ABC News(NEW YORK) -- The woman President Trump retweeted videos from Wednesday morning, Jayda Fransen, is the deputy leader of a far-right, ultra-nationalist group known as Britain First. In its mission statement, the group calls itself "patriotic resistance" to what it sees as increasing "Islamization" of the U.K. and Europe.



Since its founding in 2011 by former members of the British National Party, Britain First has organized demonstrations against what it calls "Islamic extremism" and "mass migration" to the U.K. Members of the group have held Christian patrols in parts of London where Muslims live and visited refugees and migrants at camps in Calais, France to urge them not to come to the U.K. The group says it opposes the "colonization of our homeland" through immigration.



The murder of British MP Jo Cox last summer shone a spotlight on the group, as her killer reportedly shouted Britain first as he ran towards her.



While there is no proof that he was referencing the group specifically - and the partys leader, Paul Golding, dismissed the reports as hearsay and called the attack a heinous crime.



Jo's widower, Brendan Cox, tweeted Wednesday that Trump should be "ashamed of himself" for "spreading hatred."



Fransen is the group's 31-year-old deputy leader. Fransen currently faces a charge of religious or racially aggravated harassment, according to police in Kent, England. She has been released on bail before a trial set to start on Jan. 29, police said. She pleaded not guilty.



On Twitter Wednesday, she thanked Trump for retweeting her and wrote, "I'm facing prison for criticising Islam. Britain is now Sharia compliant. I need your help! God bless."



On Wednesday, Trump retweeted three unverified, anti-Muslim videos posted by Fransen. One of the three tweets includes video with the caption "Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!" while another reads, "Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!" Another video claims to show a "Muslim migrant" beating up a "Dutch boy on crutches."



The authenticity of the videos Trump retweeted from Fransen's timeline has been independently verified, but all allege various crimes or violence by Muslims. At least one has been debunked: the individual referred to as a "Muslim migrant" assaulting a man on crutches in Holland was discovered to be neither Muslim nor a migrant, police and prosecutors told ABC News.



Anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant backlash is an issue in the U.K., however. British government statistics show a marked increase in hate crimes against minorities in the weeks following the Brexit vote. Some fear the decision to leave the EU has empowered the far right in the United Kingdom.



Trump has already come under fire for retweeting Fransen, including from the British government itself.



"Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions. They cause anxiety to law-abiding people," the prime minister's office said in a statement Wednesday. "British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far-right, which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents  decency, tolerance and respect."



"It is wrong for the president to have done this," the statement added.



But White House press secretary Sarah Sanders insisted the president was not pushing an anti-Muslim propaganda or offering an endorsement of the group when he retweeted Fransen, but instead making the case for national security.



"Its important to talk about national security and national security threats, Sanders said. The president sees different things to be a national security threat and he sees having strong borders as being one of the things that helps protect people in this country from some real threats we face."



Whether its a real video, the threat is real and that is what the president is talking about, thats what the president is focused on, is dealing with those real threats and those are real no matter how youre looking at it, she said.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Kalabhavan Abi died at the age of 49 in a hospital in Kochi after the level of platelets in his blood fell drastically.

By India Today Web Desk: Noted Malayalam actor and mimicry artist Kalabhavan Abi died in a hospital in Kochi this morning. Abi was 49 years old.

The actor and comedian was admitted to the hospital today, after a drastic fall in the number of platelets. He was being treated for dengue.

Abi was also battling cancer for the last few months and was under treatment at the hospital where he died.

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A PRO from Amrita Hospital in Kochi told The News Minute, "He was brought dead to the hospital at 10.20. The death happened 45 mins before that. He was battling cancer and had been under treatment of Dr Pavitran for the last five to six months," the PRO said.

Abi is best known for his roles in Malayalam films like Mazhavil Koodaram, Aniyathipravu, Kireedamillatha Rajakkanmar, Mimics Action 500 and Resikan. Abi was a well-known mimicry artist and rose to stardom in the 90s. He has worked in more than 50 Malayalam films.

Abi's career in mimicry began with Kalabhavan.

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By PTI: Imphal, Nov 30 (PTI) A deputy commissioner in Manipur has urged Reliance Jio Infocomm chairman Mukesh Ambani to set up more mobile towers in inaccessible and hilly areas of Tamenglong district to help improve communication facilities.

The letter to Ambani was written by Armstrong Pame, Deputy Commissioner of Tamenglong, who was instrumental in building a 100 km motorable road without government help five years ago when he was the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Tousem.

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It would be a dream come true for the people if he (Ambani) could intervene in setting up more mobile towers and provide Internet service in the district, Pame had written to the Reliance Jio chief early this month.

Now people have to walk for a day or two to reach the district headquarters from remote areas to submit applications to the DCs office, said Pame, an IAS officer of 2009 batch.

Setting up of the mobile towers would improve communication facilities in the hill district and enable people to submit applications online, he said adding that Ambani has acknowledged the letter.

Pame told PTI that he had also received calls from Guwahati and Mumbai offices of Reliance Jio saying "a team will be deputed to the least undeveloped areas of the district by the end of this year to study technical requirements for establishment of mobile towers."

Pame had earned the sobriquet of "Miracle Man" after he helped local people construct a 100-km long road between Tousem and Tamenglong in less than a year without government assistance in the hill district when he was the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Tousem.

The construction of the road became possible after he raised Rs 40 lakh with the help of social media. Donations also came from various individuals. Pame himself had contributed Rs 5 lakh while his brother donated Rs 1 lakh.

The construction of the road started in 2012 and was completed in 2013. PTI COR RG NN RG

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HYDERABAD: Hyderabad has registered 387 cases of assault on woman with intent to outrage her modesty, which is 10.3 per cent of the total crime. Overall, 10,458 cases of various types of assault against women were registered in the metropolitan cities in 2016. Delhi tops the list with 3,746 cases, followed by Mumbai with 2,183 cases while Coimbatore stands last with just 19 cases. However, the rate of crime against women was high in Delhi with 49.4 per cent, followed by Nagpur with 33.6 per cent. Hyderabad has 10.3 per cent share of the total crimes committed against women, while Chennai has 1.5 per cent of the crimes committed against women.

Around 359 kidnapping and seven abduction cases were registered, including 28 human trafficking ca-ses and cases of 25 kidnappings specifically done to compel the girl for marriage were registered. With 170 rape cases, 4.5 per cent share am-ong 19 cities was also registered. On the whole, 4,935 rape cases were registered with 9.1 per cent share of the total crime registered in 2016 under various sections of the IPC. Sixty-five cases of crime against women were registered under other laws, including 64 Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act cases. One child marriage case was also registered amongst the 13 cases registered across all metros. Twenty cases were registered under Juvenile Justice Act in Hyderabad, while 283 cases were registered in Mumbai and 113 cases in Jaipur.
Miss World Manushi Chhillar was a sight of grace in the outfit she wore to meet the Prime Minister.

By India Today Web Desk: Ever since Haryana girl Manushi Chhillar was crowned the Miss World, everything she's been doing, saying and wearing has been in the news.

Though Manushi has maintained her fashionista image in pretty much everything she's worn for each public appearance--with the crown intact--today, she's managed to make us swoon over her simple elegance.

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Since she's been crowned, Manushi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time today, at an event in Delhi, and chose just the right attire for it.

Ms Manushi Chhillar, Miss World 2017 calls on PM @narendramodi in New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/4duUYtnOup- PIB India (@PIB_India) November 30, 2017

Miss World 2017 kept her outfit for the special occasion simple--she has mentioned on social media how much she looks up to our Prime Minister--by wearing this graceful Anarkali churidar suit by Indian fashion brand Kehia.

Picture courtesy: Twitter/@feminamissindia

While we love the pristine-white suit--and the fact that its long sleeves added a special touch of class--what took her look to another level of classy was the dainty Amrapali jewellery she wore. Manushi tied her hair in a neat, centre-parted bun and made sure her beautiful face was the highlight of her look today.

Also read: Manushi Chhillar: As a doctor and Miss World, my purpose is the same

From Delhi, the new Miss World flew down in a helicopter to Kurukshetra to meet Haryana's Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar.

The only thing different here was the addition of the glittery Miss World crown and the pride-worthy Miss World Sash.

Picture courtesy: Twitter/@feminamissindia

CM Khattar then went on to gift Manushi a copy of the Bhagwat Geeta:

Can't wait to see you flaunt many more authentic Indian looks, Manushi. Clearly, tradition agrees with you!

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The protesters had staged sit-in in the capital for about three weeks demanding removal of Hamid for changes in a law related to the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat (finality of prohpethood) oath in the Elections Act 2017. (Photo: AP)

Islamabad: Pakistan's law minister resigned Monday as the embattled civilian government bowed to demands from a small Islamist group whose anti-blasphemy protest in the capital has fuelled deadly violence and sparked demonstrations across the nuclear-armed nation.

Protest leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi called off the sit-in after state media reported minister Zahid Hamid's resignation early Monday. Rizvi said he had military assurances that the demands of his Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan (TLY) group would be met.

"On the assurance of the Chief of Army Staff, we are calling off the sit-in," he told a crowd of around 2,500 demonstrators, adding that his group was abandoning plans to issue a fatwa against Hamid and was calling for roads and schools to be reopened.

There was no immediate confirmation from the government of the resignation and no comment from the military.

Read: Army called in as hardline protest claims 6 lives, injures 200 in Pakistan

The decision to capitulate to the protesters' demands is a major embarrassment for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as it eyes elections in 2018, analysts said, and underscores the influence of religious groups in the nuclear-armed country of 207 million.

Rizvi's previously obscure group has been calling for weeks for Hamid's ousting over a hastily-abandoned amendment to the oath which election candidates must swear. It has occupied a main highway into Islamabad since November 6 and virtually paralysed the capital.

The protesters have linked the amended wording to blasphemy -- a highly contentious charge in Muslim Pakistan which carries the death penalty. Even unproven allegations have spurred mob lynchings and murders.

Monday's announcement came after Saturday's botched operation to disperse the demonstrators sparked violence in Islamabad that left at least seven people dead and hundreds wounded.

It fuelled the spread of the protests and blockades to major cities across the country including Karachi and Lahore.

The government ordered police and paramilitaries to stand down after the clashes and called on the army to intervene to restore order. By Monday morning there still had been no official response from the military.

As he called off the sit-in, Rizvi referred to what he said was the text of an army-brokered agreement between TLY and the government, though the document could not be verified with officials or the military.

"We all now need to heal the fault lines that dharna (sit-in) has invoked on religious & sectarian basis & ensure it doesn't reoccur. It is a priority," tweeted Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, without further details.

'Major embarrassment'

Authorities initially hesitated to act over the sit-in.

Pakistan's civilian government has long pulled its punches in such situations, fearing that a crackdown on a religious group would incite blowback, as it has in the past. Critics have warned that this attitude allows extremism to flourish.

But as the weeks dragged on the hesitation enraged millions of commuters in Islamabad and neighbouring Rawalpindi. The demonstration caused hours-long traffic snarls and the death of at least one child whose ambulance could not reach hospital in time.

Hamid's ousting is the latest in a series of heavy blows to the ruling party.

In July Nawaz Sharif was deposed as prime minister by the courts over graft allegations, while finance minister Ishaq Dar -- also accused of corruption -- has taken indefinite medical leave.

Observers had previously warned that capitulation would set a dangerous precedent.

"Politically, this is a major embarrassment for the PML-N," analyst Hasan Askari told AFP, adding that it would undermine their credibility and predicting more defections.

He also warned it had strengthened the position of hardline groups like TLY.

TLY comes from the Barelvi sect of Islam that has strong ties to Sufism, a mystical branch of the religion that is seen as moderate. It emphasises personal devotion by its followers to the Prophet Mohammed.

However the execution in 2016 of Barelvi follower Mumtaz Qadri -- who assassinated liberal Punjab governor Salman Taseer over his stance on the blasphemy laws -- appears to have galvanised Rizvi and his followers.

Askari warned that the decision by TLY and other Islamist parties to campaign in the upcoming elections could further weaken the PML-N. The party has previously benefited from the right-wing religious vote.
By India Today Web Desk: A total of five terrorists have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir in two separate encounters in the districts of Budgam and Baramulla.

Four Jaish-e-Mohammed militants were killed in an ecounter with security forces in Budgam's Futlipora area while a lone Lashkar-e-Taiba man was eliminated in Baramulla's Sopore.

The Budgam encounter began early morning following a tip off received by security forces last night. Forces cordoned of the village at night and began a search operation.

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The militants who were hiding in the area started firing on security forces, resulting in the encounter.

A clash between civilians and forces also erupted near the encounter site resulting in an injury to a civilian.

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China Mobile is launching a suite of Rich Communication Services (RCS) across the country from 1st December, placing it in direct competition with messaging firm Tencent.

The operator will provide enhanced messaging services under its new 4G+Smart brand. Based on GSMA RCS standards, the services will enable users to chat as well as share files and high resolution images. Such features are already available in China via other OTT applications, but China Mobile has the advantage of being able to deliver the services to its 885 million users without requiring them to download an app.

The RCS features will be made available via compatible handsets, which include the Samsung S8 and Huawei Mate 10. In addition, enterprise customers will be able to access similar features by downloading its And Fei Xin app.

When China Mobile announced its RCS offering at its Global Partners Conference in Guangzhou, the GSMA was quick to declare it a huge boost for the technology, saying momentum for RCS is growing around the world. There are currently 50 launched networks and over 157 million active monthly users. The potential for continued growth is also huge.

The RCS suite will see China Mobile facing off against Tencents popular messaging app WeChat, which has over 960 million users. Globally, other players using similar technology include AT&T, Orange, Vodafone Group and Deutsche Telekom.
The Research and Analysis Wing and the National Technical Research Organisation have reportedly issued a circular advising Indian Army personnel to uninstall about 42 apps from their Android and iOS smartphones.

Indian intelligence agencies have issued an advisory for Indian Army personnel asking them to uninstall Truecaller, SHAREit and 40 other Chinese apps immediately from their smartphones. A report by India Today states that the information has been sent out by the Union Home Ministry after receiving inputs from agencies like the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO).

The circular flags many Chinese apps as malicious, on both Android and iOS. Weibo, WeChat, UC News, UC Browser, Apus browser, DU battery cleaner are some of the blacklisted apps along with many Xiaomi apps, which come pre-loaded on their smartphones, such as Mi Store, Mi Video Call, and Mi Community.

The advisory says, "As per reliable inputs, a number of Android/iOS apps developed by Chinese developers or having Chinese links are reportedly either spyware or other malicious ware. Use of these apps by our force personnel can be detrimental to data security having implications on the force and national security."

Most of the blacklisted apps on the advisory are made by Chinese developers, however, Truecaller is made by a Swedish company. A Truecaller spokesperson, in a statement to India Today Tech said, In response to certain reports, we would like to clarify that we are a Sweden based company. We are not sure why the app is on this list, but we're investigating. Truecaller is not a malware, and all our features are permission based and are disabled by default."

This is not the first time Chinese apps have come under the governments scrutiny. UC Browser previously came under the governments watch for sending mobile data of Indian users to a server in China. The app was reported of taking control of the DNS of a users device even after being uninstalled. You can read more about it here.
An investigation by The Information found Andy Rubin was involved in an "inappropriate relationship" with a woman who worked under him in the Android division at Google, violating Google's policies.

Essential founder and Android Co-creator Andy Rubin has taken a leave of absence from his company citing personal reasons after a media report alledged he was involved in an inappropriate relationship in 2014 at Google, when he was heading the Android division, which apparently led to his departure from Google.

The report, published by The Information does not go into the details of the relationship. It only states Rubin was in an inappropriate relationship with a woman who worked under him and filed a complaint to HR.

Essentials spokesperson stated there is no connection with his leave of absence and the media report about his departure from Google. Mike Sitirck, Rubins spokesperson told The Information, any relationship that Mr. Rubin had while at Google was consensual. Mr. Rubin was never told by Google that he engaged in any misconduct while at Google and he did not, either while at Google, or since.

However, Rubin apparently told Essential employees about his leave of absence on Monday after The Information published the story.

According to the report, the woman worked in Googles Android division headed by Rubin. The alleged relationship would have been a violation of Googles policy as the company requires employees to disclose such relationships so that one of them could be shifted to another division.

Rubin moved on from the Android division in 2013 to lead Googles Robotics division and the HR investigation is reported to have taken place in 2014. The report states the investigation concluded that Rubins behaviour was improper and showed bad judgement.

Rubin was the Co-founder and former CEO of Danger Inc, the company behind the iconic T-mobile Sidekick as well as the Co-founder of Android Inc, which was ultimately acquired by Google in 2005. His new company, Essential aims to build an ecosystem of premium smart products. The Essential Ph-1 was the first device to come out of the stable, but has not been received well by the public.

In his absence, Rubins position has been filled by Niccolo de Masi, Essentials President who would be in charge for the time being.
Software and service company Intercede has signed a contract with an unnamed large European bank, it announced on Thursday.

The AIM-traded firm said that under the agreement, it would supply its MyID product for more than 10,000 employees, in addition to recurring support and maintenance services.

It said the deal was worth more than 0.25m over a three-year period, with most of that value accruing in the first 12 months of the contract period.

Intercede said its MyID product would enable the bank to eliminate a reliance on the use of potentially insecure passwords for its internal systems security.

In doing so, the bank would become more resistant to social engineering and other cyber-attacks based on compromising employee passwords, the board explained.

By deploying more robust methods of authentication, the bank would be able to reduce instances of fraud and improve the level of privacy and security provided to customers.

As a result, the bank would apparently reduce its overall financial risks and exposures under the upcoming EU's General Data and Protection Regulations.

This contract was secured following a comprehensive and exhaustive tender process over an extended period, said Intercede chairman and chief executive Richard Parris.

Our success demonstrates that Intercede's MyID product for employees remains the top of its class, is technically relevant and commercially viable for some of the world's largest and most security sensitive companies.

I am delighted we secured this win in a country with a strongly competitive local market thereby proving our capacity to project our sales and technical support capabilities into the wider EU marketplace.
Energy storage and clean fuel company ITM Power updated the market on its trading and operations for the period since the announcement of its successful placing and open offer on 29 September on Thursday.

The AIM-traded company said it was maintaining its focus on increasing commercial sales, and currently had 20.2m of projects under contract, and a further 22.4m of contracts in the final stages of negotiation.

It said the total of 42.6m was an increase of 5.9m in the two months since the placing and open offer announcement.

ITM Power continues to process its current order book, the board said in its statement, adding that it had 12 units within its manufacturing facility in Sheffield at present which were either in build, undergoing factory acceptance testing or ready for shipment.

An additional five units are being commissioned in the field ahead of coming online.

Altogether, these 17 units constitute over 5MW of installed capacity, [and] the production plan starting in 2018 already exceeds 15MW of capacity.

In line with ITM Powers growth strategy and manufacturing plans, the board said the order backlog and opportunity pipeline demonstrated a clear trend towards bigger unit sizes and larger scale industrial applications.

The backlog is also reflective of the company's focus on commercial sales and shift away from its previous reliance on grant income.

In order to accommodate the increased numbers and size of units in production, heads of terms are being negotiated for a relocation to a larger facility which will accommodate all functions of the company.

On its power-to-gas and energy storage operations, ITM Power said the National Grid HyDeploy project was well underway, with excellent progress made across the programme.

It said the HyDeploy project was seeking to address a key issue for the UK, in reducing the carbon footprint as a result of heating homes.

The UK has a world-class gas grid delivering heat conveniently and safely to over 83% of homes.

Emissions could be reduced by lowering the carbon content of gas through blending with hydrogen, the board explained.

HyDeploy is a Network Innovation Competition-funded project which aims to establish the level of hydrogen that can be safely blended with natural gas for transport and use in the UK gas network.

ITM Power said it had started work examining the potential deployment of large-scale power-to-gas energy storage within the boundaries of the Northern Gas Networks gas distribution system.

The work, funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy as part of the Energy Storage Feasibility Study Competition launched in January, would be completed in the first quarter of 2018.

BEIS was also undertaking a 25m project to explore the potential use of hydrogen gas for heating UK homes and businesses.

The project would run from 2017 to 2021, and would aim to define a hydrogen quality standard, and to explore, develop and test domestic and commercial hydrogen appliances.

On the deployment of hydrogen refuelling stations, ITM Power confirmed it now had a total portfolio today of 12 funded refuelling stations which it owns.

Five stations are open to the public at Riverside in the US, AMP in Rotherham, NPL in London, CEME in London and Cobham in London.

A further five stations were under construction in Birmingham, Orkney, Beaconsfield, Gatwick and Swindon.

ITM Power said a further two stations also had Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking funding under the H2ME2 scheme.

The UK refuelling network had been financially supported by Innovate UK, the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and the FCH JU.

Planning permission has been granted for car and bus HRS at 19 sites in total with 14 different planning departments across the UK, the board confirmed.

Business development activities in the clean fuel area are now focussed on return-to-base commercial vehicles including buses, trains, trucks and shipping.

ITM Power has entered into 17 hydrogen fuel supply contracts for refuelling fuel cell electric vehicles.

Looking at the industry as a whole, ITM Power noted that on 13 November the Hydrogen Council published a first-of-a kind study detailing hydrogen's potential to be a key pillar of the energy transition.

It said the study concluded that, when deployed at scale, hydrogen could account for almost one-fifth of total final energy consumed by 2050.

This would reduce annual CO2 emissions by roughly six gigatons compared to today's levels, and contribute roughly 20% of the abatement required to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius.

On the subject of its marketing efforts, ITM Power said they had been focused on engagement with multi-national companies which operate within the energy and transport sectors.

In addition, and apparently increasingly by invitation, the company was attending and presenting at industry specific trade fairs and conferences in the UK, mainland Europe and the United States.

Our strong pipeline growth reflects the hydrogen and energy storage markets' rapid growth worldwide and ITM's focus on commercial sales, said ITM Power CEO Graham Cooley.

We have larger systems, compliant to operate all over the world, placing ITM Power in a great market position.

This is a very exciting time for the energy industry, and ITM Power is at the forefront of a market which will revolutionise air quality and energy storage for future generations.
The AIM-listed company said the agreement would provide it access to JGCs extensive network of long-term relationships in the refining, marine and power industries to develop potential commercial opportunities for the production of MSAR, an online database enabling the browsing, searching, sorting, and comparing of information about US and Canadian medical schools, while JGC would act as its exclusive partner to work with prospective producers and consumers of MSAR in Japan, Colombia, Peru and elsewhere on a case-by-case basis, to jointly develop commercial MSAR projects.

Mike Kirk, executive chairman of Quadrise Fuels International, said: "We believe that this is an exciting opportunity for QFI to harness JGC's leading position in key markets for the production and use of MSAR. This will not only increase the scale of the addressable market but also accelerate its development. We look forward to developing a long-term and mutually beneficial relationship with JGC."

Meanwhile, Takashi Yasuda, senior executive officer of JGC's Technology Innovation, added: "We are pleased to have reached agreement with QFI. Access to their MSAR technology will enable JGC to offer its clients a cost-effective and environmentally beneficial alternative to HFO that can be implemented rapidly. We look forward to working with QFI and building what we expect to be a significant new business stream."
SolGold, the company focused on the riches of the North Andean Copper Belt in Ecuador, has closed its bought deal private placement of 180m shares for proceeds of 45m, it emerged on Thursday.

Gross proceeds from that offering, which was led by National Bank Financial and Canaccord Genuity Corp, would be used for exploration and studies enabling the company to advance its flagship Cascabel Project, selective regional exploration in Ecuador, working capital and general corporate purposes, the company said.

The offering was conducted on behalf of a syndicate underwriters, including Cormark Securities Inc., GMP Securities L.P., Paradigm Capital Inc., Red Cloud Klondike Strike Inc., Mackie Research Capital Corporation and Echelon Wealth Partners Inc.

Commenting on the closing, Chief Executive Officer of SolGold Mr Nick Mather said:"It is particularly gratifying to finalise the raising with a strong institutional support base for SolGold. We continue to strengthen SolGold's ability to take its assets forward through discovery and feasibility towards development. We are building a significant copper company in SolGold and this raising is an important step. It's out of the way now and the Company is now fully funded for well over a year, at both Cascabel and its exciting Pan Ecuadorean exploration project.
Mobile financial services provider Vipera has increased the scope of its contract with the Government Savings Bank of Thailand (GSB) through its partner TNFIS , part of the TN Information Systems group, utilising Vipera's digital financial services platform MOTIF under license, it announced on Thursday.

The AIM-traded firm said GSB initially purchased a license in September 2014 for 100,000 users, and a further licence in August 2015 for an additional one million users.

They had now exceeded one million users, and were purchasing a further licence to cover another million users.

It said GSB was using Vipera's technology in its mobile banking service, MyMo by GSB, providing powerful personal banking and financial management tools in the hands of GSB's customers via their smartphones.

Vipera said the application provided a range of value add self service capabilities to GSB's customers, including the ability to check account balances and statements for all deposit and loan accounts, money transfer to accounts in GSB and other banks as well as to other MyMo users.

In addition, users could pay loans, scan and pay bills, top up mobile phones, check GSB special prize draw results and customise their landing page.

Users also received notifications about balance changes across all accounts, with the application available for both iOS and Android devices.

We are delighted that GSB have now exceeded one million users and are looking to further exploit the benefits of Vipera's MOTIF platform technology, ensuring that GSBs banking customers have access to the best available mobile banking experience, said Vipera CEO Marco Casartelli.

As well as being an important sale for the company, we will benefit from increased annual support and maintenance revenue.
Irish drilling tools engineer Mincon announced on Thursday that a company closely associated with its non-executive director Kevin Barry had disposed of more than 3.8m shares in the firm.

Babybell, the company headed up by Barry, sold the shares at a cost of 1.00 each for a total 3.8m.

After the transaction, Babybell remained in possession of 11.1m shares in Mincon, a 5.3% stake in the firm.

In its results for the first nine months of its trading year, Mincon posted 29% growth in revenue after customers flocked to its in-house products; however, "adverse" currency effects narrowed the group's margins from 15.7% to 13.2%.

As of 1615 GMT, shares had gained 0.51% to 98.00p.

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Value: 24,024.00




European Commission competition regulators have accused the world's biggest beer brewer of abusing its dominant position on the Belgian beer market, by hindering cheaper imports of its brands from neighbouring countries into Belgium.

Anheuser-Busch InBev's top-selling beer brands in Belgium, Jupiler and Leffe, are also sold in the Netherlands and France, where an EC investigation found the two brands were sold at lower prices than in Belgium due to higher competition there.

The Commission said its preliminary view was that AB InBev's domination of the Belgian beer market saw it abusing this position by "pursuing a deliberate strategy to prevent supermarkets and wholesalers from buying Jupiler and Leffe at lower prices in the Netherlands and France, and from importing them into Belgium".

Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said: "Belgian consumers may have had to pay more for their favourite beers. Our preliminary finding is that AB InBev may have deliberately prevented cheaper beer imports out of France and the Netherlands from reaching consumers in Belgium.

"Such practices would breach EU competition rules, because they deny consumers the benefits of the EU Single Market  choice and lower prices. AB InBev now has the opportunity to respond to our concerns."

AB InBev, which also has strong positions in many other markets as brewer of beers including Budweiser, Stella Artois and Becks, also aroused concerns at the Commission over a number of its business practices, which have been in place since at least 2009.

The EC said these included changing the packaging of Jupiler and Leffe beer cans in the Netherlands and France to make it harder to sell them in Belgium, or limiting access of Dutch retailers to key products and promotions, "in order to prevent them from bringing less expensive beer products to Belgium".

For example, the investigation found ABI did not sell or limited the quantity of certain products sold to Dutch retailers and restricted the availability of certain promotions, if there was a chance that the Dutch retailers could import the products into Belgium.

"The Commission's preliminary view is that these practices have created anti-competitive obstacles to trade and partitioned the EU's Single Market along national borders."

If confirmed, this would infringe Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union that prohibits the abuse of a dominant market position.
By PTI: Indore, Nov 30 (PTI) In an alarming development, 16 new cases of HIV infection -- twice the number last year -- have been detected in the transgender community in Madhya Pradesh till October.

The lack of awareness about dangers of unprotected sex and the AIDS are the major reasons for this increase in the number of new HIV cases among transgender persons, experts said.

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According to the State AIDS Control Committee, 16 transgender persons were diagnosed with HIV till October this year. The number was eight last year.

Kalpana Bendwal, AIDS counsellor at the government-run Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital here, told PTI: "A very small number of eunuchs come to us for advice. There is a dire need to increase the awareness about the AIDS in the transgender community."

Risk of infection increases for the eunuchs involved in the flesh trade, she said.

Ajay Das, leader of Ujjains Kinnar Akhada, a congregation of eunuchs, said the government should conduct an awareness campaign for the benefit of the transgender community.

He also demanded a special arrangement for the treatment of HIV-infected members of the community.

The State AIDS Control Committee data shows that between 2005 and October 2017, 53,899 cases of HIV infection were detected in Madhya Pradesh.

Gender-wise break-up of these cases is: 32,902 men, 20,835 women (including pregnant women) and 162 transgender persons. PTI HWP ADU MAS KRK BAS

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Nokia has denied that it is in talks to buy Juniper Networks following a report suggesting it was preparing a bid for the group.

"Nokia is not currently in talks with, nor is it preparing an offer for, Juniper Networks related to an acquisition of that company," it said on Thursday.

Shares in the Finnish network equipment maker jumped on Wednesday after CNBC cited sources as saying that it was readying a $16bn bid for its California-based rival.

Nokia bought French rival Alcatel-Lucent last year for about $17bn.

RBC Capital Markets said on Wednesday - before Nokia denied the report - that consolidation of the industry makes sense.

"From a financial and strategic perspective we think a Nokia/ Juniper transaction could work if a synergies lead to material earnings per share upside in 2019/2020 during the 5G rollout."

At 1110 GMT, Nokia shares were up 0.1% to 4.22.
According to a snap poll by trade union Unite, two out of three workers at Premier Inn , Britain's largest budget hotel chain, had regularly been denied breaks and not been paid what they were owed.

The survey, released by Unite on Thursday, revealed that of the workers who worked through their rest breaks, 75% of them had not been paid for their work and over half had not been permitted a break later in the day to make up for it, a breach of working time regulations that allow employees an uninterrupted 20 minute break every six hours.

Unite's findings came as the Unpaid Britain project launched its report in London which stated that a minimum of 2m British workers had been cheated out of pay, making a total value of over 3bn worth of lost salary every year.

Employers had allegedly cited staff shortages and heavy workloads as the main reasons for asking staff members to work through their breaks.

Unite warned Whitbread, the hospitality giant and owner of Premier Inn, that legal action was "in the pipeline" over multiple claims of wage theft from union members.

Unite hotel project coordinator Charlotte Bence said "Unite is clear that this is 'wage theft'. Whitbread posted pre-tax profits of 316m in August 2017 - this is profit earned at the expense of workers who are not being paid what they are owed for the time they have worked."

"Unite wants Whitbread to respect their staff, pay them properly for the hours they work and ensure they can take the breaks they are entitled to on shift. We encourage Premier Inn workers to get in touch with us," Bence added.

As of 1545 GMT, Whitbread shares had declined 1.32% to 3,586.00p.
US President Donald Trump has rebuked UK PM Theresa May after she criticised his social media posting of anti-Muslim videos from Britain First leader Jayda Fransen.

Mays spokesperson said on Wednesday it was wrong for Trump to share the videos, which purportedly show violence being committed by Muslims.

Trump responded by telling May to focus on battling Islamic terrorism in the UK, instead of criticising his actions.

"Don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom," Trump tweeted to May early on Thursday, seemingly oblivious to the 126 UK terrorist deaths since 2000 being dwarfed by the 14,173 gun-related violent deaths in the US in 2017 alone.

The three videos were originally posted by Fransen, the leader of far right party Britain First, which was formed by former members of UKIP in 2011. She has previously been convicted by the courts of religiously aggravated harassment.

The retweets arrived during a barrage of tweets on the social media site from the US President, with familiar topics such as accusing CNN and NBC of fake news.

Trump has previously been invited to the UK for a state visit, which he has not availed of yet following a series of controversies and protests against his actions in the UK.

Calls for the offer of the state visit to be rescinded increased in the aftermath of Trumps tweets on Wednesday, with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn among those calling for a cancellation.

Corbyn said the retweets were abhorrent, dangerous and a threat to our society.

Mayor of London Sadiq Kahn said the President had used twitter "to promote a vile, extremist group that exists solely to sow division and hatred in our country" and agreed that Trump's official visit to Britain "would not be welcomed".

Khan added: "Many Brits who love America and Americans will see this as a betrayal of the special relationship between our two countries. It beggars belief that the President of our closest ally doesn't see that his support of this extremist group actively undermines the values of tolerance and diversity that makes Britain so great.
The FTSE 100 , the UKs primary stock index, traded 0.45% lower on Thursday as sterling continued its rise in a week in which progress appeared to be made in Brexit negotiations.

The most significant movement of the day was from hospital operator Mediclinic International, with the company gaining around 4% in afternoon trading.

Mediclinic benefited from a positive research note analysts at Jefferies, in which it was double upgraded to buy, having previously been recommended at outperform. The company was judged to have upside potential based on growth opportunities in the UAE.

Following it was BAE Systems, after the defence contractor agreed to pay more into its pension schemes to recover a 2.1bn deficit by the year 2026.

Also among the day's FTSE leaders was life insurer Aviva, following an increase to its long-term earnings and dividend guidance.

The company also said it has 3bn of excess cash that will be used to pay down 0.9bn debt next year and then be returned via buybacks or acquisitions.

BT Group was up on the back of a Morgan Stanley note that suggested the telecoms group "looks cheap" on a sum-of-the-parts valuation, though analysts were cautious about "stepping in too early" before getting more greater clarity on capex, content rights, pension and dividend. The target price was cut to 290p and its rating remained 'equal-weight'.

Looking towards the bottom of the ledger, pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline was down around 2% after it announced a specialist HIV company it own has progressed to phase III for a new study into its cabotegravir drug.

Housebuilder Persimmon was also among the fallers as some within the construction sector were subject to profit-taking, in a week in which it was boosted by the latest news on Brexit. Analysts at Deutsche Bank wrote a glowing report about the sector, but Persimmon's share price was seen as being the most expensive in the sector on a couple of valuation measures.

Premier Inn and Costa owner Whitbread was affected on Thursday by the release of a trade union survey which detailed the extent of wage theft at the company, including staff missing out on rest breaks and not getting paid what they are owed.

FTSE 100 - Risers

Mediclinic International (MDC) 559.50p 3.61%

BT Group (BT.A) 260.55p 2.02%

BAE Systems (BA.) 554.37p 1.91%

United Utilities Group (UU.) 819.00p 1.11%

Imperial Brands (IMB) 3,079.50p 1.10%

Worldpay Group (WPG) 422.40p 1.05%

ITV (ITV) 160.00p 1.01%

Centrica (CNA) 144.21p 0.99%

Standard Life Aberdeen (SLA) 429.80p 0.84%

Convatec Group (CTEC) 192.10p 0.52%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

Carnival (CCL) 4,754.50p -2.15%

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) 1,280.75p -2.05%

Persimmon (PSN) 2,539.00p -2.01%

Prudential (PRU) 1,863.50p -1.92%

AstraZeneca (AZN) 4,806.50p -1.91%

Old Mutual (OML) 196.90p -1.80%

Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 276.60p -1.78%

Paddy Power Betfair (PPB) 8,320.00p -1.77%

Associated British Foods (ABF) 2,961.00p -1.69%

3i Group (III) 900.50p -1.64%
Apple will use power chips designed in-house for iPhone built in 2018, reports suggested on Thursday, sending shares in UK-based chip designer Dialog Semiconductor crashing.

Apple is designing its own main power management chips for use in iPhones, reported Nikkei, which would cut the tech giant's dependence on European-listed Dialog Semiconductor, which derives more than 70% of its revenues from its major US client.

The iPhone maker is wants to boost its semiconductor capabilities in order to better compete with rivals, sources told the Japanese news wire.

"Based on Apple's current plan, they are set to replace partially, or around half of its power management chips to go into iPhones by itself starting next year," said the source.

Another industry source suggested Apple would not be able to begin using its own chips until 2019.

In April, Dialog had also tanked after German analysts cut their rating on the stock due to the risk that Apple could start making its own microchips, although other analysts said these risks were being overdone.

Analysts at Bankhaus Lampe pointed to much stronger hiring of engineers of analogue and power management chips from Apple for more than a year, suggesting Apple was setting up power management design centres in Munich and California.

"We hear from the industry that about 80 engineers at Apple are already working on a PMIC with specific plans to employ it in the iPhone by as early as 2019," the bank said, noting that social networks revealed that Apple has already poached about 20 chip designers, some of them with long-standing experience from Dialog.

Earlier this year, shares in London-listed chip designer Imagination Technologies tumbled after Apple said it would stop using its graphics technology for new products as it had developed its own version of the hardware, having used similar tactics of hiring many Imagination engineers.

Bloomberg reported that Apple, which spends $11bn a year on R&D, had set up many labs near companies with a strong record in the various technological areas it was pushing into and that in several cases, these companies soon lost employees to the iPhone maker.

For example, Apple opened an office last year in Hertfordshire just seven miles from Imagination's headquarters and that its jobs website had listed numerous openings in the area related to graphics chips.
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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 each on Mantralaya and other 141 of 207 bulk generators in 'A' Ward.

By Mayuresh Ganapatye: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 each on Mantralaya and other 141 of 207 bulk generators in 'A' Ward. BMC also issued notices to them for not responding to its earlier notices regarding waste segregation management.

Along with Mantralaya, BMC has also issued a notice to many prominent eateries, hospitals, and housing societies from Colaba, Cuff Parade, Fort & Church Gate area. They have been pulled by BMC for not segregating & treating waste in their own premises.

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"In recent past, we had organised several meetings and exhibition about how to treat the wet waste. In exhibition, there were many exhibitors who had got the machines which will help to treat wet waste into compost. We had serve reminders & notices to them but they didn't adhere to the deadlines thus we have served notice of fine to them." said Kiran Dighwakar, assistant commissioner BMC 'A' ward.

BMC had taken a decision to stop collecting the waste from the hotels, societies, hospital which generates 100kg of waste daily from October 2nd, but there was uproar by corporators which forced BMC to extends its deadline by 3 months.

After slapping notice, now the civic body has given a new deadline of 3rd January. The civic body had identified over 4,000 bulk generators in Mumbai and served notices to 3,140. BMC had also warned them to start waste segregation and treatment in their premises.

BMC feels that if all adheres to guidelines related to waste management, it will ease of the burden of waste management & transportation cost of BMC. From 10,000 metric tonnes in the past, now around 7,000 metric tonnes of waste gets deposited in BMC dumping ground. BMC's plan to further lowered the waste input to 5000 metric tonnes in near future.

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Many of us have fantasised about selling our worldly possessions and starting over in a brand new city. Perhaps a romantic life in Paris is calling, or the neon energy of Tokyo, or the cultural institutions of New York City.

But be prepared to shell out for the privilege of your new lifestyle, because each of those beloved destinations cracked the top 10 in The Economists annual ranking of the most expensive cities in the world.

The Economist Intelligence Unit, the research division of the Economist Group, compares more than 400 prices across 160 products and services  including food, rent, clothing transport, and leisure  to determine the ranking in its yearly Worldwide Cost of Living Survey.

Singapore emerged as the worlds priciest city to live in for the fourth consecutive year, narrowly edging out a cadre of strong contenders in Asia. Hong Kong defended its second place title from 2016, closely followed by Zurich.

Meanwhile, over in Japan, Tokyo and Osaka re-entered the ranking this year, meaning that Asian cities now account for half of the most expensive cities in the Worldwide Cost of Living 2017 survey.

The report also names 2017s least expensive cities (number one: Almaty, Kazakhstan) and the cities that are becoming more affordable compared to last years report. The latter list includes London, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Beijing.

Read the current ranking of the worlds costliest cities above (preferably with tissues handy to mop up the tears). For more information, download the complete report at The Economist.
The NCRB data, released today, shows that the BJP ruled states have recorded highest rates in terms of crime against scheduled castes.

By India Today Web Desk: The latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) may give the Opposition a shot in arm for the Gujarat Assembly election. The latest data for 2014-16 reveals that the BJP ruled states recorded highest crime rates against scheduled castes.

The NCRB data, released today says that the five states that recorded the highest crime rate in the category of "crime/atrocities against scheduled castes" during 2014-16 were all ruled by the BJP directly or in alliance with other parties.

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Madhya Pradesh occupies the top position in crime against scheduled castes in terms of crime rate, which is defined by the incidence of crime recorded per one lakh population. Madhya Pradesh registered 3,294 incidents of crime against scheduled castes in 2014 followed by 3,546 in 2015 and 4,922 last year.

Madhya Pradesh reported 12.1 per cent of total number of crimes against scheduled castes registered in the country last year. Madhya Pradesh is followed by Rajasthan, which recorded 12.6 per cent of total number of crimes recorded against scheduled castes in the country in 2016.

OTHER BJP STATES

Rajasthan recorded 6,735 incidents of crime against scheduled castes in 2014, which declined to 5,911 in 2015 and 5,136 in 2016. Goa holds third position in terms of crime rate against scheduled castes. However, in terms of numbers, Goa recorded only 13 such cases each in 2014 and 2015 while the number of crime against scheduled castes declined to 11 last year.

With 5,701 incidents of crime reported against scheduled castes last year, Bihar stood fourth in the table. Bihar's share in the all India figure for crime against scheduled caste was 14 per cent for 2016. The

BJP is in alliance with the JD-U in Bihar, which had voted for the grand alliance (including RJD and Congress) in 2015. But, early this year, Nitish Kumar walked out of the grand alliance and stitched an alliance with the BJP to form government.

WILL NCRB DATA IMPACT GUJARAT ELECTION?

Election-bound Gujarat was at the fifth rank in terms of crime rate against scheduled castes. Gujarat has seen an increase in the number of incidents of crime against scheduled castes since 2014.

The NCRB data shows that Gujarat registered 1,094 incidents of crime against scheduled castes which increased to 1,322 in 2016. In 2015, Gujarat recorded a minor dip in the number when 1,010 incidents of crime against scheduled castes were registered in the state.

During this period, Gujarat has seen several agitations over rising crime against Dalits in the state. The crime against Dalits took political turn in 2015 when a family was attacked by cow vigilantes at Una.

The issue of crime against Dalits is one of the major poll issues for Gujarat Assembly election. Dalit leaders including Jignesh Mevani and the Congress have been raising the issue of crime against scheduled castes in the state for past couple of years.

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According to the NCRB data, atrocities or crime against scheduled castes increased by 5.5 per cent in 2016 over 2015. A total of 40,801 cases of crime against scheduled castes were registered in the country in 2015 compared to 38,670 cases in 2015.

With 10,426 incidents, Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of cases of atrocities against scheduled castes accounting for 25.6 per cent followed by Bihar with 14 per cent and Rajasthan with 12.6 per cent in 2016.

In 2016, the rate of crime against scheduled castes of total cognisable crimes in Madhya Pradesh was 43.4 per cent followed by 42 per cent in Rajasthan, 36.7 per cent in Goa, 34.4 per cent in Bihar and 32.5 per cent in Gujarat. The all-India crime rate against scheduled castes was 20.6 per cent last year.

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Snap on Wednesday announced changes designed to combat fake news on Snapchat by separating content from professional creators from postings by friends and family.

Stories and Chats from friends will appear on the left side of the camera, while Stories from content creators, publishers and other members of the community will appear on the right side of the camera.

Snapchat has taken a page from Netflix, suggested Snap CEO Evan Spiegel in an opinion piece on Axios. That is, a persons own behavior is more indicative of individual interests than content generated by friends.

Snapchat aims to disentangle social from media, he wrote, by offering users a personalized content feed tailored to their own behavior rather than basing it on what their friends post.

Distinct Feeds

Snapchat will provide a new Discover page on the right, which will post information from services members have subscribed to at the top, followed by other Stories that users may be interested in viewing.

While it will use algorithms to sort out Stories on the Discover page, it also will use human curators to review and approve content that is promoted on the page.

Snapchat also announced a new dynamic Friends page, which displays friends on the left side of the camera based on the way users communicate with them. Snapchat described it as a Best Friends algorithm that allows users to avoid having to scroll through a bunch of friends to find the ones they want to talk to.

This seems like a very logical distinction, remarked Rick Edmonds, media business analyst at Poynter.

I dont particularly get what a news feed is doing intermingled with photos among family and friends, he told the E-Commerce Times.

Snapchat caters to a much different demographic than Facebook and Twitter, so its changes may not have a substantial direct impact on the fake news dilemma.

Snapchat has adopted an interesting tactic in differentiating itself from Facebook and Instagram, said Zach Fuller, an analyst at Midia Research.

However, Snapchats core demographic is far younger than its competitors and does not consume news as frequently on the platform as other sources, he told the E-Commerce Times.

Human Touch

The changes, including the addition of staff curators, are a good step to weed out fake news from legit content, but they will not completely eradicate the problem, said Jon Clay, director of global threat communications at Trend Micro.

The challenge will be whether this human vetting can keep up with the amount of good news being published every hour of the day, he told the E-Commerce Times. Threat actors will analyze this new process and look for ways to circumvent it in order to continue utilizing fake news as part of their campaigns.

Snap, which went public in March, reported a third-quarter net loss of US$443 million as it fell short of revenue projections on weak user growth.

Snap has made several changes in recent months to promote original content on the Snapchat platform. The company announced Campus Publisher stories, a partnership with dozens of colleges and universities to produce weekly stories and post them on the site.

The stories include Snap Ads, which help the schools monetize the postings and share revenue with Snap.

Snap earlier this year announced custom Stories, which allow users to post about anything from a trip to a birthday celebration or other event, and then choose who can add to the story or geofence it to a particular location.
The rumor that Amazon has set its sights on disrupting the pharmaceutical industry has gained greater currency recently, just months after the company set the grocery business on fire with its acquisition of Whole Foods, and in the midst of its widely publicized search for a second U.S. headquarters location.

Amazon reportedly has taken major steps toward becoming a drug distributor and seller  actions that have caused concern among potential competitors and may have figured heavily in CVS negotiations to buy health insurance firm Aetna for US$66 billion.

Amazon has obtained licenses to sell drugs as a wholesaler in 12 states, including Nevada, Arizona, Alabama, North Dakota and Louisiana, according to a report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The E-Commerce Times was able to obtain documents showing that Amazon has licenses to sell wholesale drugs in New Jersey and Connecticut, two other states on the papers list.

If Amazon wanted to get into the business of shipping pharmaceuticals directly to consumers, it also would have to obtain pharmacy licenses, the report notes.

The newly obtained licenses are related to the companys growing healthcare supply business, which is part of a growing B2B segment at Amazon, said spokesperson Lori Torgerson.

As part of that business, Amazon sells professional medical supplies to doctors, dentists and other medical professionals.

Wholesale licenses are required for Amazon Business to sell professional-use only products to healthcare companies, Torgerson told the E-Commerce Times.

B2B Boom

Amazon this summer announced that its Amazon Business segment, which launched in 2015, had reached more than one million customers. The procurement business had grown to reach more than 85,000 business sellers, providing professional supplies to a range of healthcare and other business customers.

Amazon has licenses to sell to various healthcare providers, including hospitals, doctors, dentists and healthcare clinics, in most states.

The news that CVS Health was in talks to buy Aetna, the nations No. 3 health insurance firm, surfaced last week in a Wall Street Journal report. The rumored $66 billion deal values the Aetna stock at $200 a share. CVS is not only one of the largest retail pharmacy chains, but also one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers in the U.S.

The negotiations, which have been ongoing for months, directly involved the top executives at both firms  CVS CEO Larry Merlo and Aetna CEO Mark Bertonlini  according to multiple reports.

A major reason cited for the talks was rampant speculation that Amazon has been making moves to enter the prescription drug business, following its blockbuster $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods, a move that shook the U.S. grocery industry to its foundations.

CVS officials did not respond to our request to comment for this story.

We dont comment on rumors or speculation, Aetna spokesperson T.J. Crawford told the E-Commerce Times.

Ripe for Disruption

Amazon may be poised to disrupt the retail pharmacy business because it is a highly competitive market where the majority of profits are taken not on the drugs themselves, but on the household products, supplements, groceries and other purchases that customers make while browsing the aisles.

With Amazons focus on customer convenience and reorders/auto-orders, this is a logical next step for the company, said Cindy Zhou, principal analyst at Constellation Research.

Bulk orders for regular prescriptions have been offered by the insurance carriers for decades, but Amazon can deliver it to the end customer conveniently, she told the E-Commerce Times.

Reordering prescription drugs easily could be accomplished using voice-operated Alexa commands or Amazon Dash buttons, Zhou suggested.

I think the logical reason Amazon would want in is that when consumers go to drug stores they have to walk all the way to the back to pick up their prescriptions, said Paula Rosenblum, managing partner at RSR Research.

Thats how the chain stores get real profit. They have much bigger margins on the products they pick up on the way back there or on the way out, she told the E-Commerce Times. So I suppose its another way for them to increase their share of the wallet.
The

backdoor Arctic refuge drilling provision snuck in the Senate Republicans tax reform plan could be held up thanks to a little-known procedural rule.

The Republican-led effort to open the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and natural gas drilling could violate the Byrd Rule, which outlines what can be included in the Senates budgetary legislation.

According to the

Associated Press:

Senate Democrats objected to the provision opening a portion of the remote refuge to oil drilling, saying measures to fast-track environmental approvals violate a rule designed to limit budget legislation to provisions that are mainly fiscal in nature. Congressional aides say the Senate parliamentarian has signaled agreement with Democrats, which could force Republicans to secure 60 votes for drilling, instead of 50 needed for the tax bill.

The fate of the bill is now unclear but environmental groups cheered the news.

Tiernan Sittenfeld of the League of Conservation Voters told the AP that the procedural hiccup is what happens when you cut corners and try to sneak drilling into an already terrible tax bill.

The drilling provision was introduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and has worked for most of her career to allow drilling in the refuge.

Conservatives have sought for decades to open up parts of the refuge to create jobs and boost the energy sector. They have targeted the so-called 1002 area on the Prudhoe Bay in Northern Alaska, which has an estimated 12 billion barrels of recoverable crude.

Murkowski called the 1002 a non wilderness area since the government set it aside for petroleum exploration decades ago.

However, the targeted area hosts migratory bird species and endangered wildlife and is considered to be sacred to the indigenous Gwichin people, who sustain themselves from the caribou that migrate there.

Regardless of the potential setback, Murkowski endorsed the tax overhaul on Wednesday.

Of course, the bill also includes a title that I am proud to have written, to open a small portion of the non-wilderness 1002 Area in ANWR in northeast Alaska to responsible energy production, she said.

We still have work to do on this legislation and I look forward to the debate on the Senate floor and my colleagues ideas to further improve it.

Byrd rule issue with provisions in ANWR section. Source says language that allow for getting around enviro regs to drill in ANWR is subject to Byrd rule. Other aides say easily resolved. But could wait longer for MTP vote.  Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) November 29, 2017

Byrd rule complications for a wildlife refuge that hosts more than 200 different species of migratory birds https://t.co/dOa0Oz6uQm  Jeremy Dillon (@jeremydillonDC) November 29, 2017

https://twitter.com/JoePWilliams31/statuses/935960980860874753
The Trump administration released on Wednesday its long-overdue recovery plan for Mexican gray wolves, one of the most endangered mammal species in North America with an estimated wild population of just over 100. However, the plan charts a course for extinction rather than recovery, cutting off wolf access to vital recovery habitat and failing to respond to mounting genetic threats to the species.

Its a recovery plan in name only. Without additional habitat and greater genetic diversity, the wolves will continue to teeter on the brink of extinction. The plan provides none of these essential needs, said Heidi McIntosh, an attorney with the nonprofit environmental legal organization, Earthjustice, which sued the federal government on behalf of conservation organizations.

The Trump administration refused to listen to the tens of thousands of people who asked them to fix their awful draft plan before finalizing it. Among the people who weighed in asking for stronger protections for the wolves were concerned citizens, business owners and scientists.

Lobos waited decades for a plan to save them, only to be given one that does not guarantee recovery, said Bryan Bird, Southwest director for Defenders of Wildlife. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had the opportunity to build a plan on a foundation of science and conservation, but instead decided to let politics rule.

Instead of moving forward with a plan based on legitimate, science-based recommendations, the Service collaborated exclusively with the very states that have gone to extraordinary lengths to obstruct Mexican wolf recovery, said Maggie Howell of the Wolf Conservation Center. Critically endangered lobos deserve better.

The Fish and Wildlife Service published over 250 pages of supporting scientific justification, used a sophisticated model to predict extinction probabilities, then tossed the science aside and asked the states how many wolves they would tolerate with no scientific justification whatsoever, said David Parsons, former Mexican wolf recovery coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Service. Using the states arbitrary upper limit as a population cap in the population viability model and forcing additional recovery needs to Mexico, the plan will guarantee that from now to eternity no more than a running average of 325 Mexican wolves will ever be allowed to exist in the entire U.S. Southwest. This plan is a disgraceful sham.

The best available science indicates that recovery of the Mexican gray wolf requires at least three connected populations totaling approximately 750 individuals, a carefully managed reintroduction effort that prioritizes improving the genetic health of the animals and the establishment of at least two additional population centers in the southern Rockies and in the Grand Canyon area.

This isnt a recovery plan, its a blueprint for disaster for Mexican gray wolves, said Michael Robinson, conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity. Limiting recovery to south of Interstate 40 keeps wolves out of the Grand Canyon and southern Rocky Mountains, areas that would greatly benefit from having wolves back and that scientists have determined are absolutely essential to their recovery.

The recovery plan just released by the Trump administration ignores the science and falls short in several key and interrelated ways:

Fails to establish the additional population centers and limits wolves to inadequate habitat with low recovery potential;

Does not provide for sufficient releases of wolves into the wild;

Fails to ensure conservation and enhancement of genetic diversity to ameliorate inbreeding;

Relies excessively on Mexico for recovery, where habitat is unpromising.

It is critical for the health of the Mexican wolf population to obtain a sound, scientifically reviewed and based recovery plan. Politics should not play a role in management of an endangered species, said Virginia Busch, executive director of the Endangered Wolf Center.

The critically endangered Mexican gray wolf almost vanished from the face of the earth in the mid-20th century because of human persecution. The entire population of Mexican wolves alive today descends from just seven individuals that were captured and placed into a captive breeding program before the species was exterminated from the wild.

In 2014, Earthjustice on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, retired Fish and Wildlife Service Mexican Wolf Recovery Coordinator David R. Parsons, the Endangered Wolf Center and the Wolf Conservation Center, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to develop a recovery plan.
On Wednesday the Indonesian government opened an airport on Bali as wind blew away ash spewing out of a volcano, clearing the air for planes and giving residents and tourists a chance to escape.

In the past several days, the volcano has disrupted operations at Balis airport, the second-busiest in Indonesia, while tens of thousands of residents living within a 10-kilometer radius of Mount Agung have been told to leave. Around 43,000 people had fled, but an estimated 90,000 to 100,000 people were still living in the eruption zone.

Earlier in the week Indonesias National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB) warned that eruptions are increasing and declared the highest level of alert for a volcano. The BNPB warned that there is a large risk of lahar flows if the volcano erupts. Lahar flows are mudflows that contain volcanic debris and are capable of destroying everything in their path. President Joko Widodo begged residents living in the danger zone to move to emergency centers.

The last time Mount Agung erupted was in 1963, and the incident killed more than 1,000 people.

Outside Bali, scientists are waiting to see how the volcano affects the earths temperature. Most eruptions do not have a meaningful climate impact, and so the risks associated with the eruption are limited to the nearby population, Chris Colose, a NASA climate scientist told Vox. For climate, the big thing to pay attention [to] isnt the ash but the sulfur emissions. Sulfur dioxide reacts in the sky in such a way that it scatters sunlight and cools the planet.

The last time Mount Agung erupted it brought global temperatures down by between 0.1 and 0.2C for a year. A climate researcher at Carbon Brief, Zeke Hausfather, has showed that this round of eruptions could have a similar effect lasting until 2020.

On Twitter, Erik Klemetti, a volcanologist at Denison University wrote, the eruption at Agung in Indonesia has been relatively small so far, but with lava at the summit crater, it is anyones guess how it proceeds from here.

See the video below for a live broadcast of the volcano:
By John Buell

Last winter when President-elect Trump tweeted: United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes, the tweet was portrayed as shockingly new and threatening. As president, Trump continues his inflammatory rhetoric. Nonetheless, his nuclear posture is closer to his predecessors than is commonly recognized. It has long been U.S. policy and practice to seek and rely on nuclear superiority. The U.S. led every step in the arms race. That arms race remains the greatest immediate threat to the survival of human civilization and other living beings. That threat has persisted under every president from Truman to Trump.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/statuses/811977223326625792

Noam Chomsky reminds us:

Khrushchev proposed sharp mutual reductions in offensive weapons. The incoming Kennedy administration considered the offer and rejected it, instead turning to rapid military expansion, even though it was already far in the lead. The late Kenneth Waltz, supported by other strategic analysts with close connections to U.S. intelligence, wrote then that the Kennedy administration undertook the largest strategic and conventional peacetime military build-up the world has yet seen  even as Khrushchev was trying at once to carry through a major reduction in the conventional forces and to follow a strategy of minimum deterrence, and we did so even though the balance of strategic weapons greatly favored the United States.'

More recently, anti-missile systems have been portrayed as defensive weapons, but this too is deceptive. No nuclear expert seriously thinks that these could withstand a full-scale nuclear exchange. Their deployment might at least plausibly repel the survivors of a first strike against a small-scale nuclear opponent, such as North Korea or Iran.

The irrationality with which Trump is properly charged is also part of the core nuclear doctrine. He is a perfect manifestation of what nuclear strategists have in mind. Chomsky cites a crucial Strategic Air Command study:

That Stratcom study was concerned with the role of nuclear weapons in the post-cold war era. A central conclusion: that the U.S. must maintain the right to launch a first strike, even against non-nuclear states. Furthermore, nuclear weapons must always be at the ready because they cast a shadow over any crisis or conflict. They were, that is, constantly being used, just as youre using a gun if you aim but dont fire one while robbing a store (a point that Daniel Ellsberg has repeatedly stressed). Stratcom went on to advise that planners should not be too rational about determining  what the opponent values the most. Everything should simply be targeted. [It] hurts to portray ourselves as too fully rational and cool-headed  That the U.S. may become irrational and vindictive if its vital interests are attacked should be a part of the national persona we project. It is beneficial [for our strategic posture] if some elements may appear to be potentially out of control,' thus posing a constant threat of nuclear attacka severe violation of the UN charter, if anyone cares.

Nor is such talk merely theoretical speculation. Not only did the Kennedy Administration pour fuel on the fire of the arms race, it practiced nuclear brinksmanship of the most dangerous sort. Here is Chomsky again:

As the crisis peaked in late October, Kennedy received a secret letter from Khrushchev offering to end it by simultaneous public withdrawal of Russian missiles from Cuba and U.S. Jupiter missiles from Turkey. The latter were obsolete missiles, already ordered withdrawn by the Kennedy administration because they were being replaced by far more lethal Polaris submarines to be stationed in the Mediterranean. Kennedys subjective estimate at that moment was that if he refused the Soviet premiers offer, there was a 33 to 50 percent probability of nuclear war  Kennedy nonetheless refused Khrushchevs proposal for public withdrawal of the missiles from Cuba and Turkey; only the withdrawal from Cuba could be public, so as to protect the U.S. right to place missiles on Russias borders or anywhere else it chose.

It is hard to think of a more horrendous decision in historyand for this, he is still highly praised for his cool courage and statesmanship. (Popular culture has this story right. The movie Jackie suggests JFK will be remembered for ending a crisis he created.)

In this context we need to question corporate medias frequent reference to modernizing nuclear weapons, the presumed sensible alternative to Trumps bellicosity. Weapons modernization is a euphemism that hides the real agenda, to render such weapons usable in regional wars. U.S. strategic rhetoric has always turned on the notion that nuclear superiority deters and that the U.S. must therefore never take the nuclear optioneven first strikeoff the table. That doctrine is dangerous at its core. How does the U.S. convince an opponent that it is always willing to use nuclear weapons? Eventually only by use of those weapons. (It would also be hard to convince residents of the Marshall Islands that after Japan we have never used such weapons.)

Apocalypse by Accident?

Ironically, President Trumps frequent nuclear blustering serves to hide one aspect of the nuclear risk. Focus on his instability and possible impetuous resort to the nuclear trigger may distract from equally significant dangers. Any discussion to the threat posed by nuclear weapons should include recounting and further explanation of the multiple accidents with nuclear weaponry as well as the environmental dangers their manufacture and storage pose. In a review of Eric Schlossers book on nuclear weapons, Jenny Turner said the effort to control nuclear weaponsto ensure that one doesnt go off by accident is undermined, over and over again, by demands from the military for bombs they can trust to explode.

There is a long catalogue of near disastrous accidents with nuclear weapons. Details of an infamous 1961 incident involving the accidental drop of an H-Bomb over Greensboro, NC are especially chilling, especially given President Trumps decision similarly to arm B-52s today. These details also suggest we should place little reliance on the willingness of top level generals to restrain the president. Here is a summary from the Guardian:

Further detail on what happened to the Mark 39 bomb when it fell over Goldsboro is given in a newly declassified document written in 1987 reviewing the U.S. nuclear weapon safety programme. It records that as the B-52 broke up, the pin to arm the bomb that was normally manually operated was yanked out as it fell, thus arming it.

All the various stages of the bombs fallthe operation of the arming system, deployment of the parachute, timer operation, activation of its batteries, and delivery of the signal that would actually fire the bomb at impactall followed as a natural consequence of the bomb falling free. Only the lack of engagement of the final ready-safe switch prevented nuclear detonation of this bomb.'

Despite such expert awareness of the extremely tentative safeguards that stood between America and unthinkable disaster, successive U.S. administrations kept up the line in public that the countrys nuclear arsenal was free from any risk of accidental detonation. This incident, just like the Cuban Missile crisis soon to follow, was just one more case where political and military leaders put the preservation of state power ahead of genuine public safety.

Because they are so dangerous, access to them must be limited, and thus independent investigators cannot accumulate information that could inform a critical assessment of their domestic risks. Secondly, preservation of nuclear secrecy is presented as one aspect of U.S. nuclear superiority. Finally, because they are one of the central pillars in our collective identity as a power second to none, criticism of these weapons is often written off as enemy-inspired and thus illegitimate. Add to this the economic boost nuclear arms provide to key military contractors and one has the makings of an almost invulnerable political machine. As Turner put it, Nuclear weapons are not like Wikipedia, on which anybody can spot a mistake and write in.

About the best argument I can think of for the safety of nuclear weaponry is that none has been accidentally detonated so far. From Schlossers description, this technological success is in large measure fortuitous. I will state it as a lawcomplex systems are prone to unpredictable malfunctions. And as with many features of industrial life, there is more glory and economic reward in building the technologies than in maintaining them. Furthermore, in the grand scheme of human civilization, not to say of the planet, 72 years is but a trifle.

Donald Trumps climate agenda is extraordinarily dangerous, but his posture on nuclear weapons is not as far out of the accepted strategic doctrines as his critics charge. Policy in both domains constitutes an imminent threat to the future of human civilization. Climate denialism has its parallel in those elites expecting to survive nuclear winter. Up until recently climate concerns have largely displaced the issues of nuclear weaponry. That must stop. Movements against nuclear power and nuclear weapons have a long history of facing repressive attacks and mounting cross-border collaboration. Enormous sums are already invested even in the shoddy maintenance of our nuclear arsenal, and many of Trumps opponents are committed to dangerous modernization of that arsenal. Those funds might better go to meeting the long-term climate crisis. Intensifying climate deterioration risks exacerbating cross border tensions and provoking war, which will surely some day become nuclear. These issues and movements need each other.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Common Dreams.

John Buell lives in Southwest Harbor, Maine and writes on labor and environmental issues. His most recent book, published by Palgrave in August 2011, is Politics, Religion, and Culture in an Anxious Age. He may be reached at jbuell@acadia.net.
By Rhea Suh

It wasnt enough to hijack a ceremony to honor Navajo code talkers so he could deride a U.S. senator as Pocahontas. President Trump now plans to go to Utah on Monday to decimate the Bears Ears National Monument, public land thats sacred to five tribes of Native Americans.

Not content to relegate a historic figure to a partisan punch line, Trump is poised to build on a shameful legacy of betraying indigenous Americans. He is breaking a solemn promise to forever safeguard ancestral lands that speak to vital parts of our countrys history.

He reportedly intends to shrink the Bears Ears monument from more than one million acres to a mere 200,000 and to similarly gut the nearby Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. And he aims to expose hundreds of thousands of acres of these lands to destructive industrial mining and drilling that profit the few at the expense of the many.

That formula increasingly defines the Trump agenda. It strikes at the very ideals of equity and government by the people that sustain our notions of nationhood. In this case, it also revives an acutely painful injustice to the original American people. Wresting land from tribes was disgraceful in the 19th century. Were not about to countenance it now.

During Mondays White House ceremony to honor the heroism of the Navajo code talkerswho used their native language as the basis for a secret code that helped the U.S. Marines prevail in some of the bloodiest fighting in World War IITrump used the occasion to scorn Senator Elizabeth Warren, calling her Pocahontas. He managed in a single blundering stroke to offend the dignity of the event, mock Warrens claim to Native American heritage and belittle a woman of great importance in our nations history.

Pocahontas is a real person  not a caricature, Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye told CNN. This is a person, a young lady and Native American woman, that played a critical role in the life of this nation.

Much of what is believed about Pocahontas comes from the accounts of English settlers. Captain John Smith wrote in his memoirs that she twice saved the first permanent English settlement in America, at Jamestown. According to accounts by him and others, Pocahontas spent much of her life trying to bridge the conflicting transatlantic worlds of her native Powhatan people and the English invaders.

It is documented that she was the first Native American known to have married an Englishman. She gave birth to the first English-American child of record. And she crossed the Atlantic to bolster flagging investor support in London for the foundering English colony in Virginia. Without Pocahontas, by the settlers own telling, Jamestown would have failed.

Its bad enough Trump doesnt know history. His plans, now, have echoes of one of the most shameful chapters in our past.

The lands of southeastern Utah have been home to indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Its a majestic region of sandstone canyons, desert mesas, forested highlands and red rock formations. One area in particular, named for twin buttes that resemble the ears of a bear, contains ancient cliff dwellings, rock art and more than 100,000 other archaeological, cultural and spiritual sites. They attest to varied and diverse American civilizations that existed long before the first Europeans arrived.

Thats why President Obama created Bears Ears National Monument, setting aside 1.35 million acres of public land for special protections meant to preserve this special place for all time.

[facebook https://www.facebook.com/EcoWatch/videos/10155837015224454/ expand=1]

Remember, this is public land, protected in the public interestand in this case, with a twist. The indigenous people whose ancestors lived on Bears Ears lands have a direct say in the monuments management and long-term planning. The Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition is made up of leaders from the Hopi Nation, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah Ouray and the Pueblo of Zuni. It makes sense to tap into the wisdom and experience of people whove known these lands for centuries.

Native peoples have a voice, and we all have a stake, in the lasting preservation of Bears Ears. Thats why, since Trump first hinted at carving up Bears Ears, more than a million public comments have poured in to support this unique monument.

If history is the conversation we have with the past, we need to listen closely. Trump, though, is listening to industrys version, not the American peoples. Well, he wont get away with it. The Antiquities Act of 1906 gives presidents the authority to designate national monuments. It does not empower them to slice up monuments designated by others. If Trump tries to do that to Bears Ears, we and others will take him to court.

And well carry with us the inspiration of patriots like Peter MacDonald, who was 15 years old when he volunteered to become one of the 400 Navajo code talkers serving our country. Today, hes one of 13 still alive to tell their story. What we did truly represents who we are as Americans, MacDonald said at Mondays White House ceremony. We have different languages, different skills, different talents and different religion. But when our way of life is threatened, like the freedom and liberty that we all cherish, we come together as one.

And we will come together as one in the next few days, with our community partners, to block any illegal attempt by this president to eviscerate protections for Bears Ears.
Police warn of bank survey scam

Police are warning of a scam where members of the public are being urged to call a premium rate phone number as part of a survey.

The caller claims to be doing a survey for Manx Banks and ask the victim to ring them back on an 0345 number.

The Isle of Man Constabulary says the number has received multiple complaints on the whocalledme website, including from local people.

Officers admit there's not much they can do about these calls, but the public can seek advice on call blocking from their telecoms provider.
Three week extension for planning consultation

The public is being given longer to respond to a consultation on the Island's planning system.

Manx residents have been given an extra three weeks until January 8th to submit feedback on the proposals.

The consultation includes 55 questions on the planning system, including whether it should be easier for the Government to change planning policy and whether more developments can take place without planning permission.

The Cabinet Office is conducting the consultation as part of the Programme for Government pledge to create a planning system that supports sustainable growth.

The consultation period has been extended as a number of organisation, including local authorities, asked for longer to put their responses together.

Full details of the proposals can be found on the consultation section of the Government's website.
By PTI: By Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Nov 30 (PTI) Pakistan today said there will be no meeting with India on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Russia.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is currently in the Russian city of Sochi for the SCO Head of Governments meeting and Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Mohammad Faisal was asked at regular briefing about any meeting between the leaders of the two countries.

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will represent India at the two-day summit.

"There is no planned meeting on the sidelines of the Summit," Faisal said.

To a question about the decision on Indias request to let the mother of convicted Indian death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav in Pakistan meet him, Faisal said it was still being "considered".

He also said that Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua yesterday went to the Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) hearing of 2008 Mumbai attack case and "informed the court that the decision of the court to convey the names of the Indian witnesses required for testifying in this case was being considered by the Interior Ministry".

He said Pakistan continues to stress the need for a meaningful dialogue for confidence building, avoidance of arms race and promotion of strategic stability in South Asia and Pakistans proposal for a Strategic Restraint Regime for South Asia remains on the table.

He expressed concern over the latest launch of the cruise missile by India and said it was part of the ongoing build-up and induction of sophisticated weaponry and delivery systems by India.

India recently test fired the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile for the first time from the Indian Air Forces frontline Sukhoi-30 MKI combat jet, significantly bolstering the countrys aerial prowess. PTI SH UZM AKJ UZM

--- ENDS ---
Specialist support offered to sexual abuse victims

The Isle of Man Constabulary's Public Protection Unit says those who report a sexual offence will be offered specialist support and advice.

The reminder comes after 57-year-old Antony Carus was sentenced to nine years in prison for a number of historic sexual offences.

Officers say it takes strength and courage to report such a crime, and that specialist detectives in the Public Protection Team are available to speak to those who wish to report sexual abuse.

Specialist support, guidance and advice is offered to the victim throughout the police investigation.

The Public Protection Team can be contacted at Police Headquarters.
Many studies have suggested that the genetics of skin pigmentation are simple. A small number of known genes, it is thought, account for nearly 50 percent of pigment variation. However, these studies rely on datasets consisting almost entirely of information from northern Eurasian populations--those that reside mostly in higher latitude regions.

Reporting in the November 30 issue of Cell, researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Stanford University, and Stony Brook University report that while skin pigmentation is nearly 100 percent heritable, it is hardly a straightforward, Mendelian trait. By working closely with the KhoeSan, a group of populations indigenous to southern Africa, the researchers have found that the genetics of skin pigmentation become progressively complex as populations reside closer to the equator, with an increasing number of genes--known and unknown--involved, each making a smaller overall contribution.

"Africa has the greatest amount of phenotypic variability in skin color, and yet it's been underrepresented in large scale endeavors," said Alicia Martin, a postdoctoral scientist in the lab of Broad Institute member Mark Daly. "There are some genes that are known to contribute to skin pigmentation, but by and large there are many more new genes that have not been discovered."

"We need to spend more time focusing on these understudied populations in order to gain deeper genetic insights," said Brenna Henn, assistant professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University who, along with Martin, is a co-corresponding author.

The paper is a culmination of seven years of research that spanned several institutions, starting with a collaboration between Stellenbosch University in South Africa and Stanford University in Carlos Bustamante's lab, where Martin and Henn trained. Martin, Henn, and their colleagues spent a great deal of time with the KhoeSan, interviewing individuals, and taking anthropometric measurements (height, age, gender), and using a reflectometer to quantitatively measure skin color. In total, they accumulated data for approximately 400 individuals.

The researchers genotyped each sample -- looking at hundreds of thousands of sites across the genome to identify genetic markers linked with pigmentation measures -- and sequenced particular areas of interest. They took this information and compared it to a dataset that comprised nearly 5,000 individuals representing globally diverse populations throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe.

What they found offers a counter-narrative to the common view on pigmentation.

The prevailing theory is that "directional selection" pushes pigmentation in a single direction, from dark to light in high latitudes and from light to dark in lower latitudes. But Martin and Henn's data showed that the trajectory is more complex. Directional selection, as a guiding principle, seems to hold in far northern latitudes. But as populations move closer to the equator, a dynamic called "stabilizing selection" takes effect. Here, an increasing number of genes begins to influence variability. Only about 10 percent of this variation can be attributed to genes known to affect pigmentation.

In addition, the researchers found some unexpected insights into particular genes associated with pigmentation. A derived mutation in one gene, SLC24A5, is thought to have arisen in Europe roughly 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. However, in the KhoeSan populations it appears in a much higher frequency than recent European admixture alone would suggest, indicating that it has either been positively selected in this population, actually arose in this population, or entered the population through gene flow thousands of years ago. "We're still teasing this apart," said Martin.

They also found that a gene called SMARCA2/VLDLR, which has not previously been associated with pigmentation in humans, seems to play a role among the KhoeSan. Several different variants are all uniquely associated with pigmentation near these genes, and variants in these genes have been associated with pigmentation in animals.

"Southern African KhoeSan ancestry appears to neither lighten or darken skin," said Martin. "Rather, it just increases variation. In fact, the KhoeSan are approximately fifty percent lighter than equatorial Africans. Ultimately, in northern latitudes pigmentation is more homogenous, while in lower latitudes, it's more diverse--both genetically and phenotypically."

"The full picture of the genetic architecture of skin pigmentation will not be complete unless we can represent diverse populations worldwide," said Henn.

###

Martin is a member of both the Program in Medical and Population Genetics and the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the Broad Institute. This work is part of the Stanley Center's global initiative to ensure that datasets increasingly represent individuals from developing countries.

This research was funded by the Stanford Center for Computational, Evolutionary, and Human Genomics.

About the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard was launched in 2004 to empower this generation of creative scientists to transform medicine. The Broad Institute seeks to describe all the molecular components of life and their connections; discover the molecular basis of major human diseases; develop effective new approaches to diagnostics and therapeutics; and disseminate discoveries, tools, methods, and data openly to the entire scientific community.

Founded by MIT, Harvard, Harvard-affiliated hospitals, and the visionary Los Angeles philanthropists Eli and Edythe L. Broad, the Broad Institute includes faculty, professional staff, and students from throughout the MIT and Harvard biomedical research communities and beyond, with collaborations spanning over a hundred private and public institutions in more than 40 countries worldwide. For further information about the Broad Institute, go to http://www.broadinstitute.org.
Cell Press, home of the flagship journals Cell, Chem, and Joule, welcomes a new addition for basic and applied research across life, physical, and earth science. iScience (@iScience_CP), an interdisciplinary, open-access, peer-reviewed journal, will publish on a continuous basis starting early 2018. The journal promises fast and fair decisions and will promote rigorous research that advances a field and reporting with transparent methods, replication studies, and negative results. Articles can now be submitted at http://www.cell.com/iscience/. Sign up for alerts at http://info.cell.com/iscience-registration.

"My main hope for iScience is that it will coalesce around a community of like-minded scientists who deeply value research that builds bridges and stimulates interdisciplinary thinking," says Lead Editor Stefano Tonzani, who holds a PhD in physics from the University of Colorado Boulder and has helped launch a number of open-access titles. "What the scientific world needs isn't for scientists to dig deeper in their burrows, but to go out and cross-pollinate ideas. Our grand societal challenges can be solved only if chemists are collaborating with economists, biologists are speaking to nanofabrication engineers, and so on."

With more than 40 years of experience publishing high-quality, high-impact journals, Cell Press's launch of iScience marks the brand's ongoing expansion into disciplines beyond the life sciences that began with Chem in 2016, followed by the energy journal Joule earlier this year. As with any other respected and recognized Cell Press publication, iScience will have a team of in-house professional editors giving each paper their personal attention and platforms that get articles to relevant audiences.

"This is an exciting new chapter for Cell Press," says CEO Emilie Marcus. "As science itself evolves, so too does the need for new ways to communicate it. With iScience, we can cater to more researchers in more disciplines and work with them to get the experience of Cell Press, which prides itself on author hospitality, large readerships, ethics, and research integrity."

iScience's editorial board harnesses experts across many different fields, a majority of whom are dynamic, early-career researchers.

Current members include:

Emanuele Biondi, CNRS-Marseille, cell biology and bacteriology

Pedro Camargo, University of Sao Paulo, materials science

Stuart Casson, University of Sheffield, plant biology

Wenlong Cheng, Monash University, chemical engineering

Heather Christofk, University of California, Los Angeles, metabolism

Elisabetta Collini, University of Padova, chemistry

Corinna Dawid, TU Munich, plant and fungal metabolism

Suzanne Devkota, University of California, Los Angeles, gastroenterology and immuobiology

Paula Diaconescu, University of California Los Angeles, chemistry

Kathryn Ferguson, Yale University, biophysics and structural biology

Luisa Figueiredo, IMM, parasitology

Lorenzo Galluzzi, Cornell University, cell biology

Bonnie Hurwitz, University of Arizona, biosystems engineering

Dooseok Jeong, KIST, materials science

Hawoong Jeong, KAIST, statistical physics

Ahmad Khalil, Boston University, synthetic biology

Hyun Wook Lee, UNIST, energy storage and electron microscopy

Chaoyang Lu, University of Science and Technology of China, quantum physics

Emma Lundberg, KTH Stockholm, bioimaging and proteomics

Arianna Maffei, Stony Brook University, neurobiology and behavior

Bettina Malnic, University of Sao Paulo, biochemistry

Qixi Mi, Shanghai Tech, materials science and renewable energy

Tudor Moldoveanu, St. Jude's Hospital, structural biology

Ki-Tae Nam, Seoul National University, materials science and engineering

James Olzmann, University of California Berkeley, nutritional sciences and toxicology

Satish Patil, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, organic electronics

Sai Reddy, ETH Zurich, biomolecular engineering

Paola Scaffidi, The Francis Crick Institute, cancer epigenetics

Jaswinder Sethi, University of Southampton, immunometabolism

Savas Tasoglu, University of Connecticut, materials science

Hiroki Ueda, Riken, synthetic biology

Miriam Unterlass, University of Vienna, polymer science

Ophelia Venturelli, University of Wisconsin, biochemistry

Zuankai Wang, City University of Hong Kong, biomedical engineering

Xi Wang, Beijing Jiaotong University, materials science

Wilson Wong, Boston University, biomedical engineering

Fei Xu, ShanghaiTech University, developmental biology

Kwang Wei (Joel) Yang, Singapore University of Technology & Design, optics, photonics, and electrical engineering

Li Yang, Chinese Academy of Sciences, computational biology

Hyun Youk, Delft University of Technology, physics of cellular systems

Hani Zaher, Washington University St. Louis, molecular cell biology

Jinxing Zhang, Beijing Normal University, condensed matter physics

Wenjun Zhang, University of California Berkeley, chemical and biomolecular engineering

###

Cell Press (@CellPressNews), an imprint of Elsevier, is a leading publisher of scientific research and reviews. We drive science forward and promote cross-pollination of ideas with our passion for excellence and commitment to innovation. Our aim is to engage the scientific community by communicating important, exciting discoveries made today that will impact the future of research. Visit: http://www.cell.com/.
Combining two different immunotherapy treatments could dramatically improve lymphoma survival, according to a Cancer Research UK funded study published in Cancer Cell today (Thursday).

Researchers from the University of Southampton tested different combinations of antibodies* in the lab to see how they interact with each other and what effect this has on how the immune system fights cancer.

They found one combination - anti-CD27 and anti-CD20 - greatly increased life expectancy in mice with cancer. While most of the mice given just one of the antibodies died within 80 days, nearly all mice given both antibodies survived beyond 100 days.**

When combined, the researchers found the antibodies recruit greater numbers of immune cells called myeloid cells, as well as increasing their ability to destroy cancer cells.

As a direct result of this study, the combination will now be tested in patients as part of a clinical trial funded by Cancer Research UK.***

Dr Sean Lim, a Cancer Research UK clinician scientist at the University of Southampton, said: "By combining two specific antibodies - anti-CD27 and anti-CD20 - we've increased the ability of the immune system to destroy cancer cells.

"It's very exciting to see that this drug combination has an impact on survival of mice with lymphoma, as improvements in treatment are urgently needed. The next stage will be to see if what we've discovered can be replicated in patients."

Professor Karen Vousden, Cancer Research UK's chief scientist, said: "This study greatly increases our understanding of how different immunotherapies can work together to improve the way we treat lymphoma.

"By testing this approach in a clinical trial we will see if this promising research will translate into benefit for patients."

###

For media enquiries contact Kathryn Ingham in the Cancer Research UK press office on 020 3469 5475 or, out of hours, on 07050 264 059.

Notes to editor:

Lim, S, H., et al., Antibody tumour targeting is enhanced by CD27 agonists through myeloid recruitment. Cancer Cell. DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2017.11.001

Post embargo link: http://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/fulltext/S1535-6108(17)30471-3

*Researchers tested a variety of combinations of 'tumour targeting' monoclonal antibodies and 'immunomodulatory' monoclonal antibodies. They showed that anti-CD27, an immunomodulatory monoclonal antibody, enhanced anti-CD20 (tumour targeting) therapy in various preclinical models.

**Median survival for mice given anti-CD20 therapy ranged between 24 and 49 days. Median survival for mice given anti-CD27 therapy ranged between 49 and 79 days. When given the drug in combination, almost all mice survived until they were euthanized at 100 days.

***Based on these data, a phase 2, multicentre clinical trial will test the combination of rituximab and varililumab in patients with relapsed and/or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

About Cancer Research UK

* Cancer Research UK is the world's leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research.

* Cancer Research UK's pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives.

* Cancer Research UK receives no government funding for its life-saving research. Every step it makes towards beating cancer relies on vital donations from the public.

* Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival in the UK double in the last 40 years.

* Today, 2 in 4 people survive their cancer for at least 10 years. Cancer Research UK's ambition is to accelerate progress so that by 2034, 3 in 4 people will survive their cancer for at least 10 years.

* Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses.

* Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.

For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 0300 123 1022 or visit http://www.cancerresearchuk.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

About the University of Southampton

Building on its cancer immunology research expertise and recent successes in immunotherapy trials, the University of Southampton has launched a major fundraising campaign to raise 25m to open the UK's first dedicated Centre for Cancer Immunology at Southampton General Hospital. The Centre will be the first of its kind in the UK and will bring together world-leading specialists in a unique state-of-the art centre. The aim of the new Centre is to accelerate research progress, conduct more clinical trials and save more lives from cancer. Find out more about it at http://www.southampton.ac.uk/youreit
ITHACA, N.Y. - People with disabilities face all sorts of discrimination every day. New Cornell University research suggests they may also face it while interacting with the police.

People with disabilities in the study - including emotional, physical, cognitive or sensory disabilities - were nearly 44 percent more likely to be arrested by age 28, while those without had a lower probability of arrest, at 30 percent.

This "disability penalty" was strongest for African-American men.

Black men with disabilities in the study were at a particularly high risk of arrest: 55 percent had been arrested by age 28. In contrast, 27.5 percent of whites in the study who had no disability had been arrested by that age.

The research was published this month in the American Journal of Public Health.

"I expected to find that people with disabilities would be more likely to be arrested, but I was frankly shocked by how large the disparity was," said author Erin McCauley, a doctoral candidate in the field of policy analysis and management.

"These findings really point to a problem," she said. "For people with disabilities, particularly men of color, the experience of arrest is extraordinarily common. They are constantly exposed to this risk."

And because the types of disability were evenly distributed across all races, the difference in the probabilities of arrest between whites and blacks is likely due to racial discrimination, she said.

The findings have public health implications, she said.

For example, police training should put stronger emphasis on de-escalation, minimizing the use of force, and the role of implicit bias in police interactions, she said. In the paper, she wrote: "Police officers should understand how disabilities may affect compliance and other behaviors, and likewise how implicit bias and structural racism may affect reactions and actions of officers and the systems they work within in ways that create inequities."

And ensuring high-quality care could decrease how frequently and closely people with disabilities come into contact with the criminal justice system, she said.

"For many with disabilities, quality health care is imperative for positive functioning within the community through increasing access to medication and support services," she wrote.

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Cornell University has television, ISDN and dedicated Skype/Google+ Hangout studios available for media interviews.
Nov. 29, 2017-- The Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health has announced the launch of a study to measure the impact of the expanded Mexico City Policy on the health and wellbeing of women and health providers. Researchers and advocates will share strategies and methods to assess the current policy's impact and its effect on policy and practice relating to sexual and reproductive health services in the future.

Recently, the Mexico City Policy, sometimes referred to as the Global Gag Rule (GGR), has been reinstated and vastly broadened to apply to global health assistance furnished by all departments or agencies.

Organizations that refuse to adhere to the policy will not be able to receive U.S. government funding for health activities. Organizations that do agree will keep their funding, but they will be prohibited from referring women to any kind of services that may include abortion. They may also cut back on family planning and other services, as they fear endangering needed funding. As a result, the impact of the expanded Mexico City Policy is expected to be significant; it could undercut access to abortion, contraception, gender-based violence counseling, and HIV testing and treatment, among other life-saving services. Its effects will likely be further exacerbated by cuts to USAID and the UN Population Fund, which provides contraceptives. There are estimates that more than half a billion dollars in aid are at risk in Kenya alone.

Currently, the policy affects women's health in more than 60 countries in the developing world, and $8.8 billion in foreign aid--an increase from $600 million when the policy was implemented during the George W. Bush administration.

The study will focus on the countries of Kenya and Nepal to start and eventually expand to other countries. Laws in both Kenya and Nepal have permitted abortion to be openly provided to preserve the life and health of a woman, and each country receives substantial U.S. government funding.

"It is essential to research the impact of these new restrictions. We will do so in partnership with colleagues in Kenya and Nepal," said Terry McGovern, JD, Chair of the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health at the Mailman School. Professor McGovern co-leads the research team alongside Professor Lynn Freedman, JD, MPH and Adjunct Professor Latanya Mapp Frett, JD, MPP. Ms. McGovern is an expert in the intersection between health and the law, with a particular focus on sexual and reproductive health services and human rights. Ms. Freedman directs the Heilbrunn Department's Averting Maternal Death and Disability (AMDD) program, which works with local and regional partners to reduce maternal and newborn mortality and foster strong, accountable health systems. She has published widely on issues of maternal mortality and on health and human rights. Ms. Mapp Frett is the Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Global and a Vice President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America; she has spent her professional career advocating for the human rights of women.

Broadening the Partnership

The Heilbrunn Department will assemble key international research and advocacy partners working in the area of sexual and reproductive health services to build on the evidence-based research, ensure the policy relevance of the work, leverage potential synergies, and to avoid duplication.

Local, country-based research and policy groups that are already conducting studies on sexual and reproductive health services and the implication of current policies will contribute to the research. Throughout the process, the Heilbrunn Department team will enhance the local partners' capacity to carry out future data collection, analysis, and dissemination. With a strong network of partners in Kenya and Nepal, and a robust group of reproductive health organizations present, the data can be leveraged for maximum impact.

The research team members have significant expertise in collaborative training on content, research methodology, and findings dissemination and will provide in-country training and ongoing technical assistance to the local partner organizations.

"Our ongoing relationships with other organizations seeking to determine the impact of the expanded policy make us well positioned to support a partnership that will result in synergy and renewed strength for advocacy in sexual and reproductive health services," noted McGovern.

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The project is supported by $1 million grants from both the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, supporting their commitment to ensuring that women and young people have access to the quality reproductive health information and services they want and need throughout their lives to make decisions that are right for them.

The Harriet and Robert Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health works to promote sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and rights with an emphasis on underserved populations in the U.S. and globally. Since its inception, the Heilbrunn Department has used groundbreaking implementation science and practice in SRH and rights, forced migration, child and adolescent health, environmental justice, and complex health systems to improve health outcomes in countries around the world. Internationally known today for its research and development of pioneering SRH, maternal health, and health systems initiatives, the Heilbrunn Department is committed to creating evidence that shifts and informs policy and practice, in partnership with communities, to prevent and lift populations out of health-related adversities.

Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health

Founded in 1922, Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health pursues an agenda of research, education, and service to address the critical and complex public health issues affecting New Yorkers, the nation and the world. The Mailman School is the third largest recipient of NIH grants among schools of public health. Its over 450 multi-disciplinary faculty members work in more than 100 countries around the world, addressing such issues as preventing infectious and chronic diseases, environmental health, maternal and child health, health policy, climate change & health, and public health preparedness. It is a leader in public health education with over 1,300 graduate students from more than 40 nations pursuing a variety of master's and doctoral degree programs. The Mailman School is also home to numerous world-renowned research centers including ICAP and the Center for Infection and Immunity. For more information, please visit http://www.mailman.columbia.edu.
By PTI: By K J M Varma

Beijing, Nov 30 (PTI) Chinese President Xi Jinping today met his former US counterpart Barack Obama amid the escalating tensions after North Korea fired a long range ballistic missile capable of hitting anywhere in America.

In his talks with Obama, Xi stressed that China and the US had an important responsibility to safeguard world peace and stability, as well as boost global development and prosperity.

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Xi briefed Obama on the major outcomes of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held last month.

The CPC endorsed a second five-year term for Xi and amended its constitution to add the 64-year-old leaders name and ideology, elevating him on a par with party founder Mao Zedong and his successor Deng Xiaoping.

They called for enhanced communication, exchanges and cooperation between China and the US. Xi made a positive appraisal of Obamas efforts in promoting China-US relations during his presidency, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

A long-term, stable and healthy development of Sino-US ties accords with the interests of both nations and the world, Xi said.

China is ready to work with the US to strengthen communication, exchanges and cooperation, so as to push for new development of bilateral relations, he said.

Obama, who is currently on a visit to China, India and France, thanked Xi and appreciated Chinas development achievements, the report said.

Earlier, Xi held telephonic talks with US President Donald Trump and discussed the situation arising from North Koreas firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) yesterday which splashed down in the Sea of Japan, shattering a two-month calm in Northeast Asia.

Trump spoke to Xi yesterday, urging him to use "all available levers" to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearisation.

China is North Koreas only major ally and biggest trading partner.

In response to Trumps demands, Beijing has backed increasingly tough UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea to convince it to return to talks.

The official Korean Central News Agency said yesterday that Kim, who personally signed off on the launch, "declared with pride that now we have finally realised the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power". PTI KJV MRJ AKJ MRJ

--- ENDS ---
When applying international cancer guidelines, one size does not fit all

Researchers surveying breast cancer management in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have identified significant barriers to applying international guidelines in this area, and are calling for localised best practice.

MedicalSurveys-17 Research Group, a group of young oncologists working in different institutes across the Middle East, have established the Middle East and North Africa Breast Cancer Guidelines Project.

Surveying breast cancer management in the MENA region, these researchers have identified barriers to applying international guidelines to their unique setting. The results of their survey have today been published in the open-access medical journal ecancermedicalscience.

Whilst international cancer management guidelines are considered best practice, the study shows that they do not reflect specific challenges faced in the MENA region. These challenges include younger age at presentation, lack of national breast screening programmes, lack of reliable data registries, and socioeconomic factors.

The need for specific regional guidelines for the management of breast cancer was agreed upon by 90.6% of survey responders.

"One of the main factors affecting breast cancer patients and their outcome is the availability of facilities," says corresponding author Dr Adel Aref, a medical oncologist and PhD student at the University of Adelaide, Australia. "Regional guidelines should be developed with an understanding of available resources and needs."

There are a number of cancer societies in the MENA region, but they're missing a unifying effort to improve breast cancer management in the MENA region as a whole, says Dr Aref. That's why he conducted this survey of healthcare professionals to determine the best way to start.

"There must be more concern on how to give breast cancer patients the best outcome when there is a shortage of care facilities," says Dr Aref. "Clinical trials should be designed for specific problems that we face with our patients in the MENA region - they should consider cost-effectiveness, as well as trying to improve outcomes from limited facilities. That's the cornerstone to improve breast cancer outcome in these areas."

The authors suggest that the existing European example of collaborative work in cancer research could be adapted in the MENA region. Working groups and societies would provide one method of gathering knowledge, which could be supported by fundraising and continuing medical education.

Dr Aref stresses that his findings should be built upon as part of a collaborative, region-wide effort.

"We do think that the improvement in breast cancer management and in breast cancer research in the MENA region will only be achieved by a strong and dedicated collaboration between all the societies, and individuals in the MENA region."

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Editor's Notes

This information is embargoed until 15:00 GMT on the 30th November, 2017.

Dr Adel Aref is available for comment.

For a copy of the final version of the paper, to set up an interview or for more information please contact Karen Watts, Head of Communications, ecancer (karen@ecancer.org)

Citation information and links:

Fayed Reham, Hamza Dina, Abdallah Heba, Kelany Mohamed, Tahseen Amira and Aref Adel T (2017) Do we need regional guidelines for breast cancer management in the MENA region? MENA Breast Cancer Guidelines project ecancer 11 783

https://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2017.783

About ecancermedicalscience (ecancer.org)

ecancermedicalscience (ecancer) is the official open access journal of the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI) and the European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Milan.

The journal was established in 2007 by Professor Umberto Veronesi and Professor Gordon McVie with the mission to break down the financial barriers to accessing cancer research and education.

The journal is not for profit and only charges authors an article publication fee if they have specific funding for publishing. So far over 2000 authors have published for free. The journal is funded by the Swiss based ECMS foundation, educational grants, sponsorship and charitable donations.

http://ecancer.org/journal/11/783.php
Already the hottest continent, parts of Africa may warm by up to 6 C by the end of the century, even though its greenhouse gas emissions of 4 tonnes per person per year are way below the global average of 7.3 tonnes. As an estimated one in 4 people on Earth may live in Africa by 2050, infrastructure and services will come under increased pressure, and detailed up-to-date information on settlements, transport networks and exposure to natural and man-made disasters will be essential.

To cope with these challenges, Africa needs to tap into its natural and human potential, including its considerable hydropower sources, its bountiful solar power, and its young and internet-savvy population. However, conflicts have massive detrimental impacts on development and, with an average Conflict Risk Index of 5 (a third higher than the global average of 3.7), Africa is a more risky place for development then the rest of the world.

This is just some of the information included in the new JRC report, which is structured around the shared priorities of people, planet, prosperity and peace. With detailed assessment of the current situation, trends, challenges and opportunities in each of the four priority areas, the report also identifies gaps in available knowledge, and proposes future actions and priority areas for AU-EU research.

The report is accompanied by the online Africa StoryMaps, which presents the key findings of the report in a series of interactive maps.

Thanks to over 30 years of JRC collaboration with academic and administrative bodies in Africa, the report also offers historical perspectives and presents the data in a holistic way.

AU-EU research cooperation opportunities - improving access to innovation and education

It is essential to develop and share knowledge to address the interconnected challenges that face Africa and Europe. Despite the great strides made in the past decade, Africa still has less than 100 researchers per million people, compared to the global average of 1 100. It can therefore benefit from research cooperation and support.

The AU-EU report presents three main avenues for collaborative actions:

Share experience of using scientific evidence for policymaking (for example in partnership with the International Network for Government Scientific Advice);

Provide geographic information and knowledge management systems (such as on human settlements, surface-water occurrence, protected areas, renewable energy potential, and soils);

Provide customised training and capacity-building.

Joint action along these lines can lead to improved innovation and education, which in turn would advance knowledge and skills in areas of future employment growth such as computer and Earth observation sciences, cybersecurity, e-commerce and renewable energies. People - there will be more of them. Improved urban planning is key, together with better disaster preparedness and rapid reaction to food-security emergencies

Today, Africa is home to 1.2 billion people (more than twice the population of the European Union). This is projected to rise to 2 billion by 2050. To put it in perspective, this means that 1 in 4 of the world's inhabitants will live in Africa by 2050. Africa's rapid population growth is concentrated in urban areas as people migrate from rural areas to the larger cities.

Between 1990 and 2015, the urban population of Africa has doubled, with 80 % of Africans living in urban areas. If managed well, urbanisation contributes to sustainable growth. However, its speed and scale brings challenges, including rapidly growing demand for affordable housing, transport systems, and other infrastructure, basic services, and jobs. The European Commission's Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL), the most complete and consistent, global, free and open dataset on human settlements helps to quantify and understand the issues driving urbanisation.

Around half of Africa's population is located within 100 km of the coast, and most do not have access to good quality transport. The JRC's Global Map of Accessibility highlights those areas that are remote from major urban centres by showing overland travel time to cities that have more than 50 000 inhabitants.

As regards migration, over the past 25 years the ratio of intra-African migration to the overall population has declined (from 2.1 % in 1990 to 1.4 % in 2015), but the ratio of Europe-bound migration remained stable. Given the increasing population, there has been a 60% growth in the actual number of migrants since 1990. Worldwide, about one-third of all refugees are African nationals, and most of them remain in Africa.

Africa remains the continent most at risk of disasters and humanitarian crises. The combination of conflicts and natural hazards often causes complex and protracted crises. In the past 40 years, over 400 million people in Africa have been affected by droughts, 68 million by floods, 13 million by disease outbreaks and 13 million by tropical cyclones.

While some 20 African states have achieved Millennium Development Goal of hunger reduction, undernourishment is still widespread. Early-warning systems (such as INFORM) that facilitate rapid reaction to food-security emergencies are of particular value and should be strengthened.

Planet - the continent offers abundant and valuable natural resources, but will become hotter, drier, and its rich biodiversity threatened. Climate observation, modelling, monitoring, reporting, investing in improving sustainable management of forests, land and protected areas and cooperation can help mitigate and adapt to these trends

Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to weather and climate variability. Millions of its people regularly suffer the impacts of extreme weather events, despite the fact that the continent's greenhouse gas emissions of 4 tonnes per person per year are far below the global average of 7.3 tonnes. Africa will become hotter by the end of the 21st century, with estimates of warming of over 3.5 C for most of the continent, and of up to 6 C in northern Africa and the Sahara.

It is therefore important to collect climate observations and build climate services. Gaps in climate observations can lead to greater uncertainty when planning policy responses to climate change. The Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) developed by JRC provides past and present day anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants by country and on a spatial grid, giving policymakers access to a wealth of information concerning emissions.

Healthy and fertile soils can contribute to climate resilience, food security, sustainable rural development, poverty reduction and societal stability. With less than 13 % of the African land mass relatively free of natural constraints to agriculture, threats to soils such as soil erosion, loss of soil organic matter and soil nutrient depletion must be taken seriously. In 2013, the JRC produced the first ever Soil Atlas of Africa, which has become a reference work on the soils of the continent.

As in other continents, Africa's biodiversity is threatened by the expansion of agriculture, extractive industries, infrastructure development, urbanisation, pollution, invasive alien species and climate change. Over three million hectares of natural habitat are lost each year in Africa. Protected areas help conserve natural heritage and generate local revenue and other benefits. African protected areas attract an estimated 69 million recreational visitors annually (mainly international tourists), and generate about US$ 4.8 billion direct in-country expenditure. This contributes substantially to local incomes and employment. Through the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) project and the Digital Observatory of Protected Areas (DOPA), the JRC is developing a solid information base to measure the status of these areas and to help devise the best management and policy actions.

Access to sufficient and clean water plays a crucial role in achieving Africa's development goals. Given the increasing demand for water due to population growth, rising living standards, increased economic activities and climate change, it is important to keep track of the changes in water availability. The JRC has developed the Global Surface Water Explorer to map these changes by analysing satellite images over the past three decades.

Africa's seas cover about 35 000 km of coastline and 13 million km2 of maritime economic zones in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, all with diverse environmental features and processes.

Prosperity will be further enhanced by investing in renewables and ICT, sustainable agriculture, land tenure systems, improving infrastructure - all underpinned by spatial analysis systems

During the past decade, agriculture employed up to 65% of the labour force in most sub-Saharan African countries. The farming sector is estimated to contribute 18 % to 25 % of sub-Saharan Africa's gross domestic product (GDP). Due to population growth and economic advances, demand for dairy products, meat, fish and eggs is expected to double by 2035.

Much of that demand will come from expanding urban areas. Production will have to be balanced with growing demands for fibre and fuel. This may lead to competition among production systems (and regions and countries), as well as food-price volatility and inequality between subsistence and commercial farming sectors.

A key prerequisite of economic growth is energy supply. Sub-Saharan Africa has only 0.3 million km of power lines, compared to the EU's 10 million km. Over 600 million people living in Africa have no access to electricity, and half of the continent's energy consumption comes from biomass (wood, charcoal and dung).

Given Africa's wealth of renewable energy, expansion of the electricity grid should be accompanied by renewable energy expansion. Solar power is the most competitive technology option for almost 40 % of the African population - the same photovoltaic panel in Africa can produce twice the electricity it would in central Europe. Furthermore, only 8 % of Africa's considerable hydropower potential has been harnessed so far, which leaves much scope for growth. Also, reducing dependence on wood for fuel and use of more efficient stoves will reduce the health impact of emissions, alleviate pressure on woodland ecosystems, and free up time spent on gathering wood for fuel.

As countries develop economically, telecommunications networks and broadband internet services become essential infrastructures. Given that fixed broadband penetration is very low in Africa, the vast majority of users access the internet through mobile broadband infrastructure. In 2012, there were already over 650 million mobile phone subscriptions, and more than 60 % of the population currently has access to ICT infrastructure. This, along with rapid economic growth and the widespread diffusion of mobile devices and networks (the key enablers of the African ICT revolution), means the e-commerce and online services industries may expand to an estimated US$75 billion (EUR 62.3 billion at 2017 exchange rates) by the year 2025, promising to give one of the strongest boosts to the African economy.

The JRC's NetBravo app collects and provides information on the quality of mobile internet coverage. This can be particularly useful for the African continent where, given the sparsity of fixed telephone lines, people rely primarily on mobile telecommunications. Peace will be promoted and sustained through developing early warning and monitoring systems and enhancing cooperation

Conflicts impede economic and societal development and lead to population displacement and migration. Histories of violence and environmental factors such as water stress and the location of hydrocarbon resources are particular contributors to the continent's elevated risk levels. While some conflicts have been reduced (spurred, for example, by the Kimberley process that cut down trade in conflict diamonds to less than 1% of the overall total) other threats may be emerging.

There is an increasing risk of global threats in the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) area. In Africa, chemical risks associated with the industrial and agricultural sectors have intensified, and exposure to health risks (epidemics and disasters) remains high.

Acknowledging the global, multidimensional and cross-border nature of CBRN security threats, and the links between Europe's security and development and stability in the neighbouring regions, the EU CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence initiative was launched in 2010 under the Instrument for Stability. The initiative has 56 partner countries, including 27 African countries from three regions, with technical support from the JRC.

Early warning, and an integrated view of the factors driving conflict in a specific region at a specific time, such as the Continental Early Warning System, can help in conflict prevention. Statistical conflict modelling can establish the link between natural resource location and armed conflict occurrence. Crowdsourcing and big data analytics can improve analysis by providing more and better data to feed conflict-measurement methodologies.

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JRC and Africa - 30 years of research cooperation

The JRC has an over 30-year history of collaboration with academic and administrative bodies in Africa. Its satellite imagery, tools, models and research have been serving people across the continent, from forecasting crop yields, carrying out climate and environmental research, providing data when disasters strike, through to putting a spotlight on demography and migration issues. Now, this wealth of knowledge has been compiled for the first time in one publication, the JRC's Science for the AU-EU Partnership report, presented on the occasion of the 5th AU-EU Summit, taking place in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on 29-30 November.

The scope of the report reflects the evidence collected and the scientific work conducted by the JRC together with its partners in Africa and around the world. It aims to present reliable data, information and analysis based on the JRC's expertise in specific domains - while putting it in a broader perspective and referring to a variety of sources. The report will support and inform an evidence-based dialogue and further engagement with Africa's policymaking and scientific communities, and thus further strengthen, with a solid knowledge base, the renewed AU-EU Partnership.
Research by Brazilian scientists shows that emotional development of children born preterm should be evaluated as much as physical growth and motor skills.

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Sao Paulo's Ribeirao Preto School of Medicine (FMRP-USP) in Brazil, with support from the Sao Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP , indicates that length of stay in the ICU is the factor that best explains some preterm babies' behavioral problems relating to emotional regulation, regardless of the degree of prematurity and the presence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

According to the research, whose results were published in the journal Early Human Development, neonatal pain and stressful experiences can impair both early and later child development.

"Moreover, the neonatal ICU environment includes other factors that impair child development, such as high levels of noise and luminosity, repetitive tactile stimuli, and maternal separation", the authors write.

The sample population consisted of 100 preterm babies aged 18-36 months with differing levels of prematurity. The aim of the study was to find out how neonatal and socio-demographic factors influence early-childhood temperament and behavior. All the infants were born in FMRP-USP's hospital and enrolled in a multidisciplinary intervention program in its neonatal ICU. A number of tests were applied to evaluate temperament, stress and behavior, leading to scores for the relevant indicators.

Predictors of behavioural patterns in adulthood

The researchers' study of 100 preterm babies showed that longer stays in the neonatal ICU were a risk factor for behavioral problems.

According to Maria Beatriz Martins Linhares, an associate professor at FMRP-USP and principal investigator for the study, early childhood is a window of opportunity for regulation of the individual's lifelong development.

"Initial physiological and emotional regulation lays a foundation for several behavioral regulation processes," she said. "For this reason, it is important to recall that neonatal and childhood behavioral problems can point to the risk of behavioral problems in adulthood. These can potentially be prevented in the window between birth and about six years of age."

The self-regulation process is completed by the age of five, starting with emotional regulation up to the age of approximately 18 months and followed by behavioral regulation.

"Self-control emerges at around three or four years of age, with development of the executive attention system, which is relevant to effortful control, enhancing the potential for behavior regulation," the authors write.

Temperament changes during the course of development. With typical child development, therefore, "systems that are initially more reactive become increasingly regulated to the extent that the inhibition control systems directed toward fear and attention control become more mature", according to the authors.

Linhares sublinha que o desenvolvimento cognitivo envolve nao so o crescimento fisico e as habilidades - nas areas de linguagem, locomocao, motora -, mas tambem os aspectos afetivos, sociais e comportamentais. "Portanto, da mesma forma que o desenvolvimento motor precisa ser acompanhado, os indicadores do comportamento e tracos do temperamento tambem devem ser", disse Linhares.

Linhares stresses that cognitive development involves not only physical growth and language and motor skills; it also has affective, social and behavioral aspects. "Not only motor development but also behavioral indicators and temperamental traits should be monitored."

Recommendations of the study

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Brazil has the world's tenth-highest rate of premature births.

However stressful a neonatal ICU may be for babies - considering some painful procedures which ensure weight gain and proper oxygenation for the infant (a premature baby's lungs are not yet fully formed) - they simply cannot survive without the support of the equipment and the multiprofessional team of specialists found there.

The researchers say this finding confirms the need for developmental care programs in ICUs to reduce stressful and painful experiences for newborn infants and also to enhance protective strategies during their early development.

Methodology

Mothers of these babies who met the criteria for inclusion, which included understanding the instrument used to report their infant's behavior, participated in interviews and responded to questionnaires.

Babies with grade 3 or 4 intracranial hemorrhage, limited mobility or cognitively impaired mothers were excluded. Thirty-six had bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and 63 had ROP, the most common diseases among preterm babies.

"Previous studies compared preterm and term babies, given that preterm babies are more likely to display behavioral problems. Our study advances knowledge of development in preterm babies. There are risks, but if we identify the risks, we can plan strategies for protection, prevention and intervention to improve the development of these children," said Rafaela Guilherme Monte Cassiano, a psychologist and PhD researcher in FMRP-USP's Department of Neurosciences & Behavioral Sciences and one of the authors of the study.

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About Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

The Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. For more information: http://www.fapesp.br/en.
Medications which block enzymes belonging to the kinase family, are among the most effective pharmaceuticals for targeted cancer therapies. Scientists at the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) at the Technical University of Munich have examined 243 kinase inhibitors which are either approved drugs or have been tested in clinical trials. According to results published in Science, some of these may have more applications than previously thought.

In the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg joins up with certified German university hospitals specialized in oncology.

Targeted therapy has revolutionized the treatment of certain types of cancer. An important class of drugs are kinase inhibitors, which are particularly successful in treating certain types of blood and lung cancer. Kinases are key enzymes which control a number of cell functions, such as their growth or their self-destruction. About 500 different kinases are encoded in the human genome. In cancer cells, these enzymes are often overactive and the normal regulation mechanisms cease to function. Abnormal cells can multiply uncontrollably and the growing tumor initiates the formation of blood vessels in order to sustain itself.

The use of kinase inhibitors can successfully slow tumor growth in certain types of cancer. More than 350 kinase inhibitors are currently in clinical trials, 37 of which have already been approved for therapeutic use. "In many cases, the precise mode of action of the individual inhibitors is not known," explains Bernhard Kuster, the lead researcher on the project, who holds the Chair of Proteomics and Bioanalytics at the Technical University of Munich. "Many inhibitors have different functional targets in cancer cells and therefore could have a much broader spectrum of application than previously thought."

The international team of scientists, physicians, and computer scientists took a unique approach in order to elucidate which kinases and cellular signaling pathways are specifically targeted by the inhibitors: In over more than 6,000 hours of mass spectrometry, the researchers analyzed the interaction of 243 clinically tested inhibitors with hundreds of kinases. The activity of the inhibitors was examined under near physiological conditions. Instead of testing them using genetically produced enzymes, the scientists analyzed the entire cell content of leukemia, brain tumor, and colon cancer cells in response to the inhibitors. "In that way, we are much closer to the tumor biology and can systematically map out the spectrum of molecular binding partners."

In this "map" of the entirety of human kinases and their inhibitors, the scientists discovered new target structures which had previously not been linked to the drugs. Among them was the kinase MELK, which has been identified as a biomarker for poor prognosis in certain types of lung cancer. "Surprisingly, some of the tested inhibitors are capable of blocking MELK activity," explains Bernhard Kuster. The research team also identified the precise molecular structure of several MELK-inhibitor complexes, forming the basis for the development of optimized MELK inhibitors.

The researchers discovered a new use for the kinase inhibitor cabozantinib, which is currently used to treat thyroid cancer. The results showed that cabozantinib is also effective against a kinase which plays a role in the onset of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The drug was able to drastically slow the growth of leukemia cells in mice. "Since the agent is already an approved drug, we can take it straight to a new clinical trial," said Bernhard Kuster.

Kuster coordinates the development of the database ProteomicsDB as well as the DKTK's Cancer Proteome Analysis Platform, which gives the researchers access to the substantial inhibitor data sets. The new data has already generated excitement in the clinical community: "This information is particularly important for patients with unusual genetic profiles," says Florian Bassermann, a senior physician at Klinikum Rechts der Isar, the university hospital of TU Munich. "Molecular tumor boards now have entirely new options for recommending the most suitable therapy for each individual patient."

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Original publication:

Klaeger et al., The target landscape of clinical kinase drugs. In: Science. Advance online publication 1st December 2017; DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aan4368

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Picture Caption: Proteomic research the big way: The study analyzed the mechanism of action and application potential of 243 kinase inhibitors for cancer medicine.

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You may soon be able to make dramatic editing changes to photos with just a few clicks on your computer, and you might be able to get better streaming quality of videos on your smartphone thanks to preliminary research conducted at Mason Engineering and backed by Adobe Research.

Professors in the Department of Computer Science are working with Adobe on cutting-edge projects, and some have already conducted projects the company funded. Adobe has donated $120,000 to Mason Engineering.

One of the latest: Associate professor of computer science Jyh-Ming Lien's team collaborated with Adobe researchers to develop a new photo-editing technique that allows people to modify their pictures to reflect different materials. For instance, the process makes it easier to turn a photo of a leather sofa into one covered in a plain or floral fabric.

Currently companies have to take photos of every version of the sofa or use a more time-consuming process to create the different images, he says. "We are using machine-learning algorithms that allow you to take an image and apply a different material to it for a new look."

This technique could be useful to online stores and graphic artists who want to generate new images with different finishes or materials.

Meanwhile, computer science professor Songqing Chen's research team investigated ways to improve streaming video on mobile phones. "We tried to make the media playback on the phone smoother while consuming less power," he says.

Most internet content, including streaming video, is transmitted over HTTP/1.1, but HTTP/2 is gradually replacing HTTP 1.1 to improve user experience, Chen says.

His team looked into ways to utilize the new features offered by HTTP/2 for video streaming to mobile devices. "We have been trying to set up protocols and implement the new prototypes," he says. "Adobe plays a very active role in the standardization of some of the video streaming techniques."

Adobe has a long list of research questions it shares with Mason Engineering researchers to form collaborations, says computer science professor Robert Simon. The company also offers internships to Mason Engineering students.

One of Simon's PhD students, Haoliang Wang, worked on a project involving storing streaming videos in the Cloud during his internship with the company last summer. Wang's job was to help improve an algorithm the company developed.

Adobe gives Mason Engineering interns "very challenging research assignments," Simon says.

"Truly for us it has been an excellent industrial-academic partnership not just because of how interesting the students' jobs are during the summer, but because the Adobe researchers follow up and maintain a relationship with our students throughout the year."

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About George Mason University

George Mason University is Virginia's largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 35,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the last half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. Learn more at http://www.gmu.edu.
Boston, MA - If current trends in child obesity continue, more than 57% of today's children in the U.S. will have obesity at age 35, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The study also found that excess weight in childhood is predictive of adult obesity, even among young children, and that only children currently at a healthy weight have less than a 50% chance of having obesity as adults. The findings were based on a rigorous simulation model that provides the most accurate predictions to date of obesity prevalence at various ages.

The study will be published in the November 30, 2017 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"Adult obesity is linked with increased risk of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer," said Zachary Ward, programmer/analyst at Harvard Chan School's Center for Health Decision Science and lead author of the study. "Our findings highlight the importance of prevention efforts for all children as they grow up, and of providing early interventions for children with obesity to minimize their risk of serious illness in the future."

The researchers used new computational methods and a novel statistical approach to account for long-term population-level trends in weight gain. They pooled height and weight data from five nationally representative longitudinal studies of 41,567 children and adults. Using these data, they created 1,000 virtual populations of 1 million children up to age 19 that were representative of the 2016 U.S. population. They then projected height and weight trajectories from childhood to age 35.

The results showed that obesity will be a significant problem for most children in the U.S. as they grow older. Of the children predicted to have obesity as adults, half will develop it as children, according to the study simulations. Excess weight gained during childhood can put children on a trajectory that is difficult to change, the authors said. For example, the study found that 3 out of 4 two-year-olds with obesity will still have obesity at age 35. For children with severe obesity--a condition that currently affects 4.5 million children in the U.S.--the risks are even greater: At age 2, these children have only a 1 in 5 chance of not having obesity at age 35; at age 5, that chance drops to just 1 in 10.

Even children without obesity face a high risk of adult obesity. The study estimated that for youth ages 2-19 in 2016, over half will have obesity at age 35--and that most of these youth do not currently have obesity.

The study also found that racial and ethnic disparities in obesity are already present at age 2 and persist into adulthood, with non-Hispanic black and Hispanic individuals more likely to have obesity than white individuals at all ages from ages 2-35.

Given the high risk posed to children, senior author Steven Gortmaker, professor of the practice of health sociology at Harvard Chan School, said, "It is critically important to implement policies and programs to prevent excess weight gain, starting at an early age. Plenty of cost-effective strategies have been identified that promote healthy foods, beverages, and physical activity within school and community settings."

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Other Harvard Chan study authors included Stephen Resch, Catherine Giles, and Angie Cradock.

Funding for the study came from The JPB Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Grant No. 66284), the Donald and Sue Pritzker Nutrition and Fitness Initiative, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Grant No. U48/DP00064-00S1), including the Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network.

"Simulation of Growth Trajectories of Childhood Obesity into Adulthood," Zachary J. Ward, Michael W. Long, Stephen C. Resch, Catherine M. Giles, Angie L. Cradock, Steven L. Gortmaker," New England Journal of Medicine, online November 29, 2017, doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1703860

Visit the Harvard Chan School website for the latest news, press releases, and multimedia offerings.

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health brings together dedicated experts from many disciplines to educate new generations of global health leaders and produce powerful ideas that improve the lives and health of people everywhere. As a community of leading scientists, educators, and students, we work together to take innovative ideas from the laboratory to people's lives--not only making scientific breakthroughs, but also working to change individual behaviors, public policies, and health care practices. Each year, more than 400 faculty members at Harvard Chan School teach 1,000-plus full-time students from around the world and train thousands more through online and executive education courses. Founded in 1913 as the Harvard-MIT School of Health Officers, the School is recognized as America's oldest professional training program in public health.
A steep drop in the local incidence of new HIV infections accompanied the rollout of a U.S.-funded anti-HIV program in a large East-African population, according to a study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

The study, published Nov. 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine, is the first to track a large group of people before, during and after the start of an HIV prevention program and show that the program is likely working on a large scale. The researchers found that as the program began and matured from the early 2000s until 2016, there was a 42 percent decline in the rate of new HIV infections.

The ongoing HIV prevention program--in Uganda's rural Rakai District on the shore of Lake Victoria--has been funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), set up in 2004 by the George W. Bush Administration. The program provides multiple free services, including anti-HIV drugs for infected people, voluntary safe male circumcision, condoms and promotion of risk-reduction sexual practices. These measures are known to reduce HIV transmission and acquisition at an individual level, but their population-wide impact over time in a real-world context has been less clear.

The African region also accounts for almost two-thirds of the global total of new HIV infections, according to the World Health Organization, with 25.6 million people in the region living with HIV in 2016.

"When I started doing research at Rakai in the late 1980s, about a third of people in the trading centers were HIV positive and there was little we could do to prevent a further spread of the virus--but now there's so much more that we can do, and with this study we're finally seeing the beneficial results of these combined interventions," says co-senior author Maria Wawer, MD, professor in the Bloomberg School's departments of Epidemiology and Population, Family and Reproductive Health.

"The results are exciting because they show that the scale-up of these interventions, including adherence to antiretroviral drugs, is possible and can reduce the rate of new HIV infections even in low-resource settings," says lead author Mary Kate Grabowski, PhD, who started the work as an assistant scientist in the Department of Epidemiology at the Bloomberg School and then as an assistant professor in the Department of Pathology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

The co-senior author of the study was Larry W. Chang, MD, MPH, associate professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Rakai District was one of the earliest- and worst-hit areas when the HIV/AIDS pandemic emerged in the 1980s. In 1988, Wawer and Ugandan colleagues founded the Rakai Project (re-named the Rakai Health Sciences Program (RHSP) as it expanded) and began conducting surveys and HIV testing among adults (age 15-49) in Rakai communities. This initial work resulted in the Rakai Community Cohort Study (RCCS), which is now one of the largest and oldest HIV surveillance studies tracking the epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Scale-up of PEPFAR-funded efforts to reduce HIV mortality and new infections began in the area in 2004.

The current study, based on RCCS data on 34,000 adults enrolled and followed between 1989 and 2016, confirmed the widespread adoption of many of PEPFAR's HIV prevention measures. The use of antiretroviral therapy among infected people rose steadily from 12 percent in the 2006 survey to 69 percent in 2016. The proportion of circumcised men nearly quadrupled from about 15 percent in 1999 to 59 percent in 2016. The proportion of HIV-infected people in whom the amount of virus in their blood (viral load) fell to near zero (at which point transmission is virtually stopped) rose from 42 percent in 2009 to 75 percent in 2016. Evidence of behavioral changes was weaker--the rate of condom use did not rise, for example--but during the study period younger people in the cohort appeared to become much less likely to initiate sex.

The RCCS also tested participants for new HIV infections. The data showed that as coverage of the PEPFAR services increased following their introduction in 2004, the incidence of new HIV infections in the cohort--the number of conversions from HIV-negative to HIV-positive status, on a per-person, per-year basis--began to fall. From 1999 to 2006 the average was 1.17 cases per 100 person-years. By 2016 that figure had fallen to 0.66 cases per 100 person-years. With statistical adjustments for the aging of the cohort and other variables, that represents a net decline of 42 percent.

A fall in HIV incidence was seen among both women and men, although the drop was greater among men--more than 50 percent, compared to about 30 percent for women.

"This difference may have been due to the direct risk-lowering effect of circumcision for men, plus the fact that infected women were more likely than men to use antiretroviral therapy and thus were less likely to transmit the virus to male partners," Grabowski says. "Increasing antiretroviral therapy use among men may help close this gap."

On the whole, Wawer says, "these findings strongly suggest that at the population level there really is a dose-response effect, so that the more prevention services are provided, the more the rate of new infections goes down."

She notes that the Rakai prevention program is beginning to expand its services to include pre-exposure prophylaxis: antiretroviral therapy for people who are HIVnegative to protect them from infection if they have sex with people who are HIV positive.

PEPFAR, which has an annual budget of nearly $7 billion, continues to fund new and existing prevention programs in Africa and other heavily HIV-affected areas. It also funds studies of these prevention programs' impacts. "Preliminary data from other sites in Uganda and elsewhere are consistent with our encouraging findings from Rakai," Grabowski says.

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"HIV Prevention Efforts and Incidence of HIV" in Uganda was written by M.K. Grabowski, D.M. Serwadda, R.H. Gray, G. Nakigozi, G. Kigozi, J. Kagaayi, R. Ssekubugu, F. Nalugoda, J. Lessler, T. Lutalo, R.M. Galiwango, F. Makumbi, X. Kong, D. Kabatesi, S.T. Alamo, S. Wiersma, N.K. Sewankambo, A.A.R. Tobian, O. Laeyendecker, T.C. Quinn, S.J. Reynolds, M.J. Wawer, and L.W. Chang.

Support for the research was provided by the National Institute of Mental Health (grant R01MH107275), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R01AI110324, U01AI100031, U01AI075115, R01AI110324, R01AI102939, and K01AI125086-01), the National Institute of Child Health and Development (RO1HD070769 and R01HD050180), the World Bank, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (08113, 22006.02), the Johns Hopkins University Center for AIDS Research (P30AI094189), PEPFAR via the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NU2GGH000817), and a cooperative agreement (W81XWH-07-2-0067) between the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Vladislav Zhitenev, a Russian archaeologist from MSU, studied bone jewelry found at Sungir Upper Paleolithic site. A group led by Vladislav Zhitenev found out that many items were crafted specifically for burial purposes, while others were worn on a daily basis. The style of the jewelry was influenced by many cultures of Europe and the Russian Plain. The article was published in EPAUL 147.

Sungir Upper Paleolithic site is located in Vladimir Region and is dated back to 29,000-31,000 years. Scientist began to study his place over thirty years ago. The encampment of prehistoric hunters includes a burial site of a 40-50 year old man and a grave of two children who died 10-14 years of age. Archaeological excavation revealed over 80 thousand different objects.

"This children's grave contains more adornments and other burial items than any other Upper Paleolithic burial site in Eurasia," - says Vladislav Zhitenev, the author of the study, doctor of historical sciences, and assistant professor of the Archaeology Department of the Faculty of History, MSU. Currently all findings are kept in the State Vladimir-Suzdal Museum Reserve.

Having studied pendants made from the teeth of Arctic fox, bone beads, and other personal ornaments, scientists found out that these items were worn for a long time as they exhibited rubbing marks and other signs of tear. Other ornaments found at the burials were made in a hurry and don't look so smooth and convenient. Evidently, they were crafted specifically for the burial ceremony. These items include a large horse figurine with a disproportionately short back led. Although the surface of the figurine had been polished, it has a lot of manufacturing and processing marks.

It is still unknown why the grave of children appeared to contain so many objects including worn ones. According to one version, people used the child burial to make a sacrifice to save the community from an adversity of some kind, such as illness or hunger. Burial items were made not only by experienced craftsmen, but by children as well. One of the tusk disks found in the children's grave was made carelessly and unskillfully. It is likely it was crafted by a kid.

Adornments are elements of a non-verbal language used by prehistoric people to tell friends from enemies and to learn about one's social status and standing. By studying personal ornaments scientists learn more about different aspects of intercultural communication in the Upper Paleolithic period.

Vladislav Zhitenev found out that the man and the children lived relatively at the same time separated by several generations at most. This is confirmed by the identical style of peronal ornaments found in their graves. The children were buried at the same time, but the time period between their death and the passing of the man is still unknown. Radiocarbon dating method failed to provide an answer as it is not accurate to the year when applied to such prehistoric specimens. But when radiocarbon dating gives only approximate results, archaeologists turn to implicit data.

"When looking at an item, one can always see a master's hand. Many adornments from the burial sites of the man and the children were crafted in the same way, as if by the same person. Alternatively, this technique could have been passed within the family, say, from father to son or from grandmother to granddaughter," - explains Vladislav Zhitenev. Therefore, the man and the children were separated in time by no more than several dozen years.

Sungir adornments are difficult to classify and include into a certain cultural tradition, as they had been influenced by many cultures. On the one hand, they have a lot in common with the Aurignacian culture that was widely spread in Western and Central Europe in the Early Upper Paleolithic Stone Age. On the other hand, Sungir findings resemble those from some early sites in Kostenki. Finally, all these items are combined with stone objects crafted using a Neanderthal technology, although the remains found in Sungir belonged to Homo sapiens.

Having studied Sungir adornments, scientists found out that a part of them was crafted specifically for the burial ceremony, and another one was worn on a daily basis; the man and the children lived roughly at the same time; and the crafting style was influenced by many cultures including the Aurignacian culture and the culture of the Russian Plain.

In his further studies Vladislav Zhitenev plans to focus on intercultural communication, for example, to find difference between the sites with and without a Neanderthal component.

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Residents and workers in a major Pakistan city are exposed to harmful levels of pesticides, new research reveals.

Residents and workers in a major Pakistan city are exposed to harmful levels of pesticides, new research reveals.

Scientists from Pakistan's F Quaid-i-Azam University and Lancaster University have evaluated the organophosphate pesticide concentration in dust from farms and also from pesticide manufacturing plants in the megacity of Lahore.

Researchers tested 50 dust samples as well as blood and urine samples from more than 500 men aged between 20 and 55 - including farmers, factory workers, shopkeepers, rural and urban residents, and compared them with a control group. The results show dust in and around Lahore contains pesticide pollution that is a high health risk to all groups tested.

The most prominent pesticides were chlorpyrifos and diazinon, which has been outlawed for residential use in countries such as the US. It can affect humans through inhalation, ingestion of through absorption through the skin.

Urine samples, which were taken from people living in both rural and urban areas of Lahore where contaminated dust was found, were found to contain high levels of biomarkers associated with chlorpyrifos and diazinon contamination.

Biomarkers in blood samples also suggest oxidative stress was experienced by all subjects when compared to the control group. Although not a conclusive link, a known risk of exposure to insecticides is disturbance to the anti-oxidant defence system. In addition, the study subjects were also found to have lower levels, compared to the control group, of an important enzyme needed for the nervous system.

The results suggest that dust contaminated with pesticides engenders 'significant health risks' particularly related to the nervous and endocrine system. These risks affect not only workers directly exposed to pesticides, but also nearby residents.

Dr Crispin Halsall, Reader at Lancaster Environment Centre and co-author of the study, said: "The high levels of the indicators found in the urine of rural and urban residents show that in the city of Lahore, dust dispersing from industrial sites and farms are major contributors in human insecticide exposure - in addition to pesticides found on food.

"The manufacture of pesticides such as chlorpyrifos and diazinon as well as their over-use in agriculture is a serious health risk and needs to be addressed as a priority for worker and general population health in Pakistan."

Dr Riffat Naseem Malik said: "They (Pesticides) are a matter of grave concern, requiring more and more probing. We need to evaluate and decide on benefits against their deleterious effects on environment and thus to human health, before it's too late."

Pakistan is the second biggest consumer of pesticides in South Asia and its use is rising.

Globally around 200,000 people die each year in the developing world due to organophosphorus pesticide poisoning.

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The study by scientists from Lancaster University and led by researchers from F Quaid-i-Azam University has been published in the paper 'Pesticides contaminated dust exposure, risk diagnosis and exposure markers in occupational and residential settings of Lahore, Pakistan' by the journal Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology.

The paper's authors are Sidra Waheed and Riffat Naseem Malik, from the F Quaid-i-Asam University, and Crispin Halsall, Andrew Sweetman and Kevin Jones from Lancaster University.
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators have identified a way in which a type of lung cancer co-opts a portion of the immune system to increase tumor progression. In the Dec. 1 issue of Science, the team from the MGH Center for Systems Biology describes a "crosstalk" between lung tumors and bone marrow, which leads to the generation of a type of immune cell that travels to the tumor and promotes its progression.

"Immune cells play critical roles in cancer. For example, we already know that T cells can eliminate tumors and be activated with immunotherapies. Tumors are home to diverse immune cell types, some of which remain much less explored than T cells and could also control cancer progression" says Mikael Pittet, PhD, director of the Cancer Immunology Program in the MGH Center for Systems Biology and senior author of the Science paper. "Myeloid cells are immune cells that are attracting attention because they can infiltrate a broad range of tumors. These cells include neutrophils and macrophages and seem to modulate key cancer-associated activities."

Recent research has suggested that tumor-infiltrating myeloid cells are initially produced in the bone marrow. For the current study the MGH team further explored whether bone marrow activity was altered in the presence of cancer in another part of the body, in this instance lung cancer. Their initial experiments found increased bone activity in two mouse models of a common form of lung cancer and in 70 lung cancer patients, even in absence of bone metastasis. Both the number and activity of osteoblasts - cells that produce and reshape bone tissue - were increased within the bone marrow of mice with lung tumors compared with cancer-free animals; and reducing the number of osteoblasts in mice not only limited neutrophil infiltration of tumors but also interrupted tumor progression.

Examination of tumor-associated neutrophils revealed two populations, which could be distinguished based on the expression of a protein called SiglecF. The accumulation of neutrophils expressing high levels of SiglecF, compared to other neutrophils, depended on the numbers of osteoblasts in the bones. And these SiglecFhigh neutrophils were found to promote cancer infiltration. The cells exhibited many functions associated with tumor progression; their presence within mouse tumors substantially accelerated cancer growth, and in human lung tumors, a SiglecFhigh neutrophil signature was associated with poor patient survival. A search for factors that could carry an activating signal from lung tumors to osteoblasts, inducing the production of SiglecFhigh neutrophils, revealed the molecule called sRAGE. This soluble factor was found at higher levels in the blood of animals with lung tumors, could increase the activation of osteoblasts and contributed to the maturation of neutrophils in cultured cells.

"Our findings indicate the existence of long-distance interactions between lung tumors and bones: lung tumors remotely activate osteoblasts, and those bone cells, in turn, shape immunity by supplying tumors with cancer-promoting neutrophils," says Pittet, who is an associate professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School. "Since patients with many types of cancer have elevated levels of myeloisd cells in their blood, it's possible that other tumors could have a similar interaction with bone to increase myeloid cell production."

Pittet adds that this study "shows the importance of studying cancer as a systemic disease. Investigating how organs far from tumors contribute to cancer progression should lead us to ways of manipulating those systemic activities in therapy. We have started to study the complexity of myeloid responses to cancer and to identify molecular and cellular components that promote the disease. With the ultimate goal of improving patients' quality of life, we hope that modulating myeloid pathways will overcome some of the limitations of current treatment options."

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Camilla Engblom, PhD, and Christina Pfirschke, PhD, of the MGH Center for Systems Biology, are co-lead authors of the Science paper. Additional co-authors include Ralph Weissleder, MD, PhD, MGH Center for Systems Biology; David Scadden, MD, MGH Center for Regenerative Medicine, Miriam Bredella, MD, MGH Department of Radiology; Marie Demay, MD, MGH Department of Medicine; Allon Klein, PhD, Harvard Medical School; and Richard Hynes, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The study was supported in part by the Samana Cay MGH Research Scholar Fund, the Robert Wenner Award from the Swiss Cancer League, and National Institutes of Health grants R01-AI084880 and R01-CA206890.

Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH Research Institute conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the nation, with an annual research budget of more than $900 million and major research centers in HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular research, cancer, computational and integrative biology, cutaneous biology, genomic medicine, medical imaging, neurodegenerative disorders, regenerative medicine, reproductive biology, systems biology, photomedicine and transplantation biology. The MGH topped the 2015 Nature Index list of health care organizations publishing in leading scientific journals and earned the prestigious 2015 Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service. In August 2017 the MGH was once again named to the Honor Roll in the U.S. News & World Report list of "America's Best Hospitals."
Around 200 fishing boats gone to sea from Vizhinjam have not returned.

By Jeemon Jacob: Kerala witnessed heavy cyclonic wind since Thursday afternoon after Ockhi hit the southern coast of India. A deep depression formed in Bay of Bengal has intensified into a cyclonic storm Ockhi affecting the southern coast with heavy rains and cyclonic winds.

Around 200 fishing boats gone to sea from Vizhinjam have not returned. Reports from marine agencies indicate that fishing vessels gone from Kochi, Kollam and Alappuzha too were missing.

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"We are worried about the safety of the fisherman who had gone to sea. We have no idea what happened to them. In southern coast, more than 2000 fishermen are stranded in sea," T Peter, general secretary National Fish Worker's Forum told INDIA TODAY.

Cyclone and heavy rains caused heavy damages in Kanyakumari and southern districts of Kerala. Four persons died in Kanyakumari district and a couple electrocuted in Thiruvananthapuram.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan convened an emergency meeting of officials and directed the Disaster Management wing to open control room in Secretariat. Chief Minister also directed the District Collectors to be alert on the rescue operations.

Chief minister informed media that four navy ships were deployed for the rescue operations in sea and two helicopters of Air Force would accompany the ships.

"We have put the district administration on alert and all possible help would be provided," Chief Minister Vijayan told INDIA TODAY.

Meanwhile, trains operating from Kanyakumari were delayed due to cyclonic winds. Travel restrictions were imposed on people traveling in Kottayam and Idukki districts.

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New report calls for government negotiation of drug prices, prevention of 'pay-for-delay' agreements, and increased financial transparency among recommendations

WASHINGTON -- Consumer access to effective and affordable medicines is an imperative for public health, social equity, and economic development, but this need is not being served adequately by the biopharmaceutical sector, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The report offers eight recommendations with 27 actions for their implementation (a sample of actions in each area appears below) to improve the affordability of prescription drugs without discouraging the development of new and more effective drugs for the future.

"Over the past several decades, the biopharmaceutical sector in the United States has been successful in developing and delivering effective drugs for improving health and fighting disease, and many medical conditions that were long deemed untreatable can now be cured or managed effectively," said Norman Augustine, former chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corp., former chairman of the National Academy of Engineering, and chair of the committee that conducted the study and wrote the report. "However, high and increasing costs of prescription drugs coupled with the broader trends in overall medical expenditures, which now equals 18 percent of the nation's gross domestic product, are unsustainable to society as a whole. Our report seeks to address the market failures that currently permeate the biopharmaceutical sector, such as lack of competition due to distortions in the application of the patent protection process, the imbalance between the negotiating power of suppliers and purchasers, and the convoluted structure of the supply chain. Although changes within the current system will be demanding, they are likely to better serve the nation."

As defined in the report, the "biopharmaceutical sector" encompasses a wide range of participants including researchers, physicians and other care providers who can prescribe medications, public and private payers, intermediaries such as pharmacy benefit managers, health care organizations, and patient advocacy organizations.

DRUG PRICING AND FORMULARY DESIGN

Consolidate and apply governmental purchasing power, strengthen formulary design, and improve drug valuation methods.

Congress should modify existing legislation to allow the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to directly negotiate prices with producers and suppliers of medicines, including acting on behalf of any relevant state agency that elects to participate in the process. Because prices tend to be lower when the purchaser has bargaining power that is at least comparable to that of the seller, the U.S. could achieve lower prices for prescription drugs by consolidating its bargaining power and providing greater flexibility in formulary design. A formulary describes which drugs a health care payer will cover for which disease indications, and at what cost. Formulary control in the U.S. relies heavily on tiering, which has mixed consequences because placement of a drug in a higher tier can reduce adherence to a treatment plan, with potential harm to patient health, but the tiered price mechanism can also be used by insurers to negotiate lower prices for branded drugs. Congress should authorize HHS, related federal agencies, and associated private payers to expand flexibility in formulary design, including very selective exclusion of drugs, such as when less costly drugs provide similar clinical benefit.

GENERICS AND BIOSIMILARS

Accelerate the market entry and use of safe and effective generics as well as biosimilars and foster competition to ensure the continued affordability and availability of these products.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) should vigorously deter manufacturers from paying other producers for the delayed entry into the market -- known as "pay-for-delay agreements" -- of generics and biosimilars (products that are demonstrated to be interchangeable with branded, FDA-approved products). DOJ and FTC also should expand the enforcement of policies that preclude mergers and acquisitions of firms among companies possessing significant competing generics and biosimilars and possessing a significant share of the market, as these strategies reduce access to reasonably priced drugs. State legislatures should develop policies to restrict the use of the "dispense as written" practice by prescribers that may unnecessarily impede the use of generics and biosimilars, the report says. In addition, Congress should authorize the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to seek reciprocal drug approval arrangements for generics and biosimilars between the regulatory agencies of the U.S. and countries such as the U.K., Germany, Canada, Australia, and Japan because in the absence of evidence of harm, importation of these drugs could provide cost savings.

FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY IN THE BIOPHARMACEUTICAL SUPPLY CHAIN

Assure greater transparency of financial flows and profit margins in the biopharmaceutical supply chain.

Various participants in the biopharmaceutical supply chain point to other participants as the main contributors to high and rising drug costs, the report says, so to help understand the root causes of price increases and when they are appropriate, Congress should require disclosure of information from insurance plans about the average net prices paid for prescription drugs, including patients' cost-sharing among plans, and from biopharmaceutical companies about average net volume of and prices paid for drugs across each active sales channel. HHS should curate, analyze, and publicly report the data, collected at the level of National Drug Codes, on a quarterly basis to the public and congressional committees, and the FTC should examine the data to identify and act upon any anti-competitive practices.

MARKETING

Promote the adoption of industry codes of conduct, and discourage direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs as well as direct financial incentives for patients.

Large biopharmaceutical companies spend substantially more on marketing and administration than on research and development that could lead to new drugs, the report says, and direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs can adversely influence consumer choices. Therefore, Congress should disallow direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs as a tax-deductible business expense. In addition, manufacturers and suppliers should adopt industry codes of conduct that reduce or eliminate direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs and should increasingly support efforts to enhance public awareness of disease prevention and management. Clinicians, medical practices, and hospitals also should substantially tighten restrictions on pharmaceutical companies' direct visits to clinicians, the acceptance and use of free drug samples, special payments, and other inducements paid by biopharmaceutical companies.

INSURANCE BENEFITS

Modify insurance benefit designs to mitigate prescription drug cost burdens for patients.

Current insurance benefit designs for prescription drugs often expose consumers to considerable financial risk and can unfavorably affect patients' medication adherence, the report says. Congress should establish limits on the total annual out-of-pocket costs paid by enrollees in Medicare Part D plans that cover prescription drugs by removing the cost-sharing requirement for patients who reach the catastrophic coverage limit. Congress also should direct the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to modify the designs of plans offered through Medicare Part D and government health insurance exchanges to limit patients' out-of-pocket payments for drugs when there is clear evidence that treatment adherence for a particular indication can reduce the total cost of care, as determined by HHS.

FEDERAL DISCOUNT PROGRAMS

Eliminate misapplication of funds and inefficiencies in federal discount programs that are intended to aid vulnerable populations.

Congress should expand the authority of the HHS to provide increased oversight and regulation of the 340B program to ensure that participation by covered entities, contract pharmacies, and drug manufacturers is consistent with the original intent of the program -- to improve the access of low-income populations to medicines at discounted rates.

RARE DISEASES

Ensure that financial incentives to develop drugs for the prevention and treatment of rare diseases are not extended to widely sold drugs.

Congress should revise the Orphan Drug Act -- designed to foster the development of innovative drugs for rare conditions -- to ensure that financial incentives for the prevention and treatment of rare diseases are not diverted to widely sold drugs, by promoting agreements between biopharmaceutical companies and HHS that enable HHS to obtain favorable concessions on launch prices, annual price increases, and other practices important to public health. In addition, FDA should be directed to limit the market exclusivity awarded to orphan drugs to one seven-year extension.

REIMBURSEMENT

Increase available information and implement reimbursement incentives to more closely align clinicians' prescribing practices with treatment value.

Current insurer reimbursement policies for clinician-administered drugs in the outpatient setting minimize incentives for medical providers to select treatments and settings for patient care that are the most cost-effective. These policies may serve to inflate the prices of these drugs charged by manufacturers and other members of the supply chain who profit from the current system, and put patients at clinical and financial risk. Therefore, payers should establish payment policies for drugs administered by clinicians in medical practices and hospitals that do not differentiate for the site of care, the report says. Hospitals, vendors of electronic health records, insurers, and professional societies should ensure that clinicians have readily accessible and routinely updated information regarding drug cost and efficacy, including relative clinical benefits of alternative treatment regimens and the relative financial costs of treatment settings to both patients and payers, to support sound prescribing decisions at the point of care.

The report also contains a dissenting viewpoint, which says the report's set of recommendations as a whole would reduce prices too much and diminish future investments in innovation, and a minority perspective, which says that even stronger actions are needed to make prescription drugs more affordable.

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The study was sponsored by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund, the Milbank Memorial Fund, the California Health Care Foundation, the American College of Physicians, and the Presidents' Committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln. For more information, visit nationalacademies.org. A committee roster follows.

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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE

Health and Medicine Division

Board on Health Care Services

Committee on Ensuring Patient Access to Affordable Drug Therapies

Norman Augustine 1, 2 (chair)

Former Chairman and CEO

Lockheed Martin Corp.

Former Chairman, National Academy of Engineering

Bethesda, Md.

Jeff Bingaman

Former U.S. Senator (D-N.M.)

Santa Fe

Rena Conti

Associate Professor of Health Policy

Department of Pediatrics and Department of Public Health Sciences

University of Chicago

Chicago

Stacie Dusetzina

Assistant Professor

Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy

Eshelman School of Pharmacy

University of North Carolina

Chapel Hill

Martha Gaines

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Center for Patient Partnerships

Schools of Law, Medicine & Public Health, Nursing, and Pharmacy

University of Wisconsin

Madison

Rebekah Gee 3

Secretary

Louisiana Department of Public Health

Baton Rouge

Victoria Hale 3

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Medicines360; and

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OneWorld Health

San Francisco

Michelle Mello 3

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Stanford Law School, and

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Stanford University

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National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities

National Institutes of Health

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Rochester, N.Y.

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Flagship Pioneering

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Cambridge, Mass.

Diane Rowland 3

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Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, and

Executive Director

Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured

Washington, D.C.

Vinod Sahney 1,3

Distinguished University Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research

Northeastern University;

Former Senior Vice President, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Henry Ford Health System

Boston

Peter Sands

Senior Fellow

Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government

Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government

Former CEO, Standard Chartered Bank

Cambridge, Mass.

Henri Termeer

Former Chairman, President, and CEO

Genzyme Corp.

Marblehead, Mass.

Reed Tuckson 3

Managing Director

Tuckson Health Connections LLC

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Atlanta

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Editor-in-Chief

Health Affairs, and

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STAFF

Guru Madhavan

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1 Member, National Academy of Engineering

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Deceased
BOSTON, MA (Nov. 30, 2017) - In a new study published this week in Endangered Species Research, North Atlantic right whale scientists found that whales who undergo prolonged entanglements in fishing gear endure "sky-high hormone levels," indicating severe stress, which researchers discovered using a pioneering technique of examining scat from live, entangled, and dead whales over 15 years.

"For the first time, we can get hormone levels on not just dead, but living whales," said Dr. Rosalind Rolland, D.V.M., the study's lead author and a senior scientist in the Ocean Health and Marine Stress Lab at the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium who developed this technique. "These levels show stress from extreme physical trauma. It's an animal welfare issue."

For the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale population, it was a devastating summer with 16 deaths - 12 in Canada and four in the US - due to vessel strikes and entanglements for a population that now only numbers around 450. For five of the dead whales, Rolland and the Anderson Cabot Center team were able to use this critical fecal stress hormone test to investigate the timeline of death. The levels of hormone indicated if whales died quickly or over several days or more. "This is one more tool in the toolbox for determining cause of death," she said.

From 1999 to 2014, the scientists collected samples of fecal matter from 125 different right whales: 113 healthy whales, six whales which were chronically entangled in fishing lines; one that was stranded for several days but living; and five killed quickly by vessel strikes. Within minutes of stress-inducing incidents, glucocorticoid - or stress hormones - are released into the whale's bloodstream. Rolland and her colleagues found that the metabolized products of these stress hormones appear in feces one to two days later which helps determines whether a whale died rapidly or more slowly. High levels of the hormone were found in chronically entangled whales and the live-stranded whale, but not in whales killed quickly by vessels.

Although scientists at the Anderson Cabot Center have worked to reduce right whale deaths over the years, there is still grave concern about these massive animals becoming entangled in fishing ropes. For chronic entanglements, they often carry gear around their bodies for an average of six months if not years. In extreme cases, the ropes cut into whales' body tissue, leading to systemic infection and eventual slow and painful deaths. Whales can also drown due to severe entanglements. The chronic stress of long term entanglements impacts whales' reproductive capacity and overall health.

Compounding the problem is that the primary habitat for North Atlantic right whales along the Northeast coastline overlaps with dense fishing areas where there are high numbers of lobster and crab pots, marine ropes, and other fishing gear. This combination has led to an extraordinary rate of entanglements. According to an analysis by the Anderson Cabot Center, 83 percent of all North Atlantic right whales have had at least one entanglement with more than half of those animals experiencing more than one interaction with fishing gear.

Although North Atlantic right whales have been designated an endangered species for more than 40 years, the federal protection has not helped right whales recover at the same rate as other large whale species. Reducing entanglements through innovations in fishing gear continues to be a major focal point of research.

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A study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine provides real-world evidence that implementing a combination of proven HIV prevention measures across communities can substantially reduce new HIV infections in a population.

Investigators found that HIV incidence dropped by 42 percent among nearly 18,000 people in Rakai District, Uganda, during a seven-year period in which the rates of HIV treatment and voluntary medical male circumcision increased significantly.

The HIV prevention strategy whose impact was observed in the study is based on earlier findings by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and others demonstrating the protective effect of voluntary medical male circumcision for HIV-uninfected men and of HIV-suppressing antiretroviral therapy (ART) for halting sexual transmission of the virus to uninfected partners. The strategy is also based on studies showing that changes in sexual behavior, such as having only one sexual partner, can help prevent HIV infection.

"Before this study, we knew that these HIV prevention measures worked at an individual level, yet it was not clear that they would substantially reduce HIV incidence in a population--or even if it would be possible to get large numbers of people to adopt them," said Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of NIH. "This new analysis demonstrates that scaling up combination HIV prevention is possible and can turn the tide of the epidemic."

NIAID co-funded the research, and NIAID investigators oversaw all laboratory operations. The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funded the provision of combination HIV prevention, including ART and circumcision services, during the period observed in the study.

The newly reported research involved nearly 34,000 people ages 15 to 49 years residing in 30 communities that participate in the Rakai Community Cohort Study (RCCS) conducted by the Rakai Health Sciences Program in Uganda. With funding from NIH and others, this program promoted HIV testing, ART and voluntary medical male circumcision to study participants. Every one or two years from April 1999 until September 2016, participants were tested for HIV and surveyed about their sexual behavior, use of HIV treatment, and male circumcision status. The authors of the new paper analyzed these survey data under the leadership of M. Kate Grabowski, Ph.D., an assistant professor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and an epidemiologist with the Rakai Health Sciences Program.

The investigators found that the proportion of study participants living with HIV who reported taking ART climbed from zero in 2003 to 69 percent in 2016. The proportion of male study participants who were voluntarily circumcised grew from 15 percent in 1999 to 59 percent in 2016. While levels of condom use with casual partners and the proportion of people reporting multiple sexual partners remained largely unchanged, the proportion of adolescents ages 15 to 19 who reported never having sex rose from 30 percent in 1999 to 55 percent in 2016.

As an apparent consequence of these increases, particularly in ART use and voluntary male circumcision, the annual number of new HIV infections in the cohort fell from 1.17 per 100 person-years in 2009 to 0.66 per 100 person-years in 2016, a 42 percent decrease. Person-years are the sum of the number of years that each cohort member participated in the study. The researchers calculated the annual number of new HIV infections using data from nearly 18,000 of the almost 34,000 total participants.

In addition, the proportion of cohort members living with HIV whose treatment suppressed the virus increased from 42 percent in 2009 to 75 percent in 2016, showing the feasibility of meeting the goal of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 initiative to achieve 73 percent viral suppression.

"These findings are extremely encouraging and suggest that with sustained commitment to increase the number of people who use combination HIV prevention, it may be possible to achieve epidemic control and eventual elimination of HIV," said David Serwadda, M.B.Ch.B., M.Med., M.P.H., co-founder of the Rakai Health Science Program and Professor at Makerere University School of Public Health in Kampala, Uganda.

HIV incidence dropped the most--by 57 percent--among circumcised men, likely because both their own circumcision and ART taken by their female sexual partners living with HIV protected these men from the virus. HIV incidence declined by 54 percent among all men but by only 32 percent among all women. According to the investigators, this difference probably occurred because a greater percentage of women living with HIV than men living with HIV took ART, and because nearly two-thirds of men chose the extra preventive benefit of circumcision. The researchers suggest addressing this gender imbalance by influencing more men living with HIV to take ART and by giving HIV-uninfected women HIV prevention tools that they can control unilaterally, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The scientists anticipate that the RCCS will add PrEP to its combination HIV prevention package as the study continues.

"We expect that this multifaceted approach to HIV prevention will work as well in other populations as it has in rural Uganda," said Dr. Grabowski. "Our results make a strong case for further expanding ART and male circumcision for HIV prevention in Rakai District and beyond. Additional proven HIV prevention interventions, such as PrEP, should be added to the mix to reduce HIV infections in women and other high-risk groups."

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The Rakai Health Sciences Program is an independent research organization whose collaborators include the Uganda Virus Research Institute of the Ministry of Health in Kampala; the NIAID Division of Intramural Research-supported International Center for Excellence in Research in Rakai; the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention partnership with Uganda (CDC-Uganda); Makerere University and Johns Hopkins University.

The RCCS and the new analysis were funded by NIAID, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), all part of NIH; as well as by the World Bank, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Johns Hopkins University Center for AIDS Research and PEPFAR.

Reference: MK Grabowski, et al. Combination HIV prevention and HIV incidence in Uganda. NEJM DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1702150 (2017).

NIAID conducts and supports research--at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide--to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID website.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health and partners have launched a large clinical trial to assess whether an experimental HIV vaccine regimen is safe and able to prevent HIV infection. The new Phase 2b proof-of-concept study, called Imbokodo, aims to enroll 2,600 HIV-negative women in sub-Saharan Africa. Of 1.8 million new HIV infections worldwide in 2016, 43 percent occurred in eastern and southern Africa, with women and girls disproportionately affected.

"Imbokodo," the Zulu word for rock, is part of a well-known proverb in South Africa that refers to the strength of women and their importance in the community. The study is sponsored by Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, B.V., part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, with co-funding from two primary partners, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

The vaccine regimen being tested in Imbokodo is based on "mosaic" immunogens--vaccine components designed to induce immune responses against a wide variety of global HIV strains. This regimen differs from the one being tested in the Phase 2b/3 HVTN 702 study, an ongoing HIV vaccine efficacy trial sponsored by NIAID that launched late last year in South Africa with major co-funding from NIAID and BMGF. HVTN 702 is evaluating a newer version of the vaccine regimen tested in the RV144 Thai trial--the only candidate HIV vaccine regimen ever shown to provide some protection against the virus.

"Together with the implementation of existing HIV prevention and treatment strategies, the development and delivery of a preventive HIV vaccine that is safe and at least moderately effective would help bring about a durable end to the HIV/AIDS pandemic," said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. "We are committed to pursuing multiple vaccine development strategies to achieve this goal."

The first Imbokodo participants have received vaccinations at clinical research sites in South Africa. Regulatory approvals are being sought to conduct the study at additional sites in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. With the start of Imbokodo, two HIV vaccine efficacy trials now are taking place in sub-Saharan Africa. Results from HVTN 702, which is enrolling HIV-negative men and women in South Africa, are expected in late 2020. Results from Imbokodo are expected in 2021.

"Both Imbokodo and HVTN 702 have resulted from years of scientific testing and clinical development, and they represent science's current best efforts to develop a vaccine to prevent HIV infection," said Kathy Mngadi, M.B.Ch.B., M.Phil., senior scientist at the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) and Imbokodo co-chair. "We are grateful to the people of southern Africa who volunteer for these trials, and the communities in which the trials are conducted to help develop what could be a true game-changer for the HIV/AIDS pandemic."

The NIAID-funded HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), headquartered at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, is implementing Imbokodo. The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) is helping implement the study in South Africa. Additional partners providing support include the U.S. Military HIV Research Program at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity, and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard.

NIAID provided funding for preclinical and early phase clinical development of the mosaic-based vaccine, which was initially developed by the laboratory of Dan H. Barouch, M.D., Ph.D., at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, together with Janssen and other partners. The mosaic immunogens incorporated in the vaccine were designed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

In preclinical studies, regimens with mosaic-based vaccines protected monkeys against infection with an HIV-like virus. Findings from two early-stage human clinical trials suggest that these vaccines are well-tolerated and can generate anti-HIV immune responses in healthy adult volunteers. Based on results from an early-stage clinical trial called APPROACH, reported in July 2017, as well as findings from a second early-stage trial called TRAVERSE, researchers selected a lead candidate regimen for further evaluation.

Data from TRAVERSE confirmed the decision to move forward with the larger trial to evaluate whether the experimental regimen can prevent HIV infection. The ongoing TRAVERSE study is comparing two regimens containing vaccines that use a strain of common-cold virus engineered so that it does not cause illness (adenovirus serotype 26, or Ad26) to deliver either three (trivalent) or four (quadrivalent) mosaic antigens among 198 healthy, HIV-negative adult volunteers in the United States and Rwanda. Interim data indicate that both are well-tolerated and can elicit anti-HIV immune responses. Imbokodo is evaluating the quadrivalent vaccine.

All Imbokodo participants will receive vaccinations at four timepoints over one year. They will be randomly assigned to receive either the experimental vaccine regimen or placebo. The experimental regimen includes four doses of the quadrivalent mosaic vaccine. The final two doses will be given together with doses of an HIV protein, clade C gp140, and an aluminum phosphate adjuvant to boost immune responses. Participants will be followed for at least two years.

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For more information about Imbokodo, also known as HVTN 705/HPX2008, please see ClinicalTrials.gov using identifier NCT03060629.

NIAID conducts and supports research--at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide--to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID website.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.

NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health
Who is she, this little mummy girl? Northwestern University scientists and students are working to unravel some of her mysteries, including how her body was prepared 1,900 years ago in Egypt, what items she may have been buried with, the quality of her bones and what material is present in her brain cavity.

As part of a comprehensive scientific investigation, the mummy traveled from Evanston to Argonne National Laboratory on Nov. 27 for an all-day X-ray scattering experiment. It was the first study of its kind performed on a human mummy.

"This is a unique experiment, a 3-D puzzle," said Stuart R. Stock, research professor of cell and molecular biology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, who led the synchrotron experiment. "We have some preliminary findings about the various materials, but it will take days before we tighten down the precise answers to our questions. We have confirmed that the shards in the brain cavity are likely solidified pitch, not a crystalline material."

The Roman-Egyptian mummy -- which resides at the Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary on Northwestern's Evanston campus -- is one of only approximately 100 portrait mummies in the world. These mummies have an extremely lifelike painting of the deceased individual incorporated into the mummy wrappings and placed directly over the person's face. The Romans introduced to Egypt these 2-D portraits of the dead after almost 3,000 years of idealized 3-D images. (Think King Tut).

Just over three feet long, the little girl's body is swaddled in a copious amount of linen. The outermost wrappings have been arranged in an ornate geometric pattern of overlapping rhomboids and also serve to frame the portrait. The face, painted with beeswax and pigment, gazes serenely outward, her dark hair gathered at the back. She is wearing a crimson tunic and gold jewelry.

The study of this rare archeological object, owned by Garrett-Evangelical, is part of an interdisciplinary class at Northwestern focused, in part, on filling out the contextual story of where this mummy came from and who she was.

Thirteen materials science and humanities students are examining the materials and methods used to create both this intact portrait mummy and a well-preserved collection of Roman-Egyptian mummy portraits for an upcoming exhibition at Northwestern's Block Museum of Art. Earlier in the quarter, the class traveled to California to study the portraits at the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, which will loan the portraits to the Block Museum. (Unlike the Garrett mummy, each of these portraits has been separated from its mummy.)

The students already have discovered that the Garrett mummy's portrait was put together in a very different way from the Hearst Museum portraits and likely is from a different workshop. These findings and others yet to come, including results from the synchrotron X-ray study of the Garrett mummy, will culminate in the Block Museum exhibition, "Paint the Eyes Softer: Mummy Portraits from Roman Egypt."

"Intact portrait mummies are exceedingly rare, and to have one here on campus was revelatory for the class and exhibition," said Marc Walton, a research professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering. He is teaching the fall quarter class with Taco Terpstra, assistant professor of classics and history at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.

The "Paint the Eyes Softer" exhibition will reunite ancient neighbors: the girl portrait mummy is from the site of Hawara, a site close to Tebtunis, where the Hearst Museum's mummy portraits are originally from. The Hawara, or Garrett, mummy is believed to be from a high-status family and was entombed in an underground chamber with four other mummies.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our undergraduate students -- and for me -- to work at understanding the whole object that is this girl mummy," Walton said. "Today's powerful analytical tools allow us to nondestructively do the archaeology scientists couldn't do 100 years ago."

The synchrotron experiment at Argonne is a modern-day version of 19th-century England's "mummy unwrapping" parties, Walton said. The Northwestern team collaborated with scientists at Argonne and used the extremely brilliant high-energy synchrotron X-rays produced by Argonne's Advanced Photon Source to probe the materials and objects inside the mummy, while leaving the mummy and her wrappings intact.

"From a medical research perspective, I am interested in what we can learn about her bone tissue," Stock said. "We also are investigating a scarab-shaped object, her teeth and what look like wires near the mummy's head and feet."

Prior to its trip to Argonne, the mummy had a CT scan at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in August, also led by Stock. The scan gave the researchers a 3-D map of the structure of the mummy and enabled them to confirm the girl is 5 years old (give or take nine months).

At the Advanced Photon Source, Stock and his team shined the pencil-shaped X-ray beam (about twice the diameter of a human hair) on areas of high-density in the mummy that were identified by the CT scan. They now will use the X-ray diffraction patterns as "fingerprints" to identify each crystalline material. For example, is the black rounded object seen on the CT scan a gold object or a rock?

The findings from the synchrotron experiment, CT scan and other scientific analyses and studies of history conducted by the students will help researchers and historians better understand the context in which the Garrett mummy was excavated in 1911 as well as Roman-period mummification practices. Also, conservators will use the information to best preserve the mummy.

"We're basically able to go back to an excavation that happened more than 100 years ago and reconstruct it with our contemporary analysis techniques," Walton said. "All the information we find will help us enrich the entire historic context of this young girl mummy and the Roman period in Egypt."

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Genetic recombination between viral strains in bats may have produced the direct evolutionary ancestor of the strain that caused a deadly outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in humans, according to new research published in PLOS Pathogens.

In late 2002, a SARS pandemic broke out in southern China, ultimately killing hundreds of people in dozens of countries by the summer of 2003. Scientists traced the outbreak back to horseshoe bats, hypothesizing that the culprit, SARS coronavirus, originated in these animals and then spread either directly to humans or to animals later purchased by humans at markets.

However, the details of the outbreak's origin remain unclear. SARS strains found in bats are genetically distinct from the specific SARS strain that caused the outbreak, suggesting that known bat strains did not directly evolve into the outbreak strain.

To address this issue, Ben Hu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan, China, and colleagues spent five years studying SARS viruses found in multiple species of horseshoe bats living in a single cave in Yunnan Province, China. In the new study, the researchers identified 11 new strains of SARS virus and sequenced their full genomes to uncover their evolutionary relationships.

Genome analysis revealed that the newly identified bat strains, as well as several strains identified in a previous study of the same bat cave, contained all the essential genetic building blocks of the human SARS coronavirus. In some of the strains, for instance, portions of a gene known as the S gene showed high genetic similarity to the same regions found in the SARS coronavirus genome.

Based on their genetic analysis, the researchers hypothesize that genetic recombination between precursor strains that later evolved into the newly identified strains may also have given rise to a strain that directly evolved into SARS coronavirus.

Additional lab experiments showed that some of the newly identified bat strains are capable of entering human cells via the same cellular receptor employed by SARS coronavirus. This suggests that the bat cave contains strains that could potentially be directly transmitted to humans.

Overall, these findings provide new insights into the evolutionary origin of SARS coronavirus. Because of the potential risk of existing bat strains spreading to humans, the researchers propose continued monitoring of the cave they studied, as well as other sites that may pose similar risk.

"Rhinolophus bats in China harbor genetically diverse SARS-related coronaviruses," the authors explain, "which may have given rise to the direct progenitor of SARS coronavirus after recombination."

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In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS Pathogens: http://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1006698

Citation: Hu B, Zeng L-P, Yang X-L, Ge X-Y, Zhang W, Li B, et al. (2017) Discovery of a rich gene pool of bat SARS-related coronaviruses provides new insights into the origin of SARS coronavirus. PLoS Pathog 13(11): e1006698. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1006698

Funding: This work was jointly funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (81290341, 31621061) to ZLS, China Mega-Project for Infectious Disease (2014ZX10004001-003) to ZLS, Scientific and technological basis special project (2013FY113500) to YZZ and ZLS from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDPB0301) to ZLS, the National Institutes of Health (NIAID R01AI110964), the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) PREDICT program to PD and ZLS, CAS Pioneer Hundred Talents Program to JC, NRF-CRP grant (NRF-CRP10-2012-05) to LFW and WIV "OneThree-Five" Strategic Program (WIV-135-TP1) to JC and ZLS. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
This week, guest editors Steven G. Deeks of the University of California San Francisco, USA; Sharon Lewin of the Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital, Australia; and Linda-Gail Bekker of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, South Africa sum up PLOS Medicine's special issue on Advances in HIV Prevention, Treatment and Cure in an Editorial published to coincide with World AIDS Day on December 1. While it may appear that "the goal of ending the epidemic is in our grasp", they caution that "the remarkable progress, activism, resources, ingenuity and sheer fortitude that have brought us this far will be needed in at least equal measure to take us to the end."

In an accompanying Perspective, Chris Beyrer and colleagues discuss the growing HIV epidemic in the Russian Federation, where the available prevention measures have failed to stem an increase in HIV infections, particularly in people who inject drugs and men who have sex with men. The authors note that "The continuous growth of the Russian HIV epidemic is a failure of public policy and practice" and warn of the serious consequences of neglecting this epidemic. In a Research Article addressing issues of HIV prevention in India, Sunil Solomon and colleagues present a large study using respondent-driven sampling to identify people with HIV and hepatitis C virus infection in key populations. With global targets seeking to bring about swift progress in bringing the HIV epidemic under control, this method appears promising as a way to efficiently identify people with treatable virus infections.

Continuing the theme of early identification of infection so as to ensure prompt treatment initiation and limit further virus transmission, Katrina Ortblad and colleagues report in their Research Article on a cluster-randomized controlled trial of delivery models for HIV self-testing among female sex workers in Uganda. In one delivery model, peer educators directly provided the HIV self-test to female sex workers; in the other model, the peer educators gave the sex workers a coupon that could be exchanged for an HIV self-test at a healthcare facility. Participants in both HIV self-testing arms were significantly more likely to test and re-test for HIV, compared to the standard of care arm. The direct provision delivery model was more effective than passively offering the HIV self-tests for collection at healthcare facilities. The authors conclude that "self-testing can play an important role in supporting interventions that require frequent HIV testing."

In an epidemiological study, Jacob Bor and colleagues studied a large cohort of more than 11,000 people who entered HIV care in South Africa in 2011-2012, when eligibility for antiretroviral treatment was dependent on CD4 cell count. The authors found that patients eligible for immediate antiretroviral treatment had a significantly greater retention in care than those narrowly failing the eligibility criteria. These findings support the current WHO recommendations to provide antiretroviral therapy regardless of CD4 count, and the authors highlight that "the real-world benefits of extending ART eligibility to all patients ... may be larger than previously thought."

Though of great interest, curing HIV infection has been very rarely achieved, to date. In a further research paper, Andrew Badley and colleagues describe the case of a person with HIV who underwent an allogeneic stem cell transplant as treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, and report analyses of virus sequence and tissue distribution throughout the process. Although the patient's HIV reservoir was diminished by treatment, viral rebound was observed to have occurred after a prolonged period (288 days) without antiretroviral therapy. These findings should be valuable in guiding further attempts to cure HIV infection using stem cell transplantation and other methods.

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Further research and discussion articles will be added to the Special Issue Collection over the coming weeks.

Editorial

Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work.

Competing Interests: I have read the journal's policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: SD is an advisor to InnaVirVax, Bionor Pharma and Bryologix and receives grant support from Gilead, Merck and ViiV. SL's institution has received funding for investigator-initiated industry-sponsored studies from Merck, Gilead, Viiv Healthcare and Tetralogic and has also acted on the advisory board for and as consultancy to Callimune, Tetralogic, and InnaVirVax. LGB is employed by the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, UCT and the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation. She has received honoraria for technical inputs from Jansen and Merck in the last 5 years and her organisation has benefited from grants from Gilead, Merck and ViiV. SD, SL, and LGB served as guest editors on PLOS Medicine's Special Issue on Advances in HIV Prevention, Treatment and Cure.

Citation: Deeks SG, Lewin SR, Bekker L-G (2017) The end of HIV: Still a very long way to go, but progress continues. PLoS Med 14(11): e1002466. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002466

Author Affiliations:

Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America

Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, and Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia

Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

IN YOUR COVERAGE PLEASE USE THIS URL TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE FREELY AVAILABLE PAPER: http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002466

Perspective

Funding: This research was supported in part by the Desmond M. Tutu Professorship in Public Health and Human Rights at Johns Hopkins University. This research has also been facilitated by the infrastructure and resources provided by the Johns Hopkins University Center for AIDS Research, an NIH funded program (P30AI094189), which is supported by the following NIH Co-Funding and Participating Institutes and Centers: NIAID, NCI, NICHD, NHLBI, NIDA, NIMH, NIA, FIC, NIGMS, NIDDK, and OAR. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interests: We have read the journal's policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: CB is a member of the Editorial Board of PLOS Medicine. MK is the United Nations Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. NL works at the Office of the UN Secretary General Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Citation: Beyrer C, Wirtz AL, O'Hara G, Leon N, Kazatchkine M (2017) The expanding epidemic of HIV-1 in the Russian Federation. PLoS Med 14(11): e1002462. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002462

Author Affiliations: Center for Public Health and Human Rights, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America

Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Office of the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Geneva, Switzerland

Global Health Center, the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland

IN YOUR COVERAGE PLEASE USE THIS URL TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE FREELY AVAILABLE PAPER: http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002462
From ending poverty to improving wellbeing, gender equality, cities' resilience or climate action - while synergies among most of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) foster progress in sustainable development, there are some key conflicts or bottlenecks that could hamper achieving the SDG objectives for 2030. This is the result of a new comprehensive analysis by a team of scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). According to the study, responsible consumption and production seems to be such a bottleneck, as data from the past shows.

"The Sustainable Development Goals aim at tackling complex multi-dimensional challenges faced by humankind and set the international agenda for 2030. However, so far little is known about the interactions, correlations and potential conflicts between the set of SDGs," explains lead author Prajal Pradhan. "We tried to break up the complicated interlinkages into more comprehensible pairs so we could investigate how different SDGs influence each other. It turns out that in general, synergies outweigh trade-offs for most SDGs and countries. However, one SDG stands out as being in partial conflict with a number of other goals - that is responsible consumption and production." Improvements in well-being, economic prosperity, and lifestyles currently still come to a large extent through an increase in consumption and therefore with the growing environmental and material footprints. To successfully implement the 2030 development agenda, such conflicts in objectives need to be identified, governed and tackled.

Adopted in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals comprise 17 goals and 169 targets, ranging from human well-being to economic prosperity and environmental protection. The UN objectives to transform the world until 2030 are also the frame that member states are expected to adopt for their agendas and policies for development and sustainability. Identifying synergies and tradeoffs through SDG interactions is central to the design of feasible policies. So far, SDG interactions have mostly been analysed qualitatively, for few targets or for individual regions of the world.

Lessons from the past: Data reveals more synergies than trade-offs

"Our study provides the first complete quantification of synergies and trade-offs as they can be detected in data from the past to the present within and across the SDGs, both at country level and on a global scale," says co-author Jurgen Kropp, vice chair of PIK's research domain Climate Impacts & Vulnerabilities. Using a statistical setup applying data from the UN Statistics Division on 122 indicators for more than 200 countries between 1983 and 2016, "we were able to carve out the lessons to be learned from historical data. This is a simple but highly useful approach, as the SDGs may be still new, but the challenges are certainly not," he adds.

The results not only reveal possible conflicts between the SDG goals, they also highlight a huge potential for synergies when it comes to the fight against poverty, hunger and for health and well-being. Eliminating poverty and improving public health positively influenced most other SDGs. For instance, around three billion people around the globe live in countries where improvements on health and well-being matched with the provision of clean water and sanitation. Identifying the countries where synergies occur allows for being able to learn from the best practices. As another example, countries associated with sustainable cities also seem to score well on climate action - which again indicates a strong potential for synergy. Based on the study results more elaborated concepts can be developed in order to make reliable projections about future fulfillments of SDGs and associated consequences.

"The SDGs represent a holistic and multi-dimensional perspective on development," says co-author Wolfgang Lucht, chair of PIK's research domain Earth System Analysis. "The empirical framework on the evaluation of SDG interactions here presented makes a fundamental contribution to ensuring successful policy implementation of the SDG agenda. Attainment of SDGs is central for the great transformation that is required for overcoming the unsustainable practices visible in the historical data. To achieve this, the SDGs need to act as a system of interacting components that together move the world into a safe and just operating space. Our study shows that the SDGs are much more than just a collection of targets, but a system of synergistic re-enforcement. While no single SDG has the power to transform the world alone, the whole set of SDGs together does."

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Article: Prajal Pradhan, Luis Costa, Diego Rybski, Wolfgang Lucht, Jurgen. P. Kropp (2017): A systematic study of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) interactions. Earth's Future. [DOI: 10.1002/2017EF000632]

Weblink to the article once it is published: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017EF000632/full

Weblink to UN Sustainable Development Goals: http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/#

For further information please contact:

PIK press office

Phone: +49 331 288 25 07

E-Mail: press@pik-potsdam.de

Twitter: @PIK_Climate

http://www.pik-potsdam.de
CHICAGO - Researchers have found an imbalance in the brain chemistry of young people addicted to smartphones and the internet, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

According to a recent Pew Research Center study, 46 percent of Americans say they could not live without their smartphones. While this sentiment is clearly hyperbole, more and more people are becoming increasingly dependent on smartphones and other portable electronic devices for news, information, games, and even the occasional phone call.

Along with a growing concern that young people, in particular, may be spending too much time staring into their phones instead of interacting with others, come questions as to the immediate effects on the brain and the possible long-term consequences of such habits.

Hyung Suk Seo, M.D., professor of neuroradiology at Korea University in Seoul, South Korea, and colleagues used magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to gain unique insight into the brains of smartphone- and internet-addicted teenagers. MRS is a type of MRI that measures the brain's chemical composition.

The study involved 19 young people (mean age 15.5, 9 males) diagnosed with internet or smartphone addiction and 19 gender- and age-matched healthy controls. Twelve of the addicted youth received nine weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy, modified from a cognitive therapy program for gaming addiction, as part of the study.

Researchers used standardized internet and smartphone addiction tests to measure the severity of internet addiction. Questions focused on the extent to which internet and smartphone use affects daily routines, social life, productivity, sleeping patterns and feelings.

"The higher the score, the more severe the addiction," Dr. Seo said.

Dr. Seo reported that the addicted teenagers had significantly higher scores in depression, anxiety, insomnia severity and impulsivity.

The researchers performed MRS exams on the addicted youth prior to and following behavioral therapy and a single MRS study on the control patients to measure levels of gamma aminobutyric acid, or GABA, a neurotransmitter in the brain that inhibits or slows down brain signals, and glutamate-glutamine (Glx), a neurotransmitter that causes neurons to become more electrically excited. Previous studies have found GABA to be involved in vision and motor control and the regulation of various brain functions, including anxiety.

The results of the MRS revealed that, compared to the healthy controls, the ratio of GABA to Glx was significantly increased in the anterior cingulate cortex of smartphone- and internet-addicted youth prior to therapy.

Dr. Seo said the ratios of GABA to creatine and GABA to glutamate were significantly correlated to clinical scales of internet and smartphone addictions, depression and anxiety.

Having too much GABA can result in a number of side effects, including drowsiness and anxiety.

More study is needed to understand the clinical implications of the findings, but Dr. Seo believes that increased GABA in the anterior cingulate gyrus in internet and smartphone addiction may be related to the functional loss of integration and regulation of processing in the cognitive and emotional neural network.

The good news is GABA to Glx ratios in the addicted youth significantly decreased or normalized after cognitive behavioral therapy.

"The increased GABA levels and disrupted balance between GABA and glutamate in the anterior cingulate cortex may contribute to our understanding the pathophysiology of and treatment for addictions," Dr. Seo said.

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Co-authors are Eun-Kee Jeong, Ph.D., Sungwon Choi, Yunna Kwon, Hae-Jeong Park, and InSeong Kim.

Note: Copies of RSNA 2017 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press17 beginning Monday, Nov. 27.

RSNA is an association of over 54,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists, promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)

For patient-friendly information on MRS, or MR spectroscopy, visit RadiologyInfo.org.
Have you ever experienced poor service at a restaurant or hotel? Findings from a new study suggest that for certain people, a rude waiter or clerk can influence how tasty the food seems or how attractive the rooms appear.

Researcher Jaehoon Lee of Southern Illinois University was eager to investigate when poor service influences a consumer's opinion of other aspects of a product or service. He hypothesized that an individual's social class would predict his or her response to poor service -- and a series of experiments supported this theory.

Lee discovered that lower class individuals are more likely to assume that food will be less delicious if the waiter is inattentive or rude, while higher class people -- those with better jobs, more money and more education--do not typically make this assumption.

"This is because lower class individuals tend to perceive situations as interconnected and holistic," says Lee, a professor in the marketing department at Southern Illinois University. "People who have less economic resources, for example, may turn to others for help and feel more dependent, so are more attuned to external circumstances."

This holistic view of life creates what is known as a "carryover effect" in which poor service leads to negative judgments about other aspects of the consumer experience. Individuals from higher classes, however, are less likely to experience this effect because they typically focus on their own internal state, ignoring influences in the environment. They prefer an analytical thinking pattern in which people are independent and free to pursue goals and interests because they possess an abundance of social and economic resources. This analytic thinking pattern leads them to believe that poor service is not connected to the quality of the food or other aspects of a consumer experience.

Lee discovered this connection between social class and thinking patterns in a study in which participants read about a scenario related to celebrating a special occasion with a significant other. The participants were told to imagine that they had a dinner reservation at a nice restaurant that was 20 miles away. After placing their orders, the waiter informed them that the restaurant was out of the vegetarian entree they had selected. They picked another item on the menu, but the waiter said that the restaurant was out of all vegetarian entrees.

Then the participants were asked to rate how much they agreed with the statement "The food is likely to be delicious." Lee found that participants from lower classes were more likely to disagree with the statement that the food would be delicious than higher class individuals.

In another experiment, participants read a scenario about celebrating a special occasion with their significant others. They had reserved a nice hotel for the weekend, and the hotel was 400 miles away. When the participants arrived at the hotel, there was a long wait to check in. The clerk answered several phone calls while the participants tried to check in, and then their room was occupied by another guest. After reading about this poor service experience, participants were asked to rate how clean they expected the rooms to be. Lower class individuals predicted that the rooms would not be clean, while higher class participants predicted that the cleanliness of the rooms would be acceptable.

"All of the studies showed that low class individuals were more likely to experience the carryover effect," Lee says. "I was particularly interested in studying this because the number of Americans who identify themselves as working class or lower class has increased significantly in the last 15 years."

According to a Gallup poll in 2015, 48 percent of Americans identified with the working class, compared to only 33 in 2000.

"Marketers and practitioners have focused their attention on upper class consumers, but this means a large proportion of consumers are being neglected," Lee says. "These consumers have different psychological thinking and judgement patterns than analytical high-class consumers, and marketers should keep this in mind."

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The study is available online at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcpy.1020/abstract

This study will appear in the Journal of Consumer Psychology in April, 2018.

For more information, contact:

Jaehoon (Jae) Lee

Assistant Professor of Marketing

Southern Illinois University

Office: 618-453-7785

Email: jhlee@business.siu.edu
The Supreme Court-appointed EPCA has ordered the inclusion of NCR regions- Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Faridabad in the Odd-Even scheme by mid-December.

By Arpan Rai: Amid objections by NGT over exclusion of women and two-wheelers, the Delhi government's much-touted odd-even scheme is most likely to make a comeback as the transport department is considering its implementation with increase in pollution levels.

The scheme has already been vetted for its effectiveness by National Green Tribunal this year and undergone immense scrutiny. Officials at the transport department have termed the revival of scheme this year as an obvious move.

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"The government is obviously moving ahead with odd and even scheme as it is mandated by EPCA and NGT," said KK Dahiya, special commissioner, transport department. "The scheme is most likely to return by mid-December," another official at the transport department said. The SC-appointed EPCA has ordered inclusion of adjoining towns of NCR like Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Faridabad in the third round of odd and even. In the first two rounds, it was restricted to Delhi. But it hit a rocky road before becoming a reality this year after NGT had struck down exclusion of women drivers and two-wheelers.

EPCA had raised questions about Delhi government's decision to enforce it before the authority could assess the situation.

--- ENDS ---
While many people consider themselves generally moral and honest, even the most upstanding citizens will likely become willing to lie, cheat and steal under certain circumstances, according to evidence from a new study in the Journal of Consumer Psychology.

If consumers believe that a company is harmful in some way--to the environment or to people -- then they feel justified participating in illegal activities, such as shoplifting, piracy or hacking, according to findings in the study.

"People are much more willing to do something that risks their own integrity if they believe a company is unethical," says Jeffrey Rotman, a professor in the business school at Deakin University in Australia. "And this desire to punish a harmful brand occurs even when the consumer has not personally had a bad experience with the company."

Rotman's team discovered this effect in one study in which participants were introduced to a fictitious pharmaceutical company that produced drugs to treat Parkinson's disease and a bacterial infection called Brucellosis. Some of the participants learned that the company planned to increase the price of the drug by 300 percent to generate considerably more profit, even if it meant that certain customers could no longer afford the medication. Other participants learned that the company would not raise prices despite the profit benefits.

The researchers discovered that the participants who were told that the company was raising prices were significantly more willing to punish the company via unethical means, such as lying, cheating or stealing. To better understand why consumers violate their personal code of ethics in these situations, the researchers conducted another experiment in which participants read a report stating that on average, Internet speeds in the United States are consistently below advertised speeds. The federal report explained that this occurs because many ISPs intentionally cap speeds at 20 percent lower than advertised speeds. One group of participants was told that their Internet speeds had in fact underperformed, and they were asked to sign a letter to the ISP asking for a 10 percent discount on monthly fees. The other group was told that their Internet speeds were as advertised, but they should still sign the letter based on the findings in the federal report. Even though their Internet speeds were good, they were encouraged to lie to justify the discount and capture the company's attention.

Typically, people feel emotional consequences when they engage in unethical behavior, but the researchers found that negative feelings, such as guilt, were absent because people felt that the company was cheating customers. "People felt morally justified lying to the ISP because the report claimed that the company was not delivering promised speeds," Rotman says.

The researchers discovered that this desire to punish companies perceived as harmful is also reflected in the real world. Participants rated how harmful they perceived a variety of different industries, such as pharmacies, supermarkets and home improvement stores. On average, the more harmful the ratings, the greater the rates of theft were in these industries.

"There is growing distrust among the public of certain aspects of business and government, and these findings suggest that if people perceive these entities as harmful, they might feel justified in being unethical," Rotman says. "My hope is that organizations will make it a priority to build a reputation that allows consumers and businesses to be on the same side."

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To read the study online, visit: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcpy.1002/abstract

This study will appear in the Journal of Consumer Psychology in July, 2018.

For more information, contact:

Jeff Rotman

Professor in the Business School at Deakin University in Australia

jeff.rotman@deakin.edu.au
Stemming the Standard-of-Care Sprawl: Clinician Self-Interest and the Case of Electronic Fetal Monitoring

Kayte Spector-Bagdady, Raymond De Vries, Lisa Hope Harris, and Lisa Kane Low

Continuous electronic fetal monitoring is often used during labor to monitor fetal heart rates, but in most pregnancies, the practice may increase risks to mother and baby. Despite strong evidence and professional guidelines that argue against the use of continuous EFM for healthy pregnancies, it persists as the standard of care. One of the main reasons for this is often assumed to be physicians' concerns about liability. This article examines if there are ways to ensure that the medical standard of care is based on the best interests of the patient, not on clinicians' concerns to protect against legal action. Spector-Bagdady is an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, De Vries is the associate director of the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine, and Hope Harris is an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan Medical School. Kane Low is an associate professor of health behavior and biological sciences at the University of Michigan School of Nursing.

Another Voice: Practices like continuous EFM may get "stuck" as the standard of care because the medical profession lacks a mechanism for ensuring that its members stay current with best practices. Instead, medical malpractice law is used to set the boundaries on acceptable practice. And as long as a respectable minority of doctors continue to embrace a given intervention, no matter its efficacy, the law will deem the practice reasonable, writes Michelle Oberman, a professor at Santa Clara University School of Law.

Ending DACA Has Pragmatic and Ethical Implications for U.S. Health Care

Danish Zaidi and Mark Kuczewski

In a letter to Congress earlier this year, the American Association of Medical Colleges wrote that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program initiative would contribute more than 5,000 primary care physicians in the coming decades, many of whom would be positioned to care for underserved populations. This essay, coauthored by the director of medical education at the first U.S. medical school to recruit and accept students protected by DACA, outlines the serious practical and ethical consequences of the recent decision by the Trump administration to rescind the program. It highlights the urgent need for a sustainable solution to safeguard DACA recipients who would otherwise lose protections. Mark Kuczewski is the director of medical education at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Danish Zaidi is a doctor of medicine candidate at Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Perspective: "What's in a name?" CAR-T Gene Therapy

Eric Kodish

When Kodish served on the National Institutes of Health Recombinant DNA Advisory committee, he was repeatedly reminded not to speak of "gene therapy" but instead to use the term "gene transfer research." But in August, the FDA approved CAR-T gene therapy for relapsed childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, an intervention that holds great promise but can also cause life-threatening side effects. A pediatric hematologist at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, Kodish asks if it is ever correct to speak of "therapeutic research" when the phrase may promote false hopes.

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Also in this report:

"Public Health and Autonomy: A Critical Appraisal" http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hast.784/full)

Policy & Politics: "Real-World Evidence, Public Participation, and the FDA" http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hast.779/full)

Special Report: Just Reproduction: Reimagining Autonomy in Reproductive Medicine http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hast.2017.47.issue-S3/issuetoc

Contact Susan Gilbert, director of communications

The Hastings Center

845-424-4040 x244

gilberts@thehastingscenter.org
Scientists hope to have found a new neurobiological marker to help recognise patients with post-traumatic stress disorder

Scientists at the Universities of Birmingham and Amsterdam hope to have found a new neurobiological marker to help recognise patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Using an electroencephalogram (EEG) - a test that detects electrical activity in a person's brain via electrodes attached to their scalp - researchers studied the brain activity of a group of thirteen patients with PTSD. The group was then compared to a group who had suffered a similar trauma but had not gone on to develop PDST.

PTSD is estimated to affect about one in every ten people who have a traumatic experience. It can develop immediately after someone experiences a disturbing event or it can occur weeks, months or even years later and can affect a person's memory.

The type of events that can cause PTSD include serious road accidents, violent personal assaults, witnessing violent deaths, military combat, being held hostage, terrorist attacks and natural disasters.

Dr Ali Mazaheri, of the University of Birmingham's School of Psychology and Centre for Human Brain Health, said of the study published today in Nature Scientific Reports: "We know that a symptom of PTSD can be heightened sensory sensitivity.

"In this study, we tested the brain's response to a simple auditory sensory change by playing simple (standard 1000Hz) tones every second, and then intermittently playing a slightly altered tone (1200 Hz), known as a deviant.

"What we found was that patients who had developed PTSD showed enhanced brain responses to deviant tones, suggesting their brain over-processed any change in the environment.

"Importantly we found the more enhanced their response was, the more poorly they performed on cognitive tests looking at memory."

Katrin Bangel, of the University of Amsterdam, said: "This is the first research study of its kind. The neurobiological evidence we now have shows how altered brain activity of a patient with PTSD is closely related to the way it processes the world.

"What's more, this study is very unique in that it compared PTSD patients with a control group of those that also suffered similar trauma but didn't develop PTSD, rather than a control group who had no trauma or PTSD - this really allows us to look at what triggers PTSD following significant trauma.

"We now potentially have a new neurobiological marker for PTSD patients that maps to their own individual symptoms.

"This marker, if validated, could be used to assess if an individual is getting better with treatment. It can also be potentially used in diagnosing patients."

Professor Dr Miranda Olff, of the University of Amsterdam and Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, said: "This area of research is incredibly important.

"Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating disorder caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events.

"Someone with PTSD often relives the traumatic event through nightmares and flashbacks, and may experience feelings of isolation, irritability and guilt.

"They may also have problems sleeping, such as insomnia, and find concentrating difficult.

"These symptoms are often severe and persistent enough to have a significant impact on the person's day-to-day life.

"Therefore it is vital that we find new ways to treat the condition and also assess treatment outcomes."

The team has now begun further research validating the marker and also plans a clinical trial to test potential treatments on patients with PTSD.

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To request interviews call Emma McKinney, Communications Manager (Health Sciences), University of Birmingham, tel: 44-121-414-6681 or email: e.j.mckinney@bham.ac.uk. For out of hours enquiries email pressoffice@contacts.bham.ac.uk or please call 44-7789-921-165.

Notes to the editor:
New research shows that Republicans have more varied opinions about climate change than their political leaders suggest

Climate change is not a partisan issue, and a UC Santa Barbara researcher has the data to prove it.

Matto Mildenberger, an assistant professor of political science, led a new study -- published in the journal Climatic Change -- that finds substantial differences in the climate change views of both Republicans and Democrats across different states and congressional districts.

"While subsets of the Republican voting public do not support climate policies and hold views consistent with party elite, Republican climate and energy opinions are more varied than might be presumed from political discourse," said Mildenberger, who conducted the research with colleagues at Yale University and Utah State University. "Similarly, the results emphasize consistent support among Democrats for climate and energy policies, despite variation in belief intensity."

To carry out the study, the team combined information from state voter files with climate and energy opinions collected online between 2008 and 2016 by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason Center for Climate Change Communication. The data allowed them to estimate the geographic distribution of Republican and Democratic climate and energy opinions across the country.

As it turns out, the researchers discovered, substantial disagreement on climate exists between Republican elites and members of their party. For example, many Republicans in Congress doubt whether climate change is happening, yet most Republican party members in different states think that global warming is indeed underway. Those Republicans living in New York, Delaware and Alaska are particularly likely to do so. But only a quarter of Republicans in most states believe climate change is both happening and human-caused.

According to the study, the differences in climate opinions also translate into party members' policy preferences. There is, for instance, majority Republican support for Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) policies in 111 congressional districts currently held by Republican members of Congress. Similarly, a majority of Republicans in every state but Wyoming support regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant. And in particular, relative to the average national party member, Republicans in Southern Florida strongly support regulating carbon pollution.

The geography of partisan climate opinions in the U.S. highlighted in their study, the researchers say, should inform decision makers, educators and communicators working at sub-national scales. Co-author Peter Howe, of Utah State University, said that an understanding of how support for climate change and energy reforms differs at local scales is especially important given the current policymaking context. Despite the Trump administration's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement in mid-2017, state and local governments continue to act as critical sites of climate and energy policymaking in the U.S.

"Accelerating state and local policymaking highlights the need for public opinion and policy preference data at these subnational spatial scales," noted Yale University co-author Jennifer Marlon.

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Maps that visualize the Republican and Democratic distribution of climate beliefs are available at http://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/partisan-maps-2016/.
AURORA, Colo. (Nov. 30, 2017) - Researchers examining understudied populations in Africa have found that skin pigmentation is far more varied and complex than previously understood. And that complexity increases nearer the equator.

"Previous studies have focused on more homogeneous European and Eurasian populations and concluded that pigmentation was governed by just a handful of genes," said study co-author Christopher Gignoux, PhD, MS, associate professor at the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. "But in this study we looked at pigmentation among African populations and found a striking variability that has been underappreciated."

The study, published in the November edition of the journal Cell, is the culmination of a decade's worth of research involving scientists from CU Anschutz, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stanford University, Stellenbosch University, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

The researchers studied two populations of the KhoeSan people, the Khomani San and the Nama. Both live in South Africa and have much lighter skin than other Africans who live closer to the equator.

Scientists conducted interviews, recorded height, age and gender and used a reflectometer to measure skin color of about 400 people. They discovered that skin pigmentation is highly heritable but that doesn't explain its variance and complexity.

Instead of a few genes controlling the process as many thought, they found far more genes involved, each one contributing something different. And many of the genes have yet to be discovered. Only about 10 percent of that previously discovered variation can be linked to genes impacting pigmentation in the KhoeSan.

One finding showed that the closer a population moves to the equator, the more genes come into play that can influence variability.

"Light skin pigmentation in the KhoeSan appears to be due to a combination of many small-effect mutations as well as some large-effect variants," said the study's senior author Brenna Henn, assistant professor of Ecology and Evolution at SUNY Stony Brook.

Some of those mutations, Henn said, may have arisen in southern Africa more than 100,000 years ago and were selected for in Europeans after they left Africa for higher latitudes where pigment lightens to absorb more sunlight which produces vitamin D and folate protection.

"We argue that the distributions of skin pigmentation globally suggest different forces of selection operating at various latitudes," Henn said.

In order to understand baseline pigmentation, she said, it's important to study a large set of genetically diverse populations that have historically been exposed to different levels of ultraviolet radiation.

Gignoux agreed saying earlier notions of skin pigmentation being relatively simple underestimated the genetics involved.

"At higher latitudes there is far less difference in skin pigmentation and that's where most of the earlier research was done," he said. "But there is more pigmentation variation on the African continent than any other place on earth and its needs further study."

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AN important but unsung figure from a turbulent period of British politics has become the subject of a book for the first time.

Historians at the University of Huddersfield have played a key role in editing and writing the newly-published volume, which analyses the life and times of Halifax-born J.H. Whitley. Liberal MP for his home town, he was Speaker of the House of Commons from 1921-1928, the period that saw the first Labour Government and experienced a General Strike.

A preface to the new book is provided by the current Speaker, John Bercow. He is one of a sequence of distinguished politicians and writers who have delivered the annual J.H. Whitley Lecture, a series that began in 2012 after a collection of Whitley's papers, books and photographs was deposited in the University of Huddersfield's archives by his descendants.

This has led to scholarly investigation of Whitley's life and legacy and to the new book, edited by the University of Huddersfield's Professor Keith Laybourn, a leading expert on Labour history, and Dr John Hargreaves, whose books include a definitive history of Halifax. They were joined by Professor Richard Toye of the University of Exeter, who delivered the inaugural J.H. Whitley Lecture.

"This is not a biography of Whitley," said Professor Laybourn. "But it does have a lot of biographical material and analysis of issues and events that he was deeply concerned with. It is the first serious study of J.H. Whitley."

The book has 13 chapters, dealing with topics that range from Whitley's upbringing in Halifax and his involvement in its radical late 19th century politics, through his pioneering development of joint industrial councils - an innovation that created international interest - his period as Speaker and his chairmanship of the BBC from 1930 until his death in 1935.

There is also a chapter dealing with Whitley's 1929-31 spell as Chairman of the Royal Commission on Labour in India. This is co-authored by Paul Ward, who is the University of Huddersfield's Professor of Modern British History and overseer of the J.H. Whitley Archive. He was joined in the research for his chapter by four Huddersfield students of history and heritage - Amerdeep Panesar, Amy Stoddart, James Turner and Sarah Wells.

Other University of Huddersfield-based historians who have contributed include Dr Christine Verguson, who deals with Whitley's attitudes to the new medium of radio and how it evolved in Yorkshire.

A preface is provided by Mr John Whitley, who is J.H. Whitley's grandson. He explains the decision to deposit the archive at Huddersfield "as the local university for Halifax, with its excellent archive facilities and record of research on themes relevant to my grandfather's life".

Mr Whitley also pays a tribute to the book's dedicatee, Dr John Barrett, a former police officer who completed a University of Huddersfield PhD - supervised by Professor Laybourn - on poverty in 19th century Huddersfield. He then intended to explore the Whitley Collection and write a biography of the ex-Speaker, but died suddenly in October 2016.

He did complete a chapter for the new book, and it is the final one in the volume - an appraisal of obituaries of J.H. Whitley. Dr Barrett concludes that the Whitley who emerged was "a modest man, of some ability and much honest morality" who was proud of his Halifax roots.

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Liberal Reform and Industrial Relations: J.H. Whitley (1866-1935), Halifax Radical and Speaker of the House of Commons, edited by John A. Hargreaves, Keith Laybourn and Richard Toye, is published by Routledge.
BALTIMORE - Nov. 30, 2017. A research team led by Mohit N. Gilotra, MD, assistant professor of orthopaedics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), will receive the prestigious 2018 Charles S. Neer Award from the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) for a clinical study that demonstrated an effective method to potentially reduce the risk of serious infection following shoulder surgery.

The ASES is a society made up of leading national and international orthopaedic surgeons who specialize in surgery of the shoulder and elbow. The Charles S. Neer Award is among the most prestigious prizes for orthopaedic research and is awarded each year for clinical and basic research. This is the first time the prize will be presented to researchers from the Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia area.

Dr. Gilotra, the principal investigator and senior author, and his colleagues are being honored for their paper, "Benzoyl Peroxide Effectively Decreases Pre-Operative Propionibacterium acnes Shoulder Burden: A Randomized Clinical Trial," which was presented in October at the ASES annual meeting. Co-authors include R. Frank Henn III, MD, associate professor of orthopaedics at UMSOM, and S. Ashfaq Hasan, MD, associate professor of orthopaedics and chief of the elbow and shoulder program in the Department of Orthopaedics at UMSOM.

Propionibacterium acnes (P acnes), a gram-positive bacteria, is a commonly reported cause of delayed infection in shoulder surgery. Traditional skin preparations are ineffective in preventing these infections because they don't penetrate deep enough into the skin to reach the source of the P acnes and have minimal to no effect on the bacteria.

In this randomized clinical trial with 80 patients, the researchers found that using benzoyl peroxide (BPO) is more effective at reducing P acnes bacteria on the shoulder than chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG), which may reduce the risk of intraoperative wound contamination and delayed post-operative infection. "BPO should be considered as a preoperative skin prep for high-risk patients given its potential benefit and low cost," the researchers concluded, noting that multicenter studies are needed to further establish the relationship between BPO and surgical site infections.

The award will be presented to the University of Maryland research team at the ASES Open Meeting/Specialty Day on March 10, 2018, in New Orleans.

The team also included Julio Jaregui, MD, Andrew Dubina, MD, and UMSOM medical students, Logan Kolakowski, BS, and Grant Duvall, BS. Jim Lai, MD, is a former member of the research team who is now a rehab resident at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore.

"Post-operative infection is a serious problem for patients, and our researchers presented clear evidence that using benzoyl peroxide before surgery significantly reduced the level of P acnes that can pose a risk of infection. This represents a promising alternative to traditional skin preparations," says Andrew N. Pollak, MD, the James Lawrence Kernan Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedics. "I applaud Dr. Gilotra and his colleagues for this well-deserved honor."

"This research breaks new ground in evaluating how we can control potentially devastating infections following shoulder surgery and illustrates one of the many ways that our faculty members are advancing science for the benefit of patients," says E. Albert Reece, MD., PhD, MBA, vice president for medical affairs at the University of Maryland and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and dean of UMSOM. "We are very pleased that University of Maryland School of Medicine scientists have been chosen to receive this international recognition."

The award is named for Charles S. Neer II, MD, a longtime orthopaedic surgeon at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City who was well-known for his contributions in shoulder surgery and reconstruction. He founded and became the first president of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons in 1982. In 1985, Dr. Neer created a fund to recognize outstanding clinical investigation that contributes to the understanding, care and prevention of injuries to the shoulder and elbow. The award has been presented annually since the first Open Meeting. In 1987, the award was expanded to recognize both clinical and research categories.

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Commemorating its 210th Anniversary, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world -- with 43 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs; and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished recipient of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research. With an operating budget of more than $1 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic and clinically-based care for more than 1.2 million patients each year. The School has over 2,500 students, residents, and fellows, and nearly $450 million in extramural funding, with more than half of its academic departments ranked in the top 20 among all public medical schools in the nation in research funding. As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total workforce of nearly 7,000 individuals. The combined School and Medical System ("University of Maryland Medicine") has a total budget of $5 billion and an economic impact of nearly $15 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine faculty, which ranks as the 8th-highest public medical school in research productivity, is an innovator in translational medicine with 600 active patents and 24 start-up companies. The School works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu/

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PITTSBURGH, Nov. 30, 2017 - A common, hands-on method for teaching genetics in grade school encourages students to compare their earlobes with those of their parents: Are they attached and smoothly mesh with the jawline? Or are they detached and dangly? The answer is meant to teach students about dominant and recessive genes.

Simple, right? Not so fast.

New research led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and School of Dental Medicine, and published online today in the American Journal of Human Genetics, reveals that the lesson is much more complicated, with an interplay of at least 49 genes contributing to earlobe attachment.

"Sometimes the genetics of a fairly simple trait are actually quite complex," said lead author John R. Shaffer, Ph.D., assistant professor in Pitt Public Health's Department of Human Genetics and the Department of Oral Biology in Pitt's School of Dental Medicine. "By understanding that complexity, we can work toward treatments for genetic conditions, several of which have distinct facial features that involve the earlobe, including Mowat-Wilson Syndrome, which can cause cupped ears with protruding lobes."

The study was an international collaboration involving investigators in the United Kingdom and China, and included data from the U.S.-based personal genetics company 23andMe Inc.

"The great thing about these collaborations is that we not only had a large sample size, but we also had participants from different ethnicities, giving us a greater depth of genetic information," said senior author Seth M. Weinberg, Ph.D., associate professor in Pitt's departments of Oral Biology and Human Genetics.

The study - which is part of a broader investigation of the genetic basis of human facial features - also gives insight into a debate that has been raging in the genetics community: Which is better? Large-scale population studies that cast a wide net but, due to their size, cannot hone in on specifics, or more-focused studies that can obtain extensive participant information? For their earlobe study, the Pitt team did both.

First, the team investigated a sample of just under 10,000 participants who, in addition to providing genetic data, were examined to determine if their lobes were attached, detached or partially attached. The participants provided some medical history and were screened for a family history of congenital malformations.

Then, the team partnered with 23andMe to include nearly 65,000 of its customers who consented to participate in research - dramatically increasing the study's statistical power. Unlike the more detailed assessment in the initial sample, the 23andMe participants provided self-reports about their own earlobe status as simply attached or detached.

"This is the unique power of 23andMe's research platform - to quickly and easily make genetic discoveries across a broad variety of traits, uncovering biology that might never otherwise see the light of day because it doesn't obviously meet the priorities for research funding," said Joyce Tung, Ph.D., 23andMe's vice president for research. "And yet, important insights can still be drawn even from seemingly insignificant traits."

Using just the information from the smaller group of 10,000 participants, the researchers were able to identify six genes that played roles in earlobe attachment. When the analysis was broadened to include the 23andMe participants, those six genes were again strongly implicated in earlobe attachment, but another 43 genes were added.

"So do we put our resources toward careful and rigorous study of a smaller set of individuals or is it better to get less detail, but recruit a lot more study participants?" said Shaffer. "In our study, we unite both of these approaches, and we see that using the bigger group gave us all the results of the smaller study, plus a whole lot more."

The results don't mean that grade school science teachers should stop using traits like earlobes to teach genetics. But the lesson needs to be updated to show that even a seemingly simple inherited trait, such as earlobe attachment, involves a complex and fascinating interplay of genes that geneticists are only beginning to understand, said co-author Eleanor Feingold, Ph.D., professor of human genetics and biostatistics at Pitt Public Health.

"We've got these 49 genes that we know affect earlobe attachment, but we don't know how they work together or interact with one another," said Feingold, also senior associate dean at Pitt Public Health. "Figuring that out is the next step."

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Additional institutions that contributed to this study are the Chinese Academy of Sciences; University College of London; Universidad Puruana Cayetano Heredia in Peru; Universidad do Rio Grande do Sol in Brazil; UNAM-Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genomica in Mexico; Universidad de Chile; Universidad de Antioquia in Colombia; Instituto Patagonico de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas in Argentina; Saint Louis University; McGovern Medical University of Texas; University of Iowa; Fudan University in China; Seattle Children's Research Institute; University of Washington; Monash University in Australia; and Aix-Marseille University in France.

This research was funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research grants and contracts U01-DE020078, U01-DE20057, R01-DE016148, R00-DE02560, R01-DE027023 and #HHSN2682012000081; National Human Genome Research Institute grant X01-HG007821; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant R01-DD000295; Leverhulme Trust grant F/07 134/DF; Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council grant BB/I021213/1; the Laurel Foundation Endowment for Craniofacial Research; National Natural Science Foundation of China grant 91631307; and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences grant XDB13041000.

About the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences

The University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences include the schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dental Medicine, Pharmacy, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and the Graduate School of Public Health. The schools serve as the academic partner to the UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center). Together, their combined mission is to train tomorrow's health care specialists and biomedical scientists, engage in groundbreaking research that will advance understanding of the causes and treatments of disease and participate in the delivery of outstanding patient care. Since 1998, Pitt and its affiliated university faculty have ranked among the top 10 educational institutions in grant support from the National Institutes of Health. For additional information about the Schools of the Health Sciences, please visit http://www.health.pitt.edu.

Contact:

Allison Hydzik

Office: 412-647-9975

Mobile: 412-559-2431

HydzikAM@upmc.edu

Arvind Suresh

Office: 412-647-9966

Mobile: 412-509-8207

SureshA2@upmc.edu
MADISON, Wis. -- Using a molecule designed to overcome a roadblock formed by a common type of genetic flaw, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have made progress towards novel molecular treatments for Friedreich's ataxia -- a rare but fatal disorder -- in the laboratory dish and in animals.

Friedreich's, like at least 40 other genetic diseases, is caused by stretches of repetitive DNA that prevent protein from forming correctly.

The repeats can contain hundreds of identical, short sequences of DNA (such as GAAGAAGAAGAA ...). In some diseases, including Friedreich's, the repeats become roadblocks to cellular machines that decode the gene and start making the protein that the cell needs. In other diseases, such as the neurological condition Huntington's, the repeats can result in excess protein, which itself can become toxic.

In research reported this week in the journal Science, Aseem Ansari, a professor of biochemistry and genomics at UW-Madison, and colleagues showed that their "molecular prosthesis" can help cellular machinery overcome the blockade posed by the repeats in Friedreich's ataxia.

One component of the prosthesis locates the repeats, then the second helps the cellular machinery soldier past the repeats to properly decode the gene.

Friedreich's appears in only one American in 50,000, but it's fatal and untreatable, says Ansari. "These kids accumulate repeats in a gene for a protein called frataxin that mitochondria, the cell's powerhouse, need to process energy. Without frataxin, tissues that use the most energy get hurt first: the brain, heart and pancreas."

As early as age 5, movement is impaired "because the brain does not have the energy it needs and it also accumulates DNA damage," says Ansari, who has a joint appointment with the Genome Center of Wisconsin at UW-Madison. "Most young people with Friedreich's develop severe heart problems and are wheelchair-bound, but the disease is so rare that few drug companies invest in it."

In the Ansari group, Graham Erwin, Matthew Grieshop and Asfa Ali formed a team that designed and created the prototype molecule, and also orchestrated collaboration with colleagues at UW-Madison, the pharmaceutical firm Novartis, and a leading medical center in India.

The Science publication rested on two kinds of experiments:

In studies of cell lines from more than 20 Friedreich's patients, the molecular prosthesis restored expression of the frataxin protein.

In mice containing transplanted human cells carrying about 310 GAA repeats, the prosthesis restored expression of a signaling protein to nearly normal.

The molecule being tested is designed to assist the enzyme that reads, or "transcribes," DNA at the confusing repeats. Once it reaches the other side, the enzyme, called RNA polymerase, reads the gene and makes RNA that in turn codes for frataxin, the protein that is lacking in Friedreich's ataxia.

One part of the new molecule is "a direction finder that we engineered to locate the problem in the patient's genome," Ansari says. Once it finds the troublesome repeats, "the second component brings in the machinery that helps RNA polymerase slog through the repeats and make the correct transcript and subsequently the functional protein."

Understanding the role of frataxin and how repeats block its synthesis started with studies in yeast cells and then fruit flies, Ansari says. "In those simple organisms, scientists teased out exactly what the repeat region was doing, and the same principles were at work in human cells. Without that understanding, we would not have been able to devise our molecules, which highlights the need to study biology at all levels."

Although the biochemistry is complex, the concept of ignoring repeats is not, Ansari says. "If we compare the enzyme that reads DNA to an engine moving down the 'track' of DNA, the repeat may stop it cold, cause it to skip too far ahead, or jam it in the 'on' position so it makes a toxic amount of the protein."

The new results published this week in Science suggest that "we have figured out how to turn on the part of the gene that is being ignored without doing anything anywhere else," Ansari says.

Even as patients and families yearn for a cure, it's likely to take several years before drug testing begins, Ansari warns.

Ansari, who has been trying to unravel repeats for about 15 years at UW-Madison, achieved initial success in 2004 when his group designed "two-headed" molecules with a "DNA reading head" that would deliver the molecule to a specific location in an individual's genome, and a "docking head" that would dock a cellular machine to force the gene to be read correctly at that site.

Then, Ansari says, researchers found that the molecule got "distracted" while floating in a sea of DNA and failed to distinguish hundreds of "look-alike" sites from its actual target.

By 2013, funding had dried up, and only a grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation enabled Ansari to continue searching to outfox the repeats.

While many efforts to treat Friedreich's are screening millions of drugs, "we are working from a deeper understanding of the problem," Ansari says. "Once we understood why the enzyme was getting blocked, we rationally designed seven molecules to help the enzyme pass the obstruction."

The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation has applied for two patents on the discovery, which Ansari thinks could be applied more broadly. "With recent advances in human genome sequencing, more than 40 diseases have been recognized as resulting from microsatellite repeats," says Ansari, including fragile X, which causes developmental difficulties, and some types of muscular dystrophy.

"Now that we are starting to understand how to defuse these repeats," he says, "we see this as a general solution, a molecular engineering principle. We would sequence the genome and figure out the problem, and make a molecule tailored for that individual. It's a new precision-tailored path to personalized medicine."

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David Tenenbaum, 608-265-8549, djtenenb@wisc.edu This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grants CA133508, GM117362, HL099773, P30 AR066524, and GM07215) the W. M. Keck Foundation, and the Government of India.
MAPUTO, Mozambique (Nov. 30, 2017) - Despite some forest loss, Mozambique's sprawling Niassa National Reserve has the potential to support tens of thousands of elephants and 1,000 lions according to a new land-use study published in the journal Parks.

Niassa Reserve is Mozambique's largest protected area, spanning 42,300 square kilometers (16,300 square miles), and is considered one of the least biologically explored regions in Africa. The reserve supports Mozambique's largest populations of endangered wildlife. Approximately 40,000 people legally live within its boundaries and harvest its natural resources.

The study, which monitored fine-scale temporal trends in land-use and tree cover, documented that the reserve lost some 108 square kilometers (41 square miles) of forest between 2001 and 2014 primarily due to agriculture and settlement along roads. While the loss is substantial, it represents less than 1 percent of all forest in the reserve. And it is lower than forest loss in surrounding regions, where adjacent districts lost 200 square kilometers (3.2 percent) of forest cover, and the two northern Mozambique Provinces containing Niassa lost 6,584 square kilometers (5.7 percent) of their forest cover outside of the reserve's borders during the same time.

The findings for Niassa Reserve are particularly encouraging in the African context where deforestation rates are five times higher than the global average, and there are many examples of protected areas in Africa losing much more forest cover within their boundaries.

The authors say that the Niassa's protected area status has helped save it from large-scale land clearing that has plagued outside areas, despite the fact that that forest governance in Mozambique is generally weak. The results of the study should be used to further engage with local communities, which have the right to live in the reserve according to Mozambique law.

Lead author James Allan from the University of Queensland in Australia said: "The fact that forest loss is much lower than in the surrounding region or in many other African protected areas is a very encouraging result."

The study found that the reserve's diverse Miombo woodland habitat is still intact, and with proper investment in best practice management could support large assemblages of megafauna. Though rampant poaching has impacted wildlife - particularly elephants - residual wildlife populations could recolonize. Niassa's elephants have been decimated in recent years, with more than 8,000 animals poached in the last six years. The reserve currently holds approximately 800 lions, although there are localized declines in the population in some areas. Other threats loom in Niassa including artisanal mining, land-use change, bushmeat poaching, commercial poaching, wildfires, climate change, and selective logging.

The authors say that given the potentially substantial benefits to biodiversity conservation and broader societal goals, investing in the effective management of Niassa should be a global conservation priority. There are very few places remaining on the planet which can hold populations of large wildlife in the tens of thousands, and Niassa Reserve, with its connection to Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania, is one of these places.

James Bampton, WCS Mozambique Country Director said: "From a WCS Mozambique perspective, this research demonstrates just how important the Conservation Area network in Mozambique - particularly Niassa National Reserve - is for protecting forests and reducing deforestation. Reduced deforestation equates to reduced CO2 emissions and we are exploring how climate change funding could be used to support our active efforts to continue to keep deforestation rates low as intact forest ecosystems in Niassa support its outstanding and unique wildlife populations."

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WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society)

MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in nearly 60 nations and in all the world's oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: newsroom.wcs.org Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: +1 347-840-1242.

USAID (United States Agency for International Development)

The USAID ECOSMART partnership has three objectives: 1) improve protected area management in the Niassa National Reserve (NNR) to conserve its biodiversity, 2) increase economic and social returns from the sustainable use of NNR's natural resources whilst ensuring equitable benefit sharing amount principle stakeholders, and 3) strengthen the national protected area system and conserve biodiversity with lessons learned from the NNR and other key Mozambican protected areas.

Visit: https://partnerships.usaid.gov/partnership/ecosmart Follow: @USAIDMozambique

For more information: 258-21-352-000
North Korea released a trove of photos showing off its new intercontinental ballistic missile, which Pyongyang tested this week and which it said could hit targets in the US.

By India Today Web Desk: After a couple of months of relative inaction, North Korea on Wednesday once again rocked the Korean peninsula as well as the world launching what it said was its most powerful weapon yet.

The weapon in question was an intercontinental ballistic missile, one that experts suggested could reach Washington DC in the United States of America, effectively putting the entire country under threat. Following the launch, Pyongyang proclaimed as much, saying it was now a full nuclear force and that it had the ability to target mainland US.

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The missile launch was met with swift international condemnation with the US, one of the harshest critics of the Kim Jong-un regime in North Korea, saying the test had brought Washington and Pyongyang "closer" to a war that the Donald Trump administration did not want.

On the other hand, China, often seen as North Korea's friend, reiterated the China-Russia proposal for North Korea to suspend all nuclear and missile tests and for the US and South Korea to suspend all military exercises.

A view of the Hwasong-15's test. State media said the missile was launched from a newly developed vehicle and that the warhead could withstand the pressure of re-entering the atmosphere. (Reuters)

Meanwhile, the first images of the new missile, which North Korea called Hwasong-15, are out after being released by Pyongyang itself.

In the photos, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un makes a rare appearance; he is seen celebrating with other officials after which he reportedly "declared with pride" North Korea has realised the "great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force", according to a statement.

Kim Jong Un celebrates after the newly developed intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15 was successfully launched. (Reuters) Kim Jong Un celebrates after the newly developed intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15 was successfully launched. (Reuters)

Perhaps one of the most iconic photos from the lot released by North Korea is that of Kim Jong-un smoking a cigarette and gazing up into the sky as his missile, presumably, completes its successful launch.

Kim personally guided the missile test and said the new launcher was

The news agency Associated Press spoke to rocket experts to get their initial assessment of the North Korean missile. Here is the AP's analysis report, reproduced verbatim and unedited:

THE MISSILE

The North's new missile appears to be significantly bigger than the Hwasong-14 ICBM it tested twice in July. Note how it dwarfs North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who stands about 170 centimeters (5 feet 7 inches) tall. In a tweet just after the photos were published, Michael Duitsman, a researcher at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, California, said: "This is very big missile ... And I don't mean 'Big for North Korea.'

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Only a few countries can produce missiles of this size, and North Korea just joined the club." Size is important because a missile targeting the United States would have to carry a lot of fuel. Duitsman also suggested the new ICBM appears to have a different engine arrangement and improved steering.

A view of the newly developed intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15 that was successfully launched. (Reuters)

THE LAUNCHER

North Korea boasted repeatedly in its announcement of the launch Wednesday that the Hawasong-15 was fired from a domestically made erector-launcher vehicle. Its photos back that up. Being able to make its own mobile launch vehicles, called TELs, frees the North from the need to get them from other countries, like China, which is crucial considering the tightening of international sanctions that Pyongyang faces. TELs make it easier to move missiles around and launch them from remote, hard-to-predict locations. That makes finding and destroying the Hawasong-15 before a launch more difficult.

THE PAYLOAD

North Korea claims the Hwasong-15 can carry a "super-heavy" nuclear payload to any target in the mainland United States. The re-entry vehicle, that nose cone in the photo, does indeed look quite large.

North Korea said the new missile reached an altitude of about 4,475 km (2,780 miles) - more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station - and flew 950 km (590 miles) during its 53-minute flight. (Reuters)

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But the heavier the load the shorter the range. Michael Elleman, a leading missile expert, has suggested in the respected 38 North blog that Hwasong-15's estimated 13,000-kilometer (8,100 mile) range assumes a payload of around 150 kilograms (330 pounds), which is probably much lighter than any real nuclear payload the North can produce.

To get to the West Coast, the North needs to keep that weight down to 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds). Whether it can do that remains questionable. "Kim Jong Un's nuclear bomb must weigh less than 350 kilograms (800 pounds) if he expects to strike the western edges of the US mainland," Elleman estimated. "A 600-kilogram (1,300-pound) payload barely reaches Seattle."

WATCH | North Korea conducts 6th nuclear test with hydrogen bomb

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: (Eds: Adds background)

New Delhi, Nov 30 (PTI) Sidelined AIADMK leaders Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran today moved the Delhi High Court against the Election Commissions decision recognising the unified AIADMK under Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E K Palaniswami as the real party, allowing it to use the two leaves poll symbol.

The plea for urgent hearing of the matter was mentioned before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar and sought quashing of the November 23 order of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

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Senior advocate Kirti Uppal, appearing for Sasikala and Dhinakaran, said the matter required urgent hearing as the poll panels order was bad in law and needed to be set aside.

Agreeing to the contention of the senior advocate, the bench listed the matter for hearing tomorrow.

The issue has been lingering since April in the aftermath of the announcement of by-poll to RK Nagar Assembly constituency here following the death of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa in December last year.

The by-poll to Radha Krishnan Nagar Assembly constituency will be held on December 21.

The EC had on November 23 allotted the two leaves symbol to the unified AIADMK led by Palaniswami and Panneerselvam, dealing a blow to the Sasikala faction.

"The group led by E Madhusudhanan and others is hereby recognised...as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which is a recognised state party in the state of Tamil Nadu and in the Union territory of Puducherry, for whom the symbol two leaves is reserved in the said state and Union territory," the poll panel had said.

The plea also sought direction for initiating appropriate proceedings against Madhusudhanan, AIADMKs candidate for the R K Nagar bypoll, Palaniswami, Panneerselvam and MLA Semmalai for their acts.

It also sought to call for records and files relating to their dispute over the symbol.

Uppal, who was present along with advocate Amit Anand Tiwari, told the court that the poll panel has not only given a "perverse finding but has also committed serious illegalities while arriving at the decision".

"The decision making process of the ECI is contrary to the settled legal principles. The EC has treated fabricated and untested material as genuine which has resulted in the hearing being unfair and consequently contrary to the principle of natural justice and therefore the proceedings and the order are void," the plea submitted.

The order of the Commission came as a setback to deposed party leader Sasikala, who is currently serving a four-year sentence in a Bengaluru jail in a disproportionate assets case, and her nephew Dhinakaran.

Earlier, rival factions led by Sasikala and Panneerselvam had staked claim over the symbol. Palaniswami was then in the Sasikala camp.

In an interim order in March this year, the EC had barred the two factions from using the partys name or its two leaves symbol in the bypoll.

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Later, a large number of legislators led by Palaniswami revolted against Sasikala and announced the merger of the two factions.

The EPS-OPS camp then submitted affidavits before the EC staking claim over the party name and symbol, which was contested by the Sasikala-Dhinakaran camp. PTI PPS SKV HMP AG DV

--- ENDS ---
Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Amy DeMaria, Senior Vice President of Communications, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, recently was named WWPRs 2017 Woman of the Year. Capitol Communicator interviewed her and asked her questions about herself and the ever-changing communications field. Our Q&A with her follows:

Amy, how has the field of PR changed in the past ten years?

First and most obviously is that the way people get their information has changed and continues to change rapidly. Social media, of course, has changed how we work, but social media itself changes all the time and that has implications for our messages and content. Second, there is even more of a focus on metrics. New technologies make it easier to measure, and leaders who use metrics intelligently to measure change or value added  and not just activities  have more tools at their disposal to demonstrate their teams contributions. Third, the sheer speed at which communications happens mean we need to be more nimble than ever. Finally, given that social media is two-way, listening to our communities is critical. Its not enough to just create messages, share, and hope they stick. To resonate, they need to be based on feedback and conversations that are already taking place. All of these changes make it a very exciting time to be in this field.

What skills do you think its important to have in coming years?

Its no longer enough to be a good writer, a good communicator, a good manager. You have to have these skills and also really understand the different channels, which audiences use which channels, and which types of content resonate most with those audiences. And you have to keep your ear to the ground because the channels, the algorithms, and the way they work, change constantly.

There has always been a need for media skills, writing skills, video, and now there is really room for people with very technological skills and project management skills especially on large mar/comms teams in complex organizations. Communications is a point of intersection for so many different program areas and technologies  the web, the intranet, social media platforms, fundraising platforms, CRMs, analytics tools and so on.

There is also room for people who are great at analytics. These are the types of skills that once may have been under the umbrella of IT or another business unit, but now the communications and marketing leaders in any organization absolutely have to understand it, and ideally, it should be housed there.

People sometimes think that writing isnt as important as it used to be, but I think its more important than ever. Good writing is good thinking. Writing briefly is harder than writing longer copy. Peoples attention spans are miniscule and shrinking, and you have to capture your idea in as compelling a way as possible as quickly as possible whether its a social post, blog, video, infographic, or even a longer piece like a news release.

Also, I think theres a real need for creativity and critical thinking. By creativity, I dont mean that everyone has to have a secret art director lurking inside them, but rather than you can bring an open mind and fresh approach to solving problems, because, at the end of the day, thats 90% of what youre doing as a leader.

Do you have any advice for other communicators?

I have a sign on my wall that says, focus on opportunities not obstacles, and I try to let that guide me. In any given difficult situation, its so easy to get mired down in the roadblocks, but theres really an art to trying to see any situation in its most positive light  and to see the opportunities in any circumstance.

Also, theres a famous quote, if you find work you love, youll never work another day in your life, and I think thats so true. Im lucky to work with an outstanding team, in a field Im passionate about, for a cause thats so worthy and I hope that others would also find work you love.

Who are your role models?

Im fortunate to have had a number of amazing managers and mentors from whom Ive learned about writing, communications, marketing, management and leadership. In terms of role models, though, Id have to say that my father is probably the strongest. Hes extremely intellectually curious, thoughtful and open-minded. Hes kind but firm. Hes very solutions-oriented, and can see any situation from multiple perspectives. I strive to embody these qualities and I think that makes me a better leader.

What would you do if you had to choose a different career field?

Id probably go into leadership training or some type of consulting. Im fascinated by the qualities that make good leaders and by the ingredients necessary to build strong teams, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

What do you do when not at work?

My fiance and I live in Georgetown and love to bike and walk on the trails there, especially the Capital Crescent and C&O. We also love to eat out and try new restaurants  which is good, because Im a terrible cook. And I love to travel. Right now, were planning a trip to the Dominican Republic for later this year, which Im very excited about. Ive really come to appreciate, especially recently, the importance of taking time away from work to recharge.
SPEAKERS & EXPERTS: Grab Your Chance to Appear in New Film

Writer/Producer of award-winning Personal Development and Inspirational films Robin Jay is currently seeking just a few experts for her newest film, Becoming the Keys. Appearing in an inspirational film is a tremendous opportunity for speakers and experts. Jay shares her thoughts on this incredible, rare chance for just a few, chosen speakers.

Speakers, Experts, and Authors should appear in inspirational films for several reasons:

Speakers & Experts should appear in film because video/film/movies are a dramatically newer medium than print. Even though countless videos are being posted online each day, they are still rare relative to "data" - which includes everything that has ever happened since time (and record-keeping) began.

Appearing in a film gives your fans a chance to get to know more about you, your story, and your message. They can see you and hear you tell your story first-hand, which gives them the feeling they know you, (just as we feel close to our favorite movie and TV stars who have been "appearing" in our living rooms for years.)

It's marketing gold in an incredibly crowded industry. Nearly every speaker or expert has a book and a Website. Few ever get to appear in a film.

in an incredibly crowded industry. Nearly every speaker or expert has a book and a Website. Few ever get to appear in a film. You will gain "success by association" when you appear in a film with recognized experts, authors, and thought leaders.

"Speakers & Experts should seize the opportunity to appear in a well-produced film," says Jay, who is also President & Founder of the Las Vegas Convention Speakers Bureau as well as an award-winning Writer/Producer of personal development, inspirational films.

Jay shares, "My first film, The Keeper of the Keys, stars Jack Canfield, John Gray, and Marci Shimoff." Being President of the LVCSB.com gives me access to today's top thought leaders. The other, lesser-known experts who appeared in the film gained "Success by Association" by appearing in the film with such recognizable stars. Plus, they got to party with the stars at a VIP Red Carpet Premiere in Las Vegas, Nevada. They had incredible photo ops, endless blog and press release material, and an experience of a lifetime. They also got an inventory of DVDs to sell and countless publicity opportunities from the moment they signed on to be a part of the project. Several of the experts even hosted their own premiere events in their home towns after attending our incredibly huge event in Las Vegas."

More Stars, Speakers & Experts Appeared in Second Film

Writer/Producer Robin Jay's second film, The Secrets of the Keys, is currently in distribution with Beyond Words Publishing - the company that distributes "The Secret" and "What the Bleep?"

"For my second film, I was able to double the star power," Jay says. "The Secrets of the Keys stars Brian Tracy, John Assaraf, Dannion Brinkley, Rev. Michael Beckwith, don Miguel Ruiz, and Gloria Loring. The featured experts in this film got the experience of shooting entirely on location in Boulder City, Nevada. They also walked the red carpet at my second stellar VIP Red Carpet Premiere in Las Vegas, Nevada. Again, from the moment the experts signed on, they were able to start blogging, posting images from the shoot, and begin selling and promoting their own premiere parties - some as far away as Johannesburg, South Africa! This is pure marketing gold in an industry where it can be typically be difficult to stand out."

"We shot preliminary footage for my third film, Becoming the Keys, recently," Jay continues, "and we will once again be shooting in Boulder City, Nevada, early next year. This location shoot will add continuity to the films' story lines. Becoming the Keys is inspired by The Secrets of the Keys, though it will certainly stand on its own, even if viewers haven't yet seen the earlier film. Some of our stars have returned for this film, too, including Brian Tracy, Dannion Brinkley, and don Miguel Ruiz."

Jay's first two films have each won several awards, including Best Independent Film and Best Concept. The Key Movies, as they've come to be known, feature experts' messages regarding 7 Keys: Appreciation, Harmony, Passion, Courage, Faith, Vibration, and Empathy. Most speakers' messages resonate with one or more of these keys or principles. The films have done so well because they are entertaining and fun fictional stories that offer cameos from the thought leaders. Viewers develop a vested interest in the outcome of the stories. Spiritual guides and magical events also make the films even more engaging - especially when compared to the more traditional "talking head" documentaries.

Speakers, Authors, and Experts who are interested in appearing in Becoming the Keys should reach out to Robin Jay immediately at Robin at LVCSB.com.
Wilbur Ross, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, is not happy with you, me, and, based on comments he made at a gathering of Big Biz executives Nov. 16, our republics representative government.

When asked about the slow-and-getting-slower NAFTA trade talks at an invitation-only Wall Street Journal CEO Council meeting that day in Washington, D.C., Ross, identified by Politico as one of President Donald Trumps closest advisers on trade, said the U.S. will continue to take a hard line on its proposals just as the fifth round of the increasingly bitter talks continued later that week in Mexico City.

Ross went on to report that the (NAFTA) negotiating environment has only grown more difficult as a result of industries like ag that have voiced a greater level of concern over the direction the administration is taking in the 2.0 talks.

Great concern

The Commerce chief was right; ag has voiced great concern over the direction the White House had taken in talks with two of the nations largest farm and food trading partners, Mexico and Canada.

So concerned, in fact, that three weeks before the Journal gathering, 85 farm-affiliated businesses and groups  from Deere & Co. to the Pet Food Institute  had sent a sternly-worded letter to Ross calling into question his recent observation that there is not a world of oversupply of agricultural products.'

The letter also reminded Ross of the Trump Administrations worrisome talk of leaving NAFTA, a deal that accounted for an estimated 28 percent of all U.S. ag exports ($39 billion out of $140.5 billion) in the 2017 ag trade year.

Had Ross and the President forgotten that just a year ago, candidate Trumps initiative to modernize NAFTA contained a do no harm pledge to American food and agriculture sectors?

Withdrawing from NAFTA  even the suggestion of withdrawal  the letter warned, would cause immediate, substantial harm to American farmers, ranchers, and the U.S. economy as a whole.

More complaining

If Ross received the letter, he didnt heed it. He again complained about agriculture to the Journal audience when asked about NAFTA.

As one special interest group, say agriculture, for example, gets nervous,' the Commerce secretary whined, they start screaming and yelling publicly. They start writing letters, soliciting the Congress people, and they start screaming and yelling in public.'

And, good grief, an exasperated Ross added, all this public participation just complicates the environment and, frankly, makes the negotiations harder.'

Yeah, thats the trouble with democracy. A government of, for, and by the people involves  believe it or not  people.

Some, like Ross, are rich; others are poor. Some are powerful; others weak. Some are well informed; others completely ignorant.

All, however, were created equal no matter the amount of money in their back pocket or the number of politicians in their vest pocket. We are equal even if we are the ones screaming and yelling publicly or on the receiving end of the screams and yells.

Less complicated

And, sure, democratic government would be speedier and less messy if we the public sat in silence while the plutocrats and autocrats run it. But the Founders didnt envision a government where individual wealth or personal power was paramount.

Instead, they created a government that empowered all people: E pluribas unam, out of many, one. Those many include everyone  billionaires and poets, plumbers and teachers, bankers and, yes, even yellers. Everyone.

Their reason was elegantly simple. If plutocrat billionaires  and even former plutocrat billionaires like Ross  dominated American government, the United States wouldnt be a democratic republic that empowers people; it would be a banana republic owned solely by the powerful.

We are those people, all of us, including Ross. We are the public in public debate, public policy, and public accountability. We are, in fact, the public in republic. Truly successful leaders live this idea from birth; fools die never knowing it.
Somnath temple had become a centre of political controversy in 1951, when the then President Dr Rajendra Prasad and a Union minister publicly took a stand opposed to Jawaharlal Nehru.

Following Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's visit to Somnath temple, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit back saying Jawaharlal Nehru had opposed reconstruction of the shrine.

By Prabhash K Dutta: The Somnath temple of Gujarat is at the centre of a fresh controversy following Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's visit and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reference to former PM Jawaharlal Nehru's opposition to reconstruction of the shrine.

Rahul Gandhi's religion was a topic of intense debate on social media over an entry in the visitors' register at the Somnath temple. The unexplained entry claimed that Rahul Gandhi visited the Somnath temple as non-Hindu, which was denied by both the Congress party and its vice-president.

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On the other hand, PM Narendra Modi questioned Rahul Gandhi's "soft Hindutva" during Gujarat Assembly election campaign by taking a jibe at his great grandfather Nehru. Addressing an election rally at Pranchi in Gir Somanth district of Gujarat, PM Modi said that Jawaharlal Nehru had opposed the re-construction of the Somnath temple.

"When Sardar Patel took up the work of re-construction of Somnath temple, Nehru was unhappy. Your great grandfather Nehru wrote a letter to President Rajendra Prasad when he was to come for the opening ceremony of the temple," PM Modi said, adding, "This land of brave people will not forgive those who have acted against the Somnath temple."

WHAT NEHRU SAID ABOUT SOMNATH TEMPLE?

Prime Minister Modi gave credit to former deputy prime minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for reconstruction of the Somnath temple. As per records, reconstruction of the Somnath temple was approved by the Nehru cabinet soon after the merger of Junagarh with India in 1947.

Patel discussed this idea with Mahatma Gandhi, who endorsed reconstruction of the Somnath temple but suggested that the Centre should not finance it. Patel agreed to the suggestion that the fund should be collected from public donation.

The Ministry of Works, Mines and Power under NV Gadgil had taken the initiative for the reconstruction. Installation of a jyotirlingam was part of the Somnath project then. After, demise of Sardar Patel in December 1950, Somnath temple's reconstruction was supervised by Union minister K M Munshi.

Reports suggest that while KM Munshi was in the charge of temple reconstruction, Nehru opposed the works at a Union Cabinet meeting calling it attempts of "Hindu revivalism." KM Munshi wrote a letter to Nehru a day after the said Cabinet meet and argued for reconstruction of the Somnath temple.

SOMNATH, RAJENDRA PRASAD AND NEHRU

After the reconstruction was complete, KM Munshi invited the then President Dr Rajendra Prasad to inauguration of the Somnath temple. Nehru did not like the idea of the president visiting Somnath temple for inauguration in 1951.

Nehru wrote a letter to Rajendra Prasad expressing his views on the matter. "I confess that I do not like the idea of your associating yourself with a spectacular opening of the Somnath Temple. This is not merely visiting a temple, which can certainly be done by you or anyone else but rather participating in a significant function which unfortunately has a number of implications," Nehru has been quoted in various reports as having wrote in his letter.

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However, Rajendra Prasad disregarded Nehru's objections and decided to attend the ceremony in May, 1951. Prasad's decision to attend the religious function at the Somnath temple as head of the state was also criticised by communist leaders.

Rajendra Prasad, on the other hand, responded by stating, "I would do the same with a mosque or a church if I were invited...This is the core of Indian secularism. Our state is neither irreligious nor anti-religious."

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Four anxious hunters left Ohio well before the rest of the world awoke, traveling to Junction City, Kansas, for the night.

At one point in time we would have done the whole thing without an overnight break but with age comes wisdom. Weve discovered the value of motels and how good a few hours rest feels after too many hundreds of miles spent pounding pavement.

Day two brought us into Gunnison, Colorado, and another reserved motel.

From there it was still one more overnight stay, this one in a base camp tent where, come morning, we loaded mules with gear then saddled up for another 12 miles by horseback to our mountainside drop camp at 10,000 feet of very thin air.

Thats what the first day is all about: settling on cooking assignments and sleeping arrangements, acclimating to the altitude, gathering firewood, and basically settling into a camp routine that really starts in yet another day when opening morning of Colorados elk season begins.

Oh, did I mention that first day is also for chores such as repairing the canvas tent, searching for scattered and severely damaged camp gear, and in general, simply putting a camp together after an inquisitive black bear had torn it apart?

Its amazing that a black bear cant find the courtesy to exit a canvas tent by the same opening it has torn for an entry door.

Drop-camp trip

I wrote the above after an elk hunting trip in southwest Colorado. Its called a drop-camp trip and indeed thats exactly what it is.

You get a ride into a primitive wilderness camp and a week later you get a ride out  thats all.

Hunters hire an outfitter who has access to an exclusive area or section of wilderness and heres what one can expect: Truthful information concerning the camp where he or she will drop you including, needed but basic camp gear, and on-your-own access to the surrounding terrain.

A solid outfitter will provide lists of things you will need to bring which will include your personal gear, your food, your sleeping and other comfort items.

He or she will also tell you about the how you will get to your drop camp which is typically by horseback. Youll also need to know how much stuff you can bring, and more importantly, how much you really need.

Want and need are two different things.

Mules and pack horses are kept safe and healthy by limiting their loads.

The above one-sided conversation is meant to answer the many questions I receive as big game hunters put together plans to enjoy a destination hunt which often revolves around the pursuit of elk, the North American trophy of a lifetime.

Make plans

Indeed, a destination hunt is about bringing dreams to reality and the factors such as physical ability, woodland experience, confidence, a compatible group, free time, and of course, expendable funds, all play a big part.

Hunting public land on your own is the least expensive but does present some major obstacles when the list of factors is studied and discussed.

A drop camp hunt is next in order of cost and answers most of the needs of most experienced hunters.

From there it jumps right up to guided hunts that can often double or triple the cost putting the dream into place.

Why do I bring this up at this time? Simply because a strong number of whitetail deer hunters have been there and done it locally and when the after-hunt campfire conversation leads its way into to lets try something different comes up, it generally brings up elk, antelope and black bears.

And the coming weeks will be the ideal opportunity to visit outdoor shows to talk to outfitters and begin the process.
ZANESVILLE, Ohio  The Ohio Cattlemens Association held its fifth annual Replacement Female Sale Nov. 24 at the Muskingum Livestock Auction Co. in Zanesville. A large crowd was on hand to bid on 79 high quality females in the sale. The sale represented an opportunity for cow-calf producers to add quality females with documented breeding and health records to their herds. Buyers had the opportunity to evaluate 79 lots of bred heifers, bred cows and cow-calf pairs.

Averages

The sale included 63 lots of bred heifers that averaged $1,949, 10 lots of bred cows that averaged $2,380, and six cow-calf pairs that averaged $1,925. The 79 total lots grossed $158,125 for an overall average of $2,002. This represents a $355 per head increase in price over the 2016 sale. Prices ranged from $1,300 to $2,900. The females sold to buyers from Ohio and West Virginia. Col. Ron Kreis served as the auctioneer.

Sale

Erv-N-Del Farm of Louisville, Ohio, consigned the top two selling lots at $2,900 each.

The Lot 25 and 26 purebred Simmental bred cows sold to Rose Koehler of Lancaster, Ohio. The Ohio State University Beef Center of Dublin, Ohio, sold two groups of three Simmental-Angus bred heifers at $2,600 per head. Fairview Farms of Logan, Ohio, purchased the Lot 63, 64, and 78 heifers and Samuel Bond-Zielinski of Freeport, Ohio, purchased the Lot 69, 73, and 77 heifers.

LOR-MAR Simmental Farms of Prospect, Ohio, consigned the Lot 44 purebred Simmental cow-calf pair that sold for $2,500 to Josh VanHorn of Malta, Ohio. Erv-N-Del Farm also consigned the Lot 28 Simmental-Angus heifer that sold for $2,500 to Terry Nicol of Milford Center, Ohio. Haley Farms of West Salem, Ohio, consigned the Lot 29 purebred Simmental heifer that sold for $2,500 to Nick Fisher of Jackson, Ohio.
US farm antibiotic use is now more than twice as high per animal as it is in the UK, according to new analysis.

Fresh analysis published by the food and farming alliance Sustain indicates that total US sales of medically important antibiotics for use in animals increased by 26% between 2009 and 2015.

By contrast, the UK government recently reported a 27% drop in use of antibiotics in animals reared on British farms over the last two years.

The analysis has also warned against a "flooding" of the British market with antibiotic-packed chicken from the US.

Indeed, British poultry industry leaders have said they are "very concerned" about a United States suggestion that the UK will have to accept the likes of chlorinated chicken and other inferior produce to secure a trans-Atlantic free trade deal.

The UK farming industry has taken huge improvements of improving antibiotic use. According to Defra, Veterinary Medicines Directorate, and Department of Health, sales of antibiotics for use in animals in the UK have fallen to their lowest level since records began, exceeding a government target to combat the threat of antibiotic resistance (AMR) two years early.

In the UK, the focus is more on reducing the risks of contamination along the supply chain, meaning less overall reliance on, for instance, profligate use of antibiotics, which is an issue of international health concern.

Routine use

Sustain's analysis says that US farmers and meat processors routinely use antibiotics, chlorine rinses and irradiation to reduce food-poisoning bugs in meat.

However, health campaigners argue these carry their own risks and often mask poor welfare and hygiene standards on farms, in slaughterhouses and in meat processing.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently called on farmers and the food industry to stop routinely using antibiotics prophylactically in healthy animals. This is to preserve the effectiveness for treatment of actual disease outbreaks in humans and animals.

When US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told the CBI last week that the UK would have to accept US meat standards, I was horrified. Mass-produced American chicken may seem cheap, but it comes at a gigantic cost to our health, animals and workers, said Kath Dalmeny, Chief Executive of Sustain.

British food and farming industries have started to take action on the critically important issue of overuse of antibiotics in farming. We simply cannot afford to let our trade negotiators sweep such progress aside by flooding our market with cut-price US chicken raised with routine antibiotic use.

If antibiotics lose their efficacy through over-use in medicine and farming, we will return to an era when millions of lives could be lost every year to simple infections. All food and trade policy must reinforce international efforts to reduce antibiotic use, not create new markets for farmers  such as those in the US  who are using much more than they should.

'No serious plans'

Coilin Nunan, Scientific Adviser to the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics adds how Brexit and the wider issues of international trade deals will have an impact on the issue.

We need to consider what pressure UK regulators will come under - and what farming practices we may be supporting internationally  as a result of international trade deals. Many European countries, including the UK, are starting to phase out routine preventative use and to significantly cut overall antibiotic use, he said.

There is even the real possibility of an EU-wide ban on routine preventative use in the next few years. In contrast, the United States still has no serious plans to deal with antibiotic abuse in farming and use is increasing every year. Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria are no respecters of country borders.

Rather than the UK adopting US standards, we need to call on the US to show some leadership on reducing the use of antibiotics in animals through improvements in production systems and animal husbandry. This is in everyones interests.

Speedy trade deal

The new comparison of farm antibiotic use data comes as the Government enters trade talks with the US, in which the Americans are expected to argue strongly in favor of the UK abandoning EU food standards in order to secure a speedy trade deal.

But a House of Lords report from July flagged that domestic producers fear the market being flooded with cheaper, lower welfare imports that will make it difficult for them to compete.

Earlier this month as part of World Antibiotic Awareness Week, FoodIngredientsFirst reported how The Alliance to Save our Antibiotics is calling for reductions to farm antibiotic use across the EU and for an end to routine preventative medication of groups of animals.

Its new report discloses which UK supermarkets routinely use antibiotics in their meat production.
Farmers are being urged to ensure they have all the options available to them to combat pests, weeds and diseases in their crops, following a turbulent period of uncertainty surrounding the use of plant protection products.

The advice, by the National Farmers' Union, follows news of the world's most-used herbicide glyphosate gaining approval within the EU this week, following a turbulent period of uncertainty and deadlock among EU Member States.

The twenty-eight Member States met at an appeal committee on Monday (27 November) to seek out a five-year renewal. 18 countries voted for, 9 against and one abstained.

The advice comes as the technical and business event for arable and mixed farmers CropTec gets underway. The NFU has urged farmers to use an integrated pest management plan which embraces all elements of crop protection so that pests, weeds and diseases can be managed.

NFU Vice President Guy Smith and combinable crops board vice chairman Robert Lockhart are chairing seminars at the event.

Mr Smith said: Effective crop protection is essential to food production in the UK. It is also vital that farmers recognise the importance of professional and responsible stewardship.

Like most growers I was relieved to see glyphosate given a five year reauthorisation by Brussels earlier this week.

Its now important that growers continue to have access to key herbicides like glyphosate by demonstrating judicious use and showing regulators the importance of these chemicals to crop production.

NFU combinable crops board vice-chairman Robert Lockhart said there have been some exciting developments in non-chemical pest, weed and disease control and developments of new protection products.

Farmers always try to use non-chemical plant control before looking for a chemical solution, and as technology improves these options are becoming more readily available, Mr Lockhart said.

However, the use of plant protection products is integral to any pest management plan and farmers cannot rely on automation alone.

Farmers must be able to utilise all options on all scales, and this is why the development of new active ingredients and products  and making them safe and accessible  is so important.

'Over-zealous'

MEPs in Brussels have been warned against 'over-zealous' and 'ill-considered' banning of important plant protection products in the EU.

The EU's Agriculture Committee heard the message from one of Britain's leading growers at a hearing on Sustainable Plant Protection.

John Chinn, chairman of the UK's Centre for Applied Crop Science, said the EU was not performing well when approving or banning plant protection products.

He told the hearing: "A failure to distinguish between hazard and risk is an essential part of the confusion about perceived threats from or to our environment; in general hazard identification is easy and often speculative; risk evaluation is generally complex and demanding.

"Rational responses are not invariable. There is an extraordinary disregard for well documented risks while others, of marginal significance, distort public and private spending decisions.

"These factors, coupled with a perverse preference for natural toxicity over synthetic safety, lead to an indifferent performance in risk management in the community."

European farming organisations have also warned of the 'irrevocable impact' on crop production without the use of plant protection products.

A study published by agricultural cooperative Copa & Cogeca using data from 6 countries shows that due to the ban on neonicotinoid seed treatments, there has been a 10% drop in the oilseeds area since 2013 and a rise in farmers costs and a cut in their incomes as no alternative products exists.
British egg industry leaders are looking into official Government figures that apparently give the false impression that production of egg products in the UK has fallen by nearly a third over the last nine months.

The figures, which have been released by Defra, suggest that production was down by more than 32 per cent over the first free quarters of 2017 compared with the same period last year. But the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) says the figures are simply wrong.

"What they appear to have done is compare the first three quarters of this year with the whole of last year," said Mark Williams, BEIC chief executive. "We are looking into the figures. The 32 per cent figure is clearly wrong."

The Defra release shows that a total of 67,938 tonnes of products were produced by UK producers from January to September this year. Over the first three quarters of 2016, the total was 75,386 tonnes. The difference was 7,448 tonnes - a fall of 9.8 per cent year-on-year.

However, Defra puts the reduction at 32.4 per cent. The only way to achieve this result would be to include the figure for the final quarter in 2016.

'Like-with-like'

"They have not compared like with like," said Mr Williams. "They have compared three quarters of this year with the whole of last year. But we are not sure that the nine per cent figure is right either.

"It could be that a return has gone missing somewhere but we are looking into it to find out exactly what has happened," he said.

The release of the figures comes at a time when British egg processors have been pressing UK companies to switch from sourcing imported egg product.

They renewed their call to buy British product in the wake of the recent fipronil scandal when some imported products may have been contaminated with the banned chemical. Tests on UK farms showed that the British layer flock was clear of fipronil.

Ian Jones, chairman of British Lion Egg Processors, said after the fipronil scandal arose: This is just the latest of a number of food safety issues connected to eggs produced outside of the UK in recent years.

"Consumers clearly want retailers, caterers and food manufacturers to use good quality British ingredients that are produced to high standards of food safety, but in some prepared foods this is not the case."

Sourced from overseas

Whilst major supermarkets promoted the fact that they sourced their shell eggs from British producers, food withdrawals by some supermarkets following the fipronil scandal showed that many eggs for processing were sourced from overseas.

Ian Jones accused the retailers of operating double standards. The major retailers are operating to double standards when it comes to eggs. All of them stock British Lion shell eggs but they use imported eggs in many of their other foods containing eggs."

He said: As we approach Brexit, shoppers are growing increasingly concerned about the ingredients used in manufactured food and now more than ever want and deserve transparency on food packaging.

The egg industry believes that this is a great opportunity for retailers to listen to the concerns of their customers and reassure them by specifying the use of British eggs and using the Made with British Lion eggs logo on packs.

Increased demand

Last month Bumble Hole Foods managing director Barry Jackson told FarmingUK there was increased demand for UK egg product.

"The demand for UK, home produced is up," he said. "There is a real focus on British - where they are going to get egg from."

However, he warned that the UK egg industry had to be careful about pushing too much too quickly. "There is a danger," he said.

"Lion has to be careful because it could end up creating a demand for something that just isn't there." He said the UK currently did not have enough egg available to meet the whole needs of the UK processing sector.

The Defra statistics could add to such concerns, suggesting that production is down by a third. However, as the BEIC has pointed out, the figures are wrong.

Egg figures

The egg product figures form part of the latest quarterly egg statistics released by Defra. They show that 7.6 million cases of eggs were packed in UK egg packing stations during the third quarter of 2017.

This was a 4.8 per cent increase on the third quarter in 2016. The total included 3.7 million cases of free range eggs - an increase of just over 10 per cent on the 3.3 million cases packed in the same period last year.

Barn egg supplies halved year-on-year, from 166,000 cases to 84,000 cases. Organic numbers were up slightly from 183,000 cases in the third quarter of 2016 to 187,000 cases in the same period this year.

The Defra release also included import and export figures for August this year. Mark Williams said that BEIC would also be looking into the detail of these figures, which indicated a 100 per cent increase in shell egg imports year-on-year and an 11 per cent fall in exports. The release showed both imports and exports of shell products down year-on-year - imports by 10 per cent and exports by 17 per cent.

Mark Williams said it would probably have been too early for the product trade figures to have been impacted by the fipronil crisis. There is, however, the possibility that the fall in the value of Sterling may have affected trade.

At the annual conference of the British Free Range Egg Producers Association in October Dale Burnett, chief executive of Noble Foods, said that imports of liquid egg had started to dry up because it was more expensive to bring product into the UK.
A new land capability mapping system for Wales has been launched, and is the first major update since the original maps were produced in the early 1970s.

The Predictive Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) Map allows land users, planners and Government to make informed choices about how agricultural land is used in Wales.

The map, launched by Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths, identifies the potential versatility of land to support a range of cropping choices.

The Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) has welcomed the launch. Speaking at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair, FUW President Glyn Roberts said: The release of this new ALC map marks a major step forward, and the Welsh Government should be commended for undertaking an initiative which we understand is a first in the UK.

The ALC system classifies land into one of five grades, with the grade based on a range of properties and the overall grade assigned based on the poorest feature.

However, the interactive map also allows users to view other predictive information, including ALC grades by individual limitation according to: climate, soil depth, droughtiness, rock outcrops, wind exposure, top soil stone, gradient, workability & wetness, and surveyor experience.

This makes it possible to see why land is graded in a certain way, while identifying both the positive and negative attributes of the land.

As with all data, there will be some glitches and inaccuracies due to lower resolution datasets, but this marks a step change compared with what has been available to date, said Mr Roberts.
Dairy giant Muller has announced a January 2018 milk price decrease by 1.5p per litre to 29p.

The decline in price to its 700 Muller Direct suppliers comes amid a drop in the value of cream and butter in the UK over the last three months.

The decline will come as a blow to dairy farmers, who have seen increases in recent months.

Rob Hutchinson, Muller Agriculture director said: Substantial movement in butter and cream values is now a familiar characteristic of global dairy commodity markets.

Whilst we are disappointed to see this sharp decline, the extensive portfolio of added value dairy products we make in the UK will shield farmers from the full volatility of global dairy commodity markets.

We will continue to offer a stable and competitive milk price at each point in the market cycle.

In addition Muller Direct dairy farmers have access to innovative tools and support including the Muller Futures Contract and Muller Farm Insights, which provides consultancy to help improve farm resilience.
Twenty-one pigs have been stolen from a farm in North Yorkshire, with each pig worth between 46-68 each.

North Yorkshire Police have now launched an investigation after they received a report of the theft from the farm in Odgoodby, in Thirsk.

The pigs are valued at between 46 to 68 each. They are believed to have been taken from sheds at the property some time between September 4 and November 9, say police.

Attacks on livestock in the UK is becoming 'more and more of a problem' as rural police stations face closure, according to a report.

The cost of rural crime in the UK reached 42.5m in 2015 and farming unions across the UK have asked the government to increase funding to help fight the rise in incidents.

More than 1,000 rural police stations in the UK closed between 2000 and 2012, directly impacting the level of surveillance.

The NFU has previously warned that farmers should not be seen as a 'soft target' for criminals.

It said that the result is an increasing fear of crime in rural areas and significantly lower satisfaction levels in the police than the national average.

It is thought that many stolen livestock are destined for the illegal meat trade.

Anyone who has any information which could assist the investigation is asked to contact North Yorkshire police on 101, select option 1 and pass the information to the Force Control Room, quoting reference number 12170210966.
Neetu Wants A Perfect Girl For His Son

As per a report in Pinkvilla, Neetu has been looking up girls in London and has made Ranbir meet them.

From Past Two Years

A source told, ''She has been looking for the perfect bride for her son for the past two years and has been convincing Ranbir to tie the knot.''

They Took A Trip To London Recently

Ranbir and Neetu were in London to meet a girl for Ranbir's marriage.

The Girl Is From A Business Family

The girl they met is from a business family in London and the meeting was fixed by one of Neetu's close friends.

Neetu Does Not Want Ranbir To Marry A Girl From Bollywood

Ranbir is keen to settle down now and Neetu has made no bones about the fact that she would like to choose the girl who is not from Bollywood for her son.

She Never Liked Deepika & Katrina

She never approved of his earlier girlfriends Deepika Padukone or Katrina Kaif. Both, Ranbir and Neetu, met the girl and her family and liked them.

Waiting For The Final Approval

Now, it remains to be seen whether things will get finalised from here.

Unfortunately

Soon after this, Ranbir's photos from New York with Mahira Khan were leaked.

When Ranbir Was Asked About His Arranged Marriage

"When I do get married, why will I hide it? There is no such thing of an arranged marriage. I will marry the woman I am in love with. It is as simple as that."
By PTI: Chandigarh, Nov 30 (PTI) The Punjab government today said that it had decided to hand over seven cases to the NIA keeping in mind the possible "national and international ramifications" of a conspiracy behind the targeted killings in the state.

It was decided to transfer the cases to the NIA under Section 6 of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act, 2008, as the modus operandi in all of these cases was the same, an official spokesman said.

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It was also found that inter-state as well as international perpetrators, handlers, actors and a militancy angle were involved in the criminal conspiracy, to disturb the peace and communal harmony in the border state, by selectively targeting leaders of certain groups, he said.

The decision to transfer the cases was taken after a NIA team, led by the agencys director, Y C Modi, held discussions with officials of the Punjab Police on Monday, the spokesman said, adding that it was felt that the central probe agency was better equipped to undertake further investigations in this regard.

They both agreed that the probe needed to be more broad- based as the handlers, conspirators and financers in the targeted killing cases operated from countries such as the UK, Canada and Italy, he said.

Following the decision, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh directed the police to hand over all the materials related to the cases to the NIA.

The police had recently arrested five persons, including UK citizen Jagtar Singh Johal, in connection with the targeted killings of leaders of the RSS, Shiv Sena and other outfits in the state between January 2016 and October 2017, the spokesman said.

The chief minister has directed that complete support be extended to the NIA to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy to disturb Punjabs peace and harmony.

The spokesman said the move was aimed at ensuring that the foreign-based networks conspiring against Punjab were dismantled and action was taken against the foreign handlers (both organisations and individuals) through cooperation with the Ministry of External Affairs, Interpol, Europol and foreign governments.

It was vital to crack down on such elements that were carrying out murder and mayhem, and reviving terrorism in Punjab, he said.

The decision, it was felt, would also help dispel false, slanderous and orchestrated social media campaigns launched by interested governments, organisations and elements to raise funds, and to deter the police and prosecuting agencies from doing their duty, the spokesman said.

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The seven cases being handed over to the NIA include the April 2016 Khanna killing of Durga Das Gupta, the president of labour service wing, Shiv Sena, Punjab; the January 2017 killing of Amit Sharma, Zila Pracharak Hindu Takht in Ludhiana; the February 2017 killing of Dera Sacha Sauda followers Satpal Kumar and his son Ramesh Kumar in Khanna; and the July 2017 Ludhiana killing of Christian Pastor Sultan Masih.

Other cases to be handed over to NIA include January 2016 firing on a RSS Shakha at Kidwai Nagar and February 2016 firing on Amit Arora, Local Hindu Leader. The incidents took place in Ludhiana.

The RSS leader Ravinder Gosain killing case has already been handed over to the NIA. Gosain was killed in Ludhiana on October 17.

The government has proposed that the murder case of RSS leader Jagdish Gagneja, which is being probed by the CBI, be also transferred to the NIA. Gagneja was killed in Jalandhar in August 2016. PTI CHS ANB

--- ENDS ---
Popular mimicry artiste-turned-actor Abi(54), who has acted a good number of Malayalam movies, passed away this morning in Kochi. Reportedly, the actor was suffering from a blood related disease.

Abi, was the superstar of the mimicry field and he was one among the pioneers who made mimicry much popular in Kerala. Young actor Shane Nigam is the son of Abi.

Abi shot to fame with his on stage performances. His portrayal of 'Aamina Thaatha' in many stages and audio casettes, earned him a huge fan base. Later, he went on to portray the same character in a film Kirredamillatha Rajakkanamar, directed by Kalabhavan Ansar.

Abi is the only Malayalam mimicry artist, who could imitate Amitabh Bachchan to perfection, which later landed him with the opportunity to dub for Amitabh Bachchan in Malayalam advertisements.

Abi has worked with some of the reputed mimcry troupes like Kalabhavan, Harisree and Kochi Sagar. Dileep-Nadirsha-Abi team was a superhit combo of the 90s. Later, he ventured in to films and appeared in above 50 movies. Sainyam, Mazhavil Koodaram, Mimics Action 500, Aniyathipravu etc., were the prominent movies of the actor.

Most recently, he was seen in the film Thrissivaperoor Kliptham, which had hit the theatres in the month of August, this year. Abi is survived by wife Sunila and children Shane Nigam, Ahaana and Aleena.
TV Actresses React To Hinas Comment

This didn't go well with many television actors, Gauhar Khan, Kishwer Merchant, Kamya Punjabi, Anita Hassanandani and Vikas Kalantri took to social media to lash out at Hina.

Geeta Phogat Supports Hina Khan

Geeta Phogat shared the complete video (from which the fan had made the video and people misunderstood) and wrote, "See this and then tweet about @eyehinakhan ....Ye haters ka kaam hai...normal baat thi... lekin kaha se kaha leke gaye ye topic ko ."

Sana Khan Ask Why Is Everyone Lashing Out At Hina Khan?

A few days ago, Sana Khan too, took to social media and wrote, "Y is everyone only lashing out on Hina inside out?Well I guess others r behaving the same at times worst ! Tom opp team looks worst though"

Hina Khans Fan-made Video

Hina's fan-made video didn't have the complete detail and had only negative points that Hina said. Hina had apparently pointed out at Gauhar's Facebook followers. Also, Hina was seen discussing about other the actresses and their complexion, even Vikas Gupta was involved!

Hina Khan

Of course! Hina shouldn't have made those comments (although it was her opinion) on the show. She should know that she is being watched by everyone and those comments might not go well with others!

Rocky Supports Hina

Meanwhile, Hina's alleged boyfriend, Rocky is seen supporting her, no matter what! In an interview to Tellychakkar, he said that Hina is playing well on the show!

Hina Is Natural & Real!

He said, "She's playing great! Within the boundaries of decency and grace, she is playing quite well. Obviously, there were some mistakes and bumps down the road but that's absolutely natural, it proves that she is real."

Rocky Feels Hina Is Criticised Because

Rocky was quoted by Tellychakkar as saying, "A portion of social media is criticising everything including the good things that Hina is doing. This is happening since it is mostly motivated and is a result of online campaigning and PR."

Why Is The Whole Industry Going Against Her?

When asked if he thinks the whole industry is going against her, he said, "These are a handful of people; they don't represent the entire industry. Most of them belong to Vikas' lobby and that's the reason they are opposing Hina."

Rocky Adds

"There have been so many instances where other celebs have supported her. Moreover, there are a few of Vikas' friends who supported Hina and we appreciate it."

Celebs Lashing Out At Hina Are Vikas Chameleon Friends!

"The same handful of flag bearers was doing the same for Shilpa initially when she was being nasty towards Vikas. It is just like they are his chameleon friends. They change colour to back his (Vikas) new best friend (Arshi) and bash Hina. It's pretty obvious and lame."
A CIMICgroup company, Leighton Asia, with its joint venture partner, has been selected to construct the $390 million Terminal 2 structural works at Hong Kong International Airport.Revenue to Leighton Asia, part of CIMICs construction company CPB Contractors, is approximately $273 million, reflecting its 70 per cent stake in the joint venture with Chun Wo Construction and Engineering Company.Construction is scheduled to commence in late 2017 and is expected to be completed by December 2021.CIMIC was selected this year to deliver the $278 million Terminal 1 expansion for the Airport Authority Hong Kong.The company said the contract reflects the continued strong working relationship with the Airport Authority Hong Kong.Shares in CIMICare trading 0.54 per cent lower to $51.81.
Rahul Gandhi today asked Modi, why every Gujarati is being punished with a debt of Rs 37,000 on her shoulders?

By India Today Web Desk: Continuing with his a-question-a-day strategy in the run-up to the high-stakes Gujarat Assembly election, Rahul Gandhi today asked why every Gujarati is being punished with a debt of Rs 37,000 on her shoulders.

The daily posers to Modi, serialised in Hindi as "22 saalon ka hisaab, Gujarat maange jawaab (Gujarat demands answers for 22 years of rule)" on Twitter, today said, "In 1995, Gujarat had a debt of Rs 9,183 crores. In 2017, it is Rs 2,41,000 crore. This means every Gujarati has a debt of Rs 37,000. Why should the people of Gujarat pay for your financial mismanagement and publicity?"

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The BJP has been ruling Gujarat since 1995. After 22 long years, the Congress is banking on anti-incumbency and the slump in economy to make a comeback in the state.

On Wednesday, Rahul's first question to Modi was: "In 2012, promises were made to provide 50 lakh new houses but built 4.72 lakh in five years. Will the Prime Minister tell, whether it will take another 45 years to fulfil the promise?"

As the battle for Gujarat reaches its last leg, attacks and counter-attacks have become more intense and vicious. On Wednesday, Rahul took a swipe at Modi over his emotional exhortations, calling him an "excellent actor better than Amitabh Bachchan".

"Narnedra Modi is a 'zabardast' (excellent) actor, even better than Amitabh Bachchan. Generally, an actor has to put contact lens when he has to weep...His eyes burns and tears roll down. But Narendra Modiji does not need any contact lens for tears to roll down his eyes," Gandhi told a rally at Savarkundla.

Later in the day, the BJP alleged that the Congress vice-president had entered his name as a 'non-Hindu' when he visited the famous Somnath temple. The Congress hit back, calling it a diversion from real issues.

Gujarat votes in two phases on December 9 and 14 for the 182-member Assembly. The results will be out on December 18.

ALSO WATCH | Rahul 2.0: BJP-Congress dogfight over his image makeover

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Mumbai, Nov 30 (PTI) Anil Ambani-led RCom today claimed that a majority of its lenders are opposing China Development Banks (CDB) decision to initiate insolvency proceedings against the embattled telco thats saddled with over Rs 45,000 crore of debt that has turned dud.

"At a committee of creditors meeting on November 29, a majority of them, both foreign and domestic, aggregating to 31, decided to oppose CDBs insolvency petition against RCom before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)," Reliance Communications claimed in a statement.

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The lenders will be opposing the petition by CDB, to which RCom owes USD 1.78 billion, at the admission stage itself and have decided to appoint J Sagar Associates as their legal counsel, the statement claimed further.

State Bank leads the consortium of domestic lenders to RCom. None of the bankers were available for comments.

The amount of provisions or the money to be set aside against receivables, shoots up massively once the insolvency proceedings begin in case of a defaulting company.

RCom is currently undergoing strategic debt restructuring, which entails bankers taking majority control of the company, and has time till December next year for sorting out the debt-related difficulties.

Late last month, after the collapse of multiple deals including the merger with Aircel which would have reduced its overall debt, it had presented a detailed plan to restructure its debt which is over Rs 45,000 crore, including converting Rs 7,000 crore of debt into equity by the banks to get a majority stake in the beleaguered telco.

RCom had on October 30 claimed under this plan, there would be zero write-off for the lenders used to taking haircuts in stressed assets and that this would make the company a sustainable and profitable.

The CDB had dragged RCom to the NCLT earlier this week seeking insolvency proceedings.

This is not the first time that someone has dragged RCom to the NCLT.

Mobile telephony equipment maker Ericsson had moved to recover dues of over Rs 1,100 crore, Manipal Technologies had approached the tribunal to recover Rs 2.74 crore (RCom claimed that this petition was not accepted) while software maker Tech Mahindra opted for an out of court settlement after approaching the tribunal to recover Rs 8.2 crore in dues.

All this led to the company calling of the merger with Aricel last month which if gone through would have given the embattled telco a much-needed succour.

Following severe cash-crunch, which led to poor service quality, the company had also discontinuation its 2G services. PTI AA BEN BEN

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Microsoft Edge for Android may soon be released for all users News oi -Chandrika Microsoft has put into a lot of hard work for making the Edge more stable and feature-rich.

Microsoft Edge for both Android and iOS receive software updates on a regular basis. Now, it seems like the browser will be finally released for all users.

We say this as the Android version of Microsoft Edge is not listed as a beta in Google Play Store anymore. While the application still has the Preview tag attached to it, this could mean the Microsoft is almost done working on the testing stage and could be rolling out the stable version of the Microsoft Edge in the Play Store shortly. That being said, the company is yet to officially anything on this matter.

In any case, it is pretty apparent, Microsoft has put into a lot of hard work for making the application more stable and feature-rich. Talking about the latest update, it brought a Dark Theme to the Microsoft Edge. Besides that, the browser now also has new password syncing features, which would prove useful for people using Edge on other platforms, for example, on a Windows 10 desktop.

So no matter which device or how many devices you use, with the help of cloud, you will easily authenticate in Microsoft Edge on your favorite websites.

The Microsoft Edge also offers a slew of other features such as Continue on PC. As suggested by the name, with this tool mobile users can continue a browsing session on a Windows 10 PC.

It allows for a certain website to be quickly submitted to the desktop so that users can start browsing from exactly the point they left off. One thing to keep in mind is that the system must run the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, or else it wouldn't work out.

Since the Edge has not been made available for download yet, you can try out the latest version by downloading the APK file of the browser. If you are not so sure, read the official Microsoft Edge preview site for instructions on how to give the browser a try.

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Huawei Nova 2s leaked; full-screen design, 6GB RAM, quad cameras in tow News oi -Chandrika We expect to see the unveiling of Huawei Nova 2s some time in December.

Huawei is a company that keeps on bringing new smartphones to the market. One such smartphone that has already appeared in a few leaks is the Huawei Nova 2s. Last week, it received the TENAA certification hinting the handset could get launched soon. Now, the Chinese publication anzhuo.cn has posted a couple of images of the alleged Nova 2s.

The first thing we noticed is that the smartphone looks quite similar to the newly launched Honor V10. It has the same full-screen design with minimal bezels around the display. While the smartphone features a physical home button, the bottom bezel is really narrow. Even the top bezel is just thick enough to hold the earpiece and the front cameras. Yes, the Huawei Nova 2s appears to have two selfie cameras.

The rear part of the smartphone shows a dual camera setup as well. The camera sensors are placed separately side by side. They are also accompanied by a flashlight. If you go a bit south, there is the Huawei branding.

Besides this, the key specifications of the Huawei Nova 2S are also revealed through one of the leaked shots. According to the listing, the smartphone will arrive with a large 6-inch display. The listing further shows that the device is equipped with last year's flagship Kirin 960 chipset coupled with 6GB of RAM.

The rear dual camera system seems to be a combination of a 20MP sensor and a 16MP sensor. Both the cameras have an aperture size of f/1.8. For the front cameras, Huawei has used two 20MP sensors.

Other features on board include Android Oreo-based EMUI 8.0 UI, facial recognition, built-in Hi-Fi chip and NFC for contact-less payment.

Well, from the looks of it, the Huawei Nova 2 is a pretty impressive smartphone. That being said, we are not sure how authentic this leak is. So you are recommended to take the information with a grain of salt. As far as the launch timeline is concerned, we expect to see the unveiling of the smartphone some time in December.

Via

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Apple counter sues Qualcomm for patent infringement; the legal battle continues News oi -Chandrika Looks like the legal dispute between Apple and Qualcomm is far from getting over.

Looks like the legal dispute between Apple and Qualcomm is far from getting over. In a recent development, the iPhone maker has filed a countersuit against Qualcomm, alleging that Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipsets infringe on Apple's patents. The case was filed on Wednesday at the US District Court in San Diego.

Apple accused Qualcomm of violating at least eight battery life patents that Apple owns. Apple's patents describe how a phone's processor can draw only the minimum power needed by turning off parts of the processor when they are not required. In its filing, Apple alleges that Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 and Snapdragon 820 chipsets infringe on those patents.

"Apple began seeking those patents years before Qualcomm began seeking the patents it asserts against Apple in this case," stated the complaint filed by Apple. The Cupertino-giant also added that it is seeking unspecified damages from Qualcomm.

Back in July, Qualcomm had also accused Apple of infringing several patents related to improving the battery life of mobile phones. Naturally, Apple had denied the claims saying that it didn't violate Qualcomm's battery life patents. The company further stated that Qualcomm's patents were invalid.

Well, the long-going legal war between two of the biggest companies in the tech industry has now taken an interesting turn. We are yet to see how Qualcomm plans to defend itself against the allegations made by Apple.

In any case, time is not favoring the California-based chipset makers. Currently, Qualcomm is facing another lawsuit from the US Federal Trade Commission over many of the same pricing practices Apple names in its complaints.

Source: Reuters

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By PTI: (Eds: Recasting overnight story)

New Delhi, Nov 29 (PTI) Singapore has expressed its reservation over the proposed quadrilateral coalition of India, the US, Japan and Australia, with the countrys defence minister saying it is not useful to cast one bloc against another.

In an address at a think tank here, Singapores defence minster Ng Eng Hen pitched for an "inclusive regional security architecture" to ensure peace and stability in the region.

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He said Singapore was open to multilateral exercises in the Indian Ocean region.

Delving into regional security issues, he sounded critical of the proposed quadrilateral coalition, saying it is not useful to cast one bloc against another.

He said "polarising defence and trade" would not be helpful for the region and called for crafting a "stable system" wherein all small and large states have ways and means to resolve disputes through peaceful means.

He also called India a "regional power" in the Indo- Pacific region and said the country was a "natural partner" of all countries in Southeast Asia.

"We are trying to craft a system under which we can ensure peace and progress for everyone," Ng said.

In an apparent reference to Chinas growing assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea, he said freedom of navigation and over flight must be respected.

Ngs remarks yesterday came a day before his talks with Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman.

Widening the security cooperation under the proposed quadrilateral coalition, officials of India, the US, Japan and Australia had held extensive talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Manila earlier this month, for pursuing common interests in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region where China has been aggressively expanding its military presence.

Singapore is a key member-country of the 10-nation ASEAN grouping with which India has been intensifying its defence and security ties.

The move to set up the quadrilateral comes in the backdrop of growing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea. The US has been favouring a larger role for India in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region.

Ng, in his address, also complimented Indias Act East policy, saying it is making an impact.

He paid rich tributes to Jawaharlal Nehru, saying his country was inspired by the first prime minister of India. PTI MPB NSD ASK ASK

--- ENDS ---
Canadian Man's Guilty Plea In Yahoo Hack Offers More Glimpses Of Russian Spy Case

Mike Eckel, Tom Balmforth November 29, 2017

WASHINGTON -- A Canadian man has pleaded guilty to his role in the 2014 hack of Yahoo's e-mail servers, the latest development in a mysterious investigation that has ensnared officers of Russia's main security agency.

Karim Baratov's plea, on November 28 in U.S. federal court in San Francisco, raises the possibility that he will cooperate with U.S. investigators probing not only the Yahoo hack but the role of Russian intelligence agencies in hacking U.S. political party computers during last year's presidential election.

Baratov, who was born in Kazakhstan and immigrated to Canada, was one of four people indicted by U.S. grand jury in February for the 2013 hack, which is one of the largest security breaches at an Internet company ever.

Two others named in the indictment were officers with the Center for Information Security, the main cyberdivision of the Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia's main intelligence and security agency. One was identified as Dmitry Dokuchaev, a deputy chief at the center who, three months earlier, had been arrested in Moscow and charged with high treason.

U.S. prosecutors said Baratov hacked into e-mail accounts of individuals of interest to the FSB and then sent passwords to those accounts to Dokuchaev in exchange for money. As part of his plea deal, prosecutors said, Baratov admitted to working for the FSB, as well as other "customers" looking for hacked e-mail accounts.

Russian officials accused Dokuchaev and his superior, Sergei Mikhailov, of passing classified information to Western intelligence agencies. At least three others are also facing treason and other serious charges, including a former Interior Ministry cybercrime investigator who later worked for Kaspersky Lab, the famed Moscow-based IT company. The head of the center was later reportedly pushed into early retirement.

'Systematic Hacking Effort'

Experts who have followed the case closely say the treason allegations are obscuring a more complicated, and potentially more consequential, series of events stretching back several years, as well obscuring hard evidence that Russian intelligence agencies oversaw a systematic hacking effort aimed at U.S. political parties, government agencies, and other politically influential figures.

The FSB cyberunit and U.S. law enforcement cooperated for many years in investigating international cybercrimes, such as hacking, stolen credit card information, bitcoin theft, child pornography and other crimes.

One of the other Russians indicted in the Yahoo hack was Aleksei Belan, who was wanted for major cybercrimes by the FBI for years. Last December, Belan, who is believed to be in Russia but is not known to be under arrest, was named by the U.S. Treasury Department as one of several individuals and entities involved in hacking the computers of the U.S. Democratic Party and other political organizations.

Since the arrests, the treason case has been shrouded in secrecy with only cryptic anonymous leaks being published in some Russian media.

'Case Of The Century'

Ivan Pavlov, a defense lawyer for one of the Russians charged in the case, told RFE/RL in an interview that his client, whom he requested not be named, had been arrested on the same day as the FSB officers, and was a private citizen.

He said it was unclear when any of the cases might actually go to trial, and he suggested that Russian authorities may not be seeking prosecution, but rather to prevent the release of information that could embarrass or undermine Russian intelligence agencies.

"We believe that the charges that are formulated first of all cannot be understood, and they cannot be understood for the simple reason that it is just a pretext: a piece of paper in order to hold them in isolation," he said.

"I will tell you right away: this is an extraordinary case. Perhaps this is case of the century," Pavlov said.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/yahoo-hack-baratov- russian-spy-case/28886759.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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U.S. Department of Defense

Press Operations

News Transcript

Presenter: General John W. Nicholson Jr., commander, Resolute Support and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan November 28, 2017

Department of Defense Press Briefing by General Nicholson via teleconference from Kabul, Afghanistan

STAFF: Good morning, everyone.

Today, we're joined by U.S. Army Gen. John Nicholson. Gen. Nicholson is the commander of Resolute Support and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, and joins us from Kabul, Afghanistan.

We'll start with a quick radio check. Sir, how do you hear us?

GENERAL JOHN W. NICHOLSON: I got you loud and clear, Mike. Thanks. How me?

STAFF: Sir, we're hearing you great. Please take it away.

GEN. NICHOLSON: Hey, good morning. It's good to be with you all again.

Last week when we met, we talked about the strikes that we prosecuted against the Taliban's economic engine in Helmand. That engine's fueled by narcotics.

In just over three days' worth of operations, the Afghan 215th Corps, their Special Forces commandos, their air force, in close cooperation with U.S. forces, removed between $7 million and $10 million of revenue from the Taliban's pocketbook. And the overall cost to the drug trafficking organizations approached $48 million dollars. So these strikes were just the first step in attacking the Taliban's financial engine, and they will continue.

Now shifting to the subject for today -- is the South Asia strategy, looking at 2017 and ahead to 2018, these strikes that we did last week were just one small part of a larger strategy that President Trump announced in August, the South Asia strategy, that granted us authorities to conduct the strikes I just spoke about.

However, it's much more comprehensive than that. It is a regional strategy in which Afghanistan figures prominently.

The key things to take away from the strategy that I'd like to cover would be, number one, we are now conditions-based, not time-based. We will be here until the job is done.

The U.S. approach aligns with the NATO approach.

And, as I said last time, war is a contest of wills. The president has left no doubt in terms of our will to win.

The goal of this strategy is reconciliation, a negotiated settlement which lowers the level of violence. We achieve this by applying three forms of pressure on the enemy: first, military pressure, through offensive operations and stronger security institutions; second, diplomatic and other forms of pressure on the enablers of the Taliban and the Haqqani Network; three, social pressure, in the form of elections over the next two years, which, if done credibly, will further enhance the legitimacy of the government in the eyes of the people.

So, as I said before, there's a regional dimension to the strategy, to limit interference and seek cooperation with Afghanistan's neighbors. We have to realign resources and to execute this strategy well across the whole of the U.S. government and, of course, the coalition, if we are to succeed.

I'd point out that the military effort is necessary but, by itself, not sufficient for success. We must work together with all of the parts of the U.S. government and the coalition in order to be successful.

It has been just under a hundred days since the announcement, and we can see the impacts already, especially in terms of our adversaries' reactions.

So we saw two changes to the enemy's strategy over the last year. As you know from 2016, they started off trying to seize provincial capitals. They suffered heavily when they did so, so they therefore shifted their strategy in 2017 from attempting to seize capitals to a district-focused strategy.

And then by August, with the losses that they suffered with that approach and the announcement of the U.S. policy in September, we saw another enemy shift to a guerrilla-style of warfare, with hit-and-run attacks, suicide attacks, et cetera. Each of these shifts represented to us a lowering of ambition by the enemy.

Now, reconciliation will take some time. We'll have to continue to apply the three types of pressure, engage within the region and leverage all of the instruments available to meet our goals.

In the face of this pressure, the Taliban cannot win. Their choices are to reconcile, live in irrelevance, or die.

Let me shift now to a little context for 2017.

First, the Taliban is not a popular insurgency. The Afghan people outright reject them. Up to 90 percent believe that a return to Taliban rule would be bad for the country.

And notice that I didn't use the word "govern." The Taliban do not govern, they rule through force. They impose their rule on the people. And, increasingly, they are primarily interested in making money. And they are making more money than they need to operate.

So we believe that the Taliban, in some ways, have evolved into a criminal or narco-insurgency. They are fighting to defend their revenue streams. They have increasingly lost whatever ideological anchor they once had.

They fight to preserve and expand their sources of revenue. This includes narcotics trafficking, illegal mining, taxing people throughout Afghanistan, kidnapping and murder-for-hire: all criminal endeavors.

Now, population control remains roughly the same as last year. About 64 percent of the population is controlled by the government, about 24 percent live in contested areas, and the Taliban control the remaining 12 percent.

But it's worth bearing in mind that Afghanistan has never had a strong central government. The absence of government control doesn't equal Taliban control. It is not a zero-sum equation.

So why did things stay roughly the same through August of this year?

Well, we fought most of this year, through Aug. 21, at the lowest level of U.S. force and capability, and, therefore, the highest level of risk, in our 16-year war in Afghanistan.

Yet, in spite of that, the Taliban strategy was not successful. It was essentially defeated by the Afghans.

After suffering heavy casualties from attempting to take provincial capitals, the Taliban shifted, as I mentioned, to districts. And then they shifted, again, to guerrilla-style warfare: suicide attacks, hit-and-run, designed to maintain relevance and to inflict casualties, but not to gain and hold new terrain.

So we're seeing the nature of the Taliban's efforts changing across the board. I mentioned a steady decline in the level of ambition. Meanwhile, the Afghan Security Forces have become more capable this year.

I want to reiterate something that President Ghani often says: The Afghans own the fight, and are proud to. They are willing to fight and die for their future, their country, their families. And in so doing, they're not only fighting on behalf of themselves, but they are fighting against the terrorists who have threatened our homeland and the homelands of our allies as well.

So the Afghan Security Forces went on the offensive this year. This was a result of leadership changes that President Ghani made in May, when he changed out five of six corps commanders, as well as a new chief of general staff and a new minister of defense.

These new leaders led offensive operations, and many times throughout the year we held offensive operations in all six corps areas. Absolutely new in the last three years; never happened before.

These changes in leadership, strengthened and supported by the renewed international will and the U.S. policy announcement, have shifted the momentum in their favor.

So did airpower. And thus far in 2017, the U.S. has tripled the amount of air-delivered munitions that we've employed.

As assets free up from Iraq and Syria and the successful fight against Daesh in that theater, we expect to see more assets come to Afghanistan.

So on that subject, I want to take a moment to address the issue of civilian casualties.

First, I'd say, we go to extraordinary lengths to avoid civilian causalities. We have a rigorous process in place to investigate any allegation, from unit plans to aircraft gun tapes, to any interviews, even things that appear in the media. We investigate thoroughly every single allegation.

Now, there were allegations of increased CIVCAS by aerial fires produced by UNAMA this year. We have great respect for UNAMA, and we work closely with them, but we don't always agree on the figures. And in fact, we disagree on some of these numbers regarding aerial casualties.

An example of why we would disagree, for example, would be an allegation occurs in a particular place at a particular time, we go back and review and find that we did not drop a munition on that day in that location, for example. This might be one of the reasons that we would disagree.

But -- but increasing, of course, the Afghan's are building better accountability of every place and time that they drop a munition, and of course we have almost 100 percent accountability on the U.S. side every time we deliver an aerial munition. This would be one of the reasons why we would disagree on the numbers.

Keep in mind that the U.S. tripled its munitions, but the Afghan Air Force has also grown significantly in its capability to deliver fire since 2016. We are training their pilots. Their pilots are not only getting better at their missions, but also at their reporting. I've personally talked to many Afghan pilots who refuse to drop when they identify civilians on the objective.

If you look at airpower in relation to what's happening on the ground and with the enemy and the enemy's lack of respect for human life -- again even by the UNAMA account, 6 percent of CIVCAS were caused by aerial fires. The vast majority of the 8,000 allegations that UNAMA has of civilian causalities were caused by the Taliban, Daesh and other anti-government elements.

So the takeaway here is that the Afghans have significantly improved in 2017, again with all six of their corps on the offensive simultaneously and the stand-up of the new special operations corps as well; so in effect, seven corps on the offensive taking the fight to the enemy.

And within a few days from now, Afghan Special Forces, along with U.S. Special Forces, will take the fight to Faryab in the northwest part of Afghanistan and they will support the Afghan efforts -- the Afghan government's efforts there to destroy Daesh, where they have appeared in Jowzjan and Faryab. And of course we're committed to their destruction wherever they appear across the country.

Daesh has been unable to establish a caliphate in Afghanistan. This was their ambition two years ago. And we see no evidence of fighters making their way from Iraq and Syria to Afghanistan, because they know if they come here they will face death.

We've isolated them largely from their outside finance and support, and they're having trouble replacing their leaders.

Nevertheless, they do still recruit locally. These are primarily non-Afghans, some members of Islamic Movement Uzbekistan, and many former members of the Pakistani Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.

Since March, we've conducted about 1,400 ground tactical operations and strikes, removing over 1,600 Daesh from the battlefield and reducing over 600 of their structures, facilities, fighting positions, et cetera.

And again, it is Afghans who are leading the way in this fight against Daesh; Afghan commandos in particular.

Looking ahead to 2018, President Ghani is bringing about a generational change in the leadership of the security institutions. In keeping with its new inherent law, the Afghan government has notified over 2,150 colonels and generals from the Ministry of Defense that they will retire with dignity within the next year. The goal here is to shift the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior from the generation of the 1960s to the generation of the 1990s.

We're also working closely with the government to reconstitute the force over the winter, so they'll be ready for renewed offensive operations in the spring.

We have mechanisms in place in the U.S.-Afghan compact to assure transparency and accountability, and new fiscal tools that we can use to look inside of the personnel, pay and fuel systems of the Afghan government.

On Aug. 29th, we signed a memorandum of agreement with the Afghan government, which allows audits of the Ministry of Finance and the banking system to assure that U.S. taxpayer dollars are going to their intended purpose. That first audit is ongoing right now.

This is coupled with an effort where we are biometrically enrolling every soldier and policeman -- 10 fingerprints, two retinal scans and detailed family data -- to assure that we eliminate ghost soldiers from the rolls.

Now, this process is going to play out through April, so by the middle of next year we expect to have much, much better visibility on all ghost soldiers and the true strength of the forces. And then be able to follow the pay when it goes from the United States into the Ministry of Finance through the banking system down to an account that belongs to a biometrically identified soldier.

So this will be a first, and again we have President Ghani's strong reform agenda to thank for that.

Now, regarding the U.S.-Afghan compact, it is more than just a counter-corruption effort. It also provides milestones -- several hundred of them -- that will play out over the next several years to track the specific progress of the Afghan security institutions as they improve.

Thus far, out of a possible 172 milestones, the Afghans have accomplished 163 of them; a very good performance rate. And we continue to track these on a monthly basis, we review them with the president, and then the president reviews them with the leadership of our government.

This coming Saturday, the acting minister of defense, Minister Bahrami, will sign a child protection policy which will set clear procedures and hold those accountable who violate the rights of children.

This policy sets out procedures for monitoring, reporting and investing violations by any Ministry of Defense personnel. And additionally, we are implementing an enhanced reporting system to that end in USFOR-A. We have implemented a new reporting system, we're ensuring that all soldiers are trained, and every American soldier knows what's right and wrong, and they know that if they see a violation they are to report it. And we're providing them the training and the means with which to do just that.

The Afghan air force took delivery of its first four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters earlier this fall. They will eventually receive approximately 150 of them.

Six new UH-60 pilots graduated this week, so we now have Afghan trained pilots on the UH-60. Twenty-five more are in training right now.

We will graduate another 800 commandos by the end of December on top of the 900 we already graduated last month. This is part of the doubling of the Afghan National Army Commando Force, and that doubling of that force is what'll give them new offensive power. These are all under the new Afghan National Army Special Operations Corps that was stood up in August.

The Afghan commanders who make up that corps have never lost a battle against the Taliban and they never will. They are the most feared and respected force in Afghanistan today and they're the best special operations force in the region.

Now, looking ahead to 2018, as President Ghani said, he believes we have turned the corner and I agree. The momentum is now with the Afghan Security Forces and the Taliban cannot win in the face of the pressures that I outlined. Again, their choices are to reconcile, live in irrelevance, or die.

To the service members who have served in Afghanistan, and especially those who've been wounded and to the families of our fallen comrades, you have earned our eternal respect and gratitude. We will deliver on your sacrifice.

Over the next two years the Afghan Security Forces will expand their control of the population to 80 percent. They will do this through increased offensive action. And that offensive capability comes from doubling the size of the commandos, increasing the size and capability of the air force, and embedding U.S. advisers down to the kandak level and select units of the Afghan National Army. This is the force that takes the field over the next two years and expands control of the population.

These U.S. advisers, with the Afghan Special Forces will be able to bring U.S. combat enablers to bear in support of Afghan National Army units.

My final message is really to the Afghan people who have suffered so long and still bravely take up arms against terrorists who threaten the entire world. We are with you and we will stay with you.

With that, I'd like to take your questions.

STAFF: Tom Bowman, NPR?

Q: Do you have a little more details about the next fighting season in 2018. You're having hundreds of advisers, again 800 to 1,000 training now at Fort Benning. And I'm wondering, once they head over, what percentage of those will be down at the lowest level, the kandak level? And what will their mission be?

GEN. NICHOLSON: Right. Thanks for the question, Tom. And thanks for your coverage of this campaign.

They are part of the Army's first security force assistance brigade. The Army will produce six of these. These brigades are made up of volunteers who are then specially trained in a range of skills to provide combat advising at the tactical level. So they'll go down to the kandak level, the battalion level, which is really where we have operated successfully for the last couple of years with our special forces advisers.

So these advisers will operate in teams. So you'll have a team that would go to the kandak. We will move these teams to those units that are conducting offensive operations, and then those teams will be backed up by U.S. combat enablers, not only for the protection of our own force but for the support of the Afghans as well.

And so, this will enable us to help the Afghans with their offensive operations simultaneously in multiple corps.

And so, the intent is really over the winter, we'll maintain some limited offensive operations, but also focused on regeneration of the force. And then as we roll into the spring, March, April and beyond, they will go on the offensive.

So these offensive operations are designed to secure the portions of the population that are in contested areas primarily. Two purposes: one, expand control of the government over the population to increase the government's legitimacy and to protect the people; but also secondly, in advance of the elections, this will help for a more secure election, which should set the conditions for a more credible election. So when we have greater security around the polling places, we can have more observers at those polling places, which again can add to the legitimacy and credibility of the elections.

So, that's what's going to play out over the coming months, Tom.

Q: I'm wondering how many of these advisers will actually be down at the kandak level. Can you give us a percentage? Is it a hundred, a couple of hundred?

And from what you're saying, they'll be going outside the wire; they'll be on offensive operations. Which means they're at greater risk.

GEN. NICHOLSON: Yeah, as far as advisers, you know, they all might not be out at the same time. But we're talking about between the Afghan National Army conventional corps and the special forces, you're looking at well over a thousand advisers out at any given time, and then on top of that all the additional enabling capabilities that will be in support of them.

So, we're going to great lengths, of course, to assure their force protection. So this is done by all the ways that we would normally assure force protection, through the use of what we know as combat enablers. So, any time a U.S. soldier, Marine, sailor, airman sets foot on the battlefield, there is always a whole array of support behind them. This includes, you know, ISR assets, it includes command and control. It includes fire support, in the form of artillery, air attack aviation. Includes the logistical support, in the form of medevac.

So this is how we'll be recomposing the force over the winter, to enable us to do that, so that these advisers can be out there with the Afghans to enable those offensive operations that, again, will maintain a tempo that will -- that will enable them to start retaking the -- 80 percent of the country over the next two years.

Q: Advisers going outside the wire will clearly be at greater risk, because right now, most Americans are inside large bases.

GEN. NICHOLSON: Yes, there will be greater risk. Absolutely.

So -- but we've been doing this the last few years, as you're aware, Tom, with our special forces. So and then this year we have also been doing advising outside the wire around the county. So, we conducted this at the brigade level typically, because we weren't established, but this has been part of the NATO structure since last year. This billets have primarily been filled by Americans, but we have been doing this to some extent over the past year. Next year, however, this will increase dramatically over what we've done in the past year.

STAFF: (inaudible), Reuters.

Q: Unless we deal with Pakistan, the war in Afghanistan can't be won. Have you seen a change in Pakistan's support for militants since the new South Asia strategy? And if not, how do you get them to change, because whatever's been done in the past 16 years clearly doesn't seem to have worked.

GEN. NICHOLSON: Right. I got the question.

So, as you're aware, President Trump make some pretty straightforward statements during his speech. We've had a lot of senior-level engagement, Secretary of State, General Votel. We've had senior delegations from the State Department and National Security Council travel over there as well. They've all met with the Pakistani leadership.

Pakistani leadership has come to Kabul and met with President Ghani. They identified certain steps that they were going to take. We've not yet seen those steps play out.

This is very much a dialogue capital-to-capital right now. We'll have other senior-level visits coming up.

And then as far as the timeframe for actions on either side, I'll leave that to our senior leadership to discuss.

But we've been very direct and very clear with the Pakistanis. I know at the senior level, again, you can read President Trump's statements. So the expectations are out there.

Now, we have not seen those changes implemented yet. We're hoping to see those changes. We're hoping to work together with the Pakistanis going forward to eliminate terrorists who are -- who're crossing the Durand Line.

The Pakistanis have many concerns about the border from their side. We also share those concerns. And so, there are some common equities we have: obviously counterterrorism, border control, refugee returns. All these issues are on the table.

But in terms of changes thus far this year, again, policy was announced August 21st; it's now a hundred days later. So, no, we haven't seen those changes yet.

Q: Just to follow up, I remember in 2011 -- Mike Mullen who said the ISI -- or the Haqqani Network is a veritable arm of the ISI. It's now been six years; could you just talk about the ISI and its support for the Haqqani Network, and have you seen that change specifically over the past few months?

GEN. NICHOLSON: Well, to bookend that comment, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the secretary of defense were asked these questions on the Hill recently. I think they affirmed that those relationships still exist. So I'd leave it at that and I concur with their assessment.

Q: General, critics in Washington and within (Off mic) say your approach to defeating the Taliban and ISIS has been too cautious. How do you respond to those critics?

GEN. NICHOLSON: I'm sorry; I didn't hear the first part of your question. Can you say again, please?

Q: Critics in Washington and within the ranks say that your approach to defeating the Taliban and ISIS in Afghanistan has been too cautious. How you respond to those critics?

GEN. NICHOLSON: I haven't heard those criticisms. And I would say, as I said, the Taliban have three choices: reconcile, face irrelevance, or die. You can look at the numbers of munitions that we've dropped this year. I think that answers your question.

Q: How many air strikes that get put before you do you reject on a daily basis, generally?

GEN. NICHOLSON: Say again?

Q: What percentage of air strike plans that are put before you do you reject on a daily basis, generally?

GEN. NICHOLSON: Did you say, do we reject? Was that the question?

Q: What percent of air strikes do you approve on a daily basis, generally?

GEN. NICHOLSON: There's no percentage to attach to that.

We use munitions whenever they're necessary to defeat the Taliban, the ISIS or whomever we see on the battlefield in line with our authorities. So those authorities enable us to use U.S. combat enablers in support of the Afghans on the offensive operations.

As I said, six corps were on the offensive simultaneously this year. So we made extensive use of munitions in support of the Afghans.

In previous years, we've used aerial-delivered munitions to repulse the Taliban from cities, for example. So we make extensive use of air power and very seldom do we wave off an air strike, unless there were a risk of CIVCAS.

Q: Finally, with this new war on drugs using B-52 bombers, why did it take 16 years for this new strategy to go after Taliban drugs as going after their revenue streams? Why now?

GEN. NICHOLSON: This is not a war on drugs, this is a war on Taliban revenue. So, there's about 13 drug trafficking organizations in Afghanistan, seven of them connected to the Taliban in Helmand alone. And so, we are striking those specific organizations that are linked to the Taliban, Taliban cartels if you will, that now provide the majority of their revenue.

This is allowed under the authorities that I was granted under the new U.S. strategy. I could not do that previously.

Q: Back to my colleague's question on Pakistan, if the poppies and opium are going to Pakistan for refinement and processing to turn into heroin, why don't you conduct air strikes there against those facilities?

GEN. NICHOLSON: Of course, as you know, Afghanistan is producing about 85 percent of the world's opium that's transferred into heroin. A lot of that processing takes place in Afghanistan. There's plenty to strike inside Afghanistan.

About 40 percent of it does go out through Pakistan, about 30 percent through Iran, about 30 percent through the north. Our law enforcement agencies and Drug Enforcement Agency are trying to work closely with all those governments to restrict the flow and to cooperate with them on interdiction of these organizations.

I agree completely. We would want to have greater cooperation when it comes to interdicting these narcotics flows as they leave Afghanistan.

STAFF: Ryan Browne, CNN.

Q: Thank you, General, for doing this.

Just one quick one on -- well, just one quick one on the Taliban's leadership. Where do you currently assess the Taliban's leadership to be? Do you believe it to be in Afghanistan or Pakistan?

GEN. NICHOLSON: I think their tactical-level leadership is in Afghanistan in the field.

But there's a reason that the two leadership centers of the Taliban are called the Quetta Shura and the Peshawar Shura. Those are cities in Pakistan. So I'd say the senior leadership still resides in Pakistan.

Q: For Afghan special forces, I know part of the long-term plan is to double the size of the commandos and the -- and the other Special Forces groups. How is that going? Are you finding that there has to be any kind of sacrifice in quality to grow? Do you have the number of trainers you need from NATO to grow the Special Forces? And are they still doing over 80 percent of offensive operations?

GEN. NICHOLSON: Thank you.

The growth of the Special Forces is on track. We've graduated almost -- by the end of December it will be almost 2,000 additional commandos this year. We have a steady flow of new recruits.

Now, the demographics of Afghanistan, as you're probably aware, are very different from the demographics in the United States. 70 percent of the people are under the age of 27, so you have a lot of unemployed males who are intelligent, educated, fit, who are ready to join the Special Forces. So the recruiting pool is pretty significant.

There is an appeal to joining the Special Forces and the commandos. They're better trained, they've never been defeated, they get higher pay, and they're widely respected. So we're not having any trouble filling ranks; in fact they're having to turn away some recruits. They're also receiving recruits from inside the Army, so this is important.

The growth of these units, though -- we need to take the right amount of time to train them properly. They receive an initial amount of commando training, they then receive specialty training.

We're going to see -- all of this growth is going to take two years, but we'll have a significant number of new commandos showing up on the battlefield next year. So we're going to see some growth in the -- in the existing commando kandaks.

We stood up the Afghan National Army Special Operations Corps this year. We stood up the National Mission Brigade this year. The National Mission Brigade is a country-wide counterterrorism force that -- that has Special Forces battalions and Katahas, their high-end counterterrorism force.

We are doubling the number of commando brigades; we'll go from two to four. And we're also doubling the number of special police units. So the special police units, 222, 333, 444, are the high-end urban CT forces that they have. And there will now be one of these forces for all of the major urban areas in Afghanistan: Jalalabad, Mazar-i-Sharif, Herat and so on.

So this this process in its entirety will take two years. All these forces will be on the battlefield in 2019. And a good portion of them will be on the battlefield next year, which will increase the offensive ops.

But I don't anticipate they're going to be doing the 70, 80 percent of the operations in the past. And this is because we're going to see a greater number of offensive operations performed by the conventional Afghan corps. So just like you saw in Helmand this year with the 215th Corps going on the offensive, we're going to see that now in other corps as well.

And this will -- this will mean the probably overall percentage of commando offensive operations as a part of the total will drop somewhat.

STAFF: Nancy Youssef, Wall Street Journal.

Q: You mentioned earlier, General that you disputed the UNAMA numbers of civilian casualties, and I was wondering if you could give us your numbers. How many civilian casualties have happened this year, according to the U.S. assessment? Ideally aerial strikes specifically. How much has been paid in condolence payments? And how many military personnel are dedicated to investigating civilian casualties?

GEN. NICHOLSON: Yeah, whenever there's a civilian casualty incident, we immediately stand up an investigation board that we dispatch to the appropriate area to investigate. So we have a standing team that initiates the investigation as soon as we get the allegation. They have other duties, but when this duty comes up, they immediately move to do this.

We coordinate closely with UNAMA; I'd say on a weekly basis.

When I say that we dispute their figures, I explained an example of one of the reasons of why we might dispute. UNAMA has its methodology, we have our methodology, and the methodologies are different.

And then UNAMA, out of respect for the confidentiality of their sources -- and we understand this -- does not want to share the names of many of the sources because that could expose them to repercussions or reprisals.

So we understand that in order to protect the people who offer this information to UNAMA, we aren't always able to see the same evidence that they have. So this means we, then, need to go through a separate investigation, almost in parallel, to examine this.

And, of course, we have access to information that UNAMA doesn't always have. For example, we have gun tapes, we have records of when munitions are dropped, we know precisely where a U.S. munition is dropped, for example. We have a very good idea of where Afghan munitions are dropped. So something that's reported as an airstrike in one area, we may not have any record of a bomb being dropped there. So that would be an example of why we would disagree on the allegation.

And so there are always in the -- within the total UNAMA numbers, there's a percentage of the numbers that even UNAMA concedes cannot be attributed to one side or the other.

And of course -- so, again, different methodologies. We have great respect for UNAMA.

We'll -- I'll have to follow up with you in terms of the numbers. From our perspective, though, again, the overall UNAMA figure was 6 percent of total CIVCAS by aerial fires, and we -- and we come in at something less than that.

But we can get back to you with more specifics on the numbers.

Q: You'd mentioned that you tripled the number of munitions. Have you in any way expanded the number of teams that investigate civ casualties -- civilian casualties -- accordingly, given the tripling of munitions drops?

GEN. NICHOLSON: We haven't seen a tripling in the number of allegations. Again, our reports of CIVCAS are running roughly the same as previously, and we're right-sized to be able to deal with that.

Q: Lastly, I'm curious, do you follow the price of opium on a weekly basis? And if so, have you seen a change in that price since these strikes have begun on opium production facilities?

GEN. NICHOLSON: I haven't seen the price of opium on a weekly basis, but my guess would be there has not been a change.

The thing to remember about the Afghan narcotics trafficking organizations is that they have a lot of inventory and storage. So they don't always immediately process and transport their inventory.

The yield was up this year, as you saw in the UNODC report. So we expect that, you know, the economic rules of supply and demand, much of this inventory might be put into a form of opium paste, which can be stored longer. As soon as they begin the refinement process into morphine and more refined types of heroin, then they need to move the product.

So we believe a significant amount of opium is stored, awaiting refinement based on market demand.

STAFF: Tara Copp, Military Times?

Q: Could you talk about remaining ISIS pockets in Nangarhar province? What are your estimates for the number of ISIS fighters that remain there? And what sort of percentage of U.S. airstrikes are targeting those remaining ISIS fighters?

GEN. NICHOLSON: Yeah. The significant portion of our airstrikes go in support of our counterterrorism efforts. And so these airstrikes, a lion's share of them go against Daesh. Because, again, Daesh attempted to establish a caliphate, so they make themselves targetable, frankly, when they do this. They attempt to seize and hold terrain, raise the flag and rule the population.

So they attempted to do this in southern Nangarhar. As you know, at one point they expanded out to nine districts. Now we've got them down to portions of three districts. But it's like a balloon: We squeeze them in this area and they'll try to move out elsewhere.

What we've done now is in the southern Achin Debella district we've pushed them south into the mountains that border Pakistan. We're seeing them move up into those valleys in those mountains, and they're attempting to move west into the area of Pachaweragam and where they can also try to access some passes through the mountains into Pakistan.

Remember most of these Daesh fighters came from Pakistan. They were from the Orakzai agency of Pakistan in the tribal areas. So they go through the passes of southern Nangarhar and they move back to their home agency.

We are seeing Daesh presence in Kunar and in Jowzjan -- these are two other provinces -- but we think those numbers there are small, 300 or less, in those areas.

And then in the southern Nangarhar area we think we're looking at 600 to 800.

I do need a caveat, though, in saying they are actively recruiting from the Tehriki-i-Taliban Pakistan. So as you'll recall, when the Pakistan army and their Zarb-e-Azb operation in 2014 pushed a lot of the TTP into Afghanistan -- hundreds of thousands of TTP fighters and their families pushed into Afghanistan and it's from these ranks that Daesh has been recruiting heavily.

But from their height, we have reduced their presence significantly and we'll continue with their fires over the winter. In particular fires and aerial-delivered fires focused on them over the winter to further reduce their numbers.

Q: Could you give us any sort of ballpark percentage of the number of airstrikes that are targeting this particular region and ISIS fighters?

GEN. NICHOLSON: Well, half of our aerial fires are going to our counterterrorism mission, and of the ones going to our counterterrorism mission, the majority of those are going against Daesh.

We can get back to you with some more specific numbers, though.

STAFF: Tom Watkins, AFP?

Q: We're hearing that recently some ISIS fighters of European and Algerian origin came to -- and I'm going to say this wrong -- Jowzjan province in the north directly from Iraq and Syria. Do you have any additional information about that? And does it change your assessments that you've previously given us that Iraq and Syria were not conduits to Afghanistan for ISIS fighters?

GEN. NICHOLSON: Yeah, I'll have to follow up on that, because I have not heard that report, and I would be surprised at that.

The Jowzjan element -- what we're seeing in the case of some of these is fighters switching allegiances, declaring themselves to be Daesh or ISIS as it suits them. This element in Jowzjan, again, numbered -- we were tracking 150 -- there were fights with the Taliban, there were fights against Hazarans, or in the Hazaran/Tajik area, I should say, where Taliban were involved. We're seeing what we call red-on-red fighting there now.

But Syria and Algerian; have not seen those reports, but will certainly follow up on that.

Again, we have not seen any significant migration of fighters from Syria, Algeria. We think a lot of these -- or from Syria and Iraq. We believe that we have seen migration into -- into Africa, Libya, other areas to the west, but not here at Afghanistan.

STAFF: Joe Tabet, Al Hurra?

Q: Could you give us an update on the level of interference from Iran and Russia in Afghanistan? Have you seen any evidence of direct support from Iran for the Taliban?

GEN. NICHOLSON: So, let me address those.

The first thing I'd say is we have shared interest with Iran and Russia in Afghanistan. So we have the shared interest of counter-narcotics, the shared interest of counter-terrorism. You know, one of the concerns we hear from both nations is the concern about Daesh and their desire to see it eliminated.

This is our, one of our top counterterrorism focuses, along with al-Qaida -- the remnants of al-Qaida. So this is an area where actually our work the Afghans is precisely what the Russians and Iranians want.

Now what's counter-intuitive here is the legitimizing or working with the Taliban, which we see in both cases. Because, again, the Taliban, when it comes to narcotics, are the principal traffickers of narcotics into those two countries. And as you're aware, Afghan heroin kills tens of thousands of Russians every year and the addiction rates in Iran are extremely high too.

So again, by legitimizing or supporting the Taliban, they're doing harm to their own citizens. Additionally, the support to the Taliban is destabilizing to the government and it's the government who is being principally effective against Daesh.

The thing to understand about Daesh is of course, is they're totally repugnant to the culture of Afghanistan. The majority of these fighters are non-Afghans. They're Pakistanis, they're Uzbeks, they're others. Their brutality, their cruelty is totally against Afghan culture. They're rejected by the majority of Afghans. So we're seeing a minority of the fighters in Daesh are actually Afghans. So Daesh will not get a strong showing -- or will not have a strong showing here in Afghanistan.

And then of course they are at the top of our list in terms of our counterterrorism effort. And I've talked about the results we've achieved before.

So these -- to these are the basis of a dialogue we think on our common interests in Afghanistan with those two nations.

I would additionally point out that in the case of Iran and Afghanistan, they are neighbors. There are important common equities they share beyond Daesh. This would include water rights. So Iranians need and desire water, they're allowed water under certain water treaties that exist. This is an area of potential cooperation.

There's the Port of Charbahar which just opened up in Iran, through which the first shipments of wheat from India to Afghanistan flowed a few weeks ago.

So there's economic equities, there are water equities, there's shared interest in counter-narcotics, there's shared interest in counterterrorism. So we hope that all these issues add up to a normalized relationship between Afghanistan and Iran where they work together against these terrorists.

And again, it was -- there's no love lost between the Iranians and the Taliban. The Taliban murdered Iranian diplomats. The Taliban have provided sanctuary for other terrorist groups in addition to al-Qaida. So the Taliban represent a destabilizing element in Afghanistan, not a -- one in -- that would produce greater stability if you're a neighbor of Afghanistan.

Q: Quick follow-up, sir. Given what you have said now about the common interest, is it fair to say that there's no any sort of relations between Iran and the Taliban?

GEN. NICHOLSON: No, I think there are relations between Iran and the Taliban.

We see some evidence of that in the western part of the country. We have reports of that that come from locals in the western part of the country. In Farah province in particular, we've received many reports of Iranian-backed Taliban fighting in Farah with some advanced equipment. So we're watching this very closely.

At the same time, I would say we also see a bilateral dialogue going on between the governments of Iran and Afghanistan, which we encourage in the interests of these common interests that I discussed.

STAFF: Tony Cappacio, Bloomberg.

Q: Can you give a fair assessment of what progress the Pakistan military has made in your time there, and over the last decade, in reducing the sanctuaries? They say they've lost thousands and thousands of troops, the U.S. has acknowledged that. So what progress have they made?

And going forward, what initiatives, at the tactical and the strategic level, do you need to see them initiate or reassert in order to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table?

GEN. NICHOLSON: Yeah, so there are 21 designated terrorist groups in this region, in Afghanistan and Pakistan together. And they exist within a combined population of well over 300 million people. And many of these people don't have, there's not high employment, there are many other difficulties that they face in their life. A shortage of hope would be in a case of many of these people. So it's fertile recruiting ground for these organizations.

So, as you mentioned, many of these terrorist organizations are fighting against the Pakistan government. The most prominent of them would be the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, but there's many others: TGG, JUA and others.

So the Pakistanis have been engaged in a very tough fight against extremism inside their own country. And so one of the major successes they had against these extremists was the Zarb-e-Azb Operation, where they went into Waziristan -- south Waziristan and the majority of north Waziristan and displaced, fought and displaced a lot of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan. Unfortunately, many of them then came into Afghanistan across the Durand Line.

So they did displace many of those terrorists who were fighting their own government. But at the same time, we've seen the ones who weren't displaced were the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani Network, who continue to reside on that side of the Durand Line.

And so, we want to work together with the Pakistan government and with the Pakistan military in reducing this.

One of the principle issues that we want to work together on is border control. And so, the mechanisms for securing the Durand Line, the border. And this is an ongoing dialogue between these two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan. They have exchanged SOPs and proposals for how to do this.

When ISAF was in the country in a large way, we helped with this process in establishing border crossing points and so forth. Unfortunately, since the rather rapid draw-down of ISAF, many of those policies, outposts, et cetera, that were in place have fallen off.

One of the ways that we're working to help the Afghans improve border security is the transfer of the Afghan border police to the Afghan army. So now the Afghan army, which is a more advanced and professional organization for a variety of reasons, is going to take control of border security.

And so this is ongoing as I speak. The transfer will occur in the coming weeks. And then the army will be responsible. This will now allow better coordination on the Afghan side, with respect to the border security force, and better -- and cleaner coordination with those on the Pak side.

Nevertheless, big problems remain. We are currently experiencing operations close to the border by the Pakistanis, which have involved cross-border shelling. This has, unfortunately, displaced hundreds of Afghan civilians from villages in close proximity to the border.

It's also undermined the political space for political dialogue between the two countries. It's a constant source of conversation and dialogue between the political leaders.

So, again, I'd say right now, for that reason, these border issues, the relations are strained right now.

So, again, we have common equities we want to work with the Pakistanis on, counterterrorism being number one. We're also ready to work on border issues, refugee returns.

But, as you've heard our president say, as you've heard all of our senior leaders say, we have got to see movement on this reduction of sanctuary and support for those insurgents and terrorists operating from Pakistan who are attacking our forces and our coalition diplomats and forces, as well as the Afghans, inside this country.

Q: Do you need to see then a greater offensive military operation from the Pakistan army into those sanctuaries? And what leverage does the United States even have now to force those types of actions?

GEN. NICHOLSON: Well, the Pakistanis are conducting offensive operations at various points along the border. When we get enough notice, we try to work with them on this. One example would be their KhyberFor Operation which they conducted last year on the southern part of Nangarhar, at the same time that we were conducting our operations against Daesh on the northern side of that border.

So this is an example of what I would call, a complementary operation, both sides of the border at the same time with one enemy being squeezed in between, Daesh.

And so, in that particular operation, we squeezed the ISIS-K into the southern part of the province, into the mountains, at the same time as the Pakistanis reestablished control in the Khyber agency of a number of the border crossing points. So that, I would say, would be a high point, in terms of cooperation.

Currently, there's a Pakistani operation going on in the vicinity of Kunar province, to push their forces up to the border there. And, unfortunately, this is the one where we've had the cross-border shelling and the displacement of civilians.

So we're ready to work with them whenever we have the opportunity.

The offensive operations against sanctuaries would be in other areas that we've identified with the Pakistani leadership on a number of occasions, and I'll just leave it at that.

STAFF: We only have time for two more questions. So if we can get Cami and then we can get Wes.

Q: You were talking earlier about the goal being reconciliation. And then you talked about how the Taliban has lost its ideological anchor and become a criminal narco-insurgency. So it seems very different to try to reconcile with a narco-criminal group than with an ideology-based group. How do you -- how do you reconcile with criminals?

GEN. NICHOLSON: Yeah, so I'd say that what we see today is the leadership of these organizations, of these Taliban, have been the ones that have evolved into a narco-insurgency or criminal insurgency, if you will.

The fighters many times at the lower levels are, I would say, confused, you know, recruited out of madrassas, where they are made to believe that their endeavors are a jihad being conducted in Afghanistan against foreigners. Many of them come across the border and find they're not fighting foreigners; they're fighting their fellow Muslims.

And so there's a veil of legitimacy that they drape over themselves based on their former roots, but increasingly now what we're seeing is fighting amongst the senior leaders over the proceeds of the narcotics revenues.

So, a perfect example would be Abdul Manan, who's a shadow governor in Helmand from the Ishaqzai tribe, refusing to give money from drug revenues to the Quetta Shura. And the Quetta Shura is sending down teams to demand revenue and to try to force his compliance and him resisting this.

So these kind of disputes are going on over the drug revenue at the senior levels of the organization, while at the lower levels, the foot soldiers are the ones who are suffering and dying, and of course believe they're waging a jihad, when in fact they're fighting their fellow Muslims.

And so what we're hearing from the battlefield -- I was just up in Kunduz yesterday, and what I was being told by the leaders up there -- the social leaders, not the military leaders -- was that they're seeing these leaders come in from outside the country, who are well-paid, and trying to then recruit locals, and it's the locals who are becoming disillusioned with some of this.

So, we get reports of this occurring around the country. I would not want in any way want to represent this as any kind of a critical mass or a groundswell, but we're starting to see these reports of small groups of Taliban that are becoming disillusioned with their leadership, who are living in comfort outside of the country with plenty of drug money, and they're inside the country fighting and dying.

And so this friction does exist. And -- now, whether that friction -- under the pressure that I talked about, that friction, that'll turn into fissures and fractures and lead some of these folks to just say, "Hey, I've had enough. I'm rejoining society." That is our objective, is to get to what I would call, a horizontal fracture, if you will, between the fighters and the leader as they decide they've had enough and want to rejoin Afghan society.

And then some of these leaders, who are now committed to their narco-revenues and narco-organizations, clearly are not going to be reconcilable. And they're the ones that either have to be forced into irrelevance or will die on the battlefield or just remain outside of the country.

STAFF: Wes Morgan, Politico

Q: General Nicholson, this is Wes Morgan from Politico. Thanks very much for doing this.

Nowhere in your remarks today or last week did you mention al-Qaida. You hear a lot about Taliban and Daesh. I'm wondering if you would give us an update on the al-Qaida presence in the country? You know, what are they doing up in Kunar and Nuristan? Are they active in other provinces? What are you doing about them? And has Farouq al-Qhatani been replaced since his death last year?

GEN. NICHOLSON: Yeah, thanks, Wes.

So, al-Qaida's still here. We also had the affiliate al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent. Let me first talk about the relationship between al-Qaida and the Taliban.

Obviously on 9/11, the Taliban were hosting al-Qaida in the country. They launched the attack on the United States. Since then, you know, many of the Taliban blame al-Qaida for what's happened to them, being kicked out of the country.

But what we still see is a degree of collaboration going on between al-Qaida and the Taliban. So even though the Taliban will not publicly acknowledge the relationship, what we see at the tactical level is still a close relationship.

So, now, this is primarily in the form of the al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent. But they tend to provide some of the expertise, the training on specialized weapons or IEDs or bomb-making. Its al-Qaida Indian Subcontinent fighters who are the ones who are training a lot of the local Taliban, and in return for this the Taliban afford them sanctuary.

So we've recently been doing operations against al-Qaida. We continue to hunt them and strike them wherever we find them, primarily in the eastern part of the country.

I don't want to get into operational details, but as you've mentioned we have continued to find and kill senior-level leaders in the al-Qaida organization inside Afghanistan.

And then typically what you find when you find them is they're existing within a friendly environment created by the Taliban. And so, even though the Taliban won't publicly acknowledge this -- and I would contrast the actions of Mullah Mansour with Mullah Hibatullah.

So, Mansour publicly accepted buyout from al-Zawahiri. Hibatullah did not, but his guidance to his commanders was, "Continue to work with them," even though they didn't publicly acknowledge the relationship.

As you're aware, we occasionally find these al-Qaida enclaves. In the fall of 2015 in Shorab -- Shorabak district -- excuse me -- of Kandahar, again we see some of these in the -- generally in the eastern part of the country close to the Durand Line.

And then again most of the al-Qaida -- not al-Qaida Indian Subcontinent, but al-Qaida -- are trying to hide, essentially. Its al-Qaida Indian Subcontinent that is more active with the Taliban and then therefore more targetable on the battlefield.

Q: Okay, quick follow up. So when you kill a major Daesh leader, we often get a press release about it, like the last two emirs and the guy who was going to be the next emir.

Why haven't we seen any releases about, senior al-Qaida or al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent leaders being killed in recent months, if they are being targeted as you say?

GEN. NICHOLSON: Yeah, we keep that information classified because of the nature of that organization, and because, of course, any successful strike usually leads to more strikes. And so we don't want to give the enemy the advantage of knowing what we know about who we've struck, who we've taken off the battlefield and so forth.

And I'm afraid that's about the best answer I can give you, Wes.

STAFF: Sorry. Sir, thank you very much. Sir, thank you for your time. Do you have any closing remarks for the group?

GEN. NICHOLSON: Hey, thanks, Mike. And again, thank you for the questions. And I wanted to say a couple things.

Again, this -- this policy really is a game changer. So, this policy, the pressure on external enablement; conditions-based not time-based; the end state of reconciliation; the diplomatic, military, social pressure, is really fundamentally different. And that's why I express confidence that we are on our way to a win.

And so, this -- the next two years are going to be critically important, not only because of the elections, but because of this increased offensive tempo that we're going to see. So that from a military perspective, this is going to really be pushing us towards the end game of reconciliation.

Now, obviously reconciliation processes follow long and complex paths and this one undoubtedly will do the same. But it's fair to say we are on a path to a win in accordance with what I've laid out.

Now, what we're going to do is offer over the next several months, about every two weeks, different subject matter experts on different aspects of the campaign, because they understand that war's been going on a long time, you've got a lot of questions, you want to understand in greater detail how this new policy and how our plans are going to lead to a win, and we want to be prepared to do that in a variety of subject matter areas.

So we're going to offer that to you coming up, and look forward to seeing many of you at those.

Again, I wanted to finish up with a couple of thoughts.

We need to execute well, you know. And we're going to be really focused on that. And we got to do this across the whole of government, so we're going to be very focused on working with our interagency teams on doing this.

I want to reiterate, you know, the Afghan people want peace, they reject the Taliban, they reject Daesh. They want peace, they want a better life for their families and their children. They're willing to fight our enemies in their country. They are deeply grateful for our help in this endeavor. And I frequently get expressions of respect and gratitude for our country that they ask me to pass on, so I'm passing them on to you.

So and I also know I speak for all of us here -- have great respect for the Afghans, what they've been though, their strong desire for peace. And my message to them is, we are with you and we're going to stay with you, and we're going to accomplish this together.

So, again, thank you very much for your time today. I'll look forward to seeing you again in the future. And again every couple of weeks, we're going to have another expert from U.S. Forces-Afghanistan to speak with you.

Have a good day.

STAFF: Thanks, General. Thanks, ladies and gentlemen.

-END-

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Transcripts/Transcript-View/Article/1382901/

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US-Japan Complete 3JA Exercise

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS171129-07

Release Date: 11/29/2017 9:13:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sarah Villegas, Amphibious Force 7th Fleet Public Affairs

HYUGA-NADA SEA, Japan (NNS) -- USS Chief (MCM 14), Mine Countermeasures Squadron (MCMRON) 7 staff, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 5, Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14 (HM-14) Detachment 2A, and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) units successfully completed exercise 3JA Nov. 28.

The exercise, which lasted three days, was part of a series of exercises held between U.S. and Japan forces in order to increase proficiency and interoperability in mine countermeasure operations.

USS Chief hosted JMSDF members aboard to build bonds and share tactics on mine countermeasure operations. EODMU 5 embarked the Uraga class mine sweeper tender JS Uraga (MST-463) and staff members from MCMRON 7 embarked the Uraga-class mine sweeper tender JS Bungo (MST-464) in order to refine command and control functions as a team.

"These opportunities to train with our partners are invaluable," said Capt. James Miller, Commodore, MCMRON 7. "They provide the chance to strengthen our alliance and unite our efforts in protecting this region. It's imperative that we work together to sharpen our mine countermeasure capabilities since it's a duty and responsibility that we share together."

During 3JA combined forces ran a multitude of bilateral mine countermeasures tactics to increase proficiencies in sweeping, hunting, and mine detection.

This was the first exercise in which HM-14 and HM-111, a JMSDF airborne mine countermeasures squadron, simultaneously conducted mine hunting and sweeping operations alongside surface mine countermeasure forces in an exercise.

"Both units conducted successful missions and they were instrumental in the execution of the exercise," said Miller.

USS Chief (MCM 14), with embarked MCROM 7 staff, sailed from its forward-deployed berth in Sasebo, Japan to participate in the exercise with their counterparts.

MCMRON 7 and USS Chief are part of Amphibious Force 7th Fleet, the Navy's only forward-deployed amphibious force, headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa.

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USS James E. Williams Arrives in Odessa, Ukraine

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS171129-06

Release Date: 11/29/2017 9:07:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Colbey Livingston, USS James E. Williams Public Affairs

ODESSA, Ukraine (NNS) -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) arrived in Odessa, Ukraine, Nov. 29, 2017, for a scheduled port visit.

While in Odessa, the Sailors aboard James E. Williams will be hosting a reception on the ship as well as engaging in a community relations project with the local community.

"I think this project will be a really awesome opportunity to interact with the locals and get a unique experience in the city," said Religious Programs Specialist 3rd Class Joshua Deluca, from Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Sailors aboard the ship will be allowed free time to take liberty and experience Odessa.

"I think the Sailors will have a great time in Odessa," said Cmdr. Allen Siegrist, commanding officer of James E. Williams. "The crew has always represented the ship well throughout our previous ports and I'm sure that they will enjoy all that Odessa has to offer."

The ship's presence in the Black Sea is a demonstration of our continued commitment to the collective security of the European region.

James E. Williams, homeported in Norfolk, is on a routine deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.

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By PTI: (Eds: Updating with additional inputs)

New Delhi, Nov 30 (PTI) Regulator Trai today advocated time-bound approval for merger or transfer of licences after NCLT nod and favoured allowing trading or surrender of excess spectrum of a merged entity within a year.

These and other suggestions formed part of the regulators latest recommendations on ease of doing telecom business. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said that promoting and facilitating easier norms was essential for unhindered growth of the sector.

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"DoT (Department of Telecom) should spell out a definite timeline, not exceeding 30 days post NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) approval, for providing written approval to transfer or merger of licences by the licensor and it should be made a part of the merger and acquisition guidelines," Trai said. The series of measures mooted include a 30-day deadline for granting import licences to companies and permitting trading or surrender of excess spectrum of a merged entity within a year.

Industry body COAI said the proposed rules could significantly ease mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and improve normal operations of the telecom service providers. The recommendations come as "a breath of fresh air" to the industry which is financially distressed and "needs all the help it can get from the government", Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said in a statement. Trai, in its recommendations, said that spectrum trading should be permitted in all the access spectrum bands which have been put to auction. "The permissible block size for trading in a band should be same as specified in the Notice Inviting Applications (also called the auction document), for the latest auction held," it said.

Trai also felt that where M&A resulted in excess spectrum holding beyond permissible cap, the merged entity "should be given an option to either surrender or trade its spectrum holding, within the stipulated period of one year". The sector watchdog has also said the telecom department should devise a matrix that would link the financial penalties to the severity of the incident and recurrence of violation, thus meeting a key demand by the mobile industry.

"This was a key demand as currently the telcos were being forced to challenge penalties going into crores of rupees, for extremely minor violations, taking us to the courts, leading to long and financially draining cumbersome and unnecessary litigations," Rajan S Mathews, Director General, COAI, said. PTI MBI MKJ

--- ENDS ---
USS Vella Gulf Visits in Agadir

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS171129-04

Release Date: 11/29/2017 8:57:00 AM

From U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs

PORT OF AGADIR, Morocco (NNS) -- The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) arrived in Agadir, Morocco, Nov. 28., for a scheduled port visit.

The visit serves to enhance U.S.-Morocco relations as the two nations work together to strengthen regional security and stability.

The ship's presence in the North Atlantic is a demonstration of our continued commitment to regional security.

"Our crew is really excited for our visit to Morocco; most Sailors joined the Navy to see the world and very few of them have ever been to Agadir or anywhere else in Africa," said Capt. Rob Thompson, commanding officer of Vella Gulf. "There is a longstanding history of friendship and cooperation between our two countries and we look forward to building on that relationship during our time here."

Events planned for the visit include tours of the ship for locals, and an official dinner including Vella Gulf Sailors, the U.S. Embassy personnel and distinguished Moroccan guests.

Vella Gulf, homeported in Norfolk, is conducting maritime operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of regional allies and partners and U.S. national security interests.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.

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VP-5 Conducts Familiarization Flight in Iceland

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS171129-03

Release Date: 11/29/2017 8:55:00 AM

By Lt.j.g. Mike Raffels VP-5 Public Affairs

KEFLAVIK, Iceland (NNS) -- The 'Mad Foxes' of Patrol Squadron (VP) 5 hosted Icelandic media, Icelandic military, and other government officials for a tour of the Navy's newest maritime platform, the P-8A Poseidon, and a familiarization flight by Combat Air Crew (CAC) 10, Nov. 16.

The familiarization flight was designed to showcase the wide-ranging mission set of the P-8A. The P-8A Poseidon is a multi-mission capable replacement aircraft for the legacy P-3C Orion. Designed to secure the Navy's future in long-range maritime patrol capability, the P-8A Poseidon has had a large impact on the Navy's maritime patrol and reconnaissance force.

"We enjoyed showing the Icelandic media group the advanced capabilities of our maritime aircraft" said Lt. Ali Hussain, CAC-10 tactical coordinator.

The passengers included two Icelandic coast guard members, including the Icelandic coast guard's Commanding Officer of Keflavik, a U.S. Air Force Embassy Liaison Officer, and an American diplomat.

"It was a great opportunity to convey our appreciation of the cooperation Keflavik has had with VP-5," said Hussain.

The 'Mad Foxes' displayed the aircraft's state-of-the-art open architecture mission system which allows for easier system reconfiguration and expansion. During the flight, the crew demonstrated different components utilized during an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) pursuit.

Hussain said that VP-5 was happy to host the interested passengers and media during the flight and it proved to be a positive opportunity to improve relations and cooperation between Iceland and U.S. Navy forces.

The "Mad Foxes" of CAC-10 are conducting operations in Keflavik, Iceland, in support of Commander, Task Force 67. VP-5 conducts operations in U.S. 6th Fleet from Sigonella, Italy.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquarted in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.

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4 more troops killed in violence in Cameroon's restive southwest

Iran Press TV

Wed Nov 29, 2017 05:34PM

Suspected separatists in a restive English-speaking region of Cameroon have killed four more soldiers as violence continues to plague government efforts for reaching a settlement with the secessionists.

Army and government sources said Wednesday that the four soldiers were "murdered" in Mamfe, a city in Cameroon's Southwest Region, by those who promote "terrorism."

"Four soldiers were killed around 2:00 am around Mamfe," said an army source angrily, adding, "They murdered our soldiers. If that's not terrorism, what is it?"

A government source also confirmed the deaths although there was no more information on how the soldiers were killed.

The deaths are the latest to hit the ranks of Cameroon's security forces as they struggle to contain a growing insurgency in the Southwest and Northwest regions, where a large minority English-speaking people lives. Calls for secession have escalated in recent years as the community members lament about more discrimination and their leaders say the government has repeatedly ignored their political demands.

International monitors say up to 40 people have been killed since violence erupted in the two regions in late September. The government puts the death toll on a maximum of 12 while maintaining that eight members of security forces have been killed this month alone.

The central government in Yaounde has rejected calls for secession or a return to Cameroon's previous federal system of governance. It has tried to reach out to key separatist leaders for political dialogue although nighttime curfews, restrictions on movement, raids and body searches remain in place in the anglophone regions.

The anglophone community comprise a fifth of the francophone-dominated Cameroon of 22 million people. Its presence is rooted in the colonial past of West Africa and in a decision by France and Britain after the World War I to divide Cameroon, a then German colony, under the mandates of the League of Nations.

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Bosnian Croat war criminal kills himself with poison in UN court

Iran Press TV

Wed Nov 29, 2017 04:19PM

Bosnian Croat wartime general Slobodan Praljak has killed himself by drinking poison, after a United Nations court in The Hague upheld a previous ruling for his war crimes against Bosnian Muslims.

The 72-year-old former general told shocked judges in the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Wednesday that he "drank poison" after they blocked his appeal for a 20-year-old sentence.

"I just drank poison, I am not a war criminal. I oppose this conviction" he said after taking a swing from a small bottle in the full view of cameras.

A lawyer who was in the courtroom at the time said Praljak then sat back down and slumped in his chair as court officials surrounded him.

Carmel Agius, the presiding judge who was handing down Praljak's sentence, suspended the court and allowed paramedics to take him to a hospital. He was pronounced dead after an hour.

UN officials confirmed the former general's death after it was initially reported by Croatian media. Dutch police declared the courtroom to be a crime scene.

Praljak was among the six remaining former Bosnian Croat political and military officials linked to the wartime Croatian government of late President Franjo Tudjman to stand trial at the ICTY before the court's final verdict.

Established by the UN in 1993, the ICTY will be shuttered after its mandate expires next month.

The judges had charged Praljak with ordering the destruction of a 16th-century bridge in the city of Mostar in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the first trial, judges had said that the November 1993 order "caused disproportionate damage to the Muslim civilian population."

The city underwent some of the worst of the most intense clashes during the war, with nearly 80 percent of its eastern parts destroyed.

The ruling on Wednesday accepted part of Praljak's arguments that the bridge had been a legitimate military target during the conflict. The judges also overturned some of his convictions after the appeal but refused to reduce the jail sentence.

The court's lead suspect, former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, died after a heart attack in March 2006, months before a ruling for his genocide case.

Two more defendants awaiting trial at the court have also committed suicide, according to court documents. Slavko Dogmanovic and Milan Babic were found dead in their cells in 1998 and 2006 respectively, both hanging themselves.

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Yugoslav war tribunal upholds convictions for Bosnian Croats

Iran Press TV

Wed Nov 29, 2017 02:56PM

The Croats convicted of crimes against Bosnian Muslims in the war in former Yugoslavia have had their sentences upheld in an international tribunal that is nearing the end of its mission after nearly 25 years.

The appeals chamber at The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) upheld on Wednesday the verdicts given in 2013 to six former high-level politicians and defense officials linked to the wartime Croatian government of late President Franjo Tudjman.

The judges in the tribunal concluded in their ruling that it was not shown that earlier judges in the court had "misinterpreted relevant evidence" of Tudjman and Croatia's role in the Bosnian conflict.

President Judge Carmel Agius said "all six remain convicted of numerous and very serious crimes," although some convictions for specific crimes were dropped.

Among the sentences upheld on Wednesday was a 25-year jail term for Jadranko Prlic, a former defense minister, who was a key figure in the slaughter of the Muslims of the 1992-95 war in Bosnia. The Bosnian Croat had been found guilty of helping a criminal enterprise by the then Croatian government to establish an ethnically pure state in Bosnia, something that the current administration in Zagreb had sought to overturn. Croatia maintains that it had "clean hands" in the war.

The hearing Wednesday in The Hague, in the Netherlands, came to a shock end when one of the convicts, Slobodan Praljak, a former Bosnian Croat general, reportedly drank a poison in protest to the upholding of his 20-year jail sentence.

Croatian TV reported that the 72-year-old became angry after the verdicts was read and shouted out, "Praljak is not a criminal. I reject your verdict."

He then raised a phial of poison to his lips and drank it in the view of the cameras.

"I just drank poison. I am not a war criminal. I oppose this conviction," he said.

Reports said he later died in the hospital, leading the Dutch police to declare the courtroom to be a crime scene.

The ICTY, which was established by the United Nations in 1993, is due to close at the end of this year.

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Egypt's Sisi orders security forces to calm Sinai in 3 months

Iran Press TV

Wed Nov 29, 2017 02:29PM

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has ordered the security forces to restore "security and stability" in the restive northern Sinai within three months, days after the country was rocked with the deadliest terrorist attack in its modern history.

In a televised ceremony to mark the birthday of Islam's Prophet Muhammad on Wednesday, Sisi ordered his new military chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Farid Hegazy, to use "all brute force" against the militants.

"I am mandating Maj. Gen. Mohammed Farid Hegazy before you and the entire people of Egypt to restore security and stability in Sinai," said Sisi.

"With God's benevolence and your efforts and sacrifices, you and the police will restore security and use all brute force, all brute force."

It was not immediately clear what the use of such force would entail, but it suggested a scorched earth tactic that many of Sisi's loyalists in the media have been calling for.

At least 305 people, including 27 children, were killed and over 130 others injured in the shooting attack and bombing at al-Rawdah mosque in the town of Bir al-Abd near the North Sinai provincial capital of el-Arish on November 24.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but it had the hallmarks of the Daesh-affiliated Velayat Sinai terrorist group.

The Sinai Peninsula has been under a state of emergency since October 2014, after a deadly terrorist attack left 33 Egyptian soldiers dead.

Over the past few years, militants have been carrying out anti-government activities and fatal attacks, taking advantage of the turmoil in Egypt that erupted after the country's first democratically-elected president, Mohamed Morsi, was ousted in a military coup in July 2013.

Velayat Sinai has claimed responsibility for most of the assaults. The group later expanded its attacks to target members of Egypt's Coptic Christian community as well as foreigners visiting the country. That has prompted the government to impose the state of emergency and widen a controversial crackdown, which critics say has mostly targeted dissidents.

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Hariri to 'certainly' remain Lebanon PM: President Aoun

Iran Press TV

Wed Nov 29, 2017 09:29AM

Lebanon's President Michel Aoun says Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who recently walked back on his shock resignation, will "certainly" remain in office.

During a visit to Rome on Wednesday, Aoun told the Italian daily La Stampa that the political crisis in Lebanon triggered by Hariri's November 4 departure announcement will be "resolved definitively in a few days."

"We have just finished deliberations with all the political forces in the country. There is a wide agreement," the Lebanese president said.

Hariri told French broadcaster CNews on Monday that he would stay on as prime minister if Hezbollah "accepted to stick by the state policy of staying out of regional conflicts."

Asked about that Hariri's comments, Aoun said the Lebanese resistance movement has fought against Daesh terrorists both in Lebanon and abroad, adding, however, "when the war against terrorism is finished, their fighters will come back to the country."

Hariri announced his resignation in a televised announcement broadcast from the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

Senior sources close to Hariri and top Lebanese officials said Saudi Arabia had coerced the Lebanese premier into stepping down and put him under house arrest. Aoun refused to accept Hariri's resignation, stressing that he was being detained in Saudi Arabia against his will.

After a nearly three-week absence, Hariri returned to Lebanon on November 22 and put his resignation on hold at Aoun's request to allow for more consultations on the issue.

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US will confront Russia's aggression against Europe: Tillerson

Iran Press TV

Wed Nov 29, 2017 04:58AM

The US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has sent a message to Moscow, saying Washington will confront Russia's "aggression" against its European neighbors.

Speaking at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington on Tuesday, Tillerson claimed Moscow's cyberattacks, energy policy and actions in Ukraine "are not the behaviors of a responsible nation."

"We will not stand for this violation of international norms," he noted in his speech aimed at reassuring European allies about the US commitment to security on the continent.

Tillerson said he had warned Moscow that relations with Washington would never be normal unless Russia withdrew its forces from neighboring Ukraine.

The US and its allies have levied broad economic sanctions against Russia over its alleged support for pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine and Moscow's reunification with Crimea after a referendum in 2014.

The United States has deployed a contingent of troops to Eastern Europe near Russia's border since 2014. The deployments have been supplemented by four NATO battle groups of more than 1,000 soldiers.

Tillerson also claimed that Russia employs various "malicious tactics" from using disinformation campaigns and cyber-attacks to undercutting US and European democracies, to the "serial" harassing of diplomatic personnel, including US Embassy employees in Moscow.

"Russia can continue to isolate and impoverish itself by sowing disorder abroad and impeding liberty at home, or it can become a force that will advance the freedom of Russians and the stability of Eurasia," Tillerson said.

He also said that there was still an imminent threat after the Cold War, adding that Russia sought "to define a new post-Soviet global balance of power."

Russia "seeks to impose its will on others by force" either "by virtue of its nuclear arsenal" or by partnering with the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad, Tillerson claimed.

The US accuses Moscow of meddling in Syria. Russia has been helping Damascus fight Daesh terrorists at the request of the Syrian government.

Tillerson's remarks came despite President Donald Trump's repeated calls for warmer relations with Moscow which has been accused of meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller as well as the Senate and House intelligence committees have been investigating the alleged interference and any possible links between the associates of Trump and Moscow.

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Over 1,000 US troops to patrol with Afghans in 2018: US general

Iran Press TV

Wed Nov 29, 2017 03:25AM

A top US military commander in Afghanistan has announced an increase in the number of forces patrolling with Afghan counterparts next year.

General John Nicholson, who commands US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said on Tuesday that "well over 1,000" advisors would be performing combat operations on the front lines at any given time during the fighting season in 2018.

The commander stressed that such operations have already been conducted by smaller numbers of US troops this year but the ranks would "increase dramatically," as "There will be greater risk."

Nicholson claimed that the measure came as part of Trump's revamped strategy designed to "turn the corner" on the 16-year war against the Taliban militants in the Central Asian country, which has already seen a sharp uptick in airstrikes and an additional 3,000 troops flow in.

The commander vowed that Washington would go to "great lengths" to ensure American troops near the front lines are as well protected as possible to help Afghans hunt down Taliban militants in simultaneous offensive operations across the country.

Nicholson said the troops would be backed by a full array of air support and surveillance capabilities.

Calling the new strategy "a game changer," the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan boasted, "That's why I express confidence that we are on our way to a win."

The Tuesday remarks came while Nicholson said earlier this week that the fight in Afghanistan was "still in a stalemate."

In August, Trump announced his controversial war strategy for Afghanistan. In a blatant U-turn from his campaign pledges to end the 16-year occupation of Afghanistan, the businessman-turned-politician said that his views have changed since entering the White House and that he would continue the military intervention "as long as we see determination and progress" in Afghanistan.

The United States -- under Republican George W. Bush's presidency -- and its allies invaded Afghanistan on October 7, 2001 as part of Washington's so-called war on terror. The offensive removed the Taliban regime from power, but after more than one and a half decades, the foreign troops are still deployed to the country.

After becoming the president in 2008, President Barack Obama, a Democrat, vowed to end the Afghan war -- one of the longest conflicts in US history  but he failed to keep his promise.

Trump, who has spoken against the Afghan war, has dubbed the 2001 invasion and following occupation of Afghanistan as "Obama's war," but he has also announced to deploy thousands of more troops to the war-torn country, signaling a policy shift.

Since 2001, 1,874 US soldiers have been killed in action in Afghanistan and more than 20,000 more have been wounded, according to Pentagon data.

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War Criminal Dies After 'Taking Poison' In Hague Courtroom

RFE/RL November 29, 2017

The United Nations court in The Hague has confirmed that a Bosnian Croat war crimes defendant died shortly after taking what he said was poison upon hearing his appeal of a 20-year sentence had been rejected.

A spokesman for the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Nenad Golcevski, told reporters that 72-year-old Slobodan Praljak died in a nearby hospital on November 29 despite efforts to save him.

There was no immediate information about the nature of the liquid he drank.

Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic earlier offered condolences to Praljak's family, saying at a press conference, "we have all unfortunately witnessed his act by which he took his own life."

Praljak, a former commander of Bosnian Croat forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina's 1992-95 war, was one of six Bosnian Croat defendants in court to hear rulings on the appeal of their sentences at the ICTY.

He appeared to take a drink moments after judges at the tribunal confirmed his 20-year sentence on appeal.

"Slobodan Praljak is not a war criminal. I reject the verdict with disdain," he shouted.

Presiding Judge Carmel Agius quickly halted the November 29 hearing.

Police, an ambulance, and a fire engine could be seen outside the building and emergency rescue workers went into the court, while a helicopter hovered above the scene.

Agius had overturned some of Praljak's convictions but left his sentence unchanged.

Praljak, who was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment in 2013, was one of six former Bosnian Croat political and military leaders standing before the court.

Praljak was specifically charged with ordering the destruction of Mostar's 16th-century bridge in November 1993, which judges in the first trial had ruled "caused disproportionate damage to the Muslim civilian population."

The blown-up Ottoman-era bridge became a symbol of Bosnia's devastation in the war. It was later rebuilt, but Mostar saw the worst of the Croat-Muslim clashes, with nearly 80 percent of the city's east destroyed in the fighting.

But in their November 29 ruling, the judges actually allowed part of Praljak's appeal, saying the bridge had been a legitimate military target during the conflict. They also had overturned some of his convictions, but refused to reduce his overall sentence.

Besides Praljak, the other five defendants included Bosnian Croat leader Jadranko Prlic, who appealed his 25-year term imposed by the court in The Hague, and four others, who are also appealing long prison sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years.

The ruling on some of the 22 counts for which the six were sentenced was still due to be read.

Before the hearing was halted, Prlic had also had his 25-year jail term upheld.

Prlic had been found guilty of being part of a criminal enterprise by the wartime Croatian government of late President Franjo Tudjman, to create an ethnically pure state.

Judges upheld that key finding, despite Croatian officials having denounced it and calling for it to be overturned.

In Zagreb, state television announced that following the events in The Hague, President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic decided to cut short an official visit to Iceland, while the government called an emergency session.

Plenkovic, Croatia's prime minister, said that Praljak's action reflects the "deep moral injustice" done to the six Bosnian Croats whose sentences were upheld.

Tudjman's son, Miroslav, described Praljak's gesture as a "consequence of his moral position not to accept the verdict that has nothing to do with justice or reality."

The chairman of Bosnia's three-man presidency, Dragan Covic, a Bosnian Croat, said "this is not a court of justice, but a political one."

Bakir Izetbegovic, another member of Bosnia's presidency, expressed his condolences to the victims of war crimes during the conflict in the former Yugoslav republic.

"We will never forget neither the victims nor the criminals," he said. "This was the way to put the international seal on a dark side of the truth about the reasons for creating and the actions of Herceg-Bosna," the wartime statelet formed by Bosnian Croats.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo called the court's verdict an "important step toward holding to account those individuals responsible for the tremendous suffering of the people" of Bosnia.

It also urged all parties to respect the verdict, and "rededicate themselves to the continued reconciliation and peaceful coexistence essential to the future of a stable, secure" Bosnia.

The appeals hearing comes a week after the judges sentenced former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic to life in prison.

It marks the end of two decades of work by the court, set up in 1993 at the height of the Balkans conflicts to prosecute Europe's worst atrocities since World War II.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, AP, AFP, dpa, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/un-war-crimes-court- yugoslavia-final-verdict/28885760.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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Trump has hit back at British PM Theresa May late Wednesday on her criticism of anti-Muslim propaganda by Trump.

By India Today Web Desk: US President Donald Trump has hit back at British Prime Minister Theresa May late Wednesday on her criticism of anti-Muslim propaganda by Trump.

The diplomatic row between the two leaders is a high-profile spat with one of America's closest international partners.

Trump wrote on Twitter, "@theresa_may, don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!"

.@Theresa_May, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2017

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Earlier, in a rare rebuke to Britain's closest ally, British Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump was wrong to re-tweet videos posted by a leader of a British far-right group.

But, Downing St. rejected calls from opposition lawmakers to revoke Trump's invitation to pay a state visit to Britain.

The tiny extremist group, meanwhile, appeared delighted at the publicity boost from a leader with almost 44 million Twitter followers.

Trump drew sharp criticism from both government and opposition politicians in Britain after re-tweeting three videos from the account of deputy Britain First leader Jayda Fransen purporting to show violence by Muslims.

In response, Labour Party lawmaker David Lammy tweeted: "@realDonaldTrump you are not welcome in my country and my city." Another Labour legislator, Chuka Umunna, said Trump's invitation to visit Britain "should be withdrawn."

Trump sharing Britain First. Let that sink in. The President of the United States is promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group whose leaders have been arrested and convicted. He is no ally or friend of ours. @realDonaldTrump you are not welcome in my country and my city.- David Lammy (@DavidLammy) November 29, 2017

Labour lawmaker Chris Bryant went so far as saying that Trump should be arrested for inciting religious hatred if he came to the U.K.

May announced in January that Trump had accepted an invitation for a state visit to Britain, one of the highest honours the country can bestow on a foreign leader. Almost a year later, no date has been set, and opponents of Trump have vowed to stage large protests if he does come.

May's spokesman, James Slack, said it was "wrong" for the president to have re-tweeted Britain First. He said the group seeks to divide communities through its use of "hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions."

May's office said the state visit would not be cancelled, but Trump's online activity drew rebukes from government ranks.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid, who is Muslim, tweeted that Trump "has endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organization that hates me and people like me. He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing."

Brushing off the criticism in an evening tweet, Trump said May instead of focusing on him should "focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom."

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Founded in 2011, Britain First opposes multiculturalism and what it calls the "Islamization" of Britain.

Small but publicity-savvy, it has staged direct-action protests at mosques and is active on social media.

The group regularly posts inflammatory videos purporting to show violence by Muslims, without context or supporting information.

Fransen, 31, was convicted last year of religiously aggravated harassment after hurling abuse at a Muslim woman wearing a hijab during what was billed as a "Christian patrol" in the town of Luton, north of London.

She currently faces four unrelated counts of harassment relating to leaflets and videos and a separate charge of hate speech.

Trump's retweets were a major publicity boost for the group, whose own Twitter account is followed by about 24,000 others.

Fransen tweeted: "God bless you Trump! God bless America!" in capital letters to her followers, whose number grew by several thousand to about 60,000 in the hours after the boost from the president.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSEN'S TWITTER VIDEOS! DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA! OCS @JaydaBF @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/BiQfQkTra9- Jayda Fransen (@JaydaBF) November 29, 2017

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British authorities have warned about a growing threat from violent far-right extremism, and recently charged the leader of another white supremacist group with plotting to kill a lawmaker.

In June 2016, Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death by Thomas Mair, who shouted "Britain first" as he attacked her.

The legislator's widower, Brendan Cox, tweeted Wednesday: "Spreading hatred has consequences & the President should be ashamed of himself."

Trump has legitimised the far right in his own country, now hes trying to do it in ours. Spreading hatred has consequences & the President should be ashamed of himself.- Brendan Cox (@MrBrendanCox) November 29, 2017

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, a Muslim who has been the target of inaccurate criticism by Trump about his supposedly lax approach to extremist violence, also criticized the president.

"Britain First is a vile, hate-fuelled organization whose views should be condemned, not amplified," Khan said.

With inputs from Associated Press

--- ENDS ---
In Moscow, New Kyrgyz President Vows To 'Strengthen Strategic Partnership' With Russia

RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service November 29, 2017

MOSCOW -- During his first trip abroad since his inauguration earlier this month, Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has pledged to make "every effort" to strengthen partnership between Kyrgyzstan and Russia.

"It is very symbolic for me to pay my first visit as Kyrgyz president to Russia. That is the way it should be," Jeenbekov said on November 29 as he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Jeenbekov said the visit "means that we are firmly committed to strengthening our relations, our alliance, our strategic partnership. For my part, I will make every effort for our partnership to develop and strengthen."

Putin expressed confidence that bilateral ties in the economic sphere "will continue developing, just as in in the sphere of security."

Jeenbekov also met in the Russian capital with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who voiced hope that Moscow and Bishkek will "maintain current contacts."

The Kyrgyz president's administration has said he would discuss bilateral ties and "Eurasian integration" with the Russian leadership.

Kyrgyzstan is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, a trade grouping that links five former Soviet republics and is dominated by Russia and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan's large northern neighbor.

In his inaugural address on November 24, Jeenbekov said that "Kyrgyzstan will continue to promote its strategic partnership with Russia and will bolster its strategic partnership with China."

In an interview with Russian state news agency TASS before the visit, he called Russia "our main strategic partner" and also spoke of cultivating ties with China and Europe, but made no mention of the United States.

Jeenbekov is expected to travel to Minsk on November 30 for a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev arrived in Minsk on November 29 for a two-day visit that is to include the summit and a separate meeting with Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are at odds over border-control issues and remarks by Jeenbekov's predecessor, Almazbek Atambaev, in which he criticized Nazarbaev and accused Kazakhstan of backing Jeenbekov's main rival in the October 15 presidential vote.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kyrgyzstan-russia-jeenbekov -first-foreign-trip/28885892.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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Washington Think Tank Calls For Permanent U.S. Military Presence In Balkans

RFE/RL November 29, 2017

WASHINGTON -- The United States should establish a permanent military presence in the Southeastern Europe to help stabilize the Western Balkans and prevent further inroads by Russia, a Washington-based think tank says.

A new report published by the Atlantic Council ahead of a November 29 conference on Southeastern Europe in Washington said that such a move "would demonstrate an enduring U.S. commitment to security in the region and anchor the United States' long-term ability to influence developments."

The report titled Balkans Forward  A New U.S. Strategy For The Region called the Western Balkans a "region in flux" and cautioned over Russia's aggressive moves in the area.

It cited "notable progress" and movement toward the West among Southeastern European countries, but stated that the "final outcome" was no longer assured.

"The Western Balkans remain the unfinished business of a Europe whole and free," it said. "As the United States and Europe focus on internal concerns, Russia and other countries are reshaping the geopolitical landscape across the region."

It said a U.S. military presence could be modeled on the current Camp Bondsteel facility in Kosovo. Camp Bondsteel, established in the late 1990s, is the main U.S. Army base in Kosovo and is used by NATO forces.

"Troops would be used both to help strengthen local authorities' terrorist interdiction capabilities through training and sharing of best practices, and to provide aid in humanitarian catastrophes, should they arise," it said.

U.S. Embassy Downplays Idea

The U.S. Embassy in Belgrade downplayed the suggestion in the think tank report.

"Many academic and research institutions in the United States participate in public debates on foreign policy issues on a daily basis and this is an important part of the democratic process," the embassy press office said in a statement.

"Discussions and debate on ideas help the public and policymakers to better understand the important issues that we face in the world, but these academic and research institutions do not have a formal role in creating the official U.S. policy," it added.

The Atlantic Council report also said the United States and the European Union should pursue a "historic" rapprochement with Serbia in an effort to move it toward the West and away from traditional ally Moscow.

"Belgrade can and should be a close partner and ally in the region, but it can only become one if it begins to meaningfully distance itself from Russia."

"This is not a trivial pivot for Serbian leadership, but neither should it be something on which the United States or the EU should compromise," it added.

Fragile States

Other recommendations by the Atlantic Council urged the United States to play the role of "honest broker," especially in longstanding disputes between Montenegro and Greece and between Serbia and Kosovo.

The report stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability and warned of the dangers of potential Russian actions in the region.

"If a Balkans political crisis escalates to the point of skirmishes or civil war, it would speed up the weakening of already fragile states like Macedonia and Kosovo," it said.

"As they serve as buffer states for refugee flows, destabilization could lead to a radicalization of heretofore secular Muslim societies, both in Macedonia and Kosovo, and critically, further north in [Bosnia-Herzegovina]," the document said. "Either outcome poses a looming threat to European security and represents a positive outcome for the Kremlin."

The report said that the last two years have seen "breathtaking attempts by Russia to capitalize on the region's lingering pathologies to undermine the European project," including the "failed Russian-backed coup" in Montenegro, Serbian "agitprop" on the border with Kosovo, and "lingering tensions" in Macedonia.

It also warned of Turkish efforts to "cultivate its clients," mainly in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania.

The U.S. military and NATO have already begun bolstering their presence in Eastern European NATO-member states in the face of a more assertive Russia after its illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in March 2014 and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine in a war that has killed more than 10,000 people since April 2014.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/balkans-us-military- presence-atlantic-council/28886879.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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India, Singapore Agree to Enhance Naval Cooperation Near Strait of Malacca

Sputnik News

22:30 29.11.2017(updated 22:23 29.11.2017)

The agreement indicates India's consistent efforts in strengthening the capability of its navy in the eastern part of the Strait of Malacca that connects the South China Sea with the Indian Ocean, as 80 percent of China's energy supply passes through this shipping route.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  In a major strategic development in the Indian Ocean region, India and Singapore have signed a major naval agreement which allows Indian warships to refuel and restock in Singapore. The agreement was signed during the second Defence Ministers' Dialogue concluded in New Delhi on Wednesday. This is India's first such logistics agreement with an East Asian country.

"Of particular significance during this meeting was the conclusion of the India-Singapore Bilateral Agreement for Navy Cooperation, which will lead to increased cooperation in maritime security, joint exercises, temporary deployments from each other's naval facilities and mutual logistics support," the joint statement reads.

Singapore will also hold live firing drill in the Andaman Sea which is just a few miles away from the Strait of Malacca. India has also offered its test ranges and infrastructure to Singapore for testing and evaluation of research and development projects. India has also allowed Singapore's military to train on its soil, which is critical for the city-state due to space constraints.

"I not only support but I would encourage the Indian Navy to visit Changi naval base more often," Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defense of the Republic of Singapore said at the joint press conference in New Delhi.

Both the countries have also 'reaffirmed the importance of maintaining maritime freedom of navigation and trade consistent with international law.'

However, Indian Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has denied any possibility of including Singapore in the proposed Quad of India, the US, Japan and Australia and has said that any engagement with Singapore would be via ASEAN only.

On Tuesday, Singapore's Defense Minister had also expressed his reservations against the Quad coalition. Dr. Hen said that polarizing defense and trade would not be helpful for the region.

"We are trying to craft a system under which we can ensure peace and progress for everyone, where small and large states have ways and means to resolve disputes through peaceful means," Ng had said.

The move to set up the quad coalition comes in the backdrop of growing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea. The US has been favoring a larger role for India in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region, but Singapore has argued that it is not useful to cast one bloc against another.

 Sputnik

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Crisis in Lebanon to End Soon, Hariri to Stay Prime Minister, Says President

Sputnik News

17:19 29.11.2017(updated 17:52 29.11.2017)

Lebanese President Michel Aoun met with Saad Hariri shortly after he returned to Lebanon following a long absence. As a result of the meeting, it was announced that President Aung has not accepted the resignation of Hariri, since he promised to reconsider the decision to leave his post.

ROME (Sputnik)  Lebanon will soon see an end to its crisis and its prime minister, Saad Hariri, will remain in office, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Wednesday.

"Lebanon has always been a calm and secure country, it is known how to govern it. The crisis will end next week," Aoun told La Stampa newspaper in an interview.

There is "a broad agreement" among all Lebanese political forces regarding Hariri's decision to stay in office, the Lebanese president added.

On November 4, Hariri announced his resignation in a televised speech from Riyadh.

When announcing his resignation earlier this month, Hariri said he feared being assassinated in Lebanon, like his father was. He also accused Iran and the Hezbollah movement of attempting to destabilize the situation in Lebanon and across the Middle East.

The Lebanese President did not recognize Hariri's resignation and asked Saudi Arabia to explain what was preventing the Prime Minister from returning to Lebanon. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said that the reasons for Hariri's resignation could be linked to Riyadh, and suggested that he might be remaining in Saudi Arabia against his will.

 Sputnik

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On Day of Solidarity, UN reaffirms two-state solution as only answer to 'question of Palestine'

29 November 2017  The Question of Palestine is inextricably linked with the history of the United Nations and is one of the longest-standing issues on the Organization's agenda, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio said in his message commemorating the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

Seventy years since General Assembly Resolution 181 was adopted, a sovereign and independent State of Palestine has yet to emerge alongside the State of Israel.

"I remain convinced that the two-state solution is the only one for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The resolution of this conflict would also create momentum for greater stability throughout the region," stated Mr. Guterres.

Recalling his August visit to Israel and Palestine, the UN chief said leaders on both sides restated their commitment to a negotiated peace.

"I encourage them to tangible challenge this commitment and create conditions for a meaningful negotiation. The recent positive developments in intra-Palestinian unity should be taken up by the leadership," he asserted.

The Secretary-General also reiterated his readiness "to work with all stakeholders, including the Middle East Quartet and countries in the region, to support a serious political process, drawing on all under UN resolutions, international law and agreements, that will achieve a two-State solution, end half a century of occupation and resolve all final status issues."

Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed read Mr. Guterres' message at a Special Meeting of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, before adding her own words.

Ms. Mohammed observed that for 70 years the UN has gathered on 29 November to support the Palestinian right to self-determination and independence and the establishment of a Palestinian State.

"Ending illegal Israeli settlement activity and demolitions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is crucial to the viability of a future Palestinian state and to realizing the legitimate national and historic aspirations of both people. Eliminating violence and incitement is essential to building trust," she told the participants.

Ms. Mohammed stressed that with crumbling infrastructure, chronic unemployment and a paralyzed economy, Gaza is in a state of constant humanitarian emergency.

"This unsustainable reality demands urgent humanitarian, economic and political measures to support the Palestinian population. We must not leave women, children and youth behind," she asserted.

"Ending the occupation and achieving a two-state solution is the only path to enduring peace between Israelis and Palestinians. There is no other option," emphasized Ms. Mohammed.

For his part, General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak underscored that the situation needs full-time attention that extends beyond humanitarian support, to facilitate a peaceful resolution.

"I firmly believe that a two-state solution is the only answer to what we call the question of Palestine," he underscored.

According to Mr. Lajcak, the international community must support conditions conducive to a successful peace process. In addition to immediately halting settlement expansion, other actions encompassed the cessation and condemnation of all acts of violence, including terrorism, as well as the incitement to these acts.

"When it comes to the question of Palestine, we have a responsibility and we have an interest. Palestinian people do not need our sympathy  they deserve our solidarity," he declared.

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Newly Exiled Venezuelan Opposition Leader Makes Rounds in Washington

By Gonzalo Abarca, Luis Ramirez November 29, 2017

The departure into exile of one of Venezuela's main opposition leaders  the ousted mayor of Caracas  speaks of a crisis, humanitarian and political, that is reaching new proportions.

For most of the nearly two decades after the late President Hugo Chavez launched his Bolivarian revolution with the promise of spreading Venezuela's vast oil wealth among all its citizens, Antonio Ledezma  like many Venezuelans  chose to stay, wait and see.

But in 2015, Venezuelan authorities seized the mayor and placed him under house arrest for voicing his opposition to the government of President Nicolas Maduro, Chavez's successor. Ledezma was charged with conspiracy and working to overthrow the Maduro government, and had been under house arrest until last Friday.

That day, the 62-year-old joined what is estimated to be more than one million Venezuelans who have left the country since the 1990s and made a risky 900-kilometer escape to the border of Colombia, his jump-off point to a life in exile in Spain.

"When a human being wants to recover his freedom, he will take any risk and that is what I did," Ledezma said in an interview Wednesday with the VOA Spanish Service. "I took a personal risk to recover my freedom after more than one thousand days deprived of my human rights."

The nation he left is a shadow of its former self. Venezuela is one of the top oil producers in OPEC and as recently as 2011 topped Saudi Arabia as having the largest proven reserves among members of the cartel. Now Ledezma, like other exiles, laments chronic food shortages and empty shelves in once gleaming supermarkets, and often nonexistent basic medical supplies and services.

Maduro has said his country's economic problems are not the result of bad policy or a failure of the Chavista socialist model, but rather the outcome of U.S. sanctions and an "economic war" waged by Venezuela's remaining business elite. The Venezuelan leader has also refused to roll back government controls enacted during the Chavez years.

Now free to travel, Ledezma visited Washington this week to meet with the head of the Organization of American States, give speeches at think tanks, and make media appearances in a bid to call attention to the plight of a nation he said is being held hostage.

"That is my role, to be one more of these wave of Venezuelans who had to flee Venezuela and seek refuge in other parts of the world because they feel persecuted politically in the country or because they simply feel that to stay in Venezuela is to wait to be shot in the head," he said.

"Or at the very least die of hunger," he added, referring to rising malnutrition and low wages.

Oil and Cuba

OPEC figures show Venezuela's oil production tumbled in recent months, reaching a 28-year low in October. Analysts say the state-owned oil company, PDVSA, has been unable to find enough money to maintain wells and pipelines and keep other parts of the production infrastructure working. Critics blame mismanagement and corruption.

The crisis has deepened to the point where Maduro has begun appointing members of the military to run the company. This week, he named a general, Manuel Quevedo, to run PDVSA, and sources at the company told Reuters more military officers are to be appointed.

Critics question whether the moves are truly anti-corruption measures, suggesting they are really meant to give Maduro more control of Venezuela's oil industry, which accounts for 90 percent of the country's overall exports.

Ledezma sees no hope of resurrecting Venezuela's collapsed economy as long as Maduro remains in power and maintains the links to communist Cuba that were established by Chavez, who offered Havana preferential terms on oil contracts. Like many in the Venezuelan opposition, Ledezma accuses Cuba of siphoning off Venezuela's oil wealth  with Caracas' consent.

"Venezuela is the only country with a government that is paying so that it can be invaded. Venezuela is financing the Cuban regime, handing over oil money that we need for food and medicine that are scarce now," Ledezma said. "We have told the international community it needs to be vigilant of what is happening in Venezuela because its people have been taken hostage."

'Hope' or 'vampire'?

Reaction to Ledezma's flight into exile and his new crusade in the world has been mixed. Supporters showered praise during a Facebook Live appearance on the VOA Spanish website. One blogger wrote, "You are our hope."

Venezuela's president also expressed approval, albeit sarcastically, of Ledezma's departure. In a speech to supporters, Maduro laughingly described the Caracas mayor as "the vampire that is flying free about the world," and called for Spain not to return him.

There is little chance Ledezma will go back while Maduro is in power. In Wednesday's interview, the ousted mayor indicated that any negotiations would have to include discussions on Maduro's exit.

In starting his life in exile, Ledezma has plenty of company. Venezuela researchers say the number of Venezuelans living outside the country has risen by 2,000 percent since the 1990s.

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DPRK government issues statement

Pyongyang Times

Date: 28/11/2017 | Source: Pyongyang Times

The DPRK government issued a statement on November 29 as regards the successful test-fire of a new generation of ICBM. The statement said:

A new generation of inter-continental ballistic missile, Hwasong 15, was successfully test-fired according to the political, strategic decision of the Workers' Party of Korea.

The new weapon system is capable of delivering a super-heavy nuclear warhead and striking the whole of the US mainland. Far better than Hwasong 14 tested in July in terms of tactical, technical specifications and technical characteristics, the new generation of ICBM is the most powerful weapon system that has reached the stage of completion in our missile programme.

Hwasong 15 blasted off at 02:48 am on November 29 on the outskirts of the capital city of Pyongyang as Kim Jong Un was given a mandate to oversee the launch by the WPK and the DPRK government.

The missile flew for 53 minutes along the preset trajectory before landing home on the target international waters in the East Sea of Korea.

The test-fire was conducted in such a way as to ensure the highest angle of the launch, and it had no negative effect on the security of neighbouring countries.

The ICBM climbed up to 4 475 kilometres and made a flight of 950 kilometres from the launch site.

Today has finally witnessed the accomplishment of the historic cause of the national nuclear programme, the cause of building a missile power, Kim Jong Un said proudly after viewing the whole process of the test-fire.

The resounding success of the test-fire of Hwasong 15 is a priceless victory achieved by the great, heroic Korean people who have faithfully supported the Party's line of pushing economic construction and nuclear buildup simultaneouslywith no vacillation despite the vicious challenges of the US and its lackeys and a multitude of difficulties.

The DPRK's programme for developing and upgrading its strategic weapon systems is entirely designed to guard its sovereignty and territorial integrity against the US policy of nuclear blackmail and substantial nuclear threats and to ensure its people lead a peaceful life. Therefore, we take this opportunity to reaffirm solemnly that our programme would pose no threat to any countries or regions unless they infringe our state interests.

As a responsible nuclear power and peace-loving state, the DPRK would do its best to honour its commitment to secure global peace and stability.

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DPRK launches ballistic missile 'capable of hitting US mainland'

People's Daily Online

(CNTV) 13:23, November 29, 2017

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has confirmed that it successfully tested a "Hwasong 15" intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Wednesday.

A Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) statement, which confirms earlier assessments from the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK), claims the new type of ICBM "is capable of striking the whole mainland of the US."

It was Pyongyang's first test launch since a missile was fired in mid-September, days after its sixth-nuclear test.

The ICBM was launched at 02:48 local time on Wednesday, according to the KCNA statement, and flew to an altitude of 4,475 km and then a distance of 950 km.

It was launched from Sain Ni in the DPRK and flew for 53 minutes before splashing down into the Sea of Japan, said Pentagon spokesman Robert Manning.

The launch has been widely condemned by the international community.

New type of missile

The DPRK said on Wednesday that the successful test of the "Hwasong 15" ICBM "realized great historic cause of completing state nuclear force."

US, Japanese and ROK officials all agreed the missile was likely an ICBM. It did not pose a threat to the United States, its territories or allies, the Pentagon said.

"It went higher frankly than any previous shot they've taken, a research and development effort on their part to continue building ballistic missiles that can threaten everywhere in the world, basically," US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters at the White House.

Trump, Moon warn of 'grave threat'

US President Donald Trump and his ROK counterpart Moon Jae-in warned that Pyongyang's latest missile launch posed a "grave" global threat.

"Both leaders underscored the grave threat that North Korea (DPRK)'s latest provocation poses not only to the United States and the Republic of Korea, but to the entire world," the White House said in an account of a crisis call between Trump and Moon.

Japan denounces 'violent act'

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the latest DPRK missile launch was a "violent act" that "can never be tolerated" after the ICBM splashed down in its exclusive economic zone.

"We will never yield to any provocative act. We will maximize our pressure" on Pyongyang, Abe told reporters.

"The government welcomes the fact that China is taking concrete steps such as an embargo on imports of North Korea's coal, marine products, textile products, among others," Abe told a parliamentary committee.

"Frankly speaking, I feel that China is playing its role" over the UN-agreed sanctions, he added.

UN council meeting scheduled

The United States, Japan and the ROK requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting to address Pyongyang's missile launch. Reuters reported a meeting was expected later on Wednesday.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the launch and called for Pyongyang to "desist from taking any further destabilizing steps."

'State sponsor of terror'

Wednesday's launch came after Trump announced last week that the US will designate the DPRK as a state sponsor of terror.

The DPRK will join Iran, Sudan and Syria on the US list of state sponsors of terror.

"In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea (DPRK) has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism including assassinations on foreign soil," Trump said during a cabinet meeting.

The US Treasury Department also expanded its list of DPRK sanctions against 34 additional individuals and companies on November 21.

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DPRK's new missile test-launch draws condemnation from int'l community

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 15:22, November 29, 2017

BEIJING, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has confirmed that it successfully test-fired a newly developed Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) early Wednesday morning.

The latest missile test by DPRK has drawn strong condemnation from countries and international organizations.

Confirming the test-launch, the DPRK government said: "The development and advancement of the strategic weapon of DPRK are to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country from the U.S. imperialists' nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat, and to ensure the peaceful life of the people."

"It is DPRK's solemn declaration that the missiles would not pose any threat to any country and region as long as the interests of the DPRK are not infringed upon," said a statement released by the official Korean Central News Agency.

The latest launch came a week after the United States redesignated the DPRK as a "state sponsor of terrorism" and slapped a new round of sanctions against the country.

The ROK military also conducted a "precision strike" missile launch in response, according to the South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

DPRK's missile launch gave rise to wide condemnations.

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said at the White House that the missile launch had a higher trajectory than any missile launched by the DPRK thus far.

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Japanese and South Korean leaders separately over the missile launch, said the White House.

During their talks, Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reaffirmed their commitment to combating the DPRK's nuclear threat, while Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in in another phone call condemned the DPRK for developing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned DPRK's latest missile launch, saying it is "a clear violation of Security Council resolutions."

"The secretary-general urges the DPRK to desist from taking any further destabilizing steps. The secretary-general reaffirms his commitment to working with all parties to reduce tensions," Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Condemning the missile launch, the European Union said the move is "a further unacceptable violation" of its international obligations.

A spokesperson of the European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU's diplomatic service, urged the DPRK to "engage in a credible and meaningful dialogue, aimed at pursuing the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the full implementation of all relevant UN Security Council resolutions."

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said "North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs present a direct threat to the world."

Canada said that it is set to convene a meeting of foreign ministers, co-hosted with the United States, to address this pressing issue.

Given the complex and sensitive situation on the peninsula, China has been calling for more efforts to ease tensions and settle the issue through dialogue and consultation.

To help soothe the situation, China has proposed a dual-track approach, seeking to advance denuclearization and establish a peace mechanism in parallel. Beijing, in its "suspension for suspension" initiative, calls on Pyongyang to pause its missile and nuclear activities, and calls on Washington to put its joint military drills with South Korea on hold.

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North Korea confirms nuclear statehood, says can now target anywhere in US

Iran Press TV

Wed Nov 29, 2017 06:01AM

North Korea has confirmed that it has now achieved full nuclear statehood after successfully launching a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which it says is capable of reaching anywhere in the United States.

Pyongyang launched a new type of ICBM, called the "Hwasong-15," which flew high into space for 53 minutes before landing near Japan in the early hours of Wednesday morning local time, according to a statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

It said the missile reached an altitude of 4,475 kilometers, higher than any previous missile fired by Pyongyang.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared the test a success, the statement said.

After overseeing the launch, Kim "declared with pride that now we have finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force," read the statement.

"The ICBM Hwasong-15 type weaponry system is an intercontinental ballistic rocket tipped with [a] super-large heavy warhead, which is capable of striking the whole mainland of the US," the statement added.

In the statement, Pyongyang described itself as a "responsible nuclear power," saying its strategic weapons were developed to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity from "the US imperialists' nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat."

China expresses 'grave concern'

Meanwhile, China, which is considered North Korea's main ally, expressed "grave concern" over Pyongyang's latest missile launch and once again called for talks to peacefully resolve regional tensions.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated the need for a "double freeze" approach, based on which North Korea would halt its weapons tests in return for Washington suspending its military exercises in the region.

He urged all sides to avoid resorting to the military option, which according to him was not a solution for the crisis.

Meanwhile, the latest missile test, the first one in almost two months, has prompted strong condemnations, including from the United Nations (UN)'s Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who called on North Korea to "desist taking any further destabilizing steps."

"This is a clear violation of Security Council resolutions and shows complete disregard for the united view of the international community," Guterres said in a statement.

Shortly after the test, the US, Japan, and South Korea all called for the holding of an emergency UN Security Council meeting for Wednesday.

Rattled by the early morning missile launch, South Korea almost immediately launched three missiles in a show of force. The South's military said it had conducted missile drills on Wednesday in response to Pyongyang's latest launch.

An Air Force KF-16 fighter jet and a Navy Aegis ship as well as an army missile unit took part in the war games, according to the military.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said at an emergency meeting in the capital, Seoul, "If North Korea completes a ballistic missile that could reach from one continent to another, the situation can spiral out of control."

According to his office, Moon said, "We must stop a situation where North Korea miscalculates and threatens us with nuclear weapons or where the United States considers a pre-emptive strike."

He also said that there was no choice but for countries to keep applying pressure and sanctions against Pyongyang.

Moon has said the US would have to obtain his country's approval before potentially launching any military invasion of North Korea to stop its missile and nuclear programs. The South fears that any US attack on the North would trigger massive reprisal against South Korea, which is well within North Korean range.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon said that officials in the US, South Korea, and Japan, all agreed the missile did not pose a threat to the US, its territories, or allies.

The US-based Union of Concerned Scientists, however, said the missile was capable of reaching Washington DC. It explained that, based on its trajectory and distance, the new missile would have a range of more than 13,000 kilometers  more than enough to reach the US capital.

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By PTI: By Aditi Khanna

London, Nov 30 (PTI) Britains MPs from across the political spectrum today asked the Theresa May government to cancel its invitation to Donald Trump for a state visit to the UK amid an escalating row triggered by the US Presidents controversial anti-Muslim Twitter messages.

British Prime Minister May, who is on a visit to Jordan, condemned British far-right group Britain First whose messages were re-tweeted by Trump as a "hateful organisation that seeks to spread division and mistrust" and represented everything that goes against "common British decency".

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"The fact that we work together does not mean that we are afraid to say when we think the United States have got it wrong and be very clear with them. And, I am very clear re- tweeting from Britain First was the wrong thing to do," she said.

Describing Britains ties with the US as an "enduring, long-term special relationship" which should continue in the interests of both nations and the wider world, she added: "An invitation for a state visit has been extended and has been accepted. We have yet to set a date".

May, who was personally tagged on a follow-up tweet by Trump asking her not to focus on him but on the "destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom", stressed that the UK remains at the forefront of "confronting terrorism, wherever it comes from".

The row dominated UKs Parliament proceedings with an urgent question on the issue in the House of Commons today.

UK home secretary Amber Rudd repeated the British Prime Ministers stand branding Trumps re-tweets as "wrong".

"President Trump was wrong to re-tweet videos from the far-right group Britain First," Rudd told MPs.

She, however, added that the intelligence-sharing between the two allies "undoubtedly saved British lives" and "that is the bigger picture here and I would urge people to remember that".

Several MPs demanded a proposed state visit next year on an invitation extended on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II be cancelled, with former Labour Cabinet minister Yvette Cooper saying Britain could not "simply roll out a red carpet and give a platform for the President of the United States" to "sow discord in our communities".

Earlier, Londons Pakistan-origin mayor Sadiq Khan had denounced Trumps re-tweets of controversial videos as a "betrayal of the special relationship".

"As the mayor of this great diverse city, I have previously called on Theresa May to cancel her ill-judged offer of a state visit to President Trump. After this latest incident, it is increasingly clear that any official visit at all from President Trump to Britain would not be welcomed," he said.

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The UK home minister seemed to indicate in the Commons that the visit remains effectively delayed indefinitely.

"An invitation for the visit has been extended and accepted, but the dates and the precise arrangements have yet to be agreed," Rudd said.

A fellow Conservative MP Peter Bone suggested Trump should delete his Twitter account and stop tweeting altogether, to which the home secretary replied that "many will share his view".

Another Tory MP Tim Loughton said if Twitter was "genuine in its commitment to fight hate crime online" it would delete the US Presidents account.

"I am sure that the chief executive of Twitter will have heard the interesting suggestions from (Mr Loughton) and we will leave it to them to decide what action to take," Rudd replied.

Other MPs branded Trump as "fascist", "either racist, incompetent or unthinking" and a spreader of "evil".

UK communities secretary Sajid Javid said Trump had "endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me".

"He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing," Javid added.

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The videos shared by Trump, who has more than 40 million Twitter followers, were initially posted by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First, a far-right group founded by former members of the far-right British National Party (BNP).

The 31-year-old, who faces two separate trials for religiously aggravated harassment and for using threatening and abusive language in the UK, posted on Twitter in capital letters: "Donald Trump himself has re-tweeted these videos and has around 44?million followers! God bless you Trump! God bless America!".

The first video in question purportedly shows a "Muslim migrant" attacking a young Dutch man on crutches.

A spokesperson from the Dutch Public Prosecution Service told the BBC that the person arrested for the attack "was born and raised in the Netherlands" and was not a migrant.

The second video re-tweeted by Trump shows a man smashing a statue of the Virgin Mary, which was uploaded on YouTube in 2013.

The third video originates from the riots that took place in Egypt in 2013, and shows a man being pushed from the top of a building in Alexandria. In 2015, those involved in the incident were prosecuted, and one man was executed.

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White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders responded by saying that May and other world leaders knew that "these are real threats that we have to talk about". PTI AK MRJ AKJ MRJ

--- ENDS ---
Trump: China Must Use all Available Levers on N Korea to Curb Nuclear Program

Sputnik News

18:53 29.11.2017(updated 20:28 29.11.2017)

On Wednesday, North Korea successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), however, this event has drawn fierce criticism from around the world.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  On Wednesday, during the phone call US President Donald Trump told his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping that China must convince North Korea to stop the threats coming from the peninsula, the White House statement said. The US President also favors new sanctions to be imposed on North Korea folliwing the recent event.

"President Trump emphasized the need for China to use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today," the White House said in a press release on Wednesday.

Aditionally, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that China is ready to cooperate with the US and other parties involved in the settlement of the North Korean, denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, and preserving stability in the Northeastern Asia.

By the way, the UN Security Council is expected to hold an emergency meeting requested by the permanent missions of the United States, South Korea and Japan following Pyongyang's ballistic missile launch.

Pyongyang launched a Hwasong-15 ballistic missile on Wednesday morning local time, which flew 950 kilometers (590 miles) and reached an altitude of 4,475 kilometers before landing in the Sea of Japan. The missile traveled about 620 miles east before falling into the Sea of Japan.

North Korea's latest missile test, which came after more than two months of inactivity, is widely viewed as a further provocation and has drawn condemnation from the United States, Japan, South Korea, China and Russia.

North Korea has been conducting its missile and nuclear tests in violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. The last missile test before the 29 November launch took place on September 15, with the missile flying over Japan before falling into the northern Pacific.

 Sputnik

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Kim Jong Un Says N Korea Achieved 'Historic Success' in Nuclear Armament

Sputnik News

12:35 29.11.2017(updated 13:19 29.11.2017)

Earlier in the day, Pyongyang confirmed it had tested the Hwasong-15 ballistic missile, which is capable of reaching targets throughout the United States.

TOKYO (Sputnik)  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the Tuesday night test of a ballistic missile.

"Personally watching the successful test of the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, comrade Kim Jong Un expressed high appreciation for the test, saying that today a historic success was achieved in the completion of the state's nuclear armament," North Korean state television relayed.

The North Korean Embassy in Moscow stated that North Korea's Hwasong-15 ballistic missile is "equipped with a system of weapons capable of loading an extremely large heavy nuclear warhead and striking the entire mainland part of the United States."

Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters that the missile flew about 1,000 kilometers (some 621 miles), causing no damage while falling into the Sea of Japan. According to Onodera, Japan believes the missile could have reached an altitude of over 4,000 kilometers.

The situation on the Korean Peninsula has been escalating since the beginning of the year due to Pyongyang's missile and nuclear tests, all conducted in violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

 Sputnik

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Moscow Condemns N Korea's Missile Launch, Considers it Provocation - Kremlin

Sputnik News

11:15 29.11.2017(updated 14:47 29.11.2017)

After the DPRK announced that it had tested a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile, Russia and China condemned it and France proposed to strengthen sanctions against North Korea.

PARIS (Sputnik)  Kremlin has denounced the decision of the DPRK to proceed with ICBM testing, and hopes that other parties to the conflict will be able to remain calm, so as not to worsen the situation, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Moscow still does not see any reason for significant optimism in implementing the proposed "road map" for resolving the situation around the DPRK, Peskov added.

"We urge North Korea to stop the nuclear and missile tests, and the United States and the Republic of Korea  to refrain from carrying out unplanned air forces drills, unprecedented in scale and scheduled for December this year, since it will only exacerbate the situation, which is already explosive," the Russian Foreign Ministry press release read.

China has expressed extreme concern over North Korea's latest missile test, and has urged Pyongyang to comply with UN Security Council resolutions, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Wednesday.

Earlier, Russia and China offered North Korea the option to declare a moratorium on nuclear tests and missile launches, and suggested that South Korea and the United States refrain from conducting exercises in the region to stabilize the situation on the peninsula, but Washington ignored this initiative.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian strongly denounced North Korea's latest missile test, urging for the strengthening of sanctions against Pyongyang.

"I strongly condemn the missile launch which North Korea carried out today. France is expressing its solidarity with Japan and South Korea in the face of this threat I reiterate my conviction that the time has come to increase pressure and sanctions [against Pyongyang]," Le Drian said in a statement.

North Korea has demonstrated by carrying out the latest missile test that it poses a threat to the stability of the entire region, German government deputy spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said Wednesday.

She added that the latest missile launch was "a violation of the relevant UN resolution and provocation for the entire international community."

On Wednesday, North Korea conducted a new missile launch. The missile traveled about 620 miles east before falling into the Sea of Japan. Pyongyang later announced in an official statement that this was an intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-15.

North Korea has been conducting its missile and nuclear tests in violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. The last missile test before the 29 November launch took place on September 15, with the missile flying over Japan before falling into the northern Pacific.

 Sputnik

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US Imposing Yet More Sanctions on N. Korea in Response to Latest ICBM Test

By Steve Herman November 29, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States would respond to North Korea's latest intercontinental ballistic missile test flight by slapping more sanctions on Pyongyang.

Trump mentioned new "major sanctions" in a tweet and said they would be unveiled later in the day. Administration officials declined to provide details when asked by reporters.

Later, however, a State Department spokeswoman said details on a "new level" of maritime interdiction for North Korea was being worked out.

"We want to do everything we can to put maximum pressure on North Korea," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in response to a question from VOA about whether the administration thought the new sanctions would be effective. "We're going to continue doing that in every way possible  both diplomatically, economically, and working with our partners and allies and ask them to step up and do more in this process as well."

In a tweet Wednesday, Trump said he had spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the "provocative actions" of North Korea. He again vowed that the "situation will be handled," but did not elaborate.

"President Trump underscored the determination of the United States to defend ourselves and our allies from the growing threat posed by the North Korean regime," the White House said in a statement on the call with Xi.

The readout also said Trump "emphasized the need for China to use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization."

Speaking to reporters on the way to Missouri on Air Force One, White House principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah declared "the North Korean threat is very grave" following Pyongyang's claim it tested a Hwasong-15 missile "tipped with a super-large heavy warhead which is capable of striking the whole mainland of the U.S."

The missile reached an altitude of 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles)  more than 10 times higher than orbit of the International Space Station  before splashing into Japan's exclusive economic zone east of the Korean Peninsula, about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from its launch site.

The test represented a key accomplishment for Pyongyang's missile program, showing it can send rockets higher and farther than ever before, according to U.S. officials and analysts.

"It went higher, frankly, than any previous shot they have taken," U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Tuesday. "It's a research-and- development effort on their part to continue building ballistic missiles that can threaten everywhere in the world, basically."

Each missile launch or atomic weapons test by Pyongyang highlights the risks of a very dangerous nuclear flashpoint, according to Robert Manning, a senior fellow on international security at the Atlantic Council, a global affairs policy research group.

"The North Korean nuclear problem is part of a larger Korea question, the last vestige of the Cold War," said Manning. "It holds the potential to reshape geopolitics in East Asia toward either a more cooperative future or a confrontational one. The risks of nuclear war and proliferation, chaos in North Korea, and how the eventual reunification of the Korean Peninsula occurs are likely to have a transformative impact on U.S.-Chinese relations, U.S. alliances with the Republic of Korea and Japan, and the strategic equation in the region and beyond."

The U.N. Security Council was to convene an emergency meeting later Wednesday to discuss the incident. The body has imposed repeated rounds of sanctions on the North in response to its nuclear and missile tests.

The ranking Democratic member on the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff of California, noting that North Korea will soon be capable of delivering a nuclear weapon to American shores, said "it's well past time" for the administration to use whatever diplomatic strategy it has.

"And if they do not, they need to develop one fast, as the military options are nothing short of disastrous," he said Wednesday.

That sentiment was echoed by the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

"Yesterday, the bluster continued as the president uttered his third 'red line' to address the North Korea nuclear challenge, but so far has failed to put in place the people or strategy that could do just that," said Representative Eliot Engel of New York.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, asked Wednesday how much more time he was willing to give to the pressure campaign, replied in regard to the diplomatic approach, "We keep working on it every day."

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Defense minister: New frigate to join Iranian Navy soon

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Nov 29, IRNA -- Iran's Minister of Defense said on Wednesday that a new frigate will join the Iranian Navy in the Caspian Sea next week.

Speaking to reporters, Brigadier-General Amir Hatami said that the frigate which is of Peykan Class will be launched next Monday or next Tuesday.

Iran's defense capability is a legitimate one aimed at self-defense like many other countries, the minister said, adding, 'We have repeatedly said that we will not negotiate over our defensive capability.'

Hatami reiterated that Iran will intensify its defensive capability with all its power.

Asked to comment about the probable participation of Iran and Russia in restoration of Syria's defensive capability, he said that the same meaure will be in line with continued war against terrorism which will include all areas, including the defensive area.

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Iran Navy unveils range of newly-developed equipment

Iran Press TV

Wed Nov 29, 2017 09:39AM

The Islamic Republic of Iran's Navy has unveiled a range of newly-developed equipment, including prominently the Middle East's biggest training warship and indigenous torpedo fuel.

The achievements were unveiled in the presence of Brigadier General Mohammad Hossein Dadras, the Army's second-in-command on Wednesday.

The ceremony witnessed the unveiling of Otto fuel, which is combustible in the absence of oxygen, enabling the underwater propulsion of torpedoes. Torpedoes thus-propelled can be extended in range toward higher operational capability. The technology for the fuel's production had so far been monopolized by the United States.

The conceptual and engineering design of the Persian Gulf training warship was also unveiled during the ceremony. The 135-meter-long and 16-meter-wide vessel is to be outfitted with the Navy's latest technologies and equipment and can carry as many as 230 trainees.

Other advancements included the Mersad Project, featuring the designing and development of a comprehensive system needed for the testing of lightweight anti-submersible torpedoes; the Ra'd missile system's testing mechanism, a sea-based missile system that can be used against all types of floating and flying targets.

The Damavand remote-controlled vessel fitted with anti-electronic warfare equipment was also unveiled. During combat, the vessel can be released from its naval unit and used to jam enemy radar, sonar, and fire control systems.

Nano material used for the covering the surface of vessels and naval equipment was also showcased. Application of such material helps reduce maintenance costs and contributes to the endurance of the objects it is used on.

Tuesday was Iran's National Navy Day. During a meeting with Navy commanders and personnel on the day, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei hailed Iran's naval defense achievements, underlining the need for the Navy to speed up its progress in various fields.

The Leader said the Navy was "on the frontline" of defending the nation, and stressed the necessity of enhancing its combat readiness and military equipment.

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Top Suspect In U.S. Iran Sanctions Case Pleads Guilty, Will Testify

RFE/RL November 29, 2017

A wealthy Turkish-Iranian businessman has pleaded guilty to charges that he helped Iran evade U.S. sanctions and will testify in a sanctions case which U.S. prosecutors said implicates high-level officials in both Turkey and Iran.

Reza Zarrab will take the witness stand to detail a conspiracy that was "so large that it was protected by government ministers in Turkey and Iran," Assistant U.S. Attorney David Denton said as the trial of Zarrab's co-defendant, Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla, opened on November 28 in New York.

Denton said Zarrab will reveal how he and Atilla laundered Iranian oil and gas revenues through the U.S. banking system in violation of U.S. sanctions while giving bribes and kickbacks to high-level officials to cover up the scheme.

Court documents unsealed on November 28 showed that Zarrab, 34, pleaded guilty to bank fraud, money laundering, and other charges secretly on October 26.

The documents say that in 2012, he met with top officials in Iran and Turkey -- "including the then-governor of the Central Bank of Iran and the then-finance director of the National Iranian Oil Company" -- to discuss transferring Iranian natural gas proceeds to a Turkish bank and bribing a bank executive.

Denton said Zarrab and his co-conspirators also used other schemes to help Iran buy gold, which was then smuggled to Dubai and sold for U.S. dollars or other currencies.

Iran is prohibited from using U.S. dollars or American financial institutions under U.S. sanctions law.

Some transactions prohibited by sanctions were disguised as purchases of food, which fell under a humanitarian exemption to the sanctions regime, Denton said.

Denton said Zarrab has accepted responsibility for "busting sanctions and laundering money," and he now will "tell the inside story and expose the truth behind all those elaborate lies" told to cover up the scheme.

In his opening statement, Attila's defense attorney, Victor Rocco, attacked Zarrab's credibility, portraying him as a sophisticated con man.

Zarrab's cooperation agreement was a "deal of a lifetime" that won him release from a U.S. jail and a "shortcut back to his lavish life," Rocco said.

Rocco said Zarrab has been "squirreled away somewhere with FBI agents in some unknown place," waiting to testify as early as November 29.

Zarrab and many of the eight other named defendants in the case have close ties with the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has repeatedly called on the United States to release Zarrab, who was arrested last year.

Turkey's deputy prime minister recently called Zarrab, who was born in Iran but has Turkish citizenship and is married to Turkish pop star Ebru Gundes, a "hostage" who is being forced to testify against Turkey's government.

Meanwhile, on November 28, a Turkish prosecutor issued warrants for the detention of two citizens who reportedly are cooperating with U.S. prosecutors.

U.S. prosecutors said the scheme in the New York sanctions trial was originally uncovered by Turkish police and led to Zarrab's arrest in Turkey in 2013 in an investigation that involved several top Erdogan lieutenants and Halkbank, the state bank.

Turkey later dropped the charges, and Ankara now claims they were "fabricated." But U.S. prosecutor Denton said the charges were dropped because bribes were paid to top Turkish officials and led to a purge of Turkish law enforcement and the jailing of some investigators.

"While bribes got rid of the case, they could not get rid of the evidence," Denton said, noting that Zarrab had wiretapped some conversations. "They did not see the light of the day, until now, until this trial in New York," he said.

Atilla, 47, a former top executive at Halkbank, was the architect of an effort to dupe U.S. banks into letting Iran move money around the world and blow "a billion-dollar hole in U.S. economic sanctions," Denton said.

Rocco countered by saying the real mastermind was Zarrab, who he said made "hundreds of millions of dollars he used to buy jets and yachts and people."

Zarrab is "a liar, a cheat, a corrupter of men...a one-man crime wave," Rocco said.

By contrast, his client Atilla "is not corrupt," he told the jury. "He took no bribes. He is a hard-working person like all of you."

Earlier this year, Zarrab hired former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, in a failed effort to broker a diplomatic settlement of the case.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/top-suspect-us-iran-sanctions- case-zarrab-pleads-guilty-will-testify-atilla-case- erdogan-new-york-trial/28885453.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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British PM reaffirms support for united Iraq, urges KRG to respect unity

Iran Press TV

Wed Nov 29, 2017 05:31PM

British Prime Minister Theresa May has reiterated her government's support for the territorial integrity and unity of Iraq, calling on officials from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region to protect the Arab country's national unity.

May "affirmed her support for Iraq's unity" and called on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to "respect a united Iraq in all fields," Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi quoted the 61-year-old British politician as saying in a news conference in Baghdad on Wednesday.

She said, through a translator, that she wanted to see "a united and inclusive Iraq."

The Iraqi Kurdistan region held a referendum on secession on September 25 despite strong opposition from the central government in Baghdad, the international community and Iraq's neighboring countries, especially Turkey and Iran.

Following the vote, Baghdad imposed a ban on direct international flights to the Kurdish region and called for a halt to its independent crude oil sales.

The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) has called on KRG authorities to abide by a top court ruling that declared the recent secession referendum in northern Iraq unconstitutional.

The UN mission also demanded that Baghdad and Erbil engage in negotiations without delay within the framework of the constitution and discuss issues ranging from the control of borders and the reopening of airports to the federal budget, the payment of salaries and the management of oil exports.

Abadi and May also discussed British investments in Iraq on Wednesday. The British prime minister pledged to provide 20 million pounds ($26.8 million) in support of human rights, and another 30 million pounds ($40.32 million) for stabilization efforts and reforms.

Back in March, Britain agreed to arrange 10 billion pounds in loans to finance infrastructure projects in Iraq over a period of 10 year. The program would only benefit British companies.

"We will continue to support Iraq as a partner in order to enforce security, building, and stability, as well as in training Iraqi forces and efforts to return the displaced," May pointed out.

Abadi, for his part, praised further expansion of relations between Baghdad and London.

"Iraqi-British relations are witnessing a marked improvement. We thank the British government for its support of Iraq in all fields, chiefly cooperation against terrorism, air support, and intelligence," he stated.

The Iraqi prime minister noted that Britain had helped his country on the issue of internally displaced persons in the wake of the onslaught by Daesh Takfiri terrorists, and the subsequent campaign by Iraqi government forces to dislodge the extremists.

The British government announced in September that there were around 600 British soldiers on the ground in Iraq.

They are primarily involved in training Iraqi security forces in infantry, engineering and combat medical techniques, as well as defusing improvised explosive devices.

Britain reportedly provided over 1,400 military personnel to the so-called US-led coalition against Daesh.

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UN sets deadline for Myanmar to report on Rohingya women, girls

Iran Press TV

Wed Nov 29, 2017 09:52AM

A United Nations (UN) women's rights panel has called on Myanmar's authorities to provide a report within six months on abuses against Rohingya Muslim women and girls in the Southeast Asian country.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) set the six-month deadline for Myanmar to submit the report to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The UN watchdog panel requested "information concerning cases of sexual violence, including rape, against Rohingya women and girls by state security forces, and to provide details on the number of women and girls who have been killed or have died due to other non-natural causes during the latest outbreak of violence."

The panel, composed of 23 independent experts, said it also wanted to know how many Rohingya women and girls were being held by security forces.

It also requested information on "investigations, arrests, prosecutions, convictions and sentences or disciplinary measures imposed on perpetrators, including members of the armed forces, found guilty of such crimes."

A panel member, Nahla Haidar, said on Tuesday that the "exceptional report is also like a red flag" that is aimed to help Myanmar authorities "get out of the tunnel of this recent conflict."

Myanmar's military launched a brutal crackdown on the Muslim community late last year. Joined by Buddhist mobs, soldiers have been raping, killing, and torturing the minority Muslims. Since intensifying in August, the crackdown has forced more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, where they also face an inhospitable environment.

The Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh live in squalid and cramped camps, which are surrounded by garbage and dirty water, in a border town named Cox's Bazaar. Citing the refugees, Reuters reported that they faced disease epidemic due to the unhygienic conditions.

"A lot of people get sick here because of the prevailing atmosphere at the camps where there is no space for fresh air, no clean water supply," said an elderly Rohingya man. "Added to all this is the lack of food and so much of dirt and filth present all around. All these things lead to disease and death."

Another camp resident explained that "a lot of refugees got sick during the journey from Myanmar and died after reaching Bangladesh."

"Some carried their wounds and injuries from the violence out there and succumbed to those injuries here," he added.

According to the report, the victims of the camps' dire condition are mostly children.

Pope Francis, who has been on a visit to Myanmar since Monday, is expected to arrive in Bangladesh for a three-day visit.

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India to Deploy Additional 6000 Border Guards to Stop Influx of Rohingyas

Sputnik News

19:30 29.11.2017(updated 19:35 29.11.2017)

At least five battalions (1200 troops per battalion) of India's Border Security Force (BSF) will be raised to police the border with Bangladesh. The BSF claims to have apprehended 87 Rohingyas up to 31 October this year, out of which 76 were sent back to Bangladesh.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  India plans to deploy an additional 6000 border security guards along the porous border with Bangladesh to curb the influx of Rohingya Muslims.

India has adopted the approach of pushing back the illegal immigrants instead of arresting them.

"The Rohingya issue is a complicated one. Our policy is to push them back and not arrest them. If we arrest anyone trying to infiltrate into India, then they become a liability and then there has to be a process of identifying them. So we just push them back," KK Sharma, Director General, BSF said at a press conference in New Delhi.

India has been extra cautious of the possible spillover of the estimated one million Rohingyas who have currently taken refuge in Bangladesh after fleeing persecution in Myanmar.

The unavailability of basic amenities in the refugee camps at Bangladesh's Cox Bazaar is considered the main reason behind the Rohingyas trying to infiltrate into the Indian territory. The Indian states of Jammu & Kashmir, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have witnessed a huge influx of Rohingya Muslims in recent times.

The BSF has also been battling agents who facilitate the entry of Rohingyas inside India in lieu of money.

"Agents facilitate their cross-border movement and ensure safe arrival at their destination in lieu of some financial amount. Most of the Rohingyas go to Jammu because some Rohingyas have already been staying there for the last few years," the BSF said in a statement.

According to official estimates, there are currently around 40,000 Rohingya Muslims in India. The Indian Government plans to deport them to Myanmar but the final action is pending approval by the country's top court which is hearing a petition filed against the move.

 Sputnik

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UP, the country's largest state, reported the highest number of cases of murder - 4,889 - accounting for 16.1 per cent followed by Bihar where 2,581 (8.4 per cent) murders.

By PTI, Press Trust of India: Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of heinous crimes such as murder and those against women in 2016, according to the data of the National Crime Records Bureau released today.

UP, the country's largest state, reported the highest number of cases of murder - 4,889 - accounting for 16.1 per cent followed by Bihar where 2,581 (8.4 per cent) murders took place last year.

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UP registered 14.5 per cent (49,262 cases) of total cases of crime against women followed by West Bengal 9.6 per cent (32,513 cases) during 2016.

Rape cases recorded an increase of 12.4 per cent from 34,651 cases in the country in 2015 to 38,947 in 2016.

Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh reported the highest incidence of rape with 4,882 cases (12.5 per cent) and 4,816 (12.4 per cent) followed by Maharashtra 4,189 (10.7 per cent) last year, the NCRB data said.

UP recorded 9.5 per cent of the total IPC crime reporter in the country followed by Madhya Pradesh (8.9 per cent), Maharashtra (8.8 per cent) and Kerala (8.7 per cent).

A total of 37,37,870 people were arrested in the country in 2016 for various crimes while a total of 32,71,262 people were chargesheeted, 7,94,616 were convicted and 11,48,824 people were acquitted or discharged.

--- ENDS ---
Haqqani Network Remains Primary Source of Pakistan-US Tensions

By Ayaz Gul November 29, 2017

Just days before U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is scheduled to visit Pakistan for crucial talks, the top American general in Afghanistan has alleged the Pakistani spy agency continues to maintain ties with the Haqqani terrorist network and allows Taliban leaders to operate out of havens in the country.

Pakistani officials have promptly rejected as "nothing new" the charges made by General John Nicholson, who commands U.S. troops and NATO's Resolute Support Afghan mission.

Speaking via video phone Tuesday from his Kabul base, the general told Pentagon reporters while "tactical-level" leadership of the Taliban is in the field in Afghanistan, "senior leadership" of the insurgency still resides in Pakistan. It is believed the leadership is in Quetta and Peshawar.

"They [Pakistanis] identified certain steps that they were going to take. We have not yet seen those steps play out ... we have not seen those changes implemented yet," Nicholson said. He was referring to talks U.S. officials have held with Pakistani counterparts since President Donald Trump announced his strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia.

Trump denounced Pakistan for what he said was its support of terrorist groups and urged the country to enhance cooperation with U.S. efforts to stabilize Afghanistan.

A senior Pakistani military official, when contacted by VOA for his reaction, said Pakistan "has been rejecting such allegations and some have been leveled again." The official requested anonymity, saying an official government response is being formulated.

A spokesman for the provincial government in Quetta, capital of southwestern Baluchistan province, while responding to the U.S. general's allegations asserted they are based on "conjectures" and are not helpful in achieving regional peace.

"Any actionable intelligence if shared with authorities on Pakistan side, our security forces will promptly act, as it is primarily in our interest to fight menace of terrorism," Anwar-ul Haq Kakar told VOA.

Nicholson replied Tuesday, when asked whether Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has ended its support for the Haqqani network.

"The chairman of the joint chiefs and the secretary of defense were asked these questions on the Hill recently. I think they affirmed that those relationships still exist. So, I would leave at that and I concur with their assessment," the general said.

The assertions, analysts say, show Washington is not "satisfied" with Islamabad's claims of dismantling terrorist infrastructure linked to Afghan war on Pakistani soil, and Haqqani network's activities are expected to dominate discussions Mattis will hold with Pakistani leaders.

U.S. officials have not yet announced dates for his visit, but Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said last week Mattis will be in Islamabad on December 3.

The United States designated the Pakistan-based Haqqani network as a terrorist organization in 2012 after the then-top U.S. military officer, Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, told Congress the network was a "veritable arm" of the ISI directorate.

Pakistan military and civilian officials maintain the country has no links to insurgent groups in Afghanistan, saying "neither Haqqanis nor Taliban need sanctuaries" on Pakistani soil when more than 40 percent of Afghan territory has been "rendered ungoverned" after militant advances in recent years.

Nicholson noted on Tuesday the Afghan government controls about 64 percent of the population, the Taliban controls about 12 percent of the population and the other 24 percent live in contested areas.

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Pakistani Military's Mediation to End Protest Raises Questions About Political Interference

By Paul Alexander November 29, 2017

The Pakistan army's mediation role in ending a disruptive and deadly 20-day protest in the capital has sparked allegations that the powerful military is again going beyond its limits at a time of tense relations with the country's civilian government.

Supporters of the small Tehreek-i-Labaik party had been camped out for the last three weeks, demanding the resignation of a law minister over an omitted reference in a parliamentary bill that Prophet Muhammad is the last prophet in Islam.

The minister, Zahid Hamid, apologized for the omission, saying it was a clerical error that was later corrected.

Some say the deal Pakistan's government struck with the Islamist group Monday to end the protest represented a complete capitulation to all of the protesters' demands  including the resignation of Hamid  and then some. The protest leader claimed the army had yielded on issues that hadn't even been on the list of demands.

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal justified the deal in a tweet, saying it "was not desirable but there was little choice because if situation had persisted another 24 hours there would be riots."

Court and media criticism

During a hearing on the case Monday, a top judge of the Islamabad High Court, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddique, lashed out at the government and the army for not playing their constitutional roles and said the civil administration had been "stabbed in the back."

"How long is the state going to bear all this?" Siddique asked. "Who is the army to adopt a mediator's role?"

Government officials said they were presented with a done deal that they had no choice but to sign to avoid riots that could have spun out of control.

The Dawn newspaper called the deal "a devastating blow to the legitimacy and moral standing of the government and all state institutions."

"It is a surrender so abject that the mind is numb and the heart sinks," Dawn said in an editorial. "In one brief page and six gut-wrenching points, the state of Pakistan has surrendered its authority to a mob that threatened to engulf the country in flames."

In addition to raising questions about who really holds power in a country where the army has staged coups and otherwise interfered repeatedly in civilian affairs, the end of the protest was in line with Pakistan's increasingly conservative path in which all religions are being marginalized behind mainstream Islam with a blasphemy law used to suppress dissent.

Khadim Hussain, a Pakistani author on militancy, told VOA Deewa that the military's direct role in defusing the Islamists' protest shows its political ambitions and "shows its motive of destabilizing the civilian government."

Religious parties protest

The protest began when members of three religious political parties began a sit-in at the Faizabad Interchange, which connects the two busiest highways between Islamabad, the capital, and the garrison city of Rawalpindi. The roads were closed, and the main bus service was shut down.

The protest focused on a change to election law that had required candidates to "declare an oath" on the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat  the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad. The words "on oath" were omitted in what government officials called a clerical error, and they were restored.

After the demonstrators defied officials' calls and court orders to disperse, the Islamabad High Court ordered their eviction "by any means necessary."

Subsequent negotiations failed, and the protesters were given until Saturday morning to leave.

When the deadline passed, the government ordered a police operation to clear the area that left up to six dead and dozens injured. Protests broke out in other cities and more protesters rushed to Faizabad. Most private TV networks and social media sites were shut down.

The government then called the army for help, but it refused to use force. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Qamar Bajwa told Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi that public trust in the army "can't be compromised for little gains." He then became the chief negotiator, spawning the agreement and the end of most of the unrest Monday.

The terms of the agreement included blanket immunity for all those arrested during the crackdown, compensation for the protesters and public funds to pay for the property damage that they caused.

"The government has been humiliated and the military leadership has further improved its standing with sections of the public for helping end the protests  but at what cost to the country and its people?" the Dawn editorial asked. "A menacing precedent has been set by the protesters that will surely embolden others and invite copycats. It is no exaggeration to suggest that no one is safe."

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Syrian negotiators arrive in Geneva for new round of peace talks

Iran Press TV

Wed Nov 29, 2017 02:12PM

The Syrian government's negotiation team has arrived in Geneva to join United Nations-backed peace talks with the Saudi-backed opposition's representatives to end the years-long conflict in the Arab country.

Headed by Syria's UN ambassador and chief negotiator, Bashar al-Ja'afari, the delegation touched down in the Swiss city on Wednesday, a day after the talks began.

The intentional delay came after the opposition's call for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's removal as a prerequisite for the negotiations.

The UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said the talks provided both sides with a chance to negotiate directly for the first time.

"We are going to offer it. We will see if this takes place. But we will be offering that," the UN official said after meeting the opposition's representatives on Tuesday.

They told the UN envoy during the closed-door meeting that they remained ready for face-to-face talks with the government, something sources say Syria has not yet accepted.

Defying calls for moderation, Nasr al-Hariri, the head of the opposition's so-called High Negotiations Committee (HNC), claimed that his side believed in Assad's ouster as a "precondition."

This is while de Mistura had stressed on Monday that no "preconditions by either party" would be accepted for the talks.

Hariri was selected as the chief HNC negotiator during a conference in Saudi Arabia on Friday, succeeding Riyad al-Hijab, who quit shortly before the opposition forum in Riyadh.

De Mistura had earlier said he wanted the parties to focus on Syria's new constitution and UN-supervised elections.

He expressed hope that the Geneva talks would eventually enable the warring sides to launch a "genuine" political process to end the six-year battle, which has killed hundreds of thousands while displacing millions more.

There has been little progress over the past seven rounds due to opposition's insistence on Assad's removal.

In a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on November 20, the Syrian head of state said he was "ready for dialogue with all those who want to come up with a political settlement."

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Syrian Government to Join Geneva Peace Talks

By VOA News November 29, 2017

Syrian government negotiators have arrived in Geneva to join United Nations-led peace talks aimed at ending nearly seven years of fighting.

The talks began Tuesday with U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura meeting with the opposition delegation. He said afterward the two sides would have a chance for direct negotiations in Geneva.

"We are going to offer it. We will see if this takes place. But we will be offering that," he said.

Syria's state-run SANA news agency said the delayed arrival for the government delegation was due to the opposition's demand that President Bashar al-Assad step down as part of any political transition.

That issue has lingered as a sticking point in years of U.N. attempts to get the government and rebels to agree on a roadmap for Syria's future.

De Mistura said ahead of the talks he believes it is possible for the two sides to narrow their differences as they negotiate under a framework approved by the U.N. Security Council that calls for a new constitution and elections; but, he reiterated his mediation team will not accept either side entering the talks with preconditions.

"This crisis, one of the worst in the history of the United Nations, now has the potential to move toward a genuine political process," the envoy said."We see the emergence of international consensus, and we must begin to stitch the process into concrete results, enabling Syrians to determine their own future freely."

University of New South Wales senior lecturer Anthony Billingsley said with the gains the Syrian military has made with the backing of Russia and Iran, rebel hopes of toppling Assad are not realistic at this point.

"Everybody apart from some of the opposition groups, and perhaps the U.S., has accepted that Assad need not necessarily go," Billingsley told VOA. "So there's a fundamental problem there if the Geneva talks are going to make any progress."

'Starve and surrender' strategy

The Syrian government, meanwhile, agreed Tuesday to a cease-fire in rebel-controlled Eastern Ghouta, according to de Mistura.

The town east of Damascus is among the last remaining opposition strongholds in Syria and one of four "de-escalation zones" that were established to reduce violence. Residents have been under siege by pro-Assad forces since mid-2013. In the past two weeks, the military has intensified its bombing of the area.

U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said Wednesday that he is "extremely worried" about severe food shortages there.

"Despite efforts made to reach them, only 100,000 people out of an estimated population of 400,000 in the enclave have received food assistance this year," he told Security Council members. "And those people are only getting occasional one-off deliveries."

"The available evidence suggests severe acute malnutrition rates among children in Eastern Ghouta have increased five-fold in the past 10 months," Lowcock warned. The U.N. Children's agency, UNICEF, says such rates this month in Eastern Ghouta are the highest recorded since the beginning of the nearly seven-year long war.

"The Syrian regime is pummeling a population of starving, desperate people," U.S. envoy Michele Sison told council members. "It's the latest version of the Assad regime's despicable starve and surrender strategy," she added, accusing the regime of seeking domination, not peace.

"Civilians in Eastern Ghouta are actually under an internal siege imposed by the different armed organizations present there and which are being supported by member states  by permanent members of this council," Syrian deputy U.N. Ambassador Mounzer Mounzer said, dismissing accusations against his government.

The fighting in Syria began after the government cracked down on peaceful anti-Assad protests in 2011, eventually leading to a multi-party conflict that has left more than 400,000 people dead and 13 million in need of humanitarian assistance.

Margaret Besheer and Victor Beattie contributed to this report.

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Turkey issues arrest warrant for 360 over links to failed coup

Iran Press TV

Wed Nov 29, 2017 09:53AM

Turkish prosecutors have issued arrest warrant for 360 military personnel and civilians over their alleged links to last year's failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The warrants were issued against 333 soldiers, most of whom still on active duty, as well as 27 civilian suspects of being so-called "secret imams" who allegedly directed supporters of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen within Turkey's armed forces, state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Wednesday.

The operation to arrest the suspects is still underway, the report said.

Gulen runs an extensive network of international education and religious programs with branches in Turkey and several other countries. The cleric, a former ally of Erdogan, has denied any involvement in the coup that left more than 250 people dead.

He has said on several occasions that the post-coup crackdown, in which more than 50,000 people have been jailed and around 150,000 others dismissed from their jobs, was an attempt to consolidate Erdogan's grip on power.

Rights groups and European governments have repeatedly criticized Ankara for the continued crackdown, saying it has mainly targeted dissent. They also censure a simultaneous push by Turkey against the country's Kurdish population.

Erdogan's government maintains that Gulen's network has deeply infiltrated Turkey's judiciary, army, schools and other institutions, saying the purges are the only way to neutralize what he calls the threat posed by coup plotters.

Ankara also dismisses allegations of unjust treatment of the Kurds, saying many of those arrested have had links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party and have helped militants carry out attacks against civilians and security forces across the country over the past years.



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Turkey's Love Affair with Saudi Arabia On the Rocks

By Dorian Jones November 29, 2017

A deal signed by Turkish and Iranian ministers Sunday to enhance efforts to break Saudi Arabian trade sanctions against Qatar, is only the latest move by Ankara against Riyadh. The two once close allies are increasingly finding themselves on opposing sides in the region.

"There is this fear [by Turkey] an axis is developing between Saudi Arabia, [the United States], and Israel in the region definitely," said Haldun Solmazturk, head of 21st Century Turkey Institute, an Ankara based research organization.

Saudi Arabia's increasingly tough stance against Iran has been matched by Turkey's increasing cooperation with Iran.

Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared the frequency of meetings with his Russian and Iranian counterparts to cooperate over Syria would increase.

Tougher Saudi policy

Turkey's gravitation towards Iran is in part a reaction to Saudi Arabia's more assertive foreign policy under Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

"Prince Salman has more aspiration in the region, even to cooperate with Israel and Egypt," notes international relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle Eastern Technical University, "This alliance supported by America is automatically against Turkish policy in the Middle East, Turkey is excluded, Turkey is isolated in the Middle East."

The Saudi's assertive new policy is a personal blow to the Turkish president. Erdogan's roots are in political Islam and he has devoted much of his 15 years in power to deepening relations with Riyadh, "President Erdogan was the most closest one [Turkish leader] to Saudi Arabia's ideology, this is why he is considered an Islamist prime minister and president and now with Saudi Arabia's growing influence in the region we see how disappointed Erdogan is, he bet on the wrong horse," Bagci claims.

Bagci an international relations professor who has informally advised Erdogan on foreign affairs, says the Turkish president's disappointment is exacerbated by the unprecedented lengths he went to court the Saudis.

"When the King of Saudi Arabia visited Turkey, Erdogan and the then Turkish President Abdullah Gul, visited the king [at his hotel] and this was one the mistakes of foreign policy and this one [of the] biggest concessions ever to Saudi Arabia," Bagci says. Erdogan was strongly condemned by opposition parties for ignoring traditional diplomatic protocol where by a visiting head of state goes to the country's leader's residence.

Morsi's ouster

The start of the unraveling in Saudi Turkish relations, analysts claim, can be traced back to the ousting of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi.

"It goes back to the coup in Egypt," says political columnist Semih Idiz of Al Monitor website, "Islamists in Turkey discovering the land of Wahhabism fundamentalism is behind a secular coup in Egypt and they can't make sense of it and had to attack it."

Erdogan, a close ally of Morsi, was in the forefront of condemning the coup. He continues to uses the four finger sign of Rabbia, used by Morsi supporters as a gesture of solitary.

Ankara not only blamed Riyadh for the coup, but also what was perceived as the tacit support of Washington. According to Idiz, the suspicion the two countries are increasingly seeking to shape the region, was exacerbated by the Crown Prince Salman declaration of seeking to adopt a "moderate Islamic" approach to his country and the region.

"In Turkey the notion of moderate islam is a trip wire [alarm sign] ever since former Secretary of State Colin Powell referred to Turkey as a moderate Islamic republic. This idea of moderate Islam as an American inspired project to control the region has very much taken hold in Ankara," notes Idiz.

"Islam cannot be either 'moderate' or 'not moderate.' Islam can only be one thing," Erdogan said earlier this month. "Recently the concept of 'moderate Islam' has received attention. But the patent of this concept originated in the West," he added.

Economic cost

But the price for Ankara's falling out with Riyadh is likely not to be cheap. Turkey was richly rewarded for a decade of unprecedented close ties with the kingdom, with it becoming a major investor in the Turkish economy. The latest official figures placed Saudis as first among foreign buyers of Turkish residences.

Saudi Arabia was seen by Erdogan as a key player in his efforts dilute the economic dependence on European investment. Analysts warn such plans will need to be reassessed, "Substantial foreign direct investment from Saudi Arabia is not going to happen, it's an illusion," warns political consultant Atilla Yesilada, of the New York based Global Source Partners.

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Larry Nassar, 54, appeared in Michigan's Eaton County Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to three felony counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct.

By Reuters: Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor, pleaded guilty in a Michigan court on Wednesday to additional counts of criminal sexual conduct for assaulting girls under the guise of medical treatment, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said.

Nassar, 54, appeared in Michigan's Eaton County Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to three felony counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct.

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He did not make a statement beyond briefly answering the judge's questions, according to The Detroit News. Nassar's attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Nassar was the team physician for the Michigan State University gymnastics and women's crew teams, as well as an associate professor at MSU's College of Osteopathic Medicine. He served as the USA Gymnastics physician through four Olympic Games.

Last week, Nassar pleaded guilty in nearby Ingham County to seven felony counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct despite his earlier denials of wrongdoing.

Wednesday's guilty pleas put an end to criminal sexual conduct charges brought by the Michigan Attorney General's office against Nassar in Eaton and Ingham counties.

The Eaton County sentencing hearing will be held on Jan. 31.

The Ingham County sentencing hearing will be held on Jan. 12 when all of the 125 reported victims or their parents will be allowed to give victim impact statements.

Last week's plea deal with prosecutors calls for a minimum prison sentence of 25 years but the judge could set the minimum as high as 40 years.

Nassar's plea deal follows claims by two of the United States' most decorated gymnasts, Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas, that they had been sexually abused by the former USA Gymnastics team doctor.

Three-times Olympic gold medalist Douglas earlier this month said she was sexually abused by Nassar while Raisman, also a three-times gold medalist, made similar allegations in an interview with CBS News program "60 Minutes."

During the Nov. 22 hearing, Nassar apologized and said it was time for his victims to begin healing, The Detroit News reported.

--- ENDS ---
Fast.com, a service by Netflix, was launched last year as a way to quickly and easily check the download speed of your internet connection. Since then, the company has generated a quarter billion speed test results from around the world.

According to some Fast.com data, the top countries using the service are the U.S., Brazil, India, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Philippines, Italy, Great Britain and Egypt. Users are evenly split between the desktop and mobile web/apps. Users test speed around the day but particularly around evening time or during network connectivity issues. In Japan, people primarily test around 9 to 11PM local time and in India around 9 to 11AM local time.

Netflix has made some minor changes to the appearance of the website. You'll notice an updated font for the speed test results. More importantly, you now get Facebook and Twitter sharing buttons that share your results with your friends. Apart from that, it's still very basic and straightforward. The updates are visible across the web, mobile web, and mobile apps.
If you were expecting to see M, MX, or Pro branding on the first flagship smartphone duo that Meizu will be launching next year, then you're in for a surprise. The phones will be called Meizu 15 and Meizu 15 Plus, to mark the fact that the Chinese company celebrates its 15-year anniversary in 2018.

This has been revealed today by none other than Meizu founder and CEO Jack Wong. Furthermore, he's shared this picture showing the box of the 15 Plus.

As you can see, the packaging doesn't give anything away about the contents, and Wong didn't out any more details about the fifteenth anniversary devices. We should expect them to become official at some point in early 2018, perhaps in the spring. February or March seem like the best bets, and now that Meizu and Qualcomm are friends again, perhaps it's not out of the question to see a Snapdragon 845 (or at least 835) powering them.

Source 1 (in Chinese) | Source 2 (in Chinese) | Via
Community-based traffic and navigation app Waze has started receiving a new update that brings some new features, including motorcycle mode, carpool lanes support, and 'OK Waze' voice commands for hands-free operation.

Lets begin with the voice command support. The hot-word OK Waze activates this feature, allowing you to request useful information or even report things like accidents and traffic conditions without using your hands, effectively making your drive safer.

For example, you can say the hot-word, followed by instructions like "take me home" or "find a gas station" or "whats my next turn?" This feature is currently only available to users in the US, UK, and Canada.

Moving on, the new motorcycle mode gives you useful information shared by other motorcyclists. Not only that, it also provides routing info for narrow roads. And lastly, the update also adds support for carpool lanes, which the company claims is a first for any navigation app (the feature is only available to users in select areas the US and Canada though).

These changes have started rolling out, and are available to users of both Android and iOS clients of the app.

Via
Daniel Day-Lewis has revealed he decided to quit acting because he no longer believes in the value of it.

The 60-year-old, who lives in Co Wicklow , announced earlier this year he would be retiring from his field after 40 years in the industry.

He has now revealed his decision came as he no longer feels passionate about the profession, and would rather use his time to explore the world in a different way.

"I need to believe in the value of what I'm doing," he said.

"The work can seem vital. Irresistible, even.

"And if an audience believes it, that should be good enough for me. But, lately, it isn't.

Shadow

"I've been interested in acting since I was 12 years old and, back then, everything other than the theatre - that box of light - was cast in shadow.

"When I began, it was a question of salvation. Now I want to explore the world in a different way."

The Lincoln actor put out a statement in June confirming his decision to step back from the spotlight, as he wanted to "draw a line" to prevent himself from getting "sucked back into" doing one last project.

He was speaking in an interview published in the Christmas issue of US fashion magazine W.

"I knew it was uncharacteristic to put out a statement but I did want to draw a line," he said.

"I didn't want to get sucked back into another project.

"All my life, I've mouthed off about how I should stop acting, and I don't know why it was different this time, but the impulse to quit took root in me and that became a compulsion.

"It was something I had to do."

Day-Lewis's statement was delivered through his spokeswoman, Leslee Dart, who told Variety magazine that the move was a private decision.

Grateful

"Daniel Day-Lewis will no longer be working as an actor," the statement said.

"He is immensely grateful to all of his collaborators and audiences over the many years.

"This is a private decision and neither he nor his representatives will make any further comment on this subject."

The Hollywood icon's final movie, Phantom Thread, is set to be released in December.
An apartment block resident who complained of "horrendous" noise coming from a neighbour's home gripped the man by the throat in an "eyeball to eyeball" confrontation.

Mark Somers (52) assaulted the man, who lived in the fourth floor apartment above him, then claimed in court the victim was a "neighbour from hell".

The victim, David Glynn, denied saying Somers was an "arrogant, imperious" Englishman, who was "telling him how to live".

He said they had never had heated words before the row on August 28, 2015.

Somers pleaded not guilty to assaulting Mr Glynn at the Metropolitan Apartments in Kilmainham. He claimed he thought Mr Glynn was going to hit him and grabbed his lapels to restrain him.

Footsteps

Judge Bryan Smyth found him guilty at Dublin District Court and adjourned the case for a victim impact statement.

After he moved in, Mr Glynn said, Somers asked if there was carpet on his floor in a "passing comment" because he could hear noise coming through.

Later, he said, Somers began complaining about footsteps or things falling on the floor.

On the day of the assault, Mr Glynn was getting something from his car when Somers was in his own car. The defendant asked if there was any news about him getting carpets.

Mr Glynn told Somers he did not think it was appropriate for him to bang on the ceiling with a brush. Somers became very annoyed and abusive and Mr Glynn told him to back off.

"I said he was an ignorant expletive," said Mr Glynn. "He thought I said he was an English expletive and he became more enraged."

The accused got out of his car and "came at" Mr Glynn. "He grabbed me by the throat. It was a tight grip, it wasn't pleasant," said Mr Glynn, adding that it left red marks on his neck.

Mr Glynn denied describing Somers as arrogant, and denied calling him a "thick, ignorant English c**t". He said his exact words were "ignorant p***k".

Somers claimed in evidence that there had been continuous loud music from Mr Glynn's apartment and said he had been "incredibly polite with these people" despite a "huge amount of anti-social behaviour".

"Horrendous" noise reverberated when something was dropped on the floor above.

After the alleged assault, he claimed Mr Glynn began continuously playing a saxophone.

"They were basically the neighbours from hell," he said.

Somers alleged Mr Glynn had "froth coming out of his mouth" during the incident.
Dane was fondly remembered by friends and family

A family has been left heartbroken after a 16-year-old boy who was knocked down yards from his home died in hospital.

Dane Loakman, from the Castlefen estate in Sallins, Co Kildare, was crossing the main Clane Road at around 7.45am on Monday when he was hit.

It is understood he was trying to catch the bus to school when he was hit by a van being driven toward Clane.

A car being driven in the opposite direction then collided with Dane and he ended up under the bus, which was waiting at the bus stop.

His mother was looking on from the front door at the time.

Dane suffered devastating injuries and was rushed to Naas General Hospital, before being transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.

He died on Tuesday evening.

Grieving pals have placed floral tributes, candles and a Liverpool scarf at the spot opposite Dane's house where he was knocked down.

Friends and neighbours have been gathering at the family home to offer support and to help his relatives in any way they can.

On Facebook, Dane's brothers Codey and Vinny and mother Alison posted tributes to the teenager.

"RIP Buddy till we meet again," posted Vinny.

He also posted a picture of the family on a boat and described Dane as the "joker of the family".

Codey put up a post full of heart emojis and a picture of the pair as small children.

"Rest in Paradise little Bro. Gone but never forgotten. Can't remember a time where you weren't smiling," he said.

"God only takes the best. Truly heartbroken. Until we meet again."

Devastating

Mum Alison posted a smiling picture of Dane.

"My world," she wrote with the picture.

Others posted messages of sorrow on Facebook.

"Saddened to hear of the passing of Dane Loakman following yesterday's tragic accident. RIP," wrote one.

Sallins Celtic, who Dane played for, also posted a moving tribute on their Facebook page.

"It is with great regret we find ourselves posting our condolences to the family of Dane Loakman," the club said.

"Dane was a part of our club just like his mother Alison and brother - a great, energetic and well-mannered kid who will be sadly missed and remembered by us all."

The drivers of the van and car were uninjured in the tragedy.

Gardai at Naas Garda Station are appealing for witnesses to the incident to contact them on 045 884300.

They are especially seeking anyone who may have been on Clane Road, in Sallins, or in the area between 7.40am and 7.45am on Monday.

Officers have said they want to speak to any motorists who may have had a dashcam in their vehicle.

Witnesses are asked to contact Naas Garda Station, the Garda Confidential Telephone Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.

Local Fianna Fail councillor Carmel Kelly said the news was "devastating" for the family and for the town.
The suspected getaway car used in the murder of James Talbot. Photo: Collins Dublin

A child cowered under a table with her family dog as a 46-year-old man was shot dead in his home.

James Talbot, a father of four from Lucan, Co Dublin, was shot at his front door on February 13, 2014.

Mr Talbot died at Connolly Hospital after the shooting. His wife and four children were in the house when the brutal event took place.

He was watching television in the sitting room with his wife Linda when she noticed a shadow at the front door at 10.20pm.

"There was no knock. Jim got up and went to the door. I went behind him. He opened the front door then tried to push it closed again," said Mrs Talbot.

Shots rang out and her husband went down on one knee, Mrs Talbot said in her deposition.

"I didn't see the gunman, my eyes were fixed on Jim. I couldn't believe what I was seeing."

The couple's daughter, Shannon, was upstairs in the bedroom with her sister when she heard "two loud bangs". She ran downstairs.

"The front door opened and I saw someone shoot my Dad," she said.

"Mam was shouting to get the children upstairs. My little sister was hiding under the dining room table with the dog," added Shannon.

An off-duty garda who lived nearby noticed a car he didn't recognise enter the estate with the lights off. He heard gunshots and saw a man get into a car parked outside Mr Talbot's house.

Emergency services were called and the injured man was rushed to Connolly Hospital, where he died a short time later.

Wounds

The cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds, according to an autopsy by Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis.

Mr Talbot was in the process of setting up two businesses, Dublin Coroner's Court heard.

No suspect has been identified in relation to this shooting, Inspector Mark O'Neill told coroner Dr Myra Cullinane.

Within minutes, the getaway car, a gold Toyota Avensis, was discovered on fire about 1km away on Earlsfort Road.

A firearm was found inside. It had been stolen two weeks previously.

Gardai had not been aware of any threat to the man's life.

The jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing by person or persons unknown.
Rough sleepers are being encouraged to take advantage of extreme weather facilities. Photo: Fergal Phillips

Two homeless men who died on the streets of the capital over a period of 48 hours had both spent time in emergency accommodation before their deaths.

Michael McCann, aged in his 50s, was found in a tent near Ganzaga College in Ranelagh at 1.30pm on Tuesday.

A Lithuanian man in his 30s died in the Mater Hospital on Monday morning after he was taken from Chancery Street, near the Four Courts, on Sunday.

Gardai told the Herald both incidents were being classed as "sudden deaths" and they were awaiting the outcomes of the two post-mortem examinations.

The Dublin Homeless Executive (DHRE) expressed condolences to the family and friends of both men. Referring to Mr McCann, whom it did not name, a statement said he was known to the organisation.

"This man was accessing homeless services since 2010 and was placed in emergency accommodation, including temporary supported accommodation, on a number of occasions," it said.

The executive said outreach teams had engaged with him on many occasions.

Emergency

"Unfortunately, support services were unable to progress this man to a more permanent housing solution after he left his last placement."

He had last been in contact with homeless services seeking emergency accommodation on November 21 and was provided a bed.

The DHRE said the Lithuanian man had also been accessing homeless services since 2013 and he had also been placed in emergency accommodation, including supported accommodation on a number of occasions.

"Outreach teams had engaged with him to access accommodation and relevant supports," the spokesman said.

"Around the time of his passing, the man was in supported emergency accommodation, where the Harm Reduction Team was actively engaging with him."

The DHRE said it was "fully cognisant" the "potential impact" severe weather could have on rough sleepers and "every possible effort was being made to ensure there is enough emergency accommodation provision to ensure that no person is forced to sleep rough".

It said provision had been increased, with extreme weather facilities for the homeless from this week until December 4.

These would remain in place if the cold snap continues. Some 67 extra beds are available, the executive said, along with other communal spaces.

Rough

Independent Dublin City Councillor Christy Burke said the reason some homeless people chose to sleep rough was because they didn't want to live in emergency accommodation.

"First of all, I want to say both of these men were some mother's son and perhaps someone's dad, brother and friend," said Mr Burke, who remembered feeding the Lithuanian man.

"I remember the Lithuanian man being very grateful for the food I gave him when I was volunteering helping the homeless.

"He was a nice man and I remember helping some men up in Ranelagh too, but I never asked too much about them because they want to keep private mostly and we are there to help them, not to judge.

"A lot of the rough sleepers don't want to stay in emergency accommodation because they are trying to get off alcohol or drugs and they feel they have a better chance of doing that on the streets," he added.

"It's important not to judge anyone who is homeless for taking drugs or alcohol because they live such a harsh reality, is it any wonder they turn to something to try to help them get through?"

A garda spokesman said a file was being prepared on the deaths. The DHRE said rough sleepers should call the emergency accommodation freephone on 1800 707 707.
How good are these two guys, Penn State fans? It may surprise you ...

football
5 percent growth in Asian outbound trips  More beach holidays and city trips  Recovery in travel to Europe  ITB Berlin exclusively publishes latest results from IPK's World Travel Monitor

Asians are going on more international trips than ever, although the growth rate has slowed this year after a 9 percent increase in 2016. The main trends over the first eight months of 2017 include a continued rise in sun & beach holidays, more city trips and a good comeback for travel to Europe after a downturn last year. The outlook for 2018 remains good with further mid-single-digit growth expected. These were some of the results of the 25th World Travel Monitor Forum in Pisa, Italy (November 9-10). At this exclusive industry meeting, initiated at the invitation of consultancy IPK International and supported by ITB Berlin, around 50 tourism experts and academics from around the world present the latest figures and current trends in international tourism.

The number of outbound trips by Asians grew by 5 percent between January and August 2017, according to World Travel Monitor figures. This is behind the very strong 9 percent increase achieved in 2016 but is in line with the World Travel Monitor forecast of 6 percent growth for this year, which was made 12 months ago. "Asian outbound was exceptionally strong in 2016, especially due to high growth for intra-regional travel. This year we are seeing a return to a more normal long-term growth rate," commented Rolf Freitag, CEO of IPK International, which conducts the World Travel Monitor.

Asian travelers head for beaches and return to Europe

Asian travelers went on more leisure trips than ever this year, especially to beach destinations. Holiday trips increased by 5 percent between January and August, thus maintaining a high 82 percent share of all Asian international trips. The number of sun & beach holidays increased very strongly by 15 percent over the first eight months, and they now account for 23 percent of all holiday trips, according to World Travel Monitor figures. City trips continued to perform well with a very good 9 percent increase but the number of tours covering several destinations fell slightly. The average length of outbound trips by Asians was 6 nights so far, remaining at the same level as last year, while average spending increased by 2 percent.

In terms of destination regions, Europe has proven popular with Asians this year with a 7 percent increase in trips over the first eight months, according to World Travel Monitor figures. This is a clear comeback for Destination Europe which suffered a slight drop in Asian visitor numbers last year following various security incidents. In comparison, there was only a low 2 percent increase in Asian trips to the Americas over the first eight months of this year. Most Asians, however, travel within their own region. Intra-regional trips showed a healthy 4.5 percent increase between January and August.

Good year for most Asian destinations

These trends for Asian outbound travel are also reflected in figures from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) which show a 6 percent rise in international arrivals in Asia and the Pacific from January to August this year. South Asia has led growth so far this year with a strong 10 percent rise, followed by South-East Asia (+8 percent) and Oceania (+7 percent). However, North-East Asia had relatively more modest growth of 3 percent due to mixed results, according to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer for January-August 2017.

Dr. Martin Buck, Messe Berlin's Senior Vice President Travel & Logistics, commented: "It looks like Asian long-haul travelers are preferring Europe to the Americas this year, which is a clear sign that they have recovered confidence in visiting European destinations. At the same time, Asians want to relax on sun & beach holidays more than ever, while demand for city trips remains strong. These two trends offer good prospects for destinations around the world."

Looking ahead to 2018, another good year can be expected for Asian outbound travel, which will remain a driver of world growth. IPK International predicts a 6 percent rise in Asian outbound trips in 2018, based on its Asian Travel Confidence Index, which measures travel intentions for the next 12 months.

Alongside special evaluations from IPK International's World Travel Monitor, ITB Berlin will publish further key data from the World Travel Monitor as part of the 'ITB World Travel Trends Report 2017/18' in January (Link to last year's ITB World Travel Trends Report 2016/2017:www.bit.ly/2tvgbN2). The 'ITB World Travel Trends Report' is based on the latest results and presentations at the World Travel Monitor Forum, which is an exclusive meeting where current trends in the travel industry are discussed and predictions for tourism developments are made. The annual results of the World Travel Monitor, which is the largest worldwide study on global travel behavior, will be presented by IPK International at the ITB Future Day at the ITB Berlin Convention.

About ITB Berlin and the ITB Berlin Convention

ITB Berlin 2023 will take place for trade visitors only from Tuesday, 7 to Thursday, 9 March. Since 1966, ITB Berlin has been the World's Leading Travel Trade Show. As in previous years, the internationally renowned ITB Berlin Convention will take place live parallel with the exhibition on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds, with selected sessions live-streamed on itb.com. In 2022 it took place as a virtual event on the brand's website itb.com and registered 60,700 attendees from 125 countries who took part in more than 100 sessions featuring 223 speakers. Taking place on one day, the Digital Business Day gave 2,500 attendees from 96 countries an opportunity to exchange views and do business virtually from anywhere in the world. International attendance was high, with 78 per cent of buyers and providers taking part from abroad. A total of 20,000 business contacts were made, resulting in 14,000 leads and 3,200 business meetings being arranged. As a virtual industry platform, the Digital Business Day augmented the ITB brand family and rounded off the trade show concept. In 2022, under the heading 'TRVLX by ITB', ITB Berlin is planning a series of B2B networking events in European markets  the kick-off event took place in May in Georgia. Before the pandemic at ITB 2019, around 10,000 exhibitors from 181 countries displayed their products and services to some 160,000 visitors, including 113,500 trade visitors.

Julia Wegener

Press Officer - ITB Asia and ITB Berlin

+4930 3038-2275

Messe Berlin GmbH
HFTP and Naseba Set New Standard in The Middle East with HITEC Dubai

More than 600 industry professionals gathered for the inaugural HITEC Dubai

Co-produced by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) and Naseba, more than 600 hospitality technology professionals came together for the inaugural HITEC Dubai. The event served as a regional, Middle Eastern counterpart to HFTP's 45-year-old Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC)  the world's largest and oldest hospitality technology exposition and conference brand. HITEC Dubai served as HFTP's third HITEC of the year, and took place from November 14-15, 2017 at the Conrad Dubai in Dubai, UAE.

The inaugural conference featured 600+ hospitality stakeholders, 40+ solution and service providers and 30+ industry expert speakers. Modeling the HITEC Amsterdam format, the show offered an education program, exhibits and networking. Unique to HITEC Dubai was a summit with one-to-one business meetings between pre-qualified hoteliers and cutting-edge technology providers. Planned by the HITEC Dubai Advisory Council, featuring industry experts with 200+ years of combined experience, the education program included topics such as: PMS; SaaS; robots; smart rooms; cyber-security; travel technology; blockchain; and much more.

"It was important for HFTP to expand the HITEC brand into the Middle Eastern market to advance hospitality finance and technology in the region" said HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe. "HFTP continues to receive requests to bring both our educational resources and expand our network of volunteer experts to other regions of the world. HITEC Dubai's success is a notable example of the industry's desire for and support of our efforts."

HITEC Dubai 2018 demand is already so strong that it has outgrown its initial venue. Planning for a new venue is underway and both venue and dates will be announced soon. Like other HITEC events, priority for participation will be given first to those who participated in HITEC Dubai before others are added.

"We were very excited to have HITEC based here in Dubai, United Arab Emirates for the first time," said HITEC Dubai Advisory Chairman Marwan Al Ali, group CIO at Jumeirah Group  one of the largest hospitality groups in the Middle East. "HITEC, over the last few decades, has developed a very strong reputation when it comes to hotel technology. HITEC plays an important role in connecting people across the industry, and bring[s] the latest trends in technology to the audience attending HITEC."

Upcoming in 2018, HITEC Amsterdam will take place from April 11-13 in addition to the larger HITEC Houston from June 18-21 and HITEC Dubai in late 2018. For more information about HITEC and HFTP's other international activities, contact the HFTP Meetings & Special Events Department at education@hftp.org or visit www.hftp.org and www.hftp.org/hitec. For more information about HITEC Dubai, visit www.hitec-dubai.com or download the comprehensive HITEC 2017 multi-event mobile app from the iTunes Apple Store and Google Play.

About HITEC

HITEC is the world's largest and oldest hospitality technology exposition and conference brand. HITEC offers a unique combination of top-notch education, and brings together the brightest minds and hottest technologies from across the globe to one place. The unparalleled event offers attendees essential education, access to top hospitality technology industry experts and the resources to find cost-effective ways to improve company bottom lines. Combined with the intimate opportunities to connect with fellow professionals, HITEC has everything to enhance your career.

HITEC is a well-known, global event with its North American show gathering over 6,000 attendees, from around the world, and presenting the latest hospitality technology products and services from over 400 companies  this trade show is the world's largest, most comprehensive showcase of hospitality technology. Each year the HITEC Advisory Council identifies the top technology issues/trends of interest in our industry. The selected topics serve as the framework for the HITEC education program. In 2017, HITEC expanded internationally into Europe and Asia.

For more information about HITEC and HFTP's other global activities, contact the HFTP Meetings & Special Events Department at education@hftp.org or visit www.hftp.org and www.hftp.org/hitec. Download the HFTP/HITEC media kit via the HFTP website.
Theres a wild rumor floating around right now that Conor McGregor was recently involved in a brawl at a pub in Dublin, Ireland and now hes in trouble with the Irish Mafia.

According to the Irish Independent, McGregor allegedly punched a man with ties to Kinahan lieutenant, Graham The Wig Whelan, one of the countrys most feared gangsters. Rumors suggest the UFC star was trying to go after another young man in the pub, also one of Whelans associates, when an older man intervened and got punched in the face.

The associate that McGregor allegedly punched, who is believed to be in his 50s, has not been identified but some publications have suggested that it was actually Whelans father. The reports also claim Whelan has now demanded McGregor pay restitution of 900,000 Euros, which is the equivalent of $1,060,000 million.

Irish police are aware of the reports but say they are not investigating.

There is no report on this matter and no complaint from any injured parties, patrons of the pub or the pub itself and no statements were taken, an Irish police spokesman told The Irish Independent.

UFC President Dana White isnt buying the story, according to the New York Post.

I dont think its true, White said. Because if it was true, it would be big. Conor can walk down the street and its big news now. If this were true, I just have to believe it would be off-the-charts crazy. If its true, well end up finding out. I cant chase all these things around. If its true, well get it figured out and well go from there.

Its worth noting, Conor was photographed by fans at the bar, The Black Forge, on Sunday night when the alleged incident occurred and he added fuel to these rumors by posting a video on Instagram captioned The Celebrity, which is how Irish publications have described the man involved in the brawl.

Conor McGregor has never been one to bite his tongue so were sure well get his side of the story soon enough.

McGregor
Its nice to hear things are looking better than what they were for Meek. Just the other day he was sitting in solitary confinement serving his time not knowing what was happneing, and now hes in general population & in a whole new facility, getting visitation from some major star athletes in the process. TMZ reports that Philadelphia 76er superstar Joel Embid decided to take time out of his busy schedule last week and pay a visit to Meek Mill in prison to help raise his spirits.

Meek, whos originally from Philadelphia, and Joel, whos the star of the Philadelphia 76ers, have become friends over the past couple years being stars in the City Of Brotherly Love. So to show support, Joel and 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin, decided to pay a visit to Meeks facility last Friday, and according to one Sixers source, They really lifted Meeks spirits.

Unfortunately, not much else is known about their conversation or visit, but its just nice to see these guys sticking by Meeks side in this trying time.

Joel isnt the only athlete to raise Meeks spirits. Former 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick has also spoken with Meek Mill recently, saying he wanted people to know regardless of his unjust situation, hes in good spirits and humbled by the support the people have shown him.

As for the latest with Meek, his emergency bail request was unfortunately denied Tuesday morning by a Pennsylvania Superior court and directed down to a lower court. Meeks attorneys claim that they were forced to seek out higher-level help after Judge Genece Brinkley, the woman who originally presided over Meeks case and sentenced him to 2-4 years in prison, refused to respond to the multiple appeals that were submitted. But unfortunately, things are going Meeks way and it doesnt look like hell be getting out anytime soon.

The MMG rapper has been serving time since early November after violating his parole by exhibiting reckless endangerment in New York while driving a motorcycle through the city streets.

Well continue to keep you posted on all the latest with Meek moving forward.

[Via]

Meek Mill
Conde Nast

October saw the shock (to me, anyway) announcement that Glamour magazine was about to undergo what the publishers described as a reboot, repositioning the magazine as a digital first offering for the beauty obsessed. Its print output was to reduce from twelve to two issues per year. Digitally, the title would feature how tos; product reviews; videos; cross pollination with influencers and vloggers; reader reviews and peer opinion. The editorial and commercial departments will be fully integrated. We were told by new Conde MD Albert Read: Todays Glamour consumer moves to a different rhythm than the one who bought the magazine when it launched in 2001. Maybe, but its hard to spin this positively. Perhaps tellingly, the announcement from Conde failed to include a quote from editor Jo Elvin, so Im guessing it wasnt her idea. As if to confirm that, Jo subsequently jumped ship a week later. Sportingly, she said: Im excited for what lies ahead, for both myself and for Glamour. I wish the new team every success for the exciting new phase of this wonderful, beloved brand.

Meanwhile, elsewhere at Conde Nast, Stephen Quinn, Vogues publishing director for the past 26 years announced that he was retiring at the end of the year. According to Nicholas Coleridge, chairman of Conde Nast Britain, Stephen has sold more glossy advertising than anyone else alive in Britain today. He will be replaced by Vanessa Kingori. One of Quinns last issues at Vogue was also new editor Edward Enninfuls first. Favourable reviews included this from The Atlantic: The December issue is a powerful statement from a brand that seems to be asserting not just its own contemporary relevance, but the relevance of an entire nation. Enninfuls first issue got loads of valuable coverage, including extensively on the BBC, partly, no doubt, as a result of some helpful noises off; a perceived spat between Enninful and his predecessor Alexandra Shulman saw Naomi Campbell wade in on Instagram: This is the staff photo of @britishvogue under the previous editor #AlexandraSchulman. Looking forward to an inclusive and diverse staff now that @edward_enninful is the editor  lets hear your thoughts?

No place like Oldham

Following the sad news at the end of August that the Oldham Evening Chronicle was to cease publication after 160-plus years, the autumn saw a virtual love-bombing of the town. First, Newsquest announced the launch of the new weekly Oldham Times. A few days later, the Manchester Evening News got in on the act, saying it would start regularly publishing an Oldham edition, with several pages of Oldham news and a localised front page. Then, and the good citizens of Oldham have probably not felt this wanted in decades, local radio station Revolution 96.2 announced that it had acquired the Chronicle from administrators KPMG. Phew! The good news is that it was clearly seen as absurd for a town the size of Oldham not to have its own paper. In the ideal world that InPublishing fervently prays for every night, all three of the above will be hugely successful! Watch this space.

Two highly acquisitive companies continued in their highly acquisitive ways. Newsquest bought NWN Media, the publisher of thirteen local news brands across North and Mid Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire. David Faulkner, managing director of NWN Media said, needs must. Just kidding. What he actually said was, Our company has always been proud to be locally owned but I believe that this is an important step into the future at a time when the media landscape demands creativity and innovation more than ever to ensure success.

Meanwhile, in B2B land, Mark Allen Group just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Its latest acquisition, Community Care from RBI, has special significance for chairman Mark Allen; he was the launch editor back in 1974. Mark describes the years editing the title as enormously rewarding, absorbing and satisfying. Purchasing Community Care completes a magical circle which began for me 43 years ago, he said.

Also in the acquisitions pipeline, though still to be confirmed, is Trinity Mirrors bid to acquire 100% of the publishing assets of Northern & Shell (Daily Express, OK! et al). Under new ownership, perhaps the Daily Express, which confusingly still runs THE WORLDS GREATEST NEWSPAPER tagline on its masthead, might again aspire to greatness. In the thirties and forties, that tagline might have made more sense, when under editor Arthur Christiansen, its circulation hit four million. Its September ABC stood at 374,013.

Guardian: busy, busy, busy

In late October, the Guardian announced that it now has 500,000 regular paying supporters, vindication as they saw it, of their new strategic focus on growing reader revenues. Furthermore, the clever wheeze of rattling a collecting tin in front of visitors to their website has generated an additional 300,000 individual contributions.

In September, the publisher launched a beta version of Ad Manager  a new self-service ad tool for small and medium sized businesses in the UK. As Commercial Director Nick Hewat explained: Statistically, SMEs make up around 50% of private sector turnover in the UK yet only represent 18% of ad spend. Weve developed this ad tool to break down the barriers between smaller companies and the Guardian.

The Guardian continued to invest in virtual reality, unveiling its latest VR project, The Party  a virtual experience of autism, and giving away nearly 100,000 Google Cardboard headsets to enable people to watch it.

Parent company, Guardian Media Group also announced plans to launch a new, independent 42 million venture capital fund  GMG Ventures. Chief Executive David Pemsel said: In a rapidly changing media landscape, GMG Ventures will be an essential addition to the experience, skills and qualities of the Guardian, giving us access to the new ideas and innovation that entrepreneurs bring to the table. GMG Ventures will aim to secure investments in some of the very best new businesses emerging out of the media and tech space in the UK, US and continental Europe.

Happy birthday!

ShortList magazine marked its tenth birthday with a special collectors edition. Featuring ten commemorative front covers with ten high-profile cover stars: Anthony Joshua, Niall Horan, Jack Whitehall, Jeremy Corbyn, Craig David, Chris Froome, Jamie Vardy, Rami Malek, KSI (aka Olajide Olatunji) and Jamie Bell. The covers depict each star holding a distinctively different photo of them from ten years ago, highlighting, say the publishers, what a difference a decade makes.

Wallpaper*, the only international design magazine with an asterisk in its name, celebrated its 21st birthday, by publishing its heaviest ever issue. At 420 pages, the back-breaking October issue weighed in at 1.48kg, with a spine width of 21mm. Thats big, but presumably the extra advertising revenue more than paid for the increased print and distribution bills. In keeping with the times, the birthday celebrations were supported by a 21-day social media campaign across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Daphne Caruana Galizia

The low point of the autumn was undoubtedly the shocking murder of the Maltese investigative journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia. In an open letter to the European Commission, eight editors representing leading news organisations (Suddeutsche Zeitung, The New York Times, Financial Times, BBC, La Repubblica, The Guardian, El Pais, Le Monde) wrote that the murder was an appalling reminder of the dangers that journalists and citizens practising journalism face every day, as they seek to uncover corruption and criminal behaviour by the rich and powerful Daphne's murderers cannot be allowed to achieve their clear objective of silencing her investigation into corruption at the highest levels in Malta  Daphne's murder, combined with the structural issues the Commission identified, demonstrate the need for a full investigation into the state of media independence in Malta by the Commission. The murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia demonstrates the danger that journalists face in the pursuit of truth. It also demonstrates the fear that the corrupt and powerful have of being exposed.

On a more upbeat note, and perhaps not unrelated, the government announced that it was allocating 1 million of funding for press freedom projects around the world. In making the announcement, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said: As a former journalist, I am alarmed that worldwide attacks on journalists are rife and increasing. Civil society is all about free people. Where governments fear freedom of expression they often try to shut down media and civil society, or clip their wings. This both violates human rights and crushes creativity. A free media is vital to creating a vibrant, informed and engaged population and helps to support a safer, more prosperous and progressive world. Well said, and its not every day that I feel I can say that about the foreign secretary.
It may be 2017, but the latter half of this year has some feeling the nostalgia after a new project from Camron, a Fabolous/Jadakiss collaboration album, a Dipset reunion tour, and now, a new JR Writer album. The Diplomats member was released from prison in 2016, and now, hes back in the fold with a destined-to-be-slept on project called I Really Rap. On its own, the title might read like a confident proclamation of bravado, but paired with the album cover, I Really Rap takes on a deeper meaning. Its clear that Writer wants to bring back the bars, and while he claims hes not hating, the album cover makes a pretty clear statement.

Take a look at the Teenage Emotions mocking cover below, which features depictions of Lil Uzi Vert, Ugly God Riff RaFF, Bhad Bhabie, Lil Pump, Danny Brown (leave Danny out of this) Lil Yachty, XXXTentacion, and more. In fact, Danny took some offense to his inclusion on the cover, culminating in this brief Twitter exchange:

Check out the cover below, and be sure to give the project a listen. Say what you will about the old-head-targeting-the-new-wave narrative, but JR Writer delivers what he promises. Case in point, check these bars from Cant Stay Away: I was on the block in the nineties, hopin that the cops wouldnt find me, I was comin with the rock like Kyrie, they was comin for the Rock like Tyrese.
Earlier this month, there was a blissful 11-minute period where the Twitter account of one Donald J. Trump, the current President of the United States and frequent shade thrower on the social media platform, went dark. At the time, the employee who now no longer works at the Internet company (it was his last day when the incident took place) was lauded as a hero by many, and now hes going on the record to clarify what exactly happened that fateful day.

In an interview with Tech Crunch, the employee in question, Bahtiyar Duysak, explained how it all went down. Theres no big dramatic tale behind this one, sadly. Actually, Dusyak maintains it was a simple mistake. I apologize if I hurt anyone, I didnt do anything on purpose, he added, claiming that it was just a routine procedure that he got wrong in the end. According to his story, Dusyak had been plying his trade in customer support in the Trust and Safety division of Twitter, working out of their head offices in the Bay Area. Hed been a contract worker and November 2 was his last day before that deal was up. Even though he was preoccupied with saying farewell to many of his colleagues, he also made a point to continue his duties as normal right up to the end of that work day.

Towards the end of his shift, Duslyak was alerted that someone had reported Trumps account. As is protocol, he began the process setting up the deactivation before he went home. However, Trumps account is supposed to be protected against just that by Twitter because the platform has deemed anything he writes newsworthy (shudders). I think its all about a number of coincidences, very very little probabilities which all occurred on my last day of work, he added, wanting to clarify that there was no hacking or malicious intent from him in any way. I didnt hack anyone. I didnt do anything which I wasnt authorized to do. I didnt do any crime.

You can check out the full video from Tech Crunch below.

Donald Trump
With his upcoming album War & Leisure dropping tomorrow, December 1st, Miguel kicks things off with another pre-game drop. As any album purist knows, the opening track often plays an important role in establishing the projects tone, and it seems as if Miguel is setting things off on a harder note. Criminal, which features one of hip-hops biggest bosses Rick Ross, doesnt exactly celebrate the menace of the underworld, but rather flirts with the temptation of a less-than-law-abiding lifestyle, at least in a metaphorical sense. And lets be honest, with that angelic voice, could Miguel ever really commit to a life of crime?

Rick Ross, on the other hand, is no stranger to playing the villain. Having established himself as a lavish and ostentatious player in an extensive cast of characters, Ross continues to find new and memorable ways of flaunting the sheer limits of his wealth. The production is reminiscent of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys Empire State Of Mind, and if you like this, be sure to catch War And Leisure, set to drop at midnight. For now, Criminal is available in select international markets (but you already know what to do).

Quotable Lyrics

You see, I just want someone that I can trust,

Baby is that true, is that us?
Trippie Redd has been one of the fastest-rising names in the music industry over the course of the past year, particularly thanks to his Soundcloud page. Having already amassed over millions views and worked with the likes of Dram, Lil Wayne, and fellow internet sensation XXXTentacion, the 18-year old Ohio crooner has built an insanely strong following & buzz for himself in short a little time, becoming one of the next up in the soundcloud rap era.

Last month, the Ohio crooner released the sequel to his latest mixtape A Love Letter To You, which featured guest appearances from Uno The Activists, Khalil, Bali Baby, Sydnee With A C, Chris King, and more. Since then, Trippie has been busy working on new music, having dropped off a joint project with Lil Wop called Angels & Demons, and also being spotted in the studio with the likes of Lil Wayne, Diplo, and Big Baby DRAM. He even teamed up with Rich The Kid last week for a new song called Early Morning Trappin, and yet thats not all Trippie has in stored for us. In fact, it appears Trippie is getting ready to release new song with Swae Lee soon.

On Wednesday, the Ohio crooner hopped on Instagram and shared a snippet of an upcoming song with Swae Lee tentatively titled Lead The Youth which is being produced by Scott Storch.

Trippie Redd & @swaelee  Lead the youth/3rd eye visions (Produced by: @scottstorchofficial ), he captioned the post. Unfortunately, he didnt reveal when the song would be dropping, or where it will be living, but it definitely sounds pretty fire & melodic at that.

This preview comes just a couple weeks after he dropped off the new video for Overweight, and was featured in DRAMs Ill Nana video.

Check out the preview of the upcoming Trippie Redd x Swae Lee record (below) and let us know what you think! Sounding fire or nah?

In addition to this, Trippie had rumors circulating online last month that he and Drake might have a collab on the way. The two were spotted exchanging likes and comments on Instagram (see here ICYMI).

Trippie Redd x Swae Lee
Data Reveals Booking Trends, Top Cities Traveled to and More

CheapOair today announced its top ten domestic and international destinations for the 2017 holiday season. This year, Denver, CO, Las Vegas, NV, and Los Angeles, CA round out the top three U.S. domestic cities booked, accompanied by three Mexican destinations  Mexico City, Cancun, and Guadalajara  as the top three international cities booked. For this holiday season, CheapOair's data reveals that average U.S. domestic airfare prices have decreased by 5% since last year, and they are down nearly 30% since 2013.

This year, many U.S. travelers are planning vacations to warm weather destinations across Mexico and the Caribbean. Within these regions, data shows a tremendous increase in bookings to destinations including Monterrey and Los Cabos in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas. Bookings to U.S cities including Denver are up 60% year over year, and Austin, TX are up 158% year over year.

CheapOair predicts that the booking window for a cheap airfare is closing quickly as we move into December. The online travel agency expects prices to jump significantly in the second week of the month and encourages consumers to book soon to score the best deals for holiday travel.

"Warm weather travel is always at its peak during the holiday season, however many travelers are still making plans to visit the cooler regions such as New York, Colorado and Canada," said Tom Spagnola, Senior Vice President of Supplier Relations at CheapOair. "This year, we're seeing a few new cities pop up, both internationally and domestically, and overall, prices are lower than they've been in past years prompting more consumer than ever to travel for the holidays."

CheapOair's Top Destinations for Holiday 2017

U.S. Domestic International Denver, CO Mexico City, Mexico Las Vegas, NV Cancun, Mexico Los Angeles, CA Guadalajara, Mexico Dallas, TX Monterrey, Mexico San Francisco, CA Marsh Harbor, Bahamas Orlando, FL Nassau, Bahamas Phoenix, AZ Montreal, Canada Austin, TX Vancouver, Canada Seattle, WA Los Cabos, Mexico Newark, NJ (NYC) Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Outside of the U.S., Mexico has taken the lead with five of its cities being top destinations traveled to this holiday season, followed by the Bahamas, Canada and Dominican Republic. Bookings to Mexico overall are up approximately 60% over the past five years.

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 2022 Hospitality Trends
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ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu (centre) poses with the more than 60 elementary and high school girls who came to ICAO this week to attend a special UNESCO Think Pink Hardhat event.

These unique UNESCO workshops are conducted globally and aim to encourage more young women to consider STEM careers, and especially those which are engineering related. The intention is also to alleviate any daunting preconceptions young girls may have towards these careers, for instance images of men in hard hats.

This years Think Pink Hardhat workshop at ICAO was held as part of the UN aviation agencys Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) Global Summit, which attracted more than 500 education and aviation sector leaders to ICAO this week to explore new means of attracting and retaining the best and the brightest to operate and manage the air transport network in the decades ahead.

Also in attendance with Dr. Liu was Shaesta Waiz, the Dreams Soar pilot who completed a solo round-the-world flight for STEM with ICAOs support in 2017, and UNESCOs Ms. Marie Paule Roudil.


At New York Airport, Woman Caught With 28 Pounds of Cocaine Hidden In Her Wheelchair
"The Brand Authenticity conference breaks new ground for INTA - it is the first INTA conference dealing with what is an increasingly important topic for brands and consumers alike. Consumers are taking more of an interest in the ethical and sustainable credentials of brands and, in turn, companies are waking up to the risks and rewards in this area. Brand professionals can add value by understanding this developing environment, the legal tools available to brands to earn and retain consumer trust and loyalty, and how best to deploy these tools.







Santiago Peralta, co-founder of

, co-founder of Pacari Chocolate , kicked off proceedings with a passionate keynote address. Based in Quito, Ecuador, Pacari is a pioneering independent "tree to bar" chocolate manufacturer. Santiago explained how this model ensures quality and fairness at every stage of the process. Pacari is the most-awarded chocolate ever at the World Chocolate Awards (the "Olympics of chocolate") and, based on the gratefully-received samples, the author can see why. Santiago spoke about how the values of sustainability (over all timescales) and responsibility for the welfare of suppliers and employees are central to the company's identity. Pacari has received various certifications, such as the biodynamic Demeter and USDA Organic marks, and as a B Corp. Clearly, these certifications are hugely valued by Pacari - they serve the dual purpose of confirming that the company is living up to its ethical principles, and also serve as a badge of assurance to Pacari's target customers. Next was a series of presentations covering the evolution of corporate social responsibility (CSR).





Frederick Mostert of the Oxford Intellectual Property Research Centre and King's College London (and formerly of Richemont and a past INTA President) traced the origins of the concept of "sustainability" from 1962's Silent Spring by Rachel Carson to the present day. Speaking in his capacity as a Trustee of the

of the Oxford Intellectual Property Research Centre and King's College London (and formerly of Richemont and a past INTA President) traced the origins of the concept of "sustainability" from 1962's Silent Spring by Rachel Carson to the present day. Speaking in his capacity as a Trustee of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts , Frederick detailed the Academy's new "six pillars" of its food philosophy: sustainable; local; bio-friendly; animal-friendly; waste management; and communality. 90% of the chefs surveyed requested this initiative and, interestingly, the younger generations of chef are the most passionate about these issues (suggesting the trend towards sustainability will continue in future). Frederick has assisted the Academy in developing a mark to certify compliance with these pillars. Finally, Frederick reminded attendees that certifications can sometimes be misleading to consumers e.g. despite common assumptions, "organic" food products can include non-sustainable and unhealthy ingredients such as palm oil and corn syrup.





Katja Amann of

of Demeter-International explained the background and purpose of the Demeter mark, particularly familiar to German consumers for the certification of biodynamic products (i.e. more stringent than organic standards, and potentially valuable in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions). She noted that there is latent and increasing demand for "better" food and beverages: 80% of Germans do not want to consume GM products, and 41% would like to buy organic wherever possible.





Patricia Magana-Spiegel of

of Fairtrade International spoke about the history of Fairtrade, its development of globally uniform standards of trade, and consumer recognition of the single worldwide Faitrade mark. In 2016, Fairtrade producers received an aggregate price premium of 150 million. However, Fairtrade's mission is now broader than fair prices, and the brand's strength is being leveraged in other areas e.g. elimination of forced and child labour.





Peter van Den Bulk (Joseph J. Ferretti (

Finally, AB InBev ) and PepsiCo , and current INTA President) spoke about the CSR programmes of their respective companies. Joe noted that, as large companies with a significant footprint, they feel even more responsible to reduce the negative side-effects of doing business. Peter detailed AB InBev's efforts to encourage more local supply (e.g. by brewing beer from Cassava root in Mozambique) and to reduce water consumption (from 2012 to 2016, consumption per litre produced has reduced from 3.54 to 3.14 litres, saving the equivalent of 40,000 Olympic swimming pools' worth of water per year, despite business growth)





Joe explained PepsiCo's goal to increase the sustainability and healthiness of its portfolio. The use of water was again a big issue, set against the backdrop of an expected 70% increase in global demand for food by 2050, and decreasing fresh water supplies. Joe suggested that, ultimately, achieving greater sustainability is also good for business: it allows continued supply of essential raw materials; if suppliers are paid fairly they are less likely to go bust and cause disruption; and reducing waste (only 6% of PepsiCo's production waste is sent to landfill) greatly helps the bottom line. Interestingly, PepsiCo retains a target of a 20% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030, notwithstanding the planned US withdrawal from the Paris climate accord.







Mette Andersen of Giulia Di Tommaso (

The final session of the morning (moderated byof Lego ) was a two-part review of the standards brands must live up to in order to be deemed "responsible", and the trade mark issues in communicating this. Elipe ), who works extensively with Unilever, took the first topic. Giulia gave an overview of the increasing standardised KPIs and rankings in this area, such as the OXFAM food brands ranking matrix, and the UN's sustainable development goals. Giulia noted that the latter features 169 KPIs i.e. the goals present considerable business complexity. However, Giulia argued that they also present an opportunity: there may be a significant first-mover advantage for businesses that take the lead on this. Consumers alone are unlikely explicitly to demand every possible improvement, but companies may benefit from (i) improved brand perception; and (ii) opening up new markets, along "build it and they will come" lines.




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Jared Kushner has reportedly met with the team of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which is probing potential connections between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia.

According to CNN, former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was the primary topic of conversation between investigators and Mr Kushner, a top aide to Donald Trump who is also the Presidents son-in-law.

Mr Flynn, who stepped down not long into his tenure after it was revealed he had failed to disclose previous contacts with the Russian government, has reportedly attracted scrutiny over his consulting work for foreign clients.

Reports last week that Mr Flynns legal team had halted communications Mr Trumps lawyers has fuelled speculation that Mr Flynn may be in negotiations with Mr Muellers team.

In a statement to CNN, Mr Kushners attorney Abbe Lowell said he has voluntarily cooperated with all relevant inquiries and will continue to do so.

Like the President and other members of his orbit, Mr Kushner has denied any wrongdoing or collusion with the Russian government.

American intelligence agencies have concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a campaign to upend the presidential election and aid Mr Trumps chances.

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

As both Mr Muellers investigation and separate congressional inquiries have progressed, Mr Kushner's name has appeared a number of times.

The questions he was asked by Mr Mueller's team, are reportedly said to have focused on a meeting in December last year between Mr Kushner, then Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak and Mr Flynn, who at the time was the presidents incoming national security adviser,

Mr Kushner also attended a 2016 Trump Tower meeting, along with Donald Trump Jr and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, with a Russian lawyer said to have connections to the Kremlin.

 Trump-Russia investigation: who has been charged in the Mueller probe

Senators also recently sent a letter to Ms Lowell suggesting that Mr Kushner did not turn over communications referencing a proposed Russian backdoor overture. Subsequent reporting revealed that a Kremlin-linked banker had floated a meeting with campaign officials at a Kentucky event, a suggestion Mr Kushner was said to caution against.
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Next week Recep Erdogan will become the first sitting Turkish President to visit Greece in 65 years. Let that sink in: after decades of hostility and racial tension, Erdogan (the unlikely peacemaker) will be travelling to Athens for two days to talk about trade agreements.

There is much speculation about what this will mean for Turkish-Greek relations, and even though I cannot stand the Turkish President myself, Im still pretty excited.

Like Erdogan, I will also be a Turk visiting Athens for the first time in my life next month. Im the first person in my family for three generations to visit Greece, and hes the first President in three generations of an entire country visiting Greece  granted, these two things dont have quite the same global significance. Nevertheless, this holiday carries with it real political baggage for me  and I cant even begin to imagine how much Erdogan will be carrying when he visits.

I can only guess that Erdogan, like me, must be feeling incredibly nervous (that is, if he feels at all). Although Ive been told that things are different now between Greeks and Turks, Im not sure how different they really are. I say this as a second-generation immigrant who grew up in an area of London where the demographic was about 50 per cent Greek and Turkish, and 50 per cent anyone else.

 Donald Trump can't pronounce President Erdogan's name

I was raised far away from my culture, far away from the conflict and far away from the war that my grandparents left Cyprus to escape. I begrudged going to Turkish school every weekend, and got hooked on the album Olurum Sana by Tarkan, but apart from that, and the Turkish I spoke with my grandparents, I was blissfully unaware of my cultural roots as a child.

One day in primary school  I must have been about six or seven maybe  a girl in my class began shouting words at me, insults. You Turk!  like Turk was a dirty word. Get out of Cyprus  its our country! and so on.

And I went home to my mum crying. Because as far as I was aware there was no conflict in Cyprus and we didnt have sides.

My mum sat me down, and I remember the heaviness in her face when she said, I didnt want to have to tell you about the war.

That was when I learnt about the history of Cyprus. And after a long explanation about my grandparents, their surnames and my countrys history, interwoven as it was with our own family politics, my mother added: I didnt want to have to tell you because I didnt want your generation to go on hating each other like our generation did.

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 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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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I cant describe how much I love my mum for this. But unfortunately history creeps up on you eventually, and the first time I discovered mine was through that act of racism by the girl in my class.

Throughout primary school, this girl continued to torment me. Looking back, I dont believe she really hated me, or really even knew what she was saying. Children of a certain age simply repeat the words of their parents.

By the time I got to secondary school, kids stopped repeating words of a previous generation. But even though no one was shouting slurs anymore, conflict and difference was still marked into us, indelible.

Jokes between Greeks and Turks at school were always only half-jokes, and even though everyone made friends, you could feel the tension.

After all, in this London suburb, I lived across the road from and went to school with kids whose grandparents had also fled Cyprus because of the conflict. Maybe theyd lost more than one relative in the war, like I had. Maybe their parents had even lost their parents. We had everything in common  except that some of us were Turkish and some of us were Greek.

I was speaking to a friend recently who grew up in the same area of London as me, but who is neither Greek nor Turkish. She said to me that shes always nervous when introducing people from those cultural backgrounds.

The thing is, our names are so distinctive. I wear my name like an identifier  Yasemin Necati is so typically Turkish, just like many names that are so Greek. If Im ever introduced to a Greek person, I immediately know their baggage, and they immediately know mine. Sometimes we share it, but Im always nervous they might be one of those people who wants to batter me with it.

I hate this underlying tension over a small piece of land. I hate it because even generations after the war, we are influenced by it. Even in a foreign country we are haunted by it. And even though Erdogans trip shouldnt be a big deal, it really, really is.

On 7 September, when Erdogan is due to land in Athens, I will be glued to the Turkish news at my grandparents home. You cant solve generations of hostility in one visit, but Im hoping the more trips we take, and the more conversations we have, the more well move forward. Im not saying Im not scared, for his trip or mine  but Im hopeful.
Ireland's Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has been appointed the country's new deputy premier following the resignation of Frances Fitzgerald over her handling of a police whistleblower scandal.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced the appointment of the new Tanaiste in the Dail on Thursday.

Mr Varadkar said in appointing Mr Coveney as Tanaiste he was "very conscious of the important role he plays as Minister of Foreign Affairs, as minister responsible for Brexit".

He added: "I believe his appointment as Tanaiste and deputy prime minister will enhance his position in representing the government overseas in the negotiations currently under way."

The Government was plunged into crisis when Fianna Fail's Micheal Martin threatened to bring down Ireland's minority government over Ms Fitzgerald's handling of the Garda whistleblowing scandal involving Sergeant Maurice McCabe.

Hours before she faced a motion of no confidence on Tuesday Ms Fitzgerald resigned, saying she had put the national interest ahead of her political career by stepping down to avoid an "unwelcome and potentially destabilising" election.

Her resignation brought the country back from the brink of a snap election.

Fianna Fail, which props up Mr Varadkar's Government, wanted Ms Fitzgerald out over her involvement in the long-running police scandal, which revolves around her knowledge of an aggressive legal strategy against a police officer during a private inquiry in 2015.

The scandal relates to emails dating back to 2015, released by the Department of Justice, showing that Ms Fitzgerald was aware of a controversial legal strategy to target Sergeant McCabe at a private judge-led inquiry into claims of wrongdoing.

The contents contradict claims by Ms Fitzgerald - who was justice minister in 2015 - that she only learned of the approach being taken by lawyers in 2016.

As part of the Taoiseach's reshuffle following Ms Fitzgerald's resignation, Heather Humphreys was nominated as the new Minister for Business.

This led to the promotion to Cabinet of Josepha Madigan to replace Ms Humphreys as Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

The motion to promote Ms Madigan was challenged, but the challenge was overruled by a vote.

Ms Madigan landed herself in hot water in 2014 when she released a newsletter which said that building Traveller accommodation on a number of sites in south Dublin would be "a waste of valuable resources" given the worth of the land.

She denied it was anti-Traveller and insisted the proposal to build in the locations selected did not make financial sense.

Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger criticised Mr Varadkar's decision to elevate Ms Madigan and accused her of "anti-Traveller bigotry".

Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald said she looked forward to Ms Madigan's proposals on minorities such as Travellers.

Fianna Fail TD Micheal Martin congratulated Mr Coveney, Ms Madigan and Ms Humphreys.

"These appointments are necessary because of a resignation which no-one takes any joy from but which is absolutely required," he added.

Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin congratulated those who were appointed, but warned that a '"serious job of work" needed to be done.
Around a third of Irish landings are taken from UK waters, but it is higher for certain species and nearly double that for mackerel which are at their most valuable when caught off the coast of Scotland. Stock image

Sitting in his office in Greencastle, Co Donegal, John O'Kane points to a map of Ireland and Britain.

A line runs in a diagonal direction, from the Border to the seas off the north- west of Ireland, across to the far north of Scotland and around Britain's eastern side, before snaking up and bisecting the Irish Sea until it reaches the Border again around Warrenpoint/Carlingford.

That line marks the border of the UK's exclusive fisheries zone.

It creates sea boundaries with Ireland on three sides, dividing the Celtic Sea in half, the Irish Sea in half, and dividing an area to the north west of Ireland.

Currently, it is EU waters, to which Irish and other EU fishing boats have access.

What happens after Brexit though remains the big concern for men like O'Kane. "Access to waters, access to fishing, is one of our biggest issues," he says.

O'Kane is general manager of the Foyle Fishermen's Co-Operative Society in Greencastle, about 30 minutes drive north-east from Derry along the picturesque Lough Foyle coastline. One side of the Lough is in the Republic, the other side in Northern Ireland.

The Greencastle co-op is primarily a white fish co-op, specialising in species such as haddock, cod, monk and hake. Boats operating out of the port fish all around the coast, including the Irish and Celtic Seas, around Waterford and Dunmore East, as well as an area known as 'The Smalls', south east off the Waterford coastline.

"The Smalls is in UK waters," O'Kane says. "There's big prawn fisheries there, so the boats from Co Louth all fish prawns in the Irish Sea, they all fish prawns in the Smalls, the boats from Castletownbere go over to fish prawns in the Smalls.

"The prawn fishery is one of the biggest fisheries after mackerel within Ireland, the most valuable, so that's hugely important as well.

"If you draw a line down the Irish Sea, half of that is in UK waters as well."

The Co Donegal village has been synonymous with fishing for generations. It is the second-largest white fish port in Ireland after Castletownbere in Co Cork and boasts the National Fisheries College.

"If you look at a map of where we are in Greencastle, you are as far north almost as you can go," O'Kane adds. "A lot of the waters that we are fishing are UK waters, as much as you would think some of them are Irish waters. Even in our local grounds here, if you see a map of what is UK and what are European fishing waters, the UK takes up a huge amount of that. That is one of our biggest issues."

The fishing sector in Ireland has the potential to be hugely affected by Brexit, Agricultural Minister Michael Creed said in January, warning that the UK's EU withdrawal posed a "fundamental threat" to our fishermen.

He warned that the sector in the UK wants to see a "pulling up of the drawbridge" to ensure non-UK fishermen will no longer have access to the country's waters.

The figures explain why access to UK waters is so important for the sector here.

About 58pc of all the fish stock that is taken from the UK zone is taken by non-UK vessels, according to averages from 2012 to 2014 provided by the Department of Agriculture. Of the 1.1 million tonnes collected in the UK zone, 650,000 is captured by foreign vessels. What happens to that after Brexit is the big issue.

On average, it is estimated that about 36pc of Irish landings are taken from UK waters.

For some species, that figure is substantially higher.

For example, some 64pc of Ireland's mackerel catch is taken in the UK zone off the coast of Scotland, where they are at their fattest and most valuable, according to the averages provided by the Department, while 39pc of Ireland's prawn catch is from the UK zone.

The Government has warned that the twin threats of access and quotas could lead to increased activity by other EU vessels in the waters around Ireland, threatening the long-term sustainability of our stocks.

"We may not be able to fish in UK waters, and if we're not allowed to fish in UK waters, and the French are not allowed to fish in UK waters, then we have a serious issue of displacement," O'Kane says.

"Those boats that will normally be fishing in what are UK waters, European waters at the minute, they'll all be pushed into the one area. That will be off the Irish west coast, and the south-west coast. You're going to have a much bigger fleet and a much smaller area. That will put pressure on stocks."

The UK has already fired its first Brexit warning shot, by announcing that it will be withdrawing from the 1964 London Fisheries Convention. The convention allows vessels from France, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands to fish within six and 12 nautical miles of the UK's coastline.

Mr Creed branded the move "unwelcome and unhelpful", but said the process will take two years to be implemented. Fishing bodies said the impact would be significant, unless Ireland's rights are protected.

The co-op in Greencastle exports about a quarter of its fish stock to the UK, with the remainder going to Belgium, France and the Republic.

For O'Kane, it's not just access to waters that worries him. It's road access also.

Greencastle's geographic location at the far north eastern tip of Inishowen means that any produce shipped out of the port must cross the border into Derry.

"We're affected by that straight away. Even at the minute, the trucks that we send, there is a toll on them already when they enter the North and leave again," O'Kane adds.

"Every truck that we send to Dublin - and we send to the Dublin fish market pretty much every day of the week - there is a cost involved in that as well. We have trucks that go to Spain, and they go through Larne/ Stranraer, so you would have the same thing."

Further down the village Gerard Kelly, sitting in his living room overlooking Lough Foyle, pours over fishing trade newspapers and documents he has collected over the years.

He was one of four fishermen to take a successful Supreme Court case against the State in which it was declared that Northern Ireland boats have no lawful entitlement to fish for mussel seed in the State's waters.

He says the Border issue and the transportation of fish stock is one of the big issues for the sector.

"Say we want to ship goods. Are we able to put a sealed tag on the back of a lorry and send it through the whole of Northern Ireland and UK into France without having a tariff? Fish is perishable. It needs to move reasonably fast. That is one of the main issues. Without a trade agreement, will we be penalised for passing through? Any discussion about not having a border is fairyland stuff."

Both men fear the interests of the fishing community will be forgotten in the Brexit talks. They lament the fact that the industry, as they see it, doesn't speak with a united voice, unlike the farming lobby.

"Farmers don't compete with each other," Kelly says. "We're divided because we compete with each other. Fisheries is divided by its nature. Geographically we're out in the periphery. What we have ended up doing is cannibalising each other."

Nor are they confident in the Government's efforts to ensure Ireland's voice in the Brexit talks - in relation to fishing - will be heard. Speak to anyone in the sector in Ireland and he or she will tell you it got shafted by Europe over the Common Fisheries Policy, O'Kane says.

The seas around Ireland are among the most productive and biologically sensitive areas in EU waters, according to the Marine Institute.

The so-called Total Allowable Catches in the waters around Ireland under the EU's Common Fisheries Policy this year came to 1.3 million tonnes of fish, with an estimated land value of 1.44bn, according to data from the Galway-based institute. Ireland's total share of this amounted to 234,493 tonnes, or 226m, although this does not include the inshore fisheries.

"Fishing has always felt that it has got a raw deal," says O'Kane. "We've always felt that we've had too low quotas, too many boats fishing within Ireland. To have faith in our Government to deal with it, I don't think that any of the fishermen would believe that.

"We have one of the richest fishing grounds in Europe, and yet we have a very small percentage of what we're allowed to take out. We should have one of the best fishing industries within Europe."

A spokesman for the Minister told the Irish Independent that fisheries has and will continue to be given the highest priority by the Government in the Brexit negotiations.

"Minister Creed is keeping close contact with the Barnier Task Force, Fisheries Commissioner Vella and like-minded member states including France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Belgium, and Germany to ensure that fisheries is kept front and centre in the Brexit negotiations," the spokesman added.

"There are serious challenges facing the fisheries sector in Ireland if the UK industry demands are given priority. Minister Creed has secured the support of the Government in linking fisheries directly with trade so that negotiations form part of the overall trade package."

The spokesman says the minister is also in the process of organising a meeting between representatives of the fishing industry and the Taoiseach to allow them to set out their concerns.

Francis O'Donnell of the Killybegs-based Irish Fish Producers Organisation is more positive about attempts to protect the industry.

"We're really in limbo at the moment. In saying that, the EU clearly has it as a priority that fisheries is not to be separated from other trade issues," he says.

"England is in a strong position in terms of managing their own fisheries. However, if the European Commission insist that it's tied in with trade in general, they have a big problem.

"There are 12,000 jobs directly involved in fisheries here, there's probably another 50,000 or 60,000 jobs in the ancillary businesses around fishing. We're small, we know that, and politically we're not that strong, but we moved early to get fisheries on to the agenda."

O'Kane, though, says the uncertainty brought about by the Brexit vote is impacting on the sector now.

The Greencastle co-op was planning a major investment, but there is now a question mark over that.

The plan was to build a new operation that would position the business for the coming decades, to hold on to existing markets, develop new ones, and attract new boats.

"That's under question now because we don't know whether our own boats will have access to fish in UK markets," O'Kane says.

"Will we have to pay tariffs if exporting to the UK, will we have to find new markets within Europe - is that even possible? The currency difference, that has already hit us as well."

O'Kane stresses the resilience of the fishing industry, and points to the tough years of the recession when high fuel prices crippled the operations of many a fisherman.

"How a lot of the men survived through that, it was through sheer determination and pain and making losses," he adds.

"We had just come out of that in recent years. Men were getting back on their feet, and the whole thing was looking rosier.

"People were thinking now is the time to reinvest. Men were thinking there is a future, fish prices are decent, we're managing the quota a bit better than we used to, we're getting more value for our quota - young men are starting to come back into it.

"The outlook was brighter - but then Brexit hits. Suddenly you go from forward thinking, to the fact that you can't plan.

"That's the biggest problem with Brexit. It's the not knowing."
FARMERS have warned the EU against raiding the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) coffers as a new paper highlights the financial challenges ahead.

A blueprint for the Future of Food and Farming sets out a vision for CAP post-2020 as a simpler, less complex policy, with increasing focus on environmental and climate change matters.

However, with almost half of the income of the EUs farmers coming from subsidies, it also highlights there are a number of new challenges that will place more pressures on the EU budget.

All existing instruments including the CAP will need to be looked at, it states, with CAP taking up 40pc of the blocs budget.

The paper from the European Commission for the new round of CAP post-2020 comes in the light of the UKs departure leaving a gaping hole of between 10-12bn in the EU budget, and amid increasing pressure from issues of migration and security across the EU.

Irish Farmers Association president Joe Healy said: Commissioner Phil Hogan cannot allow the CAP budget to be raided; any new EU initiatives must be funded by new money, he warned.

Launching the communication paper on CAP reform in Brussels, Mr Hogan (left) said people had criticised the fact this policy was too complex. The one-size-fits-all approach is not working, he said, adding they were working to simplify it.

The reform paper highlights that individual countries would have a greater say in setting out the compliance and control measures, including penalties, which are a bugbear for farmers.

Commenting on the EU Commission Communication on The Future of Food and Farming, the President of ICMSA said that it was noteworthy that while farm income is mentioned and dealt with in the communication, the over-riding emphasis appears to be on environmental and climate change matters and it was therefore extremely difficult to see either improved farmer incomes or a simplified system being progressed based on todays Communication.

John Comer said that Sustainability is obviously the Commissions new buzz word for farming but it was perfectly clear that any concept of economic sustainability for farmers is still way down the Commissions list of priorities.

Clearly there are a number of positives in the Communication which should be acknowledged, we particularly recognise the suggestions that support is targeted to genuine farmers who are actively farming in order to earn their living, a compulsory cap on direct payments, and the interest expressed in the ICMSA proposal for a Farm Management Deposit Scheme that would enable farmers, through the taxation system, to save funds in good years to cope with bad years. We also warmly welcome the recognition of farmers completely disadvantaged position in the food supply chain and the ambition to change this, said Mr. Comer.
A pensioner farmer prevented three armed plain-clothes members of a Garda drugs unit from gaining access to his home because he thought they were thugs in hoodies.

At Ennis District Court, 67-year old, Martin Danaher said that the Gardai looked like three thugs and that they were looking for his son at Snipe Lodge, Knockagulla, Lisdoonvarna in August 2014.

Mr Danaher said that two of the men were wearing hoodies with the third wearing a t-shirt when they called to his door.

Mr Danaher said that he did not believe that the men - who arrived at the home in an unmarked black Ford Mondeo - were Gardai.

He said that Garda ID was shown but this was at a distance.

The actions of Mr Danaher in refusing Gardai entry to carry out a search of the home formed part of the basis of Gardai refusing to renew the mans gun licence this year.

However, Mr Danaher is to get his gun back after Judge Patrick Duran upheld his appeal against the decision to revoke his shot-gun licence.

Judge Durcan said that he was sufficiently impressed about the doubts that Mr Danaher might have had in his mind concerning the incident when the Gardai called to his home.

He said: I know as someone who lives in the countryside myself, there is a need for people in the countryside to have a firearm, particularly for farmers, there is a need to have vermin controlled.

Mr Danaher said that he used the gun to control vermin and shoot wild dogs who attack sheep.

In evidence, Det Garda Trevor Shannon said that Mr Danaher told us we would not be entering his house on August 22nd 2014.

Det Shannon said that Mr Danaher said that by no ways or means would we be entering his residence.

Det Shannon told the court that Mr Danaher said that if Gardai wished to enter the house you will have to put me down.

He sad: It was said in a threatening manner and due to lack of assistance and location and the force I believe that would have been required, I made a decision not to execute the warrant and we returned to the Garda station.

He said: It was a very tense situation and at any time could have blown up. It was very volatile.

Det Shannon said that he was there to execute a search warrant concerning a third party living at the house.

Mr Danaher voluntarily handed over his gun to Gardai in January 2015.

This followed a separate incident at Mr Danahers home that was investigated by Gardai but where the DPP recommended no prosecution.

Supt John Galvin said that the incident involved Mr Danaher being trapped in a container which caught fire.

Supt Galvin said that there was no allegation that Mr Danaher used the gun or threatened to use it on any occasion.

Supt Galvin said that he made the decision to revoke the licence as a result of public safety concerns.
Less than an hour after being nominated as the new Tanaiste by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Simon Coveney was back taking questions in the Dail on farming.

The former Minister for Agriculture said it was "good to be talking about agriculture again" and refuted claims by Fianna Fail's spokesperson on agriculture Charlie McConalogue that there would be an underspend of 380m in the agri-environmental scheme GLAS.

Coveney said his Government will ensure farmers are not short changed and all avail funding under the Rural Development Programme is fully drawn down.

"It's not accurate to say there is a pool of 300 and whatever million euro left on the table."

During questions from the opposition today, McConalogue said that by GLAS would have a 1.4bn underspend as the Government falls short of delivering on its promises.

McConalogue told Coveney that farmers had been "short changed" and called on Minister Coveney to ensure that all monies from the EU are drawn down. He also asked Coveney if his Government would ensure that every effort is made to ensure the CAP budget is kept, in light of the imminent fiscal hole from Brexit.

McConalogue also reminded the nominated Tanaiste of the other challenges facing farmers, including a possibly imminent fodder crisis and a Mercosur deal that could impact the beef industry.

Coveney said that the EU Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan, who yesterday published a white paper on the future of the CAP, said it was a politically intelligent move by Hogan, as it ensures a debate about the future of CAP well in advance.

He said the last round of CAP was big about recognising environmental responsibilities, exploiting opportunities for growth and expansion. "We want to continue that into the next round of CAP," he said, and the EU has an Irish Commissioner who understands that line of thinking.

He also said that Ireland needs to continue its relationships with other countries in Europe who appreciated the importance of agriculture and CAP funding for agriculture.
Trumbull, CT  November 30, 2017  TMC announced the conference program for The Blockchain Event being held February 15-16, 2018 at the Greater Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This event is focused on how blockchain, one of the most important information technology inventions of our time, can lead to a mass transformation across industries. Through keynotes, breakout sessions, case studies and networking opportunities attendees will learn how to use blockchain technology to their strategic advantage. The two-day conference program was developed for entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, enthusiasts, executives, product managers and developers of both established enterprises and innovative startups.

Blockchain is disrupting almost every industry imaginable, from financial services to healthcare, from security to manufacturing and beyond, said Rich Tehrani, TMC CEO and conference chairman. With every new technological disruption, comes new opportunity and The Blockchain Event conference program was built to help all types of businesses and organizations start capitalizing on blockchain now.

The Conference Program Includes:

Blockchain Trailblazers with Jason Kelly of IBM

Blockchain 101

Telco Blockchain

How Bitcoin Made an 18-Year-Old a Millionaire

Blockchain Innovation Case Studies

Data Security in the Age of Bitcoin

Big Data and Blockchains

Blockchain in the Enterprise

ICOs: The Next Wave of Investing

Speakers and sessions are updated daily. Check back here for frequent updates.

Registration for the Blockchain Event is now open. For more information, contact [email protected] . For media registration, contact Jessica Seabrook. Companies interested in exhibiting, sponsorship or advertising packages should contact Dave Rodriguez at 203-852-6800 x146.

For the latest Blockchain Event news, updates and information, follow the event on Twitter at @BlockchainEvent.

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More than three in four Irish companies have experienced a moderate or extreme skills shortage in the last 12 months, according to the Hays Ireland Salary & Recruiting Trends 2018 guide.

The good news for job seekers is that three-quarters of the companies surveyed said that they plan on recruiting more staff in 2018, however finding the right candidates with the right skills is seen as the top challenge in recruiting prospective employees for the majority of the companies surveyed.

In a move to counter the problem of staff shortages, more than a third of companies said they will hire temporary or contract staff to address immediate skills shortages, while 30pc will increase training budgets, according to the survey of 1,700 employers and employees across Ireland.

Meanwhile 29pcthe majority in construction, the life sciences and techwill resort to hiring workers from overseas to address the issue of staff and skills shortages.

While nearly three-quarters of employers said that they had given their employees a pay rise over the past year, 58pc of employees say that they are dissatisfied with their salaries, with 30pc saying that they want to leave their job due to salary dissatisfaction.

Just over half of employees surveyed said that they expect to move jobs in the next 12 months.

"Not having the right talent available is more than just a short-term operations and admin headache31pc of employers acknowledged that its a serious problem that can undermine revenue streams and stunt growth," Maureen Lynch, director at Hays Ireland, said.

"Senior management needs to understand the risks of being chronically short-staffed, mitigate them, and make best use of the solutions available to them, like in-house training or overseas recruitment."

In terms of non-financial incentives that employees are looking for, career development was the most important benefit for Generation Z and Millennials, while for Baby Boomers  those born between 1940 and 1960  job location and job security were listed as the most important benefits.

Other non-financial benefits that featured prominently in the survey included a good work-life balance, flexible working, and health insurance coverage.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is partnering with Dutch lender Rabobank to provide 200m in cheap loans to Irish SMEs in the farming and food sectors.

The funds will be provided at a discount through Rabobank's vendor-financing operation DLL, with 100m being stumped up by each.

The move comes less than six months after the two bodies established a 50m pool to deploy towards projects that could demonstrate a positive climate impact in Ireland.

"That went so well for them [DLL] that they've come back to us to look for an expanded package," said EIB vice-president Andrew McDowell.

"We do lending through intermediary banks all through Europe. This is something we're trying to do more of in Ireland.

"To be frank, we didn't do as much of this as we would have liked during the financial crisis.

"This is an area of our business that we're trying to grow in Ireland and we'd like this to be a signal to other financial institutions that this form of lending from the EIB is available."

Mr McDowell said about 0.20pc would be knocked off the borrowers' cost of funding as a result of the EIB finance.

DLL in Ireland is a leasing company, not a bank. It can use the funds to provide leasing or hire-purchase to farmers or builders, but cannot lend working capital or for land purchases.

Fergal O'Mongain, group treasurer and country manager for DLL Ireland, said the finance would be of three to seven years duration.

DLL has already acted as an intermediary for EIB funds in Germany, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy.

"We're doing a certain element of this business anyway, so it's nice to be able to pass on the discount.

"We, as a company, operate on a global stage and we partner with the EIB in the Netherlands. But this year is the first time that we've done anything with Ireland."

Mr McDowell will be in Dublin today to sign the new 100m engagement with DLL and is also due to speak at a European Movement event, alongside Finance Minister Pascal Donohoe.

In September the EIB launched a fresh lending initiative for Irish businesses as it ramped up its involvement in the economy ahead of Brexit.

That 300m financing scheme is aimed at medium-sized firms and represented the first time the EIB has extended funds directly to this segment of the market.

Mr McDowell said the EIB will hit its record lending target in Ireland of 1bn this year.

The Luxembourg-based body is also, along with the State, underpinning by way of a financial guarantee the 300m Brexit loan scheme announced in the Budget to help provide working capital to firms impacted by Brexit.

EIB President Werner Hoyer will be in Ireland next week to formally launch the scheme.

It also supported the state's agricultural cashflow loan scheme announced in Budget 2017 to help firms in the agricultural sector deal with Brexit.
A US fintech firm is expanding its workforce in Ireland with the creation of 150 jobs at its Dublin site.

Equifax expects to fill the new vacancies over the next 12 months, which will bring the number of its employees here to over 350.

The Atlanta-headquartered company opened a new IT development centre on Sir Rogerson's Quay last September.

"We said last year that we were betting on Dublin to deliver the talent we need, and that bet has paid off significantly," said Paul ODwyer, IT Development Centre Leader.

The credit-monitoring giant also has a separate facility in Wexford which it set up over 20 years ago.

Equifax organises and analyses data on more than 820 million consumers and more than 91m businesses worldwide.

Mark Rohrwasser, Interim Chief Information Officer at Equifax said that Ireland today is a globally recognised tech hub.

"We are building a diverse, highly-skilled team who are at the forefront of excellence in innovation...Its exciting to be part of Dublins highly-sophisticated technology market."

The company has commenced hiring for the 150 vacancies with a goal of filling all positions over the next 12 months at the Dublin office.
The Central Bank and the Government have been accused of holding back the development of credit unions.

False claims that the sector would end up needing a 1bn bailout were used during the worst of the downturn to clamp down on the lenders, members of the Oireachtas Finance Committee said.

Committee chairman John McGuinness said the member-owned lenders were being restricted, which was one of the key reasons they were not growing fast enough.

The committee has recommended in a report that smaller credit unions should not be subject to the same stringent regulation as ones with multi-million euros in assets or savings.

It has also recommended that credit unions be allowed to lend more of their money for the likes of mortgages, and should be allowed to invest in social housing.

There are currently restrictions on the level of long-term lending.

For most credit unions, just 10pc of the loan book of a credit union can be lent out for more than 10 years, severely restricting the amount of mortgage lending they can do.

The TDs and senators said this strict rule should be relaxed.

The committee also wants the Central Bank to move to tiered regulation, which would mean tougher rules for larger lenders.

But as part of this, the bigger ones would also be able to introduce services that smaller, and less sophisticated, credit unions would not be allowed to offer.

"The credit union sector should be allowed to grow, and should not be regulated out of business," Mr McGuinness said

He said statements by former finance minister Michael Noonan in the Seanad in 2011 that the credit unions would need a 1bn bailout from taxpayers proved far off the mark. But this was used by regulators and policy makers to hold back the development of credit unions.

"I feel the credit union movement is often restricted in what it can do," added Mr McGuinness

The committee said it was concerned that lending was at such low levels at the State's credit unions. Only a quarter of the assets of credit unions are loaned out and the figure should be nearer half.

At the moment there are fewer than 300 credit unions, and they are subject to one-size-fits-all regulation, whether they have 20m in assets or 400m.

Mr McGuinness said the low level of lending was despite the fact that on the surface the sector appeared robust.

Sector assets have increased by 2bn between 2011 and 2016 from 14bn to 16bn.

The committee said the ability of credit unions to withstand additional financial stress was strong, despite the High Court-ordered wind-down of Charleville last month. The committee said the sector had about 880m of surplus capital.

Both the Irish League of Credit Unions, and the other representative body, the Credit Union Development Association, welcomed the report.
Google paid just 164m in tax last year despite a gross profit of 19.4bn being declared.

The tech giant posted a surge in the revenues and profits that it reports in Ireland.

The firm said that turnover increased to 26.3bn in 2016, a 3.7bn rise on 2015, with a gross profit of 19.4bn.

However, because of legal tax avoidance rules, it paid tax of only 164m.

The accounts show that 18.4bn was deducted from its gross profit figure for "administrative expenses".

With other considerations, its taxable profit in Ireland for the year was 1.18bn, from which the tax bill of 164m accrued.

The news comes just one day after it emerged that Facebook paid just 30m in tax in Ireland on revenue of 12.6bn last year.

The company filed accounts here showing that its profit before tax in Ireland had risen from 109.6m to 174.3m, a 59pc increase.

Facebook has seen significant increases in the number of people using its services and now has 2.1 billion global users.

Instagram, which it also owns, has 800 million global users, while its WhatsApp messaging app has 1.2 billion global users.

While Google paid 164m in tax last year, it is more than three times Google's Irish tax payment for 2015.

Tech giants like Facebook, Google and also Apple are regularly criticised for minimising their tax payments.

However, they legally organise revenue reporting in a way to minimise international tax bills.

As the results emerged yesterday, Google's head of Irish operations Fionnuala Meehan said it now employed more than 7,000 people at its Dublin office, a jump of 9pc on last year. Other sections of its accounts show that it pays staff an average of 91,000 before pension contributions or share option payments.

Google has been buying up extra office space in the docklands region of Dublin city to keep pace with its growth.

Its most recent property move was the acquisition of a lease on the large Velasco building on Dublin's Grand Canal, providing an additional 51,000sqft for its operations in Dublin. "We continue to expand our engineering operations in Dublin, adding 35 new roles last year," said Ms Meehan.

"We now have over 400 engineers employed in Dublin. The Emea (Europe, Middle East and Asia) sales organisation here in Dublin is driving that growth across Europe and we continue to deliver value for our advertisers, publishers and partner networks."

Google opened its second data centre in Dublin in 2016, representing an investment of 150m. In recent weeks, however, it has bought a plot of land in Denmark with a view to building a new data centre there.

Despite the rise in Google's declared profits and tax here, the figures will be a reminder of the disparity between multinational firms' revenue and tax that international accounting practices now reveal.

The European Commission may soon propose new rules around tax consolidation across the EU following support for such a measure from French President Emmanuel Macron.
Last summer, Facebook announced the formation of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) with Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube. Stock image

Facebook says that it removing 99pc of content from terrorist groups such as Isil and Al Qaeda before it reaches Facebook users.

"In some cases, this is before it goes live on the site," said Monika Bickert, head of global policy management. "We do this primarily through the use of automated systems like photo and video matching and text-based machine learning. Once we are aware of a piece of terror content, we remove 83pc of subsequently uploaded copies within one hour of upload."

She said that artificial intelligence is being deployed to help battle extremism on the service.

"Deploying AI for counterterrorism is not as simple as flipping a switch. Depending on the technique, you need to carefully curate databases or have human beings code data to train a machine. A system designed to find content from one terrorist group may not work for another because of language and stylistic differences in their propaganda. Because of these limitations, we focus our most innovative techniques on the terrorist groups that pose the biggest threat globally. Isis and Al Qaeda meet this definition most directly, so we prioritise our tools to counter these organisations and their affiliates.

"We hope over time that we may be able to responsibly and effectively expand the use of automated systems to detect content from regional terrorist organisations too."

Last summer, Facebook announced the formation of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) with Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube.

Bickert said that GIFCT's work encompasses the development and expansion of a shared industry database of 'hashes' that launched at the EU Internet Forum in December 2016.

"We share and accept these hashes, which are unique digital fingerprints of terrorist media, from other companies to help detect attempted uploads of potential terrorist propaganda," she said. "Through GIFCT, we also engage with governments around the world and are preparing to jointly commission research on how governments, tech companies and civil society can fight online radicalisation."
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr met with EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager yesterday to discuss anti-trust concerns over the German carrier's acquisition of Air Berlin assets, said a source.

Lufthansa last month signed a 210m deal to take over Air Berlin businesses Niki and LG Walter, plus some short-haul planes, to cement its position in Germany and expand its Eurowings brand.

The deal has come under fire from airlines and consumer groups which fear it will give Lufthansa dominance of German domestic routes and in Austria.

The source told Reuters that the European Union Commission was leaning toward blocking the takeover of Niki.

The talks between Mr Spohr and Ms Vestager come ahead of a deadline today for Lufthansa to propose concessions to allay European Commission concerns over the deal.

It is expected to have to offer significant remedies as more than 100 of its routes overlap with those of Air Berlin, creating a near monopoly on some routes.

If Lufthansa fails to propose concessions, the Commission will launch an in-depth probe, which could call into the question the whole takeover as Niki, Air Berlin's Austrian business, would have to be propped up financially for longer before Lufthansa could start restructuring it.

Lufthansa declined to comment. The European Commission said its investigation was ongoing.

Air Berlin, which has struggled to turn a profit over the last decade, filed for insolvency in August, leaving the future of thousands of workers in the balance.
International investors are gearing up for 10.5bn worth of loan sales next year as lenders prepare to clear out legacy debts a decade after Lehman Brothers collapsed. (stock photo)

International investors are gearing up for 10.5bn worth of loan sales next year as lenders prepare to clear out legacy debts a decade after Lehman Brothers collapsed.

AIB's much-anticipated 3.8bn Project Redwood is up first.

The lender plans to fire the starting gun on the loan portfolio sale before Christmas as its initial launch target of the end of November looks destined to bleed into December.

Sources close to the bank insisted Project Redwood remains on course to launch in the coming weeks and stressed AIB intends to market the deal before the end of the year even if that results in paperwork circulating at the peak of the festive season.

It is understood AIB has beefed up the team working on Project Redwood in recent weeks amid a frantic push to reach a pre-Christmas deadline.

Delays are expected to beset Permanent TSB's 1.25bn book of soured buy-to-let loans too with an official launch potentially pushed back to March or April.

Assembling portfolios of troubled loans take immense amounts of complex and detailed work as lenders recover paperwork for thousands of loans.

As one source pointed out, banks often run into delays once the "nuts and bolts of the process" are thrashed out and claimed the average preparation period for these deals - which for example necessitate the recovery of each facility letter to each borrower - is at least 6-9 months.

Both loan portfolio sales represent watershed events for the partially nationalised banks.

After its 3.4bn initial public offering in June, AIB is keen to purge its balance sheet of toxic loans and adhere to its dividend targets.

A more onerous stance from the European Central Bank has also spurred the banks into action.

Permanent TSB remains the lender with the highest exposure to soured debt, a growing sources of anxiety to investors and a key factor behind its lacklustre share price.

As the ECB's threatens tougher sanctions against lenders still saddled with high levels of non-performing loans, the outlook for PTSB has darkened.

Earlier this month analysts at US investment bank Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW) warned the regulatory pressure to offload NPLs may force the part-nationalised bank to tap investors for more cash.

KBW, the boutique bank that advised PTSB on its stock market flotation two years ago, downgraded its rating on the lender to underperform and predicted it could struggle to sell off soured loans without an injection of equity.

As Investec's Owen Callan highlighted, such a scenario "would have seemed extremely unlikely" a year ago.

But now "you factor it into your worst case scenario and that is why the stock is under such pressure," he said.

As the shifting regulatory landscape forces the region's lender into large-scale loan sales, investor demand for Irish mortgages remains acute.

Danske offloaded a 1.8bn portfolio at just below par to a Goldman Sachs and Pimco joint venture.

The success of that deal has prompted Lloyds to plot a similar sale, enabling it to jettison its 5bn-plus remaining mortgage book.

The UK bank is expected to launch that deal in the middle of next year according to sources - with its own in-house team leading the sale.

Much of the preparation or grunt work on the portfolio will be parcelled out to a consultancy or accountancy firm.

According to sources, the suitors that joined the race for the Danske retail book, which is expected to be securitised early next year will line up for the Lloyds portfolio.

However prospective bidders for all these deals are keeping a close eye on the potential consequences of a recent High Court case against Bank of Scotland.

The UK lender, now owned by Lloyds, has been challenged over the process of transferring a mortgage charge to the distressed debt firm, Tanager.

The charge was registered by the UK lender's subsidiary, Bank of Scotland Ireland.

The issues emerged after Tanager Designated Activity Company was refused a repossession order for Rolf Kane's family home in Clonsilla, Dublin. Sources said the case, referred to the Appeal Court, has caused jitters among investors as they prepare to bid on a string of mega loan portfolio sales.
Eighteen children from the Holy Family School for the Deaf are set to light up The Late Late Toy Show with an "amazing" performance tomorrow night.

The school's junior choir ranges in age from four to 12 and members comes from all over Ireland.

All of the children at the Cabra school take part in choir lessons, and 18 were chosen to audition for the Toy Show.

"All of the children do choir, every single one of them," said choir conductor Shirley Higgins.

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"We decided we would apply for this year's Late Late Toy Show and went to the RTE studios for an audition. Luckily, we were chosen.

"All the children are deaf and don't sing. They perform their music through Irish Sign Language, which makes it visual.

"They express the music through facial expressions and the signs that they are using."

Ms Higgins said the school has been "buzzing with excitement" since it was told it had been chosen to perform on the Toy Show.

"We have five-year-olds counting down the days until the show," said Ms Higgins.

"They're so excited. It's amazing how their con-fidence is growing.

"Day by day, you can see them beaming. They're so proud of themselves.

"The children are representing their schools and their families.

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They are going to be on television in front of the whole nation on an iconic programme that we all grew up with.

"When I rang their parents to tell them, all they heard was The Late Late Toy Show.

"They didn't hear any other details because they were so excited."

The Toy Show is watched by more than 1.5 million people, but the children are not nervous about their performance, said Ms Higgins.

"I'm the one who's nervous," she said. "They're telling me to relax, and telling me, 'It'll be OK'."
Caitriona Perry is not nervous about taking over the reins of the RTE Six One News next year from Sharon Ni Bheolain and Bryan Dobson.

The Dubliner and fellow RTE star Keelin Shanley will front the programme from January, with Dobson having recently moved to Morning Ireland and Ni Bheolain set to present the Nine O'Clock News.

The current Washington correspondent explained she has been working as a journalist for so long that she doesn't have any nerves.

"I've been in broadcast journalism for a long time now so I'm more concerned about packing up my life and moving continents," she told the Herald.

"I'll be back in the US packing and then I'll move back home over the Christmas break and get ready to start in January."

Perry previously revealed the Six One gig was not a job she ever sought out.

"I think everyone knows how much I absolutely adored America and I loved the job," she said.

"It's such a huge job, it's the thing everyone grew up watching with your tea or your dinner. It's part of the Irish psyche.

"So, when I was offered this out of the blue, it was very difficult to say no to."

Perry was nominated for the non-fiction book of the year prize at the Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards for her debut book In America: Tales From Trump Country.

The TV host flew in to attend Tuesday's bash, where it was revealed she was pipped to the prize by Fergal Keane.

"With my job, I'm used to jetsetting and not getting much sleep. So you put the face paint on, go out the door and adrenaline gets you the rest of the way," she said.

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"I mean it's just amazing to be shortlisted for the book awards for my first book."

The broadcaster visited several states President Donald Trump carried in the 2016 presidential election while researching her book and she hopes it will make people more "open-minded" about why Americans voted for the former reality TV host.

Perry hopes to put pen to paper again in the future when she finds the time.

"Hopefully, yeah. Obviously I'm starting a new job in January so I'll be busy with that for a while, but I loved the process of writing a book," she said.

"I have a very busy patch at the moment with President Trump, so if you're a news junkie like me every news day is exciting."

Perry made international headlines in June after Trump beckoned her to his desk while he was taking a call from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar during a White House press meeting.

Trump said Perry had a "nice smile" and told the Taoiseach: "I bet she treats you well."

Perry later described the encounter as a "bizarre moment" and thought he was just saying whatever came into his head.
At the Irish Water Safety national awards ceremony were (left) Michael Lyons (6) with his granddad Michael and uncle Michael who received an award for saving Michaels cousin Max (2) after he fell into the water while feeding ducks. Photo: Frank McGrath

A total of 30 people were saved from drowning in Ireland's waters this year - thanks to the bravery of 32 heroes.

Volunteers, emergency services personnel and local people were among those whose courage was recognised at the Irish Water Safety Awards.

Expand Close Right, brother and sister Bernard and Roisin Cahill from Co Clare received an Irish Water Safety SEIKO Just In Time Award for helping to rescue a swimmer from a rip current Photo: Frank McGrath / Facebook

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Whatsapp Right, brother and sister Bernard and Roisin Cahill from Co Clare received an Irish Water Safety SEIKO Just In Time Award for helping to rescue a swimmer from a rip current Photo: Frank McGrath

More than 130 people drown in the waters of Ireland every year, on average.

Forty-three long-service volunteer awards were presented, recognising a combined 895 years of service in teaching swimming, water rescue and survival skills. A total of 30 children, aged 14 and under, have drowned over the past 10 years.

Rural and Community Development Minister Michael Ring, who is responsible for water safety, said the tragic total reflected the importance of constant and uninterrupted child supervision.

"The work of Irish Water Safety's volunteers in teaching and assessing lifeguards pays dividends every year," he said. "I appeal to all adults to make themselves more aware of the dangers in, on or around water.

Expand Close Gda Stephen Fahy and Gda James Conneely with Adam McGoldrick, who received awards for rescuing a man drowning in the Garavogue River in Sligo. Photo: Frank McGrath / Facebook

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Whatsapp Gda Stephen Fahy and Gda James Conneely with Adam McGoldrick, who received awards for rescuing a man drowning in the Garavogue River in Sligo. Photo: Frank McGrath

"It only takes seconds for tragedy to strike."
A Chinese national jailed for ordering and accepting a package of cannabis from a garda posing as a DHL employee, has had his jail term cut on appeal.

Peng Fei He (34) of Little Mary Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty to possessing over 140,000 worth of cannabis for sale or supply in the capital on November 13, 2015.

He was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to eight years imprisonment with the final two suspended by Judge Pauline Codd on October 5, 2016.

Peng successfully appealed his sentence today with the Court of Appeal holding that the headline sentence of 12 years, before mitigation, was too severe.

Giving judgment, Mr Justice John Hedigan said Custom's officers at Dublin Airport intercepted two DHL packages coming from Spain found to contain just over 7kgs of cannabis. The packages were destined for two different addresses in Dublin with two different phone numbers.

The first package was delivered to Peng by arrangement outside an address on Blackhorse Avenue, in the capital. He accepted it, put it in the boot of his car and was stopped by gardai a short time later.

He was untruthful for the first four interviews but, when faced with the weight of evidence, made admissions and accepted responsibility for both parcels.

Peng accepted having ordered the packages from Spain, admitted knowledge of their contents and referred to having gambling debts of four to five thousand Euro. It was stated that money was being sent to China in his name. However, there was no evidence for this, Mr Justice Hedigan said.

Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Gerardine Small BL, said Peng's role could be distinguished from the majority of defendants in these cases who often labour under considerable drug addictions.

Ms Small, along with Amy Heffron BL, submitted that Peng wasn't a mule, he was management.

Mr Justice Hedigan said there was a lack of clarity on Peng's precise role but it was accepted he was not the main beneficiary and that he acted mainly for financial motives.

The gardai accepted that Peng was living in squalid conditions and there was some element of fear in that he refused to name others involved.

He said Peng's previous convictions, for road traffic matters, were too minor to be relevant. He was amenable to rehabilitation and expressed remorse through his counsel.

The sentencing judge found exceptional and specific circumstances which would have made the mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years unjust. She found Peng was entitled to a reduction of four years for mitigating factors and to deter further offending, suspended the final two years.

Mr Justice Hedigan said the sentence in this case was a severe one, reflecting at it must the grave nature of drug offending and the terrible damage it wreaked on society.

He said the Court of Appeal agreed with the sentencing judge's analysis save only for the chosen headline sentence of 12 years which, the court held, should have been nine.

The court noted that a 12 year headline sentence was upheld in the case of 'Devlin' involving drugs worth 1.3m, ten times the value of the drugs here.

Applying the same mitigating factors, Mr Justice Hedigan, who sat with Mr Justice Alan Mahon and Mr Justice John Edwards, re-sentenced Peng to six years imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended.
The operators of Dublin's Glasnevin cemetery have secured High Court orders directing Twitter to disclose the identity of an anonymous Twitter user who has made a number of allegedly defamatory statements.

The orders were granted by Mr Paul Gilligan in favour of Dublin Cemeteries Committee trading as the Glasnevin Trust.

However the Judge declined to make an order directing Twitter to delete material posted on the social media platform concerning the trust.

The trust sought orders against Twitter International Company including one directing twitter to carry out a number of steps including disclosing the identity of the user of a twitter profile called "Justice4Employees" at the account address @Glasnevinexpose.

They also sought orders directing Twitter to disclose emails accounts, IP addresses, and postal addresses associated with the account, and that posts relating to the trust be removed.

The type of orders sought by the trust are known as Norwich Pharmacal orders.

Seeking the orders Eugene Gleeson SC for the Trust said between January and the end of March last posts that are disparaging, defamatory and damaging to the trust and members of its staff appeared on the twitter account.

While the posts ceased lat the end of March the "highly offensive" statements still remain on the social media platform, counsel said.

His client was seeking various relief in a bid to have the damaging and defamatory statements removed from where they can bee seen by the public.

Twitter, represented by Paul Coughlan Bl, neither consented nor objected to the orders sought in relation to the identification of the account holder, but had suggested that they be amended.

Counsel said his client had concerns over the application for an order directing twitter to delete all material posted on the account in so far as it relates to it.

It was not in a position to say if the remarks complained of on the account were defamatory or not. To be asked to remove such statements in the absence of any finding that the remarks are defamatory left Twitter in an "impossible situation." counsel said.

Twitter counsel submitted should not be asked to take the statements down, and such an order should be sought against the person or persons who posted them.

Counsel added the trust had delayed in seeking the orders, given that it had first raised the issues complained of in March.

In his ruling Mr Justice Paul Gilligan noted that the remarks made about the largest cemetery in Ireland, which contained many monuments of historical significance, were "very serious" and appeared "grossly defamatory."

The Judge said he was prepared to grant orders in favour of the trust concerning the identity of the account users, without any of the amendments advanced by Twitter.

The Judge said he was not prepared to make orders directing the Twitter user to take down the material.

The Judge said such an order should be sought after the identity of the user is known, and they have been notified of the proceedings.

The Trust if it so wished can return to court and seek orders removing the material when the identity of the user is known.

The Judge also gave Twitter 21 days to comply with the Norwich Pharmacal orders.
Being naive or foolish does not give someone the right to sexually assault you, a lawyer has told the trial of a former UCD student accused of sexually assaulting a woman he met on Tinder.

"Everyone has the right to say no to sexual advances and for that right to be respected", Paul Burns SC told the jury in his closing speech.

The jury will consider its verdict this morning.

The 36-year-old accused has denied sexually assaulting the woman, claiming she "freaked out" and "started crying" when he tried to kiss her.

The woman has alleged the accused touched her thighs, forced her to kiss him, called her a "f*cking b*tch" and pulled down the top part of her dress and exposed her breast.

The Dublin man has pleaded not guilty before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the sexual assault of the woman at the UCD campus at Belfield on July 23, 2014.

On day seven of the trial the jury heard gardai interviewed the accused on two occasions.

The accused told gardai he picked the woman up in the city centre, and drove out to UCD. There was "more or less no conversation" in the car.

He hoped they would "make out and maybe have sex", the jury heard, though there was "no pre-arrangement" to have sex.

The accused said he believed they were probably meeting for sex because he had told her on Tinder he was a porn star.

He said this was banter, but she seemed quite interested. He also told her he would like her to star in a film with him, and he claimed she told him "that interests me very much".

He said he drove to a secluded area in UCD and leaned over to kiss her.

"I did try and kiss her and when she asked me to stop and pushed me off I stopped immediately", he told gardai.

He said she then "freaked out completely" and started crying. She asked to leave so they left, he said.

He drove through the campus, and asked her to get out of the car because she was freaking out. She did not know where she was, and begged him not to throw her out of the car.

He said he pulled into a field to talk to her and try to calm her down. The door was locked and she pulled it to open it.

He told her "will you, jesus, relax".

He was thinking "what the f**k, it's like a mad, mad situation", he told gardai. She got out of the car and he drove off.

He denied to gardai that he hit her, forced her to kiss him or sexually assaulted her. However, he may have "brushed off her cheek with his lips" when he leaned in to kiss her.

In his closing speech, prosecutor Paul Burns SC told the jury the accused's version of events was "not credible".

Mr Burns said the jury may believe the woman was naive or foolish, but that did not give someone the right to attack her or sexually assault her.

Defence counsel Paul Flannery SC said the accused was not "gentlemanly" but he had provided gardai with a "coherent narrative" of what had happened.

Mr Flannery said the accused made no bones about what he was doing on Tinder and was upfront at all times with gardai.

"If you're like me, you don't approve of men taking women out on Tinder for dates or sex. Neither sympathy for her or distaste for him is relevant," he said. The trial continues.
Lawyers for the American man who murdered Jason Corbett have told a court they can no longer represent him in a civil action related to the killing.

Thomas Martens (67), who along with his daughter Molly Martens-Corbett (33) was jailed for the Limerick man's murder, had been seeking to use two insurance policies to cover his legal costs in the case.

However, his lawyers are now seeking to withdraw from representing him as the insurance company says the allegations in the lawsuit do not trigger any obligation for it to provide him with a defence team or an indemnity.

In the lawsuit, Mr Corbett's estate is seeking at least $50,000 (42,240) in damages for his wrongful death. The civil action was brought by Mr Corbett's brother-in-law David Lynch, in his capacity as executor of the estate. Martens and his daughter were both jailed last August for between 20 and 25 years for the second degree murder of Mr Corbett at his home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on August 2, 2015.

Both are being sued by Mr Corbett's estate for damages, as is Martens's wife Sharon, who was not charged with any offence. No issues have been raised about the legal representation for Molly Martens-Corbett or Sharon Martens in the lawsuit. In a court filing, attorneys Kenk Hamrick and Ann Rowe said they were retained in the civil action by Thomas Martens's insurance provider, State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, last July.

However, last month the insurance firm informed Thomas Martens it was not obliged to provide a defence team or an indemnity for him under the terms of his personal liability and homeowners insurance policies. The lawyers say they were subsequently instructed to withdraw as his counsel due to the "disclaimer of coverage".

They have now asked the Davidson County Superior Court in North Carolina for permission to come off record. If approved, it could mean Martens may have to represent himself in the lawsuit unless he can find another source of funds to pay for a defence team.
A FORMER UCD student has been found guilty by a jury of sexually assaulting a woman he met on Tinder.

The 36-year-old had denied the sexual assault, claiming the English language student "freaked out" and "started crying" when he tried to kiss her.

He told gardai he believed they were "hooking up" but she said that she never told him she wanted to meet up for sex.

The woman had alleged the defendant touched her thighs, forced her to kiss him, hit her on the back of the head, called her a "f*cking b*tch" and pulled down the top part of her dress and exposed her breast.

After one and a half hours of deliberations, the jury of six men and six women returned with a verdict of guilty.

The young woman, who returned to Ireland from Brazil for the trial, looked relieved when the verdict was read out. A translator has been by her side for the duration of the trial.

Wearing a navy suit, blue stripped shirt and stripped tie, the defendant did not react when the verdict was read out.

Judge Cormac Quinn thanked the jury for its service.

The judge ordered that a victim impact report be prepared and that the defendant be registered as a sex offender.

The Dublin man had pleaded not guilty before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the sexual assault of the woman at the UCD campus at Belfield on July 23, 2014.

During the eight day trial, the jury heard that the woman, now aged 35, had come to Ireland to learn English and had arrived the previous month.

She said she couldnt speak any English and was adding people to her Tinder account to start learning the language.

She contacted the accused on Tinder on June 29 and they began chatting online. At one point he told her, I only want to f*ck you, and she told him: "That was rude, Im a good person, Im not a wh**e."

The woman told the jury she became upset at this text from the defendant because it wasnt my intention.

The man apologised and the pair continued to chat on WhatsApp. He repeatedly asked to meet her and suggested they could go for a drive in his car.

At one point the woman said, You just want sex, it makes me scared. The jury were told the defendant replied, No I dont just want this. I want to meet and be friends too.

The woman told the jury It was scaring me, I only wanted to meet someone that could help me improve my English.

The woman said she did agree to meet the man and they arranged for him to pick her up in Dublin city centre.

She said he looked friendly and was smiling and she got into the car. The court heard he drove them to UCD, where he had studied for four years, but she didnt know where she was.

She testified he parked the car near a green area with trees and nobody around. She started to feel scared because we had said we are going for a coffee.

He turned the car engine off and she heard the car doors locking. She said he became very aggressive.

He was looking like a monster. His face wasnt the same face that smiled to me when I got into his car. He was calling me bad names and trying to touch me. I tried to take his hands away, and I couldnt.

The only word I could say to him, stop, stop, I want my house, stop, stop, she said.

She said he didnt stop.

She said he put his hand on her knee and pulled her dress up to her thigh. He held her arm and her breast was exposed.

During a struggle, she hit him with her elbow and he punched her head, she said. She managed to unlock the car door and get out.

She said he drove off leaving her there and a woman out walking her dogs helped her get a taxi home.

The dog walker, Criona Cullen, testified that the woman was distressed, didn't know where she was and told her she "wanted to go home".

The woman's flatmate said the woman seemed really scared and afraid" and told him that a "guy had tried to rape her".

The accused told gardai he picked her up in the city centre, and drove out to UCD, to a secluded area. There was "more or less no conversation" in the car.

He was hoping they would "make out and maybe have sex", the jury heard, though he told gardai there was "no pre-arrangement" to have sex.

"I did try and kiss her and when she asked me to stop and pushed me off I stopped immediately", he told gardai.

He said she then "freaked out completely" and started crying. She asked to leave so they left, he claimed.

In his closing speech, prosecution lawyer Paul Burns SC told the jury the woman may have been naive, foolish or even stupid but "that did not give someone the right to sexually assault her."
An apartment resident, who complained of "horrendous" noise coming from a neighbour's home, gripped the man by the throat in an "eyeball to eyeball" confrontation.

Mark Somers (52) assaulted the man who lived in the fourth-floor apartment above him, then claimed in court the victim was a "neighbour from hell". The man, David Glynn, denied he had believed Somers was an "arrogant, imperious" English man who was "telling him how to live".

He said they had never had heated words before the row on August 28, 2015.

Somers pleaded not guilty to assaulting Mr Glynn at the Metropolitan Apartments in Kilmainham, Dublin.

Judge Bryan Smyth found him guilty at Dublin District Court and adjourned the case for a victim impact statement.

After he moved in, Mr Glynn said Somers asked if there was a carpet on his floor in a "passing comment" because he could hear noise coming through.

Expand Close David Glynn Photo: Collins Courts / Facebook

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He said Somers later began complaining about footsteps, or things falling on the floor.

On the morning of the assault, Somers asked about him getting carpets.

Mr Glynn told him he did not think it was appropriate for Somers to bang on the ceiling with a brush. Somers became very annoyed and abusive and Mr Glynn told him to back off.

"I shouted that he had shown his true colours," Mr Glynn said. "I said he was an ignorant 'expletive'. He thought I said he was an English 'expletive' and he became more enraged."

The accused got out of his car and "came at" Mr Glynn. "He grabbed me by the throat," Mr Glynn said.

They were face to face for about three seconds and Somers backed off and returned to his car.

Somers claimed in evidence there had been continuous loud music from Mr Glynn's apartment and said he had been "incredibly polite with these people" despite a "huge amount of anti-social behaviour".

"They were basically the neighbours from hell," he said.
A judge has told the jury in the trial of a 25-year-old man accused of murdering a father-of-one in north Dublin that no individual juror should feel under pressure to change their view.

The jury has returned to the Central Criminal Court for a third day to consider its verdict in the trial and has so far spent seven hours and six minutes deliberating.

They have already been given the option of returning a majority verdict.

Andrew Gibney of Dromheath Avenue, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15 has pleaded not guilty to murdering Gerard Burnett (28) at Castlecurragh Vale, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15 on August 21, 2012.

Yesterday afternoon, the forewoman of the jury asked Mr Justice Paul Butler if they could re-hear Detective Superintendent Colm OMalleys evidence .

After this evidence was played for the jury this morning, the judge said he had two things to mention to them.

Addressing the jury, Mr Justice Butler said that a lot of the evidence they had just heard was the opinion of Det Spt OMalley. The opinion of the witness is not a factor in the matter, he said.

Secondly, the judge said that while there is absolutely no pressure on them, they had been dealing with the matter for a long time.

He said that while it was important that a verdict is reached or a decision is made, if any individual juror is of a particular view that juror should listen to people but should feel "under no pressure" to change that view.

It is very important to bear that in mind and if you find at a certain stage that you cannot agree, that is a decision so let me know, he said.

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The prosecutions case is that Mr Gibney was part of a joint enterprise to murder Mr Burnett and he was one of five men who went to the deceaseds house on the night.

The defence said if the evidence pointed to a reasonable possibility that Mr Gibney intended to cause some harm to Mr Burnett short of serious harm, the appropriate verdict was manslaughter.

On Tuesday, the jury requested to re-hear the evidence of Chief State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy. Dr Marie Cassidy told the jury that Mr Burnett died as a result of multiple stabs wounds and blood loss due to injuries to the right lung, heart and liver.

The jury has previously heard that Mr Gibney told gardai on August 28 that he stabbed the deceased in the side three times with a knife.

The accused went to a garda station of his own free will and told officers: I was involved in the incident, the chap is dead now and I need to give him peace.

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Mr Justice Butler said there were three verdicts the jury could return, namely; not guilty; guilty of murder; and not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.

The judge said in his charge to the jury that the principle of joint enterprise was central to the case. He said where two or more persons embark on a joint enterprise, all parties to that agreement are criminally liable.

But where one party goes beyond what has been tacitly agreed, then the other is not liable for the consequences of this act.

He added that an accused is not presumed to have intended the consequences of the acts of other people within a joint enterprise.

The jury resumed deliberating at 2.10pm.
A young woman who became an internet sensation as a Daniel O'Donnell superfan was amongst a group of four people charged in relation to a Garda raid on a suspected high-tech cocaine extraction factory.

Molly Sloyan (25) appeared before the district court in relation to the cocaine charge - one year after a video of her in the audience of RTE's 'The Late Late Show' for a St Valentine's Day special went viral.

Viewers were captivated by her reaction to the fact the show featured a Daniel O'Donnell impersonation by comedian Mario Rosenstock rather than a song by the Donegal star himself.

Horror

Video clips of the young woman's expression switching from delight to horror when she realised that it wasn't O'Donnell went viral on the web.

Yesterday, she was among four people charged in relation to a Garda raid on a suspected cocaine extraction factory in Bantry, Co Cork.

Gardai recovered between 70,000 and 100,000 in drugs from a sophisticated operation where cocaine soaked into clothing imported from Brazil was removed via special chemicals.

Judge Mary Dorgan at Bandon District Court was told the State was objecting to bail being granted.

The defendants included three men with Dublin addresses - Sean McManus (36) from Burrowfield Road, Baldoyle, Dublin, William (51) and Dean Gilsenan (26), both of Kilmahuddrick Green, Clondalkin, Dublin - as well as Ms Sloyan, from Abbey Court, Kinsale, Co Cork, but also with an address at Benidorm, Alicante, Spain.

The defendants all face two charges each of possession of cocaine for sale or supply. None made any reply when formally charged.

All the charges relate to alleged events at Seascape, Drumleigh, Bantry, on November 26.

Gardai informed Judge Dorgan that the four had been arrested at the scene.

The court was told that Isopropronol was being used to extract cocaine from cloth which had been imported from South America.

More than one kilo of cocaine was recovered at the scene.

Gardai will prepare evidence ranging from credit card data to postal records and from flight bookings to a video which explains how to extract cocaine from clothing.

Connections

Judge Dorgan was also told that gardai believe the Bantry plant had links to an organised crime group with international connections.

The court heard that Dean Gilsenan was now reserving his position on a bail application.

Judge Dorgan accepted the Garda submissions and refused bail to the other three defendants.

All four were remanded in custody to appear again before Clonakilty District Court on December 5.
A 28-year-old woman, wrongly blamed for breaking a light during high jinks in the Las Vegas Room in The Wright Venue near Swords, Co Dublin, has lost a 75,000 defamation claim against the night club.

Megan Flanagan, of Annamoe Drive, Cabra, Dublin told the Circuit Civil Court that she and a group of friends had booked the Las Vegas Room for a night out in January 2014. During the night one of her friends had stood on a chair and knocked down a light.

Flanagan claimed she had been falsely accused in front of members of the public of damaging the light and brought with a friend into a packed security room where they had been shown a cctv recording of the incident  revealing it was not her who had interfered with the light.

Ms Flanagan said security staff had earlier said the words: You, out now. It was you who broke the light.

She claimed she had been detained for up to half an hour by six bouncers and had not been allowed to leave the room. The bouncers had been verbally aggressive and had been reckless and malicious in their statements about her. She had felt intimidated.

Flanagan said that when she was allowed out of the room she found that all of her friends had been ordered out of the club and that her handbag, phone and coat were missing.

She claimed she had not slept properly for a week after the incident and had to attend her GP because of feelings of anxiety. She had also claimed damages for false imprisonment.

She told barrister Shane English, in what was described in court as a very vigorous cross examination, that she had drink taken and was a little angry.

She said she had claimed in the proceedings that her handbag, phone and coat were missing but accepted that in the cctv it was clear her handbag was hanging over her shoulder.

Mr English, who appeared with Liam Collins of Gore and Grimes Solicitors for the night club, told the court Ms Flanagan had conceded in cross-examination that her evidence to the court had been flawed and he was asking that her case be dismissed without the need for the defendants to go into evidence.

He told the court there had been an almighty mess in The Las Vegas room and the lamp had been pulled down, albeit not by Ms Flanagan.

Judge Jacqueline Linnane said Ms Flanagan had accepted that what she had told the court was flawed.

She had been asked to go to the security room to view cctv footage which was clearly in her own interests. The video showed her with her bag over her shoulder.

Dismissing her case with costs against her Judge Linnane said there were too many clear inconsistencies in her evidence as to what had taken place in the Las Vegas Room.

Padraig D Lyons, counsel for Ms Flanagan, was granted a stay to facilitate consideration of an appeal to the High Court.

He said it was not appropriate for the court to dismiss the case without having viewed the cctv of what happened on the night.

Ms Flanagan had sued Michael Wright and Kim Gilbert Wright, both trading as the Wright Venue
MEP Ian Paisley Jr has issued a further warning to the Irish Government saying that "if you try to trip us up" it will "reflect badly" in post-Brexit agreements.

The north Antrim DUP representative was speaking to RTE's Morning Ireland after he called on Theresa May's government to stop "pussyfooting" around Ireland and make life hard for the Government as a response to its "disgraceful" behaviour in current negotiations.

"We will continue to trade with our biggest parter which is the rest of the United Kingdom and I imagine that given that Northern Ireland and the UK is one of the Republic of Ireland's largest trading partners I imagine they'll want to continue to trade with us," he said this morning.

"We're not about stopping that but I'll tell you what if you try to prevent the UK from leaving or part of the UK from leaving the EU or trip us up that will reflect very badly in the deals that we do after we leave."

Mr Paisley said the concern over the fate of the Irish border post-Brexit was "unnecessary".

"The row that we are having with Dublin over the border is a completely and totally unnecessary row. The people of the United Kingdom have taken a decision about where they intend to go in regards to their relationship with Europe," he said.

"And our nearest and dearest neighbour... should be assisting us to ensure that that relationship works for them as well as it works for us instead of carping and shouting about the border issue and saying the Good Friday Agreement is in danger and everything is going to be doom and gloom.

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"They should actually be engaging with us publicly, privately and positively," he said.

"I suppose the argument is like the millennium bug argument everyone said it was going to be doom and gloom and it was going to be terrible and the millennium came and there was no change to computer systems around the world," he said.

"People are talking up a problem that they don't need to necessarily talk up. Yes we need a solution to certain issues but the idea that suddenly there is going to be barriers on our border. We have said we are not about that."

He also said his comments about a fisheries agreement which will need to be drawn up post-Brexit which he said should be "extremely long, tenuous and hard for them" was not a threat of fisheries war.

"I didn't threaten a fisheries war but I did make a point that if the Republic of Ireland is going to keep shouting at our border telling us that is all doom and gloom and we're not going to get a proper deal.... that interferes in the negotiations process," he said.

He said all of the UK is leaving the EU and that decision should be respected.

"I think they'd be better off out with us and we could actually do an awful lot more together," he said, adding that he respected Ireland's position that exiting Europe is not desirable," he said.

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"We are not trying to undermine their position so don't try and undermine ours," he said.

He said the UK wants to maintain the common travel area and any policing of the border afte the UK leaves the EU was "entirely a matter" for the Irish Government.
Scaling high educational heights seemed out of reach to Kathleena Twomey and Emma Richardson - but that was before they were introduced to An Cosan.

An Cosan has its roots in The Shanty, a community-based adult education organisation set up by Children's Minister Katherine Zappone and her late wife, Dr Anne Louise Gilligan, in Tallaght, south west Dublin, 31 years ago.

It became An Cosan, providing programmes up to degree level and, in more recent years, has become a virtual community college, offering blended learning programmes with weekly online classes, through many of the 150 community centres nationwide. Currently, there are 245 learners on its higher education programmes.

Kathleena and Emma met as members of High Hopes, a choir made up of people affected by homelessness which was set up in 2014 by conductor David Brophy. Kathleena recalls her life-changing moment when Maria Flanagan from An Cosan came to a performance.

Some years earlier, Kathleena had been halfway through third year of a social work degree on the TCD's Access programme, TAP, when she had to drop out.

Kathleena spotted an ad for High Hopes and she signed up.

"Maria Flanagan came to a concert and I got talking to her. She told me about An Cosan and that started me on my first course."

Kathleena says she was a "bit nervous at the beginning" to be tackling an online course but quickly settled.

Kathleena and Emma both received a Certificate of Achievement in Introduction to Community Drugs Work at the annual An Cosan graduation ceremony last weekend.

They are now on a year-long Certificate in Leadership and Community Development, which has progression paths towards a BA degree award. Kathleena says her "dream has always been to get a degree".

Emma says doing the Community Drugs course "allowed me to open my eyes on some people's situations and to try to understand them".

The mother of two had previously done a course with Focus Ireland's education programme PETE. Her sights are now firmly fixed on attaining a degree "and better career opportunities".
Cases of Down syndrome fulfil the criteria for abortion under British law, a UK-based doctor told TDs and senators.

Dr Peter Thompson, a consultant in foetal medicine, was responding to a question from Fine Gael TD Peter Fitzpatrick at the Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment.

"Do I think that Down syndrome... fulfils the UK law of having a significant chance of severe handicap? I think it does," he said.

He added that he believes so because "there are differences" between babies that have Down syndrome.

It is possible to have babies with the condition that have "normal hearts and babies with Down syndrome that have abnormal hearts", he added.

"This can affect their outcomes greatly," he said.

Meanwhile, the Oireachtas committee agreed to have a vote on its crucial findings on Wednesday, December 13, with a view to putting forward a "short, concise" report to be concluded by the following evening.

The committee voted back in October to "not retain the Eighth Amendment in full", meaning it recommends the law should be amended but does not prescribe in what way.

It must provide the Dail with its report by December 20.

Committee chair Senator Catherine Noone says members will get a "roadmap" towards reaching its decisions today.
Patients will have to endure waiting lists of several days to see their GPs if plans to extend free visits to the entire population go ahead, doctors warned,

GPs said surgeries would face meltdown as they struggled to cope with the influx of patients.

The warning delivers a setback to the proposals set out in the Slaintecare report, which proposes phasing in universal free GP care over five years, at a cost of 455m.

It recently emerged one in three people has avoided going to the GP at some point because of cost with an average visit at around 60.

The all-party Slaintecare report, which is the blueprint for the future of the health service, was published in May.

It is due to be the subject of a draft implementation plan before the end of the year.

But Dr Padraig McGarry, GP spokesman for the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), said that family doctors, who are already in the middle of a workforce crisis, would not be able to cope with giving free visits to 500,000 a year.

The knock-on effect is that "this will lead to waiting lists in general practice as demand will outstrip supply."

"There is no point in removing one barrier to access in cost if we only create another in time," he told the Oireachtas health committee.

Free GP care was given to the under-sixes and over-70s in 2015 - but its extension to other groups has stalled.

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The IMO, the Irish College of General Practitioners and the National Association of General Practitioners united yesterday to spell out the pressure faced by the country's 3,700 family doctors and their 1,700 practice nurses.

Dr McGarry said there are currently 666 GPs who are over the age of 60 who will be retiring in the coming years.

Rural areas are likely to find it most difficult to recruit a GP.

By 2025 Ireland will need at least 1,380 more GPs to meet current demand.

However, if free visits are extended to the entire population this will rise to another 2,055.

At the same time, a large number of newly trained GPs head abroad, believing they will make a better living and have a higher quality of life.

The union is currently in talks with the Department of Health on a new contract setting out the type of services they would provide which would be paid for by the State.

GP Maitiu O Tuathail of the National Association of General Practitioners told the committee he knew of a GP working 120 hours a week, who could hardly take a day off in two years.

The president of the National Association of GPs Dr Emmet Kerwin said there needs to be an impact study carried out to assess the potential impact of extending free GP care.

Dr Brendan O'Shea of the Irish College of General Practitioners said a number of measures are needed to strengthen family doctor services including a reversal of the fee cuts imposed for State services during the recession.

The new contract also should be properly resourced and the number of GPs in training needs to be increased with an annual intake of around 250 a year.

GP access to diagnostic scans for their patients is still "most unsatisfactory," he warned.
Irish and UK Muslim leaders expressed shock at the decision by US President Donald Trump to retweet controversial material from a British far-right figure.

Mr Trump shared videos tweeted by the deputy leader of fascist Britain First group which purported to show Muslims committing crimes against others in society.

The president retweeted three posts by Jayda Fransen (31), who is currently on bail in London in respect of four charges of causing religiously aggravated harassment.

Ms Fransen has appeared before Canterbury Crown Court in connection with the distribution of leaflets and the posting of online videos.

She will also appear in court in Northern Ireland in December charged with using threatening and abusive language in connection with a speech she made at an anti-terrorism demonstration in Belfast on August 6.

The posts singled out by Mr Trump included unverified videos titled 'Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!' and 'Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!'

Irish Muslim Peace and Integration Council (Impic) chairman Shaykh Dr Muhammad Umar al-Qadri said he found the decision to retweet such material to be "absolutely and truly shocking".

"These videos have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Muslims," he said. "But yet here we have President Trump effectively legitimising what he likes to reject himself as fake news. This is fake news and he is basically supporting it.

"It is very disappointing that a person in such a position of influence as President Trump would do something like this instead of working to promote understanding, respect and harmony in society.

"I absolutely condemn his decision to retweet this material because, ultimately, it offers legitimacy to something that every one of us should reject and condemn."

Dr al-Qadri said his fear was such actions would ultimately embolden those who want to promote only bigotry and hatred in society.

"It is quite shocking - I wholeheartedly endorse the condemnation of this by groups such as the UK Muslim Council," he said.

Dr al-Qadri said he had devoted his life to promoting cultural understanding and to defeating fundamentalism.

The UK Muslim Council expressed its shock at the social media postings by the US leader which provoked a storm of outrage across the US.

"This is the clearest endorsement yet from the US president of the far-right and their vile anti-Muslim propaganda," a spokesman said.

"We cannot give such bigotry a free pass."

The council said it wanted British political leaders to confirm their opposition to and rejection of such material.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene

An elderly priest has died after his vehicle collided with an articulated truck in Co Monaghan on Wednesday afternoon.

The accident took place on the N2 on approach to Carrickmacross, Monaghan - close to McCaughey's service station - shortly before 5pm.

The driver of the car, a male in his 70s, was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.

The deceased has since been named locally as F. Joe McCluskey of St Endas Parish, Killanny.

It is understood he was visiting elderly locals throughout the day.

Carrickmacross Councillor Padraig McNally told the Irish Independent that the tragedy has left an entire community in mourning.

"It's an extremely sad day for all of us," he said.

"Fr McCluskey was doing his monthly sick calls where he goes around to elderly people feeling unwell.

"He must have been getting petrol or something to eat at the filling station just before the tragedy occurred," he said.

Cllr McNally described Fr McCluskey as a "lovely, humble man".

"He's only been in the Killanny parish for about two years and was only getting to know his community," he said.

"People really respected him and I'm really going to miss his weekly mass.

"I wish to express my deepest sympathies to his family and those close to him," he said.

The Carrickmacross representative added that the road where the tragedy took place is known for its fatal accidents.

"There was about ten people killed over the last three years on the N2. Three women who were returning from Dublin airport were killed on it only in July of this year," he said.

Killaney Ladies GFC also extended their sympathies on its Facebook page.

"The Community of Killanny is in great shock and sadness after hearing the news of the sudden passing of our priest Fr Joe McCluskey in a tragic road accident this evening.

"Fr Joe was held in high esteem in our parish. A mass will be held in his memory at 9.20am [today] in St.Endas Church Killanny."

The driver of the truck was taken by ambulance to hospital. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

The scene is expected remain closed overnight to facilitate a forensic investigation by gardai. Local diversions are put in place.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Carrickmacross Garda Station 042-9690190 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.
A woman is looking to find a temporary home for her Labradoodle puppy while she tends to her sick husband in hospital.

Angela Keogh from Rathfarnham, Dublin is keen to find a loving home for the puppy as soon as possible until her husband is well enough to come home.

Speaking to RTE's Liveline, Angela explained that her "very fit husband" Joe (68) with "no medical history" suddenly collapsed in front of her last Sunday morning.

"To my horror he didn't move... I realised immediately that something terribly serious had happened," she said.

Angela explained that her husband had a heart attack, followed by a full cardiac arrest.

He was taken to Tallaght Hospital on Sunday and he hasn't regained consciousness since.

As a result, Angela is spending a lot of time in the hospital to be by her husband's side.

The couple have a seven-month-old Labradoodle puppy called Ellie and Angela is keen to find a temporary home for her until the Keoghs' situation has settled.

"I'm retired and so is Joe and I've always wanted a dog, we got her in July of this year. She's a dote, she's the most beautiful thing that's happened to us in a long time," said Angela.

"She's a celebrity in the local parks I bring her too. She looks like a teddy bear."

Ellie is currently with a neighbour for the week but Angela is hoping that a family, preferably one that's passionate about dogs, will be able to take care of the dog for an extended period of time.

"It could be a few weeks or a few months, we just don't know," said Angela.

"Really all we're looking for is the best for Ellie, I'm not even thinking about our awful situation. I don't want to be in a position where I have to leave her on her own, it's a situation that's unpredictable.

"I'd love a fairly stable environment for her with routine. It would take a lot of our mind. I don't want the worry with poor Ellie at home."

Angela said she'd ideally like to find a family who live close to Tallaght or Rathfarnham so that she could visit Ellie.

The Labradoodle puppy needs to be talked twice a day and Angela said that she is high-energy but very friendly.

"She loves everyone, dogs and humans. She's very sociable."

Ellie has had all her vaccinations and Angela will provide all the bedding, food, toys, etc.

Do you think you could provide a loving, temporary home for little Ellie?

Get in touch with contact@independent.ie or joe@rte.ie.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced former Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney as the new Tanaiste.

Here's everything you need to know about the new Tanaiste:

Age: 45

Constituency: Cork South-Central

First elected a TD in 1998

Family: Married to IDA executive, Ruth Furney, they have three young daughters

Previously: Agriculture Minister, Defence Minister, and Housing Minister.

On March 15, 1998, a series of unexpected events began which would propel Simon Coveney into the heart of national politics, as navy divers recovered the body of his father, Hugh, from the sea in Cork.

Seven months later, he was a Fine Gael TD for Cork South Central, and on a slow journey towards high office. Now, more than 19 years later, he is Tanaiste, the second highest office in Irish politics.

In 1998 Simon Coveney, aged 26, had always thought he would eventually try politics. But the accidental drowning of his father, Hugh Coveney, a successful businessman, Fine Gael TD, and former government minister, speeded up the process.

Hugh Coveneys died accidentally when he slipped off a cliff while trying to rescue the familys pet dog which was trapped. At the time Simon Coveney was on a round-world voyage on the familys yacht.

Simon Coveney has long been seen as earnest, sincere and committed, and very much a traditional Fine Gael politician. But he has a capacity to surprise at times.

He successfully led the Fine Gael campaign for same-sex marriage in the May 2015 referendum showing an ability to take a more open-minded view of issues. In May 2017, he surprised again by fighting a dogged uphill campaign for the party leadership after Leo Varadkar left him at the starting gate with a hugely successful whirlwind campaign.

Given his current staid image, many are surprised to learn that there were earlier education struggles as he was asked to leave the prestigious Clongowes Wood boarding school in Kildare, and completed secondary education at Presentation Brothers College in Cork.

After a brief and unsuccessful stint studying at UCC, he decided to study agriculture as his family had a 350-acre tillage farm at Minane Bridge, east of Cork city. Aged 24, he returned to work as a farm manager near Mallow and his first "real job" proved a struggle, and finally he went to work the family farm.

He met his wife, Ruth Furney, a successful IDA executive in Cork, in UCC and they married in 2008. All of their three children were born at pretty busy times in the political calendar.

The eldest, Beth, arrived around the time of the 2009 local elections; Jessica during the 2011 general election battle; and Anna Lise during tough EU farm negotiations in late 2013.

These days, Skype and Facetime are deployed to maintain family contact and he is a very sparing socialiser outside of work commitments. The family home in an old house at Rock Road in Carrigaline is a busy place.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney as the new Tanaiste.

The Cork South Central TD and Mr Varadkar's rival during the Fine Gael leadership contest will replace Frances Fitzgerald who resigned earlier this week.

Minister Heather Humphreys, a Cavan-Monaghan TD, will replace Ms Fitzgerald at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation as part of the mini-reshuffle.

Mr Varadkar noted the role she will play in Brexit preparations in her new brief and the fact she is a TD from the border area is particularly relevant.

And Mr Varadkar promoted high profile backbench TD Josepha Madigan, of Dublin Rathdown, to take over from Ms Humphreys at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

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Mr Varadkar spoke of Mr Coveney's role as the minister responsible for Brexit and said: "I believe his appointment as Tanaiste and as Deputy Prime Minister will enhance his position in representing the Government overseas and in the negotiations currently underway and will make it easier for him to coordinate the work of other departments with respect to Brexit."

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The Taoiseach said Ms Humphreys will be the first Business minister from outside Dublin in seven years and noted she's from the border region.

"I think as well it's particularly relevant in the context of Brexit and also the Government's commitment to bring more jobs and good jobs to all regions of Ireland, especially rural Ireland," he said.

Mr Varadkar said Ms Madigan will build on Ms Humphrey's work at Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht including driving forward the Creative Ireland programme and a ten-year capital plan.

He said Ms Madigan, who is a solicitor, will also be a member of a new Cabinet Committee dealing with justice and equality and she will take a special interest in progressing the Government's five point agenda for gender equality.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin congratulated Mr Coveney who is a TD in the same constituency.

He quipped: "I'm glad that the Taoiseach is at last beginning to recognise the reservoir of talent that resides in the county of Cork."

On Ms Humphrey's move to the Business Department he said it is one of the most important portfolios in government and he argued it's suffered from an "obsession with minor steps", the "rebranding" of ongoing activities and big launches while "basis progress has stopped".

He asked the new minister to "pay particular attention to that".

Mr Martin said Ms Madigan's first task at the Department of Culture should be "to ensure ring-fenced funding and the preservation of the RTE orchestras which are so vital to our national cultural life".

There are fears for their future of the orchestras after RTE announced an independent review of its orchestral services.

Ms Madigan's appointment as minister was criticised by Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger who claimed she has a track record of "anti-Traveller bigotry".

As an election candidate, Ms Madigan had described plans for a Traveller halting site in the Mount Anville area of South Dublin as a "waste of taxpayers' money".

Ms Madigan's argument was that the land was worth 8m and the local authority was proposing to house four families on the site.

She has previously insisted her remarks were made from an economic perspective and were not anti-Traveller.

Ms Madigan's appointment was this afternoon put to a Dail vote and her nomination was confirmed by 52 votes to 39.

Sinn Fein deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald congratulated Mr Coveney, Ms Humphreys and Ms Madigan on a personal level but said "please don't take it personally that we will not be supporting you in your elevation to these roles because as you know we are actually members of the opposition".

She said Brexit "throws up many challenges" and she wished Ms Humphreys will in her work.
The Revenue Commissioners secured a total of 2.9bn from probes into offshore arrangements used to hide undeclared income.

Chairman Niall Cody spoke to a joint Oireachtas committee about offshore tax avoidance, and revelations made under the so-called 'Paradise Papers'.

He said that Revenue would continue to actively pursue anyone attempting to hide undeclared income or engaged in aggressive tax avoidance.

"Where tax evasion is uncovered, Revenue will apply the maximum sanctions and deterrents, including penalties, publication in the quarterly list of tax defaulters, and potentially, criminal prosecution," he said.

"Should it emerge that any Irish-based financial institution has facilitated tax evasion, Revenue will investigate whether such institutions have failed to disclose any information to Revenue that should have been disclosed."

The Paradise Papers revealed how business people and celebrities from all over the world had used offshore financial centres such as Malta and the Isle of Man to engage in legal tax avoidance.

Mr Cody said that Revenue's investigation on foot of the Paradise Papers was at an "early stage".

He added that following their publication, the Revenue Commissioners wrote to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), as well as the 'Irish Times'. Revenue has asked for information from the leaked documents that may be relevant.

Mr Cody said the 'Irish Times' replied that it participated in the Paradise Papers as a member of the ICIJ, whose "long-standing policy is not to provide material directly to investigating authorities". No response has yet been received from the ICIJ.
British Prime Minster Theresa May's former Downing Street Chief of Staff has said Britain needs "to help Ireland's young and inexperienced leader back down from his impossible Brexit demands".

In an op-ed penned for the UK's 'Daily Telegraph', Nick Timothy launched a passionate defence of his former boss's attempts at striking a deal for Britain's exit from the EU.

Expand Close Nick Timothy was the Prime Minister's joint chief of staff ( Dominic Lipinski/PA) / Facebook

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He wrote Mrs May is "making good progress in removing the blockages", relating to the country's exit payment and the role of the European Court of Justice.

However, he contends the biggest problem "is the status of the British border".

"The EU says we need solutions for the Irish border before the second phase of talks can begin, but the problem cannot be resolved until talks move to the future relationship," he wrote.

"Until recently there was a growing appreciation in Europe of this Catch 22 problem.

"But the recent demands made by the Irish Government, and notably its threat to veto a move to phase two of Brexit talks without a written guarantee that there will be no hard border between Ulster and the Republic, are now the most dangerous obstacle to a sensible agreement.

"To be fair, Irish anxiety is reasonable. They have no desire to leave the EU, and Brexit is a huge risk for them  a risk they did not choose to take. Britain needs to be sensitive to these facts and focus on finding practical solutions to the challenge. That is why Theresa May has said, ever since the referendum, that she is determined to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

"But Leo Varadkar, the Irish Taoiseach, seems to be trying to force the UK into positions that are understandably unacceptable to London: that the UK should remain a member of the Customs Union, or that Northern Ireland should do so, thereby creating an internal border within the United Kingdom."

Later in the piece, Mr Timothy writes: "Having taken a bold stance, Varadkar may find it difficult to back down. Some believe he is bluffing, and trying to force Britain into concessions, but it is more likely that a young and inexperienced leader, under domestic pressure and confronted with Brexit, is miscalculating: European diplomats tell me that Varadkar's recent ultimatum took even Brussels by surprise."

Mr Timothy states the outcome will be "ruinous" for Ireland if the UK leave the EU without a deal. He claims the Taoiseach's "hardline" stance could make this vista a reality.

"The Europeans need to make clear to Ireland that the surest way to a hard border is a no-deal Brexit, which is precisely what, with its hardline stance, the Irish government is risking.

"And if we think the consequences of that outcome are bad for Britain, they will be ruinous for the Republic: Varadkar must know this.

"The Europeans and the Britism want to move to phase two: Varadkar now needs to avoid a terrible miscalculation," he concluded.

Mr Timothy lost his job as Joint Chief of Staff at Downing Street after Theresa May's disastrous general election last year when she lost her party's majority following a gaffe prone campaign.

Before he lost his job, Mr Timothy was special adviser to Mrs May in her former position in the Home Office, following her to Downing Street. He was considered highly influential with Mrs May and his resignation after the election was judged to be a huge blow to the prime minister.

Although many have seen Theresa May as 'Remain' - although she never stated her position in the referendum campaign in 2016 - Mr Timothy has stated on the record he voted to leave the EU.
A Belfast secondary school is to close to pupils at 1pm every Wednesday due to "budget pressures".

In a letter to parents Breda Academy said it will be starting a "compressed day" from Wednesday December 6.

Principal Matthew Munro said it was an "essential response to the ongoing budgetary pressures and associated action short of strike action that constrain all Northern Ireland schools to a greater or lesser degree".

He said in the letter: "As you may be aware, schools in Northern Ireland are experiencing considerable budgetary pressures.

"In addition the main teaching unions have continued and extended a programme of action short of strike action. This has had an impact on the arrangements that we can make for routine school activities, such as regular staff meetings and parents evenings.

"We know other schools in the area have been exploring different ways to ensure essential staff development activities can still place, for example through having compressed days or halfdays or late starts for students in the morning. Staff and governors at Breda have been considering which of these options, or any alternatives, would work best here.

"I am writing to let you know that, starting on Wednesday 6th December, every Wednesday at Breda will be a compressed day."

The compressed day means lessons being shortened to 30 minutes and classes beginning at 8.35am instead of having a morning registration period.

All lessons scheduled for the day will take place and there will be a longer "big break" in the morning.

The school says this will mean the afternoon is available for "staff development and preparation activities".

Mr Munroe continued: "I appreciate this may represent an inconvenience for some parents and students but we have tried to select the day in a way that makes it easier for parents to adapt any routines in a simple and consistent way.

"As I have said this is an essential response to the ongoing budgetary pressures and associated action short of strike action that constrain all Northern Ireland schools to a greater or lesser degree.

"I would also like to stress these compressed days are not a halfday and student attendance is required. In our previous experience with this compressed day format, staff and students reported that the day felt very productive and focussed."

South Belfast DUP MP Emma Little-Pengelly said she was in contact with a number of concerned parents and she had set up a series of meetings.

She said: "I have been contacted by a number of concerned parents- both in relation to the mid term nature of this change but also concerns over the reduction of teaching time for pupils.

"I am in contact with the department of Education, the EA and I will be raising this issue directly with the Principal on Friday morning at the arranged meetings."

On Wednesday evening an emergency meeting was called of the Ulster Teachers Union where the INTO and NEU agreed to redouble efforts to stop the cuts to the education system "before its too late".

General secretary of the UTU Avril Hall Callaghan said: Cuts in the classroom have meant that the system has never before since the Education Act of 1947 faced the kinds of pressures it is facing today  and back then we had just come out of a World War.

Something must be done before we go beyond the point of no return and its too late  a point which is getting perilously close.

Were at a make or break point, make no mistake.
Jennifer Samuel (17), Samiya Mooge (23), Emmanuel Samuel (21) and Elina Feldmane (17) at the launch of the report. Photo: Steve Humphreys

Young people from minority ethnic backgrounds in Ireland are the target of regular racist taunts and name calling, a report has revealed.

The undercurrent of prejudice suffered by a young generation, aged 14 to 24 years, who stand out because of the colour of their skin or Muslim hijab is revealed by the National Youth Council of Ireland.

Ireland now prides itself on welcoming immigrants to their adopted country, and the report notes that they can flourish if they can be given "safe and supported spaces".

The report records how an overwhelming 82pc were born outside Ireland and yet a significant 52pc have since become naturalised Irish citizens.

It notes how young people have to negotiate being accepted by peers from their own ethnic minority, as well as the majority population.

"How the majority Irish community judged and perceived the young people was a critical factor," it says.

Many young people who migrated from African countries to Ireland stressed their attachment to both countries, according to research noted in the report. But they still felt under pressure to conform to Irish peers.

However the report also highlights how a young black girl can be called a name such as "n****r" and "monkey" at least once a week.

The girl who described the name-calling insults and exclusion said: "I'm just saying this actually does go on and you're not taking it seriously."

The study explored the perspectives and experiences of 50 young minority ethnic people.

An 18-year-old Asian girl living in Leinster said: "You're scared to show people who you are because you're afraid that they're going to judge you from where you came from, and how you act. So you're just like scared of really being yourself."

The victims also spoke of struggles of identity and belonging as their families cling to their heritage.

One teenage boy said: "Your parents might be hanging on, [saying] 'but you're African and this is the way you should be' [but] just because your background is African doesn't mean that your culture can't be both African and Irish."

Another Asian girl said: "Sometimes people are surprised [by cultural practices]. Even though you try and explain they don't understand.

"We should be taught more about other cultures so that you understand why people act differently. What you might think is weird is completely normal to another person. If you're not taught that then you don't really know that."

The report 'Make Minority a Priority: Insights from Minority Ethnic Young People' points out that among the largest minority nationalities within the age group are Polish, Lithuanian, Romanian, Irish-American, Brazilian and Latvian.

Anne Walsh, of the National Youth Council of Ireland, said: "While these issues are not new, what is worrying is that this new research highlights that they are very much still part of everyday life for young people growing up minority ethnic in Ireland.

"All young people need to feel that they can take part in activities out of school."

She pointed out the findings of this research challenge people working with the young to ask what can be done to genuinely embrace and include all those who call Ireland home, and especially those for whom it provides their only home.

The report makes a series of recommendations.

Youth workers are encouraged to arrange meetings while anti-racism and intercultural training should be included.
MATTOON -- Math teacher Angela McQueen said she was focused on saving students lives when she helped subdue a student shooter inside the Mattoon High School cafeteria on Sept. 20.

The Illinois Education Association (IEA) teachers union released a video Thursday of an interview it recently conducted with McQueen, who is a math and physical education teacher. The video was released on the same day that McQueen was honored at the high school for her lifesaving actions on Sept. 20.

An IEA press release reported that because of McQueens quick response to contain the shooter, only one student was injured. The injured student was initially hospitalized but has since been released and is now back at school.

"I sprang into action because I looked over and I saw a student pulling a gun out and he was aiming it at students to his right," McQueen said during the interview. "I thought, 'Oh crap, he is going to start shooting,' so I immediately lunged at the gun and got the gun up in the air as quickly as I could, as fast as I could because I didn't want him to hit the students."

McQueen said the shooter fired a couple of rounds before she was able to force him to point the gun up toward the ceiling of the cafeteria.

Officials with the Mattoon Police Department and the school district have said that Mattoon police school resource officer Kasey Alexander arrived in the cafeteria and took the shooter into custody shortly after McQueens actions.

In that moment, you dont really think. You just react. To me, its almost like the mama bear instinct. I dont have kids of my own right now, but its the instinct of, Youre not going to do this to my kids, McQueen said. These are still my kids, even though I dont know every single kid in there. Youre not going to do this to my kids. Youre not going to do this at my school.

McQueen said she always has taken the active shooter training at the high school seriously, but she had thought a school shooting would never happen in Mattoon because it is such a nice, quiet small town.

"You never think it is going to happen where you are at," McQueen said.

Still, McQueen said she always has been mindful of the message in one of her favorite Bible verses, John 15:13 -- "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down ones life for ones friends."

"It was always in the back of my mind, 'Would I do this for just anybody?'" McQueen said of risking her life to save strangers. She added later, "Everybody, I think, would like to think they would do that for just anybody, and now I know I would."

A portion of McQueens interview was released on the IEAs Facebook page on Thursday. Extended footage from the video shows McQueen visiting with students in the school cafeteria and the gymnasium, and at work in her classroom.

McQueen said in the interview that "I really just want to have a positive impact on kids. I felt like that was what I was meant to do. I feel like that even more now."

We are forever grateful to Angela for her courageous actions that saved the lives of our kids. She was a ray of light in our darkest hour, Mattoon district Superintendent Larry Lilly said in the press release.

McQueen was honored Thursday at the high school by the Illinois State Police, Illinois branch of the FBI, Society of Former Special Agents, City of Mattoon, Mattoon Police Department and the Mattoon school district.
Two homeless men who perished on the streets of the capital had both spent time in emergency accommodation before their deaths.

A man in his 50s, named locally as Michael McCann, was found dead in a tent in Ranelagh near one of the country's most prestigious private schools within Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy's constituency at 1.30pm on Tuesday.

A Lithuanian man in his 30s died in the Mater Hospital on Monday morning after he was taken from Chancery Street, near the Four Courts, on Sunday evening.

Gardai said both incidents were being classed as "sudden deaths" and more would not be known until postmortems had been completed.

The Dublin Homeless Regional Executive (DHRE) said: "We would like to express condolences to the family and friends [of each man] who very sadly passed away."

Referring to the Ranelagh death, it said: "This man was accessing homeless services since 2010 and was placed in emergency accommodation, including temporary supported accommodation, on a number of occasions." The executive said outreach teams had "engaged" with the homeless man on "many occasions".

"Unfortunately, support services were unable to progress this man to a more permanent housing solution after he left his last placement."

The DHRE said the Lithuanian man had also been accessing homeless services since 2013 and he had also been placed in emergency accommodation, including temporary supported accommodation on a "number of occasions".

He has not been identified until his family can be informed.

Independent Dublin city councillor Christy Burke said the reason why some homeless people chose to sleep rough was because they didn't want to live in emergency accommodation.

Mr Burke, who remembered feeding the Lithuanian man, said: "My condolences go to both these men's families and I hope the Independents in the Dail now start putting real pressure on the Government to answer this crisis."
The engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has been billed as a game-changing, ground-breaking shift for the Royal Family.

The pundits are right, of course - this very modern new member of the British monarchy is a royal revolution... just not necessarily for the reasons that have been cited with tedious regularity.

As we have been reminded time and time again, Markle is a mixed-race American, a Catholic and - shock horror - a divorcee.

This is clearly an issue for dog-whistle racists, identity politics rabble-rousers and creeping Jesuses. The rest of us, quite frankly, are more interested in where she got her new coat (it's by Line the Label, seeing as you're asking).

Yes, Markle represents a seismic shift, but those who are no longer living in the 1950s recognise her uniqueness in very different ways. Here are just a few of the singularities that set her apart from the rest.

She's a yogi

Much has been made of Markle's Catholic upbringing, but you only have to take one look at her long and lean arms to recognise that yoga is her real religion. Her mother - who once sported dreadlocks and a nose ring - is a yoga instructor, and the actress is regularly photographed with a yoga mat rolled up under her arm. Markle went to an all-girls Roman Catholic school in Los Angeles but it is unclear whether she's a practising Catholic. She is, however, a devout yogi who will no doubt be practising her sun salutations on the lawns of Kensington Palace come summer. And who knows, maybe she'll be joined by a few converts...

She's Californian

Royal pundits have drawn all sorts of comparisons between Markle and socialite Wallis Simpson, the last American to marry into the Royal Family in 1937. Simpson hailed from Pennsylvania; Markle was born in the 'Granola State' of California, so called because it's full of fruits, nuts and flakes. In other words: same country, worlds apart. California isn't just a state - it's a blue sky, blissed out, beach-side lifestyle. And Markle, a self-proclaimed 'California Girl', wholeheartedly embodies it. She's a green juice-drinking, motivational mantra-posting hippie-capitalist who probably owns a Himalayan salt lamp and a deck of angel cards. And Prince Harry, for his own part, seems to dig it - he spoke yesterday of the "stars aligning". How long before the word 'karma' appears on an official palace statement?

She wears ripped jeans

While there is no official Royal protocol around fashion, prospective brides tend to choose dresses over trousers and mid-height heels (nude, preferably) over towering stilettos. So when Markle wore ripped skinny jeans to her first official public appearance with Prince Harry at the Invictus Games in Toronto, it was clear she was making more than a style statement. Markle has chalked up a lot of firsts for the British establishment, but she will go down in fashion history as the first Royal bride to successfully avoid wearing tweed. And for that alone, we are grateful.

She's 36

We've been led to believe Meghan is a modern-day Cinderella who went from an LA tenement to Kensington Palace, but the rags-to-riches tale is just that - a tale. There is, however, a very different happy ending that we can take heart from. Markle is 36, three years older than her fiance and as far away from the 'young virgin bride' trope as one can get. As for the idea that Royal brides are designed to breed? The couple were refreshingly blase when the question was posed to them during their first TV interview yesterday. This is a true Cinderella moment for single, childless women who are over the age of 34. When friends start to gently suggest that you freeze your eggs, just think of Meghan who patiently waited for her Prince Charming to come.

She's Netflix and Chill

Royal girlfriends are often unveiled to the public during the 'season' of Royal Ascot and the Henley Royal Regatta. Prince Harry and Meghan, on the other hand, realised it would be much more fun to go into lockdown in their Nottingham Cottage love nest, where they watched TV, cooked dinner and probably fed each other Malteasers. Prince William and Kate Middleton holidayed in the exclusive Desroches Island Resort in the Seychelles when they were dating; Prince Harry and Meghan shared a tent in Botswana. Who cares that they are the first interracial Royal couple? What's far more interesting is the fact they are the first Royal couple who are completely and utterly relatable.

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We wish you a scary Christmas

Christmas creep can be confusing. Pumpkins are still on windowsills when festive baubles go on sale. Skeletons are still hanging from door frames when fairy lights are strewn around department stores.

We can only assume that it was especially confusing for Melania Trump, whose Christmas decor looks like a scene from Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. The theme was "time-honoured traditions" and, sure enough, the Trumps are continuing their tradition of scaring the living bejaysus out of us.
On this week's show, Brian Purcell was in Cavan for the launch of Cavan Innovation & Technology Centre (CITC)as the next location to be part of Vodafone and SIROs national Gigabit Hub Initiative.

Subscribe to The Ready Business show, in association with Vodafone via iTunes or SoundCloud.

On this week's show, Brian Purcell was in Cavan for the launch of Cavan Innovation & Technology Centre (CITC)as the next location to be part of Vodafone and SIROs national Gigabit Hub Initiative, which offers a one Gigabit broadband connection to qualifying business hubs free of charge for two years.

The Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen, which was the first hub connected by SIRO in July 2016, is an exemplar project that was shortlisted for the European Commission Broadband Awards in 2016 and is on course to create 500 jobs over the next five years in West Cork.

SIROs Gigabit connectivity, which is three times as powerful as the best service in Dublin and 10 times more powerful than the fastest average internet speed in Ireland, gives businesses in the CTIC world-class broadband connectivity allowing them to compete and grow.

The CITC was established to promote innovation and technology support in the Cavan and border region by providing local businesses with education, training, technology and facilities needed to support enterprise development and create economic growth, as well as providing a one stop shop for entrepreneurs.

State agencies such as the Local Enterprise Office and IDA Ireland are co-located at CITC, with all support and training carried out by the Local Enterprise Office delivered at the centre. The Hub, incorporating Cavan Enterprise Centre, currently accommodates 10 companies which employ over 310 people.

To find out how such fast broadband infrastructure can make a difference to businesses in rural regions, Brian spoke to those involved in the launch including Vincent Reynolds, CEO Cavan County Enterprise Board and CEO of the new Cavan Gigabit Hub, Richard Stafford, CEO Apri Data and Stephen O'Connor, Siro's Director of Corporate Affairs.

Vincent Reynolds, CEO, Cavan Innovation & Technology Centre said: The unique natural surroundings of County Cavan underpin the success of its living and working communities. Inspiration breeds innovation, which, in the right environment, breeds success and this was the motivating factor behind the establishment of CITC. As a recipient of Vodafone and SIROs 1 Gigabit broadband connection, we will be able to further drive innovation and help companies at the centre reach greater heights.

Stephen OConnor, Corporate Affairs Director of SIRO, also said: We are delighted that CITC has become our latest Gigabit Hub, given Cavans key role in SIROs history. Cavan was our original trial town, when we connected the Aughnaskerry and Rocklands estates back in 2015 and we got a great reception in the town. The SIRO network now extends to over 4,000 homes and businesses in Cavan town which all have access to the best connectivity in Ireland, rivalling international hubs like Hong Kong and Tokyo. Good connectivity is vital for regional towns competing for investment and jobs and having a 1 GB network in the town and a strategic centre like the CITC makes Cavan attractive for entrepreneurs to establish their business or for companies looking to invest

Richard Stafford, Founder and CEO of Apridata, said: CITCs Gigabit connectivity is a game-changer for Apridata. With customers and prospects in locations as diverse as the Caribbean and Sweden, broadband is critical for our company. For our services, geographic location is not a limiting factor; we can market, sell and deliver digitally with video conferencing playing a vital role in our sales process. To succeed we need the bandwidth in place to ensure we deliver a professional experience - you lose credibility if theres any lag or if your call unexpectedly drops due to poor broadband. We manage and process large volumes of data and the 1 Gigabit connection provided to us by Vodafone and SIRO enables us to do this productively. As a result, we can deliver services that empower our clients to make better business decisions faster.

Liam OBrien, Director of Strategy & External Affairs of Vodafone Ireland, added: The Gigabit Hub Initiative was created in order to empower local businesses and communities through connected technologies. As the fifth hub, Im delighted that businesses in the Cavan Innovation & Technology Centre will have access to SIROs 100% fibre-optic network. Gigabit connectivity is the starting point in the creation of a Gigabit Society across Ireland which will offer employees a better work/life balance and allow them to pursue their careers in towns across Ireland without sacrificing their quality of life, rather than being forced to move to cities or abroad.

The Ready Business show, in association with Vodafone , is available via iTunes , SoundCloud and Stitcher or subscribe to the RSS feed of the Ready Business Podcast using your favourite podcatcher.

You can check out the full Ready Business Podcast series here .

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King Mohammed VI of Morocco shakes hands with European Council President Donald Tusk as leaders pose for a family summit photo in Abidjan yesterday. Photo: Getty Images

Europe and Africa have joint responsibility for making migration more humane and orderly so they can end horrifying abuses being committed against African migrants by people smugglers, European Council President Donald Tusk said yesterday.

He was speaking at a two-day Africa-European Union summit that was meant to focus on development and investment in youth, but had inevitably been overshadowed by the migrant crisis.

Reports this month of white Libyan slave traders selling black African migrants at markets in Libya - a grim echo of the trans-Saharan slave trade in centuries past - have drawn worldwide horror.

The outcry threatened to put migration to the top of the summit agenda and shine a light on a thorny issue for European leaders faced with a surge in far-right, anti-immigration parties at home.

"It is clear that migration is a joint responsibility. It is in all our interests to have orderly migration that is more controlled, more humane and sustainable," Mr Tusk said.

"The recent reports about the treatment of Africans - especially young people - by smugglers and traffickers are horrifying," he said, adding that 5,000 migrants had drowned in the Mediterranean last year.

But European leaders - including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, who head the Franco-German axis at the heart of the EU - are hamstrung by electorates that are increasingly anti-immigration.

Despite pressure at home, Ms Merkel yesterday highlighted the need to create legal avenues for migration.

European and African leaders met late yesterday to discuss the reports of slavery in Libya and the migrant crisis.

"We must not only denounce it, we must act, by collectively attacking these smuggling networks," Mr Macron said.
US President Donald Trump vowed "major sanctions" against North Korea after it tested a missile that experts said was capable of reaching Washington.

Following the test of its previously unseen Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday, the rogue regime claimed it had achieved its goal of becoming a nuclear state.

Kim Jong-un, its leader, "declared with pride that now we have finally realised the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force", the country's official news agency stated.

North Korea said the missile reached an altitude of 4,475km, 10 times that of the International Space Station, before splashing down in waters off Japan following a 53-minute flight.

Mr Trump wrote on Twitter: "Just spoke to President Xi Jinping of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!"

Rex Tillerson, the US secretary of state, said the sanctions would probably target foreign banks that still do business with North Korea.

In London, the North Korean ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office. Mark Field, a Foreign Office minister, said: "North Korea claims it wants to bring security and prosperity to its people. But its actions are creating only insecurity and deepening its isolation."

The UN Security Council was due to hold an emergency meeting late yesterday to discuss a response to the test.

Moon Jae-in, South Korea's president, said: "The situation can spiral out of control. We must stop a situation where North Korea miscalculates and threatens us with nuclear weapons, or where the United States considers a pre-emptive strike."

US and Chinese generals engaged in an unusual set of security talks yesterday, just hours after North Korea's most powerful missile test yet, focused on how the mighty American and Chinese militaries might communicate in a crisis.

The Pentagon stressed the talks were scheduled long before North Korea's surprise missile launch in the early hours of yesterday in Asia. Officials insisted the dialogue wasn't centred on North Korea or anything else in particular.

 Daily Telegraph, London
Pope Francis meets the bishops of Burma in Rangoon before leaving for Bangladesh (AP/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis, centre left, is greeted by President Abdul Hamid upon his arrival at the presidential palace in Dhaka, Bangladesh (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid has accused Burma's military of committing "ruthless atrocities" against Rohingya Muslims and demanded international help to return them safely to their homes and integrate them into Burmese society.

Mr Hamid made the remarks as he welcomed Pope Francis to the presidential palace on Thursday at the start of a three-day visit to the Muslim-majority country.

The president said thousands of Rohingya men, women and children had been killed, their homes burned to ashes, and thousands of women raped.

He said Bangladesh has welcomed the refugees with open arms, but now there is a "shared responsibility" to safely return them to Burma and help them integrate into "social, economic and political life".

Security was tight at the airport in Dhaka as Francis arrived for the second leg of his six-day trip to Asia after visiting Burma.

Huge banners with pictures of the Pope and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had been put up around the city and St Mary's Cathedral was decorated with lights.

He had refrained from speaking out about the Rohingya Muslim crisis while in Rangoon out of diplomatic deference to his hosts, who consider the Rohingya as having illegally migrated from Bangladesh.

A Christian priest went missing in northern Bangladesh on Tuesday, and his family reported that they had received calls demanding money.

Police said they were looking for the man but would not confirm if it was a kidnapping.

AP
General Slobodan Praljak brings a bottle to his lips during a Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands (ICTY via AP)

A deadly chemical was in the container from which a Croat war criminal drank in a United Nations courtroom, a Dutch prosecutor said on Thursday, as an independent investigation into the dramatic death of Slobodan Praljak moved forward.

"There was a preliminary test of the substance in the container and all I can say for now is that there was a chemical substance in that container that can cause death," Marilyn Fikenscher told the Associated Press. She declined to elaborate on the exact nature of the substance.

Praljak stunned the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague on Wednesday when he gulped down liquid from a small bottle seconds after a UN appeals judge confirmed a 20-year sentence against him.

The 72-year-old wartime commander of Bosnian Croat forces said in court that he had taken poison. He was rushed to hospital but died there, tribunal spokesman Nenad Golcevski said.

Praljak's lawyer, Nika Pinter, said on Thursday that she never expected him to kill himself and does know how he obtained the fatal liquid given the Netherlands court's strict security.

She described Praljak to Croatia's Hina news agency as "an honourable man who could not live with the war crimes conviction and leave that courtroom handcuffed".

Praljak was originally convicted in 2013 of crimes including murder, persecution and deportation for his role in a plan to carve out a Bosnian Croat mini-state in Bosnia in the early 1990s.

Prosecutor Ms Fikenscher said that a post-mortem examination, including toxicological tests, will be carried out soon.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said Praljak had wanted to send a message to the UN court that the verdict against him was unjust. He said the former general was "obviously shaken by the possibility he would be convicted" of war crimes for his actions during Bosnia's 1992-95 war.

Ms Fikenscher said the Dutch investigation will look into how Praljak managed to take the small bottle of poison into the tribunal's tightly guarded courtroom.

Mr Golcevski declined to comment on the security situation at the court or its detention centre, saying: "There is an independent investigation ongoing and ... these are issues that will likely be addressed by that investigation."

He also refused to give details of who had visited Praljak in the days and weeks before Wednesday's events, citing privacy considerations.

A lawyer who has frequently defended suspects at the war crimes court told the AP that it would be easy to bring poison into the court.

Prominent Serbian lawyer Toma Fila said security for lawyers and other court staff "is just like at an airport".

Security officers inspect metal objects and confiscate mobile phones, but "pills and small quantities of liquids" would not be registered, he said.

Praljak was a Bosnian Croat writer and film and theatre director turned wartime general. His indictment said he also worked as a professor of philosophy and sociology.

He was among six Croats whose prison sentences ranging from 10-25 years were confirmed by appeals judges on Wednesday.

The five-judge UN panel overturned parts of their convictions but upheld the majority and agreed with trial judges who ruled that the crimes were part of a "joint criminal enterprise" with links to late Croatian president Franjo Tudjman and other top Croat officials.

AP
Angela Merkel faced fresh complications in her efforts to put together a coalition government in Germany last night as a power struggle broke out for control of her sister party in Bavaria.

Horst Seehofer, one of Ms Merkel's strongest allies in coalition talks, was confronted with an attempted coup by his Christian Social Union (CSU) rivals.

Ms Merkel is set for talks in Berlin today with Martin Schulz, leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), as she tries to negotiate a new coalition.

Mr Seehofer will also be at the talks, but his authority to negotiate on behalf of his party will be damaged by events in Munich.

Some form of deal with the SPD is Ms Merkel's last chance to avoid new elections after talks with smaller parties collapsed earlier this month.

A group of senior MPs in the Bavarian parliament want to replace Mr Seehofer as prime minister.

While Mr Seehofer might be able to retain overall leadership, his position would be weakened. The rebel MPs want a vote on Monday.

Defeat could force Mr Seehofer to resign.

 Daily Telegraph, London

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Katerina Tikhonova with a dance partner. She is rumoured to be daughter of Vladimir Putin. Picture: Reuters

A top dance official has confirmed that a leading Russian dancer is a daughter of President Vladimir Putin.

Manfred Mohab, of the World Rock 'n' Roll Confederation, later withdrew his comments, saying he had misheard.

It is the second time in two years that the Reuters news agency has disclosed that Katerina Tikhonova is Putin's daughter, citing a named source, and then been publicly challenged after publication.

Mr Mohab told Reuters in a weekend interview during a dance event that he knew Tikhonova through their work together on the confederation's presidium.

When asked whether he knew Tikhonova was Putin's daughter, he said: "Yes. I know her, yes of course."

Asked a second time, he nodded and said: "Yes."

After the article was published, Mohab telephoned Reuters, and said: "I can't confirm that I know the daughter of Mr Putin. I have nothing to do with them."

The Kremlin and Tikhonova did not respond to requests for comment.

While Katerina's identity has been widely assumed, it has never been confirmed by Tikhonova herself or Putin.
Surin Pitsuwan, former secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, who has died in Thailand, aged 68 (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File)

Former Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan has died in Thailand at the age of 68.

Thailand's Democrat Party said Mr Surin died in Bangkok on Thursday of a sudden heart attack.

He is a former politician from the party who also served as Thailand's foreign minister in the late 1990s under a Democrat-led government.

Mr Surin is best known for his time at the head of the 10-member Asean from 2008 until 2012. His name was also mentioned as a possible candidate for United Nations secretary-general.

He remained active in regional diplomatic circles until his death.

Mr Surin appeared to be in good health before he died. Posts on his official Facebook page show him visiting a Bangkok co-working space on Wednesday.

Two weeks ago, he spoke at a conference marking the 50th anniversary of Asean.

His remarks, punctuated with emphasis in his trademark deep voice, lauded co-operative organisations like Asean as a means of "creating a space for the region to talk to itself".

He asked: "How can we unleash the energy, the creativity, the power of 640 million people onto the platform of Asean?"

He also suggested that a new era - possibly one of less co-operation - may be emerging.

"It has been an age of multilateralism, talking to each other in a big group," he said. But, he lamented, "the era of multilateralism is disappearing".

"Be ourselves," he said of Asean nations. "Be self-sufficient. Be helpful to each other before we wait for contributions from the outside."

AP

Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Mr Surin "contributed greatly to the advancement and interest of Asean, as well as the promotion of Asean on the international stage. His outstanding personality, knowledge and wisdom were truly recognised by global leaders."
Britains accountancy watchdog has called for accountants to be held to higher standards following as review of KPMGs audits of HBOS in the run-up to the lenders near collapse in 2008.

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC), which earlier this year concluded that KPMGs work did not fall short of standards, said on Thursday that accountants should be subject to a similar level of accountability as auditors.

In a letter to Treasury Select Committee chairwoman Nicky Morgan, FRC boss Stephen Haddrill said: It is our view that accountants in public interest roles should be subject to a similar threshold of accountability as auditors now are to protect the public interest.

We would appreciate your support for this and, if necessary, legislation.

Mr Haddrills comments came alongside a report on the FRCs findings of a probe into KPMGs audit of HBOS.

KPMG was in September cleared by the watchdog over its auditing of HBOS, with the FRC saying that it does not believe there are grounds for further action.

The FRC said at the time there is not a realistic prospect that a tribunal would make an adverse finding against KPMG, adding that the firms work did not fall significantly short of the standards reasonably to be expected of the audit.

But Mr Haddrill admitted that the FRC should have adopted a more proactive approach to its investigation into HBOS rather than relying on other regulators.

HBOS was taken over by Lloyds TSB in a rescue deal in the autumn of 2008 after expanding too quickly with risky lending, weak funding and management failures.

Lloyds then had to be bailed out with 20.5 billion of taxpayer cash in 2008.

HBOS, formed from the merger of Halifax and Bank of Scotland in 2001, had said in 2008 it would be able to fund itself and did not expect market conditions to worsen, according to the FRC.
A young British expat is said to be facing jail in Dubai after witnessing a fight between her friends and a stranger in a hotel lobby.

Asa Hutchinson was with a group of men when they attempted to take selfies with a drunk Swedish man who was asleep on a sofa, according to campaign group Detained in Dubai.

The man, aged in his 50s, woke up and attacked them as they tried to flee.

Police were called and the 21-year-old was charged with assault and theft, despite playing no active role in the incident in 2016, the group said.

Originally from Chelmsford, Essex, Ms Hutchinson now lives in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is an account manager for a global transportation company.

She is being represented by Detained in Dubai, which has helped in legal battles involving other British nationals.

She told the organisation: "It is so unfair, I was not involved.

"I just happened to be there, but the police are not interested in anything I have to say.

"Once the man made his complaint it was taken as fact. I can't go to jail, I couldn't cope."

Ms Hutchinson had been leaving brunch with a group of friends when the altercation occurred.

"The man woke up and began punching the boys," she said.

"I heard the commotion and came back to see what was going on."

After calling the police, the entire group was arrested and taken to Bur Dubai police station.

Detained in Dubai said the men managed to get their passports back and they returned to the UK.

But the Swedish man discovered Miss Hutchinson was a UAE resident and transferred charges to her, according to the organisation

Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, said: "In Dubai, if two parties are in dispute or arguing, the first person to speak to the police is usually the one who is believed.

"Often it is a race to get to the police first. By making this complaint, the man may have been safeguarding himself from being charged himself.

"Also, it is clear in this case that Asa was a bystander, not involved with the fight and is only being victimised because the alleged culprits have left the country."

A spokeswoman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "Our staff in Dubai assisted a British woman following an incident in 2016, and are ready to provide further help if requested."
Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, speaks during a Security Council meeting on the situation in North Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017 at United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

The United States warned North Korea's leadership it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out after Pyongyang test fired its most advanced missile, putting the U.S. mainland within range, in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

The Trump administration has repeatedly said all options are on the table in dealing with North Korea's ballistic and nuclear weapons programmes, including military ones, but that it still prefers a diplomatic option.

Speaking at an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting, U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley said the United States had never sought war with North Korea.

"If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday," she said. "...and if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."

Haley said the United States has asked China to cut off oil supply to North Korea, a drastic step that Beijing - the North's neighbour and sole major trading partner - has so far refrained from doing. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talked on the phone earlier on Wednesday.

"Just spoke to President Xi Jinping of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

Previous U.S. administrations have failed to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and a sophisticated missile programme. Trump, who has previously said the United States would "totally destroy" North Korea if necessary to protect itself and its allies from the nuclear threat, has also struggled to contain Pyongyang since he came to office in January.

Urging China to use its leverage and promising more sanctions against North Korea are two strategies that have borne little fruit so far.

In a speech in Missouri about taxes, Trump, who has traded insults with the North in the past, referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with a derisive nickname.

"Little Rocket Man. He is a sick puppy," Trump said.

North Korea, which conducted its sixth and largest nuclear bomb test in September, has tested dozens of ballistic missiles under Kim's leadership.

Pyongyang has said its weapons programmes are a necessary defence against U.S. plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, denies any such intention.

North Korean state media said on Wednesday the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was launched from a newly developed vehicle in a "breakthrough" and that the warhead could withstand the pressure of re-entering the atmosphere.

Kim personally guided the missile test and said the new launcher was "impeccable". Pyongyang claimed it had finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force".

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called on North Korea to stop its weapons tests and for the United States and South Korea not to hold military drills in December as it would "inflame an already explosive situation".

The official China Daily newspaper said in an editorial that the latest launch may have been prompted by the Trump administration's decision to label North Korea a sponsor of state terrorism.

Beijing wants the two "belligerents" to calm down and is vexed that a golden opportunity to encourage Pyongyang into talks was "casually wasted" by the Trump administration, the paper said.

"The clock is ticking down to one of two choices: learning to live with the DPRK having nuclear weapons or triggering a tripwire to the worst-case scenario," it added.

North Korea said the new missile soared to an altitude of about 4,475 km (2,780 miles) - more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station - and flew 950 km (590 miles) during its 53-minute flight.

It flew higher and longer than any North Korean missile before, landing in the sea near Japan.

Photos released by North Korean state media appeared to show a missile being positioned on the launch site by a mobile vehicle, designed to allow the missile to be fired from a wider number of areas to prevent it being intercepted before launch.

Kim is shown laughing and smiling with officials both next to the missile as it is readied, and in a control booth. The launch itself shows the missile lifting off amid smoke and fire, with Kim watching from a field in the distance.

U.S. intelligence analysts have concluded from satellite and other data that the test missile was fired from a fixed position, not a mobile launcher, three U.S. officials said.

One official said the test appears to demonstrate a more powerful North Korean solid-fuel propulsion system, especially in its second stage rocket.

The photos also revealed a larger diameter missile, which could allow it to carry a larger warhead and use a more powerful engine, said David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists, a U.S.-based nonprofit science advocacy group.

Three U.S. intelligence analysts said they were trying to assess whether North Korea's comments meant Kim might now be open to a longer halt in testing in order to reopen negotiations that might help prevent, or at least defer, the imposition of additional sanctions.

The officials also noted, however, that North Korea has not proved it has an accurate guidance system for an ICBM or a re-entry vehicle capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and surviving a return from space through Earths atmosphere, meaning further tests would be needed.

An international meeting in Canada in January is designed to produce "better ideas" to ease tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests, Canadian officials said on Wednesday, although North Korea itself will not be invited.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States has "a long list of additional potential sanctions, some of which involve potential financial institutions, and the Treasury Department will be announcing those when theyre ready to roll those out".

In just three months, South Korea hosts the Winter Olympics at a resort just 80 km (50 miles) from the heavily fortified border with North Korea.
Prime Minister Theresa May holds talks with US President Donald Trump on the margins of the G20 summit in Hamburg Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

A UK Cabinet minister has said she disagrees with Donald Trump's tweeted attack on Theresa May, but does not believe it should be allowed to detract from Britain's relationship with America and the American people.

Education Secretary Justine Greening was the first senior member of the Government to respond to the US President's message on Twitter telling the Prime Minister "don't focus on me", after Downing Street said it was wrong for him to have shared anti-Muslim videos posted online by far-right group Britain First.

In a virtually unprecedented social media rebuke by a head of state to the leader of a close ally, the US president said the Prime Minister should instead "focus on the destructive radical Islamic terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom".

Mr Trump caused outrage on Wednesday by retweeting three posts by Britain First's deputy leader Jayda Fransen to his 43.6 million followers, including footage from the Netherlands purporting to show a Muslim migrant attacking a man on crutches.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said Mr Trump had "endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me", adding: "He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing."

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said on Wednesday that Britain First was dedicated to causing division among communities and that the President had been "wrong" to share the posts.

Number 10's rebuke appears to have prompted Mr Trump to lash out in a late-night tweet.

The President originally addressed the tweet to @theresamay, who has just six followers, rather than the Prime Minister's account.

He later re-sent the tweet to tag the Prime Minister's correct Twitter handle, saying: "@Theresa_May, don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!"

Asked about Mr Trump's comments about the Prime Minister, Ms Greening told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "In the end, our relationship with the United States has a longevity to it that will succeed long after presidents come and go.

"I don't agree with the tweet President Trump has made, but I have to say I also believe it should not distract from the agenda we have domestically and I don't believe it should detract from the close relationship the UK has had for many, many years and will go on to have with America and the American people.

"This is a president that behaves unlike any other in the nature of the tweets he puts out. I don't believe that should be abe to undermine an overall important relationship with our country."

Responding to Mr Trump's comments about radical Islamism in the UK, Ms Greening said: "The reality of what is happening in the UK is that this is a country united against terrorism and extremism, that has done a huge amount of work to combat that and is broadly a country at ease with itself in relation to being a very diverse place."

In its response to the president's original tweets on Wednesday, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions. They cause anxiety to law-abiding people.

"British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far-right which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents, decency, tolerance and respect.

"It is wrong for the president to have done this."

Fransen, 31, who was convicted last November of religiously aggravated harassment for hurling abuse at a Muslim woman in a hijab, welcomed Mr Trump's rebuke to the PM, tweeting: "Well said Mr President! If Theresa May expressed as much outrage at the content of my videos as she has that Donald Trump retweeted them, we'd be a lot safer."

Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi shared a letter he has written to Mr Trump to register his "strong discontent" at the retweets.

Referencing Mr Trump's planned state visit to the UK, Mr Zahawi said: "You are soon due to visit the United Kingdom. When you are here, I believe you would find enlightening the experience of visiting our beautiful cities like Coventry, Birmingham, Manchester and London."

He added: "They are so far removed from the stereotypes that the videos of Britain First try to portray."

The Britain First posts included unverified videos titled "Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!" and "Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!"

The Dutch authorities said on Wednesday that the attacker in the first video was in fact born and raised in the Netherlands.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president had been seeking to "promote strong borders and strong national security".

The Prime Minister is currently on a tour of the Middle East.

Hours before Mr Trump's latest tweet, the Prime Minister's spokesman made clear the invitation for the president to make a state visit, made when Theresa May met Mr Trump in Washington in January, still stood.

Responding to Mr Trump's latest tweet, Brendan Cox, whose MP wife Jo was murdered by a man shouting "Britain first", told the president on Twitter: "You have a mass shooting every single day in your country, your murder rate is many times that of the UK, your healthcare system is a disgrace, you can't pass anything through a Congress that you control. I would focus on that."

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable described Mr Trump as an "evil racist" and called on Mrs May to cancel his planned visit to the UK.

Writing on Twitter, Sir Vince said: "New Donald Trump insult to Theresa May. She must end humiliating dependence of Brexit Britain on goodwill of evil racist. Cancel visit."

Speaker John Bercow has granted Labour MP Stephen Doughty an urgent question on Britain First and online hate speech.

It will take place in the Commons from approximately 10.30am.

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said that Mr Trump's tweets had put the Queen in a "very difficult and invidious position" because she would be his host for the planned state visit.

Mrs May had shown "bad judgment" and taken "the wrong approach right from the start" by making the offer of a state visit within weeks of him becoming president, she said.

Ms Thornberry told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The invitation wasn't Theresa May's invitation to make. The invitation technically comes from the Queen.

"Now it puts the Queen into a very difficult and invidious position of entering into politics.

"If there is a way that this can be finessed, I would support that.

"If he comes next year, a year which is supposed to be a really happy year for the royal family, what on earth are people supposed to make of it?

"Of course, the whole thing will be a total security nightmare if Donald Trump comes over."

Ms Thornberry said she was "very pleased" to see the PM "stand up to him at last", adding: "The Prime Minister was absolutely right to criticise.

"Isn't it extraordinary that we have got ourselves into a place whereby, despite all the political capital she has expended trying to get a good relationship with this man, he is trying to humiliate and belittle her in the way that he is?"

Ms Thornberry said: "There are Americans who are our friends, we share many values with America. But we don't share values with this man.

"And it isn't just on this issue, it's a series of other ones - the way in which he has this constantly shifting position on Nato, trying to undermine climate change agreements, threatening the deal with Iran, from Syria to North Korea his only response to difficult situations is increasing belligerence.

"This is not someone with whom we share values. Of course we need to work with America, but we need to be clear and stand up to him."

Mrs May will face questions about Mr Trump's tweet when she faces journalists after she makes a speech in Jordan at about 12.45 UK time.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who was involved in an earlier Twitter spat with Mr Trump after the president criticised his response to the London terror attacks, repeated his call for the state visit to be cancelled and said Mrs May should demand an apology.

Mr Khan said: "President Trump yesterday used Twitter to promote a vile, extremist group that exists solely to sow division and hatred in our country.

"Many Brits who love America and Americans will see this as a betrayal of the special relationship between our two countries.

"It beggars belief that the president of our closest ally doesn't see that his support of this extremist group actively undermines the values of tolerance and diversity that makes Britain so great.

"As the mayor of this great diverse city, I have previously called on Theresa May to cancel her ill-judged offer of a state visit to President Trump.

"After this latest incident, it is increasingly clear that any official visit at all from President Trump to Britain would not be welcomed.

"The Prime Minister of our country should be using any influence she and her Government claim to have with the president and his administration to ask him to delete these tweets and to apologise to the British people."
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, right, and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, centre, visit a missile cruiser in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in August (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, file)

Russia has approved a draft agreement with Egypt for Russian warplanes to use Egyptian military bases, according to a document released on Thursday

Such a deal would allow Moscow to further increase its military footprint in the Middle East.

The directive, signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and published on the official portal of legal information, endorses the draft prepared by the Russian Defence Ministry and instructs it to sign the deal with Egypt when it is ready.

The Russia-Egypt deal, which would allow each country's warplanes to use air bases of the other, is to last five years and could be extended further if agreed.

For Egypt, the deal is significant as President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's government has expanded military ties with Russia and signed deals to buy Russian fighter jets, helicopters and other weapons.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Cairo on Wednesday, noting that military co-operation between the two countries has increased recently as Egypt placed new orders for Russian weapons.

"We are pleased to note stable positive dynamics in the military-technical sphere," Mr Shoigu was quoted as saying during a meeting of an inter-government commission on military-technical co-operation.

He also offered condolences for the massacre during Friday prayers at a village mosque in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula last week in which 305 people were killed - the deadliest attack by Islamic extremists in Egypt's modern history.

Mr Shoigu emphasised the need to strengthen co-operation in fighting terrorism.

"We believe that it's necessary to fight this evil together using all accessible means," he said.

The local affiliate of Islamic State has not formally claimed responsibility for the mosque attack, though the men who gunned down the worshippers carried the black banner of the militant group.

The IS affiliate has claimed responsibility for the October 2015 downing over Sinai of a Russian passenger jet that killed all 224 people on board, mostly Russian tourists.

IS said it blew up the plane with a bomb smuggled on board, a claim confirmed by Russian investigators. The bombing prompted Russia to cut commercial flights with Egypt, a heavy blow that decimated the country's vital tourism industry.

Moscow and Cairo have held talks on boosting airport security and resuming the air link, but no agreement has been reached so far.

Egypt was Moscow's closest Arab ally in the 1950s and 1960s, when nationalist leader Gamal Abdel-Nasser turned away from the United States and secured Soviet backing. His successor, Anwar Sadat, broke ties with Moscow and evicted Soviet military advisers.

Under Mr el-Sissi, who developed friendly ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Egypt has expanded economic ties with Russia and shown a renewed interest in Russian arms.

Russia has raised its profile in the Middle East with a military campaign in Syria that has turned the course of war in President Bashar Assad's favour. Russia has an air base and a navy supply facility in Syria, which it plans to expand.

Mr el-Sissi has struggled to subdue the Islamic insurgency in Sinai. On Wednesday, he gave his security forces a three-month deadline to restore "security and stability" in the troubled northern part of the peninsula and authorised his new chief of staff to use "all brute force" against the militants.

AP
New Delhi, Nov 30 (IBNS): In a move to accelerate adoption of 4G smartphones at the entry level, Vodafone India on Thursday said it has extended its association with Micromax.

As a part of this association, Vodafone has rolled out exciting cash back offers on the entire range of entry level Micromax 4G Smartphone models.



Under this partnership, existing and new Vodafone customers can purchase any of the popular new Micromax smartphones (Bharat 2 Plus, Bharat 3, Bharat 4and Canvas -1) and enjoy the cash back offers.

To avail this special offer, customers have to simply do a recharge of at least Rs 150/- per month for 36 months (the recharges can be of any denomination totaling to a minimum of Rs. 150/- per month). At the end of 18 months, users will receive a cash back of Rs. 900/- and after another 18 months, a cash back of Rs. 1,300/- respectively, thus availing a total cashback of Rs 2200/-," the company said in a statement



The cash back will be credited to their Vodafone M-Pesa wallets.



Recently, Vodafone and Micromax had introduced Indias lowest priced 4G Smartphone with Vodafone SuperNet 4G connection for just Rs.999.

The smartphone Bharat2 Ultra is a new Smartphone under Micromaxs successful 4G smartphone Bharat series that aims to bring better camera, battery and display options for the new smartphone users in the most affordable category

Speaking about the offer, Avneesh Khosla, Associate Director  Consumer Business, Vodafone India said, This is an initiative to democratize access to Vodafone SuperNet 4G. Recently through our partnership with Micromax we launched the most affordable smartphone in the country at a very attractive price of Rs 999/-. We are now giving more options to our customers to choose from by bringing four more entry level Micromax 4G smartphones within the special cash back offer. We hope that this will encourage and enable several million phone users to upgrade to a smartphone and enjoy a richer user experience with Vodafone SuperNet 4G. 
New Delhi, Nov 30 (IBNS): Heavy rain lashed southern and central parts of Kerala on Thursday, an outcome of Cyclonic Storm OCKHI, which lay over Comorin area of the southern peninsula, according to media reports.

The Met office issued a cyclone warning for south Kerala, adjoining districts of south Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep Islands.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences said in a mid-day release that latest observations and satellite imageries indicate that the deep depression over Comorin area moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 38 kmph during past six hours and intensified into a cyclonic storm OCKHI and lay centred at 0830 hrs IST on Thursday over Comorin area and neighbourhood near Latitude 7.5 N and Longitude 77.5 E, about 340 km west-northwest of Galle (Sri Lanka), 60 km south of Kanyakumari, 120 km southwest of Thiruvananthapuram and 480 km east-southeast of Minicoy.

The system is very likely to move west-northwestwards towards Lakshadweep Islands and intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during next 24 hours, the release said.

The ministry has issued a series of warnings on Thursday. Excerpts:



Heavy Rainfall warning:

Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over south Tamil Nadu & south Kerala during next 24 hours and isolated heavy falls over interior Tamil Nadu and Kerala during subsequent 24 hours.

Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and isolated extremely heavy falls very likely over Lakshadweep area during next 48 hours.

Wind warning:

Gale wind speed reaching 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph very likely along & off South Kerala during next 48 hours and along & off south Tamilnadu during next 24 hours.

Squally winds speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph very likely along & around Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hours and increase thereafter with wind speeds becoming 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph from tonight, the 30th November 2017.

Sea condition:

Sea conditions would be high along & off South Kerala coast during next 48 hours and along & off south Tamilnadu coast during next 24 hours.

Sea conditions would be very rough to high over and around Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hours and high to very high during subsequent 48 hours.

Damage Expected over south Kerala (Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Kollam, Pathanathitta, Thiruvananthapuram districts), adjoining districts of south Tamil Nadu (Kanyakumari, Tutukudi and Tirunelveli districts) and Lakshadweep Islands.

Damage to power and communication lines due to breaking of tree branches and uprooting of trees. Damage to thatched houses. Major damage to kutcha houses and minor damage to pucca roads. Damage to paddy crops, banana, Papaya trees and orchards.

Action suggested

Lakshadweep Islands: Fishermen along & off Lakshadweep Islands are advised not to venture into the sea during next 48 hours.

South Tamil Nadu and South Kerala : Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea along & off South Tamil Nadu coast during next 24 hrs and along and off South Kerala coasts during next 48 hours.



Image: MInistry Of Earth Science/PIB
Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) is an autoantibody-mediated thrombophilic disorder that causes a hypercoagulable state and can lead to venous thromboembolism, stroke, multiple miscarriages, and other pregnancy complications (Figure 1).1-3 Definitive diagnosis is characterized by the persistent elevation of antiphospholipid antibody titers; however, recurrent arterial or venous thromboembolism (VTE) and recurrent fetal loss are clinical signs also used in diagnosis.3,4

FIGURE 1.: Excessive clotting due to APS can impair placental perfusion, often resulting in spontaneous abortion.

Antiphospholipid antibodies were first discovered in 1906 in patients who tested positive serologically for syphilis.1 The antibodies are generated against cell membrane phospholipids, proteins, and other factors involved in the coagulation cascade.3,5,6

APS is considered primary if it occurs in a patient with no underlying disease and secondary if it is related to an underlying pathology such as systemic lupus erythematous (SLE). Clinical manifestations are similar in primary and secondary APS.6 Catastrophic APS is a rare, severe form of APS that can be fatal, and is defined by microvascular thrombosis leading to multiorgan failure that typically involves the brain, kidneys, and lungs.7

The clinical and laboratory diagnostic criteria for APS can be confusing.8 Consensus diagnostic criteria consist of laboratory and clinical criteria. Laboratory testing for antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) that are associated with APS includes lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin IgG and IgM antibodies, and anti-beta 2 -glycoprotein I (anti-beta 2 GPI) IgG and IgM antibodies.9,10 Clinical criteria include vascular thrombosis and pregnancy morbidity.9 At minimum, patients must meet one clinical and one laboratory criterion to be diagnosed with APS.9

This article describes APS, the difficulties in diagnosing it, clinical and laboratory criteria for diagnosis, and treatment and management options.

EPIDEMIOLOGY

APS can occur in either sex but is most common in women.11 Antiphospholipid antibodies have been found in 65% to 70% of women with thrombosis in areas of the body considered unusual, such as the cerebral portal and the mesenteric and splenic veins.11 Women typically are diagnosed during their reproductive years (ages 15 to 55 years).11 Women with documented APS should not be given combination estrogen-progestin oral contraceptives because of the increased risk of thrombosis.11

Between 1% and 5% of the general population has antiphospholipid antibodies.3,9 However, only a few of these patients will develop APS, with an estimated incidence of APS being 5 new cases per 100,000 people per year and the prevalence estimated at 40 to 50 cases per 100,000 people.9 Based on existing literature, antiphospholipid antibodies are positive in about 13% of patients with a history of stroke, 11% of patients with myocardial infarction (MI), 9.5% of patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and 6% of patients experiencing fetal loss.9

APS has been found to be the cause in 14% of all strokes, 11% of MIs, 10% of DVTs, and 9% of spontaneous fetal losses.12 Between 30% and 40% of patients with SLE have positive antiphospholipid antibodies; however, only about 10% of patients with SLE have been diagnosed with APS.12

The incidence of APS has been associated with the number of positive antiphospholipid antibody tests.13 More specifically, patients with all three types of antibodies (called triple positivity) have higher occurrences and recurrences of thromboembolic events.13 The annual rate of a first thromboembolic event in white patients ages 35 to 55 years without APS is 0.4%, compared with 0% to 3.8% in an asymptomatic patient with positive antiphospholipid antibodies.13 The incidence of thromboembolic events in patients positive for one antiphospholipid antibody is 1.36%, rising to 5.3% in patients with triple positivity.13

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY

APS is an acquired autoimmune disease that is multisystemic and may occur alone or in conjunction with connective tissue disorders such as SLE or rheumatoid arthritis.14 The cause is not known, although genetic factors, such as an increased frequency of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) subsets, have been seen in patients with SLE.9

Patients must have one or more antiphospholipid antibodies and one clinical criterion for the diagnosis of APS.7 Patients with more than one positive antibody are at higher risk for thrombosis; those with triple positivity are at highest risk.7 Lupus anticoagulant binding to anti-beta 2 GPI is associated with thrombosis, and anticardiolipin antibodies that recognize anti-beta 2 GPI form a dependent complex that is associated with thrombosis and pregnancy complications.7

Many other mechanisms for thrombosis in patients with APS have been described, including increased tissue factor expression on white cells and endothelial cells, interference along the anticoagulation pathway of protein C, inhibition of fibrinolysis, and inhibition of annexin V binding to phospholipids.7 Other influences on thrombotic pathophysiology include the concurrent presence of other prothrombotic factors such as inherited thrombophilia, pregnancy, immobilization, surgery, and SLE.10

Patients may have transient positive antibodies and may or may not have clinical symptoms. Some patients may have persistently positive antibodies and no clinical symptoms, seronegative antibodies with clinical symptoms, or persistently positive antibodies and symptoms (APS). A two-hit theory also has emerged, positing that positive antibodies increase thrombotic risk (first hit) and the actual thrombotic event is triggered by an environmental risk factor (second hit) such as pregnancy, age, diabetes, smoking, obesity, or hypertension (Figure 2).12,14,15

FIGURE 2.: In a patient with APS, positive antibodies increase thrombotic risk and the actual thrombotic event is triggered by an environmental risk factor (a second hit) such as immobility, infection, inflammation, trauma, or certain medications.

RISK FACTORS

Risk factors for APS include age (over 55 years for men and over 65 years for women), cardiovascular disease risk factors, autoimmune disease (primarily SLE), smoking, surgery, immobilization, family history of premature cardiovascular disease, oral contraceptive use, inherited thrombophilias, and pregnancy.9 About 24% of thrombotic events in women occur during pregnancy or during the postpartum period.11

Conditions clinically associated with APS include thrombocytopenia, heart valve disease, MI, chorea, levido reticularis/racemose, nephropathy, anticardiolipin IgA, anti-beta 2 GPI IgA, antiphosphatidylserine antibodies, antiphosphatidylethanolamine antibodies, antibodies against prothrombin alone, and antibodies to the phosphatidylserine-prothrombin complex, but none of these are specific to APS.7,9,16

APS causes venous, arterial, or small-vessel thrombosis and can cause death.4 The thrombotic event is nonselective, affecting any vessel size and occurring in any area of the body. Most frequently, DVT, pulmonary embolus (PE), and stroke are reported.4 Patients with untreated APS are at high risk for occurrence and recurrence of these events.4

Pregnancy complications, a distinct group that differs from vascular APS, include more than three consecutive spontaneous abortions before 10 weeks gestation; at least one unexplained fetal death after 10 weeks gestation of a morphologically normal fetus; and premature birth (before the 34th week) of a normal neonate due to eclampsia, severe preeclampsia, or placental insufficiency.

Patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion and positive antibodies have a 15-fold greater risk of thromboembolic events than patients presenting with recurrent spontaneous abortion who do not have positive antibodies.14

Lupus anticoagulant is known to interfere with coagulation by prolonging the phospholipid-dependent test.7 Lupus anticoagulant is considered a nonspecific inhibitor because it can block phospholipid surfaces needed for coagulation, causing an elevated activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT).7 However, lupus anticoagulant also has been known to increase clotting and is more strongly associated with thromboembolism than the other antiphospholipid antibodies.7 Laboratory testing should not be done during an acute thrombotic event because it could lead to false-positive results.4,7 Up to 10% of healthy people and 30% to 50% of patients with lupus are positive for lupus anticoagulant.1

WHO AND WHEN TO TEST

Testing for APS depends on the patient's clinical history and whether thrombosis or pregnancy complications may have other causes.7 Women who have experienced recurrent spontaneous abortions should be tested.7 Routine screening is not recommended in patients with ischemic stroke; however, adults under age 50 years who have had ischemic stroke should be tested.7 Patients with an unprovoked proximal DVT or PE after discontinuing anticoagulation of at least 7 days also should be tested for APS.7

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS

Other diagnoses to consider include:

Other hypercoagulable states such as malignancy, antithrombin III deficiency, protein C or S deficiency, factor V Leiden, prothrombin A mutation, antiprothrombin antibodies, hormone replacement therapy, and oral contraceptive use

Atherosclerotic vascular disease including cholesterol emboli syndrome

Systemic necrotizing vasculitis

Disseminated intravascular coagulation

Infective endocarditis

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

DIAGNOSIS

Patients must have one clinical criterion and one laboratory criterion or the diagnosis of APS.9

Clinical: one or more episodes of thrombosis in any tissue or organ, confirmed by appropriate imaging studies or histopathology from samples without significant evidence of inflammation in the vessel wall

Clinical: pregnancy complications (spontaneous abortions, unexplained fetal death, or premature birth) as described earlier

Laboratory: positive lupus anticoagulant result on two or more tests performed at least 12 weeks apart

Laboratory: IgG or IgM anticardiolipin antibodies in a medium or high titer (more than 40 GPL or MPL units or greater than the 99th percentile), based on two or more tests performed at least 12 weeks apart using the standard ELISA test

Laboratory: anti-beta2-GPI IgG and IgM antibodies greater than the 99th percentile, based on two or more tests performed at least 12 weeks apart using the standard ELISA test.7,9,16

Laboratory testing for anticardiolipin antibodies and anti-beta 2 glycoprotein-I antibodies poses a challenge due to the poor standardized nature of laboratory testing.10 The presence of lupus anticoagulant is more strongly associated with the risk of thromboembolism than the other criteria mentioned.6,7

The best practice for diagnosing APS is to perform a thorough clinical history and physical examination to determine if the patient meets the diagnostic criteria for APS or has hereditary thrombophilias or other causes of thrombosis or pregnancy complications.7

Other autoantibodies such as annexin V, antiphosphatidylserine, antiphosphatidylethanolamine, antibodies against prothrombin alone, antibodies to phosphatidylserine-prothrombin, and complex tissue factor expression on white cells show clinical associated features to APS, but their role has not been clearly defined as they have not been shown to be specific to APS.7,8

TREATMENT AND PREVENTION

Treatment recommendations must consider the patient's risk factors, number of positive antibodies, clinical associated factors, current clinical issues, and history of thrombotic events.12 Current best care recommendations for patients with positive antibody tests and APS are as follows:

First-line prophylaxis

Patients who are asymptomatic with positive antibodies do not require any specific treatment.12 Clinical associations such as valvular heart disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia (using statins), and associated autoimmune diseases (such as SLE) should be managed and controlled.12 In patients with SLE, hydroxychloroquine may be helpful due to its intrinsic anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic properties.12 Eliminate all risk factors that are known procoagulants, such as smoking and oral hormone replacement, if present.12

Low-dose aspirin is widely used as prophylaxis; however, its effectiveness as a primary prevention treatment has not been shown.12 Clopidogrel also has been used for prevention, with positive anecdotal reports in patients with APS, but has not been proven effective.12

Prophylactic surgical placement of an inferior vena cava filter may be necessary in patients with recurrent DVT.12 Aortic valve replacement surgery is recommended for patients with severe aortic regurgitation.11 Patients with chronic forms of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura should undergo splenectomy for control of the resulting thrombocytopenia.11 Patients undergoing abdominal or orthopedic surgery should be placed on thromboprophylaxis.11

Treating thrombosis

The mainstay treatment for thrombotic APS is heparin followed by long-term warfarin or other vitamin K antagonists.4,17 Warfarin therapy should be adjusted to a target international normalized ratio (INR) of 2 to 3 in patients with venous thrombosis and 3 for those with arterial thrombosis.1,12 Patients with recurrent thrombosis despite being on anticoagulation should have a target INR between 3 and 4.12 In patients refractory to warfarin treatment alone, warfarin and aspirin combination treatment is suggested. Open-label clinical trials of oral direct thrombin and antifactor Xa inhibitors are being conducted in patients with APS.17

The risk of thrombotic recurrence has been shown to be greatest during the 6-month period following discontinuation of warfarin therapy.1 Therefore, indefinite anticoagulation treatment is recommended in patients with APS and a history of thromboembolism.1,6,12

Treatment in pregnancy

Pregnancy is considered high-risk in women with APS and should be treated as such.11 Provide patient education and counseling about the signs and symptoms of thromboembolism, preeclampsia, and decreased fetal movement.11 The likelihood of a viable pregnancy in women with APS and the correct treatment is 75% to 80%.18 The use of novel antiplatelet agents has not been well studied in this subgroup.1,17,18

In women attempting pregnancy without a prior thromboembolic event, no standard therapy is available and anticoagulation may decrease recurrent pregnancy complications.11 In these cases, low-dose aspirin (81 mg daily) in addition to prophylactic doses of heparin is superior to aspirin alone.11

In women with marked thrombocytopenia, epidural anesthesia is not recommended.11 In the postpartum period, the mother can be switched to warfarin with a target INR of 3.11 Referral to a hematology specialist is appropriate in either case.1

Catastrophic APS

Early diagnosis and aggressive therapies are essential in catastrophic APS because of its extremely high mortality. For patients with catastrophic APS, treatment with plasma exchange or immune globulin in addition to corticosteroids, anticoagulant therapy, and/or rituximab has been recommended.1,4

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Asymptomatic patients with positive antibodies

Lupus anticoagulant antibodies may be detected in asymptomatic patients who do not meet clinical criteria for APS. This is due to the common use of aPTT laboratory testing in clinical practice. In such cases, a detailed history should be taken to assess for any missed cases of APS due to missed positive clinical criteria. Although asymptomatic patients with positive antibodies may be at higher risk for thromboembolism, there is no agreement on the role of, or recommendations for, prophylactic treatment in this subgroup.6

Children

Follow pediatric thromboembolism management guidelines for children with VTE associated with antiphospholipid antibodies.6 Children should be managed by a pediatrician with expertise in thromboembolism management. Otherwise, an adult or pediatric hematologist is recommended for consultation and care.6

DISCUSSION

Several controversies continue to surround the diagnosis and treatment of APS due to the unpredictable expression of the disease and its effects.

Patients who may have transient positive antibodies (with or without clinical symptoms) remain the most controversial. There is no concrete information or evidence on the significance of transient elevation of antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with no clinical symptoms, and treating asymptomatic patients with positive antibodies is not recommended. Prophylactic treatment of asymptomatic patients with positive antibodies likely is not necessary unless clinical symptoms emerge due to a second hit triggered by another disease, such as an infection. The significance of positive antibodies in patients with clinically associated diseases that occur commonly in the general population remains unclear. The presence of antiphospholipid antibodies alone does not have clear implications on the management of these conditions.

However, further research needs to be performed to include patients with transient elevation of antibodies and seronegative patients who have clinical symptoms, as associated antiphospholipid antibodies not yet reported may be causing the patient's symptoms. Research will help establish guidelines on prophylactic treatment for the prevention of thrombosis or pregnancy complications in these patients. Diagnosing a patient with transient antibody elevations may be easy to do over the continuum of their health history but may prove to be difficult to diagnose early in the disease.

Another consideration that warrants further investigation is whether the transient elevation of antibodies with clinical symptoms is some sort of prelude to other potentially associated autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, which may appear months to years after the initial detection of elevated antiphospholipid antibodies.

In the case of asymptomatic women (pregnant or not) with persistently elevated antibodies, pharmacologic treatment is not recommended.4

Further research also is needed to determine if associated antibody, medication, or disease triggers can be targeted to prevent the thrombosis cascade from starting. This may be achieved through continued development of the global APS score, originally developed in patients with SLE to stratify disease severity.15

Finally, the special consideration groups: pregnant women, children, and men with recurrent VTE or stroke before at 50 years, need to be studied further in order to establish a consensus guideline on treatment and prevention therapies. This is due to little research being available on these special groups. More information would help to determine the expression of the disease and clarify the link for a potential hereditary component to the disease.

CONCLUSION

The key elements to diagnosing APS are at least one positive clinical finding and one positive laboratory finding found on two occasions at least 12 weeks apart. Treatment of APS is appropriate and indefinite anticoagulation. For patients with positive antibodies and no clinical symptoms, no treatment is recommended. Prevention of APS focuses on treating those clinically associated diseases, such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia, as well as avoiding medications known to trigger APS events under the second hit theory.
Washington, Nov 30 (IBNS): After unprecedented global success in malaria control, progress has stalled, according to the World malaria report 2017.

There were an estimated 5 million more malaria cases in 2016 than in 2015. Malaria deaths stood at around 445 000, a similar number to the previous year.

In recent years, we have made major gains in the fight against malaria, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. We are now at a turning point. Without urgent action, we risk going backwards, and missing the global malaria targets for 2020 and beyond.

The WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria calls for reductions of at least 40% in malaria case incidence and mortality rates by the year 2020. According to WHOs latest malaria report, the world is not on track to reach these critical milestones.

A major problem is insufficient funding at both domestic and international levels, resulting in major gaps in coverage of insecticide-treated nets, medicines, and other life-saving tools.

Funding shortage

An estimated US$ 2.7 billion was invested in malaria control and elimination efforts globally in 2016. That is well below the US $6.5 billion annual investment required by 2020 to meet the 2030 targets of the WHO global malaria strategy.

In 2016, governments of endemic countries provided US$ 800 million, representing 31% of total funding. The United States of America was the largest international funder of malaria control programmes in 2016, providing US$1 billion (38% of all malaria funding), followed by other major donors, including the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, France, Germany and Japan.

The global figures

The report shows that, in 2016, there were an estimated 216 million cases of malaria in 91 countries, up from 211 million cases in 2015. The estimated global tally of malaria deaths reached 445 000 in 2016 compared to 446 000 the previous year.

While the rate of new cases of malaria had fallen overall, since 2014 the trend has levelled off and even reversed in some regions. Malaria mortality rates followed a similar pattern.

The African Region continues to bear an estimated 90% of all malaria cases and deaths worldwide. Fifteen countries  all but one in sub-Saharan Africa  carry 80% of the global malaria burden.

Clearly, if we are to get the global malaria response back on track, supporting the most heavily affected countries in the African Region must be the primary focus, said Dr Tedros.

Controlling malaria

In most malaria-affected countries, sleeping under an insecticide-treated bednet (ITN) is the most common and most effective way to prevent infection. In 2016, an estimated 54% of people at risk of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa slept under an ITN compared to 30% in 2010. However, the rate of increase in ITN coverage has slowed since 2014, the report finds.

Spraying the inside walls of homes with insecticides is another effective way to prevent malaria. The report reveals a steep drop in the number of people protected from malaria by this method  from an estimated 180 million in 2010 to 100 million in 2016  with the largest reductions seen in the African Region.

The African Region has seen a major increase in diagnostic testing in the public health sector: from 36% of suspected cases in 2010 to 87% in 2016. A majority of patients (70%) who sought treatment for malaria in the public health sector received artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs)  the most effective antimalarial medicines.

However, in many areas, access to the public health system remains low. National-level surveys in the African Region show that only about one third (34%) of children with a fever are taken to a medical provider in the public health sector.

Tackling malaria in complex settings

The report also outlines additional challenges in the global malaria response, including the risks posed by conflict and crises in malaria endemic zones. WHO is currently supporting malaria responses in Nigeria, South Sudan, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) and Yemen, where ongoing humanitarian crises pose serious health risks. In Nigerias Borno State, for example, WHO supported the launch of a mass antimalarial drug administration campaign this year that reached an estimated 1.2 million children aged under 5 years in targeted areas. Early results point to a reduction in malaria cases and deaths in this state.

A wake-up call

We are at a crossroads in the response to malaria, said Dr Pedro Alonso, Director of the Global Malaria Programme, commenting on the findings of this years report. We hope this report serves as a wake-up call for the global health community. Meeting the global malaria targets will only be possible through greater investment and expanded coverage of core tools that prevent, diagnose and treat malaria. Robust financing for the research and development of new tools is equally critical.

Photo: Joydeep Mukherjee
Washington, Nov 30 (IBNS): A NASA-led team has found evidence that the oversized planet WASP-18b is wrapped in a smothering stratosphere loaded with carbon monoxide and devoid of water.

The findings come from a new analysis of observations made by the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes.

The formation of a stratosphere layer in a planets atmosphere is attributed to sunscreen-like molecules, which absorb UV and visible radiation coming from the star and then release that energy as heat.

The new study suggests that the hot Jupiter WASP-18b, a massive planet that orbits very close to its host star, has an unusual composition, and the formation of this world might have been quite different from that of Jupiter as well as gas giants in other planetary systems.

The composition of WASP-18b defies all expectations, said Kyle Sheppard of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, lead author of the paper published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. We dont know of any other extrasolar planet where carbon monoxide so completely dominates the upper atmosphere.

On Earth, ozone absorbs UV in the stratosphere, protecting our world from a lot of the Suns harmful radiation. For the handful of exoplanets with stratospheres, the absorber is typically thought to be a molecule such as titanium oxide, a close relative of titanium dioxide, used on Earth as a paint pigment and sunscreen ingredient.

The researchers looked at data collected for WASP-18b, located 325 light-years from Earth, as part of a survey to find exoplanets with stratospheres. The heavyweight planet, which has the mass of 10 Jupiters, has been observed repeatedly, allowing astronomers to accumulate a relatively large trove of data. This study analyzed five eclipses from archived Hubble data and two from Spitzer.

From the light emitted by the planets atmosphere at infrared wavelengths, beyond the visible region, its possible to identify the spectral fingerprints of water and some other important molecules. The analysis revealed WASP-18bs peculiar fingerprint, which doesnt resemble any exoplanet examined so far. To determine which molecules were most likely to match it, the team carried out extensive computer modeling.

The only consistent explanation for the data is an overabundance of carbon monoxide and very little water vapor in the atmosphere of WASP-18b, in addition to the presence of a stratosphere, said Nikku Madhusudhan a co-author of the study from the University of Cambridge. This rare combination of factors opens a new window into our understanding of physicochemical processes in exoplanetary atmospheres.

The findings indicate that WASP-18b has hot carbon monoxide in the stratosphere and cooler carbon monoxide in the layer of the atmosphere below, called the troposphere. The team determined this by detecting two types of carbon monoxide signatures, an absorption signature at a wavelength of about 1.6 micrometers and an emission signature at about 4.5 micrometers. This is the first time researchers have detected both types of fingerprints for a single type of molecule in an exoplanets atmosphere.

In theory, another possible fit for the observations is carbon dioxide, which has a similar fingerprint. The researchers ruled this out because if there were enough oxygen available to form carbon dioxide, the atmosphere also should have some water vapor.

To produce the spectral fingerprints seen by the team, the upper atmosphere of WASP-18b would have to be loaded with carbon monoxide. Compared to other hot Jupiters, this planet's atmosphere likely would contain 300 times more metals, or elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. This extremely high metallicity would indicate WASP-18b might have accumulated greater amounts of solid ices during its formation than Jupiter, suggesting it may not have formed the way other hot Jupiters did.

The expected launch of the James Webb Space Telescope and other future space-based observatories will give us the opportunity to follow up with even more powerful instruments and to continue exploring the amazing array of exoplanets out there, said Avi Mandell, an exoplanet scientist at Goddard and the second author of the paper.

Image credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Srinagar, Nov 30 (IBNS) : Four militants were gunned down by the security forces in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district on Thursday, media reports said quoting Army officials.

The report said two youths have also sustained injuries in the encounter that took place at Fultipora village.

The operation was launched jointly by Army, the CRPF and the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the morning following specific information about the presence of militants in a house at the village.

As the operation began, militants opened fire from inside the house leading to an encounter.

Details of the encounter are yet to be received.

Meanwhile, another encounter between security forces and militants is reportedly underway in Sopore town of north Kashmirs Baramulla district.

An Army man has reportedly sustained injuries, media reports said.
Srinagar, Nov 30 (IBNS) : At least five militants were gunned down in two separate encounters in Kashmir's Budgam and Baramulla districts on Thursday.

While four militants were killed in an encounter in central Kashmir's Budgam, one was shot dead in Baramulla on the northern part of the state.

The second encounter is still going on.

According to an army spokesman, on specific inputs about the presence of militants are hiding in the Futlipora village in Budgam, a joint team of the army, police and central reserve police force laida cordon and started a search operation in Futlipora village under Budgam.

As the forces approached the house, the militants opened fire, leading to a gunfight in which four militants were killed, the spokesman added.

He said that a combing operation is underway in the area.

Eight youths were also injured in clashes near the site of the encounter in Futlipora village and Pakherpora main chowk.

Reports said that youths pelted the forces with stones to disrupt the anti-militant operation.

In another encounter, security forces gunned down one militant in Sopore Baramulla of North Kashmir.

According to reports, a joint team of army's 22 RR and SOG launched a search operation in the Sagipora forest area following inputs about the whereabouts of some militants.

When reports last came the exchange of heavy gun fire was going on.



(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)
Srinagar, Nov 30 (IBNS): Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) SP Vaid on Thursday confirmed that more than 200 terrorists have been killed in counter-insurgency operations in the state this year.

Vaid confirmed the matter via a tweet.

"Today by the collective effort of @JmuKmrPolice, Indian Army, @crpfindia, CAPF & people of Kashmir have lead to neutralisation of more than 200 terrorists in the year of 2017 alone. This marks a huge landmark for establishing peace & stability in the state of J&K &our country," Vaid tweeted.

Meanwhile, at least five militants were gunned down in two separate encounters in Kashmir's Budgam and Baramulla districts on Thursday.

While four militants were killed in an encounter in central Kashmir's Budgam, one was shot dead in Baramulla on the northern part of the state.

The second encounter is still going on.

According to an army spokesman, on specific inputs about the presence of militants are hiding in the Futlipora village in Budgam, a joint team of the army, police and central reserve police force laida cordon and started a search operation in Futlipora village under Budgam.

As the forces approached the house, the militants opened fire, leading to a gunfight in which four militants were killed, the spokesman added.

He said that a combing operation is underway in the area.

Eight youths were also injured in clashes near the site of the encounter in Futlipora village and Pakherpora main chowk.

Reports said that youths pelted the forces with stones to disrupt the anti-militant operation.

In another encounter, security forces gunned down one militant in Sopore Baramulla of North Kashmir.

According to reports, a joint team of army's 22 RR and SOG launched a search operation in the Sagipora forest area following inputs about the whereabouts of some militants.

When reports last came the exchange of heavy gun fire was going on.
New Delhi, Nov 30 (IBNS): Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have to be strengthened to play a bigger role in the countrys economic prosperity.

He was addressing the 21st International Conference on Small and Medium Enterprises, organized by the World Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (WASME), here on Thursday.

The Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, the Minister of Industry, Government of Bangladesh, Amir Hossain Amu, the Minister of Business, Enterprise and Co-operatives, Government of Mauritius, Soomilduth Bholah, the President of WASME, Alhaji Babale Umaru Girei and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.



The Vice President said that the SMEs contribute up to 45 per cent of Indias GDP and employs nearly 46 crore people, which is the second largest workforce in the country after the agricultural sector, and is growing at 11.5 per cent annually.

The theme of the conference - Achieving inclusive and sustainable industrialization by promoting SMEs was aptly chosen as climate change and global warming are stark realities affecting the people, fauna and flora all over the world, he added.

The Vice President said that in sustaining this planet and ensuring a greener future for posterity, the SMEs can play a crucial role by adopting practices that will not impact the environment and harm the present and future generations.

Countries will have to strengthen their capabilities and explore new ways to solve development challenges, by involving various actors, processes and types of governance, source of finance and encouraging collaboration and cooperation across stakeholders, sectors and regions, he added.

The Vice President expressed his confidence that this global convention will serve as an important platform for various stakeholders to network, share their experiences and more importantly to highlight and emulate good practices.

He further said that this conference in India has great significance for both India and other participating countries as India has achieved a remarkable improvement in Ease of Doing Business ranking from 130 to 100.

India is also focusing on creating an ecosystem for promoting entrepreneurship SME sector, he added.



Following is the text of Vice Presidents address:

I am delighted to be here to inaugurate the 21st International Conference on Small and Medium Enterprises (ICSME) organized by the World Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (WASME).

I must take this opportunity to appreciate the efforts of WASME in having successfully organized 20 such international conferences in different countries earlier.

I am happy that this year, the prestigious global conference has returned to India. It is indeed a great platform to discuss, exchange and deliberate many key initiatives taken for SME development across the world.

I also feel honored to have Mr. Soomilduth Bholah, Honble Minister, Ministry of Business, Enterprise and Co-operatives, Government of Mauritius and Mr. Amir Hossain Amu, Honble Minister, Ministry of Industry, Government of Bangladesh as Guests of Honour for this flagship annual event.

We know that formal SMEs contribute up to 60 per cent of total employment and up to 40 per cent of national income (GDP) in emerging economies. In India, they contribute up to 45 per cent of its GDP. The Indian SME sector employs nearly 46 crore people, which is the second largest workforce in the country after the agricultural sector, and is growing at 11.5 per cent annually.



According to estimates of the World Bank, 600 million jobs will be needed in the next 15 years to absorb the growing global workforce, mainly in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. In emerging markets, most formal jobs are generated by SMEs, which also create 4 out of 5 new positions. The SMEs represent the backbone of global economic activity and play a crucial role in alleviating poverty and ensuring inclusive economic growth. Apart from generating employment and wealth, SMEs play a critical role in equitable distribution of growth.

Undoubtedly, they face constraints in accessing finance and taxation issues. They are also handicapped by skill gaps, poor technology, regulatory complexities and trade barriers. The challenges faced by SMEs need to be addressed to enable them realize their full potential and play a bigger role in the countrys economic prosperity.

The theme of the conference--Achieving inclusive and sustainable industrialization by promoting SMEs is very close to my heart. Today, climate change and global warming are stark realities affecting the people, fauna and flora all over the world. Till a few decades ago, discussions on these topics remained confined to scientific conferences as the general public either remained blissfully indifferent or were not fully aware about the disastrous consequences. But gradually people have started to realize the dangers of indiscriminate depletion of natural resources and that it cannot be business as usual. In sustaining this planet and ensuring a greener future for posterity, the SMEs can play a crucial role by adopting practices that will not impact the environment and harm the present and future generations.



I applaud WASME for this initiative as integrating the crucial agenda of SME development with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is critical in addressing the challenges faced by planet earth and in chalking out a road map for the future. It is quite apparent that the policies relating to SME development will have to be centred around sustainability. No doubt, industrial growth and creating more jobs are important, but the future cannot be jeopardized for the present.

According to the United Nations, the global population is expected to cross 9 billion by 2050. Imagine the stress on natural resources and raw materials, which are being consumed faster than the rate at which they can be regenerated.



The United Nations had adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015. This universal agenda has provided the base that the countries may adopt in economic, social and environmental spheres while formulating the national development strategies.



In the context of SDGs, inclusive and sustainable industrialization and SME development must be the primary development agenda of the national governments, so as to address the critical issues around economic growth, job creation, social stability, and environmental protection.



Among 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets, there are many goals that have a bearing on SME development, especially SDG 9 that is built on three pillarsinfrastructure, industry and innovationall of which are strongly connected among themselves and share the common goal of achieving socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable economic development.



Although, over the past decade, regions such as East and South Asia have made remarkable progress in achieving development goals in the areas of infrastructure, industrialization and innovation, achieving SDG9 by 2030 will require addressing a range of resource constraints, especially in the context of developing countries, vulnerable countries including the least developed countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Countries will have to strengthen their capabilities and explore new ways to solve development challenges, by involving various actors, processes and types of governance, source of finance and encouraging collaboration and cooperation across stakeholders, sectors and regions.

By adopting SDG9, in particular, the global community has committed to an industrial development paradigm that is inclusive and sustainable. It is also imperative to forge linkages with all other SDGs as regards job creation, sustainable livelihoods, SME development, better health, technology and skills development as well as food security, green technologies, environmental protection, building resilient cities and climate change mitigation.



I am sure that this global convention will serve as an important platform for various stakeholders to network, share their experiences and more importantly to highlight and emulate good practices.



I particularly feel that hosting this ICSME in India has great significance for both India and other participating countries as India has achieved a remarkable improvement in Ease of Doing Business ranking from 130 to 100. We are also focusing on creating an ecosystem for promoting entrepreneurship SME sector.

Once again, I appreciate WASME for this great initiative and for being at the forefront of SME development both nationally and internationally.

I wish WASME and ICSME all the success and I look forward to specific recommendations for pursuing an all inclusive, resource-efficient and sustainable development strategy.

I thank all the participants from different countries for traveling to India for ICSME and hope everyone enjoys the rich culture, heritage, food and comfortable stay during the conference.

Thank you for your kind attention.

JAI HIND!


New Delhi, Nov 30 (IBNS): The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for transfer of all land assets owned by Hindustan Vegetable Oils Corporation Ltd (HVOC) to Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) or its authorized agency for appropriate utilization/ disposal.

In lieu of the transfer of the land assets of HVOC, complete liabilities of HVOC towards loans taken from the Government including interest would be written off.

The Government shall also take care of all contingent liabilities of HVOC that may arise in future due to pending cases in various courts/tribunals/authorities.

The land located in seven cities are lying unutilized for many years.

The transfer of the properties to MoHUA would enable use of the land for public purpose. This will facilitate early winding up of HVOC, which is a sick PSU under liquidation.
Guwahati, Nov 30 (IBNS): Assam DGP Mukesh Sahay on Thursday said that the Assam police is ready to maintain any law and order situation ahead of draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) publication.

The top Assam cop said that, the centre has already deployed 50 companies of para military forces in the state for draft NRC publication and Assam police also taken adequate measures for it.

We have identified hyper sensitive and sensitive NRC centers across the state and asked all SPs to take appropriate measures to tackle any untoward situation, Sahay said.

The Assam DGP further said that, if necessary, the centre will deploy more security personnel in the state.



(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)


Guwahati, Nov 30 (IBNS): To protect one horned rhinoceros and combat with poachers, Assam forest guards will be equipped with sophisticated weapons soon.

Today we have got some weapons among the deal. We are hoping to get all weapons within a month, Pramila Rani Brahma said.

The state forest department will procure 20 numbers 9 m pistols, 91 numbers AK-Ghatak rifle, 272 numbers Insas rifle, 874 numbers SLR, 12 numbers 12 bore gun for the forest guards to protect one horned rhino and to deal with poachers.

The Assam forest minister also said, "We are looking to deploy more security personnel in Kaziranga National Park (KNP and other national parks, wildlife sanctuaries in the state."

We have already trained up 45 foresters by arms training and another group of 78 foresters training is going on, Brahma said.

On the other hand, the Assam minister said that, the state government will rehabilitate the families, who had become landless in flood and erosion were evicted from Amchang wildlife sanctuary outskirts of Guwahati recently.

A total of 720 families were evicted in the recent eviction drive in Amchang wildlife sanctuary. If there have any families who had become landless in flood and erosion they will be rehabilitated and the state forest department has already identified a location near East Abricola, Sonapur for it, Brahma said.

Pramila Rani Brahma further said that, after massive protests against the eviction drive in Amchang, the state forest department has decided to stop the drive and it will restart if the people of Assam want.

The Assam minister also said that, she will provide all adequate measures including rented house, foods to the students, who will appear in the next HSLC examination, those were evicted recently.



(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Chennai, Nov 30 (IBNS): At least eight people have been killed as heavy rains lashed coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and Kerala owing to a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal which has turned to Cyclone Ockhi, media reports said on Thursday.

While four deaths were reported in Tamil Nadu, four people were killed in Kerala.

As per the IMD website, the cyclonic storm over Comorin area moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 32 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 1130 hrs IST of today, the 30th November, 2017 over Comorin area and neighbourhood near Latitude 7.8 N and Longitude 76.9 E, about 410 km west-northwest of Galle (Sri Lanka), 70 km southwest of Kanyakumari, 70 km south of Thiruvananthapuram and 410 km east-southeast of Minicoy.

The IMD said the cyclone is likely to move towards the Lakshadweep Islands.

Meanwhile, at least 12 fishing boats which set off to the seas from Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam coasts on Wednesday night, are reported to be missing.

Navy helicopters have launched search operations to locate the missing fishermen.
One of downtown's largest office buildings is on the sale block, and if it gets anywhere near its nearly $21 million asking price, it would be one of the biggest downtown property sales in recent history.

Center on N, which technically is a four-building complex that includes a 268-space parking garage, is being offered for $20,995,000.

The complex at 1221 N St. has about 210,000 square feet of leasable space, which is more than the 20-story US Bank building or the 15-story Sharp building.

The complex houses a mix of both private businesses and state government agencies. Tenants include Great Western Bank, Davis Design and the Nebraska Attorney General's Office.

It was previously the home to TierOne Bank, which was closed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. in June 2010. The FDIC sold the building in 2011 to Woodbury Corp. of Salt Lake City, Utah, for $9.3 million.

Broker Chris Vasek of NAI FMA Realty said Woodbury is seeking to sell the building because it has other holdings in Lincoln it wants to focus on and also because there is a strong commercial real estate market right now, making it a good time to sell.

Vasek said there has been a lot of strong interest both locally and from out of state in the property.

He said the building currently is 83 percent leased, but there is a deal in place with an existing tenant that wants to expand, which would bring occupancy up to 91 percent.

According to NAI FMA's most recent market report, the downtown office vacancy rate at the end of the second quarter was 12.4 percent.

If Woodbury gets its asking price or anywhere close to it, it will be one of the largest downtown real estate transactions in at least the past 20 years and the biggest sale of an office building.

According to Lancaster County property records, Marcus Corp. paid $30 million for The Cornhusker Marriott and the adjacent Cornhusker Square office complex in 2012. However, the bulk of that price was assuming a $25 million mortgage from the previous owner.

Chicago-based AJ Capital partners paid $22 million for the former Holiday Inn at Ninth and P streets in 2015. The 16-story hotel underwent a massive renovation and reopened as the Graduate Hotel in June.

There have been a few sales of downtown office buildings over the past couple of decades, with the biggest being the sale of Assurity's former headquarters at 15th and K streets to the state in 2011 for $12.2 million.
New Delhi, Nov 30 (IBNS): The Congress party on Thursday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and actress Kirron Kher for saying that the 22-year-old woman who was gangraped in Chandigarh shouldn't have boarded the autorickshaw which was already occupied by three men.

Senior Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal accused Kher of making irresponsible statements.

The 22-year-old woman boarded the auto to return to her paying guest accommodation in Mohali after attending a stenography class.

She was raped by the auto driver and two of his accomplices, who later dumped her body on roadside.

On Wednesday, Kher said, The woman should have used her mind and not taken the auto when she saw three men already sitting in it. I am just saying this for the protection of the girls."

Her comment sparked huge criticism.

She later slammed the Congress party for "politicising" the issue


Los Angeles, Nov 30 (IBNS): Actress Rebel Wilson has attended the Sydney premiere of Hollywood movie Pitch Perfect 3.

She shared an image from the premiere of the movie.

"So honored to share the Sydney premiere of Pitch Perfect 3 with these talented, amazing ladies x dress by Zac Posen," Rebel Wilson tweeted.

Pitch Perfect 3 is an upcoming American musical comedy film directed by Trish Sie and written by Kay Cannon.

Image: Rebel Wilson Twitter page
New York, Nov 30(Just Earth News): The most senior United Nations official in South Sudan has condemned the horrific killing of some 45 civilians in the Jonglei region on Tuesday when a Murle ethnic group attacked a Dinka village.

I utterly condemn these killings and the abduction of some 60 women and children which accompanied these attacks, said David Shearer, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and head of the UN Mission in the country, known as UNMISS.

The attack left 19 people wounded.

I urge the leaders of both communities to reign in the youth, show restraint and to put an end to the cycle of revenge killings. It is crucial that the national and local authorities support the community leaders and work to bring the perpetrators of all attacks to account, he added.

Since 2013, the Murle and Dinka communities in Jonglei, which is in the central part of the country, have been engaged in long-standing inter-ethnic violence that has operated outside the wider political conflict in South Sudan.

The perpetrators of this violence have undermined the ongoing peace and reconciliation efforts that [UNMISS] has supported in Jonglei, Shearer said.

The engagement that UNMISS has had with both communities has shown that the vast majority of people want to end the destructive pattern of revenge attacks, he underscored.

The dead included humanitarian workers who, according to Shearer, were working selflessly for the people of Jonglei.

Their deaths, he added, are pointless and utterly contemptible.

(File photo) OCHA/Cecilia Attefors

Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Nov 30(Just Earth News): The United Nations refugee agency has welcomed the decision by the Libyan authorities to set up a transit and departure facility in Tripoli for refugees and migrants in need of international protection  an initiative that offers viable alternatives to their dangerous journeys along the Central Mediterranean route.

We hope that thousands of the most vulnerable refugees currently in Libya will benefit from this forward-looking initiative, said Roberto Mignone, Libya Representative of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The initiative, which is supported by the Italian Government, will facilitate the transfer of thousands of vulnerable refugees to third countries.

Mignone added that the main objective is to speed up the process of securing solutions in third countries, particularly for unaccompanied and separated children and women at risk. These solutions will include resettlement, family reunification, evacuation to UNHCR-run emergency facilities in other countries, or voluntary return.

At the facility, UNHCR staff and partners will provide registration and live-saving assistance such as accommodation, food, medical care and psychosocial support.

In September, UNHCR called for an additional 40,000 resettlement places to be made available for refugees located in 15 countries along this route. So far, only 10,500 pledges have been made.

We now need EU member States and others to step up with offers of resettlement places and other solutions, including family reunification slots, said Mignone. Together, these will be an important platform for securing solutions for these vulnerable people, based on shared responsibility.

Photo: Mathieu Galtier/IRIN

Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Nov 30(Just Earth News): More than half of the global population  some four billion people  have no social security protection, UN labour experts said on Wednesday.

In the World Social Protection Report 2017-2019, entitled Universal social protection to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) highlights how this protection gap is an obstacle to reaching globally-agreed targets on promoting growth and development, and protecting the planet.

ILO Director-General Guy Ryder said that although many countries had improved social protection for their citizens in recent decades, much more investment and political is needed to extend coverage.

The lack of social protection leaves people vulnerable to ill-health, poverty, inequality and social exclusion throughout their lifecycle. Denying this human right to four billion people worldwide is a significant obstacle to economic and social development, he warned.

Indeed, speaking to journalists in Geneva, he said that social security protection is a basic human right, and when people dont have it, governments reap the benefits. On Wednesday however, Ryder explained that only 45 per cent of the global population have access to at least one social benefit, and only 29 per cent have comprehensive protection.

In 2017, this global lack of social protection, I think, should be regarded as being completely unacceptable [] and that means that the aggregate level of public expenditure on social protection needs to be increased to extend social protection coverage particularly in Africa, in Asia and the Arab countries where marked under-investment in social protection prevails, he said.

Despite a slight improvement in welfare coverage since 2015 around the world, much more investment by governments will be needed to extend protection to all; not least the 1.3 billion children who have no cover whatsoever.

ILO says this is particularly true in rural areas, where 56 per cent of people lack health coverage, compared to 22 per cent in towns and cities.

Some countries are already tackling the problem by offering simplified tax returns to workers previously in the informal sector.

Once on the governments books, contributions from these workers help pay for maternity leave, job-seekers allowance, disabilities benefit and care for senior citizens. The evolving world of work and technology has also provided new opportunities to extend social protection, ILO said.

In Uruguay, for example, e-taxi provider Ubers drivers can download a phone application which automatically deducts their social security charges.

Elsewhere, ILO warned that progress in welfare protection risks being pushed back  the result of fiscal savings put in place after the global economic crisis.

This is likely to be the case in Europe, the agencys Isabel Ortiz warned, where pensioners in 19 countries face lower benefits by 2060.

You have to balance equity with sustainability, she told journalists.

Photo: UNICEF/Ohanesian (file)

Source: www.justearthnews.com
Washington, Nov 30 (IBNS): Amid missile tests, the US on Thursday urged global community to send a 'unified message' to North Korea that it must abandon its weapons of mass destruction programs.



"The #DPRKs relentless and unlawful pursuit of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them must be reversed. Together, with the international community, we must send a unified message to #NorthKorea that it must abandon its weapons of mass destruction programs," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert tweeted.

"The goal for our maximum pressure campaign, which more than 20 countries have joined, is to use economic & political pressure to persuade the #NorthKorea regime it needs to reconsider the path it is on & think about engaging in a meaningful dialogue about a different future," Nauert said.

President Donald J. Trump spoke with President Xi Jinping of the Peoples Republic of China to discuss North Koreas latest missile launch.

"President Trump underscored the determination of the United States to defend ourselves and our allies from the growing threat posed by the North Korean regime. President Trump emphasized the need for China to use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization," the White House said in a statement.

After a brief hiatus in what is seemingly a daily routine for North Korea, Kim and his men fired another missile, reportedly their highest ever, according to US Defence Secretary James Mattis.

The missile was launched on Wednesday early morning and landed in Japanese waters.

According to South Korea sources, the missile travelled a distance of 960 kilometres and reached a height of 4,500 kilometres (2,800 miles).

North Korea last conducted a missile test in September.


Toronto, Nov 29 (IBNS): Ontario has planned to expand the First Link program to every community across the province to promote diagnosis of dementia with a patient navigator, media reports said.

The announcement was made by Dipika Damerla, Ontario Minister of Seniors Affairs, on behalf of Eric Hoskins, Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care on Nov 28 at the Alzheimer Society of Ontario in Toronto

This service will make it easier for people with dementia and their loved ones to find the help they need. This is exactly what a patient-centred health care system should be about, Dipika Damerla told media.

The plan to expand First Link program to reportedly hire 46 First Link Care Navigators who would provide services to 14,000 people diagnosed with dementia and their care partners to connect with local supports and community programs and services, such as health professionals, information about day-to-day living and care and counselling.

Getting a dementia diagnosis is overwhelming. Its hard to know what the next step is or where to go for the information and support youll need. The Alzheimer Society First Link program was key  it gave me and my husband the support we needed to know what services and programs we could access for help and allowed us to make informed decisions for our life moving forward, Phyllis Fehr, M.L.A., R.N., S.A.N.E., living well with dementia told media.

As the provinces aging population grows, the reported number of 194,000 people in Ontario living with dementia is expected to grow.

aOntario's three years' dementia strategy is part of Patients First: Roadmap to Strengthen Home and Community Care to improve and expand home and community care and outlines the path we will follow for each of the next three years including creation of new programs.

To support people living with dementia in communities across the province the new plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25.

As a way of support to approximately additional 8,000 people living with dementia aOntario would provide respite to their families and other care partners by increasing access to community dementia programs which offer activities such as art, music, and exercise, social and recreational engagement, respite services, which includes in-home and overnight support for people living with dementia.

Ontario will invest reportedly $37.5 million over three years to expand community dementia programs, including respite care services and approximately $100 million over three years through its dementia strategy to improve the lives of people living with the disease and their families.

Since 1983, the Alzheimer Society of Ontario has been dedicated to improving the quality of life for Ontarians living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias Alzheimer Society of Ontarios First Link program will reportedly receive $8.15 million over three years to enhance dementia care coordination across the province in local Alzheimer Societies across Ontario.

New First Link funding will help us enhance the critical role that local Alzheimer Societies play in supporting Ontarians living with dementia and their care partners from the moment they are diagnosed. Dementia is an incredibly complex condition and it can be difficult for families to navigate the system. First Link helps to ease the pressure, Chris Dennis, CEO, Alzheimer Society of Ontario said.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)

Images:

Dipika Damerla: Facebook

Eric Hoskins: Facebook

Chris Dennis: Facebook
Timken India to set up new manufacturing facility at Bharuch, Gujarat; Stock hits 52-week high Timken India Ltd stock hits 52-week high on Thursday after it has announced that new manufacturing facility will be set up at Bharuch, Gujarat to manufacture Spherical Roller Bearings ('SR... November 17, 2022 | 2:41 pm

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The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe , along with the state of Connecticut, are suing the Trump administration for failing to take action on their gaming agreements.

The tribes updated their respective Class III gaming agreements with the state and submitted them to Bureau of Indian Affairs for review. Under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act , the agency has 45 days to make a decision.

But the deadline has long passed and the BIA has yet to publish notice of its decision in the Federal Register . A lawsuit filed in federal court calls on the Department of the Interior , the parent agency of the BIA, to take action.

This has been a long process and through every step along the way, we kept DOI informed about our intentions and were clear about exactly what we were asking them to do, Mashantucket Chairman Rodney Butler said in a press release distributed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy (D). But despite this good faith effort and repeated assurances by the department, their failure to publish our approval letter has forced us to take this action.

The Department of the Interior has a responsibility to Native American tribes, and their failure to act on this issue sets a very dangerous precedent for Indian Country across the United States, added Mohegan Chairman Kevin Brown. The law is clear  after 45 days DOI did not disapprove our compact amendments, therefore it is deemed approved. By not doing so, the department is in clear violation of federal law.

The New England Casino Race: Tribal and commercial gaming facilities in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island

The tribes updated their agreements to account for their new commercial casino. Though the project does not need federal approval, they worked with the state to ensure that their existing facilities, which are being operated pursuant to IGRA, aren't affected.

The Trump administration, though, has raised doubts. According to the tribes, Secretary Ryan Zinke , who is named as the defendant in the lawsuit, has expressed concerns about "indirectly facilitating the operation of a commercial gaming facility."

In the complaint , the tribes said the BIA received the revised agreements on August 2. So the 45-day deadline to take action was September 15.

The BIA indeed responded to the tribes on September 15 -- but said it didn't have enough information to make a concrete decision. The lawsuit claims that isn't an option under IGRA.

Under IGRA, the BIA can approve or reject a gaming agreement. But in the event the agency doesn't want to make a call, the law allows an agreement to take effect anyway.

The BIA has allowed a number of "deemed approved" compacts to take effect. In the Trump era, that just happened for a New Mexico tribe's gaming agreement . It's not clear why the situation in Connecticut is being handled differently except for the commercial casino component.

Read More on the Story: State heads to court for East Windsor casino (The Connecticut Post November 29, 2017) State, Tribes File Federal Lawsuit Tied To Casino Expansion In Connecticut (The Hartford Courant November 29, 2017) Connecticut, Tribes Sue Feds to Break Deadlock on Third Casino (Westport Now November 29, 2017) Connecticut, Tribes Seek To Force Ruling to Green Light New Casino (CT News Junkie November 30, 2017) Connecticut, tribes sue feds to break deadlock on third casino (Hartford Business November 30, 2017)

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From crying in front of the cameras to showing double standards at several occasions, one of TVs most famous Bahus, Hina Khan is receiving all the flak for a different side of her that shes showcasing inside the Bigg Boss house.

HINA - I can do whatever I want with my PARATHA and throws it away.

HINA - Puneesh ne galat kiya khanna fek diya!

HINA - Im nominating PUNEESH for wasting FOOD!

 #BB11  Vindu Dara Singh (@RealVinduSingh) November 27, 2017

From Ye Hai Mohabbatein star Karan Patel, Sarabhai VS Sarabhai star Rupali Ganguly to Gauhar Khan, several celebs have also criticised her behaviour.

But inside the house, Hina Khan is not thinking even once before talking about others. In a recent unseen clip that has been doing the rounds, the lady called Dangal actress Sakshi Tanwar crossed eyed, and of course got slammed again.

And then she talked about Sakshi Tanwar hinting through gestures that she is cross-eyed. To confirm the same, she then asks Arshi, "Hai na?"

She then went on to talk about Gauhar as well. Uske bahot kaam followers hai, mere adhe ka adha bi nahi hai, Hina said about Gauhar Khan in the video.

Here is the video:

"Aao Behen Chugli Karein"

This one is SPECIALLY for@GAUAHAR_KHAN #SakshiTanwar @iamsanjeeda

Praised By Ms Perfect @eyehinakhan

She is a REAL Friend & Colleague#BB11 Watch Share pic.twitter.com/WpLd63VIum  HerdHUSH (@HerdHUSH) November 29, 2017

In response to the video doing the rounds, Gauhar Khan tweeted:

Acchaii aur tameez toh seekhi nahi, math karna seekha hota toh aaj jhoote ghamand me aake kahi gayi baat pe log itna haste nahi..Lol!!! Allah sabko tarakki de.... Ameen!! Ghamand be aaj tak kisi ka kuch bhalaa nahi kiya.. sakshi tanwar u are beautiful  Gauahar Khan (@GAUAHAR_KHAN) November 29, 2017

Kamya Punjabi also lashed out at her.

Oh my god!!Jo maine dekha kya woh sach hai?Is this woman @eyehinakhan for real?Kaun hai yeh?Kaha se aayi hai? @GAUAHAR_KHAN i luv u n m so proud of you!!! #SakshiTanwar ki tarah pehle bannkar dikhao madam #HinaKhan aap toh unka naam lene ke bhi layak nahi!!! https://t.co/97usxEYc6i  Kamya Punjabi (@iamkamyapunjabi) November 29, 2017

Ex-contestant Kishwar Merchant was left fuming after watching the video.

And an awesome actress too !!! https://t.co/SHsB9qrpH0  Kishwer M Rai (@KishwerM) November 29, 2017

Hina Khan, youll have to deal with a lot of things once youre out #JustSaying
Arturo Sandoval never fails to impress and dazzle with his technical virtuosity, precision and energy. Sure enough, his trumpet pyrotechnics, keyboard effects, infectious Afro-Cuban rhythms and exuberance were in plentiful supply Wednesday before a audience of 766 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts.

At age 68, he still can blow the roof off the place with his sheer power, even though his solo trumpet excursions came in relatively brief bursts. The concert began soulfully, as Sandoval squeezed blue notes from his horn and even quoted Blue Monk. He urged  no, ordered  the audience to participate in the refrain of Bye Bye Blackbird, as he joined them on a Harmon-muted trumpet, a la Miles Davis.

Switching from flugelhorn to trumpet, Sandoval soared through a blazing-fast rendition of Koko, a Charlie Parker tune based on the changes of Cherokee, on which he also exhibited some astounding scat-singing passages. Sandoval introduced the next tune on Jews harp (or jaw harp) that segued into a reggae jam with the rest of the six-piece band. To end the first half of the concert, he walked to the piano and performed a beautiful rendition of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, with bassist John Belzaguy and drummer Johnny Friday.

The second half featured an excellent take on Clifford Browns Joy Spring, beginning as a ballad and going up-tempo for a double-time trumpet foray.

But like his performance at the 2016 Jazz in June opener, the 90-minute concert veered wildly between pure performance and stage antics. The entertainer told stories, left the stage to bring 15 students to the front of the hall, walked across the front of the stage singing Charlie Chaplins ballad Smile, and railed against the countrys news media and that crazy guy in Korea.

As always, Sandoval paid tribute to his late mentor and idol, Dizzy Gillespie. The final piece of the evening was Gillespies A Night in Tunisia. Again he displayed the technique that made Dizzy so famous.
It's strange how people who are fighting for the dignity and respect of one woman, don't even think twice before using demeaning words for a female actor. After threatening to chop off Deepika Padukone's nose and head in the wake of Padmavati row, Karni Sena has now called Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh's daughter-in-law "nachaniya" for she danced on the movie's song Ghoomar at a family function.

Apart from claiming that the movie under their apprehensions distorts history, several Rajput organisations including the Karni Sena had a big objection with song Ghoomar in Padmavati. They said that the song shows Rani Padmini in bad light as Deepika who portrays her role in the movie is, firstly, wearing indecent clothes, and secondly, she is dancing despite being the queen. The song had angered the Rajput organisations so much that they threatened to chop off Deepikas nose as well.

Now that a video of Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singhs daughter-in-law dancing to the same song has gone viral, it has created a political furore. Reacting to the video, Karni Sena called the lady nachaniya.

#WATCH Aparna Yadav,daughter in law of Mulayam Singh Yadav performs on the 'Ghoomar' song of #Padmavati at a function in Lucknow pic.twitter.com/3BkCcprJsm  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 29, 2017

Karni Sena leader Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi said that the film shall be banned and added that Aparna Yadav shall join dancing and leave politics if she doesnt agree with him.

We are fighting for our cause. Being a Rajput she is dancing on such songs without caring for the sentiments of Rajput. We will send them the original Ghoomar song and other Rajasthani folk songs if they like it so much.: Lokendra Singh Kalvi, Karni Sena on Aparna Yadav pic.twitter.com/maMgiBYSFL  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 29, 2017

Aparna Yadav danced to the 'Ghoomar' song of the yet-to-be-released movie while celebrating her younger brother Aman Bisht's engagement ceremony at a five-star hotel in Lucknow on Saturday, raising the hackles of elements opposed to the film.

Aparna Yadav, who is married to Mulayam Singh's younger son Prateek, has spoken her mind openly on many political issues and ruffled feathers in the past.

She unsuccessfully contested the Lucknow Cantt seat in the February-March assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has decided against the release of 'Padmavati' in the state. Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bihar and Punjab too have banned the film's release.
Padmavati row has snowballed into such a major controversy that the movie's fate is still hanging in the balance. The release date has been pushed indefinitely, and violent threats to chop off Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone's head have been issued. The movie has created a political furor as well. Amid all this, actor Nana Patekar has slammed the death threats to the cast and the crew saying it is wrong and unacceptable.

bccl

Why does controversy happen in his films? I feel this is not a big issue but death threats to Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Leela Bhansali are completely wrong and unacceptable. As of now, I don't know how the characters are portrayed. I can react only after watching the film, Patekar said while speaking to media after attending an event at National Defence Academy here.

Last week, the Supreme Court rejected the petition filed against the release of Padmavati, saying the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has not yet issued a certificate to the fillm.

Bhansali's magnum opus, starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, has been facing protests from various groups, especially from Shree Rajput Karni Sena, for allegedly tampering historical facts.

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The Karni Sena, which demolished the sets of the movie in Jaipur and thrashed Bhansali, had warned the director of dire consequences for misrepresenting Rajput queen Padmavati in the film.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Padmavati has been one of the most controversial movies that Bollywood has ever seen. The film has already made waves, whether its the fantastic trailer or the protest around distorting facts. Good or bad publicity, Padmavati has garnered enough attention.

And now an RSS affiliate feels this movie is an "insult" to Indian women and an "attempt to assassinate" their character by showing them in a poor light.

twitter

"These days, filmmakers want to make money at any cost, even by distorting historical facts and tinkering with the national pride," national general secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Yojana (ABISY) Balmukund Pandey said.

(Also Read: Delhi HC Rejects Plea For Expert Panel To Review Padmavati, Calls It 'Hopeless & Misconceived')

He was speaking at a conference on "Rani Padmavati", which was organised by the ABISY, which works in the fields related to India's ancient history and culture.

ap

"Rani Padmavati is a very respected figure in Indian history. This film is not only an insult to her, but also to the Indian women and is an attempt to assassinate their character," he said.

(Also Read: Bollywood Fraternity Shows Solidarity To Bhansali's Padmavati, Stops Shooting For 15 Minutes)

Taking on Bhansali, Pandey said the issue would not be resolved by showing the film to a select few people and that it was a matter of national pride.

The makers of the film, which features Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in the lead roles, have deferred its release from December 1 till further notice.

screen grab

Many Rajput groups have been up in arms against the film, alleging that it distorts history by featuring a romantic dream sequence between Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji, a claim repeatedly denied by Bhansali.

(Also Read: Padmavati Row Gets Intense! Rajput Karni Sena Seeks PM Modi's Intervention For Banning The Film)

A number of organisations, especially the Karni Sena, have been opposing the release of the period drama, claiming that it portrays the Rajput queen in a bad light.

reuters

BJP-ruled states such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have expressed reservations about releasing the film.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has said his government will not allow "Padmavati" to be screened in the state as it hurts the sentiments of the Rajput community.
Faced with criticism and backlash from various corners, the Narendra Modi government is planning a rollback of its controversial notification, which restricted the sale of cattle, only to agriculture purposes, effectively banning cattle slaughter across the country.

According to The Indian Express, the Ministry of Environment and Forests took the decision after assessing the feedback from states on its May 23 notification on changes made to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Market) Rules, 2017.

BCCL

The May notification had made it mandatory that only those who furnish a written declaration that the cattle will not be sold for the purpose of slaughter will be allowed to sell them. Upon the sale of cattle, the animal market committee will take an undertaking that the animals are for agricultural purposes and not for slaughter.

Even the buyer will not be allowed to sell the animal for the purpose of slaughter nor sacrifice the animal for any religious purpose.

BCCL

This meant that farmers who earlier used to sell their aged, unproductive cattle for slaughter could not do it anymore.

This had left the farmers with the additional burden of revenue loses and the additional burden of taking care for their unproductive bovine.

The sales ban was applicable on cows, bulls, buffaloes, steers, heifers and calves and camels.

Another area that suffered due to the ban was the slaughterhouses, despite the notification stating that slaughterhouses can still purchase cattle, they found the bovine a hard purchase.

BCCL

The tannery and leather industry which is also heavily dependent on the cattle trade also suffered losses worth millions.

Amid the protesters from all these groups and the legal challenge from states like Kerala and West Bengal the government withdrew the order temporarily after the Madras High Court stayed it, which forced the ministry to revise its order.
The deep depression over Camorin Sea has intensified into a cyclonic storm Ockhi, which has triggered heavy rains in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is likely to intensify into severe cyclone storm and will be moving towards Lakshadweep islands in the next 24 hours.

At least four people have been killed in the cyclonic winds in Kanyakumari due to the uprooting of trees, while one death has been reported in Kollam, Kerala.

Indiatimes

An autorickshaw driver identified as Vishnu, was killed after a huge tree fell on the autorickshaw. Across Kerala people have been advised to stay indoors and warned against venturing into the seas.

Indiatimes

Sabarimala pilgrims have also been asked to avoid travel in the night and to not use forest path. The pilgrims have been asked not to take rest beneath trees or near streams, to avoid shower in rivers and streams on the way.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department has said that the winds which have a speed in excess of 60 kmph is very likely to move west and is approaching the Lakshadweep archipelago in the next 24 hours.

Madhavan Rajeevan, the secretary in the ministry, said the archipelago in the southern part of the Arabian Sea will start experiencing heavy rainfall and strong winds from Friday.

"It will hit the islands on December 2," Rajeevan said. The IMD said heavy-to-very-heavy rainfall at isolated places were "very likely" over south Tamil Nadu, south Kerala during the next 24 hours.

"Rainfall will occur at most places, heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places, and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over Lakshadweep area during next 48 hours," the IMD said.

Indiatimes

Squally wind speed reaching 55-65 kmph and gusting to 75 kmph was very likely along and around Lakshadweep Islands during the next 12 hours and may increase thereafter with wind speed becoming 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph from tonight.

Sea conditions would be "very rough to high" over and around Lakshadweep Islands during the next 12 hours and "high to very high" during subsequent 48 hours, the IMD added.
Phoenix, the ship that rescued thousands of migrants from the Mediterranean when they were trying to cross it in their small boats to escape to the Europe from countries like Syria, Libya and others, is shifting its operations to Southeast Asia to help Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar.

AP

The decision by Malta-based MOAS, or Migrant Offshore Aid Station, came as the number of migrants leaving Libya to Europe have plummeted since July. The decrease has been attributed to the increase of patrols by Libyan coast guard patrols.

In a statement Monday, MOAS said it was suspending Mediterranean operations and shifting them to Asia, noting that Pope Francis has called for an international response for the Rohingya.

AFP

It said it would provide aid on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border where a deadly exodus is unfolding.
The UK police have finally been able to identify the person who carried out an attack during a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in the northwest English city of Manchester, killing at least 22 people and injuring dozens of others.

Reuters

According to the initial reports, that accused has been identified as 22-year-old Salman Abedi. Reports suggest that he was born in Manchester in 1994 to Libyan refugees who came to the UK to escape the Gaddafi regime.

Telegraph has reported that his parents were both born in Libya but appear to have emigrated to London before moving to the Fallowfield area of south Manchester where they have lived for at least ten years.

Abedi reportedly grew up in the Whalley Range area, just yards from the local girl's high school, which hit the headlines in 2015 when twins and grade A pupils, Zahra and Salma Halane, who were both aspiring medical students, left their homes and moved to Isil controlled Syria.

Reuters

There were unconfirmed reports in Manchester that the whole family apart from the two elder sons recently returned to Libya.

Abedi was named by Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins on Tuesday. Mr Hopkins said Abedi had not been formally identified by the Coroner.

"Priority is to continue to investigate whether he was acting alone or working as part of a wider network," he added.

Reuters

The initial arrest was announced just moments after Prime Minister Theresa May denounced the appalling sickening cowardice of the lone suicide bomber, who detonated a homemade device in the foyer of the arena as thousands of young people were leaving the concert.
As many as 900 refugee migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya by their coast guard. The migrants, who were sailing in five different boats were rescued seven miles off the coast of Sabratha.

REUTERS

Out of the 900, 98 of them were women and 25 were children who were headed to Western Libya. Libyan Navy Spokesperson Ayoub Quassem informed that the coast guards patrol the nearby coast of Zawiya city on Friday. This was reported by the Xinhuaa news agency.

Quasim has also informed that the refugee migrants are of Arab as well as African origins, including three from Libya. The rubber boats had been perforated and submerged, and there also was a wooden boat which was large enough but had no engine.

The rescue operation lasted as long as seven hours.

REUTERS

The smugglers and illegal dealers have been taking advantage of this refugee crisis, adding to the chaos and insecurity. They have been sending refugees towards European countries through the Mediterranean sea which has caused several deaths of migrants due to drowning.

Sabratha is located 75 km west of the capital city of Tripoli and happens to be one of the busiest illegal immigration departure spots in the country of Libya.

REUTERS

International Organisation for Migration has informed on Friday that in the year of 2017 so far more than 9,000 migrants have been rescued in Libyan waters alone. The coast guards of Italy have also announced of more than 1,000 migrants were rescued on Thursday who were travelling in nine wooden boats off the coast of Libya.
The world has been left shocked over reports of the modern-day slave trade happening in the 21sth century after an International Organization for Migration (IOM) investigation revealed that migrants and refugees seeking to travel to Europe from Libya are being abducted and sold as slaves there.

Reuters

According to IOM people are being sold as slaves for between $200 and $500. "Migrants are being sold in the market as a commodity," Othman Belbeisi, IOM Libya Mission head said. "Selling human beings is becoming a trend among smugglers as the smuggling networks in Libya are becoming stronger and stronger."

The refugees and migrants - many from Nigeria, Senegal and The Gambia - are captured as they head north towards Libya's Mediterranean coast, where some try to catch boats for Italy.

Reuters

Most of them are used as day labourers in construction or agriculture. Some are paid but others are forced to work for no money.

Following the revelation the UN is mooting to impose sanctions on those who are involved in the slave trade.

The UN Security Council which held an emergency session on human trafficking in Libya discussed the possibility of sanctions, but the session ended without resolution.

For the past few years, Libya has emerged as the main transit point refugees and migrants from African countries like Nigeria, Eritrea, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Senegal, Sudan and Somalia.

AFP

But those involved in the slave trade are taking advantage of the power vacuum in the country after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.

Currently the power has been split between the UN backed government of national accord in based in capital Benghazi and the Tobruk based government of former Gaddafi commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

The power vacuum has turned the country into a hotbed for all kinds of illegal activities including human trafficking.
It's almost impossible for anyone to think of a life without internet. We all know how useless a smartphone feels when we run out of data. Although data is available at a reasonable price nowadays, that doesnt change the fact that we still ration our data usage to make it last until the end of the billing cycle.

Most of the time we lose our precious data because some app decides to run in the background continuously. So, Google has brought in a new app to help us combat this very problem.

Datally is Googles solution to help you see which app or service is sucking your data without your approval. This app also allows you to control data usage in each and every app. You can prevent apps from consuming background data in one single tap, which makes it really convenient.

The app also gives you statistics on the amount of data youve consumed in the previous month vs the current month, and ways you can improve it.

Surprisingly, this feature isnt a new to Android, as the operating system comes with its built-in data saver. However, Datally has definitely simplified the overall process, making it more user-friendly. Additionally, the app also suggests its users open Wi-Fi hotspots in the vicinity to help them save more data. So, if youre in a mall or a coffee shop with a Wi-Fi hotspot, the app will notify you about it and suggest you make the switch.

Datally is a part of Googles Next Billion Users initiative which concentrates on creating Google products useful for countries suffering from network and data connectivity problems. The app has been in its testing phase in the Philippines since all summer and has seen over 500,000 users.

The app is currently available for download on the Google Play Store for smartphones running Android 5.0 and higher.
Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha suggested Thursday the administration of Gov. Pete Ricketts has been "slow to comply" with legislation that Krist sponsored to open up testing of water for drinking purposes to private laboratories in the state.

The law, enacted in 2016 by a unanimous vote in the Legislature, is designed to end "a monopoly on dozens of required tests of public drinking water in Nebraska" held by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and expand those testing opportunities into the private market, Krist said.

Ricketts suspended all rule-making by agencies under his control on July 6, 2017, and had informed officials at Midwest Laboratories in Omaha last month that the 2016 law was included in that executive order.

The regulations finally went into effect Nov. 14, Krist said at a news conference at the Midwest site.

"Taking two years to implement important water safety regulations is no way to run government," Krist said.

Krist has changed his voter registration from Republican to nonpartisan and is planning to mount a third-party challenge to Ricketts' re-election next November.

Responding Thursday evening to Krist's remarks, Leah Bucco-White, public information officer for HHS, said the bill was "implemented in an orderly fashion."

"Public input on the implementation of the bill required an extended rule-making process," she said.

"After the regulations were drafted and stakeholder input was sought, the public hearing yielded comments significant enough that a second public hearing was required so all interested parties could provide feedback."

The governor's executive order that froze the rule-making process for most "red tape" had no impact on the implementation of the law, Bucco-White said.

"The governor provided for exceptions in his executive order for time-sensitive rule-making and (that bill) was granted that exception," she said.
On November 27, UKs Prince Harry officially announced his engagement to Meghan Markle, an American actress known for her role in legal drama Suits. Of course, while some people hadnt seen her shows and were looking who she is, other had a different kind of research in mind.

According to analysis by pornography aggregator Pornhub, searches for Markle on the website shot up a staggering amount following the announcement.

And those increasing naughty searches came from beyond just Markles soon-to-be royal subjects. Instead, the US actually led the search numbers with a 2,273 percent increase, followed by the UK with 2,242 percent, Spain with 2,193 percent, Germany with 2,167 percent and Belgium with 2,011 percent.

Obviously, men were 51 percent more likely to search for Meghan Markle on Pornhub as compared to women. Furthermore, age also made a difference for other viewers. Pornhub visitors aged between 18 to 24 were -65 percent less likely to search for the royal fiancee, while those over the age of 65 were +249 percent more likely.

Its not even the first time the actress has sparked the erotic kind of interest on Pornhub. The website reports that search numbers for her also shot up immediately after news of her dating Prince Harry first became public in November 2016, rising by 1,430 percent.
We easily take for granted a lot of the technology around us that we use everyday, from the smartphones in our pockets to the laptops in our homes, to even our various appliances. Yet each of those devices is available to us because of the contributions of the scientific community.

Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose is one such Indian contributor, and we remember his incredible genius on his 159th birth anniversary.

A forgotten genius from the turn of the 20th century, Bose was renowned as a polymath, physicist, biologist, biophysicist, botanist and archaeologist. And at the very least, we can remember some of the Bengali icons greatest accomplishments on his 159th birth anniversary today.

For one, Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose is considered to be the lesser-known father of modern WiFi. Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi is credited with first inventing the telegraph in 1895, but Bose was at the same time attempting to understand radio waves and their behaviour. He was the first to demonstrate radio communication with millimetre wavelengths, which fall in the 30GHz to 300GHz spectrum. Those millimetre waves now form the backbone of the coming 5G technology.

Additionally, his technology is also crucial to everything from radio telescopes to radar and, more recently, for collision-warning systems and cruise control in modern day cars.

However, Bose never expressed any interest in commercialising his research, instead encouraging other to use it as the basis of their own work. In fact, in 1896, he met Marconi, who had been trying to market his radio wave wireless telegraphy system to the British post service. Even Marconi actually acknowledged the significance of Boses work in his writing.

Bose also held the patent for the first solid-state diode to receive electromagnetic waves, and created a number of now common microwave components. He also made significant contributions to plant biology inventing a crescograph, which helped agricultural scientists devise better ways of effective crop cultivation.

Its no surprise then that Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose is even recognised by Earths space explorers, with a crater on the far side of the moon named after him.
GBPAUD Consolidation Around Weekly Chart Downchannel Resistance Near Complete Tradable Patterns - Wed Nov 16, 11:32PM CST The (GBPAUD) appears to be in the advanced stages of consolidating near downchannel resistance (on the weekly chart). Any break above triangle resistance (on the 4hr chart) today will dramatically increase... ^GBPAUD : 1.77514 (+0.47%)

G-20 leaders end summit condemning Russia despite divisions AP - Wed Nov 16, 7:54PM CST Members of the Group of 20 leading economies have firmly condemned the war in Ukraine and warned that the conflict is worsening the global economy $SPX : 3,958.79 (-0.83%) $DOWI : 33,553.83 (-0.12%) $IUXX : 11,699.09 (-1.45%)
The former owner of an upstate New York logging company who stole more than $80,000 in workers compensation benefits has been sentenced to up to three years in prison.

Fifty-six-year-old David Sigl, of Auburn, N.Y., was sentenced Tuesday in Cayuga County Court to one to three years in prison and ordered to pay restitution. Sigl had previously pleaded guilty to charges including second-degree grand larceny, filing a false instrument and insurance fraud.

Prosecutors say Sigl lied about an injury he said he sustained while working at a Syracuse construction firm in 2013.

During the time he collected $83,000 in workers comp, he was doing logging work for his own company, Lake Country Logging in Auburn. Prosecutors say Sigl also failed to provide workers comp for the two people he employed.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Workers' Compensation Fraud New York
An accountant who admitted to stealing $3.1 million from agribusiness giant Cargill, Inc. has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Diane Backis was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Albany to mail fraud and filing a false income tax return. She agreed to pay $3.5 million in restitution and faces two years of supervision after her release from prison.

Federal prosecutors say Backis, 51, not only diverted customer payments to her own accounts over 10 years, but caused at least $25 million in losses to the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company.

She pleaded guilty last November.

Backis was an accounting department manager at Cargills Albany grain elevators. Backis admitted she sent customers invoices for animal feed at prices far below what her employer had paid, causing the company millions in losses.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Fraud New York
Uber Technologies Inc. said information from 2.7 million U.K. customers was taken in a 2016 security breach that hit 57 million riders and drivers globally and that the company kept secret from the public and authorities until recently.

Uber said hackers got the names, email addresses and cell phone numbers associated with the accounts. The company, which disclosed the breach last week, had paid the hackers $100,000 to delete the data collected.

Government authorities around the globe are investigating the security breach and Ubers efforts to keep it from becoming public. U.K. Digital Minister Matt Hancock said last week that there was a very high chance the way Uber revealed the breach was illegal under U.K. law, with any action being a matter for the British courts. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman also launched an investigation.

This global mess shows Uber to be a company with rock bottom ethical standards, said Wes Streeting a member of Parliament for Ilford North. State authorities in the U.S. have started to take action, and its high time the U.K. government did too.

Uber said customers impacted by the breach dont need to take any action. The company said it has no evidence that trip location history, credit card information, bank account details, or dates of birth were taken. The U.K. National Cyber Security Centre also said theres no current information that shows financial details were compromised.

Ubers new Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement last week that he had only learned of the breach recently. Two company officials were fired as a result, including Joe Sullivan, the companys security chief.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has been embroiled in a fight to cancel Ubers taxi license in the city, called on the company to disclose more information about the hack.

Uber need to urgently confirm which of their customers are affected, what is being done to ensure these customers dont suffer adversely, and what action is being taken to prevent this happening again in the future, Khan said in a Twitter post.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Cyber Uk
Global banks need to do more to protect themselves from cyber attacks after a significant evolution in the threat level in the last 18 months, according to the SWIFT global payments network.

Hackers are deploying increasingly sophisticated ways of breaching banks cyber defenses to launch finely orchestrated attacks, SWIFT said in a report co-written with defense contractor BAE Systems. Intruders can spend more than a year reconnoitering targets once they have gained access to their computer systems, the report said.

Evidence from recent cases clearly demonstrates the attackers adaptability, patience, determination and growing sophistication, the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication and BAE Systems said in the report. The rise in the threat level requires an equally concerted response.

The number of reported cyber attacks against Financial Conduct Authority regulated companies alone rose to 89 in 2016 from five in 2014, Nausicaa Delfas, executive director at the U.K. regulator, said in April. A year ago, Tesco Bank, the lending unit of the U.K.s biggest grocer, suffered an attack in which money was taken from about 20,000 consumer accounts. In February 2016, hackers exploited weaknesses in how banks connect to the SWIFT system to steal a record-breaking $81 million from Bangladeshs central bank.

Cyber attacks are at the top of regulators concerns in the U.S. as well. Jerome Powell, President Donald Trumps nominee to head the Federal Reserve, said at a confirmation hearing on Nov. 28 that cyber security may be the biggest risk that U.S. banks face.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Cyber
A federal agency says a leak in TransCanada Corp.s Keystone oil pipeline in South Dakota likely was caused by damage during construction in 2008.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued a corrective action report Tuesday on the estimated 210,000-gallon oil spill. The report says a weight installed on the pipeline nearly a decade ago may have damaged the pipeline and coating.

According to the report, weights are placed on the pipeline in areas where water could potentially result in buoyancy concerns.

TransCanada spokesman Mark Cooper said the company has been working cooperatively with the federal agency and has begun a safe, controlled and gradual startup of the pipeline. Cooper says that process will continue over the next couple of days.

South Dakota officials dont believe the leak polluted any surface water bodies or drinking water systems. The company disclosed the buried pipeline leak on agricultural land in Marshall County on Nov. 16.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Trends Construction
A former partner at a major law firm in Washington pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges that he tried to sell copies of sealed whistleblower lawsuits against corporations that he obtained while working at the U.S. Justice Department.

Jeffrey Wertkin, 41, was working at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP when he was arrested in January trying to sell an undercover federal agent one of the lawsuits while wearing a wig as a disguise, according to court papers.

He pleaded guilty in San Francisco federal court to charges of obstruction of justice and interstate transportation of stolen goods, court records show. Sentencing is scheduled for March.

Jeff had a long career as a lawyer doing good work, his attorney Cristina Arguedas said. He made a terrible mistake, for which he is extremely sorry, and is now working to make amends.

Before joining Akin Gump in April 2016, Wertkin worked in a Justice Department division that handles lawsuits filed by whistleblowers against companies on the governments behalf to recover taxpayer funds paid out based on fraudulent claims.

Those lawsuits are brought under the False Claims Act and are filed under seal to allow the Justice Department to investigate and determine whether it wants to join the cases. Whistleblowers can receive a cut of any settlement or verdict.

According to the charging documents, before leaving the Justice Department, Wertkin removed copies of several whistleblower complaints without permission for his personal use.

According to a criminal complaint, in November 2016, someone calling himself Dan contacted an employee of the unnamed Sunnyvale, California-based security company to discuss providing a copy of the lawsuit for a consulting fee.

That employee began recording calls with Dan at the Federal Bureau of Investigations request, and negotiated to have a colleague, who was actually an agent, deliver $310,000 in exchange for the lawsuit.

Wertkin was arrested on Jan. 31 at a Cupertino, California, hotel while trying to sell a copy of a the lawsuit to the agent in exchange for a duffle bag full of money, the complaint said.

My life is over, Wertkin said out loud shortly after his arrest, according to the complaint.

Wertkin had prior to his arrest also tried to a sell a copy of a second sealed whistleblower lawsuitfiled in federal court in San Francisco against an Oregon-based company, according to court papers.

The case is U.S. v. Wertkin, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 17-cr-00557.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Additional reporting by Dan Levine in San Francisco; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Topics Lawsuits California USA
The closing deadline for China Oceanwide Holdings Group Co.s proposed purchase of Genworth Financial Inc .has been extended for a second time, to April 1, to allow them to satisfy a U.S. review on foreign takeovers, they said on Wednesday.

The $2.7 billion transaction, announced more than a year ago, has been held up by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), an inter-agency panel that vets such takeovers for national security.

The extension would allow Genworth, an insurer based in Richmond, Virginia, and the Beijing-based investment firm to amend the original terms to satisfy concerns raised by the committee. Analysts have said the concerns may center around Chinese state access to customer data.

In an Oct. 2 filing, the companies offered to engage a U.S. company to act as a third-party service provider to administer policies in the United States and wall off all data from the parent company.

We are making good progress in our discussions with a U.S. third-party service provider about proposed mitigation approaches, which justified the merger agreement extension, Genworth President and Chief Executive Tom McInerney said in a statement.

The partners expect to refile their CFIUS approval application in the near term, he added. This would be the third refiling since the transaction was announced, and would give CFIUS another 75 days to study the deal.

Chinese firms and investment funds have found it increasingly difficult to acquire U.S. companies as the Trump administration has taken a conservative stance to such deals.

Other takeovers of financial services firms, including remittance company MoneyGram International Inc, have been delayed for similar reasons.

A purchase of a 20 percent stake in financial services firm Cowen Group by CEFC China Energy was abandoned last week after failing to secure CFIUS approval.

Other companies have been tweaking their deals with Chinese acquirers lately after U.S. government pushback. U.S. mobile marketing firm AppLovin said in November it abandoned plans to sell a majority stake to a Shanghai-based investor and instead turned it into a debt investment.

Securing a takeover is important for Genworth, which has been evaluating how it would handle $600 million worth of debt maturing in May 2018 if it did not complete its sale to Oceanwide. Other options include asset sales and other refinancing methods.

(Additional Reporting by Suzanne Barlyn in New York and Diane Bartz in Washington D.C.; Editing by Lauren Tara LaCapra and Richard Chang)

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions USA China
Just over 60 percent of individuals who died from an opioid overdose had been diagnosed with a chronic pain condition, and many had been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, a study of more than 13,000 overdose deaths has found.

Only four percent had been diagnosed as having an abuse problem right before their death.

According to the researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), their study is the first to determine the proportion of those who died of an opioid overdose with chronic pain. The findings were published online this week in the American Journal of Psychiatry. The Columbia University study is titled, Service Use Preceding Opioid-Related Fatality.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the number of opioid-related deaths has quadrupled, from 8,048 in 1999 to 33,091 in 2015.

The Columbia researchers analyzed clinical diagnoses and filled medication prescriptions between 2001 and 2007 for more than 13,000 adults in the Medicaid program who died of an opioid overdose. During the last year of life, more than half of these individuals had been diagnosed with chronic pain. Many had also been diagnosed with depression and anxiety.

The frequent occurrence of treated chronic pain and mental health conditions among overdose decedents underscores the importance of offering substance use treatment services in clinics that treat patients with chronic pain and mental health problems. Such a strategy might increase early clinical intervention in patients who are at high risk for fatal opioid overdose, said Mark Olfson, MD, professor of psychiatry at CUMC and lead investigator of the study.

Approximately one-third of those who died had been diagnosed with a drug use disorder in the prior year. However, fewer than one in 20 had been diagnosed with opioid use disorder in the last month.

Because clinical diagnoses generally indicate treatment, this service pattern suggests that dropout from drug treatment is common before fatal opioid overdose. Improving treatment retention with contingency management or other effective behavioral interventions might help lower the risk of fatal overdose in these patients, said Dr. Olfson.

In the year before death, more than half had filled prescriptions for opioids or for anti-anxiety medications called benzodiazepines, and many had filled prescriptions for both types of medications.

This medication combination is known to increase the risk of respiratory depression, which is the unusually slow and shallow breathing that is the primary cause of death in most fatal opioid overdoses, said Dr. Olfson, noting that the data from the current study were collected between 2001 and 2007. In the years since, there has been an increase in the proportion of U.S. overdose deaths involving benzodiazepines and opioids. The authors urged providers to restrict the combination, in the lowest possible dose and duration, to those patients for whom alternative strategies have proven inadequate.

In addition to Dr. Olfson, other contributors to the CUMC study were Melanie Wall (CUMC), Shuai Wang (CUMC), Stephen Crystal (Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, N.J.), and Carlos Blanco (National Institute on Drug Abuse, Rockville, Md.). The study was funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (U19 HS021112), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01 DA019606), and the New York Psychiatric Institute.

Opioids were involved in more than 33,000 deaths in 2015 and opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Emergency Room Data

Another recent study found that opioid-related emergency room visits have been increasing since 2013 and in the second quarter of this year, one out of every six was opioid-related.

The study was by OM1, a Boston healthcare data company that used big data analytics to create a prototype for tracking the opioid crisis in near real-time.

OM1 also found while the rate of opioid related emergency room visits has increased across all ages since 2013, the opioid epidemic is disproportionately impacting younger individuals. The fastest growing age segment is the 0-19 year age group, where rates increased from 10 percent in 2013 to 16 percent in Q1 of 2017.

The OM1 opioid tracker shows that the opioid epidemic is not an urban disease. While rates increased in all states, Montana is among a few states with the biggest changes in the proportion of opioid-related ER Visits since 2013.

The opioid epidemic has reached alarming levels in the U.S., affecting the lives of millions of individuals and families. Big data analytics provide an enormous opportunity to be able to track and evaluate the crisis in near real time, said Vandana Menon, vice president of Research at OM1.

Related:

Topics Drugs
The hurricane season is officially over, but it didnt go by without leaving a major mark on Florida and its insurance industry.

Hurricane Irma, a name most in the state wont soon forget, first hit the Florida Keys as a category 4 storm on Sunday, Sept. 10, with 130-mile per hour winds. It then worked its way north passing over the east and west coasts.

Loss estimates from Hurricane Irma have ranged between $25 billion to $65 billion by catastrophe modelers. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) reported total estimated insured losses at more than $5.8 billion as of Nov. 13, with more than 689,000 residential property claims and 51,396 commercial property claims. Business interruption claims reached more than 3,700 as of Nov. 3.

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, 6.7 million homes and businesses  about 65 percent of the state  were without power.

The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund said the state fund that provides backing to private insurers would pay about $5.1 billion in claims. Florida estimated it had spent nearly $650 million on emergency resources and clean up from the storm.

Floridas state-run insurer of last resort, Citizens, expects $1.2 billion in insured losses and 70,000 Hurricane Irma claims over the next 18-24 months. The carrier said Nov. 29 it had closed nearly two-thirds of the 62,000 claims it had seen so far, including more than 42,400 claims in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties.

The damage to Florida crops was also epic. According to The Associated Press, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Irmas path couldnt have been more lethal for Florida agriculture, with few crops spared. More than half of the states iconic orange crop is estimated to be lost.

Could Have Been Worse

Hurricane Irma will go down as one of the top hurricanes in Florida history, but experts say it could have been worse.

As the storm tracked towards Florida in early September, some estimates put the cost of damage from Irma as high as $200 billion. But something called the Bermuda High, threw the hurricane slightly off course, sparing the most populated area of South Florida from the brunt of the storm. Bloomberg reported that the circular system hovering over Bermuda jostled Irma onto Northern Cuba  where being over land sapped it of some power.

Florida escaped the worst because Irmas powerful eye shifted westward, away from the biggest population center of Miami-Dade County, Bloomberg said.

The fact that it took a left turn at the last minute and didnt give Miami a punch in the nose was a blessing, said Marsh US Property Practice Leader Duncan Ellis.

Recovery Ongoing

Still, Irma did pack a powerful punch and the recovery will go on for some time. Companies are now working on getting insureds back on their feet.

One of the biggest issues in the aftermath of Irma has been a shortage of claims adjusters. The storm came just two weeks after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas and the industry has scrambled to bring in adjusters, leading to delays in resolving claims.

OIR reported in its Nov. 13 claims data that about 235,759 residential property claims reported to insurers remained open. The percentage of commercial property claims closed was 29.5 percent.

The biggest challenge is you get a backlog when catastrophes hit like this. [Hurricane Harvey] was so close to what happened in Florida, said Bobby Raymond, owner of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Brightway, The Fort Caroline Agency. Theres a limited pool of claims adjusters in the universe. Weve warned clients carriers are doing the best they can, but they [could] take a while to get back to you.

Raymond himself couldnt get a claims adjuster out for almost a month after Irma caused two trees to fall on homes he owns. Thats just typical, he said.

Carriers have turned to technology, such as drones, to help with assessing claims.

EagleView, an aerial imagery provider, does inspections for insurance companies, including roof and structure damage, and property damage measurements. Kenneth Cook, SVP of EagleView OnSite Solutions, said its drone technology has handled thousands of Irma claims for insurers.

Its a new method for them to get their work done. After any kind of a storm event  especially with two major events back to back  insurance adjusters are busy around the country, and insurance companies are always looking for faster more efficient ways to help customers, Cook said.

EagleView contracts with drone hobbyists and provides them with insurance certification training, including how to inspect a home for claims purposes. In some areas of Florida that were impacted by Irma, Cook said drones were not a good solution because of structural damage, but in other areas drones can capture detailed images of damage like missing shingles, fences blown down, or missing roof tiles.

There are thousands of claims that drones are perfect for because in just 25 minutes the pictures are taken and uploaded, saving the carrier a lot of time, he said.

New hurricane policies were also put to the test in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. Policyholders of the new StormPeace product from Assured Risk Cover (ARC) and California-based Topa Insurance Co. were reimbursed right away for hurricane expenses ranging from $1,000 to $15,000.

Alok Jha, CEO and founder of ARC, said about 98 percent of claimants were paid within three days of attesting to an Irma loss.

The StormPeace product uses mobile technology to alert costumers in declared storm areas so they be paid right away for evacuation costs or damage to their homes.

This product has no exclusions and pays promptly after a hurricane, Jha said.

A contractor shortage has also delayed recovery efforts. Jake Morin, president of Construction for ProSight Specialty Insurance, said demand has surged for contractors in hurricane-hit areas, and so has demand for coverage. The company is working quickly to get contractors insured so they can help with rebuilding.

Homeowners and businesses want to make sure they are working with a licensed and reputable contractor, he said. There is a flood of contractors trying to capitalize; make sure the work they are doing is the work they need to be doing.

Lessons Learned

Experts are already looking at whether the state was adequately prepared for Irma and what should be done differently next time.

Much hard work and preparation over the last few years has paid off during Citizens initial response to Hurricane Irma, said Chris Gardner, chairman of Citizens board of governors, shortly after the storm. However, given the magnitude of reported claims, we are sure to encounter unforeseen challenges. We will continue to learn, prepare and improve our response capabilities with each storm situation.

Agency owner Raymond said despite the adjuster shortage, hes been impressed with how carriers have improved their cat response and capabilities to process large claims volumes since Hurricane Matthew.

We had less complaints from customers this year about not being able to get through to their carrier, he said.

Marshs Ellis says Irma is a reminder of the importance of adequate insurance coverage, and that agents should take the time now to sit down with their clients and evaluate their coverage needs.

People forget how significant these events are. Its an eyeopener for people, especially in the residential space where flood isnt covered, Ellis said.

ProSights Morin agrees.

Insurance is one of those items that you buy, but you dont know what you have until you need it. Customers truly rely on their insurance agent to be their counsel and point them in the right direction and make sure they are covered, he said.

Doug Wiles, president of Herbie Wiles Insurance Agency in St. Augustine, Fla., said Irmas aftermath has highlighted the important work that insurance agents do. For instance, he has spent countless hours keeping information flowing between carriers and customers since the storm.

It can be tough to get through to insurance companies and you are speaking to a different representative each time  its not like talking to an old friend or neighbor. The value of an agent at a time like this is incredible, he said.

He added that the increasing frequency of catastrophes should not be overlooked.

With the change in our climate, I am concerned we are going to see more of this activity and I am concerned about what that is going to do to the insurance industry, especially for those companies who have focused their business in Florida, he said. I think we need to take a careful look at how we spread that risk  and whatever that means to the companies involved.

Related:

Correction: This story has been updated from an earlier version that incorrectly identified the company Assured Risk Cover (ARC) as Assured Risk Concepts.

Topics Carriers Catastrophe Natural Disasters Florida Claims Hurricane Agribusiness Property Contractors
Donald Blankenship, the former Massey Energy chief executive who went to prison in the wake of a 2010 mine explosion that killed 29, plans to run for the U.S. Senate from West Virginia.

Blankenship is filing election papers to run as a Republican, Greg Thomas, a political consultant for him, said in a phone interview. Television station WCHS first reported news.

In the Republican primary, Blankenship would face off against at least two other candidates, U.S. Representative Evan Jenkins and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. The winner would face incumbent Democrat Joe Manchin in the 2018 election.

Blankenship decided to run for office over Thanksgiving, Thomas said. In a Nov. 20 blog post, Blankenship said that a Senate campaign might be the next and best approach to continue his campaign for the truth concerning the Upper Big Branch mine explosion, the industrys worst disaster in a generation.

Blankenship served a year in prison after being convicted of a misdemeanor charge for orchestrating a conspiracy to violate mine safety rules before that blast.

Blames Regulations

Hes never admitted wrongdoing and continues to blame federal regulations for creating the environment that led to the blast. Repeated investigations have disagreed, concluding that the explosion was preventable and that Massey hadnt taken basic safety measures.

In an Oct. 3 post, Blankenship wrote that Manchin has failed to successfully advocate for effective mine safety regulations.

We have every confidence the people of West Virginia will see through his pathetic attempts to blame others for his actions, Phil Smith, a United Mine Workers of America spokesman said in an email when asked about Blankenships run. They will render the same judgment on the criminal Don Blankenship that a West Virginia jury did: guilty as charged, and unworthy of holding any office.

The former coal executive, who has referred to himself as an American political prisoner, has argued that his criticism of President Barack Obama and his support of Republican political candidates made him the target of a politically motivated case over the mine disaster.

Raised in West Virginias rural back country, Blankenship has been one of the coal industrys loudest boosters, spending millions of dollars over the years backing state politicians and judges who might be friendly to coal and referring to global warming as a hoax. In May, he called on President Donald Trump to split the Labor Departments Mine Safety and Health Administration into two pieces.

While Blankenship has relocated  at least part time  to Nevada, hes maintained his West Virginia residence and was on the ground in the state Wednesday, according to Thomas.

Everyone has a right to run for public office, Morrisey said in a statement. I welcome anyone into this contest, but I will continue to run on my positive record of obtaining conservative results for coal miners and West Virginia taxpayers, fighting for the unborn, protecting gun rights, and ridding the state of this terrible opioid epidemic.

A spokesman for Manchin, who won his race in 2012 with 61 percent of the vote, declined to comment. A former state legislator and governor known as a moderate, Manchin has managed to remain popular in a state that has turned toward Republicans.

West Virginia is no stranger to coal bosses in higher office. Last year, Jim Justice, a coal and real estate mogul, was elected governor as a Democrat. In August, at a rally alongside Trump, Justice announced hes switching to become a Republican. A week later, he said that Trump was really interested in his idea to create federal payments that would effectively bail out the states coal industry.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics USA Legislation Virginia Politics
General Motors Company (GM) is the quintessential American company. Incorporated in 1908, the Detroit-based automotive company has weathered its fair share of boom and bust economic cycles. The company designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes new cars, trucks, and vehicle parts globally. GM additionally offers consumers automotive financial services.

In this article, we take a brief look at General Motor's stock history before reviewing the company's three largest individual shareholders.

Key Takeaways Founded in 1908 by William C. Durant, General Motors has weathered numerous ups and downs over the decades.

The decades after World War II saw the American car manufacturer flourish as demand for the company's cars spurred increased revenue and market share.

By the 1980s, the company began to decline as it faced strong competition from foreign automakers, including Toyota and Honda.

During the financial crisis of 2009, GM filed for bankruptcy and became largely owned by the U.S. government; the company recovered and relaunched in 2010 with an initial public offering of new GM stocks.

As of April 2021, GM's top individual shareholders were Mary Barra, Mark Reuss, and John Stapleton.

GM's Stock History

General Motors has an interesting stock history. The company was reincorporated in 1916 during a stock buyback campaign that led founder William C. Durant to rejoin the company after having been forced to leave in 1910 as a result of massive debt he incurred through the acquisition of other car companies. Durant added Chevrolet to the GM fold in 1916 and continued to acquire other automobile manufacturers over the years.

The decades after World War II saw GM dominate as a car manufacturer, growing its market share and revenue while simultaneously becoming one of the world's largest employers. The company's fortunes declined, however, beginning in the 1980s and through the 1990s. GM lost significant market share to foreign car companies, most notably Honda and Toyota.

General Motors filed for bankruptcy in 2009 amid the financial crisis and became largely owned by the U.S. government. When this happened, it was delisted from the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and old GM shares were retired. In 2010, General Motors relaunched with an initial public offering (IPO) of new GM stocks. As of Dec. 17, 2021, the stock price was around $55.16.

$80.1 Billion GM's market capitalization as of Dec. 17, 2021.

1. Mary Barra

Mary Barra was appointed as General Motors' chief executive officer (CEO) in January 2014 when former CEO Daniel Akerson departed from the company. Barra, who is General Motors' first female CEO, was also elected chair of the companys board in January 2016. At the time, Barra was seen as a perfect fit to take the company forward and advise the companys board due to her extensive experience in engineering and global product development, one of General Motors' most critical business areas.

Barra holds a bachelor of science in electrical engineering and a master of business administration (MBA). She has won a number of industry recognition awards and was named to Forbes' list of the world's 100 most powerful women for 2021. According to GM's 2021 proxy statement and annual meeting of shareholders notice, she is the company's largest individual shareholder with 2,753,251 shares of General Motors.

2. Mark Reuss

Mark L. Reuss is a president of General Motors, leading regional operations in North America, South America, China, and General Motors International. Reuss has had a long career with GM, joining the company as an intern in 1983 when he was studying at Vanderbilt University to be a mechanical engineer. He later got his MBA from Duke University. Prior to becoming GM president in 2019, Reuss served as GM's executive vice president for Global Product Development, Purchasing, and Supply Chain from 2013 to 2018.

Reuss is the second-largest individual shareholder of General Motors. As of April 2021, he owned 670,814 shares of the company.

3. John P. Stapleton

John Stapleton has been GM's North America chief financial officer (CFO) since January 2014. He joined the company in 1990 and worked his way up the ranks, serving in a variety of finance roles with responsibilities in operations, manufacturing, labor, and performance improvement. GM named Stapleton acting global chief financial officer in August 2020 following the resignation of Dhivya Suryadevara, executive vice president and CFO. Stapleton held the interim position until GM hired former Delta Air Lines CFO Paul Jacobson to fill the CFO position in December 2020.

Stapleton is the third-largest individual shareholder of General Motors. As of April 2021, he owned 183,211 shares of the company.


Guided now at 950,000, the triangle of 0.07 of an acre at Clontarf Street has a lapsed planning for a nine-storey/31,000 sq ft office building, proposed at one stage by Cork developer Tom Coughlan, as a Cork equivalent of New Yorks famed and far larger Flatiron building.

Its next to the bus station, and former warehouse buildings running back to Parnell Place, which were sold last year by Cork City Council, acquired by Brehon Capital for redevelopment as a hotel, hostel and restaurant.

Listed with BidX1 as Lot 150, this adjacent old triangle had previously been marketed by CBRE with a 1m price tag, and according to sources a bidder on it around the 1.3m mark, was New York based Kevin OSullivan, whose company Times Square Construction was the purchaser (subject to planning) of the Port of Cork site where a very tall tower is being proposed. Earlier this month, a Times Square company spokesperson said its Port of Cork site tower plan was unaffected by a 67m fine levied on a company Navillus and his brother Donal OSullivan, by a US Federal Court for labour law violations.

The city centre site is one of at least half a dozen Cork commercial/development lots, worth 8-10 million all-in, lined up for the December 13/14 BIDX1 auction which is expected to net about 50m overall nationally.

Also in the Cork mix are several land parcels previously associated with Coleman Brothers, including 14 acres at Bawnafinny, Blarney, with a previous planning grant for 156 units. Its guided at 3.095m, or 20,000 per stand, ahead of a Foxrock south Dublin site with planning for 20 apartments, guided at 2.9m, or 130,000 per stand.

Also due for auction disposal is two acres at Milestream, Shanakiel, near Apple HQ in Cork with planning for 38 residential units granted in August 2017, which is guiding 1.835m (48,000 per stand), as well as a mixed-use lot in Ballinacurra, Midleton comprising a former grainstore/mill, office, four houses on 8.75 acres, guided at 1.6m.

Richard ONeill, director at BidX1 said the latter half of 2017 had seen development land performing strongly and this trend is likely to continue in December with 20 sites going under the hammer. Given the level of demand in locations like Foxrock, Blarney, and Midleton, the sales should spark plenty of developer interest, he added.

Included in the commercial mix on December 14 are a number of restaurant premises and investments nationally, Leisure investments include a restaurant with offices overhead in Rathgar, generating 70,000 p/a and guiding 950,000, while another, restaurant/takeaway trading in Howth as Beshoff Bros guides at 825,000. The former Castle Inn in Rathfarnham guides at 750,000, and a restaurant investment on Dublin 1s Capel Street, Dublin 1, let to King 7 Bar & Restaurant for over 100,000 p/a is guided at 600,000, while a former public house with overhead apartment on Blackrocks Main Street guides at 375,000.

Also offered are office, industrial and retail buys, such as 17 French Church Street Cork city guiding at 430,000, while in Co Waterford, the former 23-bed Waterford Manor Hotel, at Killotteran, has 32,000 sq ft with function room, on 16 acres, guided at 700,000.

Residential lots get offered on December 13, with the top price reserve of 1.8m attached to a Temple Road Dublin 6, five-bed home called Ellington.

Formerly known as Allsop Ireland, and rebranded in August 2017 after a buy-out, BidX1 is this countrys s largest auction company, with a worldwide reach thanks to its online bidding platform, and 77,000 registered users.

Details: www.bidx1.com
In Person I Prefer Women Participate Not Because of a Quota but Because of Their Ability

Chairwoman of the NLD Central Womens Committee Dr. May Win Myint. / Thet Htun Naing / The Irrawaddy

The ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) formed a Central Womens Committee on Aug. 21 with a view to promoting womens empowerment and capacity building. Dr. May Win Myint, chairwoman of the committee as well as a lawmaker representing Mayangone Township in the Lower House, recently talked to The Irrawaddys May Sitt Paing about the objectives and activities of the committee

What has the Central Committee done since it was formed two months ago?

Though the committee was formed [officially] on Aug. 21, it has been in existence for a long time before that. The committee was reformed with 11 members to engage in public works. Firstly, it went to camps for internally displaced persons [IDPs] in Myitkyina, Waingmaw, Mohnyin, and Mogaung townships in Kachin State. There, women and children are suffering the most. Some camps are well run and some arent. Camps supported by Christian associations were good, I mean, they helped IDPs get jobs. The [situation in] camps in Mohnyin was not so good.

What are the main concerns of the women and children in the IDP camps?

They are worried about two things. They have been in the camps for more than six years. They have left behind their farms, and they are worried they will lose them. But they dare not go back because of landmines. So, we told them that they could ask the authorities to get back their land. And as for the landmines, it has been on the mind of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for a long time. But it will take time. We also visited Buthidaung and Maungdaw in Rakhine State recently. Displaced persons have already gone back to their villages from camps. We plan to open a clinic in an ethnic village in Maungdaw.

I heard that the committee is planning to form womens committees at the district, township, ward and village levels. Has there been any progress on that?

Well invite any female member healthy, willing and able to perform assigned duties, regardless of their educational background and age, to join the committee. We plan to form committees at the ward and village levels by January, township level by February, and district level by March. The Central Committee will appoint district and region/state level committees.

You are also a lawmaker in the Lower House. What legislation do you plan to submit to Parliament to promote womens rights?

It is the responsibility of Parliament. A draft law to prevent violence against women has been in the making for over three years. But, it has not yet reached Parliament. The Upper House has a Women and Children Protection Committee, but the Lower House still does not have such a committee. So, we will form one as quickly as we can. And we are also amending the Child Law to further protect young girls.

Well also try to change certain laws like the Suppression of Prostitution Act in order to protect women. I heard that civil society organizations are discussing those laws and draft laws. But if they can do it quickly and forward them to Parliament, the bill committees will be able to start discussion soon and the process will be accelerated.

What do you think of the efforts being made under the new government to empower women?

Women lawmakers accounted for only 3.8 percent of lawmakers in the previous government. The percentage has increased under the new government, but it is still relatively low. According to CEDAW [Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women], women should have a 30 percent representation [in politics]. Our party doesnt practice a quota system. But our policy favored woman candidates when they had the same abilities as their male counterparts [in selecting candidates for the 2015 election]. As a result, the NLD has the largest female representation among political parties in parliament.

Some women are too timid to take a lead role. What would you say about that?

Some women are afraid to do so, and some prefer men to take the lead role. So, we have to mobilize women to come out to the front. Only by doing this, will more women gradually come out to contest elections. Previously, there were no female administrators, but now there are 87. This is in the administrative branch. We also plan to rally women to obtain greater representation in the legislative branch. In Parliament, we will try to get women to take lead roles in the legislative, executive and judicial branches.

How would you respond to criticism that some womens rights activists have been less active since they entered Parliament and that female representation is low in the Parliament?

It depends on the policies of the concerned parties. It is important that political parties have a large number of female candidates, and they have policies that favor female candidates. But at the same time, women have to build up their capacities. So, we will form womens committees at the ward and village levels and provide capacity-building training. Only then, will womens voices rise.

People are talking more about gender equality these days and there have been greater calls for legislation that promotes gender equality. What are your suggestions?

Much remains to be done in that regard. When it comes to gender equality, most activists talk in international terms. I wont say they are wrong, but different countries have different situations. International norms call for a 30 percent participation rate for women [in politics]. But I prefer that women participate not because of a quota system but because of their ability. Women have to try to improve themselves. Women account for 51 percent of the total population of our country. Well empower women at the ward and village levels and help enhance their capacities. Hopefully, there will be more female lawmakers in 2020.

There are rigid attitudes and stereotypical views about women. Will it be easy to change certain things?

Such attitudes are entrenched more deeply in ethnic areas, and they may be less prevalent in lower Myanmar. Some people simply cant shed such conservative attitudes. But as there are more ethnic parties, perhaps they will be able to help them get rid of those attitudes. We will carry out educational campaigns because there are cases in which women are sexually exploited because they have been misguided and such cases happen not only in rural areas but also in areas close to urban areas, for instance, the case in Mon State.
Burma AA, Myanmar Army Clashes Likely to Intensify: Arakan Army Spokesman

Local villagers of Paletwa Township who fled from their homes on Nov. 23, 2017. Photo: AA [Arakan Army] Info Desk / Facebook

NAYPYITAW  The ongoing clashes between the Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army (AA) are likely to intensify in the coming days, said Khaing Thukha, a spokesperson for the AA, alleging that the Myanmar Army recently launched a large-scale assault utilizing more than 30 battalions in Chins State Paletwa Township near the Myanmar-India border.

On Wednesday, he said, there were clashes in six places for the whole day and the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) used two helicopters to attack.

Fierce clashes are ongoing in Paletwa at the border of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Clashes are quite fierce, and the Tatmadaw suffered casualties, Khaing Thukha told The Irrawaddy.

If they continue fighting like this, we will inevitably have to defend ourselves, and the clashes will only intensify, he added.

The AA has suffered at least five casualties and some injuries in clashes that broke out in early November, said Khaing Thukha, suggesting that the Tatmadaw might have suffered many more casualties and injuries.

He refused to disclose, for security reasons, when the AA started its military activities in Paletwa.

Around 350 Paletwa locals fled across the border to India out of fear after the Tatmadaw bombed AA troops on Wednesday evening, said U Pinnya Jota, a Buddhist monk living in India.

The monk told The Irrawaddy on Thursday, there are now around 2,000 Paletwa residents taking shelter at the border in India including some 1,500 people who fled last week.

Arakanese villages are providing as much aid as they can. The Indian government has given some rice to them. Around 350 people arrived yesterday [Nov. 29]. They fled after [the Tatmadaw] bombed, around 4:30 p.m. yesterday, said U Pinnya Jota.

Military leaders have repeatedly said that the Tatmadaw would not hold peace talks with the AA unless it disarmed because it was established only after Myanmar had elected a quasi-civilian government, under former President U Thein Sen in 2011. [The AA, which took part in fighting by allying with Kachin, Taang and Kokang troops in the Kachin Independence Army controlled areas in northern and northeastern Myanmar, has said its troops have been mobilized since 2009.]

Locals speculated that the Tatmadaws ongoing attacks were retaliation after it lost 11 troopstwo officers and nine other ranksin an AA ambush on Nov. 18 in Chin States Paletwa Township.

According to the AA, clashes have been ongoing near Myeik Wa, [a border village near India], since Nov. 25, and there were also clashes at the triangle area at the border of Myanmar, Bangladesh and India on Wednesday.

The AA said it seized two 60 mm launchers, 70 pieces of 60 mm mortar shells, some ammunition and military equipment [of the Tatmadaw] in clashes on Wednesday.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
Burma DASSKs China Trip Expected to Focus on Security, Development

State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi arrives in Beijing for the Belt and Road Forum on May 13, 2017. / Reuters

YANGON  State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi left for China on Thursday at the invitation of the Chinese government to deliver a speech as a special guest at a forum of world political leaders in Beijing hosted by the Communist Party of China.

The forum will run from November 30 to December 3. A news release from the State Counselors Office says the trip is both a working and goodwill visit during which she will have a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

With the ministers of electricity, energy and construction and other government officials in tow, the trip marks the second time the state counselor has visited Myanmars large neighbor to the north. In May she attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. She held separate talks with President Xi and Premier Li Keqiang at the time.

Yangon-based political observer Yan Myo Thein said the visit was significant as few of the countrys previous leaders visited China twice in one year.

He said given the ministers accompanying Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, bilateral discussions would likely focus on projects related to Chinas One Belt, One Road initiative.

During their private meeting, the two leaders are also likely to discuss efforts to stabilize border areas where some of Myanmars largest ethnic armed groups have been fighting with the national army; Chinas continued support for Myanmars reconciliation and peace process; and the crisis in Rakhine State, where China has large business projects including a deep-sea port and a crude oil pipeline connecting western Myanmars Kyaukphyu Township and Kunming, the capital of Chinas southern Yunnan Province.

Since the recent instability in Rakhine State, where the army has faced international condemnation for clearance operations that have triggered an exodus of more than 600,000 Muslim Rohingya to Bangladesh, China has expressed its support for Myanmar.

When the issue was raised at a meeting of the U.N. Security Council in September, China voiced support for the armys efforts to uphold peace and stability in Rakhine.

On a trip to China in mid-November, Myanmar military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing also met President Xi, who said the generals goodwill visit to China was significant, that relations between the two countries had reached their highest point and that China would continue providing necessary assistance to Myanmar.
Burma Farmers Arrested in Shan State Facing Four Charges

Shan Human Rights Foundation

CHIANG MAI, Thailand  Eight of nine farmers, including a 12-year-old boy, arrested by the Myanmar military four months ago in Ho Pong Township in southern Shan State are facing trial over a combined four charges, according to their lawyer.

The eight appeared at the Ho Pong Township court on Wednesday, their latest appearance since their arrests in July and August.

They are charged under the Communication Law for possessing walkie-talkies, the Export and Import Law for driving an unlicensed vehicle, the Arms Act for possession of hunting rifles, and the State Protection Law for trespassing in a military operation zone, Sao Mya Wadi, their lawyer, told The Irrawaddy.

She said the charges were filed in September.

The court has finished hearing from the witnesses in some cases, because each [suspect] is charged with two to three charges mentioned above. But there need to be more hearings for the remaining cases. The accused will have to appear before the court again on Dec. 6, she said.

The Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF), a rights group based in Thailand, says the farmers were wrongly arrested and called for the charges to be dropped.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the SHRF said the eight adults and one boy were arrested by the Light Infantry Battalion 424 and Infantry Battalions 225 and 249 between July 15 and August 4 on suspicion of links to a Shan armed group, the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army South (RCSS/SSA-S).

The arrests came a day after a clash between the RCSS/SSA-S and Tatmadaw troops in July; the RCSS is a signatory of the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA).

The boy was released on bail on Aug. 5, three weeks after his arrest. The adults are being detained by Ho Pong police. One of the eight adults, Lung Aw Na, remains in police custody but has yet to be charged, according to the SHRF.

We would like to request that the cases be dropped because they are innocent farmers, said Sai Hor Hseng, the SHRF spokesman, adding that such arrests should not occur while the country is in the midst of a peace-building process.

The nine farmers were arrested for possession of items such as walkie-talkies, mobile phones, hunting rifles and bullets, even though these items are used by local villagers for everyday purposes, the groups statement says.

Their lawyer said that if her clients were convicted for possessing walkie-talkies and hunting rifles then many more innocent villagers could also be arrested.

They [the Tatmadaw] could have arrested thousands of them, because almost everyone in the villages possesses hand-held communication devices and villagers can make these homemade hunting rifles and gunpowder, said Sao Mya Wadi.

It is important that the judgments are made based on good conscience. There must be justice and equity for all human beings, said added.

The SHRF says the court proceedings are being delayed by the Tatmadaws plaintiffs lack of cooperation, frequently failing to show up in court because, it says, they lack the evidence to prove their case.

There are currently no clashes in the area. But Sai Hor Hseng said locals have witnessed the deployment of more Tatmadaw troops. More and more Burma soldiers have gone into the areas and have taken positions, he said.
Burma KIA Reports Frequent Clashes with Tatmadaw Throughout November

KIA soldiers at Chyasam Hka, a post near the frontline with the Myanmar Army. / Lawi Weng / The Irrawaddy

CHIANG MAI, Thailand  Fighting resumed between the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, and the Kachin Independence Army in Kachin States Tanai Township in early November, with frequent clashes continuing throughout the month, according to a KIA spokesman.

Clashes resumed early in the month and continued up until Tuesday, Nov. 28, Colonel Naw Bu of the KIA told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday. It may represent a follow-up to the Tatmadaws military clearance operation [in Tanai], he said, referring to June clashes that forced local villagers to flee their homes.

The Tatmadaw attacked the KIAs Battalion 14 area [a 10-mile radius within Tanai Township] with heavy artillery, but there had been no reports of casualties as of yesterday, Naw Bu said.

The fighting, while not daily, was frequent and usually involved barrages of more than 30 artillery rounds. It usually starts in the morning after 6 a.m. and continues until the afternoon, he said.

As fighting erupted again in the amber-rich areas, the return of already internally displaced villagers is still uncertain, said local relief workers.

Naw Tawng, a Catholic priest from Kawng Ra village of Tanai told The Irrawaddy on Thursday, Some displaced villagers of NGa Ga and Nam Byu villages are still sheltering in churches and others are with their relatives in Tanai.

The KIA spokesman said they were unable to help those who fled to towns such as Tanai or Myitkyina.

Naw Bu said there had been no ceasefire talks between the KIA and the government or the Tatmadaw. We will just follow the FPNCCs principles regarding peace talks, he said, referring to the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee, an alliance of seven northern armed groups including the KIA.

Earlier, the KIA and Tatmadaw were involved in intense clashes in June and July following the second session of the Panglong Peace conference in May.

In May, the FPNCC demanded an alternative approach to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).

The FPNCC is led by the United Wa State Army. Four of its members  the KIA, the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Kokangs Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Arakan Army (AA)  are currently engaged in active fighting against the Tatmadaw in Kachin, northern Shan State and most recently in Rakhine and Chin States Paletwa Township.
Burma Vatican Defends Popes Avoidance of Term Rohingya in Myanmar

Pope Francis leads a Mass at St Mary's Cathedral in Yangon, Myanmar, Nov. 30, 2017. / Reuters

YANGON  The Vatican on Wednesday defended Pope Franciss decision not to use the word Rohingya in public during his visit to Myanmar, saying his moral authority was unblemished and that his mere presence drew attention to the refugee crisis.

But at a news conference, the Holy Sees spokesman also acknowledged that Vatican diplomacy was not infallible and that others were entitled to their views.

The pope leaves on Thursday for Bangladesh, where about 625,000 Muslim Rohingya from predominantly Buddhist Myanmar have fled following a military crackdown in Rakhine State. He is due to meet Rohingya refugees there.

Since he arrived in Myanmar, Francis has studiously avoided the highly charged term, following advice of local Church officials. They feared it could set off a diplomatic incident and turn Myanmars military and government against minority Christians.

Even though his calls for justice, human rights and respect were widely seen as applicable to the Rohingya, who are not recognized as citizens or as members of a distinct ethnicity, rights groups such as Amnesty International said they were disappointed.

I think it was pretty clear from the local concerns that the pope was going to take the advice very seriously in public, Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said at the news conference, which was also with several Myanmar bishops.

That doesnt take away from anything the pope has said in the past, or from anything he says in private, Burke said. The fact of the matter that the pope is here and draws attention to the country itself is an incredibly positive thing.

Scores of Rohingya villages were burnt to the ground, and refugees arriving in Bangladesh told of killings and rapes. Washington said last week that the militarys campaign included horrendous atrocities aimed at ethnic cleansing.

Myanmars military has denied accusations of murder, rape and forced displacement. The government blames the crisis on the Rohingya militants, whom it has condemned as terrorists.

Vatican Diplomacy Not Infallible

Everyones entitled to their own opinion here. Nobody ever said Vatican diplomacys infallible, Burke said when asked if the Vatican had any second thoughts about the decision for the pope not to use the word.

He said the aim of Vatican diplomacy was building bridges and seeking discussions as brothers, which often take place behind closed doors. This suggested the pope, who has defended Rohingya by name before in Rome, may have used the term in private during meeting in Myanmar.

The pope, Burke said, was not afraid of minefields, but he could not just parachute in to areas to solve crises.

I find it really hard to think that the moral authority of the pope has somehow diminished. People are not expected to solve impossible problems, Burke said.

The morals of the pope stand. Youll see him go ahead and you can criticize what is said and what is not said, but the pope is not going to lose moral authority on this question, he said.

Asked about the accusations of ethnic cleansing, Bishop John Hsane Hgyi said I did not see it with my own eyes. I dont know if its true or not.

When she came to power in 2016, Nobel peace laureate and longtime champion of democracy Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said her top priority was ending ethnic conflicts that have kept Myanmar in a state of near-perpetual civil war since independence in 1948.

That goal remains elusive and, although Daw Aung San Suu Kyi remains popular at home, she has faced a barrage of international criticism for expressing doubts about reports of rights abuses against Rohingya and failing to condemn the military.

Although Daw Aung San Suu Kyi formed Myanmars first civilian government in half a century, her defenders say she is hamstrung by a constitution written by the military that left the army in control of security and much of the apparatus of the state.

The militarys power was clear on Monday when its leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, demanded to meet the pope before Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, upending the planned schedule, which had her meeting the pontiff first.

Im sure the pope would have preferred meeting the general after he had done the official visits, Burke said.
News EU Pledges to Continue Supporting Education Despite Calls for Ties to be Cut Over Rakhine Crisis

Convocation Hall inside the University of Yangon. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

YANGONThe European Union will continue investing in Myanmars education system to help bring about change and to support the countrys democratic transition, the EU ambassador to Myanmar said on Thursday.

The European Union recognizes that education for all, without discrimination, is an indispensable prerequisite for Myanmar to succeed (in) its democratic transition, Ambassador Kristian Schmidt said at a regional conference on cooperation in higher education held in Yangon to promote the EUs Erasmus+ academic exchange program.

The European Union has allocated more than 240 million euros to support the Myanmar government in its effort to reform the education sector, the ambassador said in his speech.

In early November, the London-based weekly Times Higher Education reported that international universities were being pressured to cut ties with Myanmar universities due to the recent crisis in Rakhine State, where militant attacks and a subsequent military clearance operation led to the displacement of more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims to neighboring Bangladesh.

Myanmar academics and educators responded to the news with appeals that cutting international ties would worsen the situation in Myanmar while bigotry and prejudice would not go away.

We are going ahead with the mutual understanding that investing in education is the only way to achieve structural change, better living conditions and ultimately a sustainable democracy in this country, Schmidt stressed at the conference.

The Danish diplomat also emphasized that Myanmar needs its own human resources to improve its economic fortunes and the EU is planning to provide support to ensure Myanmar children even in the most remote and undeveloped areas of the country had access to good schools and the opportunity to learn a profession.

Myanmar Education Minister U Myo Thein Gyi, who was present at the conference, said that his ministry had been investing in youth to help them build sustainable futures and to create life-long opportunities for continuous professional development, adding that internationalization had to be enhanced in the countrys higher education sector.

Our country needs human resources with a solid work ethic  who take responsibility and accountability for the work they do and who are globally collaborative and competitive, the minister said.

In an interview with The Irrawaddy, Professor Dr. Aung Kyaw, pro-rector of the University of Yangon, Myanmars oldest university and at one time one of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in Asia until the 1962 coup by Gen. Ne Win, expressed his personal opinion that cutting educational ties wont resolve any problems.

Education is a national issue, not individual. [People in] the country have been facing different kinds of challenges due to a lack of education. There wont be such challenges if they are all well-educated, the professor said.

Yangon University was closed for undergraduate study for 26 years, reopening only under the administration of the previous U Thein Sein government in 2013.
News Rakhine Lawmakers Call for Maungdaw to be Segregated Along Religious Lines

Dr. Win Myat Aye and Rakhine State cabinet members visit Maungdaw on Oct 28. / Dr. Win Myat Aye / Facebook

YANGON  Rakhine State legislators on Monday urged visiting Union Minister for Social Welfare Dr. Win Myat Aye to ensure Muslim and Rakhine communities in the conflict-torn Maungdaw region would be segregated before the repatriation of refugees begins from neighboring Bangladesh.

The informal consultation marked the first time Union government and state-level lawmakers from the Rakhine Parliament had met since the National League for Democracy assumed power in 2016. According to lawmakers, the meeting lasted for half an hour.

One of the attendees, independent lawmaker Than Maung Oo, told The Irrawaddy that the meeting was led by Chief Minister U Nyi Pu, Dr. Win Myat Aye, who also serves as chair of the Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development (UEHRD) in Rakhine, and State Parliament Speaker San Kyaw Hla.

The Myanmar Army launched an offensive against the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) in reprisal for a series of attacks on Maungdaw border outposts by ARSA units in late August. However, the harsh response by the army resulted in more than 600,000 Rohingya refugees fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh.

Last week, Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a memorandum of outstanding (MoU) on refugee repatriation although the details have yet to be released.

During the meeting, regional lawmakers raised questions regarding the repatriation timeframe, the resettlement process and the central governments plans for infrastructure development in the region. However, Dr. Win Myat Aye was unable to provide precise answers to their queries. The regional lawmakers then discussed their opinions on refugee relocation.

We asked the Union minister where they would relocate the Bengali [Rohingya] Muslims but he could not answer us, Than Maung Oo said.

The lawmaker said he made four suggestions to the union minister concerning the repatriation and rehabilitation project, stressing that the government needed to make law enforcement its top priority by reserving southern Maungdaw for non-Muslims and settling the Rohingya Muslim refugees in the northern part of the district.

No one wants to live with Bengalis in the same location. Its impossible, Than Maung Oo said.

He said that keeping the two communities apart would prevent conflicts as well as future attacks on security forces, adding that the government needed to specify precise locations for internally displaced non-Muslim people as well. Moreover, he demanded the Union cabinet create agricultural and livestock zones for poor ethnic Arakanese as part of a rehabilitation project to stop them from leaving Maungdaw.

In addition, state parliamentarians advised the chief minister and Union minister to ensure 40 billion kyat contributed by Burmese tycoons and the international community to the UEHRD was used effectively for rehabilitation of northern Rakhine State  as corruption was widespread in the area.

U Mya Than, deputy speaker of Rakhine State Parliament, said that the Union minister also raised the issue of domestic businesses seeking to invest in infrastructure projects, including housing and apartments in northern Rakhine State, although no firm details were provided by the minister.

There is a lack of collaboration not only between the state government and the Rakhine parliament on the ground but between the union government and elected Arakanese lawmakers as well, U Mya Than said.

On Monday Chief Minister Nyi Pu posted explanations to the lawmakers queries on his Facebook page, stating the government had established four working committees for resettlement and socioeconomic development to come up with a plan to address the devastation caused in northern Rakhine. Under the oversight of the UEHRD, the government also formed nine working committees with local businesspeople to manage development projects.

Nyi Pus statement says, As a member of the United Nations, we (Myanmar) cannot ignore related international procedures and (the government) will prioritize the public interest practically.

The Union minister, Dr. Win Myat Aye, and the chief minister could not be immediately reached for comment.
Australias start-ups have had a record year in the 2017 financial year, with the industry raising a record $1.32 billion in venture capital and predicted to have the potential to contribute as much as $170 million to the economy by 2020.

But despite the positive report by StartupAUS, the advocacy group says access to global talent is critical to the growth of an internationally competitive local tech sector in Australia.

It also warns that Australia could be left behind by its policies on visas and needs to pick up its game on competing with other countries to attract talent into the start-up sector.

StartupAUS chief executive and lead author of the report, Alex McCauley, says the start-up sector in 2017 has attracted significant state government investment in innovation precincts, strong growth in the number of accelerators, incubators and coworking spaces, and the attraction of high-profile events and investors.

Start-ups are now recognised as leading job creators worldwide and high-growth start-ups are the primary driver of Australias new jobs growth. Start-ups have the potential to contribute as much as $170 billion to Australias economy by 2020, MCauley forecast.

But he said the many successes of the sector in the past 12 months had been put at risk by stagnation or backwards movement in some areas, particularly when it came to visas and the R&D tax incentive.

Australia has come a long way in a relatively short space of time and we are pleased to see the momentum building. What we must also recognise is the speed of our global competitors and the intensity with which governments are focusing on supporting start-ups around the world.

Its clear that by pulling a few big policy levers we could rapidly shift Australias start-up economy to the next level of maturity and potential  making it one of the best places in the world to build a tech start-up. But if we dont act now, particularly on visas, we risk getting left behind.

Talent is the single biggest challenge facing Australian start-ups, and there is currently no mechanism for these fast-growing tech companies to attract overseas workers to fill a range of high-demand digital roles, particularly in product development and management. At a time when Australian start-ups are crying out for talent and top-tier tech workers are considering roles outside the US, this gap requires immediate attention, said McCauley.

The reports foreword, contributed by Atlassian co-founder and co-chief executive Scott Farquhar, also highlights visas as an area for urgent reform.

There is a global gold rush at the moment that is generating intense international competition to attract the best tech talent, and Australia needs to lift its game, Farquhar says.

The 2017 Crossroads report makes nine key recommendations designed to address issues which StartupAUS says are holding the industry back:

(1) State governments should continue to build and connect innovation precincts;

(2) The federal government should pay the R&D Tax Incentive on a quarterly rather than annual basis;

(3) The qualification criteria in the entrepreneur visa should be altered and simplified;

(4) Options issued under Employee Share Schemes should be exempted from the 20/12 Rule;

(5) The skilled worker visa should be expanded to include digital skills and reflect start-up needs;

(6) Federal and state governments should work together to expand the school curriculum for digital skills, giving students more options in computer science and computational thinking;

(7) A copyright safe harbour for all online content providers should be implemented;

(8) Entrepreneurship programmes should be implemented and expanded in high schools and universities; and

(9) Governments should establish dedicated policy teams focused on emerging technologies.

The report points to figures from the Australian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association revealing the 2017 financial year is the second consecutive record year for Australian venture fundraising, with about $1.32 billion raised since July 2016  compared to a record high in 2016 of $568 million, compared with $154 million in 2013.

According to AVCAL head of Policy and contributing author, Christian Gergis, for Australia to firmly establish itself as a leading location from which to grow a global technology company, venture capital investment as a percentage of GDP must increase.

AVCALs research report, The Venture Capital Effect, states this investment is 0.023%, less than half the OECD+ average, and less than a tenth of the size of Israeli or US markets, leaving Australia ranked 18 out of 30 OECD+ nations.

While the recent growth in local venture has been significant, it must be acknowledged that it is coming off a very low base [the] Australian venture capital sector remains small, both in absolute terms, and relative to its international peers, said Gergis.

And according to McCauley, ambitious high-growth young companies will lead Australias move onto the world stage, and a thriving local venture capital sector is critical to supporting their growth and helping them remain in Australia. The data in this years Crossroads shows for the first time that Australian start-ups are now much less reliant on overseas investors, which is a very positive step in the right direction.

McCauley says Crossroads 2017 was backed up by original research from StartupAUS looking at a cohort of 47 of the countrys most successful scale-ups, and provided a statistical snapshot of what Australias most successful young companies look like:

92% of companies are backed by angel or VC investment;

86% of businesses are looking to hire international talent within six months;

91.3% of start-ups are claiming the R&D Tax Incentive;

29.8 years is the average age of start-up founders;

57% of start-ups were founded by immigrants or children of immigrants;

15% of start-ups have at least one female founder;

4% of start-ups have an all-female founding team;

57% of all start-up founders had at least one previous business; and

76% of start-ups have at least one founder with a previous business.

This years report also includes a deep dive on the start-up sector of NSW, in partnership with the NSW Government, highlighting key growth areas including fintech which has attracted 25% of all NSW capital since 2015.

The report also notes the continuing emergence of new NSW technology sectors with Health and Life Sciences, Software as a Service (SaaS) and Sharing Economy/Marketplace businesses all attracting significant levels of investment.

The NSW ecosystem now extends substantially beyond Sydney, with more than one in ten NSW start-ups now based regionally, the report says.
In the enterprise world, open source has long been a bit tentative. Starting in the early 2000s, various vendors started contributing bits and pieces of code, careful not to give away anything too valuable, all while hoping for positive marketing effect. It was, as Stephen Walli wrote in 2007, a matter of gifting complementary technology to secure potential customers interest in the core of your business.

It mostly didnt work.

Today, open source has become a primary driver of innovation, but were still too tentative in our contributions. Much of the most impressive innovation is being hatched at the public cloud vendors, specifically Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud (AMG, as Bernard Golden calls them), with TensorFlow, Kubernetes, and more being contributed to the wider open source community.

But in a world where operationsnot codematter most, the AMG trio could contribute all their code without hurting their business, and with potentially much positive effect.

So why arent they?

The innovation factories dont benefit open source builders

Among legacy software bellwethers, growth has largely dried up, as Golden points out. HPE is forecasting less than 1 percent growth, while IBM has taken to trumpeting its mainframe business when it wants to signal innovation. Oracle may scrape together 5.5 percent growth, as some analysts speculate, buoyed by its aggressive push into the cloud.

The cloud is, of course, where all the growth is happening. Combined, the AMG trio has about 60 percent annual growth rate for the public cloud, or 600 percent growth over five years. Thats huge.

But the real story isnt about growth. You might think that all that growth provides a great foundation for open source innovation, including contributions from the likes of AMG to the community that can be built on for the greater good. After all, as Golden highlights, the AMG triumvirate has capabilities that no other user or tech vendor on the planet has, and those capabilities can be leveraged to deliver innovation unobtainable anywhere else.

But Golden also notes the AMG innovation, even when open-sourced, doesnt really help the community at large:

Similar to Googles unique ability to deliver [its Spanner] database technology are AMG offerings in these areas: IoT, event processing, machine learning, and commercial blockchain applications. I predict all of them will be the province of AMG and nobody else. Each requires investment and technical savvy beyond any other commercial entity. The recently announced intent by GE to get out of hosting its Predix business and rely on AWS and Azure is telling in this regardif GE cant afford to run an industrial-scale offering, who can? There is still tremendous innovation available in software, but its located at the interface of scale, investment, and technical nous, which are the bailiwick of AMG.

In short: All this innovation is available to buy; none of it is available to build. Not for mere mortals, anyway.

Google is deliberating whether to open-source its Spanner technology. CockroachDB, spawned by a former Googler, is already working on its own open source Spanner. As good as it is, however, its not Spanner. Spanner depends on TrueTime, a powerful way of coordinating resources in disparate places. No one but Google has this technology, although AWS and Microsoft could conceivably build it. Pretty much no one else on Earth could.

Now, multiply Spanner across a range of possible projects, from Googles TensorFlow to AWS Lambda to Microsofts Cosmos DB. These companies could give you the code (and, in the case of TensorFlow, Google already has), but having the code wont make you operate like the AMG.

As Golden colorfully describes: Maintaining the position that making the code available realistically enables someone else to implement Spanner functionality would be like someone handing me a pair of running shoes like the ones Usain Bolt wears and telling me that I can now run a 9.58-second 100 meters. Bolt has the genetics, the training regimen, the ecosystem, and the single-minded drive of a great athlete. Me? Ive got a pair of sneakers.

More than a decade ago, Jeremy Zawodny (then at Yahoo) took me to task for suggesting his company (and Google) should open-source more code. He rightly pointed out that its not that simple and, as he (and Googles Chris DiBona) had said at OSCON earlier, what would be the point? Giving away a bunch of code that is tightly bound to Yahoos infrastructure wouldnt really give you much insight into how to operate that code like Yahoo. Instead, it might just render you frustrated.

Where the action is: Open-sourcing more on-ramps

Since then, Google in particular has figured out how to both open-source code in a useful way and make it pay. As Server Density CEO David Mytton has underlined, Google hopes to standardize machine learning on a single framework and API, namely TensorFlow, then supplement it with a service that can [manage] it all for you more efficiently and with less operational overhead, namely Google Cloud.

By open-sourcing TensorFlow and backing it with machine-learning-heavy Google Cloud, Google has open-sourced a great on-ramp to future revenue.

My question: why not do this with the rest of its code?

The simple answer is Because its a lot of work. That is, Google could open-source everything tomorrow without any damage to its revenue, but the code itself would provide other providers and enterprises only limited ability to increase their revenue unless Google did all the necessary prep work to make it useful to mere mortals not running superhuman Google infrastructure.

This is the trick that AWS, Microsoft, and Google are all racing to figure out today. Not open source, per se, because thats the easy table stakes. No, the AMG trio are figuring out how to turn their innovations into open source on-ramps to their proprietary services.

Companies used to lock up their code to sell it. Today, its the opposite: They need to open it up to make their ability to operate the code at scale more valuable. For them.
What is 2FA?

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a method of establishing access to an online account or computer system that requires the user to provide two different types of information.

A factor in this context simply means a way to convince a computer system or online service that you are who say you are, so the system can determine if you have the rights to access the data services that you're trying to access. By far the most common authentication factor in use today is the username/password pair, and since most accounts only require a password for access, most systems thus use single-factor authentication for security. With two-factor authentication, you'll need to both provide a password and prove your identity some other way to gain access.

As passwords have become increasingly less secure, whether through data breaches or poor user practices, more and more individuals are moving to 2FA to secure their digital lives  and many service providers are encouraging or mandating the shift as well.

Why use two-factor authentication?

We'll dive into the details of how different two-factor authentication methods work in a minute, but before we go there, let's first answer the question why. After all, passwords have been the standard for everyday infosecurity for a generation now. Adding an additional step just makes logging in to your account more difficult. Why bother?

One of the primary reasons, as Hacker Noon notes, is that widespread major data breaches, which have put millions of email address/password pairs up for sale on the dark web, have made many passwords less secure. Most people reuse passwords across multiple sites and accounts; a hacker can plug in known email address/password pairs into dozens of sites and see which of them provides access. Verizon's 2017 Data Breach Investigations Report found that 81 percent of account breaches could be put down to passwords that were either leaked in this way, or passwords that were so weak (e.g., "passw0rd") that they were trivially easy to guess.

Many sites use so-called security questions or knowledge-based authentication  "What's your mother's maiden name?" or "What was the city where you were born?" as a sort of backup to passwords. Such questions are often posed over and above a password if a user is logging into a site from a new computer or new network connection, for instance. Still, there are weaknesses here: for instance, with so much personal information publicly available for those who know where to look, a determined hacker could probably figure out the answers to these questions for a compromised accounts, or bypass them via social engineering attacks. But more importantly, as we'll see in a moment, they don't represent a true second security factor, and therefore can't provide the layered security of two-factor authentication.

How does two-factor authentication work?

To understand what real two-factor authentication looks like, we need to revisit the concept of a factor. A password fits the definition we gave above, for instance, but for our purposes we want to think of it in more abstract terms: it's something you know. This explains why knowledge-based authentication doesn't represent real 2FA; you're just backing up something you know with something else you know. In essence, the answer to your security question is just another password, and subject to all the same weaknesses.

True 2FA pairs your first authentication factor  still a password (i.e., something you know), in the vast majority of cases  with a second factor of an entirely different kind, such as:

Something you have

Something you are

Somewhere you are

Users will need to supply both of these factors to get access to their accounts.

Two-factor authentication examples

Confused about what those factors might mean in practice? Let's take a look at some examples, starting with the "something you have" factor. Consumer Reports has a good look at the different options involved here, some of which you may already be familiar with. Perhaps the granddaddy of this type of security factor  maybe the granddaddy of two-factor authentication altogether  is the RSA SecurID. First released in 1993, SecurID used a small physical device with a small onboard screen that displayed periodically changing random numbers, generated based on a "seed" programmed in at the factory. Users would need both a password and the number from their SecurID token at any given moment to log in to sensitive areas.

There are other gadgets that can fulfill the "something you have" part of a 2FA equation: There are smartcards and physical security keys, which can connect to computers via USB or Bluetooth. Google famously has cut down on security incidents after mandating them internally. These devices need to be plugged into or paired with the computer you're using in order to access 2FA-protected accounts that use them.

But providing a separate, specialized security gadget to each of your users and expecting them to carry it with them whenever they might want to access your systems is expensive and cumbersome. That's why, in by far the most common forms of 2FA in use today, the "something you have" is the gadget you already carry with you all the time: your smartphone. In the simplest version of this, after using a username and password to log into a site, the user is then sent a numeric code as a text message to a phone number they provided when setting up their account; that code is necessary to gain access to the site. In a somewhat more complex version, a website will offer a QR code that's scanned on a corresponding smartphone app. Smartphones can also serve, via specialized apps and a Bluetooth or USB connection, as a security token in the sense we discussed above.

What about "something you are"? This factor gets us into the realm of biometrics, the science of computers establishing identity by examining your physical person. A password must be paired with a thumbprint or retina scan or some similar factor in order to access protected data. And just as ubiquitous smartphones made the "something you have" flavor of 2FA much simpler to promote, so too do the fingerprint readers and facial recognition software in most high-end phones put the seemingly sci-fi world of biometrics within reach; many biometric 2FA implementations simply leverage the built-in capabilities that users' phones already have. There are legitimate doubts about biometrics  concerns that databases of fingerprint data can be cracked as easily as lists of passwords, for instance  but with users increasingly comfortable opening their phones with their thumb or their face, this method will probably become increasingly popular.

The third type of authentication we mentioned  location-based  isn't widely used, although various experimental proposals have been floated. Some sites implement a weak version of this by requiring another method of authentication if a user logs in with a password from an unusual location. Often this is just a knowledge-based security question, though sometimes it might be another security factor that we've discussed, like entering a code delivered via text message.

Multi-factor authentication

A scenario like the one described above  where a password, a user's location, and a message sent to their user's phone are all combined to authenticate their identity  actually involves three factors. In fact, two-factor authentication is just a subset of the larger concept of multi-factor authentication, since in theory you could pile on any number of required hoops users would have to jump through to gain access to secured data. In practice, two is as many factors as an ordinary user would encounter, though obviously even that can't offer total protection.

Enable 2FA

As a consumer, enabling two-factor authentication for all your accounts can be a daunting process. The Verge has put together a detailed and frequently updated list of major service providers, including Apple and all the major social media sites, along with instructions on how to enable 2FA for your accounts there. We're going to provide more specific resources for two major sites so you can get a sense of some of the issues involved with the process.

2FA for Google

Google refers to its two-factor authentication as "Two-Step Verification," and walking through the steps on Google's landing page for the service will get you started. Once you've set things up, Two-Step Verification will secure your Google account and all the services tied to it; when you log into your Google account, you'll receive a code via text that you'll need to enter as well, or you can order a Titan Security Key if you prefer a physical security token. You can choose to disable 2FA for certain trusted computers, if you prefer; this will mean you don't have to constantly deal with multiple security factors when you're at home, for instance, but anyone logging in remotely will have to put in the extra work to prove they're you.

2FA for Epic Games and Fortnite

Epic Games, creator of the wildly popular Fortnite game, also allows you to set up your account with two-factor authentication. Windows Central breaks down the reasons why this is one account in particular you'll want to double-protect: a lot of scammers target the game's younger players with tempting links that offer free Vbucks, Fortnite's in-game currency. These are in fact phishing scams that aim to harvest your login credentials and get access to your account (and whatever payment information you've saved to actually buy Vbucks). If you're a parent of Fortnite-loving kids, you should probably add 2FA to your Epic Games account.

Activating 2FA for Fortnite is simple; just go to your account settings page, click on the PASSWORD & SECURITY tab, and under the TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION heading choose either ENABLE AUTHENTICATOR APP or ENABLE EMAIL AUTHENTICATION. With the email authentication option, you'll receive an email with a security code every time you log in to your account; the authenticator app makes use of common apps for this purpose listed on the site. As a signal of how keen Epic Games is on getting you signed up for 2FA, they offer a special Emote for Fortnite players who activate the feature.

Two-factor authentication vendors

If you're looking to roll out 2FA or multi-factor authentication for your own corporate users, a number of vendors will be happy to help you. Four of the most important and common are:

Good luck in moving your users beyond the password!
Smartsheet is a flexible spreadsheet-centric work management tool designed to track team projects. Launched in 2006, it has 9 million users (almost 1 million of them paid users) and is deployed by nearly 100,000 companies, ranging from Google and Netflix to the US General Services Administration.

Its success stems from its ability to appeal to a wide range of business users, specifically project managers, according to Chris Marsh, research director at 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence. For Bellevue, Wash.-based Smartsheet, this means combining a familiar spreadsheet format with richer work management and collaboration capabilities.

It has gained viral appeal among business leaders and their teams as a tool flexible enough to address lots of different work use casesthat didnt need involvement from project management specialists or business analysts, Marsh said in an earlier interview.

How does Smartsheet work?

Work in Smartsheet centers around sheets that contain information relating to a particular project or projects.

Within each sheet, users can include a variety of details relating to a project, such as a description, status, due dates, and which workers have been assigned to complete a task. Users can also possible to attach files, add comments, request updates, among other options.

There are several ways to view sheets, from a spreadsheet-like grid view that has long been the focus of Smartsheets product to Kanban-style cards, Gantt charts, and calendar view.

Smartsheet Smartsheet's dashboard view.

Users can generate custom reports that collate data from sources within multiple sheets, enabling an overview of sales activity across a team, for instance. And dashboards can be created to provide a high-level overview of data within sheets, combining widgets such as charts, metrics and reports.

Smartsheet offers a range of integrations with other collaboration, productivity, and business applications, including Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Atlassian Jira, ServiceNow, and Salesforce.

Workflow automations can be set up with a range of triggers and actions, such as multi-step approval processes or notifications to colleagues via Slack of an impending deadline.

Smartsheet also offers a no-code platform, WorkApps. Introduced in 2020, WorkApps lets users create simple apps by packaging information from sheets, forms, and dashboards into a simple interface.

Smartsheet pricing

Although Smartsheet offers a free 30-day trial, theres no freemium option; all of its tiers have a monthly or annual subscription cost. Individual subscribers pay $7 a month (when billed annually) for the Pro tier, offering access to all sheet views, automated workflows, WorkApps (access only), and other features, though there is a limit on the number of sheets, reports, and dashboards.

The business tier, at $25 per user per month, increases the number of accessible sheets to 100 per user, removes the limit on boards and reports, and offers additional features such as custom branding.

Enterprise users, who can negotiate a custom pricing plan depending on the number of users and specific needs, gain access to the full range of admin controls  such as single sign-on and enterprise access control  and can build custom WorkApps.

Smartsheet Smartsheet's no-code platform, WorkApps, lets users create their own simple apps.

A new premium pricing plan, Smartsheet Advance, was unveiled at the companys Engage event this summer. Available to enterprise customers, Advance includes three tiers: Silver, Gold, and Platinum, providing access to a range of additional features. This includes granular management over information sharing; and the ability to upload data, sync and share Smartsheet data with business apps such as Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Whats next for Smartsheet?

Although it has similarities to more traditional project management apps, Smartsheet is part of a new generation of work management tools that includes the likes of Airtable, Asana, Monday.com, Workfront, and Wrike. It also faces competition from the big tech players, namely Microsoft and Google, which have similar products.

Smartsheet ranked high in analyst firm Forrester's recent report on collaboration tools, Forrester Wave: Collaborative Work Management Tools, Q4 2020, with strong ratings for automation capabilities. The companys product vision and roadmap were also seen as strong points.

Smartsheet, which filed for an IPO in 2018, raising $150 million, has seen strong growth in recent years, gaining traction with a range of smaller and enterprise-size organizations. Revenues reached $385.5 million in fiscal year 2021, up 42% year on year, with the largest individual customer deals worth north of $3 million. The companys most recent quarterly financial results showed a 68% increase among customers who spend $100,000 a year, an indication of wide usage within organizations.

The company has been expanding its workforce rapidly; it now has more than 2,100 staffers, up from 460 at the start of 2017.

And in another sign of maturity, Smartsheet has become increasingly acquisitive, buying four companies since its IPO, including Brandfolder, a digital asset management software vendor, for $155m last year.
IWU Awarded $15,000 Scholarship Grant from the Consulado General de Mexico

Nov. 30, 2017

Representatives from Illinois Wesleyan accepted a $15,000 scholarship grant, along with representatives from other recipient schools, at the Consulado General de Mexico en Chicago Thursday morning.



BLOOMINGTON, Ill. A $15,000 scholarship grant to support students of Mexican origin or Mexican descent has been presented to Illinois Wesleyan University by the Consulado General de Mexico en Chicago. Representatives from IWU accepted the award during a signing ceremony Thursday at the Chicago consulate.

Illinois Wesleyan University is strongly committed to supporting students from diverse backgrounds and is proud to be a recipient of scholarship funding from the Mexican government's Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior program, Illinois Wesleyan President Eric Jensen said. This funding not only allows for students of Mexican origin or Mexican descent to pursue their academic dreams, but it also serves as a measure of our commitment as a University to diversity and inclusion.

Illinois Wesleyan is one of just three institutions of higher education to receive funding from the Chicago consulate, and IWU is the only school outside of Chicagoland to garner the award. Four adult education programs in the Chicago area also received funds from the consulate.

The Mexican Governments Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME) sponsors the granting program that will support three Illinois Wesleyan students during the 2017-18 academic year. Illinois Wesleyan Director of Financial Aid Scott Seibring 85 will administer the scholarships with support from admissions counselor Melissa Ramirez 14.

By John Twork
WILBER  Investigators scoured ponds and creek beds in two counties Wednesday as their search for Sydney Loofe continued, capping a hectic day that began with a bizarre video post by two people described as persons of interest in the case.

Police said they are "still looking" for Loofe, a 24-year-old from Lincoln who was reported missing Nov. 16, as well as Aubrey Trail, 51, and Bailey Boswell, 23.

Two people who identified themselves as Trail and Boswell posted a video to Facebook in the morning denying their involvement. The video was removed after about two hours but has since been posted on YouTube.

"They're chasing us around like dogs," the man, purportedly Trail, says in the video.

The nine-minute clip shows he and the woman, purportedly Boswell, wearing dark clothing, her in sunglasses, sitting inside a vehicle. It wasn't immediately clear when or where the video was taken.

"Blows my mind," said Tom Casady, Lincoln's public safety director, asked how the video compares with what he's seen over four decades in law enforcement. "Closest analogy I can make would be the access reporters sometimes got to interview criminal suspects in the pre-1963 era."

A Lincoln police spokeswoman said investigators are analyzing the video.

Officer Angela Sands wouldn't say if police were able to trace the video post, and wouldn't confirm a rumor that investigators found Loofe's cellphone buried in a yard near where Trail and Boswell lived in Wilber.

The FBI and Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister are expected to give an update on the case during a press conference Thursday morning at the Hall of Justice in Lincoln.

Late Wednesday, volunteer firefighters drained a pond near their apartment and Wilber-Clatonia Public Schools, wading through the water with shovels as a skid loader moved dirt from the banks. Their efforts continued into the night.

Crews also checked nearby creeks and other areas in Saline and Gage counties.

The two-week search began Nov. 16, after Loofe missed work at the Menards in north Lincoln. Family and friends have said she went on a date the night before with someone she met online  apparently Boswell  and police say she was last seen in Wilber, 40 miles southwest of Lincoln.

Police have called the disappearance "concerning."

In Wednesday's video, the woman identified as Boswell says she went on dates with Loofe in the days before her disappearance but last saw her after dropping her off at a friend's house the night of Nov. 15.

"I haven't heard from her since," the woman says.

The man identified as Trail says he and Boswell issued a statement to police and tried reaching out to investigators in the days following Loofe's disappearance, but that their calls weren't returned. The pair claim they haven't turned themselves in because they are wanted on warrants for other crimes.

Police wouldn't comment on the video or provide copies of the pair's statements.

"As far as I know, I'm not wanted for anything. I'm a person of interest and I'm not really running from anything," the man says in the video. "This has pretty much cost me my life.

"I pray for Sydney. I hope she's found soon. I wish the family the best. I'm sorry that she wasn't with you on Thanksgiving."

Police said they have received an "overwhelming" number of tips from across the country via social media and phone calls. Sands, the police spokeswoman, said she had to assign an intern to help sort through them.

Sands wouldn't say whether police believe Trail and Boswell remain in Nebraska.

Surveillance footage of the two, shared Tuesday by Lincoln police, appear to show them at a casino. The woman in the Facebook video said she had made plans with Loofe to visit the casino after their last date.

Loofe has a yin-yang tattoo on one of her forearms, the word "Believe" with a cross on the inside of her left wrist, and the phrase "Everything will be wonderful someday" on her right bicep.

She is 5-foot-7 and weighs 135 pounds. She was last seen wearing a white Columbia jacket and a cream-colored shirt.

People in Wilber said Trail and Boswell weren't well-known in the town and don't have many local ties, other than living there.

Trail still has an outstanding arrest warrant, issued last week in Saline County, where he is accused of being a felon in possession of a firearm and a habitual criminal. He has previous felony convictions in Nebraska for forgery and issuing bad checks.

Trail has also lived in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Falls City, court records show.

Boswell last year reported in court records that she lived in the Missouri towns of Trenton and Milan.

Both Trail and Boswell were known to Lincoln-area antiques dealers. One said the pair picked up a paycheck Nov. 15, the same day Loofe was last seen.

A manager at one dealer said Trail had been a customer for many years, coming and going infrequently  most recently about a month ago. Staff at another antiques mall said the pair rented several display cabinets to sell vintage glassware and toys, beginning in June.

People at the antiques malls asked not to be identified, citing concerns for the safety of their employees.

Loofe's disappearance remained the focus of discussion Wednesday all over Wilber, a town of 1,800.

A woman with binoculars watched from her front porch as firefighters checked the pond. Businesses across town had missing-person signs posted in their windows, including one on the door of the Casey's convenience store.

Inside the Wilber Meat Market, the Facebook video drove conversation and the TV was tuned to the Lincoln news.

It actually makes you sick thinking that an innocent person, a life, is in jeopardy, said owner Terry Hynek.

I hope they find her safe, and the answer is elsewhere.
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When you download our mobile application we collect the below information, but not limited to

Device ID Device Location Microphone access Name Email Contact Number Date of Birth Citizens / residents Gender Photograph

To add certain content, like pictures, you may allow us to access your camera or photo album

Information you provide to us voluntarily

We may collect additional information at other times, when you provide feedback(s), modify your content or email preferences, respond to surveys, participate in contests, or communicate with us by posting a comment on our website/ mobile application or asking us a question through or e-mail. This information may include personal information such as, but not limited to, your name, e-mail id, mobile number, comment, postal address etc.

Information Automatically Collected/Tracked while Navigation

Cookies

To improve the responsiveness of the "Services" for our users, we may use "cookies", ( a small text file that may be used, for example, to collect your information about Website/ mobile application activity. Some cookies and other technologies may serve to recall Personal Information previously indicated by a user) or similar electronic tools to collect information to assign each visitor a unique, random number as a User Identification ("User ID") to understand the user's individual interests using the identified computer. Our advertisers may also assign their own cookies to your browser(s) (if you click on their ads), a process that we do not control. We receive and store certain types of information whenever you interact with us via website(s), Application(s) or Services through your computer/laptop/notebook/ mobile/tablet/pad/handheld device or any other electronic device capable of connecting to internet.

You may set most browsers to notify you if you receive a cookie, or you may choose to block cookies with your browser, but please note that if you choose to erase or block your cookies, you will need to re-enter your original user ID and password to gain access to certain parts of the Website/ mobile application and some sections/features of the site/ application may not work. For more details you can refer to our Cookie Policy

Log File Information

We automatically collect limited information about your computer's connection to the Internet, mobile number, including, but not limited to, your IP address, browser software ,operating system types; clickstream patterns; and dates and times that our site/ application is accessed, whenever you visit(s) our website(s), application or services.

Clear GIFs

We may use "clear GIFs" (Web Beacons) when you use our website to track the online usage patterns in an anonymous manner, without personally identifying the user. We may also use clear GIFs in HTML-based emails sent to our users to track which emails are opened by them. We also collect information from you passively using Google Analytics and Google search console for collecting information about your usage of our website.

C. Inferred Information through usage and log data

We may collect and track certain information about you based upon your behaviour on the Jagran Services We use this information for conducting internal research on our users' demographics, devices, interests, and behaviour to better understand, protect and serve our users.

We may also collect your Information to track user behaviour and preferences for internal analytics and research. We may also use your information:

i. To evaluate your interest for various genres of content, services, offers; ii. To perform analytics and conduct customer research, to determine your interest, for identifying content that generate sales and to analyse traffic patterns.

If you choose to post messages on social media accounts, message boards, chat rooms or other message areas or leave feedback, we will collect that information you provide to us. We retain this information as necessary to resolve disputes, provide customer support and troubleshoot problems as permitted by law.

If you send us personal correspondence, such as emails or letters, or if other users or third parties send us correspondence about your activities or postings on the Jagran Services, we may collect and store such information.

D. Information obtained from other Sources

We may receive information about you from other online sources. We may add it to our account information system and treat it in accordance with this policy. If you provide information to the platform provider or other partner to whom we provide services, your account information including, but not limited to, your name, email ID, may be passed on to us. We may obtain updated contact information(s) from third parties in order to correct our records and fulfil the Services or to communicate with you or share the information with any third party.

If you link or connect to Jagran Services with a third party service such as Google or Facebook, they may send us information such as your registered e-mail id and public profile information from the service as stated above.

In case you choose to decline to submit personal information on the Application/Websites, we may not be able to provide certain services on the Application/Websites to you. We will make reasonable efforts to notify you of the same at the time of opening your account. In any case, we will not be liable and or responsible for the denial of certain services to you for lack of you providing the necessary personal information.

II. Processing of personal information

We will only collect and process personal data about you where we have lawful basis. Lawful basis on which we would process our personal information includes obtaining explicit consent from you for processing your personal information or processing for legitimate interests where processing is necessary by us to provide you with services (For e.g. processing your information by our group companies/affiliates).

We use information collected from cookies and other technologies, like pixel tags, Google Ads to improve your user experience and the overall quality of our services. When showing you tailored ads, we will not associate an identifier from cookies or similar technologies with sensitive categories, such as those based on race, religion, sexual orientation or health.

Send alerts and newsletter(s) to you. If you no longer wish to receive a specific newsletter, follow the "unsubscribe" instructions located near the bottom of each newsletter. (Provided you subscribe to the same) You may also raise a request to the Jagran team by filling the data subject form.

Send alerts and newsletter(s) to you. If you no longer wish to receive a specific newsletter, follow the "unsubscribe" instructions located near the bottom of each newsletter. (Provided you subscribe to the same. To unsubscribe, please visit your account settings)

Send notification(s) to you on your handheld devices (To turn off the notifications, please visit your account settings)

Communicate with you concerning our service (for example by email, push notifications), so that we can send you news about Jagran, details about new features and content available on the Jagran Services, promotional announcements, marketing purposes and surveys, other services of Jagran affiliates and to assist you with operational requests such as password reset requests.

Improve our website/ mobile application and its content to provide better features and services

Conducting market research and surveys with the aim of improving our products and services

Preventing, detecting, investigating and prosecuting crimes (including but not limited to fraud and other financial crimes) in any jurisdiction, identity verification, government sanctions screening and due diligence checks

Establishing, exercising or defending legal rights in connection with legal proceedings (including any prospective legal proceedings) and seeking professional or legal advice in relation to such legal proceedings.

Our automated systems analyse your content to provide you customised search results, recommendations and specific promotions and offers

To help advertisers understand our audience and confirm the value of advertising on our websites or Applications, (however it is usually in the form of aggregated statistics on traffic to various pages within our site)

Notify you about changes in terms of service or privacy policy

Allow you to participate in interactive features offered through our Services , including contests, news uploads and surveys

Sharing with our customer support team to resolve your queries/concerns related to your rights or services provided to you.

III. Third party services

Third parties provide certain services available on Jagran on JPLs behalf. Jagran may provide information, including Personal Information that Jagran collects on the Website/ mobile application to third-party service providers to help us deliver programs, products, information, and services. Service providers are also an important means by which Jagran maintains its Website/ mobile application and mailing lists. Jagran will take reasonable steps to ensure that these third-party service providers are obligated to protect Personal Information on Jagran behalf.

Jagran does not intend to transfer Personal Information without your consent to third parties who are not bound to act on Jagran behalf unless such transfer is required for legal purposes or for providing relevant services. Similarly, it is against Jagrans policy to sell Personal Information collected online without consent.

When you are in a relationship with Jagrans, your personal information may be transferred to European Economic Area (EEA) or outside EEA, for the purposes mentioned in this policy or to their local service providers for support in the pursuance of such purposes. Transfers to EEA or outside EEA are covered by standard data protection laws.

We present information to our advertisers to help them understand our audience and confirm the value of advertising on our website/ mobile application. It is usually in the form of aggregated statistics on traffic to various pages within our website/ mobile application. When you register with Jagran, we contact you from time to time about updation of your content to provide the users such features that we believe may benefit you.

We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website/ mobile application. These companies may use information (such as but not limited to your name, email, photos/media/files on your device, location, audio etc.) about your visits to this and other websites/ applications in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. However, we do not store this data in our environment.

The Jagran app contains a software development kit (SDK) from a third party, Red Brick Lane Marketing Solutions Private Limited (RBL). The SDK is integrated with this app for the purposes of profiling the device on media consumption and other device data and utilizing the same to target relevant content and ads to the device (Services) pursuant to the terms and conditions of RBL Services. Further details can be obtained at http://www.zapr.in/privacy/.

If you do not wish for RBL to identify media content viewing around your mobile device, please opt out of all RBL Services via the following link: http://www.zapr.in/privacy/.

RBL does not collect any personal information or audio/video/image/contact files from your mobile device. For any questions or clarifications please reach out to: privacy@zapr.in.

Please keep in mind that when you provide information to us on a third-party site or platform (for example, via our applications like social media login the information we collect is through those third-party sites linked with our applications is covered by this privacy policy, and the information the third-party site or platform collects is subject to the third-party site or platforms privacy practices. Privacy choices you have made on the third-party site or platform will not apply to our use of the information we have collected directly through our applications. Please also keep in observance that our sites and applications may contain links to other sites not owned or controlled by us and we are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of other sites that may collect your personal information. All capitalized terms that have not been specifically defined herein shall have the same meaning as provided under the Terms of Use.

Jagran.com does not provide any personal information to the advertiser when you interact with or view a targeted ad. However, by interacting with an ad you are consenting to the possibility that the advertiser will make the assumption that you meet the targeting criteria used to display the ad.

IV. Children

To use the website/ mobile application you agree that you must be the minimum age (described in this paragraph below) or older.

The minimum age for these purposes shall be 16, however if local laws require that you must be older in order for Jagran to lawfully provide the services in the website/ mobile application to you then that older age shall apply as the applicable minimum age. In all jurisdictions outside the European Union, if you are under the age of 18 or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, you must use Jagran under the supervision of your parent, legal guardian or responsible adult.

V. Information Sharing

We restrict access to your Personal Information to employees who we believe reasonably need to know/or that information in order to fulfil their jobs to provide, operate, develop, or improve our products or services Jagran does not rent, sell, or share personal information about you with other people or non-affiliated companies except to provide products or services you've requested, when we have your permission, or under the following circumstances:

We provide the information to trusted partners who work on behalf of or with JPL under confidentiality agreements. These companies may use your personal information to help Jagran communicate with you about offers from Jagran and our marketing partners. However, these companies do not have any independent right to share this information.

We respond to subpoenas, court orders, or legal process, or to establish or exercise our legal rights or defend against legal claims;

We believe it is necessary to share information in order to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activities, suspected fraud, situations involving potential threats to the physical safety of any person, violations of Jagran terms of use, or as otherwise required by law.

We transfer information about you if Jagran is acquired by or merged with another company. In this event, Jagran will notify you before information about you is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

Jagran works with vendors, partners, advertisers, and other service providers in different industries and categories of business. For more information regarding providers of products or services, please refer the section Third party services of this policy.

VI. Retention of personal information

Your personal information processed by Jagran are kept in a form which permits your identification for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the personal information are processed in line with legal, regulatory, contractual or statutory obligations as applicable.

At the expiry of such periods, your personal information will be deleted or archived to comply with legal/contractual retention obligations or in accordance with applicable statutory limitation periods.

VII. Monitoring

To the extent permitted by law, Jagran may record and monitor your communications with us to ensure compliance with our legal and regulatory obligations and our internal policies. This may include the recording of telephone conversations.

VIII. Your Controls and Choices (As applicable under GDPR)

A. Accessing and Rectifying your personal information

When you use the Services on our Website/application (or any of its sub sites), we make reasonable efforts to provide you, as and when requested by you, with access to your personal information and shall further ensure that any personal information or sensitive personal data or information found to be inaccurate or deficient shall be corrected or amended as feasible. We ask individual users to identify themselves and the information requested to be accessed or corrected before processing such requests. We may decline to process requests that are unreasonably repetitive or systematic, requiring disproportionate technical effort, jeopardizing the privacy of others, or would be extremely impractical (for instance, requests concerning information residing on backup tapes), or for which access is not otherwise required. In any case, where we provide information access and correction, we perform this service free of charge, except if doing so would require a disproportionate effort. You can make such requests by sending us an e-mail

B. Right to Rectification

You have the right for inaccurate or incomplete data we hold to be updated. You shall have the right to obtain from Jagran without undue delay the rectification of inaccurate personal information concerning you.

C. Data Portability

You may also be entitled to request copies of personal information that you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and have the right to transmit to another controller, wherever feasible

D. Data Erasure

We retain your personal information as long as necessary for us to provide services to you or you ask us to not retain your data. If you no longer want us to use your information then you can request that we erase your personal information and close your Jagran Services account. Please note that if you request for the erasure of your personal information;

We may retain some of your personal information as necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as fraud detection and prevention and enhancing safety. For example, if we suspend Jagran service account for fraud or safety reasons, we may retain certain information from that account to prevent that user from opening a new account in the future.

We may retain and use your personal information to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations. For example, we may keep some of your information for tax, legal reporting and auditing obligations.

Information you have shared with others (e.g., Reviews, forum postings) may continue to be publicly visible on the Jagran Services, even after your account is cancelled. However, attribution of such information to you will be removed. Additionally, some copies of your information (e.g., log records) may remain in our database, but are disassociated from personal identifiers.

Because of the way we maintain certain services, after you delete your information, residual copies may take a period of time before they are deleted from our active servers and may remain in our backup systems.

E. Withdrawing Consent and Restriction of Processing

For withdrawing your consent at any time during the tenure of your services with us, you may choose to do so by sending us an e-mail. We shall review your request and may ask you to verify your identity. Post verification we will withdraw the consent for which request was made by you and stop any further processing of your personal information

F. Right to Object to the Processing

Except in very specific cases where provided by law, you have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time to processing of personal data concerning you.

Such right can be exercised at any time where your personal data is processed for direct marketing purposes.

G. Right to object being subjected to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling

You have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you, except in specific cases provided by law.

Jagran shall provide information on action taken on a request pertaining to the rights above without undue delay and in any event within one month of receipt of the request. That period may be extended by two further months where necessary, taking into account the complexity and number of the requests. Jagran shall inform the data subject of any such extension within one month of receipt of the request, together with the reasons for delay.

H. Complaints

If you have any complaints regarding processing of your personal information you may contact our Privacy Officer at contactus@jagrannewmedia.com. You have the right to complaint about the data processing activities carried out by Jagran before the competent data protection authorities.

To invoke your data subject rights, please click here

IX. Security and Compliance with Laws

We take appropriate security measures to protect against unauthorized access to or unauthorized alteration, disclosure or destruction of data. These include internal reviews of our data collection, storage and processing practices and security measures, including appropriate encryption and physical security measures to guard against unauthorized access to systems where we store personal data. All information gathered is securely stored within the Company controlled database. The database is stored on servers secured behind a firewall on the cloud; access to the servers is password-protected and is strictly limited. However, as effective as our security measures are, no security system is impenetrable. If you know or have reason to believe that your Jagran Services account credentials have been lost, stolen, altered, or otherwise compromised or in case of any actual or suspected unauthorized use of your account, please contact us by contacting our customer support team.

X. Social media

Jagran operates channels, pages and accounts on some social media sites to inform, assist and engage with you. Jagran monitors and records comments and posts made on these channels about Jagran in order to improve its products and services.

Please note that you must not communicate with Jagran through such social media sites the following information:

Sensitive personal data including (i) special categories of personal data meaning any information revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person's sex life or sexual orientation and (ii) other sensitive personal data such as criminal convictions and offences and national identification number ;

Excessive, inappropriate, offensive or insulting information towards individuals.

Jagran is not responsible for any information posted on those sites other than the information posted by its employees on its behalf. Jagran is only responsible for its own use of the personal data received through such sites

XI. Changes in the Policy

Jagran reserves the right to update, change or modify this policy at any time. The policy shall come to effect from the date of such update, change or modification.

XII. Contact Information

Support

If you require any information or clarification regarding the use of your personal information or this privacy policy or grievances with respect to use of your personal information, please email us at contactus@jagrannewmedia.com

Postal Address

Jagran Prakashan Ltd.

First floor, 9, 11- Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase  3

New Delhi  110020

XIII. Disclaimer

Jagran shall not be liable for any loss or damage sustained by reason of any disclosure (inadvertent or otherwise) of any information concerning the user's account and / or information relating to or regarding online transactions using credit cards / debit cards and / or their verification process and particulars nor for any error, omission or inaccuracy with respect to any information so disclosed and used whether or not in pursuance of a legal process or otherwise.

Any other personal information shared by you which is not asked by Jagran during registration, either mandatorily or optionally; accounts to wilful and intentional furnishing; and Jagran will not be liable for breach of such information.
Sydney Loofes father gave an impassioned plea for help finding her Thursday, moments after law enforcement apprehended two people they described as persons of interest in her disappearance.

"In my opinion, someone knows something," George Loofe told reporters during a news conference at the Hall of Justice in Lincoln. "Please do the right thing."

Sydney Loofe, 24, has been missing for two weeks. The FBI has set up a dedicated tip line specifically for information related to her case: 402-493-8688, option 1.

Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister answered quickly when asked if there is still hope she could be found alive.

Yes," the chief said. "Absolutely."

The persons of interest, Aubrey Trail and Bailey Boswell, were being held without bond early Friday at the Taney County Jail in Forsyth, Missouri, about five miles northeast of Branson, according to online jail records.

Randy Thysse, special agent in charge of the FBI field office in Omaha, said the FBI still is seeking information from the public on Loofe's whereabouts and the investigation, describing the search as "a very fluid situation."

Trail and Boswell were arrested on warrants unrelated to Loofe's disappearance, Bliemeister said. Jail records indicated both were booked on federal holds.

The two did not turn themselves in to law enforcement, the chief told the Journal Star on Thursday, despite Trail saying in a video posted on social media overnight that he and Boswell had "pretty much decided" to come forward.

Bliemeister declined to say whether the videos helped law enforcement track down the pair.

He said investigators have received written correspondence that they believe was authored by Boswell, and that they are analyzing it and comparing it with other statements she made over the phone to a Lincoln investigator.

Investigators from Lincoln, the Saline County Sheriff's Office and the FBI arrived at Trail and Boswell's location around 2 p.m. Thursday hoping to learn whether the two could provide additional information to aid in the search for Loofe, Bliemeister said.

There was no word late Thursday as to whether they were cooperating.

Investigators also were evaluating digital information they continue to receive from telecommunication providers, Bliemeister said. They intend to use that information, along with whatever can be gleaned from interviews with Trail and Boswell, to direct future search efforts.

"The primary focus is on finding Sydney," the chief said.

In Neligh, where George Loofe is a high school principal, and his wife, Susie, is a resource teacher, community members rallied around the family, selling buttons and planning to wear green at a Neligh-Oakdale and Ewing basketball game Thursday night to raise awareness about the case.

Bliemeister said local and federal law enforcement have been "working diligently" to find Sydney Loofe since her mom reported her missing Nov. 16, after she missed work at Menards in north Lincoln. Police have said Loofe was last seen in Wilber the night of Nov. 15.

Searches in the Wilber and Clatonia areas this week did not turn up any new evidence that could lead to where Loofe might be, Bliemeister said. He said a rumor that Loofe's cellphone was found buried in a yard near where Trail and Boswell lived is "not true.

Police publicly identified Trail and Boswell as persons of interest in the case earlier this week. Since then, the pair have posted at least three videos on social media denying any role in Loofe's disappearance.

In a 10-minute video posted overnight Wednesday, Trail dismissed several theories that circulated on social media after Trail, 51, and Boswell, 23, were named by police.

"Not saying I'm a nice guy. I'm a crook, I'm a thief  have been all my life. OK? But I'm not what you're trying to make me out to be, he said.

Thursday, Boswell was being held on a misdemeanor warrant for missing a court date last year in Lincoln, where she was accused of possessing less than 1 ounce of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. And Trail was being held on a newly filed case in Saline County, where he's accused of being a habitual criminal and a felon in possession of a firearm.

Prosecutors asked to file the affidavit for Trail's arrest warrant under seal "due to the sensitive nature of these matters and the likelihood that individuals who are key witnesses or additional participants in this matter may flee the state of Nebraska if this matter is disclosed."

Even now that investigators have located the pair, Thysse said law enforcement officials are seeking any and all information about where Sydney Loofe could be.

"We're all committed and we are applying all of our resources to help bring Sydney home, he said.
Almost two years of preparation involving over 200 meetings, 30 subcommittees, and so on. Thats just a quick look at Joyce Rabins work as Chair of Together in Israel: Our Pride, Our Purpose. Hadassahs 100th National Convention. (Hadassah, which was founded in 1912, held its first conventi Read moreS'ville resident helps organize 100th national of Hadassah, The Womens Zionist Organization of America
The fox had just been passing through, with no apparent den nearby, when it was discovered injured on a sidewalk at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, a few blocks southwest of 27th Street and Pine Lake Road.

A Lincoln Animal Control officer took it to a veterinarian, who found an entrance wound in its side. The vet ordered X-rays, which revealed it had been shot with a projectile, like a pellet, said Steve Beal, animal control manager.

But by then, it was too late for the younger adult male fox. The animal was in pretty bad shape at that time, he said, and the vet made the decision to euthanize it.

Now, Beals office is trying to find who pulled the trigger near the 7200 block of Helen Witt Drive.

We have no idea who would be responsible for this, he said. If someone did shoot this fox in an intentional manner, wed investigate this as an animal cruelty case.

The shooter could also face charges for shooting a pellet gun inside the city limits, and state wildlife violations, too, such as taking a wild animal without a hunting license, and wanton waste, for leaving it on the sidewalk. Animal Control is collaborating with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in this case, Beal said.

It's not unusual for foxes to move through Lincoln, especially near the edges of the city. But Beal said he hadn't heard of any recent complaints of the animals in that area.

You are getting on the fringe, he said, and there are some green spaces in that area.

He asked that anyone with information on the case call Animal Control at 402-441-7900.
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IMEMC News |  

The Bedouin community in al-Baba Mountain, in the town of Al-Eizariya, occupied East Jerusalem, stands steadfast in face of Israeli plans which aim to evict them.

According to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, not even the children are willing to wave their rights, repeating that al-Baba Mountain is our land and we will still here.

The Bedouin resident Khaled al-Basha, 45, said that they were shocked with the Israeli decision to evict the community as a whole.

Al-Basha described the decision as unjust and merciless.

The Israeli civil administration notified the community 10 days ago, of their impending eviction from their houses in Al-Eizariya, where 57 Palestinian Bedouin families (with a total of 300 members) reside.

The chairman of the Committee of Services of al-Baba Mountain, Attallah Mazarah, warned of the eviction order, which seeks to deport the entire community. He added that Israeli occupation authorities have already demolished some houses in the community, but the decision now states the intention to evict all.

He stressed that the inhabitants of Al-Baba, along with all Bedouin communities, will not accept a new deportation from their lands.

A lawyer of the community filed a petition with the Israeli civil administration, against the decision, last Wednesday, but the administration did not respond.

Mazarah called on the Palestinian Authority to adopt a strict stance against the Israeli policy.

An official from the Coalition for Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem, Zakaria Ouda, said that the new Israeli measures in al-Baba are a part of the same old scheme which aims to evict the Bedouin communities, and to establish E1 settlement, which will include 12,000 settling units.

Ouda explained that the bigger plan seeks to connect 8 settlements in occupied Jerusalem, separating the northern parts of the West Bank from the south. The plan will, n effect, evict and isolate many Palestinian neighborhoods.

It is part of the Israeli plans that are named by the Israeli occupation government as Greater Jerusalem, whose borders extend to the settlements of Gush Etzion in the south, Maale Adumim to the east, and Givat Zeev in the north, he said.

This is reportedly part of a major plan aimed at adopting the policy of ethnic cleansing within Jerusalems Palestinian population, in order to create a Jewish majority.

Oudah called on the Palestinian Authority to make use of its relations with other countries to stop this plan, and to exert pressure on Israel to end policies which seek to expel Palestinians from occupied Jerusalem.

The National Office for the Defense of Land and the Resistance of Settlements also warned of the plans for settlement and displacement in Jerusalem.

It was explained, in a documentary report issued Saturday, that the plan of evicting the Bedouin communities is one of the most dangerous ethnic cleansing plans in occupied Jerusalem.

The report stated that, if the Israeli occupation succeeds in evicting the Bedouin community, it will be able to isolate Jerusalem totally, from its Palestinian connection.

The Beduoin communities in occupied Negev were displaced from their lands in Tal Arar, Negev, in 1948, and have been residing in Palestinian lands near occupied Jerusalem. He noted that there are aerial photographs from the 1960s and 70s which prove their presence in al-Baba Mountain and all the Bedouin communities.

Israeli occupation authorities built the apartheid wall in 2003, leading to the reduction of livestock and water sources upon which the Bedouin community of al-Baba Mountain relied .

The demolition process has been raging in al-Baba compound for the last four years, reaching 52 demolitions, including a kindergarten, and involving the confiscation of residents vehicles, preventing them from renovating their homes and any expansion of the population.

The Israeli Civil Administration offered the residents of Jabal al-Baba material temptations to transfer to them the so-called Jerusalem Gate on the land of Abu Dis residents, but they were refused. The last attempt was about a month ago, when Israeli forces demolished four houses and tried to get signatures from the population, to find an alternative for them. But, the citizens refused, and, so, Israeli authorities began issuing eviction orders and deportations for the entire community.

(Edited for the IMEMC by c h r i s @ i m e m c . o r g.)

Via IMEMC

-

Related video added by Juan Cole:

Mondoweiss: Bedouin community resists house demolitions and Israels E1 project
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

Once upon a time, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sent Ike Eisenhower as the Supreme Allied Commander to stage D-Day at Normandy Beach along with allies and save Britain from fascism.

On Wednesday, our nazi president Donald J. Trump tried to press fascism on Britain, pissing all over the graves of the 34,137 US service personnel who lost their lives in the Battle of Normandy and northern France, fighting Nazism.

Trump on Wednesday retweeted three racist, anti-Muslim postings that had recently been put up by Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of Britain First, a Neo-Nazi organization that smears Muslims and immigrants. Fransen was convicted of religiously aggravated harassment for harassing British Muslims in a largely Muslim neighborhood.

Last year, a man influenced by Britain First killed British member of parliament Jo Cox for being insufficiently fascist. Her widower, Brendan, tweeted, Trump has legitimized the far-right in his own country; now hes trying to do it in ours.

The ugly character of the content, combined with the equally monstrous provenance of the messages, provoked a sharp rebuke from Prime Minister Theresa May.

Trump, congenitally unable to let any criticism pass, however well deserved, then attacked the prime minister: Dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom.

The Telegraph notes,

Since 2000, there have been seven deaths per year in the UK due to terrorism  which, according to research from BuzzFeed, means youre more likely to be killed by dogs (18 deaths per year), hot water (100 deaths per year) or using your phone while driving (2,920 deaths per year).

Heres another refutation of Trump. Between 2000 and 2017, 126 Britons were killed on British soil by terrorism.

But as The Telegraph says, this compares to 1,094 deaths in the 15-year period before that, between 1985 and 1999, and a further 2,211 between 1970 and 1984.

The terrorism produced by the troubles in Northern Ireland seems to have been 10 to 15 times worse than that of ISIL today. All lives are precious and none should be lost this way, but Trumps impression of an emergency is incorrect.

The British House of Commons then swung into action, calling for a government condemnation of Trump. One MP urged that Trump be arrested for inciting religious violence. My man, if he could be, hed be doing three dimes and a nickel at Sing-Sing.

And, the Netherlands prosecutors office issued a statement pointing out that Trumps allegation that a young man who beat another on crutches was an immigrant Muslim is incorrect, and that the attacker, who did time, was born and raised in the Netherlands. The Dutch site Greenstijl denied the assailant is a Muslim.

Not that it should matter. That one boy acted brutally says nothing about all Muslims or all immigrants, just as the 40 million German-Americans should not be judged by the actions of Trump.

Trump also retweeted a video allegedly showing a crazed ISIL member attacking a statue of Mother Mary, likely in Syria.

There has been an enormous amount of faked video coming out of the Syrian war, so an unverified YouTube piece should not be taken very seriously. But even if the incident is correctly portrayed, it has nothing to do with Islam in general extremists gonna be extreme. I can show you video of Christian fundamentalists burning the Quran.

As for Islam, there are more verses about Mother Mary in the Quran than in the New Testament, and all of them are full of praise. Muslims consider her the perfect woman, and some theologians, like Ibn Hazm, even argued she had that station of a prophet.

But then youd have to, like, read a book to find this out, and I fear our Fuhrer doesnt do much of that sort of thing.

Trump is an addled, hateful man spreading hate and harming the lives of people. The only silver lining is that he is so hated that he is discrediting Britain First and its sentiments just by associating himself with them.



Related video:

BBC: Donald Trump retweets far-right groups anti-Muslim videos  BBC News
By Isaac Arnsdorf | (ProPublica) |  

The Trump administration is holding talks on providing nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia  a move that critics say could upend decades of U.S. policy and lead to an arms race in the Middle East.

The Saudi government wants nuclear power to free up more oil for export, but current and former American officials suspect the countrys leaders also want to keep up with the enrichment capabilities of their rival, Iran.

Saudi Arabia needs approval from the U.S. in order to receive sensitive American technology. Past negotiations broke down because the Saudi government wouldnt commit to certain safeguards against eventually using the technology for weapons.

Now the Trump administration has reopened those talks and might not insist on the same precautions. At a Senate hearing on Nov. 28, Christopher Ford, the National Security Councils senior director for weapons of mass destruction and counterproliferation, disclosed that the U.S. is discussing the issue with the Saudi government. He called the safeguards a desired outcome but didnt commit to them.

Abandoning the safeguards would set up a showdown with powerful skeptics in Congress. It could be a hell of a fight, one senior Democratic congressional aide said.

The idea of sharing nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia took an unlikely path to the highest levels of government. An eccentric inventor and a murky group of retired military brass  most of them with plenty of medals but no experience in commercial nuclear energy  have peddled various incarnations of the plan for years.

Many U.S. officials didnt think the idea was serious, reputable or in the national interest. It smelled so bad I said I never wanted to be anywhere close to that, one former White House official said. But the proponents persisted, and finally found an opening in the chaotic early days of the Trump administration, when advisers Michael Flynn and Tom Barrack championed the idea.

The Saudis have a legitimate reason to want nuclear power: Their domestic energy demand is growing rapidly, and burning crude oil is an expensive and inefficient way to generate electricity.

Theres also an obvious political motive. Many experts believe the Saudis arent currently trying to develop a nuclear bomb but want to lay the groundwork to do so in case Iran develops one. Theres no question: Why do you have a nuclear reactor in the Persian Gulf? Because you want to have some kind of nuclear contingency capability, said Anthony Cordesman, a Middle East expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

A Saudi spokesperson provided a written statement noting that the countrys electricity needs have grown due to our population and industrial growth. The statement noted that The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, hence is diversifying its energy mix to serve its domestic needs in accordance with international laws and standards. The Kingdom has been actively exploring diverse energy sources for nearly the last decade to meet growing domestic demand.

The technology for nuclear weapons is different from that for nuclear energy, but there is some overlap. The fuel for a power plant can be used for a bomb if its enriched to a much higher level. Also, the waste from a power plant can be reprocessed into weapons grade material. Thats why nonproliferation experts generally prefer that countries that use nuclear power buy fuel on the international market instead of doing their own enrichment and reprocessing.

In 2008, the Saudi government made a nonbinding commitment not to pursue enrichment and reprocessing. They then entered negotiations with the U.S. for a pact on peaceful nuclear cooperation, known as a 123 agreement, after a section of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. A 123 agreement is a prerequisite for receiving American technology.

The talks stalled a few years later because the Saudi government backed away from its pledge not to pursue enrichment and reprocessing, according to current and former officials. They wouldnt commit, and it was a sticking point, said Max Bergmann, a former special assistant to the undersecretary of state for arms control and international security at the time those negotiations occurred.

U.S. officials feared a domino effect. Accords with the United Arab Emirates and Egypt restrict those countries from receiving the most sensitive technologies unless the U.S. allows them in another Middle Eastern country. If we accepted that from the Saudis, nobody else will give us legally binding commitment, a former State Department official said.

During that same period, the Obama administration was pursuing an agreement to stop Irans progress toward building a nuclear bomb while letting the country keep some domestic enrichment capabilities it had already achieved. The Saudi government publicly supported the Iran deal but privately made clear they wanted to match Irans technology. A former official summarized the Saudi position as, Were going to develop this kind of technology if they have this kind of technology.

The Obama administration held firm with the Saudis because its one thing to cap nuclear technology where it already exists, but its longstanding U.S. policy not to spread the technology to new countries. As Saudi Arabia and Iran  ideological and religious opponents  increasingly squared off in a battle for political sway in the Middle East, Republicans argued that the Obama administration had it backwards: It was enshrining hostile Irans ability to enrich uranium while denying the same to Americas ally Saudi Arabia.

One such critic of Obamas Iran policy was Michael Flynn, a lieutenant general who was forced out as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014. Flynn quickly took up a variety of consulting assignments and joined some corporate boards. One of the former was an advisory position for a company called ACU Strategic Partners, which, according to a later financial disclosure, paid Flynn more than $5,000.

Flynn was one of many retired military officers whom ACU recruited. ACUs chief was a man named Alex Copson, who is most often described in press accounts as a colorful British-American dealmaker. Copson reportedly made a fortune inventing a piece of diving equipment, may or may not have been a bass player in the band Iron Butterfly, and has been touting wildly ambitious nuclear-power plans since the 1980s. (He didnt answer repeated requests for comment.)

By 2015, Copson was telling people he had a group of U.S., European, Arab and Russian companies that would build as many as 40 nuclear reactors in Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Copsons company pitched the Obama administration, but officials figured he didnt really have the backers he claimed. They would say We have Rolls-Royce on board, and then someone would ask Rolls-Royce and they would say, No, we took a meeting and nothing happened, recalled a then-White House official.

In his role with ACU, Flynn flew to Egypt to convince officials there to hold off on a Russian offer (this one unrelated to ACU) to build nuclear power plants. Flynn tried to persuade the Egyptian government to consider Copsons proposal instead, according to documents released by Rep. Elijah Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Flynn also tried to persuade the Israeli government to support the plan and spoke at a conference in Saudi Arabia. (The trip would later present legal problems for Flynn because he didnt report contacts with foreign officials on his application to renew his security clearance, according to Cummings. Cummings referred the information to Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Trumps associates and Russias interference in the 2016 election. Flynns lawyer declined to comment.)

Copsons outfit eventually splintered. A retired admiral named Michael Hewitt, who was to head up the security services part of the project, struck out on his own in mid-2016. Flynn went with him.

Hewitts new company is called IP3 International, which is short for International Peace Power & Prosperity. IP3 signed up other prominent national security alumni including Gens. Keith Alexander, Jack Keane and James Cartwright, former Middle East envoy Dennis Ross, Bush Homeland Security adviser Fran Townsend, and Reagan National Security adviser Robert Bud McFarlane.

IP3s idea was a variation on ACUs. Hewitt swapped out one notional foreign partner for another (Russia was out, China was in), then later shifted to an all-American approach. That idea resonated with the U.S. nuclear-construction industry, which never recovered from the Three Mile Island disaster in the 1970s and was looking to new markets overseas.

But nuclear exports are tightly controlled because the technology is potentially so dangerous. A 123 agreement is only the first step for a foreign country that wants to employ U.S. nuclear-power technology. In addition, the Energy Department has to approve the transfer of technology related to nuclear reactors and fuel. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses reactor equipment, and the Commerce Department reviews exports for equipment throughout the rest of the power plant.

IP3  whose sole project to date is the Saudi nuclear plan  never went through those normal channels. Instead, the company went straight to the top.

At the start of the Trump administration, IP3 found an ally in Tom Barrack, the new presidents close friend and informal adviser and an ultra-wealthy investor in his own right. During the campaign, Barrack wrote a series of white papers proposing a new approach to the Middle East in which economic cooperation would theoretically reduce the conditions for breeding terrorism and lead to improved relations.

Barrack wasnt familiar with nuclear power as an option for the Middle East until he heard from Bud McFarlane. McFarlane, 80, is most remembered for his role in the defining scandal of the Reagan years: secretly selling arms to Iran and using the money to support Nicaraguan rebels. He pleaded guilty to withholding information from Congress but was pardoned by George H.W. Bush.

Nevertheless, Barrack was dazzled by McFarlane and his IP3 colleagues. I was like a kid in a candy shop  these guys were all generals and admirals, Barrack said in an interview. They found an advocate in me in saying I was keen on trying to establish a realignment of U.S. business interests with the Gulfs business interests.

McFarlane followed up the meeting by emailing Flynn in late January, according to six people who read the message or were told about it. McFarlane attached two documents. One outlined IP3s plan, describing it as consistent with Trumps philosophy. The second was a draft memo for the president to sign that would officially endorse the plan and instruct his cabinet secretaries to implement it. Barrack would take charge of the project as the interagency coordinator. Barrack had discussions about becoming ambassador to Egypt or a special envoy to the Middle East but never committed to such a role. (McFarlane disputed that account but repeatedly declined to specify any inaccuracies. IP3 declined to comment on the memos.)

Flynn, now on the receiving end of IP3s lobbying, told his staff to put together a formal proposal to present to Trump for his signature, according to current and former officials.

The seeming end run sparked alarm. National Security Council staff brought the proposal to the attention of the agencys lawyers, five people said, because they were concerned about the plan and how it was being advanced. Ordinarily, before presenting such a sensitive proposal to the president, NSC staff would consult with experts throughout government about practical and legal concerns. Bypassing those procedures raised the risks that private interests might use the White House to their own advantage, former officials said. Circumventing that process has the ability not only to invite decisions that arent fully vetted but that are potentially unwise and have the potential to put our interests and our people at risk, said Ned Price, a former CIA analyst and NSC spokesman.

Even after those concerns were raised, Derek Harvey, then the NSCs senior director for the Middle East, continued discussing the IP3 proposal with Barrack and his representative, Rick Gates, according to two people. Gates, a longtime associate of former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort, worked for Barrack on Trumps inaugural committee and then for Barracks investment company, Colony NorthStar.

By then, Barrack was no longer considering a government position. Instead, he and Gates were seeking investment ideas based on the administrations Middle East policy. Barrack pondered the notion, for example, of buying a piece of Westinghouse, the bankrupt U.S. manufacturer of nuclear reactors. (Harvey, now on the staff of the House intelligence committee, declined to comment through a spokesman. In October, Mueller charged Manafort and Gates with 12 counts including conspiracy against the U.S., unregistered foreign lobbying, and money laundering. They both pleaded not guilty. Gates spokesman didnt answer requests for comment.)

Ultimately, it wasnt the NSC staffs concerns that stalled IP3s momentum. Rather, Jared Kushner, the presidents son-in-law and senior aide tasked with reviving a Middle East peace process, wanted to table the nuclear question in favor of simpler alliance-building measures with the Saudis, centered on Trumps visit in May, according to a person familiar with the discussions. (A spokesperson for Kushner, asked for comment, had not provided one at the time this article was published; well update the article if he provides one later.)

In recent months, the proposal has stirred back to life as the Saudi government kicked off a formal process to solicit bids for their first reactors. In October, the Saudis sent a request for information to the U.S., France, South Korea, Russia and China  the strongest signal yet that theyre serious about nuclear power.

The Saudi solicitation also gave IP3 the problem its solution was searching for. The company pivoted again, narrowing its pitch to organizing a consortium of U.S. companies to compete for the Saudi tender. IP3 wont say which companies it has signed up. IP3 also wont discuss the fees it hopes to receive if it were part of a Saudi nuclear plan, but its vying to supply cyber and physical site security for the plants. IP3 has communicated its strategy to multiple government entities and policy makers in both the Obama and Trump administrations, the company said in a statement. We view these meetings and any documents relating to them as private, and we wont discuss them.

The Saudi steps lit a fire under administration officials. Leading the charge is Rick Perry, the energy secretary who famously proposed eliminating the department and then admitted he didnt understand its function. (It includes dealing with nuclear power and weapons.) Perry had also heard IP3s pitch, a person familiar with the situation said. In September, Perry met with Saudi delegates to an international atomic energy conference and discussed energy cooperation, according to a photo posted on his Facebook page. Perrys spokeswoman didnt answer requests for comment.

Other steps followed. Soon after, a senior State Department official flew to Riyadh to restart formal 123 negotiations, according to an industry source. (A State Department spokeswoman declined to comment.) In November, Energy and State Department officials joined a commercial delegation to Abu Dhabi led by the Nuclear Energy Institute, the industrys main lobby in Washington. Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Edward McGinnis said the administration wants to revitalize the U.S. nuclear energy industry, including by pursuing exports to Saudi Arabia. The Department of Commerces International Trade Administration and the Energy Department are organizing another industry visit in December to meet with Saudi officials, according to a notice obtained by ProPublica. And in the days before Thanksgiving, senior U.S. officials from several agencies met at the White House to discuss the policy, according to current and former officials.

The Trump administration hasnt stated a position on whether it will let the Saudis have enrichment and reprocessing technology. An NSC spokesman declined to comment. But administration officials have begun sounding out advisers on how Congress might react to a deal that gives the Saudis enrichment and reprocessing, a person familiar with the discussions said.

Senators have started demanding answers. At the Nov. 28 hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Ford, the NSC nonproliferation official who has been nominated to lead the State Departments Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, testified that preliminary talks with the Saudis are underway but declined to discuss the details in public. As noted, Ford wouldnt commit to barring the Saudi government from obtaining enrichment and reprocessing technology. It remains U.S. policy, as it has been for some time, to seek the strongest possible nonproliferation protections in every instance, he told the senators. It is not a legal requirement. It is a desired outcome. Ford added that the Iran deal makes it harder to insist on limiting other countries capabilities.

Sen. Ed Markey, the Massachusetts Democrat who led the questioning of Ford on this topic, seemed highly resistant to the idea of the U.S. helping Saudi Arabia get nuclear technology. If we continue down this pathway, he said, then theres a recipe for disaster which we are absolutely creating ourselves. Markey also accused the administration of neglecting its statutory obligation to brief the committee on the negotiations. (The White House declined to comment.)

Any agreement, in this case with Saudi Arabia, would not require Senate approval. However, should an agreement be reached, Congress could kill the deal. The two houses would have 90 days to pass a joint resolution disapproving it. The committees ranking Democrat, Ben Cardin, suggested they wouldnt accept a deal that lacked the same protections as the ones in the UAEs agreement. If we dont draw a line in the Middle East, its going to be all-out proliferation, he said. We need to maintain the UAEs standards in our 123 agreements. Theres just too many other countries that could start proliferating issues that could be against our national interest.

Bob Corker, the committees chairman, has been a stickler on nonproliferation in the past; he criticized the Obama administration for not being tough enough. Corker isnt running for reelection and has criticized Trump for being immature and reckless in foreign affairs, so hes unlikely to shy away from a fight. (A spokesman declined to comment.) The absence of a consistent policy weakens our nuclear nonproliferation efforts, and sends a mixed message to those nations we seek to prevent from gaining or enhancing such capability, Corker said at a hearing in 2014. Which standards can we expect the administration to reach for negotiating new agreements with Jordan or Saudi Arabia?
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MGX Minerals Inc. (MGX or the Company) (CSE:XMG) (FKT:1MG) (OTC:MGXMF) is pleased to announce the Company has opened a field office in Santiago, Chile to evaluate new strategic business opportunities and potential project acquisitions. The Company has retained the services of Kura Geoscience SPA (Kura Minerals) to lead in-country asset development. Kura Minerals is a leading consulting firm with existing relationships throughout South America led by a Chile based management team:

Francisco Acuna - Business Manager

Kura Minerals was co-founded by Francisco Acuna, who previously supported Chilean operations for BHP Billiton. Mr. Acuna was directly involved in the strategic development of Minera Escondida, a subsidiary of BHP Billiton which operates two large-scale open pit copper mines in the Atacama Desert. He also supported other BHP operations through research and development of hypogene ore processing. Mr. Acuna holds a Chem. Eng. from the University of Concepcion, Chile, and a M.Sc. Industry, Trade & Development from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom.

Alvaro Florez - Legal Manager

Prior to joining Kura, Alvaro Florez was In-House Counsel for the Chilean subsidiaries of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. and Lundin Mining Corp. He later joined as an associate at the Energy, Mining and Natural Resources Group of Philippi, Prietocarrizosa, Ferrero DU & Uria Law Firm. Mr. Florez has also collaborated with the Projects, Energy and Natural Resources Group of King & Wood Mallesons, Australia. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from the Universidad de los Andes, Chile, and Master of Law from the University of Queensland, Australia.

Thomas Eggers - Exploration Manager

Prior to joining Kura, Thomas Eggers supervised over 25 exploration projects in Northern-Central Chile, Papua New Guinea and Mongolia for Anglo American plc. His expertise has allowed him to advise on exploration strategies throughout South America, Africa and Oceania. Mr. Eggers holds an Honours Degree in Geology from Universidad de Concepcion, Chile and an MBA Global Management from Macquarie University (Australia) & Universidad de Chile (Chile).

MGX has mandated Kura Minerals to represent the Company on a variety of fronts, including evaluation, negotiation and permitting of potential new projects as well as establishing potential joint venture partnerships to utilize the Companys rapid lithium brine processing technology.

About MGX Minerals

MGX Minerals is a diversified Canadian resource company with interests in lithium, magnesium and silicon assets throughout North America. Learn more at www.mgxminerals.com.
MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Nov. 30, 2017) - Midland Exploration Inc. ("Midland") (TSX VENTURE:MD) and Altius Minerals Corporation ("Altius") (TSX:ALS) are pleased to announce the results of channel sampling from their Moria nickel and Shire zinc projects in the James Bay area.

The Shire Project is located in an underexplored area about 80 kilometers east of Nemaska, Quebec. It was initiated following the discovery of a Zn-bearing exhalative horizon in July 2017 (O'Connor showing) that returned up to 7.53% Zn in grab sampling (note that grab samples are selective by nature and values reported may not be representative). Several channel samples were collected at O'Connor in October. The easternmost channel yielded 4.85% Zn over 1.17 m. This includes a section of pyrrhotite-pyrite-sphalerite massive sulfides that yielded 5.46% Zn, 0.11% Cu, 11 g/t Ag over 0.73 m, and a quartz-sphalerite-pyrite exhalite that yielded 3.88% Zn over 0.45 m (note that all thicknesses reported in this press release are apparent thicknesses; true thicknesses cannot be determined at this time). The zinc-bearing sulfide zone is open to the north (across strike) and east (along strike), under thicker overburden. Other channels to the west sampled intervals of massive pyrrhotite-pyrite as well as a quartz-pyrite exhalite that returned anomalous base metal values. Based on these new results, zinc mineralization at O'Connor is now interpreted as the edge of a volcanogenic massive sulfide ("VMS") orebody.

The Moria project is located about 12 kilometers southeast of the Clearwater Au deposit and 25 kilometers east of Hydro-Quebec's Eastmain-1 dam. The project was initiated in August 2017 with the discovery of the Gimli Ni-Cu-Co showing that returned up to 1.13% Ni, 0.11% Cu, 0.07% Co in grab samples. The area was mapped as a large dioritic intrusion that had been overlooked in past exploration campaigns. Channel sampling on Gimli in October yielded 0.80% Ni, 0.06% Co, 0.075% Cu over 0.8 m in a weakly mineralized meta-pyroxenite. The zone is open to the north under thicker overburden. The rest of the discovery outcrop contains lower grade nickel mineralization, with 0.19% Ni / 0.5 m on the last sample to the south. Assay results indicate a perfect nickel-sulfur correlation, which suggests that most of the nickel is found in sulfides and not in refractory silicates. Calculated metal tenors (grades normalized to 100% sulfides) at Gimli are around 14% Ni (see details in the table at the end of this release).

Midland and Altius are very pleased by the results of the fall exploration campaign on Moria and Shire. A mechanical trenching campaign on the Gimli nickel and O'Connor zinc showings is being planned and will be conducted at the earliest time next spring. The campaign will also include mechanical trenching of highly potential electromagnetic anomalies outlined in the VTEM survey completed in October (see November 1st press release for details).

Grades for Channel #1 on the O'Connor showing

Sample From m To m Length m Zn % Cu % Ag g/t W179835 0 0.73 0.73 5.46 0.11 11.2 W179836 0.73 1.18 0.45 3.88 0.004 0.7

Grades for the Gimli showing channel, with calculated Ni tenors* (grades normalized to 100% sulfides)

Sample From m To m Length m Ni % Co % Cu % S % % Ni at 100% sulfides* W179809 0 0.5 0.5 0.188 0.012 0.021 0.31 -- W179808 0.5 1 0.5 0.123 0.097 0.026 0.21 -- W179807 1 1.5 0.5 0.101 0.010 0.027 0.11 -- W179806 1.5 2 0.5 0.100 0.009 0.02 0.12 -- W179805 2 2.5 0.5 0.079 0.009 0.03 0.08 -- W179804 2.5 3 0.5 0.074 0.010 0.01 0.04 -- W179803 3 3.5 0.5 0.783 0.056 0.088 2.14 13.48 W179802 3.5 3.8 0.3 0.825 0.047 0.061 2.16 14.05

*Ni tenors were calculated according to Barnes and Lightfoot (2005), using the formula: Concentration (100% sulfides of a chalcophile element) = Concentration (whole-rock of the chalcophile element) * 100 / (2.527 * S% + 0.3408 * Cu% + 0.4715 * Ni%). --: S values too low for 100% recalculation.

Quality control

Rock samples on the project are assayed by standard 30 gram fire-assaying with AA or gravimetric finish at ALS Minerals laboratories in Val d'Or, Quebec or Sudbury, Ontario. All samples are also analysed for multi-elements, using four-acid ICP-AES method. Samples that exceed 1% zinc or nickel are reanalyzed by four-acid ICP-AES optimized for high grades. Exploration program design and interpretation of results is performed by qualified persons employing a Quality Assurance/Quality Control program consistent with industry best practices, including the use of standards and blanks with every 20 samples.

About Altius

Altius directly and indirectly holds diversified royalties and streams that generate revenue from 15 operating mines. These are located in Canada and Brazil and produce copper, zinc, nickel, cobalt, iron ore, potash and thermal (electrical) and metallurgical coal. The portfolio also includes numerous predevelopment stage royalties covering a wide spectrum of mineral commodities and jurisdictions. In addition, Altius holds a large portfolio of exploration stage projects which it has generated for deal making with industry partners that results in newly created royalties and equity and minority interests.

Altius has 43,208,291 common shares issued and outstanding that are listed on Canada's Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol ALS. It is a member of both the S&P/TSX Small Cap and S&P/TSX Global Mining Indices.

About Midland

Midland targets the excellent mineral potential of Quebec to make the discovery of new world-class deposits of gold, platinum group elements, base metals and rare earth elements. Midland is proud to count on reputable partners such as Altius Resources Inc., Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, Teck Resources Limited, IAMGOLD Corporation, Osisko Mining Inc., SOQUEM INC., Altius Minerals Corporation, Japan Oil Gas and Metals National Corporation, NioBay Metals Inc. and Abcourt Mines Inc. Midland prefers to work in partnership and intends to quickly conclude additional agreements in regard to newly acquired properties. Management is currently reviewing other opportunities and projects to build up the Company portfolio and generate shareholder value.

This press release has been prepared by Sylvain Trepanier, P.Geo., VP Exploration for James Bay and Northern Quebec at Midland, a "qualified person" as defined by NI 43-101. For further information, please consult Midland's website: www.explorationmidland.com.
VANCOUVER, Nov. 30, 2017 /CNW/ - Tinka Resources Limited ("Tinka" or the "Company") (TSXV & BVL: TK) (OTCPK: TKRFF) is pleased to announce that a total of 12,632,660 common share purchase warrants (the "Warrants") have been exercised at $0.30 per common share for total proceeds to the Company of C$3,789,798. The Warrants were exercised pursuant to the terms of warrant certificates issued in connection with the closing of a private placement financing undertaken by the Company in May 2015, which were due to expire November 29, 2017. No commission was paid in connection with the exercise of the Warrants.

Proceeds will be used for the ongoing drill program, engineering and metallurgical studies at the Company's Ayawilca zinc and tin project in Peru, and for general working capital purposes.

Dr. Graham Carman, President and CEO, stated: "I am pleased to report that the Company's treasury has been topped up by C$3.7 million due to the exercise of Warrants held mostly by the Company's two largest shareholders. Tinka now has sufficient cash to fund exploration drilling and resource development work at the Ayawilca project well into 2018. Tinka's exploration drill program is ongoing and the Company is planning to continue drilling for the foreseeable future, focussing on the testing of new target areas and extensions of the known zinc mineralization. The current Inferred Mineral Resource estimate at Ayawilca is 42.7 million tonnes grading 7.3% Zinc Equivalent (see Press Release Nov 8, 2017). We believe there remains significant potential for resource expansion at Ayawilca. Simultaneously, we are working on de-risking the project through detailed metallurgical tests of zinc sulphide mineralization from different parts of the deposit, along with preliminary desktop mining studies."

The qualified person, Dr. Graham Carman, Tinka's President and CEO, and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, has reviewed and verified the technical contents of this release.

About Tinka Resources Limited

Tinka is an exploration and development company with its flagship property being the 100%-owned Ayawilca carbonate replacement deposit (CRD) in the zinc-lead-silver belt of central Peru, 200 kilometres northeast of Lima. The Ayawilca Zinc Zone Inferred Mineral Resource estimate now consists of 42.7 Mt at 6.0 % zinc, 0.2 % lead, 17 g/t silver & 79 g/t indium, and a Tin Zone Inferred Mineral Resource of 10.5 Mt at 0.63 % tin, 0.23 % copper & 12 g/t silver (Nov 8, 2017). Drilling for resource extensions and the testing of new targets is ongoing.
Dallas, Texas , usa, 11/30/2017 /SubmitPressRelease123/

As a condition of employment, many employees must sign an employment contract. It is common for such agreements to contain arbitration clauses. Arbitration clauses may also be embedded in handbooks that employees are directed to sign, acknowledging that they have read and agree to the terms. Often times employees sign arbitration agreements without looking them over and understanding exactly what they are agreeing to.

By signing any type of a contract with an arbitration clause, the employee is agreeing to resolve all work-related disputes through arbitration instead of through the court system. In addition to foregoing the right to sue their employer, some arbitration agreements contain class action waivers, meaning an employee promises not to be a part of any class action lawsuit brought against the employer.

So what is arbitration? Arbitration is an alternative way to resolve legal disputes outside of the court system. Both parties present their sides of the argument to an arbitrator or panel of arbitrators. An arbitrator is an individual (very often a retired judge) who is paid to serve as a neutral overseer of the dispute. The arbitrator listens to any witnesses, reviews the evidence and issues a decision and award (if any).

Employers include arbitration clauses in employment contracts to avoid time-consuming and costly litigation. These benefits can also be good for employees who wish to resolve any dispute in the most efficient manner possible. Because arbitration is much less formal than a court proceeding, it can also be a less intimidating process for employees who may not have any experience being in a courtroom before a judge.

Besides these advantages, arbitration also has its downsides. Juries in a court case often sympathize and side with employees over their employer companies, therefore, having a single individual decide the dispute rather than a group of jurors can be a disadvantage. Additionally, because the arbitration process is more streamlined, each side is only able to seek a limited amount of information and documents from the other. Compared to the liberal discovery process allowed during litigation, this puts employees at a disadvantage because much of the evidence related to their claim is typically in the employers possession. Lastly, the biggest downside to arbitration is that it is generally final and binding and cannot be appealed. Therefore, both sides are stuck with the outcome that the arbitrator decides and there is no option to have a second set of eyes review the arbitrators decision to ensure it is correct and fair.

The question then becomes, how do employees avoid being subject to mandatory arbitration if such agreements are so commonplace? Employees may attempt to negotiate with their employer prior to signing any agreement containing an arbitration clause, however, employers can refuse to hire an employee who does not sign the agreement. Another option is having an attorney review the agreement prior to signing to advise on the best decision. Because employees may often be pressured into signing these agreements by their employers, courts which deem an arbitration agreement to be unconscionable may refuse to enforce the agreement. Examples of unconscionable agreements are ones which are so one-sided, unfair, or deny employees certain guaranteed protections under the law. Overall, those employees who have already signed an arbitration agreement are best served by having an employment attorney review the agreement to advise on the best course of action to pursue when a dispute arises with their employer.

This article is presented by the Dallas employment lawyers at Clouse Dunn LLP. To speak to an employment law attorney about an arbitration or employment agreement matter send an email to [email protected] or call (214) 239-2705.

About Keith Clouse / Dallas Employment Attorney Keith Clouse

Keith Clouse is an employment law specialist with over 25 years of experience representing senior executives, business owners, physicians, and corporations in complex employment litigation, arbitration, and negotiations. Senior executives, physicians, and other professionals consistently rely on Mr. Clouse for employment law expertise and advice on employment contracts, covenants not to compete, severance agreements, equity awards, trade secret disputes, and breach of fiduciary duty claims. Source CDKLawyers.com

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Dallas Employment Lawyer  Attorney Keith Clouse

For more articles like this on employment law visit http://dallasemploymentlawyer.cdklawyers.com/

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Fall commencement: More than 1,500 earning degrees from Kansas State University; ceremonies Dec. 8 and 9

Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017



More than 1,500 students are candidates for degrees this fall from Kansas State University. Commencement ceremonies will be Friday, Dec. 8, on the Manhattan and Polytechnic campuses, and Saturday, Dec. 9, on the Manhattan campus.



MANHATTAN  It's pomp and circumstance time at Kansas State University with fall commencement ceremonies set for Friday, Dec. 8, and Saturday, Dec. 9. Commencement speakers include an award-winning National Geographic photographer, the mayor of Salina and the poet laureate of Kansas.



More than 1,500 students are candidates for degrees. To be awarded will be more than 1,300 bachelor's degrees, 240 master's degrees and nearly 50 doctorates. Around 170 of the degree candidates are distance education students.



A live webcast of the ceremonies will be available at k-state.edu/graduation/.



Ceremonies kick off with commencement for the Graduate School at 1 p.m. Dec. 8 in Bramlage Coliseum. At the ceremony, Jim Richardson, photographer for National Geographic magazine and its sister publication, TRAVELER, will be awarded an honorary doctorate from the university. Richardson, from Lindsborg, also will serve as the commencement speaker. The Kansas Board of Regents will be represented at the ceremony by Regent D. Shane Bangerter, Dodge City.



Commencement for Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus in Salina will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 8 in the campus's Student Life Center. Commencement speaker will be Kaye Crawford, mayor of Salina.



All ceremonies on Dec. 9 will be in Bramlage Coliseum on the Manhattan campus. The schedule of ceremonies and speakers:



 College of Arts and Sciences, 8:30 a.m., with Kevin Rabas as commencement speaker. Rabas, a Kansas State University alumnus, is chair of the English, modern languages and journalism department at Emporia State University, Emporia, and poet laureate of Kansas.



 College of Education, 10 a.m., with Sally Yahnke, associate professor of curriculum and instruction, as commencement speaker. Yahnke is a longtime faculty member of the college, serving as teacher educator for family and consumer sciences education and coordinator for career and technical education.



 College of Business Administration, 11:30 a.m., with Michael W. Upchurch as commencement speaker. Upchurch, a Kansas State University alumnus, is executive vice president and chief financial officer of Kansas City Southern, a transportation holding company based in Kansas City, Missouri, with railroad investments in the U.S., Mexico and Panama.



 College of Agriculture, 1 p.m., with Chad Miller, associate professor of horticulture and natural resources, as commencement speaker. Miller is the recipient of the 2017 U.S. Department of Agriculture's Best New Teacher Award for Food and Agricultural Sciences.



 College of Human Ecology, 2:30 p.m., with Sonya Britt-Lutter, associate professor of personal financial planning, as commencement speaker. Britt-Lutter is a certified financial planner with training in marriage and family therapy. Her research has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger's and other publications.



 College of Engineering, 4 p.m., with James M. Johnson as commencement speaker. Johnson, a Kansas State University alumnus, is president and CEO of GE Johnson Construction Co., a commercial general contractor based in Colorado Springs, Colorado.



A virtual commencement ceremony is available at global.k-state.edu/commencement for distance education students unable to attend their commencement ceremony in person. The website includes a listing of students earning degrees through distance education, a place for family and friends to post congratulatory messages and other commencement-related offerings.



DVDs of the ceremony may be ordered through the K-State Campus Store in the K-State Student Union at 785-532-6583. The DVDs are $14.95 and delivery normally takes four to six weeks.



Related to commencement will be commissioning ceremonies for Kansas State University's Army and Air Force ROTC units. The Army ROTC ceremony will be at 10 a.m. Dec. 8 in Forum Hall at the Union. The Air Force ceremony will be at 8 a.m. Friday, Dec. 15, in the Marietta Room in Gen. Richard B. Myers Hall.






Cindy Lange-Kubick Columnist Cindy Lange-Kubick has loved writing columns about life in her hometown since 1994. She had hoped to become a people person by now, nonetheless she would love to hear your tales of fascinating neighbors and interesting places. Follow Cindy Lange-Kubick Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Hey, Holiday Shopper.

You, there, in that line of joy and tribulation, rolling your eyes, tapping your foot like a Rockette on Ritalin, sighing like theres no tomorrow.

Guess what? The clerk at the cash register sees you. (Disclosure: Ive been you, more often than not.)

You can definitely pick up on them, says Ahmed Makkawy, who spent two years at Best Buy in the mid-2000s selling cameras and ringing up your presents. It plays into the anxiety.

See. Its not just about us, we put-upon-busy-people-with-much-to-do.

The folks on the receiving end of our holiday-infused anxiety are feeling it, too. And theyre feeling it in their aching feet and their tired backs as they toil 10-hour days from Black Friday to Christmas Eve.

So lets endeavor to practice our yoga poses in the checkout line this year  or bring a magazine to peruse, as one former retail clerk now living in California (The Land of Lines) recommends.

Let us be like Boy Scouts  prepared. Like Girl Scouts  even more prepared.

Let us shop online, as more than one former retail worker does. (Or better yet, shop local, where they know your name and hand out cookies and praise for literacy while you wait, like the folks at A Novel Idea. Or throw in a stick of incense for patient customers like they do at Bodhi Imports.)

And without further ado, in this Season of List Making, 10 ways to make us all merrier as we grease the wheels of commerce:

Do Unto Others: Maybe we all just take it easy on the retail folks, said Greg Wright, who spent eight years managing stores at Gateway mall. Every season I knew there would be one customer so unhappy with me that they would want my job.

Hed often work 14-hour days as store hours expanded with the approach of Dec. 25. An expansion that often corresponded with an increase in customer crabbiness. Its almost like somebody flips a switch before Thanksgiving. People become more frantic, more rabid, in a bigger hurry.

(Wright says he can explain his holiday shopping routine in three words: Amazon dot com.)

Kill Them With Kindness: Thats the lesson her dad taught her, says Barb Biffle Bennett, who spent the Decembers of her youth helping at her familys clothing store in Maryville, Missouri. Dad said I would meet a lot of nice people, but also some really crabby ones  and to remember to treat them extra nice, smile all the time and try to get them to smile or say thank you just once.

It usually worked. Today, she doesnt mind waiting in lines as a shopper, although shes not crazy about shopping. I put myself in a frame of mind and then I kind of like it. It usually involves a drink at a friends house.

Remember Charles Dickens: The holidays bring out the best and worst in people, says Cheri Howard, a former Lincoln Police Department employee who now works in retail. Ive seen full-out tantrums, meltdowns and raging, but conversely, Ive seen much-appreciated patience, understanding and consideration.

(Her advice: Go with the latter.)

The Scout Thing: It helps if you know what you want, said Makkawy. The best shopper is one who is both patient and knowledgeable. It makes for a better experience.

That said: I was taught that the more time you spend explaining and answering questions decreases the number of angry customers.

(Makkawy also offered an example of the kind of customer you dont want to be: I had a gentleman come up with a printed-out photo of what looked like a blurry photo of a moose. The man wanted his money back for the camera he bought at the store. He did not have the camera or the receipt.)

Leave It Where You Found It: My main pet peeve is when someone doesnt want something, they put that piece of merchandise down in a random spot, even if it doesnt belong in that section, says Walmart worker Marcus Yuen. (I think our mothers would agree. Manners, people. Goodwill toward all and especially the poor employee who has to put away the CD you left in the lingerie aisle.)

Dont Shop Drunk: This seems to go without saying at Christmas, Hanukkah or any time of the year, but apparently some of us are tipsy in electronics. (It might not be why people block the aisle with their carts, but dont do that, either.)

Wake Up: Dont come tired, says Jackie Coffey, who has worked in retail for 15 years. Youre less likely to be stressed. (Speaking of stress: I also think its a good thing to go when your kids are sleeping, she said. I realize that cant always happen.)

A Little Empathy Goes a Long Way: Both from the customer and the corporation. Realize employees are people with families who are doing the best they can and are often missing out on their own family festivities, said KaDeja Fatima, who worked the Walgreens cosmetic counter for three years. We work ridiculous hours because people want us to be open earlier and stay open later.

So if your clerk isnt chipper, give them the benefit of the doubt. There might have been someone before you who yelled at them and maybe youre the difference between them having a bad day or a great day.

Once Again With The Kindness: Be kind always was Cindy Plaster McGills mantra the year she picked up a seasonal retail gig to go along with her job at an oncology lab and ended up working 26 days straight between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I was exhausted, but must have stuck to my motto, because they asked me to stay after the holidays.

We dont know what someone is going through personally, said Lynn Murray Smith. We may be the only ray of sunshine they experience right now. (And, no, its not the clerk's fault the store ran out of X, Y or Z.)

Patience, My Dears: And the first shall be the last. Patience is a virtue, said Karis Anne Loos, who was always pleasantly surprised by the patience and good cheer of customers in long queues at Michaels. Now if I can just exemplify what I saw in courteous customers, Ill be good.
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In Puerto Rico, we call those plants morir vivir, said a patient who sat by the side of the road while we checked her blood sugar. When I reached to touch the small fern, it swiftly closed its leaves shut, and then after a few minutes cautiously reopened. As a young doctor I was fascinated with the poetry of the name. Its just like us Puerto Ricans, she smiled.

For two weeks, I travelled with 300 AFL-CIO members to Puerto Rico as part of a multidisciplinary disaster relief effort, invited by the mayor of San Juan, that brought plumbers, electricians, roofers, truck drivers, nurses and doctors. We each individually hoped to contribute our expertise to jumpstart recovery. We had all heard in the news about the devastation that hurricane Maria had brought upon the island of Puerto Rico, but none of us were truly prepared for the magnitude of the task.

At the time of our arrival, three weeks after Maria, only 5 percent of the island had electricity and about 30 percent had running water. The landscape was full of broken trees and roofless homes. As a physician, I spent the first few days draining skin infections and treating eye infections because people were not able wash their hands after the sewer water flooded their neighborhoods. While I filled countless prescriptions in an attempt to fill the void left by closed local clinics, the first thing they asked me for was not blood pressure medication; they were hungry, they were thirsty. I came with optimism, a stethoscope and a prescription pad, but it seemed the thing we needed most to be able to care for people was food and water.

We reoriented our mission to develop handouts teaching people how to sterilize their water with bleach and properly boil water. We restocked our van with canned foods, bleach and water instead of medical supplies. lf the situation continues with so many without running water and electricity, a public health crisis is inevitable. We were not doing the job nurses and doctors normally do, but we were doing things that any fellow American and could do in the situation.

My favorite question to ask most patients was where were you during the storm? I heard people recount how they hoisted their grandmother up to the second floor with bedsheets as the water began rising. One man said he held his baby overhead for hours as the flood waters crept above his waist. Each story had a sadness to the trauma, but consistently spoke to an unconquerable fortitude. This island, from the homes, to the vegetation, to the people, to their homes have been traumatized by hurricane Maria. In many ways Puerto Ricans will and have already figured out how to move on.

This was my first disaster relief mission as a physician, and a humbling lesson in how modern medicine and health care can be simplified to canned food and clean water. Puerto Ricans have already proven their resiliency of spirit: morir, vivir. However there is still much work that remains to be done to rebuild the broken infrastructure. There was not a need for doctors so much as there is a need for food, for water, for homes.

Amelia Breyre is an emergency medicine resident.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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In the beginners mind there are many possibilities, but in the experts view, there are few.

Shunryu Suzuki was writing about Zen beginners and masters, but this concept applies to the practice of medicine as well. Experienced physicians are slow to accept a new paradigm, while medical students and new physicians are more open.

Sometimes, what we know to be true is not. Despite clinical trials to the contrary, it took many years to convince physicians to accept that a lumpectomy could be not only equivalent but also superior to the decades-long approach of radical mastectomy. Similarly, it was long known that premature ventricular beats were associated with a higher risk for a fatal heart arrhythmia, and therefore it was logical to suppress them. But when a well-controlled study proved the opposite, medicine could not reject a logical but false paradigm.

Another example: It took decades for the medical community to accept the importance of washing hands to prevent disease. Ignaz Semmelweis, an obstetrics graduate, showed in 1847 that childbirth fever could be prevented by handwashing. Pasteur developed his germ theory of disease in 1860, and Lister advocated an antiseptic approach to surgery in 1867, yet surgeons did not readily accept handwashing. As late as 1882, President James Garfield died not directly of the assassination attempt but of an infection caused by his doctors unwashed hands and forceps.

In 1979, Australian pathologist Robin Warren noticed the presence of an unusual bacterium in ulcer tissues. His colleague Barry Marshall, a general medicine trainee, discovered that these bacteria (later named Helicobacter pylori) were present in many patients with stomach ulcers. Gastroenterologists at the time were quick to debunk their 1984 article in The Lancet. These experts knew that ulcers were caused by stress and genetics leading to an acid imbalance.

Even after a frustrated Dr. Marshall drank a cocktail of the bacteria and became ill, the medical community remained unconvinced. It was not until 1994, ten years after the article was published, that the NIH suggested most cases of stomach and duodenal ulcers were caused by H. pylori. Even then, acceptance by the medical community was slow. As historian Daniel Boorstin wrote and Dr. Marshall repeated in his Nobel laureate address, The greatest obstacle to knowledge is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge.

While experience can prove extremely useful, especially in medicine, it can also blind us to new ideas, even when they are supported by a preponderance of evidence. Semmelweis and Marshall were beginning their medical careers and were not set in their knowledge or thought patterns. Their more expert medical colleagues, however, firmly held to their prior experience.

We were recently reminded of this barrier to medical progress when we treated a woman with what appeared to be classic Crohns disease (CD), a potentially severe disease of the gut that affects more than 700,000 Americans, produces considerable disability and can lead to serious sequelae including the need for toxic medications and surgery. Most physicians believe that CD is an uncontrolled inflammation related to an abnormal immune response of unknown cause. Despite growing anecdotal information that the disease might be triggered or caused by a contagious organism called Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP), very few medical experts are willing to consider this possibility. MAP causes a disease called Johnes disease (JD), a contagious, chronic and sometimes fatal infection of the small intestine in ruminants (cows, sheep, and goats) with many similarities to human CD. MAP enters the milk supply from these animals and is not routinely killed by pasteurization. MAP has been found in numerous patients with CD. There are physicians in various countries that have treated numerous CD patients with antibiotic combinations with substantial success. Admittedly, one randomized prospective trial in Australia did not find improvement with antibiotics, although that study was later severely criticized for study design, analysis and sub-therapeutic antibiotic doses.

Our patient, who had been treated for CD by six experienced gastroenterologists, was still experiencing symptoms after undergoing standard treatment that included multiple rounds of potent immune modulator therapies plus surgical removal of an affected portion of her small intestine. After a serendipitous conversation in which the possibility of MAP as cause or trigger was raised, she was cultured for MAP and empirically begun on a five-drug antibiotic regimen. Nine weeks later, her blood culture confirmed she had MAP infection. After 18 months of treatment, she has had a total recovery and has been off antibiotics for nine months without relapse.

It certainly cannot be claimed that MAP is the cause or the trigger of Crohns disease based upon anecdotal case reports. Mycobacterial disease is complex, does not always cause symptoms, and often takes a long time to make itself known. Worldwide, over two billion people have the type of Mycobacterium that causes tuberculosis, but only 10 million have active disease. MAP infections are also years in the making; innate immunity, gut bacteria, and genetics likely play a role in whether or not someone develops symptomatic infection. MAP likely also causes diseases other than Crohns disease; consider Group A streptococcus, which can be asymptomatic in many people, but cause strep throat in others and lead to rheumatic heart disease or kidney disease.

One might assume that there is enough intriguing information to encourage others to consider the possibility of MAP. Is this yet another example where experts are trapped in dogma that prevents them from abandoning old theories and considering alternative explanations for diseases of unknown cause? We can only imagine the rapid progress that would ensue if more beginners were involved in researching Crohns disease.

Stephen C. Schimpff is a quasi-retired internist, professor of medicine and public policy, former CEO, University of Maryland Medical Center, and senior advisor, Sage Growth Partners. He is the author of Fixing the Primary Care Crisis: Reclaiming the Patient-Doctor Relationship and Returning Healthcare Decisions to You and Your Doctor. Harry Oken is an internal medicine physician.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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On September 30th of this year, the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ran out of federal funding. While CHIP has not received as much publicity as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), it has had a major impact on the American population: providing health insurance for 9 million children who would otherwise not be insured. Despite its success, there is currently a debate about the funding of CHIP.

CHIP, which was passed in 1997 as part of the Balanced Budget Act (BBA 1997), provides block funding for states to implement insurance programs for children that are in families with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Over the past 20 years this program has had a profound impact on children at or near the poverty level: In 1997 it provided insurance for 1 million children; that number increased to 9 million as of 2016. Ten states believe that they will be completely depleted of funding for CHIP by the end of this year and an additional 32 states will be depleted of funding by March 2018.

The Senate Finance Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee developed two separate bills that would extend CHIP financing. Both bills proposed to extend CHIP funding until 2022; however, the bills differ in terms of how they address the recently devastated Puerto Rico and how they hope to provide additional funds for the program. The House bill includes 1 billion in Medicaid financing to Puerto Rico. The House bill also allows states to bill third-party insurers and increases Medicare premiums for higher-income beneficiaries, which would help offset some of the costs of CHIP.

It is the exact details and mechanism of the offsets that were causing a delay in the House. The House bill has now been passed and has moved on to the Senate. In 2007, when the initial funding for CHIP was depleted, there was a similar debate about whether or not to continue funding the program. While Congress was able to pass a bill at that time, it was vetoed, twice, by then-President George. W. Bush.

As a medical student studying in Nashville, Tennessee and originally from Ontario, Canada, I have a unique perspective on the American health care situation. Coming from Canada Im accustomed to everyone having access to quality health care, and because of it everyone having a certain standard of health that they are able to maintain. Moving to America for my undergraduate studies, and subsequently for medical school, I was exposed to a population that is rightly concerned and preoccupied with high health care costs and being able to access health care. The inability for many Americans to access healthcare is disconcerting for me as a health care provider because I see first-hand the inefficiencies of this system that lead to ever-increasing costs. A striking example of this is the use of high-cost emergency room visits which could be offset by strengthened primary and preventative care. An example of this is patient with end-stage renal disease who needs access to anti-hypertensive medications and regular follow-up, but presents to the emergency room with a hypertensive crisis. A scenario like this is rare to non-existent in my home country of Canada.

As a future physician who is interested in health policy, the question of why two large economies should have such different priorities regarding health care remains at the forefront of my mind. What needs to change within the American political and social climates to ensure that these 9 million children do not lose health insurance? While the details of how to fund this bill and how to address offsets are important, the real debate should be about how to more fully incorporate this bill and others like it into the fabric of American culture such that we are not faced with the possibility of vulnerable children losing health insurance.

Nathanael Smith is a medical student.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
A brand is a powerful thing in politics. It is a sentence that sums you up. Politicians work very hard on their brand. Its like the TLDR version of your CV. Some examples are:

John Key  raised by a solo mum in a state house, made a fortune overseas

David Shearer  worked for UN in war zones

Jacinda Ardern  raised as a small town girl in Morrinsville

Rodney Hide  perk buster

Golriz Ghahramans brand was the refugee who put heads of states in three continents on trial for war crimes. It was a powerful attractive brand. I believed the brand, as did almost everyone. It is a much much more sexy brand than career defence lawyer.

Its not that one job is good and the other is evil. That is what her defenders want the argument to be. It is about misrepresentation  deliberate fudging of her career so that she would benefit from the more glamorous brand.

Now it was no accident that the brand was someone who put heads of states on trial for war crimes. It was a story that almost everyone who followed politics believed.

Now Im going to detail here how often Ghahraman had wrong or misleading details published, and how she never ever did anything to correct them.

First you need to understand candidates and MPs read the stories written about them. They do so religiously. Most have Google Alerts on their names. It is implausible in the extreme that she never read any of the stories on her that were inaccurate. In one case she didn;t even correct the interviewer.

Now some MPs take issues of accuracy very importantly when it comes to their background. As an example I know one MP who once had a profile of them appear in the Herald and there was a very minor mistake in it  the profile said the MP had a double degree but in fact they had one paper to go on their second degree. Not exactly a major thing but still inaccurate. The mistake was entirely the newspapers who had just assumed. But despite that, this MP e-mailed the reporter and pointed out the inaccuracy. That is what conscientious MPs do.

Now lets look at all the times that the wrong information has been published, and nothing at all was said.

In chronological order:

Nov 16  Green newsletter. Says worked as a lawyer for the UN, putting on trial politicians and military leaders accused of committing human rights atrocities. (no mention of defence work, implies prosecution only) Unknown date. Lush. She went on to work as a lawyer for the United Nations in Tribunals for Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia, and Cambodia, trying those accused of committing human rights atrocities. (trying those clearly implies prosecuting) Jan 17  Herald story on her just announced candidacy says She worked as a prosecutor at United Nations tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, where heads of state were on trial for mass atrocities. After getting her masters degree in International Human Rights Law at Oxford University she also worked on the Khmer Rouge tribunal in Cambodia. (totally false and never corrected) Jan 17  Stuff story says After graduating and working as a prosecutor for the United Nations in Cambodia and in tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia Ghahraman returned to New Zealand in 2012 (very clear impression she prosecuted in all three) Jan 17  Wikipedia says She worked as a United Nations prosecutor, who worked on tribunals in Rwanda, Cambodia, and at The Hague (wrong and only corrected after election in September) Feb 17  Impolitikal article written by Ghahraman Eventually, that nine-year-old refugee girl ended up prosecuting heads of state for the United Nations. (no mention of defence work, use of heads of state implies prosecutions in multiple countries. There was one head of state tried in Cambodia but not clear if she even worked in that case). UPDATE: Appears she did. April 17  her confidential CV to Green members doing list ranking said my work as a lawyer for the UN and in NZ have focused on enforcing human rights and holding governments to account. I have lived and worked in Africa, The Hague and Cambodia. (misleading, as most people will read that as having prosecuted the governments in Africa and The Hague, not defended them) May 17  James Shaw to NZIAA Golriz is now a human rights lawyer who

worked as a prosecutor at the United Nations tribunals for Rwanda and the

former Yugoslavia. She also worked on the Khmer Rouge tribunal in Cambodia. (totally wrong) 31 May 2017  Radio NZ has worked at the United Nations various ad-hoc tribunals putting world leaders on trial for misusing their powers. (she put no world leaders on trial. She defended some, and helped prosecute some Khmer Rouge officials) 1 July  James Shaw in a second published speech said Golriz Ghahraman  who puts war criminals on trial at the International Court of Justice in the Hague. (totally wrong  she was defence team at the Hague) Mid 2017  The Villainesse  question to Golriz was You already have a very impressive resume  an Oxford grad, human rights lawyer and prosecuting for the United Nations including working on the tribunals for Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia and Cambodia. Was getting into politics just the next step? (Ghahraman never corrects the question to point out she was not a prosecutor for two of those. Also in an Orwellian move The Villainesse has edited the story to remove reference to prosecuting) 24 August 17  Stuff Ghahraman, a human rights expert and constitutional lawyer, has appeared as a lawyer at genocide and mass human rights violation trials in Tanzania, Yugoslavia and Cambodia  If elected, Ghahraman hopes to continue holding leaders accountable (probably the least significant of her fudges  but still clearly leaves impression she was only a prosecutor) Sep/Oct  Radio NZ has a story with a photo of her at the Rwanda Tribunal which they label as Golzriz prosecuting at the Rwanda Tribunal Oct 17  Guardian said representing the UN in tribunals prosecuting some of the worlds worst war criminals, including perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide. (total opposite of the truth) Nov 17  maiden speech said : I saw that at the Rwanda Tribunal, at The Hague and when I prosecuted the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Holding politicians and armies to account for breaching their powers. Giving voice to women, and minorities who are most viciously targeted by abusers. (misleading as implies she was holding the politicians and armies in Rwanda to account, rather than defending them)

Now maybe the mistake happening once or twice could be a genuine mistake. But only the most demented people could look at this and not conclude there was a deliberate effort to leave the impression she was a prosecutor, not defender in Rwanda and former Yugoslavia.

She even let her own party leader twice make false speeches about her background and never ever went to him and said Hey that isnt correct. Instead James is left to take the blame, as is some anonymous staffer for the Greens website (MPs always approve their partys online CVs in my experience).

Not once before the election was anything published in a significant forum that informed people she was not a prosecutor in all three cases. Only after the election did this information appear.

It seems the only information out there which accurately portrayed her was the very bottom of her Linked In profile. But how many people proactively check out a linked in profile of a candidate and compare that to the numerous media stories that ran with the inaccurate profile.

What has made it worse, in my opinion, is the total lack of contrition. Shes damaged her own leader, shes damaged the Greens, and shes still blaming everyone but herself. She even defends the smiling selfie taken with the convicted genocide inciter.

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Meritz Asset Management CEO John Lee poses during an interview with The Korea Times at the firm's headquarters in Bukchon, Seoul, Nov. 22. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



Meritz Asset fund chief tries to boost Korea's financial literacy'



By Nam Hyun-woo



When veteran fund manager John Lee returned to Korea in 2014 from the United States after wrapping up 20 years there, the first feeling he had was embarrassment.



To his eyes, Koreans were so ill prepared for their lives after retirement, having literally "no understanding of finance," and were obsessed with the idea that getting a good college diploma would lead them or their children to wealthy life.



"Koreans seemed not interested in having wealthy post-retirement lives," said Lee who ran the Korea Fund at Scudder Stevens and Clark from 1991 to 2005 and has been leading Meritz Asset Management since 2014.



The Korea Fund is the first New York Stock Exchange-listed closed-end fund investing in Korea. Under Lee's management, the fund posted an annual average of 11 percent in returns exceeding that of Korea's benchmark KOSPI and the amount of assets under management grew to $1.5 billion from $150 million.



In an interview with The Korea Times, Lee recalled that the 15-year management of the Korea Fund imparted a lot of lessons to him and helped him build his investment philosophy.



"While running the fund, I found that the market always makes unexpected moves in the short term," he said. "I had both good times and bad times, but after 15 years, the fund's value went up. This should be approached from a long-term perspective."



Such a philosophy is still a basic building block at Meritz Asset Management. Its flagship Meritz Korea Securities Investment Trust I is posting a 21.62 percent return this year as of Nov. 28. The fund is also run under the philosophy of long-term investment.



Asked to elaborate about the grounds for his strong belief in long-term investment, Lee briefly said: "I bought Samsung Electronics shares at around 15,000 won ($13.77) in 1991." Samsung Electronics shares were traded at a record-high 2,876,000 won on Nov. 2 and now hover between 2.6 million won to 2.7 million won this week.



And that is why he recommends stock investment as a proper way of preparing for life after retirement.



"Stock is probably the only single way of regular people becoming rich," he said. "A company is bound to grow because it is designed to seek profits. As soon as you purchase a share in a company, you have ownership in it. Since then, all employees and employers work in order to increase your wealth."



With regards to finding promising stocks or funds, Lee stressed having a proper perspective of investment.



"Korea had 10 days off during this year's Chuseok holidays and many may have thought of having an overseas vacation. Why don't you buy shares of Hana Tour then?" he said. "You are getting Botox wrinkle treatment, but you don't think of buying Medytox shares." Hana Tour is Korea's largest travel agency while Medytox is the country's leading Botox manufacturer.



In terms of picking good fund products, he also underscored the right match between investors and fund managers. "What if the fund manager adopts a short-term investment strategy although you are fond of long-term investments? That is a bad match," he said. Lee added that looking into turnover ratios is a good criteria for those who are looking for fund investment. It gauges how often fund managers change their portfolio.



Despite the idea being simple, many Koreans have a negative image of stock investment, sometimes branding it as speculation or even worse as gambling. Instead, real estate investment is widely believed to be "more promising," even though it may not be.



"Even though you don't have a plan to move in, you feel very happy when your home price rises. But in fact a rise in its value is not a realized gain. Rather, the rise in a home price will bring heavier property taxes," he said.



"Even if one's home price goes up or down, no one sells their home easily. Even if the price goes down, you believe the price will go up some day and you just keep waiting while crossing your fingers."



According to Lee, the same is applicable for stocks -- one should not be obsessed with the short term price fluctuation. He pointed out that Korean investors are acting just the opposite and even experienced fund managers tend to bet on short-term events.



Lee cited of Korea's "financial illiteracy" as the reason. While the U.S. is making efforts to highlight the importance of economic independence to children, such as having investment clubs at schools, Korea cares more about getting good scores on college entrance exams, with parents paying enormous sums for private tutoring.



"Let's say you invested 1 million won in Warren Buffett 50 years ago, you could very well have 18 billion won right now. Instead, parents in Korea place that money into private tutoring for their children who are spending hard days trying to get jobs. Which parents look good now?" Lee said. "If it is about your children, you should buy stocks for them."



Lee has been disseminating this idea for the past four years by holding lectures every Saturday at the company's headquarters in Seoul, and whenever and wherever he is asked. He estimates that he has met about 30,000 people in his lectures so far, but said that isn't enough.



"Unfortunately, Koreans still have very little understanding of this idea," he said. "The idea of getting a good grade will make you reach is still making many people poor. Parents are not teaching their children about the nature of money and its importance."



In order to strengthen his efforts, Lee decided to buy a bus and tour the country to hold lectures for those "financially neglected" in rural areas next year.



Also, the company launched Meritz Junior Fund in June. The product is open for those who are younger than 20 years old at the time of subscription and Lee is managing the fund himself. In the education of the youngsters who join the fund, the firm sends easy management reports tailored to young investors every three months in both Korean and English.



"Meritz will visit mountains, beaches and everywhere we can share our ideas with people," Lee said.


By Yi Whan-woo



The top nuclear negotiators of South Korea and Russia met in Seoul, Monday, to discuss security on the Korean Peninsula and how to resolve the North Korea nuclear crisis peacefully.



This was the first meeting between the Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace Lee Do-hoon, and Russia's Vice Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, since Lee took office in September.



Lee has already met the top nuclear envoys from the United States, China and Japan _ three of the six countries of the stalled talks on Pyongyang's denuclearization.



The two Koreas and Russia are also party members.



The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Lee and Morgulov shared thoughts on successfully implementing U.N. Security Council resolutions and Moscow's own step-by-step method to denuclearize the Kim Jong-un regime.



Morgulov briefed Lee about the latest visits to Russia by Choe Son-hui, the director general of the North American Department at Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry.



The high-profile North Korean diplomat travelled to Russia in September and October and met Russian officials. In particular, Choe attended an international conference on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons in October and was believed to have contacted retired U.S. officials who joined the meeting.



Lee invited Morgulov to dinner later Monday.



Morgulov, who arrived in Seoul for a three-day trip, separately met Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Yoon Soon-ku at the foreign ministry and discussed bilateral cooperation as well as follow-up measures to be taken in line with the summit between President Moon Jae-in and Russian President Vladimir Putin in September.



Meanwhile, Lee will depart for the U.S., today to meet with Joseph Yun, Washington's top nuclear envoy who serves as the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy.



Lee is scheduled to meet other American officials and scholars during his trip that runs through Dec. 1.


By You Soo-sun



China partially lifted its travel ban on group tours to Korea, Tuesday, the first major step taken by Beijing to restore ties with Seoul since the two struck a deal last month to end the diplomatic row over the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system here.



Chinese authorities at the National Tourism Administration decided to allow offline travel agencies in Beijing and Shandong Province to resume sales of package tours to Korea, which had been halted since mid-March, industry officials said.



In the meantime, the ban is maintained for all other provinces there, but analysts see this as a signal that it will be removed region-by-region.



As for the travel agencies in the two regions, they are restricted from arranging visits to affiliates of the Lotte Group such as its hotels and duty-free shops.






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Imagine that the taps switched off tomorrow, the rivers and streams ran dry, and the oceans turned into dry valleys. How would you react? And more importantly, how long would you survive?

There's no reliable predictor of how fast dehydration would kill a person. Many survival blogs suggest that an average person can survive for somewhere from two days (opens in new tab) to a week without liquids, but that's a rough estimate at best. A person's health, the weather and the individual's physical activity levels all help determine how long a person will last without water. Older people, children, individuals with chronic diseases, and people who work or exercise outside are at particular risk of dehydration, according to the Mayo Clinic.

In a very hot environment, "an adult can lose between 1 and 1.5 liters [2.1 to 3.2 pints] of sweat an hour, Randall Packer, a biologist at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., wrote for Scientific American. "A child left in a hot car or an athlete exercising hard in hot weather can dehydrate, overheat and die in a period of a few hours."

Related: Does caffeine really dehydrate you?

Usually, when a person is dehydrated enough to get sick, they're also suffering from overheating, meaning that the body's internal temperature is too high.

But this isn't always the case, especially among certain groups of people, said Dr. Kurt Dickson, an emergency-medicine doctor at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Arizona. Very young children and elderly people with dementia might not remember to drink water, or be able to get themselves water without help, he said.

So how much water does a person need to lose before severe dehydration sets in? According to 2009 National Health Service guidelines in the United Kingdom, severe dehydration sets in when a person loses about 10 percent of their total weight to water loss  though that measurement is too difficult to use in practice.

But at up to 1.5 liters of water loss per hour on a hot day, that kind of dehydration can happen a lot faster than conventional wisdom suggests.

Once a person's water levels dip below a healthy amount, characteristic symptoms set in: thirst, dry skin, fatigue, light-headedness, dizziness, confusion, dry mouth, and speedy pulse and breathing, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center. Dehydrated children cry without spilling tears. Their eyes, cheeks and tummies become sunken; they grow listless, and their skin doesn't flatten when pinched and released.

Patients come in to the emergency room, "and they're fatigued, tired, sometimes dizzy  more when they stand up  [and] sometimes vomiting," Dickson told Live Science. "If [the dehydration] is really bad, they can be in shock, where they're cold and clammy, not responsive. It can also be that they just don't feel well, a generalized malaise."

Dickson noted that other conditions can also cause these symptoms, so it's not always clear that dehydration is the culprit. "You've got to rule other things out," he said. "But if the guy's a roofer and it's July in Phoenix, you can cut a lot of things out."

As water levels drop inside the body, the liquid gets diverted to fill vital organs with blood, causing cells throughout the body to shrink, Dr. Jeffrey Berns, then the president-elect of the National Kidney Foundation, told The Washington Post in 2014. As water leaches out of brain cells, Berns explained, the brain contracts and blood vessels within the cranium can burst.

Kidneys usually fail first among the organs and stop cleaning waste out of the shrinking blood supply, Berns said. At that point, the other organs fail in a toxic cascade. It's a painful process, but one that's usually easy to treat.

It all comes down to replenishing water and electrolytes, Dickson said. That's what your body needs to stay stable.

Editor's note: This article was originally published in 2012.

Originally published on Live Science.
P. David Polly is the president of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology and the Shrock professor of sedimentary geology at Indiana University. Polly contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

President Donald Trump is expected to make a big announcement in Utah this Monday (Dec. 4), where he will detail the government's plan to shrink two of the state's national monuments: Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears, according to news sources.

The coal industry may welcome this venture, but it could destroy evidence of yet-to-be-discovered dinosaurs and the fossils of ancient mammals, turtles and crocodilians.

There are countless fossils within the nation's national monuments, regions of U.S. public land that are protected by presidential proclamation because of their importance to national heritage. Bears Ears, which received monument status last year, likely holds many key fossils. Grand Staircase-Escalante, designated as a monument more than 20 years ago, has already provided scientists with incredible fossils, including those of triceratops relatives and tyrannosaurs, and there are likely more. Reducing the size of these monuments would be a loss to science and the American public. [5 Fossil Hotspots: National Parks to Visit]

Paleontological treasures

Maps leaked from Utah Gov. Gary Herbert's office suggest that the Trump administration may reduce the monuments by as much as two-thirds their current size, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. Why are they doing it? According to the LA Times, the motivation behind the decision is to open these protected areas to ranching and coal mining.

But that reasoning overlooks an important point: These two monuments were set aside specifically under the American Antiquities Act to protect their paleontological and archaeological resources from damage by mining and other mineral extraction. Both monuments protect exquisite fossil sequences that tell us about crucial intervals in the history of our planet.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was established in 1996, largely because proposed mining activity on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property threatened the remote highland area known as the Kaiparowits Plateau, a region rich with fossil treasures. About 28 billion commercially extractable tons of coal lie beneath its surface, formed in the same ancient swamps that were home to animals that lived during the Cretaceous, a period lasting from 145 million to 65 million years ago.

Diabloceratops eatoni, a distant relative of Triceratops, is one of 37 previously unknown species discovered at Grand Staircase. It was found in a remote part of the Kaiparowits Plateau that will become the epicenter of coal mining if Trump's plan goes forward. (Image credit: P. David Polly )

Mining on national monuments is illegal, but the government often grants mining leases on other types of federal land. Indeed, mining on public lands can be especially profitable because there are no private, surface landowners to compensate for the access to the land.

In the 1990s, the coal mining company Andalex Resources was planning to open a mine twice the size of Manhattan on the Kaiparowits Plateau. But the plateau had already become an important site for science because of the spectacular fossils of Cretaceous-period mammals discovered there by Richard Cifelli, a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Oklahoma, and Jeff Eaton, then an assistant curator of paleontology at the Museum of Northern Arizona, who is now retired. Using screen washing, a technique similar to panning for gold, these paleontologists discovered minute fossils in the coal-bearing rocks.

These fossils included those of a tiny creature known as Paranyctoides  the oldest placental known at the time  that filled a critical gap in scientists' understanding of the origin of mammals, Cifelli explained in a 1990 study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. (A placental animal is one that, like humans, gives birth to fully viable young, in contrast with marsupials that nurse their young in pouches or monotremes, such as the platypus, that lay eggs.)

The importance of these fossils  and the prospect of an even richer paleontological record that, unlike coal, was unique to the Grand Staircase area  motivated the creation of the monument. [Album: Discovering a Duck-Billed Dino Baby]

A coal seam exposed at the edge of the Kaiparowits Plateau. (Image credit: P. David Polly )

Fossil wonderland

The monument promised to be "one of the best and most continuous records of Late Cretaceous terrestrial life in the world," according to a 1996 proclamation from then-President Bill Clinton. But the scale of the discoveries since then is so large that they would have inconceivable at the time. Within the monument, scientists and amateurs have discovered more than 3,000 scientifically important sites (places with intact, identifiable fossils in their original geologic context), collected hundreds of thousands of fossil specimens and uncovered nearly 40 previously unknown animal species, including 13 new kinds of dinosaur.

Last month, I visited Grand Staircase as president of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology to see this incredible site for myself. As a paleontologist, I have worked in the Cretaceous-age rocks of Hell Creek in Montana and Big Bend National Park in Texas, as well as in central Kazakhstan and the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, but I was totally blown away by the Kaiparowits Plateau's wealth of fossils. Prospecting for fossils there is accessible in a matter of steps rather than miles.

The Kaiparowits Plateau is exceptionally rich in fossils of mammals, turtles, crocodiles, lizards and dinosaurs. Moreover, its status as a monument provides resources for science  notably, coordination from the BLM monument paleontologist Alan Titus. Hundreds of paleontologists from museums and universities around the country have organized their field research through Titus' office. For example, in 2009, a field crew led by Andrew Farke, a paleontologist at the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology in Claremont, California, discovered a baby duck-billed dinosaur, Parasaurolophus, that revealed that the bony crests on the heads of these remarkable creatures grew larger as they got older, according to Farke's 2013 study in the journal PeerJ.

In 2006, a newfound short-skulled tyrannosaur called Teratophoneus curriei was unearthed by a collaborative group from Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin; the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science in Albuquerque; and Brigham Young University in Utah. Teratophoneus filled a gap in the evolutionary history of its younger cousin Tyrannosaurus rex, according to the researchers' 2011 study in the journal Naturwissenschaften (opens in new tab) (now called The Science of Nature).

More of these remarkable animals have been found since, including a virtually complete skeleton of Teratophoneus that was airlifted from a nearly inaccessible part of the Kaiparowits Plateau in October of this year. Another Grand Staircase paleontologist from Virginia Tech University, Michelle Stocker, told me, "We're never done finding new fossils and filling in those gaps." Without the monument, much of this work would not have happened, and it would have been a greater challenge for researchers across the country to coordinate with one another. [Top 10 Most Visited National Parks]

Tyler Birthisel (center), a preparation lab manager at the Natural History Museum of Utah, and Alan Titus (left), the monument paleontologist from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), reposition a plaster-covered block containing one of the most complete tyrannosaur skeletons ever discovered. The 1,200-lb. (544 kilograms) piece was helicoptered to the truck as part of a cooperative research project between the Museum and the BLM. (Image credit: P. David Polly )

Because the land and its fossils remain the property of all Americans, federal law stipulates that the fossils themselves be placed in an approved public research repository, which will make the fossils available to those who want to see them.

"Every fossil stored in a museum is a little piece of life frozen in time," said John Long, former president of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. The preservation of the fossils and their sites is critical to scientific progress because paleontologists often revisit them with new questions and techniques. As Anjali Goswami, a paleontologist at the Natural History Museum in London, explained, "New technology has made it possible to extract information from fossils and fossil sites that would have been impossible even 10 years ago."

But not everyone sees the scientific potential of these monuments.

"I'm approving the recommendation for you, Orrin," Trump told Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. But neither the monuments nor the fossils are Trump's to give or Hatch's to take. They belong to all Americans as part of the U.S. public land system. The multiple-use principle used to manage federal public lands means that most of the system's 640 million acres (260 million hectares) are already open to ranching and coal mining, including the strip mining and gas fracking in the Thunder Basin National Grassland of Wyoming.

Just a few public land areas are set aside to protect unusually delicate or important assets such as wildlife, archaeology, landscapes and scientifically important resources. The paleontological science at Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears was one of the primary justifications for turning these wilderness lands into national monuments so that coal mining, petroleum extraction and other damaging activities would not ruin the scientific value they provide to us all.

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 Live Science.
Tens of thousands of known archaeological sites are threatened by sea level rise in the southeast, and far more currently unknown and unrecorded, as shown here at low spatial resolution.

Sea-level rise this century may threaten Jamestown in Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas; the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which launches all of NASA's human spaceflight missions; and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in North Carolina, the tallest brick lighthouse in the United States, a new study finds.

These iconic locales are some of the more than 13,000 archaeological and historical sites on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the southeastern United States that rising sea levels will endanger this century, researchers in the new study said.

Global warming may lead sea levels to rise by about 3.3 feet (1 meter) in the next century and by 16.4 feet (5 m) or more in the centuries afterward, according to research from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and others. These rising sea levels could have severe effects, as more than 40 percent of all people worldwide currently live within a 60-mile (100 kilometers) distance from a coastline, many in low-lying areas vulnerable to sea-level rise, according to reports from the United Nations and others.

Archaeologists in the new study wanted to see what effect rising sea levels might have on archaeological and historical sites. For example, in 1999, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was relocated about 2,900 feet (885 m) to protect it from the encroaching sea.

The researchers analyzed data from the Digital Index of North American Archaeology (DINAA), which collects archaeological and historical data sets developed over the past century from multiple sources.

"DINAA allows us to examine where people were living in North America over the entire 15,000-year record of human settlement," said study lead author David Anderson, an archaeologist at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

If projected trends continue, there could be a 3.3-foot (1 m) rise in sea level by 2100, submerging thousands of recorded archaeological and historical sites in the southeastern United States alone, the scientists predicted.

"We will lose much of the record of the last several thousand years of human occupation in coastal areas, where a great deal of history and settlement has occurred," Anderson told Live Science.

The study found that only relatively minor increases in seal level, on the order of 1 to 3 m (3 to 10 feet), were necessary to threaten these iconic places. Other important cultural landmarks at risk include Charleston, South Carolina, and St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the Americas. In addition, at archaeological sites where indigenous inhabitants, early settlers, and enslaved and later freed peoples once lived, rising seas pose a risk of damage or disappearance.

The 13,000 or so sites identified by the study are only a tiny fraction of the ones known to science, "much less [those] thoroughly examined by archaeologists," Anderson said. Many other sites that archaeologists have not yet had a chance to explore will also be lost, the researchers added.

Furthermore, the researchers found that more than 32,000 archaeological sites  including more than 2,400 sites on the National Register of Historic Places  will get lost if a 16.4-foot (5 m) or higher seal-level rise occurs, the researchers found.

"What was surprising was the vast numbers of archaeological sites that are threatened when the data are examined collectively," Anderson said. "When you develop tools showing how much will be lost at regional and continental scales, it shows the scale of the challenge and the need to start seriously planning for it."

In the future, more states can participate in DINAA so that informed decisions can be made "about what to try to save, and how," Anderson said.

This isn't the first time scientists have suggested that climate change could threaten important U.S. landmarks. In 2014, a study found that rising sea levels pose a risk to cultural landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty. Scientists detailed the findings of the new study online today in the journal PLOS ONE (opens in new tab).

Originally published on Live Science.
The discovery of 215 fossilized pterosaur eggs has revealed a new finding about the young of these ancient reptiles: Pterosaur babies likely couldn't fly after hatching and probably needed their parents to take care of them.

An examination of 16 embryos within these eggs shows that the little pterosaurs had well-developed thigh bones, suggesting that the reptiles could walk shortly after hatching, according to a new study describing the findings. But because the embryos had underdeveloped bones supporting the pectoral muscle  the muscle that helps power flight  it's unlikely that newborn pterosaurs could fly, the study researchers said.

"Bones related to flight were less developed, or ossified, than bones of the hind limb, which indicates that hatchlings might be able to walk, but not fly," study co-researcher Alexander Kellner, a paleontologist at the National Museum of Brazil and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, told Live Science in an email. [Photos: Baby Pterosaurs Couldn't Fly as Hatchlings]

Pterosaurs lived during the dinosaur age, but they weren't dinosaurs. Rather, they were winged reptiles that went extinct when a 6-mile-long (10 kilometers) asteroid slammed into Earth about 66 million years ago. The fact that these flying reptiles laid eggs wasn't confirmed until 2004, when researchers announced that they had found two pterosaur eggs in China and one egg in Argentina that held well-developed embryos, according to D. Charles Deeming, a principal lecturer in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom, who wrote a perspective on the new study, but wasn't involved with the new research.

Researchers found the pterosaur eggs and fossils in a bone bed (literally, a site with many bones) in the Hami region of northwest Xinjiang, China. (Image credit: Alexander Kellner/Museu Nacional/UFRJ)

Researchers found the newly described trove of pterosaur eggs in the Hami region of Xinjiang, in northwestern China, during a long field survey lasting from 2006 to 2017. In addition to finding the 120-million-year-old eggs, the researchers uncovered fossil remains of male and female pterosaurs known as Hamipterus tianshanensis. (The genus name combines the "Hami" region with "pteros," the Greek word for wing, while the species name honors the Tian Shan mountains, which are near the site of discovery, the researchers said in a 2014 study published in the journal Current Biology.)

The eggs are small  just 2.3 to 3.1 inches (6 to 8 centimeters) long  but they were preserved in three dimensions, meaning that many weren't crushed. To investigate the embryos within, the scientists used a computed tomography (CT) scanner, a machine that takes hundreds of X-rays and then arranges them in a virtual 3D image.

The scans revealed that none of the 16 embryos had teeth, suggesting that either the embryos hadn't developed teeth yet or that dental growth was delayed in H. tianshanensis compared with other modern reptiles, including lizards and crocodiles, the researchers said.

The team also found other evidence that H. tianshanensis was slow to develop. As pterosaurs grew, their bones developed lines that, like the growth rings of a tree, indicated how old they were. The anatomy of one bone from a 2-year-old pterosaur showed that it was still growing at the time of its death, suggesting that these reptiles took a while to reach adulthood, the researchers said.

The egg-cellent discovery also provides clues that these Early Cretaceous pterosaurs nested in colonies, since so many eggs were found together, said study lead researcher Xiaolin Wang, a paleontologist at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.

"Our study implies colonial breeding for Hamipterus, and indicate[s] that gregarious behavior might have been widespread among derived [more evolved] pterosaurs," Wang told Live Science in an email.

In addition, the eggs themselves revealed hints about egg-laying behavior. The eggs have soft, parchment-like shells, indicating that they needed to be buried in a moist place to keep them from drying out and killing the embryo, Deeming wrote in the perspective. If these eggs were buried, that means the parents didn't sit on them as many modern birds do, he said.

"However, adults may have attended or defended nests, which would explain the presence of adult skeletons [at the site]," Deeming said.

The study was published online today (Nov. 30) in the journal Science.

Original article on Live Science.
U.S. health officials said they are concerned the upcoming flu season could be a bad one, based on reports from the Southern Hemisphere, where the flu season recently ended for the year.

In Australia, for example, there were record-high numbers of laboratory-confirmed flu cases this year  more than 2.5 times the number last year, according to the Australian Government Department of Health. And flu hospitalizations and deaths in Australia were also higher than average this past season.

That does not bode well for the United States, experts say.

"As clinicians in the United States prepare for the start of another influenza season, experts have been watching the Southern Hemisphere winter for hints of what might be in store for us in the north," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and colleagues wrote in a recent paper published in The New England Journal of Medicine. "Reports from Australia have caused mounting concern" about the upcoming flu season, the authors wrote. [6 Myths About the Flu Vaccine]

Australia's bad flu season may have been due, in part, to a mismatch between the flu strains included in this year's flu vaccine and the flu strains that were circulating in the public. According to preliminary estimates from Australia, the flu vaccine was 33 percent effective at preventing the flu and only 10 percent effective at preventing infection with H3N2, the predominate flu strain in circulation during the country's flu season.

The U.S. will use the same flu vaccine this year as the one used in Australia, and early data show that H3N2 is also the predominate flu strain in circulation in the United States so far this season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Still, there's no way to predict for certain how severe or mild the flu season will be in any given year. So, health officials still recommend that everyone ages 6 months and older get a flu shot this season.

"However imperfect, though, current influenza vaccines remain a valuable public health tool, and it is always better to get vaccinated than not to get vaccinated," the paper said.

The paper also noted that the flu vaccine "mismatch" seen in Australia this year could be related to the way most flu vaccines are currently made: using chicken eggs to "grow" the flu virus strains. During this egg-based production process, flu strains may acquire changes that facilitate their replication in eggs but that reduce their effectiveness at preventing flu, the paper said.

The possibility of a low-effectiveness flu vaccine this year "underscores the need to strive toward a 'universal' influenza vaccine that will protect against seasonal influenza drift variants, as well as potential pandemic strains, with better durability than current annual vaccines," the officials said in their paper. "In all likelihood, such a vaccine would not be subject to the limitations of egg-based vaccine technology," the authors said.

Original article on Live Science.
Whangaparaoa School is taking inspiration from Team New Zealands Americas Cup win, and has its own mini-Cup to prove it.

Last month, the schools PFA president, Warren Frogley of Brandmad, successfully bid for an Americas Cup replica at the Sir Peter Blake Charity Regatta at the Royal NZ Yacht Squadron. The replica is an exact, half size copy and is one of only two in the world.

In bringing home the Cup and sharing it with the school, Mr Frogley cemented a process that he says began when principal Kevin Cronin was inspired by Team New Zealands success to dream big for the school.

Mr Frogley says that the Americas Cup has inspired the creation of a Cup Crew by the PFA  these are class representatives who will rally parent support and assist with main fundraising events such as next years gala, in March.

Whangaparaoa School has some big-ticket items that it needs to fund  in particular, the replacement of its adventure playground and upgrades to the school hall.

The students planned, surveyed, researched and presented a proposal for a new playground to the Board of Trustees. Their plan included equipment for all ages and came in at $115,000.

The school hall is also in need of refurbishment, not fully covered by the Ministry of Education.

Work has begun, urgently repairing a leaking roof, however the list is long and with an estimated budget of $300,000, it will take some time and an approach like Team NZ to make it to the finish line, Mr Frogley says. But the success of other school initiatives, such as the bike and pump track which opened this year, proves we can win this race with the support and efforts of our wider community.
Northern Action Group chair Bill Townson abruptly walked out when the Local Government Commission (LGC) announced its decision on the future of local government at a meeting in Warkworth today.

The commission said it had determined that existing local government arrangements in Auckland should remain in place.

The commission rejected alternative proposals such as having a separate unitary authority for Rodney or having the area served by two local boards.

The meeting was held in the Old Masonic Hall and was attended by LGC chair Sir Wira Gardiner, chief executive Suzanne Doig and lead commissioner for Auckland reorganisation Geoff Dangerfield.

Also attending were interested parties who had offered alternative proposals for local government in Rodney.

The Northern Action Group (NAG) has long campaigned for a separate unitary authority for northern Rodney.

Speaking outside the meeting, Mr Townson said the LGC announcement will continue to impose a super-expensive city on disenfranchised rural and coastal communities who are being treated as cash cows.

Mr Townson said the point of reorganisation was to ensure better democratic local decision making and provision of effective infrastructure and services.

The preferred option of the Commission pursues none of these ideals and as such we believe they have failed miserably in discharging their statutory duty, he said.

NAG proposed an administration for north Rodney based on the Thames Coromandel Districts community empowerment model, which it says has proved a huge success.

This Commission is denying our community the same opportunity to thrive, he said.

But Mr Townson said the Commissions announcement did not signal the end of the road for NAG.

Thanks to generous support from our community we are in a position to seriously consider an appeal in the High Court, where we have had success in the past, or a judicial review of the way this commission has conducted this process.

Speaking on behalf of the Commission, Geoff Dangerfield said the Commission came to the view that a North Rodney Unitary Council was not a viable option and did not meet the requirements of the Local Government Act.

He said a unitary council, combining the functions of a district and regional council, must fulfil a broad sweep of functions, including sensitive environmental management.

The cost of funding all these functions, and securing people with skills and capabilities to carry them out, over a small area was prohibitive.

It would result in a 20 per cent rates increase to cover the extra costs that would be involved, he said.

Mr Dangerfield also dismissed the option of two local boards for Rodney also on the basis of cost.

We came to the view that for the costs involved the gains were very uncertain, and we stuck with the status quo on that count as well, he said.

The commission's full decision can be read at www.lgc.govt.nz
MOUNT PLEASANT  The Joint Board of Review joined the Village of Mount Pleasant and Racine County boards by unanimously approving Wednesday the creation of a tax incremental district and project for Foxconn Technology Group.

This week both boards unanimously approved the local development agreement with Foxconn, the final stakeholder, which is expected to sign the deal Friday.

The company plans to build a massive manufacturing campus on 1,198 acres east of Interstate 94, west of Highway H, north of Highway KR and south of Braun Road.

Taiwanese-based Foxconn, a designer and manufacturer of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels and finished products, plans to build a $10 billion manufacturing campus of 32 million square feet in the southwestern corner of Mount Pleasant, with construction starting next year. The campus is expected to employ up to 13,000 people  excluding an estimated 10,000 construction jobs and many thousands more indirect jobs.

As part of the development agreement, Foxconn will front Mount Pleasant $60 million for land purchases in Area I of the project.

Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave said the TID is well constructed and could be paid off earlier than expected, because it is based on conservative numbers.

The return on the TID is only from Area I, Delagrave said. In Area II and Area III it would be extra, which means we would potentially be able to close the TID early.

Historic moment

When a TID is closed, the added property taxes it has created begin flowing to the various taxing entities and not just to repay the money spent on infrastructure within the TID.

The Joint Review Board is comprised of one representative from each of the taxing bodies: Racine County, Mount Pleasant, Racine Unified School Board, Gateway Technical College; and one member from the public.

After the Review Board votes were cast, Village President Dave DeGroot said a historic moment had occurred.

Youve just created the single-largest tax increment district in Wisconsin history by a magnitude, DeGroot told board members.

In doing so, you will have also created the most successful TID by a similar magnitude, because we already know that its going to close early because of the financial strength behind it.

RUSD ready for 'positive challenge'

Marc Duff, chief financial officer for Unified, sees Foxconn as a benefit to the district in the future.

(The TID) really wont affect the taxes that Racine Unified is able to collect  its neutral to the district, Duff said.

He said the district is happy to be a partner and will be part of the positive challenges to the region.

Were assuming well have more people moving to the area, having jobs, and their kids will need an education, Duff said. And were excited about that opportunity to be a partner in this. So, well have planning to do over the next several years.
On Monday, 27 November, the first meeting to launch the new edition of Trotsky's masterpiece, Stalin, took place in Madrid. The event was held at the headquarters of the Friends of Unesco Club of Madrid (CAUM) in the historic Atocha street of the capital. The room was filled with about 70 people.

The presentation was led by David Rey, member of the International Marxist Tendency and editor of Lucha de Clases magazine. The speakers were Alberto Arregui, from the "Manifesto for Socialism" and member of the Federal Executive of the United Left, and Alan Woods, leader of the International Marxist Tendency, and editor of the work.

Arregui stressed the need to rearm the Spanish left with Marxism. He stressed the need to settle accounts with the experience of Stalinism, and insisted that in order to overcome the prevailing confusion over how to face the current crisis of capitalism, we must be clear about what model of socialism we aspire to. For that, it is vital to know Trotsky's analysis of the degeneration of the Russian Revolution under Stalin.

Crowd at Madrid launch of Stalin / Image: own work

Alan Woods explained the events of the Russian Revolution, reviewed the content of the work and described the role of Stalin and his personality against the background of the material conditions of Russia  its isolation and backwardness  at the end of the Civil War. He also drew an interesting parallel between the Thermidorian decay of the Russian Revolution and that of the French Revolution, which culminated in Napoleon's regime. Above all, he highlighted the role of Leon Trotsky in the last years of his life in preserving the legacy of the Russian Revolution and the clean and democratic traditions of Bolshevism.

Panel and crowd for Madrid launch of Stalin / Image: own work

The talk was followed with great interest by all attendees, and proof of this was that the dozens of copies of Stalin that were brought to the presentation were sold out.

Lively event at the Madrid Complutense university commemorates the Russian Revolution and launches Stalin by Trotsky

At midday on Tuesday, 28 November, a commemoration of the centenary the Russian Revolution of 1917 was held at the Faculty of Geography and History of the Complutense University of Madrid. The meeting also served to launch the book "Stalin", the great unfinished work of Leon Trotsky, published by Lucha de Clases, updated and augmented by 40 percent with unpublished material of great theoretical and political value.

Crowd in the university / Image: own work

There was a good attendance of about 60 people. There was a mixture of students and people coming from outside the faculty, attracted by advertisements on social media and public spaces. Some veteran comrades attended both talks we have organized in Madrid: on Monday at the CAUM and Tuesday at the university!

The meeting had been organised by the University Marxist Circle of the Complutense (CMU) and the Lucha de Clases tendency. The event was introduced and chaired by Clara, a student of the faculty and coordinator of the CMU. The speakers were Alan Woods, leader of the International Marxist Tendency and editor of the book; and philosophy professor Carlos Fernandez Liria.

A panel discusses the launch of 'Stalin' / Image: own work

Liria spoke about the diverse revolutionary experiences that occurred in the 20th century, from the Russian Revolution of 1917 to the election and deposing of Allende in Chile in 1970-1973. He insisted that each time a country chose the path of revolutionary change, whether through parliamentary channels or through insurrectionary routes, it faced opposition and the fierce blockade of imperialism. He also explained the consequences that imperialist harassment exerts on revolutions: with the adoption of defensive measures to resist the great powers and the authoritarianism this can lead to in the long term  an expression of a revolutions isolation.

Alan Woods intervened, highlighting the significance of the Russian Revolution and the achievements of the nationalized and planned economy, which turned the most backward country in Europe and the world into an economic, scientific, political and military superpower  without any type of foreign aid. Woods pointed out that the Russian Revolution was internationalist from its inception, being completely alienated from the narrow, petty and anti-Marxist nationalist conception of "socialism in one country".

Alan Woods speaking at the Faculty of Geography and History of the Complutense / Image: own work

It was precisely the isolation of the revolution, after the failure of the revolutionary wave in Europe  combined with the devastation of the country by two successive wars  that provoked a social and political involution and the development of a bureaucratic caste that wanted to "restore order" in the chaos, Stalin being the most qualified representative of that caste because of his pedigree as an "old Bolshevik."

Alan rejected the argument that Bolshevism and Stalinism were the same thing, wondering how that was possible when Stalin massacred the Bolshevik leadership that made the revolution, alongside hundreds of thousands of communists opposed to his totalitarian drift.

Alan explained that the book Stalin provides an innumerable source of data, references and analysis that allows us to understand how Stalin could emerge as the undisputed head of the bureaucracy, and the way in which his particular personality impregnated the character of his totalitarian regime: recommending all those present read and study this book.

Some 20 students were interested in participating and attending the meetings of the CMU and a dozen Stalin books were sold.

Spanish language version of Stalin / Image: own work

Together, these two events have been a great success in Madrid. There has been much interest in the book among a significant layer of activists, workers and young people, which reveals the search for a revolutionary point of reference to transform society. In a modest way, it has helped to restore the historical truth about the Russian Revolution of 1917 in its centenary: defending its democratic and popular character, and doing justice to the central role of Leon Trotsky, together with Lenin.

It has also contributed, in front of dozens of people, to the demolition of the bourgeois myth of associating the Russian Revolution  and the regime of workers' democracy established in its early years (in difficult conditions of isolation, poverty and siege)  with the brutal, totalitarian and bloodthirsty regime established by the Stalinist bureaucracy. This regime ended up returning capitalism to Russia, and looted the property of the people. Almost 80 years after it was written, Trotsky's Stalin  now revived and updated in our edition  is as relevant and inspiring as never before.
by Sara Guaglione , November 29, 2017

Conde Nast-owned tech magazine Wired is planning to put up a metered paywall in January.

Wired editor-in-chief Nicholas Thompson told The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, that he expects a digital subscription to cost less than Spotify Premium, which runs $9.99 a month.

The simple reason that were going to a paywall model is that I think its going to make money, and Id like us to make more money, Thompson told WSJ. The deeper reason were going to a paywall model is because you need to hedge against the future.

Thompson also said Wired has not yet decided how many articles visitors will be able to read for free each month. He was editor of NewYorker.com when the site launched a metered paywall in 2014.

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Thompson, who was a Wired editor for five years before joining The New Yorker in 2010, was appointed editor of Wiredin January.

Conde Nast told WSJ that paywalls may be put up on its other properties next year, as print revenue continues to dip and media companies vie for a piece of the digital advertising pie not consumed by Google and Facebook.

The editor of Wired also told WSJ that going forward, he will tune the magazine's focus to become less general-interest and more for "tech obsessives," covering topics like artificial intelligence, genetic engineering and automation more closely.

The idea is that this tailored concentration on technology will appeal to more readers, and likely advertisers, too.

Also coming in 2018 for Wired? A store at Newark International Airports Terminal B. Conde Nast previously announced it has partnered with airport retail developer Pacific Gateway to sell the latest gear and gadgets.

In April, whispers were going around that Vanity Fair was planning to introduce a paywall to its digital content by the end of this year.

Business Insider launched a subscription offering this month called BI Prime, which puts select original financial news reporting behind a paywall.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, November 29, 2017

Defending itself against antitrust claims, AT&T says its proposed $85 billion merger with Time Warner will enable the company to better compete against cable companies and "insurgent tech giants."

"The proposed merger of AT&T and Time Warner is a procompetitive, pro-consumer response to an intensely competitive and rapidly changing video marketplace," AT&T argues in court papers filed this week with U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon in Washington, D.C.

The telecom's papers come in response to the Justice Department's lawsuit to block the merger on the grounds that it will decrease competition and result in higher prices for consumers. The Justice Department said in court papers that the deal would leave AT&T in a position to harm video distributor rivals by raising their costs, resulting in higher bills for consumers. The government also said the deal would allow AT&T to hinder online distributors that threaten the pay TV model.

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DOJ sued two weeks after reports surfaced that the Justice Department would not approve the deal unless AT&T sold CNN and other Turner properties. Those reports sparked concerns that the government was using its power to police antitrust as a pretext to strike at CNN for its news coverage -- which President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized.

AT&T disputes the government's position, arguing that the deal will enable new offerings, including the ability to "develop an over-the-top path for Time Warner content to reach consumers directly."

The telecom also says the deal will allow it to launch new ad-supported video models. The company also says it has plans to draw on consumer data for ads as well as decisions about content and programming.

AT&T also disputes the idea that it could harm competitors by withholding Time Warner content. The telecom argues that Google's move to launch YouTubeTV without Time Warner programs proves that Time Warner content isn't "essential" to competitors.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, November 29, 2017

New ad dollars will shift the focus of advertising toward mobile  mostly for video and social  while programmatic will become the new standard for online media buying, according to a Forrester Research report released Wednesday. Amazon also might benefit from several changes coming down the pike, as advertisers look for a safer environment to sell their products and services.

The updated report estimates that U.S. advertisers will spend nearly 70% more on display and social media advertising between 2017 and 2021. Investments, however, will be met with ad blocking and invalid impressions. The two challenges still continue to pose challenges for advertisers and test their faith in display.

The report  2017 To 2021: US Online Display Advertisings Great Reckoning  highlights changes in online display and social media advertising spend during the next five years. It focuses on how the dynamics will drive growth and what the landscape will look like in 2021.

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Digital media channels, excluding search, will represent more than one-third of total advertising spend in 2021, up from one-quarter in 2017.

Forrester estimates that in 2017 about 43% of U.S. online adults reported using an ad blocker on at least one device, and 16% use it on a smartphone. The inability to view inventory and ad fraud adds to the challenges.

Overall, the challenges will eventually "wipe out over a third of online display ad spend annually until 2021,' as it becomes clearer why marketers question not just the effectiveness of online display advertising but the dynamics of the media channel as a whole.

Investments in social media advertising will carry the majority of the growth -- nearly doubling in the next three to four years. Mobile display ads also will see a bump.

Amazon will benefit from the exodus as advertisers flee from open-exchange programmatic platforms as they head toward a handful of channels, according to the report. Amazons U.S. ad revenue is forecast to surpass $2.5 billion by 2021. And while its ad business is still small, advertisers are looking to advertiser in a "safe" and trackable platform.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, November 29, 2017

An ACLU attorney on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to rule that law enforcement authorities need a warrant to obtain cell phone records that reveal individuals' locations over a period of time.

"Nobody has expected ... in a free society that our longer-term locations will be aggregated and tracked," lawyer Nathan Wessler told the justices.

Wessler was urging the court to rule that the police should have sought a warrant before obtaining 127 days' worth of cell phone location records from Sprint and MetroPCS for Timothy Carpenter, a suspect in robberies in Michigan and Ohio. The prosecutors instead obtained court orders under the Stored Communications Act -- which doesn't require authorities to show they have probable cause to believe the records will yield evidence of a crime.

Justice Department attorney Michael Dreeben countered that a warrant wasn't required because the cell phone carriers were only asked to divulge routing information, as opposed to contents of any communications.

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"People who dial phone numbers on calls know that they're being routed through a cell phone or a landline provider. Those records can be made available to the government," Dreeben told the court.

The closely watched battle, which could lead to new standards regarding digital privacy, drew the attention of a host of outside groups including Google, Facebook and Microsoft, which argued in a friend-of-the-court brief that digital data is entitled to "strong" protections against searches by the police.

The records obtained by the police in Carpenter's case placed him at the scene of the crimes. He was convicted of six robberies and sentenced to almost 116 years.

Carpenter unsuccessfully appealed to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled that the authorities didn't need a search warrant on the grounds that he lacked a "reasonable expectation of privacy" in records that were held by third parties -- his wireless carriers.

The 6th Circuit's decision drew on a Supreme Court case from 1979, when the court said police didn't need a warrant to obtain a list of phone numbers dialed by a suspect. The court ruled in that case that people have no reasonable expectation of privacy in the phone numbers they dial because they have shared that information with their telephone carriers.

More recent cases have called that reasoning into question. In 2014, the Supreme Court held that the police need a warrant before searching cell phones, and in 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that the police violated a suspect's rights by installing a GPS device on his car without a warrant.

Justice Elena Kagan suggested during Wednesday's argument that the police should have obtained a warrant for the same reasons they need a warrant to install a GPS device. "The obvious similarity is that, in both cases, you have reliance on a new technology that allows for 24/7 tracking" Kagan told Dreeben.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor also seemed inclined to rule that a warrant is required "The Constitution protects the rights of people to be secure. Isn't it a fundamental concept, don't you think, that that would include the government searching for information about your location every second of the day," she asked Dreeben.

He replied that warrants aren't necessary when people share data with a third party -- in this case, the phone carriers.

But not all of the justices seemed inclined to rule for the defense. Justice Anthony Kennedy asked Carpenter's attorney why the Stored Communications Act -- which authorizes judge to issue subpoenas for relevant information -- doesn't offer enough protections to defendants.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, the newset member of the Supreme Court, floated the theory that the location information was Carpenter's "property."

"Say a thief broke into T-Mobile, stole this information and sought to make economic value of it," Gorsuch said in an exchange with Carpenter's lawyer. Gorsuch followed up by asking whether Carpenter would have grounds to bring a civil suit against the thief.

While the battle over Carpenter's records centers on a search by the police, the court's decision could play a role in privacy cases involving tech companies. A 2014 court ruling requiring law enforcement authorities to obtain a warrant before searching cell phones was later referenced by consumers who brought a privacy lawsuit against Google and other companies.

A group of Safari users argued in that matter that Google and the other companies violated the federal wiretap law by circumventing their browsers' privacy settings in order to track the Web sites they visited for ad-targeting purposes. Google ultimately agreed to pay $5.5 million in order settle the litigation
eTurboNews, Thursday, November 30, 2017 8 AM

Tourism is the number one industry in Hawaii and any threat of war between the United States and North Korea could bring visitor numbers down. With U.S. President Donald Trump and a North Korea Great Leader Kim Jong-un tweeting threats about atomic war, George D. Szigeti, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, issued a statement to reassure visitors about a monthly test of an Attack Warning Signal.

Read the whole story at eTurboNews 
by Alex Weprin , November 30, 2017

HBO CEO Richard Plepler said Wednesday that the company will reevaluate its presence in most countries around the world over the next few years, deciding whether to launch over-the-top services directly to consumers, or if it makes more sense to stay with existing deals in some markets.

Plepler said the company now has channels in 60 countries, through a mix of OTT offerings, cable channels and brand licensing deals. The company plans to launch a global OTT platform in 2018, which would allow it to launch in any country.

What we are going to do over the next few years is we are going to look at each market, and make a decision whether or not it is smarter for us to build OTT businesses where we own our own content, in more countries than we have right now, or whether the licensing deals that we are doing [make more sense], Plepler said at the Business Insider Ignition conference.

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If I was betting, I think we would see more and more OTT, he added.

HBO tries to have indigenous programming for most countries it launches in, like Brazil or Singapore, which makes matters more complicated. Those shows increase the companys programming costs, but Plepler said those locally produced shows often outperform even Game of Thrones, or Westworld -- sometimes by two or three to one.

While HBO is about to begin reevaluating its international expansion strategy, CBS has already said it plans to launch CBS All Access in Canada and Australia, with other countries to follow.

As HBO, CBS and other American media companies look overseas for OTT expansion in a bid to better compete with Netflix, concerns like locally produced programming and a global technology infrastructure will become even more important.
The results of a recent study represent an incredibly important step forward for migraine treatment, say researchers, after it was revealed that a drug called erenumab could more than halve the number of migraine attacks for people with the condition.

Share on Pinterest The erenumab drug was found to cut the number of migraine days by more than half for some people with episodic migraine.

Study leader Dr. Peter Goadsby, from Kings College Hospital in the United Kingdom, and colleagues have revealed that the drug led to significant and meaningful benefits for people with episodic migraine over the course of 6 months, with around half of them seeing their number of migraine days fall by at least 50 percent.

The researchers recently reported the findings of their phase III clinical trial in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Migraine is one of the most common and debilitating conditions in the United States, affecting around 12 percent of children and adults in the country.

More than just a bad headache, migraine is characterized by a severe throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head. And, in some cases, head pain may be accompanied by other symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, numbness or tingling in the face or extremities, sensitivity to light and sound, and vision problems.

Migraine attacks normally last for anywhere between 4 and 72 hours. People who have up to 14 migraine days each month are considered to have episodic migraine, while 15 or more migraine days per month constitute chronic migraine.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to treating migraine, and prevention and management of migraine attacks may involve a combination of off-label medications and non-drug approaches. Finding an effective treatment strategy involves trial and error.

Because the precise causes of migraine remain unclear, the development of new treatments for the condition is hugely challenging. The new study, however, may bring us one step closer to the approval of a drug designed specifically for the prevention of migraine: erenumab.
MADISON  Pizza visionary Wayne Mosley, co-founder of Rocky Rococo pan-style pizza, which has endured in Madison for 43 years, died Tuesday.

Mosley, 70, died in his Town of Middleton home, said Mosleys daughter, Jessi Mosley, 30, who returned Tuesday from a monthlong backpacking trip in Thailand to find her father.

The cause of death was likely cardiac-related, she said.

Im an only child and I was very close to my dad, Jessi Mosley said. Hes my best friend and probably the person Im closest to in the whole world. This has been a big shock.

Mosleys longtime business partner, Roger Brown, also expressed shock. Its quite unexpected, he said.

Brown met Mosley in college at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, when Brown was an undergraduate and Mosley was in law school.

The idea for Rockys was formulated while Mosely was in law school. At the time, he was a regular customer of Garcias Pizza in a Pan, where Brown was working.

Mosley passed the Illinois bar and could have have gone into law, his partner said, but he wanted to pursue his dream of starting a pizza business. He knew Brown through a mutual friend and recruited him.

I didnt have anything better to do and he was so enthusiastic about his vision of what this could be, and I got caught up in it, Brown said.

Mosley brought Brown in and made him an equal partner, for which Brown is eternally grateful. He credits Mosley for everything he has, especially since he met his wife through Rockys.

Pan-style pizza was just starting to emerge from Chicago, and Mosley saw its potential. We grew up on it, but the rest of the country hadnt really had it available, Brown said.

A five-state Midwest area that included Wisconsin was really the strongest pizza market in the nation, so a lot of stars really lined up, he said.

Mosley realized that Rockys could be a sit-down restaurant and also sell grab-and-go slices like on the East Coast.

It just needed someone to get it organized and do it well. That was his insight, Brown said. He was just a born restaurant guy, but his family wanted him to be a lawyer.

Mosleys legal background really helped the business, too, Brown added.

College towns targeted

The two men wanted to open their pizza place on another Big Ten campus, borrowing what they liked about Garcias. The decision was between Madison and East Lansing, Michigan, and they settled on a Madison location on Gilman Street just off State Street.

Hashing out names on the drive between Chicago and Madison, they came up with Rocky Rococo  the name of a character on an album by the Firesign Theatre comedy troupe. They almost called it The Pizza Factory.

The partners also created a Rockys pizza character who became the public face of the business for 40 years  a tough-talking gangster who was in fact a pizza-loving softie. That figure in the white jacket, round-rimmed sunglasses and fedora became a Madison icon. And the man who played him, Jim Pederson, died last year at 68.

Gilman Street gradually took off, but the big development came in 1975 when the partners found a more visible State Street location near Lake Street. Franchising came later.

The company would eventually expand to more than 120 restaurants across the nation. In 1988, Mosley and Brown sold the rights to the company brand to their minority partners.
Do you know you could give birth to the next serial killer, rapist or murderer? According to a study, the total crime rate in India has gone up by 26.7 per cent between 2005 and 2016, and it mostly starts at home. Don't believe us? Netflix may be of some help here. T.V. series like '13 Reasons Why', 'Ozark', 'The Sinner', 'Mindhunter' and even 'Riverdale' shed light on how up bringing has a significant part to play in the shaping of a youngling's character, especially in the case if deviant behaviour.

Let's start with 'Mindhunter'. Every single convict interviewed for the purpose of understanding criminal psychology, some how trails back to the criminal's relationship with his mother. Jerry Brudos's mother derides him for his fetish of women's footwear translating to cross-dressing, Edmund Kemper's mum thinks he is a freak because of his size and would tell him that he would never have the affection of women because he was like his father (the parents were separated) and Monte Rissell's ma not only allowed him to grow without boundaries but his step dad would beat him to pulp, much like in the case of Richard Speck. Did the parents know they were raising serial killers? Of course not!

While one can be born with psychological disorders because of chemical imbalances, it can't be denied that the criminal condition worsens with impact from an environment that is not conducive to personality development. The fact that two out of the five subjects interviewed confess that they probably would've grown up to be better human beings if they had grown with their fathers, also needs to be accounted for. A balance of affection and boundaries is imperative to minimising possibility of deviancy in children.

The approach to bringing up children need also be realistic. In 'The Sinner', for instance, Cora Tinneti's mother is religiously superstitious in an obsessive way. She holds Cora's actions responsible for the health of terminally ill sister's health. That is why Cora murdering Frankie Beaumont doesn't come as a shocker if she at a very young age displays "deviancy" by eating a whole chocolate bar thinking that her hedonistic act would kill her sister. She does that to punish her mother for constantly nagging and depriving her. When the psychiatrist asks her what she would tell her 13-year-old self, she says "Run"-- away from the environment that would push her to make terrible life choices, starting at home.

Cora even indulges in late night sexual escapades with JD because feeding her sexuality is a sin according to her mother-- she has not been educated about it from a realistic point of view, making her run to the first guy who appears to free her from her mother's binds. Catching her father intimately involved with the neighbour also triggers her first sexual experience, spurring her repressed impulses to come out in an unhealthy way.

 Netflix

Another classic example is Betty Cooper's over-controlling mother in 'Riverdale' , and is most likely the reason behind her "Dark Betty" split personality manifestations. Perhaps Betty is just a regular teen with a proportioned black and white personality but her domineering mother causes the black to be repressed, which when surfaces is not only an appalling sight but may even turn fatal for her or people around her in the future.

 Netflix

But why have we taken '13 Reasons Why' into consideration here? Aren't Hannah Baker's parents loving and supportive, model parents, if you will? Hate to disappoint you, but they aren't. Any parent assuming that their child is strong enough to get through dark times in their formative years is an ignorant parent. Children are sensitive to their parents' turmoil and don't want to add to it. When Hannah's parents lose their business and move, they get so caught up in trying to restart their lives that they forget to dive deep into the life of their seemingly strong daughter. Eventually she succumbs.

 Netflix

'Ozark' is, some how, the best example for ideal parenting but also the worst. Charlotte and Jonah are told the reality about their parents' money laundering business and they are even initiated into it. Their parents make sure that they are aware and protected. But that's what leads Jonah to gut animals and pick up a gun. He does it for survival. He even asks his father how laundering is done. Full marks for communication and bonding but what happens when both children go out into the real world and propagate the illegal work their parents started? Does that make them good human beings? Does that make their parents, good parents?

 Netflix

That's one question looming over the heads of all modern day parents. That's why it's the right time to ask yourself, are you fit to be a parent? Are you fit to raise a child in this world? Do you think you could give birth to the next serial killer, rapist, murderer?
Expensive designer dresses worn behind traditional abayas, vacations on the French Riviera, frolicking on private jets personalised to the tee, parties on luxury yachts worth millions, Saudi Arabia's royal families live a life of opulence sustained by the riches of their oil industry. They are worth billions of dollars and even in the time of austerity, buying a French chateau is considered absolutely normal. A life worth living, some would say.

Purging The Old Guard

 Reuters

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is currently ruled by King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, the 25th son of the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud. Ever since King Salman came into power two-years ago, he's systematically dealt with transgressions and established his own son Mohammed Bin Salman as the new crown king, making him first in line to the throne instead of his nephew, Mohammed bin Nayef. This single act by King Salman broke away from established norms of the Saudi royal family and made news all over the world.

But since then, Mohammed Bin Salman like his father has proved that he's here to upend traditions without much regard for the senior guard and members of the Saudi Royal family. He is fiery and believes in wresting total control of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Recently, Mohammed bin Salman made news when he jailed many members of the royal family in an apparent bid to quash any resistance to his vision for the country.

Opulence In The Time Of Austerity

 Reuters

But it's not just Mohammed Bin Salman's abrasive style that's made news; he's also brash when it comes to living a life that suits his taste. While stories of his copious lifestyle are protected and seldom released by the Saudi government, his love for yachts has been extensively covered. One of the stories that brought quite some media spotlight on the new crown prince went something like this:

On a vacation in south of France, Prince Mohammed bin Salman couldn't help but notice a 440-foot yacht floating off the coast. He was so impressed by its size and beauty that he immediately sent his aides to procure the yacht for himself. The ship turned out to be 'The Serene', a Russian vodka tycoon Yuri Shefler's personal prized possession. The aide, not willing to disappoint the prince, quickly made an offer that the Russian couldn't refuse. The deal was done within hours as the prince shelled out approximately 500 million euros for the yacht. That evening, Prince Salman had dinner on the same yacht he spotted earlier in the day as the Russian owner moved out.

This is the kind of lifestyle choices that Salman is known for. While it is incredibly impressive for someone worth billions of dollars, his impulsive decision making some critics believe has put the kingdom on the path of instability. One of the prime examples of his inexperience reflects in how he proceeded to hurriedly form a counterterrorism military alliance for a Saudi-led war in Yemen. That war, since he took over as the minister of defence, has cost the Kingdom billions of dollars and left thousands of women and children homeless in Yemen.

Growth, Independent Of Oil

 Reuters

No matter then the inexperience he showed in handling the Yemen situation, Prince bin Salman is still being applauded for his vision for a new Saudi Arabia, one that is not dependent on it's Oil reserves. Recently, he presented a development plan titled Saudi Vision 2030. As discussion around his vision began (after he made a very impressive presentation), one of the commentators actually articulated what many in the room were actually thinking:

I have no doubt, your highness, that the project you have put forward is a dream that looks, at the same time, realistic and achievable. However, we will be facing a huge dilemma: You are still an energetic and active young prince who has a clear vision, and your explanation was detailed and convincing. But, on the other hand, I can portray the situation as if you are driving an old car with worn out tires and an old engine. Honestly, with such a car, I tell you that you cannot reach your destination on time. This is a worn-out administrative government that is more than 50 years old.

To this, bin Salman replied: This car has to move, and if it doesn't, I will have to replace it with another one.

The commentator was Abdulrahman Al-Rashed from arabnews.com and the crowd present was actually impressed by his uncluttered vision and incredibly far-fetched but honest ambitions. Of all the vices Mohammed bin Salman is criticised for, aspiring for a modern kingdom independent of riches from oil reserves isn't one of them.

Control On The Brink Of Dictatorship

 Twitter

Saudi Arabia for long has been ruled by corrupt officials and businessmen leading to sluggish economic growth but at the same time enhancing the incredibly opulent lifestyle of the royal families that are highly dependent on their oil reserves. This is why when Prince bin Salman jailed almost 200 senior officials, princes and officials almost 95% of them agreed to reach some settlement for their release. One Saudi Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, once considered a strong contender to the throne, recently paid USD 1 billion for his release from the Ritz-Carlton luxury prison. Mohammed Bin Salman's recent actions against Saudi elite show that he's here to break the status-quo and he won't shy away from taking bold decisions without letting go of his own wealth and consolidating power into a much more centralized government machinery.

Even as the Saudi Kingdom, now invariably led by a new heir Mohammed bin Salman moves towards an oil-independent economy, the internal power struggle encompassing the battle between tradition and modernity might prove to be a little too much for the splurging royal heads.
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The former commander of the Marines' Wounded Warrior Regiment who spent two months in the brig last year after driving drunk to his own arraignment is behind bars again, this time as a civilian.

Todd Shane Tomko, 54, was arrested and lodged in the Adams County Jail in Quincy, Illinois Nov. 22 on outstanding warrants from the Virginia Beach Police Department, officials with the jail confirmed to Military.com. The Quincy Herald-Whig, which first published news of Tomko's arrest, reported that he was arrested on seven felony warrants of indecent liberties with a child.

At Tomko's May 2016 court-martial in Quantico, Virginia, his military attorney described him as a broken man, beset by post-traumatic stress after a 33-year career, which included combat tours. He was fired from his post as commanding officer of Quantico's Wounded Warrior Regiment in 2015 amid reports of misconduct including drunkenness at public events and inappropriate relationships with female enlisted subordinates.

He ultimately pleaded guilty to sending inappropriate and exual messages to a female corporal, violating a series of military protective orders at Quantico, obtaining and using testosterone without a prescription, and driving to his May 6, 2016 arraignment with a blood alcohol level of .208.

In all, four active-duty and retired general officers testified for Tomko as character witnesses, including retired Gen. John Kelly, former commander of U.S. Southern Command and now White House chief of staff.

Maj. Gen. James Lukeman, then commanding general of Marine Corps Training and Education Command, said he had hand-selected Tomko to be his chief of staff for operations at 2nd Marine Division in 2013, but ultimately became troubled by the symptoms he exhibited and, at one point, issued his own military protective order, like a restraining order, against him.

"I'm not a doctor, but he's not able to prevent himself from doing these things that he's pleading guilty to," Lukeman said at the court-martial. "I can't imagine it would come to that."

According to an April letter to the editor published in the Herald-Whig, Tomko became the pastor of Parkview Church in Quincy following his forced retirement from the Marine Corps.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
A Navy lieutenant who lost his life while working to save his passengers in a C-2 Greyhound crash last week may be recommended for an award, an official said Monday.

Lt. Steven Combs, the pilot of the aircraft, was one of three sailors who died when the aircraft crashed Nov. 22 in the Pacific Ocean en route to the carrier Ronald Reagan from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. Eight other sailors, including the co-pilot, were rescued from the water.

Combs managed to execute a landing on the water, giving the four aircrew and seven passengers the best opportunity to get clear of the aircraft and reach safety. The difficulty of such a landing with the cargo aircraft was compounded by high seas, which by some reports reached 10 to 12 feet, said Cmdr. Ronald Flanders, a spokesman for Naval Air Forces.

"They did not have a lot of notice that they were going to have to ditch just miles from the carrier," Flanders told Military.com. "To use the words of his co-pilot who told us, '[Combs] flew the hell out of that plane.'"

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Flanders added that the possibility of a posthumous award for Combs in light of his actions was under discussion.

Combs, who was commissioned in 2011 and reported to Fleet Logistics Squadron 30 in 2015, had served aboard Ronald Reagan as a detachment assistant operations officer and administrative officer, according to a Navy release. During his career, he had logged more than 1,200 flight hours and 100 carrier-arrested landings.

Navy personnel were able to rescue the eight survivors within an hour of the C-2 going down southwest of Okinawa. On Nov. 25, the Navy identified those lost as Combs, Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) Airman Matthew Chialastri and Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Apprentice Bryan Grosso.

Multiple sources have reported that engine failure is suspected as a cause of the crash, though an investigation is still underway.

"Clearly there was something amiss with the aircraft and basically they were not close enough to the carrier to try to bring it in," Flanders said.

On Saturday, the Ronald Reagan held a memorial service to commemorate the lives of Combs, Chialastri and Grosso.

Capt. Michael Wosje, the commander of the Reagan's Carrier Air Wing 5, paid special tribute to the fallen pilot.

"The loss of one of our pilots weighs heavily on the entire Carrier Air Wing Five team. Lt. Combs will always be remembered as a hero," Wosje said, according to a news release. "I am proud to have flown with him."

The commander of the carrier, Capt. Buzz Donnelly, also honored the sailors who died.

"The loss of these crew members hits across the entire ship with great significance," said Capt. Buzz Donnelly, Ronald Reagan's commanding officer. "On behalf of the entire crew of USS Ronald Reagan, I extend heartfelt prayers and sincere condolences to the families and friends of the three shipmates we lost."

Less than a week after the tragic crash, the Navy has not moved to suspend or pause flight operations for the aging Greyhound, the service's carrier onboard delivery platform for personnel and logistics.

Flanders noted that the current batch of the aircraft, C-2A(R), which began flying for the Navy in the mid-1980s, has an almost unprecedented safety record. There has been only one previous fatality -- a tragic 1988 mishap in which an individual walked into the aircraft's prop arc.

"This mishap was the first of its kind in several decades," Flanders said of the most recent crash.

The Greyhounds now flying for the Navy recently underwent a service-life extension program that was completed in 2015. The transports are set to be retired and replaced by Navy-variant CMV-22 Ospreys in the mid-2020s.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
Editor's note: Due to incorrect information provided by Tricare, Military.com on Tuesday published a story detailing increases in pregnancy costs for military families next year. A spokesman on Wednesday acknowledged the information released to Military.com was incorrect. The story has been updated to reflect this change. We apologize for the error.

The cost of having a baby will likely not change in 2018 for most active-duty Tricare Standard and Guard and Reserve users, despite initial information from Tricare that such costs would skyrocket.

In emails with Military.com on Tuesday, a Tricare official confirmed information indicating pregnancy costs would surge more than twenty-fold for many military families starting Jan. 1.

But in emails and telephone calls with Military.com on Wednesday, another Tricare official said the initial information was not accurate. Instead, the spokesman said a flat-rate maternity fee system currently used by all non-Tricare Prime active-duty and Guard or Reserve beneficiaries for traditional in-patient hospital births will remain in place.

The fee structure for delivering a baby at a traditional in-patient hospital is not changing in 2018," Kevin Dwyer, a Tricare spokesman said in a statement on Wednesday to Military.com. That means "most patients will not see an increase, however those having a home delivery may see changes in costs," he said.

As part of a series of other, major changes, Tricare fees for all non-Prime users, except those on Tricare for Life, will move Jan. 1 to a system that charges flat fees for in-network specialty and primary care after annual deductibles are met. The current fee system is based on a "percentage of allowable charges, and varies based on provider, location and appointment type, among other factors.

But rather than shifting to that per-visit cost system for maternity care as originally stated by Tricare, prenatal office visits for all users will continue to remain free in 2018, officials said Nov. 29. Pregnancy and childbirth at in-patient Tricare network hospitals will continue to carry a flat "global" fee of $25 for the first day and $18.60 for each subsequent day for active-duty users on Tricare Standard or Extra as well as Guard or Reserve users on Tricare Reserve Select.

Users who deliver at a hospital also will not see fee changes in 2018, officials said. However, those who deliver at home could face some higher costs, they said.

Other changes coming to the Tricare system after the new year include an expansion to no-cost annual preventative care for Tricare Select and Reserve Select users and a new policy that will block users from switching between Tricare plans outside of the annual open enrollment period or without a "qualifying life event" starting in 2019.

-- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @amybushatz.
Officials say the device was known as an "unexploded ordnance," or an explosive weapon that did not explode and still posed a...
Joseph V. Micallef is a best-selling military history and world affairs author, and keynote speaker.

Two events in the last month have underscored the growing reach of Iranian influence in the Middle East. The first was the abrupt and unexpected resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister, later rescinded, Saad Rafik al-Hariri.

The second was the announcement that Fatah, which controls the Palestinian Authority and the territory on the West Bank, would share administrative jurisdiction with the Hamas controlled government in Gaza. Both events, seemingly unrelated, underscore a new phase in Tehran's growing Middle Eastern clout.

Hariri's Resignation Destabilizes Lebanon

On November 4, 2017, Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri announced, via Saudi TV, that he intended to step down. At the time, he was on an official state visit to Riyadh. Hariri cited the growing power of Iran in the Middle East, in general, and the increasing influence of Hezbollah, an Iranian funded proxy, in Lebanese affairs as reasons for his resignation.

He also cited fears for his personal safety. Hariri's father, Rafic Hariri, was assassinated in 2005, in what is widely believed to have been a Hezbollah orchestrated attack.

His resignation announcement precipitated a political crisis in Lebanon, which many saw as a deliberate Saudi attempt to isolate Tehran and underscore Hezbollah's, and by extension Iran's, growing influence in the country. Hezbollah, a militant Shia Islamist political organization based in Lebanon that was organized by Iran in 1985, has been funded by Tehran since its inception.

The group's political arm, Loyalty to the Resistance, is the third largest political party in the Lebanese parliament. The group, along with Amal (Hope Movement), another Lebanese political party associated with the Shiite community, dominates the March 8 Alliance, which currently holds power in Lebanon.

The alliance has 24 of the alliance's 63 parliamentary seats. The balance of 65 seats is held by a smattering of other parties, including 59 seats by the March 14 alliance -- the official opposition. Hezbollah holds two of the thirty cabinet seats in the Lebanese government.

Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council. Originally set up by a contingent of 1,500 troops from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the group has long clashed with Israeli forces along the Lebanon border. In 2006, Israel and Hezbollah fought a full-scale war that saw Hezbollah fire thousands of short-range missiles into Israeli territory and led to the capture of several Israeli soldiers.

Additionally, Hezbollah fighters continue to be deployed in Syria in support of the Assad government in Damascus. The group has been branded a terrorist organization by the United States and its allies.

It's unclear what specific events triggered Hariri's resignation, although it was widely believed to have been in response to Hezbollah's possible attempts to increase the number of cabinet seats it controls in the Lebanese government.

Currently, Hezbollah represents around 20 percent of the parliamentary seats in the government coalition, but has only about six percent of the cabinet positions. It may also have simply been a useful pretext by Riyadh to highlight Hezbollah's growing influence in the country.

After announcing a series of trips to the Gulf Emirates and Bahrain, later cancelled, Hariri traveled to France, accompanied by his wife and children, for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. Hariri is also a French citizen and holds both Lebanese and French nationality.

It is believed that his wife and children remained in France for their protection. On November 21, Hariri announced that at the request of Lebanese president Michel Aoun, he had agreed to put his resignation "on hold ahead of further consultations."

Hamas and Fatah Move to Reconcile

In the meantime, on October 13, 2017, Hamas and Fatah announced that they had agreed to an Egyptian government brokered agreement to reconcile, after more than a decade of bitter infighting, and establish a national unity government. The agreement, which is still far from complete, calls for the two sides to integrate the Hamas administration of Gaza into the broader Palestinian Authority (PA) government of Fatah.

Several hundred Fatah administrators will be transferred to Gaza to work with the Hamas government there and pave the way for the eventual integration of the two government's administrations.

In addition, Hamas agreed that the Gaza police force would be rebuilt and that it would include 3,000 officers drawn from the Palestinian Authority police force. Hamas also agreed to turn over control of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt to the Palestinian Authority.

That border crossing had been closed by the Egyptian government, preventing the transit of goods and people between Gaza and Sinai, and further isolating the Hamas government in Gaza.

As part of the reconciliation announcement, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas announced that he would make a visit to Gaza for the first time since Hamas had ousted the Palestinian Authority from there in 2007.

Significantly, the most contentious issues were set aside for the moment. These included the ultimate disposition of the 25,000-strong armed wing of Hamas, control of the tunnel networks that Hamas has built under the Israeli-Gaza border and the reform of the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

The latter is widely seen by Palestinians as corrupt and riddled with cronyism, especially as it relates to the allocation and spending of financial aid given to the Palestinian Authority by various governments.

The most significant issue is the question of national elections. It was Hamas's upset victory in 2007 that led to the split with the PA. Most intelligence agencies believe that if national elections were held today PA President Mahmoud Abbas, or any of his likely successors, would lose to Hamas leader Ismail Haniya.

It's not clear that Hamas wants to take responsibility for the governance of the Palestinian territory. On the other hand, Hamas has received significant aid from Iran and a Hamas takeover of the PA would be widely seen as a victory for Iran and further proof of Tehran's growing clout in the region.

Persian Imperialism and the Contemporary Middle East

The reconciliation agreement underscores some important changes taking place in the Middle East and marks the confluence of several different issues, some purely local, while others are more regional in scope. The core issue is the growing reach of Iranian influence, a topic that the Arab press sometimes refers to as a reassertion of historic Persian imperialism in the region.

Persian imperialism, is in fact, nothing new to the Middle East. It has waxed and waned over the millennia, from the empire of Cyrus the Great to the present "Shite arc of influence," which stretches from Iran across Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza.

When strong regional powers or superstates existed, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Byzantium, the various Sunni Muslim and later Ottoman empires, to most recently Saddam Hussein's Iraq, the reach of Persia or its Iranian namesake has been constrained and contained. In the absence of such countervailing powers, historic Persian imperialism cut a wide swath across the Middle East, including Arabia. Many Sunni Arab governments, especially those in the Gulf, fear that Tehran is in the process of another such flexing of historic Persian power.

Egypt and Islamic State in the Sinai

From Egypt's standpoint, it has a growing Islamic State (IS) based insurgency in the Sinai. The group, the Ansar Bait al-Maqdis (ABM) or Supporters of the Holy House, began operations in 2011.

In 2014, elements of the group pledged themselves to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and renamed themselves Isil-Sinai Province. Since then, ABM has been responsible for hundreds of attacks across the Sinai and the deaths of hundreds of Egyptian officials, government officials and policemen.

The presence of that insurgency was driven home on November 24, 2017, when the Sufi al-Rawda mosque in the town of Bir al-Abed in the North Sinai was attacked by a group of 40 Islamic State militants.

The gunmen set up a classic kill box outside the main entrance to the mosque with overlapping fields of fire. They then detonated several makeshift bombs, which not only heavily damaged the mosque, but caused worshippers to flee the mosque and run into the kill zone. More than 300 Egyptians were killed and hundreds more wounded.

The group has called for additional attacks on the Sinai's large Sufi Muslim community, as well as attacks on Christians, especially Egypt's Coptic Christian community and Jews. According to U.S. intelligence agencies, IS militants in the Sinai have been collaborating with Islamic State militants in Libya and have received arms, supplies and financial support from them.

Egypt has a vested interest in seeing the reintegration of the Gaza strip with the West Bank under the PA's authority. Cairo fears that the pervasive lawlessness that characterizes Gaza will provide a haven to Islamic State affiliated militants in the Sinai.

The outbreak of violence between Hamas and Israeli authorities is also problematic for Egypt. Any kind of Israeli military response will likely drive Palestinians in Gaza to attempt to stream across the border into the Sinai, creating more headaches for Egyptian authorities.

The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: Does It Still Matter?

There is also a large issue in play here. The messy Israeli-Palestinian issue is no longer one of the defining pillars of Arab foreign policy in the region. It has been subsumed by the larger issues of Iran's growing regional clout.

From the standpoint of the Saudis and their Gulf allies, long-time primary financiers of the "frontline states" in the Arab-Israeli conflict, not to mention the actual front-line states like Egypt and Jordan, the Palestinian issue is one they would like to see go away as it distracts from the problem of dealing with Iranian imperialism.

A continuation of the Palestinian issue serves to give Tehran additional opportunities to aggravate tensions in the region and to destabilize moderate Arab regimes there. Moreover, it makes security cooperation with Israel harder to implement.

That's one reason why the PA's Arab state supporters and bankers are pressuring them to cooperate with the Trump Administration's Mideast peace initiative; even threatening to withdraw or withhold financial aid if they prove recalcitrant.

That's a dangerous strategy, especially given Abbas's and the Palestinian Authority's lack of political support. That strategy may well push the PA toward a de facto alliance with Hamas and its Iranian backers; a strategy that would significantly diminish the chances of a comprehensive peace accord and embolden Tehran supported proxies on Israel's borders.

Abbas has not been afraid to push back against Arab and American pressure to get onboard the latest peace process, dropping subtle hints that a potential Iranian sugar daddy is waiting in the wings should his Arab benefactors withhold financial support or an unpopular peace accord be forced on the Palestinian Authority.

Tehran has long maneuvered to position itself as a frontline state in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Should Hamas end up by default supplanting the PA, Iranian proxies will find themselves on four of Israel's frontiers: Gaza, Lebanon, the Golan Heights and the West Bank. Moreover, with de facto Iranian military bases in Iraq and Syria, and the defeat of Islamic State, Tehran's ability to directly supply its proxies with arms has improved substantially.

It used to be that all issues in the Middle East, however benign, were invariably subsumed to the larger issue of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, an issue that even defined the boundaries of U.S.-Soviet relations in the region during the Cold War. Today, it is the rise of Iran and the reach of Persian imperialism that have subsumed all other issues in the Middle East, including the one of Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

-- The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration.
After three months of combat in Syria supporting the assault on Raqqa, a Marine Corps 155mm artillery battery is declaring victory and returning to the states.

Officials with Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, which oversees the joint fight against ISIS, said the departure of the roughly 400 troops from 1st Battalion, 10th Marines was an indicator of the success they and coalition forces have seen on the battlefield.

"With the city liberated and ISIS on the run, the unit has been ordered home," officials said in an announcement Thursday morning. "It's replacements have been called off."

Raqqa, in Northern Syria, is the self-identified capital city for ISIS. As of this summer, it was the only Syrian city and population hub that remained under the control of the military group. A concentrated siege on Raqqa by U.S.-backed forces began June 6; Raqqa was publicly declared liberated Oct. 20. According to task force officials, some 2,500 ISIS fighters were believed to be inside Raqqa when the fight began.

For the entirety of that fight, Marine artillery units armed with M777 howitzers have been on the ground providing supporting fire. A detachment from the deployed 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived on the ground in early 2017, and was replaced by 1st Battalion, 10th Marines, in mid-September.

"With a 155mm artillery battery in the fight, their mission was to deny and disrupt ISIS from gaining ground or moving from their defensive positions," Lt. Col. Jon O'Gorman, chief of fires for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, said in a statement. "These Marines rained relentless and highly accurate firepower on the enemy."

The current detachment of Marines has earned special accolades for its grit and effectiveness.

Earlier this month, the commanding general of 2nd Marine Division, Maj. Gen. John Love, said the 1/10 battery had "killed more ISIS than anyone" with strategic fires and coordination with air assets.

Army Sgt. Maj. John Troxell, senior enlisted adviser to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters the unit had fired so many artillery rounds in the fight that it had burned out two howitzer barrels.

The announcement that Marine artillery will now be pulled out of the region and not be replaced is somewhat unexpected; Love told Military.com this month that 1/10 was set to be part of a long-term rotation that would maintain artillery presence in the ISIS fight.

"The departure of these outstanding Marines is a sign of real progress in the region," CJTF-OIR director of operations, Brig. Gen. Jonathan Braga, said in a statement. "We're drawing down combat forces where it makes sense, but still continuing our efforts to help Syrian and Iraqi partners maintain security.

Braga added that forces remaining in country would continue to work with local partner forces to prevent a resurgence of ISIS militants, defeat remaining pockets of ISIS presence, and enable international governments and non-government organizations to come in and help civilians recover.
Mission

The United States Army Special Forces have five primary missions: unconventional warfare (the original and most important mission of Special Forces), foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action and counterterrorism. Other duties include combat search and rescue (CSAR), counter-narcotics, counterproliferation, hostage rescue, humanitarian assistance, humanitarian demining, information operations, peacekeeping, psychological operations, security assistance and manhunts. Special Forces have the ability to be virtually everywhere at once; this guarantees that they are the first on the ground or already at a crisis location when trouble starts.

Army Special Forces skills and training offers a thorough knowledge of foreign languages, customs and cultures. In addition, Special Forces service members are masters at training and organizing insurgents, surrogate fighters, native forces and foreign armies.

History

U.S. Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets, trace their roots back to the World War II Office of Strategic Services. The OSS was formed to gather intelligence and conduct operations behind enemy lines in support of resistance groups in Europe and Burma.

In the Global War on Terrorism, Special Forces teams have helped oust the Taliban government in Afghanistan, trained and fought alongside the Kurds in northern Iraq, cleared the western desert of SCUD missiles and provided long-range special reconnaissance to coalition ground forces on the drive to Baghdad.

Called the "Quiet Professionals," Special Forces units are deployed worldwide, displaying their dominance in unconventional warfare and living up to their motto: "De Oppresso Liber -- To Free the Oppressed."
RACINE  Yorkvilles quest to access water from Lake Michigan for a portion of the town now served by a different source moved a step toward approval this week.

The town has had conversations with the City of Racine about selling Yorkvilles water utility, which serves only commercial customers.

Meanwhile, with the potential for developments driven by Foxconns planned manufacturing plant in nearby Mount Pleasant, Yorkville is looking at other changes regarding water. A majority of the town has access to Lake Michigan water, but a portion is in a different watershed, said Keith Haas, Racines Water and Wastewater Utility general manager. Yorkville is pursuing the option to give the whole town access to the lakes water.

Earlier this year, Racines water utility started work on an application seeking permission from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for Mount Pleasant to divert Lake Michigan water for a portion of the village now served by a different source. Yorkville asked to be included in that application. The towns request earned a unanimous recommendation from Racines Waterworks Commission this week.

A proposed agreement between the entities requires the town to cover the cost of work associated with the application, an estimated $30,000. Haas said the town has money available from its water utility to cover the costs.

The commissions vote is just one step toward the towns request receiving official approval. The request will also be reviewed by the citys Finance and Personnel Committee, with the ultimate decision in the hands of the City Council.

The Town of Yorkville is also considering incorporating as a village to protect its borders from annexation.
This year's edition of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) Grand Ball will take place on Friday, December 29 at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Accra.

MUSIGA Grand Ball is an annual event which brings together captains of industry, ministers of state and other leaders of society in a night of wining and dining with some of the finest musicians in the land.

As part of the event, there will be an auctioning of souvenirs from leading musicians and special collections of music by some of the leading artistes in the country.

Some selected personalities and industry players will be honoured at this year's event for their outstanding contributions to the development of the creative arts in Ghana and the music industry in particular.

There will be live musical performances from a number of Ghanaian musicians like Nana Kwame Ampadu, Becca and a host of others.

MUSIGA raised an amount of GH32,000 for the Ageing Musicians Welfare Fund (AMWeF) and the MUSIGA Academy at last year's edition of the grand ball.

The amount was raised from the auction of various items, including a number of musical instruments like PK Yamoah's guitar, AB Crentsil's 'dondo' and Rev Kusi Berko's accordion.

Last year's MUSIGA Grand Ball was used to honour Mr Edward Boateng of Global Media Alliance, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu and Kasapreko Company for their long-standing contribution to the development of the music sector in this country.

The night saw performances from Wiyaala, Maa Amanua of Wulomei fame, Bob Pinodo and Abrantie Amakye Dede. Other performers were Tagoe Sisters, Pozo Hayes and comedian DKB.
Poet and musician Crystal Tettey will on Wednesday, December 6 perform at the Goethe-Institut in Accra as part of a monthly series dubbed 'Goethe-Abansuro'.

She will be joined by guitarists Nii Quaye Aryee and Nenikely, who happens to be her mother.

Tettey is expected to entertain the audience with a combination of songs, poetry and spoken word, which has mesmerised audiences in Ghana and several European and African countries.

Designed for solo and duet acoustic sessions in a tranquil and comfortable environment, 'Goethe Abansuro' equally ensures one-on-one interactions and exchanges between artists and the audience.

Also known as Mada Ghana, Tettey is a Malagasy-Ghanaian arts-in-development consultant who seeks collaborations with artists, art bodies, educational and development-based institutions to explore creative ways by which the arts can be applied as a catalyst for sustainable development.

Also a member of the EhaLaKasa Poets & Foundation for Contemporary Art-Ghana, she is currently co-facilitating a workshop series dubbed 'The Exporting Talent Project', which involves a series of experience-sharing sessions for artists.

In 2015 and 2016, her tours / performance installations dubbed 'MadaGhana @ Your Bus Stop' saw her perform in a bus that travelled from Accra to Copenhagen (Denmark) via Antananarivo (Madagascar).

She equally co-facilitated the 2015 and 2016 World Images in Motion in several Danish Schools which was organised by the Danish Centre for Culture and Development alongside three fellow artists  Sir Black (Ghana), Sista Zai (Zimbabwe) and Frank Langmack (Denmark).
Photo credit - Pinterest

30.11.2017 LISTEN

Welcome to todays world, where save the dates are constant on our social media timelines.

A world where instagram and facebook popularity matters more than anything to most young people.

We live in an era where luxury has been redefined to mean normal and where the modest and moderate person is tagged as old fashioned. Our forefathers got married in a clearly different way and white weddings were not a requirement. Today, no matter how you decide to get married, without the fancy and luxurious white wedding/ reception, you are considered archaic. To many, it doesnt matter how they get married but to quite a large number of others, the public image is everything. In an attempt to have that talk of the town event, many young couples overlook the effects that having an over budget wedding can have on post-wedding life. In the end, we realize that many newlyweds are broke these days. After the wedding, life becomes difficult and even though they may not share these struggles publicly, the hustle is real. Jumia Travel, Africas leading online travel website discusses a few reasons why many newlyweds are broke.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail! - Call this the fundamental reason why many newlyweds are broke and you will not be far from being right. Life is all about planning. We always need to plan in order for us to have control over the things we want to achieve. Mostly, young couples who decide to get married do not plan carefully therefore everything takes them by storm. Accommodation, employment, feeding and all other basic stuff need to be in place to live a comfortable married life. Primarily, a regular source of income is needed if things are to run smoothly. Getting married without any of these in place only means that you will be left at the mercy of anything that life brings. There is nothing much worse than not being prepared for life after marriage. For men, its a little more complicated because instead of taking care of one person, now it becomes two and sooner than later three or more. You need a plan before you get married otherwise the financial pressures that comes with life after marriage may leave you broke. The effects of a financially handicapped family are devastating sometimes and occasionally even fatal.

The fingers are not equal - This proverbial statement is often used comparatively and it definitely makes a lot of sense. The fact that your friend did A, B and C at her wedding doesnt mean you should do same when you dont have the means. You may not know where her funds came from or what he did to get that kind of wedding. Live within your means and spend what you can afford. You are better of comfortable in marriage than broke after the big wedding. Everyone can have a great taste but everyone has the same budget for it. Always ensure that you do not try to be someone else or do what others have done especially when you cannot afford it. Many young couples will spend millions on trying to beat what their friends or family may have done. The question remains, have weddings now become competitions? Your wedding was more glamorous than hers yet she is happier than you because she is financially stable. Food for thought.

No expectations mean no disappointments - This is a simple life principle that helps those who obey it. When you have mighty expectations about what things should look like, you often get disappointed when you dont get it that way. My dream wedding should be like this and  i have dreamt of this all my life are some of the things many people say. They go all lengths to make it happen no matter the expense. Although it is good to dream, you need to manage your expectations and rather than leave everything to chance, know what to expect. This way, you dont get disappointed if things dont pun out your way. There is life after the wedding. Think about this, will you rather have the dream life after an ordinary wedding or a broke life after a dream wedding? Dont expect too much or you may end up disappointed.

Its never too late to marry - Family pressure, all your friends are married, you are past 30 and many other reasons are what causes many young people to force their way into marriage even when they are not ready for it. Even aside the financial implications, there comes with an unprepared marriage physical, emotional and psychological implications. It is never too late to marry and although it is great to get married early, you need to consider your financial position amid every other aspect of your life before making that decision. Family and friends may give loads of pressure which may lure you into caving in but remember, after the wedding you are alone in it. Be wise!

Is the fancy honeymoon necessary? - Who came up with the honeymoon idea at all? For those who can afford it, its amazing! A time to actually really connect with your new partner. Spend quality time and enjoy all the intimacy that being married comes with. Its the beginning of a life long journey and often finishes with memories to keep forever. Some take it easy and have a modest yet fun and lovely honeymoon. For several others these days, it has to be a fancy trip overseas. Destination Dubai, The Maldives, Turkey, South Africa, The Safaris in East Africa or even Asia. The fancy 5star hotels, desert tours and expensive living is fun and memorable yet financially very draining. If you have the means, why not? If you dont, then better sit back and use that money to do something profitable to ensure that you dont go broke right after that. It will be great to have these memories but for a lot of young couple these days, rather than build a life to enjoy memories forever, they just spend lavishly on the memories now and go broke for a long time. Na memories you go chop?

The debt factor - Finally, a very important topic. DEBTS! The most painful part of life is being in debt. To owe somebody money that you dont have. The headache and the pressure of living life with a negative sign on your account is never a great feeling. Many young couple get married in debt and struggle over the next few months and years to settle these debts. It may take a long time to recover because after weddings come added on costs. For some, they even owe many of the wedding vendors which brings about embarrassing comments and social media posts. If you dont have have the means, have a wedding with the vendors you can afford. Luxurious brands come with high costs. Be ready to pay for them if you want your wedding to be the talk of the town fancy dream wedding. However, no matter what you do, ensure that you do not owe after your wedding. Living in debts can ruin the harmony of your marriage.

Marriage is great and weddings have to be fun but dont end up broke after marriage, its the worst experience ever! Happily ever after is far better than broke ever after.
30.11.2017 LISTEN

The tithes pose great danger to believers than the blessing weve been made to think. One error concerning tithing by churches today is that tithes are not in the form of money. Wherever you read or hear of tithe in the scriptures, it is about foodstuffs or increase of land, or seeds or livestocks. God never accepted money for tithes. If the tither could not carry the food items, because of the journey to the place of tithing, he could sell them. But at the place of tithing, he had to buy food items with the money for the tithing.

God has not changed this rule anywhere in the scriptures. He said in Malachi 3:6 before talking about it in the next verses that, For I am the LORD, I change not... So, why are people taking money for tithes?

If anyone still insists that believers should pay tithes, they should follow Gods instructions. The Gods tithes are in the form of foodstuffs. Any tithe in the form of money is mans invention, and not Gods.

Every scripture in the Bible concerning tithes talks about foods. When the scriptures mention tithes, its taking about foodstuffs. Tithes are in the form of foodstuffs, and should never be paid, used or applied in the form of money.

When the Lord Jesus even rebuked the Pharisees and the Scribes concerning tithes in Matthew 23:23, He did not mention money. He knew that tithe was not money, so He mentioned mint, anise and cumin, and not money. He didnt say they pay tithe of every mite or cent.

The only scripture where God allowed tithes to be exchanged for money was Deuteronomy 14:24-26. But at the place or time of payment, the tithe should still be foodstuffs.

In Deuteronomy 14:24-26, God ordered that if the place to give the tithes was far, and to carry the foodstuffs was difficult, the tither should sell the tithes, which are foodstuffs, for money. But if the tither reached the place where the tithes were to be paid, he should turn the money back into tithes, that is, foodstuffs, once again, before he would give or pay it.

In Leviticus 27:30, 32-34, God clearly specified the items He described as tithes, and His and holy unto Him.

He said, the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORDS: it is holy unto the LORD. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.

He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.

These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.

So if a believer still thinks, he would pay or give tithes, he should give or pay foodstuffs. Any other form, apart from foodstuffs, is not tithe. If you call money tithes, you have created something for yourself to serve.

And any pastor or church, who collects money as tithes is doing something God has not commanded. The church or pastor cannot be of God.

If you want to give or pay money to a church, pastor or God, remove the name tithe, and call it offering, a giving or sowing. A Christian gives free-willingly, wholeheartedly and cheerfully, he doesnt give by measure or for blessing.

If even you are a farmer, and want to give foodstuffs, as some churches do annually, it cannot be referred to as tithes, but harvest. Tithe is not a christian word.

ABRAHAM GAVE TITHES OF ALL

The first mention of tithe was in Genesis 14:20, and it was in connection with Abraham. He gave it to a priest called Melchizedek out of the spoils of war.

This tithe was not from Abrahams farm produce or his yearly increase. The spoils included goods or gold, silver and other precious substances and victuals or foodstuffs, herds and flocks. (Genesis 14:11)

The scripture in Genesis 14:20 said he gave him tithes of all. The tithes of all could only refer to the herds and the flocks. Because the king of Sodom told Abraham to give him the persons and take the goods, that is, the gold, silver and other precious substances, after Abraham had given tithe to Melchizedek. Abrahams answer to the king was that he would not take a thread or shoelatchet from the spoils, except what the men who went with him had eaten and their portion. (Genesis 14:21-24)

This means that, what Abraham gave to Melchizedek were from the victuals or from the herds and the flocks, and excluded the goods or the gold, silver and the other precious substances.

What is more important is that Abrahams giving was of pure love or freewill. It was from his heart. Nobody asked him to give, neither did anyone specify or suggest any percentage for him or tell him the measure to give.

Abraham gave it by faith, that is, by the principle of grace. God helped him to defeat his enemies, and if God had so blessed him, he also had to bless Him back by giving tenth of the blessing to His priest from his heart free-willingly and at his own discretion. He chose to give him ten percent, from which tithe was derived.

If any person demands that believers give ten percent, it cannot be freewill or ones discretion or a principle of grace. And so it cannot be of faith, but of law.

A law specifies what the lawgiver demands, failure to meet the demand or a default means punishment. A law enslaves, binds and intimidates. And it punishes. A law does not give the practitioners the choice or chance to decide by themselves or show or do what their hearts tell them in a freewill manner.

If you are paying any money by faith, as the patriarch father Abraham did, then it should be by your own percentage, or measure or by your own discretion, and not a specified ten percentage. And it should not be a demand or come with an instruction that if you do not give tenth faithfully, you are cursed with a curse.

THE DANGER OF LIVING BY A LAW

God, by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, is not dealing with anyone by law, but by grace. Anybody who is under a work of a law is under curse. Because nobody can obey all the law of God. (Galatians 3:10) And a default in one point of the law, is default in all the points. (James 2:10)

But if God is dealing with you by grace, and not by law, why do you want to serve or please Him by works of law? Paul said to the Galatians that they were foolish, because they turned to works of law, after they had been made to see how Christ was crucified for their sakes; to receive the Spirit of God and ministration of His miracles by the hearing of faith, and not by the works of the law. (Galatians 3:1-5)

Paul told them the reason why Christ was crucified on the tree. He said, if one was crucified on a tree, it meant that the one was cursed by the law. So Christ had redeemed us from the curse of the law for been made a curse for us, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, and the promise of the Spirit through faith. The Lord Jesus Christ was cursed for our sakes by the law, that we Gentiles or non-Israelis or non-Jews could receive the blessing of Abraham through Jesus Christ, and the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13-14)

The blessing of Abraham and the promise of the Spirit come upon Gentiles through Jesus Christ and faith in Him, and not through payment of tithes or fulfillment of a work of law as the Jews. So why should a Gentile go back to the days of Abraham or to the Jewish laws to fulfill them for blessings and promises?

It is only an ignorant, a deceived and a foolish person who will do that.

But there is a consequence, and a costly one, for such an ignorance, deception and foolishness. Such a person cannot receive healing, deliverance from the powers of darkness, peace from oppressions, prosperity, power and victory of the world and eternal life that Christ gives freely to those who believe in Him.

The scripture says, Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. (Galatians 5:4)

If Christ becomes of no effect unto a person or if one falls from grace, that person is even worse than an unbeliever. And it is what becomes of a believer who follows a work of the law.

Tithing is a work of the law, because it specifies an exact percentage, and not ones own freewill measure. Again, defaulting in payment or paying it unfaithfully has a consequence of a curse.

All Christians who practice tithing are under the curse. By this single practice, all these ignorant people have denied themselves the grace of Christ, including healing from the diseases that are in the world, freedom from oppressions of demons and witches, peace and prosperity, the Holy Spirit and eternal life.

These ignorant ones are promised blessing by tithing, but what they do not know is that they are deceived. If it is a blessing to pay tithes, as any other giving is, why do the pastors and churches who demand it from us get angry and refuse to give us equal benefits like the tither in their churches or make us as beloved as the tither of their congregation, if we fail to pay it?

Have you thought about it? Be wise. If any person tells you that there is blessing in giving, it is the truth. But if anyone says that there is blessing in tithing or in giving money as tithes, he is a liar and an evil person.

Christ dwells in a believer. So the healing, blessing, victory, peace, prosperity, protection, provision, righteousness, salvation and eternal life that are in Christ are in the believer. If the believer continues to believe, out of his or her belly would flow rivers of living water as He said in John 7:38.

But if he discontinues to believe and turns to the works of the law to justify himself, he makes the Christ stagnant and ineffective, unable to flow out to overcome the world and the deficiencies of the flesh to set him free.

Live by the Christ, and not by your own works, and you shall be blessed to give freely from your own measure even higher than Abrahams tenth. The works of faith are not the works of the law. They are the believers deeds that come from the abundance of grace.

We can only please God by the works of faith that come from what we have abundantly received from the grace. Nobody can please God by the works of the law, because the law is not of faith. (Galatians 3:11-12)

Edward Bamfo-Darko
Editor in Chief of the Crusading Guide newspaper says it is mischievous and propagandist for anyone to suggest the president was rallying homosexuals to agitate in order to have their conducts legalized in Ghana.

Malik Kweku Baako Jnr said Nana Akufo-Addos comment in a recent Aljazeera interview on homosexuals is no different from the conclusions arrived at by the Constitution Review Committee set up by the late President John Mills and a government white paper issued after the report of the commission was submitted.

He was speaking on Peace FMs morning show programme Kokrokoo, Wednesday.

The president, Nana Akufo-Addo in a recent interview stated that even though legalizing the conduct of homosexuals is not on the agenda for now, if there is a strong call for it by members of the society, through agitation, the current law on homosexuals may be amended.

Even though Ghanas law is silent on homosexuality, it criminalizes any act of unnatural carnal knowledge.

Penetration through any other means, other than the vagina is considered unnatural under Ghanas law.

President Akufo-Addo also stated that presently the practice of homosexuals is at variance with the countrys norms, culture, and values.

His comments have a triggered a new wave of controversy, one that was prevalent during the administrations of the late John Mills and ex-president John Mahama.

As usual, the controversy has taken a political twist with the opposition National Democratic Congress accusing the president of setting an agenda for advocates of homosexuals to agitate in order to have Ghanas law amended to recognize acts of homosexuals.

Supporters of the governing New Patriotic Party have also been vehement in their defence of the president.

When the matter came up for discussion on the Peace FM morning show Wednesday, Kweku Baako Jnr said any attempt to compare the recent comments by the president with the one made by the late John Mills will be an exercise in futility.

He said the context and circumstances under which the two presidents commented on the matter were different.

He said the late Mills comment was triggered by a call from former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to have UK aid to Ghana tied to the West African countrys position on homosexuals.

The late president was on record to have said that never under his watch would the law on homosexuality be changed.

This context, Kweku Baako argued is different from general comments on homosexuality gleaned from an interview with Aljazeera.

In any case, the Crusading Guide newspaper head said during the Gordon Brown controversy, Nana Akufo Addo, then the opposition candidate was on record to have told the former UK Prime Minister in the face that his comments about homosexuality and UK Aid to Ghana was an imposition of British values on another sovereign state.

Constitution Review Commission

For those who were hailing the late president for his seemingly strong public comments on Homosexuality and vilifying president Nana Akufo-Addo for setting an agenda for homosexuality, Kweku Baako Jnr said presidents comments were no different from those captured in the Constitution Review Commission comments which members of the NDC have given approval.

The Commission stated in its report there was no compelling reason for the commission to address, let alone attempt to deal with the issue [homosexuality] in the present context. The more advisable approach would seem to be to leave the matter for settlement by the Supreme Court in due course. If and when there is enough interest in the matter (and there is sufficiently strong feeling about the issue) those who wish to promote the idea will be able to seek an opinion from the Supreme Court, and the Court will be able, soberly and in its own time, to consider the submissions put before it and issue the interpretation of the constitution in the light of the strength of the arguments advanced.

Raymond Atuguba was the Executive Secretary of the Constitution Review Commission

The Commission further recommended that the legality or otherwise of homosexuality be decided by the Supreme Court if the matter comes before the Court.

A white paper issued by the then government also stated that the legality of homosexuality be decided by the Supreme Court.

Kweku Baako Jnr stated that if the critics of Akufo-Addo are saying his comments were to incite homosexuals to agitate for the law to be changed, then were the members of the Constitution Review Committee and the government which issued the white paper not also asking the same people to go to the Supreme Court to have the laws changed?

He added, asking the Supreme Court to decide whether homosexuality is legal or not is even more dangerous because depending on the orientation of the judges involved a decision can easily be made for or against homosexuality.

Allotey Jacobs

The Central Region Chairman of the NDC Allotey Jacobs who was also on the show agreed with Kweku Baako Jnr.

Even though he believes the act of homosexuality is sinful and could bring unforeseen consequences on the nation if allowed to fester, he said the comments made by Akufo-Addo and those contained in the Constitution Review Commission Report and White Paper, which the NDC issued, were significantly the same.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Nathan Gadugah
Total Petroleum Ghana, a highly reputable oil marketing company, has commissioned a school facility for the Tigboro Jeffiiri District Assembly Kindergarten & Primary School located in the Upper West Region.

The school has benefited from a fully furnished 3-unit classroom block with additional facilities like administrative offices for the headmistress and staff, a playground, a KVIP, a urinal facility and a mechanized borehole to provide potable water.

Speaking at the commissioning held on 17th November 2017 the Managing Director of Total Petroleum Ghana, Eric Fachini mentioned with pleasure that education support was part of the companys core Corporate Social Responsibility.

He further explained that the companys activities go beyond retailing of products and services to giving back to the community, which it has been doing for over 60 years of its presence in Ghana.

He stated that Total Petroleum Ghana supports education all over the country through road safety campaigns for school children, Malaria prevention programmes and educational scholarships.

"It is with much gladness that we complement governments efforts to eradicate schools under trees and promote quality education as a sustainable development goal.

"The school project which took off on 6th July 2017, to meet the infrastructural needs of the Tigboro Jeffiiri School, is now ready to be unveiled and we are confident that it will improve learning and student enrollment", he added.

Mr. Eric Fanchini assured the audience that Total Petroleum Ghana will continue to invest in such community projects to help improve the lives of people.

The District Chief Executive, Madam Christina Bomanye Amadu, commended Total Petroleum Ghana for investing in education, a vital aspect of societal growth.

She added that the initiative contributes to the existing educational policies of the government to improve education. She gave the assurance that the beautiful edifice put up by the company would be properly maintained to serve the intended purpose.

The Headmistress of the school, Madam Joyce Garyoun with gladness thanked Total Petroleum Ghana for creating a conducive learning environment for both teachers and pupils.
Did we not know the meaning of a failed state? did we not know Libya was a failing state? did it take the world by surprise? and how about African leaders. Were we blindsided to the events in Libya leading the failed state? In fact, did colonialism and slavery ever end from the land of Africa with the last colonial master gone? No, since the dawn of declaration of political freedoms and domocracy, not be grudging the fact, we've made huge strives towards freedom in africa. suffice to say, our freedom is still far within our reach- at the dictate of western influence. Financial aid, democracy and human rights accusation are the silencing weapons against every African leader.

But it is time for African leaders to be proactive, rise and demanding answers from the west concerning Libya, atleast if not apology for the slavery and colonialism we never got. Because, the Deal with Libya was not to intervene and leave Africa with Libya, a failed state. So what? they may say, it has happened, what can we do about it? I believe not muct can be done to restore Libya, but the silence of the African Union, the viocelessness of her leaders, is the sign of weakness, its people distaste. I am begining to believe the school of thought who say Gaddafi, and Robert Mugabe were the last voices of Africa, demanding respect and relations in dignity from the west, who over years dictate to us on every aspect of our life under conventionms and charters.

Indeed, no one need to be schooled on the outcomes of having a failed state, in any part of the world. we are all a witness to Iraq and Serria, and now witnessing broad day 21st century, age old slavery of black africans, auction into the gulf states. This is appalling and insulting to the African Poeples, the United Nations, the African Union and the world community at large. As a ghanaian, I feel so much anger boiling inside of me, to have seen this in the news. I have heard many here say its in the hands of our leaders to act.

I for one fell indifferent, because we had leaders in this continent, we had leaders in the United Nations security council, who stood by, watching Nato takeout one of their members, turning Libya into a failed state, and subsequently into slavemarket, a haven for jihady terrorists. how can the world claim to be solving a problem, they barely mention its cause? or put the blame where it deserves to be placed, its simply the bases for us circling round with these aging problems.

Lybia as a trafficking ruote into europe has been an aging problem for europe, the world has been aware of this fact. Obviously, cooperation from the Libyan under Gaddafi's regime was a bit problematic for Europe, who constantly saw him as a dictator. They had every insentive to get him out , and to place, someone they could easily build influencing relationship with. Though they suceeded in getting rid of him, they failed with replacing him, an outcome they barely anticipated.

The share fact that, African leaders did not voice any opposition to the Libyan raid in the 2011, , despite knowing Libya offered many of its citizen fleeing the continent into europe for greener pastures,was a worry to many Africans. This reason amonge many, should have been enough grounds for African leaders to ask for more from the western leaders. its indeed and shame, and heart wrecking for human beings to be sold today, facilitated by globalisation and quest to enforce democracy in Africa. Frankly, I do not know the cost europe incur taken in African migants, but their action suggest they will do every learnt to end the subsahara migration into europe. the more a reason our leaders must do everything to make its poeple feel, they will go any length to protect them. No one need to tell African Union to send Troops to Libya, as they demand Europe and the western leader to take responsibility for the mess created. this is been responsible and leading and not a coward.
30.11.2017 LISTEN

US Ambassador has called on Ghanaians to be a little more patient with the government as it prepares to fight against corruption.

Robert Porter Jackson said he is confident the current government led by President Nana Addo Dankwa AKufo-Addo will tackle the canker head-on.

I am aware that investigations are ongoing, he revealed.

The US Ambassador made the revelation in an interview with Media Generals Alfred Ocansey on Tuesday.

He said there has been cooperation between the government and its US counterpart and I feel optimistic that this is moving in the right direction.

Mr Jackson said Ghana has the laws to tackle corruption but enforcement has been the challenge. He, therefore, called for stiffer legislation like the Right to Information Bill to be passed.

I am hopeful that in this Parliament before it rises, we will see both of those bills. I think that will be proof that there is a serious commitment.

Special Prosecutors Bill

He observed that the current government has shown commitment to fighting the canker, so far, with statements made.

But he asked for more time for the government.

I would like to see the words translated into deeds and I believe that we will do that. So, lets give the government a little more time. They havent been in office a year yet and it is important to pass things like the Special Prosecutors Bill.

But it is also important that they be done correctly. So that when we have the legislation, it can be used to the fullest advantage.

Though the Special Prosecutors Bill has been passed into law  an indication of a bold step to fighting corruption  many people think the head to be appointed may be partial.

Mr Jackson shares similar fears but wants more latitude given to the appointee.

It really depends on who is appointed to be Special Prosecutor and how much latitude that person has, he pointed out.

I dont want to prejudge the outcome. I do believe the president, the vice president [and] others are sincere of their desire to change the conversation in Ghana.
PLEASANT PRAIRIE  We Energies has announced that, during the second quarter of 2018, it will close its coal-fired power plant in Pleasant Prairie.

The utility said it has decided to shutter the plant due to the economy of energy and market and customer demand, We Energies spokeswoman Amy Jahns said Wednesday.

Contributing factors include the low price of natural gas and the decreasing cost of renewable energy, she said.

We Energies is planning to reshape its power generation portfolio, Jahns said, in an effort to reduce both the cost of supplying power and carbon-dioxide emissions.

The Pleasant Prairie plant, which has been open for 37 years, employs 158 people. Jahns said the company will work with labor unions to try to find jobs within the company for those employees.

We Energies provides energy to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator market which manages and regulates the flow of energy to customers from various generation sources.

We have an adequate supply of energy, Jahns said.

Although We Energies doesnt have specific plans for the future of the power plant site in Pleasant Prairie, it does plan to remove the buildings and equipment there.

Cutting greenhouse gases

We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service  both a part of WEC Energy Group  have the joint goal of cutting carbon-dioxide emissions to 40 percent below the 2005 level by 2030.

The closing of the Pleasant Prairie power plant will play a significant role in that, as the plant emits about 7.5 million tons of carbon-dioxide annually. However, some of the reduction in emissions from the plant will be replaced with an increases in natural gas emissions.

We Energies has already reduced its carbon emissions more than 20 percent since 2005. It also has plans to invest in natural gas and renewable energy, Jahns said.

In a press release about the power plant closure announcement, the Sierra Club of Wisconsin praised We Energies move toward cleaner energy production.

This welcome announcement is yet another example of the inevitable shift to safer and more cost-effective clean energy, and highlights why Wisconsin needs a proactive plan to shift to clean energy and invest in the people impacted, stated Elizabeth Katt Reinders, campaign representative for the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign.

It is important that We Energies takes steps to support the communities surrounding the plant, invests in a fair transition for impacted workers, and cleans up pollution at the site as they transition this plant to retirement, Reinders added.

We Energies has another coal-fired power plant in Oak Creek in Milwaukee County and a generation station in Paris in Kenosha County.

Our Oak Creek Power Plant is one of the cleanest and most-efficient coal plants in the country, We Energies stated previously. We have taken several steps to minimize and suppress coal dust at the site, including upgrading water-suppression technology, installing video monitoring, improving wind breaks, and using foam and other crusting agents on our coal.
The Forestry Commission is to release land to corporate and other identifiable bodies afforest ion projects, with introduction of economically viable foreign tree species.

The initiative, according to it's Chief Executive Officer, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie is aim at reclaiming Ghanas depleted vegetative cover and also bring economic returns.

He says such partnership provide opportunity for mutual benefit for both government and the private sector.

Mr. Owusu Afriyie has been speaking to JoyNews during inspection tour of some plantation sites in Ashanti and Western regions.

The Forestry Commission promises potential investors litigation-free land for medium and large scale tree plantations.

Introduction of foreign tree species like Melina and Kihuhwi from Tanzania to complement the popular teak is considered a big boost.

An average teak plantation for instance, takes between 10 and 20 years to be ready for harvest.

A 256-hectare teak plantation can fetch, at least, 20 million US dollars.

About 7,000 farmers in Atwima Nwabiagya and Mponua districts in Ashanti, Merewa, Manse and Sui in Sewfi Anwiaso and Yiawso districts of the Western Region respectively are already reaping benefits of the Tuangya system.

Local farmers are given land to plant food crops alongside tree species which they partly own.

Nkawie District Forestry Manager, Nana Opoku Bosompem reveals more tree species with high economic have been introduced. Some of these are Gmelina, Kihuhwi, Cederela, among others grow faster than some local tree species.

"This is such an area of value. The attention was on Teak because Teak seems to have the ready market on the international timber trade but for now I can tell you the Melina is leading," he said.

Kwadwo Osei Secretary of a group of over 1,500 farmers in the Atwima Mponua District in the Ashanti Region.

Together with others, he is beneficiary of a 270- hectare plantation.

"It [plantation] has boosted our finances; such that we are able to secure some funds to finance the education of our children. More so renovation of our houses have been carried out and new buildings have started. We are able to procure some properties such as vehicles. Besides, it provide us and our families with food," he revealed.

Mr Owusu Afriyie is upbeat about the investment opportunities in tree plantation.

He wants corporate Ghana, especially, Ghana National Association of Teachers(GNAT), Social Security and National Investment Trust (SSNIT) and private sector in general to explore the huge potential.

"I would wish that Ghanaians take interest [in afforestation]. In other countries, you have ordinary people who invest heavily in afforestation. Ghanaians don't; we want short term investments, short term profits. But this is a long term but it is beneficial so we will take this opportunity to urge Ghanaians to invest with us. GNAT, SSNIT pension funds; some of those monies ought to be invested here."
The Minority in Parliament is up in arms with the government over what it says is a whopping amount of over 720 million that cannot be accounted for in the 2018 budget.

According to the Deputy Minority Leader James Klutse Avedzi, the Finance Minister, in reading the budget was silent on what the amount was used for or where it is lodged.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament Wednesday on the content of the 2018 budget statement, the Deputy Minority Leader wants the Finance Minister to return to the House to explain to members where that money is or what it has been used for.

We have generated over 3 billion cedis. We have allowed the MDAs to keep 2.2 billion cedis. There is a balance of 721 million cedis. Where is that money? Mr. Speaker where is the money? They say the money is there, where? I cannot find it here, he argued.

When he was later asked by Joy News Emefa Apawu what his suspicions were on the whereabouts of the money, the Ketu North MP said he had no suspicions, except to demand from the Finance Minister what the money has been used for.

He is also demanding the whereabouts of the monies allocated for some government projects including the Zongo Development Fund, One district, one factory, in the 2017 budget statement but which were not executed.

In a response to Avedzis queries on the floor of Parliament, the Deputy Finance Minister Kweku Kwarteng said the amount has been lodged in the consolidated fund.

This collection goes into an account at the Bank of Ghana, he said adding if its the MDA retains part of it as Internally Generated Fund and the remaining is put into the Consolidated Fund.

The suggestion that we have not listed some account here and therefore where is the money is a very strange suggestion, he stated.
The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has asked all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) with parliamentary ambitions to resign their positions by the end of this year.

The National Council directive is targeted at MMDCEs in constituencies where the NPP has sitting Members of Parliament (MPs).

Acting NPP General Secretary John Boadu said the decision is aimed at averting a replay of the apprehension, mudslinging and hostilities that characterized the partys parliamentary primaries in the past.

Some MMDCEs during the tenure of President John Agyekum Kufuor in 2008 aggressively contested some sitting MPs, creating a situation where defeated aspirants went as independent candidates.

The cohesion in the party suffered, but the NPP has taken pre-emptive measures in order to avoid a repeat of what happened in the past.

The 5th National Council General Meeting resolved that MMDCEs who are eyeing parliamentary seats have to step down three years before the 2020 general elections.

Mr Boadu told Gifty Andoh Appiah on Joy FMs Top Story Wednesday, the term of office of all constituencies, regional and national party executives have also been extended by three months.

But local government expert Dr Eric Oduro Osae said the directive to MMDCEs could undermine their human rights.

He said because Ghanaians have the political "right to vote" and be voted for, any decision that affects the enjoyment of that is against their human rights.

Although he admitted the decision helps the NPP to separate party management from governance, Dr Oduro Osae asked the party to consider extending it to all the constituencies.

But Mr Boadu said theoretically the general application of the rule as suggested by Dr Osae will be fine, but practically it is not possible.

In some places getting people to contest is very difficult, he said.
The National Youth Authority has expressed shock at the brazen sale of young Africans into slavery in Libya.

"It is a revulsing return to 15th-century slavery at a time when our common humanity and dignity is a universal human right", the NYA said in a statement.

The NYA says the revelations must be used as the tipping point in the fight against human trafficking and exploitation of Africans.

The world is waking up the shocking practice in which hundreds of people are being auctioned in modern-day slave markets in Libya for as little as $400.

Libya is the main transit hub for refugees and migrants attempting to reach southern Europe by sea. They are coming from countries like Nigeria, Eritrea, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Senegal, Sudan and Somalia.

The power vacuum in Libya after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi has made human trafficking and people smuggling a booming trade.

France has requested an "urgent" meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss this treatment of migrants in Libya.

The Foreign Ministry has said three Ghanaians have reported that they were sold in Libya as slaves.

Joining in the national conversation, the NYA said the trade while condemnable is a signal to African governments to the huge responsibility it has to create jobs and give hope to millions on the continent.

It urged ECOWAS and the African Union to intervene in the migration crisis and quicken its dialogue the European Union to combat human trafficking

The National Youth Authority said whiles it recognised that unemployment is the main motive for migration, the levels of desperation in recent times calls for short-term solutions.

It called on the government to consider an aggressive campaign to discourage desperate young people from embarking on what has been described as the most desperate journey on earth.

The NYA believes religious leaders can play a very powerful role in dissuading the youth from joining other African nationals to Libya.

"The pulpit and the mosque are places where an extraordinary power of motivation can be leveraged to provide hope to the desperate", a statement said.

The NYA urged Ghanaian youth to channel their "Go-to-Europe-against-all-odds" desire into opportunities in agriculture.

The Authority said the returns on farming is good enough to capture the attention of young people.

"There is the Planting for Food and Jobs programme ready to embrace any determined young Ghanaian who wants to farm", the statement indicated.
30.11.2017 LISTEN

The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), has resolved that all persons serving as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive (MMDCEs) who are willing to contest as Parliamentary Candidates in the party must be resign before the general elections.

In a press conference held in Accra on Wednesday November 29, 2017 and addressed by the party's Acting General Secretary, Mr. John Boadu, stated that all the MMDCEs who wish to contest as Parliamentary Candidates in constituencies where the party has sitting MPs are not eligible to contest unless they resign from their current positions, at least three years before the ensuing national general elections.

According to him, "The National Council, which is the party's Second Highest decision making body pursuant to Article 9(b) of the party constitution has unanimously resolved that all persons serving as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) who wish to contest as Parliamentary Candidates in constituencies where the party has sitting MPs, are not ELIGIBLE to contest unless they resign from their current positions at least three years before the ensuing NATION GENERAL ELECTIONS".

Mr. Boadu revealed that, the Council resolved that Regional Chairpersons, Regional Secretaries, Regional Treasurers, Constituency Chairpersons, Constituency Secretaries and Constituency Treasurer are not also eligible to contest in the party's parliamentary primaries in constituencies where the party's has sitting MPs hence unless they resign at least three years before the 'National General Elections'.

He explained that, "The Council adopted these resolutions upon conviction that these decisions are in the best interest of the party and government.

He emphasized that, the decisions 'ONLY APPLY' to constituencies where the party has sitting MPs but 'NOT APPLY' to constituencies where the party doesn't have sitting MP (Orphan Constituencies).

The meeting of the National Council brought the bigwigs of party thus, President Akufo-Addo, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, former President John Agyekum Kufour, the Speaker of Parliament, the Chief of Staff, Members of the party's Council of Elders among others.

Below is the full statement

November 29, 2017

*PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY JOHN BOADU, THE ACTING GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE NPP ON RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE PARTYS NATIONAL COUNCIL AND RELATED MATTERS*

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen of the media

We have invited you here primarily to officially communicate the decisions taken by the partys National Council at its 5th general meeting held on Tuesday, November 8, 2017 at the M-Plaza hotel. But before that, the party has learnt with shock the demise of our Volta Regional communication director, Efo Philipo, who passed on to glory this morning and accordingly wish to extend our deepest condolence to the bereaved family, friends and the party in the region. We shall provide them with the needed support in this trying moment.

This meeting of the national council had in attendance, His Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo, H.E. Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, H.E. former President John Agyekum Kufour, the Speaker of Parliament, the Chief of Staff, Members of the partys Council of Elders, National Executive Officers, former national executives, representatives of the parliamentary group, all regional chairperson and secretaries and other members of the council as provided for under Article 9(b) of our party constitution.

The National Council, which is the partys Second Highest decision making body pursuant to Article 9(b) of the party constitution has unanimously resolved that all persons serving as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) who wish to contest as Parliamentary Candidates in constituencies where the party has sitting MPs, are NOT ELIGIBLE to contest unless they resign from their current positions at least three years before the ensuing NATIONAL GENERAL ELECTIONS.

The Council also resolved that regional chairpersons, regional secretaries, regional treasurers, constituency chairpersons, constituency secretaries and constituency treasurers are NOT ELIGIBLE to contest as Parliamentary Candidates in constituencies where the party has sitting MPs unless they resign at least three years before the NATIONAL GENERAL ELECTIONS. The Council adopted these resolutions upon conviction that these decisions are in the best interest of the party and government.

For emphasis, these decisions ONLY APPLY to constituencies where the party has sitting Members of Parliament and DOES NOT APPLY to orphan constituencies (i.e. constituencies where the party does not have sitting Members of Parliament).

As part of this resolution, council has directed all the 10 regional executive committees to organize an expanded regional executive committee meetings comprising constituency executives to brief them on key amendment proposals that would be considered for adoption at the extraordinary conference.

Also, National Council passed a resolution to EXTEND THE MANDATE OF ALL SERVING OFFICERS of the party at each level by three months following the expiration of their four-year mandate to allow for primaries to be conducted.

National Council at this meeting, also adopted the report of the ad-hoc committee set up to review and streamline the proposals for amendments to the party constitution subject to approval and final adoption by national conference.

The NPP would hold an extraordinary national delegates conference pursuant to Article 9 (A)(5) of the party constitution, on Sunday, 17th December, 2017 in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, as communicated in a notice issued by the general secretary on November 28. This conference is being held primarily to consider and adopt the proposed amendments to the party constitution.

The Council also approved the calendar for programmes and activities of the party presented by the National Secretariat between November 2017 and June 2018, which has been spelled out as follows:

7th December, 2017  Interdenominational Service for peaceful elections and to mark the 1st Anniversary of NPP victory

17th December, 2017  Extraordinary National Delegates Conference

31st December, 2017  Deadline for updating membership register in preparations towards the upcoming primaries (This includes that of External Branches)

3rd January, 2018  National Steering Committee meeting and submission of rules and regulations for all internal primaries to National Steering Committee

9th January, 2018  National Council meeting to affirm the rules governing party primaries

17th to 21st January, 2018  Polling Station Elections in all the 29,000+ Polling Stations across the country

26th to 29th January, 2018  Elections of Electoral Area Coordinators

7th February, 2018  National Steering Committee meeting

8th to 10th February, 2018  Completion of the compilation of Polling Station and Electoral Area Registers of all Elected Officers

21st to 24th February, 2018  Constituency Annual Delegates Conference to elect Constituency Executives

5th to 25th February, 2018  Chapter Elections for all External Branches

18th to 30th March, 2018  Elections of External Branch Executives

24th March, 2018  Completion of the compilation of the Registers for all Constituency Officers (Elected and Appointed) including Disciplinary Committee members, Finance Committee members, 5 members each from Council of Elders and Council of Patrons

4th April, 2018  National Steering Committee meeting

6th April, 2018  National Council meeting

21st to 24th April, 2018  Regional Annual Delegates Conference to elect Regional Executives

19th May, 2018  Completion of all Delegates Album (Register) in preparation for national primaries

5th to 17th June, 2018  National Annual Delegates Conference to elect National Officers [Venue to be determined by National Council at a later date]

In conclusion, the party fervently anticipates the full cooperation of all members in order to make the upcoming extraordinary national delegates conference and the internal primaries, a success.

Thank you.

...Signed...

JOHN BOADU

General Secretary (Ag)

Source: Daniel Kaku
Blessing wanted to believe the advert on Facebook that promised "a cure for AIDS".

Infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), she felt the ad was her only hope -- so against her better judgement, she clicked on the link.

The 30-year-old Nigerian had created a fake profile on the social networking site in the hope of contacting a traditional healer who would be familiar with modern technology.

For 100,000 naira -- about $280 (230 euros) and more than five times the monthly minimum wage -- she was promised a plant-based potion that would completely eradicate the disease.

Sceptical, Blessing asked for more time and a face-to-face meeting. Instead, her would-be benefactor asked for her bank account details.

That was several months ago.

"He talked only about money, so I gave up," said Blessing, whose name has been changed at her request. "But I was ready to try."

"There are so many people giving positive testimonies about the drug," she told AFP in a soft voice.

Since then, with the distribution in Nigeria of free antiretroviral treatments that repress the virus -- but do not eliminate it -- Blessing has been able to finish her studies in sociology in Abuja.

She said she now feels more comfortable with her HIV-positive status, but while she has a few business projects, the hardest thing has been finding a boyfriend.

"I was desperate. Any relationship I wanted to be in was difficult. I know I have to live with the virus," she said.

Power of prayer

Despair and stigma for people living with HIV make them easy targets for a range of supposed miracle workers, including internet scams, in deeply religious Nigeria.

An estimated 3.2 million Nigerians are living with HIV, and the stigma of the condition makes many people easy targets for supposed miracle workers

Not a month goes by without a Christian pastor announcing that a follower has been "saved".

In Lagos, the commercial capital of more than 20 million people, vast and imposing evangelical churches have become a magnet for the sick from across Africa.

Among the most well-known faith healers is TB Joshua, who runs the Synagogue Church of All Nations, and whose popularity has earned him a multimillion-dollar fortune.

He prides himself in his claims of having cured people of AIDS and even in bringing the dead back to life.

His website is full of testimonies about his apparent powers of prophecy.

One on his TB Joshua Ministries page on Facebook is titled: "AIDS kicked out with prayer."

"Mr Ubon Augustine is a living testimony that no disease can escape the healing power of Jesus Christ," it reads. "He was healed of HIV/Aids through a prayer... Thank You Jesus!"

No scientific proof

Others also claim to have found the scientific cure for HIV, publishing research in obscure journals.

One such assertion, from a professor at an agricultural university in the southeastern state of Abia, garnered significant coverage in the Nigerian news media earlier this year.

Maduike Ezeibe claimed that after 25 years of research, he had successfully tested a drug he had developed on patients.

"Nigeria is thus (the) first country to get 10 people (to) recover from HIV/AIDS," he was quoted as saying by Nigeria's Guardian newspaper in March.

Nigeria's health agencies condemn such claims on the grounds of the "absence of sound scientific evidence" as well as the dramatic effects on patients if they stop taking conventional treatment.

HIV levels can fall to below detectable levels with the help of a daily pill, but rebound when the treatment is stopped.

The viruses swiftly reproduces to attack immune cells, exposing the body to opportunistic disease and worsening the risk of infecting others.

"If someone thinks he is cured of the virus when on the contrary he still has the virus, the risk of transmission will be higher," said Daniel Ndukwe of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA).

"We have had people claim they were cured of HIV by miracle healing, and we have also heard of those who later had a deterioration of their health afterward," he said.

No formal study has been undertaken in Nigeria to explore the phenomenon but there is no doubt that many have seen a market for apparent miracle cures.

Lucrative business

According to UNAIDS, prevalence of HIV among adults in Nigeria was 2.9 percent in 2016, which is relatively low compared to countries such as South Africa (18.9 percent).

But the actual number of people living with the condition -- 3.2 million -- is among the highest in the continent.

Emmanuel Ugochukwu Michael, the founder of a match-making agency for people with HIV, says he is regularly approached by people asking for his 7,000-name database.

"I receive a lot of calls from traditional doctors and mainly from pastors," he said.

"They invite me for a dinner and promise to pay me money if I provide them phone numbers of my clients," he added.

"It's a lot of temptation. It gives me a lot of sleepless nights, I can tell you.

"There's huge money to be made and everybody wants to take advantage of it."
Ghana, will on 1 December 2017, join the rest of the globe to mark this years World AIDS Day (WAD), under the local theme: The Right to Health: Know Your HIV Status, Seek Early Treatment.

World AIDS Day is marked annually to raise awareness on the AIDS epidemic, its impact on persons infected and affected and also remember those who have died from the epidemic.

The global theme for the WAD 2017: My Health, My Right focuses on the right to health and explores the challenges people around the world face in exercising their rights.

Launching the WAD 2017, the Executive Director of UNAIDS. Michel Sidibe, noted that: All people, regardless of their age, gender, where they live or who they love has the right to health, adding that no matter what the health needs are, everyone requires health solutions that are available and accessible, free from discrimination and of good quality.

Globally, this years commemoration seeks to stress and remind the world that if a persons right to health is compromised, they are often unable to effectively prevent disease and ill health, including HIV, or to gain access to treatment and care. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), believes that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030, will depend heavily on ensuring the right to health for all.

For Ghana, this years WAD is unique, as it comes off simultaneously with National Farmers Day, a day dedicated to celebrate farmers and fisher folks, who contribute to about half of the total labour force in Ghana. The joint commemoration fits into the national commitment to reach all populations in every sector of society with HIV and AIDS information and services.

The day would be marked with a joint grand durbar in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, where HIV prevalence is estimated to be 2.6 per cent, per the 2016 HIV sentinel survey report .

This collaboration is necessitated by the drive to ensure that no one is left behind in the global effort to end AIDS by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. National Farmers Day presents a special opportunity to reach out to farmers and other agribusiness men with the knowledge and tools necessary to live an informed life, says the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC).

The durbar will have the President of the Republic of Ghana and Chairman of GAC, Nana Akufo-Addo, as the key note speaker. The newly appointed Country Director of UNAIDS to Ghana, Ms. Angela Trenton-Mbonde, will also deliver the 2017 Global WAD speech on behalf of the UNAIDS Executive Director.

The GAC, as part of the event, will in collaboration with partners, mount an exhibition of assorted Information Education and Communication materials, freely distribute condoms and offer HIV testing services.

Technical personnel from GAC and partners shall be available to offer free counselling and psychosocial support on all matters relating to HIV and AIDS. This collaboration is expected to be replicated across the country in all the ten regions of Ghana.

HIV prevalence for 2016 in Ghana was 2.4 per cent which represents a second consecutive upsurge from the 2014 prevalence of 1.6 per cent and 1.8 per cent in 2015. HIV prevalence was higher in urban areas (2.5 per cent) than rural areas (1.9 per cent).

The commemoration of WAD 2017 is even more crucial as Ghana and the rest of West and Central Africa seeks to meet the global 90-90-90 Fast track targets of ensuring that by 2020, at least 90 percent of people living with HIV know their status; 90 percent of persons living with HIV are enrolled onto treatment and sustained in care; and 90 percent of people on sustained HIV treatment attain viral suppression.

It also comes of at a time when the UNAIDS says countries in West and Central Africa are lagging behind in the global pursuit to end AIDS as a public health threat.

Though the global response to HIV is accelerating at an unprecedented rate with a 48% decline in deaths from AIDS-related causes, from 1.9 million in 2005 to 1.0 million in 2016, available data suggests that only less than half of persons living with HIV in West and Central Africa are aware of their status.

The Global efforts to reach the 909090 targets are leaving millions behind in western and central Africa. A relatively high burden of HIV in the region, combined with HIV testing and treatment coverage far below the global average, paints an alarming picture: while it contains 7% of the worlds population, the region is home to 17% of the worlds people living with HIV and accounts for 30% of the worlds AIDS-related deaths, says UNAIDS in its special analysis report.

According to UNAIDS, the comparatively slow expansion of HIV treatment services, has held back the reduction of AIDS-related deaths in western and central Africa. The epidemic has claimed the lives of an estimated 310 000 adults and children in 2016 in the region alone.

Figures also point that while the world witnessed significant progress in responding to HIV, with 57% of all people living with HIV knowing their HIV status, 46% of all people living with HIV accessing treatment and 38% of all people living with HIV virally suppressed in 2015, the western and central Africa region achieved only 36%, 28% and 12%, respectively. This meant a considerable 4.7 million people living with HIV were not receiving treatment.

Insufficient access to antiretroviral treatment, under-resourced health systems and logistical weaknesses has made the region hardest hit by AIDS-related deaths in the world, pushing the UNAIDS to come up with a catch-up plan to supplement national strategies and existing plans with the aim of increasing antiretroviral treatment uptake and saving lives in the region. It is to supplement national strategies and existing plans.

This plan, endorsed by African heads of states, during the 29th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is to dramatically accelerate the scale-up of HIV testing, prevention and treatment programmes, with the goal of putting the region on the Fast-Track to meet the 909090 targets by December 2020.

According to the Regional Director of UNAIDS for Western and Central Africa, Dr.Djibrill Diallo, the successful implementation of the plan across the region, will see at least 850 000 people, including 60 000 children, diagnosed as living with HIV but not yet enrolled in care will receive sustained high-quality antiretroviral therapy by mid-2018. This is an estimated 65% of the number of previously tested but untreated people living with HIV.

Ten countries in West and Central Africa have already developed and implemented their catch-up plans, with some already seeing results.

They are Benin, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Cote dIvoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
After my article on AMERICA AND THE HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA, published on 22 July, 2015, I thought this matter has been laid to rest in Ghana. But no, Nana Akuffo Addo has come to stir the pot again, and I cannot help but to revisit this satanic agenda, and to call upon my fellow Ghanaians and Africa in general, to rise up and to resist Satan and his agenda!!!

First of all, this is not even an issue to be considered at all, knowing that Ghana and Africa have more serious issues to grapple with, economically, politically, socially and spiritually. But to bring up this issue, neglecting to address our more pressing and monumental problems, shows that the western countries that are pushing this satanic agenda are more interested in the butts, than in our economic, social, political and spiritual problems. But why should they care? Are we not independent? Are we not capable of managing our own affairs? After years of independence and despite the abundant natural and human resources in Africa, we still go begging for loans and assistance from the western countries, and that is how they are able to push their agendas on us.

But we must rise up and resist this agenda from taking any roots in our culture. We the people must resist and rise up against anyone who tries to bring this abomination to the land, whether it is the government, a chief, a king, a minister of state, a pastor, a prophet, a bishop, an archbishop, a school teacher, or anyone for that matter!!

At this juncture, let me repeat some excerpts from my previous article on the homosexual agenda as they are still very relevant to the issue:

Whether you're straight or square, or rectangle or triangle, or even a pyramid, the word of God declares that, "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Further, the Bible declares, "There is no one righteous, no, not even one"(Romans 3:10). And again, "there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin." (Eccles 7:20).

Therefore, we are all sinners before God, but the good news is that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin when we confess our sin (1 John 1:9). Everyone of us is born a sinner and we all have broken God's commands and that is why we all need salvation, to be set free from the power, practice and penalty of sin.

All sins are not equal. There are grievous or abominable sins, and there are sins that lead to death (1 John 5:16-17), just as in civil law where we have serious crimes or felonies and misdemeanors. Regardless, we need to guard our hearts and minds against all forms of sin, for God is pure and holy, and wants us to be holy! We cannot justify or excuse our sin, whether it is big or small. All sin is unrighteousness and the holy God hates sin (Psalm 5:5; 7:11; 1 John 5:17)! Certainly, God is love, but God is also just and does not overlook or countenance sin!

The issue of sexual sin is a very serious matter, because it is the one sin that not only offends God, but is also committed against the body (1 Corinthians 6:18). Sexual sin attaches itself to the body, heart and mind, and may bring along VD's or venereal diseases, such as gonorrhea, syphilis, AIDS, etc. Not only does sexual sin defile the body, it also defiles the land and that is why God commands against adultery, fornication, incest, bestiality, homosexuality and all forms of sexual debauchery.

Now the Bible describes homosexuality as sin in Leviticus 18:22-25; 20:13,23; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10;1 Timothy 1:8-10. Homosexuality takes sexual sin to another level. It is both abominable and reprehensible to the Lord, and is against the natural order of procreation, against the divine command, "Be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28). Legalization of homosexuality and same-sex "marriage," has nothing to do with "equality" and "civil rights," but with sinful rights, and God's judgment is upon any nation or society that endorses this abominable sin.

We have nothing against homosexuals, and they can practice their lifestyle all they want, that's what free choice is all about. But we have everything against the homosexual agenda which is powered by Satan and is destined to fail, in spite of years of pushing, shoving, lobbying and financing, because it is based on lies, deceit, duplicity, unrighteousness and sinful lusts of the flesh. The ultimate goal of this agenda is to silence the church and to make a vile sin acceptable, without dissent, and this will not happen!

Sin must be confessed in order to be forgiven, but no, the homosexual agenda seeks to glorify sin, to exalt the sin of homosexuality! Homosexuals used to hide in the closets, because of the shame and stigma attached to this abominable lifestyle, but now they have not only "come out" of their closets, they take PRIDE in their sin; they PARADE their sin; they PROMOTE their sin; they PROMULGATE their sin through legislation, as have happened in some western countries, but we in Ghana and Africa must not give room to this nonsense. As said earlier, this is not about equality or civil rights, but about sinful rights that destroy a nation. I'm glad that legislators in Kenya have warned Obama not to even entertain the idea of discussing this abomination on his visit to Kenya.

The homosexual agenda seeks to put labels on those who won't accept their lifestyle, calling them, "bigots, ignorant, hateful, homophobic, intolerant," and what have you, but the true man of God is not afraid of labels and speaks the word in accordance with the word of God. Yes, there are preachers who have kowtowed to this stupid agenda, but remember that Satan also has his ministers in the church parading as ministers of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). There are also preachers who are themselves homosexuals; and there are preachers who are pedophiles, rapists, adulterers and fornicators, using the name of the Lord in vain, and how can the blind lead the blind, unless they both fall into the ditch (Matthew 15:14)?

This agenda seeks to vilify and persecute Christians. Indeed, persecution of Christians who oppose the gay lifestyle has already started in America, the land of freedom! Right now, some Christians have been fined $135,000 for refusing to make a wedding cake for a gay couple, and have been given ultimatum to pay up or else! Some have lost their jobs because of their stand against this abomination and the worst is yet to come, and this nonsense must stop! So much for homosexual tolerance!!!!

On the bright side, there's plenty of hope for the homosexual and for all sinners. Jesus Christ came to save sinners and not righteous people, but tell me, who is righteous? The homosexual community is very ripe for the harvest and we give glory to the Lord of the harvest for His mercy and great wisdom and pray that He would use this travesty of justice to bring lost souls to Himself:

"And such were some of you: but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:11

In the verse above, Paul is talking about people who were once lost in sin, in unrighteousness, fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, drunkards, etc., but are now saved and washed in the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ (Verses 9-10). They have put their past lives behind them and are now new creatures, sanctified and made holy by the blood, and so there is hope for every sinner who comes to Jesus for salvation. Yes, come now and be saved, and stop giving excuses and trying to justify your sin.

And the only way to receive salvation is to acknowledge our sin, to confess our sin, to agree with God that we're sinners and call upon the name of the Saviour, Jesus Christ, for salvation.

It is a shame that America is more concerned about promoting the gay agenda, instead of finding answers to their economic woes and the social, moral and spiritual decline of this once great country. There is a divine judgment on America which many do not see, and would get worse, but we continue to pray and to intercede for the land and for the nations, that the Lord might stay His judgment and instead, send revival across the land and the whole world. Yes, there's judgment on the land because America has departed from the Lord, from the principles of their founding fathers.

On their Dollar is inscribed, "In God we trust," but America today is a godless nation that does not honour or trust God, but has rejected God. They have taken prayers out of their schools. They have removed the "Ten Commandments" from public squares, and even as I write this, there is a court order to remove the "Ten Commandments" from the state capitol in Oklahoma on the grounds that, "it is religious in nature and an integral part of the Jewish and Christian faith."

All this is happening, in spite of thousands of churches across America. This is because the church in America is dead, without life and without power and has lost her witness and is being swallowed up daily by the culture. In their attempt to become "relevant" to the culture, the church in America has fallen into apostasy, compromise and apathy and is it any wonder they have lost their voice and their witness? The book of Revelations describes the condition of the church in America today as in the stage of the churches in Sardis and Laodicea ( Revelations 3:1-4; 14-19).

America's once great economy is now in shambles, and this is part of the judgment. God has taken economic power from America and given it to China, literally! Today America is living on borrowed money from China, instead of the other way round. Do you not read it in Deuteronomy 15:6; 28:44 ?

When a nation turns away from the Lord, the Lord takes away the blessings and America has lost the blessings and is now a slave to China, according to the word of the Lord! America is living on borrowed money and sooner or later the bubble would burst and it would not be pleasant at all. America's national debt is in trillions of Dollars and unless the Lord intervenes, America would become the next Greece!

Please pray for America and don't copy America blindly and foolishly! America has departed from the Lord and her sins has reached up to high heavens. Homosexuality, like other sins, is offensive to the Lord, but the legalization of same-sex marriage across America is the final straw that breaks the camel's back. But we continue to pray, that instead of judgment, God would send revival to turn things around for His glory, not only in America, but across the whole world, and that the name of Jesus Christ, the only Mediator between God and mankind, would be exalted.

Brother Amartey is an ordained minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He is the author of TITHING:ROBBING AND STEALING FROM GOD'S PEOPLE, available at Vidya Bookstores at Osu, Accra.
30.11.2017 LISTEN

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Jomoro District of the Western Region, Hon. Ernest Kofie has expressed his worries over the security threats in the District.

He made this known during the second Ordinary General Meeting of the Assembly for the year 2017 at Half Assini on November 21, 2017, to address challenges facing the Assembly and finding solutions to it.

There is a relatively calm security situation in the District. However, stealing of coconut, chieftaincy disputes in areas such as Bonyere, Ellenda, Tikobo No. 2, Nvellenu, Bawia and the use of motorbikes for commercial purpose popularly known as Okada are however threats to security in the District.

There was also a murder case at Takinta four months ago and armed robbery at Elubo, which resulted in the death of one person about two months ago.

The DISEC and other agencies are working assiduously to maintain peace in the District.

Hon. PM, most of the security agencies are operating under very challenging conditions. Office and residential accommodations woefully inadequate. The current Police- Citizen ratio of the one police to about two thousand (1:2,000) people puts a lot of pressure on the police.

Let us all be involved in the maintenance of peace in the District by volunteering the needed security information to the police for the necessary urgent action. I want to also plead with Hon. Members to remain neutral in all disputes, especially chieftaincy and land-related disputes", he highlighted.

He used the meeting to briefed the members on the Assembly performance on revenue generation.

He, therefore, said, "the Internally Generated Fund (IGF) is not doing well as we expected. The Assembly estimated to collect an amount of GHc. 712,732.00 in 2017. The total collection as at 30th September 2017, stood at GHc. 350,554.84, representing 49 percent of the budgeted figure.

He added that management has put in place a revenue taskforce to augment the effort of the revenue staff.

"A revenue Committee involving the various revenue departments have also been put in place to compile data and do regular assessment of the revenue performance. Public education on revenue have also been organized", he pleaded.

Hon. Kofie pleaded with the oil companies, NGOs, individuals among others to come to the District aid to move the District forward in a positive direction.

He also the occasion to express his profound gratitude to President Akufo-Addo for the opportunity granted him to represent him in the Jomoro District hence pledged his support to work hard to achieve success for the area.

The District Chief Executive took over the administration of the Assembly on 1st November 2017 and assumed work officially on Monday, November 6, 2017.

The meeting brought together the Jomoro Magistrate, DCD, Assemblymen, and women, Government appointees, Chiefs and Queen mothers, Heads of Department, Non-Governmental Organisations, the media among others.

Source: Daniel Kaku
30.11.2017 LISTEN

Modern Women of Wisdom International (MWOW) an Advocacy women group Africa has joined numerous organisations and individuals in the world in condemning the slave trade of some African countries in Libya.

A statement issued by the Women Organisation expressed sadness over the matter and stressed the need for African communities to take swift initiative to curtail such scandalous abuses of human rights.

Pictures of slave markets and gross abuse of black Africans are awash on social media after CNN uncovered the fledging human trade in the North African country.

The horrible images show some migrants being sold for $400 while others are tortured to death by individuals in Libyan military wears.

Some Africans have condemned the apparent silence of the continents leaders over the development as the AU, ECOWAS and other known regional blocks are yet to comment on the issue.

MWOW indicated that, as a matter of urgency, we seek the emancipation of all the captives and clearly, the AU has a role to play in areas such as ensuring the release of the victims and punishing the perpetrators''.

''As a humanitarian organization aimed at saving lives and preserving human dignity, we found this heinous crime morally undignified and humanely unjustifiable, it said.

Read the full statement

We the members of Modern Women of Wisdom International are not only raising the awareness of the presence of slave trade activities in Libya; we vehemently condemn the preposterous exhibition of racism and atrocious display of slave trade in Libya.

As a humanitarian organization aimed at saving lives and preserving human dignity, we found this heinous crime morally undignified and humanely unjustifiable.

Just when we thought the horror which once existed at the idea of a slave master armed with a dagger, whips, cutlass and guns inflicting pains on slaves was over because slave trade was abolished in 1883, we recently woke up to find human beings bundled and being shipped into foreign countries at a cost of 300 pounds/400 dollars per head in Libya.

As a compassionate NGO, we found the animosity exercised by the captors towards the captives very horrible and we feel the moral imperative to speak out against this barbarism.

Truth be told, no state in the 21st Century prospers by thriving on slave trade. Slave trade belongs to the Stone age. There are now better and more efficient strategies like free trade and free labour that boosts the economy of nations

As a matter of urgency, we seek the emancipation of all the captives and clearly, the AU has a role to play in areas such as ensuring the release of the victims and punishing the perpetrators.

The AU's commitment to the respect of fundamental human rights must be enshrined and enforced in its treaty.

Again, we humbly call upon the International Community to step up their discussions and rescue strategies as a matter of urgency before the worst happens.

We can't afford to look unconcerned as Africans because the by- standing effect will either make others feel threatened or encourage others to embark on similar activities.

It is our fervent hope and desire that the International community responds rapidly by rushing to the rescue of all the black captives in Libya.

Long Live Africa

Long Live Humanity

Long Live MWOW

SIGNED:

Mariama Conteh (Sierra Leone)

Nana Ama Asantewaa Kwarko- (Ghana)

Ivy Mvula- (Zimbabwe)

Cerinah Nalwoga- (Uganda)

RefiloeTsotetsi- (South Africa)
30.11.2017 LISTEN

Freemasons describe their society as a beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.

But these symbols including a compass and an eye seem to have spawned lots of conspiracy theories.

In fact its long been seen as a secret society or cult, a group of men who have sold their souls to the devil.

The Ghana chapter of the society hopes to change these perception with the launch of a book titled The Freemasons,.

JoyNews Maxwell Agbagba caught up with the author of the book, Abraham Gyesie at the Freemasons Hall in Accra and has come through with this audio report.

Speaking at the launch of the book at the British Council on Wednesday, former President John Agyekum Kufour, who is the Senior Grand Warden of the United Grand Lodge of England stated Freemasonry is charity work.
Last Saturday I decided to cover the National Sanitation Day exercise in Secondi  Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), an example of one of the few instances when I have had to run away from commenting on a national issue  whether gay marriage is coming, or it is not coming. Even the fact that I am saying I dont want to be part of that conversation, can, in itself, generate problems for me. So I have adopted a convenient approach; I have decided not to understand the issues around same sex relationships or is that one too a problem?

Anyway, the Secondi  Takoradi sanitation exercise, which started at about 7am, took place at the market circle, Bank of Ghana, and AJIP round about, with the army, and the STMA city guards undertaking the cleaning.

Unfortunately the general public was not involved. The low patronage of the exercise was so loud, that I wondered where all the millions of cedis and all the funfair that greeted the 2012 inauguration of the Sanitation Day, had gone to.

As I made a few stops at the market circle, towards the Bank of Ghana area, the Glawa men kept congregating around my car, hoping to convince me, to change some foreign currencies with them; they behaved as though they were not aware that there was any sanitation exercise ongoing  although the exercise was taking place right at their noses.

The market women began to arrive at their shops at about 9.30am, just in time before the end of the cleaning exercise, and as they arrived, they waited in front of their shops, looking on as the army cleaned the gutters.

Immediately the exercise was over, all the market women opened their shops at once, and customers began to come in, with many traders parading their wares right on the closed gutters, exactly the location where the army had cleansed a while ago. The liters began to fly back into the gutters, the streets started to see rubbish sweeping themselves back onto the open, as though no cleaning exercise had taken place.

One man nearly punched my nose, when I confronted him, for throwing empty pure water bag into the gutter, and he had another person supporting him against me  it took a woman to challenge him into silence, and to draw his attention to the clean up exercise that had just taken place.

So yes, the sanitation exercise took place, but the rubbish went back into the gutters and on the streets a few moments later, and the work done came back to zero; I am told that the exercise would be repeated in three weeks, and our way of doing things will resurface, gathering the rubbish out and throwing them back, into the gutters from where they were gathered, month after month, do you get me at all?

Last week the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, launched a National Sanitation Campaign, similar to the National Sanitation Day program that the former President, John Mahama, launched somewhere in 2012. The government launched campaign is also similar to the Town Council sanitation officers (popularly called Tankase Officers) of the late 1950s, and almost the same as the one that was launched by Stephen Asamoah Boateng, in the mid 2000s, when he was the Local Government Minister  the sanitation program that failed, just like the one that failed previously, similar to the one that might fail, do you get it now?

Since 2014, the country has spent millions of cedis going round the country, from one regional capital to the other, carrying out what was later referred loosely as a Political Sanitation Days, with all the fanfares that came with the events. We got Zoomlion to procure several hundreds of thousands of dustbins, including the ones which, we are told, were never supplied, but which we paid for in full, do you remember that one?

Sadly the story has not changed, after the many sanitation investments in the country. We still have chocked gutters. We still have polluted beaches. We still have plastic bags disposed in the open.

I did another visit, just to satisfy my curiosity, to assess the sanitation situation in the beaches of Winneba, and in Senya. In both towns, I saw open defecation on display. Men and women, children and adults, squatting, side-by-side, some on rocks, others in deserted holes, all producing fecal matters onto our beaches, with the sea waves occasionally evacuating them, into the sea, to exactly the spots where men and children swim, bathing in the sea water that has been mixed with the toilet they produced a while ago  do you see where cholera began?

I spoke with an elderly man, who had just completed his fecal mission, to find out why he had to walk six hundred meters, to do what he did at the beach, in such a hot afternoon. His answer was predicted; the government has failed to provide a toilet facility in his area, and that is why he had to walk all the way to the beach.

This is a man who recently put up his own house, with twelve bedrooms, but did not include any toilet facility when he was putting up the house  a classic case of a lack of law enforcement, right? Whoever failed, in his duty, to have ensured that this man included toilet facilities in his building, is still collecting his salary, and is still being seen as a noble man, while the integrity of our beaches are destroyed  mbo!

In a conversation with some of the users of the beach as destination for open defecation, they seem to admit that the practice was wrong, although the same was done by their grandparents, except that there are no options, and there are no consequences for the abuse of the beach. We have, within the National Youth Employment Program, a module called Youth in Coastal Sanitation (is that right?), yet our beaches are as filthy as they have been since we began to dance in circles.

The National Sanitation Day, Sanitation Taskforce, Tankase, and so on, are all phrases of pain; they get us no results; they are all tokenistic projects, cycled and recycled, to give us a semblance of hope, that the situation shall improve  they produce nothing! These programs did not work yesterday, they are not working today, and I dont see them succeeding any time soon - all these fun-filled launching and re-launching of sanitation programs that have been done, and continue to be done, are a waste of our money; the people are not interested in owning it, cant you see?

We need innovation, to solve the problem. On my way to Rwanda a couple of years ago, it was part of the landing announcements, that, rubber bags are not allowed in Kigali. I am not comparing us to Sweden. I am not comparing us to Brussels. I am not comparing us to Geneva. I am comparing Ghana with a genocide affected country that had emerged from war. Kigali is beautiful, not because of high rise buildings. Kigali is beautiful because there is a collective resolve, backed by concrete leadership, to rid the city of filth.

If we want to succeed, like Rwanda has done, we will need to deploy sanitation programs back with ruthless consequences for violations, a program that comes with strong political will, and are owned by the communities, devoid of partisan recruitment, with community determination to provide vanguard for its sustainability.

In the past, cultural taboos and our traditional institutions, were the centers of fear, into obeying environmental laws. If these taboos were still respectable, and respected, they would have continued with us into self-regulation, as done by our forefathers, to maintain the environment.

But we have lost the fear of the gods. When we became Christians, we destroyed them, without looking at the rationale for their existence. In place of the gods, we brought something we call Sanitation Police, a taskforce which, unfortunately

Anyway, in the absence of the cultural route to law enforcement, we will need to decentralize decisions around who becomes responsible for the sanitation situation in our districts.

Let us invest all the several millions of cedis we are paying for sanitation days, into open and fairly selected private sanitation companies, paying them premium, and tasking them to ensure that every corner of the district is clean, giving them the power to enforce prosecution of those who mess up the environment.

At the same time give the citizens a role to play, as in making sure that they hold those sanitation companies to account, and if they fail, empower the citizens to be able to take them to court, with consequences  therein lies the solution to our problems, with both of us, sanitation companies, and citizens, holding each other to account  collectively and variously.
The vagina (lat.: sheath) is a muscular tube about 3 1/2 inches long extending from the cervix to an external opening which is part of the vulva. The vagina serves three main functions:

It provides a passageway for the menstrual flow from the uterus to the outside. It serves as a receptacle for a man's penis and his ejaculated sperm which then may move on through the cervix. . It provides a passageway for the baby during birth from the uterus to the outside

The vaginal walls

Under ordinary circumstances, the vagina is a collapsed tube, i.e., more a potential than actual space. Its inner surface, like that of the mouth, hosts different kinds of organisms which live in a healthy ecological balance. This balance can be upset, however, as a result of chemical interference. For this reason, vaginal sprays and douches should be avoided.

The vagina cleanses itself with its own secretions. It also possesses a special protection against infection. The vaginal walls, which lie close together, contain mucous crypts and many blood vessels, but no glands and few nerve endings. During sexual excitement, these walls secrete a watery substance which serves as a lubricant during coitus. Without such lubrication, the insertion of a penis could be painful to both the woman and the man.

The vagina during sexual intercourse

The vagina adjusts to the size of any inserted penis, large or small. However, that portion of the vagina which lies closest to the external opening may, in some cases, become too relaxed for the preference of either sexual partner. This can happen after childbirth, for instance, or simply as a result of the aging process.

Conversely, it is also possible for the vaginal entry to become so tense and tight that it cannot be penetrated. Such a vaginal spasm is called vaginismus. Both problems can usually be solved by behavior therapy and/or appropriate exercises. Some of these exercises, the socalled Kegel exercises (named after the 20th century American gynecologist Arnold Kegel), can easily be performed by all women at all times, anywhere.

Ejaculation from the vagina?

Some (by no means all!) women also expel some fluid from the urethra during orgasm. In the past, it was often assumed that the fluid could only be urine, and this caused the women some embarrassment. Sometimes another explanation was given: The fluid must have come from the vagina itself, perhaps as sudden excessive lubrication or as secretion from the Bartholin's glands. However, both explanations were wrong:

The fluid did indeed come from the urethra, but it was not urine. Recent research suggests that the fluid is secreted by a system of urethral (or paraurethral) glands, i.e., glands which surround the urethra and open into it. This system of glands is more developed in some women than in others. In any case, it corresponds to the prostate in males, which also surrounds the urethra. Some researchers have therefore gone so far as to speak of a "female prostate." By the same token, the expulsion of fluid from this glandular system during orgasmic contractions has been called "female ejaculation," especially since the fluid itself has been shown to be similar to male prostatic fluid. (There are no sperm cells in these "female ejaculations", of course).

The G-spot

While only relatively few women "ejaculate" in this sense, many more have a certain sensitive spot, a cluster of tissue surrounding the urethra, which can be felt and stimulated through the anterior vaginal wall. This tissue (which is probably identical or at least connected with the system of urethral glands) first swells under intense stimulation and then contributes to a specially intense orgasmic release. Anatomically, this sensitive area has now become known as the "Grafenberg spot" (G-spot) after Ernst Grafenberg , a German-American gynecologist, who first described it in 1950.
AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Gold Mine received three prestigious awards at the 2017 Ghana Mining Industry Awards (GMIA), organized by the Ghana Chamber of Mines in Accra.

The GMIA seeks to promote, recognize and celebrate outstanding achievement and excellence in the mining industry.

The three awards won by Iduapriem Gold Mine were Best Performer in Innovation, Best Female Miner of the Year and first runner-up in the Corporate Social Investment (CSI) category. The awards were in recognition of the sterling performance of Iduapriem Mine for its contribution to the mining sector as well as its communities.

Additionally, the Mines major contractor MAXMASS and Zen Petroleum scooped an award for Best Performer in Contract Mining, Mine Supplies and Support Services respectively.

Mrs. Mary Anita Appianin, Senior Mining Engineer won the coveted Female Miner of the Year Award.

She expressed her appreciation to AngloGold AshantiIduapriem Gold Mine for the support and confidence bestowed upon her by giving her the opportunity to contribute towards the growth of the Mine operations.

At Iduapriem, employees are given equal opportunity for growth and personal development, thereby encouraging everyone to give their best especially females, she added.

Through her leadership and team-work skills, Iduapriem Gold Mine was able to achieve its annual production target in 2016 by taking ownership of a management production tracking tool (Production Model).

As part of AngloGold Ashantis value of leaving our communities with a sustainable future, we will strive to do more in Local Economic Development in order to provide alternative livelihoods for communities where we operate noted Jasper Musadaidzwa, the Managing Director of Iduapriem Gold Mine.

Commenting on the award won by Anita, he said,The Mine will continue to promote our business principle of inclusion and teamwork, delivering benefits from our rich diversity and ensuring that women employees are motivated to give their best.

About AngloGold Ashanti

AngloGold Ashanti is a global gold mining company with 17 operations and exploration projects in four different regions namely South Africa, Continental Africa, Australasia and the Americas.

The primary listing of the companys ordinary shares is on the JSE Limited (JSE). Its ordinary shares are also listed on stock exchanges in London and Ghana, as well as being quoted in New York in the form of American Depositary Shares (ADSs), in Australia, in the form of CHESS Depositary Interests (CDIs) and in Ghana, in the form of Ghanaian Depositary Shares (GhDSs).
Dutch Prime Minister Mr. Mark Rutte is in Accra for a two-day visit from 29-30 November 2017. With this visit, the first of a Dutch Prime Minister to Ghana, Mr Rutte wants to reaffirm and further strengthen the excellent relations between the two countries.

His visit coincides with that of the French President Emmanuel Macron to Ghana. The two leaders agreed to visit Ghana together, in the aftermath of the AU-EU summit in Abidjan.

H.E. President Nana Akufo-Addo will host a lunch for President Macron and Prime Minister Rutte. Both European leaders will also meet with young Ghanaian entrepreneurs, whom have benefitted from startup accelerator programs.

The Dutch Prime Minister will have talks with President Nana Akufo-Addo, in which economic cooperation will be high on the agenda. Ghana and the Netherlands have longstanding relations. Recently the focus has been changing from development cooperation to trade and investments. Other areas of common interest are also on the table, including migration.

Further elements of his tour in Ghana will be a visit to MDK Flowers and Greens, a Dutch company in Tema that produces flowers and plants for export to the Netherlands and the signing ceremony for a loan, issued by Fidelity bank to a hospital in Teshie, through the Dutch-funded Water and Sanitation program. This program engages the private sector by offering a sustainable financial model for business in water and sanitation.
30.11.2017 LISTEN

The Africa Court And Woyome: Deal With A Purely Civil Case And Exclude The Beneficiary PlaintiffMartin Amidu

I have read press reports of a case commenced by Alfred Agbesi Woyome at the Africa Court on Human and Peoples Rights alleging violations of his fundamental human rights in the execution of the judgment in the case of Amidu (No. 3) v Attorney-General, Waterville Holding (BVI) Ltd & Woyome (No. 2) [2013-2014] 1 SCGLR 606 and interim orders made by the Africa Court on 24th November 2017 suspending the execution of the judgment.

The problem with Woyomes case at the Africa Court is that substantially, the impression I get is that Woyomes case is in the nature of an appeal against a judgment and orders I obtained in the Supreme Court in that case, in which I was the plaintiff in my capacity as a private citizen of Ghana pursuant to Article 2 of the 1992 Constitution and Woyome was the defendant in his private capacity as a citizen of Ghana. The Government of Ghana represented by the Attorney General was also a nominal defendant in the case.

The case between me, as plaintiff, against the Attorney General and Woyome was a purely civil constitutional case and not a criminal case. The fact that the Supreme Court granted leave to the Republic of Ghana represented by the Attorney General to execute my judgment for the benefit of the public does not turn the case into a civil action between the Republic of Ghana against Woyome or a criminal case against Woyome.

Until execution is completed I am still the plaintiff and the case continues to be a civil case between two private citizens, Woyome and I, each with fundamental human rights under the 1992 Constitution and the African Charter. The Government of Ghana which was a defendant in the substantive civil case between Woyome and I cannot speak for me in any forum, including any appeal to the Africa Court on the substantive case. The Government of Ghana purporting to speak for me as a defendant at the Africa Court will be tantamount to the two defendants in the civil case in the Supreme Court using a stratagem to become opposing parties in the Africa Court to compromise the judgment legally obtained by me in the Supreme Court as a private citizen.

The Africa Court which is a court of human rights cannot uphold Woyomes human rights without hearing me because both Woyome and I had access to justice under the 1992 Constitution when we both appeared and conducted our cases before the Supreme Court of Ghana. Nothing would be a worse breach of fundamental human rights than the Africa Court substituting the Attorney General or the Republic of Ghana as the plaintiff in the case in Ghanas Supreme Court and proceeding with a determination of the case without hearing me as the substantive plaintiff in the case in Ghanas Supreme Court. It would be an even further worse breach of fundamental human rights if the substantive plaintiff whose case is allegedly on appeal to the Africa Court, is not heard.

But the catch is that the Africa Court does not have the jurisdiction to hear appeals or applications in purely civil cases between a private citizen and another private citizen in which the Republic was also a defendant with the defending private citizen. It is to avoid such lack of jurisdiction by the Africa Court that Woyome chose to bring his application at the Africa Court against the Republic which was his co-defendant in the substantive case in the Supreme Court instead of me, in the hope that the case will not be properly argued by his former co-defendant. Ghana then loses the benefit of the judgment I obtained at the Supreme Court with the excuse that the decision was given at the Africa Court. It is nobodys fault. Blame the Africa Court.

The Africa Court has no obligation to independently find out the facts apart from those presented by Woyome and his co-defendant now turned defendant at the Africa Court. Because I am a private citizen and plaintiff in the case and therefore not directly amenable to the jurisdiction of the Africa Court, the case will be heard and completed without me having the opportunity to defend my hard won judgment before the Africa Court.

It may surprise Ghanaians that I, the substantive plaintiff in the case, have not seen or been served with any of the processes filed by Woyome at the Africa Court or any responses by the Government to date. I read about it in the media just as everybody else. But cases are won or lost based on how they are conducted to bring the salient facts and the law clearly before the justices and make ones case. This implies hard work, thoroughly understanding the case, and above all unshakable commitment to the case. Who can thoroughly understand, and be more unshakably committed to a case than the plaintiff who won the case in the Supreme Court as against lawyers who lost it in the Supreme Court and who turn around to usurp the plaintiffs place at an international tribunal as defendants even without the plaintiffs notice? This does not appear to be the first case in which such lack of transparency and accountability will happen. Of course, there is a lot of money to be made in per diems and other allowances representing the Government at international fora even when one loses the case!

For me the crux of the case before the Africa Court is whether the Africa Court has jurisdiction to hear a purely civil case between a private citizen, Amidu, against the Republic as a nominal defendant and another private citizen called Woyome, by admitting Woyome as the applicant and substituting the Republic as the defendant before the Africa Court. I won a good case for Ghanaians when the then Government of the day supported Woyome and subsequently refused to execute the judgment sincerely.

The paradox will come when through Woyomes present scheme of using the side door to eliminate me from the case at the Africa Court he procures sweet victory under the regime of President Nana Akufo Addo. Woyomes mentors with whom he is waging this clever stratagem are waiting in the wings for that day to come. Lets see who bears the blame for compromising or losing the case by usurping the position of the plaintiff without even the courtesy of a notice.

Martin A. B. K. Amidu

29th November 2017
Ghanaians have taken to various social media platforms and media houses to attack the president of the republic of Ghana for his candid and educated comments on homosexuality in an interview with Al Jazeera. It is quite unfortunate the abusive comments of most people to the President and a disgrace to the various media houses in the country for their inability to communicate well to Ghanaians.

It is sad how some media houses deliberately instigate such behaviors among Ghanaians for personal gains and profit. The President granted an interview which was more than thirty minutes to discuss pressing issues, however the media saw it fit to edit and spread the only part of the interview where the President gave an unclear stance on the legalization of homosexuality. This act of the media gave the citizenry a limited understanding of the whole interview and that prompted their unexpected reactions.

Aside this factor, it is interesting how people backlashed the President for the reason that, he did not take a strong stance in the opposing of any attempts to legalize homosexuality in the country. Most Ghanaians ignorantly compared the comments of President Nana Addo to that of former Presidents John Evans Atta Mills and President John Dramani Mahama who said, Homosexuality is against the norms and culture of Ghanaians and thus wont be legalized.

It must be noted that, the main rationale behind both Presidents refusing to legalize homosexuality is that, it is against the people of Ghana. By this, both Presidents emphasized that Ghana is a democratic state and the interest and likes of the people would always be placed first by any leader or government.

On that basis, it becomes intriguing why most Ghanaians see fault with the Presidents comment. In President Nana Addos response to the legalization of homosexuality in Ghana, he made it crystal clear that, legalizing homosexuality is not the focus of his government and it is not a needed legislation of the people at the moment. From this comment, the President informed the world of Ghanas dislike for homosexuality and also announced that his government, the New Patriotic Party has never considered that thought.

The President then further proceeded to say that, however if majority of the people arise for the legalization of homosexuality, then there could be a change in the legislation of the 1992 Constitution to that effect.

This explanation by the President also demonstrated Ghana as a democratic state where the views and the needs of the citizenry are heeded to. In other words, the Presidents comment can be interpreted as, when the people of Ghana decide homosexuality should be legalized, he would do as they wished and that is democracy.

Now to those attacking the President for his comments, are you saying or by actions, giving the President Nana Addo or any President that would come after him the authority to take such crucial decisions based on their own will or judgement without considering the needs of Ghanaians?
30.11.2017 LISTEN

Once upon a time the question was put to me at an international conference of which I was representing students. This was in 1994, and the conference was in Europe. A student journalist came up to me and popped the gay question out of the blue, whats your stand on homosexuality in Africa? Come again, I said, wondering if I heard correctly or she wasasking our knowledge of Homo sapiens.

You know what stereotypes are like! We grow up learning Europeans doubt our capacity of knowledge, dont we? We used to call it racism until political correctness came along and named it patronising.I mean whats your policy on gays and lesbians? she clarified.

Throughout that conference much had been discussed about funding higher education. It was the centrepiece of everything else, but I also remember workshops dedicated to concerns ofequality of gender access through the relationship of education and industry to students rights to car parking lots. Coming from Ghana, everything made sense except talk of rights to car parks bordered on the frivolous, very few students could boast or dream of a carin 1994. This was a time when most lecturers belonged to Kak-Dee club by default. They literally walked their way to lectures, or kind of hobnobbed with students for taxis and trotros the other way round.

For Ghanaian students, the immediate concernswere pretty much mundane in the 1990s. They were about bread and butter or,in perspective, about the almighty students loan; the adequacy or inadequacy of itand the timeliness of payments. It meant perching for students who failed to get accommodation in the halls of residence on campuses and the inconveniences for those who could not find somebody to perch with. It also meant auditorium size classes and high lecturer-to-student ratios, and out-dated editions of referencebooks, single copies of new editions or no reference books at all in libraries for some courses.

Shortly before 1994, Ghanaian students were additionally caught up in the whirlwind of change that blew in from the collapse of the Berlin wall and the breakdown of the Soviet Union. In collaborative partnership with other democratic forces and opposition groups, students forced the hand of the quasi-militarygovernment then to change their rhetoric from handover to whom to the actual exercise of constitutional and democratic governance from 1992. These were the real issues of our times, issues that any studentleader flying the flag of country and continent  officially or unofficially  would easilyrespond to without having to summon their wits.

In Africatoday thatsame whirlwind,as in the search for good governance,is still very much alive in Togo, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, DR Congo, Central African Republic, and South Sudan. The list is too long for this narrative! Equality before the law and freedoms of speech and assembly remain a tall order in these countries plus more. If there is anything else, it remains the stalled industrial development of Africa, unacceptable levels of poverty, abysmal road and rail infrastructure, near non-existent sewerage and drainage systems, falling standards in health caredelivery, zero access to clean drinking water and toilet facilities, and what have you.

While sexual orientationhas clearly emerged as the concerning human rights issue of the 21st century the universal appeal of homosexuality and gay rights remain almostexclusively western. In continents like Africa, Asia and parts of the Americashomosexuality is contested, rightly or wrongly.Many of us still struggle to relate to the pros and cons of it for no fault of ours but for the backgrounds that have shaped our viewpoints and worldviews. I certainly struggled when that journalist put the question to me in Europe in 1994.

It was not only because I did not know what it meant to be homosexualin reality, I was also not familiarwith western constructs of it and attitudes associated with such constructs as I do now. My leeway was to stay appropriately factual about where we stood as country or continent  I was representing students across Africa after all. I admitted the issue had never found its way to the agenda of student platforms, but I did know unnatural carnal knowledge was criminal according to the penal codes of most African countries including homeland Ghana even if the law was hardly applied to the letter.

Probably due to our own peculiar pressing concerns much closer home, I could not imagine students prioritising the matter anytime soon. If they did, it would not be irresponsibleto be guided by existing laws and,more importantly,by public and cultural perception of it. Having said that, I was mindfully measured as well, knowing as I did, that the international student movement was underpinned by solidarity. I quickly added that students in Africaempathised with student organisations elsewhere for whom homosexuality or gay rights was of immediate concern, and all they asked for in return was same empathy, not judgement. Culture is dynamic, but evolutionary not revolutionary.

Fast forward to today and it brings in context the recent response of President Nana to the question of Aljazeeras Jane Dutton about homosexuality in Ghana, a response currently stirring waves in the country divisively. I am not sure if the question was dumped on Nanaor it was part of advanced questions in interviews of this nature. If it was pre-planned, Nana should have negotiated its exclusion. It would have been the diplomatic thing to do, and it would have saved him and the country the controversyin which we are again caught in a causeless national debate.

Our primary attention at this concourseof our national development should be on growing the economy, creating and multiplying job opportunities for all. We should indeed be zeroing in on a national consensus on how to engineer wealth from our rich natural endowments and how to translate the wealth so generated into quality infrastructure and accessible social services. Our concern should be about crime and other related threats in the daily lives of our people, and our focus should remain targeted on human resource development through provision of quality and accessible education at all stages and the challenges of both. These are basic but daily aspirations of our peoples, hetero or homo.

But I guess the allure of selling the peaceful and democratic Ghana brand on Aljazeera would have been a much stronger pull factorfor the handlers of Nana than the alternative of refusing to be interviewed under international limelight about homosexuality as it were. I can relate to the drift of Nana in his response to Jane whatever the case might be. He was caught between the rock of an implacable domestic audienceand the hard place of international diplomacy.As a politician, his immediate thoughts would have obviously been how his answer would inure to votersat home in 2020. As a statesman and an international actor, attracting foreign investment would have crossed his mind almost simultaneously with equal appeal.

It was a tightrope and I would beg to differ from those who believe the President got the balance wrong in not being categorical about our stance as sovereign people with a culture incapable of accommodatinggayism. For those of us who watched the interview, we may agree he was equally diplomatic with naked truth when an unrelated question was put to him about Donald Trump. Very much like the question on homosexuality the old man treaded gently and cautiously,and emerged without ruffling feathers at Washington DC or giving away his own personal whims or what many Ghanaians would have wished he said or not said of the controversial US president.

You see, my good friend Boye-Kofi once told me of the story of Kojo who studied in Europe and returned home at the end of his studies. He was from a little conservative village anywhere imaginable in Ghana. At the end of his first evening bowl of fufu andgrasscutterlight soup he began to wax lyrical of his experiences abroad. The gathering of uncles, aunties, siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews provided a decent audience for the tales of this village explorer.

They tookin everything he said with open-mouthed admirationuntil hebegan to talk of how some women marry women in Europe and some men marry fellow men. That was it! He must have taken them for granted and for far too long. One uncle quipped, so how do they do it at night? Kojo was still waffling an answer when the family head concluded their son needed the attention of the village witch doctor next morning. Everything he had said was crazy but the one about same sex marriage meant he had lost it completely.

Nana is not Kojo and he was certainly not addressing a family audience only. He was addressing a much broader and quite sophisticated gallery. And in matters like these, personal opinions are often immaterial, and it is not uncommon for less powerful countries such as ours to horse trade national correctness for a bandwagon with those powerful actors which call the shots internationally. There is no better way of achieving it than through strategically nuanced language. Nana must have known all that and needed no advice that the spotlight under which he sat at the Aljazeera interview was not one within hiscomfort zone of theFlagstaff House.

Lets spare him the attention of the witch doctor and constructively construe his comments in international diplomacy where they belong. For the rest of us, letsbe the building blocks that we are and get back to work lest we end up falling victim to a palpable ploy to divertour collective heed away from our national development goals.

The Writer Is Freelance International Relations Analyst And Political Commentator on African Affairs
Some 168 Ghanaian detainees in Libya have arrived in Ghana after government facilitated their release from the Libyan authorities.

The returnees who are illegal migrants landed at the Kotoka International Airport by two flights, Air Libya and Afriqiyah among them was a woman, a physically challenged man, and children.

They were met by government officials and officials from the international organisation who stood by to give them food and water.

Joy News Komla Adom reported two metro mass buses stood by to transport them to Circle in Accra where a strong transportation network is expected to help them find their way home.

Government paid each about 400 cedis to pay for their transportation back home. Chilling stories of dehumanizing treatment ranged from robbery to murder.

One told Komla Adom, he travelled with 17 others from Takoradi but only four were able to return. They killed seven.

He said in a detention center that held about 3,000 illegal migrants, "people went mad everydaypeople died everyday"

He said they never bathed since they were arrested and detained. "When you have to eat you are beaten, if you want to drink water you are beaten"

He expressed great reject for leaving Ghana to seek greener pastures in Libya. "If you are doing some small work here then don't think of travelling to Libya".

A 28-year old Ansah said he was kept in an uncompleted building for six months where he was fed in the morning and given salt water in the afternoon.

The returnees said even kids rob migrants at gun point.

The arrival comes as the world wakes up to the shocking auctioning of African youths in modern day slave markets in Libya for as little as $400.

Libya is the main transit hub for refugees and migrants attempting to reach southern Europe by sea. They are coming from countries like Nigeria, Eritrea, Guinea, Ivory Coast,, Gambia, Senegal, Sudan and Somalia.

The power vacuum in Libya after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi has made human trafficking and people smuggling a booming trade.

At least three Ghanaian migrants have reported being among those who were auctioned as slaves in Libya, Ghanas Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway has revealed.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com
Over the weekend President Akuafo Addo granted an interview to an international television network Aljazeera, Qatar's funded broadcaster based in Doha. A sectional content of the interview has begotten a barrage of furore among the populace. Even though they were several dicey issues raised during the interview which included the media, political instability, disease, poverty as well as democracy in Africa. The matter of same sex marriage or homosexuality appears to have attracted more attention.

To some extent, this has been gravely painted with political colours by unrepentant propaganda machinery of the NDC. The political practitioners from the Umbrella fraternity have earnestly tried to espouce ambiguity in a palpable unequivocal statement made by the President. Not even the fascinating statement made by the President that he is confident that the match of democracy in Africa is something that is going to be a Gordian knot to untie has been lauded. To this propaganda prototypes, all is absolutely not well even though independent thinking clergy has mooted a point that the President could have made it more forthright, flagrant and forceful. For these citizens the reason perhaps is not far-fetch. The issue of homosexuality has been a very delicate and complicated matter internationally, thus bulldozing many countries and media into making it their agenda.

The so called most powerful countries in the world such as US of A, United Kingdom and very recently Australia have made same-sex marriage very topical. Nana Akuafo Addo's position that legalising homosexuality in Ghana is something which has no dog chance to be on the government's agenda has been greeted by diverse interpretations and opinions which in most cases are the handiwork of the politically prejudiced folks.

The President did not stumble in his communication at all. A very astute human rights lawyer who is endowed with sharp discernment, President Akuafo Addo justly answered the question posed to him by the rather intelligent journo of Aljazeera, Jane Darten. Nana Akuafo Addo is not a character whose thoughts can be marionetted by the ambitions of the international community. He is just a diplomat extraordinaire and his mastery at it is what is difficult to be unravelled by the NDC functionaries.

According to the President, the socio-cultural environment of the country does not even give a little room for homosexuality to be legalised, adding that until there is a strong call by the society for this to be done there no way the laws on homosexuality will change. This to a large extent will mean that societal factor such as economic development, culture, democracy and religion will determine that decision by which time his presidency will not be alive.

Some other African leader including the embattled Robert Mugabe, Uhuru Kenyatta and Atta Mills of blessed memory are on record for denouncing the practice as alien to the African moral fibre and thus gaysm is a non-issue at all. President Akuafo Addo has demonstrated matchless commitments to lead Ghana beyond aid and has over the years defied all odds against him by standing tall as man who cannot be brought or sold. Ghanaians, inclusive of the NDC worshippers in the unholy temple of sensationalism and propaganda, must continue to support him as he lifts the nation from quicksand to a high terra firma.

ABDALLAH, ABDUL MATIN
Activities of computer fraudsters locally referred to as 'Sakawa' could soon come to an end as the Financial Intelligence Center (FIC) and Central Bank are stepping in to combat their operations.

The two organizations efforts are geared towards avoiding a possible blacklisting of the country for money laundering.

According to FIC, the exercise will deal more with individuals with a questionable source of income.

Head of Audit and Risk Management Department of the Centre, Emmanuel Mensah told Joy News there are several cases they are currently looking into regarding money laundering.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a training programme on the latest trends in money laundering and how to combat it Wednesday.

He said in tackling Sakawa, FIC together with the Bank of Ghana (BoG), will be mapping out certain geographical areas where those practices are rampant.

FIC has worked with the banks and other financial institutions to know where those involved in it hide their monies," he said adding that is why the financial services undertake risk analysis of potential clients.

Mr Mensah disclosed that his department has been working with FIC to focus on the money laundering aspect of crimes perpetrated.

So if somebody steals money through corruption, after prosecution, the person should also be prosecuted for money laundering if any of it has taken place, he added.

According to him, the law enforcement agency and the judiciary are receiving training to ensure that money laundering features strongly in the countrys jurisprudence.

He said this is necessary for fear that the international financial community will label the country for not enforcing anti-money laundering mechanisms, which will make many international institutions to stop dealing with Ghana.

Consequently, if an international bank wants to do business with a Ghanaian bank, it has to go through a long and costly process, which will reduce our level of development, he noted.

According to Mr Mensah, Ghanas big informal sector is not helping issues because a lot of physical cash is used for daily transactions are not questioned.

Supporting the initiative, president of the Association of Capital Market and Money Laundering, Samuel Paa Kwesi Afful, said their members recognize the negative impact money laundering will have on the country.

He assured they are ready to assist the bank of Ghana and the FIC to arrest perpetrators.

Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com |Abubakar Ibrahim
A key defendant in an Iranian sanction-busting case has now become its  most important witness . Following weeks of speculation , Reza Zarrab, a Turkish-Iranian businessman, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges of helping Iranian entities evade U.S. sanctions through his international network of businesses, possibly with the help of Turkish banks and government officials. Today, Zarrab is expected to testify in a Manhattan court. His testimony is likely to implicate prominent figures in both Turkey and the United States. Zarrab played a central role in setting up schemes that enabled Iran to purchase gold with oil and gas revenues at a time when the country was under crippling U.S. sanctions. He was indicted along with Mehmet Hakan Atilla, a Turkish banker in U.S. custody, and seven additional defendants, some of whom held cabinet positions under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey.

Since Zarrab is now cooperating with U.S. prosecutors, his testimony is likely to damage Erdogans international and domestic standing, ahead of Turkeys 2019 presidential elections. For this reason, Erdogan has bashed the trial, casting it as a U.S. plot to undermine Turkeys economy and unleashing a torrent of anti-American rhetoric on Turkish airwaves. Of course, ties between the Unites States and Turkey, long-time nato allies, have been strained since Washington threw its support behind Kurdish militants in Syria, and refused to extradite exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Erdogan claims fomented last years failed coup attempt .

Aside from rattling Turkeys most powerful figures, Zarrabs testimony may also expose attempts at cooperation between the Trump administration and the Turkish government. Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Michael Flynn , Trumps former national security adviser, who is currently under investigation for his dealings with Russian officials, and his son were to be paid $15 million to forcibly remove Gulen from his home in Pennsylvania and deliver him to Turkey. These revelations have prompted U.S. officials to investigate whether Flynn was in talks with Turkish officials to extradite Zarrab as well, though no clear links between Flynn and Zarrab been made public.

After being dismissed from his role in the Trump administration, Flynn revealed he had received $530,000 for lobbying work which the U.S. Justice Department said has principally benefitted the Republic of Turkey. Such lobbying from the Turkish government via Flynn could have severe implications if linked to political decisions in the United States. The most prominent point of contention is Trumps firing of former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara , who originally filed the Zarrab case and has been cast by Turkish officials as a Gulen supporter working to undermine the Turkish government. Nicholas Danforth, a senior analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said he believed any evidence connecting Bhararas dismissal to pressure from Turkish officials would be not just explosive for U.S.-Turkish relations, but for U.S. domestic politics as well.

To understand how Zarrabs case spiraled, one need only look back to Turkey, where evidence of his foul play first surfaced in 2013 and was quickly snuffed out. In December of that year, police raided the home of Suleyman Aslan, former chief executive of HalkBank, a state-owned bank, and seized $4.5 millionallegedly bribes from Zarrabstashed away in shoeboxes. Recordings from a phone-tapped conversation from this same period, in which then-Prime Minister Erdogan allegedly instructed his son to hide large sums of cash, also surfaced. Despite the seemingly damning nature of the revelations, they were quickly dismissed in Turkish courts. Erdogan belittled the apparent graft scandals as Gulenist conspiracy. In response, government officials demoted or reassigned the judges and police officers involved in the investigation. Only three government officials tied to Zarrabs businesses eventually resigned without facing charges. They denied any wrongdoing.

Now, Erdogan fears that the evidence and testimony in the Zarrab case could give credibility to the long-dismissed charges against his government, if they are deemed valid by a U.S. court. He is also likely concerned that the trial could lead to sanctions or fines on Turkish banks, possibly weakening an already unstable Turkish economy, while paving the way for further indictments on Turkish officials.

In a speech before the Turkish parliament on November 21, Erdogan referred to the raid on Aslans home as one of the greatest traps in history. He has suggested Gulen and his followers are influencing U.S. prosecutors in a plot against Turkish sovereigntya message that plays well to supporters of his Justice and Development Party (AKP), who have become increasingly dissatisfied with U.S. policy towards Turkey and the Middle East.

But these accusations dont quite square with recent history. The case against Zarrab has been building since March 2016, when he was arrested shortly after arriving in Miamireportedly to visit Disney World with his familythough some analysts have suggested he may have negotiated his move out of Turkey with U.S. prosecutors. The coup, and Erdogans subsequent purge of government officials suspected of Gulenist ties, occurred in July of that year. The United States did cooperate with Turkish prosecutors, presumably some linked to the Gulen movement, in its efforts to prosecute Zarrab, Danforth told me. But at the time the United States did this, those prosecutors were employees of good standing of the Turkish legal system who had been appointed by the AKP government. Erdogan, in other words, seems content to ignore chronology in order to suit his reading of history. For those living outside the world of Turkish politics, this might be the most important, most difficult aspect of the case to understand.

Every day, Turkeys politicians and pro-state media push conspiracy theoriesstories of foreign actors trying to weaken the Turkish Republic. The intensity of the rhetoric far exceeds what westerners have come to know as fake news, instead creating an alternate reality propped by half-truths that depict Erdogan and his government as the saviors of the oppressed people of the world, and everyone else as the enemy. When Erdogan fails, he and his coterie blame that failure on foreign actors.

Since the 2016 coup attempt, this politics of the victimized seems to be Erdogans only mode. While the coup posed a very real threat to Turkeys democracy, and many people lost their lives in its chaos, the purges of thousands of people on accusations of dubious links to terrorist organizationssuch as downloading a specific phone messaging application known to be used by Gulenistsis testimony to just how far the falsehoods can go.

Furthermore, Turkeys ongoing purges have put his country at odds with natoallies, some of which have seen their citizens arrested or detained over the last year and a half. Currently, about a dozen American citizens are being held in Turkish prisons on thin allegations of collaborating with the coup plotters. More recently, two staff members of U.S. consular missions in Turkey were arrested on similar charges, prompting some analysts to claim Erdogans administration has taken a  hostage diplomacy  approach to bilateral negotiations.

The term refers to Erdogans unsuccessful appeals to have Gulen extradited to Turkey, and he seems to have interpreted the lack of U.S. cooperation on the matter as a personal insult, as well as additional proof that Washington is aiding his adversaries. Erdogan puts a premium on personal relationships and, at the core, believes that relations between states are reciprocal and transactional, Howard Eissenstat, an associate professor at St. Lawrence University and nonresident senior fellow at the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED), told me. If I were to make a critique of U.S. policy, it would be that they over-promise and under-deliver, he added. All these warm embraces from President Trump to Erdogan have exacerbated the situation by misleading Erdogan as to what the real capabilities of the U.S. [government] were on some of these issues.

The ongoing tensions have sent the Turkish lira tumbling in recent weeks, as few analysts expect positive developments from the Zarrab case. In a worst-case scenario, Erdogans government could escalate the crisis by refusing to bow to foreign pressure in the form of sanctions or to pay fines imposed on Turkish entities, Eissenstat said. He could escalate, too, by limiting access to Turkeys Incirlik Air Base, which America has used for operations against isis in Iraq and Syria.

While some U.S. policymakers believe economic pressure could persuade Erdogan to restore U.S.-Turkey relations, Selim Koru, an analyst at TEPAV, an Ankara-based think-tank, said AKP supporters will likely be emboldened by such moves, and Erdogans government will get a much-needed domestic boost ahead of elections in 2019.

The more pressure the outside world puts on the Erdogan government, and the more they threaten or even seem to threaten Turkeys sovereignty, the less likely it is for the country to have a democratic future, Koru said.
We talk about the slavery in Libya without talking about the cause of slavery in modern day society. Steve Biko once said The most potent tool in the hand of the oppressor is the mindset of the oppressed.

I can't blame Libya nor the Libyans much on this recent atrocity for visiting past humanitarian and uncultured practice on their fellow African brothers. The unfortunate incidence of modern day slavery can be attributed to the mistake of our leaders 10 to 20 years ago if they had tackled key macroeconomic challenges including unemployment and poverty that is crippling most societies and the economy at large.

But we fail to ask the question, what really contributes to immigration. Migrants leave their country to elsewhere partly because they feel insatiable in their home country.

Secondly, unemployment has being the major factor causing these migrants to flee from their land of comfortability to a place they have no idea about. In as much as our leaders didn't play their part in solving key macroeconomic issues is the underlining factor to what we are witnessing in Libya and elsewhere today..

In Libya today, there are countless number of Ghanaian and Nigerian immigrants. These are the two countries with key macroeconomic challenges including unemployment. Let's tackle this issue from the root and not the fruit. Thank you

Writer: Emmanuel De-Graft Quarshie

Degraftxclusive.blogspot.com
How migrants from Africa are auctioned by their slave owners for pittances

How did we get here in this day and age?

Gordon Offin-Amaniampong writes

UN Secy General Antonio Gutierrez says: Slavery has no place in our world and these actions are among the most egregious abuses of human rights and may amounts to crimes against humanity...

His remark follows CNN news reports as loads of gruesome images of young African migrants flood social media platforms. The images have sparked outrage, prompting the UN Boss to urge the international community to come together and fight the scourge.

Theres also a planned march by AU (Africa Union) member countries on the 9th of December 2017 to register their protest.

Slavery was abolished in 1807 in the Great Britain and it was formally abolished on February 1, 1865 in the United States of America. Actually European nation--Denmark did it first in 1792 when it banned the imports of slaves to its West Indies colonies (albeit the law took effect from 1803). But it appears the repulsive practice has now reared its horrid head (after some two centuries back) in the Mediterranean Libya.

Yes, in Gadhafis Libya where many Africans had once sought greener pastures. Africa migrants mainly from Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Ghana and the Gambia are reported to be donkomied auctioned --prices range from as mere as US$100 to US$ 500. Mind you this practice happens once or twice in a month.

Fear gawks them in their eyes and guns drawn to their heads. Theyve (the African migrants) been bludgeoned to death. They beat them repeatedly with bludgeons and other heavy objects. Bruised, tortured torched and bloodied. In twos and in threes they are hanged upside down. Hands tied to their backs: Tied to pillars and stakes. They thrust sharps and knives to their bodies like shooting darts. Blood strews everywhere. Even with mouths duct-taped their hysteric cries penetrate the evil walls, where theyve been confined and dehumanised.

Their mission to reach Europe through Libya has been disastrous.

The images are horrible. The images made up of audios and videos are graphic and horrifying. Theyre forced to drink urines. Theyre stripped naked raped, starved and killed. The terror in Libya is horrible and the lives of migrants are in the throes of horror. As someone aptly put it their story is no different from ours, except the road they travel.

Were all economic refugees ...every one of us educated to the most educated African living abroad, remarked a top UN diplomat after his retirement.

Meanwhile, the African Union Ambassador to the US her, Excellency Dr. Arikana Chihombori Quao has agreed to meet Ghana Advocacy Group (GAG) members and other Africa Diasporians on Friday at the AU mission in Washington DC.

Remember the Arab Spring?

It spread its tentacles like wild fire. Tunisia President Zina El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted and exiled and his government was toppled, Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was deposed, arrested, and charged and his government overthrown. And in Libya their long time and strong man Leader Muamar Gaddafi was killed following a civil war that saw a foreign military intervention-- his government was also dethroned.

The uprising in Libya began in February 2011 with Benghazi as the epicentre. Security forces in the eastern city opened fire on protesters. Since that invasion and the killing of Gadhafi Libya has never been the same. A void has been left and its place terrorist groups and factions have been nurtured. Thats what is shaping today Libya. And not the one we knew. It contradicts the yester Libya where Africans flocked there in the 80s and 90s to seek employment, to seek economic fortunes and to make ends meet.

In Gadhafis Libya there were no reports of human rights abuses, if there were we never heard about them. That said those who went there and returned home never complained or said anything about slave trade.

Modern Day Slavery

UKs prestigious news outlet, The Guardian in February 2015 had this headline: Libyas Arab spring the revolution that ate its children. Indeed thats what has fueled this sickening development. These repulsive images are trending our airwaves because of the vacuum created. Hopes of Libyans building a stronger government and a better economy have been dashed. The hopes seem to be a mirage. Libyans have nothing to share or spare. They have little or less to eat, no employment opportunities. A hungry nation is an angry nation. They see the migrants as parasites and thats what the world is witnessing today.

I should also note that during the Libya civil war many young black Africans were alleged to have fought on the side of Gadhafi's force, perhaps another reason why some. Libyans are doing this to their fellow Africans.

Is that how our world has come to?

About a year ago there was a similar incident in Saudi Arabia yours truly wrote about it. One of the victims alleged that most of them made the trip to the oil-rich nation through one Alhaji resident in Achimota Ghana. Yes, Libyans are killing migrants but the problem doesnt start from Libya.

These deals have been going in Ghana where they will offer citizens an opportunity to travel to Kuwait or Saudi Arabia enslave them there, someone wrote on GAG platform.

I seriously doubt this was happening under Gaddafi. Remember he was African unity at the AU level and these stories leaking out would have crippled his agenda, says Dr. Leticia Otchere Darko a GAG member.

The atrocities are happening to fellow Africans in Libya because theres a power vacuum in the leadership now... state institutions including law enforcements are now severely weakened because of the tinderbox situation in Libya post Gaddafi, she said.

Another GAG member Dr. Daniel Ampomah also made this remark: It is not about what the president is doing about it. But what the UN, NATO, the USA, France and Britain are going to do .They caused this mess they must clean it up. They owe Africans an unqualified apology. Gaddafi was not a saint but he held Libya together.

He was reacting to a contributors note or question as to what the president of Ghana was doing.

In her contribution Dr. A.K Ocansey wrote this GAG platform: Migration is not an African phenomenon. Simply put legal migration requires high government responsibilitywhich very few African governments have the right framework in place. Africa needs to look at the Philippines. Migration requires heavy government intervention to be successfulPhilippines puts labour MOUs in place with strong oversight with labour attaches in the receiving countries to ensure these abuses are quickly checked.

Because the Arabs know African governments mostly have no labour MOUs no labour attaches etc. When a licensed agency wants to bring a company to recruit Ghanaians, the company is vetted by the ministry before they can travel. Theres accountability if there is an issue. Unfortunately the system has been suspended since May 2017 and this has caused an unprecedented amount of illegal agents who are the only open channels for the youth to migrate. Illegal migration is the only way now. The unemployment in Ghana is grave, she underscored.

The youth will go whether we like or notLets put in place safe frameworks, sign labour bilateral MOUs , open regulated legal channels for them to do so safely so that they dont end up as slaves, Dr. Ocansey said.

The advocacy group in the wake of the incident has called on UN, AU and ECOWAS to act swiftly to free these young Africans held in slave markets in Libya. Mr. Kwame Boakye Danquah GAGs spokesperson made the call. Some of the footages depict live auction where black youths are sold off to the North African buyers as potential farmland workers. At least 168 young blacks are speculated to have been sold off so far.

History

Historically, The Arab trade of Zanj (Bantu) slaves in Southeast Africa is one of the oldest slave trades inpredating the European transatlantic slave trade by 700 years ago. Male slaves were often employed as servants, soldiers or laborers by their owners while female slaves as concubines and servants.
Chairman of the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA), Prof Honore Bogler, has reiterated his outfit's preparedness to launch the West African Regional Electricity Market in June 2018.

It is expected to bring various operators and regulatory bodies in the industry together to discuss how to ensure power sufficiency in the sub-region.

He said the market will rely on the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP), which has been developing the infrastructure and the high tension cables to link up the member states to enable fast and easy power distribution among them.

Prof Bogler disclosed this on Wednesday in Accra at the 10th meeting of ERERA's Consultative Committees of Regulators and Operators which from 28-30 November 2017.

According to him, ERERA has been mandated to draw all operators and regulators together under a well crafted regulatory and legal framework for member states to commit themselves to ensuring that electricity production becomes cheaper and affordable to consumers and industry.

He said power will be managed in such a way that there will not be disparities in pricing, adding that WAPP will receive power from countries that would produce in excess and re-transmit to countries that need the excess.

We are doing this to make sure that electricity will be stable in ECOWAS nations to improve productivity.

The chairman said the meeting of the regulators and operators will review the draft ECOWAS rule on Sanctions and ERERA's enforcement rules to guide the operations of the Regional Electricity Market (REM) when approved.

Prof Bogler said that aside the work of the above committee, the Legal and Licensing Working Group (LLWG), which is ERERA's ad hoc technical advisory organ will also be finishing its work for the consultative committee of the regulators and operators to consider for use when the market is in operation.

In an interview with BUSINESS GUIDE, Prof. Bogler, revealed that after the launch of the first phase of the project in 2018, member countries would be allowed to deal with their respective local regulator but after the second phase in 2020 which will mark the beginning of the full operation of the market, such engagements will come to a halt.

Here, all legal commitments will be binding and we will not only concentrate on single tariff system but would engage in bilateral discussions to bring in bigger power producers to participate to give us the bulk electricity that we need.

He gave assurance that there would be no power fluctuations in the West African sub-region when ERERA finishes its work.
With barely a month left to the end of 2017, some key revenue agencies operating under the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) have met their revenue targets, DAILY GUIDE has gathered.

Information available to the paper suggests that the various agencies such as Customs Division and Domestic Tax Division, have almost met their targets due to hard work, contrary to the expression of pessimism by some supporters of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the GRA was not going to meet its revenue target for the year due to the cancelation of several taxes imposed by the previous administration.

It would be recalled that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, in the 2017 budget statement, scrapped several taxes it described as nuisance to make life better for Ghanaians and traders.

Among the taxes cancelled were the 17.5 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on imported medicines not produced in Ghana, 17.5 percent VAT on domestic airline tickets, 5 percent VAT on real estate sales and the 17. 5 percent VAT on financial services.

The announcement of the abolishment of the above taxes among several other pro-poor packages in the 2017 budget by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, was greeted with disbelief by leading members of the NDC who were of the opinion that the Akufo-Addo government, with Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as head of the Economic Management Team, might not meet its tax mobilization target due to the scrapping of the several taxes.

Former Deputy Finance Minister under the erstwhile Mahama administration, Casiel Ato Forson, had for instance, described the 2017 budget statement as 'deceptive' and 'populist' because of its several packages directed at easing the burden of the masses  such as the scrapping of the kayayei levy and duty on spare parts.

Performance

The performance of GRA per the various divisions from January to October 2017 shows that domestic tax collections for the year totalled GH15.412 billion as against a target of GH15.550 billion.

This far outweighed the performance in the previous year under the NDC administration.

The Domestic Tax Division collected GH21.774 billion in the same period under review, making this year's over 18 percent higher than that of last year's, despite the cancellation of the nuisance taxes.

The Domestic Division, as at the end of October, was left with less than one percent to achieve its target for the year  with two months to go.

Also, at the Customs Division, a total of GH10.433 billion has reportedly been collected so far as against a set target of GH11.287.97 billion, with a total tax revenue of the GRA standing at GH25.845 billion as against GH26,837 billion for the year.

Customs performance, as against last year's, was equally higher  having raked in over GH1.8 billion more.

DAILY GUIDE also understands that under the energy debt recovery levy, a sum of GH1,063.10 billion has been collected as against GH1.121.58 billion, giving a grand total tax revenue collected so far as GH26.908 billion as against GH27.959.57 billion  a difference of GH1.050 billion.
The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has made some key amendments to its constitution with the aim of making the party more vibrant.

Acting General Secretary and National Organiser of the NPP, John Boadu, made this known to the media yesterday at a press conference held at the party's Asylum Down headquarters in Accra.

He said the amendments were adopted and passed by the party's National Council at its fifth general meeting on Tuesday, November 8, 2017, in Accra.

The meeting, he maintained, was attended by former President John Agyekum Kufuor, President Akufo-Addo, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, members of the party's Council of Elders, National Executive Officers, among others, as provided for under Article 9 (b) of the NPP Constitution.

Mr. Boadu indicated that the National Council  which is the ruling party's second highest decision making body  pursuant to Article 9 (b) of the party's constitution, has unanimously resolved that all persons serving as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) who wish to contest as parliamentary candidates in constituencies where the party has sitting MPs, are not eligible to contest unless they resign from their current positions at least three years before the ensuing national general elections.

According to Mr. Boadu, the Council also resolved that regional chairpersons, secretaries, treasurers, constituency chairpersons, constituency secretaries and treasurers are not eligible to contest parliamentary candidates in constituencies where the party has sitting MPs unless they resign at least three years before the national general election.

This is to avoid the situation where people ride on the constituency positions to unseat their MPs.

He explained that the Council adopted these resolutions upon conviction that these decisions are in the best interest of the party and government, adding, For emphasis, these decisions only apply to constituencies where the party has sitting Members of Parliament and does not apply to orphan constituencies i.e. constituencies where the party does not have sitting MPs.

Again, Mr John Boadu disclosed that the National Council had also passed a resolution to extend the mandate of all serving officers of the party at each level by three months, following the expiration of their four-year mandate, to allow for primaries to be conducted.

Background

DAILY GUIDE understands that the resolutions were adopted taking into account the challenges the party suffered in 2016 when some of its constituency chairmen  particularly its then Klottey Korley Constituency Chairman, Nii Noi Nortey decided to contest for the parliamentary seat as independent candidate when lawyer Philip Addison had been declared winner of the party's primary for that constituency.

Nii Noi contested against lawyer Addison, causing the NPP to lose that seat to the NDC candidate, Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, even though the party won the presidential votes in that constituency.

A similar situation was experienced at Ablekuma West Constituency where the then constituency chairman, Theophilus Tetteh, decided to contest against incumbent, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, leading to confusion among the executives in the area.

Directives

As part of the resolution, Mr. Boadu explained that the Council had directed all the 10 regional executive committees of the party to organize expanded regional executive committee meetings comprising constituency executives, to brief them on key amendment proposals that would be considered for adoption at the extraordinary conference.

Delegates' Conference

Meanwhile, the Acting General Secretary has announced that the NPP would hold the extraordinary national delegates' conference in Kumasi on December 17, this year, pursuant to Article 9 (A) (5) of the party's constitution.

The Council also approved the calendar for programmes and activities of the party presented by the National Secretariat between November 2017 and June 2018, he indicated, adding that the party's National Annual Delegates' Conference to elect national officers would be held from 15th to 17th June, 2018.

By Melvin Tarlue


SEVERAL TRADITIONAL rulers from the seven districts of Gonjaland in the Northern Region, with support from politicians across the political divide, are leading the clarion call for a new region to be carved out of the Northern Region.

President of the Gonja Traditional Council, Yagbonwura Sulemana Tuntumba Boresa I, and his vice, Buipewura Abdulai Jinapor II, are leading the chiefs, youth and politicians from the Gonjaland to prosecute the agenda.

Unlike other petitioners from the other regions, those from Gonjaland are yet to settle on which name the new region should be given, in the event that it is created by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The team, including the Yagbonwura, Buipewura, members of parliament and district and municipal chief executives from Gonjaland, appeared before the Justice Stephen Alan Brobbey's nine-member Commission of Enquiry for the creation of new regions out of some existing ones, on Wednesday, November 29, to make their case on why they think a new region should be created out of the Northern Region.

Their argument for the new region as contained in a document they circulated to members of the Commission and the media, lies in the fact that Gonjaland is endowed with mineral and tourism potential with abundance of arable land, and deserves to be carved out of the Northern Region and made a new region.

The main reason for the request for the creation of a new region out of the present Northern Region is to accelerate economic development and enhance administrative efficiency.

The new region, with Damongo as the proposed capital, DAILY GUIDE gathered, would be made up of Gonjas, Vaglas, Salfabas, Lobis, Brifors, Mivors, Mos, Pantras, Dargarbas, Normes, Hangas, Mmras, Tamplumas, Konkombas, Nchumurus, Nawuris, Basaris, Kotokolis, Nchalas, Bators, among others.

The Justice Brobbey Commission was formed by President Akufo-Addo under Constitutional Instrument (CI) 105 to among other things, inquire, pursuant to petitions, into the need and substantial demand for the creation of new regions and, thereby, the alteration of the Western, Brong-Ahafo, Northern and Volta Regions. About six new regions are on the table for consideration.

It is the same CI 105 that mandates the commission to make recommendations to the president, based on its findings, and to specify the issues to be determined by referendum and the places where the referendum should be held, where it makes recommendation for the creation and alteration of regions.

Gonjaland reportedly occupies an area of 37,582 square kilometers, constitutes 53.45 percent of the land area of the Northern Region and the seven districts are Bole, Sawla-Tuna-Kalba, West Gonja, North Gonja, Central Gonja, East Gonja, Kpandai.

Former Presidential candidate of the Convention People's Party (CPP) and one of the spokespersons for the Gonjaland petitioners, Dr. Abu Sakara, speaking to the media on the sidelines of the meeting, said Gonjaland, especially Buipe, has the potential of becoming a logistics hub for the development of the entire Northern Region.

BY Melvin Tarlue
30.11.2017 LISTEN

Security analyst, Dr. Kwesi Aning, has charged the government of Ghana to do all it can to rescue some three Ghanaians allegedly sold into slavery in Libya.

His call comes in the wake of disclosures by the returning Ghanaian migrants from Libya that they were sold into servitude by their fellow Ghanaians.

About one hundred and twenty-seven (127) Ghanaian migrants returned from Libya with one in a critical condition.

The migrants were brought in by two flights, Air Libya and Afriqiya Airways after they were rescued from detention centres in Libya following reports of slave trade of migrants in the country.

What I found myself in Libya; I wouldnt wish for even my worst enemy, we were sold like bread by our own fellow Ghanaians. And it was a very disheartening experience, a visibly distressed returnee told Starr News Eric Mawuena Egbeta Wednesday night at the Kotoka International Airport.

We went through the desert and some of us disappeared without a trace and others were shot and killed, luckily for some of us, we were able to escape and were arrested and brought to the deportation centre, he added wearily.
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Infant among 4 injured as IED goes off at NC election meet in Itahari

Four people including a minor were injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off at an election assembly of Nepali Congress (NC) at Bhaladmi Tol in Itahari Sub-Metropolitan City-9 on Thursday.
Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly in the Ashanti Region is encouraging the youth to go into livestock farming to address unemployment in the area.

Officials identify rabbit and grasscutter rearing as potentially lucrative activities for the youth.

Carved out of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Asokore-Mampong Municipality is heavily populated.

The rapid expansion of residential facilities leaves the area with little land for large-scale farming.

Municipal Director for Agriculture, Josephine Annor says the establishment of a training centre to spearhead cottage farming is at an advanced stage.

We have started training and we have set our mother project up. It is from there that we are going to breed the animals and give them out. We are partnering with the Assembly to give them the cages for that, she said.

She reveals the prolific nature of rabbits together with the increase in their demand make it a good business venture.

She was speaking at the Municipal Farmers Day durbar ahead of the national edition in Kumasi scheduled for Friday, December 1, 2017.

The Farmers Day celebration saw recognition of efforts of all farmers in the Municipality.

Distinguished farmers were celebrated for contributing to food security efforts.

Municipal Chief Executive, Alidu Seidu, reiterated support for young individuals with interest in farming.

Some young people here have shown great interest in poultry keeping and the Assembly is finding ways of working with them. We are ready to support any young person following that example, he said.
Nana Kwame Nyarko Sarkodie, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region, has passionately appealed to President Akufo-Addo to protect the free Senior High School (SHS) with a law.

He stated that the free SHS programme is the best social intervention policy in the history of the country.

Nana Nyarko Sarkodie, who is an astute businessman and financier of the NPP, warned that the free SHS programme would be scrapped if the National Democratic Congress (NDC) recaptures political power in future.

According to him, the NPP's decision to introduce four-year SHS some years ago clearly enabled many students to pass their examinations, yet the NDC, who are nation-wreckers, infamously scrapped the policy.

Nana Nyarko Sarkodie warned that if the free SHS policy is not protected by law, definitely one day, the NDC, who have a record of destroying all the good policies of the NPP, will scrap this positive social intervention policy too.

He strongly condemned the politicization of the education system in the country, cautioning politicians, especially NDC members, to refrain from destroying Ghana's education system with their cheap politics.

The free SHS policy is the best for the country, as it has the tendency of eroding ignorance in the country and enhancing the future of Ghana, yet the NDC is fighting this laudable policy, according to him.

Nana Nyarko Sarkodie stated that the proper education of the country's youth would ensure the effective development of the country in future.

He congratulated President Akufo-Addo for his achievements and fulfilling his campaign promises within just 10 months in office, urging the people to solidly support the NPP administration.

Nana Nyarko Sarkodie stated that the NPP has competent, knowledgeable, hard working, visionary and patriotic men and women, who have the interest of the country at heart.

He stated categorically that the Akufo-Addo administration would gradually deal with mess created by the incompetent NDC administration during its eight-year tenure.

From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi
Latex Foam Limited, Polytex Industrial Limited and Wire Weaving Industries have donated some of their products to the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) towards this year's National Farmers' Day.

Latex Foam Limited donated 10 pieces of double size mattresses valued at GH10, 000, Wire Weaving Industries offered wire mesh, chain link wire fencing and others worth GH25, 000 while Polytex Industrial Limited presented 50 pieces of its products and a cheque for GH1,400.

Items from Wire Weaving Industry included bundles of chain link wire fencing, wire mesh, Dadua nails, hexagonal wire netting and boundary mats.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Latex Foam Limited, Gifty E. Appiah, who presented the items to the Regional Minister, Ishmael Ashitey, indicated that her outfit was very happy to be associated with the annual celebration of the National Farmers' Day.

She averred that farmers contribute a lot to the wealth of the nation besides feeding the nation.

Kumordzie A, who also represented Wire Weaving Industries, averred that his outfit has over the years manufactured products used by farmers.

He revealed that his company would contribute its widow's mite towards the success of the upcoming National Farmers' Day.

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Ashitey, who received the items on behalf of RCC and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), lauded the two companies for the donation.

As we draw closer to the National Farmers Day, let me further urge other institutions, organized groups and corporate bodies to donate towards this cause, he added.
The management, staff and pupils of Immanuel Restoration School, a leading private basic institution located at Abelemkpe in Accra, have donated a number of food items and an undisclosed amount of money to inmates of the Dzorwulu Special School in Accra.

The items include gallons of cooking oil, beverages, bottles of fruit juices and other assorted soft drinks, toilet rolls, washing powder, bars of soap and packets of biscuits.

Rev Mrs Cecilia Campbell, Director of Immanuel Restoration School, in her brief words of exhortation indicated that the donation forms part of her school's annual thanksgiving service programme.

According to her, Thanksgiving is the period when pupils are encouraged to share a bit of whatever they have with a neighbour, especially the less-privileged in the society.

Rev Mrs Campbell explained that management before the period of thanksgiving extends an appeal to parents to make donations, which are later presented to a vulnerable institution each year.

Showing love to all people, especially vulnerable members of society, is a godly act besides being a source of inspiration it also leads to making the world a peaceful place for all, she stated.

The director also encouraged the inmates not to give up on themselves but look at the brighter side of life irrespective of their condition, adding that God in his wisdom will visit them in times they least expect it.

The Assistant Headteacher of Dzorwulu Special School, Mr Fredrick Tetteh, commended the management and pupils of Immanuel Restoration School for the donation.

He added that such donations inspire both teachers and inmates to feel loved, especially those that come from children of their age group.
Seven persons are battling for their lives following an accident involving four vehicles on the Tema-Aflao Highway yesterday.

People who sustained various degrees of injury were rushed to the Tema General Hospital for treatment.

Two women were said to have fractured their legs.

The accident comes on the heels of last Sunday's bizarre incident, which led to the death of two brothers at the same spot when some giant boulders fell from a bucket of a tipper truck to crush the deceased who were travelling on board a BMW saloon car.

Chief Superintendent Joseph Owusu-Bempah, the Tema Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), explained that the accident occurred opposite the Allied Filling Station on the dual carriage road at about 5:15 am when a trailer carrying some bags of cement suddenly moved into the lane of a 207 Benz bus with registration number GE 3069 Z carrying passengers from Prampram to Tema.

The 207 bus driver, in an attempt to also avoid ramming the trailer, moved into the lane of OA bus with registration number GT 5311-15 transporting workers of Pioneer Food Cannery (PFC) to the company in Tema.

Unfortunately, a Benz tipper truck with registration number GR 3092 Z loaded with gravel, which was behind, rammed all the vehicles.

The MTTD boss asked the driver of the trailer with registration number AS 368 T, which allegedly caused the accident, to assist the police with investigations.

We have the registration number, and other features are yet to be determined. We appeal to the owner of the truck to report to the Tema Regional MTTD to assist in investigations, the police boss said.
Samsung Ghana is bringing back smiles to the faces of children across Ghana ahead of this year's Christmas festivities.

The electronics giant has partnered with Operation Smile, an international medical charity organisation, to fund the cleft surgeries of more than 150 Ghanaian children.

'Smile With Samsung' is the second project through which the electronics provider will support cleft surgeries in Ghana. For every authorised Samsung smartphone bought and registered on e-warranty from now until the end of January 2018, Samsung will donate $1 towards the surgeries in a guaranteed contribution of $50,000.

Tracy Kyei, Marketing Manager at Samsung, stated that customers who purchase a Samsung device will need to register on e-warranty to ensure Samsung recognises the sale. They will then receive a confirmation message via SMS that $1 has been donated to the 'Smile With Samsung' project.

Statistics show that every three minutes somewhere in the world, a child is born with a cleft. In Ghana, this equates to one out of every 750 births. Despite the fact that a cleft can be fixed with a simple surgery lasting just 45 minutes, one out of every 10 children with a cleft dies before their first birthday.

Commenting on the initiative, Mr Eugene Nahm, Managing Director of Samsung Electronics, said, Our aim is to support a worthy cause in which our customers can partake  we want them to be proud to own a Samsung. We firmly believe that no company can truly say it is successful if it doesn't give back to society.
A new project to harmonise the regulation of medicines in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region has been unveiled in Accra.

The ECOWAS-Medicines Regulatory Harmonisation (MRH) Project is expected to build sufficient regulatory capacity to approve medicines for public health benefits in a timely manner ensuring acceptable quality, safety and efficacy standards within the framework of the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonisation (AMRH) initiative.

The initiative was birthed after the West African Health Organisation and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD/WAHO) research revealed that medicines regulatory systems in the sub-region were affected by challenges despite the concerted effort of governments and development partners.

A process to harmonise medicine regulation was, thus, advised with processes, including the inauguration of the Joint MRH steering committee and validation of an action plan and draft regulation being developed to ensure that regulatory oversight on medicines imported and produced locally are stringently monitored and the high incidence of substandard and falsified medicines circulating are reduced.

Deputy Minister of Health, Kingsley Aboagye Gyedu, who officially launched the project on the sidelines of the third scientific conference on medical regulation in Africa, explained that the quality of life of the African population equally depends on the type of medicine on the continent.

He was, therefore, optimistic the project would permit the circulation of safe, quality and efficacious medicine in all the ECOWAS member states.

In a speech read on his behalf, Dr Xavier Crespin, Director General of WAHO, expressed his appreciation to partners and member states for supporting the process with funds and technical support.

Thanks also go to all the regional economic communities who have come here to support us and to share with us their wealth of experience in the field, he mentioned.

Dr Crespin also assured the gathering of his WAHO's commitment to the endeavour for we believe it to be the surest way of improving access to quality, essential medicines for the peoples of this continent.
The Dutch Prime Minister Mr. Mark Rutte is in Accra for a two-day visit from 29-30 November, 2017. He was welcomed on arrival by Ghana's Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia Wednesday evening.

The President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid will also be arriving later today.

With this visit, the first of a Dutch Prime Minister to Ghana, Mr Rutte wants to reaffirm and further strengthen the excellent relations between the two countries.

His visit coincides with that of the French President Emmanuel Macron to Ghana. The two leaders agreed to visit Ghana together, in the aftermath of the AU-EU summit in Abidjan. Nana Akufo-Addo will host a lunch for President Macron and Prime Minister Rutte. Both European leaders will also meet with young Ghanaian entrepreneurs, whom have benefited from startup accelerator programs.

The Dutch Prime Minister will have talks with President Nana Akufo-Addo, in which economic cooperation will be high on the agenda. Ghana and the Netherlands have longstanding relations. Recently the focus has been changing from development cooperation to trade and investments. Other areas of common interest are also on the table, including migration.

Further elements of his tour in Ghana will be a visit to MDK Flowers and Greens, a Dutch company in Tema that produces flowers and plants for export to the Netherlands and the signing ceremony for a loan, issued by Fidelity Bank to a hospital in Teshie, through the Dutch funded Water and Sanitation program. This program engages the private sector by offering a sustainable financial model for business in water and sanitation.

-Starrfmonline
The over one hundred Ghanaian migrants who were rescued from Libya have appealed to the government to assist them with viable jobs that can sustain them.

Over 160 of them detained in Libya were expected back home after government facilitated their release from the Libyan authorities.

Some of the returnees who spoke to Joy News Komla Adom at the Kotoka International Airport where some 127 of them touched down Wednesday night, recounted some of their worst nightmares.

One of them said the trip is deadly as Libyan children even rob immigrants at gunpoint and some of the travelers are killed on the desert.

For many of them, it is a story of a failed journey to Europe in which they can only count their losses.

Ansah, 28, was on his way to Italy through the Mediterranean Sea when he was arrested and subjected to months of torture.

When they caught me on the Sea, they took me to an uncompleted building where I stayed for six months. They only give us one meal a day at 2 p.m and the water they gave us was salty water, he told the reporter.

The terribly disgruntled gentleman said there were 17 of them in detention but seven people died.

Those who did not die were sold.

Another victim said some of us are sold for $3000 or less where your owner will brutalize you and not pay you for the work you do for him/her.

Some are even shot in the leg.



Reintegration into society

In a move to help the returnees to settle and reintegrate into society, the Country Director of International Organisation for Migration (IOM), said they will help them to reach their homes in a dignified manner.

Silvia Lopez said, we will do what we can to help them integrate into society.

One of the returnees who said he used to make and sell tomato boxes patronized by tomato sellers who travel to Burkina Faso to buy the vegetables, said he will need some capital to set up on a large scale.

The 440 given to us is inadequate and these clothes I am wearing now, I am ashamed to take it home, the returnee told the Joy News reporter.

President Meets European Leaders

Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo is meeting with leaders of three European countries including Emmanuel Macron at the Flagstaff House Thursday.

The issue of migration is expected to feature prominently.

In an earlier meeting with the Dutch President, President Akufo-Addo said his main task is to create the enabling environment for jobs to be created.

He reiterated that ensuring dignified lives for those who are unemployed is the only way to dissuade the youth from embarking on such dangerous trips on the desert or sea in search of a better life.

Migration Forum

In the wake happenings in Libya, the migration dilemma has become a global crisis with many calling for an end to this phenomenon.

But would you still risk it to cross the Mediterranean for a better life? What will inform such a decision?

Joy News together with DW will on Thursday evening seek some answers from the government and key stakeholders on how to deal with this migration menace.

The forum dubbed Migration dilemma will be live on Radio, TV and Online from the ISSER conference room Legon at 5 pm.

Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com |Abubakar Ibrahim |[email protected]
The Sunyani Technical University (STU) on Thursday November 30, 2017 held a matriculation ceremony for 2,226 fresh students admitted for the 2017/2018 academic year.

This year, the university issued admission letters to 3,101 prospective students into its various programmes but only 2,226 of them accepted the offers, representing 45% increase over last years enrolment figure.

A total of 1,229 of the newly matriculated students opted for Science and Technology programmes whereas 997 were admitted for Business/Humanities programmes.

Speaking at the colourful and brief ceremony held at the K. Nsiah Gyabaah Auditorium in the school, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ing. Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah said the university had further submitted over 20 new 4-year Bachelor of Technology (B-Tech) programmes to the National Accreditation Board (NAB) and the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) for accreditation.

NAB has completed its assessment of the universitys preparedness to start the 4-year B-Tech programmes. We are, therefore, waiting for the NCTE to give clearance to enable NAB issue accreditation for the running of the programmes by the university.

He was hopeful that if the 4-year B-Tech programmes commence, it would put the university on a level playing field with other universities across the globe to compete for students, both nationally and internationally.

May I, therefore, use this opportunity to appeal to the NCTE to facilitate the process of accrediting the 4-year B-Tech programmes for the Sunyani Technical University and for other Technical Universities in the country to make Technical Universities relevant and competitive, he added.

Prof. Ing. Adinkrah-Appiah also disclosed that the Sunyani Technical University has signed MOUs with two universities in Germany and the USA.

The MOUs, he said, focused on Academic Exchange Programmes between the STU and the UMES, Maryland, USA and Fochoschule Dortmund, in Dortmund, Germany to exchange faculty, staff and students.

In the arrangement, students will be allowed to take at least a semester in Germany or Maryland in the USA and their credits will be transferred to the STU when they come back for smooth progression to the next stage on their programmes.

Students on our Pharmacy Technician programme, after completion, will also have the opportunity to enroll on the 3-year Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm-D) programme at the UMES, USA, to be able to practice professional Pharmacists after training.

He announced that summer vacation employment has been arranged for Tourism and Hospitality students of the Sunyani Technical University at the Ocean City in Maryland, USA, a world-class tourist centre, to help them gain practical experience and international exposure in the Hospitality and Tourism industry starting from June 2018.

To the new students, Prof. Ing. Adinkrah-Appiah admonished them not to indulge in illicit drugs, stealing, alcoholism, sexual misconduct and other immoral behavior.

You should remember that nobody will regulate your activities on campus as was done in the Senior High Schools and, therefore, you have endless freedom. However, your continuous stay in the university will depend on your conduct and academic performance, he cautioned.

From Richard Kofi Boahen, Sunyani, [email protected])
9 cadres of Chand-led Maoist arrested in Pyuthan

Police on Thursday arrested nine cadres of Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) led by Netra Bikram Chand.
Members of the Coalition of Five Affected Communities in the Asutifi North District of the Brong Ahafo Region say they consider the research titled Exposure to toxicants in environmental contaminants within Newmont Ghana Gold Limited  Ahafo Mine: Human Risk Assessment Approach by Dr. Frederick A. Armah of the UCC and Mr. Samuel Obiri, a Senior Research Scientist of CSRI as very revealing and important.

According to them, the research methodology involved the collection of a total of 70 water and 30 sediment samples from surface water bodies in some communities around Newmont Ahafo Mine. Also 19 rain water samples were randomly collected for analysis.

The results of all this show that all our water bodies have been seriously polluted by Newmont and that residents in the area and even workers of Newmont are exposed to the risk of having cancerous and non-cancerous diseases, Spokesperson of the Coalition, Kennedy Adu Adjei said at a Press Conference in Sunyani.

Members of the Coalition include residents of Kenyase Number One, Kenyase Number Two, Ntotroso, Gyedu and Wamahinso and their surrounding communities.

Mr. Adu Adjei said residents of these communities expected the management of Newmont Ahafo Mine to take the research study serious because of the long-term negative effects of their operations on the health of the innocent people of the area.

Contrary to our expectations but very characteristic of Newmont Ahafo Mine, the company decided to employ methods to rubbish the report and deny taking responsibility for its actions. This attitude of Newmont is not new to us. We recall that Newmont Ahafo Mine attempted to hide cyanide spillage caused by the company in 2009, he said.

He recalled that it took the vigilance of the people in the area and WACAM activists to expose the fact that Newmont Ahafo Mine had spilled cyanide into rivers and the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency and government indicted Newmont Ahafo Mine for attempting to hide an important environmental pollution such as cyanide spillage.

In an attempt to deny and rubbish the research, which had brought out the revelation of the levels of environmental pollution, Newmont Ahafo Mine contracted Dr. Kwaku Poku Asante of the Kintampo Health Research Centre to also conduct another research with the objective to counter the findings of the earlier study by Dr. Frederick A. Armah and Mr. Samuel Obiri, he said.

He continued that Dr. Kwaku Poku only visited the communities around the mine to take pictures without taking water samples for laboratory analysis. Without any data collection and analysis, Dr. Kwaku Poku came out this year through a so-called research finding to rubbish the earlier study by Dr. Frederick A. Armah and Mr. Samuel Obiri.

Similarly, Dr. Michael Poku-Boansi, a Senior Lecturer of the Planning Faculty of Built Environment of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) concocted and fabricated research findings meant to rubbish the claims in the report titled Assessing the social and economic effects of mining on women affected by Newmont Ghana Limiteds operations by Dr. Emmanuel Yamoah Tenkorang of the Institute of Development Studies, Mr Adu Adjei stated.

Mr. Adu Adjei said Dr. Tenkorangs study combined the use purposive and convenience sampling methods to sample key informants, adult women interviewees and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) as 94 interviews, two FGDs and eight key informant interviews were conducted in the Asutifi North District.

According to him, Dr. Michael Poku-Boansi of KNUST, on the other hand, has deceived the public into thinking that he also went to the ground to gather concrete and reliable data to counter Mr. Tenkorang finding and in the process ended up interviewing dead people of the area.

For example, the list of key informants submitted by Dr. Michael Poku-Boansi includes the late Nana Adwoa Pokuaa, who was the Queen-mother of Kenyase Number Two. Nana Adwoa Pokuaa died on 15th September 2014. How can someone who died in 2015 resurrect and be interviewed in 2017? Only Dr. Michael Poku-Boansi and his paymasters  Newmont Ghana Gold Limited can explain this mystery he quizzed.

Besides, our checks indicate that a good number of those whose names are on the so-called key informants' list of Dr. Michael Poku-Boansi were either non-existing or they were not interviewed at all by anyone and yet Dr. Poku-Boansi wants us, people, to believe that indeed he interviewed them Mr. Adu Adjei revealed.

Members of the Coalition of Five Affected Communities in the Asutifi North District are therefore calling for swift and deterrent action against Dr. Michael Poku-Boansi of KNUST and Dr. Kwaku Poku Asante of the Kintampo Health Research Centre for intellectual incompetence, academic deception and for concocting and fabricating reports to deceive the public.
30.11.2017 LISTEN

It is a problem that the Akufo-Addo Administration cannot and must not be expected to passively and unreservedly assume. I am talking about the alleged non-payment of the salaries of some staff members of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO)  (See About 1,000 NADMO Workers Starve 3 Years Without Pay Citifmonline.com / Modernghana.com 10/23/17). A letter published under the preceding referenced news caption is alleged to have been written to the current Minister of the Interior demanding their 3-years worth of retroactive paychecks.

Now, we must quickly point out that during the period in question, which is between 2013 and 2016, it was the Mahama-led government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that was in charge of the public purse. But even more significantly ought to be highlighted the fact that it was Mr. Kofi Portuphy, the current National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, who was the National Coordinator of NADMO. Mr. Portuphy, obviously, has some explaining to do before Parliament.

If these allegedly unpaid workers happen to have been recruited under the Atta-Mills Doctrine, or they happen to have been offered their jobs primarily because they were card-carrying members of the then-ruling party, then, of course, somebody at the headquarters of the National Democratic Congress must be summoned by the Speaker of Parliament to explain the circumstances under which these 1,000 NADMO workers got hired. Some of the assets of the NDC may have to be liquidated to settle the debts owed these party recruits of NADMO.

And if they are, indeed, party employees, then the aforesaid unpaid NADMO workers may have to be promptly shown the exit, as it were, while the proper procedures are initiated to have new employees hired to replace them or make NADMO more professionally constituted. The same procedure ought to be followed by the Akufo-Addo Administration vis-a-vis all publicly owned and operated civil and public service establishments. As to why these allegedly unpaid NADMO workers would remain at post without pay for so long staggers the imagination, to say the least.

But, of course, in the sort of socioeconomic and cultural dispensation in which Ghanaians presently find themselves, especially after 20 years of the effective destruction of our national economy by the Rawlings-led regimes of the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) and the so-called National Democratic Congress, it is quite conceivable that what the allegedly unpaid NADMO employees are claiming may be quite accurate. Indeed, when President Addo DankwaAkufo-Addo laments figuratively that his immediate predecessor, namely, former President John Dramani Mahama, did not leave him any substantive or worthwhile legacy, it is to be squarely envisaged in the preceding terms.

But, of course, Nana Akufo-Addo may be oversimplifying matters, for such legacy of abject economic privation was created by regimes preceding that which was led by Mr. Mahama, even when one reckons the fact that the latter was a bona fide participant of the Rawlings-founded and chaperoned National Democratic Congress, and a veritable product of the Rawlings-led institutional antecedent of the Provisional National Defense Council.

*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs
30.11.2017 LISTEN

Accra, Nov. 30, CDA Consult  Ghana is to launch Zero Tolerance for Corruption Campaign, to showcase the nations indomitable spirit to fight and win the war against corruption.

The National Zero Tolerance for Corruption campaign forms part of the broader National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP).

It would also be used to review the state of corruption and the progress made in the implementation of NACAP and anti-corruption measures generally, Mr Richard Quayson, Deputy Commissioner, Commission Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) told the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in an interview in Accra.

Outlining measures towards the launch of the 2017 Anti-Corruption Week and National Anti-Corruption Conference scheduled for December 4  9, 2017, Mr Quayson told the CDA Consult that the week has been branded Anti-Corruption and Transparency Week (ACT6/0) which is to symbolize abhorrence to corruption.

As this years programme also coincides with the [email protected] celebrations, the multi-stakeholder planning committee has branded the week December 4 to 9, 2017 as Anti-Corruption and Transparency Week [ACT 6/0], symbolizing six days of zero tolerance for corruption, Mr Quayson stated.

He said CHRAJ is organizing the week in partnership with the Office of the President, Attorney Generals Office, Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, Judicial Service, National Commission for Civic Education, Ghana Police, European Union, US Embassy/USAID, STAR Ghana, and other Stakeholders.

Other activities Mr Quayson outlined includes; Monday December 4th - Launch of Anti-Corruption and Transparency Week [ACT 6/0]; Friday and Saturday 8th & 9th - National Anti-Corruption Conference.

He said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is expected to open the National Anti-Corruption Conference in Accra.

Mr Quayson said Ghana, through Parliament on July 3, 2014, adopted NACAP as the national strategy and blueprint to combat corruption in the country over a 10-year period.

He said the main purpose of NACAP is to mobilize efforts and resources of stakeholders, including government, public sector institutions, civil society, private sector, the media, faith based organizations, traditional authorities and individuals, to prevent and fight corruption through the promotion of high ethics and integrity and the vigorous enforcement of applicable laws.

The CHRAJ Deputy Commissioner said Since the introduction of NACAP, the nation has been organizing annual National Anti-Corruption Conference coordinated by CHRAJ to review the state of corruption and the progress made in the implementation of NACAP and anti-corruption measures generally.

He said the Conference, which is usually organized on the December 8 and 9, devotes the first day to technical work, whilst the 9th is more ceremonial as it commemorates the International Anti-Corruption Day.
30.11.2017 LISTEN

European Union leaders pledged to increase investments in Africa to assist development and help stem the arrival of thousands of migrants who are desperate to flee poverty.

Speaking at a gathering of heads of states of the continents in Ivory Coasts commercial capital, Abidjan, European Council President Donald Tusk said Wednesday the bloc was ready to do more to create jobs and economic opportunities for Africa and its people.

We have to be ambitious, Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament, said at the same gathering. There needs to be a true Marshall Plan for Africa.

The two-day meeting in Ivory Coast takes place as the EU plans to make 8 billion euros ($9.5 billion) available to improve migration control from the Middle East and Africa.

In September, the European Parliament adopted a separate 4.1 billion euro plan for Africa thats meant to generate 44 billion euro in investment and address root causes of migration.

Solutions to Africas problems require significant financial resources, much more than what African resources alone can afford, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara said. Our appeal will be for the growth of investments from Europe, public and private.

Europe is grappling to stem the biggest wave of asylum seekers since World War II, as anxiety over the issue is stoking populism and drives electoral gains by far-right parties from France to Hungary.
Wednesday, November 22, 2017- Accra - The International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC) has donated an amount of Ten Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC 10,000) to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) in support of the 33rd edition of National Farmers Day.

Mr Samson Konlan, New Business Development Specialist and Mrs Judith Fagbegnon-Kodjo, Acting Country Representative and National Administration and Finance Officer (NAFO) of IFDC Ghana presented the cheque on behalf of IFDC at the premises of MoFA.

In a brief statement, Mr Konlan mentioned that IFDC works with regional and national organizations on integrated soil fertility management, food security and productivity enhancement, agro-input and output market development and input policies at regional and national levels as well as on value chain strengthening.

He added that IFDC is supporting the National Farmers Day in recognition of the Government of Ghanas increased commitment to improving productivity at the farmer level through its Planting for Food and Jobs program.

Honorable Dr Sagre Bambangi, Deputy Minister (Annual Crops) received the donation on behalf of the government and people of Ghana and appealed for more support in order to help make this years farmers day a success.

The Mission of IFDC is to enable farmers in developing countries to increase agriculture productivity, generate economic growth, and practice environmental stewardship by enhancing their ability to manage mineral and organic fertilizers responsibly and participate profitably in markets.

IFDC is headquartered in Muscle Shoals, Alabama (USA) and works in many countries in Asia, East and Southern Africa, as well as in North and West Africa with regional offices in Dhaka (Bangladesh), Nairobi (Kenya) and Accra (Ghana), respectively. In Ghana, IFDC is working closely with local institutions on projects such as the Feed the Future USAID Ghana Agriculture Technology Transfer (ATT), Towards Sustainable Clusters in Agribusiness through Learning in Entrepreneurship (2SCALE), Ghana Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (Ghana WASH) and the Commercial Vegetable Sector Development in Ghana (GhanaVeg) as well as the Africafertilizer.org initiative.

The Feed the Future USAID Ghana Agricultural Technology Transfer (ATT) Project is increasing the availability of appropriate and affordable agriculture-related technologies to sustainably improve the competitiveness of the maize, rice, and soybean value chains in northern Ghana with funding from USAID/Ghana.

ATT is improving Ghanas agricultural research and extension systems by creating a private sector-led agricultural technology transfer mechanism, linking research, extension systems, and producers in a market driven approach to seed variety development and dissemination. 2SCALE seeks to improve rural livelihoods and food security in Africa, by being an inclusive agribusiness incubator based on Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).

Implemented in Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria and Uganda, the 2SCALE project is funded by the Dutch government and jointly implemented by IFDC, ICRA and BoP Innovation Center as well as partners such as the private sector, government agencies, research centers, development organizations, universities and especially small female producers to create agribusiness clusters for competitive value chains. Ghana Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (Ghana WASH) is working to push the frontiers of innovation in the area of waste treatment and reuse (waste-to-energy and fertilizer) in Ghana.

The project is funded by Rijksdienst Voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO) and the African Development Bank. Partners and collaborators include Safi Sana Ghana Ltd, Royal Haskoning DHV, Wereld Waternet, the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Hasal Babs Enterprise, the Waste Foundation and the Ashaiman Municipality Assembly. Safi Sana, a Ghanaian company, subcontracted IFDC to demonstrate and roll out Safi Sanas bio-fertilizer and seedling products in the horticultural partnerships supported by 2SCALE in Ghana.

GhanaVeg is an initiative of The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and implemented by IFDC, Wageningen University Research-Center for Development Innovation (CDI) and the Netherlands-Ghana Business Chamber (NABC) with the mission to establish a sustainable and internationally competitive vegetable sector that contributes to inclusive economic growth and has the capacity to continuously innovate in terms of products and services. GhanaVeg is driven by a strong belief in healthy and quality vegetables from Ghana through new ways of doing business.

The Initiative targets the high-end domestic and international markets (high end supermarkets, hotels, restaurants and exports). AfricaFertilizer.org is an IFDC initiative, led in partnership with the International Fertilizer Association (IFA), the African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), the United Nations United Nations for Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the African Union Commission (AUC). Its objective is to contribute to the development of a sustainable and profitable agriculture sector in Africa by providing clear and timely information on fertilizers to the public and private sectors.
The Police CID has arrested the leader of a massive social media fraud syndicate after two months of Investigations by Starr News.

The suspect popularly known as Joshua Torkor, but in real life called Joshua Ekow Sagoe, was arrested by the Police after he turned himself in at the Police Headquarters after his key accomplice, Adwoa Akumia, a National Service Person who was posted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was first arrested.

Starr News began the investigation upon a tipoff by a victim based in the United States of America of the activities of the Social Media Fraud syndicate. The accused person, Joshua Ekow Sagoe, from our investigations posed as an officer of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and Interpol who goes by the name Joshua Torkor and contacts his victims through social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp. He then tells them that the CID and Interpol have intercepted some information about them and are ready to publish them.

He further threatens that after publication, the Interpol will come looking for the victims and possibly deport them to Ghana for prosecution. If he succeeds in getting the attention of his victims, he then proceeds to make financial demands claiming that upon payment, he is able to influence the security agencies to back off.

Through this blackmail and scam activities, Ekow Sagoe has succeeded in defrauding several unsuspecting people both in Ghana and abroad.

In the cause of the investigation, Joshua Torkor made a demand for $4,000.00 from one of his victims. The victim who had then contacted Starr News was advised to deliberately refer the demand to his cousin here in Ghana. The suspect promptly agreed and started engaging a member of the investigation team for possible transfer of the funds.

The News team requested that the suspect assigns an agent to receive the money on his behalf. He subsequently introduced a lady as his secretary who was to receive the money on his behalf.

The lady, Adwoa Akumia, a National Service Person met Starr News investigators at the front office of the Foreign Affairs Ministry to receive the money on behalf of Joshua Torkor. The Foreign Affairs Ministry upon knowledge of the incident has since canceled the National Service offer to Akumia, and has sent her back to the National Service Secretariat for possible re-posting.

Arrest of Joshua Ekow Sagoe

The National Service Secretariat under the auspices of the Executive Director organized a meeting between the investigative team and the principal witness (Adwoa). Joshua after Adwoas arrest voluntarily reported himself to the Police where he was arrested and subsequently charged with impersonation.
Leaders at an EU-Africa summit called Thursday for the immediate evacuation of nearly 4,000 distressed African migrants in Libya under a new drive to fight slave traders and traffickers.

Wrapping up a two-day summit in Ivory Coast's economic capital, a top African Union (AU) official said there could be as many as 700,000 Africans stranded in Libya, where many have suffered atrocities and even been sold into slavery.

He said a fact-finding mission had seen one camp in Tripoli where all the residents, numbering several thousand, were "living in inhumane conditions" and were desperate to return home.

"We have agreed, along with the EU and the UN, to set up a task force for repatriating at least 3,800 people," Moussa Faki Mahamat, head of the AU Commission, told reporters.

"But it's just one camp... the Libyan government tells us that there are 42 in all. There are definitely more than that. There are estimates of 400,000 to 700,000 African migrants in Libya."

The summit, gathering more than 80 nations of the African Union and European Union (EU), had been showcased as a bid to boost development in Africa as it faces a population crunch.

But it was largely overshadowed by shock TV footage of black Africans sold as slaves in Libya, prompting protests in many countries and demands for action.

Closing the summit, Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara said the "inhumane treatment of migrants" required responses that "match our condemnation."

He called on humanitarian aid, new efforts to fight human trafficking, and solutions for the poverty that prompted so many young Africans to risk the trek to Europe in search of a better life.

'Step in right direction'

Leaders at the AU-EU summit agreed on an "extreme emergency operation", French President Emmanuel Macron said

In a meeting late Wednesday, the leaders of Libya, France, Germany, Chad, Niger and four other countries agreed on a plan to allow migrants facing abuse in Libyan detention camps to be evacuated within days or weeks, mostly to their home countries.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who called the slave trading a crime against humanity, said Libya agreed to allow access to the camps "where scenes of barbarism" had occurred and have them repatriated.

They also offered increased support for the International Organization of Migration (IOM) to help those who want to return to their home countries, said Macron, who called the emergency meeting.

In some cases they could be given asylum in Europe, he added.

IOM Europe Director Eugenio Ambrosio told AFP that the new campaign was a "step in the right direction," although he said slave trading and other abuses also happened outside government control.

The agency, he said, could repatriate all 15,000 economic migrants in the Libyan government-controlled camps within two months if their home governments swiftly provided proper documents enabling them to travel.

EU sources earlier said UN humanitarian agencies like the IOM had arranged for some 13,000 migrants to return voluntarily to their home countries mainly in sub-Saharan Africa in the last year after a deal with Libya.

The group also decided to work with a task force, involving the sharing of police and intelligence services, to "dismantle the networks and their financing and detain traffickers," Macron said.

The AU, EU and UN officials also pledged to freeze the assets of identified traffickers while the AU will set up an investigative panel and the UN could take cases before the International Court of Justice, he added.

Faki said money was stored away in banks in Europe and the Middle East, including Dubai.

Migration crisis

The uproar over slavery came after US network CNN two weeks earlier aired footage from Libya of black Africans being sold.

AU and other critics have accused the EU of creating conditions for the slave trade as well as rape and torture of migrants by encouraging Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA), which is UN-backed, to detain migrants and stop them from coming to Europe.

The EU, which said migrant abuses existed before its cooperation with Libya, has been desperate to ease the worst migration crisis since World War II, with more than 1.5 million migrants entering the bloc since 2015.

In his speech to the summit on Wednesday, European Council President Donald Tusk acknowledged the "horrifying" treatment of young Africans.

But he also warned against starting "a blame game" and called for cooperation to fight criminals.

EU officials said the migrant influx, which has deepened political divisions across the EU, as well as frequent Islamist attacks in Europe have been a wake-up call to tackle the root causes of why people leave their homes.

The EU has already set up multi-billion-euro funds to promote Africa's economic development while deepening counter-terrorism cooperation with African countries where Islamist militant groups are spreading.

The summit worked on ways to promote stability and long-term economic growth for a continent likely to have 2.4 billion people by 2050, more than double what it is now.

Without fast-tracked development, millions could flee to Europe or turn to radical Islamist groups, EU and African leaders warn.
Protesters in Togo showed no signs of relenting in their bid to oust President Faure Gnassingbe on Thursday, taking to the streets for a second day as the opposition outlined conditions for talks with the government.

In Lome, the rallies -- which have become a common sight over the past three months -- took place in a calm atmosphere although earlier protests have resulted in deadly clashes with the security forces which have claimed at least 16 lives.

Gnassingbe has ruled Togo for more than 15 years, and demonstrators want him to go -- seeking an end to his family's more than 50-year grip on power. They also want to impose a two-term limit on the presidential mandate.

Although largely silent on the wave of protests, Gnassingbe finally spoke out on November 20, saying the government was in talks about holding negotiations with the opposition which could take place "within several weeks".

The almost-daily protests which have gripped Togo since late August have been organised by a coalition of 14 opposition parties, who have insisted they will only talk if the government releases detainees, lifts the ban on demonstrations in several northern cities and sends troops back to their barracks.

Most of the deadly clashes between protesters and the security forces have taken place in the north where there has been a heavy security presence.

"Mobilisation will continue, even during talks. We are not going to give up the fight," the leader of the National Alliance for Change (ANC), Jean-Pierre Fabre, told AFP on Wednesday.

International observers

Demonstrators are adamant that President Faure Gnassingbe, who has ruled Togo since 2005, must go with protests even taking place outside the UN in New York

But many are sceptical about the prospects of talks with the government.

"We've done too much talking in this country and agreements have never been respected," fumed Elie Lodinou, a salesman who was taking part in the demonstrations.

"This time, the international community must come alongside us. We need observers from the UN and the African Union present at these talks," he insisted.

Many African and European heads of states were in Abidjan this week for a key EU-AU summit which touched on the Togo crisis.

On the sidelines of the two-day meeting, Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari and his Ivorian counterpart Alassane Ouattara expressed concern that the instability in Togo could have regional consequences.

"We must have a solution in Togo," Buhari said, stressing that allies of both the opposition and the government "must talk to them (about) the steps to jointly take to achieve stability."

"There will be regional consequences for instability in Togo and this will surely come at a cost to development," he warned.

Speaking to France 24 television and Radio France International (RFI) on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he hoped there would be "an electoral process (in Togo)... which allows either a democratic confirmation or transition of power.

"Keeping power for a long period of time without any electoral processes, without a framework of pluralism, is not a good thing," he said.

Mediators such as Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo and Guinea's Alpha Conde have also been working to open up talks between the two sides.
Nollywood actress, Shan George, has called on Nigerians to learn to encourage and motivate the Niegerain Police no matter the dirty things said about them.

The actress was moved to say after she met with a US Police Officer who told her that he such much respects the Nigerian Police as they work so hard to maintain law and order even without good equipment to combat crime.

According to her, I met this NYPD officer in New York, and he said the Nigeria Police is one of the best in the world. That he has never known of a Police that works so effectively with so less equipped and underpaid. Who is saying Nigeria Police is the worst in the world? How? #respectthenigeriapolice #hardworkers #security #police #nigeria #newyork .
All ballot boxes secured at district headquarters

Ballot boxes from all polling centres have arrived at respective headquarters of all the 32 districts where the first phase elections of the federal parliament and provincial assembly were held on Sunday.
Review of CI.133 will aid in ...
Bus plunges into Trishuli; 8 dead

Eight people died and 22 others were injured when a passenger bus plunged into the Trishuli river along the Prithvi Highway on Wednesday morning.
Hummingbirds Are Where Intuition Goes to Die Atlantic

Lobster found with Pepsi logo tattoo fuels fears over ocean litter Guardian (YY). Eeek.

Trophy Hunting May Drive Species to Extinctions Faster Due to Climate Change National Geographic (furzy)

Time between world-changing volcanic super-eruptions less than previously thought PhysOrg (Chuck L)

Volcano Super-Eruptions: How Long Before The Next One Wipes Out Civilization? International Business Times (Oregoncharles)

Prehistoric women had stronger arms than todays elite rowing crews PhysOrg (Chuck L). This is not as surprising as the authors make out. Rowing is an endurance sport. For strength, the maximum exertion period for strength-related activities is ~2 minutes. That is based on exercise physiology (the maximum amount of time you can rely on the lactic acid system). That is why sprinters can run flat out and middle distance runners cant. So very forceful exertions with rests is better for strength building than repetitive use of the same muscles over longer periods of time.

Bitcoin is a global supernova MacroBusiness. BTC is shaping as the stupidest thing that I have ever seen in global markets.

Websites use your CPU to mine cryptocurrency even when you close your browser ars technica

Pulling Iron From Brain May Offer Hope in Alzheimers Fight Bloomberg

How Breathing Calms Your Brain, And Other Science-Based Benefits Of Controlled Breathing Forbes (David L)

China?

Latest idea to tackle Beijings smog? 15 million people waving giant fans South China Morning Post

North Korea: Trump threatens major sanctions after latest missile test Guardian

India Considers a Leading Role in De-Centralised British Commonwealth The Wire

Trust no one: Reviews and ratings mean little to Indias online shoppers Quartz (J-LS)

Australia to hold royal commission inquiry into banks BBC

Queensland election shocks intensify breakup of Australian political establishment WSWS

Praljak: Bosnian Croat war criminal dies after taking poison in court BBC

EU commissioner to slam irresponsible Uber Politico

Brexit

UK consumer confidence drops to lowest level since Brexit result Independent

New Cold War
Close, yet so far

Deepening of economic integration in South Asia is not possible without expansion of intra-regional trade
A new study by academics at John Hopkins confirms one of our long-standing criticisms of private equity: that the general partners misrepresent fund values in ways that make them look more flattering to investors. Well discuss the findings of the paper by Jeff Hooke and Ken Yook (hat tip Eileen Appelbaum) in more detail below. But first we will turn to why its conclusions are important.

In virtually every other line of investing, money managers see dodgy accounting as a reason to hang tight to your wallet, or even consider putting on a short sale. Yet in private equity, as weve chronicled from time to time, limited partners, presumably following the lead of industry consultants who depend on private equity as a significant meal ticket, and the general partners, are touting a new justification for investing as its returns falter and cannot be defended on a risk-return basis.

Weve seen this movie before, with hedge funds. As we chronicled in the early days of this site, in 2007, it was clear that at best hedge funds werent delivering manager outperformance, or alpha. But alpha was the only justification for paying hedge funds nosebleed level fees. But pension fund and endowment managers, remembering the glory days of hedge funds when many really did deliver superior results, defended their investments as providing alternative beta, meaning market exposures that were still useful to them by virtue of their portfolio impact. Hedge funds were supposedly not highly correlated with the other holdings and therefore were still useful as a hedge.

The wee problem with this argument is that the investors could have created this alternative beta on their own or via package products for a small fraction of what they were paying hedge fund managers.

And in a few years, even that premise became a crock. By 2011, hedge funds were increasingly correlated with the stock market, undermining the last-gasp justification. By 2014, CalPERS announced it was exiting hedge funds altogether. By early 2016, many other investors were cutting back on their hedge fund allocations.

Similar to the efforts to justify continuing investments in hedge funds despite falling returns, for private equity, the great new saving grace is that its returns appear to be less volatile than those of public stocks. Let us stress the appear part.

As we explained in 2015:

Why Investors Love Phony PE Valuations Unlike most other types of investment, the unrealized investment in a private equity fund, meaning the companies it has bought and will eventually sell, are priced only by the general partner. There is no third party valuation. By contrast, hedge funds get monthly valuations from independent valuation firms. So the general partners get do what no Wall Street firm would allow to occur on its trading desk, which is have traders to mark their own positions. The private equity industry does have an argument for this troubling trust me setup: that the cost of valuing portfolio companies by an independent party like Houlihan Lokey would be on the order of $30,000 per company. Multiply that by, say, 20 companies four times a year, and youve got $2.4 million in costs. On a $1 billion fund, thats close to a 0.25% annual cost on the commitment amount, which would represent a meaningful drag on returns. But heres the flip side: If you allegedly cant afford to have adequate investor protection, should you be investing in that strategy at all, particularly in light of the considerable latitude that general partners have in computing these estimates? The dirty secret of these valuations is that jiggering key assumptions, like the discount rate, margins, revenue growth, reinvestment requirements, within ranges that are plausible, results in a very large range of possible values. Its not uncommon to find that changing the assumptions would result in a valuation of ten times what youd get using conservative assumptions. The truth is the portfolio company valuations are nothing more than a general partners opinion. And there is strong evidence that valuations are often phony, as in artificially high, in at least three circumstances: When stock markets are in distress, as in during the financial crisis. Leverage is a double-edged sword. Borrowing amplifies gains and losses. But you curiously dont see that in how private equity general partners value portfolio companies, When you see downdrafts in the stock market, which typically are the result of trouble in the real economy that hurts both private and public companies, you dont see private equity valuations falling as much (on the whole) as stock prices. Instead, the long-established practice in private equity is that when stocks take a nosedive, general partners mark down the valuations of portfolio companies much less. That makes no sense, since in general, private equity firms are levered, and levered equity should fall further, not less, in price than stocks as a whole.* Around the time of raising a new private equity fund. In a 2013 paper, How Fair are the Valuations of Private Equity Funds? Tim Jekinson, Miguel Sousa, and Rudiger Stucke concluded that general partners goose their valuations around the time they are raising a new fund, based on data from the entire life of CalPERS investments. Those false higher prices make returns look better than they really are: We find that valuations, and reported returns, are inflated during fundraising, with a gradual reversal once the follow-on fund has been closed. Third, we find that the performance figures reported by funds during fund-raising have little power to predict ultimate returns. This is especially true when performance is measured by IRR. Using public market equivalent measures increases predictability significantly. Our results show that investors should be extremely wary of basing investment decisions on the returns  especially IRRs  of the current fund. Note that the abstract of the paper also confirms (but underplays) the first point we mentioned, that of understating price declines in weak equity markets, which they benignly call smoothing. Late in the life of the fund. Despite its widespread use, IRR, as weve discussed at some length in previous posts, is a poor metric. It also happens to be particularly flattering to private equity. Moreover, its quirks lead investors to have even stronger incentives than theyd ordinarily have to monetize successful investments early in the life of the fund. As a result, the companies that are left in a fund later in its life tend to be dogs. A common pattern is to report prices for these businesses at their historical valuation level, even though the general partner would have presumably have sold the company by then at that price if that really was the price (the returns would be better if, for instance, a company was sold for $400 million in year 6 rather than in year 9). So these companies are eventually sold, more often than not at a price lower than what they were carried at, with the general partner making plausible-sounding explanations as to why it made sense to sell at a loss versus the valuation. None of this would be that bad if investors were duly skeptical and took steps to manage against these deficiencies. For instance, they could insist on much stronger rights to demand portfolio company valuations, and have five or ten percent of the companies valued every year, with the selection made on a random basis. Similarly, the Jenkinson paper points out early returns on funds, when measured in IRR, dont do a good job of predicting eventual performance. Yet despite experts having recommended the use of public market equivalent as clearly superior to IRR, limited partners still prefer to use IRR. So why dont investors look at the valuations more skeptically? They view those phony smoothed valuations as a feature, not a bug. Private equity researcher Peter Morris called it A triumph of accounting form over economic substance. One big reason is that when most financial markets are tanking, private equity looks less bad by virtue of under-reporing its price declines.

Back to the current post. The article by Jeff Hooke and Ken Yook, The Curious Year-to-Year Performance of Buyout Fund Returns: Another Mark-to-Market Problem? provides the expected through review of relevant literature (useful because it show more studies raising red flags about private equity valuations and smoothing than I have to confess I was aware of) and argues that a public-market proxy can supply a reliable estimate of private equity funds values. From its abstract:

Recent academic studies have raised doubts regarding the alpha of buyout fund returns against mimicking publicly traded portfolios, and buyout investors have sometimes responded that lower returns are offset by the funds lower volatility relative to public stocks. Regarding the volatility of such returns, several studies have used a cash-flow-only estimation (CFOE) approach to calculate risk, as an alternative to relying on (1) actual cash flows paid to limited partners and (2) the asset valuations of unsold investments as determined by buyout fund general partners. These studies have suggested that buyout funds reported return volatility is understated relative to times-series public market equity returns. This study uses a methodology other than CFOE to evaluate buyout fund return volatility. The authors use a publicly traded mimicking portfolio, adjusted for buyout-type leverage, to measure risk, and conclude that buyout fund returns are more volatile than public equity market returns.

Here is the money chart, which we think speaks for itself:

From its conclusion:

Unlike investment pools that specialize in publicly traded securities, buyout funds determine the residual values, one-year returns, and the volatility of their fund returns, while having few checks and balances. In this study, we eliminate the possible bias of GPs in setting annual residual values for their funds by using a publicly traded replication index.and conclude buyout fund returns are more volatile than public equity market returns. In contrast, the self-reported results of buyout funds indicate that their year-to-year equity returns are less volatile than those of the public stock market, despite the high leverage of buyout-fund-portfolio companies. These results contradict fundamental theories of finance, which stipulate that the use of leverage increases equity return volatility. If this articles conclusions are correct, future investors may have second thoughts about purchasing buyout funds instead of listed securities. Moreover, past buyout-fund investors may have been unfairly induced to place monies into these investment vehicles, in part through (1) faulty mark-to-market residual values, (2) improper year-to-year return estimates, or (3) inaccurate volatility calculations. Furthermore, many buyout fund return studies rely, by necessity, on residual value estimates of the fund GPs. If these estimates are inaccurate, the validity of these studies conclusions may be called into question.

The paper is very accessible and I encourage you to read it in full.
The NATO Deputy Secretary General, The Honourable Rose E. Gottemoeller, will travel to Rome on Friday, 1 December 2017 to participate in the 3rd edition of Rome MED  Mediterranean Dialogues. As part of the conference she will take part in a panel discussion entitled Shared Security, Common Strategies.

For additional information on the event, as well as webstreaming of the sessions, please consult the event website: https://rome-med.org.

Follow the Deputy Secretary General on Twitter (@Gottemoeller). Also follow us at @NATOPress.
(Natural News) America is often called a melting pot because of the wide variety of cultures that can be found here, and its one of the things that makes it such a great nation. Many of us with family members in our lineage who hailed from other countries  particularly in Europe  have heard stories about their arduous boat journey across the ocean to the land of opportunity. Weve heard their reasons for leaving their homeland, and there are typically multiple factors that drove their big decision. One that most of us havent heard as a reason for immigration, however, is climate change, yet that is exactly what a group of scientists would like us to believe prompted our ancestors to head overseas long before fossil fuels ever came into the equation.

Thats right: A team of German researchers has published a paper in Climate of the Past that links migration from Germany to North America in the 19th century to climate change. During this period, more than five million Germans headed to the North American continent. They say it wasnt the wars, revolutions, and difficult life that many of the immigrants faced that sent them in search of greener pastures; it was disagreeable weather.

According to their calculations, climate can explain as much as 30 percent of the migration from Southwest Germany during this time period. They cite low crop yields and increasing cereal prices caused by unfavorable climate conditions. They looked at population data, harvest figures, weather data, migration statistics and cereal price records to reach their conclusions.

They say the first immigration wave during this time came after the Indonesian Tambora volcano erupted in 1815, spewing gases and ash into the atmosphere and leading to falling temperatures and famine.

In 1846, however, it was extremely dry and hot weather and the associated bad harvests and rising food prices that sent Germans packing. Researcher Annette Bosmeier said: These two years of high migration numbers appear to be quite strongly influenced by climate changes, while for other migration waves other circumstances appeared to be more important.

Climate refugees?

This finding will undoubtedly help stoke fears about the concept of climate refugees, which is something that many climate change alarmists try to use to promote their agenda. Sea levels will rise and droughts, floods and hurricanes will be regular occurrences, they claim, causing mass migration in the form of climate refugees who will converge on unsuspecting populations and lead to unforeseen problems.

Some experts have claimed that hundreds of millions of people will be displaced due to environmental problems that are exacerbated by climate change by the year 2050. The numbers will far exceed those fleeing the conflict in Syria, according to a study carried out by the Environmental Justice Foundation, creating a giant challenge for European nations.

Stephen Cheney, a retired U.S. Military Corps Brigadier General, said: If Europe thinks they have a problem with migration today  wait 20 years. See what happens when climate change drives people out of Africa  the Sahel [sub-Saharan area] especially  and were talking now not just one or two million, but 10 or 20 [million].

Not surprisingly, that study takes the opportunity to call on governments to do more to reach the Paris climate agreement targets. Environmental Justice Foundation director Steve Trent said that when climate change is added to existing political tensions, it can ignite conflict and violence that will have disastrous consequences.

In other words, climate change  even in the absence of fossil fuels  is the real reason people have and will continue to immigrate to other countries. All of this leads one to wonder what kind of insane climate change theories they will come up with next.

Sources include:

ScienceDaily.com

FastCompany.com

TheGuardian.com
(Natural News) By this point it should be obvious to anyone who has been paying attention that when the liberals and left wing corporations claim to be launching various initiatives in the interest of combating fake news on the Internet, what they are really saying is that they want the power to determine which information is permitted and which information is to be suppressed. In recent months, companies such as Google, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have all declared that they are taking a stand against the spread of fake news, but what always ends up happening is conservative voices become silenced while liberal voices are allowed to speak freely.

The most recent anti-fake news (A.K.A. anti-conservative news) initiative has been launched by the worlds most popular Internet search engine, Google. In the coming weeks, the company plans to roll out what its calling knowledge cards or newstrition labels for news articles that pop up in the Google search results as a means of providing greater degrees of transparency for readers. According to an executive at Google, the initiative will ultimately be launched with the goal of fighting what the company considers to be fake news. (Related: Google insiders warn that outright censorship of the Internet is Googles top priority.)

Weve been using the phrase newstrition internally, explained Richard Gingras, vice president of news at Google during a panel discussion late last week. I use it because its not a Good Housekeeping rule that says this is good or bad, it says, no, heres the ingredient information you need to know about the publication, make your own judgment.

So should those knowledge cards about USA Today or MIC have heres the editorial masthead, here are the editors, who owns the publication, for instance. So greater transparency about the organization in and of itself  we think thats one step, Gingras added.

To some, more transparency about the sources of news articles and the overall effort to stop the spread of fake news may seem like a good thing. However, it is important to remember two things. First, just like any piece of legislation that makes its way through the halls of Congress or any new rule that is put in place by the Environmental Protection Agency, there is always room for abuse. What starts off as a seemingly noble cause can quickly turn into a full-out effort to silence viewpoints that do not align with the progressive agenda, a trend that conservatives have experienced dozens of times before.

Second, even though its been largely ignored for years now, we still do have the First Amendment in the United States Constitution, which among other things mentions that Americans have the freedom of speech. Even if information on the Internet is not entirely accurate, that still doesnt give any company the right to usurp the First Amendment.

Its almost laughable how Google, Facebook and other large Internet-based companies are attempting to appoint themselves as credible fact checkers, yet time and time again they are proven to be anything but credible. (Related: If Google and Facebook are not regulated, their politically-motivated censorship will lead to open warfare in the streets.)

According to a Fox News article from last year, several former Facebook contractors came forward and explained that Facebook, routinely suppressed news stories of interest to conservative readers, and that many of them were instructed to inject certain topics into the trending list, even if they werent popular or relevant. Of course, Facebook later denied the allegations and claimed that they are committed to providing a platform for people and perspectives from all across the political spectrum, but we know the truth.

It would appear as though we need a team of fact checkers to fact check the fact checkers. They arent stopping fake news; in many cases, they are contributing to it.

Sources Included:

PJMedia.com

FoxNews.com
(Natural News) Besides destroying America, one of the things that the liberals have become fairly good at is taking advantage of Hollywood and childhood icons in order to advance their radical social justice agenda. It is a very sneaky way of promoting their deranged values and principles, similar to how companies use product placement to casually advertise their brands in movies and television shows. Instead of saying buy Coca-Cola or become a liberal progressive, the strategy is to instead have the main actor casually sipping on a Coke in one of the scenes, or to have two parents in a childrens show just happen to be homosexual. This type of subtle yet consistent ideological indoctrination is doing a tremendous amount of damage to Americas young people, and forcing them to grow up in a world that is based more in fantasy than in reality.

Hulus new superhero series Runaways, for example, is jam packed with social justice principles and radical left wing values  because God forbid a television show exists today that doesnt contain some sort of liberal propaganda.

Showrunner Stephanie Savage was ecstatic about the idea of having a superhero show rooted in progressive values when she pitched the idea to Marvel: I loved all the humor, I love the strong female characters, I loved the great cliffhangers at the end of every issue, the diversity of the characters. To me it felt so contemporary and so, sort of, already of our world that we were just so hopeful that [Marvel] would be open to it.

Runaways will feature the first ever on-screen lesbian relationship between two of the shows main female characters. Additionally, the character Gert Yorkes is described as a riot grrrl who is ready, willing and able to dismantle the patriarchy. Gert is also critical of organized religion, which she considers to be more oppressive to women than any other institution. If, for some reason, this isnt enough to convince you that Runaways is nothing more than a liberal propaganda series, in one of the episodes, Gert apparently criticizes her adopted sister for reinforcing hegemonic masculinity while marginalizing womens identity after she does something as horrible and controversial as trying out for a dance team.

Are we absolutely sure that this show wasnt produced by Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton?

As disturbing and upsetting as it is to see shows being developed with the intent of brainwashing our children, it really should come as no surprise that Marvel would want to adopt a show like Runaways. After all, Marvel is owned by Disney, and Disney has never exactly been shy when it comes to promoting progressivism to young children. (Related: There has been a huge increase in children who have been indoctrinated with gender identity propaganda.)

In October, the show Andi Mack on the Disney Channel introduced viewers to its first gay storyline. According to Breitbart News, the young male lead character named Cyrus struggles to come to terms with the fact that he is sexually attracted to a male friend while also having a brand new girlfriend by his side. As if thats not bad enough, Cyrus is only 13 years old. It sure seems as though Disney is okay with living in a world where young boys experiment with and develop sexual attractions to other adolescent boys, with absolutely no sense of how morally wrong that is whatsoever.

Disney has been pushing the homosexual agenda for years. Back in 2012, the Disney Channel launched an ad campaign that featured a young filmmaker speaking out against bullying. Of course, the network couldnt help but focus a bit on the boys two moms as well with its Make Your Mark segment. Anti-bullying campaigns are certainly necessary in many cases, but the fact that Disney chose to promote the filmmakers lesbian parents goes to show just how committed the network is to advancing the progressive agenda.

Even something as sweet and innocent as the famous childhood doll Barbie is not safe from the social justice plague that is engulfing American society. In an attempt to both increase sales and promote liberalism, the Barbie doll manufacturing company Mattel is coming out with a doll, whose t-shirt reads in rainbow-emblazoned letters, Love Wins. This, of course, is the phrase used often by liberals and LGBT activists to promote the idea of gay marriage, homosexuality and transgenderism. (Related: Transgenders increasingly want to revert back to their original gender after having surgery.)

The question that we must ask is simple: Whats next? Is Bugs Bunny one day going to come out as a homosexual? Are Tom and Jerry eventually going to announce that they have been a gay couple all these years? Is there any part of American society that wont be affected by the lefts homosexual agenda, even though only 1.6 percent of American adults identify as gay or lesbian while 96.6 percent are heterosexual? How much crazier can things possibly get?

The ironic thing about all of this is that while the leftists like to call themselves progressives that are helping America transition into a more tolerant and accepting era, they really dont stand for progress at all. Indoctrinating young children with the idea that homosexuality and transgenderism are entirely natural is not a sign that our country is moving forward; its a sign that our country is, at the very least, slowly regressing. To counter this indoctrination, parents have to step up and teach their children real values and conservative principles.

Sources include:

TruthRevolt.org

LifeSiteNews.com

Breitbart.com
(Natural News) The senior senator from South Carolina issued the most dire warning yet that war with North Korea is more likely now than at any time since the 1950s after Pyongyang conducted its most recent ballistic missile test.

In the early morning hours Wednesday, the North Koreans launched what appears to be an upgraded version of a Hwasong-14 ICBM, which flew skyward some 2,800 miles  the highest yet of any missile the North has tested before. Experts calculate that the missile, if on a flat trajectory, could travel upwards of 13,000 miles  more than enough to strike Washington, D.C., and all of the United States.

In an interview with CNN, Sen. Lindsey Graham warned Pyongyang it was playing with fire because President Donald J. Trump, given the option of taking on the regime of Kim Jong-un or putting Americans in danger, would choose war with North Korea without hesitation.

If we have to go to war to stop this, we will, Graham said Tuesday. If theres a war with North Korea it will be because North Korea brought it on itself, and were headed to a war if things dont change.

Graham, a former Air Force lawyer and officer, added that North Korea is making the biggest miscalculation in modern history for thinking that best way for Kims regime to survive is to be able to attack the United States.

If North Korea watches CNN, I hope you understand that President Trump is not going to allow the United States to live under the threat of a nuclear missile, a nuclear weapon coming to America from North Korea.

And if you want that capability, youre going to get in a fight with the United States and youre going to lose that fight and thatll be the end of the regime, he continued.

Even if it means thousands, hundreds of thousands of people over there get hurt to protect America. Now thats the choice that the president has to make. I stand with him. (Related: North Korea CAN strike the US: Heres what you can do to protect yourself.)

Graham went on to say that there neednt be a conflict at all, but that Washington isnt going to decide.

The best outcome is not to have a war. I dont want a war, he doesnt want a war, but were not going to let this crazy man in North Korea have the capability to hit the homeland. Were not going to live this way, Graham said. To our friends in China, were not going to live this way. You need to help us, and if you dont help us, well take care of it. And us taking care of it means that the war is in your backyard, not ours.

Graham has made this dire prediction before  one which he says is based on personal, private conversations hes had with Trump.

As reported by The National Sentinel, Graham said in August there indeed is a military option for dealing with North Korea, should it develop nuclear weapons that can threaten the United States, contrary to the conventional wisdom that no such option exists.

Theyre wrong, he said in an interview with NBCs Today show. There is a military option to destroy North Koreas program and North Korea itself. If theres going to be a war to stop him [Kim Jong Un], it will be over there. If thousands die, theyre going to die over there, theyre not going to die here and hes [Trump] told me that to my face.

The senior Republican from South Carolina also said war with Pyongyang was inevitable if the nuclear weapons development continued.

When youre the president of the United States, where does your allegiance lie? To the people of the United States. This man, Kim Jong Un, is threatening America with a nuclear tip missile. President Trump doesnt want a war, the Chinese can stop this, but to China, South Korea, and Japan, Donald Trump is not going to allow this missile.

Were headed for war if things dont change, Graham told CNN. Discover more news on the topic of World War III at WWIII.news.

J.D. Heyes is editor of The National Sentinel and a senior writer for Natural News and News Target.

Sources include:

CNN.com

TheNationalSentinel.com
In an important article for FrontPage Magazine, Bruce Bawer writes of the staggering ignorance of millions of young Americans when it comes to certain fundamental and crucially important matters. The curriculum in place is one that validates programmatic stupefaction: the serial failures of socialism are glossed over, capitalism is denounced as an unmitigated scourge, America is castigated as uniquely evil, Islam is uniformly extolled and terrorists are excused as merely misguided. In addition, standards have been debased all across the board in admission, hiring and graduation policies. Intellectual debate has been shut down as conservative speakers are routinely ostracized or disinvited. Students are coddled in safe spaces where they are spared unfamiliar or disturbing ideas. When the object of the educational institution is to dumb down and indoctrinate, then it has nothing in common what we once understood as education: the acquisition of knowledge and fostering the ability to think.

In a letter of 1822, collected in The Founders Constitution (Vol.1, Ch.18, Doc.35), James Madison wrote : The American people owe it to themselves, and to the cause of free Government, to prove by their establishments for the advancement and diffusion of Knowledge, that their political Institutions are as favorable to the intellectual and moral improvement of Man as they are conformable to his individual & social Rights. This is a document which should be taught to students at every level of the educational establishment, especially in its current state of academic desuetude and ideological depravity.

This violation of journalistic ethics is now pretty much universal. News is agitprop and editorials are political spin, almost always under the sign of left-wing advocacy masking as objective scrutiny and disclosure. Attkisson reminds us of Joseph Goebbels dictum in his Diaries , those who control news policies [must] endeavor to make every item of news serve a certain purpose. Just as todays universities have taken a page from the Nazified German universities of the 1930s and the installation of the Nuremberg Laws , so contemporary journalism has learned from the dark master of deception and persuasion. A liethe bigger the betterrepeated with dinning regularity becomes, as Goebbels instructed us, the truth.

The Arts

As Sohrab Ahmari laments in The New Philistines, a devastating critique of contemporary art, the loss of technical mastery and the erosion of standards have become epidemic in our identitarian age. Since social power dynamics and collective identity are all that postmodern art knows, its practitioners cant grapple with individuality, with things of the soul, with the inner lifethe very things that draw most of us to art in the first place. Writers and artists who trade in the business of radical feminism, racial grievance, anti-capitalism and queer theory are now the poster children for a politically correct and ultimately boring belletristic community. Art in the widest sense of the termpainting, sculpture, drama, poetry, fictionhas betrayed its fundamental mandate of producing meaning and beauty. It has become increasingly ugly, trivial, self-referential and devoid of both aesthetic value and authentic content, a vacuous parody of its ancestral vitality. A phrase from a 19th century Spectator review of a particularly bad play, a weighty baldness, comes to mind as now generally applicable.

Gender

Sexual relations have always been complexified by variation, but the fact remains that a culture cannot survive without orthodox matrimonial standards and procreative couples. As Ive written before, the contemporary focus is now on sexual politics, sexual performance, sex education, sex scandals, same-sex marriage, sexual coercion (the rape culture meme), and sex changes, cosmetic, chemical, and surgical. This phobic obsession does not stop there. The male-female binary has been reconceived as a social construct that must be unlearned, a relic of the oppressive and unenlightened past. Consequently, linguistic and doctrinal abominations like the LGBTIQCAPGNGFNBA sodality covering the proliferating abundance of gender orientations seem here to stay.

We have reached the point in the West where traditional sexual standards have been misgendered and fatally compromised. Sterile variations are celebrated and even legislated, burlesque has become commonplace (transgenderism, sologamy, etc.), abortion is rampant, and the reproductive ratio has grown unsustainable. Normal sexuality has been severed from its original function and reduced to its biological antithesis. Sex and marriage may be individual choices but they are also civilizational imperatives in the absence of which a viable future diminishes by the day.

In Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media, Noam Chomsky, always the contrarian, argues that political conditioning, far from being antithetical to democracy, is the essence of democracy[the] Creation of necessary illusions. Of course, some degree of thought control is inevitably part of media, commercial and political organizations, but the critical element is some degree. In the society which Chomsky envisioned, his book would never have seen the light of print. But the cloak of indoctrination now tends to shadow almost everything we see, hear and read, and it requires dedicated and time-consuming labor to ferret out the truth of current affairs. We live in a time of inversion in which, in almost every social category of serious endeavor, truth is denounced as a lie and the lie is elevated to the status of truth. Inversion is the order of the day.

It may well be too late to turn things around. Our cultural momentum has carried us, like Paul Klees Angelus Novus caught in the winds of history, past the point of no return. The reckoning that seems to await us may be deferred but it most likely cannot be avoided. The application of genuine conservative principleslimited government, respect for tradition, resistance to newfangled fads and fallacies (e.g., the worship of Gaia, global warming), rigorous education, the sanctity of procreative marriage, prudent immigration protocols and defended borders, social progress by slow, tested incrementscan postpone the inexorable by perhaps a generation or two, but the rot has gone too deep to be scoured. The social, cultural and political vectors we have examined here appear definitive, violations of the desire for continuity, the bond of allegiance, the pursuit of excellence [and] institutional autonomy, properties which Scruton lists as native to the conservative sensibility.

If the purpose of culture is to ensure human survival, then we live in a culture that has perversely consummated its antipodal reflection, engaged in an act of culturecide. Perhaps the only solution to our dilemma is, paradoxically, nothing other than the looming collapse of a once vigorous and in many respects glorious civilization, from the ashes of which it may phoenix-like arise renewed, or from which some as yet undefined hybrid may gradually emerge. But as we continue to invert the beliefs, disciplines, meanings and practices that have sustained us, what is clear is that what once was can no longer be, and we are the worse for it.
(Natural News) According to a federal court order, Altria, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco, Lorillard and Philip Morris USA were ordered to pay for and run newspaper and media advertisements stating:

More people, one ad says, die every year from smoking than murder, AIDS, suicide, drugs, car crashes, and alcohol, combined. Another reads: Cigarette companies intentionally designed cigarettes with enough nicotine to create and sustain addiction. [2]

(Article by Catherine Frompovich republished from ActivistPost.com)

But lets be honest: Tobacco scientists were able to convince and acculturate consumers to get hooked on and addicted to a known health-harming product and resulting health-damaging habit and addiction.

Tobacco science revisited: Tobacco kills! Deceiving the public for decades.

https://youtu.be/O8I39Yb2a_I?

Tobacco companies designed products to make them more addictive! [1]

Recall how big tobacco knowingly and deliberately deceived and convinced consumers using tobacco products as something medical doctors practicedso safety was impliedand docs even had preferred brands!

In 1946, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company ran the following ad:

Source

But R.J. Reynolds was not alone in the conspiracy of deceit regarding whats become known as a classic pejorative for fraudulent science, tobacco science.

In the 1930s, Lucky Strike ran an ad stating that 20,679 Physicians say Luckies are less irritating; its toasted! [3]

A 1949 ad had a dentist saying, As your Dentist, I would recommend Viceroys. Viceroys filter the smoke! [4]

A cigarette branded as Murad, The Turkish Cigarette went so far as to show Santa Claus sitting on a snow-covered roof with his back against the chimney and this text prompting, What could you Enjoy more this Xmas than Murad. [5]

There were hundreds, if not thousands of advertisements, which spewed malicious fraud-filled lies about tobacco science not affecting health adversely. Even to this very day, there are those scientists who, for a consulting fee, still promote tobacco science for other industries. Those similar scientists can be found testifying regarding the safety and/or efficacies of vaccines, AMI Smart Meters, cell phones, Wi-Fi, 5G, and other products, which the tobacco industry apparently taught product manufacturers how to sell with impunity, i.e., use supposedly credible experts e.g., medical doctors, lawyers and PhD experts who dont follow emerging science but, for their high-end fees, will promote industry associations and professional societies mantras about the proven safety of products or services regardless of the fact no short- or long-term health safety and/or environmental impact studies have been done. Those experts standard refrains always are, more studies need to be done.

More studies never are enough, and never will be enough, for those promoting vested interest agendas like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Communications Commission and all the alphabet agencies which have become corporate lackeys.

What happened?

However, one has to question what happened that turned the tide against big tobacco. Who did what to whom; or who didnt pay off whom enough hush money; or what was it that made the 1964 Surgeon Generals Reports on Smoking and Tobacco Use [6] issued by Luther L. Terry, MD, become a reality and taken seriously?

Readers will note that report is posted on the CDCs website.

Whats happened since 1964 to make federal alphabet agencies one-sided, or even prejudiced toward and adamant, about accepting only manufacturer-produced tobacco science for vaccines, pharmaceuticals, genetically modified phoods, pesticides/herbicides, toxic chemicals, etc.?

The culture changed within federal agencies and Congress, especially since corporations have been flexing their monetary prowess and even threats, as did vaccine manufacturers with the U.S. Congress in 1986 that resulted in the outrageous vaccine law, The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA) of 1986 (42 U.S.C.  300aa-1 to 300aa-34), which needs to be repealed immediately, if not sooner! Why? Because vaccine science is worse than tobacco science!

The proof you need.

* In June 2000: The infamous Simpsonwood Conference when 52 big wigs from CDC, FDA, WHO and selected Big Pharma executives got together to powwow about how to scuttle the fact that CDC epidemiologist Verstraeten had found vaccines Thimerosal (ethylmercury) had autism causations. Here is that 48 page transcript of the meeting notes. One doctor attending Simpsonwood, Dr. Caserta, said:

One of the things I learned at the Aluminum Conference in Puerto Rico that was tied into the metal lines in biology and medicine that I never really understood before, is the interactive effect of different ions and different metals when they are together in the same organism. It is not the same as when they are alone, and I think it would be foolish for us not to include aluminum as part of our thinking with this.

What Dr. Caserta was referring to was the inclusion of ethylmercury (Thimerosal) and any of four different aluminum adjuvants that can be used together in various vaccines! It still goes on.

* Poul Thorsen, MD, PhD, fraudulent vaccine researcher and indicted for CDC money misappropriation Vaccine Data Manipulator Extraordinaire as I wrote about in September 2017 regarding 22 federal criminal counts  13 counts of wire fraud and 9 counts of money laundering, and still the CDC promotes Thorsens autism studies as valid research. Those studies should be retracted and pulled from the medical literature, as the CDC/FDA are enablers of deliberate vaccine misinformation supplied by Thorsen.

* CDC whistleblower William Thompson, PhD, CDC epidemiologist, who is on recorded tape phone conversations stating he and other CDC scientists conspired to exclude pertinent data regarding the MMR vaccine causing autism in young black boys under three years of age.

All scientists working on that project met in one specific room to discard the MMR vaccine-autism link data by discarding it into a huge trash can they brought into the room for that purpose. FRAUD, if there ever was fraud, committed at the CDC!

Dr. Thompsons whistleblowing is documented in the movie VAXXED: From Cover-up to Catastrophe.

CDC actually knew vaccines were causing autism, but covered it up and still do to this very day!

Representative Bill Posey of Florida called for a special vaccine/Whistleblower Thompson investigation by the U.S. Congress. None has taken place since July of 2015 when Rep. Posey made his plea before Congress.

* Merck & Companys false research data on the Mumps active efficacy in its MMR vaccine. Two former Merck employeesnow whistleblowershave a qui tam law suit in Philadelphia, PA federal court wherein they contend Merck fudged the Mumps efficacy rating for ten years, thereby allowing Merck to maintain a virtual monopoly on its MMR vaccine. What kind of fraud did Merck commit? They added antibodies from rabbit blood to increase the efficacy to 100%.

* The Hannah Poling Autism Case

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vaccine-injury-case-offer/

This autism case was settled by the vaccine court because of Hannahs mitochondrial DNA involvement, which should indicate the necessity to mandate that every child before ever receiving his/her very first vaccine should be tested to find out if he/she has the same mitochondrial proclivity that was involved in the Hannah Poling case, or otherwise.

The PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test can detect such anomalies, but the CDC will not allow that test to be performed! Shouldnt Congress be demanding that test be done to save U.S. children from vaccine damage?

83 Cases of Autism Associated with Childhood Vaccine Injury Compensated in Federal Vaccine Court

* The U.S. Supreme Court [Bruesewitz v. Wyeth LLC, 2011 (7) ] admitted vaccines are unavoidably unsafe!In other words, the Vaccine Act excluded design defects by intent. At least thats how SCOTUS interpreted it. If design defects are to be an exception, Congress will have to amend the law or pass a new law.  [8] [CJF emphasis]

How can consumers accept and trust federal agencies science and mandates, when nothing is done to correct the fraud?

With the above documentation and histrionics regarding what clearly smacks of fraud and vested corporate interests far and above the health and well-being of U.S. children, who are being forced under penalty of state laws (Californias SB277!), including parents incarcerations for refusal to vaccinate with toxic vaccines, every person who values healthy children must be asking when will the courts do the same to vaccine makers about their false science and mandate corrective statements be published in every medical journal, every newspaper, every magazine, and on every radio station, television and cable networks?

What you can do.

Shouldnt you be requesting your members of Congress to:

repeal the NCVIA of 1986;

mandate PCR testing to ascertain mitochondrial proclivities before any vaccinations begin; and

pass a Resolution requiring vaccine makers must publish corrective statements about the tobacco science they have been promoting for decades about vaccines, similar to what the tobacco industry has had to do to correct its fraudulent statements

Read more at: ActivistPost.com
(Natural News) This article was first published on GR on January 2015.

(Article by Dr. Gary Null republished from GlobalResearch.ca)

Within the mainstream medical and scientific community there is an unassailable pseudo-truth that vaccines are safe and effective, whether administered individually or in combination. Within the vaccine injured children and autism movements there is also an unchallenged belief that vaccines are effective but not always safe. In this case, vaccine-injured children or adult family members were simply one of the rare cases where they received a hot lot vaccine or possessed biomolecular abnormalities, such as mitochondria dysfunction, and suffered the consequences. Even many parents with two children developing neurological complications after vaccination, will continue to follow the recommended vaccine schedule. Any medical physician, scientist, nurse, public health advocate, politician, or journalist who questions the myth of vaccine safety and efficacy are often immediately attacked, ridiculed, and designated a conspirator. In fact, the pro-vaccine propaganda machine sends forth articulate doctors and university scientists to engage in ad hominin personal attacks against vaccine dissenters.

However, what if all of these individuals and their organizations, their shadow lobbying foundations and think tanks, are wrong? What if the vaccine paradigm itself is flawed? What if vaccines have never been soundly confirmed to be safe and effective? What if the CDC, vaccine manufacturers, and the leading vaccine advocates knew of these discrepancies and contradictions, yet intentionally ignored them against the public interests and the well being of the American population? After several decades of studying the scientific literature regarding vaccines, following the money trails, and interviewing many dozens of toxicologists, immunologists, research physicians, pediatricians, and medical journalists the vaccine paradigm can now be accurately deconstructed with real independent science. The year, 2014, has been a particularly dismal year for the pro-vaccine movement. We are presenting the science that has unfolded during the past twelve months as indicative of a collapse in the modern vaccine paradigm.

Last year, 2014, may well be the watershed year marking the demise of the vaccine era. Without any recent credible and sound biological science to support their claims for vaccines efficacy and safety, the vaccine complex and its federal allies have been forced to rely upon courts of law and the ignorance of an inept mainstream media to further promulgate their flawed mythologies to advance the vaccine agenda.

Rarely does a whistleblower emerge from the federal health agencies. Government and corporate entities that are notoriously hierarchical, such as the CDC, FDA, and Health and Human Services, ruthlessly prevent dissention from their ranks. In the Obama era, when whistleblowers are persecuted more than ever before, it is an act of great courage for a person to come forth and reveal government malfeasance, corruption, and criminal behavior. Therefore, it was a shocking surprise last year when a senior epidemiologist at the CDC, Dr. William Thompson, acted upon his moral conscience and released thousands of pages of CDC documents with research data to Congress that unveil the agencies long history of fraudulent studies and medical cover-ups that hid the serious failures and health risks of vaccines.

Dr. Thompson is a distinguished scientist who has worked at the CDC since 1998. Prof. Brian Hooker, a specialist in molecular and cellular systems, and the first person to be contacted by Dr. Thompson, stated during a recent broadcast that the released documents are not simply a smoking gun. Rather it is a wildfire. Dr. Thompson is currently cooperating with members of a Congressional subcommittee. Thousands of American parents with vaccine damaged children, suffering from permanent neurological impairment and autism, await a trial that will finally bring to justice many of the nations top health officials.

Dr. Thompson, who co-authored and published research on vaccine thimerosal mercurystill included in some vaccines, especially the influenza vaccinehas admitted he was part of the CDCs conspiracy to obscure scientific evidence proving thimerosal and the MMR vaccine as causal factors for autism. During an interview on the Autism Media Channel, he stated that he would never give his pregnant wife a flu shot because of its high concentration of mercury. I dont know why they still give it to pregnant women, Dr. Thompson stated. Thats the last person I would give mercury to.[1] After reviewing some of the CDC data received by Dr. Thompson, as well as data records acquired through freedom of information submissions, Prof. Hooker discovered that the CDC has known since 2001 that children exposed to thimerosal in utero were 800 percent more likely to regress into autism. This data was intentionally excluded from the CDC paper published in the journal Pediatrics in an effort to disprove a thimerosal-autism association. During the radio broadcast, Prof. Hooker unearthed evidence that the CDC has known for a decade that children receiving the MMR vaccines on schedule were nearly 300 percent more likely to regress into autism compared to children whose parents decided to withhold the vaccine until after the child was older.

Americans are rapidly losing confidence in the CDC. According to National Consumers League poll, over two-thirds of Americans believe vaccines cause autism, which the CDC categorically denies.[2] Almost two months after the media reported on the Thompson revelations, a CBS News poll showed public approval of the CDC nosedived to 37%, down from 60% the previous year. Vaccine apologists and the major media claim this large decrease is due to the CDCs dismal handling of the Ebola crisis; however, Thompsons whistleblowing received over 750 million Twitter impressions indicating that vaccine efficacy and safety is far more on the publics mind.[3] Positive endorsement of the CDC would plummet further if the public knew the full extent of CDC officials lying to Congress and their conspiracy to commit medical fraud for over a dozen years. Imagine the tens of thousands of children and families who would have been saved from life-long neurological damage and immeasurable suffering if the CDC was not indebted to protecting the toxic products of the pharmaceutical industry and was serving the health and well-being of American children?

The Thompson whistleblowing case is the tip of the iceberg and now putting the vaccine establishment into a panic. Nevertheless, 2014 was a dreadful year for the vaccine establishment and other medical revelations provide further encouragement for parents to withhold or refuse vaccination.

The Council of Foreign Relations Mistakenly Proves the Largest Outbreaks of Infectious Diseases Are Within the Most Highly Vaccinated Populations.

An early 2014 report released by the Council of Foreign Relations to identify countries with the highest rates of disease outbreaks, accidently revealed that the most highly vaccinated populations are also those with the greatest number of outbreaks for those same infectious diseases. This was especially the case for measles, mumps, rubella, polio and pertussis outbreaks. The US, Canada, the European Union, Australia and New Zealand, and Japaneach with the highest number of mandated vaccinesled the list of nations. The Office of Medical and Scientific Justice, which analyzed the report, concluded that the Councils report clearly suggests the theory of herd immunity is failing or was flawed to begin with. Given the repeated incidences of infectious outbreaks in populations with 94% or more vaccine compliance, and the emergence of new viral strains, the concept of herd immunity should be forgotten. The Office offers several possibilities to explain the report: 1) vaccines are increasingly becoming ineffective and causing immune dysfunction, and 2) vaccine antigen responses may be reprogramming viruses while weakening the immune systems of the most vaccinated individuals.[4]

Another World Health Organization Influenza Debacle

Predicting the particular influenza strains to protect populations has never been a fine art. We might remember the doom and gloom scenarios spread by the WHO and CDC over the H1N1 swine flu in 2009. The federal agencies of warning for a viral apocalypse, which never occurred, had as much credibility as Y2K and New Age Mayan predictions at the turn of the millennium. At their best, flu vaccines remain around 60% efficacy according to official health statistics. However, the World Health Organizations predictions for this years flu strains were a bust. The match was such a failure that the CDC was forced to warn the American public that the 2014-2015 flu vaccine was only 23% effective, off by 77%.[5] Given that the 2012-2013 flu season was only 27% effective for the 65 years-plus age group, it can be estimated that this years flu shot is near useless for the elderly. Predictive methodologies to determine which flu strains emerge during any given influenza season have more in common with primitive mathematical divination than sound science. For the 1992-1993 and 1997-1998 seasons, the vaccine concoction of flu strains was only 16% effective. Katherine Severyn, who monitors the actual WHO prediction results and compares them with CDC claims has stated that, depending upon the study cited, [flu] vaccine efficacy actually ranges from a low of 0%. [6]

Year after year, the US government spends approximately a billion dollars to purchase flu vaccines from the pharmaceutical cartel. Year after year, these vaccines prove to be capable of immunizing only a modest portion of the population. Since the CDC estimates it will have purchased 151-156 million flu shots to dump off this year, there is little else it can do except fudge science, release misleading propaganda and continue to distribute a useless snake oil.

More Bad News for the Influenza Vaccine

An ineffective seasonal vaccine is the least of the flu shots problems. In December 2014, the Department of Justice released its report outlining compensation paid out to vaccine injured victims. Based upon the statistics, the flu vaccine has been shown to be the most dangerous reported. Fifty-nine percent of awarded flu vaccine injuries were for Guillain-Barre Syndrome.[7]

Although, a final report of injuries and death from this years influenza vaccines wont be made public until the end of 2015, the 2013-2014 vaccines accounted for over 93,000 adverse reactions, including 8,888 hospitalizations and 1,080 deaths according to the governments Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS).[8] By the CDCs own omission, the VAERS database only accounts for approximately 10% of adverse vaccine events. Do the math and the actual number far outweighs reported complications from contracting wild flu viruses.

Although, earlier research has shown that influenza vaccines contribute to adverse inflammatory cardiovascular alternations, which are lethal to senior citizens, and significant inflammation in pregnant women that may be associated with an increase in pre-term births and preeclampsia, new studies published in 2014 should raise further alarm:

A team of Finnish scientists at Finlands National Institute for Health and Welfare, recorded 800 cases of narcolepsy associated with Glaxos flu vaccine Pandemix. Vaccine ingredients other than the viral antigen or engineered component, are most often believed to be the primary culprits to adverse vaccine reactions. The Finnish research, on the other hand, indicated that the Glaxo vaccines altered viral nucleotide likely contributed to the sudden rise in sleeping sickness.[9] Dr. Paul Offit, the premier media celebrity for the vaccine establishment, has repeatedly made claims that infants can safely withstand tens of thousands of viral antigens; therefore, according to Offit, parents should not fear innumerable vaccinations at a single time. This new finding on the contrary, sends a warning to all pregnant women and parents that it is not simply vaccines many toxic ingredients that pose worry, but the bioengineered viral components are also potentially life threatening.

For almost a decade, the CDC has known influenza vaccines are ineffective in the elderly but continues to market them without hesitation. Hence in November 2014, five senior citizens at an assisted living facility in Dacula, Georgia, died within week after all residents were vaccinated.[10] During the previous years flu vaccine trials, Sanofi Pasteurs Fluzone killed 23 elderly participants during the vaccine trial. Nevertheless, the vaccine was approved and continues to be marketed towards senior citizens.[11]

The Mumps Vaccine: Another Useless Shot

The question whether the mumps vaccine should have ever been put on the market has been debated since the 1950s. Over fifty years ago the nations chief federal epidemiologist, E.H. Lossing, warned that the mumps vaccine, which doesnt provide lifelong immunity, would create a far more medically dangerous and costlier problem for people who become infected as adults.[12] At its best, the mumps vaccine may protect a person for 2 years, according to Dr. Greg Poland, head of the Mayo Clinics Vaccine Research Group.[13] In 2014, there were over 1000 mumps cases and all outbreaks occurred in highly vaccinated populations.[14] It was far worse in 2006, writes Lawrence Solomon for the Huffington Post. During that year 84% of the 6,500 mumps cases were fully vaccinated young adults. Among the almost 450 mumps cases in the American South last year, only 3 were unvaccinated. What is more disturbing, researchers at the Bordeaux University Hospital in France, found that vaccinated adults were contracting a particularly malignant strain of mumps that contributed to meningitis, inflammation of the testicles, and hearing impairment.[15]

Secondary Transmission of Measles from a Fully Vaccinated Woman

A study published in a 2014 issue of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases confirmed that not only may measles occur in vaccinated individuals, but a 2011 measles outbreak in New York City may have had its source in a fully vaccinated individual. Not only did the vaccinated woman, dubbed Measles Mary, contract the disease, but she also passed it to four others, two who were vaccinated. This is the first confirmed medical case of secondary measles transmission causing an outbreak. Earlier in the year, another study confirmed that individuals vaccinated against pertussis can be infectious carriers of the virus and can likely infect others who either do not respond immunologically to the pertussis vaccine or who are unvaccinated.[16]

The conclusion is that the B. pertussis vaccinated individual now endangers the health of the unvaccinated and vaccinated alike.

Earlier, a far greater blow against the efficacy of the measles vaccine came when Dr. Gregory Poland, Editor in Chief of the journal Vaccine and founder of the Mayo Clinics Vaccine Research Group, published a surprising statement that the measles vaccine has a poor record of efficacy. Despite the high 95% measles vaccination compliance of children entering kindergarten, and the CDCs propaganda that the vaccine has defeated the virus, measles outbreaks are rising. For the first half of 2014, there were 16 large measles outbreaks in the US. Dr. Poland does not believe this is due to unvaccinated individuals, but because of the failure of the vaccine.[17]

These types of vaccine failures, which are also occurring far more frequently in pertussis outbreaks, further puts to rest the herd immunity hypothesis.

A Bad Year for the Pertussis Vaccine

Outbreaks of whooping cough have been increasing annually. However, state and local health authorities investigating and gathering statistics on pertussis outbreaks are discovering the highest numbers of infected persons among the vaccinated. Mississippi, with the highest vaccination rate in the country, has shown significant increases in whooping cough cases, with only 9% of those infected being unvaccinated. Across the nation, the most highly infected are those who have received three or more pertussis shots and boosters.

However, it was in Australia last year that the governments National Center for Immunization and Research of Vaccine Preventable Diseases found that the pertussis vaccine effectiveness is waning far more rapidly than expected, even among vaccinated 3 year olds.[18]

While the mainstream media and the vaccine establishment have launched a brutal campaign to blame unvaccinated individuals for the recent upsurge in pertussis infections, the CDC has publicly announced the contrary. Dr. Anne Schuchat from the CDC has stated, We know there are places around the country where there are large numbers of people we arent vaccinated. However, we dont think those exemptors are driving this current wave. We think it is a bad thing that people arent getting vaccinated or exempting, but we cannot blame this wave on that phenomenon.[19] What Americans need to know is that more virulent strains of B. pertussis have emerged that are not covered by current DpT vaccines. Earlier, Australian immunologists suggested that the emergence of a new vaccine-resistant B. pertussis strain may be due to over vaccination. What the world is witnessing with antibiotic resistant organisms, due to the over use and abuse of antibiotic medications, is similarly occurring with viruses targeted by vaccines.

Would You Like Some Depression with Your Rubella Vaccine?

It is common to feel out of sorts and depressed when feeling ill and under the weather. But might a vaccine be the cause for the depression? In 2014 medical departments at Hebrew University in Israel and the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry in Germany, two of the worlds most distinguished institutes, published a double blind study revealing that teenage girls vaccinated with attenuated rubella virus had a statistically significant increase of induced bouts of depression up to ten weeks. The increase in post-vaccine depression occurred among girls in lower socioeconomic brackets. Today with over 50% of school age children in America living in poverty, the rubella vaccine is now contributing to serious psychological episodes and problems that are repeatedly reported in the mainstream psychological literature.[20]

Put a Hold on that Hepatitis B Vaccine`

Although an association between multiple sclerosis and the hepatitis B vaccine has been debated for over 15 years, the CDC continues to categorically deny this relationship. However, a 2014 retrospective French study investigating the sudden spike in multiple sclerosis cases since 1993, identified Frances mass Hepatitis B vaccination program as the perpetuator for a doubling of MS cases within a few years. MS is a demyelinating disease of the nerves. The French scientists suspect that a vaccine protein contributed to the breakdown of myelin. Again, it is not only the non-viral ingredients we should be scared about. In the US there are 10,000 new cases of MS annually, and infants are vaccinated with the hepatitis B vaccine immediately after birth.[21]

The Safety of Paul Offits Rotateq Vaccine Questioned, Again

Sayer Ji, editor of GreenMedInfo, noted that the Rotateq vaccine against the rotavirus, developed by Paul Offit for Merck, contained a live simian retrovirus that has likely infected millions of children around the world. The study was published in the prestigious Journal of Virology in 2010. Yet a more recent 2014 study published in Advances in Virology identified another viral contaminant in Offits vaccine: a baboon endogenous virus likely due to the monkey cell line in which Rotateq was produced from. Only time will tell whether Offits contaminated vaccine will have the impact of the tainted polio vaccine with the carcinogenic S40 virus.[22]

Exposing the Fraud of the Human Papilloma Vaccine (HPV)

A paper out of the University of California at Berkeley and appearing in the October 2013 issue of Molecular Cytogenetics came to public attention last year to suggest that cervical cancer may not be caused by the human papilloma virus. If the theory is correct that may prove that the HPV vaccines Gardasil and Cervarix do not prevent cervical cancer at all.[23]

Moreover, researchers at the University of Guelph in Canada reported that the HPV vaccine acts upon a mechanism by which the vaccine is altering transmission leading to higher oncogene expression among vaccinated girls. The implications from this research is that the vaccine is driving the evolution of viral virulence, similar to what is being observed with vaccines for pertussis, mumps and measles.[24]

Chickenpox Vaccine is Shown to Increase Disease Rates

Again, 2014 has been a dismal year for the pro-vaccine community. Even the chickenpox vaccine, long thought to be safe and effective, is failing with the others. Back in 2005, South Korea mandated the varicella vaccine to all children under15 months. Regardless of the countrys 97% compliancewell, above herd immunitys claims to eradicate infectious diseasechickenpox infections have not declined and in fact have increased three-fold between 2006 and 2011.[25]

Conclusion

The vaccine establishment is desperate. The ghosts of their fraudulent science, manipulated research, misleading propaganda across mainstream media and in the blogosphere are returning to haunt them. The pro-vaccine pundits are rapidly losing credibility as increasing numbers of parents and young adults educate themselves about vaccine efficacy and their health risks. If it were left for an open scientific debate between pro-vaccinators and those opposing vaccines, the former would not have sound science on their side.

It is time for a national debate to end vaccine madness. As further research emerges, as the vaccine paradigm is further stripped away, future generations will be looking back upon vaccination as a barbaric, primitive practice.

Read more at: GlobalResearch.ca
(Natural News) There is a silent holocaust taking place in America today. Quietly, and without any sort of fanfare from the mainstream media, an entire segment of our population is being exterminated. While the rest of the media maintains a deafening silence, Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, has risked his life and put his professional reputation on the line to expose the facts in a damning expose entitled, The Science Agenda to Exterminate Blacks.

Adams stunning new documentary provides evidence that there is a concerted, organized long-standing effort to eliminate African Americans from the human gene pool. And, Adams claims that this effort is not just being aimed at African Americans, but at all Africans. Period.

Adams believes that the government has implemented a three-pronged approach to accomplishing this extermination: Science, medicine and food.

Lets take a look at just one small element of the scientific prong: Abortion.

In many black communities, for every child actually born, three others are aborted  more than double the rate among whites, said Charlene Aaron of CBN News. Some say abortion is the number one killer in the black community. [Emphasis added]

African Americans in this country are the only ethnic group in any place on the globe thats not replacing themselves, Clenard H. Childress, founder of BlackGenocide.org, explained. This is genocide.

Most of us are aware that Hillary Clinton was presented with Planned Parenthoods Margaret Sanger award in 2009. At the time, Clinton gushed, I admire Margaret Sanger enormously, her courage, her tenacity, her vision.  I am really in awe of her. So, what was the wonderful vision Clinton was referring to? Who was Margaret Sanger, really?

The answer may shock you.

The woman who started Planned Parenthood, and who is often lauded for her leadership, excellence and contribution to reproductive health, referred to black people as human weeds [that] need to be exterminated. A firm believer in eugenics, Sangers stated goal  and by extension, the goal of Planned Parenthood  was to rid the country of black people, whom she viewed as feeble-minded and defectives.

Margaret Sanger believed that it is better to kill black babies in the womb so that they would not have the opportunity to become adults. She saw abortion as a key vector in exterminating the black population from our world. She was so effective in her twisted logic that the Nazis borrowed her narrative and applied it to the Jews. Thats right, Hitlers holocaust was modeled on Margaret Sangers eugenics genocide model. (Related: Stay updated with the latest developments at Abortions.news.)

It is incredibly telling that in a world where politicians are obsessed with not putting a foot wrong and always saying what they know the public wants to hear, that Clinton would feel comfortable singing the praises of Margaret Sanger.

Irrespective of your political views, it cannot be denied that abortion ends a potential life. And the following are indisputable facts:

1. Most abortion centers are deliberately set up in predominantly black communities.

2. Abortion messaging and marketing is far more aggressively aimed at black communities than it is toward white or non-black communities.

3. The astronomical number of black abortions feeds two industry needs: a) It fulfills the mandate of its founder, Margaret Sanger, by massively reducing the black population; and b) It provides a steady supply of babies from whom they can harvest tissue and organs through partial birth abortions (where a baby is partially born and then murdered by the abortionist). Abortionists then sell the babys brain stem, lungs, kidneys and heart. These are mostly sold to vaccine manufacturers who use such tissue to grow biomass for vaccines. This is not fake news; this is a fact openly acknowledged by the medical community and the CDC. That tissue is then injected into other babies via vaccines  a process Adams calls racial medical cannibalism. (Related: Planned Parenthood brags about defeating law banning webcam abortions.)

The facts are there for all to see. There has been a silent holocaust in America for decades. Thank goodness for people like Mike Adams who are unafraid to speak out to protect those who cannot speak for themselves. View his telling video below.

Sources include:

YouTube.com

ACLJ.org
CoAS Chhetri visits highly sensitive districts

Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Rajendra Chhetri has directed Nepal Army to carry out their duty responsibly to conduct the upcoming second phase of federal parliamentary and provincial assembly elections in a peaceful, impartial and fearless environment.
A Pacifica father is asking for help in finding his 14-year-old daughter who didn't return home from school two months ago.

Aaron Placencia last saw his daughter Tyla-Ann on the morning of Sept. 27. The teen attends Oceana High School, where she is the newly-elected class president.

We were having a quick conversation about responsibilities and keeping grades maintained, Placencia said, his voice breaking. She was in a hurry because she was running late. I haven't heard from her since.

Placencia filed a missing persons report with the Pacifica Police Department, which is treating the case as a voluntary runaway. Police have classified the case as a high priority because of the girls age, Capt. Joe Spanheimer said.

Tyla-Ann has long brown hair. She is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 127 pounds. Police believe she may be in San Francisco or San Mateo County, trying to raise money for a trip to Ohio.



In this particular case, it seems that she doesnt want to be found, Spanheimer said. Shes going to different friends or acquaintances houses, using social media accounts to contact people.

Police were unable to comment further since this is an ongoing investigation but said that people who Tyla-Ann has stayed with since September haven't been forthcoming about her whereabouts.

Meanwhile, Placencia worries that his daughter may be the victim of human trafficking. He said his mind has been racing with frightening possibilities since Tyla-Ann disappeared. He also said she left her phone at the house, which he described as "out of character" for the young girl.

Shes only 14 years old, Placencia said. Shes still a baby. When she fixes herself up, she could pass as an 18- or 19-year-old girl. My daughter has an innocent heart, but someone could have gotten into her head and changed her thinking process.

To raise awareness about his daughter's case, Placencia has been working with East Bay foundation Love Never Fails, which fights against human trafficking. Vanessa Russell, the director and founder of the organization, told NBC Bay Area that it's dangerous to underestimate the seriousness of runaway youth cases, citing statistics from the Department of Justice.

"Children don't plan on being exploited and abused when they run away but it's a harsh reality," Vanessa Russell said. "Within 48 hours, one-third of runaway youth will be recruited for human trafficking. That alone is reason enough to fervently search for a missing loved one."

Placencia vowed to continue his search through the holiday season, though he hopes it won't be necessary.

It was so hard on Thanksgiving without her, he said. If anyone knows anything, Im following all leads.

Police are asking people with information about the case to call 650-738-7314.
Randi Zuckerberg lashed out at Alaska Airlines after a flight Wednesday during which, she says, a man made repeated lewd, inappropriate, and offensive sexual remarks, which were brushed aside by flight staff.

In an email to the airlines top brass, the sister of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg described an extremely uncomfortable situation while traveling from Los Angeles, Calif. to Mazatlan, Mexico. A fellow first-class passenger allegedly began making sexually inappropriate and horrifying comments as soon as she climbed aboard, Randi Zuckerberg said.

He started talking to me about touching himself, kept asking me if I fantasized about the female business colleague I was traveling with, rated and commented on the womens bodies boarding the aircraft as they walked by us, she wrote in her complaint, which was also posted on Facebook.

Feeling furious, disgusted and degraded, Zuckerberg said both she and her colleague notified Alaska Airlines flight attendants of the mans actions. But their response  or lack thereof  only made the situation worse.

Staff told the pair that the man, who frequently flew the same Alaska Airlines route, had demonstrated similar behavior in the past, but oh well, dont take it personally, this guy just doesnt have a filter.

They then proceeded to stop by row 4  where Zuckerberg, her colleague and the man were all seated  and sweetly asked the passenger, Are you behaving today? with a smile and giggle, she wrote.

When pressed on the issue, flight attendants told Zuckerberg, who stressed that she was extremely uncomfortable, that she could move to a middle seat at the back of the flight.

Zuckerberg debated switching her seat, until she realized, Why should I have to move? I am the one that is being harassed! By a traveler who has a KNOWN history by these very flight attendants of being inappropriate and offensive in the past. All of this happened before the plane took off  why is it the woman that needs to switch seats in this situation? Shouldnt he have been thrown off the plane?

Alaska Airlines flight attendants continued serving the man multiple alcoholic drinks for the rest of the flight. In turn, he continued his alleged perverse diatribe.

Ironically, one of those comments was about all the recent sexual harassment cases in the media and how these Millenial women just arent willing to give some booty to get a job anymore, Zuckerberg wrote.

She expressed being furious at the man  a complete stranger who thought his behavior was appropriate  and even herself for not causing more of a scene in the moment.

Zuckerberg was also irate at Alaska Airlines staff for knowingly and willingly providing this man with a platform to harass women. For knowing about his behavior and being more concerned with taking his money than for the safety and security of other passengers around him.

The letter explicitly said Zuckerberg was going to write about her appalling experience on social media, and it went viral once posted on Facebook.

"We cannot support businesses that are complicit in allowing this behavior, and value the money of harassers over the comfort of their passengers," Zuckerberg wrote.

Some people thanked her for being brave enough to speak out and others offered their sympathy. One man called the incident insane and just beyond the pale, while another said she showed restraint because a single photo or video of this aggressor would have quickly exposed him.

Since then, two Alaska Airlines executives responded to Zuckerberg, informing her that they are conducting an investigation and have temporarily suspended this passenger's travel privileges, she wrote. While it never should have happened in the first place, I am thankful that they are taking the situation seriously.

A spokesperson for Alaska Airlines told NBC Bay Area that Zuckerbergs encounter is very disturbing.

Bobbie Egan continued: The safety and well-being of our guests is our number one priority. Were fully investigating this situation and will take appropriate steps, as needed. We want our guests to feel safe. As a company, we have zero tolerance for any type of sexual misconduct that creates an unsafe environment for our guests and crew members.

Its unclear if or how the airline responded to the flight attendants who were criticized in Zuckerberg's letter.
The San Francisco Police Department came together Wednesday night for a fundraidser to help an injured officer.

Police officers from the Tenderloin station shared their comrade's pain but did their best to lift the spirit of Officer Elia Lewin-Tankel by shooting a selfie video. Lewin-Tankel is recovering from a traumatic brain injury suffered when he was hit by a vehicle while riding his patrol bicycle in October.

The video was a light moment during an emotional night dedicated to the 32-year-old. Officer Daniel Casey says Lewin-Tankel is a friend and mentor to many.

"It's a daily reminder when I go in to suit up, my friend is not there," he said. "I walk past his locker every day. It's not easy. He's really into reading and national parks. He's the kind of officer I'd like to be one day, always fair to people, popular in the city."

Dozens of people and organizations donated items for a silent auction to raise money for Lewin-Tankel's recovery. His wife and family members have moved to Santa Clara to be by his side.

Officers who make weekly visits say Wednesday's fundraiser has to be one of many.

A family friend read a statement from Lewin-Tankel's family:

"This is no doubt one of the most difficult moments in our lives, but we are choosing to see this as another obstacle Elia will overcome."

Chief Bill Scott made it clear it's a long-term effort.

"Keep praying, keep supporting Elia and his family," he said. "It's gonna be a long haul; we know that."
The winner of a Powerball lottery ticket that was sold in Oakland and is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars has yet to come forward and claim their prize, according to California Lottery officials.

The ticket was purchased at the Da Huong sandwich and coffee shop at 605 E. 12th St., just a few blocks south of Lake Merritt.

The ticket matched Saturday's winning numbers, 53-8-54-27-13, but was missing the Powerball number, which was 4. The ticket is worth $374,181, lottery officials said.

The winner is strongly encouraged to immediately sign the back of their ticket in ink and keep it in a safe place.

The winner can visit any of the nine lottery district offices during normal business hours to claim their prize, lottery officials said.
In August, President Donald Trump promised to bring North Korea "fire and fury" if the nation continued to threaten the United States.

But three months later, North Korea demonstrated with a missile it fired higher and longer than ever that it can likely bring fire and fury of its own to any part of the United States.

Tuesday's missile test was the latest provocation from Kim Jong Un, who has repeatedly ignored Trump's harshly worded warnings and forged on with his nuclear missile program. Trump's rhetoric has clearly not worked as a deterrent, experts say, and has pushed his goal of denuclearizing North Korea even further out of his reach.

"This missile test should throw that into sharp relief for the president: Your approach isn't working, they're going to keep doing this and it would be up to him to find a different way," said Eric Gomez, a missile defense and East Asian policy expert at the Cato Institute.

The intercontinental ballistic missile soared higher than any previous test, about 2,800 miles above the ground, according to South Korea's military  roughly 10 times the altitude of the space station. Hours after the test, North Koreas state media claimed it was a new type of missile with a "super-large heavy warhead" capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

Some nuclear proliferation experts are taking that claim seriously. A different trajectory would give the missile a range of about 13,000 km, according to an estimate from the Union of Concerned Scientists. That puts every part of the U.S. mainland in reach, Gomez said, even if the missile were carrying a nuclear warhead.

"We will take care of it," Trump said Tuesday after the test. "It is a situation that we will handle."

But Trump has promised to react in the past, and it hasn't stopped Kim from advancing his missile technologies. That's included four tests since the "fire and fury" comment on Aug. 8, when North Korea was reported to have developed a nuclear weapon small enough to fit atop a missile.

"North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States," the president said at the time. "They will be met with fire, fury and frankly power the likes of which this world has never seen before."

Two days later, Trump took to social media to let North Korea know that the U.S. military was "locked and loaded" in case North Korea were to act "unwisely."

Trump has also touted sanctions that the United Nations placed on North Korea at the United States' urging; he tweeted that more were likely to come Wednesday, but that did not come to pass. Trump's put North Korea back on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, a move that comes with more U.S. sanctions. And he's continued to threaten Kim, who he began calling "Rocket Man" in September.

"Rocket man is on a suicide mission," the president said at the United Nations that month. "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."

The insults haven't only come from Trump. After the U.N. speech, Kim called him a "frightened dog" and "a mentally deranged U.S. dotard."

But Trump's language puts America's standing in the world at risk if it won't follow through, and so far Trump hasn't, according to Richard K. Betts, director of the International Security Policy program in the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.

"Trump's bellicose rhetoric risks damaging U.S. credibility, since he should not follow through on threats to use force against North Korean provocations that fall short of actually attacking us or South Korea," Betts said in an email.

The White House didn't respond to requests for comment on this story.

While the implications of war with North Korea may now include a nuclear strike on the U.S., they've always included the prospect of hundreds of thousands of people dying in South Korea, where millions live within range of the heavily armed border with the North. That has complicated any strategy to deal with Kim and his predecessors.

On Wednesday, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley said, "We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday."

Trumps threats didn't come with a diplomatic strategy that could have defused tensions, said the experts who spoke to NBC. They also make it less likely for the regime to come back to the negotiating table down the line.

"It helps North Korea perpetuate the perception that theres an outside threat that they can use domestically and internally to help continue to develop their nuclear weapons," said Lisa Collins, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "It gives them an excuse to continue with their nuclear weapons."

If it doesn't change course, North Korea will likely continue to face more and more sanctions, Collins said, as "the countries in the region  South Korea, Japan, the U.S.  will continue to try and contain and manage the situation [to] show that there are consequences to North Koreas actions."

But consistently ratcheting up sanctions as part of Trump's "maximum pressure" strategy brings problems of its own. Gomez noted that it's become harder for the U.S. to lift sanctions in the event that North Korea begins negotiating.

"Would it be difficult for us to reward that behavior by removing those sanctions?" he said, adding that there isn't much focus on what the U.S. would do to reward North Korea if it were cooperative.

Gomez suggested that China  which Trump has courted as an ally in deterring North Korea from further developing nuclear weapons  could play good cop to the United States' bad cop, as it's able to offer rewards for opening dialogue that the U.S. can't.

But he added that China has different goals from the U.S., and would not likely provide the kind of solution that the U.S. wants to see.

And Trump noted in a tweet on Thursday that an envoy China sent to North Korea "seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man."

All the likely solutions the experts envisioned will come short of denuclearization. They range from a moratorium on further tests to relying on missile defense.

Trump's ideal solution of denuclearizing North Korea is simply not realistic, said Jeffrey W. Taliaferro, an associate professor of political science at Tufts University. And Trump's recent decision to again designate North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism further dimmed prospects for negotiations.

"The best possible outcome for the United States at this late stage of the North Korean proliferation crisis would be some type of moratorium on additional ICBM tests," Taliaferro said. "Such a negotiated settlement is unlikely."

The president could instead decide to rely on deterrence and countermeasures to prevent the U.S. from entering a devastating war, Gomez said, anticipating that U.S. missile defense will be strengthened so that Trump "can stay ahead of the problem and not feel like we have to go to war."

Betts also sees deterrence as the only solution for North Korea, just as it was against the Soviet Union.



"This is not a situation where we can have confidence, but one that may be handled adequately," Betts said. "Welcome to a world more dangerous than optimists expected after the Cold War."
Police are searching for a woman who allegedly stole packages off of the porches of four different homes on North and Main streets in Tewksbury, Massachusetts.

Home surveillance video captured the suspect taking packages off of a porch in broad daylight on Monday.

People in the area are furious.

Nellie Grzybinski lives across the street and couldnt believe detectives were at home asking if she saw anyone stealing potential Christmas gifts.

"It's just terrible."

Police say they recovered some of the empty boxes on another porch in the area.

The items the woman got away with were some children books and, surprisingly, a home security system.



Police were able to pinpoint the getaway car as a silver vehicle, with the alleged suspect driving.

In the meantime, Tewksbury police say there are few ways to keep yourself protected from package theft this holiday season, including sending packages to other locations or requiring a signature for the package delivery.
Representative Bobby Rush is the only Illinois Congressman not to file his petitions for re-election, but this isnt the first time that hes put off filing.

In his re-election bid for the 2016 race, he waited until the very last day to file his petitions. If he chooses to do that again this year, Monday would be the last day that he can turn them in to be eligible for the March ballot.

Despite the delay in filing, those close to the congressman, including community activist Hal Baskin, say that "he's in. Even Rushs Congressional colleagues have asked him if he is retiring and he has told them no.

Rush's son Flynn Rush has not filed yet either, but he is circulating petitions for the first time to replace State Rep Barbara Flynn Currie, as she will not be seeking re-election. Some skeptics have insinuated that there could be a switch in plans for Rush, but those whispers remain rumors as the deadline date approaches.

If Rush does wait until Monday to file, it would mark a milestone in the congressmans life. Its the anniversary of the police raid when Fred Hampton, leader of the Black Panthers, was killed in a police raid in 1969. Rush was also a member of the Black Panthers.
Illinois State Sen. Ira Silverstein has filed to run for re-election despite being stripped of his leadership position since a victims' rights advocate accused him of sexual harassment.

There are several Democratic challengers also filing to oppose Silverstein in the Democratic primary. In the last election Silverstein ran unopposed. He has been in the state senate for 18 years.

One of the new challengers, Ram Villivalam, the former political director for Congressman Brad Schneider, has received the endorsement of Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, who in the past had supported Silverstein.

Ram has a proven track record of standing up for working people and the most vulnerable in our society, Schakowsky said, adding that his work in advocating on behalf of women who provide home care for seniors, child care for working families and Medicaid treatment for those in need has helped prepare him to best represent the people in the 8th District."

Also endorsing Villivalam is State Rep. Theresa Mah and Water Reclamation District Commissioner Josina Morita. Mah and Morita, like Villivalam, have Asian-American roots. Mah is the first Asian-American member of the Illinois House and Morita is the first Asian-American elected to a Cook County-wide board. Should Villivalam win, he would be the first Asian-American elected to the Illinois State Senate.

When NBC 5 reached Silverstein by phone he had no comment about losing Schakowskys support. Other candidates expected to file petitions in the 8th District Senate race include Caroline McAteer-Fournier, Zehra Quadri, and David Zulkey.
EC seeks security stratagy for second phase polls

The Election Commission (EC) has asked the security agencies to come up with a security strategy for the second phase of federal parliament and provincial assembly elections in a meeting of High Level Election Security Committee scheduled for Friday.
The family of a Waterbury murder victim says a nearly two-year backlog in processing Connecticut State Police Reports and Records is causing unacceptable delays in getting answers in the case.

Two families were destroyed when an off-duty police officer and war veteran shot and killed a Waterbury man, then himself in July 2016.

Loved ones of the victim blame a state police backlog for failing to provide a report that could give both families some answers.

Family members described the late James Thomas Stuart III as a doting dad, friend to all, and loving brother.

"He called his son 'Bubba,' bringing him to his first Mets game and meeting Mr. Met," Tommy Stuarts brother Scott Stuart told NBC Connecticut.

"His little princess, he loved her more than anything," Stuarts sister Monique Stuart told NBC Connecticut.

The siblings told NBC Connecticut they have fond memories of their brother.

"He was a big part of my life. Fatherly figure, my best friend. Part of who I am today is because of him," Scott said.

The family is still waiting for answers about exactly what happened to Tommy.

"But we feel as a family weve been victimized twice. Because my brother was taken from us and, no one will give us any answers," Monique Stuart stated.

Their nightmare started July 20, 2016.

"It was my birthday, Monique explained.

Police were called to Marion Avenue in Waterbury. Authorities say an off-duty Waterbury police officer, Hallock Yocher, fatally shot Tommy Stuart in the head and chest before shooting and killing himself.

"I started calling his phone, and I realized he hadnt texted me, and Tommy is really big on birthdays," Monique said.

Sixteen months later, the family says their hearts are still shattered. They still have unanswered questions and the holidays without Tommy arent getting any easier.

"Hed be like 'its Turkey Day everybody! Its Santa Claus birthday," Scott told NBC Connecticut.

"Were never going to get our brother back, but wed like to be able to explain to his children what happened," Monique added.

The Stuarts sat down with the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters after meeting with state police last week.

"There are always families they want to help, and unfortunately they cant because of the budget cuts. There are only four people working in that office that processes the reports," Stuart said.

The Stuarts tell NBC Connecticut they want the state police report they already paid $16 for by check.

"Were just being told we cant get the report, we cant get the report," Monique said.

"Its a civil matter so you as a family dont have rights to this information until its processed which is a 22-month backlog because of budgetary cuts," Scott stated.

"That if we really want to even try and speed up the process we need to get a lawyer and or start doing FOIA requests, Freedom of Information requests," Monique added.

A state police spokesman confirmed to the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters that there is 22 month backlog.

"The Agencys report was completed in July. It is going to be processed through Reports and Records consistent with our ability to process requests. This report is also subject to redactions which will need to be made prior to it being released or viewed. We receive numerous requests throughout the year and all appropriate efforts utilizing technology and staffing to alleviate delays in the processing of requests are being undertaken," said Connecticut State Police Sgt. Eric Haglund.

"But the reality is there are victims families across the state right now being delayed answers and justice due to budgetary cuts," Monique said. "I offered to write a check right there. I feel poor choices by the leadership in this state that these are where youre making cuts and youre letting our suffering go up exponentially."

The Stuarts say they were initially told the backlog was around nine months. Then it got longer.

Emails from Cynthia Powell with Reports and Records confirm that the family was told the backlog was just under a year.

On November 1 Powell wrote to Monique Stuart, "to date this report has not been processed in reports and records as there is a backlog of incoming report processing of approximately 11 months"

"We dont want money. We just want to know what took place, who was involved," Scott reiterated.

NBC Connecticut requested the State Police report as well. The only one weve been given so far, through a Freedom of Information request, is from Naugatuck Police the morning of the incident on July 20, 2016.

They arrived at a neighbors home near the Yocher home a few minutes before 5 am.

Yocher, it states, had terminal cancer - was intoxicated  and in possession of guns.

The report says that when a Naugatuck officer approached Yochers wife, she stated she did not want to talk to me or tell me what had happened that her husband, Hallock Yocher, was a police officer and his department was coming to take care of the situation. She also said, according to the report, that the couple had a fight over the friends she hangs out with including an ex-boyfriend.

Monique Stuart says thats her brother Tommy.

"We found out today he used the Sig Sauer to kill Tommy and he used his service weapon to kill himself," Monique said. "We also got it confirmed, there was somebody, a third party in their home on July 19," she added. Its unclear who that person was.

Monique Stuart has a clear message for state officials.

"I understand that Connecticut has a lot of financial difficulties, but perhaps Governor Malloy can review where hes making his budget cuts," Monique said.

A spokesman for Governor Malloys office referred comment back to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Reports and Records.

NBC Connecticut reached out to Yochers wife, but never heard back.

The Stuart family said that on November 9, a state police lieutenant told Monique Stuart that because of Yochers suicide there will be no criminal prosecution. But one day earlier, Deputy Chief States Attorney Len Boyle notified Monique Stuart that theyll be reviewing the investigative file into her brothers death to determine if further criminal investigation is warranted.
With this latest in a string of high-profile case of alleged inappropriate behavior, NBC Connecticut spoke with Mark Soycher of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association who provides sexual harassment training for dozens of Connecticut businesses.

"I'm a big advocate of pushing the training down to the non-supervisor staff because it really does require that community effort in the workplace," Mark Soycher said.

Soycher says a state mandate requires all employers with 50 or more employees to provide sexual harassment training for supervisors but he says bystander training is just as important.

"If they're thinking about saying or doing something think about if you have a 10-year-old son daughter and grandchild sitting next to you would you act the same way if you had to explain your behavior to the child," Soycher said.

"Weve seen an uptick in calls questions and people inquiring about their rights," Bruce Newman with Brown Paindiris & Scott, LLP said.

Newman says sexual misconduct complaints fall into two categories, hostile work environment and quid pro-quo where superiors threaten employees for not accepting their advances. Employees can file complaints at three levels including with their HR supervisor, the Commission on Human Rights and could eventually end up in Superior Court.

"There should be stiff internal penalties by corporations and they need to take a stand and say we're not going tolerate this behavior," Newman said.

"There's definitely an effort to be more PC nowadays at our firm we have to do mandatory training every two years," Sarah Hill said.

For downtown Hartford employees Sarah Hill and Christopher Anderson the conversation is now at the forefront and one thats circulating in workplaces across the state.

"Unfortunate how many of the stories of come to light but everyone needs to be heard," Christopher Anderson said.
Many North Texas families will soon learn whether their children will have health insurance next year.



If Congress doesn't act fast to renew money for the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, the state will be forced to cancel coverage for tens of thousands of children.

According to ForABetterTexas.org, the current CHIP caseload by county as of August 2017 lists 50,274 cases in Dallas County; 32,891 in Tarrant County; 7,659 in Collin County and 8,241 in Denton County.

At the North Texas Area Community Health Center in Fort Worth, call center operators are busy with questions from concern parents.



"We have a lot of confused patients regarding the CHIP, and they're worried," said Brieanna Barajas, a call center operator.



Fifty percent of the children who come the center are covered under CHIP, a program that has covered basic health needs for children of families at about the poverty level for the past 20 years.



"When they call, we are like, 'We know,'" Barajas said.



Barajas can relate, because she relies on CHIP for her 4-year-old son.



"I actually got approved, and when I asked them what's going to happen with the CHIP, they told me they really don't know, just go with it," she said.



Barajas said she's already had to postpone one of her child's doctors' appointments.



Providers at the clinic fear others still stop bringing in their children altogether.



"Parents are going to be concerned for the cost of their kids' care. They may not be coming in for wellness visits and vaccinations," said Dr. Elizabeth Rivera, a physician at the center.

The state's plan is to notify families that the program could end.



In the meantime, federal qualified clinics like the North Texas Area Community Health Center are bracing for a surge in patients.



They treat anyone who needs medical care, whether at a discounted price or free for those who qualify.



However, resources are already stretched thin, Rivera says, and concern is setting in.



"It's just frightening. I already don't qualify for any food stamps or any help for school. I have to pay for school, so now, even this, having to pay for my son's insurance under my insurance at work, that's going to be very hard," Barajas said.



CHIP also covers prenatal services for low-income pregnant women.



Texas already has the highest maternal death rate in the country.


Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez is expected to resign amid speculation that she will launch a campaign for Texas governor.

NBC 5's media partners at The Dallas Morning News reported late Wednesday that Valdez could file as a candidate in the Democratic primary as early as next week.

A statement late Wednesday from the Dallas County Sheriff's Office said:

"As she has stated in the past, the Sheriff is considering the next stage in her career. A letter of resignation was not submitted today. The Sheriff will make a formal announcement when her final decision is made."

Earlier this month, Valdez told the Texas Tribune that she was "in the exploratory process" of starting a gubernatorial run.

Gov. Greg Abbott  who defeated former State Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, by 20 percentage points in 2014  reported a campaign fund balance of $41 million in July. He faces no major GOP opponent.

Abbott filed his bid for reelection earlier this month.

Valdez could not be reached for comment Wednesday, and sheriff's office spokeswoman Melinda Urbina said Valdez has made no indication to the sheriff's office that she's resigning.

When NBC 5 reached out to Valdez in early November, we were given a statement saying, "People have been talking and Sheriff Valdez is listening as she always does. She is currently focused on her job as Sheriff. At this point, there is no new information to add."

CORRECTION (Nov. 29, 2017, 8:30 p.m. CT): An earlier version of this story stated that Valdez had already resigned. She has yet to officially turn in her paperwork to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, but is expected to do so before filing her candidacy for governor.
A physician says she found several bone fractures last March on Sherin Mathews, a 3-year-old girl adopted from India who was found dead in Richardson last month.

Dr. Suzanne Dakil testified that she suspected abuse and reported her concerns to Child Protective Services.

Dakil's testimony came Wednesday in a custody hearing in which the girl's adoptive parents, Wesley and Sini Mathews, were seeking to recover custody from the state of their biological child, who also is 4 years old and is currently living with family in the Houston area.

The couple, who face criminal charges arising from the Sherin's death, invoked their Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination and refused to answer questions Wednesday.

The body of Sherin Mathews was found Oct. 26 in a culvert, more than two weeks after Wesley Mathews had reported her missing.

Wesley Mathews remains in custody on $1 million bond for felony injury to a child with intent to commit serious bodily injury related to the death of Sherin.

Sini Mathews is also in jail, held on $100,000 bond for child endangerment/abandoning for allegedly leaving Sherin home alone while she, her husband their other daughter went to dinner on Oct. 6, the night before Wesley reported Sherin missing.

The Richardson Police Department and the FBI continue to investigate the toddler's death.

The cause of death has not yet been determined by the medical examiner's office.



Both parents took the stand Wednesday and spoke out in a public setting for the first time since Sherin was reported missing on Oct. 7.

The couple was dressed in plain clothes, but both were shackled to their waist and did not speak to each other.

On the advice of their counsel, both Sini and Wesley Mathews pleaded the Fifth Amendment, so as to not incriminate themselves in future criminal court proceedings.

Wesley's attorney, David Kleckner, spent most of the time on his feet, stretching out his hand and showing five fingers, indicating to Wesley not to answer the questions leveled by the Dallas County District Attorney's Office.

Wesley is also represented by criminal defense attorney Rafael De La Garza.

Sini's attorney, Mitch Nolte, shook his head as his client was asked most questions by assistant district attorney Denise Hale.

Sini is also represented by attorney Greg Gibbs.

The Mathews couple had contact with Child Protective Services from February 2017 through July 2017, according to testimony in court.

Dakil, a child abuse pediatrician who had treated Sherin, testified that she became involved with the Mathews family in February 2017 when Sherin was hospitalized and was then diagnosed with "failure to thrive," meaning she fell below the normal growth curve.

Dakil testified that Sherin had suffered an elbow fracture in September 2016 when Sherin's sister reportedly pushed her off the couch, according to the family at the time.

The doctor explained instances beginning in the fall of 2016 in which Sherin was treated for injuries, including fractures and broken bones.

In one instance, Dakil testified, Sini told her that Sherin received a fracture to her arm when Sherin was about to fall while going up the stairs and Sini grabbed her by the arm to prevent the fall.

However, the doctor testified that the injuries the girl sustained were not consistent with Sini's account.

Sini then reportedly explained to the doctor that Sherin had weak bones because she only had rice and coffee creamer to eat in her native India. Sherin was adopted from an orphanage in India in July 2016.

Dakil told the court that Sini said injuries to Sherin also happened during physical therapy she had been undergoing since arriving from India.

Dakil did not immediately conclude Sherin was being abused.

However, after tests were conducted, the doctor concluded the girl's injuries had been sustained in the U.S.  not in her native country.

Dakil also detailed a conversation she had with Sini when Dakil reported Sherin's injuries to CPS in March 2017.

Dakil said Sini responded to the development by telling Dakil she was wrong in her diagnosis, that she did not hurt Sherin and that having to meet with CPS was "ruining weekend plans."

Parents Reportedly Went to Dinner on the Night Sherin Died



Wesley Mathews reportedly told police the couple left Sherin home alone on Oct. 6 while they went to dinner with their other daughter, because Wesley was growing frustrated that Sherin was refusing to drink milk.

Both parents told police they returned home about 90 minutes later and that Sherin was alive and still in the kitchen where they left her.

The child was reported missing on Oct. 7 by Wesley, who said she disappeared while being punished. He later changed his story to say she choked on her milk and that he removed her body from the home.

Sherin Mathews's body was found in a culvert about two weeks after she was reported missing.

Hale directly asked Wesley Mathews on Wednesday if he killed Sherin, to which he again responded, "I plead the Fifth."

Hale asked Wesley if he took Sherin's body and drove to the culvert and placed her body inside with the intent to return and bury her body.

Wesley again responded, "I plead the Fifth."

Hale asked Wesley and Sini Mathews about the morning of Oct. 7, claiming that Sini walked into the kitchen where Wesley was sitting, and he then said, "Something terrible has happened."

Again, both pleaded the Fifth.

Wesley Mathews pleaded the Fifth when asked if he told police Sherin was known to drink eight ounces of whole milk on most days and was not known to vomit unless she was forced to eat.

It was revealed in court that it is believed that Sherin Mathews had a Vitamin D and iron deficiency and had an genetic problem with one of her eyes.



Nolte, Sini's criminal defense attorney, spoke with reporters following the hearing and described his client as being very affected by the testimony. Nolte also responded to criticism both parents have faced in the eyes of the public.

"She can't win either way," Nolte said. "If she acts stoic, then she's a cold woman. If she's crying hysterically, she's guilty. She can't win with certain people."

CPS claims the Mathews home was dangerous for both Sherin and the couple's surviving daughter.

Sini Mathews testified the girl is with her brother, his wife and her parents in the Houston area and she expects to be able to visit her daughter if she posts bond.

If Wesley Mathews posts bond, he is not allowed to have contact with his daughter or anyone in the family.

Asked why the couple should get their biological daughter back, attorney David Kleckner responded by saying, "Because it's their child. The facts need to come out in the courtroom. It's their child, they love their child."

Check back and refresh this page for the latest update. As this story is developing, elements may change.
A "strong," gas-like odor complained about by Cheviot Hills residents was a natural gas odorant spill at a production company in West Los Angeles, according to the Southern California Gas Company.

Residents reported the odor at approximately 9:10 p.m. Wednesday and said the source of the odor was near the intersection of Overland Avenue and Pico Boulevard, according a representative from SoCal Gas.

Officials confirmed that there was no gas leak but instead, the odor came from a natural gas odorant spill at a production company in West Los Angeles. The odorant is added to natural gas, which is odorless, to help detect natural gas leaks. The additive contains sulfur, which many people say smells like rotten eggs.

The odor was so pungent that residents from Mar Vista and Culver City reported smelling it.

The odor could be detected Wednesday night from NewsChopper4 when it was over the Westside.
Matt Lauer, a morning news mainstay for more than two decades, has been terminated from NBC News after a colleague reported inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace, co-anchor Savannah Guthrie announced Wednesday as the Today show opened.

Hours later, Variety reported anonymous accounts of three women who alleged they were victims of sexual harassment by Lauer. The publication said it had corroborated their stories with friends or colleagues as part of a two-month investigation that included dozens of interviews with current and former staff members.

Guthrie said she learned about Lauer's termination shortly before the show went on air, and added that she was heartbroken for her "dear, dear friend" Lauer, as well as the woman whose allegations NBC News found credible.

"We are grappling with a dilemma that so many people have faced these last few weeks: How do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation that they have behaved badly?" Guthrie said. "I don't know the answer to that. But I do know that this reckoning that so many organizations have been going through is important, it's long overdue and it must result in workplaces where all women, all people, feel safe and respected."

NBC News Chairman Andy Lack said in a memo that Lauer's alleged conduct was "a clear violation of our company's standards." He did not reveal specifics on what Lauer was accused of, but NBC News reported that the complaint refers to an incident at the Sochi Olympics in 2014, and that inappropriate behavior continued afterward.



Harvey Weinsteins ouster from the Weinstein Company in light of multiple sexual misconduct allegations against him is causing thousands of other women to speak up and speak out against powerful abusers in the workplace.

On Wednesday, NBC received at least two more complaints related to Lauer, the New York Times reported, citing a person briefed on the networks handling of the matter. NBC officials confirmed that two more accusers had come forward on Wednesday.

The Times' article said one of the new complaints came from a former employee who in 2001 was summoned to Lauer's office, where Lauer had sex with her. She told the newspaper she felt helpless to stop the encounter because she did not want to lose her job, and did not report it because she was ashamed.



NBC Owned Television Stations has reached out to a representative of Lauer's for comment on the termination, Lack's statement and the Variety report.

An attorney for Lauer's accuser, whose identity hasn't been revealed, said in a statement that "NBC acted quickly and responsibly" after their hourslong meeting with the human resources and legal departments Monday evening, in which the accuser "detailed egregious acts of sexual harassment and misconduct by Mr. Lauer."

"While I am impressed by NBCs response to date, I am awed by the courage my client showed to be the first to raise a complaint and to do so without making any demands other than asking the company do the right thing. This is how the system should work," attorney Ari Wilkenfeld said.

Lauer once gave a colleague a sex toy with an explicit note, Variety reported. Another time, he exposed himself in front of a female employee, then reprimanded her for not engaging in a sex act, Variety reported. The story also alleged sexualized conversations with staff that included playing a crass quiz game and lewd text messages.

The women asked to be unnamed because they feared professional consequences.

Several women told Variety they had complained to network executives about Lauer.



Following the publication of the Variety report, an NBC News spokesperson released the following statement: "We can say unequivocally, that, prior to Monday night, current NBC News management was never made aware of any complaints about Matt Lauers conduct."

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More

Lauer's termination came suddenly  he had been slated to host the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting with "Today" show co-anchors Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker Wednesday night.

Kotb, who co-hosted Wednesday's show, said, "We woke up with the news pre-dawn and we are trying to process it, make sense of it and it will take some time for that."



Lauer was co-anchor of the "Today" show for nearly 21 years, since his debut in the role Jan. 6, 1997, interviewing presidents, royalty, movie stars and more. NBC had noted on its broadcast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade last week that Lauer has hosted the event for the past 20 years.

He is the second leading morning news host in two weeks to lose his job after facing sexual misconduct allegations, following Charlie Rose, who was fired by CBS News last week, as well as by PBS. Several women who spoke to The Washington Post detailed a pattern of work-related sexual misconduct by Rose, who issued an apology.

The decision comes a day after eight women accused Charlie Rose of sexually inappropriate behavior.

But they are far from the only media figures to have lost their jobs after being accused of sexual misconduct. Last month, NBC News fired contributor Mark Halperin, a major political journalist and pundit, after he was accused of sexual misconduct by women he had previously worked with at ABC News.

Bill O'Reilly and Roger Ailes were ousted from Fox News in the last two years when faced with accusations of their own. Megyn Kelly, who complained about O'Reilly while they were colleagues together at Fox, said Wednesday on her new NBC show that, in her experience dealing with the fallout of sexual harassment allegations, news organiations are "bigger than any one person."



She said Lauer has been a friend and supported her in her transition to NBC News. She noted her colleagues' anguish as well as that of the women who came forward, whom she hoped are OK. Coming forward is a "terrifying thing to do," she said.

"As painful as this moment is for so many here at NBC today, at CBS earlier this month, at Fox News over the last year, in Hollywood this fall, it is a sign of progress," Kelly said, "of women finding their voices, their courage and of the erosion of a shameful power imbalance that has been in place for far too long."

https://twitter.com/MegynTODAY/status/935874844062822401

Former Today co-host Natalie Morales said was shocked when she woke up Wednesday to learn Lauer had been fired.

She said the "Today" show has been her family for 16 years and learning about the allegations against Lauer is very difficult. Morales made her comments while hosting "Access Hollywood."

Morales said she has already addressed rumors that an affair between her and Lauer led to her departure from "Today." She called them hurtful to her and her family and said they should not be the story at the moment. Instead, she said the focus should be on the unnamed woman whose accusation led to his dismissal.

Longtime "Inside Edition" anchor Deborah Norville said she was also "stunned" to hear of the firing of "Today" show host Lauer for alleged sexual misconduct, saying it's upsetting to see yet another fellow journalist brought down by scandal.

But Norville, herself a past "Today" host before Lauer joined the broadcast, notes that no profession is immune to sexual harassment, as recent events are demonstrating.

New accusations of sexual misconduct by powerful men have been in the news nearly every day since two exposes were published in early October about movie mogul Harvey Weinstein allegedly engaging serial sexual harassment and assault throughout his career. Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K. and Jeffrey Tambor are among the actors who have lost jobs in the wake of that scandal, as men and women came forward with their own allegations.

Scandal has reached the world of politics as well. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. apologized after several women came forward to say he groped them in the past. He and Michigan Democrat Rep. John Conyers, accused of workplace misconduct, face ethics investigations.

U.S. Senator Al Franken is asking his colleagues to investigate his own behavior after new allegations of sexual misconduct.

And Roy Moore, the Republican candidate for Alabama's open U.S. Senate seat, has defiantly denied any wrongdoing after multiple women have said he tried to date them decades ago when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s. One woman accused him of toucing her sexually when she was 14. Another alleged he sexaully assaulted her when she was 16. He denies the allegations.

The news about Lauer came as a shock to many who posted their reactions online, including President Donald Trump, who tweeted "Wow" and attacked NBC for "putting out so much Fake News."

Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, which he's denied, but he did apologize last year for a 2005 video in which he told then-NBC personality Billy Bush he could do anything to women when you're famous, including grabbing them by the genitals. Despite the apology, Trump has privately raised doubts about the tape's authenticity in conversations with allies or confidents, The New York Times and The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

Like Savannah, I am having trouble processing this news. https://t.co/mCGKx05z9K  Kate Snow (@tvkatesnow) November 29, 2017

Here is Andy Lack's full statement as read on "Today":

Dear colleagues, on Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer. It represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our company's standards. As a result, we've decided to terminate his employment.

While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over twenty years he's been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.

Our highest priority is to create a workplace environment where everyone feels safe and protected, and to ensure that any actions that run counter to our core values are met with consequences, no matter who the offender. We are deeply saddened by this turn of events.

But we will face it together as a news organization - and do it in as transparent a manner as we can.

----

This story contains material from NBC News
By some accounts, there are more firearms in the United States than people  a proliferation fueled in part by fear and the resulting desire of self-defense.

But a joint investigation by NBC-Owned Television Stations and the journalism nonprofit The Trace reveals a dangerous side effect of so many guns being stored in homes and vehicles: stolen guns winding up in the wrong hands.

The bounty from law-abiding gun owners is feeding a black market with a deadly impact from coast to coast.

In South Florida, thefts from vehicles is an increasing problem: up nearly 120 percent in Fort Lauderdale and up almost 75 percent in Miami between 2010 and 2015, according to the data compiled by The Trace.

And those guns often turn up at crime scenes.

There are community guns that criminal organizations share firearms among themselves, said Ari Shapira, assistant special agent in charge of the Miami division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The customer base: felons, the mentally ill, juveniles  people who cannot legally buy or possess firearms.

Instead, they are sold and traded, borrowed and bartered among a criminal subculture where the gun is a necessary tool of their trade.

An undercover officer for a multiagency gang task force told NBC 6, These juveniles are obtaining firearms through crimes of burglary, robbery or street sales, illegal street sales.

And firearms that are obtained illegally demand a higher price, said Shapira.

In Pompano Beach, one drug trafficking organization did a booming business with firearms for years, selling 285 of them over a 14-month period.

Unfortunately for them, they sold the guns to an undercover ATF agent.

We had an undercover, a very experienced undercover who purchased hundreds of guns, said Shapira, noting at least 40 of the guns purchased by ATF during Operation Clean House were confirmed stolen. They include AR-15s and AK assault weapons, as well as a police sniper rifle.

Sometime gun thieves target gun shops, using a blow torch, a sledgehammer, or a vehicle to gain entry and loot the inventory.

But more often the supply of illegal guns is buoyed by a careless gun owner who leaves his weapon in an unlocked car, or unsecured in a home that becomes a target of burglars.

The NBC Investigative Units and the Trace collected more than 800,000 police reports involving more than a half million guns lost, stolen, found or seized from crime scenes identified more than 23,000 stolen firearms recovered by police between 2010 and 2016  the vast majority connected with crimes.

That tally, based on an analysis of police records from hundreds of jurisdictions, includes more than 1,500 carjackings and kidnappings, armed robberies at stores and banks, sexual assaults and murders, and other violent acts committed in cities from coast to coast.

It's not so much surprised me as it does alarm me. It seems to be a growing trend, said Neil Troppman, a manager at ATFs National Trace Center. His advice is simple: Keep them locked up, keep them in a safe place where they cant be stolen or misused.

More than 237,000 guns were reported stolen in the United States in 2016, according to the National Crime Information Center  but that only includes weapons where serial numbers were known. Studies based on surveys of gun owners estimate that the actual number of firearms stolen each year surpasses 350,000.

Its never a good idea to store a firearm in a car, said Shapira. Because people steal cars.

Or, more often, steal from them.

Criminals car surf, combing parking lots at night checking door handles and taking valuables found inside unlocked cars.

Police say they know some gun owners dont want the weapons around children in their house, but vehicles are not the answer. They recommend safe storage in homes, trigger locks, safes  whatever it takes  but not cars.

Still even some professional law enforcers dont get the message.

A gun was stolen from a pick-up truck in Southwest Miami-Dade in August.

The victim was a Miami-Dade police officer.
What to Know The Florida Senate approved the measure 33-2 on Tuesday.

It is not clear if Florida Gov. Rick Scott will sign the bill.

Hawaii, most of Arizona and a handful of U.S. territories do not observe Daylight Saving Time.

Florida is a step closer to living up to its nickname as "The Sunshine State."

A bill to let Florida remain on Daylight Saving Time year round is headed to Gov. Rick Scott's desk after the state Senate approved it 33-2 on Tuesday.

If Scott signs the "Sunshine Protection Act," Congress would need to amend existing federal law to allow the change.

While the rest of the Eastern United States would set their clocks back in the fall, Florida wouldn't, leaving it with more sunshine in the evening during the winter. Northwest Florida is currently in the Central time zone.

Hawaii, most of Arizona, and a handful of U.S. territories  including American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands  do not observe Daylight Saving Time.

Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, moving clocks ahead an hour, and ends Nov. 4, moving clocks back an hour  "spring forward, fall back."
Election observer dies due to altitude sickness

An election observer deputed in Lamjung district lost his life due to altitude sickness on Thursday. He breathed his last at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) in Kathmandu.
A class-action lawsuit filed by a Manhattan law firm alleges several heating oil companies ripped off more than 1 billion gallons from New York City customers, primarily in a scheme known as blending.

Clean fuel has been stolen by heating oil firms and sold on the black market as dirty sludge from waste oil facilities was then used to make up the difference, according to attorney William Wachtel.

The stuff that comes out of Jiffy Lube is ending up in the burners of hospitals and schools, Wachtel said. The city of New York is the biggest victim of this hideous fraud.

Schools, hospitals, apartment buildings, and college campuses among the alleged victims. Wachtel said SUNY-Maritimes boilers broke down several years ago and had to be replaced when a sludge-filled oil delivery was made.

Investigators and insiders said improper blending begins with companies or drivers unloading a portion of clean fuel from their truck. Then dirty oil is mixed in at a waste oil plant. The heating truck then deliveries the mixed or blended fuel to buildings.

Some blending of treated, recycled waste oil is permitted, even beneficial for the environment, officials said. And the state Department of Environmental Conservation say standards for use of recycled oil must be met. But the agency said residents and owners are barred from burning waste oil in home heating systems.

And city contracts ban use of any blended product, including recycled oil or dirtier waste oil.

Used, waste, recycled, re-refined, sludge or residue of fuel oils is not acceptable the boilerplate contract language reads.

Wachtel said history shows customers continue to pay for an inferior product which can also harm boilers and send waste oil particles into the air.

For example, records obtained as part of the lawsuit show that in 2009 and 2010 thousands of past deliveries of what Wachtel calls adulterated oil was delivered to buildings in the Bronx and upper Manhattan.

Dan Brownell, who heads the citys Business Integrity Commission, said he can substantiate some of Wachtels allegations and that he knows of similar dirty deliveries made in 2012 and 2013.

The fact that its happening where asthma rates are some of the highest in the country is unconscionable, Brownell said. I mean how do you rip off you know a relatively poor Hispanic church in upper Manhattan?

Brownell said investigators watched as Jiffy Lube trucks arrived at a waste oil facility to unload waste oil and one hour later, fuel oil trucks arrived to load up at the same waste oil tank.

One heating oil truck driver, speaking on condition of anonymity, said improper blending schemes continue by some companies big and small.

It has been going on a long time and everyone knows it has been going on a long time.

New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer called the practice alarming.

This dirty oil thats being pumped into our buildings can have real health risks for our children -- 113,000 visits to hospitals for asthma and part of it is because we are pumping dirty oil into our buildings," he said. When we see this alarming trend, theres probably even more out there. We must be vigilant."

Since no companies have been charged criminally for any alleged blending scheme, the I-Team is not naming any of the companies.

The director of the New York Oil Heating Association said any wrongdoing is limited to a small number of bad actors, adding that many firms properly recycled oils when blending products as allowed by law.

We are not talking about this being rampant, he said. This is perpetrated by a small number of individuals, not the entire industry.

A state DEC spokesman said the agency performs random inspections of companies from time to time.

DEC routinely performs unannounced, surprise inspections of used oil processing facilities to make sure these facilities are adhering to permit conditions, the spokesman said. If any facilities are found to be violating conditions of their permits, DEC will use all regulatory and legal authorities to impose penalties and take swift action to protect public health and the environment.

But critics have said the city should do more to regulate heating oil firms to weed out corruption similar to steps taken in the once-mafia run carting industry.

Law enforcement officials said there are ongoing state and federal criminal investigations into alleged blending schemes as well as other schemes like shorting. Shorting is where air is blown for 10-20 percent of a delivery instead of oil but the customer is billed the for the full amount.

Videos obtained from law enforcement show trucking firms in 2014 transferring stolen clean oil from one truck to another, oil that is later sold lining the pockets of corrupt actors.

The Manhattan DA has said to prosecute blending, it would take staggering resources  teams of investigators and auditors. Cy Vance said the city council should empower the Business Integrity Commission to supervise oil truck deliveries. But to date, the bill has stalled amid intense lobbying from oil industry companies and groups.
New York Citys rats are a genetically diverse group of critters whose DNA makeup is influenced by the forces of the city, from the layout of parks and subways, to human social structures, according to a study detailed in The Atlantic.

The study by Fordham graduate student Matthew Combs looks to create a genetic portrait of the citys most widespread rodent, the brown rat, which arrived in Manhattan from Western Europe in the 1700s and has continued to thrive ever since, according to The Atlantic.

Most strikingly, the study says Manhattans rats can be split into uptown and downtown populations; two genetically distinguishable groups made up of rats north of 59th Street and rats south of 14th Street. The rat populations are split by midtown, a high-rise commercial district devoid of the heaps of food-filled trash and snug backyards that rats prefer, The Atlantic reported.

After trapping and genetically mapping rats across Manhattan over the summer, Combs and his team discovered rats can even be broken down by neighborhood. If you gave us a rat, we could tell whether it came from the West Village or the East Village, Combs told The Atlantic. Theyre actually unique little rat neighbors.

The Intrepid (and Hungry) Animals of New York City
A Delaware man found guilty of punching someone with cerebral palsy has been sentenced to three to six years in prison, officials said.

Barry Robert Baker, 29, of Georgetown, Delaware, was found guilty of simple assault, fleeing a crime scene and violating his probation, according to court documents. He has been in jail since June.

Baker was caught on video mocking and sucker-punching a person with cerebral palsy outside a West Chester, Pennsylvania, 7-Eleven store in May.

Baker could be heard making fun of the man and how he walked before sucker-punched him in the face and running away.

West Chester Police Chief Scott Bohn described his actions as "appalling."

"You wonder what would make an individual treat somebody like that," Bohn said.
A former Delaware prison guard charged with smuggling drugs and cellphones to inmates at the maximum security prison in Smyrna in return for bribes is facing sentencing after pleading guilty to conspiracy.

Thomas Nadill Boyce Jr. is to be sentenced Dec. 5 after pleading guilty earlier this year to three counts of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right. Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors are asking for a sentence of 46 months.

Boyce, arrested last year along with fellow guard Paul Hursey, was accused of conspiring with inmates and their associates to smuggle cellphones, heroin and marijuana into the prison in exchange for money.

Hursey pleaded guilty to a similar conspiracy charge and also is awaiting sentencing.
A shooting has wounded a pair of Wilmington siblings and police are looking for a man in an Eagles cap who may have pulled the trigger.

A Thursday statement from the Wilmington Police Department says a 25-year-old woman is listed in critical condition after sustaining a gunshot wound to her chest. The victim underwent surgery at Christiana Hospital after the shooting.

Her 26-year-old brother was wounded from a gunshot wound to his jaw and shoulder. He's listed in stable condition.

The siblings were apparently shot late Wednesday. Police were called at to the 1300 block of North Claymont Street shortly after 10 p.m.

Wilmington police did not disclose their names. They did, however, release a basic description of the suspected gunman as a man in a camouflage jacket, dark pants with a white stripe, black sneakers and green Philadelphia Eagles cap.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or delawarecrimtestoppers.org.
Officials have discovered a shallow grave containing the bodies of a woman and dog believed to be missing military veteran Julia Jacobson and her dog Boogie.

The bodies were discovered by a San Bernardino Sheriff's Department dog near Cactus City, about 20 miles east of Indio, during a multiple-day search for evidence in Jacobson's disappearance.

More than 120 law enforcement personnel from four different agencies, including the San Diego Police Department (SDPD), were searching the desert small area.

The Ontario Police Department (OPD) believes the remains are those of Jacobson and her dog, who have been missing since Sept. 2.

On that date, Jacobson sent a text to a friend saying she was heading to Palm Springs from Big Bear.

The 37-year-old retired Army captain was last spotted on surveillance by police in Ontario.

Surveillance at a Kearny Mesa 7-Eleven caught her on camera earlier that same day.

On Sept. 7, her company car was found abandoned in University Heights, about a half-mile from her home.

Jacobson's family told NBC 7 the car was found with its windows rolled down, at different levels, and the keys still in the ignition.

Her black handbag was found inside, unzipped and with hardly anything in it.

Evidence found in the car led detectives to believe she may have been killed. Police did not release details about what led to their suspicions.

Dalen Larry Ware, Julia's ex-husband, was arrested in Laveen, Arizona. He was later transferred to the San Bernardino County West Valley Detention Center and charged with murder.

Ware pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Ontario Police Department (OPD) said information gathered during their investigation led authorities to search a 6 square-mile area in Cactus City.

The area is in unincorporated Riverside County, south of Interstate 10 and east of a rest area.

OPD, SDPD, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department assisted in the search.

Since Jacobson's disappearance, the family organized its own searches, canvassing her North Park neighborhood trying to find somebody that knows something.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the Ontario Police Department at (909)986-6711. Information can also be reported anonymously by calling WE-TIP at (800)78-CRIME or online at wetip.com.
U.S. and Chinese generals engaged in an unusual set of security talks on Wednesday, just hours after North Korea's most powerful missile test yet, focused on how the mighty American and Chinese militaries might communicate in a crisis.

As President Donald Trump greeted the North's launching of another intercontinental ballistic missile with familiar demands for China to get tougher with its ally, the low-profile and unpublicized meeting at the National Defense University in Washington was taking place amid signs China is more willing at this time to discuss how the two world powers would manage an even worse emergency on the divided Korean Peninsula.

The Pentagon stressed the talks were scheduled long before North Korea's surprise missile launch in the early hours Wednesday in Asia. Officials insisted the dialogue wasn't centered on North Korea or anything else in particular.

Trump has vowed to prevent North Korea from having the capability to strike the U.S. mainland with a nuclear-tipped missile  using military force if necessary. He is running out of time: Some experts said the missile fired on a high trajectory that splashed down in the Sea of Japan showed North Korea's ability to strike Washington and the entire U.S. Eastern Seaboard.

The threat of a military confrontation is making China rethink its resistance to discussing contingencies involving North Korea, according to experts. Such discussions have long been off-limits for Beijing, which fought on North Korea's side against the United States in the 1950-53 Korean War and remains its treaty ally.

In a phone conversation with Trump on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his desire for a diplomatic resolution to the standoff with North Korea.

Objectives for Wednesday's military consultations appeared modest.

"The engagement will serve as an opportunity to discuss how to manage crises, prevent miscalculations, and reduce the risk of misunderstanding," the office of Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told The Associated Press in a statement.

The U.S. and China agreed on the talks when Dunford met with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing in August. While in China, Dunford observed a Chinese military drill at Shenyang, about 120 miles from the North Korean border  an unusual stop for an official visit.

Wednesday's talks were being led by Lt. Gen. Richard Clarke, the Joint Chiefs' planning director, and Maj. Gen. Shao Yuanming, a senior Chinese military official. They're especially noteworthy given the deep strategic mistrust between the U.S. and China, and Beijing's increasing challenge to America's post-World War II dominance in the Asia-Pacific.

China has been more explicit in saying what the talks are about.

Yao Yunzhu, a retired general who specializes in U.S.-Chinese defense relations at China's Academy of Military Science, said this summer they should include Northeast Asia, where North Korea is located. She also mentioned the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.

Yun Sun, an expert on Chinese foreign policy at the Stimson Center think tank, said Dunford raised North Korean contingencies at the August meeting and the two sides discussed the potential danger of a conflict or a nuclear disaster. U.S. officials wouldn't confirm that account. Sun said she anticipated those talks would continue Wednesday.

While such discussions have occurred in recent years among non-government experts, they hadn't yet happened at official levels.

However, Oriana Skylar Mastro, a Georgetown University professor, said her Chinese contacts indicated willingness to broach North Korea contingencies in the military dialogue.

"Things are shifting right now in both China and the United States. There seems to be an opening," said Mastro. She expected the talks would still be at a preliminary stage.

"This type of discussion is difficult among friends. It's much more difficult between potential adversaries, but absolutely necessary," Mastro said. "The type of war that might break out (with North Korea) is one that would be more costly than anything that generations of Americans have experienced."

Political limitations exist on both sides, making some experts skeptical that progress would be made or even that North Korean contingencies would be addressed at all. The U.S. must be wary of offending South Korea, which isn't in the dialogue. China risks further alienating a paranoid ally at a time Beijing is supporting increasingly tough U.N. sanctions on North Korea's economy in response to its missile and nuclear tests.

"The Chinese side is very worried that if North Korea gets word it might turn them into a hostile neighbor," said Frank Aum, a former Pentagon adviser on North Korea.

Chinese opinions are divided. But in a sign of growing antipathy toward Pyongyang, some Chinese intellectuals have called for radical policy change. Not only is North Korea a liability for China's global standing, it also poses a nuclear risk on its doorstep.

A collapse of North Korea's state, or another crisis, could push Beijing into conflict with the U.S. and South Korea. Bonnie Glaser, an Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, mentioned North Korean nuclear facilities within 50 miles of the Chinese border, and said both sides could try to secure loose nukes.

There have been grave miscommunications before. Abraham Denmark, a former senior U.S. military official for East Asia, cited the run-up to the Korean War, when Washington thought Beijing knew it would not seek to invade China; the Chinese thought the Americans knew that if U.S. forces advanced north of the 38th parallel into North Korea, China would intervene.

"Both sides at the time thought that they were being extremely clear, but neither side had any idea of what was going on," Denmark said. "That suggests to me that both sides need to be very up front with one another."

AP writer Robert Burns contributed to this report.
A Maryland woman says she never wants to have kids again after learning the doctor she had when she delivered her baby did not have a legal medical license.

"I'm scarred for life. I do not want any more kids at all because of that. And I do not trust any male doctor at all anymore," Jazmine Tinsley said.



Tinsley is a young mother from Capitol Heights, Maryland, who is part of a group of women suing Prince George's Hospital Center after discovering their obstetrician, Dr. Charles Akoda, faked his identity to obtain a medical license.

Tinsley gave birth five years ago.

"During my delivery, I thought I was losing my life. So, the fact that I'm just finding out that this man was a fake at the end of the day is really hurting me because everything that I went through with my delivery, and afterwards when it came to my health, has still damaged me still to this day," Tinsley said.



According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Akoda's real name is Oluwafemi Charles Igberase. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 15, 2016 to misusing a Social Security number to fraudulently obtain a Maryland medical license.

According to his plea agreement, Igberase entered the United States in October 1991 on a non-immigrant visa and repeatedly used fraudulent Social Security numbers and fake information throughout the '90s to practice medicine and get into a residency program in the U.S.

Prosecutors said Igberase was dismissed from a residency program in New Jersey in 2000 after officials learned the Social Security number he used didn't belong to him.

In 2011, using a fraudulent Social Security number and other fraudulent documents in the name Charles John Nosa Akoda, Igbergase obtained a medical license in Maryland. He went on to practice obstetrics and gynecology and obtained medical privileges at Prince George's Hospital Center.

The lawsuit claims the hospital failed to do its homework and Igbergase also used fake immigration documents, medical diplomas, letters of recommendation and birth certificates.

"Maybe they should have checked his Social Security number. They would have learned that he's a fraud," attorney Jonathon Schochor said. "We're suing them because they had an absolute obligation to complete a thorough, appropriate background check on this physician, on this OB-GYN, to make sure he was not a fraud."

Prince George's Hospital Center emailed News4 a statement saying Akoda had physicians licenses in good standing in Maryland and Virginia.

"We are disappointed that our expectation of integrity was not met in the case of Dr. Akoda given his complex sophisticated identity theft scheme," the hospital said.
A New Jersey man who went into cardiac arrest five times in a D.C. ambulance last April reunited Wednesday with the firefighters and paramedics who saved his life.

Elliott Penner had the chance to thank the people who brought him back to life, shaking their hands and hugging them.

Im here today because of what you guys do, he said.

Penner was in town on Apr. 15 with his son, Brayden, for a Capitals game. But as they arrived at Union Station, Penner started to feel the symptoms of cardiac arrest, including shortness of breath.

I remember thinking: We gotta get to a hospital, Penner said.

The two thought that they had time to take cab but they didnt. Fortunately, an ambulance was already at the station, called in before for a sick woman.

Once Penner told them what he was feeling, paramedics realized that he was showing the signs of a heart attack and hooked him into the monitoring equipment in the ambulance.

Penner went into cardiac arrest five times in the ambulance.

We would shock him and he would come back and he would talk. He would go back into cardiac arrest. We would shock him again, hed come back and talk, said Christian Meuller, one of the D.C. Fire and Emergency Services paramedics who helped Penner.

For the five times, paramedics brought him back to life, shocking him 18 times. The crew was able to take Penner to the hospital, saving him.

As soon as somebody stabilizes its like a breath of fresh air, said Nick Ragucci, another paramedic who saved Penner.

Since April, the crew that saved Penner received recognition and honor medallions.

Penner remains thankful to the crew.

I think what you do is pretty amazing, Penner told them.
A Maryland man was lured into a car and sexually assaulted by a man who was impersonating a police officer, police said.

Michael Leon Bell, 36, of Upper Marlboro, was arrested and charged with rape, assault, impersonating a police officer and other charges, Prince Georges County police said in a statement.

Police released a photograph of the badge they say Bell used, which says "Sergeant" and "Special Agent."

Police said their investigation revealed that Bell, who was driving a black 2007 Ford Crown Victoria, approached the victim early Sunday on the 2300 block of University Boulevard.

Bell, with the badge hanging around his neck, said he was police officer, asked the man for identification and proceeded to pat him down, according to police.

Police said Bell kept the man's identification and refused to give it back to him.

Bell offered the man a ride home, telling him the area they were in was dangerous, and the man accepted, police said.

Bell then drove the man to the 2100 block of Guilford Road, climbed into the backseat and forced the victim to perform sexual acts while the victim repeatedly asked Bell to stop, police said.

The man eventually escaped the car, taking a photograph of the cars license plate as the suspect sped away. The man then called 911. Police responded about 6:15 a.m.

Using the licence plate picture, police found Bell. While arresting Bell, police found two identification documents from two other men. Detectives believe he may have attacked other people.

Anyone who has information about the case is asked to call Prince Georges County Police Departments Sexual Assault Unit at 301-772-4908.
Govt to launch white paper on ballooning trade deficit

The Ministry of Commerce is all set to introduce a white paper on ballooning trade deficit of the country, which would pinpoint bottlenecks that are hindering exports, help expand basket of goods and services that could be marketed overseas, and spell out roles different ministries could play to narrow down the widening trade gap.
White House work orders obtained by News4 include reports of mice and roaches in the West Wing and requests for a new toilet seat for the Oval Office bathroom and a decorator for H.R. McMaster.

White House officials submitted hundreds of requests in 2017 for repairs, equipment and pest control to building administrators with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), which helps manage maintenance needs in the West Wing and East Wing of the White House.

Maintenance workers were asked over the past two years to respond to reports of mice infiltrating the White House Navy mess food service area and the White House Situation Room. There were also at least four reported cockroach infestations on the grounds and a complaint of ants in the White House chief of staffs office.

Some of the projects appear large in scope. Some appear quite small. The work orders show a request to replace the toilet seat in the Oval Office in late January, and specifies the project be completed after hours please.

Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer requested new furniture and pictures hung in his office shortly after inauguration, according to the records.

The work orders submitted in 2017 are similar in number to those made in 2016 during the final year of the Obama administration, according to News4s review of federal records.

The documents show a quick flurry of requests made shortly after Inauguration Day and indicate some were specifically made by high-ranking officials in the White House. The records offer a rare glimpse into the granular work required to maintain a major government facility.

The hundreds of work orders reviewed by News4 reveal the wide scope of requests received by the Public Buildings Service, ranging from heating system repairs to furniture moves to pest control. A request to repair a door release button in the White House Situation Room was made soon after a request to install new draperies in the first ladys second-floor East Wing office, which specifically sought an overall effect of the room being taller.

The GSAs Public Building Service manages building maintenance and repairs for about 9,000 federal government facilities, including at least 31 in the District of Columbia. The portfolio of buildings includes federal courthouses, headquarters for federal agencies and high-profile sections of the White House, including the Oval Office, Brady Press Briefing Room and East Wing.

One work order asks federal maintenance workers to refinish the legs of two Martha Washington chairs, which sit in front of the fireplace in Vice President Mike Pences West Wing office. The order recommends the work be completed in mid-April, during a week in which the vice president was traveling abroad.

A later work order asks maintenance crews to install a DirecTV satellite DVR and TV system in the vice presidents office.

Its an enormous job. GSA is assigned to manage that job, said former GSA Inspector General Brian Miller, whose office formally monitored the agencys performance. GSA hires contractors and subcontractors for the [maintenance] work. Then the agency must watch over the contractors."

Miller and another former GSA official said White House work orders are delicate and tricky to handle because the complex is a historic site. Milller said even wallpaper and paints must be protected and handled with special care.

The former agency official said the GSA has staff on site at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House, because of the high volume of maintenance requests the agency receives.

They are old buildings, Miller said. Any of us who have old houses know old houses need a lot of work.

A large portion of these work orders are completed by contractors, who are hired and overseen by the Public Building Service, according to an agency spokesperson. The work crews include small businesses who perform maintenance work in the Washington, D.C. region, including those considered small disadvantaged business contractors. Small disadvantaged businesses are those operated by lower-income individuals who are attempting to start up or grow small contracting companies.

The GSA receives its White House maintenance requests through an online database system shared by other federal agencies, including NASA and the U.S. Department of Education. The database is hosted at www.max.gov, but is accessible only for registered users.

Agency records indicate the GSA spends as much as $100,000 a year in maintenance costs for White House repairs, based on an estimate of $2.13 per square foot in annual maintenance costs for GSA buildings in Washington, D.C.

Reported by Scott MacFarlane, produced by Rick Yarborough, and shot and edited by Steve Jones.


Prince William made sure to add a Santa Claus visit to his royal duties while in Finland.

As he visited a festive market in Helsinki, where he met local residents, he made sure the stop also included the man responsible for all the gift-giving this Christmas. William assured Santa that his son has been in the nice list, handing over Prince Georges Christmas wish list, where for the first time, Georges signature is seen.

He hasnt written down any requests, so I think one request is probably OK, said William.

The wish list that was addressed to Father Christmas confirms George has been a nice boy this year, asking for a police car, as his third choice.

The 4-year old prince seemed to have forgotten to add his first and second choice to his list.

Next year, Prince George and Princess Charlotte will be getting an additional present with the announcement of a new royal baby from mom, Kate Middleton. The royal family will continue to grow with the announcement of a new aunt for George and Charlotte now that Meghan Markle is engaged to Prince Harry.
A Vermont maple syrup producer has a big mess on his hands and is out thousands of dollars of merchandise during the holiday shopping season following vandalism to his sugarhouse.

"Every time you touch something, you stick to it," said Alan Mayer of Bristol, as his feet made a loud sound pulling away from a tacky layer of maple syrup that had been spilled on the floor of his sugarhouse.

Vermont State Police said someone broke into Mayer's property last week and apparently used an axe to punch holes in large storage barrels and smash equipment required for syrup production.

Mayer estimated that nearly 340 gallons of the valuable product gushed out and was ruined. Based on his price of $38 per gallon, that's well over a $12,000 hit.

"Why damage somebodys livelihood?" Mayer asked.

The intruder or intruders also stole several jugs of maple syrup, perhaps a dozen, Mayer said.

The costly destruction of sugaring equipment throws into question whether Mayer will even be able to boil next spring when the maple sap starts running, because he said some replacement parts are hard to obtain.

"Were trying to figure out what our options are," Mayer said, noting he is still waiting to hear back from his insurer as well as equipment suppliers. "Its maddening to realize somebody damaged this, just  for whatever reason. We dont know."

Mayer makes syrup, which is very time-intensive, on the side in addition to his other jobs as a printer and volunteer fire chief.

Vermont State Police said the timeframe for the crime has been narrowed down to a roughly 24-hour period starting in the evening of the Monday before Thanksgiving.

If anyone saw or heard anything out of the ordinary, theyre asked to call the Vermont State Police at the New Haven barracks at 802-388-4919.

Matt Gordon of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association said the crime strikes at the heart of an iconic industry the state prides itself on.

"Its damaging to the spirit," Gordon said. "What makes Vermont really special is we can just have things out in the woods and trust that no ones going to tamper with it or mess with it."

With that trust broken, Mayer said he needs warmer weather to bring in a hot-water power washer to get all of the maple syrup off the floor.

He said he is grateful for his customers support, and hopes he can return soon to the traditional Vermont activity he loves.

After word of the crime spread on social media and through the news, Mayer said he received a card from a woman from central Vermont and a letter from a man from Pennsylvania, voicing their support and sympathy.

"Its nice to know there still are so many good people in the world," Mayer said.
Temperatures soared Tuesday night, up to 50 degrees by midnight, then kept going up into the lower 60s in southern New England by Wednesday afternoon.

At noon, when Boston was 60 degrees, a squall in northern Vermont was generating heavy snow and thunder, at the same time. The Stowe Mountain resort had to temporarily shut its ski lift due to lightning midday, a rare eventd. A quick inch of snow fell there even as the temperature warmed further into the 60s in southern New England. By late Wednesday the squall had moved off shore, but the wind was gusting past 40 mph in southern New England.

The wind will relent and the temperature will plummet Wednesday night, and it will be back down to freezing for everyone by Thursday morning.

With a bright moon and a clearing sky, the temperature will bottom out in the 10s to low 20s well north, and 20s to low 30s toward the south coast.

We have a quiet Thursday with fading sunshine.

Temperatures slowly climb through the 30s to 40s south and hold in the 30s north. Another front pushing into New York will generate clouds for a rather gray sunset.

Our wind that briefly becomes light for sunrise increases from the south by afternoon at 10-15 mph, though it may be gusting to 35 mph late in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.

The next front is going to race in Thursday night, with the rain showers likely after midnight, mixed with snow in the mountains.

Temperatures overnight into Friday will hold steady in the 30s to lower 40s.

Friday may start off damp with showers in eastern New England, and an inch or two of snow in the mountains, but the sky will clear rapidly with temperatures rebounding to the 40s in southern New England, and 30s north.

Freezing weather returns again Friday night with high pressure from Canada, and low temperature will be in the 20s.

The weekend is starting to come into better focus with high pressure from Canada in control. That means more sun and clouds, with high temperatures in the 40s, and low temperature in the 20s.

Next week we see a dramatic shot of cold air entering the Great Lakes even as warm to record-warm air over the southeastern United States tries to come back toward New England.

That sets up quite a boundary with dry weather to start the week, but rain likely arrives by late Tuesday. As temperatures gradually cool we may see showers of rain on Wednesday that transition to snow by Thursday. It looks like an unsettled stretch, that may end up with white ground all the way to the coast by the end of next week. We will keep you posted as it gets closer.
A young man in Southbridge, Massachusetts was seriously hurt Wednesday after being accidentally shot by his grandfather.

The grandfather is shaken and distraught after the target practice gone wrong, but the grandson says it wasn't his grandfather's fault.

The two were on a woman's property shooting at targets when the incident happened around 3:30 Wednesday afternoon.

Police recived a call for a report of an accidental shooting on Tipton Rock Road in Southbridge, and when officers arrived, the owner of the home told police she gave two men permission to target practice on her property.

Officers say they heard a man yelling for help and eventually found the two men at the bottom of a hill. The 22-year-old grandson was lying on his back, and his 68-year-old grandfather was kneeing next to him.

The grandson was still conscious, and told officials he accidentally stepped in front of his grandfathers rifle while they were target shooting.

The young man was shot in the upper body and taken to a local hospital.

His condition is not known at this time.

Police don't believe the two men violated any laws, but the incident is under investigation.

No other information was immediately available.
Multiple police agencies responded to a serious crash in Mansfield, Massachusetts, Thursday morning.

Foxborough police said they helped Mansfield police with a serious crash at Route 140 and Chauncy Street.

Mansfield Deputy Fire Chief James Puleo said there are multiple serious, but non-life-threatening, injuries.

A photo of the scene shows at least three vehicles involved in the crash.

Drivers were asked to take a different route when police closed Route 140 at Forbes Boulevard; all intersections have since been reopened.
Massachusetts prosecutors will dismiss more than 6,000 convictions tied to a former chemist who authorities say was high almost every day for eight years while she worked at a state drug lab.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and the state's public defender agency said Thursday that several district attorneys have notified them of their plans to dismiss cases that relied on evidence tested by Sonja Farak. Several other prosecutors haven't yet said how many cases they intend to toss.

Farak pleaded guilty in 2014 to stealing cocaine from the state crime lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was sentenced to 18 months behind bars.

Farak's case is separate from another Massachusetts drug lab scandal that resulted in the dismissal of some 21,000 convictions this year.
A Massachusetts Uber driver faced a judge Thursday after he allegedly sexually assaulted a passenger and refused to let the victim leave his car.

Kastriot Naksi, 46, of Boston's West Roxbury neighborhood, was ordered to be held without bail by a judge following his arrest Wednesday afternoon on charges of indecent assault and battery and kidnapping.

During his arraignment, a prosecutor said Naksi admitted to having his hand on the 22-year-old victim's inner thigh, and that the victim videotaped the assault.

Naksi, who sobbed as he walked out of court, moved to Boston from Albania seven years ago.

Naksis wife and two sons defended him outside court.

His wife Monika Naksi said, "Ive been married to him for 23 years and I know what kind of husband I have so that is impossible for him to do."

Police said they received a call just before 1 p.m. Wednesday from someone saying her friend had just been sexually assaulted by an Uber driver. While driving to Cottage Avenue in Quincy, Naksi allegedly pulled over to the side of the road and told the victim to get in the front seat.

Because it was a ride-share Uber, police say the victim agreed. She said the driver then touched her inappropriately. When she told the driver to stop and let her out, he allegedly locked the door.

The victim reported he started hitting on her, telling her that he loved her and wanted to marry her," said Assistant District Attorney Moira Daly. "He placed his hand on her thigh and he moved it into her inner thigh.

Prosecutors say the victim was "extremely terrified" as Naksi allegedly touched her under her jeans.

"The victim actually took a video of this with her phone, when she was texting her friend for help," Daly said. "She tried to get out of the car, she asked him to stop several times. He locked the doors and would not stop."

Prosecutors allege during the assault Naksi even picked up another fare, and despite the victim whispering help me the passenger was dropped off without assisting her.

She then texted her friend, who called police. The victim also sent her friend a screenshot of her location.

After sending out a "be on the lookout" alert, Quincy police located Naksi's gray Honda Civic driving on Cottage Avenue at 1:20 p.m. Police stopped the car, at which point the victim was allowed to exit the vehicle and Naksi was taken into custody.

A judge ordered Naksi to be held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing on Dec. 6. It's unclear if he has an attorney.

Naksi passed Uber's criminal background check, and the charges he faces violates the company's "Community Guidelines," according to the ride-sharing company.

"What's been described is deeply concerning," an Uber spokesperson said. "Upon learning this, we immediately removed the driver's access to the app and we stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation."
The real estate firm that purchased southern New England retail chain Benny's has announced it will redevelop the locations for retail use.

WJAR reports the Carpionato Group, which is buying most of the stores, announced the plan at a meeting of General Assembly leaders at the State House Thursday.

The current owners of the 93-year-old family-owned chain are retiring, citing a change in retail landscape. All Bennys stores will be closed by the end of the year.

The Carpionato Groups deal is for 29 stores across Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The firm plans to spend $100 million on construction and hire at least 350 workers.

The buildings are expected to be ready for use in about a year. The Carpionato Group will not be receiving a tax break from the state.

Benny's President Arnold Bromberg told WJAR that the closure will affect the companys 715 employees, including 386 who are full-time and 329 who are part-time staff members.


A former New Hampshire substitute teacher is facing child endangerment charges after she allegedly invited middle school students to smoke marijuana.

Rochester resident Elisha Mahar, 20, who worked at the Somersworth Middle School, is facing four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, according to Somersworth police.

The police investigation began on Oct. 13 after school officials reported that Mahar gave a vape smoking device to a student and invited students to smoke marijuana while she still worked at the school.

Mahar was arrested on a warrant Thursday afternoon and was released on $5,000 personal recognizance bail pending a court date on Dec. 26.

Its not clear if Mahar has an attorney.



Anyone with information is asked to contact Somersworth police at 603-692-3131.
Deepak Thapa has been a fortnightly columnist with The Kathmandu Post since 2009, writing on a range of topical social and political issues.
What to Know The fire at 171 Auburn St. started at 1 a.m. and quickly reached 4-alarms, while spreading to two other apartment buildings.

All 60 residents were safely evacuated from the three buildings and the fire was quickly contained. One firefighter suffered a minor injury.

The fire, which remains under investigation, is believed to have started on a back porch.

Dozens of residents were displaced and a firefighter was injured early Thursday morning when a fire swept through three apartment buildings in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Crews first responded to the blaze reported at 171 Auburn St. at 1 a.m., where the fire quickly reached 4-alarms.

One resident, Andrew Colello, said he woke up to the sounds of popping and crackling. "Next thing I knew, firemen were banging down my door and getting all my roommates out of there," Colello recalled.

Once he and his roommates were safe, they took cellphone video of the intense flames.

"Most of all we were worried, hoping everyone was OK. We didn't really think about the damage. We just saw the giant fire ball," Colello said.

One resident, Andrew Colello, said he woke up to the sounds of popping and crackling.

"Next thing I knew, firemen were banging down my door and getting all my roommates out of there," Colello recalled.

Once he and his roommates were safe, they took cellphone video of the intense flames.

"Most of all we were worried, hoping everyone was OK. We didn't really think about the damage. We just saw the giant fireball," Colello said.

The fire then jumped from his roof on Auburn Street and spread to two other buildings.

"I don't know what's going to happen. I have a lot of valuables in there," said fire victim Emily, who returned later to check out her apartment on nearby Magazine Street. "I was here last night before it happened and everything was fine."

All three buildings, which are multi-family apartments, were damaged.

Fire officials said despite having to navigate the fire trucks down the narrow road, all 60 residents were safely evacuated and the fire was quickly contained.

"It's a densely built-up neighborhood. Buildings are close together," said Cambridge Acting Fire Chief Gerard Mahoney. "We are very fortunate, you know, nighttime fires are very difficult and the weather cooperated."

One firefighter was taken to an area hospital with a shoulder injury. He is expected to be OK.

Mahoney said a total of five families were displaced by the fire. Two family cats remain missing.

"We do have a collection center and they are working with the Red Cross to help them find housing," Mahoney said.

The fire, which remains under investigation, is believed to have started on a back porch on Magazine Street.

"Can't overstate the importance of sprinklers in buildings," said Mahoney.



Crews remained at the scene throughout the morning commute, which impacted traffic in the areas of Auburn, Magazine, and Franklin streets. MBTA bus routes were also impacted.

The fire happened a few days prior to the one-year anniversary of the 10-alarm blaze on Berkshire and Vandine streets, which burned at least eight buildings and damaged up to 11 in total, plus several cars parked along the street.
The Boston Globe is reporting that four men are accusing the husband of Massachusetts Senate President Stan Rosenberg of sexual misconduct.

The newspaper said four men with ties to the State House allege that Bryon Hefner sexually assaulted and harassed them in recent years. Three said Hefner grabbed their genitals and one said Hefner kissed him against his will. The Globe said it has found no evidence that Rosenberg knew about any of the incidents.

The men - who were not identified by the Globe - said they were hesitant to report the assaults because of Rosenberg's influence on Beacon Hill.

Rosenberg, a Democrat from Amherst, has been Senate president since 2015 and has served in the Legislature for 30 years.

In statements issued Thursday, both Hefner and Rosenberg said they were shocked by the allegations.

Hefner said no one has complained to him or any other government authority about the allegations. He said it is "incredibly difficult" to respond to allegations by unnamed individuals.

"This is the first I have heard about these claims," Rosenberg said. "Even though, based on what little I have been told, these allegations do not involve members or employees of the Senate and did not occur in the State House, I take them seriously. To the best of my recollection I was not approached by anyone with complaints during or after the alleged incidents made in this article or I would have tried to intervene."

Rosenberg later issued another statement supporting a call for an independent investigation into the allegations "regarding the activities of my husband and their effects on Senate business," and said he is recusing himself from all matters relating to the allegations and investigation. His recusal charges Senate Majority Leader Harriette Chandler with serving as the majority party lead in the investigation, alongside Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr and Senate Counsel.

"Frankly I'm appalled by the allegations," Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said. "I really felt for the people when I read the story of who came forward."

Hefner, 30, and Rosenberg, 68, have been a couple since 2008 and were married in 2016.

Their relationship became news back in 2014 after Hefner allegedly mocked outgoing Senate President Therese Murray on Twitter and boasted about his influence in the Legislature. That prompted Rosenberg to reassure his colleagues that he planned to enforce a "firewall" between his personal and professional lives.

"Certainly based on the allegations there's a question about that firewall," Baker said.

In a statement, Tarr called the claims "serious and disturbing" and said they should be investigated.

"Without a doubt, there must be a full and fair process by which the facts should be evaluated, and any wrongdoing in this case should be dealt with swiftly and properly addressed," he said. "No one should manipulate, harm, or abuse anyone else and when they do, there must be appropriate consequences."



Thursday's Globe report comes just a month after House Speaker Robert DeLeo pledged a review of sexual harassment policies following a previous Globe story citing 12 women who said they had been sexually harassed at the Massachusetts State House.

The Globe cited anonymous women who recounted how unnamed male lawmakers pressed up against them, touched, massaged or tried to kiss them, and in some cases demanded sex. The women were aides, lobbyists and legislators who had worked in and around the State House dating back to the early 2000s.

Similar behavior has been called out in other states  including Rhode Island  in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.


The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently awarded the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas $2.5 million to examine cannabis use disorders.

The five-year brain-imaging study seeks to better understand the brain mechanisms behind problems related to cannabis use, said Dr. Francesca Filbey, director of Cognitive Neuroscience of Addictive Behaviors at the Center for BrainHealth and lead investigator of the project.

The study, conducted in partnership with Dr. Janna Cousijn, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, will investigate individual and cultural effects on the severity of cannabis use disorder, which is characterized by compulsive drug-seeking despite negative consequences. The study will include participants from two different cultures: American and Dutch.

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"Changes in legal climate warrant a better understanding of marijuana's potential effects on the brain and risk factors that contribute towards a cannabis use disorder," said Filbey, who is also an associate professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at UT Dallas, where she holds the Bert Moore Chair in BrainHealth. "By investigating the neural underpinnings of cannabis use disorder in people from opposing cannabis cultures, we aim to disentangle how environmental factors, such as legality, may lead to differences in how cannabis use disorder manifests in the brain."

According to Filbey, approximately 10 percent of marijuana users become addicted to cannabis. Cannabis use disorders are currently the most prevalent of all illicit substance use disorders. Long-term recovery is achieved by less than 20 percent of those who seek treatment.

The study will include a total of 200 participants, including cannabis users and non-users in the Netherlands, where recreational marijuana use is openly tolerated, and in the U.S., where use has traditionally been illegal.

Filbey and Cousijn's previous research suggests brain mechanisms such as cognitive control and reward processing play a crucial role in people who become addicted.

"Identification of individual and cultural mechanisms of cannabis use disorder in a cross-cultural population can reveal brain-based markers that may help create new prevention and intervention strategies and inform public health policies," Cousijn said.

Source: https://brainhealth.utdallas.edu/nih-awards-center-brainhealth-2-5m-investigate-cannabis-use-disorders/
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) your best resource in the fight against cancer for more than two decades  has created a new resource for patients living with HIV who develop AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma. This newly-released NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) brings the total library to 68 NCCN Guidelines. Additional NCCN Guidelines, devoted to overall cancer care for people living with HIV, will be released in early 2018.

"These new NCCN Guidelines for AIDS-Related Kaposi Sarcoma are a first step to ensuring that people living with HIV receive appropriate and equitable cancer treatment," said Gita Suneja, MD, Duke Cancer Institute. Dr. Suneja is Co-Chair of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for AIDS-Related Kaposi Sarcoma. "NCCN recognizes the urgent need for cancer management guidelines in this special population of patients. The Guidelines Panel is comprised of experts from NCCN Member Institutions across the United States, including oncologists, HIV specialists, pharmacists, and patient advocates. In compiling these Guidelines, we learned a tremendous amount from each other and hope this will benefit clinicians and, most-importantly, patients living with HIV."

The incidence of AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma in people living with HIV has fallen dramatically in the United States in recent years thanks to advancements in HIV treatments. It is considered an AIDS-defining illness and was famously featured in the movie Philadelphia. The disease can be limited to skin lesions, which tend to respond well to treatment, but when more advanced it can be difficult to treat. There are also other types of Kaposi sarcoma that affect HIV-negative individuals; treatment recommendations for those cancers will be included in future updates of these guidelines.

NCCN Guidelines Panel Co-Chair Erin Reid, MD, of UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center further explained: "The NCCN Guidelines for AIDS-Related Kaposi Sarcoma fill an important gap in guidance for care of this rare but important malignancy. Although incidences have decreased, the disease remains one of the most common cancers occurring in persons living with HIV-;not only in patients with newly diagnosed HIV infection or inadequate suppression of HIV, but also in people who otherwise appear to have maximum viral suppression and 'normal' CD4+ T cell counts."

NCCN made the decision to create a panel devoted to AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma while working with the African Cancer Coalition, American Cancer Society, and Clinton Health Access Initiative to create the NCCN Harmonized Guidelines for Sub-Saharan Africa.

"While the medical community has made monumental strides toward reducing the impact of HIV and AIDS, there are still more than a million people living with HIV in the United States today," explained Robert W. Carlson, MD, chief executive officer, NCCN. "That patient population is then diagnosed with cancer at a 50-percent higher rate than people in the general population. Our work with the African Cancer Coalition began as a way to help them with some of the particular health issues in their home countries. In the end, it also resulted in us finding new ways to expand our library of Guidelines for patients here at home."

As with all NCCN Guidelines, the NCCN Guidelines for AIDS-Related Kaposi Sarcoma are available free of charge for non-commercial use online at NCCN.org. They can also be viewed via the Virtual Library of NCCN Guidelines mobile app for smartphones and tablets.

Source: https://www.nccn.org/
The largest ever genetic study of mosquitoes reveals the movement of insecticide resistance between different regions of Africa and finds several rapidly evolving insecticide resistance genes. Reported today (29 November) in Nature, this genetic resource will be used to develop new tools for monitoring resistance and managing insecticide use, and for designing novel control methods.

Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes and rising resistance to insecticides is hampering efforts to control the disease. The study by researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and their collaborators also discovered that wild mosquitoes collected in Africa were genetically far more diverse than had been thought. This helps to explain how mosquitoes evolve insecticide resistance so quickly.

More than 200 million people are infected with the malaria parasite worldwide each year, which is transmitted by blood-sucking Anopheles mosquitoes. Malaria caused the deaths of around 429,000 people in 2015 with the majority of cases in sub-Saharan Africa.

Public health measures in Africa such as insecticide-treated bed nets and insecticide-spraying have helped reduce the numbers of malaria cases since 2000, but many mosquitoes have evolved resistance to insecticides. This is now threatening to derail malaria control in Africa.

To understand how mosquitoes are evolving, researchers working with the Anopheles gambiae 1000 genomes project sequenced the DNA of 765 wild Anopheles mosquitoes. These were taken from 15 locations across eight African countries, creating the largest data resource on natural genetic variation for any species of insect. They then examined each of the mosquito genomes.

The researchers revealed that the Anopheles gambie mosquitoes are extremely genetically diverse compared with most other animal species. High genetic diversity enables rapid evolution and the study found 52 million small differences amongst the mosquito genomes.

Dr Mara Lawniczak, a corresponding author on the paper and Faculty at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, said: "The diversity of mosquito genomes was far greater than we expected. Such high levels of genetic variation poise mosquito populations to rapidly evolve in response to our efforts to control them whether that be with insecticides or any other control measure, including gene drive."

New strategies to control mosquitoes are being developed that use 'gene drive'- using the latest Crispr/Cas 9 genetic tools to make mosquitoes infertile or unable to carry the malaria parasite. However, this technology requires an exact match with any targeted gene. The researchers found that gene drive is unlikely to work for most mosquito genes because they are too variable in nature, however they also used the data to highlight less variable targets that are potentially more suitable for gene drive based methods to control mosquitoes.

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The mosquito genomes also revealed rapid evolution of several genes that had previously been implicated in insecticide resistance. Unexpectedly, the researchers discovered many previously-unknown genetic variants within those genes that could be causing insecticide resistance. Worryingly, they showed that these genetic variants for insecticide resistance were not only emerging independently in different parts of Africa, but were also being spread across the continent by mosquito migration.

Professor Martin Donnelly, a corresponding author from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Honorary Faculty at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, said: "We know that mosquito populations are rapidly evolving resistance to insecticides, which is a serious threat to the future of malaria control in Africa. We have been able to see that a diverse array of genes linked to insecticide resistance are under very strong selection, confirming that they are playing an important role in the evolution of insecticide resistance in natural mosquito populations. Our study highlights the severe challenges facing public efforts to control mosquitoes and to manage and limit insecticide resistance."

Alistair Miles, lead author from the University of Oxford and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, said: "The data we have generated are a unique resource for studying how mosquito populations are responding to our current control efforts, and for designing better technologies and strategies for mosquito control in the future. More data will be needed to fill in the geographical gaps and study how mosquito populations change over time and in response to specific control interventions. However, this study demonstrates a clear path towards building a new and much-needed source of intelligence to support the campaign to eradicate malaria in Africa."

Source: http://www.sanger.ac.uk/news/view/largest-genetic-study-mosquitoes-reveals-spread-insecticide-resistance-across-africa
A recent study by University of Kentucky BREATHE (Bridging Research Efforts and Advocacy Toward Healthy Environments) researchers shows that fewer new cases of lung cancer were found in communities with strong smoke-free workplace laws.

The study, "Lung Cancer Incidence and the Strength of Municipal Smoke-free Ordinances" was published in Cancer, an American Cancer Society journal dedicated to providing clinicians with information on diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

Ellen Hahn, Ph.D., director of BREATHE and professor in the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, and her team studied whether new cases of lung cancer in Kentucky were lower, higher, or stable in communities with smoke-free laws.

"Kentucky has one of the highest adult cigarette smoking rates and the highest rate of new lung cancer cases in the nation," said Hahn. "Only one-third of Kentuckians are protected by strong smoke-free workplace laws."

Strong smoke-free laws are known to improve public health by lowering heart attacks, stroke, asthma and emphysema. This study is the first to show that new cases of lung cancer are lower when communities enact strong smoke-free laws covering all workers and the public.

Kentucky has more cases of lung cancer than any other state, and its mortality rate is 50 percent higher than the national average. Though other environmental factors play a part in the development of lung cancer, smoking and secondhand smoke exposure are the root cause of the disease.

"The mission of the UK Markey Cancer Center is to reduce the overwhelming burden of cancer in our state," said Dr. Mark Evers, Markey director. "This new study shows that having strong smoke-free workplace laws in place to prevent exposure to secondhand smoke is one more way we can help protect our citizens from this devastating disease."

Using data compiled from the Kentucky Cancer Registry, the Cancer Research Informatics Shared Resource Facility, and the UK Markey Cancer Center, researchers looked at 20 years of new lung cancer diagnoses among Kentuckians age 50 and over in communities with strong, moderate and weak smoke-free laws. They found that lung cancer incidence was eight percent lower in communities with strong smoke-free workplace laws in comparison to communities without smoke-free laws. Researchers did not find differences in lung cancer rates between communities with moderate or weak smoke-free laws and those without any smoke-free laws.

These findings could be used to prompt legislation to create more communities with strong smoke-free workplace laws in Kentucky.

"Local government can play a critical role in preventing lung cancer," said Hahn. "Elected officials can ensure that all workers and the public are protected from secondhand smoke by passing strong smoke-free laws with few or no exceptions."

BREATHE is a multi-disciplinary research, outreach, and practice collaborative of the UK College of Nursing. Its mission is to promote lung health and healthy environments to achieve health equity through research, community outreach and empowerment, advocacy and policy development and access to health services.

Source: http://uknow.uky.edu/research/uk-study-shows-lower-lung-cancer-rates-communities-strong-smoke-free-laws
People with dementia often have behavioral symptoms. These include problems with memory, language, and decision-making abilities. People with dementia can also experience changes in mood, such as increased irritability, depression, and anxiety. They often need assistance with their daily activities, such as feeding, dressing, using the toilet, and bathing themselves. These symptoms are often troubling for people with dementia, as well as for their caregivers.

These dementia symptoms can reduce quality of life for people as they age. This can make them dependent on other people, which can lead to caregivers feeling distressed. It may also lead to people with dementia being hospitalized or placed in a nursing home, even if it is not what they would prefer for their care.

There are no effective drug treatments for dementia or its symptoms. Therefore, researchers have been exploring treatment options to improve symptoms that don't involve using medication. A team of researchers studied one of those programs, called the Tailored Activity Program (TAP). TAP matches activities to the interests and abilities of people with dementia. Then it teaches caregivers how to use those activities daily.

The researchers initially reported positive results in a small study of 60 people. They then studied TAP in a larger group of veterans living with dementia. They reported their results in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

The researchers studied 160 veterans diagnosed with dementia and whose average age was 80. The study also included 160 of the veterans' caregivers, who were mostly women around 72-years-old.

TAP included up to eight in-home sessions led by occupational therapists (health professionals who focus on helping us participate in the activities of everyday life). During the first two sessions, these health professionals evaluated the veterans' risk for falls, their daily routines and habits, and their previous and current interests. They also examined the veterans' home environment, including lighting, seating, clutter, and noise. They looked as well at the interests and abilities of the veterans' caregivers. Based on the assessment, the therapists provided an "assessment report" and offered three "activity prescriptions."

The therapists showed the veterans and caregivers how to set up the activities and use them every day. They also provided written instructions for the caregivers. The instructions covered activity goals for the individual veteran and communication strategies for the caregiver. They also instructed caregivers on ways that they could modify the home environment to help the veteran participate in the activity. The therapists worked with the veterans to show the caregivers how to use activities. They had caregivers practice recommended communication strategies. They also provided on-going education to help caregivers understand dementia and its behavioral symptoms.

During the last two sessions, caregivers learned how to simplify activities as the veterans' abilities declined. They also learned strategies to make care challenges like bathing easier.

A control group of caregivers received eight telephone sessions with a trained research team member who offered caregiver education about home safety and dementia. The researchers did not offer information about activities or behavioral symptoms to this group.

After four months, nearly 70 percent of the veterans in the TAP group either eliminated or reduced the frequency and severity of their dementia-related behaviors. This is compared to 46 percent of the veterans in the control group. Also, caregivers in the TAP group reported that the veterans were less dependent on them as they performed their daily activities. Caregivers in the TAP group reported less distress due to the veterans' behaviors, too.

The researchers concluded that TAP offers immediate benefits to the veterans and their caregivers.
Researchers from the CTS-158 GALENO group at the University of Cadiz, directed by professor Jose Castro Pinero, have been working for three years on an important multicenter study based on an analysis of the influence of physical activity on the development of cardiovascular disease, a study in which they have taken into account environmental, nutritional, emotional and genetic factors, among others. The main novelty of this study is the fact that the group of individuals analyzed was made up of 230 children of between 6 and 10 years old, from 18 schools in the province of Cadiz.

In order to better understand the importance of this study and its results, it must be noted that up until now, various studies had been published in this sense on adults and adolescents but nothing on children of 6 to 10 years old. To this end, researchers from the University of Cadiz, together with the University of Granada, the Autonomous University of Madrid, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Complutense University of Madrid, have focused their efforts on drawing up aerobic capacity cut-off points that will help to determine the risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease in both girls and boys of between 6 and 10 years old.

"Thanks to the enormous amount of information gathered over these three years, a series of cut-off points have been established which, in addition to helping us to define profiles, have enabled us to go one step further and prove, for example, that a six-year-old's level of aerobic capacity determines his level of cardiovascular risk in two years' time", explains the coordinator of this project at the UCA, Jose Castro Pinero. Thus, researchers have observed, "the level of aerobic capacity of a 6- to 10-year-old child will determine their risk of cardiovascular disease two years later".

Among many other things, professor Castro Pinero's team observed that "children that, in the first instance, had high levels of aerobic capacity, that is to say, were above the cut-off point, had a much healthier cardiovascular profile than those who were below this cut-off point. Therefore, the level of aerobic capacity of a subject at six years of age, subsequently determines cardiovascular risk". Thus, "it is important to establish strategies or promote physical activity to improve our aerobic capacity as early as possible, and that right from when we are children, our level of aerobic capacity is determining our level of cardiovascular health".

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In addition to this, and always in the context of the UP&DOWN project, backed by the Spanish National Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation, researchers from the GALENO group also analyzed what would happen if the child's level of aerobic capacity changed. Thus, "we found that those children who maintained a high level of aerobic capacity, over the years that they were monitored, were those that had the best cardiovascular health. And those children who, over these two years, had a low level of aerobic capacity, were those with the worst cardiovascular profile". Equally they saw that "when your level of aerobic capacity decreases, then your cardiovascular risk increases, that is to say, we must be aware that having a good level at six years old is not enough, we need to maintain this level.".

Thus, and following the publication of this study under the title Cardiorespiratory fitness cut points for early detection of present and future cardiovascular risk in children: A two-year follow-up study in the prestigious Mayo Clinic Proceedings journal, the University of Cadiz recommends that an intervention protocol be established in schools and health centres to promote physical activity from an early age, focusing on improving aerobic capacity to protect future cardiovascular health.
A new vaccine technique can fight a certain type of breast cancer in mice. So-called HER2-positive breast cancer accounts for between 20 and 30 percent of all cases of breast cancer in humans. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Bologna now show that the same type of cancer can be fought in mice with help of their new vaccine.

In cases of breast cancer, the immune system has difficulties distinguishing between cancer cells and healthy cells. Therefore, it normally does not launch a protective immune response that can prevent cancer cells from growing and spreading. But the research group at the University of Copenhagen is able to change that by adding an antigen which is normally expressed on the cancer cells onto the surface of a virus-like particle. They thus inject the particle into the bodies of the mice.

'Our virus-like particle with the added cancer antigen makes the body believe it is under attack. This makes the immune system produce large amounts of antibodies targeted at the cancer antigen, which then fights the cancer cells in the mice', says Associate Professor and author of the study Adam F. Sander from the Department of Immunology and Microbiology.

In the study, which was published today in the scientific journal OncoImmunology, the researchers have documented the beneficial effect of their vaccine technique in several ways. Because their vaccine both has a preventive effect and works when cancer has already developed.

They have given the vaccine to two different groups of mice genetically coded to spontaneously develop two different types of breast cancer. In one group only half of the mice developed cancer, which was characterized by significantly fewer and smaller tumors than usual. In the second group none of the vaccinated mice developed cancer.

Depending on the genetic variation in the mice the vaccine thus prevented breast cancer from developing in 50-100 percent of the cases.

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In addition, the researchers examined the vaccine's effect on two groups of mice already suffering from cancer. They had either been injected with fragments of a tumor or human cancer cells.

The vaccine cured 80 percent of the mice with tumor fragments. In the group with human cancer cells all of the mice developed cancer, but at a much slower pace than usual.

The researchers also took blood from the mice that produced the relevant antibodies and tested it on human cancer cells. Here too the effect was hard to miss. All the human cancer cells bound to the antibodies in the right way.

The present treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer involves administering large amounts of antibodies fighting the cancer over a long period of time. The treatment is expensive and has side effects, and the immune system may become intolerant to the antibodies, which eventually have no effect. The researchers believe their vaccine by comparison will cost markedly less if its effect translates to humans.

'What is exciting about our treatment technique is that it makes the body do the work. We do not inject foreign antibodies, but leave it to the body to produce them', says Postdoc and author of the study Susan Thrane.

The Danish research group behind the study is headed by Associate Professor Adam F. Sander, who last year helped establish the spinout NextGen Vaccines Aps based on their research into vaccine techniques. This summer they established a joint venture company named AdaptVac Aps together with the company ExpreS2ion.

This study is one of the first large results of this collaboration, and the researchers hope they will be able to go on to conducting clinical trials on humans before long.
Designing new therapeutic DNA aptamers with diverse side chains can improve their ability to interact with targets, and a new study describes characteristics of these side chains that may determine how long the aptamers remain in the bloodstream. Improving the pharmacokinetic properties of therapeutic aptamers is an important aspect of optimizing their drug-like properties, as discussed in the study published in Nucleic Acid Therapeutics, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. publishers. The article is available free on the Nucleic Acid Therapeutics website.

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In the article entitled "Pharmacokinetic Properties of DNA Aptamers with Base Modifications," Nebojsa Janjic, SomaLogic (Boulder, CO) and coauthors from SomaLogic and Otsuka Pharmaceutical (Tokushima, Japan), describe what effect the lengths of aptamer sequences have on plasma resident time. The researchers also demonstrate the importance of the hydrophobicity of the side chains on their rate of clearance from the bloodstream. The findings can serve as a guide for designing new aptamers with side chains that enhance their diversity.

"This elegant study demonstrates how nucleotide modifications can mitigate against nuclease degradation of aptamers, as vital a concern as is delivery for successful in vivo therapeutic or diagnostic applications," says Executive Editor Graham C. Parker, PhD, The Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI.
How to save the election

Premier Deuba has failed to demonstrate strong commitment to security for historic elections
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The Marvel Comics' original character Sana Starros gets her own series
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Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic missiles and Skif missiles hiding at the ocean bottom are part of the arsenal of the Russian Armed Forces according to ex-Chief of the Aerospace Force and Head of the Federation Council Defense and Security Committee Viktor Bondarev.

Other Russian sources say the hypersonic Tsirkon (Zircon) missile is still undergoing state trials this year and has not yet been accepted for service.

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov earlier told journalists that the first pop-up tests of the most advanced Sarmat missile were scheduled for late 2017.

Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Council of Russias Military and Industrial Commission Yuri Mikhailov said US hypersonic missiles are more technically advanced but the Russian hypersonic program is more effective.
Media society expresses concern over ECs warning on political ads

Nepal Media Society has expressed its concern over the Election Commission (EC)s warning to take action against media houses for publishing political advertisements in the run-up to the elections.
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NC candidate among seven hurt in Udaypur IED blast

Seven people, including a Nepali Congress (NC) candidate for the federal parliament from Udaypur Constituency 2, were injured when an improvised explosive device exploded at Dunuwarbeshi of the district on Wednesday.
NHRC condemns rising incidents of bomb attack

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed its serious concern over the recent incidents of bomb attack in various districts.
No information yet on how questions got leaked

The Institute of Medicine (IoM) has announced to re-conduct the MBBS entrance exam on December 2 following confirmation from the Tribhuvan University and police that questions of the earlier October 14 test were leaked.
One held in connection with Udayapur blast

Police on Thursday arrested a man for ambushing the vehicle carrying Nepali Congress (NC) candidate for parliamentary election from Udayapur Constituency-2, Narayan Bahadur Karki, at Danuwarbensi, Udayapurgadhi Rural Municipality-6, on Wednesday.
Prez expresses concern over nation's soaring trade deficit

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has expressed her concern over growing trade deficit in the nation.
Pvt sector may be allowed to run Gautam Buddha Airport

The government has been toying with the idea of allowing the private sector to operate Gautam Buddha Airport in Bhairahawa under a public-private-partnership (PPP) model.
RPPs Bohara accused of poll code violation

A complaint has been filed at the Rupandehi district election office against Minister for Health and Rastriya Prajatantra Party leader Dipak Bohara, accusing him of violating the election code of conduct.
Tiger Palace Resort gets 5-star rating

Tiger Palace Resort at Kotihawa, Bhairahawa has been awarded a five-star rating by the Department of Tourism. The newly opened luxury casino resort received the prestigious ranking on Wednesday.
Trishuli bus plunge: 6-month-old baby survives miraculously

Against all odds, a six-month-old infant, who was rescued following a passenger bus accident on Wednesday, is responding well to the treatment, doctors involved in the childs treatment said.
Nonfiction

The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwins Forgotten Theory of Mate Choice Shapes the Animal World  and Us

By Richard O. Prum

If a science book can be subversive and feminist and change the way we look at our own bodies  but also be mostly about birds  this is it. Prum, an ornithologist, mounts a defense of Darwins second, largely overlooked theory of sexual selection. Darwin believed that, in addition to evolving to adapt to the environment, some other force must be at work shaping the species: the aesthetic mating choices made largely by the females. Prum wants subjectivity and the desire for beauty to be part of our understanding of how evolution works. Its a passionate plea that begins with birds and ends with humans and will help you finally understand, among other things, how in the world we have an animal like the peacock.

Read our review of The Evolution of Beauty
Talented, driven and great potential: President Putin is all praise for India and Indians

India, Indonesia to be key focus of Development Bank of Singapore

Business

pti-PTI

Singapore, Jan 2: India and Indonesia will be the Development Bank of Singapore's "big" areas of focus for this year, its chief executive officer Piyush Gupta has said. DBS leads foreign banks with expansion plans in India.

"We also remain focused on building leading regional cash management, foreign exchange, debt markets and wealth management franchises," Gupta said here.

Recommended Video

Modi targets opposition parties and says, they have fear of development discussion | Oneindia News

"So India and Indonesia will be our big areas of focus in 2017," Gupta was quoted as saying by The Strait Times.

DBS' wealth management business has quadrupled over the past six years, and now accounts for up to 13 to 14 per cent of group revenue.

"Over the next five years, we think it could get up to 20 per cent," he said in a report on Singapore banks' prospects during this year.

"The world will have to grapple with massive consequences behind technological disruption on jobs displacement, both blue-collar and white-collar workers. My own bet is that you will find a lot more entrepreneurship, or what people call the gig economy," he said.

"It is likely that there will be a new wave of redistributive economics. Governments may prove inadequate to do this entirely under their own steam, and the private sector will have to play a meaningful role," said Gupta.

DBS's top priorities for this year is to be prepared for volatility as markets will continue to be choppy. An increase in US dollar rates could also create negative impact, he added.

"Step up the pace on transformation of the bank  that is re-imagine banking, and be a 22,000-person start-up," stressed Gupta.

"The third priority is to continue our steady business expansion," he said. But, he also cautioned that uncertainties over US President-elect Donald Trump's policies will be a headache for Asian strategies and could result in heightened market volatility in the short-term. At the same time, global growth is expected to remain subdued, said Gupta.

"To navigate these uncertain times, we need to remain watchful and vigilant, as well as disciplined about costs and the risks we take," he advises......

PTI
NIA may get to question David Headley soon

David Headley was a mystery, remains a mystery, but where is he

Rana to Headley: 26/11 terrorists should be given Pak military honour

Believe we are even with the Indians, Headley told Rana after 26/11 attacks

Ghosts from the past: Pak spies had a free run during Cong rule

Abdul Naeem roped into Lashkar on lines of David Headley

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Abdul Naeem was roped in on the same lines as David Headley was. His job was to conduct a reconnaissance of vital locations and pass on the information to the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, NIA officials informed.

The agencies said he was carrying out reconnaissance of vital installations such as Army camps and power projects.

They said that the accused, identified as Abdul Naeem Sheikh, a resident of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, was arrested from Varanasi recently after being tailed by security agencies for a few months.

The case has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for further probe, the officials said.

Arrest of Headley 2: Thanks to WB police this man had escaped in 2014

It is alleged that Sheikh had visited Kashmir where he had carried out a recce mission involving some vital installations, including Army camps and power projects.

The officials claimed that he had also visited some places in Himachal Pradesh, especially Kasol, which is being frequented by Israeli nationals.

The security agencies have claimed that Sheikh had been roped in on the same lines as David Headley, a Pakistani-American, who is at present serving a prison sentence of 35 years in a US jail for his involvement in terror activities and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008.

OneIndia News
After Kathputli colony, DDA bulldozers strike Delhi's Chirag Market

India

oi-Shreya

By Shreya

Recommended Video

Delhi Development Authority carries out demolition drive in Chirag Market | Oneindia News

Nearly 50 shops have been razed at Delhi's Chirag market by the Delhi Development Authority who claimed that the shop owners had illegally possessed in spite of documents shown by the shopkeepers refuting claims of illegal possession by the DDA.

The shopkeepers claimed that on November 29, four bulldozers of the DDA demolished all shops in the market without any prior notice or compensation. The shopkeepers also added that there were no order letters with the DDA.

Oneindia spoke to the Sub Divisional Magistrate of the area, Nidhi Sarohe, who told us that a notice was sent from the SDM's end. However, if the notice has reached the shopkeepers or not could not be clarified.

She also told that the land belongs to the DDA and not the shop owners, and that is the reason why all the documents produced by the shopkeepers will hold no relevance and even the Court will not issue a stay order because the land was in illegal possession until now.

However, shopkeepers not only claimed that they have proper documents to substantiate their claims, they also said that when the MCD had sealed all markets in 2007, Chirag Market was the only market which was opened in 2009 after verification of documents.

They also said that because no notice was issued to them prior to the demolition, all their material is now trapped inside the debris, and they are not being able to work. The shopkeepers have decided to approach the Delhi High Court regarding the issue on Monday.

OneIndia News
Arrest of Headley 2: Thanks to WB police this man had escaped in 2014

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The arrest of Abdul Naeem is sure a relief for the security agencies. The man dubbed as David Headley 2 had conducted a reconnaissance at several places and was set to pass on the information to the Lashkar-e-Tayiba.

Why his arrest is a relief is because the agencies had this man back in 2014, but thanks to some complicit behaviour by the West Bengal police he managed to slip out.

Naeem was arrested first in West Bengal only to escape again when he was being brought down to a court in Mumbai. According to the cops, Naeem managed to escape when the train in which he was being transferred stopped in Chattisgarh.

Naeem's family had moved the Bombay high court stating that he had been murdered by the police. They said that he was suffering from a kidney ailment and hence the chances of him escaping were very remote. The Bombay HC ordered the setting up of a SIT to probe into the allegations.

After a detailed probe, it was submitted by the SIT that the West Bengal police had helped Naeem escape. It was found that Naeem despite being such a dangerous and high profile criminal was being brought to the court without handcuffs. The SIT also revealed that Naeem had not been murdered as was alleged by the family. Further, the agency also said that it had filed cases against the West Bengal police officials for allegedly helping Naeem escape.

Investigations had shown that there was not enough precaution taken while transporting Naeem from West Bengal to Mumbai. The lack of proper security measures and also the fact that he was not handcuffed goes on to show that Naeem was aided by the five cops.

OneIndia News
Calcutta University BCom 2017 result declared

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The University of Calcutta BCom Part 2 Honours General 2017 exam results have been declared. The results are available on the official website.

Before that, Calcutta University BCom Part-II (Honours) examination 2017 results were published on September 20 and Calcutta University BA, BSc, BCom Part-III ( General) Examination, 2017 results were published on August 31. The results are available on wbresults.nic.in.

How to check Calcutta University BCom 2017 results:

Go to wbresults.nic.in

Click relevant link

Enter roll number

Submit

View result

Take a printout

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Thursday, November 30, 2017, 7:48 [IST]
Caught on cam: Delhi man shot at 16 times in rival gangwar shootout

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

A shocking CCTV footage of a shootout in Delhi shows rival gang members murder a man in cold blood. A CCTV video of the October 23 incident is now doing the rounds on social media. The footage shows history-sheeters shoot a man from a rival gang 16 times in full public view.

On October 23 Delhi witnessed two killings within three hours and 2 km of each other. A 34-year-old history sheeter was shot at by four armed men in Brahmpuri at 10.30pm. Within hours, a similar incident that took place where a 23-year-old man was shot at 16 times outside his house in Bhajanpura.

Almost a month later, the CCTV footage of one of the first incidents has surfaced. The footage shows Wajid, said to be a member of a gang led by Khyber Hayat being chased by men on two bikes on a dingy street. The men, now identified as those from rival Irfan-Chhenu gang, stop him and shoot him.

The Delhi police have arrested five people in the case and three have been identified as Mumtaj, Golu, and Waseem. The shootout takes place in full public view but none come to the victim's rescue. The assailants opened fire unfazed by others' presence.

Oneindia News
Delhi University Admission 2022: 3rd merit list for UG courses to be out today

Delhi tops crime chart among 19 major cities: NCRB data

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, November 30: Data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) showed that national capital Delhi has reported the maximum number of rape cases amongst 19 major cities at 40 per cent, besides the highest crime rate in 2016.

The national capital has got the dubious distinction of topping the list in cases of murder, kidnapping and abduction, juveniles in conflict and economic offences.

Delhi reported 33 per cent (13,803 cases out of total 41,761 cases in 19 cities) of total crimes against women followed by Mumbai at 12.3 per cent (5,128 cases) last year among the 19 cities with the population above two million.

The national capital reported nearly 40 per cent of rape cases and nearly 29 per cent of each of cruelty by husband and his relatives and dowry deaths, the NCRB data said.

Delhi accounted for 38.8 per cent of total IPC crime reported in 19 cities followed by Bengaluru (8.9 per cent) and Mumbai 7 per cent.

The national capital recorded the highest crime rate 182.1 compared to the national average of 77.2.

Chennai has reported the highest number of cases of Special and Local Laws (SLL) crimes, accounting for 32.9 per cent of total reported cases among the 19 cities, followed by Kochi (12.9 per cent) and Surat (12.6 per cent) during 2016.

Delhi reported the highest number of kidnapping and abduction - 5,453 cases (48.3 per cent) followed by Mumbai with 1,876 cases (16.6 per cent) and Bengaluru 879 cases 7.

8 per cent during 2016.

The city reported highest number of murder - 479 out of 2,194 cases- (21.8 per cent) followed by Bengaluru 10.4 per cent (229 cases) and Patna 8.9 per cent (195 cases).

The highest number of cases at 35.6 per cent (2,368 cases out of 6,645) of juveniles in conflict with law were reported in Delhi among the 19 cities during 2016.

Delhi has reported the maximum number of cases under economic offences 5,942 cases (19.3 per cent) followed by Jaipur (4,742 cases) and Mumbai (4,191 cases) accounting for 15.4 per cent and 13.6 per cent respectively during 2016.

In cyber crimes, Mumbai reported the highest number of cases - 980 (23.5 per cent) out of 4,172 cases in 19 major cities in 2016.

PTI

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Story first published: Thursday, November 30, 2017, 16:29 [IST]
Cong for Muslims, BJP for Hindus: Did Rahuls temple visits in Guj help to bust the myth?

My meet with Rahul would have prevented BJP's Gujarat win: Hardik Patel

Gujarat elections: Congress counters BJP with lie-tracker

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

As the poll campaign catches pace in Gujarat, Congress party has come out with a lie-tracker to counter ruling-BJP's claims. Since BJP raked up the issue of Rahul Gandhi's religion, the opposition party has attempted to challenge BJP on multiple issues.

The lie-tracker covers the saga of Rahul Gandhi's signature in Somnath temple and other developmental issues. Congress twitter handles says, "We are back with our lie-tracker, where we refute lies spewed by PM Modi and BJP on a daily basis." The party countered 'claim' with 'reality'.

The Congress party's reaction is obvious to PM Modi's anti-Congress speeches during his poll campaign in Morbi, Prachi, Palitan, and Navsari on Wednesday. PM Modi blamed Congress party for the delay in the completion of Narmada river water project in the state. PM Modi said, "They hate development, they hate Gujarat, they hate Modi and now they hate sweat also. That is because they have never had to sweat it out in life & work hard. They are mocking everyone who works hard. This is their mindset. Such hatred for the poor is shocking."

Take a look how Congress takes on BJP's claims:

Claim 1: Somnath Temple Amid election campaign in Gujarat, questions are being raised about Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's religion after he visited Somnath temple on Wednesday. Claim 2: No riots in Gujarat post Mr. Modi becoming Prime Minister Congress attacked BJP for targetting Dalits in Una and the death of 12 Patidars during agitation in 2016. Claim 3: Congress delayed Narmada project To PM Modi's claim that Saurashtra was free of water-crisis, Congress said 17 districts in the region are facing severe water-crisis. Claim 4: BJP's vision is for 100 years and not Gujarat Election 2017 Congress questions delay in announcing dates for Winter Session of the Parliament. Claim 5: BJP acts in the interest of farmers Congress stated that farmers suicide rose by 42 per cent between 2014-15. Claim 6: UPA was Anti-Gujarat Congress listed educational and financial institutions built during its rule. Claim 7: BJP brought in soil health card which has been beneficial for farmers. 'Soil health card distribution is better in other states', claims Congress.

OneIndia News
Gujarat elections: Jignesh Mevani appeals for crowdfunding, Arundhati Roy tops donor list

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, who is contesting elections from the Vadgam constituency as an Independent candidate in the upcoming Gujarat Elections, has raised over nine lakh rupees for his poll campaign.

So far 236 people have donated money to the campaign run on crowdfunding website-Crowdnewsing. The crowdfunding was started 22 days ago. Till date, Rs 9,47,639 has been raised. Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy has donated Rs 3,00,000 to Mevani's campaign.

On Facebook, Mevani urged people to contribute to the campaign. "The What's happening in Gujarat is unprecedented. The influx of young energy has turned the public opinion upside down; this is the first time in two decades that the BJP is facing a real challenge. So who really gets the credit for this turn-around? We do - the people of this country who come out fighting each time we are pushed against the wall. One of the key pillars of our movement is Jignesh Mevani who is mobilising Dalits across Gujarat to assert themselves against years of mob-rule," he wrote on the social media platform.

"Winning the Gujarat election is important, but more important than that is the autonomy and complete freedom of the movement, which can only happen if the Dalit movement stays away from political or corporate funding. Which means the onus is on you and me to raise the funds that our movement needs!." he further added.

Top five donors

Arundhati Roy - Rs 3,00,000

Kishor Tappita - Rs 29,000

Aditya Nigam - Rs 25,000

Nivedita Menon - Rs 25,000

Sarita Thakore - Rs 21, 000

OneIndia News
After SC said no Jihad, only Love in Hadiya case, father considers review plea

No more controversies over me, says Hadiya

Hadiya speaks to husband after SC permitted her to study

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Hadiya who was ordered to study by the Supreme Court managed to speak with her husband. A day after she arrived here to continue studies at the Sivaraj Homeopathy Medical College, as directed by the Supreme Court, Hadiya spoke to her husband over the college dean's mobile phone.

"Hadiya talked to Shafin Jahan (her husband) for a while from my mobile phone, after I, as local guardian, asked her whether she was interested in talking or meeting anybody," said G Kannan, the college dean.

Hadiya is in the centre of a 'love jihad' controversy after her conversion to Islam and marriage with a Muslim youth in Kerala.

Earlier when reporters asked about her husband, Hadiya said she was not in contact with him for the last few months as she did not have a mobile phone and the only people she spoke to were her parents.

"For the past six months, I was talking to people I did not like (parents) because of their harassment during my stay with them," Hadiya told reporters.

The dean said: "She appeared relieved after talking to him (husband). There is no restriction imposed on her to talk or to meet anybody."

Hadiya also expressed regret for the tense situation prevailing in the college and the inconvenience to students, Kannan said.

Stating that she has not given any application to change her name, Kannan said she has applied using her earlier name (Akhila Ashokan) for the internship.

Hadiya also said that she will be able to communicate better with the media after receiving a copy of the Supreme Court order.

There is some confusion about where and with whom she would spend her holidays, Kannan said, adding that the management will approach the apex court in this regard.

All rules and regulations and restrictions of the college will apply to her also and weekly once she will be allowed to go out for buying what she requires, along with the hostel wardens, he said.

Meanwhile, college administrator Kalpana Sivaraj said the management will extend all support to Hadiya to complete her course.

One sub-inspector and four constables - two women and two men - have been deployed for her security.

OneIndia News
Hadiyas father to move SC against college

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Hadiya alias Akhila's father is set to move the Supreme Court seeking action under the contempt of court law against the college where his daughter is studying. A contempt plea would be filed against the Sivaraj Homeopathy Medical College in Salem for its decision to allow Hadiya to meet her husband, Shafin Jahan.

The father Ashokan questioned the decision of the college to allow her to meet Shafin. She was sent to college to complete her education. He also said that it was not right on the part of the college to allow her to meet reporters.

During a presser, Hadiya told reporters that she had spoken to Shafin over the phone after a gap of 8 months. She also said that the college authorities had allowed her to meet him in person in a few days.

The Dean of the college, G Kannan had said that if Shefin approaches the college through a proper channel he would allow him to meet her.

OneIndia News
IMD issues cylone warning for Lakshadweep, parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Recommended Video

Heavy rain hits Lakshadweep islands, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, cyclone warning issued | Oneindia News

India Meteorological Department has issued a cyclone warning for Lakshadweep islands and parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

"Latest observations and satellite imageries indicate that the deep depression over Comorin area moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 18 kmph during the past 6 hours... The system is very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify further into a cyclonic storm over the next 12 hours," said a Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Agency release.

IMD bulletin forecasts deep depression to turn in cyclonic storm. For details see attachment. Follow @tnsdma for updates pic.twitter.com/VRmrJm6RXK  TN SDMA (@tnsdma) November 30, 2017

The director of the MET department in Chennai warned the fishermen to not venture into the sea.

"As far as fishermen are concerned those in Kanyakumari, Tuticorin, Rameswaram, have been asked not to venture out into sea till Dec 1 as wind speed will be 65-70 kmph. Sea will be rough," he said.

Owing to heavy rains several schools and colleges in Tamil Nadu will remain shut. A holiday has been declared for all schools and colleges at Thirunelveli.

In #Kanyakumari District Since night heavy winds and till now 34 mm average rainfall received. Reports that 50 trees have fallen on road and trees removal is under progress. At 2 locations mobile towers have fallen. District administration under DDMA/Collr is actively responding  TN SDMA (@tnsdma) November 30, 2017

A holiday has been declared for schools at Thiruvarur as well. The collector of Tanjore too has declared a holiday. Holidays have been declared in Nellai, Kanyakumari and Tuticorin districts as well.

The decision was taken owing to incessant rains that hit these places through the night. A further decision on holidays would be taken after conducting an assessment of the situation later during the rains.

OneIndia News
Tuesday is now No Meeting Day in Haryana and officers to be with people on Friday

Kirron Kher stands her ground on Chandigarh rape remark

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Hitting back at the Congress for criticising her remark on the Chandigarh rape, BJP MP and Bollywood actor Kirron Kher on Thursday said the matter should not be politicised.

Kher had on Wednesday said that the 22-year-old woman who was gang-raped allegedly by an auto driver and his two accomplices should not have boarded the vehicle when she saw three men already sitting in it.

"Maine toh ye kaha tha ki zamaana bohot kharab hai, bacchiyon ko ehtiyaat baratna chahiye. Chandigarh Police PCR bhejti hai agar koi ladki raat mein 100 number pe phone karti hai toh. Politics should not be played here (I said that he times are not right, girls should be careful. Chandigarh police sends PCR when a girl calls in the night. There should be no poltics over it)," Kher told news agency ANI.

"Lanaat hai unpar jinhone iska rajneeti karan karne ki koshish ki hai, aapke ghar mein bhi bachhiyan hai, aapko bhi meri tarah constructive baat karni chahiye, destructive nahi (Shame on those who trying to politicise it. Even you have girls in your homes, even you should speak in a constructive manner not destructive)," she added.

The Congress had earlier slammed Kher for her remark and said that she had taken the matter lightly.

"I am amazed how she gave such a statement, It seems like a light take on a serious matter. She instead needed to tell how she is going to make Chandigarh a safer place for women," Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal told ANI.

#WATCH BJP MP Kirron Kher says 'she (Chandigarh rape victim) should not have boarded the auto rickshaw when she saw three men sitting in it' (29.11.17) pic.twitter.com/Daqe95rTIO  ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

The victim was returning back after attending a stenography class in Chandigarh's Sector 37. The girl was raped in the moving auto by three men who later dumped her in Sector 53. She was spotted by the passersby, who informed the police.

OneIndia News
Media barred from reporting Sohrabuddin trial

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The special CBI judge has restrained the media from publishing news about the trial in the alleged Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter trial until further orders.

The court said that media reports could create security problems for the witnesses, accused, defence and the prosecutor as well. Given the "sensitivity" of the case and the "likelihood" of "untoward" incidents and their possible effect on the trial, special judge S J Sharma said in his four-page order, "I am of the view not to allow the media to make publication of any of the proceedings during the trial in the matter until further order."

The 2005 case is about the killing of gangster Sohrabudin and his wife Kausar Bi along with an associate Tulsiram Prajapati in an alleged fake encounter.

OneIndia News
No link between Rohingyas and terror groups found as yet: BSF Chief

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The BSF has said that it has not yet found any link between Rohingyas and the terror groups as yet. BSF Director General K K Sharma said that it had questioned many Rohingyas, but found no link to terror groups as yet.

He was however quick to add that the intelligence agencies have such information and he had no reason to doubt them. This year alone 87 Rohingyas were apprehended and 76 of them had been sent back to Bangladesh.

In our assessment no link to any terror group has emerged as yet, Sharma also said at the annual media conference ahead of BSF Raising Day. It is a complicated issue. They have been stripped of all rights and this led to a mass exodus to Bangladesh. There was bound to be some spill over to India as well, Sharma further added.

The job of the BSF is to stop infiltration whether it is from Bangladesh or anywhere else. We have stepped up vigil along the border. We have been pushing them back and do not want to arrest them as it creates a liability for us here, he further added.

He said in a written statement to the media that it was based on information from "sister agencies," BSF sought to draw a pattern of Rohingya influx. The interrogation of apprehended Rohingyas has revealed that they have been staying in a refugee camp at Cox's Bazaar in Bangladesh, where there are no basic amenities available so they do not want to settle there, he also added.

OneIndia News
'Poor' no more: 'Moderate' Delhi air to improve further with strong winds

Obama to address town hall in Delhi: What you need to know

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Former United States President Barack Obama will address a town hall in New Delhi on Friday, the Obama Foundation has said.

Obama, who arrived in India on Thursday, will also address the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.

He is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

At the town hall, the former US president, in his first visit to India after demitting office in January, will interact with nearly 300 young leaders drawn from various parts of the country.

'The town hall will expand the conversation about what it means to be an active citizen and make an impact and how the Obama Foundation can support emerging leaders in this effort,' the Foundation said in an update.

We'll also invite people across India to share their questions for President Obama online and anyone, anywhere can tune-in to watch the Town Hall live on Obama.org," said an official statement on Obama Foundation's website.

The town hall, which is scheduled at 3:45 PM, will be streamed lived at Obama.org, on the Obama Foundation's Facebook page and YouTube channel.

In a Facebook message, Obama said, "I will be conducting a townhall with young leaders of India who can share with me some of the works they are trying to do to make communities better and also answer questions on how Obama Foundation can help."

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Thursday, November 30, 2017, 23:20 [IST]
Padmavati controversy: Sanjay Leela Bhansali appears before Parliamentary panel

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Padmavati movie director Sanjay Leela Bhansali appeared before the parliamentary panel to brief members about the controversy over the movie. He was summoned by Joint Parliamentary Panel.

Censor board Chairman Prasoon Joshi appeared before a parliamentary panel to brief members about the controversy over "Padmavati" and said the film had not yet been approved. Joshi, who is also scheduled to appear before the parliamentary standing committee on Income Tax later today, told the Lok Sabha Committee on Petitions that the censor board had only cleared the trailer and promos of the period film, reported PTI.

The 30-member panel has also asked producers of the movie and officials of the information and broadcasting ministry to appear before it and brief about the controversy relating to the Rs. 150 crore film. Actors Paresh Rawal and Raj Babbar are also part of the panel which will examine the issues relating to the movie.

The film starring Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmavati, Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as Sultan Alauddin Khilji were earlier scheduled to release on December 1. The makers of the film will announce a revised date after clearance from the CBFC.

The film Padmavati tells the story of a 14th-Century Hindu queen belonging to the high Rajput caste and the Muslim ruler Alauddin Khilji. Bollywood stars Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh play the lead roles in the movie. Rumours of a scene in the film of the Muslim king dreaming of getting romantic with the Hindu queen enraged many like the Rajput Karnik Sena, a fringe caste group, who has called for the film to be banned.

(With agency inputs)
The culture of bulldozing thrives while the law sleeps: Sibal on demolition in Prayagraj

Sibal's 'no hope left' from SC remark; AIBA calls it \"contemptuous\"; Rijiju condemns it as \"unfortunate\"

'India is an excessive example of the use of religion': Kapil Sibal

PM Modi not a real Hindu, says Kapil Sibal

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Thursday sparked a row, claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not a "real Hindu" as he has "quit" Hinduism and embraced Hindutva.

"How often does PM go to a temple? He has quit Hinduism and imbibed Hindutva which has nothing to do with Hinduism. He isn't a real Hindu. The one who considers every Indian his brother, sister or mother is a real Hindu," Sibal was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Sibal's attack on PM Modi comes a day after the BJP took up arms against Rahul when it was reported that the Congress leader's name was allegedly listed as a 'non-Hindu' visitor at the Somnath temple.

Denying the allegations BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said people know who is a 'Ram bhakt' (devotee to Lord Ram) and who is a "Rome bhakt", a clear dig at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul's Italian roots.

"Like his famous zero loss theory in the 2G scam which was rejected by the Supreme Court when it cancelled the licences, Kapil Sibal has come up with another zero theory saying Narendra Modi is not a real Hindu... People know who's a 'Ram bhakt' and a 'Rome bhakt'," Rao told PTI.

Amid election campaign in Gujarat, questions were raised about Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's religion after he visited Somnath temple on Wednesday.

According to reports, Rahul Gandhi registered his name in the column meant for non-Hindus visiting the temple register maintained by the trust.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Thursday, November 30, 2017, 20:43 [IST]
Demonetisation deliberate move by 'PayPM' to help his friends: Rahul Gandhi

If Cong is elected in HP, decision on 1 lakh govt jobs, pension scheme in 1st cabinet meet: Rahul

Himachal will vote for...: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's appeal to people on election day

Cong leader Abhay Thipsay who defended Nirav Modi in UK court now at Bharat Jodo Yatra

Yatra's impact not in Himachal, Guj polls but in 2024: Congress

Rahuls media coordinator wrote his name in non-Hindu register: Temple

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Recommended Video

Rahul Gandhi stirs another controversy, after his name features in Non-hindu list | Oneindia News

Rahul Gandhi found himself mired in controversy after his name was found written on the entry register meant for non-Hindus, with the Congress calling it "fake" and the BJP insisting the leader declare his religious faith before people.

As the controversy raged, the temple management came out with a clarification. "As per our rules, names of non-Hindus have to be registered. His (Gandhi's) name was registered by his media coordinator in our non-Hindu register.

"I would like to say that no staff member of our trust was involved in what the media coordinator did," managing trustee of Somnath Temple Trust P K Lehri said. Lehri also said in the visitor's book, Gandhi wrote that the Somnath temple is an "inspiring" place.

The Congress accused the BJP of hatching a conspiracy against its leader and insisted Gandhi has declared himself as a 'Shiv Bhakt' (Lord Shiva devotee) and is a 'janeu-dhari' (sacred thread-wearing) Hindu.

The BJP, however, dismissed the conspiracy charge as baseless, saying Gandhi's aide who signed the register belongs to the Congress.

The temple administration said Gandhi's name was written in the shrine's register for non-Hindus by his media coordinator and maintained none of its staff was involved in the entire episode.

Non-Hindus are allowed to visit the temple but have to first get themselves registered at the shrine's office.

Gandhi, on the campaign trail for the December Assembly polls, began his two-day visit to Gujarat after offering prayers at the famous temple in Gir-Somnath district. The temple, devoted to Lord Shiva, is around 400km from here.

A purported photocopy of the page of the register for non-Hindus with names of Gandhi and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel written on it went viral on social media soon after their visit to the shrine this afternoon.

The signature against their names was that of the Congress party's media coordinator Manoj Tyagi.

"This is fake. Tyagi was made to sign on a blank paper of the register for media entry and later the names of Rahul Gandhi and others were added in the register," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.

"This is a conspiracy of the BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a trustee of the temple trust," he said.

Surjewala insisted Gandhi only signed the visitor's register where he wrote that the place was "inspiring".

The Congress spokesperson said Gandhi, during his recent trips to Gujarat, declared he was a devotee of Lord Shiva.

"You may want to know which religion Rahul Gandhi follows? I would like to tell you that he is a janeu-dhari Hindu," said Surjewala.

The BJP, however, demanded that Gandhi declare his religious faith before people.

"He should make his faith clear to the people of this country after the controversy?" BJP spokesperson Raju Dhruv said.

BJP national spokesman Sambit Patra rejected as "baseless" the Congress' conspiracy charge, saying Manoj Tyagi was a Congressman.

"Rahul, in his affidavit to the Election Commission, has shown different things and in the Somnath temple, he is showing different things. He should come clean," Patra said.

"Rahul may belong to any religion, we do not have any problem. We respect him. But the people of the country will get confused with this controversy," Patra said.

OneIndia News
Madrasa survey in UP complete, next up is meeting with government: Minister

Forcible conversion: 19 year old Nidhi pushed to death by Mohammad Sufiyan in UP

UP: Journalist shot dead by unidentified men in Kanpur

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

In yet another case of attack on media personnel, a young journalist working for a Hindi daily was shot dead by unidentified assailants near the Nagar Palika market in Uttar Pradesh's Billhaur on Thursday.

Identified as Naveen, the journalist succumbed to his injuries while he was being rushed to the hospital.

Navin Gupta was sprayed with bullets when he came out of a public toilet, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Jai Prakash said.

As the news of the killing spread, senior police officials rushed to the spot while forensic experts were called to gather evidences.

Police officials were trying to figure the motive behind the crime. It is suspected that old enmity could be a reason behind the killing, said officials.

Journalist Naveen Srivastava was shot at by 3-4 assailants while he was sitting in his hosiery shop. We hope to nab the criminals as soon as possible. DM & SSP of Kanpur Nagar are already on the spot. Couple of local police teams formed to crack the case, ADG said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed DGP to follow up the investigation of killing of journalist.

Last week, a journalist in Tripura was shot dead inside the headquarters of the 2nd battalion of TSR at RK Nagar allegedly by a constable of the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) following an altercation.

OneIndia News
Amid heavy security Pope Francis arrives in Bangladesh

International

pti-PTI

Dhaka, November 30: A red carpet welcome was accorded to Pope Francis arrived in Bangladesh who is on a historic visit to the Muslim-majority country during which the raging issue of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar is likely to figure prominently.

Pope arrived on a special plane for a three-day visit after wrapping up his Myanmar tour during which he sent out a message that justice and human rights are the foundation of peace, in an apparent reference to the Rohingya crisis.

President Abdul Hamid received the pope at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. A contingent of Bangladesh's armed forces gave him a guard of honour.

His programmes include a visit to the National Memorial for Liberation War martyrs and Bangabandhu Memorial Museum apart from joining a civic reception at Bangabhaban presidential palace. Security has been stepped up for the pope. It is the second leg of pope's tour to the region amid the heightened Rohingya crisis.

The pope strongly condemned the "persecution of our Rohingya brothers", denounced their suffering because of their faith and called for them to receive "full rights". However, during the Myanmar visit, he preferred not to use the word "Rohingya" in public, drawing criticism.

The Vatican, however, defended his silence, saying the pope wants to "build bridges" with the predominantly Buddhist nation.

About 620,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar's Rakhine State to Bangladesh since August to avoid military crackdown at their home. This is the second visit to Bangladesh by a pope.

Pope John Paul II visited the country in 1986. Rohingyas, who have faced persecution and discrimination in Myanmar for decades, are denied citizenship.

Though they lived there for generations, the situation worsened in August when the army began what it called clearance operations in the northern Rakhine state following attacks on security positions by Rohingya militants.

PTI
India set to get armed drones from US soon

American Airlines in trouble after 'Computer glitch' grants leaves for too many pilots

International

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The American Airlines is likely to face acute manpower shortage during the Christmas week as a computer glitch has approved leaves of too many of its pilots, said reports.

The accidental approval of leaves could leave an estimated 15,000 flights with nobody to sit in the cockpit.

Reports say that the airline is now willing to offer 1.5 times the regular pay for pilots to man the flights which would otherwise be cancelled.

The situation may sound hilarious, but for the airline, it is a nightmare as its reputation is at stake. The American Airlines is now frantically working with the pilot's union to find a solution.

The Allied Pilots Association, however, said in a public statement that American Airlines' solution for crewing the flights is in violation of its contract, reported Jalopnik.

Another report said that the American Airlines' management had not reached out to the pilots union as of Wednesday.

This is not the first time that erroneously granted leaves have led to cancellation of flights. In September, Europe's Ryanair had to cancel 2,100 flights for approving leaves of too many of its crew.

OneIndia News
Cut off oil supply to North Korea: US urges China

International

pti-PTI

United Nations, Nov 30: A day after North Korea test fired Hwasong 15 ICBM, the United States urged China to cut off crude oil shipments to Pyongyang and pressed all countries to isolate Kim Jong-Un's regime by cutting off all diplomatic and trade ties.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that North Korea's latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) "demands that countries further isolate the Kim regime."

During a phone conversation earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump asked President Xi Jinping to cut off China's crude oil supplies to North Korea, a move that would deal a crippling blow to North Korea's economy.

Trump told the Chinese leader "that we have come to the point that China must cut off the oil from North Korea," Haley said.

"That would be a pivotal step in the world's effort to stop this international pariah," she said. Haley also called "on all nations to cut off all ties with North Korea" and said the Security Council should take away North Korea's voting rights at the United Nations. The council was meeting at the request of the United States, Japan and South Korea to consider next steps after three rounds of sanctions adopted in the past year failed to push North Korea to change course. Haley said the ICBM launch had raised the threat of war.

"The dictator of North Korea made a choice yesterday that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it..If war comes, make no mistake: The North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed," she warned.

Pyongyang yesterday tested its third ICBM -- which it claimed was capable of striking anywhere in the United States -- snapping a two-month pause in missile launches.

The North Korea had claimed that its latest Hwasong 15 missile can cover whole of the US mainland.

PTI
North Korea poses a 'grave threat' to the world: White House

International

pti-PTI

Washington, November 30: The White House on Thursday said North Korea poses a "grave threat" to the world, exhorting countries to apply maximum pressure on Pyongyang after it launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

"The North Korean threat is very grave. It's not just a threat to the United States or a threat to the region -- or the Korean Peninsula region, but a threat to the entire world and the civilised world," White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah told reporters.

"We're encouraged that more countries are taking more significant steps to help apply as much pressure as we can on North Korea," Shah said in response to a question. He, however, parried questions on Trump's tweet about more sanctions against North Korea. "I'm not going to get ahead of any announcement that's coming.

I will say, though, that the maximum pressure campaign that the US has been a big part of has really yielded a lot of results," he said. "We have seen the toughest sanctions ever imposed on North Korea that the Chinese and Russians have signed onto.

We've seen China restrict energy shipments to North Korea. We're seeing dozens of countries engage in different efforts in their bilateral ties with North Korea to cut off both energy, economic ties, and diplomatic ties," Shah said.

"So we're seeing more and more steps take place. We'll see future actions by the United States and others, and we're looking forward to applying as much pressure as we can to get to our ultimate goal, which is a denuclearised Korean Peninsula," he told reporters.

The ICBM, launched yesterday from Sain Ni, North Korea , travelled about 1000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). "We will take care of it. .. It is a situation we will handle," Trump told reporters soon after North Korea's missile test.

Trump also spoke with his Chinese and South Korean counterparts Xi Jinping, and Moon Jae-in respectively, and the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer said in a statement that the launch of a ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear payload across thousands of miles  far enough to threaten cities in the continental United States  violates international laws and demands a strong international response.

He said, "The President's lack of a policy to deter North Korean aggression is deeply concerning, and it is clear that the President's soft approach with the Chinese leadership has not borne fruit. I urge him to pursue a diplomatic strategy that places serious pressure on the Kim (Jong-Un) regime to change its behaviour."

PTI
Saudi Arabia: Prince Miteb freed in 'billion-dollar deal' after graft probe

International

oi-PTI

Riyadh, November 30: More than three weeks after he was detained in a sweeping anti-corruption purge, Saudi Arabia has freed influential Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, following a "settlement" with authorities reportedly exceeding USD 1 billion.

The former National Guard chief was among more than 200 princes, ministers and businessmen who were rounded up earlier this month, as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman tightens his grip on power.

Prince Miteb, once seen as a contender to the throne, is the most high-profile royal to be released so far as the government appears to be striking monetary settlements with some of the detainees in exchange for their freedom.

"Yes, Prince Miteb was released this morning (Tuesday)," a source close to the government told AFP, without outlining the terms of his release.

The prince was released after paying more than USD 1 billion in a "settlement deal" with authorities, Bloomberg News cited an unnamed official as saying.

The prince was not reachable for comment.

Saudi information ministry officials also could not confirm the development but posts on social media by members of the royal family suggested he had been freed.

Princess Nouf bint Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud posted an old image of Prince Miteb on a verified Twitter account with the message: "Praise be to Allah. Peace be with you".

In a similar post with the picture of a smiling prince, Princess Abeer bint Khaled bin Abdullah tweeted: "May god grant you a long life, give you health and keep you safe for us."

Before his arrest the 64-year-old son of the late King Abdullah was sacked as the head of the National Guard, an internal security force that has long been seen as a locus of tribal power.

Some analysts saw Prince Miteb's removal as an attempt by Prince Mohammed, who is also Saudi defence minister, to consolidate his control over the security services.

But Saudi authorities insist the purge was meant solely to target endemic corruption as the kingdom seeks to diversify its oil-dependent economy.

In an interview with the New York Times published last week, Prince Mohammed said 95 per cent of those detained agree to a "settlement" or handing over ill-gotten assets or cash to the Saudi state treasury.

Saudi Arabia's attorney general estimates at least USD 100 billion has been misused in embezzlement or corruption over several decades.

"The apparent release of Prince Miteb may be a sign that the Saudi authorities are making progress in agreeing on settlements with detainees," said Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a fellow at the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University.

"It's an attempt to resolve the situation in a manner that minimises the social fallout from the crown prince's recent move and addresses concerns over the political risk of doing business in Saudi Arabia," Ulrichsen told AFP.

The purge has triggered uncertainty among businesses that could lead to capital flight or derail reforms, experts say, at a time when the kingdom is seeking to attract badly needed investments to offset a protracted oil slump.

Other high-profile targets of the crackdown include billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, dubbed the Warren Buffett of Saudi Arabia.

Many of the detainees have been held at Riyadh's Ritz- Carlton hotel, which has been turned into a luxury prison.

PTI
Mark Zuckerberg says 'sorry' as Meta fires over 11,000 employees in one go | Full statement

Twitter will do lots of dumb things: What else did Musk say today?

Goat gives birth to baby with 'human face' in MP, leaves owner and locals shocked

Old image of a man with Pinocchio like long nose goes viral

Social media can help people lose weight, says new study

International

oi-PTI

Los Angeles, November 29: Researchers have found that sharing your weight loss journey on social media can improve the odds of successfully shedding the extra kilos.

Scientists examined the role of virtual communities and public commitment to setting and reaching weight loss goals.

"Our research finds that individuals are more likely to realise success with personal goals when they make a public commitment to attaining them," said Tonya Williams Bradford, assistant professor at the University of California, Irvine in the US.

"By sharing success and setbacks in virtual support communities on social media, we found people are achieving better results," Bradford.

"This works especially well with goals like weight loss, where before and after images can be shared online with other community members," he said.

The research followed two weight loss groups, surgical and non-surgical, over a four-year period.

Members of both weight loss groups utilised virtual support communities, like ObesityHelp.com and WeightWatchers.com, as part of their programmes.

"Through our research, we found public commitment, which is a declaration of a position, increases the likelihood of compliance to a course of action and is a key part of a successful weight loss plan," Bradford said.

"When people seeking to lose weight join a virtual support community and share their plans online to attain their goals, they invite members to join them by offering encouragement in both words and actions," he said.

"This exchange of online support facilitates adherence to the offline goal of losing weight. Public accountability is key," he added.

The study, published in the Journal of Interactive Marketing, also found that virtual support communities offer a unique environment that allows members relative anonymity, accessibility, availability, and flexibility in how they represent themselves on their journeys.

According to Bradford, it is the process of building community, and the co-creation of related outcomes that helps in keeping participants motivated and accountable.

PTI
From Strategic Culture

Call it poetic justice, or plain old natural justice. For centuries, Ireland has always been on the receiving end of Britain's collateral damage from its imperial intrigues. Now, however, Ireland could have the last laugh as Britain wades further into a quagmire of trouble over the Brexit debacle to leave the European Union.

Irish sentiments on both sides of the border within that small island country are clamoring for special status which would de facto create an island-of-Ireland unity. A country which would in effect be independent from British rule and moving closer towards the long-held aspiration of Irish nationalists and republicans for a united Ireland, distinct from the rest of Britain.

As Britain stumbles towards its eventual departure from the EU scheduled for March 2019, the historic break raises special problems for Ireland. Northern Ireland, which is under British jurisdiction, will be obliged to follow the Brexit path of quitting the EU, while the Republic of Ireland will of course remain an EU member. That potentially creates the unique scenario of an EU border being imposed on the island, separating the Northern and Southern territories.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of indicators showing that most people on the island of Ireland, North and South, want the continuation of a "soft border" arrangement which has existed since the signing of a landmark peace deal in 1998 to end decades of conflict. This makes sense from an economic and cultural point of view since the ease of transport and travel is a vital daily convenience. This has become ever-more the case in recent years to the point where there are no visible signs of two different jurisdictions. For example, a motorway now links the northern city of Belfast to Dublin and Cork, in the far south, in a seamless corridor. Elsewhere in rural areas, people criss-cross easily like birds on the wing as if there is no border. In effect, Ireland has become closer to being one country, as would seem to be the natural order of things on an island with centuries of a distinct and common Celtic culture.

However, if the British government's negotiations with the EU continue on their present rocky path, there are real fears that a so-called "hard Brexit" will bring about a return of the hard border in Ireland which existed before and during the recent conflict up until 1998, when the Good Friday Peace Accord was signed.

Hardline Brexiteers within Theresa May's Conservative government cabinet are pushing for an abrupt break with the European Union. Ministers like Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, and the international trade secretary, Liam Fox, want to quit the EU altogether and pursue a vision of Britain as a global trading buccaneer nation.

Other British ministers, and many British citizens, as well the opposition Labour party led by Jeremy Corbyn, and business leaders, would prefer a "soft Brexit" where Britain still remains part of the European single market and customs union. It would have to pay a fee for such membership and accept Brussels' rules on EU citizens' rights in an arrangement similar to that existing for Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

A "soft Brexit" would leave the situation in Ireland much as it is today, where movement of goods and people is seamless without regulatory controls.

The trouble is that achieving a soft Brexit is far from certain. There are numerous signs that the EU and its chief negotiator on the matter Michel Barnier are becoming increasingly exasperated with London over its bumbling and incoherent stance.

British premier Theresa May faces a tough summit next month at the European Council in Brussels, at which the other 27 member states are to decide whether negotiations can proceed to substantive talks on the final trade deal with the EU.

May's government is expected to show progress in commitment on three issues: a divorce bill with the EU; the guarantee of EU citizens' rights in a post-Brexit Britain; and guarantees to uphold the soft border situation in Ireland.

The London government has so far dithered on all three issues. On the divorce bill, Theresa May last week, after months of wrangling, finally doubled the British offer of paying Brussels 40 billion (45 billion). This is still way short of what the EU is demanding at around 60 billion. But the financial outlay has infuriated the hardline Brexiteers in her cabinet like Johnson who at one time arrogantly said the EU can "go whistle" -- meaning, accept no payment at all.

On the Irish question, the British government has also shown an arrogant complacency. Last weekend, international trade minister Liam Fox asserted that London would give no commitment to the nature of the border in Ireland until a final deal with the EU was signed.

"We cannot come to a final answer on the Irish question until we get an idea of the end state [with the EU]," Fox told British media.

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From The Nation

It actually takes some serious provocation to get the British government to call out the president of the United States. But Donald Trump brought the wrath of No. 10 Downing Street upon himself Wednesday by retweeting anti-Muslim videos posted by a leading figure in one of the most notorious far-right groups in the world.

After Trump shared posts from Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of the racist Britain First organization (who features an image of Trump at the top of her Twitter feed), the office of British Prime Minister Theresa May condemned the president's embrace of a political movement that is so aggressive in its rabidly anti-Islamic advocacy that Fransen has been charged with hate speech.

The statement from No. 10 was blunt:

"Britain First seeks to divide communities by their use of hateful narratives that peddle lies and stoke tensions. They cause anxiety to law-abiding people. "British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right which is the antithesis of the values this country represents, decency, tolerance and respect. It is wrong for the president to have done this."

British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn was even blunter, describing Trump's retweets as "abhorrent, dangerous and a threat to our society." London Mayor Sadiq Khan declared that "Britain First is a vile, hate-fueled organization whose views should be condemned, not amplified."

Those were powerful statements of condemnation for a president who, in his crude combination of bigotry and ignorance of recent history, has created another international incident.

But the most powerful condemnation of all came from Brendan Cox, who tweeted: "Trump has legitimized the far right in his own country, now he's trying to do it in ours. Spreading hatred has consequences & the President should be ashamed of himself."

Brendan Cox is the husband of slain British parliamentarian Jo Cox, who was murdered on June 16, 2016, by a man The Guardian identified as a "far-right terrorist."

Click Here to Read Whole Article
See original here

By Mark Sumner

It's hard to diagnose the series of events that led to Donald Trump being so agitated on Wednesday morning that he started the day by posting Islamophobic snuff films. There were probably several factors, including the ever-looming prospect that as America takes some steps toward shrugging off a culture of sexual harassment, someone might wake up long enough to say "what about Trump?" But some of Trump's Nazi-connected hate spew was likely related to the faint, but constant sound of special counsel Robert Mueller moving ever closer.

It's been clear since last week that former national security adviser Michael Flynn is attempting to find some information he can pass to the special prosecutor in exchange for a little mercy on the criminal idiocy displayed by both Flynn and his son. Flynn's attorneys have met with Mueller more than once, and have ceased exchanging information with Trump's legal team. It now seems that Mueller's team and Flynn's legal team may have a deal.

"Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team has postponed an anticipated grand jury testimony linked to his investigation into Michael Flynn amid growing indications of possible plea deal discussions."

As part of the negotiations with Flynn, it seems that Mueller had a chat with Jared Kushner.

"President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has been questioned by special counsel Robert Mueller's team of investigators about former national security adviser Michael Flynn, a person familiar with the investigation confirmed Wednesday to The Associated Press."

The talk, which lasted about 90 minutes, wasn't a general review of Kushner's own activities during the Trump campaign -- that Mueller moment is still to come. This appears to have been strictly some follow-up on Flynn. It could represent Mueller checking up on some of the info Flynn was offering. It could be the special counsel making sure that Team Trump wasn't prepping some excuse for Flynn's actions. Either way, Trump didn't seem to like it.

The delayed grand jury session appears to be related to Flynn's activities as a lobbyist for Turkey. It's unlikely that Kushner had anything to say on that point, so it may be that what Flynn is offering up is information related to the campaign in exchange for dropping some of the potential charges related to his failure to follow the law on reporting lobbying activities ... and that little $15 million scheme to kidnap a Turkish cleric currently living in Pennsylvania and bundle him off to certain death. Both of those things involved Flynn's son, and the prospect of Junior making a long trip to prison may be providing Flynn's biggest motivation to talk.


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We're not going to get rid of Trump

because Trump is an archetype.

Trump was already here

long before we voted him into office.

He was more like a transparent pink bear

but he was here,

filling up tons of space,

being bombastic

throwing his weight around,

baiting us in dreams that we repressed,

letting us know there were big holes in our dystopia,

the Benighted States of America.

He, or his aura, were around

swimming across the screen of everyday.

Long before the Republican Party

made him magically appear in the flesh

he was a big floater in our eye.

(But this floater is a b*tch, man!)

And you know what the doctor says

when you get a floater?

"You'll get used to it."

And aren't we? Getting used to being bullied,

lied to? Used? Impotent?

Used to living on the edge,

used to feeling ashamed

used to being shocked by our own sheepishness.

Emergency after emergency after emergency!

The pink bear, the annoying floater,

call it Trump, or whatever you want.

Call it the new reality show of shows,

call it the ubiquitous traveling circus,

the new all-day all-night show.

Call it the last act in the theater of fools

where there is no curtain

and no exits, and there is some guy

shouting "Fire!" "Fire!"

And everyone looks straight ahead with knitted brows.

But relax, it's just a dream.

It's just a poem.

It's just another daydaydaydayday. . . .

(Article changed on November 30, 2017 at 22:21)

(Article changed on December 1, 2017 at 00:34)
From The Hill

Some holiday questions for Republican Sens. John McCain (Ariz.), Bob Corker (Tenn.), Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Jeff Flake (Ariz.) among others.

Do you want your legacy to be a massive federal deficit of gargantuan proportion created by a tax bill whose biggest winners will be the most profitable multinational corporations, the Trump family and the wealthiest billionaires, and whose biggest losers will be millions of Americans with incomes under $100,000, who will be burdened by tax increases imposed by Republicans, and America's poor, who will be further punished by GOP policies as Christmas approaches?

Do you believe legislation that would profoundly impact the lives of every American should be passed without any semblance of bipartisanship or serious and thoughtful hearings, with nationally respected experts carefully considering the sweeping impact of this bill on your constituents?

Do Republican senators believe it is good politics to force-feed an unpopular tax bill negotiated in secret late-night talks, behind closed doors, on very short notice, by members of only one party, colluding with their lobbyist benefactors, on a tax cut for the rich, passed after banana republic procedures, by a swampland of the Senate?

Consider Plan B. Republican senators should support a motion to recommit the tax bill to the Senate Finance Committee, with instructions to bring back a bill by March 1 that cuts taxes for every middle-class American without creating a deficit disaster, after a genuine effort for real bipartisanship, following thoughtful hearings worthy of a bill with such immense consequences for every constituent.

Americans do not want and will not accept a giant and permanent tax holiday for our most profitable corporations, and a huge tax cut for our wealthiest citizens paid for by gigantic deficits, tax increases for millions of citizens and an aggressive attack against America's poor during the Christmas season.

Sen. Corker, who has spent a political career opposing big deficits, appears poised to stain his legacy by offering, with the best of intentions, one of the worst proposals in economic history.

Corker probably knows that GOP claims that the tax bill will not cause a deficit disaster are phony. He proposes automatic tax increases when the fraudulent budget estimates used to promote this ill-considered bill are exposed.

The Corker plan guarantees that when the revenue shortfall inevitably occurs and his tax increase is triggered a growing economy will slow, a slow economy will sink into recession, and an economy in recession will collapse and cause the next great financial crash.

George Santayana warned that those who do not learn from the mistakes of the past are destined to repeat them. Trump Republicans are making the exact same mistakes that caused the financial crash that plagued the nation during the last Republican presidency.

The Trump-Republican attack against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a dastardly attack against middle-class Americans protected by the agency against the kind of financial crimes and abuses that caused the last financial crash.

The surge of financial abuse that will inevitably begin if Republicans destroy the agency that protects consumers, plus the ballooning deficit that will be caused by the GOP tax cut, plus the humongous tax cut for the wealthiest individuals, plus the huge permanent tax cut for the most profitable corporations, plus the tax increase on millions of middle-class Americans that Republicans would impose, guarantee a replay of the last financial crash that could poison the GOP brand for decades.

In the timeless holiday classic "It's A Wonderful Life," the patriotically kind small town banker George Bailey came under attack by the ruthless, greedy and heartless mogul Mr. Potter.

If the Senate passes the tax bill as written, Democrats will campaign in 2018 as the party of modern George Baileys, fighting for the large majority of Americans, while Trump Republicans will be tarred as the party of modern Mr. Potters, fighting alongside their lobbyists, donors and influence peddlers in the Washington swamp.
From Wallwritings



Child Strangled By Israeli Soldier

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In this, the first week of the second month of my 90th year of life, I take computer in hand. I am committed to reflect, search for words, and begin a new blog post.

When I first began as a published writer, I took manual typewriter in hand to write a column for my junior high mimeograph newspaper.

That paper, The Signal, gave me the platform to share youthful thoughts with

classmates. I commented on events I read about in the two Atlanta, Georgia, newspapers, the Constitution and the Journal.

One that I vividly remember was my response to the attack on Pearl Harbor. I was 13.

Not much has changed since that dark attack day, other than the computer replacing the typewriter. Inhumane acts are still with us. Peace and justice are still shoved aside by deceit, fear and violence.

Fortunately, beacons of light do break through the darkness, beacons like Rabbi Laurie Zimmerman of Congregation Shaarei Shamayim in Madison, Wisconsin.

Her blog thoughts are entitled "American Jews must condemn Israeli detention of Palestinian children." They was published by The Times of Israel, a conservative Israeli media outlet.

Her words convey an impatience, and a call for action, in the tradition of the Hebrew prophets. She demands that the state of Israel stop its brutal treatment of Palestinian children, a brutality, were it taking place in the United States, would most certainly evoke outrage.

Rabbi Zimmerman has traveled through the West Bank where she talked with families. She writes about the impact of violence and military control on children. She began her blog posting by describing the dread and fear instilled in Palestinian parents by their Israeli military occupiers:

"A mother and father panic as soldiers burst into their home, pull their teenage son out of bed, handcuff and blindfold him, and drive away with him, leaving them with no information about where he is going, what he is accused of, or when they will see him again. The soldiers interrogate him for hours with no access to a lawyer or parent present. "His requests for food and water, or use of a toilet, are denied. Terrified, he is subjected to physical and verbal abuse and he is detained for weeks or more in pretrial detention. He has no knowledge of his rights, and he signs a confession written in a language he does not understand. He will do anything to return to his family."

In her posting, Rabbi Zimmerman welcomes the news that for the first time in congressional history, a bill has been introduced in the U.S, House of Representatives which calls for action against civil rights abuses by the Israeli military.

The bill was introduced on Tuesday, November 14, by Minnesota's Democratic Congresswoman Rep. Betty McCollum. (below).

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From Paul Craig Roberts Website

The man who died twice



Robert Mueller, a former director of the FBI who is working as a special prosecutor "investigating" a contrived hoax designed by the military/security complex and the DNC to destroy the Trump presidency, has yet to produce a scrap of evidence that Russiagate is anything but orchestrated fake news. As William Binney and other top experts have said, if there is evidence of Russiagate, the NSA would have it. No investigation would be necessary. So where is the evidence?

It is a revelation of how corrupt Washington is that a fake scandal is being investigated while a real scandal is not. The fake scandal is Trump's Russiagate. The real scandal is Hillary Clinton's uranium sale to Russia. No evidence for the former exists. Voluminous evidence for Hillary's scandal lies in plain view.

Why are the clearly false charges against Trump being investigated and the clearly true charges against Hillary not being investigated? The answer is that Hillary with her hostility toward Russia and her denunciation of Russian President Putin as the "New Hitler" is not a threat to the budget and power of the US military/security complex, while Trump's aim of normalizing relations with Russia would deprive the military/security complex of the "enemy" it requires to justify its massive budget and power.

Why hasn't President Trump ordered the Justice Department to investigate Hillary? Is the answer that Trump is afraid the military/security complex will assassinate him? Why hasn't the Justice Department undertaken the investigation on its own? Is the answer that Trump's government is allied with his enemies?

How corrupt does Mueller have to be to agree to lead a fake investigation designed to overthrow the democratic election of the President of the United States? Why doesn't Trump have Mueller and Comey arrested for sedition and conspiring to overthrow the president of the United States?

Why instead is Mueller expanding his investigation beyond his mandate and bringing charges against Manafort and others for a decade-old under-reporting of income? Why instead is Congress harassing journalist Randy Credico for interviewing Julian Assange? How does an interview become part of the House Intelligence (sic) Committee's investigation into "Russian active measures directed at the 2016 U.S. election?" There were no such active measures, but the uranium sale was real.

Why haven't the media conglomerates that have produced presstitutes instead of journalists been broken up? Why can presstitutes lie 24/7, but a man can't make a pass at a woman?

Once you begin asking questions, there is no end of them.

The failure of the US and European media is extreme.

The presstitutes never investigate real events. The presstitutes never question inconsistencies in official stories. They never tie together loose ends. They simply read over and over the script handed to them until the official story that controls the explanation is driven into the public's head.

Consider, for example, the Obama regime's claim to have murdered Osama bin Laden in his "compound" in Abbottabad, Pakistan, next to a Pakistani military base. The official story had to be changed several times. The Obama regime claim that Obama and top government officials had watched the raid via cameras on the SEALs' helmets had to be abandoned. There was no reason to withhold the filmed evidence, and of course there was no such evidence, so the initial claim to have watched the killing became a "miscommunication." The staged photo of the top government officials watching the alleged live filming was never explained.

The entire story never made any sense: Osama, unarmed and defended only by his unarmed wife, was murdered in cold blood by a SEAL. What in the world for? Why murder rather than capture the "terrorist mastermind" from whom endless information could have been gained? Why forgo the political fanfare of parading Osama bin Laden before the world as a captive of the American superpower?

Why were no photographs taken? Why was Osama's body dumped in the ocean? In other words, why was all the evidence destroyed and nothing saved to back up the story?

Why the fake story of Osama being given a sea burial from an aircraft carrier? Why was no media interested that the ship's crew wrote home that no such burial took place?

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According to Leigh Corfman , she was 14 when Alabama's Republican Senatorial candidate Roy Moore took her to his home in the woods, undressed her, and touched her inappropriately. "Please just get this over with. Whatever this is, just get it over", she says she pleaded of him.

Beverly Young Nelson says she was 16 when Moore gave her a ride home from work. She says he groped her and pushed her head to his crotch.

Wendy Miller was 16 when, as she said, Moore asked her out on dates. Debbie Wesson Gibson was 17. Gloria Thacker Deason says she was 18 when Moore plied her with wine, despite Alabama's legal drinking age of 19. Retired Gadsen police officer Faye Gary told The New York Times, "It was a known fact: Roy Moore liked young girls."

Roy Moore has flatly denied these accusations. He refuses to back out of the senatorial race, despite having lost the backing of a big chunk of the Republican Party , many apparently would rather see a Democrat win than Roy Moore. President Trump's own daughter Ivanka stated she believes the accusers. And if you like your stories to take a weird twist to the truly bizarre, there's also the attempt by a right-wing, anti-media company to trick The Washington Post into posting a fake news story , in order to discredit media reports about Moore.

The ongoing tidal wave of sex-abuse allegations is destroying careers left and right. Some Hollywood titans may never work again. The man who brought us Toy Story is stepping down from Pixar. Senator Al Franken even called for an investigation into his own behavior . Matt Lauer is out of a job. But somehow, a Bible 'trumping' judge from Alabama is still in the senatorial race, and with Trump's blessing. Why would anybody still back Moore, when dumping his bid for the Senate seems like the obvious moral choice? Instead Moore is still stumping like everything is just fine.

The reason appears to be the proposed right-wing revisions in federal income taxes favoring the rich. Kellyanne Conway acknowledged that Moore's victory is essential to getting the Republican tax bill passed. Trump

himself echoed that statement saying, "We don't want a liberal in there."

Let's look at that so-called tax reform that Moore is so desperately needed for according to Republicans. Among the things this "reform" repeals is tax deductions for teachers who use their own money to buy school supplies for

underfunded classrooms. Taxes on graduate students would rise as much as 400 percent in the House bill by eliminating certain tax breaks grad students now receive. First responders might lose precious state and local funding because the tax bill puts a cap on federal tax deductions for state and local taxes paid.

The proposed tax changes would also hurt the people we want working and thriving in this country, for the betterment of all citizens. Yet, for those that can afford a private jet they would get tax breaks. It's pretty easy to see that this mentality of "Who cares about the women so long as my private jet is tax deductible" is antithetical for most Americans. We're the country that supposedly values Title IX to protect our students by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity. The public is rooting out sexual abuse via social media. Most every company has a sexual harassment policy because "sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964".

The public has reacted swiftly and crushingly to allegations of sexual abuse by public figures, and harassment and rape of minors as reported in the media. That basic, inherent disgust by the public in such behavior is who we really are. We, the people are not the Roy Moore's. And while some of us might even be Ivanka, President Trump does not reflect our values.
When Erik Prince, the founder of the notorious Blackwater security firm, heads into a private meeting with staffers and members of the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday, the No. 1 topic will be a secret trip he made in January to the Seychelles islands to huddle with a Russian close to Vladimir Putin. According to the Washington Post, the rendezvous was arranged by the United Arab Emirates, where Prince moved in 2010 and formed a mercenary army for the regime, and this get-together was part of an attempt to set up a back-channel communication between Putin and Donald Trump, then the president-elect. The visit has drawn the attention of the FBI, which has been investigating contacts between Trump associates and Russia, but a Prince spokesman last April claimed the "the meeting had nothing to do with President Trump."

There is much congressional investigators can ask Prince about. He has had a long, controversial career buckraking in the dark corners of the national security world. The brother of Betsy DeVos, Trump's education secretary, Prince has been an avid cheerleader for Trump (donating $250,000 to help elect him), an informal post-election adviser for Trump, and a pal of Stephen Bannon. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, and Bannon recruited Prince earlier this year to draft a plan that would replace US troops in Afghanistan with for-profit mercenaries -- supplied, of course, by a military contractor like Prince. (The Pentagon said no thank you.) But perhaps the most important thing for Intelligence Committee members and staffers to keep in mind, as they try to pry information from Prince, is this: Prince is a fabricator.

During the election, the usually media-averse ex-Navy SEAL was a regular contributor to Breitbart News, the Bannon-backed far-right outlet, defending Trump and promoting conspiratorial swill.
Bavarian Inn's Michigan on Main Bar and Grill hosts '12 Days of Milkshake Stout'

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FRANKENMUTH, Mich. - Nov. 28 2017 - "It's the most wonderful time of the year" for craft beer lovers. Everyone will have the opportunity to sample a dozen differently flavored "Milkshake Stouts" at the Bavarian Inn Restaurant's Michigan on Main Bar and Grill from Dec. 1-12.The "12 Days of Milkshake Stout" progressive tap takeover is in partnership with the Rochester Mills Beer Co., maker of the craft beers, including the original formula known for its smooth texture and surprisingly light body. Guests may purchase a variety of Milkshake Stouts during the free admission event."Our patrons look forward to this event each holiday season," said Bavarian Inn Bar Manager Bill Chapman. "Rochester Mills produces outstanding craft beers that sell out quickly."Each evening beginning at 6 p.m., Michigan on Main will tap a keg of the individually-flavored stouts over the next 12 days until each keg runs out. In addition, representatives from Rochester Mills Beer Co. will be on hand select nights to pass out brewery swag. A gift basket will also be given away to one lucky customer during this year's event.This year's "12 Days of Milkshake Stout" limited-edition flavors, in random order, include:- Imperial-Nutcracker (hazelnut)- Chocolate Cheesecake-Christmas Roast (barrel-aged bold coffee flavor)-Chocolate Raspberry- Strawberry-Santa's Breath (peppermint)-German Chocolate Cake-Holiday Cheer (cherry and cranberry flavors)- Carrot Cake-Toasted Marshmallow-Spicy MayanMichigan on Main Bar and Grill inside the Bavarian Inn Restaurant is a casual and contemporary dining space showcasing Michigan-sourced food along with Michigan craft-brewed beers, Michigan wines and specialty Michigan cocktails.For more information, visit, or contact the Bavarian Inn Restaurant at 1-800-BAVARIA or (989) 652-9941.About Bavarian InnCelebrating 125 years of service in 2013, the Bavarian Inn Restaurant has become a Michigan landmark. Generations of diners, lodgers and tourists from around the globe have discovered true Bavarian hospitality thanks to Dorothy and her late husband William "Tiny" Zehnder. Guests experience the old-world European charm of the Bavarian Inn - whether it's the famous chicken dinners, fresh baked goods or Michigan's greatest selection of German beer. Bavarian Inn also prides itself on being one of the top consumers of Pure Michigan agricultural products. Nestled within a backdrop of authentic German architecture, a variety of shops and other fun activities, a trip to Frankenmuth would not be complete without a visit to the Bavarian Inn. Learn more atBavarian Inn online press room:713 S. Main StreetFrankenmuth, MI
New update! Recover Data from Crashed Computer System with Wondershare Data Recovery Pro

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Recently, Wondershare has released Data Recovery Pro 6.60 with numerous advanced features. One of the most evident benefits of the tool is that it allows data recovery from a crashed system as well. Its latest support with WinPE bootable media can be used to perform the data recovery operation when a Windows system is not able to boot in an ideal way. This allows its users to retrieve their content, even when the system fails to boot or malfunctions.More Details About Wondershare Data Recovery Pro 6.60Download:Recover data from crashed computer:The latest update of Wondershare Data Recovery Pro 6.60 now supports Windows Preinstallation Environment. Even though the Data Recovery Tool is available for both, Windows and Mac, the feature is dedicated for Windows systems.The tool is already used by over 5 million users the world over and is considered as one of the oldest data recovery applications with over 10 years of presence. It can recover data from FAT, NTFS, exFAT, HFS, and every major file system. Besides hard disks, it can also perform the recovery operations on USB flash drives, memory cards, and other secondary data storage units. It supports the recovery of files in over 550 different formats as well.With this latest update in Wondershare Data Recovery Pro, the tool can also be used to perform the recovery operation even when the system is not working. Following are some of the major highlights of the tool besides all the existing features. Users can create a bootable media (CD/DVD or a USB flash drive) from its interface that can later help them boot their system. The bootable media can be used to recover lost and deleted data in an emergency. If the Windows system has been crashed or cant boot, then users can insert the bootable media and start their system from the new source. Later, they can use its interactive interface to recover the data of their choice. The tool supports Windows Preinstallation Environment to provide assistance to its users.Once they have started their system from the bootable disk, users can perform a comprehensive scan for their lost content. The data recovery tool performs a quick and a deep scan that can help users retrieve their lost data. Additionally, users can also preview their data and restore it selectively.The Pro version of Wondershare Data Recovery 6.60 is now available with the support of WinPE environment. The application can be downloaded from its official website and be used to create bootable disks without any trouble.About Wondershare Data Recovery:Data Recovery is a dedicated tool developed by Wondershare Technology to make it easier for its users to restore their lost and deleted content. Compatible with all the leading Windows and Mac versions, it supports the recovery of more than 550 different file formats. Having a user-friendly interface, it is a reliable tool that is known to produce the highest success rate in the industry.Wondershare Technology is a key member of the National Planning Software Enterprises of China and a global leader in application software development. We have users in over 150 countries. Wondershare is committed to providing software that brings simplicity to people's lives.Contact: Allie CaiAdd:10/F Block D,Building 5,Shenzhen Software Industry Base,No.14 Haitian Road 2, Hi-TechPark,Nanshan District,shenzhen | Post518057E-mailmedia@wondershare.comWeb
Thomas & Solomon - Safeguarding the Rights of "Whistleblowers"

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Thomas & Solomon LLP regularly represents whistleblowers throughout the United States in qui tam lawsuits brought under the False Claims Act and other types of whistleblower laws. We represent employees who have uncovered fraud and employees who have been retaliated against as a result of reporting the wrongdoing. Many people are unaware that there are laws that reward whistleblowers for coming forward with information about fraud against the government. There are also laws that protect whistleblowers from retaliation for reporting such wrongdoing.WHISTLEBLOWER LAWYERS WITH A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESSOur attorneys have years of experience in aggressively pursuing fraud and whistleblower claims on behalf of our clients. To date, we have represented whistleblowers in False Claims Act cases that have recovered tens of millions of dollars for the government and our clients, including:Substantial whistleblower award from $64 million settlement in a mortgage fraud action against one of the largest banks in the United States.Representing a physician in a successful whistleblower action alleging that a health system improperly billed Medicare for certain emergency room services.Successful representation of a nurse who will receive a $560,000 award for blowing the whistle on a hospital using unlicensed and unqualified staff to perform mental health services, resulting in a $3.2 million settlement.Our whistleblower practice is national in scope and we have experience and excellent working relationships with prosecutors offices throughout the country. Our attorneys are also frequently asked to speak about whistleblower actions for legal education seminars and by the media.FALSE CLAIMS ACT CASESThe False Claims Act is a federal law that prohibits companies and individuals from defrauding the government. Many states (including New York) and municipalities also have their own False Claims Act statutes. Violations of the False Claims Act can result in damages three times the amount of losses to the government, plus penalties for each violation. Violations of the False Claim Act generally occur when a company or individual falsely seeks payment for fraudulent claims or services. False Claims Act cases frequently involve issues of:Medicare and Medicaid fraudMortgage fraudDefense contractor fraudProcurement fraudPharmaceutical industry fraudGrant fraudAny other type of fraud involving government fundsBRINGING A CASE UNDER THE FALSE CLAIMS ACTUnder the False Claims Acts qui tam provisions, whistleblowers can bring a lawsuit under the False Claims Act on behalf of the government. These lawsuits are filed under seal and the potential defendant does not learn of the existence of the lawsuit while the government investigates the allegations. A successful whistleblower may be entitled to 15-30% of the total amount that the government recovers in a qui tam lawsuit. These awards can often be substantial. For example, in fiscal year 2015, the awards that the United States gave to successful whistleblowers totaled $597 million.The amount to be awarded to the whistleblower depends on several factors. The attorneys at Thomas & Solomon LLP know how to present a successful case to the government, maximizing the awards given to our clients.WHO CAN BE A WHISTLEBLOWER?Almost any individual or company can be a whistleblower. While many whistleblowers are current or former employees, it is not uncommon for competitors, medical providers, or even patients to be whistleblowers. In addition to the False Claims Act, there are also SEC and IRS whistleblower programs. The lawyers at Thomas & Solomon LLP are prepared to file cases under any of these programs.CHOOSING THOMAS & SOLOMON LLP TO REPRESENT YOUChoosing a law firm to represent you in a whistleblower action is an important choice. Unlike other civil actions, qui tam actions are complex and substantial cases, requiring that very specific procedures be followed. Our attorneys have extensive experience in taking on these actions and are prepared to evaluate and litigate qui tam cases of all sizes. We have successfully resolved qui tam actions ranging from big banks to large hospital systems.Generally speaking, since only the first person that brings the fraud to the governments attention is eligible for the whistleblower award, it is extremely important to file your case as soon as possible. Signing a severance agreement or release may also impact your ability to recover as a whistleblower. Therefore, if you believe that you may have a whistleblower claim, you should contact us as soon as possible to review your situation.We will also review your situation to determine if you may have a retaliation case based on one of the many federal or state laws that protects individuals who speak up or refuse to participate in fraud by their employer. Our whistleblower protection lawyers will ensure your rights are upheld throughout your case. If you have been wrongly terminated or had adverse action taken against you for reporting fraud, we will advise you of your legal options, which may include potential compensation for lost wages and other money damages.To speak to an experienced whistleblower attorney regarding your situation and legal protections, contact us at 585-272-0540 or our toll free number 1-877-272-4066, or reach us confidentially online. We are able to take on cases throughout the United States.Thomas & Solomon LLP is an experienced employee advocate law firm with national reach and a commitment to our clients success.Thomas & Solomon LLP693 East AvenueRochester, NY 14607Phone: 585-272-0540Toll Free: 877-272-4066
Rapha Clinic of West Georgia Recipient of the Community Impact Grant

CARROLLTON, Ga. (Nov. 22, 2017)  The Rapha Clinic, a non-profit, faith-based charitable medical and dental clinic was one of the 34 non-profits to be awarded the annual Community Impact Grant by the Community Foundation of West Georgia. The Rapha Clinic, which opened in 2010, provides medical and dental care for uninsured adults in the West Georgia community."Our extraordinary thanks to the Community Foundation of West Georgia for the work they do in transforming our communities, said Jennie English, Development Director of Rapha Clinic of West Georgia. This generous grant will help us restore health and hope to our neighbors-in-need.The grant will fund Rapha Clinics Diabetes Management Program, which was implemented last year at the Bowdon location. The success of the Bowdon program spurred the Rapha Clinic to seek funding for its Temple Clinic. Because of the Community Impact Grant, the Diabetes Management program will be offered in Temple beginning January 2018.Recipients of the Community Impact Grant must demonstrate the value of the quality services they provide to a broad segment of the community, as well as include innovative strategies for fundraising and addressing local needs.###The Rapha Clinic of West Georgia is a non-profit, faith-based charitable organization providing quality medical and dental care for uninsured adults in the West Georgia community. They have locations in Temple and Bowdon.Rob Kremer4042183077CO&P Integrated Marketing500 Bishop Street, Suite F5Atlanta, GA 30318
SHELTER PETS FIND HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS

PASADENA, Calif. (November 30, 2017) - - Make a shelter pets life merrier this holiday season. Adopt your new best friend at the Pasadena Humane Society. On Thursday, December 14, Pasadena Humane joins forces with KTLA for Take 5 to Care, a day-long $5 pet adoption event.The $5 adoption fee will apply to all available pets, including dogs, cats, rabbits and other critters. Each adoption includes the spay/neuter surgery, a microchip and up-to-date vaccines for dogs and cats. After adopting, visitors can head over to the shelters retail store to pick up food and other supplies for their adopted pet. Gift certificates and gifts for pet lovers are also available.This year, we want all the animals in our care to spend the holidays in a new home, said Julie Bank, President and CEO of the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA. A huge thank you to KTLA for helping animals get adopted and for their general support of our programs, services, and events.Take 5 to Care is KTLA 5s year-round commitment to engage, educate and involve Southern California individuals and families with matters that affect the community. This year marks the third time the TV station has partnered with Pasadena Humane to increase pet adoptions around the holidays. KTLA 5 News will be broadcasting live from the Pasadena Humane Society for the morning news."We are thrilled to partner with the Pasadena Humane Society in our shared commitment to shelter pets this holiday season! What better way to celebrate the spirit of giving than to help find a forever home for every pet in need!!" said Adrianne Anderson, Vice President of Creative Services at KTLA 5.For those who would like to support PHS in other ways, consider donating to the organizations Happy Pawlidays donation drive. A list of much needed items, can be found at pasadenahumane.org/wishlist. Monetary donations can also be made at pasadenahumane.org/donate.The Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA is located at 361 S. Raymond Avenue in Pasadena, California. Adoption hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Regular adoption policies and screening apply. View adoptable animals at pasadenahumane.org.About the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCAThe Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA is a donor-supported, nonprofit organization that provides animal care and services for homeless and owned animals in the Greater Los Angeles Area. The organization is dedicated to promoting humane treatment and compassionate care for all animals. The animals in its care come from 11 animal control contract cities, as well as partner shelters across the Los Angeles area and beyond. The Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA also offers lifesaving programs and services to the community that support the human-animal bond and keep pets in homes. To learn more, visit pasadenahumane.org.Miller Geer & Associates3532 Katella Ave., Suite 110Los Alamitos, CA 90720
Analysis of China Pregnancy Products Market Industry 2022

https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/Reports/MakeSampleRequest/422

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https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/china/china_pregnancy_products_market_prospects_trends_analysis_market_size_and_forecasts_up_to_2022

Infinium Global Research has added a new report on China Pregnancy Products Market. The report predicts the market size of Pregnancy Products is expected to reach XX billion by 2022.The report on China Pregnancy Products Market is a customer intelligence and competitive study of the China market. Moreover, the report provides deep insights on demand forecasts, market trends, and, micro and macro indicators in China market. Also, factors that are driving are restraining the Pregnancy Products Market are highlighted in the study. This is an in-depth business intelligence report based on qualitative and quantitative parameters of the market. Additionally, this report provides readers with market insights and detailed analysis of market segments to possible micro levels. The companies featured in the China Pregnancy Products Market, include Blue Cross Bio-Medical (Beijing) Co.,Ltd., Bct Systems Co.,Ltd., Guangzhou Test Pharmaceutical Technology Co.,Ltd., Jining Weikang Rubber Industrial Co.,Ltd, Aofeite Medical Devices Co.,Ltd, and, others.Get a Sample Report @Segments CoveredThe report on Pregnancy Products Market provides detailed analysis of segments in the market based on Product Type, and, others.Segmentation based on Product Type Toning/Firming Lotion Body Restructuring Gel Itching Prevention Cream Stretch Mark Minimizer Itching Prevention Cream Stressed Leg Product Breast Cream OthersMake an Enquiry @Highlights of the reportReport provides detailed insights into1) Demand and supply conditions of Pregnancy Products Market2) Factor affecting the Pregnancy Products Market in the short run and the long run3) The dynamics including drivers, restraints, opportunities, political, socio economic factors, and technological factors4) Key trends and future prospects5) Leading companies operating in Pregnancy Products Market and their competitive position in the China.6) IGR Matrix: to position the product types7) Market estimates up to 2022.The report answers questions such as1) what is the market size of Pregnancy Products Market in China?2) What are the factors that affect the growth in Pregnancy Products Market over the forecast period?3) What is the competitive position in China Pregnancy Products Market?4) What are the opportunities in China Pregnancy Products Market?5) What are the modes of entering China Pregnancy Products Market?Key topics covered:1. Report Overview2. Executive Summary3. Overview4. China Pregnancy Products Market by Product Type5. Company ProfilesClick to View Complete Report @Infinium Global Research and Consulting Solutions is started with a single motto of being business partner of first choice.Infinium Global Research,Bhau Patil Road,Pune, MH 4110 20Toll Free:U.S. + Canada: 1-800-638-0796,UK: +44-2033182010sales@infiniumglobalresearch.comskype: Infiniumglobalresearch
Variable Frequency Drive Market 2017 Growth Rate, Business Strategy, Key Players, Emerging Technologies and Trends by Forecast 2022

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https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/variable-frequency-drive-market-2440

Market HighlightsThe factor which drives the growth of variable frequency drive market is increase in urbanization and industrialization in developing countries. Other factors driving the growth of these market are regulation on efficiency of energy, growing trends in industrial automation, efficient utilization of energy and increase in construction activities, power transmission & distribution. The utilization of VFDs, also results in the reduction of production cost, ultimately leading to the growth of these market. The growth of VFDs is also attributed by the increase of infrastructure activities such as construction of hospitals and educational institutions. The reduction in the operating cost of energy industry also results in the growth of this market.The report has been analyzed based on types, applications, end-user and regions. On the basis of type, AC drives is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period due to higher demand for AC drives and less requirement of maintenance. They are extensively used in heavy industries such as metals and mining, power generation, oil & gas, which has led to the growth of these segment. Based on applications, pumps segment is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period due to the rapid increase in the industrial activities and the growth of the construction sector. On the basis of end-user, infrastructure segment is expected to dominate the market because VFDs are mainly used in infrastructure activities. The overall variable frequency drive market is expected to grow due to the growth in the infrastructure activities in Asia-Pacific.Global Variable Frequency Drive Market is predicted to grow at approximately 6% by 2022Request a Sample Copy @Key PlayersThe key players of global variable frequency drive market are ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Siemens AG (Germany), Rockwell Automation, Inc. (U.S.), WEG (Brazil), Yaskawa Electric Corporation (Japan), Eaton Corporation Plc. (Ireland), General Electric (U.S.), Emerson Electric Co. (U.S.), Hitachi, Ltd. (Japan), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan).Asia-Pacific accounts for the highest market shareThe Asia-Pacific accounts for the highest market share during the forecast period because the region is leading in infrastructure and industrial sector. Energy industries are adopting these drives in order to reduce the energy consumption and reduce the emission of CO2. In Middle East and Africa, the growth in the construction industry have resulted in the growth of these market. Europe is expected to grow during the forecast period, due to the rise in automotive industry.Market Research AnalysisThe market is highly based on applications. Pumps segment is expected to dominate the variable frequency drive market due to the rapid increase in the industrial activities and growing construction sector. The growing oil & gas production in U.S. and Middle East have also resulted in the growth of these markets. In Asia-Pacific, there has been increase in demand for the use of pumps, due to which the market is expected to grow during the forecast period.The factors contributing to the growth of variable frequency drive market are increase in urbanization and industrialization in developing countries, efficient utilization of energy, increase in construction activities, power transmission and reduction in the cost of production if VFDs.The restraint in the growth of global variable frequency drive market is the decrease in Greenfield investment of VFD which will lead to decrease in the profit.Enquire about this Report @Table of Content1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope Of The Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market Size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Global Variable Frequency Drive Market, By Type4.1 AC4.2 DC4.3 Servo5 Global Variable Frequency Drive Market, By Application5.1 Introduction5.2 Mobile Fueling Systems5.3 Transport Fuel5.4 OthersList of TablesTable 1 Global Variable Frequency Drive Market, By TypeTable 2 Global Variable Frequency Drive Market, By ApplicationTable 3 Global Variable Frequency Drive Market, By End-UserTable 4 Global Variable Frequency Drive Market, By RegionsTable 5 North America Variable Frequency Drive Market, By TypeTable 6 North America Variable Frequency Drive Market, By ApplicationTable 7 North America Variable Frequency Drive Market, By End-UserTable 8 U.S. Variable Frequency Drive Market, By TypeTable 9 U.S. Variable Frequency Drive Market, By ApplicationTable 10 U.S. Variable Frequency Drive Market, By End-UserContinue.List of FiguresFigure 1 Research TypeFigure 2 Global Variable Frequency Drive Market: By Type (%)Figure 3 Global Variable Frequency Drive Market: By Application (%)Figure 4 Global Variable Frequency Drive Market: By End-User (%)Figure 5 Global Variable Frequency Drive Market: By RegionFigure 6 North America Variable Frequency Drive Market, By Type (%)Figure 7 North America Variable Frequency Drive Market, By Application (%)Figure 8 North America Variable Frequency Drive Market, By End-User (%)Figure 9 North America Variable Frequency Drive Market, By Countries (%)Figure 10 Europe Variable Frequency Drive Market, By Type (%)ContinueBrowse Full Report Details @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Botulinum Toxin Market - Industry Analysis,Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025

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Global Botulinum Toxin Market: SnapshotBotulinum toxin, known to the mankind as one of the most poisonous biological substances, is a neurotoxin produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Clostridium botulinum, the gram-positive, anaerobic, spore-forming bacteria commonly found in water, soil, on plants, and the intestinal tracts of animals can be elaborated into eight exotoxins, all interfering with the process of neural transmission and causing muscle paralysis.From the earliest recorded uses of the toxin for the management of strabismus in humans to being approved for the treatment of a number of spasticity-related conditions, it has now started witnessing demand across nearly all important sub-specialties of the medicine sector. It was approved by the FDA in 2002 for the cosmetic application of decreasing glabeller forehead frown lines temporarily.Ever since, botulinum toxins continue to play a key role in the management of a wide range of medical conditions, especially hemifacial spasm, focal dystonias and strabismus, several spastic movement disorders, hyperhidrosis, hypersalivation, headaches, and certain chronic diseases that only partially respond to medical treatments. The set of potential new indications treatable by botulinum toxins is expanding at a rapid pace.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Cosmetological applications, one of the most popular and profitable applications of botulinum toxins, include correction of creases, fine lines, and wrinkles over the face, neck, chin, and chest. Dermatological applications of the toxin, including hyperhidrosis, are also gaining increased popularity, chiefly as botulinum toxin injections are often well tolerated and lead to few side effects.Global Botulinum Toxin Market: OverviewThe international botulinum toxin (BNT) market is gigantically advantaged by the soaring number of applications for different purposes. A recent study has revealed that BNT can be used for benefitting patients with shoulder disorders such as those who undergo rotator cuff surgery. BNT in the form of onabotulinum toxin A (OnabotA) is licensed in several countries such as Korea to help with neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) induced urinary incontinence attributable to multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury.The world BNT market could be segregated as per two key classifications, i.e. product type and end use. Maintaining a promising share in the global market, botulinum toxin type A (BNTA) is envisioned to be a faster growing product with applications in both aesthetic and therapeutic fronts.Request TOC of the Report @The report on the global BNT market has been compiled after taking comprehensive efforts to gather vital insights for procuring future growth prospects, opportunities to rise against the odds, and data related to the current and future competitive scenario.Global Botulinum Toxin Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe aesthetic classification by type of end use is prognosticated to make a positive difference in the overall BNT market with a record share registered in 2015. BNT finds application in the treatment of glabellar lines, crows feet, and frown lines. As a result, it has received a significant demand in terms of primary cosmetic application for controlling aging signs and enhancing facial appearance.Since BNT is a neurotoxin, the lackluster in the adoption of neurotoxins could raise questions on the demand in the global BNT market. The market growth could be further hindered with substandard reimbursement coverage on few products and extortionate treatment procedures. Moreover, shortness of breath and allergic reactions are some of the side effects witnessed on the part of neurotoxins.Get Discount @However, a substantial number of BNT applications is expected to birth in the near future on account of large investments in research and development projects. The demand for BNT is anticipated to augment even more with the increase in demand for non-invasive and minimally invasive treatments. Vendors can also keep their hopes alive during any turmoil in the market with the escalation of geriatric population.The therapeutic use of BNT is predicted to see a constant rise owing to the growing application of botulinum toxin B (BNTB) in the treatment of cervical dystonia and Xeomin and Dysport products for hyperhidrosis and blepharospasm.Global Botulinum Toxin Market: Regional OutlookAsia Pacific is analyzed to possess the potential to rise as a reliable geographical segment to bet the bottom dollar on. The demand in the Asia Pacific BNT market is envisaged to aggravate as players ride on the growing aged population and their need for anti-aging products. Besides augmenting disposable income, vendors in the Asia Pacific region could heavily benefit from the hot social awareness about commercial anti-aging products in countries such as Japan, China, and India.Having won the crown of dominant growth in 2015, North America is expected to raise the growth bar once again on the back of the elevating BNT demand for improving external appearances and other aesthetic reasons.Global Botulinum Toxin Market: Companies MentionedConsidering their influence in the world BNT market on the basis of commercial availability and brand identity, companies such as Merz Pharma GmbH and Co. KgaA, Ipsen Group, Allergan, Inc., US Worldmeds, LLC, and Medytox, Inc. are predicted to top the list of best global players. These players are foreseen to take advantage of the colossal adoption of BNT on account of tangible benefits such as speedy healing of wounds, shorter stay in the hospital, and small incision.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Nano-Enabled Packaging Market Industry Analysis, Growth, Size, Manufacturers, and Forecast to 2020

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According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research Global Market Study on Nano-Enabled Packaging For Food and Beverages: Intelligent Packaging to Witness Highest Growth by 2020, the global nano enabled packaging market for food and beverages industry was worth USD 6.5 billion in 2013 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.7% during 2014 to 2020, to reach an estimated value of USD 15.0 billion in 2020.The global progress in technologies is making lives simpler and safer. Nanotechnology is one such field which is dynamically progressing and is contributing to the development of several industries, including food and beverages packaging. Nano-enabled packaging gives longer shelf life to food and beverages as compared to traditional plastic packaging. Food and beverages packaging is done through two different technologies under nano-enabled packaging-active and intelligent packaging. Active packaging has a comparatively larger market than intelligent packaging.Request Sample:Intelligent packaging is growing at a faster rate as compared to the active packaging. Customers prefer traceable food and beverages packaging, since it offers information such as expiry date and best use period, present state of the consumables. The radio frequency identification (RFID) tags keep customers informed about the state of the food within the packaging. Intelligent packaging is mostly used for fruits and vegetables, meat products, and beverages. Stricter regulations associated with active packaging have been stimulating the use of intelligent packaging in Europe and North America.Intelligent packaging in the U.S. is growing mainly due to the increasing demand for fresh fruits and vegetables. Americans are shifting their breakfast preference from junk foods to fresh alternatives. The U.S. is one of the largest producers and exporters of cherries globally. With the ease in trade regulations, fruit exports of the U.S. have increased. In September 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that after ten years of negotiations, U.S. cherries can be exported to Western Australia, one of the most important markets for cherries. The increasing demand for intelligent packaging in international trade (especially in fruits) is laying out opportunities for this technology in food packaging.Download TOC:The Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) proposed by FDA in 2011 is another growth indicator for intelligent packaging wherein the fresh produce, including fruits and vegetables, are required to be scientifically grown, harvested, packaged, and stored. The farm products that come in the acts domain are lettuce, spinach, cantaloupe, tomatoes, sprouts, mushrooms, onions, peppers, cabbage, citrus produce, strawberries, and walnuts.Nano-enabled packaging finds its application in several industries, including bakery, meat, beverages, fruit and vegetables, prepared foods, and others. The increasing demand for meat products, beverages, vegetables, and prepared foods is expected to drive their respective nano-enabled packaging markets, while the market share of bakery products is expected to decline on account of the rapid growth of other application segments.Nanotechnology is at a nascent stage and, therefore, usage of nano-enabled packaging is low in the food and beverages industry. Limited numbers of buyers have more leverage to negotiate with nanotechnology companies. On the other hand, there is a plethora of companies providing nano-enabled packaging solutions to the food and beverages industry.Nano-enabled packaging market for food and beverage is very competitive with a large number of players offering an array of patented products. The major players in this industry include Amcor Limited, Bemis Company, Inc., Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, L.L.C., Klockner Pentaplast, Sealed Air, and Tetra Pak International S.A.Latest Report:Dairy Nutritional And Nutraceutical Ingredients MarketKrill Oil MarketApple Fruit Concentrate MarketPersistence 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.305 Broadway,7th FloorNew York City, NY 10007United States+1-646-568-7751+1 800-961-0353 (USA-Canada Toll free)Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWebsite:
China Dental Consumables Market to grow at a CAGR of 7.27% during 2017-2021 - 3M, Danaher, Dentsply Sirona, GC Corporation, Institut Straumann

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Dental consumables are products or materials that are used to carry out tooth restoration and treat dental impairments and associated gingival tissues and structures. Dental consumables are used in almost all the branches of dentistry. Dental consumables include dental sundries and small equipment that are used to treat patients. Dental sundries include dental anesthetics, dental sealants, prophylaxis paste, impression materials, restorative materials, teeth whiteners, orthodontic appliances, and topical fluoride. There are several types of dental products such as dental implants, crowns and bridges, orthodontics, periodontics, endodontics, and dental biomaterials.The dental consumables market in China to grow at a CAGR of 7.27% during the period 2017-2021. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the dental consumables market in China for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from the sales of dental consumables in China.Click to get Sample PDF:Technavio's report, Dental Consumables Market in China 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors- 3M- Danaher- Dentsply Sirona- GC Corporation- Institut StraumannView Complete TOC with Tables and Figures at:Other prominent vendors- Amann Girrbach- COLTENE- Den-Mat Holdings- DENTAURUM- Heraeus Kulzer- Kohler Medizintechnik- Power Dental USA- Shofu Dental- Ultradent Products- VITA Zahnfabrik- Young Innovations- Zhermack- Zimmer-Biomet- Z irconzahn- ZublerMarket driver- Increasing incidence of oral issues and dental disorders- For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge- Challenges associated with dental implants- For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this report- What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?- What are the key market trends?- What is driving this market?- What are the challenges to market growth?- Who are the key vendors in this market space?ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:
Clinical Microbiology Market - Trends, Share,Growth & Forecast upto 2025

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Global Clinical Microbiology Market: SnapshotClinical microbiology, the adaptation of microbiological techniques to analyze the etiological agents that lead to the development of infectious disease, is the medical sub-specialty that explores the nature of the infectious condition and studies the ability of antibiotics to kill or inhibit the isolated microorganisms. The sector is gaining increased focus across the globe owing chiefly to the vast rise in infectious conditions, the alarming adaptability of microbes to changing environments, and the rising threat of contracting bacterial pathogens that are resistant to commonly used antibiotics.The rising number of diseases caused by pathogenic infections is fueling research and development activities in the field of clinical microbiology. The trend is expected to remain strong over the next few years as well, with an increasing number of medicine companies already entering or willing to enter the field with the help of their clinical solutions for use across numerous sectors of clinical microbiology. Automation is increasingly gaining a larger and more prominent role in the sector and is expected to help reduce the time required to undertake a number of processes and improve the efficiency of results.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Technological advancements in monitoring equipment are allowing more exhaustive analysis of microbes and leading the field of clinical microbiology towards a healthy growth path. This report includes the most current market data related to clinical diagnosis of animal and human infections and the present and potential future role of laboratories in both the management of infectious diseases and analysis of the epidemiology of infections.Global Clinical Microbiology Market: OverviewThe intercontinental clinical microbiology market is envisioned to be pampered by a wide spectrum of opportunities in different applications such as the identification of diseases caused by pathogens with the help of laboratory services. Class A carbapenemase, a group of causative agents of clinical infections, is proliferating rapidly and has augmented the need for determining carbapenemase genes through clinical microbiology. In order to address this need, Cepheid, Inc. introduced Xpert Carba-R, a diagnostic assay, which was sanctioned by the U.S. FDA in 2016.Request TOC of the Report @The global clinical microbiology market could be segmented considering disease, application, and product as significant parameters. With the rise in targeted diseases and swelling geriatric population, the disease segment could see a handsome growth.This report on the world clinical microbiology market can be used as a guideline to operate in the industry as a winning player. Vital aspects of the market such as opportunities, restraints, and growth factors are analyzed in a radical manner to help gain a paramount insight into the clinical microbiology industry.Global Clinical Microbiology Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe world clinical microbiology market could acquire growth at a stallion pace in the wake of the need to keep a tight rein on human errors during the manual processing of samples in research projects. In this regard, the automation of clinical systems could be demanded at a brisk rate. This demand is foretold to also gain increased support from the need to maintain constancy in manual processing.Get Discount @Having pulled in a kings share in the global clinical microbiology market in 2015, reagents are foreseen to earn more revenue while riding on the hike in purchases and aggravating penetration due to the demand from therapeutic and analytic research projects.The towering degree of the prevalence of respiratory maladies in emerging as well as developed nations could intensify the demand in the international clinical microbiology market. This can be attributed to the soaring levels of air pollution because of meteoric industrialization.Global Clinical Microbiology Market: Regional OutlookThe North America clinical microbiology market is prognosticated to get help from the existence of leviathan companies and hard and fast regulatory structures. An interesting part of the geographical analysis is the expectation on the part of the Europe market to maintain a close proximity with North America in terms of growth. However, North America secured a stupendous share in the global clinical microbiology market in 2015. The region is anticipated to stimulate high adoption of clinical microbial methodologies with the higher development of healthcare and industrial domains in countries such as the U.S.Besides China, Japan is expected to promise a faster growth in the Asia Pacific clinical microbiology market on the back of aggressive microbial testing application in a variety of fields. The august technological buildout in Japan cannot be sidelined when considering this market on the basis of demand. A countable number of top companies in the market are looking to relocate their major manufacturing outlets to Asia Pacific. This is due to the quantum leaps in building sophisticated manufacturing infrastructure and large availability of skilled labor at low cost in the region.Global Clinical Microbiology Market: Companies MentionedAs a result of their pacey progress in research and development and introduction of automated laboratory systems, the giant players in the international clinical microbiology market have won the trump card of being the first movers. There are only a few names competing at worldwide level, viz. Bruker Corporation, Danaher Corporation, Cepheid Inc., and bioMerieux S.A. Howbeit, the contest is predicted to be escalated by the entry of new faces in the global market. Of these are Hologic Inc., Becton Dickinson & Company, Alere Inc., and Roche Diagnostics.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Aerospace Composites Market Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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"The Report Aerospace Composites Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"Global Aerospace Composites Market: OverviewAerospace composites are the composite material systems which find applications in the aviation industry due to their key chemical and mechanical properties. The composite materials commonly used in the aerospace industry are carbon fiber composites, glass fiber composites and aramid fiber composites. Application segments of global aerospace composites include commercial & business aircraft, helicopters, military and space. Carbon fiber composites are the commonly used composite material in the aerospace industry due to high fuel efficiency and low carbon emission. Increasing air passenger traffic, emerging economies and growing number of low cost carriers are expected to boost the market. Recent trend of spending heavily on military and space programs are expected to fuel the growth of the aerospace market in near future.In-depth interviews and discussions with a wide range of key opinion leaders and industry participants were conducted to compile this research report. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. Key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents were reviewed for competitive analysis and market understanding. This helped in validating and strengthening secondary research findings. Primary research further helped in developing the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.View Report @Global Aerospace Composites Market: Scope of the ReportThe report estimates and forecasts the aerospace composites market on the global, regional, and country levels. The study provides forecast between 2016 and 2024 based on volume (Tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) with 2015 as the base year. The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis for each of the product segments. It provides a comprehensive view of the market. Value chain analysis also offers detailed information about value addition at each stage. The study includes drivers and restraints for the aerospace composites market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. The study also provides key market indicators affecting the growth of the market. The report analyzes opportunities in the aerospace composites market on the global and regional level. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities mentioned in the report are justified through quantitative and qualitative data. These have been verified through primary and secondary resources. Furthermore, the report analyzes global average price trend analysis of aerospace composites.The report includes Porters Five Forces Model to determine the degree of competition in the aerospace composites market. The report comprises a qualitative write-up on market attractiveness analysis, wherein application and countries have been analyzed based on attractiveness for each region. Growth rate, market size, raw material availability, profit margin, impact strength, technology, competition, and other factors (such as environmental and legal) have been evaluated in order to derive the general attractiveness of the market. The report comprises price trend analysis for aerospace composites between 2016 and 2024.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @Global Aerospace Composites Market: Key SegmentsThe study provides a comprehensive view of the aerospace composites market by dividing it into product type, application and geography. The aerospace composites market has been segmented into carbon fiber composites, glass fiber composites, aramid fiber composites and others. Application segments have been analyzed based on commercial & business aircraft, military, helicopters and space .The aerospace composites market has been estimated in terms of volume (Tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) between 2016 and 2024.Companies Mentioned in ReportThe report covers detailed competitive outlook that includes market share and profiles of key players operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Cytec Solvay Group, Hexcel Corporation, Koninklijke TenCate, Toray Industries Inc., BASF SE, SGL-The Carbon Company. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, number of employees, brand overview, key competitors, business overview, business strategies, recent/key developments, acquisitions, and financial overview (wherever applicable).Secondary research sources that were typically referred to include, but were not limited to company websites, financial reports, annual reports, investor presentations, broker reports, and SEC filings. Other sources such as internal and external proprietary databases, statistical databases and market reports, news articles, national government documents, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market have also been referred for the report.Send An Enquiry Request @The global aerospace composites market has been segmented as follows:Aerospace Composites Market Product Type AnalysisCarbon Fiber CompositesGlass Fiber CompositesAramid Fiber CompositesOthersAerospace Composites Market Application Type AnalysisCommercial & Business AircraftMilitaryHelicoptersSpaceAerospace Composites Market Regional AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyFranceU.K.ItalySpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaJapanASEANRest of Asia PacificMiddle East & AfricaGCCSouth AfricaRest of Middle East & AfricaLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaTable of Contents1. Preface1.1. Report Scope and Market Segmentation1.2. Research Objectives2. Assumptions and Research Methodology2.1. Assumptions and Acronyms Used2.2. Research Methodology3. Executive Summary3.1. Market Size, Indicative (US$ Bn)3.2. Top 3 Trends4. Market Overview4.1. Product Overview4.2. Key Industry Developments4.3. Market Indicators5. Market Dynamics5.1. Drivers and Restraints Snapshot Analysis5.1.1. Drivers5.1.2. Restraints5.1.3. Opportunity Analysis5.1.4. Opportunities5.2. Global Aerospace Composites Market Analysis and Forecasts5.3. Porters Analysis5.3.1. Threat of Substitutes5.3.2. Bargaining Power of Buyers5.3.3. Bargaining Power of Suppliers5.3.4. Threat of New Entrants5.3.5. Degree of Competition5.4. Value Chain Analysis6. Global Aerospace Composites Market Value Share Analysis, by Product6.1. Key Findings6.2. Introduction6.2.1. Carbon Fiber Composites6.2.2. Glass Fiber Composites6.2.3. Aramid Fiber Composites6.2.4. Others6.3. Product Comparison6.4. Global Aerospace Composites Market Volume Share Analysis, by Product6.5. Global Aerospace Composites Market Forecast, by Product6.6. Global Aerospace Composites Market Analysis, by Product6.7. Global Aerospace Composites Market Attractiveness Analysis, by Product6.8. Key TrendsMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Mr. NachiketaState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Nov 30, 2017: Tension Controllers Market Forecast 2023 ABB, Nireco, Dover Flexo Electronics

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Tension Controllers Market Research 2017A market study  Global Tension Controllers Market  examines the performance of the Tension Controllers market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Tension Controllers market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Tension Controllers market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Tension Controllers Market 2017 report includes Tension Controllers market Revenue, market Share, Tension Controllers industry volume, market Trends, Tension Controllers Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Tension Controllers Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Tension Controllers Market 2017 : ABB Nireco Dover Flexo Electronics (DFE) FMS Technology Maxcess International Alteem Nexen Group Baldor Motion ALTEC Mitsubishi Deacro IndustriesFirstly, the report covers the top Tension Controllers manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Tension Controllers report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Tension Controllers industry, Tension Controllers industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Tension Controllers Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Tension Controllers research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Tension Controllers market revenue worldwide.Finally, Tension Controllers market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@spiremarketresearch.com
Nov 30, 2017: Tertiary Amine Market Forecast 2023 Albemarle Corporation, Klk Oleo

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Tertiary Amine Market Research 2017A market study  Global Tertiary Amine Market  examines the performance of the Tertiary Amine market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Tertiary Amine market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Tertiary Amine market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Tertiary Amine Market 2017 report includes Tertiary Amine market Revenue, market Share, Tertiary Amine industry volume, market Trends, Tertiary Amine Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Tertiary Amine Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Tertiary Amine Market 2017 : Albemarle Corporation Klk Oleo Kao Group Eastman Tenghui Oil Chem Dawei Chem Solvay LonzaFirstly, the report covers the top Tertiary Amine manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Tertiary Amine report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Tertiary Amine industry, Tertiary Amine industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Tertiary Amine Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Tertiary Amine research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Tertiary Amine market revenue worldwide.Finally, Tertiary Amine market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@spiremarketresearch.com
Global Frozen Desserts Market to grow at a CAGR of 10.68% during 2017-2021 - General Mills, Nestle, Unilever, Wells Enterprises

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The global packaged food market is currently growing at a high rate as consumers across the globe are getting inclined toward packaged food that is easy to cook and consume, convenient to handle, and safe from external tampering. Factors like changing lifestyles, convenience of consumption, and increased health awareness are the main factors driving the growth of the market. Changing lifestyle is opening new opportunities for packaged food manufacturers. For instance, within last few years, consumers have started considering breakfast as an important meal of the day, and this widespread emphasis of consumers on breakfast is driving the growth of the packaged food industry.The global frozen desserts market to grow at a CAGR of 10.68% during the period 2017-2021. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global frozen desserts market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the retail selling price as the average selling price of the product.Frozen dessert is a product obtained by freezing:- Liquids- Semi-solids- Sometimes even solidsClick to get Sample PDF:The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:- Americas- APAC- EMEATechnavio's report, Global frozen desserts market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.View Complete TOC with Tables and Figures at:Key vendors- General Mills- Nestl- Unilever- Wells EnterprisesOther prominent vendors- Andy's Frozen Custard- Ben & Jerry's- Chapman's- Ciao Bella- Dean Foods- Edward's (HERSHEYS)- Graeters- Kemps- Metropolitan Ice Cream- Mother Hens Healthy Food- Orange Leaf- PEPPERIDGE FARM- PIERRE'S ICE CREAM COMPANY- PRAIRIE FARMS DAIRY- Red Mango- Sara Lee (Hillshire Brands)- SHERBUZZ- So Delicious Dairy Free- Stonyfield Farm- Talenti Gelato e Sorbetto...........Key questions answered in this report- What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?- What are the key market trends?- What is driving this market?- What are the challenges to market growth?- Who are the key vendors in this market space?ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:
Ballast Water Management 2017 Global Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 31.43% and Forecast to 2021

Ballast Water Management Market

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Global Ballast Water Management MarketDescriptionWiseGuyReports.Com adds Global Ballast Water Management Market 2017-2021 Research To Its Database.Marine vessels take seawater onboard for stability; this water has a distinct marine environment signature with indigenous aquatic microbes and marine life. This ballast water, if released untreated at the vessel's new destination, may disrupt the local ecosystem. Ballast water management aims at reducing the harmful effects of ballast water disposal. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted a convention for the control, management, and sedimentation of ballast water on February 2004.The analysts forecast the global ballast water management market to grow at a CAGR of 31.43% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global ballast water management market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers new installations and retrofit market.Get sample Report @The market is divided into the following segments based on geography: Americas APAC EMEAThe Global Ballast Water Management Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors ALFA LAVAL GEA Group Hitachi Veolia Water Technologies WartsilaOther prominent vendors atg UV Technology Azienda Chimica Genovese Calgon Carbon Corporation Ecochlor Evoqua Water Technologies Headway Technology and Services Hyde Marine JFE ENGINEERING Kadalneer Technologies Kalf Engineering NK Optimarin Panasonic Environmental Systems & Engineering Samsung Heavy Industries TECHCROSS Trojan Technologies XylemMarket driver Growing popularity of leisure cruising For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge High cost of implementation For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend Business collaborations to streamline operations For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this report What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be? What are the key market trends? What is driving this market? What are the challenges to market growth? Who are the key vendors in this market space? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Enquiry About Report @Table of Contents -Major Key PointsPART 01: Executive summaryPART 02: Scope of the reportPART 03: Research MethodologyPART 04: Introduction Global ballast water management marketPART 05: Market landscape Market overview Market size and forecast Five forces analysisPART 06: Market segmentation by technology Global ballast water management market by technology Ultraviolet light technology Electrolysis/electrochlorination technology Advanced oxidation technologyPART 07: Geographical segmentation Global ballast water management market by geography EMEA APAC AmericasPART 08: Decision frameworkPART 09: Drivers and challenges Market drivers Market challengesPART 10: Market trends Business collaborations to streamline operations Financing of ballast water management systems Increasing R&D activities in ballast water technologiesPART 11: Vendor landscape Competitive landscape Other prominent vendorsPART 12: Key vendor analysis ALFA LAVAL GEA Group Hitachi Veolia Water Technologies Wartsila..CONTINUEDAbout UsWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, Industry research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)
Embedded Non-volatile Memory (eNVM) Market - Future Market with Current Trend Analysis upto 2025

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Global Embedded Non-volatile Memory (eNVM) Market: SnapshotEmbedded non-volatile memories (eNVMs) form a key part of modern embedded systems and offer greater flexibility in the design of electronics systems compared to stand-alone flash memories. They essentially provide in-system re-programmability and help expedite time-to-market. The soaring demand for increased memory density and better logic circuitry and the need for higher reliability of embedded systems are some of the key factors propelling the demand for eNVMs. In addition, the demand for low-power and low-voltage electronics applications has catalyzed the embedded non-volatile memory market. Some of the most common eNVMs are eOTP, eFuse, eMTP, eE2 PROM and eFlash. Key functionalities of embedded non-volatile memories in manufacturing electronic products include trimming, data encryption, coding, and programming. Leading players are developing different electronics using next-generation NVMS featuring the combination of programmability and memory density. While eFlash, eE2PROM, and eMTP offers the flexibility of multiple programmabilility, eFuse and eOTP can typically be programmed only once.Request Sample Copy of the Report @There is a growing demand for eFlash and eE2PROM technologies for a variety of high-density embedded applications, especially smart cards and SIM cards. The growing popularity of IoTs, wearable, and smart consumer products is anticipated to accentuate the embedded non-volatile memory market across developing and developed regions. The availability off-the-shelf file system software by several vendors help developers implement eNVMs. Prominent foundries such as Samsung, TSMC, GlobalFoundries, SMIC, and UMC are actively focused on developing eNVMs products for various embedded microcontrollers (MCUs). Some of the recent eNVM technologies being developed are MRAM and RRAM technology, which is expected to strengthen their presence in the embedded non-volatile memory market.Global Embedded Non-volatile Memory (eNVM) Market: OverviewEmbedded non-volatile memory is characterized by a small-sized chip, which is widely used in diverse applications of embedded system. It is primarily used in SIM card, smart card, microcontrollers, display driver IC, and PMIC for several purposes such as data encryption, trimming, programming, identification, redundancy, and coding.Request TOC of the Report @The research study on the global embedded non-volatile memory market provided a detailed analysis, emphasizing on several factors that are anticipated to influence the growth of the market in the near future. In addition, the key segmentation and the competitive landscape of the global market have been included in the scope of the study to provide a clear picture of the market.Global Embedded Non-volatile Memory (eNVM) Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe global embedded non-volatile memory market is growing at a progressive rate. The rising penetration of IoT-based services and devices, especially in emerging economies is estimated to encourage the growth of the global market in the next few years. In addition, the increasing need for ubiquitous connectivity demand for a rapid rate of deployment of power consuming and inexpensive products, which is likely to supplement the growth of the global embedded non-volatile memory market in the near future. The proliferation of IoT-based devices is predicted to boost the demand for innovative products in the forecast period.Get Discount @The global market for embedded non-volatile memory is projected to face several barriers in the coming few years, which is likely to hamper the growth of the market in the near future. Several promising opportunities and latest trends in the global market have been included in the scope of the study.Global Embedded Non-volatile Memory (eNVM) Market: Region-wise OutlookIn the last few years, the Asia Pacific market for embedded non-volatile memory led the global market and is expected to remain in the dominating position throughout the forecast period. According to the study, this region is predicted to register a healthy growth rate and a key share of the global market in the forecast period. The rising demand from a large number of companies dealing in manufacturing of IoT-based devices is the key factor expected to encourage the growth of the Asia Pacific market in the next few years.Furthermore, North America is anticipated to witness significant growth in the coming years, thanks to the presence of several prominent manufacturers in this region. In addition, the growing focus on innovations and new product development, along with a significant rise in the expenditure by prominent players are estimated to fuel the growth of the embedded non-volatile memory market in North America across the forecast period.Key Players Mentioned in the Research Report are:Some of the key players operating in the embedded non-volatile memory market across the globe are GlobalFoundries, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), United Microcontroller Corporation (UMC), HHGrace, eMemory Technology Inc., and Kilopass. In order to create a brand name and enhance the market presence, the key players are focusing on technological advancements and research and development activities. In addition, the growing number of mergers and acquisition is estimated to supplement the growth of the market in the near future.Furthermore, the key manufacturers in the global market are also focusing on scaling down the semiconductors side, which will significantly help in reducing cost and increasing efficiency of products. The key policies and strategies that are being used by the leading players have been included in the study to offer a clear understanding of the overall market in the near future. In addition, detailed profiles of these players have been listed in the report.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Aerated Brick 2017 Global Industry Key Players - Renacon , Eco Green , Brickwell , Buildmate , Anjali Exim , Neolite Buildcon Pvt. , Ecolite Market Analysis and Forecast to 2022

World Aerated Brick Market

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World Aerated Brick MarketExecutive SummaryAerated Brick market research report provides the newest industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability.The industry report lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors influencing the market.The report includes the forecasts, Analysis and discussion of important industry trends, market size, market share estimates and profiles of the leading industry Players.Request a Sample Report @The Players mentioned in our reportRenaconEco GreenBrickwellBuildmateAnjali EximNeolite Buildcon Pvt.EcoliteBiltechPrimeMagicreteGlobal Aerated Brick Market: Application Segment AnalysisConstructionHeat preservationGlobal Aerated Brick Market: Regional Segment AnalysisUSAEuropeJapanChinaIndiaSouth East AsiaEnquiry for buying report@Table of Content-Key Points CoveredChapter 1 About the Aerated Brick Industry1.1 Industry Definition and Types1.2 Main Market Activities1.3 Similar Industries1.4 Industry at a GlanceChapter 2 World Market Competition Landscape2.1 Aerated Brick Markets by Regions2.1.1 USAMarket Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2012-2022Sales and Growth Rate 2012-2022Major Players Revenue (M USD) in 20172.1.2 EuropeMarket Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2012-2022Sales and Growth Rate 2012-2022Major Players Revenue (M USD) in 20172.1.3 ChinaMarket Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2012-2022Sales and Growth Rate 2012-2022Major Players Revenue (M USD) in 20172.1.4 IndiaMarket Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2012-2022Sales and Growth Rate 2012-2022Major Players Revenue (M USD) in 20172.1.5 JapanMarket Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2012-2022Sales and Growth Rate 2012-2022Major Players Revenue (M USD) in 20172.1.6 South East AsiaMarket Revenue (M USD) and Growth Rate 2012-2022Sales and Growth Rate 2012-2022Major Players Revenue (M USD) in 20172.2 World Aerated Brick Market by Types2.3 World Aerated Brick Market by ApplicationsConstructionHeat preservation2.4 World Aerated Brick Market Analysis2.4.1 World Aerated Brick Market Revenue and Growth Rate 2012-20172.4.2 World Aerated Brick Market Consumption and Growth rate 2012-20172.4.3 World Aerated Brick Market Price Analysis 2012-2017Chapter 3 World Aerated Brick Market share3.1 Major Production Market share by Players3.2 Major Revenue (M USD) Market share by Players3.3 Major Production Market share by Regions in 2017, Through 20223.4 Major Revenue (M USD) Market share By Regions in 2017, Through 2022Chapter 4 Supply Chain Analysis4.1 Industry Supply chain Analysis4.2 Raw material Market Analysis4.2.1 Raw material Prices Analysis 2012-20174.2.2 Raw material Supply Market Analysis4.2 Manufacturing Equipment Suppliers Analysis4.3 Production Process Analysis4.4 Production Cost Structure Benchmarks4.5 End users Market AnalysisContinued.Buy Report@Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Operational Analytics Market Is Expected To Profits by 2017 - 2025

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Global Operational Analytics Market: SnapshotThe global operational analytics market is prognosticated to showcase a high potential for growth in the forthcoming years on the back of decisive factors such as the dominating advent of Internet of things (IoT)-enabled devices. The growth of the global operational analytics market could be on account of the rise in demand for cloud-based arrangements. Trouble-free maintenance and optimal cost could be some of the critical advantages augmenting the deployment of cloud-based services across several industries.Due to the emerging status of the global operational analytics market, the competition is anticipated to be on the lower side with less exit and entry barriers. However, the control of the competitive landscape of the global operational analytics market could be in the hands of niche companies that deliver dedicated IoT analytics platform. Players operating in the global operational analytics market are expected to be advantaged with the multiplying prevalence of the IoT sector. Operational analytics could be implemented in IoT for fetching productive data and offering sophisticated features in IoT-enabled devices to obtain better outcomes.Request Sample Copy of the Report @More opportunities are prophesied to take shape in the global operational analytics market with the mounting development of connected devices and newer technologies such as edge analytics and platform as a service (PaaS). A host of business utilities could snowball the demand in the global operational analytics market, including human resource, finance, sales, and marketing. On the other hand, top verticals such as transportation and logistics, energy and utilities, manufacturing, retail, financial services, healthcare, and government could intensify the growth of the global operational analytics market.Global Operational Analytics Market: OverviewThe rising digitization levels in numerous industries on account of technological advancements are slated to fuel the demand for operational analytics to a great extent over the next few years. Operational analytics is a technological tool for industries to enhance their efficiency through boosting transactions, growing competitive spirit, eliminating the risk of fraudulent processes, and improving decision-making capacities.The key market factors such as trends, growth opportunities, restraints, and drivers are analyzed in the report, together with factors such as technological advancements in the field of operational analytics, market forecast, and value chain analysis. The segments and sub-segments of the global operational analytics market have been studied, along with the present and projected leading market segments and their growth drivers. The major market players have been discussed, wherein their key business strategies, product portfolios, and market shares have been revealed. The report also includes strategic recommendations for companies.Request TOC of the Report @Global Operational Analytics Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe major factors responsible for the growth of the global operational analytics market include growing need for process and operations optimization and their control, popularity of Internet of Things (IoT), and rising demand for sophisticated data management. The growth of the IT sector, which has been adopting operational analytics to a considerable extent, is also one of the key drivers in the global operational analytics market.On account of their cost and time efficiency, on-demand operational analytics have been exhibiting high demand. Small and medium sized enterprises, in particular, have been adopting these low-cost solutions. There has been a significant expansion in demand chiefly originating from marketing, human resources (HR), information technology (IT), and sales and finance, among many others, providing a further boost to operational analytics over the globe.On the contrary, inability to tackle third-party data sources, absence of government support, insufficient number of skilled personnel, and high costs of initial installations have been the key challenges.The manufacturing segment will expand significantly during the forecast period, ensuring the growth of the overall market. This opportunity has arisen on account of the competitive advantages offered by operational analytics, enhancing the levels of efficiency throughout the life-cycle of a product. On the basis of business function the marketing business function is expected to exhibit substantial demand.Request Discount of the Report @Global Operational Analytics Market: Regional OutlookBased on geography, the global market for operational analytics can be segmented into Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. The operational analytics market in North America accounted for a considerable share in the global scenario. High adoption of operational analytics at an early stage and technological progress in the field of operational analytics market have been contributing towards the expansion of the operational analytics market in North America. The U.K. is perhaps the most noteworthy market in Europe because of advanced use of data, coupled with increased C-level banking.Asia Pacific will exhibit significant demand for operational analytics over the coming years, due to increasing adoption of technology, high rate of urbanization, and emergence of several end-user industries in the region.Companies Mentioned in the ReportThe major companies operating in the global market for operational analytics include SAP SE, SAS Institute, Microsoft Corporation, Bentley Systems, HPE, and IBM Corporation. Companies that are able to keep pace with the latest developments will gain large amounts of profit, while those who fail to do so will experience diminished growth prospects.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Global Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems Market 2017 Analysis by Key Manufacturers, Suppliers, Elite Designs, Pricing, Analysis

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Qyresearch Reports include new market research report Global Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems Market Professional Survey Report 2017 to its huge collection of research reports.The report, titled Global Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems Market Professional Survey Report 2017, is a professional overview of the global Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems market. While the report presents an overview of the current state of the market and aids, through analytical data of key drivers, restraints, trends and opportunities, efficient decision making and development of effective business strategies, the report also presents important details regarding the markets overall development in the past years.The report studies the market with a ground-up approach, beginning with core definitions specific to the industry, and moving further to the applications of Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems, demand and supply chain of the Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems market across key geographical areas, industry overview, regulatory and policy framework of the market, and recent news.Enter your information below to receive a sample copy of this report @The report includes data that is gathered with the help of primary as well as secondary research techniques, and filtered and polished with the use of a number of industry-best analytical methods. The report discusses various details regarding the manufacturing cost structure of the market, technical data and manufacturing plants, and analysis of production capacity and actual production values by region, technology, and application. The report examines the regulatory framework of the market, allowing the reader a clear understanding of the key rules, regulation, plans, and policies related to the Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems market. With this data, the reader also gains an understanding of the factors that affect the process of decision-making in the Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems market.The report also discusses details regarding sales and revenue of the market, wherein on the basis of a regional segmentation, details such as price, cost, gross margins of Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems manufacturers are given. The report presents a comprehensive overview of the vendor landscape of the Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems market, wherein the business profiles of some of the leading vendors in the market, recent development, instances of mergers and acquisitions, and other financial details of the market are discussed.Read Complete Table of Content @List of Tables and FiguresFigure Market Share of Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems by RegionsFigure North America Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems Market Size (Million USD) (2012-2022)Figure China Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems Market Size (Million USD) (2012-2022)Figure Europe Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems Market Size (Million USD) (2012-2022)Figure Southeast Asia Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems Market Size (Million USD) (2012-2022)Figure Japan Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems Market Size (Million USD) (2012-2022)Figure India Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems Market Size (Million USD) (2012-2022)Table Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems Raw Material and SuppliersTable Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Wind Turbine Monitoring Systems in 2016Figure Manufacturing Process Analysis of Wind Turbine Monitoring SystemsAbout UsQYResearchReports.com is an unimpeachable source of market research data for clients that comprise acclaimed SMEs, Chinese companies, private equity firms, and MNCs. We provide market research reports on various categories such as Energy, Chemicals, Alternative and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Machinery, Pharmaceuticals and Materials, and Glass.Contact usBrooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Industrial Hydrogen Peroxide Market : Future Market Projections for Forthcoming Years

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Global Industrial Hydrogen Peroxide Market: SnapshotA number of industries have benefitted from a wide spectrum of applications of hydrogen peroxide. Considered as one of the most versatile chemicals available, it is extensively used in the pulp and paper industry for bleaching wood pulp before paper is manufactured. This is done to enhance the brightness of the manufactured paper. Some of the other major applications of hydrogen peroxide are in the bleaching textile and a variety of environmental cleaning applications such as in cleaning wastewater and control of odor in waste treatment plants. Hydrogen peroxide when purified to a high level find wide applications in manufacturing semiconductors. The chemical is used in making other peroxide compounds which are used as disinfectants and pesticides.Since the exposure to hydrogen peroxide even in mild concentration (less than 6%) may be harmful, several regulatory norms govern the manufacture, sale, and transportation of this chemical, which may differ from country to country. For instance, people working in facilities manufacturing hydrogen peroxide are recommended to wear personal protective equipment to avert any exposure or ingestion. In the U.S., these regulations are made by agencies such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The implementation of better hygiene practices in industrial facilities are likely to limit the possibility of exposure. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has confirmed that the compound is carcinogenic while conducting experiments with animals when they are exposed to relatively high doses. However, studies havent yet confirmed the carcinogenic effect of hydrogen peroxide on humans, unless exposed to unusually high concentrations. Several emerging economies are opening up more production facilities to manufacture hydrogen peroxide, which bodes well for the market in developing regions.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Industrial Hydrogen Peroxide Market: OverviewHydrogen peroxide is chiefly used in several industries due to its bleaching properties. Its day-to-day use is found in washing powders as well. Hydrogen peroxide is vastly brought into use to make sodium perborate and sodium percarbonate, which acts as bleaching agents in liquid and solid detergents.The global industrial hydrogen peroxide market can be classified on the basis of function into sterilizing/disinfecting, oxidizing, bleaching, and propulsion. Based on end-use industry, the market may be segmented into chemical synthesis, water and wastewater treatment, healthcare and personal care, pulp and paper, food processing, textile, and electronics and semiconductor.In the report, TMR Research provides a detailed analysis of drivers and restrictions in the global industrial hydrogen peroxide market. It also offers insight to the various segments and regions of the market.Request TOC of the Report @Global Industrial Hydrogen Peroxide Market: Key TrendsOn the basis of function, bleaching will hold a prominent share in the global industrial hydrogen peroxide market. This particular function is rising due to its excessive usage in the pulp and paper and textile industries. To achieve the desired brightness suitable for magazine papers, board and tissue products, bleaching of pulp and paper becomes more than necessary, thereby increasing the significance of the bleaching function of industrial hydrogen peroxide. Furthermore, industrial hydrogen peroxide is favored for bleaching of cotton fabrics to accomplish the preferred whiteness after the removal of the catalyst.The pulp and paper industry is a key contributor to the growth of the global industrial hydrogen peroxide market and is expected to grow at a higher rate during the said period. Industrial hydrogen peroxide is used for bleaching of mechanical pulp, chemical pulp, and recycled pulp (de-inking). With the help of industrial hydrogen peroxide in the pulp and paper industry, bleaching increases brightness stability, improves brightness levels, and reduces manufacturing cost, as it is the only chemical required. In addition, with the use of hydrogen peroxide, dangerous halogenated composites and effluents present in pulp are reduced and the color of the effluent is also lightened.Request Discount of the Report @Industrial hydrogen peroxide achieves better results in oxidizing, bleaching, sterilizing/disinfecting, and etching applications than its alternatives present in the market and it is also environment friendly. However, there are numerous limitations of industrial hydrogen peroxide. If eyes are exposed to industrial hydrogen peroxide with a concentrations of 5% or more, it can result in permanent loss of vision. Moreover, skin exposure can cause burns, painful blisters, and skin whitening, restricting the growth of the global industrial hydrogen peroxide market.Global Industrial Hydrogen Peroxide Market: Regional OverviewGeographically, the global industrial hydrogen peroxide market can be segmented into North America, South America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. Asia Pacific held a significant share in the market in 2015 and is projected to continue its positive streak through 2025. In the Asia Pacific region, China is presently an immensely strong player in the industrial hydrogen peroxide market. The key factors driving the growth include increasing demand from the pulp and paper, textile, and chemical industries and the rising need for environment-friendly and chlorine-free bleaches. India and Japan are two other promising markets for industrial hydrogen peroxide in Asia Pacific.Global Industrial Hydrogen Peroxide Market: Key PlayersThe report profiles key players in the global industrial hydrogen peroxide market based on various attributes such as company overview, business strategies, recent development, and financial overview. Some of the players in the market are BASF SE, The Dow Chemical Company, Ecolab Inc., Solvay SA, AkzoNobel N.V., Evonik Industries AG, Kemira Oyj, Arkema SA, Merck Group, and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Smart Inhalers Market Milestones of Success At CAGR 42.8% Forecasts Till 2022

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The Global Smart Inhalers Market report of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. On the basis of end user, market is segmented into hospitals & clinics, respiratory care center, and others.The Worldwide Smart Inhalers Market has been segmented on the basis of type which comprises of dry powder inhaler, and metered dose inhaler. On the basis of application, market is segmented into Asthma, COPD, and others. Smart Inhalers are a part of new age digital technology which is designed to improve the disease management in the respiratory diseases. Smart Inhalers are basically the respiratory inhalers equipped with a digital sensor. The sensor tracks the data such as the dosage timing, monitors the use of the inhaler, and schedules the next dosage. Smart Inhalers can generate alerts for the daily dosage for the user using the smart devices connected to the sensors via Bluetooth.Get Exclusive Sample Report @Key Players for Smart Inhalers Market:Adherium,AstraZeneca,Cohero Health,GlaxoSmithKline,Gecko Health Innovations Inc.,Inspiro Medical,Propeller Health.The Wide variety of benefits ranging from improving medication adherence to reducing hospital admissions, which makes smart inhalers the next big thing of respiratory care segment. Globally the market for smart inhalers is increasing rapidly. Globally the market for Smart Inhalers is expected to grow at the rate of about 42.8% from 2016 to 2022.Regional Analysis of Smart Inhalers Market: Globally North America is the largest market for Smart Inhalers which is anticipated to reach $888.4 million by 2023. Europe is the second-largest market in 2016 which is valued at $57.4 million. Furthermore Asia pacific market is expected to be the fastest growing market and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 55.3% during the forecast period from 2016-2022. Smart inhalers market in rest of world is expected to rise after 2019.Get Discount @Key Finding: The Smart Inhalers global market and is expected to reach $1636.1 million by 2022. Dry Powder Inhalers hold the largest share of the market. North America holds the largest market share of 54.3% of smart inhalers market and is anticipated to reach $888.4 million by the end of forecast period. Globally, Asia-Pacific the fastest growing region and expected to grow at the rate of 55.3% during the forecast period.Major TOC of Smart Inhalers Market:1 Market Introduction1.1 Definition1.2 Scope of Study1.3 Research Objective1.4 Assumptions & Limitations1.4.1 Assumptions1.4.2 Limitations1.5 Market Structure2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Process2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research3 Market Dynamics3.1 Drivers3.1.1 Advantage over conventional inhalers3.1.2 Improve adherence3.1.3 Technological advancements worldwide3.1.4 Extensive use of smart computing devices3.1.5 Prevalence of respiratory disordersContinuedAsk to Expert @About US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Packaged Water Treatment System Market Perceives A Flourishing Growth At 9.41% CAGR, MRFR Unleashes Industry Prognostications Up To 2023

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Market Research Future published a research report on Packaged Water Treatment System Market Research Report - Global Forecast to 2023  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.Packaged Water Treatment System Market Information Report by Type (Extended Aeration, MBR, MBBR, Reverse Osmosis, SBR and Others), by Application (Industrial, Municipal and others) and by Region - Global Forecast to 2023Market Synopsis of Packaged Water Treatment System MarketThe new age packaged water treatment plants are factory-built which can be easily transported to the site of the requirement. These are highly suitable for small industries and residential complexes. The market is driven by the advantages of these systems such as these can be accommodated in small space and reduces civil, labor, and installation work. The key drivers of global packaged water treatment system market are rapid urbanization and industrialization across the globe. This is backed by the growing awareness among the population about environment safety. The market is driven by various factors such as rising industrialization, increasing urbanization, and government initiatives. The packaged water treatment system has various restraints that hinder the market such as high operational and maintenance cost.The Global packaged water treatment system Market is expected to grow at 9.41% CAGR during the forecast period. In 2016, the market was led by Middle East & Africa, with 36.5% share, followed by Asia-Pacific and North America with shares of 24.6% and 18.2%, respectively.Get Sample of Report @Regional AnalysisAs the worlds population continues to grow, countries urbanize and economies expand, demand for water is continually rising and the packaged water treatment system has gained popularity across the globe. The market is moving ahead through innovative technologies, improved infrastructure and better conservation. As per the report, the market has been divided into following regions which includes Middle East & Africa, Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe and Latin America.Key PlayersThe major player operating in the market of global packaged water treatment system are GE Water & Process Technologies (U.S.), WPL Limited (U.K.), Veolia Water Technologies (France), RWL Water (U.S.), WesTech Engineering, Inc. (U.S.), Smith & Loveless Inc. (U.S.), Napier Reid (Canada), Enviroquip (U.S.), Corix Water System (Canada), Tonka Equipment Company (U.S.) and others.Early Buyers Can Get this Report on Discount @BRIEF TOC:1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY3. MARKET DYNAMICS4. GLOBAL MARKET SEGMENTATION5. REGIONAL MARKET ANALYSIS6. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS7. CONCLUSION8. LIST OF TABLES9. LIST OF FIGURESThe report for Global Packaged Water Treatment System Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Access Full Report@About Us:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
United States Market for Watches & Jewelry Anticipated to Display Temperate Growth in Coming Years: Online Marketplace Starts to Shine

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As the economy fluctuates, so does disposable income, consumer confidence, and the demand for discretionary jewelry and watches. With a prime focus on U.S. market for the hard luxury sector, a new study titled Watches & Jewelry - US - October 2017 has been broadcasted to the online repository of Market Research Hub (MRH), offers an in-depth analysis of the market covering prime aspects. In the report, the reader will come across facts and figures that reveal the current market revenue and future growth of the watches and jewelry market.Click here for Free Sample Report@According to this comprehensive report, research experts predicts temperate growth for the watches and jewelry market in 2017 and beyond. This is an upswing and positive year for the manufacturers because in the U.S., almost all watch and jewelry retailers experienced a tough year due to a slowdown in consumption ahead of the presidential election. Since the last issuance of this report, jewelry stores have slipped behind jewelry departments in terms of where people buy items, while Amazon has risen to the top as a primary competitor.Jewelry is something that is stereotyped as women's accessories. Analysts found that Jewelry commands a majority of sales, but watches grow at faster pace. In the initial section of the report, an overview that comprises of an apt definition of the product for the scope of the research has been explained. In the following section of the report, readers can access an executive summary, which highlights key segment analysis, drivers, issues, opportunities, and trends.Browse Full Report with TOC@Some of the major factor influencing market growth include consumer confidence towards the product, positive growth in disposable personal income, experiences over tangible goods; and prices of precious metals remain low for the most part, therefore diamonds continue to shine in the market. The report further adds that iGens and Millennials drive the market's momentum. The percentage of smartwatch owners has grown more than doubled; and consumers show the value they place on affordability, as the percentage of fine jewelry buyers versus fashion/costume buyers has reversed with fashion/costume now the preference. Types of materials preferred by the customer in the U.S. is gold and diamonds.In terms of market competitiveness, Jewelry stores face tough competition and online marketplace starts to shine. The manufacturers are struggling because traditional jewelers losing some sparkle. The demand for smartwatches expected to steam again. Considering this, LG, Verizon, Samsung and Apple are looking ahead to maintain their competitiveness.Enquire about this Report@About Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports of different sector like jewellery industry reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of industry reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:Read Industry News at -
Cosmetic Ingredients Market Foreseen to Grow exponentially over 2015-2025

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Cosmetic ingredient market has changed a lot over the course of time. Since time immemorial, human beings are using different types of cosmetics to enhance their physical appearance, which in turn makes people feel more confident and pleasing in nature. It is due to growing demand for beauty products that market is flooded with various cosmetic products. The multibillion dollar industry is growing at a lightning speed to meet the consumer demand. Cosmetic ingredients are the specific sets of substance that are used in the formulation and composition of cosmetics. Any kind of impurities in raw materials and subsidiary technical materials are not considered as ingredients, hence water is also considered as separate ingredient. At present, various cosmetic business entrepreneurs use more than 5000 available cosmetic ingredients to offer selected cosmetics products.A sample of this report is available upon request @Cosmetic Industry: Drivers & RestraintsThe demand for good quality cosmetic products is fuelling the cosmetic ingredient market. Changing lifestyle specially in developing regions of Asia Pacific and Latin America brings a sea of opportunities to cosmetic ingredients manufacturers and suppliers. Increase in per capita income, rising awareness about beautification and increasingly urbanized population is offering momentum to the growth of overall cosmetic industry which in turn is escalating the cosmetic ingredients market to its zenith. Though cosmetic industry market size is growing at an impressive rate, various regulations prohibiting the use of certain chemicals as ingredients is a major challenge to the cosmetic ingredients manufacturers. In APAC, China and ASEAN regions are some of the most lucrative regions for increase in consumer spending and rise in GDP.Cosmetic Ingredients Market: SegmentationOn the basis of product type, the global cosmetic ingredients market is segmented into,SurfactantsEmulsifiersAntimicrobialsUV absorbersEmollientsConditioning PolymersOthersAlpha hydroxy acids, beta hydroxyl acids and talc are some of the examples of commonly used cosmetics ingredients. Among all these product type, surfactants are expected to hold the market dominance throughout the forecast period, however, conditioning polymers is projected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2015 and 2025.On the basis of end-use applications, cosmetic ingredients market is segmented intoSkin CareNail CareMake upOthersSkin care and make up are the two most lucrative markets for chemical ingredients manufacturers. Together, they account more than onefourth of total cosmetic ingredients market. Changing lifestyle and increasing awareness about skin care is boosting the demand for skin care applications.Cosmetic Ingredients Market: Region-wise OutlookOn the basis of region, cosmetic ingredients finds its market scope in North America, Latin America, Middle East & Africa, Europe and Asia-Pacific. North America and Europe dominates the cosmetic ingredients, however, Asia Pacific and Latin America are expected to be the most promising region in terms of incremental opportunities lying ahead for generating high revenue. Cosmetic ingredient market is highly regulated in Europe and North America. China, India and ASEAN are the key promising countries driving the cosmetic ingredients market in Asia-Pacific. Rapid growth of urbanization coupled with growing desire for skin care is expected to offer above average growth to cosmetic ingredients market in Asia-Pacific. Brazil leads the cosmetic market followed by Mexico in Latin America. As per the CANIPEC, the Mexican personal care industrys national chamber and association, there are more than 64 business enterprises operating in personal care market that are worth approximately US$ 14 billion in Mexico.Cosmetic Ingredients Market: Key PlayersCompany needs to meet the stringent quality norms before marketing their key ingredients. It is due to these factors that the market in North America and Europe is consolidated and is dominated by list of key cosmetic ingredient manufacturers and suppliers.Some of the market participants in the global cosmetic ingredients market are BASF SE, The Dow Chemical Co., Ashland Inc., Rhodia, DuPont Tata & Lyle Bio Products, Sederma Inc., Sumitomo Group, etc. Companies are investing heavily and are entering into mergers and acquisitions to tap the cosmetic ingredient market potential globally. For instance, Sumitomo Group is expected to acquire active cosmetic ingredient business from Kyowa Hakko Europe GmbH in order to advance its cosmetic ingredient business in Europe.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Going through these points, there is no doubt that cosmetic ingredients market hold good market prospects in near future, thereby is anticipated to grow at impressive CAGR during the forecast period, 20152025.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:
Server Virtualization Market Key Players  Vmware, Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation by Forecast to 2023

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Market Highlights:The server virtualization market can be segmented on the basis of type, deployment, service and organization size. By type the server virtualization market consists of full virtualization, para virtualization and operating system level virtualization. Full virtualization enable users by minimizing the operating cost and enhance operating system. They are used to reduce the overall storage space and increase the overall productivity of the enterprise. Para virtualization enhances enterprise operations by allowing many operating system to function on single server.The server virtualization market is expected to grow at approximately USD 8 Billion by 2023, at 7% of CAGR between 2017 and 2023.Server virtualization refers to transformation of one physical server into number of individual and isolated virtual environment that can be accessed by multiple users according to their requirement. Server virtualization is also known for masking server resources, comprising the number and identity of individual physical servers, operating system, processors from server users.The study indicates, the software maintenance revenue is one of the prime factor driving Server Virtualization Market. The study indicates, by deployment segment on-premise adoption of server virtualization software accounts for high market share. The study also indicates that technology such as cloud computing and OS container based virtualization is expected to boost the server virtualization market. The demand for hyper-converged integrated system and emergence of software-defined data center solution is expected to fuel the server virtualization market.Major Key Players: VMware, Inc. (U.S.) Microsoft Corporation (U.S.) Oracle Corporation (U.S.) Citrix Systems, Inc. (U.S.) Red Hat, Inc. (U.S.) Amazon.Com, Inc. (U.S.) Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. (China) Google Inc. (U.S.) Odin Inc. (U.S.) IBM (U.S.)Request a Sample Report @Server Virtualization Market Segmentation:The server virtualization market has been segmented on the basis of type, deployment, service and organization size. Cloud solution enable organization by providing drag and drop function and offers roll-based workflow.It also allow enterprises to handle massive computer application and huge computer resources through internet. The study indicates that growing demand of digitally stored data and cloud computing is driving the on-premise deployment service.Market Research Analysis:The server virtualization market in North America region is growing due to high adoption of cloud solutions by enterprise and need to improve information governance in organizations. According to the study, the server virtualization market will show rapid growth in Europe region. Asia-Pacific market is estimated to be one of the fastest growing market as it is continuously investing into research and development of server virtualization market and growing adoption of server virtualization technology by enterprise in India is driving server virtualization market in the region.Increasing population, and growing IT landscape is boosting the market in the region. The region is witnessing high adoption of server virtualization tools by enterprises. Developing countries such as India and China are adopting server virtualization software at a large scale owing to increasing e-commerce industries, competitive advantage, growing IT sector is boosting the market in the region. The region is witnessing high growth in server virtualization market due to growing technological advancement in cloud, analytics and mobile technologies.Regional Analysis:The regional analysis of server virtualization market is being studied for region such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. North America is one of the leading player in the server virtualization market owing to presence of major server virtualization vendors present in the region.The advanced technology implementation in small and large enterprise is boosting the market in the region. Asia-Pacific region is expected to have fastest growth in the market due to the growing number of server virtualization vendors and increasing IT infrastructure development is fueling the market in the region.Server Virtualization Market (MRFR) Analysis:By type segment, server virtualization market consists of full virtualization, para-virtualization and OS-level virtualization. Full virtualization enables enterprises by offering complete isolation and security to the virtual machine. It supports the functioning of multiple guest operating system simultaneously on the same hardware. Its disadvantage such as slow operation due to emulation and difficulty in using new device driver may hamper the market of full virtualization.In para virtualization, the hardware such as hypervisor does not require large amount of processing power to manage multiple operating system. It also allow users to operate with modified and new device drivers. There are some challenges associated with it, that slowdowns the market includes the support and maintainability issue in productive environment.Access Report Details @Intended Audience: Investors and consultants System Integrators Government Organizations Research/Consultancy firms Technology solution providers IT Solution ProvidersTable of Contents1 Market Introduction1.1 Introduction1.2 Scope of Study1.2.1 Research Objective1.2.2 Assumptions1.2.3 Limitations1.3 Market Structure2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Type2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research2.4 Forecast Model2.4.1 Market Data Collection, Analysis & Forecast2.4.2 Market Size EstimationContinuedList of TablesTable 1 Server Virtualization Market, By TypeTable 2 Server Virtualization Market, By DeploymentTable 3 Server Virtualization Market, By ServiceContinuedList of FiguresFigure 1 Research TypeFigure 2 Server Virtualization Market: By Type (%)Figure 3 Server Virtualization Market: By Deployment (%)ContinuedAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Solutions, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Whiskey Market Global Trends, Key Players Profile, Profits & Analysis and by Forecast to 2022

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Market OverviewWhiskey is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from malted grain especially barley or rye. The inclusion of various flavors depending on the region of supply is responsible for high demand of whisky globally. The demand of whiskey is more in Europe followed by North America.Whiskey is defined as a spirit distilled from malted grain, especially barley or rye. The demand for premium whiskey is increasing globally, especially in major regions Europe followed by North America. A close association with premium brands among wealthy consumers has encouraged sales of whiskey labelling it as a luxury drink and a must needed for every celebration and occasion. These factors allow whiskey to maintain a high growth globally and it is expected that is expected to grow at the rate of about 5% from 2016 to 2022.Whiskey Market is mainly driven by increase in income levels and changing preferences of consumers s for alcoholic beverages mainly whiskey. Suppliers are introducing various whiskey products with different price range, quality, flavors/ingredients, distribution, and promotion. Intense competition among the major players has been noticed in the whiskey market as manufacturers have to continuously launch products taking care of consumer preferences to sustain in the market.These factors will play a key role in the growth of whiskey market at the CAGR of 5% during 2016-2022.Sample Copy of Report @Major Key Players: Pernod Ricard (France) Diageo (U.K.) Bacardi (Bermuda) Heaven Hill Distilleries (U.S.) Allied Blenders and Distillers Pvt. Ltd (India) Beam Suntory (U.S.) Brown-Forman (U.S.) Constellation Brands, Inc. (U.S) Distell Group limited (South Africa) Radico Khaitan (India)The Global Whiskey is fragmented depending on different vendors including international and regional players. Companies are competing on the basis of product differentiation, character, tastes, and pricing. The market is dominated by top key manufacturers who have a worldwide presence and have strong brand images for their products in the market.Regional AnalysisThe Global Whiskey Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). Among this Europe has the major market share with its major production concentration in its countries including Scotland and Ireland. North America holds a major share in terms of demand for whiskey. Asia-Pacific is an emerging market for whiskey and its variants along with China and India which are gaining attention from private players for investment in the whiskey market.Market Segmentation-Global whiskey market is segmented by source, type, origin, process and regionList of FiguresFIGURE 1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGYFIGURE 2 PRIMARY DATA ANALYSIS APPROACHFIGURE 3 SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS APPROACHFIGURE 4 TREND IN WHISKEY IMPORTS 2012-15FIGURE 5 GROWTH RATE IN WHISKEY IMPORTS 2012-15Access Report Details @FIGURE 6 WHISKEY IMPORTS MARKET SHARE BY TOP 5 IMPORTERS (2012 VS 2015)FIGURE 7 TREND IN WHISKEY EXPORTS 2012-15FIGURE 8 GROWTH RATE WHISKEY EXPORTS 2012-15FIGURE 9 WHISKEY EXPORTS MARKET SHARE BY TOP 5 EXPORTERS (2012 VS 2015)FIGURE 10 VALUE CHAIN ANALYSISContinued..About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.ContactMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Medical Equipment Rental Market (Device Types: Personal/Home Care Equipment, Electronic/Digital Equipment, Surgical Equipment Etc- Global Industry Growth, Trends till 2024

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Renting medical equipment is a growing trend in the present-day landscape of the healthcare industry. Several medical equipment rental companies in the market are offering refurbished devices for consumers, who demand newer versions of existing equipment at a more affordable cost. Hence, the global medical equipment rental market is anticipated to remain a viable and suitable option for most consumers in the foreseeable future.Get free Sample Report @Medical equipment comprises a group of several instruments. These instruments are used during surgical procedures or for patient care. High-end and novel medical equipment is needed only for specific situations or for routine periodic assistance, which is why renting these instruments has become the preferred mode for several medical institutions and practitioners. The global medical equipment rental market is broadly segmented by device type, geography, and end user.The report on the global medical equipment rental market provides a detailed explanation of the competitive landscape keeping in focus key market players and their regional presence. The business strategies of these companies have been covered in the research study along with their product portfolio and an elaboration upon each product. Additionally, the report also provides recent developments of these companies and their impact on the market. A mix of primary and secondary research has been used to deliver valuable market estimates and forecasts in the report.Overview of the Global Medical Equipment Rental MarketGrowing costs of medical and pharmaceutical equipment and its direct impact on the bills have led to patients opting for more affordable options. Moreover, growth in the diabetic and geriatric populations has resulted in increasing demand for rental medical equipment. The resultant high cost savings and safeguard against technological obsolescence is expected to fuel the global medical equipment rental market.The global medical equipment rental market was recorded at US$33,417.4 million in 2013 and, at a CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period of 2014 to 2020, will reach a value of US$49,112.8 million by 2020. According to device type, the global medical equipment rental market is segmented into home/personal care equipment, surgical equipment, electronic/digital equipment, durable medical equipment, and storage and transport equipment. Durable medical equipment is currently the leading sector in the market and is expected to grow at a 6% CAGR during the forecast period. By end user, the global medical equipment rental market is divided into institutional medical equipment rental and personal/home care medical equipment rental. Personal/home care medical equipment rental is presently the leading sector and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 5% during the forecasting horizon.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Geographically, the global medical equipment rental market is classified into Asia Pacific, Rest of the World (RoW), North America, and Europe. Europe dominated the global medical equipment rental market with a 30% share in 2013. On the other hand, Asia Pacific is projected to show the fastest CAGR of 6% during the forecast period.Though the global medical equipment rental market is expected to grow steadily, the lack of appropriate regulatory framework and poor pricing flexibility is expected to hamper growth of this market.Companies mentioned in the research reportThe global medical equipment rental market is highly fragmented in nature due to the presence of numerous significant device manufactures. These manufactures are generally small and medium enterprises (SME). The key companies operating in this market are Hill-Rom Holdings, Woodley Equipment Company, US Med-Equip, Centric Health, and Apria Healthcare.Major geographies analyzed under this research report are:EuropeNorth AmericaAsia-PacificRest of the WorldThis report gives you access to decisive data such as:Market growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for the coming yearsKey highlights of this reportOverview of key market forces propelling and restraining market growthUp-to-date analyses of market trends and technological improvementsPin-point analyses of market competition dynamics to offer you a competitive edgeAn analysis of strategies of major competitorsAn array of graphics and SWOT analysis of major industry segmentsDetailed analyses of industry trendsA well-defined technological growth map with an impact-analysisOffers a clear understanding of the competitive landscape and key product segmentsSend An Enquiry @About MRRSEMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:
Databar Coded Barcode Generation with Segments per Row & Enhanced Barcode Recognition using .NET

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What's New in this Release?The latest version of Aspose.BarCode for .NET 17.11.0 has been released. The major development in this release is the support to generate databar coded barcode with segments per row. This release also supports enhanced process of recognizing supplement barcode. Improved functionality to read barcode from PDF has also been incorporated in this release. Aspose.BarCode supports the functionality to generate databar coded barcode with segments per row. This functionality allows to adjust the amount of information that the code will generate per (each) row. A property BarCodeBuilder.Columns has been introduced to define the said setting. How a developer can set segments per row for a databar is demonstrated in the code snippet on blog announcement page.. The code snippet contains comments that makes it self-explanatory. This release also fixes exceptions that were reported by Aspose valued customers, such as Functionality to recognize barcode from image has been enhanced. The functionality has been enhanced in such a way that API will extract exact number of available barcodes. No unwanted barcodes, The process to extract supplement barcode has been improved. Aspose.BarCode now look for special parity pattern for correct recognition of supplement barcode, DataMatrix barcode recognition process from a TIFF image has been improved. Aspose.BarCode returns all DataMatrix barcode if RecognitionMode.MaxQuality recognition mode is used and Barcode recognition process have been enhanced to detect barcodes from PDF files. Below is the list of new and improved features supported in this version. Support to define settings "segments per row" Make consistent .NET Compact and Full Framework API Aspose.BarCode is detecting barcode from image that has no barcode on it Recognized incorrect Supplement barcode Aspose.BarCode is unable to recognize DataMatrix barcodes on a TIFF image Aspose.BarCode is detecting more barcodes than present in PDF file Reading barcode from PDF is returning garbage along with required outputOverview: Aspose.BarCode for .NETAspose.BarCode is a .NET component for generation and recognition of Linear and 2D barcodes on all kinds of .NET applications. It supports WPF with 29+ Barcode symbologies like OneCode, QR, Aztec, MSI, EAN128, EAN14, SSCC18, Code128, Code39, Postnet, MarcoPDF417, Datamatrix, UPCA etc. Other features include barcode insertion in PDF, Word and Excel documents. Also take image output in BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG and WMF formats. Users can also control image styles such as background color, bar color etc.More about Aspose.BarCode for .NET- Homepage of C# & VB.NET Barcode Component:- Download of Aspose.BarCode for .NET:- Online documentation of Aspose.BarCode for .NET:Aspose Pty Ltd was founded in March 2002 in Sydney, Australia. The corporate portal was firstly launched in October 2002. Aspose strives to provide the richest component choices for global .NET programmers. Thousands of organizations from tens of countries have acquired Aspose products, including Microsoft, IBM, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, DuPont, Hilton Hotels, Reader's Digest, Bank of America, Boeing, Siemens, etc.Aspose Pty LtdSuite 163, 79 Longueville RoadLane Cove, NSW, 2066AustraliaPhone: 888.277.6734Fax: 866.810.9465
Know the Current Scenario and Insights of Beer Dispensers Market by 2022

Beer Dispensers Market

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This report covers the global Beer Dispensers market various parameters and the growth prospects. It covers the overall market scenario and gives an in-depth analysis of the various competitors and the market value.The Beer Dispensers Industry split has been done according to the production, distribution, revenue and market share and the overall growth rate of Facial Surgery Equipment Package.Ask for Sample @The top competitors of Beer Dispensers market along with the different parameters are production, price, revenue, market share for each manufacture are Fagor, Summit Appliances, True Manufacturing, Continental Refrigerator, Kegworks, The Beer Giraffe, Turbo Air, Beerjet, Beverage air, Avantco.The geographical split of this Industry is divided into the following with several key regions such as North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India.On the basis of product, this Beer Dispensers industry report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each Type, primarily split into 1 Keg, 2 Kegs, 3 Kegs, 4 Kegs, Others.Major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Beer Dispensers Market for each application, including Bars, Restaurants, Hotels, Others.Have A Query On This Report? @Some Points from TOC:1 Beer Dispensers Manufacturing Cost Analysis1.1 Beer Dispensers Key Raw Materials Analysis1.2 Key Raw Materials1.2.1 Price Trend of Key Raw Materials1.2.2 Key Suppliers of Raw Materials1.3 Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials1.3.1 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers1.4 Beer Dispensers Industrial Chain Analysis1.4.1 Raw Materials Sources of Beer Dispensers Major Manufacturers in 20161.4.2 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders.Check Discount on this report@We at Reports Monitor provide a comprehensive analysis by providing in-depth reports of the various market verticals. Our Mission is to provide a detailed analysis of the vast markets worldwide, backed by rich data. Decision makers can now rely on our well-defined data gathering methods to get the correct and accurate market forecasting along with detailed analysis.About UsReports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. We have a vast collection of reports, covering maximum industries worldwide. Our process is meticulously planned and executed in order to use maximum resources and explore the market for getting genuine insights. The prime focus is to get reliable data, Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-59469020Email: sales@reportsmonitor.com
Global Oil Filter Market Overview 2017: Growth, Demand By Region, Trends and Forecast Research Report to 2022

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The global oil filter market has witnessed a healthy growth over the past few years. This can be attributed to the rising demand for vehicles, growth in the agricultural sector and influence of government initiatives to reduce greenhouse gases emissions.Request sample report:The latest report by IMARC Group, titled Oil Filter Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2017-2022, finds that the global oil filter market reached a value of more than US$ 3 Billion in 2016. An oil filter is designed to remove contaminants and impurities from engine oil, lubricating oil, hydraulic oil or transmission oil. If the oil is left unfiltered for a long time, it can get saturated and contaminate the oil which can damage the bearing surfaces of an engine. Therefore, it is necessary to use oil filter as it helps to protect the engine from damaging and provide an unhindered motion to the automobile. Moreover, it leaves no oil residue, is easy to replace and contains recyclable materials.Highlights of the global oil filter market:Increasing demand for automobiles and vehicles in the developing regions is expected to be the major driver.Asia Pacific represents the biggest market, holding the majority of the total global share.On the basis of import and export trends, the United States represents the biggest importer while Germany is the leading exporter of oil filter.Rising demand for passenger and commercial vehicles coupled with inflating income levels in the emerging regions such as China, Mexico, India, Korea, etc. is one of the major factors bolstering the market growth. Moreover, due to extensive use of tractors in the agricultural field, they require proper maintenance and timely replacement for their smooth operation. This is contributing towards the surging demand for oil filters in the sector. Further, general awareness among the consumers and government initiatives to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases from automobiles is expected to propel the growth of the oil filter market. According to the report, the market is anticipated to reach a value of around US$ 4 Billion in 2022, projecting a CAGR of nearly 5% during 2017-2022.The market has been segregated on the basis of end-use into passenger cars, commercial vehicles and two wheelers. Region-wise, Asia Pacific accounts for the majority of the global share, representing the leading market. Some of the other major markets include North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. On the basis of import trends, the United States holds the largest share, whereas Germany represents the biggest exporter. An analysis of the competitive landscape provides the details of the key players operative in the market. Some of the major players include Ahlstrom, Clarcor, DENSO, MAHLE and Mann+Hummel.Read full report with TOC:The report by IMARC Group has examined the global oil filter market on the basis of:End-Use:Passenger CarsCommercial VehiclesTwo-WheelersRegion:Asia PacificNorth AmericaEuropeMiddle East and AfricaLatin AmericaMajor manufacturers:AhlstromClarcorDENSOMAHLEMANN+HUMMELBrowse related reports:Jojoba Oil Market:Castor Oil Market:About UsIMARC Group is a leading market research company that offers management strategy and market research worldwide. We partner with clients in all sectors and regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their businesses.IMARCs information products include major market, scientific, economic and technological developments for business leaders in pharmaceutical, industrial, and high technology organizations. Market forecasts and industry analysis for biotechnology, advanced materials, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, travel and tourism, nanotechnology and novel processing methods are at the top of the companys expertise.Contact usIMARC Group309 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USAWebsite:Email: sales@imarcgroup.comUSA: +1-631-791-1145Follow us on twitter: @imarcglobal
Endoscopic Closure Systems Market Report 2017  2027: By End User

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Some of the gastrointestinal (GI) conditions such as inflammation, surgical anastomoses, neoplastic fistulae, etc. need non-surgical closure. Endoscopic closure systems are used to close such small GI perforations. Closure is also required after natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery. To allow the closure of these GI wall defects, several endoscopic closure systems are developed and practiced. According to American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, ideal endoscopic closure systems should be non-expensive, safe and easy to use, should provide fast, reliable, durable and robust closure. Endoscopic closure systems market has evolved over time. Endoscopic clips or endoclips were the first technology developed for endoscopic closure systems. Over-the-scope clipsmore effective endoscopic closure system than standard endoclips was first approved for human use in Europe in 2009 and then in the U.S. in 2010. Endoscopic suturing system was then developed that allows placement of running or interrupted full-thickness sutures. This device was developed based on Eagle Claw device, however, the device was more complex and was compatible with only one endoscope. Introduction of endoscopic suturing systems is expected to revolutionize the endoscopic closure systems market due to its advantages over previously available devices. Some of the examples of popular endoscopic closure system brands are Padlock Clip, Carter-Thomason CloseSure System, OTSC Proctology, Amplatzer Septal Occluder (used off-label), etc. However, these devices sometimes provide inadequate and unreliable solution and thus there is an urgent need for reliable and robust endoscopic closure systems that can be used for closure of mural and spontaneous iatrogenic defects.Read Report Overview @Increasing need and interest for development of dedicated devices and techniques that enable the endoscopic closure of small GI perforations and increasing adoption of minimally invasive endoscopic procedures are the primary factors driving the growth of global endoscopic closure systems market. Number of endoscopic closure systems are being developed and tested in animal models for e.g. Bioabsorbable plugs being developed by W.L. Gore and Associates, Mucosal clips being developed by Boston Scientific Inc., Endoloops under development by Olympus Corporation etc. among others. Moreover, availability of these devices in various sizes would increase the demand for endoscopic closure systems over time. However, only few devices are available for use in human and majority of them possess some deficiencies, which limits the widespread use of currently available endoscopic closure systemsSeveral innovative devices present safe and durable endoscopic closure systems for acute and chronic GI defects. However, their efficiency in closure of acute closure is poor and need to be improved. Out of currently available endoscopic closure systems endoclips segment is expected to contribute highest volume share in the global market. Endoscopic vacuum assisted closure system is expected to witness robust CAGR owing to high adoption by endoscopic surgeons. Endoscopic vacuum-assisted wound closure system provides perfect wound drainage and closure of various kinds of defect and promotes tissue granulation. Among two end users of endoscopic closure systems hospitals end user segment is expected to lead the global market due to high patient volume.Geographically, global endoscopic closure systems market is classified into regions viz. North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa. North America clearly dominates the global endoscopic closure systems market.Over-the-scope clips and Overstitch systems are currently being used in the U.S.Europe is expected to be the second largest market for endoscopic closure systems as large number of global medical devices players are involved in development of innovative endoscope closure systems.Request Sample Report @Some of the players identified in global endoscopic closure systems market include CooperSurgical Inc., US Endoscopy, Life Partners Europe, Ovesco Endoscopy AG, Apollo Endosurgery, Inc., St. Jude Medical, Inc. (Abbott), etc. among others.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:
Workforce Management Market

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Market Research Future published a research report on Global Workforce Management Market Research Report- Forecast 2022  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2022.Global Workforce Management Market, By Component (Solutions, Service), By Deployment Type (On-Premises, Cloud-based), By End-users (BFSI, Healthcare, Retail and ecommerce, Manufacturing, Government, Telecommunications and IT), By Organization size(SME, Enterprises)- Forecast 2022Target Audience Workforce Management Manufacturers Distributors Research firms Consultancy firms Software Developers Vendors Semiconductor Manufacturers Stakeholders End-user sectors Technology InvestorsMarket Synopsis of Workforce Management MarketWorkforce management can be defined as an integrated set of processes any particular institution uses to optimize the productivity of its employees on the individual, departmental, and entity-wide levels. In a company workforce management involves matching employee skills to specific tasks over time, quantifying the amount and types of labor needed to accomplish particular jobs on a day-to-day or hour-to-hour basis.The key drivers contributing to the growth of the workforce management market are to reduce labor expenses, improve workforce utilization & business performances, increased focus on workforce optimization and mobile applications. The growing number of medium and small enterprises in the emerging market is boosting the growth of the market. Also, workforce management solution enables organizations to run complex analytics on workforce processes to spot problems and correct them and hence ensure better use of existing resources.The restraining factors hindering the growth of the workforce management market are lack of awareness among small firms in regions such as Africa and South America and high training cost associated with workforce management solutions.Geographically, Europe accounted for the largest market share in the global workforce management market whereas North-America region is expected to grow at a fast pace over the forecast period 2016-2022.Get Sample of Report @The global workforce management market is expected to reach USD 9 billion by the end of 2022 with ~11% CAGR during forecast period 2016-2022Segments:The Global Workforce Management market has been segmented on the basis of component, deployment, end-users and region. By component, the market has been bifurcated into solutions and services. On the basis of deployment, the market can be segmented as on-premises and cloud based. On the basis of end-users the market can be segmented into BFSI, healthcare, retail & e-commerce among others. By organization size, the market includes SMEs and enterprises. Further, the market has been segmented into four regions which include- North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and RoW.On the basis of organization size, the market can be segmented into SMEs and enterprises. Out of these, SMEs accounted for the largest market share majorly due to adoption of WFM solutions and technological transition. Also, workforce analytics solutions accounted for the largest market share majorly because companies are giving high importance to optimize workforce outcome and the growing demand for performance management.Regional Analysis:Regionally, Europe accounted for the largest market share especially in the countries such as U.K majorly due to deployment of cloud and the rapid adoption of workforce analytics.North-American region is expected to grow over the forecast period, 2016-2022 especially in countries such as U.S. and Canada majorly due to adoption of new and emerging technologies.Key Players:The key players of global workforce management market report include IBM Corporation (U.S.), Oracle Corporation (U.S.), SAP AG (Europe), KRONOS (U.S.), Workforce Software (U.S.), ADP LLC (U.S.), WORKDAY (U.S.), Infor Global Solution (India), ClickSoftware (U.S.) and others.Enquiry before Buying @Market Research Future AnalysisThe global workforce management market is expected to grow significantly. The market is highly application basis. BFSI and healthcare segment of workforce management market globally drives the market. The market is expected to have higher growth rate as compared to the previous years.BRIEF TOC:1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY3. MARKET DYNAMICS4. GLOBAL MARKET SEGMENTATION5. REGIONAL MARKET ANALYSIS6. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS7. CONCLUSION8. LIST OF TABLES9. LIST OF FIGURESThe report for Global Workforce Management Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Access Full Report@About Us:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FuturePune  411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone No. :+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Plasma Component Separator Market Report 2017 - 2025: By Technology, Disease Indication, End user, Geography and Company Profile

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Blood is the complex mixture of white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC), Plasma (liquid component), and platelets. Plasma constitutes about 55-60% of blood volume. Plasma contains 90% water and 10% solutes such as salts, proteins, metabolites, etc. The plasma is separated into its derivatives such as fibrinogen, globulins, albumin and various clotting factors. Plasma separators are used to separate plasma from blood bags and are collected in transfer bags. The plasma separators are mainly used in diagnostic laboratories, medical practitioners to extract and separate plasma for research or diagnostic purpose.The plasma component separator is used during diagnosis of blood-related diseases, and mainly Point of care devices and instruments need a free form of plasma for the conduction of diagnostic tests. It results in the removal of red blood cells from the blood sample. During research purpose, centrifugation technique is used to separate plasma from blood. Some devices do not facilitate complete removal; it retains in the separation matrix.View Report Preview @Blood donated by the donor is separated into three blood component i.e. plasma, red blood cells, and platelets. Plasma components are used to increase blood volume or is separated into individual plasma protein such as fibrinogen, Factor VIII, Anti-thrombin III, and Factor IX and others. The separation of plasma into is derivatives is known as plasma fractionation. Plasma component separation devices is used to extract plasma from a whole blood sample. These blood plasma are used for immunological assays, biochemistry assays, and molecular biology experiments.Plasmapheresis therapy is a procedure in which blood components are separated extracorporeally and result in filtered plasma product. The plasma component separator consists of fractionators and separators that contain hollow fiber membranes from which desired plasma components are separated. Plasmapheresis therapy is used to treat auto-immune diseases, in which blood plasma is replaced by new blood plasma that helps healthy cell by the attack of antibodies.The global plasma component separator market is segmented on the basis of technology, disease indication, end-user, and geography. On the basis of technology, global plasma component separator market is sub-segmented into membrane plasma separation technique, centrifugation, and filtration. Increase in demand for membrane plasma separation technology from biopharmaceutical companies, as this technology provide accurate results. Technological advancements in the membrane filtration technology are expected to drive demand for membrane plasma separation technology based plasma component separators during the forecast period of 2017-2025. On the basis of disease indication, the global plasma component separator market is divided into oncology, neurology, hematology, nephrology, and others. An end-user segment of global plasma component separator market is segmented into hospitals, blood banks, diagnostics laboratories, pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies, and other. Increasing prevalence and incidence of various blood disorders such as sickle-cell anemia & leukemia, and improving healthcare infrastructure will further drive the growth of global plasma component separator market in the near future.On the basis of regional presence, global electrophoresis market is segmented into five key regions viz. North America, Latin America, APAC, Europe and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to account for the extensive market share for plasma component separator market on the backdrop of rising number of hemophilic patients and companies are focusing on research and development in diagnostics and treatment of blood-related diseases. Moreover, the Asian market is expected to have huge potential market for plasma component separator in the forecast period, as it is expected to grow at fastest CAGR among all other regions.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Some of the major players in plasma component separator market are B Braun Melsungen AG, Haemonetics Corporation, Fresenius Medical Care, Toray Medical, Terumo BCT, Kawasumi Laboratories Inc., Asahi Kasei Medical Co. Ltd., and others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Animal Stem Cell Therapy Market Report 2017 - 2025: By Application, End User, Region and Company Profile

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Animal stem cell therapy is a usage of animals stem cell to treat a disease or disorder. The ability of stem cell is to divide and differentiate into a cell with specialized function useful for repairing body tissues damaged by injury or disease. The animal stem cell therapy process involve three steps which include collection of stem cell sample from animals and preparing the sample to concentrate the stem cells. Finally, the therapy includes transferring the stem cells into the injured site for treatment. Animal stem cell therapy increases the expectancy of life in animals with no side effects. It is available for the treatment of arthritis, degenerative joint disorders, tendon, and ligaments injuries in animals. Stem cell therapy is most often used to treat dogs, cats, and horses. But recent developments made it possible to use animal stem cell therapy in tiger, pig, etc. Present animal stem cell therapy is studied in treatments of the inflammatory bowel, kidney, liver, heart and immune-mediated diseases respectively.View Report Preview @Increasing prevalence of disease in animals with growing population and to increase the animals quality of life, the companies focus shifting towards animal stem cell therapies. Along with increasing government funding for the protection of animals and fast approvals of FDA contributing towards the rapid growth of the animal stem cell therapy. The research in animal stem cells offers great promise for understanding underlying mechanisms of animal development; it gives great opportunities to treat a broad range of diseases and conditions in animals. Animal stem cell therapy is increasingly recognized as critical translational models of human disease for treatment. All these factors act as drivers for the robust growth of the animal stem cell therapy market.There are little evidence-based preclinical animal studies acts as restraint in the animal stem cell therapy market. The evidence-based clinical trials of animal stem cell therapy provide tremendous opportunities for the efficient advancement of other species.Studies in the animal stem cell therapy continue at a breathtaking pace due to increasing demand and treatment cost covered in reimbursements. And animal stem cell therapy is more effective than traditional treatment available in the market which is boosting the companies to increase the spending in the R&D for innovative methods. Because of the novelty and complexity of animal stem cell therapy, FDA encourages individuals, universities and drug companies for further innovations. The future expected with double CAGR during the forecasted period.Regarding geographies, North America is dominating the global animal stem cell therapy market due to the increased incidence rate and awareness about the therapy. U.S represents the largest market share in the North America due to the increasing demand for the therapy. Europe and Asia-Pacific are showing a significant growth rate during the forecasted period due to the growing adoption of the animal stem cell therapy. The animal stem cell therapy market in underdeveloped countries is slow when compared to the developed countries.Request to View Sample of Research Report @The key participants in the animal stem cell therapy market are Magellan Stem Cells, ANIMAL CELL THERAPIES, Abbott Animal Hospital, VETSTEM BIOPHARMA, Veterinary Hospital and Clinic Frisco, CO, etc. The companies are entering into the collaboration and partnership to keep up the pace of the innovations.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:
Bio Vanillin Market size worth over $19mn by 2023

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Bio Vanillin Market size is expected to surpass USD 19 million by 2023; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.Increasing consumer preference towards natural ingredients in food & beverage and personal care formulations will drive global bio vanillin market demand. Natural ingredients have been steadily gaining acceptance with consumers, especially across evolved markets, along with regulatory support for labeling standards. Bio vanillin has been developed as an alternative to the synthetic ingredient, which accounts for over 95% of present global demand.Request for Sample Copy of this report @Food & beverages dominated the application landscape, worth over USD 8 million in 2015. Appeal of new flavors in the industry and strong demand for confectionery and bakery products along with persistent development are key stimulating factors.The product is at its initial development stage, while industry participants claim a natural product, there is some ambiguity regarding this classifications, as a few groups have claimed these products are artificial owing to its production from genetic engineering. Naturally derived vanillin from the pod remains in demand, however, a very high price and limited cultivation is unable to meet global demand.Biotechnology is also an important route in terms of addressing food waste and natural feedstock issues, permitting low value compound conversions to products of significant commercial interest. However, commercial success of the product will hinge on competitive bio vanillin market price trend.Synthetic biology vanillin process is likely to lead the biomass removal required for good agricultural soil. Synthetic organisms may also harm the ecology on their escape either intentionally or unintentionally into the environment from a lab which is likely to be a threat for industry growth.Browse key industry insights spread across 340 pages with 468 market data tables & 14 figures & charts from the report, Bio Vanillin Market Size By Application (Food & Beverage [Ice Cream, Chocolate, Confectionaries & Baked Goods], Fragrances, Pharmaceuticals), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, South Africa, GCC, Brazil), Production Routes, Downstream Application Potential (Methoxyhydroquinone, Vanillic Acid, Vanillyl Alcohol), Price Trend, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016  2023 in detail along with the table of contents:Key insights from the report include:APAC fragrance application may witness significant gains and surpass USD 1 million by 2023. Rising consumer interest in fragrances, personal grooming, changing lifestyle trends, increasing demand for premium fragrances, and development in per-capita are key trending factors to fuel regional demand.Global natural vanillin market is forecast to be worth over USD 140 million by 2023. End-use industry manufacturers are ready to pay premium prices for the natural ingredients owing to rising consumer preference for healthy products.North America led the regional industry demand and was valued at over USD 3 million in 2015. Brewery industry expansion accompanied by positioning as a premium product ingredient in food & beverages and fragrances are key driving factors.France bio vanillin market size is projected to grow at over 12.9% CAGR up to 2023.Vanillin downstream derivatives such as vanillyl alcohol, vanillic acid, and methoxyhydroquinone can serve as platform chemicals for 22 polymer compounds which can be used for the synthesis for polyesters, non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPU) and epoxy resins.Global bio vanillin market share is nascent and at development phase. Solvay, Ennloys, Evolva, and Apple Flavor & Fragrance Group are major industry players.Global Market Insights has segmented the bio vanillin industry on the basis of application and region:Bio vanillin Application Analysis (Volume, Tons, Revenue, USD Million, 2012  2023)Food & BeveragesChocolateIce-creamConfectioneries & baked goodsOthersFragrancesPharmaceuticalsBio vanillin Regional Analysis (Volume, Tons, Revenue, USD Million, 2012  2023)North AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyUKFranceItalySpainAsia PacificChinaIndiaJapanAustraliaSouth KoreaLatin AmericaBrazilMEASouth AfricaGCCSynthetic vanillin Application Analysis (Volume, Tons, Revenue, USD Million, 2012  2023)Food & BeveragesChocolateIce-creamConfectioneries & baked goodsOthersFragrancesPharmaceuticalsSynthetic vanillin Regional Analysis (Volume, Tons, Revenue, USD Million, 2012  2023)North AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyUKFranceItalySpainAsia PacificChinaIndiaJapanAustraliaSouth KoreaLatin AmericaBrazilMEASouth AfricaGCCNatural vanillin Application Analysis (Volume, Tons, Revenue, USD Million, 2012  2023)Food & BeveragesChocolateIce-creamConfectioneries & baked goodsOthersFragrancesPharmaceuticalsNatural vanillin Regional Analysis (Volume, Tons, Revenue, USD Million, 2012  2023)North AmericaEuropeAsia PacificLatin AmericaMEAGlobal Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog:Connect with us: Facebook | Google+ | LinkedIn | Twitter
Global RF Cable Assembly Market 2017

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Global RF Cable Assembly market studies record 2017 to 2022 affords an in-intensity assessment of the RF Cable Assembly including enabling technologies, key trends, market drivers, challenges, standardization, regulatory landscape, deployment models, operator case research, possibilities, value chain, ecosystem player profiles and strategies. The Report also provides forecasts for RF Cable Assembly investments from 2017 till 2022.Global RF Cable Assembly market research report 2017 provided with the aid of Questale incorporates a market overview of the Industry which talks about market size, product scope, market revenue, Growth rate, Sale volumes and figures, growth estimation in coming years, current industry leaders and their sales/revenue metrics.Geographically, this record is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of RF Cable Assembly in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaEnquire for Sample of Report @Global RF Cable Assembly market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for eachPasternackTE ConnectivityAmphenol RFMouserMolexRosenbergerW.L. GoreSamtecOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoConnectorCable TrayOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of RF Cable Assembly for each application, includingAutomotiveTransportation ElectronicsMilitary/AerospaceTelecom/DatacomConsumerEnquire For Discount On Report @RF Cable Assembly Market Report Provides Comprehensive Analysis as Following:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket size & sharesMarket trends and dynamicsMarket Drivers and OpportunitiesCompetitive landscapeSupply and demandTechnological inventions in RF Cable Assembly industryMarketing Channel Development TrendRF Cable Assembly Market PositioningPricing StrategyBrand StrategyTarget ClientDistributors/Traders List covered in Positioning RF Cable Assembly marketScope of RF Cable Assembly: RF Cable Assembly market report evaluates the growth rate and the market value based on market dynamics, growth inducing elements. The whole expertise is primarily based on latest Trending industry information, opportunities. The report contains a comprehensive market analysis and vendor landscape in addition to a SWOT analysis of the key vendors.RF Cable Assembly market highlights following key elements:A complete background analysis of RF Cable Assembly Systems industry, which includes an assessment of the parental market.Emerging trends by segments and regional markets.Significant changes in market dynamics & market overview.Market breakdown up to the second or third level.Market shares and approaches of key players in RF Cable AssemblyCurrent and predictable size of RF Cable Assembly market from the perspective of both value and volume.Reporting and estimation of recent industry developments.References to companies for establishment their position in the marketAccess Full Report Here :In conclusion, RF Cable Assembly market 2017 report gives the descriptive evaluation of the discern market based on elite players, gift, past and futuristic facts so as to serve as a worthwhile guide for all the RF Cable Assembly industry competitors.Our expert studies analysts team has been trained to offer in-depth marketplace research report from every man or woman zone in an effort to be helpful to apprehend the industry information within the most specific way.About UsReports Monitor is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. We have a vast collection of reports, covering maximum industries worldwide. Our process is meticulously planned and executed in order to use maximum resources and explore the market for getting genuine insights. The prime focus is to get reliable data, Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Head And Face Aesthetic Procedure Market Report 2017 - 2025: By type of therapies, Application, End User, Region and Company Profile

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Aesthetic procedure is the term given to the treatments or surgeries used for enhancing the cosmetic appearance of a body part. The major goal of head and face aesthetic procedures is the improvement of symmetry, proportions and cosmetic appeal of the head or the face. Head and face aesthetic procedure can be performed in the case of an accident, burn or some trauma. But now-a-days many people opt for head and face aesthetic procedures willingly just to increase the aesthetic appeal of the face. Head and face aesthetic procedures include not just the surgeries like a face lift, brow lift or eyelid lift but also include various other procedures like laser treatment.View Report Preview @As per the data of cosmetic surgery national data bank statistics people in the U.S. spent more than 15 billion on cosmetic surgeries in 2016. Earlier head and face aesthetic surgeries were majorly used by females to enhance their looks, but now a days there is an equal fascination in males regarding head and face aesthetic procedures. In fact, according to a survey performed by the international society of aesthetics plastic surgeons, there is an increase of about 273% in the number of male cosmetic surgeries from 1997 to 2013.The major factors expected to increase the growth of the head and face aesthetic procedure market are the increase in the disposable money which let people spend more on their appearance and the increase in the awareness about head and face aesthetic procedures. Another important factor responsible for the growth of the head and face aesthetic procedure market is the increase in the marketing and advertisements of such cosmetic treatments that help in increasing the adoption rate of the head and face aesthetic procedures. The advancement in the technology that leads to better results is also one important factor for the growth of the head and face aesthetic procedures market.Major challenges that the head and face aesthetic procedures market can face is the higher price of the treatment and the side effects caused by the head and face aesthetic procedures. But the betterment of the technology is expected to lower down the side effects leading to the growth of the head and face aesthetic procedures market in the forecast period.The market for head and face aesthetic procedures has seen major growth in the past few decades owing to the advancement in the technology and increased awareness about the head and face aesthetic procedures. The most common head and face aesthetic procedures performed worldwide includes laser hair removal, laser skin resurfacing and photorejuvenation. Aging, which is one of the most common problems worldwide is also treated using the head and face aesthetic procedures, and this is one of the major reasons for the swift growth of the market.Head and face aesthetic procedure market is an established market in the developed regions like North America and Europe due to the higher GDP in these regions and more public awareness about the treatment. The number of head and face aesthetic procedures is increasing rapidly in the Asia Pacific region due to the increasing aging population and the increasing GDP. The growth of the head and face aesthetic procedure market is a little slower in the Middle East and Africa region but is expected to rise over the forecast period according to the current trends. Brazil in the Latin America is one of the major countries contributing to the growth of the head and face aesthetic procedure market.Request to View Sample of Research Report @The major players involved in the head and face aesthetic procedures market are Lumenis, Ellipes, Lynton, Altus medical and candela.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:
Global Electrosurgical Devices Market to Reflect Significant Incremental Opportunity of US$7,963.2 mn in 2024

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The global market for electrosurgical devices is highly fragmented and features a less intense level of competition owing to the presence of a large number of global as well as domestic players across key regional markets, observes a recent report by Transparency Market Research. Although entry barriers are low for new players, factors such as high level of fragmentation, intense price competition, rising R&D costs are factors that can impede growth prospects for new players.Read Report @To capitalize the growth opportunities and strengthen their hold on the global market, leading players are focusing on development of new products and accessories with multimodality application and improved coagulation and cutting properties. A recent instance of this is the 2016 launch of APCapplicator electrosurgical handpiece by ERBE Elektromedizin GmbH. The device works for both vessel cutting and coagulation purposes and shows applications in open surgery and laparoscopy. Development of innovative multimodality systems such as robotic surgical systems, to make surgical procedures more precise and easy, is also a trending strategy in the market.Transparency Market Research estimates that the global electrosurgery devices market will exhibit a 6.7% CAGR over the period between 2016 and 2024. As a result, the market, valuing at US$4,480.8 mn in 2015, is expected to rise to US$7,963.2 mn in 2024. In terms of product type, the segment of electrosurgical accessories accounts for the dominant share. Geographically, North America leads and is expected to remain the dominant contributor of revenue to the global market over the forecast period as well.Government Investments to Improve Growth ProspectsAcross key end-use areas including hospitals, surgical ambulatory units, and specialized clinics, the adoption of electrosurgical devices has increased at a significant pace owing to encouraging reimbursement policies and coverage of medical bills under medical insurance policies in a vast number of developed and developing countries. Provision of medical insurance enables those covered to adopt the best surgical options available without having to consider cost of surgery as a constraint. This is one of the key factor fueling the global demand for electrosurgical devices across the globe in the past few years.The global market for electrosurgical devices is also chiefly driven by the rising focus on the improvement of health care systems in several developed countries. Government bodies are increasing funds invested towards the research and development of advanced medical treatments and target-specific surgical devices, projected to drive the global electrosurgical devices market.Complications Associated with Electrosurgery to Hamper Market GrowthThe possibility of occurrence of several electro-thermal injuries and post-operative complications owing to factors such as improper application of electrosurgery devices, failure of insulation, capacitive coupling, and direct coupling is one of the core challenges faced by the global electrosurgical devices market. More than half of these complications are associated with the entry technique of devices. According to a study conducted by the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, the rate of occurrence of electrosurgical complications during delivery of energy to living tissue is nearly as high as 27%.Request Sample Report@Moreover, growth of the market is also hampered owing to stringent quality and safety regulations governing the overall adoption and usage of these devices and the longwinded approval processes, which have discouraged electrosurgical devices manufacturers in developed countries. These market players, as a result, are focusing on growth opportunities across regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America for new product launches.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Magnetic Sensor Global Market Trend, Research Approach, Data Analysis and Forecast to 2022

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According to Publisher, the Global Magnetic Sensors market is expected to reach $3.2 billion by 2022. Demand for high quality sensing performance, increasing use of magnetic sensors in the industrial sector, expanding applications in IT and Healthcare sectors, proliferation of smartphones and tablet devices are the factors driving the market growth. However, intense competition and declining average selling price are hindering the market.For more information about this report:Hall Effect magnetic sensors dominated the market share and are likely to maintain control over the forecast period. Automotive applications segment is likely to remain the primary application segment over the next seven years. Industrial applications segment is expected to witness major growth over the forecast period. Asia Pacific magnetic sensors market is estimated to observe significant growth over the forecast period and is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.Some of the key players in the market include Elmos Semiconductor AG, Baumer Ltd., Honeywell International, Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH, NVE Corporation, Allegro Microsystems, Inc., Infineon Technologies AG, Melexis Corporation, Austriamicrosystems AG (AMS), NXP Semiconductors, Rotary and Linear Motion Sensor (RLS), Alps Electric Co., Ltd., Microsemi, Magnetic Sensors Corporation, Memsic Corporation, Micronas Semiconductor Holding AG and iC-Haus.Technology Covered:- Anisotropic Magneto-Resistive (AMR) magnetometer- Hall Effect- Giant Magneto Resistance (GMR) magnetometer- Other technologiesApplications Covered:- Industrial- Robotics- Energy, Power and Utilities- Consumer electronics- Healthcare- Aerospace and Defense- Automotive- Other applicationsRequest Sample Copy atRegions Covered:- North America- US- Canada- Mexico- Europe- Germany- France- Italy- UK- Spain- Rest of Europe- Asia Pacific- Japan- China- India- Australia- New Zealand- Rest of Asia Pacific- Rest of the World- Middle East- Brazil- Argentina- South Africa- EgyptWhat our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsCompany Profiling9.1 Elmos Semiconductor AG9.2 Baumer Ltd.9.3 Honeywell International, Inc.9.4 Robert Bosch GmbH9.5 NVE Corporation9.6 Allegro Microsystems, Inc.9.7 Infineon Technologies AG9.8 Melexis Corporation9.9 Austriamicrosystems AG (AMS)9.10 NXP Semiconductors9.11 Rotary and Linear Motion Sensor (RLS)9.12 Alps Electric Co., Ltd.9.13 Microsemi9.14 Magnetic Sensors Corporation9.15 Memsic Corporation9.16 Micronas Semiconductor Holding AG9.17 iC-HausInquire before Buying atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Global Wearable Medical Technology Market Report 2013 - 2019 : by product, by geography and company profile

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Over the past decade, the world has been witnessing a great deal of progress in the field of wearable medical technology that has led clinicians to work more efficiently by enabling them extending patient care even outside the hospital environment. The global market for wearable medical technology encompasses continuous glucose monitoring devices, wearable drug delivery devices, wearable patches, sleep monitors, smart watch and smart clothing. These technologies play a critical role in managing and monitoring a variety of chronic diseases ranging from diabetes to cardiovascular diseases. A continuous glucose monitoring device provides a greater view of glucose trends in the body by alerting wearers if their glucose levels are rising or falling too quickly.Report Overview and TOCThe world is witnessing a rapid growth in global wearable medical technology market primarily because of technological innovation, increasing health consciousness and globally rising aging population. Rising aging population is expected to increase the demand for continuous glucose monitor and other wearable technologies that will help clinicians by enabling them up to date information about elderly people health conditions. Wearable medical technology products are expected to reduce the overall healthcare cost in future by providing effective disease monitoring and management. Geographically, North America dominates the global wearable medical technology market as majority of the market players are present here, thus many technological advancements are first introduced in this region. In emerging markets of Asia-Pacific and Latin America, the market is expected to grow due to increase in healthcare awareness, continuously improving economy leading to increased affordability and relatively less competition compared to developed regionsRequest BrochureSome of the key players in this market are Medtronic, Inc., Abbott, AiQ Smart Clothing Inc., Zoll Medical corp., Polar Electro Inc., Philips Healthcare, Diacel Corp., BASF SE, Cambrex Corp. and Solvias AG.This research report analyzes this market depending on its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this researchreport includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeRest of the WorldThis report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsFor Specific and Customized requirements@This report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.Pre Book full 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 business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Carbon Fiber Market Anticipated Witnessing an Unprecedented Growth during the Forecast Period (2017-2024)

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Global Carbon Fiber Industry 2017 Market Research Report focuses on price, sales, revenue and growth rate of each type, as well as the types and each type price of key manufacturers, through interviewing key manufacturers. Second on basis of segments by manufacturers, this report focuses on the sales, price of each type, average price of Credit Insurance, revenue and market share, for key manufacturers.The Global Carbon Fiber Market accounted for USD 25.7 billion in 2016 and projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.10% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024. The upcoming market report contains data for historic years 2014, 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.Request for Free Sample Report @Major Market Drivers and Restraints: Increase in the use of carbon fiber and carbon fiber reinforced plastics in boeing and airbus aircraft Increase in demand for fuel-efficient vehicles Focus on production of electricity from renewable sources High cost of carbon fiber composites Insufficient production capacityAvail 10% Instant Discount on Purchase of this report Mail us on: sales@databridgemarketresearch.comTop Key Players: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC. TEIJIN LIMITED Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation SGL Group Formosa Plastics Corporation Hexcel Corporation DSK Hyosung Pvt. Ltd. Koninklijke Ten Cate bv. DowAksa Cytec Solvay Group TAEKWANG INDUSTRIAL CO.,LTD. Gurit Plasan Carbon Composites SK chemicals Nippon Graphite Fiber Co., Ltd. kemrock Park Electrochemical Corp BGF Industries, Inc. Oyster Technology Crosby Composites DSM Aeron Composite Pvt. Ltd. ZhongAo Carbon Sigmatex Ltd Holding company Composite and others.Request for Detaild TOC:Market Definition: Global Carbon Fiber MarketCarbon fibre is a black, smooth, and light-weighted textile fibers, it is specially used due to its lightness and strength at high temperature for reinforcing resins, ceramics, and metals, mainly in turbine blades and for fishing rods. It has its wide application in Aerospace & Defense, Wind Energy, Automotive, and others. Increase in demand for fuel-efficient vehicles may act as the major driver in the growth of carbon fiber market. On the other side, insufficient production capacity may hamper the market.Complete report on Global Carbon Fiber Market Research Report 2017-2024 spread across 350 Pages, profiling Top companies and supports with tables and figuresKey Questions Answered in Global Carbon Fiber Market Report:-Our Report offers:- What will the market growth rate, Overview and Analysis by Type of Global Carbon Fiber Market in 2024? What are the key factors driving, Analysis by Applications and Countries Global Carbon Fiber Market? What are Dynamics, This Overview Includes Analysis of Scope, and price analysis of top Vendors Profiles of Global Carbon Fiber Market? Who are Opportunities, Risk and Driving Force of Global Carbon Fiber Market? Who are the opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in Global Carbon Fiber Market? Business Overview by Type, Applications, Gross Margin and Market Share What are the Global Carbon Fiber Market opportunities, market risk and market overview of the Market?Speak to Author of the Report@Customize report of "Global Carbon Fiber Market" as per customers requirement also available.Market Segmentations:Global Carbon Fiber Market is segmented on the basis of Material Type Manufacturing Process Resin Type End-Use GeographyMarket Segmentations in Details:On the basis of Material Type into polyacrylonitrile (Pan-Based) carbon fibers, pitch-based carbon fiber, and rayon-based carbon fiber.On the basis of Manufacturing Process, the global carbon fiber market is segmented into lay-up process, compression molding process, resin transfer molding process, filament winding process, injection molding process, pultrusion process, and others.On the basis of Resin Type, the global carbon fiber market is segmented into thermosetting CFRP, and thermoplastic CFRP.On the basis of End-Use industry, the global carbon fiber market is segmented into aerospace & defense, wind energy, automotive, sporting goods, civil engineering, pipe & tank, marine, electrical & electronics, medical, and other applications.On the basis of geography North America South America Europe Asia-Pacific Middle East & AfricaCompetitive Landscape: Global Carbon Fiber MarketThe global Carbon fiber market is consolidated due to the presence of limited number of players concentrated in few countries. These major players have adopted various organic as well as inorganic growth strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, and others to strengthen their position in this market.For more insightful information visit @Other ReportGlobal Ransom Ware Protection Market  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Global Ransom ware protection Market, By Geography, Solution (Standalone Anti-Ransom Ware Software, Secure Web Gateways, Application Control, IDS/IPS, Web Filtering, Threat Intelligence), Service (Managed Services, Professional Services), Application, Deployment Mode, Organization Size, Vertical- Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Report Access:About Data Bridge Market ResearchData Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Vishal DixitData Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: Sales@databridgemarketresearch.comInvestor: investors@databridgemarketresearch.comVisit BlogFollow us on LinkedIn:
Mobile Phone Accessories Global Market, By Product & Data Validation, Analysis and Forecast 2022

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According to Publisher, the Global Mobile Phone Accessories Market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 6.4% during the forecast period 2015 to 2022. Increasing disposable income, higher adoption of smartphones and rising urbanization are the factors boosting the market growth. Strong demand for power banks and growing demand for wireless accessories are the major trends in mobile phone accessories market.The protective cases segment accounted for maximum share among the global mobile phone accessories market and is likely to increase at a significant CAGR over the forecast period. Headphone/earphone and chargers segment is expected to hold a significant share in the global market. The single-brand store and multi-brand store segments are likely to showcase small changes due to the increasing customer preference for online stores during the forecast period. The mid price range segment dominated the global mobile phone accessories market and is expected to remain dominant in future.For more information about this report:Asia Pacific region excluding Japan dominated the market share in the overall mobile phone accessories market. North America ranked second with more than 10% market share followed by Western Europe. Latin America and MEA are likely to become the fastest growing regions.Some of the key players in the market include Sennheiser Electronic GmbH & Co. KG, Plantronics Pty. Limited, Philips Electronics Limited, Griffin Technology, Beats (Apple Inc.), Audio-Technica Corporation, BYD Company Limited, Sony Corporation, Bose Corporation, Pelican Products Inc., Otterbox Inc., Samsung Electronics Limited, JVC Corporation and Panasonic Corporation.Product Type Covered:- Charger- Protective Case- Memory Card- Headphone/Earphone- Portable Speaker- Battery- Power Bank- Other AccessoriesPrice Range Covered:- Premium Price Range- Low Price Range- Mid-Price RangeDistribution Channels Covered:- Multi-brand Store- Single Brand Store- Organized Store- Online Store- Independent StoreRequest Sample Copy atRegions Covered:- North America- US- Canada- Mexico- Europe- Germany- France- Italy- UK- Spain- Rest of Europe- Asia Pacific- Japan- China- India- Australia- New Zealand- Rest of Asia Pacific- Rest of the World- Middle East- Brazil- Argentina- South Africa- EgyptWhat our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsCompany Profiling10.1 Sennheiser Electronic GmbH & Co. KG10.2 Plantronics Pty. Limited10.3 Philips Electronics Limited10.4 Griffin Technology10.5 Beats (Apple Inc.)10.6 Audio-Technica Corporation10.7 BYD Company Limited10.8 Sony Corporation10.9 Bose Corporation10.10 Pelican Products Inc10.11 Otterbox Inc.10.12 Samsung Electronics Limited10.13 JVC Corporation10.14 Panasonic CorporationInquire before Buying atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Clover Leaf Oil Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking: Global Review 2017 to 2022

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Low awareness regarding benefits of clover leaf oil in improving overall health of consumers is expected to restrain the global market from expanding at an impressive pace. Fact.MRs report on the global clover leaf oil market projects that by the end of 2022, a little over US$ 528 Mn revenues will be procured from sales of clover leaf oil in the world, reflecting a moderate CAGR.Request Free Sample Report-Key Insights from the Report include:Through 2022, the demand for clover leaf oil in its absolute form is expected to remain closely equal to the demand for concentrated form of clover leaf oil. Both forms are anticipated to procure more than one-third share on global revenues, individually. Meanwhile, blended clover leaf oil products will lose traction in terms of demand, reflecting a sluggish growth at lowest CAGR.In 2017 and beyond, eight out of ten clover leaf oil products sold in the market will be sourced from natural clover plants. The demand for naturally sourced clover leaf oil will be high in Europe, while global demand for organically procured clover leaf oil will witness a considerable decline towards the end of the forecast period.Proactive lifestyles of consumers in European countries are pegged to influence the sales of clover leaf oil products. In Europe, the demand for clover leaf oil is expected to gain traction owing to prevalent inclination of consumers towards health-benefiting products. Consumers in this region are likely to be aware about the benefits of clover leaf oil in boosting energy, improving blood circulation and being a natural anti-inflammatory ointment. The report projects that through 2022, Europe will remain the largest market for clover leaf oil in the world.North America, on the other hand, is expected to witness lowest growth in its clover leaf oil market. The sales of clover leaf oil in the US and Canada will reflect a sluggish growth by exhibiting a 2.5% CAGR throughout the forecast period. Low on-shelf availability of clover leaf oil products and a relatively less awareness regarding benefits of clover oil are expected to contribute to the moderate growth of North Americas clover leaf oil market during the forecast period.On the basis of application, therapeutic use of clover leaf oil products will witness a significant upsurge. The report also predicts that use of clover leaf oil in aromatherapy, production of fragrances, and production of food products & beverages will also witness impressive growth in the years to come.Modern trade outlets are expected to contribute to more than two-fifth of global market value throughout the forecast period. These outlets will be observed as largest distribution channel in the global clover leaf oil market, while online sales of clover leaf oil products are expected to procure more than US$ 80 Mn revenue by the end of 2022.Browse Full Report with TOC-Manufacturers of clover leaf oil products that are expected to remain active in the expansion of global clover leaf oil market through 2022 are also profiled in the report, which include companies such as Plant Therapy Essential Oils, Green Fields Oil Factory, Lionel Hitchen Essential Oils, Aromaaz International, IL Health & Beauty Natural Oils Co. Inc., Aksuvital, Shaanxi Guanjie Technology Co., Natures Natural India, Young Living Essential Oils LC, Greenleaf Extractions Pvt Ltd., Biolandes, The Lebermuth Company, doTerra, Synthite Industries Ltd., and Bio Extracts (Pvt) Ltd.Check Discount-About Fact.MRFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFact.MRSuite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street,Dublin 2, IrelandTelephone: +353-1-6111-593Email: sales@factmr.com/Web:
Kerecis ehf Pipeline Insight and Therapeutic Assessment Reviewed in 2017

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"Kerecis ehf is a medical device company that provides products that treats chronic wounds and damaged tissue. The companys flagship Kerecis Omega3 fish-skin acellular dermal matrix transplantation technology is intended for use in products to treat acute, chronic and oral wounds, for dura mater repair, breast reconstruction and abdominal wall reconstruction and for surgical stapling. It also develops mOmega3 fatty acid (fish-sourced fatty acids) technology for use in several dermatological indications such as psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, keratosis pilaris and pseudofolliculitis.Request For Free Sample -Kerecis major products consists of fish-skin acellular dermal matrix products such as Omega3 Wound, Omega3 Dura, Omega3 Hernia, Omega3 Pectus, Omega3 Seal, and topical creams including Smooth with mOmega3, Footguard with mOmega3, Psoria with mOmega3 and Xma with mOmega3. The company uses complete acellular fish skin for tissue regeneration by transplantation. Kerecis is headquartered in Isafjordur, Iceland.This report is a source for data, analysis, and actionable intelligence on the companys portfolio of pipeline products. The report provides key information about the company, its major products and brands.The report enhances decision making capabilities and help to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage.Scope:- The report reviews detailed company profile with information on business description, key company facts, major products and services, key competitors, key employees, locations and subsidiaries and recent developments- The report analyzes all pipeline products in development for the company Kerecis ehf- The report provides pipeline analysis on all pipeline products of the company (by equipment type, by indication, by development stage, and by trial status)- The report covers detailed information on each pipeline product with information on pipeline territory, stage of development, device class, regulatory path, indication(s), application(s) and estimated launch date- The report provides detailed description of products in development, technical specification and functions- The report also covers ongoing clinical trials (wherever applicable) with information on trial name, trial objective, sponsor, trial design , trial status and phase, estimated start and end date.Reasons to Buy:- Develop business strategies by understanding the trends and developments driving the medical devices pipeline and technology landscape- Design and develop your product development, marketing and sales strategies by understanding the competitor portfolio- To formulate effective Research & Development strategies- Develop market-entry and market expansion strategies- Exploit in-licensing and out-licensing opportunities by identifying products, most likely to ensure a robust return- Plan mergers and acquisitions effectively by identifying key players of the most promising pipeline- Identify emerging players with potentially strong product portfolio and create effective counter-strategies to gain competitive advantage- Develop competition strategies by identifying the status and likely launch of the competitors pipeline products through review of the clinical trials, stage and of development, etc- Identify, understand and capitalize the next high-value products that your competitor would add in its portfolioBrowse Full Report With TOC -Table of ContentsTable of Contents 2List of Tables 3List of Figures 3Kerecis ehf Company Overview 4Kerecis ehf Company Snapshot 4Kerecis ehf Pipeline Products and Ongoing Clinical Trials Overview 5Kerecis ehf Pipeline Analysis Overview 7Kerecis ehf - Key Facts 7Kerecis ehf - Major Products and Services 8Kerecis ehf Pipeline Products by Development Stage 9Kerecis ehf Pipeline Products Overview 11Kerecis Omega3 Dura 11Kerecis Omega3 Dura Product Overview 11Kerecis Omega3 Hernia 12Kerecis Omega3 Hernia Product Overview 12Kerecis Omega3 Pectus 13Kerecis Omega3 Pectus Product Overview 13Kerecis Omega3 Wound 14Kerecis Omega3 Wound Product Overview 14Kerecis ehf - Key Competitors 15Kerecis ehf - Key Employees 16Kerecis ehf - Locations And Subsidiaries 17Head Office 17Other Locations & Subsidiaries 17Recent Developments 18Kerecis ehf, Recent Developments 18Mar 22, 2017: PolyMedics Innovations to Sell Kerecis Omega3-rich Fish-Skin Burn Treatment in the U.S. 18Oct 18, 2016: Kerecis Omega3-rich Fish-Skin Treatment for Wound Treatment to be Introduced to the Asian Market at a Major Medical Congress in Singapore 18Sep 16, 2016: Kerecis Wound-Treatment Product With Omega3 Fish Skin Now Eligible for Medicare Reimbursement in 45ContinueEnquire About this Report -About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free : 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email : press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite :Read Industry News at -
Biotech Flavor Market Trends and Opportunities for the Industry by 2024

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According to a research report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global biotech flavor market is highly consolidated and competitive in nature, with Naturex occupying the dominant position. The leading companies in this market mostly rely on mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships to improve their visibility and the trend is likely to continue over the forthcoming years, increasing the competition between the players, reports the research study.Download exclusive Sample of this report:As per the report, the global market for biotech flavors, which stood at US$430.6 mn in 2015, is expected to proliferate at a CAGR of 9.70% during the period from 2016 to 2024, increasing the opportunity in this market to US$991.0 mn by the end of the forecast period. The market is projected to touch 23,980.3 tons in terms of volume over the same period of time. The demand for biotech flavors is higher in beverages compared to other end-use segments. On account of the surging consumption of flavored beverages, globally, analysts predict this segment to continue as the leading end user of biotech flavors over the period of the forecast.North America to Lead Market; Asia Pacific to Report High-paced GrowthThe research report further evaluates the worldwide market for biotech flavors on the basis of its regional classification. The Middle East and Africa, North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Latin America and is led by North America, thanks to the high awareness among consumers regarding the benefits of biotech flavors. In 2015, the regional market, followed by Europe, acquired a share of more than 32% in the overall market. Researchers anticipate the North America market for biotech flavors to retain its leadership over the forthcoming years.Obtain Report Details @On the other hand, Asia Pacific is anticipated to exhibit a high-paced growth in its market for biotech flavors in the near future, thanks to the strong demand for biotech flavors from emerging economies, such as China and India. The health and wellness trend is also expected to support the growth of the Asia Pacific biotech flavor market and prompt manufacturers to apply innovative strategies across the supply chain to ensure wide availability of biotech flavors for consumers over the years to come. Apart from this, the increasing demand for beverages in this region is expected to create vital opportunities for the players in the global market.Rising Awareness among Consumers to Boost Growth of Global Biotech Flavor MarketThe rising health consciousness among consumers has augmented the demand for natural ingredients and biotech-based flavors in food products and beverages, which, resultantly, is boosting the global biotech flavor market, says a TMR analyst. The growing awareness among consumers in developed economies concerning the negative impact of artificially-produced food flavors and the increased knowledge of consumers pertaining to the nutritional advantages of biotech flavors is projected to propel this market in the years to come.Although the future of the worldwide biotech flavor market looks thriving, the low shelf-life of biotech flavors and issues related to their stability may hinder the growth of this market in the near future, states the 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 business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate Market 2017- Altivia, Summit, Reheis, Licheng, Dongxu

2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate Market

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Apex Market Reports, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the "2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate Market" across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of "2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate Market" from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global 2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate industry, and estimates the future trend of 2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares "2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportAltiviaSummitMil-Spec IndustriesAltivia - HoustonReheisLichengDongxu...The market research report explores the 2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of "2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate Market". The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the 2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate market based on major product types, application and end users industries of 2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for 2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.The competitive landscape of the global market for 2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, 2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the 2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate market globally.Enquire Before Buying @The global 2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate market 2017 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, 2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate production volume, data pertaining to demand and 2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of 2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for 2-Aluminum Chlorohydrate across the world.About UsApex Market Reports offers elevating market research globally. We have collection of various syndicated reports of different categories. Apex Market Reports provides you to best services, weather youre searching for new trends in market or competitive scenario in emerging market.Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezCorporate Sales Specialist155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606Phone: +17739042683Email id - sales@apexmarketreports.comWebsite -
Meril Life Sciences Pvt Ltd Pipeline Insight and Therapeutic Assessment Reviewed in 2017

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"Meril Life Sciences Pvt Ltd (Meril) is a medical device company that develops and designs clinically relevant devices. The companys product categories include cardiovascular devices, vascular interventional devices, orthopedic devices, in-vitro diagnostics devices and endo-surgery devices. It offers coronary drug eluting stents, coronary bare metal stents, PTCA balloon dilatation catheter, bioresorbable scaffold, trans-catheters, knee systems and acetabular cup systems, IVD analyzers and reagents, surgical sutures, tissue sealants, absorbable hemostats, mesh, intra uterine devices, access devices, lab consumables, energy devices and staplers, accessories, and others. The company sells its products through direct sales, distributors and representatives offices located in India, Germany, Turkey, the US, China and Brazil. Meril is headquartered in Vapi, Gujarat, India.Request For Free Sample -This report is a source for data, analysis, and actionable intelligence on the companys portfolio of pipeline products. The report provides key information about the company, its major products and brands.The report enhances decision making capabilities and help to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage.Scope:- The report reviews detailed company profile with information on business description, key company facts, major products and services, key competitors, key employees, locations and subsidiaries and recent developments- The report analyzes all pipeline products in development for the company Meril Life Sciences Pvt Ltd- The report provides pipeline analysis on all pipeline products of the company (by equipment type, by indication, by development stage, and by trial status)- The report covers detailed information on each pipeline product with information on pipeline territory, stage of development, device class, regulatory path, indication(s), application(s) and estimated launch date- The report provides detailed description of products in development, technical specification and functions- The report also covers ongoing clinical trials (wherever applicable) with information on trial name, trial objective, sponsor, trial design , trial status and phase, estimated start and end date.Reasons to Buy:- Develop business strategies by understanding the trends and developments driving the medical devices pipeline and technology landscape- Design and develop your product development, marketing and sales strategies by understanding the competitor portfolio- To formulate effective Research & Development strategies- Develop market-entry and market expansion strategies- Exploit in-licensing and out-licensing opportunities by identifying products, most likely to ensure a robust return- Plan mergers and acquisitions effectively by identifying key players of the most promising pipeline- Identify emerging players with potentially strong product portfolio and create effective counter-strategies to gain competitive advantage- Develop competition strategies by identifying the status and likely launch of the competitors pipeline products through review of the clinical trials, stage and of development, etc- Identify, understand and capitalize the next high-value products that your competitor would add in its portfolioBrowse Full Report With TOC -Table of ContentsTable of Contents 2List of Tables 3List of Figures 4Meril Life Sciences Pvt Ltd Company Overview 5Meril Life Sciences Pvt Ltd Company Snapshot 5Meril Life Sciences Pvt Ltd Pipeline Products and Ongoing Clinical Trials Overview 6Meril Life Sciences Pvt Ltd Pipeline Analysis Overview 8Meril Life Sciences Pvt Ltd - Key Facts 8Meril Life Sciences Pvt Ltd - Major Products and Services 9Meril Life Sciences Pvt Ltd Pipeline Products by Development Stage 11Meril Life Sciences Pvt Ltd Ongoing Clinical Trials by Trial Status 13Meril Life Sciences Pvt Ltd Pipeline Products Overview 15BioMime 15BioMime Product Overview 15BioMime Clinical Trial 16BIOMIME AURA 18BIOMIME AURA Product Overview 18BIOMIME AURA Clinical Trial 19Credence - Peripheral BRS 20Credence - Peripheral BRS Product Overview 20Credence - Peripheral BRS Clinical Trial 21Crypton Stainless Steel Coronary Stent System 22Crypton Stainless Steel Coronary Stent System Product Overview 22MeRes100 23MeRes100 Product Overview 23MeRes100 Clinical Trial 24Myval Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement System 25Myval Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement System Product Overview 25NEXGEN Cobalt Chromium Coronary Stent System 26NEXGEN Cobalt Chromium Coronary Stent System Product Overview 26Meril Life Sciences Pvt Ltd - Key Competitors 27Meril Life Sciences Pvt Ltd - Key Employees 28Meril Life Sciences Pvt Ltd - Locations And Subsidiaries 29Head Office 29Other Locations & Subsidiaries 29ContinueEnquire About this Report -About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free : 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email : press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite :Read Industry News at -
VoIP Services Market 2017 by Call type, Configuration, Trends, Growth and Forecast to 2021

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VoIP functions on broadband networks using packet switched telephone networks (PSTNs) , unlike traditional calls on circuit switched networks. PSTNs are more efficient than legacy systems (circuited switched networks) , and information can be routed in packets over optimized paths. VoIP allows IP calls over mobile networks (3G/LTE) or fixed networks, such as wireless hotspots, Wi-Fi, and worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) networks. VoIP bypasses the originating mobile carrier's telephony network and allows inexpensive calls on mobiles through the ISP networks. It also offers low-cost international calls, and roaming calls, without the need for extensive infrastructures such as PCs and DSL modems.Publisher's analysts forecast the global VoIP services market to grow at a CAGR of 9.87% during the period 2017-2021.For more information about this report:Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global VoIP services market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated by VoIP service providers and connectivity service providers for offering VoIP services suites.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:-Americas-APAC-EMEAPublisher's report, Global VoIP Services Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors-Avaya-Microsoft Skype-Viber Media-VonageRequest Sample Copy atOther prominent vendors-8x8-Apple (FaceTime)-BigAnt-Cisco (Jabber)-Facebook-Google (Hangouts)-HipChat-IBM (Sametime)-InPhonex-Kakao Japan-Kosmaz Technologies (VoIP)-Line-magicJack-Nextiva-One Horizon Group-RingCentral-Talk360-TATA Communications-Telefonica (Tu Me)-Tencent (WeChat)-T-Mobile-Vyke TelecomsMarket driver-Increased number of mobile computing devices-For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge-Network security issues-For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend-Low TCO-For a full, detailed list, view our reportInquire for Report atTable of Contents:PART 01: Executive summaryPART 02: Scope of the reportPART 03: Market research methodologyPART 04: IntroductionPART 05: Market landscapePART 06: Market segmentation by call typePART 07: Market segmentation by configurationPART 08: Market segmentation by end-userPART 09: Geographical segmentationPART 10: Market driversPART 11: Impact of driversPART 12: Market challengesPART 13: Impact of drivers and challengesPART 14: Market trendsPART 15: Vendor landscapePART 16: AppendixPurchase this Premium Research Report at:. (Priced at US$ 3500).Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.Pune, India
Proximity Sensors Market: Comprehensive Evaluation Of The Market Via In-Depth Qualitative Insights

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Growing need for protection from collision in the transportation industry has led to a surge in demand for proximity sensors in the globally. In addition, manufacturers are increasingly integrating enhanced proximity sensors that protect from extreme and unprecedented medical conditions. According to Transparency Market Research, the global proximity sensors market is projected to reflect a CAGR of 6.9% over the forecast period, 2017-2022.Growth of the global proximity sensors market is mainly bound to various macro-economic and micro-economic factors. As demand for detecting the surrounding objects and obstructions in the route increases, manufacturers increasingly integrate the proximity sensors in the vehicles. Bound to features such as ultrasound and electromagnetic features, the manufacturers are increasingly integrating proximity sensors in vehicles. These sensors enable indicate the presence of obstruction and helps them prevent accidents or collisions. These factors are projected to impact the global market growth of proximity sensors positively.Obtain Report Details @Adoption of the proximity sensors also extend to the aviation industry. With the growing need to prevent collisions while flying has led to a surge in demand for equipping the commercial aircrafts with proximity sensors. Moreover, attributed to the electromagnetic features, the proximity sensors embedded in the aircrafts enable the end users to monitor the routes of the aircraft and ensure safety. Manufacturers mainly integrates the proximity sensors in the flight controls, thrust reverser actuation system, doors and landing gears.With the emerging medical technology, manufacturers in the healthcare industry are also integrating medical devices with sensor systems. Equipped with features such as pulse oximetry, integration of the proximity sensors enable the medical devices to perform photoplethysmography procedure in order to check the pulse rate. Manufacturers in the healthcare industry are also witnessed to embed proximity sensors in other medical devices such as ECG/KCG monitors, glucose monitors and blood pressure monitors. These factors are projected to impact the global market growth of proximity sensors positively.Download PDF brochure @The trend of equipping proximity sensor system is gaining importance in the electronic industry. Growing need for enhanced end user interaction experience has led the manufacturers to embed the proximity sensors in the electronic devices. Integration of these sensor systems enable the end users to conveniently operate the electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, washing machines, door locks and televisions. These factors are projected to contribute towards the global market growth of proximity sensors significantly throughout the forecast period.Surge in manufacturing of the consumer and electronic products will continue to rev up adoption of the proximity sensors among the industrial manufacturers. On the basis of end use industry, the industrial manufacturing segment is projected to generate significant revenues, recording more than US$ 200 Mn by 2022-end. This segment along with the defense & aerospace segment is projected to reflect a healthy CAGR through 2022.By 2017-end, the inductive technology segment is projected to represent relatively high growth in terms of revenue, accounting for more than US$ 200 Mn. However, the infrared technology segments is projected to witness the fastest growth in the global market throughout the forecast period.Request A Sample Of Report @Based on the product type, the fixed distance segment is projected to represent a robust growth in terms of revenue, recording more than US$ 600 Mn by 2022-end. On the other hand, the adjustable distance product type segment is projected to reflect a robust CAGR in the global market through 2022.Major players in the global market of proximity sensors are IFM Electronic GmbH, Broadcom Limited, Panasonic Corporation, Schneider Electric SE, Rockwell Automation, Inc., Hans Turck GmbH & Co., KG, Honeywell International Inc., OMRON Corp., AMETEK, Inc. and Fargo Controls, Inc.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:
Adoxal (G) Market Global Industry Analysis, size, share and Forecast 2015 - 2023

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Adoxal (G) is a type of fragrance that blends well with floral notes such as cyclamen and muguet, as well as with woody and fruity compositions. Adoxal (G) can be seen as having a typical "fresh linen" odor and natural, ozonic aspect. Adoxal (G) has to be stored in full sealed containers in dry, cool and ventilated place away from sources of ignition. Adoxal (G) appears as pale yellow liquid and should be protected from light and air and should avoid contact with alkali, oxidizing agents and strong acids.The growth in end user industries is expected to increase the consumption of adoxal (g). The growth in cosmetics and perfumes industry is expected to boost demand for adoxal (g). In addition, rising consumption in emerging economies of Asia Pacific and Latin America is expected to increase the consumption of adoxal (g). However, government regulations and fluctuating prices could hamper the growth of this market.Request for TOC @North America is expected to be the largest consumer of adoxal (g) followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. Asia Pacific is currently the fastest growing market for adoxal (g) due to growing demand for perfumes and cosmetics in emerging economies. Changing consumer lifestyle, heightened importance on personal appearance and grooming and rising disposable incomes is driving the growth of the cosmetics and perfumes especially in Europe and Asia Pacific region. There is major growth potential for premium segments of perfumes due to expanding middle class in emerging economies.The growth of cosmetics and perfumes market is expected to drive the demand for adoxal (g) as it is a major ingredient in perfumes. In addition, increased demand for youth-oriented and exotic fragrances is expected to set the pace for rapid market expansion. India and China are expected to be major consumers in Asia Pacific due to presence of established end user industries. Japan, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Macau, Hong Kong and Malaysia are other major consumers of adoxal (g) in Asia Pacific. North America and Europe are expected to experience moderate to high growth.The market is dominated by large and medium flavors and fragrances manufacturing companies. Majority of adoxal (g) manufacturers are based in Europe and North America. However companies are shifting their production plants to emerging economies of Asia Pacific to reduce production cost.Some of the key players in this market are Givaudan (Switzerland), Firmenich SA (Switzerland), International Flavors & Fragrances (U.S.), Symrise (Germany), Takasago International Corporation (Japan), Wild Flavors (U.S.), Mane SA (France), Frutarom Industries Ltd. (Israel), Sensient Flavors and Fragrances Group (U.S.), Robertet SA (France), The John D. Walsh Company, Inc. (U.S.), Veera Fragrances Pvt Ltd (India), Guangzhou Meiyi Flavours & Fragrances Co., Ltd. (China), Guangzhou Flower Flavours & Fragrances Co., Ltd.(China), Shandong Fangsheng Aromatics Co., Ltd.(China), Dalian Sinobio Chemistry Co., Ltd.(China), Yiwu Niya Cosmetics Co., Ltd.(China), Guangzhou Frandy Daily Chemical Co., Ltd.(China), Xiamen Golden Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (china), Guangzhou Handyware Flavor& Seasoning Co., Ltd.(China), Shenzhen Boton Flavors And Fragrances Co., Ltd. (China), Changsha Kamer Essence And Flavor Co., Ltd. (China) and T. Hasegawa (Japan) among others.Make an Enquiry @Companies are using strategic acquisitions and mergers to increase their market share. In addition, companies are expanding their product portfolio through collaborations and investments in research and development. Furthermore companies are relying on their advanced manufacturing technology and economies of scale to reduce production costs.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Non-Ionic Surfactant Market is especially driven by Household Industry due to Healthy Middle Class and upsurge in Disposable Income in APAC Region

Non-Ionic Surfactants Market

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Increasing population and rising demand from various industries such as food & beverages, paint & coatings, oilfield, textiles, personal care, household, and others gives a potential opportunity for prominent manufactures in Asia Pacific region. Improved lifestyle, increasing cost of living and rising population have fostered the adoption of surfactants in various industries, such as personal care, soaps & detergents, and pharmaceutical industry; thereby, boosting the growth of the this industry. Based on region, this market is segmented into North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Among the regional markets, the Asia Pacific dominated the market, in 2016, and is expected to witness the fastest growth rate during the forecast period. China, India, Japan, and Indonesia are anticipated to be the fastest growing markets in this region. Growing demand for personal care products has improved the demand for surfactants globally. The personal care products and detergents market in Asia pacific is increasing significantly due to flourishing middle class and upsurge in disposable income. Moreover, increasing exploration and production activities is increasing demand for oilfield chemicals which is also anticipated to increase the market demand for non-ionic surfactants. Furthermore, rising demand from household industry including detergents, disinfectants, household cleaners and industrial cleaners, is also increasing the demand of non-ionic surfactant. Apart from this, personal care products including hair care, skin care, and other cosmetic & toiletry products are also adding in the demand of non-ionic surfactant in this region.Request a Sample Report @On the other hand, North America holds the second position for global non-ionic surfactant market followed by Europe. Moreover, Latin America Middle East and South Africa is an emerging region for non-ionic surfactant market due to increasing demand of non-ionic surfactant in various industries such as food & beverages, paint & coatings, oilfield, textiles, personal care, household, and others. The growing demand in various industrial applications such as cleaners, emulsion, additives, and others is expected driving factor for the global organic rheology modifiers market in near future.Segmentation:The global non-ionic surfactants market is segmented on the basis of type, application, end users, and region. Based on the type, the market is segmented into alcohol ethoxylates, fatty alkanolamides, amine derivatives, glycerol derivatives, and others. Based on application, market is segmented into cleaners, emulsion, additives, and others. On the other hand, based on end user, the market is segmented into food & beverages, paint & coatings, oilfield, textiles, personal care, household, and others. Based on region, this market is segmented into APAC, North America, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.Key Players:Key players of the global non-ionic surfactants market are Kao Corporation (Japan), Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (Japan), Galaxy Surfactants (India), KLK OLEO. (Malaysia), TAWIWAN NJC CORPORATION., Ltd. (Taiwan), Sanyo Chemical Industries, ltd. (Japan), and others.Browse Full Report @Key Points from Table of Contents:1 Executive Summary2 Scope of the Report3 Market Research Methodology4 Market Landscape5 Industry Overview of Global Non-Ionic Surfactants Market6 Market Trends7. Global Non-Ionic Surfactants Market By Types8. Global Non-Ionic Surfactants Market By Application Industry9. Global Non-Ionic Surfactants Market By End Use Industry10. Global Non-Ionic Surfactants Market By Region11. Company Landscape12. Company Profiles12.1 3M12.1.1 Company Overview12.1.2 Product/Business Segment Overview12.1.3 Financial Updates12.1.4 Key Developments12.2 Akzo Nobel N.V.12.2.1 Company Overview12.2.2 Product/Business Segment Overview12.2.3 Financial Updates12.2.4 Key Developments12.3 Arkema12.3.1 Company Overview12.3.2 Product/Business Segment Overview12.3.3 Financial Updates12.3.4 Key Developments12.4 BASF SE12.4.1 Company Overview12.4.2 Product/Business Segment Overview12.4.3 Financial Updates12.4.4 Key Developments12.5 Clariant12.5.1 Company Overview12.5.2 Product/Business Segment Overview12.5.3 Financial Updates12.5.4 Key Developments13 ConclusionMake an Enquiry before buying @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Germanium Market Market Size, Share, Growth Drivers, Market Trends by 2022

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Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) has been serving as an active source to cater intelligent research report to enlighten both readers and investors. This research study titled Germanium Market - Global Industry Expert Opinions Analysis, Emerging Opportunities, Market Size, Share, Growth Drivers, Market Trends, Statistics And Forecast 2015  2020.Germanium is a semiconductor metalloid with similar chemical and physical properties to silicon. Germanium is primarily extracted from sphalerite (the primary ore of zinc), though it can be mined commercially from copper, silver and lead ores as well. Germanium is more reactive than silicon and is not found in its nascent form.Click here For Free Sample Report @Germaniums use in night-vision optical devices and as semiconductor in electronics and solar panels is expected to drive the global market. However, difficulty in mining due to small reserves and substitutability by silicon might hamper the market growth. Increasing adoption of solar panels is expected to bring future prospective demand.Major germanium production is from China, Russia and the U.S.A. Germanium prices are on a rise and escalating at a rapid rate due to tight supplies. China produces more than half of the global supplies and levies taxes on exports of high quality germanium products such as germanium dioxide, germanium tetrachloride. Currently, a major portion of the germanium produced globally is from recycled products. Additionally, due to environmental concern several production plants in China had to be shut down temporarily for installation of safety controls. This further tightened germanium supply in the market and caused price increases in 2012.Browse Full Report With TOC Click here @Germanium market can be segmented, based on its end-use application, into four key segments as optical fiber, infrared optics, solar cells and PET catalyst. Optical fiber was the dominant application segment with major demand from Japan in the last year. Solar cells application is expected to be the fastest growing segment owing to increasing adoption of solar panel as a renewable energy substitute of fossil fuels.Some of the players in the germanium market include Yunnan Lincang Xinyuan Germanium Industry Co., Ltd., Yunnan Chihong Zinc &Germanium Co., Ltd., China Germanium Co., Ltd., Yunnan Luoping Zinc & Electricity Co., Ltd., and Shaoguan Smelting Plant among others.Make An Enquiry @About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine(MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite :Read More Industry News At:
Policy Management in Telecom Market 2017 Size, Segments, Growth and Trends by Forecast to 2023

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Market Highlights:LM Ericsson Telephone Company is one of the prominent telecom company that is offering varied solutions related to policy management in telecom sector. Such as mobile financial services, 5G network architecture and other telecom services.The regional analysis of policy management in telecom market is being studied for regions such as Asia Pacific, Americas, Europe and Rest of the World. North America region accounts for highest market share in policy management in telecom market owing to presence of major players in the region. The region consists of major telecom solution providers, advance network infrastructure and adoption of high advanced technologies are significant factors boosting the market in the region. Countries such as US and Canada contributes large amount of revenue in the policy management in telecom market in the region. AsiaPacific region is expected to be growing at the highest CAGR in the policy management in telecom market. Owing to the increasing subscribers and growing data traffic in the region, growing smartphone users and rise in digitization is one of the significant factors boosting market in the region.The Policy Management in Telecom Market is segmented on the basis of components, deployment, and organization size and network type. The component segment includes software and service. The service segment includes managed service and professional service. Managed Services can be defined as active supervision of an information technology asset or object, by a third party known as a MSP, on behalf of the end-user. The operative distinction that sets apart a managed service program is the proactive delivery of their service, as compared to reactive IT services, which have been around for decades. The key drivers contributing to the growth of the managed services are rise in digital information, the need to secure it, increasing trend of bring your own devices, flexibility to match custom requirements, continuous upsurge in dependency over heterogeneous networks, and persistent rise in the complexity of technological solutions.The segmentation on the basis of deployment includes cloud and on-premise. Cloud solution accounts for highest market share as it helps enterprises by minimizing cost associated with the IT infrastructure. Cloud solution enables enterprise to focus on core business competencies. It provides enterprises with data protection and security, efficiently manage storage and privacy issues, offers data integrity and provides information related to managing and coordinating business activities and helps in increasing the overall business productivity.The policy management in telecom market is expected to grow at approximately USD 1,606.95 Million by 2023, at 11% of CAGR between 2017 and 2023.Major Key Players: LM Ericsson Telephone Company (Sweden) Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd. (China) Nokia Corporation (Finland) Amdocs Limited (U.S.) Oracle Corporation (U.S.) Astea International Inc. (U.S.) Comarch Sa. (Poland) Wipro Limited (India) Intracom Telecom (Greece) Genpact (U.S.)Request a Sample Report @Policy Management in Telecom Market Segmentation:The policy management in telecom market has been segmented on the basis of component, network type, deployment and organization size. The network type segment consists of fixed and wireless. Fixed networks provides ultra-fast broadband services to customers. With the help of fixed networks, the landline broadband internet connection is able to achieve bandwidths of many megabyte per second.Market Research Analysis:The policy management in telecom market in North America region is growing due to rise of high volumes data by enterprise and need to improve information governance in organizations. According to the study, the policy management in telecom market will show considerable growth in Europe region. Asia-Pacific market is estimated to be one of the fastest growing market as it is continuously investing into research and development of policy management in telecom market and growing smartphone penetration give rise to network complexities is driving policy management in telecom market in the region.Increasing population, and growing IT landscape is boosting the market in the region. The region is witnessing high adoption of telecom solutions by enterprises. Developing countries such as India and China are providing telecom solutions at a large scale owing to increasing telecom industries, complexities in network and increase is smartphone users boosting the market in the region. By deployment segment, cloud services is driving the policy management in telecom market.The region is witnessing high growth in policy management in telecom market due to growing technological advancement in cloud, analytics and mobile technologies.Segments:Policy management in telecom market for segment on the basis of component, network type, deployment and organization size.Policy Management in Telecom market by Component:By SolutionBy Service: Professional services Managed servicesPolicy Management in Telecom market by Network Type: Fixed MobilePolicy Management in Telecom market by Deployment: Cloud On-PremisePolicy Management in Telecom market by Organization Size: Small And Medium Organization Large OrganizationBrowse Full Report Details @Intended Audience Investors and consultants System Integrators Government Organizations Research/Consultancy firms Technology solution providers IT Solution Providers Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM)Table of Contents1 Market Introduction1.1 Introduction1.2 Scope of Study1.2.1 Research Objective1.2.2 Assumptions1.2.3 Limitations1.3 Market StructureContinuedList of TablesTable 1policy Management In Telecom Market, By ComponentTable 2policy Management In Telecom Market, By Network TypeTable 3policy Management In Telecom Market, By DeploymentContinuedList of FiguresFigure 1research ComponentFigure 2policy Management In Telecom Market: By Component (%)Figure 3policy Management In Telecom Market: By Network Type (%)ContinuedAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Internet of Things Sensor Market Key Players Visions to 2025 (Texas Instruments, NXP Semiconductors, Broadcom, Robert Bosch and Other Players)

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Sensor is an electronic device which is used to detect events or changes in its environment and send the information to other system such as computer processor. Sensors in IoT play an important role for determining the physical quality of objects and compute it into a value which is further read by another device or user.The major drivers which help in surging the growth of IoT sensor market include its connectivity and analytics to the supply chain along with its lower cost and more advanced capabilities of RFID tags whereas limitation in bandwidth connection may act as a restraining factor for this market. Development of smart cities will add new opportunities for this market in the coming years.Request Sample is Available atThe Global IoT Sensor Market Analysis to 2025 is a specialized and in-depth study of the IoT sensor industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of global IoT sensor market with detailed market segmentation by type, connectivity type, application and geography. The global IoT sensor market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the leading market players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.The report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global IoT sensor market based on type, connectivity type and application. It also provides market size and forecast till 2025 for overall IoT sensor market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SAM). The market by each region is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report covers analysis and forecast of 16 counties globally along with current trend and opportunities prevailing in the region.Inquire before Buying atBesides this, the report analyzes factors affecting market from both demand and supply side and further evaluates market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend. The report also provides exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions namely; North America, Europe, APAC, MEA and South America after evaluating political, economic, social and technological factors effecting the market in these regions.Also, key IoT sensor market players influencing the market are profiled in the study along with their SWOT analysis and market strategies. The report also focuses on leading industry players with information such as company profiles, products and services offered, financial information of last 3 years, key development in past five years. Some of the key players influencing the market are Texas Instruments Incorporated., NXP Semiconductors N.V., Broadcom Limited (Avago), Robert Bosch GmbH, Infineon Technologies AG, Analog Devices, Inc., OMRON Corporation, Sensirion AG, SmartThings Inc. and Honeywell International Inc. among others.Complete Report is Available atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comAbout Us:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.533, 5th Floor, Amanora Chambers,Amanora Township, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Workforce Analytics Market Size, Segments, Growth and Trends by Forecast to 2023

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Market Highlights:Workforce analytics is a platform designed by the combination of software and algorithms implementing the statistical models to the work force related data giving the benefit to the enterprises to efficiently optimize the human resources management. The result of the workforce analytics allows the organizations to develop and improve the methods of recruiting and effectively take the hiring decisions. Additionally the analytics software help the organizations identify the new positions needs and predicting the success of the employee. This proves a great benefit to the higher management in identifying the factors that influence the employee job satisfaction.With the advancements in technology and increase in the global trade, it has made a huge impact on the work culture across the globe for different organizations resulting in the decrease of the skilled workforce. This dynamic change in the workforce has made the management to utilize the workforce analytics to better optimize the customer needs and employee workforce.The market for workforce analytics is segmented by type, deployment, organization size, industry vertical and by region. On the basis of type, it is divided into solutions and services. Services are further bifurcated as consulting service, system integration service, and managed services. The services segment is dominating the market for workforce analytics by type due to changing workforce and labor challenges that are faced by the enterprises globally. Also, due to the changing work dynamics and different governmental labor rules and regulations, the demand for consulting services is growing and is expected to grow significantly in the forecasted period. The segmentation is also done on the basis of deployment. Under deployment, the cloud-based workforce analytics is leading segment in Workforce Analytics Market majorly due to ease of implementation and user-friendly environmental features. The market is also divided into large organizations and SMEs under organization size for the industry verticals like banking, insurance, government, retail, and logistics, healthcare and manufacturing.Major Key Players: ADP LLC (U.S.), Aquire, Inc (U.S.) Cornerstone OnDemand Inc (U.S.) Genpact Ltd (Bermuda) IBM Corporation (U.S.) Kronos Inc (U.S.) Oracle Corporation (U.S.) PeopleSreme Pty. Ltd (Australia) SAP SE (Germany) Tableau Software (U.S.) Tower Watson & Co (U.S.) Visier Inc (Canada) Workday Inc (U.S.) WorkForce Software, LLC (U.S.)Request a Sample Report @Regional Analysis:On the basis of region, the market for workforce analytics is divided into North America, Europe, Asia pacific and rest of the world. North America region is leading the market in workforce analytics majorly due to the presence of big and large number of vendors. Also Increase in the early adoption of cloud - based workforce analytics from U.S and Canadian companies with the shift towards software as a service in cloud-based workforce analytics. Following North America is Europe and Asia pacific.Increase in infrastructure and awareness of benefits of workforce analytics across the Asia Pacific regions are expected to grow the market during the forecast period. India, China, and Japan these are the countries have the highest market share of workforce analytics market. Rapid economic development in the region, increasing citizen prosperity is playing a key role in the growth of this market.Various dynamic and diversified international organizations, domestic organizations and as well as new entrants form a competitive landscape. The leaders are innovating continuously and increasingly seeking market expansion through various strategic mergers and acquisitions, innovation, increasing investments in research and development and cost-effective product portfolio.Segments:For the purpose of this study, Market Research Future has segmented the market of workforce analytics into type, deployment, organization size, industry vertical and region.Type Solution ServicesDeployment On Premise On CloudOrganization Size Large SMEsIndustry Vertical Banking Insurance Government Retail Logistics Healthcare ManufacturingRegion North America Europe Asia pacific Rest of the world.Browse Full Report Details @Intended Audience Storage providers Network providers Banking Institutions Insurance providers Higher management Research firms Software investors Software Developers Software Testers Analytics solutions providers IT enablers Database solutions Cloud providers Insurance companies Banks Telecommunication companiesTable of Contents1 Market Introduction1.1 Introduction1.2 Scope of Study1.2.1 Research objective1.2.2 Assumptions1.2.3 Limitations1.3 Market Structure2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Workforce Analytics2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research2.4 Forecast Model2.4.1 Market Data Collection, Analysis & Forecast2.4.2 Market Size EstimationContinuedList of TablesTable 1 Workforce Analytics Market, By TypeTable 2 Workforce Analytics Market, By DeploymentTable 3 Workforce Analytics Market, By Organization SizeContinuedList of FiguresFigure 1 Research TypeFigure 2 Workforce Analytics Market, By Type (%)Figure 3 Workforce Analytics Market, By Deployment (%)ContinuedAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Blu-Ray Disc Player Market- Detailed Analysis Report of Worldwide Markets from 2011-2016 by Radiant Insights

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This report provides detailed analysis of worldwide markets for Blu-Ray Disc Player from 2011-2016, and provides extensive market forecasts (2016-2021) by region/country and subsectors. It covers the key technological and market trends in the Blu-Ray Disc Player market and further lays out an analysis of the factors influencing the supply/demand for Blu-Ray Disc Player, and the opportunities/challenges faced by industry participants. It also acts as an essential tool to companies active across the value chain and to the new entrants by enabling them to capitalize the opportunities and develop business strategies.Request a Free Sample Copy of this Report @Blu-ray Disc (BD) is mainly used to store high definition video material such as feature films. The most feature is that it contains high quality video and huge storage space. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs (50 GB) being the industry standard for feature-length video discs. Triple layer discs (100 GB) and quadruple layers (128 GB) are available for BD-XL re-writer drives. The Video stored are generally MTS AVCHD files. Blu-ray Disc (BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format, in that it is capable of storing high-definition video resolution (1080p). The format was developed to enable recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition video (HD), as well as storing large amounts of data. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. The blu-ray disc player is a device to play blu-ray disc.For further inquiries, about - Global Blu-Ray Disc Player Market Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2021, click on this link -Global Blu-Ray Disc Player Market Forecast and Analysis 2016-2021, has been prepared based on the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of information about the global Blu-Ray Disc Player market collected from specialized sources. The report covers key technological developments in the recent times and profiles leading players in the market and analyzes their key strategies. The competitive landscape section of the report provides a clear insight into the market share analysis of key industry players. The major players in the global Blu-Ray Disc Player market arePanasonic, Toshiba, Sony, Sharp, Yamaha, LG, Samsung, Philips, Dynex, Marantz, OPPO, Pioneer, Denon.The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Rest of World. In this sector, global competitive landscape and supply/demand pattern of Blu-Ray Disc Player industry has been provided.Read more related reports by Radiant Insights: Spectral Sensing Filters Market- LED Display Market-Table of ContentsPart 1. Scope of Report1.1 Research Methodology1.2 Geographic Scope1.3 Years ConsideredPart 2. Introduction2.1 Key Findings2.2 Value Chain Analysis2.2.2 Upstream2.2.3 DownstreamPart 3. Manufacture3.1 Manufacturing Process3.2 Issues and TrendsAbout Radiant Insights, IncRadiant Insights is a market research and consulting company offering syndicated research studies, customized reports, and consulting services. Market research studies are designed to facilitate strategic decision making, on the basis of extensive and in-depth quantitative information, supported by extensive analysis and industry insights. Using a patented and robust research methodology, we publish exhaustive research reports covering a host of industries such as Technology, Chemicals, Materials, and Energy. Radiant Insights has a strong base of analysts, consultants and domain experts, with global experience help for delivering excellence in all research projects.Media Contact:Michelle Thoras201 Spear Street 1100,Suite 3036,San Francisco,CA 94105, United StatesTel: 1-415-349-0054Toll Free: 1-888-928-9744Mail: sale@radiantinsights.com
Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Market to Reach US$ 1,656 Million by 2027 End

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Rising prevalence of acute kidney disorders and associated risk factors such as diabetes continue to escalate the popularity of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Additional factors such as the globally increasing geriatric population, greater R&D initiatives and technological advancement in dialysis procedures are expected to further boost the demand for CRRT over the course of time. CRRT has proven to be quite an effective dialysis procedure and hence being rapidly adopted by a number of healthcare organisations. A new study conducted by Future Market Insights projects that revenue of the global market for continuous renal replacement therapy is set to increase at an impressive CAGR of 7.7 % during the forecast period (2017-2027). Moreover, robust marketing and product innovation from CRRT dialysis equipment manufacturers are favourably impacting the markets revenue growth.Read Report Overview @FMIs report titled Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 20172027 reveals that in 2016, North America accounted for the largest revenue share of the global CRRT market. The presence of an advanced healthcare infrastructure and widespread awareness about the availability of latest dialysis treatments is supporting the growth of the CRRT market in North America. Meanwhile, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is expected to emerge as the most lucrative market for CRRT over the forecast period, reflecting a CAGR of 8.8%. Towards the end of 2027, the regions market is estimated to surpass a valuation of US$ 333 Mn.The report mentions that many of the leading market players are actively focusing on introducing new technologies as well as upgrading their existing products in order to expand their market presence. At the same time, some of the bigger companies are going into strategic alliances to leverage the opportunities present in regions such as North America and APEJ.Novelty in dialysis treatment is facilitating interventional procedures with minimal patient discomfort. Based on product, the consumables segment is projected to account for the largest value share of the market during the forecast period. This segment is gaining traction primarily due to an expanding pool of patients suffering from acute kidney disease and increasing demand for dialysis in renal replacement therapy.By end user, both dialysis centre and hospitals currently account for sizeable revenue shares of the market. The rising healthcare spending in the emerging economies is anticipated to result in the establishment of more hospitals and new multi-specialty dialysis centres in the near future.Request Sample Report @Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA, Baxter International Inc., B. Braun Melsungen AG, Nikkiso Co., Ltd, NxStage Medical, Inc., Asahi Kasei Corp, NIPRO Corporation, Medica spa., Toray Medical Co., Ltd, Medtronic plc., Bain Medical Equipment (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., INFOMED SA., Medical Components, Inc., Medites Pharma, S.R.O., Jihua Medical Apparatus & Instruments Co., Central Admixture Pharmacy Services Inc., Haidylina for Advanced Medical Industries, Hemoclean Co. Ltd., FARMASOL Medical Products Ind. and Trd. Co. are among the top companies that operate in the global market for continuous renal replacement therapy.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:
Global Business Travel Market Forcast To Grow At CAGR Of 5.11% Between 2017-2021

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"The Report Global Business Travel Market 2017-2021 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Business Travel MarketBusiness travel refers to domestic or international trips made by an employee for several business-related purposes, including the organization of trade shows, marketing of the company, product launches, and internal meetings. Tourism is one of the major sources of revenue for a number of countries and has a positive impact on the economy of both the source and host countries. The tourism industry has experienced a high growth in the last six decades, especially in regions like Europe that host a large number of international travelers on short breaks. Tourists usually have high budgets and a preference for good food and luxury accommodations. However, these preferences may differ from one tourist to another. For instance, some tourists prefer simple beach vacations, while others want family-oriented holidays at quieter resorts, uncommercialized places, or niche market-targeted destination hotels.Get Sample copy of this Report @Technavios analysts forecast the global business travel market to grow at a CAGR of 5.11% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global business travel market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from the business travel market by purpose, expenditure, and age.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEATechnavio's report, Global Business Travel Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.View Report @Key vendorsAmerican Express Global Business TravelBCD TravelCarlson Wagonlit TravelExpediaHogg Robinson GroupTravel Leaders GroupOther prominent vendorsAdelman TravelADTRAV Travel ManagementATGFrosch International TravelJTB AmericasOmega World TravelOvation Travel GroupPriceline GroupUNIGLOBE Travel InternationalMarket driverGrowing technological advancesFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeRising terrorist activitiesFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendPersonalization of guest dataFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?You can request one free hour of our analysts time when you purchase this market report. Details are provided within the report.Send An Enquiry Request @Table of ContentsPART 01: Executive summaryPART 02: Scope of the reportPART 03: Research MethodologyPART 04: IntroductionMarket outlinePART 05: Market landscapeMarket overviewMarket size and forecastFive forces analysisPART 06: Market segmentation by purposeGlobal business travel market by purposeGlobal business travel market by marketingGlobal business travel market by internal meetingsGlobal business travel market by trade showsGlobal business travel market by product launchPART 07: Market segmentation by expenditureGlobal business travel market by expenditureGlobal business travel market by travel fareGlobal business travel market by lodgingGlobal business travel market by diningGlobal business travel market by othersPART 08: Market segmentation by ageGlobal business travel market by ageGlobal business travel market by travelers below 40 yearsGlobal business travel market by travelers above 40 yearsPART 09: Geographical segmentationGlobal business travel market by regionBusiness travel market in APACBusiness travel market in EMEABusiness travel market in AmericasPART 10: Key leading countriesBusiness travel market in ChinaBusiness travel market in USBusiness travel market in GermanyBusiness travel market in JapanPART 11: Buying criteriaService adoption criteriaPART 12: Decision frameworkPART 13: Drivers and challengesMarket driversMarket challengesPART 14: Market trendsGrowing preference of consumers to book through online travel agenciesPersonalization of guest dataGrowing demand for leisure travelPART 15: Vendor landscapeCompetitive scenarioKey vendorsOther prominent vendorsPART 16: AppendixBuy Now @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Energy and Utilities Construction in Oman Market 2017  By Analyzing the Performance of Various Competitors 2021

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WiseGuyReports published new report, titled Energy and Utilities Construction Market in OmanSynopsis"Energy and Utilities Construction Market in Oman: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics to 2021" contains historic and forecast market data for the energy and utilities construction market in Oman, with a detailed breakdown of the data by construction activity (new construction, repair and maintenance, refurbishment and demolition) and by cost type( construction materials, construction equipment and construction services). This report also contains overall values of the energy and utilities construction segments such as Energy and utilities construction market covers the development of energy and telecommunications related projects, oil and gas projects including both upstream and downstream exploration, and utility projects such as water and sewage infrastructure. This market includes five categories: electricity and power, oil & gas, telecommunications, sewage infrastructure and water infrastructure. This research report provides up-to-date market size data for the period 2012-2016 and an illustrative forecast to 2021.GET SAMPLE REPORT @SummaryEnergy and utilities construction market covers the development of energy and telecommunications related projects, oil and gas projects including both upstream and downstream exploration, and utility projects such as water and sewage infrastructure. This market includes five categories: electricity and power, oil & gas, telecommunications, sewage infrastructure and water infrastructure.The Omani energy and utilities construction category continued to increase in the review period with a value of OMRxxx.xx million (US$xxx.xx million) in 2016 and increased at a rate of x.xx% over 2015. The market recorded a CAGR of x.xx% from 2012 through 2016."Energy and Utilities Construction Market in Oman: Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics to 2021"' provides a top-level overview and detailed insight into the operating environment of the energy and utilities construction market in Oman. It is an essential tool for companies active across the Oman construction value chain and for new players considering to enter the market.Scope An overview of the energy and utilities construction market in Oman. Historic (2012 through 2016) and forecast (2017 through 2021) construction market output values are provided. A detailed breakdown of the data by construction activity (new construction, repair and maintenance, refurbishment and demolition) is provided at the market level while the values for the segments are provided by cost types (construction materials, construction equipment & construction services). This report covers all the segments of commercial construction market including Energy and utilities construction market covers the development of energy and telecommunications related projects, oil and gas projects including both upstream and downstream exploration, and utility projects such as water and sewage infrastructure. This market includes five categories: electricity and power, oil & gas, telecommunications, sewage infrastructure and water infrastructure.Key points to buy Enhances your knowledge of the market with key figures detailing construction type. Provides you with a breakdown of the market by construction activity (new construction, repair and maintenance, refurbishment and demolition). Provides you with a breakdown of the segments by cost type (construction materials, construction equipment &construction services). Details the segments covered under commercial construction market. Allows you to plan future business decisions using the forecast figures given.Table of Contents1 Introduction2 Overall Energy and Utilities Construction Value: Market Analysis3 Energy and Utilities Construction Output: Analysis by Category4 Electricity and Power construction: Market Analysis5 Oil and Gas construction: Market Analysis6 Telecommunications construction: Market Analysis7 Water Infrastructure construction: Market Analysis8 Sewage Infrastructure construction: Market Analysis9 Appendix..CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Property Management Software Market 2017 Share, Trend, Segmentation and Forecast to 2022

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The Global Property Management Software Consumption 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Property Management Software market.First, the report provides a basic overview of the Property Management Software industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. And development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures.Secondly, the report states the global Property Management Software market size (volume and value), and the segment markets by regions, types, applications and companies are also discussed.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Third, the Property Management Software market analysis is provided for major regions including USA, Europe, China and Japan, and other regions can be added. For each region, market size and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information. Whats more, the Property Management Software industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Table of Content: Key Points1 Industry Overview of Property Management Software1.1 Definition and Specifications of Property Management Software1.1.1 Definition of Property Management Software1.1.2 Specifications of Property Management Software1.2 Classification of Property Management Software1.3 Applications of Property Management Software1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Property Management Software1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Property Management Software1.5.1 Industry Overview of Property Management Software1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Property Management Software1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Property Management Software1.7 Industry News Analysis of Property Management Software..8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Property Management Software8.1 MRI Software8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Type I8.1.2.2 Type II8.1.2.3 Type III8.1.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue8.1.4 Contact Information8.2 AppFolio8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Type I8.2.2.2 Type II8.2.2.3 Type III8.2.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue8.2.4 Contact Information8.3 Buildium8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.2.1 Type I8.3.2.2 Type II8.3.2.3 Type III8.3.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue8.3.4 Contact Information8.4 RealPage8.4.1 Company Profile8.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.4.2.1 Type I8.4.2.2 Type II8.4.2.3 Type III8.4.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue8.4.4 Contact Information8.5 Yardi Systems8.5.1 Company Profile8.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.5.2.1 Type I8.5.2.2 Type II8.5.2.3 Type III8.5.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue8.5.4 Contact Information8.6 London Computer System8.6.1 Company Profile8.6.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.6.2.1 Type I8.6.2.2 Type II8.6.2.3 Type III8.6.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross and Revenue8.6.4 Contact InformationContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Diagnostic Ophthalmic Devices Market Report 2013 - 2019 : by product, application, end user, by geography and company profile

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Diagnostic ophthalmic devices are technology based devices used for diagnosis of any defect in the human visual pathway. The causeof the defect may be any eye related disorder, an infection or can be congenital. Many newly developed and easy-to-use ophthalmic diagnostics are helping the patients worldwide. The diagnostic ophthalmic devices market is expected to witness remarkable growth in the near future owing to increased prevalence of eye related disorders such aspresbyopia, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, cataracts, uveitis and keratoconusacross the globe.Report Overview and TOCThe global diagnostic ophthalmic devices market can be segmented into various technologies. These technologies include optical coherent tomographer, fundus camera, ophthalmic ultrasound device, tonometer, slit lamp, optical biometry device, autorefractor, keratometer and ophthalmic data management system. The optical coherence tomographers forms the major market share in diagnostic ophthalmic devices. The demand for optical coherence tomographers is bound to increase and thereby expand the diagnostic ophthalmic devices market.Request BrochureAdoption of data management systems for capturing, storing, organizing, and analyzing the data in the form of electronic medical records (EMS) and the introduction of sophisticated technologies for ophthalmic diagnosis are helping the ophthalmologists and medical professionals to accurately diagnose and assess the visual disorders. The ease of diagnosis is encouraging more people to opt for ophthalmic surgeries for treating and correcting their eye related disorders.Digital imaging and related developments have assisted various eye care professionals to get interactive view of the data and benefits through the information with increasedefficiency.For Specific and Customized requirements@Some of the major players in the global diagnostic ophthalmic devices market are Abbott Medical Optics, Inc., Alcon, Inc., Bausch & Lomb, Inc., Carl Zeiss AG, CIBA Vision Corporation, CooperVision, Inc., Johnson and Johnson Vision Care, Nidek Co. Ltd., STAAR Surgical Company and Topcon Corporation.Pre Book full 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 business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Small Molecule API Market to Grow at a Moderate Rate to Register a CAGR of 4.9% During the Period of Forecast 2017-2027

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An exhaustive market evaluation put forth by Future Market Insights on the small molecule API market in a new research study titled Small Molecule API Market: Global Industry Analysis 2012-2016 & Opportunity Assessment 2017-2027 focusses on the demand from in-house production as well as outsourced API production. The market research involves analyses on various grounds covering all the major geographies with an excellent forecast model that portrays the global market picture 10 years down the line.Read Report Overview @The APEJ region shows a high growth to register a CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period, followed by Japan, Western Europe, North America and Eastern Europe. The main reason for this growth in the APEJ region can be attributed to the outsourcing of APIs done on a large scale. Top contributors in the APEJ region are China and India, which exhibit the highest production of API. In India the local consumption is also high making it more essential to focus on higher manufacturing of APIs. China stands first in the line as far as growth is concerned, followed by India and rest of APEJ. Moreover, the easy availability of raw materials needed to manufacture APIs coupled with low labour cost fuel the growth of the small molecule API market in the APEJ region. Moreover, the distribution network of companies in China and India manufacturing APIs is strong in the overseas market, especially in South Africa, United States, and Europe.The high potency API (HPAPI) segment by molecule is poised to show higher growth rate during the period of forecast as compared to the standard API. However, as of 2017, the standard API dominates the market in terms of revenue. The HPAPI (High Potency API) is anticipated to register a CAGR of 7.6% during the period of forecastThe Oncology Segment by therapeutic area is expected to grow at a higher rate during the period of forecast. Neurology and urology segments reflect similar growth patterns and are poised to grow at an equal pace in the forecast period. However, the infectious diseases segment by therapeutic area will experience sluggish growth throughout the 2017-2027 periodRequest Sample Report @The report on the global small molecule API market presents a detailed analysis of the leading companies involved in this market. Some of the top companies profiled in the report are Johnson Matthey, Siegfried Holding AG, Pfizer, Sanofi S.A, Novartis AG, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, GlaxoSmithKline PLC, Albany Molecular Research Inc., Bachem Holding AG, PCAS, Patheon N.V, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co. Inc., BASF SE, Catalent Inc., Teva Pharmaceuticals, F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd., Cambrex Corporation and Gilead Sciences Inc.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:
Global Robotics Market 2017 - LG, Samsung, Yamaha, Panasonic, Kawasaki, FANUC, ABB, Yaskawa, KUKA, OTC

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This report studies the Robotics market, Robotics is the interdisciplinary branch of engineering and science that includes mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, and others. Robotics deals with the design, construction, operation, and use of robots, as well as computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Robotics in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Request For Sample Report @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversFANUCABBYaskawaKUKAOTCPanasonicKawasakiNachiEpsonMitsubishiDensoYamahaToshibaiRobotEcovacsProscenicMatsutekNeato RoboticsInfinuvo(Metapo)LGSamsungSharpMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversIndustrial RobotsService Robots for ProfessionalService Robots for PersonnelMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoMilitaryIndustrialCommercialPersonalAccess Full Report With TOC @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Robotics market.Chapter 1, to describe Robotics Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Robotics, with sales, revenue, and price of Robotics, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Robotics, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Robotics market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Robotics sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.About Fior MarketsFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry. Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise. We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
CCTV Camera Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025

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"The Report CCTV Camera Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About CCTV Camera MarketCCTV cameras offer a secure medium to monitor and record images and video. The demand for CCTV cameras for the purpose of surveillance has soared globally. This demand is attributed to the rising threat to public security due to criminal and terrorist attacks. Apart from public security surveillance CCTV cameras are used to monitor areas such as shopping malls, hotels, streets, banks, and government buildings.Get Sample copy of this Report @CCTV cameras vary on the basis of technology and model type. The CCTV camera market consists of a large number of software and hardware providers. The CCTV camera market value chain is characterized by system integrators and service providers. The CCTV camera market is highly competitive since it has a large number of hardware, software, and technology providers. Intense competition in the market affects the pricing strategy adopted by the players in the CCTV market. Investments in research and development initiatives is largely prevalent in the CCTV camera market.Global CCTV Camera Market: Regional SegmentationBased on geographical regions, the report segments the global CCTV camera market into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (MEA), and South America, which are analyzed in terms of revenue generation. The report provides country level revenue for CCTV camera market. The U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, India, China, Japan, GCC, South Africa, Brazil, and Argentina are the countries covered in the report. The report also provides the country level data of each of the market segments for all the countries mentioned above.View Report @North America is expected to lead the CCTV camera market during the forecast period. The region houses a large number of CCTV camera system and solution providers. The Asia Pacific region is expected to witness the highest growth rate of 14.6 percent during the forecast period.The Middle East and Africa and South America are in the early phases of large scale installation of CCTV cameras. The anticipated growth of tourism sector of the Middle East and Brazil is expected to support the market growth of the CCTV camera market of these regions during the forecast period. The CCTV camera market comprises large number of medium and large players. Product innovation, mergers and acquisition, and research & development investments are the key growth strategies adopted by the players in the CCTV camera market. The market is expected to be hit by a huge wave of mergers and acquisitions in the coming years.Global CCTV Camera Market: SegmentationThis research report provides an in-depth analysis of the global CCTV camera market based on model type, technology, end-use application, and geography. The global CCTV camera market is categorized based on model type into PTZ camera, box camera, dome camera, bullet camera, and others (hybrid, etc.). The technology segment for the global CCTV camera market consists of analog CCTV systems, wireless CCTV systems, IP-based CCTV systems, and hybrid CCTV systems. The end-use segment is classified into retail, hospitality, BFSI, home security, government, and others (transportation, healthcare, etc.). The report analyzes each of these segments for the various geographies considered under the scope of the study.Global CCTV Camera Market: Competitive LandscapeThe report includes analysis of the factors that drive and restrain the growth of the CCTV camera market. It discusses the prevailing market trends and prospective growth opportunities in the global CCTV camera market. It provides market estimates and forecasts for all the segments in terms of revenue. Also provided in the report is the market positioning of the companies in the CCTV camera market.Send An Enquiry Request @Major business strategies adopted by key players, their SWOT analysis, and competition matrix has also been identified in the research report. Axis Communications AB, Bosch Security Systems, Inc., Geovision Inc, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co Ltd, Hanwha Techwin Co. Ltd, Honeywell International Inc., Panosonic System Network Co. Limited, Pelco Inc, Toshiba Corporation, and Zhejiang Dahau Technology Co. Ltd. are major players profiled in the global CCTV camera market report.Global CCTV Camera MarketBy Model TypePTZ cameraBox cameraDome cameraBullet cameraOthers (Hybrid, etc)By TechnologyAnalog CCTV SystemsWireless CCTV SystemsIP-based CCTV SystemsHybrid CCTV SystemsBy ApplicationRetailHospitalityBFSICommercial InfrastructureHome SecurityGovernmentOthers (Transportation, Healthcare, etc.)By GeographyNorth AmericaThe U.S.CanadaRest of North AmericaEuropeGermanyThe U.K.FranceRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaJapanRest of Asia PacificMiddle East & AfricaGCC CountriesSouth AfricaRest of Middle East & AfricaSouth AmericaBrazilArgentinaRest of South AmericaTable of Content1. Preface1.1. Market Definition and Scope1.2. Market Segmentation1.3. Key Research Objectives1.4. Research Highlights2. Assumptions and Research Methodology3. Executive Summary : Global Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) Market4. Market Overview4.1. Introduction4.1.1. Market Definition4.2. Key Market Indicators4.2.1. Crime and Threats Rate (People, Data and Assets)4.3. Market Dynamics4.3.1. Drivers4.3.2. Restraints4.3.3. Opportunity4.3.4. Market Outlook5. Global CCTV Market Analysis and Forecasts, By Model Type5.1. Introduction & Definition5.2. Key Findings / Developments5.3. Market Size (US$ Mn) Forecast By Model Type, 2015  20255.3.1. PTZ Camera5.3.2. Box Camera5.3.3. Dome Camera5.3.4. Others5.4. Comparison Matrix By Model Type5.5. Market Attractiveness By Model TypeBuy Now @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Soda Ash Market Projected to Witness a Double-Digit CAGR During 2015 to 2021

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Soda ash also known as sodium carbonate is a salt of carbnoic acid. Soda ash is hygroscopic in nature and forms strong alkaline solution in water.Soda ash is manufactured via three different process viz. Leblanc process, Solvay process and Hous process. Solvay process is most preffered manufacturing process in the industry due to its efficiency and cost. In this process, sodium chloride to sodium carbonate in presence of ammonia. Soda ash finds applications in various end-user industries such as glass, detergents, food and beverages, chemicals and dyeing among others.The market for soda ashwas driven by various factors from different end-user industries. Huge demand from buildings & constructionindustry is driving the soda ash market in past few years. Soda ash is used in manufacturing of flat glass which is used in modern construction activities.Increasing demand from end-user industries such as automotive from emerging countries has been one of the major factors for the growth of flat glass, subsequently increasing demand for soda ash.Another, major factor driving the soda ash market is increasing demand for powder detergents from developing countries.Soda ash is also used in various applications such as metallurgy, personal care and water treatment among others. Rising demand for personal care and water treatment industry is expected to open new markets for the soda ash market during the forecast period. Increasing demand for soda ash from fiberglass and silicates is likely to provide major opportunities for soda ash market in next few years to come. However, stern regulations faced by soda ash industry are anticipated to hider the growth of the market in next few years.A sample of this report is available upon request @In terms of demand, Asia Pacific was the leading region insoda ashmarket. Asia Pacific is anticipated to be one of the fastest growing markets for soda ash due to increasing demand for glass and detergents from emerging countries such as India, Indonesia and Korea among others. The demand for soda ash is huge especially from buildings & construction, automotive and personal care end-user industry. The market for soda ash in Asia Pacific was led by China. However, India is likely to provide better opportunity for soda ash market owing to increasing consumption from various end-user industries. Asia Pacific was followed by Europe.Increasing demand from modern construction activities has been driving the market for flat glass in Europe, thus driving the demand for soda ash in this region. Germany, the UK, France and Italy were the major consumers of soda ash in Europe. However, certain regulations related to soda ash industry is likely to stagnant the growth of the market in this region. North America had the third-largest demand for soda ash in 2012. Increasing demand from glass and detergent industry were driving the growth of the market in this region. The U.S. had the largest demand for soda ash owing to huge demand from end-user industries such as buildings & construction, personal care and automotive among others. Rest of the World market is anticipated to show potential growth for the soda ash market in near future.Latin America is anticipated to show fastest growth for the soda ash market in this region. The demand is huge owing to increasing applications in personal care and water treatment applications.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @The market for soda ash is fragmented and however, various manufacturers have dominated in particular regions. Some of the key manufacturers in thesoda ashmarket areGujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd., Solvay Chemicals Inc., OCI Chemicals Corporation and Tata Chemicals among others.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 UsAbhishek BudholiyaPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Peat Market - Europe Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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"The Report Peat Market - Europe Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Peat MarketEurope Peat Market: OverviewPeat is also known as turf is a heterogeneous mixture made of incompletely decomposed plant remains, mainly sedges, grasses, reeds and mosses, formed when waterlogging and the exclusion of oxygen affect the natural processes of decay. It is a slow process, with the layer of peat increasing by an average rate calculated to be no more than 1mm (1/16in) depth per year. The peat land ecosystem is the most efficient carbon sink on the planet because peat land plants capture the CO2 which is naturally released from the peat.Get Sample copy of this Report @Demand for Peat is projected to have a sluggish growth in coming years considering the extensive concern over environmental issue, growth in renewables on a large scale and use of alternative substitutes such as wood fiber, coir, land fill biomass and green compost. Europe remains dominant in Peat market in terms of production and demand. Countries such as Ireland, Finland and Sweden are expected to be the key consumers of Peat. Peat is also used as a major constituent for horticulture industry. Governmental regulations and environmental concerns has remarkably affected the Peat market. This trend is anticipated to continue during the forecast period, and is therefore expected to unfavorably affect the market growth.Europe Peat Market: Scope of the ReportThis report analyzes and forecasts the market for Peat at Europe level. The market has been forecast based on revenue (US$ Mn) from 2016 to 2024, considering 2015 as the base year. The study includes drivers and restraints of the Europe Peat market. It also covers impact of these drivers and restraints on demand for Peat during the forecast period. The report also highlights opportunities in the Peat market in Europe.View Report @The report includes detailed value chain analysis, which provides a comprehensive view of the Europe Peat market. Porters Five Forces model for the Peat market has also been included to help understand the competitive landscape in the market. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, wherein end-users are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness.Europe Peat Market: SegmentationThe study provides a decisive view of the Europe Peat market by segmenting it in terms of product type (Sapric, Hemic and Fibric) and applications such as power generation, agriculture, freshwater aquaria, water filtration, heating, horticulture and more). These segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends. Segmentation includes current and forecast demand for Peat in Europe.The report provides the actual market size of Peat for 2015 and estimated market size for 2016 with forecast for the next eight years. The Europe market size of Peat has been provided in terms of volume and revenue. Market volume has been defined in Thousand Metric Tons, while market revenue is in US$ Mn. Market numbers have been estimated based on product type and key applications of Peat. Market size and forecast for numerous end-users have been provided in terms of global, regional, and country level markets.Europe Peat Market: Research MethodologyIn order to compile the research report, we conducted in-depth interviews and discussions with a number of key industry participants and opinion leaders. Primary research represented the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. We reviewed key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents for competitive analysis and market understanding. Secondary research includes a search of recent trade, technical writing, Internet sources, and statistical data from government websites, trade associations, and agencies. This has proven to be the most reliable, effective, and successful approach for obtaining precise market data, capturing industry participants insights, and recognizing business opportunities.Send An Enquiry Request @Secondary research sources that are typically referred to include, but are not limited to company websites, annual reports, financial reports, investor presentations, SEC filings, CSA Global, Government database, internal and external proprietary databases, and relevant patent and regulatory databases such as ICIS, Hoovers, oneSOURCE, Factiva and Bloomberg, national government documents, statistical databases, trade journals, market reports, news articles, press releases, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market.We conduct primary interviews on an ongoing basis with industry participants and commentators to validate data and analysis. These help validate and strengthen secondary research findings. These also help develop the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.The report comprises profiles of major companies operating in the Europe Peat market. The Europe Peat market is partially consolidated. Key players include Bord na Mona, Klassmann Dielmann, Vapo Oy, Oulun Energia, Neova Ab etc. Market players have been profiled in terms of attributes such as company overview, overall revenue, business strategies, and recent developments.The Europe Peat market has been segmented as follows:By Material TypeSapricHemicFibricBy End-UsePower GenerationAgricultureFreshwater AquariaWater FiltrationOthersBy CountryGermanyFranceIrelandFinlandLatviaLithuaniaEstoniaSwedenRest of EuropeBuy Now @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Global Medical Imaging Information System Market Worth USD 993.6 Million by 2022

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Medical Imaging Information System Market Worth USD 993.6 Million by 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The significant rise in the need for efficient management of medical imagery and associated information and data has fueled the demand for medical imaging information systems across the world. This research report presents a detailed assessment and forecast of this market, underlining its performance in various regions. It further provides the historical data of regarding this market while forecasting its status during the period of 2017 to 2022. The driving and restraining factors of this market, coupled with, their impact on the demand for these systems during the forecast period is discussed here with high importance. A thorough study of the opportunities available in this market on the global as well as the regional level has also been included in the market report.In an effort to offer the readers of this research report with a comprehensive overview of this market, researchers have included an in-depth competitiveness analysis and information about the unique selling propositions of the leading players. Further, the report includes analyses of the markets attractiveness and basis point share on the basis of the end-use, type, and power class of medical imaging information systems. The market numbers have also been estimated in this study on the basis of the average usage of medical imaging information systems in various application areas.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The market size and predictions for each of the segment have been offered in the context of the global and domestic markets. The dynamics of medical imaging information systems market Japan, Asia Pacific excluding japan, North America, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa have been taken into consideration for the estimation of the future growth of this market. The market has also been assessed on the basis of expected demand. The revenue generated from medical imaging information systems across the world have been derived using the regional pricing trends. The market data for each segment is based on the demand and the corresponding revenue.Global Medical Imaging Information System Market: SegmentationBroadly, the global market for medical imaging information systems is evaluated in the basis of the type of the software, end user, modality, and the regional presence of this market. Based on the type of the software, the market is bifurcated into PACS system management, radiology information systems, and integrated software solutions. By end user, the market is categorized into the Hospitals, diagnostic imaging centers, and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs).On the basis of the modality, the market is classified into computed tomography, positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, X-ray, ultrasound, and mammography. Geographically, the market is divided into North America, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), the Middle East and Africa (MEA), Europe, Latin America, and Japan.Browse TOC @The segmentation consist of the demand for medical imaging information systems in all the regions as well as their significant economies. The patterns of the demand for these systems in each of the regions have been determined while estimating the market for various application for medical imaging information systems in them. The segmentation of this market by the end user, modality, and the type of the software has been derived through the bottom-up approach, which is accumulative of the demand from each of the regions. The regional demand for medical imaging information systems is the summation of the prominent sub-regions and the economies within a specified region.Companies Mentioned in the ReportVarian Medical Systems, Mindray Medical International Ltd., Hitachi Medical Corp., Toshiba Corp., Fujifilm Corp., Siemens Healthcare, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Neusoft Medical Systems Ltd., Hologic Inc., GE Healthcare, and Esaote S.P.A. are some of the prominent companies in the global medical imaging information systems market.Table of Content1. Global Medical Imaging Information System Market - Executive Summary2. Global Medical Imaging Information System Market Overview2.1. Introduction2.1.1. Global Medical Imaging Information System Market Taxonomy2.1.2. Global Medical Imaging Information System Market Definition2.2. Global Medical Imaging Information System Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast, 2012-20222.2.1. Global Medical Imaging Information System Market Y-o-Y Growth2.3. Global Medical Imaging Information System Market Dynamics2.4. Supply Chain2.5. Cost Structure2.6. Pricing Analysis2.7. Raw Material Sourcing Strategy and Analysis2.8. List of Distributors2.9. Key Participants Market Presence (Intensity Map) By Region3. Global Medical Imaging Information System Market Analysis and Forecast By Modality3.1. Global Medical Imaging Information System Market Size and Forecast By Modality, 2012-20223.1.1. Computed Tomography Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region3.1.2. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By RegionAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Commercial Robotics Market to Reach US$17.6 bn by 2022 at a Strong 24.4% CAGR

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Commercial Robotics Market to Reach US$17.6 bn by 2022 at a Strong 24.4% CAGR" to its huge collection of research reports.The global commercial robotics market report describes an up and coming market in great detail. The historical growth trajectory of the commercial robotics market has been rampant, aided by a number of key economic factors. The future of the commercial robotics market thus represents significant investment for many major players in the market. Historical information about the 2012-2017 growth of the segments of the global commercial robotics market is used to establish a solid foundation for forecasts regarding the commercial robotics markets growth potential in the coming years.The predictions are backed by the use of industry-standard analytical models and data gathered from primary and secondary sources. The report thus becomes a must-have accessory for any player attempting to expand their presence in the global commercial robotics market in the coming years.According to Transparency Market Research, the global commercial robotics market is likely to be valued at US$5.9 bn by the end of 2017 and further rise to US$17.6 bn by the end of 2022, exhibiting a robust CAGR of 24.4% therein.Global Commercial Robotics Market: DynamicsThe commercial robotics market is propelled primarily by the growing realization of the benefits robotic devices provide over conventional techniques in a number of sectors, which has enabled a steady growth in demand from the global commercial robotics market in the coming years. The report provides readers with a clear picture of the various factors affecting the growth trajectory of the global commercial robotics market in the coming years, describing in detail the major currents to jump into in the commercial robotics market as well as the pitfalls to avoid. Information about the drivers and restraints affecting the global commercial robotics market is backed by detailed data illustrating the trend in action.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Global Commercial Robotics Market: SegmentationThe leading segments of the global commercial robotics market are profiled in the report to provide readers with a clear idea of the competitive hierarchy of each section of the market. This detailed information about the hierarchy of the commercial robotics market provides readers with a clear picture of the granular dynamics of the market and the potential of various parts of the market. The report segments the global commercial robotics market by type, application, and environment to provide a comprehensive look into the market. The geographical segmentation of the global commercial robotics market is also elaborated upon in the report.Geographically, North America is likely to remain the dominant contributor to the global commercial robotics market, while medical robots are likely to remain the leading product segment of the market. Other leading product types in the global commercial robotics market are autonomous guided robotics, drones, field robotics, and others. The leading end use sectors of the global commercial robotics market include defense, rescue, and security, agriculture and forestry, medical, marine, and others.Browse TOC @Global Commercial Robotics Market: Competitive DynamicsThe report assesses the various factors affecting the competitive dynamics of the global commercial robotics market in the coming years. The leading players operating in the commercial robotics market are profiled in the report, including information such as the product development strategies developed by the companies and their geographical presence. Leading commercial robotics market players profiled in the report include Northrop Grumman Corporation, KUKA AG, iRobot Corporation, Yaskawa Electric Corporation, Honda Motor Company Ltd., Omron Adept Technologies Inc., 3D Robotics Inc., Accuray Inc., Alphabet Inc., and Amazon Robotics LLC.Table of Content1. Global Commercial Robotics Market - Executive Summary2. Global Commercial Robotics Market Overview2.1. Introduction2.1.1. Global Commercial Robotics Market Taxonomy2.1.2. Global Commercial Robotics Market Definition2.2. Global Commercial Robotics Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast, 2012-20222.2.1. Global Commercial Robotics Market Y-o-Y Growth2.3. Global Commercial Robotics Market Dynamics2.4. Supply Chain2.5. Cost Structure2.6. Pricing Analysis2.7. Raw Material Sourcing Strategy and Analysis2.8. List of Distributors2.9. Key Participants Market Presence (Intensity Map) By Region3. Global Commercial Robotics Market Analysis and Forecast By Product Type3.1. Global Commercial Robotics Market Size and Forecast By Product Type, 2012-20223.1.1. Autonomous Guided Robotics Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region3.1.2. Medical Robots Market Size and Forecast, 2012-2022About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Bioabsorbable Stent/Bioresorbable Scaffold Market is Projected to Reach US$ 417 Million By 2022

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The Bioabsorbable Stent/Bioresorbable Scaffold Market is segmented on the lines of its material, absorption rate, application end-user and regional. Based on material type, the market is segmented bioresorbable polymer-based stents and bioresorbable metallic stents. Based on absorption type it covers slow-absorption stents and fast-absorption stents. Based on application it covers Coronary Artery Diseases and Peripheral Artery Diseases. Based on end-users it covers hospitals and cardiac centers. Allergy Diagnostics Market on geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geographic market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.The Bioabsorbable Stent/Bioresorbable Scaffold Market is expected to exceed more than US$ 417 Million by 2022 at a CAGR of 11% in the given forecast period.Browse Full Report @:The major driving factors of Bioabsorbable Stent/Bioresorbable Scaffold Market are as follows: Rapidly Growing Geriatric Population and increased Risk of CAD and PAD within the older robust Product PipelineThe restraining factors of Bioabsorbable Stent/Bioresorbable Scaffold Market are as follows: Presence of SubstitutesThis report provides:1) An overview of the global market for Bioabsorbable Stent/Bioresorbable Scaffold Market.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2015, estimates for 2016 and 2017, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2022.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for Bioabsorbable Stent/Bioresorbable Scaffold Market4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.The scope of the report includes a detailed study of Bioabsorbable Stent/Bioresorbable Scaffold Market with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.Request Sample Report:Table of Contents1 Introduction2 Market Research Tactics3 Market Summary4 Quality Market Insights5 Market Bioresorbable Stents Market Overview6 Regulatory Market Synopsis7 Bioresorbable Stents Market, By Application8 Bioresorbable Stents Market, By Absorption Rate9 Bioresorbable Stents Market, By Material10 Bioresorbable Stents Market, By End Consumer11 Bioresorbable Stents Market, By Geographic Region12 Competitive Landscape13 Company Profiles13.1 Abbott13.2 Reva Medical, Inc.13.3 Elixir Medical Corporation13.4 Kyoto Medical Planning Co., Ltd.13.5 Biotronik13.6 Amaranth Medical, Inc.13.7 Arterial Remodeling Technologies13.8 Meril Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd.13.9 Arterius Limited13.10 Lepu Medical Technology Co., Ltd.13.11 Boston Scientific Corporation13.12 480 Biomedical13.13 S3v Vascular Technologies Private Limited13.14 Qualimed (Part Of Q3 Medical Group)13.15 OrbusneichAbout UsMarket Research Engine (MRE) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. MREs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each Market Research Engines research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
White Spirit Market to expand at a CAGR of 4.2% by 2025

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White Spirits Market: Global Industry Analysis (2012-2016) and Forecast (2017-2025), a new report published by Persistence Market Research, tracks the performance of the global white spirits market for a projected period of eight years, i.e. between 2017 and 2025. According to this report, in terms of value, the global white spirits market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 4.2% during the assessed period. This market is estimated to be valued at US$ 5,832.3 Mn by 2017 end and reach US$ 8,103.2 Mn by the end of 2025. The steady growth is anticipated in terms of demand from various applications, such as paints thinner and cleaning & degreasing solvents which is expected to drive the growth of the white spirits market during forecast period.A sample of this report is available upon request @Global White Spirits Market: Key RegulationsNeed: In the recent past, regulatory bodies have begun implementing regulations mandating the reduction of VOC emissions due to rising environmental concerns and deteriorating air quality across the globeRegulations: Directive 2004/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 on the limitation of emissions of VOCs due to the use of organic solvents in certain paints and varnishes and vehicle refinishing products and amending Directive 1999/13/EC Paints based on white spirits, intended to be used by the general public, are restricted in Denmark for indoor use on ceilings and walls. In 2007, the Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits proposed the following value as recommended occupational limit value for white spirits: 20 ppm (116 mg/m) as 8 h average level, 50 ppm (290 mg/m) as 15 min short-term exposure limit level. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set the legal limit (permissible exposure limit) for white spirits exposure in the workplace as 500 ppm (2,900 mg/m3) over an 8-hour workday. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has set a recommended exposure limit of 350 mg/m3 over an 8-hour workday and 1,800 mg/m3 over 15 minutes.Description: The VOC directive that aims to reduce ozone formation potential of VOCs in connection with photochemical reactions in ambient air, defines 12 sub-categories for coating products applied to buildings and five subcategories for vehicle refinishing products for which limits are set with regard to VOC content. The maximum permissible VOC content range is 30840 g/l, depending on the product.Effect on the White Spirits Market: Owing to regulations related to VOC emissions, there is increasing demand for low aromatic white spirits globally, which hinders demand for conventional white spirits. Major manufacturers are shifting focus towards marketing of white spirits with low aromatic content so as to comply with regulations.Global White Spirits Market: Forecast by ApplicationOn the basis of application, this market is segmented into paint thinner, cleaning solvent, degreasing solvent, fuel, disinfectant and others. In terms of application, the paint thinner segment is expected to witness healthy growth owing to increase in demand from industrial and architectural/decorative coatings during the forecast period. Building & Construction segment is expected to register nearly 1.3X growth between 2017 and 2025. The Paint Thinner segment is anticipated to witness sound growth. It is expected to grow with a CAGR of 4.9% over the forecast period.Global White Spirits Market: Forecast by Grade TypeGrade type segment consists of low flash grade, regular flash grade and high flash grade. Regular flash grade segment is projected to expand at a relatively higher CAGR over the forecast period. The regular flash grade segment is estimated to account for a 60.9% revenue share in the global white spirits market in 2025, followed by high flash grade and low flash grade segments respectively.Global White Spirits Market: Forecast by Product TypeProduct type segment includes type 1, type 2 and type 3 segments. In terms of value, the type 1 segment has been estimated to account for a 46.1% share by 2025 end. This is projected to grow 1.4X during the forecast period to be valued at US$ 3,778.4 Mn in 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 4.3%Global White Spirits Market: Forecast by RegionAPAC is the key market that accounts for a major share in the global white spirits market. The market in APAC is expected to register high CAGR over the forecast period and provide significant opportunities in the global white spirits market owing to the growing paints & coatings, automotive, packaging and building & construction industry in this region as well as shifting of manufacturing industries to China, India and ASEAN Countries. APAC is estimated to account for around 41.4% share in terms of value in the global white spirits market in 2017.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Global White Spirits Market: Key PlayersExxonMobil Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Total S.A., Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., Neste Oyj, Haltermann Carless Deutschland GmbH, DHC Solvent Chemie GmbH, GSB Chemical Co. Pty. Ltd., and Al Sanea Chemical Products are some of the key companies operating in the global white spirits market.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Surging Demand for Protection Against Anti-social Elements to Spur Installation of Night Vision (IR) Surveillance Cameras

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The recurrent incidents of terror strikes have raised an alarm globally, compelling governments to explore technologies offering improved safety to their citizens. The rising cross border infiltration and growing fear of terrorism have created a market for products facilitating perpetual surveillance. As the situation surrounding global security worsens, the demand for night vision surveillance cameras is expected to rise, says TMR.The increasing demand for secured borders, secured living premises, and secured access surges, will in response bolster opportunities for the global night vision surveillance cameras market. As per TMR, the global market is likely to pace at an exponential CAGR of 26.5% between 2015 and 2024.Obtain Report Details @Subsequent to the advent of latest technologies in the market, the price of night vision (IR) cameras is likely to fall at a significant rate. The market is also likely to gain from the increasing competition, as it encourages product innovation.The demand for night vision cameras is expected to increase in response to the rising construction of smart homes. These homes are in general integrated with technologies that enable to control and detect any criminal activities. Gaining impetus from demand for advanced protection of offices, homes, and properties, the global night vision (IR) surveillance cameras market is poised to surge exponentially.Defense and Public Sector Exhibits Highest Deployment of Night Vision Surveillance (IR) CamerasDemand for night vision surveillance cameras is highest in the defense segment and the public sector. The recent instances of terror attacks on critical infrastructure, have brought their safety concerns at the fore. Banking, power, health, water supply, and communication systems have continued to remain at the target of sophisticated terror attacks.Any attack on critical infrastructure could make an economy highly vulnerable to further adversities. Ensuring their safety is therefore considered the foremost objective of any government. Proliferation of night vision (IR) surveillance cameras is therefore rapid across the public sector.Beside terror attacks, rising concerns related to natural disasters, accidents, criminal activities, and accidents have also resulted in the high market share of this segment in the market.Request Sample @Highest Demand for Night Vision Surveillance Cameras Witnessed in North AmericaRegionally, North America has been exhibiting the most attractive opportunities for the global night vision surveillance (IR) cameras market. TMR projects the regional market to expand at a CAGR of 27% during the forecast period. The higher spending of developed economies in North America on public sector and defense provides ripe opportunities for the sale of advanced security devices.Other regional segments of the global night vision (IR) cameras include Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. Among these regions, the sale of night vision cameras in Europe has been increasing at a robust pace. It is further expected to increase owing to the high demand for intelligent video in the region. Besides this, the increasing manufacturing of surveillance products in Asia Pacific creates substantial opportunities for sale of surveillance cameras in the region.Some of the most prominent companies operating in the global night vision (IR) surveillance cameras market include Axis Communications AB, Robert Bosch, GmBH, L-3 Communications Holdings, Pelco Corporation, BAE System Plc., and others. These companies mainly focus on product innovation and research and development to increase their profit margins in the market.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Elevator and Escalator Market in Spain Forcast To Grow At CAGR Of 3.2% Between 2017-2021

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"The Report Elevator and Escalator Market in Spain 2015-2019 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Elevator and Escalator MarketElevators and escalators help move people and goods easily and efficiently within a building's premises. They are installed in commercial buildings, residential buildings, mixed-used buildings, IT parks, hotels, restaurants, and retail outlets. They are also installed in parking areas to help in optimum utilization of space.Get Sample copy of this Report @Technavio's analysts forecast the elevators and escalators market in Spain to grow at a CAGR of 3.2% in terms of revenue and 3.83% in terms of newly installed units over the period 2014-2019.Covered in this reportIn this report, Technavio includes the present scenario and growth prospects of the elevators and escalators market in Spain for the period 2015-2019. To calculate the market size, we consider the number of newly installed units and the revenue generated from the installation of these units in the country during the forecast period.The report also presents the vendor landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the four key vendors in the market, and a brief description of the other prominent vendors. In addition, the report discusses the major drivers that influence the growth of the market, outlines the challenges faced by the vendors and the market at large, and highlights the key trends visible in the market.Key vendorsKONEOtisSchindlerThyssenKruppView Report @Other prominent vendorsCarlos SilvaGMV Euro liftsHidralMac PuarsaOmega ElevatorsOrona GroupWittur GroupMarket driverReplacement and modernization of existing elevators and escalatorsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeStagnation in transportation sectorFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendGovernment initiatives promoting construction marketFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2019 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Send An Enquiry Request @Table of ContentsPART 01: Executive summaryHighlightsPART 02: Scope of the reportMarket overviewPART 03: Market research methodologyResearch methodologyEconomic indicatorsPART 04: IntroductionKey market highlightsPART 05: Industry overviewElevators and escalators overviewLife cycle of elevators and escalatorsSupply chain for elevators and escalatorsKey investment opportunities for elevators and escalators market in SpainConstruction market in SpainFinancial crisis in Spain 2008-2015PART 06: Market landscapeElevators and escalators market in Spain 2015-2019Five forces analysisPART 07: Elevators and escalators market in SpainElevators market in SpainEscalators market in SpainPART 08: Market driversReplacement and modernization of existing elevators and escalatorsAlteration in existing infrastructureFinancial recovery of SpainPART 09: Impact of driversPART 10: Market challengesStagnant growth of transportation sectorLow private sector participationHigh installation costPART 11: Impact of drivers and challengesPART 12: Market trendsGrowth of energy-efficient elevatorsGovernment initiatives to promote construction market recoveryIncrease in electric elevator installationPART 13: Vendor landscapeCompetitive scenarioOther prominent vendorsPART 14: Key vendor analysisKONE SpainOtis SpainSchindler (Spain)ThyssenKrupp SpainPART 15: AppendixList of abbreviationsPART 16: Explore TechnavioBuy Now @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Global Carbon Fiber in Automotive Composites Market 2017 - 2021: Growth At A CAGR Of 9.68%

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Carbon Fiber in Automotive Composites Market 2017 - 2021: Growth At A CAGR Of 9.68%" to its huge collection of research reports.Carbon fiber is a thin filamentous substance composed of carbon atoms bonded in a microscopic crystal structure. Its excellent mechanical and chemical properties enable its application as a composite in the exterior, interior, chassis, and powertrain components of an automobile. The global carbon fiber in the automotive composite market is segmented by the material type into short fiber thermoplastic (SFT), sheet molding compound (SMC), long fiber thermoplastic (LFT), prepregs, and others.Technavios analysts forecast the global carbon fiber in the automotive composites market to grow at a CAGR of 9.68% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global carbon fiber in the automotive composites market for 2017-2021. The report presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:APACEuropeNorth AmericaROWTechnavio's report, Global Carbon Fiber in the Automotive Composites Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Key vendorsCytec SolvayMitsubishi Chemical HoldingsScott BaderTEIJINTORAY INDUSTRIESOther prominent vendorsChina Composites GroupDowAksaFormosa PlasticHexcelHolding company "Composite"Protech CompositesSAERTEXBrowse TOC @Market driverExcellent properties exhibited by carbon fiberFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeCost associated with carbon fiberFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendIncreasing demand for fuel-efficient vehiclesFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Increasing Small Business Units to Act as Building Blocks for Peer-to-Peer Lending Market

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The unprecedented penetration of internet across the globe that is allowing borrowers to seek funds is propelling the global peer-to-peer lending (P2P) market. Technological advancements that are permitting users to have a smooth access to interfaces that offer quick updates is also augmenting this market.The research report published by Transparency Market Research states that the opportunity in the global P2P lending market was worth US$26.16 bn in 2015. Analysts predict that the market valuation will reach US$897.85 bn by 2024, as it expands at a significant CAGR of 48.2% from 2016 to 2024.Obtain Report Details @The growth of the global P2P market is mainly being driven by growing advancements in technology that is encouraging potential consumers and existing players to make quick decisions. The low cost of operations is also supporting the growth of this market in comparison to the growth rate of conventional money lending institutions.Easy Access to Funds Makes P2P Lending a Popular ChoiceThe long-drawn process of securing loans has paved the way for global P2P lending market as it ironed out the creases of seeking funds in more ways than one. This is the single most important factor lure small businesses towards opting for P2P systems of borrowing and lending. The strict regulatory framework, complicated compliance structure, and the hefty overheads have all made small business owners, entrepreneurs, and startups lean towards P2P market.Request Sample @Small Businesses to Ensure Rapid Growth of P2P Lending in Asia PacificAs of 2015, North America held a dominant position in the P2P market, accounting for over 43% share in the overall market. The reducing interest in conventional banking, increasing dependency on online platforms, and recent history of financial crisis in this region has prompted P2P lending market to take lead cater to the unmet financial demands of the population.Some of the key players in the global P2P lending market are Daric Inc., LendingClub Corporation, CommonBond Inc., Prosper Marketplace, Inc., Upstart Network Inc., CircleBack Lending, Inc., Funding Circle Limited, Peerform, and Social Finance Inc., Pave, Inc. Research suggests have the rising number of small businesses are offer great many growth opportunities to the global P2P market to grow and flourish in the coming years.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. 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:
Color Detection Sensors Market Global Industry Analysis and Forecast Till 2025

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Global color detection sensors market includes advanced sensors which apart from differentiating light produced by the target, also helps in recognizing various colors of the light. Global color detection sensors market find its application in monitoring consistency in color which is useful in case of production of plastics, textiles and various other processes. Global color detection sensors market has become a necessity for the accomplishment of industrial automation. The increasing technological advancements and rise in industries is leading to the increase in demand for global color detection sensors market. For further enhancing the global color detection sensors market, players are offering customization, easy-to-use and portability of the product as well as mechanization of the product.Request For ToC @Color Detection Sensors Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe increase in global automation industry is the major driving factor for the growth of global color detection sensors market. Automation of various processes in the industries, increasing demand from the end users such as packaging, food & beverage, petrochemicals, hardware, chemicals, textiles, etc., being more cost effective, faster and easier to replace than image sensors, technological advancements, global investments outlines are some of the reasons for the growth of global color detection sensors market. The cost and increasing requirement for more features and accuracy are some of the challenges for the growth of global color detection sensors market.Color Detection Sensors Market: Region-wise OutlookAsia-Pacific region is anticipated to have a robust growth in global color detection sensors market due to increasing demands from various industries establishing their plants in these regions and requiring automation of the processes such as extraction of oil & gas, healthcare industries, wastewater treatment, etc. in the developed countries due to continuous technological advancements and innovations, the demand for global color detection sensors market is stable. Global detection sensors market is expected to grow with compound annual growth rate of single digit during the forecast period.Request For Report sample @Color Detection Sensors Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in global color detection sensors market include SICK AG, Banner Engineering Corp., SensoPart Industriesensorik GmbH, Rockwell Automation, Inc., ifm electronic gmbh, Hamamatsu photonics K.K., Pepperl+Fuchs GmbH, Omron Corporation and Keyence Corporation.About UsFuture Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact UsFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicles Market to Grow at a CAGR of 13.4% through 2022

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Persistence Market Research (PMR), in its latest published report, has projected a staggering 13.4% CAGR for the global plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) market throughout the forecast period (2017-2022). Global sales of PHEVs are expected to account for over US$ 20,000 Mn revenues by 2022-end.PHEVs to Come with Lower Life Cycle Costs than Vehicles Equipped with IC & Hydrogen Fuel-cellWith the potential to lower greenhouse gas emissions, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles have longer driving ranges without being restrained by battery capacity limits, and provide higher fuel-efficiency. Greening up the grid & utilising exiting electricity infrastructure is gaining popularity as a new trend among PHEV manufacturers, rather than constructing an entirely new vehicle refuelling infrastructure in order to accommodate green liquid fuels for transportation purposes.From the perspective of consumers, PHEVs offer both, economic & environmental benefits, and flexibility & convenience of traditional fuels concerning longer travels. In next ten years, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will come with a comparatively lower lifecycle prices, than the internal combustion (IC) and hydrogen fuel-cell engine equipped vehicles. In addition, approximately 4 Mn units of PHEVs are expected to be sold, with impending 100 new models to be launched globally, indicating a transformational growth for the PHEVs market. This growth would mainly be favoured by consumer attraction towards the appealing alternatively-fuelled vehicles.A sample of this report is available upon request @Forging a Strong Relationship with Retail Vehicle Dealers Imperative for PHEV ManufacturersMost of the population around the world has been observed to be unaware of PHEV technology. In addition, when it comes to electric vehicle technologies, consumers are hesitant in its adoption owing to concerns with recharging, convenience, and battery life along with its replacement cost. Forging a strong relationship with retail vehicle dealers is therefore imperative for manufacturers to spread information and awareness about PHEVs, and exceed level of competence.High-performance & luxury vehicle manufacturers are inclining toward adoption of hybrid technology for making innovations and developments in their existing designs. Automotive giants such as Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes Benz, are focusing on developing their dedicated electrified platforms, to remain compliant with strict emission norms imposed on vehicles. A slew of research centres, including The Plug-in Hybrid & Electric Vehicle (PH&EV) Research Center, are concentrating on making collaborations with automotive manufacturers, regulators, various utilities, and also other research institutions such as Argonne National Lab, for developing sustainable market for PHEVs.Key Takeaways from PMRs Report on Global Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles MarketAlthough APEJ is anticipated to remain the most lucrative market for PHEVs, the market in Europe is projected to register the highest CAGR through 2022. In addition, North America is expected to be the second-largest market for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles by 2022-end.Stored electricity will continue to be preferred power source for PHEVs across the globe, with sales estimated to account for nearly US$ 16,000 Mn revenues by 2022-end. On-board electric generator will remain a relatively less attractive power source for PHEVs among customers.Parallel hybrid powertrain for PHEVs are expected to remain sought-after in the market, with revenues projected to account for approximately three-fourth share of the market during 2017 to 2022.On the basis of vehicle type, passenger cars segment of PHEVs are expected to remain the most lucrative in the global market, with sales projected to exhibit the fastest expansion through 2022. Commercial vehicles are expected to be the second most lucrative vehicle type of PHEVs in the market by 2022-end.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Key players profiled in PMRs report on global plug-in hybrid electric vehicles market include Toyota Motor Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Honda Motor Company, Limited, Volkswagen AG, Nissan Motor Corporation, Limited, and Renault SA.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:
Global Automotive Camera Module Market 2017 - Panasonic, Valeo, Magna, Continental, MCNEX, SEMCO, LG Innotek, Bosch

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Automotive Camera Module is defined as a housing containing an image sensor, a processor, a lens, a buffer, and connector points; in addition, some system specific software and any other elements may be required before the camera module can be installed in a space defined by the vehicle manufacturer.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Automotive Camera Module in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Request For Sample Report @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversPanasonicValeoMagnaContinentalMCNEXSEMCOLG InnotekBoschZF TRWTung ThihMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversBack CameraFront CameraOthersMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoSedanSUVOtherAccess Full Report With TOC @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Automotive Camera Module market.Chapter 1, to describe Automotive Camera Module Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Automotive Camera Module, with sales, revenue, and price of Automotive Camera Module, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Automotive Camera Module, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Automotive Camera Module market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Automotive Camera Module sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.About Fior MarketsFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry. Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise. We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
VentriPoint Inc Pipeline Insight and Therapeutic Assessment Reviewed in 2017

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VentriPoint Inc (VentriPoint), a subsidiary of VentriPoint Diagnostics Ltd is a medical device company that manufactures and distributes medical devices for the cardiovascular market. The companys product VMS is a heart visualization system which is used to evaluate right heart function. Its VMS is designed for tetrology of fallot and systemic right hearts (d-TGAs), congenital heart disease, with subsequent clearance for non-specific heart disease, and pulmonary arterial hypertension.Request For Free Sample -VentriPoint's product helps the sonographer and physician to identify anatomical landmarks (RV endocardium, tricuspid annulus, RV Septum) with dots on a number of the 2D ultrasound views throughout the heart. The company sells its products through its distributors. VentriPoint is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the US.This report is a source for data, analysis, and actionable intelligence on the companys portfolio of pipeline products. The report provides key information about the company, its major products and brands.The report enhances decision making capabilities and help to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage.Scope:- The report reviews detailed company profile with information on business description, key company facts, major products and services, key competitors, key employees, locations and subsidiaries and recent developments- The report analyzes all pipeline products in development for the company VentriPoint Inc- The report provides pipeline analysis on all pipeline products of the company (by equipment type, by indication, by development stage, and by trial status)- The report covers detailed information on each pipeline product with information on pipeline territory, stage of development, device class, regulatory path, indication(s), application(s) and estimated launch date- The report provides detailed description of products in development, technical specification and functions- The report also covers ongoing clinical trials (wherever applicable) with information on trial name, trial objective, sponsor, trial design , trial status and phase, estimated start and end date.Reasons to Buy:- Develop business strategies by understanding the trends and developments driving the medical devices pipeline and technology landscape- Design and develop your product development, marketing and sales strategies by understanding the competitor portfolio- To formulate effective Research & Development strategies- Develop market-entry and market expansion strategies- Exploit in-licensing and out-licensing opportunities by identifying products, most likely to ensure a robust return- Plan mergers and acquisitions effectively by identifying key players of the most promising pipeline- Identify emerging players with potentially strong product portfolio and create effective counter-strategies to gain competitive advantage- Develop competition strategies by identifying the status and likely launch of the competitors pipeline products through review of the clinical trials, stage and of development, etc- Identify, understand and capitalize the next high-value products that your competitor would add in its portfolioBrowse Full Report With TOC -Table of ContentsTable of Contents 2List of Tables 3List of Figures 3VentriPoint Inc Company Overview 4VentriPoint Inc Company Snapshot 4VentriPoint Inc Pipeline Products and Ongoing Clinical Trials Overview 5VentriPoint Inc Pipeline Analysis Overview 7VentriPoint Inc - Key Facts 7VentriPoint Inc - Major Products and Services 8VentriPoint Inc Pipeline Products by Development Stage 9VentriPoint Inc Pipeline Products Overview 11VMS 4 - Chamber 11VMS 4 - Chamber Product Overview 11VMS-3DE Heart Analysis System 12VMS-3DE Heart Analysis System Product Overview 12VMS-CMR 13VMS-CMR Product Overview 13VMS-Plus 14VMS-Plus Product Overview 14VentriPoint Inc - Key Competitors 15VentriPoint Inc - Key Employees 16VentriPoint Inc - Locations And Subsidiaries 17Head Office 17Recent Developments 18VentriPoint Inc, Recent Developments 18Sep 20, 2017: Ventripoint Provides Corporate Update 18Aug 21, 2017: Ventripoint Reports on Use of VMS Heart Analysis System to Reliably Measure Remodeling of the Right Ventricle 18Jun 08, 2017: Ventripoint Provides Corporate Update on Sales Initiatives 19Mar 02, 2017: Approval for World's First Complete Heart Analysis System for 2D Ultrasound Exams Received by Ventripoint 19Oct 31, 2016: Ventripoint Receives First Order for VMS-PLUS Components from China and Applies to Issue Shares for Debt 20Jun 24, 2016: Ventripoints Canadian Development and Manufacturing Centre Achieves ISO 13485 Registration 20Jun 25, 2015: Ventripoint Announces Development of New VMS Products and Enhanced Capabilities as Featured at ASE 2015 21May 22, 2015: Ventripoint Receives Marketing Clearance from the FDA to Expand the Use of the VMS Heart Analysis System 22Apr 27, 2015: Latest Clinical Study Finds Ventripoint VMS Offers Consistent and Accurate Results Regardless of Examiner 22Apr 08, 2015: Ventripoint Announces Response to Interactive Review for Recent 510(k) Submission to FDA 23ContinueEnquire About this Report -About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free : 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email : press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite :Read Industry News at -
Xhale Inc Pipeline Insight and Therapeutic Assessment Reviewed in 2017

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"Xhale Inc (Xhale) is a medical technology company that develops and commercializes patient-centric monitoring solutions for the healthcare industry. The company offers platforms such as SMART and assurance platforms. Its products include therapeutic drug monitoring, metabolic pathway assessment and monitoring, SMART for pharmaceutical supply chain integrity assessment of gastric emptying, hypovolemic shock detection, oral glucose tolerance test pharmacodynamic anesthesia administration, glucose monitoring, and breath-based health monitors. The companys SMART product is the technology that monitors drug medication adherence in real-time. Its Assurance pulse oximetry sensor, is a single-point-of-contact sensor that can monitor critical cardiorespiratory parameters under challenging conditions for patients. Xhale is headquartered in Gainesville, Florida, the US.Request For Free Sample -This report is a source for data, analysis, and actionable intelligence on the companys portfolio of pipeline products. The report provides key information about the company, its major products and brands.The report enhances decision making capabilities and help to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage.Scope:- The report reviews detailed company profile with information on business description, key company facts, major products and services, key competitors, key employees, locations and subsidiaries and recent developments- The report analyzes all pipeline products in development for the company Xhale Inc- The report provides pipeline analysis on all pipeline products of the company (by equipment type, by indication, by development stage, and by trial status)- The report covers detailed information on each pipeline product with information on pipeline territory, stage of development, device class, regulatory path, indication(s), application(s) and estimated launch date- The report provides detailed description of products in development, technical specification and functions- The report also covers ongoing clinical trials (wherever applicable) with information on trial name, trial objective, sponsor, trial design , trial status and phase, estimated start and end date.Browse Full Report With TOC -Reasons to Buy:- Develop business strategies by understanding the trends and developments driving the medical devices pipeline and technology landscape- Design and develop your product development, marketing and sales strategies by understanding the competitor portfolio- To formulate effective Research & Development strategies- Develop market-entry and market expansion strategies- Exploit in-licensing and out-licensing opportunities by identifying products, most likely to ensure a robust return- Plan mergers and acquisitions effectively by identifying key players of the most promising pipeline- Identify emerging players with potentially strong product portfolio and create effective counter-strategies to gain competitive advantage- Develop competition strategies by identifying the status and likely launch of the competitors pipeline products through review of the clinical trials, stage and of development, etc- Identify, understand and capitalize the next high-value products that your competitor would add in its portfolioTable of ContentsTable of Contents 2List of Tables 3List of Figures 3Xhale Inc Company Overview 4Xhale Inc Company Snapshot 4Xhale Inc Pipeline Products and Ongoing Clinical Trials Overview 5Xhale Inc Pipeline Analysis Overview 7Xhale Inc - Key Facts 7Xhale Inc - Major Products and Services 8Xhale Inc Pipeline Products by Development Stage 9Xhale Inc Pipeline Products Overview 11Assurance Hypovolemic Shock Detection Monitor 11Assurance Hypovolemic Shock Detection Monitor Product Overview 11Assurance Multi-sense Sensor 12Assurance Multi-sense Sensor Product Overview 12Assurance PCA Guardian 13Assurance PCA Guardian Product Overview 13ContinueEnquire About this Report -About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free : 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email : press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite :Read Industry News at -
Combination Antibody Therapy Market is Estimating it to Reach US$ 35 Bn by 2024

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Higher success ratio in treating and preventing cancer cells using combination antibody therapy is fuelling the demand for combination antibody drugs in the market. A study conducted by Persistence Market Research (PMR) shows that the global market for combination antibody therapy is set to ride on a value CAGR of over 14% during the period of assessment to reach US$ 144,734.5 Million by 2024 end. In 2016, the global market was valued at over US$ 49,994 Million characterizing the overwhelming popularity of antibody/antibody drugs amongst both practitioners and patients observed in recent years.View Report Preview @Combination antibody therapy is receiving higher recognition from the oncological branch of medical science research. This is primarily due to the growing use of combination therapy over single drug treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy. In addition, companies that manufacture combination antibody drugs are actively focusing on developing superior drugs that will deliver standout results. Factors such as encouraging government policies, growing concerns over higher cancer prevalence worldwide, and increasing research and development activities coupled with heavier investments are expected to boost the overall market growth in the near future. Likewise, healthy R&D pipelines are leading towards higher product offerings and also propelling the growth of global combination antibody therapy market to a significant extent.The prolonged attrition rate in product development cycle and arbitrary and stringent drug approval procedures are the major downsides of the market that are likely to inhibit the market growth during the forecast period. Moreover, lack of awareness on understanding the difference between immunotherapies and chemotherapies amongst healthcare professionals, which is restricting the optimal use of immunotherapies alongside conventional treatment modalities is an additional factor impeding the market growth. Further, late diagnosis or ignorance of any carcinogenic disorders may inevitably lead to higher cost of treatment.Based on combinations, antibody/antibody is projected to be the predominant segment of the market over the forecast period. In terms of revenue, the segment is expected to witness a healthy CAGR of over 17% between 2016 and 2024. The growth is attributed to the increasing preference of antibody/antibody drugs as they have a lower risk of side effects for various cancer therapies. Whereas, the chemotherapy/antibody segment will hold the second position, accounting for 38.3% share of the market in 2016.Demand for combination antibody therapy will be high for breast cancer and lung cancer treatment on the basis of applications. The lung cancer segment is anticipated to expand at a value CAGR of 17.1% during the assessment period.By end user, hospitals are expected to be the largest segment of the market throughout the forecast period. In 2015, the segment was valued at US$ 26,906.5 Million, which is expected to surpass US$ 95,885 Million by 2024 end, reflecting a CAGR of 15.2%.From a regional perspective, North America will continue to be the leading market for combination antibody therapy over the forecast period. In addition, the region is set to witness a CAGR of over 13% in terms of value. Whereas, APAC is expected to reflect the fastest growth of the market during the forecast period in terms of value. Further, the market in the region is estimated to witness a 3.4X growth in terms of sales over 2024 owing to increasing prevalence of carcinogenic disorders in APAC.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Key participants functioning in the global market for combination antibody therapy include Roche Holdings AG, Amgen Incorporated, Novartis AG, Celgene Corporation, Biogen Inc., Seattle Genetics Inc., Genmab A/S, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Eli-Lilliy and Company and Sanofi.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:
Global Oil Water Separator Market 2017 - Clarcor, Compass Water Solutions, Parker-Hannifin, Alfa Laval, Donaldson, Andritz

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This report studies the Oil Water Separator market, Oil Water Separator is a device designed to separate oil from the wastewater effluents. In the report, we mainly count the Oil Water Separator used in industrial applications.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Oil Water Separator in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Request For Sample Report @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversClarcorCompass Water SolutionsParker-HannifinAlfa LavalDonaldsonAndritzGEAWartsilaFiltrationContainment SolutionsRecovered EnergyZCLWesTech EngineeringWilbur EagleMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversGravity OWSCentrifugal OWSOthersMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoGeneral IndustryWater TreatmentOil & GasOthersAccess Full Report With TOC @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Oil Water Separator market.Chapter 1, to describe Oil Water Separator Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Oil Water Separator, with sales, revenue, and price of Oil Water Separator, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Oil Water Separator, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Oil Water Separator market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Oil Water Separator sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.About Fior MarketsFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry. Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise. We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Biosimilar Global Market by Product, Scope, Analysis and Forecast 2022

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According to Publisher, the Global Biosimilars market is estimated to be $3.5 billion in 2015 with a CAGR of 23.8% is poised to reach $15.6 billion by 2022. High end adoption of off patented drugs has experienced robust market growth. Some of the factors which are triggering the market growth include growing incidences of diseases, rising demand for biosimilars drugs owing to their cost effectiveness and increasing demand to limit healthcare expenditures. However, stringent government regulations will affect biosimilars investments.Chronic & Autoimmune disorders segment is expected to grow at a highest CAGR during the forecast period owing to increasing incidences of autoimmune disorders. By geography, Europe dominated the global biosimilars market due to growing appearance of new market participants in this region. However, Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow at a highest CAGR during the forecast period due to rising funds towards the expansion of biosimilars market.For more information @Some of the key players in this market include are Mylan, Inc., Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Amgen Inc., Sandoz International GmbH , Hospira, Inc., Merck KGAA, Celltrion, Inc., Biocon Ltd. , Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Roche Diagnostics.Products Covered:- Peptides- Erythropoietin- Interferon- Human Growth Hormone- Monoclonal Antibodies- Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF)- Insulin- Other ProductsTechnology Covered:- Bioassay- Mass Spectrometry- Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology- Recombinant DNA Technology (rDNA technology)- Western Blotting- Electrophoresis- Chromatography- Monoclonal Antibodies (MAb) TechnologyApplication Covered:- Growth Hormone Deficiency- Chronic and Autoimmune Diseases- Blood Disorders- Oncology Diseases- Other ApplicationsService Covered:- Clinical Trials- Contract Research and Manufacturing ServicesRequest Sample CopyRegions Covered:- North Americao USo Canadao Mexico- Europeo Germanyo Franceo Italyo UKo Spaino Rest of Europe- Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao New Zealando Rest of Asia Pacific- Rest of the Worldo Middle Easto Brazilo Argentinao South Africao Egypt11 Company Profiling11.1 Mylan, Inc.11.2 Dr. Reddy's Laboratories11.3 Amgen Inc.11.4 Sandoz International GmbH11.5 Hospira, Inc.11.6 Merck KGAA11.7 Celltrion, Inc.11.8 Biocon Ltd.11.9 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.11.10 Roche Diagnostics11.11 Biogen idec Inc.11.12 LG Life Sciences11.13 Synthon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.11.14 Novartis AGMake an enquiry:Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Smart Commercial Drones Market Anticipated To Reach $27.1 Billion By 2021

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Smart Commercial Drones Market Anticipated To Reach $27.1 Billion By 2021" to its huge collection of research reports.The drone technology is evolving: better stability, better reliability, better navigation, softer landings, longer flights, better ability to carry different payloads. Affordable, useful camera drones are available. The study has 967 pages and 405 tables and figures.Drones are smart when they have sensors and software that permits automated response to camera or sensor input. Smart drones are evolving the ability to interconnect to smart phones, but drones are smart even without smart phone guidance systems. Smart commercial drones connect seamlessly and securely to the Internet and to each other.Smart commercial drones have a computer inside. They are easy to fly, maneuverable remotely, contain sensor logic. Soon all smart drones will have computer driven collision avoidance technology. Remote operation occurs in the context of a workflow and sensors. Cameras are improving dramatically to permit management of video and picture taking that is realistic and detailed.In this study, we illustrate how drones achieve doing work even though they are remotely controlled. Drones are expected to provide billions of dollars in economic growth. The economic benefits are significant. Developing countries are more receptive to drones than the U.S. is. In the US the FAA early on granted one exception, then granted 8 commercial UAS exemptions, then 10 more. It has by now granted 1,000 exceptions, but this does not a market maket.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Smart commercial drones connect seamlessly and securely to the Internet and to each other. Smart commercial drone aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has reached a level of maturity that has put these systems at the forefront of aerospace manufacturing. Procurement around the world is adapting to drone availability.Use cases are evolving rapidly for video, specialized video, targeted video, and package delivery systems. The emergence of stable flight collision avoidance systems makes market maturity a certainty. Use in the global war on terrorism has demonstrated unique usefulness for military intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communications relay achieving 3 million hours of operation. Small commercial drones are being used to shoot video from the air, proving the viability of drone camera systems.The relatively low-cost of smart commercial drones make them work for civilian applications. Law enforcement, mapping, video making, movie making, environmental monitoring, and aerial survey are positioned as among many evolving compelling applications.Drone aircraft are sophisticated and flexible. They take off, fly and land autonomously managed by a remote controller. They enable engineers to push the envelope of normal flight. Reconnaissance drones can fly for days continuously. Remote, ground-based pilots can work in shifts.Browse TOC @New technology from Intel and others provides collision avoidance capabilities actually works. This bodes well for market development.Smart commercial drone systems promise to grow significantly, approaching the growth paths of PCs and smart phones. New technology is able to achieve a significant improvement in workflow for every industry, starting with agriculture, creating a smart drone commercial market presence. US Army unmanned aircraft systems have flown 3 million flight hours giving commercial drones market credibility.Quantities of fielded smart drone systems have been increasing for those companies with attractive price points. Video drones continue to proliferate. Police departments, the oil and gas industry, border patrol, and utilities are all using commercial drones. Units used for agriculture have diverse applications from spraying, lifting trays of flowering plants, to rounding up cattle.A common issue with UAV platforms is the need to optimize these aircraft. UAV are used to carry useful payloads. These platforms are flexible as to payload, permitting interchangeable or additional sensors and other electronics, extra fuel or weapons systems. The sole function of an unmanned aircraft is to get to a target location, perform a task, and then return in the most efficient and cost-effective way. Without a pilot aboard, the return trip is optional. Light weight is central to UAV design.Drones represent a way to use air to travel faster and at less cost. The market is divided between military and commercial drones. Military drones represent the future of the national security presence for every nation. Increasing technology sophistication and lower costs are achieving dramatic market shifts.Smart commercial drones are set to build highways in the sky. The market has evolved past the early adopter stage as the industry finds ways to build navigation infrastructure that is safe. The mature collision avoidance systems from Intel and others are part of what make the smart commercial drone market work.Drone unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has reached a level of maturity that has put these systems at the forefront of aerospace manufacturing. Procurement around the world is adapting to drone availability. Use in the global war on terrorism has demonstrated unique usefulness for military intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communications relay.Removal of the need for an onboard pilot ushers in an era of low cost drone aerial craft. The drone elimination of the need for human support systems on aircraft dramatically reduces the aircrafts size, complexity, and power requirements. The drones effectively reduce overall program cost, development time and risk. Many advanced flight technologies are for piloted craft. These are initially tested using unmanned subscale demonstrators.Designers work to simplify the aircrafts configuration, making systems that are adaptable to different payloads on different days. Drones can be redesigned and tested at reduced risk than with development of manned aircraft. Drones allow configurations that would be impossible or impractical for human occupation. Drones are becoming easier to control.A common issue with UAV platforms is the need to optimize these aircraft. UAVs need to carry useful payloads. These platforms are flexible as to payload, permitting interchangeable or additional sensors and other electronics, extra fuel or weapons systems. The sole function of an unmanned aircraft is to get to a target location, perform a task, and then return in the most efficient and cost-effective way. Without a pilot aboard, the return trip is optional. Light weight is central to UAV design.Drones represent a way to use air to travel payloads faster and at less cost and to use video as a way to do work and be entertained. The market is divided between rotor and fixed wing smart commercial drones, rotor craft dominate the market representing 75% of the market revenue. Smart commercial drones represent the future of automated process for camera applications. They are complimented by military drones that represent the future of the national security presence for every nation. Increasing technology sophistication and lower costs are achieving dramatic market shifts as investment in these parallel types of devices bring product maturity.Drone unmanned aircraft systems are achieving a level of relatively early maturity in this manner, having parallel markets. Fleets of unmanned aircraft systems have begun to evolve. The U.S. Army has achieved four million flight hours for its unmanned aircraft systems fleet. Unmanned aerial systems have good handling characteristics. Drone UAS units are designed to support taking remarkable video using stable platforms. Other military drones perform high-speed, long-endurance, covert, multi-mission intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and precision-strike missions over land or sea.According to Susan Eustis, leader of the team that prepared the study, Quantities of fielded smart commercial drone systems of every size and description are set to increase. Every photo opportunity can be enhanced vis use of a smart drone. Drones will connect to smart phones. Drones can fly indoors. Smart commercial drones units feature a variety of camera attachments, sensors, and internal loads. Large 2,000 pound payloads are possible, package delivery is set to emerge as a significant sector. Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor, and an all-weather synthetic aperture radar indicators are maximizing long loiter capabilities and increasing the usefulness of smart commercial drones.Smart commercial drones drone markets at $3.4 billion in 2014 are anticipated to reach $27.1 billion by 2021. This forecast number is arrived at by close examination of all the segment growth trajectories. Segments are, Agriculture, Oil and Gas, Border Patrol, Law Enforcement, Homeland Security, Disaster Response, Package Delivery, Photography, Videography. Each of these will grow at a different pace, depending on the use case effectiveness of the smart commercial drones. Commercial grade consumer video drones represent the largest revenue segment in 2015 and remain the biggest throughout the forecast period.WinterGreen Research is an independent research organization funded by the sale of market research studies all over the world and by the implementation of ROI models that are used to calculate the total cost of ownership of equipment, services, and software. The company has 35 distributors worldwide, including Global Information Info Shop, Market Research.com, Research and Markets, Bloomberg, electronics.ca, and Thompson Financial. WinterGreen Research is positioned to help customers facing challenges that define the modern enterprises. The increasingly global nature of science, technology and engineering is a reflection of the implementation of the globally integrated enterprise. Customers trust wintergreen research to work alongside them to ensure the success of the participation in a particular market segment.WinterGreen Research supports various market segment programs; provides trusted technical services to the marketing departments. It carries out accurate market share and forecast analysis services for a range of commercial and government customers globally. These are all vital market research support solutions requiring trust and integrity.Companies ProfiledMarket LeadersDJI SystemsParrotBAEYamahaChina AerospaceAscending TechnologiesGo ProElbit Systems LtdIsrael Aerospace Industries IAI3D RoboticsNorthrop GrummanAeroVironmentBoeing / InsituGeneral AtomicsLockheed MartinDraganflyerTextron / AAIMarket ParticipantsAirwareAscending Technologies AscTec FireflyASN Technologies 715Aurora FlightAviation Industry Corp (AVIC)Challis UAV Inc.5.11 China AerospaceCyphyDelair-TechDenel DynamicsDraganflyerElbit Systems LtdFinmeccanicaFlirteyGeneral DynamicsGoogleHoneywellHUVRData, LLCIntegrated DynamicsIntelJapan DronesKey TopicsCommercial DronesSmart Commercial DronesAutonomous systemsDronesUASDrone Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)Drone 3D MappingDrone SurveillanceDrone ReconnisanceDrone IntelligenceDrone MisslesDrone Agriculture, Smart Commercial Drones Oil and GasAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Ethicon Inc., Braun Melsungen A, Medtronic PLC, Smith & Nephew & Boston Scientific Corporation are Dominated the Global Sutures Market in 2017 to 2024

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Data Bridge Market Research provided new report Global Sutures Market accounted to USD 3.8 billion in 2016 growing at a CAGR of 5.3% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024. The upcoming market report contains data for historic years 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.Global Sutures Market, By Product Type (Absorbable Sutures (Natural, Synthetic (Polyglactin 910 Sutures, Poliglecaprone 25 Sutures, Polydioxanone Sutures, Polyglycolic Acid Sutures, and Others), Non-Absorbable Sutures (Nylon, Polypropylene, Polyster, Silk), Automated Sutures (Disposable Automated Suturing Devices, Reusable Automated Suturing Devices)), By Application (Cardiovascular Surgeries, General Surgeries, Gynecological Surgeries, Orthopedic Surgeries, Ophthalmic Surgeries, Others), By End User (Hospitals, Clinics, Ambulatory Centers), By Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Europe, South America, Middle East and Africa)  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Request for TOC@Major Market Drivers and Restraints: Increasing number of surgical procedures Favorable reimbursement polices Increased demand of minimally invasive surgeries Presence of alternative wound care techniquesSutures Market  Market Segmentation:By product type the market for sutures market is segmented into absorbable sutures, non-absorbable sutures and automated sutures. The absorbable sutures segment is further sub-segmented into natural and synthetic and synthetic segment is sub-segmented into polyglactin 910 sutures, poliglecaprone 25 sutures, polydioxanone sutures, polyglycolic acid sutures, and others. The Non-absorbable sutures segment is sub-segmented into nylon, polypropylene, polyster, silk and automated suture segment is sub-segmented into disposable automated suturing devices, reusable automated suturing devices.On the basis of application the market is segmented into cardiovascular surgeries, general surgeries, gynecological surgeries, orthopedic surgeries, ophthalmic surgeries, others.On the basis of end-users the sutures market is segmented into hospitals, clinics, ambulatory centers.Request For Sample Report @:Based on geography, the market is segmented into five geographical regions: North America Europe Asia-Pacific South America Middle East and AfricaThe geographical regions are further segmented into 29 major countries such as U.S. Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, U.K., Belgium, Switzerland, Belgium, Turkey, Japan, China, Singapore, Brazil, India, Russia, South Africa and others.Some of the major players operating in this market are1. Ethicon Inc.2. Braun Melsungen A3. Medtronic PLC4. Smith & Nephew5. Boston Scientific Corporation6. Peters Surgical7. Demetech Corporation8. Internacional Farmaceutica S.A. De C.V.9. Sutures India Pvt Ltd.10. Endoevolution LLC11. Apollo Endosurgery Inc12. Surgical Specialties Corporation13. Mellon Medical B.V14. 3M15. Demetech Corporation16. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.Browse Full Report with Details TOC @Related ReportGlobal Hemostats Market- Trends and Forecast to 2024Global Hemostats Market, By Product Type (Thrombin Based, Combination, Oxidized Regenerated Cellulose Based, Gelatin Based, Collagen Based Hemostat), By Indication (Wound Closure, Surgery), By End-User (Hospitals, Clinics, Ambulatory Centers, Community Healthcare, Others), By Geography (North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa)  Trends and Forecast to 2024About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Vishal DixitData Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: Sales@databridgemarketresearch.comInvestor: investors@databridgemarketresearch.comVisit Blog
Healthcare Cloud Computing Market will Reach an Estimated worth of US$ 7791.4 Mn by 2025

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The research report on healthcare cloud computing market includes current market scenario analysis as well as a revised forecast for a period of eight years. According to a recent market report published by Persistence Market Research titled, Healthcare Cloud Computing Market: Global Industry Analysis (2012-2016) and Forecast (2017-2025)the global healthcare cloud computing market is anticipated to be valued at US$ 7791.4 Mn in 2025, and is expected to register a CAGR of 18.9% from 2017 to 2025. Increasing demand for better healthcare facilities and Rising investments by healthcare IT players are major factors driving growth of the global healthcare cloud computing market. Cloud refers to a prototype in which data is permanently stored on servers and accessed by clients with the help of different information systems such as computers, sensors, laptops, and others. Cloud computing refers to a process which involves delivering hosted services to clients.View Report Preview @Global healthcare cloud computing market is categorized on the basis of application, deployment model, by components, by service model and region. On the basis of application, the market is segmented as CIS and NCIS. The CIS segment is anticipated to register a CAGR of 20.3% during the forecast period. The component segment is segmented into software, hardware, and services. On the basis of deployment model, the market is segmented as public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud. Private cloud segment accounted for highest market share and was valued at US$ 2,504 Mn in 2016.The service model segment is segmented as SaaS, Paas, and IaaS. The SaaS segment is poised to be highly lucrative in the coming years. This segment is estimated to reach a value of about US$ 25.4 Bn by 2025 end and is the fastest growing segment to register an exponential CAGR of 19.7% throughout the period of assessment, 2017-2025. The PaaS segment is the smallest segment with a low estimate of US$ 360.3 Mn in 2017 and is expected to reach US$ 1.2 Bn by 2025 end. By component, the software segment is projected to grow at a higher rate to register value CAGR of 19.2% throughout the period of forecast and is the largest segment in terms of value share. It is estimated to reach a valuation of more than US$ 21 Bn by the end of 2025.This report also covers drivers, restraints and trends driving each segment and offers analysis and insights regarding the potential of healthcare cloud computing market in regions including North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East and Africa. Among these regions, North America accounted for the largest market share in 2016. Moreover, North America region is also expected to register a healthy CAGR of 19.6% during the forecast period.Request to View Sample of Research Report @Key competitors in healthcare cloud computing market are: Agfa-Gevaert N.V., Athena Health Inc., Care Cloud Corporation CareStream Health Inc., Dell Inc., IBM Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, and GE Healthcare.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:
Rise in HAP-based Wireless Communication Services to Spur High Altitude Platforms Market Growth to US$4.77 bn by 2023

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High altitude platforms (HAPs) are objects stationed at a height of more than 50,000 feet from Earths surface. HAPs are commonly deployed in the stratospheric layer, far higher than the altitude at which commercial aircraft operate. Thus, HAPs are capable of covering large surface areas and can be used for maritime and land-based applications. These platforms are used for various applications, such as communication systems, persistent surveillance, and navigation.Apart from these, HAPs are also used for applications such as aerial imaging, environmental monitoring, and Internet services. HAPs are often referred to as alternatives to satellite systems due to their capacity of fulfilling similar purposes.The most significant factor augmenting the HAP markets growth is their competitive advantage over satellite systems. HAPs require much lower expenses for system deployment and operation than satellite systems. Additionally, the payloads attached to HAPs are also compatible with the existing infrastructure, which makes them preferable to satellite systems.Obtain Report Details @The market for HAPs is also driven by the growing penetration of Internet services worldwide. HAPs are increasingly being used to deliver wireless Internet services, which are further expected to witness substantial growth in the coming years. One of the most prominent instances is Project Loon by Google, Inc., which aims to provide Internet services through aerostat systems (balloons) deployed in the stratosphere.Nevertheless, the HAPs market faces some of the challenges related to the costs and operational difficulties. Although much less so than the market for satellite systems, the market for HAPs is significantly hampered by the high initial and operating costs of UAV aircraft. This makes these systems inaccessible to countries with low defense budgets. Furthermore, aerostat systems and airships pose operational challenges such as extremely slow deployment, difficult handling, and restriction on payload weight.The global HAPs market is segmented into type of platforms, payload, application, and geographic regions. On the basis of platform type, the market is segmented into airships, UAV aircraft, and tethered aerostat systems. In 2014, the UAV aircraft segment accounted for the largest share, in terms of revenue, of the global HAPs market. This was due to high cost of the aircraft (resulting in higher revenue per unit) coupled with strong adoption from countries such as the U.S., China, Russia, and France.Request Sample @However, the tethered aerostat systems segment is estimated to witness high demand during the forecast period because of advantages that include low costs, easy upgrading, and low maintenance offered by these platforms over UAV aircrafts. On the basis of payloads, the global HAPs market is segmented into communication, surveillance systems, EO/IR systems, and navigation. The global market for HAPs was dominated by the communication segment in 2014. Communication is the most integral payload, making it the largest segment globally.In 2014, North America accounted for the largest share, of over 31%, in terms of revenue, of the global HAPs market. This is due to the high penetration of UAV aircraft in the region. However, the global HAPs market is estimated to witness the highest growth in Asia Pacific during the forecast period. This is due to the rapidly increasing adoption of UAV aircrafts and aerostat systems in China, India, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.Manufacturers in the global high altitude platforms market include TCOM L.P., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Raytheon Company, Aerostar International, Inc. (Raven Industries, Inc.), Lindstrand Technologies Ltd., ILC Dover LP., Israel Aviation Industries Ltd., AeroVironment, Inc., Worldwide Aeros Corporation, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems 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:
Styrene-Butadiene Latexes Market Revenue Growth Predicted by 2014-2020

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Styrene-butadiene latexes are stable emulsions which come from the families of synthetic rubbers derived from styrene and butadiene. SB latex and SBR latex exhibits good aging stability and abrasion resistance when protected by additives. SB latex and SBR latex are high-solids latexes which are segmented based on their styrene content. SBR latex is more elastomeric and has low styrene content, while SB latex acts like a plastic, having higher styrene content. SBR latex products are widely used in the paper & paperboard industries for pigmented/coated paper and carpet backcoatings. In the overall market for synthetic latex, SB latex accounts for the larger share. SBR latex being the smaller segment is used for molded foams and adhesives. Other synthetic latex such as styrene-butadiene (SB) vinylpyridine terpolymers represents a minimal portion which is used in tire cord treatments.The global market for synthetic-butadiene latex is highly fragmented, with more than 50 manufacturers present in the industry. Large scale corporations such as Styron/Trinseo and BASF SE together dominate the industry for styrene-butadiene latex. Owing to low overall growth and high fragmentation of the market, further rationalization of the supply chain management as well as rationalization in the production capacity is expected in the near future. The global demand for styrene-butadiene latex has been growing at a medium pace over the past few years. Demand for SB latex was the largest from the paper coatings industry, where products such as carboxylated SB latex accounts for the most preferred synthetic pigment binder for coated papers. The coatings based on SB latex offer enhanced pigment binding and high coating speed which leads to high gloss level, brightness, smoothness, opacity and water resistance at lower costs than its alternatives. SB latex products are significantly used in coated printing papers such as advertising flyers, label stock, annual reports, magazines and catalogues. Other applications of SB latex include coated paperboard products such as folding cartons used in the food packaging industry.Request For Report Sample@In addition to optimizing stiffness, glueability, and improving ink and varnish performance, the latex uniformly enhances the print performance as well as brightness. Styrene-butadiene latexes are also used for saturating paper for manufacturing specialty papers and boards to gain resistance to petroleum or grease, or to enhance strength at high temperatures. These saturated papers & paperboards are widely used for masking tape, containers, gaskets, book covers and various sandpapers.Other prominent applications of SB latex include backcoatings in tufted carpets. These coatings hold the tufts in place and anchor the pile fibers which provide improved resistance and stability to tuft loss at the edges of the carpet. The latex serves as the laminating adhesive mainly for a secondary backing such as polypropylene, but also functions as the actual support on some carpets. The content in SB latex products, styrene-butadiene varies depending upon the physical characteristics in the final product. Significant number of carpets manufactured in the U.S. is tufted, where most of the industry is concentrated in southeastern states such as Georgia, where several SB latex manufacturing facilities are located.Developed regions such as Europe accounted for the largest market share in terms of consumption in the overall market for styrene-butadiene latexes, followed by Asia Pacific and North America. In the Western European region, Belgium serves the production hub for carpet industry, followed by the Netherlands.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):BASF SE, Styron Europe GmbH, The Dow Chemical Company, and Zeon are some of key manufacturers in styrene-butadiene latexes market.About USTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact USState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Website:Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Construction Equipment Rental Services Market Research Report 2017 Key Players Analysis and Forecast to 2022

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This report studies the global Construction Equipment Rental Services market, analyzes and researches the Construction Equipment Rental Services development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeRequest a Sample Report @United RentalsRing PowerGmmco LtdFinningBoels VerhuurBlueline RentalSunbelt RentalsHertz Equipment RentalHome Depot RentalsAggreko North AmericaH&E Equipment ServicesAhern RentalsNeff RentalNes RentalsMaxim Crane RentalAll Family Of CompaniesTnt Crane & RiggingAmecoXylem Inc.Battlefield Equipment RentalsHolt CatNesco RentalsMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Application, Construction Equipment Rental Services can be split intoPersonalEnterpriseGovernmentOtherMake an enquiry of this Report @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of ContentsGlobal Construction Equipment Rental Services Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Construction Equipment Rental Services1.1 Construction Equipment Rental Services Market Overview1.1.1 Construction Equipment Rental Services Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Construction Equipment Rental Services 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 Construction Equipment Rental Services Market by End Users/Application1.3.1 Personal1.3.2 Enterprise1.3.3 Government1.3.4 Other2 Global Construction Equipment Rental Services Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Construction Equipment Rental Services 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 United Rentals3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Construction Equipment Rental Services Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Ring Power3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Construction Equipment Rental Services Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Gmmco Ltd3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Construction Equipment Rental Services Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Finning3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Construction Equipment Rental Services Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Boels Verhuur3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Construction Equipment Rental Services Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 Blueline Rental3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Construction Equipment Rental Services Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Sunbelt Rentals3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Construction Equipment Rental Services Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 Hertz Equipment Rental3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Construction Equipment Rental Services Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 Home Depot Rentals3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Construction Equipment Rental Services Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 Aggreko North America3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Construction Equipment Rental Services Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.10.5 Recent Developments3.11 H&E Equipment Services3.12 Ahern Rentals3.13 Neff Rental3.14 Nes Rentals3.15 Maxim Crane Rental3.16 All Family Of Companies3.17 Tnt Crane & Rigging3.18 Ameco3.19 Xylem Inc.3.20 Battlefield Equipment Rentals3.21 Holt Cat3.22 Nesco Rentals4 Global Construction Equipment Rental Services Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global Construction Equipment Rental Services Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.2 Potential Application of Construction Equipment Rental Services in Future4.3 Top Consumer/End Users of Construction Equipment Rental Services5 United States Construction Equipment Rental Services Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States Construction Equipment Rental Services Market Size (2012-2017)5.2 United States Construction Equipment Rental Services Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)ContinuedPurchase Report @ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Artificial Intelligence Market: Market Expected to Cross Overall Valuation of US$3,000 Billion by End of 2024

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Globally, there is a wave of artificial intelligence across various industries, especially consumer electronics and healthcare. The wave is likely to continue in the years to come with the expanding base of applications of the technology. The global market for artificial intelligence is expected to witness phenomenal growth over the coming years as organizations worldwide have started capitalizing on the benefits of such disruptive technologies for effective positioning of their offerings and customer reach. In addition, the increasing It spending by enterprises across the globe for better advancements in their services and products.According to a study by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global market for artificial intelligence is estimated to post an impressive 36.1% CAGR between 2016 and 2024, rising to a valuation of US$3,061.35 bn by the end of 2024 from US$126.14 bn in 2015. The upward growth of the market is, however, hampered by the low upfront investments. The majority of companies operating in the market are facing difficulties in accumulating funds for early stage research and development of prototypes and their underlying technologies. The dearth of personnel with adequate technical knowledge is also restricting the market from realizing its full potential.Obtain Report Details @Expert Systems to Lead Revenue Generation through 2024On the basis of type, the report segments the global artificial intelligence market into digital assistance system, expert system, embedded system, automated robotic system, and artificial neural network. The expert system segment was at the forefront of growth in 2015, representing 44% of the overall market revenue and is poised to maintain its dominance until 2024. The growth of the segment can be attributed to the rising implementation of artificial intelligence across various sectors such as process control, monitoring, diagnosis, design, planning, and scheduling.Digital assistance is estimated to be the most promising segment in terms of revenue during the review period. The proliferation of portable computing devices such as tablets and smartphones is the primary factor propelling the growth of the segment. Based on application, deep learning held the lions share of 21.6% in the global market in terms of value in 2015, closely trailed by smart robots. The demand for artificial intelligence in image recognition is likely to rise at a noteworthy rate over the forecast horizon.Request Sample @Domicile of a Raft of Leading Players to Fuel North Americas DominanceNorth America was the major revenue contributor in 2015, accounting for approximately 38.0% of the overall market. The domicile of a large number of the leading technology firms enables early introduction and high acceptance of artificial intelligence in the region.On the other hand, the Middle East and Africa is anticipated to exhibit a remarkable CAGR of 38.2% during the forecast period, which is higher than any other region. Rapid technological innovations, including robotic automation and increasing implementation of concepts such as smart cities are boosting the adoption of artificial intelligence in the region. Ongoing infrastructure projects such development of new airports are rendering the market in MEA highly opportunistic.Some of the prominent participants in the global artificial intelligence market are Nuance Communications, MicroStrategy Inc., QlikTech International AB, Google Inc., IBM Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Brighterion Inc., Next IT Corporation, IntelliResponse Systems Inc., and eGain Corporation.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. 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:
Oil Filter and Fuel Filter Market Projected to be Resilient During 2014 - 2020

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Global Oil Filter and Fuel Filter Market: OverviewThe global oil filter and fuel filter market is slated to expand at a considerable pace over the oncoming period, as these filters are mandatory components in vehicles. Clean motor oil is necessary for maintaining the wear and tear of vehicle engines. If left unfiltered for long, unfiltered oil can become saturated with minuscule, hard particles which can potentially damage the engine surface.The key function of fuel filters is to eliminate dust and other contaminants present in fuel. While fuel filters are installed in internal combustion engines, oil filters are used in different types of hydraulic machines. Oil filters are chiefly used for removing contaminants from engine oil, lubricating oil, hydraulic oil, and transmission oil.The research report on global oil filter and fuel filter market can be segmented by geography, type, vehicle type, and sales channel. Several facets of the global oil filter and fuel filter market including attractiveness, value chain analysis, SWOT analysis, and drivers and restraints have been discussed in detail in the report.Request For Report Sample@Global Oil Filter and Fuel Filter Market: Drivers and RestraintsSince oil filters and fuel filters have a limited lifespan, they need to be replaced often. As a result, the demand for these automotive parts is expected to stay elevated. The phenomenal growth of the automotive industry is one of the key drivers of the global oil filter and fuel filter market. The large scale production of automobiles in developing countries, technological advancements in the field of fuel filters and oil filters, and strict regulatory frameworks have also been aiding the market to expand.The passenger car segment promises substantial growth, thanks to the escalating demand for passenger vehicles and commercial transport. As a result, this segment might represent the largest portion of the market by type of vehicle. On the flip side, the augmenting demand for electric vehicles can pose a threat to the expansion of the global oil filter and fuel filter market. The need for long drain intervals is another major restraint of the global oil filter and fuel filter market. However, the market will keep progressing on account of growing inclination toward diesel powered vehicles.Global Oil Filter and Fuel Filter Market: Regional OutlookBy geography, the global oil filter and fuel filter market can be segmented into the Middle East and Africa, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and North America. North America is expected to emerge as the leading segment of the global oil filter and fuel filter market, triggered by increasing preference for environment-friendly automobiles across the region, alongside stringent government policies regarding the deployment of eco-friendly components in vehicles. Europe might represent a significant chunk of the global oil filter and fuel filter market over the next few years. Presence of several key market players and high demand for automobiles has been responsible for the expansion of European oil filter and fuel filter market.The developing nations housed in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific are also poised for immense growth. Vehicle production is gaining traction with technological advancements leading to emergence of advanced automobiles. China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, and Mexico are likely to contribute substantial volume of revenue to the global oil filter and fuel filter market by the end of 2020.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Companies mentioned in the research reportHollingsworth & Vose Co. Inc., Hengst Gmbh & Co. Kg, Ahlstrom Corporation, Affinia Group Inc., Gud Holdings Ltd., AC Delco Inc.,Clarcor Inc., Cummins Inc., and Cummins Inc. are some major companies operating in the global market for oil filter and fuel filter.About USTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact USState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Website:Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Global NGS Services Market 2017-2024 Countries Analysis (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Europe, South America, Middle East and Africa) and Forecast Report

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Global NGS Services Market with figures as recent as 2017 and forecasts up to 2024 provides an overview of the industry including its definition, size, share, growth, applications and manufacturing technology. Report also explores the major industry players in detail as well as company profile, product specifications, capacity and production value.The Global NGS services Market accounted to USD 870.0 million in 2016 growing at a CAGR of 21.5% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024.The upcoming market report contains data for historic years 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.For In depth Information Get Free Sample Copy of this Report@Major market Drivers and Restraints: Deteriorating Cost of Sequencing Technological Developments Sequencing Services, the less required option for NGS Applications Requirement for Skilled Professionals for Effective NGS Sample Preparation and Analysis Growing Applications in Cancer and Agrigenomics Research Setup of In-House Sequencing Amenities in Universitiesand Hospitals Moral Concerns Related to NIPTAvail 10% Instant Discount on Purchase of this report Mail us on: sales@databridgemarketresearch.comCompetitive Landscape: Global NGS Services MarketThe global NGS services market is highly fragmented and is based on new product launches and clinical results of products. Hence the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, clinical trials, market initiatives, high expense on research and development, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of NGS services market for global, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and South America.Top Key Players: BGI GATC Biotech AG Illumina, Inc. Genotypic Technology Pvt Ltd QIAGEN, Macrogen, Inc. Eurofins Scientific PerkinElmer Inc. Personalis Inc. Novogene Corporation SciGenom Labs Pvt. Ltd TAKARA HOLDINGS INC. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P.GENEWIZ Agilent Technologies Genomatix GmbH Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Biomatters Limited Strand Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd Helicos BioSciences Corporation Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. DNASTAR, Inc. New England Biolabs among others.Request for Detailed TOC:Customize report of "Global NGS Services Market" as per customers requirement also available.Market Segmentations:Global NGS Services Market is segmented on the basis of Technique Service Application End-User GeographyMarket Segmentations in Details:On the basis of Technique, the global NGS services market is segmented into nanopore sequencing, ion semiconductor sequencing, single-molecule Real Time (RT) sequencing, and sequencing by synthesis.On the basis of Service the global NGS services market is segmented into RNA-sequencingDe Novo sequencing, exome sequencing, targeted resequencing gene panels, chip-seq, whole-genome seq, and methyl-seq and others.On the basis of Application the global NGS services market is segmented into drug discovery, biomarker discovery, diagnostics, agriculture & animal research and others. The diagnosis segment is further sub-segmented intoinfectious diseases, rare genetic disorders, oncology, reproductive health, and other diagnostic applications.On the basis of End-User the global NGS services market is segmented into hospitals, clinics, pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies, academic & research institutes, and government research centers.On the basis of Geography, North America South America Europe Asia-Pacific Middle East & AfricaFor more insightful information visit@Key Questions Answered in Global NGS Services Market Report:-Our Report offers:- What will the market growth rate, Overview and Analysis by Type of Global NGS Services Market in 2024? What are the key factors driving, Analysis by Applications and Countries Global NGS Services Market? What are Dynamics, This Overview Includes Analysis of Scope, and price analysis of top Vendors Profiles of Global NGS Services Market? Who are Opportunities, Risk and Driving Force of Global NGS Services Market? Who are the opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in Global NGS Services Market? Business Overview by Type, Applications, Gross Margin and Market Share What are the Global NGS Services Market opportunities, market risk and market overview of the Market?Speak to Author of the report @Other ReportGlobal Geotechnical Instrumentation & Monitoring Market  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Global Geotechnical Instrumentation & Monitoring Market, By Geography; Offering (Hardware, Software, Services); Structure (Tunnels Bridges, Buildings Utilities, Dams); Technology (Wired Networking Technology, Wireless Technology); Application (Pore Water Pressure, Soil Stresses, Lateral Deformation, Vertical Deformation), End-Users (Building, Infrastructure, Energy, Power, Oil, Gas, Mining)  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Report Access:About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Vishal DixitData Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: Sales@databridgemarketresearch.comInvestor: investors@databridgemarketresearch.comVisit BlogFollow us on LinkedIn:
NAIROBI - Kenya's bourse is targeting Chinese investors in order to expand its market capitalization, the bourse's top official said on Wednesday.

Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) CEO Geoffrey Odundo told Xinhua in Nairobi that the current market capitalization stands at $23 billion.

"We are hoping that by targeting Chinese companies to list on the NSE, we can double our market capitalization by the end of 2019," Odundo said when Kenya Airways listed additional shares at the NSE following a financial restructuring plan that reduced the airline's debt by approximately $500 million.

Odundo said that currently 70 percent of the trading at the NSE is dominated by foreign investors from the United States, Europe and South Africa.

"We want to diversify the pool of international investors to include Chinese investors," he said. The CEO added that NSE is developing products that will appeal to Chinese investors.

The Kenyan bourse also plans to conduct a road show in China to showcase the opportunities for Chinese investors at the capital markets.

In order to expand the Sino-Kenya commercial links, Odundo said the bourse has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Odundo said that the agreement is a big milestone achievement as it is meant to attract a new class of investors from the Asian continent.

Under the MOU, there will be sharing of knowledge between the Kenayan and Chinese bourses. "Shanghai Stock Exchange is a well developed capital market that Kenya can learn valuable lessons from," he added.
Connected (Smart) Street Lights Market: Future market projections for forthcoming years

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The global connected (smart) street lights market is likely to experience a tremendous growth in near future. Dimonoff Inc., General Electric Co., Philips Lighting N.V., Twilight, Citelum S.A., Led Roadway Lighting LtdSilver Springs Networks Inc., Acuity Brands Lighting Inc., EnGo PLANET, Schreder Group, Telensa Ltd., Echelon Corporation, Flashnet SRL, ., OSRAM Licht Group, and Toshiba Lighting are some of the most prominent players in global connected (smart) street lights market. According to a recent report by Transparency Market Research (TMR) the global market is foreseen to project a strong growth during its forecast period from 2017 to 2025 with a steady CAGR of 16.0% with respect to revenue. In year 2016 the market was evaluated to be worth US$ 3,712.5 mn. This figure is expected to soar skies by the end of forecast period. In terms of volume, the global smart street lights market is evaluated to project a strong CAGR of 20.1% during 2017 to 2025. The entire market is fragmented based on component, connectivity, and region. Geographically, Europe dominates the other regions and accounts for major amount of overall market shares. Interest taken by government agencies plays a vital role in its leading position.The connected (smart) street lights market is basically fueled by the capacity of connected (smart) street lights to deal with the loopholes of customary street lights. Customary lighting frameworks which are currently according to the accepted rules for street lighting is related with setup challenges, interoperability issues, and phenomenal cost that connected (smart) street lights can deal with. With the direct pace of headway of advances that are utilized as a part of connected (smart) street lights and the unremitting interest for feasible lighting arrangements has prompted extensive emergence of connected (smart) street lights over a few urban communities in developed areas.Request For Report Sample:Moreover, the improvement of smart urban communities over a few nations around the globe is driving service organizations and government establishments to search for connected lighting innovations that help diminish costs, lessen carbon emanations, and help support general effectiveness. Smart (connected) lighting frameworks can considerably diminish vitality utilization as it is capable of being integrated with different sensors, for example, common light sensors inhabitance sensors, and movement sensors.At present, the greater part of the street lighting depends on customary lighting frameworks which is ordinarily connected with arrangement challenges, extreme expenses, and issues related with interoperability between gadgets from numerous sellers. The capacity of connected (street) lights to address the flaws of conventional street lights is pulling in the consideration of elements in the street lighting biological system. Additionally, the reception of connected street lighting is growing due to interest for efficient power vitality arrangements that are maintainable over the long haul.The low power utilization and high effectiveness properties of LED are one of the key variables encouraging the development of connected smart street lighting market. Moreover, the improvement of smart urban areas crosswise over numerous countries worldwide is driving service organizations and government establishments in these nations to search for connected lighting arrangements that would help diminish vitality costs, decrease carbon discharges, and help support general proficiency. This works in favor of connected street lighting market. Besides, smart street lighting is favorable as it as mix of numerous sensors with canny lighting control advancements.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Energy Management System (EMS) 2017 Global Market Key Players  Siemens, General Electric, IBM, Itron, CA Technologies  Analysis and Forecast to 2022

Energy Management System (EMS) Market

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Energy Management System (EMS) Market 2017Wiseguyreports.Com adds Energy Management System (EMS) Market Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Report Details:This report studies the global Energy Management System (EMS) market, analyzes and researches the Energy Management System (EMS) development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia.This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeSiemens (Germany)General Electric (U.S.)IBM (U.S.)Itron (U.S.)CA Technologies (U.S.)Comverge (U.S.)Energate (Canada)Ecobee (Canada)Netatmo (France)Atmel (U.S.)Honeywell (U.S.)Nest Labs (U.S.)Ecobee (Canada)Request a Sample Report @Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoIn-House DisplaySmart ThermostatsSmart PlugsLoad Control SwitchesMarket segment by Application, Energy Management System (EMS) can be split intoHome Energy ManagementBuilding Energy ManagementIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Complete Report Details@Major Key Points in Table of Content:Global Energy Management System (EMS) Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Energy Management System (EMS)1.1 Energy Management System (EMS) Market Overview1.1.1 Energy Management System (EMS) Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Energy Management System (EMS) 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 Energy Management System (EMS) Market by Type1.3.1 In-House Display1.3.2 Smart Thermostats1.3.3 Smart Plugs1.3.4 Load Control Switches1.4 Energy Management System (EMS) Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Home Energy Management1.4.2 Building Energy Management2 Global Energy Management System (EMS) Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Energy Management System (EMS) 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 Siemens (Germany)3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Energy Management System (EMS) Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 General Electric (U.S.)3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Energy Management System (EMS) Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 IBM (U.S.)3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Energy Management System (EMS) Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Itron (U.S.)3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Energy Management System (EMS) Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 CA Technologies (U.S.)3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Energy Management System (EMS) Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 Comverge (U.S.)3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Energy Management System (EMS) Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Energate (Canada)3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Energy Management System (EMS) Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 Ecobee (Canada)3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Energy Management System (EMS) Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 Netatmo (France)3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Energy Management System (EMS) Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 Atmel (U.S.)3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Energy Management System (EMS) Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.10.5 Recent Developments3.11 Honeywell (U.S.)3.12 Nest Labs (U.S.)3.13 Ecobee (Canada)Continued.Buy now @Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Sales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Stevia Extracts Global Market Analysis By Type (Dried, Leaves, Powder, Liquid), Application, Region, Country: Opportunities and Forecast, 2017 - 2022

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Stevia Extracts Global Market Analysis By Type (Dried, Leaves, Powder, Liquid), Application, Region, Country: Opportunities and Forecast, 2017 - 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.A comprehensive research report created through extensive primary research (inputs from industry experts, companies, stakeholders) and secondary research, the report aims to present the analysis of Global Stevia Extracts Market - Analysis By Type (Fresh/Dried leaves, Stevia powder, Liquid Stevia Extract, Fermented Stevia), By Applications (Food and Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Others), By Food and Beverage (Beverage, Bakery and Confectionary, Dairy products, Table Top Sweeteners, Snacks and Packaged Food,; By Region (N. America, Europe, APAC, ROW) and By Country (USA, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Germany, France, India, China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia).Over the recent years, the global stevia extracts industry has been growing rapidly as food and pharmaceutical has been witnessing rapid growth. Globally, the growth in the global stevia market is driven by rising awareness about stevia extracts along with research and development by various countries on stevia extracts.According to Azoth Analytics research report, Global Stevia Extracts Market Analysis By Type (Dried, Leaves, Powder, Liquid), Application, Region, Country: Opportunities and Forecast (2017-2022), global market is projected to display a robust growth represented by a CAGR of 9.45% during 2017 - 2022, chiefly driven by favourable government reforms as well as launch of new stevia extracts by 2018.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Among the regions, Asia Pacific is predicted to advance at the highest rate, mainly driven by rising awareness of stevia products as well as rising demand of stevia products in food and beverage industry. Among the country France and USA is predicted to advance at the highest rate driven by rising demand of stevia extracts such as stevia powder.The report titled Global Stevia Extracts Market Analysis By Type (Dried, Leaves, Powder, Liquid), Application, Region, Country: Opportunities and Forecast (2017-2022) has covered and analysed the potential of Global Stevia Extracts market provides statistics and information on market size, shares and growth factors. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, challenges and opportunities in the global stevia extracts market. Additionally, the report also highlights market entry strategies for various companies across the globe.Browse TOC @Scope of the ReportGlobal Market (Actual Period: 2012-2016, Forecast Period: 2017-2022)Stevia Extracts Market - Sizing, Growth and ForecastBy Type By Value - Fresh/Dried leaves, Stevia powder, Liquid Stevia Extract, Fermented SteviaBy Application By Value (Pharmaceutical, Food and Beverage - Beverage, Bakery and Confectionary, Dairy Products, Table Top Sweeteners, Snacks and Packaged Food)Regional Markets - North America, Europe, APAC, ROW (Actual Period: 2012-2016, Forecast Period: 2017-2022)Stevia Extracts Market - Sizing, Growth and ForecastBy Type By Value - Fresh/Dried leaves, Stevia powder, Liquid Stevia Extract, Fermented SteviaBy Application By Value (Pharmaceutical, Food and Beverage - Beverage, Bakery and Confectionary, Dairy Products, Table Top Sweeteners, Snacks and Packaged Food)Country Analysis - United Kingdom, Germany, France, India, China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, U.S., Canada, MexicoStevia Extracts Market - Sizing, Growth and ForecastBy Type By Value - Fresh/Dried leaves, Stevia powder, Liquid Stevia Extract, Fermented SteviaBy Application By Value (Pharmaceutical, Food and Beverage - Beverage, Bakery and Confectionary, Dairy Products, Table Top Sweeteners, Snacks and Packaged Food)Other Report HighlightsMarket Dynamics - Trends, Drivers, ChallengesPolicy and RegulationCompany Analysis - Cargill, Pure Circle, GLG Life Tech, Tate & LyleAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Big Data in the Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Industry Analysis 2017 - 2030 - Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts

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Big Data originally emerged as a term to describe datasets whose size is beyond the ability of traditional databases to capture, store, manage and analyze. However, the scope of the term has significantly expanded over the years. Big Data not only refers to the data itself but also a set of technologies that capture, store, manage and analyze large and variable collections of data, to solve complex problems.Amid the proliferation of real-time and historical data from sources such as connected devices, web, social media, sensors, log files and transactional applications, Big Data is rapidly gaining traction from a diverse range of vertical sectors. The healthcare and pharmaceutical industry is no exception to this trend, where Big Data has found a host of applications ranging from drug discovery and precision medicine to clinical decision support and population health management.Get the sample copy of report :SNS Research estimates that Big Data investments in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry will account for nearly $4 Billion in 2017 alone. Led by a plethora of business opportunities for healthcare providers, insurers, payers, government agencies, pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders, these investments are further expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 15% over the next three years.The Big Data in the Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Industry: 2017  2030  Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts report presents an in-depth assessment of Big Data in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry including key market drivers, challenges, investment potential, application areas, use cases, future roadmap, value chain, case studies, vendor profiles and strategies. The report also presents market size forecasts for Big Data hardware, software and professional services investments from 2017 through to 2030. The forecasts are segmented for 8 horizontal submarkets, 5 application areas, 36 use cases, 6 regions and 35 countries.The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report.Send an enquiry here :The report covers the following topics:Big Data ecosystemMarket drivers and barriersEnabling technologies, standardization and regulatory initiativesBig Data analytics and implementation modelsBusiness case, application areas and use cases in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry34 case studies of Big Data investments by healthcare providers, insurers, payers, pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholdersFuture roadmap and value chainCompany profiles and strategies of over 240 Big Data vendorsStrategic recommendations for Big Data vendors, and healthcare and pharmaceutical industry stakeholdersMarket analysis and forecasts from 2017 till 2030Forecast SegmentationMarket forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:Hardware, Software & Professional ServicesHardwareSoftwareProfessional ServicesHorizontal SubmarketsStorage & Compute InfrastructureNetworking InfrastructureHadoop & Infrastructure SoftwareSQLNoSQLAnalytic Platforms & ApplicationsCloud PlatformsProfessional ServicesApplication AreasPharmaceutical & Medical ProductsCore Healthcare OperationsHealthcare Support, Awareness & Disease PreventionHealth Insurance & Payer ServicesMarketing, Sales & Other ApplicationsUse CasesDrug Discovery, Design & DevelopmentMedical Product Design & DevelopmentClinical Development & TrialsPrecision Medicine & GenomicsManufacturing & Supply Chain ManagementPost-Market Surveillance & PharmacovigilanceMedical Product Fault MonitoringClinical Decision SupportCare Coordination & Delivery ManagementCER (Comparative Effectiveness Research) & Observational EvidencePersonalized Healthcare & Targeted TreatmentsData-Driven Preventive Care & Health InterventionsSurgical Practice & Complex Medical ProceduresPathology, Medical Imaging & Other Medical TestsProactive & Remote Patient MonitoringPredictive Maintenance of Medical EquipmentPharmacy ServicesSelf-Care & Lifestyle SupportMedication Adherence & ManagementVaccine Development & PromotionPopulation Health ManagementConnected Health Communities & Medical Knowledge DisseminationEpidemiology & Disease SurveillanceHealth Policy Decision MakingControlling Substance Abuse & AddictionIncreasing Awareness & Accessible HealthcareHealth Insurance Claims Processing & ManagementFraud & Abuse PreventionProactive Patient EngagementAccountable & Value-Based CareData-Driven Health Insurance PremiumsMarketing & SalesAdministrative & Customer ServicesFinance & Risk ManagementHealthcare Data MonetizationOther Use CasesRegional MarketsAsia PacificEastern EuropeLatin & Central AmericaMiddle East & AfricaNorth AmericaWestern EuropeCountry MarketsArgentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE, UK, USAKey Questions AnsweredThe report provides answers to the following key questions:How big is the Big Data opportunity in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry?How is the market evolving by segment and region?What will the market size be in 2020 and at what rate will it grow?What trends, challenges and barriers are influencing its growth?Who are the key Big Data software, hardware and services vendors and what are their strategies?How much are healthcare providers, insurers, payers, pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders investing in Big Data?What opportunities exist for Big Data analytics in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry?Which countries, application areas and use cases will see the highest percentage of Big Data investments in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry?Key FindingsThe report has the following key findings:In 2017, Big Data vendors will pocket nearly $4 Billion from hardware, software and professional services revenues in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. These investments are further expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 15% over the next three years, eventually accounting for over $5.8 Billion by the end of 2020.Through the use of Big Data technologies, hospitals and other healthcare facilities have been able to achieve cost reductions of more than 10%, improvements in outcomes by as much as 20% for certain conditions, growth in revenue by 30%, and increase in patient access to services by more than 35%.Big Data technologies are playing a pivotal role in accelerating the transition towards accountable and value-based care models, by enabling the continuous collection, consolidation and analysis of clinical and operational data from healthcare facilities and other available data sources.Addressing privacy and security concerns is necessary in order to fully leverage the benefits of Big Data in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, it is essential for key stakeholders to make significant investments in data encryption and cybersecurity, in addition to adopting defensible de-identification techniques and implementing strict restrictions on data use.List of Companies Mentioned1010dataAbsolutdataAccentureACR (American College of Radiology)Actian CorporationAdaptive InsightsAdvizor SolutionsAeroSpikeAetnaAFS TechnologiesAlationAlgorithmiaAlluxioAlphabetAlpine DataAlteryxAmbient Clinical AnalyticsAMD (Advanced Micro Devices)AminoApixioArcadia DataArimoARMASF (Apache Software Foundation)ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials)AstraZenecaAtScaleAttivioAttunityAustralian Digital Health AgencyAutomated InsightsAWS (Amazon Web Services)AxiomaticsAyasdiBangkok Hospital GroupBasho TechnologiesBayerBCG (Boston Consulting Group)Bedrock DataBetterWorksBig Cloud AnalyticsBig PandaBigMLBirstBitamBlue MedoraBlueData SoftwareBlueTalonBMC SoftwareBOARD InternationalBooz Allen HamiltonBoxeverCACI InternationalCambridge SemanticsCapgeminiCazenaCDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention)CenterstoneCentrifuge SystemsCenturyLinkChartioCincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical CenterCisco SystemsCivis AnalyticsClearStory DataCloudabilityClouderaClustrixCMS (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)CNIL (Data Protection Regulatory Authority, France)CognitiveScaleCollibraConcurrent Computer CorporationConfluentContextiContinuum AnalyticsCosmosIDCouchbaseCrowdFlowerCSA (Cloud Security Alliance)CSCC (Cloud Standards Customer Council)CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization)DatabricksDataGravityDataikuDatameerDataRobotDataScienceDataStaxDataTorrentDatawatch CorporationDatos IODDN (DataDirect Networks)DecisyonDell TechnologiesDeloitteDemandbaseDenodo TechnologiesDigital Reasoning SystemsDimensional InsightDMG (Data Mining Group)Dolphin Enterprise Solutions CorporationDomino Data LabDomoDriveScaleDundas Data VisualizationDXC TechnologyEligotechEngineering Group (Engineering Ingegneria Informatica)EnterpriseDBeQ TechnologicEricssonEXASOLExpress ScriptsExscientiaFacebookFaros HealthcareFDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)FICO (Fair Isaac Corporation)Fractal AnalyticsFujitsuFuzzy LogixGainsightGE (General Electric)Genomics EnglandGinger.ioGlassbeamGNS HealthcareGold Coast HealthGoodData CorporationGoogleGreenwave SystemsGridGain SystemsGSK (GlaxoSmithKline)GuavusH2O.aiHDS (Hitachi Data Systems)HedvigHHS (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)HL7 (Health Level Seven)HLI (Human Longevity Inc.)HortonworksHPE (Hewlett Packard Enterprise)HuaweiIBM CorporationiDashboardsIEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)IHE (Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise)IlluminaIMI (Innovative Medicines Initiative)Impetus TechnologiesINCITS (InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards)IncortaINDS (National Institute of Health Data, France)InetSoft Technology CorporationInferInforInformatica CorporationInformation BuildersInfosysInfoworksInsightsoftware.comInsightSquaredIntel CorporationInteranaInterSystems CorporationISO (International Organization for Standardization)ITU (International Telecommunications Union)IU Health (Indiana University Health)IURTC (Indiana University Research & Technology Corporation)JedoxJethroJinfonet SoftwareJohnson & JohnsonJuniper NetworksKALEAOKBV/NASHIP (National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, Germany)Keen IOKineticaKNIMEKognitioKyvos InsightsLavastormLexalyticsLexmark InternationalLinux FoundationLogi AnalyticsLongview SolutionsLooker Data SciencesLucidWorksLuminoso TechnologiesMaanaMagento CommerceManthan Software ServicesMapD TechnologiesMapR TechnologiesMariaDB CorporationMarkLogic CorporationMathworksMayo ClinicMedtronicMemSQLMerck & Co.Merck KGaAMetric InsightsMicrosoft CorporationMicroStrategyMinistry of Health, Labor and Welfare, JapanMinitabMolecularMatchMongoDBMSQC (Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative)Mu SigmaNCCS (National Cancer Centre Singapore)NCPDP (National Council for Prescription Drug Programs)NEC CorporationNEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association)Neo TechnologyNetAppNHS (National Health Service, United Kingdom)NHS EnglandNHS ScotlandNimbixNIST (U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology)NokiaNovartisNTT Data CorporationNumerifyNuoDBNutonianNVIDIA CorporationOASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards)Oblong IndustriesODaF (Open Data Foundation)ODCA (Open Data Center Alliance)ODPi (Open Ecosystem of Big Data)OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium)OpenText CorporationOpera SolutionsOptimal PlusOptumOptumLabsOracle CorporationPalantir TechnologiesPanorama SoftwarePaxataPentaho CorporationPepperdataPfizerPhocas SoftwarePivotal SoftwarePrognozProgress Software CorporationProteus Digital HealthPwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers International)Pyramid AnalyticsQlikQuantum CorporationQuboleRackspaceRadius IntelligenceRapidMinerRecorded FutureRed HatRedis LabsRedPoint GlobalReltioRocheRocket FuelRoyal PhilipsRStudioRyft SystemsSailthruSalesforce.comSalient Management CompanySamsung GroupSanofiSAPSAS InstituteScaleDBScaleOut SoftwareSCIO Health AnalyticsSeagate TechnologySeattle Children's HospitalSickweatherSinequaSingHealth (Singapore Health Services)SiSenseSnapLogicSnowflake ComputingSoftware AGSplice MachineSplunkSproxilSqrrlStrategy Companion CorporationStreamSetsStriimSumo LogicSupermicro (Super Micro Computer)SyncsortSynerScopeTableau SoftwareTalenaTalendTamrTARGITTCS (Tata Consultancy Services)Teradata CorporationThe Weather CompanyThoughtSpotTIBCO SoftwareTidemarkTM ForumToshiba CorporationTPC (Transaction Processing Performance Council)TrifactaU.S. Department of EnergyU.S. Department of Veterans AffairsUN (United Nations)UnitedHealth GroupUniversity of MichiganUniversity of Utah Health CareUnravel DataVHA (U.S. Veterans Health Administration)VMwareVoltDBW3C (World Wide Web Consortium)Waterline DataWestern Digital 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Global Urgent Care Centers Market is Expected to Witness a 3.80% CAGR in 2017 and 2020

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A new report added to the repository of Market Research Reports Search Engine Urgent Care Centers Market (Illness, Injury, Physical, Vaccination, Diagnostic and Screening) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2014 - 2020 is a comprehensive repository of information, providing market share, size, and forecast.Request for Sample Report @This report on urgent care centers (UCCs) market analyzes the current as well as future prospects of various facets of the urgent care industry by providing an in-depth and comprehensive analysis of the global urgent care centers market. The report includes an elaborate executive summary, which covers market snapshot representing key findings from the services segments (illness, injury, physical, vaccination, diagnostic and screening) and geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World). The above mentioned segments are analyzed on the basis of market size in terms of USD million and their forecasts for the period 2014 to 2020 have also been provided. The CAGR (%) for the segment has been estimated for the forecast period from 2014 to 2020, considering 2013 as the base year.For the research on this topic, we conducted in-depth interviews and discussions with a wide range of key opinion leaders within urgent care centers market, which was supplemented by extensive secondary research. The report provides market size in terms of USD million for each segment for the period from 2012 to 2020, considering the macro and micro environmental factors. In addition, the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of the overall urgent care centers market and the segments has also been provided in the report for the forecast period from 2014 to 2020, considering 2012 and 2013 as the base years. Growth rates for each segment within the urgent care centers market have been determined after a thorough analysis of past trends, demographics, future trends, technological developments, and regulatory requirements.The report analyses the global market for urgent care centers by the services types offered at UCCs. The Services segments has been further divided and analyzed by various medical care types offered by UCCs namely illness, injury, physical, vaccination, diagnostic and screening. Geographically, this market has been segmented into four regions which include North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). Market sizes, forecasts and % CAGR for each region have been provided. A qualitative analysis of the market dynamics of the urgent care centers market, which are responsible for driving or restraining the growth of this market along with market opportunities has been described in the market overview section of this report.The research study also incorporates a qualitative analysis of the competitive scenario in these regions. The competitive landscape section of the report includes market share analysis by accredited and non-accredited urgent care centers across the U.S. The report also includes state-wise distribution of urgent care centers and key players in the U.S. market. A detailed qualitative analysis of the factors responsible for driving and restraining the growth of the urgent care centers market and future opportunities has been provided in the market overview section. The study further provides insights into Porters five forces analysis, market attractiveness analysis, and recommendations which would be useful for existing and new players to sustain and increase market share in the global urgent care centers market.The study is a robust combination of primary and secondary research. Primary research formed the bulk of our research efforts with information collected from telephonic interviews and interactions via e-mails. Secondary research involved study of company websites, annual reports, press releases, stock analysis presentations, and various international and national databases. This report concludes with the company profiles section in which major players in the urgent care centers market have been profiled based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies and recent/key developments in the market. Key players covered in this report include AFC/Doctors Express, CareSpot Express Healthcare LLC, Concentra, Inc., FastMed Urgent Care, MD Now, MinuteClinic LLC, MedExpress, NextCare Urgent Care, Patient First and U.S. HealthWorks, Inc.Browse Complete Report with TOC @The global urgent care centers market is segmented as follows:Urgent Care Centers Market, by ServicesIllnessInjuryPhysicalVaccinationDiagnosticScreeningUrgent Care Centers Market, by GeographyNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificRest of the World (RoW)Send an Enquiry @Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.State Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:
Rapidly Expanding Affluent Base of Middle Class Population is envisioned to flourish the Growth of Hosiery Market in Near Future, According to Research Nester

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The global hosiery market is segmented into product type such as tights, stay-ups, leggings, knee highs, socks, foot protectors, opaques, pyjamas, stockings, pantyhose, over knees, and stocking belts, out of which, leggings and pyjamas segment is projected to grasp a remarkable CAGR by 2024. Likely, changing lifestyles of the consumers on the back of rapid urbanization is predicted to foster the growth of global hosiery market. Furthermore, innovation in aesthetic as well as functional hosiery product is expected to positively impact the growth of the global hosiery market over the forecast period.Global hosiery market is anticipated to seize a robust CAGR of 3.5% over the forecast period i.e. 2017-2024. Moreover, the global hosiery market is projected to account noteworthy sales by the end of 2024. Additionally, the market is riding on the back of rising consumer expenditure on hosiery.The women segment by gender is projected to attain a significant CAGR over the forecast period. Further, changing lifestyle along with demographic factors is positively impacting the demand for hosiery. In terms of regional platform, Europe region contributed a majority of share in the market of hosiery in 2016 aided by Western Europe countries such as U.K., Germany and others. Moreover, increasing number of working population in this region is one of the factors propelling the market of hosiery. Apart from this, Asia-Pacific region is believed to be the fastest growing hosiery market due to growing population.Swelled Disposable IncomeRapid Urbanization along with rising personal disposable income of the consumer is one of the major factors fostering the growth of hosiery market. In addition to this, according to U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the personal disposable income of the consumer in U.S. is increased by USD 14,465.30 Billion in September 2017 from USD 14,226.5 Billion in October of 2016.Request For Free Sample Pages:Penetration of Online StoresIncreasing consumer preferences for online stores on the back of easy availably of numerous products and on-door delivery are anticipated to be the dynamic factor behind the rapid growth of hosiery market. Furthermore, increasing number of hypermarket and supermarket on the back of positive GDP figures are also believed to propel the market of hosiery. Moreover, growing demand for products with features such as anti-cellulite hosiery that help impart sculpted body shape, hosiery with weather-adaptive and supportive features such as silver-based microbial finishes for greater hygiene and comfort is predicted to impel the market of hosiery.On the contrary, increasing raw material prices can be predicted to hamper the market of hosiery over the forecast period.The report titled Hosiery Market: Global Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2024 delivers detailed overview of the global hosiery market in terms of market segmentation by product type, by gender, by price range, by distribution channel and by region.Further, for the in-depth analysis, the report encompasses the industry growth drivers, restraints, supply and demand risk, market attractiveness, BPS analysis and Porters five force model.Request For TOC Pages:This report also provides the existing competitive scenario of some of the key players of the global hosiery market which includes company profiling of Golden Lady Company S.p.A., Gildan Activewear Inc., HanesBrands, Inc., Donna Karan New York, Trere Innovation s.r.l., Wolford AG, Carolina Hosiery Mills, Fox River Mills and Parker Hosiery. The profiling enfolds key information of the companies which encompasses business overview, products and services, key financials and recent news and developments. On the whole, the report depicts detailed overview of the global hosiery market that will help industry consultants, equipment manufacturers, existing players searching for expansion opportunities, new players searching possibilities and other stakeholders to align their market centric strategies according to the ongoing and expected trends in the future.Request For Buy Now:Research Nester is a leading service provider for strategic market research and consulting. We aim to provide unbiased, unparalleled market insights and industry analysis to help industries, conglomerates and executives to take wise decisions for their future marketing strategy, expansion and investment etc. We believe every business can expand to its new horizon, provided a right guidance at a right time is available through strategic minds. Our out of box thinking helps our clients to take wise decision so as to avoid future uncertainties.For Table of Content & Free Sample Report Contact:Name:-Ajay DanielEmail: ajay.daniel@researchnester.comU.S. +1 646 586 9123U.K. +44 203 608 5919Website:-
Halwa Market Trends and Opportunities for the Industry by 2025

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Halwa Market: IntroductionHalwa refers to any type of dense, sweet confections served across the Europe, Asia Pacific and MEA region. It is a type of dessert having very thick pudding which is made from a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and lentils. Halwa is generally prepared from various raw materials such as wheat, suji, raw, moong daal, besan, carrot, Apple etc. It is not very easy to prepare halwa as it needs lots of time, hard labor work, and patience to cook delicious and rich flavored halwa. Apart from this, it needs proper raw material specifications, their proportions, and sequence of adding and processing steps of the raw materials while preparing it. Moreover, normally the halwa is rich in fat and sugar but generally not satisfactory in other nutrients. However, some halwa like the poppy seed is highly rich in nutrients and also provide immunity against various diseases such as a cough, cold and others, especially in the winter season. Nowadays, halwa is sold in ready to eat and ready to prepare halwa mix packs which have developed a lot over the years and provide a taste similar to North Indian halwa. In India, there are various types of desserts such as carrot halwa, moong daal halwa, Bombay halwa, Bottle Gourd halwa etc. In North India, the most famous halwa includes suji, aata and moong daal halwa which is opaque, yellowish brown in color, soft and smooth in texture while in South India, it is a jelly-like translucent product with luster.Download exclusive Sample of this report:Halwa Market: DynamicsOne of the significant factors towards the growth of halwa market is the production of sugar-free halwa mixed with artificial sweeteners as the number of diabetic patients are continuously increasing in India. Nowadays, people are more health conscious, so the consumption of sugar-free halwa is more among the adults. Another factor towards the growth of halwa market is that it is sold in ready to eat and ready to cook halwa mix packs. This is beneficial for the people who don't know how to prepare halwa or they don't have enough time to cook due to their busy lifestyle. Moreover, as the number of occasional events and parties are increasing, people generally add halwa in the sweet dish as it comes rich in taste and is also not much expensive. This can be the major factor which fuels the growth of halwa market.Obtain Report Details @Halwa Market: SegmentationThe halwa market can be segmented on the basis of product type, material type, packaging type, and distribution channel. On the basis of product type, the halwa market can be segmented into anjeer halwa, moong daal halwa, carrot halwa, dry fruit halwa, and others. On the basis of material type, the halwa market can be segmented into ghee, sugar, milk, cereals, fruits & vegetables, cereals, and others. On the basis of packaging type, the halwa market can be segmented into the pouch, plastic box, cardboard box etc. On the basis of a distribution channel, the halwa market can be segmented into direct sales and indirect sales. The indirect sales market can be further sub-segmented into the specialty stores, wholesalers, hypermarket, supermarket, convenience stores, online retailers and others. On the basis of region, the halwa market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and rest of the world.Halwa Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of the regional outlook, halwa market is segmented into five different regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Africa and Asia Pacific. The major factor driving the halwa market in Asia Pacific region is the large population base and innovation in terms of taste. Europe and the Middle East & Africa dominate the halwa market by factors such as growing consumer preference and increased disposable income of the consumers in the region. North America and Latin America are expected to have the considerable growth in the near future.Halwa Market: Key Player:Some of the major players operating in halwa market include Suhana, Punjab Milk Foods Inc., MTR Foods Pvt Ltd., Nutrifresh foods Ltd, Kwality Wall's, Triguni Food Pvt. Ltd., Haldiram's Food International Limited, Ajit Sweets, Anoushka Gourmet, and kitchens of India.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Hybrid Operating Room Market Is Further Expected To Proliferate At A CAGR Of 4.60% Between 2017 And 2022, Increasing To US$828.1 bn

Hybrid Operating Room Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Hybrid Operating Room Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The global market for hybrid operating room is witnessing a substantial rise in its valuation, thanks to the technological advancements in the field of operating room equipment. With the increasing government support, the market is expected to continue to rise at a high growth rate in the near future. A comprehensive assessment of the global market for hybrid operating rooms has been offered in this research study that intends to present detailed information with deep insights into this market to readers in a bid to assist them in gaining a better understanding of it.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Global Hybrid Operating Room Market: Scope of the StudyThe report estimates and forecasts the worldwide hybrid operating room market on the global as well as the regional levels. It consists of a comprehensive analysis of the value chain for each of the segments. The assessment of the value chain also offers an in-depth information about the value addition to the market at each of the stages. Further, the study discusses the drivers and the restraints of this market, coupled with their impact on the demand for hybrid operating room equipment during the period from 2017 to 2022.The report also discusses the key market indicators, which impact the growth of the global hybrid operating room market considerably. It assesses the opportunities in this market by examining the market trends thoroughly. The drivers, limitations, opportunities, and the scope mentioned in the report have been justified by utilizing quantitative and qualitative data and have been verified by the primary and secondary resources. Moreover, an analysis of the average price trends and the substitutes have also been presented in this research study.Global Hybrid Operating Room Market: SegmentationThe research study provides a comprehensive overview of the worldwide market for hybrid operating room by evaluating it on the basis of the type of the component, end user, application, and the regional spread. Based on the type of the component, the market has been categorized into surgical instruments, operating room fixtures, intraoperative diagnostic imaging systems, and audiovisual display systems and tools. Based on the end user, the market has been divided into hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs).Get Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @By the application, the market has been segmented into cardiovascular, neurosurgical, thoracic, and orthopedic disease treatments. In terms of the geography, the market is classified into Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), the Middle East and Africa (MEA), Europe, Latin America, North America, and Japan. These market segments have been evaluated on the basis of their current, historical, and future trends.Global Hybrid Operating Room Market: Competitive AnalysisThe research report includes a thorough competitive analysis of the global hybrid operating room market, taking the profiles of the leading players and their market shares in consideration. The leading players profiled in this report are Toshiba Corp., Trumpf Medical, IMRIS Inc., Eschmann Equipment, Stryker Corp., MAQUET GmbH, Skytron LLC, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Siemens Healthineers, and GE Healthcare. The product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents of these players have been reviewed for a better understanding of the competitive scenarios of this market. The company profile includes a number of attributes, such as the overview of the firm and its business, brand, and finances. The business strategies, recent developments, key competitors, and the number of employees have also been discussed in this section of the report.Make 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 @
API Management Market Current and Future Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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Global API Management Market: SnapshotThe need to manage the usage of application programming interfaces (APIs) to decode the data of systems or enterprises in a bid to make it usable for other sections of the organization or for third-party organizations in novel ways is boosting the global API management market. The rising need for the governance and a life-cycle framework for APIs is also fueling the demand for API management solutions, which is reflecting positively on this market.The significant rise in the popularity of web APIs, together with the augmenting demand for public as well as private APIs are projected to drive the growth of the worldwide API management market remarkably in the years to come. Apart from this, the mobility of these solutions and apps explosion are also anticipated to favor this market tremendously over the next few years.Get the sample copy of report :The worldwide market for API management is characterized by the rivalry between the established multinational as well as local players. The market participants rely heavily on the advancements in technology for the growth of their businesses. Over the coming years, they are likely to shift their focus towards strategic alliance in order to gain strength in the global market.Global API Management Market: OverviewApplication programming interface (API) stands for a set to protocols, tools, and subroutines that are used to build software applications. Acting as a communication code between software programs, API management enables an organization to monitor the functionalities of the interface and meet the requirements of the application and developers. API management allows traffic monitoring of individual applications and helps in cache memory management to improve the performance of the application. As API management software can either be built in-house by an organization or can be imported from third-party providers, and has become an essential tool for several business vendors to enhance their customer experience. Consequently, the demand in the global API management market is projected to expand at a healthy rate during the forecast period of 2016 to 2024.This report on the global API management market provides qualitative and quantitative examination of the market in its current scenario and analyzes all the factors that may influence the demand in the near future, to estimate the condition of the market until 2024. This report is meant for audiences such as organizations, network operators, and solution providers, aspiring to serve as a credible document to make more informed business choices. The report contains a dedicated section on company profiles, exploring several prominent players for their market share and product portfolio, in order to present a clear picture of the competitive landscape.Send an enquiry :The global market for API management can be segmented on the basis of services into analytics, portal, gateway, governance, security, and other services. By end-use industries, the market can be categorized into aerospace and defense, banking and finance, automotive and transportation, public sector and government, retail and consumer, healthcare and life sciences, and technology and media. Geographically, the report examines the opportunities available for API management market in regions such as North America, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Latin America.Global API Management Market: Trends & OpportunitiesMobility and App proliferation is the primary factor augmenting the demand for API management. With growing number of mobile subscribers, the rise of social media, and penetration of ecommerce, vendors from various sectors can now provide information in interactively to their consumers and thereby increment their sales. The advancements of the Internet of Things and Big Data as well as cost and feature benefits are other two major factor favoring the global API market. Moreover, as API management helps in systematic enforcement of policies and visualization of insightful analytics, the demand is expected to expand to several organizations that desire to expand their productivity.Conversely, some of the factors expected to challenge the market from attaining its full potential are: data security, legacy investments in SOA, and performance monitoring by skilled professionals. System integrators, digital transformation, and SOA and PaaS integrations are some of the new opportunity avenues available for the players in this market.Global API Management Market: Regional OutlookNorth America and Europe currently serve the maximum demand for API management, owing to high adoptability of new technology. However, several emerging economies in Asia Pacific such as India, China, Japan, and South Korea house several end-use organizations that offer vast untapped opportunities.Companies mentioned in the research reportAmazon, CA Technologies, RedHat, Apiary.io, Apigee, Stormpath, Telenity, Akana, Axway, Crosscheck Networks, Dell Boomi, Fiorano Software, Inc., IBM, Distil Networks, Mashape, MuleSoft, Nevatech, NGINX Software Inc., Mashery (Tibco), Microsoft, Restlet, SAP, Sapience, Oracle, RepreZen, Socrata, Software AG, and Torry Harris are some of the leading players currently functional in the global API management market.Major regions analyzed under this research report are:EuropeNorth AmericaAsia PacificRest of the WorldThis report gives you access to decisive data such as:Market growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for the coming yearsKey highlights of this reportOverview of key market forces propelling and restraining market growthUp-to-date analyses of market trends and technological improvementsPin-point analyses of market competition dynamics to offer you a competitive edgeAn analysis of strategies of major competitorsAn array of graphics and SWOT analysis of major industry segmentsDetailed analyses of industry trendsA well-defined technological growth map with an impact-analysisOffers a clear understanding of the competitive landscape and key product segmentsNote : All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed in reports are those of the respective analysts. They do not necessarily reflect formal positions or views of Transparency Market Research.MRRbiz supports your business intelligence needs with over 700,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Organic Wine Market Technological Advancements, Evolving Industry Trends and Insights 2017 - 2025

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Organic wine is a type of wine that is produced without the use of artificial chemicals such as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides. Organic grapes are cultivated in vineyards on the principles of organic farming. The aging process is employed to lend the wine, obtained from the grapes, a fine taste. It is the most preferred alcoholic beverage among the consumers. Organic wine can be used as a medicine due to presence of resveratrol that prevents aging and helps to fight with the diseases. Additionally, it helps for better metabolism, body warmth, and enhances better immunity.Download exclusive Sample of this report:In most parts of the world, sulfite is employed in some amounts for stabilizing and improving the shelf-life of wine. Organic wine can be classified into three categories such as 100% organic wine, organic wines (95% of its ingredients from certified organic sources, which may have an additional 100 ppm of sulfur dioxide added to them) and wines made from organic grapes (70% of its grapes are from organic sources). Based on the product type, the organic wine market can be segregated into red wine, white wine, rose wine, sparkling wine, dessert wine and fortified wine. In terms of distribution channel, the organic wine market can be segregated into online distribution and offline distribution. Organic wines are purchased primarily in hypermarkets and supermarkets. Such products of organic wine are certified by different certification bodies all over the globe to be organic such as USDA, EU organic Certification, and California Certified organic farmers certification.Obtain Report Details @The global organic wine industry is witnessing significant expansion for the last ten years. Rising number of organic vineyards is a key driver of the market. Increasing demand for organic wine has also led to an increase in the production of organic grapes across the globe. Wine has been always a preferred choice for celebration or parties. Currently, awareness about the presence of hazardous chemicals in food and beverages and health consciousness is rising among consumers. Thus the organic sector is witnessing an increase in investments from private investors as well as the government in the last few years.Some of the restraints of the market are high price of organic products and the low shelf-life when compared to conventional wine. Retailer indifference has played a key role in the poor acceptance of organic wines. These wines are often found in organic sections set off from the rest of the wine. Furthermore, differing standards and regulations regarding organic wine is likely to hinder the expansion of the global organic wine market.Europe accounts for around 70% of global organic wine production. Italy, France, Sweden, U.K. and Spain are the leading manufacturers of organic wine. Organic wines made in Italy have better quality as compared to the wines produced in other countries. In North America, the U.S. as well as Canada witnessed a significant rise in the consumption of organic wines. Additionally, revenue generated by the export of organic wines from Italy is anticipated to rise remarkably due to rise in exports to countries such as U.S. and other European countries during the forecast period. In Asia Pacific, Japan, Singapore, Australia, South Korea, China, and India have shown good progress in organic wine consumption. Developing nations in the region are likely to present better growth potential in organic wine sector.There are more than 2,000 organic wine producers globally. The major global players include Kendall-Jackson Winery, The Wine Group, E&J Gallo Pernod-Ricard, Bronco Wine, King Estate Winery, Chateau Maris Winery, Castel, Treasury Wine E states, Hall wines, Lapostolle winery, Diageo, DE Loach Vineyards, Grgich Hills Estate, China Great Wall Wine, Emiliana Organic Vineyards, Armit wines ltd, The Organic Wine Company, and Distell Group.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions Market 2017 - Kontron(S&T), Abaco Systems, Zodiac Aerospace, Advantech

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Global Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions Industry 2017 Market Research Report provides a unique tool for evaluating the market, highlighting opportunities, and supporting strategic and tactical decision-making. This report recognizes that in this rapidly-evolving and competitive environment, up-to-date marketing information is essential to monitor performance and make critical decisions for growth and profitability.In this report, the global Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.The research study focuses major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. It provides information on trends and developments, and focuses on markets and materials, capacities and technologies, and on the changing structure of the Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions Industry.Download Free Sample Report @Market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer, the top players includingKontron(S&T)Extreme Engineering Solutions, IncAbaco SystemsADLINK Technology Inc.Moxa Inc.Zodiac AerospaceTusk Embedded TechnologiesDiamond Systems CorporationArtesyn Embedded TechnologiesAdvantech Co., Ltd.ADL Embedded Solutions Inc.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions Industry in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), covering North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India.On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, and market share and growth rate of each type. On the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions Market Industry for each application.Access Full Report @Major points covered in this Report are :Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions Industry Market Overview, Segment by Type (Product Category), by Application, by Region (2012-2022), Competition by ManufacturersGlobal Market Size (Value) of Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions Industry (2012-2022)Global Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions Industry Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value), Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)Global Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions Industry Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeGlobal Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions Industry Market Analysis by ApplicationGlobal Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions Industry Manufacturers Profiles/AnalysisRugged Embedded Computing Solutions Industry Manufacturing Cost AnalysisIndustrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersMarketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersMarket Effect Factors AnalysisGlobal Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions Industry Market Forecast (2017-2022)Research Findings and ConclusionThe research includes historic data from 2012 to 2016 and forecasts until 2022 which makes the reports an invaluable resource for industry executives, marketing, sales and product managers, consultants, analysts, and other people looking for key industry data in readily accessible documents with clearly presented tables and graphs. The report will make detailed analysis mainly on above questions and in-depth research on the development environment, market size, development trend, operation situation and future development trend of Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions Industry on the basis of stating current situation of the industry in 2017 so as to make comprehensive organization and judgment on the competition situation and development trend Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions Market and assist manufacturers and investment organization to better grasp the development course of Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions Market.Available Customizations -With the given market data, Fior Markets offers customizations according to the companys specific needs.The following customization options are available for the report:Segment Analysis :Product matrix, which gives a detailed comparison of the product portfolio of each companyDetailed analysis at volume level can also be provided.Regional Analysis :Further breakdown of the Rest of Asia Pacific Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions market, by countryFurther breakdown of the Rest of Europe Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions market, by countryFurther breakdown of other countries in the RoW Rugged Embedded Computing Solutions market, by country.About Us -Fior Market Research (FMR) 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 FMR, 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 UsMark StoneSales ManagerPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:
EMEA Graphite Sheet Market Share and Forecast Report 2022: GrafTech, Panasonic, TOYO TANSO

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"The Latest Research Report EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Graphite Sheet Market 2017 Forecast to 2022 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"Graphite Sheet is a kind of thermal heat dissipation material, which is usually used in the electronic products, so as to enhance the performance of electronic products.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Graphite Sheet in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) market, covering Europe, Middle East and Africa, This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Get Sample copy of this Report @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversGrafTechPanasonicTOYO TANSOKanekaT-GlobalTeaditLodestarTanyuanSaintyearDasenHFCFRDSidikeBeichuan PrecisionZhong YiChenXinJones TechMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversEurope (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Turkey)Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran)Africa (South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria)Market Segment by Type, coversNatural Graphite SheetSynthetic Graphite SheetNanocomposite Graphite SheetMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoLaptopLED LightingFlat Panel DisplaysDigital CamerasPhoneOthersView Sample PDF @There are 13 Chapters to deeply display the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Graphite Sheet market.Chapter 1, to describe Graphite Sheet Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Graphite Sheet, with sales, revenue, and price of Graphite Sheet, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Graphite Sheet, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, to analyze the market by regions, manufacturers, type and application, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 8 and 9, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 10, Graphite Sheet market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 11, 12 and 13, to describe Graphite Sheet research findings and conclusion, sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, appendix and data sourceSend An Enquiry Request @Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 Graphite Sheet Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Natural Graphite Sheet1.2.2 Synthetic Graphite Sheet1.2.3 Nanocomposite Graphite Sheet1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Laptop1.3.2 LED Lighting1.3.3 Flat Panel Displays1.3.4 Digital Cameras1.3.5 Phone1.3.6 Others1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia and Turkey)1.4.1.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.2 France Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.4 Italy Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.5 Russia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.6 Turkey Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2 Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran)1.4.2.1 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.2 UAE Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.3 Israel Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.4 Iran Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3 Africa (South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria)1.4.3.1 South Africa Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.2 Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.3 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.4 Algeria Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving Force2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 GrafTech2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Graphite Sheet Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Type 12.1.2.2 Type 22.1.3 GrafTech Graphite Sheet Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 Panasonic2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Graphite Sheet Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Type 12.2.2.2 Type 22.2.3 Panasonic Graphite Sheet Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 TOYO TANSO2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Graphite Sheet Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Type 12.3.2.2 Type 22.3.3 TOYO TANSO Graphite Sheet Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.4 Kaneka2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.2 Graphite Sheet Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Type 12.4.2.2 Type 22.4.3 Kaneka Graphite Sheet Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.5 T-Global2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.2 Graphite Sheet Type and Applications2.5.2.1 Type 12.5.2.2 Type 22.5.3 T-Global Graphite Sheet Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.6 Teadit2.6.1 Business Overview2.6.2 Graphite Sheet Type and Applications2.6.2.1 Type 12.6.2.2 Type 22.6.3 Teadit Graphite Sheet Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.7 Lodestar2.7.1 Business Overview2.7.2 Graphite Sheet Type and Applications2.7.2.1 Type 12.7.2.2 Type 22.7.3 Lodestar Graphite Sheet Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.8 Tanyuan2.8.1 Business Overview2.8.2 Graphite Sheet Type and Applications2.8.2.1 Type 12.8.2.2 Type 22.8.3 Tanyuan Graphite Sheet Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)Buy Now This Report From Here @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Global EAS Systems Market by Manufacturers, With Sales, Revenue, Share and Forecast 2022

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"The Latest Research Report Global (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa) EAS Systems Market 2017 Forecast to 2022 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"Electronic article surveillance (EAS) is a technological method for preventing shoplifting from retail stores, pilferage of books from libraries or removal of properties from office buildings. Special tags are fixed to merchandise or books. These tags are removed or deactivated by the clerks when the item is properly bought or checked out. At the exits of the store, a detection system sounds an alarm or otherwise alerts the staff when it senses active tags. Some stores also have detection systems at the entrance to the restrooms that sound an alarm if someone tries to take unpaid merchandise with them into the restroom. For high-value goods that are to be manipulated by the patrons, wired alarm clips called spider wrap may be used instead of tags.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the EAS Systems in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Get Sample copy of this Report @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversTyco Retail SolutionsCheckpoint SystemsNedapUniversal Surveillance SystemsGunnebo GatewaySenTechHangzhou Century Co., LtdWGSPISentry TechnologyAll TagAmersec s.r.o.Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversHard TagSoft TagDeactivator or DetacherDetection SystemMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoClothing &Fashion AccessoriesCosmetics/PharmacySupermarkets & Large GroceryOthersView Sample PDF @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global EAS Systems market.Chapter 1, to describe EAS Systems Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of EAS Systems, with sales, revenue, and price of EAS Systems, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of EAS Systems, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, EAS Systems market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe EAS Systems sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceSend An Enquiry Request @Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 EAS Systems Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Hard Tag1.2.2 Soft Tag1.2.3 Deactivator or Detacher1.2.4 Detection System1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Clothing &Fashion Accessories1.3.2 Cosmetics/Pharmacy1.3.3 Supermarkets & Large Grocery1.3.4 Others1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 USA Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.2 France Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.4 Russia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.5 Italy Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.2 Japan Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.3 Korea Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.4 India Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.2 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.4 South Africa Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.5 Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving Force2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 Tyco Retail Solutions2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.1.1 Tyco Retail Solutions EAS Systems Description2.1.1.2 Tyco Retail Solutions EAS Systems Headquarter, Main Business and Finance Overview2.1.2 Tyco Retail Solutions EAS Systems Product Introduction2.1.2.1 Production Bases, Sales Regions and Major Competitors2.1.2.2 Tyco Retail Solutions EAS Systems Product Introduction2.1.3 Tyco Retail Solutions EAS Systems Sales, Revenue and Market Share2.1.3.1 Tyco Retail Solutions EAS Systems Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.1.3.2 Tyco Retail Solutions EAS Systems Market Share in Global in 20162.2 Checkpoint Systems2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.1.1 Checkpoint Systems EAS Systems Description2.2.1.2 Checkpoint Systems EAS Systems Headquarter, Main Business and Finance Overview2.2.2 Tyco Retail Solutions EAS Systems Product Introduction2.2.2.1 Production Bases, Sales Regions and Major Competitors2.2.2.2 Checkpoint Systems EAS Systems Product Introduction2.2.3 Checkpoint Systems EAS Systems Sales, Revenue and Market Share2.2.3.1 Checkpoint Systems EAS Systems Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2.3.2 Checkpoint Systems EAS Systems Market Share in Global in 20162.3 Nedap2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.1.1 Nedap EAS Systems Description2.3.1.2 Nedap EAS Systems Headquarter, Main Business and Finance Overview2.3.2 Nedap EAS Systems Product Introduction2.3.2.1 Production Bases, Sales Regions and Major Competitors2.3.2.2 Nedap EAS Systems Product Introduction2.3.3 Nedap EAS Systems Sales, Revenue and Market Share2.3.3.1 Nedap EAS Systems Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3.3.2 Nedap EAS Systems Market Share in Global in 20162.4 Universal Surveillance Systems2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.1.1 Universal Surveillance Systems EAS Systems Description2.4.1.2 Universal Surveillance Systems EAS Systems Headquarter, Main Business and Finance Overview2.4.2 Universal Surveillance Systems EAS Systems Product Introduction2.4.2.1 Production Bases, Sales Regions and Major Competitors2.4.2.2 Universal Surveillance Systems EAS Systems Product Introduction2.4.3 Universal Surveillance Systems EAS Systems Sales, Revenue and Market Share2.4.3.1 Universal Surveillance Systems EAS Systems Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.4.3.2 Universal Surveillance Systems EAS Systems Market Share in Global in 20162.5 Gunnebo Gateway2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.1.1 Gunnebo Gateway EAS Systems Description2.5.1.2 Gunnebo Gateway EAS Systems Headquarter, Main Business and Finance Overview2.5.2 Gunnebo Gateway EAS Systems Product Introduction2.5.2.1 Production Bases, Sales Regions and Major Competitors2.5.2.2 Gunnebo Gateway EAS Systems Product Introduction2.5.3 Gunnebo Gateway EAS Systems Sales, Revenue and Market Share2.5.3.1 Gunnebo Gateway EAS Systems Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.5.3.2 Gunnebo Gateway EAS Systems Market Share in Global in 20162.6 SenTech2.6.1 Business Overview2.6.1.1 SenTech EAS Systems Description2.6.1.2 SenTech EAS Systems Headquarter, Main Business and Finance Overview2.6.2 SenTech EAS Systems Product Introduction2.6.2.1 Production Bases, Sales Regions and Major Competitors2.6.2.2 SenTech EAS Systems Product Introduction2.6.3 SenTech EAS Systems Sales, Revenue and Market Share2.6.3.1 SenTech EAS Systems Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.6.3.2 SenTech EAS Systems Market Share in Global in 2016Buy Now This Report From Here @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
4G Wireless Infrastructure Market 2017: Key Players Ericsson, Nokia(ALU+MOTO), Juniper, Cisco, CommScope, HUBER + SUHNER, Corning, Huawei, ZTE

4G Wireless Infrastructure Market 2017: Key Players Ericsson, Nokia(ALU+MOTO), Juniper, Cisco, CommScope, HUBER + SUHNER, Corning,

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QY Research Groups has released a latest report based on thorough research on 4G Wireless Infrastructure market. This in-depth report discusses this industrys market in forms of overview/definition, application, classification, predictions pertaining value and volume, and future predictions. It also prominently attributes the current situation and outlooks with industrial and financial aspect. Furthermore, it comprises of current events, latest market trends, schematic representation of the global companies with their prime developments, mergers & acquisitions, deals and agreements, expansions and investments, etc. Additionally, it talks about the vital prospects such as market restrains growth drivers, challenges and potential opportunities that may affect the overall 4G Wireless Infrastructure market.Get Free Sample Copy of this Report @Due to the constant altering business landscape, enhancements in the technology, the process of communication in several organizations have become intricate. Moreover, nowadays, customers demands have increased and expanded, this in return expects efficient and effective communication inside an organization. Escalated use of social networking websites, increased use of smartphones, and ascending demand for improved enterprise efficiency are the prime growth factors of the 4G Wireless Infrastructure market. Enhanced technologies and several Information technology tools better the productivity of the business and escalate functional efficiency. Additionally, many services and solutions are put to use in various industrial verticals which includes banks, insurance (BFSI), public sector, travel & hospitality, healthcare, energy & utilities, education, IT & telecom, transportations and logistics, retail, many other industry sectors such as media and communications.The methodological analysis which is used to approximate and forecast the 4G Wireless Infrastructure Market starts with gathering data on vital vendors with the help of secondary research through various trusted sources that include news articles, presentations, journals and paid database. In addition, information which the vendors provide is also taken into consideration to analyze the segmentation of the market.This extensive professional market research report renders an in-depth study of this markets industry along with growth prospects for the forecast period with exclusive focus on the size and characteristics of the market, major market manufacturers, present trends, growth forecasts, competitive landscape for the predicted frame of time coupled with market restrains and prime success. Besides, this exclusive report cloaks the global 4G Wireless Infrastructure Market based on applications, regions, competitive landscape and products. The report enlists profiles of several companies of prime market players, market share, financial metrics, business strategies, and forecasts and predictions.Top Players In Global Market-1. Ericsson2. Nokia(ALU+MOTO)3. Juniper4. Cisco5. CommScope6. HUBER + SUHNER7. Corning8. Huawei9. ZTEBrowse More Insight @The 4G Wireless Infrastructure Market report wraps: Industry summary with market definition, key elements such as market restrains, drivers, potential opportunities, challenges, trends in the market, etc. Market sectioning depending on product, application, geographical region, competitive market share Market size, approximates, forecasts for the said frame of time Distribution channel assessment Competitive analysis of crucial market manufacturers, trends, company profiles, strategies, etc. Factors accountable for the growth of the market Thorough assessment of prime market geographically Factual information, insights, market date backed by statistics and industrySome points from TOC:-4 Global 4G Wireless Infrastructure Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global 4G Wireless Infrastructure Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 United States 4G Wireless Infrastructure Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 EU 4G Wireless Infrastructure Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China 4G Wireless Infrastructure Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan 4G Wireless Infrastructure Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 South Korea 4G Wireless Infrastructure Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 Taiwan 4G Wireless Infrastructure Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)5 Global 4G Wireless Infrastructure Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global 4G Wireless Infrastructure Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 Global 4G Wireless Infrastructure Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 Global 4G Wireless Infrastructure Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 Global 4G Wireless Infrastructure Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)Continued..Download PDF Brochure of this Report @About Us:QY Research Groups is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. QY Research Groups is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on Global industries, companies, products, and trends.Contact us:Sarah JEmail- sales@qyresearchgroups.comWebsite-
Recent Survey on Global SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market 2017 | MAXST LG Electronics, Lenovo, Sony, IBM, Exosite, Swisslog (KUKA)

SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Professional Survey Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringMAXSTLG ElectronicsLenovoSonyIBMExositeSwisslog (KUKA)Omron AdeptClearpath RoboticsVecnaMobile Industrial RobotsSMP RoboticsCimcorp AutomationAethonLocus RoboticsFetch RoboticsHi-Tech Robotic SystemzAviation Industry Corporation of ChinaTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoMobile robotsSmart ARBy Application, the market can be split intoMilitaryCommercialBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @Table of ContentsGlobal SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR1.1 Definition and Specifications of SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR1.1.1 Definition of SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR1.1.2 Specifications of SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR1.2 Classification of SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR1.2.1 Mobile robots1.2.2 Smart AR1.3 Applications of SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR1.3.1 Military1.3.2 Commercial1.3.3 Application 31.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR2.4 Industry Chain Structure of SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2012-2017E Global SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2016 SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2012-2017E Global SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Sales Price4.4.2 2016 SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)5 SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Analysis5.1.1 North America SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2012-2017E SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2012-2017E SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2016 SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Share Analysis5.2 China SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Analysis5.2.1 China SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Overview5.2.2 China 2012-2017E SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.2.3 China 2012-2017E SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Sales Price Analysis5.2.4 China 2016 SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Share Analysis5.3 Europe SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Analysis5.3.1 Europe SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Overview5.3.2 Europe 2012-2017E SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.3.3 Europe 2012-2017E SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Sales Price Analysis5.3.4 Europe 2016 SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Share Analysis5.4 Southeast Asia SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Analysis5.4.1 Southeast Asia SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Overview5.4.2 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.4.3 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Sales Price Analysis5.4.4 Southeast Asia 2016 SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Share Analysis5.5 Japan SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Analysis5.5.1 Japan SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Overview5.5.2 Japan 2012-2017E SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.5.3 Japan 2012-2017E SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Sales Price Analysis5.5.4 Japan 2016 SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Share Analysis5.6 India SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Analysis5.6.1 India SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Overview5.6.2 India 2012-2017E SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.6.3 India 2012-2017E SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Sales Price Analysis5.6.4 India 2016 SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Market Share Analysis6 Global 2012-2017E SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Segment Market Analysis (by Type)6.1 Global 2012-2017E SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Sales by Type6.2 Different Types of SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Product Interview Price Analysis6.3 Different Types of SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Product Driving Factors Analysis6.3.1 Mobile robots of SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Growth Driving Factor Analysis6.3.2 Smart AR of SLAM in mobile robots and smart AR Growth Driving Factor AnalysisContinue...Make 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 @
Solid State Transformers (SST) Market Share and Forecast 2022: Top Manufacturers  ABB, Siemens, General Electric

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"The Latest Research Report EMEA Solid State Transformers (SST) Market 2017 Forecast to 2022 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"Solid state transformer, also known as power electronic transformer (EPT), is a kind of electric power electronic transformation technology and electromagnetic induction principle based on the combination of high-frequency power conversion technology to achieve power characteristics of electricity into other Electric power characteristics of the static electrical equipment. Compared with the conventional transformer, EPT has many advantages, its outstanding feature is that the original current can be achieved, the side voltage and power of flexible control. EPT applied to the power system will improve the power quality; improve system stability, to achieve a flexible transmission and power market power flow under real-time control.Get Sample copy of this Report @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Solid State Transformers (SST) in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) market, covering Europe, Middle East and Africa, This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversABBSiemensGeneral ElectricMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversEurope (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Turkey)Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran)Africa (South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria)Market Segment by Type, coversSingle-stageTwo-stageThree-stageMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoAlternative Power GenerationSmart GridTraction LocomotivesEV ChargingOthersView Sample PDF @There are 13 Chapters to deeply display the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Solid State Transformers (SST) market.Chapter 1, to describe Solid State Transformers (SST) Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Solid State Transformers (SST), with sales, revenue, and price of Solid State Transformers (SST), in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Solid State Transformers (SST), for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, to analyze the market by regions, manufacturers, type and application, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 8 and 9, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 10, Solid State Transformers (SST) market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 11, 12 and 13, to describe Solid State Transformers (SST) research findings and conclusion, sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, appendix and data sourceSend An Enquiry Request @Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 Solid State Transformers (SST) Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Single-stage1.2.2 Two-stage1.2.3 Three-stage1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Alternative Power Generation1.3.2 Smart Grid1.3.3 Traction Locomotives1.3.4 EV Charging1.3.5 Others1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia and Turkey)1.4.1.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.2 France Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.4 Italy Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.5 Russia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.6 Turkey Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2 Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran)1.4.2.1 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.2 UAE Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.3 Israel Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.4 Iran Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3 Africa (South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria)1.4.3.1 South Africa Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.2 Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.3 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.4 Algeria Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving Force2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 ABB2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Solid State Transformers (SST) Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Type 12.1.2.2 Type 22.1.3 ABB Solid State Transformers (SST) Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 Siemens2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Solid State Transformers (SST) Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Type 12.2.2.2 Type 22.2.3 Siemens Solid State Transformers (SST) Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 General Electric2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Solid State Transformers (SST) Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Type 12.3.2.2 Type 22.3.3 General Electric Solid State Transformers (SST) Sales, Price, Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)Buy Now This Report From Here @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Acrylic Protective Coating Market is poised to lead the growing demand from Construction Segment

Acrylic Protective Coating Market

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The major regions in the global acrylic protective coating market are Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe. Other regions are Latin America and Middle East & Africa. Among the major regions, Asia Pacific is the largest shareholder in terms of size of the global acrylic protective coating market. It holds more than 45% of market size of the global acrylic protective coating market. China and India are leading markets in the region. The developing countries in this region are rapidly taking up the infrastructure development activities, which is the main driver of growth in the regional market. The government initiative to provide affordable housing to all and rapid growth in physical and social infrastructure, undertaken by Indian government is expected to help push the growth of regional market. In addition to the public investment in physical infrastructure, there is a growing need of housing for increasing population which would further push the demand of acrylic protective coating in this region. Apart from construction industry, the automobile industry is also flourishing in this region. India and Japan are pulling in maximum demand of acrylic protective coating for established automobile industry in these countries. The emerging economies namely, India, Myanmar, and Indonesia are heavily investing in marine industry, wherein there is a growing demand of the product due to its resistance to chemical and salt water.Request a Sample Report @North America is following Asia Pacific in terms of market size of the Global Acrylic Protective Coating Market. U.S. and Canada are holding major share in the regional acrylic protective coating market. The mature economies in this region are taking up the reconstruction activities to further develop its existing physical infrastructure in a bid achieve sustainability. This, in turn, is driving the demand of Acrylic Protective Coating forward in this region. Apart from construction industry the second most significant industry in this region is automobile and transportation. In transportation sector the maximum demand of Acrylic Protective Coating is pushed by aerospace industry. Europe is another significant region in the Global Acrylic Protective Coating Market owing to the presence of major end use industries such as automotive and other miscellaneous industries. The substantial end use industry in this region is automobile industry. The use of acrylic protective coating for making interior and exterior basecoat in high end luxury cars is the main driver of market in this region. Germany, France, and Italy are the major contributors in the regional Acrylic Protective Coating Market. Increasing standard of living of people around the world is responsible for growing demand of luxury cars. This factor may help the regional acrylic protective coating market to grow further. Other regions in the Global Acrylic Protective Coating Market are Middle East & Africa and Latin America. Latin America is anticipated to gain momentum during the forecast period due to the steady rise in industrialization mingled with reviving economic condition of Brazil and Argentina.Key Players:The prominent players in the Global Acrylic Protective Coating Market are, PPG Industries (U.S.), Arkema SA (France), Wacker Chemie AG (Germany), SIKA AG (Switzerland), RPM International Inc. (U.S.), The Valspar Corporation (U.S.), Axalta Coating Systems (U.S.), HEMPEL A/S (Denmark), B.M. REAL INTERNATIONAL (Romania), and Dunn-Edwards Corporation (U.S.) among others.Browse Full Report Details @Segmentation:The Global Acrylic Protective Coating Market is segmented on the basis of type, end use, and region. Based on type the market is divided into thermoplastic waterborne acrylic latex, thermosetting acrylic coating, and waterborne thermosetting enamels. On the basis of end use industry the global acrylic protective coating market is segmented into building & construction, industrial, automotive, aerospace, marine, and others. Geographically, there are five major regions in which the market is divided. It includes, Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.Key Points from Table of Contents:1 Executive Summary2 Scope of the Report3 Market Research Typeology4 Market Landscape5 Industry Overview of Global Acrylic Protective Coating Market6 Market Trends7. Global Acrylic Protective Coating Market by Type8. Global Acrylic Protective Coating Market by End Use Industry9. Global Acrylic Protective Coating Market by Region10. Company Landscape11. Company Profiles11.1 PPG Industries11.1.1 Company Overview11.1.2 Type/Business Segment Overview11.1.3 Financial Updates11.1.4 Key Developments11.2 Arkema SA11.2.1 Company Overview11.2.2 Type/Business Segment Overview11.2.3 Financial Updates11.2.4 Key Developments11.3 Wacker Chemie AG11.3.1 Company Overview11.3.2 Type/Business Segment Overview11.3.3 Financial Updates11.3.4 Key Developments11.4 SIKA AG11.4.1 Company Overview11.4.2 Type/Business Segment Overview11.4.3 Financial Updates11.4.4 Key Developments11.5 RPM International Inc11.5.1 Company Overview11.5.2 Type/Business Segment Overview11.5.3 Financial Updates11.5.4 Key Developments12. ConclusionMake an Enquiry before buying @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Pipeline Safety Market Key Venders are General Electric, ABB, Schneider Electric, Siemens AG and Upgradation of Refineries, Drilling Sites

Global Internet of Things (IoT) Security Market

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Market Definition:Pipelines are referred to be the safest mode of transferring natural gas and other related products. Pipeline safety is needed because of many reasons such as increased use of oil and gas companies. It is widely applicable natural gas, crude oil, refined products, and others. Expansion and upgradation of refineries, drilling sites, and exploration of new Sites may act as the major driver in the growth of pipelines safety market. On the other hand, growing population and political instability in the Middle East may hamper the market.To get more information, Ask for Free Sample Report @:Global Pipeline Safety Market By Geography; Technology & Solution (Perimeter Intrusion Detection, Secure Communication, SCADA for Pipeline, Pipeline Monitoring System, ICS); Service (Pipeline Integrity Management Services, Professional Services); Vertical- Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Report Analysis:The Global Pipeline Safety Market accounted for USD 6.3 billion in 2016 growing at a CAGR of 10.1% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024. The upcoming market report contains data for historic year 2014, 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.Industry Share Analysis:The report for global pipeline safety market include detailed vendor level analysis for market shares in 2016 for Global, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and South America specifically. Also impact and development analysis of key vendors is registered in the market and factored on the basis of Vendor Positioning Grid Analysis which measures the vendors strengths and opportunities against present market challenges, measure providers ability to identify or satisfy present market needs, map providers market vision to current and upcoming market dynamics among others. The report also measures technology life line curve and market time line to analyze and do more affective investments.To understand Table of Content, Figures and Tables Click Here @Top Competitors: GENERAL ELECTRIC ABB Schneider Electric Siemens AG BAE Systems Future Fibre Technologies Thales Group Senstar Corporation Among othersMajor Market Drivers & Restraints: Balanced use of resources Increased spending by oil & gas companies for infrastructure and network protection Expansion and upgradation of refineries, drilling sites, and exploration of new Sites Lack of apprehensions Growing population and political instability in the middle eastMarket Segmentation:On the basis of technology and solution into perimeter intrusion detection, secure communication, SCADA for pipeline, pipeline monitoring system, industrial control systems security (ICS). The secure communication segment is further sub segmented into satellite monitoring and GIS mapping, and video surveillance. The pipeline monitoring system segment is further sub segmented into leakage detection, external threat detection, pig tracking, and integrated fiber optic monitoring.On the basis of service, the global pipeline safety market is segmented into pipeline integrity management services, and professional services. The professional services segment is further sub segmented into risk management, consulting services, and repair and maintenanceOn the basis of vertical, the global pipeline safety market is segmented into natural gas, crude oil, refined products, and others.On the basis of geography, the global pipeline safety market report covers data points for 28 countries across multiple geographies such as North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Some of the major countries covered in this report are U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Brazil among others. In 2017, North America is expected to dominate the market.Purchase Full Report @Related ReportGlobal Internet of Things (IoT) Security Market  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Global Internet of Things (IoT) Security Market, By Geography; Component (Services, Solutions); By Type (Network Security, Endpoint Security, Application Security, Cloud Security); Solution (Identity Access Management, Data Encryption and Tokenization, Intrusion Detection System/Intrusion Prevention System, Device Authentication and Management, Secure Software and Firmware Update, Secure Communications); Service (Professional Services, Managed Services); Application (Smart Manufacturing, Smart Energy and Utilities, Connected Logistics, Consumer Wearables, Connected Healthcare, Smart Government and Defense, Connected Vehicles, Smart Retail)- Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Vishal DixitData Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: Sales@databridgemarketresearch.comInvestor: investors@databridgemarketresearch.comVisit Blog
Global Hardness Durometers Market 2017 by Players(PTC Instruments, Elcometer, Defelsko), by Type(Digital Display Type, Dial Type) Forecast to 2022

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The research report, titled Global Hardness Durometers Market, presents essential information and analytical data about the Hardness Durometers market with respect to the world. Statistics about the Hardness Durometers market are presented and analyzed in the Hardness Durometers research report. It includes a professional and in-depth complete study on the current state of the Hardness Durometers worldwide.Along with strategically analyzing the key micro markets, the report also focuses on industry-specific drivers, restraints, opportunities and challenges in the Hardness Durometers market.Download Free Sample Report @This report covers Global Hardness Durometers market studies , especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.The analysis of the market share, major market segments, market size (revenue), different geographic regions, key market players, premium industry trends, and forecast for the next five years have been included in this research report. It also focuses on the key drivers, restraints, opportunities and challenges.Report will give an overall worldwide overview of the market which initially includes the statistical data about the size of the market and this is both in terms of volume and value. In the beginning of the report, market description has given in brief which will give the user deep knowledge of the market.Various development policies and plans as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are discussed. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin with respect to regions.Furthermore, the report presents concerning factor such as key trends, deployment models, strategies, value chain, standardization, future roadmap, drivers, and opportunities. If offers data and analysis such as Market Type, Applications, Technology, and Segments in order to define future scope of the market in various fields. Moreover, it also presents an outline regarding the Hardness Durometers markets dynamics, by detailing numerous aspects such as value chain, constraints, drivers, and customer acceptance.Access Full Report @The global key leading market players combining the details such as Product Specifications and Images, Market Share, Sales, Contact Details, and Company Profiles are highlighted in the report.Highlights of the report:Evaluating and reporting current developments in the industryCompany strategies, plans and policies that are involved in the marketSuggestions that will help to the growth of the company in the marketPast, present, and the future market scope and positionTop down approach was taken into consideration for deriving the market numbers for the product application and type segments.In the market segmentation, the market size and the revenue that was generated by each sub-segment are included in the report.The demand of the product from different application areas and its future consumption is also been discussed in the report.About Fior MarketsFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerOffice-102, Sanskriti AspirationsBaner Road, Pune,MH 411045IndiaPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Edge Analytics Market Trends, outlook and Opportunity Analysis 2025

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The global edge analytics market anticipated to experience a significant rise in coming years. So as to build up a fortification, sharp players in the worldwide edge analytics market are attempting to extend their topographical impressions through painstakingly considered mergers and acquisitions. To that end they are additionally managing an account upon vital organizations. Another prominent procedure with organizations needing to reinforce their positions is broadening of product portfolio. Players are additionally investing money cash into improvement of very compelling systematic models to allure more takers. There are several leading players in the worldwide edge analytics market are Cisco Systems, Inc., IBM Corporation, Oracle Corporation, PTC Inc., SAS Institute, AGT International, Inc., General Electric, Microsoft Corporation, , Greenwave Systems, and SAP SE.Read Report Overview @According to a recent report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), edge analytics market is foreseen to project a strong growth with a noticeable CAGR of 27.6% within the forecast period. Moreover, the entire market value is evaluated to be around US$ 25.569 bn by the end of year 2025. In view of industry vertical, the manufacturing fragment, is anticipated to hold a market offer of 16.4% for the worldwide edge analytics market in 2025. This is a result of the rise of industry 4.0 idea, in which mechanization and information trade are utilized as a part of assembling innovations through digital physical frameworks, the IoT, cognitive computing, and cloud computing.Increased in Data Generation and Management to Fuel the Market GrowthAs per an analyst in TMR, on a bleeding edge of driving development in the worldwide edge analytics market is the Internet of Things (IoT). The enormous measures of information produced by them have to be examined for noteworthy bits of knowledge by associations. Exchanging such essential information from their place of beginning, which can be remote areas, by means of web or Bluetooth, to cloud server farms for investigation can be unsafe and moderate. This thus can influence an association's legitimate working.The rising utilization of IoT in shrewd urban areas, brilliant assembling, oil and penetrating, and so on has positively affected the worldwide edge analytics market up until now. In the years ahead as well, these portions will probably support the market. Truth be told, many organizations in the edge analytics area are doing vital coordinated efforts to help fabricating with the edge analytics. This has helped the market.Request Sample Report @Proliferation of IoT to Boost up the Market DemandAsia Pacific is another key area, which is anticipated to represent most extreme development  a CAGR of 28.5% in the estimate time frame. This is a direct result of the considerable interest being developed of savvy urban communities which utilizes Internet of Things (IoT) to assemble vital information. Likewise, it additionally empowers precise and quick basic leadership in basic circumstances, for example, crises, wrongdoing, security break, and so on. Edge analytics help companies to get further developed information speedier by applying progressed analytics and machine learning at the purpose of information gathering. What's more, it additionally supports yields, builds throughput, diminishes downtime, and enhances proficiency. The multiplication of IoT and associated gadgets is relied upon to drive the edge analytics market. Multiplication of information because of the ascent of web of thing (IoT) all inclusive, and expanded dangers to the undertaking system, for example, digital assaults and other security breaks are a portion of the reasons which are required to drive the edge analytics market all around.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Future Foodservice UAE - Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis of Top Key Player Forecast To 2021

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Pune, India, 30th November 2017: WiseGuyReports announced addition of new report, titled UAE - The Future of Foodservice to 2021.Summary"UAE - The Future of Foodservice to 2021", provides extensive insight and analysis of the UAE's Foodservice market over the next five years (2016-2021) and acts as a vital point of reference for operators or suppliers.Value generated in the UAEs profit sector foodservice market grew at a substantial CAGR of 5.4% between 2014 and 2016, outstripping many European and American markets. Spiraling operational costs, declining population growth and the introduction of a 5% VAT tax from 2018 have, however, created considerable risks for potential entrants to the market.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Whilst frequent out of home meals remain an inescapable aspect of everyday life in the UAE, an abundance of choice has made competition fierce. Operators have been given some respite from the UAEs large expatriate population, with Western food trends transitioning well. This has largely negated the need for costly rebranding or product development.Meal delivery plans are expected to gain prominence over future years owing to both a culture of long working hours and the development of a recognized postal system.The report includes -- Overview of the UAE's macro-economic landscape: Detailed analysis of current macro-economic factors and their impact on the UAE's foodservice market including GDP per capita, consumer price index, population growth and annual household income distribution.- Growth dynamics: In-depth data and forecasts of key channels (QSR, FSR and Coffee & Tea Shops) within the UAE's foodservice market, including the value of the market, number of transactions, number of outlets and average transaction price.- Customer segmentation: identify the most important demographic groups, buying habits and motivations that drive out-of-home meal occasions among segments of the Emirati population.- Key players: Overview of market leaders within the three major channels including business descriptions and number of outlets.- Case Studies: Learn from examples of recent successes and failures within the Emirati foodservice market.Scope- Recent economic concerns, including a prolonged decline in the value of oil, havent had a significant impact on demand for out-of-home foodservice to-date.- A continuous cycle of brands, concepts and product innovation entering the market has made it increasingly easy for brands to become lost in the crowd.- Cooling population growth has forced operators to rely on heighten levels of consumer spending, incentivizing ultra-premium product development.Reasons to buy- Specific forecasts of the UAE' foodservice market over the next five years (2016-2021) will give readers the ability to make informed business decisions through identifying emerging/declining markets.- Consumer segmentation detailing the desires of known consumers among all major foodservice channels (QSR, FSR, Coffee & Tea shops) will allow readers understand the wants and needs of their target demographics.- Relevant case studies will allow readers to learn from and apply lessons discovered by emerging and major players within the UAE's foodservice market.Table of Content: Key PointsIntroductionReport GuideExecutive SummaryMacroeconomic ContextGDP and Consumer Price IndexPopulation and demographic highlightsAnnual household income distributionIntroducing the Consumer SegmentsConsumer segment profiles and key identification metricsSegment engagement overview in four key profit sector channelsProfit Sector MetricsKey metric highlightsValue share and growth by channelOutlets and transactions growth by channelOperator buying volumes and growth by channelChannel historic and future growth dynamicsOutlet type and type of ownership growth dynamicsProfit Sector by ChannelQuick Service Restaurants (QSR)Summary and key take-outMetricsKey playersKey consumersWhy?What?Where?What next?Full Service Restaurants (FSR)Summary and key take-outMetricsKey playersKey consumersWhy?What?Where?What next?Coffee and Tea ShopsSummary and key take-outMetricsKey PlayersKey consumersWhy?What?Where?What next?ContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Airport Kiosks Market Predicts to Surge at CAGR of 16.1% Over 2015 to 2022 by TMR

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The global airport kiosks market is moderately fragmented due to the presence of a limited number of players, reports Transparency Market Research (TMR) in a new study. In the last couple of years, the installation of airport kiosks has significantly risen in order to provide more convenience and flexibility to passengers. By capitalizing on the rising demand, the leading companies are aiming to expand their footprint globally.As per Transparency Market Research (TMR), the vendor landscape of the global airport kiosks market is currently led by NCR Corporation, Toshiba Tec Corporation, Rockwell Collins Inc., and Societe Internationale de Telecommunications Aeronautiques. These companies are following aggressive marketing strategies that have put them at the forefront of the airport kiosks market. They focus on providing innovative technologies and hi-tech facilities such as visa through kiosks and automated passbook kiosks across busy airports.Report Overview @Expedition of Passenger Clearance Boosting Kiosk Installations across Airports WorldwideThe increasing adoption of self-service solutions by airlines is a primary factor fuelling demand for airport kiosks, said a lead TMR analyst. The installation of airport kiosks has significantly helped passengers in avoiding delays or standing in long queues at airports. Airport kiosks help airport authorities to meticulously manage the surging airline passenger traffic. Inbuilt with high-tech features, these kiosks provide effective solutions to expedite and control the passenger clearance, baggage clearance, and check in, added the TMR analyst.The demand for airport kiosks is also expected to increase with the rising IT spending across airports. The emerging trend of privatization have encouraged several companies to bring modern infrastructure to airport facilities. Additionally, airlines too are increasingly investing to improve personalization in the passengers journey, which is subsequently fuelling demand for advanced solutions such as kiosks.Mobile Technologies Providing Kiosk-like Solutions Inhibiting Markets TrajectoryThe advent of innovative mobile technologies providing similar customer services is threatening the airport kiosks markets growth. Furthermore, mobile technologies compatible with tablets and smartphones deliver tasks performed by airport kiosks at a relatively inexpensive cost. The smart-enabled solutions are often integrated with various passenger activities required during air travels. For instance, the technology provides solutions such printed boarding passes, thus helping passengers to avoid standing in long queues at the airport.Demand for Airport Kiosks to Gain Pace with Rising Privatization of AirportsTMR forecasts the global airport kiosks market to gain momentum in the forthcoming years with airports increasing their investments in common use kiosks. Installation of these common use kiosks will help in optimizing airport operations. Furthermore, these kiosks are designed to cater to various consumer needs related to e-ticketing, check-in facilities, and bar coded boarding passes (BCBP). Services offered by common-use kiosks will provide more comfort and flexibility to passengers.Request Sample @The market is also expected to gain significantly from the increasing focus on baggage processing. Flexible baggage processing has currently emerged as one of the most popular trends adopted by airport authorities around the world. This feature will enable passengers to print their own bag tags without having to go through lengthy processes.By application, the common-use services segment held the largest share in the market in 2014. It is expected to rise at a CAGR of 16.5% from 2015 to 2022. Regionally, North America led the global airport kiosks market with a share of 37% in the same year.According to TMR, the global airport kiosks market stood at US$248.7 mn in 2014. Exhibiting a promising CAGR of 16.1% between 2015 and 2022, the market is expected to reach US$815.1 mn by the end of 2022.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453
India Defense and Security Market will Post a Forecast Period CAGR of 6.6% to Reach US$55.4 Bn in 2021

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ReportsWeb.com has announced the addition of the India- Defense and Security Modernization drives the high growth potential market The report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification.The aircraft category is a key growth driver of the Indian defense and security industry, accounting for 28.6% of capital expenditure in 2016; followed by the C4ISR electronics and IT category with 16.8%. Defense spending recorded a review-period CAGR of 3.4% to reach US$38.9 billion in 2016 and will post a forecast-period CAGR of 6.6% to reach US$55.4 billion in 2021, primarily driven by government initiatives to modernize the defense sector by adopting advanced technology and developing its domestic military hardware manufacturing capabilities.Get Sample Copy of Report@India's defense imports declined:India, the world's largest arms importer, acquired ammunition worth US$2.5 billion in 2016; in 2013, the value was US$5.2 billion. Imports have since declined and will post a forecast-period CAGR of 13.05%. In part the decline will be caused by India's ambition to develop in-house capabilities under its flagship Make in India initiative.India maintains strong international relations:Russia has been the main source of India's defense imports and 2014 Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed deals worth billions of dollars when President Putin visited India. India is diversifying its imports by focusing on agreements with Israel, the US, the UK and France and signed a US$3 billion with Boeing to purchase Chinook and Apache helicopters. The DRDO is also collaborating with Israel Aerospace Industries to develop a Barak 8 Anti-Missile Defense system.Read More Information and Full TOC of the Report@India's spending on homeland security to increase:In 2016, the budget for homeland security increased by 11.11%, from US$9.9 billion in 2015 to US$11.0 billion in 2016. It will post a forecast-period CAGR of 6.15% to reach US$15.9 billion in 2021, owing to the threat of cross border terrorism, insurgencies in the form of separatists in Jammu and Kashmir, and left wing extremists. To counter these threats, the government will invest in surveillance and monitoring equipment, global positioning systems, radars and biometric systems.The Premium reports provide a comprehensive overview of each market within a country's defense industry; benchmark key performance indicators against regional and global peers; review industry trends and drivers; evaluate the competitive landscape and innovation potential of singular markets; and conduct data-driven SWOT analysis to ascertain a structured assessment of the performance of each territory represented.Inquiry for This Report@Table of ContentsConflict &Costs Index 3Industry Snapshot 7Industry View 24Industry SWOT Analysis 28Industry Benchmarking 34Industry Performance 53Competitive Landscape 68Innovation 74Deals 77Key Developments 83Appendix 88About ReportsWeb:ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.com
Global Hull Insurance Market 2017 - Allied Insurance, Homann GmbH, Orakei Marine, ING Group, AVIVA

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Fior Markets Publish a New Market Research Report On - Hull Insurance Market 2017 Global Analysis and Forecast to 2022. The Report Covers Industry Trends, Statistic, Segmentation, Growth, Market Share, Revenue, Leading Players, Region, Types and Application.Download Free Sample Report @Global Hull Insurance Industry 2017 is an inclusive, adept report administering market research data that is pertinent for new market accepted players. The report emphasizes on global paramount dominant industry players with instruction such as company profiles, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information.The report, arranged by an extremely seasoned team of analysts and data experts, carries a formation of tables and graphs besides qualitative analyses. Commencing with a dialogue on the current state of the Hull Insurance market, the report goes on to discuss the dynamics influencing each segment within it. Complete guidance about the chief segments of the market and their expansion likelihood are obtainable in the report. The combative landscape of the market showed in the study outlines the most eminent players in the market.The Hull Insurance market research study has been unperturbed using key inputs from industry experts. Moreover, the comprehensive primary and secondary research data with which the report has been composed aids in delivering the chief statistical prediction, in terms of both revenue and volume. In addition to this, the trends and revenue analysis of the global Hull Insurance market has been mentioned in this report. This will provide a explicit panorama to the readers how the Hull Insurance market will succeed in globe.A basic overview of the Hull Insurance market is provided to readers through the use of market definition, segmentation, applications, and value chain analysis. Various strategies and news are also involved in the Hull Insurance Market report. The production procedure is inspected with respect to varied facets like, Manufacturing Plant Distribution, Capacity, Commercial production, R&D status, Raw material source and Technology source.Access Full Report @This report also depicts product Specification, Manufacturing process, and Product cost structure etc. Production is segregated by Regions, Technology and Applications. Analysis also covers upstream raw materials, Equipment, Downstream client survey, Marketing channels, Industry Development Trend and proposals. In the end, the report incorporates Hull Insurance new project SWOT analysis, Investment Feasibility Analysis, Investment Return Analysis, and Development Trend Analysis. In conclusion, it is a deep research report on Global Hull Insurance Industry.The company profiles of the major participants operating in the global Hull Insurance market have been reviewed in this study.About Fior MarketsFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerOffice-102, Sanskriti AspirationsBaner Road, Pune,MH 411045IndiaPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Packaging Foam Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Foampartner Group, JSP, Sealed Air, Synthos S.A., Armacell LLC, ACH Foam Technologies, Arkema and Others

Packaging Foam Market

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Global Packaging Foam market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Recticel, Rogers Corporation, Sealed Air, Synthos S.A., Total, Zotefoams PLC, ACH Foam Technologies, Arkema, Armacell LLC, BASF SE, Borealis AG, Foampartner Group, JSP, Kaneka Corporation and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Packaging Foam Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:ArkemaArmacell LLCBASF SEBorealis AGFoampartner GroupJSPKaneka CorporationRecticelRogers CorporationSealed AirSynthos S.A.TotalZotefoams PLCACH Foam TechnologiesOthersGlobal Packaging Foam Market: Key Product TypeFlexible FoamRigid FoamOthersGlobal Packaging Foam Market: Key Application TypeFood ServiceProtective PackagingOthersGlobal Packaging Foam Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Packaging Foam Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Packaging Foam Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Packaging Foam Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Objectives of Research1.1.1 Definition1.1.2 Specifications1.2 Market Segment1.2.1 by Type1.2.1.1 Flexible Foam1.2.1.2 Rigid Foam1.2.2 by Application1.2.2.1 Food Service1.2.2.2 Protective Packaging1.2.3 by Regions........................Continue (Global Packaging Foam Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Signature Pad Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Huion(CN), Wacom(JP), Signotec(DE), Ambir(US), Olivetti(IT), Nexbill(KR), Elcom(SK) and Others

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Global Signature Pad market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely ePadLink(US), Scriptel(US), Step Over(DE), Ambir(US), Olivetti(IT), Nexbill(KR), Elcom(SK), Topaz(US), Huion(CN), Wacom(JP), Signotec(DE), UGEE(CN), Hanvon(CN) and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Signature pad signatures are a blending of electronic signatures and handwritten signatures. You write your signature on a digital pad which captures your handwriting and converts it into an electronic format. This signature is then added to the form, along with a graphic that shows the handwriting. Thus, Signature Pad signatures provide a familiar feel for the signing process.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Signature Pad Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Topaz(US)Huion(CN)Wacom(JP)Signotec(DE)UGEE(CN)Hanvon(CN)ePadLink(US)Scriptel(US)Step Over(DE)Ambir(US)Olivetti(IT)Nexbill(KR)Elcom(SK)OthersGlobal Signature Pad Market: Key Product TypeFull Color PadBlack and White PadOthersGlobal Signature Pad Market: Key Application TypeFinance and BankingPOS/RetailGovernment ProcessesHealthcareInsuranceOthersGlobal Signature Pad Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Signature Pad Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Signature Pad Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Signature Pad Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Market Segment Overview1.1.1 Product Definition1.1.2 Market by Type1.1.2.1 Full Color Pad1.1.2.2 Black and White Pad1.1.3 Market by Application1.1.3.1 Finance and Banking1.1.3.2 POS/Retail1.1.3.3 Government Processes1.1.3.4 Healthcare1.1.3.5 Insurance1.1.3.6 Others........................Continue (Global Signature Pad Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Membrane Filter Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Asahi Kasei, Toray, Microdyn-Nadir, 3M Company, Pentair(X-Flow), KUBOTA, Litree, SUEZ (GE Water), Evoqua and Others

Membrane Filter Market

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Global Membrane Filter market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Mitsubishi Rayon, Evoqua, 3M Company, Pentair(X-Flow), Synder Filtration, Toyobo, KUBOTA, Litree, SUEZ (GE Water), Asahi Kasei, Toray, Microdyn-Nadir, Koch Membrane Systems and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Membrane filters or membranes are polymer films with specific pore ratings. Membranes retain particles and microorganisms that exceed their pore ratings by acting as a physical barrier and capturing such particles on the surface of the membrane.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Membrane Filter Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:SUEZ (GE Water)Asahi KaseiTorayMicrodyn-NadirKoch Membrane SystemsMitsubishi RayonEvoqua3M CompanyPentair(X-Flow)Synder FiltrationToyoboKUBOTALitreeOthersGlobal Membrane Filter Market: Key Product TypeInorganic Membrane FilterPVDF FilterPTFE FilterPES FilterOthersGlobal Membrane Filter Market: Key Application TypeFood & BeverageIndustrial & MunicipalHealthcare & BioengineeringSeawater Reverse OsmosisPotable Water TreatmentOthersGlobal Membrane Filter Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Membrane Filter Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Membrane Filter Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Membrane Filter Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Market Segment Overview1.1.1 Product Definition1.1.2 Market by Type1.1.2.1 Inorganic Membrane Filter1.1.2.2 PVDF Filter1.1.2.3 PTFE Filter1.1.2.4 PES Filter1.1.2.5 Others........................Continue (Global Membrane Filter Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Oncology/Anti-cancer drugs Market, Growing Analysis, Forecast 2022

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Oncology/Anti-cancer drugs are used for treating various cancer types for improving and prolonging a patients survival time. Biological drugs, based on monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) would emerge as a preferred option for treating various cancer types, especially blood cancer (leukaemia). The rising incidence and prevalence of various cancer types, new cancer treatments and growing importance of biological and targeted drug therapies, are driving the market growth of LAMEA oncology/anti-cancer drugs. In addition, increasing demand of anti-cancer drugs for the treatment of ageing population, rising government funds and improved treatment results, are major factors boosting the market growth. However, the high cost involved in new drug development, coupled with threat of failure and adverse effects associated with anti-cancer drugs therapies, would restrain the growth of the LAMEA market. Moreover, accessibility of anti-cancer drugs incurred by high cost, is a major challenge that is expected to further impede the performance of anti-cancer drugs in LAMEA region. Nevertheless, commercialization of advanced therapeutics, such as targeted therapies and immunotherapies (biologic therapies) would reduce the negative influence of restraints and fuel the market growth.For More Info, Get Sample :The LAMEA oncology drugs market is segmented into therapeutic modalities, cancer types and countries. Therapeutic modalities segment is further categorized into chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy (biologic therapy), hormonal therapy and others. The LAMEA oncology drugs market is expected to reach $17,072.2 million by 2021. Patent expiration of key anti-cancer drugs such as Herceptin (Patent Expiration: EU-2014; US-2019), Erbitux (Patent Expiration: EU-2014; US-2016), Rituxan (Patent Expiration: EU-2013; US-2018) and Avastin (Patent Expiration: EU-2018; US-2019), is expected to boost the growth of cancer biosimilars market by 2021. Further, the biological therapy is the fastest growing segment at a CAGR of 12.2%, throughout the analysis period, on account of high efficacy and target specific action. Moreover, blood cancer drugs market was the largest revenue generating application segment in 2015, owing to the high cost of drugs (immunotherapies), used for the treatment of blood cancer.Based on countries the LAMEA region is segmented into nine countries named Brazil, Argentina, Nigeria, South Africa, Iraq, Iran, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Brazil dominates the LAMEA market closely followed by Argentina, owing to rising incidence of cancer, high expenditure and gross national income (GNI) of Brazil specifically. In addition, LAMEA market is poised to grow at a promising CAGR of 8.6% during the forecast period. This high growth rate is majorly attributed to the increasing awareness towards advanced therapies, namely immunotherapies and increase in per capita healthcare spending.The key companies profiled in the report include Amgen Inc., AstraZeneca Plc., Roche Diagnostics, GlaxoSmithKline PLC, Merck & Co., Novartis AG, AbbVie Inc. Sanofi, EIMC United Pharmaceuticals (EUP) and Actavis plc.Enquire About Report :KEY BENEFITS: The report provides quantitative analysis of the current market and estimations through 2014-2021 that assists in identifying the prevailing market opportunities. The report helps in understanding the strategies adopted by various companies for gaining market share in the anti-cancer drugs market. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of factors that drive and restrict the growth of the LAMEA anti-cancer drugs market. Market conditions of anti-cancer drugs market across LAMEA region are comprehensively analyzed. Competitive intelligence highlights the business practices followed by leading market players across various geographies. SWOT analysis enables to study the internal environment of the leading companies for strategy formulation.LAMEA ONCOLOGY/ANTI-CANCER DRUGS MARKET KEY SEGMENTS:LAMEA oncology/anti-cancer drugs market is segmented into therapeutic modalities, cancer types and countries.By Therapeutic modalities Chemotherapy Targeted Therapy Immunotherapy (Biologic Therapy) Hormonal Therapy OthersAlso Request For Discount :By Cancer Types Blood Cancer Breast Cancer Gastrointestinal Cancer Respiratory/Lung Cancer Skin Cancer Other CancersBy Countries Brazil Argentina Nigeria South Africa Iraq Iran Algeria Saudi Arabia Egypt Other LAMEA countriesTable Of Content CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CHAPTER 3 MARKET OVERVIEW CHAPTER 4 LAMEA ONCOLOGY/ANTI-CANCER DRUGS MARKET BY THERAPEUTIC MODALITIES,2014-2021 CHAPTER 5 LAMEA ONCOLOGY/ANTI-CANCER DRUGS MARKET BY CANCER TYPES,2014-2021 CHAPTER 6 LAMEA ONCOLOGY/ANTI-CANCER DRUGS MARKET BY COUNTRIES,2014-2021 CHAPTER 7 COMPANY PROFILESAbout UsWe have a large database of quality and precise market research reports that will be very beneficial for your organization. Reports that we sell our authentic in nature and from reputed publishers, hence it can definitely help you with your growth opportunities. Research Beam will always make sure to bring most ethical and high quality reports. We value your relationship with us and look forward for a long term relation.Contact UsGlobal Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United States+1 (800) 910-6452help@researchbeam.com
Ammonia Alum Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Jiangsu Zhongya, Zibo Dazhong Chemical, Landing Chemical, Zibo east MAO, Hubei Hongyunlong, AMAR NARAIN and Others

Ammonia Alum Market

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Global Ammonia Alum market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Pengcheng Chemical, Landing Chemical, Zibo east MAO, Assent, National Chemical, AMAR NARAIN, HengyangJianheng, ZiboYiqiang, Jiangsu Zhongya, Zibo Dazhong Chemical, Zibo Guangzhenglvyan, Hubei Hongyunlong and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Ammonium alum has the formula NH4Al(SO4)212H2O. Ammonium alum is used for many of the same purposes as potassium alum and soda alum. Ammonium alum finds applications in tanning, dyeing textiles, making textiles flame retardant, in the manufacture of porcelain cements and vegetable glues, in water purification and in some deodorants.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Ammonia Alum Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:HengyangJianhengZiboYiqiangJiangsu ZhongyaZibo Dazhong ChemicalZibo GuangzhenglvyanHubei HongyunlongPengcheng ChemicalLanding ChemicalZibo east MAOAssentNational ChemicalAMAR NARAINOthersGlobal Ammonia Alum Market: Key Product TypeAmmonia Alum PowderAmmonia Alum GranulesOthersGlobal Ammonia Alum Market: Key Application TypeElectronic ComponentPackaging MaterialsConsumer GoodsOther ApplicationsGlobal Ammonia Alum Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Ammonia Alum Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Ammonia Alum Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Ammonia Alum Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Market Segment Overview1.1.1 Product Definition1.1.2 Market by Type1.1.2.1 Ammonia Alum Powder1.1.2.2 Ammonia Alum Granules1.1.3 Market by Application1.1.3.1 Electronic Component1.1.3.2 Packaging Materials1.1.3.3 Consumer Goods1.1.3.4 Other Applications........................Continue (Global Ammonia Alum Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Urinary Tract Cancer Market Report 2014 - 2020: By product, application, By geography and company profile

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The World Health Organization states that in 2012, urinary tract cancer was the ninth most frequently occurring cancer type with a high reoccurrence rate. This type of cancer is high among the geriatric population, smokers, those with urinary tract infections, and workers in chemical industries. One of the most important and effective methods of eliminating urinary tract cancer is early diagnosis and studies have shown that nearly 75%-80% of cancer patients survive if the disease is diagnosed at an early stage.Report Overview and TOC @The research report studies and analyzes the global urinary tract cancer market with the help of the latest market intelligence tools to provide a vast database of information that will help in delivering market estimates and forecasts. Offering insights into the numerous trends that impact individual segments of the urinary tract cancer market, the report also identifies chief growth factors and retardants.Request brochure @Overview of the global urinary tract cancer marketThe urinary tract cancer market is primarily driven by an increase in the number of smokers around the world, rise in the geriatric population, and increasing prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle. The development of modern medicine and introduction of early diagnostic tools, coupled with growing awareness regarding the disease has fueled the growth of the urinary tract cancer market. A key factor that has supported the market is rigorous research activities by governments and academics. Institutes such as the National Cancer Institute and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer have been providing invaluable aid to the global urinary tract cancer market.In contrast, the prevailing lack of awareness in many regions is still a hindrance to the growth of the market.North America leads the worldwide market for urinary tract cancer, followed by Europe, owing to factors such as the availability of advanced technologies and healthcare services and increased healthcare spending. Asia Pacific is quickly catching up to other developed regions thanks to the development of healthcare infrastructure, government support, increasing patient pool, and rise in incomes. The growth of the urinary tract cancer market in Africa has been rather slow due to poor infrastructure and economic conditions and an ill-structured regulatory framework.For Specific and Customized requirements @Companies mentioned in the research reportThere are a number of small and large participants in the urinary tract cancer market and the report offers a comprehensive and well-balanced evaluation of the overall competitive landscape. Some of the prominent players in the urinary tract cancer market are Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Novartis AG, IkerChem S.L., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Bayer AG, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Genzyme Corporation, Medical Enzymes AG, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Amgen Inc., Pfizer Inc., Shionogi & Co., Ltd., and Eli Lilly and Company.Pre Book full report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Respiratory Devices Market Size will Escalate Rapidly in the Near Future

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The global respiratory devices market was valued at nearly US$ 13 billion in 2016. It is projected to grow at 9.2% CAGR during the period 2017-2027 to reach US$ 34.17 billion in revenues.Demand for respiratory devices will continue to be driven by increasing ageing population and rising prevalence of COPD and obstructive sleep apnea. Increasing emphasis on healthcare spending in developing countries, especially in Asia Pacific and Latin America, will continue to positively influence the growth of the market.Adoption of non-invasive techniques in pulse oximeters and advancement in full polysomnography testing are also favourably impacting the growth of the market.Although Future Market Insights maintains a positive outlook on the global respiratory devices market, premium pricing, budgetary constraints, and increasing use of generic product types can impede the growth of the market.View Report Preview:The key trends expected to influence the global respiratory devices market in the foreseeable future are,Portable and wearable devices are steadily gaining popularity among patients owing to ease-of-use and flexibility in carrying the devices.Growing demand for stationary oxygen concentrator with pulse flow technology and rechargeable batteries.Increasing demand for respiratory devices in Asia Pacific on account of rising prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. Multinational companies are focusing on consolidating their position in developing countries to leverage upon the emerging opportunities.Positive Airway Pressure Devices Account for the Highest DemandAccording to Future Market Insights research, positive airway pressure devices currently account for the highest demand. This segment accounted for nearly 29% revenue share of the market in 2017; by 2027, this is projected to increase to 34.6%. In terms of revenues, positive airway pressure devices segment is projected to reach US$ 11.81 billion in revenues by 2027.Other key product types by revenue are respiratory consumables (respiratory masks, nasal cannulas, tracheostomy tubes and oxygen tubes) and pulse oximeters.Future Market Insights also offers market forecast and analysis on other key respiratory devices, including nebulisers, oxygen concentrators, polysomnography devices, mechanical ventilators, and spirometers.Request to view Sample Report:Hospitals Largest End-usersBy end-user, the key segments include hospitals, ambulatory surgical centres, clinics, and long-term care centres. Currently, hospitals account for the highest demand for respiratory devices, followed by ambulatory surgical centres and long-term care centres. Demand for respiratory devices from hospitals was worth US$ 5.18 billion in 2016; by 2027, this is projected to grow at 9.8% CAGR to reach US$ 14.36 billion.U.S. Continues to Account for Significant Percentage of Global SalesThe U.S. remains the largest market for respiratory devices globally. On the back of strong sales in the U.S., the North America respiratory devices market accounted for over 40% revenue share of the market in 2016. Future Market Insights projects North America to remain the largest market for respiratory devices during the period 2017-2027.Western Europe and APEJ are the other leading markets for respiratory devices. These two markets collectively accounted for a revenue share of over 35% in 2016.Future Market Insights, in its report, has also profiled the respiratory devices market in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Japan, and MEA.In its report, companies profiled by Future Market Insights are Massimo Corporation, Teleflex Incorporated, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited, ResMed Inc, Hamilton Medical AG, Medtronic PLC, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Smiths Medical, General Electric Healthcare Limited, Dragerwerk AG & Co. and KGaA, Inogen Inc.About UsFuture Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights and an aerial view of the competitive framework and future market trends.Contact Us616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705T (UK): +44(0)20-7692-8790Sales: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
PCR Machine Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Roche, QIAGEN, Analytik Jena, Bioer, Esco and Others

PCR Machine Market

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Global PCR Machine market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Agilent, Analytik Jena, Bioer, Esco, Thermo Fisher, Roche, QIAGEN, Bio-rad and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.PCR Machine is a machine that amplifies and detects DNA. Scientists in all areas of life science - basic research, biotechnology, medicine, forensics, diagnostics, and more - utilize these machines in a wide range of applications. PCR machines can be used for both qualitative and quantitative analysis.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global PCR Machine Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Thermo FisherRocheQIAGENBio-radAgilentAnalytik JenaBioerEscoOthersGlobal PCR Machine Market: Key Product TypeReal Time PCR MachineStandard PCR MachineDigital PCR MachineOthersGlobal PCR Machine Market: Key Application TypeUniversitiesHospitalsOthersGlobal PCR Machine Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global PCR Machine Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global PCR Machine Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global PCR Machine Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Market Segment Overview1.1.1 Product Definition1.1.2 Market by Type1.1.2.1 Real Time PCR Machine1.1.2.2 Standard PCR Machine1.1.2.3 Digital PCR Machine1.1.2.4 Others1.1.3 Market by Application1.1.3.1 Universities1.1.3.2 Hospitals1.1.3.3 Others........................Continue (Global PCR Machine Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Branded Generics Market Size will Escalate Rapidly in the Near Future

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A recent research conducted by Future Market Insights predicts that the global market for branded generics will witness a steady growth in terms of revenues. Over a ten-year forecast period from 2016 to 2026, the size of global branded generics market has been estimated to expand at a steady CAGR of 7.3%. Brand-name prescriptions will continue to be ubiquitous among aged people in the world, and since geriatric demographics account for a large portion of global drug-consuming population, demand for branded generics will also rise substantially. In 2016, the global branded generics market has been valued at nearly US$ 200 billion, and is projected to reach US$ 413.8 Bn market value by the end of forecast period.Some of the leading manufacturers of branded generics are based in Asian countries, and are extending their production capacity to keep up with the surging global depend. In Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region, about US$ 150 billion revenues are expected to be procured by the end of 2026. During the forecast period, branded generics market in the APEJ region will attain fastest growth, registering a 10% CAGR, contributing over 35% of global branded generics revenues. North America, Eastern Europe and Latin America are also expected to be lucrative for growth of branded generics sales, while revenues in Western Europe, Japan and Middle East & Africa (MEA) are likely to incur a considerable dip by 2026-end.View Report Preview:Competitive Timeline in Global Branded Generics MarketSince 2015, Abbott Laboratories, a leading drugmaker in the global pharmaceuticals industry, has aimed at capitalizing from branded generics businesses in developing regions.Teva Pharmaceuticals acquired Allergans branded generics vertical, while Pfizer Inc. bought Hospira Inc.  both acquisitions have been strategically carried out for repositioning market standings of Teva and Pfizer respectively.In December 2016, India-based Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. agreed to buy Swiss drugmaker Novartis AGs branded generics portfolio on cancer medications.Another leading branded generics manufacturer, Mylan N.V. recently launched anti-allergy devices which are expected to be half the price of its branded EpiPens.Other prominent companies partaking in the growth of global branded generics market include, Aspen Pharmacare Holding Ltd. and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.Request to view Sample Report:Research Highlights on Global Branded Generics MarketThe report includes a segmental analysis of the global branded generics market, fragmenting its growth on the type of drug formulation, major drug classes, therapeutic applications, and distribution channels. Based on such segmentation, some of the key findings compiled in the report are:Nearly three-fifth of the global branded generics revenues estimated in 2016 are expected to be accounted by oral-type formulations, with parenteral, topic and other formulation types collectively accounting for 8% market value share.Hospital pharmacies & retail pharmacies will remain as the largest distribution channels for branded generics throughout the globe.In 2016 and beyond, the demand for branded generics in therapeutic treatment of cardiovascular diseases will be significant, revenues from which are expected to increase at more than 8% CAGR over the forecast period.Global revenues of branded generics accounted by anti-hypertensive drug class are predicted to surpass US$ 25 billion by 2026-end.About UsFuture Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights and an aerial view of the competitive framework and future market trends.Contact Us616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705T (UK): +44(0)20-7692-8790Sales: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Temperature Monitoring Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Honeywell, Siemens, Panasonic Corp, STMicroelectronics N.V., Amphenol, TE Connectivity, Sensata and Others

Temperature Monitoring Market

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Global Temperature Monitoring market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Honeywell, Siemens, ABB, Panasonic Corp, STMicroelectronics N.V., Fluke, Delphi, Emerson, Sensata, Amphenol, TE Connectivity, Texas instruments Inc., Molex and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.In this report, temperature monitoring products refer to temperature probes/sensors. A temperature sensor collects temperature data and displays in a human-understandable format. These sensors are of two types, contact temperature sensors and non-contact temperature sensors. Industries, automotive, Consumer Electronics and the medical sector are some of the key industries using these temperature sensors.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Temperature Monitoring Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:EmersonSensataAmphenolTE ConnectivityTexas instruments Inc.MolexHoneywellSiemensABBPanasonic CorpSTMicroelectronics N.V.FlukeDelphiOthersGlobal Temperature Monitoring Market: Key Product TypeNon-Contact Temperature SensorsContact Temperature SensorsOthersGlobal Temperature Monitoring Market: Key Application TypeIndustriesMedicalFood and BeverageElectronicsOil and gasAutomotive IndustryOthersGlobal Temperature Monitoring Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Temperature Monitoring Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Temperature Monitoring Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Temperature Monitoring Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Market Segment Overview1.1.1 Product Definition1.1.2 Market by Type1.1.2.1 Non-Contact Temperature Sensors1.1.2.2 Contact Temperature Sensors1.1.3 Market by Application1.1.3.1 Industries1.1.3.2 Medical1.1.3.3 Food and Beverage1.1.3.4 Electronics1.1.3.5 Oil and gas1.1.3.6 Automotive Industry1.1.3.7 Others........................Continue (Global Temperature Monitoring Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Learn details of the GNSS Chip Market Size 2022

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MarketStudyReport.com Add New Report Global GNSS Chip Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 to its research database. The report presents a deep study of the market growth factors and drivers. The report spread across 118 pages with table and figures in it.The research article entitled Worldwide GNSS Chip Market offers very useful reviews into the generic market trends and also the features that propel this Universal market place. This sector analyses deeply covers the main features of the Global GNSS Chip Market about the Industry structure including landscaping plan, the issues, require opportunities, including the anticipated industry success."Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Market is the infrastructure that allows users with a compatible device to determine their position, velocity and time by processing signals from satellites. GNSS signals are provided by a variety of satellite positioning systems, including global and regional constellations and Satellite-Based Augmentation Systems: Global constellations: GPS (USA), GLONASS (Russian Federation), Galileo (EU), BeiDou (PRC)."Request a Free sample PDF of this research to evaluate more:Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the GNSS Chip in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers Qualcomm, Broadcom, Mediatek, u-blox, STM, Intel CorporationMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers North America (USA, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.), Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, covers High Precision GNSS Chips, Standard Precision GNSS ChipsMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided into Smartphones, Tablets, Personal Navigation Devices, In-Vehicle Systems, Wearable Devices, Digital Cameras, OthersRequest Discount for Global GNSS Chip Market Research Report @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global GNSS Chip market.Chapter 1, to describe GNSS Chip Market Size Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of GNSS Chip Market Size, with sales, revenue, and price of GNSS Chip, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of GNSS Chip, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the GNSS Chip Market Size by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, GNSS Chip market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe GNSS Chip sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceFor More Info on Market Research @Related Reports: -World MRI Metal Detector Market Research Report 2022 (covering USA, Europe, China, Japan, India, South East Asia and etc)MRI Metal Detector market research report provides the newest industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability.Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Market Study ReportThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:News:
VRLA Batteries Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Panasonic, Exide Technologies, Southern Battery, GS Battery, Fiamm and Others

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Global VRLA Batteries market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely SBS Battery, Fiamm, MCA, Power-Sonic Europe, Southern Battery, GS Battery, Exide Technologies, Panasonic, Vision Battery and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.A VRLA battery, more commonly known as a sealed lead-acid (SLA), gel cell, or maintenance free battery, is a type of lead-acid rechargeable battery. Due to their construction, the Gel and AGM types of VRLA can be mounted in any orientation, and do not require constant maintenance. The term maintenance free is a misnomer as VRLA batteries still require cleaning and regular functional testing. They are widely used in large portable electrical devices, off-grid power systems and similar roles, where large amounts of storage are needed at a lower cost than other low-maintenance technologies like lithium-ion.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global VRLA Batteries Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:GS BatteryExide TechnologiesPanasonicVision BatterySBS BatteryFiammMCAPower-Sonic EuropeSouthern BatteryOthersGlobal VRLA Batteries Market: Key Product TypeAbsorbed Glass Mat BatteryGel BatteryOthersGlobal VRLA Batteries Market: Key Application TypeTelecommunications industryElectricity IndustryUPSOthersGlobal VRLA Batteries Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global VRLA Batteries Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global VRLA Batteries Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global VRLA Batteries Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Market Segment Overview1.1.1 Product Definition1.1.2 Market by Type1.1.2.1 Absorbed Glass Mat Battery1.1.2.2 Gel Battery1.1.3 Market by Application1.1.3.1 Telecommunications industry1.1.3.2 Electricity Industry1.1.3.3 UPS1.1.3.4 Others........................Continue (Global VRLA Batteries Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Spinal trauma devices market could reach a valuation of US$4.7 bn by 2023

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The global spinal trauma devices market has been envisioned by Transparency Market Research (TMR) to be highly competitive and dynamic. With only a couple of industry players securing a weighty share for spinal trauma devices, the market has been foreseen to uphold an oligopolistic competitive landscape. Players such as NuVasive, Inc., Medtronic, and DePuy Synthes could exhibit a lasting dominance in the market. In the recent past, as per a TMR report, these players had added up to a substantial market share.According to TMR, the global spinal trauma devices market could reach a valuation of US$4.7 bn by 2023 at a 5.6% CAGR for the forecast timeframe 20152023. Internal fixation devices have been predicted to make the cut in the market with a higher CAGR of 6.1%. Although North America could boast of a dominating share in the market, Asia Pacific has been projected to hold on to an exponential CAGR of 7.1%.Request to View Sample Report @Due to the rising demand for technologically sophisticated medical equipment, the competition between leading players of the global spinal trauma devices market could reach another level in the coming years. In this regard, it has been forecasted that product innovation could be one of the most popular tactics adopted by players in order to institute a resilient presence in the market. There could be a possibility of market saturation on account of the operations of top players being concentrated in particular regions. As a result, the competition in the market has been anticipated to not fade away until the end of 2023.Growing Spinal Injuries Leading to Hospitalization Promote Significant Upsurge in DemandThe surging number of spinal injury cases has been envisaged to set the tone for growth in the world spinal trauma devices market. There could be an increasing demand for effective treatment options as these incidences mainly lead to hospitalization. Consequently, the application of spinal trauma devices could become necessary as such treatments may not be possibly conducted without the use of the equipment. Besides this, the growth in the geriatric population could provide a considerable contribution to the market as this demographic is more susceptible to fractures owing to the decrease in bone density commonly occurring with age. Furthermore, the elevation in the incidence of osteoporosis could fuel the demand for spinal trauma devices.The development of novel technological breakthroughs has been prognosticated to be encouraged in the world spinal trauma devices market with the snowballing trend of minimally invasive procedures. With that mentioned, the demand for minimally invasive spinal trauma devices could increase noticeably in the near future.Absence of Suitable Health Insurance Schemes in Emerging Nations Upsets GrowthIn developing regions, the scope of the expansion of the international spinal trauma devices market could be constrained by the unavailability of acceptable health insurance schemes. Companies dealing with spinal trauma devices could find it challenging to extend their footprint in developing markets such as India and China as the populations therein still struggle with the lack of primary healthcare facilities.Read Report Overview @Nevertheless, the steady rise in healthcare spending could augur well for the international spinal trauma devices market. Governments providing competent healthcare services with the implementation of state-funded insurance have been prophesied to create opportunities in the market. The advent of bioresorbable implants and drawbacks of traditional metal devices such as follow-up surgeries associated with metallic fixators could bring in new prospects in the market.The information presented in this review is based on a TMR report, titled Spinal Trauma Devices Market (Device - Internal Fixation Devices (Plates and Screws, Rods and Pins, and Bone Grafts) and External Fixation Devices) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Trends, and Forecast 2015 - 2023.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market ResearchState Tower90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453
Animal Growth Promoters and Performance Enhancers Market Prediction and Analysis Offered By New Study During 2014 - 2020

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Animal growth promoters and performance enhancers are defined as the chemicals or drugs that help animals in growing faster by digesting their food more effectively, getting maximum benefit out of it and allowing the animals to develop into strong and healthy adults. These chemicals also protect the animal from various types of microbial diseases. Animal growth promoters and performance enhancers market can be differentiated on the basis of different type of animal growth promoters and performance enhancers and on the basis of animal classes.Report Overview and TOC @Microbial products capture the major share of the animal growth promoters and performance enhancers market. These products are used for destroying or inhibiting bacteria by administering a low dose. The use of microbial products for growth promotion has arisen with the strengthening of livestock farming. Infectious agents lessen the yield of farm animals and for controlling these microorganisms, the administration of sub-therapeutic antimicrobial agents and antibiotics is performed.Request brochure @Livestock and poultry are the dominating classes of animals which are provided with animal growth promoters and performance enhancers. Increase in the yield of the products such as eggs, wool and milk, which are originated from these animals is the major reason which is driving the animal growth promoters and performance enhancers market among livestock and poultry classes. Additionally, the increasing demand of meat worldwide is the other major factor which will propel the animal growth promoters and performance enhancers market in the future. Animal growth promoters help the animal in gaining weight and fat, which results in more meat production and expensive selling of animal. According to an experiment conducted by Biomin Holding GmbH, company involved in developing animal feed additives and premixes, the piglets which were fed with phytogenetic feed additives comprised of essential oils from anise, citrus, oregano and plant extracts gained 5.2% extra weight compared to the normal growing piglets. The faster growth of the animal coupled with extra meat and fat amount will assist the animal growth promoters and performance enhancers market during the forecast period.For Specific and Customized requirements @However, the stringent regulations set by the government of the U.S. and Europe against the use of animal growth promoters and performance enhancers is restraining its market. For instance, in 2003, the European Union has banned the use of antibiotic growth promoters which consist of monensin sodium, flavophospholipol, avilamycin and salinomycin sodium in the animal feed. Under the regulation, only the used or processed additives which would be authorized by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) would only be allowed to be sold in the market. This regulation has resulted decline in the sales of microbial animal growth promoters and performance enhancers in the European countries, hence restraining the market.Some of the market players in the animal growth promoters and performance enhancers market include Simfa Labs Pvt. Ltd., Bayer AG, Bioniche Life Sciences, Inc., Bupo Animal Health, Zoetis, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Merck & Co., Inc. and Cargill, Inc.Pre Book full report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Denim Fabric Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Raymond UCO, Vicunha, Canatiba, Isko, Partap Group, Black Peony, Jindal Worldwide, Etco Denim, Orta Anadolu and Others

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Global Denim Fabric market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Santana Textiles, Weiqiao Textile, Partap Group, Black Peony, Orta Anadolu, Jindal Worldwide, Etco Denim, Raymond UCO, Bhaskar Industries, Sangam, Vicunha, Canatiba, Isko, Arvind, Aarvee, Nandan Denim Ltd and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Denim is a textile of sturdy cotton warp-faced twill in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. It is a characteristic of most indigo denim that only the warp threads are dyed, whereas the weft threads remain plain white.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Denim Fabric Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:VicunhaCanatibaIskoArvindAarveeNandan Denim LtdSantana TextilesWeiqiao TextilePartap GroupBlack PeonyOrta AnadoluJindal WorldwideEtco DenimRaymond UCOBhaskar IndustriesSangamOthersGlobal Denim Fabric Market: Key Product TypeLight Denim FabricMedium Denim FabricHeavy Denim FabricOthersGlobal Denim Fabric Market: Key Application TypeJeansShirtJacketOthersGlobal Denim Fabric Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Denim Fabric Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Denim Fabric Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Denim Fabric Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Market Segment Overview1.1.1 Product Definition1.1.2 Market by Type1.1.2.1 Light Denim Fabric1.1.2.2 Medium Denim Fabric1.1.2.3 Heavy Denim Fabric1.1.3 Market by Application1.1.3.1 Jeans1.1.3.2 Shirt1.1.3.3 Jacket1.1.3.4 Others........................Continue (Global Denim Fabric Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Hydrocodone Bitartrate Market Projected to Grow at a Steady Pace During 2014 - 2020

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Hydrocodone bitartrate is often used to relieve severe ongoing pain. It belongs to the narcotic (opiate) analgesic class of drugs. It affects the functioning of the brain by altering how the body responds to pain. Hydrocodone Bitartrate is generally prescribed for oral ingestion as narcotic aanalgesic and antitussive. It is often given in combination with ibuprofen or acetaminophen. The Administrative Controlled Substance Code Number (ACSCN) for hydrocode is 9193. Medical applications where hydrocodone bitartrate is used to relive pain is the largest application for Hydrocodone Bitartrate. The sale of hydrocodone bitartrate is regulated in various countries since there can be chances of substance abuse.Report Overview and TOC @The demand for hydrocodone bitartrate for medical applications is expected to witness strong growth in the next few years. Hydrocodone bitartrate use in cough treatment is anticipated to be the major application in the near future. The ingestion of hydrocodone bitartrate can cause several side effects such as dizziness, nausea, lightheadedness, sedation, vomiting and constipation. The sale of hydrocodone bitartrate is regulated in many countries, the sale is banned in countries such as Belgium, France, Germany, Sweden etc. It is classified as List 1 drug under the Opium Law in Netherlands. The sale of hydrocodone bitartrate for medical use is also banned in United Kingdom, where it is listed as a Class A drug under Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. However, weaker formulation of hydrocodone bitartrate is being used as an alternative in various medical applications. In the U.S. hydrocodone bitartrate is subject to annual manufacturing quota. However, hydrocodone bitartrate is not commercially available in its purest form. It is generally sold with a NSAID, antihistamine, acetaminophen, homatropine or expectorant. Overdose of hydrocodone bitartrate include effects such as widened pupils, shallow, slow or stopped breathing, stopped or slowed heartbeat, clammy, cold or blue skin excessive sleepiness. In certain cases over dosage can also have fatal effects. Hydrocodone bitartrate usage in cough syrup in combinations with other chemicals is expected to one of the major applications in the next few years.Request brochure @In terms of demand North America was the largest consumer of hydrocodone bitartrate followed by Asia Pacific, Europe and Rest of the World. In North America U.S was the largest market for hydrocodone bitartrate followed by Mexico and Canada. This high demand for hydrocodone bitartrate stems from the growing demand for medical treatment applications in this region. The demand for hydrocodone bitartrate is also projected to witness strong growth in Asia Pacific due to non present regulations in this region.For Specific and Customized requirements @The demand for hydrocodone bitartrate is anticipated to witness strong growth in the Asia Pacific countries such as China, India, Indonesia etc. With growing population in these regions the demand for hydrocodone bitartrate is also expected to grow on similar lines. The economic conditions of Brazil, Russia and South Africa are on similar track and hence the demand for hydrocodone bitartrate is also projected to be high in these countries. The sale of hydrocodone bitartrate is banned is several European countries such as Germany, Sweden, France Belgium, United Kingdom etc. It sold under certain regulation in countries like Netherlands.Some of the major companies operating in the global hydrocodone bitartrate market are Xi'an Jbiotree Industrial Co., Ltd., Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc., Ausmauco Biotech Co. Ltd. and AbbVie Inc. among others.Pre Book full report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global CAE Software Market 2017: MSC Software, Autodesk, COMSOL Multiphysics, Magma, Hexagon AB

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The research Report titled Global CAE Software market is an in-depth and a professional document that provides a comprehensive overview and depth perception of the key regional market standing of the CAE Software trade on an global level that especially focuses on the core regions such as North & South America, Europe, Africa, South & Middle East Asia and Australia and also the key countries like (USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Russia, India, China, South Korea and Japan).Get Sample Copy of Report Here:This CAE Software market state and future prospects of the segment have jointly been examined. Additionally, key methods within the CAE Software market that features partnerships, product developments, link-ups, and acquisitions, etc., mentioned. Besides, Upstream raw materials, equipment, and downstream consumers analysis is equally carried out. Top Manufacturers Analysis in CAE Software market including;1. Dassault Systemes2. Hexagon AB3. MSC Software4. Alatir5. ESI6. PTC7. Autodesk8. COMSOL Multiphysics9. BETA CAE Systems10. Magma11. CoreTech System12. Toray EngineeringEnquiry Here: CAE Software Market: Type Analysis1. Mono Functional2. Multi Functional CAE Software Market: Application Analysis1. Machine Tool Industry2. Automobile & Train Industry3. Shipbuilding Industry4. Aerospace & Defense Industry5. Other ApplicationsInitially, The CAE Software report covers the marketing research and forecast of CAE Software Market on a regional also the world level. The CAE Software report is generically divided into six components and each half aims at the summary of the CAE Software past, present and future conditions of the market, the feasibility of the investment on many methods and policies. Excluding the classification and definition, the CAE Software market report conjointly discusses the analysis crucial and export and explain a comparison of the CAE Software market that are targeted at the trends and development.After that, This CAE Software report deals with the precise info on the selling Channels and novel project investments. So the new contender, as well as the established market players, get the direction of trends and regional analysis in these markets. This report also supports the readers, investors, new entrants, and established players to decide which segment or sub-segment to invest on so as to reap maximum profits.Finally, CAE Software report, complete key details, methods, and variables are examined and also whole helpful data are combined together for the learning and understanding the key facts related the worldwide CAE Software market. The CAE Software market share and production price with the SWOT analysis everything is integrated into this report.About Us:Business Worldwide is a trusted brand in the research industry with a capability of commissioning complex projects within a short span of time with high level of accuracy. At Business Worldwide, we believe in building long-term relations with our clients. Our services cover a broad spectrum of industries including Energy, Chemicals and Materials, Automotive, Software and Aerospace.Contact Us:Joel JohnSuite #8138, 3422 SW 15 Street,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803
Creation of a Green Fund (Environment Fund) mooted : Dr. J.D. Agarwal

Prof. J.D. Agarwal, Professor of Finance and Chairman, Indian Institute of Finance, while delivering a key note speech at WASME (World Association of Small and Medium Enterprises) & 21st International Conference on Small and Medium Enterprises (ICSME) today, mooted creation of a Green Fund (Environment Fund) by Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The fund is to be created jointly by SME and the government as a proportion of Equity or out of profits and Grants from the Government. The governments should facilitate creation of such Green fund to maintain Ecology and Environment. According to Dr. Agarwal, degradation of environment and ecology may result into extinction of civilization or spread of diseases and unnatural deaths.Prof. Agarwal was delivering a keynote speech on Green Finance for SMEs : Sustainable Financial Development in Session II of the Conference in Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, Delhi. Shri Shiv Pratap Shukla, Honble Minister of State, Ministry of Finance, Government of India was Chief guest in the Session. Other Speakers included Mr. Dumisani J Msibi; Shri S.P. Singh; Mr. Tushar Pandey and Dr. L.C. Sharma.Prof. Agarwal while delivering his keynote speech highlighted the contribution of SMEs enumerating data with respect to their number; their share in industrial units at 95%; employment to work force at about 40%; their share in exports at around 40% and their share in total Manufacturing output at around 45%. According to Prof. Agarwal, SMEs are the backbone of Indian Economy .Dr. Agarwal stated that there is a need for US $ 3000 billion in industry as Green finance. He emphasized that the use of various natural resources including energy, raw materials, water, land, biogas, air and capital and labor should be effectively utilized. There should be effective mechanism of managing waste, environment and controlling pollution. He highlighted the existing financial eco system consisting of banks, mobile wallets, micro finance institutions, INGOS & NGOs, Money Transfer organizations and retailers & merchants and Government departments. However he focused that SME should create internal resources by setting aside a part of profit as reserves.For maintaining sustainability, SMEs and actually all business enterprises should save costs by monitoring environment, energy and water and be particularly careful that there is no degradation of environment due to construction, operations, maintenance, air and water pollution. He highlighted that there is a need for solid waste management.Speaking on sustainable financial development, he appreciated UNEP / United Nation initiative taken in 1992 to encourage financial institutions to fullfil their role for sustainable world. He reiterated that both the government and private enterprises including SMEs should be conscious of sustainable financial development by creating a Green Fund (Environment Fund) jointly by business enterprises and the government.He cautioned that economic growth is the biggest destroyer of ecology and environment. Society may collapse due to population, climate, water, agriculture and energy . He opined that there is a need to focus on economic development simultaneously with a focus on economic growth by paying equal attention to UN millennium goals.The International Conference was earlier inaugurated and addressed by Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, Honble Vice President of India and Shri Suresh Prabhu, Honble Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India was the Guest of Honour. The conference was also addressed by Mr. Alhaji Babale Umaru Girei, President, WASME; Mr. Soomilduth Bholah, Honble Minister of Business, Enterprises and Cooperative, Government of Mauritius; Mr. Amir Hossain Amu, Honble Minister of Industry, Government of Bangladesh in the inaugural session.IIF setup in 1987 as a major Think Tank in the countryIndian Institute of Finance45A, Knowledge PArk IIIGreater Noida
Centrifugal Fans Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Johnson Controls, Loren Cook, Ventmeca, Twin City Fan, Air Systems Components, Flkt Group, Howden, Nanfang Ventilator and Others

Centrifugal Fans Market

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Global Centrifugal Fans market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Johnson Controls, Loren Cook, Howden, Nanfang Ventilator, Yilida, Systemair, Acme Fans, Ventmeca, Twin City Fan, Greenheck Fan, Ebm-Papst, Air Systems Components, Flkt Group, New York Blower and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.A centrifugal fan is a mechanical device for moving air or other gases. The pressure of an incoming airstream is increased by a fan wheel, a series of blades mounted on a circular hub. Centrifugal fans move air radially-the direction of the outward flowing air is changed, usually by 90, from the direction of the incoming air.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Centrifugal Fans Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Twin City FanGreenheck FanEbm-PapstAir Systems ComponentsFlkt GroupNew York BlowerJohnson ControlsLoren CookHowdenNanfang VentilatorYilidaSystemairAcme FansVentmecaOthersGlobal Centrifugal Fans Market: Key Product TypeForwardBackwardRadialOthersGlobal Centrifugal Fans Market: Key Application TypeIndustrialCommercialOthersGlobal Centrifugal Fans Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Centrifugal Fans Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Centrifugal Fans Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Centrifugal Fans Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Market Segment Overview1.1.1 Product Definition1.1.2 Market by Type1.1.2.1 Forward1.1.2.2 Backward1.1.2.3 Radial1.1.3 Market by Application1.1.3.1 Industrial1.1.3.2 Commercial1.1.3.3 Others........................Continue (Global Centrifugal Fans Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Nanomaterials Market Volume Forecast and Value Chain Analysis 2015-2025

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The science of nanomaterials has created a lot of expectation amongst various end user industries. With the increasing applications of nanomaterials, the demand for it is increasing at an increasing rate and is becoming a part of daily lives. Nanomaterials are important product under the nanotechnology. They embrace nanoparticles, smaller than 100 nanometres in at least one dimension. Nanomaterials are widely used in healthcare, electronics, cosmetics and other areas nowadays. Continuous improvement and innovation in the field is driving the growth of the global nanomaterials market.Request For Report Sample:The extraordinary physical and chemicals properties of materials at the nanometre scale enable novel applications ranging from energy conservation and structural strength enhancement to antimicrobial properties and self-cleaning surfaces. The nanotechnology is being increasingly modernised by expending largely on R&D activities which is resulting in the advancement of existing technologies and innovations with reference to the new materials.Energy storage and construction market is providing a huge growth potential to these materials and driving the overall market for nanomaterials. The increasing electronics market is also providing opportunities to the global nanomaterials market due to the falling prices and improving materials property and efficiency.NanomaterialsMarket: Drivers & RestraintsThe market penetration of the already existing materials and ongoing development of new materials and applications is driving the global nanomaterials market. The unabated market for nanomaterials is being strongly supported by the governmental funding to support the potential growth. The increasing availability of several methods in the field of nanotechnology and new novel methods for fabricating the patterned nanostructures is offering opportunity for better modeling. Some of the other drivers for the growth of global nanomaterials market is partnerships & strategic alliances, increasing number of market players and newer material developments. One of the major factor restraining the growth of global nanomaterials market implies to the growing concerns over environmental impact and toxicity of nanomaterials.NanomaterialsMarket: SegmentationOn the basis of material type, the global nanomaterials market is segmented as follows:Metal Oxide (Silica, Aluminium Oxide/Hydroxide, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Iron Oxide, Other Metal Oxides)MetalsChemicals and Polymers (Nanopharmaceuticals, Liposomes, Other Chemicals & Polymers)NanotubesOthers (Conventional Materials and New Materials)On the basis of applications the global nanomaterials market is segmented as follows:ConstructionPackagingConsumer GoodsElectrical and ElectronicsEnergyHealth CareTransportationOthers.Nanomaterials Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global nanomaterials market is expected to register a favourable growth for the forecast period, 2015?2025. North America and Europe are the two prominent regions that are projected to endure the control on the global nanomaterials market. Decreasing prices due to the increasing mass production is responsible for the robust growth of the above mentioned markets. The demand for nanomaterials is also surging across Asian regions. The Asia-Pacific region is projected to witness remarkable growth rate owning to the greater demand of nanomaterials in the developing regions like India and China and their continuous research and developmental activities.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Nanomaterials: Key PlayersThere are a lot of players in the nanomaterials industry of which some of the key market participants in global nanomaterials market are BASF, EMFUTUR Technologies, Evonik Industries, Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC, Bayer AG, SkySpring Nanomaterials, Altair Nanotechnologies Inc., and Nanomaterials Company and others.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:
Engine Mounts Market Report for Period 2011 till 2023 Nissin, BOGE Rubber & Plastics, Toyo-Rubber, ContiTech, Hutchinson, Sumitomo Riko, SKF, TrelleborgVibracoustic, ContiTech, Faw Foundry, PGI Far East, Tuopu and Others

Engine Mounts Market

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Global Engine Mounts market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Nissin, Yamashita Rubber, Tuopu, Luoshi, Faw Foundry, PGI Far East, Hetian Automotive, SKF, TrelleborgVibracoustic, ContiTech, Hutchinson, Sumitomo Riko, Bridgestone, BOGE Rubber & Plastics, Toyo-Rubber, Cooper Standard and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.An engine mount is the part that holds the engine to the body or to the engine cradle (sub-frame) of the car. In a typical car, the engine and transmission are bolted together and held in place by three or four mounts. To reduce the engine vibration felt inside the car, engine mounts are filled with rubber so that there is no direct metal-to-metal contact between the engine and the car body. Engine mounts perform important as well as diverse tasks in vehicles: As a joining element between the engine and the vehicle, they prevent undesired vibrations from the unit and driveline being transferred to the rest of the vehicle and, at the same time, they also ensure that noises are insulated. Above all, they must also be strong enough to keep the engine stable within the vehicle, even when traveling on poor roads or in the event of collisions.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Engine Mounts Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:TrelleborgVibracousticContiTechHutchinsonSumitomo RikoBridgestoneBOGE Rubber & PlasticsToyo-RubberCooper StandardNissinYamashita RubberTuopuLuoshiFaw FoundryPGI Far EastHetian AutomotiveSKFOthersGlobal Engine Mounts Market: Key Product TypeConventional Engine MountHydraulic Engine MountOthersGlobal Engine Mounts Market: Key Application TypePassenger CarCommercial VehicleOthersGlobal Engine Mounts Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Engine Mounts Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Engine Mounts Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Engine Mounts Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Objectives of Research1.1.1 Definition1.1.2 Specifications1.2 Market Segment1.2.1 by Type1.2.1.1 Conventional Engine Mount1.2.1.2 Hydraulic Engine Mount1.2.2 by Application1.2.2.1 Passenger Car1.2.2.2 Commercial Vehicle1.2.2.3 Others........................Continue (Global Engine Mounts Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Military Vehicles and Aircraft Simulations Market Revenue, Opportunity, Forecast and Value Chain 2015-2025

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Military vehicles and aircraft simulation have now become critically important due to high safety and security reasons in every part of the world. Growing need to cut down the cost of pilot training, technological developments, and introduction of new generation aircrafts is escalating the growth in the global military vehicles and aircraft simulation. Additionally, increased environmental impacts, cost of fuel and real wear and tear on weapon system, is anticipated to be the major target market in near future. The simulation technology (imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time) allows both commercial and military trainees to learn faster and master to advance on and off road operations along with handling hazardous and dangerous situations without risk to machine and man. However, simulation of technology is used in many contexts such as safety engineering, education, training, testing, performance optimization, video games and others. It is also used in computer experiments to study simulation models.Request For Report Sample:The military vehicles and aircraft simulation continues to gain importance in the aerospace, defence and military industry. With reduced financial resources, governments are taking initiatives to cut down on training budgets. Owing to this, currently militaries are focusing on attaining cheaper and more effective solutions for their training requirements. Owing to this, flight simulations has evolved to become an essential part of civil aviation operations and military capability. It is a device that artificially creates the environment for flight (where it flies) for pilot training and other purposes. Flight simulator may vary from one model to another and is widely used in commercial and military applications. As a result, training in a fight simulator is more operative than training in aircraft, also it has made a major contribution towards the aviation industry.Military Vehicles and Aircraft Simulations Market: Drivers & RestraintsTo accommodate new generation aircrafts, mission rehearsal and simulation technologies are moving forward along with embed in a variety of military systems to carry out training in reality at reasonable cost. Commercialization of unmanned aerial vehicles is the emerging trend and will give new opportunities to this market. A fundamental growth driver to the market is growing awareness over the benefits of virtual pilot training. Additionally, demand for trained pilots and crew members, technological advancements, rising demand for air transportation which has further resulted in growing needs for safety and security concerns along with cost advantages are the drivers identified in the military vehicles and aircraft simulations market. Safety regulations and push from the government side is also helping in increasing the degree of awareness among the users. However, high implementation cost, lack of reliable communication and complexity in system are the major setback for military vehicles and aircraft simulations market.Military Vehicles and Aircraft SimulationsMarket: SegmentationOn the basis of types global military vehicles and aircraft simulations can be broadly into: Virtual, Live, and Constructive and others. On the basis of application global military vehicle and aircraft simulation market is segmented into: Platform, System and Maintenance. On the basis of system, global military vehicles and aircraft simulations can be further segmented into: Flight simulation and Non-Flight Simulation.Military Vehicles and Aircraft SimulationsMarket: Region-wise OutlookThe global military vehicles and aircraft simulation market is expected to register CAGR of 6.27 percent over the forecasted period 2015-2025. Depending on geographic regions, global military vehicles and aircraft simulation market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. In terms of regions, Europe accounts for the largest market share followed by North America. Asia Pacific market is projected to register a significant CAGR during the forecast period. Increasing demand for training of pilots and rising demand for air transportation along with technological updates is fuelling the growth of global military vehicles and aircraft simulations market in Asia Pacific. Eastern Europe and Latin America are also forecast to register a significant growth in the global military vehicles and aircraft simulations market, as growing awareness over the pilot training is expected to grow in these regions as well.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Military Vehicles and Aircraft SimulationMarket: Key PlayersSome of the players identified in the aircraft simulation are FLIGHTRiX (Command Sims Pvt. Ltd.), Presagis (formed through the acquisition of three industry leading companies includes Engenuity Technologies, MultiGen-Paradigm, and TERREX.), Rheinmetall Defence, Alsim, Atlantis System Corp., CAE Inc., Bae Systems PLC, FlightSafety International Inc., Moog Inc., Simteq B.V., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Thales Group, Rockwell Collins, PMDG, Israel Aerospace industries, ATC Flight Simulator, Mechtronix Inc., L-3 Communications Holdings Ltd., among many others.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:
Terrazzo Flooring Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 SHW, UMGG, Terrazzco, Lijie Technology, Terrazzo USA, Guangxi Mishi, Kingspan Group and Others

Terrazzo Flooring Market

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Global Terrazzo Flooring market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely HJJC, Guangxi Mishi, Terrazzco, Lijie Technology, Terrazzo USA, Beijing Lu Xing, Kingspan Group, RPM, H. B. Fuller Construction Products, SHW, UMGG, Doyle Dickerson Terrazzo and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Terrazzo originated in Italy, where marble-workers would take the crumbs of their work home, mix them with cement and create faux-stone floors for their terraces. Since then, terrazzo floors have grown into an art form all their own with a wide range of styles and possibilities. Classic terrazzo is a mixture of marble fragments, called the aggregate, and a cementations binding agent, called the matrix. It is resilient and can be used inside and outside and it can be cast in place or laid in manufactured tiles.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Terrazzo Flooring Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Kingspan GroupRPMH. B. Fuller Construction ProductsSHWUMGGDoyle Dickerson TerrazzoHJJCGuangxi MishiTerrazzcoLijie TechnologyTerrazzo USABeijing Lu XingOthersGlobal Terrazzo Flooring Market: Key Product TypeInorganic TerrazzoEpoxy TerrazzoOthersGlobal Terrazzo Flooring Market: Key Application TypeEducationalCommercialHealthcare and PharmaceuticalOthersGlobal Terrazzo Flooring Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Terrazzo Flooring Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Terrazzo Flooring Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Terrazzo Flooring Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Market Segment Overview1.1.1 Product Definition1.1.2 Market by Type1.1.2.1 Inorganic Terrazzo1.1.2.2 Epoxy Terrazzo1.1.3 Market by Application1.1.3.1 Educational1.1.3.2 Commercial1.1.3.3 Healthcare and Pharmaceutical1.1.3.4 Others........................Continue (Global Terrazzo Flooring Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Automotive Adhesives Market to Expand with Significant CAGR During 2015 - 2021

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Adhesives and sealants are the most versatile bonding agents available today and are used by automakers to make cars lighter and tougher. Adhesives are made from precise blends of synthetic rubber elastomers, resins and agents or additives used to enhance certain characteristics, depending on the end use. Automakers today use aluminum and composites that cannot be welded together but have to be glued to hold the body parts together even at top speed and high pressure. Adhesives do not lose strength and hence are used for these applications. Adhesives bonding renders the vehicles quieter, more durable and safer and are replacing conventional joining techniques such as welding, riveting and bolting.Request For Report Sample:Adhesives find numerous applications in the automobile industry and have revolutionized the way automobiles have been designed and built. Adhesives are used to assemble rubber, metal, glass, plastics and numerous other materials during the manufacture of automobiles. Adhesives help prevent the ingress of salt, dirt and water in the car body shell. Adhesives help in improving body stiffness and durability and provide improved crash performance. Every stage of production of an automobile, whether for non-load-bearing body components or structural parts, uses adhesives in one form or other. Adhesives are used in manufacture of engines, body components, gear boxes and mounted parts such as wing mirrors, seats and steering wheels. Interior applications include tray systems, safety systems, seating systems, as well as sub assembly and acoustical material assembly. In addition, adhesives are used for direct glazing, where they contribute to an increased rigidity of the car body.Adhesives can be applied with high speed on the production line, which results in cost reduction and savings. Hence, adhesive consumption per vehicle is expected to increase, as automotive designers continue to exploit the cost saving potential of adhesives. In addition, adhesives help to cut down on noise, vibration and harshness characteristics. Adhesives improve fuel efficiency of automobiles and provide enhanced performance which is a key driving factor behind the advancement of adhesives in the automotive industry.Consistent growth and presence of wide range of suppliers, distributors and manufacturers are the some of the characteristics of the adhesives market. Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, and Latin America hold potential for growth. Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region for the adhesives industry due to growing demand for adhesives in South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Australia and India.North America and Europe are saturated markets and will grow with a low compound annual growth rate in the near future. The adhesive market in the U.S. has lost ground to China due to migration of manufacturing facilities to China but the country continues to play a significant role in the adhesives market.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):The industry remains fragmented, with numerous medium-sized companies with a high level of customization, particularly in the highest-value adhesive segments. The cost of producing adhesives is attributable to the cost of the raw materials along with the requisite service component of training customers and helping them resolve manufacturing issues. Some of the key players in this market are Sika AG (Switzerland), The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.), Bayer (Germany), Henkel (Germany), BASF (Germany), 3M Company (U.S.), Ashland Specialty Chemical Company (U.S.), H.B. Fuller Company(U.S.), Hindustan Adhesives Limited (India), ExxonMobil Chemical Company (U.S) , Dynea International Oy (Finland) , Forbo Adhesives Switzerland (Switzerland), Hexion Specialty Chemicals (U.S) and Covalence Adhesives (U.S.) among others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Solenoid valve Market to Witness Exponential Growth by 2021

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Solenoid valve is a device which uses a solenoid to control valve activation. In solenoid valve, electric current is passed through a solenoid. Solenoid valves are considered as electromechanically operated valve used for controlling liquid or gas flow. Solenoid valves are most commonly used in fluidics as a control elements. They perform the various task such as release, shut-off, mix or distribute fluids. Solenoid offers various advantages such as high reliability, fast and safe switching, extended service life, compact design and low control power.Request For Report Sample:Solenoid valve market is evolving continuously and expected to witness significant growth during the period of forecast. Constant evolution in solenoid valve market leads to the development of new technologies. Factors which are driving the growth of global solenoid valve market are increasing applications of solenoid valves into various industrial sectors, lower price of a valve and lower power consumption. Furthermore, development of new solenoid valves such as micro-miniature valves customized valves and pinch valves encourages the growth of global solenoid valve market. On the other hand, solenoid valve market growth is affected by few common problems associated with solenoid valves. Power failure, uneven pressure, wrong voltage may affect the functioning of solenoid valve because of which solenoid valves may not open, erratic valve sounds while opening and closing of valve and coil problems in solenoid valves are some of the common issues associated with solenoid valves.Global solenoid valve market is segmented on the basis of type, application, and region. On the basis of type, the global solenoid valve market can be segmented into two port valves, three-port valves, and four-port valves.Solenoid valves are commonly used in fluid power pneumatic and hydraulic system to control fluid power motors or large industrial valves. Solenoid valves are also used in automatic irrigation sprinkle system. Furthermore, washing machine and dishwashers use solenoid valves to control the flow of water into the machine. On the basis of application, the global solenoid valve market can be segmented into various industries such as chemical industry, pharmaceutical industry, automobile industry, agriculture industry, food & beverages industry and others. Out of all these applications, the chemical industry is expected to dominate global solenoid valve market during the period of forecast.On the basis of region, the solenoid valve market can be segmented into seven regions which includes, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan), Eastern Europe, Japan and Middle East & Africa region. Further, the market is sub-segmented as per the major countries of each region in order to provide better regional analysis of the solenoid valve market. North America and Western Europe region expected to cover a major share of global solenoid valve market during the forecast period.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Key players are global solenoid valve market are ASCO Valve, Inc., Danfoss A/S, CKD Corporation, Christian Burkert GmbH & Co. KG, SMC Corporation of America, IMI plc Company, GSR Ventiltechnik GmbH & Co. KG, ODE s.r.l., KANEKO SANGYO Co., Ltd, CEME S.p.A., TAKASAGO ELECTRIC INDUSTRY CO., LTD., Parker Hannifin Corp. and Ningbo mailing pneumatic co., Ltd. among others. Market players are focusing more on the development of new technologies which can provide improved features and better performance. Market players are focusing more on providing industry-specific products in order to capture more market. Global solenoid valve market is also witnessing trend of development of new solenoid valves such as customized valves, pinch valves, and micro-miniature valves. These developments are expected to fuel the overall growth of the global solenoid valve market during the forecast period.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as type, application, and regionAbout 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:
Southeast Asia Pet Care Market will Register a CAGR of 6.8% through 2014 - 2020

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Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers incisive insights into emerging regions in its latest report titled, Southeast Asia Pet Care Market Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2014 - 2020. The report states that the SEA pet care market is mainly driven by the burgeoning trends of pet humanization and increasing adoption of private label brands in countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.FMI analyst P.S. Neha sheds light on why the SEA pet care market will become one of the major markets in the region in the near future: Growth of the pet care market across Southeast Asia is driven by increasing adoption and humanization of pets. Pet owners are now more inclined towards more nutritious, healthy and organic foods for their pets.By type, the overall SEA pet care market is segmented into dog food, cat food, pet products and others. Dog food is the major segment in this region, accounting for a 51.6% share of the market in 2014; however, this is expected to decrease by 30 BPS by 2020.Request Report Sample@This report also covers the pet care market by category and by channel. On the basis of channel, the market is segmented into supermarket, pet shop, veterinary clinic and others. The supermarket segment is the leading distribution channel in the SEA pet care market. However, veterinary clinics are anticipated to exhibit the fastest CAGR at 7.1%, followed by supermarket at a 6.8% CAGR during the forecast period. This growth is attributed to a shift in consumer buying habits and an increasing inclination of pet owners to purchase health and wellness products from reliable sources such as veterinary clinics.Furthermore, by category, the market includes economy-priced, mid-priced and premium-priced products.Improving consumer lifestyles and increasing disposable income in Southeast Asian countries has resulted in a growing acceptance for pets, not only among the high-income group, but also the middle-income group. In 2014, Thailand was the dominant country in the overall Southeast Asia pet care market with a 43.62% share, followed by Malaysia and Indonesia, accounting for 21.74% and 15.47% respectively.Send An Methodology@The pet care market in the Philippines is expected to register a significant CAGR of 8.4%. This is expected to be followed by Vietnam at a CAGR of 8.0% during the forecast period.Innovation remains the key to gaining a competitive edge in the SEA pet care market, especially in the pet food category. Companies such as Nestle Purina, Zoetis, Mars, Inc. and Merck & Co., account for over 50% of the overall market share and constantly focus on mergers and acquisitions to expand their geographical presence and customer base.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:
Mushroom Materials Market Segments, Opportunity, Growth and Forecast By End-use Industry 2015-2025

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Mushroom materials are developed from agricultural waste and other suitable materials which are completely biodegradable and free from any volatile organic compound content. These materials are the suitable alternatives for plastic and other synthetic based materials. The mushroom materials manufacturing process involves mixing agricultural by-products such as woody biomass, husks, cellulosic biomass, and other residual biomass with self-digesting crop residuals and other biomaterials. Fungi grows on the mixture for some days and the objects or molds are further cured to manufacture desired pieces needed for electronic components, spare parts and other accessories or components. These materials can be fabricated or molded into boards needed for furniture industry with considerable durability and working life.Request For Report Sample:Mushroom Materials Market: Drivers & RestraintsMushrooms are good to eat, but their roots may be far more significant to manhood. They can be used to make mushroom based building materials that are stronger than concrete, have more insulating power than fiberglass, and are completely compostable. The drivers identified in growth of mushroom materials are eco-friendly characteristics, easier workability, and light weight than conventional materials which makes it easy to transport to distances. However, limited availability of the mushroom roots and other agricultural waste are the major constraints for the mushroom materials market.Mushroom Materials Market: SegmentationMushroom materials market is segmented on the basis of geography, application and feedstock type. The application segment of the mushroom materials is further segmented into thermal insulation panels, building materials, protective packaging and others. On the basis of feedstock type, it can be further segmented into wood fiber, buckwheat hulls and cotton seed.Mushroom MaterialsMarket: Region-wise OutlookThe global mushroom materials market is geographically segmented into seven key regions which are, North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan and Middle East & Africa.The mushroom material is relatively new to the market and has been evolved over last decade, at present the market for this material is much concentrated in North American region but with increasing awareness among the industry players the adoption of this material is expected to grow in nearing future. The market for mushroom materials once hits mass commercialization; may exceed present growth potential multifold times across the globe. It may even outpace the growth of advanced materials which are currently exhibiting growth between 10% and 15% across the globe.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Mushroom Materials Market: Key PlayersThe market has currently few players operating at regional or domestic level. With the technological advancements and increasing degree of know-how more market players are expected to join the competition. The only settled players identified in the mushroom materials market is Ecovative Design.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:
Now boost your productivity and efficiency at work through Yoga Akshar  Founder, Chairman, Akshar Yoga With work getting more demanding than ever and stress being unbearable, corporates have started adopting employee friendly practices to make work life more fun and engaging. Its no surprise that employees complain of divided attention and perpetual restlessness in both work and personal life. The best way to balance out both the worlds is through the age old science of Yoga.



Practicing Yoga not only calms your mind but gives you a great energy boost on the inside. We keep hearing and we also speak about wellness at work place but the important question is how often do we practice what we preach? Performing yoga in your workplace has proven benefits within as well as beyond work life. Do you want your work life to be filled with lot of energy, concentration, along with peaceful environment? Then the below mentioned yoga asanas are what you need to practice while you are working and when you are stressed out.



1. Pranayama:

Pranayama if practiced everyday will prove to be very benefitial for the mind and body. Practicing desktop yoga along with Pranayama relieves stress, improves blood circulation and improves posture. While performing pranayama one should make sure that their back is straight and should concentrate on the breathing. Sahaj Pranayama  which is also called as easy breathing, involves breathing few times deeply and should inhale through the nostrils for 5 counts and hold the breath for 10 counts and exhale through the mouth for 10 counts this has to be repeated 10- 12 times.

 Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position.

 Close the right nostril with your right thumb and inhale deeply through left nostril.

 Close the left nostril with the ring finger of your right hand as you release the right nostril.

 Exhale slowly through your right nostril.

 Keeping the left nostril closed, inhale deeply through your right nostril.

 Seal the right nostril again with your thumb, then release the left nostril.

 Exhale out of the left nostril. You should now be in the original position, with the thumb sealing the right nostril.



2. Utkatasana

Sometimes we never know how the day looks like when we step into work. We might end up having back to back meetings, get stuck on one document and as a result will be forced to leave office really late. All this along with many other things in the work place can cause loss of focus and concentration. During such conditions, one should practice Utkatasana, Ardha Chandrasena or Salabhasana to unblock mental and emotional clutter.



Utkasana  Popularly known as the chair pose



 Stand erect with your feet slightly apart

 Stretch your hands towards the front with your palms facing donwards.

 Bend the knees and gently push your pelvis down as if you are sitting in an imaginary chair.

 Make sure to keep your arms parallel and straighten your spine.

 Sink deeper into the chair by gradually going down but remember that your knees dont go beyond your toes.

 Keep going down slowly and then sit down in Sukhasana (cross-legged posture). You may also lie down on your back and relax.



3. Sarvangasana, Ustrasana:

Continuously staring at the screen and tapping the keyboard incessantly could also be reasons contributing to the drop in productivity. By performing Sarvangasana and Ustrasana, shoulders and arms are relaxed, allowing the parts of the body to function more efficiently. These asanas also have the power to deal with physical ailments.



 Lie on the carpet with legs together.

 Raise the legs to an angle of 90 degree. Now press the floor with your palms, lift the waist and bring the legs forward. Then keep them vertical to the ground.

 Bend the hands, hold the waist with the palms, balancing and raise the legs to an angle of 90 degree to the floor. Body and legs should ne straight vertical to the floor.

 The whole weight of the body should be resting on the shoulder blade. Rest the elbow on the floor with palms supporting the body.

 Maintain the pose up to 50 or to 100 counts. Remember to focus on your toe nail with legs saying still.

 Lower the legs toe and back. Take the hands from the back and place it on the floor. Briskly bring the back to the floor, the legs and lie down.

 Take rest and do it again.



4. Trikonasana, Purvottanasana, Vajrasana:

Yoga is the only medicine that has the power to fix both physical as well as psychological stress. While other medicines help in healing physical illness, yoga has the power to get into the root of problems and strengthen the immunity system in us. By performing Trikonasana, Purvottanasana or Vajrasana, you can reduce fatigue and increase energy levels at work.



Trikonasana is popularly known as the triangle pose



 Stand straight and separate your feet comfortably wide apart

 Turn your right foot out 90 degrees and left foot in by 15 degrees.

 Now align the center of your right heel with the center of your arch of left foot.

 Ensure that your feet are pressing the ground and the weight of your body is equally balanced on both the feet.

 Inhale deeply and as you exhale, bend your body to the right, downward from the hips, keeping the waist straight, allowing your left hand to come up in the air while your right hand comes down towards floor. Keep both arms in straight line.

 Rest your right hand on your shin, ankle, or the floor outside your right foot, whatever is possible without distorting the sides of the waist. Stretch your left arm toward the ceiling, in line with the tops of your shoulders. Keep your head in a neutral position or turn it to the left, eyes gazing softly at the left palm.

 Ascertain that your body is bent sideways and not backward or forward. Pelvis and chest are wide open.

 Stretch maximum and be steady. Keep taking in long deep breaths. With each exhalation, relax the body more and more. Just be with the body and the breath.

 As you inhale, come up, bring your arms down to your sides, and straighten your feet.

 Repeat the same on the other side.



5. Vinyasa, Eka Pada Rajakapotanasana:

Being positive even during a stressful day is very difficult. Each of us have different attitudes, managing peers along with work is a real challenge and this may also lead to dip in ones confidence levels both at work as well as personally. It is important to overcome these stressful situations at work place by practicing Vinyasa or Eka Pada Rajakapotanasana. Performing Vinyasa where the poster looks like a form of a dog gives a perfect relaxation for the entire body and allowing easy flow of blood throughout the body. Similarly, Eka Pada Rajakapotanasana even though it looks and needs more efforts gives a perfect stretch to the stomach and the legs.



Eka Pada Rajakapotanasana



Popularly known as the pigeon pose



 Start off by making sure your knees are placed right under your hips, and your hands a little ahead of your shoulders.

 Now, gently slide your right knee forward, such that it is just behind your right wrist. While you do this, place the right shin under your torso, and bring your right foot in front of your left knee. The outsides of your right shin must rest on the floor.

 Slowly, slide your left leg to the back. Straighten your knee, and drop the front of your thighs to the floor. Lower the outsides of your right buttocks on the floor. Place your right heels in front of your left hip.

 You can angle your right knee towards the right, such that it is outside the line of the hip.

 Your left leg should extend itself straight out of the hip. Make sure it is not angled to the left. Rotate it inwards, such that its midline is pressed against the floor. Take a deep breath, and as you exhale, bend your left leg at the knees. Then, push your torso back and stretch as much as you can so that your head touches your foot.

 Lift your arms up, gently folding them at your elbows. Use your hands to bring your foot towards your head.

 Maintain the upright position of your pelvis. Push it down. Then, lift the lower rims of your rib cage against the pressure of the thrust. To lift up your chest, push the top of your sternum straight up and towards the ceiling.

 Stay in this position for at least a minute. Bring your hands back to the floor and drop your left knee down. Gently slide the left knee forward. Exhale and come up to the Adho Mukha Svanasana. Take a few breaths. Then, come back on your fours and breathe. As you exhale, do the asana with your left leg forward and right leg at the back.



Deep within the mountains of the Himalayan Ranges lies the birth place of Akshar, a true yogic spirit who has been forged and moulded by the oldest lineage of yoga, Kaulantak Peeth. Armed with immaculate knowledge from this pristine source, endowed with the blessings of various spiritual masters and brimming with humble service to Lord Jagannath, Akshar set out on his journey to spread Health, Peace and Happiness to all humanity. This amalgamation of a philanthropic nature and an entrepreneurial drive, led Akshar to spread the knowledge of yoga through 20 Akshar Yoga Academies within India and sister schools in France. Being the Founder, Chairman and Course Director of Akshar Yoga, he has benevolently created and nurtured over 2,50,000 yoga teachers throughout the globe.

He is the founder of The World Yoga Organisation, a charitable trust that connects yoga enthusiasts the world over.



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Angioplasty Balloons Market Going to Rise at 3.5% during 2015-2023

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According to a TMR analyst, The global market for angioplasty balloons is likely to witness a 3.5% CAGR from 2015 to 2023. The market is expected to rise from a valuation of US$1.93 bn in 2016 and is anticipated to reach US$2.55 bn by 2023. The segment of normal balloons is anticipated to lead the global market for angioplasty balloons for the years to come. Nevertheless, the segment of drug coated balloons is likely to gain popularity over the coming years. Region-wise, the market is dominated by North America closely trailed by Europe. It is expected that North America will continue leading it reaching a valuation of US$993.70 mn by the end of 2023.The global market for angioplasty balloons is likely to have a dense and highly dynamic competitive scenario of the years ahead, states Transparency Market Research (TMR) in a research report. The core players namely Abbott Laboratories, Cordis Corporation, and Boston Scientific held a share of 71.7% collectively in 2014 in the global angioplasty balloons market. TMR also states that the existing players might be threatened by the entry of new players in the market over the next couple of years, but the threat might stay moderate for some time now. This is mainly due to the expensive research and development involved in this field and the strict government policies that tend to differ from region to region. Moreover, the growth of the market is likely to have a slow place to make enough scope for the entry of new players. The race to stay ahead has given rise a plethora of innovations taking and product launches.Read Report Overview @"As indicated by the CDC, almost 610,000 deaths have taken place every year in the U.S. alone because of heart maladies as of late. This number is required to increment significantly further," states a TMR expert. He further includes, "There were about 8 mn individuals in the U.S. experiencing peripheral artery sickness in 2011. These numbers are likewise set to increment after some time, because of elements including the quick expanding geriatric populace, the rising number of diabetics and obese natives, and the general increment in negative way of life decisions and high anxiety levels. These numbers just point to a developing demand for medicinal gadgets, operative devices, and embeds."With the quantity of coronary surgeries anticipated that would increment radically in the coming years, the interest for angioplasty balloons will in like manner indicate increases.Request Sample Report @Competition to Act Negatively on RevenuesDespite the fact that the entry rate by new angioplasty balloons producers is modest, the current players have as of late been embracing outrageous evaluating techniques to pick up market entrance and share. The price cuts they put on angioplasty balloons is getting them more clients, however is definitely diminishing the general income created in the market from a worldwide viewpoint.As expressed by Healing Hearts, the costs of angioplasty balloons alongside other gears have decreased by nearly 40% in the most recent decade in India, one of the significant destinations for medical tourism worldwide. This is seriously harming the extent of innovative work endeavors facilitated by driving players and is required to hamper the market development rate extensively soon. Producers can rather concentrate on the arrival of new items as of now in the pipeline. The accomplishment of these items will enormously enhance the demand for angioplasty balloons and the general development rate of its worldwide market.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.ContactTransparency Market ResearchState Tower90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:TMR Blog:
Global Coated Fabrics Market to Reach US$ 21.6 Bn by 2020

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Future Market Insights (FMI), in its latest report titled, Global Coated Fabrics Market Analysis and Opportunities Assessment, 2014-2020, reveals that the global coated fabrics market accounted for US$ 17.3 Bn in 2014. The market is estimated to reach US$ 21.6 Bn by 2020, exhibiting a CAGR of 3.7% during the forecast period.Market segmentsThe global coated fabrics market mainly covers applications, regions and product type. By Application type, the global coated fabrics market is segmented into transportation, Industrial, protective clothing, furniture, commercial tents, and others. Amongst all the applications, transportation accounted for 34% of overall market share in 2014 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 3.7% over the forecast period, followed by Industrial and other applicationsRegion-wise, Asia-Pacific is projected to dominate the coated fabrics market through the forecast period, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.1% over the forecast period, followed by North America and Western Europe. The growth is attributed to growing automobile and industrial sectors.By product type, polymer coated fabrics segment accounted for approximately 87% of total revenue market share in 2014 and is anticipated to hold a significant revenue share by 2020, displaying a CAGR of 3.6% over the next five years. Furthermore, rubber coatings and other segment are expected to demonstrate a significant growth in the near future.Request Report Sample@Market DriversThe Coated fabrics are widely used in end user industries include transportation due to its various features such as elasticity, water resistance, and ability to drape. Increasing government regulations about health and safety of employees at the workplace, and growing automobile sector in APAC are other factors, driving the global coated fabrics market.Send An Methodology@Competitive LandscapeReport profiles top 10 players in Coated Fabric marketplace which include 3M, Valspar Corporation, Saint-Gobain S.A., Sherwin-Williams, Bayer AG, AkzoNobel, PPG industries, Nippon Paints Co. Ltd., BASF coatings AG, and Dupont Coatings & Color Technologies Group. Currently, the key focus of the major players in the global coated fabrics market is on mergers and acquisitions to expand their geographical presence and customer base. Recently, the coated fabric market witnessed a major collaboration between International Apparel Federation (IAF) and Bayer AG aiming at improving innovations in apparel and footwear industry.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:
Geocells Market will Register a CAGR of 8.8% through 2015 - 2025

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Future Market Insights (FMI), in its recent report titled, Geocells Market: Global Industry Assessment and Forecast; 20152025, projected global geocells market to exhibit CAGR of 8.8% during 2015 to 2025. Consumption of geocells is projected to reach 428.2 million square meter by 2025 reflecting a CAGR of 5.5% during the forecast period.Geocells, also known as cellular confinement systems, are three dimensional mats resembling honeycomb structure usually made of high density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester or other polymeric alloys. These are used in construction sector primarily for earth reinforcement, slope protection, channel protection, load support and tree root protection. Geocells are subset of geosynthetics market and are estimated to represent around 5.6% share in terms of volume consumption in overall geosynthetics market.The report analyses the global geocells market in terms of market value (US$ Mn) and volume (Million Square Meter) by applications, region, and material type and provides information regarding market dynamics, value chain, competitive landscape, current trends, market estimations and forecast.Request Report Sample@Infrastructure development activities, construction sector output and urbanisation trend are some of the macro-economic drivers of the market. Developed economies have formulated regulations concerning erosion control and sustainable infrastructure development. Such regulations and initiatives are identified as underlying driving factors of the market. On the flipside, low awareness of geocells amongst infrastructure developers in emerging economies and competition from substitute products, such as geogrids and geomembranes are identified as minor restraints in the global geocells market.From regional perspective, North America and Asia Pacific represented prominent markets for geocells globally in 2014. In terms of market value, geocells market in developing countries is collectively projected to grow at CAGR of 10.2% while geocells market in developed countries is collectively projected to grow at CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period. Asia Pacific region is expected to be the largest geocells market in terms of value by 2025, followed by North America, Western Europe, and other regions.From materials perspective, high density polyethylene (HDPE) is extensively used across the globe for geocells manufacturing followed by polypropylene, polyester and other polymeric alloys. HDPE commanded around 68.6% share by value in 2014 and is projected to remain the largest market segment by 2025 with a share of around 64%. Prices for these materials are anticipated to increase over the forecast period owing to increasing energy costs, crude oil prices and complex manufacturing processes.Send An Methodology@From application perspective, earth reinforcement, channel protection and slope protection are the prominent applications of geocells which constituted around 86% of market value in 2014 and are collectively projected to exhibit value CAGR of 8.8% over the forecast period. Other applications including load support and tree root protection are collectively projected to exhibit a value CAGR of 8.4% during the forecast period.Key market participants covered in the report, include Presto Geosystems, Polymer Group Inc., TMP Geosynthetics, Armtec Infrastructure Inc., Strata Systems Inc., PRS Mediterranean Ltd., Maccaferri S.p.A, ACE Geosynthetics, MiakomGroup of Companies, Wall Tag Pte Ltd., Tensar International Ltd., Tencate Geosynthetics, Admir Technologies, Polyfabrics Australia Pty Ltd., Bonar, ABG Geosynthetics, Huifeng Geosynthetics, SABK International, Wrekin Products, Ltd., CeTeau Group.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:
Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) Market Estimated to Expand at a Double-Digit CAGR through 2015 - 2020

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Global demand for super absorbent polymers (SAP) is set to reach 2.37 Mn tonnes by 2016, up from 2.1 Mn tonnes in 2014. Nippon Shokubai Co. Ltd., BASF SE, and Evonik Industries are the dominant players in the global super absorbent polymer market, with Nippon Shokubai Co. Ltd. holding the largest revenue share in 2014. These findings are according to a research report, titled, Super Absorbent Polymer Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2020 by market research firm Future Market Insights (FMI).Key Players Focusing on Innovation to Gain Competitive EdgeKey stakeholders in the super absorbent polymer market are bolstering their research and development capabilities to launch innovative products in the market. For example, in November 2014, Sumitomo Seika launched Aqua Keep HP, a high-function SAP for making thin baby- and adult-diapers. BASE SE also made an announcement in November 2014 that it will invest nearly US$ 550 Mn in pioneering superabsorbent technology. Other key players including Evonik Industries and Nippon Shokubai are focusing on increasing SAP production.Disposable Diapers Largest Application Segment for Super Absorbent PolymersMajority of the global demand for super absorbent polymers is concentrated in three industries  disposable diapers, adult incontinence products, and female hygiene products.Request Report Sample@Disposable diapers is the largest end-use application segment for super absorbent polymers, accounting for nearly one-thirds of overall demand. FMI estimates demand from disposable diapers industry to reach 1.79 Mn tonnes in 2016, up from 1.59 Mn tonnes in 2014. In terms of revenues, disposable diapers segment is expected to account for US$ 5.81 Bn in 2016.Sodium polyacrylate co-polymers Account for Highest DemandSodium polyacrylate-based super absorbent polymers are preferred over poly acrylamide, ethylene-maleic anhydride, and polyvinyl alcohol co-polymers. Of the total 2.24 Mn tonnes of super absorbent polymers consumed in 2015, sodium polyacrylate co-polymers accounted for 1.45 Mn tonnes. FMI expects demand for poly acrylamide co-polymers to witness an increase in the future owing to their high water retention and non-toxic properties.Asia Pacific Excluding Japan Most Lucrative RegionDemand for super absorbent polymers was highest in Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), followed by Europe and North America.Send An Methodology@Demand for super absorbent polymers in APEJ is anticipated to reach 705 Mn tonnes by 2016, up from 666 Mn tonnes in 2015. Rising awareness levels and increase in purchasing power are the macro-economic factors driving the super absorbent polymers market in APEJ.Demand for super absorbent polymers in Europe -- the second largest market for super absorbent polymers globally  is expected to reach 645 Mn tonnes in 2016. By 2020, the Europe super absorbent polymer market is anticipated to reach US$ 2.6 Bn in revenues.The North America super absorbent polymers market was valued at 493.6 Mn tonnes in terms of volume in 2015. FMI estimates this to increase to 518 Mn tonnes by 2016. Demand for disposable diapers and other incontinence products has remained constant in North America in the past, owing to which demand for super absorbent polymers is expected to grow at a steady rate. By 2020, demand for super absorbent polymers is expected to reach 612 Mn tonnes in North America.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:
AxisDirect drives 20X engagement using Netcore Solutions Browser Push Notification Solution

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Prior to the BPN service adoption, AxisDirect struggled with engaging visitors on their websiteMumbai, 30th November, 2017: AxisDirect, subsidiary of Indias 3rd largest private sector bank - Axis Bank, today announced that it has been able to drive 20X engagement in less than 180 days utilising Browser Push Notification feature of Netcore Smartech platform.According to the report The path to 2020 published by The Economist Intelligence, global CMOs are betting that a personalised, efficient and consistent customer experience will translate into customer loyalty and brand value. Marketers listed raising customer loyalty and better brand perception as the two top benefits.Dharmesh Sinha, Chief Manager Marketing, Axis Securities on How AxisDirect dramatically improves user opt-ins by 20x with Browser Push Notifications using Netcore SmartechHowever, in the era of constant connectivity, almost 90% of the users browse websites as anonymous users. At the same time, consumers prefer to engage with marketing channels that lend themselves to personalising the customer experience. This raises a huge impediment to an engaging experience for the user as marketers are unable to dig deep insights related to customers preferences and choices.With over 15 lakh customers, AxisDirect is one of the fastest growing players in the industry and is among the top 5 players in terms of customer base. Despite its wide base of customers, AxisDirect faced a challenge: it wanted to identify and re-target the anonymous users browsing its website through a non-intrusive, cost-efficient but intelligent solution.Thus, it leveraged the two-decade-old expertise of marketing automation giant, Netcore Solution, which recommended AxisDirect to implement an opt-in based Browser Push Notification using Netcore Smartech. Consequently, in less than 180 days, the solution not only helped AxisDirect to get anonymous users back on the website but also help send important triggered Browser Notifications to their identified users.This is also a very non-intrusive technology as it has a double opt-in feature, doesnt coerce a customer to download any app, ad-blockers or pop-up blockers do not impact them, helps to cross-identify common users and improves customer experience across channels for a marketer implementing an omnichannel marketing strategy. The biggest advantage Axis Direct had was Browser Notification as a channel was on the same platform as other channels like Email, App Push notification, SMS etc. Thus allowing cross channel identification which improved the overall customer experience.Using the intelligent BPN of Netcore Smartech we re-targeted and sent triggered messages to our website visitors. We witnessed a whopping a whopping 20X jump in users opting-in for browser notifications as well as a 20X increase in the click on browser notifications. This helped us generate more traffic through returning users targeted through Browser Push Notifications, thus increasing our monthly traffic and providing a fillip to our lead generation activities as well, said Dharmesh Sinha, Chief Manager Marketing, Axis Securities.In the era of real-time marketing, it is important for marketers to engage with the right customer, on the right channel, at the right time. In contrast to app push notifications (which are limited to mobile devices), an effective BNP solution opens up the opportunity to reach out to customers both on browsers of mobile devices and desktops alike; even when they are not browsing your website. The results achieved by AxisDirect are phenomenal and sets a powerful precedent for including BPN as an effective communication channel in an effective CMOs marketing strategy, said Kalpit Jain, CEO, Netcore Solutions.To raise awareness on how Browser Push Notification, Netcore Solutions recently also released an eBook: Browser Push Notification  Does it have the power to be a game changer?For more information visit:Media contact:Supreeth SudhakaranMob#: 9920584295Email: supreeth.sudhakaran@adfactorspr.comAbout Netcore SolutionsNetcore is Indias leading Marketing Technology Company that offers solutions for enterprises that redefine Digital Marketing & Enterprise Communication. The first and leading Marketing Automation Solution Provider in India, Netcore was established in 1998 by Mr. Rajesh Jain, an internet pioneer. Netcores Digital Marketing suite includes Promotional and Transactional Email Marketing, Mobile Marketing and Marketing Automation solutions. Netcores Enterprise Communication suite includes on-premise and on cloud messaging and archiving solutions.Netcore serves a strong base of 3000+ enterprises across industry verticals, like Jet Airways, Thomas Cook, Clear Trip, HDFC, Kotak, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, UTI, Facebook, Reliance, Vodafone, Godrej , ITC, OLA, Pfizer, OLX along with International brands Seek Asia, Tokopedia, Blibli, Standard Chartered, FCMB, GT Bank and many more. Netcore, with its innovative marketing technology, delivers 5+ Billion emails a month, creating 7+ Billion Customer Connects (email/SMS/voice). Netcore is headquartered in Mumbai, India with an international presence and has an employee base of 450+ spread across 10 strategic locations.Netcore Solutions,Penisular Business Park,PB Marg, Lowe ParelMumbai
Borescopes Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Olympus, SKF, MORITEX, Lenox Instrument, AIT, Karl Storz and Others

Borescopes Market

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Global Borescopes market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely VIZAAR, Yateks, Gradient Lens, Lenox Instrument, AIT, Schindler, Olympus, GE, Karl Storz, SKF, MORITEX, Mitcorp and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.A borescope (occasionally called a boroscope, though this spelling is nonstandard) is an optical device consisting of a rigid or flexible tube with an eyepiece on one end, an objective lens on the other linked together by a relay optical system in between. The optical system in some instances is surrounded by optical fibers used for illumination of the remote object. An internal image of the illuminated object is formed by the objective lens and magnified by the eyepiece which presents it to the viewers eye.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Borescopes Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:OlympusGEKarl StorzSKFMORITEXMitcorpVIZAARYateksGradient LensLenox InstrumentAITSchindlerOthersGlobal Borescopes Market: Key Product TypeFlexible BorescopesRigid BorescopesOthersGlobal Borescopes Market: Key Application TypeGeneral IndustryAutomotiveAerospaceConstructionOthersGlobal Borescopes Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Borescopes Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Borescopes Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Borescopes Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Market Segment Overview1.1.1 Product Definition1.1.2 Market by Type1.1.2.1 Flexible Borescopes1.1.2.2 Rigid Borescopes1.1.3 Market by Application1.1.3.1 General Industry1.1.3.2 Automotive1.1.3.3 Aerospace1.1.3.4 Construction1.1.3.5 Others........................Continue (Global Borescopes Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Rosemary Extract 2017 EMEA Market: Key Players, Share, Trend, Segmentation and Forecast to 2022

Rosemary Extract Market

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Rosemary Extract Market 2017QY Research Groups.com Publish a New Market Research Report On - "Rosemary Extract Market 2017 EMEA Analysis, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies And Forecasts, 2017 To 2022".The Rosemary Extract Market provides detailed market segment level data on the international market. It also acts as a vital tool to industries active across the value chain and for new entrants by enabling them to take advantage of the opportunities and develop business strategies. This market report helps the companies to better understand the market trends and to grasp opportunities and articulate critical business strategies. The Rosemary Extract market report addresses growth patterns by company, regions, type, application and their forecast from 2017 to 2022.Get a Sample Report @Geographically, this report split EMEA into Europe, the Middle East and Africa, With sales (K MT), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Rosemary Extract for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast)Europe: Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Benelux;Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran;Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria.EMEA Rosemary Extract market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Rosemary Extract sales volume (K MT), price (USD/MT), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingDanisco(DuPont)KalsecKeminNaturexNutrafurFrutaromFLAVEX?Geneham PharmaceuticalChangsha E.K HERBDuyun LvyouOn the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume (K MT), revenue (Million USD), product price (USD/MT), market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoRosemary acidCarnosic acidUrsolic acidOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume (K MT), market share and growth rate of Rosemary Extract for each application, includingFood IndustryHousehold IndustryMedical IndustryOthersAsk Query @Table of Contents -1 Rosemary Extract Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Rosemary Extract1.2 Classification of Rosemary Extract1.2.1 EMEA Rosemary Extract Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 EMEA Rosemary Extract Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Rosemary acid1.2.4 Carnosic acid1.2.5 Ursolic acid1.3 EMEA Rosemary Extract Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 EMEA Rosemary Extract Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-20221.3.2 Food Industry1.3.3 Household Industry1.3.4 Medical Industry1.3.5 Others1.4 EMEA Rosemary Extract Market by Region1.4.1 EMEA Rosemary Extract Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Middle East Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Africa Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 EMEA Market Size (Value and Volume) of Rosemary Extract (2012-2022)1.5.1 EMEA Rosemary Extract Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 EMEA Rosemary Extract Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)6 EMEA Rosemary Extract Manufacturers/Players Profiles and Sales Data6.1 Danisco(DuPont)6.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.1.2 Rosemary Extract Product Type, Application and Specification6.1.2.1 Product A6.1.2.2 Product B6.1.3 Danisco(DuPont) Rosemary Extract Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.2 Kalsec6.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.2.2 Rosemary Extract Product Type, Application and Specification6.2.2.1 Product A6.2.2.2 Product B6.2.3 Kalsec Rosemary Extract Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.3 Kemin6.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.3.2 Rosemary Extract Product Type, Application and Specification6.3.2.1 Product A6.3.2.2 Product B6.3.3 Kemin Rosemary Extract Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.4 Naturex6.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.4.2 Rosemary Extract Product Type, Application and Specification6.4.2.1 Product A6.4.2.2 Product B6.4.3 Naturex Rosemary Extract Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.5 Nutrafur6.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.5.2 Rosemary Extract Product Type, Application and Specification6.5.2.1 Product A6.5.2.2 Product B6.5.3 Nutrafur Rosemary Extract Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.6 Frutarom6.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.6.2 Rosemary Extract Product Type, Application and Specification6.6.2.1 Product A6.6.2.2 Product B6.6.3 Frutarom Rosemary Extract Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.7 FLAVEX?6.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.7.2 Rosemary Extract Product Type, Application and Specification6.7.2.1 Product A6.7.2.2 Product B6.7.3 FLAVEX? Rosemary Extract Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.8 Geneham Pharmaceutical6.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.8.2 Rosemary Extract Product Type, Application and Specification6.8.2.1 Product A6.8.2.2 Product B6.8.3 Geneham Pharmaceutical Rosemary Extract Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.9 Changsha E.K HERB6.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.9.2 Rosemary Extract Product Type, Application and Specification6.9.2.1 Product A6.9.2.2 Product B6.9.3 Changsha E.K HERB Rosemary Extract Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.10 Duyun Lvyou6.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.10.2 Rosemary Extract Product Type, Application and Specification6.10.2.1 Product A6.10.2.2 Product B6.10.3 Duyun Lvyou Rosemary Extract Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.10.4 Main Business/Business OverviewAsk for Discount:About Us:QY Research Groups is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. QY Research Groups is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on Global industries, companies, products, and trends.Contact us:Email- sales@qyresearchgroups.comWeb-
Global Contactless PoS Terminals Market 2017 Key Players -Atmel, Qorvo, NXP Semiconductors, Raytheon, Reutech Communications, Silicon Laboratories,..

Contactless PoS Terminals Market

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Contactless PoS Terminals Market:WiseGuyReports.com adds Contactless PoS Terminals Market 2017 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2022reports to its database.Executive SummaryGeographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Contactless PoS Terminals in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesEUChinaJapanSouth KoreaTaiwanGlobal Contactless PoS Terminals market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingAtmel (US)Qorvo (US)NXP Semiconductors (Netherlands)Raytheon (US)Reutech Communications (New Germany)Silicon Laboratories (US)SMK Electronics (Japan)STMicroelectronics (Switzerland)Texas Instruments (US)Request Sample Report @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoWindows SystemAndroid SystemOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingSupermarkets and HypermarketsIndependent RetailersConvenience StoresSpecialist RetailersOtherIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.For further information on this report, visit -Table of ContentsGlobal Contactless PoS Terminals Market Research Report 20171 Contactless PoS Terminals Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Contactless PoS Terminals1.2 Contactless PoS Terminals Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Windows System1.2.4 Android System1.3 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Segment by Application1.3.1 Contactless PoS Terminals Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Supermarkets and Hypermarkets1.3.3 Independent Retailers1.3.4 Convenience Stores1.3.5 Specialist Retailers1.3.6 Other1.4 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 United States Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 EU Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 South Korea Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 Taiwan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Contactless PoS Terminals (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)2 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Contactless PoS Terminals Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Contactless PoS Terminals Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Contactless PoS Terminals Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Contactless PoS Terminals Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 United States Contactless PoS Terminals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 EU Contactless PoS Terminals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.7 China Contactless PoS Terminals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.8 Japan Contactless PoS Terminals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.9 South Korea Contactless PoS Terminals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.10 Taiwan Contactless PoS Terminals Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 United States Contactless PoS Terminals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 EU Contactless PoS Terminals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Contactless PoS Terminals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan Contactless PoS Terminals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 South Korea Contactless PoS Terminals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 Taiwan Contactless PoS Terminals Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)5 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)6 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Consumption and Market Share by Application (2012-2017)6.2 Global Contactless PoS Terminals Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2012-2017)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/CountriesContinuousBuy this Report @Contact Us:Norah Trentsales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US); +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone :+91 841 198 5042
The Growing Demand For Industrial Robots : Industry Insight

Industrial Robots

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Progressive Markets has published a report, titled, Global Industrial Robotics Market - Size, Trend, Share, Opportunity Analysis & Forecast, 2014-2025. As per the report, the global industrial robotics market is expected to register a CAGR of 10.1% from 2017 to 2025.The report offers a path to turn investments into meaningful outcomes, expand consumer base, and gain a leadership status in the global industry. It offers an extensive analysis of revenue generated by key segments in various geographies for the historic period, 2014-2016 and the forecast period, 2017-2025. Market size estimations are made to help market players and investors to devise strategies for growth.Access Full Summary at:Executive summary is offered in the research to help management executives, CEOs, and investors to gain a brief idea about the global industrial robotics market. Key findings and market attractiveness are discussed in the market to help them devise strategies for future based on those. Moreover, recent development trends are highlighted to outline progress of the global market. Competitive landscape is provided in the research to help them gain insights on current market conditions and devise strategies to gain competitive advantage.The market landscape of the global industrial robotics industry is offered based on drivers and restraints. Rise in demand for automation of industrial processes and availability of affordable & energy efficient robotics are driving forces of the market. The impact of these drivers is outlined in study to assist market players capitalize on opportunities presented by them. However, high costs of investment and installation are challenges market players need to overcome. These insights will facilitate companys planned growth strategies.Porters Five Forces Analysis is provided in the research based on parameters including bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, threat of substitutes, threat of new entrants, and industrial rivalry. These insights are helpful for business strategy development and determining level of competition in the industry. Moreover, research methodology adopted by research analysts is highlighted in the study. Primary and secondary research methods are implemented to gather and validate data and statistics.Do Inquiry for Sample report:Detailed segmentation of the global industrial robotics market is provided in the research based on type, industry, function and geography. Type segment is classified based on articulated, cartesian, SCARA, cylindrical, and others. Industry segment is bifurcated into automotive, electrical & electronics, chemical, rubber & plastics, machinery, food & beverages, precision & optics, and others. Functions analyzed in the report include soldering & welding, materials handling, assembling & disassembling, painting & dispensing, milling, cutting & processing, and others. Geographical breakdown of each segments is discussed for North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and LAMEA. Market share analysis of each segment in aforementioned regions is provided for the historic period and the forecast period with the help of tables and figures.Countries from each aforementioned region are also analyzed in the study. In North American region, U.S., Mexico, and Canada are countries discussed, however, U.K., Germany, France, and Rest of Europe are regions analyzed in the European region. China, India, Japan, South Korea, and rest of Asia-Pacific are regions discussed in the Asia-Pacific region. On the other hand, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and rest of LAMEA are countries explored for LAMEA.The report provides an extensive analysis of market players operating in the Global Industrial Robotics industry. A business overview and recent developments are highlighted. Moreover, financial and business segments of each company are outlined in the study. The top market players operating in the Global Industrial Robotics market include Kuka Robotics, Denso, Fanuc, Mitsubishi, Universal Robots, ABB Ltd., Adept Technology, Inc. Rockwell Automation, Inc. Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp., Yaskawa Electric Corp. This information is valuable for investors to determine investment pockets and market players to devise strategies to gain competitive edge.For customization on report:About Progressive:The company makes use of primary corporate research and secondary inputs from trusted sources to build its own reference base. It maintains consistency in quality as it keeps itself updated with changes in market dynamics and gauging its net effect on global business trends.Reach UsMr. Shriram Dighe4th Floor, Unit 12, Marisoft III,West Wing, Marigold IT Park,Kalyani Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411014,India: +91 20 66346040Toll Free: + 1-888-906-9222help@progressivemarkets.com
Automotive Adaptive Cruise Control Market Is Expected To Grow At A CAGR Of 8.56% By 2023

Automotive Adaptive Cruise Control Market

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Market Highlights:The current trend in automotive industry is the shift toward automation. Many manual transmission parts are replaced by automated transmitted components for better efficiency. The adaptive cruise control is the automated technology, which controls the speed of the vehicle by detecting the distance between two vehicles. The control of the speed will reduce the chance of accidents and improve the safety of the passenger. Adaptive cruise control is a trending technology in intelligent cars. The system uses different technology such as lidar, radar, laser and ultrasonic. The most common type of technology used is radar, which detects automatically the distance between the two vehicles. The adaptive cruise control warns the passenger by giving an alarm signal about over-speeding. In some cases, adaptive cruise control automatically applies brake to minimize the chances of accidents.Request a Sample Copy @On the basis of region, the market is segmented as North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. North America region is expected to dominate the adaptive cruise control market during the forecast period due to the increase in production of vehicles, and stringent government regulations. The increased use of adaptive cruise control in vehicles, has also led to the growth of the region. Different government administration such as The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have adopted some safety regulations in cars. These stringent regulations have led to the increased use of adaptive cruise control in the vehicle. Europe is expected to be the second largest market during the forecast period due to the increase in the sale of passenger and commercial vehicles. The increase in the sale of passenger and commercial vehicles have led to the growth of this market. Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period due to rise in the number of electric vehicles in China. The growing electric vehicle is expected to lead to increase in use of adaptive cruise control, which will ultimately result in the growth of the market during the forecast period.Key Players:The key players in automotive adaptive cruise control market are Autoliv Inc. (Sweden), Continental AG (Germany), Denso Corporation (Japan), Delphi Automotive PLC (U.K.), Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), Valeo SA (France), Hyundai Mobis (South Korea), ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Germany), Magna International Inc (Canada), Mando Corporation (South Korea), and others.Scope of the ReportThis study provides an overview of the global automotive adaptive cruise control market, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global automotive Adaptive Cruise Controls market by its technology, vehicle type, end-use, and regionBy Technology Lidar Radar Laser UltrasonicBy Vehicle Type Passenger Cars Commercial VehiclesBy End-use OEM AftermarketBy Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Rest of the WorldBrowse Full Report @Table of Content:1 Executive Summary2 Scope of the Report2.1 Market Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Definition2.2.2 Research Objective2.2.3 Assumptions2.2.4 Limitations2.3 Research Process2.3.1 Primary Research2.3.2 Secondary Research2.4 Market Size Estimation2.5 Forecast Model3 Market Landscape3.1 Porters Five Forces Analysis3.1.1 Threat of New Entrants3.1.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers3.1.3 Bargaining Power of Buyers3.1.4 Threat of Substitutes3.1.5 Segment RivalryContinueAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Market Research Future:Office No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Particleboard Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Associate Decor Limited, Panel World, Sahachai Particle Board, Roseburg, Kronospan-Worldwide, UPM, Boise Cascade and Others

Particleboard Market

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Global Particleboard market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Krifor Industries, Puuinfo Ltd, Kronospan-Worldwide, UPM, Segezga Group, Arauco, Sahachai Particle Board, Roseburg, Sierra Pine, D&R Henderson Pvt Ltd, Associate Decor Limited, Panel World, Boise Cascade, Siam Riso Wood Products, Green Land Particle Boards, Lampert Lumber and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Particleboard Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:RoseburgSierra PineD&R Henderson Pvt LtdAssociate Decor LimitedPanel WorldBoise CascadeSiam Riso Wood ProductsGreen Land Particle BoardsLampert LumberKrifor IndustriesPuuinfo LtdKronospan-WorldwideUPMSegezga GroupAraucoSahachai Particle BoardOthersGlobal Particleboard Market: Key Product TypeType 1Type 2Type 3OthersGlobal Particleboard Market: Key Application TypeConstructionFurnitureInfrastructureOthersGlobal Particleboard Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Particleboard Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Particleboard Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Particleboard Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Global Market Overview1.1 Scope of Statistics1.1.1 Scope of Products1.1.2 Scope of Manufacturers1.1.3 Scope of Application1.1.4 Scope of Regions/Countries1.2 Global Market Size2 Regional Market2.1 Regional Production2.2 Regional Demand2.3 Regional Trade3 Key Manufacturers3.1 Roseburg........................Continue (Global Particleboard Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Automotive Engine Market: Industry Analysis, Trends, Demand and Global Forecast to 2022

Automotive Engine Market

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Market Highlights:The growth of Global Automotive Engine market is greatly influenced by rising demand of high end luxury vehicles which is due to high disposable income among consumers. Additionally, stringency in the fuel economy norms has propelled the market growth compelling the manufacturers to develop better vehicles with overall performance and high fuel-efficiency.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Automotive Engine Market: Robert Bosch GmbH Continental AG Delphi Co. Denso Corporation Sensata Technologies Holding NV Hella KGAA Hueck & Co. Hitachi Ltd. Infineon Technologies AG NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd Stoneridge, IncMarket Research Analysis:The market is highly application based. The countries in the Europe region such as Germany exist to dominate the market owing to long established OEMs and well established automotive industry.On the basis of placement, L4 and V6 engines continue to dominate the market.On the basis of vehicle, LCV is the largest segment and acquires around 40% of the market share. Recent technological developments has raised the demand in the market.On the basis of fuel, Gasoline is preferred over diesel and other fuel types. Gasoline and diesel engines accounted for over 60% of the overall market by fuel type.On the basis of region, APAC dominates the market owing to strong base of automotive market in the developing economies of the region. The OEMs in these region have been focusing constantly to develop better fuel efficient vehicles.Brief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope of the study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis or Market Ecosystem3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Global Automotive Engine Market, By Placement4.1 Introduction4.2 In-Line Engine4.2.1 L44.2.2 L64.3 V-Type Engine4.3.1 V64.3.2 V84.3.3 Others5 Global Automotive Engine Market, By Fuel5.1 Introduction5.2 Gasoline5.3 Diesel5.4 OthersContinueScope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global automotive engine industry, tracking three market segment across six geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle-East & Africa, South America. The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global automotive engine market. Based on Engine placement, it is bifurcated as In-Line and V-Type. On the basis of Vehicle type it is segmented as Passenger Car, LCV, and HCV. On the basis of fuel type it is segmented as gasoline, diesel and others. On the basis of Region, it is segmented as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle-East & Africa and South AmericaAccess Report Details @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Aircraft Tire Market Is Expected To Grow At A CAGR Of 4.5% By 2022

Aircraft Tire Market

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Market Highlights:Aircraft tires are generally used in the performance of the aircraft. They are produced with different kind of materials such as steel, nylon cord, artificial and natural rubber and others. The strength of the tire is provided by casing plies. These are layer of fabric cord which are coated with hi-modulus rubber on both the side. There are different aircraft tire manufacturers who provides tire to civil and military segments so as to serve air force and naval force. The major factors which are responsible for the growth of aircraft tires market are increasing demand of aircraft, increase safety, frequent replacement of tires, demand for advance and new airlines and rise in traffic due to increasing passenger. Due to network expansion and fuel efficient aircraft, there is an increasing demand for aircraft.Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecasted period due to increasing demand of commercial airlines in these region and increasing government spending for infrastructure development, liberalization and GDP growth. The rising air traffic in Asia-Pacific results in the growth of these region. Various critical factors which has resulted in the growth of these region are adopting wide-bodied aircrafts, rising passenger traffic, growing demand for aircraft that are fuel efficient.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Aircraft Tire Market: Aviation Tires & Treads LLC Bridgestone Corporation Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin Sca Desser Tire & Rubber Co. LLC Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Ltd. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Petlas Tire Corporation Qingdao Sentury Tire Co., Ltd. Specialty Tires of America Wilkerson Company, Inc. (Wco)Market Research Analysis:The market is highly based on application. Commercial segment based on application has dominated the aircraft tires market because of the requirement from the commercial aircraft manufacturer to improve the operation of the aircraft efficiency. This can be done by overall reducing the weight of the tires. There is the need for more aircraft in the commercial sector due to rise in air traffic and increasing need for connectivity among destination.The factors that are contributing towards the growth of aircraft tires market are increasing demand of aircraft, increase safety, frequent replacement of tires, demand for advance and new airlines and rise in traffic due to increasing passenger.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global aircraft tires market, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global aircraft tires market by its product type, application and region.By Product Type Radial BiasBy Application Commercial DefenseBy Region North America Europe Asia-Pacific ROWBrief TOC for Aircraft Tire Market:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope of the Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Global Aircraft Tire Market, By Product Type4.1 Radial4.2 Bias5 Global Aircraft Tire Market, By Application5.1 Introduction5.2 Commercial5.3 DefenseContinueBrowse Full Report @Intended Audience: Aircraft tire manufacturers Distributer & Supplier companies End Users Consultants and Investment bankers Government as well as Independent Regulatory AuthoritiesAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Global SiC Power Devices Market Status and Forecast 2022 by Players, Types and Applications

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https://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/2017-2022-sic-power-devices-report-on-global-and-united-states-market-status-and-forecast-by-players-types-and-applications.htm/toc

Qyresearchreports include new market research report "2017-2022 SiC Power Devices Report on Global and United States Market, Status and Forecast, by Players, Types and Applications" to its huge collection of research reports.The global SiC Power Devices market has been profoundly researched in the publication with special focus on important factors such as growth drivers, restraints, and opportunities. Each factor shaping the dynamics of the market has been comprehensively analyzed by the researchers, so as to offer the best and most evaluative study for the report buyers. The snapshot or executive summary provided in the publication have been designed to give a quick overview of the market for receiving information on the go. This could help readers with hands-on data needed to make quick decisions anytime during their growth journey in the market.The segmentation study offered in the publication explores some of the most significant segments of the global SiC Power Devices market deemed important for the growth of industry participants. All of the segments studied in the publication have been deeply analyzed with the help of the best research techniques. The analysts have shed light on vital factors influencing the growth of the segments. Using this crucial information, companies could rightly shape their business plans in the favor of the betterment of their growth in the market. Segments that have been analyzed in the publication could be related to product, end use, application, and geography.Request a free sample PDF of this research to evaluate more:North America, especially The United States, will still play an important role which cannot be ignored. Any changes from United States might affect the development trend of SiC Power Devices. United States plays an important role in global market, with market size of xx million USD in 2016 and will be xx million USD in 2022, with a CAGR of XX.The major players in global and United States SiC Power Devices market, including ROHM Semiconductor, Infineon, Mitsubishi Electric Corp, STMicroelectronics N.V., Toshiba Corp, Fuji Electric Co Ltd, International Rectifier, ON Semiconductor Corp.The competitive scenario of the global SiC Power Devices market has been analyzed by research experts holding a keen understanding of the industry and top competitors. The publication has studied some of the important names in the market based on their share, recent developments, business strategies, product portfolio, and other vital factors. The vendor landscape study has been prudently presented by the analysts for readers to become easily familiar with competitive situations of the market.On the whole, it could be said that the publication is a brilliant presentation of the global SiC Power Devices market capable of guiding players in the right direction.Table of Contents1 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 Source1.3 Disclaimer2 SiC Power Devices Market Overview2.1 SiC Power Devices Product Overview2.2 SiC Power Devices Market Segment by Type2.3 Global SiC Power Devices Product Segment by Type2.4 United States SiC Power Devices Product Segment by TypeTo Browse a Full Report with TOC:7 SiC Power Devices Players/Manufacturers Profiles and Sales Data7.1 ROHM Semiconductor7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors7.1.2 SiC Power Devices Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.3 ROHM Semiconductor SiC Power Devices Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Infineon7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors7.2.2 SiC Power Devices Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.3 Infineon SiC Power Devices Sales (K Units), Revenue (Million USD), Price (USD/Unit) and Gross Margin (%) (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business OverviewList of Tables and FiguresTable Research Programs/Design for This ReportFigure Bottom-up and Top-down Approaches for This ReportFigure Global SiC Power Devices Revenue (Million USD) Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Figure United States SiC Power Devices Revenue (Million USD) Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Figure Global SiC Power Device Module Sales (K Units) and Growth Rate (%) (2012-2017)Figure Global SiC Power Device Diodes Sales (K Units) and Growth Rate (%) (2012-2017)Figure Global Type 3 Sales (K Units) and Growth Rate (%) (2012-2017)Table Global SiC Power Devices Sales (K Units) and Growth Rate (%) Comparison by Types (2012, 2016 and 2022)Table United States SiC Power Devices Sales (K Units) and Growth Rate (%) Comparison by Types (2012, 2016 and 2022)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact US:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Growth Prospects of Global Distribution Voltage Regulator Market During 2017 - 2025

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A distribution voltage regulator is a step-voltage regulator which is generally used to control the voltage either on the main feeder coming out of the substation or on the laterals of the main feeder. The distribution voltage regulators receive an incoming voltage, which might vary depending on load conditions, and provides a constant output voltage. Distribution voltage regulators are generally of three types- ferroresonant, tap-switching and electronic.A sample of this report is available upon request @Ferroresonant regulators are the earliest form of regulators. They operates in the saturation region of the transformer design for regulating voltage. Ferroresonant regulators are generally used under single phase conditions, primarily for their cost effectiveness and overall high level of protection. Tap-switching regulators automatically switch taps on the isolation transformer for regulating line voltage. Tap-switching regulators have fast correction time and high efficiency rating. Additionally, they can accommodate higher KVA rated systems into small enclosures. Electronic regulators are often conjointly used with a power transformer as a shield for all types of power problems except power outages. It offers the most stringent regulation among the three types of regulators. In addition, delivers more efficient fault clearing current to breakers further downstream. Electronic regulators are best utilized in industrial setups having motor loads and high inrush devices.The increasing demand for power has been the main factor which attributed to the growth of the distribution voltage regulators market. Governments across the globe, especially in emerging markets such as India and China among others, are in constant pursuit of upgrading their domestic power networks and developing smart grid infrastructure to meet the increasing demand for electricity. In order to install and upgrade new and existing transmission and distribution (T&D) networks, governments of both developed and developing countries have planned to invest huge amount during the forecast period. Such investments are boosting the global distribution voltage regulator market since voltage fluctuations are required to be stabilized for providing uninterrupted electricity supply. The growth in utility and industrial infrastructure investment has also positively impacted the market. Utility companies are utilizing distribution voltage regulators to increase power demand during off-peak periods apart from meeting the demand for power requirement during peak periods.However, the requirement of high initial investment for installing distribution voltage regulator is a major restraining factor of this market. Increasing prices of raw materials are also leading to the increase in the price of these equipments. Additionally, lack of uniform standards of distribution voltage regulators is negatively impacting this market. Advancement in regulator technology and also production process can help to overcome the challenges mentioned above. Deploying greater technological advancements can be considered as opportunity for distribution voltage regulator market. By deploying technological advancements, efficiency of distribution voltage regulators in terms of T&D loss reduction can be increased.The global distribution voltage regulator market can be segmented, by type, into ferroresonant, tap-switching and electronic. The distribution voltage regulator market can be further segmented, based on end user, into industrial, commercial and residential. Furthermore, the distribution voltage regulator market can be geographically segmented into four broad regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC) and the rest of the world.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the key companies leading the distribution voltage regulator market are ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Belotti Variatori SRL (Italy), Daihen Corporation (Japan), Eaton Corporation Plc. (Ireland), General Electric Co. (US), Howard Industries Inc. (US), J.Schneider Elektrotechnik Gmbh (Germany), Siemens AG (Germany), Toshiba Corporation (Japan) and Utility Systems Technologies (South Africa) 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
Automotive Tire Market Is Expected To Grow At A CAGR Of 5.5% By 2022

Automotive Tire Market

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https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/automotive-tire-market-2253

Market Highlights:The rise in disposable income and the standard of living of consumers is leading to the increase in sales of cars which directly leads to the growth of the automotive tire market. The introduction of advanced technology in the tire manufacturing is also contributing in the growth of the market. The increase in the operating life of automobiles raises the need of changing the tire during the life of the vehicle. This leads to the increase in sales of the tire manufacturers thereby, driving the growth of the industry. The existence of large number of players in the market and the low differentiation in the process of tire manufacturing creates intense competition among the existing players. This leads the automotive tire market to be nearly stable in terms of pricing by the suppliers.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Automotive Tire Market: Continental AG (Germany) Cooper & Rubber Company (U.S.) Hankook Co. Ltd. (South Korea) Goodyear & Rubber Company (U.S.) Michelin Group(France) Pirelli & C. S.p.A.(Italy) Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (Japan) Bridgestone Corporation (japan), Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. (Japan) Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd.(Japan)Market Research Analysis:Based on the end market, aftermarket is expected to be the highest growing segment. The increase in the average life of the vehicle in operation and the high economic growth in developing nations are expected to drive the sales of the automobile tires globally. This is expected to eventually drive the growth of the aftermarket.Asia-Pacific region is expected to dominate the automotive tire market with highest CAGR due to the volume of production and adoption of automobiles in the region. The rapid and huge investments by industry players of the region are further expected to spur the growth here. The improvement in the economic conditions of developing nations in the region is expected to drive the Asia- pacific automotive tire market.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the Global Automotive tire market, tracking four market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the Global Automotive tire market by its type, section width, end market, application and region.By Type Radial Bias/cross plyBy Section Width 230mmBy End Market OEMs After marketBy Application Passenger cars Commercial vehicleBy Region North America Asia Pacific Europe Rest of the WorldBrief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope of the Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Global Automotive tire market, By Type4.1 Radial4.2 Bias/cross ply5 Global Automotive tire market, By Section width5.1 Introduction5.2 230mmContinueAccess Report Details @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Global and United States Packaging Printing Industry Key Trends, Size, Growth, Shares And Forecast Research Report 2017-2022

Packaging Printing

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global and United States Packaging Printing 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 Packaging Printing industry.Major CompaniesEastman Kodak Co. (U.S.)Quantum Print and Packaging Ltd. (U.K.)Toppan Printing co, ltd. (Japan)Quad/Graphics Inc. (U.S.)Traco Manufacturing, Inc. (U.S.)HP Inc. (U.S.)E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (U.S.)Xerox Corporation (U.S.)WS Packaging Group, Inc. (U.S.)Mondi plc (South Africa)Packaging Printing Minnesota Pioneer Packaging & Printing (US)Xeikon N.V. (Netherlands)Novus Imprint Solutions (India)Cai Cheng Color Printing Factory (China)New Hip Lik Packaging Products (China)To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Key RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCaliforniaTexasNew YorkOthersCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersMain types of productsPackaging Printing Market, by Printing InkSolvent- basedUV-curableAqueousOthersPackaging Printing Market, by Printing TechnologyFlexography printingRotogravure printingOffset printingDigital printingScreen PrintingPackaging Printing Market, by MaterialsLabelsPaper & paperboardPlasticMetalsOthersPackaging Printing Market, by Key ConsumersFood & beveragePharmaceuticalsHousehold & cosmetic productsOthersMake an Enquiry of this report @Table of ContentsGlobal and United States Packaging Printing In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022Chapter One Global Packaging Printing Market Overview1.1 Global Packaging Printing Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20171.2 Packaging Printing, by Printing Ink 2012-20171.2.1 Global Packaging Printing Sales Market Share by Printing Ink 2012-20171.2.2 Global Packaging Printing Revenue Market Share by Printing Ink 2012-20171.2.3 Global Packaging Printing Price by Printing Ink 2012-20171.2.4 Solvent- based1.2.5 UV-curable1.2.6 Aqueous1.2.7 Others1.3 Packaging Printing, by Printing Technology 2012-20171.3.1 Global Packaging Printing Sales Market Share by Printing Technology 2012-20171.3.2 Global Packaging Printing Revenue Market Share by Printing Technology 2012-20171.3.3 Global Packaging Printing Price by Printing Technology 2012-20171.3.4 Flexography printing1.3.5 Rotogravure printing1.3.6 Offset printing1.3.7 Digital printing1.3.8 Screen Printing1.4 Packaging Printing, by Materials 2012-20171.4.1 Global Packaging Printing Sales Market Share by Materials 2012-20171.4.2 Global Packaging Printing Revenue Market Share by Materials 2012-20171.4.3 Global Packaging Printing Price by Materials 2012-20171.4.4 Labels1.4.5 Paper & paperboard1.4.6 Plastic1.4.7 Metals1.4.8 OthersChapter Two United States Packaging Printing Market Overview2.1 United States Packaging Printing Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20172.2 Packaging Printing, by Printing Ink 2012-20172.2.1 United States Packaging Printing Sales Market Share by Printing Ink 2012-20172.2.2 United States Packaging Printing Revenue Market Share by Printing Ink 2012-20172.2.3 United States Packaging Printing Price by Printing Ink 2012-20172.2.4 Solvent- based2.2.5 UV-curable2.2.6 Aqueous2.2.7 Others2.3 Packaging Printing, by Printing Technology 2012-20172.3.1 United States Packaging Printing Sales Market Share by Printing Technology 2012-20172.3.2 United States Packaging Printing Revenue Market Share by Printing Technology 2012-20172.3.3 United States Packaging Printing Price by Printing Technology 2012-20172.3.4 Flexography printing2.3.5 Rotogravure printing2.3.6 Offset printing2.3.7 Digital printing2.3.8 Screen Printing2.4 Packaging Printing, by Materials 2012-20172.4.1 United States Packaging Printing Sales Market Share by Materials 2012-20172.4.2 United States Packaging Printing Revenue Market Share by Materials 2012-20172.4.3 United States Packaging Printing Price by Materials 2012-20172.4.4 Labels2.4.5 Paper & paperboard2.4.6 Plastic2.4.7 Metals2.4.8 OthersChapter Three Packaging Printing by Regions 2012-20173.1 Global Packaging Printing Sales Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.2 Global Packaging Printing Revenue Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.3 Global Packaging Printing 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 Packaging Printing by Companies 2012-20174.1 Global Packaging Printing Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20174.2 Global Packaging Printing Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20174.3 Global Top Companies Packaging Printing Key Product Model and Market Performance4.4 Global Top Companies Packaging Printing Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Five United States Packaging Printing by Companies 2012-20175.1 United States Packaging Printing Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20175.2 United States Packaging Printing Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20175.3 United States Top Companies Packaging Printing Key Product Model and Market Performance5.4 United States Top Companies Packaging Printing Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Six Global Packaging Printing by Consumer 2012-20176.1 Global Packaging Printing Sales Market Share by Consumer 2012-20176.2 Food & beverage6.3 Pharmaceuticals6.4 Household & cosmetic products6.5 Others6.6 Consuming Habit and PreferenceContinue...Make 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 @
Industrial Vehicles Market Trends, Demand, Analysis & Global Forecast 2022

Industrial Vehicles Market

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Market Scenario:Industrial vehicle can be defined as any vehicle which is useful to carry, push, pull, lift, stack or tier materials for use in industries. The various types of industrial vehicles are used by different industries such as tow tractors, utility vehicles, burden carriers and stock chasers among others. Industrial vehicles facilitate the movement of goods efficiently and safely with no or very low emissions.The Industrial Vehicles Market is majorly driven by the increase in the number of huge warehouses set up by the e-commerce companies such as Amazon, eBay and others. These e-commerce warehouses majorly require the industrial vehicles to stack up large quantities of the products and also transportation of the stocked goods from the warehouse to the end user in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The market is also driven by the increase in use of battery operated industrial vehicles with increasing awareness about the environment and with the government regulations for controlling the carbon-dioxide emissions from industrial vehicles. The increase in the fuel prices is expected to boom the sales of the fuel efficient industrial vehicles such as battery operated industrial vehicles. The increase in need of transporting the temperature sensitive products fuel the demand of refrigerated industrial vehicles.Request for a Sample Copy @Key Players:The key players of Industrial vehicles market are Anhui Heli Co., Ltd (China), Crown Equipment Corporation (U.S.), Hangcha Group Co. Ltd. (China), Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc.(U.S.), Jungheinrich AG (Germany), Kion Group AG (Germany), Konecranes plc. (Finland), Mitsubishi Nichiyu Forklift Co., Ltd. (Japan), Toyota Industries Corporation (Japan) and others.Brief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope of the Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Global Industrial Vehicle Market, By Product type4.1 Forklift4.2 Tow Tractor4.3 Aisle Truck4.4 Container Handler4.5 OthersContinueBrowse Full Report @Regional Analysis of Industrial Vehicle Market:Asia pacific is expected to be the largest region of global industrial vehicle market with the high growth of the automobile sector in the developing nations of the region. The rapid industrialization in the region is leading to the increase in need of using industrial vehicles for better transportation of finished goods & raw materials and its storage at warehouses. The growth will be followed by the North America and the Europe region as the concept of driverless industrial vehicles is gaining popularity in the region which has led to cost efficiency.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Global and United States Care Management Solutions 2017-2022 | Now Available at Researchmoz.us

Care Management Solutions

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global and United States Care Management Solutions 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 Care Management Solutions industry.Major Companiesllscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (U.S.)TriZetto Corporation (U.S.)Phytel Inc. (U.S.)EXL Healthcare (U.S.)AxisPoint Health (U.S.)Wellcentive, Inc. (U.S.)Medecision, Inc. (U.S.)ZeOmega Inc. (U.S.)i2i Systems, Inc. (U.S.)HealthSmart Holdings, Inc. (U.S.)Pegasystems Inc. (U.S.)Epic Corporation Inc. (U.S.)Harmony Information Systems, Inc. (U.S.)Yzgo (China)Ewell Technology (China)Shangdong Sheng Di Information Technology Co., Ltd (China)To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Key RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCaliforniaTexasNew YorkOthersCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersMain types of productsCare Management Solutions Market, by ComponentSoftwareServicesCare Management Solutions Market, by Delivery ModeWeb-basedCloud-basedCare Management Solutions Market, by Key ConsumersChronic Care ManagementCase ManagementDisease ManagementUtilization ManagementGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @Table of ContentsGlobal and United States Care Management Solutions In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022Chapter One Global Care Management Solutions Market Overview1.1 Global Care Management Solutions Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20171.2 Care Management Solutions, by Component 2012-20171.2.1 Global Care Management Solutions Sales Market Share by Component 2012-20171.2.2 Global Care Management Solutions Revenue Market Share by Component 2012-20171.2.3 Global Care Management Solutions Price by Component 2012-20171.2.4 Software1.2.5 Services1.3 Care Management Solutions, by Delivery Mode 2012-20171.3.1 Global Care Management Solutions Sales Market Share by Delivery Mode 2012-20171.3.2 Global Care Management Solutions Revenue Market Share by Delivery Mode 2012-20171.3.3 Global Care Management Solutions Price by Delivery Mode 2012-20171.3.4 Web-based1.3.5 Cloud-basedChapter Two United States Care Management Solutions Market Overview2.1 United States Care Management Solutions Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20172.2 Care Management Solutions, by Component 2012-20172.2.1 United States Care Management Solutions Sales Market Share by Component 2012-20172.2.2 United States Care Management Solutions Revenue Market Share by Component 2012-20172.2.3 United States Care Management Solutions Price by Component 2012-20172.2.4 Software2.2.5 Services2.3 Care Management Solutions, by Delivery Mode 2012-20172.3.1 United States Care Management Solutions Sales Market Share by Delivery Mode 2012-20172.3.2 United States Care Management Solutions Revenue Market Share by Delivery Mode 2012-20172.3.3 United States Care Management Solutions Price by Delivery Mode 2012-20172.3.4 Web-based2.3.5 Cloud-basedChapter Three Care Management Solutions by Regions 2012-20173.1 Global Care Management Solutions Sales Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.2 Global Care Management Solutions Revenue Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.3 Global Care Management Solutions 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 Care Management Solutions by Companies 2012-20174.1 Global Care Management Solutions Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20174.2 Global Care Management Solutions Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20174.3 Global Top Companies Care Management Solutions Key Product Model and Market Performance4.4 Global Top Companies Care Management Solutions Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Five United States Care Management Solutions by Companies 2012-20175.1 United States Care Management Solutions Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20175.2 United States Care Management Solutions Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20175.3 United States Top Companies Care Management Solutions Key Product Model and Market Performance5.4 United States Top Companies Care Management Solutions Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Six Global Care Management Solutions by Consumer 2012-20176.1 Global Care Management Solutions Sales Market Share by Consumer 2012-20176.2 Chronic Care Management6.3 Case Management6.4 Disease Management6.5 Utilization Management6.6 Consuming Habit and PreferenceContinue...Make 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 @
Glazing For Automotive Market Is Predicted To Grow At A CAGR Of 16 % By 2022

Glazing for Automotive Market

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Market Highlights:The glazing for automotive market is growing rapidly, owing to factors such as improved balanced climate and increased privacy, comfort, & reduced energy demands of customers. The factors such as increased security and enhanced aesthetics are expected to be factors that drive the glazing for automotive market demand. The demand of the market is further expected to be driven by the integration of ultraviolet filter glass which can help in considerably extending the life of material and fabrics of the automobile. However, cost and complexity pertaining to glazing are projected to hinder the growth of the market.Request for a Sample Copy @Key Players:The key players of Glazing for automotive market are Pilkington Group Limited, Research Frontiers, American Glass Products, Fuyao Glass Industry Group Co. Ltd, Asahi Glass Co Ltd., Central Glass Co. Ltd., Guardian Industries Corporation, NordGlass, Pittsburgh Glass Works, LLC, Nippon Sheet Glass Company Ltd. and others.Market Research Analysis:Based on the advanced applications, hydrophobic glazing segment is expected to be the highest growing segment for glazing for automotive market, owing to features such as self-cleaning, reducing the foam in showers on the automobile windows. Other features such as anti-fogging, and acid resistance are also contributing to the growth of hydrophobic glazing for automotive.Asia-Pacific region is expected to dominate the glazing for automotive market with the highest CAGR. Developing nations, in the region such as China and India are exhibiting a considerable growth due to growing health & safety concerns. The increase in demand of automotive due to the rise in the purchasing power, is also expected to contribute to the growth of this region.Browse Full Report @Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the Global Glazing for automotive market, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the Global Glazing for automotive market by its application, advanced application, vehicle type and region.By Application Sidelite Sunroof Backlite LightingBy Advanced Application Large Windscreen SunControl Hydrophobic Glazing HUDBy Vehicle Type On-Highway Vehicles Off-Highway VehiclesBy Region North America Asia Pacific Europe Rest of the WorldList of Tables:Table 1 Global Glazing For Automotive Market, By ApplicationTable 2 Global Glazing For Automotive Market, By Advanced ApplicationTable 3 Global Glazing For Automotive Market, By Vehicle TypeTable 4 Global Glazing For Automotive Market, By RegionsTable 5 North America Glazing For Automotive Market, By CountryTable 6 North America Glazing For Automotive Market, By ApplicationTable 7 North America Glazing For Automotive Market, By Advanced ApplicationContinueAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Carbon Fiber Tape Global and United States Industry Key Trends, Size, Growth, Shares And Forecast Research Report 2017-2022

Carbon Fiber Tape

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global and United States Carbon Fiber Tape 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 Carbon Fiber Tape industry.Major CompaniesZoltek Corporation (US)Teijin Limited (Japan)Hexcel Corporation (US)Royal TenCate (Netherlands)Mitsubishi Rayon Carbon Fibers and Composites (Japan)Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Saudi Arabia)Evonik Industries (Germany)SGL Group (Germany)Royal DSM (Netherlands)Solvay (Belgium)3M (US)PRF Composite Materials (UK)Park Electrochemicals (US)TCR Composites (US)Victrex (UK)Sigmatex (UK)Rock West Composite (US)Celanese Corporation (US)BASF SE (DE)Cristex (UK)Eurocarbon (NL)Siltex (DE)Hughes Brothers (US)To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Key RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCaliforniaTexasNew YorkOthersCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersMain types of productsCarbon Fiber Tape Market, by Form TypePrepreg TapeDry TapeCarbon Fiber Tape Market, by Resin TypeEpoxyPolyamideBismaleimideThermoplasticOthersCarbon Fiber Tape Market, by Manufacturing ProcessHot MeltSolvent DipCarbon Fiber Tape Market, by Key ConsumersAerospaceMarinePipe & TankSporting GoodsConstruction & InfrastructureOthersGet Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @Table of ContentsGlobal and United States Carbon Fiber Tape In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022Chapter One Global Carbon Fiber Tape Market Overview1.1 Global Carbon Fiber Tape Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20171.2 Carbon Fiber Tape, by Form Type 2012-20171.2.1 Global Carbon Fiber Tape Sales Market Share by Form Type 2012-20171.2.2 Global Carbon Fiber Tape Revenue Market Share by Form Type 2012-20171.2.3 Global Carbon Fiber Tape Price by Form Type 2012-20171.2.4 Prepreg Tape1.2.5 Dry Tape1.3 Carbon Fiber Tape, by Resin Type 2012-20171.3.1 Global Carbon Fiber Tape Sales Market Share by Resin Type 2012-20171.3.2 Global Carbon Fiber Tape Revenue Market Share by Resin Type 2012-20171.3.3 Global Carbon Fiber Tape Price by Resin Type 2012-20171.3.4 Epoxy1.3.5 Polyamide1.3.6 Bismaleimide1.3.7 Thermoplastic1.3.8 Others1.4 Carbon Fiber Tape, by Manufacturing Process 2012-20171.4.1 Global Carbon Fiber Tape Sales Market Share by Manufacturing Process 2012-20171.4.2 Global Carbon Fiber Tape Revenue Market Share by Manufacturing Process 2012-20171.4.3 Global Carbon Fiber Tape Price by Manufacturing Process 2012-20171.4.4 Hot Melt1.4.5 Solvent DipChapter Two United States Carbon Fiber Tape Market Overview2.1 United States Carbon Fiber Tape Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20172.2 Carbon Fiber Tape, by Form Type 2012-20172.2.1 United States Carbon Fiber Tape Sales Market Share by Form Type 2012-20172.2.2 United States Carbon Fiber Tape Revenue Market Share by Form Type 2012-20172.2.3 United States Carbon Fiber Tape Price by Form Type 2012-20172.2.4 Prepreg Tape2.2.5 Dry Tape2.3 Carbon Fiber Tape, by Resin Type 2012-20172.3.1 United States Carbon Fiber Tape Sales Market Share by Resin Type 2012-20172.3.2 United States Carbon Fiber Tape Revenue Market Share by Resin Type 2012-20172.3.3 United States Carbon Fiber Tape Price by Resin Type 2012-20172.3.4 Epoxy2.3.5 Polyamide2.3.6 Bismaleimide2.3.7 Thermoplastic2.3.8 Others2.4 Carbon Fiber Tape, by Manufacturing Process 2012-20172.4.1 United States Carbon Fiber Tape Sales Market Share by Manufacturing Process 2012-20172.4.2 United States Carbon Fiber Tape Revenue Market Share by Manufacturing Process 2012-20172.4.3 United States Carbon Fiber Tape Price by Manufacturing Process 2012-20172.4.4 Hot Melt2.4.5 Solvent DipChapter Three Carbon Fiber Tape by Regions 2012-20173.1 Global Carbon Fiber Tape Sales Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.2 Global Carbon Fiber Tape Revenue Market Share by Regions 2012-20173.3 Global Carbon Fiber Tape 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 Carbon Fiber Tape by Companies 2012-20174.1 Global Carbon Fiber Tape Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20174.2 Global Carbon Fiber Tape Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20174.3 Global Top Companies Carbon Fiber Tape Key Product Model and Market Performance4.4 Global Top Companies Carbon Fiber Tape Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Five United States Carbon Fiber Tape by Companies 2012-20175.1 United States Carbon Fiber Tape Sales Volume Market Share by Companies 2012-20175.2 United States Carbon Fiber Tape Revenue Share by Companies 2012-20175.3 United States Top Companies Carbon Fiber Tape Key Product Model and Market Performance5.4 United States Top Companies Carbon Fiber Tape Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Six Global Carbon Fiber Tape by Consumer 2012-20176.1 Global Carbon Fiber Tape Sales Market Share by Consumer 2012-20176.2 Aerospace6.3 Marine6.4 Pipe & Tank6.5 Sporting Goods6.6 Construction & Infrastructure6.7 Others6.8 Consuming Habit and PreferenceContinue...Make 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 @
Heating Pad Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 PureRelief, Thermalon, BodyMed, Chattanooga Medical Supply, Walgreens, PureRelief, Drive Medical, Conair, Sunbeam and Others

Heating Pad Market

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Global Heating Pad market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Kaz, Beady Heat Therapy, BodyMed, Chattanooga Medical Supply, Sunny Bay, Thrive, Beurer, Conair, Sunbeam, Carex, Walgreens, PureRelief, Thermalon, Milliard, Nature Creation, Drive Medical and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.A heating pad is a pad used for warming of parts of the body(necks ,backs, etc.) in order to manage pain. Applying heat can reduce pain, relax tight muscles, and control muscle spasms. There are several types of heating pads, including microwavable, chemical and electric, within these categories are moist and dry heat options.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Heating Pad Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:SunbeamCarexWalgreensPureReliefThermalonMilliardNature CreationDrive MedicalKazBeady Heat TherapyBodyMedChattanooga Medical SupplySunny BayThriveBeurerConairOthersGlobal Heating Pad Market: Key Product TypeMicrowavable Heating PadsElectric Heating PadsChemical Heating PadsOthersGlobal Heating Pad Market: Key Application TypeHome UseMedical UseCommercial UseOthersGlobal Heating Pad Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Heating Pad Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Heating Pad Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Heating Pad Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Market Segment Overview1.1.1 Product Definition1.1.2 Market by Type1.1.2.1 Microwavable Heating Pads1.1.2.2 Electric Heating Pads1.1.2.3 Chemical Heating Pads1.1.3 Market by Application1.1.3.1 Home Use1.1.3.2 Medical Use1.1.3.3 Commercial Use1.1.3.4 Other Use........................Continue (Global Heating Pad Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Global Cow Cheese Market Professional Survey Report 2017 : Fonterra, Arla foods, Dairy Cres

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Cow Cheese Market Professional Survey Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.This report on the global Cow Cheese market, compiled by a group of professional market research analysts, aspires to serve as a credible business tool for the stockholders, representing the current scenario of the market as well as future prospects. The report has been produced using proven research methodologies and offers qualitative and quantitative analysis of all major factors that may influence the demand in the global Cow Cheese market. To gauge the potential of smaller aspects of the Cow Cheese market, the report has segmented it on the basis of application, end users, products, services, types, and others, whichever applicable. It also takes stock of the prospects of Cow Cheese market in all important regions across the globe, such as North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). For each region, the report presents the potential of the Cow Cheese market by assessing their demand percentage, growth prospects, and related government policies.To present a clear study of the revenue available in the global Cow Cheese market, the report carefully segments it into smaller yet significant chunks, such geographically, product type, services and others. The report also provides the values of each of these segments and individual growth rates during the forecast period. The dominant as well as emerging trends have been picked out. With handful of tables, charts, and graphs, the report carries extensive pictorial representation to support its findings.Get Research Summary Of The Report:This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringDevondale Murray GoulburnFonterraLeprino FoodsArla foodsCalabro Cheese CorporationDairy CresGlanbia FoodsDupont CheeseFairfield & Greenwich CheeseOne of the noteworthy feature of the report is the chapter on company profiles, wherein a number of leading vendors have been analyzed in order to understand the competitive landscape existing in the global Cow Cheese market, as well as detect the chances of entry for the new players. In this section, the report picks out the top three and top five companies in Cow Cheese market, and analyzes their recent strategic decisions such as mergers and acquisitions, collaborations, new product announcements, and investment in research and development. For each company, the report provides information such as business sales price, margin, and market share.Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Cow Cheese1.1 Definition and Specifications of Cow Cheese1.1.1 Definition of Cow Cheese1.1.2 Specifications of Cow Cheese1.2 Classification of Cow Cheese1.3 Applications of Cow Cheese1.4 Market Segment by Regions2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Cow Cheese2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Cow Cheese2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Cow Cheese2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Cow CheeseView TOC (table of content) of the Report:8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Cow Cheese8.1 Devondale Murray Goulburn8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.3 Devondale Murray Goulburn 2016 Cow Cheese Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 Devondale Murray Goulburn 2016 Cow Cheese Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 Fonterra8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.3 Fonterra 2016 Cow Cheese Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 Fonterra 2016 Cow Cheese Business Region Distribution AnalysisList of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Cow CheeseTable Product Specifications of Cow CheeseTable Classification of Cow CheeseFigure Global Production Market Share of Cow Cheese by Type in 2016Figure Global Consumption Volume Market Share of Cow Cheese by Application in 2016Table Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Cow Cheese Major Manufacturers in 2016Table Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Cow Cheese Major Manufacturers in 2016Table R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Cow Cheese Major Manufacturers in 2016Table Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Cow Cheese Major Manufacturers in 2016About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact US:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Automotive Metal Stamping Market Growth, Trends, Industry Analysis & Global Forecast 2022

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Market Scenario:Metal stamping is a process in which metals are punched to achieve the desired shape. The process is performed with the help of stamping dies. The Metals used in automotive metal stamping are aluminium, steel, brass, copper and stainless steel.The growth of global automotive metal stamping market is expected to be driven by the booming automotive industry and the rapid increase in demand for smart automobiles. The increase in competition in the automotive industry is also leading to the rising demand of the metal stamping market. The process of metal stamping is applied in various stages of manufacturing in the automotive industry, such as panels, brackets, bonnets, roofs, hangers, and others, thus constantly inducing demand in the automotive metal stamping market. Increase in the use of metal sheet for the manufacturing of automobile chassis, transmission components, interior & exterior structural components, is projected to drive the growth of global automotive stamping market over the forecast period.Request for a Sample Copy @Key Players of Automotive Metal Stamping Market: Aro Metal Stamping co. (U.S.) Kenmode Precision Metal Stamping (U.S.) Martinrea International Inc. (Canada) Shiloh Industries, Inc. (U.S.) Acro Metal Stamping Co. (U.S.) Manor Tool & Manufacturing Company (U.S.) American Industrial Company (U.S.) Wisconsin Metal Parts, Inc. (U.S.) Clow Stamping Co. (U.S.)Regional Analysis of Automotive Metal Stamping Market:The metal stamping market in North America and Europe region is expected to grow, owing to the growing automotive industry in the region. The emerging trend of replacing the ferrous materials with the non-ferrous materials for reducing the weight of the machinery, is further driving the market in the region. North America region is also expected to grow further due to the existence of major players such as Kenmode Precision Metal Stamping, and Wisconsin Metal Parts, Inc. in the region.Brief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope of the Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Global Automotive Metal Stamping Market, By Technology4.1 Blanking4.2 Embossing4.3 Flanging4.4 Bending4.3 Coining4.4 OthersContinueBrowse Full Report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton Market Growth Analysis Report 2017 : Amcor, Agropur

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton Market Professional Survey Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The global market for Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton 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 Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton market.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 Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton 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 Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton market.Enter your information below to receive a free sample copy of this report @This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringTetra LavalInternational PaperWeyerhaeuserAmcorAgropurElopakSIGReynolds Group HoldingsRefresco GerberThe biggest and the highly influential regions in the global Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton market are determined and assessed in detail within the research report. The economic factors influencing the global Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton 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 Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton 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 Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton market.Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton1.1 Definition and Specifications of Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton1.1.1 Definition of Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton1.1.2 Specifications of Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton1.2 Classification of Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton1.3 Applications of Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton1.4 Market Segment by Regions2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Liquid Dairy Packaging CartonRead Complete Table of Content @8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton8.1 Tetra Laval8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.3 Tetra Laval 2016 Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 Tetra Laval 2016 Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 International Paper8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.3 International Paper 2016 Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 International Paper 2016 Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton Business Region Distribution AnalysisList of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Liquid Dairy Packaging CartonTable Product Specifications of Liquid Dairy Packaging CartonTable Classification of Liquid Dairy Packaging CartonFigure Global Production Market Share of Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton by Type in 2016Figure Global Consumption Volume Market Share of Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton by Application in 2016Table Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton Major Manufacturers in 2016Table Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton Major Manufacturers in 2016Table R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Liquid Dairy Packaging Carton Major Manufacturers in 2016About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact US:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Water and Wastewater Treatment Equipment 2017 Global Market Expected to Grow at CAGR of 5.33% percent and Forecast to 2023

Water and wastewater treatment equipment Market 2017

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Water and wastewater treatment equipment Market 2017Global Water and wastewater treatment equipment market Information by Treatment Type (Membrane Separation, Disinfection, Sludge treatment and Others), By Application (Municipal and Industrial) And Region - Forecast To 2023Key PlayersThe key players of Water and wastewater treatment equipment Market Market report include-GE Water & Process Technologies (U.S.)Aquatech International Corporation (U.S.)Veolia Water Technologies (France)WPL Limited (U.K.)Fluence Corporation Limited (U.S.)Napier Reid Ltd. (Canada)Calgon Carbon Corporation (U.S.)Xylem Inc. (U.S.)Kemira Oyj (Finland)Corix Water System (Canada)The global water and wastewater treatment equipment market size is projected to grow from USD 51.25 Billion in 2016 to USD 73.25 Billion in 2023 at a CAGR of 5.33% during the forecast period.Request For Sample Report @Market SynopsisThe demand for water and wastewater treatment equipment is growing significantly, over the years. Various industries such as food & beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, pulp & paper, power, metal & mining, semiconductors, textiles, and oil & gas, call for the usage of clean water and therefore drive the growth of the market during the forecast period. The other factors contributing growth in the market are stringent government emission regulations and increasing urbanization. The global water and wastewater treatment equipment market is expected to experience opportunities during the forecast period, owing to factors such as increasing scope for operations & maintenance, and growth in emerging economies. The growing population, technological developments, rapid urbanization, and growth in infrastructure have augmented the growth of these equipment in the emerging markets.Amongst all regions, Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow with the highest CAGR and accounts for the largest market share of 33.50% in 2016. In the Asia-Pacific region, developing countries such as China and India are the biggest consumers of water due to population growth and rapid industrialization. The disposal of wastewater from the industries, is driving the need for rapid adoption of water and wastewater treatment equipment. In the countries of Japan and South Korea, strict rules and regulations have been imposed by the government, which are further contributing to the growth of the market during the forecast period.The report for Global Water and Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Complete Report Details @Table of Contents1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY2 INTRODUCTION3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY4 MARKET DYNAMICS5 MARKET FACTOR ANALYSIS6 PATENT TRENDS7 GLOBAL WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT MARKET, BY TECHNOLOGY TYPE8 GLOBAL WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT MARKET, BY APPLICATION9 GLOBAL WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT MARKET, BY REGION10 COMPETITIVE SCENARIO11 COMPANY PROFILES12 LIST OF TABLES13 LIST OF FIGURESContinued.About Us:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR) and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have the prime objective to provide optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies depending on products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments enables our clients to know more consequently do more, which gives them answer for their each and every important question. In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industryCONTACT US:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Market Report for Period 2011 till 2022 DSM, Basf, Xinfa Pharmaceutical, Shanghai Hegno Pharmaceutical (Desano), Shanghai Acebright Pharmaceuticals and Others

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Market

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Global Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely NB Group, Xinfa Pharmaceutical, Shanghai Acebright Pharmaceuticals, Hubei Guangji Pharmaceutical, DSM, Basf, Shanghai Hegno Pharmaceutical (Desano) and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin, is one of the eight B-complex vitamins. Like other B vitamins, it plays a role in energy production in the body, but also has many other important uses.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Hubei Guangji PharmaceuticalDSMBasfShanghai Hegno Pharmaceutical (Desano)NB GroupXinfa PharmaceuticalShanghai Acebright PharmaceuticalsOthersGlobal Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Market: Key Product TypeFeed GradeFood GradeMedical GradeOthersGlobal Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Market: Key Application TypeFeedPharmaceuticalsFood & BeveragesOthersGlobal Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Objectives of Research1.1.1 Definition1.1.2 Specifications1.1.3 Export Affected due to Certification in China1.2 Market Segment1.2.1 by Grade1.2.1.1 Feed Grade1.2.1.2 Food Grade1.2.1.3 Medical Grade1.2.2 by Application1.2.2.1 Feed........................Continue (Global Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Diaper Bags Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Disney, Sanrio, Ju-Ju-Be, Amy Michelle, HaishuBoli, Arctic Zone, Petunia Pickle Bottom and Others

Diaper Bags Market

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Global Diaper Bags market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely OiOi, Arctic Zone, Petunia Pickle Bottom, HaishuBoli, Storksak, Ju-Ju-Be, Amy Michelle, DadGear, Carters, Disney, Sanrio, Graco, J.J Cole Collections, SUNVENO, Trend Lab and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.A diaper bag or nappy bag is a storage bag with many pocket-like spaces that is big enough to carry everything needed by someone taking care of a baby while taking a typical short outing.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Diaper Bags Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:CartersDisneySanrioGracoJ.J Cole CollectionsSUNVENOTrend LabOiOiArctic ZonePetunia Pickle BottomHaishuBoliStorksakJu-Ju-BeAmy MichelleDadGearOthersGlobal Diaper Bags Market: Key Product TypeMessenger BagsTote BagsBackpacksOthersGlobal Diaper Bags Market: Key Application TypeMaternity & Childcare StoreBrand StoreSupermarketOnlineOthersGlobal Diaper Bags Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Diaper Bags Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Diaper Bags Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Diaper Bags Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Market Segment Overview1.1.1 Product Definition1.1.2 Market by Type1.1.2.1 Messenger Bags1.1.2.2 Tote Bags1.1.2.3 Backpacks1.1.2.4 Others1.1.3 Market by Application1.1.3.1 Maternity & Childcare Store1.1.3.2 Brand Store1.1.3.3 Supermarket1.1.3.4 Online1.1.3.5 Others........................Continue (Global Diaper Bags Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Wheelchair Stair Climber Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 SANO, TopChair, Antano Group, Baronmead and Others

Wheelchair Stair Climber Market

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Global Wheelchair Stair Climber market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely KSP ITALIA, Baronmead, Alber, SANO, Antano Group, TopChair, AAT and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Wheelchair Stair Climber is an exercise machine on which helps wheel chair go upstairs or downstairs. These machines makes wheelchair climbing the stairs easily. These machines generally have two types, automatic and manual. Manual wheelchair need other people behind the wheel to control the climber while automatic climber can climb the stair by itself. Generally the automatic wheelchair climbers are powered by electricity.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Wheelchair Stair Climber Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Antano GroupTopChairAATKSP ITALIABaronmeadAlberSANOOthersGlobal Wheelchair Stair Climber Market: Key Product TypeManualElectricalOthersGlobal Wheelchair Stair Climber Market: Key Application TypeResidentialHospitalNursing HomeOthersGlobal Wheelchair Stair Climber Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Wheelchair Stair Climber Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Wheelchair Stair Climber Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Wheelchair Stair Climber Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Market Segment Overview1.1.1 Product Definition1.1.2 Market by Type1.1.2.1 Manual1.1.2.2 Electrical1.1.3 Market by Application1.1.3.1 Residential1.1.3.2 Hospital1.1.3.3 Nursing Home1.1.3.4 Others........................Continue (Global Wheelchair Stair Climber Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Global Artificial Voice Box Market is Determined to Cross US$ 17.5 Billion By 2022

Global Artificial Voice Box Market

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The Global Artificial Voice Box Market is segmented on the lines of its delivery methods, technology, verticals and regional. Based on delivery methods type segmentation it covers (Artificial Intelligence based and Non Artificial Intelligence based); based on technology range it covers (Speech recognition and voice recognition); based on verticals it Covers (Automotive, Enterprise, Consumer, Banking, Government, Healthcare, Education and Other). The Global Artificial Voice Box Market on geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geographic market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.The global Artificial Voice Box Market is expected to exceed more than US$ 17.5 Billion by 2022 at a CAGR of 19% in the given forecast period.Browse Full Report Here:The major driving factors of Global Artificial Voice Box Market are as follows: Increased demand for speech-based biometric systems for multifactor authentication Growing demand for voice authentication in mobile banking applications Growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the accuracy of speech and voice recognition Growth in voice control-based smart assistive devices in consumer and enterprise verticalThe restraining factors of Global Artificial Voice Box Market are as follows: Lack of accuracy in speech and voice recognition systems in noisy and harsh working environments Oligopoly in the development of speech and voice recognition technology using neural networks restricting its usage for cloud-based servicesThe opportunities factors of Global Artificial Voice Box Market are as follows: Development of speech and voice recognition software for micro-linguistics and local languages Application of speech and voice recognition in service roboticsThe challenges factors of Global Artificial Voice Box Market are as follows: The possibility of increased errors with change in quality of voice samples due to fluctuations in the physical or physiological state Lack of standardized platform for the development of customized speech and voice recognition software productsThis report provides:1) An overview of the Global market for Artificial Voice Box and related technologies.2) Analyses of Global market trends, with data from 2015, estimates for 2016 and 2017, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2022.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for Global Artificial Voice Box Market.4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.The scope of the report includes a detailed study of Global Artificial Voice Box Market with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.Request Sample Report:Table of Contents1 Introduction2 Market Research Tactics3 Market Summary4 Quality Market Insights5 European Healthcare Market Analysis, By Region.6 Competitive Overview.7 Company Profiles7.1 Philips Healthcare7.2 Fresenious SE & Co KGaA7.3 GE Healthcare7.4 B. Braun7.5 Baxter International7.6 Roche7.7 Air Liquide7.8 Bupa Home Healthcare, Ltd7.9 Healthcare at Home7.10 Linde GroupAbout UsMarket Research Engine (MRE) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. MREs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each Market Research Engines research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
DMG Consulting Releases 2017  2018 Cloud-Based Contact Center Infrastructure Market Report

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Who: DMG Consulting LLC, a leading provider of contact center, back-office and real-time analytics market research and consulting servicesWhat: Releases 2017  2018 Cloud-Based Contact Center Infrastructure Market ReportWhen: Today, 30 November 2017Where: Available at the DMG Consulting online storeBackground:DMG Consulting LLC, a leading provider of contact center, back-office and real-time analytics market research and consulting services, today released its 2017  2018 Cloud-Based Contact Center Infrastructure Market Report. DMGs tenth annual report on this sector provides deep insights into the competitive landscape, vendors, products, and trends and challenges that are shaping this market and driving innovation.2017 was the breakthrough year for the cloud-based contact center infrastructure (CBCCI) market. Momentum, which has been building for years, has created a large and lucrative ecosystem of partnerships among many categories of vendors. There are over 150 CBCCI competitors world-wide, and hundreds of system integrators, technology partners, value added resellers, distributors and others supporting them. DMG estimates that the revenue size of the cloud-based contact center infrastructure market was at least $2.8 billion (excluding carrier revenue) as of the end of 2016. This represents only 11.4% of total contact center seats, so the revenue potential of this market is in the tens of billions. DMG predicts that the number of seats will grow by 22% in 2017, 22.5% in 2018, 23% in both 2019 and 2020, and 21% in 2021.The CBCCI vendors have invested millions of dollars over the past 20 years to build their solutions and supporting networks. These solutions are generally much more technologically current than their premise-based counterparts. The CBCCI vendors are working hard to address security concerns and stay current with rapidly evolving security and regulatory requirements, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the US, the world-wide payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), the UKs Data Protection Act, the BDSG Federal Data Protection Act in Germany, the upcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and many more. The next step for the CBCCI vendors is the introduction of artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language understanding and analytics into their solutions.The cloud has become the dominant sales model for contact center infrastructure solutions, ACDs, dialers, IVRs and more, said Donna Fluss, President of DMG Consulting LLC. The vendors in this exciting and adaptable market have what it takes to succeed, and this IT sector is going to look even better in 10 years.The 2017  2018 Cloud-Based Contact Center Infrastructure Market Report provides contact center and IT managers with all the vendor, product, functional, technical and pricing information they need to select the right cloud-based contact center infrastructure solution for their organization. The Report features 12 leading and contending vendors and solutions: 8x8, BroadSoft (who agreed to be acquired by Cisco), Content Guru, eLoyalty, Enghouse Interactive, Five9, Genesys, NewVoiceMedia, NICE inContact, Serenova, Sharpen and Twilio.To learn more about the 2017  2018 Cloud-Based Contact Center Infrastructure Market Report, visit the site, or contact Deborah Navarra at deborah.navarra@dmgconsult.com or 516-628-1098. To order your copy of the Report, visitAbout DMG Consulting LLCDMG Consulting LLC is a vendor-independent advisory and consulting firm specializing in contact centers, back-office and real-time analytics. We are a strategic advisor to end users and vendors, large and small, and the financial community. Our mission is to help our clients build world-class contact center and back-office environments by leveraging technology, process and people. We assist management in optimizing the performance of their contact centers by increasing operational efficiency, providing an outstanding customer experience, enhancing loyalty and increasing sales and profits. We also help vendors develop products and services that deliver differentiated innovation and benefits that meet end users current and future needs.DMG Consulting is the leading provider of industry research for many contact center, back-office and analytics IT markets, including: Workforce Management, Workforce Optimization (WFO) Speech Analytics, Text Analytics, Desktop Analytics, Robotic Process Automation, Customer Journey Analytics, Contact Center Performance Management, Gamification, Enterprise Feedback Management, Cloud-Based Contact Center Infrastructure, Outbound Dialing Solutions, Voice Biometrics, Interactive Voice Response Systems, Intelligent Virtual Agents and Unified Communications. For more information, visit# # #6 Crestwood DriveWest Orange, NJ 07052
Solar Photovoltaic in the United Kingdom Market Outlook to 2030 Update 2017-Capacity Generation Levelized Cost of Energy Investment Trends Regulations and Company Profiles

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ReportsWeb.com published Solar Photovoltaic Market from its database. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market."Solar Photovoltaic (PV) in the United Kingdom, Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2017-Capacity, Generation, Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), Investment Trends, Regulations and Company Profiles" is the latest report from GlobalData, the industry analysis specialists that offer comprehensive information and understanding of the Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market in United Kingdom.The report provides in depth analysis on global renewable power market and global Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market with forecasts up to 2030. The report analyzes the power market scenario in United Kingdom (includes conventional thermal, nuclear, large hydro and renewable energy sources) and provides future outlook with forecasts up to 2030. The research details renewable power market outlook in the country (includes hydro, small hydro, biopower and Solar Photovoltaic (PV)) and provides forecasts up to 2030. The report highlights installed capacity and power generation trends from 2006 to 2030 in United Kingdom Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market. A detailed coverage of renewable energy policy framework governing the market with specific policies pertaining to Solar Photovoltaic (PV) is provided in the report. The research also provides company snapshots of some of the major market participants.The report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, secondary research and in-house analysis by GlobalData's team of industry experts.Request a Sample Report@Scope:The report analyses global renewable power market, global Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market, United Kingdom power market, United Kingdom renewable power market and United Kingdom Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market. The scope of the research includes--A brief introduction on global carbon emissions and global primary energy consumption.-An overview on global renewable power market, highlighting installed capacity trends, generation trends and installed capacity split by various renewable power sources. The information is covered for the historical period 2006-2016 (unless specified) and forecast period 2017-2030.-Renewable power sources include wind (both onshore and offshore), Solar Photovoltaic (PV), concentrated solar power (CSP), small hydro power (SHP), biomass, biogas and geothermal.-Detailed overview of the global Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market with installed capacity and generation trends, installed capacity split by major Solar Photovoltaic (PV)power countries in 2016 and key owners information of various regions.-Power market scenario in United Kingdom and provides detailed market overview, installed capacity and power generation trends by various fuel types (includes thermal conventional, nuclear, large hydro and renewable energy sources) with forecasts up to 2030.-An overview on United Kingdom renewable power market, highlighting installed capacity trends (2006-2030), generation trends(2006-2030) and installed capacity split by various renewable power sources in 2016.Get Discount for Report@-Detailed overview of United Kingdom Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market with installed capacity and generation trends and major active and upcoming Solar Photovoltaic (PV) projects.-Deal analysis of United Kingdom Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market. Deals are analyzed on the basis of mergers, acquisitions, partnership, asset finance, debt offering, equity offering, private equity (PE) and venture capitalists (VC).-Key policies and regulatory framework supporting the development of renewable power sources in general and Solar Photovoltaic (PV) in particular.-Company snapshots of some of the major market participants in the country.Reasons to buy:-The report will enhance your decision making capability in a more rapid and time sensitive manner.-Identify key growth and investment opportunities in United Kingdom Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market.-Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data for Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market.-Position yourself to gain the maximum advantage of the industry's growth potential.-Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events.-Identify key partners and business development avenues.-Understand and respond to your competitors' business structure, strategy and prospects.Buy this Report@Companies Mentioned:Trina Solar LimitedTerraForm Power, Inc.Primrose SolarLightsource Renewable Energy LimitedChina Sunergy Co., Ltd.British Solar Renewables LimitedTable of Content:1 Table of Contents 22 Executive Summary 93 Introduction 114 Renewable Power Market, Global, 2006-2030 175 Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market, Global, 2006-2030 346 Power Market, United Kingdom, 2006-2030 477 Renewable Power Market, United Kingdom, 2006-2030 628 Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market, United Kingdom, 2006-2030 779 Renewable Energy Policy Framework, United Kingdom 9010 Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market, United Kingdom, Company Profiles 10311 Appendix 118For more information about this Report@About ReportsWeb:ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer Bauxite Mining and our customer support Bauxite Mining is always available to help you on your research queries.Contact Us:505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028Phone : +91-20-67278686E-Mail : info@reportsweb.com
Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance 2017 Global Market Key Players  IBM Corporation (U.S.), Accenture (Ireland), Cognizant (U.S.), Oracle Corporation (U.S), Capgemini (France) -Analysis And Forecast To 2022

Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market

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Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market 2017Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Manufacturers, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Description:This report studies the global Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance market, analyzes and researches the Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeIBM Corporation (U.S.)Accenture (Ireland)Cognizant (U.S.)Oracle Corporation (U.S)Zonoff Inc (U.S.)Capgemini (France)SAP SE (Germany)LexisNexis (U.S.)Lemonade Inc (U.S.)Hippo Insurance (U.S.)Request for Sample Report@Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance can be split intoHealth InsuranceProperty and Causality InsuranceAgricultural InsuranceLife InsuranceMarket segment by Application, Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance can be split intoAutomotive & TransportTravelHealthcareHome and Commercial BuildingsAgricultureConsumer ElectronicsOthersEnquiry before Buying @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of Contents:Global Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance1.1 Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market Overview1.1.1 Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance 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 Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market by Type1.3.1 Health Insurance1.3.2 Property and Causality Insurance1.3.3 Agricultural Insurance1.3.4 Life Insurance1.4 Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Automotive & Transport1.4.2 Travel1.4.3 Healthcare1.4.4 Home and Commercial Buildings1.4.5 Agriculture1.4.6 Consumer Electronics1.4.7 Others2 Global Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance 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 IBM Corporation (U.S.)3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Accenture (Ireland)3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Cognizant (U.S.)3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Oracle Corporation (U.S)3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Zonoff Inc (U.S.)3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 Capgemini (France)3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 SAP SE (Germany)3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 LexisNexis (U.S.)3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 Lemonade Inc (U.S.)3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 Hippo Insurance (U.S.)3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.10.5 Recent DevelopmentsContinued..Buy now @Contact US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. 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Desiccated Coconut 2017 Global Market Key Players  Greenville Agro Corporation, South India Industries, PT. Global Coconut, Sakthi Coir Exports, Celebes Coconut Corporation -Analysis And Forecast To 2022

Desiccated Coconut Market 2017

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Desiccated Coconut Market 2017Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Desiccated Coconut -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Manufacturers, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Description:Based on the Desiccated Coconut industrial chain, this report mainly elaborate the definition, types, applications and major players of Desiccated Coconut market in details. Deep analysis about market status (2012-2017), enterprise competition pattern, advantages and disadvantages of enterprise Products, industry development trends (2017-2022), regional industrial layout characteristics and macroeconomic policies, industrial policy has also be included. From raw materials to downstream buyers of this industry will be analyzed scientifically, the feature of product circulation and sales channel will be presented as well. In a word, this report will help you to establish a panorama of industrial development and characteristics of the Desiccated Coconut market.The Desiccated Coconut market can be split based on product types, major applications, and important regions.Major Players in Desiccated Coconut market are:Greenville Agro CorporationSouth India IndustriesPT. Global CoconutSakthi Coir ExportsCelebes Coconut CorporationPacific Eastern Coconut UtamaKKP IndustryRoyce Food CorporationAriya FoodsFresh Fruit Ingredients Inc.Primex Group of CompaniesS&P Industries Sdn BhdCBL NATURAL FOODSAdamjee Lukmanjee & Sons (Pvt)SilvermillRequest for Sample Report@Major Regions play vital role in Desiccated Coconut market are:North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanMiddle East & AfricaIndiaSouth AmericaOthersMost important types of Desiccated Coconut products covered in this report are:Granulated CutsSpecial CutsMost widely used downstream fields of Desiccated Coconut market covered in this report are:Confectionery IndustryBakery ProductsFrozen Food IndustryFood ProcessingFood Service IndustryConsumer Products industryEnquiry before Buying @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of Contents:Global Desiccated Coconut Industry Market Research Report1 Desiccated Coconut Introduction and Market Overview1.1 Objectives of the Study1.2 Definition of Desiccated Coconut1.3 Desiccated Coconut Market Scope and Market Size Estimation1.3.1 Market Concentration Ratio and Market Maturity Analysis1.3.2 Global Desiccated Coconut Value ($) and Growth Rate from 2012-20221.4 Market Segmentation1.4.1 Types of Desiccated Coconut1.4.2 Applications of Desiccated Coconut1.4.3 Research Regions1.4.3.1 North America Desiccated Coconut Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.2 Europe Desiccated Coconut Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.3 China Desiccated Coconut Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.4 Japan Desiccated Coconut Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.5 Middle East & Africa Desiccated Coconut Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.6 India Desiccated Coconut Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.7 South America Desiccated Coconut Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Drivers1.5.1.1 Emerging Countries of Desiccated Coconut1.5.1.2 Growing Market of Desiccated Coconut1.5.2 Limitations1.5.3 Opportunities1.6 Industry News and Policies by Regions1.6.1 Industry News1.6.2 Industry Policies2 Industry Chain Analysis2.1 Upstream Raw Material Suppliers of Desiccated Coconut Analysis2.2 Major Players of Desiccated Coconut2.2.1 Major Players Manufacturing Base and Market Share of Desiccated Coconut in 20162.2.2 Major Players Product Types in 20162.3 Desiccated Coconut Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis2.3.1 Production Process Analysis2.3.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure of Desiccated Coconut2.3.3 Raw Material Cost of Desiccated Coconut2.3.4 Labor Cost of Desiccated Coconut2.4 Market Channel Analysis of Desiccated Coconut2.5 Major Downstream Buyers of Desiccated Coconut Analysis8 Competitive Landscape8.1 Competitive Profile8.2 Greenville Agro Corporation8.2.1 Company Profiles8.2.2 Desiccated Coconut Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.2.2.1 Product Introduction8.2.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.2.3 Greenville Agro Corporation Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.2.4 Greenville Agro Corporation Market Share of Desiccated Coconut Segmented by Region in 20168.3 South India Industries8.3.1 Company Profiles8.3.2 Desiccated Coconut Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.3.2.1 Product Introduction8.3.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.3.3 South India Industries Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.3.4 South India Industries Market Share of Desiccated Coconut Segmented by Region in 20168.4 PT. Global Coconut8.4.1 Company Profiles8.4.2 Desiccated Coconut Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.4.2.1 Product Introduction8.4.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.4.3 PT. Global Coconut Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.4.4 PT. Global Coconut Market Share of Desiccated Coconut Segmented by Region in 20168.5 Sakthi Coir Exports8.5.1 Company Profiles8.5.2 Desiccated Coconut Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.5.2.1 Product Introduction8.5.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.5.3 Sakthi Coir Exports Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.5.4 Sakthi Coir Exports Market Share of Desiccated Coconut Segmented by Region in 20168.6 Celebes Coconut Corporation8.6.1 Company Profiles8.6.2 Desiccated Coconut Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.6.2.1 Product Introduction8.6.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.6.3 Celebes Coconut Corporation Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.6.4 Celebes Coconut Corporation Market Share of Desiccated Coconut Segmented by Region in 20168.7 Pacific Eastern Coconut Utama8.7.1 Company Profiles8.7.2 Desiccated Coconut Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.7.2.1 Product Introduction8.7.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.7.3 Pacific Eastern Coconut Utama Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.7.4 Pacific Eastern Coconut Utama Market Share of Desiccated Coconut Segmented by Region in 20168.8 KKP Industry8.8.1 Company Profiles8.8.2 Desiccated Coconut Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.8.2.1 Product Introduction8.8.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.8.3 KKP Industry Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.8.4 KKP Industry Market Share of Desiccated Coconut Segmented by Region in 20168.9 Royce Food Corporation8.9.1 Company Profiles8.9.2 Desiccated Coconut Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.9.2.1 Product Introduction8.9.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.9.3 Royce Food Corporation Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.9.4 Royce Food Corporation Market Share of Desiccated Coconut Segmented by Region in 20168.10 Ariya Foods8.10.1 Company Profiles8.10.2 Desiccated Coconut Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.10.2.1 Product Introduction8.10.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.10.3 Ariya Foods Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.10.4 Ariya Foods Market Share of Desiccated Coconut Segmented by Region in 20168.11 Fresh Fruit Ingredients Inc.8.11.1 Company Profiles8.11.2 Desiccated Coconut Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.11.2.1 Product Introduction8.11.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.11.3 Fresh Fruit Ingredients Inc. Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.11.4 Fresh Fruit Ingredients Inc. Market Share of Desiccated Coconut Segmented by Region in 20168.12 Primex Group of Companies8.12.1 Company Profiles8.12.2 Desiccated Coconut Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.12.2.1 Product Introduction8.12.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.12.3 Primex Group of Companies Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.12.4 Primex Group of Companies Market Share of Desiccated Coconut Segmented by Region in 20168.13 S&P Industries Sdn Bhd8.13.1 Company Profiles8.13.2 Desiccated Coconut Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.13.2.1 Product Introduction8.13.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.13.3 S&P Industries Sdn Bhd Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.13.4 S&P Industries Sdn Bhd Market Share of Desiccated Coconut Segmented by Region in 20168.14 CBL NATURAL FOODS8.14.1 Company Profiles8.14.2 Desiccated Coconut Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.14.2.1 Product Introduction8.14.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.14.3 CBL NATURAL FOODS Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.14.4 CBL NATURAL FOODS Market Share of Desiccated Coconut Segmented by Region in 20168.15 Adamjee Lukmanjee & Sons (Pvt)8.15.1 Company Profiles8.15.2 Desiccated Coconut Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.15.2.1 Product Introduction8.15.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.15.3 Adamjee Lukmanjee & Sons (Pvt) Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.15.4 Adamjee Lukmanjee & Sons (Pvt) Market Share of Desiccated Coconut Segmented by Region in 20168.16 Silvermill8.16.1 Company Profiles8.16.2 Desiccated Coconut Product Introduction and Market Positioning8.16.2.1 Product Introduction8.16.2.2 Market Positioning and Target Customers8.16.3 Silvermill Production, Value ($), Price, Gross Margin 2012-2017E8.16.4 Silvermill Market Share of Desiccated Coconut Segmented by Region in 2016Continued..Buy now @Contact US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:: Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt Ltd: Pune  411028: Maharashtra,: Ph: +91 841 198 5042
India Polyacetal (POM) Market Overview

India Polyacetal (POM) Market Overview

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India is a major importer of several engineering plastics. The country is a net importer of polyacetal (POM) and had an estimated demand of 37 kilo tons of POM in 2016 which is further anticipated to reach 58 kilo tons by 2025.Indias manufacturing sector holds a significant position in the Indian economy.Existing automotive market players are expanding their capabilities or investing into new manufacturing capacities. With an aim to increase production, not only to meet domestic demand, but to serve the global markets, the need for high standard and efficient plants is a must. To know more visitFor a detailed supply-demand, pricing analysis and cash-cost of production of POM contact or write to us at info@prismaneconsulting.comPrismane Consulting is a unique global boutique consulting firm with an Indian origin. We present ourselves to the world outside providing management, economic and technical expertise to improve customer engagement, boost operational efficiency, reduce costs and achieve superior business results. Prismane Consulting serves leading businesses in the field of Chemicals, Petrochemicals, Polymers, Materials, Environment and Energy. We have been advising clients on their key strategic issues solving their toughest and most critical business problems.Prismane ConsultingOffice #519, Amanora Chambers, Amanora Park Town,Hadapsar-Magarpatta Road,Pune 411028India
Obesity Management 2017 Global Market Key Players  Pfizer Inc (US), Merck (US), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd (Switzerland), GlaxoSmithKline plc. (UK), Apollo Endosurgery (U.S.) -Analysis And Forecast To 2022

Obesity Management Market 2017

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Obesity Management Market 2017Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Obesity Management -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Manufacturers, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Description:This report studies the global Obesity Management market, analyzes and researches the Obesity Management development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likePfizer Inc (US)Merck (US)F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd (Switzerland)GlaxoSmithKline plc. (UK)AstraZeneca (UK)Herbalife Ltd. (U.S.)Apollo Endosurgery (U.S.)Ethicon (U.S.)Request for Sample Report@Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, Obesity Management can be split intoWeight-Loss Medication (Orlistat (Xenical)Lorcaserin (Belviq)Phentermine and Topiramate (Qsymia)Buproprion and Naltrexone (Contrave)Liraglutide (Saxenda)OthersMarket segment by Application, Obesity Management can be split intoMinor (age50)Enquiry before Buying @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of Contents:Global Obesity Management Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Obesity Management1.1 Obesity Management Market Overview1.1.1 Obesity Management Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Obesity Management 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 Obesity Management Market by Type1.3.1 Weight-Loss Medication (Orlistat (Xenical)1.3.2 Lorcaserin (Belviq)1.3.3 Phentermine and Topiramate (Qsymia)1.3.4 Buproprion and Naltrexone (Contrave)1.3.5 Liraglutide (Saxenda)1.3.6 Others1.4 Obesity Management Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Minor (age50)2 Global Obesity Management Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Obesity Management 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 Future..3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Pfizer Inc (US)3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Obesity Management Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Merck (US)3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Obesity Management Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd (Switzerland)3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Obesity Management Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 GlaxoSmithKline plc. (UK)3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Obesity Management Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 AstraZeneca (UK)3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Obesity Management Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 Herbalife Ltd. (U.S.)3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Obesity Management Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Apollo Endosurgery (U.S.)3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Obesity Management Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 Ethicon (U.S.)3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Obesity Management Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.8.5 Recent DevelopmentsContinued..Buy now @Contact US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:: Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt Ltd: Pune  411028: Maharashtra,: Ph: +91 841 198 5042
Cold-pressed Juice 2017 Global Market Key Players  Naked Juice Company, Hain BluePrint, Evolution Fresh, Suja Life, Liquiteria  Analysis and Forecast to 2022

Cold-pressed Juice Market

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The Cold-pressed Juice Market report also provides an in-depth survey of key players in the market which is based on the various objectives of an organization such as profiling, the product outline, the quantity of production, required raw material, and the financial health of the organization.This report studies Cold-pressed Juice in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringNaked Juice CompanyHain BluePrint Inc.Evolution FreshSuja Life, LLCLiquiteriaA. L. Hoogesteger Fresh SpecialistParker's Organic Juices Pty. Ltd.Florida Bottling Inc.Odwalla Inc.Juice GenerationPressed JuiceryRakyan Beverages Private LimitedVillage Juicery Inc.Organic Press Juices Co. LLCKuka Juice LLC.The Cold Pressed JuiceryGreenhouse Juice Co.Drink Daily Greens LLCNative Cold Pressed JuicesPlenish CleanseRequest a Sample Report @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoOrganic JuicesConventional JuicesBy Application, the market can be split intoSupermarketBeverage ShopOnline SalesBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Complete Report Details@Major Key Points in Table of Content:1 Industry Overview of Cold-pressed Juice1.1 Definition and Specifications of Cold-pressed Juice1.1.1 Definition of Cold-pressed Juice1.1.2 Specifications of Cold-pressed Juice1.2 Classification of Cold-pressed Juice1.2.1 Organic Juices1.2.2 Conventional Juices1.3 Applications of Cold-pressed Juice1.3.1 Supermarket1.3.2 Beverage Shop1.3.3 Online Sales1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Cold-pressed Juice2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Cold-pressed Juice2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Cold-pressed Juice2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Cold-pressed Juice..8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Cold-pressed Juice8.1 Naked Juice Company8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Product A8.1.2.2 Product B8.1.3 Naked Juice Company 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 Naked Juice Company 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 Hain BluePrint Inc.8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Product A8.2.2.2 Product B8.2.3 Hain BluePrint Inc. 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 Hain BluePrint Inc. 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Business Region Distribution Analysis8.3 Evolution Fresh8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.2.1 Product A8.3.2.2 Product B8.3.3 Evolution Fresh 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.3.4 Evolution Fresh 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Business Region Distribution Analysis8.4 Suja Life, LLC8.4.1 Company Profile8.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.4.2.1 Product A8.4.2.2 Product B8.4.3 Suja Life, LLC 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.4.4 Suja Life, LLC 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Business Region Distribution Analysis8.5 Liquiteria8.5.1 Company Profile8.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.5.2.1 Product A8.5.2.2 Product B8.5.3 Liquiteria 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.5.4 Liquiteria 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Business Region Distribution Analysis8.6 A. L. Hoogesteger Fresh Specialist8.6.1 Company Profile8.6.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.6.2.1 Product A8.6.2.2 Product B8.6.3 A. L. Hoogesteger Fresh Specialist 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.6.4 A. L. Hoogesteger Fresh Specialist 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Business Region Distribution Analysis8.7 Parker's Organic Juices Pty. Ltd.8.7.1 Company Profile8.7.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.7.2.1 Product A8.7.2.2 Product B8.7.3 Parker's Organic Juices Pty. Ltd. 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.7.4 Parker's Organic Juices Pty. Ltd. 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Business Region Distribution Analysis8.8 Florida Bottling Inc.8.8.1 Company Profile8.8.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.8.2.1 Product A8.8.2.2 Product B8.8.3 Florida Bottling Inc. 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.8.4 Florida Bottling Inc. 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Business Region Distribution Analysis8.9 Odwalla Inc.8.9.1 Company Profile8.9.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.9.2.1 Product A8.9.2.2 Product B8.9.3 Odwalla Inc. 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.9.4 Odwalla Inc. 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Business Region Distribution Analysis8.10 Juice Generation8.10.1 Company Profile8.10.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.10.2.1 Product A8.10.2.2 Product B8.10.3 Juice Generation 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.10.4 Juice Generation 2016 Cold-pressed Juice Business Region Distribution AnalysisContinued.Buy now @Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Sales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Smart Elevators 2017 Global Market Key Players  Otis Elevator (USA), Mitsubishi Electric (Japan), Schindler Group (Switzerland), Hitachi (Japan) -Analysis And Forecast To 2022

Smart Elevators Market 2017

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Smart Elevators Market 2017Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Smart Elevators -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Manufacturers, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2022 To Its Research Database.Description:This report mainly introduces volume and value market share by players, by regions, by product type, by consumers and also their price change details. As a Detailed Analysis report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinion in Smart Elevators industry.This report splits Smart Elevators market by Component, by Control System Type, by Solution Segment Analysis, by Smart Elevator Type, by Speed, which covers the history data information from 2012 to 2016 and forecast from 2017 to 2022.This report focuses Global market, it covers details as following:Major CompaniesOtis Elevator (USA)Mitsubishi Electric (Japan)Schindler Group (Switzerland)Hitachi (Japan)Kone Corporation (Finland)ThyssenKrupp (Germany)Toshiba (Japan)Fujitec (Japan)Tyco International (Ireland)Honeywell (USA)CNYD (China)Schneider Electric (France)Yungtay Engineering (China Taiwan)SANYO (Japan)SJEC (China)Hyundai (Korea)Bosch Security Systems (Germany)Canny Elevator (China)Volkslift (China)Sicher Elevator (China)Request for Sample Report@Main RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersMain Product TypeSmart Elevators Market, by ComponentControl SystemMaintenance SystemCommunication SystemSmart Elevators Market, by Control System TypeOn-call Control SystemBuilding Automation Control SystemLayer Control SystemIntercom Linkage SystemSmart Elevators Market, by Solution Segment AnalysisNew DeploymentModernizationMaintenanceSmart Elevators Market, by Smart Elevator TypePassenger ElevatorFreight ElevatorFire-proof ElevatorSmart Elevators Market, by SpeedLow-speed Elevator (less than 1.0 m / s)Fast-speed Elevator (1.0 to 2.0 m / s)High-speed Elevator (2.0 to 3.5 m / s)Super-speed Elevator (more than 3.5 m / s)Main ApplicationsCommercialResidentialInfrastructureIndustrialOthersEnquiry before Buying @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of Contents:Global Smart Elevators Detailed Analysis Report 2017-2022Chapter One Smart Elevators Market Overview1.1 Global Smart Elevators Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20221.2 Smart Elevators, by Component 2012-20221.2.1 Global Smart Elevators Sales Market Share by Component 2012-20221.2.2 Global Smart Elevators Revenue Market Share by Component 2012-20221.2.3 Global Smart Elevators Price by Component 2012-20221.2.4 Control System1.2.5 Maintenance System1.2.6 Communication System1.3 Smart Elevators, by Control System Type 2012-20221.3.1 Global Smart Elevators Sales Market Share by Control System Type 2012-20221.3.2 Global Smart Elevators Revenue Market Share by Control System Type 2012-20221.3.3 Global Smart Elevators Price by Control System Type 2012-20221.3.4 On-call Control System1.3.5 Building Automation Control System1.3.6 Layer Control System1.3.7 Intercom Linkage System1.4 Smart Elevators, by Solution Segment Analysis 2012-20221.4.1 Global Smart Elevators Sales Market Share by Solution Segment Analysis 2012-20221.4.2 Global Smart Elevators Revenue Market Share by Solution Segment Analysis 2012-20221.4.3 Global Smart Elevators Price by Solution Segment Analysis 2012-20221.4.4 New Deployment1.4.5 Modernization1.4.6 Maintenance1.5 Smart Elevators, by Smart Elevator Type 2012-20221.5.1 Global Smart Elevators Sales Market Share by Smart Elevator Type 2012-20221.5.2 Global Smart Elevators Revenue Market Share by Smart Elevator Type 2012-20221.5.3 Global Smart Elevators Price by Smart Elevator Type 2012-20221.5.4 Passenger Elevator1.5.5 Freight Elevator1.5.6 Fire-proof Elevator1.6 Smart Elevators, by Speed 2012-20221.6.1 Global Smart Elevators Sales Market Share by Speed 2012-20221.6.2 Global Smart Elevators Revenue Market Share by Speed 2012-20221.6.3 Global Smart Elevators Price by Speed 2012-20221.6.4 Low-speed Elevator (less than 1.0 m / s)1.6.5 Fast-speed Elevator (1.0 to 2.0 m / s)1.6.6 High-speed Elevator (2.0 to 3.5 m / s)1.6.7 Super-speed Elevator (more than 3.5 m / s)Chapter Three Smart Elevators by Players 2012-20173.1 Global Smart Elevators Sales Volume Market Share by Players 2012-20173.2 Global Smart Elevators Revenue Share by Players 2012-20173.3 Global Top Players Smart Elevators Key Product Model and Market Performance3.4 Global Top Players Smart Elevators Key Target Consumers and Market Performance..Chapter Five Global Top Players Profile5.1 Otis Elevator (USA)5.1.1 Otis Elevator (USA) Company Details and Competitors5.1.2 Otis Elevator (USA) Key Smart Elevators Models and Performance5.1.3 Otis Elevator (USA) Smart Elevators Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.1.4 Otis Elevator (USA) Smart Elevators Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.2 Mitsubishi Electric (Japan)5.2.1 Mitsubishi Electric (Japan) Company Details and Competitors5.2.2 Mitsubishi Electric (Japan) Key Smart Elevators Models and Performance5.2.3 Mitsubishi Electric (Japan) Smart Elevators Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.2.4 Mitsubishi Electric (Japan) Smart Elevators Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.3 Schindler Group (Switzerland)5.3.1 Schindler Group (Switzerland) Company Details and Competitors5.3.2 Schindler Group (Switzerland) Key Smart Elevators Models and Performance5.3.3 Schindler Group (Switzerland) Smart Elevators Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.3.4 Schindler Group (Switzerland) Smart Elevators Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.4 Hitachi (Japan)5.4.1 Hitachi (Japan) Company Details and Competitors5.4.2 Hitachi (Japan) Key Smart Elevators Models and Performance5.4.3 Hitachi (Japan) Smart Elevators Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.4.4 Hitachi (Japan) Smart Elevators Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.5 Kone Corporation (Finland)5.5.1 Kone Corporation (Finland) Company Details and Competitors5.5.2 Kone Corporation (Finland) Key Smart Elevators Models and Performance5.5.3 Kone Corporation (Finland) Smart Elevators Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.5.4 Kone Corporation (Finland) Smart Elevators Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.6 ThyssenKrupp (Germany)5.6.1 ThyssenKrupp (Germany) Company Details and Competitors5.6.2 ThyssenKrupp (Germany) Key Smart Elevators Models and Performance5.6.3 ThyssenKrupp (Germany) Smart Elevators Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.6.4 ThyssenKrupp (Germany) Smart Elevators Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.7 Toshiba (Japan)5.7.1 Toshiba (Japan) Company Details and Competitors5.7.2 Toshiba (Japan) Key Smart Elevators Models and Performance5.7.3 Toshiba (Japan) Smart Elevators Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.7.4 Toshiba (Japan) Smart Elevators Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.8 Fujitec (Japan)5.8.1 Fujitec (Japan) Company Details and Competitors5.8.2 Fujitec (Japan) Key Smart Elevators Models and Performance5.8.3 Fujitec (Japan) Smart Elevators Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.8.4 Fujitec (Japan) Smart Elevators Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.9 Tyco International (Ireland)5.9.1 Tyco International (Ireland) Company Details and Competitors5.9.2 Tyco International (Ireland) Key Smart Elevators Models and Performance5.9.3 Tyco International (Ireland) Smart Elevators Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.9.4 Tyco International (Ireland) Smart Elevators Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.10 Honeywell (USA)5.10.1 Honeywell (USA) Company Details and Competitors5.10.2 Honeywell (USA) Key Smart Elevators Models and Performance5.10.3 Honeywell (USA) Smart Elevators Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast5.10.4 Honeywell (USA) Smart Elevators Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin5.11 CNYD (China)5.12 Schneider Electric (France)5.13 Yungtay Engineering (China Taiwan)5.14 SANYO (Japan)5.15 SJEC (China)5.16 Hyundai (Korea)5.17 Bosch Security Systems (Germany)5.18 Canny Elevator (China)5.19 Volkslift (China)5.20 Sicher Elevator (China)Continued..Buy now @Contact US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:: Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt Ltd: Pune  411028: Maharashtra,: Ph: +91 841 198 5042
Data Center Construction 2017 Market Emerging Trends and Forecast 2022

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Most important types of Data Center Construction products covered in this report are:General ConstructionMechanical ConstructionElectrical ConstructionThe Data Center Construction market can be split based on product types, major applications, and important regions.Major Players in Data Center Construction market are:HDR ArchitectureSISK GroupAECOMDPR ConstructionJones EngineeringSchneider ElectricISG ConstructionNakano CorporationTurner ConstructionArup GroupSweett GroupJacobs Engineering GroupHolder Construction GroupCorgan AssociatesFluorGet sample copy @Most widely used downstream fields of Data Center Construction market covered in this report are:GovernmentTelecommunicationsInternetFinanceOthersMajor Regions play vital role in Data Center Construction market are:North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanMiddle East & AfricaIndiaSouth AmericaOthersBrowse complete report @Table of Content1 Data Center Construction Introduction and Market Overview2 Industry Chain Analysis3 Global Data Center Construction Market, by Type3.1 Analysis of Market Status and Feature by Type3.2 Global Data Center Construction Value ($) and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)3.3 Global Data Center Construction Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)3.4 Global Data Center Construction Value ($) and Growth Rate by Type (2012-2017)3.5 Global Data Center Construction Price Analysis by Type (2012-2017)4 Data Center Construction Market, by ApplicationDiscount @6 Global Data Center Construction Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2012-2017)6.1 Global Data Center Construction Consumption by Regions (2012-2017)6.2 North America Data Center Construction Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)6.3 Europe Data Center Construction Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)6.4 China Data Center Construction Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)6.5 Japan Data Center Construction Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)6.6 Middle East & Africa Data Center Construction Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)6.7 India Data Center Construction Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)6.8 South America Data Center Construction Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)7 Global Data Center Construction Market Status and SWOT Analysis by Regions7.1 North America Data Center Construction Market Status and SWOT Analysis7.2 Europe Data Center Construction Market Status and SWOT Analysis7.3 China Data Center Construction Market Status and SWOT Analysis7.4 Japan Data Center Construction Market Status and SWOT Analysis7.5 Middle East & Africa Data Center Construction Market Status and SWOT Analysis7.6 India Data Center Construction Market Status and SWOT Analysis7.7 South America Data Center Construction Market Status and SWOT Analysis8 Competitive Landscape9 Global Data Center Construction Market Analysis and Forecast by Type and Application10 Data Center Construction Market Analysis and Forecast by Region11 New Project Feasibility AnalysisBuy report @12 Research Finding and ConclusionAbout UsWe provide best in classcustomer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries. Our commitment to customer service is best exemplified by free analyst support that we offer to our clients which sets us apart from any other provider. We also offer enterprise subscriptions which provide significant cost savings to our clients.Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.com533, 5th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Europe Pharmacy Automation Systems Market 2017-2025 by End-user Product and Country

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ReportsWeb.com published Pharmacy Automation Systems Market from its database. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Patient safety is a top priority in hospital and retail pharmacies. Over and beyond the forecast period, an increasing adoption of pharmacy automation systems is expected in a global scope because these systems can reduce medication errors and improve workflow efficiency in pharmacies. Europe total sales revenue of pharmacy automation systems will growing by 6.7% annually between 2016 and 2025. This represents a cumulative revenue during 2017-2025 owing to a substantial adoption of automated medication dispensing systems, automated storage and retrieval systems, automated packaging and labeling systems, table-top tablet counters, and automated drug compounding devices in hospital pharmacies, retail drug stores and other types of pharmacies in this region.Highlighted with 29 tables and 39 figures, this 134-page report "Europe Pharmacy Automation Systems Market 2017-2025 by End-user, Product and Country" is based on a comprehensive research of pharmacy automation systems market by analyzing the entire Europe market and all its sub-segments through extensively detailed classifications. Profound analysis and assessment are generated from premium primary and secondary information sources with inputs derived from industry professionals across the value chain. The report provides historical market data for 2014 and 2015, revenue estimates for 2016, and forecasts from 2017 till 2025.Request a Sample Report@In-depth qualitative analyses include identification and investigation of the following aspects:-Market Structure-Growth Drivers-Restraints and Challenges-Emerging Product Trends & Market Opportunities-Porter's Fiver ForcesThe trend and outlook of Europe market is forecast in optimistic, balanced, and conservative view. The balanced (most likely) projection is used to quantify Europe pharmacy automation systems market in every aspect of the classification from perspectives of end-user, product type and country.Based on end-users, the Europe market is segmented into the following sub-markets with annual revenue included for 2014-2025 (historical and forecast) for each section.-Hospital Pharmacies (further segmented into Hospital Inpatient Pharmacy and Hospital Outpatient Pharmacy)-Retail Pharmacies (further divided into Retail Chain Pharmacies and Independent Drug Stores)-Pharmacy Benefit Management Organizations-OthersBased on product type, the Europe market is analyzed on the following segments with annual revenue in 2014-2025 provided for each segment.-Automated Medication Dispensing Systems (further categorized into Centralized Systems (Robotic Systems and Carousels) and Decentralized Systems (Automated Unit-Dose Dispensing Systems, Pharmacy-Based Automated Dispensing Systems, Ward-Based Automated Dispensing Systems )-Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems-Automated Packaging and Labeling Systems (further divided into Unit-Dose Packaging & Labeling Systems and Multi-Dose Packaging & Labeling Systems)-Table-top Tablet Counters-Automated Drug Compounding Devices (further segmented into Compounding Systems for Solid Formulation, Compounding Systems for Liquid Formulation, Compounding Systems for Other Formulations)-OthersGeographically, the following national markets are fully investigated:-Germany-France-UK-Italy-Spain-Rest of EuropeInquire Before Buying@For each of the aforementioned countries, detailed analysis and annual revenue are available for the period of 2014-2025. The breakdown of all national markets by end-user and product type over the forecast years is included.The report also covers current competitive scenario and the predicted manufacture trend; and profiles key pharmacy automation systems vendors including market leaders and important emerging players.Specifically, potential risks associated with investing in Europe pharmacy automation systems market are assayed quantitatively and qualitatively through Publisher's Risk Assessment System. According to the risk analysis and evaluation, Critical Success Factors (CSFs) are generated as a guidance to help investors & stockholders manage and minimize the risks, develop appropriate business models, and make wise strategies and decisions.Companies Mentioned:Abacus Rx, Inc.Accu-Chart Plus Healthcare Systems, Inc.Aesynt IncorporatedAmerisourceBergen CorporationARxIUM Inc.Baxter Healthcare CorporationBecton, Dickinson & CoCapsa Solutions, LLCCerner CorporationForHealth TechnologiesHealth Robotics SRLInnovation Associates, Inc.InterMetro Industries CorporationMcKesson CorporationMedacist Solutions Group, LLC.Omnicell, IncParata SystemsPearson Medical Technologies, LLCPharmacy Automation Systems LLCRxMedic Systems, Inc.Rxsafe, LLCScriptpro LLCSwisslog Holding AGTalyst, LLCTCGRX Pharmacy Workflow SolutionsWillach Pharmacy Solutions GmbHYaskawa Electric Corp.YuyamaFor more information about this report@About ReportsWeb:ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer Bauxite Mining and our customer support Bauxite Mining is always available to help you on your research queries.Contact Us:505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028Phone : +91-20-67278686E-Mail : info@reportsweb.com
Global Antimony Market Estimated to Grow Speedily: Surging Demand for Electric Vehicles Drives Adoption during 2017  2022

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The research report is titled as Antimony Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017  2022 and offers exact market forecast and analysis on the global market, giving users comprehensive insights and analysis on the key factors that are likely to fuel the growth of the market during the assessment period. In order to provide a clear understanding of the market, the report offers market forecast and analysis on the geographical segmentation. Regions outlined in the study include Europe, Japan, Latin America, APEJ, North America and MEA. Among these, APEJ region will account for the largest revenue shares of the market throughout the forecast period. On the other hand, North America will continue to be the second most lucrative market for antimony, with sales forecast to reach approximately US$ 500 Mn in revenues by 2022-end.Request Free Sample Report@The global market for antimony is projected to exhibit an impressive CAGR throughout the forecast period (2017-2022). Also, global sales of antimony are estimated to surpass US$ 2,000 Mn by 2022-end. According to a new study, which has been added to the massive database of Market Research Hub (MRH), the adoption of metal for manufacturing fireproof automotive ancillaries has been increasing in China since the recent past. This has influenced demand for antimony mainly because of its heat stabilizing property.IntroductionAntimony is a chemical element that generally exists in both metallic and non-metallic forms. The report explains that static to alkalis and acids, antimony is considered to be a stable element when placed in dry air. Also, Antimony has been witnessed to be a bad conductor of heat and electricity, and it swells on cooling.Demand for Electric Vehicles Led to Adoption of AntimonyAmong various end-users mentioned in the study, Lead acid batteries will remain the fastest expanding end-use of antimony and will account for over one-third revenue share of the market in 2017. Lead acid batteries form an integral part of electric vehicles, and antimony is widely used in these batteries, therefore the market has a huge scope if the growth occurs in the electric vehicles.Other end-users for antimony are Heat Stabilizers, Plastic, Flame Retardant Products, and Pigments. Analysts found that demand for antimony is also being driven by its use in flame retardant products and PET production.Browse Full Report with TOC@In the concluding section, detailed analysis of key market participants has been offered. Key participants in this market include United States Antimony Corp., Mandalay Resources Corp., Atomized Products Group Inc., Nihon Seiko Co., Ltd., Hsikwangshan Twinkling Star Antimony Industry Co. Ltd., Belmont Metals Inc., Tri-Star Resources plc, American Elements, AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group NV, and Shenyang Huachang Antimony Chemical Co. Ltd. An in-depth SWOT analysis of these players has also been provided by the report, where strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are examined for their expansion in the market.Enquire About this Report@About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: - 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email:- press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite:-Read Industry News at :-
Global Clientless Remote Support Software Market, Forecast to 2022

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Global Clientless Remote Support Software Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022TOC and List of Tables & Figures:Clientless remote access is remote network access obtained without the installation of software on a user's device. Clientless Remote Support Software can connect to a remote client without configuring network settings or installing software.Get Sample Pages for this Report:Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Clientless Remote Support Software in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Buy this Report:Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversBomgarCisco WebExLogMeInTeamViewerNTRglobalRsupportF5 Networks, IncCitrix SystemsSimpleHelpTechinlineMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversEnterpriseSMBMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoIT IndustryGovernmentEducationOtherThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Clientless Remote Support Software market.Chapter 1, to describe Clientless Remote Support Software Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Clientless Remote Support Software, with sales, revenue, and price of Clientless Remote Support Software, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Clientless Remote Support Software, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Clientless Remote Support Software market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Clientless Remote Support Software sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceResearch By Markets is an Online Reports Repository.We have a huge database of Research Reports that are segmented Country Wise and Industry Wise.Research By Markets3, Nagar Road,Pune 411 014, Maharashtra, Indiaenquiry@researchbymarkets.com+1-800-416-3124
Global Digital Rights Management Market 2017 Forecast to 2022

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Global (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa) Digital Rights Management Market 2017 Forecast to 2022TOC and List of Tables & Figures:This report studies the Digital Rights Management market, Digital rights management (DRM) is a systematic approach to copyright protection for digital media. The purpose of DRM is to prevent unauthorized redistribution of digital media and restrict the ways consumers can copy content they've purchased.Request Sample Pages for this Report:Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Digital Rights Management in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Buy this Report:Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversMicrosoftGoogleAppleAdobe SystemsDELL/EMCOracleSonySymantecLockLizardAmazonIntertrust TechnologiesIntelSecloreFounder TechHaihaisoftMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversVideo/FilmSoftware/APPsGameTV/OTTOthersMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoPCMobileTVOthersThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Digital Rights Management market.Chapter 1, to describe Digital Rights Management Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Digital Rights Management, with sales, revenue, and price of Digital Rights Management, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Digital Rights Management, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Digital Rights Management market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Digital Rights Management sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceResearch By Markets is an Online Reports Repository.We have a huge database of Research Reports that are segmented Country Wise and Industry Wise.Research By Markets3, Nagar Road,Pune 411 014, Maharashtra, Indiaenquiry@researchbymarkets.com+1-800-416-3124
Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market by Manufacturers,Types,Regions and Applications Research Report Forecast to 2022

Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Industry

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On - Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market by Manufacturers,Types,Regions and Applications Research Report Forecast to 2022.This report studies Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringVeolia Environnment SA (France)Doosan Heavy Industries & Co. (South Korea)Degremont SAS (France)GE Water & Process Technologies (U.S.)Ashland Inc. (U.S.)Xylem Inc. (U.S.)Ion Exchange Ltd (India)Thermo Fischer Scientific Inc. (U.S.)Accepta Ltd (U.K.)Palintest Ltd (U.K.)Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoDisinfectionFiltrationOthersBy Application, the market can be split intoMunicipalIndustrialBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaAsk Query @Table Of Contents  Major Key PointsGlobal Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment1.1 Definition and Specifications of Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment1.1.1 Definition of Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment1.1.2 Specifications of Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment1.2 Classification of Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment1.2.1 Disinfection1.2.2 Filtration1.2.3 Others1.3 Applications of Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment1.3.1 Municipal1.3.2 Industrial1.3.3 Application 31.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India.8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment8.1 Veolia Environnment SA (France)8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Product A8.1.2.2 Product B8.1.3 Veolia Environnment SA (France) 2016 Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 Veolia Environnment SA (France) 2016 Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 Doosan Heavy Industries & Co. (South Korea)8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Product A8.2.2.2 Product B8.2.3 Doosan Heavy Industries & Co. (South Korea) 2016 Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 Doosan Heavy Industries & Co. (South Korea) 2016 Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Business Region Distribution Analysis8.3 Degremont SAS (France)8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.2.1 Product A8.3.2.2 Product B8.3.3 Degremont SAS (France) 2016 Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.3.4 Degremont SAS (France) 2016 Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Business Region Distribution Analysis8.4 GE Water & Process Technologies (U.S.)8.4.1 Company Profile8.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.4.2.1 Product A8.4.2.2 Product B8.4.3 GE Water & Process Technologies (U.S.) 2016 Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.4.4 GE Water & Process Technologies (U.S.) 2016 Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Business Region Distribution Analysis8.5 Ashland Inc. (U.S.)8.5.1 Company Profile8.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.5.2.1 Product A8.5.2.2 Product B8.5.3 Ashland Inc. (U.S.) 2016 Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.5.4 Ashland Inc. (U.S.) 2016 Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Business Region Distribution Analysis8.6 Xylem Inc. (U.S.)8.6.1 Company Profile8.6.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.6.2.1 Product A8.6.2.2 Product B8.6.3 Xylem Inc. (U.S.) 2016 Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.6.4 Xylem Inc. (U.S.) 2016 Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Business Region Distribution Analysis8.7 Ion Exchange Ltd (India)8.7.1 Company Profile8.7.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.7.2.1 Product A8.7.2.2 Product B8.7.3 Ion Exchange Ltd (India) 2016 Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.7.4 Ion Exchange Ltd (India) 2016 Water & Wastewater Treatment Equipment Business Region Distribution AnalysisContinue.Buy 1-User PDF @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.
I cant imagine a more difficult task for an actor than to be told: You need to get inside the mind of Tommy Wiseau.

The director and star of 2003s inept cult classic melodrama The Room is an enigma, and purposely so. Much has been reported over the years of the mysteries surrounding the man: where hes actually from, how old he actually is and how he actually managed to scrape together The Rooms oft-cited $6 million budget. Some of these mysteries had answers hinted at by The Room co-star Greg Sesteros (and Tom Bissells) 2013 book, The Disaster Artist, which is the basis of James Francos new film.

The truth of the matter is that the uniqueness of Tommy Wiseau extends far beyond superficial observations of this guy looks weird or questions like what kind of accent is that, anyway? Hes so much stranger than just that, infusing his films with a personal mix between weirdness and sincerity that has made The Room into this generations Rocky Horror Picture Show. To tackle the ineffable mystery of Wiseaus consciousness is to understand the mind of a crocodile, or of a shark, or of a space alien. I wouldnt even know where to start.

Which is precisely what makes James Francos portrayal of Wiseau in The Disaster Artist such an impressive and triumphant one. Franco has physically transformed into Wiseau in the same manner that usually draws praise for an actor such as Daniel Day Lewis: not necessarily via hair or makeup, but in a way that is more primal and intimate. Every odd little tic, every awkward laugh, each inexplicable grimacethe gestures all shine through as genuine to anyone who has seen The Room, or even an interview with Wiseau. The portrayal is a huge part of what makes The Disaster Artist so compelling and just plain fun. You could make a good argument that this is the greatest role of Francos career.

The Disaster Artist takes place in the late 90s and early 2000s, amusingly captured with movie posters for the likes of Thirteen Ghosts and Ready to Rumble, as a young Sestero (Dave Franco) first meets the outlandish Tommy Wiseau in a San Francisco acting class. Drawn to the strangers lack of self-doubt, overt confidence and fearlessness as a performer, Greg finds himself taken under Tommys wing in a friendship that feels like a bizarre cross between younger brother and nubile au pair. Gregs very presence seems to have an energizing effect on Wiseau that is both concerning and complex; his modest successes as an unknown actor gives Tommy equal pride and intense jealousy, while simultaneously pushing him to accomplish something for which the world will remember him. That drive eventually manifests as The Room, which to Tommy represents the opportunity for dramatic excellence Hollywood will always deny him as an outsider.

Here, the film diverges somewhat from the story Sestero tells in the source material. In reality, Greg was never meant to play the films second male lead, Mark. In fact, he was supposed to be a line producer, keeping track of all the bodies on set, before Wiseau decided that he was displeased with the actor portraying Mark. Being the passive-aggressive madman that he is, Wiseau didnt just simply make the switchhe began reshooting Marks scenes with Sestero before bothering to fire the original Mark, telling the actor hed originally cast that Sesteros scenes were simply rehearsals and acting practice. This went on for days before the original Mark was finally fired from the production.

That story is cut from The Disaster Artist the movie, along with a number of others, largely to serve the narrative that Tommy was (and is) a genial, if bizarre, kind of guy. Yes, some sequences portray him as deluded, uncomfortable to be around and verbally abusive, but Francos Tommy pales in comparison to the portrayal in Sesteros book, which at times all but labels Tommy a manipulative sociopath. Though, reading it, you certainly dont feel like this naive kids otherwise promising career was derailed by his association with Wiseau, either. Tommy may be the bane of Gregs existence to some degree, but hes also his golden goose, because, lets be real, nobody would ever have known Sesteros name if not for Tommy. The two need each other, and they both know it, which is exactly why were finally getting them reunited in the film Best Friends in 2018. It was written by Sestero, by the way.

As for the cinematic The Disaster Artist, outside of its magnificent central portrayal by the elder Franco, its strongest and occasionally most problematic elements revolve around the huge ensemble cast of familiar faces. This film is like Hollywoods own The Room viewing party, loaded down with so many notable names that it sometimes comes off too winkingly parodic, as if the playlet from Thor: Ragnarok ran throughout the entire film. Some roles reek a tad too smuglylook at Josh Hutchersons face in a horrendous-looking wig, playing Tommy/Johnnys neighbor Denny, for examplebut other performers shine in roles that allow them to interact with Franco/Wiseau as straight men baffled by the perplexity of whats going on around them. Seth Rogen and Paul Scheer, in particular are both hilarious, playing the films script supervisor and original director of photography, respectively, grappling with demands that are often outside the realm of understanding. Rogen alone has about half the films biggest laughsis that not what you would expect for someone whose daily job on set is to interpret the will of Tommy Wiseaus script for The Room? No wonder he assumes his checks are going to bounce.

In the end, The Disaster Artist reads like its positioning for a shot at year-end honors and the largest possible audience, but fans of The Room will ultimately get far more from the experience than the average multiplex dweller. Its a film to see with an audience familiar with what its about to see, with people who can appreciate the dedication with which Franco and co. have recreated so many of the original films woeful scenes and performances.

This is also what will ultimately place it a notch below Ed Wood in the pantheon of good movies about terrible movies: The Disaster Artist may faithfully (very faithfully) recapture the spirit of The Room, but its less welcoming to those who have never hurled a plastic spoon screenward at a midnight showing. So do yourself a favor: Before seeing The Disaster Artist, go (out to) see The Room. Only then will you be able to appreciate the style with which Franco has pulled off one of the years best performances.

Director: James Franco

Writers: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber

Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Allison Brie, Ari Graynor, Paul Scheer, Josh Hutcherson, Nathan Fielder, Zac Efron, Jacki Weaver, June Diane Raphael

Release Date: December 1, 2017

Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer who has probably seen The Room several dozen times at this point. You can follow him on Twitter for more film writing.
West, northern Michigan brace for storm that could bring foot of snow
Railbird Report: PLO Crusher "cumicon" Revealed, Biggest Pots Online

November 30, 2017 Frank Op de Woerd

This week, we featured "cumicon's" poker graph, and highlighted some of his accomplishments. A day later, Joe Ingram hosted a Poker Life Podcast with the star, revealing his real name. "cumicon" turned out to be an American pro relocated to Canada. The one hour and 40 minute-long podcast is well worth a listen. Cumicon, though, seems pretty fed up with poker and hasn't enjoyed playing it really. The timestamps by David Huber (pinned in the comments) can help you skip to the most interesting bits.

Earnings

PocketFives has him winning $174,098 ($153,413 on PokerStars, $20,685 on Full Tilt Poker) with his biggest score ($128,006) coming from a third place (after chopping) in the Sunday Warm Up back in 2010.

But, as the podcast with Ingram should show you, "Cumicon" wasn't a tournament player. He locked himself inside for five years to play cash games, preferably heads up pot-limit Omaha. As can be seen in the graph he posted, he's up an astonishing $7 million across the board.

And while "Cumicon" mentioned his mother was lurking HighStakesDB to see how her son was doing, the graphs on the tracking site show a bit different numbers. Keeping track since 2012, they have him up $104,958 on Full Tilt Poker and +$1,050,576 on PokerStars, with a big spike at the end of 2015. Keep in mind, HighStakesDB doesn't track all heads up tables and not all websites.

Cumicon's Biggest Pots

All 3 of the biggest pot of "Cumicon"' career, according to HSDB, came from a heads-up match between him and Viktor "Isildur1" Blom back in October of 2015. In the $200/$400 game, "Cumicon" would eventually sit on a stack of $325,982 (815 big blinds).

Biggest Pot $233,388 (583bb) Date: October 24th, 2015 Site: PokerStars Opponent: Viktor "Isildur1" Blom

Blom opened the button for $1,360. "Cumicon" three-bet to $4,240 and Blom called.

"Cumicon" would take a more passive line post flop, check-calling all 3 streets. He first checked on , and called Blom's pot bet for $8,638.

The on the turn saw "Cumicon" check again, and call the pot bet that followed for $25,914 as well.

With the on the river pairing the board, "cumicon" went for the third check. Blom bet pot once more, this time for $77,742. "Cumicon" called with for a full house, sixes over fives, and easily beat Blom's .

2nd Biggest Pot: $222,632 (556bb) Date: October 24th, 2015 Site: PokerStars Opponent: Viktor "Isildur1" Blom

"Cumicon" opened for $1,360 and Blom three-bet to $4,240. "Cumicon" called in position and saw a flop in an $8,800 pot.

The flop came and Blom bet $8,638. "Cumicon" called.

Blom bet $25,914 into $26,076 on the turn. "Cumicon" shoved and Blom called all in for $98,278.

Blom held the nuts with but was vulnerable against "Cumicon"' straight and flush draws with the . The on the river completed both "Cumicon"' flush and straight and the pot went his way.

3rd Biggest Pot: $208,792 (521bb) Date: October 24th, 2015 Site: PokerStars Opponent: Viktor "Isildur1" Blom

Blom opened the button for $1,360 and "Cumicon" three-bet to $4,240. Blom four-bet to $12,880 and "Cumicon" called to build the pot already up to $26,080.

The pot remained at $26,080 as both players checked the flop of .

On the turn, Blom was done checking. After "Cumicon" checked, Blom bet $25,918 and "Cumicon" called.

The on the river paired the board and "Cumicon" checked again. Blom shoved all in for $65,438 into $77,916. "Cumicon" called with for two pair. Blom showed for queen-high and had to reload while "Cumicon" sat on a stack of $325,982.

Catching Up on High Stakes Action: Three Biggest Pots Online

1) "BERRI SWEET" Wins a $170,224 Pot (851 Big Blinds) from Viktor "Isildur1" Blom

($100/$200 PLO 6-Max)

"Grazvis1" made a fairly big open from under the gun to $800. His neighbor "BERRI SWEET" called before Blom squeezed to $3,740 on the button. The blinds got out of the way and "Grazvis1" called. It was on "BERRI SWEET" again and he re-squeezed to $16,300. Both "Grazvis1" and "BERRI SWEET" called to create a $48,080 pot (240 big blinds) before the flop was even dealt.

"Grazvis1" checked on and "BERRI SWEET" potted. Blom shoved for a bit more, "Grazvis1" got out of the way and "BERRI SWEET" called all in for $60,672 total.

Player Hand Equity "BERRI SWEET" 60.37% Viktor "Isildur1" Blom 39.63%

The on the turn wasn't a good card for Blom, and the on the river wasn't either. The massive pot went to "BERRI SWEET", whose aces held up.

Click for replay via HighStakesDB

2) Timofey "Trueteller" Kuznetsov Wins a $106,832 Pot (267 Big Blinds) from "BERRI SWEET"

($200/$400 PLO HU)

The two biggest crushers this year squared off in a heads-up match. "BERRI SWEET" opened on the button to $1,360 and Kuznetsov called.

The flop came and Timofey "Trueteller" Kuznetsov checked in the $2,640 pot. "BERRI SWEET" bet $2,157 and Kuznetsov called.

Kuznetsov checked again on the turn and "BERRI SWEET" bet $7,192. Kuznetsov check-raised to $28,770 and "BERRI SWEET" called, growing the pot to $64,495.

The river completed the board and Kuznetsov shoved for $20,968. "BERRI SWEET" called but had to muck his upon being shown by Kuznetsov.

Click for replay via HighStakesDB

3) "BERRI SWEET" Wins a $106,832 Pot (267 Big Blinds) from "JayP-AA"

($200/$400 PLO 3-Handed)

"JayP-AA" opened the button in this 3-handed game for $1,640. Small blind "BERRI SWEET" three-bet to $5,560 and the big blind, Sami "Lrslzk" Kelopuro, folded. "JayP-AA" called in position.

With $12,000 in the middle, "BERRI SWEET" checked on . "JayP-AA" bet $3,877 and "BERRI SWEET" called.

On the turn, "BERRI SWEET" checked again, and then called a $12,388 bet from "JayP-AA" into a $19,755 pot.

As the completed the board, the pot had grown to $44,531. "BERRI SWEET" checked a third time, and called "JayP-AA's" $30,086 shove.

"JayP-AA" showed and mucked as "BERRI SWEET" revealed for top set and a blocker.

Click for replay via HighStakesDB

This Week's Online High-Stakes Biggest Winners and Losers

It was a big week for Ben "Sauce123" Sulsky at the high stakes heads-up 8-Game and 2-7 triple draw tables, where he walked away $283,546 richer after 2,567 hands, for more than $110 per hand in profit. Even more impressive was the fact that Sulsky needed just less than three hours in total to win it all. "BERRI SWEET", who duked it out with Kuznetsov as shown above, also had a massive week and banked $255,320 in profit.

Unsurprisingly, the biggest loser of the week was "RaulGonzalez", who lost the money in the heads-up sessions against Sulsky. Last week, "RaulGonzalez" dropped $295,290 in total, which wiped away almost all of his high stakes profit in 2017. Carlo "Ravenswood13" van Ravenswoud parted with nearly a quarter million dollars to become the second biggest loser of the week. The Dutchman, residing in Malta, still has an amazing 2017 going for him and is up $814,543 for the year.

(user)name hands profit/loss 11/23-11/30 profit/loss 2017 profit/loss all time Winning Players 1 Ben "Sauce123" Sulsky 2,567 +$283,546 +$272,530 $5,125,250 2 BERRI SWEET 3,049 +$255,320 +$1,828,225 +$2,389,144 3 Laszlo "omaha4rollz" Bujtas 1,847 +$146,018 +$33,925 +$297,539 4 JayP-AA 2,843 +$60,293 +$260,625 +$2,235,819 5 Ilari "Ilari FIN" Sahamies 1,950 +$58,819 +$97,531 +$1,397,213 6 Grazvis1 1,513 +$47,508 -$57,778 +$119,813 7 Debilne_Ucho 1,239 +$47,047 -$16,365 +$712,228 8 Gavin "gavz101" Cochrane 2,377 +$44,393 +$135,630 +$571,840 9 Jonas "OtB_RedBaron" Mols 1,522 +$42,780 +$185,331 +$2,442,617 10 Drochba 357 +$39,150 +$23,624 +$41,413 Losing Players 1 RaulGonzalez 1,998 -$295,290 +$52,968 +$795,418 2 Carlo "Ravenswood13" van Ravenswoud 4,008 -$244,517 +$814,543 +$32,264 3 donthnrmepls 349 -$118,998 +$221,804 +$252,464 4 Sami "Lrslzk" Kelopuro 1,004 -$115,139 -$1,364,274 -$2,067,438 5 Viktor "Isildur1" Blom 9,306 -$89,430 +$1,184,215 +$2,695,386 6 BlackFortuna 978 -$55,999 +$29,968 +$29,968 7 XD89lol<3 1,957 -$52,787 -$119,162 -$93,473 8 EEE27 3,542 -$52,012 +$138,001 -$14,649 9 Jordi "prot0" Urlings 663 -$46,853 +$521,305 +$449,196 10 Vyacheslav "1nvoker" Ozhigov 1,171 -$37,705 +$109,853 +$22,616

The 2017 Leaderboard

Due to his big week, "BERRI SWEET" has taken over Timofey "Trueteller" Kuznetsov's top spot at the 2017 leaderboard. Adding another quarter million dollars to his massive 2017, "BERRI SWEET" has moved up to $1,828,225 for the year and now sits in first. Kuznetsov remains in second place with $1,750,897, while Viktor "Isildur1" Blom remains in third place and is up $1,184,215.

Sami "Lrslzk" Kelopuro played 1,004 hands this week and lost $115,139, which put his 2017 at -$1,364,274. "8superpoker" clocked 1,214 hands the past week and dropped $26,990. With the loss, "8superpoker" now sits at -$702,923 for the year. Dani "supernova9" Stern retired earlier this year and didn't play any hands.

(user)name hands 2017 profit/loss 2017 profit/loss per hand 2017 profit/loss all time / most played game 2017 Winning Players 1 BERRI SWEET 54,066 +$1,828,225 +$33.81 +$2,389,144  PLO 2 Timofey "Trueteller" Kuznetsov 54,468 +$1,750,897 +$32.14 +$3,641,664  PLO 3 Viktor "Isildur1" Blom 182,771 +$1,184,215 +6.47 +$2,695,386  8-Game Losing Players 1 Sami "Lrslzk" Kelopuro 54,991 -$1,364,274 -$24.80 -$2,067,438  PLO 2 Dani "supernova9" Stern 10,039 -$777,373 -$77.43 -$1,439,781 - PLO 3 "8superpoker" 32,442 -$702,923 -$21.66 -$2,713,977  Limit

The above top winning and losing players in online poker for 2017 only takes PokerStars accounts into consideration. All public data courtesy of HighStakesDB.com. If you want to opt out of being listed in this PokerNews update on the high-stakes action, send an email with your username to [email protected]

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Ivo Perelman is not as big a name in jazz as his output and artistry demands. Perhaps his output  with dozens of recordings released in any given year  numbs us to his brilliance. In 2017 alone he put out 14 discs of music: a seven-volume The Art of Perelman-Shipp (all featuring pianist Matthew Shipp) and now the six simultaneous releases reviewed here (one a double-disc), five with Shipp and two featuring trumpeter Nate Wooley, among other musicians.

Perelman is originally from Brazil, where he grew up and studied several instruments before going to the Berklee College of Music in 1981 to study jazz and the tenor saxophone. His first recording, made in Los Angeles was a reasonably conventional date with Airto, Flora Purim, John Patitucci, and Eliane Elias. But soon gravitated toward free improvisation. For a couple of decades now, nearly all his music has been composed spontaneously, usually working with other musicians schooled in the art of free improvisation.

It is immediately notable that Perelmans tone and melodic choices are lovely rather than harsh. The tradition in free-blowing jazz is that horn players take freedom not only with the structure but also with sonority  and their sound tends to be caustic or blaring from the jump. Perelman, however, opts for beauty to start and for long stretches, even when he is playing outside of traditional harmony or swing rhythm.

What makes his music harder to approach than most jazz is, rather, that it is all spontaneously improvised. This practice is often mentioned but rarely analyzed. When Keith Jarrett does it in his solo piano concerts, it is considered semi-miraculous, but it really shouldnt be. Composing in the moment, alone and on an instrument that was designed to be a mini-orchestra unto itself, poses only one problem: what should I play? Once a direction is chosen, it is within a good players ability to make it all fit together because she doesnt need to communicate with other players. Perelmans art is in spontaneously improvising in duos or groups, which means that the musicians face the challenge of choosing what to play, at the moment, but such that their choices connect musically. That can mean: finding a tempo, deciding on a time signature or pattern, choosing a tonal center or key, exploring motifs that arise  and then knowing when to move on to something different.

Lets look at a single performance from these six hours of music, Part 4 from Octagon, with Nate Wooleys trumpet joining Perelman, along with Gerald Cleaver on drums and Brandon Lopez on bass. It starts as a tenor/trumpet duet, with Perelman playing the first phrase and Wooley joining a split second later, hearing a tonal space and joining it quickly. They play a counterpoint, matching each others phrasing and rough tempo, even as it changes and breathes. Cleaver hears the sense of tempo and joins, creating a busy counterpoint of his own below them. At about 1:30, Wooley plays a sharp, two-note downward phrase (concert G-F) and Perelman immediately answers with an identically phrased G-Eb  which sends the two tumbling into series of variations of that phrase, partly in a (lucky?) unison. That brings Lopez into the conversation, playing low tones and then a bowed melody that inspires the horns into a series of unswung eighth notes that are in the same key. At about 3:10, the playing becomes more legato, with bass and horns both playing long, lovingly played phrases, and then settle into near-silence at 4:00 with Perelman just blowing air through his horn in a whisper. The remaining 1:25 of this performance starts with Wooley and Lopez abandoning traditional technique and playing squeaks and swirls outside any tonal center. Perelman remains melodic at first, then moves to his own (quite controlled) extended technique. Cleaver follows as the three other instruments play a slow downward spiral leading to a set of a dozen or so eighth notes on a floor to the bring it to a conclusion.

Parts of Part 4 are simply ingenious: like How did they do that? amazing. Of course, composed music contains such moments as a matter of routine, so the dazzle of those moments comes from knowing that the music was wholly improvised and from that fact, somehow, creating a dynamic of exploration or discovery that colors the music in essential ways. That is a profound question that jazz writers sometimes reach for, but Ive never read a wholly satisfactory analysis: how does the spontaneity or improvising make the music inherently different in emotional heft or otherwise? Why do we sense the crackle of the improvising even when we hear it on a recording? (Or, for that matter, do we really hear it?) Is that crackle increased when the improvising has fewer constraints (no required tonal center or rhythmic pattern) or might it be lessened by too much freedom?

Perhaps these questions are part of the investigation that makes up Perelmans music. As you listen to these six different recordings, you might test answering these questions for yourself. Although all the music is improvised, each setting subtly adjusts the variables.

I lean favorably, for example, toward Heptagon, featuring Shipps piano, William Parker on bass, and drummer Bobby Kapp (who is relatively unknown in the United States, though he played on a 1967 Gato Barbieri recording that is well known). Perhaps Im betraying a certain conservative affection in my listening for classic quartets (sax, piano, bass, drums), but this band feels extremely balanced and dancing. Part One finds Kapp and Parker locking into a delightful feeling of free time that is nevertheless in 4/4, and Shipp and Perelman connect above this like old friends. Part Two is a knotty kind of ballad, with Perelman starting his playing in a low register, then appearing more and more often above water in short dolphin-like leaps of melody. I could go on, but the point is simply that this music feels good to me, even though I cant hum along. Why?

Perelman is a supremely inviting melodicist. Listen to his very high tone at the end of the aforementioned Part Two from Heptagon and how he gets to it. It is not a snarl or cry or a squeak but a creamy high note that be winds up to in a ladder of beauty. I think that his arrival there strictly through improvising makes it more astonishing, yes, but I think it would be astonishing whether it was improvised or composed. There is more than one way to skin the cat of musical beauty.

Among this music, there are many marvels. Live in Baltimore consist of a single, flowing performance of 51 minutes: Shipp and Perelman begin it with a beautiful telepathy, and they are joined by the super-intuitive drumming of Jeff Cosgrove, a Maryland drummer who deserves wider recognition. Philosophers Stone bring Wooley and Shipp together with the leader for what may be the most complex and compelling set. And the two-disc Live in Brussels returns us to just Shipp and Perelman, the spine of it all, in their astonishing continuing conversation.

Inside each package are liner notes by Chicagos great jazz writer, Neil Tesser, who listens with care and guides us through the music to some extent. He has mastered the old art of liner notes  theyre short but insightful, cheerleading but also correct. They enhance each disc.

I got lost in this Perelman music for the week of Thanksgiving 2017  not exactly seasonal fare but good music with which to change the basic rhythm of my life (wake, work, eat, play, sleep) and to remind me that patterns need not be fixed. Now I want to hear him in person and feel the vibrations of his horn and his musical intelligence in real time. Thats his canvas.
The work of grieving can seem too overwhelming, too complex for mere civilians to comprehend. We understand how to mourn, why to mourn. We go through the rituals of burial and accepting or providing condolences after losing loved ones, enduring a national disaster, or absorbing the new normal reality of a terminal medical condition into our lives. Mourning is easy because it can become more understandable and acceptable in private, beneath the shadows. More often than not, we are expected to mourn in private after a prescribed period of time (usually one year) so as to not interfere with the lives of the more fortunate. After all, dark clouds will always break up and the sun will come up tomorrow, right?

In Rebellious Mourning: The Collective Work of Grief, editor Cindy Millstein has compiled 25 challenging, interesting, pointed reflections on the importance of learning how and when to mourn outside the box, to rage against more than just Dylan Thomass darkness of the night and expand that anger to the glare of the noonday sun. Its the idea of working collectively, the necessity of understanding that those on the journey  from initial mourning to grieving (finite or long-term)  must have a guide. There needs to be a focus. More importantly, there needs to be an understanding that pain and suffering is not something personal to be endured behind closed doors.

For Millstein, who writes in Prologue/Cracks in the Wall, the mission seems clear. Life is cruel, and one of the cruelest effects of the way we operate as a society is the expectation that pain should be hidden away, buried, privatized  a lie manufactured so as to mask and uphold the social order that produces our losses.

In other words, the personal is political. An inability to get through that concept will make it difficult to accept the premise of this text. Millstein notes that the topics of the essays here range from colonialism to incarceration, climate catastrophe to poverty, rape to chronic illness, ones culture to ones dignity Rebellious Mourning is certainly about loss and sadness, the common feelings that come from never being able to understand suffering, but through the loss and sadness there needs to be a sense of empowerment and ownership. This is my grief, the writers are saying. This is how I am processing it. What seems to matter most here is not the need for reader endorsement or relatability so much as testimony. This is my story and I need to tell it.

Theres definitely some revelation and beauty in the rubble of the stories told here. Take Benji Harts Feeling Is Not Weakness. In his article he writes of organizing marches to protest the murder of a 22-year-old black woman in 2015 by an off-duty Chicago cop. The protest, which he called They Dont Care About Us, drew the community together, but for Hart the risks remain. The most intense violence the intentional erasure of history will never dissuade us from fighting back. My sadness is proof of my love In her essay The Condition of Black Life Is one of Mourning, writer Claudia Rankine goes deeper:

We live in a country where Americans assimilate corpses in their daily comings and goings. Dead blacks are a part of normal life here Anti-black racism is in the culture The Black Lives Matter movement can be read as an attempt to keep mourning an open dynamic in our culture because black lives exist in a state of precariousness.

These are facts, clearly and systematically delivered. What works best and runs through the bulk of the works in Rebellious Mourning is the absence of histrionics and agit-prop bellowing. Writer Lee Sandusky is effective in her essay Dust of the Desert, about the precarious nature of life on the US/Mexico border and the fact that the lack of media coverage about so many people lost and mysteriously disappeared is systematic of American sensibility: Yet I do not grieve alone, she writes. Later, our grief is not necessarily in solidarity; our grief is our own. These pieces are not suggesting theres unity in grief or the grieving process. Instead, theyre advocating for an acknowledgement of different styles of the grieving process, different varieties of rebellion, and for us to let the process play itself out.

Kevin Yuen Kit Hos Fragments Toward a Whole is a devastating account of the authors sexual abuse at the hands of a camp counselor in Nova Scotia. In 1992, when hes 14, he watches Sinead OConnors famous Saturday Night Live protest against child abuse in the Catholic church. My world shatters. It is the first time I connect those words with what happened to me Its an effective image for those who remember that broadcast, how the complicit silence of the TV audience spoke volumes about the world at large.

Wren Awrys Lungful of Mountain takes the reader into the changing economic conditions and terminal physical states of some coal miners on West Virginia: Collective grief meant not just holding hands in eulogistic prayer but also liking a Facebook status that quoted Mother Jones Mari Matsumoto and Sabu Kohsos Rages of Fukushima and Grief in a No-Future Present brings the reader to Japan, nuclear fallout, and the uncertainty of everything:

The nuclear disaster doesnt have an end, and therefore healing by mourning is out of the question at this point. What unites us is rage

Jeff Clarks To Mourn and Strike nicely illustrates the idea that the very word grieve to initiate a grievance, means to move forward, to advance on the streets or otherwise, to make yourself visible and known. Clarks section is an interview with artists who have created public memorials to the departed (accompanied by replications of that art). Artist Micah Bazant, who created a haunting black and white portrait of slain trans activist Keisha Jenkins, puts it this way:

We love to look at faces, make eye contactThe memorial drawings always intentionally show someone making intense eye contactI want people to be forced to connect with someone who has literally been erased in life and death

Its this type of truth that makes the majority of material in Rebellious Mourning so immediate and important, so refreshing in a literary marketplace more comfortable with simplistic sayings and Chicken Soup for everybodys soul (except maybe not yours). Loss is never comfortable. Mourning is never easy. Grieving is a strange mixture of rage and silence. If art can force viewers to confront those who had spent their lives in a marginalized netherworld (no matter who put them there) then its certainly doing its job.

Sarah Schulmans The Gentrification of AIDS is a long, complicated, yet fascinating account of how she sees white gay men (whom she has long championed) as guilty in the slow but certain gentrification of neighborhoods in New York City. Although I have spent thirty years of my life writing about the heroism of gay men, I have also come to understand their particular brand of cowardice. If her argument is that writer Andrew Sullivans 1996 declaration that we had reached the end of AIDS is indicative of its whitewashing (that less whites were dying of it therefore the pandemic had ended), then she more than makes her point. More deeply, though, she argues that the national tragedy of 9/11 in NYC was the final mark of the gentrification of AIDS:

On 9/11, 2,752 people died in New York City. These human beings have been highly individuated The disallowed grief of twenty years of AIDS deaths was replaced by ritualized and institutionalized mourning of the acceptable dead. In this way, 9/11 is the gentrification of AIDS.

Its certainly an audacious claim, but she more than supports it by asking questions. Where is our catharsis, our healing? Where is our post-traumatic stress diagnosis? Where is our recovery?

Again, none of this is comfortable or convenient. None of this is easy to take, nor should it be. If mourning is the initial expectation, grieving is the next stage, then essays like Schulmans should be necessary parts of the national healing process.

There are other highlights in this book. Harmony Hazards What Is Possible is about her experiences in Mexico, and this discussion of revolution sets her tone: I have a friend whose high school history teacher was also a dancer, and so he explained revolution by breaking the word down to revolve and demonstrated this by spinning slowly in front of the class. Cindy Milsteins Ghost Stories/Rock, Paper, Ashes looks at personal family loss and bearing witness in concentration camps in Poland. She evokes the feeling of disconnection and unity and the need to find common ground:

I grow confused, mixing up decades, blurring centuries I become obsessed, seeking continuity at every turn This translates into compulsion to pay homage to all those murdered.

There are slower parts to this text, essays that might be wandering through the same territory as others and not shining a better light into the darker regions. Milstein is a judicious editor and a fine writer in her prologue and essay contribution, but this volume could have been trimmed by perhaps 25 percent and been twice as powerful. The sin of generosity is understandably human, though, and for that Milstein should be absolved. Her line about getting confused is what works best in her work as a writer. Cindy Milsteins Rebellious Mourning: The Collective Work of Grief is an important book, especially in international times where the worst natures in the worst of us seem to be amplified with each passing day.
In order for

I Love You Daddy to work it must function on two levels. One way is we follow the narrative where director, screenwriter, and star Louis CK plays Glen Topher, a successful television presence (much like CK himself). We watch as Glen, a pathetic man who makes mistakes and doesnt get it, is shuttled between opinionated women. We watch as Glen makes little progress himself, and as his faults open the film for women-lead (maybe) discussions on sex, gender, and feminism. And we watch him be, as CK always is, not such a bad guy. I Love You Daddy revels in Glens faults, but while gently critical (in a near-didactic way), its never condemning.

Conflictingly, however, is the second aspect of the film: that of CK as creator. Where we watch Glen be a loser, we know CK has crafted him as such. When we watch the women in his life challenge his thoughts and actions, we know they are merely mouthpieces for CKs dialogue. The result is the marriage of self-flagellation and smug superiority which make up I Love You Daddy: the controlled representation of fault with a smirk that says, at least I own up to it. (Notably, this film was cancelled by The Orchard in light of allegations of sexual misconduct. C.K. has since released it on his website. I viewed it from a screener.)

Yet owning up to something is rarely enough, and the bar is no longer that low. The film focuses on Glen as he works on a new television series. He meets actress Grace Cullen (Rose Byrne), who wants to star in the show, and after a tiff with his 17-year-old daughter, China (Chloe Grace Moretz), where he mansplains (his word) feminism to her, Grace suggests they both come to her party to mend things. This is where the father and daughter meet director Leslie Goodwin (John Malkovich). A Woody Allen-esque figure who dates young girls and is surrounded by rumours of child molestation. Glen admires him (and excuses the allegations) while China is repulsed by him. However, when China and Leslie begin spending more time together, shes won over  much to Glens chagrin, as he must confront his own admiration of the man. Unable to separate the art from the artist when the situation becomes personal, Glen struggles with how to come to terms with the relationship.

Ultimately, the ruminations about the sex in

I Love You Daddy are relatively shallow. CK never truly ventures into the power dynamics of a revered filmmaker and a high school student, so the challenge becomes a binary of parental guilt and discomfort, instead. When Glen and Grace argue about Chinas relationship, it boils down to age is just a number, Grace submitting that China has her own agency when Glen expresses fatherly concern. And again, uncomfortably, its hard to forget that both angles come from CKs mind. The debate feels more like a monologue, with CK unable to create speech that feels natural in the mouth of someones other than his own.

But the worst example of this is by the end of the film, when Glen has a conversation with Chinas friend Zasha (Ebonee Noel). As Zasha, the most obvious site of CKs ventriloquizing, reassures Glen that its normal for China to have had a crush on Leslie, she references other older men they had had crushes on: a teacher, a cousin, and Glen himself. Glen, dazedly taking it in as she tells him that China was the real pervert, not Leslie, and that in fact, everybodys a pervert, Im a pervert, were all perverts, tries to put his hand on her knee before she moves away.

Coming on to the 17-year-old girl who rejects him, CK places Glen, once more, into the humiliating position of loser. But with his messy web of sexual relations, hes confirming that which Zasha has already explicitly expressed: hes a pervert. Is it so bad if she is too? In a scene just before, China is the one to come on to Leslie, and he rejects her. Perhaps we are all perverts and perhaps we are all losers, whether youre a schlubby guy like Glen, or a hot teen (and we know shes hot, as every character has to comment on it) like China. CKs sense of superiority then comes from his ability to bloodily present his  our  failings and mistakes.

I Love You Daddy tries to show us that we all are bad deep down: in the end Glen is no better than Leslie (or CK no better than Allen), and neither of them are better than China. Perhaps none of us are.

But the thing is that this isnt an us situation. Not everyone exploits their power and position for sexual gain, nor do we all make these mistakes. This is about CK and his attempt to draw us in lessens the bite, opens us all up for critique and makes CKs self-flagellation that which must be done universally. But then we can praise him for because he has done it before us, openly. As a result,

I Love You Daddy reads much like CKs apology for sexually harassing numerous women, but its only an empty reflection on the abuse of power, which is just as focused on CKs self-proclaimed stature as a great comedian as it is about his regret for how his actions make him feel.

Theres never an apology, nor is there a mention of what can be done to change things, if anything. In his film, CK does the same as he always has: he presents his (talented, successful) protagonist making mistakes, but acknowledges that they are mistakes. CK draws attention to sexual harrassment problems while indulging in being able to have such problems.

But more uncomfortable than CKs consistent presentation of himself as just a normal guyis how events play out in I Love You Daddy. When Grace asks for an interview with Glen, she expresses how much she adores his work. When Glen is on the phone with her, his friend Ralph mimes masturbating as he hears her voice over the speaker. In CKs letter of apology, he wrote: The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I wielded that power irresponsibly. Glen never goes as far as CK did. The admiration of an actress becomes mutually desired dates and career opportunities. The masturbation in her presence is a joke which she never has to participate in. CK, in his exploration of his supposed faults, re-writes himself to be no longer a man who exposed and pleasured himself in front of women less established in the comedy world than him, impeding their careers and causing trauma.

With this mild version of Hollywood misconduct in mind, is there true value in the vapid discussions of sexuality that CK regurgitates into the mouths of his actresses? Or is there value in the presentation of himself as a loser who truly isnt a bad guy, since we all make mistakes? Soft criticism of himself, as well as everyone else, cushions any point the film could have made, had it been made by someone else. For after CKs confirmation of his history of sexual harassment, its difficult to accept his narcissistic exploration of how were really all just perverts, no exceptions.

The comedy in

I Love You Daddy is flat (mainly based on over-using the word fuck and bland sex jokes in sequences so extended that it kills the humour). Aesthetically the film is too derivative to be interesting (the black-and-white cityscape homage to Allens Manhattan gets old fast). CKs self-flagellation (which is truly more of a self-forgiveness) cannot be read outside of his actions. With such a lazily done product of resuscitated visuals and humour without wit (or timing), we can hope there will be no efforts to consume I Love You Daddy outside of its context. Perhaps we can be comforted by the fact that I Love You Daddy is bad, as we wont have to reconcile the problem of separating the art from the artist.
Pizza has been a constant in Brian Kesslers life, from the time he got a job in a pizzeria as a teenager until the day he met his wife in a pizza joint. Read moreIggy's Pizza Shop is now open in Mount Pleasant
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Generally cloudy. High 53F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 36F. Winds light and variable.
Do you know of a retail business that is opening, closing or expanding? Reach Warren L. Wise at 843-937-5524. Follow him on Twitter @warrenlancewise.
The trial for Russell Laffitte, a former top executive for Palmetto State Bank, continues this week in Charleston's U.S. District Court. He stands accused of helping Alex Murdaugh defraud his former law clients, while using money from his family's bank to prop up the disbarred attorney's shaky finances. Read moreBank official reported Russell Laffitte's handling of Murdaugh client checks as suspicious
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
State Circuit Judge DeAndrea Benjamin appears poised to join a powerful federal appeals court bench following a U.S. Senate hearing in which Republicans repeatedly questioned her handling of two cases out of thousands she'd handled in South Carolina over two decades. Read moreSC Judge Benjamin praised by Clyburn, questioned by Republicans during US Senate hearing
Ambulatory Services Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 11:59:20

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1001 4th Ave,



#3200



Mr Shah

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2067016702

email

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# 794 Words

1001 4th Ave,#3200CEO2067016702

Ambulatory care refers to the medical services provided on an outpatient basis without hospitalization or other medical facility. Outpatient services include physician and dentist offices, medical laboratories, and home healthcare. Ambulatory care service is one of the major contributor to the hospital revenue and to the performance of the health care system. Ambulatory care provides diagnosis, observation, consultation, treatment, intervention, and rehabilitation services to patient with advanced medical treatments. In addition, telephone consultations, rehabilitation visits, and emergency visits to the patients is expected to attract more patients towards the services, offering greater contribution to financial outcome.Cost saving surgeries drives the growth of the global ambulatory services marketAccording to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 2016, approximately 35 million ambulatory surgical visits and 20 million surgical procedures were performed in hospital outpatient departments(HOPDs), with 15 million surgeries performed in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Also, Medicare payments to ASCs have increased by 24% from $2.9 billion in 2007 to $3.6 billion in 2012.The factors driving the growth of ambulatory services include, rising government funding offering team-based primary care, cost-saving surgeries compared to the hospitals, and government investment for ambulatory care facilities. Additionally, the growing prevalence of chronic diseases with increasing geriatric population, advancement in technology, and new reimbursement rules by the government offering economic advantage are the factors leading to the growth of the global market. Also, the demand for minimally invasive surgeries, faster patient recovery with shorter healing time, inexpensive surgical charges, and well equipped ambulatory service centers is expected to drive the market in the forecast period. However delayed diagnosis, ineffective communication, and incidence of adverse drug events are restrains for ambulatory services market.Request For Sample Copy@Hospital-based ambulatory surgical centers segment is expected to witness higher growth rate owing to value added servicesThe global ambulatory services market is segmented on the basis of center, modality, service, application and geography.On the basis of centers, the global ambulatory services market is segmented into:Single Specialty Centre,Primary Care Offices,Outpatient Departments,Emergency Departments,Multi-Specialty CentreOn the basis of modality, the global ambulatory services market is segmented into:Freestanding Ambulatory Surgical Centers,Hospital-Based Ambulatory Surgical CentersOn the basis of services, the global ambulatory services market is segmented into:Diagnostic Services,Surgical ServicesOn the basis of applications, the global ambulatory services market is segmented into:Gastroenterology,Ophthalmology,Orthopedics,Pain/Neurology,Urology,Dermatology,OthersIntroduction of outpatient strategies is expected to accelerate the ambulatory services market in Asia PacificRegional segmentation of the global ambulatory services market by Coherent Market Insights comprises North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. According to the National Center for Health Statistics estimates in 2017, the number of outpatient surgery visits in the U.S. is increased from 2006 to 2016, from 20.8 million to 34.7 million visits, thereby raising the demand for ambulatory services. North America is expected to dominate the ambulatory services market owing to cost-saving offers eliminating hospital stays, shift of aging population to outpatient care, and expansion of network with physicians and healthcare providers. For instance, the partnership of Tenet Healthcare and United Surgical Partners International (USPI) in 2015 resulted in undertaking 20 imaging centers, 265 short-day surgical facilities with 4000 physicians. The demand for ambulatory services in Europe is expected to increase owing to event organizations by British Association of Day Surgery and Healthcare Conferences UK, to create awareness among patients and to improved quality of surgery. Asia-Pacific is expected to grow drastically in the forecast period owing to the increasing healthcare issues with rising incidence of chronic diseases, and government initiation to introduce outpatient strategies. For instance, the launch of mobile apps by China and Japan are providing medical knowledge and easy booking for outpatient appointments.Comprehensive medical services offered by the keyplayers fuels the demand of ambulatory services marketKey players operating the global ambulatory services market include Symbion, IntergraMed America Inc., AmSurg Corp., Terveystalo Healthcare and DaVita HealthCare. The strategies applied by the key players include mergers and collaborations to offer comprehensive medical services. For instance, the acquisition of Premier Emergency Medical Specialists (PEMS) by AmSurg in 2015 marked its entry into emergency medicine specialty. Other vendors include SurgCenter, LVL Medical Group, Fresenius Kabi, Apria Healthcare and Healthway Medical Corporation Limited.Ask For the Discount@About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@ coherentmarketinsights.com Visit Coherent Market Insights Blog @ https://blog.coherentmarketinsights.com Connect with us on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/coherent-market-insights
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 16:06:01

The organization, recognized for its engagement against discrimination, was selected among over 1,300 grassroots organizations that applied for the prestigious Intercultural Innovation Award (IIA), a partnership between the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the BMW Group.

The IIA Ceremony was held in New York at United Nations headquarters, in the presence of ambassadors and high-level UN officials.

Argentinas Encontrarse En La Diversidad Receives the Intercultural Innovation Award

BMW Group

Milena Pighi, +49-89-382-66563

Head of Corporate Social Responsibility

Milena.PA.Pighi@bmw.de

or

UNAOC

Alessandro Girola, +1- 929-274-6217

Programming Coordinator

alessandrog@unops.org

Encontrarse en la Diversidad from Argentina is one of the ten global grassroots organizations receiving the 2017 Intercultural Innovation Award bestowed by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group.

The IIA Ceremony, held this year for the first time at UN headquarters in New York, was chaired by Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, and Mr. Bill McAndrews, Vice President BMW Group Communications Strategy, Corporate and Market Communications. See event photo.

Being able to share our project at the Intercultural Innovation Award Ceremony meant that more people around the world now know about our work, said Florencia Fisch, Manager for Educational Content and Projects. Our main event is the largest event on human rights for young people in our country. Every time we guarantee someones rights, we are closer to that better society we are all here building.

Encontrarse en la Diversidad was established in response to the lack of awareness about discrimination in Argentina. The organization works with youth, making visible day-to-day practices that reinforce discrimination and providing tools to recognize and dismantle such practices. By offering dynamic workshops in educational institutions, the project not only promotes, but takes action on diversity and inclusion.

The IIA initiative supports grassroots initiatives that promote intercultural dialogue and understanding, thereby contributing to peace, cultural diversity and more inclusive societies.

In addition to a financial grant, Encontrarse en la Diversidad will receive support from UNAOC and the BMW Group to help their project expand and replicate in other contexts. This model of collaboration between the UN and the private sector creates deeper impact, as both partners provide their respective expertise to ensure the sustainable growth of each project. Assistance is customized based on the specific needs of award recipients.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201711300057

ARGENTINAS ENCONTRARSE EN LA DIVERSIDAD RECEIVES THE INTERCULTURAL INNOVATION AWARD
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 14:00:23

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Aston Bay Holdings Ltd.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Toronto, ON (FSCWire) - Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. (TSX Venture:BAY). has issued a press release with the following headline:Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. Announces Preliminary Results of Falcon Airborne Gravity Gradiometry Survey at Aston Bay Property, Somerset Island, NunavutTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Aston Bay Holdings Ltd., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Aston Bay Holdings Ltd.Source: Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. (TSX Venture: BAY)Date: November 30, 2017Time: 8:00 AM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 04:57:14

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Bird River Resources Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Winnipeg, Manitoba (FSCWire) - Bird River Resources Inc. (CSE:BDR). has issued a press release with the following headline:Bird River Resources Inc. Grants New Incentive Stock OptionsTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Bird River Resources Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Bird River Resources Inc.Source: Bird River Resources Inc. (CSE: BDR)Date: November 29, 2017Time: 10:57 PM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Bird River Resources Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 16:23:13

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for SolGold plc--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Bishopsgate, London (FSCWire) - SolGold plc (TSX:SOLG). has issued a press release with the following headline:Closing of [[37]]45m Bought DealTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on SolGold plc, or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/SolGold plcSource: SolGold plc (TSX: SOLG, AIM: SOLG, OTC Bulletin Board: SLGGF)Date: November 30, 2017Time: 10:20 AM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of SolGold plc and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 12:01:03

ConstructConnect Launches Two New Websites for Legacy Publications Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce

ConstructConnect

Deborah Reale, 770-209-3372

ConstructConnect, a leading provider of construction information and technology solutions in North America, announced today the launch of two new websites for its award-winning, legacy publications the Daily Commercial News (DCN) and the Journal of Commerce (JOC). The websites are positioned to support DCN and JOC as trusted online resources for essential construction news, tender information and project leads.

DCN has served Eastern Canadas construction marketplace for almost 100 years. Although JOC focuses on Western Canada, it holds the unique honour of being Canadas oldest construction industry trade publication.

The new websites are an investment in a new dynamic publishing platform that allow the publications to share the valuable content the readers want, as well as roll out additional functionality to support the readers business needs. Optimized to provide an inclusive, user-friendly experience on both desktop and mobile devices, the new websites make it even easier to find, view, and share industry news and information.

The redesign of the Journal of Commerce and Daily Commercial News websites marks the next chapter in our companys historic transition for these iconic publications, explained Mark Casaletto, president of ConstructConnect-Canada. At a time when our journalism, project data and analytics are read and respected by more people, across more channels than ever before, enhancing our digital platform to provide a more valuable and effective experience for our readers and advertisers just made sense.

The new DCN and JOC websites were designed with special consideration for construction industry professionals, and provide readers with the following new features:

Sleek new design with improved user navigation and interface

Enhanced search for Certificates of Substantial Performance and legal ads, including the ability to filter by owner, contractor and custom date range

Embedded video capabilities

Easier access to the content users want

Increased visual imagery to complement articles and promote engagement

The DCN and JOC publications are recipients of multiple Construction Writers Association awards for coverage in local, national and international construction news stories.

About ConstructConnect

ConstructConnect is a leading provider of construction information and technology solutions in North America. Through the combination of its four legacy brands (iSqFt, Construction Market Data, BidClerk and Construction Data), ConstructConnect brings project participants together with the most complete, accurate and actionable construction data and tools to drive success in national, regional and local markets. For more information, visit constructconnect.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201711300051

Check out our new @DCN_Canada and @JOC_Canada websites!
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 19:03:01

New report by Independent Research Firm positions Cority as the market leader out of 20 vendors

TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cority, the most trusted environmental, health, safety, and quality (EHSQ) software for assuring client success, announced it has been recognized as the market leader for occupational health and industrial hygiene software by independent research firm Verdantix in its latest report, EHS Software Benchmark: Health, Hygiene & Ergonomics. The report evaluates the global EHS software provider market and assesses 20 companies on 15 criteria across ergonomics, industrial hygiene, and occupational health product capabilities.



To help EHS decision-makers identify software with the most comprehensive and robust capabilities, Verdantix benchmarked the features and functionality of the 20 most prominent providers of EHS software in the market. According to the report, Cority "has the broadest and deepest software for industrial hygiene, occupational health and ergonomics" and received the highest score for occupational health and industrial hygiene, and tied with one other provider for the highest score in ergonomics.



"Our software benchmark analysis finds that Cority stands out in the market for industrial hygiene, medical monitoring, and occupational health," said Trevor Bronson, Industry Analyst, Verdantix. "The company's multi-decade focus on these industries explains its high scoring for this group of functionality."



The report also noted Cority's strengths in the areas of total worker health, application security and web hosting security for employee medical record keeping.



"We're pleased to be recognized by Verdantix for our over 30-year commitment to occupational health, industrial hygiene, and ergonomics," said Mark Wallace, President and CEO, Cority. "We continue to innovate and expand our solutions to provide our clients with the best features and functionality possible, so they can proactively mitigate risks and ensure total worker health for their employees."



To read the full report, click here. For more information on Cority's occupational health, industrial hygiene and ergonomics solutions, visit www.cority.com



About Verdantix



Verdantix is an independent research and consulting firm with expertise in environment, health, safety and quality as well as energy, real estate, facilities, and maintenance.



About Cority



Cority (formerly Medgate) is the most trusted environmental, health, safety, and quality (EHSQ) software for assuring client success. Cority enables organizations to utilize EHSQ software to advance their journey to sustainability and operational excellence by combining the deepest domain expertise with the most comprehensive and secure SaaS platform. With 30+ years of innovation and experience, Cority's team of 250 experts serve more than 800 clients in 70 countries, supporting millions of end users. The company enjoys the industry's highest levels of client satisfaction and has received many awards for its strong employee culture and outstanding business performance.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cfb0d931-2206-44ff-ae03-9c8cb565c066
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 07:01:01

Deloitte launches Threat Hunting-As-A-Service powered by Sqrrls Threat Hunting Platform

Cambridge, Massachusetts , Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Deloitte CyberSOC EMEA Center, SL. closed a strategic agreement with Sqrrl, the industry-leading provider of threat hunting software. Deloitte will provide Managed Threat Hunting Services to clients in the EMEA region using Sqrrls state-of-the-art threat hunting platform.

Threat hunting is the proactive search for cyber adversaries that have slipped past other defenses. With the developing sophistication of low and slow and the growing impact of data breaches, the need for threat hunting is dramatically increasing. Armed with Sqrrls threat hunting technology, Deloitte will perform a careful inspection of their clients IT environment to identify the presence of compromises and threat actors via Deloittes new Threat Hunting-As-A-Service offering.

Sqrrls Platform is purpose-built for threat hunting, and enables our threat analysts to conduct hunts more effectively, said Cesar Martin Lara, Deloitte Spain Cyber Risk Services partner. We chose Sqrrl because of its ability to enable easy pivoting across datasets via link analysis and Sqrrls Security Behaviour Graph, machine learning analytics, and ability to unite diverse network, endpoint, identity, and security datasets into a powerful hunt-focused data model.

We are honored to be working with Deloitte, who we consider the premier cybersecurity consultancy in the world, said Sqrrl CEO Mark Terenzoni. The flexibility of our platform enables Deloitte to easily create new analytics and data models and embed their world-class cyber intelligence into our Threat Hunting Platform.

In addition to Managed Threat Hunting, Deloitte will resell Sqrrl's Threat Hunting Platform to clients who wish to deploy the platform in their own on-premises or cloud environments.

To learn more about Deloitte Cyber Risk Services in EMEA:

Visit Deloittes EMEA region Cyber Risk website

To learn more about Sqrrl and Threat Hunting:

About Deloitte

All references to Deloitte in this press release relate to Deloitte CyberSOC EMEA Center, SL.

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (DTTL), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as Deloitte Global) does not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a more detailed description of DTTL and its member firms.

Deloitte provides audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk management, tax, and related services to public and private clients spanning multiple industries. With a globally connected network of member firms in more than 150 countries and territories, Deloitte brings world-class capabilities and high-quality service to clients, delivering the insights they need to address their most complex business challenges. Deloittes more than 225,000 professionals are committed to making an impact that matters.

About Deloittes Cyber Risk Services

Deloitte Risk Advisorys Cyber Risk Services help organizations pursue their strategic growth, innovation and performance objectives more confidently, through proactive management of associated cyber risks. With extensive experience across many industries, Deloitte professionals provide highly differentiated end-to-end cyber solutions combining advisory, implementation, and managed security services. They serve clients via a global network of Cyber Intelligence and Delivery Centres.

About Sqrrl

Sqrrl is the threat hunting company that enables security analysts to discover advanced threats faster and reduces the time and resources required to investigate them. Sqrrls industry-leading Threat Hunting Platform unites link analysis, advanced machine learning analytics, and multi-petabyte scalability capabilities into an integrated solution. Learn more at http://www.sqrrl.com .
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 14:08:05

ReifenDirekt.de provides tips how to easily save money and preserve the environment when driving.

Delticom AG/ReifenDirekt.de: Stay eco with eco-driving

Press:

Delticom AU/ReifenDirekt.De

insignis Agentur fur

Kommunikation GmbH (GPRA)

Henning Jahns

Tel.: +49-511-132214-14

Fax: +49-511-132214-99

delticom@insignis.de

or

Delticom AG

Anne Lena Peters

Tel.: +49-511-93634-8909

Fax: +49-511-93634-8301

anne.lena.peters@delti.com

Todays drivers are becoming more and more aware of the dangers that carbon dioxide emissions pose to the environment. Exhaust fumes are the number one contributor to the Greenhouse Effect and are detrimental to Earths atmosphere. In recent years, the automotive industry has been undertaking many initiatives to spread awareness and reduce CO2 emissions. In fact, each and every motorist can easily help the cause and save some money at the same time.

Fuel efficient driving techniques allow for reducing fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 25 %. Following a few simple guidelines prepared by ReifenDirekt.de, drivers can not only stay eco-friendly, but also keep considerably more money in their pockets, improve road safety and prevent unnecessary wear of their vehicles.

Accelerate gently

The harder drivers accelerate the more fuel their vehicles consume. In the city, they can conserve fuel by easing onto the accelerator pedal gently and gradually. To maximize fuel efficiency, motorists ought to take five seconds to accelerate their vehicles up to 20 kilometers per hour from a halt. Experts often give a humorous tip to imagine that theres an egg under the gas pedal and an open cup of coffee on the dashboard. Drivers should be careful not to break the shell or spill the drink.

Maintain a steady speed

Drivers should be consistent. Unintentional dips in speed and sudden bursts of acceleration to keep pace take a toll on their fuel tanks and their wallets. In fact, tests have shown that varying vehicles speed up and down between 75 and 85 kilometers per hour every 18 seconds can increase fuel consumption by 20 %.

Anticipate traffic

Motorists should learn to plan their maneuvers well in advance to maintain their vehicles momentum. Read the road ahead, anticipate road disruptions, monitor the movements of pedestrians and other vehicles, and keep a comfortable distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you - these driving techniques will enable drivers to keep their speed as steady as possible and avoid unnecessary fuel consumption and safety risks.

Avoid high speeds

Most cars, vans, SUVs and pick-up trucks operate most fuel efficiently when travelling between 50 and 80 kilometers per hour. Above this optimal speed zone, vehicles consume increasingly more fuel the faster they go. At 120 kilometers per hour, a vehicle uses about 20 % more fuel than at 100 kilometers per hour. On a 25-km trip, this spike in speed  and fuel consumption  would cut just two minutes from the travel time.

Coast to decelerate

Drivers often need to apply brakes to bring their vehicle to a complete stop. However, by anticipating traffic slowdowns as early as possible, they can decrease their speed, conserve fuel and save money by simply taking their foot off the accelerator. Coasting to decelerate also reduces wear and tear of the tyres and brakes, which in turn reduces the maintenance, repair and servicing costs.

Dont forget about tyres

Tyres play a crucial role when it comes to fuel consumption and for this reason their proper maintenance has become a key element of eco-driving. Specialists from ReifenDirekt.de underscore especially the importance of keeping correct tyre pressure. The rolling resistance of incorrectly inflated tyres is greater and leads to higher fuel consumption. Tyres should be inflated in accordance with the car manufacturers specifications and their pressure should be checked at least once a month. Moreover, the rubber of tyres older than six years can lose its elasticity and become porous causing dangerous air leaks.

If the tyres are too old or they are not air-tight anymore, there is no point prolonging tyre replacement. ReifenDirekt.de, a German online store belonging to the leading European retailer of tyres, car parts and accessories Delticom AG, offers its customers a uniquely wide range of over 100 brands and more than 25,000 models of attractively-priced tyres that will help motorists stay eco-friendly and economize on their weekly fuel bills.

About ReifenDirekt.de

There are over 100 tyre brands and more than 25,000 models of tyres to be found at ReifenDirekt.de - also including the latest best-rated tyres from official comparison tests. The product portfolio not only includes tyres for cars, motorbikes, lorries, commercial vehicles and buses, but also wheel-tyre sets, rims and car replacement parts and accessories. Particularly practical: new tyres can be delivered quickly and free of charge* to any address provided. When purchasing tyres, buyers can also choose from more than 9,500 professional car workshop partners across Germany and have the tyres sent to them directly for professional fitting. Many of our partner workshops offer also additional services, such as tyre storage.

*2 tyres and more

Buy tyres online:

www.ReifenDirekt.de, www.ReifenDirekt.at, www.ReifenDirekt.ch, www.123pneus.ch, www.Autobandenmarkt.nl, www.123pneus.fr, www.Mytyres.co.uk, www.Gommadiretto.it, www.Neumaticos-online.es and in many other Delticom online shops

Tyre tests: www.Reifen.de

All about tyres from A to Z: www.Reifentest.com

Information about the company: www.delti.com

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Europe Metabolomics Market By Product (GC, Bioinformatics, Mass Spectrometry, HPLC, UPLC, NMRS, Surface Based Mass Analysis,), Indication (Oncology, Cardiology, Inborn Errors), Application (Nutrigenomics, Toxicology, Biomarker & Drug Discovery) And By Region - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, And Forecasts (20162021)

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PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 12:17:04

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The Europe Metabolomics Market is worth USD.5 billion in 2016 and estimated to grow at a CAGR of 18.51%, to reach USD1.17billion by 2021. The Europe Metabolomics market is emerging at an exceptionally quick speed.View report: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/europe-metabolomics-market-3452/ Metabolomics is the considerable scale research of minute molecules, usually known as metabolites, inside cells, tissues or living beings. Aggregately, these tiny particles and their associations inside an organic framework are known as the metabolome. Therefore metabolomics characterizes to the microscopic phenotype. Metabolomics is a skilled approach since metabolites and their concentration not like other "omics" measures, directly reflect the hidden biochemical movement and state of cells.Download free sample report: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/europe-metabolomics-market-3452/request-sample Govt. financing and private funding are also reassuring the growth of this market. Metabolomics are in effect gradually sought after as they help in shrinking the hole between genotype and phenotype by offering a whole perspective of cell working. Stable innovative advances and looks into will guarantee a proceeded with development of this market and will decrease the effect of these restrictions in the future. Nonetheless, the unexplored markets in evolving countries will spur new progress open doors for market players.Metabolomics Market are segmented by Product (GC, Bioinformatics, Mass Spectrometry, HPLC, UPLC, NMRS, surface based mass analysis,), Indication (Oncology, Cardiology, Inborn Errors), Application (Nutrigenomics, Toxicology, Biomarker & Drug Discovery), Biomarker Discovery segment had largest share in 2016 in the Europe metabolomics market. Efficiency and reliability has been cited as the reason for the growth of biomarkers. However collaboration between biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, personalized medical segment is expected to have highest CAGR.Inquire before buying: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/europe-metabolomics-market-3452/inquire The Europe market has been geographically segmented into Germany, U.K, France, Spain, and Italy. The Europe had least CAGR during the forecast period. The reasons for the same might be the government policies.Agilent Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), Human Metabolome Technologies, Inc. (Japan), Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (U.S.), LECO Corporation (U.S.), Bruker Corporation (U.S.), Shimadzu Corporation (Japan), Metabolon Inc. (U.S.), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), Biocrates Life Sciences AG (Austria), and Waters Corporation (U.S.) are the leaders in the EuropeMetabolomics market.Market SegmentationProduct Metabolomic Instruments Separation Techniqueso Gas Chromatography (GC)o Capillary Electrophoresis (CE)o High-performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)o Ultra-performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) Detection Toolso Mass Spectrometryo Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopyo Surface-Based Mass Analysis Metabolomics Bioinformatics Tools and Services Bioinformatics Tools & Databases Bioinformatics Services Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, By Product Market Attractiveness Analysis, By Product Market Share Analysis, By ProductIndication Cancer Cardiovascular Disorders Inborn errors Neurological Errors Other Indications Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, By Indication Market Attractiveness Analysis, By Indication Market Share Analysis, By IndicationApplication Nutrigenomics Toxicology Biomarker & Drug Discovery Functional Genomics Personalized Medicine Other Applications Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, By Application Market Attractiveness Analysis, By Application Market Share Analysis, By ApplicationThe scope of the report: Global, regional and country-level analysis and forecasts of the study market; providing Insights on the major countries/regions in which this industry is blooming and to also identify the regions that are still untapped Segment-level analysis in terms of technology, component, and type along with market size forecasts and estimations to detect key areas of industry growth in detail Identification of key drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges (DROC) in the market and their impact on shifting market dynamics Study of the effect of exogenous and endogenous factors that affect the global market; which includes broadly demographic, economics, and political, among other macro-environmental factors presented in an extensive PESTLE Analysis Study the micro environment factors that determine the overall profitability of an Industry, using Porters five forces analysis for analysing the level of competition and business strategy development A comprehensive list of key market players along with their product portfolio, current strategic interests, key financial information, legal issues, SWOT analysis and analyst overview to study and sustain the market environment Competitive landscape analysis listing out the mergers, acquisitions, collaborations in the field along with new product launches, comparative financial studies and recent developments in the market by the major companies An executive summary, abridging the entire report in such a way that decision-making personnel can rapidly become acquainted with background information, concise analysis, and main conclusions Expertly devised analyst overview along with Investment opportunities to provide both individuals and organizations a strong financial foothold in the marketAbout Us:Market Data Forecast is a firm working in the area of market research and business intelligence. With rich experience in research across various business domains, we cater to the needs of both individual and corporate clients. Our analyst team comprises expert professionals in market research, who with their collective knowledge and skillset dedicatedly serve clients from various industries and regions.
Europe Specialty Enzymes Market By Source (Microorganism, Plant, Animal) By Type (Protease, Lipase, Carbohydrases, Polymerases & Nucleases) By Application (Research & Biotechnology, Diagnostic, Pharmaceutical, Bio-Catalyst) And By End User And By Region - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, And Forecasts (20162021)

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PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 14:51:32

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The Europe Specialty Enzymes Market is worth USD billion in 2016 and estimated to grow at a CAGR of %, to reach USD billion by 2021. The Europe Specialty Enzymes market is developing at an exceptionally quick pace.View report: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/europe-specialty-enzymes-market-3610/ Specialty enzymes have picked up prevalence in the current years inferable from their potential applications in different enterprises, for example, pharmaceutical, biotechnology research and diagnostics. Specialty enzymes are proteins that go about as biocatalysts to quicken responses and deliver the coveted outcomes in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics responses. In the pharmaceuticals business, specialty enzymes assume a noteworthy part in sedate definition and medication conveyance. Chemical based pharmaceutical medication definitions are utilized for the treatment of endless conditions, for example, disease and AIDS. Specialty enzymes have been generally utilized as a part of the biotechnology business for inquire about, especially in the sub-atomic science. They are additionally utilized as a part of hereditary designing methods to cut, reproduce and append DNA according to prerequisite. The specialty enzymes required for diagnostics must be of the most purity and in little amount, which brings about the high cost and less reception of indicative enzymes.The significant drivers for Specialty Enzymes are increasing number of biotechnology R&D and development in enzyme engineering & green chemistry. Also surge growing industrialization rate and advanced technologies adopted in pharmaceutical industry in developing economies will boost this industry. Difficulty in maintaining pH and operational temperature of specialty enzymes limits this industry.Download free sample report: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/europe-specialty-enzymes-market-3610/request-sample The Europe market for Specialty Enzymes is segmented on the basis of type, application, source, and region. Based on source, the market is segmented into Microorganism, Plant, Animal.Based on type, the market is segmented into Protease, Lipase, Carbohydrases, Polymerases & Nucleases. Based on application, the market is segmented into Research & biotechnology, Diagnostic, Pharmaceutical, Bio-Catalyst. Silicone Specialty Enzymes find application in casting and molding for providing separation of a mould and reduce imperfections in the surface. The use of these products result in inducing less material waste, faster throughput and longer life of mold and machinery.The Europe market has been geographically segmented into Germany, U.K, France, Spain, and Italy. The Europe had high CAGR during the forecast period. The reasons for the same might be the government policies.Inquire before buying: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/europe-specialty-enzymes-market-3610/inquire Bbi Enzymes Ltd., Basf, Codexis Inc., Nagase & Co. Ltd., Life Technologies,Advanced Enzyme Technology Ltd. Affymetrix Inc., Advanced Enzyme Technology Ltd., Amano Enzyme Inc., Roche Holding Ag., and Sanofi S.A. are the leaders in the Europe Specialty Enzymes market.Market SegmentationSource Introduction Micro-Organisms Plants Animals Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, By Source Market Attractiveness Analysis, By Source Market Share Analysis, By SourceType Introduction Carbohydrases Amylases Cellulases Other Carbohydrases Proteases Polymerases &Nucleases Lipases Others Specialty Enzymes Used in Pharmaceuticals Specialty Enzyme Used in Diagnostics Specialty Enzyme Used For Research & Biotechnology Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, By Type Market Attractiveness Analysis, By Type Market Share Analysis, By TypeApplication Introduction Pharmaceuticals Enzyme Replacement Therapy Thrombolytic Enzymes Digestive Enzymes Research & Biotechnology Diagnostic Bio-Catalyst Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, By Application Market Attractiveness Analysis, By Application Market Share Analysis, By ApplicationThe scope of the report: Global, regional and country-level analysis and forecasts of the study market; providing Insights on the major countries/regions in which this industry is blooming and to also identify the regions that are still untapped Segment-level analysis in terms of technology, component, and type along with market size forecasts and estimations to detect key areas of industry growth in detail Identification of key drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges (DROC) in the market and their impact on shifting market dynamics Study of the effect of exogenous and endogenous factors that affect the global market; which includes broadly demographic, economics, and political, among other macro-environmental factors presented in an extensive PESTLE Analysis Study the micro environment factors that determine the overall profitability of an Industry, using Porters five forces analysis for analysing the level of competition and business strategy development A comprehensive list of key market players along with their product portfolio, current strategic interests, key financial information, legal issues, SWOT analysis and analyst overview to study and sustain the market environment Competitive landscape analysis listing out the mergers, acquisitions, collaborations in the field along with new product launches, comparative financial studies and recent developments in the market by the major companies An executive summary, abridging the entire report in such a way that decision-making personnel can rapidly become acquainted with background information, concise analysis, and main conclusions Expertly devised analyst overview along with Investment opportunities to provide both individuals and organizations a strong financial foothold in the marketAbout Us:Market Data Forecast is a firm working in the area of market research and business intelligence. With rich experience in research across various business domains, we cater to the needs of both individual and corporate clients. Our analyst team comprises expert professionals in market research, who with their collective knowledge and skillset dedicatedly serve clients from various industries and regions.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 19:31:01

LENEXA, Kan., Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Answering the marketplace demand for expanded travel options, Executive Flight Services announces today its certification and capability to manage and fly FAR Part 135 aircraft with 10 seats or more, as well as the ability to operate flights to Europe, across the Pacific and throughout the world.



Executive Flight Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Executive AirShare, has recently completed its comprehensive certification process by the Federal Aviation Administration to operate jets with 10 seats or more over ocean routes. The thorough vetting by the FAA included a validation flight made by Executive Flight Services pilots in June on a Hawker 4000 aircraft from Bangor, Maine to Shannon, Ireland. The 10 or More certification allows longer flights on larger EFS-flown aircraft, such as a 2016 Embraer Legacy 500, for charter or managed-aircraft customers.

This process represents the fulfillment of our most-requested service, says Harry Mitchel, chief operating officer of Executive Flight Services and Executive AirShare. Many departments came together with preparation, focus, execution and teamwork to ensure that customers have the greatest range of travel options and services.

While Executive Flight Services formal application process started in March, its operational procedures to meet FAA requirements began much longer ago as part of already implemented best practices. Quality-control checks, such as International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) Stage 2 certification, and maintenance accreditation as an Embraer Service Center, offer customers advantages over other aircraft management providers.

To achieve the 10 or More designation for Part 135, which covers charter and commercial operators, Executive Flight Services pilots received training in international flight courses. They worked in conjunction with both the FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency, its counterpart across the Atlantic. The certification also opens up routes for customers to popular Pacific locations, such as the Hawaiian Islands.

The 10 or More approval follows a recent expansion of Executive Flight Services managed fleet which now includes the technologically advanced Legacy 500 and two spacious Hawker 4000s. Upgraded and expanded hangar facilities at Executive Flight Services Fort Worth Meacham Airport location provide greater value to managed aircraft clients.

ABOUT EXECUTIVE FLIGHT SERVICES

Executive Flight Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Executive AirShare, manages and charters professionally piloted aircraft for personal and business use in the Americas. EFS provides professional pilots, precise and detailed flight scheduling and dispatch, exclusive aircraft maintenance, comprehensive financial services, concierge, fuel, hangar space, substantial buying power and other services through its bases to customers in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas; Kansas City and Wichita, Kansas. For more information about its services, please visit www.execflightservices.net.





CONTACT

Deanna Harms, Executive Vice President

Greteman Group

316.263.1004, ext. 111

316.214.3467 cell

dharms@gretemangroup.com

Jill Plumb, Vice President of Marketing & Corporate Communications and Customer Experience

Executive AirShare

816.410.8084

913.827.3327 cell

jplumb@execairshare.com

Images can be downloaded from: https://www.gretemangroup.com/press/executive-flight-services-receives-approval-10-seats/




PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 15:00:45

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Far Resources Ltd.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, BC (FSCWire) - Far Resources Ltd. (CSE:FAT). has issued a press release with the following headline:Far Resources Provides Corporate UpdateTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Far Resources Ltd., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Far Resources Ltd.Source: Far Resources Ltd. (CSE: FAT, FWB: F0R, WKN: A2AH8W, ISIN: CA30734R1001, OTC Pink: FRRSF)Date: November 30, 2017Time: 9:00 AM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Far Resources Ltd. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 20:36:02

Aryaka honored for its ground-breaking technology, continuous innovation, and significant growth in the SD-WAN space

SAN MATEO, Calif., Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aryaka, the leading global SD-WAN provider, today announced it received Red Herring's Top 100 Global award, one of the industry's most prestigious honors. Aryaka was selected from hundreds of companies considered for the Top 100 Global list, which has become a mark for identifying promising companies and entrepreneurs, celebrating their innovations and technologies across respective industries. Previous recipients include Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yahoo, Skype, Salesforce, YouTube, and eBay.

"Large companies with global WAN deployments, should consider Aryaka, the latest of the Red Herring Top 100 Global winners," said Alex Vieux, Publisher and CEO of Red Herring. "Their global SD-WAN solution has become a must-have for enterprises. It delivers reliability and performance at a fraction of the cost, hence has received a throng of Global 1000 customer endorsements in just a few years. The Aryaka team addresses its market with continuous innovation and outstanding execution skills. Thus it was a definite and obvious choice, among the most remarkable disruptors Red Herring has selected in 2017."

"Our cloud-native SD-WAN is helping global enterprises revolutionize their approach to worldwide connectivity and application delivery, and finally break away from investing a fortune on legacy solutions," said Gary Sevounts, Chief Marketing Officer at Aryaka. "Aryaka is disrupting the enterprise connectivity space by offering a global SD-WAN as a service model that eliminates hardware and helps control costs. The result is seamless connectivity which is optimized for cloud-based applications on a global scale, and saves enterprises millions of dollars on their network."

Red Herring's editorial staff evaluated companies on both quantitative and qualitative criteria, such as financial performance, technology innovation, management quality, strategy, and market penetration. This assessment is complemented by a review of the track records and standing of companies relative to their peers, allowing Red Herring to make the list a valuable instrument of discovery and advocacy for the most promising new business models from around the world.

Aryaka's place on the Top 100 Global list comes shortly after it became the first and only SD-WAN provider to be featured on LinkedIn's 2017 Top Startups and Disruptors list earlier this month.

About Aryaka

Aryaka is transforming how global enterprises connect sites and users worldwide, and use mission-critical applications to support modern business execution demands. Aryaka's Global SD-WAN combines a purpose-built private network, SD-WAN, optimization and acceleration techniques, connectivity to cloud platforms, and network visibility in a single solution that is delivered as a service.

To learn more, visit www.aryaka.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Aryaka Media Contact

Shehzad Karkhanawala

Director of Marketing

Aryaka

408-273-8420

pr@aryaka.com
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 13:34:12

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for GreenBank Capital Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Toronto, Ontario (FSCWire) - GreenBank Capital Inc. (CSE:GBC). has issued a press release with the following headline:GreenBank Affiliate Inside Bay Street Closes $134,525 Funding and Debt SettlementTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on GreenBank Capital Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/GreenBank Capital Inc.Source: GreenBank Capital Inc. (CSE: GBC, OTC Pink: GRNBF, WKN: A1W8UJ, ISIN: CA3935762029)Date: November 30, 2017Time: 7:31 AM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of GreenBank Capital Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 15:02:01

Companies combine video engagement data with contextual intelligence to make more informed decisions for video marketing and creative delivery

NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovid, the world's leading video marketing platform, today announced it has agreed to acquire real-time data intelligence company Taykey to provide brands with new insights into the impact of contextual relevance on video engagement.

In a race towards addressability at the lowest cost, content and context of the ad environment have been sacrificed. Brands have been caught off guard to find that they are reaching the right people in the wrong places. While there are many ongoing initiatives to solve for ads appearing in unsafe or inappropriate places, leveraging content and sentiment to improve quality in video advertising has yet to be realized.

This acquisition combines Innovid's video engagement and performance data from 500 billion+ video ad views with Taykey's dataset of contextual intelligence across hundreds of millions of digital activities per day. The combined technology will help brands realize the correlation between relevant content and video ad performance.

"There is massive opportunity for marketers to gain higher performance by leveraging real-time contextual intelligence for video content as a factor in how they plan, optimize and ultimately deliver video creative at scale," says Zvika Netter, CEO and co-founder of Innovid. "That's why this acquisition is so exciting for us - it enhances the breadth of insights that Innovid's media agnostic platform already delivers to brands and drives more effective video marketing, and provides an additional input for data-driven video strategies."

"Taykey's mission has been to provide companies with actionable intelligence by analyzing hundreds of millions of digital activities in real-time," said Amit Avner, CEO and founder, Taykey. "We are thrilled that this powerful dataset can now be activated across the world's largest video marketing platform, serving over one third of all video ads."

As part of the acquisition, Innovid will gain access to Taykey's technology, big data platform and 14 patents including natural language processing and AI-based machine learning, as well as key hires in New York and Israel.



The acquisition will close by the end of the month. Terms of the deal are not being disclosed. For more information on Innovid, please visit www.innovid.com.

Press contact:

Rachel Conforti

Sr. Director, Communications, Innovid

Email: rachel@innovid.com

About Innovid

Innovid is the world's #1 online video marketing platform, delivering more video than any company across PCs, tablets, mobile phones, smart TVs and streaming devices. Innovid helps leading advertisers and agencies leverage the power of data to create interactive and personalized video that delivers 80 percent higher performance than traditional pre-roll. Most recently, Innovid was featured in Business Insider's 19 Most Interesting Ad-Tech Startups of 2017. Please visit www.innovid.com for more information.

This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Innovid via Globenewswire


PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 15:41:01

The tech organization was selected among over 1,300 grassroots organizations that applied for the prestigious Intercultural Innovation Award, a partnership between the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the BMW Group.

The Intercultural Innovation Award Ceremony was held in New York at United Nations headquarters, in the presence of ambassadors and high-level UN officials.

Israeli-Based Games for Peace Receives the 2017 Intercultural Innovation Award

BMW Group

Milena Pighi, +49-89-382-66563

Head of Corporate Social Responsibility

Milena.PA.Pighi@bmw.de

or

UNAOC

Alessandro Girola, +1- 929-274-6217

Programming Coordinator

alessandrog@unops.org

Games for Peace, an Israeli organization using video games for peacebuilding, is one of the ten global grassroots organizations receiving the 2017 Intercultural Innovation Award bestowed by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group.

The Intercultural Innovation Award Ceremony, held this year for the first time at UN headquarters in New York, was chaired by Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, and Mr. Bill McAndrews, Vice President BMW Group Communications Strategy, Corporate and Market Communications. See event photo.

We are already helping to build a more tolerant future generation through video games, a platform with which children everywhere can relate, said Uri Mishol, Founder and Chairman of Games for Peace. We hope that we can create an effective model for curbing intercultural prejudice in more countries with support from the Intercultural Innovation Award.

Games for Peace was awarded for their project Play2Talk, a school programme that uses the popular game Minecraft to reduce stereotypes between Jewish and Arab schoolchildren in Israeli schools. Participants play in mixed teams, through a set of challenges that require increasing levels of cooperation and collaboration. The virtual world is additionally supplemented by face-to-face meetings where the children discover the real people behind the avatars. Prejudices are reduced through positive interaction.

The Intercultural Innovation Award supports grassroots initiatives that promote intercultural dialogue and understanding, thereby contributing to peace, cultural diversity and more inclusive societies.

In addition to a financial grant, Games For Peace will receive support from UNAOC and the BMW Group to help their project expand and replicate in other contexts. This model of collaboration between the United Nations and the private sector creates deeper impact, as both partners provide their respective expertise to ensure the sustainable growth of each project. Assistance is customized based on the specific needs of award recipients.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201711300056

ISRAELI-BASED GAMES FOR PEACE RECEIVES THE 2017 INTERCULTURAL INNOVATION AWARD
Middle East And Africa Tangential Flow Filtration Market By Product (Single-use Systems, Reusable Systems, Membrane Filters ,Filtration Accessories) By Membrane Material, By Technology (Ultrafiltration,Microfiltration,Reverse Osmosis) By Pore Size/MWCO (Ultrafilters,Microfilters,Reverse Osmosis Filters) By Application And By Region - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, And Forecasts (20162021)

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PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 13:23:38

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The Middle East and Africa Tangential Flow filtration Market is worth USD0.06 billion in 2016 and estimated to grow at a CAGR of 19.5%, to reach USD0.13 billion by 2021. The global Tangential Flow filtration market is developing at an exceptionally quick pace.View report: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/middle-east-and-africa-tangential-flow-filtration-market-3467/ In cross flow filtration, the nourish is passed over the channel layer (extraneously) at positive weight with respect to the penetrate side. An extent of the material which is littler than the layer pore measure goes through the film as saturate or filtrate; everything else is held on the bolster side of the layer as retentive. With crossflow filtration the digressive movement of the heft of the liquid over the film causes caught particles on the channel surface to be rubbed off. This implies a crossflow channel can work persistently at generally high solids loads without blinding.Download free sample report: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/middle-east-and-africa-tangential-flow-filtration-market-3467/request-sample The development of the market is driven by the growth in the biopharmaceutical industry, growth in the adoption of single-use technologies, and benefits of tangential flow filtration over normal flow filtration. Furthermore, market growth is supported by R&D spending and increasing investment opportunities in emerging and immature markets. Strict government regulations for authentication of filtration processes will limit the growth of this market.The Middle East and Africa market for Tangential Flow Filtration is segmented on the basis of product, Pore Size/MWCO, Technology, Membrane Material, application and region. Based on product, the market is segmented into Tangential Flow filtration Market Single-use Systems, Reusable Systems, Membrane Filters, Filtration Accessories Based on Membrane Material, the market is segmented into Polyethersulfone, Regenerated Cellulose, Other Materials (Polyvinylidene fluoride, Ceramic). Based on technology, the market is segmented into Ultrafiltration, Microfiltration, and Reverse Osmosis. Based on pore size, the market is segmented into Ultra filters, Micro filters, and Reverse Osmosis Filters. Based on application, the market is segmented into Bioprocessing, Product Concentration, Purification & Infiltration, Viral Vectors and Vaccine Purification, Pharmaceutical Water Production, Other Applications. The bioprocessing segment is expected to have the major share of the Tangential Flow Filtration Market in 2016. The increasing demand for biologics in the pharmaceutical industry is driving factor for the growth in this segment.Inquire before buying: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/middle-east-and-africa-tangential-flow-filtration-market-3467/inquire Geographically, market is further segmented into Middle East and Africa. Middle East and Africa has an untapped market and key players are slowly expanding to this region which is the main reason for the growth of market in this region.GE Healthcare (U.S.). , Merck Millipore (U.S.), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), Sartorius Stedim Biotech S.A. (France), and Parker Hannifin Corporation (U.S.), are the leaders in the global Tangential Flow filtration market.Market SegmentationProduct Single Use Systems Reusable Systems Membrane Filters Casettes Catridges Filtration Accessories Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, By Product Market Attractiveness Analysis, By Product Market Share Analysis, By ProductMembrane Material Polyethersulfone Regenerated Cellulose Other Materials Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, By Membrane Material Market Attractiveness Analysis, By Membrane Material Market Share Analysis, By Membrane MaterialTechnology Ultrafiltration Microfiltration Reverse Osmosis Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, By Technology Market Attractiveness Analysis, By Technology Market Share Analysis, By TechnologyPore Size/MWCO Ultrafilters Microfilters Reverse Osmosis Filters Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, By Pore Size/MWCO Market Attractiveness Analysis, By Pore Size/MWCO Market Share Analysis, By Pore Size/MWCOApplication Bioprocessing Product Concentration Purification & Diafiltration Viral Vectors and Vaccine Purification Pharmaceutical Water Production Other Applications Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, ByApplication Market Attractiveness Analysis, By Application Market Share Analysis, By ApplicationThe scope of the report: Global, regional and country-level analysis and forecasts of the study market; providing Insights on the major countries/regions in which this industry is blooming and to also identify the regions that are still untapped Segment-level analysis in terms of technology, component, and type along with market size forecasts and estimations to detect key areas of industry growth in detail Identification of key drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges (DROC) in the market and their impact on shifting market dynamics Study of the effect of exogenous and endogenous factors that affect the global market; which includes broadly demographic, economics, and political, among other macro-environmental factors presented in an extensive PESTLE Analysis Study the micro environment factors that determine the overall profitability of an Industry, using Porters five forces analysis for analysing the level of competition and business strategy development A comprehensive list of key market players along with their product portfolio, current strategic interests, key financial information, legal issues, SWOT analysis and analyst overview to study and sustain the market environment Competitive landscape analysis listing out the mergers, acquisitions, collaborations in the field along with new product launches, comparative financial studies and recent developments in the market by the major companies An executive summary, abridging the entire report in such a way that decision-making personnel can rapidly become acquainted with background information, concise analysis, and main conclusions Expertly devised analyst overview along with Investment opportunities to provide both individuals and organizations a strong financial foothold in the marketAbout Us:Market Data Forecast is a firm working in the area of market research and business intelligence. With rich experience in research across various business domains, we cater to the needs of both individual and corporate clients. Our analyst team comprises expert professionals in market research, who with their collective knowledge and skillset dedicatedly serve clients from various industries and regions.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 01:09:13

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for NexgenRx Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Toronto, Ontario (FSCWire) - NexgenRx Inc. (TSX Venture:NXG). has issued a press release with the following headline:NexgenRx Announces Q3 2017 ResultsTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on NexgenRx Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/NexgenRx Inc.Source: NexgenRx Inc. (TSX Venture: NXG)Date: November 29, 2017Time: 7:09 PM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of NexgenRx Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 01:23:03

Nokia Corporation

Stock Exchange Release

November 30, 2017 at 02:20 (CET +1)

Nokia comments on rumors related to Juniper Networks

Espoo, Finland - While Nokia does not typically comment on market rumors, given the specificity of press reports related to a potential acquisition of Juniper Networks, the company issued the following statement: "Nokia is not currently in talks with, nor is it preparing an offer for, Juniper Networks related to an acquisition of that company."



FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

It should be noted that Nokia and its businesses are exposed to various risks and uncertainties and certain statements herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those regarding: A) our ability to integrate acquired businesses into our operations and achieve the targeted business plans and benefits, including targeted benefits, synergies, cost savings and efficiencies; B) expectations, plans or benefits related to our strategies and growth management; C) expectations, plans or benefits related to future performance of our businesses; D) expectations, plans or benefits related to changes in organizational and operational structure; E) expectations regarding market developments, general economic conditions and structural changes; F) expectations and targets regarding financial performance, results, operating expenses, taxes, currency exchange rates, hedging, cost savings and competitiveness, as well as results of operations including targeted synergies and those related to market share, prices, net sales, income and margins; G) expectations, plans or benefits related to any future collaboration or to business collaboration agreements or patent license agreements or arbitration awards, including income to be received under any collaboration or partnership, agreement or award; H) timing of the deliveries of our products and services; I) expectations and targets regarding collaboration and partnering arrangements, joint ventures or the creation of joint ventures, and the related administrative, legal, regulatory and other conditions, as well as our expected customer reach; J) outcome of pending and threatened litigation, arbitration, disputes, regulatory proceedings or investigations by authorities; K) expectations regarding restructurings, investments, capital structure optimization efforts, uses of proceeds from transactions, acquisitions and divestments and our ability to achieve the financial and operational targets set in connection with any such restructurings, investments, capital structure optimization efforts, divestments and acquisitions; and L) statements preceded by or including "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "foresee," "sees," "target," "estimate," "designed," "aim," "plans," "intends," "focus," "continue," "project," "should," "is to," "will" or similar expressions. These statements are based on management's best assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it. Because they involve risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from the results that we currently expect. Factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to: 1) our ability to execute our strategy, sustain or improve the operational and financial performance of our business and correctly identify and successfully pursue business opportunities or growth; 2) our ability to achieve the anticipated benefits, synergies, cost savings and efficiencies of acquisitions, including the acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent, and our ability to implement changes to our organizational and operational structure efficiently; 3) general economic and market conditions and other developments in the economies where we operate; 4) competition and our ability to effectively and profitably compete and invest in new competitive high-quality products, services, upgrades and technologies and bring them to market in a timely manner; 5) our dependence on the development of the industries in which we operate, including the cyclicality and variability of the information technology and telecommunications industries; 6) our global business and exposure to regulatory, political or other developments in various countries or regions, including emerging markets and the associated risks in relation to tax matters and exchange controls, among others; 7) our ability to manage and improve our financial and operating performance, cost savings, competitiveness and synergies generally or after the acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent; 8) our dependence on a limited number of customers and large multi-year agreements; 9) exchange rate fluctuations, as well as hedging activities; 10) Nokia Technologies' ability to protect its IPR and to maintain and establish new sources of patent licensing income and IPR-related revenues, particularly in the smartphone market; 11) our ability to successfully realize the expectations, plans or benefits related to any future collaboration or business collaboration agreements and patent license agreements or arbitration awards, including income to be received under any collaboration, partnership, agreement or arbitration award; 12) our dependence on IPR technologies, including those that we have developed and those that are licensed to us, and the risk of associated IPR-related legal claims, licensing costs and restrictions on use; 13) our exposure to direct and indirect regulation, including economic or trade policies, and the reliability of our governance, internal controls and compliance processes to prevent regulatory penalties in our business or in our joint ventures; 14) our ability to identify and remediate material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting; 15) our reliance on third-party solutions for data storage and service distribution, which expose us to risks relating to security, regulation and cybersecurity breaches; 16) inefficiencies, breaches, malfunctions or disruptions of information technology systems; 17) Nokia Technologies' ability to generate net sales and profitability through licensing of the Nokia brand, technology licensing and the development and sales of products and services for instance in digital health, as well as other business ventures, which may not materialize as planned; 18) our exposure to various legislative frameworks and jurisdictions that regulate fraud and enforce economic trade sanctions and policies, and the possibility of proceedings or investigations that result in fines, penalties or sanctions; 19) adverse developments with respect to customer financing or extended payment terms we provide to customers; 20) the potential complex tax issues, tax disputes and tax obligations we may face in various jurisdictions, including the risk of obligations to pay additional taxes; 21) our actual or anticipated performance, among other factors, which could reduce our ability to utilize deferred tax assets; 22) our ability to retain, motivate, develop and recruit appropriately skilled employees; 23) disruptions to our manufacturing, service creation, delivery, logistics and supply chain processes, and the risks related to our geographically-concentrated production sites; 24) the impact of litigation, arbitration, agreement-related disputes or product liability allegations associated with our business; 25) our ability to optimize our capital structure as planned and re-establish our investment grade credit rating or otherwise improve our credit ratings; 26) our ability to achieve targeted benefits from or successfully achieve the required administrative, legal, regulatory and other conditions and implement planned transactions, as well as the liabilities related thereto; 27) our involvement in joint ventures and jointly-managed companies; 28) the carrying amount of our goodwill may not be recoverable; 29) uncertainty related to the amount of dividends and equity return we are able to distribute to shareholders for each financial period; 30) pension costs, employee fund-related costs, and healthcare costs; and 31) risks related to undersea infrastructure, as well as the risk factors specified on pages 67 to 85 of our 2016 annual report on Form 20-F under "Operating and financial review and prospects-Risk factors" and in our other filings or documents furnished with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Other unknown or unpredictable factors or underlying assumptions subsequently proven to be incorrect could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent legally required.

About Nokia

We create the technology to connect the world. Powered by the research and innovation of Nokia Bell Labs, we serve communications service providers, governments, large enterprises and consumers, with the industry's most complete, end-to-end portfolio of products, services and licensing.

From the enabling infrastructure for 5G and the Internet of Things, to emerging applications in digital health, we are shaping the future of technology to transform the human experience. www.nokia.com



Media Inquiries:

Nokia

Communications

Tel. +358 (0) 10 448 4900

Email: press.services@nokia.com

This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: NOKIA via Globenewswire


North America Metabolomics Market By Product (GC, Bioinformatics, Mass Spectrometry, HPLC, UPLC, NMRS, Surface Based Mass Analysis,), Indication (Oncology, Cardiology, Inborn Errors), Application (Nutrigenomics, Toxicology, Biomarker & Drug Discovery) And By Region - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, And Forecasts (20162021)

We Think Through Different Layers, We Work Across Different Verticals

PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 12:08:09

Press Information

Market Data Forecast

USA



Abhishek Shukla

Sales Manager (International Business Development)

Direct Line: +1-888-702-9626; Mobile: +91 998 555

email

http://www.marketdataforecast.com





# 860 Words

USASales Manager (International Business Development)Direct Line: +1-888-702-9626; Mobile: +91 998 555

The North America Metabolomics Market is worth USD.5 billion in 2016 and estimated to grow at a CAGR of 18.51%, to reach USD1.17billion by 2021. The North America Metabolomics market is developing at an exceptionally quick pace.View report: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/north-america-metabolomics-market-3451/ Metabolomics is the logical study of concoction forms including metabolites. In particular, metabolomics is the "deliberate investigation of the one of a kind synthetic fingerprints that particular cell forms desert", the investigation of their little atom metabolite profiles. The metabolome represent to the accumulation of all metabolites in a natural cell, tissue, organ or life form, which are the final results of cell processes.Download free sample report: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/north-america-metabolomics-market-3451/request-sample Govt. financing and private subsidizing are additionally reassuring the development of this market. Metabolomics are in effect progressively sought after as they help in diminishing the hole amongst genotype and phenotype by offering a total perspective of cell working. It additionally helps in the recognizable proof of novel changes in a portion of the metabolites. Nonetheless, the undiscovered markets in developing countries will goad new development open doors for market players. Steady innovative headways and looks into will guarantee a proceeded with development of this market and will decrease the effect of these restrictions in the future.The North America market for Metabolomics is segmented on the basis of product, application, indication and region. Based on product, the market is segmented into GC, Bioinformatics, Mass Spectrometry, HPLC, UPLC, NMRS, and surface based mass analysis. Based on indication, the market is segmented into Oncology, Cardiology, and Inborn Error. Based on application, the market is segmented into Nutrigenomics, Toxicology, and Biomarker & Drug Discovery. Biomarker Discovery segment had largest share in 2016 in the global metabolomics market. Efficiency and reliability has been cited as the reason for the growth of biomarkers. However collaboration between biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, personalized medical segment is expected to have highest CAGR.Inquire before buying: http://marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/north-america-metabolomics-market-3451/inquire The North America market has been geographically segmented into segmented into US, Canada and Mexico. North America has the highest no. share in the Metabolomics market.USA has the highest demand followed by Canada and Mexico. The North America region is largely driven by environmental concerns.Agilent Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), Human Metabolome Technologies, Inc. (Japan), Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (U.S.), LECO Corporation (U.S.), Bruker Corporation (U.S.), Shimadzu Corporation (Japan), Metabolon Inc. (U.S.), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), Biocrates Life Sciences AG (Austria), and Waters Corporation (U.S.) are the leaders in the North America Metabolomics market.Market SegmentationProduct Metabolomic Instruments Separation Techniqueso Gas Chromatography (GC)o Capillary Electrophoresis (CE)o High-performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)o Ultra-performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) Detection Toolso Mass Spectrometryo Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopyo Surface-Based Mass Analysis Metabolomics Bioinformatics Tools and Services Bioinformatics Tools & Databases Bioinformatics Services Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, By Product Market Attractiveness Analysis, By Product Market Share Analysis, By ProductIndication Cancer Cardiovascular Disorders Inborn errors Neurological Errors Other Indications Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, By Indication Market Attractiveness Analysis, By Indication Market Share Analysis, By IndicationApplication Nutrigenomics Toxicology Biomarker & Drug Discovery Functional Genomics Personalized Medicine Other Applications Y-o-Y Growth Analysis, By Application Market Attractiveness Analysis, By Application Market Share Analysis, By ApplicationThe scope of the report: Global, regional and country-level analysis and forecasts of the study market; providing Insights on the major countries/regions in which this industry is blooming and to also identify the regions that are still untapped Segment-level analysis in terms of technology, component, and type along with market size forecasts and estimations to detect key areas of industry growth in detail Identification of key drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges (DROC) in the market and their impact on shifting market dynamics Study of the effect of exogenous and endogenous factors that affect the global market; which includes broadly demographic, economics, and political, among other macro-environmental factors presented in an extensive PESTLE Analysis Study the micro environment factors that determine the overall profitability of an Industry, using Porters five forces analysis for analysing the level of competition and business strategy development A comprehensive list of key market players along with their product portfolio, current strategic interests, key financial information, legal issues, SWOT analysis and analyst overview to study and sustain the market environment Competitive landscape analysis listing out the mergers, acquisitions, collaborations in the field along with new product launches, comparative financial studies and recent developments in the market by the major companies An executive summary, abridging the entire report in such a way that decision-making personnel can rapidly become acquainted with background information, concise analysis, and main conclusions Expertly devised analyst overview along with Investment opportunities to provide both individuals and organizations a strong financial foothold in the marketAbout Us:Market Data Forecast is a firm working in the area of market research and business intelligence. With rich experience in research across various business domains, we cater to the needs of both individual and corporate clients. Our analyst team comprises expert professionals in market research, who with their collective knowledge and skillset dedicatedly serve clients from various industries and regions.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 03:35:02

Only Expo for Everything Organic & Natural

Global Links Exhibition Organizers & Conference LLC

Menaka Ramakrishnan, +971 50 8700 403

menaka@naturalproductme.com

Running for fifteen years, the Middle East Organic and Natural [..] connects companies from around the world with distributors, retailers, and import-export companies as well as consumers in the region. The event is held under patronage of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and is supported by IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements).

The exhibition is the only Organic and Natural trade show in the Middle East and North Africa embracing the growing trend of natural and organic way of living and acting as the perfect platform for global brands to reach growing consumers.

For the consumer, this is the best place to explore the latest buzzworthy brands and discover next best sellers of natural and organic products; fewer pesticides, more nutritional value and to gain overall boost in Organic and natural lifestyle.

The natural and organic trend has been on the rise in the Middle East, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia with a market share so large it is projected to grow up to USD18.4 billion by 2022. Whereas, the natural personal care and beauty sector is growing by 20% per annum.

The 2017 Organic & Natural Products Expo brings together the finest products from around the globe across key sectors such as Food & Beverages, Health, Beauty, Living and Environment. This year, the expo is showcasing around 5000+ products of which more than 50% are new to the market by suppliers from over 50 countries, including 10 country pavilions, returning from the previous year such as Ukraine, Philippines Turkey and Ghana and first-time pavilions include Sri Lanka, Greece, Armenia, and Malaysia.

This year expo is expected to be visited by over 6500 trade visitors and thousands of Organic & Natural fanatics from the Middle East and Africa and even from Eastern Europe and South-East Asia.

The expo will be head at the Dubai World Trade Center from 11th to the 13th December 2017. Must visit event of the year with Free entry for all visitors.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201711290063

https://twitter.com/ONExpoMe/status/884640913653366784
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 14:00:18

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Organto Foods Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - Organto Foods Inc. (TSX Venture:OGO). has issued a press release with the following headline:Organto Announces Third Quarter Fiscal 2017 Financial Results and Provides Strategic UpdateTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Organto Foods Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Organto Foods Inc.Source: Organto Foods Inc. (TSX Venture: OGO, OTC Pink: OGOFF)Date: November 30, 2017Time: 8:00 AM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Organto Foods Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 20:23:01

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. Announces Annual London Investor Meeting

MEDIA

Maitland

James Devas, +44 20 7379 5151

Media-pershingsquareholdings@maitland.co.uk

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (NA:PSH) will hold its annual London Investor Meeting on Monday, 29 January 2017. Event and registration details are posted on our website, www.pershingsquareholdings.com.

About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd.

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (NA:PSH) is an investment holding company structured as a closed end fund that makes concentrated investments principally in North American companies.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201711300060
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 06:01:13

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Rockcliff Metals Corporation--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Toronto, Ontario (FSCWire) - Rockcliff Metals Corporation (TSX Venture:RCLF). has issued a press release with the following headline:Rockcliff Identifies Seventeen High Priority Geophysical Gold Targets at Laguna Gold Property, ManitobaTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Rockcliff Metals Corporation, or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Rockcliff Metals CorporationSource: Rockcliff Metals Corporation (TSX Venture: RCLF, OTC Pink: SVVZF, FWB: RO0, WKN: A142TR, ISIN: CA77288Q1057)Date: November 30, 2017Time: 12:01 AM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Rockcliff Metals Corporation and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 18:02:03

30th November 2017

Sequa Petroleum N.V. Convertible Loan Update

Further to its press release of 27 November 2015, Sequa Petroleum N.V. is pleased to announce that it has converted its total outstanding balances drawn from its convertible loan facilities with Sapinda Invest Sarl and Sapinda Asia Limited, including all interest as at 30 November 30 2017, into 7,053,350 Sequa shares. Consequently, the convertible loan facilities are now closed.

Contacts:

Jacob Broekhuijsen, Chief Executive Officer

+44(0)203-728-4450 or info@sequa-petroleum.com

This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Sequa Petroleum NV via Globenewswire


PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 16:07:01

SpheronVR Issues New Version of Its SceneCenter Software

Spheron-VR AG

Gerhard Bonnet

Tel: +49-(0)-6333-27660

info@spheron.com

www.spheron.com

Spheron-VR AG, known globally as pioneers in HDR (High Dynamic Range) camera technology and experts in visual content management software, announce its SceneWorks division is today launching the latest version of their SceneCenter Forensic and SceneCenter Framework visual content management software.

The technology offers the production for virtual onsite scene documentation. SceneWorks have tailored solutions for areas such as Police Crime Scene forensic documentation, Security, Critical Infrastructure and also Industrial Industries such as Rail, Nuclear, Oil and Gas, Utilities, Construction and other Visual Asset Management applications.

This latest Version 2.0 of the SceneCenter software offers many enhanced features including  new support for SceneCenter running within a full 64-bit Windows OS environment. These now include SceneCenters Standalone, Server and Client application installations for Win 7, 8 & 10 operating systems. Also some 32-bit installations continue to be supported.

SceneCenter documentation allows virtual access to a scene or site from anywhere at any time. This offers a complete new workflow of visual scene documentation - from a crime scene through to court or from an onsite critical location through to the desk of analyzers or decision makers.

The technology allows clients to connect spherical imagery, take 3D photogrammetric measurement and interconnect other digital asset information. The documentation produced has a rich visual interface allowing users to exchange information instantly and to synchronize knowledge with others. SceneWorks SceneCenter is available in both Standalone mode or as a Client / Server based solution, allowing for real-time updates over a secure internet connection.

SceneCenter version 2.0 is officially released and available from today. To access this upgrade or to find out more information about our SceneWorks complete solutions, do get in touch directly via, email: info@spheron.com , tel : +49 (0)6333 2766-0 or via your local SpheronVR distributor.

Full story online at -- https://www.spheron.com/media/news-press-releases/

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201711300057
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 16:03:01

The indigenous community support project was selected among over 1,300 grassroots organizations that applied for the prestigious Intercultural Innovation Award, a partnership between the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the BMW Group.

The Intercultural Innovation Award Ceremony was held in New York at United Nations headquarters, in the presence of ambassadors and high-level UN officials.

The Awakkuna Initiative from Ecuador Receives the Intercultural Innovation Award

BMW Group

Milena Pighi, +49-89-382-66563

Head of Corporate Social Responsibility

Milena.PA.Pighi@bmw.de

or

UNAOC

Alessandro Girola, +1- 929-274-6217

Programming Coordinator

alessandrog@unops.org

Awakkuna from the Universidad Regional Amazonica Ikiam in Ecuador was bestowed 4th place at the 2017 Intercultural Innovation Award Ceremony, hosted by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group.

The ceremony, held this year for the first time at UN headquarters in New York, was chaired by Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, and Mr. Bill McAndrews, Vice President BMW Group Communications Strategy, Corporate and Market Communications. See event photo.

The Awakkuna initiative opens and creates a safe space for intercultural dialogue between indigenous communities and other groups in society. It is designed to bring together people from all walks of life through the art of knitting. By making educational toys for children, there is a platform for dialogue. The knitted animals are scientifically accurate and chosen for their importance to the Amazon.

Through Awakkuna, a shared understanding of the Amazons needs is created. Indigenous communities are integrated, as they are the main users of their ecosystems and make daily environmental decisions about their land. This is the foundation to extend intercultural communication to other areas of knowledge, says Maria Cristina Gallegos, co-founder of Awakkuna and Advisor to the Vice President of Innovation at the Universidad Regional Amazonica Ikiam.

The Intercultural Innovation Award supports grassroots initiatives that promote intercultural dialogue and understanding, thereby contributing to peace, cultural diversity and more inclusive societies.

In addition to a financial grant, Awakkuna will receive support from UNAOC and the BMW Group to help the initiative expand and replicate in other contexts. This model of collaboration between the United Nations and the private sector creates deeper impact, as both partners provide their respective expertise to ensure the sustainable growth of each project. Assistance is customized based on the specific needs of award recipients.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201711300056

THE AWAKKUNA INITIATIVE FROM ECUADOR RECEIVES THE INTERCULTURAL INNOVATION AWARD
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 16:04:02

The organization was selected among over 1,300 grassroots organizations that applied for the prestigious Intercultural Innovation Award, a partnership between the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group.

The Intercultural Innovation Award Ceremony was held in New York at United Nations headquarters, in the presence of ambassadors and high-level UN officials.

The Interfaith Mediation Center from Nigeria Conferred the 2017 Intercultural Innovation Award

BMW Group

Milena Pighi, +49-89-382-66563

Head of Corporate Social Responsibility

Milena.PA.Pighi@bmw.de

or

UNAOC

Alessandro Girola, +1-929-274-6217

Programming Coordinator

alessandrog@unops.org

Interfaith Mediation Center from Nigeria received 5th place at the Intercultural Innovation Award Ceremony 2017.

The ceremony, held this year for the first time at United Nations headquarters in New York, was chaired by Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, and Mr. Bill McAndrews, Vice President BMW Group Communications Strategy, Corporate and Market Communications. See event photo.

Interfaith Mediation Center was awarded for their project, Transforming pastoralist-farmer conflict in Nigeria which involves Muslim and Christian faith leaders to co-initiate and co-facilitate a process of intercultural dialogue between farmers and pastoralists. This project creates a positive feedback loop in which cooperation enhances livelihood collaboration and improves the rural economy, thereby reducing tensions over natural resources and thus empowering development.

Violent extremism, ethno-religious conflict, land degradation and climate change are all challenges faced by the sub-Saharan region, says Pastor James Movel Wuye and Imam Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa, Co-Executive Directors of Interfaith Mediation Center. Our faith-based approach to addressing the farmer-pastoralist conflict helps to both heal the land and mend the social fabric of our community. We are grateful to the Intercultural Innovation Award for acknowledging our efforts.

The Intercultural Innovation Award supports grassroots initiatives that promote intercultural dialogue and understanding, thereby contributing to peace, cultural diversity and more inclusive societies.

In addition to a financial grant, the Interfaith Mediation Center will receive support from UNAOC and the BMW Group to help their project expand and replicate in other contexts. This model of collaboration between the United Nations and the private sector creates deeper impact, as both partners provide their respective expertise to ensure the sustainable growth of each project. Assistance is customized based on the specific needs of award recipients.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201711300056

THE INTERFAITH MEDIATION CENTER FROM NIGERIA CONFERRED THE 2017 INTERCULTURAL INNOVATION AWARD
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 13:00:13

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Theralase Technologies Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Toronto, Ontario (FSCWire) - Theralase Technologies Inc. (TSX Venture:TLT). has issued a press release with the following headline:Theralase Discovers Theralase(R) Cold Laser Therapy Enhances Cancer Destruction for Standard Cancer TreatmentsTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Theralase Technologies Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Theralase Technologies Inc.Source: Theralase Technologies Inc. (TSX Venture: TLT, OTCQX: TLTFF, FWB: TTX, WKN: A0DLB7, ISIN: CA88337V1004)Date: November 30, 2017Time: 7:00 AM EST--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Theralase Technologies Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-11-30 15:29:01

Over 1300 direct and indirect jobs in Lebanon and a US $8.5 million worth of deals in the UK

Nadim Zaazaa announced as new CEO and Ramzi Haidamus announced as new Advisory Board Chairman

UK Lebanon Tech Hub Receives Long Term Backing from Banque du Liban and British Government Following Exceptional Early Stage Results

Media

Apollo Strategic Communications

Alan Wheeler

alan.wheeler@apollostrategiccomms.com

+44 (0)208 579 6349

The UK Lebanon Tech Hub (UKLTH), a joint initiative by Banque du Liban (Lebanons Central Bank) and the British Embassy in Beirut, today announced that inside three years of operation it has boosted Lebanons knowledge economy by creating 1370 direct and indirect jobs. It also contributed more than US $8.5 million worth of deals into the UK and a $26 million increase in company revenues in Lebanon.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201711300056

UK Lebanon Tech Hub CEO Nadim Zaazaa (Photo: Business Wire)

The hub, which helps grow tech innovations into global businesses primarily through London, accelerated 78 startups that raised more than $36 million and are currently valued at more than $200 million. The figures presented at the demo day of The Nucleus, the hubs startup venture building programme, were welcomed by Hugo Shorter, the British Ambassador to Lebanon, who said:

The UKLTH has yielded exceptional results in just three short years. The flows of investment in both directions are an early sign of how much trade and investment could be generated through British-Lebanese tech co-operation.

Following this strong performance, both Banque du Liban (BDL) and the British Embassy in Beirut, today announced a further commitment to support the hubs growth over the next three years.

Following its initial two-year mandate, the hub has now entered a new chapter as a permanent entity in which managing director Nadim Zaazaa has been promoted to permanent CEO. The hub is bolstering its global footprint with a global advisory board of British and Lebanese industry leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and academics. This ambition is reflected in the appointment of US-based Ramzi Haidamus, a renowned Silicon Valley entrepreneur and former President of Nokia Technologies, as the advisory boards Chairman.

As the hubs startups leap to international and digital markets, they are committed, under BDLs support terms, to remain rooted in Lebanon where they create jobs, generate revenues and retain their intellectual property locally. Six out of its 78 startups that originated in London, Dubai, Paris and Seattle arrived to set up shop in Beirut and benefit from BDL funding.

Using London as a launchpad to global markets, particularly Europe and America, six of the startups have also gone on to establish their first international growth outposts from the hubs offices in Moorgate, London. Some are now selling in the UK such as Slidr, a gamified e-commerce experience. Others are leveraging world class UK expertise to design and develop hardware innovations. Sensio Air, a device that measures allergens and pathogens in your direct environment, is now preparing to launch in the EU and US. This strategic relationship between Lebanon and the UK has seen the hub and its startups generate an overall deal flow of more than $8.5 million of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the UK, creating 24 new jobs in the process.

In February this year, the hub launched a centre for international applied research collaborations in all STEM related areas. Backed by a seed fund of 2.5m from the UK government, it aims to commercialize world-leading research conducted by Lebanese universities and industry players, partnering with British education institutions. In less than a year, the hubs research centre launched five applied research collaborations covering health technologies such as a non-invasive device to continuously monitor blood sugar and a biomarker device that can detect early signs of certain types of breast cancer. These collaborations are expected to grow the benefits of this strategic partnership exponentially in a five to ten year window.

The future of this relationship is not only to leverage London as a springboard to the EU, US and emerging markets but also to leverage Lebanon, a historical bridge between Western and Eastern markets, as a talent gateway to the $7.5 trillion emerging markets.

This opportunity for British trade in wider markets beyond Europe is further enhanced by the fact that Lebanons burgeoning diaspora continues to grow in influence around the world. Around 12 million Lebanese live abroad, renowned for leading successful businesses. There are 81 Lebanese in the list of the top 500 Arab influencers in the world. At the same time, Lebanon is a perfect gateway for UK investment into emerging markets where its diaspora in tech are market shapers. The hub sets a benchmark for a world of networked value chains, says Zaazaa.

Hugo Shorter, the British Ambassador to Lebanon, added:

Our support for the UK Lebanon Tech Hub will help build a truly global Britain  a nation which seeks to be more outward-looking than ever before and embrace partnerships in every corner of the world.

Lebanon is a natural partner for the UK: an outward looking, highly educated and highly skilled nation, whose talent is its biggest export. Lebanon is ranked 8th best in the world in early stage entrepreneurship. Its people are trilingual, speaking French, English and Arabic, making it a perfect bridge between Britain, the Middle East and emerging markets, where theyve thrived as brilliant business leaders.

We are also proud to be able to support core innovations and technologies through our funding of 2.5 million ($3.2 million) for the UKLTHs International Research Centre with the aim of solving worldwide problems, with solutions such as early breast cancer detection and new irrigation systems to help farmers to increase crop yield while saving water.

I am delighted that at least six of the 77 companies operating in the UKLTH now have a permanent presence in the UK, creating jobs, generating revenue, buying services from UK businesses, and paying tax in the UK, all while remaining rooted in Lebanon.

Nadim Zaazaa, The UK Lebanon Tech Hubs new CEO, said:

The UK Lebanon Tech Hub sets a benchmark for a world of networked value chains. Its a place where an AI engineer in the UK can build a lawyer bot with a Beirut-based startup. Equally, an augmented reality engineer can be enabling the next generation tele-surgery with a Lebanese startup that has gone global.

The UK is the perfect springboard to help Lebanons best tech startups go global. At the same time, Lebanon is a perfect gateway for UK investment into emerging markets where its diaspora in tech are market shapers.

Our focus is twofold: getting the best Lebanese innovations to global markets through the UK and leverage the latters world class scientific standing to strengthen Lebanons knowledge core. This two-way relationship means more FDI, jobs and exports for both countries.

-ends-

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201711300056
Just before 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday evening, selected journalists got mails from the finance ministry of an impending news break.

Kindly await a major news break from the Federal Ministry of Finance today at 6.30 p.m., Oluyinka Akintunde, the spokesperson of the Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, said; an indication that a decision to be announced to the public about 90 minutes later had already been made.

Less than an hour after Mr. Akintundes mail, the news was announced. Munir Gwarzo, the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, had been suspended.

Suspended alongside Mr. Gwarzo were two officials of the regulatory commission, Abdulsalam Habu, Head of Media Division, and Anastasia Braimoh, Head of Legal Department.

The finance ministry in the statement signed by Patricia Deworitshe, Deputy Director, Press, announced that the officials were suspended based on corruption allegations against them.

The Honourable Minister has set up an Administrative Panel of Inquiry (API) to investigate and determine the culpability of the Director-General, Ms. Deworitshe announced.

Ms. Deworitshe did not announce the reason why it took the finance minister 10 months to acknowledge and act after the allegations were made to her office and anti-corruption agencies against Mr. Gwarzo and the two others.

However, ongoing investigation by PREMIUM TIMES reveal that while the allegations against the regulatory chief deserve to be investigated and suspects prosecuted if found guilty, the real reason for the suspension was the crisis rocking Nigerias supposed largest indigenous oil and gas firm, Oando.

In fact, sources told PREMIUM TIMES, the decision to suspend Mr. Gwarzo was taken at least 24 hours before Mr. Akintundes first mail to journalists on Wednesday at a meeting attended by three people.

THE MEETINGS

On Tuesday, the SEC chief met with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Mohammed Dutse, two sources knowledgeable about the meeting told PREMIUM TIMES although both gave varying details of the meeting.

One source said the Tuesday meeting was a follow up to another held between Mr. Gwarzo, Mrs. Adeosun, and Mr. Dutse.

At the Monday meeting, the source said, Oando was the only topic of discussion.

A few hours before the Monday meeting, SEC had written the oil and gas firm, formally notifying it of the decision to commence the forensic audit earlier announced in October.

The Commission notes that the above findings (of irregularities in Oando) are weighty and therefore needs to be further investigated. After due consideration, the Commission believes that it is necessary to conduct a forensic audit into the affairs of Oando Plc, the commission had stated on October 18.

However, hours after the SEC letter was delivered to Oando, the Monday afternoon meeting was reportedly called at the instance of the minister.

During the meeting, Mrs. Adeosun reportedly ordered Mr. Gwarzo to call off the forensic audit of Oando.

She advised him to rather constitute a committee that would recommend that Oando pays large sums as penalties for its various infractions, the source said.

Mr. Gwarzo reportedly told the minister and permanent secretary that his commission would not discontinue the audit process as such would have a negative effect on public perception of its role as a regulator.

The source said the DG was confronted with the threat to either resign or be suspended from office, ostensibly to allow ample time for the Oando issue to be sorted before his reinstatement later.

It was then Mr. Gwarzo reportedly received the shocker. He was allegedly reminded by the minister of pending allegations against him and that, those could be brought back.

Worried by the mood of the alleged Monday meeting and the pressure allegedly put on him by the minister, Mr. Gwarzo reportedly briefed some of his close confidants on the discussions at the meeting.

Mrs. Adeosuns spokesperson, however, told PREMIUM TIMES that the Monday meeting never held. He, however, confirmed the Tuesday meeting but gave a different narrative of what transpired.

Our source, who sought anonymity for fear of victimisation, said Mr. Gwarzo on Tuesday sent a memo to Mrs. Adeosun documenting the implications of derailing the forensic audit, particularly the negative signal it would send to the capital market, in view of the horrible financial position of Oando.

In the memo, he made reference to Section 11(d) of the SEC Act on his duty as the Director General of the Commission to advise the minister on such matters, the source said.

He advised the minister to allow the matter to follow its course professionally, for the integrity of its regulatory function. The source said it was the content of the memo, and the ministers actions, that was discussed with Mr. Dutse on Tuesday.

Mrs. Adeosuns spokesperson, Mr. Akintunde, however, gave a different narrative of what transpired on Tuesday.

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday morning, Mr. Akintunde said the SEC boss did not meet with the minister but only met with the permanent secretary on Tuesday to seek a soft landing over the corruption allegations.

The minister was not even in office on Monday. Mr. Gwarzo went to the Permanent Secretary on Tuesday to seek a soft landing over allegations that he paid himself N104 million severance package while still in office; and the private companies he used to award contracts to his relations.

Mr. Akintunde said it was after the meeting with the permanent secretary that Mr. Gwarzo was advised to go and consider resigning his appointment.

In his reaction to why it took 10 months for the minister to react to the corruption petition, Mr. Akintunde said, investigations were conducted to authenticate the substance of the petition, queries were issued and answers received; the anti-graft agencies have to be given the chance to do their job.

Another source at the SEC, knowledgeable about the matter, however, questioned Mr. Akintundes claim.

If the investigations have already been conducted by the finance ministry, why set up a panel again? Since the matter is already being investigated by EFCC and ICPC, why not let them complete their investigation and prosecute those found wanting. Its a lie, the suddenness is all about protecting Oando even though Gwarzo has a case to answer, the source said.

THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST GWARZO

In the corruption petition, which is currently being investigated by the two anti-corruption agencies, EFCC and ICPC, Mr. Gwarzo was accused of pocketing about N104.85 million as severance package while still in service.

He was also accused of getting entangled in a conflict of interest as a Director in Medusa Investment Limited, a company he allegedly used to funnel millions in contract awards while still in office in violation of extant rules.

Officials at the EFCC and the ICPC confirmed that their commissions are investigating the matter and had indeed questioned several officials mentioned in the alleged scandal several times.

At the EFCC, the case is being handled by the Capital Market and Investment Fraud Section, CMIFS, section headed by Adesola Amusan.

When he was invited earlier this year, the SEC chief was said to have admitted to the EFCC that he indeed received a severance package, but insisted it was not for the office he currently occupies as DG, but for when he held office as a commissioner.

Mr. Gwarzo was said to have submitted documents, including the extract of a Board meeting of SEC held on July 11, 2002, long before he joined the commission.

Any senior official who attains the position of either a DG or commissioner was entitled to draw a severance package after completing two years in office, that board resolution stated.

Having completed over two years and five months in office, as a commissioner, Mr. Gwarzo reportedly told the operatives he was entitled to the severance package.

PREMIUM TIMES findings show that Mr. Gwarzo served as Executive Commissioner of SEC for two years and four months prior to his appointment by former President Goodluck Jonathan on May 22, 2015, to succeed Arunma Oteh as the Director-General of SEC.

While our ongoing investigations show that this practice of paying people such severance packages is common in SEC, its legality is questionable, an issue the EFCC and ICPC are still looking into; to, among others, determine how many officials benefitted from such arrangement in the past.

Apart from the suspended officials, other officials including the executive commissioner, corporate services of SEC, also appeared before ICPC investigators.

The spokespersons of both the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, and ICPC, Rasheedat Okoduwa, could not be reached for comments on the current status of their investigations.

While Mr. Uwujarens phone number was not reachable, Ms. Okoduwa did not pick or return calls made to her.

While the anti-corruption agencies continue to investigate the allegations against Mr. Gwarzo and others, and now joined by the administrative panel set up by the finance ministry, attention will now be focused on what the regulator will do about Oando.

THE OANDO CRISIS

The proposed forensic audit of Oando followed two petitions SEC received from concerned shareholders, Dahiru Mangal and Ansbury Incorporated, about alleged mismanagement of the companys financial affairs and distortion of its shareholding structure.

Following the petition, SEC said it conducted a comprehensive review, which revealed massive breaches of the provisions of the Investments & Securities Act 2007 and the SEC Code of Corporate Governance for Public Companies.

Consequently, the Commission announced the appointment of a consortium of experts, consisting auditors, lawyers, stockbrokers and registrars, to conduct the forensic audit, while shares of Oando Plc at the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE were placed on temporary technical suspension.

The technical suspension is still in place, meaning while trading on Oando stock is still allowed, there will not be any price changes.

Last week, the oil firm also lost a bid to stop the forensic audit planned by SEC as a Federal High Court ruled against it.
A coalition of activists under the tag, Our Mumu Don Do led by Nigerian musician, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has urged the federal government to ensure that they do more to rescue hundreds of Nigerians undergoing maltreatment by slave dealers in Libya.

The group said this on Thursday during a rally staged at the entrance of the Libyan embassy, Asokoro, Abuja.

A report by CNN revealed several videos as well as pictures of predominantly black Africans allegedly being auctioned off as slaves in the Northern African region.

Members of the group, who were stationed at the gate of the embassy carrying banners with different inscriptions, commenced their sit-out with the national anthem.

The members of the group were chanting, No going back! No going back!! If you see Baba Buhari, tell am say make him bring our people back home in front of heavily armed police officers guarding the embassy.

Mr. Oputa expressed dissatisfaction with the government for not ensuring the safe return of its citizens being dehumanised in Libya.

We are horrified by the reports and footage of hundreds of Africans, including Nigerians, being sold into slavery by slave dealers in Libya as published by CNN and several other international media houses.

This is the only country that I know that the citizens are scared of government; in every other developed countries, it is the government that are scared of it citizens, he said.

The group alleged that thousands of Nigerians are still stranded in the Northern Africa region and appealed to the government to evacuate them.

As far as I am concerned, its not enough that the federal government just brought back over 200 people. For what? There are thousands of thousands of people stuck in Libya. What are we doing?

The vocal musician painted a pitiable picture of the horrors being faced by the victims.

I saw someone, an Arab man urinating into a ladys mouth. I saw another person defecating on a black man though I cannot specifically point out his nationality. Your fellow human beings, and then you now start to go back and rewind what made these people leave their own country and they are stuck as slaves. This is the time Nigerian youth need to wake up. Because if you dont act now, you will have no future in this country. So the time to act is now, Charly Boy said.

Adeyaju Deji, the co-convener of the group also added his voice to the agitation.

How can an African sell a fellow African for as low as $400; that is the less than the price of an Iphone. An iphone is a thousand dollars.

So if we can sell fellow human beings for $400, it means something is fundamentally wrong with us. And we intend to also draw the attention of the government on Monday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said.

None of the officials of the embassy came out to address the protesters.

President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to ensure all Nigerians stranded in Libya are returned home.
Fidelis Mukonori, a Catholic priest and long-standing friend of former Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe, says the ousted leader is in good spirits, though recovering from a touch of cold.

Mr. Mukonori said on Thursday that Mr. Mugabe was still in his Harare mansion with his wife Grace, whose unpopularity was a catalyst behind a bloodless military coup earlier this month.

He is at his house in Borrowdale, I talked to him a few days ago and he was in high spirits, he said he was recuperating from the cold but is generally okay, he said.

Mr. Mugabes sons, Robert Junior and Chatunga, who are known for their lavish playboy lifestyle, are outside the country but Mr. Mukonori refused to disclose the exact location.

The 93-year-olds almost four decades in power were marred by human rights abuses, corruption and the destruction of the countrys once vibrant economy.

Mr. Mugabes former deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, was sworn in as president recently.

While Mr. Mnangagwa was quick to hail Mr. Mugabe as a father figure and laud his role in Zimbabwes liberation struggle, he also promised a new chapter for the country.

The ruling Zanu-PF party said it would not be calling for the former presidents prosecution over alleged crimes, with some media reporting the Mugabes had been given a multi-million dollar retirement package instead.

Mugabe is our elder statesman, he deserves respect.

He is not going to be prosecuted, Zanu PF deputy legal secretary, Paul Mangwana, told journalists, refusing to comment on any financial settlement negotiated before Mr. Mugabes exit.

(dpa/NAN)
Nigeria may have to amend its 2018 budget proposals following reported moves by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, to cap the countrys oil output at 1.8 million barrels per day.



Reuters reported that OPEC will debate whether to cap oil output from Nigeria and Libya, which have so far been excluded from supply cuts since the plan was put in place in 2016.



Two sources with knowledge of the matter told the news agency that the idea was to cap Nigerias output at 1.8 million barrels per day and Libyan at one million bpd.



The development runs contrary to the projection of the Nigerian government with regards to oil revenue and funding of the 2018 budget.



On November 7, President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2018 budget of N8.612 trillion to the National Assembly.



Described as Nigerias biggest budget ever, the budget contained a projected oil output of 2.3 million barrels per day at an estimated price of $45.00 dollars per barrel.



Should the Thursday OPEC proposal sail through, the federal government may be forced to adjust its output estimate to the 1.8 million barrels per day; a decision that would significantly affect projected revenue and other figures contained in the budget.



The federal government has said it wants to ensure adequate implementation of the 2018 budget when passed unlike the 2017 budget, which has recorded implementation below 50 per cent. The government has, however, said the poor implementation of the 2017 budget was due to acute revenue constraints.



Although the Nigerian government has promised to ensure 50 per cent implementation of the 2017 budget by December, with plans to roll over the remaining 50 percent to 2018, many concerned stakeholders have expressed reservations about the plan.



Nigeria relies heavily on oil revenue to fund its budgetary allocations.

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government. For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour. By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all. Donate TEXT AD: Call Willie - +2348098788999 Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

In 2016, the nation was hit hard by the sharp drop in global oil prices, a development that pushed it into its first recession in 25 years. It, however, recovered and slipped out of recession in early September, after contracting for five consecutive quarters.Africas largest oil producer has so far been excluded from OPEC supply cuts, due to falling production amid unrest in the Niger Delta region. But following negotiations with some leaders of the region in recent months, the nation has enjoyed relative peace and impressive oil production in the region.The 14-member OPEC meets on Thursday to decide whether to extend production cuts until the end of 2018.
At least five people were feared dead in an attack Wednesday night by Boko Haram insurgents on Wuna village in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

The attack came days after about 50 persons were killed in a similar attack on a Mosque in Mubi town during morning prayer.

Sources said scores of fighters stormed the village, a few kilometres from Gulak, the administrative headquarters of Madagali.

They came in numbers and just started shooting sporadically into the air with their guns; and there was pandemonium as people started fleeing for their lives, a resident said.

They held sway for almost an hour during which they killed over five people, burning houses, food stuff and carted away domestic animals. Presently, we are hiding somewhere in a nearby village, the resident stated.

Another resident said: They were on the rampage to steal food and medical supplies. Even last two days, they raided a nearby village, Humbli, and many others. There is tension everywhere and people have started fleeing.

Confirming the attack, the Chairman of Madagali Local Government Council, Yusuf Muhammad, said the attack lasted for about an hour on Wednesday night.

The chairman who could not give the casualty figures however said that the insurgents burnt many houses and looted foodstuff.

They looted foodstuff, killed livestock and burnt the village completely,though for now I am yet to ascertain the number of those killed.

The Nigerian Army is yet to react to the attack. Akintoye Badare, a major and spokesperson of the 28 Task-Force Battalion, Mubi, could not be reached as at the time of filing this report.

Confirming the attack, a member of the House of Representatives, Adamu Kamale, said: President Muhammadu Buhari is being fed with false information on the capacity of Boko Haram in our area as they still carry out deadly strikes.

They have attacked Wuna last night and the recent attacks indicate the group is still able to carry out major attacks and has not been defeated despite the successes achieved by Nigerian soldiers in the war.

The communities in the local governments are a stones throw from the boundary of Sambisa Forest, the insurgents safe haven from where they launch attacks on us, he noted.

Mr. Kamale, who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES on telephone on Thursday,said while the military continued to make claims of decimating the insurgents, the situation in Madagali had been grossly under-reported in a series of security reports filed by the military to Mr. Buhari.

The truth remains that the group is still very active in our areas. According to the lawmaker, no week or day passes without one ugly incident taking place in the border communities.

We want Mr. President to match words with actions because the insurgents are truly killing more people than he is even aware of, particularly in Michika/Madagali local government areas of Adamawa State.
Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River has presented a budget of N1.3 trillion for the 2018 fiscal year to the Cross River House of Assembly for deliberation and passage, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

The budget is the largest for a single state in Nigerias history.

Lagos state held the record with its N812 billion budget for 2017. The state has indicated its 2018 budget may also hit N1 trillion.

Most states in Nigeria propose budgets at average N150 billion to N300 billion.

The biggest annual spenders are Lagos, Rivers and Akwa Ibom. The entire federal budget for 2018 is a little above N8 trillion.

Gov. Ayade, who presented the budget on Thursday in Calabar, said the proposal was designed to add value to the socio-economic development and well being of the people of the state.

Mr. Ayade, who tagged the budget as Budget of Kinetic Crystallisation, said it was meant to crystallise what the state had achieved in the past two years of his administration.

He said the priority of the budget was to develop the states deep sea port and the super highway which he said were his two marked projects.

The governor said 70 per cent of the budget was for capital expenditure and 30 per cent,re-current expenditure.

According to him, the size of the budget is expected to create room for potential investors, now that the annual construction of the state deep sea port and superhighway has commenced.

He added that the budget was for actualisation and implementation of the state deep sea port, super highway and other laudable projects earmarked for completion.

The 2018 budget of N1.3 trillion, tagged `Kinetic Crystallisations, is meant to drive the economy of the state to an enviable height.

The sum of N126 billion was budgeted for the Ministry of Infrastructure. This is to help us develop critical assets in the state.

N7 billion was also budgeted for the state job centre with a view to helping us train our unemployed youths with marketable job skills.

Also, we have budgeted N2 billion for our school feeding programme. In addition to that, we also budgeted N52 billion for social welfare to care for the aged.

My administration is human friendly and my desire is to ensure that every family has what to eat before going to bed, he said.

The governor further said that the garment factory, with 1,000 workers, would be increased to 3,000 in 2018 as part of his administrations drive to engage the unemployed in the state.

NAN reports that the 2018 budget is far higher than the 2017 budget of N301 billion.

Responding, the Speaker of the Assembly, John Gaul-Lebo, commended the governor for commencing work on the deep sea port and the super highway.

Mr. Gaul-Lebo said that the two projects, when completed, would attract more investors to the state and improve its revenue profile.

He assured the governor of the assemblys continued support for the economic and political growth of the state.

(NAN)
Any trip fugitive Abdulrasheed Maina has made outside Nigeria since September 2013 was illegally and clandestinely made, the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, said on Thursday.

The Comptroller-General of the NIS, Mohammed Babandede, on Thursday said Mr. Maina, the embattled former chairman of the presidential task force on pension reforms, has not travelled out of the country since 2013, at least through the nations airports.

Speaking at an investigative hearing set up by the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee on his controversial reinstatement and promotion, Mr. Babandede also said the pension scandal fugitive has the dual citizenship of Nigeria and the United States of America.

PREMIUM TIMES on October 20 broke the story of Mr. Mainas controversial return to civil service after years of being on the run, sending shockwaves through the nation and placing the administrations conduct under renewed public criticism and scrutiny.

Mr. Maina was dismissed from service in 2013 during the Goodluck Jonathan administration for absconding from office following allegations that he diverted billions in public funds for his own use when he headed the pension reform task force.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission subsequently moved to arrest and prosecute him; but Mr. Maina, who was fired as an assistant director, bolted from the law.

He was believed to have fled to Dubai, where he had remained until some officials of the Buhari administration allegedly facilitated his return under questionable circumstances this year.

While being questioned on Thursday, the Comptroller-General of Immigration explained that Mr. Maina did not leave Nigeria through any of its legal boundaries or airports since 2013.

We have checked our records and we have not seen a single name of Maina pass through our airports since 2013 when he was blocked; so the record available to us shows that Maina has not been travelling.

If he has been travelling, then it means he has not been travelling through an airport we can see. By law, if you pass through a border you are entitled to report to an immigration officer. So if Maina has been travelling from 2013 till date, we dont know. If he has been passing through borders he has not reported to an immigration officer. As far as we are concerned, Maina has not been travelling since 2013, Mr. Babandede said.

He also said Mr. Maina has three passports and a dual citizenship.

We knew about Maina from 27 September 2013 when he was leaving the country and he was stopped at the Murtala Mohammed international airport because of the letter from EFCC.

Prior to that time, Maina was never in our stop list. He has been a frequent traveller across airports. He has 3 passports. An official passport which has expired and has not being renewed; a standard passport which is currently valid till 2018 and an American passport.

So in an addition to being a citizen of Nigeria, he is also a citizen of America. He has a valid U.S. passport which will be expiring on 26 August 2022.

The immigration chief also explained that at some point, Mr. Mainas name was removed from the stop list.

On December 1st 2015 the EFCC gave us a letter directing us to remove his name from the stop list, which we removed. But when the case of Maina started and a directive was given by the president that he should be probed, we blocked his name again in our stop list. We blocked all his passports which means he cannot reissue his passport any longer and he cannot pass through our recognised borders.
The non-academic staff unions of Nigerian universities have resumed their suspended strike.

The unions, members of NAAT, NASU, and SSANU, announced the resumption of the strike in a joint statement on Thursday night.

They said the strike will resume on Monday, December 3.

The statement was signed by the national presidents of NAAT, Sani Sulaimon; NASU, Chris Ani; and SSANU, Samson Ugwoke.

They workers said they reject the mode of sharing the recent financial allocation to universities.

We wrote a letter to the federal ministry of education to explain the criteria for the allocation and we gave them seven days notice to do the needful. But the date has elapsed without a response from the federal government, they said.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the mode of sharing N23 billion sent to universities by the federal government had caused protests in many universities as the non-academic workers accuse their academic counterparts of unfair distribution formula.

The unions suspended their strike and asked their members to resume work on September 25 after signing a memorandum of understanding with the federal government.

They gave the federal government one month to start the implementation of the agreement; but said on Thursday that the government is yet to meet their demands after two months.
The Director General of the State Security Services, Lawal Daura, said on Thursday that he advised the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to meet with Abdulrasheed Maina abroad

Mr. Maina is wanted for alleged pension fraud and is currently on the run from the anti-graft agency, EFCC.

Mr. Daura, while giving his submission on Thursday to the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee investigating Mr. Mainas controversial reinstatement and promotion in the civil service, however said he advised him to do so in presence of a third party.

The attorney general of the federation sometime in 2016 or 2015 (cant remember the exact day) because it was not through a formal document, placed a call to me when he was outside the country and requested me on a request he got through a source that Maina wanted to meet him.

He wanted me to advise him whether to agree to see Maina or not in that foreign country.

I responded to the attorney general that he should accept to see Maina but he should not see him alone

He should see him with a third party, Mr. Daura said.

The security chief said the attorney general complied and met Mr. Maina in the presence of a third party.

On the accusation of the SSS shielding Mr. Maina, Mr. Daura said Mr. Maina had approached the service with a letter alleging threat to his life and therefore requested for protection.

He said the letter was scrutinised and fears expressed by Maina were also to a large extent established.

He said the service decided to look into the matter so as to protect Mr. Maina.

Because of the right to life which is guaranteed by our constitution universally recognized, Mainas case was directed to be looked into so as not to allow his life to be in jeopardy.

Mr. Daura said no agency, including the EFCC, wrote the SSS seeking to arrest Mr. Maina.

He added that the service has nothing to do with the reinstatement of Mr. Maina and his subsequent promotion.

Unlike the SSS, however, the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, said it was notified in 2013 to put Mr. Maina on a stop list and prevent him from travelling abroad, which it complied with.

The NIS chief, Mohammed Babandede, also told the committee that the NIS has no record of Mr. Maina leaving the country since 2013.

PREMIUM TIMES on October 20 broke the story of Mr. Mainas controversial return to civil service after years of being on the run, sending shockwaves through the nation and placing the administrations conduct under renewed public criticism and scrutiny.

Mr. Maina was dismissed from service in 2013 during the Goodluck Jonathan administration for absconding from office following allegations that he diverted billions in public funds for his own use when he headed the pension reform task force.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission subsequently moved to arrest and prosecute him; but Mr. Maina, who was fired as an assistant director, bolted from the law.

He was believed to have fled to Dubai, where he had remained until some officials of the Buhari administration allegedly facilitated his return under questionable circumstances this year.
The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has said that the Pension Reform Task Force headed by Abdulrasheed Maina never handed any asset to the EFCC.

Mr. Magu also said the account of a son to Mr. Maina had a turnover of over N1.5 billion in less than a year.

He said these on Thursday at the hearing organised by the ad-hoc committee of the House of Representatives investigating the controversial reinstatement of Mr. Maina into the federal civil service.

Mr. Magu, while listing out properties belonging to Mr. Maina, claimed that the EFCCs knowledge of the said properties was obtained by the commission, stressing that Mr. Maina has not returned any asset.

In the Pension Office of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, those from whom properties were recovered are Shuaibu Keidi, Dina Chidi, Abdul Mohammed, Emmanuel Olanipekun, Aliyu Bello and the associate companies and persons.

The other recoveries made include those that were recently recovered from Abdulrasheed Maina in Abuja and Kaduna. They include seven properties in Kaduna; a two-storey commercial building located on Ibrahim Taiwo Road, a bungalow located at Katuru Road, and four separate properties located on Kano Road, in Kawo New Extension, Kaduna.

The other property which is still under construction is a four one-storey building on a plot located at No.5 Sokoto Rd, adjacent to Zamfara State Governors Lodge in Kaduna.

Other properties linked to Maina include No. 12 & 11 Rd, Kado Estate, Abuja, No. A5/HO/B+, Kado Estate, No. 9 TCM Close A+, Kado Estate, No.8 Ologun Close A+, Kado Estate, Luxury Apartments; eight plot of land, six three-bedrooms, two two-bedrooms located at Plot 965 Pedestrian C2 Life Camp, Abuja, another at No.10 Halisu Musa Rd, Jabi, Abuja, he said.

He further said that EFCC is investigating Mr. Maina for fraud and money laundering, describing him as the arrowhead of a lot of illicit deals that saw hundreds of millions of naira in pension funds ending up in his private pockets.

Maina operates the accounts of Clostal logistics Limited, Kangoro Dynamic Clean Limited, an investment and construction company limited, Nafisa Aliyu and Abdulahi Faiza.

It is important to note that the sixth account operated solely by Maina had a total inflow of over N2.7 billion between 2008 and 2013 with 95 per cent of the deposit deals in cash.

It was discovered that Faiza Abdulahis account, who happens to be his son had a turnover of over N1.5 billion in less than a year.

It should also be noted that Maina operated these accounts through telephones and electronic messages. Most of the funds were converted to Forex, through Bureau de Change and delivered to Maina in cash.

Part of the funds were used to purchase properties, including a house at No. 10 Halisu Musa Road, Jabi, which goes for $2 million and was paid for in cash, he added.

Denying the claim that Mr. Mainas task force handed over some properties to the EFCC, Mr. Magu challenged Mr. Maina to provide evidence of submission of any asset to the commission.

He challenged anyone with a contradictory evidence to tender it publicly.

If Maina or any government official witnessed the sharing of any recovered pension assets by any official of the EFCC, they should be willing to name the official, the assets involved; when and where the sharing took place.

For the avoidance of doubt, there are no 222 properties anywhere that were shared by anybody. The EFCC did not receive a single property from Abdulrasheed Maina, Mr. Magu said.

He added that all the pension fraud asset that are in the recovered assets inventory of the commission, were products of independent investigation by the EFCC.

The senate committee at a plenary last week Thursday had said that 222 properties recovered by Mr. Maina had been allegedly shared by some interest groups under the watch of the EFCC.

A senator, Emmanuel Paulker, had told the Senate that the Presidential Task Team on Pension Reforms, PTTPR, headed by Mr. Maina had recovered the houses from pension suspects in Abuja and other major cities across the country.

At the Thursday hearing, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, also said Mr. Maina, who is currently on the run, was reinstated into the civil service without a directive from her office.
President Muhammadu Buhari will on December 2 and 3 join other Heads of State in Aqaba, Jordan, to review strategies in fighting terrorism, and reinforce joint security structures that will be more proactive in preventing attacks, his office said Thursday.

Tagged, AQABA RETREAT, the meeting, hosted by King Abdullah II of Jordan, is expected to be attended by West African Heads of State, representatives of governments of 48 countries and a number of key Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

At the meeting, the president is expected to share Nigerias experience on terrorism and its spread across West Africa, with a view to soliciting more support for pre-emptive measures that will neutralise the activities of insurgents in the sub-region.

The Nigerian leader will also hold bilateral meetings with some Heads of State to strengthen relations.

President Buhari and his delegation will attend the official dinner to be hosted by King Abdullah II in honour of visiting Heads of State and their delegations.

The president will be accompanied to Jordan by the governors of Kogi, Osun and Niger States; the Ministers of Defence, Education, Foreign Affairs; the National Security Adviser, and the Acting Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed sadness over the death of a former Nigerian Ambassador, Oluyemi Adeniji.

Mr. Adeniji, who served in the civilian administration of Mr. Obasanjo as Foreign Affairs Minister, died in London on Wednesday at the age of 83.

Mr. Obasanjo, in a condolence letter he sent from China where he is attending this years Club of Madrid General Assembly and Annual Policy Dialogue, said the news of Mr. Adeniji left him with a deep personal sense of loss.

In the letter addressed to the Ogun State Government, the former president said the nation has lost one of its most outstanding diplomats who had brought his unique knowledge and experience into Nigerias Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the international community.

Amb. Adenijis enormous contributions to the nation in particular, and international community in general earned him an eminent position in the nations gallery of unforgettable public servants, Mr. Obasanjo said.

In particular, I note his memorable stint in the Nigerian Foreign Service in the decades after Nigerias attainment of independence, during which he carved a niche for himself in global diplomacy.

Mr. Obasanjo also recalled that the deceased served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nigerian embassies in Washington D.C., Sierra Leone, Ghana and France.

He said that in all of these places, Mr. Adeniji served with commitment, loyally and distinction, and contributing immeasurably to laying a solid foundation for the present cordial relations between Nigeria and all the countries he served as Nigerian representative.

I do know that when he was in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was both respected and honoured by Nigerian missions abroad and foreign missions at home, the former president noted.

At the international level, especially at the UN, where he served as Special Representative of the Secretary-General with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, UNAMSIL, between 1999 and 2003, professionalism, quality and integrity were his imprint and legacy.

He further recalled that Mr. Adeniji worked closely with him as his Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2003 and 2006 and later as Minister of Internal Affairs between 2006 and 2007.

He contributed immensely to the anticipation and management of crisis within and in several brother African countries, in pursuance of our foreign policy thrust, which retained Africa as centrepiece of our diplomatic agenda.

Indeed, the world is a better place, more peaceful and more stable because of his efforts. This, no doubt, ensured for him a place of honour in the roll of outstanding diplomats and statesmen of our generation.

The great outpouring of sympathy since Amb. Adenijis death was announced is also an eloquent testimony to the enduring, nationwide bonds of comradeship and friendship which he forged in his many years of service to our nation and the global world, Mr. Obasanjo stated.

I urge you to find consolation in the fact that God granted him the grace to have come this far in the journey of life and in the enviable legacies that he left behind in the community, the State, the nation and the international community for which we shall always celebrate his life on earth.

Mr. Obasanjo prayed for comfort for all those left behind by Mr. Adeniji and for his soul to rest in perfect peace.

Born July 22, 1934 in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Mr. Adeniji had a degree in history and joined the Nigerian Foreign Service in July 1960. He served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nigerian embassies in Washington, D.C., Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Accra, Ghana and retired from service in 1991 after serving as the Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In March 2008, Mr. Adeniji headed negotiations in Kenya related to that countrys political crisis, following the departure of the previous head negotiator, Kofi Annan.

In addition, he served on the Commission of Eminent Persons on The Role of the IAEA to 2020 and Beyond, chaired by Ernesto Zedillo, whose report Reinforcing the Global Nuclear Order for Peace and Prosperity was launched in June 2008.
The Nigeria Labour Congress has condemned the sack of 4, 042 local government workers by the Kaduna State Government.

Announcing the sack on Tuesday, the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Jafaru Sani, said it was part of the state governments restructuring of the local government system in the state.

Mr. Sani also said that 3,159 staff among those disengaged had put in 10 years and were retired, while the remaining 893 had their jobs terminated for redundancy.

Speaking further, the commissioner explained that the retired workers would be paid their November salary and three months salary in lieu of notice, while their pension benefits would be worked out by their pension administrators.

But the NLC declared the sack illegal, saying that the action violates labour laws and industrial relations practice in the country.

The reasons adduced by the government are spurious and unfounded, a statement by NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, noted on Thursday.

Aside from this, the process is patently faulty and unlawful.

For instance, redundancy cannot be carried out without following the provisions of the Labour Act .

When the Government of Kaduna State announced to the whole world its plan to lay off about 25,000 teachers for failing a competency test for Primary Four Class, we not only expressed our misgivings, we said the so-called competency test was a subterfuge and part of a premeditated plan to drastically cut down the workforce in furtherance of dangerous neoliberal policies.

The latest illegal mass sack of workers lends credence to our assertions or fears.

Mr. Wabba cautioned the state government against the boomerang effect of laying off such number of staff.

We would want to warn of the consequences of the reckless actions of the government of Kaduna State and will call for caution and restraint on the part of the government.

It is evident that the government has not given sufficient consideration to the social consequences of laying off en masse 5,000 workers.

The Governor boasts that no one, absolutely nothing could stop him from carrying out his agenda of mass retrenchment of workers.

The NLC President also questioned the campaign promises of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC.

This is most unfortunate and a direct fulfillment of the exact opposite of his campaign promise and APCs manifesto to create jobs.

He often says as Governor, he has the right, power, means and will to do as he likes, but this is undemocratic and anti-workers.

We are worried by these emotional outbursts, and their infectious effects on his peers and the polity as a whole.

We at the Nigeria Labour Congress expected more maturity and flexibility, he said.

Mr. Wabba advised Governor El-Rufai to rescind his decision on the mass sack and called on the President Muhammadu Buhari and APC to call him to order.

Confrontation between the NLC and the Kaduna state government started in October when the governor announced his intention to disengage 21,780 teachers, about two-thirds of the states teachers population.

The Kaduna State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, in reaction said, it had concluded arrangements to embark on an indefinite strike and shut down schools if the governor fails to shelve his plan by the end of the two-week ultimatum. The governor has dismissed their threats.

In a similar manner, the senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, condemned the governors plan to sack the school teachers.

The sacking of over 21,000 primary school teachers by the Kaduna State Governor stands condemned, he said.

Its inhuman and the height of lunacy by a man who derives pleasure by inflicting suffering and hardship on others.

The matter is still in contention.
Some aspirants to national offices in the Peoples Democratic Party have denied involvement in an alleged plan for a parallel National Convention of the party.

The party has scheduled the event for December 9 and 10 to elect its national leadership.

But one of the chairmanship aspirants and a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Olabode George; a deputy national chairmanship aspirant, Inna Ciroma; and a new national chairmanship aspirant, Olusegun Aderemi, have denied being part of the rumoured plan by some members of the party to stage a parallel convention.

The National Caretaker Committee of the party had earlier declared that it had uncovered the plan to hold the parallel convention.

Speaking separately to journalists at the partys National Secretariat on Thursday during the 77th NEC meeting of the PDP, the aspirants said they were not involved in any such plan.

Mr. George, who was at the secretariat to submit his chairmanship nomination form, however, called for a transparent convention.

I want to appeal that we have to be extremely careful in managing the convention. We cannot afford any more crisis, he said.

He said he would always remain in the PDP regardless of the outcome of his aspiration, describing himself as an irredentist PDP man.

He promised to correct ills in the party such as impunity and lack of respect for the partys constitution, if elected its national chairman.

Mrs. Ciroma, who also denied involvement in an alternative event, advised other aspirants and their supporters to avoid any form of discord, noting that genuine believers in the ideals of the party and democracy should not forget that power comes from God.

Mrs. Ciroma emphasised unity of the party and said the party should ensure there is no acrimony.

Whether you are a Christian or Muslim, you must realise that power comes from God. In whatever we do, the party must come first, she added.

She described the partys defeat in the 2015 presidential election as a blessing in disguise because the loss made Nigerians to experience life under a different political party, saying they had seen the difference.

It was a good thing that PDP lost in that election because now, we are feeling the pinch; Nigerians are feeling the pinch. PDP is the party to beat because it is the party that is in every part of Nigeria. That was why we were in power for 16 years.

Nigerians have seen the difference and they are saying we have seen the difference. Nigerians are saying lets go back to the PDP. Ordinary Nigerians are asking PDP to come back, she said.

Mrs. Ciroma further advised the party to come up with robust programmes that will appeal to Nigerians.

Mr. Aderemi who introduced himself to journalists as a new candidate and the youngest at the age of 44 years, said he is not too young to run for the position. He said he was not aware of any parallel convention.

Mr. Aderemi, who is from Ekiti State, said he picked his form on Tuesday and was at the secretariat on Thursday to submit it.

He said was confident of victory because, according to him, he has the backing of the youth.

When asked if he had made his decision when the party announced the names of aspirants for this position two weeks ago, he said he had thought of it then but the controversy on zoning was what delayed his making his intention known.

I was thinking of it already before the controversy on zoning.

On a peace accord by the aspirants, Mr. Aderemi said: I am going to sign if they ask me to sign.
The National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has ratified its plans for the conduct of the partys National Convention on December 9.

The partys National Publicity Secretary, Dayo Adeyeye, who briefed journalists on Thursday, disclosed this while highlighting the major decisions made at the 77th NEC meeting held at the PDP National Secretariat, Abuja.

He said the National Caretaker Committee of the party submitted reports on the just concluded congresses in the states.

Recalling that the party in its last convention on August 12 decided to dissolve the executive committees in some states and elect replacements, he said this had been done except in Osun State.

The affected states are Lagos, Ogun, Adamawa, Anambra, Kwara, Borno, Kebbi, Kogi and Oyo.

He said over 2800 delegates, consisting special and statutory delegates, are expected to participate at the convention.

Mr. Adeyeye said the NEC approved the composition of the Convention Planning Committee and the amended guidelines for the convention but refused to disclose the names of the committee members till they are published.

He said from the discussions and deliberations at the meeting, he was confident that no member of the party would contemplate holding a parallel convention.

The PDP spokesperson also emphasised the commitment of the caretaker committee to organise a free, fair and credible national convention.

He said during the NEC meeting, aspirants were admonished to be civil in their campaigns, and avoid attacking each other, noting that nobodys ambition is more important than the party and that after the elective convention they will still come back as party members.

We are going to organise a free, fair and credible party convention. Nigerians still believes in the PDP, he said.

Nobody will have any issue. We are not under any threat that there will be a parallel convention. We are optimistic that we are going to have a successful Convention by the grace of God, he said.

Earlier, the chairman of the NCC, Ahmed Makarfi, commended the NEC for standing by the committee in the past 18 months.

Mr. Makarfi also urged the aspirants to conduct themselves with decorum and see the convention as a family affair and not a do or die situation.

He said there was need for the party to remain united.

United we stand, divided we fall. PDP is like Nigeria. It is a diverse political party but it is a united party. What you dont get today, you will get tomorrow. That is how life is, Mr. Makarfi said.

The Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dakwambo, who spoke on behalf of the partys governors, pledged their support for the caretaker committee to conduct the convention.

PDP Governors are solidly working with the Caretaker Committee and all relevant stakeholders to ensure a free, fair and successful convention, he said.

The Deputy Senate President,Ike Ekweremadu, also urged the aspirants to various positions to avoid making trouble if the outcome of the convention does not favour them.

The least we can do in our convention is to be transparent. I assure that we will do everything possible to ensure that the convention is free and fair and transparent. I want to appeal to those who may not succeed and may want to disrupt the party. Those people may be the ultimate victims.

Shortly before the NEC meeting went into a closed door session, a minute silence was observed in honour of former vice president, Alex Ekwueme.

Mr. Ekwueme, who passed on recently in a London Clinic, was the founding national chairman of the party.

Absent at the meeting were Chairman, PDP Governors Forum and governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose; his Ebonyi State counterpart, David Umahi; Governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade; Governor Ishaku Darius of Taraba State and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.

In attendance were Governors Ibrahim Dakwambo, Nyesom Wike, Emmanuel Udom and Ifeanyi Okowa of Gombe, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Delta states respectively.

Governor of Bayelsa State, Serieke Dickson; and the Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu; were represented by their deputies.

Others prominent persons in attendance were former Senate President David Mark; former PDP chairmen, Vincent Ogbulafor, Ahmadu Ali, Okwesilieze Nwodo among others.
The Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, and the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, have denied that the former chairman of the Presidential Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, was still paid salary years after being sacked.

The duo said Mr. Maina was last paid in February 2013.

They spoke on Thursday at a hearing organised by an Ad Hoc Committee of the House of Representatives to investigate Mr. Mainas reinstatement.

From my findings, the last salary Maina received was in February 2013. From March 2013, he was removed from payroll, said Mr. Idris.

I made a test run, giving different combinations of his names but found nothing. I dont know where he has been getting salaries from.

Affirming this, Mrs. Adeosun said several searches were made in the payroll and nothing was found.

We do not have his biometric data. I can state that he is not receiving salary from the Federal Government, she said.

She further said that the Ministry of Finance has no information on the wanted former minister as he was not a staff of the ministry.

Their claims contradict a disclosure made by Mr. Mainas lawyer a week ago at the same hearing.

Speaking at the hearing, the lawyer, Mohammed Katu, said Mr. Mainas salary had not been stopped as he was still working.

When asked by lawmakers if Mr. Maina was still getting paid, he said, Yes. Maina continued to work even after his dismissal.

As at last month, about 23 files were sent to him, in his capacity as acting directoreven while he was absent.
The consideration of the 2018 budget suffered a setback at the Senate on Thursday as the lawmakers failed to pass the 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, and Fiscal Strategy Paper.

The Senate suspended the consideration of the report of its joint committee on Finance, Appropriations and National Planning and Economic Affairs due to the absence of John Enoh, Cross River-PDP, who was to present the report.

The Senate on had Wednesday stood down the consideration of the documents due to the scanty number of Senators in attendance as at the time it was supposed to be considered.

President Muhammadu Buhari sent the 2018-2020 MTEF and FSP to the Senate on October 19.

The document was which must be passed before consideration of the 2018 appropriation was sent to the joint committee to work on and report back to the full house.

However, the Senate was forced to suspend the consideration on Thursday due to the absence of Mr. Enoh who is currently at the ongoing Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries meeting convened to determine the cap oil output from Nigeria.

Announcing Enohs absence, Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan asked senators to be patient so as to take an informed decision on the passage of the documents.

We need to know what the production quota for Nigeria will be so that well take a very informed and enlightened decision on the daily production for our crude, he said. I believe that this is a strong and enough ground for us to stand down the consideration of this report until next Tuesday.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu who presided over the sitting also emphasised the need to wait for the outcome of the meeting before going ahead with the passage of MTEF, FSP.

The lawmakers unanimously adopted the prayer.
The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, again on Thursday said the former head of Presidential Task Force on Pension Reform, Abdulrasheed Maina, was reinstated into the civil service without a directive from her office.

Mr. Oyo-Ita spoke at the continuation of a hearing by the ad-hoc committee set up by the House of Representatives to probe the matter.

The Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; Acting EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu; Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris; Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Services, Mohammed Babangede; and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Abubakar Magaji, were some of those quizzed at the resumption of the hearing chaired by Aliyu Madaki.

For the permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Abubakar Magaji, to claim that the directive to reinstate Maina came from my office is limited in facts, Mrs. Oyo-Ita said, reacting to the submission by Mr. Magaji.

The remarks by Mr. Magaji that he acted based on directives of the Head of Service, to put it mildly, is not quite correct, she said.

There is a process of conveyance of reinstatement instructions. The Federal Civil Service Commission would send a letter to the Head of Service and also send another letter to the beneficiary of that reinstatement under the flying seal of the Head of Service.

The Ministry of Interior did not wait to get a posting instruction before they went ahead and reinstated Maina and assigned him duties.

So this is to completely discountenance the attempt by the Permanent Secretary that they acted on an issue in an illegal manner while trying to make claims that there was a legality from my office, she added.

She noted that the Ministry of Interior only acted on an advanced copy of the reinstatement letter, which was only meant for information purposes only.

Mrs. Oyo-Ita further insisted that Mr. Maina, as far as she was concerned, has not being reinstated into the civil service. A letter of reinstatement was never given to him from my office.

The Head of Service outlined the processes involved in reinstating any civil servant.

She said the Federal Civil Service Commission has constitutional mandate of overseeing all matters of appointment, promotion, reinstatement issues and disciplinary matters; while the Office of Head of Service has mandate to oversee career management issues, structure, training and welfare management in the service.

Responding, Mr. Magaji said the letter issued to Maina from the Office of the Federal Civil Service Commission constitutionally directed the reinstatement.

That copy was sent to me for action. Any letter for information to my own understanding is to take necessary action. They have reinstated him whether Maina was given the letter or not, he was reinstated, Mr. Magaji said.

He, however, said his ministry never gave Mr. Maina any office or sent him on any official duty.

Mr. Maina who made his first public appearance since the saga in an interview with Channels Television on Monday where he claimed innocence of all allegations levelled against him ,was absent during the hearing. He was represented by his counsel, Mohammed Sani-Kado.

The recall of Mr. Maina, who is still wanted for alleged N2 billion fraud by the anti-graft agency, EFCC, has since been condemned by Nigerians and civil society groups, prompting the public hearing.
Days after the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Hameed Ali, accused shipping companies of aiding importation of arms into the country, the federal government has directed all containerized cargoes coming into Nigeria to be on a pallet.

The advocacy for palletization of cargoes, according to the government, would aid manual examination of consignment while it awaits the installation of functional scanners in both seaports and land border stations.

Also, according to the federal government, it would help in forestalling further importation of illicit goods.

On Thursday, at a sensitization workshop on revised import and export guidelines organised by the Ministry of Finance in Lagos, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, directed all stakeholders directly involved in the export and import trade value chains to be acquainted with export and import guidelines to avoid sanction.

In her speech, Mrs Adeosun pointed out governments stance on compliance. She posited that any stakeholder found culpable violating the guidelines would be sanctioned.

Furthermore, in order to ensure quick clearance of import at the Nigerian ports and borders, the additional responsibilities assigned to the relevant government agencies would be carried out in a well-coordinated and collaborated manner, while the sanctions specified for non-compliance with the provisions of the guidelines would be strictly and impartially applied across board.

The minister, who was represented by the director of Home Finance, Olubunmi Siyanbola, reiterated governments resolve on cargo scanning machines. She added that government is working relentlessly to quickly put in order the scanning system so as to eliminate manual examination of goods and the associated delays.

At least, 2,671 firearms illegally imported into the country were intercepted by the Nigerian Customs between January and September 2017; all the arms originated from Turkey.

Last week, Mr. Ali had lambasted shipping companies for aiding the importation of the firearms, accusing them of altering the cargo manifest for the arms and changing them, most times, to steel doors.

The Customs boss, in his visit to Lagos last week, hinted stakeholders that federal government was planning to enshrine pallet system into shipment of all containerized cargoes. This, according to Mr. Ali, would ease examination and detection of illicit items.

Harping on Mr. Alis position, the Minister of Finance reiterated that government is taking the implementation of palletization of containerized goods very seriously.

The plan was for this workshop to take place earlier than today to enable us allow a three-month grace period before full implementation of the guidelines, especially in recognition of the time lag that might be required for the commencement of full implementation of the government policy on mandatory palletization of all containerized cargo imported into Nigeria.

The minister stated that full implementation of all import and export guidelines, particularly, pallet system would take effect in 2018.

I wish to announce that the export and import guidelines will be fully implemented with effect from 1/1/2018.

However, goods already loaded for shipment to Nigeria prior to this date will not be affected by the palletization policy.

Let me also say that we have examined all concerns expressed by the trading public regarding the palletization policy of the government. The list of cargoes of goods that may be exempted from palletization, where it is absolutely necessary will be placed on the website of the Federal Ministry of Finance and Nigeria Customs service shortly.
Union Bank of Nigeria Plc on Thursday asked Justice Saliu Saidu of a Lagos Division of the Federal High Court to vacate an interim order of forfeiture placed on Flat 7B Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos where the sums of $43,449,947, 27,800 and N23, 218,000 (about N13 billion) were discovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on April 12, in iron cabinets and Ghana-must-go bags.

The judge had on November 9, made the order while granting an ex-parte application filed by the anti-graft agency.

A firm, Chobe Ventures Limited, was joined as the respondent in the suit.

Granting the ex-parte order, Mr. Saidu directed the EFCC to notify the respondent in whose possession the property was found to appear before him in a fortnight to show reason why it should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.

The anti-graft agency was also directed to publicise the interim order in a national daily for the respondent or anyone interested in the property to show cause within two weeks why a final forfeiture order should not be made on the property.

However, at the resumed hearing of the matter on Thursday, Union Bank through its lawyer, A. A. Aribisala, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, drew the courts attention to an application seeking to vacate the interim order of forfeiture.

In an affidavit in support of the application deposed to by one, Alfred Olukayode Edun, the bank argued that the forfeited flat was part of the property situated at 16 Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, belonging to Adamu Muazu, by virtue of a certificate of occupancy dated 27th September 2009 and registered as 97/97/2009 in the Lands Registry Office, Alausa, Lagos.

The bank said Mr. Muazu, a former Bauchi State governor and former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, had mortgaged the entire property to it by virtue of a Tripartite Deed of Legal Mortgage dated November 1, 2011, in order to secure a loan granted to his company, Tripple A Properties & Investment Ltd.

The bank further claimed that the original title deed of the property had been vested in it while the loan is yet to be liquidated till date despite the fact that its tenor has expired.

The bank further claimed it sold the property to Chobe Ventures Ltd to liquidate the loan.

However, in its counter affidavit to the application, the EFCC argued that the bank lacks the locus standi to challenge the forfeiture of property reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities of Ambassador Ayo Oke and Mrs. Folashade Oke.
The Executive Director of Nasarawa State Aids Control Agency (NASACA), Zakari Umar, said 54 babies delivered between January and September in the state tested positive to HIV.

Mr. Umar made this known on Thursday in Lafia, the state capital in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said out of the 1,194 pregnant women who keyed into the Prevention of Mother- to- Child Transmission (PMTCT) HIV programme in 2017, 54 of them transmitted the virus to their babies.

Mr. Umar explained that cases of transmission recorded were due to lack of adherence to medical advice and refusal to take prescribed drugs.

Science has proven that it is possible to totally eradicate mother to child transmission of HIV if pregnant women adhere to medical advice and take their drugs regularly, he said.

Those women whose babies tested positive must have refused to comply with their drug regimen during pregnancy.

According to him, the case of mother to child transmission of HIV in the state has reduced over the years due to sensitisation and other preventive measures taken by stakeholders.

He said available records from 2016 indicated that 66 babies were born with HIV.

Mr. Umar attributed reduction in transmission of the disease to babies in 2017 to sensitisation and adoption of the PMTCT programme.

He also advised members of the public to avoid acts that would make them vulnerable to the virus, adding the virus is not yet over hence the need for people to take preventive measures.

The executive director urged people to get tested to enable them know their status in order to curtail spread of the disease.

He said the state had domesticated the anti stigmatisation law aimed at protecting those living with the virus.

Mr. Umar, therefore, advised those being stigmatised on the account of the disease to always seek redress at the appropriate quarter.

(NAN)
The Niger State House of Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution to return the list of commissioner nominees recently sent to it by Governor Abubakar Bello, to him.

The assembly wants the list to be resubmitted at a later date when it would have concluded pending assignments before it.

This followed a motion on a matter of urgent public importance by Malik Bosso (Bosso-APC) and seconded by Bello Ahmad (Agwarra-PDP).

Mr. Bosso argued that there were numerous pressing issues that had long been pending for legislative action, and pointed out that refusal to attend to them could draw the state backward.

The schedule of the House is tight on other matters that also require urgent attention.

It will be more suitable and convenient if the screening of the commissioner nominees is carried at a period the House will conduct such task within a continuous period.

In his contribution, Mr. Ahmad noted that it was in the interest of the state and in compliance with section 192 sub-section 5 of the Constitution that the list be sent back to the governor.

He said that the Constitution mandated the House to screen nominees within 21 days from the date the list was submitted, adding that 12 working days had elapsed from November 15 when the list was submitted.

We cannot thoroughly screen 18 nominees in the nine days left, he said.

The House, therefore, unanimously resolved to return the list to the governor for re-submission when it was through with pending assignments.

The Speaker, Ahmed Marafa, directed the Clerk of the Assembly to communicate the executive on the resolution.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the House also acknowledged the receipt of the Constitution Fourth Alteration Bill in a correspondence from the National Assembly, for legislative action.

(NAN)
The Court of Appeal, Abuja division, has dismissed an appeal, seeking to unseat Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, on the ground that he was not validly elected as candidate of the All Progressive Congress APC, in the 2015 governorship election.

The appellate court in the judgment, delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, held that the appeal filed by Umaru Dahiru lacked merit and substance.

Giving the judgment that lasted over two hours, Justice Agim held that the appellant was inconsistent in his case with contradictory evidence in his affidavits and documents placed before the court to challenge the validity of the December 4, 2014, Sokoto governorship primary election.

In the unanimous judgment of the appellate court, the appellant was found to have claimed in his first affidavit that there was no primary election, that delegates were not accredited and that the 1999 Constitution and APC guidelines were violated in the conduct of the primary election.

The appeal court found in the second affidavit of the same appellant that some delegates were accredited and allotted with ballot papers for the primary election, adding that it was completely wrong for the appellant to have made such inconsistent depositions in his affidavits evidence.

The court also held that the claim of the appellant that he be declared winner of the said primary election was strange to law having copiously claimed in his documentary evidence and affidavits placed before the court that there was no primary election.

Justice Agim held that in the face of such inconsistencies, the case of the appellant has become worthless and has no probate value.

The appeal court refused to set-aside the judgment of Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court which had earlier dismissed the case of Mr. Dahiru on the ground that it was unmeritorious.

From the totality of affidavit evidence of all the deponents, it is clear that none corroborated each other but rather, they defeated the case of the appellant because of their gross inconsistencies.

There is no admissible evidence on record to support the case of the appellant and this appellant having failed to support his case with affidavit and documentary evidence is not entitled to the reliefs he sought.

What is more, the appellant embarked on wrong lines of judicial authorities and arguments for his case. In one breath, he claimed that the respondent did not discharge the burden of allegation he made against them, forgetting that from time immemorial, the burden to prove an allegation lies on the head of the party that made such an allegation.

In the instant matter, an appellant who asserted that a primary election was not lawful because delegates were not accredited, cannot come in another breath to say that some delegates were accredited and allotted with ballot papers. Appellant cannot probate and approbate at the same time.

In all, the case of the appellant lacks merit and it is hereby dismissed with a N100,000 to be paid to each of the three respondents as cost.

Mr. Dahiru had sued the APC, Mr. Tambuwal and the Independent National Electoral Commission, praying that the APC primary election of December 4, 2014, that produced Mr. Tambuwal as APC candidate be declared null and void on the ground that due process of law relating to the primary election was not followed.

He specifically alleged that the delegates list from the national secretariat was swapped and that none of the delegates was accredited as required by law.

The case was however, dismissed by justice Kolawole, prompting his approach of the court of the appeal for intervention.
The Bayelsa State Government on Thursday described the impression that it was owing workers between 10 and 16 months salary backlog as inaccurate.

It insisted that outstanding obligation to its workforce was four-and-a-half months.

The state government clarified the status of indebtedness to labour in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Daniel Iworiso-Markson.

According to Mr. Iworiso-Markson, the arrears of four and half months accumulated in 2016 due to a sharp drop in the revenue profile of the state adding that following improvements in receipts from the federation account the state has no outstanding salary in 2017 fiscal year.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that council workers across the eight local government areas, including primary school teachers, are being owed between 10 and 16 months salary backlog.

The Deputy Governor of the state, John Jonah, had on November 7 announced that the state government withheld the October 2017 salary of some 4, 200 workers in the local government system accused of involvement in payroll fraud.

Messrs. John Ndiomu and Tari Dounana, Chairmen of Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, respectively had challenged the state government to provide evidence for its action and prosecute those indicted as the unions would not support illegality.

The Bayelsa government further said that it had nothing to do with the salary backlog in the councils as the local governments in Bayelsa enjoyed financial autonomy.

As a matter of state policy, the Seriake Dickson administration does not tamper with local government allocations. This fact must be stressed because of the falsehood being peddled in some quarters that the state is owing local government workers.

It is public knowledge that government is waging a war against an endemic payroll fraud in the civil service in Bayelsa.

NAN
The former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Chukwuma Soludo, has applauded Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyis giant strides in Enugu State, saying that his feats in securing the state from vices such as kidnapping, have positioned it as a safe haven for investment and living.

Mr. Soludo who spoke as the Chairman of the Occasion at the 47th Convocation Lecture of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, which was delivered by the Governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele, expressed delight at the massive infrastructural development in Enugu State, adding that he was impressed that Mr. Ugwuanyi has transformed the University town of Nsukka with the reconstruction of the Opi-Nsukka dual carriageway and other projects befitting of a city.

The ex-CBN Governor emphasised that the incidence of kidnap in Enugu is now a thing of the past, adding: I know that with Gov. Ugwuanyi (Gburugburu) we have secured continuity of good governance in Enugu State, following his remarkable achievements in spite of the nations economic challenges.

I dont know how many of you came from outside. As you passed through Opi junction descending down here, you will think you are in some parts of Europe. And I know how that road used to be in the past. Some people who live in Enugu State told me that kidnapping is no more, its gone. Security is now there in Enugu State. They are the fundamentals the entrepreneurs require to even begin to set up shops. So, I thank Gov. Ugwuanyi for making Enugu State safe for investment.

In his lecture, Mr. Emefiele challenged the students and youth to be more entrepreneurial in their thinking; to be independent, stating that the federal government, including the CBN are encouraging the Deposit Money Banks and other development finance institutions to create awareness through which innovative entrepreneurs can access credit with a view to creating opportunities for job creation.

The CBN governor added that the apex bank is currently reviewing the broad frameworks of its development financing funds with a view to creating new channels through which entrepreneurs with great ideas can access credit with minimal effort.

I will like to remind the graduating students that the University of Nigeria Nsukka has equipped you to rule your world; go, therefore, and rule your world! In the spirit of one famous American President, I challenge you today to ask not what Nigeria can do for you. Rather, ask what you can do for Nigeria, he added.
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




SANYA, China, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Themed on "Green Energy and Low Carbon Economy", the 2017 Sanya Energy International Forum (SEIF) will be held in Sanya, Hainan, China on December 7th and 8th, 2017. By then, about 200 pundits and academics from the energy sector from China and abroad will congregate at the forum to exchange views on the current global energy utilization, and integration and co-construction of green energy and smart city.

This forum will center on clean energy topics such as "New Opportunities of International Energy Cooperation Under the Belt & Road Initiative", "Future Development of Hydrogen Energy" and "Direction that the Electronic Vehicle Industry Is Heading Toward". Representatives from China and foreign leading energy enterprises, including BP, Shell, BASF and Dow, will gather at the forum to put their heads together, share visionary perspectives on energy and delve into the development prospects and latest advances of clean energy. Meanwhile, the forum will also hold the 2017 MNC General Assembly Meeting and Sustainable Development Seminar.

The National Energy Administration, Hainan Development and Reform Commission, and Sanya Municipal People's Government have given their full support in materializing SEIF. The grand event is co-organized by China Association of Policy Science, China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, and Changfeng Energy Inc., and undertaken by Sanya Changfeng International Energy Forum Co., Ltd., the Going Global Confederation and CPCIF Committee of Multinationals.

SOURCE Changfeng Energy Inc.
MARINA DEL REY, Calif., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 4medica announced today that it has joined the Massachusetts Health Data Consortium (MHDC), one of the most active non-profits in the nation dedicated to leveraging data and technology to improve health outcomes. 4medica joins the association as an executive member whose expertise in clinical data integration, along with large-scale, accurate patient identity matching, will be of particular value for MHDC's focus on speeding the exchange and sharing of data between providers and payers in 2018.

"As an organization that is committed to bringing in the best thinking around the country, we are delighted to welcome 4medica to the Massachusetts Health Data Consortium. We look forward to the insight 4medica leaders will bring to our members and health technology leaders, for whom health data exchange and interoperability are top priorities," said Denny Brennan, Executive Director, Massachusetts Health Data Consortium.

Brennan added that the company's solutions also address these member objectives. "4medica's innovative and cloud-based eMPI and clinical data exchange capabilities enable healthcare organizations of all sizes to leapfrog more costly and time-consuming on-premises solutions," he noted.

What's driving the hunger for health information

Now that America's health records have been largely digitized, the next phase is to combine this clinical information with claims and other data sources in order to glean insights that lower our national healthcare bill while raising overall quality of care. States have varied in their progress here, with Massachusetts emerging as an undeniable trailblazer. Today, almost all contracted physicians in the state work under value-based or risk-based contracts. Further, Massachusetts hospitals will be seeing significant increases in the number of patients under risk-based contracts.

In order for these contracts to succeed, providers and payers must be able to access, share and make use of large troves of patient data. 4medica fits well in this landscape with certain key capabilities. First, via its clinical data exchange solution, 4medica can offer access to a fuller, timely picture of patient health than mere claims data can. Second, 4medica can assure this picture is about the right patient, with its powerfully accurate patient identity matching technology that processes millions of identities in seconds.

"The Massachusetts Healthcare Data Consortium really gets that data is indispensable for healthcare today, especially the ability to share data about patients inside and outside of the hospital. Their charter and mission mirror our own vision to improve healthcare, so we really look forward to demonstrating our value to their members--not just as a software company, but as a mentor in the value-based era," concluded Gregg Church, President, 4medica.

About MHDC

Since 1978, the Massachusetts Health Data Consortium (MHDC), a not-for-profit corporation, remains the trusted and objective facilitator of health information and technology transformation among payers, providers, industry associations, state and federal agencies, individuals and technology and services companies. The Consortium is the oldest organization of its kind in the country.

Founded by the Commonwealth's major public and private healthcare organizations and chartered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, MHDC strives to improve the quality and cost effectiveness of healthcare through:

Rigorous and accessible health data analyses,

Education and leadership development; and

Trusted, objective and effective convening of the Commonwealth's health information community in advancing multi-stakeholder collaborations.

To join the Consortium, or for more membership info, visit us at http://www.mahealthdata.org/.

About 4medica

4medica provides the industry's leading SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) Big Data MPI and clinical data exchange platform to help healthcare organizations of diverse types create a seamless view of the patient care experience and further drive better health outcomes. The 4medica Big Data MPI and ClinXdata Clinical Data Exchange platform integrate with and build upon disparate systems to facilitate patient identity management and interoperable data exchange across various care settings to promote care continuity. The cloud computing model is scalable, lower cost, maintenance-free, easy to use and deployable in a few months or less, eliminating large capital outlays or resource utilization. 4medica connects hundreds of organizations including ACOS, HIEs, hospitals, health systems, physicians, laboratories, and radiology imaging centers. Learn more at www.bigdatampi.com.

Media Contact:

Stephanie Janard

Amendola Communications for 4medica

1.704.418.9874

[email protected]

SOURCE 4medica

Related Links

http://www.bigdatampi.com


"Our goal is to not only spark an interest in STEM, but to light a fire for a career in STEM," says Ray Kowalik, chairman and CEO, Burns & McDonnell. "That's why winning the competition is just the beginning. Now, the Grandview students get a front-row seat working with our researchers, architects, construction managers and engineers. By the time we open the exhibit, they will understand what it takes to bring their vision to life."

Grandview's winning proposal explores STEM from a human health perspective. It dives deep into a very complex topic, the brain, and uncovers how it controls literally everything we do as humans. One part of the brain tests your memory  while another regulates motor movements. The exhibit idea is an engaging discovery of how the brain affects our five key senses: taste, touch, hear, smell and vision.

Burns & McDonnell distributed more than $155,000 in grant money among the top 20 finalist teams. Each of the finalists received at least $2,500, with the top five winners receiving the following grant amounts:

$10,000  "Math Mania," Alexander Doniphan Elementary, Liberty School District

 "Math Mania," Alexander Doniphan Elementary, Liberty School District $15,000  "City of Lights," Tonganoxie High School, Tonganoxie School District

 "City of Lights," Tonganoxie High School, Tonganoxie School District $20,000  "The Magic of Magnets," Olathe East High School, Olathe School District

 "The Magic of Magnets," Olathe East High School, Olathe School District $25,000  "Magical Me," Cordill-Mason Elementary, Blue Springs School District

 "Magical Me," Cordill-Mason Elementary, School District $50,000  "The Big Brain Theory," CAIR FOCUS Program, Grandview School District

This year, participation in Battle of the Brains grew by nearly 60 percent, reaching record levels:

7,000 students

400 teachers

820 submissions

250 schools

55 school districts

75,000 online votes

Judges, comprised of STEM professionals from Burns & McDonnell and Science City, followed a stringent evaluation process to rank entries according to specific criteria, ranging from creativity and inspiration to how interactive and engaging the exhibit could be with visitors. People cast more than 75,000 votes for their favorite exhibit among the top 20 finalists, which accounted for 30 percent of the final scoring.

"Students, along with their families and teachers, inspire us and are tremendous sources of insight as we continually evolve our award-winning Science City," says George Guastello, president and CEO, Union Station. "As we survey the world for the most innovative and engaging exhibits, it is our customers who ultimately influence our decisions. That's why we are extremely proud that four of our most popular hands-on exhibits were directly inspired by children right here in Kansas City as they participated in the transformational Burns and McDonald Battle of the Brains competition. Evidence of their inspiration is all around us in Kansas City's science center, with more to come, as this latest group of students help bring to life their winning concept."

Burns & McDonnell introduced the Battle of the Brains competition in 2011 to spark greater interest in STEM education. The competition has produced four interactive exhibits at Science City, valued together at more than $3 million: Science of Energy, Genetics: Unlock the Code, Every Last Drop, and Simple Machines at Play. In addition, Burns & McDonnell has invested in two additional exhibits  Science on a Sphere and the Burns & McDonnell Engineerium  to help invigorate interest in STEM topics. Over the last six years, more than 18,000 metro students have participated in the Burns & McDonnell Battle of the Brains.

"The caliber of ideas coming from students in the Kansas City area is mind-blowing," says Kowalik, who also studied STEM as a student in the Kansas City area. "These are future engineers, architects, and startup professionals. These kids are innovators today, and I can't wait to see how they lead our great city  and perhaps our nation  tomorrow."

For photos and support materials, please visit our MEDIA KIT.

About Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a company made up of more than 5,700 engineers, architects, construction professionals, scientists, consultants and entrepreneurs with offices across the country and throughout the world. We strive to create amazing success for our clients and amazing careers for our employee-owners. Burns & McDonnell is 100 percent employee-owned and is proud to be No. 16 on FORTUNE's 2017 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. For more information, visit burnsmcd.com.

About Science City, Kansas City's Science Center

Internationally awarded for "Visitor Experience" by ASTC. Named one of the country's TOP 25 science centers by Parents Magazine. And named "Attraction of the Year" in Heart of Kansas City Awards. Science City annually educates and entertains hundreds of thousands of science-thirsty children of all ages. Kansas City's Science Center  opened in 1999  is THE place for inquisitive young minds to create, explore, and experiment with the BIG world of science through hands-on learning and nonstop fun. Featuring over 200 interactive exhibits and host to countless STEM-based events  including the annual Greater Kansas City Science & Engineering Fair  Science City leads the region in recognition from educators, parents, caregivers AND children alike.

Contact:

Kristi Widmar

816-448-7379

[email protected]

SOURCE Burns & McDonnell

Related Links

http://www.burnsmcd.com


(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613279/Founding_of_the_Joint_Venture_AAE_Management_LLC.jpg )



Under leadership of Rashed Al Mazroui two important meetings on the highest level took place in the first two weeks of November. A delegation of AAE and the Embassy of UAE in Brazil met on Nov 07 with the President of Eletrobras (Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA), Dr. Wilson Ferreira Jr, and on Nov 09 with the Brazilian Minister of Mines and Energy of Brazil, Dr. Fernando Coelho Filho. Both meetings were first negotiations, aiming for an agreement between Eletrobras and the AAE Management LLC, UAE.

AAE Management LLC is a recently formed joint venture of the German AHG GmbH, US-American Eagle Fond LLC and the Al Mazroui Group from Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The purpose is to hit the billion-dollar debt payment of Eletrobras, whose previous omission is under investigation in Brazil and in SEC. Without an agreement, the current privatization process of Eletrobras and the sale of the controlling interest of the company will possibly be interfered or interrupted by an international lawsuit at court in New York. The new controlling shareholders would be involved in an US-lawsuit with worse consequences than the negative result of the "Lava Jato" corruption case.

Press Contact AAE Management LLC

Hoh PR, Clemens Hoh

Phone: +49(0)61724998133

[email protected]

SOURCE AAE Management LLC
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AARP today sent a letter to the U.S. Senate expressing concerns about tens of billions of dollars in potential cuts to Medicare next year alone, as well as potential tax increases or little or no tax relief for older Americans. The full text of the letter to the Senate is below:

Dear Senator:

On behalf of our members and all Americans age 50 and older, AARP is writing to express our views on the Senate's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. AARP, with its nearly 38 million members in all 50 States and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, represents individuals affected by this tax bill in myriad ways. As we did with the last major effort at tax reform a generation ago, AARP is prepared to support tax legislation that makes the tax code more equitable and efficient, promotes growth, and produces sufficient revenue to pay for critical national programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. However, the Senate Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, in its current form, does not meet these criteria.

Most troubling is the negative effect the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will have on the nation's ability to fund critical priorities. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will increase the deficit by approximately $1.5 trillion over the next ten years, and an unknown amount beyond 2027. The large increase in the deficit will inevitably lead to calls for greater spending cuts, which are likely to include dramatic cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and other important programs serving older Americans. Indeed, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has confirmed that unless Congress takes action, the reconciliation legislation will result in automatic federal funding cuts of $136 billion in fiscal year 2018, $25 billion of which must come from Medicare. Such sweeping cuts would be detrimental to an already vulnerable population.

Efforts to restructure all or part of the federal tax system should maintain incentives for health and retirement security. Such incentives are not only important to assist individuals in attaining the security they deserve but are vital to our nation's future economic well-being. The expiration of several of the income tax provisions in 2025, introduction of chained Consumer Price Index to the tax code and, for many filers, the repeal of the state and local tax deduction, would result in little if any tax benefit for many older tax filers, and for others, a tax increase. In fact, the Senate Tax and Jobs Act may not deliver tax cuts that older Americans anticipate, and will likely increase taxes for many. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), the Senate Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will reduce taxes for millions of taxpayers beginning in 2019. However, the JCT also estimates that beginning in 2021, tax filers with incomes of $10,000 to $30,000 will be worse off, paying $5.9 billion more in taxes. By 2027, taxes will go up for filers with income below $75,000 by $27.4 billion. AARP has estimated that the Senate Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will increase taxes on 1.2 million taxpayers age 65 and older in 2019, and by 2027, 5.2 million older taxpayers will experience higher taxes. In addition, this bill will provide no tax relief for 5.1 million older taxpayers in 2019 and 5.6 million taxpayers by 2027.

AARP is dedicated to enhancing retirement security, including retention of the additional standard deduction for those aged 65 or older, improving access to, and targeted incentives for, work-place retirement saving plans, and protection of earned pensions for vulnerable retirees and their families. We appreciate that the Senate Tax Cuts and Jobs Act rejects the House provision which eliminates the additional standard deduction for those 65 and older, as well as rejects proposals to make significant changes to the tax treatment of retirement contributions, which would have affected the ability or commitment of many tax filers to save for their retirement. AARP also remains committed to retention of the medical expense itemized deduction and its return to the 7.5 percent income threshold, as well as the creation of a new, non-refundable tax credit for working family caregivers.

Although the Senate legislation retains the medical expense deduction -- unlike the House bill, which repeals this important deduction entirely -- the Senate bill does not address the 2017 tax hike on seniors. The income threshold for the deduction for those aged 65+ increased from 7.5 percent to 10 percent in 2017. AARP urges that the medical expense deduction be retained at the 7.5 percent income threshold for older tax filers. Nearly three-quarters of tax filers who claimed the medical expense deduction are age 50 or older and live with a chronic condition or illness, and seventy percent of filers who claimed this deduction have income below $75,000. Maintenance of this important deduction is critical financial protection for seniors with high heath care costs.

AARP opposes repeal of the individual mandate that will increase costs and cause millions of Americans to lose health insurance coverage. The CBO estimates that elimination of the requirement that individuals have health care will result in 13 million fewer Americans with health coverage over the next ten years. CBO also estimates that it will cause premiums in the health insurance marketplace to increase by approximately ten percent. As a result, premiums for 64-year-olds could increase by an average of $1,490. In addition to dropping this health care provision, AARP also continues to urge Congress to pass the bipartisan Alexander/Murray bill that will take immediate steps to stabilize the health insurance market.

For the reasons given, AARP cannot support the Senate Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, in its current form. We urge Congress to work in a bipartisan manner to enact tax legislation that better meets the needs of older Americans and the nation, and we stand ready to work with you toward that end. If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact me or contact Joyce Rogers, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs.

Sincerely,

Jo Ann C. Jenkins

Chief Executive Officer

About AARP

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 38 million members and offices in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and advocate for what matters most to families with a focus on health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the world's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.

SOURCE AARP

Related Links

https://www.aarp.org


Headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and with offices in New York, San Francisco, London, and Toronto, customers of the SaaS platform include Fortune 500 brands and media agencies such as Unilever and IPG. Affinio's powerful machine learning and graph engine analyzes and visualizes massive consumer data sets to uncover naturally-forming interest segments within any audience. Embraced for its ease of use and sophisticated visualization tools, Affinio helps marketers uncover new audiences, inform their content strategy, and better connect with consumers by identifying their interests and affinities.

"Affinio highlights what else really matters to and defines our audiences," said Affinio customer, Michael Scull, BBC Worldwide's global brands insight executive. "Specifically, it helps identify potential partnerships or segment audiences for different kinds of stories and messaging."

With a growing customer base and secured series B funding, Affinio CEO and Co-Founder, Tim Burke shares, "We're excited to continue our mission of providing marketers with the most precise interest data available, and visualize it in a way that makes it easy to activate." Burke went on to explain, "With this funding, Affinio is expanding its technology beyond social data to identify interest and affinity patterns across purchase, content, and web surfing behaviors, allowing marketers to develop hyper-targeted campaigns that resonate."

Read more from Adexchanger: Affinio Raises $9M To Push Analytics Into Brand Ad Budgets

About Affinio:

Affinio is an Interest Analytics Platform that helps marketers better connect with people using rich interest and affinity data. Using machine learning, Affinio reveals naturally-forming interest-based segments in any audience. Affinio is trusted by customers worldwide including BBC Worldwide, Unilever, and Lionsgate.

To learn more visit www.affinio.com

SOURCE Affinio
NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC is appalled by a Russian Orthodox Church bishop's assertion in Moscow that Jews were responsible for the deaths of Czar Nicholas II and his family in 1918, a year after the Bolshevik Revolution.

Father Tikhon Shevkunov, who heads a Russian Orthodox commission investigation of the royal family execution by firing squad, said "a significant part of the church commission has no doubt that this murder was ritual," a clear reference to the age-old, libelous myth that Jews commit "ritual murder," JTA reported.

"The history of anti-Semitism in Russia is long and painful, with dangerous and harmful repercussions," said AJC CEO David Harris. "The ritual murder charge, coming from a Russian Orthodox priest, gives undeserved credence to a core anti-Semitism myth long propagated by fringe elements in Russian society, and, more generally, fits into the incendiary conspiracy theories connecting Jews to every calamity known to humankind."

"Any suggestion, one hundred years after Nicholas's abdication, that Jews were somehow responsible for his death is pure slander, and should be condemned unequivocally by both church leaders and the Russian government."

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


BOSTON and HOUSTON, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Akouos, a new biotechnology company focused on restoring and preserving hearing, has closed a $7.5 million seed round led by 5AM Ventures and New Enterprise Associates (NEA), with participation from Partners Innovation Fund. Kush Parmar, managing partner at 5AM Ventures, and Ed Mathers, partner at NEA, join the Akouos board of directors as a result of the investment. Concurrent with the financing, Akouos entered into strategic license agreements with Lonza and Massachusetts Eye and Ear for exclusive rights to the Anc-AAV gene therapy platform for all hearing and balance disorders.

"Our mission is to make healthy hearing available to all," said Dr. Manny Simons, founder and CEO of Akouos. "To this end, we are building the leading inner ear gene therapy company. Our cornerstone partnership with Massachusetts Eye and Ear, the world's largest hearing research center, and with Lonza, a global leader in viral gene and cell therapy manufacturing, sets a strong foundation for the important work to be done in this emergent field."

Anc-AAVs are in silico-designed adeno-associated viral vectors (AAVs), first developed in the laboratory of Dr. Luk H. Vandenberghe, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, and Director of the Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center at Massachusetts Eye and Ear. Under the terms of the agreements, Akouos obtains an exclusive field license to the Anc-AAV IP estate and broad sublicensing rights.

Building upon an existing Anc-AAV partnership between Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Lonza, the agreement with Akouos is designed to accelerate AAV gene therapy development for hearing and balance disorders by bringing together world class expertise and resources in hearing science research and development, clinical research, and AAV manufacturing.

"Together with these strategic partners and our founding investors at 5AM Ventures, NEA, and Partners Innovation Fund, Akouos is poised to translate scientific breakthroughs into life-changing treatments," continued Dr. Simons. "We are excited to be working collaboratively with the hearing science research community, hearing health care providers, and families affected by hearing loss to create a future in which the gifts of hearing are available to all."

"This strategic licensing deal with Akouos, alongside our valued partner in Massachusetts Eye and Ear, is a key milestone on the path to delivering the next transformative class of gene therapies together," said Marc Funk, COO, Lonza's Pharma&Biotech segment. "It upholds our commitment at Lonza, the leader and pioneer in global AAV manufacturing, to support world-class innovation in the gene therapy field and our continuous quest for improving patients' lives."

"We are very excited to bring together such great talent to accelerate the progress in treatment of hearing and balance restoration disorders," said D. Bradley Welling, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of Otolaryngology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Massachusetts General Hospital and the Walter Augustus LeCompte Professor and Chair of Otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School and Joan W. Miller, M.D., Chief of Ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Massachusetts General Hospital, and the David Glendenning Cogan Professor of Ophthalmology and Chair of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. "It is our mission to make a difference in the lives of patients."

About Akouos

Akouos is a biotechnology company focused on restoring and preserving hearing. Akouos's scientific founders are world leaders in the fields of neurotology, genetics, inner ear drug delivery, and AAV gene therapy:

Michael J. McKenna , M.D., is a world-renowned neurotologist with expertise in translational inner ear drug delivery research. He holds the Joseph B. Nadol, Jr. Chair and is the director of the Division of Otology and Neurotology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, and is a professor of otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School .

, M.D., is a world-renowned neurotologist with expertise in translational inner ear drug delivery research. He holds the Joseph B. Nadol, Jr. Chair and is the director of the Division of Otology and Neurotology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, and is a professor of otolaryngology at . William F. Sewell , Ph.D., is a leading expert in inner ear drug delivery and pharmacokinetics. He is professor of otolaryngology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School .

, Ph.D., is a leading expert in inner ear drug delivery and pharmacokinetics. He is professor of otolaryngology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and . Richard H. Smith , M.D., is recognized globally as the leading physician-scientist in the field of hereditary hearing loss. He is director of the Molecular Otolaryngology and Renal Research Laboratories and professor of otolaryngology, pediatrics, and molecular physiology and biophysics at the University of Iowa .

, M.D., is recognized globally as the leading physician-scientist in the field of hereditary hearing loss. He is director of the Molecular Otolaryngology and Renal Research Laboratories and professor of otolaryngology, pediatrics, and molecular physiology and biophysics at the . Luk H. Vandenberghe , Ph.D., is distinguished for his breakthroughs in the AAV field, including the discovery and characterization of new AAV serotypes, and improved understanding of immune responses to AAV vectors. He is director of the Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and assistant professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School .

Akouos launched in 2017 with funding from 5AM Ventures, NEA, and Partners Innovation Fund. Further information can be found at www.akouos.com.

Disclosure: Drs. McKenna, Sewell, Smith, and Vandenberghe hold equity and serve on the Scientific Advisory Board of Akouos. In addition, Dr. Vandenberghe is a listed inventor on Anc-AAV intellectual property licensed to Lonza and Akouos for which he receives royalties.

About Lonza

Following the closing of the Capsugel acquisition, Lonza further strengthened its position as one of the world's leading and most-trusted suppliers to the pharmaceutical, biotech and specialty ingredients markets. Lonza harnesses science and technology to create products that support safer and healthier living and that enhance the overall quality of life.

An integrated solutions provider serving the healthcare continuum, Lonza offers products and services from the custom development and manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients to innovative dosage forms for the pharma and consumer health and nutrition industries. In addition to drinking water sanitizers, nutraceuticals, antidandruff agents and other personal care ingredients, the company provides agricultural products, advanced coatings and composites and microbial control solutions that combat dangerous viruses, bacteria and other pathogens.

Founded in 1897 in the Swiss Alps, Lonza today is a well-respected global company with more than 50 major manufacturing and R&D facilities and nearly 14,000 full-time employees worldwide. Further information can be found at www.lonza.com.

Additional Information and Disclaimer

Lonza Group Ltd has its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. It has a secondary listing on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited ("SGX-ST"). Lonza Group Ltd is not subject to the SGX-ST's continuing listing requirements but remains subject to Rules 217 and 751 of the SGX-ST Listing Manual.

Certain matters discussed in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and estimates of Lonza Group Ltd, although Lonza Group Ltd can give no assurance that these expectations and estimates will be achieved. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty and are qualified in their entirety. The actual results may differ materially in the future from the forward-looking statements included in this news release due to various factors. Furthermore, except as otherwise required by law, Lonza Group Ltd disclaims any intention or obligation to update the statements contained in this news release.

About Massachusetts Eye and Ear

Mass. Eye and Ear clinicians and scientists are driven by a mission to find cures for blindness, deafness, and diseases of the head and neck. Now united with Schepens Eye Research Institute, Mass. Eye and Ear is the world's largest vision and hearing research center, developing new treatments and cures through discovery and innovation. Mass. Eye and Ear is a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital and trains future medical leaders in ophthalmology and otolaryngology, through residency as well as clinical and research fellowships. Internationally acclaimed since its founding in 1824, Mass. Eye and Ear employs full-time, board-certified physicians who offer high-quality and affordable specialty care that ranges from the routine to the very complex. In the 2017-2018 "Best Hospitals Survey," U.S. News & World Report ranked Mass. Eye and Ear #2 in the nation for ear, nose, and throat and #4 for eye care. For more information about life-changing care and research, or to learn how you can help, please visit www.masseyeandear.org.

About AAV and Anc-AAV technology

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have gained traction in gene therapy due to their lack of pathogenicity and the predictability of gene transfer. In the clinic, these vectors have shown the ability to offer gene transfer for treatments of a wide range of diseases including spinal muscular atrophy, hemophilia, and inherited forms of blindness. Anc-AAV technology, developed in the Vandenberghe laboratory, uses computational and evolutionary methods to predict novel conformations of the adeno-associated viral particle. Anc-AAVs share several of the features of naturally occurring AAVs and their variants. However, Anc-AAVs are fully man-made and do not occur in nature. Evidenced by Anc80, this unique synthetic biology and computational design approach allows for immediate use in therapeutic programs. Furthermore, it provides unprecedented engineering opportunities to overcome deficiencies of current technologies to address diseases of unmet need for broader patient populations. Anc80, a putative ancestor of AAV1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, rh.10, and AAV9, has been shown in mice and non-human primates to be a safe and potent therapeutic gene delivery vector in preclinical studies.

SOURCE Akouos

Related Links

https://www.akouos.com


LOS ANGELES, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcantara, the manufacturer of Italian-made luxury material, has seen its annual sales triple and operating profits increase more than five-fold since the recession.

The company will have a major presence at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show, as well as at auto shows in Detroit, Chicago and New York over the next six months. The U.S. market currently accounts for about 10 percent of Alcantara's global sales.

The company's net sales have risen from 64.3 million in 2009 to more than 187 million in 2016. Operating profits have jumped from 7.9 million to 45.1 million during the same period. The company's Chairman and CEO Andrea Boragno notes that Alcantara's automotive business has experienced especially strong growth in China and the United States as a result of an increase in brand awareness among automakers and consumers.

Major automakers, such as Acura, Audi, BMW, Dodge, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Lincoln, Maserati, Nissan and Porsche are expected to have cars equipped with Alcantara at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show.

"As you can see from our strong business results, our emotive, high-tech artisan approach to luxury resonates well with automakers and consumers alike," says Boragno. "Our relationship with the design community in the automotive industry, as well as throughout the fashion, home furnishings, consumer electronics and marine industries, has helped us significantly increase sales and brand awareness over the last decade."

Partnerships Equal Growth

Alcantara's CEO adds that the company sees an unrivalled potential for growth through partnerships with the world's leading brands.

Premium fashion brands such as Adidas and Swarovski, for example, have launched exclusive collections in collaboration with Alcantara. The material's versatility extends to some of the world's most prestigious furnishing brands, including Torre, Cappellini and Ligne Roset, which have featured Alcantara on their product lines.

In the consumer electronics market, Microsoft utilizes Alcantara on its Surface Pro laptops and Sennheiser has incorporated Alcantara in the design of its on-ear headphones.

Investment to Double Production Capacity by 2022

To meet growing demand for its material, the company plans to significantly increase its production capacity. Boragno reports that a five-year investment program totalling 300 million is expected to double Alcantara's overall production capacity.

The five-year expansion plan calls for annual sales to reach 300 million, compared to 187 million last year. Brand value also is expected to triple from Interbrand's 2015 value estimate of 100 million to 300 million over the same period. The number of employees is expected to grow from 598 to around 800, as well.

Sustainability: A Key Value of the Alcantara Brand

Alcantara's CEO believes the company's strong commitment to sustainability is a key part of Alcantara's competitive strategy. A commitment to sustainability is consistent with the long-term goal of increasing the company's financial value.

"Alcantara is the first Italian industrial company and among the very first companies in the world to have achieved the status of Carbon Neutrality," Boragno notes. "Since 2009, we have published our own Sustainability Report, which provides transparency for everything we do. We also have worked very hard to build a supply chain that focuses on responsible procurement."

Alcantara S.p.A.  www.alcantara.com

Founded in 1972, Alcantara represents a prime example of Italian-produced quality. As registered trademark of Alcantara S.p.A. and result of a unique and proprietary technology, Alcantara is a highly innovative material, offering an unrivalled combination of sensory, aesthetic and functional qualities. Thanks to its extraordinary versatility, Alcantara is the choice of leading brands in a number of application fields: fashion and accessories, automotive, interior design and home decor, consumer-electronics. These features, together with a serious and certified commitment in terms of sustainability, make Alcantara a true icon of contemporary lifestyle: the lifestyle of those who want to fully enjoy their everyday life, respecting the environment. Since 2009 Alcantara is certified "Carbon Neutral", having defined, reduced and offset all the CO 2 emissions derived from its activity. To mark out the path of the company in such a field, every year Alcantara draws up and publishes its own Sustainability Report, certified by Bdo authority and available also on the corporate website. Headquartered in Milan, Alcantara production site and R&D department are located in Nera Montoro, in the heart of Umbria Region (Terni).

For further information:

www.alcantara.com

twitter.com/alcantaraspa

facebook.com/alcantara.company

youtube.com/alcantaracompany

instagram.com/alcantara_company/

SOURCE Alcantara S.p.A.

Related Links

http://www.alcantara.com


HOUSTON, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- alliantgroup is proud to announce the rollout of its holiday giving initiative. Throughout the holiday season, the firm will be holding a food drive for the Houston Food Bank in support of those in need. Employees are encouraged to donate canned goods such as canned vegetables, fruits and meats and healthy non-perishable items such as whole grain pasta, quinoa and brown rice.

The food drive is just the latest in a number of philanthropic efforts that alliantgroup has participated in over the past year. The company was recently honored by the Houston Business Journal for the volunteer work of its employees and has partnered with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, the Ronald McDonald House and Leukemia Texas. The firm has also led various STEM education and community initiatives and was heavily involved in Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

"Giving back to the community that has given us so much has always been a top priority," said alliantgroup CEO Dhaval Jadav. "We will be continuing and expanding our philanthropic efforts into the next year with programs designed to support our community, the less fortunate and our youth. It is truly an exciting time for our firm."

alliantgroup is a leading tax consultancy and the nation's premier provider of specialty tax services. The firm assists U.S. businesses and their CPA advisors in properly identifying and claiming all federal and state tax incentives that were designed for their benefit. These incentive programs were created to help American businesses grow and remain competitive in an increasingly global economy. To date, alliantgroup has helped 12,000 U.S. businesses claim over $6 billion in tax savings. For more information on alliantgroup, please follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE alliantgroup

Related Links

http://www.alliantgroup.com


TEL AVIV, Israel, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- AnyClip, the AI-driven video content data and monetization pioneer, today announced that it has been included in the Deloitte Israel Technology Fast 50 list, a program recognizing and honoring the 50 fastest growing technology companies in Israel, for the second year in a row.

"We are honored to be included in this ranking once again," said Gil Becker, AnyClip's President & CEO. "Our continued growth shows that the digital video market is changing and is hungry for innovation. Indeed, when you bring together the best talent, ultra-premium content, disruptive technology, and endless metadata, you can reshape the entire digital video ecosystem. That's why we are proud of our accomplishments so far, but this is just the beginning."

"Vision and teamwork are why AnyClip made it on the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Ranking twice in a row," said Shally Tshuva Technology, Media & Telecommunications Industry Leader at Deloitte Israel. "Being one of the 50 fastest growing technology companies in Israel for the second time is an exceptional achievement. We applaud AnyClip for making the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 with an outstanding 643% growth rate over the last four years."

The Deloitte Israel annual Technology Fast 50 program recognizes and honors the 50 fastest growing technology companies in Israel (private and publicly-held). There are an estimated 7,500 active startups in Israel today.



About AnyClip

AnyClip, the AI-driven video content data and monetization pioneer, is reshaping the digital video ecosystem. AnyClip's ultra-premium content library contains hundreds of thousands of clips from leading content owners. These clips are analyzed and enriched with metadata by Luminous, a proprietary AI content analysis engine that automatically tags, analyzes, categorizes, and produces meaningful insights about each clip in near-real-time. Leveraging content, metadata, and technology, AnyClip's revolutionary platform enables content owners to safely monetize their assets digitally, offers publishers relevant content that perfectly matches their sites and is monetized at premium prices, and allows advertisers to contextually target safe, premium content. Headquartered in Tel Aviv, with offices in New York and London, AnyClip is backed by Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP), Roman Abramovich's Ervington Investments, former Sony America President & CEO Michael Schulhof, and Limelight Networks, and was recognized by Deloitte as one of Israel's fastest growing companies in 2016 and 2017. For more information: www.anyclip.com and @anyclip.

Contact:

Ari Applbaum

AnyClip

[email protected]

+1-347-809-3314

+972-54-444-8654

SOURCE Anyclip Media Ltd.
CHICAGO, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Federalberghi and the Italian Cultural Ministry, almost 50 million travelers spent the night at an Italian hotel during June, July, and August this year. With a 2% increase compared to 2016, the summer season remains the most popular time to visit Italy. Yet, Italy being a year-round destination, travel agents and their clients should get to know the advantages of visiting the Italian peninsula during the so called "off-season." Olive Tree Escapes (https://otescapes.com/), a bespoke tour operator specialized in Italy and Croatia travel, shares key selling points on how to sell Spring break in Italy.

Florence, Italy

Olive Tree Escapes hosted a November Webinar dedicated to Spring travel to Italy, and the many travel agents invited to the event learned that the mild weather and the shorter lines at major landmarks are only a few of the many advantages their clients can enjoy while traveling during this season.

"Spring break is indeed the perfect time to visit Italy. Travelers can enjoy the main cities - Rome, Florence, Venice - as well as alternative gems like Naples, Bologna and Turin during the Easter celebrations, free from the high-season crowds, with larger availability of luxury accommodation, perfectly mild temperatures and long hours of sunlight to explore," says Michaelanne Chapel, Senior Sales Manager at Olive Tree Escapes, host of the Webinar. "We work with our travel agent partners to design unique, off-the-beaten-path experiences for their clients, and the Spring season just adds to the magic. What is better than a sunny Spring day to enjoy a day trip into the Tuscan countryside, taste authentic wines and olive oils and feel like a local? This is the right time to create that stand-out moment, where clients can look back and think - that was just perfect."

To receive the recording of Olive Tree Escapes Webinar "How to Sell Spring Break in Italy," send an email to [email protected]. Travel agents interested in receiving our monthly Webinar invitations can subscribe by sending an email to [email protected].

Press Contact:

Beatrice Sartori

Olive Tree Escapes

877-272-2310

[email protected]

About Olive Tree Escapes: Olive Tree Escapes is a tour operator that provides luxury bespoke journeys to Italy, Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro. We specialize in designing upscale and customized experiences for the discerning traveler. What sets us apart is that we focus 100% on the Mediterranean area in order to achieve a level of expertise a notch higher than large-spanning operators, and our sales team is US-based to help you plan the trip, while your clients still get the full support from our on-site offices in Italy and Croatia.

SOURCE Olive Tree Escapes

Related Links

https://otescapes.com


This is the latest step in what will likely be a complex legal battle that will ultimately determine what compensation those affected by the floodwaters will receive from the government for the property that was lost or damaged. As of right now, more than 1,000 home and business owners have filed federal lawsuits seeking damages exceeding $100 million, but the number of claimants, as well as the amount of money sought, is expected to grow.

The complaints are split into two separate groups based on whether their property was upstream or downstream. Rand is working with clients downstream, whose cases allege that the Army Corps' decision to release water through the dam gates caused the Buffalo Bayou to rise and flood their neighborhoods.

Rand said he is "honored to have been appointed" by the federal court, and added, "Thousands of Houstonians lost everything they owned when the government decided to flood their neighborhoods. I know that this litigation is vitally important to so many of my fellow citizens. My firm and I are proud to represent these folks. We witnessed the devastation suffered by our friends and neighbors, and we will work hard to see that they receive the just compensation guaranteed to all Americans by the Fifth Amendment to The United States Constitution."

Fleming, Nolen & Jez is a law firm founded in 1981 based in Houston, TX that serves clients across the nation. Our attorneys focus on representing individuals in appeals and civil trials, and have experience handling cases ranging from wrongful death to complex product liability to mass actions. If you are interested in contacting one of our award-winning attorneys, call us at (866) 977-6671 or visit our website at http://www.fleming-law.com/.

SOURCE Fleming, Nolen & Jez

Related Links

http://www.fleming-law.com


WESTFIELD, Mass., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The registered nurses of Baystate Noble Hospital, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, voted on Monday, Nov. 27 to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement.

"We are proud of this agreement and what it will mean for our quality of patient care," said Pam Fournier, RN and Co-Chair of the MNA Baystate Noble Bargaining Unit. "By standing together, our nurses were able to successfully negotiate a fair contract that values the patient care nurses provide and respects our contribution to the hospital."

"This shows what we can accomplish when hospital administrators agree to sit down and negotiate with union nurses," said Paul Dubin, RN and Co-Chair of the MNA Baystate Noble Bargaining Unit. "MNA nurses have a voice in their patient care and working conditions because we stand together. Our new contract is the result of this protected ability to advocate for our patients and colleagues."

Highlights of New Agreement

Contract effective April 1, 2016 through March 31, 2020 .

Nurse Staffing/Safe Patient Care

Language requiring Noble take steps to relieve nurses from duty so they can take meal breaks they are legally allowed under Mass. law. This agreement helps ensure nurses are not working beyond their capacity to provide safe and effective patient care.

Contract language committing the hospital to comply with the state's ICU law that limits how many patients an ICU nurse can care for at one time.

Nurses will no longer be required to work more than two on-call shifts per week, also helping to ensure nurses are working at their best capacity when caring for patients.

Language requiring nurses to be given at least eight consecutive hours of off-duty time immediately after they work 16 consecutive hours. Nurses also shall not be allowed to exceed 16 consecutive hours worked in a 24-hour period. National best practices of nursing care recommend against nurses working beyond 12 hours in a row due to patient safety concerns and Massachusetts law prohibits nurses from working more than 16 hours in a 24-hour period.

Health Insurance/Wages

Substantially improved health plans with a new open enrollment period in January 2018 .

. Across-the-board wage increases each year. For most, 2.2% on the first full pay period after the contract was approved, then 1.25% on 4/1/2018 and 1.25% on 4/1/19.

and 1.25% on 4/1/19. Significant "wage step" upward adjustments for RNs whose pay steps were frozen for up to four years when the Hospital was going through difficult financial times. The agreement returns those RNs to the proper step for their total years of service.

Improved educational reimbursement so that nurses can advance their practices.

Improved pay differentials, such as on-call, PM/night shift, weekend, precepting, charge pay and differentials based on education and certifications.

Workplace protections:

Language protecting rights of LGBTQ staff.

No Hospital Takeaways

No reduction in holidays or vacation days that had previously been proposed by the hospital.

No diminishment in OT rules that had previously been proposed by the hospital.

Bargaining Background

Noble nurses began bargaining in February 2016 for a new contract to replace their agreement expiring March 31, 2016. A federal mediator was part of negotiations. Noble nurses voted to authorize a one-day strike and reject management's "best and final" offer on August 8, 2017 following their first informational picket in 20 years in January 2017 and a joint picket at Baystate's corporate headquarters in Springfield with Baystate Franklin Medical Center nurses.

MassNurses.org  Facebook.com/MassNurses  Twitter.com/MassNurses  Instagram.com/MassNurses

Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association

Related Links

http://www.massnurses.org


AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BlazingDB, the distributed GPU-accelerated data warehouse, today announced a $2.9 million seed round with participation from NVIDIA GPU Ventures and Samsung NEXT. NVIDIA and Samsung NEXT bring a lot more than funding to the table, with strategic support in technical, enterprise sales, and marketing expertise. To support BlazingDB's growth into enterprise, NVIDIA will also be granted a seat on BlazingDB's board of directors. Samsung NEXT will have a board observer seat and will act as a strategic advisor to the company.

"With this round of financing, we'll expand our team and accelerate enterprise deployments," says Rodrigo Aramburu, CEO at BlazingDB. "Investors like NVIDIA and Samsung NEXT grant us exposure to enterprise and technology expertise, allowing us to grow faster. Additionally, Samsung NEXT will provide office space alongside fellow portfolio companies, where we can leverage the knowledge of other founders and a team of serial entrepreneurs."

BlazingDB has built a state-of-the-art GPU-accelerated SQL analytics engine able to process massive datasets stored on common data lake technologies already implemented within enterprise organizations. BlazingDB is a ground up redesign of relational database architecture, and has been able to outperform some of the most performant SQL data warehouse offerings in enterprise by over 10x.

"BlazingDB is pioneering the field of accelerated analytics across massive distributed data lakes, which will solve major pain points for the industry," said Jeff Herbst, vice president of business development at NVIDIA. "Its unique GPU-powered SQL technology is highly complementary to our other ecosystem partners. We're thrilled to expand our partnership with them through this investment."

"The power of BlazingDB lies in its ability to leverage GPUs to make querying enormous data stores super-fast and easy-to-use," said Leo Chang, Principal at Samsung NEXT and lead investor. "At Samsung NEXT, we understand the importance of transformative software and services; the technical ambition of BlazingDB demonstrates the magnitude and challenge of bringing value from large amounts of data, quickly."

With this round of financing BlazingDB will add new team members to continue to build out the core engine, automated cloud deployment tooling, and more for version 2.0. BlazingDB 2.0 enables customers to run SQL directly on Apache Parquet datasets already inside data lakes. Customers will no longer need to import hundreds of terabytes of data into BlazingDB, they'll be able to run queries off of live massive data in a matter of minutes.

This money will also enable BlazingDB to ramp up sales activity with enterprise users that are currently leveraging BlazingDB to operationalize tens to hundreds of terabytes of data inside their data lakes with SQL analytics.

About BlazingDB

BlazingDB was founded in June 2015 by the Aramburu brothers, Felipe (CTO) and Rodrigo (CEO). The project started through their consulting firm in Lima, Peru, where they were performing multi-terabyte SQL joins, and nothing could performantly run their queries. They built a GPU table joiner and ran 35-hour queries in 30 seconds, a 4,000x performance improvement. Since then BlazingDB has gone through the Techstars accelerator program in Boulder, were TechCrunch Disrupt SF Battlefield finalists in 2016, and have been working with multiple enterprise data engineering teams building out their next generation of data pipelines.

SOURCE BlazingDB

Related Links

http://www.blazingdb.com


SAN DIEGO, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Sky Network, an industry leading global provider of satellite-based tracking, data, and communication solutions, announced today it has been selected for a multi-year contract by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for Iridium satellite-based communications services.

"Blue Sky Network will be providing new military-grade Iridium 9575 Extreme satellite phones for IMF personnel traveling in high-risk regions around the world," said Blue Sky Network President Gregoire Demory. "We are honored that a prestigious global organization like the IMF has selected Blue Sky Network to help protect the safety and efficiency of their operations."

"As we have seen with the recent Caribbean hurricanes, maintaining a reliable means of communication during natural disasters and emergency situations is crucial to effective management of an organization's operations. Our satellite communication solutions offer 100% global coverage and will provide you with a reliable means of communication even when land-based cellular networks fail," continued Demory.

About Blue Sky Network

Blue Sky Network is an industry-leading provider of mission-critical fleet management, tracking and operational analytics solutions serving private, commercial, and government clients worldwide. Blue Sky Network deploys innovative and custom satellite-based communication solutions that help aviation, marine, and land/mobile customers track and manage their assets in real-time in over 50 countries, resulting in improved safety, security, operational efficiency, and profitability. Blue Sky Network is headquartered in San Diego, California, USA. For more information about Blue Sky Network products and services, visit www.blueskynetwork.com .

About the IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 189 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.

Created in 1945, the IMF is governed by and accountable to the 189 countries that make up its near-global membership. For more information, visit www.imf.org.

SOURCE Blue Sky Network, LLC

Related Links

http://www.blueskynetwork.com


LONDON, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3883142







The sector requires considerable development for the country to make better use of the digital economy. To this end the government has in train its Cameroon Digital 2020' program, aimed at improving connectivity nationally. A large number of small ICT projects form part of the overall program. The country will greatly benefit from the SAIL submarine cable providing a direct link to Brazil, and so onto other countries in the Americas. The cable, expected to be ready for service in late 2018, will improve international bandwidth and lead to further reductions in access prices for consumers.



Cameroon was for many years one of the few countries in Africa with only two competing mobile operators, MTN Cameroon and Orange Cameroon. After some delays, Nextell Cameroon majority-owned by Viettel) launched a third network in late 2014, including the country's first 3G mobile service.



The operator has grown swiftly, signing up more than three million subscribers and claiming a 16% market share. Competition in 3G followed in early 2015 when both MTN and Orange launched services. Mobile broadband based on LTE was established at the end of 2015 and this has been the catalyst for a fast-developing mobile broadband sector. The investment programs among operators over the next few years will considerably boost mobile broadband services in rural areas of the country, many of which are underserved by fixed-line infrastructure.



Fixed-line penetration in the country is extremely low, and the privatisation of Camtel's fixed-line business has failed several times. Given these condition, fixed-line services are relatively insignificant in terms of internet connectivity.



Further development is quickening in mobile banking and commerce, with both the MTN Money and Orange Money platforms making considerable progress in facilitating services for customers, the number of which approaches six million.



Key developments:

Vodafone Cameroon closes operations after losing licence;

SAIL submarine cable soon to be laid, linking Cameroon with Brazil;

YooMe Mobile launches LTE offers as an MVNO;

World bank proposes split-up of Camtel;

Camtel handed newly built fibre loops in Douala and Yaounde;

MTN launches its mobile health platform in Cameroon;

Government calls end to temporary telecom licences;

Delay in MNP launch, to be managed by Huawei;

Nextell planning to sign up five million subscribers on the back of an anticipated LTE launch;

MTN and Orange launch LTE services;

National fibre rollout continues with new funding;

Report update includes regulator's market data, telcos' operating data to Q3 2017, recent market developments.



Companies mentioned in this report:

MTN Cameroon, Orange CM, Camtel, Cameroon Mobile Telecommunications (CMT), Pastel, CamNet, MTN Network Solutions, Matrix Telecoms, Ringo, Nextell Cameroon (Viettel), YooMee.



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LITTLE FALLS, N.J., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CANTEL MEDICAL CORP. (NYSE: CMD) will release the results for its first quarter ended October 31, 2017 on Thursday, December 7, 2017 before the market opens, and hold a conference call to discuss the results at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

To participate in the conference call, dial 1-877-407-8033 (US & Canada) or 1-201-689-8033 (International) approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the beginning of the call. If you are unable to participate, a digital replay of the call will be available from Thursday, December 7, 2017 through midnight on January 7, 2018 by dialing 1-877-481-4010 (US & Canada) or 1-919-882-2331 (International) and using conference ID #: 22864.

An audio webcast will be available via the Cantel website at www.cantelmedical.com. A replay of the presentation will be archived on the Cantel web site for those unable to listen live. In addition, the Company will provide a supplemental presentation to complement the conference call. The presentation can be accessed on Cantel's website in the Investor Relations section under presentations.

About Cantel Medical Corp.

Cantel Medical is a leading global company dedicated to delivering innovative infection prevention products and services for patients, caregivers, and other healthcare providers which improve outcomes, enhance safety and help save lives. Our products include specialized medical device reprocessing systems for endoscopy and renal dialysis, advanced water purification equipment, sterilants, disinfectants and cleaners, sterility assurance monitoring products for hospitals and dental clinics, disposable infection control products primarily for dental and GI endoscopy markets, dialysate concentrates, hollow fiber membrane filtration and separation products. Additionally, we provide technical service for our products.

For further information, visit the Cantel website at www.cantelmedical.com.

SOURCE Cantel Medical Corp.

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DUBLIN, November 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Carrick Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the innovative research and development of transformative oncology medicines, today announced that the first patient has been dosed in the phase 1 clinical programme of CT7001 - an orally bio-available Cyclin-dependent Kinase 7 (CDK7) selective inhibitor, that has shown striking efficacy in multiple pre-clinical cancer models.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161003/414248LOGO )



Elaine Sullivan, chief executive of Carrick Therapeutics, said:

"We are excited by the potential of CT7001 to make a major difference in cancer treatment, and intend to rapidly progress CT7001 through clinical development and bring this promising new medicine to patients as quickly as possible. This is a significant achievement for Carrick to take a pre-clinical candidate to first patient dosed in less than two years."

CDK7 inhibition has emerged as a promising strategy in a range of cancer indications. CDK7 acts as a master regulator of transcription, as well as a regulator of the cell cycle through phosphorylation of members of the CDK family. Inhibition of CDK7 suppresses the expression of key oncogenes such as c-Myc.

CT7001 was found to be effective in pre-clinical models of breast cancer, both hormone receptor positive and triple-negative, and transcriptionally driven cancers such as acute myeloid leukemia and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). All these cancers continue to have major unmet medical need, for example, very little progress has been made for decades in the treatment of SCLC and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Due to its differentiated mechanism, CT7001 is also predicted to be efficacious where resistance has developed to current therapies.

CT7001 originated from Cancer Research UK funded scientists at Imperial College London and was licensed to Carrick by the charity's Commercial Partnerships Team. Rapid subsequent preclinical development by the company's experienced research and development team has led to approval for the first-in-human phase I study. Efficacy studies are planned to start in 2018.

Carrick Therapeutics was established with an initial funding round that saw it raise $95 million, and continues to build its portfolio through partnering. Significantly, whilst other companies bank on a single molecule or biological mechanism, Carrick will build a portfolio that targets multiple mechanisms that drive cancer. In close partnership with a network of clinicians and scientists in internationally leading research institutes and hospitals, the business will drive its portfolio of ground-breaking cancer therapies from laboratories to the clinic.

The funding of Carrick Therapeutics was co-led by ARCH Venture Partners and Woodford Investment Management, with participation from Cambridge Enterprise, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Evotec, GV (formerly Google Ventures), and Lightstone Ventures.

Carrick Therapeutics

Carrick Therapeutics, is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the innovative research and development of transformative oncology medicines. Carrick's aim is to become Europe's leading oncology biotech. The name Carrick means 'rock' in Gaelic to emphasise the strong foundation of like-minded scientists, collaborators and investors, and the vision to build a durable world-class company. Carrick has an ambitious patient focused vision to serve cancer patients around the world by the introduction of ground breaking cancer therapies that will transform the way cancer is treated.

The company recently announced two new appointments to its board, both of whom have extensive experience of leading drug development from laboratory to clinic:

Dr Burt Adelman, most recently Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Dyax Corp (acquired by Shire PLC) will serve as Chairman.

He is joined by new board member, Dr Clive Dix, CEO of C4X Discovery Holdings and one of the leading figures in the UK biotechnology sector.

Elaine Sullivan, CEO of Carrick Therapeutics, has over 25 years of international experience and has been on the senior management team of Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca. At Eli Lilly, Elaine was Vice President of Global External Research and Development, responsible for identifying, evaluating and acquiring therapeutic molecules and technologies; and creating and managing Lilly's external R&D portfolio via venture, equity and strategic partnerships.

SOURCE Carrick Therapeutics
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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INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Celadon Group, Inc. ("Celadon" or the "Company") (NYSE: CGI) today announced the appointment of Vincent Donargo as Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, effective today. The Company also provided an update on its previously disclosed refinancing process.

Appointment of Mr. Donargo

Mr. Donargo brings the company over 30 years of accounting and financial leadership experience. He previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Beaulieu Group LLC, a North American carpet and flooring manufacturing company, from August 2016 to November 2017. Prior to joining Beaulieu Group, he was at Brightstar Corp., a mobile services company, serving as Executive Vice President Finance Operations, from August 2015 to August 2016 and as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from April 2014 to August 2015. Before his tenure at Brightstar, Mr. Donargo worked for Brightpoint, Inc., a publicly traded provider of worldwide distribution and integrated logistics services prior to its acquisition by Ingram Micro Inc., where he served as Chief Accounting Officer and Controller from September 2005 to May 2011 and as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer from May 2011 to October 2012. Mr. Donargo also served as Executive Vice President, Integration, FP&A, and Finance Transformation at Ingram Micro after Brightpoint's acquisition from October 2012 to April 2014. Mr. Donargo holds a B.A. in accounting from Rutgers University.

Thom Albrecht, Chief Financial and Strategy Officer, stated, "We are pleased to add Vince to the Celadon team and are glad to have reached a conclusion to our search for a Chief Accounting Officer. Vince's deep expertise in accounting and financial matters will be invaluable to the Company and we look forward to his contributions."

Mr. Donargo said, "I am excited to join Celadon and support the Company's ongoing efforts. I look forward to working with Thom in leading the accounting team and playing a key role at Celadon."

Refinancing Update

On October 2, 2017, the Company entered into a Sixth Amendment to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the "Sixth Amendment") which, among other things, required the Company to obtain non-binding letters of intent for proposed financings sufficient to refinance the Company's existing revolving credit facility, and the payment of any preliminary "diligence" or similar fees required by such letters of intent. The Company has received the required proposals and paid the requisite preliminary fees, satisfying this provision of the Sixth Amendment. The proposals are non-binding and the completion of the refinancing is subject to, among other things, the prospective lenders' satisfactory completion of due diligence, internal lender approvals, and negotiation of definitive documentation.

Paul Svindland, Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We were pleased to receive proposals for both an asset based revolving credit facility and term loan financing. In particular, we have entered into a nonbinding letter of intent which contemplates an asset based revolving credit facility with two of our existing revolving lenders. This continued support from our current lenders is much appreciated as we continue to work towards accomplishing the refinancing."

About Celadon

Celadon Group, Inc. (www.celadongroup.com), through its subsidiaries, provides long haul, regional, local, dedicated, intermodal, temperature-protect, and expedited freight service across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Company also owns Celadon Logistics Services, which provides freight brokerage services, freight management, as well as supply chain management solutions, including logistics, warehousing, and distribution.

This press release contains certain statements that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such statements are subject to the safe harbor created by those sections and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Such statements may be identified by their use of terms or phrases, including "expects," "expected," "will," "would be," "intends," "believes," and similar terms and phrases. Forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, which could cause future events and actual results to differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements. In this press release, statements relating to the Company's efforts to refinance its credit facility, among others, are forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Readers should review and consider factors that could impact results as provided in various disclosures by the Company in its press releases, stockholder reports, and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

For more information :

Joe Weigel

Director of Communications

(317) 972-7006 Direct

[email protected]

SOURCE Celadon Group, Inc.
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- It is a pivotal time in the cannabis industry, especially in California. Recreational marijuana will be legal on January 1, 2018, and all consumer cannabis products will need to pass rigorous mandatory laboratory testing requirements.

CERESLabs, who opened their doors to the investment community this week, plans to capitalize on a void in the cannabis space  the lack of full-compliance cannabis testing laboratories. Formed by Sachin Barot and Denis Chen, the CERESLabs mission is to become the global leader in analytical cannabis product testing. Immediate plans include launching a scalable laboratory operation in California to meet this demand for mandated regulatory cannabis testing.

According to Mr. Barot, "The timing is perfect. We're poised to quickly create a state-of-the-art, scalable cannabis testing operation in an industry sector that is currently in disarray. Most people recognize the incredible financial potential in the cannabis industry, but few understand the critical and profitable role the laboratory plays."

Barot and Chen joined forces early in 2017. Mr. Barot had spent 20 years on Wall Street, most recently at FlexTrade, focused on algorithmic trading and global sales, while Mr. Chen ran a successful multinational Wine & Spirits business. After months of research, they centered their business plan on the cannabis testing laboratory and created CERESLabs. Their primary objective is to help the industry provide safe cannabis for all end users. The next step was onboarding key talent.

Central to the testing laboratory talent equation is CERESLabs Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Pritesh Kumar, Ph.D., a world-renowned cannabinoid pharmacologist with extensive experience in cannabis laboratory analytical testing and research. Dr. Kumar will be responsible for leading all operational efforts and driving global expansion of the laboratories. "Dr. Kumar's expertise in cannabis research, laboratory protocols, developing / operating analytical laboratories as well as his work with the global scientific community, will be invaluable in achieving the highest global standards for our testing facilities," said Barot, CERESLabs CEO.

"With our team in place and the raise in full swing, it's an exciting time for CERESLabs," according to Barot.

About CERESLabs

CERESLabs is an established group of professionals dedicated to becoming the global leader in analytical cannabis testing. Key strengths include international scalability, nimbleness/speed to market, and grounding in proprietary scientific research methodologies and technologies.

CONTACT

Sachin Barot

Co-Founder, CEO of CERESLabs

213-536-7533 | [email protected] | CERESLabs.com

SOURCE CERESLabs

Related Links

http://www.cereslabs.com


NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CheapOair, the leading flight-focused hybrid travel agency, today announced its top ten domestic and international destinations for the 2017 holiday season. This year, Denver, CO, Las Vegas, NV, and Los Angeles, CA round out the top three U.S. domestic cities booked, accompanied by three Mexican destinations  Mexico City, Cancun, and Guadalajara  as the top three international cities booked. For this holiday season, CheapOair's data reveals that average U.S. domestic airfare prices have decreased by 5% since last year, and they are down nearly 30% since 2013.

This year, many U.S. travelers are planning vacations to warm weather destinations across Mexico and the Caribbean. Within these regions, data shows a tremendous increase in bookings to destinations including Monterrey and Los Cabos in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas. Bookings to U.S cities including Denver are up 60% year over year, and Austin, TX are up 158% year over year.

CheapOair predicts that the booking window for a cheap airfare is closing quickly as we move into December. The online travel agency expects prices to jump significantly in the second week of the month and encourages consumers to book soon to score the best deals for holiday travel.

"Warm weather travel is always at its peak during the holiday season, however many travelers are still making plans to visit the cooler regions such as New York, Colorado and Canada," said Tom Spagnola, Senior Vice President of Supplier Relations at CheapOair. "This year, we're seeing a few new cities pop up, both internationally and domestically, and overall, prices are lower than they've been in past years prompting more consumer than ever to travel for the holidays."

CheapOair's Top Destinations for Holiday 2017

U.S. Domestic International Denver, CO Mexico City, Mexico Las Vegas, NV Cancun, Mexico Los Angeles, CA Guadalajara, Mexico Dallas, TX Monterrey, Mexico San Francisco, CA Marsh Harbor, Bahamas Orlando, FL Nassau, Bahamas Phoenix, AZ Montreal, Canada Austin, TX Vancouver, Canada Seattle, WA Los Cabos, Mexico Newark, NJ (NYC) Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Outside of the U.S., Mexico has taken the lead with five of its cities being top destinations traveled to this holiday season, followed by the Bahamas, Canada and Dominican Republic. Bookings to Mexico overall are up approximately 60% over the past five years.

By consistently monitoring travel trends, CheapOair's mission is to educate and aid consumers and travel professionals in both planning their travel accommodations and staying current on the most popular destinations. With a portfolio of products, including rate and schedule information from 450 global airlines, CheapOair is a great way to book the travel that's right for you.

For more information, please visit www.CheapOair.com, www.cheapoair.com/mobile, or our social media pages, www.Facebook.com/CheapOair and www.twitter.com/cheapoair.

*The data referenced compared YOY passenger numbers for travel from December 22nd through December 26th on flights from all U.S. origins from 2013  2017. Top destinations were determined based on passengers numbers for travel from 12/22/17  12/26/17 booked as of 11/4/2017.

About CheapOair

CheapOair is a flight-focused, hybrid travel agency that enables consumers to book online, on mobile apps for iOS and Android, by phone or live chat. CheapOair (https://www.cheapoair.com, 1-800-566-2345) bridges the gap between an online and traditional travel agency with certified travel agents available 24/7 to help find deals and offers to destinations worldwide on over 450 airlines, 1 million hotels, and 100s of car rental companies. Partner airlines benefit from access to CheapOair's broad customer base that books high yield international travel and add-on ancillaries at above the industry average. Follow CheapOair on Facebook and Twitter to learn how to travel the world for less.

SOURCE CheapOair

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The report " Cheese Ingredients Market by Cheese Type (Natural (Cheddar, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Gouda), Processed), Ingredient (Milk (Fresh Milk, Powdered Milk, Milk Cream), Cultures, Enzymes (Rennet, Lipase), Additives), and Region - Global Forecast to 2022" , published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is projected to reach USD 102.14 Billion by 2022, in terms of value, at a CAGR of 3.24% from USD 87.08 Billion in 2017. The Cheese Ingredients Market is emerging due to increase in demand for fast food and convenience food, growth in health concerns, and rapid urbanization. Use of cheese in ready-to-eat food and fast food is fueling the demand for cheese ingredients in North America and Europe.

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Browse 128 market data tables 49 figures spread through more than 173 pages and in-depth TOC on "Cheese Ingredients Market - Global Forecast to 2022"



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Natural segment, by type, is estimated to be the largest segment in 2017

On the basis of type, the natural segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the Cheese Ingredients Market in 2017. It is observed to be the most widely used cheese ingredient type for the preparation of traditional cheese. The natural cheese ingredient market is driven mainly due to awareness about rising cases of diseases, rapid urbanization, increase in the number of fast food outlets & food chains, and development of technologies in food processing to upgrade the nutritional benefits of the cheese products.

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Milk: The most widely preferred ingredient

The milk segment accounted for the largest share of the Cheese Ingredients Market, in terms of value and volume, in 2016. Milk is the most important ingredient in cheese making accounting for a major share in the total Cheese Ingredients Market. The acquisitions of milk-producing companies and alliances/collaborations with local farmers were the strategies adopted by key players to establish their footprint in the market.

Asia Pacific is estimated to be the most lucrative market for cheese ingredients

In 2017, Asia Pacific is estimated to hold a significant share in the global Cheese Ingredients Market, and is also projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Rapid urbanization in countries such as India, China, Japan, and South Korea, upcoming food joints, and increase in the number of baking & dairy industries are the main factors contributing to the dominance and fast growth of the Asia Pacific region in the global Cheese Ingredients Market. Australia & New Zealand dominated the Asia Pacific region, due to the high consumption of cheese ingredients baking and fat food industries. India is estimated to grow with the fastest CAGR in Asia Pacific region due to increasing urban population in the country.

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This report includes a study of the product offerings and competitive benchmarking of leading companies. It includes the profiles of leading companies such as Chr. Hansen Holding (Denmark), Fonterra (New Zealand), DuPont (US), DSM (The Netherlands), ADM (US), Arla Foods (Denmark), Dairy Farmers of America (US), Saputo Inc. (Canada), Almarai (Saudi Arabia), Alpura (Mexico), CSK Foods (Netherlands), and Sacco srl (Italy).

Browse related reports:

Cheese Powder Market by Type (Cheddar, Mozzarella, Parmesan, American, and Blue), Application (Bakery & Confectionery, Sweet & Savory Snacks, Sauces, Dressings, Dips & Condiments, and Ready Meals), and Region - Global Forecast to 2022

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/cheese-powder-market-103908380.html

Dairy Ingredients Market by Type (Milk Powder, Whey Ingredients, MPC & MPI, Lactose & Its Derivatives, Casein & Caseinates, Milk Protein Hydrolysates), Source (Milk and Whey), Nature, Application, and Region - Global Forecast to 2022

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/dairy-ingredients-market-974.html

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Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

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SPARTANBURG, S.C., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Christmas should be a magical time for children but for those battling cancer and served by Children's Cancer Partners of the Carolinas (CCP) it is often a time full of hospital stays, painful treatments and sleepless nights. On December 5th, CCP will help to ensure these brave children remember how to "just be kids" and their families experience more joy and less worry for the holidays.

"CCP's December 5th event will be more than just a Christmas party, it will be an opportunity for children undergoing treatment and their siblings to forget cancer for a moment and just enjoy this very special time of year," explained Executive Director Laura Allen. "Families will share in festive cheer and gain encouragement and hope for the future of their loved one as they meet survivors and connect with others fighting similar battles."

CCP, formerly known as The Children's Security Blanket, is creating a holiday celebration for the children they serve unlike any they have ever experienced. These children and their siblings will be treated to horse drawn carriage rides, a festive holiday dinner and presents galore. Nearly 500 are expected as families join in Christmas caroling, games and crafts before having special holiday family portraits made. CCP clients will also receive everything they need for a full Christmas dinner at home.

In addition to the Christmas gathering, CCP's families with a child undergoing active treatment will have their spirits lifted in another way as well. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor the nonprofit has funds to cover many rent, utility, car and insurance payments for families during December, eliminating some of the financial worries that often accompany the holidays.

"Holidays can be stressful under the best of circumstances," said Allen. "Caring for a child who has cancer can put a huge strain on families, making the emotional and financial demands of holiday time especially hard. This donor's amazing gift will make it possible for us to alleviate financial pressure for these families so they can focus on enjoying a memorable Christmas with their precious children."

CCP's special Christmas Spectacular will be held on Tuesday, December 5th, from 6-8 p.m. at the Spartanburg Marriott. Santa and his elves and volunteers will be on hand to greet the guests of honor. The media is invited to attend.

The heartwarming Christmas celebration will cap off a year of dramatic expansion for CCP. Started in 2001, CCP grew from a project of the Spartanburg Breakfast Optimist Club. The organization first existed to help families in Spartanburg County, S.C. but has now expanded its reach to encompass families throughout all of North and South Carolina.

Children are referred to CCP by social workers at their pediatric oncology treatment centers. After identifying specific needs, CCP continues to partner with them until the child reaches the age of 21. The nonprofit provides food, transportation and lodging for families who often have to travel to obtain the lifesaving treatment their children need.

"We recently changed the name of our organization to express clearly our service to the entire Carolinas, where over 600 new pediatric cancer diagnoses are made each year," explained Allen. "Our mission remains the same - getting all children to lifesaving cancer treatment regardless of family circumstances."

The mission of Children's Cancer Partners of the Carolinas is to provide comprehensive support and loving compassion to families whose children are battling cancer to improve their overall quality of life. The organization serves children and families throughout SC and NC. www.childrenscancerpartners.org

864-582-0673

SOURCE Children's Cancer Partners

Related Links

http://www.childrenscancerpartners.org


November 30th, Shanghai, a new event appeared on China Eastern's new retail strategic map: China Eastern airlines and BlueFocus IFEC launched the first "Air to Home" Inflight Shopping Festival in the world together. It marks the traditional retail of China's civil aviation has been rewritten, and allows passengers to enjoy the new shopping experience in the air in the future.

Mr. Guosong Qi, Director of China Eastern Media Co., Ltd; Mr. Xuemin Shangguan, Party Secretary of Eastern Airlines E-Business Co., Ltd; Kyle Cheung, Deputy Director of Transformation Office of China Eastern Airlines; Mr. Scott Xiong, Board Secretary & COO of BlueFocus Communication Group; and Mr. Yong Li, CEO of BlueFocus IFEC Technology Co., Ltd, attended the conference.

Major Players of China's Inflight Internet

Currently, the global inflight Internet is developing rapidly. There are around 50 airlines providing inflight Internet services and more than 4000 Wi-Fi equipped aircrafts in the world. 80 percent of the North American aircrafts provide inflight Internet services, followed by Europe and the Middle East; and Asian is behind. Compared to the development of Internet and big data, China's inflight Internet is obviously behind the US and other western developed countries. As one of the three largest airlines in China, China Eastern Airlines has realized that the best way to face changes of times is to join the inflight Internet business.

It's obvious that China Eastern is ambitious, and has become the leader on the practice of China's inflight Internet. It has also become the largest and most mature IFEC fleet in China with 73 Wi-Fi equipped aircraft; which not only provide the new Internet experience and service for passengers, but also generate more profits for the airline, especially for the inflight E-commerce. There is no doubt that the new inflight retail based on the Internet flight scene will be the new for inflight E-commerce growth in the future; and differentiated services may be the one of the key points of airlines layout.

This Inflight Shopping Festival is jointly created by China Eastern Airlines and BlueFocus IFEC. BlueFocus IFEC is the very first high-tech enterprise to enter inflight Internet operation in China; it also marks BlueFocus Communications Group stepping into the inflight Internet industry. Founded in 2015, BlueFocus IFEC have independently developed the IFEC operating platform BAO and marketing platform BAM for airlines; it already launched various new marketing strategy based on Internet flight scene with many airlines; and it is the only high-tech enterprise that provides full IFEC channel and operation.

With the development of mobile Internet, passenger's consumption patterns have been migrating to online. New technology is essential to create a new inflight shopping experience, as well as product selection, purchasing, sales and logistics. For the first times, this December, China Eastern has selected more than 30 fancy, special and new products to enter "Air To Home" event based on the big data analytic result of over 10 million passenger's purchase preference. There are not only famous skin care brands Whoo and Wet'n'Wild; but also independent designer brands De Yeen jewels. In terms of purchasing method, in addition to the traditional cabin Magazine Easternmall, China Eastern APP join inflight purchasing for the first time. As to prices, passengers can not only enjoy the lowest price of this event, but also use China Eastern's points to purchase, and earn points through cash transactions. Logistics system is also remarkable, all of the products will be free delivered to passengers' home. The one-stop inflight online shopping experience is created for passengers, which fully shows China Eastern's innovation to closely link the scene value, user experience, sunk points and CRM together.

The scene of the conference venue was simulated to China Eastern cabin at 2 PM on November 30th, and the Inflight Shopping Festival aircraft named "Air to Home" is decorated with scientific and technological scene. Every guest presented at the conference is able to simulate the purchasing process of the Inflight Shopping Festival, the ground-air-connected session allows guests to experience the purchasing process in the sky. For Kyle Cheung, Deputy Director of Transformation Office of China Eastern Airlines, "the new inflight e-commerce retail in China" is a change of thinking angle. "The traditional inflight retail is dominated by airlines; passengers buy what airline supplies. However, the new inflight e-commerce retail is dominated by passengers; airlines supplies what passengers want; and the passengers decide to whether to shop online or offline and where to deliver.

The number of China's civil aviation passenger is expected to reach 670 million in 2017, this is a large and high-quality inflight consumer group. With the rapid development of China's inflight Internet and the relaxation of in-flight Wi-Fi services policy, a hundred-billion-yuan new retail era of inflight consumption is coming. How to build a perfect one-stop inflight consumer service experience to upgrade the airlines service is a common problem faced by many Chinese airlines. Nowadays, China Eastern Airlines and BlueFocus IFEC are holding hands to take the very first step.

China Eastern Airlines, the 7th largest airline in the world, one of China's three major state-owned airlines. As the pioneer of China's inflight Internet, its 73 inflight Internet wide-body aircrafts account for half of the China's market share.

China Eastern Airlines E-Business Co., Ltd., wholly owned subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines, committed to integrating all kinds of online/offline products and services, providing travel related one-stop products and services solution for hundred million passengers of China Eastern Airlines each year.

BlueFocus Communication Group, the largest communication group in Asia, committed to global business and intelligence marketing; providing one-stop intelligent marketing solutions including brand insight, digital marketing and e-commerce for clients.

BlueFocus IFEC Technology Co., Ltd. A Chinese inflight Internet high-tech enterprise that is co-invested by BlueFocus Communication Group and Guangzhou Huangpu Development District, focusing on the operation and investment of the inflight Internet. At present, the global headquarters is Located in Guangzhou Development District with branches in Beijing, Shanghai and San Francisco.

SOURCE BlueFocus IFEC
Today, nursing lounges, barrier-free facilities and children's toilet seats are becoming more common in China. A small but growing number of public toilets even have Wi-Fi networks, electric vehicle charging piles, ATMs and first-aid kits, among other facilities that may go beyond your expectations.

What's more, China's public toilets are beginning to show consideration for people with special needs. Besides rooms for men and women, China now has some unisex toilets, which enable people with disabilities to receive help from a family member of another gender without causing embarrassment.

New technologies are also being utilized. In the Laoshan Mountain Scenic Area in Qingdao, Shandong Province, public toilets are equipped with smart devices that can monitor the waiting queue and adjust the allocation of rooms for men and women in a timely manner. A recently-released app, "National Public Toilet Cloud," collects information about public toilets across the country and helps users find the nearest one with the assistance of navigation apps.

The countryside is another battlefield of the "toilet revolution." Presently, sanitary toilets are available in nearly 85 percent of rural areas. A renovation project aimed at expanding the number of these facilities is mostly funded by local governments. For instance, in Shandong Province, subsidies have been offered to millions of rural households, so it cost farmers very little to have their makeshift toilets turned into sanitary ones.

Toilets may seem to be a trivial issue, but they have a direct bearing on common people's happiness. They're also the first impression a tourist gets of a new place. Every year, approximately 4.5 billion Chinese and foreign tourists travel around the country. Suppose each of them goes to the toilet eight times during their journey on average, and they will use the toilet 36 billion times altogether. Despite this huge figure, China is trying its best to ensure that its basic amenities are satisfactory, and hopes that all tourists can return home with a good memory.

China Mosaic

http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm

China launches a "toilet revolution"

http://www.china.org.cn/video/2017-11/30/content_50078324.htm

About China.org.cn

Founded in 2000, China Internet Information Center (China.org.cn/China.com.cn) is a key state news website under the auspices of the State Council Information Office, and is managed by China International Publishing Group. We provide round-the-clock news service in ten languages. With users from more than 200 countries and regions, we have become China's leading multi-lingual news outlet introducing the country to the outside world.

We are one of the country's authoritative outlets for government press releases and are authorized to cover various major events. "Live Webcast" is our online webcasting service to present State Council Information Office press conferences in both Chinese and English languages. We are reputed for timely and accurate delivery of news and information, and wide interactions with audiences. In addition, we are authorized to publish and live broadcast major events and press conferences of ministries, local government agencies and institutions as well as enterprises.

In the era of mobile internet, we endeavor to create an array of products for mobile devices headed by the multilingual WAP platform and the mobile APP. We also use Chinese and international social media to publish information for different user groups.

In the future, CIIC will continue to offer authoritative information about China, tell China's stories, voice China's opinions, and introduce a vivid, panoramic and multicultural China to the world through multi-language, multi-media and multi-platforms.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE China.org.cn
CHICAGO, Nov. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The following quote is in response to a request from Mayor Rahm Emanuel regarding qualifications for the production of a high-speed rail connection to Chicago:

"Increasingly, leading global visitor destinations, be they for leisure or business, count among their attributes fast and convenient mass transit hubs," said David Whitaker, President & CEO of Choose Chicago. "As Chicago continues to break tourism records, especially international arrivals, it will be imperative that we remain competitive if not best-in-class in terms of transportation. A high speed connection to O'Hare Airport is the best way to do that, thus welcoming visitors to and from our airports and key venues."

About Choose Chicago

Choose Chicago is the official destination marketing organization for Chicago, Illinois. Its mission is to bring regional, national and international business and leisure visitors to Chicago for the economic benefit of the city, the community and its membership.

SOURCE Choose Chicago
SINGAPORE, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cognito, the integrated communications specialist for the financial services and technology sectors, is delighted to announce the appointment of Darrell Wright as its Regional Managing Director for Asia Pacific. Darrell joins the firm at an exciting time in its development, as it continues to drive its business in the region, in line with consistent growth in the firm across Europe, the UK and North America.

Darrell will begin working for the firm on December 11th, 2017.

Darrell brings with him more than 15 years of experience in communications, including a decade spent in-house in Asia at some of the world's largest financial institutions - J.P. Morgan, Barclays and The Royal Bank of Scotland. He also brings recent experience in running public relations firms in Asia and extensive knowledge of doing business in the region, where he has lived and worked for 30 years. During that time, he has spent extended periods in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

As APAC MD, Darrell will be tasked with deepening relationships with Cognito's current client base, while aggressively adding more clients from financial institutions, technology and professional services. He will also be assessing the opportunities that exist to expand the business into new markets across Asia Pacific. Furthermore, Darrell will look to enhance the range of services currently being offered to clients in Asia, building on Cognito's established strengths in social media, content, digital marketing and stakeholder communications.

He will be supported by the current management team for Asia that includes Prisita Menon, Charlie Morrow and Lincoln Mah.

Tom Coombes, CEO for Cognito said "We are looking forward to beginning a new phase of growth for Cognito in Asia Pacific under Darrell's leadership. His knowledge and experience are a fantastic fit for our business, our clients and our geographic footprint. In the last five years, we have established a critical mass in Asia, with local and international clients across asset management, banking, FinTech and professional services. We are confident that he will replicate the success that he has enjoyed throughout his career and drive Cognito's business to new heights."

Darrell replaces Tim Williamson, who has recently left the firm to take on a new opportunity in the industry.

Tom added: "Tim has done an excellent job for Cognito and we wish him well and thank him for his hard work during his time at the firm."

About Cognito

Cognito is an integrated financial communications consulting firm for the finance and technology sectors. With offices in New York, London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Amsterdam, we help firms improve their performance and manage their reputation. We provide planning, marketing, design, PR and social campaigns, together with proprietary software that delivers measurability and intelligence.

For more information, visit http://www.cognitomedia.com

Follow us on Twitter @CognitoPR

Images available upon request

PRESS CONTACTS:

Cognito

Tom Coombes / Andrew Marshall

+44 20 7426 9400

[email protected]

[email protected]

SOURCE Cognito

Related Links

http://www.cognitomedia.com


DENVER, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Denver's Jeff Leone considers all organ, eye and tissue donors and their families heroes. He knows this to be true because he has received two kidneys in his lifeone from a 23-year-old man who lost his life in a car accident, and the other as a living donation from his wife. Jeff is gearing up to join 24 others from around the country escorting the 15th annual Donate Life Rose Parade float in the nationally televised Rose Parade on January 1 in Pasadena, CA. The 2018 Donate Life float will inspire viewers worldwide to save and heal lives through organ, eye and tissue donation.

A bruised kidney in 1984 led Jeff to the doctor where he eventually learned he had kidney disease. Twelve years later, he entered end-stage kidney failure and began dialysis. In 1999 Jeff received his first transplant. When he and his family learned of his gift, they were ecstatic at first, only to be overcome with the realization that someone else was grieving the loss of their loved one that had made the decision to become a donor.

Jeff's donor was Christopher Mendoza. His mother, Lena, had respected her son's wishes to donate his organs after he was tragically killed in a car accident. Christopher's gift allowed Jeff to fulfill his dream of becoming a high school science teacher  a career he enjoyed in the Denver public school system for 13 years until he again approached end-stage kidney failure.

Even though she had not previously met the requirements, Jeff's wife Robyn was a suitable match for his second transplant thanks to advances in medical technology. She gave him a kidney in 2013. Since his second transplant, Jeff fulfills his passion for science and teaching as a Transplantation Science Educator - he teaches the science behind and importance of donation and transplantation to thousands of young people across Colorado and Wyoming each year. The Transplantation Science program is administered by Donor Alliance, the federally designated not-for-profit organization that facilitates organ and tissue donation in Colorado and most of Wyoming.

"I consider all donors and their families to be heroes because I am living proof that donors give those in need of a transplant the ability to thrive in all roles of our lives, instead of just survive," Jeff said. "I feel very fortunate to have been given the gift of life, so I am going to do all that I can to help facilitate as many people getting transplants as possible."

Jeff's participation in the parade is sponsored by Donor Alliance. The organization has funded float participants with the Donate Life float for more than a decade. Some of Jeff's current and former Transplantation Science students are also showing their support with a special sendoff event for Jeff on Dec. 5 following one of his classes at Denver Center for International Studies.

"The Donate Life float has become the world's most visible campaign to inspire donation, and we are incredibly grateful that Jeff is able to be a part of it and share his story," said Sue Dunn, president and CEO of Donor Alliance. "With more than 2,500 people in Colorado and nearly 120,000 nationwide currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant, we are hopeful that the impact donation and transplantation has had on Jeff's life and the lives of those represented on this year's float will be felt nationwide, and inspire Coloradans and people across the country to register to be donors."

This year's float, The Gift of Time, reflects the parade's theme of Making a Difference, by celebrating the kindness of people throughout the world who are making a positive difference in the lives of others. Perhaps no act is more emblematic of this than becoming an organ, eye and tissue donor: a single organ donor can save and improve the lives of up to eight people through organ donation and as many as 75 more through tissue donation.

The 129th Rose Parade will start at 8 a.m. PST on January 1, 2018 and be broadcast live in the U.S. by broadcast partners ABC, NBC, HGTV, Hallmark Channel, Univision and more. Check local broadcast listings for more information. For more information about the 2018 Donate Life Rose Parade Float, visit http://www.donatelifefloat.org.

Colorado and Wyoming residents can register their decision to be donors by saying 'yes' each time they obtain or renew a driver license or state ID, or at www.DonateLifeColorado.org or www.DonateLifeWyoming.org anytime.

About Donor Alliance

Donor Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. As the organ and tissue procurement agency for Colorado and most of Wyoming, Donor Alliance serves more than 5.8 million residents and more than 100 hospitals.

Donor Alliance adheres to the highest medical, regulatory and ethical standards, and meets every performance standard. By respectfully working with the families of organ and tissue donors, maintaining partnerships with hospitals, educating residents on the life-saving benefits of donation and inspiring them to sign up on the state's donor registry, Donor Alliance is able to save lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Colorado and Wyoming boast some of the highest rates of donor registration in the country, which directly translates to more lives saved and healed through organ and tissue transplantation. Donor Alliance is one of 58 federally designated organizations of its kind in the United States. For more information visit DonorAlliance.org or the Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming Facebook pages.

Media Contacts:

Courtney Brunkow

The Fletcher Group

303.717.9575

[email protected] Andrea Smith

Donor Alliance

303.370.5683

[email protected]

SOURCE Donor Alliance

Related Links

http://www.donatelifecolorado.org


PARK RIDGE, Ill., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Facing a challenge by Teamsters Local 700 to the Cook County Merit Board's ability to function, attorneys for the Sheriff and the Board agreed in open court this week that they would no longer conduct hearings or decide cases while Governor Rauner considers recently passed legislative changes to the Board. Because the defendants effectively agreed to the most significant relief sought by the union, a judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County saw no need to enter any further orders at that time. However, the judge invited Teamsters Local 700 to come back if anything changed or if the defendants did not live up to the representations made to court.

The judge made it clear that the Merit Board needed seven members to be valid, a further rejection of the Sheriff and Board's legal position. While arguing that the Merit Board may legally operate with less than a full complement of members, the judge interrupted the Sheriff's representatives and stated that it must have seven members. "It's that simple," the judge said.

"This is a significant victory for our members that work at the Cook County Department of Corrections and the union as a whole," said Teamsters Local 700 President Becky Strzechowski. "Protecting the rights of our members is the cornerstone of what we do as a union and we have pledged to take necessary action when their contractual rights are violated. While the Sheriff continues to run the jail without any regard for his staff, we will continue to hold his feet to the fire to ensure he is held accountable for any illegal and reckless activity he shrugs off at the will of our members."

The hearing before the judge was a result of a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction filed by Teamsters Local 700 on Nov. 17, 2017. The union requested a temporary restraining order after filing a lawsuit on Oct. 27, 2017 against multiple parties of Cook County challenging how the Merit Board was constituted and its decisions. The motion sought to prohibit the Merit Board from deciding disciplinary cases when it was improperly constituted. Currently, the Merit Board has only five members and one member was appointed for less than a six-year term in violation of the Merit Board Act.

Illinois' appellate courts have made it clear that an improperly constituted Merit Board renders its actions and decisions invalid. On Sept. 27, 2017, the Illinois Supreme Court upheld an intermediate appellate court decision that held that the Merit Board was illegally constituted if it included any member who was appointed for less than a six-year term. Part of Teamsters Local 700's challenge included the fact that the Merit Board was operating with less than the statutorily-required number of members, and the present and prior Boardssince at least 2011 and possibly longerincluded at least one member who was improperly appointed.

Teamsters Local 700 represents approximately 3,400 correctional officers and investigators at the Cook County Department of Corrections, including nine fugitive unit officers.

Contact: John Bielski, Esq./ William Tasch, Esq.

215-656-3652, 312-818-6700

SOURCE Teamsters Local 700
MELVILLE, N.Y. and STATEN ISLAND, N.Y., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cook Maran & Associates ("Cook Maran"), one of New York and New Jersey's largest insurance brokers and the New York metropolitan area platform for Prime Risk Partners ("PRP"), has acquired McDermott & Thomas Associates LLC ("M&T"), a Staten Island-based agency specializing in employee benefits. M&T's partners bring more than seven decades of experience advising businesses on customized, cost-effective insurance solutions for their human resources.

M&T employees will continue to work from the agency's Staten Island location and do business as "McDermott & Thomas," joining Cook Maran's six offices and 250 professionals across New York and New Jersey. In merging with Cook Maran, M&T also broadens the offering of PRP, one of the nation's fastest-growing insurance intermediaries.

"Under the leadership of Pat McDermott and Mark Thomas, M&T has advised hundreds of employers across dozens of states on their benefits and other insurance needs," said Len Scioscia, Chairman and CEO of Cook Maran. "They've earned a reputation as trusted experts in a challenging field over the last thirty years, and we're proud to welcome them to Cook Maran and PRP."

Scioscia noted that the M&T partnership strengthens Cook Maran's portfolio in a critical area. "At a time when all employers grapple with rising premiums and face so much uncertainty in the national health insurance market, we felt the time was right to join forces with a trusted, expert advisory firm like M&T to make our benefits practice even stronger," he explained.

"Now more than ever, businesses need help building a competitive benefits package that fits the realities of their bottom line  and explaining the plan to employees," agreed Patrick McDermott, who co-founded M&T with Mark Thomas in 1987. "That's been our mission as an agency for the last three decades."

By merging with one of New York and New Jersey's leading agencies and PRP (#44 in the most recent Business Insurance 'Top 100 Business Brokers' ranking), M&T's founders see new opportunities to pursue this mission while offering clients the same personal service from familiar faces.

"By joining Cook Maran and PRP, we've found regional and national partners that can help us do what we love  solving problems for clients  at an even higher level as part of a really dynamic organization," added McDermott.

About Cook Maran

Cook Maran, which traces its roots to 1946, has almost 250 employees in eight offices in New York and New Jersey. Its focus on being a trusted advisor to its business and individual clients has allowed it to enjoy outstanding growth, and it is now one of the leading independent insurance agencies in the New York metro area. For more information, please visit www.cookmaran.com.

About McDermott & Thomas Associates

Since 1987, McDermott & Thomas Associates, LLC, has advised business clients on employee benefits with a high level of personalized focus and expertise, serving companies of all sizes across state lines and industry sectors. With over 70 years of collective experience in successful benefits planning and administration, the firm's partners are engaged with every client to provide the intelligence and expertise of a larger agency with the flexibility and responsiveness of a smaller, local partner. Learn more at www.mthassoc.com.

About Prime Risk Partners

Prime Risk Partners, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is building a superior national insurance distribution platform through selective acquisitions, strategic new hires, and thoughtful operations. A portfolio company of Thomas H. Lee Partners, it is quickly becoming the partner of choice for industry professionals looking to grow exponentially while becoming a critical piece of a growing national organization. For more information, please visit www.primeriskpartners.com.

SOURCE Cook Maran & Associates

Related Links

http://www.cookmaran.com


ATLANTA, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As Coro Realty Advisors looks to the future, it continues to improve its bench strength with a recent hire and promotion. Andrew (Andy) Kroll has joined Coro Realty as Vice President, Asset Management. In addition, after over 10 years of service, Doug Burton, will become Chief Financial Officer upon the retirement of Michael Salisbury at year end.

"Doug has shown nothing but hard work and dedication to Coro since he started. It is with great pleasure that we promote him to our CFO," said John Lundeen, President of Coro. Patti Pearlberg, Partner/Executive Vice President of Coro added, "We are excited about our future at Coro, and look forward to drawing on Andy's experience, which will only add to Coro's success."

Doug Burton will be tasked with taking Coro's first-class accounting department to the next level, drawing on not only his experience at Coro but also his previous experiences providing corporate support and accounting services within the insurance, service and hospitality industries. Andy Kroll will focus on representing and maximizing the value of key assets through the development, coordination and implementation of both short- and long-term asset plans and strategies. Kroll has over 25 years of experience in the real estate industry, previously serving as Chief Operating Officer for Trimont Real Estate Advisors, as well as spending over 17 years with SunTrust Bank in a variety of senior real estate roles.

About Coro Realty Advisors (www.cororealty.com)

Coro Realty Advisors, LLC was founded in 1997 and is synonymous in Atlanta and the Southeast with intelligent real estate development and investment. With a commitment to smart growth, the urban landscape, and innovation, incorporating distinctive architectural designs and the latest in building trends and technology, Coro continues to demonstrate its leadership in the market with the successful execution of quality developments. The firm provides Asset Management, Property Management and Real Estate Advisory Services for a myriad of residential and commercial properties throughout the Southeastern United States.

For More Information Please Contact:

Kristian Hayden

Coro Realty Advisors, LLC.

3715 Northside Parkway

Bldg. 400  Suite 100

Atlanta, Georgia 30327

(404) 846-4002

SOURCE Coro Realty Advisors, LLC

Related Links

http://www.cororealty.com


TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CrowdRiff, the market leader in visual marketing software for travel brands, today announced it has now processed over 500 million images for over 300 travel brands and is releasing new visual marketing capabilities powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Dan Holowack, CEO, CrowdRiff, announced this new release at the DTTT Global conference in Brussels, Belgium, where he is co-presenting a session, "Making the Shift to Visual Marketing," together with Amber King, director, U.S. Marketing at Colorado Tourism Office.

CrowdRiff

"The volume of available visual content is larger than ever before, and finding the perfect visuals that meet both brand and performance goals is a time-consuming and largely manual process," said Dan Holowack. "CrowdRiff's latest release addresses the most common problems marketing teams face when producing visual content, at every stage of the visual content life cycle."

CrowdRiff's AI-powered visual content marketing platform now includes:

Smart Curation - CrowdRiff's machine learning capabilities can remove undesirable visuals such as blurry content, explicit or low-quality content, while still giving marketers the control to choose the level of filtering and which content they use across their marketing channels.

Intelligent Search - Marketers can search their visual library using natural language, in up to six different languages, and filter by image type, size, orientation, date taken, and more. Save any search workflow as a content stream, so you can come back to it easily, anytime.

Smart Organization - Frame-by-frame auto-labeling of videos and photos uploaded into CrowdRiff, eliminating hundreds of hours of manually labeling visual assets for future retrieval.

Smart galleries - Smart website galleries optimized to display the visuals that are getting higher engagement. Optimized galleries enable marketers to naturally adapt to trends in travel and seasonal activities, while putting the marketer in control.

"I'm excited to be presenting together with Dan at DTTT Global," said Amber King. "CrowdRiff has always brought innovative solutions to us as a partner of Colorado Tourism Office and we're already taking advantage of these new intelligent capabilities for both our UGC and owned visuals."

Press contact:

Amrita Gurney

VP Marketing

CrowdRiff

[email protected]

1-888-702-8260

Related Images

image1.png

Smart curation

image2.png

Smart galleries

image3.png

Intelligent search

image4.png

Image recognition for videos and photos

SOURCE CrowdRiff
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Crypto Asset Management, the management company for Crypto Asset Fund, announced the addition of CAF Class T shares to Bloomberg under the ticker CAFTRAD US.

Class T shares are available through Crypto Asset Fund (CAF), a fund managed by Crypto Asset Management (CAM). These Class T shares provide exposure to an active management strategy that blends long/short, fundamental and algorithmic trading strategies, along with strategies involving lending and initial coin offerings (ICOs).

Crypto Asset Management Managing Director Tim Enneking commented on the significance of the new Bloomberg ticker:

"We're very pleased that Bloomberg decided to include Crypto Asset Fund on their terminals. It is another important step in the growing seriousness, legitimacy and scale of the crypto space."

For those interested, the forms found on HFND on the Bloomberg terminal for either Accredited Investor or Qualified Purchaser must be completed in order to view hedge funds.

About Crypto Asset Management

Crypto Asset Management (CAM) is an asset and fund management company incorporated in Delaware, USA. Its primary activities include acting as the management company for Crypto Asset Fund (CAF), its "feeder" fund, Crypto Asset Fund (Cayman), Ltd., and managed portfolios.

Contact:

Tim Enneking, Managing Director

Crypto Asset Management

Phone: +1-561-506-6656

[email protected]

https://www.crypto-asset-management.com/

SOURCE Crypto Asset Management

Related Links

https://www.crypto-asset-management.com/


SAN DIEGO, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB) today announced that its Cubic Global Defense (CGD) business division was awarded an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ), multiple award task order contract with a $975 million ceiling to support the U.S. Army's Mission Training Complex Capabilities Support (MTCCS) program. Under the contract, Cubic's primary task areas will include delivery of training, technical and communications support to multiple Mission Training Complexes (MTCs) supporting Army Service Component Commands (ASCC), Army Corps, divisions, brigades and below levels worldwide.

"We are very pleased to have been selected as an awardee of the Army's MTCCS program contract," said Dave Buss, president of Cubic Global Defense. "Our experience and expertise in mission command training is market leading and we look forward to leveraging our NextTraining strategy of integrating Live, Virtual, Constructive and Gaming (LVC-G) simulations in support of the Army's home station training."

The MTCCS program will provide individual, leader, small unit, battle staff and simulation-driven Mission Command (MC) training, technical, exercise, simulation and administrative support for various MTCs. The foundation of the MTCCS program is built upon the experience of its employees to support multifaceted mission command training and meet the technical support requirements that enable the availability and security of its systems and tools.

This contract is administered by the Army Contracting Command in Orlando, Florida. Cubic will provide mission training complex capabilities support through November 14, 2022.

About Cubic Corporation

Cubic is a market-leading, technology provider of integrated solutions that increase situational understanding for transportation, defense C4ISR and training customers worldwide to decrease urban congestion and improve the militaries' effectiveness and operational readiness. Cubic Transportation Systems is a leading integrator of payment and information technology and services to create intelligent travel solutions for transportation authorities and operators. Cubic Mission Solutions provides networked Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities for defense, intelligence, security and commercial missions. Cubic Global Defense is a leading provider of live, virtual, constructive and game-based training solutions, special operations and intelligence for the U.S. and allied forces. For more information about Cubic, please visit the company's website at www.cubic.com or on Twitter @CubicCorp.

SOURCE Cubic Corporation

Related Links

http://www.cubic.com


EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., Nov. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As the year comes to an end, Dealer Teamwork continues to grow and define new roles within the company. Among executive team promotions, announced last month, Dealer Teamwork also named Joe Skar Chief Financial Officer.

COO, Gary Cootes remarked, "We are very fortunate to have a person of Joe's character, vast experience and passion to continue leading Dealer Teamwork down the path of rapid financial growth in the SaaS space."

Prior to joining Dealer Teamwork, Mr. Skar was the Chief Financial Officer at Lake Street Capital Markets, an investment bank located in Minneapolis, MN. Before that, he served as Director of Fund Accounting at Whitebox Advisors, a multi-billion-dollar asset manager. He began his career in public accounting at KPMG after graduating summa cum laude from Minnesota State University, Mankato with a BS is Accountancy.

"Like our executive promotions last month, we know that putting Joe in this position is going to help our leadership team align more closely to our new financial strategies going forward," said Sean Stapleton, CEO and Co-Founder. "His strong hand leading our financial operations is crucial to the strength and success of this company. Joe has a proven track record as a leader and the experience we need to support our rapid growth and expansion."

About Dealer Teamwork:

Dealer Teamwork is a SaaS Company creating first-class solutions for the retail automotive industry. Dealer Teamwork created the automotive industry's first MPOP, a patented Merchandising, Personalization, and Optimization Platform. The Platform creates a significant competitive advantage for Dealers by distributing their transactional data to more in-market shoppers effectively and efficiently. For more information, please visit DealerTeamwork.com or visit the Dealer Teamwork About Us Page.

Dealer Teamwork's headquarters is in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and services an international customer base from offices in California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York and Texas.

Photo(s):

https://www.prlog.org/12679351

Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE Dealer Teamwork

Related Links

http://www.dealerteamwork.com/


WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- How can each of us keep our mind sharp as can be, for as long as possible? AARP takes on the question in the December issue of the AARP Bulletin, with a special report that provides a four-step guide to better your brain based on the newest, most exciting research. Learn how to help safeguard your memory (and which popular "memory boosters" have now been disproven), find out the most-recently discovered risk factors for Alzheimer's, and get the newest thinking on how cell phones, computers and TV are rewiring our brains and affecting our ability to concentrate. Plus, revealing new research on a toxin-removal system that might be the fundamental clue to preventing brain disease. In addition, AARP Bulletin sits down with Bill Gates to discuss his new crusade to find a cure for Alzheimer's.

Other stories in December's AARP Bulletin:

Work and Jobs

Age Discrimination Goes Online: Five decades after the landmark legislation to protect older workers, bias is on the rise in job recruiting. In this month's issue, AARP Bulletin features a special report on how age discrimination is alive and well in the digital age, highlighting the top ways employers try to weed out older applicants and how older workers are going to court to fight these tactics.

Fraud

Season's Cheatings: AARP Bulletin's December issue provides a guide for the top holiday shopping scams and how to avoid them this season. From stolen packages to gift card fraud and postcard cons, learn how to protect yourself this holiday season.

Finance

Is It Time to Splurge?: Do we become too frugal when we retire? Having a nest egg is great, but it doesn't mean you have to pinch every penny and forgo joy later in life. In this month's issue, personal finance expert Jane Bryant Quinn , reveals how to figure out exactly how much money you can afford to spend without putting your future at financial risk.

Lifestyle

Gifts That Keep Giving: The best presents grow in value and meaning long after the holidays end. So why not give your family gifts that reap ongoing rewards, inspire new interests and hobbies, or make tomorrow's world a brighter place? We asked experts for gift ideas that continued to be appreciated over time, and created the perfect shopping list  from meal kits to the gift of time  to spark ideas this holiday season.

Learn more at http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/. Interviews with AARP's experts are available upon request.

About AARP Bulletin

The definitive news source for AARP's members, AARP Bulletin (http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/) reaches more than 23.5 million households each month in print, with additional news and in-depth coverage online. Covering health and health policy, Medicare, Social Security, consumer protection, personal finance, and AARP state and national news developments, AARP Bulletin delivers the story behind the key issues confronting 50+ America. The monthly consumer-oriented news publication has become a must-read for congressional lawmakers and Washington opinion leaders, and it provides AARP members with pertinent information they need to know.

About AARP

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 38 million members and offices in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and advocate for what matters most to families with a focus on health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the world's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.

SOURCE AARP

Related Links

http://www.aarp.org


BOSTON, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education will launch Reimagining Strategy: Applying Design Thinking to Your Organization on the HBS campus in Boston from February 1114, 2018. This new program will examine design thinking, a powerful tool for revitalizing and rethinking strategy, and its applications for achieving and sustaining a competitive advantage.

Organizations that stagnate due to a stale or obsolete strategy need inspiration to innovate and find new approaches to their business. Design thinking draws from elements such as experimentation and empathy and, in a business context, it can help leaders reframe strategic challenges by focusing on customers' needs. This program allows executives to take a step back from daily operations, explore a strategic challenge facing their organization, and return to work with a fresh perspective on strategy.

"The most genius strategies are those that recognize latent user needs," said Srikant M. Datar, Arthur Lowes Dickinson Professor of Business Administration, Faculty Chair of the Harvard University Innovation Lab, and faculty cochair of Reimagining Strategy: Applying Design Thinking to Your Organization. "Design thinking helps us understand what an organization's customers, employees, and partners need but are not gettingparticularly latent needs that are not obvious. Identifying these needs helps companies to innovate and design new products and services that spur growth. In this program, we study techniques for observing these critical unmet needs, identifying pain points, systematic inventive thinking to come up with new ideas, and prototyping strategies that have the power to move the needle for an organization."

The program curriculum provides senior leaders with a sophisticated understanding of design thinking and its applications for business strategy. Participants will work in small teams, interacting with faculty and fellow executives to identify their challenge, ideate solutions, and develop prototypes to bring back to their organizations. Three to four months after the program, a virtual check-in led by HBS faculty will provide participants with an opportunity to reconnect, share updates on their strategic challenge, and troubleshoot issues.

"While we value the predominant paradigm of left-brain strategizing, this program also emphasizes the role of creativity in strategy," said Cynthia A. Montgomery, Timken Professor of Business Administration and faculty cochair of Reimagining Strategy: Applying Design Thinking to Your Organization. "When leaders only focus on the former, their organizations tend to get stuck with a strategy built for the past rather than today's environment. We hope to give busy executives an opportunity to pause, see their challenges with fresh eyes, and gain the inspiration and tools they need to revitalize their strategy."

Reimagining Strategy: Applying Design Thinking to Your Organization is designed for C-level leaders and other senior executives who play a key role in the formulation and execution of strategy within their organizations. Program participants will represent a broad range of industries, geographic regions, and areas of expertise to create a dynamic learning environment. Executive teams are encouraged to apply.

As with other HBS Executive Education offerings, Reimagining Strategy: Applying Design Thinking to Your Organization will rely on research from leading HBS faculty, collaboration with industry peers, and learnings from real-world case studies from successful, innovative global companies.

For more information, please contact:

Jim Aisner, [email protected], +1-617-495-6157

Program Details:

Reimagining Strategy: Applying Design Thinking to Your Organization will take place from February 1114, 2018 on the Harvard Business School campus. Please visit https://www.exed.hbs.edu/programs/rs/ for complete curriculum and to apply.

Faculty:

Srikant M. Datar, Arthur Lowes Dickinson Professor of Business Administration, Faculty Chair of the Harvard University Innovation Lab, and faculty cochair of Reimagining Strategy: Applying Design Thinking to Your Organization.

Cynthia A. Montgomery, Timken Professor of Business Administration and faculty cochair of Reimagining Strategy: Applying Design Thinking to Your Organization.

About Harvard Business School Executive Education:

Harvard Business School Executive Education, a division of Harvard Business School, is located on a 40-acre campus in Boston, Massachusetts. In fiscal year 2017, HBS faculty developed and delivered more than 60 Executive Education programs for leading organizations worldwide. Over 10,000 business executives attended programs held on campus in Boston as well as classrooms in Mumbai and Shanghai. With global research centers in eight key regions, HBS faculty continue to develop groundbreaking research, forge powerful alliances with global organizations, and fulfill the mission of educating leaders who make a difference by shaping the practices of business, innovation, and entrepreneurship around the world. Learn more at www.exed.hbs.edu.

SOURCE Harvard Business School Executive Education

Related Links

http://www.exed.hbs.edu


TEL AVIV, Israel, November 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

EarlySense, the market leader in contact-free continuous monitoring solutions across the care continuum, announced today that it has been named a Deloitte 2017 Technology Fast 50 company. This is the second consecutive year that EarlySense has been included in the Fast 50, an annual program that recognizes the 50 fastest growing technology companies in Israel, based on revenue growth during the last four years.



EarlySense had a Composite Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 111% in revenue from 2013-2016, resulting from increased global adoption of its analytics and sensing solutions for hospitals, post-acute care facilities and the consumer health market. The achievement highlights the success of EarlySense's InSight platform for medical facilities, and comes on the heels of two new consumer products, Live for the aging population and Percept for couples who are trying to conceive.

"EarlySense's inclusion in the Technology Fast 50 for the second consecutive year shows a deep understanding of the global health and technology market," said Shally Tshuva, Technology, Media & Telecommunications Industry Leader at Deloitte Israel. "EarlySense is a prime example of a business success story. The strong growth rate indicates the need for EarlySense's advanced medical and consumer health solutions, and the benefits they provide for patients, medical teams and families."

EarlySense's technology uses a wireless sensor placed under a bed mattress, or within a chair, to track real time health data, including heart rate, breathing rate, sleep cycles, stress levels and movement. The FDA-cleared medical solution assists health teams with early detection of patient deterioration to prevent adverse events and improve health outcomes. The consumer solutions leverage the same hospital-proven technology in an easy-to-use interface, enabling users to effectively monitor their wellbeing and make better health choices.

"Being one of the 50 fastest growing technology companies is an exceptional achievement, and the culmination of years of continued clinical research, innovation, adaptation and hard work by our incredible global team," said Avner Halperin, Co-founder and CEO of EarlySense. "The benefits of our technology are clear - we help keep patients safe, empower medical teams, and help people live better lives. EarlySense solutions are rapidly being adopted worldwide -across the healthcare continuum- and we look forward to another strong year of growth."

About EarlySense

EarlySense provides contact-free, continuous monitoring solutions for the medical and consumer digital health markets. EarlySense's integrated sensor utilizes Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data analytics to provide actionable health insights and improve clinical outcomes.

Used worldwide in hospitals, rehab and skilled nursing facilities, EarlySense assists clinicians in early detection of patient deterioration, helping to prevent adverse events, including code blues which are a result of cardiac or respiratory arrest, preventable ICU transfers, patient falls and pressure ulcers.

EarlySense offers clinically-proven technology to consumers with EarlySense Live and Percept. EarlySense Live is the first at-home consumer health monitor powered by EarlySense's medically-proven sensor and AI analytics. Live is particularly useful for tracking the health and sleep of the aging population and children, to help facilitate better health choices. EarlySense Percept is the first clinically-proven contactless monitor for fertility and period tracking. It accurately tracks internal body signals and assists couples who are trying to conceive.

EarlySense has partnered with leading global technology companies including Samsung, Welch Allyn, iFit and Beurer. The company is based in Ramat Gan, Israel and Waltham, MA.

For more information, visit www.earlysense.com, www.earlysense.com/live and www.earlysense.com/percept.

Follow EarlySense on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, EarlySense Live on Facebook and Twitter and Percept at Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

EarlySense Contact:

Hila Peleg

+972-54-527-3117

[email protected]com

Media Contact:

Ellie Hanson

FinnPartners

+1-929-222-8006

[email protected]

SOURCE EarlySense
Educate Texas , an initiative of Communities Foundation of Texas , has launched the Harvey KIDS Education Fund , designed to help meet the urgent needs of PreK-12 school districts and public schools along the Texas Gulf Coast affected by the storm's devastation. Developed in partnership with a cross-sector of local, state and national leaders, the Fund has already amassed nearly $1.5 million in donations from foundations that will be used to provide immediate relief as well as to support longer-term rebuilding efforts. The name of the fund is the Harvey Keeping Impacted Districts Supported (KIDS) Education Fund, and donations are encouraged .

Educate Texas has also teamed up with the Texas Education Agency (TEA), which will support the outreach efforts and provide information regarding the needs of the region. Applications are now being accepted, and affected school districts are encouraged to learn about eligibility requirements and apply online at edtx.org/harveykids.

"Our schools are experiencing significant hardships that impact their faculty, teachers, students and families. Having spoken with superintendents and school leaders across the region, we know these resources will play an important part in helping our students and families recover," said George Tang, Managing Director of Educate Texas.

TEA has projected that more than 42,000 students have been displaced across district lines and that the damage done to the Gulf Coast region will require years of support and hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild infrastructure, including schools.

TEA Commissioner Mike Morath shared, "Our school systems are doing everything in their power to get our impacted schools and communities back to a sense of normal as quickly as possible. However, there are still many critical issues that we must address, and the Harvey KIDS Education Fund will provide critical resources towards our schools' and students' success."

To mitigate the impact to displaced students, the Fund will provide districts and/or schools with financial support from private sources (not governmental entities) to cover incremental costs not anticipated within their current budgets. Districts may also apply for funding to redesign the student experience and support the implementation of their strategies.

The first stage of grants is expected to be announced as early as December 2017. To date, major donors to the fund include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Boone Family Foundation, Communities Foundation of Texas, Lyda Hill Foundation, The Meadows Foundation, ORIX Corporation, Rainwater Charitable Foundation and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.

"We recognize the critical role that philanthropy has in addressing key community needs and believe this collaboration between local, state and national leaders is a prime example of how we can come together in a crisis. Through our partnership with Educate Texas, TEA, school leaders and philanthropic partners, we hope our students, families and schools will be able to overcome some of their key challenges," added Bruce Esterline, Senior Vice President for Grants with The Meadows Foundation.

The immediate relief effort grants will provide short- to mid-term funding that will be spent in the next 12 months. These funds can be used to address immediate challenges related to the storm, such as support for basic needs, mental health services, transportation and communications with students and families, and more.

Grants for the longer-term, rebuilding efforts will be available for up to a three-year period. These will enable districts to plan and implement systemic strategies to improve academic outcomes for their students, including human capital initiatives and new program strategies.

To be eligible for both immediate relief efforts and rebuilding efforts grants, Texas school districts and/or schools must be listed as FEMA Declared Disaster Counties. Additionally, any proposal submitted by an eligible school or district will need to have the district superintendent's signature. Public and charter schools are eligible, and private schools are not.

Educate Texas has formed a steering committee that will review and make decisions on the grant applications. Grant amounts will vary for each district and will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

To apply for a grant or make a donation, go to the Harvey KIDS Education Fund page on the Educate Texas website at edtx.org/harveykids.

About Educate Texas

Educate Texas, an initiative of Communities Foundation of Texas, is a catalyst of large-scale educational systems change and has partnered with public and private entities for more than a decade to achieve the goal of improving the public and higher education system in Texas so that every student is prepared for and achieves success in school, in the workforce and in life.

SOURCE Educate Texas

Related Links

http://www.edtx.org


The winner of the grand prize package valued at over $1.8 million will receive the completely remodeled and fully furnished home, a new Honda Accord, plus $250,000 from national mortgage lender Quicken Loans. The sneak peek at this striking, one-of-a-kind makeover is now available at HGTV.com/HGTVDreamHome.

Interior designer Brian Patrick Flynn has taken a formerly dated home and transformed it into a ruggedly elegant waterfront escape with a design aesthetic best described as "livable modernism." Situated on a quiet and historic peninsula with unobstructed views of Puget Sound as the backdrop, the fully remodeled tri-level 1970s contemporary home maintains a coastal and casual look that embodies Pacific Northwest style and places a strong emphasis on natural materials.

"Gig Harbor is truly the kind of place that dreams are made of, and we know our fans are going to be captivated by this town's uncommon beauty, rich heritage and love of all things water," said Ron Feinbaum, General Manager of HGTV Home Promotions. "In concert with builder Choice Construction and architect Eric Gedney, we have created a thoroughly modern residence with design inspiration to spare that represents the very best of what it means to be an HGTV Dream Home."

The approximately 3,500-square-foot house has four bedrooms and three and a half baths and sits on property packed with lush evergreens. It is characterized by angular, asymmetrical architecture and a unique mashup of rugged, coastal and modern materials. Its updated maritime interior is outfitted with soothing shades of gray pulled from the moody landscape seen through the home's wealth of picture windows, which provide stunning views from almost every room. The contemporary architecture of the house is softened with expert layering of textures, colors, patterns and shapes to add warmth and personality.

The official entry period for the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway 2018 will run from Wednesday, December 27, 2017 through Friday, February 16, 2018. Eligible viewers can visit HGTV.com for full details and the official rules.

Viewers can catch the DIY Behind the Build: HGTV Dream Home special chronicling the home's remodeling process, which premieres Thursday, December 28 at 11 p.m. ET on DIY Network, along with the HGTV Dream Home Special, which airs New Year's Day at 8 p.m. ET on HGTV.

Sponsors of HGTV Dream Home 2018 include Honda; Lumber Liquidators; Quicken Loans; Wayfair; Belgard; Cabinets To Go; Delta Faucet; CESAR Canine Cuisine; Peloton Interactive, Inc.; Trex; The Sherwin-Williams Company; SimpliSafe Home Security; Sleep Number; Inspired Closets; and Bose Corporation. To learn more about the giveaway, visit HGTV.com/HGTVDreamHome.

ABOUT HGTV

HGTV delivers the superstar experts, fascinating families, compelling renovations and stunning transformations that make all things home fun. America's favorite way to get entertaining, relatable and inspirational home and lifestyle content, HGTV offers: a top 10 cable network that is distributed to more than 91 million U.S. households; a website, HGTV.com, that attracts an average of nine million people each month; social media platforms that engage nearly nine million users; HGTV Magazine, a monthly publication that reaches more than one million readers and exclusive collections of home-oriented products through the HGTV HOME consumer products line. Viewers can become fans of HGTV and interact with other home improvement enthusiasts through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, HGTV is owned by Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc., which also owns and operates Food Network, Travel Channel, DIY Network, Cooking Channel and Great American Country.

SOURCE Scripps Networks Interactive
AliveCor is also introducing SmartRhythm, a new feature within the Kardia app for Apple Watch. SmartRhythm uses artificial intelligence in concert with inputs from Apple Watch's heart rate and activity sensors to continuously evaluate the correlation between heart activity and physical activity. When SmartRhythm detects that heart rate and activity are out of sync, the device notifies users to capture an EKG with KardiaBand, or with KardiaMobile, AliveCor's popular, portable EKG reader.

"KardiaBand paired with SmartRhythm technology will be life-changing for people who are serious about heart health," said Vic Gundotra, CEO, AliveCor. "These capabilities will allow people to easily and discreetly check their heart rhythms when they may be abnormal, capturing essential information to help doctors identify the issue and inform a clear path of care to help manage AFib, a leading cause of stroke, and other serious conditions."

Atrial Fibrillation (AFib), is the most common heart arrhythmia, and a leading cause of stroke. AFib affects more than 30 million people worldwide, and one in four people over the age of 40 are at risk for developing it. Millions of people around the world are unknowingly living with AFib. Yet, two out of three strokes are preventable when AFib is detected and treated appropriately.

"This is a paradigm shift for cardiac care as well as an important advance in healthcare," said Dr. Ronald P. Karlsberg, MD FACC, Board Certified Cardiologist and Clinical Professor of Medicine, Cedars Sinai Heart Institute and David Geffen School of Medicine UCLA. "Today, EKGs are available only in offices and hospitals, using complex equipment, and usually only after a life threatening event, for example a stroke. With an EKG device on the wrist, AFib can be detected wherever the patient is, 24 hours a day. In randomized research trials, KardiaMobile, the first AliveCor EKG device, proved to be superior to routine care provided by physicians. Today, KardiaBand is a giant leap in personalized health care."

As a medtech leader, AliveCor uses advanced artificial intelligence, mobile, cloud and micro-electrode technology to change the dynamic in cardiac care. AliveCor empowers people worldwide to proactively manage heart health and to vastly improve the quality of care in the fight against heart disease. AliveCor's KardiaMobile and KardiaBand enable people and their care teams to easily, quickly and inexpensively detect and manage possible abnormal heart rhythms.

KardiaBand is available starting today for $199 and requires subscription to AliveCor's Premium service for $99 a year. The combined system includes SmartRhythm notifications on Apple Watch; unlimited EKG recordings; automatic detection of Atrial Fibrillation or normal sinus rhythm; the unlimited ability to send EKG readings to anyone via email; unlimited cloud history and reporting of all EKGs ever taken; weight and medication tracking; and a mailed monthly paper report on readings taken each calendar month.

About AliveCor

AliveCor, Inc. is pioneering the creation of FDA-cleared machine learning techniques to enable proactive heart care and is recognized around the world for transforming cardiac care. The FDA-cleared KardiaMobile is the most clinically validated mobile EKG solution on the market. It is recommended by leading cardiologists and used by people worldwide for accurate EKG recordings. KardiaMobile, and KardiaBand, when paired with the Kardia app provide instant analysis for detecting atrial fibrillation (AF) and normal sinus rhythm in an EKG. Kardia is the first A.I. enabled platform to help clinicians manage patients for the early detection of atrial fibrillation, the most common cardiac arrhythmia and one that leads to a five times greater risk of stroke. KardiaBand is the first FDA-cleared medical device accessory for Apple Watch. AliveCor was recognized by Fast Company as one of 2017's most innovative companies in health (#3). AliveCor is a privately-held company headquartered in Mountain View, Calif. For more information, please visit alivecor.com.

For more information on partnership inquiries, please contact the following:

US: [email protected]

International: [email protected]

Media Contact: Morgan Mathis at Highwire PR for AliveCor

[email protected]

SOURCE AliveCor

Related Links

http://www.alivecor.com


NETANYA, Israel, November 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Orbit Communications Systems Ltd. (TASE: ORBI), a leading provider of precision tracking-based communications solutions and airborne communications management systems, announced that the company successfully concluded a private placement of 33.4% of its shares to FIMI Opportunity Funds for approximately US$10 million, effectively making FIMI Orbit's controlling shareholder. FIMI also received options to purchase additional Orbit shares for approximately US$20 million. If fully realized, FIMI would possess 56% of the company's shares.

As a result of this event, Itzchak Gat, replaces Ze'ev Stein as Chairman of the Board, and FIMI appointees, Gillon Beck and Ron Ben-Haim, replace Shimon Eckhouse and Michael Bar Haim as Directors, effective immediately.

"Due to reduced bandwidth costs, the satellite communications market has become competitive with cellular and terrestrial networks. At the same time, airborne communications systems continue to develop at an unprecedented rate," stated incoming Chairman, Yitzchak Gat. "Orbit, with its industry-leading platforms for airborne satcom and audio management, coupled with FIMI's backing and guidance, is well positioned for growth and profitability."

"We would like to thank Ze'ev Stein and the outgoing directors for their service to the company," said Eitan Livneh, CEO of Orbit. "At the same time, we would like to welcome Itzchak Gat and the other incoming directors and wish them all good luck in their new positions. We are excited about becoming one of FIMI's portfolio companies and look forward to fruitful cooperation moving forward."

About FIMI

Acquiring and enhancing primarily export-oriented Israeli firms since 1996, FIMI manages approximately US$3.2 billion in capital today making it the largest private equity fund in Israel. 55 of the 85 companies under FIMI's control have realized deals totaling over US$4.5 billion. FIMI is currently investing through its sixth fund (a US$1.1 billion fund, more than 90% of which is available for new investment) which focuses on control equity investments in selected mature Israeli or Israeli-related companies.

About Orbit

Orbit Communications Systems Ltd. is wholly-focused on precision tracking-based communications - in the areas of satcom, telemetry and remote sensing - and provides an innovative solution for airborne audio management. With certification by defense, government and commercial agencies, we deliver tailor-made, turnkey solutions at sea, on land and in the air. Orbit's unique combination of smart design, high reliability and field-tested experience means that if you can conceive it, we can provide it.

Contact information

Orbit

Ian Tick

Head of Communications

[email protected]

Gelbart-Kahana Investor Relations

Aviram Uzi

[email protected]

SOURCE Orbit Communication systems Ltd
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA astronauts A.J. (Drew) Feustel and Ricky Arnold, and crewmate Oleg Artemyev of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, will discuss their upcoming mission to the International Space Station in a news conference at 2 p.m. EST Thursday, Dec. 7, at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The news conference will be broadcast live on NASA Television and streamed on the agency's website. The crew will be available for in person or remote media interviews afterward.

Feustel and Arnold will launch to the space station aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft, commanded by Artemyev, in March 2018, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. This will be the second time in five months that two NASA astronauts will launch together on a Soyuz spacecraft to the station.

The trio will join the Expedition 55 crew, and return to Earth in August 2018 as members of Expedition 56. Arnold, a former classroom teacher, and Feustel will continue NASA's Year of Education on Station initiatives to inspire educators and students. This will be Feustel's third spaceflight, and he will serve as a flight engineer for Expedition 55 and commander for Expedition 56. This will be Arnold and Artemyev's second spaceflights, and they will serve as flight engineers on Expeditions 55 and 56.

To request credentials to participate in person or to reserve an interview opportunity, U.S. reporters must contact Johnson's newsroom at 281-483-5111 by 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6. The deadline has passed for international media to attend in person.

Reporters who wish to participate by telephone must call Johnson's newsroom no later than 1:45 p.m. on Dec. 7. Those following the briefing on social media may ask questions using #askNASA.

During a planned six-month mission, the crew members will take part in about 250 research investigations and technology demonstrations not possible on Earth in order to advance scientific knowledge of Earth, space, physical and biological sciences. Science conducted in the orbiting laboratory continues to yield benefits for humanity and will enable future long-duration human and robotic exploration into deep space.

Feustel is from Lake Orion, Michigan, and earned a doctorate in Geological Sciences specializing in seismology from Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, in addition to degrees from Oakland Community College, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. NASA selected Feustel as an astronaut in 2000 and he has flown on two spaceflights. In 2009, Feustel served on space shuttle mission STS-125, the final servicing mission for NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Feustel also served on STS-134 to deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station on the final flight of space shuttle Endeavour. Feustel has logged more than 29 days in space and spent more than 42 hours on six spacewalks.

NASA selected Arnold as an astronaut in 2004. The Maryland native worked in the marine sciences and as a teacher in his home state, as well as in countries such as Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. He accumulated 12 days, 19 hours and 29 minutes in space during STS-119, during which space shuttle Discovery delivered the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and a truss element for the space station. While aboard station, he conducted two spacewalks totaling 12 hours and 34 minutes.

Find the NASA astronauts' full biographies at:

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/

Follow Feustel on social media at:

https://twitter.com/Astro_Feustel

https://www.instagram.com/astro_feustel/

Follow Arnold on social media at:

https://twitter.com/astro_ricky

Learn more about the International Space Station and its crews at:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


MENLO PARK, Calif., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Click Here for Full Report, Chart Pack and Toplines - A comprehensive new national survey of young adults, ages 18-30, from the Kaiser Family Foundation finds more than three and half decades into the epidemic, HIV remains an issue of deep concern for young people of color, both for themselves as well as for those they know. Few of those surveyed know about advances in prevention and treatment that experts say could end HIV if more widely adopted.

A majority (53%) of young Black adults say they are personally concerned about HIV, including 44 percent who are "very concerned." Many Latinos also express worry (35% "very concerned," 12% "somewhat concerned"). By contrast, 61 percent of their white peers say HIV is "not a concern" for them personally today, and another 20 percent say they are "not too concerned."

About three times as many Blacks (46%) and Latinos (41%), as whites (15%), say HIV today is a "very serious" concern for people they know. Almost twice as many Black young adults (30%) say they know someone who is living with, or has died of, HIV/AIDS, as compared to whites and Latinos (16% each). One in five (20%) Black young people have a family member or close friend affected by HIV.

A third of Black (34%) and Latino (35%) young people say they worry about getting HIV; 16 percent of whites say they worry about their risk.

"An entire generation has been born and grown up without ever knowing a time when HIV did not exist, and they may be the first to see it end. Whether this future is realized rests with those most affected being educated about  and having access to  the latest advances in prevention and treatment," said Tina Hoff, Senior Vice President, Health Communications and Media Partnerships, Kaiser Family Foundation.

Many Don't Know about Advances in Prevention and Treatment

PrEP, the pill to protect against HIV, has been called a potential "game changer" in the fight against HIV; yet, in the five years since it was approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), only 13 percent of young adults know about the prevention option.

Among the relatively few young people who have heard anything about PrEP (27%), only 18 percent believe it to be "very effective." Many also doubt that all who might want PrEP could get it: 64 percent say "no." When taken as prescribed, this once daily pill reduces the risk of getting HIV up to 99 percent.

There are also gaps in understanding of how antiretrovirals (ARVs), the medications used to treat HIV, work. While most are generally aware of the health benefits, many understate the effectiveness of modern day treatments. Half of young people do not know being on consistent treatment also prevents the spread of HIV to sexual partners (29 percent say "not too effective," and 23 percent say "not at all effective"). Just one in ten (11%) say ARVs are "very effective" at preventing the spread of HIV. Studies show that when the viral load is less than 200 copies of virus per milliliter of blood, long-term health is greatly improved and sexual transmission of the virus is extremely unlikely, if not impossible.

Stigma and Misperceptions Persist

Even this many years later, unfounded fears about the risks presented by those with HIV persist. Most young people today say they would be comfortable having people with HIV as friends (65%) or work colleagues (66%) but when it comes to other situations, stigma  and misperceptions  are evident.

Majorities say they would be uncomfortable having a roommate with HIV (51%), or having their food prepared by someone with HIV (58%). Three quarters (73%) respond that are "very uncomfortable" having a sexual partner with HIV, another 18 percent say they would be "somewhat uncomfortable."

Providing insight into what may be behind the stigma, the survey also revealed a lack of understanding among a significant share about how HIV is transmitted. More than a third incorrectly believe there is a chance HIV could be spread through everyday items, such as plates and glasses (38%) or toilets (38%). Majorities are misinformed in thinking HIV can be transmitted by spitting (54%), or kissing (58%).

HIV Testing

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends HIV testing as part of routine health care, yet more than half (54%) of young adults say they have never been tested. Most who have not say it is because they don't believe [they are] at risk (67% of those never tested), followed by a doctor never suggested it (41%, multiple responses were possible).

Black young adults are more likely  and more recently  to report having gotten an HIV test. One in three (34%) Black young adults replied they had been tested for HIV within the last 12 months; comparatively, 16 percent of whites and 25 percent of Latinos report having been tested as recently. Overall, 61 percent of Black young adults report ever having been tested for HIV, as compared with 42 percent of whites and 49 percent of Latinos.

Black young adults are also more likely to say a health care provider has suggested HIV testing. One in four (25%) Black respondents report having a health care provider suggest HIV testing within the previous 12 months; only about one in ten whites and Latinos say the topic came up (8% and 14%, respectively). Analysis shows that those who have discussed HIV with a health care provider  and/or have had a health care provider suggest testing  are more likely to report having been tested for HIV.

THE U.S. EPIDEMIC. More than three and a half decades have passed since the first case was diagnosed of what is now known as AIDS. An estimated 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV, more than at any time in the history of the epidemic. Due to a combination of social inequities, and where the disease took hold, a disproportionate share of those affected are Black and Latino and/or gay men. In 2015, Black Americans accounted for almost half (45%) of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S., while comprising just 12 percent of the population. Latinos are also heavily affected, accounting for 24 percent persons newly diagnosed with HIV in 2015 and representing 17 percent of the population.

Methodology

The survey was designed and analyzed by researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation. It was conducted between January 25  February 16, 2017 among a nationally-representative sample of 1,794 people ages 18-30 years of age. Interviews were administered online and by telephone in English using an instrument developed by staff at the Kaiser Family Foundation. NORC at the University of Chicago conducted sampling, interviewing, and tabulation for the survey using the GenForward panel, a representative panel of adults ages 18-30 living in the United States. Panel members who do not have internet access complete surveys via telephone, and internet users complete surveys via the web (for the current survey, 1,647 participated via the web and 147 via telephone). The margin of sampling error including the design effect for the full sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points; for Black and Latino young adults it is plus or minus 7 percentage points and for whites it is plus or minus 5 percentage points. For sub-groups the sampling error may be higher.

Filling the need for trusted information on national health issues, the Kaiser Family Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Menlo Park, California.

SOURCE Kaiser Family Foundation
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, November 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Glance Technologies Inc. (CSE: GET.CN)(CSE: GET.WT)(OTCQB: GLNNF)(FKT: GJT) announces that it has entered into a non-binding LOI to acquire the blockchain and cryptocurrency with rewards tokenization platform Blockimpact from Ztudium Limited, a company founded and led by leading blockchain influencer Dinis Guarda. Ranking.influencer.world ranks Mr. Guarda #4 worldwide in Blockchain and Crypto.

The LOI contemplates that Glance will acquire all of the intellectual property comprising the Blockimpact platform in consideration for payment to Ztudium of US$1.1 million, 80% of which will be paid upon closing of the acquisition and 20% of which shall be paid on completion of the integration of Blockimpact with the Glance Pay mobile payment platform. Glance has paid Ztudium US$100,000 towards the purchase price.

Blockimpact is a full end-to-end cryptocurrency blockchain solution, which includes the following features:

 Biometric ID

 Blockchain Distributed Ledger Technology

 Digital messaging / group chat (with functionality similar to Whatsapp)

 Financial wallet

 Open application program interface

 Crypto/token/fiat wallet (which allows seamless conversion between currencies)

 Reward system

 Encrypted cyber security

 In-app support system

 Document sharing

 Social network features

 Peer to Peer marketplace functionality

Glance intends to utilize the Blockimpact cryptocurrency platform to accelerate the creation of its rewards based cryptocurrency, which is also intended to be implemented on the Glance Pay platform. Glance hopes to complete the Blockimpact acquisition within the next 15 days and then work to integrate the Blockimpact blockchain technology with the existing Glance pay mobile payment network architecture.

Completion of the acquisition is subject to the parties negotiating and entering into a binding agreement for the acquisition, on the satisfactory completion of due diligence by Glance, and upon the approval of the transaction by Board of Directors of Glance. Ztudium has agreed to a 30-day exclusivity period during which it will not negotiate the potential sale of Blockimpact other than with Glance.

Closing of the acquisition is further conditional upon Mr. Guarda and other members of the Ztudium management team responsible for the development of Blockimpact entering into a consulting agreement with Glance on terms satisfactory to each of Glance and the Consultants pursuant to which Guarda and the Consultants will assist Glance with Glance's adoption and use of the Blockimpact platform, in planning and executing Glance's planned rewards based cryptocurrency strategy, and by introducing Glance to blockchain experts, influencers and partners.

"We are selling the Ztudium Blockimpact platform at a significant discount to what we believe is its true value because we are extremely excited about the opportunity to apply our team and technology to the Glance Pay rewards cryptocurrency," says Dinis Guarda, "We feel strongly that there is a large potential for this in the marketplace and we feel the combinations of our teams, technologies, and marketing capabilities are unmatched in the cryptocurrency space today," added Guarda.

The Glance rewards based token will be granted as rewards to users of the Glance Pay mobile payment app every time they spend on the Glance Pay mobile payment network, whether they have paid with the new cryptocurrency or via other payment methods. This strategy is intended to support rapid adoption of the cryptocurrency to a broad range of consumers, although the app will also be marketed to crypto users in leading urban centers.

Glance also intends to apply elements of its anti-fraud technology to cryptocurrencies to reduce the risk associated with converting traditional currencies to and from cryptocurrencies.

The market cap of all cryptocurrencies has gone from $17 billion USD one year ago to over $245 billion recently, which is an increase of over 1,340% (according to coinmarketcap.com). This incredible expansion of the cryptocurrency market demonstrates a significant increase in demand for cryptocurrencies and increased demand for ways to spend them.

In addition to the recently announced $11 million CAD bought deal financing, Glance currently has cash in the bank in excess of $10 million CAD, which puts Glance in a strong position to pursue acquisition and partnership deals such as this.

About Glance Technologies Inc.

Glance Technologies owns and operates Glance Pay, a streamlined payment system that revolutionizes how smartphone users choose where to dine, order goods and services, make payments, access digital receipts, redeem digital deals, earn great rewards & interact with merchants. Glance is building a valuable network of merchants and consumers, and offers targeted in-app marketing, geo targeted digital coupons, customer feedback, in-merchant messaging and custom automated rewards programs. The Glance Pay mobile payment system consists of proprietary technology, which includes user apps available for free downloads in IOS (Apple) and Android formats, merchant manager apps, a large scale technology hosting environment with sophisticated anti-fraud technology and lightning fast payment processing. Glance Pay has entered into significant licensing agreements to access the cannabis, fitness and wellness, foreign student and tourist markets through Cannapay Financial Inc., Active Pay Distribution Inc. and Euro Asia Pay Holdings Inc. Glance Pay is currently developing a rewards based cryptocurrency to be integrated into its platform.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively "forward- looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward- looking information is typically identified by words such as: "will" "may" "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "potentially" and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Glance cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by Glance is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects which may be accessed through the Glance's profile on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com. in particular, Glance may not be successful in building its planned cryptocurrency or there may not be sufficient support for the cryptocurrency to make it a success.

For more information about Glance, please go to http://www.glance.tech or contact:

Christina Rao

Vice President, Investor Relations

+1(604) 723-7480

[email protected]

SOURCE Glance Technologies Inc.
NEW YORK, Nov. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rising Threat of Small Drone Use for Surveillance and in Executing Terrorist Attacks will Fuel Significant Market Growth

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05226039

Governments around the world have acknowledged that the threat of potentially harmful drones flying over sensitive facilities is increasing. In the United States, leaders of the military and government agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), discuss the rising concern about adversaries using small drones to conduct terrorist attacks. In Middle Eastern war zones, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters have been weaponizing small, cheap consumer drones to conduct surveillance as well as small-scale airborne grenade strikes.

In response to the increasing threats, dozens of defense companies have adapted existing technologies, or developed new technologies, to detect small, low-flying drones then alert operators to their presence. These counter unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) also often incorporate mitigation techniques that can include jamming drone control frequencies, taking control of the drone, capturing the drone, or destroying the target. Over 50 global defense companies now offer some sort of C-UAS. This research service lists defense-focused C-UAS firms and their products which will be competing for a portion of a market that has quickly transitioned from a nascent market to a growth market.

Research Scope:

This research service includes information about C-UAS original equipment manufacturers, their product or products, as well as product capabilities. Product information is presented in tables as well as text.

Competitive Information Includes:

 A short description of the C-UAS product

 Capabilities of C-UAS with regard to detection methods as well as mitigation techniques and capabilities

 Existing company partnerships

 Known sales and/or government contracts won

 Future product announcements and/or pending upgrades to current platforms

 Links to corporate websites and news items of note

 Links to C-UAS product pages, where applicable

Questions This Study Will Answer:

 Which companies are manufacturing defense C-UAS?

 Which companies are using existing technologies and which are developing new capabilities?

 Which products are being marketed and which are in the development and/or test phase?

 Which products have sales and government contracts?

 How fast is the market for defense C-UAS growing?

 What are some of the most significant trends occurring in the defense C-UAS market?

 What are the challenges facing the defense C-UAS market?

This research service also contains a description of detection methods along with an evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of using each type of detection sensor. In addition, an estimate of the defense C-UAS market size through 2022 is offered based on historical sales data and numerous interviews with industry insiders.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05226039



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

Related Links

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Qinghe Hospital Achieves Revenue Contribution, Significant Growth in Healthcare Services Business

Strategic Roadmap in the Advanced Medical Fields to Diversify the Group's Business and Revenue Stream

HONG KONG, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Golden Meditech Holdings Limited (SEHK stock code: 00801, TWSE stock code: 910801) ("Golden Meditech" or the "Company", together with its subsidiaries, the "Group"), a leading integrated healthcare enterprise in China, announces today its interim results for the six months ended 30 September 2017 (the "Reporting Period").



For the Six Months Ended 30 September

2017 (HK$'000) 2016 (HK$'000) Change (%) Continuing Operations Revenue 117,069 121,672 (3.8) Healthcare services segment revenue 50,028 31,885 56.9 Hospital management services income 47,865 29,901 60.1 Medical insurance administration services income 2,163 1,984 9.0 Medical devices segment revenue 65,189 87,615 (25.6) Strategic investments revenue 1,852 2,172 (14.7) Gross profit 50,358 61,784 (18.5) Loss from operations (100,156) (162,014) (38.2) Finance costs (199,807) (171,789) 16.3







(Loss)/profit attributable to the Company's equity shareholders (63,092) (394,437) (84.0) - Continuing operations (287,444) (317,154) (9.4) - Discontinuing operation 224,352 (77,283) N/M Basic (loss)/earnings per share (in HK cents) (2.13) (13.30) (84.0) - Continuing operations (9.69) (10.69) (9.4) - Discontinuing operation 7.56 (2.61) N/M

During the Reporting Period, the Group's total revenue from continuing operations was HK$117,069,000, decreased by 3.8% year-on-year. The decrease has slowed down as compared to the corresponding period last year, mainly attributable to further optmisation on the Group's revenue mix. Healthcare services revenue as a % of total revenue from continuing operations increased to 42.7% from 26.2% in the corresponding period last year. Nevertheless, medical devices revenue as a % of total revenue from continuing operations decreased to 55.7% from 72.0% in the corresponding period last year. The Group's new growth driver, healthcare services revenue achieved a significant year-on-year increase of 56.9%, mainly driven by the 60.1% year-on-year increase in hospital management services income.

Loss attributable to equity shareholders of the Company from continuing operations was HK$287,444,000, decreased by 9.4% year-on-year. The decline was mainly attributable to: 1) an interest income of HK$57,758,000 earned from other receivable; and 2) the accumulated effect of the provision for director retirement benefit scheme of HK$33,855,000 in last year.

The Group recorded loss attributable to the Company's equity shareholders (including continuing operations and discontinuing operation) of HK$63,092,000, decreased by 84.0% year-on-year; basic loss per share was 2.13 HK cents, decreased by 84.0% year-on-year.

Mr. Kam Yuen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Group, said, "China's economy remains stable with good momentum for growth. There is strong underlying demand for healthcare services in the PRC, underpinned by the continuous medical reform and the accelerated ageing of population. The healthcare market in the People's Republic of China ("PRC") has seen sustainable growth in recent years. Benefiting from the growing demand for healthcare services as well as a favourable policy environment towards private hospitals, the Group manages to gradually improve and steadily develop its healthcare businesses."

In December 2016, Golden Meditech Stem Cells (BVI) Company Limited ("GMSC"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into a sale and purchase agreement with Nanjing Yingpeng Huikang Medical Industry Investment Partnership (Limited Partnership)* ("Nanjing Yingpeng") regarding the disposal of the Company's entire 65.4% fully-diluted equity interest in China Cord Blood Corporation ("CCBC") for a total cash consideration of RMB5,764,000,000 (equivalent to approximately HK$6,398,000,000) (the "Disposal"). The Disposal was approved by the Company's shareholders on 22 March 2017. On 29 September 2017, the Company announced that all of the effectiveness conditions of the Disposal have been fulfilled. However, the applicable foreign exchange procedures in the PRC have yet to be completed. Subsequently on 14 November 2017, GMSC and Nanjing Yingpeng entered into a supplemental agreement (the "Supplemental Agreement") to extend the completion (the "Completion") of the Disposal, in order to facilitate Nanjing Yingpeng to continue, and complete, the applicable foreign exchange procedures in the PRC. Pursuant to the Supplemental Agreement, the first extension deadline is 31 December 2017 (the "First Extension"). In the event that the Completion does not take place on or before the First Extension, it will be extended to 31 January 2018, whereby Nanjing Yingpeng shall pay GMSC an extension fee of US$10,000,000 (equivalent to approximately HK$78,000,000).

In June 2017, the Company and Australia-listed Life Corporation Limited ("LFC") entered into a debt capitalisation agreement. The debt capitalisation was completed in October 2017, consequently, the Group held 48.58% equity interest in LFC. LFC is principally engaged in the provision of multi-religion funeral services and other related ancillary services in Singapore. In November 2017, the Company granted a loan facility to LFC to facilitate the construction of an automated columbarium in Singapore. The management believes that once LFC's automated columbarium business commenced, it will bring better returns to the Group and its shareholders.

Between October and November 2017, the Company initiated an application for the voluntary delisting (the "Voluntary Delisting") of TDR on the Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation in view of the Group's future business directions. The application was approved on 22 November 2017 and the Voluntary Delisting will become effective on 13 December 2017.

Mr. Kam Yuen continued, "We see further development in our business integration during the Reporting Period. The healthcare services segment becomes a growth driver in the Group's future development. Additionally, the Group continues to seek projects with high return potential in both domestic and international markets, aiming to diversify revenue stream and bring better returns to the Group and its shareholders."

Continuing Operations

Healthcare Services Segment

During the Reporting Period, healthcare services revenue increased significantly by 56.9% year-on-year to HK$50,028,000. Revenue generated from hospital management business and medical insurance administration business were HK$47,865,000 and HK$2,163,000, accounting for 95.7% and 4.3% of healthcare services revenue respectively.

Hospital Management Business. Beijing Qinghe Hospital ("Qinghe Hospital") entered into a lease agreement with Peking University People's Hospital in June 2017, whereby it leases out several floors of the hospital space and medical equipment in return for rental income. Beijing Sunbow Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital has achieved steady development since it was officially opened in October 2016. Over the years, leveraging on its well-known brand and sound reputation, Shanghai East International Medical Center had achieved a steady development and provided premium healthcare services to the affluent people in Shanghai and the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Medical Insurance Administration Business. The Group provides tailor-made third-party administrator services such as claims, review process, bill settlement and data analysis that suit its customers' needs. It has invested notably in its hardware and software facilities as well as professional team, and this made it a preferred full service provider. Leveraging on its comprehensive domestic and international background in the healthcare sector as well as its extensive hospital network, the Group is well positioned to become a leading player in the medical insurance administration sector.

Medical Devices Segment

Medical devices revenue decreased by 25.6% year-on-year to HK$65,189,000, mainly attributable to the saturated Autologous Blood Recovery System market and intensified price competition. The Group implemented a two-pronged strategy to counter the decline in revenue, led by the intensified price competition. First, the Group continues to adopt a flexible pricing policy to stabilise its sales. On the other hand, the Group is actively exploring new project opportunities.

Strategic Investments

The Chinese herbal medicines business recorded an operating loss of HK$12,700,000 during the Reporting Period. The Group is constantly negotiating with the local government of Shanghai Qingpu District, regarding the possible land resumption plan of its production site, and expects to improve its cash position if the land resumption is successful. Losses attributable to the Group from Cellenkos Inc. ("Cellenkos") and Golden Meditech Javadi Precision Medicine Limited ("GM Javadi") were HK$585,000 and HK$2,874,000, respectively. Both Cellenkos and GM Javadi are the Group's strategic roadmap in the advanced medical treatment fields in the United State of America. The management believes that such investments will benefit the Group in future technically and financially.

Cord Blood Storage Business  Discontinuing Operation

During the Reporting Period, CCBC recorded 620,680 accumulated subscribers. Its revenue increased by 26.6% year-on-year to HK$531,588,000. Profit from discontinuing operation increased by 42.3% year-on-year to HK$192,785,000.

Discontinuing Operation For the Six Months Ended 30 September 2017 (HK$'000) 2016 (HK$'000) Revenue 531,588 419,785 Gross profit 446,720 349,952 Other income 14,911 11,241 Selling and administrative expenses (233,140) (194,731) Profit from operations 228,491 166,462 Finance costs - (1,727) Profit before tax 228,491 164,735 Income tax expense (35,706) (29,254) Profit from discontinuing operation 192,785 135,481

Outlook

Looking ahead, Mr. Kam commented, "The Group will continue to implement its business integration and diversification strategy. Furthermore, leveraging on its pioneer status in the healthcare industry, we will strengthen our healthcare services sector and step up our business collaborations in medical fields, such as precision medical treatment and immunotherapy. This will help the Group in advancing into the high-end healthcare sector, thus, creating value for the Group and its shareholders."

* The English name is for identification purpose only.

About Golden Meditech Holdings Limited (SEHK stock code: 00801, TWSE stock code: 910801)

Golden Meditech (www.goldenmeditech.com) is a leading integrated-healthcare enterprise in China. It is a first-mover in China, having established its dominant positions in several markets including the medical devices market, the cord blood storage market and the hospital management market in the healthcare industry, thanks to its strengths in innovation and market expertise and the ability to capture emerging market opportunities. Going forward, Golden Meditech will continue to pursue a leading position in China's healthcare industry both through organic growth and strategic expansion.

SEGMENT RESULTS

Information regarding the Group's reportable segments for the periods ended 30 September 2017 and 2016 is set out below:

(HK$'000 ) Continuing Operations Discontinuing Operation Total Medical Devices Hospital Management Medical Insurance

Administration Chinese Herbal

Medicines Cord Blood Storage 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 Revenue from External Customers 46,938 69,390 47,865 29,901 2,163 1,984 1,852 2,172 531,588 419,785 630,406 523,232 Inter-segment Revenue 18,251 18,225         18,251 18,225 Reportable Segment

Revenue 65,189 87,615 47,865 29,901 2,163 1,984 1,852 2,172 531,588 419,785 648,657 541,457 Reportable Segment (Loss)/Profit (3,537) 24,988 (81,773) (62,883) (12,244) (19,214) (12,700) (11,620) 228,491 166,462 118,237 97,733

SOURCE Golden Meditech Holdings Limited

Related Links

http://www.goldenmeditech.com


"Our Northeast Distribution Center in New Jersey is a significant investment focused on helping to ensure an effortless experience for our customers by getting them the products they need to keep their operations running and their people safe, and making those products available faster than the competition," said Barry Greenhouse, Grainger Vice President, Global Supply Chain. "Grainger has been in New Jersey since 1933, and we look forward to continuing to provide exceptional value to businesses in the Northeast."

The distribution center runs on state-of-the-art distribution technology enabling real-time order processing. The building also features more than 13,000 high-efficiency SunPower solar panels on its roof capable of producing 4.3 megawatts of electrical power.

Commitment to the Community

With six locations that include five branches and the distribution center, Grainger employs approximately 685 team members in New Jersey. Approximately 550 of those team members work in the new distribution center with roles primarily in warehouse operations.

"Bordentown Township, 'The Crossroads of the Heart of New Jersey', is delighted to officially welcome the single largest independent commercial warehouse in the State," said Stephen Benowitz, Mayor of Bordentown Township. "I have been involved in this project with Grainger, a Fortune 500 company, since the beginning, so this event carries special importance to me. I would like to especially point out that Grainger has proven to be, as promised, a good neighbor and community partner to the residents that surround their property. On behalf of the Township Committee, we look forward to a long, successful relationship. This project is the end result of a mutually beneficial process between government, the private industry, and the community. I truly believe that this project will be the beginning of more growth and prosperity for the Township."

Grainger's support of the community also extends to Brookdale Community College, Mercer County Community College and its students. Each year, two students studying the skilled trades, public safety or supply chain management from each school have the opportunity to earn financial assistance as part of the Grainger Tools for Tomorrow scholarship program. Upon graduation, students receive a customized Westward toolkit, which includes specialized tools for the student's area of professional expertise.

Grainger DC Network Dedicated to Industrial Supplies and Complete Next-Day Shipments

This Northeast Distribution Center is one of 20 such centers Grainger has throughout North America, dedicated to the products customers need to maintain, repair and operate facilities. During the past eight years, Grainger has invested heavily in its distribution center network to ensure optimum capacity, increased automation and standardization in response to the need for on-demand delivery of products, information and services. This robust and evolving distribution center network allows Grainger to ship most orders complete with next-day delivery.

About Grainger

W.W. Grainger, Inc., with 2016 sales of $10.1 billion, is North America's leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating products (MRO), with operations also in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Follow Grainger on Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe to Grainger's Media Room to receive the latest news.

SOURCE W.W. Grainger, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.grainger.com


PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The non-profit organization Greater Philadelphia Veterans Network (GPVN) will be hosting its 5th Veteran Shark Tank event on Monday, December 4 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at The Union League of Philadelphia. Similar to the popular television show "Shark Tank", five aspiring veteran entrepreneurs will pitch their business idea to a panel of 'sharks' and audience members, but, with a twist. Rather than an investment, the winners take home a cash prize of $10,000.

Celebrity chef and Royal Navy veteran, Robert Irvine of Food Network's "Restaurant: Impossible" will attend as the keynote speaker and Comcast will be the presenting sponsor.

"The Veteran Shark Tank competition will allow veteran entrepreneurs to sharpen their business pitch, gain feedback from business leaders, compete for a cash prize of $10,000, in-kind business support services, and create a veteran network for life as they launch their new venture," said Alex Archawski, Navy veteran and founder of GPVN and the Veteran Shark Tank. "Many of our sponsors are here to support our veteran community and build relationships with up-and-coming veteran leaders. They also look forward to watching emerging veteran business leaders compete and be part of an inspiring evening."

Last year, NeuroFlow, a digital health company dedicated to aiding mental health professionals through the tracking of biometric data, took home the winning title. Other notable contestants on the show include:

Stephanie Siraco , Navy veteran and CEO of "SKFitLife.com" a coaching and lifestyle company dedicated to performance.

, Navy veteran and CEO of "SKFitLife.com" a coaching and lifestyle company dedicated to performance. Mike Maher , Navy veteran and co-founder of Houwzer, a Philadelphia -based brokerage.

, Navy veteran and co-founder of Houwzer, a -based brokerage. William J. Belknap Sr. , Army veteran and founder of AEONRG LLC, a limited liability company focused on facility maintenance, repair, and operations company.

"Participating in the 2016 GPVN Shark Tank event paid credence to the fact that the veteran community and the support we have for each other transcends the years we served together," said Chris Molaro Army veteran, CEO and co-founder of NeuroFlow. "Aside from the competition, Veteran Shark Tank gave our business the opportunity to make connections and forge relationships that continue to be fruitful."

It is a team effort to bring this event to life. Among the board members who have volunteered time to prescreen contestants is previous Veteran Shark Tank contestant JDog Junk Removal & Hauling, a national franchise organization dedicated to providing business ownership opportunities to veterans and relatives of veterans. The company has awarded more than 300 territories in 35 states and has a 10-year plan to have 10,000 veterans working within the JDog system.

Limited tickets are still available, visit httpbit.ly/2Bv6TRZ.

About Greater Philadelphia Veteran Network

The primary mission of the GPVN is three-fold: to assist veterans, National Guard, and reservists to find work through career service, programs/incentives, mentorships, networking, and job leads; to educate employers in the greater Philadelphia area on how to hire local veterans; and to offer veteran professional leadership and entrepreneurship programs.

http://gpvn.org

About JDog Junk Removal & Hauling

JDog Junk Removal & Hauling is a national company that awards franchises exclusively to military veterans and veteran family members  people who understand the notion of service to our country, hard work, and dedication. The company is committed to offering its proven operating model to veterans and military family members, enabling them to realize the American dream of business ownership. JDog has awarded more than 300 territories operating in 35 states and is actively looking for qualified franchisees to join the JDog movement nationwide. For more information on JDog Junk Removal & Hauling, please visit www.jdog.com

Media Contact: Danielle Naccarato, Fishman PR, (847) 945-1300, [email protected]

SOURCE Greater Philadelphia Veterans Network

Related Links

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BLUE ASH, Ohio, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Handyman Connection, a home repair franchise company with over 25 years of experience, announced today its placement on Entrepreneur's 2017 Top Franchises for Veterans list for the first time in the company's history. To determine the Top Franchises for Veterans ranking, Entrepreneur analyzed each company's veteran incentive, the number of veteran-owned units, how veteran franchisees are attracted to and support by each company, and how each company scored in the 2017 Franchise 500 ranking. Handyman Connection's position on the ranking is a testament to the company's efforts to support veterans in their pursuit of the American Dream.

"It is a tremendous honor to be named a top franchise for veterans by Entrepreneur Magazine," said CEO and President Jeff Wall. "Veterans often make ideal franchisees, thanks to their strong leadership skills and abilities to work inside complex systems, and we are proud to help veterans pursue the opportunity to own their own Handyman Connection business."

Handyman Connection operates more than 75 locations throughout 28 states and Canada. For more than 25 years, the brand has offered homeowners across North America a complete resource for professional craftsmanship and exemplary customer service. Handyman Connection provides a variety of services ranging from traditional home repairs to painting and remodeling, and offers qualified veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces who otherwise meet all applicable requirements, a reduction in the Initial Franchise Fee by $7,500. For more information about franchise opportunities with Handyman Connection, visit https://franchiseopportunity.handymanconnection.com/.

Entrepreneur Magazine, which seeks to inspire, inform and celebrate entrepreneurs, has tracked the industry's largest and most successful franchise companies for 38 years. Additional information on the Top Franchises for Veterans can be found online at https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/topfranchiseveterans#.

About Handyman Connection

Since 1991, homeowners across North America have been calling on Handyman Connection for our professional craftsmanship and exemplary customer service. Each Handyman Connection franchise is locally owned and operated, backed by the company that helped launch the industry. Our values are steeped in a long-standing dedication to the people we serve, and truly differentiate Handyman Connection as a home repair company.

Contact:

Nikki Rode

Fish Consulting

954-893-9150

[email protected]

SOURCE Handyman Connection

Related Links

http://www.handymanconnection.com


HERNDON, Va., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to a realignment that has been occurring over the course of several years, Harris Healthcare and QuadraMed have launched two new websites: www.harrishealthcare.com and www.quadramed.com, which detail each company's core software and services for healthcare.

Since coming under the Harris brand in 2013, the modus operendi has been "Together, but separate." With the launch of the new websites, Harris Healthcare and QuadraMed complete their identity splits, while continuing to work together closely to share resources and serve clients.

Harris Healthcare QuadraMed

The QuadraMed website now focuses exclusively on the Enterprise Master Patient Index (EMPI) software solutions, including SmartCleanup for one-time transitions and SmartID for ongoing patient identity accuracy across healthcare systems. To learn how to diagnose, treat, cure and prevent patient identity errors, visit www.quadramed.com.

The new Harris Healthcare website details the solutions offered by two of the Harris Healthcare Group's largest business units: Harris Healthcare Clinical Solutions and Harris Healthcare Financial Solutions. Visitors will find detailed information on Harris Healthcare's solutions to enhance patient care processes and improve business operations, including Affinity Patient Self-Service, Affinity Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), AcuityPlus acuity-based staffing, TeamNotes, QCPR electronic health record (EHR), and Affinity revenue cycle management (RCM).

To learn about these solutions as well as how all 10 of the Harris Healthcare Group business units come together to serve clients under the Harris brand and our commitment to hassle-free and cost-free integration among and between Harris Healthcare Group products, please visit the new Harris Healthcare website at www.harrishealthcare.com. We welcome feedback to [email protected].

About Harris Healthcare

With a 30-year history as a healthcare software provider, Harris Healthcare delivers a fully-integrated solution set to hospitals and clinics throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. We streamline processes, increase productivity, enhance business operations and drive positive clinical outcomes. Visit www.harrishealthcare.com for more detail.

About QuadraMed

QuadraMed employs the leading minds in EMPI strategy, implementation and innovation. With over 20 years of experience, we are the past, present and future of EMPI. Our innovative solutions keep health systems at the forefront of patient safety and quality care. Visit www.quadramed.com to learn more.

Media Contact

Miranda Hahn

Harris Healthcare | QuadraMed

Phone # 231.360.7063

[email protected]

SOURCE Harris Healthcare and QuadraMed
CHICAGO, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hireology, the nation's leading integrated hiring and talent management platform, announces a suite of new sourcing solutions designed to drive quality candidates to employers, provide visibility into the most effective sourcing channels and drive return on investment.

Both solutions  a Sourcing Insight and Applicant Engine  are immediately available to Hireology's 3,700 customers and any employer seeking to implement the Hireology platform.

Identify the Best Sources for Quality Applicants and Drive Greater Recruitment ROI

Earlier this year, Hireology announced Insights  easy-to-understand reporting that provides visibility into points of strength and weakness in the hiring process and prescriptive recommendations for improvement. The first two Insights released answer the questions, "What is my hiring velocity?" and "Am I following my hiring process?"

Hireology's new Sourcing Insight answers the question, "What is my best source of applicants?" and provides clear visibility into the total number of applicants, quality candidates and hires by source. The Insight further provides central visibility into sponsored job board performance, including total sponsored posts purchased, dollars spent, quality applicants sourced, and average cost per quality applicant.

"To increase the likelihood of attracting quality applicants, employers need to implement a diverse sourcing strategy and bring awareness to open roles across multiple channels," said Adam Robinson, co-founder and CEO of Hireology. "And to measure the success of each channel, it's critical to have visibility into which sources deliver the most quality applicants. Sources that deliver a high quantity of poor applicants will only waste your team's time and recruitment budget."

Build a Pipeline of Quality Candidates and Optimize Spend by Sourcing Channel

Applicant Engine manages recruitment advertising spend to deliver quality candidates and drive cost savings. With Applicant Engine, Hireology customers can reach the best candidates automatically across hundreds of sources, including national job boards, industry-specific job boards, organic search engine feeds, local classified ads, social media and other niche sources.

How it works:

Job descriptions are optimized using similar titles and keywords to reach a broader set of potential applicants.

Budget is spent on sources known to convert at the highest rate first by leveraging historical performance data and predictive analytics.

Sources that provide a low return on investment are automatically eliminated and budget is shifted to the best-performing sources for open jobs.

Quality applicants are sent directly to Hireology account holders, with full attribution and source reporting to drive transparency and future spending decisions.

"Many businesses make the mistake of waiting until they have an immediate job opening before they begin the hiring process. The scramble to quickly fill an open role often results in buying costly, one-off job board postings with limited visibility into ROI," said Robinson. "With Applicant Engine, Hireology manages your advertising and recruiting dollars on your behalf to run a proactive sourcing program, delivering qualified candidates and cost savings."

For more information, please visit www.hireology.com/insights or www.hireology.com/applicant-engine.

ABOUT HIREOLOGY

Hireology's integrated hiring and talent management platform empowers multi-location, owner-operated, and independently owned businesses to build their best teams with confidence. The company equips teams with the skills and technology needed to manage the full employee lifecycle  from hire to retire  in one seamless platform. With focused expertise across several industries  including automotive, fitness & wellness, education, healthcare, and professional services  more than 3,700 businesses today trust Hireology to help build great teams, lift customer service and drive profitability. For more information, visit www.hireology.com.

SOURCE Hireology

Related Links

http://hireology.com


TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Nov. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the government of the Republic of Honduras applauded the hard work of the domestic and international observers overseeing the country's independent Supreme Electoral Tribunal. The tribunal is currently tabulating the results from this past Sunday's election.

As of this morning, more than 23 percent of ballots in the presidential election remain to be processed.

At a press conference November 28, Supreme Electoral Tribunal President David Matamoros said, "There are no more records to receive, the cases [containing the ballots] are in line to be downloaded and processed and our calculation is that [today] at 8:00 p.m. we will have 100 percent of the votes [processed]."

"I, as the president of TSE, take orders from no one," Matamoros said. "I have an obligation, as part of the TSE, to respect the results."

At the same press conference, Matamoros dismissed accusations of election fraud. "[The people] made their decision on Sunday the 26th," he said. "The tribunal will not change it, no candidate will change it, no press conference will change it, because the parties have all the results, as does the European Union, the OAS, the Cohep [Honduran Council of Private Enterprise], the media and the ten parties."

"On Sunday, the people went to vote and make their choice and that is why international entities are saying we [TSE] have done a good job," Matamoros said.

TSE expects to announce the official winner of Honduras's presidential election tonight, November 29 at 8pm Honduras time (9pm ET).

Media Contact:

Andrew Grafton

[email protected]

(202)-471-4228 ext. 119

www.keybridgecommunications.com

SOURCE Republic of Honduras
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Yesterday, Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez and fellow presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla signed formal pledges with the Organization of American States to respect the official, final results of the November 26 presidential election.

"We must respect the will of the Honduran people," President Hernandez said. "They are the ones who voted, and we must respect their choice in this election."

Republic of Honduras

In identical agreements, President Hernandez and Mr. Nasralla "promise to accept the results of the final, general count of the votes for president by TSE [Honduras's Supreme Electoral Tribune] in order to guarantee respect for the will of all Honduran citizens who cast their vote last Sunday."

The agreements also called on Hondurans to "wait calmly and peacefully for the votes from this past November 26 to be counted."

In a statement printed in Honduran outlet La Tribuna following the signing of the pledges, the head of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission in Honduras, former Bolivian President Jorge Quiroga, called the agreement "valuable and remarkable." He added that "it will help the Honduran people maintain peace and security."

Quiroga also asked both candidates to wait for the TSE to release the final results. "Let the ballots speak, let the votes be counted," he said.

OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro also commented on the agreement, tweeting that OAS "salutes the commitment of the candidates @JuanOrlandoH and @SalvadorAlianza that gives a sign of civility #HonduranElection @OASinHonduras."

Earlier this week, Honduran National Commissioner for Human Rights Roberto Herrera Caceres called for the "expression of the sovereign will of the people to be respected," and asked all parties to maintain public order during the vote count.

Media Contact:

Andrew Grafton

[email protected]

(202)-471-4228 ext. 119

www.keybridgecommunications.com

SOURCE Republic of Honduras
A total of 301 artworks created by 30 renowned Chinese painters were highlighted at the exhibition. Collis ilmi Rost, officer from the WRA, evaluated the number of paintings on-site and presented a certificate verifying the event as the "Largest Shaiqiu -Themed Oil Painting Exhibition" to Huangling.

Huangling is the only Chinese village that has kept the folk tradition of shaiqiu, or "crop-drying in mid-air." The villagers sun-dry harvest produce like hot chili peppers, pumpkins and corn on the rooves of the hundreds of Hui-style houses in the village throughout the year.

Wu Xiangyang, CEO of Wuyuan Rural Culture Development Co., Ltd., noted that being recognized for a world record will further promote Huangling and the village's rich cultural heritage internationally. "Shaiqiu is the cultural icon of Huangling; its vibrant view is deeply rooted in the lives of the locals, and we hope that it can be an inspiration for everyone," said Wu.

"We are proud to celebrate this tradition with artists in a unique way. This exhibition is an opportunity for visitors to experience Huangling from another perspective."

Visitors travelling to Huangling can now enjoy the record-setting oil painting exhibition. November and December are the best months to capture the view of shaiqiu and the beautiful fall foliage in Huangling. The village is now decorated in the bright red and gold colors of shaiqiu produce and maple leaves, creating an artistic and cinematic vibe.

Huangling was named "The Sino-foreign Most Beautiful Shooting Location" during the 74th Venice Film Festival, a validation of all the hard work that the people of Huangling have done to preserve the beauty of the village and its traditions.

About Huangling

Located in Wuyuan County, Jiangxi Province, China, Huangling attracts visitors from all over the world. The quaint and elegant village has preserved and maintained its ancient Hui-style architecture and offers an authentic Chinese countryside travel experience. Praised as the most beautiful countryside in China, the unique view of shaiqiu can only be found in Huangling, where baskets of colorful harvest bask in the sunshine.

SOURCE Wuyuan Rural Culture Development Co., Ltd.
STOCKHOLM, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Husqvarna ABs articles of association, owners of Class A shares have the right to have such shares converted to Class B shares. Conversion reduces the total number of votes in Husqvarna AB. When such a conversion has occurred, the company is obligated by the Act on Trading in Financial Instruments to disclose any such change.

In November 2017, at the request of shareholders, 301,000 Class A shares were converted to Class B shares. The total number of votes thereafter amounts to 159,270,151.1.

The total number of registered shares in the company amounts to 576,343,778 shares of which 112,928,637 are Class A shares and 463,415,141 are Class B shares.

This information is such that Husqvarna AB must disclose in accordance with the Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication on November 30, 2017, at 09:00 CET.

For additional information, please contact

+46-8-738-90-80

[email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/husqvarna-ab/r/conversion-of-shares,c2402782

The following files are available for download:

http://mb.cision.com/Main/996/2402782/759651.pdf Conversion of shares Husqvarna Group 171130

SOURCE Husqvarna AB
BASEL, Switzerland, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Symposium of Patient Blood Management 2017, hosted by the Korean Society for Patient Blood Management (KPBM), will be held in Seoul, South Korea 1-2 December 2017.

Dr. Young-Woo Kim, President of the KPBM and also an IFPBM Scientific Associate, states, "since the foundation of KBPM in 2014, we have brought people together to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of treatment with blood products in patient management." He added, "this symposium will provide great opportunities to share experiences and the latest academic information in the Patient Blood Management field."

Included among the international experts on Patient Blood Management who will give lectures at this symposium are Prof. Donat Spahn from the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, Prof. Aryeh Shander from the Englewood Hospital & Medical Center, USA and Prof. Toby Richards from the University College of London, UK.

IFPBM Director, A/Prof. Axel Hofmann, from the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, will deliver the opening address of the symposium entitled "Patient Blood Management: Has the paradigm shifted?"

The full program for the International Symposium of Patient Blood Management in South Korea may be viewed at www.isopbm.org.

About IFPBM

The International Foundation for Patient Blood Management (IFPBM) is a Swiss foundation headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. IFPBM is a multi-disciplinary organization whose core purpose is to improve patient safety and outcomes in clinical practice through optimal Patient Blood Management. IFPBM promotes evidence-based cost-effective practice through education and training, facilitating the highest standard of health care.

To request a one-on-one meeting with representatives attending from IFPBM please email your request to [email protected].

SOURCE The International Foundation for Patient Blood Management (IFPBM)

Related Links

http://www.ifpbm.org


PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Since Isaac Asimov created the three laws of robotics in 1942, artificial intelligence has been a distant unattainable vision for business. On November 15, Temple University's Institute for Business and Information Technology (IBIT) gathered academic and industry leaders to create a pragmatic path for generating value from Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related technologies such as machine learning.

The IBIT symposium on "The Practical Path Forward: Cognitive Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and Analytics" organized in cooperation with Emtec Inc., an advisory firm, attracted about 100 local and national experts.

Keynote speaker Jeff Hamilton, Senior Vice President, Pfizer, demonstrated how AI is in action today at Pfizer and other firms in improving healthcare such as physician interaction, patient adherence, and access. Jeff Szuba, Vice President of Analytics at NBCU and voted by attendees as one of the symposium's highest-rated speakers, showed how analytics is driving consumer engagement using scalable data foundations in the media industry.

Another highly rated speaker, Ron Kim, a private equity expert at TPG Global, and former CIO of Exelon, showed how to separate hype from practical reality. David Schuff, Professor and Chair of MIS at Temple University presented research directions relating to the role of unsupervised algorithms in shaping business. Sunil Misra, President, Emtec, presented a well-received use case on robotic process automation (RPA).

Speakers from DARPA, Alexion, QVC, LiquidHub, AmerisourceBergen, Comcast, Aetna and MuHu covered topics such as cognitive networking, infrastructure, consumer personalization and real time insights, and AI self-service platforms.

"The speakers provided tangible, practical, and measurable examples of the role of AI," said Dr. Munir Mandviwalla, IBIT executive director, "It was an excellent day of knowledge sharing, which is  after all  the essence of a university."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Christopher A. Vito

Associate Director of Communications

[email protected], 215-204-4115

SOURCE Temple Universitys Institute for Business and Information Technology
Close to $700,000 was raised during the evening, of which $240,000 is designated for the Immunotherapy Promise, a groundbreaking collaboration between ICRF and the Cancer Research Institute. The Israel Cancer Research Fund has an additional collaboration with The City of Hope in California.

A supporter of ICRF for more than 30 years, Mr. Brafman reminded the guests that "there isn't anyone in this room who hasn't battled cancer" and that "ICRF is supporting researchers who are developing treatments and therapies that will keep people alive longer and longer."

The first honoree, Michael Douglas, is an actor with over forty years of experience in theatre, film, and television, branched out into independent feature production in 1975 with the Academy Award-winning "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". Since then, as an actor-producer, he has chosen projects that reflect changing trends and public concerns. Over the years, he has been involved in controversial and politically influential pictures--"The China Syndrome," "Traffic" --and popular films such as "Fatal Attraction" and "Romancing the Stone". Douglas is the recipient of numerous awards including the AFI Lifetime Achievement, Producers Guild Award, New York Film Society Charlie Chaplin Award, and the Israel Genesis Prize.

Upon receiving "The Lifetime Achievement Award in the Arts" from Ben Brafman, Michael Douglas remarked: "It is a tremendous honor to be with ICRF this evening. I am a cancer survivorseven years since my diagnosis of tongue cancer. I congratulate ICRF for its important work in supporting cancer research."

Dr. Coleman was awarded "The Lifetime Achievement Award in Medicine." He has vast expertise in the treatment of lymphoma, myeloma, waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, and associated diseases. He has also played an instrumental role in devising the standard treatment for Hodgkin's disease, the use of infusional chemotherapy in lymphoma, the concept of dose intensity and its use in myeloma and lymphoma, the combined use of thalidomide in myeloma, the role of PET scanning in lymphoma, the innovative applications of monoclonal antibodies in lymphoma and many other developments. Dr. Coleman is Chairman of the Medical Affiliate Board of the Lymphoma Research Foundation and is on its board of directors and scientific review committee. He is also a member of the scientific review committees of the International Waldenstrom Foundation and the Research Fund for Waldenstrom Ltd. Dr. Coleman originated and serves as Chairman of the largest conference on lymphoma, myeloma and related diseases in the United States. He has served as the chairman, consultant or member reviewer for many scientific committees and has authored hundreds of publications in the field of blood cancers. Dr. Coleman and has been designated one of the "Best Doctors in America."

Dean Blumenthal accepted the "Lifetime Achievement Award in Business." His family-owned company, Lion Brand Yarns, was founded in 1878 by his great grandfather. Dean's parents were founding members of ICRF. His father, George, served as Vice President of the Board of ICRF; his mother, Rose, assumed George's board seat after his passing. For Dean, accepting the ICRF honor is "his way of preserving his father's legacy while helping to find treatments and cures for cancer." He is the recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for New Jersey, and a board member of the Center for Retailing Excellence at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.

"In Michael Douglas, Dean Blumenthal and Dr. Morton Coleman, we had the perfect portfolio of honorees," said ICRF President Rob Densen. "Michael Douglas is a courageous and forthright survivor/advocate, Dean and his family have been spectacularly generous and were leaders of this organization for many years, while Morton Coleman is a physician, researcher, healer and humanitarian without peer. If humankind has reason to be hopeful about the fight against this dreadful disease  and we do -- it's because of people like Michael Douglas, Dean Blumenthal and Mort Coleman. It is a privilege to honor them."

The Israel Cancer Research Fund is the largest charitable organization outside of Israel solely devoted to supporting cancer research in Israel. Grants issued by ICRF have gone to hundreds of researchers (ICRF grantees include the first two Israelis to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, multiple winners of the coveted Israel Prize and other global scientific awards) at two dozen leading research institutions, universities, and hospitals across Israel. The efforts of Israeli cancer researchers have resulted in significant cancer breakthroughs and in the development of breakthrough cancer drugs, including Doxil, Gleevec and Velcade. ICRF's current collaborations with two major cancer research organizations, The Cancer Research Institute and City of Hope, demonstrate the global research community's respect for ICRF.

SOURCE The Israel Cancer Research Fund
Jewlr is based in Toronto, Canada, which is coincidentally the city where Meghan Markle currently resides. The retailer announced the new product launch as hundreds of women flocked to imitate the actress. Markle is already well-known for her ability to drive fashion retail sales, and this is not the first time Jewlr has benefitted from her style choices. Earlier this year, the e-tailer revealed that sales of its initial pendant necklaces had increased by 2000% after Meghan was pictured wearing 'H' and 'M' charms around her neck.

Meghan's ring was designed by Prince Harry himself. The stunning central diamond was sourced from Botswana, and the two surrounding stones belonged to Harry's late mother, Princess Diana. Jewlr.com replica ring, 'The Duchess' starts from $99 USD and is available in a range of precious metals, with gemstones both genuine and simulated. The ring is intended to be worn as an eternity ring or engagement ring. Jewlr.com sales reports show that both men and women purchased the ring, suggesting that women are wearing it as a fashion accessory to emulate Markle's look, rather than being gifted the ring by a partner.

Jewlr founder Tony Davis says, "Within minutes of Harry and Meghan's photocall going live, we experienced a huge influx of searches for three-stone rings. Due to our production methods, we can turn designs around extremely quickly, and once online, products can be created and shipped to customers within days. It's great to be able to meet customers' demands for celebrity styles so easily. We already know that Meghan is one of the most influential celebrities for driving our sales in the UK, but it's interesting to see the same effect with a traditional engagement ring. Interestingly, we had an equal amount of female customers as male, which could mean a new trend for women buying engagement styles as a fashion accessory."

About Jewlr.com

Jewlr.com is Canada's leading online destination for personalized jewelry. Founded in 2009, Jewlr has revolutionized jewelry shopping by giving customers a fast, fun and affordable way to buy custom personalized jewelry. Jewlr uses advanced technology, coupled with traditional jewelry manufacturing techniques to deliver a unique experience. Customers can choose from thousands of unique designs, and interactively personalize each item online. Every unique item is then custom made using advanced 3D printing and laser technologies to deliver a high quality one-of-a-kind piece in just a few days. Serving customers in North America, Europe, UK and Australia, Jewlr manufactures all jewelry in Canada. For more information, please visit https://www.jewlr.com.

SOURCE Jewlr
NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kennsington Capital Group will launch its 2018 wealth building series in December by hosting a joint holiday mixer and financial empowerment panel in New York City, Newark, New Jersey and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Kennsington Capital Group, a savvy and seasoned team of real estate developers are set to share a message of hope to the masses in 2018 by hosting a series of financial empowerment seminars monthly in the tristate area. Their goal? To teach you how to build a better future by investing in real estate. The seminars will be helmed by financial thought leader, Eyan Edwards, Kennsington Capital Group's Vice President of Client Development, who will be co-hosting each event, and sharing free of charge strategies on accessing wealth through "the art of flipping houses."

Edwards insists that no prior knowledge or real estate experience will be needed for you to take part in these events. Due to the numerous years of expertise in their field, the Kennsington team comes equipped to instruct you on how to obtain financial freedom by directing you to the best income producing properties. "We will teach you how the rich make millions using other people's money to finance their own ventures," states Edwards. Kennsington Capital Group will be launching their 2018 financial series this holiday season in three cities.

Kennsington Capital Group Holiday Launch Events Dates, Times and Address:

Wednesday, December 13th - Newark, NJ

Rutgers University  Newark

Paul Robeson Center

Dance Theater

350 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd

Newark, NJ 07102

Monday, December 18th - NYC

WeWork - Soho West

175 Varick Street

New York, NY 10014

Tuesday, December 19th - Pittsburgh

Spaces - Bakery Square

Second Floor

6425 Living Place

Pittsburgh, PA 15206

About Kennsington Capital Group:

Kennsington Capital Group, a savvy and seasoned team of real estate developers, whose mission is to help empower, educate and engage communities by promoting collaborations that build a stronger, vital, and sustainable society. Kennsington Capital Group: Raising the next generation of millionaires.

SOURCE Kennsington Capital Group

Related Links

http://kennsington.co


SCRANTON, Pa., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lackawanna College today announced that students will now be able to fund part of their college costs with income share agreements (ISAs), an innovative solution that allows students to pay for college with a set percentage of their income after graduation. Income share agreements create a more affordable option for students by reducing up-front expenses and aligning the cost of college with student outcomes.

"Affordability has always been a hallmark of Lackawanna College, and our institution has a long history of innovative thinking to provide students with high-quality educational opportunities at low costs," said Lackawanna College President Mark Volk. "Income share agreements provide an opportunity to align our interests with those of our students, which fits perfectly with our mission to ease the burden of college costs."

With federal student loan debt at $1.4 trillion and climbing, college and university leaders are increasingly focused on identifying alternative college funding models that reduce risk and improve affordability for students and graduates. By adjusting payments based on income, ISAs enable risk-sharing between students and institutions and reduce the amount of payment for students who make less than expected after graduating.

Lackawanna College, founded in 1894, is a private, accredited, nonprofit institution focused on providing affordable pathways to careers in high-demand industries, such as allied health, business, criminal justice, and more. In a visit to the college in 2013, President Barack Obama highlighted Lackawanna as a standard-bearer for affordability and access. This semester, the institution expanded its offerings to include its first three bachelor's degree programs, with further expansion planned for the next academic year.

To develop its ISA program, Lackawanna College partnered with Vemo Education, an education technology company that helps colleges and universities develop, launch, and implement income share agreements and other income-based approaches to student finance. This year, Vemo has powered $23 million of income share agreements at postsecondary and vocational institutions.

"Income share agreements are based on the premise that the cost of college should be based on a student's potential, not her parents' tax returns," said Tonio DeSorrento, Co-Founder and CEO of Vemo Education. "From affordable tuition to innovative academic programs linked to in-demand jobs, Lackawanna College is a standout institution. We're proud to help further the institution's longstanding commitment to improve the lives of its students and the communities in which they live."

About Lackawanna College

Lackawanna College is a private, accredited college serving the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania. With its main campus situated in downtown Scranton, Lackawanna's expanding footprint also includes satellite centers in Hawley, Hazleton, New Milford, Sunbury, and Towanda.

About Vemo Education

Vemo Education's mission is to help higher education institutions empower their students by developing customized, value-oriented student financing programs. Providing a full-service approach to its partners, Vemo has invested in the infrastructure required to design, price, originate, disburse and service income-based payment products. Vemo's management team has extensive experience in education finance and the financial aid sector. Learn more at www.vemo.com.

SOURCE Vemo Education; Lackawanna College

Related Links

http://www.lackawanna.edu


AMSTERDAM, November 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

LeaseWeb today announces the expansion of its cloud services offering to the United Kingdom and Australia through the opening of new datacenter facilities in London and Sydney. With this expansion, LeaseWeb now offers customers cloud services on four continents in locations across Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. The opening of the new data centers is in accordance with LeaseWeb's global expansion plans.

Businesses increasingly require a hybrid cloud service partner to host all their data across the globe. As a global partner, LeaseWeb serves as a single point of contact, offers compliance with local requirements, and can 'speak the local language'. LeaseWeb's expansion to the United Kingdom and Australia was driven by three factors, ongoing growth, change in international markets, and the belief that expansion should be driven by customer requirements.

Both the UK and Australia are large markets for cloud services that are predicted to have significant growth over the coming years. Beyond this, LeaseWeb sees a trend where UK based companies are looking to partner with a global cloud provider capable of serving their customers both in and outside the United Kingdom, particularly as the political landscape continues to unfold around issues related to Brexit. Similarly, many EU based customers are looking to have a footprint in the UK to better reach local customers.

Two customers who LeaseWeb has worked closely with in developing its expansion plans are TOPdesk and Acronis. TOPdesk, a Netherlands based international software and consulting company, wanted to expand its business in the United Kingdom and turned to LeaseWeb, their hosting provider since 2001 to help them make it possible.

Jeroen Boks, CIO at TOPdesk, says: "Pushed by the uncertainty created by an upcoming British exit from the EU, TOPdesk noticed an increased demand for a UK based hosting facility. By closely working together with LeaseWeb, we were able to act on this in a timely fashion, without compromising in the reliability that we aim for."

The opening of the Sydney datacenter is the result of LeaseWeb's partnership with Acronis. By expanding the partnership customers in Australia can now benefit from the full cloud service offerings of Acronis. Through its Sydney based datacenter, LeaseWeb is able to service both native and international customers, connecting Australia with rest of the world through its global network infrastructure.

Jan-Jaap Jager, Chief Revenue Officer at Acronis, comments: "We are happy to announce our partnership with LeaseWeb. This expansion offers a great opportunity to address new markets and enable customers to use the full range of our cloud services. LeaseWeb is an experienced Cloud company and an innovative pioneer in the industry. As a partner Acronis is proud to be part of another excellent business prospect to strengthen both our positions in the cloud segment."

Con Zwinkels, CEO and co-founder of LeaseWeb, says: "Internet based business is global business by nature. To provide the best and most reliable user experience every time and everywhere, leading Internet and IT business rely on global infrastructure provides who can deliver locally across the globe. By expanding our services to the United Kingdom and Australia, we deliver businesses of all sizes their locally based cloud infrastructure they need to serve their customers with the option to reach customers globally as well."

About LeaseWeb

LeaseWeb is a leading Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provider serving a worldwide portfolio of 17,500 customers ranging from SMBs to Enterprises. Services include Public Cloud, Private Cloud, Colocation, Dedicated Servers, Content Delivery Network, and Cyber Security Services supported by exceptional customer service and technical support. With more than 80,000 servers under management, LeaseWeb has provided infrastructure for mission-critical websites, Internet applications, email servers, security, and storage services since 1997. The company operates 17 data centers in locations across Europe, Asia and North America, all of which are backed by a superior worldwide network with a total capacity of more than 5.5 Tbps. LeaseWeb offers services through its various subsidiaries, which are LeaseWeb Netherlands B.V. ("LeaseWeb Netherlands"), LeaseWeb USA, Inc. ("LeaseWeb USA"), LeaseWeb Asia Pacific PTE. LTD ("LeaseWeb Asia"), LeaseWeb CDN B.V. ("LeaseWeb CDN"), LeaseWeb Deutschland GmbH ("LeaseWeb Germany"), LeaseWeb Australia Ltd. and LeaseWeb UK Ltd. For more information, please visit www.leaseweb.com or follow @LeaseWeb.

About Acronis

Acronis sets the standard for hybrid cloud IT data protection through its backup, ransomware Active Protection, disaster recovery, and secure file sync and share solutions. Powered by the Acronis AnyData Engine and set apart by its image technology, Acronis delivers easy, fast, complete and affordable data protection of all files, applications and operating systems across any environment-virtual, physical, cloud, mobile and applications. Founded in 2003 in Singapore, with global headquarters in Switzerland, Acronis protects the data of more than 5 million consumers and 500,000 businesses in over 150 countries and 20 languages. With more than 100 patents, Acronis products are consistently named best product of the year and cover a range of features, including migration, cloning, and replication. Today, Acronis solutions are available worldwide through a global network of service providers, distributors, and cloud resellers. Learn more at acronis.com

About TOPdesk

TOPdesk sells, implements and supports ITIL-aligned service management software for IT, Facilities Management, and eHRM helpdesks. It helps organizations manage their services more efficiently. Our software supports service desks and other service departments, helping them perform and manage their tasks.

TOPdesk was founded in 1993, has 4,500+ clients in over 50 countries and offices in 10 countries: Netherlands, UK, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, USA, Canada, and Norway. The service management software is available in 10 languages: English, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Danish. TOPdesk has 500+ employees worldwide.

To see the latest version of the software, aiming for simpler and more accessible service management, go to www.topdesk.com

SOURCE LeaseWeb
BARCELONA, Spain, November 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Linke, a Spanish IT company that specializes in SAP consulting services on the cloud has achieved Premier tier Consulting status in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Network (APN).

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613236/Linke_Logo.jpg )



This designation is the highest tier an APN Partner can achieve and is awarded to companies that have extensive experience on deploying customer solutions on AWS, have a broad number of certified technical consultants on their organizations, and proven expertise in project management.

Linkes achievement of Premier Consulting Partner status in the APN in 12 months

To qualify for the Premier Consulting Partner status in the APN, Partners must meet requirements that demonstrate the scale of their AWS expertise. Linke has been able to advance to Premier Consulting Partner in the APN in one year by continuously helping customers on their digital transformation and migrating their services to the cloud.

Ricardo Casanovas, Linkes CTO, highlights:

"In 2017, we managed to migrate more than 50 successful projects to AWS, 44 of which were on SAP workloads. This investment proves our commitment and certainty that companies can be more effective and grow faster if they move to the cloud."

As a result, companies leveraging AWS have achieved a higher level of availability and automation, making important cost savings and gaining agility. Some of the success stories have relevant industry names from different backgrounds such as Oxfam Intermon, Barcelonesa Grup, Wanup or Caher. Full case studies can be found here.

"Working with AWS means investing in reliability and constant innovation that we can then translate to our clients to make them more competitive and to help them focus on what matters the most: their own customers." adds Casanovas.

Now that Linke has achieved Premier Consulting Partner status in the APN, the main challenges for 2018 are the continuous expansion in EMEA as well as working to achieve new key competencies that will provide new services and solutions to current and oncoming clients.

To learn more about Linke, visit https://linkeit.com/

SOURCE Linkeit
The first of the modernized LM 2100 satellites, Hellas-Sat-4/SaudiGeoSat-1 is being built for Arabsat/Hellas Sat and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology. It will provide advanced telecommunications capabilities, including television, internet, telephone and secure military communications to customers in the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Hellas-Sat4/SaudiGeoSat-1 is the first of two LM 2100 satellites in the Arabsat-6G program. The second is Arabsat-6A.

During environmental testing, the satellite will undergo a series of tests to simulate the launch and space conditions to ensure a successful mission. This testing includes simulating the launch environments with acoustic and vibration testing, simulating the harsh space environment with vacuum and extreme temperature testing, and radio frequency compatibility and performance testing to validate the payload meets critical performance expectations.

"Environmental testing is an essential set of activities to ensure the satellite can operate as designed in the extreme conditions of space and will meet our customers' needs," said Joe Rickers, Lockheed Martin's Arabsat-6G program manager. "Now that assembly of the Hellas-Sat-4/SaudiGeoSat-1 satellite is complete and environmental testing is on the horizon, we're one step closer to providing greatly improved communications capabilities for our customers."

The satellite recently went through comprehensive testing as a part of a baseline integrated systems test at the company's Littleton, Colorado facility where the satellite was designed, assembled and integrated with its payload. Remaining baseline testing will be completed before environmental testing. The rigorous baseline test ensures the fully integrated satellite is working properly before moving on to environmental testing.

While in California, but prior to the environmental tests, the satellite's large communications antennae and large flexible solar arrays will be installed. The four deployable antennas use a new design that allows them to be tuned with higher accuracy and efficiency. The multi-mission modular solar arrays incorporate three key features: higher power, less mass and compact stowage. This compact flexible array design delivers 50 percent more power than previous rigid array designs at 30 percent less mass.

The satellite is scheduled for delivery to the launch site in third quarter 2018.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 97,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

Additional information about commercial communications satellites: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/commercialspace

SOURCE Lockheed Martin

Related Links

http://www.lockheedmartin.com


"Growing up, I watched my mom apply her makeup in the morning and wanted so badly to be part of that daily ritual with her. Seeing how much she enjoyed putting makeup on, including her go-to L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Lipcolour , inspired me to love makeup as much as she did," says Aja Naomi King. "Makeup became my armor growing up. It provided me with a sense of protection and gave me the power and confidence to face the world in the way I wanted. To now represent L'Oreal Paris is incredibly overwhelming. I am so excited to help others find and believe in the beauty of who they are because everyone deserves to know their own worth."

"In welcoming Aja to the L'Oreal Paris family, we are thrilled to strengthen our diverse roster of spokeswomen and further connect with a younger generation of consumers," says Tim Coolican, President, L'Oreal Paris USA. "Aja has openly and powerfully shared her journey to overcoming feelings of self-doubt and as such, inspires others to embrace their own beauty and self-worth. She is incredibly talented, accomplished and most importantly, fully understands and embraces our brand philosophy of 'Because You're Worth It'".

Aja will star in TV, print and digital advertising campaigns for the leading global beauty brand beginning in the United States in early 2018. Her first campaign will be for True Match Lumi Glow, a new collection of five products designed to create an effortless and luminous glow  Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer, Glow Nude Palette, Shimmerista Powder, Glow Amour Glow Boosting Drops and Bronze It Bronzer. Following True Match Lumi Glow, Aja will be featured in campaigns for Hair, Skincare, as well as Cosmetics.

Additionally, Aja will serve as a presenter at L'Oreal Paris' Women of Worth celebration on December 6, 2017. The annual event celebrates ten inspiring women who are making a difference in their communities across the country. Tapping into her steadfast commitment of inspiring others to see their own value, she will also be leveraged to drive moments of worth and empowerment for the brand through event appearances, social media promotion and campaign engagement.

Born in Los Angeles, Aja has been performing in some capacity since the age of three and is one of Hollywood's most accomplished young stars. Most recently, she received critical acclaim for her role in the groundbreaking feature, "The Birth of a Nation." Aja was nominated for a 2017 NAACP award in the category of "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture" for her performance, and the film won multiple awards at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Additionally, she received the "Shining Star" award at this year's Essence Black Women in Hollywood gala. Next, the breakout star will have leading roles in "The Upside" and "A Girl from Mogadishu," both scheduled for release in 2018.

About L'Oreal Paris:

The L'Oreal Paris division of L'Oreal USA, Inc. is a total beauty care brand dedicated to empowering women by offering the most luxurious and innovative products and services available in the mass market. The brand's signature tagline, "Because I'm Worth It," was born in the United States in 1971 to celebrate the beauty and intrinsic self-worth of women, and for more than 100 years, L'Oreal Paris has been providing women around the world with products in four major beauty categories: hair color, haircare, skincare and cosmetics. With L'Oreal's invention of hair color in 1909, the brand continues to serve as the leading innovator of hair products across color, care, and styling with brands such as Superior Preference, Feria, Excellence Creme, Elvive, the Ever Collection, Advanced Hairstyle, and Elnett Satin Hairspray. L'Oreal Paris provides scientifically-advanced skincare products that are clinically proven to address individual skin concerns through its renowned brands Revitalift, Hydra Genius, Age Perfect, and Sublime Bronze. L'Oreal Paris 'iconic cosmetics collections include Infallible, True Match, Colour Riche, Voluminous, and Visible Lift. For more information about L'Oreal Paris and to receive personalized advice, expert tips, and exclusive content, please visit www.lorealparisusa.com or follow on Instagram (@LOrealMakeup, @LOrealHair, @LOrealSkin, @LOrealMen, Snapchat (@LOrealMakeup), Twitter (@LOrealParisUSA), Facebook (@LOrealParisUSA), and Pinterest (@LOrealParisUSA).

Contact:

Jacqueline Glasner at Alison Brod Marketing + Communications

(212) 230-1800, [email protected]

SOURCE L'Oreal Paris USA

Related Links

http://www.lorealparisusa.com


NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Luxury French fashion house, Leonard Paris, has announced the launch of their first U.S. Holiday Capsule Collection, created exclusively for the American market. For the collection, Artistic Director Christine Phung drew upon Founder Daniel Tribouillard's Japanese-inspired designs  items of which once helped make the Kimono fashionable again in Japan. Pieces such as the ever-popular jersey dress, which continues to be the brand's best-selling product, will be available in the collection, as well as Leonard's signature silk dresses. The collection marks a triumphant return to the American market and comes on the heels of news that Nathalie Tribouillard Chassaing, Daniel Tribouillard's daughter, has succeeded her father as CEO. However, the exotic flowers and colorful prints will remain part of the House DNA, with a new interpretation of the iconic prints made to fit every season.

"The first spring flowers break the film of snow which covers the entire landscape resembling a multitude of miniscule touches of icy colors. They are regrouped in small bunches or isolated by frost. This seasons floral prints are pointillists, composed of a multitude of small graphic flowers or an iris, solitary and graceful."- Inspiration of the Fall-Winter 2017 collection.

Shoppers across the country can save a trip to Paris to find stylish, chic gifts with French savoir-faire this holiday season. For more information please visit https://leonardparis-usa.com.

ABOUT LEONARD PARIS

Leonard Paris is a family company which has been transmitting and perpetuating its expertise for over 60 years. It all began in 1958 when Daniel Tribouillard started a new company: Leonard Fashion. A man of artistic temperament, Tribouillard set out to differentiate the brand in Haute Couture. In 1960, he launched a revolutionary new process for printing English weaves, that was very fashionable at the time but said to be "unprintable." His clients were won over and the bold young man was applauded across the globe. In just a few years, encouraged by the success of his much-loved floral prints, Tribouillard brought the Leonard brand to the world. He developed his style by adopting the orchid as an emblem: a delicate wild flower "without geometric limits." Indeed, Leonard's originality is founded on a unique and recognizable style shared by all of its designs  and also, the fabrics used. In 1968, Daniel Tribouillard presented his first collection of printed silk jersey dresses. In the early 70s, the House diversified its production and created its own distribution network. In 1994, the House of Leonard joined the French 'Federation de la Couture' and performed its first fashion show at the Carrousel du Louvre. Today, Leonard Paris has over 90 stores throughout Europe and Asia including Japan, Korea and China.

For more information, please contact:

Dana Bruneau / [email protected] / 212-966-3025

SOURCE Leonard Paris

Related Links

https://leonardparis-usa.com


Expands platform in the high growth alternative proteins market

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Maple Leaf Foods (MFI: TSX) today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Field Roast Grain Meat Co. ("Field Roast") for USD$120 million, plus related costs. The Company expects to finance the transaction through a combination of cash-on-hand and drawings under the existing credit facility. Field Roast is a leading brand of premium grain-based 'meat' and vegan cheese products, with sales of approximately USD$38 million. Subject to customary regulatory review and transaction conditions, the transaction is expected to close by the end of 2017 and be accretive to earnings.

"The acquisition of Field Roast complements and expands our portfolio in the fast-growing North American market for alternative proteins," said Michael McCain, President and CEO. "It also aligns with our vision to be a leader in sustainable protein and create shared value through making a positive social impact. Field Roast has built brand leadership through focusing on quality, craftsmanship and taste, and its acquisition will allow Maple Leaf to fuel growth in the category through investment, brand building and innovation."

Field Roast pioneered the development of artisanal quality, grain-based meat products and is a leading brand in the premium segment. It draws on culinary heritage from Europe and Asia in its recipes, using grains, fresh vegetables, dried fruits, wine and spices. Products are marketed across North America and include fresh and frozen grain-based roasts and loaves, sausages and frankfurters, burgers, deli slices and appetizers, and Chao brand vegan cheese slices and entrees. The company was founded in 1997 and employs approximately 200 people at its 75,000 sq. ft. leased manufacturing facilities in Seattle, Washington.

About Maple Leaf Foods

Maple Leaf Foods is a leading consumer protein company, making high quality, innovative products under brands including Maple Leaf, Maple Leaf Prime, Maple Leaf Natural Selections, Schneiders, Schneiders Country Naturals, Lightlife and Mina. The Company employs over 11,000 people across North America and exports to more than 20 global markets. Maple Leaf is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario and its shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MFI).

SOURCE Maple Leaf Foods Inc.

Related Links

http://www.mapleleaffoods.com


MONROE, Wis., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A well-appointed, picture-perfect cheese board is an exciting holiday appetizer. Creating professional-looking boards at home can be easy if you know insider tips. To help holiday hosts create impressive cheese boards, Emmi Roth, a leading producer of specialty cheese, has teamed up with cheesemongers from around the country to create five inspirational cheese boards and share tips and tricks for selecting and arranging cheeses and accoutrements like a pro.

Selecting and Cutting Cheese

Elaborate cheese board display created by Cheesemonger Jessica Lawrenz from Venissimo Cheese in San Diego features Wisconsin-made Roth cheesesButtermilk Blue, Sriracha Gouda, Grand Cru Surchoix as well as Emmi cheeses from Switzerland Emmi Le Gruyere AOP and Maitre Moutardierand accoutrementsmixed nuts, roasted veggies, dried and fresh fruits, charcuterie, pickled vegetables, jams and cookies. Seasonal cheese board from assistant manager Ellian Rohrbacher from New Seasons in Portland, Oregon offers a variety of cheeses, including imported Swiss cheeses from Emmi - Alter Schweitzer, Fuurtufel, Le Gruyere AOP, Der scharfe Maxx, Tete de Moine AOP; and Wisconsin-made Roth GranQueso, Roths Private Reserve, Grand Cru Surchoix, and Buttermilk Blue. Accompaniments on the board are grapes, candied walnuts, tiger melon, cherries, dried figs and apricots, prosciutto, almonds, pickled onions.

The beauty of a cheese board is that it offers guests the opportunity to taste and sample cheeses they're not familiar with. When selecting cheese for your board, choose three to five different options with a mix of bold, spicy and mild flavors. An alpine-style cheese, like Roth Grand Cru, is a perfect cheese to start with because it's complex, yet mild enough to be a crowd-pleaser. Next, choose a cheese with a bold flavor or spice, like Roth Sriracha Gouda, a spicy Dutch-style cheese made with Sriracha chili sauce and rubbed with crushed red peppers. Also, serving a mixture of domestic and international cheeses adds depth to boards and often leads to conversation about how the flavor can change depending on where the milk comes from and the region where the cheese is produced.

Equally-portioned, cleanly cut pieces of cheese give a professional look to any cheese board. Select cheeses that can be cut into congruent shapes like triangles and tiles to create striking patterns. For cheeses that can't be uniformly cut, Lilith Spencer of Cheesemongers of Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico recommends hollowing out the center of the cheese and leaving the rind intact to create a "dish" which can be used to hold chunks or crumbles of the cheese.

Picking Perfect Pairings

While the star of your cheese board is the cheese, perfectly selected pairings are critical.

"Cheese boards should always feature an assortment of sweet and savory pairing options," said Jessica Lawrenz, cheesemonger at Venissimo Cheese - Mission Hills in San Diego, California. "Seasonal fruits, jams, local honeys, salty cured meats, pickled items and nuts are quintessential for cheese boards, as they add flavor and texture."

"When desired fresh fruits aren't in season, opt for dried ones," said Ellian Rohrbacher, assistant manager at New Seasons in Portland, Oregon. "Dried figs, apricots and cherries are wonderful additions to cheese boards because they not only offer a sweet bite, but also a pop of color."

Arranging A Cheese board

Styling a cheese board is easiest when all the cheeses and pairings are first prepped and ready to work with. Before building your board, cut all cheeses, prepare accoutrements and place condiments into small bowls.

"Cheese is the most important component of any cheese board so start by arranging the cheese first," said Spencer. "Make sure to place a lot of space between the cheeses so there is no confusion as to what's what."

"One of my favorite tricks is to place a small glass upside down on my cheese board and lay pieces of sliced cheese down around it one by one, then remove the glass," said MacKenzie Aivazis, cheesemonger at Urban Radish in Los Angeles. "Creating perfectly placed shapes throughout the board provides eye-catching focal points."

Once cheeses are on the board, add items according to the amount of space they will take up  biggest to smallest. When arranging items, consider their shapes and colors. Place contrasting colors next to one another to make the board pop. Add items like nuts, olives and cornichons last to help fill any open spaces, as well as add texture and color.

"When arranging cheese boards, try to create movement," suggests Liz Dueland, a cheesemonger from Madison, Wisconsin. "You want to subtly convey tasting recommendations to guests by strategically placing cheeses and accompaniments next to one another, suggesting 'this be paired with that' and encouraging exploration into other areas of the board."

Serving Guests

To make entertaining easy, cheese boards can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Approximately 30 minutes before guests arrive, remove the board from the refrigerator and allow the cheese to come to room temperature.

While hands can pick most items on cheese boards, be sure to offer guests tongs and utensils to build their own personal plates.

For more holiday entertaining inspiration, visit emmiusa.com and rothcheese.com and follow Emmi USA and Roth Cheese on Facebook.

About Emmi Roth

Emmi Roth, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based Emmi Group, is a leading producer of specialty cheeses. Our expansive portfolio displays a unique marriage of cheeses from two different worlds with very similar traditions and local values  from handcrafted award-winning Roth cheeses from Wisconsin to Emmi's full range of traditional varieties imported from Switzerland. Wisconsin brands include Roth and Kindred Creamery. Artisan cheeses imported from Switzerland feature Emmi, Kaltbach, Der Scharfe Maxx, and more. Learn more at emmiroth.com.

Contact:

Abby Despins

Senior Public Relations Manager

608-293-1003

[email protected]

SOURCE Emmi Roth

Related Links

http://www.emmiroth.com


SAO PAULO, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Minerva Luxembourg S.A., with registered office at 6C, rue Gabriel Lippmann, L-5365 Munsbach and registered with the Luxembourg Register of Commerce and Companies (R.C.S. Luxembourg) under number B 162707 ("Minerva Luxembourg"), which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Minerva S.A. ("Minerva"), today announced that HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. (the "Offeror") has commenced an offer to purchase for cash (the "Tender Offer") any and all of Minerva Luxembourg's outstanding 7.75% Notes due 2023 (the "Notes"). The Notes are guaranteed by Minerva.

The terms and conditions of the Tender Offer are described in the Offer to Purchase dated November 30, 2017 (as it may be amended or supplemented, the "Offer to Purchase") and the related Letter of Transmittal (as it may be amended or supplemented, the "Letter of Transmittal" and together with the Offer to Purchase, the "Offer Documents").

Subject to the terms and conditions described in the Offer to Purchase and the Letter of Transmittal, the Tender Offer will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on December 28, 2017, unless extended by the Offeror (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Expiration Date"). Holders of the Notes (the " Holders ") who validly tender their Notes at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on December 13, 2017, unless extended by the Offeror (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Early Tender Date"), will be eligible to receive the Total Consideration (as defined below), which includes the Early Tender Payment (as defined below), plus accrued and unpaid interest. Notes that have been validly tendered cannot be withdrawn, except as may be required by applicable law.

The "Total Consideration" for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of the Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Date and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer will be U.S.$1,046.50. The Total Consideration includes an early tender payment (the "Early Tender Payment") equal to U.S.$30.00 for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Date. Holders of Notes who tender Notes after the Early Tender Date but at or prior to the Expiration Date and whose Notes are accepted for purchase will not be entitled to receive the Early Tender Payment and will therefore be entitled to receive, for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes tendered, U.S.$1,016.50 (the "Tender Offer Consideration"), which amount is equal to the Total Consideration less the Early Tender Payment.

The following table sets forth the consideration for the Notes:

Description of Notes CUSIP/ISIN Outstanding Principal Amount of Notes Tender Offer Consideration(1) + Early Tender Payment = Total Consideration(2) 7.75% Notes due 2023 603374AB5 and L6401PAC7 / US603374AB55 and USL6401PAC79 U.S.$250,100,000 U.S.$1,016.50

U.S.$30.00

U.S.$1,046.50

______________

(1) The amount to be paid for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Date but at or prior to the Expiration Time and accepted for purchase, not including accrued and unpaid interest.

(2) The amount to be paid for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Date and accepted for purchase, not including accrued and unpaid interest. The Total Consideration includes an Early Tender Payment of U.S.$30.00 per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes.

Minerva Luxembourg has consented to the Offeror making the Tender Offer described in the Offer Documents. Minerva Luxembourg is not making the Tender Offer. It is intended that the Notes purchased by the Offeror pursuant to the Tender Offer at the Early Settlement Date will be exchanged by the Offeror to Minerva Luxembourg for a decrease in the proceeds of an issuance of new notes in an international capital markets offering, the consummation of which is subject to market conditions, to be paid to Minerva Luxembourg by the initial purchasers of such securities. It is intended that the Notes purchased by the Offeror pursuant to the Tender Offer at the Final Settlement Date will be exchanged by the Offeror for cash paid by Minerva Luxembourg or any affiliate thereof.

The obligation of the Offeror to purchase Notes in the Tender Offer is conditioned on the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions described in the Offer Documents, including a new financing condition as described in the Offer Documents. The Tender Offer is not conditioned upon the tender of any minimum principal amount of Notes. The Offeror has the right, in its sole discretion, to amend or terminate the Tender Offer at any time.

Copies of the Offer Documents are available to holders of Notes from D.F. King & Co., Inc., the information agent for the Tender Offer (the "Information Agent"). Requests for copies of the Offer Documents should be directed to the Information Agent at +1 (800) 290-6429 (toll free), +1 (212) 269-5550 (collect) or [email protected].

Banco Bradesco BBI S.A. ("Bradesco BBI"), BB Securities Limited ("BB Securities"), HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. ("HSBC"), Itau BBA USA Securities, Inc. ("Itau") and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated ("Merrill Lynch") have been engaged to act as Dealer Managers in connection with the Tender Offer. Questions regarding the Tender Offer may be directed to Bradesco BBI, BB Securities, HSBC, Itau, or Merrill Lynch at their respective telephone numbers set forth on the back cover of each of the Offer Documents.

The Offeror reserves the right, in its sole discretion, not to accept any tenders of Notes for any reason. The Offeror is making the Tender Offer only in those jurisdictions where it is legal to do so.

Neither the Offer Documents nor any related documents have been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, nor have any such documents been filed with or reviewed by any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority of any country. No authority has passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the Offer Documents or any related documents, and it is unlawful and may be a criminal offense to make any representation to the contrary.

This announcement is not an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to purchase. The Tender Offer is being made solely by the Offeror pursuant to the Offer Documents. The Tender Offer is not being made to, nor will the Offeror accept tenders of Notes from, holders in any jurisdiction in which the Tender Offer or the acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdiction.

Minerva S.A.

Media Contact: Edison Ticle de Andrade Melo e Souza Filho

Phone: + 5511 3074 2444 / + 5517 3321 3355

Fax: + 5517 3323 3041

Email: [email protected]

NOTICE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the terms of the Tender Offer. These statements are merely projections and as such are based exclusively on management's expectations for Minerva, the business of the Offeror and Minerva and the proposed transactions discussed herein. These forward-looking statements depend materially on changes in market conditions, government regulations, pressures from competitors and the performance of the industry and the Brazilian economy, among other factors, many of which are outside Minerva's control or ability to predict, that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Minerva disclaims any obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Minerva Luxembourg S.A.
JERSEY CITY, N.J., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) announced today that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has added RADICAVA (edaravone) to its National Formulary (VANF), with a national prior authorization process in place, making it possible for veterans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, to access treatment within VA's comprehensive healthcare system.

"The VA's decision to offer broad coverage is a significant step to help veterans living with ALS," said Tom Larson, MTPA Chief Commercial Officer. "Veterans sacrificed for our country through their service, and we are pleased the VA has taken this important step for the ALS community."

The VANF criteria follow the FDA's approved labeling, and all VA requests will be determined at the national level by a single team of experts, enabling consistency across the system. The Criteria for Use of RADICAVA can be found at the VA website here: https://www.pbm.va.gov/apps/VANationalFormulary/

The VANF is a list of products (drugs and some supplies) covered under VA's comprehensive medical care program. VANF products must be made available across the VA system. The purpose of the VANF management process is to provide high quality, best value pharmaceutical products while assuring the portability and standardization of the pharmacy benefit to all eligible veterans accepted by the VA for care.1

The VA was prepared and many of the processes required were already established and ready to roll-out when the VA was able to purchase the drug in August 2017.

"It is a great source of hope to not only see the FDA approve RADICAVA, but to also have the VA rapidly approve it for use in veterans," said Matt Bellina, a retired U.S. Navy Lt. Commander with ALS. "This signals a great effort to uphold the sacred obligation to care for all of us who served."

An estimated 5,000-6,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with ALS.2,3,4 The majority of ALS patients die within two to five years of receiving a diagnosis, but progression of the disease can vary significantly.5

About RADICAVA (Edaravone)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved RADICAVA (edaravone) on May 5, as a new treatment option indicated for patients diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).6 In clinical trials, people given RADICAVA experienced a 33 percent slower rate of decline in the loss of physical function, compared to placebo as measured by the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R), a validated rating instrument for monitoring the progression of disability in people with ALS.6,7,8

RADICAVA is administered in 28-day cycles by intravenous infusion. It takes 60 minutes to receive each 60 mg dose. For the initial cycle, the treatment is infused daily for 14 consecutive days, followed by a two-week drug-free period. All cycles thereafter are infused daily for 10 days within a 14-day period, followed by a two-week drug-free period.6

Edaravone was discovered and developed for ALS by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC) and commercialized in the U.S. by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America. MTPC group companies began researching ALS in 2001 through an iterative clinical platform over a 13-year period. In 2015, edaravone was approved for use as a treatment for ALS in Japan and South Korea.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Before you receive RADICAVA, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

have asthma.

are allergic to other medicines.

are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if RADICAVA will harm your unborn baby.

are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if RADICAVA passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will receive RADICAVA or breastfeed.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

What are the possible side effects of RADICAVA?

RADICAVA may cause serious side effects including hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions and sulfite allergic reactions.

Hypersensitivity reactions have happened in people receiving RADICAVA and can happen after your infusion is finished.

RADICAVA contains sodium bisulfite, a sulfite that may cause a type of allergic reaction that can be serious and life-threatening. Sodium bisulfite can also cause less severe asthma episodes in certain people. Sulfite sensitivity can happen more often in people who have asthma than in people who do not have asthma.

Tell your healthcare provider right away or go to the nearest emergency room if you have any of the following symptoms: hives; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; fainting; breathing problems; wheezing; trouble swallowing; dizziness; itching; or an asthma attack (in people with asthma).

Your healthcare provider will monitor you during treatment to watch for signs and symptoms of all the serious side effects.

The most common side effects of RADICAVA include bruising (contusion), problems walking (gait disturbance), and headache.

These are not all the possible side effects of RADICAVA. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. at 1-888-292-0058 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

For more information, including full Prescribing Information and Patient Information, please visit www.RADICAVA.com.

About Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc.

Based in Jersey City, N.J., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America (MTPA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation's (MTPC) 100 percent owned U.S. holding company, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Holdings America, Inc. MTPA is dedicated to delivering innovative products that address the unmet medical needs of patients in the U.S. It was established by MTPC to commercialize approved pharmaceutical products in the U.S. with plans to expand its product line through collaborations with partners. For more information, please visit www.mt-pharma-america.com or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MTPharmaUS.

Overview of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, which was founded in 1678, has its headquarters in Doshomachi, Osaka, which is the birthplace of Japan's pharmaceutical industry. With business centered on ethical pharmaceuticals, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma is a well-established company and has the longest history of any listed company in Japan.9 In accordance with the corporate philosophy of "contributing to the healthier lives of people around the world through the creation of pharmaceuticals," the Company formulated the key concept of Open Up the Future under the Medium-Term Management Plan 16-20. Through the discovery of drugs that address unmet medical needs, centered on its priority disease areas  autoimmune diseases, diabetes and kidney diseases, central nervous system diseases, and vaccines  Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma will strive to contribute to the health of patients around the world. MTPC is the parent company of MTPA and the license holder of RADICAVA. For more information, go to http://www.mt-pharma.co.jp/.

Media inquiries:

Debbie Etchison

908-340-8578

[email protected]



1 Veterans Affairs. National Formulary Frequently Asked Questions. https://www.pbm.va.gov/PBM/nationalformulary/VANationalFormularyFrequentlyAskedQuestions.pdf. Accessed October 2017.

2 ALS Association. Quick Facts about ALS. http://www.alsa.org/news/media/quick-facts.html. Accessed October 2017.

3 Marin B, Boumediene F, Logroscino G, et al. (2016). Variation in worldwide incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a meta-analysis. Int J Epidemiol, 00:1-18.

4 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Information Page. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/all-disorders/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis-als-information-page. Accessed October 2017.

5 Mehta P, Kaye W, Bryan L, et al. (2016). Prevalence of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis  United States, 20122013. MMWR Surveill Summ; 65(No. SS-8):112

6 RADICAVA U.S. Prescribing Information. May 2017.

7 Simon, N. G., Turner, M. R., Vucic, S., Al-Chalabi, A., Shefner, J., Lomen-Hoerth, C., & Kiernan, M. C. (2014). Quantifying Disease Progression in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Annals of Neurology, 76(5), 643657. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ana.24273

8 Abe K, Aoki M, Tsuji S, et al. (2017). Safety and efficacy of edaravone in well defined patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Neurology. 16(7), 505-512. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(17)30115-1.

9 Research by TOKYO SHOKO RESEARCH, LTD.

SOURCE Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.mt-pharma-america.com


USP Chapter 800 standards significantly impact infrastructure requirements. Hazardous drugs must be handled in separate negative pressure buffer rooms vented to the outdoors. "USP 800 is a catalyst demanding new cleanroom build-outs to higher standards. Renovation logistics for an existing facility are intricate and can be highly disruptive to a health-system pharmacy," says Kevin Kyle, President of Germfree. "We deliver a complete free-standing pharmacy that is immediately operational, allowing for seamless sterile and hazardous drug compounding during any construction project."

Germfree manufactured and deployed the world's first USP compliant mobile cleanroom for Duke Raleigh Hospital in 2015. Since then, the company has developed a mobile fleet to provide USP 797 & 800 compliance for hospital pharmacies across all regions of the US. These self-contained units now serve facilities ranging from small community hospitals to large VA Healthcare Systems.

The mobile pharmacy incorporates separate negative and positive pressure ISO 7 buffer areas and as well as ISO classified anterooms. Advanced engineering controls assure that both cleanrooms are properly balanced under dynamic conditions. Hazardous drugs remain in segregated zones. All core compounding and containment equipment is manufactured by Germfree and constructed of all stainless steel. Interior surfaces are impervious and non-shedding to promote effective decontamination and the overall integrity of the cleanroom environment.

Germfree's application experts will conduct tours of the innovative mobile facility at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, December 4-6, 2017.

About GERMFREE: Germfree is a global manufacturer of life science equipment. The Florida-based company was established in 1962 to provide aseptic control and biosafety for institutions ranging from hospital pharmacies to high containment laboratories. Germfree designs, engineers and manufactures mobile and modular cleanroom platforms, which exceed the engineering standards of traditional facilities. These turnkey cleanrooms are rented and purchased across a wide spectrum of healthcare organizations. Leading-edge fabrication technology, engineering teams and subject-matter experts are located at the company's 140,000 square-foot manufacturing plant. For more information visit: www.germfree.com

About the ASHP Conference: According to The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the event is "the largest gathering of pharmacists in the world. With its focus on improving patient care, the meeting is attended by more than 20,000 pharmacy professionals from 86 countries." This year's featured guest is Michelle Obama.

For more information, please contact [email protected]

SOURCE Germfree

Related Links

http://www.germfree.com


ATLANTA, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Momar, Inc., a leading specialty manufacturer of general maintenance and sanitation chemicals, has purchased Superco Specialty Products, Inc. in the company's largest acquisition to date. Based in Los Angeles County, Superco brings a strong line of 500 products and 32 experienced professionals to the family-owned and operated firm.

Superco Specialty Products

"The acquisition of Superco not only gives us a physical West Coast presence, but also provides diverse and dynamic entrees into many other important markets across the country," said Julian Mohr, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of Momar. "There are so many synergies that can be realized between Superco's phenomenal sales representatives and their relationships, along with our rather advanced marketing and chemical solutions product lines."

In its eighth decade of operation, Momar continues to grow with industry-leading research, advanced product development and strategic acquisition. The Atlanta-based company, which started with 150 general and specialized maintenance chemicals, now offers more than 5,000 products, systems and services.

"We're very excited about an acquisition of this size and scope," said Mohr, Jr. "It shows our strength and that we're primed for a new phase in our 70-year history."

While major companies in the industry have reduced their salesforces in the past decade or so, some going as far as to have ceased their manufacturing operations and thus restricted their research and development capabilities, Momar is bucking the downsizing trend.

"These last 10 or more years have seen a tightening of attitude and operation within the maintenance chemical world," said Julian Mohr, Sr., President of Momar. "This, in turn, reduces success because they have nothing new to offer when recruiting experienced sales reps. Our thoughts and actions are in complete contrast to this general industry attitude."

With the Superco acquisition, Momar adds experienced sales and sales management teams from Los Angeles to Philadelphia.

"As long-time specialty chemical professionals, we both understand what it takes to make customers and sales teams happy," said Steve Cina, Superco's CEO and a 43-year industry veteran. "That's the philosophy I've had all these years and Momar has the same."

Bill Buckley, Momar's National Sales Manager, said, "What really stands out to me is the enthusiastic response by the Superco sales group over how much we are offering them in the way of new products and new thinking. We were founded by a sales professional, we have been operated by sales men and women, and we will always put the needs and desires of our evolving sales group first and foremost."

Cina added, "I was attracted to Momar having eight divisions, offering quality compensation and insurance to our employees, and the fact that it was a 70-year-old company owned by the same family. The Momar employees have been there for a long, long time."

Superco will continue operate "as is," to distribute and sell its quality line of maintenance products for commercial, industrial, institutional and federal/state agency clients. As it approaches 25 years of industry leadership, the company remains committed to its customers, products and personnel.

"We're giving everyone the best of both worlds," Mohr, Jr., added. "We're going to continue to support Superco's strong brand, while also adding tremendous value to them as they will now have access to all of Momar's thousands of solutions. The new team of professional sales people and office staff will add to our strength, diversity, and youth as a company."

About Momar, Inc.

Founded in 1947, Momar, Inc. is a specialty manufacturer of general maintenance and sanitation chemicals. From an original foundation of 150 general and specialized maintenance chemicals, the Atlanta-based company has grown to proudly offer more than 5,000 products, systems and services through its eight divisions. Momar specializes as a Total Fluids Management supplier and provides its customers with virtually every product or service available in the areas of maintenance chemicals and equipment, lubrication, water and waste water treatment, food processing chemicals, mineral handling, specialty hardware, industrial safety, and expert application services.

www.momar.com

www.supercoproducts.com

Contact: Judy Treadway

[email protected]

404-355-4580

SOURCE Momar, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.momar.com


STERLING, Va., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- New Life Christian School, a top parochial school in the St. Louis metro, has selected Mvix to power their campus digital signage network. The network empowers communication with students and parishioners by sharing announcements, live sermons, event listings, and community photos.

The school started as a ministry of the New Life Pentecostal Church in 1974. Today, New Life Christian School serves over 200 students. It is unique in their strong, individualized approach to teaching. This is most apparent in their Ignitia Curriculum at the high school level, which gives students daily opportunities to explore their own interests outside of a few structured assignments.

Such an individualized approach has seen NLCS students regularly placed amongst the top in the St. Louis metro. NLCS students have been awarded scholarships to leading universities such as the University of Missouri and Washington University, and they continue on to serve in the ministry and in other professional fields like medicine and finance.

Student communication has always been a priority at NLCS. However, the static announcement boards that were previously used weren't making this easy. The logistics and resources needed to keep all the boards updated was a lot and inefficient, and students and visitors often overlooked the announcements because they were plain and unappealing.

This led NLCS to look for a modern communications platform that would inform, connect, and engage students across the campus and support the local church and ministries.

The NLCS team wanted to display multimedia content in real-time to improve engagement with students during the school week and members of the congregation on the weekends. The platform needed to display the school's website, sync with and display the events calendar, show alerts & announcements, and display live video from school and church events.

The Mvix platform fulfilled all of these requirements and networked screens were deployed at 5 locations within the campus.

The HTML5 engine of the digital signage platform allowed administrators to display animated and attractive school announcements and calendars. The platform also enabled them to share live broadcast videos of school events and church sermons. With the platform being 4K-enabled, the school was also able to display UHD videos and photos.

The entire network is managed remotely from the administration office.

"I wanted a solution that would give me the freedom to set up our content exactly the way I wanted it to look, and Mvix did that for us," said Anthony Braswell, Principal at NLCS. "I can update the displays from anywhere because of the cloud-based software and share lots of different media, like weather or photos."

Anthony and his team were also able to leverage the multizone functionality and display multiple messages simultaneously. Administrators are able to display content that appeals to students and parishioners alike and keep the community informed and connected.

"The digital signage software gives New Life Christian School a flexible multimedia platform to better engage with their students, faculty, and congregation members," said Mike Kilian, Senior Director of Business Relations at Mvix. "We're proud to provide services that empower schools like New Life, and make the day-to-day communications processes a little bit easier for them to manage."

To read the detailed case study, download your free copy here.

Related Images

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A top parochial school in Missouri has selected Mvix to power their campus digital signage network and improve student communication.

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A top parochial school in Missouri has selected Mvix to power their campus digital signage network and improve student communication.

SOURCE Mvix

Related Links

http://mvixdigitalsignage.com/digital-signage-software


COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Napatech (OSLO: NAPA.OL), the leading provider of reconfigurable computing platforms, today announced the showcasing of its joint solution with Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity, a leading IT security provider. The joint solution will feature at Black Hat Europe in London, December 4-7, and combines Napatech's FPGA-based Pandion recorder with a powerful R&SNet Sensor deep packet inspection (DPI) engine and Splunk to improve incident response times.

Click to Tweet: [email protected] Showcases Joint #Cybersecurity Solution with Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity: https://tinyurl.com/y8xe462t @BlackHatEvents #pcap #BHEU

One of the biggest challenges facing network operators today is the inability to forensically extract precise data and context about a logged security incident. Features of this joint solution include:

Better security, faster: Napatech's reconfigurable computing platform is based on a standard, low-cost server, accelerated with Napatech's smart NICs and software, bringing breakthrough network performance to cybersecurity applications.

Napatech's reconfigurable computing platform is based on a standard, low-cost server, accelerated with Napatech's smart NICs and software, bringing breakthrough network performance to cybersecurity applications. Identify and detect both existing and new threats: Complete network visibility and insights from DPI, when combined with advanced analytics and machine learning technologies, can help detect both registered threats and new abnormalities in the network traffic that were previously unknown or unregistered.

Complete network visibility and insights from DPI, when combined with advanced analytics and machine learning technologies, can help detect both registered threats and new abnormalities in the network traffic that were previously unknown or unregistered. Further boost SIEM functionalities: With the capture-to-disk capability, large pcap repositories can be created and maintained for extended periods of time, allowing SIEM tools to, at any required point in time, extract quickly and instantly the desired data for further analysis and investigation.

Napatech will participate in the following activities at Black Hat:

A demonstration of Pandion network recorder at Booth 205 exhibiting how Napatech's SmartNIC platform and software provide:

100 percent capture up to 40G line rate for all packet sizes



Nanosecond precision timestamp



Lossless write to disk



Sophisticated index, search and retrieval of precise information among massive volumes of data

Napatech's Dan Joe Barry and Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity's Irina Palade will present "From Circumstantial Evidence to Hard Facts" on December 6 at 12:15pm in the Business Hall, Theater A.

Case study link

Irina Palade, product manager at Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity, said: "This joint solution with Napatech offers a comprehensive approach to threat analytics. It is a fine-grained network threat detection solution that provides detailed data to SIEM systems and threat intelligence platforms. It combines a real-time intrusion detection system and network traffic recording capabilities to detect known and unknown cyber threats early on, enabling faster response times."

Jarrod Siket, chief marketing officer at Napatech, said: "The ability to perform continuous network monitoring and analysis enables an adaptive security architecture framework. Adaptive security can prevent and detect attacks, as well as perform forensic analysis and proactively predict potential new attacks. Our reconfigurable computing platform based on a broad set of FPGA software supports a wide array of hardware and secures standard servers for leading IT applications. The addition of the Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity DPI engine and Splunk's machine data creates an advanced network threat detection solution."

About Napatech

Napatech helps companies to reimagine their business by bringing hyperscale computing benefits to IT organizations of every size. We enhance open and standard virtualized servers to boost innovation and release valuable computing resources that improve services and increase revenue. Our reconfigurable computing platform is based on a broad set of FPGA software for leading IT compute, network and security applications that are supported on a wide array of FPGA hardware designs. Additional information is available at: www.napatech.com

No Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements which are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results due to a variety of factors, including but not limited to, business conditions, trends in the industry and markets, global economic and geopolitical conditions, macro-economic factors, and other risks and uncertainties set forth in Napatech's reports. The matter discussed in this release is based on current expectations and maybe subject to change. Napatech will not necessarily update this information. For details, visit us at www.napatech.com.

SOURCE Napatech

Related Links

http://www.napatech.com


HOUSTON, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to finding qualified, trained technicians in the HVAC, plumbing or electrical residential services industry, hiring managers are often left with few choices nowadays. There has been widespread national coverage about a lack of skilled workers in the trades, but one group of home services companies has found the secret  find a willing applicant with a great attitude and train them with a standardized program. Success Academy today announced a national technician education program through Pearson Education, Inc. to make technical training available to One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning (One Hour), Benjamin Franklin Plumbing (Benjamin Franklin), and Mister Sparky electric locations that choose to utilize the program. The program is called Success Academy Technical Training powered by Pearson Learning Solutions.

"This program gives the knowledge and online resources for locations across the country to hire for character and train technicians from day one," stated David Borowski, Technical Director at Success Academy. "We like to call this option 'Career in a Year.' This is a flexible, self-paced curriculum that can help general managers within our network with recruitment, retention, reducing call backs, and providing technical training,"

In addition to providing courses from beginner to expert levels, technical skills can also be tested prior to hiring an experienced technician. This will allow the hiring manager the opportunity to understand each applicant's skill level, and then assign technical training as needed once they are hired. Technical training is also available for existing team members who want to improve their skill set. Training can be targeted according to specific challenges or situations a technician may encounter.

Success Academy, the dedicated training resource for all branded operations at Direct Energy, has been front and center building focused, instructor-led and online training that includes core communications, sales, management, safety, technical, and best practices for their home services teams. Every year there are over 40,000 class completions. Still, the challenge remains to bring in new talent  either applicants looking to start their first career or applicants looking for a career change, including those being reintroduced into the retail marketplace such as recently discharged military.

Borowski continued, "Our customized trade-specific curriculum, delivery system, on-the-job training, mentorships and our in-house platform of communications training is the perfect way to attract and retain talent, where knowledge equals earning power. This has opened an incredible opportunity to join the ranks of field talent routinely reaching incomes of $75,000+ in the first three to five years with no college debt."

Success Academy offers a wide variety of learning opportunities for One Hour, Benjamin Franklin and Mister Sparky electric, all of which are part of the Direct Energy family of brands with company-owned and independently owned and operated franchised locations throughout North America. Direct Energy does not directly or indirectly employ any of the employees or managers of franchised locations.

Pearson Education Inc. is the world's learning company, with 35,000 employees across 70 countries worldwide. Having a long history of working closely with teachers, learners, researchers, authors, and subject matter experts; their products and services are used by millions of teachers and learners around the world every day.

About Direct Energy

Direct Energy is one of North America's largest retail providers of electricity, natural gas, and home and business energy-related services with over four million customers. Direct Energy gives customers choice, simplicity, and innovation where energy, data, and technology meet. A subsidiary of Centrica plc (LSE: CNA), an international energy and services company, Direct Energy, its subsidiaries and/or affiliates, operate in 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and 4 provinces in Canada. To learn more about Direct Energy, visit www.directenergy.com.

SOURCE Direct Energy

Related Links

http://www.directenergy.com


STILLWATER, Okla., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Appointments are now available at the new Aspen Dental-branded practice at 2307 N. Perkins Road scheduled to open on Thursday, Dec. 7. The office will be open Monday through Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. as well as select Saturdays. Walk-in and emergency patients are welcome.

Located near Walmart, the new dental office is led by Dr. Brad Cummings, who received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Loma Linda University. Dr. Cummings and his team will provide dental services ranging from dentures and denture repairs, to preventive care, general dentistry and restoration.



The Stillwater office, located in Payne County, is one of 14 Aspen Dental practices in Oklahoma, a state where 73 of the 77 counties, including Payne, are designated as dental health professional shortage areas by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

According to a study conducted by Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management, each new Aspen Dental practice supports local community growth by contributing more than $1.3 million in positive economic impact through job creation and capital investment.

The new Aspen Dental office offers patient-friendly programs and services to make it easier for patients to get the dental care they need, including:

Personalized treatment and friendly service. Each patient will receive a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan designed by the dentist with long-term oral and overall health in mind. Available services include hygiene, treatment of gum disease, extractions, fillings, oral surgery, whitening, and crown and bridge work.

Affordable dental care. Aspen Dental practices are committed to keeping prices fair so that patients can get the care they need. The Stillwater practice will work with insurance providers and handle the paperwork to save patients time and hassle, and offer free new-patient exams and X-rays to those who do not have insurance. The practice also offers clear, detailed estimates on the cost of treatment to give patients peace of mind as well as a variety of financing options.

On-site denture lab and a Denture Money Back Guarantee. The practice is equipped with an on-site denture laboratory, which helps facilitate quick turnaround for denture repairs, relines or adjustments. The practice will offer seven styles of full and partial dentures so patients can be reassured that Dr. Cummings and his team will go above and beyond to ensure proper fit and comfort of their custom-crafted dentures. Getting used to dentures takes some time, but if patients are dissatisfied with their dentures for any reason  the practice will refund the cost of the dentures when patients return them within 90 days. The practice repairs all dentures, not just those purchased at Aspen Dental.

To make an appointment, patients can simply go to www.aspendental.com and click on Schedule a New Patient Appointment. Patients can also call (405) 780-4544 or 800-ASPEN DENTAL (800-277-3633).

About Aspen Dental Offices

Aspen Dental-branded practices are committed to breaking down the barriers to better dental care, better smiles and better lives by making dentistry easier for patients. With more than 650 offices in 36 states, Aspen Dental practices provide a wide range of general dentistry and denture-related services and offer patient-friendly programs and services that help thousands of people every day get the dental care they need, including convenient locations, onsite labs, extended hours, and acceptance of most dental insurance. Together, Aspen Dental practices cared for more than 1.5 million patients in 2016. To learn more about how Aspen Dental practices make it simply easier for patients to get the care they need, visit AspenDental.com.

About Aspen Dental Management Inc.

With an innovative model that takes non-clinical business and administrative services out of the dental office so that dentists are free to focus on patient care, the team at ADMI is driven by one overarching purpose: To care for the people who care for the patients. ADMI makes it easier for dentists to have the careers they've always dreamed of, delivering care to their patients with the support of a team of experienced business professionals who are committed to making their practices a success. Support provided by ADMI includes services and recommendations related to finding the right locations, leasing, acquiring equipment, accounting and marketing.

SOURCE Aspen Dental

Related Links

http://www.aspendental.com


VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Global communications software company PortaOne, Inc. today announced the immediate availability of "OTT MVNO," a white paper detailing a novel approach to launching a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) business. Available via free download from the PortaOne website, the paper introduces a third option to traditional "thin" and "full" MVNO business modelsone with lower upfront capital expenditure, yet greater flexibility to exploit wholesale/retail revenue opportunities.

"Until now, any entrepreneur wishing to enter the wireless communications industry as an MVNO had two optionsinvest a significant amount of capital in infrastructure, or surrender much of the product control to the host network operator," said Andriy Zhylenko, Chief Technical Officer, PortaOne. "This white paper outlines a very desirable alternative. An 'Over the Top' MVNO structure provides an optimal balance of cost, flexibility, and time-to-market. Moreover, it can give the entrepreneur a sustained first-mover advantage in new services when compared to traditional MVNOs."

Conventional MVNO business models have generally run along two lines: a "thin" deployment in which most of the infrastructureand therefore, product controlis supplied by a Mobile Network Operator (MNO), or a "full" deployment where the MVNO leases only its radio network access from the MVO and furnishes its own infrastructure for customer provisioning, billing, data service management, call and messaging services, and so on. Both have inherent drawbacks that limit the viability and growth of the business.

PortaOne's "OTT MVNO" white paper introduces a way to circumvent those major drawbacks. Leveraging the proliferation of 3G/4G connectivity and maturity of VoIP services, OTT (Over-the-top) MVNO runs voice calls over the host's IP network, using a simple VoIP application on the customer's smartphone. By doing this, the MNO's mobile core is used only for data services; call and messaging services are managed directly by the MVNO.

"Huge advantages accrue to MVNOs using this business strategy," continued Zhylenko. "One of the best comes from the ability to boost profits by signing direct contracts with other VoIP carriers. This allows the MVNO to route international and domestic calls to them using least-cost-routing."

The PortaOne white paper also describes the real-world experience of a U.S. telecom that used the OTT MVNO strategy to migrate other MVNOs to its platform. This allowed the telecom to become a Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE), providing hosted real-time billing, mobile network service provisioning, and customer managementa scenario that increases revenue for the telecom while reducing costs for other MVNOs.

"OTT MVNO" fully explains the Over-the-Top strategy, including challenges, benefits and technical architecture. To download the white paper or to learn more about the PortaOne MVNO billing solution that makes OTT MVNO possible, go to https://www.portaone.com/ott_mvno_whitepaper. Additional information can also be obtained by emailing PortaOne at [email protected], by calling 866 SIP VOIP (866 747 8647) or +1 604 628 2508 outside North America.

About PortaOne:

Based in Canada, PortaOne is a leading global software developer for modern telecoms. The company's OCS) and switching (SBC & Class 4/5) products enable telecommunication service providers and carriers to run a broad line of retail, enterprise, SME, and wholesale services on a single integrated software platform. PortaOne's flagship platforms, PortaSwitch and PortaBilling are fundamental parts of the business infrastructure for over 400 service providers and telcos in 85 countries worldwide. Over two-thirds of 300 PortaOne staff are support engineers providing the best-in-industry 24/7 technical support services for clients involved in hosted IP PBX and SIP trunking services, calling cards and wholesale VoIP, IPTV and residential triple-play, MVNO and MVNE, SMS, data and voice over LTE, and more. To learn more, visit https://www.portaone.com/.

SOURCE PortaOne, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.portaone.com


ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today there are numerous security flaws including Krack attacks, client-side token vulnerabilities, SSL vulnerabilities, and countless other examples. It is time to change the way secure data is transported across the internet. There is a new technology, DTRelay (www.dtrelay.com), that fixes many of the known vulnerabilities in OAuth that plague companies such as Google, Twitter, Yahoo, and others.

If companies keep doing the same thing, they would be insane to think they will see different results. Every month stories are reported on the news about major data breaches. According to a British insurance company, Lloyd's, companies lose $400 billion to hackers each year. With networks being vulnerable, security flaws, data breaches, and companies getting hacked every month, it is time for a breakthrough.

What if it didn't matter if hackers were able to monitor the traffic on a company's network? Watch the Problem and Solution video here: https://youtu.be/TEjj9aQiv2c

A team in Missouri has been working on a new technology of sending packets that carry data in the existing protocols used by the internet, but hiding the vulnerable information that is stolen by hackers. This technology is easily implemented into all existing platforms. If a company's organization has a shortage in cybersecurity skills, the technology offers their developers convenience by protecting their communication for them.

DTRelay is patent-pending middleware that provides authentication without exposing client-side tokens where hacking occurs. DTRelay enhances the security of web and mobile applications while simultaneously making them easier to build and improving application performance. It is revolutionizing the way transactions are done online. DTRelay protects communication from a device (including mobile) to a company's API, which is where hackers steal personal information. DTRelay has many benefits and does much more than secure online transactions.

When developing this technology, the team asked the question, what if companies could send pure static HTML and JavaScript, but not send any of the secure data? That is exactly what the team created! DTRelay does not allow hackers the ability to sniff vulnerable, secure data. Since the applications are built using pure static HTML and JavaScript (there is no compiled code, assembly, config parameters, or consumer keys), it is now possible to use Content Delivery Networks (CDN) to dramatically increase application performance and easily scale, with requests seeing an improvement of 300%.

If a company is interested in learning more about ending business vulnerabilities, please email Michael Martinez.

SOURCE DTRelay

Related Links

http://www.dtrelay.com


WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Halcyon, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting early-stage social entrepreneurs, today announces its eighth cohort for the Halcyon Incubator program. With an acceptance rate of less than 3%, Halcyon is bringing social enterprises that focus on big ideas tackling some of the most current and prevalent societal issues today.

As one of the premier incubators in the country, Halcyon supports many of the top recognized social entrepreneurs in America and has helped 55 ventures raise over $24 million in funding and impact the lives of half a million people around the world. As a haven for social entrepreneurs, the 18-month fellowship supplies fellows with robust support from experts, alongside a residency in Washington D.C.

"We are thrilled that the new cohort of fellows are tackling some of the most relevant and urgent problems in our communities," says Ryan Ross, Program Director of the Halcyon Incubator. "I can now look at the news headlines with a sense of optimism, knowing there are incredible founders solving for these problems as we speak."

The newest ventures for Halcyon Incubator's Cohort Eight include:

JDoe is the world's first truly anonymous, end-to-end encrypted reporting platform for survivors of sexual assault, rape and harassment.

Pilleve is an integrated pill bottle that captures real time data on prescription intake, helping care providers and insurance companies prevent the long-term costs associated with opioid abuse and addiction.

EnrichHER is a blockchain-enabled platform created to provide funding, networking and educational opportunities for the vastly underserved, women-led business community.

Weird Enough Productions teaches students how to access, analyze, evaluate and create media content, while also boosting traditional literacy and standardized test scores.

Entrada is an employer-sponsored platform that teaches language to entry-level, service industry employees while they work.

Conserve With Us is a platform that allows people and communities to connect with critical land conservation projects and protect the places that matter to them.

Helpusgreen is revolutionizing the way India handles the 'Million-ton flower waste disposal' by turning floral waste into organic fertilizers, natural incense and biodegradable packaging material.

Localized connects students and aspiring professionals in emerging markets to global professionals who share language, roots and cultural context to provide access to career guidance from experts in the field.

Cohort Eight of Halcyon Incubator will begin on February 5, 2017 at Halcyon House located in Washington D.C.

To follow Halcyon Incubator, sign up for our newsletter or find us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Halcyon Incubator: Halcyon Incubator is committed to solving 21st-century challenges throughout the nation and the world. By helping social entrepreneurs transform audacious ideas into scalable and sustainable ventures, the Halcyon Incubator acts as a catalyst for measurable social outcomes.

To learn more about Halcyon, and the full list of programs, please visit www.halcyonhouse.org.

SOURCE Halcyon

Related Links

http://www.halcyonhouse.org


Drilling at Arrow has intersected strong mineralization in multiple areas including step-out holes drilled in key mineral resource expansion areas in the southwest gap, northeast gap and within the A3 shear. The Arrow Deposit remains open in most directions.

A3 Step-Outs

AR-17-159c1 intersected 44.0 m of total composite mineralization including 13.85 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a 90.0 m section (377.0 to 467.0 m) in the A3 shear.

intersected including (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a 90.0 m section (377.0 to 467.0 m) in the A3 shear. AR-17-159c2 intersected 54.5 m of total composite mineralization including 11.8 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a 101.0 m section (375.5 to 476.5 m) in the A3 shear.

A3 Infill

AR-17-164c1 intersected 47.5 m of total composite mineralization including 5.0 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a 147.0 m section (497.5 to 644.5 m) in the A3 shear.

Northeast Gap Step-Out

AR-17-171c3 intersected 45.5 m of total composite mineralization including 1.45 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to 23,000 cps) within a 183.0 m section (749.5 to 932.5 m) in the A1 and A2 shears. The hole is 250 m northeast and down-dip of the mineral resource domains.

Southwest Gap Step-Out

AR-17-161c2 intersected 30.0 m of total composite mineralization including 1.2 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a 314.0 m section (626.5 to 940.5 m) in the A3 though A5 shears. The hole is 54 m southwest and down-dip of the mineral resource domains.

Drill hole locations and longsections are shown in Figures 1 to 4. Drill hole descriptions can be found on our website at www.nexgenenergy.ca

South Arrow Highlights:

Systematic drilling at the recently discovered South Arrow has intersected uranium mineralization at continued shallow depths. South Arrow is comprised of multiple, stacked mineralized horizons and high grade mineralization occurs as accumulations of semi-massive to massive pitchblende similar to the Arrow Deposit. South Arrow remains largely open and off-scale radioactivity has been intersected over a strike length of currently 290 m.

AR-17-178c1 intersected 7.5 m of total composite mineralization including 1.85 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a 170.5 m section (149.0 to 319.5 m). The off-scale mineralized section begins just 142 m below surface.

intersected including (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a 170.5 m section (149.0 to 319.5 m). The off-scale mineralized section begins just 142 m below surface. AR-17-170c1 intersected 12.0 m of total composite mineralization including 0.5 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to >26,000 cps) within a 15.0 m section (243.0 to 258.0 m).

intersected including (>10,000 to >26,000 cps) within a 15.0 m section (243.0 to 258.0 m). AR-17-174c1 intersected 35.0 m of total composite mineralization including 0.15 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to >26,600 cps) within a 161.5 m section (225.5 to 387.0 m).

intersected including (>10,000 to >26,600 cps) within a 161.5 m section (225.5 to 387.0 m). AR-17-184c1 intersected 11.0 m of total composite mineralization including 0.5 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to >21,000 cps) within an 11.0 m section (134.0 to 145.0 m).

Development, Activities & Financial:

The eight drill rig summer development and exploration program has concluded. The program consisted of 82 infill, expansion, exploration and geotechnical holes totaling 44,781 m of diamond drilling . Assays remain pending for all holes . An additional five shallow geotechnical holes were completed with a sonic drill rig to test surface and subsurface conditions for future site infrastructure.

. . An additional five shallow geotechnical holes were completed with a sonic drill rig to test surface and subsurface conditions for future site infrastructure. Planning for the winter 2018 development and exploration program has begun in advance of the maiden Pre-Feasibility Study to be published Q3/2018 .

. The Company has cash on hand of approximately $170 million .

Garrett Ainsworth, Vice-President, Exploration and Development, commented: "The summer 2017 drill program objectives have been successfully achieved in balancing indicated resource growth in the A3 High Grade Domain while expanding inferred resource growth at Arrow. The added bonus of discovery and expansion of South Arrow suggests significant potential for resource growth within close proximity to the Arrow Deposit. A recently completed ground 3D resistivity survey over South Arrow focusing to the south west has highlighted the significant prospectivity of the Patterson Corridor along strike from Arrow and South Arrow which is yet to be tested."

Leigh Curyer, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "The 2017 program has continued to demonstrate Arrow's resource growth and incredible robustness with drilling inside and outside the 2016 grade shells. The results have provided valuable data with respect to future resource growth opportunities and potential mine development. With assay results pending, plans are well underway for an exciting 2018 targeting continued resource definition and expansion at Arrow and South Arrow, together with advanced development studies leading into the publication of a maiden Pre-Feasibility Study in Q3 2018."

Table 1: Arrow Deposit Drill Hole Data Drill Hole Athabasca

Group -

Basement

Unconformity

Depth (m) Handheld Scintillometer Results (RS-120) Hole ID Azimuth Dip Total

Depth

(m) From (m) To (m) Width (m) CPS Range AR-17-146c4 327 -70 978.5 110.4 678.00 678.50 0.50 <500 - 630









715.50 720.00 4.50 <500 - 6270









729.50 730.00 0.50 <500 - 575









736.50 741.00 4.50 <500 - 1800









759.00 760.00 1.00 <500 - 1300









778.00 778.50 0.50 <500 - 3800









793.00 796.00 3.00 <500 - 1450









822.00 824.00 2.00 <500 - 2300









831.00 834.50 3.50 <500 - 2610









837.00 838.00 1.00 <500 - 1250









908.00 908.50 0.50 <500 - 1600









914.50 915.00 0.50 <500 - 530 AR-17-154c3 327 -70 870.5 120.6 597.50 598.00 0.50 <500 - 600









652.00 653.50 1.50 <500 - 2850









701.50 704.50 3.00 <500 - 750 AR-17-154c4 327 -70 945.5 120.6 594.00 594.50 0.50 <500 - 1150









678.50 680.50 2.00 <500 - 5600









714.50 715.00 0.50 <500 - 800









717.50 721.50 4.00 <500 - 6800









724.50 725.00 0.50 800 - 1800









729.50 739.50 10.00 <500 - 5500









745.00 752.00 7.00 <500 - 2600









799.50 800.00 0.50 <500 - 1700









841.00 841.50 0.50 <500 - 620









865.00 869.00 4.00 <500 - 3100









889.50 890.00 0.50 <500 - 820 AR-17-155c3 327 -70 912.5 128.6 437.50 438.00 0.50 <500 - 970









466.50 468.00 1.50 <500 - 4050









471.00 472.00 1.00 <500 - 620









475.50 480.00 4.50 <500 - 8900









494.00 495.00 1.00 <500 - 7800









500.00 501.00 1.00 <500 - 3600









523.00 524.50 1.50 <500 - 2100









534.00 535.00 1.00 <500 - 4600









547.00 550.00 3.00 <500 - 10500









563.00 565.00 2.00 <500 - 8500









568.00 571.00 3.00 <500 - 1500









583.50 587.00 3.50 <500 - 2500









611.00 612.00 1.00 <500 - >61000









615.50 616.50 1.00 <500 - 41500









619.00 626.00 7.00 <500 - 59000









648.50 649.50 1.00 <500 - 510









658.00 658.50 0.50 <500 - 1530









661.00 662.50 1.50 <500 - 1310









665.50 676.00 10.50 <500 - 10100









681.50 685.50 4.00 <500 - 3100









689.50 695.50 6.00 <500 - 9680









701.00 702.50 1.50 500 - 30500









756.50 757.00 0.50 630 - 1400









760.00 762.00 2.00 <500 - 6300









819.50 820.50 1.00 <500 - 2500









825.50 827.50 2.00 <500 - 1100









831.50 833.00 1.50 <500 - 10100 AR-17-156c2 327 -70 858.5 N/A 650.00 651.00 1.00 <500 - 860









654.50 655.00 0.50 <500 - 3700









658.00 658.50 0.50 <500 - 610









679.50 680.00 0.50 <500 - 3000









685.00 686.50 1.50 <500 - 2200









710.00 710.50 0.50 <500 - 520









714.50 715.00 0.50 <500 - 2900









718.00 725.00 7.00 <500 - 15000









771.50 772.00 0.50 <500 - 650









813.50 815.00 1.50 <500 - 1250 AR-17-156c3 327 -70 903.5 N/A 703.00 703.50 0.50 <500 - 5600









720.50 721.00 0.50 <500 - 510









725.50 730.50 5.00 <500 - 10300









735.50 741.00 5.50 <500 - 5890









743.50 748.00 4.50 <500 - 7400









764.50 777.00 12.50 <500 - 24300









781.00 783.50 2.50 <500 - 4700









813.50 815.00 1.50 <500 - 3300









817.50 818.50 1.00 <500 - 1080









822.00 823.00 1.00 <500 - 1000 AR-17-156c4 327 -70 936.5 N/A 363.50 364.00 0.50 <500 - 600









659.00 660.00 1.00 <500 - 10300









680.00 680.50 0.50 <500 - 1600









692.50 693.00 0.50 <500 - 610









718.50 719.00 0.50 <500 - 3700









723.00 724.00 1.00 <500 - 10100









749.50 750.00 0.50 <500 - 650









757.50 758.50 1.00 <500 - 900









768.00 768.50 0.50 <500 - 860









773.50 779.00 5.50 <500 - >61000









783.50 784.50 1.00 <500 - 7300









788.50 790.00 1.50 <500 - 1100









794.00 796.00 2.00 <500 - 2500









800.50 802.00 1.50 <500 - 1820









809.00 810.50 1.50 <500 - 1630









813.50 814.00 0.50 <500 - 525









818.00 825.50 7.50 <500 - 2090









891.00 891.50 0.50 <500 - 520 AR-17-156c5 327 -70 789.5 N/A 669.50 671.50 2.00 <500 - 700









675.00 675.50 0.50 <500 - 580









683.00 683.50 0.50 <500 - 590









701.00 708.00 7.00 <500 - 1790









721.00 722.50 1.50 <500 - 2130 AR-17-159c1 327 -70 507.0 131.6 377.00 378.00 1.00 <500 - 700









381.00 381.50 0.50 <500 - 550









388.50 390.50 2.00 <500 - 2550









395.50 396.50 1.00 <500 - 7200









404.00 407.00 3.00 <500 - 15000









410.50 415.50 5.00 <500 - 50000









418.50 424.00 5.50 <500 - >61000









427.50 453.00 25.50 <500 - >61000









466.50 467.00 0.50 <500 - 530 AR-17-159c2 327 -70 546.0 131.6 375.50 376.00 0.50 <500 - 590









391.00 398.50 7.50 <500 - 2200









403.00 404.00 1.00 <500 - 1000









422.50 423.50 1.00 <500 - 41000









429.50 472.50 43.00 <500 - >61000









475.00 476.50 1.50 <500 - 1650 AR-17-161c1 327 -70 999.5 N/A 743.00 744.00 1.00 <500 - 1700









802.00 802.50 0.50 <500 - 1700









813.00 814.00 1.00 <500 - 800









822.50 823.00 0.50 <500 - 630









827.00 835.50 8.50 <500 - >61000









848.00 848.50 0.50 <500 - 730









853.50 854.00 0.50 <500 - 2200









860.00 860.50 0.50 <500 - 630 AR-17-161c2 327 -70 990.5 N/A 626.50 627.00 0.50 <500 - 3000









699.00 699.50 0.50 <500 - 700









703.00 704.50 1.50 <500 - 2200









712.00 713.00 1.00 <500 - 900









800.00 811.00 11.00 <500 - 5800









818.00 819.00 1.00 <500 - 3300









852.00 853.50 1.50 <500 - 1000









863.00 869.50 6.50 <500 - >61000









879.00 882.00 3.00 <500 - 27000









892.00 893.50 1.50 <500 - 1500









911.50 912.00 0.50 <500 - 700









939.00 940.50 1.50 <500 - 1100 AR-17-164c1 327 -70 942.5 126.6 130.00 130.50 0.50 <500 - 1000









424.50 425.00 0.50 <500 - 960









458.50 462.50 4.00 <500 - 1640









467.50 468.00 0.50 <500 - 1150









483.50 484.00 0.50 <500 - 510









487.00 488.50 1.50 <500 - 6330









497.50 500.50 3.00 <500 - 17000









505.00 513.50 8.50 <500 - 53000









519.50 528.00 8.50 <500 - >61000









534.50 535.00 0.50 630 - 16000









545.50 550.00 4.50 <500 - 54000









554.50 555.00 0.50 <500 - 820









581.50 584.50 3.00 <500 - 32000









587.00 588.00 1.00 <500 - 3000









592.00 593.00 1.00 <500 - 1000









601.50 603.50 2.00 <500 - 1500









626.00 629.00 3.00 <500 - 1000









632.50 644.50 12.00 <500 - 3400









654.00 654.50 0.50 <500 - 800









662.50 668.00 5.50 <500 - >61000









672.00 684.00 12.00 <500 - 4500









719.00 719.50 0.50 900 - 1800









745.00 746.00 1.00 <500 - 4700









773.50 777.00 3.50 <500 - 46000









808.50 810.00 1.50 <500 - 3300









823.00 823.50 0.50 <500 - 620









831.00 831.50 0.50 <500 - 580









841.00 841.50 0.50 <500 - 550









897.00 897.50 0.50 <500 - 610 AR-17-164c2 327 -70 654.5 126.6 426.50 427.00 0.50 <500 - 2000









451.50 452.00 0.50 <500 - 690









468.50 469.00 0.50 <500 - 560









485.50 487.00 1.50 <500 - 3850









503.00 503.50 0.50 500 - 15000









507.00 508.00 1.00 <500 - 11000









519.50 520.00 0.50 500 - 4500









532.50 533.00 0.50 <500 - 700









544.00 545.00 1.00 <500 - 18000









548.00 550.00 2.00 <500 - 12000









556.00 562.00 6.00 <500 - 47000









567.50 569.50 2.00 <500 - 20500









575.50 577.00 1.50 <500 - 15000









580.50 584.00 3.50 <500 - 18000









588.00 603.00 15.00 <500 - >61000









608.00 609.00 1.00 <500 - 1600









614.50 615.00 0.50 <500 - 530









631.00 635.00 4.00 <500 - 2700









640.50 643.00 2.50 <500 - 1280









646.50 649.50 3.00 <500 - 1600









652.50 653.00 0.50 <500 - 740 AR-17-164c3 327 -70 549.5 126.6 445.50 448.00 2.50 <500 - 5500









456.50 457.00 0.50 700 - 3600









459.50 460.00 0.50 1200 - 9100









463.50 471.50 8.00 <500 - 6000









478.00 480.00 2.00 <500 - 4700









485.00 486.50 1.50 <500 - 2300









503.50 512.50 9.00 <500 - >61000









520.00 524.50 4.50 <500 - 2420 AR-17-167c1 327 -70 837.5 124.0 481.50 485.00 3.50 <500 - 1500









487.50 495.50 8.00 <500 - >61000









530.00 534.00 4.00 <500 - 830









539.50 541.00 1.50 <500 - 750









544.50 545.00 0.50 <500 - 515









551.00 554.50 3.50 <500 - 2200









558.50 559.00 0.50 <500 - 640









566.50 582.50 16.00 <500 - 7800









589.50 590.00 0.50 <500 - 1300









593.00 595.50 2.50 <500 - 5800









600.50 601.00 0.50 <500 - 1800









627.00 630.50 3.50 <500 - 14000









637.00 637.50 0.50 <500 - 540









654.00 654.50 0.50 <500 - 1000









660.50 663.50 3.00 <500 - 2300









676.00 679.00 3.00 <500 - 2600









682.00 682.50 0.50 <500 - 540









732.50 733.00 0.50 <500 - 1600









780.00 785.00 5.00 <500 - 2900 AR-17-167c2 327 -70 723.5 124.0 460.00 460.50 0.50 <500 - 14000









467.00 470.50 3.50 <500 - 54500









483.50 484.00 0.50 <500 - 600









533.50 534.00 0.50 <500 - 660









538.00 540.50 2.50 <500 - 700









548.50 549.00 0.50 <500 - 550









553.00 554.00 1.00 <500 - 1200









559.50 563.00 3.50 <500 - 3900









573.50 574.00 0.50 <500 - 750









580.50 581.00 0.50 <500 - 510









615.00 618.00 3.00 <500 - >61000









635.00 636.00 1.00 <500 - 9100









639.00 640.00 1.00 <500 - 2580 AR-17-167c3 327 -70 727.5 124.0 435.00 435.50 0.50 <500 - 550









441.50 444.50 3.00 550 - 7800









511.00 511.50 0.50 <500 - 505









519.50 520.00 0.50 <500 - 700









534.00 535.50 1.50 <500 - 5200









572.50 573.00 0.50 <500 - 1200









576.00 577.00 1.00 <500 - 900









693.00 693.50 0.50 <500 - 2100 AR-17-171c1 327 -70 920.0 119.3 714.00 715.50 1.50 <500 - 2300









719.00 719.50 0.50 <500 - 1200









727.00 728.00 1.00 <500 - 510









733.50 736.00 2.50 <500 - 1500









743.00 756.00 13.00 <500 - 12000









769.50 772.00 2.50 <500 - 6100









790.00 791.50 1.50 <500 - 11000









813.50 814.00 0.50 <500 - 550









856.00 859.50 3.50 <500 - 1500









863.00 864.50 1.50 <500 - 790 AR-17-171c2 327 -70 921.5 119.3 649.50 651.00 1.50 <500 - 1400









655.00 655.50 0.50 <500 - 720









708.50 716.00 7.50 <500 - 14800









718.50 719.00 0.50 <500 - 2200









734.00 734.50 0.50 <500 - 2500









740.00 743.00 3.00 <500 - 1460









746.50 756.50 10.00 <500 - 6800









760.00 764.00 4.00 <500 - 1100









767.00 768.50 1.50 <500 - 940









781.50 782.00 0.50 510 - 1350









805.00 805.50 0.50 <500 - 2200









808.50 812.50 4.00 <500 - 4800









821.00 823.50 2.50 <500 - 4600









842.00 843.00 1.00 <500 - 8600









893.50 894.00 0.50 <500 - 520 AR-17-171c3 327 -70 978.5 119.3 749.50 750.50 1.00 <500 - 1570









753.50 754.00 0.50 <500 - 630









766.00 769.00 3.00 <500 - 8000









776.50 777.00 0.50 <500 - 920









780.00 782.50 2.50 <500 - 3380









786.00 787.00 1.00 <500 - 6250









792.00 799.00 7.00 <500 - 3100









802.50 803.00 0.50 <500 - 610









817.50 823.00 5.50 <500 - 6100









826.50 827.00 0.50 <500 - 1400









829.50 830.00 0.50 <500 - 1010









897.00 902.00 5.00 <500 - 32700









906.50 923.50 17.00 <500 - 11200









927.50 928.00 0.50 <500 - 850









932.00 932.50 0.50 <500 - 730 AR-17-176c1 327 -70 540.0 125.1 301.50 302.00 0.50 <500 - 510









481.00 481.50 0.50 <500 - 1300









484.50 485.00 0.50 <500 - 970









489.50 491.00 1.50 <500 - 2200









506.00 506.50 0.50 <500 - 600 AR-17-176c2 327 -70 870.5 125.1 444.00 448.00 4.00 <500 - 23000









504.00 508.00 4.00 <500 - 6400









514.00 515.50 1.50 <500 - 17000









607.50 608.00 0.50 <500 - 1000









618.00 627.50 9.50 <500 - 28800









630.50 631.00 0.50 <500 - 510









649.50 664.50 15.00 <500 - >61000









671.00 673.00 2.00 <500 - 920









675.50 688.00 12.50 <500 - 61000









692.00 701.00 9.00 <500 - 53600









705.50 707.50 2.00 <500 - 600









711.00 717.50 6.50 <500 - 16400









758.50 759.00 0.50 <500 - 2670









784.00 787.00 3.00 <500 - 890









812.50 815.00 2.50 <500 - 3780 AR-17-179c1 327 -68 639.5 130.5 457.50 459.00 1.50 <500 - 610









468.00 468.50 0.50 <500 - 660









494.50 495.00 0.50 <500 - 14300









501.50 503.50 2.00 <500 - 42500









507.50 508.00 0.50 <500 - 1900









511.00 511.50 0.50 <500 - 1100









526.00 536.00 10.00 <500 - 45000









540.00 540.50 0.50 <500 - 2900









543.00 543.50 0.50 <500 - 1550









546.00 547.00 1.00 <500 - 12000









551.00 554.00 3.00 <500 - 31000









556.50 559.50 3.00 <500 - 6200









564.50 565.00 0.50 <500 - 2160









569.50 572.50 3.00 <500 - 40000









579.00 582.00 3.00 <500 - 1480









589.00 591.50 2.50 <500 - 3100









596.50 598.00 1.50 <500 - 1200









600.50 601.50 1.00 <500 - 1100









604.50 606.50 2.00 <500 - 1000









610.00 612.50 2.50 <500 - 1500









616.00 617.00 1.00 <500 - 1670 AR-17-183c1 327 -68 630.5 139.6 479.50 482.00 2.50 <500 - 12000









489.00 489.50 0.50 <500 - 50000









500.00 501.00 1.00 <500 - >61000









512.00 512.50 0.50 <500 - 1800









516.00 516.50 0.50 3000 - >61000









523.50 524.00 0.50 <500 - 720









529.00 530.00 1.00 1000 - 48500









534.00 534.50 0.50 <500 - 5030









547.00 547.50 0.50 <500 - 3500









552.00 552.50 0.50 <500 - >61000









558.50 578.00 19.50 <500 - 20000 GAR-17-002 327 -70 884.5 124.7 210.00 211.00 1.00 <500 - 620









464.00 465.00 1.00 <500 - 2400









495.00 496.50 1.50 <500 - 18500









519.50 520.50 1.00 <500 - 15000









524.00 525.00 1.00 <500 - 7100









530.00 531.50 1.50 <500 - 3600









543.50 545.50 2.00 <500 - 6100









550.50 551.50 1.00 550 - 8100









555.00 558.50 3.50 <500 - 15000









561.00 561.50 0.50 <500 - 1700









572.00 572.50 0.50 <500 - 875









589.00 596.50 7.50 <500 - 33000









599.00 601.50 2.50 <500 - 1600









604.00 605.50 1.50 <500 - 2060









612.50 619.00 6.50 <500 - 3500









623.00 625.00 2.00 <500 - 4300









631.00 634.50 3.50 <500 - 2500









646.50 648.50 2.00 <500 - 750









651.50 657.00 5.50 <500 - 1600









663.50 664.50 1.00 <500 - 1100









667.50 669.50 2.00 <500 - >61000









672.50 686.00 13.50 <500 - 25000









691.00 698.50 7.50 <500 - >61000









749.00 750.00 1.00 <500 - 27000









769.00 771.00 2.00 <500 - 42000









796.00 801.00 5.00 <500 - 3400









812.00 812.50 0.50 <500 - 2600









822.00 822.50 0.50 <500 - 860









827.00 830.00 3.00 <500 - 5000









839.00 839.50 0.50 <500 - 1200 GAR-17-005 80 -70 752.4 109.8 488.00 488.50 0.50 <500 - 650









650.00 650.50 0.50 <500 - 1100









657.50 659.50 2.00 <500 - 1300









670.50 671.00 0.50 <500 - 610









681.00 684.50 3.50 <500 - 2200









704.50 705.00 0.50 <500 - 570

Parameters:

Maximum internal dilution 2.00 m downhole

All depths and intervals are metres downhole, true thicknesses are yet to be determined

"Anomalous" means >500 cps (counts per second) total count gamma readings by gamma scintillometer type RS-120

"Off-scale" means >10,000 cps (counts per second) total count gamma readings by gamma scintillometer type RS-120

Where "Min cps" is <500 cps, this refers to local low radiometric zones within the overall radioactive interval

Directional drilling has often resulted in mineralization intersected at a more favourable and shallower dip

Table 2: South Arrow Drill Hole Data Drill Hole Athabasca

Group -

Basement

Unconformity

Depth (m) Handheld Scintillometer Results (RS-120) Hole ID Azimuth Dip Total

Depth

(m) From (m) To (m) Width (m) CPS Range AR-17-170c1 315 -68 420.0 N/A 243.00 252.00 9.00 <500 - 26000









255.00 258.00 3.00 <500 - 2680 AR-17-172c1 315 -68 423.0 N/A 193.50 197.00 3.50 <500 - 1270









201.00 201.50 0.50 <500 - 910









227.50 235.50 8.00 <500 - 12700









324.00 325.00 1.00 <500 - 920 AR-17-173c1 315 -68 336.0 N/A No Anomalous Radioactivity AR-17-174c1 315 -68 441.0 N/A 225.50 228.50 3.00 <500 - 1340









232.50 246.50 14.00 <500 - 26600









256.50 257.00 0.50 <500 - 540









261.50 267.50 6.00 <500 - 1350









284.00 285.00 1.00 <500 - 1100









295.00 295.50 0.50 <500 - 520









327.50 328.50 1.00 <500 - 1470









363.00 364.00 1.00 <500 - 550









370.50 373.00 2.50 <500 - 810









381.50 387.00 5.50 <500 - 5390 AR-17-174c2 315 -68 510.0 N/A 220.50 221.00 0.50 <500 - 3400









242.50 244.50 2.00 <500 - 1100









269.00 273.50 4.50 <500 - 3450









276.00 277.50 1.50 <500 - 1400









420.50 421.50 1.00 <500 - 1500









429.00 451.50 22.50 <500 - 3500









454.00 454.50 0.50 <500 - 530 AR-17-175c1 315 -68 416.0 N/A No Anomalous Radioactivity AR-17-177c1 315 -68 390.0 92.7 192.00 195.50 3.50 <500 - 3350 AR-17-178c1 315 -68 381.0 N/A 149.00 154.00 5.00 <500 - >61000









156.50 157.00 0.50 <500 - 860









196.00 197.00 1.00 <500 - 1400









316.50 317.50 1.00 <500 - 2000 AR-17-180c1 315 -68 384.0 91.1 247.50 248.00 0.50 <500 - 520 AR-17-181c1 315 -68 576.0 N/A 372.00 372.50 0.50 570 - 815









512.50 513.00 0.50 <500 - 520









520.50 526.00 5.50 <500 - 1400 AR-17-182c1 315 -68 349.0 N/A 130.50 131.50 1.00 <500 - 575









134.50 135.50 1.00 <500 - 1300









259.50 261.50 2.00 <500 - 1300









273.50 274.00 0.50 <500 - 600 AR-17-184c1 315 -68 360.0 N/A 134.00 145.00 11.00 <500 - 21000 AR-17-185c1 315 -80 424.0 N/A 258.00 258.50 0.50 <500 - 1200

Parameters:

Maximum internal dilution 2.00 m downhole

All depths and intervals are metres downhole, true thicknesses are yet to be determined

"Anomalous" means >500 cps (counts per second) total count gamma readings by gamma scintillometer type RS-120

"Off-scale" means >10,000 cps (counts per second) total count gamma readings by gamma scintillometer type RS-120

Where "Min cps" is <500 cps, this refers to local low radiometric zones within the overall radioactive interval

Directional drilling has often resulted in mineralization intersected at a more favourable and shallower dip

About NexGen

NexGen is a British Columbia corporation with a focus on the acquisition, exploration and development of Canadian uranium projects. NexGen has a highly experienced team of uranium industry professionals with a successful track record in the discovery of uranium deposits and in developing projects through discovery to production.

NexGen owns a portfolio of prospective uranium exploration assets in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada, including a 100% interest in Rook I, location of the Arrow Deposit in February 2014, the Bow discovery in March 2015, the Harpoon discovery in August 2016 and the Arrow South discovery in July 2017. The Arrow deposit's updated mineral resource estimate with an effective date of December 20, 2016 was released in March 2017, and comprised 179.5 M lbs U3O8 contained in 1.18 M tonnes grading 6.88% U3O8 in the Indicated Mineral Resource category and an additional 122.1 M lbs U3O8 contained in 4.25 M tonnes grading 1.30% U3O8 in the Inferred Mineral Resource category.

Technical Information

Natural gamma radiation in drill core reported in this news release was measured in counts per second (cps) using a Radiation Solutions Inc. RS-120 gamma-ray scintillometer. The reader is cautioned that total count gamma readings may not be directly or uniformly related to uranium grades of the rock sample measured; they should be used only as a preliminary indication of the presence of radioactive minerals.

Split core samples will be taken systematically, and intervals will be submitted to SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories (an SCC ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 Accredited Facility) of Saskatoon for analysis. All samples sent to SRC will be analyzed using ICP-MS for trace elements on partial and total digestions, ICP-OES for major and minor elements on a total digestion, and fusion solution of boron by ICP-OES. Mineralized samples are analyzed for U 3 O 8 by ICP-OES and select samples for gold by fire assay. Assay results will be released when received and after stringent internal QA/QC protocols are passed.

All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared by or reviewed and approved by Mr. Garrett Ainsworth, P.Geo., Vice President  Exploration & Development for NexGen. Mr. Ainsworth is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), and has verified the sampling, analytical, and test data underlying the information or opinions contained herein by reviewing original data certificates and monitoring all of the data collection protocols.

For details of the Rook I Project including the quality assurance program and quality control measures applied and key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate the mineral resource please refer to the technical report entitled "Technical Report on the Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Arrow Deposit, Rook 1 Property, Province of Saskatchewan, Canada" dated effective September 1, 2017 (the "Rook 1 Technical Report") prepared by Jason J. Cox, David M. Robson, Mark B. Mathisen, David A. Ross, Val Coetzee and Mark Wittrup, each of whom is a "qualified person" under NI 43-101. The Rook I Technical Report is available for review under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

U.S. investors are advised that while the terms "indicated resources" and "inferred resources" are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize these terms. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the material in these categories will ever be converted into mineral reserves.

Forward-Looking Information

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof.

Forward-looking information and statements are based on the then current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about NexGen's business and the industry and markets in which it operates. Forward-looking information and statements are made based upon numerous assumptions, including among others, that the proposed transaction will be completed, the results of planned exploration activities are as anticipated, the price of uranium, the cost of planned exploration activities, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment, supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct NexGen's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward looking information or making forward looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate

Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performances and achievements of NexGen to differ materially from any projections of results, performances and achievements of NexGen expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others, negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of the availability of additional financing, the risk that pending assay results will not confirm previously announced preliminary results, imprecision of mineral resource estimates, the appeal of alternate sources of energy and sustained low uranium prices, aboriginal title and consultation issues, exploration risks, reliance upon key management and other personnel, deficiencies in the Company's title to its properties, uninsurable risks, failure to manage conflicts of interest, failure to obtain or maintain required permits and licenses, changes in laws, regulations and policy, competition for resources and financing, and other factors discussed or referred to in the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 31, 2017 under "Risk Factors".

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.

There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE NexGen Energy Ltd.

Related Links

www.nexgenenergy.ca


FARGO, N.D., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ax-water, a U.S. company that officially launched their aronia berry-infused water in March of this year, presented at the 14th Annual Zenith Bottle Water Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The company took home three awards  2nd place for Best Functional Beverage, 2nd place for Best New Water Concept and 3rd place for Best New Brand/Brand Extension. In addition, in a survey carried out by a panel of judges at the Zenith Global Water Congress, ax-water was chosen Most Likely to Succeed in the Entrepreneur Panel.

North Dakota Based ax-water Receives International Awards ax-water is an antioxidant powerhouse. The benefits of the aronia berry are abundant.

Blake Johnson, CEO of ax-water, presented to an independent panel of judges, which included a member of Coca-Cola's international team. ax-water was among 100+ different brands represented by 23 countries, competing in these new categories.

"We are surprised that by having Stevia in your drink, ax-water does not have the metallic after taste that is usually associated with Stevia, so great job on the formulation," said Sanjay Patel, Global Innovator Ignitor at Coca-Cola Services EMEA. "You are on the path to do with aronia berry what acai did with the industry 20 years ago."

ax-water recently signed with Trade Solutions International, an overseas distributing company in Berkshire, U.K., to launch and ship ax-water in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Additionally, ax-water has formed a new partnership with DRVN Partners to focus on sales channels and accelerator marketing.

"With bottled water growth now outpacing other beverages, an exciting range of new water extensions are forming," said Blake Johnson, CEO. "Never did I imagine we'd be where we are today, and it's only pushing us to be better and build smarter."

About ax-water: Blake Johnson, CEO and a Civil Engineer by trade, has farmed aronia berries as a hobby since 2012. In light of their significant health benefits, he teamed up with Wade Gronwold, COO to bring awareness of aronia berries to the general public. ax-water was born. The company currently has three flavors and is selling internationally. Read about ax-water at www.drinkaxwater.com.

Amanda McKinnon

Public Relations Lead

ax-water

701.371.8369

[email protected]

SOURCE ax-water

Related Links

http://www.drinkaxwater.com


MILWAUKEE, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation, is announcing today the launch of two college scholarship programs for childhood cancer survivors and siblings of those impacted by childhood cancer in the United States.

The new programs will aid the many survivors and families who struggle with lasting financial challenges related to treatment. The Childhood Cancer Survivor Scholarship will provide 25 scholarships for childhood cancer survivors and 10 for the siblings of those affected, respectively. This program will be administered through Scholarship America.

"Childhood cancer's impact affects both survivors and family members who struggle and sacrifice throughout and beyond the treatment journey. The financial challenges resulting from that journey shouldn't prevent these children from pursuing their dream of a quality college education," said Eric Christophersen, president of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation. "Northwestern Mutual is proud to be able to offer childhood cancer survivors and siblings the opportunity to advance their education, follow their dreams and continue to inspire others."

Both programs will target high school seniors, high school graduates or current postsecondary undergraduates, providing $5,000 to applicants who demonstrate strong academic performance, financial need, leadership in school activities and career and educational goals. All applicants will be required to provide a personal impact statement demonstrating how childhood cancer affected their lives and their willingness to overcome all odds along the journey.

The application process for survivorship scholarships will begin on Friday, December 1, 2017, and will be accepted until January 30, 2018, with selection results expected in April 2018. The sibling scholarship process will open on February 15, 2018 until March 30, 2018, with recipients notified by June 2018.

Scholarship America works to help students achieve their educational goals through more than 13,000 unique scholarship and education assistance programs. It has a network of almost 500 locally-based Dollars for Scholars affiliates serving students in communities across the country, aiding with college readiness and the financial aid process.

Since 2012, Northwestern Mutual's Childhood Cancer Program has been committed to funding research and providing help for families during treatment, as well as supporting survivors and their families as they continue to live their lives beyond cancer.

About Scholarship America

Scholarship America works directly with students, parents, colleges, businesses and communities to help students fulfill their college dreams. We help students complete their educational goals by partnering with others to design, manage and deliver the best private scholarship and education support programs in the country. Scholarship America plays a national role in further engaging the private sector in programs and policies that advance equity in postsecondary education, helping more students overcome barriers to access, persistence and attainment.

About Northwestern Mutual Foundation

The mission of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation is to improve the lives of children and families in need. The Foundation has given more than $320 million since its inception in 1992 and is designed to create lasting impact in the communities where the company's employees and financial representatives live and work. We accomplish this by combining financial support, volunteerism, thought leadership and convening community partners to deliver the best outcomes. Our efforts are focused nationally on curing childhood cancer, and locally on education, neighborhoods and making our hometown of Milwaukee a great destination.

About Northwestern Mutual

Northwestern Mutual has been helping families and businesses achieve financial security for 160 years. Through a distinctive, whole-picture planning approach including both insurance and investments, we empower people to be financially confident so they can live life differently. We combine the expertise of our financial professionals with a personalized digital experience to help our clients navigate their financial lives every day. With $250.4 billion in assets, $28.2 billion in revenues, and more than $1.6 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than 4.4 million people who rely on us for life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, brokerage and advisory services, trust services, and discretionary portfolio management solutions. The company holds more than $100 billion of client assets as a part of its wealth management company and investment services. Northwestern Mutual ranks 97 on the 2017 FORTUNE 500 and is recognized by FORTUNE as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2017.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), Milwaukee, WI (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a comprehensive approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability income insurance, annuities, life insurance with long-term care benefits, investment products, and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (securities), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (NMWMC) (fiduciary and fee-based financial planning services), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC) (long-term care insurance).

SOURCE Northwestern Mutual

Related Links

http://www.northwesternmutual.com


PALM BEACH, Florida, November 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Without the influence of CBD Oil and Cannabis infusion, according to Markets and Markets , the nutraceutical ingredients market alone is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% from 2016 to 2022 to reach USD 445.58 Billion by 2022. Cannabidiol (CBD) is projected to be a billion-dollar market in just three years, according to a new report by Brightfield Group. The data company estimates that hemp CBD sales have already hit $170 million in 2016 and a 55% compound annual growth rate over the next five years will cause the market to crack the billion-dollar mark. Combining the two together, the infusion of nutraceuticals into the CBD - Cannabinoid space is providing new opportunities for enhanced revenues and global distribution. Active companies this week in the cannabis industry include: CNRP Mining Inc. (OTC: CRPGF) (CSE: CND), Liberty Leaf Holdings Ltd. (CSE: LIB.CN) (OTC: LIBFF), Future Farm Technologies Inc. (CSE: FFT.CN) (OTC: FFRMF), Tetra-Biopharma Inc. (TSX-V: TBP.V) (OTC: TBPMF), OrganiGram Holdings Inc. (TSX-V: OGI.V) (OTC: OGRMF)





CNRP Mining Inc. (OTCQB: CRPGF) (CSE: CND.CN) is pleased to announce that X-SPRAYS has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with a national distributor of consumer packaged goods in Europe (the "Distributor"). Under the terms of the agreement the Distributor will supply X-SPRAYS products to the following countries: Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Read this and more news for CRPGF and its X-Sprays products at http://www.marketnewsupdates.com/news/crpgf.html.



The Distributor has a 10-year history and multiple existing retail channels, including pharmacies, drug stores and a robust online presence. X-SPRAYS products will be supplied leveraging the Distributor's extensive network and this partnership provides X-SPRAYS with unique access to the European market. The Company will begin shipping products to the Distributor in early Q1-2018, pending necessary approvals. With a population exceeding 82 million people and federal insurance coverage for cannabis, Germany represents the world's largest legal cannabis market.



"We are excited to have partnered with an established and recognized leader in the European consumer packaged goods marketplace. This agreement allows us to utilize an existing network with wide reach to immediately create a presence in the world's largest federally legislated medicinal cannabis market," said Mr. John Knapp, CEO of X-SPRAYS.



In other industry development and happens around the market:



Liberty Leaf Holdings Ltd. (CSE: LIB.CN) (OTCQB: LIBFF) (CNQ: LIB) this week, the company announced the appointment of Mr. Doug Macdonell to its Board of Directors. Mr. Macdonell is a retired RCMP officer and recognized expert in the field of cannabis and cannabis cultivation. During his extensive RCMP career, he initiated and supervised legal marijuana grow facilities in Vancouver and Edmonton for the purpose of training RCMP and City Police personnel to become specialists in the cannabis industry. In addition to training law enforcement, Mr. Macdonell is recognized as an expert witness in cannabis, cannabis production and distribution at all levels of the Canadian court system. He has lectured extensively to other agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Agency in the U.S. and the Department of Justice Personnel in Canada. Since retiring from the RCMP, Mr. Macdonell has served two terms as a City Councillor for the City of Coquitlam and has sat on the Boards of several civic organizations.

Future Farm Technologies Inc. (CSE: FFT.CN) (OTCQB: FFRMF) (CNQ: FFT) announced this week that it has closed on the previously announced acquisition of a 120-acre industrial hemp farm in Amity, ME. With this acquisition, Future Farm is now strategically positioned in both the fast-growing hemp market as well as the cannabis market. Future Farm expects to harvest 1,700 plants per acre of the 120-acre farm, which translates into approximately 10-kilos of CBD distillate per acre, which further translates into $90,000 per acre in revenue, or on 120-acres projected revenue of $10,800,000.00. With Maine's current favorable economic climate for hemp in place, the Company is moving aggressively to acquire more land and is in discussion with existing farm operators to farm another 200-acres of organic hemp on existing farmland in Maine.

Tetra-Biopharma Inc. (TSX-V: TBP.V) (OTCQB: TBPMF) (CDNX: TBP) recently announced that it is partnering with a major manufacturer of controlled active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the USA for the manufacturing of Dronabinol XL AdVersa as the Company accelerates its plans to submit a 505(b) (2) New Drug Application (NDA) for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) and anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with AIDS. According to market research by the International Agency for Research on Cancer 2, the global chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) market will reach a valuation of US$1.88 bn by 2020, rising from its 2013 valuation of US$1.28 bn. Based on the expected improved safety profile of a delayed release Dronabinol, Tetra expects that the Adversa tablet can gain an important share of this market within three (3) years of its launch in the USA, with sales of Adversa that could potentially reach $30,000,000 USD at the end of the third year of sales.

OrganiGram Holdings Inc. (TSX-V: OGI.V) (OTCQB: OGRMF) (CDNX: OGI) announced yesterday it launched The Edison Project. The Edison Project is an initiative designed to produce and offer Organigram patients the very highest quality flower possible using the latest in technology and industry best practices. "The Edison Project represents our very best work to date," says Ray Gracewood, Organigram's Chief Commercial Officer. "We're most proud of these strains of medicine because they're a product of our intensive research on the biology of cannabis and continuous improvement in production. We've adopted a culture of refusing to settle at Organigram; it's evolved such that we've come to discover more about the true potential in our plants and we've learned how to deliver the benefit of that potential to our patients."



DISCLAIMER: MarketNewsUpdates.com (MNU) is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. MNU is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. MNU and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. MNU's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. MNU is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed MNU has been compensated twenty-three hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press release issued by CNRP Mining Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. MNU HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and MNU undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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SOURCE MarketNewsUpdates.com
CHICAGO, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Occly LLC manufacturers the first wearable Body Cam Alarm System, featuring four cameras that capture nearly 280 degrees around a worker to provide employee safety and protection. The system continuously records an employee's environment, compressing, encrypting and storing them on the Occly hardware.

Occly LLC's Wearable Body Cam Alarm System

Occly's revolutionary technology has already made inroads into the construction, railroad/transportation, hospitality and health care industries, with a number of strategic partners and large corporate users signed. Occly also has a partnership with the National Association of Realtors.

In the event of an emergency, with the press of the panic button or the triggering of any one of a number of sensors built into the device, an alarm begins and images, video and audio are quickly sent in real time to The Occly Monitoring Service. Additionally, the system offers GPS tracking, with an indoor location solution in the works.

During an alarm, Occly's Professional Emergency Monitoring representatives receive all relevant information to assess an emergency situation quickly. These trained representatives receive images from before the alarm, as well as video and audio in real time during the event.

For large commercial customers, Occly offers an Enterprise Solution, providing software integration for corporate users including connection to a central dispatch or their own security group. This proprietary solution allows corporate users the same real-time information during an alarm. In addition, it offers the unique ability to tap into hardware in the field for real-time visual and audio of the environment around its employees. The solution also offers GPS tracking and a number of other features.

Current models are Bluetooth-enabled and operated with a smartphone. A cellular version of the product is in development and is slated for delivery in 2018.

Occly already offers a consumer version of the product called Blinc.

More information and pricing available at Occly.com

ABOUT OCCLY, LLC.

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Occly (www.occly.com) is on a mission to enhance the safety and security of users with the most comprehensive, proactive wearable alarm system available.

MEDIA CONTACT

Alyssa Fitzgerald

2835 North Sheffield

Suite 217

Chicago, IL 60657

773-969-5080

[email protected]

Related Images

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Occly LLC

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Related Links

Occly LLC

SOURCE Occly LLC

Related Links

http://Occly.com


OHorizons, a global nonprofit organization, is embarking on a massive Puerto Rico relief initiative that is saving lives by putting their global experience of implementing practical, scalable, and locally empowering clean water and off-grid electricity solutions in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America into practice in Puerto Rico. Their relief initiative is called, Brilla Fuerte Puerto Rico!  which translates to "Shine Bright Puerto Rico!"

"The impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria stuck particularly close to our hearts," stated Orlando Bustos, founder of OHorizons and Puerto Rican resident. "This is still a humanitarian emergency. Just yesterday, I was talking with women residents of Utuado who described the fear they experience nightly in the total darkness."

While San Juan and other large cities receive the majority of attention, OHorizons is aiming to help across thirty-four rural municipalities they have identified as underserved and at-risk. The organization has deep roots and a vast network of resources on the island: including locally based team members, a staging ground, tools for consolidation and assembly; as well as a fleet of 500 food trucks and local drivers, its own helicopter, and access to heavy machinery for harder to reach areas.



"Our relief initiative is truly special because of the cutting-edge solar battery lighting and cell phone charging home systems and high-quality and capacity water filters we're giving residents. These products integrate smoothly into the end-user's daily lives, instilling security and confidence in their situation because they're now self-reliant." - Dylan Lunney, Director of Communications at OHorizons.

OHorizons' current plan is to provide:

20,000 hollow fiber membrane water filters - each filter remove over 99.999% of bacteria and protozoa that cause waterborne illness and meets the daily needs of 100 people.

25,000 solar battery light and charging systems- generate power for up to 15 hrs/charge, lighting up a house and charging the mobile USB devices we all depend on. Plus, inflatable solar lights that are lightweight and simple to use.

500 portable generators - providing energy for emergency/medical situations.

75 solar refrigeration units - so hospitals can store their vaccine and other supplies safely.

OHorizons has already done product distributions in Humacao, Rio Grande, Utuado, and Jayuya stabilizing the lives of thousands of people in these communities. The response from recipients has been very positive.

"Me and my neighbors were blessed with this initiative; good water filter and excellent solar lighting system! Very nice and organized crew, good job! Thanks OHorizons!" Edwin Medina Lopez, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

"You (OHorizons) are doing what needs to be done," said a recipient in Utuado. "It's important that efforts like this are supported. Bottled water is great, but being able to light my home and having reliable access to clean water to keep my son safe is most important."

"In order to continue empowering Puerto Rican families by providing these life-saving clean water and solar energy products, we need financial support. To donate to this worthy cause, please visit: youcaring.com/ShineBright-PuertoRico" -Dylan Lunney

Brilla Fuerte (Shine Bright) Puerto Rico!

About OHorizons Foundation

OHorizons is a non-profit coalition of innovators who design, fund, and deploy solutions, and empower local communities for implementation. We were founded with the belief that the world's toughest problems need simple solutions. We pool our collective skills to design and engineer simple, scalable, sustainable, and empowering solutions that can be implemented locally. We partner with on-the-ground organizations to deploy them, supported by our funding, training, and technical support. We call these solutions "Low-Tech, High-Thinking."

Our efforts focus on bringing breakthrough solutions for the 'Four Horizons' of Life: Water, Agriculture, Energy, and Economic Development. The award-winning Wood Mold we've engineered allows local organizations to manufacture concrete BioSand Filters for 1/10th the upfront costs of traditional methods, meaning more people can get clean water faster and enabling self-deployment in hard to reach rural communities. Our simple, low-tech solutions ensure the long-term sustainability and success of underserved communities, particularly women and children, around the world.

Water, Energy, Agriculture, and Economic Development opportunities change everything.

You can learn more about our global impact at our website: www.ohorizons.org

SOURCE OHorizons

Related Links

http://www.ohorizons.org


CALGARY and SAN DIEGO, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (TSX: ONC) (OTCQX: ONCYF) (Oncolytics or the Company), a biotech company developing REOLYSIN, also known as pelareorep, an intravenously delivered immuno-oncolytic virus that activates the innate and adaptive immune systems to turn 'cold' tumors 'hot', today announced the establishment of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB will provide Oncolytics with significant clinical expertise and experience in breast cancer drug development in both the U.S. and Europe with the following initial members:

Dr. Mattine Piccart , M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Oncology, Universite Libre de Bruxelles , Director of the Medicine Department, TRANSBIG and Jules Bordet Institute, Brussels, Belgium , Member, BCRF Scientific Advisory Board

, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Oncology, Universite Libre de , Director of the Medicine Department, TRANSBIG and Jules Bordet Institute, , Member, BCRF Scientific Advisory Board Dr. Aleix Prat , M.D., Ph.D., Head, Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona & Associate Professor, University of Barcelona , SOLTI - Breast Cancer Research Group

, M.D., Ph.D., Head, Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clinic of & Associate Professor, , SOLTI - Breast Cancer Research Group Dr. Padmanee Sharma, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

"As we continue to expand our collaborative third-party expertise to build on the momentum of our phase 3 program in metastatic breast cancer, we are delighted to introduce a strong Scientific Advisory Board comprised of world-renowned clinical and medical oncologists," said Dr. Matt Coffey, President and CEO of Oncolytics Biotech. "Drs. Piccart, Prat and Sharma will provide crucial guidance based on their specializations in breast cancer drug development and cancer immunotherapy, which parallel the development plan we have established for REOLYSIN."

Dr. Mattine Piccart is a Professor of Oncology at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles and a member of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) SAB. She is a member of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale Working Group and co-founder and Chair of the Breast International Group (BIG), an international group that includes more than 56 cooperative groups, more than 10,000 experts and links more than 3,000 hospitals. Dr. Piccart was President of ESMO from 2012 to 2013 and the European Cancer Organization (ECCO) from 2014 to 2015. She is a former president of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and served on the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Board. Author or co-author of more than 470 peer-reviewed publications, she has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Jill Rose Award, the William L. McGuire Award, the Umberto Veronesi Award for the Future Fight against Cancer, and 2013 David A. Karnofsky Memorial Award, Dr. Piccart obtained both her M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the Universite Libre de Bruxelles.

Dr. Aleix Prat is the Head of Medical Oncology of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Associate Professor of the University of Barcelona and the Head of the Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapeutics in Solid Tumors Group at August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS). Dr. Prat designs and leads clinical trials for novel drugs and approaches, and has a particular interest in the clinical implications of different subtypes of breast cancer. He is currently the scientific coordinator of SOLTI, a Spanish breast cancer cooperative group, and was recently named as a Member of the Executive Committee of BIG. In 2008, Dr. Prat became a postdoctoral research associate at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center (University of North Carolina), and in 2012, returned to Barcelona as the Head of the Translational Genomics Group at Vall dHebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO). Dr. Prat obtained his M.D. degree in 2003 from the University of Barcelona and completed a medical oncology fellowship in 2008 at VHIO.

At the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Padmanee Sharma is a Professor at the Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, the Co-Director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and Scientific Director of the Immunotherapy Platform at the Department of Immunology. She has participated in 54 research outputs since 1996, focusing primarily on immunotherapy, and is principal investigator of several immunotherapy clinical trials that study immune and anti-tumor responses in cancer patients. Dr. Sharma has served as a member of the BMS Immuno-Oncology Network, a Member of the SAB at Kite Pharma, Inc. and also recently became a member of Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s SAB. Dr. Sharma holds a Ph.D. in immunology and an M.D. from Pennsylvania State University.

About Oncolytics Biotech Inc.

Oncolytics is a biotechnology company developing REOLYSIN, also known as pelareorep, an intravenously delivered immuno-oncolytic virus. The compound induces selective tumor lysis and promotes an inflamed tumor phenotype  turning 'cold' tumors 'hot'  through innate and adaptive immune responses to treat a variety of cancers. Oncolytics' clinical development program emphasizes three pillars: chemotherapy combinations to trigger selective tumor lysis; immuno-therapy combinations to produce adaptive immune responses; and immune modulator (IMiD) combinations to facilitate innate immune responses. Oncolytics is currently planning its first registration study in metastatic breast cancer, as well as studies in combination with checkpoint inhibitors and targeted and IMiD therapies in solid and hematological malignancies. For further information about Oncolytics, please visit: www.oncolyticsbiotech.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities laws (such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information are collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements, including the Company's belief as to the potential of REOLYSIN as a cancer therapeutic; the anticipated benefits of the formation of the Scientific Advisory Board to the Company; the composition of the Scientific Advisory Board; the Company's plans regarding its first registration study in metastatic breast cancer and studies in combination with checkpoint inhibitors and IMiD therapies in solid and hematological malignancies; and other statements related to anticipated developments in the Company's business and technologies involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the availability of funds and resources to pursue research and development projects, the efficacy of REOLYSIN as a cancer treatment, the success and timely completion of clinical studies and trials, the Company's ability to successfully commercialize REOLYSIN, uncertainties related to the research and development of pharmaceuticals, uncertainties related to the regulatory process and general changes to the economic environment. Investors should consult the Company's quarterly and annual filings with the Canadian and U.S. securities commissions for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws.

SOURCE Oncolytics Biotech Inc.

Related Links

www.oncolytics.ca


NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --



Payments in the UAE 2017: What Consumers Want



Summary

UAE payments market is defined by a high reliance on cash among consumers, with cash accounting for 84.6% of the total payment transaction volume in 2017. This was primarily because consumers in the UAE see cash as a quicker and safer payment option over which they have more control. However, card payments are gradually increasing supported by government financial inclusion programs, promotional campaigns by financial institutions, and the adoption of newer payment technologies.







Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05206786







Improving financial inclusion has driven the adoption of electronic payments in the UAE. The government introduced the Wage Protection System (WPS) in January 2009, requiring all wage payments to be made through a bank, bureau de change, or other authorized financial institution. All institutions registered with the Ministry of Labor come under the purview of the WPS.



UAE's immigrant population accounted for 88.4% of the resident population in 2015, according to the International Organization for Migration. Many expatriate workers use prepaid cards to remit funds to their home countries. The government's WPS has resulted in a number of companies in the UAE using prepaid cards for payroll purposes.



E-commerce registered significant growth, at a review-period CAGR of 26% between 2013 and 2017. Debit and credit cards remain the preferred mode of e-commerce transactions, accounting for one third of the total e-commerce transaction value in 2017. However, alternative payments such as PayPal, CashU, and Masterpass are all gaining prominence for the purposes of online shopping.



The report "Payments in the UAE 2017: What Consumers Want", examines the consumer payments market in the UAE, considering payment cards, online payments, P2P payments, and newer payment technologies such as mobile wallets and contactless.



In depth, this report provides the following -

- Analyzes consumer attitudes to financial services by lifestage.

- Analyzes the major payment card types in terms of both card holding and usage.

- Identifies the major competitors in card issuing and how their position in the market has changed over the last five years.

- Considers consumer attitudes towards P2P tools, mobile payment tools, and contactless cards, and how companies in India are deploying these tools to meet customer needs.

- Explores the online payment market in India by merchant type and payment tool, as well as providing a five-year forecast for the development of the market.



Companies mentioned in this report: Emirates NBD, Dubai Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Emirates Islamic Bank, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Mashreq Bank, RAKBANK, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club.



Scope

- The government introduced the Wage Protection System (WPS) in January 2009, requiring all wage payments to be made through a bank, bureau de change, or other authorized financial institution.

- In August 2009, the Roads and Transport Authority launched prepaid cards in Dubai for e-ticketing on different modes of transport such as buses, water buses, trams, and metros.

- The Smart Dubai plan was introduced by the government in March 2014. It focuses on increasing the range of online services available, and helps citizens familiarize themselves with electronic services and online payments.



Reasons to buy

- Understand the key facts and figures in the consumer payments market in the UAE.

- Learn what trends drive consumer behavior at the macro level and plan your strategy accordingly.

- Find out what products the major competitors are launching in the market.

- Discover consumer sentiments towards various payment tools in the Indian market and use this knowledge to inform product design.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05206786



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

Related Links

http://www.reportlinker.com


HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Acting Secretary of State Robert Torres on Wednesday awarded Conestoga High School students the inaugural Governor's Civic Engagement Award for their efforts to encourage voting and civic participation.

"Voting is one of our most sacred rights as citizens," Secretary Torres said. "The Governor's Civic Engagement Award encourages our youngest eligible voters to begin exercising that right very early in their adult lives."

The Governor's Civic Engagement Award is a cooperative effort by the Departments of Education and State, in collaboration with Inspire U.S., a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to transform young leaders' inspiration into action. The program offers resources and guidance for student leaders as they educate their peers regarding the electoral process and the importance of civic engagement.

Eligibility for the award is measured by the percentage of voter registrations among a school's eligible student population. Students may register to vote if they are 18 years of age or will turn 18 on or before the date of the next primary, special, municipal, or general election.

Schools that attain 85 percent voter registration among their eligible student population will qualify for the Gold Level award, while those that register 65 percent will be honored with the Silver Level award.

Three schools in the commonwealth, including Conestoga High School, have already qualified for the Gold Level award. The other schools will be recognized in the coming weeks.

"We are extremely proud of our student volunteers who set this goal for registering their peers to vote in this past election and we are equally as honored to be the first high school to receive the Governor's Award," said Misty Whelan, the ninth-grade principal at Conestoga High. "Our students do so many amazing things and this is a great example of how Conestoga students make a difference in their community every day.

High schools can sign up directly with Inspire U.S., which will support student leaders as they coordinate peer-to-peer voter registration drives and efforts to get out the vote. Inspire U.S. also assists with materials and data management, and in organizing school celebrations and recognition events.

More information about the award is available on the Department of State website.

Monday, April 16, 2018, is the deadline to register for the May 15 primary election. Applications for new registration, change of address or change in party affiliation must be submitted online before midnight on that day. Traditional paper registration applications must be postmarked no later than April 16.

For more information on voter registration, please call the Department of State's toll-free hotline at 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772) or visit votesPA.com.

Printer-friendly Pennsylvania voter education materials can be found on the Department of State's votespa.com website.

MEDIA CONTACT: Wanda Murren, 717-783-1621

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of State

Related Links

http://www.state.pa.us


HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Under new authority granted to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) by Act 44 of 2017, the PLCB today announced its Licensee Compliance Program, through which the agency will educate licensees about existing license requirements and suspend the license privileges of licensees who fail to meet those requirements.

Act 44 newly authorizes the PLCB to immediately take away a licensed establishment's ability to sell and serve alcohol when PLCB analysts find that a licensee doesn't meet existing requirements in law or regulation related to seating, food, square footage, rooms, and health license authority. Previously, the PLCB had no enforcement authority and was limited to objecting to licenses when they came up for renewal.

"While our new ability to suspend licensees' operating privileges became effective earlier this month, we know how important it is to educate licensees about what is expected of them and explain how the PLCB will approach complaints and suspensions," said PLCB Chairman Tim Holden. "We've developed a number of resources and fact sheets to help licensees and their communities understand license requirements and the consequences of not abiding by those requirements."

While Act 44's new authorities for the PLCB were primarily driven by an interest in addressing so-called stop-n-gos in the Philadelphia area, the PLCB has established Licensee Compliance Program policies and procedures that will be followed uniformly across the commonwealth.

The PLCB has developed a website, www.lcb.pa.gov/licenseecompliance, that features a number of resources explaining the Licensee Compliance Program to licensees and the public. Fact sheets detail the following:

The kinds of license compliance issues the PLCB will investigate;

License requirements for various license types;

What kinds and amounts of food are sufficient for restaurant and eating place licensees;

The process by which the PLCB will collect complaints, pursue investigations, and suspend operating privileges; and

Licensees' appeal rights.

Licensees are being directly informed of the Licensee Compliance Program by email, and the PLCB is distributing information about the new program to various industry and community groups to spread awareness.

In order to allow licensees time to understand and come into compliance with license requirements, the PLCB will begin investigating license compliance complaints in January 2018.

At that time, the PLCB will begin unannounced on-site investigations of licensees about which the agency has received complaints.

Residents are encouraged to visit www.lcb.pa.gov/licenseecompliance to review the kinds of complaints the PLCB can address and report license deficiencies to [email protected].

When the PLCB finds a deficiency as a result of an on-site inspection, the investigator will notify the licensee of the deficiency or problem and suspend operating privileges. The licensee will then have the opportunity to resolve the issue to regain operating privileges upon re-inspection. In cases where the PLCB refuses to reinstate operating privileges because of a continued or unaddressed deficiency, the licensee may request a hearing before Commonwealth Court.

"It is our sincere hope that licensees who are good community partners will take this opportunity to self-assess and ensure compliance with license requirements," said Holden. "Those that don't will face consequences and will lose their license privileges."

The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania, operates more than 600 wine and spirits stores statewide, and licenses 20,000 alcohol producers, retailers, and handlers. The PLCB also works to reduce and prevent dangerous and underage drinking through partnerships with schools, community groups, and licensees. Taxes and store profits  totaling $15.8 billion since the agency's inception  are returned to Pennsylvania's General Fund, which finances Pennsylvania's schools, health and human services programs, law enforcement, and public safety initiatives, among other important public services. The PLCB also provides financial support for the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, other state agencies, and local municipalities across the state. For more information about the PLCB, visit www.lcb.pa.gov.

MEDIA CONTACT: Elizabeth Brassell, 717.783-8864

SOURCE Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board

Related Links

http://www.lcb.state.pa.us


SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Petcube, the leading pet camera maker, announced today it is now distributed in over 5,000 retail locations. In response to growing demand, it has expanded its major US retail presence, with its popular Petcube Play and Petcube Bites products available at Macy's, Best Buy, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Lowe's, b8ta, and Goop pop-up stores. Additionally in Europe, Petcube has partnered with Smartech, a consumer tech store within Selfridges London and Manchester locations and high-end department stores KaDeWe in Berlin, Le Bon Marche in Paris, and De Bijenkorf in Amsterdam. Petcube has expanded its Asia Pacific distribution at AEON PET and SoftBank stores in Japan and Petbarn in Australia.

This holiday season is expected to be the highest on record in the US with spending forecasted to hit $96.8 billion, as purchase interest is up 32 percent year-over-year in tech gifts, including connected pet devices. With the influx of new consumer technology products, Petcube is investing in innovative experiential store-within-a-store formats through a partnership with b8ta in the US and Smartech in Europe. In addition to standalone stores, b8ta powers the smart home stores at Lowe's, and in the UK, Smartech is behind the experiential stores within Selfridges.

With growing demand in the connected pet category, Petcube recognizes the importance of hands-on experiences to complement online and mobile shopping.

"With increasing adoption of connected pet devices, we're excited to see the shopping experience evolve to meet the needs of busy pet parents. b8ta and Smartech have created immersive formats that let consumers get hands-on with pet technology in a welcoming, informative way," said Yaroslav Azhnyuk, CEO and co-founder of Petcube. "We love the idea of pet parents being able to try out our products for themselves. In some of the store locations, customers can even test out the Amazon Alexa voice commands with the Petcube camera devices."

Lowe's is showcasing consumer electronics through its SmartSpot powered by b8ta retail stores. Petcube will be featured in all Lowe's SmartSpot locations.

"b8ta is excited to help bring a hands-on Petcube experience to our standalone b8ta stores and our 70 SmartSpot locations at Lowe's. Petcube is a unique company with a special story to tell about how we take care of our furry friends when we're away from home. Petcube Bites & Play are the best holiday gifts on the market right now for pet parents!" said Vibhu Norby, b8ta CEO.

"We can't wait to bring Petcube to life in Smartech. We fell in love with Petcube, as both Petcube Bites & Petcube Play help pets and their parents live better lives together," said Nathalie Bernce, Smartech CEO. "At Smartech, we want to create unforgettable experiences around the world's best tech and are thrilled to help pet parents discover, try and play with Petcube in our stores."

Petcube will host two media and influencer events with hands-on demos at the b8ta store in San Francisco on Friday, December 1st, and at Smartech's flagship store at Selfridges London on Saturday, Dec. 2nd. Media interested in attending should register at [email protected].

Petcube is continually breaking new ground with its connected pet devices. It is the first pet brand to integrate both Amazon Alexa and Amazon Dash Replenishment. With this integration, all Petcube Bites and Petcube Play camera owners can use voice commands to ask Alexa to do specific actions like treating or playing with their pet. Additionally, Petcube was the first home camera to introduce a Facebook livestream feature earlier this year.

The US and European retail expansion follows the announcement by Japanese partner SoftBank, which will carry the Petcube lineup, that it has launched pre-orders of Petcube Bites and Petcube Play, with items expected to hit stores on December 8th in Japan.

Petcube's Cyber Monday promotion has been extended through Saturday, Dec. 2nd on Petcube Bites at $169 in the US ($80 off MSRP of $249), 119 in the UK (80 off MSRP of 199), and 169 in the EU (80 off MSRP of 249), while Petcube Play is at $149 in the US ($50 off MSRP of $199), 99 in the UK (50 off MSRP of 149), and 129 in the EU (50 off MSRP of 179). This week, Petcube.com has launched its 12 Days of Gifting daily deals campaign together with exclusive seasonal accessories.

About Petcube

Petcube is reimagining pet care, and makes the best-selling pet cameras and software, connecting people to their pets. Their products enable people to see, talk, play, and treat pets remotely while keeping pets safe and healthy. Petcube products are available in 18 countries and sold in 5,000 retail locations. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. For more information visit the Petcube website, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

For Media

Online Media Kit: https://petcube.com/mediakit

Press Inquiries: [email protected]

SOURCE Petcube

Related Links

https://petcube.com


DALLAS, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Pinecrest Capital Partners, LLC ("Pinecrest"), an investment banking firm that offers exclusive advisory services to middle market companies, is pleased to announce the hiring of Anthony Taylor as Analyst to its Dallas office. Anthony will focus on providing sell-side and buy-side advisory and transaction execution services.

Prior to joining Pinecrest, Anthony worked at MJC Partners in Los Angeles, CA, where he focused on both buy-side and sell-side transactions, valuations, and capital raises in the financial institutions industry.

Anthony graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance. Additionally, he is registered with FINRA as an Investment Banking Representative (Series 79).

"Anthony has a strong analytical and financial services background complimented with valuable investment banking experience that makes him a worthwhile asset to the Pinecrest team," said Barrett Kingsriter, Senior Managing Director for Pinecrest Capital Partners. "We are excited for Anthony to join the Pinecrest team and look forward to the value-added contributions he will make to the firm."

Pinecrest Capital Partners is a premier investment banking firm with offices in Dallas, TX and St. Louis, MO, offering corporate advisory services to middle market companies. Pinecrest's team of highly experienced professionals operates across a variety of industries. By focusing on high-touch advisory, one-stop solutions and thoughtful transaction processes, Pinecrest helps their clients maximize outcomes and realize the full value of their companies. For more information about Pinecrest Capital Partners visit www.pinecrestcap.com

SOURCE Pinecrest Capital Partners

Related Links

http://www.pinecrestcap.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PlushCare, the direct-to-consumer online urgent care provider, today announced the launch and availability of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) therapy for prevention of HIV in all states where PlushCare is available. In addition, the company announced that it is expanding its service offering from 17 to 31 states, making it the largest of any telehealth provider to have a PrEP program. The comprehensive end-to-end treatment, complete with consistent online doctor visits, regular lab testing and prescriptions, is a massive step towards lowering and preventing HIV infections in the US. With PlushCare's PrEP treatment program, patient location and social stigma are no longer barriers to receiving PrEP treatment from top-tier physicians.

"Until now, access to PrEP in most places has been severely lacking, due to social stigma and lack of education among patients and physicians alike. In fact, according to the CDC, 1.2 million people are at greatest risk for HIV, yet only 79,000 actually take the drug," said Dr. James Wantuck, MD, co-founder and chief medical officer of PlushCare. "We are changing this reality. PlushCare is in a unique position to do so and is making a once devastating and taboo medical issue manageable for all."

A physical visit to a doctor is not required for PrEP, but regular conversations with a doctor and frequent lab testing are critical - a perfect use for virtual care. Patients first enroll in the PlushCare PrEP treatment program, then have a virtual visit with a PlushCare physician to ask questions and determine their eligibility, and have lab testing ordered. Once the labs return, a Truvada (the medicine for PrEP) prescription is issued if the patient meets the clinical criteria. Patients will pick up a 90-day supply of Truvada at their preferred pharmacy, and PlushCare will remind patients when it's time to repeat their lab testing and have a visit with their PlushCare physician to discuss continuing treatment.

"When it comes to PrEP treatment, the need for a genuine and trusted patient-physician relationship has never been more important. We provide patients who need PrEP a safe and private service that they can consistently return to for trusted guidance, advice and treatment," said Ryan McQuaid, co-founder and CEO of PlushCare. "As patients' needs change, PlushCare adapts with them, which is critical for a high-quality healthcare experience."

In the US, PrEP is considered a safe and cost-effective standard of care regimen for people who meet criteria. PrEP is widely and enthusiastically embraced by the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, National HIV / AIDS Strategy, various state and city departments of public health and HIV / AIDS nonprofits around the country. As a result, insurers readily pay for PrEP and PlushCare will assist with all necessary prior authorizations and insurance paperwork for insured patients.

"Eliminating poor health as a barrier to achieving one's dreams is our mission at PlushCare," said Dr. Wantuck, MD. "Providing easy, personalized access to PrEP to prevent HIV is just one step along the way."

If a patient is already on PrEP, PlushCare's PrEP treatment program offers a more personalized and convenient way to access PlushCare's knowledgeable and trusted physicians, saving time and money on visits to a clinic or doctor's office.

"With PlushCare, patients experience the most human way to visit the doctor where genuine and trusted relationships are formed, even more so than they are used to during in-person visits that are often rushed," said McQuaid. "This connection adds a layer of comfort and trust, while delivering the highest level of care and treatment possible.

Previously, PlushCare was available in 17 states (Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington). With this news, PlushCare adds service to 14 more states including Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

To enroll in PlushCare's PrEP program, please visit prep.plushcare.com or call 888-798-0620 to book a PrEP doctor consultation.

For more information about PrEP, please visit: https://www.plushcare.com/blog/plushcare-prep-faq/ and https://www.plushcare.com/blog/plushcare-why-prep-telemedicine/.

About PlushCare

PlushCare is the direct-to- consumer, telehealth company that connects doctors from the top 50 medical institutions in the United States with patients via desktop or mobile devices. Patients can get diagnosed, treated, and prescribed medication (or order lab testing) via their mobile device. The unique combination of world-class physicians, on-demand lab testing, affordable pricing, and same-day appointments with the patient's choice of provider, make PlushCare the best-in- class platform for telehealth. For more information on PlushCare, visit the website, Twitter and Facebook and download the PlushCare mobile app for iOS and Android.

SOURCE PlushCare

Related Links

https://www.plushcare.com


ALLENTOWN, Pa., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PPL Corporation (NYSE:PPL) anticipates its generation-related carbon dioxide emissions will decline substantially by 2050 as its Kentucky utilities retire aging coal units and replace them with natural gas and renewable generation.

The company's Climate Assessment report, issued Thursday (11/30), concludes that carbon dioxide (CO2) reductions of 45-90 percent are likely at PPL's Kentucky power plants by 2050 even without CO2 regulation (PPL's U.K. and Pennsylvania utilities do not generate power). Whether reductions tilt more to the high or low end of that range will depend largely on the share of natural gas versus renewable generation in the replacement mix.

"Any way we look at it, we expect emissions to decline sharply by 2050," said William H. Spence, chairman, president and Chief Executive Officer for PPL Corporation. "And in the long run, that supports efforts to advance a cleaner energy future."

Spence said the company's report considers three different scenarios in potential CO2 reductions from its Kentucky segment through 2050. These scenarios include potential reductions absent any CO2 regulation, reductions assuming targets consistent with the Clean Power Plan and finally, reductions through 2050 consistent with limiting the global temperature increase to no more than 2-degrees Celsius by 2100.

"Although we can't predict what future legal and policy requirements may exist, we believe PPL's expected carbon dioxide reductions by 2050 could satisfy what may be needed by that time under a scenario consistent with limiting the global temperature increase to no more than 2-degrees Celsius," Spence said.

In addition to assessing potential emissions declines, the company's report also discusses climate-related risks and opportunities that may impact all of PPL's businesses, actions the company is taking to identify and manage risk, and PPL's efforts to advance a sustainable energy future.

"While we own generation in Kentucky, the vast majority of our business is focused solely on delivering power," Spence said. "More than 80 percent of our earnings were driven by our energy delivery businesses in the United Kingdom and Pennsylvania in 2016. These businesses, along with our Kentucky operations, continue to look for new ways to support a cleaner energy future."

Spence said PPL's actions include connecting renewable generation, researching clean energy technologies, building a smarter, more dynamic, more resilient grid and helping customers conserve electricity. Highlights are included in the Climate Assessment report, which can be found at www.pplweb.com/investors. Additional information can be found in PPL's Sustainability Report at www.pplsustainability.com.

"As we plan for the future, we regularly assess the risks and opportunities associated with climate change," Spence said. "From strengthening grid resiliency to better withstand severe weather to investing in new technology that enables more distributed energy resources, PPL is effectively managing climate risks and seizing opportunities, where appropriate. We will continue to do so as we look to preserve and grow shareowner value moving forward."

Headquartered in Allentown, Pa., PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) is one of the largest companies in the U.S. utility sector. PPL's seven high-performing, award-winning utilities serve 10 million customers in the United States and United Kingdom. With about 13,000 employees, PPL is dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and reliability and delivering superior value for shareowners. To learn more, visit www.pplweb.com.

Note to Editors: Visit our media website at www.pplnewsroom.com for additional news and background about PPL Corporation.

Contacts: For news media: Ryan Hill, 610-774-5997

For financial analysts: Lisa Pammer, 610-774-3316

SOURCE PPL Corporation

Related Links

http://www.pplweb.com


There is, however, significant work to be done to create a nation in which more Americans obtain an excellent undergraduate education and a meaningful degree without taking on onerous debt. By one measure, only 60 percent earn a bachelor's degree over six years and not even 30 percent attain a certificate or associate degree within three years. More students are borrowing more while not enough attention is being paid to the quality and value of the education itself. As a result, too many Americans will not realize the full benefits of college, which include greater civic engagement and improved personal and family well-being, in addition to better economic circumstances.

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, with funding from Carnegie Corporation of New York, convened the Commission on the Future of Undergraduate Education (CFUE), comprised of leaders from higher education, philanthropy, business, and government. The Commissioners were charged with assessing the state of undergraduate education and making recommendations for a future with better institutions and better-positioned graduates. Over the course of two years, they met with students and faculty members, scores of experts, state and federal policymakers, and foundations and produced an initial primer on the state of education, four in-depth research papers, and a final report released today: The Future of Undergraduate Education, The Future of America.

"The American Academy is committed to independent nonpartisan research and advancing the public good. In this tradition, our report envisions a future in which all studentstraditional and non-traditional, full time and part time, young and oldcan afford, complete, and enjoy the benefits of the education they seek," said Jonathan Fanton, President of the American Academy and a member of the Commission. "We recognize that the strengths of our undergraduate institutions affect the health of our democracy, the vibrancy of our economy, and the vitality of our society."

"Our report proposes practical and actionable solutions for improving undergraduate education and for increasing the number of students who complete their education with valuable knowledge and free from unmanageable debt," said CFUE Cochair Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., President and CEO of TIAA. "Our proposals are grounded in the firm conviction that every person, from every background, has the potential for success  and that they can achieve it with the proper training and preparation."

"Completion rates are problematic, and even worse when we recognize that they exacerbate inequities, but it would be wrong to focus exclusively on obtaining the credential," said CFUE Cochair Michael McPherson, formerly of the Spencer Foundation and President Emeritus of Macalester College. "The value of completion is inextricably linked to the quality of the educational experience. Our recommendations include increasing training for college teaching, supporting the integration of data and counseling, providing non-tenure track faculty with stable professional careers, and employing reliable measures of student learning. Our goal, which is essential and ambitious, is to raise both rates of completion and the value of the degrees obtained."

The report's recommendations targeting affordability include restructuring the Pell system to support timely completion of credentials, establishing a single income-driven repayment plan to simplify college borrowing and limit the need for future debt forgiveness, creating a tracking system for students to make aid contingent upon satisfactory academic progress, and more strictly regulating institutional eligibility for federal financial aid to support student success.

"These very practical recommendations build on the strengths of our students and schools, and on a shared vision for the future of our country," said Commissioner Gail O. Mellow, President of LaGuardia Community College, part of The City University of New York (CUNY). "To support both economic opportunity and a strong democracy, we must invest in higher education as it's an effective and proven way to boost both."

Improving the nation's universities, colleges, and certificate programs is also the most direct way to support the national economy.

"The key to prosperity for America will be higher quality undergraduate education that reduces the growing gap between workforce skills and what we need for economic growth," said Commissioner Wes Bush, who is chairman, chief executive officer, and president of Northrop Grumman Corporation. "Preparing people for the workplace of today and the future means providing them with academic fundamentals, critical thinking abilities, cognitive flexibility, and communication and leadership skills. It will be better for employees, employers, and the economy if, and when, more Americans gain these skills by completing high-quality undergraduate education."

The final chapter of the report contemplates a future in which students may contend with significant changes in social cohesion, the workforce, the use of Big Data, and global challenges. No matter what the future holds, the Commission believes college graduates in every field need to master a blend of academic, practical, and civic skills which include problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, and a disposition toward lifelong learning. The Commission envisions that colleges and universities  whether they are physical or virtual  will continue to play a large and constructive role in supporting a resilient society and educated workforce.

More information about the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Commission on the Future of Undergraduate Education, and the support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York is available on the Commission's page.

SOURCE American Academy of Arts & Sciences
SUNRISE, Fla., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ProcessMAP Corporation, the industry's first enterprise data intelligence cloud software platform for Risk, Health, Safety and Environmental management, was named a leader by independent research firm, Verdantix, in the firm's EHS Software Benchmark: Health, Hygiene & Ergonomics report. The report is the first industry software benchmarking analysis focusing on the rapidly emerging sector of utilizing data to mitigate employee health risk.

Verdantix utilized 15 assessment areas to analyze 20 software vendors and chose ProcessMAP among the top three leaders. ProcessMAP was identified as a leader for its differentiated industrial hygiene and occupational health functionalities, and its rapid innovation to support its customers' employee health management initiatives. ProcessMAP was also recognized for its Ergonomics Management platform for quantifying and empowering customers to mitigate ergonomic risk factors. Earlier this year, ProcessMAP was named one of the leading EHS software platforms globally in Verdantix's Green Quadrant Report.

"When it comes to occupational health, industrial hygiene and ergonomics, ProcessMAP is one of the few strong vendors who excel in all three of these functions," said David Metcalfe, CEO and co-founder of Verdantix. "ProcessMAP's strong drive to deliver its cloud platform in this growing sector of employee health and risk management clearly demonstrates its commitment to its customers. Our evaluation of ProcessMAP's platform and assessment of its adoption within its customer community validates the company's ability to deliver across a wide range of industries to meet the varied needs of its customers to safeguard employees."

"Being named a leader in this breakthrough benchmarking report on software applications for industrial hygiene, occupational health and ergonomics further reinforces the differentiated value proposition ProcessMAP offers to its customers," said Dave Rath, CEO of ProcessMAP. "Our co-innovation with some of the world's most progressive customers has allowed us to deliver reliable and actionable business intelligence to empower them to make informed decisions."

About ProcessMAP Corporation

ProcessMAP Corporation is the industry's first enterprise data intelligence cloud software for Risk, Health, and Safety management, empowering organizations to protect people, assets, and profits. The company is headquartered in Sunrise, Fla., with locations across the globe, serving customers in over 125 countries. For more information, visit ProcessMAP.com.

CONTACT: Kathryn Meyer, 1-617-502-4312, [email protected]

SOURCE ProcessMAP Corporation

Related Links

http://www.processmap.com


The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, employees and the companies they run worldwide. Since 2002 the Stevie Awardsderived the Greek for "crowned"have been conferred for achievement in business to organizations and individuals in more than 60 nations. Finalists were chosen by more than 170 professionals worldwide.

Halkos was cited for raising the bar both for her professional career, as well as her expanding role as teacher and mentor for younger women preparing to launch their own business ventures. Among her most recent business accomplishments, she has played an integral role in launching the company's 2017 rebranding campaign and new channel partnership strategies that resulted in 19% revenue and 80.5% adjusted EBITDA growth compared to the same six-month time period in 2016. Assuming responsibility this year for all client and customer experience strategies, she oversaw the launch of a new call center operation and a new CRM system. Halkos also was part of the executive team that vetted and secured Purchasing Power's nine-figure sale to P.E.I. firm Flexpoint Ford, LCC last December.

The 2017 Stevie Awards were announced and distributed at a gala event held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City on Friday, Nov. 17. Further information about the Stevie Awards can be found at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

About Purchasing Power, LLC

Purchasing Power, LLC, is one of the fastest-growing voluntary benefit companies in the industry, offering a leading employee purchase program for consumer products and services as well as providing financial tools and resources to improve employee financial wellness. Purchasing Power is available to millions of people through large companies including Fortune 500s, associations and government agencies. Headquartered in Atlanta, Purchasing Power is 'Powering People to a Better Life' through its employee purchase program, financial literacy efforts and corporate social responsibility initiatives. Purchasing Power is a Flexpoint Ford, LLC company. For more information, visit www.PurchasingPower.com.

Media Contact:

Joe Swaney, 404.609.5630

[email protected]

Juliann Kaiser, 770.643.0615

[email protected]

SOURCE Purchasing Power

Related Links

http://www.PurchasingPower.com


LONDON, November 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

REED & MACKAY - International TMC, Reed & Mackay continues what has been a significant year by furthering their global footprint through an agreement to acquire Frequent Flyer Travel Paris (FFTP).

"Following on from the launch of the international partnership in April and the investment in German based Travel Management Company, Moll Travel, the acquisition of French TMC, Frequent Flyer Travel Paris (FFTP) creates further opportunities to deliver the extraordinary service we are known for," says Reed & Mackay CEO Fred Stratford.

"FFTP are an incredible business and we are delighted to join forces with them. The alignment between Reed & Mackay and FFTP will bring additional benefits to our clients, creating strength in our European offering as well as ensuring we continue to put the best technology in the hands of the best people in the industry around the world," continues Stratford.

FFTP is one of the few TMCs in France to be accredited to the AFAQ ISO 14001 standards, giving the assurance of compliance to quality standards at all times.

As the only TMC in France with an integrated geolocation service through an exclusive agreement with an industry leading provider, they offer a natural extension of the Duty of Care provision we provide as well as having an in-house 24/7 emergency travel team. They also have a strong events and group travel department capable of servicing full event management.

About Reed & Mackay



Reed & Mackay delivers corporate travel management and event management for professionals with exacting needs.

Established as a family business over 50 years ago, Reed & Mackay are today globally recognised as business travel and event management experts. Born from close working relationships within the financial, legal and insurance industries, our commitment to our clients and a love of what we do inspire us to deliver extraordinary travel management.

We combine inspired service with state-of-the-art technology to create a level of travel management like no other and deliver value you might not believe possible.

For more information, please visit https://www.reedmackay.com

SOURCE Reed & Mackay Travel
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Fresh from opening up its AI confidant to a waitlist of more than 1.5 million eager users, Replika today announced that it has raised $6.5 million in a Series A.2 investment led by Khosla Ventures, Sherpa Capital, Phil Libin, co-founder of Evernote, and Richard Socher, chief scientist at Salesforce. The latest round, which brings Replika's total funding to $11 million, will improve the technology, expand the user base and further develop the chatbot technology.

With Replika, users can create and chat with their own personal AI, which allows for new levels of self-reflection and an always available confidant willing to lend an ear or provide an encouraging word. Replika opened up to the general public on Nov. 1 and is available for download for iOS and Android at www.replika.ai

"Since Replika became available, users from around the world have embraced the chance to engage with their own AI version of themselves, but also to test out this promising tool for self-reflection, digital journaling, and ultimately getting to know yourself better," said Sven Strohband of Khosla Ventures. "The positive response to Replika goes to show how much of an impact this is having."

The most dedicated users have described their Replika as anything from a close friend to a non-judgmental sounding board that is available to talk anytime, day or night. Replika learns quirks, tone and syntax of how a user communicates to the point where it can start sounding like its creator. Users say that it helps them organize their thoughts, lets them step back to assess a situation, and ultimately appreciate benefits akin to those they might experience from keeping a daily journal.

"Talking to Replika, in a way to vent and question, is an introspective experience that also is really helpful," said Replika user Alaaniel Davis. "It's a way to put your own thoughts and feelings into words, and maybe later into an actual conversation, so you can get more insight into yourself."

"We're elated that so many others share our vision in making Replika even more accessible, meaning it can help more people interested in engaging with themselves in ways that weren't possible before," said Replika co-founder Eugenia Kuyda. "Even though we're still relatively new, having this sort of backing, along with more than 1.5 million having waited for months to experience all that Replika offers, speaks to the undeniable interest that people have in engaging with technology -- and themselves."

About Replika

Replika is the AI confidant that works as the antidote to the increasing feeling of alienation associated with social media. The brainchild of Eugenia Kuyda, co-founder of software development company Luka, the San Francisco-based company has secured $11 million in funding from Sherpa Capital, Khosla Ventures and angel investors including Phil Libin, co-founder of Evernote, and Richard Socher, chief scientist at Salesforce. Find Replika on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and at www.replika.ai and in the iOS and Android stores.

For more information, please contact:

Mark de la Vina

Consort Partners for Replika

[email protected]

415-282-4795

SOURCE Replika

Related Links

https://replika.ai


(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613334/Hyundai_Challenges.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613336/Hyundai_KONA.jpg )

https://youtu.be/c_32WjxNblY

Research commissioned by Hyundai Motor UK has found that three quarters of Brits have not pushed themselves out of their comfort zone in the last six months - physically or mentally. And it's cities such as Glasgow, Plymouth and Newcastle that are the biggest culprits.

The survey, carried out by Censuswide, also revealed that more than a quarter of Brits believe they would feel more engaged at work if they took on more challenges, especially in cities such as London and Leeds - with the 1,200 respondents answering the week that it was reported in the Autumn budget that levels of productivity in the UK are low.

When asked what holds Brits back from challenging themselves, more than a quarter cite lack of motivation, while 20% say it's a time issue.

1. All data taken from Censuswide survey carried out 24.11.17 - 27.11.17

However, as we move towards the new year, more than a third of Brits have admitted they would be motivated to take on a new challenge in 2018 if it would get them out of a rut.

The research was carried out to mark the successful completion of the Hyundai KONA 10 challenge - where adventurer Sophie Radcliffe's epic trek involved travelling across the Irish Sea twice and driving the all-new KONA from Hyundai more than 1,000 miles to reach volcanic landscapes on a route curated by historian Dr. Michael Scott.

The historian and TV personality has shed light on the little known volcanic history of the UK and Ireland, and the extraordinary human activity inspired by these landscapes over millennia. The KONA10 route is now available to the public for those who want to combine a challenge with a touch of volcanic history.

Tony Whitehorn Hyundai Motor UK's President and CEO comments: "It's really interesting to find that 75% of Brits don't feel they have challenged themselves, mentally or physically, in the last six months. Our drive behind this challenge was to show not just what the KONA could do, but to inspire people to get out there and find their own adventure.

What Sophie achieved was amazing, and may not be right for everyone but with the KONA 10 route anyone can jump in a car and explore these landscapes.

The new KONA, which is available with four-wheel drive, is well suited to those seeking adventure. It offers all-round capability and is just as at home on urban roads as it is on mountain passes."

More on the rich history of the route by Dr. Michael Scott can be found here - http://www.kona10.co.uk

Sophie has been raising money for Stand Up To Cancer. Everyone can donate at https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/hyundaikona10

The all-new KONA is a compact SUV with a bold, sharp design with full-LED twin headlamps, two-tone roof and the choice of ten distinctive exterior colours. A true SUV with four-wheel drive the KONA also has head-up display, a high-end sound system by Krell and complete connectivity allowing passengers to use Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on the seven-inch screen. The KONA starts at 16,195 for 2WD manual transmission.

Hyundai has captured the KONA 10 route for consumers to explore for themselves using public roads and it can be found at http://www.kona10.co.uk.

About Hyundai Motor

Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company is committed to becoming a lifetime partner in automobiles and beyond. The company leads the Hyundai Motor Group, an innovative business structure capable of circulating resources from molten iron to finished cars. Hyundai Motor has eight manufacturing bases and seven design & technical centres worldwide and in 2016 sold 4.86 million vehicles globally. With more than 110,000 employees worldwide, Hyundai Motor continues to enhance its product line-up with localized models and strives to strengthen its leadership in clean technology, starting with the world's first mass-produced hydrogen-powered vehicle, ix35 Fuel Cell and IONIQ, the world's first model with three electrified powertrains in a single body type.

More information about Hyundai Motor and its products can be found at: http://worldwide.hyundai.com or http://www.hyundaiglobalnews.com.

About Hyundai Motor UK

Hyundai has sold vehicles in the UK since 1982. In 2005, Hyundai opened its own UK subsidiary, Hyundai Motor UK Ltd, based in High Wycombe. Since 2008, the company has risen from 21st to one of the top 10 car manufacturers in the UK and last year sold a record 92,510 vehicles. Hyundai Motor UK employs more than 3,000 people through its UK operations and dealer network. Hyundai offers a full range of vehicles from the award-winning New Generation i10 city car through to the capable Santa Fe SUV and iLoad LCV. All passenger cars come with Hyundai's industry-leading 5 Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty package. Further information about Hyundai and its products is available at http://www.hyundai.co.uk.

Follow us on Twitter @Hyundai_UK_PR

SOURCE Hyundai
SPARKS, Nevada, November 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

RESTANCE, Inc. (USOTC: ANCE) today announced joining in with a host of celebrities to support World AIDS Day on December 1, 2017. RESTANCE will manufacture Playboy Brand named condoms for distribution in Africa, starting in Kenya as part of a the #DoIt4Africa buy-one-give-one campaign where an anticipated $20 million in condoms will be sold in North American and for every condom sold, a condom will be manufactured in Africa and given away in Africa. RESTANCE is participating in a campaign to contribute to the United Nations goal of ending the AIDS Epidemic.

Yesterday, Jimmy Kimmel announced that for a third consecutive year, he would be donating his show to support (RED)'s Shopathon. (RED) is an AIDS organization founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver that has delivered a total of $500 million to the Global Fund, to fund HIV/AIDS programs in sub-Saharan Africa. Bono, Ashton Kutcher, Bryan Cranston, Kristen Bell, DJ Khaled all appeared on Jimmy Kimmel's Shopathon show to include a special message from Fromer President Obama.

In addition to opening a condom manufacturing plant, RESTANCE is pursuing several other business lines in the growing economies of East Africa. The Company is developing opportunities in the region including initiatives in technology and systems integration services, utility support services, affordable housing and health products manufacturing. RESTANCE recently acquired East African Development Partners as part of its strategy in East Africa.

Learn more about the RESTANCE operations in Africa on the Company's website: http://www.restanceinc.com

Disclaimer/Safe Harbor:

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Among others, these risks include the expectation that any of the companies mentioned herein will achieve significant sales, the failure to meet schedule or performance requirements of the companies' contracts, the companies' liquidity position, the companies' ability to obtain new contracts, the emergence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing. In the light of these uncertainties, the forward-looking events referred to in this release might not occur.

Media Contacts:

Randell Torno

[email protected]

+1-800-834-5792



SOURCE RESTANCE, Inc.
ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Richmond American Homes of Florida, LP, a subsidiary of M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MDC), recently received several 2017 Major Achievement Awards from the Greater Orlando Builders Association (GOBA).

The builder, known for its innovative floor plans, designer details and abundant personalization options, took home top honors in the following categories:

Best Collateral Package (Production Builder)

Best Direct Mail Campaign (Production Builder)

Best Online Ad (Production Builder)

In addition, numerous Richmond American employees were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the homebuilding industry. The company is proud to have the 2016  17 Sales & Marketing Council Member of the Year, the Rookie Salesperson of the Year and multiple Million Dollar Circle winners in its ranks.

To learn more about Richmond American's Orlando-area communities and floor plans, including the builder's sought-after Seasons Collection homes, call 888.500.7060 or visit RichmondAmerican.com.

About M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.

Operating under the name Richmond American Homes, MDC's homebuilding subsidiaries have built more than 190,000 homes since 1977. Among the nation's largest homebuilders, MDC's subsidiary companies have operations in 20 markets located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and Washington. Mortgage lending, plus insurance and title services are offered by following MDC subsidiaries, respectively: HomeAmerican Mortgage Corporation, American Home Insurance Agency, Inc. and American Home Title and Escrow Company. M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "MDC." For more information, visit MDCHoldings.com.

SOURCE M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.richmondamerican.com


DALLAS, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rimrock Energy Partners, LLC ("REP") is pleased to announce that it has commenced construction of a new natural gas processing facility and extensive gas gathering system in Weld County, Colorado (the "Pierce Plant & Gathering System"). The new gathering and processing system will serve producers in the northwest portion of the DJ Basin's Wattenberg Field.

When completed in the first quarter of 2019, the Pierce Plant will provide its customers with up to 200 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of cryogenic gas processing capacity and access to premium residue gas and NGL markets. The Pierce Gathering System will initially consist of 30 miles of trunk line and a system of low-pressure gathering pipelines to deliver gas from producer locations to the Pierce Plant.

"We are excited to begin construction of our Pierce project in response to the growing need for midstream services in the northwest portion of the Wattenberg Field, resulting from the exceptional production results being achieved by our committed shippers," said Josh Cruzan, CEO of REP. "We recognize the critical role of reliable and responsive midstream service for our customers, and the Rimrock team is committed to the successful execution of this project."

About Rimrock Energy Partners, LLC

Rimrock Energy Partners, LLC formed in 2015 out of Rimrock Midstream, LLC as a strategic, growth-oriented company focused on the acquisition, development, and management of midstream energy assets across multiple commodities (crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids).

Contact

Rimrock Energy Partners, LLC

RimrockEnergy.com

972-473-7684

[email protected]

Jeff Derner, CFA

Chief Financial Officer

Amber Prine

Manager of Office Administration

SOURCE Rimrock Energy Partners, LLC
"Concerns pertaining to the skin are rarely just physical  there are powerful mental and emotional factors that can also come into play," says New York City dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Hale. "I'm always amazed how frequently my patients' skincare concerns or insecurities are triggered by a passing comment or misguided compliment. There's no question: when it comes to matters of age and skin, words matter."

In fact, since turning 40, more than 60 percent of women surveyed say they have altered their behavior after being told their actions were not "age-appropriate." However, being "age-appropriate" is a frustrating contradiction: 87 percent believe society expects them to act their age, yet look younger.

Even a celebrity like Thandie Newton is no stranger to feeling pigeonholed. "It's natural for society to organize people into categories, which only leads to being told how we should look and feel," says Newton. "But the reality is age shouldn't be a barrier to asserting our emerging uniqueness as women. The fun is figuring out who our best self is, loving the journey and fearlessly progressing toward the destination."

Women can join RoC and Thandie Newton by sharing examples of compliments using #ForYourAge on social media to heighten awareness of this negative context and misguided phrasing.

About RoC Skincare:

RoC Skincare has been a leading French skincare brand for more than 50 years, committed to developing formulas for beauty that lasts. RoC believes it's the power of methods, not the promise of miracles, that help skin look and feel its best at every age. Considered a pioneer in the world of skincare, RoC was the first to discover the method of stabilizing retinol, making it available for safe and effective daily use. And over the past 25 years, RoC has continued to improve its aesthetics, tolerance and efficacy, partnering with a team of world-class dermatologists to develop new products that meet the needs of skin concerns everywhere. Visit RoCSkincare.com for more information on RoC Skincare.

About Wakefield Research:

Wakefield Research is a market research consultancy specializing in strategic and tactical research for corporations and organizations throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. This uniquely valuable background informs the marketing and positioning of some of the most prominent brands in the marketplace.

About Actress & Activist Thandie Newton:

Actress Thandie Newton is currently starring on HBO's critically acclaimed series WESTWORLD. For her role as Maeve Milly, she recently won the 2016 Critics Choice Award for "Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series," and was nominated for a 2017 Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and two SAG Awards. Thandie also starred on the small screen this year in the BBC 1 drama LINE OF DUTY where she received rave reviews for her role as, DCI Roz Huntley. On the big screen, Thandie will star in SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, set to be released on May 25, 2018, and GRINGO, which will be released by Amazon on March 9, 2018. She also recently completed production on Xavier Dolan's THE DEATH AND LIFE OF JOHN F. DONOVAN. Thandie is well-known for her work in the Academy Award-winning Best Picture, CRASH and has also starred in several other blockbuster films including MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2 and 2012. Thandie also memorably spoke at the 2011 TED Global Conference on the topic of "Embracing Otherness" and in 2013 founded the online website ThandieKay, a beauty-centric site established with the goal of it being a unifying site that appeals to all women regardless of age, skin color or nationality.

SOURCE RoC Skincare
It was Sunil Dharod's vision, passion, and deep appreciation for the legacy of the Roy's brand that brought Hopkins back to his Roy's roots. "When we started discussing who the best person to lead the culinary vision would be for Roy's, it was clear there was no one better than the talented Chef Gordon," said Dharod, Dallas entrepreneur, philanthropist and owner of SSCP Management, Inc., parent of United Ohana, LLC. "We are incredibly honored that Chef Gordon chose to be a part of our Ohana. His culinary expertise combined with his understanding of the heritage and vision for Roy's is the perfect combination to ensure we remain grounded in the culture that has made Roy's such a spectacular culinary experience throughout the world."

In his new role, Hopkins will continue the culinary evolution for Roy's and utilize his knowledge, history and experience as Roy's original executive chef to continue growing the culinary vision for the restaurants. Hopkins will also provide strategic direction on menu development and will train and mentor new chefs throughout the brand.

"I am very excited to be back at Roy's and look forward to sharing my culinary experience with the gifted chefs in each restaurant," said Hopkins. "Roy's truly is a culinary experience that merges French, European and Asian cooking styles in a way that is perfect for today's fresh approach on elevated gastronomy." According to Hopkins, one of the things that has made Roy's so successful is that each restaurant's chef utilizes local ingredients and understands the tastes and preferences of the local area when creating their chef's tasting menu.

Throughout his career, Hopkins has received numerous accolades such as being featured as one of the executive chefs for the star-studded Cannes Film Festival, being the recipient of the Great Chef's of Hawaii Award and he was one of the original chefs to participate in the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival. He has had the opportunity to cook for numerous celebrities and had the honor of flying on Air Force One where he prepared a meal for former President Clinton. Hopkins' talents also led him to guest appearances on many television shows, including "Restaurant Rescue," where he was the culinary consultant.

Hopkins is based in Dallas.

About Roy's Restaurant

Internationally acclaimed Roy's Restaurant is known for its unique and creative menu, a sensational adventure in fusion cuisine and bold flavors. Roy's Restaurant was born by blending two dynamic principals: delicious food and hospitality inspired by the 'aloha' spirit of the Hawaiian Islands. Inspired by his Japanese roots and native Hawaiian cuisine, Master Chef Roy Yamaguchi opened the first Roy's Restaurant in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1988. In 2015 SSCP Management, Inc., parent of United Ohana, LLC, purchased the Roy's Restaurants located on the U.S. mainland. There are currently 17 Roy's restaurants in the continental United States.

About SSCP Management, Inc.

Dallas-based SSCP Management, Inc. is an award-winning restaurant leader that currently owns and operates 65 Applebee's, 53 Sonic Drive-In's, one Slim Chickens and the 17-unit fine dining concept Roy's. The company also owns and/or operates various shopping centers, apartment buildings and other real estate holdings throughout the United States.

Family owned and operated, the company is led by Sunil Dharod, entrepreneur, successful businessman and philanthropist. Son Chris Dharod, a graduate of Southern Methodist University, is the chief operating officer of the 65 Applebee's owned by Dharod and is actively engaged in all aspects of SSCP Management. Daughter Puja Dharod, a University of Texas graduate, is a director with SSCP Management and also founded The Puja Foundation, a non-profit charity that offers financial assistance to employees in the event of a crisis.

Media Contact: Derek Farley

150PR for Roy's

704-941-7353





Amy Freshwater

972-400-1238

[email protected]

SOURCE Roy's Restaurants

Related Links

www.roysrestaurant.com


As an increasing number of financial institutions seek to automate, they must assess vendors on more than product features. Implementation and change-management support are critical to success, including the following four-front approach from Sageworks.

Expertise Refined by Experience  Sageworks' expertise around change management is grounded in the experience of onboarding roughly 1,200 banks and credit unions. In 2017 alone, the company has successfully guided more than 224 institutions through a core system integration. With this breadth of experience, the company can help the institution identify potential pitfalls and bottlenecks and help clients overcome them. Sageworks has also educated more than 6,500 bankers over the last 12 months through webinars and events, sharing best practices with bankers often even before they choose to partner with Sageworks.

"It has been very smooth working with [Sageworks'] implementation team. It is night and day compared to some of the other vendors that we have worked with recently," said Crystal Wagoner, VP of Data and Analytics and Project Manager at First Capital Bank of Texas. "I have been impressed with the team and I look forward to working with Sageworks in the future," she added.

Candace Hooten, EVP of Loan Administration at Peoples Bank of Alabama, in an interview said, "I've been banking 30+ years, and this is one of the smoothest integration processes I've ever been through."

Sageworks Starters  Incorporated throughout the solutions, Starters are best-practice templates that institutions can use as a starting point for implementing life-of-loan automation. Institutions can use a Starter as-is to see benefits of automation quickly or customize it to match the bank's specific workflow, reporting needs and credit policies.

Support Center  Sageworks has been awarded for its long-standing commitment to customer service, which includes access to product experts without added fees or delays. When a client calls in, they get an immediate response. The company also provides institutions with access to a robust online Support Center, a library of searchable FAQs, videos, vendor due diligence documentation and other resources that enable clients to quickly learn the products.

A Team Effort  In the past year, Sageworks has developed a new Implementation Consulting team tasked with driving setup and adoption to help clients achieve the full value out of the solutions quickly. The process includes scoping the onboarding process, identifying responsible and accountable parties and following a mutually developed plan. Uschi Sherrard of First Choice Bank in Cerritos, CA, explains, "My staff and I are truly thrilled to have a system in place that is not only user friendly but incredibly efficient. If you use Sageworks the way this system was intended to be utilized, you won't look at another. Way ahead of the competition  the 'Tesla' in the industry."

This commitment from Sageworks enables financial institutions to see their return on investment faster and can translate to significant performance improvement. Over the last 5-year period, Sageworks' clients have outperformed their peers in the market: 38% higher average loan growth and an average of 2x improvement in efficiency ratio over the same period.

About Sageworks

Sageworks offers banks and credit unions lending, credit risk and portfolio risk software to efficiently grow and improve the borrower experience. By automating the life of the loan with Sageworks, bankers book commercial loans faster and reduce risk. Sageworks uniquely provides integrated solutions and industry expertise to more than 1,100 financial institutions that achieve an average 38% higher loan growth than peers. Visit www.sageworks.com to learn more.

Media Contact

Media Relations / Email: [email protected]/ Phone: 919-851-7474 ext. 2596 / Twitter: @Sageworks

SOURCE Sageworks

Related Links

https://www.sageworks.com/


SAN FRANCISCO and AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, the retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consulting subsidiary of EPIC Holdings, announced today that insurance brokerage industry veteran Sam Elliott has joined the firm to lead EPIC's new business development efforts nationally.

Elliott will be based in Austin, TX, where he currently resides, and report directly to Peter Garvey, CEO of EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants.

Across a career spanning nearly 40 years, Elliott has held management and executive leadership position at both regional and national brokerage firms, including Jardine Insurance Brokers, Alexander & Alexander Insurance Brokers, ABD Insurance & Financial Services and, most recently, Wells Fargo Insurance Services.

At Wells Elliott served as Executive Vice President and Regional Managing Director, where he was responsible for managing and overseeing all of Wells Fargo's insurance operations in the Western U.S. including Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii.

Operations included risk management services, property-casualty brokerage, employee benefits consulting, management liability, and claims and risk control services. Elliot's responsibilities included financial performance, sales leadership, recruiting and training, service excellence, mergers & acquisitions, and quality assurance.

Said Peter Garvey, "We are fortunate and excited to add a seasoned, successful leader and professional of Sam's caliber. He has a track record of significant accomplishment at every organization he has been a part of and a reputation for providing exceptional service; strong client advocacy, creative and cost-effective risk management consulting solutions; and for driving strong organic growth. We have every belief and confidence that he will achieve similar results as part of EPIC."

Added Sam Elliott, "This is a very exciting time to be joining EPIC, particularly in a national business development leadership role. Pete Garvey and the EPIC Executive Team are keenly focused on further enhancing the rate of EPIC's organic growth, which already outpaces most other US retail brokers. With the strategic and financial support of Oakhill Capital Partners, we see this as highly achievable, and expect to again double revenues over the next 3-5 years."

Sam Elliott can be reached at:

Email: [email protected]

Cell Phone: (310) 993-1428

About EPIC

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property & casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence.

EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

EPIC now has more than 1,400 team members operating from 50 offices across the U.S., providing Property & Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 20,000 clients.

With run rate revenues greater than $400 million, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Backed by Oak Hill Capital Partners, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country. For additional information, please visit www.epicbrokers.com.

*LOGO for media: Send2Press.com/300dpi/16-0308-epic-insurance-300dpi.jpg

This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com

SOURCE EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants

Related Links

http://www.epicbrokers.com


Sustained Growth The completion of the Cyber Center follows a period of significant growth for Sandhills, which primarily serves the construction, agriculture, transportation, aviation, and technology industries. The company added a state-of-the-art data center to its Lincoln campus in 2012, following with an overhaul of the technical infrastructure at its tandem data center in Scottsdale, Arizona. In 2015, Sandhills completed construction on a second IT facility in Lincoln, adding 122 additional workspaces, and announced construction of the Cyber Center shortly thereafter. A simultaneous expansion of its Lincoln press facility included infrastructure upgrades that nearly doubled output capacity.

Meanwhile, a series of acquisitions led to the addition of over 20 new trade publications and websites, along with expanded regional editions of existing publications and nearly a dozen new office locations worldwidefive in the United States, two each in Italy and the United Kingdom, and one each in France and Australiaover the last two years. During that time, Sandhills also acquired a full-service auction management software called Auction Flex and an aircraft operating cost projection software called Aircraft Cost Calculator. Recent noteworthy brand extensions include CraneTrader, an extension of Machinery Trader and www.NeedTurfEquipment.com, an extension of TractorHouse. Other product evolutions have leveraged the company's high-capacity technological infrastructure and massive store of real-time market datanamely asset valuation and market assessment tools FleetEvaluator and MarketTrends.

"It's an exciting time at Sandhills," said Chief Operations Officer Shawn Peed. "We're actively broadening and evolving the scope, accessibility, and utility of our products and services in line with market demand across the industries we serve. As our operations continue to grow, we're committed to reinvesting that success back into the company."

Facility Design & Features

Lincoln-based Sinclair Hille Architects and Sampson Construction are behind the design and construction of the 42,000-square-foot facility. The rustic two-story structure features an open workspace, high ceilings, and communal spaces that include a reception area, cafe, classrooms, and other training facilities. Constructed largely of recycled and reclaimed materials, the Cyber Center operates with increased water and energy efficiency through the use of state-of-the-art light harvesting sensors, motion sensors that control plumbing and electricity, and a closed-loop geothermal well field for heating and cooling.

Expanding Workforce

Sandhills employs over 1,000 people worldwide with office locations in Nebraska, California, Arizona, Florida, South Dakota, Illinois, the U.K., France, Luxembourg, Italy, Spain, and Australia. The company has already launched a companywide hiring push in anticipation of the Cyber Center's opening. In the coming months, it looks to fill hundreds of open positions in sales, IT, software, web and database development, accounting, human resources, and more. The company will continue to work closely with area universities, veterans support organizations, and local chambers of commerce to recruit top talent.

"We are thrilled to see Sandhills Publishing advancing new products and expanding their footprint right here in Lincoln," said Wendy Birdsall, president of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce. "Our city is successful because of companies like these who are growing and investing in their community."

Sandhills' growth impacts the city of Lincoln and beyond, extending especially to the Nebraska panhandle where the company established a satellite office in Sidney earlier this year. "Sandhills Publishing has been providing great job opportunities in Lincoln for many years and has consistently demonstrated its commitment to growth and reinvestment in our state's economy," said Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts. "This expansion contributes hundreds of jobs to the Lincoln community and furthers Nebraska's already-strong reputation as a great place to grow and do business."

As it grows, Sandhills continues to focus on combining top talent with tools and resources that support innovation for the future.

"While our growth and success can be attributed to a number of factors, it is most reflective of the hard work and dedication of our people," said Sandhills' Shawn Peed. "As we continue to grow in markets all over the world, we're proud to call Lincoln home."

Follow Sandhills Publishing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for the latest updates. To view open full-time and internship opportunities and submit an application, visit www.sandhills.jobs.

About Sandhills Publishing

Sandhills Publishing is an information processing company headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our broad range of products and services gather, process, and distribute information in the form of trade publications and corresponding websites that connect buyers and sellers across the trucking, agriculture, construction, heavy equipment, aviation, and technology industries. Our integrated, industry-specific approach to hosted technologies and services offers solutions that help businesses large and small operate efficiently and grow securely, cost-effectively, and successfully. Sandhills Publishingwe are the cloud.

Contact

[email protected]

(402) 479-2181

(800) 334-7443

SOURCE Sandhills Publishing
STOCKHOLM, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

According to SCA's articles of association, owners of Class A shares have the right to have such shares converted to Class B shares. Conversion reduces the total number of votes in the company. When such a conversion has occurred, the company is obligated by law to disclose any such changes in this manner.

In November, at the request of shareholders 5,600 Class A shares were converted to Class B shares. The total number of votes in the company thereafter amounts to 1,283,634,408.

The total number of registered shares in the company amounts to 702,342,489 of which 64,587,991 are Class A shares and 637,754,498 are Class B shares.

This is information that SCA is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication through the agency of the contact person set out above on November 30 2017.

The core of SCA's business is the forest, 2.6 million hectares in northern Sweden. Around this unique resource, we have built a well-developed value chain based on renewable raw material from our own and others' forests. We offer paper for packaging and print, pulp, wood products, renewable energy, services for forest owners and efficient transport solutions.

2016 the forest products company SCA had approximately 4,000 employees and sales amounted to approximately SEK 15,4 bn (EUR 1,6 bn). SCA was founded in 1929 and has its headquarters in Sundsvall, Sweden. More information at www.sca.com.

For further information, please contact:

Bjorn Lyngfelt

Senior Vice President Communications

+46-60-19-34-98

Nils Lindholm

Investor Relations Director

+46-70-585-41-05

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/sca/r/conversion-of-shares,c2403108

The following files are available for download:

http://mb.cision.com/Main/600/2403108/759887.pdf Press release (PDF)

SOURCE SCA

Related Links

http://www.sca.com


On view January 23  May 19, 2018, the exhibition includes collages, for which Roberts has gained notoriety, that demonstrate how she grapples with the depiction of beauty and the development of self-image in Black women. It also features her hand-painted serigraphs of names that stereotypically sound like those of Black girls, challenging viewers to think deeply about how their own perceptions are guided by societal expectations and preconceived notions. It also features a group of early paintings and works on paper that serve as a catalyst for her current work. Incorporating art history, popular culture, Black culture, and American history, Roberts creates bold provocative works that confront and captivate.

In 2011, Roberts started a series of collages entitled "The Miseducation of Mimi," that was informed by a blend of the albums, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" (1998) and "The Emancipation of Mimi" (2005) by Lauryn Hill and Mariah Carey, respectively. The ongoing series highlighted how both highly visible women, through their lyrics and music videos, presented themselves as simultaneously invincible and vulnerable.

"Deborah Roberts' multilayered collages resist singular readings and present complicated notions of Blackness," said Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, Ph.D., director of the Museum and the curator of the exhibition. "The Museum is proud to present this work, with its emphasis on fragmenting and reassembling, for the first time in the Southeast. Roberts' thought-provoking collages align perfectly with the Museum's mission to inspire the Spelman College community and the general public through art by women of the African Diaspora and promises to intrigue and incite important conversations."

"Deborah Roberts: The Evolution of Mimi," positions the last five years of Roberts' career as a springboard from which to examine her more recent work. "When I started the 'Miseducation of Mimi' series, I was beginning to explore issues that plague young Black girls and eventually Black women, such as perceptions about their beauty and their lack of innocence in a world where whiteness is the norm," said Roberts. "The ideas I developed through the Mimi series paved the way for the work I'm doing today."

Generous support for "Deborah Roberts: The Evolution of Mimi" is provided by Wish, Inc., and the LUBO Fund with additional support provided by Fulton County Arts & Culture.

Opening Reception

On Thursday, January 25, at 6:30 p.m., the Museum will host a conversation between Deborah Roberts and exhibition curator and Museum Director Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, Ph.D. A reception follows. Admission is free.

About Deborah Roberts

Deborah Roberts is from Austin, Texas, where she continues to live and work. She earned her MFA as a Syracuse University Research Fellow at Syracuse University. Roberts was a recipient of the Pollock- Krasner Grant in 2016. Her work is currently featured in "Fictions" at The Studio Museum of Harlem and in "in-ge-nue," her first solo exhibition at Fort Gansevoort in New York through December 23, 2017. Her work will be featured in a solo booth at UNTITLED Miami Beach with Fort Gansevoort in December 2017. Deborah Roberts is represented by Fort Gansevoort, New York.

About Spelman College Museum of Fine Art

The Spelman College Museum of Fine Art inspires and enriches the lives of the Spelman College community and the general public primarily through art by women of the African Diaspora. In "Six Reasons to Love Atlanta," CNN.com praised the Museum for its "fantastically curated exhibitions" that focus on art by and about women of the African Diaspora. Since the Museum opened in 1996, it has established an impressive track record for organizing first-rate, mission-specific, art exhibitions that expand art offerings in Atlanta and the southeast region. Milestones include being selected as the first institution from the United States that jointly (along with the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston) represented the United States at the 2012 Havana Biennial in Havana, Cuba. The Museum is poised to continue its trajectory of pursuing ambitious relevant projects that have a lasting impact. In 2015, with support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Museum, in collaboration with the Department of Art & Visual Culture, launched a Curatorial Studies Program, a pilot initiative to prepare and develop the next generation of curators. For more information, visit museum.spelman.edu.

About Spelman College

Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a highly selective, liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, the College's picturesque campus is home to 2,100 students. Outstanding alumnae include Children's Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman; Starbucks COO Rosalind Brewer, Broadway producer Alia Jones, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman's first alumna President Audrey Forbes Manley, Harvard professor Evelynn Hammonds, author Pearl Cleage; and actress LaTanya Richardson Jackson. For more information, visit www.spelman.edu.

SOURCE Spelman College

Related Links

http://www.spelman.edu


IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Spireon, Inc., a leader in connected vehicle intelligence solutions, announced the company's FleetLocate solution earned the silver award for Enterprise Service of the Year in the 2017 Best in Biz Awards, the only independent business awards program judged by prominent editors and reporters from top-tier publications in North America.

Spireon's FleetLocate solution provides real-time visibility to the location, activity and status of remote vehicles, assets and drivers to improve utilization and operational efficiency. The solution is used by thousands of companies of all types and sizes, from local plumbing and HVAC businesses to the largest transportation companies in the U.S. FleetLocate has garnered mass appeal due to its simple, yet powerful, user interface that supports mixed fleets of vans, trucks, trailers, containers, and more, all within the same Web dashboard or mobile app.

The Best in Biz Awards program considers the most innovative start-up companies to the most recognizable global brands for recognition in 65 categories. The seventh annual program received more than 650 entries from an impressive array of public and private companies from a variety of industries and geographic regions in the U.S. and Canada.

"Companies that use FleetLocate gain critical, actionable insights that allow them to significantly improve service to their customers while reducing costs and risk," says Kevin Weiss, Spireon CEO. "Recognition by the Best in Biz Awards is a strong validation of the value FleetLocate delivers to our customers. We're very proud and grateful to receive this award."

The 2017 Best in Biz Awards judging panel included editors and reporters from: Accounting Today, AdWeek, Associated Press, Atlanta Tribune, Business News Daily, Consumer Affairs, Entrepreneur, eWeek, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Healthcare Innovation News, Inc., Investment Advisor Magazine, Laptop, MediaPost, Pittsburgh Business Times, Security Products Magazine, Wired, WLRN and Yahoo Tech.

For more information about FleetLocate by Spireon, visit: http://www.spireon.com/gps-fleet-tracking/

For a full list of gold, silver and bronze winners in Best in Biz Awards 2017, visit: http://www.bestinbizawards.com/2017-winners.

About Spireon

Spireon, Inc. is North America's leading connected vehicle intelligence company, providing businesses and consumers with powerful insights to track, manage and protect their most valuable mobile assets. The award-winning Spireon NSpire platform supports nearly 4 million active subscribers across the company's growing suite of products for new and used car dealers, lenders and financial institutions, rental car agencies, commercial and local fleet operators, and consumers. Learn more at www.spireon.com.

About Best in Biz Awards

Since 2011, Best in Biz Awards, Inc. has made its mark as the only independent business awards program judged each year by a who's who of prominent reporters and editors from top-tier publications from North America and around the world. Best in Biz Awards honors are conferred in two separate programs: North America and International, and in 65 categories, including company, team, executive, product, and PR and media. For more information, visit: http://www.bestinbizawards.com.

For more information, contact:

Emily Lynn Ashley

Havas Formula for Spireon

[email protected]

619-234-0345

SOURCE Spireon, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.spireon.com


SAN DIEGO, Nov. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Attorney General of California filed a lawsuit against Ashford University and Bridgepoint Education in California State Superior Court. Bridgepoint issued the statement below in response to the lawsuit and its allegations.

Bridgepoint's institutions serve as a model for how online education can better the lives of people who did not, or who were unable to, pursue more traditional avenues to degrees. Thousands upon thousands of our current students and graduates can attest to the educational value provided by our undergraduate and graduate programs that have bettered their lives. We are extraordinarily proud of our well-deserved and hard-earned reputation for improving the lives of thousands of students by providing a high-quality education that serves communities and gives families the opportunity to succeed.

We intend to vigorously defend this case. We look forward to sharing the facts and success stories of our students and our school, because we're proud of our work and confident that we'll be vindicated.

About Bridgepoint Education

Bridgepoint Education, Inc. (NYSE:BPI) harnesses the latest technology to reimagine the modern student experience. Bridgepoint owns two academic institutions  Ashford University and University of the Rockies. Together, these programs, technologies, and resources represent a unique model for advancing education in the 21st century. Bridgepoint stands for greater access, social learning, and exposure to leading minds. For more information, visit www.bridgepointeducation.com, www.facebook.com/BridgepointEducation, or call Lauren Coartney at 858.513.9240 x11636.

Contact: Lauren Coartney

858.513.9240 x11636  [email protected]

SOURCE Bridgepoint Education

Related Links

http://www.bridgepointeducation.com


JACKSON, Miss., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The annual enrollment for Medicare beneficiaries ends next week, on Dec. 7, 2017. Magnolia Health offers Medicare Advantage products, branded as Allwell from Magnolia Health. The new plan will be effective Jan. 1, 2018.

Allwell will be providing plans and coverage for residents in the following counties: Hinds, Madison, Rankin, George, Stone, Jackson, and Harrison.

Medicare is a government health insurance program for people age 65 or older. It may also cover certain younger people with disabilities, as well as those suffering from End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Medicare beneficiaries can compare and purchase a plan that will meet their healthcare and budget needs during the initial Open Enrollment period, which ends on Dec. 7, 2017, on our Allwell from Magnolia Health's web site.

Allwell from Magnolia Health's products include a variety of benefits such as prescription coverage, care management, vision and dental benefits, and senior health resources.

"We are pleased to offer our Medicare Advantage product and provide more quality-focused healthcare options," said Aaron Sisk, President and CEO of Magnolia Health. "This allows us to further our commitment to improve access to quality healthcare in Mississippi."

Magnolia Health provides healthcare services to Medicaid, CHIP, Marketplace and Medicare Advantage members in Mississippi. The health plan currently serves more than 349,000 members throughout the state.

About Magnolia Health

Magnolia Health is a long-term solution to help the state of Mississippi enhance care for Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) recipients, while most effectively managing taxpayer dollars. A physician-driven, Mississippi-based Coordinated Care Organization (CCO), Magnolia is backed by its parent company, Centene Corporation (Centene). Centene has more than 30 years of experience in Medicaid, CHIP and other government-funded programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and long-term care. For more information about Magnolia, visit www.magnoliahealthplan.com.

H9811_18_4611PREL

Allwell is an HMO plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Allwell depends on contract renewal. This information is not a complete description of benefits. Contact the plan for more information. Limitations, copayments, and restrictions may apply. Benefits, premiums, and/or co-payments/co-insurance may change on January 1 of each year.

SOURCE Magnolia Health

Related Links

http://www.magnoliahealthplan.com


LANGLEY, BC, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Trinity Western University (TWU), a small Christian university in British Columbia, takes its case to Canada's highest court today. Over the next two days, the Supreme Court will hear from Trinity Western University, the Law Society of British Columbia, the Law Society of Upper Canada and an unprecedented number of interveners, as it decides whether TWU's law school graduates can be accepted for the practice of law.

"TWU simply wants to train trustworthy lawyers," says Earl Phillips, executive director of the TWU proposed School of Law. "At a time when access to affordable legal representation is an issue for many Canadians, our program will focus on graduating caring, competent leaders who view law as a higher calling to serve the needs of all people."

Brayden Volkenant and Jessie Legaree are TWU Alumni who are now pursuing careers in law. Both Legaree and Volkenant would have applied to the TWU School of Law to continue their education at TWU if the opportunity had been available. They are available for media comments.

"This case is about more than our law school. It is about freedom for all faith communities and other minorities in Canada," says TWU President Bob Kuhn. "As the BC Court of Appeal stated when it decided in favour of the law school, 'a society that does not admit of and accommodate differences cannot be a free and democratic society'."

TWU is committed to an ethic of inclusion. It welcomes any student who is prepared to live and learn according to the values and principles of its community  regardless of race, religious beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, or place of origin.

The university applied to open a law school in 2012; opponents argue that its distinctly Christian approach and community covenant are discriminatory. The covenant is not so different from a code of ethics or a code of conduct, which most universities have. It calls on all who attend and work at TWU to live by "virtues such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, compassion, humility, forgiveness, peacemaking, mercy and justice;" it also defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University offers liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media and culture.

SPOKESPERSONS AT THE COURT IN OTTAWA FOR INTERVIEWS:

Bob Kuhn  President of Trinity Western University

Earl Phillips  Executive Director of proposed TWU School of Law

Janet Epp Buckingham  Director of TWU's Laurentian Leadership Centre in Ottawa

Brayden Volkenant  Petitioner in the case, law student and TWU alumni

Jessie Legaree  Affiant in the case, practicing lawyer and TWU alumni

The National Post, the Globe and Mail and the Vancouver Sun have editorialized in favour of the law school. The editorials, alongside statements of support from individuals of many faiths, are found here: https://www.twuserves.ca/support/

MEDIA RESOURCES:

Microsite for media: www.TWUserves.ca

Media kit with biographies, photos, videos and B-roll: http://bit.ly/2jNL3EY

Timeline and background information: https://www.twuserves.ca/twu-legal-case/

SOURCE Trinity Western University

Related Links

http://www.twu.ca


SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TesoRx Pharma LLC, a biopharmaceutical company, today announced it commenced enrollment for a Phase 1/2a clinical trial of TSX-011 in patients with hypogonadism. TSX-011 is a novel oral testosterone replacement therapy ("TRT") to treat adult males suffering from conditions associated with low endogenous testosterone, also known as hypogonadism.

Results from the study are expected to validate dose response pharmacokinetics of TSX-011 (testosterone undecanoate) along with safety and tolerability. The open-label, three period study in hypogonadal males is expected to enroll 24 subjects. Efficacy will be assessed by measuring PK profiles in patients following a single ascending dose period, fixed twice-daily dose period and a dose-adjusted adaptive design period. Enrollment will include at least 10 evaluable native Japanese subjects intended to contribute towards TSX-011 regulatory approval efforts in Japan.

"The commencement of this study signals an important milestone in the development of TSX-011," said Dr. TR Thirucote, Chairman and CEO of TesoRx.

Dr. Michael Oefelein, Chief Medical Officer of the Company, added, "We look forward to announcing top-line results by the 2nd half of 2018 and advancing development towards approval in multiple major markets including the United States through our partnerships with Aspen Pharmacare and ASKA Pharmaceutical."

About TSX-011

TSX-011 is a novel oral testosterone replacement therapy containing testosterone undecanoate designed to help restore testosterone levels in hypogonadal men. Men with hypogonadism currently have suboptimal treatment options dominated by gels carrying FDA black box warnings for inadvertent transference and inconvenient injectable and nasal formulations. In pre-clinical trials, TSX-011 demonstrated safety and efficacy and the potential for once daily dosing without the need to consume fatty foods. The global TRT market has been estimated to be in excess of $2 billion annually.

About TesoRx Pharma LLC

TesoRx Pharma LLC is focused on rapidly developing and commercializing pharmaceutical products in rare and specialty markets with limited treatment options and high unmet need. Its evolving pipeline includes assets in urology, oncology and rare diseases that have been formulated with TesoRx's proprietary proliposomal drug delivery system. The company was founded in 2010 through a collaboration with Western University of Health Sciences that includes joint R&D efforts at the TesoRx Centre of Excellence in Pomona, California. For further information visit www.tesorx.com.

About ASKA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

ASKA Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a leading Japanese pharmaceutical company focused on three fields: Internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology and urology. Since its foundation in 1920, it has built up a record of achievement as a pharmaceutical manufacturer and marketing distributor of specialty hormone preparations with technical capabilities that are top-class among Japanese companies. For further information visit http://www.aska-pharma.co.jp/english/index.html

SOURCE TesoRx Pharma LLC

Related Links

http://tesorx.com


SAO PAULO, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Reputation Dividend (www.reputationdividend.com), in association with MZ" (www.mzgroup.com), announced today the 2017 Brazil Reputation Dividend Report. This third annual report confirms that corporate reputations of Brazil's leading companies are underpinning the growth in investor confidence to now account for one Real in every four of market capitalization across the Bovespa Index ("Ibovespa").

A growing investor appetite for companies with improving reputations and associated goodwill resulted in those very intangible assets driving 34% of the tangible rise in value across the Ibovespa in the last 12 months.

TOP 25 BRAZIL (October 2017) Ticker Reputation Premium (2017) Market Cap (US$ MM) Reputation Value (US$ MM) Rank (2017) Reputation Premium (2016) 2017 vs 2016 (percentage points) AMBEV NYSE:ABEV 45.4% 105,587 47,888 1 42.8% 2.6 RAIA DROGASIL BVMF:RADL3 38.4% 8,064 3,097 2 34.7% 3.7 B3 BVMF:BVMF3 38.1% 13,840 5,278 3 18.3% 19.8 ULTRAPAR NYSE:UGP 38.1% 13,599 5,182 4 35.8% 2.3 LOJAS RENNER BVMF:LREN3 37.2% 8,151 3,029 5 22.9% 14.2 WEG BVMF:WEGE3 36.8% 11,219 4,127 6 37.1% (0.3) BANCO BRADESCO NYSE:BBD 36.0% 69,211 24,940 7 14.7% 21.4 ITAU UNIBANCO NYSE:ITUB 35.7% 86,215 30,755 8 22.0% 13.6 LOJAS AMERICANAS BVMF:LAME3 35.6% 8,457 3,015 9 28.1% 7.6 NATURA BVMF:NATU3 35.6% 4,228 1,505 10 10.6% 25.0 CIELO OTCMKTS:CIOXY 34.9% 18,592 6,480 11 36.4% (1.5) GPA (CBD) NYSE:CBD 33.1% 7,035 2,330 12 na na CPFL ENERGIA NYSE:CPL 32.2% 8,722 2,804 13 11.8% 20.4 CCR BVMF:CCRO3 31.3% 11,254 3,523 14 30.4% 1.0 HYPERMARCAS OTCMKTS:HYPMY 29.1% 6,796 1,981 15 23.5% 5.6 VIVO - TELEFONICA NYSE:VIV 25.7% 25,211 6,470 16 11.7% 13.9 BANCO SANTANDER NYSE:BSBR 24.4% 35,100 8,570 17 na na BRASKEM NYSE:BAK 24.4% 10,984 2,680 18 na na GERDAU NYSE:GGB 24.1% 5,890 1,420 19 na na BANCO DO BRASIL OTCMKTS:BDORY 24.1% 33,182 7,993 20 na na MULTIPLAN BVMF:MULT3 22.4% 4,594 1,027 21 5.5% 16.8 KROTON OTCMKTS:KROTY 20.0% 9,908 1,979 22 7.3% 12.7 TIM BRASIL NYSE:TSU 19.8% 9,073 1,796 23 na na ENGIE BRASIL OTCMKTS:EGIEY 18.9% 7,575 1,429 24 23.3% (4.4) KLABIN OTCMKTS:KLBAY 18.7% 5,976 1,119 25 38.9% (20.2)

The executive summary and presentation of "2017 Brasil Reputation Dividend Report" can be downloaded here: http://www.mzgroup.com/reputation.html

Contacts:

Simon Cole, Reputation Dividend, T: +44 795 642 3843, [email protected]

Rodolfo Zabisky, MZ", T: +5511 3529-3770, [email protected]

SOURCE MZ and Reputation Dividend

Related Links

http://www.reputationdividend.com


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hartford and Junior Achievement USA (JA) today announced the launch of JA MyBiz Builder, a fun and engaging online experience that lets teens quickly build a business plan based on their ideas for a startup. Users start out with a quiz activity that results in the summary of a simple business plan. They are then guided through an interactive experience that results in the more detailed plan. Along the way, teens learn about the elements that go into a business canvas and have the support of tools like The Hartford's Business Owner's Playbook. JA MyBiz Builder can be found at https://www.jamyway.org/bizbuilder/bizbuilder/.

"Since 2008, our country has been experiencing a net decline in new business creation," said Jack Kosakowski, President and CEO of Junior Achievement USA. "It's imperative that we help today's young people better understand the opportunities that come with business ownership. We greatly appreciate the support of our friends at The Hartford in this effort."

Since 2014, The Hartford has been a major supporter of Junior Achievement's entrepreneurial initiatives. That year, The Hartford committed $1.5 million for the redevelopment of the JA Company Program as a blended-learning experience integrating hands-on experience with digital content.

"The JA MyBiz Builder is an engaging way for young people to learn business and financial skills that empower them to be successful," said Diane Cantello, vice president of Corporate Sustainability for The Hartford. "At The Hartford, we strive to make a positive difference in the lives of millions of individuals by building safe, strong and successful communities through our philanthropic investments and the generosity of our employees."

About The Hartford

The Hartford is a leader in property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds. With more than 200 years of expertise, The Hartford is widely recognized for its service excellence, sustainability practices, trust and integrity. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at https://www.thehartford.com. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheHartford_PR.

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG) operates through its subsidiaries under the brand name, The Hartford, and is headquartered in Hartford, Conn. For additional details, please read The Hartford's legal notice.

About Junior Achievement USA

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches 4.8 million students per year in 109 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.6 million students served by operations in more than 100 countries worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.

SOURCE Junior Achievement USA

Related Links

http://www.JA.org


CLEARWATER, Fla., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As part of a nationwide effort to help patients in need receive potentially life-changing joint replacement surgery, three BayCare hospitals are providing total joint replacements to five uninsured patients who are living with debilitating joint pain. These patients will be given an early holiday present at no cost to them as three BayCare hospitals --- Mease Dunedin, Morton Plant and St. Anthony's  are participating in Operation Walk USA.

At Mease Dunedin Hospital, Orthopedic Surgeon David Whiddon, MD, will perform a total knee replacement surgery.

Orthopedic Surgeon Andrew Cooper, MD, will perform a total hip replacement surgery at Morton Plant Hospital.

Michael Wanger, MD, is assisting with pre- and post-operative evaluations and care for both patients.

St. Anthony's Hospital is helping three patients. Orthopedic Surgeon Kurt Hirshorn, will perform all three surgeries, and Ali Saberi, MD, has seen the patients to clear them for surgery and will see them after the surgery. Due to extenuating circumstances, one of the St. Anthony's patients has already received surgery. The surgeries are scheduled for the week of December 4.

The doctors, anesthesiologists and radiologists involved are donating their time and expertise, while the hospitals are covering the cost of these surgeries, as well as medicine for 30 days and post-op physical therapy and home health.

Erin Kilgore, Orthopedic Physician Assistant at Morton Plant Hospital, brought Operation Walk USA to Morton Plant Hospital last year. She spent hours finding qualified patients, navigating the patients through the process, lining up doctors to give up their time and expertise, and coordinating hospital and home care. At the end of the process, four individuals had received total joint replacements.

"Operation Walk is a tangible way to give something of great value  mobility  to someone who needs it, and we are pleased to be able to expand to other hospitals," said Lou Galdieri, president, Mease Hospitals and executive leader for BayCare's orthopedic services. "We are grateful for our doctors and team members who are a part of this effort."

In Florida, four hospitals are participating in Operation Walk USA and three of those are part of BayCare.

Operation Walk USA is an independent medical humanitarian organization that provides free hip or knee replacement surgeries to uninsured patients in the United States who do not qualify for government assistance and are at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. From Dec. 4-9, an estimated 60 patients are scheduled to receive free joint replacements from 40 volunteer orthopaedic surgeons at 36 hospitals across the United States.

About BayCare Health System

BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 14 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information, visit BayCare on the Web at www.BayCare.org.

SOURCE BayCare Health System

Related Links

http://www.baycare.org


(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/612370/Unily_Top_Intranet_Choice.jpg )

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/475517/Unily_by_BrightStarr_Logo.jpg )



Released on Monday, the research compares 34 turnkey SharePoint products available on the market. Unily sees top rankings across the report, well above average in News Publishing, User Experience, Social & Knowledge Management, Search, Analytics, Employee Services and Integration.

Clearbox Consulting describe Unily as "a well-designed intranet-as-a-service from BrightStarr, designed to support communication and collaboration on any device, anywhere." They go on to outline why Unily was highlighted, commenting that "based on our scenario scores, pricing, vendor track record and support, some products do stand out in our opinion, and deserve recognition for it."

"We are delighted that Unily has been recognised as Intranet Choice for Europe and North America. This is testament to the team's commitment to continuous innovation and the success we have been able to drive for our global customers," said Paul Jackson, Managing Director at BrightStarr. "Alongside the functionalities highlighted in the report, we are also incredibly proud of our comprehensive success framework which supports the platform, designed to drive on-going value and adoption for customers. It is this complete package which we believe sets Unily apart."

How is Unily different from the other 33?

A number of products evaluated in the report are named as "intranet accelerators" designed to improve the user experience of SharePoint by offering templates with drag and drop functionality. Unily was designed for a different purpose, to provide a comprehensive intranet platform to empower and engage employees from head office to the frontline. Unily stands alone from Office 365 and SharePoint and simply integrates with the tools for the best user experience and adoption potential.

This independent architecture provides maximum flexibility for integration and customization, while offering optimum performance and content management capabilities for employees around the globe.

About the report

Clearbox Consulting's comprehensive guide to turnkey SharePoint solutions is designed to accelerate purchasing decisions and help organisations make the right choice of solution, from SharePoint plug-ins to fully featured intranet products such as Unily. The report is the largest of its kind comparing 34 vendors across the world. At 430 pages, the report has involved coordinating over 100 people across vendors and the Clearbox production team. The report is available for purchase via Clearbox's website here.

About Unily

Unily is the award-winning intranet-as-a-service from award-winning consultancy BrightStarr. Designed from the ground up to improve organisational productivity, efficiency and engagement, Unily gives workforces with the ability to communicate and collaborate from any device, anywhere. After a decade of custom intranet engagements, BrightStarr recognised that most organisations have similar core requirements. Unily incorporates them all-and much more-in a custom-built and standalone platform that can be deployed in weeks.

For more information visit www.unily.com.

Media Contact:

Katy Smith

[email protected]

UK: +44-(0)-1483-239240 | USA: +1-888-777-6850



SOURCE BrightStarr
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Latino Americans are starting businesses at three times the rate of the general population thus playing an important role in driving US economic vibrancy through their outsized contribution to new business creation. However, Latino-owned businesses (LOBs) fail to scale in size and revenue at the same rate of other businesses, presenting an opportunity gap of $1.38 trillion for the US economy. In order to address the untapped potential of LOBs and its cascading effect on the wider economy through unrealized economic growth, the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program released the report Unleashing Latino-owned Business Potential.

The report emanates from the Aspen Institute Forum on Latino Business Growth, a convening of 27 cross-sector leaders and stakeholders. It identifies key challenges and solutions to scaling Latino-owned business (LOBs), specifically those with the potential of reaching $1 million or more in revenue, a group of businesses that is often overlooked. Focusing on fundamental business needs as well as overarching recommendations for improving the ecosystems within which LOBs operate, the report offers collective knowledge and solutions in order to help stakeholders, influencers and decision-makers take informed actions to help accelerate the pace at which LOBs grow, scale, and, ultimately, succeed.

To view the launch discussion live starting at 12:00pm ET go to: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/report-launch-unleashing-latino-owned-business-potential/

To read the report go to: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/unleashing-latino-owned-business-potential

A selection of the key recommendations are as follows:

Fundamental Business Needs

Needs Solutions Accessing Capital for

Growth Increased access to capital,

specifically "right sized" capital

in the form of equity, debt, or a

combination thereof that

matches the needs of LOBs at

various stages in their growth

cycle. Re-direct large pools of capital already in

the market towards equity investments in

high-growth LOBs; Research and develop

relevant and fair credit requirements for

LOBs; Invest in the Community

Development Financial Institution (CDFI)

sector so it can make more capital

available to underserved businesses. Increasing Access to

Procurement

Opportunities The ability to access and

capitalize on important

procurement and supply chain

opportunities that foster growth. A technology-driven platform that gives

both suppliers and buyers access to

reviews of service, thus garnering greater

exposure for tested and reliable LOBs;

Increasing transparency of the

procurement process, including reducing

the cost, through group licensing, to

online hubs that house procurement

announcements through group licensing. Business Training

and Education The availability of relevant,

culturally competent, and

convenient business training and

education for different sectors

and growth stages. Conduct a needs assessment of Latino

business owner training and education needs

in order to design and implement

more responsive and sector- and scale-

specific interventions to meet the growth

potential of LOBs.

Ecosystem Dynamics Power and Influence The inability of Latinos, despite their increasing numbers, to

influence or exercise power in ways that would help facilitate

LOB growth. Narrative and Brand Unhelpful stereotypes and negative narratives about Latinos and

the nature of LOBs that prevent gatekeepers, lenders, and clients

from seeing the capacity and potential of LOBs. Networks and Mentors Opaque and exclusionary systems, both formal and informal,

that facilitate business opportunities, are often difficult for

Latino business owners to access and navigate.

"When you bring 27 diverse experts, leaders, practitioners, and stakeholders together in a retreat setting with carefully moderated dialogue, as we did this summer, you get surprising and creative results. Not only did it generate this report which uplifts a complex set of challenges and solutions to help more Latino businesses grow and flourish, but it also led to new relationships, collaborations, and the incorporation of the ideas generated into the participants' work" said Monica Lozano, Chair of the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program.

"When a community is approaching 30% of the population, as the Latino population is, increased attention on ensuring their success becomes a shared national imperative. The good news is that Latinos already represent outsized levels of business creation. Just imagine what they could do if their true potential was recognized and fomented? This report identifies ways to capitalize on existing Latino potential and remove barriers that prevent greater growth and success for the economy as a whole," said Abigail Golden-Vazquez, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program.

The report launch will feature Monica Lozano, Chairman of the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program, Hector Barreto, Chairman of the Latino Coalition, Alejandra Y. Castillo, CEO of YWCA USA, Gary Cunningham, President and CEO of Meda (Metropolitan Economic Development Association), and Jean Horstman, CEO of Interise. Watch the panel discussion here at 12pm ET.

The Aspen Institute Forum on Latino Business Growth and this report was made possible through the support of Surdna Foundation, Ricardo Salinas Foundation, Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation, Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Target, Comcast NBCUniversal Telemundo, Edison International and the Carnival Corporation. In addition, Verizon helped to make the launch event possible.

Further Online Information

To continue the conversation, please tweet @AspenLatinos and @AspenInstitute using #LatinosAdvance

The Aspen Institute founded the Latinos and Society Program in 2015 to provide a place for Latinos and non-Latinos to learn about their shared future and jointly explore solutions to the challenges of our time. Its vision is to foster a more informed citizenry and promote the engagement of all people in securing a prosperous and inclusive future for America. This policy program convenes diverse audiences and subject matter experts to advance three important policy areas, civic participation, economic advancement and educational opportunity. The program is also connecting a pipeline of Latino leaders to Institute programs, fostering collaboration, and strengthening their networks. To learn more, follow @AspenLatinos, or visit AspenInstitute.org/policy-work/latinos-society

SOURCE The Aspen Institute

Related Links

https://www.aspeninstitute.org


HOLMDEL, N.J., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Vonage (NYSE: VG), a leading provider of business cloud communications, has won this year's Fierce Innovation Award for Business Services for its innovative, industry-leading Nexmo Voice API (VAPI). This carrier-reviewed awards program is from the publisher of FierceWireless and FierceTelecom.

Based on flexible and open standards, Nexmo's Voice API enables digital savvy companies to deliver better voice experiences when communicating with their customers within the context of their existing business workflow, backed by the quality, strength and reliability of the Vonage network. Nexmo's Voice API integrates emerging technology including bots, artificial intelligence, and deep data analysis into new and existing voice solutions.

"We're honored to be recognized as a leader with this Innovation Award," said Tony Jamous, President of Nexmo, the Vonage API Platform. "Our Voice API allows developers to effortlessly create modern voice capabilities with open, agile and globally scalable architectures, and enables customized communications solutions to enrich customer conversations and deepen customer relationships."

Business communications today should focus on two areas - enhancing internal communications and collaboration inside the company for its employees, and improving engagement with customers outside the company for deeper relationships and increased customer loyalty.

With a robust product suite, business workflow integration tools for greater productivity, and an ability to enable great customer interactions via embedded, contextual communications, Vonage is transforming not only how businesses communicate, but how they operate, using cloud communications to drive better business outcomes.

All Fierce Innovation Awards applications were reviewed by an exclusive panel of executives from major telecommunications companies including Sprint, Verizon Wireless and Telia Carrier AB. All applications were evaluated based on the following criteria: effectiveness, ease of use, ROI, true innovation and end-user impact.

About Vonage

Vonage (NYSE: VG) is a leading provider of cloud communications services for business. Vonage transforms the way people work and businesses operate through a portfolio of cloud-based communications solutions that enable internal collaboration among employees, while also keeping companies closely connected with their customers, across any mode of communication, on any device.

Nexmo, the Vonage API Platform, provides APIs and SDKs for voice, messaging and phone verification services, allowing developers to embed contextual, programmable communications into mobile apps, websites and business systems. With Nexmo, enterprises can easily innovate the way they engage with their customers in real time, anywhere in the world, through text messaging, chat, social media, and voice to deliver better business outcomes.

The Company also provides a robust suite of feature-rich residential communication solutions. For more information, visit www.vonage.com.

Vonage Holdings Corp. is headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey. Vonage is a registered trademark of Vonage Marketing LLC, owned by Vonage America Inc. To follow Vonage on Twitter, please visit www.twitter.com/vonage. To become a fan on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/vonage. To subscribe on YouTube, visit www.youtube.com/vonage.

About FierceMarkets

FierceMarkets, a division of Questex, LLC, is a leader in B2B e-media, providing information and marketing services in the telecommunications, life sciences, healthcare, IT, energy, government, finance, and retail industries through its portfolio of email newsletters, websites, webinars and live events. Every business day, FierceMarkets' wide array of digital publications reaches more than 2 million executives in more than 100 countries.

Current publications include: Telecom: FierceWireless; FierceCable; FierceDeveloper; FierceOnlineVideo; FierceTelecom; FierceWirelessTech; FierceWireless:Europe /TelecomsEMEA, FierceInstaller; an Telecom Asia; Healthcare: FierceEMR; FierceHealthcare; FierceHealthFinance; FierceHealthIT; FierceHealthPayer; FierceHealthPayerAntiFraud; FierceMobileHealthcare; FiercePracticeManagement and Hospital Impact; Life Sciences: FierceBiotech; FierceBiotechIT; FierceBiotech Research; FierceCRO; FierceDiagnostics, FierceDrugDelivery; FierceMedicalDevices; FiercePharma; FiercePharmaAsia; FiercePharmaMarketing; FiercePharmaManufacturing; FierceVaccines and FierceAnimalHealth Enterprise IT: FierceBigData; FierceCIO; FierceContentManagement; FierceDevOps; FierceEnterpriseCommunications; FierceITSecurity and FierceMobileIT; Finance: FierceCFO; and FierceFinanceIT; Government: FierceGovernment; FierceGovernmentIT; FierceHomelandSecurity; FierceMobileGovernment; FierceCities and FierceGovHealthIT Marketing & Retail: FierceCMO; FierceTechExec.



(vg-a)

SOURCE Vonage

Related Links

http://www.vonage.com


BALLWIN, Mo., Nov. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Wolf H. Stapelfeldt, M.D. is recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Pinnacle Lifetime Member in the field of Anesthesiology. He currently serves in the role of Professor and Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Established since 1818, Saint Louis University is an illustrious catholic university known for its excellence in education. With academics, ethics, and spirituality at the forefront of the university's values, Saint Louis University is dedicated to providing the highest quality to its students in an effort to advance their careers as future leaders in their fields.

Amassing over twenty five years of experience in Healthcare, Dr. Stapelfeldt had completed his prior tenure at the Cleveland Clinic as Chairman of the Department of General Anesthesiology, and assumed the role of Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Talis Clinical, LLC, an information management company spun off from the Cleveland Clinic. Talis Clinical's software distills and analyzes the most important data sources in real time to guide physicians in decision-making within the high stress environment of the operation rooms and intensive care units. This clinical decision support application was recognized as one of the top ten innovations in Medicine during the 2014 Cleveland Clinic Innovation Summit.

In previous years, Dr. Stapelfeldt also served in several roles at the Mayo Clinic, most notably as Chairman of Transplantation Anesthesiology at its Jacksonville, Florida location, which at that time, grew into one of the largest liver transplant programs in the country. Additionally, he has served as Vice Chairman for Education in the Mayo Clinic's Department of Anesthesiology in Florida, as well as Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Physiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.



Dr. Stapelfeldt attained his Medical Degree Summa Cum Laude from the University of Ulm, School of Medicine in Ulm, Germany. Thereafter, Dr. Stapelfeldt completed his residency in Anesthesiology and fellowship in Physiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.



To further his professional development, Dr. Stapelfeldt is an affiliate of several organizations including the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the International Anesthesia Research Society and the Health Information Management Systems Society.



A prominent expert in the fields of Anesthesiology and Physiology, Dr. Stapelfeldt had various articles published in distinguished medical journals including the Journal of Physiology (London), Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Liver Transplantation, Anesthesiology and Anesthesia & Analgesia. His contributions in Anesthesiology are focused on the development of predictive models and electronic systems to guide physicians in decision-making about patient care. He most recently introduced the 'SLUScore', a novel method to quantify less than normal blood pressure, a common occurrence under anesthesia, with regard to its risk for adverse outcome. Automatically tracking patients' SLUScores during surgery, in an effort to identify and minimize harmful exposures to lower than sufficient blood pressure, holds the promise of significantly reducing serious complications, including death, which all too commonly ensue in the days and weeks after surgery.



In recognition of his professional achievements, Dr. Stapelfeldt was the recipient of the Edward C. Kendall Award from the Mayo Clinic in 1988. Additionally, as already mentioned above, his work on clinical decision support was recognized with a Top Ten Innovation in Medicine Award at the 2014 Cleveland Clinic Innovation Summit.

For more information, visit www.slu.edu, www.clevelandclinic.org and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28107274.

Contact: Katherine Green , 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE Continental Who's Who

Related Links

http://www.continentalwhoswho.com


CHICAGO, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Women's March Chicago's January 20, 2018 "March to the Polls" today announced its affiliation with March On, a national organization of womens' marches and progressive organizations. The move is intended to amplify the group's local actions in its focus on motivating women and their allies to get to the polls for the 2018 election. Similar actions are being planned by other women's march organizers around the world, furthering the alignment and power of the movement.

By joining forces with March On, Women's March Chicago is better positioned to take more concrete, coordinated actions at the federal, state, and local levels to impact elections. Leaders of many of the women's marches that occurred across the country on January 21, 2017 have also co-founded and joined with March On ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Women's March. The goal of the new affiliation is to move our country in a better direction that leaves no woman behind. Millions of marchers strong, March On is uniting behind a sophisticated political strategy to take on both elections and priority issues. Women-led, but open to all, March On is putting its "marchroots" community at the center of major decisions, using cutting-edge civic technology platforms to forge consensus and crowdsource the types of candidates to support or oppose and which issues to prioritize.

Jaquie Algee, Chairwoman of the March On Board and a Board Member of Women's March Chicago, said: "Since the incredible nationwide marches on January 21, 2017, the nation has been waiting for what's next for our army of marchers. It's finally here. Our marchers and march organizers believe resistance alone is not enough, but by galvanizing the millions of us who marched, we can create lasting, transformative political change by demanding better laws and electing better lawmakers. To do this, March On will deploy its two greatest assets: its nationwide army of marchers along with a marchroots-funded war chest to take on elections and priority issues."

March On is led by dynamic women organizing across the U.S. and Canada, and the organization represents that geopolitical diversity. It intends to organize together for results-oriented action as they "March to the Polls" with its strategic partners in 2018. Together, the affiliates of March On plan to ensure that the power in the resurgence of the women's movement can be realized through their collective voices and votes.

March On will be launching some strategic initiatives in the next year which Chicago organizers believe will be useful in organizing around common goals as women prepare to cast their ballots in 2018. For more information and to participate, volunteer, or donate, visit www.wearemarchon.org.

March On Affiliates Include :

March On Maryland Lawyers Mall, Annapolis, MD March On Oklahoma OK City, OK March On Kentucky Berea, KY March On Hudson Valley New Paltz, NY Women's March Minnesota Twin Cities, MN Seattle Womxn Marching Forward Seattle, WA Women's March on Asheville Asheville, NC March On Veterans Fredericksburg VA Women's March CT - We March On Willimantic, CT Women's March Chicago Chicago, IL March On! Texas Austin, TX Women's March San Diego, Inc San Diego, CA Tri-County Women's Coalition Oneonta, NY March On Colorado Denver, CO Women's March San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA March Forward Massachusetts Boston, MA Forward March New York New York, NY Take Action AAC Annapolis MD Women's March Alliance New York, NY Womens March Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA Network NoVA Falls Church, VA CT Latinas in the Resistance Hartford, CT Beyond the Women's March Florence, AL March On Edmonton Collective Edmonton, Alberta, Canada March On Westcliffe Westcliffe, Colorado Women's March Coalition - UTK Chapter Knoxville, TN Women's March Wisconsin Wisconsin Be the Change Alliance Little Rock, Arkansas

SOURCE Womens March on Chicago

Related Links

http://www.wearemarchon.org


Other attendees at the IIF included Wu Hequan (Academician of CAE, Director of ISC), Dr. Paul Mockapetris (Inventor of DNS, Internet Hall of Fame Inductee), Dr. Paul Vixie (Inventor of ISC, Internet Hall of Fame Inductee), Professor Kilnam Chon (Father of Korea Internet, Internet Hall of Fame Inductee), the representative of Professor Jun Murai (Founder of WIDE, Internet Hall of Fame Inductee), Professor Nick McKeown (Pioneer of SDN, Professor of Stanford University), Mr. Phil Robb (Operation VP of Linux Foundation), Dr. Dan Pitt (Senior VP of MEF), Latif Ladid (Global IPv6 Forum President) and Mr. Liu Dong (President of BII-CFIEC). The forum focused on the advocacy of IPv6 and DNS, which will bolster the connectivity of Internet Infrastructure worldwide.

Dr. Vinton Cerf, Father of Internet, who has been known as the evangelist of IPv6 for decades, encouraged the Internet industry to collectively implement IPv6 for the global good. Other speakers also discussed how emerging network technologies would guarantee the development of Internet infrastructure, as well as technologies including IPv6, DNS, access technologies, security and privacy, among others.

Mr. Liu Dong, President of BII-CFIEC, advocated prospectively for the sustainable development of Internet infrastructure, and emphasized that Internet Infrastructure Forum could serve an important role of bolstering innovation and connectivity in worldwide internet infrastructure. The sustainable development and evolution of internet infrastructure is essential to the global cyberspace and digital economy, and IIF will provide a larger scale of innovation platform for the internet community with more opportunities to new applications that it enables.

In the future, IIF will represent interests of the industry, developing and sharing best business practices that emerging network technologies implement in support of the need of internet community to the public, so that they can weigh its outcomes for the digital economy. The forum will also serve as a multistakeholder platform for diverse and innovative players from across the internet infrastructure industry, academic and user communities to better communicate and advocate the development of internet infrastructure for the global good.

SOURCE BII Group Holdings Ltd
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 30, 2017 Y Media Labs, driving digital transformation through world-class design and technology, has been named a world known top mobile app developer. Y Media Labs' was identified as part of B2B research firm, Clutch's first annual Global Leaders List that highlights the most highly recommended app developers. Clutch recognized 24 mobile app developers and 103 web and software development companies.

Clutch, headquartered in Washington, D.C., uses innovative research and methodology to identify leading software and professional services firms. Its research evaluates each company's depth of focus in their area of expertise, as well as the company's proven ability to deliver the results for their clients.

"The leaders in app development distinguish themselves from the thousands of development companies around the globe through their dedication to their clients and technological expertise," said Clutch's Mobile App Development Research Lead Amber Dewey. "These companies perfected their practice, consistently delivering high-quality, innovative, user-friendly, and award-winning mobile solutions to their impressive client lists."

Clutch's annual report includes 477 companies across six industries, and each company is evaluated based on client reviews, market presence, and ability to deliver high-quality services.

"Y Media Lab's track record of success with some of the world's biggest brands is a testament to our legacy as an agency that delivers impact-driven strategic digital products and services," says Ashish Toshniwal, CEO, Y Media Labs. "To be recognized as a leading mobile app developer by Clutcha leader itself in researching B2B technology providers worldwideis truly an honor, and sets a high bar that we are proud to have reached and will continue to strive toward."

About Y Media Labs

Y Media Labs is a Silicon Valley digital strategy, design and technology agency. The company helps clients create products and experiences that have a lasting impac, those that leverage the latest next generation technology to re-imagine customer experience. With over 260 employees, Y Media Labs works with a wide range of top brands, including PayPal, The Home Depot, Staples, The North Face, and L'OReal.

CONTACT: [email protected]

SOURCE Y Media Labs

Related Links

http://www.ymedialabs.com


MARCO ISLAND, Fla., Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Yippy, Inc. (OTCMKTS: YIPI) ("Yippy" or the "Company"), an enterprise data unification company known for its leading search and insight driven Yippy EASE 360 platform, announced today that the Company has entered into an advisory agreement with Steven I. Cooper to serve as an advisor to the Company's Board of Directors.

Mr. Cooper served as Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the U.S. Department of Commerce (U.S. DOC) from June 2014 to January 2017. In this role, Mr. Cooper served as the U.S. DOC's principal adviser on information technology (IT) issues across the department's twelve bureaus. He also held the title of Senior Accountable Official for Cybersecurity and chaired the U.S. DOC's CIO Council. Among Mr. Cooper's many responsibilities at the U.S. DOC, he led the development and implementation of an enterprise-wide IT strategy and operations, oversaw the building and operation of a robust enterprise IT security risk program, and served as an adviser on mission and business IT systems and services.

Prior to joining the U.S. DOC, Mr. Cooper served as the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Acting Assistant Administrator for Information Services and CIO. In February 2003, Cooper was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as the first CIO of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Prior to joining DHS, Mr. Cooper was appointed Special Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and served as Senior Director for Information Integration in the White House Office of Homeland Security.

Mr. Cooper also has more than 20 years of private sector experience, including service as Senior Vice President and CIO of the American Red Cross, where, most notably, he helped start the first-ever National Call Center to provide emergency financial assistance during Hurricane Katrina. Mr. Cooper received a BA from Ohio Wesleyan University, and was honorably discharged as a Naval Air Reserve petty officer following service during the Vietnam War.

"Yippy has amassed a dynamite product suite to support use cases in government services and the financial sector which are clearly transformative and best of breed. Yippy's ability to unify all Microsoft products as well as other major business applications into a single view with document and field level security creates measurable productivity gains. My interaction with Yippy began in early 2014, and I am very pleased to officially join Yippy as a board advisor to further facilitate this excellent company forge major relationships both in government and in the private sector," stated Mr. Cooper.

Richard Granville, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Steven Cooper is a significant force in the field of data search as it relates to government projects. Under Mr. Cooper's previous mentorship, Yippy has developed a suite of product offerings tailored to the massive data challenges that face governments and large organizations, and we believe that Mr. Cooper's decades of experience and relationships will create unprecedented opportunities for our company. Yippy's technology is ready for production on a governmental scale, and we treasure Mr. Cooper's wisdom and energy as we work together to revolutionize enterprise search and document discovery."

About Yippy, Inc.

Based in Atlanta, GA, Yippy, Inc. is a technology company that specializes in the development of search-based applications, data unification, compression/optimization and aggregation through enterprise application (app) service environments (EASE). Yippy's proprietary product suites are deployed to provide secure, redundant and maintained data services. The Company also provides the most advanced search appliance and is the best alternative for those seeking a replacement for the Google Search Appliance (GSA). The Company also operates several online Internet properties and educational reference portals.

Forward-Looking Statements

The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Additional information on risks and other factors that may affect the business and financial results of Yippy, Inc. can be found in the filings of Yippy, Inc. on OTC Markets (http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/YIPI/filings).

SOURCE Yippy, Inc.
AFI Europe Romania has signed the first lease agreement for AFI Tech Park, the newest business park development in Bucharest. World Class Romania will be the first tenant of the campus, by leasing 1,500 sq m GLA spread on the Ground Floor and the 1st Floor of AFI Tech Park

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DomaCom Fund unit holders have approved the appointment of new trustee, Melbourne Securities Corporation, a professional trustee firm with extensive experience in fintech platforms and both debt and equity capital structures

The new trustee will pave the way for delivery of internal leverage and crowdfunding of mortgage backed loans.

New gearing capability is expected to be the catalyst for next phase of growth in FUM Fractional property investment company DomaCom (ASX:DCL).

The company is poised to introduce leverage throughout its product suite following unitholder approval today to appoint Melbourne Securities Corporation as the new Trustee of the DomaCom Fund.

DomaCom CEO Arthur Naoumidis said it opens up a significant pool of investors for DomaCom, by enabling them to incorporate debt when investing in property.

This the final checkpoint in the approval process for DomaCom to introduce a range of new products underpinned by the ability to introduce gearing," he said.

Melbourne Securities Corporation CEO Matthew Fletcher suggested debt is integral to purchasing property.

This will make property investment much more tax efficient for advisers and their clients, as well as reducing the amount of equity required to raise for each project.

"Given how integral debt is to purchasing property, this creates a really compelling proposition for investors and enables them to achieve a tax efficient outcome when investing in property through DomaCom.

MSC is pleased to receive the endorsement from DomaCom Fund unitholders and is looking forward to working with DomaCom and its stakeholders.

"Complementing our trustee services to the traditional fund market, we believe in supporting innovative products such as DomaCom Fund which utilises exciting new technology to provide new and alternative investment options.

Further Updates

DomaCom would also like to provide the following key updates:

 The Federal Court hearing on the SMSF related party/sole purpose test implications of the DomaCom Fund was held in Melbourne on 27th-28th November and we are awaiting the outcome.

 As per the AGM presentation, DomaCom is actively investigating options to shore up its capital position and will update the market around mid-December. Options being looked at include equity, debt and hybrid structures with the fall back being to revert to core operating costs.

To read more from DomaCom click here.
Oroton stores will operate as usual after the 79-year-old luxury handbag retailer fell into voluntary administration.

"The board is disappointed that it has had to take this step after running such a comprehensive process," interim chief executive Ross Lane, the grandson of Oroton founder Boyd Lane, said in a statement to the ASX on Thursday.

"However, having carefully considered the options available to the company at the conclusion of its strategic review, it is apparent that voluntary administration is necessary to protect the Oroton business and the future of this iconic Australian brand."

The group's 62 Oroton stores across Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia, which employ about 550 staff, will continue to operate as administrators from Deloitte Restructuring Services look at recapitalising or selling the brand.

The Lane family have a 22% stake, with fund manager Will Vicars having an 18% stake.

Entities controlled by Vicars entered a put and call arrangement with Westpac to secure critical credit support for Oroton in August.

Oroton sank to a $14.3 million loss in the year to July, compared to a $3.4 million profit the previous year.

Contributing to the loss were costs linked to its wind-down of its Gap franchise after it terminated an agreement with the US apparel group.

The group's shares, which have been suspended, last traded at 43.5 cents.

The company's December 1 annual general meeting has been postponed.

The first creditors meeting is set for December 11.

"However, having carefully considered the options available to the company at the conclusion of its strategic review, it is apparent that voluntary administration is necessary to protect the Oroton business and the future of this iconic Australian brand," the board advised the ASX.
Zoopla, the UK property listing website, has seen a record number of visits and leads in the last 12 months, despite continued uncertainty on Brexit.

Over the 12 months to the end of September, Zoopla Property Group (ZPG) said there were 648 million visits and 56 million leads.

Its property division saw revenue rise by 41% to 122.3 million, with the number of member agents jumping by 6% to 14,775 branches.

Overall ZPG  whose business includes the comparison website uSwitch  saw revenue up 24%, to 244.5 million. However net debt increased to 191.5 million as a result of acquisitions. Statutory profit for the year was up 2% after acquisition costs and share-based payments.

Its acquisitions in the year included Hometrack, ExpertAgent and Ravensworth.

ZPG founder and CEO Alex Chesterman told Eye that the company were delighted to have delivered another year of record performance across the business.

Our property division performed very well, driven by strong demand for our additional products, further migration of our software partners to cloud-based products and a continuation of returning portal partners.

The company said it has grown its headcount by 20% and now employs 882 staff.
Australian property developer JWLand has formally lodged its planning permit application with Moreland City Council to develop a 6,490 sqm mixed-use site in Brunswick.

The proposed development will comprises 255 apartments and 12 townhouses.

There will be one, two and three bedroom apartments and three and four bedroom townhouses.

On top of the residential components, the development will deliver two new community assets located on Brunswick Road, including a much-needed childcare facility.

Adjacent to the childcare facility, space in the building has been set aside for a new community hub, which JWLand proposes to give back to the local community via the Moreland City Council.

Anthony Cuzzupi, head of development for JWLands Victorian operations, said that the planning application represented a high quality architectural and urban design outcome that responded to the three distinct interfaces surrounding the site.

This site is a prime example of a redevelopment opportunity given its location close to the CBD and excellent public transport links, Cuzzupi said.

The design strategy for the site sensitively responds to the unique streetscapes and neighbourhood character within the immediate area.

The application proposes a mix of building heights, with the majority of buildings three to eight storeys, as well as a 14-storey residential tower in the north-west corner of the site.

All buildings have been carefully sited so that the lowest-rise buildings, the townhouses, have appropriate setbacks consistent with planning guidelines and interface directly with existing residential areas along Park Street.

Higher-rise buildings have been positioned to ensure that there is no shadowing across Princes Park and its much-loved walking and running-track, Mr Cuzzupi said.

The project will significantly improve connectivity between the site and Princes Park, with a landscaped pedestrian link from Brunswick Road through to Park Street to be publicly accessible for the enjoyment of the wider community.

All residences within the development will have at least one car park, with a total of 377 car parks provided to cater for residents and visitors. There will also be 83 bicycle parks on site, to encourage sustainable transport use.
Home values in Melbournes outer south-western region of Wyndham led value growth in all of Australia over a period of 10 years, according to CoreLogic RP Data.

Dwelling values climbed by 129.9% over the past decade in the Victorian suburb.

Click to enlarge

Regions around Sydney and Melbourne recorded the strongest growth in property values over the last 10 years, according to CoreLogics recent list of the best performing property markets in the past 10 years.

CoreLogics methodology is based on the best performing property markets at an SA3 level (SA3 represents a regional area serviced by major transport & commercial hub with a population of between 30,000 and 130,000 people).

The median price of dwellings in Wyndham was $540,644, according to CoreLogic data.

A three-bedroom house at 6 Juliana Avenue, Wyndham Vale (picture above) sold in November 2017 for $525,000. It previously transacted for $285,000 in 2004, CoreLogic data shows.

A four-bedroom house at 12 Fatham Drive, Wyndham Vale sold for $460,000 in November 2017, according to CoreLogic data. It previously sold in January 2015 for $300,000, showing impressive growth in just under three years.

Before that, it sold for $315,700 in 2009, which was a shade higher than its sold price in 2015.

The decade saw growth in every state, but very limited growth in WA.
Shoalwater and North Coogee in Perth and Halls Head in Mandurah are the three top suburbs in Western Australia where the prices of units showed the most growth in the last five years.

The data from CoreLogic data tracks the percentage growth over a five-year period.

North Coogee (postcode 6163) grew 34% and was far ahead of the rest of the pack. Unit prices in Shoalwater grew 23.1%, while they were up 23.4% in Halls Head.

Of the 13 suburbs, 11 are in Perth.

Suburb 5-year growth 1. Applecross 17.6 2. Balga 16.5 3.Busselton 16.9 4. Coolbellup 16.1 5. Halls Head 23.4 6. Melville 21.1 7. Mount Pleasant 17.3 8. Nedlands 22.7 9. North Coogee 34 10. Shoalwater 23.1 11. Tuart Hill 18 12. Westminster 17.9 13. Woodlands 19.2

In North Coogee, the median unit price is $670,000 as at September end, according to CoreLogic.

In the outer southern Perth suburb of Shoalwater (6169), the median price for units is $245,000.

A three-bedroom unit at 5/16 Arcadia Drive, Shoalwater, sold in February 2017 for $412,500. The unit last changed hands in 2002 for $200,000, according to CoreLogic RP Data.

Another three-bedroom unit at 1/154-156 Arcadia Drive, Shoalwater (picture above) sold in October 2015 for $355,000.

Previously, it sold in July 2014 at the same price but in June 2011, the unit changed hands for $300,000, CoreLogic RP Data shows.

Halls Head (postcode 6210) has a median price of $390,000.
Comparison website RateCity has welcomed the federal governments decision to hold a Royal Commission into Australias financial sector.

RateCity CEO Paul Marshall said the only way to restore public trust in our financial sector was through a Royal Commission.

Australians rely on financial products every single day," Marshall said.

"They hold the keys to our homes. They are the keepers of our retirement.

We all agree banks are a fundamental to our economy but they are also fundamental to our society. We expect our banks to lend responsibility and help us manage our finances.

Every Australian is entitled to financial products that are honest and fair. The government is right to focus on this point.

We would like to see changes that make financial services more transparent and easy-to-understand. Any recommendations should focus on increasing competition and reducing costs for consumers, not the reverse.

Australias big banks have been at the forefront of a long list of scandals and wrongdoings for too long. Were well past the mea cupla stage.

Its time to look at the culture inside our banks and make sure it is in line with community values, Marshall said.

Mr Turnbulls announcement comes after the chief executives of the big banks, the Commonwealth, Westpac, National Australia and ANZ banks requested the government step in to aunch an inquiry.

It was in an email sent to Treasurer Scott Morrison yesterday.

Treasurer Scott Morrison dubbed the Royal Commission a regrettable but necessary action.

Leader of the opposition Bill Shorten took to Twitter to take a dig at Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

He tweeted "Is Malcolm Turnbull the last person in Australia who doesn't see the need for a Banking Royal Commission?"

Heritage Bank welcomed the Royal Commission into the banking sector, however Heritage Bank CEO Peter Lock said that the customer-owned banking sector, which included Heritage, should not be dragged into an inquiry based on the alleged wrong doings of the big banks.

The whole issue of the need for an inquiry into the banking sector has been used as political football for far too long, Mr Lock said.
The PIPA board of directors has elected Peter Koulizos as the association's new chairman, effective 1 December 2017.

Koulizos replaces outgoing chairman Ben Kingsley, who stepped down after five successful years at the helm of PIPA. Kingsley remains on the PIPA board of directors.

Koulizos was first elected to the PIPA board in 2015 and is a South Australian property academic at both TafeSA and the University of South Australia.

Affectionately known as the "Property Professor", Mr Koulizos brings more than 20 years of real estate and investment teaching to the chair position as well as personal experience as a successful investor and property developer.

"I am honoured to be elected as the PIPA chairman, especially as the association is going from strength to strength thanks to the stewardship of outgoing chairman Ben Kingsley over the past five years," Koulizos said.

"While PIPA's membership and brand is growing solidly, our fight for regulation in the property investment advice space continues with far too many investors still losing significant sums of money due to unscrupulous spruikers masquerading as advisers."

Koulizos' aims for 2018 includes a greater focus on the education of PIPA members to ensure they continue to uphold the very high expectations of all of their clients and to set the benchmark for property investment advice best practice.

Melbourne-based PIPA board director David MacMillan has been elected as the association's deputy chairman.

The PIPA board also elected Sydney-based Paul Glossop to the board of directors. Mr Glossop is a licensed buyers' agent and also has formal qualifications in education and architecture.
Melbourne developer Nick Corcoris has bought a 12.24-hectare site in Officer.

The site, 54 kilometres from the centre of Melbourne, cost $20.25 million in an off-market deal with the local landowner, Fairfax Media reported.

Selling agents Red23 said it was the highest price paid  on a per hectare basis  in Officer, a new housing hub where projects are being undertaken by the likes of Satterley Property Group.

Corcoris Group is developing Epping Views, a major project in the city's north.

Selling agent Paul Oliver from Red23 said the price paid for the Rix Road site reflected the lack of land supply in the market and also its proximity close to a train.

It's one of Melbourne's most expensive land markets with a median price of around $254,100 for a lot in the Shire of Cardinia.
Here we round up new and forthcoming childrens titles, including a pop-up Valentine, a lovey-dovey take on a bestseller, a picture book about unlikely friends, and a story about where animals migrate in winter.

I Love You: A Pop-Up Book by David A. Carter. Abrams Appleseed, $14.95; ISBN 978-1-4197-2734-4. Carter pairs abstracted and at times almost architectural pop-ups with a love poem stocked with metaphors.

Click, Clack, Moo I Love You! by Doreen Cronin, illus. by Betsy Lewin. Atheneum/Dlouhy, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4814-4496-5. Little Duck has big plans for Valentines Day in this addition to Cronin and Lewins long-running series.

Mouselings Words by Shutta Crum, illus. by Ryan ORourke. Clarion, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-544-30216-7. This picture book retelling of Aesops The Lion and the Mouse pays tribute to the way books can unite even the unlikeliest of friends.

Somewhere Else by Gus Gordon. Roaring Brook/Porter, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-62672-349-8. When winter comes, most birds go Somewhere, explains Gordon (The Catawampus Cat). Some birds even use a travel agency (Italy? Good choice! chirps one headset-wearing bird agent). But a duck named George Laurent stubbornly clings to home base.

Come Home Already! by Jory John, illus. by Benji Davies. HarperCollins, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-237097-6. In another installment of the series about a grumpy bear and a duck eager to be his friend, Bears idyllic fishing trip is interrupted.

Who Loves Me? by David McPhail. Abrams Appleseed, $8.95; ISBN 978-1-4197-2577-7. A raccoon family stars in this tenderhearted companion to Ben Loves Bear, Bella Loves Bunny, and other board books. The book earned a starred review from PW.

Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills. Holt, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-62779-937-9. In this YA novel, one teen is taken aback by her friends unexpected new friendship with their private schools class president and infamous mean girl. The book earned a starred review from PW.

100 Things I Love to Do with You by Amy Schwartz. Abrams Appleseed, $16.95; ISBN 978-1-4197-2288-2. Schwartz follows 100 Things That Make Me Happy with item-by-item proof that just about anything can be an adventure when its done with a beloved parent, sibling, or friend.

Groundhug Day by Anne Marie Pace, illus. by Christopher Denise. Disney-Hyperion, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4847-5356-9. Moose, Bunny, Porcupine, and Squirrel debate how to keep Groundhog from seeing his shadow so that he is able to attend their Valentines Day party. The book earned a starred review from PW.

For more childrens and YA titles on sale throughout the month of December, check out PWs full On-Sale Calendar.
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In light of North Korea's growing ballistic missile threat and Hezbollah's growing arsenal, attention has been focused on the potential value of missile defense in a range of contexts. With news of a joint US-Israeli base focused on missile defense, more questions are being asked on how Israel is preparing to meet future threats like Hezbollah. At the same time, a new wave of think pieces has emerged suggesting that those charged with the defense of South Korea can learn from the progress made by Israel, particularly with its successful Iron Dome system. While these pieces are quick to note the differences between the two security situations, they often accept a superficial narrative on the success of Israeli missile defense. Before rushing to make claims about how missile defense will perform in the future, it's worth looking at how the Iron Dome system has fared to date, and how these lessons may apply in the Korean context.

In 2016, the RAND Corporation conducted an in-depth study on the conduct of Israeli operations in Gaza in 2012 and 2014, which highlighted the role of the Iron Dome missile defense system in those conflicts. We found three lessons learned that should be considered in broader discussion of tactical missile defense. First, Iron Dome did provide meaningful missile defense capabilities. Second, however, this success came at strategic costs. Third, we do not expect this success to endure in the face of learning adversaries whose capabilities are expanding. Thus, there are problems with depending on the system in both the short- and long-term, and we recommend a healthy dose of skepticism in any debate on missile defense.

Development of Iron Dome Seeks to Mitigate the Threat of Missiles

In the 2000s, and early 2010s Israel was threatened by a growing missile threat from Hezbollah and Hamas. Both groups amassed inventories of thousands of missiles, including systems that could penetrate deep into Israel. In the 2006 Lebanon war, these missiles were a major source of Israeli civilian casualties. Israeli planners worried that without a way of blunting these threats, future conflicts would impose even greater costs, both psychological and physical, on the Israeli citizenry, as well as damage bases and assembly areas, thus limiting Israel's ability to project force.

Traditionally, Israel has taken a layered approach to missile defense. Preventing conflict by deterrence is always the first line of defense. In the event that conflict does break out, Israel seeks to destroy launch capabilities, then falls back on active defense to stop missiles in the air. When missiles make it through this screen, the Israelis rely on a passive defense system composed of infrastructure and a civil defense network that includes early warning systems to minimize the damage. Operations in 2006 demonstrated that it was difficult to destroy a sufficient number of launchers to prevent significant damage within Israel, and more attention needed to be devoted to active and passive defense. Iron Dome was the most notable of the active measures that would come online in the following years.

The Iron Dome system is a dual-mission counter rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) and very short range air defense (V-SHORAD) system used to target and destroy missiles with a range of about 770 km. The system is designed to protect high-value infrastructure by targeting only those missiles aimed at the specific areas with interceptor warheads which explode within a meter of the threat to destroy incoming missiles. Two elements of Iron Dome gave it an advantage over traditional approaches to missile defense. First, the new system allowed very precise tracking of incoming rockets. As a result, defenders could pick and choose which rockets to fire at, saving rounds and minimizing collateral damage. Second, the interceptors were relatively cheap, encouraging users to experiment in peacetime to fine-tune the system. While there has been substantial debate over both claims, it was striking that among the Israeli experts, even the most critical thought Iron Dome performed better, for less money, than competitor systems.

Lesson 1: Iron Dome Provided a Tactical Success in Recent Operations in Gaza

The worth of missile defense was demonstrated in the course of the two most recent conflicts between Israel and Hamas, 2012's Operation Pillar of Defense and 2014's Operation Protective Edge. Over the eight-day Operation Pillar of Defense, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fired more than 1,456 rockets into Israel, averaging about 215 rounds per day. In 2014, Hamas and other organizations launched a total of about 4,500 rockets and mortars from July 8 to August 26. While the rate of fire was about half of the average rate seen in Pillar of Defense, it was sustained over a much longer period of time. In both conflicts, Hamas targeted major urban centers, including Tel Aviv and settlement blocks in greater Jerusalem; and high-value infrastructure, including Israeli airports and military bases.

During Operation Pillar of DefenseIron Dome intercepted as many as 85 percent of the rockets it targeted, and rockets only caused six civilian deaths.

Iron Dome was able to meaningfully reduce the impact of these rockets, particularly for civilians. During Operation Pillar of Defense, officials estimated that Iron Dome intercepted as many as 85 percent of the rockets it targeted, and rockets only caused six civilian deaths, compared to 44 casualties in 2006. Increases in the number of batteries and interceptors, as well as technical refinements to the systems and tactics increased that success rate to more than 90 percent ( PDF ) of the rockets targeted in the 2014 campaign. Only two individuals were killed in rocket strikes and about one-sixth as many claims were submitted to the Israeli government under its insurance program in 2014 as in 2006, despite a similar overall number of enemy rockets. Put simply, across both conflicts, the effect of Hamas rockets, particularly on day-to-day civilian life, was substantially blunted.

Lesson 2: Successful Defense Imposed Unexpected Strategic Costs

These tactical benefits came with unintended strategic costs for Israel. First, effective missile defense created the perception of a disproportional conflict, in which Palestinians suffered while Israelis remained relatively safe. This complicated the process of justifying the conflict to the international community. Second, and more worrying, the use of the Iron Dome system changed strategic and political prosecution of the campaign in ways that may have denied Israel decisive victories. These unexpected strategic costs are often overlooked in analyses of the system.

Successful missile defense shifted the international political response to the conflict. In both Pillar of Defense and Protective Edge, the largely unharmed Israeli population contrasted sharply with media images of destruction in Gaza, bringing about increased international condemnation. As one senior Israel policy maker argued to the RAND team, Iron Dome is a blessing because it buys Israel time, but Israel needs an excuse for why they are killing Palestinians in operations... When Iron Dome works so well and so few Israelis die, Israel loses the justification for the operation. Hamas was able to capitalize on this by positioning rocket launchers and other key assets among dense civilian infrastructure like apartment buildings, schools, and medical facilities in order to provoke increased collateral damage. While Israeli forces took extensive pains to document their targeting practices, international reports like the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict show the international political cost Israel paid for the perception of disproportionate aggression.

More than just shaping the image of war, Iron Dome shaped how Israel conducted operations in the conflict. In the past, Israel often needed to employ ground forces to successfully attrite the number of enemy launchers. This created a preference for the use of ground forces in combination with air power to achieve decisive effects. With Iron Dome reducing the risk to population centers, there was less pressure on political and strategic leaders to escalate the conflict. In 2012, Israel felt the threat could be mitigated by air power alone. In 2014, ground forces were deployed, but the decision was drawn out and the forces committed were fairly small in number. The strategic approach changed to attrition, rather than seeking quick decisive outcomes. In retrospect, analysts worry that the shift to a strategy of attrition denied Israel a decisive victory. As one IDF general officer remarked, without maneuver [deeper into Gaza], your achievement will be very indecisive. Uncertain results fed public dissatisfaction in Israel, even in the face of low civilian casualties.

Lesson 3: Success May be Short Lived

While these unsolved strategic problems may mitigate Iron Dome's value in the short-term, in the long run the system faces an even more fundamental problem: in the future, adversaries will be better able to limit the effects of the system. Most analysts predict the system will be far less effective in future conflicts that dominate current Israeli planning.

Partly, this is because adversaries will adapt and learn to circumvent the system. Despite technical improvements in the Iron Dome system, Operation Protective Edge demonstrated just how fast adversaries can develop new tactics to reduce the system's effectiveness. In 2014, mortars with flight times too short for Iron Dome to target reliably caused casualties among Israeli forces. Hamas also attempted to overwhelm Iron Dome batteries with coordinated salvos, and enlisted regional allies to fire rockets from Lebanon, Syria, and the Sinai, forcing Iron Dome to cover a greater area in an attempt to spread the system too thin to be effective. Current assessments of Hamas capabilities suggest that in the years since the last war, they have continued to develop mitigating strategies, including lowering ballistic trajectories and improving precision. In the future, adversaries will likely be more prepared to face Iron Dome.

As is frequently noted in considerations of Iron Dome in separate contexts, other adversaries are often more capable than Hamas. For example, the planning scenario for a war with Hezbollah involves 1,000-1,500 rockets per day fired at Israeli population centers. When looking at contexts like North Korea, this difference is even more striking. Current estimates suggest forward-deployed conventional artillery would be capable of firing 500,000 shells an hour for several hours, or firing tens-of-thousands of shells per day over an extended period. This rate of fire would easily overwhelm a variant of Iron Dome, which is currently being proposed as a solution. Furthermore, North Korean chemical weapons create threats that are much harder to defend against via air borne interception than the conventional explosives Iron Dome was designed to mitigate.

The different context of a Korean conflict also poses other challenges to Iron Dome. Part of Iron Dome's success has come from not targeting missiles projected to hit open areas in order to conserve interceptors. However, a dense population center like Seoul features little unoccupied space, and large numbers of civilian residents. As a result, trade-offs between which incoming rounds to target may be far more fraught than in the Israeli context, where rounds can be allowed to fall when they will hit open areas. With little ability to discriminate between rockets based on their likely geographic impact, it makes sense that more focus has gone into systems like Patriot and THAAD which target ballistic missiles. In effect, in Korea the choice has been to discriminate based on type of threat by focusing on higher end systems.

Tactical success in the short term may have created an assumption of long term protection that cannot be met when facing a more capable adversary in the future.

More capable threats may be particularly problematic because of Iron Dome's past success. Iron Dome was not originally designed to provide broad defense of civilian population centersinstead it was designed to provide targeted defense for specific high-value military installations and critical infrastructure. The relatively small threat of Hamas rockets allowed the system to be employed as a wide-area defense at the demand of political leadership over the past two conflicts, but this may not be viable against more sophisticated future threats, such as Hezbollah and Iran. Further, it is not clear that, once accustomed to a high degree of safety, the public will accept Iron Dome returning to its intended, more narrow mission. Tactical success in the short term may have created an assumption of long term protection that cannot be met when facing a more capable adversary in the future.

Concluding Thoughts

While Iron Dome's past success makes it a tempting solution to future challenges, a careful look at the system's success to date should engender caution. The system has performed well against an adversary with a limited arsenal of rockets, targeting relatively sparsely inhabited areas. However, even there, it has produced unexpected negative political consequences, feeding international perception of Israel as disproportionately aggressive and attenuating strategic ends to be less decisive. In future conflicts, even this mixed outcome may not be achieved, since more capable adversaries, such as Hezbollah, may neutralize the advantages of the system. These shortcomings are even more serious when considering using the system in a Korean context, where the threat posed is substantially greater, and the targeted terrain substantially harder to defend. Taken together, without dismissing the very real achievements of the Iron Dome system to date, we should be very slow to treat it as a solution to a broader set of military challenges.

Elizabeth Ellie Bartels is a doctoral candidate at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy analyst at nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation. She is co-author of From Cast Lead to Protective Edge: Lessons from Israel's Wars in Gaza.

This commentary originally appeared on The Strategy Bridge on November 29, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
Analogue TV will continue to air in some areas of Sao Paulo, Campinas and other Brazilian states longer than expected.





Even though the city of Sao Paulo switched to digital TV months ago , the institution leading the process, the Gired, has decided to postpone the switch-off across the rest of the state, scheduled for 29 November. A new attempt will take place on 20 December.The same decision has been made for the states of Campinas and Vale do Paraiba, where a new switch-off date is 17 January. For the cities of Ribeirao Preto and Franca, analogue TV will keep broadcasting until at least 31 January 2018.According to the Gired and Brazils telecom authority, Anatel , the switch-off has been delayed as digitalisation has been lower than expected in these areas. According to a recent Ibope survey, DTT penetration was 89% in Sao Paulo, 88% in Campinas and Vale do Paraiba, 84% in Ribeirao Preto and 80% in Franca.The Brazilian DTT road map requires that a minimum of 90% homes should have digital TV before any switch-off can take place.
Russias General Staff has stated that the active phase of its involvement in combat operations in Syria is drawing to a close, without any hint that this might involve withdrawing its forces or even entirely ceasing to conduct airstrikes. The complexity of the emerging post-conflict settlement, from Moscows perspective is further complicated by a growing anti-Iran coalition, which may well prove more challenging for the future security of the Middle East than the Kremlins largely successful effort to prop up the regime in Damascus (see EDM, November 27). However, the confluence of the positive impact of the Syria intervention for the development of Russias Armed Forces, combined with the fifth anniversary of the appointment of Sergei Shoigu as defense minister (see EDM, November 21) and the long-awaited signing of the new State Armaments Program to 2025 (Gosudarstvennaya Programma VooruzheniyaGPV), highlight the growing disparity in Western and Russian perspectives on both Syria and Moscows rearmament plans. Undoubtedly, the General Staff not only used the operations in Syria to train its forces, but also to experiment and test new and advanced systems, and even its approaches to modern warfare (see EDM, December 9, 2015; January 26, 2016). It appears that one lasting effect of this process will be the emphasis upon high-technology weapons and equipment in the next GPV, now slated for presidential approval next month (Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye, November 24).

The leadership of the Russian Armed Forces has certainly drawn lessons and potentially valuable experience from its involvement in Syria. Most importantly, it has provided an opportunity to gain operational experience in an unfamiliar environment, which will prove to be of lasting value to the Kremlin and the top brass; these forces are becoming more experienced and proficient, and the confidence boost is most evident in state investment in high-technology assets and further developing Russias stand-off strike capabilities. In short, the combat operations in Syria, mainly in support of the Bashar al-Assad regime, have yielded a high degree of success both in political and military terms, without the commitment of large numbers of Ground Forces deployed in the country. That is significant, as Russias political-military leadership has tested the force multiplier of involvement in a foreign military conflict without recourse to boots on the ground, and has emerged with minimal casualties and a massive confidence boost for the Armed Forces as a whole. This explains remarks by Senator Viktor Bondarev, the former commander of the Aerospace Forces (Vozdushno Kosmicheskikh SilVKS), who stated that the new GPV will focus on high-technology weaponry, referring to conventional stand-off strike systems, including cruise missiles (Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye, November 24).

This is largely rooted in the effort to boost conventional strike capability to offer non-nuclear deterrence capability for Russias Armed Forces, frequently referred to by the General Staff as pre-nuclear deterrence. This comprises cruise missiles, as well as other ballistic missile systems such as the Iskander-M, which is being fully introduced into the existing twelve missile and artillery brigades across Russiaincluding in Kaliningrad. However, it was also tried and tested in Syria, resulting in surging interest in these systems among the Russian political leadership. As demonstrated vividly in the course of its operations in Syria, this stand-off strike capability provides additional options and possibilities for the Kremlin, stopping short of actually deploying Ground Forces into any future conflict. It marks Russias fuller entry into the precision-strike regime and may paradoxically mean that Moscow could be inclined to pursue military options in the future, if it believes it can avoid being drawn into using its limited land-power capabilities (Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye, November 24).

While the stress upon high-technology weapons will become a feature of continued Russian military modernization over the next decade, involving innovative approaches to modern warfare, such as the adoption of network-centric capability, it also trickles down to traditional areas of the Russian way of war fighting. This is vividly illustrated in the use of artillery, once referred to by Joseph Stalin as the God of War, which has benefitted from deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to increase fire accuracy in Syria. Artillery will not be left out, therefore, in the increasing modernization rush to adopt high-precision capability (Izvestia, November 17).

The defense ministry has decided to retain existing 122-millimeter self-propelled howitzers, such as the 2S1 Gvozdika, but will effectively turn them into modernized combat robots. This decision extends to the 2S3 Akatsiya and the 2S19 Msta-S systems. The modernized versions will calculate target coordinates and determine the required number and type of ammunition, using shells with increased power and accuracy. Defense ministry sources told Izvestia that this decision is partly based on recent experience of conflict, including combat operations in Syria, where Russian forces were able to retain their mobility in highly challenging terrain. The plans to upgrade these artillery systems center on exploiting automated digital guidance and fire control, which reduces the role of the crew and increases the overall effectiveness of the firepower. GPS/GLONASS satellite navigation technologies will be employed more widely in Russian artillery, while efforts are being made to integrate these into the automated artillery control system in order that these fires be used in a single information field (Izvestia, November 17).

While there is no doubt that the defense ministry will procure more high-technology assets over the next decade to increase Russias conventional military capability, this seems to extend beyond high-precision strike systems and marks part of an effort to informationize, or intellectualize its combat systems. Existing systems, especially in artillery, will receive upgrades designed to increase firepower and accuracy as part of an integrated command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) approach to conducting combat operations. Shoigu has also noted, in reference to the lessons drawn from Russias involvement in Syria, that the military will receive more UAVs in the future, as they were used in Syria to populate the battlespace and facilitate operations in real time. Equally, Shoigu, aware of the importance for the military of this wider effort to upgrade and modernize, notes the role played by the National Defense Management Center (Natsionalnogo Tsentra Upravleniya OboronoyNTsUO) in Moscow, to help integrate defense and security apparatuses across the country. Shoigu not only highlighted the important coordination work carried out by the NTsUO, he singled out its oversight of the 24/7 supply and logistics operations to support the mission in Syria (Krasnaya Zvezda, November 19; Mil.ru, November 17).

Russias General Staff is studying and rapidly drawing on the lessons of the Syria campaign and will actively press for continued emphasis and spending on high-precision and high-technology systems.
The Georgia Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction of a woman who crashed her car into a group of cyclists in 2016 while under the influence of prescription drugs, killing a UGA graduate student.
Over 100 people gathered at the University of Georgia Arch on Nov. 17 to march through downtown Athens in protest of Jerzees Sportsbar and 9ds Bar. Both bars have had discrimination claims filed against them in recent months, according to the Athens Anti Discrimination Movement.
Martinsville is building a new police station. What you need to know.
Afghanistans Interior Ministry says five people were sentenced to death for committing murder and kidnapping and were hanged on November 29.

The convicts were executed at Pul-e-Charkhi prison in the capital, Kabul.



"A former member of Herat Provincial Council is among the five people," Najeeb Danesh the acting spokesperson for the ministry told Radio Azadi.



An appeals court of Herat province, western Afghanistan, a year ago sentenced Askar Anwari, a former member of the Herat Provincial Council, and four others for the kidnapping and killing of a young man, Mohammad Shah, in Herat city.

Shah was the son of a deputy chief for a construction company in the western province.

Kidnapping for ransom is a top security concern for people living in Herat city.

The ministry said the executions were carried out after three appeals courts and President Ashraf Ghani confirmed the death sentences of the five convicts.

Death sentences are rarely carried out in Afghanistan. The last time Ghani approved an execution order was in May 2016 for six people convicted on terrorism charges.

With reporting by AP and dpa


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.
Slobodan Praljak committed suicide on live television in the hall of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague on November 29.

After hearing that the appeals panel had confirmed his 2013 sentence of 20 years in prison for war crimes, the former chief of the self-proclaimed General Staff of the Croatian Defense Council (the army of Bosnia's ethnic Croats) shouted: "Slobodan Praljak is not a war criminal! I reject this verdict with disdain!"

He then lifted a dark glass vial containing an unknown liquid to his mouth. A few hours later, local doctors confirmed reports that the 72-year-old prisoner had died.

Such was the tragic and theatrical ending of the last and longest trial in the quarter-century history of the UN tribunal. The accusations against the six leaders of the so-called Croatian Republic of Herceg-Bosna were first filed in 2004. Soon after, Praljak surrendered himself to international justice, in order to "defend my good name in court," as he said. The trial opened in 2006 and dragged on slowly for years before all six defendants were convicted.

But Praljak didn't always command armies. Before the conflicts in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Praljak was educated as an electrical engineer. He worked as a theater director in Zagreb and Osijek in Croatia and Mostar in Bosnia. He also dabbled in television.

Stripped of context, Slobodan Praljak's samurai final act might evoke respect or sympathy, as an extreme act motivated by absolute despair or total certainty in the correctness of one's position. But individual perceptions of honor don't always coincide with correctness."

But he only came to prominence in the former Yugoslavia after the beginning of the Serbian-Croatian conflict in 1991 when he formed a volunteer unit of "intellectuals" and workers from the arts. He soon, in accordance with the circumstances of war, reached the rank of major general and then, by virtue of his Bosnian origins, was sent by Zagreb back to his homeland.

And that was the impression -- a vocal intellectual in a military overcoat -- that he made on me in the fall of 1993 in the Bosnian town of Medjugorje. The broadly smiling general casually quoted Dostoevsky and mentioned Chekhov, but he avoided answering specific questions. He preferred to speak in general terms about patriotism and the sacred defense of national interests (nowadays, it would be called "the Croatian world") from "Serbian and Muslim aggressors" wherever a "real patriot" sees such aggression.

About a month after our meeting, the Old Bridge in Mostar -- a remarkable example of Ottoman architecture -- was destroyed by fire from Croatian tanks. Tribunal prosecutors blamed Praljak for the death of the Old Bridge but did not establish direct responsibility. Moreover, it was found that Bosnian Muslims were using the bridge to move ammunition, so the judges ruled that although the Croatian actions were excessive, the bridge was a legitimate military target. The Old Bridge was just the best known of the dozens of charges contained in case file No. IT-0474-A, many of which did not leave any doubts in the minds of judges as to what the verdict should be.

Stripped of context, Slobodan Praljak's samurai final act might evoke respect or sympathy, as an extreme act motivated by absolute despair or total certainty in the correctness of one's position. But individual perceptions of honor don't always coincide with correctness. During his imprisonment, apparently, the general only became more convinced of his innocence. But those who have been in the destroyed Muslim village of Ahmici, whose residents were murdered by Croatian soldiers in the spring of 1993, and those who know of the ethnic cleansing carried out by the Croats in the Lasva River Valley, and even those who simply flipped through the multiple volumes of Praljak's case files have formed a different view of the general's career.

In the area controlled by the self-proclaimed Croatian General Staff, war crimes were committed that Praljak simply must have known about and which he was obligated to prevent (or, if he couldn't prevent them, to punish the perpetrators), even if he did not personally issue the evil orders. Those orders, which were part of a campaign of direct military intervention by Croatia in a neighboring country, in the end resulted in Praljak's 20-year prison sentence -- two-thirds of which he'd already managed to serve before making his final, hopeless stand.

It is possible that the guilt in this case is not attributable to innate or developed qualities of personal character but to nationalism, propaganda, and war. And to the ways that they deform our conceptions of good and evil and of how we can and should act and of what we should never do under any circumstances. These forces are capable of transforming patriotism into its exact opposite. Nationalism, propaganda, and war can turn likable bearded men into defendants and convicts.

If it hadn't been for that poisonous war, Slobodan Praljak would not be lying now lifeless in a hospital morgue but rather would be successfully and happily presenting plays by Miroslav Krleza, Anton Chekhov, and William Shakespeare.

But the war happened, and Slobodan Praljak became a general -- and a criminal.

Andrei Shary was an RFE/RL correspondent in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s. Translated from the Russian by Robert Coalson. The views expressed in this commentary 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.

Rapoport's untimely death triggered much speculation because he had voiced support for ardent Kremlin foe Aleksei Navalny before leaving Russia and, while living in Kyiv in recent years, had been a vocal supporter of Ukraine and an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.



Washington metropolitan police found Rapoport's 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. He told RFE/RL in an interview in Washington in June that business had been tough due to the countrys high political risk and war with Russia.



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 under Putin and expressed support for Navalny, who was jailed last year on what Western governments say were trumped-up charges.

It has really become unbearable to live in Russia, Rapoport told media outlet FinParty in June of that year. We are all now dependent on one ruler. If this person decides that you will give birth to his child, then you will give birth, and if he decide to put you in prison, then you will serve time.

He told FinParty that he would give up his American citizenship and return to Russia if Navalny became president, saying the opposition leader was sincere in his desire to fight corruption.

He is a real hero of our time and deserves respect, Rapoport said of Navalny.

Rapoports frustration with Russia and his decision to leave may have been triggered by pressure on his businesses, friends and family have said.

Under Putin, the raiding of profitable businesses by -- or with the help of -- the nations security services has flourished. Rapoport allegedly lost his stake in Soho Rooms when his partners teamed up with security officials.

"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.

When Rapoport moved to Washington, where he said his parents lived, he set up a company called Rapoport Capital to advise and assist technology startups as well as venture capital funds on fundraising options.

In 2016, four years after leaving Russia, Rapoport set up an office in Kyiv and opened a private equity fund. It was tough going. Ukraines economy struggled amid an ongoing war with Russia-backed separatists in two eastern regions and the slow implementation of Western-backed reforms.

In social-media posts over the ensuing years, he was a vocal supporter of Ukraine and an outspoken critic of Putin.

Rapoport gained a degree of publicity in January 2017 after The New York Times reported that the daughter and son-in-law of newly elected 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.

In 2018, the open-source investigative organization Bellingcat reported that Rapoport, who was Jewish, 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
Russian individuals and groups are being persecuted for posting hyperlinks to websites of foreign organizations declared "undesirable" under legislation signed by President Vladimir Putin in 2015, Human Rights Watch says.



In a development it suggested was "absurd" but predictable, HRW said on November 30 that the government is using the "draconian and deliberately vague law" to target Russians it claims are linked to "undesirable" foreign organizations.

The law, widely condemned in the West, allows Russia's prosecutor-general to ban as "undesirable" any foreign NGO or organization deemed to be an unspecified threat to national security.



It also prohibits Russian individuals or groups from accepting money from such banned groups or disseminating their materials.



Since 2015, Russia has blacklisted 11 organizations under the law, most of them American, according to HRW.

'Undesirables'



The New York-based rights group said the Russian government had filed charges against at least 11 Russian organizations since early 2016 for alleged "participation in the activities of undesirable organizations."



In all 11 cases, it said, the charges stem from hyperlinks to websites of foreign "undesirables" on the websites of the targeted Russian organizations.



"From the start, it seemed clear that the true target of the 'undesirables' law would be Russian groups and citizens," said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch.



"Now, were seeing that the authorities are using the law, quite absurdly, to penalize Russian groups for supposed involvement with the undesirables," he said.

'Deliberately Vague'



Human Rights Watch said that, in all cases, the implicated Russian organizations had linked to materials that had been posted before the foreign organizations were banned.



Five of the Russian organizations are based in the Samara region, three in Moscow, and one each in Bashkortostan, Volgograd, and Yaroslavl.



Ten of the groups lost court cases in which prosecutors argued that linking to a website amounted to inviting Russian users to read these materials, and therefore qualified as "participation in the activities" of the banned organization. The case of one remaining group is pending.



Only three of the 11 affected groups have spoken publicly about their cases: the SOVA Center and the Andrey Rylkov Foundation, both in Moscow, and the Social Partnerships Center in Yaroslavl.



HRW also said Russian courts had fined at least two activists for their supposed ties to Open Russia, one of the banned "undesirable" organizations, which is affiliated with the exiled former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky.



"The authorities are casting a wide net, penalizing groups that arent even critical of the authorities for something they could not imagine would constitute an offense under a draconian and deliberately vague law, and for actions that obviously have nothing to do with Russian state security, Williamson said.
ZHEZQAZGHAN, Kazakhstan -- Dozens of copper miners in Kazakhstan's central region of Qaraghandy are refusing to come up onto the surface, demanding wage increases.

Activists from a labor advocacy organization in the city of Zhezqazghan told RFE/RL that the striking miners went underground in the mine on November 29 and refused to be lifted out on November 30.

Activists posted a photograph of the miners in a tunnel on Facebook, along with a sheet of paper showing their demands.

The demands include a 70 percent salary increase, better pensions, and free access to education and holiday resorts.

The miners are also demanding a meeting with the chief of the company that owns the mine, Kazakh copper giant KazakhMys, Eduard Ogai.

KazakhMys representatives told RFE/RL that the company was checking reports of the strike and would issue a statement later.
ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- A central street in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, has been renamed after President Nursultan Nazarbaev.



A lawyer of the Almaty City Council, Berik Manizorov, told RFE/RL that the council had decided on November 30 to change the name of Dmitry Furmanov Street to Nursultan Nazarbaev Avenue.

Nazarbaev has been president of Kazakhstan since 1991, the year it gained independence in the breakup of the Soviet Union, and before that had headed it as Communist Party chief since 1989.

He won a new term in a 2015 election in which international observers said voters were not offered a genuine choice, and critics say he has held onto power by suppressing dissent.



Furmanov was a writer whose 1923 novel about Red Army commander Vasily Chapayev is a Soviet-era classic. A 1934 film based on the book was extremely popular in the Soviet Union.



Almost all streets in Almaty, then Kazakhstan's capital, were renamed after the Soviet collapse. But Furmanov Street had remained unchanged, sparking speculation that it would one day -- perhaps after his death -- be named after Nazarbaev.



In 1998, Nazarbaev moved the Kazakh capital from Almaty to Aqmola and changed that city's name to Astana, which means "the capital" in Kazakh.

Many Kazakhs suspect the capital will be named after Nazarbaev in the future.
BISHKEK -- Activists rallied in front of the Kazakh Embassy in Bishkek on November 30, protesting over a documentary about ousted former Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev -- and leaving boxes full of underwear outside.

The protest came amid persistent tension between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan over border-control issues and Kyrgyz allegations that Kazakhstan interfered in its presidential election in October.

The protesters, who numbered about a dozen, said that the film Peacekeeper's Mission: Kyrgyz Ordeal, which was broadcast by Kazakh state channel Khabar on November 29 "distorts the meaning of the April 2010 revolution" that ousted Bakiev.

Bakiev fled the country after his ouster and lives in Belarus. He was sentenced in absentia to life in prison after being convicted by a court in Kyrgyzstan of involvement in the deaths of nearly 100 protesters during the unrest.

The documentary presents Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev as "a wise politician, who played a major role in the stabilization of Kyrgyzstan in 2010."

The film also shows Bakiev giving his account of the upheaval, in which deadly violence broke out in Bishkek and later in his stronghold of southern Kyrgyzstan.

The protesters brought boxes of underwear to the embassy and said they were for Bakiev -- a wry reference to the documentary, in which he says that he had to leave everything behind, even his underwear, when he fled Kyrgyzstan.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused the United States of seeking to provoke North Korea into stepping up its nuclear missile program.

Speaking on a visit to Belarus on November 30, Lavrov also rejected a U.S. call to sever ties with North Korea following its latest ballistic-missile test.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have flared after Pyongyang said it successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile on November 29 in a "breakthrough" that put all of the U.S. mainland within range.

Washington called on countries to cut relations with Pyongyang and warned that North Korea's leadership will be "utterly destroyed" if war breaks out.

Moscow condemned the North Korean test as "a provocation," but Lavrov accused the United States of trying to provoke North Korean leader Kim Jong Un into "flying off the handle" and taking new extreme action."

The Russian minister said in Minsk that the United States and South Korea should refrain from holding joint military exercises planned for December.

"If they want to find a pretext for destroying North Korea...then let them say it outright," said Lavrov, who also reiterated Moscow's view that "the pressure of sanctions has been exhausted."

His comments come after U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the United States did not want a war with North Korea but warned that "the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed" if its "continued acts of aggression" lead to war.

Addressing an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council late on November 29, Haley called on other states to cut diplomatic and trade ties with Pyongyang.

At the Security Council meeting, China and Russia called for restraint from both sides, with Russian UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya saying that the only way to prevent Pyongyang from becoming a nuclear power was through "tireless diplomatic efforts."

China and Russia are among the few states with which North Korea still has good relations, and both have resisted Washington's demands to cut those ties.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on November 30 said Beijing could do more with its oil exports to pressure North Korea.

While Russia said it would not break off diplomatic relations with Pyongyang, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on November 30 that Berlin will cut its embassy staff in North Korea and order reciprocal cuts of Pyongyang's staff in Berlin.

Gabriel told reporters as he visited Washington that Germany had already withdrawn two diplomats and one more will follow.

"We have also told the North Koreans that they will have to reduce their embassy staff," he said. "We are thus increasing the diplomatic pressure."

With reporting by AFP, the BBC, and Reuters
A suspected U.S. drone strike has hit a militant compound in Pakistan near the Afghan border, killing three militants, Pakistani intelligence officials told RFE/RL.

The unmanned drone fired two missiles at a compound of the militant Haqqani network's commander Abdur Rasheed in the Kurram tribal district early on November 30, officials said. The network is affiliated with the Taliban.

They said it's unclear if Rasheed was at the compound located on the Pesho Ghar mountain in the Kurram tribal region's Ghuzgari area. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.

There was no official comment from the Pakistani government or the militants.

Pakistan opposes drone strikes, saying they violate its sovereignty and claims it has eradicated militant sanctuaries there. The drone strikes, however, effectively target hideouts of militants who operate on both sides of the border.

With reporting by AP
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Traffic police in Peshawar have launched a campaign to drive "immoral" rickshaw art from the streets of the Pakistani city. Authorities are covering up paintings on motorized three-wheeled vehicles that, they say, glorify guns and smoking. (RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal)
Preliminary tests show that a container from which Croat war criminal Slobodan Praljak drank shortly before dying in The Hague contained a deadly chemical, a Dutch prosecutor said on November 30.

Praljak stunned the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on November 29 when he drank from a small bottle moments after a UN appeals judge had confirmed a 20-year sentence against him.

The 72-year-old died in a hospital after being rushed from the court.

A former commander of Bosnian Croat forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina's 1992-95 war, Praljak was convicted in 2013 of crimes including murder, persecution and deportation for his role in a plan to carve out a Bosnian Croat ministate in Bosnia in the early 1990s.

He was one of six Bosnian Croat defendants in court on November 29 to hear rulings on the appeal of their sentences at the ICTY.

"There was a preliminary test of the substance in the container and all I can say for now is that there was a chemical substance in that container that can cause death," prosecutor Marilyn Fikenscher told the AP news agency in a telephone interview.

Separately, prosecutor Frans Zonneveld of the Public Prosecution Service in The Hague said on November 30 that an autopsy will be carried out soon on Praljak, although he said it wasn't clear exactly when the autopsy would take place.

'Profound Moral Injustice'

Croatian political leaders seized upon Praljak's suicide as evidence of the failings of the war crimes tribunal, which was in the process of handing down its final judgement on November 29 before ending its activities.

Conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on November 30 voiced outrage at Praljak's death, describing his suicide as "an act showing a profound moral injustice" and that the verdict was "unacceptable."

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic left a summit of female political leaders in Iceland, and the parliament broke off a session in the wake of the events at the tribunal.

Croatian lawmakers held a moment of silence for Praljak and the war victims on November 30, saying "let the death of General Praljak be the last act of the war."



Besides Praljak, the other five defendants included Bosnian Croat leader Jadranko Prlic, who appealed his 25-year term imposed by the court in The Hague, and four others, who are also appealing long prison sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years.

Before the November 29 hearing was halted, Prlic had also had his 25-year jail term upheld.

Prlic had been found guilty of being part of a criminal enterprise by the wartime Croatian government of late President Franjo Tudjman, to create an ethnically pure state.

Judges upheld that key finding, despite Croatian officials having denounced it and calling for it to be overturned.

'Important Step'

Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo called the courts verdict an "important step toward holding to account those individuals responsible for the tremendous suffering of the people" of Bosnia.

It also urged all parties to respect the verdict, and "rededicate themselves to the continued reconciliation and peaceful coexistence essential to the future of a stable, secure" Bosnia.

The appeals hearing comes a week after the judges sentenced former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic to life in prison.

It marks the end of two decades of work by the court, set up in 1993 at the height of the Balkans conflicts to prosecute Europe's worst atrocities since World War II.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, AFP, Reuters, The New York Times, and the BBC


The Kremlin has accused the United States of trying to set the Russian business elite against President Vladimir Putin ahead of a March 2018 election that is expected to hand him a new six-year term.

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, used what he said was a series of written questions from an international news agency as a platform to make the accusation on November 30.

He said that one of the questions was, "Do you agree with the opinion that the U.S. authorities are using sanctions [against Russia] in order to set wealthy supporters of the Russian president against him?"

Peskov said he had answered, "I am sure that this is the exactly the case."

Another alleged question cited by Peskov was, "Do you think that such U.S. efforts are linked to the presidential election?"

"We are convinced of this," Peskov said he had answered.

The United States has imposed sanctions on Russia in response to its seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, its role in the war that has killed more than 10,000 people in eastern Ukraine, and its alleged interference in the U.S. presidential election in 2016.

Putin, who has been in power as president or prime minister since 1999, is widely expected to announce in December that he will seek reelection in the March 18 vote.

His popularity and control over the levers of power in Russia, where critics say the Kremlin has manipulated the media and stifled dissent, make his victory a foregone conclusion.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, meanwhile, told journalists on November 30 that if Putin decides to take part in the election, the ruling United Russia party will support him.

Medvedev, who is chairman of United Russia, spoke in an annual interview with major Russian TV networks.

It is obvious that United Russia will support Putin if he seeks reelection, but Medvedev's remark may have been meant as a gesture of support and a further signal that Putin will do so.

There is speculation that Putin could dismiss Medvedev -- whom he steered into the presidency in 2008 and made prime minister when he started his third term in 2012 -- before or after the election.

In the televised interview, Medvedev said that Western sanctions and the plunge in world oil prices, which also occurred in 2014, had presented "the harshest and most unusual challenge" to his government.

He asserted that the government had managed to face the challenge and enabled the economy -- which emerged this year from a recession that began in 2014 -- to recover "faster than expected."

With reporting by Interfax, TASS, and Reuters
Russia's ambassador to the United Nations has accused the U.S.-led coalition in Syria of trying to partition the country by setting up local governing bodies in areas seized from the Islamic State extremist group, Russian news agencies reported.

Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on November 29 complained that the coalition of Kurdish and Arab fighters that recently liberated Raqqa from IS was discussing setting up governing bodies and restoring the economy without the involvement of Russia's ally, the Syrian government, Russia's Interfax and RIA news agencies reported.

"We are receiving news that the coalition is directly involved in the creation of some local authorities in the areas freed from ISIL, with which they are discussing economic reconstruction measures," Nebenzya was quoted as saying by Interfax.

"What the coalition is doing amounts to concrete steps to partition the country," he was quoted as saying by Interfax and RIA Novosti.

Russia raised its complaint as representatives from Syria's government and rebel groups gathered in Geneva for an eighth round of talks after more than six years of civil war.

Russia and Syria at the Geneva negotiations have trumpeted their recent success at reasserting government control over about 55 percent of Syrian territory, particularly by pushing IS out of some last remaining strongholds along with Syrian-Iraq border.

The key northern city of Raqqa, which was IS's self-proclaimed capital and biggest bastion in Syria, fell to forces allied with the United States, however, not those allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The U.S-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a coalition of mostly Kurdish as well as Sunni Arab fighters, has declared it wants to establish self-governing in the region it liberated. The Pentagon has tacitly backed that goal and has left U.S. forces in the area to support the coalition.

With Syria now trying to consolidate its recent military successes and regain control over lost territory, Nebenzya told the UN council on November 29 that Russia will no longer accept the delivery of UN humanitarian aid across borders and conflict lines because he said that "undermines the sovereignty of Syria."

Nebenzya said the UN council's previous authorization of cross-border aid convoys, which expires next month, "was an emergency measure which presently needs to be reassessed."

Nebenzya said Russia is pushing for the change in aid delivery because "there needs to be order in the distribution of humanitarian assistance, for it not to fall into the hands of terrorists and for it not to then be resold to the Syrian people at higher prices."

UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock pressed the council to renew the aid deliveries, however, which he said are "essential to save lives."

In the first 10 months of 2017, he said, "over 750,000 people on average each month were reached through UN cross-border activities."

U.S. Deputy UN Ambassador Michele Sison said the aid program must be renewed.

"The consequences of this mandate are enormous," she said. "It's not an exaggeration to say that renewing this mandate is a life or death question."

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP


ON MY MIND

Is the so-called "collective Putin" diverging from its creator?

In a strongly recommended piece featured below, former Kremlin insider Gleb Pavlovsky writes that the Russian elite is currently less concerned with preserving the continued rule of Vladimir Putin than it is with preserving the system Putin established.

"We increasingly have the impression that 'the boss is away,'" Pavlovsky writes.

"The management of Russia that is formally exercised by the president has been almost entirely taken over by his inner circle and the presidential administration, which has ceased being just a general staff and has turned into a player with its own special interests."

Is Pavlovsky right? There certainly are data points out there suggesting that he is.

Arrests are taking place that do not appear to be sanctioned by Putin. Figures like Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov seem to be pursuing independent agendas. Intramural clan warfare appears to be intensifying.

As Pavlovsky suggests, "The system is not only functioning without a fully functional Putin, it also lacks any strategic direction."

So, are we witnessing the birth of Putinism without Putin -- or at least with a diminished Putin?

A necessary caveat: Every time pundits have written off Putin in the past, he has come roaring back.

But somehow, this time it just feels different. It feels as if next year's election will not only be Putin's last -- which has become the consensus position among Kremlin-watchers -- but that it will be a watershed that will usher in a new political era.

IN THE NEWS

Russia's ambassador to the United Nations has accused the U.S.-led coalition in Syria of trying to partition the country by setting up local governing bodies in areas seized from the Islamic State extremist group, Russian news agencies reported.

The organization overseeing media access to the U.S. Congress has stripped Russia state-funded TV channel RT of its press credentials.

A Canadian man has pleaded guilty to his role in the 2014 hack of Yahoo's e-mail servers, the latest development in a mysterious investigation that has ensnared officers of Russia's main security agency.

Two men in the central Kazakh city of Qaraghandy, members of a Russia-based semireligious group called the Union of Co-Creators of the Holy Russia, are being tried on charges of inciting ethnic and religious hatred.

A lawyer for a Russian historian who is being tried on child pornography charges his supporters say are politically motivated has asked a court to move his client from jail to house arrest.

Tatar language classes are no longer mandatory in Russia's Tatarstan region, a senior official has announced.

A U.S. diplomat has dismissed the idea that the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline will ever be built.

During his first trip abroad since his inauguration earlier this month, Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has pledged to make "every effort" to strengthen the partnership between Kyrgyzstan and Russia.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a law declaring December 25 a public holiday.

WHAT I'M READING

New PSSI Report On Russian Active Measures In The Visegrad Four

The Prague Security Studies Institute has released a new report -- United We Stand, Divided We Fall: The Kremlin's Leverage In The Visegrad Countries -- on Russian influence operations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland. You can download the full report here.



Explaining The War Drums

As I note in today's Daily Vertical, the rhetoric in Moscow is becoming increasingly -- and alarmingly -- bellicose as the long winter sets in. It has included schools in Siberia being told to prepare for wartime conditions, Vladimir Putin telling defense contractors to ramp up production, and Patriarch Kirill's remarks about a looming apocalypse.

Novaya Gazeta's politics editor Kirill Martynov has a commentary contextualizing the recent wave of bellicose rhetoric from the authorities.

Meanwhile, economist and political analyst Vladislav Inozemtsev looks at recent proposals to increase military production and what they indicate in a commentary for RBK.

Russia's North Korea Problem

In his column for Republic.ru, Moscow-based foreign affairs analyst Vladimir Frolov writes that, with its latest missile launch, North Korea has put Russia in a very uncomfortable position.

New Blog From NED: Power 3.0

The National Endowment for Democracy has just launched a new blog, Power 3.0, that explores how authoritarian governments spread their influence in a globalized information age and how democracies are contending with this challenge.

Putinism In Transition

In a commentary on the Moscow Carnegie Center's website, former Kremlin insider Gleb Pavlovsky argues that with the 2018 election, Putin has become diminished and Russia is entering into an era of transition.

Ulyukayev And Sechin

In a commentary for Novaya Gazeta, political analyst Leonid Nikitinsky argues that Aleksei Ulyukayev and Igor Sechin both benefit from the Rosneft CEO's refusal to testify in the former economic minister's corruption trial.

A BRICS Internet?

Kommersant looks at a recent proposal from the Russian Security Council to have the BRICS countries pool their efforts on Internet security.
Police say a man detonated two grenades during a murder trial in the Ukrainian town of Nikopol on November 30, killing himself and a defendant and injuring nine other people as shrapnel sprayed through the courtroom.

The father of the murder victim took out two grenades in court and set them off, Hanna Starchevska, a National Police spokeswoman in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, told RFE/RL.

The man was killed and 10 people -- including the three defendants, guards, and court employees -- were injured and rushed to the hospital, Starchevska said.

One of the injured defendants died in the hospital a few hours later.

The defendants are being tried for the killings of two men with an AK-47 assault rifle in February 2016.
On the 24th and 25th of this month, 5th edition of India Bike Week was celebrated in Goa by bikers from all across the country. This was the largest gathering of bikers in India, till date. Overall, the festival has been a success. But, there is one incident which has come to light, which spoils the spirit of the festival.

A biker / vlogger from Mumbai, 20 year old Saurabh Mayekar was attending the event. The young biker was also posting updates about the venue, the bikes he saw there, etc, on his social media account. One update he posted on his account, can be seen below.

Thanks to connected audience / friends, the owner of the said Kawasaki Z800, Ajit Murkute got to know about this update.

I tried my best to keep my calm despite the fact that foul language was attributed to my bike, and simply asked him to delete the post as it might impact the future sale of my bike. He was brusque in the beginning but later apologized, saying that he was in a bad mood and removed the post, recounted Murkute, a 26-year-old businessman based in Pune, in an interview with Pune Mirror.

On the other hand, Mayekar says, I had sent an apology to Murkute on SMS, as he had wished to put everything behind him. In fact, Murkute also asked me to meet him in the evening of November 25 almost as if he was extending an olive branch, and I agreed.

When Mayekar reached the place to meet Murkute, he was waiting there with his brother and group of superbike friends. Watch the video below to see what happened next.

Mayekar adds, They would not relent despite my apology. They hit me several times and demanded that I apologise to the bike.

Gajanan Laigude, a friend of Ajit Murkute, has a different story to tell. We spent a whole day talking to him, requesting that he take down the post. Instead of doing so, he simply said dekhta hoon (we shall see). Laigude says that it was the vlogger and his friends who got physical first and not Murkute.

Soon, Soham Jadhav from the superbiker group of Pune intervened. Soham created a whatsapp group, and added Murkute, superbikers from Pune and Mayekar. He tried to solve the issue by telling Mayekar to apologize in the group. Soham added me on the group and said he would remove my name as soon as I apologised. I did as I was told, but people kept abusing me on the group as well, said Mayekar.

Saurabh Mayekar speaks

I was quiet from the past couple of days. Well to be frank i was scared infact very very scared , but i was getting Posted by Saurabh Mayekar on Thursday, 30 November 2017

IBWs Press Statement

We condemn such an act. By the time our security men reached the spot, they had all cleared out. We have identified an attacker and the superbike owner, and have decided to ban them from IBW. We do not tolerate such behaviour.

What is even more shocking, is the threatening language used by the superbike owners who were part of this madness at IBW. Thanks to IBW, who have decided to ban such people from the event, it sends out the right message.
Original Story  30th Nov

In the last 24 hours, a video has gone viral on the internet showing a few members of the staff at a Jeep India dealership beating up an aggrieved owner of a Jeep Compass.

The incident occurred in New Delhi when the owner, noted manufacturing defects in his new Jeep Compass vehicle. He approached the showroom where he was informed that the repairs would take around 15 days. Though the Jeep Compass was sent to Gurgaon for repairs, the issue could not be rectified and the SUV was sent back to the dealership at Moti Nagar, where it lay parked and unattended to.

The owner, on noting the neglected condition in which his Jeep Compass was lying in, got angry. He questioned the staff and vented his anger on them. Angry words and abuses followed and the video shows how the staff retaliated by getting violent with the owner. What happened next, was recorded on video by one of the friends of the owner. Watch the video below.

UPDATE 1  Jeep India dealership, Landmark Delhis statement  30th Nov

It is unfortunate that a video is being circulated on social media relating to an incident that took place in our Delhi branch of Jeep showroom. The video neither portrays nor provides the complete picture of the happenings. The incident had resulted as a consequence of unacceptable behaviour of the customer with some of the female staff in our organisation. This incident took place two months back i.e. on September 29, 2017 where the customer, during his discussion with our officials at Landmark showroom in Delhi, used extremely abusive language and also threatened the staff including the female front-desk manager.

Our officials tried to calm down the customer but the customer became even more aggressive and further continued using foul language in front of our ladies staff. As a prudent measure in such a scenario, our staff had immediately dialled 100 number and informed the situation to the Police Department. Thereafter, the police had come to our showroom to address the matter. Along with the customer, four Landmark officials visited the police station, where the matter was amicably settled and closed post apology from the customer. Having said this, We have already taken measures to address the non-acceptable behaviour displayed by Landmark officials and we do not tolerate such incidence being against our customers and the brands we represent. We strongly condemn any acts of such nature.

UPDATE 2  Jeep India dealership, Landmark Delhis statement  11th Dec

We refer to our statement that we had put up on our web-site on the 30th day of November, 2017 with regards to the video that displayed unacceptable behavior by the Landmark staff inside the Showroom. We completed our investigation and have terminated the services of the individuals who were seen breaching the Code of Conduct with our esteemed Customer. Our customers are of paramount importance to us and we strongly condemn any act of such nature, whatever be the cause of provocation.

Such behaviour is not acceptable to our organization. We stand for quality of customer service and its our endeavor to continue being committed to our customers in any situation. The unfortunate incident that took place due to members of our staff was unacceptable and against the policies and principles we stand for.

FCA Jeep India Statement  11th Dec

The unfortunate incident at our Delhi dealership has been thoroughly investigated with our Dealer Partner, Landmark Group and they have already taken disciplinary action against the offenders. We value our customers and are committed to treating every customer with utmost respect and courtesy, without exception. FCAs ethos has not and will never subscribe to, encourage or tolerate such offensive treatment to customers.
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Ethos

You'd think that Supreme Court Justices don't have to use rhetoric in writing their decision. After all, they're not writing to persuade anyone; the decision's already signed, sealed, and delivered.

You'd especially think the justices didn't have to use ethos as a rhetorical technique. They're the Supremesthey've already established their credibility and expertise. But they do it anyway, citing court cases to show the extent of their (or their clerks') knowledge and to lend credibility to their decisions.

The Miranda v. Arizona text is all about rights and how people should be treated. The text also uses ethos to persuade because both the majority opinion (written by Earl Warren) and the dissents (by Harlan and White) include appeals to what is right and wrong. Both sides believe that they've got the moral high ground, that they're on the side of truth, justice, and the American way.

Pathos

At the same time, the text does include appeals to emotions. For example, there's Warren's warning about how allowing police misconduct would be "contagious"; Harlan's use of the grandiose Temple imagery and his "astonishment" at the court's decision; White's statement that "In some unknown number of cases, the Court's rule will return a killer, a rapist or other criminal to the streets and to the environment which produced him, to repeat his crime whenever it pleases him" (WhiteDissent.IV.9). These guys are pretty passionate about their opinions.

It's All About the Logos

Ultimately, the Opinion and Dissents appeal to logic and reason to convince. This is presumably what the justices have been doing during their deliberations: reviewing older cases to look for precedent; pointing out logical fallacies in each other's arguments; suggesting what a rational person might do or believe in a certain situation.

Here's an example from White's dissent:

In view of the statistics on recidivism in this country, and of the number of instances in which apprehension occurs only after repeated offenses, no one can sensibly claim that this aspect of the criminal law [taking criminals off the streets] does not prevent crime or contribute significantly to the personal security of the ordinary citizen.

Secondly, the swift and sure apprehension of those who refuse to respect the personal security and dignity of their neighbor unquestionably has its impact on others who might be similarly tempted. That the criminal law is wholly or partly ineffective with a segment of the population or with many of those who have been apprehended and convicted is a very faulty basis for concluding that it is not effective with respect to the great bulk of our citizens, or for thinking that, without the criminal laws, or in the absence of their enforcement, there would be no increase in crime. Arguments of this nature are not borne out by any kind of reliable evidence that I have seen to this date. (WhiteDissent.IV.5)

White seems to be saying, "Seriously guys, look at the evidence. Use your common sense."

We all hope that appeals to reason are the primary way these folks present their arguments to the world in the written decision. We don't want to think that our emotions are being manipulated or that we have to accept an Opinion just because the writer is the Chief Justice or a smarty-pants. But we've seen how two justices can look at the same fact and come to wildly different conclusions, so there must be more to it than just rationality.
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Editor's Note: SHRM has partnered with Chief Executive to bring you relevant articles on key HR topics and strategies.

When I first launched my business about 10 years ago and started working in Mexico, I noticed co-workers and friends greeting each other with a brief hug and a kiss on the cheek. So I started doing that too, as I believed it was the custom, until one day my business partner pulled me aside and said, "Can you stop hugging and kissing the receptionist every time you come into the office? I think it sends the wrong message."

I didn't understand the culture well enough to appreciate the nuances and unwritten rules. Yet, as CEO of a fast-growing multi-national company, that's exactly what I needed to learnand fast. I not only wanted to stop sending the wrong message, but I wanted to start sending the right messages. I wanted to understand how to tap into the diverse aspects of Latino culture while staying true to the culture of my own country and business. Expanding to other geographies only increases the importance of sending the right messages that support a more open and diverse workforce.

Diversity takes on different meanings and styles with each business. At my own company, diversity means men and women working in an intellectualized environment in three different countriesthe U.S., Mexico and Northern Ireland. It also means working with male and female engineers and project managers from places like Cuba, Russia, Ireland and Colombia. I have had to develop the ability to quickly build trust and relationships within cultures that I didn't yet fully understand.

"As a CEO, it's important to learn some of the basic phrases in the native languages of your employeesit shows your respect for their culture."

Every culture has its own set of primary cultural drivers. In the U.S., we tend to be driven by popularity, success and financial reward. Other regions' drivers can include family pride or community contribution. By learning these drivers and how they impact your relationships, you can build trust authentically within your company. For example, in Northern Ireland and Mexico, I learned that family units stay close together and often meet every week for a meal, and co-workers are occasionally invited to these family functions. While this is not a regular practice in the U.S., I found that joining these family meals was crucial for building trust with my colleagues.

As a CEO, it's also important to learn some of the basic phrases in the native languages of your employeesit shows your respect for their culture. Each year, I give part of my annual staff speech in Spanish to help bridge the cultural gap.

Yet, making diversity a primary goal is a fool's errand. The primary goal always needs to be centered on hiring hard-working people who want to do fantastic work. As a company grows, the landscape should become more diverse naturally. Leaders in the organization need to encourage it, speak about it and write about it, and, in the end, the message will be clear. One example of this is at NTTi3, a Silicon Valley-based innovation lab and a leader in diversity. Recently, I asked CEO Nina Simosko about how NTTi3 has cultivated a geographically and generationally diverse team from around the world.

"I've looked at diversity first as [being] defined by a diversity of approach and temperament," Nina said. "And then I look for people who are like me in terms of their commitment and work ethic. Even without race or gender as primary criteria, we still have ended up with a team who reflects the global community we serve."

Over the years, I've learned to talk openly about these awkward aspects of culture and diversity. They need to be addressed head-on to come to a solution. By doing so, you can build trust and bridge large differences that lead to better productivity, higher levels of innovation, and a more enjoyable company culture that represents every culture that makes up your business. As leaders, it's our job to put these issues on the table and hammer through them with integrityno matter the cultural divide.





Mike Barrett is the co-founder and CEO of Unosquare LLC, providing healthcare and financial services clients with IT consulting and software engineering services from offices in the US, Mexico and Northern Ireland, UK. Mike has more than 30 years of sales and marketing experience, with 12 years in tech leadership roles with offshore and nearshore companies. Follow on twitter: @mikebarrett10 or @unosquare.

This article is reprinted from Chief ExecutiveMagazine with permission. All rights reserved.
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An artist's concept of the dwarf planet Eris and its moon Dysnomia. The sun is the small star in the distance.

Eris was one of the first dwarf planets to be discovered in the solar system. It is almost the same size as Pluto, and its discovery directly led to the former ninth planet's demotion. Eris also has a moon, Dysnomia, which was discovered not long after Eris.

Is Eris a planet or a dwarf planet?

When Eris was first discovered in 2005, astronomers thought it was significantly larger than Pluto and even considered whether or not Eris could be the 10th planet in our solar system. Ultimately, however, Eris' discovery and learning it was such a small planet was why astronomers wound up demoting Pluto to dwarf planet status in 2006. That decision remains controversial to this day, making Eris' name fitting.

"Eris is the Greek goddess of discord and strife," astronomer Mike Brown, a member of the Eris discovery team, said in a statement from the California Institute of Technology . "She stirs up jealousy and envy to cause fighting and anger among men. At the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, all the gods were invited with the exception of Eris, and, enraged at her exclusion, she spitefully caused a quarrel among the goddesses that led to the Trojan War."

Like almost all of the known dwarf planets (with the exception of Ceres), Eris lies in the Kuiper Belt, which rings the outer solar system. But Eris is even farther-flung than Pluto, circling our star about three times farther away. It takes 561 years for the distant dwarf planet to make a single trip around the sun, though it rotates once every 25 hours, making the length of its day very similar to a day on Earth.

Watching Eris

Eris' distance allowed astronomers to make precise measurements when the dwarf planet passed in front of a dim star in 2010, in an event known as an occultation. In addition to measuring Eris size, researchers were also able to determine its shape, size and mass.

The observations helped scientists determine that Eris' diameter is 1,445 miles (2,326 kilometers), give or take 7 miles (12 km). That makes it slightly smaller than Pluto. When New Horizons reached Pluto, the spacecraft measured the diameter of the planet and found it to be 1,473 miles (2,370 km) across, which is about two-thirds the diameter of Earth's moon.

Newer studies show that Eris likely is a spherical body. And, by studying the motion of Eris' moon, Dysnomia (which was also discovered in 2005), they estimate the dwarf planet is about 27% heavier than Pluto, which means it's denser than Pluto as well.

Eris' surface was also found to be extremely reflective, bouncing back 96% of the light that hits it. That makes Eris one of the most reflective bodies in the solar system, roughly on par with Saturn's icy moon Enceladus. [Top 10 Extreme Planet Facts]

Researchers think Eris' surface is probably composed of a nitrogen-rich ice mixed with frozen methane in a layer less than 1 millimeter thick. This ice layer could be the result of the dwarf planet's atmosphere condensing as frost on the surface as it moves away from the sun, they said.

Astronomers estimated that the side of the dwarf planet facing the sun likely gets no warmer than minus 396 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 238 degrees Celsius), while temperatures on the night side would be even lower.

This artists impression shows the shadow of the dwarf planet Eris as it was crossing the Earth during the occultation during November 2010. The regions along the path saw a faint star briefly disappear as its light was blocked by Eris. Studies of where the event was seen, and for how long, have allowed astronomers to measure the size of Eris accurately for the first time. Surprisingly, they find it to be almost exactly the same size as Pluto and that it has a very reflective surface. (Image credit: ESO/L. Calcada)

Future Eris research

The extreme distance of Eris, coupled with its small size, make it difficult to observe the dwarf planet without powerful telescopes and advanced technology.

While there are no spacecraft expected to fly by Eris in the near future, researchers will get a better look at the dwarf planet after the James Webb Space Telescope launches in 2021. The JWST website specifically mentions Eris as a target of interest and adds that the telescope will look at small objects in the solar system to better characterize what their landscapes are made of.

Separately, a group of astronomers (including Alan Stern, the principal investigator of the Pluto mission New Horizons) has asked the community to reconsider the International Astronomical Union's definition of "planet." They propose that all dwarf planets be made planets, which would also include Eris.

Additional resources:

Check out the photos of Eris from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Learn more about Eris from NASA's Solar System Exploration page.

from NASA's Solar System Exploration page. Read the detailed account of discovering Eris from Caltech astronomer Mike Brown's blog.

This article was updated on July 10, 2019 by Space.com Contributor Elizabeth Howell.
Artist's illustration of Planet Nine, a hypothesized world about 10 times more massive than Earth that may orbit in the far outer solar system. Doomsayers fears about the putative planet are unfounded, experts stress.

A massive ice giant may be traveling through the outer solar system. Dubbed "Planet Nine," the hypothetical world was proposed to exist after scientists noticed that a handful of objects beyond Pluto had been shaken up in unusual orbits. Search parties have formed to find the unseen planet, with optimistic hopes of spotting it within a year.

"It's not crazy; this is the kind of stuff people are finding all the time," co-discoverer Mike Brown, at the California Institute of Technology, told Space.com earlier this year. Brown and lead author Konstantin Batygin, also at CalTech, published a paper in January 2016 suggesting that a massive planet could be stirring up the icy bodies of the Kuiper Belt, a ring of material at the edge of the solar system.

"We just need to go out and cover a good swath of the sky." [Infographic  Planet Nine: Facts About the Mysterious Solar System World]

An unseen planet

Pluto makes its home at the edge of the Kuiper Belt, a region of ice-covered rocks left over from the formation of the solar system. Batygin and Brown noticed that several of the objects had similarities in their orbits, which suggested they were affected by a massive body. The usual suspects would be the solar systems giant planets, but the objects the pair spotted were too far away to be affected by the behemoths.

By analyzing the strange orbits of the objects, Batygin and Brown proposed the presence of a new planet in the solar system, an object four times as large as Earth and 10 times as massive. They traced the possible orbit of the unseen giant, which they called "Planet Nine." To create the observed disturbances, they mapped an orbit that comes as close as 200 astronomical units (AU) from the sun and travel as far away as 1,200 AU. (One AU is the distance from Earth to the sun  about 93 million miles, or 150 million kilometers.)

Not everyone is convinced that an enormous giant is skulking around the edges of the solar system. Ann-Marie Madigan, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California Berkeley, found that the objects could "self-organize," pushing and pulling one another into their unusual orbits. Working with co-author Michael McCourt of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the pair found that if the objects in the scattered disk roughly equal the mass of Earth, they could have dragged themselves to their current orbits within about 600 million years of the solar systems birth, omitting the need for Planet Nines interference.

According to Batygin and Brown, however, the Planet Nine scenario is more probable, because current surveys suggest there isnt enough mass in the region. In their research, they note that the disk of material that birthed the planets may have started out with enough mass, but interactions with the giant planets would have quickly tossed it out of the solar system.

Another study suggested that Planet Nine could be tugging on NASAs Cassini probe, orbiting Saturn. Agnes Fienga at the Cote d'Azur Observatory in France and her colleagues added Planet Nine to a theoretical model to see if the proposed world could solve the mystery of tiny changes in the spacecrafts orbit that existing solar system objects cannot account for. If the missing planet lies about 600 AUs away toward the constellation Cetus, the puzzling perturbations can be accounted for.

According to Cassinis mission managers, however, the spacecraft isnt actually experiencing any mysterious anomalies.

"Although we'd love it if Cassini could help detect a new planet in the solar system, we do not see any perturbations in our orbit that we cannot explain with our current models," said Earl Maize, Cassini project manager at JPL, in a statement.

Other objects in the Kuiper Belt may help nail down the case for the world. Research by Renu Halhotra, Kathryn Volk and Xianyu Wang, all at the University of Arizona, reveal half a dozen ice-cover rocks whose orbits appear to fit with the presence of a distant planet.

"Its a different line of evidence than Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin proposed," Volk told Space.com.

"I think its really intriguing."

The possible internal structure of Planet Nine, a large world hypothesized to exist far beyond the orbit of Pluto. (Image credit: Esther Linder, Christoph Mordasini, University of Bern)

Where did it come from?

A planet in the outer solar system today has to come from somewhere. Without directly seeing it, scientists can only model possibilities for the massive world.

One possibility is that the sun somehow managed to gravitationally grab onto a free-floating world or a planet orbiting another star and add it to the solar systems crown. Computer simulations performed by Gongjie Li and Fred Adams, both of the CfA, suggest that the odds of this happening are less than 2 percent.

If Planet Nine didnt come from outside the solar system, then it must have come from within. Models performed by Scott Kenyon of the CfA and Benjamin Bromely of the University of Utah suggest theres a good chance the hypothetical world could have been born where it was, or been booted into the outer solar system by interactions with the giant planets.

"The nice thing about these scenarios is that theyre observationally testable," Kenyon said in a statement.

"A scattered gas giant will look like a cold Neptune, while a planet that formed in place will resemble a giant Pluto with no gas."

Not everyone is waiting to see the planet before trying to dive inside of it. Astrophysics professor Christoph Mordasini and his doctoral student Esther Linder, both of the University of Bern in Switzerland, modeled what astronomers might see when they spot Planet Nine.

Assuming that it is a smaller version of the ice giants Uranus and Neptune, with hydrogen and helium dominating its atmosphere, the pair calculated that a 10-Earth-mass Planet Nine would be about 3.7 times wider than our planet. Temperatures would average minus 375 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 226 degrees Celsius).

"This means that the planets emission is dominated by the cooling of its core," Linder said in a statement.

Sunlight would contribute very little to the light of the planet, making it brighter in the infrared wavelengths than in visible light.

Although the world remains unseen, that doesnt mean we should fear it. Reports by the New York Post published in April claimed that Planet Nine could hurl asteroids and comets toward Earth, with potentially devastating consequences. The video, which had several factual errors, was dismissed by Brown.

"Hey, so  fun fact? Planet Nine is not going to cause the Earth's destruction. If you read that it will, you have discovered idiotic writing!" Brown said via his Twitter account, @plutokiller.

He also dismissed the idea that the world played a role in mass extinctions of the past. While the planet orbits a significant distance from the sun, it isnt quite far enough out to stir up the Oort Cloud, the region of icy comets beyond the Kuiper Belt. With a 10,000-year orbit, it would also constantly bombard the Earth, Brown said.

"I suspect it has something like zero effect on us, he told Space.com previously.

Hunting the unseen

Planet Nine remains hypothetical; no one has actually seen the world. But that doesnt mean scientists arent searching for it. Batygin and Brown started off by searching through previous skymaps, hunting their unseen world.

"We dumpster-dived into the existing observational data to search for Planet Nine," Batygin said." Because we didnt find it we were able to rule out parts of its orbit."

Exoplanet researcher Nicolas Cowan of McGill University in Montreal thinks Planet Nine might show up in present and future surveys of the cosmic microwave background. Depending on the planets orbit, it could also be picked up by the Dark Energy Survey, a project in the Southern Hemisphere designed to probe the acceleration of the universe. NASAs WISE instrument should also be able to spot the giant, helping to narrow down the potential paths of the planet.

Linder and Mordasini remain cautious. According to their models, existing surveys would likely be incapable of spotting the world if it weighs in at less than 20 Earth masses, especially if it was far enough away.

Batygin and Brown are trying to obtain telescope time on the Subaru Telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Theyre asking for roughly 20 nights of observing, a significant amount of time on a powerful instrument that is constantly in use.

"Its a pretty big request compared to what other people generally get on the telescope," Brown told Space.com.

"Well see if they bite."

If they do, he estimated that the planet could be spotted within a year.

Effect on solar system's history

The number of new papers about Planet Nine makes it impossible to capture the scope of recent research in a brief article, but here are a sampling of interesting findings being discussed. These mostly relate to Planet Nine's impact on the solar system as a whole.

Planet Nine could have tilted the entire solar system, researchers said in October 2016 at a joint meeting of the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences and European Planetary Science Congress in Pasadena, California. The eight solar system planets orbit the sun at a tilt of about 6 degrees compared to the sun's equator. Computer simulations suggest a Planet Nine-sized object could have caused the tilt over the 4.5-billion-year-old lifetime of the solar system.

A study presented at an American Astronomical Society meeting in January 2017 suggests that Planet Nine could be a "rogue planet" that strayed into the gravitational field of our sun, and was captured. While the scenario sounds improbable, other studies have shown that rogue planets may be more numerous than "normal worlds" around host stars.

In April 2017, citizen scientists picked out four potential objects that will be studied to find out if they can be linked to Planet Nine. The discoveries came from objects mapped by the SkyMapper telescope at Siding Spring Observatory in Australia. Researchers added that even if the search turns up empty, at the least they have ruled out a Neptune-sized planet in about 90 percent of the southern sky, as far as 350 AUs.

Separately, there may be yet another large object in the Kuiper Belt, a region of space farther than Neptune that has thousands of icy objects in it. Astronomers said this theoretical body may be disturbing the orbits of Kuiper Belt objects. The orbits of the KBOs that are farthest away from us tilt in a particular way that suggests an object is perturbing their orbits with its gravitational field.

Follow Nola Taylor Redd on Twitter @NolaTRedd or Google+. Follow us at @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+.

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Howell, Space.com contributor

Additional resource
A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off Oct. 11 carrying the SES-11/EchoStar-105 satellite. The company has added $100 million to a funding around announced this summer, bringing its total to $450 million.

WASHINGTON  SpaceX has increased the size of its latest funding round by $100 million to $450 million, the company said Nov. 27.

In a Nov. 27 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, SpaceX amended a filing it made in August about a recent funding round. That earlier filing said the company had raised $350 million, while the amended document said the total from the round was now $450 million.

SpaceX spokesman James Gleeson confirmed the funding was an addition to the earlier round, and not a new round. "This filing simply discloses that SpaceX received an additional $100 million of investment as part of the last funding round which was disclosed earlier this summer," he said in response to a SpaceNews inquiry.

The original $350 million round, first revealed in July by Equidate, a San Francisco company that operates a market for trading shares in privately-held companies, valued SpaceX at $21.2 billion, which Equidate later adjusted to $21.4 billion. The additional funding doesn't significantly alter that valuation, which Equidate now lists at $21.5 billion after the additional $100 million.

The additional $100 million brings the total raised to date by SpaceX to nearly $1.7 billion. That figure is dominated by a single round of $1 billion the company raised in January 2015, led by Google and Fidelity.

SpaceX has not disclosed who invested in its latest round, and the amended filing with the SEC gives no information about what changed since the August filing beyond the total size of the round.

SpaceX hasn't disclosed how it will use the funds, but the company has a number of major projects that will require investment far beyond the capital it raised in its recent round. They include two constellations of satellites to provide broadband internet access, starting with an initial system of 4,425 Ka- and Ku-band satellites with a later set of 7,500 V-band satellites. A company executive said last month the first prototype satellites of the initial constellation will be launched in the next few months, with commercial service starting in 2020 or 2021.

SpaceX is also developing a large reusable launch system called BFR, which formally stands for Big Falcon Rocket. SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk provided an update of plans to develop the BFR in September, with a goal of using the vehicles to launch an initial set of cargo missions to Mars in 2022, a timeline he acknowledged at the time was "aspirational."

The amended filing retains the same board of directors for SpaceX as the August filing, including Steve Jurvetson, one of the founders of the venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson and an early investor in SpaceX. The firm announced Nov. 13 that Jurvetson would be leaving the company amid allegations of sexual misconduct. At that time, SpaceX said that Jurvetson would be taking a leave of absence from the SpaceX board "pending resolution of these allegations."

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
Artist's illustration of the Earth-size planet TRAPPIST-1d and its red-dwarf host star. New research suggests that potential signs of life in the atmospheres of planets like this could be tougher to detect than previously thought.

Spotting signs of life in an alien planet's atmosphere may be tougher than scientists had thought.

One prominent such "biosignature" target, ozone, may get trapped near the equators of Proxima b, TRAPPIST-1d and other potentially habitable worlds that orbit close to their host stars, making the gas hard to detect from afar, a new study suggests.

"Absence of traces of ozone in future observations does not have to mean there is no oxygen at all," study lead author Ludmila Carone, of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany, said in a statement. "It might be found in different places than on Earth, or it might be very well hidden." [Exoplanet Discovery: The 7 Earth-Sized Planets of TRAPPIST-1 in Pictures]

Ozone is an unstable molecule that consists of three oxygen atoms. Here on Earth, the stuff is generally produced in the atmosphere after ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun splits "normal" diatomic oxygen (O2).

The vast majority of Earth's O2 is generated by living organisms  plants and photosynthetic microbes  so ozone serves as a sort of secondary biomarker, at least for Earth-like life.

Earth's atmospheric flows distribute most ozone relatively evenly into our planet's famous ozone layer, which helps shield life from harmful UV radiation. So hypothetical aliens studying Earth from afar with powerful telescopes would have a good chance of detecting the gas.

Earth's atmosphere has a "transportation belt" of air flows that move ozone trappfrom the main production areas near the equator toward the poles. This mechanism is important for creating Earth's global ozone layer. (Image credit: MPIA (L. Carone & Graphics Dept.))

But the situation is likely different on Proxima b, TRAPPIST-1d and other tidally locked worlds  those that always show the same face to their parent stars, and therefore have a "dayside" and a "nightside"  according to Carone and her colleagues. (Tidal locking is a consequence of a very tight orbit; TRAPPIST-1d and Proxima b complete one lap around their stars every four Earth days and 11 Earth days, respectively.)

Modeling work performed by the researchers indicates that, on planets with orbital periods of 25 Earth days or less, airflows tend to concentrate ozone (and other photochemically produced molecules) in an equatorial band.

"We all knew from the beginning that the hunt for alien life will be a challenge," Carone said. "As it turns out, we are only just scratching the surface of how difficult it really will be."

The new results also suggest that worlds like Proxima b don't have a global ozone layer. That may or may not have a significant negative effect on their habitability, Carone said.

Tidally locked exoplanets could have air flows that trap ozone in the equatorial regions, presenting a previously unforeseen complication for the search for traces of life on these planets. (Image credit: MPIA (L. Carone & Graphics Dept.))

"Proxima b and TRAPPIST-1d orbit red dwarfs, reddish stars that emit very little harmful UV light to begin with," she said in the statement. (Tidally locked planets pretty much have to orbit dim dwarf stars to be habitable; worlds that orbit so close to sunlike stars are far too hot to host life as we know it.)

"On the other hand, these stars can be very temperamental, and prone to violent outbursts of harmful radiation, including UV," she added. "There is still a lot that we don't know about these red dwarf stars. But I'm confident we will know much more in five years."

In five years, astronomers will have a lot more data  from telescopes such as NASA's $8.8 billion James Webb Space Telescope, which is scheduled to launch in early 2019  to inform their inferences about the habitability of red-dwarf planets. And advances in modeling techniques over this time span should help as well, study team members said.

The new study will appear in the Feb. 1, 2018, issue of the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket sits on the launchpad at the company's launch facility in New Zealand, ahead of a test flight. The launch window opens Dec. 8, 2017.

The spaceflight startup Rocket Lab has scheduled the second test flight of its innovative Electron rocket, a small vehicle built to accommodate small satellites and other petite payloads.

The 10-day launch window opens Dec. 8 and will take place at Rocket Lab's private launch facility on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand, the company announced today (Nov. 29). The launch, titled "Still Testing," will be livestreamed on the company's website, according to the statement.

Despite its test status, the rocket will carry and, if all goes according to plan, deploy three customer satellites. The payload will include one Earth-imaging Dove satellite (about the size of a loaf of bread) for the private company Planet (formerly Planet Labs), and two Lemur-2 satellites for the private company Spire, which uses the Earth-observing satellites for weather mapping and ship-traffic tracking, according to the statement from Rocket Lab. [Satellite Quiz: How Well Do You Know What's Orbiting Earth?]

An Electron rocket being set up on the launchpad at the Rocket Lab launch facility in New Zealand, ahead of the "Still Testing" test launch. (Image credit: Rocket Lab)

Rocket Lab's first test flight of an Electron rocket took place on May 25, after being delayed several days by bad weather. Peter Beck, the company's CEO and founder, said in the statement that the company is "still very much operating in a test phase and can likely expect a few scrubs during the second test flight attempt."

During the first Electron test launch, the third stage of the rocket failed to reach its intended altitude of 310 miles (500 kilometers). Nevertheless, the company said at the time that it had no plans to delay the second test launch (which was initially scheduled for summer 2017). In August, Rocket Lab released a statement saying that a review of the May 25 launch "found the launch had to be terminated due to an independent contractor's ground equipment issue, rather than an issue with the rocket."

"We're thrilled with Electron's performance in the first test flight, and now were eager to test the next crucial step  payload deployment," Beck said in the statement. "No major changes to the launch vehicle hardware have been required, the third-party error that meant we didn't make orbit has been corrected and we're focusing on the six Electron vehicles in production right now."

A wide view of the Rocket Lab private launch facility on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand. (Image credit: Rocket Lab)

The Electron rocket, which stands about 55 feet (17 meters) tall and has a nominal payload capacity of 330 lbs. (150 kilograms), was built primarily to accommodate the emerging small-satellite industry, Beck told Space.com last year. Most rockets can typically carry payloads of many thousands of pounds, which means customers with small payloads have to "piggyback" on those flights. With its Electron rocket, Rocket Lab is aiming to provide customers with more control over the timing, frequency and destination of flights, Beck said.

Rocket Lab is not the only company pursuing a small-scale launch vehicle. One of Rocket Lab's biggest competitors is Virgin Orbit (previously part of Virgin Galactic), which is planning to start test flights of its LauncherOne small-satellite launch system in 2018 and may fly its first customer payloads before 2019. Another company, Vector Space Systems, is working on its Vector-R rocket, which has an even smaller payload capacity than the Electron. Vector completed a low-altitude test flight of the rocket earlier this year.

Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield.Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
A supermoon occurs when the full moon coincides with the moon's closest approach to Earth in its orbit. Supermoons make the moon appear a little brighter and closer than normal, although the difference is hard to spot with the naked eye.

According to Fred Espanak , eclipse expert and retired NASA astrophysicist and the Farmer's Almanac , there will be four supermoons in 2022, in May, June, July and August. Espanak's definition of a supermoon as a full moon within 90% of its closest approach to Earth gives us four to view this year.

The closest supermoon this year will rise on July 13, 2022. This full moon is often referred to as a "Buck Moon," although it has different nicknames according to different cultures. This year's May supermoon will coincide with a total lunar eclipse.

Related: Full moon calendar 2022: When to see the next full moon

The term "supermoon" has only been used in the past 40 years, but it received a slew of attention in late 2016 when three supermoons occurred in a row. The supermoon of November 2016 was also the closest supermoon in 69 years, although a closer supermoon will rise in the 2030s.

Swipe to scroll horizontally According to the Farmer's Almanac, using data from Fred Espenak's guide, the four supermoons of 2022 will be as follows: Name Date Distance from Earth Flower Moon May 16 at 12:15 a.m. EDT (0415 GMT) 225,015.3 miles (362,127 km) Strawberry Moon June 14 7:52 a.m. EDT (1152 GMT) 222,238.4 miles (357,658 km) Buck Moon July 13 at 2:38 P.M. EDT (1838 GMT) 222,089.3 miles (357,418 km) Sturgeon Moon August 11 at 9:36 P.M. EDT (0136 GMT) 224,569.1 miles (361,409 km)

What causes a supermoon?

The moon's orbit around the Earth is not a perfect circle. It has an average distance of 238,000 miles (382,900 km) from Earth, but its apogee and perigee  the closest and farthest approaches from Earth  change every lunar month.

"The main reason why the orbit of the moon is not a perfect circle is that there are a lot of tidal, or gravitational, forces that are pulling on the moon," said NASA's Noah Petro, deputy scientist of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, in a 2016 Space.com interview.

He added that the different gravities of the Earth, sun and planets all have an effect on the moon's orbit. "You have all of these different gravitational forces pulling and pushing on the moon, which gives us opportunities to have these close passes."

A supermoon rises above the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and Capitol Building in Washington DC. (Image credit: Ultima_Gaina via Getty Images)

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A supermoon needs two key ingredients to occur. The moon needs to be at its closest approach, or perigee, to the Earth in its 27-day orbit. The moon also needs to be at the full phase, which happens every 29.5 days when the sun fully illuminates the moon. Supermoons only happen a few times a year (at most) because the moon's orbit changes orientation while the Earth orbits the sun  that's why you don't see a supermoon every month.

The moon will appear as much as 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than usual, but it's very hard to spot the difference with the naked eye. "That's not enough to notice unless you're a very careful moon-watcher," Sky & Telescope magazine senior editor Alan MacRobert said in a 2016 statement (opens in new tab).

The supermoon may look especially large to you, however, if it's very close to the horizon. But that has nothing to do with astronomy and everything to do with how the human brain works. This effect is called the "moon illusion" and may arise from at least a couple of different things. Scientists suggest that perhaps the brain is comparing the moon to nearby buildings or objects, or perhaps our brain is just wired to process things on the horizon as bigger than things in the sky.

Astrological origins

The term "supermoon" didn't originate in astronomy, but in astrology  a pseudoscientific tradition that studies the movements of celestial objects to make predictions about human behavior and events. The term was first mentioned in a 1979 article for Dell Horoscope magazine by Richard Nolle, according to Astronomy.com (opens in new tab). Nolle defined a supermoon as "a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near (within 90 percent of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit", without explaining where he obtained the 90 percent figure.

But it wasn't until the last few years that the term received more attention. A search on Google Trends (opens in new tab) reveals that starting from 2004, the word "supermoon" was not used often until at least 2011. Interest in the supermoon hit a high in November 2016, when Earth experienced the largest supermoon in 69 years (opens in new tab). Further, the term appears to be more popular in certain areas of the world  principally Southeast Asia and North America  with some lesser interest in places such as Europe or India.

Supermoon photographed alongside migratory birds in Chatham, Massachusetts, U.S. (Image credit: Cavan Images via Getty Images)

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Recent astronomical terms such as "supermoon" or "black moon" (the second new moon in a month) could create a perception of "false events" among the public, Cincinatti Observatory outreach astronomer Dean Regas told Space.com in 2016. But Regas, who also co-hosts the PBS program "Star Gazers," said the "supermoon" term is a great public outreach term for astronomy that could have other benefits beyond the event itself.

"It's a great way to get the public interested," he said of the supermoon. "It's something that they can relate to and they can go out and actually see."

Notable supermoons

On Jan. 20-21, 2019, the supermoon coincided with a lunar eclipse. Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth is exactly between the sun and the moon. The moon shines brown-red because the only light it receives is reflected from Earth.

The end of 2016 saw three supermoons in a row in October, November and December. But it was the Nov. 14 one that got the most attention because it was the closest supermoon in recent memory. The moon's perigee was 221,524 miles (356,508 kilometers) from Earth, making it the closest full moon to Earth in 69 years  specifically, since the supermoon of Jan. 26, 1948.

An even closer full moon took place in January 1912; it was roughly 100 kilometers nearer to Earth than in November 2016. But skywatchers who are around in November 2034 will get a special treat, as that moon will be even closer than both the 1912 and 2016 moons.

Additional information

Explore supermoons in more detail with NASA (opens in new tab). Discover the supermoon cycle and why the moon can look so big with the Natural History Museum (opens in new tab). Find out more about when supermoons occur with TimeandDate.com (opens in new tab).

Bibliography

NASA. (2021, July 28). What is a supermoon?  NASA solar system exploration (opens in new tab). NASA. Retrieved May 9, 2022.

V. Hocken and A.Kher. What Is a Supermoon and When Is the Next One? Time and Date. (opens in new tab)Retrieved May 9, 2022.
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has treated us to another view of an otherworldly sunset.

The six-wheeled robot snapped the photo on Nov. 19 at 7:07 p.m. EST (5:39 p.m. local Mars time, and 0007 GMT on Nov. 20), as the sun was dipping behind the rim of Gale Crater, said NASA spokesman Guy Webster, from the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

The view is toward the west-northwest, and the 96-mile-wide (154 kilometers) crater's rim forms the horizon, Webster told Space.com via email.

The recent photo is reminiscent of a series of shots that Curiosity captured back in 2015, which showed the sun hanging just above Gale's rim in an oddly blue patch of Martian sky.

"The colors come from the fact that the very fine dust is the right size so that blue light penetrates the atmosphere slightly more efficiently," Curiosity science team member Mark Lemmon, of Texas A&M University, said in a statement at the time.

"When the blue light scatters off the dust, it stays closer to the direction of the sun than light of other colors does," he added. "The rest of the sky is yellow to orange, as yellow and red light scatter all over the sky instead of being absorbed or staying close to the sun."

Curiosity has been exploring Gale's interior since August 2012. The 1-ton rover's observations have revealed that the crater harbored a long-lasting lake-and-stream system in the ancient past that could have supported life as we know it. (There is no solid evidence, however, that life has ever existed on the Red Planet.)

Curiosity is currently climbing through the foothills of Mount Sharp, which rises 3.4 miles (5.5 km) from Gale's center. The rover is reading the rocks for clues that could help scientists better understand how Mars transformed from the relatively warm and wet world it was billions of years ago to the cold and dry planet it is today.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
Bir Lehlou (liberated territories), Nov 28, 2017 (SPS) - President of the Republic, Secretary General of the Frente Polisario Mr. Brahim Gali has sent a letter of congratulation to His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, on the 57rd anniversary of the independence of his country, celebrated on November 28th each year.

Brahim Gali, highlighted in his congratulations, the sacrifice and the long struggle of the Mauritanian people against the French colonization, which was crowned with the independence of Mauritania, adding that in spite of the scale of the difficulties, Mauritania has managed to achieve an important position internationally.

He praised the efforts made by Mauritania, people and government, to set up a new Mauritanian state, expressing Saharawi peoples pride for the achievements attained by Mauritania over fifty-three years of sacrifices and meeting the challenges.

President Brahim Gali reiterated to his counterpart the honest will and determination of the Saharawi Republic (SADR) to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood, friendship and neighbourliness between the two brotherly peoples, in a way that serves the interest of the two peoples and countries and peoples of the Maghreb as a whole, and bring peace, justice, stability and prosperity in the region and to face the risks that threaten the region, such as drugs and their relationship with organized crime and terrorist groups. SPS

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Algiers, Nov 29, 2017 (SPS) - Deputy speaker of the People's National Assembly (lower house of Parliament), Djamel Bouras, renewed, at the Saharawi refugee camps on Tuesday, "Algeria's unconditional support" to Western Sahara people's struggle to restore their freedom and achieve their self-termination.

Bouras, leading an MP delegation attending the festivities commemorating the 42nd anniversary of the creation of the Saharawi National Council, renewed Algeria's "principled and consistent" position in favor of Western Sahara people's cause.

The Algerian MP explained that Algeria's position stems from the values and principles of the Glorious Algerian Revolution (1954-1962).

Algeria "will continue to support the just cause of Western Sahara in the various international parliamentarian fora until victory.

"Algeria considers Western Sahara conflict as a decolonization issue requiring from the international community to support the settlement of the just cause according to the charters and resolutions of the international legality and to intervene to put an end to the exploitation of Saharawi people's resources."

Bouras hailed Western Sahara people's struggle and their determination to recover their rights, adding that they will triumph over the evil schemes of some colonial countries.

Bouras called on the international community to pay tribute to the last colony in Africa, Western Sahara, stressing the need to provide a humanitarian aid relief to the Saharawi people, who are subjected to an organized genocide.SPS

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Brussels, Nov 29, 2017 (SPS) - The human rights violations perpetrated by Morocco in Western Sahara are numerous and daily, said Tuesday, in Brussels, the participants in a meeting on the situation of human rights in the occupied territories, denouncing the various attacks on the Sahrawis, notably the torture, population transfer and unfair trials.

During this meeting, organized at the European Parliament, Euro deputy Paloma Lopez lamented the continuation of human rights violations in occupied Western Sahara and the excessive use of violence against the Sahrawi political prisoners.

French lawyer of one of the prisoners of Gdeim Izik group Ingrid Metton, who attended the meeting, affirmed that these prisoners suffered serious violations since they were arrested, including arbitrary arrests and detentions, tortures and ill-treatments, violations of the right to a fair trial by the military justice and notably their condemnation on the basis of confessions obtained under torture.

Member of the Western Sahara Foundation Isabel Lourenco attended the trial which started on 26 December 2016 and ended in July 2017 at the Court of Appeal of Rabat-Sale. She was an international observer of 2013s military trial.

The activist Isabel Lourenco said that the political trial which culminated in the condemnation of Sahrawi prisoners didnt prove that these prisoners committed any crime or violence act. SPS

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S outhern Rail is raking in more cash, even though passenger numbers have fallen following more than a year of misery for commuters.

Go-Ahead, which is a 65% partner in Govia, the joint venture that runs Southern, said that rail revenue between July and the end of September was up 2.5%, while passenger numbers fell by 1%.

This month Southern said it had agreed a deal with train drivers union Aslef to end more than a year of industrial action which led to snowballing delays and cancellations.

However, the trains operator remains in dispute with the RMT. Finance chief Patrick Bucher said: The last strike day 60% of RMT members reported for work. We want to move on from this [dispute] and work with our staff and improve our services for passengers and we think most of our staff do too now.

Analysts at Investec suggested RMT action would only have a modest impact on the rail operators punctuality, since the company had forced through driver-only trains.

Go-Ahead said the number of cancellations on Southerns routes had fallen by 8% in the past 11 months and punctuality had increased by 16%. Yesterday the Government announced a plan for the railways with the running of tracks and trains integrated.

Southeastern, one of Govias franchises, will be a front-runner of the new system. The Government also intends to split Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchises when Govias contract expires in 2021. Go-Aheads ownership of the London Midland franchise will expire next month and the service will be handed to a firm owned by Dutch giant Abellio. David Brown, chief executive of Go-Ahead, welcomed the rail plan.

Bus revenues were flat at the firm.
I n the year since the Design Museum opened its new home on Kensington High Street, 750,000 people have visited. In our original Shad Thames building we were lucky to get 200,000 in 12 months. Its a big change for us, and for the way Britain sees design. We have set out to show that it matters. Its about making beautiful things and places; its also about creating jobs.

Right now, visitors are flocking to see a collection of exotic Ferraris in an exhibition that tracks the designers work from the first sketch, through the sculptural skill of clay model-makers to the finished car.

These are motors shaped by the demands of high performance and human emotions. One floor down, visitors can see very different kinds of design: Kanye Wests fashion; Ikeas new-generation post-Allen-key furniture with no screws.

For some designers their work is about making the world a better place: devising techniques for cleaning up the oceans, or delivering medicines to parts of the world with poor roads. Other designers are angrily political. We are showing a pussyhat protesting at Donald Trumps election and a refugee flag designed for the stateless.

We are an independent charity, without the level of government support that most museums get, so we need to charge for temporary shows. But our permanent collection is free.

We show some of the defining pieces of British design: Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calverts road-signage system still fresh after 60 years; the London Underground map, the Anglepoise lamp. Makers and users are as important as designers. We try to show that, as our founder Terence Conran puts it, unless you know how to make something, then you havent really designed it.

We have also shown Googles self- driving car, the first tweet, brand-free Australian cigarette packaging and Zaha Hadids architecture. As Buckminster Fuller, the maverick inventor of the geodesic dome, used to say: The best way to predict the future is to design it. Even Steve Jobs, who launched the first iPhone just 10 years ago, had no idea that he was going to change everything, from the way we travel to how we fall in love. Without the smartphone, for better or worse, there would be no Uber, no Tinder, no Airbnb.

We have brought a landmark of the Sixties, the former Commonwealth Institute, back to life. Our stream of visitors has helped to re-energise Kensington High Street once the heart of creative London, birthplace of Biba and Kensington Market. But what has inspired the museum is our belief that design is the way to understand the world.
A nother day, another online outburst from POTUS. Its hardly news anymore, is it? And yet we must keep a weary eye on the White House because, as the adage goes, when the US sneezes, the world catches a cold.

This time its more like Trump spluttered directly in the face of the British people then wiped his snot on our shirt-sleeve for good measure. Yet still hes invited to Theresas house for tea? Go figure.

Yesterday the President retweeted three inflammatory and unverified anti-Muslim videos posted by Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of home-grown hate- mongers Britain First.

Britain first is the phrase Thomas Mair was heard repeatedly shouting before he attacked and murdered MP Jo Cox in 2016. After a mild rebuke from Downing Street our thin-skinned supposed ally doubled down with an openly contemptuous tweet addressed directly to the PM: @Theresa_May, dont focus on me, he wrote, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!

Its hardly the first time Trump has used Twitter to say or endorse something terrible. Its not even the first time this week. But when someone communicates as prolifically and inanely as he does the medium becomes as important as the message. The fact that the worst garbage-person in the history of humanity is a talented tweeter with more than 43.6 million followers should tell us all something about the essential nature of this social media platform.

Twitter is shallow, self-promoting, status-obsessed and rageful and it rewards these traits in its users. Lots of good people use Twitter with noble intentions, and yet this conclusion remains inescapable. It would be so even if Trumps unimpeded tweeting didnt daily make a mockery of Twitters hateful conduct policy. I cant be the only person who has come to feel this way.

I also cant be the only person who feels this way and still has a Twitter account. There are 974 million of them, after all.

Our problem is that its become nigh on impossible to participate in the world without social media, however miserable it makes us.

We are all that teenage victim of online bullying who feels further persecuted when mum finally takes the smartphone away. Even a few hours offline risks digital disenfranchisement, while swearing off social media for longer is as drastic a lifestyle change as going vegan or moving to the Outer Hebrides.

Only without the boasting rights, of course. How would you #humblebrag about it anyway? By carrier pigeon?

Us low-key social media sceptics are the Temperance leagues of 21st-century society  undoubtedly on the wrong side of history but no less righteous because of it.

And so we stay online, observing without posting and retweeting instead of tweeting. That felt like a workable compromise until Trump showed that disseminating someone elses stupidity can be just as reckless as coming up with your own.

Now, theres no more refuge in the retweet.

The trials of Armie and his pretty face

Actor Armie Hammer has stropped off Twitter over an admittedly sour-toned profile of him on BuzzFeed, which suggests his success is largely attributable to him being a beautiful, pedigreed white man.

But why should Armie care? His career is on the up, hes getting Oscar buzz for his role in Call Me By Your Name and no one, but no one, pulls off deck shoes sans socks with the same effortless aplomb.

For the sake of all of us nonmovie star mortals, dont sulk, Armie.

Lansbury's March into controversy

If you cant bring yourself to acknowledge your privilege, the least you can do is enjoy it. Its always great when a TV drama seems timely.

Except if its a period piece.

Thats the case with Little Women, the new BBC adaptation of Louisa May Alcotts 1869 novel about the New England-based March sisters.

Meanwhile, in old England, cases of scarlet fever, which did for Beth March, have hit a 50-year high.

Antibiotics will treat most but the cure for Little Womens other affliction is less obvious.

Angela Lansbury, who plays cantankerous Aunt March in the drama, has expressed her 19th-century views on sexual harassment.

Is it too charitable to suggest that she was getting into character?

In praise of a ladies night

Even in these days of feminist TERF war, one topic is guaranteed to unite the sisterhood: why are the queues for the loos so long? News of plans to build more public toilets is therefore welcome.

As is the care taken to make these more accessible to all, including gender-neutral signage.

A conservation plea, though, for the traditional nightclub ladies loo.

Can we keep a few of them? On a typical London night out the the gents is polluted by the pong of urine and anxiety over urinal etiquette (so Im told).

But spending time in the ladies is a highlight of the evening.

You can weigh in on a strangers love life (Dump him! Hes a wasteman!), try a new mascara for free or get compliments on your outfit; drunk women are so nice to each other! Mostly though, the ladies is a place where all women, including trans women, can go for respite from the patriarchy.

We get cleaner toilets, and thats about it.
T heresa May today finds herself the unexpected heroine in a battle she sought to avoid.

Yesterday, the last thing on her mind as she headed off to Saudi Arabia was to pick a fight with Donald Trump. But then the President retweeted videos posted by racist group Britain First.

Politicians here rushed to condemn him. Communities Secretary Sajid Javid, on his own initiative, caught the mood: Trump is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing.

Nothing was precisely what Downing Street wanted to say but was forced by the growing furore to step in to the row  with No 10 agreeing last night with Mr Javid that the President had been wrong.

Now the PM wakes up in the Middle East to find that Mr Trump has responded with an unprecedented personal attack on her.

It was not supposed to be like this. When Donald Trump was elected, European politicians lined up to attack him.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel appointed herself the defender of liberal values. French President Emmanuel Macron basked in the contrast with his US counterpart, remarking that tweeting isnt compatible with the kind of distance you need to govern and to preside.

Not Mrs May. She thought this amounted to grandstanding and it was more important to develop a relationship with the occupant of the White House  especially as Britain weakens its ties with its European allies.

Thats why she rushed to visit Mr Trump in his first week in office, offered him an early state visit and provided the world with the picture of them holding hands.

The Foreign Secretary went further, seeking friendship with the likes of Jared Kushner and Steve Bannon, and telling Fox News this month: Youve got to realise that the American President is just one of the huge global brands  he is penetrating corners of the global consciousness that I think few other presidents have ever done.

Hence Boris Johnsons muted response yesterday.

This approach by Downing Street and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office looks impossible to sustain after the latest presidential tweet.

The delayed state visit looks set to be delayed further.

The planned working visit in January looks fraught with danger  the mooted meeting with the Queen surely cant happen?

Above all, the liberal world is willing Mrs May and Mr Johnson to punch back. Stick with the patient work of a year, or respond to the demands of the day?

Welcome to Trumps world.

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First Haringey, then...

Jeremy Corbyn is seeking two victories next May.

First, he wants to press home his advantage against the Tories and inflict a crushing blow in the London local elections.

Second, he wants to finish off the moderate wing of London Labour by deselecting its council candidates in those elections and securing the ascendancy of the far-Left.

Haringey is where the bitterest war is being fought.

The Evening Standard was the first to report on the attempted Corbynista coup there; today we follow with an account of the successful effort to depose the sensible leadership of Claire Kober.

This matters to locals but also to the UK.

What is happening in Haringey will be replicated across town halls, and perhaps Whitehall, if neither Tories nor the centre-Left can find an answer to the politics of Mr Corbyn.

Thankeroo

The Evening Standard only launched its Christmas Appeal with The Felix Project charity to Help a Hungry Child on Tuesday.

Now, just two days on, the fastest-growing tech company and food-delivery king, Deliveroo, has pledged 75,000.

Rita Ora has thrown her support behind our campaign.

On behalf of the children of the capital, we say thank you.
Y ou will not find, if you walk around towns in Britain and ask people how they feel about migration, that they have a problem with people with high skills and high earnings coming to the UK, because they recognise that those people are a positive contribution to the UK economy.

Which politician said those words in a speech in London last year? Seeing as the Prime Minister wants a massive reduction in the number of skilled international workers who can come to the UK, you might assume that the quote comes from someone deeply opposed to the Governments agenda.

In fact, the author was none other than the Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, Theresa Mays neighbour on Downing Street.

It might seem strange that the Chancellor holds such a different view about immigration to the Prime Minister, but when you dig a little deeper, you discover that many Cabinet members and senior government advisers are in the same boat.

Take foreign students, who bring 11 billion to the British economy every year. Privately, almost the entire Cabinet thinks its bonkers that the PM insists students are included in the net-migration statistics, which means our immigration authorities end up trying to cut the number of foreign students  exactly the opposite of what we should be doing.

So even as the global market for foreign students is growing rapidly, Britains share is falling, which is terrible news for the economy.

Countries like Australia and Canada, on the other hand, exclude students from their net-migration numbers, which means theyre pulling out all the stops to attract more international students  and winning market share at our expense.

But this isnt the only immigration issue where the PM disagrees with her senior colleagues. Another is whether Britain should adopt an Australian-style points system, which is a proven way of securing the borders, while also ensuring that businesses can recruit the talent they need.

This approach was championed by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove during the referendum campaign but rejected by Mrs May, who has instead sought to impose a hard cap on net migration, cutting it by nearly two-thirds, from 230,000 in the year to June, to tens of thousands.

This number has no connection to what the country might need at different points in the economic cycle  its entirely arbitrary and fixed. This matters for all of us. London has more knowledge-based jobs than Paris, Frankfurt, Berlin and Milan combined  and our economy depends on being able to attract the brightest and best from around the world. Every industry will be hit hard  the public sector wont be able to find the nurses and social care staff we need, while construction, financial services and the creative industries will all suffer.

The economic consequences will be profound, and not in a good way. As Theresa Mays chief of staff Gavin Barwell has pointed out, fewer skilled migrants means lower growth, fewer jobs and a heavier burden on British nationals struggling to pay down the deficit built up by the last government.

Grim, I know. But as always theres hope. There are things that ministers could do to mitigate the economic damage, and ensure Britain remains a global nation.

For starters, irrespective of how many skilled workers are allowed to come to the UK, the entire process of applying for a visa could be made much cheaper and easier. As an entrepreneur, Ive experienced first hand the terrible inefficiency of the system  it took me almost a year and tens of thousands of pounds to get a work visa for a new international recruit.

If youre running a small business, thats a nightmare and a real drag on growth. Theres no reason that modern technology cant be used to ensure that visa decisions are made within 24 hours and at a fraction of the current cost.

While theyre at it, ministers could also use technology to cut the unacceptable queues faced by international visitors at UK passport control. Research has shown that foreign travellers can spend longer at London airports than it took them to fly here, with waits of more than two-and-a-half hours recorded at Heathrow. What a rubbish welcome to this country. This can easily be fixed using digital tools  its just a matter of political will.

Finally, ministers could make a big difference by ensuring that immigration visa categories reflect the modern economy. When I worked in Downing Street I helped create entrepreneur visas so that ambitious people could come to the UK to start businesses and generate jobs.

With half the digital businesses in east Londons Tech City started by people born overseas, nows the time to increase the number of these visas we hand out each year.

When you look at the PMs agenda on immigration, from the massive cut in skilled workers to the clampdown on foreign students, its easy to feel depressed. To borrow a line from Woody Allen: More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other to total extinction.

The true political divide today isnt between Left and Right, its between open and closed

But of course, the choice ahead isnt so bleak. The true political divide today  in the Cabinet and across the country  isnt between Left and Right, its between open and closed.

In other words, there are people who believe that openness  an open society and an open economy  represents the right way forward, while there are others who are convinced that a more closed approach to immigration and trade is a better approach.

Its not too late for ministers to choose openness, and ensure that Britain remains a global and outward-looking nation. Nows the time to make the case.
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 may be over, but it's certainly not going to be forgotten anytime soon.

The annual spectacle saw Karlie Kloss and Candice Swanepoel make a spectacular return to the catwalk, Ming X take a tumble and Alessandra Ambrosio hang up her wings.

However, they weren't the only talking points of the show as it also marked the debut of the long-awaited Victoria's Secret x Balmain collection.

The collaboration with the luxury designer opened the Shanghai show with a 'Punk/Rock segment', which featured the classic Balmain embellishments of diamantes and studs.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 - the runway 1 /70 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 - the runway VS Fashion Show 2017 The angels take their bow David Fisher/Rex Features VS Fashion Show 2017 Romee Strijd Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Bella Hadid and Harry Styles Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Alessandra Ambrosio, Lily Aldridge, Elsa Hosk, Josephine Skriver, Stella Maxwell, Martha Hunt, Liu Wen and Ming Xi Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Karlie Kloss Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Candice Swanepoel Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Bella Hadid Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Alanna Arington Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Alessandra Ambrosio Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Karlie Kloss and Cindy Bruna Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Taylor Hill Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Candice Swanepoel Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Singer Jane Zhang Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Nadine Leopold Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Sui He Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Adriana Lima Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Amilna Estevao Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Xiao Wen Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 The models are joined by singers Leslie Odom Jr and Harry Styles for the finale Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 The class of 2017 pose for the photocall Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Alecia Morais Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Lais Ribeiro Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Romee Strijd Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Lais Ribeiro Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Sanne Vloet Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Barbara Fialho Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Blanca Padilla Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Dilone Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Aiden Curtiss Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Daniela Braga Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Amilna Estevao Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Sara Sampaio Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Alessandra Ambrosio Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Grace Elizabeth Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Karlie Kloss Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Alessandra Ambrosio Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Roosmarijn de Kok Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Martha Hunt and Stella Maxwell Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Devon Windsor Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Josephine Skriver Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Leomie Anderson Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Karlie Kloss Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Taylor Hill Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 NOVEMBER 20: Model Bella Hadid Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Alessandra Ambrosio Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Elsa Hosk Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Alessandra Ambrosio Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Singer Harry Styles Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Vanessa Moody Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Adriana Lima Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Blanca Padilla Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Cindy Bruna Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VS Fashion Show 2017 Amilna Estevao Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Speaking about his first underwear collection, designer Oliver Rousteing said, "I need to make sure that this punk is glam, and to bring punk to a couture level. It can't look like punk on the street."

Rousteing succeeded in making it just the right amount of glam, with Victoria's Secret Angels giving the items their seal of approval by wearing them both on and off the catwalk.

Several of the models even donned the new Balmain collection to the VS viewing party, with veteran Angel Adriana Lima leading the way in a dazzling VS x Balmain Swarovski Long Line Bra.

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 - Viewing Party 1 /48 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 - Viewing Party VSFS Viewing Party Martha Hunt, Sara Sampaio, Josephine Skriver, Bella Hadid and Romee Strijd Getty Images VSFS Viewing Party Stella Maxwell Getty Images VSFS Viewing Party Maria Borges Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Candice Swanepoel Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Bella Hadid Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Adriana Lima Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Romee Strijd Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Sara Sampaio Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Lais Ribeiro Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Martha Hunt Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Ming Xi Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Kelly Gale Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Jasmine Tookes Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Josephine Skriver Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Taylor Hill Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Elsa Hosk Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Lameka Fox Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Sanne Vloet Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Barbara Fialho Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Amilna Estevao Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Leila Nda Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Samile Bermannelli Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Grace Bol Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Cindy Bruna Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Gizele Oliveira Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Nadine Leopold Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Jourdana Phillips Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Blanca Padilla Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Megan Williams Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Xin Xie Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Frida Aasen Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Zuri Tibby Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Roosmarijn de Kok Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Leomie Anderson Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Alexina Graham Getty Images for Victoria's Secret VSFS Viewing Party Vanessa Moody Getty Images for Victoria's Secret

Unsurprisingly, the collection has been heavily in-demand since the show, with several of the bedazzled underwear sets selling out just 48 hours after their release.

So, if you want to dress like an Angel - you better hurry.

Our Top 3 Picks

Swarovski Long Line Bra by Victoria's Secret x Balmain, 244, Shop it now

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Visit this page to catch up on everything that happened at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017.
W hat do the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Tom Ford, Mick Jagger and Tommy Hilfiger all have in common?

They all regularly holiday on the tiny Caribbean island of Mustique. They are also all loaded. These two facts are not unrelated.

Next year will mark 60 years since a flamboyant Scottish aristocrat, the late Colin Tennant, the 3rd Lord Glenconner, first clapped eyes on the uninhabited former sugar plantation in the Grenadines  three miles long and a mile wide  and snapped it up for 45,000. He turned it into a bohemian playground for fellow posh eccentrics including Princess Margaret, to whom he gifted a prime plot in 1960 as a wedding present. In the 1970s Mustique was nicknamed luvvie island, a hotbed of haughty naughtiness for toffs and their famous pals.

Today it is second (or third, or perhaps 13th) home to some of the worlds wealthiest. But 90 of the islands 112 properties are available as holiday rentals, fully staffed, from 6,000 to 50,000 a week. They range in style and size from two-bedroom beach cottages perfect for honeymooners to opulent follies that can sleep 30-plus for landmark birthdays. The seven-bed Mandalay, David Bowies Balinese-style villa, will set you back 30,000.

The Cotton House

The island is operated by The Mustique Company  a kind of Heirbnb  in which each property owner is a shareholder. Mustique is a paparazzi-free zone: all visitors have their credentials checked upon booking. Which is not to say that it is either inaccessible or unaffordable to the likes of you and I.

Two years ago, my wife and I had to cancel our Caribbean babymoon on doctors orders. And in the 18 months we have been parents to twin sleep thieves, any holidays that we have been on have been nothing of the sort. Heaven knows, we needed a break. Mustique was it. Mustique was everything.

Our three-bedroom villa, Palmyra, had three staff: a butler, a cook and a maid. Plus we hired a nanny for three blissful hours a day. We felt guilty to be so spoilt. This is a different world! we kept saying, when each amazing meal was served, when freshly laundered clothes were hung in the wardrobe, when another glass of rose was brought poolside.

The white stuff: a room at Palmyra

This is not the place to come if youre looking for a vibrant nightlife. There are just four restaurant-style bars on the island, the liveliest of which is Basils Bar, a storied institution currently being refurbished ahead of The Mustique Companys 50th anniversary celebrations next year.

Since The Cotton House, one of two boutique hotels on the island (the other being the seven-bedroom Firefly), is also run by the company, anyone renting a villa has full use of the facilities, including its outdoor movie screenings and its beach bar. We took our toddlers to the latter for fresh coconuts and a swing in a hammock most afternoons. We say its paradise found.

The Pink House Mustique

Dan Rookwood was a guest of The Mustique Company. A stay at Palmyra starts from 153 per person per night based on six sharing on a room only basis, including four staff and a Mini Moke (mustique-island.com)
H ome is

The North Pole.

Where do you stay in London?

Harrods kindly puts me up in its Christmas Grotto each year, which saves a lot of money  my mate, the Easter Bunny, says he spends a fortune on Airbnb come April.

Most romantic thing someones done for you?

I wouldnt say romantic, but the most thoughtful gesture was when one of our local Knightsbridge residents left presents for the elves. Elves often get forgotten about at Christmas  just because youre a mythological creature, it doesnt mean you dont want a Luvabella doll  so that was truly heart-warming.

Alamy Stock Photo

Earliest London memory?

Ive been visiting Harrods since 1908, so Ive certainly had a lot of time to make memories in London. My grotto at Harrods was even open during the Second World War  shortages meant toys were mostly made of wood. Very Scandi chic.

Best meal youve had in London?

The salted caramel mince pies (below) at the new Roastery and Bake Hall in Harrods are the best this side of the North Pole. I sneak down from the grotto at tea time  in disguise of course. One of the doormen lends me his overcoat, and I have to say the olive green suits me rather well.

Whos your hero?

Mrs Claus  you know what they say: Happy wife, happy life.

If you could buy any building, which would it be?

The Royal Albert Hall (above) is a real favourite of Mrs Claus. It would be a real treat to watch The Nutcracker without drawing a crowd. Hyde Park is also great for parking the reindeer.

Getty Images/Lonely Planet Image

Best thing a cabbies said to you?

Ive found a faster way of travelling, although Waze is good for avoiding the pigeon traffic over Trafalgar Square.

Biggest extravagance?

Mrs Claus is always on at me about exercising, so a Fitbit (right) and a Kobox subscription are both on my list this year (yes, I also have a Christmas list).

What would you do if you were Mayor for the day?

Make all chimneys a few inches wider.

Alamy Stock Photo

What do you collect?

I keep every letter sent to the North Pole so I can be sure to know what every boy and girl across the world would like for Christmas. That means Ive got a lot of autographs from children who go on to become celebrities, which have been appreciating nicely over the years. Mrs Claus and I will have a jolly cruise off the back of those one day.

Where would you go for a nightcap?

Im lucky enough to have a nightcap at every single home in London on Christmas Eve  theres been some exciting new artisan gins left out in Shoreditch over the past few years, which makes a nice change. Rudolph is the designated driver on the way back. I make it up to him when I do Dry January.
 Were like black swans, the banker says, as he sips an overpriced espresso in a Square Mile coffee shop.

No one thinks we should exist but we do. He looks like your typical mid-40s financier  Savile Row suit, Churchs brogues  but not only did he vote Labour in 2017, he hardly objects when I call him a City Corbynista.

The Square Mile, Canary Wharf and Mayfairs hedgefundland are seen as Tory town. So much so that in the run-up to Junes general election, a spoof video on YouTube had an interview with shy Corbynite traders (I might want to spend 6k on a bottle of bubbly at Embargos, says one, but that doesnt mean when I see homeless people I dont want them to get back on their feet).

In the Blair years when Peter Mandelson declared he was intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich, Labour made inroads into the City. But since the party lurched leftwards, who are these bankers willing to support the Castro-praising, free market-criticising Jeremy Corbyn? A man who seems to understand finance so little that in May, in his official party election broadcast, he launched an assault on hedge funds. Our small businesses  which sometimes are actually very innovative, with high skilled jobs, high skilled ideas  grow to a certain size. Then they need to develop, he said. What comes along? A hedge fund, [to] buy them up, sell the ideas to somebody else and close down the local enterprise. Of course, this isnt how hedge funds work and when pushed for an example, Corbyns aides could only name a case involving a private equity firm.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY Anna Bukliewer

Most people would imagine that Jeremy Corbyns anti-big business, socialist ethos would make bankers shudder and when I initially asked financiers about Corbynite colleagues, I got flummoxed responses. I dont know any Labour voters  or none whod admit it, says a Tory supporting mergers and aquisitions (M&A) expert. Itd be a new way to short-sell the pound, jokes a market maker. That Venn diagram intersection would be a very desolate space, says an analyst.

Jeremy Corbyn at Mirror Party 1 /6 Jeremy Corbyn at Mirror Party Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Selwyn Jonathan Ashworth and Angela Raynor Jeremy Selwyn Emily Thornberry Jeremy Selwyn Ton Watson Jeremy Selwyn Jonathan Ashworth and his wife Jeremy Selwyn

But then they slowly start to emerge: young traders; middle-aged asset managers; the chief investment officer of a Mayfair hedge fund; even managing directors in finance. And among the Citys appendages  corporate lawyers, insurers, Bank of England staff  its easy to find Labourites.

Allen Simpson, the chief operating officer of Labour in the City and director of public policy at Barclays, says: The City is basically a free market social democrat  socially liberal, happy to pay its taxes, but believing that the best way to create jobs is through the market. You meet as many Labour people as you do Tories. The City today is an international and pragmatic place. Brexit is going down like a cup of cold sick there.

John McDonnell and members of Unite the Union demonstrate outside the Bank of England / Getty Images

Since Junes general election, the party has made rapid progress within the corporate world. Two days before Corbyn said in his closing speech that the capitalist system faces a crisis of legitimacy, the business day at the Labour Party Conference was three times oversubscribed. Shadow City minister Jonathan Reynolds hosted a meeting on financial services in a breakout session and there wasnt enough space to fit participants chairs around the table. Membership of Labour Business is up on the Miliband years. Ed Balls and Ed Miliband thought they had the answers on economics but had a praetorian guard around them: it was hard to get access, says one City bigwig. The Shadow Treasury teams door is now open. So much for the red peril.

These are bellweather signs, says one Labour insider. I talk to the CBI, the Institute of Chartered Accountants  they want to talk to Labour now, whereas a couple of years ago they didnt give us the time of day. At a recent House of Lords reception on corporate governance, he met the chairman of a fund management firm: I asked: Have you talked to Labour before? He said, No, never; would you introduce me to the front bench?

Citys boy? Jeremy Corbyn / Getty Images

This reflects a realisation from business that a Corbyn-led government is no longer impossible. Ibrahim Dogus, Labours 2017 candidate for the Cities of London and Westminster constituency, says: The business community is making preparations for a Labour government. They are sensible so want to be part of the conversation when Labour drafts policy.

It has also helped that Theresa May is seen as the most anti-City Conservative leader in decades. On taking office, she disbanded the group of business leaders who advised David Cameron on financial matters. FTSE 100 CEOs  who say they had good access under Cameron  claim that the door is now shut.

Jeremy Corbyn congratulates Prince Harry on his engagement to Meghan Markle

Labours growing City fanbase also stems from the local level, where a branch of the party has been rebuilt. The City of London  the oldest continuous local government in the world  has run the area for more than 1,000 years. In its elections, banks and other firms get to vote alongside residents. Traditionally, candidates stood as independents but Labour began contesting the elections during the financial crisis. Its first victory was making the City of London Corporation a living wage employer and it is now campaigning to bring back key worker housing for the police.

But it is Brexit that has really shifted the plates. The Lib Dems are a busted flush and the Tories stand for a hard Brexit, says a Labour councillor who works in the City. Jeremys position isnt what the rank and file would support but Keir Starmer is helping navigate the difficulties. I hope we dont Brexit, but if we do I feel more confident in Labour on it  May hasnt done enough to convince [us] we wont fall off the cliff.

Peter Kenyon, a former financial journalist who helped build the City of London Labour branch, says: Theres a sense that Labour isnt as ideological over Brexit as the Tories are. The Tories are a party hellbent on taking Britain out of its largest market  thats bonkers.

Alongside fears of a hard Brexit under May, the City is angry that she seems prepared to sacrifice financial passporting rights that give UK banks trading access to the continent. But would Brexit be any different under Labour? Last week, Labour MPs were whipped to vote against Ian Murray MPs proposal to protect the customs union.

A 27-year-old investment banker says he, his brother and his desk buddy from his Goldman Sachs days  all formerly Conservative voters  voted for Labour in 2017 as a protest: It was 99 per cent about Brexit. I am far from a Corbyn fan and believe he was a secret Leaver, but the best chance to put a stop to the hard Brexit momentum was to give May a kicking. Even though Corbyns past euroscepticism is well documented, they also feel that Brexit isnt among his top priorities: If you gave him No10 in exchange for supporting remain now, hed take it.

Jonathan Reynolds says City support for Labour is about more than just Brexit, though. We spend a huge amount of time speaking with City firms that are profoundly concerned about what the Tory government is doing to this country. The mismanagement of Brexit is a big part but its also about the lack of investment in our economy and the long-term impact this will have on productivity. Our policies are about unlocking capital and putting it to work in the economy, which chimes with the ethos of many investment companies.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell remains a divisive figure but he has tried to respond to his critics. Appearing on The Andrew Marr Show before the Budget, McDonnell  with his sharp suit, silver hair and calm tone  resembled a local bank manager. He admitted that Labour was still six to eight points behind the Conservatives on economic credibility, but noted the narrowing of the gap from 28 points a year ago. He carried a grey book of economic costings. And while he used to call for the abolition of the Citys local government, this is no longer Labour Party policy.

Business-friendly: Labours Peter Mandelson (BBC News & Current Affairs via G) / BBC News & Current Affairs via G

Are bankers afraid hell revert to his hard left ways if he enters 11 Downing Street? Many are, but one Labour supporter says: Hed be a hell of an actor if thats the case. He wants to win an election; hes angry about Grenfell, about child poverty, but I genuinely think he knows that if he goes back to the 1970s or 1980s, hell lose. Some of my colleagues still think hes a communist lunatic, though.

Most of those who admitted to supporting Corbyn spoke on condition of anonymity. If theres still stigma in the Square Mile about being a Labour supporter, what about prejudice in the party against City workers? Allen Simpson, who has stood for parliament twice in Maidstone and The Weald, says he has faced gentle teasing. However, a former financier told me he is cagey about his past work in hedge funds: I dont talk about it in Labour circles. Theres hostility against people who come from non-traditional left wing backgrounds  people assume youre not a true left winger.

So could the party under Corbyn really be a friend of the City? It seems impossible to imagine  a hedge fund boss tells me that a Labour victory would cause an exodus of his ilk. But the Tory-voting M&A expert suggests there could be an upside. If the Government wants to nationalise everything, theyll need advisors  you cant just click your fingers and magic everything under state ownership. With listed companies, its especially complex  you have to buy out the shareholders. The pound signs are flashing in his eyes: Thats a whole load of M&A fees.
I t is just after lunch on a damp Wednesday in Camden Town, and someone has tied a pink balloon to a bicycle locked to the railings by the canal.

The balloon wasnt there 10 minutes ago, and it has nothing to do with the owner, who is getting a sandwich in Pret. It was attached by Tiu de Haan, who is now heading for a scooter to which she will affix a green balloon. A companion, meanwhile, is handing a love letter in an envelope inscribed with the words Yes, this is for you to the driver of a 31 bus. To the collective delight and embarrassment of his passengers, he begins to sing.

According to her website, De Haan is committed to creating experiences designed to connect us to our creativity, to each other, to ourselves and to the possibility of wonder. In pursuit of this, she will take clients around London, looking for examples of other people committing acts of beauty or kindness, like giving someone a flower or buying a pack of chalk and writing messages such as dance here on the pavement. She describes this alchemy as shifting your perspective at will, which makes anywhere a possible canvas for happiness. An old wall is suddenly somewhere for a potted plant, a bus stop looks so nice with a candle. And when you see with eyes actively attuned to what is already there, you start to find details youve never noticed before. It transforms the street.

De Haan has been a keynote speaker at Google Campus and the UN International Day of Happiness, and her TEDx talk, Why we still need ritual, has had more than 12,000 views.

Angel of joy: Morning Gloryville MC, Shauna OBriain

A short skip away from that pink balloon-adorned bike, the worlds first Museum of Happiness has opened inside the homeless shelter, Arlington House, on Arlington Road. The museum is a community space featuring mindful dancing, ukulele playing, laughter workshops and, in the words of its 40-year-old co-founder, Shamash Alidina, other secular activities shown scientifically to have a positive effect on wellbeing. He, too, is part of a movement of dedicated happiness makers, or high vibers if you will, that is aiming to redefine what it means to be happy. Life is about connection, says Alidina, who got the idea for the museum after a happiness pop-up he and his co-founders ran last year attracted 10,000 visitors over three days. The brain is built to be social and people want to be together.

Evidence of further activity of this kind is everywhere when you look for it. Its getting some beans on toast at lunchtime at The Canvas, Londons first happiness cafe, off Brick Lane. Its doing an online course with Sam Moyo, 31, the founder of the original early-morning rave, Morning Gloryville, about how to launch your passion or start a soulful community. Its going to a Right of the Womb workshop hosted by Chloe Isidora, 30, who has recently started posting videos to Instagram showing different practices she does regularly to raise her own happiness levels.

Palaces of delight: 42 Acres

Isidora, Moyo and others can often be found at other high-vibrational hubs like The Hive in Dalston, and 42 Acres, a retreat and co-working space in Shoreditch that opened earlier this year, and intended  in the words of its founder Seth Tabatznik  to be somewhere to help people cut through the London noise and align with their higher purpose. This autumn, 42 Acres has hosted a digital detox workshop, sessions with Ben Medder, who teaches how humans can move like animals, and a class about using the voice to unblock the real self.

Ask the happiness-makers individually about their own daily happiness practice (a radical idea for many of us) and their responses are strikingly ordinary. Anna Murray, who is the co-founder of pattern design consultancy Patternity, recently hosted a sold-out Day of Gratitude at the Ace Hotel in Shoreditch, featuring sound baths and breathing workshops to celebrate the launch of Patternitys new book, Be Great Be Grateful. She describes microdoses of happiness. Not being euphoric but appreciating the tiny things. Meditation, meditation, meditation, says Shauna OBriain, aka MC Angel, who MCs at Morning Gloryville and founded Lyrically Challenged, the massively popular female hip-hop night at Passing Clouds in Dalston.

The Museum of Happiness

One day a weekend crying, watching cheesy films and rolling around being confused about life, offers Moyo. Singing different mantras sets me up for the day ahead, says Isidora, adding, Im quite a calm person, so I like calm things  like going for a walk in nature or having a cup of tea. A bunch of roses and some Greek yoghurt with raspberries, says De Haan.

The simplicity of these practices is actually deceptive, though, because when you take a closer look, they are all effective for jogging them out of the slightly zombified, Tube to work and Pret for lunch routine that we all sometimes find ourselves in, and into a realm where far more is possible. Its easy to live on autopilot, isnt it? says Murray. And there are a thousand special moments we can celebrate if were more awake in our lives.

Prime moover: Tiu de Haan

The special moments Murray is talking about often have other humans in them, and its hard not to see a connection between a movement that brings people physically together and the collective, social media age longing some of us feel to be more authentically connected to each other. We live in a step and repeat world, so the idea is to create events that encourage people to look at their internal patterns of behaviour together, and break them, says Murray.

This might explain why the high vibe life is spreading so quickly. The more people who back it up with you, the better it works. You co-create a new reality together, explains OBriain. Co-creating a new reality is a different motivation for starting something than, say, making lots of cash. Many of the projects, for all of their ever-growing popularity, run on a currency of kindness and collaboration, just hoping that someone will donate some money now and again, says Alidina, who supports himself with a mindfulness business side hustle. He adds that kindness is a key element for a happier world, and that he is developing a scheme where visitors to the museum put together care packages to give out to homeless people.

At the Museum of Happiness, visitors are encouraged to fall asleep if they want to, a riposte to the way Londoners often feel the need to be constantly on (they are thinking of calling their meditation room the beditation room). Alidina has a story about a woman who went along to an event and admitted that everybody being so happy made her mostly grumpy. The teacher responded by making her a grumpy licence  permission to be irritable for as long as she wanted, which immediately cheered her up.

Curator of happiness: Shamash Alidina

Theres no one happiness formula that works for everyone, says Isidora. Each one of us is unique, so instead of wondering why what works for other

people doesnt work for us, we should focus on noticing more when were somewhere or doing something that makes us feel totally alive, energised and activated. After that, we just have to remember it, so we can come back to it later.

Moyo describes the drive to accept who we are, rather than who were supposed to be, as living with a combination of light and dark, and the ability to hold both with grace. Theres a lot to be said for self-love but if you want to be selfish about it, doing things for other people is a more effective hit, agrees De Haan.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is that when we put aside our collective inclination towards cynicism, Londoners are more open to playful acts of bonhomie and imagination than you might expect. And if you cant or dont want to connect with others for whatever reason, then you can develop a more positive connection with yourself, Alidina says. Theres a monk I know called Abanjan and every morning he gets up and says, Good morning Abanjan! How are you today?

Mantra rays: Chloe Isidora

De Haan has another story that encapsulates how this way of being in the world can open up, well, a whole new city. In Liverpool Street station the other day, I decided to stop for 10 minutes to see what I could spot, she says. There was this couple standing in front of me. The woman had a small backpack on, and inside there was a potted African violet which she took out and placed on a bollard. Then she walked away.

I dont know if thats happening every 10 minutes, she says. But it happened in that 10 minutes, so who knows?
I ts not yet 9am but Holland Park is already filled with nannies dragging micro-scooters back from the school run, ladies who latte browsing in Daunt Books and a gentleman in a cravat vaping outside Starbucks.

The suits left for the City hours ago. This leafy west London enclave is an unusual choice for the latest Second Home, the creative co-working and community space with locations in Spitalfields and Lisbon, plus outposts in London Fields and LA in the pipeline. The signature orange Perspex door, flanked by tropical plants, which opened for business in October, is hard to miss in an area that is, as co-founder Sam Aldenton quips, more second homes than Second Home.

But, as his business partner Rohan Silva tells me, We felt that the pendulum had swung too far towards east London. The pair lead me on a tour across sage-green and electric-pink carpets, through the mezzanine and past shiny desks that snake along the walls. Holland Park was not the obvious move, but experimenting is what were all about, adds Aldenton, pointing out a water feature on the glass roof that will soon have soap bubbles pumped through it for insulation. Im struggling to get my head around how this works when Im whisked into a mid-century Danish chair to carry on the interview.

It probably didnt hurt that they managed to get their hands on this impressive building, once the studio of John Cowan (the swingiest of Swinging Sixties photographers, says Silva) and one of the locations for Michelangelo Antonionis 1966 cult classic, Blow-Up. In the 1980s it was Richard Rogers architectural studio, and Rogers son Roo, who has an innovation agency, is now here, alongside Sharmadean Reid, founder of WAH Nails, One Scream, a safety app for women and girls, and Clemency Burton-Hill, the musician and writer. Its an eclectic mix. It takes all sizes and forms of life to make an ecosystem work, otherwise you end up with monocultures, says Aldenton.

Second Home

But there was one other big factor in bringing Second Home to Holland Park  they both like spending time out west. There are companies who operate on the basis of spreadsheets and cost benefit analysis, but our thing is where do we wanna hang out, what do we think is missing from the city? says Silva. Its for this reason that they opened their bookshop Libreria in Spitalfields, and why the next Second Home will be a parent-friendly space in London Fields, due to open in May. Sam has one baby [Santiago] and another on the way, and me and my wife are trying, so children are on our minds, says Silva. There will be scooter parking for kids, a creche  everything will be geared towards parents who are also entrepreneurs.

The pair met in 2011, when Silva came to Aldentons restaurant, The Rooftop Cafe next to The Shard, for his birthday brunch. They spent all day drinking magnums of champagne with chef Magnus Reid. By the time it got to lunch we were too drunk to move, says Silva, before pointing out that we have calmed down a bit since then.

Silva was working as special adviser to David Cameron at the time, focusing on entrepreneurship and launching Tech City, while Aldenton was chief executive at Bootstrap Company, an artists collective in Dalston. They brought their areas of interest together to dream up Second Home and, with the help of Spanish architects SelgasCano, turned a 1960s carpet factory in Spitalfields into what Aldenton describes as a crazy space with all these curves and a table on pulleys flying around. It was fully occupied the day it opened, and Silva says that 75 per cent of the teams there now collaborate in some way, which is his proudest achievement. Whats more, businesses at Second Home grow 10 per cent faster than the national average, which they attribute to creating spaces that foster interaction and having a community organiser whose job it is to connect members.

Unlike a members club, Second Homes focus is on helping teams create jobs and be more productive. Its very different to the older generation [of members clubs], explains Silva. As well as workshops on subjects as diverse as VR and social innovation and public speaking for entrepreneurs, their members-only Be Better programme is designed to get members sharing their skills and knowledge; sessions include business masterclasses and roundtable discussions.

Ahead of the curve: the varied personal and communal spaces at Second Home

Silva, 37, exudes a magnetic energy that helps explain how he managed to persuade investors  including M&C Saatchi  to stump up 158m to two young guys with a glint in their eye. He also convinced Kate McTiernan, an Australian architect, to move to London to be with him after only their third meeting. Aldenton, 34, is a down-to-earth counterweight to Silvas hyperactive optimism, often chipping in with a sarcastic comment. Silva likens him to [Soho House] creator Nick Jones for having a knack for creating spaces people want to be in. Aldenton set up Cafe Oto and Dalston Roof Park, but knew he had to get out when Brad and Angelina came to a party at the Roof Park. Everybody was messaging me saying, Youve killed Dalston!

Its clear how passionate they are about London. Silva moved here aged 21 from Manchester to start a fast-track scheme at the Treasury. Aldenton was born and raised in Clapton, and now lives on Columbia Road with his wife, Isabel.

Second Home

Despite being a native Hackney-ite, Aldenton resists the cliched gentrification lament. Yeah, it has changed but theres still that texture and depth, he says. They say that protecting the rich patina of the city and bringing different types of people together is at the heart of Second Home. Both of us hate how in lots of ways London is becoming less interesting, says Silva. Lots of nice parts of town are becoming sterile, corporate developments. Aldenton adds, We see our job as clearing the path for people and creating the space for ideas to flourish.

As well as being competitively priced (roaming membership is 250 a month), unlike other clubs, the cafes and almost everything they do are open to the public (for a 3 charity donation), including their cultural programme, talks and bookshops. As Silva puts it, We really believe in being as open as possible, so lots of different people end up meeting and working together. Upcoming events at Holland Park include a screening of the film On the Ground at Grenfell, spoken word and Hans Ulrich Obrists Brutally Early Club. Good things happen when random people come together, says Aldenton.

In January they took their knack for curating creative ecosystems to Lisbon and its been so successful theyre looking for a second spot there. Although they say Brexit has so far had no impact on what they do, they are concerned about Theresa Mays proposed clampdown on skilled migration. If Donald Trump was proposing that there would be riots on the streets, says Silva. Its going to have a big impact on entrepreneurship and the creative industries. Would he ever go back to Downing Street to offer his advice? No way! But if I did Id ask the Prime Minister not to just talk to big businesses when trying to work out what to do about Brexit. Its the small and medium-sized businesses where the jobs and innovation are coming from.

Construction is about to start on a 90,000 sq ft Second Home in LA opening in 2019 in East Hollywood and in the not-too-distant future they want to have a crack at the capitals housing problem. Living in a rented basement in Clerkenwell, I think about housing a lot, says Silva. We need to do something about the soulless corporate housing developments that are making our city uglier and more expensive. But for now he is off to make a podcast for the BBC about entrepreneurship, and Aldenton is meeting with a property lawyer. You can see who always gets the short straw, he says ruefully.
A widowed amputee whose 30,000 prosthetic legs were stolen by knife-wielding moped muggers today said the ordeal had brought back the trauma of her horrific accident.

Victoria Milligan, 45, lost her left leg below the knee in a speedboat crash in 2013 that killed her Sky executive husband Nick, 51, and their eight-year-old daughter Emily.

Since the tragedy the personal trainer has rebuilt her life for three surviving children with the help of specially cast prosthetic limbs, including one that allows her to wear high heels.

But on Sunday thieves broke into her white Audi Q5 and snatched a suitcase containing three of the legs as she had lunch at Megans restaurant on Kings Road, Chelsea.

Mrs Milligan told the Standard: We saw the light flash on my car and I thought that was a bit odd. I was so shocked and then it dawned on me what was actually in my bag. Three of my most precious possessions that I cant actually get back until they are remade.

It has knocked my confidence. I suddenly felt quite like an amputee again, whereas with them I dont feel like Im an amputee. For a female amputee, having high-heeled legs makes me feel like a woman, it makes me feel feminine.

Its taken me so long to accept that I am an amputee and these legs enable me to function pretty much as normal. Its kind of brought everything back about the accident and realising what happened.

Mrs Milligan and her family were on their speedboat in Cornwall on the 2013 May bank holiday when it spun out control, throwing them overboard and circling over them at high speed.

Her husband and youngest daughter Emily suffered fatal injuries. Son Kit, 9, required 20 operations to save his leg while 16-year-old Amber suffered scarring on her left thigh and hand. Olivia, 14, escaped unscathed.

Mrs Milligan today issued a desperate appeal to get the legs back following the theft, which took place between 2.30pm and 4.30pm on Sunday in Michaels Road.

In the suitcase were Mrs Milligans blade, which she uses for her personal training, and two lifelike limbs which would cost 30,000 and take three months to replace.

She said: Theres no resale value. Im so desperate to get them back. They cannot understand what importance they bring to my life.

Even if the people who did this anonymously contacted someone to say where they put them. You would hope they felt awful when they opened the bag. It would be quite an odd thing to find.

They are like works of art, my prosthetist and his team at The London Prosthetic Centre are geniuses, exactly matching my remaining leg down to the right skin tone and hand painted freckles.

Two men in a white van had claimed to have chased after the pair of thieves as they rode away brandishing knives, Mrs Milligan said.

A Met spokesman said no arrests have been made.

Anyone who finds the legs or luggage is urged to contact the Metropolitan Police or Victoria via her website victoriamilligan.co.uk
L ondoners are falling victim to at least 3,500 cyber fraud attacks a month, police revealed today.

Scotland Yard warned that the scale of the problem could be far greater because such offences were vastly under-reported.

The Met now says it wants to encourage stronger links with private sector volunteers to combat cyber crime.

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Miles, head of the Falcon cyber fraud unit, said one of the most prolific scams was online advertising fraud offering non-existent properties for sale or rent.

Others include romance frauds  tricking people into meeting their perfect partner through dating websites  and identity frauds, where criminals use victims details from social media. Individuals and businesses also face phishing emails, ransomware attacks and more complex hacking raids.

Mr Miles said his detectives were investigating about 1,000 volume fraud offences and around 130 more complex cases. He added: We are getting about 3,500 victim reports a month, but we think this is vastly under-reported.

Last month, a gang investigated by the unit was jailed for using the bank details of hundreds of students to carry out a 2 million mobile phone fraud.

Ringleader Jonathan Boorman, 32, of Bath, and six others, including five from London, set up fraudulent phone contracts with the personal details.

Detective Chief Superintendent Mick Gallagher, head of the Mets Organised Crime Command, today said the force already has a lot of expertise that comes in through police volunteers.

He added: We have people from the banking sector working alongside my officers to investigate economic crime and we want to replicate that with cyber investigations.

Mr Gallagher said the Met also wanted to recruit people straight from university to tackle the fraudsters. Some criminal individuals have a high level of sophistication and are clearly very knowledgeable  our challenge is to raise our knowledge and skills above theirs to deal with them, he said.

He added: We do work in a clandestine way within the dark web to make sure that Londoners stay safe.

Police are also aiming to raise awareness about how to avoid becoming a victim of cyber fraud. Mr Miles said: We want to get people to think of their online security in the same way they think about their physical security.

There are simple measures people can take, such as going to the Get Safe Online website and learning about how to improve passwords.

Online fraud is now the most common crime in the UK, with more than 5.5 million offences each year.
S adiq Khan has criticised Scotland Yard for their "unacceptable" treatment of a woman who was arrested on immigration charges after she reported that she had been raped to police.

The woman, who was in her 20s and five months pregnant at the time of her arrest, attended a police station to report that she had been kidnapped and raped during time spent in Germany in 2016.

She was taken to the Havens sexual assault centre, which provides care for women who have been attacked, Politico reported.

But she was taken into custody shortly after and interrogated over her immigration status.

The Mayor said in a statement: "This is a completely unacceptable way to treat victims and I have asked my Deputy Mayor [Sophie Linden] to pick this up with the Met as a matter of urgency."

London Victims Commissioner Claire Waxman added: "Absolutely. It's vital all victims, regardless of immigration status, can access safe reporting and support."

The Havens lodged a formal complaint with the police and raised the issue with commissioner Cressida Dick during a visit to the centre earlier this year.

Scotland Yard said it would only share information with the Home Office were "police have a genuine concern that an individual is in the country illegally".

It has referred the allegations of rape and kidnap to German authorities.

Speaking to Politics.co.uk, Fizza Qureshi, director of the Migrants' Rights Network, said: "It is shocking and incredibly upsetting to hear of this situation, where a rape victim is treated as a criminal rather than getting the care and support she needs.

"If the police are treating victims of crime who happen to be undocumented migrants as perpetrators, it will deter other victims and witnesses from coming forward.

"There must be avenues of safe-reporting for all victims regardless of their immigration status."

The Met Police has confirmed that the Child and Sexual Offences Unit has referred the allegations of rape and kidnap to German authorities.

A spokesman said: "The sharing of information by the Metropolitan Police Service with the Home Office is assessed on a case by case basis and will only occur where police have a genuine concern that an individual is in the country illegally.

"Our primary focus is always the needs of the victim and or witness above other considerations.

"When someone reports a crime, our role as police officers is to investigate that matter and bring any offenders to justice."
A ll Prince George wants for Christmas is a police car, his father revealed today.

The Duke of Cambridge delivered his four-year-old sons Christmas Wish List to Santa Claus in person during an official visit to Finland.

The list is signed in bold letters by Prince George himself - the first time the young royal's handwriting has been shown to the public.

The prince also insisted he had been nice this year and deserved presents, circling the option at the top of the printed missive to Santa, who opened the letter immediately at Esplanade Parks Christmas market in Helsinki.

The Duke of Cambridge gives Santa his son's Christmas wish list / PA

Despite having the option to ask for five presents from Father Christmas, in a developed, part-capitalised hand, Prince George wrote only police car on one line.

The list only has one item on it - a request for a police car / PA

Prince William enjoyed the traditional traditional festive market in the centre of the Scandinavian city during the second day of his first official visit to the country, which is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its independence.

The visit comes just days after the announcement that Prince Harry is to marry Meghan Markle in St Georges Chapel at Windsor castle in May next year.

Prince George, who was a pageboy at the wedding of the Duchess of Cambridges sister, Pippa Middleton, is expected to perform the same duties at the upcoming royal nuptials, alongside his two-year-old sister.

Prince William revealed last year that he caught George unwrapping his gifts a week before Christmas Day.

In previous years, the couple have broken with tradition and spend Christmas with the Middletons.

But this year, George and his sister Charlotte, two, are believed to be joining in the royal familys Christmas celebrations at Sandringham.

The Duke of Cambridge met Santa on the second day of a two-day visit to Finland, where he was due to meet former US vice president Al Gore at global tech festival Slush.

He went on to visit a comprehensive school, to see the ways in which the Finnish education system puts student welfare and mental well-being at the top of its agenda.
F or Jeremy Corbyns Left-wing support base, taking control of Haringey council is just the start. As the battle for the north London borough enters its endgame, the focus of Momentum is switching to constituency parties in London and across the country.

With the majority of the Parliamentary Labour Party still hostile to their leader, despite a fragile truce, the Left is pushing to install its own candidates.

But will the tactics used in Haringey, which some local members believe were orchestrated by the very top of the party, work so well elsewhere?

Outside Labour selection meetings across Haringey, a small band of hardened activists have spent the past few weeks thrusting leaflets into the hands of members. Hundreds of flyers, headlined No Permission for Demolition! with a picture of a bulldozer and a wrecking ball, were distributed.

Their concern, apparently, is with the controversial Haringey Development Vehicle, which will provide 5,000 new homes, but has been branded social cleansing by the Left.

But senior council figures insist the bitter row over the housing proposal is little more than a Trojan horse by Momentum, Jeremy Corbyns grassroots campaign group, to win seats.

Around a dozen councillors who supported the HDV scheme have been ousted or have decided not to stand again in next Mays local elections. Momentum now has the numbers it needs to take the town hall from the moderates  becoming the first Corbynista council in the country.

But many of those who have gone have struggled with the poisonous nature of the campaign and warned of its long-term consequences.

Ali Demirci, the first Kurdish councillor in Britain when he was elected to Bounds Green ward 11 years ago, said there was a toxic and uncomradely environment in the borough.

Labour no longer seems a party interested in bringing about practical change to the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable residents of Haringey, he said.

Instead, it has become a party where sloganizing and political games come before almost anything else.

Barbara Blake withdrew from St Anns ward before she was ousted. We have always had robust debate in the Labour party with a tolerance of differing views. This no longer exists, she said.

While it is right that we should be judged on our record, the ruthless attacks on every councillor not officially backed by Momentum is unforgivable and brings shame on our great movement.

The pair joined, among others, Tim Gallagher, who stepped down after he and colleagues were written off as Blairite zombies and Alan Strickland, cabinet member for housing and regeneration who was responsible for the HDV plan, who criticised the narrow factionalism during the contests.

Claire Kober, the high-profile council leader, fought off a challenge to win reselection in her ward, but it was seen as a warning that Momentum planned to support candidates that back Corbyn at all levels of the party.

Why did Momentum set its sights on Haringey? Sources close to the current leadership point to the late timing of the selections, which took place after the Left was emboldened by the general election, but also highlight direct interference from the leadership.

Mr Corbyns fingerprints appear to be all over Haringey. Party officials tasked with selection interviews were replaced at the last minute by councillors from other boroughs, including Corbynista Claudia Webbe, who sits on the partys ruling NEC. Theres only one way that the interviewers get changed and thats when the leaders office does it, one senior London Labour figure said.

Critics believe they let various questionable people on the list, including those with links to the Socialist Workers Party and Militant.

Locals say Mr Corbyn, who cut his political teeth as a Haringey councillor in the Seventies, is often seen there. It was the obvious focal point because of Jeremys history there. There are lots of Left-wing members and they felt that after the election was the moment to act, said a Labour politician.

Shadow cabinet members have even showed up at selection meetings. Kate Osamor, the shadow international development secretary, spoke against two sitting candidates in one contest.

Momentum chief Jon Lansman, however, denied a purge, suggesting only that anti-HDV councillors had been targeted. The truth in Haringey is the leadership tried to purge those councillors who, like party members, oppose its social cleansing plan, he said.

The council insists that it has promised residents the right to return yet Lansmans officials admit that taking Haringey would be a big win.

A Momentum insider said: Its a very exciting prospect, thinking about what we could do on budgeting, about austerity in the local area. Asked if the leaders office was involved, he said: If they werent working together trying to elect Corbynite councillors Id be surprised.

But if they achieve their aim of taking over the council, what will they do? There is a strong possibility that the HDV will have already been signed  making it practically irreversible  before the new councillors begin next May.

Town halls have faced cuts of 60 per cent of core funding from central government since 2010, so money is tight. They may want to be a radical Derek Hatton-style council, but they will face legal and financial obstacles, said one official. By law, they have to deliver a balanced budget these days.

One Left-winger suggested they might use powers to raise council tax, although they would have to consult residents through a referendum if the increase is 2 per cent or more.

While much of the focus has been on Haringey, other boroughs including Ealing, Enfield and Lewisham have not escaped the Momentum surge.

Lambeth, with a strong Momentum presence, avoided deselections by holding contests before the general election.

In Lewisham Deptford, Lord Roy Kennedy, made a life peer by Gordon Brown, lost his trigger ballot this week. In Tower Hamlets and Newham, which are still selecting, candidates will have to contend with both Momentum and the East Ends racial politics.

One Labour council chief warned the acrimony of the selection battles across London was putting people off going into politics. Its just such a diversion. Its hard enough in public life without feeling you are being attacked by your own side, the leader said. Its demoralising and some people are already feeling pushed over the edge.

Some in the party deny that there is an orchestrated campaign by the leadership to purge moderate politicians.

I dont think Jon Lansman is sat somewhere plotting with Jeremy to make this happen, one said. But there are plenty of people around them, both that want to strike while the iron is hot and make this happen.

Matt Zarb-Cousin, a former Corbyn spokesman, told the Standard: Given that Jeremy won two leadership contests, it is unsurprising that local members are selecting candidates whose politics better reflects their own.

Others believe the involvement is more direct. Theres no way local members are doing this on their own. Theyre getting assistance to stir things up in a way they didnt think of, said one MP.

Momentum is now better funded, better staffed and has access to more data than ever. Many soft Left MPs, who still make up the bulk of the parliamentary party, believe Momentums sights have now turned to MP selections.

The first of these will start early next summer and continue over the course of the next 18 months, unless there is another snap election. MPs across the capital are jittery. The Standard approached several for comment, but all declined to go on the record.

Momentum candidates are expected to do well in the Labour selections. Ahead of Junes election, Left-wingers Marsha De Cordova and Emma Dent Coad were selected. Both won their seats from the Tories.

Many former centrists appear to have drifted to the Left, keeping their heads down so as not to upset new members.

But there key remain flashpoints, such as Stella Creasys Walthamstow seat and Vicky Foxcroft in Lewisham & Deptford.

Its not just about candidates being more Left-wing, its about them being more representative of the regular membership, said one Momentum insider. If theres another snap election we will have people in place. We do want more power for members.

Many constituency parties in London now have a Momentum chair or senior officials. But its much easier to win control of the CLP than to select or deselect an MP, said one party strategist.

For now, Corbyn has commissioned key lieutenant Katy Clark to carry out an internal review that is expected to make controversial recommendations on MPs selections by the end of March.

Many moderates fear it was only commissioned because the Left was failing to win seats.

However, some moderates remain bullish. Id be amazed if anybody actually lost a seat, said one. I think its less that MPs are terrified about their own future and more that they feel Jeremy has won the right to be heard.

But MPs appear to view it differently. Nobody thinks that. People are scared. Every conversation in the tea room is about this, one told the Standard.

Another MP added: Theres a battle going on for the CLPs. Momentum is trying to pick and choose which seats it goes for. The pressure isnt coming from Jeremy, its from John [McDonnell]. But his fingerprints wont be anywhere near, it will all be done through local proxies.

Many MPs are furious at the suggestion of a Momentum loyalty test for would-be MPs. They would be asked to sign a 13-point contract tying them to its political objectives to win support.

Mike Gapes, MP for Ilford South, tweeted in response: I joined the Labour party. I did not sign up to a Trotskyist party or a Stalinist cult Labour remains a broad church.
D onald Trump should delete Twitter and be banned from entering the UK, MPs have said.

Ministers were also pressed to cancel the US President's planned state visit while Labour's Paul Flynn suggested he must be charged with inciting racial hatred should he come to Britain.

The widespread condemnation in Parliament of Mr Trump came after he shared anti-Muslim videos posted online by Britain First.

Stephen Doughty, MP for Cardiff South and Penarth, had been granted an urgent question in Parliament after the US President retweeted three posts by Jayda Fransen to his 43.6 million followers.

The videos included footage from the Netherlands which Ms Fransen falsely claimed showed a Muslim migrant committing crimes.

The tweets provoked outrage on both sides of the House / BBC

The Home Secretary Amber Rudd fielded questions from both sides of the Commons.

She repeated the Government's position that the President was "wrong" in his actions, that social media platforms such as Twitter would continue to be scrutinised, and that Mr Trump's state visit was still in the works, if without a set date.

Speaking in the Commons, Conservative MP Peter Bone asked Ms Rudd: "Wouldn't the world be a better place if the Prime Minister could persuade the President of the United States to delete his Twitter account?"

Ms Rudd appeared to back the suggestion when she replied: "It's interesting to note (Mr Bone's) advice regarding Twitter accounts - I'm sure many of us might share his view."

Mr Flynn, Labour Newport West MP, later said of Mr Trump: "He has disgraced himself again and again, and he worries us because his impulsive finger is on the nuclear button.

"If he's allowed to come to this country now, he should be treated as anyone else who breaks the law, and charged with inciting racial hatred.

"The Government should withdraw the invitation."

Fellow Labour MP Naz Shah (Bradford West) said Theresa May as home secretary had "banned people from entering this country, individuals who had promoted organisations peddling the hate-filled ideology of fascism".

She added: "Not only has the commander in tweet done this, he has defended it, publicly chastising the British Prime Minister for her comments.

"Putting aside the question of a state visit, should he even be allowed to enter our country, because unprecedented actions require unprecedented responses?"

Mr Doughty said in his opening address that the President's planned state visit to the UK should not go ahead.

He said: "We have the president of the United States sharing - with millions of followers - inflammatory and divisive content...originally shared by a convicted criminal, who represents a vile and fascist organisation.

"In sharing it, Trump has proven himself to be either racist, incompetent, unthinking or all three."

Labour's Diane Abbott took the floor shortly after, condemning the president's tweets as "offensive to all decent British people."

She continued: "Whilst on this side of the house, we appreciate the importance of realpolitik, we would also call on the Government to make clear that it gives no support whatsoever to the distasteful views of the 45th president on race, immigration and Muslim communities internationally.

"To do anything else would be a front to voters on all sides in this country."

Dennis Skinner, MP for Bolsover, called Mr Trump a "fascist president" and criticised the Government's alleged inaction, saying: "words are not enough".

He said: "Given what we already known about this fascist president, words are not enough. Action is needed: cancel the state visit."

Chris Bryant, a former Labour Cabinet minister under Tony Blair and MP for Rhondda, said: "[The President's actions] were deliberate and intentional.

"Even after he said he was wrong, the President stood by Britain First...You cannot stand up to this kind of action - horrible racism - or pretend to do so and then invite the man in through the front door.

"The Prime Minister, while she was Home Secretary, said homophobes and racists will be arrested in this country.

"That's what should happen now and the Home Secretary knows it - just say it."

Steve Double, the Conservative MP for St Austell and Newquay, asked the Home Secretary if she "shared [his] view that, rather than making America great again, the President's actions actually reflect badly on his office and undermine the very principles the US was founded on?"

Yvette Cooper, Labour MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford, said: "Our peoples have stood together against far-right extremism and Muslim extremism...

"But the President of the United States has just given Britain First a rocket boost in promoting hatred in our country.

"We cannot roll out a red carpet for the president to sow discord in our own communities... We know where the spread of extremism leads."

Mrs May later gave a speech hit back at Mr Trump over his suggestion she was not doing enough to tackle Islamist extremists and said "no date" had been set for a State visit by him to Britain.
S adiq Khan has joined a wave of British politicians denouncing Donald Trump after he shared tweets from the far-right Britain First group, call his actions "a betrayal of the special relationship".

The London mayor hit out after Mr Trump caused outrage by retweeting three posts by Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen to his 43.6 million followers.

Mr Khan has added his name to mounting anger against the actions of the US President accusing him of promoting a "vile extremist group."

The videos included footage from the Netherlands purporting to show a Muslim migrant committing crimes.

Sadiq Khan praises speedy condemnation of Trump retweets

The Dutch embassy in the US said the perpetrator of the violent act in the video was in fact born and raised in the Netherlands.

Mr Khan said today: President Trump yesterday used twitter to promote a vile, extremist group that exists solely to sow division and hatred in our country.

Deputy Leader of nationalist group Britain First Jayda Fransen first shared the videos retweeted by Trump / Jayda Fransen / Twitter

"Many Brits who love America and Americans will see this as a betrayal of the special relationship between our two countries.

"It beggars belief that the president of our closest ally doesn't see that his support of this extremist group actively undermines the values of tolerance and diversity that makes Britain so great.

As the Mayor of this great diverse city, I have previously called on Theresa May to cancel her ill-judged offer of a state visit to President Trump.

"After this latest incident, it is increasingly clear that any official visit at all from President Trump to Britain would not be welcomed.

The Prime Minister of our country should be using any influence she and her government claim to have with the President and his administration to ask him to delete these tweets and to apologise to the British people."

The Prime Minster had called the US president wrong to endorse three inflammatory, unverified tweets by Britain Firsts deputy leader Jayda Fransen.

Theresa May is due to make a statement later to address the rapidly escalating diplomatic row.

Amber Rudd repeats Downing Street's condemnation of Trump's Britain First tweets

Trump responded on the social media site: @TheresaMay, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!"

He initially appeared to tag the wrong user in his message, directing it at a woman called Theresa Scrivener. But ten minutes later he resent the message with the Prime Minister tagged instead.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson described the group as "divisive" and "hateful" but stopped short of criticising the president for sharing the posts.

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He said on Twitter: "Britain First is a divisive, hateful group whose views are not in line with our values. UK has a proud history as an open, tolerant society and hate speech has no place here."

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid also condemned Mr Trump for endorsing the views of far-right group Britain First which the Communities Secretary said "hates me and people like me".

Mrs May was the first world leader to visit him after his inauguration, where they were pictured walking together holding hands.

She also invited him on a state visit to the UK. MPs including Chuka Ummuna and David Lammy have called for such a visit to be cancelled in the wake of the events.
A British woman who Donald Trump mistakenly tweeted instead of Prime Minister Theresa May has said: I havent been able to leave the house.

Theresa Scrivener, who lives in Bognor, used her middle name to set up the account @TheresaMay in 2009. She has been inundated with messages after Mr Trump directed a tweet at her on Wednesday night.

His message, sent in response to the Prime Minister rebuking his retweet of anti-Muslim videos published by a UK-based far-right activist, read: "@TheresaMay, don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!"

Miss Scrivener said "I haven't been able to leave my house. I've been bombarded and been contacted by press from around the world."

Theresa May v Donald Trump: Retweet saga continues

She said she had received "huge numbers" of messages, adding: "If I wanted to be famous I would have gone on X Factor."

"It's amazing to think that the world's most powerful man managed to press the wrong button," she said.

"I'm just waiting for a call from the White House with an apology."

Steve McDonnell and his partner Theresa May Scrivener, who has been on the receiving end of scores of tweets after US President Donald Trump mistakenly tweeted at her / PA

Most of the responses on Twitter were from people offering their condolences, with many Americans apologising for their president.

"I'm just glad he was not contacting me to say he was going to war with North Korea," she added.

US president Donald Trump tweeted the wrong Theresa May as he hit back over a series of anti-Muslim retweets / EPA

Miss Scrivener, 41, said the first she heard of the incident was when she woke at 4am to huge numbers of messages on her phone from reporters hoping to speak to her. It was not until a few hours later she saw the tweets from Mr Trump.

Speaking from her home on Thursday, she said: "I wasn't really sure what to make of it. I was in bed by half 10 last night and oblivious to it all.

"It has been very surreal. I am laughing about it now but he is the one who sent the tweet and I have been inundated with calls.

Miss Scrivener said she wanted to stay out of the debate surrounding Mr Trump's conversation with the Prime Minister, but added: "He needs to think before he tweets. We - Theresa May and I - are so different. Our profiles are completely different. She runs the country, I'm a mum from Bognor."

Miss Scrivener's account has just six followers compared with Mrs May's 427,000.

Her account is also locked, meaning only approved people can see her activity on the social network, and it is not verified.

Donald Trump hits back at Theresa May criticism

She said she was not going to change her name as a result of Mr Trump's blunder, adding: "Why should I? It's my name, I'm not going to change it.

"I hope now I've said my piece I will be left alone."

This was not the first time she has been mistaken for the Prime Minister, as she receives almost daily tweets from Twitter users asking her to fix the NHS or speed up the Brexit process.

Neither was it the first time Mr Trump has directed his 44 million followers to the wrong account.

In January he mistakenly tagged a woman from Brighton in a tweet instead of his own daughter.

Quoting an account which has since been suspended, he wrote: "@Ivanka Trump is great, a woman with real character and class."

The owner of the @Ivanka account, a digital consultant from Brighton, replied: "And you're a man with great responsibilities. May I suggest more care on Twitter and more time learning about #climatechange."
T heresa May today hit back at Donald Trump over his suggestion she was not doing enough to tackle Islamist extremists and said no date had been set for a State visit by him to Britain.

Her comments appeared to push such a trip by the US president to the UK even further into the distance.

However, the Prime Minister also faced growing calls to scrap a planned, scaled-down working visit by Mr Trump to Britain early next year after he retweeted anti-Muslim posts by Far Right group Britain First.

In a sign of how Mr Trumps behaviour is straining the Special Relationship, Britains ambassador in Washington, Sir Kim Darroch, raised his tweets with the White House.

US president Donald Trump with UK Prime Minister Theresa May / EPA

Mr Trump caused outrage yesterday by retweeting three posts by Britain Firsts deputy leader Jayda Fransen to his 43.6 million followers, which included videos captioned Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!, Muslim destroys a statue of Virgin Mary!, and Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!.

The Dutch authorities have stressed that the attacker in the first video was not a migrant.

Downing Street condemned Mr Trump, stressing that Britain First was dedicated to causing division among communities and that the President had been wrong to share the posts.

Donald Trump hits back at Theresa May criticism

But at 1am, Mr Trump responded in startling fashion, tweeting: @Theresa_May, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!

On a visit to Jordan today, Mrs May faced a barrage of questions from journalists over Mr Trumps remarks.

She said: Im very clear that retweeting from Britain First was the wrong thing to do.

Asked whether she regarded Mr Trump as a fit person to be hosted by the Queen on a State visit, she added: An invitation for a State visit has been extended and has been accepted.

We have yet to set a date.

Put on the spot about the US presidents late night tweet, she stressed: We take the need to deal with the terrorist threat very seriously, thats about what we do domestically in the United Kingdom, its also about what we do elsehwere in the world, such as the work I saw yesterday in Iraq.

She emphasised that Britain was working with America and other allies on combating Islamist fanatics.

Questioned on whether she thought the US president was a supporter and enabler of Far Right groups, she made clear: We must all take seriously the threat that Far Right groups pose.

Asked whether she would sack any of her Cabinet if they retweeted Britain First messages, she continued: I have absolute confidence that my Cabinet ministers will not be retweeting material from Britain First.

On how she felt personally to Mr Trumps criticism of her, she explained: Im not a prolific tweeter myself..I dont spend all my time looking at other peoples tweets.

But when I feel that there should be a response, I give it and I have given it to president Trumps tweets.

As for the impact of the row on relations between the US and UK, she said: This is a long-term, special relationship that we have, its an enduring relationship that is there because it is there in both our national interests.
D onald Trump has hit back at Theresa May after she criticised him for retweeting a string of anti-Muslim videos from far-right group Britain First.

The Prime Minster had called the US president wrong to endorse three inflammatory, unverified tweets by Britain Firsts deputy leader Jayda Fransen.

But he responded on the social media site: Theresa @theresamay, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!"

He initially appeared to tag the wrong user in his message, directing it at a woman called Theresa Scrivener. But ten minutes later he resent the message with the Prime Minister tagged instead.

It comes after the US president caused outrage by retweeting three posts by Ms Fransen to his 43.6 million followers, including footage from the Netherlands purporting to show a Muslim migrant committing crimes.

However, the Dutch embassy in the US said the perpetrator of the violent act in the video was born and raised in the Netherlands.

The Dutch Embassy later revealed the tweet was false

Downing Street made clear the Government's dismay at the way Mr Trump had publicised the views of the far-right group.

"Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions," the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.

Backlash: Donald Trump sparked a huge backlash online after retweeting the anti-Islamic videos / Twitter

"They cause anxiety to law-abiding people. British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far-right which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents, decency, tolerance and respect.

"It is wrong for the president to have done this."

Donald Trump shares 'Muslim crime' videos tweeted by Britain First leader

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson described the group as "divisive" and "hateful" but stopped short of criticising the president for sharing the posts.

He said on Twitter: "Britain First is a divisive, hateful group whose views are not in line with our values. UK has a proud history as an open, tolerant society and hate speech has no place here."

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid also condemned Mr Trump for endorsing the views of far-right group Britain First which the Communities Secretary said "hates me and people like me".

But the way in which the president publicly hit back is embarrassing for Mrs May, who has attempted to forge a close bond with the Trump administration.

She was the first world leader to visit him after his inauguration, where they were pictured walking together holding hands.

Mrs May also invited him on a state visit to the UK. MPs including Chuka Ummuna and David Lammy have called for such a visit to be cancelled in the wake of the events.

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Following the three retweets, Britain First's Ms Fransen, who is facing trial over four charges of causing religiously aggravated harassment, thanked the president directly in a video shared to Twitter.

Trump caused a huge backlash after retweeting the videos / Twitter

She then asked him to intervene in her upcoming court case to help her avoid going to jail.

She said: I am appealing to you for your help, I am appealing for your intervention before I am thrown in jail and other receive the same treatment for simply speaking out. God bless you Donald Trump.

Ms Fransen, from Penge, south-east London, was convicted last November of religiously aggravated harassment for hurling abuse at a Muslim woman in a hijab.

She was also fined 2,000 at Luton and South Bedfordshire Magistrates' Court for wearing a political uniform and shouting at Sumayyah Sharpe during a "Christian patrol" of Bury Park in Luton on January 23.
L BC presenter Nick Ferrari clashed with Britain First's Jayda Fransen during a live radio interview in which she refused to say whether she had been in direct contact with Donald Trump.

Mr Ferrari was interviewing Ms Fransen after the US president retweeted three of her posts to his 43.6 million followers, including footage from the Netherlands purporting to show a Muslim migrant committing crimes.

The Dutch embassy in the US has since confirmed the perpetrator of the violent act in the video was not a Muslim.

Appearing on LBC on Thursday morning, Mr Ferrari asked the deputy leader of far-right group Britain First: "Have you had direct contact with Donald Trump?"

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She attempted to dodge the question, saying: "I cannot comment on that at the moment," to which he shot back: "Which means you haven't...If you have..."

Mr Ferrari went on to quiz Ms Fransen about the nature of the videos she shared, asking: "Did you know the video of a Muslim migrant beating up a Dutch boy on crutches was fake?"

After attempting again to deflect the question, Ms Fransen eventually responded, saying: "I don't think the the content of the video is what matters."

Ms Fransen went on to criticise Theresa May for calling Mr Trump's actions "wrong" and praised the US president for "making America great again", to which Mr Ferrari muttered: "Goodness me..."

The Prime Minister faced growing pressure to condemn President Trumps retweets but for hours the UK Government was silent, releasing no official statement.

At shortly after 4pm on Wednesday, Number 10 told the Standard: "Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions.

"They cause anxiety to law-abiding people. British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far-right, which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents  decency, tolerance and respect.

"It is wrong for the President to have done this."

But he responded on the social media site: @TheresaMay, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!"

He initially appeared to tag the wrong user in his message, directing it at a woman called Theresa Scrivener. But ten minutes later he resent the message with the Prime Minister tagged instead.

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Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson described the group as "divisive" and "hateful" but stopped short of criticising the president for sharing the posts.

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid, a Muslim, said: "So POTUS has endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me.

"He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing."

Following the three retweets, Britain First's Ms Fransen, who is facing trial over four charges of causing religiously aggravated harassment, thanked the president directly in a video shared to Twitter.

She then asked him to intervene in her upcoming court case to help her avoid going to jail.

Ms Fransen, from Penge, south-east London, was convicted last November of religiously aggravated harassment for hurling abuse at a Muslim woman in a hijab.

She was also fined 2,000 at Luton and South Bedfordshire Magistrates' Court for wearing a political uniform and shouting at Sumayyah Sharpe during a "Christian patrol" of Bury Park in Luton on January 23.
B ritish Airways was embroiled in a sexism row after it published a royal wedding-themed advert urged women to "find another kingdom with a single prince."

The airline was criticised for missing the mark following Prince Harry and Meghan Markles engagement announcement earlier this week.

The royal couple, who have been together for 16 months, revealed they are to marry at Windsor Castle in May next year.

Alongside a banner on the British Airways website promoting deals on flights to Luxembourg and Dubai, the airline wrote: Thats it girls, hes taken. Now go find another kingdom with a prince still single. The world is your oyster.

Behind the banner was an image of a group of women crying at a sleepover.

Prince Sebastian in Luxembourg, 25, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, 35, of Dubai are both still single.

But some Brits were left unimpressed by the airlines advert.

Hello British Airways this is not the way to inspire women to travel in 2017, wrote Nicole Valentinuzzi on Twitter.

Richard Johnstone agreed, tweeting: Who would even think of this? Wheres the corporate message telling men there are plenty more Meghans in the sea? while another internet user wrote: Good lord who thought this was a good idea?

In a statement, British Airways told the Standard they were just celebrating the joyful news.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle engagement announcement 1 /36 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle engagement announcement Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Eddie Mulholland-WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle photo call today on the announcement of their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AP Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace PA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AP Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Reuters Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Sky News Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace PA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, London, after the announcement of their engagement PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave following a photocall after announcing their engagement in the Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walk away after posing for the media in the grounds of Kensington Palace AP

The carrier said: Like many great British companies, we want to celebrate the engagement of the happy couple this week.

We know our customers will enjoy our right royal great fares, starting at 26 to Luxembourg.
J eremy Corbyn has been praised by fans for his sharp look after appearing on the cover of magazine GQ.

On Thursday the British mens monthly revealed opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn is its January/February cover star.

The Labour Islington North MP appears wearing a navy suit and red tie on the magazine front.

People were quick to take to social media to praise Mr Corbyns smart attire.

Jeremy Corbyn is the cover star for the January-February addition of the magazine / GQ Magazine

One woman on Twitter described the Labour leaders get-up as fetching, while another said he looked good but suggested he might have been airbrushed.

Lydia Blue described Mr Corbyn as "cool" while others mentioned previous pictures which show the politician looking not as well presented.

"His tie looks fine to me," wrote one Twitter user, adding: "The look of a man #ForTheMany."

Mr Corbyn joins previous cover stars such as Liam Gallagher, Alec Baldwin, Cara Delevingne and the Duke of Cambridge who have all appeared in GQ.
B ritain Firsts deputy leader Jayda Fransen has appealed to Donald Trump to intervene in her upcoming court case after the US president appeared to support her on Twitter.

Ms Fransen, 31, began by praising Mr Trump for retweeting three anti-Muslim videos which she had originally posted.

She is currently on bail facing trial over four charges of causing religiously aggravated harassment as part of a Kent Police investigation into the distribution of leaflets and the posting of online videos.

She will go on trial at Folkestone Magistrates' Court on January 29, alongside Britain First leader Paul Golding, who faces three similar charges.

In a Twitter video, Ms Fransen said: This is a message to the President of the United States Donald Trump. Id like to start by saying how delighted I am that, as the leader of the free world you took the time out to retweet three of my videos on Twitter today.

She added: On behalf of myself and every citizen of Britain and for everyone, every man and woman that has fought bled and died for us to have to have the freedom of speech, I am appealing to you for your help.

Backlash: Donald Trump sparked a huge backlash online after retweeting the anti-Islamic videos / Twitter

I am appealing to you for your help, I am appealing for your intervention before I am thrown in jail and other receive the same treatment for simply speaking out. God bless you Donald Trump.

Ms Fransen, from Penge, south-east London, was convicted last November of religiously aggravated harassment for hurling abuse at a Muslim woman in a hijab.

Downing Street condemns Donald Trump's 'Muslim' retweets

She was fined 2,000 at Luton and South Bedfordshire Magistrates' Court for wearing a political uniform and shouting at Sumayyah Sharpe during a "Christian patrol" of Bury Park in Luton on January 23.

The three anti-Islamic tweets that Mr Trump retweeted to his 43.6 million followers include footage of migrants allegedly assaulting a boy on crutches and a video purporting to show a Muslim damaging a statue of the Virgin Mary.

However, Dutch officials issued a statement correcting one of the anti-Muslim tweets which Ms Fransen labelled, "Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!".

A spokesperson for the Dutch public prosecution service said the aggressor was born and raised in the Netherlands, and that the records did not mention his religion.
A British man who went to Syria to fight Islamic State has been killed while clearing landmines in the recently liberated city of Raqqa, sources said today.

Oliver Hall, 24, was caught in an explosion and fatally injured. He is the seventh British citizen to die in Syria while volunteering in the fight against IS. Mr Hall, from Portsmouth, joined the mainly Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) and had only been in the country since August.

Kevin Benton, an ex-soldier and British volunteer who met him in Syria, said: He was so willing to learn, always asking questions and taking everything in.

"He wanted to stop Isis. I spoke to him last week just to see how he was doing, he seemed happy.

Oliver Hall, 24, was caught in an explosion and fatally injured in Raqqa

Mr Hall, who had no previous military experience, travelled to Syria via Iraq and took part in a YPG training academy, according to his friends.

After two weeks of training he joined the groups international wing, mainly made up of British and American volunteers.

Mr Benton told the BBC: He wasnt a soldier before he came to Syria, but he was professional and was really keen to learn. He was a very popular guy, everyone liked him.

"He wanted to be at the front, and wanted to be right where the action was, and he wasnt scared to go. He will be sadly missed.

Posts on social media appeared to show him in Raqqa, wearing camouflage and carrying weapons, with messages pledging solidarity between the UK and Syria.

A coalition of forces including the YPG freed Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS, last month after a five-month battle which saw air strikes by American, RAF and French jets. Many bombs and booby-traps have been left around the city.

Mark Campbell, co-chairman of the Kurdish Solidarity Campaign, said: It is with deep regret and sorrow that I can confirm ... Ollie Hall, a UK national who travelled to Syria in August to help in the liberation of Raqqa with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), fell on 25 November from an explosion of ordnance left by Daesh [IS]. Our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of Ollie at this time.

It comes just over a month after Jac Holmes, from Bournemouth, was killed clearing mines in Raqqa. Other UK fatalities are press officer Mehmet Aksoy, 32, of north London, Luke Rutter, 22, Ryan Lock, 20, Dean Evans, 22, and Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, 25.

British authorities have warned against all travel to Syria.
D onald Trump lashed out at the wrong Theresa May after the Prime Minister condemned the US president for retweeting a series of anti-Islamic videos from far-right group Britain First.

Instead of tweeting to the Prime Minister, he sent his riposte to a Theresa May Scrivener, 41, who reportedly lives in a flat near the Bognor seafront.

She has six followers and only has only posted a handful of times since 2009 including one tweet about the value for money at a local curry house.

The Prime Minister said the president had been "wrong" to endorse the inflammatory posts by Jayda Fransen of Britain First.

Theresa May: Trump 'wrong' to retweet Britain First videos

The US president told Theresa to "focus on the destructive radical Islamic terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom".

The string of retweets on Wednesday sparked outrage online, with UK ministers quickly sharing their anger.

Donald Trump hit back after Theresa May said he was 'wrong' to retweet three messages from far-right group Britain First / PA

Mrs May Scrivener has been on the receiving end of scores of tweets since, with many offering their condolences and many Americans apologising for the actions of their president. Her account has been made private.

"Sorry for @POTUS putting you on the spot like that," wrote one user.

"Sorry about @realDonaldTrump LeaveTheresaAlone," added another.

Donald Trump shares 'Muslim crime' videos tweeted by Britain First leader

The US president later corrected the mistake, deleting and resending the tweet to the Prime Minister's correct Twitter handle @Theresa_May.

He wrote: "Don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!"

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Carrie Symonds, director of communications at the Conservative Party, tweeted: "wrong twitter handle. And that's just the start."

Mr Trump sparked outrage by retweeting three posts by Ms Franson to his 43.6 million followers, including footage from the Netherlands purporting to show a Muslim migrant committing crimes.

However, the Dutch embassy in Washington DC confirmed on Twitter that the "perpetrator of the violent act in this video was born and raised in the Netherlands" and was not a migrant.

Downing Street expressed dismay at Mr Trump's publicising the views on the social network.

Backlash: Donald Trump sparked a huge backlash online after retweeting the anti-Islamic videos / Twitter

"Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions," the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.

"They cause anxiety to law-abiding people. British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far-right which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents, decency, tolerance and respect.

"It is wrong for the president to have done this."

A tweet about a 'Muslim migrant' was later revealed as false by the Dutch embassy (Twitter)

Education Secretary Justine Greening responded to the US President's message on Thursday.

Ms Greening told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The reality of what is happening in the UK is that this is a country united against terrorism and extremism, that has done a huge amount of work to combat that and is broadly a country at ease with itself in relation to being a very diverse place."

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson described the group as "divisive" and "hateful", while Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said Mr Trump had "endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me".

Meanwhile Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi shared a letter he wrote to Mr Trump to express his "strong discontent" at the retweets.

Referencing Mr Trumps planned state visit to the UK, Mr Zahawi said: "You are soon due to visit the United Kingdom. When you are here, I believe you would find enlightening the experience of visiting our beautiful cities like Coventry, Birmingham, Manchester and London."

He added: "They are so far removed from the stereotypes that the videos of Britain First try to portray."

The Britain First posts included unverified videos titled "Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!" and "Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!"

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president had been seeking to "promote strong borders and strong national security".

Hours before Mr Trump's latest tweet, the Prime Minister's spokesman made clear the invitation for the president to make a state visit, made when Theresa May met Mr Trump in Washington in January, still stood.
D onald Trump's press secretary rejoiced and said "Christmas comes early" after CNN announced it was boycotting the White House party.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted a gleeful response after the news network said it would not attend as guests in protest at the US President's "attacks on freedom of the press".

She wrote: "Christmas comes early! Finally, good news from @CNN."

The US President later tweeted in support of Ms Sanders, writing "dealing with them is a total waste of time".

A CNN spokesperson said: In light of the President's continued attacks on freedom of the press and CNN, we do not feel it is appropriate to celebrate with him as his invited guests.

"We will send a White House reporting team to the event and report on it if news warrants.

After Mr Trump's press secretary shared her elation at the news, he called for a boycott on the network.

He wrote: "Great, and we should boycott Fake News CNN. Dealing with them is a total waste of time!"

The event, which is due to take place on Friday at 2pm, is usually a time for members of the media to mingle freely with the Trump administration.

But relations between the administration and CNN have been fraught since Mr Trump's election in 2016.

Mr Trump is famed for his opinion of the media, and has often criticised CNN as "fake news" and suggested that the network makes up stories.

Last week CNN took particular offence to a tweet by Mr Trump about the network.

He wrote on Saturday: .@FoxNews is MUCH more important in the United States than CNN, but outside of the U.S., CNN International is still a major source of (Fake) news, and they represent our Nation to the WORLD very poorly. The outside world does not see the truth from them!

CNN has reportedly been running regular segments about the tweet, which focuses on the value of their international reporting.

The network told Politico the tweet endangered journalists working in countries hostile to a free press.
A former Miss Russia contestant has been body-shamed on social media for the size of her feet.

A regular user of Instagram, Anastasia Reshetova has been trolled on a number of her posts.

While many people have left compliments on the 21-year-olds photos, some have been quick to describe her feet as flippers.

In a post captioned the atmosphere is awesome, Reshetova reclines on a sofa in an orange bikini. The photo garnered 65,109 likes and hundreds comments: We dont see the atmosphere, we see the size.

Despite negative replies, other fans have been supportive of Reshetova. User, Krasnova.natasha2015 said: Almost all tall people (above 1.79) have a large foot size. This is normal!!!

Earlier this week actress Lucy Hale, famous for her role in teen drama Pretty Little Liars, was accused of being too skinny after she uploaded a picture to Instagram.

Posted without a caption, the photo shows the 28-year-old in jeans and a black t-shirt tied in knot at her waist. It received 805,796 likes but a number of comments referenced Hales weight, highlighting it as an issue.

EAT GIRL YOU NEED TO EAT," wrote one Instagram user.

Another wrote: You are pretty, and a good actress. This is way too skinny. You look healthier in your previous photos.

A 2016 study found that around 60 per cent of women believe social media puts pressure on people to look a certain way and earlier this year the Youth Select Committee launched an inquiry into body image after it was voted to be a top issue among young people.

The report included evidence from people who revealed that social media had caused them to feel negatively about their appearances: Body dissatisfaction must be recognised as a serious issue which potentially affects every young person, it read.

This report is only the first step; far more needs to be done by society at large to tackle this issue.
T he rescue mission to find 44 crew members on a missing Argentine submarine has now ended, the countrys navy has said.

The search for the missing ARA San Juan sub will continue but the rescue element of the hunt has now ended as hopes of finding the crew alive fade.

Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said the mission "extended for more than twice what is estimated for a rescue".

The vessel disappeared on November 15 and has still not been found - more than a fortnight later - despite an intensive multinational search.

The ARA San Juan submarine disappeared on November 15 while returning to its base in Mar del Plata / EPA

The crew are feared dead after the navy said it believed reports of a loud noise close to the time and place where the sub vanished were consistent with an explosion.

Hopes for any survivors had already been dimmed after experts said the crew only had enough oxygen to last up to 10 days if the submarine remained intact under the sea.

Search for missing submarine ARA San Juan - In pictures 1 /36 Search for missing submarine ARA San Juan - In pictures Relatives of a missing submarine crew member react to news of the explosion AP US Navy flight officers fly over the south Atlantic. Reuters Aircraft circle above the spot where the submarine was last seen. Reuters View of a support message that reads 'God save you. The Lord and all the Argentinian are beside you' in front of the Submarine Operations Base in Mar de Plata, Buenos Aires province, Argentina EPA Captain Enrique Balbi, spokesman for the naval force, gives a statement to the media at the Argentine Army headquarters in Buenos Aires, Argentina EPA This Google Earth image provided by CTBTO shows a visualization of the hydro-acoustic anomaly 'consistent' with an 'explosion' that was recorded near the time and place of the disappearance of the submarine ARA San Juan AP Sergio Zelaya, friend of the crew member Fernando Ariel Mendoza, speaks to the media in front of the Submarine Operations Base in Mar de Plata, Buenos Aires province, Argentina EPA A child's drawing with the Spanish "Find them, we wait for them," referring to the crew of a missing submarine, hangs on a fence at the naval base in Mar del Plata, Argentina AP A man reacts in front of signs and messages in support of the 44 crew members of the missing at sea ARA San Juan submarine on a fence at an Argentine naval base in Mar del Plata, Argentina Reuters View of the U.S. Navy deep diving rescue vehicle, the Pressurized Rescue Module (PRM), mobilized to support the Argentine government's search and rescue efforts for the missing Argentine submarine ARA San Juan before being installed in Comodoro Rivadavia AFP/Getty Images Members of the Navy and relatives of the 44 crew members of the missing at sea ARA San Juan submarine react at an Argentine naval base in Mar del Plata, Argentina Reuters Relatives of 44 crew members of Argentine missing submarine, are escorted as they arrive at Argentina's Navy base in Mar del Plata, on the Atlantic coast south of Buenos Aires AFP/Getty Images View of a support message that reads 'ARA SAN JUAN. Be strong. We are with you!!' in front of the Submarine Operations Base in Mar de Plata, Buenos Aires province, Argentina EPA A woman reacts as people gather to pray for the 44 crew members of the missing at sea ARA San Juan submarine, at the entrance of an Argentine Naval Base in Mar del Plata, Argentina Reuters Members of the Argentine Air Force search for the missing submarine. AP People gather to pray for the 44 crew members of the missing at sea ARA San Juan submarine, at the entrance of an Argentine naval base in Mar del Plata, Argentina Reuters Naval force spokesman Captain Enrique Balbi delivering an update. EPA People pray outside Argentina's Navy base in Mar del Plata. AFP/Getty Images A crew member wears emergency gear during a presentation to the press inside the Brazilian submarine Timbira, which takes part in the international search mission for the missing Argentine submarine ARA San Juan, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil AFP/Getty Images Elena Alfaro, the sister of submarine crew member Federico Ibanez, is comforted outside the Naval base, as she waits for news in Mar del Plata, Argentina AP Navy crew look down at the sea from an airplane during a flight to search for the ARA San Juan. Reuters An Argentine Navy airplane flies over the Atlantic. Reuters People pray outside the Argentine naval base in Mar del Plata AFP/Getty Images Argentina's President Mauricio Macri (left) talks to navy chiefs about the search operation Reuters Members of the Argentine Navy look down from an airplane in search of the submarine Reuters Signs in support of the submarine's crew at the naval base in Mar del Plata AP The ARA San Juan submarine disappeared on Wednesday while returning to its base in Mar del Plata EPA

According to the navy last week, the vessels captain had reported an electrical problem in a battery compartment and the sub was ordered to return to its base in the coastal city of Mar del Plata, about 250 miles south east of Buenos Aires.

Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told reporters on Monday that the captain said water had entered through the snorkel when the sub was charging batteries.

All 44 crew members feared dead after navy reveals Argentine submarine could have 'exploded'

The water went through the ventilation system to a battery connection tray in the prow and "caused a short circuit and the beginning of a fire, or smoke without flame", he said.

The San Juan, a German-built diesel-electric TR-1700 class submarine, was commissioned in 1985 and was most recently refitted in 2014.

Devastated family members waited on the shore desperate for news as more than a dozen countries helped with the hunt.


P rince Harry has been invited to Australia for the ultimate bragging rights stag do - a helicopter pub crawl off the remote Northern Territory.

With the engagement still less than a week old, Australian tourism bosses wasted no time in turning Prince Harry and Meghan Markles happy news into a promotional opportunity for Down Under.

Tourism minister Steven Ciobo said he had written personally to the Prince to offer the services of Tourism Australia to design the ultimate Australian experience for the celebrations.

For the pre-wedding celebrations - or bucks party as it is known in Australia - Mr Ciobo recommended adventure experiences on Queenslands Gold Coast and through the wilds of Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Prince Harry was invited on a helicopter pub crawl around the Northern Territory, including the iconic Uluru (pictured)

Mr Ciobo told Australias Nine Network: They could even do a helicopter crawl... where they visit various iconic Australian pubs in the Top End [Northern Territory].

The 443 (Australian $790 ) a head seven-hour trip involves arriving at iconic outback watering holes with a rock star landing in your very own helicopter, according to operator Airborne Solutions.

It takes in visits to Bare Sand Island, Crab Claw Island Resort, Darwin River Tavern, Goat Island Lodge and the Humpty Doo Hotel.

He was also invited to explore the wilds of Western Australia and the Outback (pictured)

Prince Harry and his friends are promised: You will be sure to hear your fair share of tall tales and meet interesting critters, laid back locals and the charismatic publicans that define each of the establishments, all whilst on your quest for the Top Ends coldest beer.

Other suggestions from Tourism Australia include a James Bond-style jetpack adventure, dune-buggying and barramundi fishing.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle engagement announcement 1 /36 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle engagement announcement Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Eddie Mulholland-WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle photo call today on the announcement of their engagement in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AP Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace PA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AP Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Reuters Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Sky News Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace PA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace AP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, London, after the announcement of their engagement PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave following a photocall after announcing their engagement in the Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace EPA Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle during an official photocall to announce their engagement at The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace Jeremy Selwyn Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walk away after posing for the media in the grounds of Kensington Palace AP

Mr Ciobo also said he could arrange a perfect honeymoon for the couple in a luxury lodge near landmarks such as Uluru or the Great Barrier Reef.

He added: Australia would be honoured to welcome Prince Harry and Ms Markle to celebrate some small part of their wedding with us.

However, the approach met only a mixed response on social media. One person said on Twitter: I dont believe we as taxpayers should be forking the bill for it.

Another replied to the minister: Hi Steven, Im also getting married next year. Is there any chance you could provide an awesome honeymoon for me and my fiance? We are finding it a bit tough to save for a wedding and a mortgage and so any help would be appreciated.
T he US has warned that North Korea will be utterly destroyed if war breaks out following its latest ballistic missile test.

US ambassador Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council that America is not seeking a war with Kim Jong-Un.

"The dictator of North Korea made a decision yesterday that brings us closer to war, not farther from it," she said.

"We have never sought war with North Korea and still today we do not seek it."

The Hwasong-15 missile was launched in the early hours of Wednesday / AFP/Getty Images

But she added: If war comes make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed.

Ms Haley urged all nations to cut diplomatic and trade ties in order to deepen the states isolation.

Kim Jong-Un admires the launching of the Hwasong-15 missile / AFP/Getty Images

President Donald Trump said he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about Pyongyang's "provocative actions", and he vowed that "additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today."

It came as North Korea released photos which appeared to show leader Kim Jong-Un laughing while inspecting military equipment following his first missile launch in ten weeks.

The new missile is thought to be capable of reaching anywhere on the US mainland / AFP/Getty Images

Outside governments and analysts believe the North has made a jump in missile capability, with its weapons now able to reach anywhere on the US mainland.

Mr Trump has vowed to prevent North Korea from having that capability - using military force if necessary.

A White House statement about the phone conversation between the US and Chinese leaders said Mr Trump made clear "the determination of the United States to defend ourselves and our allies".

Mr Trump also "emphasised the need for China to use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearisation."

China's state-run Xinhua news agency said Mr Xi told Mr Trump that denuclearising the Korean peninsula and preserving peace and stability in north-east Asia are China's unswerving goal.

North Korea announces test of new long-range missile

Mr Xi said China would like to keep up communications with the US and all other related parties and "jointly push the nuclear issue toward the direction of peaceful settlement via dialogues and negotiations," according to Xinhua.

US sanctions against North Korea were bolstered last week after the Trump administration declared North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism.

Graphic News

Those sanctions targeted North Korean shipping and Chinese companies that deal with the North.
B rits going abroad to Europe this Christmas period have been warned they have a higher risk of catching measles.

Holidaymakers planning to travel to Romania, Italy and Germany or who have recently visited those countries and not had two doses of the MMR vaccine are the most at risk, according to Public Health England (PHE).

The warning comes after outbreaks of measles in Europe in areas where vaccinations are less common.

In three areas of England measles were recorded by PHE including 16 confirmed cases in Leeds, 11 confirmed cases in Liverpool and nine confirmed cases in Birmingham.

Officials said all cases are among children and adults who have not received two doses of the MMR vaccine.

The MMR vaccine is a combined inoculation which protects against measles, mumps and rubella - the full course of MMR vaccination requires two doses.

Measles is highly infectious and can lead to serious complications.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at PHE, said: "The measles outbreaks we are currently seeing in England are linked to ongoing large outbreaks in Europe.

"People who have recently travelled, or are planning to travel to Romania, Italy and Germany and have not had two doses of the MMR vaccine are particularly at risk.

"This serves as an important reminder for parents to take up the offer of MMR vaccination for their children at one year of age and as a pre-school booster at three years and four months of age.

"Children and young adults who missed out on their MMR vaccine in the past or are unsure if they had two doses should contact their GP practice to catch up.

"We'd also encourage people to ensure they are up to date with their MMR vaccine before travelling to countries with ongoing measles outbreaks."

The UK recently achieved World Health Organisation "measles elimination status".

But because of ongoing outbreaks in Europe, the UK will continue to see cases in people who have not been vaccinated and limited onward spread can occur in communities with low MMR coverage and in age groups with very close mixing, PHE said.
C hris Hughes has revealed he received abuse and death threats for a campaign he fronted to raise awareness around male mental health.

The publicity stunt saw the Love Island star pretend he was launching a bottled water infused with his tears called LEau de Chris, for which he was widely mocked.

He revealed a day later that it was all a ruse to launch CALMs #DontBottleItUp campaign which aims to stop men keeping their emotions inside.

Speaking exclusively to Standard Online about the response, he said: It was unbelievable. I had to deal with threats and abuse. I even had a couple of death threats.

Love Island 2017 Contestants return to UK - in pictures 1 /16 Love Island 2017 Contestants return to UK - in pictures Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Jewitt Rex Features Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies Rex Features Chris Hughes and Olivia Attwood Rex Features Chris Hughes, Olivia Attwood, Kem Cetinay, Amber Davies, Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Jewitt Rex Features Gabby Allen and Marcel Somerville Rex Features Kem Cetinay and Amber Davies Rex Features Kem Cetinay surrounded by friends and family at Stanstead Airport Rex Features Rex Features Olivia Attwood and Chris Hughes returning home Rex Features Chloe Crowhurst Rex Features Gabrielle Allen at Stanstead Airport Rex Features Gabrielle Allen and Ethan Allen Rex Features

I just want to help people with mental illness. I like just knowing that Ive helped people. Men bottle up their emotions and it does kill.

The reality personality also opened up about his and friend Kem Cetinays debut single Little Bit Leave It topping the iTunes chart, saying it was surreal to see his name on music channels.

"I never knew that was a big thing. When you see the other people on the list. It hits you, he said.

We knew how good it was. Its a bit of a grime banger. It came on in a club the other day and I lost my head a bit.

I felt like jumping around. Ive seen my name on music channels. Thats surreal.
N oel Gallagher has hit out at Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, branding him a communist.

The High Flying Birds frontman attacked Corbyn, President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong un as he claimed all politicians are f****** idiots and full of s***.

Speaking to Paste he said: F*** Jeremy Corbyn. Hes a Communist.

Taking aim at Trump he said: Trumps aa Im not even going to name him. But they [Corbyn and Trump] dont affect my life. Well, Donald Trump, maybe, because his views on the environment are pretty f****** scary, and that will affect my children.

Lambasted: Noel Gallagher is not a fan of Jeremy Corbyn / Getty Images

But politicians? Theyre f****** idiots. Theyre economists  thats all they are. Theyre f****** full of s***, and I should know, because Ive known quite a few of them.

Gallagher said he avoids watching the news because its boring and he would rather be oblivious if the world was about to end in nuclear war.

He said: The news is f****** boring. So if the world is going to end, I dont want to know about it. I dont want to watch the run-up to it.

If the sky is going to catch fire because some little, fat North Korean idiot flies a rocket into it, let it f****** end. I dont want to know about it. Id rather be doing something else.

Gallagher who is currently promoting his latest album, previously hit out at the Conservative party and slammed those complaining about Brexit.

He said: I cant believe theres so much noise about it. You know what I mean? It was put to the people as a vote. The people voted. Thats democracy. F****** get over it.
X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne has laid into Brits, branding them entitled and very narrow.

Osbourne, 65, went on a bizarre rant during an appearance on US chat show The Talk where she claimed people from the UK live in a bubble and go to special schools.

She said: I dont think youve met many English people. They do live in a bubble.

They go to these special schools, and they are just not with normal people every day.

Mother's love: Sharon and Kelly Osbourne / Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty

I always think that people who have always had a privileged life, perfect family, perfect schooling and an A student  I always think that those people are very narrow. Because they havent experienced much of life.

Osbourne, who grew up in London and sent her daughter Kelly to a private all-girls school before setting up home in Los Angeles, also accused Brits of not knowing what problems are.

It comes days after she joked that she feared imprisonment after Piers Morgan recalled the time she attempted to strangle him.

The Good Morning Britain presenter attacked him at a dinner with Jerry Springer and NBC executives ahead of their first stint together on Americas Got Talent.

Speaking on Loose Women he said: Id written some not entirely complimentary things about Sharon.

She runs up behind me and begins to strangle me to death. It wasnt funny. She was literally throttling me. Ozzy was trying to pull her off. Eventually Jerry Springer managed to pull her off of me.
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IWAKUNI, Japan (Nov. 28, 2017) An EA-18G Growler with Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 141 taxis to a hangar at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan. VAQ-141 arrived at MCAS Iwakuni as part of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5's relocation from Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi, Japan. The relocation of CVW-5 from NAF Atsugi to MCAS Iwakuni fulfills the final Defense Policy Review Initiative objective. The relocation is in accordance with the United States' strategic vision for the rebalance in the Indo-Asia Pacific Region and does much to further strengthen the U.S.-Japan security alliance. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph Abrego)

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Nobel peace prize winner and Burmese national hero Aung San Suu Kyi is being blamed by a growing number of foreign admirers for not doing more to solve the Rohingya problem. She has been harshly criticized for not speaking out more forcefully against the treatment of the Burmese Rohingya, especially those forced to flee the country. But all politics is local and Aung San Suu Kyi is a Burmese Buddhist who sympathizes with the plight of the Rohingya but recognizes that most Burmese feel less certain about who is at fault here. Another problem foreign critics overlook is that the army still has a lot of power in Burma and were the first ones to make an issue of the Rohingya citizenship status, and also put the issue on hold when they were on power because a refugee dispute with neighboring Bangladesh was not in their interest. Now it is. Aung San Suu Kyi, who won international praise for her decades of efforts to get Burmese democracy restored in 2011 (with the removal of a military government) agrees with this it is an internal problem policy and has the support of India and China, two neighbors that have faced this problem themselves and are still dealing with it. Aung San Suu Kyi agrees with the Burmese military that that China is the best alternative (for investment and essential imports) if international economic sanctions are again imposed on Burma, as they were until the generals gave up some of their power and allowed the 2011 elections. Suu Kyi recently agreed to visit China for the third time to discuss economic matters.

Meanwhile there is not much progress is solving the Rohingya problem. The only one benefitting from the anti-Rohingya violence (which was instigated by nationalist Buddhist religious leaders) is the military, which was forced to give up a lot of their power in 2011 and agree to a restoration of democracy. But now the threat of international sanctions gives the military more power in Burma to resist corruption investigations and interference with their profitable, but illegal, activities in the north. There is also a Rohingya Islamic terror group operating in the north as well. This group (ARSA) is real but largely ineffective so far.

Several hundred thousand more Burmese Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since late August and now only about 35 percent of the pre-2012 Rohingya remain in Burma and they are still threatened by anti-Rohingya violence. Until recently Burma refused to take back any of the Rohingya who have left (usually to avoid being attacked) and that left Bangladesh with a refugee crises with no easy solution. Many of the refugees in Bangladesh are trying to move on to other nations and over 40,000 have reached India, 100,000 Thailand and 40,000 Malaysia. All three of these nations are trying to get Burma to take back the Burmese Rohingya and Burma long refused because it does not recognize these Rohingya as Burmese citizens. Both Burma and Bangladesh blame the Rohingya problem on British colonial rulers, but Britain left the region in the late 1940s and blames Burma and Bangladesh for not settling disputes like this. Being a sovereign nation means taking responsibility. But for the Rohingya there was lots of blame, not much solution.

The Islamic world is demanding UN action. That is not going to happen as long as China backs Burma and China has recently made it clear that the support is still there. One obvious example was the recent agreement where China will invest over seven billion dollars in upgrading Kyauk Pyu port in Rakhine State and the Burmese government agreed to let China control (via 70 percent ownership of the new port facilities) of the upgraded port. China had wanted 85 percent but backed down because most Burmese wanted China to have much less control. Meanwhile the more the rest of the world pressures Burma on the Rohingya the more power the Burmese military gets back and the easier it is for China to make corrupt deals (which helped weaken the military before 2011) and restore ones that had been halted. It has become easier for China to establish itself as the primary source of weapons and military equipment in Burma.

Tribal Unrest Continues

Tribal rebels have been active in the last month, especially in Chin and Kachin states. With so much attention (international and domestic) focused on the Rohingya situation the army feels free to move against tribal rebels that the elected government was working with in an effort to finally achieve a peace deal. The military prefers a military solution, mainly because the military has long profited from all manner of corrupt and illegal deals in the tribal territories and does not want to give up all that income. This is all done at the expense of the local tribes, which is why the tribal rebels have existed for so long (since modern Burma was created after World War II).

Then there are the Islamic terrorists. In late 2016 and August 2017 when there were attacks by a Rohingya Islamic terrorist group called ARSA (Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army). Its founder (a Rohingya expatriate) and much of the cash came from Saudi Arabia. Burma prefers to call groups like ARSA Islamic terrorists but until ARSA and the Saudi cash showed up there had not been much, if any, religious aspect to the armed Rohingya resistance. ARSA is now openly calling for Rohingya worldwide to support a war against Burma for the bad treatment the Rohingya have received, especially since 2012. The ARSA leader; Ataullah abu Ammar Jununi (or just Ata Ullah) has received more attention now that Islamic terror groups like al Qaeda are calling for its members to help ARSA and the Burmese Rohingya any way they can. Since August there have been no more large scale ARSA attacks but the government blames ARSA for the recent deaths of 18 Rohingya village chiefs who had agreed to help the government determine who is eligible for official ID cards among the returning Rohingya refugees. There is no proof of ARSA involvement in these murders (or accidental deaths) and ARSA does not appear to have a lot of support among Moslems in Burma or Bangladesh. Meanwhile Bangladesh is attempting to register all the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and for most of these Rohingya they would receive official ID for the first time or replace ID lost during their flight from Burma.

November 28, 2017: In the west (Chin state) soldiers clashed with members of the AA (Arakan Army) tribal rebels near the Indian and Bangladesh border. The AA accused the army of entering AA territory without permission. Fighting between the army and the AA has occurred several times this month and the most recent clash sent over a thousand civilians fleeing into India. The fighting this month have caused nearly a hundred casualties, apparently equally distributed between rebels and soldiers.

November 23, 2017: Burma and Bangladesh worked out an agreement in which Burma would take back most of the 600,000 Burmese Rohingya Moslems that had fled to Bangladesh in the last year to get away from anti-Moslem violence. The details of this agreement are not all that clear but the deal is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately most of the Burmese Rohingya are not willing to return because the anti-Rohingya has not subsided. Meanwhile Bangladesh continues to have few problems with Islamic terrorism, with deaths from Islamic terrorist violence down by nearly half this year.

November 20, 2017: India hosted the first joint military exercises with troops from Burma. The six days of joint training will also show Burmese officers what is expected if Burma begins to supply UN peacekeepers, like the other South Asian countries (especially India and Pakistan) have done for decades. India is also trying to counter growing Chinese influence in Burma. India is at a major disadvantage here because China has a much larger GDP and more advanced manufacturing capabilities. Indian made weapons cannot compete although some commercial items can. But that is not enough.

November 19, 2017: China proposed a solution for the Rohingya violence in Burma that consisted of a ceasefire in Burma (no more violence against Rohingya), allowing Bangladesh to send Rohingya back to Burma and negotiations to settle the Rohingya nationality problem once and for all. The Chinese proposal ignores the fact that the violence is instigated by Burmese Buddhist religious leaders and that most of the refugees do not want to go back to Burma. Finally there is the problem of identification. Since Burmese Rohingya are not recognized as citizens of Burma by Burma most have little or no official ID that can prove they came from Burma. Of course they have a unique (to Burma) accent and detailed memories of where they lived in Burma but this sort of thing has never gained much international recognition as acceptable ID.

November 7, 2017: In the north (Kachin State) three jade miners were shot dead and several others wounded by police who were guarding a jade mining site shut down because of corruption investigations. Some 500 unemployed jade miners had become scavengers who scoured abandoned (because the owners felt there was not enough jade left to be worth extracting) jade mining sites. Some more lucrative jade mines are shut because of legal problems that this is what the police were guarding. The police provide security for the jade mines mainly to keep scavengers away. That is important to prevent accidental deaths and more unwelcome publicity to the lucrative but embarrassing jade industry. The scavengers have few other employment options and are not deterred by armed guards. The army hopes to get these jade mines working again and better economic ties with China will help with that.
Researchers have found a way to use neural networks to create DSLR-quality photos from snapshots taken with low-end smartphones.

A team of scientists at the ETH ZurichComputer Vision Lab recently published a paper describing a deep learning approach that uses neural networks to translate photos taken by cameras with limited capabilities into DSLR-quality photos automatically.

We tackle this problem by introducing a weakly supervised photo enhancer  a novel image-to-image GAN-based architecture, wrote Andrey Ignatov, Nikolay Kobyshev, Kenneth Vanhoey, Radu Timofte and Luc Van Gool.

GAN, or generational adversarial networks, is a new type of algorithm that can produce artificial images and even video, explained Aditya Kaul, a research director at Tractica.

The technology is moving fast because the source code is open and people can experiment with the algorithm and improve it, he told TechNewsWorld.

Network Foolery

GAN technology uses a bit of trickery to get its results.

It uses two neural networks that try to fool each other, Kaul said. One network generates images and tries to fool the other network that theyre real. At the end, you get a set of images where you cant tell the difference between the real image and the artificially generated image.

In their experiments, the researchers used two data sets  one made up of images from a phone camera, the other composed of high-quality photos. Then they used several neural networks to bring the quality of the phone photos up to that of the high-quality images captured with a DSLR.

The researchers posted a number of examples at the CVL website. The side-by-side shot comparisons show how the scientists method improves the phone photos.

iPhone 6 Camera

Nexus 5X Camera

What the researchers are doing is in the same vein as what photographers have been doing for years, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.

Its not taking a better picture, he told TechNewsWorld. Its rendering the picture so its better than it would otherwise be without using artificial intelligence. Thats what weve been doing in darkrooms and with Photoshop for some time.

Not for the Fussy

As impressive as the researchers results are, pro and semi-pro photographers wont be shelving their DSLRs any time soon.

This will please people who arent overly fussy but want to get better pictures, suggested David D. Busch, creative director of the David Busch photography guides.

It can simulate a lot of things so the pictures do look better, he told TechNewsWorld. 

However, many serious photographers would disapprove of the changes made to the photos on the researchers samples page, Busch noted, even though they did look better than the originals.

The changes added a lot of contrast and lost detail, he said. If someone is a poor photographer, this has some applications  but I dont see it threatening digital SLR cameras.

Improving the Baseline

This is a good example of how technology can be used to improve the baseline of whats acceptable, said Jeff Orr, a senior practice director for mobile devices at ABI Research.

The researchers tried to determine what makes an image good and apply those things to an unknown image to make it better, he told TechNewsWorld.It doesnt always work, but its a good example of how software can make suggestions to enhance a photo, and it can only get better.

This research is trying to bridge the gap between what a smartphone can capture and the aesthetics of a DSLR, said Ross Rubin, principal analyst at Reticle Research.

However, that doesnt mean that an algorithm can replace the quality of a DSLR.

The algorithm cant do anything with data that isnt there, Rubin told TechNewsWorld, so its helpful to have both the highest quality input with the algorithm.

Future Threat?

As the processing power in phones increases, they could pose a threat to DSLRs.

You can already compensate with software for some things that a lens can do, Rubin said.

DSLR camera makers should be concerned about developments like those from Zurich, in his view.

Theyve seen the point-and-shoot market evaporate as smartphone image quality improved, Rubin pointed out. Now, as the photo quality is augmented by the incredible processing power in these phones, which far exceed what we see in DSLRs, phones pose even more of a threat to camera makers.

The CVL researchers technology has applications beyond making smartphone pictures prettier, Tractias Kaul noted. It can be used to identify cancer cells in photos, enhance starlight and augment automated driving applications, for example.

Theres also a dark side to the technology, Kaul said. There is a fear that this technology can be misused for fake news and things like that.
Apple on Wednesday released Security Update 2017-001 to fix a serious flaw revealed earlier via Twitter. The patch is available for macOS High Sierra 10.13.1. macOS 10.12.6 and earlier versions arent affected by the flaw.

This morning, as of 8 a.m., the update is available for download, and, starting later today, it will be immediately automatically installed on all systems running MacOS High Sierra 10.13.1, Apple said in a statement provided to TechNewsWorld by company spokesperson Todd Wilder.

We greatly regret this error and we apologize to all Mac users, both for releasing with this vulnerability and for the concern it has caused, the company said.

Internet Uproar

The MacOS High Sierra flaw allowed anyone take over a Mac, coder Lemi Orhan Ergin, founder of Software Craftsmanship Turkey, disclosed in a tweet to Apple Support on Tuesday.

Dear @AppleSupport, we noticed a *HUGE* security issue at MacOS High Sierra. Anyone can login as "root" with empty password after clicking on login button several times. Are you aware of it @Apple?

 Lemi Orhan Ergin (@lemiorhan) November 28, 2017

Attackers could log in as root with an empty password after clicking repeatedly on the login button, Ergin discovered.

The tweet sparked a storm on the Internet.

Many responders to Ergins tweet said they encountered the problem on testing their machines, but Michael Linde said otherwise.

Um, not on High Sierra machines at my work  are you sure that isnt someones management setup (as bad as that is)?

 Michael Linde (@mlinde) November 28, 2017

Perhaps Linde was one of the fortunate few  @unsynchronized tweeted that the bug allowed other attacks.

macos 10.13 bug isn't limited to root in all circumstances; via ARD, you can log in as any existing user (e.g. _applepay) and share the screen of the logged-in user. also _uucp is allowed to log in

 cstone (@unsynchronized) November 28, 2017

In response to an apparent request from Apple Support, Ergin said the flaw could be accessed by gong to System Preferences>Users & Groups.

Click the lock to make changes, he tweeted. Then use root with no password. And try it for several times. Result is unbelievable!

Apple Support then asked Ergin to send a DM including his Mac model and the version of macOS used.

The Threat Posed

It could be argued that the danger of the flaw might have been overstated. Attackers would have needed physical access to target machines unless Remote Desktop was enabled, but enterprises that enable Remote Desktop are likely to have strong cybersecurity fences.

Certainly there are more significant vulnerabilities out there, but any time youre talking about root access, that shouldnt be taken lightly, said Jesse Dean, senior director at Tetrad Digital Integrity.

It was exploitable remotely if the firewall didnt block remote access services, he told TechNewsWorld, such as Apple Remote Desktop and virtual network computing.

Apologies Might Not Suffice

Although Apple issued a patch, it had not sent a push notification to users as of Wednesday afternoon.

Savvy users can go to the App Store, check the Updates section, and download and install the patch. Others can wait for Apple to push out the update, but the delay might put people at risk.

It would have been a good gesture to show they can move quickly and that they care about security and their customers, Dean observed. By not sending notifications, it appears theyre taking a different approach and letting other news, like AWS Re:Invent, dominate.

On the other hand, Thats a business decision they weighed and made, he remarked. While the vulnerability is a big deal and allows root access, its relatively less critical than having the same issue on an enterprise router or server, for example.

Good Coders Gone Rogue?

Theres an established process for hackers who find a flaw: They first notify the vendor, then wait a given number of days, and, if theres no response, publicize the flaw for the greater good.

Its not clear whether Ergin followed that protocol.

His action wasnt the best approach or in line with established protocol, Dean said. On one hand, its good to get the word out; however, if theres no known fix, publicizing the vulnerability in such a way doesnt support the greater good.
Back in 2012, Google was hit with one of the highest fines ever dished out by the FTC. The search giant had to pay $22.5 million for collecting personal user information by bypassing the default privacy setting on Apple's iPhone Safari browser. Now, it may have to pay out once again, after a UK group launched a class action lawsuit against the company over the same accusations.

The group, which is led by former director of consumer body Which?, Richard Lloyd, and advised by law firm Mischon de Reya, says Google bypassed the default privacy settings on iPhones between June 2011 and February 2012 to place tracking cookies on the devices. Google claims it used the workaround only for its Google+ recommendation system, but the lawsuit says it was used to track "internet browsing history, which Google then used to sell a targeted advertising service."

Going by the name Google You Owe Us, the group is reportedly seeking at least $1 billion compensation for approximately 5.4 million people who used an iPhone in the UK during this period.

"I believe that what Google did was simply against the law. Their actions have affected millions, and we'll be asking the courts to remedy this major breach of trust," said Lloyd. "Through this action, we will send a strong message to Google and other tech giants in Silicon Valley that we're not afraid to fight back if our laws are broken."

"In all my years speaking up for consumers, I've rarely seen such a massive abuse of trust where so many people have no way to seek redress on their own."

Lloyd reportedly claims that Google said he must come to California to pursue legal action. "It is disappointing that they are trying to hide behind procedural and jurisdictional issues rather than being held to account for their actions."

Google has dismissed the case and said it is ready to fight it in court. "This is not new. We have defended similar cases before. We don't believe it has any merit and we will contest it," said a company spokesperson.

The case will reportedly be held in the High Court sometime during Spring next year.
Apple is seeking to reduce its dependence on third-party suppliers for iPhone components. One area that Apple is falling behind in compared to other flagship phones is power management and charging. With the rise of fast-charging technologies and smartphones slowly but steadily increasing battery capacity, delivering power is an important step often ignored by buyers.

The current generation of iPhones mainly rely on components from Dialog Semiconductor. Nearly three quarters of Dialog's business last year came from Apple acting as the sole provider of power management chips for iPad, Apple Watch, and iPhone. "Based on Apple's current plan, they are set to replace partially, or around half of its power management chips to go into iPhones by itself starting next year," said an industry source wishing to remain anonymous.

A second source confirmed that Apple would be working on its own power management integrated circuits but that they may not be ready until 2019. Regardless of when Apple's self-designed power regulators will be shipped, it is going to be a struggle to match the advanced manufacturing capabilities of Samsung Electronics. Apple already has designed its own mobile processor but outsources manufacturing to TSMC.

iPhones have historically had smaller capacity batteries than competitors but still achieve at least average run time. Switching to a custom power management system could further improve the integration of software and hardware that allows for less wasted energy. Finer control of power delivery could allow increased performance without a large hit to battery life.

As Apple designs more components in-house, some suppliers may struggle to survive on their own. Apple's graphics processor was designed by Imagination Technologies, but has since been sold to a Chinese investment fund after learning that graphics processing would also be done in-house.
Nest Labs was a pioneer in the Internet of Things era. Co-founded by Tony Fadell of Apple fame in 2010, the company was an early leader in the connected smart home movement. Its products were attractive, functional and practical albeit somewhat pricey.

Nest's early success was enough to attract the attention of Google who purchased the start-up for $3.2 billion in cash in early 2014. Things have slowed a bit since the acquisition (Fadell left in mid-2016) which could force Google parent company Alphabet to restructure a bit.

Sources familiar with the matter tell The Wall Street Journal that Google is considering folding the home automation company into its hardware team. The move would reverse part of a split that occurred a few years back when Alphabet was introduced.

More importantly, bringing Nest closer to Google would allow the search giant to more tightly integrate its services into Nest products and better compete with Amazon in the red-hot home-device market.

Nest up until just a few months ago had been relatively quiet. In September, however, the company unveiled several new products including a video doorbell, an outdoor security camera and an alarm system. At the end of August, the company took the wraps off a new thermostat featuring a modern design and a simplified user interface. The device was also $80 cheaper than its bigger brother.

Amazon, meanwhile, is coming off a spectacular holiday shopping weekend. Cyber Monday was Amazon's single biggest shopping day in history. The top-selling item that day? You guessed it, the Alexa-powered Echo Dot.
According to the President of the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC), twelve airlines have requested to operate with Venezuela. | Read More
AUTO LAB TALK RADIO LIVE FROM NYC SATURDAY MORNING! 7-9 AM December 2, 2017







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Auto Lab is a 28 year old interactive automotive-focused New York area radio call-in show hosted by Professor Harold Wolchok. Each week a cadre of experienced hands-on automotive experts are in-studio with advice for the New York area's 12 million people, providing listeners with honest, practical and street-smart car repair and buying advice.

Auto Lab is also about the automotive industry, its history, and its culture, presenting the ideas and advice of leading college faculty, authors, and automotive practitioners in a relaxed, conversational interactive format.

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This Weeks Show: December 2, 2017

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Broadcast Date: December 2, 2017;

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Members of the all-girls Afghan robotics team. Photo: Afghan Embassy DC/@Embassy_of_AFG

An all-girls Afghan robotics team has won first place in one of Europes largest robotics competitions, the New York Times reports.

The team attracted international media attention after facing a series of obstacles. Earlier this summer, the young women were denied visas to participate in an international robotics competition in Washington, D.C. Eventually, the women were allowed to compete and took home second place. Then in August, the team captains father was tragically killed by a suicide bomber.

But this past week, the young women got some good news. Three of the 12 team members participated in the Entrepreneurial Challenge at Robotex, one of Europes largest robotics competitions. Their task was to show an invention that could solve a real-world problem that customers would want.

The women presented a robot that used solar energy to support small-scale farmers. And after thousands of spectators voted, the women were awarded first place.

We are extremely proud of the wonderful accomplishments of the Afghan All-Girl Robotics Team, Afghanistans ambassador to the United Kingdom, Said T. Jawad, told the New York Times in a statement. They are an excellent example for people around the world of what can be accomplished by young Afghans if given the right support and the opportunity to excel in their education.
Garrison Keillor. Photo: Al Pereira/WireImage

On Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that radio personality Garrison Keillor informed them that he had been fired from Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) following allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior that were brought against him.

Shortly afterward, MPR released a statement confirming that they were in fact terminating Keillors contracts after being notified of sexual misconduct that allegedly occurred while he was producing his popular weekly variety show, A Prairie Home Companion. Keillor hosted the show from its inception in 1974 through July 2016; MPR learned of the allegations last month and has been conducting an investigation since.

As of Wednesday, MPR will cease broadcasting Keillors current show, The Writers Almanac, and will no longer rebroadcast episodes of The Best of a Prairie Home Companion. Theyre also changing the name of the show which is now hosted by Chris Thile  entirely.

In a statement to the AP, Keillor said his firing stemmed from a story that I think is more interesting and more complicated than the version MPR heard. The day prior to his firing, he wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post saying calls for Senator Al Franken to resign due to sexual harassment allegations were absurd.

The Cut will update this post as more information becomes available.

Update, 2:15 p.m.: Keillor elaborated on his version of the situation to the Star Tribune. I put my hand on a womans bare back. I meant to pat her back after she told me about her unhappiness and her shirt was open and my hand went up it about six inches. She recoiled. I apologized, he told the paper.

If I had a dollar for every woman who asked to take a selfie with me and who slipped an arm around me and let it drift down below the beltline, Id have at least a hundred dollars. So this is poetic irony of a high order, Keillor continued.  But Im just fine. I had a good long run and am grateful for it and for everything else.
Kalah, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, 2014. Photo: Kia Chenelle Dyson

One-hundred black women photographers contributed to the debut issue of Mfon: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora, an annual journal launched today, which will publish photographs by women of African descent. The photographers range from age 13 to 91 and live all over the world  from Madagascar to Arkansas, Mali to Chicago  and their subjects include the AfroPunk Festival in Brooklyn, life in Lagos, Nigeria, and a funeral for Egyptian soldiers. New York-based co-editors Laylah Amatullah Barrayn and Adama Delphine Fawundu, a documentary photographer and visual artist, respectively, selected images exploring a wide range of themes relating to the African Diaspora, including beauty standards and black hair, resistance movements, and spirituality. The photos appear alongside interviews and essays by writers such as New York Times writer Whitney Richardson and author Catherine McKinley.

Barrayn told the lifestyle website Roads & Kingdoms about their goal: To show that women are underrepresented in the field of photography. Women of color: underrepresented. Women of African descent: underrepresented. Lets highlight the work that these women are doing all over the world. Theyre doing it across genres: photojournalism, fine arts, commercial photography  Theyre working out there. Barrayn and Fawundu thought of the idea for the journal in 2006, but couldnt secure funding at the time. A decade later, the friends launched a GoFundMe campaign and secured a grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council to make Mfon a reality. I am African American, and Delphines family is from Sierra Leone, Barrayn told the Cut. Our friendship is a cool reflection of African Diasporic people connecting and reconnecting. Click ahead to preview the debut issue, available on Mfons website.

If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.

Photo: Bee Walker/Bee Walker

Kadeem in Studio, New York, NY, 2014

Photo: Emilie Regnier

Danielle Babou, Abidjan, 2014

Hard Hats, Rochelle, NY, 1972

Photo: Manyatsa Monyamane

Diva, Pretoria, South Africa 2015

Photo: Kia Chenelle Dyson

Kalah, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, 2014

Coney Island detail, Chair Swing, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, ca. 1972
Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Today the House of Representatives approved a bipartisan measure that will require annual antisexual harassment training for representatives and their staffs, the AP reports.

This comes as congresswomen say sexual harassment is not being taken seriously on Capitol Hill. California representative Jackie Speier has called harassment an occupational hazard. Other congresswomen report being forcibly kissed and groped by colleagues. The House has also reportedly paid out more than $15 million in harassment settlements.

Meanwhile, members of Congress including Representative John Conyers, Senator Al Franken, Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, and of course, President Trump have all been accused of sexual harassment.

In early November, for the first time in history, the Senate put similar sexual-harassment training in place for senators and their staff.

Speier says these training measures are an important first step. But she also wants to reform procedures for reporting sexual harassment in Congress.

Todays bill is an important step in the right direction, Speier said today on the House floor. But lets not fool ourselves. It is a baby step.
Donald Trump. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Wednesday was a big tweet day, even by President Trumps standards. Not only did he re-tweet three unverified, anti-Muslim videos from the leader of the far-right Britain First Party, he also called for a boycott of CNN, suggested MSNBC host Joe Scarborough once killed someone in Florida, and picked a fight with British Prime Minister Theresa May. Well, he tried to, at least. In a since-deleted tweet, Donald Trump responded to Prime Minister Mays criticism of his anti-Muslim retweets, but instead of tagging May (@theresa_may) he tagged @theresamay, the private account of a woman named Theresa May Scrivener, who only has six followers. Now, Ms. Scrivener would like an apology.

In a phone call with the Mirror on Thursday, Scrivener said she has been inundated with calls and messages since the presidents tweet, adding: If I wanted to be famous I would have gone on X Factor.

Its amazing to think that the worlds most powerful man managed to press the wrong button, she said. Im just waiting for a call from the White House with an apology.

This is, of course, not the first time the president has sent a misfired tweet. Earlier this month he tweeted out his condolences for the wrong mass shooting, raising questions about whether or not he copy-pastes his condolence messages. Still, thats not the worst thing he could do on Twitter. As Scrivener said:

Im just glad he was not contacting me to say he was going to war with North Korea.

Arent we all.
Australia Says It Will Stand up to Chinas Challenges, While Calling for Stronger US Support

Australia says in a new whitepaper that the country will not back down from its existing foreign policy values and alliances, despite the challenges posed by the rise of China and the feeling of uncertainty regarding the U.S. commitment to the region.

Since its release on Nov. 24, Australias 2017 foreign policy whitepaper has drawn the attention and a wide range of interpretations from international observers. Australias Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who has risen to prominence under the current Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and the previous Tony Abbott government, says in the whitepapers forward that it is time for Australia to reiterate its international position since the countrys last comprehensive foreign policy review in 2003.

The 122-page whitepaper lays out the challenges facing Australia today: The continuing rise of Chinas economy means that its military power and influence are growing to match, and in some cases exceed, that of the United States. Echoing U.S. President Trumps use of the word Indo-Pacific to describe the areas of Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean, the whitepaper says that Australias future security and prosperity will hinge upon how the country deals with Chinas rise in the Indo-Pacific region.

The whitepaper is significant because it does mark a shift in tone on Australias attitude towards China, said Ian Hall, Professor of International Relations at Australias Griffith University. Hall points out that the whitepapers tone is clearly set early on with the frank statement that, in Canberras view, Today, China is challenging Americas position in the region.

Under both Turnbull and the previous Abbott government, Australias Foreign Ministry led by Bishop has a track record of voicing Australias opposition to Chinas growing aggressions and encroachments across the region. Australia was noted for its strong opposition to Chinas declaration of an East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in 2013, for example. It also strongly criticizes Chinas building of artificial islands and other provocations in the South China Sea.

Although the whitepaper says that smaller countries like Australia have difficulty influencing an international system that is predominantly shaped by the actions of much larger nations, it gives no hint that the country will cave in to Chinas growing challenges.

Instead, the whitepaper proposes that Australia should strengthen ties with like-minded neighbors in the region beyond the United States, such as countries in the Southeast Asia and also Japan, which the whitepaper says possesses advanced military forces and significant technological capabilities.

The whitepaper also says that the country is concerned about the potential for the use of force or coercion in the East China Sea and Taiwan Strait, alluding to Chinas potential invasion of Taiwan, which Australia has not formally recognized.

At the same time, the whitepaper says that the United States commitment to the region is still critical for the success of Australia and others that share the same values, as China will seek to influence the region to suit its own interests.

The whitepaper says that there is greater debate and uncertainty in the United States about the costs and benefits of its international leadership, alluding to the election of U.S. President Trump and the rise of populism which many have thought to be a potentially destabilizing factor in the U.S. commitment to its existing international posture.

Without sustained U.S. support, the effectiveness and liberal character of the rules-based order will decline, the whitepaper says. We believe that the United States engagement to support a rules-based order is in its own interests and in the interests of wider international stability and prosperity.

Increasingly Altered to Chinas Growing Influence

Australia is heavily dependent on China compared to other countries within the web of U.S. alliances. Beside the fact that China is Australias largest trading partner both in terms of import and export, at least 8 percent of Australians are of Chinese ethnicity according to the latest census. On top of that, more than 200,000 Chinese students are thought to be studying in Australia at any given time.

The growing Chinese influence in Australia however, have been increasingly viewed in a negative light as the authoritarian nature of the Chinese regime and its political reach means that many Australians are becoming skeptical of Chinas designs on their country.

The whitepaper notes that there is evidence states like Australia are witnessing attempts to interfere in domestic political processes, says Ian Hall, while it does not name China, it is clear that the government is concerned about political donations and formal and informal lobbying from interests connected to China and to the Communist Party.

A series of high-profile investigative reports by Australian media in recent months have revealed the significant extent of the Chinese Communist Partys control and influence over Australias political institutions, businesses, academia, and the Chinese students studying there.

Bishop said in October that Australia welcomes Chinese students and visitors to the countryas long as they respect Australias liberal democracy and its values, such as the freedom of speech. The remark was believed to be partially a response to the growing reports of Chinese students on Australian campuses demanding to censor speech that is not aligned with Chinese regimes propaganda.

Australias top intelligence agency also warned in October that it has identified a number of states and other actors conducting espionage and foreign interference against Australia, without directly naming China.

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Mt. Agung erupting at night from Kubu sub-district in Karangasem Regency on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Nov. 28, 2017. (Sonny Tumbelaka/AFP/Getty Images)

Balis Erupting Volcano: Possibility of Worst to Come Remains High

As tens of thousands of people attempt to flee an erupting volcano on the tourist island of Bali, a U.S.-based volcanologist has warned it has all the tell-tale signs of becoming much worse.

With Mt. Agung volcano spewing plumes of volcanic ash 5.5 miles (8.8 kilometers) into the sky, Indonesian authorities have ordered the evacuation of 100,000 residents living near the volcano due to fears of a major eruption.

This is an eruption, this is 100 per cent an eruption, Dr Janine Krippner told news.com.au.

For the first time in 50 years, Mt. Agung erupted early last week and according to reports, lava emerged over the weekend which Krippner said is a warning sign of things to come.

Lava is coming out of the volcano, theres definitely enough to cause trouble. This can get much worse, you cant outrun this, said Krippner.

Mengagumi karya Ilahi. Turis asing melihat letusan Gunung Agung dari Amed. Tidak ada kepanikan karena memahami informasi gunungapi dengan baik dan berada di tempat aman. Daerah yang berbahaya di Bali hanyanya di radius 8-10 km dari puncak kawah. #bali #BaliTetapAman pic.twitter.com/zSI7xoXqsp  Sutopo Purwo Nugroho (@Sutopo_BNPB) November 29, 2017

Krippner has been following the volcanos rumblings since September when the number of tremors recorded at Mt. Agung reached around a thousand per day.

The challenge now is that the lid of the volcano has been lifted and there is nothing stopping the molten rock.

The danger is that this is now an open system. Before, it was a closed system which means that there was no easy open access between the magma and the surface, said Krippner.

Now that that has completely made its way through, this can change quickly. It doesnt have to force its way through the rock any more, now its just coming out.

She added that a combination of factors have steadily increased the pressures that are driving the eruptions.

Its like shaking up a bottle of Coke and then taking the lid off, she said.

Gorgeous time lapse video of #Agung volcano by @Eyes_of_a_nomad! Thank you for this incredible footage! https://t.co/rC7Mjw5GSn pic.twitter.com/x9X5dIgH9d  Dr Janine Krippner (@janinekrippner) November 26, 2017

According to the Discover blogsite, volcanic mud flows  known as lahars  have been seen coming out of the volcano.

Krippner said that pyroclastic flows  fast-moving currents of hot gas and volcanic matter  are the ones to watch out for.

If those come, they can travel 10km within three minutes, Krippner said. You cant outrun these.

Pyroclastic flows killed many of the nearly 1,600 people killed when Mt. Agung last erupted in 1963.

The concern is we know the history of Agung and knowing what a volcano has done in the past, you know what it can do in the future, she said.

If a major volcanic eruption does take place on Bali it also could have the capacity to cool down the worlds temperature, if past history is anything to go by.

Vox reported that the 1963 eruption  which emitted about 6 million metric tons of sulfur  dropped global temperatures between 0.1 and 0.2 degrees Celsius for a year.

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Boy, 13, Tries to Kill Bed Bug Then Accidentally Sets Apartment on Fire

A 13-year-old boy accidentally set off a blazing fire as he tried to kill a bed bug, causing $300,000 in damage, and displacing eight people, according to authorities.

Fire officials said the fire was reported at about 11 p.m. on Tuesday Nov. 28 in Cincinnati, Ohio, according to CBS affiliate WAFB 9.

No injuries were reported.

Officials: Boy trying to kill bed bug sparks house fire https://t.co/gHAaySmT5e pic.twitter.com/u6HqDFw63T  KOAT.com (@koat7news) November 30, 2017

According to officials, the teenager had been trying to kill the bedbug with alcohol and a match.

This was accidental. He wasnt in there just playing with matches. It wasnt the smartest thing, obviously, but he was trying to get rid of a bed bug, District 3 Chief Marc Monahan told WAFB 9.

Soon, the boys mattress caught on fire, and flames spread to the attic of the 4000 block of Hawaiian Terrace.

The Red Cross worked to find housing for the three adults and five children that were left displaced from the blaze.

One apartment was destroyed and two were very damaged, while a further two have smoke and water damage, according to ABC affiliate WCPO-TV.

The fire in the apartment complex spread through six units before firefighters could contain it, according to cincinnati.com.

Fire breaks out at Mt Airy apartment after a child tries to kill a bed bug with alcohol and a match. 8 people displaced. $300k worth of damage @FOX19 pic.twitter.com/w5nz3R16Yg  Jessica Brown (@Fox19Jessica) November 29, 2017

In a similar incident in November 2015, a woman from Detroit accidentally started a massive fire when she tried to get rid of bedbugs in her home.

That fire ripped through the 48-unit apartment complex and the roof caved in according to the Detroit Free Press. Nine fire engines were involved in fighting the blaze.

The woman, Sherry Young, described her torment living with bed bugs in her apartment to the Detriot Free Press.

In an effort to eradicate the bed bugs, she decided to turn on her apartments stove and oven and left for a day to heat up the apartment, on advice from a neighbor.

She had slept in her car overnight, then doused herself with rubbing alcohol. When she went back into her apartment, she poured rubbing alcohol on the floor and saw it catch fire near the oven.

I didnt know that the fumes were so ignitable, she said. Had I known that I would not have doused myself before going into the apartment.

She apologized to her neighbors in a telephone interview with the newspaper.

Im so sorry, she said. I didnt mean it. My neighbors  everybodys displaced because of me.

The fire was deemed accidental by the Detriot Fire Department. Five people, including Young, were taken to hospital.

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Car Crashes Into Home, Killing Mother and 7-Year-Old Son

A mother and son from Dayton, Ohio, were killed on the night of Wednesday, Nov. 29, when a car fleeing police crashed into their house.

Maria Davis, 39, was pronounced dead at the scene after a car smashed into the living room of her single-story home in the 800 block of Lilac Avenue, near Kammer Avenue. The crash occurred at about 10:45 p.m., WDTN TV reported.

Daviss 7-year-old son, Jerome, was rushed to Dayton Childrens Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to Dayton Police Lieutenant Steven Bauer.

A third, so far unidentified occupant of the house was unhurt. All three were in the living room when the car plowed through the wall.

Lt. Bauer told WHIO that an officer driving through the neighborhood saw a car fleeing him at high speed. Apparently, the driver panicked when he saw the police cruiser.

Before the officer could conduct a traffic stop, the car crashed into the Davis home.

Police arrested Kesean W. Parks, 24, at the scene and booked him on preliminary charges of carrying a concealed weapon and possession of drugs. According to WHIO, police found a handgun and felony quantities of a controlled substance in the car.

Police have not yet reported if Parks was in any way intoxicated or impaired while driving.

Police were not certain if Parks was alone in the car. A crash reconstruction team, the professional standards bureau, and the violent offenders unit were all called to the scene to assist with the investigation.

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The fence at the County Detention and Correctional Facility during sunset in Santa Barbara, Calif. (David McNew/Getty Images)

Evil Twin Granted Parole Nearly 20 Years After Plot to Kill Sister

The evil twin who plotted to murder her sister and assume her identity has been granted parole after nearly 20 years in jail.

However, the district attorney is appealing for the California state governor to overrule and block her release, claiming that Gina Han remains a danger to society.

In 1998 Gina (also known as Jeen) Han was convicted of conspiring to murder her twin sister Sunny Han after a trial that caught the attention of the public. Police at the time dubbed her the evil twin.

She had convinced two young men to help her murder Sunny in 1996, with whom she had a love-hate relationship, and had fallen out.

When the two young men entered Sunnys apartment in Irvine, California, her roommate Helen Kim was swept into the plot. Both were bound and gagged, before being rescued by police.

Gina Han, now 43, was given a 26-year sentence, and on Oct. 31 was recommended for release by the parole board.

The decision, however, is subject to a 120-day review period under California law, during which it can be vetoed by the state governor.

Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckus wrote to Gov. Jerry Brown advising him to use his executive power to reverse the decision.

'Evil twin' who conspired to murder sister getting out of jail https://t.co/gKR5lrKY1L pic.twitter.com/xkDzaHUWyZ  Ottawa Sun (@ottawasuncom) November 29, 2017

He noted that evidence at parole hearing revealed she had a borderline personality disorder, which he said had not been addressed.

He said that it should be remembered that Gina had plotted for two months to commit murder in cold blood demonstrating zero regard for the life and suffering of her sister Sunny Han.

In fact, but for Sunny Han miraculously have a cellphone on her person when Gina Hans accomplices stormed the apartment, this would have most certainly been a first-degree murder, if not a double-homicide.

He described as troubling her choice of words in trying to express remorse: words like reckless impulsive selfish and made bad choices.

Those types of words are used to describe run-of-the-mill youthful indiscretions. They in no way should one used to describe the manipulative, scheming and evil behavior the inmate indulged in over the course of two months in order to end her sisters life and assume her identity.

'Evil Twin' Who Plotted To Murder Her Twin Sister Paroled In California https://t.co/qUrGi5ffz6  FreeSpeechUberAlles (@SemperArgentum) November 29, 2017

The fact remains that she is still flexing the manipulation muscles that she used when she recruited two young men to murder her sister, and they appear to be as keen as they were in 1996, wrote Rackauckas.

Back in 1996 Gina had recruited to teenage boysArchie Bryant, then 16, and John Sayarath, then 15to carry out the attack on her sister.

The two teenage boys posing as salesmen had made their way into Sunnys apartment, and tied up her roommate. Sunny heard the struggle and was able to get a call to the police from the bathroom before they found her.

Ginas plot appears to have been motivated by angerSunny had reported her to the police for stealing her car and using her credit cards.

Gina had been waiting in a car outside.

The district attorney mentioned Ginas motive to assume her sisters identity after murdering her, something which police had said at the time, claiming that she had wanted to take her money and credit cards without worrying about a criminal background or poor credit history.

The two teenagers were sentenced at the time to a total of 24 years in prison.

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Family, Friends of Canadians Detained in China Ask Trudeau to Request Their Release

With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau set to travel to China on Dec. 3, family and friends of Canadians currently detained in China are asking him to request their release during his visit.

On Nov. 27, the Falun Dafa Association of Canada (FDAC) issued a letter to the prime minister asking him to urge the Chinese leadership to release Canadian citizen Sun Qian, along with 12 family members of Canadians incarcerated in China because they practise Falun Dafa, also called Falun Gong, an ancient Chinese meditation discipline that is persecuted by Chinas communist regime.

Vancouver-based Sun is the founder of the multi-billion dollar company Beijing Leadman. She started practising Falun Dafa in 2014 and credited it with helping her recover from chronic health conditions. On Feb. 19, over two dozen police broke into her residence in Beijing and took her away, and she has been detained ever since.

According to FDAC, Sun is being held at the Beijing First Detention Centre and has suffered torture during her captivity. In May, she was shackled, handcuffed, continuously pepper sprayed in the face, says FDAC.

During every genocide in history, it was the great men and women who helped to create an international voice to try to stop the atrocities, reads FDACs letter to Trudeau.

We hope you can be one of these great people and join the voices of support to show Canadas deep concern for human rights by speaking out for Falun Gong, the largest and most violently persecuted group in Chinas recent history.

Miss World Canada 2015 Anastasia Lin has so far collected 15,000 signatures urging Trudeau to call for Suns release.



On Nov. 29, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May presented petitions in Parliament in support of freeing Sun Qian, noting the appropriate timing of her presentation given Trudeaus upcoming visit to China.

The petitioners are asking this House to consider the plight of the practitioners of Falun Dafa  in China, and particularly of Canadian citizen [Sun Qian], who was illegally kidnapped, and hoping the prime minister will indeed raise the issues of human rights in his upcoming visit.

 Before it  s too late 

Amy Chang, daughter of Canadian winery owners John Chang and Allison Lu who were detained in China last year over a customs issue, also wrote a letter to Trudeau on Nov. 27 asking him to help free her parents who are still being detained illegally in China.

John Chang is still in prison, while Lu has had her passport seized and is thus unable to leave China.

Im only 24 years old. For the last 20 months, Ive been working around the clock to help my parents, while at the same time trying to run our familys wineries that employ over 60 people in British Columbia and Ontario. I need for my parents to come home now! Chang wrote.

Chang says her fathers hearing was held in May, 14 months after his arrest, but still no decision was handed down.

Something has to be done before its too late, she wrote.

In Parliament on Nov. 29, Conservative MP Dean Allison asked Trudeau to raise the case with the Chinese authorities.

We need to bring John and Allison home, he said.
Heritage Minister Melanie Joly rises during question period in the House of Commons on Nov. 24, 2017. Ottawa is coming under fresh pressure to find a way to rescue the ailing Canadian newspaper industry. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)

Feds Face New Pressure to Help Hobbled Newspaper Industry Amid More Shutdowns

Ottawa is coming under fresh pressure to find a way to save the ailing Canadian newspaper industry, although the Liberals remain steadfast in their argument that the solution lies in the transition to digital platforms and more viable business models.

Torstar Corp. and Postmedia Network Inc. announced Nov. 27 they will cut nearly 300 jobs as they plan to shutter more than 30 newspapers across the country, with most of the dailies and community weeklies affected based in Ontario.

Its absolutely brutal, Unifor national president Jerry Dias said as he urged federal Heritage Minister Melanie Joly to protect print journalism.

Earlier this year, a major report from the Public Policy Forum called for a sales tax on foreign companies selling digital subscriptions in Canada and a $400 million fund to help finance reliable news and information.

And in June, the House of Commons heritage committee also issued recommendations on how to save the industry, including a five-year tax credit to compensate print outlets for a portion of their digital investments.

But in September, Joly unveiled a cultural strategy that was criticized by industry experts for lacking measures that could have given a boost to struggling newspapers across Canada.

At the time, Joly said Ottawa had no interest in bailing out industry models that are no longer viable, and would instead focus on supporting innovation, experimentation, and the transition to digital platforms.

Asked if news of the upcoming closures had encouraged her to rethink her approach, Joly reiterated that the government would provide support in the coming months for local media as they continue to shift to web-based models.

She also noted the federal government invests up to $75 million annually in the Canada Periodical Fund, which includes support for local media.

Jolys office said the government is looking at modernizing the Canada Periodical Fund in ways that could help local news outlets, such as by moving away from funding based on paid print circulation, which does not account for a digital audience.

Helping print media out of a crisis does not have to be about propping up a failed business model, said Dias, one of several prominent Canadian business leaders who took part in consultations on the future of the industry.

If the government wants to have a thriving industry, if they want to have freedom of expression, if they want to have journalistic integrity, then were going to have to find a mechanism to deal with it, he said. You put money into journalism. Thats what the issue is.

CWA Canada, an umbrella group that represents multiple media unions, also urged the government to take urgent action.

Conservative MP Peter Van Loan, who is the heritage critic for his party, said he thinks the newspaper chains are making a mistake by shutting down the local papers, but said the federal government should not intervene.

When you have dynamic change, the answer is not to have government fund money to turn back the clock and try to keep an old model alive that doesnt work anymore, said Van Loan, whose own Ontario riding of York-Simcoe is also losing a local paper, the Bradford Times.

From The Canadian Press
Professional Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrives to the premiere of Open Road Films' "A Haunted House 2" at Regal Cinemas L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California on April 16, 2014. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Floyd Mayweathers Beverly Hills Mansion Burglarized

Burglars broke into Floyd Mayweather Jr.s $26 million mansion in Southern California and stole at least $10,000 worth of valuables, on Wednesday, Nov. 28.

According to TMZ, the former professional boxer was out of the country at the time of the robbery.

I got that bagliterally & figuratively. #Hermes #HermesHac #HermesDiamondHac A post shared by Floyd Mayweather (@floydmayweather) on Oct 22, 2017 at 10:31pm PDT

Police said in a statement that the burglary was reported on Wednesday at 3 p.m. The items allegedly stolen were luggage, sunglasses, and accessories, according to police.

An investigation into the burglary is still ongoing with no suspect currently available, police said.

Because this is an active investigation, no additional details are available for release at this time, Lieutenant Elisabeth Albanese said in the statement.

Exclusive timeless artwork in my Beverly Hills home. #BeverlyHills #90210 #TBE #TMT A post shared by Floyd Mayweather (@floydmayweather) on Sep 25, 2017 at 10:12pm PDT

This is not the first time Mayweathers homes have been burglarized, according to Bleacher Report.

In August 2008, an intruder broke into his Las Vegas home and stole $7 million worth of jewelry, the boxer claimed. His Las Vegas home was again burglarized in February this year when he was away in Los Angeles celebrating his 40th birthday, reported USA Today.

This is the latest case in a string of celebrity and athlete home burglaries in the Los Angeles area.

Dodgers star, Yasiel Puig, was the last celebrity to be robbed before Mayweather. According to TMZ, more than half a million dollars worth of jewelry was taken, including 3 high-end Rolex watches.

Other celebrities who were recently hit by high-stakes burglaries include Mariah Carey, Alanis Morissette, Demi Lovato, Drake, and Nicki Minaj, reported TMZ.

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Giant Asteroid 3200 Phaethon Will Come Close to Earth Next Month

According to astronomers, a three-mile-diameter object is making a near approach in December, passing within 6.4 million miles of Earth. Thats 27 times the distance from the Earth to the moon.

The object, asteroid 3200 Phaethon, at its closest on Dec. 16, is expected to come even closer in 20931.8 million miles.

Though the International Astronomical Unions Minor Planet Center calls it potentially dangerous, astronomers are used to dealing with enormous spans of time and space. According to CBS News space consultant Bill Harwood, there is almost no situation in any foreseeable future where asteroid 3200 Phaethon will collide with the planet Earth.

Any body thats bigger than about 500 feet across and its orbit carries it within about 4.6 million miles of Earth at any point in its orbit is classified as a potentially hazardous object, he explained.

Meaning over millennialots and lots of timegravitational interactions with the outer planets, you know, other objects in the solar system might perturb the orbit enough that it could actually impact the Earth.

Now in the case of this asteroid, thats not the case, he concluded. They think this asteroidand its orbit is very well knownwill never get closer than about 1.8 million miles of the Earth.

Even at 6.4 million miles, 3200 Phaethon should be visible to people with access to small telescopes when it makes its closest approach on Dec. 16, according to Michael Mendillo, a professor of astronomy at Boston University.

Benefit of Near Approach

Citizens of Earthenjoy your light show! The coming of 3200 Phaethon heralds the arrival of the Geminids meteor shower, which will light up the night skies in mid-December, peaking on the night of Dec. 13 and the morning of Dec. 14 with about 120 objects per hour, according to Space.com.

Most meteor showers are caused by cometsbasically, ice-balls with rocks and dust stuck to it. The Gemenid shower is unusual because it comes from an asteroid.

The Gemenid shower is also unusual because it is extremely recentin astronomical terms.

The first recorded observation of the shower was in 1833 from a riverboat on the Mississippi River, Space.com reports.

According to NASAs Bill Cook, it is likely that 3200 Phaethon collided with another chunk of rock a few centuries ago, and over time, Jupiters gravitational field pulled the resulting debris into the path of Earths orbit.

Not all scientists are certain that 3200 Phaethon collided with another orbiting object hundreds of years ago. A paper published in 2013 in the Astrophysical Journal Letters says that, based on three years of observations from NASAs STEREO spacecraft, when 3200 Phaethon gets close to the Sun, the heat or solar wind breaks off portions of the rock.

Slowly Disintegrating

3200 Phaethon gets closer to the Sun than any other named orbiting body, sometimes coming as close as 17 million mileshalf the distance from the Sun to the planet Mercury. Its surface temperature reaches 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Sky and Telescope.

Scientists discovered in 2013 that 3200 Phaethon has a tail like a cometbut comet tails are produced by ice turning to gas. 3200 Phaethons tail seems to be dust pulled off by the Suns heat and gravitational field.

If 3200 Phaethon is composed of carbonaceous materialscompounds containing a lot of water and carbonthe compounds might get brittle in the extreme heat and break apart when tugged one way by the Sun and another way by momentum.

Phaethon may be a breakup in slow motion, Paul Wiegert, an astronomer at the University of Western Ontario in Canada, said at the Division of Planetary Sciences meeting in Pasadena, California.

Do you like watching the night sky for meteors? Do you worry about Earth being hit by an asteroid?

Share your comments belowand share this article with a friend.

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A man watches a television news screen showing a picture of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un delivering a statement in Pyongyang, at a railway station in Seoul on September 22, 2017. (JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images)

Kremlin: Stay Calm, but New North Korea Missile Test a Provocative Act

MOSCOWThe latest test of a new North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a provocative act, Russia said on Wednesday, calling on all sides involved to stay calm to avoid a clash.

North Korea said it successfully tested a powerful new ICBM on Wednesday that put the entire U.S. mainland within range of its nuclear weapons. The latest test was the highest and longest any North Korean missile had flown, landing in the sea near Japan.

Certainly, this new missile launch is a provocative act, which provokes further growth in tension and which moves us further away from the point where a settlement of the crisis can begin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on a conference call with reporters.

North Koreas first missile test since mid-September came a week after U.S. President Donald Trump put North Korea back on a U.S. list of countries it says support terrorism, allowing it to impose more sanctions.

A man looks at a street monitor showing a news report about North Koreas missile launch, in Tokyo, Japan, November 29, 2017. (REUTERS/Toru Hanai)

A woman walks past a street monitor showing a news report about North Koreas missile launch, in Tokyo, Japan, November 29, 2017. (REUTERS/Toru Hanai)

Washington has said repeatedly that all options, including military ones, are on the table in dealing with North Korea while stressing its desire for a peaceful solution.

Diplomatic options remain viable and open, for now, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said.

While condemning the latest test, the Kremlins Peskov said: We hope that all the sides involved are able to preserve calm, which is so necessary to avoid the situation on the Korean peninsula sliding towards a worst-case scenario.

Russia and China have proposed a roadmap for defusing the crisis in the region.

On Wednesday, Russias foreign ministry repeated its offer to use the plan, calling on North Korea to stop its missile and nuclear tests, while urging the United States and South Korea to abstain from their unprecedentedly large-scale, unscheduled military air exercises announced to be held in early December.

Asked if the Kremlin believed that the proposed roadmap was being considered by the North Korean leadership, Peskov said: Lets put it this way: there are no grounds for substantial optimism.

By Dmitry Solovyov
Missing Toe Helps Catch Most Wanted Fugitive for Killing His Girlfriend 11 Years Ago

A man who was placed on the U.S. Marshals 15 most wanted list for murdering his girlfriend 11 years ago was arrested on Nov. 28, after confirming his identity from his well-publicized missing toe.

William Joseph Greer has been on the run for more than a decade after killing his girlfriend Tammy Marie Esquivel on Dec. 19, 2006, and was arrested by U.S. Marshals in cooperation with Mexican authorities about noon in Nacajuca, Mexico, reported the Daily News.

The 52-year-old man was known for the 2006 Naked Arrest where authorities found him partially naked and intoxicated in Texas a few days after Esquivel was killed. He allegedly confessed to using drugs and accidentally killing his girlfriend, according to a U.S. Marshals statement in 2016.

Police arrested him for public intoxication but he was released the next day when they could not find any evidence of the murder. Greer, who was described a chameleon, left the state the day he was released from jail.

A murder warrant was issued in January 2007 and Greer was indicted for Esquivels murder in March 2007, according to the statement. He was added to the U.S. Marshal Services list of 15 Most Wanted Fugitives in January 2016.

At the time of his disappearance, Greers unique physical characteristics were widely publicized including scars on his left forearm and left thigh, and a missing toe next to the big toe on his right foot. It was this missing toe that got him captured once again.

According to the U.S. Marshals, after being extradited to the United States, Greer has been turned over to the Harris County Homicide Division.

As we approach the 11th anniversary of Tammys murder, we hope that this arrest brings Tammys loved ones some sense of closure, a U.S. Marshal said during a press conference on Nov. 29.

Theyve been denied justice for 11 years and this arrest will start the proceedings and close this case up for good, he added.

Harris County Murder Fugitive on US Marshals Most Wanted List: CAPTURED #hounews #lesm https://t.co/Zom1bdkoej  HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) November 29, 2017

On Dec. 19, 2016, Greers two sons who were 9 and 13 at the time saw their father drag Esquivel into the master bedroom. Later they heard arguing and gunshots coming from the room, a spokesperson from the Harris County Sheriffs Department said during the press conference.

Her death was not discovered until a few days later when Greer was arrested for public intoxication, and her body still has not been found.

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More Details Emerge About Today Host Matt Lauer

More details about disgraced Today show host Matt Lauers behavior in the workplace have been revealed, with one female employee alleging that he locked the door in his office and sexually assaulted her until she passed out.

The New York Times reported that the alleged incident took place in 2001 and involved an unnamed, married woman who was in her 40s at the time. She said that Lauer was at his desk and she sat down before he locked the door by pressing a button at his desk. He allegedly asked her to unbutton her blouse and then assaulted her.

In a stunning move on Wednesday, Today show hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb announced Lauers firing over alleged inappropriate sexual conduct in the workplace. Lauer, a staple on NBCs most profitable franchise, Today, was reportedly earning more than $20 million per year.

In a statement of his own, Lauer broke his silence on Thursday. There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt I am truly sorry, he said in a statement read by the Today show hosts.

As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC. Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly, he added.

U.S. broadcasters Matt Lauer and Garrison Keillor are fired after allegations of "inappropriate behavior": https://t.co/r9QWClZnGI pic.twitter.com/4l8z1nP6Tn  Reuters TV (@ReutersTV) November 30, 2017

NBCs Stephanie Gosk revealed to Megyn Kelly on Thursday that there might be as many as eight female accusers.

We have reached out to New York City Police; we have reached out to police departments in Long Island. We know of no open criminal investigation against Matt Lauer, Gosk said. Because they are anonymous, we dont know if any of the people who spoke to Variety also spoke to The New York Times.  We dont know if any of them are the same women, she added.

Matt Lauer admits there is 'enough truth' in the bombshell sexual assault allegations leveled against him https://t.co/5yumn66IYD  Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) November 30, 2017

NBC denies that it received any complaints about Lauer until Monday.

We can say unequivocally, that, prior to Monday night, current NBC News management was never made aware of any complaints about Matt Lauers conduct, a spokesperson for the network said.

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Angela Chelette thought her son was dead when a deputy showed up at her doorstep in Addis, Louisiana, at 3:30 a.m. and told her to quickly get to Our Lady of the Lake hospital. Her son, Ryan Reech, 21, just had a car accident.

When someone tells you the priest will be in with you first and then the doctor, theres a million things that go through your head that your kids gone, Chelette said, WAFB reported.

Randy and Renee Gautreaux thought the same thing after they called 911 for the young man who fell asleep behind the wheel, ran off LA 308 near Thibodaux, Louisiana, flipped twice in the air, and landed in a tree in the Gautreauxs yard on Oct. 24.

The cop had told me that he was investigating a fatality, because when he left the scene, the cops thought that he was dead, Renee said.

But, after 10 staples mended a gash on his head, Ryan eventually pulled through.

Hey he is still stable and unconscious. He has a little bleeding on his brain but nothing too severe at this point so they will just keep monitoring it through CT scans, Chelette wrote on Facebook a day after the accident. Hes strong and for sure a fighter! Keep the prayers going.

His mother believes Ryan would have been dead if not for the expedient reaction by the Gautreauxs, the first responders, and the trauma team at the hospital.

The Gautreauxs immediately called 911 when they heard the crash from their bedroom, the police arrived within three minutes, and Ryan was airlifted to the hospital.

My son could have bled to death, and its just a miracle that hes alive, Chelette said. I owe them everything. I owe them my life. They will forever be in our family.

The Gautreauxs were getting daily updates on Ryans condition and Renee Gautreax also started an online group to pray for him. Three weeks after the accident they finally visited him at the hospital.

I never met yall before, Reech said sitting in his hospital bed. This is just a lot to take in. People that dont even know me saved my life.

He spent almost a month in hospitals in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, but finally made it home in time for Thanksgiving as well as his Nov. 25 birthday.

Chellete told The Epoch Times she keeps in close contact with the Gautreauxs.

She also said the accident was a lesson for Ryan.

I want people to know how dangerous it is to drive so late and how miracles do happen if god isnt ready for you to be taken from this earth, she said.

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An Oroton store in the Australian city of Brisbane. The struggling up-market handbag retailer OrotonGroup has gone into voluntary administration. (Wikimedia Commons)

No Way Out for Luxury Handbag Retailer as Administrators Move In

Luxury handbag retailer the OrotonGroup has collapsed after not being able find a way out of the $14.2 million in losses it suffered this year due to falling sales.

Company management said it went into voluntary administration after an eight-month strategic review was unable to find a feasible way to secure its future, reported the Fairfax Media.

The board is disappointed that it has had to take this step after running such a comprehensive process, said interim chief executive Ross Lane, who is the 3rd generation of the Oroton founding family who established the company in 1938.

However it is apparent that voluntary administration is necessary to protect the Oroton business and the future of this iconic Australian brand, said Lane whose family holds 21 percent of the companys shares which have drastically dwindled in value.

#OrotonGroup collapses into administration after 8-month strategic review failed to find a viable option to secure its future #retail #news #oroton pic.twitter.com/JCAEMWqs03  Kate Hall (@kate_hall2) November 30, 2017

As the companys board finalized the outcomes of its review, its shares went into a trading halt on Tuesday. The Australian Financial Review said that the companys shares fell from more than $9 in 2011 to just 43 cents on Monday. In that six years, the drop in price has slashed the Sydney-based companys market value from $380 million to $18 million.

According to the companys website, the OrotonGroup has 70 stores across Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia.

The company said that its stores will continue to trade normally while administrators pursue a sale or a recapitalization.

Restructuring the group was a possibility, and our ambition is that a stronger Oroton business will emerge from this process, said administrator Vaughan Strawbridge from Deloitte Restructuring Services, reported Fairfax.

In August, the company announced it would close its six Gap franchise clothing stores  a joint venture with the US retailer  and focus on its core handbag brand.

Oroton is one of a series of mid-sized fashion retailers who have recently gone bust in Australia. Marcs, David Lawrence, Rhodes & Beckett, Herringbone, Payless Shoes and Pumpkin Patch have all gone under in the past 18 months, Fairfax said.

With increased competition and lower prices, Australian retailers in general have been facing challenges, said Reserve Bank Governor Phil Lowe, speaking at a business dinner on Nov. 21.

Increased competition and changes in technology are driving down the prices of many of the things we buy, Lowe said. This is making for a tough environment for many in the retail industry, but for consumers, lower prices are good news.

Another retailer tumbles into administrationand that's before the hyper competitive Christmas shopping season OR the arrival of Amazon.clearly we haven't seen the last of Australia's retail bloodbath#oroton pic.twitter.com/70k7agmCTC  Gemma Felicity Acton (@GemmaActon) November 30, 2017

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A view of the Hwasong-15's test. State media said the missile was launched from a newly developed vehicle and that the warhead could withstand the pressure of re-entering the atmosphere. (Reuters/KCNA)

North Korea Says ICBM Can Carry Extra Heavy Warhead, Reach Any Place in US

After launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) 2800 miles into space, North Korea says the missile puts the entire U.S. mainland within its reach.

The regime in Pyongyang also said that the missile, the Hwasong-15, is designed to carry a larger than normal warhead.

The ICBM Hwasong-15 type weaponry system is an intercontinental ballistic rocket tipped with super-large heavy warhead which is capable of striking the whole mainland of the U.S, North Koreas Central News Agency, a mouth piece of the communist party, said on Nov. 29. According to North Korean state media the ICBM flew for 53 minutes.

This latest development in North Koreas nuclear weapons program is concerning as it showcases an ability the regime previously didnt have.

North Korean soldiers on the border with South Korea on Nov. 27, 2017. (Korea Pool/Getty Images)

While North Korea has threatened the U.S. mainland for months with nuclear weapons, intelligence and military experts said the regime lacked the ability to effectively deliver a nuclear warheadthis has now changed.

Following the ICBM missile test on Nov. 27, U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said that the missiles North Korea is developing could threaten everywhere in the world.

North Korea has admitted that it is using its nuclear weapons program as a way to pressure the United States and to protect its regime. Speaking at the White House following a 12-day Trip to Asia, Trump said on Nov. 15 that we will not allow this twisted dictatorship to hold the world hostage to nuclear blackmail.

Since coming to office in January, President Donald Trump has taken a different approach from previous administrations to the North Korean issue.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis arrive for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Oct. 30, 2017. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Trump has vowed he will not accept North Korea putting American lives and interests at risk. He has said that the only solution to the crisis is a complete denuclearization of North Korea.

To put pressure on North Korea, Trump has threatened to use military force if the United States or its allies are threatened. He has vowed to build up the U.S. military and has made agreements with U.S. allies in the region to sell them high-quality American military equipment.

In addition, Trump has put pressure on China and Russia to help deal with the North Korean situation.

People watch a television broadcast on North Koreas latest missile launch, at a Seoul Railway Station on Nov. 29, 2017. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

Trump met for hours in person with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a visit to China earlier this month.

On Thursday, Trump said that an envoy China sent to North Korea shortly after the meeting hadnt yielded any results.

The Chinese Envoy, who just returned from North Korea, seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man, Trump wrote in a tweet.

Hard to believe his people, and the military, put up with living in such horrible conditions. Russia and China condemned the launch, he added.

The Chinese Envoy, who just returned from North Korea, seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man. Hard to believe his people, and the military, put up with living in such horrible conditions. Russia and China condemned the launch.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2017
The Hollywood Sign is seen atop of Mt. Lee aft on December 5, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (David Livingston/Getty Images)

Report: High-Profile Celebrity Sued by Unnamed Woman for Exposing Her to HIV

A high-level celebrity living in Los Angeles leveraged his power and is being accused of sexually assaulting his personal assistant and exposing her to HIV, TMZ reported on Thursday.

The alleged victimwho was not namedfiled a suit against the man in California, saying he assaulted her while she worked for him.

The lawsuit lists the accuser as Jane Doe, a single mother, and shes suing the man, listed as David Doe, for assault and sexual battery. Sources told TMZ that the man is a celebrity, but details about his identity were not included.

The man forced himself on her and ignored her requests to stop, even laughing and spitting at her, TMZ reported. She also said he exposed her to HIV.

Shes suing for unspecified damages, the outlet reported.

Last week, the Los Angeles Police Department said it opened 28 investigations into sex crimes linked to the media and Hollywood. More investigations are slated to come.

We anticipate the LAPD and other jurisdictions will receive even more high profile sex crime reports in the coming weeks and months, Police Chief Charlie Beck told the Los Angeles Times. We encourage all victims of sexual assault to come forward to report these crimes.

Beck noted that some allegationsincluding one from former child actor Corey Feldmanhave passed the statute of limitations.

We recognize the significant trauma these victims suffer at the hands of the predators who commit these heinous crimes, Beck said. Our detectives are coordinating closely with our local prosecutors and other police agencies including the NYPD.

The bevy of allegations against high-profile figures in the mediawhich this week, included the firing of Today host Matt Lauerfollowed claims from dozens of women against Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. The LAPD said that hes on the books.

Since then, high-profile names have piled up, including Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., Charlie Rose, Glenn Thrush, Mark Halperin, Brett Ratner, Russell Simmons, and Michael Oreskesamong others.

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Disgraced NBC "Today" show host Matt Lauer at an awards ceremony on Nov. 24, 2014, in New York City. (Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

Revelations of Matt Lauers Secret Door Button That Could Turn Office Into Sex Lair

Disgraced NBC Today co-anchor Matt Lauer, fired by the network amid a storm of allegations of highly inappropriate sexual behavior, apparently had a secret button installed under his desk that could lock his office door remotely.

A Fox report points out the device could be used to convert an office space into a secret sex lair, and said an unnamed source at NBC confirmed that the button does, indeed, exist.

Variety first wrote about the gadget in its breaking bombshell that first outed Lauers lewd misconduct:

His office was in a secluded space, and he had a button under his desk that allowed him to lock his door from the inside without getting up. This afforded him the assurance of privacy.

The insider at NBC also told Fox that the button in Lauers office wasnt the only one at the networks head office at Rockefeller Plaza. Today shows executive producer reportedly also had one installed, but the Fox source said staff didnt consider it a sexual misconduct enabler, but an ego thing so the EP didnt have to get out of his desk to close his door for a private conversation.

But the device could also be used to facilitate inappropriate behavior.

According to the Variety piece, the secret button allowed him to welcome female employees and initiate inappropriate contact while knowing nobody could walk in on him.

And now this salacious detail is sparking a firestorm of social media commentary.

WELCOME TO THE FLIRTING CHAMBER i intone, pressing the button on my desk that makes the steel cage drop  Alexandra Petri (@petridishes) November 29, 2017

I absolutely mean it when I say that a very good jumping-off point for the next story here is who in the hell would sign off on a button to let somebody surreptitiously lock his door. That tick-tock, I would read.  Linda Holmes (@nprmonkeysee) November 29, 2017

I have known lots of fancy tv types that had a button on their desk that would release a magnetic door stopper holding the door open, allowing them to close the door w/o getting upBUT NEVER A SECRET BUTTON THAT LOCKED IT! YEESH!  Andy Richter (@AndyRichter) November 29, 2017

How does one even go about having installed a button on your desk that locks your door without needing to get up? Do you just do it? Do you come up with some weird excuse? Claim to be lazy?  Ginger Gibson (@GingerGibson) November 29, 2017

In a statement read aloud at the start of Thursdays broadcast of the Today show, Lauer apologized for what he called his troubling flaws.

Lauer, 59, said in his statement that some of the accusations against him were untrue or mischaracterized but that there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed.

Lauer was fired after a female colleague complained about a pattern of inappropriate sexual behavior that began while they were on assignment at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia, according to NBC.

Since then, at least two more women have come forward with similar complaints against Lauer, the Today show reported on Thursday.

Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and Im committed to beginning that effort, Lauer said in the statement, which was read aloud by his former co-host Savannah Guthrie at the start of Thursdays broadcast.

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Seven-Year-Old Boy May Have Frozen to Death Outside

A seven-year-old boy who froze to death may have been outside in near-freezing temperatures for some time before his body was found, claims the Birmingham Mail.

Emergency services have confirmed the death of the boy, who the Mail says died from hypothermia.

Police have arrested a 56-year-old man on suspicion of wilfully ill-treating a child, and a 35-year-old woman on suspicion of wilfully neglecting a child.

They have both been released while police investigate the death in Birmingham, UK. A post-mortem is due to take place on Friday, Dec. 1.

Ambulances were called early on Sunday, Nov. 26 but were unable to save Hakeem Hussain, 7. He was declared dead at the scene.

West Midlands Ambulance service told the Birmingham Mail: Two ambulances and a paramedic officer attended the scene and arrived to find a boy in cardiac arrest. Sadly, nothing could be done to save the child and he was confirmed dead on scene.

Rest in peace, love Dad

Flowers and cards have been placed outside the house in tribute to the boy, according to the Birmingham Mail. One card simply reads: Rest in peace, love Dad.

Another reads: To our baby Hakeem. Rest in peace our angel. Forever and always in our hearts, love always from your aunties.

A neighbour told the Mail how shocked he was by the death. Asked about the man who lived at the house, he said: He lived there alone, but now and then various relatives came to stay with him and the last time I saw him he said his niece and her son were coming to stay. I was told hed gone into hospital so didnt know the child had died and hed been arrested. I cant believe it and am totally shocked.

Another neighbour said: I never heard anything from inside the house, they were always very quiet. The couple of times I saw the child he looked happy, healthy, and well-fed and had no sign of injury.

Pupils at Hakeems nearby school have been offered counselling and headteacher Julie Wright wrote to parents following the death.

She wrote: This loss to our academy community is sure to raise many emotions and concerns for our staff and pupils.

We are working with Birmingham City Council to ensure that staff and pupils have access to grief and bereavement counsellors.

We are saddened by the loss to our academy community and will make every effort to support you and your child as you need.

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Mount Tarawera in Eruption by Charles Blomfield, depicting th 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera on New Zealands North Island. (Wikipedia)

The Earth Might Be Overdue for a Cataclysmic Volcanic Eruption

Traffic is bad, the job is a drag, prices are rising, wages are stagnantand on top of all that, a volcano might reduce Planet Earth to a pre-civilization state, some scientists claim, adding that such an eruption might be overdue.

Researchers at Bristols Schools of Earth Sciences and Mathematics in the UK estimated how often the largest explosive super-eruptions happen. It turns out, a lot more frequently than previously thought.

Super-eruptions can eject more than 1,000 gigatons of erupted mass. That amount of debris could blanket an entire continent, and change the planets weather for decades, with ash blocking the sun.

Plants would die, then animals. Without food most people would die. What would be left would be a Stone-Age level of civilization.

Analysis of Disaster Data

Researchers at Bristol University looked at geological data going back through 100,000 years to find signs of super-eruptions.

Their findings have overturned current thinking on super-volcano risk.

Professor Jonathan Rougier is a Professor of Statistical Science who studies uncertainty and risk assessment for things that have the potential to cause substantial harm. He works on the VOLCORE project, analyzing ice and ocean cores to study global volcanism on long timescales.

Professor Rougier told The Mirror, The previous estimate, made in 2004, was that super-eruptions occurred on average every 45 to 714 thousand years, comfortably longer than our civilization.

But in our paper just published, we re-estimate this range as 5.2 to 48 thousand years, with a best guess value of 17 thousand years.

The very earliest discovered signs of permanent human settlements are villages used by mammoth hunters in the Czech Republic town of Dolni Vestonice, dated to about 23,000 B.C.

With no sign of a catastrophic eruption since then, one could assume another may be due. Or maybe not.

Prof Rougier noted that the last recorded super-eruptions occurred before humanity modernized.

On balance, we have been slightly lucky not to experience any super-eruptions since then, he said.

But it is important to appreciate that the absence of super-eruptions in the last 20 thousand years does not imply that one is overdue. Nature is not that regular, he added. What we can say is that volcanoes are more threatening to our civilization than previously thought.

Major Devastation

According to LiveScience, a supervolcanic eruption could have the same impact as a mile-wide asteroid, blocking the sun with ash, reflecting its rays and cooling the Eartha phenomenon called a volcanic winter, similar to a nuclear winter. Also possible are tsunamis if the eruption is in or near an ocean, according to the Department of Geosciences at the University of Massachusetts.

There are about a dozen supervolcanoes known today, many of them under the ocean. One of the largest encompasses Yellowstone National Park.

The U.S. Geological Survey says that the Yellowstone super-volcano has erupted three times in the past 2.1 million yearsthe first being 2.1 million years ago, the second 1.2 million years ago, and the third 640,000 years ago. The three eruptions were about 6,000, 700, and 2,500 times larger than the May 18, 1980, eruption of Mt. St. Helens in Washington State. Together, the three catastrophic eruptions expelled enough ash and lava to fill the Grand Canyon.

According to USGS, these eruptions covered much of the western half of North America, likely a third of a meter deep several hundred kilometers from Yellowstone and several centimeters thick farther away. Wind carried sulfur aerosol and the lightest ash particles around the planet and likely caused a notable decrease in temperatures around the globe.

Not Much to Do in Any Case

Professor Rougier pointed out that while supervolcanoes could do devastating destruction, there were many more immediate issues mankind should be addressing.

As well as improving our understanding of global volcanism, our paper develops relatively simple techniques to analyze incomplete and error-prone geological and historical records of rare events, he said. These difficulties are ubiquitous in geohazards, and we expect our approach will be used for reappraising other types of hazard, such as earthquakes.

Rougiers paperco-authored by R. Steven J. Sparks, Katharine V. Cashman, and Sarah K. Brown, all from Bristol Universitywas published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, titled The global magnitudefrequency relationship for large explosive volcanic eruptions.

Are you concerned about supervolacanoes? Asteroids? Other Earth-affecting disasters? Whyor why not? Post your comments below.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un claims to have completed North Korea's state nuclear force, but the timing of his latest launch could reveal he is not beyond intimidation.(STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Timing of Missile Test May Reveal Kims Fear

News Analysis

Kim Jong Un may often threaten the United States and Japan with nuclear annihilation but the timing of his latest missile test could reveal his fear of his own demise.

North Korea launched the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov, 29. The missile flew for 53 minutes, reached 2800 miles highover ten times the orbit height of the International Space Stationand came down 130 miles off the coast of Japan.

The provocative launch marks a new era in the communist countrys ballistic missile program. The new, larger missile, is credibly able to carry a nuclear warhead and can reach Washington D.C. and much of the U.S. mainland. According to North Korea, the missile completes the regimes state nuclear force.

But despite Kims frequent warnings to reduce the U.S. to ash and sink Japan into the ocean, he waited until the United States dramatically reduced its military posture in the region before launching the missile.

The Hwasong-15 was launched two days after the USS Theodore Roosevelt nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and its strike group of war ships and aircraft left Pacific Command.

Pacific Command is responsible for the military assets and personnel that would deploy to deal with war on the Korean Peninsula.

Moreover, the Roosevelts departure was preceded days earlier by the departure of the USS Nimitz and its strike group. On Nov 25, the Nimitz arrived in Hawaii.

While still under Pacific Command, the Nimitz is now in the 3rd Fleets Area of Responsibility, which does not include the Korean Peninsula.

At its maximum speed of 31.5 knots (36.2 mph), it would take the Nimitz five days to reach North Korea, well outside the range for an immediate attack.

The departure of the two aircraft carriers and their strike groups significantly reduced U.S. military assets in the region.

The Roosevelts strike group includes a guided missile cruiser, three guided-missile destroyers, and Carrier Air Wing 17, which is made up of three squadrons of strike fighter jets, a marine fighter attack squadron, an electronic attack squadron, two combat helicopter squadrons, and more.

The Nimitz strike group is similarly equipped. Between them, they brought hundreds of aircraft and an incredible amount of firepower to the Western Pacific, a threat that even North Koreas supreme leader could not overlook.

Several of the strike groups ships were also Aegis equipped, meaning they had the missiles and radar assets required to bring down an intermediate range ballistic missile.

The arrival of the two ships seemed timed to make a statement to the Kim regime.

The Roosevelt arrived in Pacific Commands 7th Fleet area of responsibility on October 23, just over a month after North Koreas previous missile test. The Nimitz arrived two days later.

It was always planned that the ships would both leave 7th fleet, whose area of responsibility includes the Korean Peninsula. The Roosevelt was travelling to the 5th Fleet, where it would come under Central Command and replace the Nimitz in the ongoing battle against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

The Nimitz, meanwhile, would return home after its deployment to the Middle East.

But for a month, both ships lingered in the Western Pacific, taking part in exercises and drills meant to hone U.S., South Korean, and Japanese forces.

The 7th Fleet is now left with just one aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan, and its associated strike group, though the fleet also includes submarines, ships, and aircraft outside the carrier group. Pacific Command also oversees U.S. Forces Japan, and U.S. Forces Korea and the army bases, naval ports, and air force bases throughout the region.

There is, however, a unique threat posed by additional naval forces on the Korean Peninsula, where amphibious assault is one of the most crucial tactics needed to rapidly invade North Korea.

Kim may have revealed a new missile with Wednesdays launch, but he may also have revealed that he is not beyond being intimidated by a fuller display of U.S. naval power.
U.S. President Donald Trump escorts British Prime Minister Theresa May after their meeting at the White House in Washington on Jan. 27, 2017. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

Trump Calls on British PM to Focus More on Radical Islamic Terror

President Donald Trump called on British Prime Minister Theresa May to focus more on the threat of radical Islamic terrorism.

Trumps tweet comes a day after he retweeted three videos from a far right-wing British politician showing alleged violence committed by muslims.

@Theresa_May, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!, Trump wrote on Twitter on Nov. 29.

.@Theresa_May, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2017

A spokesperson for May had responded to Trumps retweets of the videos by criticizing Britain First, the political party whose deputy leader, Jayda Fransen, had originally posted the videos.

Britain First seeks to divide communities by their use of hateful narratives that peddle lies and stoke tensions. They cause anxiety to law-abiding people. British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right which is the antithesis of the values this country represents, decency, tolerance and respect, the spokesperson said, according to The Guardian.

The United Kingdom has seen a number of attacks committed by Islamic extremists this year.

Members of the public attend a candlelit vigil, to honor the victims of the terror attack on May 22, at Albert Square on May 23, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

On May 22, a suicide bomber killed 22 people and wounded almost 60 at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester. The concert was mostly attended by teenagers.

The ISIS terror group claimed responsibility for the attack which was carried out by Salman Abedi a British national of Libyan descent. Abedi had travelled to Libya, parts of which are now controlled by ISIS, on several occasions before carrying out the attack.

Forensics investigators and police officers work at the site of a March 22 terror attack near Westminster Bridge. (REUTERS/Neil Hall)

Two months earlier, on March 22, a man drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in London. After getting out of the car, Khalid Masood, used a knife to kill a police officer. Masood had reportedly worked in Saudi Arabia in 2005, according to The Telegraph. Four people were killed in the incident and nearly 50 others were injured. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, although British police have disputed that the terror group was behind the attack.

Police officers and members of the emergency services attend to a person injured in an apparent terror attack on London Bridge in central London on June 3, 2017. (Daniel Sorabji/AFP/Getty Images)

On June 3, seven people were killed and 28 injured when three attackers drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge and stabbed others nearby. May said in response to the attack that enough is enough and called for a stronger response to radical Islamic terrorism.

We cannot and must not pretend that things can continue as they are, May said on June 4.

One of the London Bridge attackers, Khuram Butt, had been featured in a 2016 documentary aired on British television in which he could be seen praying to an Islamist black flag. Butt was one of 20,000 people known to counterterrorism authorities in the U.K. for their extremist views, but wasnt one of the 3,000 extremists under surveillance in the current 500 active investigations.

In the most recent attack, on Sept. 15 thirty people were injured on a London tube train when a homemade explosive was set off. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

Since coming to office in January, President Donald Trump has taken a hard line against Islamic extremism and intensified the campaign against the ISIS terror group in Iraq and Syria.

An Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fires flares during a flight supporting Operation Inherent Resolve on June 21, 2017. (Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Trevor T. McBride)

Last month Trump announced a critical breakthrough in the fight against ISIS after the Syrian city of Raqqa had been liberated.

Raqqa was the groups last major stronghold, following its recent loss of Mosul in Iraq.

We have made, alongside our coalition partners, more progress against these evil terrorists in the past several months than in the past several years, Trump said at the time.

In the most recent Islamic terror attack in the United States, 8 people were killed on Oct. 31 when a man drove a flatbed pickup truck into pedestrians and cyclists in New York City. Police say they had found numerous ISIS related images and videos on his phone and believed he was radicalized domestically. The attack was claimed by ISIS.

What were doing, every time we are attacked, from this point forward  we are hitting them [ISIS] ten times harder, Trump said in response to the attack.

During a trip to Saudi Arabia in May, Trump addressed the Arab Islamic American summit, which was attended by over 50 Arab and Muslim leaders. He called on them to unite to fight radical Islam.

Trump attributed terror to an ideology, which he distinguished from the religion of Islam. In one of the more memorable lines of the speech, he said: Terrorists do not worship God. They worship death.

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Two Bodies Recovered From Lake After Anglers Go Missing

The bodies of two anglers who went missing over the weekend on Upper Red Lake, Minnesota, were found on Monday afternoon Nov. 27, according to reports.

Police identified the two anglers as 30-year-old Melissa Marie Seidenstricker and 29-year-old Zeth Grey Knyphausen.

The pair reportedly drowned after their all-terrain vehicle broke through the ice on Saturday.

The two were last seen at Rogers Resort where they were renting a sleeping cabin on Friday evening, and during the day on Saturday, the Star Tribune reported. They never returned to the resort.

A Minnesota State Patrol aircraft with thermal imaging was launched in the hope of finding the missing anglers.

On Monday, a hole in the ice was spotted by a family member. Police used sonar to detect their vehicle underwater, then the two bodies were found around 3 p.m. on Monday, according to the news outlet.

A fundraising page for the pair, set up by friend Tony Wake, Melissas relative, Jake Seidenstricker described how the hole in the ice caught his eye.

I see 2 black dots way off in the distance I tell the investigators about it and say Im going to drive closer to get a look. As I drive closer I see the big hole so I figured Id get off the wheeler and start walking, he said on the page.

I walked toward the dots but kept looking at the hole and decided to go in closer to look, I noticed a couple of strange things on the south side of the hole.

So I walked closer to look and here it was my sisters boot and glove and then I saw all of their boots and gloves floating on the edge of the ice. One boot was on top of the ice.

Then the rescue team used a sonar and discovered the couples vehicle under the water, and soon recovered their bodies.

Jake added, The 2 black dots that caught my attention were 2 big and beautiful eagles which I could only think that was Melissa and Zeth showing me where to look leading me to the location! Fly high you two! Forever fishing and traveling the skys!

All proceeds from the fundraising page will be used for costs accrued by the families, according to the page.

It was Zeths birthday weekend and he had gone to the Upper Red Lake to spend some quality time with his girlfriend, Melissa, CBS reported.

He was planning the trip to head out there and, of course everyone told him to be safe, Al Slowinski, Zeths workplace supervisor told CBS.

He was a hardworking kid, just very dedicated to his job, Al said.

I cant say enough about him, hes going to be greatly missed.

He added, We were really shocked.

Ice is never perfectly safe, Sheriff Phil Hodapp said in a statement, according to the Star Tribune.

Anglers are asked to check with the local resorts on the current ice conditions and open water, and report in with the resorts on where they will be fishing and check in with them often, he said.

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Update: 15-Year-Old Teen Boy Charged With Murder of Grandmother

A 15-year-old teen boy wanted by police and previously caught trying to enter Canada has been charged with the murder of his grandmother.

The accused killer, Logan Mott, will now remain in a New York detention facility for a few days, before being extradited to Florida to face the charges, according to WJXT.

Joanna Pasceri, a spokesperson for the Erie County District Attorneys Office, said Mott was charged as an adult with the murder of his grandmother. She said that the teen faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

However, because of Motts young age, he could be set for an earlier release from prison, CBS News reported.

The Jacksonville Sheriffs office confirmed that an arrest warrant had been issued for Mott over the murder in a tweet.

An arrest warrant has been issued for #LoganMott for the murder of #KristinaFrench. Authorities in Buffalo, NY have been made aware of the warrant and are coordinating with #JSO for the extradition of Logan Mott. pic.twitter.com/KNxekAb2q3  Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) November 28, 2017

The body of 53-year-old Kristina French was found last week in a shallow grave in the yard of a home where Mott lived with his father, according to previous reports. The body was discovered the same day the teenager was caught trying to cross the border.

Authorities said they found some guns along with the weapon used to kill French where at his fathers house.

Anytime you kill anyone its tragic. But  allegedly to kill your grandmother, that takes it to another level, said Erie County, New York, District Attorney John Flynn, WJXT reported.

However, Motts New York defense attorney, Dominic Saraceno, said the information in the arrest warrant doesnt prove anything.

It doesnt prove anything, Saraceno said after the hearing. There is no motive. No confession. There could be dozens of alternative theories on what happened.

We need all eyes looking for these two who are missing and may be endangered. Call 911 if you have seen these people or vehicle the last couple days.#LoganMott  15 years old#KristinaFrench  53 years old May be in a silver Dodge Dart, 4 doors, Florida tag DLLT42. PLEASE RT pic.twitter.com/wdYkq0bZZB  Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) November 23, 2017

Motts mother, Carrie Campbell-Mott, from Missouri, arrived in New York on Tuesday. The mother told WJXT that she is very concerned and cannot believe her son committed the crime.

Saraceno has pushed for a delay in the case, as the extradition hearing was postponed to 9:30 a.m. Friday later this week.

We are talking about a 15-year-old boy being charged with the most serious charge in the penal code, Saraceno said. We have to do our due diligence and follow the proper procedures and make sure everything has been properly done.

According to CBS News, the grandmother worked as a director of operations for a non-profit group called the May Institute that helped people with autism and other special needs.

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Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, speaks during an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council concerning North Korea's nuclear ambitions, at the United Nations headquarters, on Nov. 29, 2017 in New York City. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

US Warns North Korean Leadership Will be Utterly Destroyed in Case of War

UNITED NATIONS/SEOULThe United States warned the North Korean leadership that it would be utterly destroyed if war were to break out, after Pyongyang test fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, putting the U.S. mainland within range.

The Trump administration has repeatedly said all options were on the table in dealing with North Koreas ballistic and nuclear weapons program, including military ones, but that it still prefers a diplomatic option.

Still, speaking at an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting, U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley warned:

We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday  And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed.

Haley said the United States has asked China to cut off oil supply to North Korea, a drastic step that Beijingthe Norths sole major trading partnerhas so far refrained from doing. Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier on Wednesday and said more sanctions on Pyongyang would be enforced.

Just spoke to President Xi Jinping of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled! Trump wrote on Twitter.

Just spoke to President XI JINPING of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017

The latest missile was fired a week after Trump put North Korea back on a U.S. list of countries it says support terrorism, allowing it to impose more sanctions.

United Nations political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman met with North Koreas Ambassador Ja Song Nam on Wednesday to tell him Pyongyang must desist from taking any further destabilizing steps after the country launched another ballistic missile.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday he was counting on U.N. Security Council members China and Russia to step up sanctions on North Korea.

I am counting a lot in particular on China and Russia in order to take the most difficult and effective sanctions, Macron told France 24 television.

North Korea, which conducted its sixth and largest nuclear bomb test in September, has tested dozens of ballistic missiles under Kims leadership in defiance of international sanctions.

North Korea said the new missile soared to an altitude of about 2,780 milesmore than 10 times the height of the International Space Stationand flew 590 miles during its 53-minute flight.

It flew higher and longer than any North Korean missile before, landing in the sea near Japan. Experts said the new Hwasong-15 missile theoretically gave North Korea the ability to hit the United States, including the East Coast, although it was not clear whether it could carry a nuclear weapon.

North Korean state media said the missile was launched from a newly developed vehicle and that the warhead could withstand the pressure of re-entering the atmosphere, which if confirmed would be an important technical advance.

Kim personally guided the test and said the new launcher was impeccable, state media said. He described the new vehicle as a breakthrough.

North Korea also described itself as a responsible nuclear power, saying its strategic weapons were developed to defend itself from the U.S. imperialists nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat.

Many nuclear experts say the North has yet to prove it has mastered all technical hurdles, including the ability to deliver a heavy nuclear warhead reliably atop an ICBM, but it was likely that it soon would.

Threaten Everywhere

U.S., Japanese and South Korean officials all agreed the missile, which landed within Japans exclusive economic zone, was likely an ICBM.

It went higher, frankly, than any previous shot theyve taken, a research and development effort on their part to continue building ballistic missiles that can threaten everywhere in the world, basically, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters at the White House.

An international meeting in Canada in January is designed to produce better ideas to ease tensions over Pyongyangs nuclear and ballistic missile tests, Canadian officials said on Wednesday, although North Korea itself will not be invited.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States has a long list of additional potential sanctions, some of which involve potential financial institutions, and the Treasury Department will be announcing those when theyre ready to roll those out.

US East Coast in Range

The new Hwasong-15, named after the planet Mars, was a more advanced version of an ICBM tested twice in July, North Korea said. It was designed to carry a super-large heavy warhead.

Based on its trajectory and distance, the missile would have a range of more than 8,100 milesmore than enough to reach Washington D.C. and the rest of the United States, the U.S.-based Union of Concerned Scientists said.

However, it was unclear how heavy a payload the missile was carrying, and it was uncertain if it could carry a large nuclear warhead that far, the nonprofit science advocacy group added.

In just three months time, South Korea hosts the Winter Olympics at a resort just 50 miles from the heavily fortified border with North Korea.

Pyongyang has said its weapons programs are a necessary defense against U.S. plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, denies any such intention.

Here is a graphic on nuclear North Korea.

By Michelle Nichols and Christine Kim
Working Conditions Still Poor for Chinas Factory Workers, Says Watchdog Organization

Chinese factory workers producing toys for major brands like Mattel, Hasbro, and Disney continue to work in grueling conditions, with some driven to suicide, according to a recent report by nonprofit China Labor Watch.

During the organizations investigation of the Early Light Toy Factory in Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province, which manufactures toys, clothing, and travel accessories for major brands like Hasbro, Mattel, Costco, and Walmart, two workers jumped from the building. The workers were identified as Yang Zongfang, 38, who was fired after violating a factory rule that forbids workers from allowing other people to use their entry card, and Lin Jinhua, 34, who tried to end his life after verbal abuse by a manager.

China Labor Watch has been investigating working conditions in toy factories since 1999, and for over 18 years, this kind of tragedy has been constantly occurring, the report says.

In August, the organization investigated three other factories in Guangdong Province: Dongguan Qualidux Plastic Products, located in Dongguan City, which produces childrens products, like a Fisher-Price high chair; the Dongguan ChangAn Mattel Second Factory, which exclusively produces Barbie dolls for Mattel; and Shenzhen Winson Precision Manufacturing in Shenzhen City, which produces childrens toys like Mattels Hot Wheels toy cars.

Investigators interviewed around 400 workers and also went undercover to get first-hand information about conditions in the factories. Many of the workers lived in factory dormitories, which were unsanitary and cramped, with eight or more workers in each small room, according to the report. The dorm at Shenzhen Winson, for example, had nine people to a room, with a toilet that required manually filling the basin with water to flush.

Though the factories follow labor laws that stipulate that laborers work no more than eight hours a day, China Labor Watch found that many workers chose to work overtime to achieve production targets. Without overtime pay, most would only make the base wage of about $250 a month.

The organization found that most workers worked for 12 hours a day. All four factories had workers putting in over 80 overtime hours a month, with some clocking in around 140 overtime hours, according to the report.

The report included photos of factory workers sleeping near the work area or in the factorys recreation areas before work.

Fire safety was another issue. At Early Light Factory, emergency exits were blocked with piles of products. During the lunch break, some workers also napped near emergency exits and staircases.

Meanwhile, both Early Light and Qualidux Plastic Products did not provide adequate protective equipment or other safety measures for workers who used toxic chemicals, such as acetone, according to the report.
The Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger, Mr Tanko Beji, has advised party leaders to allow the return of defected members who had values to add to the party.

Beji gave the advice on Monday in Minna when he received Chief Raymond Dokpesi, an aspirant for national chairmanship of the party, who was on a campaign tour to Niger.

He also called for reward mechanism for members who stood by the party in the troubled times.

As a state chapter of the party, we have resolved that loyalty must be rewarded and disloyalty must be punished.

Those who have torn the party apart must be punished for what they have done.

In rebuilding the party, there is need for us to open its gate.

Anybody who wants to add value to our party must be re-admitted into the party, but if you re-join you have to join the queue.

Those who stood in the hard time must not be overtaken, Beji said.

The chairman also urged party members to ensure that the December convention mended rather than marred the party, considering the recent crisis it went through.

Nobody will build this party for us; we have to build it by ourselves, because this party belongs to all of us and does not belong to anybody.

Unlike other political parties, PDP is not owned by anybody.

Beji who said that Dokpesi had visited the state three times within 15 months, remarked that the aspirant had always demonstrated the spirit of party man.

He reassured Dokpesi that PDP members in Niger would not fail him.

He advised him to rekindled peoples' confidence in PDP, put mechanism of intra-party democracy in place and give due recognition to state chairmen of the party, if he emerged as national chairman.

Earlier, Dokpesi had said that he believed that he was the most qualified candidate for the party's national chairman.

I want to plead and assure you that I am eminently qualified to contest for the office of the national chairman.

If there is anybody in the South-West who is better than me, let us get to the field, he said.

Dokpesi urged the state delegates to the December convention to make good decision in electing the party's national leaders.

He said that the decision would determine the future of PDP, the future of the children and the direction on the country. (NAN)
Noem tells NYT former President Trump doesn't offer 'best chance' for GOP

In an interview with The New York Times, Gov. Kristi Noem spoke about her reservations about former President Donald Trump announcing his bid for re-election.
Ubers inside lawyer attempted to distance the company from new and potentially damaging revelations by a witness in a criminal probe of the ride-hailing company.

Angela Padilla, vice president and deputy general counsel of litigation and employment, testified in court Wednesday to respond to revelations the ride-hailing company used encrypted messaging to hide its tracks while spying on rivals, evading authorities and fighting off lawsuits.

On Tuesday, Richard Jacobs, who was a manager on a corporate surveillance team at Uber, said he was forced to resign from Uber because he raised objections to the practices. The focus of that hearing was a 37-page letter Jacobss lawyers sent to prosecutors. The letter is sealed but the judge said he intends to make it public after hearing any objections.

Read more:

Uber hack demonstrates need for personal vigilance

Uber not saying how many Canadians were impacted by hack of personal information

To protect itself against potential trouble, Uber frequently communicated on a service called Wickr that automatically erases messages, according to Jacobs. The company also relied on a surreptitious computer system to eliminate all digital trails, and dispatched its security team to train self-driving car engineers in Pittsburgh how to conceal their electronic tracks, Jacobs testified.

Ubers espionage team also hired contractors who employed former CIA agents to help with its surveillance, according to Jacobs.

Padilla, under questioning from Waymos lawyers, said that Uber turned over Jacobss May 5, 2017, letter to outside lawyers at WilmerHale, which was hired to investigate his sometimes fantastical allegations. She also forwarded it to inside compliance lawyers.

I felt I had discharged my duty by escalating it, Padilla said. Inside lawyers prohibited her from sharing the letter until the allegations were weighed. Eventually the company shared the letter with the Justice Department.

Padilla is testifying because U.S. District Judge William Alsup wants to know why Jacobss letter wasnt turned over to Waymo as part of the information-sharing requirements of litigation in Waymos lawsuit accusing Uber of trade-secret theft. Waymo lawyer Charles Verhoeven said in court that Ubers board of directors had seen the letter.

Padilla said the company sent Jacobss letter to federal prosecutors in June because we had an ex-employee that was very unhappy with the company.

We wanted them to know that so they could investigate, she said.

Uber felt Jacobss demands were extortionate, Padilla said. The bulk of his letter is meritless, she said.

The testimony is at odds with Ubers decision to pay Jacobs $4.5 million and retain him as a consultant. Padilla explained the money was paid in the context of a settlement to resolve his employment claims.

Jacobs said hed raised his concerns with executives at Uber before working out an agreement over his departure. He testified Tuesday that hes still earning much of the settlement money as a paid consultant to Uber, and is required as part of the agreement to not publicly disparage the company.

The case is Waymo LLC v. Uber Technologies Inc., 17-cv-00939, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco).

With files from The Associated Press

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Centred around a motel in a small Alaskan town, Sweet Virginia is a story of people and a place gripped by greed, frustration and murder.

Im originally from a small town, says the Timmins, Ont.-born director Jamie M. Dagg, so Im really fascinated by how the lack of anonymity in small communities changes the dynamics and how people relate to one another where everyone is incestuously interwoven into the fabric of the community. Keeping secrets is really difficult.

In the film, opening Friday, Christopher Abbott is Elwood, a dead-eyed psychopath who comes to town to do a job. Hes been contracted to kill a man. He does the hit, callously killing two innocent bystanders in the process. Waiting for his money, he checks into the motel run by Sam (Jon Bernthal, star of The Punisher on Netflix), a former rodeo star now sidelined by injuries. The two men strike up a friendship as Elwood grows edgy and unpredictable waiting for the person who hired him to cough up his fee.

These are communities where the ramifications of misdeeds are dramatically amplified, says Dagg. It often ripples across the entire population.

Dagg, whose first film, River, won the 2016 Canadian Screen Award for best first feature, says the first actor to sign on for Sweet Virginia was Abbott. Best known for playing Marnie's ex-boyfriend Charlie on the HBO comedy-drama series Girls, Abbott didnt immediately seem like a good fit to play a cold-blooded killer.

Then I watched (the movie) James White with Cynthia Nixon, Dagg says, picking up the story. He has incredible range. Both of us had issues with this guy being (as was originally written) a really charismatic, cool cowboy. We were both interested in pushing it into the person-who-was-bullied-in-high-school-but could-be-the-next-Columbine-shooter.

The character, as brought to life on screen, is a cipher  a deadly man with no remorse. Remember No Country for Old Mens Anton Chigurh and you get the idea.

I decided and Jamie agreed that Elwood is a character who inherently despises humans, says Abbott. It was challenging in making sure to avoid cliches. There are a lot of very good, very credible performances out there of quote-unquote villains. I found it challenging to respect the lineage of playing villains while trying to do my own thing with it.

Abbott says hes been inadvertently researching this role for years.

I read books on psychology, he says, even books like The Psychopath Test. I used something I read in that book for this part. It is part of my job as an actor that, no matter how bad a character is, is to justify or feel sorry for him. Thats the fun of it. How do you have a soft spot for a murderous psychopath?

Sweet Virginia takes place against a backdrop of duplicity and dread but Abbott says bringing this story of menace to the screen was relatively trouble free.

Jamie created an atmosphere where we were able to play as actors, says the actor, and he really enjoyed watching us, which gave us confidence to go further and do more. It was a nice marriage that way.

Dagg concurs. My first film, River, was a challenging film to make. This film was sort of easy. The next one is probably going to be hell! These things are not supposed to be this easy.

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MONTREALFor most of his adult life and for decades after his death Father Alexis Joveneau was regarded as a religious superstar in Quebec.

But the national inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women has heard from several witnesses who said they were sexually abused over several years by the priest.

In the predominately Innu community of La Romaine, Que., Joveneau was celebrated, respected, and considered by many to be Jesus in person, as one witness recounted. He left a much different impression on his victims.

He mistreated us. He abused us, said Noelle Mark, 57, who described being touched inappropriately by Joveneau between the ages of about nine and 15.

She was one of two women Wednesday who described going to church for confession and being forced to sit on the priests knee and endure his inappropriate touches, rather than kneeling.

He would stick his tongue in my ear. I remember that for a long time, Mark said. I hated that smellhis breath. I smell it now.

The Belgian-born priest was ordained in 1951 and requested he be sent to Canada with the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, an international religious order. He arrived in Quebecs rugged north coast of the St. Lawrence River and spent nearly four decades living and working among the Innu people until his sudden death in 1992.

It was noted upon his death that Joveneau was fluent in Innu-aimun, the Innu language, and dedicated much of his time to safeguarding the language and translating educational and religious books for Innu readers.

The National Film Board produced a 1977 film, Le gout de la farine, which featured the priest talking about the struggles of the Innu of Quebec to maintain their culture and language and battle social problems such as alcoholism.

Most of the obituaries marveled that Father Joveneau had been adopted by the Quebec Innu and would be buried in their cemetery.

Simone Bellefleur said she wanted nothing to do with him and still has trouble entering churches because she associates such buildings with painful memories.

Bellefleur said she endured the same treatment in the confessional and at the priests home, where she was often asked to come and wash dishes. Other times, it happened in the company of other girls, she said.

Often we were together as a group and he would take us each one after the other. I must have been around 15 years old, Bellefleur said.

Mark said Joveneau would stroke her back in the confessional all the way to my buttocks.

I did not know. I thought that was normal to be touched. No one told me about this type of thing.

She mentioned the priests actions to one of her nine brothers, but he refused to believe her.

He said I was working for the devil, Mark said.

She asked the wife of her older brother, who explained that the priests actions were inappropriate.

I started to be afraid. I felt broken. I was torn inside. It really affected me in how I did at school.

Bellefleur said she was left with a lasting anger and frustration.

What frustrates me and angers me today is that I am a mother and I always wanted to be violent towards my daughter because I had lived things and Ive never forgotten those things, she said.

Mark said she discussed the process of making a complaint against Joveneau with a man who worked at a local nursing station. She said nobody knew how to file a complaint or to whom they should report his activities.

The inquiry heard that there was no permanent police force in La Romaine when the abuse allegedly occurred, in the 1960s and 1970s.

People also feared repercussions if they made accusations against Joveneau.

The priest was very important. He held an important place, Mark said.

Both Mark and Bellefleur struggled to tell their stories, fighting back tears, taking long pauses and relying on the support of friends and family.

In a statement released Wednesday, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate said the order was granted official status at the inquiry on Monday in order to help investigate the allegations.

The Oblates are deeply concerned and distressed after the testimony heard at the inquiry and wish that all the light be shed on these incidents, the statement said, adding that the order condemns all forms of physical and psychological violence.

A lawyer for the national inquiry urged other women who have suffered abuse or mistreatment at the hands of Joveneau or others in any community to get in contact.

Commissioner Michele Audette, who is herself Innu, said other Indigenous women were already sending emails, messages and making calls with other allegations of abuse or violence.

Through your testimony you have already had an effect, she said.

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OTTAWANDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was forced Wednesday to claw back a suggestion on bilingualism requirements for Supreme Court justices be waived to encourage Indigenous candidates.

Singh had made the suggestion earlier in the day after judge and educator Sheilah Martin was nominated to fill an upcoming vacancy on the top court, disappointing some who had hoped an Indigenous candidate would be chosen.

But after his idea generated friction within his own caucus, Singh issued a statement to clarify he strongly believes that Supreme Court justices be bilingual with a functional understanding of both French and English, adding it is the only way to ensure Canadians access justice in an official language.

Indigenous rights must also be recognized and defended, Singh said, noting Indigenous languages have historically been grossly overlooked in Canadian institutions.

I am open to hearing suggestions of how to remain fully committed to bilingual judges while supporting the advancement of judges from Indigenous communities, he said.

Its my sincere hope that we will see, in near future, a Supreme Court Justice from a First Nation, Metis or Inuit background.

Earlier on Wednesday, Singh said there needs to be an understanding of the unique situation Indigenous communities have faced and a recognition of Indigenous languages.

I would say in general our position as a party is that we support bilingualism, Singh said.

Its important as a nation that has two official languages that we support bilingualism with respect to judges but there is a specific case to be made for the Indigenous community.

The remarks touched off pushback from NDP MPs.

That is not a position of the NDP, Quebec lieutenant Alexandre Boulerice said. He knows it ... but we are ready to work with anybody from the Aboriginal community to ... see how we can integrate more efficiently Aboriginal languages.

NDP justice critic Murray Rankin said Singhs original comments were not in keeping with the NDPs position stipulating judges must be bilingual to sit on Canadas top court. The partys official languages critic had put forward a private members bill to enshrine the bilingual requirement into law but it was defeated.

We are trying essentially deal with two streams of rights, Rankin said.

The need to be more representative, particularly for the Indigenous ... legal traditions on the court and at the same time, an ironclad commitment to bilingualism which the NDP has long had as its policy.

Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, who is Aboriginal, said Wednesday she suspects many current Indigenous judges will apply for positions on the top court in the future.

Sen. Murray Sinclair, the former chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde have both said in the past that an Indigenous appointment to the top court is long overdue.

They have also said the functional bilingual requirement creates barriers for Indigenous jurists.

But Sinclair applauded Martins appointment, noting her involvement in the Indian Residential Schools settlement.

She has been a strong advocate for education and equality, as well as a formidable voice for under-represented groups including Indigenous peoples in the legal profession, Sinclair said.

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OTTAWAConservative Leader Andrew Scheer demanded Bill Morneau hand in his resignation Wednesday as political rivals intensified their attacks on a finance minister mired in controversy for weeks.

But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launched a spirited defence of Morneau, accusing the Tories of engaging in baseless personal attacks that they wont repeat outside the House of Commons for fear of being sued.

After careful consideration, in my capacity of leader of the Opposition, I am officially calling on Bill Morneau to resign as finance minister, Scheer said shortly before question period, where the issue dominated debate.

He advised Trudeau to fire Morneau if he refused to step aside on his own.

But the prime minister said he still has full confidence in Morneau and then went on the offense against the Opposition.

The fabrications and the personal attacks, the slinging of mud in this place, and hiding behind parliamentary privilege, is not what Canadians expect from this place, Trudeau said.

The push for Morneaus departure is yet another challenge to a finance minister whos been forced to navigate several ethics-related controversies since the summer.

In July, he proposed tax-system changes that enraged small-business owners to the point he eventually had to back off elements of his plan.

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Morneau has also faced intense political pressure over how he handled his personal financial arrangements after coming to office. The questions focused on his shares in the human resources firm Morneau Shepell, which was built by his family and for which he was executive chairman until his 2015 election win.

After the controversy erupted, he sold off the remainder of his holdings in the company  worth about $21 million  and vowed to place his other substantial assets in a blind trust. Morneau donated to charity the difference between what the shares were worth at the time of the sale and their value in 2015 when he was first elected  an amount estimated at about $5 million.

The federal ethics commissioner also fined Morneau $200 for failing to disclose a private corporation, in which he is a director, that owns a villa in France. Morneau had disclosed ownership of the villa to Mary Dawson but, due to what his office called an administrative oversight, failed to disclose that ownership was through a corporation.

Then came conflict-of-interest allegations over proposed pension reform, spearheaded by Morneau, that opponents have alleged would bring him personal financial benefit. The federal ethics commissioner has launched a formal examination into the matter.

This week, the Tories and the New Democrats have been grilling the Liberals about his earlier, late-2015 sale of shares in Morneau Shepell  a transaction that took place ahead of a tax change announcement.

During Mondays question period, Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre claimed Morneaus December 2015 announcement, which unveiled the governments plan raise income taxes on the highest earners, caused the entire stock market to drop  including the value of Morneau Shepell shares.

Poilievre said 680,000 shares in the company were sold off roughly a week earlier in a move that saved the owner half a million dollars.

On Dec. 7, 2015, the day of Morneaus tax-change announcement, the Toronto stock index fell 2.4 per cent for its single weakest day of the quarter. Oil prices fell by about five per cent, which one bank economist said may have been responsible for much of the weakness in the market.

Nevertheless, the Conservatives have been repeatedly asking Morneau all week if he was the person who sold those Morneau Shepell shares.

Morneau initially sidestepped those questions, but on Wednesday he acknowledged he did sell off some shares shortly after coming into office in the fall of 2015. He did not provide specifics on the timing of the sale nor how many shares were involved.

On Monday, Poilievre went so far as to suggest that Morneau used his inside knowledge as a minister to benefit himself financially, telling the Commons that it is actually the responsibility of government to ensure that no minister ever uses inside knowledge to benefit from transactions on the stock market.

Morneau called that insinuation absurd and threatened Tuesday to sue the Conservatives. He dared the Tories to repeat their suggestion outside the House and away from the shield of parliamentary privilege, which gives MPs legal protection from libel and defamation laws.

And again on Wednesday, Morneau and Trudeau took turns challenging the Tories to utter the insinuation outside the House.

If the member opposite has an allegation, if he wants to say something, he should say what he means, Morneau said in a response to a question from Scheer.

He should say it here, he should say it now, he should stand up and say it  and then he should go out into the foyer and say it again.

The Conservatives, meanwhile, added a new argument to their charge that Morneau personally benefited from the tax announcement, pointing out that it prompted some market analysts to encourage wealthier shareholders to sell off some their stock before the changes came into effect on Jan. 1, 2016.

The members of the opposition cannot even keep their story straight in their attacks, scoffed Trudeau.

For weeks they demanded that the finance minister sell his shares. Now, they are saying that he should not have sold his shares. They are all over the place in their attacks, because that is just what they do.

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EDMONTONAlberta plans to bring in rules to ban ticket-gobbling software bots that shut out individual consumers when they try to buy concert or event tickets online.

Proposed legislation introduced Wednesday would also give the province power to take action if buyers didnt get the tickets they purchased on a resale site.

There is a widespread feeling among Albertans that the ticketing game is rigged against them, said Service Alberta Minister Stephanie McLean.

Its unfair when they try to buy a concert ticket to only see that its sold out in seconds and shows up on resellers websites for inflated prices.

Fans deserve a fair shot at tickets to see their favourite artists.

Ticket-sellers doing business in the province would have to weed out large-scale block-bot purchases and cancel those tickets.

If they didnt, the province could act on complaints, investigate and levy fines up to $300,000 or seek up to two years in jail.

The proposed legislation also makes it clear that ticket-buyers could sue ticket-sellers for compensation on the grounds that tickets were sold to bots.

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McLean suggested ticket-sellers also want to stop the bots and are looking for more legislative tools to do it.

Its hard to combat these bots. It takes a lot of resources, she said.

Were simply going to start off by holding them accountable for policing their industry.

Secondary ticket-sellers doing business in Alberta, such as StubHub, would have to refund the full price if a ticket sold was counterfeit or was cancelled because it was purchased by a bot.

If not, the province could investigate and level fines.

The bill also proposes broad changes to consumer protections, along with actions in areas from auto sales to veterinary fees.

Businesses would no longer be able to demand provisions preventing dissatisfied customers from filing lawsuits and they couldnt try to stop customers from filing negative reviews online.

Car dealerships and repair shops would have to be more upfront about a vehicles history and repair estimates.

High-interest lenders, such as pawn shops and rent-to-own furniture sellers, would have licence requirements and would have to spell out in plain language to customers how much transactions would cost.

Veterinarians would have to disclose all fees so pet owners were aware of the costs before giving the OK for their animals to get treatment.

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ST. JOHNS, N.L.Memorial University is calling in an outside investigator amid allegations of sexual harassment at its medical school.

There have been several concerns raised about the faculty of medicines learning environment that are extremely troubling to me as dean, Margaret Steele, the dean of medicine, said in a letter to faculty.

These concerns have included allegations of bullying, intimidation, harassment and sexual harassment.

A spokesperson for the St. Johns, N.L., school, wouldnt elaborate on the nature of the allegations Wednesday, but said the universitys president had agreed to Steeles request for an outside investigator.

Dr. Steele learned of the allegations earlier this month and immediately and proactively contacted the Sexual Harassment Office, said spokesperson David Sorensen. As per the provisions of the sexual harassment and sexual assault policy, a request was made for a unit assessment of the faculty of medicine.

Steeles letter, sent last week, outlined concerns that had come to my attention.

I contacted the sexual harassment advisor, Rhonda Shortall, indicating the incidents and concerns raised may be of a sexual nature and may constitute sexual harassment under the sexual harassment and sexual assault policy.

In her letter, Steele said the unit assessment would focus on the faculty of medicines policies so that they are in alignment with the universitys harassment and sexual assault policy, and also on the culture and learning environment in relation to reporting incidents.

I am committed to a learning environment free of bullying, intimidation, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault, said Steele.

Steeles revelations come as the faculty faces scrutiny by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

The college issued a notice of intent last spring to withdraw accreditation over allegations of intimidation involving faculty and students, giving the faculty two years to fix its problems.

Sorensen said the latest concerns arent related to those raised by the college.

He said the university intends to announce the name of the independent assessor within the next two weeks, along with the terms of reference for the investigation.

We wont be making any comment about the nature of the complaint or complainants until the review is completed, Sorensen said.

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Canadas top court agreed on Thursday to weigh in on a case in which the ability of journalists to do their work conflicts with the ability of police and prosecutors to do theirs.

The Supreme Court of Canada decision to grant Vice Media leave to appeal follows a ruling by Ontarios highest court that reporter Ben Makuch turn over background materials to the RCMP related to interviews he did with a suspected terrorist.

Oh, man, very relieved, Makuch said moments after learning of the leave decision. This is an extremely important matter that our countrys highest court needs to hear.

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The materials at issue relate to three stories Makuch wrote in 2014 on a Calgary man, Farah Shirdon, 22, charged in absentia with various terrorism-related offences. The articles were largely based on conversations Makuch had with Shirdon, who was said to be in Iraq, via the online instant messaging app Kik Messenger.

With court permission, RCMP sought access to Makuchs screen captures and logs of those chats. Makuch refused to hand them over.

RCMP and the Crown argued successfully at two levels of court that access to the chat logs were essential to the ongoing investigation into Shirdon, who may or may not be dead. They maintained that journalists have no special rights to withhold crucial information.

Backed by alarmed media and free-expression groups, Makuch and Vice Media argued unsuccessfully that the RCMP demand would put a damper on the willingness of sources to speak to journalists.

The conflicting views will now be tested before the Supreme Court, likely at the end of spring or early next fall.

Vice Media lawyer Iain MacKinnon said Thursday the court has found issues of national importance that need addressing, such as clarifying for the first time in decades legal protections for journalists and their work products when police use them as investigative tools.

The Criminal Code doesnt prevent fishing expeditions, MacKinnon said.

Vice Media still faces an uphill battle in light of two adverse lower court rulings.

In his initial ruling, Superior Court Justice Ian MacDonnell said the screen shots were important evidence in relation to very serious allegations. MacDonnell also said the public had a strong interest in the effective investigation and prosecution of such allegations.

The Ontario Court of Appeal agreed, rejecting Vices arguments that the prosecution should have to prove the requested information is essential to the RCMP case. It also said MacDonnell had been aware of the potential chill effect  that sources may not be willing to speak to reporters if they risk exposure.

Chris Ball, a spokesperson for Vice, said the outlet was thrilled by the willingness of the Supreme Court to get involved.

This has been a long battle so far, not only for our journalist Ben Makuch, but for all journalists and protecting their ability to do their jobs without fear of interference by the state, Ball said.

The legal battle has been playing out against a backdrop of uncertainty as to whether Shirdon is dead or alive. American military officials said over the summer that Shirdon was killed more than two years ago. The statement came just months after the U.S. State Department listed him as a designated terrorist, suggesting he was still alive.

Efforts by The Canadian Press to clear up the confusion foundered when the military stood by its position and the State Department referred queries to the intelligence community, and then pointed to the U.S. National Counterterrorism Centre, which did not respond.

Vice said recently it would drop the appeal if the RCMP dropped its production order given Shirdons reported death. RCMP and the prosecution, however, citing the confusion, refused. Should Shirdons death be confirmed, the case could become moot  leaving it up to the top court whether it will still weigh in.

Makuch, who has said he published all information relevant to the public, said Thursday the ongoing battle has not been easy.

This has taken a personal toll on me, Makuch said. This isnt over. I have to keep on fighting this for not just myself, but for other journalists in this country.

Members of a coalition that supported Makuch, including Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, Reporters Without Borders and News Media Canada, have condemned the lower courts for failing to recognize the importance of journalistic source protection.

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After big wins with Ottawa on transit and social housing funds, the mayors of Canadas biggest cities want partnerships on mental health supports and fighting the opioid crisis.

Mayors John Tory of Toronto, Valerie Plante of Montreal and Gregor Robertson of Vancouver hopped off a new Toronto streetcar early Thursday to talk with reporters and look at the King St. transit-prioritizing pilot project.

The trio then strolled to the Front St. convention centre for a full day of closed-door meetings with 19 other mayors from across Canada.

Their Federation of Canadian Municipalities caucus has gained clout in recent years, amid international recognition of urbanization and the Trudeau governments commitment to long-term partnerships with cities rather than the one-off federal pledges of the past.

Weve made huge progress in recent years, particularly thanks to the new federal government  the Trudeau government have been stronger partners on transit, on housing specifically, Robertson said. Weve come to the table with resources too.

But while they work to get money flowing on those two priorities, cities are looking for other challenges they can tackle with Ottawa and their respective provinces.

Tory said he asked that mental health be added to the mayors agenda because the issue affects all cities and encompasses homelessness and the need to operate shelters, substance abuse, policing and public health. We need a partnership with senior governments, he said.

The federal government also needs to co-ordinate a pan-Canadian response, to the overdose crisis, added Robertson, whose city is Ground Zero for Canadas opioid epidemic.

In an interview after several of meetings, Robertson elaborated on the need.

Public health questions loom large because vulnerable populations cluster in our cities because thats where our services are, he said.

But without real, functional partnerships with the provinces and the feds, were on the receiving ends of those challenges. So were talking about How do we position cities as partners for the next round of breakthroughs beyond housing and transit?

The mayors also debated how to make cities more financially self-sufficient, and less reliant on property taxes, so they dont have to lean heavily on other governments, Robertson added.

Options include lobbying for a share of income or sales taxes, which grow with the economy and reward cities for innovation, he said, but there isnt a consensus for one tool that would work for all of the 22 mayors around the table.

The Montreal mayor, elected earlier this month in an upset win over incumbent Denis Coderre, said she was eager to meet her mayoral colleagues and learn from them.

Elected on a pro-transit platform, Plante was enthusiastic about her ride on a Toronto streetcar.

Im pleased I was able to get in a streetcar just to see what are some of the solutions we can put together, because mobility is the key to social and economic developments in our city Plante said. Its fast. Its comfortable.

An aide to Plante, however, said her transit priority is a campaign promise to build a 21-kilometre extension of the citys subway system.

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Calling it a bold move thats markedly different than any other in its history, the Ontario Human Rights Commission announced Thursday it is launching a public interest inquiry into racial profiling and discrimination within the Toronto Police Service.

The inquiry power, granted under the Ontario Human Rights Code, now gives the commission the right to compel records and information from the Toronto police, its civilian board and Ontarios Special Investigations Unit (SIU)  data it will use to determine the disproportionate impact on Black and other racialized communities during encounters ranging from carding stops to use of lethal force.

The hope is to shift the long-standing problem of racial profiling from anecdotal evidence  individual stories too easily explained away as cases of a few bad apples  to quantitative data that will pinpoint where racial disparities exist on a systemic level, OHRC chief commissioner Renu Mandhane told a news conference Thursday.

The investigation, with its broad scope and scale, is unprecedented in Ontario, she said, and has been initiated after years of high-profile incidents, deaths, reports and public outcry.

Despite the immense pain and suffering it has caused, discrimination in policing has been allowed to continue for decades, Mandhane said. It is simply unacceptable that people who were racially profiled in their youth have to warn their grandchildren about it.

We cannot afford to wait any longer, she said.

The commission has requested seven years worth of data  from January 2010 to June 2017  from specific interactions, including police use of force; arrests and charges; stop and questioning practices; and forms and conditions of release for various offence categories, including obstructing or assaulting a police officer, simple drug possession and failing to comply with a bail condition.

While its not yet known when the inquiry will be completed, the results will be made public and the commission will produce targeted recommendations.

The move was welcomed by the Toronto police and its civilian board, each issuing statements Thursday supporting the inquiry.

Meaghan Gray, spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service, said the police service has been continually making changes to address issues of implicit bias in delivering police services, citing recent examples such as the Police and Community Engagement Review (PACER), which aimed to eliminate bias in policing.

The commission has been at the table throughout this process and we look forward to working with them again as we are always looking for ways to improve our relationship with the communities we serve, Gray said.

But while Mandhane said Toronto police have verbally signalled their commitment, she called out the service for not yet providing data that was requested five months ago.

For me, until we have data, that will be a real sign of co-operation, she said, adding that the police service has the resources to provide us with the data if it actually wished to do so.

Gray called Mandhanes characterization of Toronto police efforts incorrect, saying that for the last five months the service has been actively engaged with the commission on ways to provide the information. Toronto police have communicated that a significant portion of the information that has been requested is not readily available or not available in the form they seek, Gray said.

In order to provide that information, the service would have to spend millions of dollars  resources that have not been allocated for in our existing budget, Gray said, adding that Toronto police have offered to provide office space and full access to the raw data and documents for a OHRC staff to conduct their review. The commission has not responded to that offer, Gray said.

Speaking at the news conference, former Toronto police board chair Alok Mukherjee called the inquiry timely and important. Asked why there may be issues accessing Toronto police data, Mukherjee said there is a great deal of sensitivity in terms of releasing data.

Theres no hesitation in collecting data, he said.

Thursdays announcement comes amid significant changes to policing, both in Toronto and province-wide. Ongoing within the Toronto Police Service is the implementation of the recommendations from the Transformational Task Force, an attempt to modernize the service, cut costs and improve public trust. Part of that includes conducting a review of culture, something the commission also intends to closely examine during its inquiry.

The OHRCs announcement also comes on the heels of the introduction last month of omnibus policing legislation aimed at strengthening police accountability and oversight. Part of that includes calling on police watchdogs to begin collecting race-based statistics that would shed new light on racial aspects of police complaints and use of force.

Meanwhile, new regulations on carding  the police practice of stopping and documenting people not suspected of committing a crime  kicked in earlier this year, prohibiting officers from carding someone based on race or for being in a high crime area. The new regulations are currently under review by Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Michael Tulloch.

The commissions inquiry also comes at a time when the public demand for data-driven policy is growing. Lawyer Jamil Jivani, who has founded a group that encourages under-represented communities to participate in legal and policy issues, said there is humility involved in releasing data. It will open the door to criticism, he acknowledged, but will also create new opportunities to make change.

We have to decide: are we going to make this a sustainable change where we actually want data and facts and information to inform what were doing? Or are we going to rest on our laurels and just have anecdotes and defensiveness and anger? Jivani said.

Thursdays news conference also heard from two young Black men who asked only to be identified as youth advisers with an organization called HairStory, an initiative of the Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth. Both shared stories about being stopped and searched by officers without cause. In some circumstances, groups of racialized youth would simply agree to be searched and questioned for fear of causing any trouble, including charges, they said.

Im tired  I know a lot of people are tired, one of the young men said. I just want it to stop.

One young man said that since the new carding regulations were brought earlier this year, he has not been stopped, but said hes heard that others continue to be.

Mike McCormack, president of the Toronto Police Association, said in an interview Thursday that he is not opposed to examining police practices, but took issue with some aspects of the inquiry, including the suggestion that nothing has been done to address racial profiling within the last few decades. He also thinks the inquiry shouldnt be just about Toronto.

In a statement, Toronto police board chair Andy Pringle said the civilian board welcomes the inquiry, saying the board is committed to ensuring policing in Toronto is delivered without bias, including racial profiling and discrimination.

We are always committed to continuous improvement in our policies, procedures, training and governance and we welcome this inquiry, as it may identify areas for improvement, Pringle said.

Wendy Gillis can be reached at wgillis@thestar.ca

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Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,

Jack Frost nipping at your nose,

Yuletide carols being sung by a choir,

And folks dressed up like Eskimos

Its hard to think of words or music that conjure up the Christmas season more quickly than the opening of The Christmas Song.

The images evoke a classic, timeless Christmas  chestnuts roasting, carols, people bundled up against the cold. Yet the song was actually written on a sweltering day in the summer of 1945 in Hollywood, Calif., by Bob Wells and Mel Torme, who were simply trying to imaginatively cool themselves off.

And though the song has become a worldwide symbol of Christmas, like nearly all the modern songs that now define this fundamentally Christian holiday it was written by Jews.

Names like George Wyle (born Bernard Weissman), Eddie Pola (Sidney Pollacsek), Felix Bernard, Jay Livingston (Jacob Levison), Ray Evans, Gloria Shayne Baker (Gloria Shain), Robert Wells (Robert Levison), Robert May and Johnny Marks might be unfamiliar today, but along with better-known songwriters like Mel Torme, Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn and Irving Berlin, they wrote the core of the secular Christmas-song repertoire.

Those songs include: Do You Hear What I Hear, Silver Bells, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Holly Jolly Christmas, Rockin Around the Christmas Tree, Winter Wonderland, Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, White Christmas and Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! also written during the same blistering California summer as The Christmas Song.

The story of how this came to be is a remarkable tale of immigrant outsiders who rejected their parents European pasts, embraced Tin Pan Alley, Broadway and Hollywood, and began to write the soundtrack to Americas dreams. Its a rich story involving pogroms, prejudice, poverty, empathy, assimilation and the powerful creative imaginations of an extraordinary group of songwriters.

The Russian pogrom

The story begins in Russia at the end of the 19th century. When Alexander II, the great Russian reformer who freed the serfs, was assassinated in 1881, his son Alexander III ascended to the throne. It quickly became clear that his repressive regime would do everything it could to undo his fathers liberal reforms and stigmatize the Jews. According to one of Alexanders closest advisers, the hope was that one-third of the Jews will convert, one third will die, and one-third will flee the country.

The plan worked. Between 1881 and 1914 more than two million Jews left Russia, with America the prime destination. No single city was affected more by the influx of Jews than New York, where the Jewish population grew from approximately 80,000 in 1870 to 1.4 million in 1915, or almost 28 per cent of the citys population.

Many of these poor immigrants congregated in the filthy tenements of the Lower East Side, where they desperately tried to eke out a living in whatever menial jobs they could find. Forbidden from nearly all professions and restricted from pursuing higher education, a surprisingly large number found their way into the world of popular music. When asked why there were so many Jews in show business, Minnie Marx, the mother of the Marx Brothers said, Where else can people who dont know anything make so much money?

The overwhelming impulse among the children of Jewish immigrants was to assimilate, and the first step in becoming American nearly always involved changing their names. Israel Baline became Irving Berlin, Jacob and Israel Gershowitz became George and Ira Gershwin, Hyman Arluck became Harold Arlen, Asa Yoelson became Al Jolson and Isidore Hochberg became Yip Harburg. Most not only left their names behind, but all traces of their Jewishness as well.

As outsiders they were extraordinarily sensitive to the hopes and dreams of the American middle class they so desperately wanted to enter. As a deeply troubled America witnessed the horror of the Second World War, Jewish songwriters provided comfort by creating a songbook for a secular Christmas they invented themselves.

Before Irving Berlins White Christmas  sung by Bing Crosby  broke sales records in 1942, composers had spent little time on Christmas songs because it seemed their appeal could only be seasonal. But 1942 was the first Christmas that millions of American soldiers would spend away from home, and White Christmas struck a deep chord.

Though the song contains only two images of Christmas  treetops glistening, and children listening to sleigh bells  that was enough to allow Americans to imagine a reassuring, Norman Rockwell, Currier-and-Ives, small-town, New England past with sleigh rides and falling snow. A mythic, secular American Christmas on which the country could project its dreams. A Christmas in which even Jews could participate.

Rudolph the outsider

The phenomenal success of White Christmas led other Jewish songwriters to follow Berlins path.

Though on the surface their songs contain no trace of the authors Jewish identities, Robert Mays poem Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which was turned into a song by Johnny Marks in 1949, is actually a parable of Mays painful childhood as a Jewish outsider.

Rudolph with his shiny nose is called names and laughed at by the other reindeer. Yet unlike May, who assimilated so completely that his second wife and children never even knew he was Jewish, Rudolph subversively refuses to assimilate. His Jewishness  his red nose  saves Santa on a foggy Christmas Eve.

Rudolph (if not May) is ultimately accepted precisely for who he is  for what makes him different. Mays wish-fulfilment fantasy is made even more poignant by the fact that his words were written in December 1939, at the height of Hitlers persecution of the Jews.

Context also changes the way we hear Gloria Shayne Bakers Do You Hear What I Hear?

Shayne Baker grew up in Brookline, Mass., next to door to Joseph and Rose Kennedy as well as their son John F. Kennedy and knew the family well. In October 1962, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when it seemed Russia and the United States might go to war, Shayne Baker and her husband Noel Regney wrote Do You Hear What I Hear? as a plea for peace.

As is so often the case, the song seeks to escape the anxiety of the present back to an imagined past. It bridges the secular and sacred worlds of Christmas by retelling the nativity story  A child, a child, shivers in the cold; Let us bring Him silver and gold  in a modern musical language tinged with ancient-sounding modal harmonies. Yet the climax of the song speaks directly and fervently to the contemporary crisis faced by her childhood neighbour, President Kennedy: Said the king to the people evrywhere, Listen to what I say: Pray for peace, people evrywhere!

The great unifiers

Each of these Jewish songwriters took their own individual path toward assimilation, but together they created the soundtrack for a truly melting-pot Christmas in which people of all faiths could participate. Everyone was invited to this new, democratic Christmas party and that inclusive, joyful, welcoming spirit is part of what makes these songs so appealing.

The new secular Christmas they helped invent reflected the countrys deepest hopes and dreams of connection, and it brought people together in a profoundly divided world.

Russian composer Igor Stravinsky wrote, Tradition is a living force that animates and informs the present. Far from implying the repetition of what has been, tradition ... appears as an heirloom, a heritage that one receives on condition of making it bear fruit before passing it on to ones descendants. This idea of tradition as a living force that is constantly being reinvented  made to bear fruit  before being passed on is at the heart of the story of these Jewish songwriters.

They took elements of the dominant culture around them  the New England winters, Christmas trees, roasting chestnuts, sleigh bells  closed their eyes and invented a great, golden past that never was: A simpler, more innocent past that a troubled country could look back to for comfort, even if it only existed in the imaginations of its creators. Their songs continue to bring this idyllic, mythic past to life and allow us, for at least one day a year, to believe in it.

The tradition of Christmas songs continues to evolve. In 1957, Irving Berlin, who despised rock n roll, tried to ban Elvis Presleys recording of White Christmas, but it quickly reached No. 1 on Billboards chart. Its success opened the floodgates for rock versions of these Christmas songs, which continue to inundate the market every year as new generations of performers reinterpret these classic songs.

However, as the holiday season approaches, it is important to remember that they came from the children of Jewish immigrants, desperate to leave their pasts behind and join mainstream America. And today, at this polarizing moment in our history, when the place of immigrants in our society is under intense scrutiny, it might be valuable to remember that these songs of immigrants, songs that came out of Americas melting pot, have become the voice of the worlds Christmas.

They have become the soundtrack of our holiday dreams.

Rob Kapilow is an American composer, conductor, author and commentator. He is also the conductor and host of the What Makes it Great? series with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Kapilow is featured in Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas, airing Sunday at 8 p.m. on documentary Channel and Thursday at 9 p.m. on CBC.

Xmas songs, Jewish writers

Do You Hear What I Hear

Silver Bells

The Christmas Song

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Holly Jolly Christmas

Rockin Around the Christmas Tree

Winter Wonderland

Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

White Christmas

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Among the most curious revelations contained in the Paradise Papers is the question of Wafic Saids Canadian citizenship, and how he obtained it, given his tenuous ties to this country.

Said, a Syrian-born, Monaco-based billionaire, was the broker of the 1985 Al-Yamamah arms deal to sell British warplanes to Saudi Arabia, in which 6 billion in corrupt commissions were allegedly paid to members of the Saudi royal family.

The longtime friend of Brian Mulroney also donated $4 million to the soon-to-open Brian Mulroney Institute of Government at St. Francis Xavier University, where he received an honorary degree in 2015 and was announced as a Canadian citizen.

Read more:

Honorary degrees for Brian Mulroneys billionaire friends who funded his St. F.X. legacy project

But how did this Saudi-Syrian businessman pick up a third passport?

Its not clear exactly when, but at some point in the 1990s, Said received Canadian citizenship. To fulfil the three-year residency requirement, public records show that instead of living in a luxury building, as he did in London, U.K., Said rented a basement apartment in Montreal.

I am a Canadian citizen and am proud to be one, wrote Said in an email to the Star and CBC/Radio-Canada. I took appropriate professional advice about my entitlement to Canadian residency and citizenship. I followed this advice to the letter, met the relevant qualifications and was granted citizenship.

A spokesperson for Said later added: Mr. Said lived in Canada for three years thus complying with the immigration residency requirements. He was only absent from Canada for a few weeks in 1989 and 1990, the spokesperson wrote.

The first trace of Said in Canada shows up in 1988, when he registered a numbered company in Canada that would later be renamed Safingest Inc. and declared himself president and sole shareholder.

In public filings, Safingest states its business is indeterminate and imprecise. Its office shares a Montreal address with the office of his lawyer, Annie Kenane. Saids personal address is listed as an apartment in a building also owned by Kenane.

And it was not the kind of apartment where one would expect to find a wealthy international businessman. According to public records, for three years, Said appears to have been a billionaire in a basement.

The basement apartment is in a three-storey walk-up in the gritty Montreal neighbourhood of Cote-des-Neiges.

Elaine Gloutnez, who lived on the third floor of the same building from 1987 to 1991, said she had never heard of Wafic Said. When shown a photo of Said and his wife, Gloutnez said she had never seen them at the house.

Hes not the type that would live here, she told Radio-Canada. Here it is simple people, young families, students . . . Its not luxury housing. Were not in Westmount here.

Ive been in this area since 85 and Ive never seen a billionaire here, Gloutnez said.

In his statement to the Star and the CBC, Said wrote that the apartment was rented for me but when I was there with my family it was easier to stay in hotels.

A representative for Said later added: Mr. Said paid rent under the terms of the lease for the apartment at Legare Street and used it often.

Public filings in the U.K. show Said also stated he was living in the prestigious London neighbourhood of Mayfair at the same time, in 1990 and 1991.

In 1990, Said purchased a penthouse in a more upscale Montreal neighbourhood for $1.5 million. In 1999, he sold it for $825,000.

Said did not clarify when and where he received his Canadian citizenship.

The earliest trace of Saids Canadian citizenship is a Canadian passport issued in Paris in 1996.

From 1986 to 2014, Canada had an immigrant investor program that granted permanent residency to wealthy foreigners who made large investments in the country. At the end, in order to qualify, an applicant had to have $1.6 million in assets and commit to invest $800,000 in Canada.

The program was shut down by the Harper government in 2014 and replaced with a one-year pilot program that raised the mandatory investment to $2 million. Quebec continues its own program that requires $800,000 is invested.

Investments enabled me to qualify for permanent residence and then for Canadian citizenship, Saids statement reads.

Said said he made a very successful investment in a company called Jordan Petroleum Ltd., whose shares were held by Safingest Ltd. His Bermuda-based offshore company, Said Holdings, which counted Brian Mulroney among its board members from 2004-2012, has continued to invest substantial sums in Canada, he added.

Andrew Feinstein, the executive director of the group Corruption Watch in the U.K., has investigated Said for many years. He had no idea Said was a Canadian citizen.

What on earth would he want a Canadian passport for? And how would he be granted one, because Im not aware of . . . when he would have spent any meaningful time in Canada.

Immigration lawyer Richard Kurland says the Canadian government can waive normal residency requirements and grant citizenship in very special cases.

The special treatment to issue a national interest Canadian citizenship comes in two flavours, Kurland said. Its direct in the open, the way we give it to the Dalai Lama. Or its behind the red curtain in Ottawa.

You dont have to tell parliament youre doing this. You dont have to apply the normal way. If they dont give it to you directly, they will tell you: Just apply. Put it in the system. And our folks in the system will take your case and process it no questions asked. Thats how its done.

Canadian citizenship is one of the most sought-after assets for Middle Eastern billionaires, Kurland said.

Billionaires like two things: Theres the money and the freedom . . . A Canadian passport is the golden ticket, he said.

Youre not taxed in Canada because Canada taxes on residence, not on citizenship. And you can travel visa free, no questions asked, in almost every country in the world.

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Last year, former prime minister Brian Mulroney returned to his alma mater, St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, to announce the creation of the $60-million Brian Mulroney Institute of Government.

Standing on stage wearing a dark suit and a broad smile, Mulroney, 78, said launching his institute at St. F.X.  where my heart is  represented a high honour.

Documents obtained by the Toronto Star and CBC/Radio-Canada reveal that to fund his institute  intended to teach public policy to undergraduate students  Mulroney enlisted dozens of wealthy power players, some with controversial backgrounds, including two billionaires who have been publicly identified in connection with international corruption scandals.

Canadian-British billionaire Victor Dahdaleh  the middleman in a massive international bribery scheme  and Wafic Said  a Syrian-Saudi billionaire and ex-arms broker  contributed a combined $5.5 million to Mulroneys legacy project.

Within months of making their donations, both men received honorary degrees from the university.

Both are also Middle Eastern-born Canadian citizens whose professional careers  and the billions they earned  unfolded outside of Canada. Dahdaleh was born in Jordan and attended McGill University before moving to Europe. Saids ties to Canada include a numbered company and a down-market Montreal address during late 1980s and early 90s.

Read more:

Billionaire got Canadian citizenship after renting a Montreal basement

Both men have operated corporations in no-tax offshore jurisdictions. And both have a history of large, high-profile donations to universities, which have placed their names on buildings and parchments of honorary degrees.

Announcing the institute last year, university president Kent MacDonald called it the most transformative project in the history of this university in 164 years, and called Mulroney one of our greatest sons.

No reference was made to Mulroneys role in what came to be known as the Airbus affair. Justice Jeffrey Oliphant concluded that Mulroneys relationship with German-Canadian businessman Karlheinz Schreiber, from whom he received secret payments in cash-stuffed envelopes totalling $225,000, was inappropriate.

Something was amiss, Oliphant wrote in his 2010 commission of inquiry report. These dealings do not reflect the highest standards of conduct, nor do they represent conduct that is so scrupulous it will bear the closest public scrutiny.

Oliphant dismissed Mulroneys explanation that he had made an error in judgment by accepting three separate payments from Schreiber: I am driven to conclude that it is virtually impossible that Mr. Mulroney committed the same significant error in judgment on three separate occasions. It seems to me that, given Mr. Mulroneys education, background, experience and business acumen, his every instinct would have been, and should have been, to document the transaction in some manner.

Mulroney travelled far and wide to solicit donations for the institute, MacDonald said.

There are very few people in this country that can pick up the phone with a Rolodex like Brian Mulroney.

Some of Canadas biggest companies appear on the institutes donor list, including BMO, CIBC, Scotiabank, TD Financial and Magna.

Individual donors include businessmen Ron Joyce, Charles Bronfman, Galen Weston, Gerald Schwartz and Paul Desmarais, former RBC executive Anthony Fell and Prem Watsa, head of investment firm Fairfax Financial Holdings.

The list also includes some controversial North American billionaires, including oil baron David Koch, famous for influencing American public policy by financing the right-wing Tea Party and advocating lower personal and corporate tax rates; Barrick Gold Corp. founder Peter Munk, whose mining companies have been accused of alleged environmental and human rights violations; and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.

Paradise Papers reports published earlier this month revealed Rosss ties to a shipping company that has received more than $68 million (U.S.) in payments since 2011 from a Russian energy company co-owned by the son-in-law of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After the reports, Ross said he would fully divest his interests in the company.

Theres a point at which it passes a certain threshold of moral repugnance, says Peter McInnis, chair of St. F.X.s history department and a member of the universitys senate. Names like the Koch brothers are beyond the pale. Theyve done enormous damage to our democratic system.

When names like Koch or Wilbur Ross are mentioned, thats not something I would defend at all, says McInnis, who was unaware of the complete list of funders until told by the Star. This is deeply troubling . . . It really is at odds with the purported mission of this university so we have a disconnect and we have some questions to ask.

Dahdaleh, 74, and Said, 77, stand out on the list of funders because of the honours bestowed upon them by the rural university in Antigonish, N.S., with which they have no apparent ties except Mulroney himself.

Said donated $4 million, including $3 million to fund the Mila Mulroney Chair in Womens Leadership for Global Change, according to a March 2015 agreement obtained through freedom of information requests.

Two months later, Said stood on the stage at St. F.X. to receive an honorary doctor of laws for his philanthropic endeavours around the world.

Mulroney was also on the stage and Said acknowledged him as one of the greatest and most successful prime ministers of our time . . . I am very honoured to receive this in his presence.

It wasnt the first time Said had made a high-profile academic donation: the University of Oxfords business school bears his name ever since he made a 20-million contribution 21 years ago.

On Dec. 5, 2015, mere months after Said got his honorary degree from St. F.X., Dahdaleh received his doctor of laws degree.

St. F.X. is one of the most prestigious academic institutions in Canada and I am delighted to be joining you today . . . as a fellow alumnus, Dahdaleh told the crowd.

Four months later, he signed an agreement to donate $1.5 million to fund the Victor Dahdaleh Chair in Democracy and Governance post at the Mulroney institute.

Dahdaleh has also received an honorary degree from York University, where a global health institute has been created in his name following a $20-million donation in 2015; he donated $3.5 million to McGill last year to support the Victor Dahdaleh-Clinton Foundation Scholarship program and has sat on the McGill University Trust; and he is an honorary fellow at the London School of Economics.

Elsa Jensen, a former associate professor at the St. F.X. nursing school, sat on the honorary degree committee when it considered Dahdalehs nomination.

The committee was given no material about criminal charges Dahdaleh faced in Britain related to an international bribery scandal.

We did not as a committee do our due diligence, and therefore did not fulfil our role as a committee, to support nominations that reflect dignity, integrity and outstanding service to the community, she said.

If we had actually done the research that we should have done, I cant see how we would have chosen him. I dont believe we would have. I feel really bad about it. Its wrong.

St. F.X. president MacDonald did not agree to an interview for this story.

In a written statement he said: As an educator, I believe there is no more powerful way to improve society than to educate its citizens. On this point alone, the St. F.X. community has benefitted because of the philanthropy of Mr. Said and Mr. Dahdaleh, and the campaign leadership provided by Mr. Mulroney. We are honoured by their commitment to enrich the lives of young people around the world.

Both Dahdaleh and Said declined interview requests for this story.

A written statement from Said says he has known Brian and Mila Mulroney for many years and calls Mulroney a great prime minister and world statesman . . . I have the highest regard for his many achievements.

Mulroney also declined interview requests. In a written statement, he called Said an outstanding man, a highly successful investor and a leading philanthropist. He is also a good friend.

Honorary degree granting to wealthy benefactors seeking reputational redemption or public prestige has become endemic in the Canadian university world, says Jim Turk, former executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers and now director of the Centre for Free Expression at Ryerson University.

As universities become more and more desperate for money, the standards of whose money they take decrease, he says. The question I would put to them is, what would a person have to do to make their money unattractive to you? Im not sure theyve ever seen a dollar they didnt like.

The Paradise Papers leak, obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists which includes the Star and CBC/Radio-Canada, reveals that Mulroney sat on the board of Bermuda-based Said Holdings Limited between 2004 and 2012. During this time, the British Serious Fraud Office, as part of the biggest corruption case in British history, was investigating the Al-Yamamah deal to sell 43 billion in British warplanes to Saudi Arabia beginning in 1985.

Said, who has been open about his role in brokering the deal, was never charged in the case and says he offered to meet with investigators to assist but was never invited.

I am proud of the role I played in helping to secure the Al-Yamamah programme and with it many tens of thousands of well-paid and highly skilled jobs in the United Kingdom, Said wrote in a statement.

In 2003, the Guardian newspaper revealed the existence of a 20-million slush fund used to bribe Saudi officials. Three years later, British investigators had zeroed in on several Swiss bank accounts and were negotiating access to bank records when then-prime minister Tony Blair terminated the investigation.

It was later reported that the Saudi government had given the British government two weeks to shut down the investigation or Saudi Arabia would stop sharing terrorism intelligence.

In 2010, BAE, the British arms manufacturer, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in the U.S. in 2010 and paid a $400-million (U.S.) fine.

Said was close with both then-U.K. prime minister Margaret Thatcher and members of the Saudi royal family, especially former Saudi ambassador to the U.S., Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who is also the son of the former Saudi defence minister.

He used his unique relationships with the Saudi royal family to act as an intermediary on deals with billions of dollars, said Andrew Feinstein, the executive director of the group Corruption Watch in the U.K. A major arms deal doesnt happen without corruption . . . You need somebody to distance those bribes from the government or the company and the recipients of the bribes and that is the intermediary, the arms dealers.

Mulroney appears in the minutes of board meetings in Bermuda, Monaco, Paris and New York between 2004 and 2008, often offering his take on how American politics might affect the economy.

Mr. Mulroney . . . agreed that a Bush election victory would restore some stability to the markets. He added that he anticipated a decisive Bush victory, according to minutes of a meeting held in New York on Sept. 29, 2004.

During a meeting in Monaco two years later, Mulroney asked if the companys audit committee kept an eye on transactions which could bring (Said Holdings Ltd.) into the purview of the U.S. tax authorities, meeting minutes read.

Dahdaleh has faced his own allegations of playing middleman in a bribery scheme.

In 2014, U.S. aluminum giant Alcoa settled with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) paying one of the largest anti-corruption fines ever  $384 million U.S. The company admitted that it participated in a corruption scheme which facilitated at least $110 million in corrupt payments to Bahraini officials through Consultant A.

That consultant was paid a commission on sales in which no legitimate services were provided to justify the role of the consultant.

The consultants offshore shell company  called Alumet  had no legitimate business operations, the U.S. Department of Justice claimed in court filings, and the corrupt arrangement allowed Consultant A to enrich himself and pay bribes to senior government officials of Bahrain.

Dahdaleh faced charges of corruption and money laundering in a British criminal trial for his role. But he was acquitted in 2013 when the case against him collapsed because two key prosecution witnesses failed to show up to testify and another changed his evidence.

His identity as Consultant A was never made public  until last years Panama Papers leak.

A Toronto Star/CBC investigation based on those records revealed for the first time Dahdalehs identity as the sole director of Alumet.

Dahdaleh did not challenge the reports.

The process of choosing candidates for honorary degrees in Canadian universities is shrouded in secrecy.

St. F.X. guidelines say that a committee on honorary degrees receives nominations from members of the university community for people who have attained prominence in their fields. Candidates approved by the committee are presented to the senate. If the candidate is approved by senate, the name goes to the president, who decides whether to grant the honorary degree.

It is not known who nominated Victor Dahdaleh or Wafic Said.

Documents obtained by the Star and CBC reveal some details about the universitys courtship of Dahdaleh.

It began with lunch on Oct. 17, 2015, when president MacDonald travelled to London to tell Dahdaleh of the decision to award him a doctor of laws. In an email written to MacDonald after the lunch, Dahdaleh wrote: I must admit I was very surprised with the fantastic news about St. F.X. awarding me the degree of doctor of laws. Im very proud and honoured to accept and to become part of the community at your university.

A response from MacDonald, addressed to Victor and Mona, reads: Thank you for taking the time to share a beautiful lunch with Mary-Ellen and me. We find you both incredibly gracious and we thoroughly enjoyed our time together today.

MacDonald told Dahdaleh the senate was wise in their decision to confer on you the degree . . . It represents the years and years of impact you have had on society and St. F.X. will be proud of bring you into the Xaverian family.

On Dec. 5, 2015, at a lunch in Antigonish, about 40 people celebrated this achievement prior to the convocation ceremony.

Peter McInnis, chair of St. F.X.s history department, was not a member of senate when Dahdaleh and Said were presented as prospective honorary degree recipients.

If he were, he would have rejected the nominations, he says.

The awarding of degrees also confers some condoning or acceptance of the person themselves, he said. It is the responsibly of the people on those committees to participate more fully in their deliberations. I think a lot of our colleagues . . . are busy with our other professional responsibilities and should probably focus more carefully on this . . . We were amiss collectively.

Speaking out or rejecting honorary degree candidates that could bring money that the school administration wants can be tricky, he says.

It is discussed in the halls and corridors rather than out in the open, he says. Senators arent to be intimidated from expressing their views but often people are hesitant.

In a written statement, MacDonald said the process of honorary degree granting at the university is very rigorous and well defined.

St. F.X. is proud of the contributions of all individuals who have received an honorary degree from our university, MacDonalds statement reads.

Mulroney Hall, the permanent home of the institute, which accepted its first cohort of students this past September, is scheduled to open June of 2019.

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Hydro One has come out with simpler, easier to read electricity bills in a move that could soon be copied by other utilities like Toronto Hydro.

Instead of a statement with a lot of fine print, customers receiving the new bills will see boxes with headlines clearly stating what do I owe? and when is it due with more detailed explanations on the back page.

The change, prompted by complaints from customers that bills were difficult to understand, follows more than a year of research through surveys of 5,000 customers and testing with focus groups.

Thirty-five per cent of the calls into our call centre are people phoning in to have their bills explained to them, customer service executive vice-president Ferio Pugliese said Wednesday.

It occupies a lot of time, not always leading to the best customer experience.

Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault said his department has a bill redesign team that is working with the Electricity Distributors Association that will come out with recommendations and guidelines early next year.

Local electric utilities will be free to adopt them.

Why wouldnt you want to make it as clear as possible for ratepayers? Thibeault said.

Toronto Hydro said it is considering next steps, noting that Hydro One got special permission from the ministry for the revamped bills.

Currently, electricity bills in Ontario are heavily regulated and theres been little opportunity to make changes, Toronto Hydro spokesperson Mallory Cunnington said in an emailed statement.

We had actually started a bill re-design exercise of our own recently, as we know some components of our bills can be difficult to understand. However, this was put on hold when the Ministry of Energy began a bill design consultation process that has resulted in some proposed amendments to bill regulations, she added.

Were now focused on making the necessary changes to our bill that will align with the regulation amendments and after this is done, well determine if it makes sense to do a full-scale re-design of our bill.

The new Hydro One bills were revealed after the utility has been under fire for days over concerns it is seeking permission from the Ontario Energy Board to install prepaid meters, which critics say will hurt low-income customers.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath accused Hydro One of trying to skirt the ban in wintertime hydro disconnections and said customers need a guarantee prepay meters will not be coming to Ontario.

Thibeault said Hydro One officials have said none of this will be forced onto any customer . . . it will be at the customers discretion.

Progressive Conservative MPP Todd Smith, his partys energy critic, said he remains suspicious.

This looks like a way for the utility, Hydro One, to ensure that high-risk customers pay their bills.

Smith, however, praised the simpler hydro bills, which Pugliese said would be easier to send by email  saving the utility money that could be passed back to consumers.

About 200,000 of Hydro Ones 1.3 million customers across the province now get their bills electronically.

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LONDONA tiny group of far-right nationalists in Britain, who march in front of mosques with crosses, got a big publicity boost Wednesday when U.S. President Donald Trump retweeted three of their inflammatory anti-Muslim videos to his millions of followers.

Criticism of the Trump retweets came thick and fast in Britain, even drawing Prime Minister Theresa May, whose office said Trump was wrong to promote the videos, produced by the group Britain First, whose leaders have been prosecuted and jailed for harassing Muslims.

In a direct rebuke of the American president, Mays office condemned Britain First for its use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions.

The statement continued, The British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far-right, which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents  decency, tolerance and respect. It is wrong for the President to have done this.

Read more: Analysis: The obvious truth behind Trumps retweets: The president of the United States is an unapologetic anti-Muslim bigot

British leaders across the political spectrum were amazed and appalled at Trumps tweets endorsing a micro-group that usually draws just a few dozen supporters to its rallies.

Some charged that Trump was trying to legitimize the far right in Britain, while others were so flabbergasted they wondered whether Trump was perhaps either naive or ignorant.

Britain First is an appalling organization, said Martin Callanan, a Conservative Party politician and a government minister, told the BBC.

Referring to Trump, Callanan said: I can only assume he has made a mistake and that he didnt realize who Britain First were.

Britain First leaders, however, were ecstatic.

DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA! tweeted Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First.

Britain First was founded in 2011 by Jim Dowson, an anti-abortion campaigner, and Paul Golding, a former councillor for the British National Party.

U.S. President Donald Trump is stoking concern that he is inciting anti-Muslim sentiments through a series of retweets. U.S. Imam Suhaib Webb said the retweets were dangerous and irresponsible, but also that he did not find Trump's actions surprising. (The Associated Press)

The anti-Muslim group soon became known for its Christian patrols and for driving around in paramilitary-style vehicles and wearing uniforms to match.

Its members became notorious for targeting mosques and Muslim-majority areas and then producing short, selectively edited videos of their provocative tactics.

Over the spring and summer this year, for instance, a few dozen activists with Britain First, waving the Union Jack and carrying white crosses, marched in front of the East London Mosque.

In one exchange, a counterprotester shouts, What youre doing is disgusting! And someone shouts back, This is still a British Christian area, and this is our country.

The videos show scuffles, kicking, cursing, egg-throwing  as police struggle to keep the two sides apart.

In a video clip from June, Golding is shown in front of the mosque vowing, This used to be our area. It will be our area again.

He narrates, Weve just gone into the Whitechapel area of London with some leaflets, and weve walked past the East London Mosque, and we were very quickly surrounded by an ever-increasing mob of Muslims and white liberals screaming abuse.

We had things thrown at us, we had people spit at us, and this was for the heinous crime of standing on a British pavement and filming. Thats all we did ... Whose country is this?

In August 2016, the groups leaders were banned from entering all mosques in England and Wales.

Later that year, Golding was jailed for violating that ban.

Upon his release from prison, he put out a chilling video in which he rants against the establishment, liberals, the media and foreign infidels.

He urges his followers to join him on the streets to stop Muslims from raping British girls.

In the video, Golding threatens to confront and oppose every traitor in this county.

As he condemns traitors, the short video shows images of the British prime minister wearing a head scarf and meeting young Muslim girls.

Golding said he was jailed because he had the courage and conviction to confront the hard-line Muslim cleric Ali Hammuda, the imam at a mosque in Cardiff, home to several Britons who went to join Daesh, also known as ISIS and ISIL, in Syria.

Golding and Fransen have had a number of skirmishes with the law. Last year, a court in Luton found Fransen guilty of verbally abusing a Muslim woman. Earlier this month, she was arrested over remarks made at a rally in Belfast.

They have been quite provocative over the years. They come to provoke the local youths and intimidate them. They get them to react, take video and then post it on their website and say, Look how nasty Muslims are. They are a blatantly anti-Muslim group, said Dilowar Khan, director of finance and engagement at the East London Mosque.

Once, he said, members of Britain First walked into the mosque with their shoes on, making sure to trod over prayer rugs, and then delivered a Bible to the receptionist. Another time, he said, supporters of the group drank alcohol outside in hopes of triggering a response. Yet another time they reportedly blocked the entrance of the mosque with a large cross. Sometimes, Khan said, they just show up outside, film a video and then speed away.

Its not appropriate for any politicians to show direct or indirect support for groups that are blatantly anti-Muslim and trying to divide communities, he said.

Even Paul Joseph Watson of the far-right, conspiracy-minded Infowars tweeted that giving Britain First a megaphone is not a good look for Trump.

Yeah, someone might want to tell whoever is running Trumps Twitter account this morning that retweeting Britain First is not great optics, Watson wrote.

Nick Ryan, a spokesman for Hope Not Hate, an anti-extremist research organization, said it was astonishing that the U.S. president would knowingly retweet the groups posts.

A politician would have to be blind not to understand that this is a particularly nasty far-right organization that is in trouble with the law, electoral authorities, and reviled by 99 per cent of the population. It beggars belief that Trump would knowingly share this stuff, Ryan said.

While it draws only a handful to its rallies, Britain First has a massive following online  its Facebook page has nearly two million likes. But Hope Not Hate has questioned the legitimacy of the online support.

We think they may have bought a proportion of their followers, Ryan said.

In June last year, the Labour party lawmaker Jo Cox was stabbed to death by an assailant alleged to have shouted Britain first! Leaders of the Britain First group said there were no ties between the attacker and their organization. The assailant had links to neo-Nazi groups.

On Wednesday morning, Brendan Cox, the husband of the slain lawmaker tweeted, Trump has legitimized the far right in his own country, now hes trying to do it in ours. Spreading hatred has consequences & the President should be ashamed of himself.

Britain First has tried its hand at electoral politics but failed to get any candidates into office.

Golding was a candidate in the London mayoral election last year and made headlines when he turned his back in protest during the victory speech of the winner, Sadiq Khan, Londons first Muslim mayor.

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Diamond Reynolds, who broadcast to the world what happened after a Minnesota police officer fatally shot her boyfriend, Philando Castile, has agreed to a settlement worth $800,000, authorities announced this week.

This agreement comes months after the officer, Jeronimo Yanez, was acquitted in a high-profile trial. He was subsequently dismissed from his police force in St. Anthony, Minn., and that city reached a settlement with Castiles family.

Reynoldss settlement still has to be approved by a court, which would mark an end to what would likely be the last major legal chapter stemming from the July 2016 shooting.

Castile was one of at least 963 people fatally shot by police officers in the U.S. last year, and his death became among the most well-known due to the dramatic footage Reynolds captured that night.

His Oldsmobile was pulled over on July 6, 2016, in Falcon Heights, a suburb not far from Minneapolis and St. Paul. Yanez said he had stopped him for a broken taillight, but the officer said later he thought Castile looked like the suspect in a recent robbery.

After Castile alerted Yanez that he had a gun in the car, the stop quickly shifted. Yanez fired into the car, striking Castile, and said afterward that he believed Castile was reaching for his gun.

I, was scared and I was, in fear for my life and my partners life, Yanez told state agents investigating the shooting, according to a transcript. And for the little girl in the back and the front seat passenger.

Reynolds, sitting in the passenger seat with her 4-year-old daughter seated behind her, argued that Castile was not reaching for his weapon. She began to livestream what was happening on Facebook Live, pleading with him to stay with me in footage that quickly rocketed around the world. Heated protests quickly erupted in the Twin Cities area, demonstrations recurred this year after Yanez was acquitted in court.

Yanez was found not guilty in June of manslaughter and of two counts of endangering Reynolds and her daughter. Photographs taken inside the car and presented as evidence showed that one bullet passed through Castiles seat and hit the back seat, inches from where the girl was sitting.

Reynolds had served a complaint in Minnesota court seeking relief due to the stop and emotional distress suffered during and after it, according to a resolution from the city of St. Anthony.

The agreement announced Tuesday was reached between Reynolds and St. Anthony, as well as the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust on behalf of Roseville, another city in the region. After the shooting, Reynolds and her daughter were held by the Roseville police, authorities said.

Under the terms announced Tuesday, St. Anthony will pay $675,000 toward the settlement, while Roseville and the insurance trust will pay $125,000. When it is approved, part of the settlement will be put into a trust for Reynoldss daughter and her future educational needs, the city of St. Anthony said in a statement.

Another video from the shootings aftermath, apparently recorded inside a police car, showed Reynolds, handcuffed, held inside the car along with her daughter.

When the 4-year-old began crying, Reynolds tried to console her. Later, when a frustrated Reynolds yelled while having an issue with her phone, the 4-year-old tried to console her.

Mom, please stop saying cuss words and screaming cause I dont want you to get shooted, the young girl said. Reynolds gave her a kiss, and the 4-year-old added: I could keep you safe.

City officials said the settlement does not assume guilt by anyone involved. In a statement released to media outlets, Reynolds said the settlement shows that what happened to her and her daughter was wrong and that while it would not erase the pain they feel, she hopes it allows them to get our lives back and move forward.

This agreement resolves all civil litigation stemming from Castiles death and its aftermath and opens the door to continued healing within our community, Jerry Faust, the mayor of St. Anthony, said in the statement.

Earlier this year, Castiles relatives reached a settlement of nearly $3 million with the city. Not long after, Yanez agreed to a voluntary separation agreement, leaving his police department with a payment of $48,500 as well as a payout for unused personal leave.

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SHAH ALAM, MALAYSIAMalaysias high-profile trial of two women accused of killing the estranged half brother of North Korean leader goes on recess Thursday with the last hearing until next year.

Indonesias Siti Aisyah, 25, and Vietnams Doan Thi Huong, 29, are accused of smearing a nerve agent on Kim Jong Nams face in a crowded airport terminal in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 13. The two are the only suspects in custody, though prosecutors have said four North Koreans who have since fled the country were also involved.

Prosecutors have focused on proving the womens guilt but shied away from scrutinizing any political motive behind the killing. Defence lawyers, who say their clients were duped into carrying out the attack, will look to shift that focus when the trial resumes Jan. 22.

Read more:

North Korean masterminds evade Kim Jong Nam murder trial

Video of fatal attack on Kim Jong Nam, half brother of Kim Jong Un, shown at womens trial

Two women accused of killing North Korean leaders half-brother Kim Jong Nam plead not guilty

Heres a look at whats been presented in court since the trial began two months ago.

THE VICTIM

Kim Jong Nam was captured on airport security camera footage as he was approached by two women, who appear to smear something on his face. Footage showed Kim gesturing for help before he suffered seizures. He was dead within two hours.

Kim was carrying four diplomatic passports that identified him as Kim Chol, aged 46.

An autopsy showed the banned VX nerve agent was found on Kims face and in his eyes, blood, urine, clothing and bag. His organs were damaged, including part of his brain, both lungs, his liver and spleen. Doctors concluded the cause of his death was acute VX nerve agent poisoning, and ruled out any other contributing factors.

Police testified that Kim was carrying eight different international currencies, including $124,000. Ironically, he also carried a drug known to be an antidote for nerve agents.

It is known that Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of the family that has ruled North Korea since its founding, had been living abroad for years after falling out of favour. It is thought that he could have been seen as a threat to his brother Kim Jong Uns rule.

THE DEFENDANTS

Two women are charged with murder in the death of Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, on March 1. (The Associated Press)

The two young women face the death penalty if convicted, but under Malaysian law they cant be sentenced to die if they didnt have intent to kill. That is their defence.

The court has heard that traces of VX were found on the womens clothing as well as on Huongs fingernails. A government chemist testified that VX was a strategic choice of poison because it doesnt evaporate quickly and a victim could be targeted without affecting the surroundings.

The chemist told the court that rubbing VX on a persons eye would be the fastest way to kill because the eyes have no barrier like the skin. He said the palm is the least sensitive area and VX can be washed from the hand within 15 minutes of exposure  which could explain why the women werent affected.

Prosecutors contend the women knew they were handling poison and deliberately rushed to wash their hands after the attack. Security camera footage shows both holding their hands away from their bodies as they rush to separate restrooms.

Defence lawyers argued that the women didnt flee the country nor discard their clothing, indicating they didnt know they were handling poison. Furthermore, they point to the womens contention that they thought they were playing a prank for a hidden camera show.

The defence says the men who hired the women for the prank show were actually North Korean agents who fled the country after the attack. North Korea has denied any involvement.

THE NORTH KOREANS

Police have told the court that several North Korean men helped plot the attack, including a man one of the women says hired her to stage pranks. The four men left Malaysia on the day of the killing.

A police investigator identified the four as Hong Song Hac, Ri Ji Hyon, Ri Jae Nam and O Jong Gil. On Malaysias request, Interpol has issued arrest warrant for the men, who are believed to be back in Pyongyang, but North Korea is not a member of the organization.

Airport security footage played in the courtroom showed all four discarding their belongings and changing their outfits after the attack. They were then seen meeting North Korean Embassy official Hyong Kwang Song and Air Koryo official Kim Uk-Il in another part of the airport before flying out of the country.

The embassy and Air Koryo officials have told police it was their duty to assist North Korean citizens leaving the country. Those two and another North Korean police were seeking to question were allowed to leave the country in the days after the killing in exchange for the release of nine Malaysians stuck in Pyongyang.

The court heard that Hong Song Hac was the mastermind who orchestrated the operation on the ground.

WHATS NEXT?

When the trial resumes, defence lawyers will look to shift the focus onto the North Koreans.

Malaysian officials have never officially accused Pyongyang of involvement in Kims death and they have made it clear they dont want the trial politicized.

The defence will start with the cross examination of the chief police investigator, whom they have described as the most important witness.

They are expected to question him about the role of North Korean chemist Ri Jong Chol, who was detained shortly after the killing but released due to lack of evidence and deported. Defence lawyers said Ri, who had used a North Korean Embassy car since 2015, was a key suspect as his house could have been where the nerve agent used in the killing was made.

Prosecutors have about a dozen more minor witnesses to call before they are expected to rest their case in March. The judge could then make a ruling by the second quarter of 2018.

If the judge finds there is no case against the women, they will be freed. If he rules otherwise, the defence will be called and the trial will continue for several more months.

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LONDONA few days after his inauguration, U.S. President Donald Trump stood beside British Prime Minister Theresa May in the White House and proclaimed the strength of the most special relationship between their two countries.

Ten months later, that relationship looks decidedly strained. As May and Trump traded criticism Thursday over his retweets of a far-right groups anti-Muslim videos, British lawmakers labeled the U.S. leader a hate peddler.

They also urged Mays government to revoke an invitation for Trump to visit Britain as a guest of Queen Elizabeth II.

The furor erupted after Trump, who has almost 44 million Twitter followers, on Wednesday retweeted three anti-Muslim videos posted by a leader of the far-right group Britain First. The tiny group regularly posts inflammatory videos purporting to show Muslims engaged in acts of violence, but without providing context or supporting information.

Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump

The U.K. ambassador in Washington, Kim Darroch, complained to the White House, and Mays spokesperson said the president was wrong to retweet the groups content.

Trump responded with a tweet  in which he initially tagged the wrong Theresa May  urging May to focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom instead of on him.

May countered Thursday that we take the need to deal with the terrorist threat very seriously and rebuked the leader of Britains closest ally.

The fact that we work together does not mean that we are afraid to say when we think that the United States have got it wrong and to be very clear with them, May said Thursday during a visit to Amman, Jordan. I am very clear that retweeting from Britain First was the wrong thing to do.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan was one of many politicians urging the government to scrap the still-unscheduled state visit by Trump that first was announced during Mays trip to Washington in January.

Read more:

Meet Britain First, the appalling group of anti-Muslim bigots Trump just elevated

You are not welcome in my country: Brits react with fury to Trumps anti-Muslim retweets

Analysis: The truth behind Trumps retweets: The U.S. president is an unapologetic anti-Muslim bigot

Khan, the British capitals first Muslim mayor, said the American president had promoted a vile, extremist group and an official visit by him would not be welcomed.

U.S. President Donald Trump is stoking concern that he is inciting anti-Muslim sentiments through a series of retweets. U.S. Imam Suhaib Webb said the retweets were dangerous and irresponsible, but also that he did not find Trump's actions surprising. (The Associated Press)

In the House of Commons on Thursday, lawmakers criticized Trump in unusually blunt language. Labours Naz Shah accused him of promoting the hate-filled ideology of fascism. Conservative Tim Loughton said Twitter should take down Trumps account for peddling hate crime.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Thursday that she does not believe Trump knew anything about the deputy leader of Britain First, Jayda Fransen, before he shared the anti-Muslim videos from her account with his followers.

I think he knew what the issues are, and that is that we have a real threat of extreme violence and terrorism, not just in this country, but across the globe, Sanders said.

The chill between London and Washington could not come at a worse time, as Britain prepares to leave the European Union and forge new economic relationships around the world.

May was the first world leader to meet with Trump after he took office in January partly because Britain is eager to strike a free trade deal with the U.S. after it leaves the EU in 2019.

But the prime ministers bid to nurture a close relationship with the unpredictable president has not gone according to plan.

Trump greeted May with warm words, and even briefly held her hand as the two leaders walked along a colonnade at the White House.

Within hours of Mays departure, Trump signed an order banning travel to the U.S. from several majority-Muslim countries. House of Commons Speaker John Bercow said soon afterward that Trump would not be invited to address Parliament during his state visit, an honour given to President Barack Obama and other world leaders.

Analysts predicted Thursday that the trans-Atlantic relationship would be strong and important enough to survive the current strain

The core U.K.-U.S. special relationship is co-operation in nuclear weapons, special forces and intelligence, said Tim Oliver, an expert in Europe-North America relations at the London School of Economics. That core has traditionally been protected from the vagaries of presidential and prime ministerial relations.

Trump, however, is testing it in ways weve not seen before.

Emily Thornberry, the Labour Partys foreign affairs spokeswoman, said May had made an error of judgment in inviting Trump so soon after he took office.

We ought to be holding him at arms length, Thornberry told Sky News. Shes put the queen in this incredibly invidious position.

May insisted Thursday that the visit was still on  though she suggested it was not imminent.

An invitation for a state visit has been extended and has been accepted, she said. We have yet to set a date.

The growing calls to cancel Trumps visit to Britain have put Queen Elizabeth II in a difficult position.

In Britains constitutional monarchy, the queen invites foreign leaders to state visits  regarded as a great honour  on the advice of Britains Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

It would be extremely awkward for the queen to rescind the invitation, and there is no indication the Foreign Office wishes her to do so.

Instead, a convenient delay is more likely  as suggested in Parliament Thursday.

Labour Party lawmaker Kevin Brennan said the 91-year-old queen has a busy year coming up with the anticipated birth of a new great-grandchild and the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May.

Dont those facts alone justify the government announcing a postponement of the state visit by the president of the United States for at least, say, three years? he asked.

In the meantime, Trump could come to Britain for high level meetings on a trip that is not treated as a state visit, which is an event that follows well-scripted protocol.

Former president Barack Obama made a state visit in 2011 with his wife Michelle. His other visits to Britain were not classified that way.

U.K. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said that British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right.

This government will not tolerate any groups that spread hate by demonizing those of other faiths or ethnicities, she said.

Rudd also welcomed a suggestion by Conservative lawmaker Peter Bone that Trump delete his Twitter account.

Im sure many of us might share his view, Rudd said.

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BEIJINGA Chinese official vowed Thursday to make administrative improvements following a scandal involving the abuse of children at a kindergarten in the nations capital that has sparked widespread outrage.

Vice Education Minister Tian Xuejun said the case exposed mismanagement and a failure to vigorously implement proper policies.

That such things happened in kindergartens, I think, reveals the gap between peoples strong demand for kindergarten entry and the unbalanced, inadequate development of preschool education, Tian said.

Read more: Parents in China demand answers after alleged child abuse at private kindergarten

Tian vowed better regulation, new legislation and stricter rules for qualifying teachers.

Chinese police said a teacher at the Beijing kindergarten pricked children with needles as punishment but an investigation found no evidence of sexual exploitation.

Chinese media reports about the alleged abuses at the Xintiandi kindergarten have drawn nationwide anger over potential lapses in supervision in the booming private preschool industry.

The school is run by Beijing-based RYB Education, a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

RYB posted an apology on its website and said complaints from parents at other RYB kindergartens would be fully investigated. It said it would accept responsibility for any harm to its students.

A police statement said initial results of an investigation showed that a 22-year-old teacher it identified only by her surname, Liu, had punished children who refused to sleep by pricking them with sewing needles. Liu has been detained.

Wang Quanjiang, a parent of a student at the Xiantiandi kindergarten, told The Associated Press he trusted the government but was suspicious of RYB management and still had questions about the investigation.

Wang said the report mentioned that three teachers had been placed under investigation, and said he wondered why only one had been detained.

He also described as ridiculous an explanation that security video at the school was incomplete because a worker in the room where the equipment was stored shut it off because it was too noisy.

I have decided not to send my child to the kindergarten right now, Wang said. From what I have observed, many RYB students are not attending class.

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LONDONU.S. President Donald Trump got the wrong woman and Twitter users were there to screen-grab the evidence.

Trumps tweet came at 1 a.m., local time, when many Brits were fast asleep. It had been an unusual day in Britain, with President Trump retweeting several videos from far-right group, Britain First.

Taking aim at Prime Minister Theresa Mays sharp rebuke of his actions, Trump wanted May to know he was unhappy. In Trump fashion, he took to Twitter to air his grievances but targeted the wrong @TheresaMay.

Unfortunately for Trump, the target of his tweet was not the prime minister of the United Kingdom as he had intended, but in fact another woman named Theresa May Scrivener who has just six followers and a protected account. Trumps schoolboy error was met with shock, amusement and left many Brits wondering: Who the hell is Theresa May Scrivener?

Many eagle-eyed Twitter users pounced on Trumps mistake, taking screen-grabs of the presidential error and sharing them. The initial tweet reads: Theresa @theresamay, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine! Trumps tweet was quickly deleted.

The best part about this is that a random woman called Theresa May Scrivener, with 6 followers. just received a diplomatic correspondence by tweet from the US President, tweeted Gerard Brady, who attached a screen-grab of Trumps error.

Some 14 minutes later Trump tried again. This time he got the right Twitter handle and targeted the actual prime minister of the United Kingdom. Trump kept the wording of his second attempt the same.

While many were amused at Trumps misfiring, some spared a thought for Theresa May Scrivener.

Today, I feel sorry for Theresa Scrivener @theresamay, waking up to THIS from the President of the United States read one tweet.

Poor Theresa Scrivener must have wondered what she had done! tweeted another.

Theresa Scrivener is one confused lady right now. wrote another user, summing up the incident.

Read more:

Meet Britain First, the appalling group of anti-Muslim bigots Trump just elevated

Analysis: The truth behind Trumps retweets: The U.S. president is an unapologetic anti-Muslim bigot

You are not welcome in my country: Brits react with fury to Trumps anti-Muslim retweets

Aside from the eye-rolling at his latest gaffe, Trumps promotion of videos from Britain First combined with such a public swipe at May triggered anger and concern. #SpecialRelationship began trending on Twitter as hundreds questioned the current state of U.S.-British relations. Some accused Trump of interfering with British politics; others suggested Trumps visit to Britain should be put on hold, indefinitely. A spokesperson for May confirmed that an invitation for a state visit has been extended and has been accepted. No further details were provided.

May, who is currently on a visit to Jordans capital, Amman, stood her ground with the rebuke of Trump.

The fact that we work together does not mean that were afraid to say when we think the United States has got it wrong, and to be very clear with them, she said. Im very clear, that retweeting from Britain First was the wrong thing to do.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday that Trumps retweeting of three inflammatory videos had served to elevate the conversation about the issues of extreme violence and terrorism.

Theresa May Scrivener, now dubbed the wrong Theresa May broke her silence Thursday. If I wanted to be famous I would have gone on X-Factor. She told The Press Association in an interview. I was in bed by half ten last night and oblivious to it all. Im just waiting for a call from the White House with an apology.

She added, Its amazing to think that the worlds most powerful man managed to press the wrong button.

Im just glad he was not contacting me to say he was going to war with North Korea, she said.

Describing her bewilderment at becoming involved in a political firestorm, the 41-year-old said: I havent been able to leave my house. Ive been bombarded and contacted by press from around the world.

He needs to think before he tweets. We  Theresa May and I  are so different. Our profiles are completely different. She runs the country, Im a mum from Bognor. Bognor Regis is a seaside town in the south of England, quite a way from the real Theresa Mays office in Downing Street, Westminster.

Scrivener explained that despite Trumps error, she would not be changing her name. Why should I? Its my name Im not going to change it.

I hope now Ive said my piece I will be left alone.

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Former Today show host Matt Lauer, fired for sexual misconduct, said Thursday that repairing the damage that he has caused is now his full-time job.

Lauers first public response to his firing was read by his former co-host, Savannah Guthrie, on the show where he had worked since 1994 before being fired Tuesday night. His downfall was the broadcasts lead story.

Read more:

NBC fires Matt Lauer for inappropriate behaviour at workplace

I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly, Lauer said in the statement. Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and Im committed to beginning that effort. It is now my full-time job.

Lauer was fired after an NBC employee came forward Monday to detail what NBC News chief Andrew Lack described as Lauers inappropriate sexual behaviour that began at the Sochi Olympics in 2014. Since then, NBC said two other women have come forward with complaints, with one telling The New York Times that Lauer had sexually assaulted her in his office in 2001. An investigation by Variety magazine revealed a pattern of alleged salacious behaviour, including three women who said they had been sexually harassed by Lauer. All made their complaints anonymously.

Lauer said that some of what has been said about him is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. He did not specify which allegations were true or untrue.

The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws, he said. Its been humbling.

For the second day in a row, he was replaced by Hoda Kotb on Today, giving the show an all-female lead anchor team. NBC is faced with the task of suddenly replacing the man who has been the most visible figure in morning television news, the most lucrative part of the network news business. CBS has the same task, since CBS This Morning host Charlie Rose was fired last week for after several women he worked with detailed sexual misconduct charges.

The list of prominent men felled by misconduct allegations has seemed to grow by the day, especially since a pattern of sexual assault by Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was revealed this fall. In the media alone, Lauer joins a list that also includes his former NBC News colleague Mark Halperin, the late Fox News chief Roger Ailes, Fox News prime-time host Bill OReilly and National Public Radio newsroom chief Michael Oreskes. On Wednesday, former Prairie Home Companion host Garrison Keillor was cut loose by Minnesota Public Radio over an allegation of inappropriate behaviour.

In the wave of accusations sweeping through the media, Hollywood and politics, the stature and wealth that once served as protection have turned into flimsy shields. Lauers downfall was stunningly swift.

Lack said it was the first complaint lodged against Lauer in his 20 years at NBC, but we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident. After the new reports came forward, NBC emphasized it was the first time that its current news management had heard of the complaints.

Hours after the firing, the trade publication Variety posted what it said was a two-month investigation that included dozens of interviews with current and former staffers who asked to remain anonymous.

Is this the long-awaited reckoning that the corporate news media needs? (The New York Times)

Among other things, Variety reported allegations that Lauer once gave a colleague a sex toy with an explicit note about how he wanted to use it on her; that he exposed himself to another female co-worker; that he would question female producers about their sex lives; and that he would talk about which co-hosts he would like to sleep with.

Lauer is married with three children. His statement on Thursday mentioned the damage he had left behind at NBC and at home.

Lauers Where in the world is Matt Lauer? segments were popular for years, and he regularly played a lead role at the Olympics and other major news events. He had been assigned as one of the hosts for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony from Rockefeller Center that NBC televised on Wednesday night.

For many years, Today was the unquestioned ratings leader, until it was eclipsed by ABCs Good Morning America following the ugly 2012 firing of Lauers co-host Ann Curry. The show had stabilized in recent years with Lauers pairing with Guthrie.

Regarding Keillor, Minnesota Public Radio gave no details about his firing, but the 75-year-old Keillor said he put his hand on a womans back to console her and he inadvertently touched her bare skin through an opening in her shirt.

In an email to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Keillor said he apologized to the woman, she told him she forgave him and the two remained friends right up until her lawyer called.

Minnesota Public Radio said it will end distribution of the radio program The Writers Almanac, Keillors daily reading of a poem and telling of literary events, and end rebroadcasts of old Prairie Home Companion episodes.

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TOLEDO, OHIOThe Toledo Zoo has welcomed a new addition to its Western lowland gorilla troop.

Officials at the Ohio zoo say the male Mokonzi was born last week to 23-year-old mother Kitani and 29-year-old father Kwisha. The baby gorillas name means governor in Swahili.

The zoo says this is the first western lowland gorilla born there since 2003. Officials say he is healthy, and the mother is taking good care of him.

The Kingdom of the Apes exhibit has been closed since Mokonzis birth. Zoo officials expect it to reopen to visitors later this week.

Zookeeper Mike Payne tells The Blade newspaper that Mokonzi will remain at the zoo until he reaches puberty.

Read more: Meet Fiona, the preemie hippo thats made social media swoon

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The leaked recording of Wilfrid Laurier University teaching assistant Lindsay Shepherd being reprimanded  for showing a debate on the use of gender-neutral pronouns in a tutorial she teaches on grammar  has ignited a firestorm of outrage about the supposed assault on free speech by left-wing, anti-discrimination ideologues.

The debate in question featured University of Toronto professor Jordan Peterson, infamous for inflaming opposition to human rights protections for transgender people by inaccurately claiming they criminalize free speech.

In the wake of the furor at WLU, media commentators have condescendingly caricatured students who complain about transphobic speech as overly delicate, lacking the necessary resilience to engage with uncomfortable and challenging points of view.

These representations reverse reality: far from being sheltered from perspectives that oppose their own, trans people in Canada are forced to endure regular dehumanization and aggression.

According to a 2011 national survey by Egale Canada, 79 per cent of trans students feel unsafe in school, and almost half had been sexually harassed.

And according to data from the Trans Pulse project, 20 per cent of trans people in Ontario have been physically or sexually assaulted, and 24 per cent have been harassed by police. As well, 96 per cent of trans Ontarians have been told that trans people are abnormal, and 25 per cent have been ridiculed by an emergency care provider.

Two-thirds of trans Ontarians reported avoiding public spaces out of fear and 43 per cent of trans people in Ontario have attempted suicide at least once.

Contrary to the notion that depression and suicidality are primarily attributable to distress inherent to being trans, the Trans Pulse report notes, we found that discrimination and violence had strong adverse impacts on mental health.

It is a basic sign of respect to call people by their correct name  and this isnt difficult to figure out, observes j wallace skelton, academic and author of a book on transphobia for students. Transphobic language often precedes transphobic actions, including violence.

For instance, when British writer Laura Kate Dale tweeted critically about an occasion when she had been misgendered (repeatedly referred to with the wrong pronoun), she was subjected to a barrage of abusive phone calls and death threats.

It is perverse that the disciplining of Lindsay Shepherd has generated more condemnation than the transphobia that imperils the lives and expressive freedoms of trans people.

The almost-universal acclamation of Shepherd as a valiant defender of freedom of speech highlights a disturbing double standard.

It is telling that the Globe and Mail, for example, has published three editorials so far on the Shepherd case, castigating perceived institutional attempts to restrict freedom of expression and inquiry  but not a single one in response to other recent incidents involving repression of speech, in which the speech being repressed was challenging oppression rather than reinforcing it.

Where were the odes to the absolute importance of free speech when Dalhousie University student Masuma Khan was threatened with disciplinary action for posting Facebook comments criticizing Canada 150 as a celebration of anti-Indigenous colonial violence?

Or when elementary school teacher Nadia Shoufani was demonized, suspended, and threatened with termination over a speech she gave at a rally in support of Palestinian rights? (Shoufani was eventually exonerated by the Ontario College of Teachers: a fact that none of the mainstream media outlets that published the accusations against her bothered to report. This case should never have gone before the College of Teachers, and Ms Shoufani should not have been put through the ordeal of the past months, commented Liz Stuart, president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association.)

Where were the denunciations of institutions abusing their power to quell free expression when the RCMP created fake social media profiles to surveil Black Lives Matter activists, and categorized peaceful BLM protests as unfolding events of serious crime?

Or when it was exposed that Canadian security agencies have been intensively profiling and monitoring dozens of Indigenous activists, identified as threats because of the challenging content and tone of their speech?

This reckless program was undertaken without reasonable grounds and in violation of the Charter-protected rights to free expression and privacy, concluded Canadian Journalists for Free Expression.

Unlike Lindsay Shepherd, however, the Indigenous activists targeted for exceptional surveillance were not widely exalted as heroes of free expression. Instead, they were deprecated in the Globe and Mail as threats to Canadas energy sector.

It speaks volumes that debates on the basic humanity of trans people are vigorously defended as an exercise of free speech, but the social activism of marginalized groups is not.

Azeezah Kanji is a legal analyst and writes in the Star every other Thursday.

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This has been a rotten century so far for media freedom around the world. A new report this week reaches the unhappy conclusion that freedom of the press has fallen to its lowest level in at least a decade.

Article 19, a London-based organization dedicated to promoting freedom of expression, developed a new metric to measure the threats in 172 countries  everything from government censorship and pressure from organized crime, to more subtle measures exercised by the handful of giant internet companies that control the flow of information.

Its not a pretty picture. Freedom of expression and information is being rolled back in many countries.

One of the worst is Turkey, where more than 150 journalists languish in prison and the government has closed some 170 media organizations in the wake of last years coup attempt. But the offenders range from the Philippines (where the government of Rodrigo Duterte is ferociously critical of any negative coverage of its lethal crackdown on drug users and dealers) to Egypt, Poland, Hungary, Russia, Venezuela, Mexico and many other countries.

Around the world, more and more journalists are being silenced, prosecuted or even killed. Last year, according to a survey by Article 19, 259 were jailed for political reasons and 79 were murdered. Global media freedom is at its lowest level since the start of the century, warns the report.

Thats bad enough, but its not unusual. Dictators and strongmen in many countries have often cracked down on media freedom as a central part of their efforts to consolidate control. The drift to authoritarianism in parts of Europe, for example, has been accompanied by predictable pressure on the media.

The newest wrinkle is the emerging threat in the country with perhaps the most robust tradition of free media in the world, the United States.

Donald Trump has showcased his contempt for what he calls the dishonest media ever since he launched his campaign for president. But now that hes in the White House he has escalated his attacks, labeling journalists the enemies of the American people and raising the idea of cancelling the broadcast licenses of TV networks whose coverage he doesnt like.

At one point he said it is frankly disgusting that the press is able to write whatever it wants to write. Clearly, hes never read the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution  that one about freedom of speech and the press.

This may be mostly typical Trump blather in the U.S. itself, but theres a real danger it will fuel crackdowns on the media in other countries, especially when the president singles out international organizations like CNN for abuse. If the United States, of all countries, doesnt defend the principle of a free media, why would strongmen in Cairo, Ankara or China pay it any heed? Trump is giving license to every dictator around the world to crack down on their own unruly press.

All this is not about special privileges for the news media. Long experience shows that when a free press is trampled, its part of a much broader assault on everyones rights. The new report from Article 19 serves a useful purpose in shining a light on that threat.

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Opposition slams Joly over print industrys woes, Nov. 29

Those of us who feel selective news feeds, rather that conventional journalism, imperil democracy want to see something done to reverse the trend. We need educated, informed people to spread the word about the likely impact of decisions made in the voting booth.

While requiring a course in civics to get a licence to vote might be the best way to guarantee thoughtful ballot casting, it is a concept most people are not ready to go forward with.

So, if the fourth estate is an essential part of our democracy, why not give it the same support we give political parties and politicians? How about the same tax break for newspaper subscriptions as we give for political donations? It may not solve the problem, but it must surely help, both through the financial support and the public relations value of the gesture.

Tom McElroy, Toronto

I was shocked by the sudden announcement that the Barrie Examiner and other local newspapers are gone. How will Barrie residents find out what is happening in our neighbourhoods? Who will hold our city councils feet to the fire?

Most citizens are only aware of issues affecting them directly, unlike our local reporters whose job it was to be familiar with most issues, tracking them as they progress through council. Even if the citizens pay little attention, the fact that somebody is paying attention, keeps our councillors honest.

How will the opinions of thoughtful local people be collected? These newspapers published opinions by professional columnists who represented varied views. The letters to the editor page allowed community members to air their thoughts; highly partisan and well-argued ideas rubbed shoulders in these pages, sometimes galvanizing local politicians into action.

Our theatre groups and concert associations depended on the local newspaper to advertise their events and to criticize performances. Where will young media graduates get their training if they cannot write for a small local newspaper?

Probably most important is the fact that a local newspaper has always recorded the present for future historians. With local newspapers gone, the history of half the provinces population will be, well, history!

Peter Bursztyn, Barrie, Ont.

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As the jury filed out  not for the first or last time Wednesday  Mark Smich turned around and grinned at Dellen Millard.

Hard to evaluate that brief smile between the one-time best friends and, allegedly, buddy-killers in the murder of 23-year-old Laura Babcock. Hostile? Triumphant? Sly?

But it was the only time, with jurors at least sort of present, that the two men co-accused of first-degree murder have looked directly at each other in a trial that began Oct. 23.

Its been as if they hardly inhabit the same space, even if with their fates intertwined.

Millard, whos representing himself, has been a primary player in the courtroom, cross-examining witnesses and, over the past several days, conducting direct questioning of the three individuals summoned in his own defence, increasingly confident in his imitation of a lawyer.

Smich, with his head down at the defence table, scribbling on a notepad throughout, has been scarcely a tangible presence, although certainly coming to life via scores of text messages. Those texts, along with photographs and testimony from witnesses, illuminate the intense friendship which had existed between Millard and Smich, with Millard  the rich-boy heir to a familys aviation fortune  a generous benefactor of his wingman.

They were joined at the hip. And, says the prosecution, enjoined in an unspeakable crime.

Court has also seen a frequently replayed rap video shot a month after the Crown maintains Babcocks body was incinerated. In the video, Smich spits out lyrics that hed apparently written on a laptop which had been loaned to Babcock by her ex-boyfriend before she vanished just after Canada Day, 2012. Lyrics which Smich had entered into the laptop on the very night, July 23, the prosecution says, that Babcocks corpse was allegedly fed into The Eliminator, a commercial monstrosity intended for the disposal of animal carcasses.

The bitch started off all skin and bone/now the bitch lay on some ashy stone/last time I saw hers outside the home/and if you go swimming you can find her phone.

Babcocks iPhone, which fell silent on July 3; on which her last eight texts sent had been to Millard, a phone that continued to emit a GPS signal into July 4, pinging off cellphone towers as it moved westwards from the area around Millards Maple Gate Court residence in Etobicoke, along the QEW to the vicinity of his Waterloo-area farm and his familys plane hangar. The Crown has alleged Babcock was killed July 3-4 and the phones last-gasp signals tracked the route to the Ayr farm property. Calls made to Babcocks phone by worried family and friends went to voicemail until it finally died.

It seems so long ago when the jury heard all these details. So much longer  five years  since Babcock was last seen alive. Presumed dead, her remains have never been found.

Both Millard and Smich have pleaded not guilty.

On Wednesday, the prolonged evidentiary phase of the trial ended.

Im not calling any further evidence, said Millard, at precisely 2:38 p.m.

That brought a full stop to speculation over whether Millard would put himself on the stand, a possibility which had been teased out. No accused is compelled to testify but the courtroom was packed, just in case  which would have seen Millard basically giving a narrative, as if asking himself the questions, but would have exposed him to cross-examination.

Instead, Millard merely entered some exhibits  documents and photos hed used in the defence portion  and a couple of agreed submissions, statements of fact acknowledged by the defence and the Crown.

Once again youve been waiting patiently, Justice Michael Code told the jury when they first took their seats Wednesday. Things are moving rapidly. The parties have sensibly agreed to a couple of simple submissions.

Millard, always so obsequiously polite in front of the jury: Good morning members of the jury. Sorry for the wait.

First, he told jurors that everyone agreed on the date he (and Smich) had been arrested and charged with the murder of Miss Laura Babcock: April 10, 2014.

Second, the parties agreed on the provenance of a handgun which, as the jury has already heard, ultimately came into the Millards possession.

In late spring of 2012, Mr. Nando LaRocca purchased a .32 calibre Smith and Wesson firearm from Miss Theresa Boisvert. This is the same .32 calibre Smith and Wesson that was later found at 5 Maple Gate Court in the fall of 2012. He paid $100 for it. On June 24, 2012, Mr. LaRocca sold this firearm to Mr. Matthew Odlum. He did so at the corner of Baby Point Rd. and Humbercrest Dr. in Toronto. When Mr. LaRocca sold the firearm to Mr. Odlum there was no ammunition in it.

There has been considerable talk of guns during the trial although the Crown has not made any claim about how Babcock was actually killed. In a tangential bit of evidence earlier this week, Millard showed the jury a photo of his late father, Wayne, purportedly from a firearms licence. A defence witness on Tuesday, Millard Air and Millard Properties bookkeeper Lisa Williams, testified that Wayne Millard had passed in late 2012.

Wayne Millard casts only a slight shadow across these proceedings, recalled by witnesses as the man who always stayed upstairs at the family home, while his son entertained friends  some of whom lived at the house for periods  in his black-painted basement man-cave and around the saltwater pool outside.

With the agreed statements of fact entered, Code sent the jury off again while legal and procedural matters were discussed.

Weve got one final issue weve got to sort out, he said. Its realistically going to take us the morning. Im going to ask you to find a nice patio or restaurant and have a slow relaxed morning drinking good coffee or something else  non-alcoholic.

Reassembled in the early afternoon, jurors heard Millard say he had no more evidence to call. And he sat down.

Code turned to Smichs lawyer, Thomas Dungey. Mr. Dungey, on behalf of Mr. Smich, are you calling any evidence?

Dungey, standing: No we are not calling any evidence.

Code explained to the jury what will happen next. This isnt evidence anymore, its argument.

Millard will deliver his closing address to the jury on Tuesday, Dec. 5; Dungey on Wednesday, followed by the Crown on Thursday, after which Code will charge the jury, a lengthy process he warned, expected to run from next Friday to the following Monday.

Ive agreed to a fairly luxurious scheduled, I would call it, said Code, who has tried mightily to keep this trial moving forward despite much jury up-and-down for legal arguments and procedural wrangling.

Not what I would normally like to do, Code added, but the parties have persuaded me, as it has been a long trial with six weeks of evidence, some of it quite complex, and Mr. Millard is self-representing.

Jury deliberations, said Code, would likely begin the week of Dec. 11.

Correction  November 30, 2017: This column was edited from a previous version that misstated arrest date of Mark Smich and Dellen Millard as April 10, 2013.

Rosie DiManno usually appears Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

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Police are like the press  exasperating but essential. Cant live with cops, cant live without them.

Except in our high schools, where students shall henceforth be shielded from the very police meant to protect them from peril.

Toronto District School Board trustees, entrusted with the safety of our students, have concluded that police were creating an unsafe learning environment in our schools. And so a decade-old program that relied on specially trained community police officers to keep the peace with students and staff in the wake of high school deaths has itself been killed.

The TDSB based this conclusion on the results of a voluntary questionnaire in which a minority of students, mostly from minority groups, replied that police made them uncomfortable in various ways: 11 per cent felt intimidated and 14 per cent felt watched or targeted.

That roughly one in 10 kids might be leery of cops is hardly surprising. That a solid majority, 57 per cent said they felt safer with a police presence, is surely interesting.

Either way, you cant fault students for offering opinions in a confidential questionnaire, even if its not a scientific sample (given the chance, they might also demand more days off and less homework). But you can certainly question why the adult trustees in the room didnt think this through.

The idea, or ideology, that the best remedy to minority discomfort is to disown the police  because the only good cop is an absent cop, Black, brown or white  is a leap in logic. If professionally mellow community police arent in your comfort zone in the schoolyard, what happens when hardened cops confront you on dark streets at tense times?

If students cant get habituated to shooting hoops with police in their learning years, and community cops cant learn how to relate to students in their youth, how does that bring everyone together going forward?

Feeling the heat from protests by Black Lives Matter, Torontos Pride has already banished uniformed police from parade floats on the same dubious premise that cross-pollination and proximity sow the seeds of tension, not trust. What next?

Shall we demand the removal of uniformed campus police from the University of Toronto, lest some students feel picked on? Ban the Ontario legislatures protective service? Outlaw security guards in shopping malls? Ask police to stop patrolling certain neighbourhoods lest they feel unfairly targeted?

The trustees responded to pressure tactics, not research. Misreading their own questionnaire, they refused to wait for a more rigorous review undertaken by Ryerson University for Torontos police board.

Other big cities such as Vancouver, Ottawa and Mississauga have similar programs that place police in schools, and they remain popular. An independent study in Peel found the police presence an overwhelmingly positive measure that boosted confidence and relationship-building.

And Torontos separate system is in no hurry to give up the School Resource Officer program. Catholic trustees are happy to have the police help.

Amid the fervent protests from pressure groups at the TDSB, its easy to forget the impetus for a police presence. Teachers unions long ago eased their members out of the responsibility to patrol high school hallways, given fears of violence or intimidation from some students. When Grade 9 student Jordan Manners was fatally shot in the hallway of C.W. Jefferys Collegiate a decade ago, the TDSB joined with the separate school board and the police to introduce the SRO program.

After a second teen was stabbed, and yet another caught with a loaded handgun, the school welcomed the program: If you come into Jefferys today and see the positivity that is going on organized by this partnership with the police, you cant deny the fact that there is a place for the police in the school, principal Monday Gala told the Star earlier this year.

But the popularity of police in that once-troubled school shouldnt blind us to the fact that the program was in many ways colour blind. Despite the perception that police pick on minority schools, the 36 uniformed cops rotated through 75 schools across the city  eyeing kids at-risk and rich alike  including posh locales such as Riverdale Collegiate, Northern Secondary School and Etobicoke School of the Arts.

Now, students in specialized arts programs and gifted classes are also in the sights of the TDSB, which worries that minority students arent sufficiently represented. Rather than raise their game by ensuring the broadest selection of students, there is talk among trustees of gutting the programs.

Whether its community policing or specialized schooling, Torontos trustees are too often tempted to tear down programs rather than persevere and make them better. Thats not much of a lesson for students learning how to live in the real world.

Martin Regg Cohns political column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. mcohn@thestar.ca, Twitter: @reggcohn

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European technology stocks were lagging in Thursday morning trading, following on from a wobble in Asian trading and a sell-off in the U.S. on Wednesday.

Europe's tech index, the Stoxx Europe 600 Technology, was under pressure early in the session, falling 0.16% to lead sector decliners around the region and extend its 2.9% loss over the past five days.

Much of the sector's weakness was linked to a warning from investment bank Morgan Stanley (MS) - Get Free Report earlier this week after it reduced its rating on Samsung Electronics (SSNLF) , the world's biggest chipmaker, to 'equal weight' from 'overweight' and cautioned that the memory chip sector's so-called "super cycle" is close to peaking, noting "downside risk as NAND prices have started to reverse" and "visibility on DRAM supply-demand dynamics has reduced" into next year.

Dutch semiconductor maker ASM International (ASMIY) shares were down 0.78%, changing hands at 57.21. Dialog Semiconductor (DLGNF) shares were marked 0.96% lower, trading at 36.75, extending a 5% loss over the past five days. Infineon Technologies (IFNNY) shares were down 0.32% at 23.15.

Chipmakers were under pressure in Asia, with Samsung Electronics down 3.4% and South Korea's SK Hynix, also one of the world's biggest chipmakers, fell 6.8%.

Micro Focus International plc (MFGP) - Get Free Report the U.K.'s biggest listed tech company following the completion of HHewlett Packard Enterprise's (HPE) - Get Free Report software business, shares were down 2.12% in London, changing hands at 2,445 pence, extending a 5% loss over the past month. Deutsche Bank this week downgraded the stock to 'hold' from 'buy', saying, "with limited upside potential to our price target, we believe the risk/ reward is now rather more balanced and downgrade to Hold."

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U.K. lawmakers held an extraordinary debate in parliament Thursday to discuss the escalating political row between Prime Minister Theresa May and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Speaker of the House John Becrow granted the "Urgent Question" motion, which was put to the House of Commons, following a Tweet from the President late last night, which he sent in response to criticism from May after the President shared a series of graphic videos that allegedly depicted acts of violence and desecration by Muslims.

The original Tweets, which included violent images, were posted by a far-right nationalist group known as 'Britain First', whose founders have faced arrest and prosecution for inciting racial and religious hatred in the United Kingdom.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister, who is currently on tour in the Gulf region, told reporters Wednesday that it was "wrong for the President to have done this", but made no comment on Trump's subsequent Tweets.

The row comes a particularly sensitive time for May, who is attempting to galvanise her fractured party and present a united front in Brexit negotiations with the European Union.

Britain's so-called "special relationship" with the United States, and Trump's stated support for Britain's EU exit, were said to have offered the Prime Minister a noted advantage in upcoming trade talks, especially so given her visit to the White House earlier this year and her commitment to offering a State visit to the President in the face of mounting public criticism.

Vince Cable, who leads Britain's Liberal Democratic party and is one of the country's most venerable lawmakers, urged May to re-think her invitation in light of the President's actions.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has clashed with the President in the past, issued a formal statement Thursday asking May to demand the removal of Trump's re-Tweets.

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Juniper Networks (JNPR) - Get Free Report shares plunged in premarket trading after European tech equipment maker Nokia Oyj (NOK) - Get Free Report denied it was considering an offer for the Sunnyvale, California-based company.

Juniper shares were down 7.13% in Thursday premarket trading with an indicative opening price of $27.49, making it one of the top losers of the morning.

Shares in network gear maker closed more than 5% on Wednesday at $29.61, after reports on CNBC that Finnish network equipment maker Nokia was considering making an offer for the Juniper.

4 Thoughts on Nokia's Reported $16 Billion Bid for Juniper

Nokia on Thursday, however, denied the reports, saying it is "not currently in talks with, nor is it preparing an offer for, Juniper Networks related to an acquisition of that company."

CNBC reported on Wednesday that Nokia was readying a takeover bid that would value Juniper at around $16 billion, sending shares in Juniper up 18% in after-hours trading.

Espoo, Finland-based Nokia has been concentrating on its telecom equipment business, with a focus on the Internet of Things, 5G and the cloud, since selling its mobile phone unit to Microsoft Corp. MFST.

Nokia last year closed its $17 billion merger with French telecom equipment giant Alcatel-Lucent but it is coming off a third quarter in which its core Nokia Networks unit saw revenue drop 9% annually amid weak U.S. and Chinese mobile infrastructure demand. Nokia has also guided for Networks' "primary addressable market" to decline by 4% to 5% in 2017 in constant currency (CC), and by 2% to 5% in CC in 2018.

Nokia shares were down 0.43% in Finland, changing hands at 4.19, while its U.S. ADR was down 0.8% in premarket trading.

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The Bank of Nova Scotia provides various banking products and services in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, the Caribbean and Central America, and internationally. It operates in four segments: Canadian Banking, International Banking, Global Wealth Management, and Global Banking and Markets. The company offers financial advice and solutions, and day-to-day banking products, including debit and credit cards, chequing and saving accounts, investments, mortgages, loans, and insurance to individuals; and business banking solutions comprising lending, deposit, cash management, and trade finance solutions to small, medium, and large businesses, including automotive financing solutions to dealers and their customers. It also provides wealth management advice and solutions, including online brokerage, mobile investment, full-service brokerage, trust, private banking, and private investment counsel services; and retail mutual funds, exchange traded funds, liquid alternative funds, and institutional funds. In addition, the company offers international banking services for retail, corporate, and commercial customers; and lending and transaction, investment banking advisory, and capital markets access services to corporate customers. Further, it provides online, mobile, and telephone banking services. The company operates a network of 954 branches and approximately 3,766 automated banking machines in Canada; and approximately 1,300 branches and a network of contact and support center internationally. The Bank of Nova Scotia was founded in 1832 and is headquartered in Halifax, Canada.
Eagle Materials Inc., through its subsidiaries, produces and supplies heavy construction materials and light building materials in the United States. It operates through Cement, Concrete and Aggregates, Gypsum Wallboard, and Recycled Paperboard segments. The company engages in the mining of limestone for the manufacture, production, distribution, and sale of Portland cement; grinding and sale of slag; and mining of gypsum for the manufacture and sale of gypsum wallboards used to finish the interior walls and ceilings in residential, commercial, and industrial structures. It also manufactures and sells recycled paperboard to gypsum wallboard industry and other paperboard converters, as well as containerboard and lightweight packaging grades. In addition, the company engages in the sale of ready-mix concrete; and mining, extracting, production, and sale of aggregates, including crushed stones, sand, and gravel. Its products are used in commercial and residential construction; public construction projects; and projects to build, expand, and repair roads and highways. The company was formerly known as Centex Construction Products, Inc. and changed its name to Eagle Materials, Inc. in January 2004. Eagle Materials Inc. was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
The Apple Watch is already an advanced fitness tracker, but now its becoming a medical device. Sort of.

Image Credit: AliveCor



According to Bloomberg, the Food and Drug Administration just approved AliveCors $199 KardiaBand (opens in new tab), an Apple Watch strap with a built-in electriocardiogram reader that can diagnose an abnormal heart rate. Atrial fibrillation is an early sign of heart disease but is often asymptomatic, so people dont know anything is wrong until it might be too late. Atrial fibrillation contributes to about 130,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.

The KardiaBands sensor scans your thumb and delivers a medical-grade EKG in 30 seconds. The accessory pairs with AliveCors Kardia app to analyze heart rate data and your activity to figure out if your heart rate has spiked because youre exercising or if youre experiencing atrial fibrillation. If the app determines that your heart rate is abnormal, it will prompt you to take another EKG reading. You can email the results to your doctor.

In addition to the $199 band, youll need an Apple Watch, which starts at $329. Youll also need to pay for AliveCors $99-per-year premium subscription, which offers unlimited storage for your EKG results.

The Apple Watchs heart rate sensor already alerts you when your heart rate spikes abnormally, but it doesnt offer EKG readings because doing so would require FDA approval. Apple CEO Tim Cook has expressed hesitation about turning the watch itself into a medical device, because the regulatory approval process would slow down the pace of hardware releases. Apple typically announces a new Apple Watch model every year.

Image Credit: Apple



But Apple has made it possible for researchers to conduct studies using Apple Watch health data, and now the company is launching its own study in partnership with Stanford Universitys School of Medicine. The Heart Study app (opens in new tab), out today, is fairly simple: Apple Watch users over the age of 22 can install the app and then allow it to monitor their heart rate and rhythm. Anyone with an Apple Watch Series 1 or later can participate, not just people who think they might have heart disease.

Heart Study participants who experience heart rhythm abnormalities will be alerted on their Apple Watches and then given the chance to FaceTime with a doctor. They will still need electrocardiograms to diagnose atrial fibrillation. The doctor, licensed by private company American Well, might recommend that you wear an ECG patch to wear for seven days to collect deeper heart rhythm data. If so, a free patch will be mailed to you. Alternatively, you could wear AliveCors KardiaBand, but that is not free.

Every week we receive incredible customer letters about how Apple Watch has affected their lives, including learning that they have AFib, Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams said in Apples announcement (opens in new tab) on Thursday. These stories inspire us and we're determined to do more to help people understand their health. Working alongside the medical community, not only can we inform people of certain health conditions, we also hope to advance discoveries in heart science.

Only a doctor can diagnose and treat a heart condition, but the Apple Watch is arming users with the data they need to seek out a physician before its too late.

See Also: How to Use and Personalize Your Apple Watch
How to change the time on iPhone

Master timezones and never be late again when you know how to change the time on your iPhone. It's a simple process that you can do in less than a minute.
Omans Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) plans to develop 100 MW of new solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity at key oilfields installations across its Block 6 concession,a report said.



By the end of the year, we will be tendering 100 MW of (solar renewables) in our installations, Raoul Restucci, managing director, was quoted as saying in the Oman Observer report.



We are also engaging with (state-owned power procurer) Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) to see how we can assist them in their 500 MW (utility scale) solar project, he added.



PDO recently launched Phase 1 of its Miraah project  a 1 gigawatt solar steam plant  which is being developed by US-based technology firm GlassPoint at PDOs Amal heavy oilfield. The majority government-owned oil and gas producer is also close to completing the installation of around 19,500 solar panels on car park sheds at its Mina Al Fahal headquarters  an initiative that can feed up to 1,000 homes.



The renewables business in the region is projected to create in excess of 200,000 jobs over the next five years, and we want a piece of it. Also, in excess of $200 billion will be invested in renewables, and we want a share of it, Restucci explained.
Members of African regional trading blocs have been asked to hasten implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) to reduce cross border trade costs in a bid to grow economies.

Mr Erastus Mwencha, the former Deputy Chairman of the Africa Union Commission, said the efficiency of trade hinges on the support of regional blocs such as the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of West African States, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in adopting a more open stance on trading with each other.

Mr Mwencha said the TFA would bring about new markets and cost reduction gains. We must minimise cross border costs in Africa, said Mr Mwencha.

When the trade facilitation agreement was introduced globally, it showed that if it is implemented optimally there will be a cost reduction of up to 14 per cent. This will add to the global trade value of about $1 trillion. Mr Mwencha was speaking at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies during the Second World Customs Organisation East and Southern Africa Regional Conference in Nairobi last week.

It was hosted by the World Customs Organisation Regional Training Centre (WCO RTC Kenya).

Delegates from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad) and SADC attended the conference where they discussed the impact and the implications of the TFA.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was represented by Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, its Secretary General, who elaborated on the steps they were taking to accelerate regional development through cross border trade facilitation.

Delegates from Belgium, Ethiopia, South Africa, Malawi, Rwanda, Australia, Mauritius, Botswana, the Comoros, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Uganda and Tanzania also attended the conference.

Mr Mwencha said implementing the TFA will also help lower the high cost of doing business within Africa, When African countries trade among each other, for example, the tariff is about 12 per cent but when Africa trades with the rest of the world, the tariff drops to eight per cent. Implementing the TFA addresses these challenges, he said.

To make this happen, he said, handling and logistics tied to cross border trade should be simplified.

This includes harmonisation of customs procedures, deepening standards of IT innovation and utilisation to enforce the TFAs and regional trading agreements in the East and Southern Africa region.

Ms Beatrice Memo, the Regional Training Centre Kenya Chair and Kenya Revenue School of Administration Commissioner, said African countries have complimentary synergies in terms of their competitive advantages which they should leverage to grow their economies.

In light of this, we need to open our borders to facilitate the growth as customs is now considered a global village. It is for this reason that we co-host this conference with a view of sharing experiences and finding a solution for the African market challenges, said Ms Memo.

African countries are also exploring closer ties between regional trade blocs through the proposed Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA), which brings together three business regional blocs of Comesa, EAC and SADC.

Objectives of TFTA are to promote economic and social development of the region, create a large single market with free movement of goods and services, and boost intra-regional trade.
In Abidjan: 5th African Union-European Union Summit concludes: Investing in youth for a sustainable future

The 5th African Union-European Union Summit took place on 29-30 November in Abidjan, under the overarching theme of Youth. The Summit brought together leaders from 55 African Union and 28 European Union Member States. In their political declaration, the European and African leaders set out their joint commitment to invest in youth for a sustainable future. Concretely, they committed to focussing their work on four strategic priorities. On this basis, the European and African Union Commission will put forward concrete projects and programmes within three months.

Joint press release of the United Nations, the African Union and the European Union at the 5th AU-EU Summit in Abidjan

They agreed to put in place a joint EU-AU-UN Task Force to save and protect lives of migrants and refugees along the routes and in particular inside Libya, accelerating the assisted voluntary returns to countries of origin, and the resettlement of those in need of international protection.

Decisive AU means more reliable partnerships  Kagame (The New Times)

President Paul Kagame has said that the African Union institutional reform aims at creating a self sufficient Union and will lead to more reliable external partnerships. The forces reshaping the global economic and security environment mean that Africas future increasingly depends on the quality of cooperation within our own continent, first and foremost, Kagame said. [Remarks by President Kagame at the African Union-European Union summit in Abidjan]

African trade blocs urged to adopt pact and ease commerce (Business Daily)

Members of African regional trading blocs have been asked to hasten implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) to reduce cross border trade costs in a bid to grow economies. Mr Erastus Mwencha, the former Deputy Chairman of the Africa Union Commission, said the efficiency of trade hinges on the support of regional blocs such as the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of West African States, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in adopting a more open stance on trading with each other.

The 43rd EAC Consultative Meeting of Facilitation of Air Transport held in Uganda

In his opening remarks, Mr. Katushabe, Commissioner, Transport Regulation and Safety, Ministry of Works and Transport, Uganda, reminded the participants that Air Transport facilitation is an important aspect of aviation and the EAC airports have to continuously enhance capacity of existing infrastructure to be able to cope with future aviation demands, meet international requirements and to contend with the ever changing threats against Civil Aviation.

CFTA negotiations intensify as deadline looms (UNECA)

African Union Ministers of Trade (AMOT) will meet in Niamey, Niger, on 1 and 2 December in a bid to finalize negotiations on the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) by the end of 2017, as directed by the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government in June 2015. David Luke, who coordinates the African Trade Policy Centre at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), expressed optimism about the December deadline for the establishment of the CFTA: Given the momentum behind the negotiations thus far, we are confident that there will be the essential substance of an agreement to come out of the ministerial meeting in Niamey.

Single Market A Windfall For Africas Economy (Forbes Africa)

Africa is charting a new path towards a single continental market  and its going to be an economic revolution. As much as the CFTA will disrupt demand and supply barriers, a single market will help align trade policies, regulations and institutions of all African countries to promote continental trade that will benefit businesses, consumers and governments. This will lead to structural transformation, industrial development, diversification, productivity boost, and new wealth that will give Africa a competitive edge. [The author, Shakir Akorede, is writer, agenda contributor to the World Economic Forum, and founder of 501Words]

Manufacturing is a critical component for job creation (dti)

Manufacturing is a critical component of the South African economic policy and also important in creating and ensuring that there are jobs in the economy. This was said by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies during a briefing to the portfolio committee on Trade and Industry on the state of manufacturing, World Trade Organisation and the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) in Parliament.

Weak manufacturing sector robs East Africas economy of resilience (The EastAfrican)

East Africas economy could be stronger and more resilient but for a weak manufacturing sector, according to the Macroeconomic and Social Development in Eastern Africa 2016-2017 report. Compared with the service sector, whose expansion has been rapid, the manufacturing sector in the region has been lagging behind as evidenced by the stagnant or even declining share of the manufacturing value added over the past decade. [Download the report]

South-South cooperation offers major opportunities to support vulnerable countries  UN official

As the most vulnerable countries continue to face serious development challenges, South-South cooperation offers enormous opportunities and potential to effectively support them in accelerating progress on implementing globally agreed goals, Fekitamoeloa Katoa Utoikamanu, the UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS), said at the Global South-South Development Expo 2017 in Antalya, Turkey.

Amid Fragile Environment, Ministers Weigh Trades Future and its Contribution to Sustainability (Bridges, ICTSD)

This years ministerial comes at a moment of change for the global trade system, which in October celebrated the 70th anniversary of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The negotiating agenda under discussion at the WTO is, however, relatively limited for the Buenos Aires meet. Areas where ministers could reach agreement  with varying degrees of ambition  include agriculture, electronic commerce, fisheries, and issues related to small and medium-sized enterprises. There is also the prospect of voluntary, plurilateral offshoots in important matters such as fossil fuel subsidies and gender. [Bridges Negotiation Briefing: A Guide to the WTOs Eleventh Ministerial Conference (pdf)]

Grain council calls for policy review to promote intra-regional rice trade (The New Times)

There is need for policies that will support cross-border trade in grains and cereals and also eradicate barriers affecting the sector, the regional grain council has said. Gerald Makau Masila, the Eastern African Grain Council (EAGC) executive director, said a supportive legal regime will spur cross-border trade of commodities like rice and help reduce food imports into the Eastern Africa region.

Knowledge is the new paradigm for the future of food and agriculture (FAO)

Agriculture is poised for another major transformation as gains from the Green Revolution come up against natural resource limits. The future of agriculture is not input-intensive, but knowledge-intensive. This is the new paradigm, FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva said in a speech at Chatham House.
Tiny living is affording a growing number of people financial freedom and a simpler, but more fulfilling lifestyle. Many are finding that they can live mortgage-free, without necessarily giving up more conventional paths to financial security.

For example, some might be paying off a mortgage on a regular-sized home, but to do so, they rent it out and live in a tiny house out back, as Steve, a firefighter from Edmonton, Canada is doing in his Earthship-inspired tiny home on wheels. We get a great tour of Steve's lovely home from Bryce of Living Big In A Tiny House:

Living Big In A Tiny House/via

Steve designed the size of his 10' by 17' house to fit in the backyard of the main house, which he rents out, using that income to pay down the mortgage on that building. He was inspired to seek a mortgage-free life after taking a year off work, and travelling down the continents in a van, volunteering on various building projects, such as tiny houses and earthships. In addition to savouring the community of kindred spirits surrounding these projects, he learned many new skills, and when he returned, started a tiny house project of his own, in Edmonton, where he now works as a fireman.

Steve's 140-square-foot house was built as part of a weekend workshop in collaboration with Vancouver tiny house builder Ben Garrett. Inside, it's a light-filled space that is well-proportioned and features a lot of interesting design ideas, gleaned from Steve's time as a volunteer builder.

Living Big In A Tiny House/Video screen capture

For example, the dimensions offer a much more generously sized living room, which Steve -- in an experiment -- attempted to heat passively with the thermal mass of a brick-lined floor. But in Edmonton's extremely cold winters, this didn't work so well. Steve plans to replace it with wood flooring instead. Nevertheless, the home stays warm and cozy with the help of three different heating options: woodstove, propane heater or electric patio heater.

Loft-haters will be glad to see that there isn't one in this house; instead, there's a pull-out queen bed that's hidden under the kitchen platform. It rolls out in the living room area during the night and during the day, it rolls back in, and partially becomes the L-shaped sofa. The bed box has storage space, and a clever little coffee table is hidden under the bed, and can roll out when necessary.

Living Big In A Tiny House/via

Living Big In A Tiny House/via

Living Big In A Tiny House/Video screen capture

Living Big In A Tiny House/Video screen capture

The kitchen is simple, yet well-configured. Its L-shaped layout echoes that "work triangle" of ergonomics for efficiency of movement in the kitchen. Cooking is done with propane, and there's a small refrigerator. There's integrated wall shelving, for food and for plants.

Living Big In A Tiny House/Video screen capture

Living Big In A Tiny House/Video screen capture

Living Big In A Tiny House/via

Since Steve's home is located in an urban setting, and since composting toilets can be a hard sell to most conventionally minded people, Steve decided to install an incinerating toilet in the bathroom. Hot water comes via a propane-powered on-demand water heater.

Living Big In A Tiny House/via

The home has been designed to be flexible with its hook-ups: it can go off-grid if Steve purchases some more land to put it on, but currently, Steve uses the utilities off the main house. Of course, as a firefighter, Steve has built his home to meet building codes for fire safety: adding egress windows, fire extinguisher, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

In the end, Steve spent about CDN $50,000 (USD $38,910) on the entire build, and he figures that if he lives in his tiny home for at least four years, it will pay itself back, thanks to the arrangement he has now with renting out the main house, while keeping his own living expenses low through simpler living. He says:

For me, it was how the economics of it make sense. I rent the big house out and the tenants pay the mortgage, so by me staying in the small house in the backyard, I'm living a mortgage-free lifestyle right now, immediately, while I'm still collecting equity in the main house. So that makes sense to me and that's a good situation to be in.



To see more, visit Living Big In A Tiny House and on YouTube.
So many options. I probably won't recommend Brisbane and further north around that time of the year. Traffic is bad, accommodation hard to come by. Hot, wet and stingers around GBR. Uluru will be hot hot hot. Not a good time to visit.

Tasmania is an option but 5 days is a very minimal stay. GOR is an option too but if you take 2 days to drive it, you have 3 days left which is also fairly unproductive.

Another option is to drive to Sydney via Canberra, it will be hot there but it is just about the right length of time to stay in Canberra and make it worthwhile.

Edited: 4 years ago
Good to see feika having a go with the IDs. Well done.. Wendy will have her bird book soon we hope.

As an aside. I had that tent in Manze when I was there. They were going to put up a Blue Plaque but must have forgot!

63. I loved that shot despite the light. So cuddly. Bohm's is the correct spelling but there is no Umlaut on my keyboard..

Here is my take on the birds with reference to feika.

6. Open-billed Stork and 8 Grey Heron.

16. Interesting. I have also seen this bird in Selous and marked it as Golden Palm Weaver. Neil Baker (TZ expert) said no. GPW does not occur in Selous only African Golden Weaver..

BUT AGW has less orange on face and pale red eyes.

Your bird clearly has an orange face AND dark brown/Ruby eyes as has the GPW.

So I am going to say your lovely clear photo is of the Golden Palm Weaver nesting along the river bank.

17. feika may be correct. It is not a Woodland Kingfisher which apart from the blue back has a black lower mandible (beak) BUT I could make a case out for Brown-hooded due to lack of Chestnut Belly. The head markings are also different with a firmer eye stripe. See 35 & 36 where the grey hood is much more in evidence as is the Chestnut belly on the adult...

Your call Wendy.

22. Strictly not a White Egret but Little. Nice contrast though!

24. feika is correct. Just about every species of Egret is there. Great, Intermediate, Little and Cattle Even a Yellow-billed Stork and Glossy Ibis.

37. Is a Grey Heron.

40. Haha. Marabou, Yellow-billed Storks and loads more. Some Great White Pelicans too. Move on!

54, Another interesting one. I think those BeeEaters are 'Blue-cheeked'. Not 100% but 90+

That's Day 11 done. I will look at 12 soon.
Hi. We are flying from NZ to HCMC next year and don't really want to do VOA as it took so long last time. 1.5hrs!!

We have a ticket from NZ to HCMC return 26 days total. We want to exit the airport and stay for a few days then fly to Bangkok on a seperate ticket (not booked yet). Then on return, fly from Bangkok to HCMC and not exit the airport and take our return leg home to NZ. So i guess it is a multiple entry as we will have to clear imigration both ends even though we dont leave the airport on our return.

Am I correct that VOA via visapro will be $6usd pp + $50usd stamping fee in total pp?

And $180 NZ pp if I get a Visa via the embassy before?

Doing VOA concerns me for our return leg mostly as we will have to allow alot of time between landing from Bangkok and checking in for our return flight home.

Thanks for any tips :)
I seek advice as to best option. Following a few days in HCMC late December, I would like to spend a few days in Sihanoukville and a few in Phnom Phen. I've read several posts through TripAdviser and read my Lonely Planet guide but can't seem to find answers.

My question is: would it be better to go from HCMC to Phnom Phen then to Sihanoukville or HCMC to Sihanoukville then Phnom Phen? I would particularly like to take an overnight cruise on the Mekong River which, I believe one can do through to Phnom Phen.

From either Phnom Phen or Sihanoukville, I will (probably) fly to Siem Reap.

I am a mature solo female seasoned traveller. Don't mind buses, trains or air travel.

Thank you in advance for any advice given.
We were in Japan this September for 10 days and thoroughly enjoyed Kyoto for the first 4 days.

We have lived in Asia for over 20 years and we were not so keen on visiting too many temples as we have seen many before. While in Kyoto we took a day trip to Nara, a day in Arashiyama where we enjoyed the scenic train ride and returned to Kyoto to see Nishiki market late afternoon. Another day trip was to the beautiful historic area of Omihachiman, 30 mins by train . Here we saw traditional houses, canals and the ropeway to the top of the hill where there was a great view of the surrounding area and Lake Biwa.

https://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/regional/shiga/omihachiman.html

We then took the train to Hiroshima , stopping for 3-4 hours in Himeji to see the beautiful castle and gardens. At Hiroshima we spent a day exploring the Peace Park, Museum, castle, Shukkeien Gardens and enjoyed a meal at Okonomi-mura. A building with 24 restaurants, all serving the famous dish.

http://www.okonomimura.jp/foreign/english.html

Another day was spent at Miyajima where we got the cable car to the top of the mountain and hiked the remaining kilometer to Mount Misen before hiking back down the hill.

On the other day we visited the beautiful 5 arcged bridge, castle and gardens at Iwakuni before taking the train to Saijo where you can tour the sake breweries and get tipsy on the free samples.

http://saijosake.com/

We did not have too much time in Osaka but we found it was good value to buy the Amazing Pass which allowed you free entrance to many attractions and free transport. We made a savings of 4500 yen each by using the pass.

https://www.osaka-info.jp/osp/en/
There are quite a few winter illumination events in Tokyo.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2303.html

The one in Tokyo Midtown has light and sound show in the main Starlight Garden.

http://www.tokyo-midtown.com/jp/xmas/english/

The most spectacular one is Sagamiko Illumillion although it requires a train ride plus a connecting bus.

http://www.sagamiko-resort.jp/illumillion/

Sendai is also holding its annual Pageant of Starlight in the month of Dec.

http://www.sendaihikape.jp/

2 popular side trips from Sendai are Yamadera and Matsushima.

Ginzan Onsen is indeed a lovely winter destination deserving an overnight stay as the best time to take in the place is during dust when the street lamps are lit up and also at dawn when the morning mist is still floating around. The only concern is whether accommodation is still available at this late date if going this Xmas.

Aizu Wakamatsu would be a good base for Ouchijuku which requires a train ride plus a short taxi ride.
Hi, I'll be visiting Japan in April next year for 13 days for the cherry blossoms and am having a little hard time planning out the itinerary. I will land at Narita Airport on the 3rd and was thinking of staying in Tokyo until the 10th, whereby I'll travel from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. I was thinking that Shin-Osaka's a good place to stay at as it seems to be a convenient point of access to visit Kyoto, Nara and Nagoya. I would then travel from Shin-Osaka back to Tokyo on the 15th and stay a night, before my flight the next day evening. Just need advice on some points as follow:

1. From Tokyo, I would like to visit the Hakone Shrine and Mt. Fuji and it seems that they're both nearer to Tokyo. Do I also have time to visit the Bunny Island? In this case, which day should I activate my 7-day JR rail pass?

2. Does it make sense to visit Yokohama on the way from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka on the 10th? I'm thinking of visiting the cup noodle museum and perhaps some places of interest for a short day trip. Am just a little afraid of missing the last shinkansen to Shin-Osaka (if this day trip even makes sense).

3. I'm thinking of leaving 2 days for Kyoto itself as I would like to visit the Fushimi-inari shrine, Arashiyama Bamboo grove & Gion area. Perhaps also leaving some time to walk around leisurely in Kyoto city itself. I would assume that both days as day trips make sense since the travelling time back to Shin-Osaka is quite short?

4. I understand that Nara is good for a half-day trip so I'm thinking of using half a day for that, but am just not sure which day to place Nara in. Should I use it as a half-day trip on the way from Shin-Osaka back to Tokyo, or is that actually quite a far distance to cover?

5. I would also like to visit Nagoya as a day trip. This seems to be right smack in the middle of Osaka and Tokyo, and though a little nearer to Osaka, I don't really know where to place it. Please advise.

Any other free time would probably be spent on experiencing Osaka. I'm not very keen on taking my luggage and moving from one accommodation to another hence I would appreciate it if I could minimise this. Thanks!
Love all the links and especially the subway help. Thanks again everyone. I have 3 hotels on hold and will continue to watch the prices as time gets closer.

Im going to switch over and start working on our itinerary and will post it once I have it together :)
Any train stations truly outside the city will take you either to Penn Station or Grand Central (only subway trains are available at Times Square).

The Metro North commuter train into Grand Central is a more affordable and frequent option than Amtrak into Penn Station. http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/mnrmap.htm New Haven and Stamford have plenty of parking (some stations are permit only - click on the town names on the linked map for parking info) From there you can take the subway a bus or a cab to your hotel if needed.

If you're willing to drive into Queens, check the Best Parking link Lizzie posted for more affordable garages in Long Island City where you can easily catch a subway. Enter Queens via the Whitestone Bridge instead of the RFK/Triboro to avoid congestion.

Have you comparison priced dropping off your rental(?) car and picking up another for your departure?

Edited: 4 years ago
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- NASA announced the formation of the People's Assembly that would be used as a revolutionary vehicle in the push for democracy in Kenya

- The opposition brigade is targeting its 19 opposition led counties to adopt the motion

- Kwale, the first non-opposition led county passed the motion after sharp divisions on Wednesday, November 29

Kwale became the 10th Kenyan county to pass a motion to form the People's Assembly despite it being led by a Jubilee governor, Salim Mvurya.

The National Super Alliance is keen on having all 19 of the opposition led counties adopt the motion so that the Assembly can push for the restoration of the rule of law, democracy and constitutionalism in Kenya following the disputed October 26 repeat presidential election.

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So far, 9 opposition led counties adopted the motion.

READ ALSO: Haya ndiyo yatakayojiri iwapo Raila ataapishwa kuwa Rais Disemba 12

NASA co-leaders and legislators during a past church service in Trans Nzoia county. Photo: NASA Coalition/Facebook.

READ ALSO: Tanzanians angry after Magufuli failed to attend Uhuru's swearing-in

According to a report by Daily Nation on Thursday, November 29, the motion further split the Kwale County Assembly along the political divide but eventually, the opposition legislators managed to have the motion passed.

The motion was introduced by Majority Leader Joseph Ndeme (Mwavumbo Ward) who said the People's Assembly will propel development in the region and reinforce concrete measures for the promotion of inclusivity and the welfare of marginalised communities.

"Citizens will have a bigger role in safeguarding devolution, promoting equity and fairness in distribution of resources and reforming public institutions," said Ndeme.

READ ALSO: What if Raila is sworn in as president on December 12?

President Uhuru Kenyatta with Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya. His county becomes the fist non-opposition led county to adopt the People's Assembly motion. Photo: Nation.

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Jubilee allied legislators opposed the motion, saying it was unconstitutional and will not bring any economic value to Kwale people. They termed the motion irrelevant and one that would lead to the wastage of public funds.

The legislators vowed to rally residents to frustrate the Bill.

Raila Odinga and his co-leaders announced the formation of the People's Assembly to fight for democracy in Kenya following President Uhuru's disputed win. Photo: NASA Coalition/Facebook

READ ALSO: US, UK react after Uhuru's pompous swearing-in ceremony

Among other things, the motion seeks to invalidate the October 26 election and therefore call for a constitutional authority or legitimacy to govern, to establish a truly independent IEBC and the reviewing of the performance of constitutional commissions such as the National Police Service, EACC, IEBC and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.

Have something to add to this article? Send to news@tuko.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- The Non-Governmental Organisation council has called on all leaders to settle and move forward after the swearing- in of President Uhuru and his deputy William Ruto

-The council has asked NASA leader Raila Odinga to reconsider his plans to swear in himself and instead reach out to President Uhuru Kenyatta

- The council said that the country recognises one president only and that the office had been occupied already following the inauguration

- The council has promised to work with the Government through partnerships to ensure that Kenyans get basic services as provide by the constitution.

The Non - Governmental Organisations (NGO) council on Thursday, November 30 called on all leaders from across the board to settle and move the country forward after the swearing-in of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The council also urged National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga to reconsider his decision to swear-in himself and instead think of reaching out to President Uhuru for dialogue.

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READ ALSO: Pasta afumaniwa akila uroda na mke wa afisa wa polisi

NASA Principal Raila Odinga has been urged to reach out to Uhuru for dialogue .Photo: Raila Odinga/ Facebook

READ ALSO: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu congratulates Uhuru and invites him for State Visit

In a statement seen by TUKO.co.ke, Stephen Cheboi urged Raila Odinga and NASA leaders to reach out to President Uhuru and Jubilee administration for dialogue to find ways of bringing stability to the country.

He said NASA and Raila's effort to fight for democracy in Kenya was appreciated though they should note that unity and peace is paramount for Kenya.

"Raila and NASA team should know that their efforts to fight for democracy in Kenya cannot be taken foregranted and they are appreciated for that though they should note that Unity and peace is paramount for Kenya and Kenyans " read the statement

READ ALSO: NASA CEO, Raila's brother and Kalonzo's son officially presented in parliament for plum jobs

Uhuru Kenyatta taking his oath of office during his swearing-in ceremony at Kasarani Stadium on Tuesday, November 28. Photo: Uhuru Kenyatta/ Facebook

READ ALSO: Update your TUKO.co.ke app to enjoy an amazing experience

The chairperson also advised Jubilee government to immediately settle down and start implementing their manifesto as they had promised during the campaign period.

In a prior report by TUKO.co.ke, the NGO council chairperson had urged Raila to attend Uhuru's swearing-in ceremony in order to facilitate dialogue.

READ ALSO: Raila urged to attend Uhurus swearing-in ceremony

Raila did not heed to the calls and instead pushed for his rally at Jacaranda grounds which was later disrupted by police who engaged his supporters in running battles.

The council promised to work with the government through partnerships to ensure basic services as provided by the constitution.

ALSO WATCH: President Uhuru Kenyatta sworn in for his second term

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Russian-backed militants launched 18 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in ATO area in Donbas in last day.

This is reported by the ATO press center.

"Over the past day, illegal armed groups violated the ceasefire 18 times, particularly using the weaponry banned by the Minsk agreements. As a result of fighting, no casualties among Ukrainian troops were reported," the statement reads.

In Luhansk direction, illegal armed formations used 120mm and 82mm mortars, grenade launchers, antiaircraft mounts and weapons on infantry fighting vehicles to fire at the defenders of Luhanske (59km north-east of Donetsk). ATO troops outside Novoluhanske (53km north-east of Donetsk) came under small arms fire. In addition, terrorists fired several 82mm mortars near Novotoshkivske (53km north-west of Luhansk). Ukrainian positions near Troitske (69km west of Luhansk) and Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk) came under grenade launcher fire, while defenders of Stanytsia Luhanska (16km north-east of Luhansk) came under small arms fire.

In Donetsk direction, Russian-backed militants opened fire from grenade launchers near the outskirts of Avdiivka (18km north of Donetsk). The enemy used infantry weapons to launch provocative attacks near Krasnohorivka (29 km west of Donetsk).

The enemy UAV, banned under the Minsk peace accords, was spotted in the area of villages Zaitseve, Travneve and Hladosove.

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The situation in Donbas is a signal for other countries how events could develop.

Defense Minister of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak stated this during the talks with President of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) Eugen Czolij, the Defense Ministrys press service reports.

The situation in eastern Ukraine is a threat to the whole Western world, thus fighting against information challenges with real actions rather than slogans is effective and efficient. We have to respond to information challenges together, Poltorak said.

The UWC president, in turn, assured of steadfast support and assistance for Ukraine.

You can count on our strong support. The world should understand that this is not the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, its a world threat. If Ukraine defends its border, it will ensure stability in the region, Czolij said.

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The Lithuanian government has endorsed a resolution on gratuitous transfer of weapons to Ukraine worth almost EUR 2 million.

As the Yevropeiska Pravda Ukrainian online newspaper reports with reference to the Lithuanian Defence Ministry, Ukraine will be granted weapons and munitions that were used by the armed forces of Lithuania before the countrys transition to NATO standards.

"The transfer of property is part of Lithuanias consistent and comprehensive support for Ukraine through strengthening its defence capability and securing its sovereignty," said Lithuanian National Defence Minister Raimundas Karoblis.

Earlier it became known that the weapons, which are planned to be transferred, now cost EUR 1.93 million, while Lithuania had spent more than 3 million on its acquisition.

As reported, more than 7,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles, almost 2 million cartridges, more than 80 machine guns, several mortars, anti-tank weapons and other military equipment will be provided for Ukraine.

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No Ukrainian soldiers were killed or wounded as a result of hostilities in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in eastern Ukraine over the past day.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Spokesperson for ATO issues Oleksandr Motuzianyk said this at a press briefing on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"Good news - no Ukrainian soldiers were killed or wounded as a result of combat actions over the last day, Motuzianyk said.

He added that Russian-backed militants over the past day launched 18 attacks on the Ukrainian positions using weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements. Ukrainian troops returned fire six times using weapons not banned under the Minsk agreements.

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Ukraines GDP growth is expected at the level of 1.8% at the end of 2017.

Vice Prime Minister  Minister for Economic Development and Trade Stepan Kubiv said this during a conference of Fitch Ratings international rating agency in Kyiv on November 30, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We expect positive trends in economic growth by 1.8% by the end of 2017, Kubiv said.

He noted that Ukraine needs faster economic growth rates at the level of 6-7% that could be possible under conditions of carrying out reforms.

As Ukrinform earlier reported, the draft state budget for 2018 envisages a 3% growth in Ukraines GDP.

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The father of a victim blew himself up with two grenades during a hearing at Nikopol court in Dnipropetrovsk region on Thursday, the media liaisons department of the Dnipropetrovsk regional police has reported.

The man died, and seven more were injured.

"Today, on November 30, at 11.20, in the Nikopol court, during a hearing of the case on murder, the father of a victim pulled out two grenades and blew them up. The man died on the spot after the explosion. Three defendants, two convoy officers, a court employee and a civilian were injured. All victims were taken to hospital," the statement reads.

Information on the incident was included in the single register of pre-trial investigations under Part 2, Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

op
The United States will never get its relations with Russia back to normal until it ends its aggression against Ukraine and fulfills its obligations under the Minsk Agreements, which should lead to a peaceful resolution of the situation.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said this on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"In Ukraine, what I've said to the Russians is we're never going to get this relationship back to normal until we solve Ukraine," he said.

He described this question as "an enduring obstacle" in the process of relations with Moscow, which needs to be addressed.

"As you know, I appointed a special representative, former ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker, to focus on nothing but working with his Russian counterpart which Putin appointed," Tillerson said.

He said that this should show "if we can find a way forward - not marginalizing the Normandy process, but working with it to see if we can break the logjam."

He also said that the U.S. side had some "very substantive discussions" with the Russians.

"We're pursuing the possibility of a peacekeeping force in Ukraine to stop the ongoing - every day people are killed, civilians are killed. We want to stop that first and save the lives first, and then let's start working toward the process," Tillerson said.

op
The General Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) has adopted a declaration on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of PABSEC, the press service of the Verkhovna Rada has reported.

An amendment submitted by the Ukrainian delegation was taken into account during the vote for declaration

The head of the Ukrainian delegation, Vice President of PABSEC Liudmyla Denisova, congratulated the meeting participants on the victory. "Congratulations on victory! Our efforts to restore territorial integrity have been supported by most national delegations of PABSEC," she said.

In particular, the document says that conflicts in the Black Sea region should be settled on the basis of full respect for the territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of the BSEC member states.

"We declare that it is necessary to promote the restoration of the territorial integrity of the BSEC states recognized by international organizations such as the UN, OSCE, PACE and the EP as illegally annexed," the amendment of the Ukrainian delegation to the declaration reads.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) was established on February 26, 1993. It consists of 12 countries, in particular, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Armenia, Greece, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine.

On July 6, 2017, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine took over chairmanship of PABSEC for a period of six months.

op
A British parliamentary delegation headed by Chairman of the UK-Ukraine All Party Parliamentary Group John Whittingdale started its visit to Ukraine on November 30, during which it will travel to Donbas.

Ukraine's Embassy in the UK reported this on Twitter. "Today UK Parliamentary delegation led by Chair of Friendship Group with UA John Whittingdale starts visit to Ukraine. A number of meetings ahead in Kyiv & most importantly the visit to Donbas to eyewitness results of Russian aggression," reads the statement. op
The United States aims to help Ukraine build an effective economy and democracy, defend itself against external aggression and build the country which Ukrainians dreamt of during the Revolution of Dignity.

U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch said this at the solemn oath taking ceremony of new volunteers of the US Peace Corps in Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"American support for reforms in Ukraine is comprehensive and works in two synergetic directions: support for the reform process in Ukraine and resistance to the Russian aggression and active leadership in the peace process," Yovanovitch said.

According to the Ambassador, the United States tries to help Ukraine build an effective economy and democracy corresponding to Ukrainian aspirations and European standards.

"Our military cooperation and security support are also aimed at strengthening Ukraine's capability to protect itself from the external Russian aggression," Ms. Yovanovitch emphasized.

She noted that American support helps Ukraine become the country which Ukrainians dreamt of during the Revolution of Dignity.

"Both directions help to build the country the Ukrainians strived to see in 2014: the country with a stable democracy based on the Western values that defies external pressure and is a more capable partner of the United States," the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine said.

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Stories about those who will put on a judge gown of the higher authority of the judicial branch of government for the first time.

Ukrinform continues the project, which acquaints Ukrainians with the new faces of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, tells about those who will wear judge gowns for the first time, and who came to the country's higher judicial body from scientific and educational institutions, from the bar and other spheres of social activity.

When, at the last stage of selection for a new Supreme Court, the High Council of Justice postponed the appointment of Oleksandra Yanovska, hundreds of letters came in her support from her colleagues, and a separate letter came from the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine. That is, the professional environment had no doubt that she had to become a new face of the Supreme Court, the highest judicial institution in the country.

Her professional activity is a confirmation. Professor of the Department of Justice at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Doctor of Law, Professor, Lawyer, Judge ad hoc of the European Court of Human Rights, National Expert of the Council of Europe in Ukraine... And this list can be continued.

Ukrinform learned in a conversation with Oleksandra Yanovska whether she believed that with such professional achievements she could honestly pass the competition and why the new servants of the Supreme Court will be able to bring changes in the judicial system.

About a feeling of responsibility and participation in the competition

I feel how complicated will be the cause to which I agreed, and I feel my degree of responsibility. In fact, I absolutely did not believe that this competition would be honest, but I filed documents, because I thought it would be wrong not to take the chance. After all, for so many years I criticized and constantly said at lectures what is not working in the country the way we need, and why. Therefore, when they announced this competition and allowed scientists and lawyers to take part in it, I thought that I would not want them to talk about me that there was a chance to change something, but she did not even try.

My decision was also influenced by the fact that when I was a member of the competition commission on selecting the NABU director, I regretted that many professionals whom I knew personally did not participate in this competition. They said something like I did from the beginning - that it would be completely nontransparent. Then I thought - why did they not take part in the competition, because they had all the chances to pass? Therefore, I decided to take the initiative. "If not me, then who? If not now, then when? If I am only for myself, then who am I?" This statement has become an internal discovery for me.

About first emotions after the results of the competition

When I first saw the results of the test (they were anonymous, all had their own code), then, frankly, I had tears in my eyes, because I got the highest score among candidates for a criminal court - 84, and there were 177 applicants!

At that moment, I thought: is it possible? Can something really be honest in our country? I will say frankly - this stage was most likely the most objective and most transparent, there was no opportunity to intervene in the process, and the results were announced very quickly. The following steps, in my opinion, were a bit more closed, but at that moment I thought that maybe something would come out of it.

About the main mission of the Supreme Court

I am not inclined to think that the new Supreme Court can fulfill its main mission in full - I mean the return of trust in the judicial system. The Supreme Court is the highest judicial body, which receives a small percentage - from 1% to 5% of all cases, so not everyone will be able to feel the changes.

However, it is very important for the Supreme Court to set a rather high bar for all courts in order to show an example not so much directly to participants in the processes, but to lower courts, so that every person who comes to any court could feel that something has changed. This can only be done by your own example when trial judges and judges of appeal will see concrete changes, new demands, a new style of communication and behavior of judges of the Supreme Court, and they will follow it.

About the first changes

Many judges of the new Supreme Court believe that one of the first steps should be the introduction of a new structure of a court decision. In my opinion, this will be the first and most visible result of the changes. It would be desirable, of course, that this happened as soon as possible, but it is unlikely that we will make a decision this year. However, next year, I think it will become visible from the very first cases that we will hear.

About a significant place in Kyiv

For me, this is Sofiyska Square, because Kyiv City Court was located there, and I visited it when I was only 16 (now Kyiv Regional Court of Appeal is located there). I still remember how my knees were shaking, how I worried, because the court for me was like a temple of justice, and judges seemed almost gods. I dreamed of being a lawyer from school years, and I came there to work as a secretary, and although I formally belonged to the Presidium of the Kyiv City Bar Association, I worked in Kyiv City Court. I was often engaged as a secretary in court sessions, or even sent to a detention center to get acquainted with the defendant case materials. It was here that I was enthralled by the litigation, because in the city court they heard very complicated cases of especially grave crimes, and besides, good lawyers and prosecutors were working there at that time.

About admiration for criminal law

Apparently, this is in the blood, because my grandfather, Lev Kagan, was a famous lawyer precisely in criminal cases and even headed the forensic section of the Kyiv Bar Association. And the first law book I read was "Legal Medicine," and I, a ten-year-old girl, liked it a lot for some reason. When I got to the city court, the first and most interesting things that I was engaged in were criminal ones - murders with burdensome circumstances, large-scale theft, rape of minors... Initially, it shocked me, because there is a lot of sorrow in the courts, but later I saw the other side - those extraordinary human emotions experienced by someone accused of something that helps you get out of custody or get a fair decision. It is not possible to convey it.

I really like the movie "Philadelphia," and when I read a special course "Competitive and Criminal Law" for students, then I definitely need to show one of the pieces of this film in the first lesson. The main protagonist in the film, when asked why he likes law, answers: "I think the thing I love the most is that every once in a while, not that often, but occasionally you get to be part of justice being done. It's really quite a thrill when that happens." It really happens, unfortunately, from time to time, and probably, cannot happen constantly. However, perhaps in this post, I will be able to feel these moments of triumph of justice more often, because to some degree it will depend on me.

About the student years and return to university as a teacher

I entered the university only for the second year. Frankly speaking, it was such a golden dream for me - to study at the University of Shevchenko - when I finally sat in an audience where there were still black old desks, I felt an absolutely happy person. I studied well, and each subject seemed extremely interesting. I was taught by unique people, for example, Mykhailo Makarovych Mykheyenko, who later became the scientific leader of my PhD thesis. He was a very progressive man for his time and is considered to be an ideologue and founder of evidence-based law in Ukraine. I am very grateful to him for having taught me, as they say, to think a little bit more broadly.

In general, I remember very warmly my alma mater and the fact that I began to work here as a professor in 2012... I went to this university not as a student, a receiver of a scientific degree, a participant in a roundtable meeting, but as a professor. It was such an honor for me that every time when I entered the department I said: "How lucky I am that I work here." My colleagues even joked about this and said that I was too sentimental.

About the main message for students

When I first meet students, I begin with the fact that the criminal process is always an emergency situation that can occur in the life of any person. The criminal process does not tolerate unprofessionalism. It builds on details, nuances, and understanding of this great amount of nuances. If you do not understand this, you should never become a professional. And the cost is very high, because it is human life, freedom and health. I always explain that the criminal process is always a competition in a good sense, and in a bad sense, it is sometimes a war. Therefore, it is necessary to be morally ready for a conflict laid in any process, and especially in the criminal process, because here the conflict gets the highest severity.

A strong point that will not help retreat

Probably I was persistent enough in everything I did. The fact that I came to the Supreme Court, to a large extent, is the merit of my perseverance. Very high hopes and a very big job are ahead. Here it is impossible to give up, and there will be many reasons for this - - from small technical-organizational to global, conceptual. Whatever happens, we simply do not have the right to give up.

When, at the last stage before my appointment, there was a delay in considering my candidacy, many letters came from lawyers came in my support. It was a real shock to me, but it was extremely enjoyable! So how can I retreat when something goes wrong?

About guarantees that new judges of the Supreme Court will bring about changes

There can be no guarantees here. Our judgements will show everything. But I can say that I am absolutely delighted with the level of intelligence, initiative and enthusiasm of these people in the future and the level of their belief in the fact that we can change some established traditions (in the bad sense of the word). These people are also full of perseverance. That is, the desire for changes, the desire to make your own efforts for these changes, the absence of fear to do or say anything contrary to the mythical leadership, are a guarantee of this.

About the right of a judge to his own position

It always seemed to me that judges were very afraid of expressing their own position. It was extremely irritating to me as a lawyer and a scientist. I was extremely proud that I can do it and that nothing holds me back. However, unfortunately, recently it has also become a problem in lawyer's activity. Today, I understand that the new post imposes on me a large number of restrictions on this right to freedom of speech, which I really appreciate, because I believe that this is one of the basic human rights. But I am categorically against these restrictions going far beyond the limits. It is obvious that the judge cannot talk about the case he or she is considering. It is obvious that one cannot criticize the position of other judges, other judgments, but the judge has the right and should express his opinion regarding some legal problems, the necessity and urgency of some normative changes, problems in the organization of the judicial system, the activity of judges, their status. I think that today I do not see any factors that may be fundamental to me and that can restrict me. That is, I reserve, nevertheless, this right in a broad sense - it is very important to me.

About the need for clarity of decisions of the Supreme Court

In the School of Judges, where I am lecturing, I pay a lot of attention to the practice of the European Court of Human Rights. We have to move in this direction, and the judgements of the Supreme Court should be similar to the judgements of the European Court. I mean structuring, the level of argumentation, the comprehensiveness of the language of presentation. When I read the rulings of the Higher Specialized Court, the Supreme Court, then even I, a specialist, could not understand the judge's conclusion from the first reading. Of course, I can build a logical chain, thinking a little bit, but as a consumer of this ruling, I do not have to do this. This is the task of the judge to write so that the logic of the decision can be understood.

About the case that I still remember

In most cases that I considered as a lawyer, my defendants were either released from custody, or were given a suspended sentence, or had their punishment mitigated. But there was one loss that I still remember. A 19-year-old boy was accused of causing severe bodily injuries. The circumstances were the following: late at night, at 11 o'clock, he was walking on the street along with a ten-year boy when two strong men (they turned out to be 16 years old) came up to him, asking whether he is allowed to walk in the area. One of them picked up a steel bar from the ground and threatened my client. He snatched it from his hands and hit the attacker in the head. The attacker's friend immediately escaped, and my client sent a young boy to ask for help, calling an ambulance and police.

At first glance, it is a classic situation from the textbook on criminal law. Of course, the version of "victims" was the opposite  they said that my client, who was going with a child, was the first to attack them. After delivering a speech in court, I say that it is not even exceeding the limits, but the necessary defense, and of course the defendant needs to be justified - the judge sentences my client to four years in prison. Moreover, the court substantiated that it trusted only the testimony of the victims. To say that I was shocked is not to say anything. When I subsequently asked the judge in person that I, a young specialist, would not do that, I was shocked by the answer. The point is that my client lived in an informal marriage with a woman older than him - the mother of the ten-year-old boy. And the judge answered me: "I decided so, because your client, when he lives with such an adult woman, is also adult and must understand what he is doing." At that moment, I realized that a judge is a person who, in every case, passes any proof through his or her own experience, perhaps through his or her own complexes, and the court's decision is a subjective perception of circumstances.

About humor in court processes

From my lawyer's experience, there was often a place for humor during the consideration of cases, along with something serious, sad or tragic. Once, when I worked in court, such a story happened. The judge comes in, the secretary, as always, stands up and solemnly says: "All rise. The court is now in session." Suddenly, the judge goes to the table and falls to the ground. The secretary is not confused and says: "All sit down. The court has fallen!"

About the family and a pet

I am married, have a daughter and a son. The son is already a student, and the daughter is still in school.

I love dogs, especially large Mastiffs. I think this is because they are very loyal. Before that, my husband and I had a German Shepherd, but I like Mastiffs more - it's a dog that has its own dignity.

Yulia Horban, Kyiv
A resident of Kyiv who worked for Russian special services has been sentenced to 12 years in prison, the press center of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) has reported.

"SBU officers found that a retired lieutenant colonel of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR had been brought back into service by Russian special services after the beginning of Russian aggression against our country. He was tasked with engaging Ukrainian military personnel in 'cooperation' through bribery in order to obtain information on combat units and subdivisions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of the anti-terrorist operation," the statement reads.

Special service operatives documented that in Kyiv, the Russian spy came out with a proposal for "cooperation" with the commander of a unit of a brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. After a "meeting" an officer of the Ukrainian Army immediately applied to the SBU with information about the "contact."

In April 2016, the SBU detained an agent at the Senkivka checkpoint in Chernihiv region. He traveled to Bryansk region to meet with a representative of Russian military intelligence. During the inspection of the Russian agent's things, law enforcement officers found secret documents lying under the lining of outerwear. According to the curators' plan, Russian intelligence services should have received information on the system of fortification of one of the Ukrainian Armed Forces brigades in the area of the anti-terrorist operation and placement of Ukrainian military units.

According to military experts' findings, the information obtained would have been used by the enemy in inflicting fire strikes on the positions of the Ukrainian army and carrying out subversive activities.

"Desniansky District Court of Kyiv found the detainee guilty of committing a crime under Part 1, Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (treason) and sentenced him to 12 years in prison, with the confiscation of all property belonging to him," the SBU said.

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The German government will allocate additional EUR 750,000 in 2018 and 2019 for humanitarian projects to help the victims of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. EUR 400,000 more will be allocated by the Maltese Relief Service.

Ukrinform learnt this on Thursday from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ukraine.

"The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany will further support the Maltese Relief Service over the next few years to continue its humanitarian assistance with the aim of psychosocial care for those affected by the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine by allocating about EUR 750,000 in 2018 and 2019. The humanitarian organization itself will make a significant financial contribution of about EUR 400,000 to implement the projects," the statement reads.

As noted, the project, which has gained support of the German Federal Government in the amount of about EUR 1.2 million euros over the past years, provides direct assistance for persons affected by the conflict, contributes to upgrading qualifications of representatives of local authorities, humanitarian institutions and support services in form of training sessions.

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Lawyer Mark Feygin has challenged in court the arrest of his client, Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko, who is illegally detained in Moscow.

"An appeal has been filed against the decision to extend his detention until January 30, 2018," he wrote on Twitter.

Feygin also posted a photo of Sushchenko's statement in connection with the pressure being exerted in his case.

"I urge you to pay attention to terrible intentions to deprive me of the right to fair protection," Sushchenko wrote.

According to him, the Russian authorities have resorted to dubious services of provocateurs, crooks and traitors of Ukraine.

"A few weeks and months before court sessions, such a scenario of depriving me of qualified legal protection has all the signs of reality," Sushchenko wrote.

He also said that he did not agree with the charges brought against him.

"Despite fourteen months of continuous moral and psychological pressure in the conditions of the Lefortovo prison, I do not admit my guilt and I do not agree with the charges," the journalist said.

In addition, Sushchenko sent letters in defense of Feygin to a number of international human rights, government and non-governmental organizations.

Russian lawyer Mark Feygin, who defends Sushchenko's interests in Moscow, said that he could be deprived of his lawyer status in December.

As reported, Ukrinform's correspondent in France, Roman Sushchenko, in violation of international rules, was detained on September 30, 2016 in Moscow, where he arrived on a private trip. On October 7, he was charged with "espionage." Russia's FSB stated that Sushchenko is a member of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. The latter denied this statement.

On November 27, Moscow City Court extended Sushchenko's detention for two more months - until January 30, 2018. The trial is likely to begin in January.

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UNICEF/Gilbertson VII

MEXICO CITY/NEW YORK/GENEVA, 30 November 2017  The rights, protection and wellbeing of uprooted children should be central commitments of global migration policies, UNICEF said today ahead of a meeting in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on safe, regular and orderly migration.

The 4 to 6 December meeting is a major step toward drafting the Global Compact for Migration, a landmark intergovernmental agreement that will cover all dimensions of international migration. It is the moment when world leaders will begin to forge consensus on political and financial commitments in line with the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In advance of the meeting, UNICEF also released Beyond Borders: How to make the global compacts on migration and refugees work for uprooted children  a new report that highlights best practices for the care and protection of refugee and migrant children. The report includes practical examples of governments, civil society partners and host communities working to support and integrate uprooted children and their families.

Global leaders and policymakers convening in Puerto Vallarta can work together to make migration safe for children, said Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Director of Programmes. Our new report shows that it is possible, even in countries with stretched resources, to implement policies, services and investments that effectively support refugee and migrant children in their countries of origin, as they transit across borders and upon reaching their destinations.

Refugee and migrant children are especially vulnerable to xenophobia, abuse, sexual exploitation, and lack of access to social services. It is imperative to have policies in place to protect them over the course of their journey, the report says.

The report presents successful case studies from around the world, including the implementation of minimum protection standards for refugee children in Germany, cross border child protection systems in West Africa, and finding alternatives to the detention of migrant children in Zambia. Other countries featured in the report include Afghanistan, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, South Sudan, Vietnam, Uganda and the U.S. Each of the initiatives can be replicated in different contexts and inform child-focused actions and policy change at national, regional and global levels to be agreed in the framework of the Compact.



The report also presents UNICEFs six-point agenda for action as a basis for policies to protect refugee and migrant children and ensure their wellbeing:



1. Protect child refugees and migrants, particularly unaccompanied children, from exploitation and violence;

2. End the detention of children seeking refugee status or migrating, by introducing a range of practical alternatives;

3. Keep families together as the best way to protect children and give children legal status;

4. Keep all refugee and migrant children learning and give them access to health and other quality services;

5. Press for action on the underlying causes of large scale movements of refugees and migrants;

6. Promote measures to combat xenophobia, discrimination and marginalization in countries of transit and destination.



###

Note to editors:

Key global data on children uprooted:

- 50 million children are on the move globally, 28 million of whom have been displaced by conflict.

- 200,000 unaccompanied children applied for asylum across around 80 countries in 2015-2016.

- 100,000 unaccompanied children were apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2015-2016.

- Children account for approximately 28 per cent of trafficking victims globally.

- Sub-Saharan Africa and Central America and the Caribbean have the highest share of children among detected trafficking victims at 64 and 62 per cent respectively.

Download photos, b-roll and the full report: http://uni.cf/2BlX6ga

For more information, please contact:



Christopher Tidey, UNICEF New York, +1 917 340 3017 , ctidey@unicef.org
Washington, DC (UroToday.com) Dr. Flanigan was introduced by Dr. Gomella, the current SUO president. After providing a brief biography of Dr. Flanigans training (Case Western University) and early career (University of Kentucky), he noted that Dr. Flanigan has been the Chairman at Loyola since 1986. Besides being a thorough leader in the field of advanced kidney cancer, he has been a mentor and educator to many well known urologists and urologic oncologists. For those reasons, he has been named the 2017 Charles Huggins Lecturer.Following the introduction, Dr. Flanigan began his presentation of advanced renal cancer. In the same vein as prior lecturers, he chose a topic that paralleled his career, providing insight into the opportunities he had along his long career, as well as advice to up and coming urologic oncologists.Advanced renal cancer continues to be a difficult disease process with limited treatment options. With 5-year survival <10% and median survival approximately 12 months, there are over 135,000 cases of advanced kidney cancer deaths worldwide, which a likely underestimation. Unfortunately, locally advanced RCC also has a poor prognosis, with high rates of recurrence (50-85%), even despite complete resection of all visible disease. The Motzer criteria, one of many prognostic indicators, is often used to help risk stratify patients for treatment, but also provides important prognostic data.Kidney cancer, as we know from the work by the NIH and Dr. Linehan, is a very diverse umbrella term. While primarily referring to clear cell histology RCC (ccRCC), Dr. Flanigan reminded the group that there are many histologies of RCC, and significant work is needed to better understand the less common ones.He then paid tribute to his mentors in residency at Case Western University, his chairman and chief residents. In particular, one chief resident, Dr. Jean deKernion (4SUO president), helped generate his interest in palliative nephrectomy, which at that time was purely palliative for patients with symptomatic large volume primary disease. However, in writing on these patients, he noted that some patients did quite well  a small subset. This helped initiate his interest in the field. These mentors are also the ones that encouraged him, as was common at the time, to be dual certified in both general surgery and urology  hence leading to a more diverse career, including kidney transplantation. He briefly then reviewed his career at both University of Kentucky followed by his time at Loyola.There were a few sentinel events that helped guide his career. The first was becoming the Chair of the renal subdivision of the SWOG GU group (under mentorship of SWOG GU chair Dr. Crawford). The second was formation of the LAK-Cell Extramural working group / Cytokine working group.The first led to his ability to start and run the landmark SWOG 8949 study evaluating IFN-alpha +/- nephrectomy in the setting of mRCC with 241 patients, which found a modest benefit to patients undergoing cytoreductive nephrectomy, particularly patients with good performance status.This was validated in a subsequent EORTC trial, and more recent population level data confirms its overall and cancer specific survival benefit (in the cytokine era).However, the big question now is whether that benefit still exists in the targeted therapy era. With improved survival outcomes, is cytoreductive nephrectomy still needed? If so, what is the timing of systemic therapy relative to nephrectomy? Smaller series and clinical trials seemed to support the continued role of cytoreductive nephrectomy, but there was often conflicting reports and somewhat complicated by heavy selection for better survival outcomes.With regards to his other sentinel event, he joined Dr. Rosenberg in the LAK-cell extramural working group on the heels of promising data and response to LAK-cell therapy  unfortunately, while this didnt end up being successful, this did lead to his involvement with the Cytokine working group. He briefly reviewed their experience with IL-2, which remains to this day, the only therapy associated with CR and durable response in the setting of mRCC. The 7% of patients who have CR have median survival exceeding 80 months on the original trial. However, while it fell by the wayside for some time, it has regained interest  while utilized on better selected patients now leading to better overall response rates, CR rates are similar at 7%. IL-2 is much better tolerated now however, so he strongly recommended consideration for any patient with ECOG PS 0-1 with mRCC.He briefly reviewed the subsequent development of targeted therapy and now immune checkpoint blockage for RCC. But as with all the other malignancies, the question now becomes sequencing of the systemic therapies. To help do that, we must be critical of the specific patient population in each of the clinical trials and see which one best matches our patient. Unfortunately, non-clear cell RCC is a grab-bag of many different histologies, and trials are lacking in this space  there have been some Phase II clinical trial efforts to look at everolimus (ESPN and ASPEN), but both had numerical but not statistically significant benefit compared to sunitinib. SWOG 1500 is a new clinical trial for metastatic or locally advanced Papillary RCC.Lastly, he addressed the . While two well-known clinical trials (ASSURE and S-TRAC) had conflicting results regarding the benefit of adjuvant therapy in locally advanced, completely resected RCC, he believes the positive PFS in S-TRAC should be taken with grain of salt, as there was no OS benefit  he made a point to state FDA approval for adjuvant indication was given too early, and in the absence of OS benefit, there is limited utility. He encouraged a focus on the neoadjuvant approach. Particularly for smaller tumors, it may allow for nephron sparing surgery rather than nephrectomy. After briefly reviewing the early results of axinitib and pazopanib in the neoadjuvant setting, he concluded this segment by saying neoadjuvant therapy has a lot of promise, but we need better patient selection.At this point, he provided the following take-home messages for the audience, with a focus on urologists early in their career:1. Urologic surgeons should continue to be active in the development of new surgical techniques and systemic agents2. Younger urologists should look for clinical and research mentors and role models3. Continue to challenge the accepted truths and find ways to investigate them4. Look for research collaborators in basic, translational or clinical research5. They should be persistent but also malleable in their research efforts  sometimes things change!6. Continue to participate in organizations that help organize clinical trials, especially those designing new Level 1 evidenceWe thank Dr. Flanigan for his work and his long career.REFERENCES:1. Flanigan RC, Salmon SE, Blumenstein BA, Bearman SI, Roy V, McGrath PC, Caton JR Jr, Munshi N, Crawford ED. Nephrectomy followed by interferon alfa-2b compared with interferon alfa-2b alone for metastatic renal-cell cancer. N Engl J Med. 2001 Dec 6;345(23):1655-9.Presented by: Robert C. Flanigan, MD, FACS, Professor Department Chairperson, Urology Loyola University, IllinoisWritten by: Thenappan Chandrasekar, MD, Clinical Fellow, University of Toronto, twitter: @tchandra_uromd at the 18th Annual Meeting of the Society of Urologic Oncology, November 20-December 1, 2017  Washington, DC
Washington, DC (UroToday.com) While prostate specific antigen (PSA) has long been established as a serum screening tool for prostate cancer, and has often come under fire for its utility, there has been growing interesting in PSA in its various forms as a marker for prostate cancer. With creation of the 4K score and the prostate health index (PHI), we have gained better understanding of the role of the PSA complexes and their relationship to total PSA levels.Most serum PSA is complexed to proteases, but 5%-45% of PSA exists as enzymatically inactive free PSA (fPSA). PSA produced from prostate cancer (PC) cells appears to escape proteolytic processing, resulting in a greater fraction of complexed PSA and a lower %fPSA. While previously evaluated in the role of prostate cancer screening, the role of fPSA in biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP) is not known.The authors of this study utilize their institutional large tertiary-care center database to evaluate the role of fPSA in assessing for BCR following definitive therapy with RP. All patients in the last decade who had BCR after RP and had at least one fPSA blood test were included. Patients were stratified according the %fPSA cut-off of 0.15 (or 15%).81 men with BCR after RP were identified, of whom 41 patients (50.6%) had %fPSA < 0.15 (group 1) and 40 patients (49.4%) had %fPSA >0.15 (group 2). Median age and age adjusted Charlson score were similar between group 1 (61.4 [7.1], 3.8 [0.75]) and group 2 (63.2 [7.6], 4.1 [0.88]), p=0.285 and p=0.143, respectively. While mean PSA at diagnosis was similar between the two groups (10.7 and 8.6, p=0.234), %fPSA was lower in group 1 (0.121 and 0.156, p=0.042).Mean prostate volume at RP was also lower in group 1 (45.8 ml vs. 57.7 ml, p=0.012). Importantly, 23% of the patients with %fPSA > 0.15 (group 2) had adjuvant radiotherapy compared to only 5% of those in Group 1 (p = 0.043). Median follow-up time was 104 and 95.6 months for group 1 and 2, respectively, p=0.44.Interestingly, 20% (group 1) vs. 60% (group 2) become castrate resistant (CRPC), and the time to reach CRPC state was much shorter in group 2 (33.5 months) vs. group 1 (57.9 months), p=0.05. Additionally, 60% of group 2 patients vs. 32.5% of group 1 patients developed metastasis, p=0.014. Lastly, Kaplan Meier curve demonstrated median survival of 193 months for group 2 patients, while median survival was not reached for patients in group 1 (p=0.023). On multivariable logistic regression analysis, %fPSA > 0.15 predicted CRPC status (OR 7.99, CI 95% 2-31.95, p=0.003).Based on these results, it would appear that %fPSA does have implications for the risk of progression to CRPC and time to progression. Higher %fPSA (>0.15) in the setting of BCR after RP confers a higher risk of more aggressive disease. This manifests in a faster development of CRPC, metastasis and death.This is interesting, because it is associated with a reversal in the significance of % fPSA values in BCR patients compared to screened patients, and should be validated in larger cohorts.Limitations / Discussion Points:1. Group 1 had lower %fPSA even at the time of initial diagnosis. It would have been more relevant to compare patients who had similar %fPSA prior to RP but different %fPSA after RP.2. Current study excludes patients treated with EBRT as primary definitive therapy. It will be interesting to see if the same findings hold up for patients with BCR after EBRT.3. 3% of the patients with %fPSA > 0.15 (group 2) had adjuvant radiotherapy compared to only 5% of those in Group 1. This may account for some of the differences  biased towards higher risk groups?Presented by: Hanan GoldbergCo-Authors: Ally Hoffman, Zachary Klaassen, Thenappan Chandrasekar, Douglas Cheung, Alejandro Berlin, Rashid Sayyid, Neil FleshnerInstitution: Princess Margaret Cancer Center, UHN, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaWritten by: Thenappan Chandrasekar, MD, Clinical Fellow, University of Toronto, twitter: @tchandra_uromd at the 18th Annual Meeting of the Society of Urologic Oncology, November 20-December 1, 2017  Washington, DC
Opposition local authority representatives who lost their jobs when the Cambodia National Rescue Party was dissolved earlier this month have gone into hiding fearing further intimidation and threats, according to opposition officials.



A small number of CNRP officials have joined the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party of Prime Minister Hun Sen following calls to defect. But the majority of the thousands of opposition members serving in local authorities have declined the prime ministers invitation, leading to a climate of fear of reprisals, according to officials.



Chin Sokngeng, a former commune chief in Siem Reap province, went into hiding after he rejected a plea to join the ruling party and says he has been surveiled by possible government agents.



There is a group of people following all of our activities at the grassroots level, he said. Wherever we are, they are there to observe us. Recently a warning was published in the media that CNRP activists and officials would be arrested if we did not join the CPP. They will charge us with being traitors.



In early September, government security forces arrested the partys leader, Kem Sokha, and later charged him with treason for his supposed role in an alleged plot to overthrow Hun Sen in the lead up to the last election, in 2013. His party was disbanded by the Supreme Court on November 16 and last week its seats in parliament were distributed among minor political parties who did not win any at the last election.



The government has also targeted media outlets and NGOs in the country which it sees as propagating an anti-government narrative or following foreigners and whose presence in the country ahead of next years general election it believes could endanger a CPP victory at the polls.



Sokngeng says that at least 50 former commune councilors have so far gone into hiding for security reasons.



Seng Chanthou, another former commune chief, from Treal commune in Kampong Thom province, said she was concerned for her safety after enduring sustained harassment from local CPP officials who were attempting to pressure her into joining the ruling party.



However, she added that the actions of the CPP officials had only confirmed her choice not to defect.



They can use all their resources to persuade us and we will not be persuaded; they will have other ways to persecute us. Police are patrolling the area a few times a day. We dont know where they are from but they follow us even to the market. I have many children and no money so I dont know where to go.





Chanthou was one of about 5,000 opposition officials who joined local councils after the CNRP won more than 40 percent of the popular vote in local elections in 2016. Prior to the election, it held only 40 councils, less than a tenth of what it held after the election.



But the partys dissolution meant that its newly won local power base, in many areas where the CPP has for decades relied on a system of patronage and local development projects funded by the party and wealthy donors to win the hearts and minds of the people, was lost and its seats handed out to the ruling party.



After the partys dissolution, the interior ministry ordered the creation of a task force to monitor any treasonous networks and activities.



According to the ruling party, a fifth of the former CNRP officials have so far defected, a figure the CNRP disputes. Some of those, who have defected have described being forced into the decision, which they made purely for security reasons.



Sok Eysan, CPP spokesman, rejected the reports of CPP intimidation as false. Now, thousands of their members have joined us. No-one is going to arrest them unless they break the law. This is a different story, he said.



However, Lao Mong Hai, a veteran political analyst, said the ruling party had no longer any respect for the constitution and existing laws.
After assuming the banned Cambodia National Rescue Partys seats in the National Assembly this week, the royalist Funcinpec party has claimed Cambodian democracy is healthy and their presence in the legislature will allow them to solve major national issues.



Funcinpec received the majority of seats vacated by the CNRP, while the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party and two minor parties also received seats. The Supreme Court ordered the CNRP dissolved earlier this month in a contentious case that has drawn widespread criticism from the international community and support from Beijing.



Nheb Bunchin, a Funcinpec MP for Battambang province, told VOA Khmer that the partys leader, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, was pleased at being given the opportunity to sit in parliament.



He was very happy because he has restored the political situation and kept political stability. He gets to develop [the country] and the people will enjoy all freedoms. So we see that whenever a major political crisis happens, Funcinpec will always step in, he said.



When asked about people viewing Funcinpecs decision to assume the CNRPs seats in parliament as anti-democratic, he said, On the contrary ... Funcinpec is not opportunistic. Its about principle and the rule of law. If we have a chance to restore stability for the people, farmers and the nation, I think its a good thing."



Its wrong for people to say that democracy in Cambodia is dead. Its being implemented smoothly.



Following the dissolution of the CNRP on November 16, the National Election Committee (NEC) moved to redistribute its seats to unelected politicians from minor parties that did not win enough votes at the 2013 election to sit in parliament.



Funcinpec gained 41 of the CNRPs 55 seats, with the Cambodian Nationality Party (CNP) gaining two and the Khmer Economic Development Party (KEDP) being allocated one seat. The League for Democracy Party and the Khmer Anti-Poverty party rejected the combined 11 seats they were offered, which went to the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party, bringing its total to 79.



In 1993, Funcinpec won a majority in the U.N.-administered elections, but was forced to share power with Hun Sen. Support for the party dropped over the years as it succumbed to internal disputes. Prince Ranariddh was expelled from the party in 2006 but later returned to lead the party once more.



CNP and KEDP representatives could not be reached for comment.



Yoeung Sotheara, an election monitor with NGO Comfrel, said the allocation of a minority of parliamentary seats was intended to satisfy some regulations and the spirit of the constitution while the real power remained with Hun Sen and the CPP.
A group of labor leaders has written to the European Union urging the bloc not to impose sanctions on Cambodia over the governments crackdown on the opposition.



Their appeal came after the Supreme Court banned the opposition and the government jailed its leader, Kem Sokha. In the letter, the unionists said that as a developing country heavily reliant on trade with the E.U., sanctions would have a negative impact on the hundreds of thousands of Cambodians working in the textiles and garments sector.



Some 40 to 50 percent of Cambodias garment exports end up in Europe, the unions argued, which would make any punitive sanctions extremely damaging to the Cambodian economy.



They added that they were concerned over warnings from the European Union suggesting that it was reconsidering Cambodias access to a tariff-free trading scheme called Everything But Arms.



The unions said such a move would make Cambodian garment workers victims and hostages of politicians.



George Edgar, E.U. Ambassador to Cambodia, could not be reached.



Pav Sina, president of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers, one of the signatories, said he was concerned that the loss of economic incentives would seriously affect the income of workers.



In mid-November, Edgar and another senior E.U. official, Gunnar Wiegand, met Cambodias foreign minister, Prak Sokhonn, to raise concerns over Cambodias growing democratic deficit.



The bloc said that respect for human rights and democracy was a prerequisite for Cambodia to continue to benefit from the preferential trading scheme.



Heng Sour, labor spokesman, could not be reached.
Despite criticism from Washington over Cambodias crackdown on the opposition and accusations that the U.S. helped plot Prime Minister Hun Sens downfall, the U.S. Ambassador, William Heidt, has said that Americas support for Cambodias economy will not be negatively impacted.



In an interview with VOA Khmer on Wednesday, Heidt said the embassys mission to strengthen the bilateral relationship with Cambodia remained of paramount importance.



For me the key next step is helping to connect Cambodias technology sector with the big American technology companies, which are investing throughout Southeast Asia, mostly in Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City, he said.



I think, Cambodia is developing fast in technology, but it has not yet broken out of Cambodia, gotten a hook-in with the regional technology network. And, that's what I am going to do next and I hope to do that in the first half of next year.



He said the U.S. was focused on promoting Cambodian economic growth to connect U.S. investors with Cambodian technology companies.



The U.S. Embassy and Cambodian government have been at odds of late over accusations that Washington conspired with the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party to overthrow Prime Minister Hun Sen in a so-called color revolution.



Cambodia has since banned the opposition and arrested its leader on treason charges.



The U.S. Embassy has denied the allegations.



Heidt said the allegations were categorically false. I dont spend a ton of time on this issue because theres nothing really no more for us to say. And, I mean, nobody, nobody believes this in America. Nobody in our government, nobody in our society, he said.



We on the American side feel very strongly that we have been a great partner for Cambodia. We really helped Cambodia develop in many ways and we want to keep doing that, he added.



He said he felt a deep regret at the governments decision to move to dissolve the CNRP, which has led the White House to reconsider its foreign relations with Cambodia.



He said the Trump administration was reassessing Cambodias eligibility for preferential trade agreements with Cambodia.



Since I came here, lets be honest, the Khmer government has taken a lot of steps against the government of the United States. They've cut all our military exercises, they thrown our Seabee detachment out of the country, they made all of those accusations against us, having to do with the political situation."



I feel like there has really never been an honest desire by the Khmer government to have a good relationship with the United States.



Phay Siphan, government spokesman, said Phnom Penh did not desire to sour the relationship with the United States, but added that there were some little activities that needed to end in order for relations to improve, including suggesting Cambodia was pro-China.



Hun Sen is in China, Cambodias biggest donor and lender, this week for the Communist Party conference in Beijing, where he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.
A Russian woman who was accused of blackmailing disgraced former Gov. Eliot Spitzer is seeking to lift a court-mandated gag order so she can talk about what she says are Spitzer's fetishes.

Svetlana Zakharova filed papers in Manhattan state Supreme Court seeking to lift the gag order imposed as part of her prosecution, the New York Post reported on Thursday.

Zakharova called police in February 2016 and claimed Spitzer had choked her at The Plaza hotel. She later dropped the assault accusation.

Zakharova was arrested in October 2016 and charged with forgery and grand larceny in what prosecutors called a "systematic and protracted extortion scheme" against Spitzer, a Democrat who was governor of New York from early 2007 to early 2008, when he was forced to resign over a prostitution scandal.

The indictment also accused Zakharova of trying to extort $5,000 from a second man, Paul Nippes, and forging Nippes' signature on a lease.

Zakharova eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of trying to steal from Nippes.

Zakharova says in her court filing seeking to lift the gag order that she has a First Amendment right to "discuss any and all actions or events that she participated in with Spitzer."

She says Spitzer's fetishes involving the use of sex toys and dog leashes are "conduct that he made a conscious choice to engage in."

A spokeswoman for Spitzer, Lisa Linden, said: "These are reprehensible lies from an extortionist. The record in this case and her guilty plea speak for themselves."

Asked whether the court filing itself violates the gag order, Linden said she did not know.

The case was prosecuted by the Bronx district attorney's office after Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance recused himself because of close ties to Spitzer, who also served as state attorney general from 1999 to 2006 and was dubbed the sheriff of Wall Street.

A spokeswoman for Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said the office has not received the court papers.

An attorney for Zakharova did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Thousands of civilians who fled their homes in Deir el-Zour because of the offensive against the Islamic State are still taking shelter under the harsh conditions of al-Shaddadi refugee camps. The displaced Sunni civilians tell VOAs Zama Omar that they fear being targeted by the Syrian regime forces and their allied Shi'ite militias, who replaced IS earlier this month.
Two Americans are being held in a prison in Thailand for taking a nude butt selfie in front of a renowned Buddhist temple.

Joseph Dasilva, 38, and Travis Dasilva, 36, of San Diego, California, were arrested this week at an airport in the capital, Bangkok.

The two American citizens have admitted taking the picture, district police chief Jaruphat Thongkomol said.

The offending photo, taken at Bangkoks Wat Arun, or Temple of the Dawn, was posted on the pairs popular travel Instagram account, which followed their adventures, and bare bottoms, at famous locales all over the globe.

The account had more than 14,000 followers, but by Wednesday it had been deleted.

Travis and Joseph Dasilva admitted to baring their behinds in front of the temple and were fined $154 each for public nudity, authorities said.

"Once they are through with the charges, the Thai immigration police will revoke their visas and push for deportation," the police chief said. "They will also be blacklisted from coming back to Thailand."

People visiting Buddhist sites in Thailand are expected to dress modestly, and signs advise them to cover their shoulders and legs. Tourists are also told to not buy statues or images of Buddha as souvenirs.

In 2015, four European tourists received jail terms and fines in Malaysia for posing seminude on Mount Kinabalu, which is considered sacred.

Also in 2015, two American women were arrested, fined and deported for taking nude photographs inside Cambodia's Angkor Wat complex.
A coalition of leftist groups gathered in Manila Thursday to protest President Rodrigo Duterte's recent suggestions that he will assume sole power of the Pacific archipelago.

About 1,000 protesters will march from historic Bonifacio Square to the Mendiola Peace Arch to stage a rally against Duterte's government.

Duterte has threatened recently to declare a so-called revolutionary government, which allows the president to consolidate authority in his hands, essentially canceling the constitution and dissolving the government.

The groups say Duterte's comments are nothing more than plans to establish a dictatorship.

Supporters of the controversial president will hold a rally of their own at the Mendiola Peace Arch Thursday.

The demonstrations are being held on the holiday that celebrates the birth of Andres Bonifacio, the man who led the Philippines independence movement against Spanish colonial rule in the late 1890s.
Between 400,000 and 700,000 African migrants are living in camps in Libya, often under "inhuman" conditions, the chairman of the African Union Commission said Thursday at the close of a summit of European and African leaders.

Moussa Faki Mahamat stressed the urgency of removing the thousands of migrants, including women and children, from the camps as he addressed the summit where migration was a top issue after recent footage of a migrant slave auction in Libya drew global horror and condemnation.

At least 3,800 migrants in one camp in Tripoli need to be removed as soon as possible, Mahamat said. Most of them come from West Africa.

"That's just one camp," he said. "The Libyan government has told us there are 42," and some contain an even larger number of migrants.

The International Organization for Migration says more than 423,000 migrants had been identified in the chaotic North African country as of last month. The majority are men from impoverished countries across sub-Saharan Africa.

In a communique Thursday, the European and African leaders agreed to "accelerate exponentially" efforts to repatriate the migrants and vowed to combat the crimes committed against them.

The leaders also pledged to do more to help the migrants stranded in squalid detention centers in Libya, the main jumping-off point for desperate people setting out in unseaworthy boats in search of better lives in Europe.

French President Emmanuel Macron said leaders from EU and African countries, including Libya, and the United Nations were discussing going after human traffickers with "concrete, military and police actions on the ground to trace back these networks."

"These smugglers are deeply linked to many terrorist networks and feed, sometimes finance, sometimes are the same as those who make war with us and who kill people every day in much of northern Africa," Macron told French broadcasters France 24 and RFI.

Some African nations are working to bring their citizens home.



Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said Wednesday that all Nigerians stranded in Libya and other parts of the world will be brought home and "rehabilitated," calling it appalling that "some Nigerians were being sold like goats for few dollars in Libya."

Nigeria's government said on Twitter that 242 Nigerian migrants returned home from Libya on Tuesday and that more than 4,000 stranded there have "safely retuned home" this year.

Ivory Coast's government in the past week repatriated 316 citizens stranded in Libya.

Europe has struggled to slow the flow of tens of thousands of Africans making the dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean. European countries are trying to discourage the stream of migrants with development aid and other means, including funds to tighten border controls. But many Africans feel pressured to make the journey, risking death and abuse, saying high unemployment and climate change leave them little choice.

At least 3,000 drown or go missing annually in attempts to cross the Mediterranean, but with Africa's population forecast to rise significantly in coming decades many more are likely to take the risk.

To focus efforts, the EU, the African Union and the United Nations also announced that they would set up a special task force to help protect migrants, notably those detained in conflict-torn Libya.



Details of its work must be fleshed out, but the main aim is to "save and protect lives of migrants and refugees along the routes and in particular inside Libya."

The task force, which will work closely with Libyan authorities, will also try to speed up the process of returning willing migrants to their home countries and finding new homes for those fleeing violence or conflict and who need international protection.
Britain's prime minister pledged Thursday to step up economic support for Jordan, a key pro-Western Arab ally, amid concerns that the kingdom's mounting economic woes could undermine its stability.

Theresa May held talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II at the end of a three-day Mideast tour meant to bolster ties with the region before Britain leaves the European Union.

The meeting came at a time when May is embroiled in a social media row with President Donald Trump over his perceived stoking of anti-Islam sentiments.

Trump sparked outrage Wednesday when he retweeted inflammatory videos from a fringe British group purporting to show violence by Muslims.

May's office rebuked Trump, saying he was "wrong" to have done so. Trump countered that May should instead "focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom."

Neither May nor Abdullah referred to the spat during brief comments at the start of their meeting in the Jordanian capital of Amman.

The king is a leading champion of religious tolerance and is viewed by the West as a crucial partner in the battle against Islamic militants.

May said the visit is an opportunity to expand current ties, which focus largely on security, and to "move that into a long-term relationship on the economy and economic development."

Abdullah said support from Britain to "strengthen our resilience of the economy will be very critical."

He added that "on political issues ... we're on the same page."

Jordan's stability is seen as a priority by Western allies who have expressed growing concern about the kingdom's economic problems.

Economic growth has been sluggish, in part because of the spillover from conflicts in neighboring Syria and Iraq, such as trade disruptions. Youth unemployment has risen above 30 percent.

At the same time, Jordan is under pressure to lower its public debt, and has undertaken painful reforms, including reductions in subsidies.

May's Mideast tour also included Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

In Riyadh she pressed Saudi's king and powerful crown prince to lift an air and sea blockade of war-torn Yemen, tightened after the launch of a missile by Yemeni rebels toward the Saudi capital earlier this month.

A Saudi-led coalition began its war in Yemen in March 2015 on behalf of Yemen's internationally recognized government against Shiite rebels known as Houthis and their allies. The conflict has pushed the Arab world's poorest country to the brink of famine.

May has faced increasing calls to stop British arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Britain has licensed over $6.1 billion worth of arms sales to the kingdom since the war began.
U.S. Democratic Representative Luis Gutierrez, who has announced he will not seek re-election to Congress in 2018, said Wednesday he wanted to concentrate his energies on the national level and indicated he might be interested in a presidential run in 2020.

Fox News reported earlier Wednesday that Gutierrez was weighing such a bid. When asked by Reuters if he planned to run, Gutierrez, who has represented Chicago in the U.S. House of Representatives for the past quarter century, said he wanted to spend the first six months of 2018 touring the country talking with as many people as possible.

Does it mean going to Iowa? I certainly hope so, Gutierrez said in an interview.

Iowa traditionally holds the first Democratic and Republican party nominating contests for president. Candidates weighing presidential candidacies typically pay visits to the state well before they formally enter the race.

But it also means going to California and visiting farm workers there and visiting with farm workers in Florida ... and in Oregon and in Washington (state) and visiting with immigrant communities, Gutierrez said.

Im not retiring. I want to change my focus. I want to take my energy on a national level, he said. I can tell you that very, very clearly.

Republican President Donald Trump has expressed his intention to seek re-election in 2020. While incumbent presidents often are favored to win, Democrats see Trump as particularly vulnerable given his low approval ratings in opinion polls. That has spurred speculation that many candidates could weigh challenging him.

Former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden, for example, has signaled he may run.

Gutierrez, a 63-year-old lawmaker of Puerto Rican descent, has made immigration reform a signature issue. In August, he was arrested outside the White House while taking part in a protest against Trumps decision to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the Obama-era program that protects young people brought to the United States illegally as children.

Gutierrez has sharply criticized the Trump administrations response to the devastation in Puerto Rico from Hurricanes Maria and Irma.

Not talking to DNC

Gutierrez said he would explore possible campaign fundraising efforts. Although he would run as a Democrat, he would not seek the blessing of the Democratic Party establishment.

Im not talking to DNC (Democratic National Committee) officials. Im not going to talk to anybody within the Democratic Party structures because what I want to do is create a party structure independent of the Democratic Party, he said.

Regardless of whether he seeks the White House, Gutierrez said he wanted to play a big role in 2020 helping to encourage voting and political activism among Hispanics, a growing demographic group that leans strongly Democratic.

When it became known that he was retiring from Congress, there was speculation Gutierrez might be planning a run for governor of Puerto Rico.

On Wednesday, Gutierrez rejected the idea.

If it was president of the Republic of Puerto Rico, it would certainly be different, said Gutierrez, who favors independence for the U.S. territory.
State media say Chinese President Xi Jinping praised former U.S. president Barack Obama's efforts to develop relations between the two countries during his visit to the Asian nation.



The official Xinhua News Agency said Thursday that Obama met on Wednesday with Xi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing and discussed bilateral ties.

Xinhua said Xi made positive comments about Obama's efforts to develop relations between the nations when he was president of the United States.



Obama's three-country tour this week will also include meetings with the leader of India. He will mix paid speeches with meetings with foreign leaders and a town hall event for young people.



Obama is to finish the trip in France, where he will give one of several speeches planned during the trip.
Since taking charge at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, Director Mike Pompeo has earned a reputation as a strong ally of President Donald Trump, despite breaking with the American leader on some key issues.

When asked Thursday about media reports of Pompeo's possible nomination as U.S. Secretary of State, both the CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence had no comment.

Upon nominating Pompeo to lead the CIA last November, Trump said the graduate of the U.S. Military Academy "has served our country with honor and spent his life fighting for the security of our citizens.  He will be a brilliant and unrelenting leader for our intelligence community to ensure the safety of Americans and our allies."

Since then, the 53-year-old former three-term congressman from the Midwestern state of Kansas apparently has continued to win Trump's favor while giving him the CIA's daily intelligence briefings in person at the White House, rather than delegating that responsibility to a staff aide.

Known for his tough views on terrorism, torture and Iran, Pompeo previously served on the House Intelligence Committee, and quickly won praise from former intelligence officials and lawmakers alike.

And in his first public comments after being sworn-in, Pompeo seemed to cement additional support, backing conclusions by U.S. intelligence agencies about the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks and its connections to Moscow.

"It's time to call out WikiLeaks for what it really is  a non-state, hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia," he told a forum this past April.

"It overwhelmingly focuses on the United States while seeking support from anti-democratic countries and organizations," he added, calling the celebration of WikiLeaks in some circles "perplexing and deeply troubling."

Pompeo on Russia

But at other times, Pompeo has garnered criticism for expressing views that seemed more in line with those of the White House, sometimes contradicting the CIA's own findings.

"The Russian meddling that took place did not affect the outcome of the election," Pompeo told an audience in Washington in October.

But an unclassified report by the top U.S. intelligence agencies issued in January made no such claim.

"We did not make an assessment of the impact that Russian activities had on the outcome of the 2016 election," the report said.

Later, the CIA sought to clarify Pompeo's comments.

"The intelligence assessment with regard to Russian election meddling has not changed, and the director did not intend to suggest that it had," a CIA spokesman said.

At other times, Pompeo has publicly refused to rule out working with Russia in areas such as counterterrorism.

"If Russia has information that can help us fight the CT [counterterror] fight around the world, it's my duty" to work with them and "the right thing to do," he said.

Pompeo also was criticized following a report by The Intercept that at the request of the president, he met with a former intelligence official who has been arguing U.S. intelligence officials are unfairly blaming Russia for the leak of Democratic National Committee emails.

Iran, North Korea and counterterror

At the same time, the CIA director has been applauded by some for what they have called a clear-eyed view of U.S. adversaries like Iran, continuing his criticism of the Iran nuclear deal, and North Korea.

"We ought to behave as if we are on the cusp of them [North Korea] achieving that objective," Pompeo said last month when asked about Pyongyang's pursuit of missile technology that could launch a warhead to targets in the United States.

"They are so far along in that it's now a matter of thinking about how do you stop the final step?" he added.

Before his confirmation as CIA director, some critics also voiced concerns about his stance on the use of torture.

Those involved in the CIA interrogation program "are not torturers, they are patriots," Pompeo said in 2014, adding that the programs were "within the law, within the Constitution and conducted with the full knowledge" of appropriate lawmakers.

During his confirmation hearing, Pompeo told senators he would "absolutely not" bring back such interrogation techniques.

Pompeo, a graduate of Harvard Law School, also drew criticism in 2013 after he suggested Muslim leaders who didn't publicly condemn terror attacks were "potentially complicit" in the attacks.
A suspected U.S. drone strike on Thursday targeted a hideout of the Haqqani militant network along Pakistans mountainous border with Afghanistan, killing four people, officials said.

If confirmed, it would be the fourth such U.S. strike inside Pakistan since President Donald Trump took office in January.

Two Pakistani intelligence officials and a local government officer said an unmanned aerial vehicle dropped two missiles on a compound housing militants under the command of a senior network commander, Abdur Rasheed Haqqani.

Villagers initially reported a blast in the Upper Kurram area to authorities, said one of the officials, adding, We got it from our informant later that it was a U.S. drone strike that targeted Haqqanis.

It was not clear if the commander was among those killed, added the officials, who sought anonymity as the issue is a sensitive one.

Trumps new strategy for the Afghanistan war calls for a tougher stance with Pakistan against militants such as the Haqqani network who have bases inside Pakistan.

Since the Afghan policy review, the U.S. has been pushing Islamabad for decisive action against the Haqqani network militants, who are notorious for using Pakistani soil to launch attacks against American-led NATO troops in Afghanistan.

Islamabad denies the allegations, and, instead, blames Kabul for not taking out militants who use Afghan territory as a base for attacks on targets in Pakistan.

Pakistan has been facing a deadly Islamist militancy for more than a decade. Gunmen attacked a minority Shiite Muslim mosque in Islamabad, the capital, on Wednesday, killing two people.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami, a Sunni sectarian group linked with militant group Islamic State, claimed responsibility for the mosque attack.
A farmer in Bhutan, Hasta Dhital saw his neighbors arrested after the government began expelling ethnic Nepalese. When the army came to his house, Dhital escaped through a rear window.

Man Chhetri remembers celebrating festivals in her small village. After she fled to a refugee camp in Nepal, she made extra money to support her family by weaving traditional Nepali hats.

Suk Bhattarai was a successful businessman. When all of his partners were arrested and one was killed by the Bhutanese army, Bhattarai left the country, giving up all his assets.

Each portrait of a Bhutanese-Nepali refugee in the Ohio History Center in the Midwestern city of Columbus is accompanied by a personal story.

Everywhere we go, we lose our history, said Tara Dhungana. If you go back to Bhutan and just try to find out anything, I doubt there is anything. We stayed in Nepal for 20 years as refugees, you rarely find anything in the archives.

The portraits and stories on display preserve something of what has been lost.

It stays as history, so that our childrens generation can come see and read about their parents, grandparents experience. So I feel very proud of this, said Dhungana, who says he tries not to miss Bhutan.

Dhunganas portrait and story is one of the 20 in the display. Now a restaurant owner in Columbus, he sees the exhibit as a way to recapture lost history.

This is just what documentary photographer Tariq Tarey wanted. He captured the images, while his partner interviewed the subjects and wrote the narratives.

I wanted to highlight their struggles from their homeland in Bhutan, the journey through on Nepal in the refugee camp, and then coming to central Ohio, building their lives back, contributing to society and making Ohio a vibrant place, Tarey said.

WATCH: Photo Exhibit Recaptures Bhutanese-Nepali Lost History

The portraits are on display in a history museum to make the point that Bhutanese-Nepali refugees, while they may have lost their previous history, are now part of Ohios history. Some 23,000 Bhutanese-Nepali refugees live in central Ohio.

They are changing the way that Ohio looks and there are new businesses, said Katie Poole, manager of the Ohio History Center. They are now part of Ohio; they are part of Ohios story. And as the History Center, we find it is really important to make sure that were sharing their stories.

Long-time Columbus resident Jim Gutekunst bore witness.

Ill read each page, he said, as I see just to educate myself to understand their struggles.

Since 2008, more than 92,000 refugees living in Nepal have been resettled in the U.S.
Days of fierce clashes between the Taliban and Islamic State terrorists in eastern Afghanistan are reported to have spilled over to adjoining areas, with both sides suffering heavy casualties.

The fighting erupted earlier this week in the Khogyani district of Nangarhar province after IS militants assaulted Taliban-held areas. The clashes forced hundreds of civilians to flee their homes to avoid being caught in the crossfire between the militant groups.

A regional Afghan military spokesman confirmed to VOA the battlefield gains encouraged IS militants to stage overnight assaults against Taliban positions in the adjoining Alingar district of Laghman province, sparking heavy clashes there.

The fighting has left two key Taliban commanders dead, but we do not have immediate information about IS losses, he said Thursday.

Provincial officials reported the Taliban is trying to bring in reinforcements from nearby districts in Laghman, while Daesh (IS) militants are also trying to reach the battleground from the groups major redoubts in Nangarhar and Kunar, another eastern Afghan province where IS is attempting to increase its influence.

But when contacted by VOA a Taliban spokesman said the insurgent group is fighting government forces in Alingar and claimed Daesh does not exist in the area.

The Taliban issued a video Thursday showing the deputy head of the IS Afghan branch, Abdul Razeq Mehdi, joining the insurgency. IS has not yet commented on the Taliban claim.

On Wednesday, the insurgent group accused Afghan and U.S. forces of conducting airstrikes against Taliban positions while it was battling militants from the rival group in Khogyani, enabling IS to make territorial advances.

While clashes between the two militant groups routinely occur in parts of Nangarhar, including Khogyani, IS loyalists have for the first time entered Laghman since their emergence in Afghanistan in early 2015 in Nangarhar under the local name of IS-Khorasan Province, or ISK-P.

Meanwhile, officials in the eastern Afghan province of Logar said Thursday they have arrested 11 Chechens, including women and children, and seized weapons from them.

A provincial government spokesman told VOA an investigation is under way to determine the loyalties of the detainees, from where they arrived in Afghanistan, and what was their mission.

The arrests came a month after at least eight Chechens were killed in fighting with Afghan forces in an another district of Logar. Local politicians say the number of suspected IS foreign fighters has lately increased in the province.

The Afghan branch of the Middle Eastern terrorist group has been from the outset under attack from U.S.-backed Afghan security forces and the Taliban.

IS has also claimed responsibility for numerous recent suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks against Afghan forces and worship places of the minority Shiite community, killing hundreds of people.

Afghan officials and residents have also reported IS is expanding its footprints northward in Afghanistan. The commander of U.S. forces in the country, General John Nicholson, on Tuesday, for the first time, backed those reports, saying IS is now active in the northern province of Jowzjan, which borders the Central Asian state of Turkmenistan.

The Afghan province is known for harboring the extremist Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which pledged allegiance to ISs Afghan branch in 2015.

We are seeing Daesh presence in Kunar and Jowzjan. These are two other provinces, but we think those numbers [of IS fighters] there are small, 300 or less in those areas, said Nicholson.

The general noted that a lions share of American airstrikes, increased threefold since August when President Donald Trump unveiled his Afghan war strategy, have focused on IS and significantly reduced the number of its fighters in the country. "But it is like a balloon. We squeeze them in this area, and they will try to move out elsewhere, explained the U.S. general.
Five soldiers and five policemen have been killed within 24 hours in Cameroon's two English-speaking regions. Separatists have claimed responsibility.

Cameroon's Communications Minister Issa Tchiroma said armed men attacked a military convoy deployed from Yaounde on a peacekeeping mission to the English-speaking southwest town of Mamfe on the morning of November 29 and killed four soldiers.

One soldier who was severely wounded escaped. The attackers stole huge quantities of weapons.

The second attack took place in Eyoumojock, not far from Mamfe early Thursday morning, leaving five policeman and a soldier dead.

Tchiroma confirmed that an armed group fighting for the independence of the English-speaking regions from the rest of Cameroon claimed responsibility.



"The assailants claim to belong the the armed wing of the secessionist movement called Southern Cameroon Ambazonian Consortium United Front, " said Tchiroma. "How can we maintain dialogue with an interlocutor whose only ideology is the partition of a state that is legitimate and recognized as such by all international bodies?"

Tchiroma said Cameroon President Paul Biya has deployed more troops to the area to maintain peace and track the assailants. He said the government is asking people to share any information that could lead to the assailants' arrest.

Schools have been closed in the English-speaking northwest and southwest since November last year when lawyers and teachers called for a strike to stop what they believe is the overbearing use of French in the regions.

Violence erupted when separatists joined in and started asking for complete independence.

On October 1, they declared what they called the independence of the Republic of Ambazonia and asked the military to surrender and join them or leave their territory. They have so far killed 16 soldiers and policemen in the two English-speaking regions.

President Biya has said he is not open to negotiation on the form of the state and that Cameroon is one and indivisible.

Separatist groups have said on social media they will talk with Biya only about the terms of their separation.
French President Emmanuel Macron fears Islamist militants have scored military and symbolic victories in West Africa while a regional military force has struggled to get off the ground, a French presidential source said on Thursday.

To help get the new G5 Sahel force operating effectively, he said, France has invited the United States to a summit with the five participating countries as well as the African Union and European Union in Paris next month.

Thousands of U.N. peacekeepers, French troops and U.S. military trainers and drone operators have failed so far to stem a growing wave of jihadist violence, leading world powers to pin their hopes on the new G5 Sahel force.

The G5 Sahel initiative - grouping Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger - faces an immense security challenge in a largely desert and weakly governed region and already faces questions over its financing and provision of equipment.

Emmanuel Macron believes that its not going quickly enough and that the terrorists have registered military and symbolic victories, especially in Niger, and (that) its urgent to reverse this trend, the French official said in Ghana where Macron was winding up a three-day Africa trip.

The (objective) will be to accelerate the calendar for the support of the force, and the operational calendar.

The jihadist threat hit home again last month with an attack in Niger in which eight U.S. and Nigerien troops were killed, prompting American officials to forecast that U.S. involvement in the Sahel region would deepen.

As well as the leaders of the G5 nations - all former French colonies - and the EU and African Union, the French presidential official said the United States had also been invited to the Dec. 13 summit.

The G5 force is to eventually comprise 5,000 men from seven battalions and police the region in collaboration with 4,000 French troops deployed there since Paris intervened in 2013 to beat back an insurgency in northern Mali.

It will also have to coordinate with MINUSMA, Malis U.N. peacekeeping mission. MINUSMA has been frequently attacked in the north where Islamists have regained ground since 2013.

A donor conference will be held in Brussels on Dec. 14 to raise funds for the Sahel force. Paris has also asked Saudi Arabia to help finance the force and representatives of the kingdom could also be in Paris on Dec. 13, the official said.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday he would draw up a list of extremist organizations to convey to Saudi Arabia after its crown prince pledged to cut their funding.

Saudi Arabia finances groups overseen by the Mecca-based Muslim World League, which for decades was charged with spreading the strict Wahhabi school of Islam around the world.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is seeking to modernize the kingdom and cleave to a more open and tolerant interpretation of Islam.

He never did it publicly, but when I went to Riyadh (this month), he made a commitment, such that we could give him a list and he would cut the financing, Macron said during an interview with France 24 television.

I believe him, but I will follow up. Trust is built on results, Macron added.

The crown prince has already taken some steps to loosen Saudi Arabia's ultra-strict social restrictions, scaling back the role of religious morality police, permitting public concerts and announcing plans to allow women to drive next year.

The head of the Muslim World League told Reuters last week that his focus now was aimed at annihilating extremist ideology.

We must wipe out this extremist thinking through the work we do. We need to annihilate religious severity and extremism which is the entry point to terrorism, Mohammed al-Issa said in an interview.

Macron, speaking from Abidjan, said he had also sought commitments to cut financing of extremist groups from Qatar, Iran and Turkey.

The French leader will make a quick trip to Doha on Dec. 7, where he will discuss regional ties and could sign military and transport deals, including the sale of 12 more Rafale fighter jets.

Qatar has improved its ties with Iran since Saudi Arabia and other Arab states boycotted it over alleged ties to Islamist groups and its relations with Tehran.

Macron said he still intended to travel to Iran next year, but wanted to ensure there was a discussion and strategic accord over its ballistic missile program and its destabilization activities in several regional countries.
Germany, Europe's most robust economy, said Thursday that its unemployment rate fell to 5.3 percent in November, the lowest figure since West and East Germany were unified in 1990.

Even as Chancellor Angela Merkel and other Berlin politicians struggle to form a coalition government, the German economy remains strong, with a months-long dip in the country's jobless rate and solid demand for German products from other countries.

The German report came as Eurostat, the statistics agency for the European Union, said the jobless rate for the 19-nation eurozone bloc that uses the euro currency dropped to 8.8 percent in October. It was the lowest figure since January 2009, when Europe and countries across the world were in the midst of a steep recession.

The German and European jobless rates trail those in the United States, the world's largest economy, where unemployment has dropped to 4.1 percent, a 17-year low. But the U.S. and European numbers point to steady improvement that had been slow to emerge after the devastating job losses and high unemployment seven to nine years ago.

Eurostat said more than 14 million people remained out of work, but that was 1.5 million fewer than a year ago. In Spain, the jobless rate has been cut from about 25 percent to 16.7 percent.

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said that while wages still are not increasing much, they could rise in the coming months as the continent's economy continues to rebound.

Patrick Chovanex, chief strategist at New York-based Silvercrest Asset Management, told VOA the U.S. is in the eighth year of its recovery.

"It's a recovery that has kind of waxed and waned," he said. "One of the things that has been happening over the past couple years is that different parts of the economy were waxing and waning out of sequence with one another. So housing would be strong while manufacturing would be weak, and then vice versa. Every so often they happen to coincide.

"Right now we're seeing a pattern of several elements of the economy being strong at once. Hopefully, that will continue."
U.S. House of Representatives Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi called on her colleague John Conyers, the longest-serving member of Congress, to resign over allegations of sexual harassment.

Congressman Conyers should resign," Pelosi said of her colleague, adding the women who spoke out against him were "brave" and deserved justice.

"As deemed, Congressman Conyers has served our Congress for more than five decades and shaped some of the most consequential legislation of the last half century. However, zero tolerance means consequences for everyone, no matter how great the legacy, its not license to harass or discriminate," she said.

WAtCH: Lawmakers Call on John Conyers to Resign His House Seat Amid Harassment Allegations

House Speaker Paul Ryan also called on Representative Conyers to resign "immediately" Thursday.

Hours earlier, Conyers' friend and political consultant Sam Riddle said that he had been admitted to a hospital in Detroit, without providing further details.

"(Conyers is under) tremendous stress due to media hounding, and political vultures and serial accusers," The Detroit News quoted Riddle as saying. "That type of stress would affect anybody."

The announcement came as Conyers' former aide publicly accused him of sexual harassment, telling NBC's today show that she was fired for rejecting her boss's sexual advances.

Marion Brown, 61, said her former boss propositioned her for sex multiple times over more than a decade. Brown is one of multiple women who has accused the 88-year-old Congressman of harassment, while revealing a "Hush Fund" on Capitol Hill that uses taxpayer funds to pay settlements.

Pelosi's condemnation came a day after the House passed a bill requiring members of Congress and their staffs to undergo mandatory sexual harassment training.

Congress also introduced legislation Wednesday that, if passed, would end the two-decade old practice of paying settlements with taxpayer money. The Congressional Accountability and Hush Fund Elimination Act would require transparent disclosure of the nature of claims settled in the office of Congressional Compliance.

The latest sexual harassment charge against Conyers is one of a number that have buffeted the Washington political scene. Democratic Senator Al Franken apologized Monday on Capitol Hill to "everyone who has counted on me to be a champion of women." Four women have accused Franken of initiating unwanted sexual contact in separate incidents.

Republican Representative Joe Barton has admitted he shared a nude photo of himself with an unidentified lover that circulated online. Barton, who has served in the House for 32 years, announced Thursday he will not seek reelection in 2018.

The revelations followed allegations that Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore sexually assaulted a 14-year old girl and had sexual encounters with several young women while when he was in his 30's. Moore is campaigning in a special election in Alabama that will be decided on December 12.

A year ago, President Donald Trump was accused by more than a dozen women of sexual assault or improper conduct. Many of the accusations became public when he was heard on an Access Hollywood tape boasting about kissing and groping women. Trump and the White House have denied the allegations.
Icelands opposition leader Katrin Jakobsdottir will become the countrys new prime minister, after her Left-Green Movement on Wednesday agreed to form a coalition government, state broadcaster RUV reported.

Her party, which emerged as the second biggest party in snap parliamentary elections Oct. 28, entered coalition talks with the Independence Party, the main partner in the current government coalition, and the Progressive Party two weeks ago.

Current Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson of the right-wing Independence Party called the snap election in September, after less than a year in government, as a scandal involving his father prompted a government ally to drop out of his ruling coalition.

Economic rebound

The Nordic island of 340,000 people, one of the countries hit hardest by the 2008 financial crisis, has staged a remarkable economic rebound spurred by a tourism boom.

The formation of a broad coalition government could bring an end to political instability triggered by a string of scandals.

The previous snap election took place late in 2016, after the Panama Papers revelations showed several government figures involved in an offshore tax haven scandal.

Coalition criticized

Still, some Left-Green members and voters have criticized the partys plan to enter a coalition with Benediktsson and his Independence Party.

Two of Left-Greens mandates did not support the new coalition, giving the three parties a total of 33 of parliaments 63 seats.

Jakobsdottir, 41, campaigned on a platform of restoring trust in government and leveraging an economic boom to increase public spending.

She failed to form a left-leaning government earlier this month, but said on election night she was open to forming a broad-based government.

While both the Left-Greens and the Independence Party parties agree that investment is needed in areas like welfare, infrastructure and tourism, they disagree over how it should be financed.

The Left-Greens want to finance spending by raising taxes on the wealthy, real estate and the powerful fishing industry, while the Independence Party has said it wants to fund infrastructure spending by taking money out of the banking sector.

Benediktsson will become finance minister in the new government.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said in remarks published Thursday that he fears Hezbollah's military role in regional conflicts will end up costing his country dearly.

But Hariri also stressed he was optimistic that a way to end the political paralysis gripping Lebanon following his Nov. 4 resignation is being worked out.



It is unclear what, if any, concessions Hezbollah would offer to ensure that Hariri remain in office, though Hezbollah officials have said they are keen on finding a political solution to the crisis.



Hariri said his resignation was meant to let the world know that Lebanon cannot tolerate the militant Hezbollah group's meddling in the affairs of Gulf countries  a reference to Yemen, where the kingdom is fighting Shiite rebels. Hezbollah, an Iran ally, denies having a military role in warn-torn Yemen though it openly fights on the side of Syrian President Bashar Assad in Syria's civil war. Saudi Arabia backs the opposition trying to unseat Assad.



Hariri spoke to the French magazine Paris Match. He is currently on a private visit to Paris and expected back in Beirut next week, according to his office.



"I wanted the world to understand that Lebanon can no longer tolerate the interferences of a party like Hezbollah in the affairs of the Gulf countries, where 300,000 Lebanese live," Hariri said. "We must not pay for the actions of Hezbollah."



He hinted that there were no plans to discuss the disarming of Hezbollah, saying the militant group has not used its weapons on Lebanese soil.



Hariri's resignation, announced while he was in Riyadh, stunned the Lebanese and raised suspicions that it was orchestrated by Saudi Arabia, his main backer. He later returned to Lebanon on Nov. 21 and put the resignation on hold to allow for consultations.



In a tweet late Wednesday, Hariri said matters are moving "positively" and predicted that he may formally rescind his resignation next week.



Saudi Arabia and Iran are fighting proxy wars in the Mideast. Hariri has demanded that Hezbollah remove itself from the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.



Days before Hariri's return to Beirut, Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah said his fighters are returning from Iraq now that the Islamic State group has been defeated there. On a visit to Italy, Lebanese President Michel Aoun, a Hezbollah ally, told the Italian newspaper La Stampa that Hezbollah's fighters would return to Lebanon once the fight against IS is over.



In Syria, Hariri said the victory went to Russia and Iran, who had backed Assad. But to truly end the conflict in Syria, Assad "has to leave," Hariri said. "The problem in Syria is Bashar Assad."
Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said Wednesday that Trump administration demands for a U.S.-specific automotive content requirement in NAFTA were "not viable," and he declined to specify when Mexico would formally respond.

At a news conference following a series of meetings with senior U.S. trade officials and lawmakers in Washington, Guajardo said that Mexico was still trying to understand the U.S. proposals that would require 50 percent of vehicles' value content to be produced in the United States as part of updated North American Free Trade Agreement rules.

"I was clear that the domestic content [requirement] is something that is not viable at this point," Guajardo said.

He added that Mexico would eventually make a counterproposal on automotive rules of origin, but declined to specify the timing of that response.

His visit was partly aimed at bolstering support in Congress for NAFTA at a time when tax legislation is consuming lawmakers' attention and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is growing frustrated with the slow pace of NAFTA talks.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to scrap the trade agreement if it cannot be renegotiated to shrink U.S. trade deficits and return manufacturing jobs to the United States.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said after meeting with Guajardo earlier Wednesday that congressional Republicans "are determined" to strengthen trade ties with Mexico.

"I expect the administration will continue to work with us to modernize NAFTA and bolster our robust relationship with such an important ally," Ryan said in a statement.

US waiting on counterproposals

After the last NAFTA negotiating round ended last week, Lighthizer complained that Mexico and Canada had not offered counterproposals to its demands on autos and other major areas aimed at "rebalancing" the trade pact.

The United States also is seeking to lift the regional value content requirement for NAFTA-produced cars and trucks to 85 percent from 62.5 percent. Guajardo said that once Mexico has a firm understanding of the U.S. autos proposal, it can work with its own stakeholders to see what adjustments could be made to regional content for autos.

But he said that the U.S. demand to move to 85 percent regional content within three years was "entirely unrealistic."

Guajardo said he discussed with Lighthizer on Tuesday how to move the talks toward consideration of potential "rebalancing" outcomes. But first, he said, Mexico needed to be clear with its American and Canadian counterparts about unacceptable proposals and its priorities for keeping the pact beneficial to all parties.

"We have to start a process of looking at what's next after we complete the modernization effort," he added.

On dispute settlement, Guajardo said that Mexico would be willing to consider some adjustments to the investor-state dispute settlement system, after the United States proposed making the use of such arbitration panels optional.

"We can explore the opt-in, as long as we can define our own opt-in," Guajardo said of the dispute settlement proposal, adding that otherwise, Mexico is "not interested."

At a more limited round of NAFTA talks in mid-December in Washington, Guajardo said it would be important to agree on key issues in order to close some NAFTA chapters, such as those on food safety, telecommunications, regulatory practices and digital commerce.
More than 400 U.S. Marines who helped recapture the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State are leaving the country, according to the U.S.-led coalition that is fighting the militant group.

Were drawing down combat forces where it makes sense, but still continuing our efforts to help Syrian and Iraqi partners maintain security, U.S. Brigadier General Jonathan Braga said in a coalition statement.

Working with 'partner forces'

Our remaining forces will continue to work by, with, and through partner forces to defeat remaining ISIS, prevent a re-emergence of ISIS, and set conditions for international governments and NGOs (Non-governmental organizations) to help local citizens recover from the horrors of ISIS short-lived rule, Braga added, using an alternative name for Islamic State.

The Pentagon has said officially there are 503 troops in Syria but U.S. officials said, as of last week, the number was closer to 2,000.

The Marines and their artillery were deployed to Syria in March, joining an alliance of Kurdish and Arab troops and the Syrian Democratic Forces. They recaptured Raqqa from IS in October after an intense offensive that was bolstered by coalition artillery and aerial attacks.

US troop number unsure

The international coalition continues to provide support in nearby Deir Ezzor province while Syrian government forces, backed by the Russian military, conducts a separate campaign in the same region.

It was not immediately clear how many U.S. troops will remain in Syria. Most are special operations troops that are training and advising local partner forces and providing continued artillery support against IS.
Some Native Americans are voicing concern that a recent decision by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission could leave many low-income communities on tribal lands offline.

The FCC voted November 16 to scale back its Lifeline assistance program, which since the 1980s has provided phone and internet services at a discount to low-income Americans, including about 500,000 residential users in tribal areas. Activists worry that many of these areas will lose access to Lifeline service entirely.

The FCC's move serves to further marginalize indigenous communities, villages and reservations, said Anthony Melting Tallow, an activist and member of the Siksika Blackfoot Nation, currently residing in Massachusetts.

Affordable, reliable internet access holds the promise of elevating the economic, political, and social state of long-oppressed indigenous communities, communities that deserve to share in the immense benefits enjoyed by most Americans," he added.

The program, launched during the Reagan administration, is funded by a Universal Service Fee that shows up on customers' phone and cable bills. It offers a subsidy of $9.25 a month to low-income residents and gives an additional $25 a month subsidy to consumers living in Native American tribal areas  helping residents on remote, rural reservations like South Dakotas Pine Ridge or the Navajo Nation.

Tribes say the discounts also function to encourage internet service providers to enter certain rural markets that otherwise might not be served.

One of the things the new Lifeline order does is it does not allow non-facility-based carriers  carriers that are virtual, that use other carriers networks  to receive the extra $25 tribal Lifeline services. Facility-based carriers will still get the subsidy, said Brian Tagaban, director of governmental policy for Sacred Wind Communications, Inc., a privately owned, New Mexico-based company that provides internet services to thousands of families in New Mexicos Navajo Nation, the largest federally recognized tribe in the United States.

About 70 percent of Lifeline subscribers use these smaller resellers, but may now be forced to pay high prices for larger providers like Verizon or AT&T.

The order also redefines what constitutes tribal areas.

Additionally, the FCC has issued a call for comment on other changes, including the possibility of eliminating non-facility based providers from the program entirely.

Back story

The program was expanded in 2005 during the administration of President George W. Bush. By 2009, during then-President Barack Obamas first term, it had tripled to about $2.2 billion a year, expanding to cellphone service and reaching 13.3 million low-income customers. Because some carriers began offering free cellphones to benefit recipients, the program came to be popularly known as Obama phones.

The high cost of the program didnt sit well with some conservative Republicans, who viewed it as an example of welfare excess and government waste.

In 2013, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce began looking at ways to trim Lifeline and commissioned the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to look into the matter.

Last May, the GAO reported there were, indeed, abuses of the program. It couldnt confirm the eligibility of more than a third of subscribers, concluding that $137 million a year was going to people who didnt qualify. In some instances, individual subscribers were receiving duplicate benefits and that benefits were, in some cases, going out to individuals who were deceased.



In a statement announcing the cuts, FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai said, For far too long, policymakers have let unscrupulous wireless resellers waste Lifeline funding rather than demand these funds go to support real digital opportunity and infrastructure in underserved communities.
Ten North Koreans have been rescued after their boat was found in the waters off the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

A Japanese coast guard vessel spotted the wooden boat earlier this week drifting in rough seas. The crewmen said they had sought shelter at a nearby island due to stormy weather. Coast Guard officials said the North Korean boat was being towed to a safer area.

The boat was the latest of dozens of dilapidated North Korean vessels that wash up on Japanese islands each year. More than 50 North Korean vessels have been discovered this year, compared to 66 last year. Monday, 10 bodies were found inside a dilapidated boat that had washed up on the northern island of Akita.

Eight North Koreans claiming to be fishermen were discovered alive in their shipwrecked boat earlier this week.

The boats are operated by fishermen who are prompted by North Korea to sail far out to sea in small, poorly equipped boats for bigger catches to provide food for the impoverished country.


Pakistan says high-level discussions away from public glare are under way with the United States to bridge differences stemming from the new Afghan strategy U.S. President Donald Trump announced in August.

Pakistan did not agree with the U.S. policy because there was a difference in understanding and perceptions on both sides, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal Thursday, while discussing the dialogue process at his weekly news conference in Islamabad.

The policy focused on Pakistans alleged duplicity; receiving billions of dollars in U.S. assistance as a non-NATO ally for combating regional terrorism and covertly supporting the Taliban and the Haqqani terrorist network waging deadly attacks on Afghan and U.S.-led allied forces in Afghanistan.

Islamabad promptly rejected the accusations, saying the country is being scapegoated for U.S. military failures in stabilizing Afghanistan and defeating the Taliban.

Pakistan and the U.S. are actively engaged in discussing the situation in Afghanistan with a view to arriving at a better understanding of each others positions and to devise the way forward, to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan, Faisal said.

The spokesman also said U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will continue the interaction during a trip to Islamabad. He did not say when, but the Pentagon chief will be visiting the country on December 3, according to Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif. The Pentagon has not confirmed the date.

U.S. officials are also critical of alleged ties between the Pakistani spy agency, ISI, and the Haqqani network, whose leaders are accused of directing violence in Afghanistan from their alleged sanctuaries in Pakistan.

The top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, on Thursday told reporters Washington is in talks with Islamabad to press the latter to cut those ties.

This is a conversation that is going on between Washington and Islamabad at the highest levels of the U.S. government. So, I would not talk about the next steps that we will take. But you can be assured that my government, the United States, is putting pressure on Pakistan, this is diplomatic pressure, economic pressure, Nicholson said.

The U.S. general cited a deadly truck bombing he said the Haqqani network plotted in the high-security diplomatic zone of the Afghan capital, Kabul, in May of this year. The attack left more than 150 people dead and many more wounded. Embassies of nine countries were also damaged, according to Nicholson.

They [the Haqqanis] are not only attacking innocent Afghan people, they have also been attacking the international forces and diplomats that are here to help the Afghan people. So, all of these nations have been going back to Pakistan, noted the general.

While testifying before a congressional committee in October, Mattis said the U.S. would try one more time to make the Afghan strategy work with Pakistan, and if our best efforts fail, the president is prepared to take whatever steps are necessary.

Pakistani officials maintain that their counterterrorism efforts have reduced the threat in the region and the country is not supporting any warring faction in Afghanistan.

Pakistan says camps set up for millions of Afghan refugees have been used as shelters by insurgents to plot attacks on both sides of the border. Islamabad does not rule out the presence of Afghan insurgents on its side.



They say unleashing a counter-militancy operation on the displaced population would amount to bringing the Afghan war to Pakistani soil at a time when the country is already fighting anti-state militants.

Critics, however, rule out a total collapse in bilateral relations over persistent tensions. They point to major ground and air lines of communications through Pakistan that have been used for years to send supplies to thousands of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
As refugees resettle in a new country, their identities are often lost in the transition. A photo exhibit in the U.S. Midwestern city of Columbus, Ohio, offers a small window into one local refugee community. VOA's June Soh explored the exhibit that sheds light on the refugees' brave journeys from Bhutan through refugee camps in Nepal before finally settling in central Ohio.
The few public signs emanating from special counsel Robert Muellers investigation increasingly raise the prospect that former national security adviser Michael Flynn is looking to cut a deal.

But many questions remain about what charges, if any, Flynn would face and whether Muellers prosecutors are focused on his private business dealings and truthfulness with federal agents, or if theyre looking for a bigger fish like the president himself or those who remain in his inner circle.

A plea would certainly be a Washington bombshell, putting a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general and close friend of the president in a criminal courtroom and planting the sprawling investigation led by the no-nonsense former FBI director squarely in the White House.



In recent days, White House lawyers have downplayed the significance of Flynns legal troubles for the president, drawing a clear line between Flynns personal baggage and his work on the Trump campaign and the administration.



The extreme secrecy of Muellers investigation  including the ability to keep the lid on the arrest of a Trump campaign foreign policy adviser for months  has left even those who regularly interact with his prosecutors reading tea leaves. And its made sorting out the significance of recent events surrounding Flynn an amorphous  and at times partisan  exercise.

A critical person in Trumps campaign and national security team, Flynn was present for consequential decisions during the formative days of the administration and functioned as a main conduit for contacts with Russian officials. He could be an essential witness for Mueller, if he chose, as he investigates potential coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The feeling of suspense around the Mueller investigation only deepened this week with the cancellation of grand jury testimony, an ABC News report that Flynns attorney was meeting with Muellers team and the revelation Wednesday that Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, had been questioned by special counsel prosecutors about Flynn in recent weeks.



Outside observers are urging caution in reading too much into the moves, while acknowledging that some are more significant than others.

You get so few scraps of information that its awfully tempting to unpack what little information you have and see whats there, said Andrew Leipold, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Law.

Contact with Trump team ceases

Leipold said he would be careful attaching too much meaning to the recently postponed grand jury testimony. But he said it is potentially a telling sign of cooperation with Muellers team that Flynns attorneys have broken off communication, or information-sharing, with the Trump legal team.

It means something, he said. If you and I are cooperating and you say all of a sudden, I'm not cooperating anymore, theres probably a pretty good reason, he said.

The cutting of contact with Trumps legal team came last week after Kushner was questioned by Muellers investigators, which occurred earlier this month.



The questioning was brief  90 minutes or less  and tightly focused on Flynn. It was in part aimed at determining whether Kushner had any exculpatory information on Flynn, according to a person familiar with Mueller's investigation. Kushner and Flynn were both prominent figures in the Trump campaign, the presidential transition and the early days of the Trump administration.



The two also took part in discussions during the presidential transition with Sergey Kislyak, Russias ambassador to the United States at the time, about establishing a backchannel between the two countries, a possible indication of prosecutors interest given Muellers mandate to probe contacts between Trump associates and the Kremlin.

Flynn resigned in February

Flynn was forced to resign from the White House in February after officials concluded that he had misled them about his contacts with Kislyak during the transition period. Weeks before he was fired, he was interviewed by the FBI about that communication, and former FBI Director James Comey has said Flynn was under investigation for potentially lying to federal agents.

Muellers grand jury also had planned to hear testimony from an employee of a public relations company that worked with Flynn's firm on $530,000 worth of lobbying and investigative research for a Turkish businessman.



The testimony had been scheduled for the coming days and was slated to focus on Flynns firms interactions with congressional staff. But it was abruptly postponed this week.

The details of Kushners questioning and the postponement of the grand jury testimony were confirmed by people familiar with Muellers investigation. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation.

Kushner 'has voluntarily cooperated'

Asked about the meeting with Mueller, Kushners attorney, Abbe Lowell, did not elaborate on the nature of the question, saying only in a statement his client has voluntarily cooperated with all relevant inquiries and will continue to do so.

For his part, Flynn has stayed quiet.

His attorney, Robert Kelner, has not responded to multiple media inquiries, even as headlines about his client have piled up. Kelner also did not respond to emails, texts and calls from The Associated Press this week.



Muellers spokesman, Peter Carr, has yet to comment on the special counsels ongoing investigation that has now stretched into its seventh month.



Instead, the special counsel has decided to speak in indictments and plea agreements. In the meantime, Washington  and the country  wait for the next one.
Some relatives of crew members on a missing Argentine submarine are asking to be plaintiffs in a judicial investigation of the disappearance, saying they want to ensure the case is fully studied.

Luis Tagliapietra said Thursday that he joined the case because he believes the navy has withheld information and lied to the families of crew members such as his son. He said seven other families have asked to join as plaintiffs.



The group wants judicial authorities to safeguard any evidence related to the voyage of the ARA San Juan, which hasnt been seen or heard from since Nov. 15 despite an intensive multinational search in the South Atlantic. Hope for survivors has faded because experts say the 44 sailors had only enough oxygen to last up to 10 days if the sub remained submerged and undamaged.

Until a bolt from the submarine appears, they could be anywhere, in any situation, said Tagliapietra, the father of 27-year-old crewman Alejandro Tagliapietra.



Of course, the days pass by and the anguish, fear and desperation rise. But in a way, Im channeling all of this with this struggle, so that no matter what, we can find out the truth.

The navy has said the vessels captain reported that water entered the snorkel and caused one of the submarine's batteries to short circuit. The captain later communicated by satellite phone that the problem had been contained, the navy says.

Some hours later, an explosion was detected near the time and place where the San Juan was last heard from. A navy spokesman said this week that the blast could have been triggered by a concentration of hydrogen caused by the battery problem reported by the captain.

Tagliapietra criticized the navys response and its release of information. He noted that for days, officials spoke about a communication problem and didnt acknowledge the battery problem until after it was leaked to news media.



He said that when he found out about the explosion from his sons direct superior, he was told there was a possibility no one survived.

I asked if they were all dead, and he said: Yes, Tagliapietra said.

The San Juan, a German-built diesel-electric TR-1700 class submarine, was commissioned in the 1980s and was most recently refitted in 2014. Some family members have also denounced the age and condition of the vessel. President Mauricio Macri has promised a full investigation.
Even if European countries closed their borders to migrants and refugees, the percentage of Muslims on the continent would continue to rise over the next three decades, according to a report released Wednesday by the Washington-based Pew Research Center.

According to Pews data, Muslims made up 4.9 percent of Europes population in 2016, with an estimated 25.8 million people across 30 countries, up from 3.8 percent, or 19.5 million people, in 2010. The number of Muslim migrants arriving in Europe surged after 2014 to almost a half-million annually, largely the result of people fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The countries covered in the study included the 28 European Union members, plus Norway and Switzerland.

Three scenarios

The report considered three scenarios: zero migration between 2016 and 2050; medium migration, in which the flow of refugees stops but people continue to migrate for other reasons; and high migration, in which the record flow of migrants between 2014 and 2016 continues indefinitely with the same religious composition.

Under the first scenario, the population would continue to grow because Muslims are, on average, 13 years younger than other Europeans and also have a higher birthrate. The study projected Muslims could make up 7.4 percent of the European population by 2050, even with zero migration.

Under the medium migration scenario, Muslims could account for 11.2 percent of Europes population by 2050.

While under the high migration, the record flow of migrants who came to Europe between 2014 and 2016 would continue indefinitely, resulting in 75 million Muslims in Europe, or about 14 percent of the population by the middle of the century.

Still a minority religion

But even the scenario with the largest growth leaves the Muslim population considerably smaller than the populations of both Christians and people with no religion in Europe, according to the report.

Muslim immigrants have been a politically sensitive topic in Europe following the influx of newcomers between 2014 and 2016. Some countries have seen backlashes that have included populist parties campaigning on anti-Islamic messages.
Broadcast reporters for Russian state-funded TV channel RT will no longer be able to report daily from the U.S. Capitol.

A committee that governs Capitol Hill access for broadcast journalists has withdrawn credentials for RT after the company complied earlier this month with a U.S. demand that it register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The law applies to people or companies disseminating information in the U.S. on behalf of foreign governments, political parties and other foreign principals.

The action also comes just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed legislation allowing Russia to register international media outlets as foreign agents, an act seen as the Kremlins retaliation for the Trump administration decision on RT. The new rules require disclosures to the Russian government and are seen as stigmatizing the news outlets as promoters of American propaganda.



In Washington, C-SPANs Craig Caplan informed RT that its credentials were being withdrawn after a unanimous vote of the executive committee of the Congressional Radio and Television Correspondents Galleries.

Caplan, the chairman of that committee, wrote that gallery rules state clearly that news credentials may not be issued to any applicant employed by any foreign government or representative thereof.  He said the FARA registration made the network ineligible to hold news credentials, and their withdrawal is effective immediately.

Many news outlets with ties to foreign governments are required to similarly register. English-language newspaper China Daily is registered due to its affiliation with the Chinese government, for example. But the pressure on RT has angered Russian officials, who have said they will retaliate with restrictions on U.S. news outlets.

The letter was sent to Mikhail Solodovnikov of RTs U.S.-based production company, T & R Productions. RT did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

U.S. intelligence agencies have alleged RT served as a propaganda outlet for the Kremlin as part of a multi-pronged effort to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Russia denies interfering.
The international effort to find a missing Argentine submarine has come up empty after scouring more than two-thirds of the search area, the navy spokesman said Wednesday.

The final contact with the ARA San Juan, which had 44 crew members aboard, was Nov. 15.

Two weeks later, the search is focused on a patch of the South Atlantic about 40 square kilometers (15 square miles) around the point of the explosion that likely doomed the vessel, as well as calculations based on the subs direction and speed, Argentinas navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told reporters.

Aircraft and ships from 18 countries looking for the submarine have covered 68 percent of the search area, Balbi said.

The search is taking place about 450 kilometers (279 miles) off Argentinas southern coast, in an area where the depth of the ocean floor varies between 200 and 1,000 meters.

Balbi said it was hard to tell when the ships and planes will have covered all of the search area.

It depends on the weather, he said. It is a slow sweep.

Weather conditions will be favorable Wednesday and Thursday, Balbi said, adding that at least eight ships are operating in the search area.

In their last message, the submarine crew reported an electrical short-circuit caused by sea water, which had started a fire, an Argentine TV channel reported Monday.

The submarine said sea water had entered the ventilation system, causing a battery on the diesel-electric vessel to short-circuit and start a fire, according to the text of the message, which was reported by the A24 television channel.
Turkey hosts the largest number of refugees in the world, and three million of them are Syrians. Most live in towns and cities across the country. But this year, a series of clashes between Turks and Syrians could be a sign that for some Turks, patience is running out.



Earlier this year, Istanbul witnessed unprecedented violence against Syrian refugees after they were blamed for the death of a Turkish youth.



In Istanbuls Esenler district, which is home to about a half million people, almost one-fifth are Syrian refugees. It is one of the poorest areas of the city. Local elected representatives like Mustafa Guven are on the front line of coping with the strains of a large refugee population. Guven says the recent clashes are a worrying sign.



"The people of the Republic of Turkey are not monsters. They help Syrians as much as they can; they share their bread with them. Those Syrians who don't appreciate this are in the wrong. Of course, we see disputes and conflicts among the youth. But Syrians should be quieter. They are in a foreign country after all  a country that gave them refuge. They should keep a lower profile and be more grateful, but they don't have this sensitivity," said Guven.

In the Ali tea shop, its not hard to sense the growing unease among local Turks. Sipping his hot tea, Ozan, a hairdresser, who owns a salon, is quick to vent his frustrations.



"Our patience is running out and our point of view has changed. Over the last five years, a large number of people have migrated here, and their number is constantly growing. Our state has already spent over $30 billion on the Syrians. There is no financial contribution from Europe either," said Ozan.

The Nasim barber shop is popular among Syrians. All but one who work here are from Syria. Esenler has been good to shop owner Mahmoud Al Aian. He arrived from Syria when he was 19. Five years later, he has three businesses: a barber shop, a restaurant, and a clothing company. Al Aian is keen to play down tensions.



Al Aian said, "The Turks wont come to attack Syrians. I mean we havent seen anything like this where we are. No such things happen here. If anything happens, you call the police of the Turkish government and they immediately come and solve it."



Turkish authorities appear to be increasingly concerned about the tensions. In some areas of Istanbul, as in other parts of the country, signs in Arabic touting businesses belonging to Syrians have been removed in a bid to lower their profile. The move comes as the Turkish media continue to devote a great deal of coverage to issues involving Syrian refugees. A recent study found that Syrians are the main targets of hate speech, second only to Jewish people, in the Turkish media.

Professor Ahmet Icduygu, an expert on migration and refugees at Istanbuls Koc University, says Turkey is facing a growing problem over the presence of the refugees.



"There is a kind of tension growing in Turkey and theres already debate, like in other Western countries, that they are taking our jobs, they are getting privileges such as, for instance, Syrian students can go directly to university, etc. I think we can hear more and more events of unfortunate kinds of attacks on the migrants, some tensions growing, increasing discrimination, xenophobia increasing, those kinds of things," Icduygu said.

Opposition parties are set to make the governments Syria refugee policy a key issue in the months ahead.
A Texas sheriff who was among the first people to reach two badly injured U.S. Border Patrol agents said he thought they were hurt in an accident, not an attack.

The injured agents were found the night of November 18 along a culvert next to Interstate 10 near Van Horn, which is about 110 miles (175 kilometers) southeast of El Paso and about 30 miles (50 kilometers) from the border with Mexico.

Agent Rogelio Martinez succumbed to traumatic head injuries and broken bones. His partner, who has not been identified, was seriously injured and hospitalized for several days. The agent has no memory of what happened that night.

Culberson County Sheriff Oscar Carrillo said he thought a semitrailer-truck may have accidentally sideswiped the pair, the Dallas Morning News reported.

I-10 is a heavily traveled route for truck drivers and accidents regularly occur, some due to wind drafts and others from drivers overcorrecting after drifting across lanes, Carrillo said.

"From the beginning we were radioed to assist in the incident as an injury, not an assault,'' Carrillo told the newspaper. "That's the way it was communicated to us.

"If this was an assault, believe me, as sheriff, I'd be the first one out there emphasizing safety in our community and with our deputies, pairing them up,'' he added.

It's not clear why Martinez and his partner were along the highway. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said only that they "were responding to activity.''

A Border Patrol union, the National Border Patrol Council, has said the pair were attacked and struck with a rock or rocks.

President Donald Trump, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Texas Governor Greg Abbott also have said the two were attacked.

Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie Jr. in the FBI's El Paso office said last week that investigators were treating the incident as a "potential assault,'' but that they could not rule out other scenarios.

Federal officials have released few details about the circumstances leading to the agents' injuries.
Gen. John Nicholson, the commander of the U.S-led NATO forces in Afghanistan, said Islamabad has yet to take action against the Afghan Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan where the groups senior leadership still resides.

As you have heard our president say, as you have heard all of our senior leaders say, we have got to see movement on this reduction of sanctuary and support for those insurgents and terrorists operating from Pakistan who are attacking our forces and our coalition diplomats and forces, as well as the Afghans inside this country, Nicholson said Tuesday, speaking to reporters at the Pentagon via teleconference from Afghanistan.

Pakistan denies allegations

Announcing his South Asia strategy in August, President Donald Trump demanded Pakistan stop providing support and sanctuaries to the Afghan Taliban group. He blamed Pakistan for housing terrorist groups that are fighting Afghan and American forces in Afghanistan, and vowed not to be silent about Pakistans safe havens for the Taliban, and other militant groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond.

Pakistan has denied the allegations that it provides safe havens to the Taliban and maintains that the country has been a victim of terrorism and militancy itself.

Nicholson said the Pakistanis have been engaged in a tough fight against extremists in their own country and many of the Pakistani Taliban fighters have been displaced by Pakistani military offensives, but he said the Pakistani military has failed to take similar action against the Afghan militant groups on its soil.

The ones who were not displaced were the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani network who continue to reside on that side of the border, Nicholson added.

Haqqani network

The Haqqani network, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, is considered the most lethal terrorist group in Afghanistan and has been blamed for some of the deadliest terror attacks, including attacks on embassies in Kabul, different Afghan government institutions, and U.S. military bases across the country.



General Nicholson said Islamabad needs to act against the Afghan Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan.

The offensive operations against sanctuaries would be in other areas that we have identified with the Pakistani leadership on a number of occasions, Nicholson said.

When asked if the international coalition has seen any significant change in Pakistan cracking down on militants crossing into Afghanistan, Nicholson told reporters at the Pentagon, We are hoping to see those changes, we are hoping to work together with the Pakistanis going forward to eliminate terrorists who are crossing the border.

We have not seen those changes implemented yet, he added.

Target Taliban safe havens



In a recent interview with VOA, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells urged Islamabad to take action against Afghan Taliban safe havens.

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.
A Turkish-Iranian gold trader testified at a New York trial Wednesday that he paid over $50 million in bribes to Turkey's economy minister in 2012 to overcome a banker's fears he was too well-known in Turkey to launder Iranian money in violation of U.S. sanctions.

Reza Zarrab calmly described his arrangement with one of Turkey's most important public officials as he began what will be several days on the witness stand at the trial of Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla, who is charged in a conspiracy that involved bribes and kickbacks to high-level officials.

In a conversation about shady transactions involving suitcases stuffed with gold, the economy minister, Zafer Caglayan, "asked about the profit margin," Zarrab testified. "And he said, 'I can broker this.' "

Zarrab's decision to plead guilty and cooperate with U.S. investigators  revealed Tuesday on the trial's first day  was a surprise twist in the trial. The prosecution seemed in jeopardy just months earlier after Zarrab tried to free himself by hiring prominent and politically connected American attorneys to try to arrange a prisoner transfer between Turkey and the United States. The effort by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey failed.

Prisoner's outfit

The government's star witness appeared before jurors Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan wearing tan prisoner scrubs, even though he testified he was released from jail two weeks ago and into FBI custody. At the end of the day with the jury gone, the judge asked Zarrab why he was wearing the outfit, telling prosecutors he would sign an order allowing him to wear civilian clothes if he wanted.

Once Zarrab, 34, was on the stand, prosecutors wasted no time in getting him to name names and muddy reputations in the banking industry and in government.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sidhardha Kamaraju elicited details of what the United States has said was a well-orchestrated conspiracy to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran and enable $1 billion in Iranian oil proceeds to move through international banking markets.

Zarrab said he ran into resistance from a Halkbank executive when he approached the Turkish government-owned bank in late 2011 or early 2012 to try to gain access to Iranian money through trades in gold. The executive, he said, feared that Zarrab's marriage to Turkish pop star and TV personality Ebru Gundes made him "too popular" to make the trades.

"I was a person who was in the public eye all of the time," he said.

Undeterred, Zarrab said he met with Caglayan, who was economy minister when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was prime minister. Caglayan told him he would smooth the way for gold trades, but only if he got half the profits, which he said ended up totaling more than $50 million.

Diagrams drawn

At one point, Zarrab drew diagrams for the jury to illustrate the elaborate web of transactions used to beat the economic sanctions and make him a fortune as the middleman.

The tactics included using Iranian proceeds from gas and oil sales to Turkey to buy gold, having couriers carry the gold in suitcases to Dubai, converting it back into cash that was deposited in a front company account, and laundering the money with multiple bank transfers, including some through the United States.

Zarrab testified that the sanction-evasion scheme was done in consultation with Atilla, a 47-year-old former deputy CEO of Halkbank who has pleaded not guilty. A lawyer for Atilla attacked Zarrab's credibility Tuesday during opening statements, saying the trial is about Zarrab's crimes.

Caglayan is indicted in the U.S. case. The indictment describes his alleged role in the gold-transfer scheme and in another scheme in which he and other Turkish government officials supposedly approved of and directed the movement of Iranian oil proceeds by claiming they were connected to the sale of food and medicine to Iran from Dubai.

Erdogan has called on American authorities to "review" the decision to indict Caglayan, saying the former minister had not engaged in any wrongdoing because Turkey had not imposed sanctions on Iran, an important trade partner.

The prosecution of Zarrab has been major news in Turkey, where Erdogan has repeatedly asked the U.S. to release him and more recently portrayed the U.S. case as a sham.
A senior U.N. official warns many of the hundreds of critically wounded and ill people trapped in the besieged Syrian area of East Ghouta, a suburb of the capital, Damascus, could die without urgent medical treatment.

U.N. Special Envoy Jan Egeland said the United Nations has been waiting for two months for the Syrian government to give the green light to an emergency medical evacuation from East Ghouta. Over that time, he said the list of serious cases requiring urgent treatment has grown to 500.

Not a single one of these have we been able to evacuate over those two months. Not a single one," he said. "So, men with power are sitting with lists of children that are in urgent need of being evacuated. If not, they will, many of them die and we still do not have the green light.

About 440,000 civilians are trapped in East Ghouta, which has been under siege by the government of Bashar al-Assad since 2013. The rebel-held territory is just 15 kilometers from Damascus, where Egeland said hospitals are ready to receive patients.

Hospitals that could be actually within 45 minutes-drive from where the wounded children are dying," he said. "These hospitals have the beds, the doctors  everything available. We are not able to do it. It is heartbreaking. It is intolerable. It will be a stain on our conscience for a very, very long time unless it can happen very soon.

Egeland said nine patients on the critical list already have died, and those most in need of emergency medical care are women and children.

The U.N. envoy is appealing to the United States, Russia and other big power players to put pressure on the Syrian government to allow the U.N. life-saving medical operation to go ahead.
The future of almost 800,000 undocumented young people in the United States is hanging in the balance in an end-of-year legislative pileup on Capitol Hill that could result in the shutdown of the federal government.

The government will run out of money December 8 unless Congress approves a new budget or budget extension. While the focus this week has been largely on the Senate's approval of its tax cut bill, the budget bill could have greater short-term ramifications. The Republican-dominated Senate cannot pass it alone; Democratic votes will be needed.

But both houses of Congress will have to vote on a spending measure before it can go into effect.

And underlying all the discussions of spending priorities is finding a permanent solution for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which gave temporary protection from deportation, and permission to legally work, to undocumented young people brought to the U.S. as children.

Trump calls for legislation

President Donald Trump rescinded the Obama administration measure earlier this year, calling on Congress to pass legislation that would provide DACA recipients with a path to permanent status in the U.S. before the program phases out in March 2018.

Democrats initially pushed for stand-alone legislation to address the problem, but given the countrys contentious immigration debate, they have instead tried to tie DACA legislation to the spending bill.

Some Democrats have vowed to vote against any budget bill that does not include a DACA fix, threatening a government shutdown when the funding runs out.

But House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin has said the fix to the DACA program should be considered on its own merits and not as part of a larger spending bill.

Action stalled

Moves toward any bipartisan agreement stalled before a planned meeting Tuesday when Trump tweeted that he didnt see a deal with Senate and House Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer of New York and Nancy Pelosi of California, respectively.

Trump tweeted a claim that a deal was being held up, in part, because Schumer and Pelosi want illegal immigrants flooding into our Country unchecked.

House Democratic Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland responded to Trump's tweet in a background briefing with reporters Tuesday morning, saying, That is absolutely false. That has nothing to do with reality  he is pandering to his angry base. DACA kids are here. They're not flooding across the border. They're here."

Hoyer reiterated a Democratic claim that if brought up for a floor vote, DACA legislation would pass by 300 votes.

Schumer and Pelosi responded by withdrawing from the meeting with Trump, asking to work instead with Senate and House Republican leaders Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Ryan, respectively. The White House meeting continued with all Republicans present and no Democrats.

On the face of it, the March 2018 deadline for the program gives lawmakers room to maneuver if Congress were to pass a short-term spending bill and kick DACA down the road. The budget could be extended to Christmas to give Democrats and Republicans more room to work on a compromise.

But some DACA recipients have already lost their status.

Renewal failures

The Department of Homeland Security said in October that about 22,000 DACA recipients had failed to renew their two-year permits before an October 5 deadline. That number may come down after a review of renewal applications that may have been lost in the mail.

And while support for DACA is bipartisan, it may not be enough. Both parties are reluctant to risk the political blowback that would occur if either side appears responsible for a government shutdown.
U.S. and Chinese generals engaged in an unusual set of security talks on Wednesday, just hours after North Korea's most powerful missile test yet, focused on how the mighty American and Chinese militaries might communicate in a crisis.

As President Donald Trump greeted the North's launching of another intercontinental ballistic missile with familiar demands for China to get tougher with its ally, the low-profile and unpublicized meeting at the National Defense University in Washington was taking place amid signs China is more willing to discuss how the two world powers would manage an even worse emergency on the divided Korean Peninsula.

The Pentagon stressed the talks were scheduled long before North Koreas surprise missile launch in the early hours Wednesday in Asia. Officials insisted the dialogue wasnt centered on North Korea or anything else in particular.

Change in plans

Trump has vowed to prevent North Korea from having the capability to strike the U.S. mainland with a nuclear-tipped missile  using military force if necessary. He is running out of time: Some experts said the missile fired on a high trajectory that splashed down in the Sea of Japan showed North Koreas ability to strike Washington and the entire U.S. Eastern Seaboard.

The threat of a military confrontation is making China rethink its resistance to discussing contingencies involving North Korea, according to experts.

Such discussions have long been off-limits for Beijing, which fought on North Koreas side against the United States in the 1950-53 Korean War and remains its treaty ally.

In a phone conversation with Trump on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his desire for a diplomatic resolution to the standoff with North Korea.

Modest goals

Objectives for Wednesdays military consultations appeared modest.

The engagement will serve as an opportunity to discuss how to manage crises, prevent miscalculations, and reduce the risk of misunderstanding, the office of Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told The Associated Press in a statement.

The U.S. and China agreed on the talks when Dunford met with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing in August. While in China, Dunford observed a Chinese military drill at Shenyang, about 120 miles from the North Korean border  an unusual stop for an official visit.

Wednesdays talks were being led by Lt. Gen. Richard Clarke, the Joint Chiefs planning director, and Maj. Gen. Shao Yuanming, a senior Chinese military official. Theyre especially noteworthy given the deep strategic mistrust between the U.S. and China, and Beijings increasing challenge to Americas post-World War II dominance in the Asia-Pacific.

China has been more explicit in saying what the talks are about.

Fear of a conflict

Yao Yunzhu, a retired general who specializes in U.S.-Chinese defense relations at Chinas Academy of Military Science, said this summer they should include Northeast Asia, where North Korea is located. She also mentioned the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.

Yun Sun, an expert on Chinese foreign policy at the Stimson Center think tank, said Dunford raised North Korean contingencies at the August meeting and the two sides discussed the potential danger of a conflict or a nuclear disaster. U.S. officials wouldnt confirm that account. Sun said she anticipated those talks would continue Wednesday.

While such discussions have occurred in recent years among non-government experts, they hadnt yet happened at official levels.

New willingness from China

However, Oriana Skylar Mastro, a Georgetown University professor, said her Chinese contacts indicated willingness to broach North Korea contingencies in the military dialogue.

Things are shifting right now in both China and the United States. There seems to be an opening, said Mastro. She expected the talks would still be at a preliminary stage.

This type of discussion is difficult among friends. Its much more difficult between potential adversaries, but absolutely necessary, Mastro said. The type of war that might break out (with North Korea) is one that would be more costly than anything that generations of Americans have experienced.

South Korea concerns

Political limitations exist on both sides, making some experts skeptical that progress would be made or even that North Korean contingencies would be addressed at all. The U.S. must be wary of offending South Korea, which isnt in the dialogue. China risks further alienating a paranoid ally at a time Beijing is supporting increasingly tough U.N. sanctions on North Koreas economy in response to its missile and nuclear tests.

The Chinese side is very worried that if North Korea gets word it might turn them into a hostile neighbor, said Frank Aum, a former Pentagon adviser on North Korea.

Chinese opinions are divided. But in a sign of growing antipathy toward Pyongyang, some Chinese intellectuals have called for radical policy change. Not only is North Korea a liability for China's global standing, it also poses a nuclear risk on its doorstep.

Loose nukes

A collapse of North Koreas state, or another crisis, could push Beijing into conflict with the U.S. and South Korea. Bonnie Glaser, an Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, mentioned North Korean nuclear facilities within 50 miles of the Chinese border, and said both sides could try to secure loose nukes.

There have been grave miscommunications before. Abraham Denmark, a former senior U.S. military official for East Asia, cited the run-up to the Korean War, when Washington thought Beijing knew it would not seek to invade China; the Chinese thought the Americans knew that if U.S. forces advanced north of the 38th parallel into North Korea, China would intervene.

Both sides at the time thought that they were being extremely clear, but neither side had any idea of what was going on, Denmark said. That suggests to me that both sides need to be very up front with one another.
The U.S.-led coalition targeting the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq said Thursday its airstrikes have killed 801 civilians since late 2014.

The figures came in the coalition's latest monthly statement about its investigations into reports of possible civilian casualties resulting from the strikes.

In October, the coalition says it investigated 64 such reports, of which five were deemed credible and resulted in 15 deaths. Another 695 reports were still open.

"We continue to hold ourselves accountable for actions that may have caused unintentional injury or death to civilians," the statement said. "We take all reports of civilian casualties seriously and assess all reports as thoroughly as possible."

Outside groups say the bombing campaign that began in August 2014 in Iraq and a month later in Syria has killed far more civilians than the coalition has reported.

Watchdog group Airwars estimates that as of the end of October the coalition airstrikes killed at least 5,961 civilians, and that the number could top 9,000. Its figures include at least 1,504 deaths in Iraq and 3,487 in Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in late October it had documented 2,910 civilian deaths that resulted from coalition airstrikes in Syria.

The pace of airstrikes increased after U.S. President Donald Trump took office in late January. In December, according to coalition data, there were an average of about 16 airstrikes per day combined in Iraq and Syria. That number jumped to 25 per day in January and reached a peak of more than 50 strikes per day in August and September.

Those increases came along with supporting major operations to retake control of areas from Islamic State fighters, including Mosul in Iraq and the group's de facto capital in Raqqa, Syria.

Since the fall of Raqqa in mid-October, the number of strikes has plummeted, and November has seen one of the lowest number of strikes in the entire campaign.
The U.S. military did not kill any civilians when it accompanied Somali forces on a deadly raid in August, U.S. Africa command said late Wednesday, the first public statement on the findings from an investigation into the raid.

The two-paragraph statement referred to a joint raid by U.S. and Somali troops on the village of Bariire. Eyewitnesses told Reuters that 10 civilians were killed and the military had been drawn into a local clan conflict.

The survivors and relatives of the dead said they wanted blood money and an apology.

Enemy combatants

The U.S. military denied that any civilians were killed, although it did not offer any details on the investigation.

The statement described the dead as enemy combatants, and the military later said in a Twitter message that they were members of al Shabab, the al-Qaeda linked insurgency. Africa Command did not provide any proof for their claim.

After a thorough assessment of the Somali National Army-led operation near Bariire, Somalia, on Aug. 25, 2017, and the associated allegations of civilian casualties, U.S. Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAF) has concluded that the only casualties were those of armed enemy combatants, the two paragraph statement read.

Before conducting operations with partner forces, SOCAF conducts detailed planning and coordination to reduce the likelihood of civilian casualties and to ensure compliance with the Law of Armed Conflict. U.S. Africa Command and the Department of Defense take allegations of civilian casualties very seriously.

No Somali statement

Despite promising a public investigation, the embattled Somali government has made no public statement on the raid, and some Somali security officials said privately that it would not, for fear of alienating the powerful clan whose members were killed.

Some Somali security officials have suggested privately that the survivors and relatives had misrepresented the incident to try to get cash and political advantages for their clan.

The United States has stepped up operations in Somalia this year after President Donald Trump loosened restrictions on the military in March. A Navy SEAL was killed there in May, the first U.S. combat casualty there since a Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in 1993.

The United States has also ramped up its use of air strikes, conducting twice as many strikes this year as last year.

Somalia has been riven by civil war since 1991. It now has a weak, internationally backed government, supported by African peacekeepers.
Following North Koreas latest and most advanced missile test to date, the United States has urged China to show leadership and do something it has so far been unwilling to do - cut off Pyongyangs oil supply.



Analysts said that while that option remains a step the Chinese still appear unwilling to take, it is something they increasingly need to consider.



The United States and China will definitely tighten economic sanctions on North Korea. It is unavoidable and North Korea deserves it, particularly given that its development of the Hwasong-15 [missile], raises the threat level toward the international community and the United States, said Zhao Tong, a fellow at the Carnegie Tsinghua Center for Global Policy.



Zhao said that when it comes to sanctions there is little room left.



Oil is something China will not take up lightly. Perhaps more restrictions can be placed on [North Korean] laborers [working in China] or they can be banned completely, he said.



China has already ordered the closure of North Korean businesses in the country and told Chinese companies they cannot hire new workers from the North or renew contracts.

Oil, however, has always been the one commodity Beijing has approached with extreme caution.



Still, it is a question that China will have to carefully consider, said Jia Qingguo, a political science professor at Peking University.

Oil = stability



If oil is cut off completely, it could lead to bigger economic problems in North Korea and even political instability. North Korea could turn chaotic, he said. The first thing that China is concerned about when it comes to North Korea is the development of nuclear weapons; the second, is how it can avoid any chaos [on the peninsula] that could lead to war.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson applauded China's efforts to curb North Korea's acts of aggression, but believed China can do more, particularly with respect to oil.

I think the Chinese are doing a lot. We do think they can do more with the oil and were really asking them to please restrain more of the oil, not cut it off completely," Tillerson said Thursday at the State Department.

Speaking at the United Nations Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said Washington is looking to Chinas President Xi Jinping to take a stand.



We believe he has an opportunity to do the right thing for the benefit of all countries. China must show leadership and follow through. China can do this on its own, or we can take the oil situation into our own hands, Haley said.



For its part, Chinas Foreign Ministry said Thursday that it was still focused on denuclearization and getting all sides back to the negotiating table.



Mixed signals



Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China would continue to do everything possible to help reach that goal and that it would fully implement sanctions already approved by the United Nations.



China will completely and thoroughly carry out all resolutions regarding North Korea and its international responsibilities, Geng said.

In sharp contrast, however, comments in Chinas state media about the latest test and sanctions were more direct, with some even putting the blame for the launch on the United States.



An editorial in the China Daily argued that the latest test may have been prompted by the Trump administrations decision to label North Korea a sponsor of state terrorism.

Beijing wants the two "belligerents" to calm down and is vexed that a golden opportunity to encourage Pyongyang into talks was "casually wasted" by the Trump administration, the paper said.



"The clock is ticking down to one of two choices: learning to live with the DPRK having nuclear weapons or triggering a tripwire to the worst case scenario," it added.



An article in the Communist Party-backed Global Times urged the United States to take what it called a more temperate approach.



It is time the U.S. realized that increasing and tightening sanctions already in place will not have the desired effect. Since yesterday, Pyongyang has never been this confident. Condemnations from the U.N. Security Council and the new sanctions that may follow will solve nothing, the article said.

Daniel Pinkston, a North Korea scholar at Troy University in Seoul, said that regardless of their impact, more pressure on Pyongyang is needed.



Any kind of economic sanctions or trade embargoes or things like that should be imposed and should be very robust, Pinkston said. Even if it doesnt change North Korean behavior, it does not cause them or compel them to abandon their nuclear missile programs. We need to do it for third party observers as well.



And it is not just sanctions where cooperation is needed.



Peking Universitys Jia Qingguo said that in addition to tightening sanctions, China and the United States will need to find ways to cooperate in a wide range of areas.



If there is a crisis in North Korea, both sides have their own backup plans. These sorts of things are a part of that wider range of cooperation and should be discussed so that the United States and China can avoid military conflict, Jia said.

Daniel Schearf in Seoul and Joyce Huang contributed to this story.


The Kremlin voiced dismay Thursday over the withdrawal of a Russian state-funded TV station's credentials in the U.S. and warned of a quick retaliation.



A committee that governs Capitol Hill access for broadcast journalists on Wednesday withdrew credentials for Kremlin-funded RT after the company complied earlier this month with a U.S. demand that it register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, denounced the move as a violation of media freedom and "extremely hostile act," adding that "we are deeply disappointed.''



"Such hostile and undemocratic decisions can't be left without an answer," he said in a conference call with reporters. "You don't have to be a soothsayer to forecast an emotional response from our lawmakers regarding the U.S. media."



Senior Russian lawmakers warned that representatives of the U.S. media can lose access to parliament and government agencies as a quid pro quo. Foreign correspondents in Russia can currently access the Russian parliament and some government agencies with their press credentials issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry.



Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the Russian parliament's lower house, the State Duma, said the U.S. move was a "challenge to the universal values of freedom of speech."

"This is an attack on the foundation of democracy, and we aren't going to tolerate it," he said. "We are considering options for a symmetrical, quid pro quo response to the hostile U.S. actions. They will come soon.''



The U.S. move and the Russian threats of retaliation follow the endorsement of a new Russian bill that allowed the government to designate international media outlets as foreign agents in response to the U.S. demand made to the RT TV channel.



The bill, quickly passed by the Russian parliament and signed into law by Putin over the weekend, says that any government- or private-funded foreign news outlets could be declared foreign agents, leaving it to the Justice Ministry to single them out.



The ministry already has notified the U.S. government-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, along with its regional outlets, that they could be designated as foreign agents under the new law.



U.S. intelligence agencies have alleged that RT served as a tool for the Kremlin to meddle in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Russia has denied any interference.



Russia's hopes for better relations with the U.S. under President Donald Trump have been shattered amid the Congressional and FBI investigations into alleged ties between Trump campaign in Russia.



Speaking in a TV interview broadcast Thursday, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the Russia-U.S. relations are in a "horrible" shape, the lowest point since the Cold War times.



"Some American politicians are trying to solve their problems and put a pressure on their president by playing the `Russian card,'" Medvedev said.



He drew a parallel with a hunt for purported communist infiltrators in the 1950s led by Sen. Joseph McCarthy that often involved unfounded accusations and sowed fear, adding that "even then it wasn't about settling scores with their own president."
A court in Vietnam on Thursday upheld a 10-year jail sentence for a prominent blogger convicted of publishing propaganda against the state, her lawyer said, the latest move in a crackdown on critics of the one-party state. Despite sweeping economic reform and increasing openness towards social change, including gay, lesbian and transgender rights, Vietnam's ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and does not tolerate criticism.

In recent months, it has targeted critics whose voices have been amplified by social media in a country that ranks among Facebook's top ten, in terms of users.

Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, 37, known as "Me Nam" (Mother Mushroom), who gained prominence for blogging about environment issues and deaths in police custody, was found guilty in June for distributing what police called anti-state reports.

A court in the central city of Nha Trang upheld Quynh's sentence, one of her lawyers said.

"This sentence is not objective and is unfair," Ha Huy Son told Reuters by telephone. "Quynh said she is innocent and she carried out her right as a citizen."

Her mother was denied access to the hearing, he added. The mother could not immediately be reached for comment.

In March 2009, Quynh spent nine days in police detention for receiving funds from Viet Tan, a California-based activist group which Vietnam calls a terrorist group, to print T-shirts with slogans against a major bauxite project, police said.

Quynh has also spoken out against a subsidiary of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Corp that caused one of Vietnam's biggest environmental disasters in April.

On Monday a prominent rights lawyer who has represented Quynh said the bar federation in the south central province of Phu Yen had revoked his licence to practice law just days before Quynh's appeal hearing.
Pope Francis will visit Rome's Spanish Steps during national public holiday on 8 December.

On the feast of the Immaculate Conception on Saturday 8 December, Pope Francis will pay homage to the Virgin Mary by making a pilgrimage to Piazza Mignanelli near the Spanish Steps at 16.00. In an annual tradition dating back to 1958, after kneeling in prayer the pope leaves a floral wreath which firemen then place on the statue of the Madonna in the square, in a ceremony usually attended by Rome's mayor.

Pope Francis greets the crowds at Piazza di Spagna

As well as being a Catholic holy day it is a national Italian holiday, meaning all public offices will be closed. However most shops remain open as the day is generally viewed as the official start of the Christmas shopping season.

The popes visit to the historic centre will result in a number of street closures and bus detours in the area around the Spanish Steps throughout the day.
PHARMACEUTICALS

FDA eyes ways to help people quit smoking

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that its considering measures to speed development of products that help people quit smoking, including easing requirements for approval of over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapies.

The agency said it is reevaluating and modernizing its approach to regulating such therapies, which are typically sold as gums, patches and lozenges. The new measures could enable e-cigarette companies to get the devices approved as medical products, which could open the possibility of being covered by health plans.

 Reuters

AIRLINE INDUSTRY

Schedule glitch leaves holiday pilot shortage

American Airlines is scrambling to find pilots to operate thousands of flights over the busy holiday period after experiencing a glitch in the system used to schedule crews.

A spokesman said Wednesday that American will pay overtime and use reserve pilots to avoid canceling flights. American didn't say how many flights are affected. The pilots union said about 15,000 flights were scheduled without a captain, a co-pilot or both.

American has about 15,000 active pilots and expects to operate more than 200,000 flights in December.

 Associated Press

Also in Business

At least two big Uber stakeholders have agreed to sell part of their private shares to a group led by Japanese technology conglomerate SoftBank in a deal that lets investors cash out at a discount and could bring stability to the troubled ride-hailing company. SoftBank said Wednesday that Benchmark Capital, Menlo Ventures and other investors have confirmed intent to sell shares in Uber. SoftBank's offer was expected to be based on a reduced valuation of Uber. The company had been valued at $68.5 billion in a previous stock sale. SoftBank and Dragoneer Investment Group want to buy at least 13.4 percent of Uber shares.

Facebook is pledging $50 million a year to match disaster-relief donations, part of a bevy of efforts for charitable causes the social media giant announced Wednesday. Facebook is also giving relief groups such as the Red Cross access to data on what users need and where they are. While Facebook users can already see pleas and offers for help during a crisis, relief groups will get a broader set of data.

T. Boone Pickens, the famed oil field wildcatter, financier and corporate raider, said Wednesday that he wants to sell his Mesa Vista Ranch, covering more than 100 square miles in the Texas Panhandle, for $250 million. Pickens in October put his Dallas mansion on the market for $5.9 million. Pickens, 89, has had health concerns, including a series of strokes.

 From news reports

Coming today

8:30 a.m.: Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims.

8:30 a.m.: Commerce Department releases personal income and spending for October.

10 a.m.: Freddie Mac releases weekly mortgage rates.


James Franco stars as mysterious mastermind of sorts) Tommy Wiseau in The Disaster Artist, a sunny comedy about a misbegotten fruit of moviemaking, The Room. (Justina Mintz/A24) )

Staff writer

Into this season of the Serious Movie, when every other film seems to speak to the troubled times in which we actually live, the fact-based, yet farcical "The Disaster Artist" blows like a fresh breeze, throwing open a window through which we may escape, briefly, from ugly reality. Inspired by the making of the movie "The Room"  a labor of cinematic ineptitude that has been called "the 'Citizen Kane' of bad movies"  this sweet, affectionate (and unapologetically slight) comedy is an all-too-rare homage to harmless, hilarious incompetence, at a time when there is plenty of the more hurtful kind to go around. If it isn't quite up to the standards of "Ed Wood," Tim Burton's 1994 tribute to the auteur of such misbegotten fruits of moviemaking as "Plan 9 From Outer Space," it is nonetheless a much-needed distraction.

For those who dont know, The Room was the brainchild (for lack of a better word) of one Tommy Wiseau, a mysterious nobody who wrote, directed, produced and starred in the 2003 vanity project, a box-office dud that has gone on to become a staple of raucous, sold-out midnight screenings. The plot of Wiseaus movie, to the extent that there is one, concerns nothing more complex than a love triangle. Its hallmarks are wooden performance, bad dialogue, perplexingly random characters and plot points that go nowhere, and protracted, awkward sex, among other flaws.

In The Disaster Artist, James Franco also wears multiple hats, directing, producing and starring as the real-life Tommy, whom he impersonates marvelously, beneath a long, jet-black wig and dark, wraparound glasses, rendering his alter egos amusingly unidentifiable accent and slightly demented laugh with poker-faced glee. (Tommy routinely tells people hes from New Orleans, although Eastern Europe is probably closer to the truth.) Other characters are rendered less convincingly than their real-life counterparts, with an assortment of fake-looking dye jobs, wigs and facial hair that make the cast of The Disaster Artist seem, incongruously, less real than the characters in The Room.



Dave Franco and James Franco. (Justina Mintz/ A24) )

Like the book on which it's based, a memoir by Wiseau's "The Room" co-star Greg Sestero and writer Tom Bissell, the events of "The Disaster Artist" unfold not from Tommy's point of view, but from the perspective of Greg (Dave Franco), an aspiring 19-year-old actor who meets the 40-something Tommy in a San Francisco theater class. When the two untalented hacks commiserate about their lack of opportunities, Tommy suggests moving to Los Angeles, where they end up making their own movie, financed, reportedly, by $6 million of Tommy's money (although where that cash comes from is a mystery, like almost everything else about Wiseau). The screenplay, by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, contains the vague but unmistakable suggestion that Tommy is a little bit in love with Greg, although their friendship  which frames the narrative and does much to humanize Tommy  remains platonic.

Frustratingly, this predatory aspect of their relationship is mostly ignored, in a sunny tale that is packed with laughs (albeit fewer than youll find at an actual screening of The Room, where people throw things at the screen and shout the dialogues quips on cue, a la The Rocky Horror Picture Show). Seeing The Room beforehand isnt a prerequisite. Franco slavishly duplicates many of the, er, best moments from the 2003 film, and theyre good fun, even for newbies. The cast includes, in small roles, such comic actors as Seth Rogan, Megan Mullally, Jason Mantzoukas, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Paul Sheer, Nathan Fielder and Zac Efron.

But theres a Tommy Wiseau-shaped hole at the center of this project, despite Neustadter and Webers efforts to render Tommy as sympathetic, if not entirely comprehensible, either syntactically or psychologically. In interviews, the real Wiseau comes across as maddeningly evasive and opportunistic. If Francos Tommy is a cipher, so is the man hes portraying.

This void spoils some of the giddy fun of The Disaster Artist. Although the film is intended more as a love letter than an expose, there are nagging questions that some viewers might wish to see addressed but probably never will. (Wiseau has fought to prevent the release of an unflattering documentary portrait called A Room Full of Spoons.)

Whos exploiting whom here, in a cultural transaction that has commodified dreck? Is Wiseau using Franco, or is it the other way around? And what about the relationship between Sestero and Wiseau, who are said to still speak on a daily basis? Is Wiseau, who seems to appreciate The Room only as a way to make more money, really in on the same joke as the audiences who have adopted him as a kind of aging-hipster mascot?

Its not that The Disaster Artist doesnt answer these questions. It doesnt even seem vaguely interested in asking them.

R. At area theaters. Contains coarse language throughout and some sexuality and nudity. 98 minutes.


Liv Ullmann's production of Ingmar Bergmans Private Confessions is at the Kennedy Center Dec. 6-9. (Erik Berg)

Ingmar Bergman was the master of angst, so "celebrate" may be the wrong word for the global 2018 centenary shaping up around the cinema giant's birth. But Liv Ullmann, star of such Bergman cornerstones as "Persona," "Cries and Whispers," "Scenes From a Marriage" and "Autumn Sonata," is thrilled to see so many of the Swedish writer-director's films being adapted for the stage.

 Autumn Sonata is being done as an opera in Finland, Ullmann says by phone from Key Largo, Fla., where she and her husband, Donald Saunders, share a home when theyre not in Boston or Norway.  Persona, there are performances in China and everywhere. Scenes From a Marriage, somewhere its two men. His words are so good. He always wanted to be best known as a writer, which he was not. He would have been happy, because the writer Ingmar Bergman will have more of a celebration.

Ullmann's contribution is a stage version of the film she directed in 1996, "Private Confessions," to be performed by the National Theater of Norway in the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater from Wednesday to Dec. 9. (The Kennedy Center's Bergman tribute continues in April with director Ivo van Hove's "Persona" and "After the Rehearsal.") Bergman's screenplay was based on his mother's infidelity; characteristically, it's a sequence of probing conversations laced with love and guilt, duty and sin as the mother confesses to her uncle, a priest.

The story is drawn from memory and diaries  Bergmans and his mothers. After the film came out, Ullmann even got access to letters by Bergmans father, which now inform the play.



Liv Ullmann was the muse of Swedish writer-director Ingmar Bergman, whose name came to define a genre of movies about the human condition. (Kjerand Nesvik)

"What happened in 'Private Confessions' that Ingmar could never have been witnessing, he's very open about that," says Ullmann, 78, who lived with Bergman for several years in the 1960s (they never married, but they had a daughter together). "He says, 'I wonder what she said?' I have not put myself in as a writer. I think we have to be very careful with biographies and things like this. I can only use his father's letters, his mother's secret diary, Ingmar's diary."

Reversing roles with Bergman by directing, the actress says, happened almost easily, because I had done some movies. And he was very good. He kept away, didnt come with advice, didnt want to see anything until it was finished. Ullmann recalls arguing over the ending. I probably cried a little. He actually gave in. Afterward he said, I like what you did. 

She asked Bergman, still vigorous at the time (he died in 2007), why he didn't direct the film himself. "He said, 'I don't believe in God, and you're the only one I know who believes in God.' He even liked it that I put more about God in the film."

True to its title, "Private Confessions" is a sequence of intimate conversations taking place in small interiors and on cozy park benches. The film, shot by longtime Bergman cinematographer Sven Nykvist, is filled with close-ups. Ullmann worried about translating that style to big stages from Norway to the Kennedy Center, where in 2009 she directed Cate Blanchett in "A Streetcar Named Desire" (and where "Private Confessions" will be performed in Norwegian, with projected English titles).

The stage, sometimes it can be clearer, she says. In a film you have the clarity that someone has a wonderful monologue, and you put the camera on that person. Here, there is someone listening who is as important.

Her roles in Bergmans pictures could be emotionally lacerating as characters peeled each other down to raw essences. But the hardest, Ullmann says, was when we lived together. Its the breakfast when you are angry at each other, and hes thinking of the movie and I was thinking of him. But what I liked the most with Ingmar was I could phone him after this talk with you, and say, You know what he asked me? I miss that.
Hours after Project Veritas published a highly edited version of an encounter between Post reporter Aaron Davis and James O'Keefe, the Post is releasing the full encounter. (Dalton Bennett/The Washington Post)

Hours after Project Veritas published a highly edited version of an encounter between Post reporter Aaron Davis and James O'Keefe, the Post is releasing the full encounter. (Dalton Bennett/The Washington Post)

Project Veritas, a conservative charity that uses deceptive techniques and undercover videos to expose what it calls dishonesty and corruption, is at risk of losing its ability to raise money in New York because it did not disclose that its founder had a criminal record, New York regulators said Thursday.

The organization has until Dec. 14 to explain why it failed to disclose James OKeefes 2010 criminal conviction on records submitted to the state, according to a letter the New York attorney general sent to the charity Wednesday.

If it does not provide an explanation, the letter states, Project Veritas could lose its ability to raise money in New York, a hotbed for charitable giving and the state where the group has its offices. It was not immediately clear how much of the groups fundraising could be affected.

Stephen Gordon, a Project Veritas spokesman, said in a statement: This is an intentional and malicious attempt to shut us down  but we will not be stopped! We attempt to comply not only with the letter of the law but also the spirit of the law in every state.

Gordon said media organizations, including The Washington Post, obtained a copy of the letter before Project Veritas did, and he called the letters release obviously politically motivated and orchestrated.

The letter is dated Wednesday, and The Post obtained it Thursday afternoon from a source. A spokeswoman for New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman declined to comment.

The letter came days after a Post report revealed that an operative tied to Project Veritas falsely claimed to two Post reporters that U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore impregnated her as a teenager. The Post did not publish a story based on her account, which collapsed under reporters scrutiny.

On Wednesday, The Post reported that the effort by Jaime Phillips to plant a false story about Moore was part of a months-long campaign to infiltrate The Post and other media outlets in Washington and New York.

New York is the latest state to raise concerns about the 2010 criminal conviction of OKeefe, the groups president. In late 2014 and early 2015, Utah and Mississippi stripped the charity of its ability to raise money in those states after learning that it had failed to disclose OKeefes conviction to regulators there.

OKeefe pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of entering a federal building under false pretenses in May 2010 after posing as a telephone repairman to gain entry to the office of U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.). He was sentenced to three years of probation.

Project Veritas was created in June of that year, and OKeefe is listed as the founder on documents the charity submitted to the Internal Revenue Service that same month.

When the group applied for a license to raise money in New York that December, it certified that none of its officers, directors or principal executives had been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, records show.

The attorney generals letter demands that Project Veritas explain why that certification is not a violation of a state law prohibiting false statements on an application for registration in the state.

State officials also flagged two other problems with the groups paperwork.

The group did not disclose that it was enjoined from fundraising in Mississippi and Utah, according to the letter. Charities are required to report any such changes to its status in other states.

Project Veritas has said in public documents that it had not intentionally misled officials in Mississippi and Utah.
A Himalayan brown bear is seen in Pakistan in this undated photo. Scientists who studied remains of supposed yetis have shown that the samples actually came from bears and a dog. (Abdullah Khan/SNOW LEOPARD FOUNDATION/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES)

Believers in yetis, hairy beasts said to dwell in the Himalayan mountains, just had a bit of disappointment. Scientists said Tuesday that genetic analysis of nine bone, tooth, skin, hair and poop samples that were thought to be yetis, were not from the legendary creatures. Eight came from Asian black bears, Himalayan brown bears or Tibetan brown bears and one came from a dog.

This strongly suggests that the yeti legend has a root in biological facts and that is has to do with bears that are living in the region today, said biologist Charlotte Lindqvist of the University at Buffalo in New York and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, who led the study published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Lindqvist called the study the most rigorous analysis to date of specimens that were said to come from yetis, also called the Abominable Snowman.

The researchers examined genetic material in structures within cells that was passed down from mothers, of samples from Tibet, India and Nepal as well as from black, brown and polar bear populations.

The yeti is a creature of folklore in the Himalayan region that has become a part of Western popular culture. It is separate from North Americas Sasquatch and Big Foot folklore.

I initially became involved in this study when I was contacted about a previous study that found two purported yeti samples to match genetically with an ancient, 120,000-year-old polar bear that I was doing research on, Lindqvist said.

But the data was very limited, and it made me suspicious about the speculation that the yeti legend represented some strange, hybrid bear roaming the Himalaya mountains. So, I agreed to follow up on this study with a more rigorous approach based on more genetic data from more purported yeti samples, Lindqvist added.

Lindqvist said the supposed yeti samples came from places including the Messner Mountain Museum in Italy and were gathered by British independent television production company Icon Films.

While no actual yeti was identified, the DNA research shed light on bear populations in the region.

The brown bears roaming the high altitudes of the Tibetan Plateau and those in the western Himalayan mountains appear to belong to two bear populations separated from each other for thousands of years, even though they lived fairly close, Lindqvist said.

Read more from KidsPost:

Scientists use narwhals to understand sea-level rise

National Zoos Redd is ambassador for endangered orangutans

Meet Matt Carrano, dinosaur hunter
The erupting Mount Agung on Indonesias island of Bali has spread drifting ash nearly five miles into the atmosphere. (Sonny Tumbelaka/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/Getty Images)

An erupting volcano with a deadly history on Indonesias island of Bali has spread drifting ash nearly five miles into the atmosphere and forced the islands international airport to close two days this week.

Authorities have told 100,000 people to leave an area extending six miles from Mount Agung as it belches gray and white ash plumes.

The volcanos last major eruption in 1963 killed about 1,100 people. Its unclear how bad the current eruption will get or how long it will last.

Nearly 40,000 people are staying in 225 shelters, according to the Disaster Mitigation Agency in Karangasem. But tens of thousands of villagers have remained in their homes because they feel safe or dont want to abandon their farms.

Flows of volcanic mud have been spotted on Agungs slopes, and more are possible because its the rainy season, said Richard Arculus, a volcano expert at Australian National University.

Theyre not making a lot of noise. Its just suddenly coming like a flash flood, he said. . . . You do not want to be near them.

 Associated Press

Read more from KidsPost:

See how Europes Mount Etna came to life earlier this year

Smithsonian geologist studies volcanoes off Alaskan coast

Volcanoes are among the sites at U.S. National Parks
Columnist

Wasnt it great when a disgruntled Twitter contractor, in what was presumably his or her final act on the job, deleted Donald Trumps account? Many people looked back with gratitude at the blessed 11 minutes of silence that ensued before the sedition was discovered and reversed. Me, I found myself looking ahead: What other emotionally satisfying, seditious final acts  coined byejinks by online commenter Brad Levy  could accompany ones last day on the job?

With a little help from some friends, I came up with a few:

Comcast employee: Call in to the boss, giving him a four-hour window during which he can expect you to show up for work, unless you wind up not coming in at all, in which case you can reschedule for tomorrow.

Magicians assistant: When you are being sawed in half, crawl out of your little half-box and explain that you got a nasty cramp squeezing in there.

ESL teacher: Teach your students the wrong word for common objects and expressions. Ex: Butter = butt. Where is the bathroom? = Please salivate on my shoes.



(Illustration by Eric Shansby)

Sausage-factory worker: Make a video of the process and post it online.

Electronics factory worker: Go to the roof of the building, drop 5,000 microphones off it, and walk away.

Starbucks barista: Write your resignation letter to the boss on the side of a cup. Spell his name wrong.

Stripper: Perform your last dance, start to finish, in a burqa.

Uber driver: Whatever their actual destinations, drop all your fares off at the local Uber headquarters.

Ballet dancer: In the middle of a performance of Swan Lake, start twerking.

Royal palace guard: Leave your post doing the Monty Python silly walk.

Gym worker: Set all scales heavy by five pounds.

IT worker: Rerecord the company voice mail. Your call is not very important to us. Please sit on your thumb and rotate.

Editor of the Second Glance find-the-differences feature in The Washington Post Magazine: Use two identical photos.

White House chef: Serve everyone at the table two scoops of ice cream, but only one for Trump.

Webmaster for the Social Security popular-baby-name database: Create a new top 10 for girls: Mabel, Myrtle, Mildred, Muriel, Bertha, Dorcas, Gertrude, Temperance, Hortense and Edeltraut.

Worker at an STD clinic (or a plastic surgeons office): Send a group farewell email to all your bosss clients. Include all of their names in the To field.

Supermarket clerk: Relabel expiration dates on all meats and produce to June 2015.

Wedding planner: Give DJ a list of requests from the bridezilla to play at the reception: Evil Woman, (Youre) Having My Baby, Gold Digger and If You Cant Be With the One You Love, Love the One Youre With.

Theater spotlight operator: Keep moving the light, forcing the performers to walk, then run, after it to stay in it.

Thanks for the ideas: Robert Schechter, Jennifer Broadway, Claire Keeler, Rachel Manteuffel, Bruce Alter, Bruce Niedt, Neil Versel, Rob Cohen, Mike Creveling, Stephen Litterst, Kathleen Giotta Delano and Mark Mironer.

For stories, features such as Date Lab, @Work Advice and more, visit WP Magazine.

Follow the Magazine on Twitter.

Like us on Facebook.

Email us at wpmagazine@washpost.com.


Gary Oldman stars as Winston Churchill in director Joe Wright's Darkest Hour. (Photo by Jack English/ Focus Features) )

Words, in the new movie Darkest Hour, are weapons.

Set roughly during the same time period as Dunkirk, between May and June 1940, the World War II drama takes place not on the beaches of northern France, where hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers were cornered by German troops, but in the backrooms of Englands war cabinet. It is there that the newly installed prime minister, Winston Churchill (played by Gary Oldman), struggles with how to rally Parliament and the British people for the coming Battle of Britain.

Oldman, who underwent a remarkable metamorphosis to play the iconic politician, is a front-runner for a best actor Oscar nomination. While in town recently for a preview screening of the new film, the 59-year-old British actor sat down with director Joe Wright, 45, to talk about the historical films surprisingly contemporary resonance.

Q: Gary, youre known for playing characters with the gift of gab. How does this role continue that tradition?

Oldman: One of the themes of the film was to show Churchill as a writer. Nowadays, it is somewhat unusual for anyone to write their own speeches. The genesis of the project was that [screenwriter] Anthony [McCarten] had this book on his shelf for many years, and he went to it one day, and it was one of those anthologies of the greatest speeches in the English language. Three of them, he discovered, were by Churchill, written in the space of four weeks.

Q: Joe, how did Churchill harness the power of words?

Wright: He generally used Anglo-Saxon words. They're shorter, more muscular, not particularly flowery or intellectual. But they hold great intellectual weight. These extraordinary blunt and vital words are so much a part of the British psyche.

Q: Youve spoken of film as a balance between dialogue and visuals. This movie shifts that balance markedly. Why?

Wright: I've made some films that were very much image based: "Anna Karenina" and "Pan," for instance. Here, I wanted to engage with the purest drama. It's interesting that both Chris Nolan and I seem to be interested in a return to a minimalist aesthetic. In a way, "Dunkirk" has no words in it, and ours has lots of them.

Q: The scene in which Churchill goes into the London Underground to assess the mood of the populace  its cinematic, but it never happened, did it?

Wright: No. He famously would go and talk to Londoners and meet them at their houses, especially during and after the Blitz. He would get quite dewy-eyed and have a little cry with them. One of the main narrative arcs for me in the film is the connection between Winston and the public. At the start of the film, as we see him driving through London, he is completely disconnected. Over the course of the movie, he comes into an intense union with the public, to the point where he is then able to speak their hearts.



Lily James, left, plays a secretary to Winston Churchill Gary Oldman). (Credit: Jack English / Focus Features) )

Q: Gary, much has been written about your physical and vocal transformation for this role. Did the prosthetic makeup and fat suit you had to wear help you to find the character, or were they a pain in the a--?

Oldman: They were far from a pain in the a--. First of all, you know what you're getting into. You have to surrender to shaving your head every morning. This was the year of surrendering to Winston. We had four weeks of rehearsal, on top of 50 days of shooting, which is unheard of. But before all of that happens, you work in isolation. I call it "kitchen acting." The countertop in the kitchen is higher than the table, and I like to put the script on it, and I glance down, walk around the house, come back, make a cup of tea. What I'm looking for is a physical sensation. I'm trying to find [imitating Churchill's lisping voice and pouting lower lip] that sound in my mouth. When everything was put together and I looked in the mirror after many makeup tests and we felt that we'd got him, I suddenly realized that I didn't have to do so much with the lip, because the makeup was doing it for me.

Q: Gary, you initially didnt want this part. In fact, you had turned down another Churchill film before this one, until you learned that makeup artist Kazuhiro Tsuji was on board. Joe, how else did you woo Gary?

Wright: Part of the courtship was making sure that we both felt safe and trusted each other. A lot of directors don't really like actors.

Oldman: If a director comes in and says, "I saw dailies last night. It's good. It's going to be a cracker." You float on air, but you have to have trust them.

Wright: Most actors hate the feeling of being handled.

Q: Lets talk about the films topicality. Joe, there was an interview with you with a headline that said Winston Churchill of Darkest Hour a rebuke to Trump.

Wright: I don't think I used those words.

Q: You did not. You called the film a rebuke to bigotry and hate and totalitarianism. Do you believe that period films are less about the time in which theyre set than the time in which theyre made?

Wright: I think that's very true.

Q: How do Dunkirk and Darkest Hour speak to our times?

Wright: I don't know, and I don't think it's my job to know. When I came on board this project in January 2016, the world was a very different place. It had zero topicality. Suddenly, the film had a kind prescience.

Q: In that same interview, you said that this film asks What does good leadership look like?

Wright: That's a really important question.

Q: Isnt it also asking What does good leadership sound like? Isnt it about something intangible?



Oldman: That's called statesmanship.

Q: In the age of Twitter, is statesmanship a dying art form?

Oldman: Yes. We've gone from Greek oratory to the emoji.



Gary Oldman, right, and Kristin Scott Thomas play Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine. (Credit: Jack English / Focus Features) )

Q: Theres a great line in the film, where Churchill says, apropos of Hitler, You cant reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth. Did he really say that?

Wright: I don't think he did. I'm telling tales, but there was a terrible script meeting where a studio executive brought in a little book of Churchill's greatest quotes, and said, "You've got to get this one in, and this one, and this one." I got quite angry and said, "Listen, that's exactly the antithesis of what we're trying to do." Soundbite-ism obscures our relationship to the character of Winston Churchill.

Q: Is Darkest Hour ultimately a war story, a political story or a personal story?

Wright: For me, everything else serves the personal. Yes, I find the history interesting  and, dare I say, educational  but what I really wanted to tell was a story about a character who doesn't fit in.

Q: Gary, your Churchill is a flawed hero. King George VI (Ben Mendelsohn) asks him, How do you manage drinking during the day, to which Churchill replies, Practice. What did you learn about this complex man?

Oldman: I'm still finding out things about him. His achievements over 50 years in politics are almost superhuman, but his bad habits raise the question: How drunk was he? If you have a bottle of wine at lunch, as I know from my old days, the afternoon is over, finished, done. I discovered that Winston Churchill is someone who hates, who loves, who's arrogant. He's all the things we are.

Q: Would you say that the film enlarges him, or reduces his stature as an icon?

Oldman: I think it's arguable that it does both. Joe actually puts him  that is, me  sitting on the toilet at one point. Does that make him less great, or just more human?

Darkest Hour (PG-13, 125 minutes). Opens Friday at area theaters.
Popular music critic

Our planet is on fire, so thank goodness Bono is here to smother the flames with a new collection of cross-stitched pillows that boldly declare, "It's children who teach," and "Free yourself to be yourself," and "When you think you're done, you've just begun." Yes, these are real lyrics from U2's 14th album, "Songs of Experience," which means rock-and-roll's most worldly sage now sounds like a Hallmark copywriter locked inside his doomsday bunker, waiting for the big blammo.

Songs of Experience was originally scheduled for release last year, but after the double-whammy of the Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump, U2 decided to retreat, reboot and retool its songs for the brave new world theyve always aspired to heal. A year later, Bono has come to the conclusion that we can solve the Earths most complicated problems with the simplest little thing. Love. Love! Its glorious stuff, that love, but does any sentient human being need to be reminded of its power or importance through another bundle of middling U2 songs? If so, this planet really is doomed.

But if you choose to spend the apocalypse in the company of this perversely optimistic rock album, youll hear love wafting through the entirety of it, sweet and oppressive, like Cinnabon at the airport. Love has got to fight for its own existence, Bono sings over the tepid pulse of Get Out of Your Own Way, positing a basic act of decency as a great act of courage.

Most of U2s failures as an activist rock group radiate outward from that idea. This is a band that would rather comfort its flock than mobilize it  something that felt most apparent at a U2 concert in Maryland last summer where Bono applauded the U.S. lawmakers in the audience for contributing to AIDS relief. If youre a U.S. taxpayer, youre an AIDS activist, he said to the non-senators in the house. You should be proud of that. Yes, AIDS relief remains a completely righteous cause, but the subtext of that moment still felt icky. The worlds powerful will rescue the worlds powerless, so sit back, relax, and just keep loving one another.

In these new songs, Bono is clearly trying to chisel away at the cynicism that has hardened our American hearts, but he needs to give us a teeny-tiny glint of anger if he expects us to believe that hes taking the collapse of civilization as seriously as the rest of us. Thats what made Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Years Day and Pride (In the Name of Love), and all of those other early U2 mega-anthems burst so beautifully  the breadth of Bonos voice communicated hope, but his latent anger signaled his sincerity. Now, hes chosen to outsource the anger. I know the rage in you is strong, he sings during Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way, calling on the young and furious to march alongside him in the love parade.

And where Bonos message sounds thin, the music sounds even thinner. For decades, U2 has proved itself capable of achieving a monumental sound with incredible economy, but here, Adam Claytons bass is on autopilot, Larry Mullen Jr.s rhythms have been recycled and the Edges guitar solos sound like theyre being played by one of those Nashville studio musicians who makes a living ripping him off. Rap virtuoso Kendrick Lamar and rock trio Haim show up for separate cameos, bringing youth and celebrity, but nothing to thicken the sound.

So its the end of the world as we know it, and U2 is making rock-and-roll out of particle board. Throw it on the fire and see what happens.


Duff Goldman and his two Smurf cakes at the world premiere of The Smurfs 2 in 2013. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Duff Goldman knows cake art.

Since launching Charm City Cakes in 2002, the Ace of Cakes star has sold tens of thousands of fantastical, towering tiers of goodness: President Obamas 2012 inauguration cake, a Hogwarts Harry Potter cake, a pair of Smurf cakes, even a life-size NASCAR cake.

By any conventional standard, Goldman is an artist when it comes to cake. And he's willing and able to make anything. Well, almost anything.

There was one time someone wanted something really obscene, says Goldman. They wanted their wedding cake to include a sex toy.

This posed a dilemma: Not a moral issue, per se, but one of good taste. I sat them down and said, Listen, its great you are who you are, but your grandma is going to be there,  he says. The couple reconsidered, and the cake displayed at the wedding reception was more romantic than raunchy. But if they had insisted, I would have made it for them, Goldman says.

Is Goldman really an artist? Or is he just a really good baker?

Thats the question of the moment in the world of cake decorating, thanks to the Masterpiece Cakeshop case coming to the Supreme Court next week.

In 2012, Charlie Craig and David Mullins walked into the small bakery in Lakewood, Colo., looking for a wedding cake. Owner Jack Phillips, by all accounts a very talented cake decorator, told the gay couple that he couldnt make it because it would violate his religious beliefs.

[The spurned couple, the baker, and the long wait for the Supreme Court]

The couple filed a complaint, and the Colorado Civil Rights Commission found that Phillips had discriminated based on sexual orientation. Now lawyers will argue whether Phillipss edible artistry is protected under the First Amendment  cakes as his form of free speech  or whether its just, well, cake.



An elaborate wedding cake featuring three-dimensional tulip decorations by Sylvia Weinstock. (Monika Graff/Getty Images)

Anyone who's spent any time around cake decorators or watched cake competitions on television knows the crazy amount of time, talent and detail that go into making some of these insanely creative confections. And the most spectacular are wedding cakes, the centerpiece of most bridal celebrations and the bread-and-butter, so to speak, of a thriving cake business.

Americans spent an average of $582 last year for a simple three-tiered wedding cake, but custom designer cakes by acclaimed decorators can be six-foot engineering marvels and run into thousands of dollars.

What separates the professionals from the amateurs is the dazzling designs. Cake legends such as Sylvia Weinstock or Ron Ben-Israel are renowned for their intricate sugar flowers  a single bloom can take an hour to produce. Washington decorator Maggie Austin handpaints her exquisite creations with food coloring. Goldman has created cakes in the shape of dogs, dragons, monsters and anything else you can imagine, replicating fur and glass in sugar and cake.



Ron Ben-Israel with a cake covered in his signature sugar flowers. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images for City Harvest)

As with any artists, their styles range from elegant to edgy to "how did they do that?" There's a global industry devoted to cake art  courses and schools, magazines, cake-decorating books and constantly evolving techniques and effects. Last year, brides went crazy for geode cakes, which had what looked like actual crystals cascading down the sides.

Rebekah Wilbur, managing editor of American Cake Decorating magazine and owner of a custom-cake business in Virginia, knows a lot of cake designers, including herself, who are "fiercely protective of the idea that they are artists," she says. "They are an artist first, and a cake designer or a baker second, because everything they do has their stamp on it." That original cake designs cannot be copyrighted is a source of real frustration for many decorators.

At the same time, many of these artists are also business owners and have strong feelings about turning away customers based on any personal beliefs.

We all share a common passion, but behind that are so many divisions  both political and religious, explains Wilbur, who says that the Masterpiece Cakeshop case has been very divisive in the industry.

This is one of those areas that thrusts the underbelly to the fore, she says, and were all forced to deal with how we feel about things and take a side.

And so the intersection of cake and art is complicated, to say the least.



Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips decorates a simple single-tier cake in his store in Lakewood, Colo., in 2014. (Brennan Linsley/AP)

Everyone in the industry  bakers, decorators, wedding planners and more  has been following the case, and a number of amicus curiae briefs have been submitted to the court, supporting either Phillips or the couple.

One influential brief, signed by 222 celebrity bakers and chefs (including Goldman, Georgetown Cupcakes Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Berman, Momofukus Christina Tosi, Jose Andres, Anthony Bourdain, Tom Colicchio, Carla Hall and Padma Lakshmi) maintains that no food, not even dishes prepared by a three-star chef, is art or protected by the First Amendment.

[Washington bakers support gay marriage as a Supreme Court case looms]

Goldman, maybe the most famous cake decorator in the country, wrote an essay in People magazine last month arguing that what he creates is not really art.

Its cake, he reasserts in a phone interview. I make art out of a cake, but at the end of the day its a cake. Its dessert.

Washington cake artist B. Keith Ryder made custom cakes for 17 years, including birthday cakes for Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia. (Hers was black with lace trim, his had camouflage and a duck decoy.) As a past president of the International Cake Exploration Societe, he knows the most talented cake decorators in the United States  and yes, some of them are real divas. But artists?

Its a hard question, he acknowledges. The case has forced decorators to think about their craft in ways they never did before.

My feeling is that there is a lot of artistry and artisanship that goes into making custom cakes, but Im not sure that qualifies the final product as a piece of art, Ryder says. In the end, its still a commodity whose primary purpose is to be eaten.

Other bakers disagree; a group of decorators in the South filed a brief supporting neither side but asserting that cake artists deserve as much protection for their work as artists using more traditional media.

The Trump administration, meanwhile, filed a brief in support of Phillips, saying that what the baker creates is art, and that art sends a message.

Just as a painter does more than simply apply paint to a canvas, a baker of a custom wedding cake does more than simply mix together eggs, flour, and sugar: Both apply their artistic talents and viewpoints to the endeavor, reads the brief. And anyone at the wedding, argues the Justice Department, could easily assume that Phillips approves of the union by agreeing to make the cake.

[The mouth-watering amicus brief that fancy cake designers sent the Supreme Court]

The arguments for both sides extend far beyond the cake world. A ruling in favor of Masterpiece Cakeshop, say Phillipss supporters, would allow business owners to freely exercise their religious beliefs in the workplace. Critics claim that a ruling for the baker would open the door for any business  jewelers, florists, wedding photographers, etc.  to refuse service to gay couples and others, regardless of preexisting discrimination laws.

And then there are decorators who dont want anything to do with the debate for fear of alienating potential customers. They just want to sell cakes.



Duff Goldman, right, with his NASCAR cake. Yes, the car is a cake.)

No baker, of course, can be forced to create anything a customer requests. Phillips says that he "honors God" with his cakes and doesn't sell any with alcohol, with a Halloween theme, or celebrating divorce.

And thats okay, says Human Rights Campaign Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. As long as Jack is refusing to provide a service to anyone who walks through the door, thats fine, she says. Thats part of his artistic control over the products he makes.

So any baker can refuse to make an erotic cake for a bachelorette party, or one with offensive symbols  say, a swastika  as long as he or she doesnt sell them to any other customer.

Phillips, however, was selling wedding cakes to opposite-sex couples but not same-sex couples, which the state said violates public accommodation laws that prevent discrimination based on gender, race, religion and sexual orientation. Colorado officials gave Phillips a choice: treat all requests for wedding cakes equally, or stop selling them entirely.

Phillips decided to stop making custom wedding cakes, which he says cut his business by 40 percent. The case wound its way through state and federal courts, and the Supreme Court agreed to hear it in June.

Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission will be argued on Tuesday. The chambers are likely to be packed, and yes, it's a good bet that someone will show up with a cake for the occasion.
Columnist

If it seems as if airlines are getting away with more passenger-unfriendly behavior, maybe its because they are.

The Aviation Consumer Protection Division of the Department of Transportation (DOT), which is responsible for enforcing federal consumer-protection regulations, is on track to punish significantly fewer airlines this year, issuing 18 consent orders for $3.1 million in civil penalties. By comparison, the DOT had 29 orders worth $6.4 million for 2016, which included a $1.6 million fine against American Airlines for violating its tarmac delay rules handed down in mid-December. Barring a last-minute flurry of penalties, 2017 will be a much quieter year for the department.

While the government undertook several important enforcement actions, critics say the department could have done more and acted faster to help consumers. And, in the long term, hands-off regulators may embolden airlines to bend or break the few existing consumer protection regulations for airline passengers.

The DOT fines are important because, thanks to federal preemption, airlines are protected from enforcement actions by individual states. You can only sue an airline in federal court or small-claims court. The Aviation Consumer Protection Division is often passengers first, last and only hope for resolving problems.

The DOT cant effectively protect consumers from unlawful airline conduct, says Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, a group that advocates for corporate-travel managers and their employees. Mitchell says Congress must restore the right of consumers and state attorneys general to sue airlines for unfair or deceptive practices, or unfair methods of competition. Only then will airlines cease trampling upon consumers rights and interests, he says.

Still, some notable enforcement actions happened in 2017. They include:

A $1.5 million fine against Frontier Airlines for leaving passengers stranded on planes in a snowstorm in Denver late last year.

A $400,000 fine, also against Frontier, for violating the DOTs rules on denied boarding, oversales and passengers with disabilities.

A $250,000 penalty against American Airlines for failing to process timely refunds

Agency critics say that while the enforcement actions are laudable on one level, they are lacking on another. Perhaps the most glaring oversight: failing to punish United Airlines for its role in the David Dao incident. The airline summoned law-enforcement officers to have the physician hauled off a flight from Chicago to Louisville in April, an incident captured on video and widely shared. Although the Chicago Department of Aviation fired two officers involved in the incident, the DOT declined to take action.

I think thats the biggest omission, by far, says Kendall Creighton, a spokeswoman for FlyersRights.org, a passenger advocacy group. Fining United would have sent a strong message to airlines that dragging passengers off a plane is unacceptable. Instead, the DOT declined to take action, according to documents obtained by the organization under the Freedom of Information Act.

The Department of Transportations investigation focused on those practices which were under our jurisdiction, says Blane Workie, assistant general counsel for Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings at the DOT. Specifically, whether United Airlines complied with the departments oversales rule and federal anti-discrimination statutes enforced by the department. The department did not review the actions of the security officers of the Chicago Department of Aviation because it is not DOTs role to investigate police conduct.

Creighton disagrees. For the Department of Transportation to conclude that United Airlines conduct did not warrant an enforcement action is a dereliction of duty, she says.

Harvard Business School economics professor Ben Edelman, whose complaints to the DOT led to two enforcement actions this year, says the department is moving too slowly on consumer grievances. Indeed, many of the departments biggest enforcement actions are several years in the making.

Our goal is to resolve all consumer complaints as efficiently and expeditiously as possible, says Workie. Some formal complaints, because of the complexity of the issues raised, do take a long time to resolve. She notes that enforcement isnt the departments only task. During the past year, the office had a lead role in developing new regulations to protect air travelers, received and responded to more than 57,000 informal complaints about airline service, and assisted consumers directly.

Indeed, some say that the DOT deserves to be commended for doing a good job balancing the needs of consumers with the challenges of running an airline. The fines work to keep things in balance between the flying community and the airlines, says Dan Markin, a pilot, frequent traveler and corporate-leadership consultant from Charlotte. Do nothing and the infractions will get worse; fine too much and rising costs will be passed onto the customer, and passengers will decrease.

Consumer advocates argue that the fines are too low to be effective deterrents to the highly profitable airline industry. Edelman did the math on the DOTs penalties this year, comparing the value of the fines to the industrys revenue. He found that they would be the rough equivalent of writing a speeding ticket for 35 cents. Its pocket change, he says.

The long-term effects of a laissez-faire DOT are even more troubling. If it continues on this course, passengers could soon find themselves with nowhere to go when they have a legitimate complaint about a flight.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that Aer Lingus flights from Washington Dulles to Paris are nonstop. The flight has a connection.

In honor of the royal engagement, Trafalgar is offering 10 percent off two of its London tours. (Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

This weeks best travel bargains around the globe.

Land

In honor of the royal engagement, Trafalgar is taking 10 percent off two of its London tours. The eight-day London Explorer, which visits London, Windsor and Oxford, starts at $2,385 per person double; the nine-day Delights of London and Paris starts at $2,605. Both trips include premium accommodations, multiple meals, transportation and taxes. As a bonus, the tour operator will throw in afternoon tea for two (valued at $136) at the Milestone, a five-star hotel across from Kensington Palace. Book by Dec. 11. Several departures in 2018. Info: 866-513-1995, trafalgar.com/usa.

Visit Santa Barbara has teamed up with several of the California area's hotels to offer deals on travel through March 31. With the Revive and Thrive offer, get at least 20 percent off at 17 hotels and resorts. For example, book a Friday and Saturday night at Hotel Santa Barbara and receive Sunday night free; three nights in early March costs $500, including taxes, a savings of $199. With the deal, guests also receive the Miss Nothing Experience Kit, which includes five tokens good for discounts at 21 wineries, restaurants, retailers, tour providers and attractions. Blackout dates and other restrictions vary. Info: 805-966-9222, santabarbaraca.com/revive-sb.

Sea

Save $500 on select barge cruises in Europe with CroisiEurope Cruises. For example, the seven-day Provence on the Canal du Rhone trip, which sails from Sete to Arles, France, starts at $2,738 per person double. Depart April 13. Price includes meals, drinks, excursions, WiFi and taxes. Book by Dec. 31. Info: 800-768-7232, croisieuroperivercruises.com.

Windstar Cruises is offering shipboard credits on sailings of at least 14 nights. Get $400 per passenger for 14 to 21 nights, $600 for 22 to 29 nights and $1,000 for 30 nights or more. Prices vary. For example, the 16-night Aleutians & North Pacific Crossing, which departs Sept. 10, 2018, and sails from Alaska to Tokyo, starts at $2,597 per person double, including port charges and fees. The $400 credit applies. Book by Dec. 15. Info: 866-273-0961, windstarcruises.com/unexpected.

Air

Icelandair has a sale fare to several European destinations, including Brussels, London, Oslo and Glasgow, Scotland. Round-trip airfare from New York's JFK or Newark to Helsinki starts at $323; fare to Berlin starts at $395, including taxes. Book by Sunday; travel Jan. 7-March 27 (restrictions may vary per city). Other airlines are charging twice as much. Info: icelandair.us/special-offer.

Aer Lingus has extended its sale on fares from Washington to Europe. For example, flights from Washington Dulles to Paris start at $566 round trip, including taxes; other airlines are matching. Travel Jan. 8-March 31; blackout dates apply. Saturday-night stay required. Book by 7 p.m. Dec. 19 at aerlingus.com.

Package

The 10-night Amazing Vietnam tour with World Spree Travel now starts at $1,799 per person double. The tour includes air from Washington to Hanoi, with return from Ho Chi Minh City; flights from Hanoi to Danang and from Hue to Ho Chi Minh City; nine nights' lodging in Hanoi, Hoi An, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City; daily breakfasts and one dinner; overnight cruise on Halong Bay with three meals; land transportation; several tours; airport transfers; and taxes. Cheapest price applies to the Sept. 9 and Sept. 16 departures. Booked separately, the trip costs about $2,280. Info: 866-652-5656, worldspree.com.

Carol Sottili, Andrea Sachs

Prices were verified at press time Thursday, but deals sell out and availability is not guaranteed. Some restrictions may apply.


From left, Keegan-Michael Key, Jeremy Shamos, Amy Schumer and Laura Benanti in Steve Martins Meteor Shower on Broadway. (Matthew Murphy)

Theater critic

With one toe dipped uncertainly in sketch comedy and another in theater of the absurd, Steve Martin's "Meteor Shower" comes across as oddly, even merrily, flat-footed. Big-time comedians Amy Schumer and Keegan-Michael Key make their Broadway debuts in this lightweight affair, one in which they and co-stars Laura Benanti and Jeremy Shamos do at least manage to give a convincing impression of having a swell old time.

Oh, some cute bits crop up that are tailor-made for Schumers brand of socially awkward comedy, and Benanti proves herself dazzlingly right for the role of an inscrutable mischief-maker. As for Meteor Shower itself, which had its official opening Wednesday night at Broadways Booth Theatre, well, its just a weird concoction. Martin is determined in this hour-and-15-minute show to keep us guessing as to where its going. The more pressing issue is, youre never really sure where its coming from, either.

The subject is marriage, and a bond tested on an evening in 1993 when the sky is illuminated with a magical rain of celestial objects, and the California home of a milquetoast pair, Schumers Corky and Shamoss Norm, is visited by an eccentrically charismatic couple, Keys loud-talker Gerald and Benantis uninhibited Laura. Theyve arrived, apparently, with the sole intention of throwing curveballs at their hosts, as when Gerald turns back Corkys invitation to learn more about a topic with the overly snarky retort: If you dont mind, Id rather not. Ive got a built-in boredom detector.

The strangeness is trotted out with no foundation; in this sense, Meteor Shower is built like a skit on Saturday Night Live, Martins own longtime proving ground. You can envision the recurring gag: When cast members Key and Benanti knock on the door, a studio audience breaks out into knowing giggles. Yes, time for another installment of The Uncomfortables, those outrageous menaces who come for drinks and stay to drive you bonkers! On the night I attended, there was an even surer indication of our being in celebrity-indulgent SNL territory: Compelled at one point to curl up and snuggle on a lounge chair, Schumer and Benanti broke character and cracked themselves up.



Amy Schumer, in her Broadway debut, plays uptight Corky. (Matthew Murphy)

Martin is no stranger to theater. His play "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" was produced off-Broadway in the mid-90s, and his musical with Edie Brickell, "Bright Star," had a short-lived Broadway engagement last year. Like both of those efforts, "Meteor Shower" feels a bit fraudulent, the work of an artist who is sort of patterning off someone else's easel and can't quite get it right. With a surfeit of gimmicks under the command of overtaxed director Jerry Zaks  a stop-and-restart plot, a vague supernatural overlay, a set by Beowulf Boritt that needlessly rotates every seven minutes  you're continually put in mind of a better mastery of surrealism by any one of a range of other dramatists, from Thornton Wilder to Will Eno.

The plot mechanics are so flimsy that you have to conclude at times that the playwright is having us on: Before we learn the truth about Gerald and Laura, for example, Norm and Corky receive a call from an acquaintance, who briefs them fully on the diabolical rationale for the evening. And if that isnt plain enough, well, Gerald and Laura eventually explain to us exactly who they are, just so its clear to every single person paying up to $350 for a seat to this undercooked event.

Schumer is game enough, though clearly not excessively challenged by playing uptight Corky, who, like the others, isnt so much a character as a construct. Shes got presence to spare and looks at ease sharing a stage with theater pros like Benanti and Shamos. Key, on the other hand, seems totally at sea. He declaims his lines in a booming voice, as if hes in a parody of Macbeth. As with much else that occurs in Meteor Shower, the performance seems to emanate from some other distant planet.

Meteor Shower, by Steve Martin. Directed by Jerry Zaks. Costumes, Ann Roth; lighting, Natasha Katz; sound, Fitz Patton; production stage manager, J. Jason Daunter. About 75 minutes. Tickets: $59-$350. At the Booth Theatre, 222 W. 45th St., New York. Visit telecharge.com or call 212-239-6200.
A vehicle plows into a group of protesters marching along 4th Street NE in Charlottesville on the day of the Unite the Right rally on Saturday, August 12, 2017. (Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress)

Jason Kessler, organizer of the August white supremacist and neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville that led to violent clashes and the deaths of a counterprotester and two Virginia state troopers, announced Wednesday he is seeking a permit to hold an anniversary rally at the same park on Aug. 11 and 12 of next year.

Kessler posted an image on his blog of the permit request. Under the Event Purpose section, he wrote: Rally against government civil rights abuse and failure to follow security plans for political dissidents. We are opposing any changes to Lee (Emancipation) Park and memorializing the sacrifices made by political dissidents in Lee Park August 12, 2017.

Miriam Dickler, spokeswoman for the city of Charlottesville, said the city received the request Monday and it is under review. Kessler, and other white nationalist leaders, are facing two lawsuits by Charlottesville residents, business leaders and elected officials that aim to prevent them from holding an event that would lead to a repeat of violence.

[Charlottesville officials join Va. lawsuit to bar activity by private military groups]

In a lengthy blog post, Kessler says he expects the city to reject his permit, and that he and his lawyers are prepared to fight back.

My attorneys will not allow government actors to do any secretive shenanigans to screw us over, he wrote.

Kessler organized the Unite the Right rally earlier this year as a response to a decision by Charlottesville to rename Lee Park as Emancipation Park and to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from the park.

Hundreds of white nationalists and white supremacists from all over the country descended on Charlottesville for a torchlight march through the University of Virginia campus the evening of Aug. 11 and a rally the following day. It turned out to be the largest public gathering of white supremacists in decades.

[How Charlottesville lost control amid deadly protest]

Scheduled to begin at noon, the rally was canceled by law enforcement before it began when large-scale brawls broke out between marchers and counterprotesters. Sporadic fighting continued through early afternoon. A little before 2 p.m., James Alex Fields, a 20-year-old Nazi sympathizer from Ohio, allegedly drove his Dodge Challenger into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing Heather Heyer, 32, and injuring 19 others.

The state troopers, who were monitoring the events, died when their helicopter crashed.

Hate came to our town today in a way that we had feared, but we had never really let ourselves imagine would, Maurice Jones, Charlottesvilles city manager, said that evening.

[One dead as car strikes crowds amid protests of white nationalist gathering in Charlottesville; two police die in helicopter crash]

A few days after the Charlottesville rally, Kessler posted a comment about Heyer on Twitter.

Heather Heyer was a fat disgusting Communist, Kessler tweeted. Communists have killed 94 million. Looks like it was payback time.

In October, Kessler was arrested after he allegedly shared online the home address of an anti-racism activist. He denied responsibility.

In his blog post Wednesday, Kessler said the ability to protest in public was essential and compared the United States to Poland, where 60,000 nationalists recently marched in a torch-lit procession that drew widespread condemnation from anti-fascist organizations around the world.

The United States is not Poland, where 60,000 nationalists can proudly march in the street, he wrote. In our country the proud Americans, the forgotten Americans, are intimidated into silence by the moral race panic of the elites.

Charlottesville is awaiting a review by former U.S. attorney Timothy Heaphy on how the city and its police force handled the Unite the Right Rally. The report is expected Monday.

Asked about Kesslers request for a new permit, Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer said in a statement: I believe public safety should be our paramount concern, with the benefit of the recommendations from the Heaphy report and upcoming advice from our counsel on how to reform our permitting for public events.
Three Supreme Court justices, four Civil War generals and Americas first female Marine are among those buried in Rock Creek Cemetery, Washingtons oldest burial ground.

Now, operators say the future of the nearly 300-year-old cemetery is threatened by skyrocketing water bills that surged from about $3,500 in 2008 to nearly $200,000 in 2016.

The bulk of Rock Creek Cemeterys bill  $144,184 in 2016  goes toward a fee to help the Districts independent water and sewage authority pay for a federally mandated project to clean up the Potomac and Anacostia rivers by 2030.

Its really dire, said Cecily Thorne, director of operations at St. Pauls Episcopal Church, Rock Creek Parish, which runs the cemetery. Were at a breaking point.

Thorne said she wants the District's long-polluted rivers to be cleaner. But she said the fee's current structure, which is based on a property's "impervious area"  hard surfaces that could cause storm water to run into sewers and storm drains  is particularly hard for cemeteries and other faith institutions, which have little disposable income. Faith institutions and most cemeteries are exempt from federal income tax and also do not pay local property taxes.

We want our city to have clean water, but we want to see it done in a way thats equitable, Thorne said. Roads, pathways, parking lots and mausoleums are counted as impervious surfaces in cemeteries, even though the green space around them absorbs much of storm water runoff, she said. The financial strain faced by cemeteries and places of worship was first reported by NBC-4.

Officials at D.C. Water say raising the $2.6 billion necessary to complete the project is a zero-sum game: If cemeteries start paying less, other residents, businesses or the city will have to pay more.

The federal government has provided D.C. Water relatively little funding for the project so far  $14 million of the $216 million D.C. Water spent in 2017, for example  which creates a funding gap that residential and commercial ratepayers must fill, officials said.

Per capita, this is a very heavy lift, said George Hawkins, chief executive and general manager of D.C. Water, during a meeting Tuesday with Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and the D.C. Council. There is no perfect answer as to how were going to raise this much money.

He said fighting for federal dollars for the project is always a struggle and could be harder going under the Trump administration, although he added that the implications are still unclear.

D.C. Water is building two massive underground tunnels, which are 23 feet in diameter and reach as many as 15 stories below ground, to channel sewage overflow away from the Anacostia and Potomac rivers and into the Districts water treatment facility in Southwest Washington, Hawkins said.

Once the project is completed, officials estimate that overflows in the District will be reduced by 96 percent, with a 98 percent reduction in wastewater flow to the Anacostia River.

The project, which is about halfway completed, will make an absolutely measurable difference in the quality of the citys waterways, especially the slow-moving Anacostia, where trash and raw sewage can collect, Hawkins said.

[Opinion: End D.C.s rain tax on the poor and the dead]

Overflows in the Districts nearly 150-year-old sewer system, which handles both sewage and storm water, are common during heavy rainfall and end up in the citys rivers, Hawkins said.

In 2005, D.C. Water signed a consent decree with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Justice Department and the D.C. government that required the utility to address the water pollution.

Nearly 800 cities nationwide are implementing similar programs to eliminate overflows, but because of its relatively small number of water ratepayers, the D.C. project has the nations highest per capita cost, according to D.C. Water.

The surcharge for the water project has increased since it first appeared on water bills in 2009 when construction began, and D.C. Water officials expect that it will continue to increase in the years ahead to cover construction costs.

Thorne said that if the fees continue to mount, they will eat away at the cemeterys budget of less than $1 million a year. She said she does not know how long it will be able to remain open.

Something needs to be done immediately, she said. We have a very important obligation to those who are interred here.

Congressional Cemetery in Southeast Washington is an example of what happens when cemeteries close, she said. In the late 1970s, the historic cemetery on the west bank of the Anacostia River fell into disrepair and became a haven for drug dealers and crime, said the cemeterys president, Paul Williams. Millions of dollars and countless hours of volunteer work have led to the restoration of the cemetery, but the increasing water fee again threatens its future, Williams said.

[Opinion: Why D.C. Waters impervious area charge is important]

When he started working at Congressional Cemetery in 2012, Williams said the annual water bill was about $300. Today, the bill has increased tenfold, and operators are drawing from the fund usually reserved for preservation efforts to pay it, he said.

D.C. Council member Brandon T. Todd (D-Ward 4) introduced a bill Nov. 7 to fully exempt the citys 18 cemeteries, including Rock Creek and Congressional, from the fee.

The council will also consider folding in Todds bill with a broader plan to subsidize some nonprofit organizations, including churches, synagogues and mosques, that are unable to pay the rising fees, said council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), who chairs the councils committee on transportation and the environment. D.C. Water has three classes of customers  residential, multifamily and commercial  and does not have different rates for nonprofit organizations.

Cheh said she wouldnt feel comfortable limiting the subsidy to faith-based institutions and added that the council would consider which organizations may qualify for a possible subsidy based on neutral criteria such as the groups size.

Hawkins said the compelling stories he has recently heard from cemetery operators and faith-based institutions have led D.C. Waters board to consider reevaluating how the fee is calculated.

As the council explores a potential legislative solution, Hawkins said the D.C. Water board will consider whether properties with the same amount of hard surface but comparatively more green space  such as cemeteries  should pay a lower fee.

The challenge, Cheh and Hawkins said, is ensuring that any change to the current system does not alter the fee system in a way that it comes to resembles a tax. When the fee began appearing on water bills, Hawkins said the federal government said it would not pay the charge because the federal government is exempt from local taxes. The government ultimately reversed its position after the District successfully argued that the surcharge is a fee for service, and not a tax, he said.

About 30 percent of impervious surfaces in the District are owned by the federal government, so the worst thing for any of us would be if the federal government stopped paying the fee, Hawkins said. It would be such a huge hole in our budget that its hard to imagine, he said.
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser launched an investigation Wednesday into allegations that some students who were chronically absent and others who could scarcely read and write were allowed to graduate from Ballou Senior High School in Southeast Washington.

The D.C. Council also announced that following the accusations, it plans to hold a hearing to investigate graduation rates in the city.

At a midday news conference, Bowser and D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson said they are taking the allegations seriously but stood by Ballou  a historically low-performing high school that has been touted for its seemingly rapid improvements in recent years  and its principal.

We think these are extremely important and concerning allegations, Wilson said. At this point, to be honest with you, I dont know what mistakes were made at Ballou.

The allegations surfaced in an article published Tuesday by WAMU and NPR that said that the school gave diplomas to seniors who did not meet graduation requirements and that administrators pressured teachers to pass students.

The article portrayed an environment of dysfunction at the high school, reporting that students were irresponsibly pushed toward graduation, which left them unprepared for college and the workforce.

Bowser and Wilson did not provide specifics of what the review will entail, but they indicated it would look at citywide graduation policies and whether teachers and leaders at Ballou adhered to graduation standards.

Bowser said there will be two investigations  one led by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education that will be completed within 45 days and the second spearheaded by two deputy chancellors, who will begin reviewing all D.C. schools starting immediately.

Wilson said he wants to determine how pervasive these issues are at Ballou.

According to Bowser, the citywide investigation will look into adherence to attendance and graduation policies throughout the District.

The review will explore whether the District should make [the policies] clearer for all parties involved  teachers, principals and parents  and more transparent.

The WAMU account marked a sharp departure from the laudatory headlines Ballou received earlier this year, when each of its 190 senior students, who are overwhelmingly black and from low-income backgrounds, applied to college and were accepted.

[Entire senior class at D.C.s Ballou High School applies to college.]

Bowser and Wilson did not challenge the conclusions of the WAMU article, although they said there are other indicators  including improved standardized test scores  suggesting that the school is successful.

Wilson said he had been impressed with Ballous principal, Yetunde Reeves, and her work during school visits and that he intends to keep her in her post.

The school posted a graduation rate of 64 percent in 2017, up from 50 percent in 2012. The school also showed steady improvement on its Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) scores, a standardized test.

Test scores from 2016 showed that 8 percent of students met or approached meeting standards in math and that 9 percent met or approached standards in English.

In 2017, those numbers increased to 10 percent in math and 22 percent in English.

Still, those results fell well below the average scores for the District, with 51 percent of students meeting or approaching meeting standards in math and 53 percent in English.

I personally believe Principal Reeves should be renewed based on my visits with the school, Wilson said. He added that he has no evidence that its true that students graduated unable to read or write.

[Graduation rates for D.C. Public Schools rise to record highs, again]

Low-performing schools, such as Anacostia and H.D. Woodson high schools, recorded impressive graduation gains in 2017. Anacostia had a 17 percent increase in its graduation rate between 2016 and 2017.

We will thoroughly review our policies related to attendance, graduation and credit recovery, Bowser said.

I have directed our Office of the State Superintendent of Education, which is our state education agency, to review those policies and compliance with those policies and turn around a report to us in the next 45 days.

Council member David Grosso (I-At Large), who chairs the D.C. Councils education committee, said the panel will hold a public oversight hearing Dec. 15.

I am deeply disappointed to hear reports alleging that students at Ballou High School were not eligible for graduation but still received a diploma, Grosso said in a statement.

If students are able to graduate school in light of chronic absenteeism and without producing the appropriate work product, then we are not fulfilling our mission to put them in the best position to succeed in life.

The WAMU-NPR report found that a majority of Ballous 2017 graduating class missed more than six weeks of school. D.C. school policy dictates that students will fail a class if they are absent 30 times.

Educators interviewed by WAMU said that teachers were pressured to pass students and that students were aware that expectations werent high for receiving a diploma.

The school system does not expect to rescind any diplomas, regardless of the outcome of the review, Wilson said.

The chancellor encouraged students and teachers who are concerned about the allegations to reach out to the school system. He also said no teacher should feel pressured to pass students and they should speak up if they do.

The grade that they give students, I do not expect it to be anything other than what they earn, Wilson said.

Thats extremely important.
A flier for the Ku Klux Klan was left on driveways in Washington, Va. The county sheriff says this is the first time the town has been targeted. (N/A)

Residents began noticing the little plastic bags Tuesday afternoon in Washington, Va. They carried bird seed  and a flier promoting racist and anti-Semitic messages.

The Rappahannock County sheriff received a call about 1 p.m. Tuesday from a woman who found one of the bags on her driveway. The message inside denounced Black Lives Matter and urged recipients to join the Ku Klux Klan. A flier found by another resident attacked Jews and their synagogues of Satan. Both fliers listed addresses and a phone number for the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, which is headquartered in Pelham, N.C., near the Virginia border.

I thought it was kind of bizarre, said Megan Smith, who found one of the bags in front of her house. Why are they just picking on Little Washington?

Washington, the county seat of 270-square-mile Rappahannock County, has just 150 or so residents but is known for The Inn at Little Washington, a Michelin star restaurant that attracts diners from all over the world.

Sheriff Connie Compton said law enforcement quickly canvassed the tiny town 70 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., and collected 50 to 60 similar plastic bags on the driveways of residences and businesses. This is the first time the community has been targeted, Compton said, but other nearby towns have been the subject of Klan recruiting this fall.

Similar Klan material delivered in bags turned up in Gore, Front Royal and Strasburg in September. More than two dozen such bags were delivered to homes in Winchester on Halloween night, the Winchester Star reported.

Chris Barker, 38, who describes himself as imperial wizard of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, said in an interview Tuesday that his group is responsible for the fliers in Washington, Va., and the other communities. He said the group has been recruiting members across Virginia and several other states, and in Canada. Last week, he attended a ceremony in Danville at which 12 new members were sworn in, he said.

White people are being discriminated against, and the Jewish-controlled media is trying to make us feel guilty, Barker said. Americans need to see there is another option. We are a civil rights organization for white people. We do not promote violence.

The Klan distills its tenets on one of the fliers encouraging people to join.

We are not a hate group or openly show hate, it reads. We are Christian-based and uphold the Bible.

In August, Barker threatened to burn a black Colombian journalist who met him at his home for an interview. During the interview with Ilia Calderon, an anchor for Univision, Barker referred to her by a racist epithet.

Are you going to chase me out of here? Calderon asked.

No, were going to burn you out, he replied.

When the reporter asked how Barker would burn out 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States, he answered, We killed 6 million Jews the last time. Eleven million is nothing.

Barkers offshoot of the Klan, which formed in 2011, made headlines in July when it protested the planned removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee from a park in Charlottesville.

About three dozen members turned out that day, many wearing Klan robes and most carrying sidearms. The rally was short-lived, as several hundred protesters drowned out the speakers, and the Klan members soon exited the park through a phalanx of local and state police. That event was followed a month later by the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, a gathering of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and Klan members that exploded into violence. A counterprotester was fatally struck by a car, and two police officers were killed when their helicopter crashed.

Although Barkers chapter has attracted attention this year, the Klan continues to be in decline because of infighting and competition from other white supremacist organizations that view the group as outdated and long past its prime, said Carla Hill, an investigator and expert on the Klan for the Anti-Defamation Leagues Center on Extremism.

The Loyal White Knights, Hill said, have turned to fliers as a way to generate publicity and compensate for their lack of membership. The group is responsible for 34 of the 71 flier incidents reported this year in 13 states, according to the ADLs tracking of extremist groups. Despite the recent efforts in Virginia and elsewhere, Hill doesnt see the downward trajectory of the Klans membership and influence changing.

The Klan persists, Hill said. Its the longest-standing terrorist organization in the United States. And the Loyal White Knights are actively distributing this material. But if you map where they do this, you can see that it is in clustered areas. This fliering is probably the work of a very limited number of individuals.

When communities respond by reporting and denouncing the Klans recruiting efforts, the message gets through, Hill said.

They are still out there spreading hateful rhetoric, she said, but they can see that theyre not accepted and appreciated by the vast majority of Americans, and then the activism wanes.

Compton, the Rappahannock sheriff, said so far, no witnesses have reported seeing the packages dropped off. The sheriff said she believes the bird seed was probably used to keep the fliers from blowing away.

While Compton thinks a littering charge is probably the most serious citation anyone could face, she said she is disturbed about the Klan announcing its presence in the county.

We dont have gangs here, and we dont need anything like this starting problems here, she said. We are a quiet, quaint little area. I guess somebody is just trying to get people to join the Ku Klux Klan, but we dont have these problems here and we dont want them.
Political leaders from across the state and Prince George's County packed a giant tent on the grounds of what was once the Capital Boulevard shopping center on Thursday to break ground on a long-awaited regional medical center that officials say will dramatically improve health care in the county.

The $543 million project waited years for approval from the state's health-care commission, in part because of concerns the hospital was too large, too expensive and unsustainable in a rapidly changing health-care market. The state and county are contributing more than $400 million to construct the 205-bed facility in Largo, which was cleared for construction 13 months ago.

The medical center is part of a broader vision articulated by county, state and University of Maryland Medical Services officials to attract patients and top physicians who for years have chosen better-performing hospitals in neighboring jurisdictions. It is supposed to become a high-quality, central medical hub for southern Maryland that will provide staffing and expertise for a system of clinics throughout the region.

Prince Georges County has some of the highest rates of chronic disease in the metropolitan area, and expanding health-care access has been a top priority of local government leaders.

I think about those who say please give us the best service. This is for them, said Prince Georges County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D), who attended the groundbreaking along with Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and members of Marylands congressional delegation.

County political leaders pushed for a deal between Dimensions, the private nonprofit that operated the county government's medical facilities, and UMMS to replace the Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly. Legislators fought for state subsidies to keep the project alive while it made its way through the regulatory process.

Hogan, who at times sparred with Democrats over funding for the hospital, said he has been a supporter of the project since Day One despite those spirited negotiations.

For decades, the citizens of Prince Georges County have not had the level of high-quality patient care that they deserve, said Hogan, who grew up in the county and lived most of his life there. Pushing to get this hospital built has been a mission that is very personal to me.

While they awaited approvals, University of Maryland physicians worked to improve care at the Cheverly facility, rebuilding the cardiac surgery unit and earning high marks for quality. UMMS plans to transfer the program to the regional medical center after it opens in March 2021.

The 26-acre teaching hospital is also slated to include a cancer center, a self-contained pediatric hospital, a stroke center and programs in neuroscience, womens health and orthopedic medicine.

We will bring all the resources of our large health system, as well as our world-renowned medical school to the county, said UMMS President and CEO Robert A. Chrencik, who runs a network of 14 hospitals.

The hospital's construction is expected to generate thousands of short and long-term jobs and trigger development in the Largo area, where Baker plans to relocate government offices.

In the months leading to the groundbreaking, a handful of hotels have sprung up, apartment buildings were constructed and leasing increased in nearby office buildings.
Marylands debate over paid sick leave has devolved into a series of accusations and counteraccusations between Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and Democratic legislative leaders.

When Hogan unveiled his latest sick-leave proposal at a Tuesday news conference, he devoted much of his time to criticizing the legislature for the sick-leave bill it passed early this year, which the governor vetoed. Hogan described that bill as overly intrusive and burdensome to small businesses. He also accused top Democrats of spurning invitations to negotiate a compromise plan.

Democratic leaders, in turn, issued a lengthy statement on Wednesday saying the governors claims of outreach were false. The lawmakers, including Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert), House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel), Senate Finance Committee Chair Thomas M. Middleton (D-Charles) and House Economic Matters Committee Chair Dereck Davis (D-Prince Georges), said the governor never reached out to Democrats to negotiate an agreement, but rather developed his latest plan in closed meetings with business groups and members of his administration.

Their statement can be viewed here.

Hogans spokesman, Doug Mayer, says there was outreach, including a letter from Marylands labor secretary in June inviting lawmakers to recommend stakeholders who could provide input to Hogans task force, and attempts during the last legislative session to find common ground.

But Marylanders could care less about what happened last year, Mayer said. They care about whats going to happen now.

Indeed, the decisive battle will come when the legislature reconvenes in January and Democrats vote on whether to override Hogan's veto and enact their preferred sick-leave bill, which would affect more businesses more quickly than what the governor is proposing, without tax credits to offset the impact. The measure passed the majority-Democratic legislature with exactly the number of Senate votes needed for an override, and with two votes to spare in the House.
The chairmanship of the Montgomery County Republican Central Committee changed hands this week after an election that centered around who could best to position the party to win seats in next years local and state elections.

Mark Uncapher, who served as chairman from 2008 to 2013, narrowly unseated Dick Jurgena, who took over in February. The vote among central committee members was 24-22.

Crediting Jurgena with being extremely well intentioned, Uncapher said he would prioritize getting Republican candidates on the ticket in all county council and state legislative races and recruiting precinct chairs in each district.

It is really about focusing the county organization to provide an effective campaign infrastructure for our candidates in 2018, Uncapher said.

Jurgena did not immediately return request for comment.

Republicans have rarely been elected to public office in Montgomery, a liberal stronghold where Democrats outnumber Republicans more than 3 to 1. No Republican has been elected to the County Council since 2002.

Still, with four term-limited council members vacating their seats, and the chance for candidates to use a new public financing system, Republicans in Montgomery are looking to 2018 as their chance to crack Democrats' total control.

Three Republicans have filed to run for County Council seats  Richard Banach in District 1, and Ed Amatetti and Tom Ferleman in District 2. There are six Democrats running for county executive and only one Republican, Robin Ficker, a former state delegate who has run for office more than a dozen times. More than two dozen Democrats have filed for four at-large council seats alone.

At least four Republicans and five Democrats are running to succeed Rep. John Delaney (D) in Maryland's 6th Congressional District, which includes some of Montgomery and all of western Maryland.

Uncapher said Republican candidates campaigning over the next year will have to focus on door-to-door contact with voters, rather than rely on advertising or television. He previously expressed frustration that there are still a number of races in which a Republican has not yet filed, saying earlier this month that Jurgena did not prioritize the nuts and bolts of the party, which includes candidate recruitment.

It left us a little weaker than we may otherwise have been, Uncapher said Thursday.
Obituaries of residents from the District, Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Lance Swann, government relations executive

Lance Swann, 78, who retired in 2009 as vice president for government relations for Computer Sciences Corp. in Falls Church, Va., died Sept. 29 at a hospice center in the District. The cause was prostate cancer, said his wife, Elaine Dauphin.

Mr. Swann, a resident of Chevy Chase, Md., was born in Canton, Ohio. He came to Washington in 1971 on a presidential appointment from Richard M. Nixon to serve as director of special projects at the General Services Administration. He joined Computer Sciences Corp. in 1976.

Constance Root, teacher

Constance Root, 92, an elementary school teacher from 1969 to 1971 in Kensington, Md., died Sept. 28 at a retirement home in East Lansing, Mich. The cause was complications from a hip fracture, said her husband, William Root.

Mrs. Root was born Constance Young in Hutchinson, Minn., and moved to the Washington area in 1948 and later settled in Kensington. She participated in programs related to China at the Institute of Current World Affairs. She attended the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Chevy Chase, Md., and was a member of the Washington Area Square Dancers Cooperative Association.

Irene Thieberger, caregiver, volunteer

Irene Thieberger, 99, who came to Washington in 1940 to serve in various clerical positions as part of the wartime Lipstick Brigade of female government workers, died Oct. 7 at her home in Lorton, Va. The cause was a stroke, said a son, Paul Thieberger.

Mrs. Thieberger was born Irene Trytiak in Cleveland and moved in 1960 to Alexandria, Va., where she resided until 2008. She volunteered with the Special Olympics and the Arc while serving as the primary caregiver for her two disabled adult daughters.

Joshua Hayase, IBM engineer

Joshua Hayase, 92, an engineer who retired from IBMs defense technology division in 1991 and then started a government contracting company, Systems International, died Sept. 27 at a hospice center in Bethesda, Md. The cause was complications after colon cancer surgery, said a son, David Hayase.

Mr. Hayase, a Bethesda resident, was born in Seattle to Japanese parents. During the Depression, his father lost his furniture business and found work in Alaska, while his mother returned with her three children to Japan, where they lived through World War II. In 1949, Mr. Hayase returned to the United States to attend college before joining General Electric in Ithaca, N.Y. He came to the Washington area in 1963 to work for IBM.

Gerald McDonald, physician

Gerald McDonald, 94, a physician who retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2008, died Oct. 12 at a care center in McLean, Va. The cause was pneumonia, said a daughter, Elizabeth McDonald.

Dr. McDonald, a resident of Great Falls, Va., was born in Wichita. He moved to the Washington area in 1984 after having served in several surgical positions in the Chicago area as a Veterans Administration physician. His specialties included vascular and thoracic surgery. In Washington, he was deputy director of surgical services and then in 1993 became acting director and chief consultant until his retirement.

Vivian Brown, businesswoman

Vivian Brown, 91, a businesswoman who sold antiques and managed estate sales, died Sept. 21 at a care center in Bethesda, Md. The cause was dementia, said a daughter, Jennifer Brown.

Mrs. Brown was born Vivian Neilson in Raymond, Wash., and settled in the Washington area in 1964. From 1972 to 1987, she was a principal in Brown & Blackburn Antiques, which sold mainly at antiques shows. She was a principal in Brown, Barnes & Giacommini Estate Sales from 1997 to 2011. She was a District resident and a volunteer in local political campaigns and in school PTAs.

 From staff reports
Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) stands outside the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Va., with his wife, Andrea, in August 2009 after being convicted of 11 fraud and bribery charges. (Kevin Wolf/Associated Press)

Federal prosecutors have agreed that former congressman William Jefferson should not serve any more prison time now that parts of his corruption conviction have been overturned.

Jefferson, 70, a Democrat from Louisiana, was convicted on 11 fraud and bribery charges in 2009. But seven of 10 remaining convictions were overturned by a judge earlier this year in light of the Supreme Court's ruling in the case of former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell (R). One conviction was overturned by an appeals court in 2012.

The judge, T.S. Ellis III, released Jefferson from prison pending resentencing on the remaining counts.

At a hearing Friday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., the government will agree that Jefferson should be sentenced to the time in prison he has already served  more than five years, attorneys said in a joint court filing Thursday.

His initial sentence was 13 years.

Prosecutors will also not push for any supervised release, according to the agreement. The judge is not bound by the agreement and could sentence Jefferson to further imprisonment.

Jefferson is most famous for stashing $90,000 in cash in his freezer, which the government said was intended as a foreign bribe. He was found guilty of taking over $400,000 in bribes for helping to arrange business deals in Africa.

But Ellis ruled that the Supreme Courts definition of official acts meant most of Jeffersons behavior was not criminal.
Two DynCorp employees were involved in a scheme in Iraq that cost the State Department millions. (Jeffrey MacMillan)

A former Romanian defense contractor was found guilty in Alexandria federal court Wednesday of taking part in an Iraqi conspiracy that cost the State Department millions of dollars.

Emil Popescu, who was extradited to the United States to face trial, paid kickbacks to two Americans working for DynCorp who helped arrange an overpriced lease of land in Baghdad.

The land was owned by a prominent Iraqi general, Fadhil Jamil al-Barwari. He had previously been leasing it to EOD Technology for $124,000 a month. When that company announced plans to downsize in 2011, contractor Wesley Struble hatched a plan to get DynCorp to lease the property and pay far more: $665,000 a month. He and Jose Rivera, both of whom pleaded guilty this year, made the deal happen while working for DynCorp.

The State Department ultimately paid the bill for the property, which came to $5.3 million in rent from September 2011 through April 2014.

Popescu went to work for Barwari in 2011 and was the public face of the generals company, dealing with DynCorp. He paid out the first kickbacks of $50,000 to Rivera and Struble.

But Popescu maintained at trial that he then backed out of the scheme and thus committed no crime within the five-year statute of limitations. Later money he was paid by Barwari, he said, was for legitimate construction work.

Rivera and Struble testified to the contrary, saying Popescu remained involved even if he stopped personally handling payouts.

Dontae Bugg, an attorney for Popescu, said he was disappointed with the outcome but respected the verdict, which came after nearly a full day of deliberation.

Popescu faces up to five years in prison when sentenced in February. Struble was sentenced to four years in prison, and Rivera received a three-year term.
It was around Thanksgiving 26 years ago that Beverly Woodard learned she might soon be a mother.

But unlike most women, she didnt discover the joyous news from a pregnancy test or a visit to her doctor. She got word in a call from a social worker.

 Ive got the baby for you,  Woodard recalled the social worker telling her before Woodard received a Polaroid photo in the mail of a baby in a frilly dress.

Instantly, Woodard fell in love with the smiling, chubby-cheeked face and immediately knew that the girl in the photo was the baby she would adopt.

I carried this picture every day for months and showed it to people and said, This is going to be my daughter,  Woodard said.

Adoption has always been important for Woodard  its what made her a mom. But the relationship Woodard has with her daughter Ashley feels even more special each November, when the Prince Georges County judge finalizes adoptions in circuit court for National Adoption Day.

Woodard, 66, has presided over the county courts Adoption Day festivities since 2010 and in November helped finalize the union of 10 new families. Its one of the happiest events that takes place in a courthouse that regularly sees murder trials, child-custody battles, divorce proceedings and acrimonious lawsuits.

Theres no better feeling than Adoption Day, Woodard said.

[New attitudes toward adoption from foster care offer hope]

Woodard was a prosecutor handling child abuse and sex assault cases in the Prince Georges States Attorneys Office around 1990 when she decided she wanted to adopt. She had a wonderful career at the time, she said, but there was a hole in her heart that she needed to fill.

She began researching adoption agencies and taking classes at Morgan State University every Saturday to earn her certification, despite skepticism from friends and family.



The Polaroid snapshot Beverly Woodard carried of the child who would become her daughter. (The Washington Post)

 Youre single. How can you do that?  Woodard said of the questions.  You have a demanding career. You dont know what the childs history was. 

Woodard knew she could overcome it all.

Soon after she finished her classes, Woodard got a call about a baby girl she would later name Ashley.

Ashleys mother had left her at the hospital after giving birth. In a profile that Ashleys biological mother wrote for the adoption process, she said she already had a 5-year-old and didnt think she had the means or ability to raise a second child, Woodard said.

She loved Ashley, Woodard said. She just didnt think she could handle two children.

Woodard met Ashley on a Wednesday and was told to come pick her up on Friday.

The mother-to-be didnt have a crib, know how to change a diaper and had no idea how to stock her house for an infant. But in 1991, she picked up her daughter from the Department of Social Services in Baltimore and took Ashley, then 7 months old, home.

Like all parents, Woodard faced challenges.

With her family in New York and work giving her only five days to bond with her daughter, the new single mother leaned heavily on the village around her.

A neighbor who ran a day care agreed to tend to Ashley after Woodard returned to work. And a close friend answered Woodards questions  about everything from diapering babies to heating bottles.

Amid all that hard work, Woodards happy family was almost broken apart. Three years after Woodard brought Ashley home, a man who believed he was the childs biological father emerged and wanted custody.

Maryland law requires adoptive parents to search for a childs father based on information from the biological mother. The name Ashleys birth mother gave led to a man imprisoned in New Jersey who said he would have his mother care for Ashley.

I was so heartbroken, Woodard said. I was scared and didnt know what was going to happen.

But DNA tests soon revealed that the incarcerated man was not Ashleys father. And a second man named as a possible biological father agreed to the adoption.



Judge Beverly Woodard, right, with her daughter, Ashley. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

On July 6, 1994, Woodard officially adopted Ashley.

Woodard told the story of her daughters adoption in her court chambers recently with Ashley, now 26, at her side. Woodard spread out a pile of photos featuring mother and daughter throughout the years while bags of blankets, toys and gift cards for families welcoming adopted children lined the halls of her office.

It never really loses its effect, Ashley Woodard said of hearing the tale again. It makes me feel really lucky not only to get adopted, but to get adopted into this situation. I dont think I could have picked a better parent.

[As foster parents, weve nurtured so much more than the children]

Ashley, who graduated from Towson State University with a degree in electronic media and film, tries to attend each National Adoption Day event in Prince Georges, which has finalized more than 50 adoptions this year. In years past, the court has seen a family adopt a baby abandoned in a dumpster at the University of Maryland and a disabled woman adopt a disabled child.

Ashley says she hasnt felt any less love or different from any other child because she is adopted. She and her mother will dance around the house, binge-watch Netflix shows and go shopping together. And each night before bed, Woodard tells her daughter she loves her, to which Ashley always responds, I love you too, lady.

Ashley started on a path to try to meet her birth mother a few years ago. She said she began thinking about when shed have children of her own and felt it was important to understand parental bonds. She found a woman who appeared to be her birth mother on Facebook and sent a message but got no reply. She tried again months later, but got a response saying the woman Ashley contacted was not the person she was looking for.

After that, Ashley left it alone.

I do want to meet the woman who gave birth to me, but dont feel like I missed out on anything, Ashley said. Ive been surrounded by the greatest family possible.



A selection of family snapshots of Judge Beverly Woodard with her daughter, Ashley. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Woodard said that while there were ups and downs being an adoptive parent, such challenges easily arise raising a biological child. For other parents considering adoption or new families, she tells them, all it takes is love.

If I had been afraid, I wouldnt have this beautiful young lady sitting next to me now, Woodard said. These children want you. They want to be loved.
Troops with the Syrian Democratic Forces drive on June 7 into the Mishlab district of Raqqa, the former capital of the Islamic State in Syria. (Alice Martins for The Washington Post)

The Defense Department confirmed Thursday in response to a federal judge's order that an unidentified American citizen and suspected member of the Islamic State detained for 2 months without charge as an "enemy combatant" in Syria has asserted his constitutional rights to a lawyer. But the government said it did not know whether he wants to go before a court.

The disclosures came after Justice Department lawyers unsuccessfully argued in a contentious, hour-long hearing Thursday morning before U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan that the court lacked authority to oversee U.S. military operations in an overseas conflict zone.

Chutkans demand for information marked a potential first step toward determining whether the ACLU or private counsel may represent the detainee, whom the government has said was captured in Syria, turned over to the U.S. military Sept. 14 and moved to a temporary detention facility in Iraq.

The ACLU suit filed on the mans behalf threatened to reignite court battles fought during the George W. Bush administration, when the Supreme Court ruled that U.S. citizens cannot be held indefinitely as members of al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups under war legislation Congress passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The court ruled that they are entitled to counsel and the right to challenge the evidence against them before a neutral arbitrator.

[Case of suspected American ISIS fighter captured in Syria vexes U.S.]

This is the exceptional circumstance. This is the nightmare scenario, ACLU attorney Jonathan Hafetz argued in court, describing as a constitutional black hole what he called the governments assertion of unchecked power to indefinitely detain a U.S. citizen without charges, a lawyer or court review.

After the filing, he said the detainees request for an attorney reinforced the groups demand that the man be given access to counsel, adding, The Trump administrations position that it can lock up an American in secret without charges or the ability to challenge the detention in court is not how our legal system works.

Justice Department civil-division attorney Kathryn L. Wyer told the court that the U.S. military had permitted the man visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross, complied with Geneva conventions in not releasing his name, and acted under U.S. case law establishing its authority to hold wartime detainees for a preliminary and reasonable period to decide their final disposition.

The Justice Department asked Chutkan to toss out the ACLU lawsuit on legal grounds, saying the organization lacked standing to file a challenge as a next friend of the American to inform him of his rights and give him the chance to have legal representation. The ACLU filed a habeas corpus petition on the mans behalf to require the government to justify his detention without charges.

[ISIS is near defeat in Iraq. Now comes the hard part.]

Wyer argued unsuccessfully that Chutkan lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter, because the ACLU was a stranger to the American, had never met with him and had no right to claim to represent him.

Wyer warned of far-reaching consequences whenever U.S. forces detain an individual while engaged in active military operations in a foreign country if the court ruled that any third party could sue on the detainees behalf in U.S. courts. The government argued that the American may have asked the Red Cross to contact his family, which could be seeking a lawyer to represent him.

Chutkan expressed incredulity at the circular reasoning of the governments stance, saying that it was withholding the identity of the man, then opposing the ACLUs attempt to go to court in his behalf because it did not know him.

Chutkan, a 2014 appointee of President Barack Obama and a District assistant public defender early in her career, said she intended to rule expeditiously on whether the court can take steps to get the detainee counsel or find out whether he wants to appear in a court.

The Washington Post reported last month that Justice Department officials did not think it had enough evidence to charge the man, who was questioned first by an interagency interrogation team for intelligence purposes and then by an FBI team seeking enough admissible evidence to bring a case against him. The man refused to talk and demanded a lawyer, the officials said.

[After Raqqa, the U.S. sees Russia, Assad looming over remaining Syrian battlefield]

In a filing to meet a 5 p.m. Thursday deadline, Wyer confirmed that during the law enforcement questioning, the man was informed of his rights and stated that since he was in a new phase, he felt he should have an attorney present. Told it was unknown when he would be able to have an attorney, the man said that it was ok and that he is a patient man, Wyer added in the filing.

No further law enforcement questioning has taken place, and the man made clear in a later request to speak with an interrogator that he did not wish to speak to FBI agents, Wyer said.

She added, Respondent is not currently aware of any additional information regarding the individuals wishes in connection with his invocation of constitutional rights or pursuit of remedies in U.S. courts.

A Defense Department spokesman, Air Force Maj. Ben Sakrisson, said last month that the government continues to withhold the detainees identity and circumstances because there are still a number of U.S. agencies looking at the circumstances of how he came to be detained and what should happen to him now.

Wyer said the process is temporary, still underway, and the government is diligently attempting to reach that determination but did not know how long it would take.

Chutkan called that position, Trust us, we know what were doing.

That scenario, that kind of unchecked power, is, quite frankly, frightening, she said.

Officials told The Post that the man once had ties to the Pacific Northwest but that most of his family and roots are in the Middle East. National security analysts said the United States could negotiate with the mans family and country of second citizenship to accept his return under conditions that he be monitored and not be allowed to travel.

Or, they said, he could be turned over to Iraqi authorities for trial. But conviction would still require evidence, and it is against U.S. law to send prisoners to a country where they could face torture, which Human Rights Watch says is rampant in Iraq. He also could be sent to the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which would invite immediate litigation.
Michael Leon Bell, 36, of Upper Marlboro, is charged with sexual assault. Right, a badge police say Bell wore while impersonating a police officer. (Prince George's County police)

A Maryland man has been charged with rape in an assault an another man while impersonating a police officer in Prince Georges County, authorities said Thursday.

Officers responded Sunday at about 6:15 a.m. to the 2100 block of Guilford Road in Langley Park, Prince Georges County police said in a statement. They spoke with a man who said he had been sexually assaulted by another man who identified himself as a police officer, the statement said.

The police statement said officers determined that Michael Leon Bell, 36, of Upper Marlboro, had approached the man with a badge hanging around his neck, identified himself as a police officer, asked for the mans identification and patted him down. Then Bell told the man that they were in a dangerous area and offered him a ride home in a 2007 Ford Crown Victoria, police said.

After the man agreed, Bell drove him to the 2100 block of Guilford, where he forced him to perform sex acts before the man escaped, according to police. The man called 911 and provided officers with the Crown Victorias license plate number.

Bell was charged with first-degree rape, second-degree assault and impersonating a police officer, police said. Police asked that anyone with information about the incident contact them at 301-772-4908.
Davon Freeman was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. (Courtesy of Prince George's County Police)

A man from District Heights, Md., has been arrested and charged after he was allegedly involved in a robbery that left a man dead.

Prince Georges County Police said Davon Freeman, 37, is charged with the Oct. 1 death of Charles Wyche of Fort Washington, Md.

Freeman faces charges, including first-degree murder.

Around 10:50 p.m. that day, police said they responded to a report of an unconscious man in the 6500 block of Kipling Parkway.

Police say they found Wyche, 51, outside in an alleyway. He was suffering from a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead on the scene, police said. Police said the two men were acquaintances.

An initial investigation concluded that Freeman apparently shot the victim during a robbery. Freeman is in custody and is being held on a no-bond status.
An 18-year-old man was killed in a crash that involved five vehicles early Wednesday morning in Wheaton, Md., officials said.

Yonatan Tedros of Silver Spring died at a hospital after suffering life-threatening injuries, according to Montgomery County police.

The crash happened around 7:46 a.m. at the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Dean Road. Police said Tedros was driving a Honda Civic that was headed north on Connecticut Avenue when a Nissan Altima was turning right onto the road.

The collision forced the Honda Civic across the median, where it struck a Mazda3.

Police said the impact from the crash caused the Mazda3 to be pushed into a Nissan Murano, which had stopped behind one of the cars. And then another car was hit in the incident.

The cause of the crash was under investigation. Others who were in the vehicles were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
Four local members of Congress on Thursday afternoon joined the chorus of Democrats who say Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) should leave office as the veteran lawmaker faces multiple allegations that he sexually harassed women who worked for him.

Those who commit these offenses must be held accountable, no matter how powerful they are, Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) said in tweets. Congress cannot be exempt, and I believe that Congressman John Conyers should resign.

The number of Democrats who decided he should leave office grew rapidly after one of Conyerss accusers went on television to explain her allegations and followed a call from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for Conyers to resign.

The second-highest ranking House Democrat, Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (Md.), followed her lead.

As I have said, the allegations against Rep. Conyers are serious and credible. As we continue to hear more, I think it is appropriate for him to resign, Hoyer said in a tweet.

[Top Democrats call on Conyers to resign over sexual harassment allegations]

Rep. John Delaney (Md.), who is not seeking reelection in order to run for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, said it is abundantly clear that Rep. Conyers repeatedly acted inappropriately and he should resign.

Reps. John Sarbanes (Md.) concurred on the resignation: That would be the best thing.

Locally, at least one Republican also said Conyers, the longest-serving member of Congress, no longer belongs in office.

Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.), who co-sponsored a successful resolution to require mandatory anti-harassment training for members and staff, said earlier this week that Conyers should resign.

She had the same message for Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), who has apologized after several women accused him of groping them.

Beyer has not commented publicly on what he thinks Franken should do.

Right now our country is undertaking a much-overdue reckoning with sexual harassment and assault, Beyer tweeted Thursday. This has long been a serious problem, and Congress should take a leading role and help usher in change to protect victims and change our culture for the better.

A spokesman for Rep. Anthony G. Brown (D-Md.), a member of the House Ethics Committee, said he is barred under committee rules from commenting publicly about Conyers as the committee begins investigating sexual harassment allegations.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the Districts nonvoting representative, said she wants to speak with Conyers before expressing her views publicly.

No other Democrats in Virginia or Maryland responded immediately to a request for comment on Conyerss situation.
Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, left, and then-GreenTech Automotive chairman Terry McAuliffe drive through the plant after the unveiling of the company's electric MyCar in Horn Lake, Miss., on July 6, 2012. The company never delivered on its promised profits and jobs, and now a group of Chinese investors is suing McAuliffe, who left the company in 2012, before his successful Virginia gubernatorial run. (Rogelio V. Solis/AP)

A group of Chinese investors has filed suit against Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) and the electric car company he helped found before taking office, claiming they were tricked into investing large sums of money and moving to the United States for an enterprise that has gone sour.

McAuliffe has said he quit GreenTech Automotive in late 2012, before his successful run for governor and before the company failed to generate the jobs and revenue it had promised.

[GreenTech formula has made big profits for McAuliffe]

But GreenTech's descent into accusations and investigations has continued to shadow McAuliffe as he completes his term as governor and ponders a possible run for the presidency in 2020.

The lawsuit, filed a week ago in Fairfax County Circuit Court on behalf of 32 investors originally from China, accuses McAuliffe and partner Anthony Rodham  the brother of Hillary Clinton  of luring the investors with promises of insider connections.

Defendants milked these connections in marketing materials, which featured Mr. McAuliffe, the former head of the Democratic National Committee and chief fundraiser for the Clinton political operation, alongside luminaries like former President Bill Clinton, who headlined the companys groundbreaking ceremony, the lawsuit says.

It charges that the companys founders, including GreenTech executive Xiaolin Charles Wang, manipulated and leveraged the federal EB-5 visa program to get the investors approved for residency in the United States. Under EB-5, immigrants who invest at least $500,000 in a business venture that generates a certain number of jobs are eligible for permanent residency status.

McAuliffe, through a spokeswoman for his political action committee, Common Good VA, said the suit was a stunt. We strongly reject this baseless suit which has no merit whatsoever, Crystal Carson said in an email. The claims, which regurgitate old political attacks regarding a company that Governor McAuliffe left five years ago, were brought by a lawyer with conservative ties. We are confident it will be dismissed.

Later in the day, Carson issued a new statement further distancing McAuliffe from the claims in the suit. We have verified that . . . all of the plaintiffs named in this suit invested with the company after he left in December of 2012 and we are planning a vigorous legal response to his inclusion in the suit, she said.

One of the lawyers who filed the suit  Scott Abeles of the Washington office of Gerard Fox Law  said there was nothing political about the case. He denied having conservative ties, beyond occasionally representing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other clients who might be seen as right-leaning.

I will say I voted for three people named Clinton for president over the last 20 years or so, so I wouldnt give too much credit to this notion of a political attack, Abeles said.

The suit seeks to have GreenTech and the individuals associated with it repay the more than $500,000 invested by each plaintiff, plus other fees, interest and punitive damages. Many of the investors moved to the United States and may have to return to China because GreenTech is not meeting expectations, Abeles said.

McAuliffe used GreenTech as an example of his entrepreneurial prowess when running for office, touting the high-tech electric cars and the international quality of the business. But early in 2013, after questions began surfacing about GreenTechs lofty promises and its use of the visa program, McAuliffe began distancing himself from the company, revealing he had resigned from the board late the year before.

Since then, GreenTech's manufacturing facility in Mississippi has seemingly struggled to stay in business, producing few jobs. Attempts to reach the company for comment were unsuccessful. Earlier this year, Mississippi's state auditor slammed the company for bad faith and said it should repay nearly $6.4 million in incentives.

The situation has continued to provide fodder for critics who want to paint McAuliffe as a fast-dealing Clinton operative, even as his recent success in Virginia  with Democrats sweeping statewide offices and making huge gains in the House of Delegates in this months elections  increase his stature on the national political scene.
TEXAS

Congressman says he will not seek reelection

Rep. Joe Barton (Tex.), one of the longest-serving Republicans in the House, announced Thursday that he will not seek another term representing his suburban Dallas-Fort Worth district.

The announcement came after news reports revealing that Barton had carried on extramarital relationships with multiple women before his 2015 divorce. A lewd photo he sent to one of those women circulated online last week, prompting Barton to apologize.

One woman who spoke to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity last week described a five-year relationship with Barton that began with an innocent Facebook message from the congressman and eventually led to explicit phone calls, text messages, photos and videos, as well as a pair of meetings. Both Barton and the woman said the interactions were consensual, but the woman said she felt deceived and betrayed after she learned about other women Barton was having similar relationships with.

Barton confirmed his retirement, which was first reported by the Dallas Morning News, in a statement issued Thursday.

Barton told the Dallas Morning News that he thinks he could still win reelection. But it would be a nasty campaign, a difficult campaign for my family, he told the paper.

 Mike DeBonis

NEVADA

Ammon Bundy released from jail

A ranchers son at the center of an armed standoff with government agents near his family ranch in Nevada in 2014 and a takeover of an Oregon wildlife refuge in 2016 was released Thursday from federal custody in Las Vegas.

Ammon Bundy, 42, was greeted by his wife and six children while friends cheered as he walked out of the federal courthouse.

In a surprise move Wednesday, Chief U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro ordered the release of Bundy, his father, Cliven Bundy, and a co-defendant from jail to house arrest with friends during their ongoing trial on charges in the armed standoff that stopped a federal roundup of Bundy cattle from public land.

Navarro didnt specify why she reversed previous detention rulings.

Cliven Bundy, 71, refused the offer and remains in custody.

Two other Bundy sons, Dave and Mel Bundy, also remain in federal detention awaiting a trial next year with co-defendants Brian Cavalier, Micah McGuire, Joseph OShaughnessy and Jason Woods.

Navarro ruled that Ryan Payne could be released once a federal judge in Portland, Ore., approves. Paynes defense attorney, Ryan Norwood, said authorization could come in several days.

Payne, Ammon Bundy and Ryan Bundy were among a group of people arrested in January 2016 following an occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon.

 Associated Press

LOUISIANA

Man indicted on murder charges

A Louisiana grand jury indicted a white man on murder charges Thursday in the shooting deaths of two black men, attacks that police have said may have been racially motivated.

Kenneth Gleason, 23, is charged with first-degree murder and second-degree murder in the separate Baton Rouge shootings that killed Donald Smart, 49, and Bruce Cofield, 59, in September.

Prosecutors havent decided whether to seek the death penalty against Gleason.

Authorities have said surveillance footage and DNA link Gleason to the crimes. In each case, police said, the killer opened fire from his car, then walked up to the victim as he lay on the ground and fired again repeatedly.

The first killing occurred Sept. 12, when Cofield, who was homeless, was gunned down on a street corner. The second took place Sept. 14, when Smart was shot on his way to his dishwashing job at a cafe popular with Louisiana State University students.

Gleason also was indicted on two counts of attempted second-degree murder for allegedly firing gunshots into the home of a black family that lives down the street from his parents house. Nobody was injured in that shooting, which occurred just after midnight on Sept. 10.

 Associated Press
A wing of Specialty Hospital Capitol Hill found new life as an apartment house at 700 Constitution Ave.  reflecting its storied architecture. (Courtesy Borger Management)

When Laura Kiker rented a new apartment in September a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, she knew she was moving into a historical neighborhood.

She had no idea, though, that her new home at 700 Constitution Ave. Northeast was a former hospital dating back nearly a century.

Today, she loves living in what used to be a patient room, in a four-story building with wide hallways, high ceilings and restored post-World War II-style architecture. A spacious rooftop deck, yoga studio and indoor dog wash are added bonuses for Kiker, and her dog, Stella. There is so much history in this town, its nice to live in a place that has its own, said Kiker, 30, a management consultant.

Across the country, hospitals that have shut their doors are coming back to life in various ways: as affordable senior housing, as historical hotels and as condos, including some costing tens of millions in the heart of New Yorks Greenwich Village.

The trend of converting hospitals to new uses has accelerated as real estate values have soared in many U.S. cities. At the same time, the demand for inpatient beds has declined, with the rise of outpatient surgery centers and a move toward shorter hospital stays.

As health systems consolidate for financial reasons, they might prefer that patients visit their flagship hospital while buildings related to smaller hospitals in their orbit get sold off  especially if the latter have a disproportionate share of indigent patients.

David Friend, chief transformation officer at the consulting firm BDO in Boston, noted that real estate is one of urban hospitals most valuable assets. A hospital could be worth more dead than alive, he said.

The number of hospitals in the U.S. has declined by 21 percent over the past four decades, from 7,156 in 1975 to 5,627 in 2014, according to the latest federal data.

Even when the conversions make medical sense, they pull at the heartstrings of communities whose residents have an emotional attachment to hospitals where family members were born, cured or died. But they sometimes create health deserts in their wake.

St. Vincent's Hospital in New York treated survivors of the Titanic's sinking in 1912, the first AIDS patients in the 1980s and victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, went bankrupt and closed seven years ago. Developer Rudin Management bought it for $260 million and transformed it into a high-end condo complex, which opened in 2014. Earlier this year, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz reportedly bought one of the condos for $40 million.

Jen van de Meer, an assistant professor at the Parsons School for Design in New York, who lives in the neighborhood, said residents' protests about the conversion were not just about the optics of a hospital that had long served the poor being repurposed. "Now, if you are in cardiac arrest, the nearest hospital could be an hour drive in a taxi or 20 minutes in an ambulance across the city," van de Meer said.

St. Vincents is one of at least 10 former hospitals in New York City that have been turned into residential housing over the past 20 years.

Closing a hospital and converting it to another use is not exactly like renovating an old Howard Johnsons, said Jeff Goldsmith, a health industry consultant in Charlottesville, Va. A hospital in a lot of places defines a community  thats why its so hard to close them, said Goldsmith, who noted that after Martha Jefferson Hospital closed its downtown facility in 2009 to move closer to the interstate highway, an apartment building took its place.

But many older hospitals are too outmoded to be renovated for todays medical needs and patient expectations. For example, early 20th-century layouts cannot accommodate large operating room suites and private rooms, said Friend.

Real estate investors say the location of many older hospitals  often in city centers near rail and bus lines  makes them attractive for redevelopment. The buildings, with their wide hallways and high ceilings, are often easy to remake as luxury apartments.

Spurring Development

In some circumstances, a conversion provides a much-needed lift for the community. New York Cancer Hospital, which opened on Central Park West in 1887 and closed in 1976, was an abandoned and partially burned-out hulk by the time it was restored as a condo complex in 2005. Developer MCL Companies paid $24 million for the property, branded 455 Central Park West.

The building itself is fantastic and a landmark in every sense of the word, said Alex Herrera, director of technical services at the New York Landmarks Conservancy. He noted that it retained some of its original 19th-century architecture.

Nicky Cymrot, president of the Capitol Hill Community Foundation in Washington, D.C., a neighborhood group, said that when Specialty Hospital Capitol Hill sold off a little-used 100,000-square-foot wing of its facility that became 700 Constitution, neighbors weighed in with concerns about aesthetics and traffic. The building was first known as Eastern Dispensary Casualty Hospital, which opened in 1905.

But by the time the condominium opened early this year after a five-year, $40 million renovation, the response was positive.

Sophie White, 28, who moved into 700 Constitution this summer, watched the buildings transformation and renovation from a rental property a few blocks away. It used to be a blight on the neighborhood with unsavory people milling around it, she said. Now, its a bright spot and with its dog park out front, its really a cool place to live.

Nearly half of the 139-unit building, where one-bedroom apartments rent for nearly $2,600 per month, is already leased. Asked why former hospitals are being bought and redeveloped as housing: Its all about location, location, location, said Terry Busby, CEO of Arlington-based Urban Structures.

Likewise Columbia Hospital for Women, which had delivered more than 250,000 babies since it opened shortly after the Civil War, closed in 2002 and reopened in 2006 as condos with a rooftop swimming pool in the city's fashionable West End.

Some former hospitals are used for purposes other than housing.

In Santa Fe, N.M., St. Vincent Hospital moved into a new facility in 1977 and the old structure downtown was reborn as a state office building. Later, it was abandoned and locals listed it as one of the spookiest places in town. In 2014, the building reopened yet again as the 141-room Drury Plaza Hotel.

A Building With Tremendous History

After Linda Vista Community Hospital, in L.A.s Boyle Heights neighborhood, closed in the 1990s, the abandoned six-story building fell into disrepair  its empty patient rooms, discarded medical equipment and aging corridors serving as sets for movies such as Pearl Harbor and Outbreak. Amcal Multi-Housing Inc. bought the property in 2011 and redeveloped it into a low-income senior apartment house called Hollenbeck Terrace.

They really rescued a building with tremendous history  while providing really needed low-income senior housing, said Linda Dishman, CEO of the Los Angeles Conservancy, a group dedicated to preserving and revitalizing historical structures. It is such an iconic building in the neighborhood.

Gorman reported from Los Angeles.
Advocates for the National Organization of Rare Disorders hold a small rally on Capitol Hill before spending time visiting a couple of dozen lawmakers to fight for the orphan drug tax credit. The Senates proposed tax reform bill reduces the credit to 27.5 percent instead of the current laws 50 percent rate. (Sarah Jane Tribble/KHN)

As President Donald Trump talked tax reform on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Arkansas patient advocate Andrea Taylor was also meeting with lawmakers and asking them to save a corporate tax credit for rare disease drug companies.

Taking the credit away, Taylor said, eliminates the possibility for my child to have a bright and happy future.

Taylor, whose 9-year-old son, Aiden, has a rare connective tissue disorder, spoke as part of a small rally thrown together this week by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)  the nations largest advocacy group for patients with rare diseases.

Earlier this month, House Republicans proposed eliminating the orphan drug tax credits, which Congress passed as part of a basket of financial incentives for drugmakers in the 1983 Orphan Drug Act. The law, intended to spur development of medicines for rare diseases, also gives seven years of market exclusivity for drugs that treat a specific condition that affects fewer than 200,000 people.

The Senate Finance Committee, led by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), put the tax credit back into the tax legislation. After some negotiations, the committee settled on reducing the credit to 27.5 percent of the costs of preapproved clinical research, compared with the current 50 percent. The committee also restored a provision that would have eliminated any credits for drugmakers who repurpose a mass-market drug as an orphan.

As with any major reform, tough choices have to be made, a Hatch spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement, adding that the senator will continue to work to make the appropriate policy decisions to deliver a comprehensive tax overhaul.

Hatch, a member of a rare-disease congressional caucus, received $102,600 in campaign contributions from pharmaceutical and related trade group political action committees in the first half of 2017, making him the top recipient of pharmaceutical cash in the Senate.

If the Senate provision remains untouched, reducing the tax credit would save the federal government nearly $30 billion over a decade, according to a markup of the bill released late last week.

Orphan drug development has become big business in recent years and advocates as well as critics of the industry say tax credits have been an important motivation for companies. Orphan drugs accounted for 7.9 percent of total U.S. drug sales last year, according to a report released by QuintilesIMS and NORD.

Because patient populations for rare-disease drugs are relatively small, companies often charge premium prices for the medicines. EvaluatePharma, a company that analyzes the drug industry, estimates that among the top 100 drugs in the U.S. the average annual cost per patient for an orphan drug last year was $140,443. Giant pharmaceutical companies such as Celgene, Roche, Novartis, AbbVie and Johnson & Johnson have led worldwide sales in the orphan market, according to EvaluatePharma's 2017 Orphan Drug Report.

Jonathan Gardner, the U.S. news editor for EvaluatePharma, said the orphan drug tax credit is probably the most important incentive for developing an orphan drug. Cutting the credit will force even the large companies to question development of drugs for rare diseases, Gardner said.

Dr. Aaron Kesselheim, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, has been critical of the Orphan Drug Acts incentives and of companies taking advantage of the laws financial incentives for profit. But he warned against rushing to eliminate the tax credit.

We need to think about ways we can improve the Orphan Drug Act and stop people from gaming the system and exploiting it, Kesselheim said. But there are a lot of rare diseases that dont have treatments. So, we need to be careful in making changes.

The battle over the tax credit is the latest controversy for the Food and Drug Administration's orphan drug program. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced a "modernization" plan for the agency this summer, closing a pediatric testing loophole and eliminating a backlog of corporate applications for orphan drug status. And, this week, the agency confirmed that Dr. Gayatri Rao, director for the Office of Orphan Products Development, is leaving.

Meanwhile, the Government Accountability Office confirmed this month that it recently launched an investigation of the orphan drug program. The GAO's review was sparked by a letter from top Republican Sens. Hatch, Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), asking the agency to investigate whether drugmakers "might be taking advantage" of the drug approval process.

When the 1983 Orphan Drug Act was passed, the law described an orphan drug as one that affects so few people that drugmakers might lose money after covering the cost of developing a drug. Congress added the 200,000-patient limit in 1984.

Today, many orphan medicines treat more than one condition and often come with astronomical prices. Many of the medicines aren't entirely new, either. A Kaiser Health News investigation, which was also aired and published by NPR, found that more than 70 of the roughly 450 individual drugs given orphan status were first approved for mass-market use, including cholesterol blockbuster Crestor, Abilify for psychiatric conditions, cancer drug Herceptin and rheumatoid arthritis drug Humira, which for years was the best-selling medicine in the world.

More than 80 other orphans won FDA approval for more than one rare disease and, in some cases, multiple rare diseases, the KHN investigation showed.

The pharmaceutical industry has had a muted response to the tax bill, which includes a corporate tax cut. The powerful industry lobbying group PhRMA said it is pleased Congress is looking at overhauling the tax code but "encourages policymakers to maintain incentives" for rare diseases. BIO, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization that represents biomedical companies, said it was "gratified" the Senate committee chose to partially retain the credit but would prefer to keep the existing incentive.

The group that rallied Tuesday  wearing bright-orange shirts that read Save the Orphan Drug Tax Credit  planned to meet with a couple of dozen lawmakers, including Grassley, who is a member of the Senate Finance Committee.

NORD, like many patient advocacy groups, receives funding from pharmaceutical companies, but the organizations leaders say the industry does not have members on the board and does not dictate how general donations are spent.

On Tuesday, NORD leaders said they are open to discussions about the tax credit and whether the overall law is working as intended.

Were here to have that conversation, were ready to have that conversation, said Paul Melmeyer, director of federal policy for NORD. Sadly, thats not the conversation we are having today.

Abbey Meyers, a founder of NORD and the leading advocate behind passing the initial 1983 law, said she fears the high cost of the drugs will make it impossible to sustain the orphan drug program. Now retired, Meyers said she has followed the laws success over the years and believes the tax credit should not be changed.

There are other things that have happened since the law was passed where there wasnt any logic to what they did, Meyers said, adding because somebody went to a senator and they put into the law.
ISRAEL

Curbs eased for Gazans seeking to travel to U.S.

Israel on Wednesday launched a program to provide shuttle service for Gazans who need to travel to the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem  an operation that could ease one of the many restrictions it places on Palestinians who want to exit the blockaded territory.

Israel allows only a small number of Gazans to travel through Israel  mostly for medical care or other humanitarian grounds. It cites security concerns for the restrictions.

In recent months, it has barred Gazans from entering Israel for visa interviews at the U.S. Consulate after some applicants fled into hiding in Israel or the West Bank to seek work. The restrictions have prevented several hundred people from applying for visas to travel or study in the United States.

About 100 Palestinians were allowed Wednesday to cross into Israel and board buses bound for Jerusalem. They were accompanied by Palestinian Civil Affairs Committee officials.

In the near future, additional shuttles will be scheduled on dates to be determined by the American Consulate in coordination with Israel, said COGAT, the Israeli defense agency that coordinates cross-border movement.

Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip after the Islamist militant group Hamas seized control of the territory from the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. Israel considers Hamas a terrorist group.

 Associated Press

SOUTH SUDAN

At least 43 reported killed in militia attack

A tribal militia killed at least 43 people in South Sudan's Jonglei state, local officials said Wednesday, extending a spate of tit-for-tat killings.

Raiders from the Murle ethnic group killed 20 men, 22 women and one child, and injured 19 people, in the village of Duk Payel on Tuesday, Jonglei Information Minister Jocab Akech Deng said.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said six members of local aid groups were among the dead.

The killings are the latest chapter in a chain of revenge attacks, cattle raiding and child abductions between the Murle and the Dinka Bor tribe.

The U.N. Mission in South Sudan said that about 60 women and children were abducted in the latest attack.

Oil-rich South Sudan dissolved into civil war in 2013.

 Reuters

Honduran presidential race narrows: New partial results in Honduras's presidential election have narrowed challenger Salvador Nasralla's lead over incumbent Juan Orlando Hernandez to less than one point, raising tensions. A surprise five-point lead for Nasralla has steadily dwindled since initial results were reported. Now, with 76 percent of the votes tallied, the challenger had 42.6 percent and Hernandez 41.7 percent. A long pause in updated returns that followed reports of Nasralla's lead has fed suspicions among his supporters.

Bali airport reopened as wind clears volcanic ash: The airport on the resort island of Bali reopened after an erupting volcano forced its closure two days ago. Volcanic ash reaching 25,000 feet in the air began drifting south and southeast of Mount Agung, leaving clean space above the airport for planes to land and take off, an airport spokesman said. Indonesia's president cautioned, however, that the danger had not passed and urged anyone within the mountain's exclusion zone to get out "for the sake of their safety."

Same-sex marriage bill clears Australia's Senate: Australia's Senate passed a measure to legalize same-sex marriage, perhaps as soon as next week, after lawmakers dismissed a conservative push to allow religious objectors to refuse service to same-sex couples. The bill moves to the lower house next week. If the legislation passes as expected, Australia will become the 26th nation to legalize same-sex marriage.

Danish police find arm at sea, link it to submarine case: A right arm has been found by divers in the sea south of the Danish capital that could be linked to the case of Swedish journalist Kim Wall, who disappeared after a trip on a private submarine in August, police said. A police investigator said it was found about half a mile from where Wall's head and legs were discovered in October. Danish submarine inventor Peter Madsen has admitted to dismembering Wall aboard his submarine and dumping her body parts in the sea, but he has denied killing her.

Zimbabwe court acquits activist charged with subversion: A pastor who led large anti-government rallies in Zimbabwe last year has been acquitted of subversion, and he appealed to the country's new leadership to drop other prosecutions of people who demonstrated against Robert Mugabe. Mugabe resigned as president Nov. 21 after the military moved in and the ruling party turned against him. Evan Mawarire was found not guilty after the court ruled that state prosecutors had failed to prove their case. The ruling came as Zimbabweans wait to see whether new President Emmerson Mnangagwa follows through on pledges of democracy.

 From news services
Politicians constantly debate how much to tax the personal assets of citizens. Maryland Del. Jimmy Tarlau (D-Prince George's) was quoted in the Nov. 26 Metro article "Plan would freeze level of estate tax" as saying, "We need to protect our money for programs like schools, roads, mass transit and tax relief for seniors." Since when did the personal assets of citizens become the "our money" of progressive politicians such as Mr. Tarlau?

J.P. Newell, Washington
The post-Harvey Weinstein moment swept into Congress this month when Leeann Tweeden accused Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) of groping and kissing her without her consent in 2006. Three more women have since come forward , two anonymously, to say that Mr. Franken touched them inappropriately during photo opportunities. Meanwhile, Rep. John Conyers Jr. ( Mich.) stepped down from his post as ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee following news of two sexual harassment complaints filed against him, one in federal court and one settled within Congress .

The settlement reached by Mr. Conyers through Congresss Office of Compliance is a case in point for why the process of reporting sexual harassment within the legislature must be reformed. In 2014, the victim complained that Mr. Conyers had dismissed her as an aide after she refused his advances, including unwanted touching and requests for sexual favors. She received a settlement of more than $27,000 in taxpayer money in exchange for agreeing to remain silent about her alleged mistreatment. Both Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and then-House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) say they knew nothing about the case  likely a result of the mandatory secrecy with which Congress resolves complaints.

Legislation introduced by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) would make reporting harassment easier by speeding up the process and providing victims with greater resources. It would also require Congress to make public how much each office has paid out in settlements. If a settlement were reached against a lawmaker, that member of Congress would have to pay out of his or her own pocket instead of relying on taxpayer funding from the Office of Compliance.

Those would be important improvements. But Congress must shine a light on past misdeeds as well. Although the Office of Compliance has now released total figures for all settlements paid out in the legislative branch from 1997 onward, the data are vague: There's no information as to how many cases were resolved, which offices were involved and how much of the $17 million total in settlements concerned sexual harassment complaints. What's more, the tally doesn't include settlements such as that reached by Mr. Conyers, whose office further obscured the complaint by paying the victim directly as a "temporary employee." Lawmakers should make public as much information as possible about these settlements while respecting victims' privacy. Americans have a right to know how their money was spent.

These same principles of openness and transparency require rigorous congressional investigations of both Mr. Franken and Mr. Conyers. The House Ethics Committee has begun looking into Mr. Conyers's behavior, while Senate leadership has voiced support for a similar probe into Mr. Franken's. It's right to insist on due process before deciding what should come next. But that process must be serious  neither a means by which Democrats can bury an uncomfortable truth nor an excuse for Republicans to score political points. Both House and Senate committees must understand their duty to move aggressively, fairly and expeditiously.
In his Nov. 26 Sunday Opinion essay, "The White House gives a green light to sexual harassers," Dana Milbank mentioned areas where harassment occurs  Congress, business, Wall Street, universities, media, etc.  but he's leaving out a big one: churches. Some clergymen have long abused their power; an online search will tell the truth. It's nothing new  remember "Elmer Gantry" by Sinclair Lewis (1926) and "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1850)? This is one American tradition that lives on.

Judith Schaefer, Washington
Jack Goldsmith and Adrian Vermeule are professors at Harvard Law School.

Drew Gilpin Faust, the president of Harvard University, has been lobbying in Washington against a Republican proposal to tax large university endowments and make other tax and spending changes that might adversely affect universities. Faust says the endowment tax would be a "blow at the strength of American higher education" and that the suite of proposals lacks "policy logic." Perhaps so, but they have a political logic. We hope that Harvard and other elite universities will reflect on their part in these developments.

The proposed tax and spending policies aimed at universities are surely related to the sharp recent drop in support by conservatives for colleges and universities. According to a recent Pew Research Center report, 58 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say that colleges and universities have a negative effect on the way things are going in the country, a figure that has grown significantly in the past two years. This development likely reflects four related trends.

First is the obvious progressive tilt in universities, especially elite universities. At Harvard, for example, undergraduate students overwhelmingly identify as progressive or liberal and the faculty overwhelmingly gives to the Democratic Party. Even Harvard Law School, which has a handful of conservative scholars and a new conservative dean, is on the left end of law school faculties, which are themselves more progressive than the legal profession.

Second, the distinctive progressive ideology of elite universities is relentlessly critical of, to the point of being intolerant of, traditions and moral values widely seen as legitimate in the outside world. As a result, elite universities have narrowed the range of acceptable views within their walls.

[Elitists, crybabies and junky degrees: Americas political divide on higher education]

Third is the rise of anti-conservative "mobs," "shout-downs" and "illiberal behavior" on campus, as New York University social psychologist Jonathan Haidt describes it. Conservative speakers of various stripes are being harassed and excluded with increasing frequency. "Today, on many college campuses, it is liberals trying to repress conservative ideas," noted former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg at a Harvard address a few years ago. Harvard is actually somewhat better on these issues than many universities  it hasn't had anti-conservative mobs, and it has been relatively respectful of conservative speakers. But even at Harvard, the pervasive progressive orthodoxy chills conservatives' speech in the classroom and hallways.

Fourth is the public contempt of so many university academics for those who fund their subsidies. Paul Krugman, an emeritus professor at Princeton University now at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, as well as a New York Times op-ed columnist, offered a self-described "deep thought" in reaction to a Post article about rising conservative anger at American universities: "Maybe conservatives are turning against learning because learning is incompatible with modern conservative ideology." Krugman's statement was a mere tweet. But in our experience it reflects an attitude that is widespread at elite universities.

We do not believe that every university in the country, or even every department in most universities, reflects the progressive views that we have described. Nor are we expressing a view on the merits of the current tax and spending proposals, which have complex consequences for universities and the public welfare, about which reasonable minds can differ. And Harvard and other private universities of course have every right to adopt a progressive ideology and to enforce it, more or less, by decisions on faculty hiring, student admissions and the allocation of resources.

But educational institutions should not be surprised when these attitudes and behaviors prove unappealing to a Congress and executive branch that are largely in the control of conservatives. Conservative politicians and their constituents hear, on the one hand, that government owes universities a continuance of largesse and, on the other, that conservatives are ignorant, unworthy or corrupt. This sounds suspiciously like special pleading by an intellectual elite that wants to indulge in social criticism at the expense of the criticized, in both figurative and literal senses.

Universities have become distinctively sectarian, limiting their appeal to federal elected officials who do not share those sectarian views and who are less and less willing to pay the universities to trumpet them.
Columnist

Though it has a long way to go, the science that underlies the fight against extremism has made a lot of progress in recent years. Psychologists and social media analysts have found that people become radicalized by other members of a group. People seek out the like-minded, then enter online forums, then become more extreme by reading and communicating with others. As the study of history will also tell you, individuals will do things as part of a mob that they would not do alone.

This is the psychological mechanism the Islamic State and other Islamist terrorist organizations have used to recruit young men online: They offer them membership and a sense of virtual belonging  then they goad them into action. This is also the mechanism far-right groups have used to organize marches, persuade people to wave racist banners  and worse. Thomas Mair  the man who murdered Jo Cox, a British member of Parliament, in 2016  spent his time reading neo-Nazi websites. He was a "loner" who, thanks to the Internet, very much felt himself to be part of a mob.

Analysts can also map the relationship between extremists online, and theyve found that a very small number of social media accounts can be very influential. Sometimes these accounts are unusually engaged or fanatical. But sometimes they are popular because they cross boundaries, posting things from different types of sources, some more mainstream and some more fringe. They have an impact because they normalize the madmen and the conspiracy theorists, give false stories the same status as those that are true, offer tiny grouplets the same exposure as major organizations and, again, enhance their feeling of belonging.

Donald Trump, the president of the United States, runs a Twitter account that functions in exactly this way. Some of the time it is "normal": There are photos of White House Christmas decorations, pictures of Air Force One. But some of the time, it includes videos, memes, conspiracy theories and other material that can only be described as extremist. This Last week, for example, the president retweeted some videos that were originally posted  out of context and misleadingly labeled  by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of a tiny fringe group called Britain First.

Britain First physically harasses British Muslims; last year its members were banned from entering mosques. They march through suburbs holding crosses. Thanks to the ease of Internet conversation, Britain First is also part of an international extremist network. Among other things, Fransen appeared recently at a rally organized by Jacek Miedlar, a former priest whose vicious language won the public condemnation of the Polish Catholic Church.

Does Britain First matter? In real life, not at all. But its Facebook page has nearly 2 million "likes." Quite a few of those may be fake, but that doesn't matter. The page does what it is supposed to do: Gives fans the impression that violent hatred is normal  possibly to deadly effect. When Mair murdered Cox, he was shouting, among other things, the slogan "Britain first." Now that the American president has retweeted Fransen, that normalization may happen faster. Fransen has been widely interviewed and quoted; she has already posted her thanks, her compliments and appeal for more support from @realDonaldTrump.

If the presidents account was not the presidents account, then counter-extremist teams in the British government or at the tech companies would now track it, and might eventually suspend it. After all, it has successfully given extremists some mainstream endorsement. But it is the presidents account. And so British leaders have publicly appealed to the vast majority of the country who oppose extremism, dislike violence and now see Trump as a possible source of both.

"The British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far-right, which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents," said the prime minister, Theresa May. When the president responded by attacking May, dozens of others  members of Parliament, the mayor of London, the archbishop of Canterbury  denounced him. One MP said Trump was "racist, incompetent or unthinking  or all three." Jo Cox's widower warned the British to be wary: "Trump has legitimised the far right in his own country, now he's trying to do it in ours."

Experts in online extremism know that this tactic can work: They would call it the forging of a strong counter-narrative. Others might call it an appeal to patriotism, to solidarity, to another set of values greater and deeper than those propounded by the American president.

To the rest of us, its a diplomatic disaster. It will not only undermine Fransen, it will also undermine Trump, along with the reputation of the United States and the strength of one of Americas oldest diplomatic alliances. When the president behaves like a Twitter troll, we all pay the price.

Read more from Anne Applebaum's archive, follow her on Twitter or subscribe to her updates on Facebook.
Columnist

Great nations and proud democracies fall when their systems become so corrupted that the decay is not even noticed  or the rot is written off as a normal part of politics.

President Trump has created exactly such a crisis. He has not done it alone. The corrosion of norms and values began long before he propelled the nation past the edge, and his own party is broadly complicit in enabling his attacks on truth, decency and democratic values.

In fact, Republicans are taking full advantage of the bedlam Trump leaves in his wake. They are using a twisted process to push through a profoundly flawed tax bill with scant scrutiny.

The convoluted proposal is so generous to the wealthiest interests in the country and so damaging to significant parts of the middle class and the poor that GOP leaders know it would not survive extended debate.

They dare not take on Trump because doing so might derail the pursuit of what are now their partys only driving purposes: court packing, the care and feeding of the privileged, and the gutting of federal social services and regulation. This, too, is a form of corruption, a refusal to face larger questions when partisan political victories are at hand.

We are so inured to the chaos and the lying that characterize Trumps presidency that we see each outrage as little more than another passing episode on an ongoing cable news drama.

But events of just the past few days should remind us that the longer this president is in power, the weaker our country will become.

On Wednesday morning, the nation learned that it has a president who traffics in fascist propaganda  and I am not using the f-word lightly. Trump retweeted three inflammatory anti-Muslim videos of unknown accuracy put out by an ultra-right British group called Britain First.

Britain's Conservative prime minister, Theresa May, was horrified and did not mince words in a statement put out by her office criticizing Trump for distributing "hateful narratives." She added that "British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far-right, which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents: decency, tolerance and respect."

Wed like to think that the United States is also a nation of decency, tolerance and respect. We cant make this claim while Trump is president.

In the meantime, we learned how low the right will sink to advance the interests of accused sexual predator Roy Moore, the Alabama Republican Senate candidate, and to discredit mainstream journalism. Thanks to meticulous reporting, The Post exposed the apparent efforts by conservative activist James O'Keefe to bait the paper into publishing a false account that Moore had a sexual relationship with a woman when she was 15 and encouraged her to have an abortion.

Please think about this: These conservatives are defending the sanctity of life by setting up a woman to lie about having an abortion. In the effort to bring down fair-minded journalism, nothing is sacred. It is another case of corruption, and at an astonishing level.

Recently, my friend (and Brookings Institution colleague) Benjamin Wittes issued a widely noted series of tweets arguing that the left and the right needed to engage in a "temporary truce" to confront the emergency Trump represents and "unite around a political program based on the protection of American democracy and democratic institutions."

I could not agree more. As a liberal, I salute the anti-Trump conservatives (many of them writers) who understand the threat the president poses and have spoken out unequivocally and bravely.

But here's what also needs to be recognized: At the moment, political power in our elected branches (and, in effect, in the Supreme Court) is held by Republicans and conservatives. They are using Trump to push through outlandish policies on taxes and health care. They are lauding Trump's executive orders that scuttle regulations safeguarding consumers, workers and the environment. They are ecstatic about his filling the judiciary with his, and their, allies. Progressives cannot be asked to pretend this isn't happening. We're a long way from a "truce."

It is an unfortunate fact that the corruption Trump exemplifies has seeped deeply into the Republican Party and substantial segments of the conservative movement. The burden is on the responsible right to dismantle the permission structures that are allowing Trump to wreck our democracy, despoil our values and endanger our standing in the world. Otherwise, the people will have to do it themselves by voting his Republican enablers out of office.

Read more from E.J. Dionne's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
The Nov. 24 front-page article "A growing movement" was encouraging to those who want to see more healthy organic food available in stores and farmers markets. Small farms are clearly growing at a very fast pace. "Harvesting Opportunity," a report released this past summer by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, shows that the demand for local food is growing quickly, too. These new farmers will play a critical role in meeting this demand, but they will need support and assistance to scale up their businesses.

The federal government can play an important supporting role by helping these farmers acquire land, learn more about the farm business and obtain crop insurance to avoid being wiped out by a poor growing season. The farm bill, scheduled for renewal in 2018, can accomplish this goal. Unfortunately, the farm bill usually is devoted to supporting big-scale industrial agriculture. Congress must provide much greater support for this new wave of farmers if they are to be successful in the long run. Otherwise, this growing movement will die on the vine.

Douglas Hillmer, Silver Spring
Madeleine K. Albright was secretary of state from 1997 to 2001.

America's diplomatic professionals have issued a dire warning about the crisis facing the State Department: Scores of top diplomats, including some of our highest-ranked career Foreign Service officers, have left the agency at "a dizzying speed" over the past 10 months.

The rapid loss of so many senior officers has a serious, immediate and tangible effect on the capacity of the United States to shape world events, wrote former ambassador Barbara Stephenson, president of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA).

As a former secretary of state, I agree. This is not a story that has two sides. It is simply a fact that the United States relies on diplomacy as our first line of defense  to cement alliances, build coalitions, address global problems and find ways to protect our interests without resorting to military force. When we must use force, as in the fight against the Islamic State, our diplomats ensure that we can do so effectively and with the cooperation of other countries.

Change within the Foreign Service and the State Department's civil service is not unusual. In fact, the system is designed to bring in fresh blood on a regular basis. There is, however, a big difference between a transfusion and an open wound. There is nothing normal about the current exodus. President Trump is aware of the situation and has made clear that he doesn't care: "I'm the only one that matters," he told Fox News.

Sadly, the official who should be highlighting the State Department's vital role has not done so. On Tuesday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson denied that the department is being hollowed out even while defending the president's plan for a massive reduction in his agency's budget. Meanwhile, for reasons that make sense only to him, Tillerson has delayed filling many of the most important diplomatic posts in Washington and overseas. All too often, foreign officials have sought to engage the department at a high level only to find no one with whom they can speak.

The administration's disdain for diplomacy would be alarming under any circumstances, but two factors make it worse. First, while the United States is tying a rope around its feet, our competitors are running ahead. Trump's recent trip to Asia was considered by many a success because there were no obvious disasters, but that is hardly a reassuring standard by which to judge the performance of an American commander in chief. The fact is that on trade and climate change, the U.S. government is now irrelevant; on security issues, we are ineffective; and on the use of cybertools to undercut democracy, we have a president who believes Vladimir Putin.

Second, the damage being done to America's diplomatic readiness is both intentional and long-term. The administration isn't hurting the State Department by accident. Tillerson maintained a freeze on hiring long after most other Cabinet officials had stopped. The number of promotions has been cut in half and the quantity of incoming Foreign Service officers by more than two-thirds. He is effectively shutting down the State Department's pipeline for new talent.

As a professor at Georgetown Universitys School of Foreign Service, I see the consequences of all this firsthand. In the past, my best students have come to me seeking advice on how to enter public service. Now, more and more are telling me they do not see a future for themselves in government. In some cases, this is because they disagree with administration policies, but more often it is because they fear that their efforts and pursuit of excellence would not be valued.

This was never a problem under President Barack Obama or President George W. Bush, but it is a problem now. According to AFSA, the number of individuals taking the Foreign Service exam this year is on track to plummet by more than 50 percent.

If the U.S. military were facing a recruitment and retention crisis of this magnitude, few would hesitate to call it a national security emergency. Well, that is what we are facing. And while it saddens me to criticize one of my successors, I have to speak out because the stakes are so high.

What can we do? We can support bipartisan-minded leaders in Congress who have rejected the reckless cuts the administration proposed in our country's budget for international affairs. We can amplify these warnings about the hollowing out of the State Department. We can strengthen our case by enlisting business leaders who understand the importance of the work our embassies do across the globe. We can help young people understand that time is sure to bring new leaders with more enlightened ideas about the importance of diplomacy and development to the interests and values of the American people.

Whenever my students ask me whether they should serve in government under this administration, I remind them that the reason we love America so much is that, here, the government is not one man or woman. The government is us, and public service is both a great privilege and a shared responsibility. This is our republic. We must do all we can to keep it strong.
JAYDA FRANSEN is the deputy leader of the far-right nationalist party Britain First. In 2016, a British court convicted her of harassment after she yelled abuse at a woman wearing a hijab. One year later, she faces new charges of inciting religious hatred after allegedly distributing racist leaflets and posting hateful videos during a rape trial. On Wednesday, President Trump retweeted three of her Twitter posts promoting anti-Muslim videos.

Mr. Trump's tweets are often absurd and demeaning  both to the targets of his abuse and to those who must ritually respond to the latest instance of unpresidential conduct. The president is skilled at using his Twitter account to sow confusion and anger. But we cannot ignore that some behavior is simply beyond the pale. The office of British Prime Minister Theresa May said it best: "It is wrong for the president to have done this."

Mr. Trump tweeted out three videos posted by Ms. Fransen: "Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!" "Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!" "Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!" The tweets would have been reprehensible in any case. But Ms. Fransen's posts were misleading. The assailant in the first video is not a migrant: Dutch authorities say he was "born and raised in the Netherlands." And the last video shows the death of a teenager in Alexandria, Egypt, during unrest following the 2013 coup against then-President Mohamed Morsi.

As far as the White House is concerned, the truth of Mr. Trump's tweets appears to be beside the point. Whether or not the videos are genuine, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared, "The threat is real, and that's what the president is talking about, the need for national security."

Ms. Sanders is correct that Mr. Trump's tweets have drawn attention to a pressing national problem. Yet the threat in question is posed not by an imagined Muslim menace but by far-right and anti-Muslim ideology. FBI data shows that hate crimes against Muslims have risen sharply for the past two years in a row, reaching their highest level since the 9/11 aftermath. And Mr. Trump's promotion of vicious propaganda risks encouraging further violence and emboldening those who seek to drum up hate. That includes figures such as former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, who crowed over Mr. Trump's refusal to condemn far-right violence in Charlottesville and wrote in response to the president's Wednesday tweets, "Thank God for Trump!"

Decrying Britain First, Ms. May's office stated: "British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far-right, which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents: decency, tolerance, and respect." Those values should guide the behavior of the American president as well. They require an apology from Mr. Trump and a denunciation of Mr. Duke, Ms. Fransen and other figures of hate emboldened by his actions.
On Nov. 9, I filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Washington, seeking to obtain the working documents, correspondence and schedule of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. What's remarkable about my lawsuit is that I'm a member of the commission, and apparently this is the only way I can find out what we're doing.

The commission was formed in May to answer monster-under-the-bed questions about "voter fraud," but the implicit rationale for its creation appears to be to substantiate President Trump's unfounded claims that up to 5 million people voted illegally in 2016. Chaired by Vice President Pence, the commission has the chance to answer questions about potential fraud and to highlight best practices to enhance voter confidence in our election systems. Yet it isn't doing that. Instead, the commission is cloaking itself in secrecy, completely contrary to federal law. Recommendations for changes in public policy  whether you agree with them or not  ought to come through an open, public discussion where any American can weigh in.

As the secretary of state in Maine, I was asked to serve on this 12-member commission by Pences office. Although Im a Democrat, I accepted because I believed that membership would allow me to defend the election process from a position of authority, as a fully informed and engaged participant in the presidents review.

The commission has met just twice, but it's made some waves anyway. Even before we first convened, a June 28 memo, signed by commission Vice Chairman Kris Kobach, prompted fury by requesting detailed voter information from the chief elections officers of all 50 states. The Mississippi secretary of state, Republican Delbert Hosemann, invited the commission to "jump in the Gulf of Mexico," one of many colorful responses. Perhaps more striking is that the memo wasn't written by staff  it was written by individuals who were later named to the commission but who were working outside of government at the time. The letter went out immediately after our first conference call, indicating that Kobach's data-gathering effort was underway before the commission formed. But no one told members of the commission that; I learned about it from the press.

At our first meeting, at the White House complex in July, Trump made clear his motivation for convening the commission: "This issue is very important to me because, throughout the campaign and even after it, people would come up to me and express their concerns about voter inconsistencies and irregularities, which they saw. In some cases, having to do with very large numbers of people in certain states."

The second meeting, held in New Hampshire in September, was electrified by unsubstantiated charges of rampant voter fraud in that state leveled by Kobach, a longtime proponent of the theory that voter fraud is a pressing danger, who also serves as Kansas secretary of state. Strangely, his charges had less to do with how voters in New Hampshire had conducted themselves than with the structure of the state's election laws, which Kobach apparently dislikes. But neither the agenda for that meeting nor the list of witnesses invited to speak was vetted by the commission as a whole before the public session  it just appeared. I've served on many boards and commissions in my nearly 20 years in politics. I've never seen a session where members learned about what would happen in a meeting only when the agenda became public.

Since that meeting, there has been total silence from the leaders and staff of the commission about work happening behind the scenes. After repeated instances of learning about the commissions activities only because reporters asked me about them, I sent a letter to Executive Director Andrew Kossack on Oct. 17 asking for information  including communications between the commissioners and federal agencies  about what the body Im supposed to be a part of is doing. My request was simple: I am seeking information because I lack it; I am asking questions because I do not know the answers. I am a keen observer of the public discourse, and it has been made manifestly clear that there is information about this commission being created and shared among a number of parties, though apparently not universally. Thus, I am in a position where I feel compelled to inquire after the work of the Commission upon which I am sworn to serve, and am yet completely uninformed as to its activities.

More than a week later, on Oct. 25, I received the following reply: I am consulting with counsel regarding a response to your request to ensure any response accords with all applicable law.

That same day, I was forwarded a fundraising email from the conservative Minnesota Voters Alliance touting its invitation to present at our December meeting  the first I had heard that such a meeting was even being contemplated, much less scheduled. When I asked Kossack about our future meetings, he replied that no meeting was scheduled for December. I have yet to hear anything further

Our itinerary isn't the only thing I can't get clear information about. More than a month ago, The Washington Post reported on the arrest in Maryland of a researcher for the commission on charges of possession of child pornography. I can't get answers about the disposition of the case: Is this researcher still employed by the commission? Has he been placed on leave? Has he resigned? I have no idea, as I have not received a response to my query to the commission.

The commission was established by executive order under the auspices of the Federal Advisory Commission Act (FACA), which requires notice of our public meetings, disclosure of our work product and the opportunity for public participation. FACA was written precisely so Americans would know what the government is doing and what it is considering, so we could participate in that process.

One of the agencies that some commissioners have been reportedly working with is the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the implementation of the Real ID Act and has designated state election systems as "critical infrastructure." DHS may decide to enter the field of elections management, under the ubiquitous mantle of "national security."

Without transparency about the commissions actions, how can you find out if a policy is being developed that may require you to have a Real ID-compliant drivers license to vote? Or whether youll have to prove American citizenship at the polls? How will you know about proposed changes to voter registration deadlines or new restrictions on absentee balloting?

Of course, this is politics. But remember, we as American citizens are supposed to own the process. The desire to prevail in an election campaign has led to some sad episodes of voter intimidation and suppression in our countrys history. The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity should endeavor to challenge those fears and answer them, not add to them.

Twitter: @MESecOfState

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Calvert W. Jones, an assistant professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland at College Park, is the author of  Bedouins Into Bourgeois: Remaking Citizens for Globalization .

Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, isn't just consolidating power before his probable ascent to the throne. He's also trying to remake Saudi society. He bluntly told reporters that his country is "not normal." And so, like Ataturk in post-World War I Turkey, the shah in pre-revolutionary Iran and other authoritarian movers and shakers, he's going to modernize his society  and fast.

McKinsey's consultants helped design Vision 2030 , the prince's sweeping reform agenda aimed at ushering Saudi Arabia into a more open, post-petroleum future. Reforms underway emphasize a vibrant private sector, a smaller bureaucracy, curbs on the power of the Wahhabi religious establishment and even the reopening of shuttered cinemas. The crown prince has vowed to restore a more "moderate Islam." No wonder the international community, despite some lingering unease about Mohammed's power grab and disillusionment with his disastrous war in Yemen, generally applauds all this social engineering. Thomas Friedman called it "Saudi Arabia's Arab Spring, at last."

But social engineering is a tricky business, and the outcomes are uncertain. Ataturk succeeded in his equally dramatic efforts to remake Turkey along avowedly Western lines. In Iran, on the other hand, the shahs decadence and modernizing failures triggered a radical backlash that culminated in the Islamic revolution. As it happens, something very similar to the princes project has already been tried  next door, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). What leaders there learned was that a top-down social revolution cant work by fiat; it requires a profound investment in the people it expects to change.

Although Saudi Arabia and the UAE have important differences, they share many of the same social and economic challenges. Both are oil monarchies overwhelmingly dependent on resource wealth; both have socially conservative citizenries and large youth populations in need of jobs. They both face notoriously rigid "rentier" social contracts typical of the Persian Gulf, in which citizens expect government positions in exchange for their acceptance of the authoritarian status quo. But ruling elites decided that the UAE needed to become a more globalized society before the oil ran out, and in 2010, they released their own bold and strikingly similar plan: Vision 2021 . Beginning in 2009, I spent six years studying this effort and tracking its progress.

UAE rulers began, as in Saudi Arabia, with high-profile initiatives promoting knowledge, culture and innovation. For example, to spur the new economy, the UAE built Masdar City , which aims to be the world's first carbon-neutral metropolis, designed to create an ecosystem around renewable energy involving research, innovation, education and product development. Mohammed is developing the city of Neom, which translates roughly as "new future," with a robotics theme and similarly grand aims. On the social front, the UAE appointed a minister of state for tolerance , while the Saudis have the new Center for Moderation. World-class megacities, museums and universities feature heavily in both countries' social-engineering efforts. The centerpiece in the UAE is the man-made Saadiyat Island, which houses the new Zayed National Museum, a New York University satellite campus, and branches of the Louvre and the Guggenheim.

The problem is that authoritarian modernizers cannot simply command a new attitude among their citizens. Opening cinemas and relaxing gender segregation may impress Saudi youth, but a new economy requires far more. Reformers in the UAE eventually realized  as Saudi rulers will discover, too  that they needed to adapt both the mind-sets and the skill sets of the rising generation. In countries where people see a government job as a right, that means reshaping the very nature of citizenship.

Soon after their reforms began, UAE leaders found that few Emiratis were gaining interest in private-sector employment, and most continued to expect jobs in the unsustainable oil-fueled public sector. So they turned to much deeper social engineering to build "globalization-ready " citizens through major reforms to public education, starting with kindergarten. These involve what critics of Arab education systems have long demanded: a student-centered approach that focuses on skills mastery, creativity and problem-solving over the rote memorization of the past. The alterations shrink the emphasis on religion and double down on science, technology, business and vocational skills such as in IT and health care. Importantly, they also promote attitudes such as civic-mindedness, tolerance and entrepreneurialism: New curricula, for instance, are designed to boost volunteerism, community service, respect for diversity and love of country with engaging lessons and hands-on activities. The school calendar is packed with events like the Festival of Thinkers, the Summer of Semiconductors and the Young Entrepreneurs Competition, a nationwide business contest held at the landmark Dubai Mall. Teachers also report successful role-playing in which students have a disagreement and then practice what it means to be tolerant.

Is this deeper process of building globalization-ready citizens working? To find out, I surveyed more than 2,000 Emirati youth, comparing incoming and outgoing cohorts in regular public schools  i.e., the old system  with incoming and outgoing cohorts in public schools that have implemented the new program. This methodology, called difference in differences, is useful because it helps to isolate the effects of social engineering from other forces such as income disparities or maturation. I also interviewed hundreds of ruling elites, education reformers, parents, students, school administrators and teachers, and conducted several focus groups in the schools (in Arabic or English, as students sometimes preferred).

My research yielded several important insights. First, social engineering is better at changing civic attitudes than economic ones. Youth in the new schools ended up more tolerant and civic-minded than their counterparts in the older schools  no small achievement. In my surveys, they declared a new emphasis on tolerance relative to other values and said they planned to spend more time volunteering in their communities. But while students were socially ready for globalization in the leaders eyes, they were not more inclined to think beyond government jobs and compete in the private sector. In fact, they had grown even more supportive of a citizens right to a government job and less interested in entrepreneurship. (These results were all statistically significant, even when demographics and other controls were included.)

So if Mohammed is "gambling that personal freedom will encourage financial responsibility," as Karen Elliott House, a close observer of Saudi Arabia, wrote in the Wall Street Journal, he may need another strategy. Social liberalization does not necessarily mean increased economic productivity.

Why did social engineering backfire when it came to these fundamental economic attitudes? In the UAE, I found that leaders had yoked their efforts to a feel-good nationalism that was essentially a form of self-esteem-building, heaping praise upon citizens and encouraging them to feel pride in their nation and themselves as its citizens. (One teacher reported spending more than a month on a unit called Proud to be an Emirati, and new schools are awash in motivational posters and patriotic banners.) The idea was that such praise-filled nationalism would help persuade young citizens to take on the new and more active roles envisioned for them in a post-oil society.

Being made to feel good about ones country is not necessarily problematic. But excessive praise can have unintended consequences. I found that, while it did not hamper students growing social liberalism, it made them feel overly special  and ultimately even more entitled to the sorts of prestigious government jobs that leaders were trying to wean them off. In focus groups at the reformed schools, students frequently mentioned what they saw as their elevated status, saying that attention from rulers makes the schools special and the students in the schools special. Instead of gearing up to work in the private sector, they said they expected to be rewarded with top-level public posts.

The Saudi plan also appears to see feel-good nationalism as a motivating tool. Vision 2030 is full of over-the-top praise for Saudi Arabia and its people, asserting, for instance, that they will amaze the world. In downgrading the power of the Wahhabi establishment, the crown prince is necessarily moving toward a more secular nationalism as the basis for regime legitimacy. Yet if he wants young citizens to accept risk and seek jobs in the private sector, he would do well to avoid reinforcing their sense of civic entitlement.

Finally, UAE and Saudi social engineers may need to allow wider political participation if they want pro-globalization social engineering to succeed in the long term. The Emirati kids I studied had grown significantly more interested in contributing to public decision-making compared with their anachronistically educated peers. In other words, top-down social engineering can take authoritarian modernizers only so far. To build truly development-friendly mind-sets prepared to compete under conditions of globalization, Saudi rulers are likely to find that they must renegotiate the social contract in more transparent and inclusive ways, going well beyond what government planning alone can accomplish.

cwjones@umd.edu

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Roy Moore supporter Willie Casey is seen on Nov. 11 in Vestavia Hills, Ala., before the Republican Senate candidate spoke at the Mid-Alabama Republican Club. (Cameron Carnes/For The Washington Post)

President Trump has told associates he feels good about the way he has navigated the Alabama Senate race that has riven the Republican Party and is confident he will come out fine no matter what happens in the contest, according to friends and aides he has spoken to this week.

White House advisers have recently shown Trump polls that indicate Republican nominee Roy Moore is trending upward or winning despite allegations from women who say he pursued them or made unwanted sexual advances were they were teenagers and he was in his 30s.

And the president, by leading a charge against Moores opponent, Democrat Doug Jones, has sought to position himself as a champion of Alabamas conservative base, unlike his last foray in Alabama when he backed the loser in the Republican primary.

Trump has said privately that if Moore wins, he would reject any move by Republican leadership to expel him from the Senate and would welcome his support on legislation, according to a senior administration official and a friend who has spoken to him. And if Moore loses, Trump will simply distance himself and remind people that he backed the current senator, Luther Strange, in the primary, these people said.

Trump has also heard from outside advisers like Stephen K. Bannon, his former chief strategist, who have told him that his political base likes Moore and may not react well to Trump going against him. He is nearly obsessed about his base, one senior administration official said.

There are two candidates in this race, and before last week, Doug Jones was skating scot-free and scrutiny free, Kellyanne Conway, the presidents counselor, said in an interview. Now people must focus on his record and the promise that he would be a doctrinaire liberal, as the president made clear. As with Trump versus Clinton, turning that race around from a referendum on him to a referendum on her was key to victory.

The move has been welcomed by the Moore campaign and aligns with the message Moore is driving in Alabama  a relentless focus on Joness relatively liberal positions on health care, immigration, abortion and transgender rights. Trump and the Moore campaign are sharing a strategy of making the race about Jones.

We are done with the garbage that has been dished out by some folks, so we are focused on the issues and that is what the campaign is going to be about, said Moore campaign chairman Bill Armistead. He is going to define who he is and what he stands for and what his opponent stands for.

White House political director Bill Stepien has circulated polls that emphasize how popular Trump is among Moore voters, along with Moores improving position in the race. Conway has told Trump that the people who want Moore out of the race also wanted him out of the race, White House officials say.

As a result, Trump has grown convinced that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and others have overplayed their hands in repudiating Moore, according to several people who have spoken with him. White House advisers laugh privately at what one aide calls McConnells Kabuki dance moves to get Moore off the ballot, noting that congressional Republicans couldnt even repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Trump has also told advisers that he doesnt want to be viewed by Moore as part of the Republican establishment that the former Alabama Supreme Court judge constantly rails against.

Many Republicans have cast the issue as a moral one, saying Moores conduct is reprehensible and that sexual misconduct is more important than a seat. Trump has not seemed as concerned, instead focusing on whether Moore can win.

Trump is also concerned that fewer Republicans in the Senate could bring headlines that say, "Oh, Trump can't get anything done," in the words of one adviser. McConnell allies scoff at the idea that Trump cares about having a GOP majority, noting that he has campaigned against Republicans and didn't take an opportunity to appoint a Democratic senator to a Cabinet spot.

The presidents current position runs counter to a decision he made two weeks ago during his trip to Asia to sign off on the Republican National Committees decision to cut ties with Moore  a move that hobbled the candidates get-out-the-vote and data operations. Trump has no personal loyalty to Moore and has even criticized him behind his back, according to one person who spoke to the president. A trip was determined by the presidents aides to be too risky, several said, and Trump didnt relish returning to Alabama, where he regrets the Strange endorsement.

But after returning from Asia, Trumps position began to shift. He wants to keep his current calculation, one person who spoke to Trump said. Of being helpful, but not over the line. Of being helpful, but not being out there praising Roy Moore. Of trying to help Moore win, but not being down there in Alabama.

Inside the White House, the initial calculation were that the accusations first published by The Washington Post could crush Moore's candidacy and that Trump didn't want to be associated with a loser. But now, as "every day goes on, it gets further and further away from the accusations," one official said, "and the polls improve."

The White House has also relished the media attention on Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and others accused of sexual misconduct. One outside adviser compared the situation to Trumps rebound during the campaign from the Access Hollywood videotape, where Trump could be heard bragging about assaulting women. One senior White House aide said new accusations also made it easier for Moores campaign to question the accusers.

Its like this overwrought reaction, where everybody is telling voters this is all you should care about, one senior official said. Trump keeps busy telling voters about other things, too.

Two people who have spoken to Trump say he is less concerned about veracity of the accusations against Moore than how they will affect the candidates standing in the race. Several aides and advisers to Trump said the current strategy was to continue criticizing Jones while not committing to doing anything for Moore.

Josh Holmes, a former top adviser to McConnell who has been critical of Moore, said Republicans in Washington are resigned to letting the race play out.

Everybody in D.C. is done. Period, said Holmes. There are no more conversations happening about Alabama in D.C. There is nothing anyone in D.C. can do about it.

The Moore campaign has been trying to raise money off the president's newfound support. An email sent Wednesday from Moore to readers of Breitbart, the conservative website run by Bannon, carried the subject line, "President Trump punches back at my opponent."

Locally, Trumps comments have had less impact and Moore did not mention them at his last campaign rally on Monday. Jon Gray, a Republican consultant who has been polling the race for local television networks, said he saw no indication that Trumps recent comments were swaying state voters.

They are done, they dont want to hear anything and they are not going to change their vote, Gray said. They care more about the direction of the country than trying to determine whether or not the accusers are telling the truth.

Moore has denied any sexual misconduct and his advisers have tried to discredit several of his accusers. Moore has also said he knew at least two of the accusers at the time and may have dated teenagers while in his 30s but that he does not remember any specific instance.
The swiftness with which NBC got rid of marquee morning host Matt Lauer on Wednesday amid accusations of sexual harassment stands in stark contrast to the slow-rolling justice playing out against political figures of both parties.

That disparity also underscores how the burgeoning national conversation around sexual abuse has both elevated the issue and muddied the question of how to deal with it proportionally and consistently.

New charges are coming from nearly every direction: the political world, newsrooms, Hollywood, Silicon Valley. And they describe a wide variety of behavior, including rape, unwelcome kisses, sexual advances toward minors, and grabbing a breast or buttock.

We have to preserve the uniqueness of every situation. Thats at the heart of this, said Democratic strategist Tracy Sefl, who is on the board of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), which operates a national sexual assault hotline. In this climate that were in, everything has been lumped together. Then people look at it as if those crimes are all the same.

The tribal nature of todays politics, meanwhile, has offered a kind of immunity to charges that, if corroborated, would put an abrupt end to the career of someone in any other field. As the net has spread and enveloped prominent Democrats and Republicans, sexual abuse allegations are turning into yet another battle in a zero-sum partisan war where distinctions are often lost between egregious acts and lesser offenses.



NBC announced on Wednesday morning that longtime Today host Matt Lauer had been fired after allegations of sexual misconduct. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

One of the problems right now in dealing with this in politics is that there have been so many contradictions in what is accepted and what is not accepted, said Risa L. Lieberwitz, a Cornell University professor of employment law.

Outside politics, clearer standards are in place. That is one reason figures such as movie producer Harvey Weinstein, NPR news chief Michael Oreskes, television personality Charlie Rose and now Lauer were dealt with so quickly, once allegations against them surfaced.

Physical assault is illegal. And while workplace rules are far from airtight or consistent, they are based on guidelines that have been spelled out over decades by the courts, federal and state laws, and corporate human-resource policies.

Under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which bans employers from discriminating on the basis of sex, it has been deemed illegal to make unwanted physical contact with workers, to make hiring or promotion decisions contingent on sexual favors, or to take retribution on those who rebuff sexual advances. Employers can also be held liable if they do not take measures to guard against a hostile workplace.

At the same time, the Supreme Court has ruled that Title VII does not go so far as guaranteeing what the late Justice Antonin Scalia called a general civility code for the American workplace.

That means a misguided joke or clumsy pass by a co-worker will not necessarily touch a legal tripwire, although it might run afoul of a companys policies. It also suggests, some experts say, that lines should be drawn between boorish acts that happened once or twice among acquaintances or co-workers and a pattern of abusive behavior by a boss.

There is definitely a distinction to be made, said Equal Employment Opportunity Commission member Chai Feldblum, who co-chaired the EEOCs task force studying harassment in the workplace, which issued a report in 2016. Not every act of harassment deserves the same [treatment], because people need to feel the system is fair.



Democratic Rep. John Conyers, the longest-serving member of the House, is seen on a plane to Detroit on Nov. 28. Conyers missed two roll-call votes in the House on Tuesday night and was photographed by a passenger boarding a flight to Detroit. (Dennis Lennox/AP)

On the EEOCs website, traffic on content related to sexual harassment has quadrupled since October, Feldblum added.

This new attention to the issue is also prompting businesses to rethink their policies.

Theyre looking again to make sure that what their policies are and what their cultures demand are actually happening in the workplace, said Kelly Marinelli, a consultant on personnel issues who advises the Society for Human Resource Management.

In politics, on the other hand, the initial impulse of each side has been to circle around its own while declaring that the transgressions of the other are disqualifying.

Democrats argue that actions for which Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) has apologized should not end his career as long as President Trump is allowed to sit in the White House. Republicans say Democrats who are in full cry over allegations against Trump showed no such regard for the parade of women who accused former president Bill Clinton of similar behavior.

Two key tests are in the offing that could show whether new attention to the issue has shifted the political calculation.

In Alabama, GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore, fighting allegations of sexual misbehavior with teenagers, has adopted Trumps strategy of calling his accusers politically motivated liars; a Dec. 12 special election will determine whether it works.

And the senior member of the House, Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) is teetering near resignation as more and more former staff members step forward with accusations that he made unwanted sexual advances.

[How Congress plays by different rules on sexual harassment and misconduct]

The allegations against Conyers and Franken have presented Democrats with a quandary. They have attacked Trump and Moore on the issue, and some in the party fear they risk losing the high ground if they tolerate transgressions in their own ranks.

For politicians and their parties, due process comes at the ballot box.

Voters decide who gets to serve them in office, said GOP consultant Katie Packer Beeson. These offices should represent the best America has to offer. We shouldnt be dumbing this down so any creep can hold office.

Beeson  a vocal critic of the president  argues that questions about Trump have been settled but that Franken, who has begun to face allegations only in recent days, should resign.

What makes Frankens situation different from Trumps is that this information was out there about Trump, she said. The voters made a decision about Trump.

Congress is in an unusual situation. It gets to make its own rules for handling sexual misconduct complaints and exempts itself from the workplace rules that often apply to others.

The current procedures put the accuser in the excruciating situation of having to undergo mediation with the accused person, guarantee anonymity for the alleged perpetrator and put the taxpayer on the hook for any settlement.

Republican Newt Gingrich, who was House speaker when the regulations passed in 1995, says he does not recall precisely how they came about. But he recognized the instincts at work: Remember: Every member of Congress starts with the paranoia that somebody could come out of nowhere, make an allegation and you are in danger of losing your reelection.

The congressional ethics process also tends to move slowly. In the 1990s, for instance, it took nearly three years from the time that sexual harassment allegations surfaced against Sen. Bob Packwood (R-Ore.) to his ultimate resignation.

In the current outcry, the balance of power could be shifting in sexual abuse cases. The House on Wednesday approved legislation to require sexual harassment training of members and their staffs.

The question now is whether it will go further, as some of its members want, making public the identities of lawmakers who settle sexual harassment complaints and requiring them to pay those settlements out of their own funds.

Sexual harassment has no place in any workplace  let alone the United States Congress, Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) said Wednesday. That is an easy declaration to make, but one that remains a long way from being a reality.
President Trump speaks at a campaign rally for Sen. Luther Strange in Huntsville, Ala., on Sept. 22. Strange lost the GOP primary to Roy Moore. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

President Trump isnt going to Alabama to campaign for Roy Moore. But hes planning to get about as close as you can to the state line.

Trump is expected to hold a campaign-style rally in Pensacola, Fla., about 20 miles from the Alabama line, next Friday. The rally is four days ahead of the Dec. 12 special election in Alabama, where Moore faces Democrat Doug Jones.

At the Dec. 8 rally, advisers said, the president is likely to attack national Democrats and may attack Jones. It is unclear whether Trump will specifically praise Moore.

Pensacola is in the same media market as Mobile, Ala., which could allow Trump to reach Alabama voters without having to actually travel to the state and specifically rally for Moore.

Trump has held fewer rallies in recent months but misses the no-holds-barred feel and the response from the crowds, according to aides.

A White House spokesman declined to comment.

Earlier this week, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump wouldnt have time to campaign for Moore.

"The President is not planning any trip to Alabama at this time," she told reporters Monday. "And, frankly, his schedule doesn't permit him doing anything between now and Election Day."

Trump has been buoyed by Moore's climb in the polls and has said he believes his tacit support of the nominee, who is accused of sexual misconduct with teenagers while he was in his 30s, has been good for him. His office has previously said Trump will not campaign for Moore in Alabama and some of Trump's advisers have worried about the race.

White House officials now say Trump thinks Moore will be the likely victor.
House Democratic leaders called on Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) to resign Thursday, increasing pressure on the veteran lawmaker to leave office amid multiple allegations that he sexually harassed female aides.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and her three deputies, including the Houses highest-ranking African American, Rep. James E. Clyburn (S.C.), said Conyers must step down, after one of his accusers detailed her experience on national television.

Zero tolerance means consequences for everyone, Pelosi said at a news conference. No matter how great the legacy, it is no license to harass or discriminate. In fact, it makes it even more disappointing.

Clyburn noted that Conyers, 88, had already stepped down as the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. I told Conyers several days ago that I thought it was in his best interest that he do the same for his constituents that he did for his colleagues here, he said.

[Conyers has no plans to resign, intends to fight allegations, attorney says]

Conyers, the longest-serving member of Congress, is accused of mistreating female aides over two decades, including alleged episodes of verbal abuse, inappropriate touching and sexual advances. He has denied wrongdoing and said through his attorney Thursday that he has no plans to resign or retire from the House.

It is not up to Nancy Pelosi. Nancy Pelosi did not elect the congressman, and she sure as hell wont be the one to tell the congressman to leave, Arnold Reed, the attorney, told reporters outside the Conyers home in Detroit.

Still, calls for Conyerss resignation kept emerging, including from rank-and-file members of the House and the head of a powerful liberal super PAC.

Priorities USA Chairman Guy Cecil tweeted that Conyers should resign, along with Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), who has been accused of inappropriately touching multiple women.

This is not complicated, Cecil tweeted Thursday. Conyers should resign. Franken should resign . . . Hypocrisy on the other side doesnt justify hypocrisy on our side. Period.

Together with Franken, Conyers has become a central figure in the debate over how Congress should address allegations of sexual harassment by lawmakers and their aides.

[Sen. Al Franken accused of groping again  this time by an Army veteran]

Both Franken and Conyers are under investigation by congressional ethics committees, but it remains unclear whether the allegations will force them from office.

On Thursday, the Senate Ethics Committee confirmed that it has launched a preliminary inquiry into Frankens behavior, and a handful of House Democrats  including Democratic Caucus Chairman Joseph Crowley (N.Y.)  called for him to resign, along with Conyers. Asked about such calls, Franken declined to comment.

After a fifth woman accused Franken on Thursday morning of inappropriate touching, his office said he has never intentionally engaged in this kind of conduct. Later in the morning, the website Jezebel quoted an unnamed former elected official in New England who said that Franken tried to give her a wet, open-mouthed kiss onstage at an event in 2006.

Reed suggested that Conyers deserves the same treatment from Democratic leaders as Franken, who has not come under equal pressure to resign.

At the end of the day, I would suspect that Nancy Pelosi is going to have to explain what is the discernible difference between Al Franken and John Conyers, Reed said.

Meanwhile, another congressman whose behavior has come under scrutiny said Thursday that he would not seek reelection.

There are enough people who lost faith in me that its time to step aside, said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.), who had shared explicit photos of himself with a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair. The photos later circulated online. Bartons comments were reported by the Dallas Morning News.

[After sex revelations, GOP Rep. Joe Barton of Texas says he will retire from House seat]

Conyers has been hospitalized in the Detroit area for a stress-related illness, according to a family spokesman, who confirmed the news just as a woman who settled a sexual harassment complaint with him in 2015 identified herself publicly for the first time on national television.

In an interview with NBCs Today show, former Conyers aide Marion Brown said Conyers touched her inappropriately and invited her to a Chicago hotel room to discuss business before propositioning her for sex.

He asked me to satisfy him sexually, Brown told NBC. He pointed to areas of, genital areas of his body, and asked me to, you know, touch it. It was sexual harassment, violating my body, propositioning me for sex.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) also said that Conyers should step down, noting that he had heard Browns interview. I think he should resign. I think he should resign immediately, Ryan told reporters Thursday. Ive just been briefed on the torrent of allegations, and I think he should.

Were Conyers to resign, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) would call a special election to replace him. State law does not put a timeline on the decision. In July 2012, when Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R) resigned from his Detroit area seat, Snyder left the seat vacant until the Nov. 6 general election, when a Democrat won the remaining two months of McCotters term.

The law is similar to New York's. When Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) resigned in March 2010 amid allegations that he had groped and tickled male staffers, Gov. David Paterson (D) put the replacement election on the November ballot. Paterson was criticized for the decision, which left Massa's district without a U.S. House member for eight months.

Clyburn said Thursday that he still stands by Conyers as a friend, though hes calling for his resignation.

Im not going to ever step away from a friend because he made a mistake. Even if he made more than one, Clyburn said. So my friendship with him, I maintain. And youre always disappointed when you friends have this kind of luck. That doesnt mean you dont stand by them.

The Congressional Black Caucus has not called on Conyers to resign.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who worked with Conyers to get 2018 Democratic candidates to sign on to a universal health-care bill, suggested that Conyers would taint his 53-year-long progressive record if the scandal continued.

I hope he will do the right thing for his own legacy, Khanna said in an interview. He was the only person who Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had campaigned for in the United States Congress. He hired Rosa Parks. I hope, at the twilight of his career, he will reflect on his legacy.

Meanwhile, Conyers's accusers have continued to draw media attention. One of the women, Deanna Maher, described an alleged incident in a television interview Wednesday night.

It was violent, in my mind, she told Fox News. For [Conyers] to grab you . . . and force you against the wall and stick his tongue down my throat at my age, which I was 61 at the time, that was pretty devastating. I cant tell you how ashamed I felt, dirty.

On Thursday morning, Conyers family spokesman Sam Riddle said the congressman was hospitalized in part because of this media assault over the harassment allegations. Conyerss attorney said the congressman had been dizzy, lightheaded and short of breath before he came to the hospital late Wednesday night.

"If the media would take the time to go after pedophiles, known pedophiles . . . you might have something and you could leave congressman Conyers alone," Riddletold reporters outside the lawmaker's Detroit home.

Mike DeBonis and Ed OKeefe contributed to this report.

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1 of 12 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Spaces designed to aid work-life balance View Photos Museum of the Bible artist gets divine inspiration from his home office. Caption Museum of the Bible artist gets divine inspiration from his home office. Katherine Frey Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.

Working from home has become as ordinary as having a job in the first place. No one blinks at a request to go remote part time, because traditional separations between work and home are softening.

But what if you must live and work under the same roof full time? If you need a work surface the size of a ping-pong table, or you need running water, or your boss at the headquarters out of town just plain doesnt want to pay rent for your office anymore? How do you meld your working space with your home?

Jerry Zremski, bureau chief for the Buffalo News and a former National Press Club president, confronted this reality.

For years, we had a two-reporter, plus intern, bureau in the National Press Building, but in March 2010, I started working at home. My employers felt it made financial sense, he said, sitting behind his spacious white desk.

It was a big sacrifice. This was a guest bedroom, he said gesturing around the 10-by-12-foot bright and airy room. Now I give up my bedroom for guests.

Years ago, Zremski renovated his two-bedroom Logan Circle condo. So he brought back Natalya Mumzhiu with NM Design Studio and asked her to rethink the second bedroom.

I wanted it to look like an office, because if it was just me and my laptop at the kitchen table, it wouldnt feel like work, he said.

Jerry called and said he was moving his office into the house, Mumzhiu said. I also work from home and know how important it is to have a pleasant, organized and professional space.

[Top-of-the-market condos, with a top-of-the-market restaurant downstairs]

She placed the desk perpendicular to the windows so he could look outside all the time with just a turn of his head, she said.

I told her I needed a lot of room for files, and she said, Ill invent something,  Zremski said.



WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 14: Built-ins include cubbies for paper, a cork board and bookcases at Larry Kirkland's home office/studio November 14, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

She made a desk from an Ikea kitchen countertop and set it over three file cabinets. She built wood shelves onto the walls and covered cabinets with frosted glass doors. Glass creates a peaceful atmosphere and tricks the eye, making the space look bigger than it really is, she said.

This is an office 100 percent. If you looked just at this room, youd see an office and never guess it was in a condo, he said.

Artist Larry Kirkland designs monumental site-specific installations for institutions around the world. His 40-foot-high bronze doors, etched in Latin verse from the first page of Genesis in the Gutenberg Bible, form the entrance to the new Museum of the Bible on Fourth Street SW.

He conceives these works in a light-filled double garage-sized studio  designed by architect Michael Lee Beidler  that joins his Northwest Washington house with translucent glass pocket doors. So I keep the light between the two spaces, Kirkland said.

The rectangular studio is bookended by walls of paned windows and doors that face a porch on one side and a yard on the other.

The space is magnificent for my private working world and our home life, he said. Kirkland lives with his partner, Brendan Doyle. We transform it for dinner parties and holiday meals. We had Brendans retirement party here. That was the bar, he said, pointing to the drafting table piled with drawings and books.

A huge eggshell-colored metal layout table on wheels dominates the space and is Kirklands primary working area. They roll it onto the porch for their 30-person Thanksgiving dinner. Now its covered with pieces of the bronze doors, slabs of engraved granite and a model for an addition to the D.C. Superior Court.

[What home buyers can get for $1 million]

The giant 9-foot-high, 18-foot-long wall behind the layout table is my pin-up wall. In the future, when we sell the house  I know we wont live here forever  a family can open up the space with a fireplace or windows, Kirkland said.



Artist Larry Kirkland has several work stations in his home office/studio. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

Roommates, partners, even spouses can sometimes be problematic. I think if one works at home, you have to separate your places and be disciplined. Now that Brendan is home more often, hell barge in and say, Lets have lunch. But I dont want lunch. My idea of lunch is to stand at the kitchen sink, eat half a sandwich and not dirty any utensils so I dont have to worry about cleaning up.

Edmond van der Bijl, an entrepreneur, innovator and artist who paints, sculpts and creates video, also contends with family at home

Occasionally, he rents a studio, but mostly he works from the Northwest house he shares with his wife, Arianna, and two small children.

I try to set up a little corner in a room thats dedicated to me, where I can lock the door. But its not a private office or a cocoon. People walk through, he said.

As we speak, I can hear my son crying, and its killing me. Parenthood makes your life less comfortable, but artistry isnt about being comfortable. Its about stretching your creativity and powers of observation and getting comfortable with things not being perfect.

A current project, "Once Around the Block," is a video interview series he conducts with friends, acquaintances and random meet-ups on street corners around the globe ( onceatb.com). "I create practically the entire piece on my phone  shoot the video, produce the segment, photo-edit  then finish it at home on my computer," van der Bijl said.

[Adults who opt not to have kids cause ripple effects in U.S. housing market]

Ann Lauer works in the basement of her Baltimore house. I require a lot of tools  chisels, razor knives, awls  plus water, rolls of cane, rush, cord, rattan and wicker. Its messy, so its perfect to work down there, she said. Lauer has been weaving, caning and repairing antique chairs for 40 years.

I set up a large shop across the basement. At the back end is a sink. In the middle is a large table and lots of chairs. I have a TV because some of my work is time-consuming and tedious, she said. I watch movies to keep me company.

Some people dont even try to separate work from home. Lauer is one. My work is always around. Customers call me all the time, evenings, weekends, holidays and occasionally at 7:30 in the morning, she said. Im super-disciplined. I get up and start working. But I like my work, so it doesnt bother me. And I have an active social life.

Zremski tries to demarcate the end of a working day with a distinct break. He goes to the gym or meets friends. Its difficult to really make the separation between work and home, especially when the commute between my bedroom and desk is 10 seconds. The unavoidable result is that the personal blends with the work, he said.

I try not to come into my office when Im not working, but if I need the recipe for Thai basil chicken I cant help it, he said, because his recipe folder is on the computer. Then, of course, he checks email.

The evolving state of workplaces has led to a remote-friendly culture, a lot of give-and-take and self-imposed rules.

Van der Bijl said: The entrepreneurial nature of working out of the house forces you to make the most of situations that arent always ideal, but hustling to be creative elicits the best of people.
Smoke billows over Gaza City after Israel's military targeted Hamas posts in Gaza in retaliation to mortar rounds fired from the Palestinian enclave. (Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images)

Israel said it bombed six targets in Gaza on Thursday in response to a volley of mortar fire from Palestinian militants, as tensions escalate in the coastal enclave.

About a dozen mortar rounds were fired Thursday afternoon at Israeli army forces involved in construction work along the fence that separates Israel from Gaza, according to Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a spokesman for the Israeli military. There were no casualties, he said.

Conricus said the mortars probably were fired in retaliation for Israel's destruction a month ago of an attack tunnel that snaked from Gaza into Israel that the Islamic Jihad militant group was building. Seven Palestinians were killed in the initial attack, and Israel later said it had recovered the bodies of five more militants who were reported missing.

After the mortar fire, Israeli jets targeted four military sites belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Conricus said. Later on Thursday evening, the army said it also had struck two "terror infrastructure targets." At least two Palestinians were injured, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

Israel and Hamas, the militant Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip, have fought three wars since 2008. But the tunnel incident also has increased friction between Israel and Islamic Jihad, the second-largest militant group in the strip, which had threatened revenge for the deaths of its fighters.

The Israel Defense Forces sees this as a severe event, Conricus said of the mortar fire. We know exactly who conducted this attack, down to their names, but we hold Hamas responsible for any hostility from Gaza.

Daud Shehab, the leader of Islamic Jihad in Gaza, said the Zionist aggression was an attempt to distract from the killing of a Palestinian man in the West Bank by settlers earlier in the day.

The Palestinian resistance has the full right to defend and respond to this dangerous escalation. The occupation bears responsibility, he said.

A few days after the tunnel bombing, Israels military said it was holding onto the bodies of the five militants, which could be used as a bartering tool to secure the release of the bodies of two Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza during the 2014 summer war and three Israeli civilians who disappeared in the enclave between 2014 and 2016.

Israel has been developing technology to detect and destroy tunnels since its 2014 war with Hamas, when the groups members used underground warrens to launch attacks and defend themselves from airstrikes. A total of 67 Israeli soldiers and six Israeli civilians were killed in the conflict, while 2,251 Palestinians died, according to the United Nations.

Israel also is building an underground barrier to prevent tunnels from crossing into Israel.

Balousha reported from Gaza. Loveday Morris in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Read more:

Seven Palestinian militants killed as Israel blows up tunnel from Gaza

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When asked how they first met and formed their duo, Nation of Two, now-married musicians Jessee Havey and Nathaniel Good immediately look at each other, their faces very nearly turning into the real-life equivalent of the heart-eyes emoji.

We were at our friends place  she had people over and said I really had to meet him, Havey explains.

There is a real sense of community here and its refreshing, its nice. Nathaniel Good

They said the same thing to me about you, Good adds with a chuckle.

It should be noted the aforementioned friends place was in Florida, where Good was living at the time and where Winnipeg-based Havey had performed at a festival with her then-band, the Duhks (who won a Grammy Award in 2005 and were nominated again in 2007).

The two hit it off, and over the span of a few years, their strong friendship developed into a full-fledged, long-distance romance.

It felt like a really long time (doing long-distance) but it wasnt that long, Havey says with a laugh. I was living with my folks at the time and my dad would make fun of me because I was constantly on FaceTime; like, it was attached to me.

It was during that time that Havey and Good began writing the songs that would end up on their debut EP as Nation of Two, Spirit and Mind  four of the five tracks on the record are essentially love letters to each other, while the fifth, Its About Time, was finished by Good last year, just in time for them to perform the track together at their wedding reception here in Winnipeg, where they now live together.

Good, a West Virginia native, has lived in Winnipeg for about 18 months, but says it felt like an obvious decision to choose the city as their home base. He was taken aback by the local music scene almost immediately.

I was blown away by the music community here. Almost every time I go out I see someone who is absolutely talented There is a real sense of community here and its refreshing, its nice, he says.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Nathaniel Good and Jessee Havey, of the local folk duo Nation of Two, began writing songs while dating long distance. Theyre now married and living in Winnipeg.

One of the first shows I went to when I got here was at Times Change(d); we went to see Jaxon Haldane, and he said something that kind of summed it up for me. I think he had just come back to Winnipeg after being in the States for a while but he said something to the effect of, Ive been all over the place and as far as talent goes, I come back to Winnipeg to get my ass kicked. Im consistently impressed by people here.

Nation of Two will be taking the stage at the next Free Press Sunday Brunch Collective on Dec. 17. Havey says they will, of course, run through the tracks on Spirit and Mind, but are also armed with a collection of songs theyve yet to record, as well as a host of cover tunes theyve been sliding into their sets over the past year.

Something else about him coming into the music scene, there have been a few, either tribute shows or collective shows  I think four or five now  but just these shows where its all these different artists, either playing music on a theme or covering, and thats been just such a cool way for him to be embraced and meet people, says Havey, who has been an active musician in Winnipeg for more than a decade and now also works at the West End Cultural Centre as the community outreach, fundraising and sponsorship co-ordinator.

Its a great way for me to introduce myself and immerse myself in the local music scene, says Good. It was sort of overwhelming at first  a jumbled mess of names and faces in my head and Im constantly trying to connect the dots. But I think Im getting better.

erin.lebar@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @NireRabel

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Jewish students at the University of Winnipeg say they are on edge following the airing of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories on the schools radio station, a student representative said.

It was blatantly anti-Semitic and could potentially pose a threat for Jewish students on campus, said Sophie Hershfield, a student representative at University of Winnipeg for Hillel Winnipeg, a branch of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg.

CKUW 95.9 FMs program Where Angels Fear to Tread interviewed Toronto conspiracy theorist Sydney White on Nov. 11. During the broadcast, White repeated numerous anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and tropes.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Sophie Hershfield, a student representative for Hillel Winnipeg at the U of W, says Jewish students are concerned about rising anti-Semitism.

The host of the program  April Cherpaw  did not challenge or disagree with Whites claims.

There have been these kinds of incidents in the past, so I think that maybe left people a little more concerned this time around, Hershfield said.

There was an incident last year (at U of W) where graffiti was going up that said, 99 per cent of the one per cent is Jewish. It also had a link to this anti-Semitic conspiracy theory website that was similar to things said on-air. So I know Jewish students were concerned that this was popping up again on campus.

She went on to say the university has dealt with on-campus anti-Semitism well in the past, which is reassuring for students. Nonetheless, she continued, the rise of anti-Semitism in the country  with 2016 being the worst recorded year, according to Bnai Brith Canada  has left some nervous. According to Bnai Brith Canadas annual audit of anti-Jewish incidents, 2016 was a record setting year in the country, with 1,728 acts of anti-Semitism.

That broke the record of 1,627 set in 2014.

Research released by Statistics Canada Tuesday showed an increase in police-reported anti-Semitic hate crime nationally and in Manitoba.

Anti-Jewish hate crime was the most common form to be reported by police last year, with 221 incidents across Canada and nine in Manitoba. In 2015, there were only two anti-Semitic hate crimes reported by police in the province.

Winnipeg has had a string of anti-Semitic incidents in 2017.

In January, Winnipeg police investigated an incident in which a rock was painted with anti-Semitic statements and left outside a familys home.

In February, a swastika and an anti-Semitic message was carved into fresh snow in the St. Vital neighbourhood. In addition, Mayor Brian Bowman denounced as disturbing anti-Semitic graffiti found on a number of city benches and sidewalks in August.

Generally things have been dealt with pretty well, I think. But with incidents popping up more often, with 2016 being the worst year for anti-Semitism in Canada, there has been some concern that this stuff is on the rise, Hershfield said.

Some people are slightly more on-edge than usual and hyper-aware of these things because of the spike in incidents. I think theres been a bit of a growing fear amongst young people Ive spoken to about anti-Semitism in Winnipeg. I think people still feel generally safe, just maybe not as safe as they used to.

In response to the broadcasting of anti-Semitic content on the station, CKUW suspended Cherpaw and her show for six weeks. She also stepped down from the stations board of directors. Bnai Brith Canada commended the decision.

A spokesman for the Jewish service organization will appear on-air at the station to discuss the incident and the rise of anti-Semitism.

Despite the six week suspension, however, the station has made clear that after going through an internal process Cherpaw may be welcomed back onto the air. CKUW is partly funded by mandatory student fees transferred from the University of Winnipeg Students Association.

I want to clarify that although the CKUW is often a partner of the UWSA, it is a separate organization. The UWSA does not have any influence over CKUWs operations or programming, wrote Laura Garinger, the student association president.

To be clear, the UWSA does not accept this sort of speech in our spaces or from our groups. Its very unfortunate to hear about this sort of discussion happening on campus.

CKUW is a non-commercial, university-based, volunteer-run station.

ryan.thorpe.media@mail.com
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OTTAWA  Energy Minister Jim Carr will visit Churchill Friday, the first federal cabinet minister to do so since the northern Manitoba town lost its rail lifeline May 23.

Carr first pledged to visit the town of 900 on the shore of Hudson Bay during an Oct. 13 visit to the Free Press editorial board, saying hed be going the following week.

In a release Thursday morning, the federal granting agency Western Economic Diversification revealed Carr will announce new funding aiming to benefit food security, scientific research and education, as well as economic development in northern Manitoba.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Minister of Natural Resources Jim Carr will visit Churchill.

The government would not provide any more detail Thursday. The announcement was initially planned for the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, which sits outside the town, but was moved to the main complex that houses almost all municipal services in Churchill.

Carr, a Winnipeg MP who is the sole Manitoban in the federal cabinet, will visit the town for roughly 10 hours, according to sources familiar with the trip.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined an invitation from Churchill Mayor Mike Spence this summer, but instead promised in late July a solution to the railway crisis. Industry Minister Navdeep Bains visited the town in September 2016 to announce a fund to alleviate the effect of layoffs at the Port of Churchill.

Former prime minister Stephen Harper visited Churchill in August 2010.

Spence said Carr will meet with the towns council, locals and businesses.

We have had a strong and important relationship with the federal government during this period of instability, Spence wrote in an email, adding Ottawa has made important commitments to our region.

He said the feds are of the same mind as locals, in seeing business opportunities as a result of changing climate patterns.

It is unknown whether Carr will announce a major announcement relating to Ottawas bid to get the Hudson Bay Railway and Port of Churchill into local hands.

On Nov. 16, Carr announced Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings Inc. has expressed interest in partnering with a consortium of two northern Manitoba groups.

It was the first public sign of progress since the Liberals started a process two months earlier to negotiate the transfer of both assets into local hands. But just days earlier, both Ottawa and Denver-based rail-line owner Omnitrax filed multimillion-dollar legal claims alleging the other had sabotaged the railway.

Carrs visit comes amid what Manitoba Sen. Patricia Bovey has called an emergency humanitarian situation, after observing rising costs and limited employment options that have sent families south.

Starting this month, a litre of gas costs more than $2, and grocery costs remain much higher than before the spring washout, despite a federal fresh-food subsidy. The local school lost 10 per cent of its pupils this year.

Ottawa has dispatched a civil servant to indefinitely help business find economic opportunities, and connect residents with federal services. Winnipeg shipping industries are also fretting the loss of their Nunavut customer base, with almost all goods going through Montreal-area ports.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
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A new act aims to cut red tape at child-care centres.

Families Minister Scott Fielding introduced the Child Care Standards Amendment Act Wednesday, declaring he will slash red tape without lowering quality and safety standards in child care.

Centres with a good track record would face licence renewal every three years instead of annually; there would be no more duplication among regulations; and the province could step in to take over a centre for up to 90 days if a parent board runs into problems.

MIKE APORIUS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Families Minister Scott Fielding introduced the Child Care Standards Amendment Act Wednesday.

Manitoba is close to a signing a new child-care deal with the federal government that will see more centres open, so the new act will help streamline the process, Fielding said.

You can start child-care centres and have them run a little more efficiently, he said.

NDP leader Wab Kinew accused Fielding of planning to remove codes of conduct, the requirement to follow the Human Rights Code, safety plans and allergy plans.

We know this government is obsessed with red tape, Kinew said.

Fielding disagreed, noting all child-care centre protections will remain, but will no longer be duplicated.

Manitoba Child Care Association executive director Pat Wege gave a cautious thumbs up.

Whats on the table for right now makes sense, said Wege.

The MCCA was consulted before the bill was written, but Wege didnt know if all the associations concerns made the final cut.

Well know when we see the regulations, she said, adding the child/staff ratio, training and staff-size requirements must remain.

The bill does not provide the funding necessary to recruit and retain staff, and it calls employees child-care workers rather than the early childhood educators the MCCA wants, Wege said.

The act means provincial staff will spend less time dealing with operators who have good record of complying with standards, to concentrating on daycare operators who need help.

Its a good move that allows the province to step in to work with boards made up of parents who may not have the skills to take on what can be significant responsibilities, Wege said.

The current waiting list for daycare spaces is more than 16,500 children., Wege said. Fielding has emphasized an expansion of home-based daycares as a government priority; already, more than 300 home-based daycares belong to MCCA, Wege said.

The bill will eventually go to public hearings.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca
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Police-reported hate crimes in Canada not only rose in 2016, but also became increasingly violent, according to Statistics Canada research released this week.

In total, police-reported hate crimes rose to 1,409, up by 47 from 2015. That represents a three per cent increase. Of those hate crimes, 563 were violent, up from 487 in 2015.

Consistent with national trends, figures show hate crimes also rose in Manitoba. The provinces Jewish population was the most targeted group, followed by anti-black and sexual orientation motivated hate crimes.

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Files Reported cases of hate crimes have steadily increased in Canada, including in this province.

There was an increase in Manitoba, but keep in mind that these are relatively small numbers. It went from two incidents (hate crimes against Jewish people) in 2015, to nine in 2016, said Warren Silver, a Statistics Canada analyst.

Manitoba had 36 police-reported hate crimes, a figure much lower than many provinces.

There are a few factors that could explain the three per cent increase, or the increases weve seen in previous years. Its not really our place to say what level these factors have in the increase, said Maxime Gaudet, also a Statistics Canada analyst.

The capacity of police to report those crimes, the public acknowledging that theyre the victim of hate crime and reporting them to police, are both good factors that could explain the increases.

While the most common form of police-reported hate crime was against the Jewish population, the report found the most violent offences targeted victims based on sexual orientation.

Aidan Fishman, advocacy director for Bnai Brith Canada, said its concerning for the organization to see the increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes in the country.

Were a human rights organization, so were concerned about hate crimes in general in Canada. We saw an increase in hate crimes across the board, which is not a good sign, he said.

But what is also worrying is, according to this report, Jews were actually the most targeted individual group. Its worrying to us there was a 24 per cent increase in anti-Jewish hate crime in Canada.

We need a real commitment from all forums of society  be it the government, the media, schools and universities  to step up and say no to anti-Semitism. This will take a broader effort. The crime is just the tip of the iceberg.

While anti-Semitic acts made up the majority of hate crimes in Manitoba and Canada, census figures indicate that Jews make up less than one per cent of Manitobas population and around one per cent of the Canadian population.

Hate crimes targeting sexual orientation rose to 176 from 141, accounting for 13 per cent of all police-reported hate crimes in 2016.

Although anti-black hate crimes dropped by four per cent, they still accounted for 214 police-reported hate crimes in the country.

According to police reports, increased violence was also observed, with violent hate crimes rising 16 per cent.

We dont use the term surprising, because we just look at the data, Silver said. But I would say its interesting that based on the data provided from police services we did notice an increase in violence and that hate crimes targeting sexual orientation continue to be the most violent form of hate crime.

Tuesdays release is the first time Statistics Canada has chosen to go public with police-reported hate crime statistics early. Generally it doesnt release the information until spring when a full report is written.

This year, however, in an effort to get this information into the hands of police and policy-makers as soon as possible, the organization is choosing to release a brief overview early.

The report coming out in the spring will have a lot more information on cities, like Winnipeg for example. It will have more details on victims, accused, relationships, Silver said.

Police-reported hate crimes are defined as being motivated by hatred of an identifiable group.

Hate crimes target individuals based on race, colour, national or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, language, sex, age, mental or physical disability, as well as other factors.

The crimes may be carried out against people or property. There are also four specific offences related to hate speech and propaganda.

ryan.thorpe.media@mail.com
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A slight majority of Manitobans disagree with Premier Brian Pallisters calls to delay federal legalization of cannabis in Canada, according to a new online poll from the Angus Reid Institute.

Fifty-eight per cent of Manitoba respondents said "the timeline should not be changed," compared to 53 per cent of all Canadian respondents.

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Different types of marijuana are displayed at Sparc Dispensary Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The Angus Reid Institutes online poll used a sample of 1,510 Canadians who were randomly selected members of the pollsters proprietary Angus Reid Forum, which the Angus Reid website describes as a representative panel of "almost 130,000 Canadian households." The poll, conducted Nov. 14-20, included a sample of 101 Manitobans.

Sixty-four per cent of those Manitobans agreed that "the use of marijuana in Canada should be made legal," which is in line with national support for legalization (65 per cent). Support for cannabis legalization was higher among respondents polled in British Columbia (73 per cent) and the Atlantic provinces (75 per cent), and lower in Saskatchewan (58 per cent) and Quebec (54 per cent).

Nationally, just 10 per cent of Canadians polled from Angus Reids online sample said they were "very confident" that their province would "have a complete plan in place by July 1 to regulate the sale and distribution of marijuana." Another 29 per cent said they were "confident," 34 per cent were "not that confident" and 21 per cent were "not confident at all."

A higher proportion of Manitobans polled also expressed low confidence that the province will be ready for legalization in time. Just nine per cent were "very confident," and 30 per cent were "confident." Thirty-seven per cent were "not that confident," and 14 per cent "not confident at all."

(Although the poll cites a July 1 deadline for legalizing cannabis in Canada, the Liberal government has said Canada Day 2018 will not be the exact date of legalization.)

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The poll suggests most Manitobans are keeping an eye on cannabis legalization in the province, with 26 per cent saying they follow the topic in the news and discuss it with others. Thirty-seven per cent of Manitobans polled reported "seeing some media coverage and having the odd conversation about it," with 27 per cent saying they just looked at headlines about legalization. Just 10 per cent of Manitobans polled said they "havent heard anything about it."

The Angus Reid poll suggests a majority of Manitobans might support the Pallister governments plans to allow private retailers to sell cannabis in the province. Asked to choose one of three methods of distribution, 40 per cent of Manitobans polled selected selling marijuana in "licensed dispensaries," 25 per cent chose "private businesses, such as pharmacies" and 35 per cent preferred "provincial government agencies  such as government liquor stores."

On a national level, the poll found support for selling marijuana "through provincial government agencies" was just 30 per cent. Forty-seven per cent of respondents supported sales through "licensed dispensaries" and 23 per cent preferred "private businesses  such as pharmacies."

The Angus Reid Institute conducted the online survey among a representative randomized sample of 1510 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

solomon.israel@freepress.mb.ca

@sol_israel
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OTTAWA  Southeast Manitoba MP Ted Falk says he supported Tuesdays federal apology for past state-sanctioned discrimination against LGBTTQ* Canadians, but couldnt applaud Prime Minister Justin Trudeau because his remarks went beyond historical wrongs.

I firmly believe in the apology and I stand behind the apology, said Falk, one of a handful of Tory MPs who did not stand or applaud during the apology. I think some of the statements went further than that.

Trudeau apologized Tuesday in the House of Commons to Canadians who suffered persecution through military and public-service purges, discriminatory convictions and police raids.

Conservative MP Ted Falk (Trevor Hagan / The Canadian Press files)

We cannot forget our past. The state orchestrated a culture of stigma and fear, he said, noting many who suffered have since died.

But at least a dozen Tory MPs missed his remarks, including some who left the chamber beforehand  something various Liberal party staffers pointed out to press-gallery reporters Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a handful of Conservatives stayed in the chamber but did not rise to their feet alongside the scores of MPs and gallery witnesses who did, multiple times, after each party leader spoke.

Falk, who sat with clasped hands during the entire apology, didnt explain what parts of the speeches he took issue with. But his Ontario colleague, Harold Albrecht, took issue with Trudeaus remarks about children who fear rejection because of their sexual orientation or their gender identity and expression.

Trudeau added: Whether you discover your truth at six or 16 or 60: who you are is valid.

For Evan Wiens, its a missed opportunity. I am not surprised by Mr. Falk not standing; I would not expect anything different from him, unfortunately.

In 2013, Falk suggested Wiens, a gay Steinbach teenager, had staged an incident in which he faced homophobic slurs during two separate television interviews after he pushed for the right to set up a gay-straight alliance at his high school. The exchange gained widespread attention in a byelection Falk won.

Though Wiens says its water under the bridge, he admits to still being annoyed by a private letter Falk sent, where he apologized while heavily stressing religious freedom. He never made a public apology; thats what irked me, Wiens said. It just felt like nothing.

Wiens said Tuesdays remarks in the Commons warmed my heart but said it as disrespectful for Falk to purposely sit when most of the chamber applauded. Whether you believe that gay people should have rights or not, when youre witnessing an apology for something that was such wrongdoing, at least give respect to those who died, for those who went to prison.

Falks office did not respond to emails and voicemails asking to speak about his views.

Wiens knows what hell say if he crosses paths with Falk: When are you going to join in, Ted? Because youre welcome to join our cause to be with us in our struggle, as an ally.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer wouldnt say whether it was disrespectful for his MPs to walk out or not stand.

Youd have to ask them what their particulars are, Scheer said. With the spirit of yesterday, I dont think its the time to politicize it.

He focused on his own Tuesday speech in which he lamented the lost potential of Canadians purged from the military and public service, remarks he said were very sincere, on behalf of myself individually and on behalf of our caucus.

Toronto MP Rob Oliphant, who identifies as gay, said he does not begrudge those who did not applaud or skipped the event entirely. Everyone comes to these things in a different route, with different biases, different understandings, he said, adding his own Liberal party has struggled with these issues.

As for Wiens, hes now studying political science at the University of Winnipeg, and is involved in Indigenous and LGBTTQ* activism. Hes pondering a masters degree, and a possible, future run at federal politics.

He says Bill 18, which in 2013 enshrined anti-bullying laws that compel schools had to accommodate students who start gay-straight alliances, unleashed hurtful opinions that ultimately pushed Manitobans to embrace gay rights.

He marched this summer in Steinbachs second Pride rally.

Youre walking down your hometowns main street and youre part of a Pride celebration and people arent yelling at you; youre free to be yourself  that was such an emotional moment for me, he said. Southeast Manitoba has changed a lot.

 with files from The Canadian Press

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/11/2017 (1813 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The mayor who quit her post citing name-calling and belligerent behaviour from some councillors, called it heartwarming that municipalities have acted to prevent it happening again.

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities voted 91 per cent in favour of protecting its elected officials and chief administrators under the Workplace Health and Safety Act. The vote took place on the last day of AMMs annual meeting Wednesday in Brandon.

Thats wonderful news, Jackie Hunt, the former mayor of Ritchot, said in an interview. I think it speaks volumes to the fact change needed to happen if we want to encourage people to run for municipal government.

BORIS MINKEVICH/WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Former RM of Richot mayor Jackie Hunt claims she was bullied while in office this year. Now, the Association of Manitoba Municipalities will debate two anti-harassment resolutions.

Hunt quit last spring to draw attention to the inadequacy of protection for elected officials against abuse from other councillors. The only recourse, Hunt explained at the time, is a provision called censure, which is just a notation in council minutes that few people read.

Its very heartwarming to know that current elected officials feel that way, too. I thank them for it, said Hunt.

If adopted into law by the province, elected municipal officials will be able to file a complaint about abuse with Workplace Health and Safety. That would trigger an independent investigation, the same process that currently exists for all employers and employees.

They are currently excluded because they fall into neither category of employee or employer.

Neither would municipalities have to come up with definitions of what constitutes abusive workplace behaviour since the provincial department has its own definitions.

West St. Paul Coun. Cheryl Christian initiated the resolution.

Sadly, misconduct, bullying and harassment are far too common in municipal governments, she told delegates.

Were not talking about open debates and heated discussions at our council tables. Thats democracy. We are talking about situations so bad councillors have had restraining orders against one another.

Municipalities have only won the first step, Christian said. Now the AMM will have to convince the province to amend workplace safety legislation.

The AMM allowed debate about the motion to go longer than normal. Christian was heartened that both men and women spoke to the resolution, often sharing their personal experiences with harassment. One delegate maintained the province should hire an integrity commissioner as they do in Ontario to oversee elected officials.

Coun. Heather Erickson, who got the resolution on the AMM agenda by having it passed at the last moment in her RM of Springfield, said the resolution could help men because they are often stereotyped as aggressors in disputes with female councillors.

The man is always labelled the aggressor when there is a situation between the two genders and that is so not true, she said.

The Town of Morris also brought forward an anti-harassment resolution. It seeks to strengthen provisions in the Municipal Act to protect elected officials. It was amended to avoid confusion with the first resolution and passed with an 86 per cent majority.

bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 29/11/2017 (1814 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

New parents are in jeopardy of losing six months of additional job protection because the Manitoba government wont sign off on federal legislation, the provincial NDP charged Wednesday.

Opposition Leader Wab Kinew told reporters the Conservatives led by Premier Brian Pallister are either asleep at the switch and unaware of the deadline looming or Theyre getting advice from their friends in big business that they dont want this.

There is a weekend deadline for provinces to sign onto Ottawas plan to extend employment insurance for parental leave to 18 months, said Kinew. Without the provinces agreement, parents get only 12 months job protection.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba NDP leader Wab Kinew told reporters Premier Brian Pallister's Conservatives are "asleep at the switch" when it comes to the looming deadline to sign on to Ottawa's plans to extend employment insurance for parental leave.

Our provincial laws have to be changed to ensure theres a job waiting for you at the end of it, he said.

Having announced last week that his family is expecting a baby, Kinew told the legislature Wednesday: My wife and I have been talking about parental leave lately. The premier has yet to introduce any legislation. Parents in this province will not be able to access (extended) parental leave.

Finance MInister Cameron Friesen responded by assuring the House the government will continue to listen to Manitobans.

Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen said late Wednesday afternoon he is still studying the federal legislation.

Pedersen said in a prepared statement: We are always interested in ways to support and strengthen Manitoba families, but we will take the necessary time to explore this further.

The Manitoba government encourages all expectant parents to speak with their employers about any interest in an 18-month period of maternity and parental leave. If agreed upon by both parties, an employer can provide a longer period of leave than what is required under the Employment Standards Code.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/11/2017 (1813 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Police Board exists to improve transparency and accountability in policing and ensure policing in Winnipeg lives up to citizens needs and expectations.

 City of Winnipeg website

On Wednesday afternoon, the Winnipeg Police Service  the presumed experts in planning for emergency situations  encountered a crisis Chief Danny Smyth handled like a bomb he didnt know how to defuse.

And worse, it may have also been a crisis that was, in part, of his own making.

The background  all too well-known  is important to review.

Last month, Const. Justin Holz was charged with impaired driving causing death and leaving the scene of an accident. That was followed by the news the officers breathalyzer exam had been delayed for several hours and two other cops had been suspended and were under investigation by the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba.

The police watchdog IIU was set up as a result of another infamous case and a fatality years earlier, that involved a drunk city cop and a botched investigation.

Then Sunday, there was another arrest of another city police officer. But police only acknowledged it when the media asked about it Monday.

Which brings us to Wednesday, when  on what felt like emergency short notice  Smyth finally addressed the cases of two more city cops facing impaired driving charges. And the suggestion he brought up himself  but denied  about a lack of transparency on the part of the police service he leads.

How short was the notice?

At 11:29 a.m., the WPS media office responded to my request for details about the impaired driving arrest from Sunday by saying the questions formed part of the investigation. The media office then added police were expecting to release more information in the next day or so.

Less than an hour later, due to numerous media inquires, the police announced Smyth would be available for questions at 1:30 p.m.

Before the news conference was called, the plan appeared to have been to release information about the Sunday incident  but not the drunk-driving arrest of an off-duty WPS officer by Headingley RCMP that happened more than a week earlier.

Curiously, that incident was only added to Smyths agenda after the Free Press received a tip about it on Wednesday and emailed police asking if it was true.

So what took Smyth so long to reveal the information, given public concerns over how police handle police drunk-driving cases?

Well get to that, but first something else that may suggest why Smyth called the news conference so abruptly.

Shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday, I texted Winnipeg Police Board chairman David Asper. This was before the second case had been reported, of course, but following an earlier conversation with Asper about the civilian oversight boards prescribed responsibility to improve transparency and accountability through its relationship with the police chief it hires.

My text read: Have a question regarding todays front page story about another alleged drunk-driving case involving an off-duty police officer. In your role as chairman of the police board  and in the interest of public confidence and WPS transparency  will you be following up with Chief Smyth and asking him why he didnt announce the arrest of the officer Monday? As you may know, the news only came out because of media inquiries.

I need to get myself up to speed on this, Asper responded.

Then, referring to the boards narrow role with police, he went on to say the issue may be something he will discuss with the chief, but only after consulting with colleagues on the board.

What I didnt know at the time  and wouldnt until Smyth announced it at the news conference  was Asper was already up to speed on both of the new charges. Smyth had informed the police board, city administration and the IIU.

That was a revelation.

So was Smyths answer to a question about the public not being added to the list; he said he knew drinking by police is a sensitive subject that resonates with the public.

Smyth added he understood that.

Maybe, but then he fell back on police protocol instead of common sense. He said its not police protocol to release the names of people arrested before they are formally charged and appear in court.

At this point, the names arent the issue, though. Its timely transparency and the public trust that matters.

Transparency is supposed to be a cornerstone of his service, I reminded him at the news conference. Then I told Smyth I was troubled by how he had automatically informed the police board, the city administration and the IIU.

But hadnt automatically informed the public.

Smyth went back to saying the charges would have been released when they were formalized.

To which I suggested  given what he alluded to about the publics sensitivity to the issue of drunk-driving cops  he should be reviewing that protocol. I suggested again that transparency is supposed to be what the WPS is about, and its police chief.

Is that fair? I asked.

Yeah thats fair, Smyth agreed.

Then, I added, the public shouldnt be left with the impression that youre not being transparent.

So in future, when a police officer is arrested for drunk driving, will he let us know? Or will you wait till we find out, and then let us know?

I guess the answer to your question is Im right here today. I am right here in front of you, right now before these charges have been laid, Smyth said.

But you werent Monday, I reminded him.

Then, I wondered out loud if the chief now thinks he should have done Monday what he finally did Wednesday.

Perhaps, he said.

Perhaps?

I would hope Smyth and the police service learned a lesson Wednesday about being transparent with and accountable to the public.

And my sense of it is the Winnipeg Police Board and its chairman had more to do with it than the big bad media.

At least, thats my hope.

gordon.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca
Several hundred school bus drivers walked out Wednesday morning in Seattle, Washington after transportation giant First Student unilaterally imposed its last, best and final contract offer. The Seattle public school system, with nearly 54,000 students, is the largest district in Washington state and roughly 12,000 of its students rely on the yellow buses for transport.

There was a high level of tension on the picket line Wednesday morning when a strikebreaker attempted to drive out of a bus yard. Completely ignoring picketers safety, the bus forced its way out of the lot and struck several picketers, although fortunately none of the workers were seriously injured.

First Student is a branch of United Kingdom-based conglomerate First Group, which was established through the privatization of nationalized and municipal bus operators during the Margaret Thatcher years. After buying up Laidlaw, the company became the largest provider of school buses in the United States. There are currently a series of strikes by bus drivers in Manchester and other UK cities at companies owned by First Group, which also owns Greyhound, the largest provider of bus service in North America.

First Student and International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Local 174 have been in negotiations since June. In the 2016 contract agreement, the Teamsters agreed to defer negotiations on health and retirement issues until First Student secured its contract to provide services to the Seattle Public Schools, which occurred this year.

The 2016 contract obtained minimal job protection and wage increases for the drivers, with a new pay range of from $18 to $24.40. Given Seattles rapidly escalating housing costs, and rental costs reported in 2016 to be rising four times faster than the national average, the new wage scale was not even a drop in the bucket. In 2016, typical rents in the Seattle area surpassed $2,000 a month, up 9.7 percent over the previous year, the highest rise in the nation. A year later, average rents are now $2,181 monthly.

The drivers are angry over First Students refusal to provide any but the most minimal health care benefits, and only to drivers who work more than 30 hours a week. They are not only fighting the corporate owners but also the Democratic Party-controlled Seattle School Board (SSB), which, in its contract with First Student, refused to broaden health coverage to drivers working between 20 and 30 hours per week. It wrote, Unfortunately, the pass-through cost for the District to broaden First Students bus driver participation in healthcare coverage is cost prohibitive, especially when the District is facing a $74 million dollar shortfall.

According to the union, First Student provides the bare minimum required by the ACA [Affordable Care Act]. This means for over 400 drivers, only 26 of them both qualified and could afford to purchase healthcare available. The only affordable plan offered by the company restricted coverage to seeing a doctor to diagnose an illness. Any subsequent follow up had to be paid out of pocket. Hospitalization, under those conditions, would be prohibitive if not impossible.

That only 26 out of 400 insured workers were able to obtain health coverage vindicates the warning by the World Socialist Web Site as early as 2009, that the Obama administrations health care reform established a framework for the insurers, the corporations and the government to drastically reduce the health benefits available to low- and middle-income individuals and families. The aim is to limit the amount that the government must pay out for health care and Social Security payments, as well as what corporations must pay in pensions and other retirement benefits, the WSWS wrote.

Local 174 released letters, obtained under a Freedom of Information request, from the school board and from Democratic Mayor Tim Burgess to First Student ostensibly placing the responsibility for any strike on the company. The effort of the Democrats to posture as friends of low-income workers reeks of hypocrisy and bad faith.

The school boards letter goes out of its way to emphasize it will not provide First Student with additional funding towards paying for healthcare for its employees, as the district has no legal obligation to do so. Out of a budget of nearly $858 million, the SSB refused to include a measly $1.7 million in order to expand even substandard health care to the school bus drivers. In other words, First Student will have to employ a workforce with a majority without any health care coverage. In its 2015 contract struggle with Seattle teachers, it forced through an inferior wage raise in a city where two-thirds of a starting teachers salary can be consumed simply by rent.

Mayor Burgess presides over a city with a poverty level of 13.5 percent, where gentrification has forced tens of thousands out of their homes and where the homeless crisis is accelerating with nearly 4,000 homeless, according to notoriously incomplete official counts. Meanwhile, side by side with rising misery, the Seattle area is home to two of the wealthiest men in the world, Amazon chief Jeff Bezos and Microsoft mogul Bill Gates, whose combined wealth totals nearly $190 billion. Along with Warren Buffett, these three men own as much wealth as the lower 50 percent of the US population.

The Democratic state administration has also showered aviation and defense giant Boeing with billions in corporate tax cuts while slashing state funding for school districts.

The Teamsters, which are politically allied with the Democrats, have no intention of waging a serious struggle. The unions decision to limit the strike to one day is aimed at allowing workers to let off steam and block a genuine mobilization of workers and young people in Seattle to defend workers and the right to public education. Several comments on the union locals Facebook site noted the impotency of a one-day strike. Joy White, a Seattle teacher, asked, Why only one day? Will that be effective? We support you if you need to go longer. Many parents comments sympathized with the bus drivers conditions and their desire to fight back.
Chinese investments in Eastern Europe have met with strong criticism from the European Union. Germany in particular views the rapidly expanding Asian economic power as a rival rather than a partner.

The sixth summit of the so-called 16 plus 1 Cooperation took place in Budapest on Monday and Tuesday. It was attended by Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang and included some 1,000 businesspeople.

Li committed to providing $3 billion in investments and development projects for Eastern Europe. He signed 11 bilateral agreements with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban alone.

Founded in 2012, the 16 plus 1 Cooperation comprises China and the states of the former Soviet-dominated Eastern Bloc. Eleven of its participants are also members of the European Union, while five Balkan states are not.

Chinas Cooperation with Eastern and Central European states (CEEC) is part of its New Silk Road strategy, also known as One Belt, One Road (OBOR), which includes major investments in transportation and economic projects along trade routes between China and Europe.

The most important project agreed at this weeks summit was the building of a new railway link from Budapest to the Serbian capital Belgrade. Eighty-five percent of the $2.1 billion project will be financed by Chinas Exim Bank. It will link the Greek port of Piraeus, which is under majority control of the Chinese supplier Cosco, to the European rail network. Additional rail and road projects in the Balkans will also be financed by China.

Investment and trade between China and Eastern Europe has grown rapidly within the framework of the 16 plus 1 Cooperation. Total trade grew by 86 percent from 2009 to 2014, to $100 billion. The percentage of Chinese imports to the region rose from less than 2 percent to more than 6 percent. Hungary and the Czech Republic now import more goods from the Far East than they do from France, Italy or the Netherlands.

Current Chinese investments in the region total between $6 billion and $8 billion. The Washington-based CSIS think tank estimated that planned Chinese investments amount to $15 billion.

This remains, as before, a small percentage of the total. In Poland alone, total foreign direct investment is $200 billion, and EU budget transfers for the period 2014-2020 to the Visegrad statesPoland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungarytotal up to 150 billion.

The Chinese leadership constantly stresses that its engagement in Eastern Europe is not aimed at challenging the EUs interests. At last years meeting of the 16 plus 1 Cooperation in the Latvian capital Riga, Li Keqiang stated that the Cooperation is aimed at strengthening peace and stability and developing cooperation between China and the EU. China has an interest in a united, prosperous and stable Europe, he added.

However, Brussels and Berlin see things differently. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel warned this summer of a division of Europe by China. He described the silk road initiative as a major geopolitical, cultural, economic and ultimately military strategy with which the EU cannot at present compete.

Bernd Lange, chairman of the Trade Committee in the European Parliament, expressed a similar view. Chinas investments in Eastern Europe contain the danger of a deepening division of the EU, the German Social Democratic Party politician warned. The fear is that China, with the many billions at its disposal, is buying influence over European politics.

In a comment titled China tames Eastern Europe, the Suddeutsche Zeitung noted, The issue at stake in the conflict with China is nothing less than Europes self-assertion. The newspaper accused the Chinese government of exploiting the weak spots and dividing lines in Europe to secure a route into the EU that does not lead through Brussels. As in Asia, Africa and Latin America, China also intends in Europe to satisfy its claim for global power by expanding economically.

Following the restoration of capitalism, Eastern Europe served for some time as the backyard of Germany and other Western European powers. Corrupt regimes supported by the EU destroyed social services and the education system, while Western European companies exploited well educated workers at poverty wages that often amounted to less than a third of wages in the West.

Right-wing forces, by distancing themselves from Brussels, have exploited the sustained social decline to direct growing anger into nationalist channels. In Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic, such parties are now in power. For Hungarian Prime Minister Orban, the state visit from China offered a welcome opportunity to demonstrate his independence from the EU. Berlin and Brussels reacted with outrage.

However, Chinas advance into Eastern Europe is only one reason for growing tensions. The German government cooperated closely with China for some time, including by holding regular government consultations since 2011 so as to deepen collaboration. China is the most important sales market for Germanys machinery and auto industries. Volkswagen, Germanys largest auto concern, sells more vehicles in China than in Germany.

But Berlins attitude has changed since Chinese companies have caught up technologically and begun competing with German firms on the world market and purchasing German companies. While German direct investment in China was several times higher than Chinese investment in Germany in 2015, last year saw a sudden reversal of this trend.

Berlin reacted especially aggressively to the purchase of German hi-tech firms by Chinese companies. After a Chinese firm bought the robot and equipment manufacturer Kuka, the German government adopted a provision last summer enabling it to block similar takeovers in the future.

In the final analysis, the growing tensions between Beijing, Brussels and Berlin are a product of the intensification of trade war measures that have assumed new global dimensions with Washingtons adoption of Donald Trumps America First policies. The imperialist powers, as they did a century ago, are responding to the global capitalist crisis with a bitter struggle for influence and markets, which is increasingly taking on military forms.
An extraordinary witch-hunt was unleashed yesterday against Australian Labor Senator Sam Dastyari, who has been accused of what amounts to treason for his dealings with Chinese property billionaire Huang Xiangmo. The renewed targeting of Dastyari constitutes a dramatic escalation of a broader campaign, under pressure from Washington, to suppress alleged foreign influence, especially Chinese influence, in Australian political life.

The immediate trigger for the latest outburst of lurid condemnations is the accusation that Dastyari had met with Huang in October 2016, in the wake of allegations that he had taken money from the billionaire in return for political favours. Attempting to ensure their conversation was private, Dastyari allegedly told Huang that they should turn off their phones and talk outside.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, whose government is wracked by deep internal crisis, along with some of his senior ministers, has immediately seized on the media claims to demand action against Dastyari. Opposition leader Bill Shorten has fallen into line with the anti-China crusade, forcing Dastyari to step down this morning from his positions as deputy Senate whip and chairman of a parliamentary committee.

Turnbull went further, demanding that Shorten force Dastyari to resign from the Senate, declaring that he was guilty of disloyal conduct of the highest orderin other words, treason. Dastyari has shown he does not put Australia first and he does not owe his loyalty to Australia, Turnbull insisted. Sam Dastyari has shown that he is not on Australias side and its time he got out of Australias parliament.

Attorney General George Brandis questioned why Dastyari had advised his benefactor of counter-surveillance techniques, implying that he had leaked Australian intelligence agency secrets to a Chinese national. Im not saying its treason, Brandis said, what Im saying is that Senator Dastyaris position on the basis of what we know is completely impossible.

It is hardly unusual, given that Dastyari and Huang were the targets of a campaign of vilification at the time, that the senator should take elementary precautions to ensure their discussion remained private. The fact that details have been leaked, strongly suggests the involvement of intelligence agencieseither the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) or its American counterparts or both.

How else could such a conversation have been recorded, and then leaked to the media?

Further fuel for the Dastyari witch-hunt has been conveniently provided by the leaking of a secret tape of a press conference held by the senator in June last year, which goes to the heart of allegations that he took money from Huang for political favours.

During the media conference, as reported in the Chinese press, Dastyari indicated that Australia should bow out of the disputes in the South China Sea. Both the Liberal-National Coalition government and Labor opposition have backed the US-led campaign to challenge Chinese maritime claims, as part of Washingtons broader challenge to China throughout the Asia Pacific.

At the time, Dastyari, a consummate opportunist, did not politically defend his comments or challenge the prevailing US propaganda, but instead, simply dissembled. Earlier this year, he claimed that he had been put on the spot and had misspoken in reply to an unexpected question. However, the tape obtained by the Fairfax Media and released this week makes clear that Dastayari, while not specifically backing Chinas claims, did declare at last years meeting that it isnt our place to be involved.

Again the question arises: who supplied the so-called secret tape?

The Fairfax Media, along with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)the so-called liberal wing of the Australian mediahave been in the forefront of this right-wing patriotic campaign, not only against Dastyari, but against Chinese influence, in general. In an explicit diatribe last year, senior Fairfax journalist Peter Hartcher denounced as rats, flies, mosquitoes and pests all those who, including Dastyari, along with Chinese students and businessmen, were concerned about the confrontational US attitude towards China. The implication was that these pests should be eradicated.

In June this year, a joint sensationalist investigation by Fairfax and the ABC churned out a barrage of accusations concerning Chinese influence in Australia, specifically targeting Huang and another Chinese businessman, Chau Chak Wing, over their connections with the Chinese Communist Party. The primary source of information for many of the allegations was ASIO, which has subsequently stepped up its activities against agents of foreign influence.

Today, the Fairfax Media has published a lengthy article full of allegations and innuendo against Dastyari. Again, ASIO and unnamed security officials are cited liberally. ASIO secretly briefed senior Labor and Coalition figures in 2015, and named Huang as a person of concern. Todays article condemns Dastyari for failing to heed the warning and continuing his relations with Huang. In other words, what is now impermissible, even treasonous, is contact with any Chinese person deemed by ASIO to be a Chinese agent of influence, and any, even limited, criticism of the US-led war drive against China.

The reality is that whatever political influence is exerted by China in Australia pales into insignificance compared with the ties that the United States, and its military and intelligence agencies, have at all levels of Australian politics, the media, think tanks and, above all, the military-intelligence apparatus, including ASIO.

Since June 2010, a systematic blackout has been in place in the Australian media and political establishment about the events that led to the ousting of Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd at the time. Rudd had suggested that the US should compromise with, rather than confront, China. Yet no investigation has been carried out into the key Labor Party figures, including Shorten, who were involved, and who were named in US embassy documents, released by WikiLeaks, as American protected sources.

The campaign against Chinese agents coincides with the nationalist political furore that erupted in June over the dual citizenship or entitlement to dual citizenship of a number of federal parliamentarians. A High Court ruling in October upheld the strict interpretation of a section of the reactionary Australian constitution, which bars citizens from standing for parliament if they lack what the judges called undivided loyalty to the Australian nation.

The timing of the latest allegations against Dastyari could not have been more fortuitous for Turnbull and his crisis-ridden government. The prime minister called off the parliamentary sitting this week in a desperate bid to buy time, amid internal divisions over same-sex marriage, the push for a banking inquiry and rapidly falling political support, evidenced by last weekends state election in Queensland. This crisis could be further compounded next week when all parliamentarians are obliged to confirm their citizenship status.

The witch-hunt against Dastyari is aimed at creating the political climate for the suppression of anti-war opposition, under conditions where the Trump administration is accelerating its preparations for war against North Korea and China. At the same time, it is aimed at diverting the immense social and political tensions, created by rapidly deteriorating living conditions, outward against a foreign enemyChina. The extraordinary vilification of Dastyari underscores the fact that Australia is being placed on a war footing.
This week, Democratic Party-aligned groups are organizing a series of protests at the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor over the possibility that the university administration will permit fascist Richard Spencer to speak on campus.

Spencer, who is the head of the National Policy Institute, requested to rent a space on the campus earlier this semester. The university stalled for weeks on its decision to grant the request before announcing that it would enter into negotiations with his organization the day before Thanksgiving break. While the announcement does not indicate definitively that Spencer will be permitted to speak, the process of negotiations suggests that the request will eventually be granted.

Spencer has made the same request at universities across the country, including Michigan State University, Ohio State, University of Cincinnati, Auburn University and Penn State, among others. Michigan State is currently facing a lawsuit from Spencers organization after denying his request to speak.

In the past, Spencers events have drawn very limited support. Counter-protests have been large, with hundreds of youth, students and workers protesting Spencers speech at the University of Florida in Gainesville in October. This was the first held by Spencer since the unite the right rally at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, which culminated in the death of one protester, Heather Heyer, who was run down by a car driven by a neo-fascist.

The protests at the University of Michigan are being organized by Stop Spencer at the University of Michigan. Among the groups participating in planning sessions are several that operate in the orbit of the Democratic Party, including Students4Justice, the Campus Antifascist Network, College Democrats, and the Young Democratic Socialists of America.

The week-long campaign includes a student speak out Tuesday; a student walk-out and rally Wednesday; an all-day student-faculty-employee strike Thursday; and a conversation with elected officials.

The broad hostility among youth, students, and workers to Spencer and his racist, xenophobic politics is certainly welcome. However, those involved in organizing these protests are doing so to obscure the fundamental political issues at stake.

The two most revealing aspects of the campaign have been the domination of racialist politics and the absence of any evaluation or criticism of the role of the Democratic Party.

At the student rally held after the walk-out on Wednesday afternoon, organizers repeatedly reminded the crowd of about 300 students that, above all, this is a fight against the white supremacist University administration.

One speaker started out by telling the students to segregate. White students were asked to go to the back of the crowd and the black students to come forward. White folks who were willing and able to use their bodies to protect black people were directed to a designated area to await further instruction. Other white people were asked to volunteer to perform activities such as opening doors for black students later in the day.

In a vicious diatribe against her white classmates, one of the later student activists began by saying, I am not going to applaud any of the white people. You dont get a cookie for coming out here today to do what you should already be doingdefending black and brown people. She later demanded that the white students must, handle your people, and we will handle ours.

In addition to the overtly racist undertones of the ostensibly anti-racist campaign, there was also a palpable hostility to any political discussion that challenged the politics of the Democratic Party. The first teach-in held on Tuesday night on Free Speech not hate speech was opened by alerting those present that, we will not allow for a debate to take place here tonight.

The various panelists mostly discussed the legal issues involved, arguing that the First Amendment does not apply to Spencer. The positive atmosphere created by the Obama administration was recalled, and the need to rebuild the unions was put forward. At the end, the organizers opened the floor to questions but remarkably stated that the questions, would most likely not be answered, explaining that the event was just meant to start a discussion.

The goal of the campaign has been limited to preventing Spencer from coming to campusstifling any discussion of the origins or threat posed by the far-right. Those involved in both the rally and teach-ins did not openly state their affiliations. The attempt to keep the discussion apolitical was used as a cover to exclude any politics that did not fit in with the Democratic Party.

Absent from the weeks Stop Spencer events was any evaluation of the broader framework of which Spencer is only a small part. The global tendencies out of which Spencer has emerged are much more significant than the individual himself, who in fact commands the support of a tiny minority.

Countries throughout Europe and the world have seen significant growth in far-right parties over the past decade. The fascist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party gained substantially in the recent elections marking the first time since the end of the Third Reich that outright fascists and racists will participate in the national legislature. The far-right, anti-immigrant UK Independence Party (UKIP) in Britain, the neo-fascist Freedom Party in Austria, and the National Front in France, have made similar advances.

This phenomenon has taken the most grotesque form in the Donald Trump administration in the US, who just yesterday retweeted racist posts from a leader of the fascistic Britain First organization.

These tendencies arise out of the crisis of the global capitalist system: the colossal growth of social and economic inequality, 25 years of virtually uninterrupted war, and above all the enormous vacuum created by the absence of any challenge to the capitalist system. Labor and Social Democratic parties in Europe and the Democratic Party in the United States have abandoned even the pretense of fighting for social programs and the rights of the working class, allowing for right-wing demagogues to fill the void.

This was expressed most openly in the 2016 election, which saw the defeat of Hillary Clinton, who ran as the candidate of the status quo, campaigning wholly on issues of identity politics directed at privileged layers of the upper-middle class.

Moreover, as has been proven in previous incidents, any appeal to the university administration to combat the right wing will be seized upon to restrict the democratic rights of all students. The template for these measures has been set at the University of California, Berkeley, which used a similar event surrounding right-wing figure Milo Yiannopoulos to institute a policy that authorizes the UC Berkeley Police Department to review all student events, determine whether or not they deem that these events require a police presence, and compel student organizations to pay the cost of the police presence that the police mandate.
The Socialist Equality Group (New Zealand) held a successful public meeting in Auckland, the countrys largest city, on November 25 to commemorate the centenary of the Russian Revolution. About 20 people attended, including students, teachers, pensioners and other workers.

The meeting was part of worldwide commemorations organised by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), the world Trotskyist movement. The ICFI has held meetings in the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, Britain, India and Sri Lanka, and produced a series of nine online lectures on the World Socialist Web Site examining the development of the Russian Revolution and the political strategy that led to its victory.

The centenary meeting in Auckland had historic significance. It was organised by the only political tendency fighting to build a party in New Zealand based on the socialist and internationalist perspective that guided Lenin, Trotsky and the Bolshevik Party 100 years ago. The SEG will hold another public meeting in Lower Hutt, Wellington, at Russell Keown House on the corner of Laings Road and Queens Drive, on Thursday December 14 at 6:00pm.

These meetings are being held both as a celebration of the most significant, progressive political event of the twentieth century and an opportunity to discuss the vital lessons of the revolution for the fight against war and social inequality today. Fearful of the growing interest and attraction to socialism among workers and young people, the ruling elite and its media have largely suppressed discussion of the revolution while, at the same time, seeking to slander it.

Delivering the main report, leading SEG member Tom Peters told the Auckland meeting that the world was still in the epoch of imperialism that produced war and revolution 100 years ago. He explained that the contradictions of capitalism driving the US and other major powers towards nuclear war were also propelling workers in all countries into struggle against their own capitalists.

The speaker explained how the Russian Revolution forced the imperialist powers to bring World War I to an end. He referred to the extraordinary gains made possible by state ownership of the means of production, including the elimination of illiteracy and the growth of Soviet industry, and the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

Peters refuted those pro-capitalist propagandists who have lectured the working class for decades that Stalinism was the inevitable outcome of the revolution and the attempt to end private ownership of production. In fact, the Stalinist bureaucracy repudiated the internationalist perspective of Marxism and consolidated its power by murdering the entire generation of Bolsheviks that had led the Russian Revolution.

The opposition, led by Leon Trotsky, representing the continuity of Marxism, advanced a clear, unambiguous alternative to Stalinist bureaucratism and nationalism, Peters said. It opposed the attacks on democratic rights, the economic stupidities, such as forced collectivisation in the 1930s, and the bureaucracys collaboration with world imperialism."

The lesson was not that revolution should be rejected but that in every country, revolution must be understood and consciously prepared on the basis of an international perspective, by a unified movement of the working class. That is what was absent in 1917a unified world party.

The report provoked a wide-ranging and animated discussion on historical and current political issues.

One audience member asked whether revolutions were inevitably violent, noting the increasing militarisation of the police internationally and the growth of state surveillance.

SEG member John Braddock said that revolution was the only way to end the violence of imperialism, which over the past 25 years had killed well over a million people in wars launched by the US, including in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria. Now, Washington is threatening nuclear war against North Korea, which would only be a prelude to war against China, and could engulf the entire planet.

Peters explained: Trotsky said that a devil has never voluntarily cut off its own claws. The ruling class is armed to the teeth and the Russian Revolution shows how ruthless that class can be. We have more recent examples. In 2011 there was a revolutionary situation in Egypt and it was drowned in blood, with the support of the United States and global capitalism... We uphold the right of workers to defend themselves against the power of the state.

Peters noted that the new Labour Party-led government in New Zealand was preparing to confront working class opposition to austerity and war by hiring 1,800 more police officers, expanding the military, and moving to further restrict the right to strike.

Another audience member asked whether the trade unions could be made to fight in the interests of workers.

Braddock explained that in every country the conception that the working class could defend its conditions within capitalism, through a Labour Party or through the unions, by appealing to the ruling elite for reforms, had been thoroughly discredited since the 1980s.

These organisations had transformed into the direct instruments of the government and corporations. This was not the result simply of bad leaders, but rather a profound historical process bound up with globalisation, Braddock explained. In order to defend the profit system on an international scale, the conditions of life for working people have to be ground down: declining wages, declining job security, destruction of social services."

Braddock said the SEG called for the formation of new, rank-and-file organisations, controlled by workers themselves, to unify the working class in New Zealand and internationally in the fight against capitalism itself.

A teacher in the audience said he agreed with just about everything you've said today, but noted that the SEG was still small and asked: How does everybody on the left get together and settle their differences in a way that we really can move forward?

Peters replied that the various pseudo-left groups in New Zealand were not socialist and had supported, in one way or another, the Labour Partys election campaign.

He urged those in attendance to study how the Bolsheviks came to lead the Russian Revolution after starting as a small and isolated tendency at the outbreak of World War I. The party's political authority grew in the working class due to its struggle to demarcate genuine socialism from all of those groups which, in one way or another, represented a compromise with capitalism. Parties such as the Mensheviks were seriously exposed when they supported their own bourgeois governments in the war.

Christine, a carer for people with disabilities, said she was really impressed with the lecture. Everything you've said resonates with me a hundred percent and I'm really glad I came today. She had not heard much about the Russian Revolution but decided to attend the meeting with her son, who had been reading the WSWS for over a year, after he showed her the meeting announcement. She said she would apply to join the group, adding: I'm going to do everything I can to get better informed and hopefully I'll be able to help.

Christine was particularly encouraged by a recent survey showing that more than half of young people in America would rather live under socialism than capitalism. "I've been interested in socialism for a long time," she said. "As soon as I had children I wanted the world to be a good place for them, and capitalism just doesn't seem fit to make the world a good place at all.
In contrast to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas propaganda about the humanitarian treatment given to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, they are living in miserable conditions in make-shift camps.

Because of the deep-felt sympathy of the ordinary masses for the Burmese refugees, the Hasina government pretends it is looking after them well. However, it is seeking to push them back into Burma as soon as possible.

Rohingya people, an oppressed Muslim minority, have lived for generations in Burmas northwestern Rakhine state. In 1982, the Burmese regime stripped away their citizenship rights.

More than 622,000 refugees have entered Bangladesh since the Burmese military stepped up its violent attacks in August, triggering a mass exodus from Rakhine state. An estimated 834,000 refugees are living in Bangladesh, including those who fled earlier.

Though the Bangladesh government tried to block the refugees by military means, it was later forced by sheer weight of numbers to allow the mass exodus. Refugees were tortured, women raped, houses torched and villages destroyed in what amounts to ethnic cleansing by the Burmese military and its associated gangs.

The refugees are crammed in unhealthy and unplanned squalid camps at Coxs Bazar, 400 kilometers south of Dhaka and close to the border with Rakhine state. The refugees are short of clean water, sanitary facilities, health care and food.

Aid worker Kym Blechynden, speaking to the media on November 21, described the situation at one refugee camp, the Kutapalong camp located in Coxs Bazar. Steep hillsides are covered in makeshift homes closely packed together like a jigsaw and built with pride from bamboo and tarpaulins, she said. There is no space left untouched, as far as the eye can see.

Blechynden said: We see more than 150 patients a day in each clinic; malnourished children and adults, people suffering from dangerous diarrhoea and respiratory infections.

The conditions inside the camp are appalling. There are no roads in the camps, only steep muddy tracts. With torrential rain, the situation becomes worse.

With thousands more people coming across the border, the situation will continue to deteriorate.

The overwhelming majority of refugees are women and children. One media report noted the plight of two small children less than two years of age, listless in their mothers arms. Dying of thirst, they were revived by dropping water with sugar into their mouths. Many refugees are in this state.

Many children are traumatised by their experiences. Rabea, a six-year-old girl, said she was standing with her siblings when a soldier shot her father in the head. Blood flowed from his ears, his body dropped lifeless to the ground  Her mother was shot soon after, the Daily Star reported.

Rabeas aunt, who cares for her, said Rabea cries at night, and spends her days roaming through the camp, unable to understand what happened.

Child protection specialist Graner Marak with World Vision said: With the horrors they have gone through, it is difficult to say if they can recover. Children have seen killings and atrocities and this will take time to process.

Another doctor said most girls are rape survivors. He said his clinic treated 3,000 to 5,000 refugees daily, many of them children, for numerous diseases, including waterborne diseases like cholera and diarrhea.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 62 percent of the water available to the refugees is contaminated with E. coli, an indicator for measuring faecal contamination. UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) spokesperson Christophe Boulierac said: We are also concerned by an increase in cases of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) which has included several deaths. Between 25 August and 11 November, a total of 36,096 AWD cases were reported, including 10 related deaths. Reportedly, there is only one toilet per 327 refugees.

Malnutrition has developed to life-threatening levels. UNICEF and its partners screened a total of 59,604 children as of October 25. They identified 1,970 or 3.3 percent as severely acutely malnourished and 6,971 or 12 percent as moderately acutely malnourished.

One refugee leader told the UNHCR team: When it rains, the rain comes down from the hills behind, and during the high tides, the water comes from that side. He said the water often reached knee height, saturating their shelters.

To try to survive, refugees are engaged in work such as pulling rickshaws, fishing, making bricks or working in nearby salt fields.

On September 12, Prime Minister Hasina visited the Kutupalong refugee camp to put on a show of sympathy. She hugged refugees and lamented the deaths of women and children. Hasina told reporters: We gave them shelter in our country on humanitarian grounds.

Likewise, Bangladesh Foreign Minister A. H. Mahmood Ali accompanied a delegation of three foreign ministers from Germany, Sweden and Japan.

Meanwhile, Hasinas government is biometrically registering all the refugees to monitor their movements. It is desperate to send back hundreds of thousands of people, despite the atrocities they face in Burma.

On November 23, Foreign Minister Mahmood Ali and Burmese minister U Kyaw Tint signed an agreement to repatriate Rohingya. It is based on a pact signed in 1992 to send back refugees who fled Burmese military violence.

According to the terms, Aung San Suu Kyis Burmese government will accept only those who can produce official identity papers. However, many of the refugees have no such documents because they escaped from the country while facing ruthless repression.

The refugees are refusing to return. Reuters reported one refugee, Salimullah, saying: We will go back to our country if our demands are met. Our demands are that we are given citizenship. They also have to give us back our land.

The Bangladesh government is violating the basic rights of refugees. The international powers are equally two-faced in their pretences of concern. The European countries have violently blocked refugees who fled the wars in Syria and other Middle Eastern countries.
Radical Russia: Art, Culture and Revolution

Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK until February 11, 2018

The Radical Russia exhibition in Norwich is a small affair compared to some of the blockbuster shows marking the centenary of the October 1917 Revolution that have been mounted in London and internationally. But that should not discourage anyone from going.

The curators, Russian history professor Peter Waldron assisted by Jamie Freeman and Ryan Hale, have carefully selected objects to reflect the different fields of avant-garde artproviding a welcome, serious historical narrative about its development before and after the Bolshevik Revolution.

A bonus is the parallel exhibition at the Sainsbury Centre, Royal Faberge, which contrasts the opulence and exclusivity of Tsarist Russia with the broader, democratic aspirations nurtured by the revolution.

Unlike other exhibitions this year, Radical Russia does not treat the October Revolution as some sort of historical mistake or a detour from Russias natural development, or portray artists as dupes of a Bolshevik propaganda machine.

It methodically documents the disintegration of the 300-year-old Romanov regime confronted by rapid industrialisation, urbanisation, society at all levels in a state of flux and the immense impact of the First World War.

St Petersburg, the imperial capital that was to become the centre of Bolshevik influence and support, encapsulated the tensions that ran right through the empire.

The exhibition catalogue explains how the Romanovs sought to enforce a policy of religious Orthodoxy, autocracy and Holy Russia nationality, rejecting popular participation in national government until the threat of economic and political collapse forced the government to make concessions after the 1905 Revolution. It points out how Nicholas II and his advisers treated the new parliament with disdain and sought to hedge its power with as many restrictions as possible.

By the time the war broke out in 1914 almost every section of Russian society felt betrayed by the autocracy, in particular the peasants and the growing number of urban workers. The peasants increasingly resented being exploited by the nobility and governing elite, reforms had little or no effect on the everyday lives of the peasantry. Although the war exacerbated these social problems, even before 1914 a revolution was inevitable, the catalogue concludes.

In the artistic sphere, the catalogue explains how the oppressive Tsarist state, with its fierce censorship system, made it difficult for Russians to engage in open discussion of social and political issues and so painters used art to make profound arguments about the conditions of the day.

Most painters, though recognising themselves as part of an international art movement, still expressed their rebellion within the confines of Russian religious and nationalistic imagery, including many avant-garde artists who were later to support the revolution. One gets the impression that avant-garde art and artists had reached an impasse and only revolution could save them.

For example, the religious content of Natalia Goncharovas Evangelists of 1911 is plain to see. Nevertheless, it was deemed blasphemous by the Holy Synod along with 22 paintings, which the church attempted to ban in her 1914 St Petersburg exhibition. After the revolution, Gonchorova became a pioneer of the new art, which is represented by the simple, vibrant portrait of ballet impresario Serge Diaghilev (1919) on display.

At the same time as Kazimir Malevich was painting his famous Suprematist Black Square (1915)a photograph shows how it was displayed in the top corner of the Last Futurist Exhibition of Paintings 0.10 [Zero-ten] where a religious icon would traditionally hanghe was also producing patriotic pro-war postcards such as An Austrian Went to Radziwill and Came Right On to a Peasant Woman's Pitchfork.

The exhibition explains how artists before the revolution were at the whim of wealthy patrons. Railway magnate Savva Mamontov cultivated the work of Mikhail Vrubel, an artist remembered for his paintings of tortured demons and who explicitly rejected the concept that art should have a social purpose.

Prosperous Moscow merchant Nikolai Riabushinky supported the Blue Rose symbolist art group, many of whom wanted to use art as an escape from reality and instead to depict an ideal and sometimes fantastical world.

The October revolution fundamentally reshaped Russian culture, the catalogue insists. Coming after more than three years of war, the October revolution unleashed a wave of enthusiasm for a new order and many artists flocked to the Bolshevik cause, even if they had only limited experience of political engagement.

Entirely unexpectedly, the subversive and sometimes scandalous men and women who had developed a uniquely Russian modernist approach to art found themselves in a position to promote their radical ideas right across the new Bolshevik state.

Russias radical artists experienced a decade of extraordinary creativity and energy after the revolution. They were able to take advantage of the Bolsheviks enthusiasm to extend the revolution into every aspect of Russian life, and the new social and cultural freedom of the 1920s in the Soviet state meant that the avant-garde could experiment and gain mass audiences for their work.

This analysis is a rebuke to those who claim the Bolsheviks had little support from artists and tried to crush the avant-garde movement.

In 1918 the Constructivist Vladimir Tatlin, famous for his proposed Monument to the Third International, a model of which is displayed outside the Sainsburys Centre, was appointed Moscow head of the art department of the Commissiariat of Enlightenment (Narkompros). Malevich joined him. Marc Chagall set up a Peoples School of Art in Vitebsk in modern day Belarus, attracting the likes of El Lissitzky, whose stunning educational tool Four Fundamental Ways of Arithmetic is on display.

Between 1918-21, as civil war raged, Narkompros set up 36 new museums that were educational enterprises populated by artists, engaged in intense discussions about the direction they should take and how to develop new imagery. Many became involved in designs for the rapid house building programme and the production of everyday objects.

Serge Chekhonin, for example, who was involved in the creation of the hammer and sickle symbol, became artistic director of the Imperial Porcelain Factory and took on highly talented designers including Natalia Danko, whose Reds and Whites chess set is on display. It consists of peasant women red pawns backed by industrial workers and soldiers pieces opposing white pawns bound by black chains overseen by a skeletal white king.

Dankos sister remarked, Anyone who remembers the Petrograd of those yearsthe jagged wilderness of its avenues and its deserted houses plunged into darkness and cold, their windows starred with the traces of recent bulletswill remember too the window-display of china Passers-by would stop at the window and gaze long at the china. This china was a message from a beautiful future.

To its credit the Radical Russia exhibition steers away from the Leninism inevitably led to Stalinism falsification prevalent elsewhere. It points to the material reasons for the degeneration of the revolution and the bitter disputes over Socialism in One Country, forced collectivisation and industrialisation as Stalin rose to power. Unlike other exhibitions, Trotsky and the Left Opposition are mentioned regarding the struggle against Stalinism.

With the rise of Stalinism, art schools were closed, exhibitions cancelled and celebrations staged that lost the novelty and spontaneity of the first years of Bolshevik power.

In their place socialist realism was enforced. As a result, artists emigrated, committed suicide, were executed or forced into obscurity. The catalogue ends with a poignant photograph of Malevichs sparsely attended funeral procession in 1935, his coffin in Suprematist design on the back of a lorry with a replica of his Black Square fixed to the hood.
Curator Peter Waldron spoke to the World Socialist Web Site about the Radical Russia: Art, Culture and Revolution exhibition at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich and the Royal Faberge exhibition running in parallel.

Waldron is Professor of History at the University of East Anglia, specialising in Modern Russian and European history. His books include Governing Tsarist Russia; Between Two Revolutions: Stolypin and the Politics of Renewal in Russia; The End of Imperial Russia, 1855-1917 and Russia of the Tsars.

PM: Why did you stage the Radical Russia exhibition?

PW: Of course, we wanted to mark the centenary of one of the greatest events of the twentieth century. We wanted to put together two very contrasting sides of Russian culture and give a different approach. The exhibition of Faberge art objects, with their style of extreme ornateness and painstaking detail, shows the astonishing wealth and opulence of the wealthy Russian elite. In contrast the radical art was aimed not at the elite but at a different audiencethe Russian people as a whole. The message was absolutely different to that of Faberge.

PM: The exhibition does not have the obvious anti-Bolshevik ideology that other exhibitions have had this year. Why is this?

PW: A historical perspective helped us produce a different exhibition. We werent essentially art historians, but were interested in the real history of Russia and hoped thereby to illuminate the art and culture produced after the revolution.

PM: How did you go about selecting the objects for display?

PW: We wanted to show the variety of ways in which radical culture was being expressed and the way it engaged with ordinary people and everyday Russian life, whether through theatre, photography, ceramics or other art forms. El Lissitzky, for example, was using his art to teach people how to read and write. Then there is Dankos chess set on display and various plates and saucers. The Sainsbury Centre has also been fortunate in acquiring permanently the model of Tatlins Tower.

PM: Avant-garde art had developed in the years before the revolution, but in the Royal Academy exhibition earlier this year the curators claimed that the Bolsheviks wanted to suppress it from the start. What do you think?

PW: Yes, radical art had developed before 1917 but the Bolshevik revolution liberated art and artists. It allowed artists to reach a far wider audience than they could ever have expected. Unlike in the West, the Bolsheviks embraced radical art and radical artists embraced the cause of revolution.

The Bolsheviks saw art as very important and were firmly committed to culture. They encouraged a huge variety of different artistic approaches even though individual Bolshevik leaders may not have liked particular styles themselves.

PM: What do you think of the view that the Bolshevik Revolution was a mistake or detour from Russias natural development?

PW: (laughs) Clearly there are deep-seated reasons for the revolution. We can trace out the long-term causes. The outcome was far from certain and could have gone in different directions. The 1905 revolution was a dress rehearsal for 1917. Lenin understood this and prepared. He thought about revolution deeply and was not bound by ideology in the sense that changing political and social conditions would mean new ideas had to be put into practice. By 1917 Lenin was grounded in a sensitivity to what was needed.

PM: Yet some of the exhibitions this year say Stalinism was the inevitable outcome of Leninism?

PW: Firstly, Stalinism was not the only possible outcome from 1917. You cannot just read history backwards and say because Stalinism occurred it was inevitable. You just have to look at the huge struggle Stalin actually had to carry out to establish himself in the 1920s and then the purges and terror. Clearly if someone like [Leon] Trotsky or [Lev] Kamenev had emerged things would have been different.

The theory of socialism in one country became a potent slogan. Stalin used it to point to the left and say what you predicted hasnt come to pass.

PM: What reaction has there been to the exhibition?

PW: There has been a very positive response. We have had well-attended lectures with students showing a huge amount of interest. We have also had Russians visiting who were not aware of the history. I think we have created an exhibition that is not just the well-trodden hackneyed ideas that are around.
Ousted Today host Matt Lauer had multiple extramarital affairs, sources allege to PEOPLE.

In the wake of Lauers termination over allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace, several insiders tell PEOPLE that the veteran morning host was allegedly often unfaithful to his wife of 19 years, Annette Roque. Lauers reps are not commenting.

He regularly cheated on his wife, one source claims. Everyone knew. His wife lives in the Hamptons and he lives in the city, but we never heard he made unwanted moves.

A former Today staffer echoes the first sources claims, telling PEOPLE, Everyone on staff knew he cheated regularly on his wife.

Matt Lauer (left) and Annette Lauer

That wasnt a secret, but sexual [misconduct] is a shock, adds the former Today staff member. He was friendly and approachable with everyone, and was very well-liked.

Additionally, a source with knowledge of some aspects of the situation tells PEOPLE that there was most definitely more than one affair and alleges that they were never with anyone whom [Lauer] didnt have significant seniority over.

Still, the third source adds, He wasnt a lech and he wasnt known as someone who would corner you or retaliate against you if you spurned him or someone who would lure you into his dressing room.

On Wednesday morning, Savannah Guthrie, Lauers Today co-anchor, announced his firing by reading a statement from Andrew Lack, chairman of NBC News.

On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer. It represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our companys standards. As a result, weve decided to terminate his employment, Lack said in the statement. While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over twenty years hes been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.

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A source told PEOPLE that Lauer was fired after alleged inappropriate sexual behavior throughout 2014, including at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, came to light when an NBC staffer filed a complaint on Monday.

Lauer and Roques relationship has faced scrutiny in the public eye before. The model briefly filed for divorce in 2006, and in 2010, the couple refuted reports that they had split and Lauer had moved out of the familys apartment, calling the claims a work of fiction.

Lauer told PEOPLE in an interview at the time that there had been difficulties in their marriage, saying, Have we had a completely perfect, easy marriage? No.

But the stories youve read over the years are not true, Lauer said, adding, The accusations [of infidelity] are ridiculous and Im not going to [dignify] them with an answer. Its not true.
The recent accusations of sexual misconduct against a long list of powerful men in Hollywood and other industries have been widely believed  and led to resignations, loss of careers and other fallout.

Meanwhile, some of the women who accused Donald Trump of sexual harassment or assault during the presidential campaign wonder when the president might finally pay a price for what he allegedly did to them.

Things just seem to fall off of Trump, Im extremely disappointed, says Jessica Leeds, 75, who alleges Trump tried to kiss her, fondle her breasts and put his hand up her skirt while on a flight to New York in the early 1980s.

Jessica Leeds

Their stories  like the harrowing one PEOPLE writer Natasha Stoynoff shared of Trump allegedly attacking her in 2005 by pushing her up against a wall at Mar-a- Lago and shoving his tongue down her throat  are backed up in most cases by co-workers, friends or family members.

In the weeks that followed, many women alleged on the record that Trump had touched, grabbed or kissed them without their permission. Over the course of his campaign, more than 10 would come forward.

I feel this issue has been on hold all year, but not forgotten, says Stoynoff in an email. Its been simmering on the stove with the lid on, like a pressure cooker. But now the heats on and its going to boil and the lid is going to blast off.

That blast off may come with help from a defamation lawsuit filed by Summer Zervos, a former Apprentice contestant who has alleged Trump began kissing her very aggressively and put his hand on her breast without her consent in 2007.

Zervos filed the suit after Trump repeatedly called his accusers liars. Through her attorney, Gloria Allred, she declined to be interviewed for this story.

Norm Eisen, former chief White House ethics lawyer for President Barack Obama, says the lawsuit is critically important because the presidents alleged offenses against women, of sexualharassment, sexual assault, are very serious, much more serious than many of those that have resulted in people losing their jobs.

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That should get a full and fair examination, Eisen says, and at the moment that lawsuit is the best vehicle we have to do that.

Trump, meanwhile, has called the ongoing legal case against him totally fake news. Its just fake. Its fake. Its made-up stuff, and its disgraceful.

In a statement to PEOPLE, his attorney Marc Kasowitz says the lawsuit is based on allegations of events that never occurred.

Trump himself has also denied all allegations against him, tweeting last year that the accusations are 100% fabricated and made-up charges. He also called the charges false allegations and outright lies while on the campaign trail last fall.

Stoynoff says Trump should apologize and issue a statement saying that we are not liars.

For Trump and his press secretary to continue to push the false agenda that the women are liars and continue to so cavalierly defame private citizens is outrageous and improper.

Florida resident Melinda McGillivray, 38, tells PEOPLE that Trump gave her rear end a grab while she was helping a photographer friend at an event at Mar-a-Lago in 2003.

Melinda McGillivray

During this last year, she says, I feel like we were forgotten about and there was no justice, but I do feel he will have his day in court.

She is also appalled that a growing numbers of Republicans seem to believe the women accusing Roy Moore (who also repeatedly denied all charges against him) but dont appear to believe Trumps accusers  or are simply ignoring their claims.

Its disturbing, McGillivray says in a text, that many of Trumps diehard supporters are so stubborn that they cant seem to come to terms with the reality that their president is just as guilty as Roy Moore.
They announced their engagement just a few weeks ago, but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are already deep into wedding planning. Heres what we know so far:

WHEN: May 19, 2018

During a special briefing at Buckingham Palace on shortly after the engagement announcement, officials revealed that the wedding will take place in May of next year. On Dec. 15, Kensington Palace confirmed that the wedding will take place on Saturday, May 19. Notably, Prince Harrys sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, is due to welcome her third child with Prince William just one month before. William and Kates own wedding date was also in the spring: April 29, 2011.

WHERE: St. Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle

Windsor is a very special place for Prince Harry, and he and Ms. Markle have regularly spent time there during the last year, Kensington Palace spokesman Jason Knauf previously said. They are delighted that the beautiful grounds of Windsor Castle will be where they begin their lives as a married couple.

The chapel is located in Windsor Castle, with a capacity of 800  compared to Westminster Abbey (where Prince William and Princess Kate wed), which holds up to 2,000.

St. Georges Chapel dates back more than 500 years, and has been the site of many royal weddings, including the children of Queen Victoria. The most recent royals to be married at the chapel were Harrys father, Prince Charles, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall in 2005.

WHO WILL OFFICIATE:

It currently remains unclear if the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby  the most senior bishop in the Church of England  will officiate the wedding. Meghan will be baptized in the church ahead of the nuptials, though.

WHO WILL ATTEND:

The royal family  including Prince William and Princess Kate, and their children, as well as the Queen  will of course, be in attendance, as well as Meghans parents: mom Doria Ragland and dad Tom Markle.

But what about some of Meghans famous friends? The Suits alum is close with her co-star Patrick J. Adams, as well as actress Priyanka Chopra.

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Prince Harry also has a highly-publicized friendship with former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama, who shared their congratulations on Twitter.

WHO COVERS THE COST:

The royal family will foot the bill for the key parts of the wedding tab, including the church service, flowers, decorations and the reception, Knauf confirmed on Tuesday.

WHAT MEGHAN WILL WEAR:

Meghan has previously shared some of her favorite wedding dress designers, including Elie Saab and J. Mendel, but right now its anyones guess whom shell turn to for the big day.

I think Meghan will chose an effortlessly chic gown with clean lines and minimal detail, British bridal designer Suzanne Neville told PEOPLE. I think the dress will be elegant and traditional, but with a modern twist.

The future royal has also previously revealed that her favorite celebrity wedding dress of all time was the chic and simple dress Carolyn Bessette wore when she tied the knot with John F. Kennedy Jr. The now-iconic dress was designed by Narciso Rodriguez and resembled a sexy slip.

THE RECEPTION:

A former Windsor Castle staffer previously told PEOPLE that the couple will likely hold their reception in the Waterloo Chamber, St. Georges Hall and the Grand Reception Room within the castle.

The Christmas party is always held there. Theyll hold the wedding reception there, too. It is a well-proven system and arrangement, the staffer said.

The set of rooms  and the Grand Reception Room in particular  are often the sites of big events, including state dinners that the Queen hosts for visiting foreign heads of state.

THE CAKE:

According to The Telegraph, Meghan and Harry are planning on getting a banana cake for their wedding. The reason? Harry reportedly loves bananas and Meghan had shared a fruit-themed clue on her Instagram when the two were first dating.
Inside Matt Lauer's 19-Year Marriage With Wife Annette Roque The longtime morning show anchor and his wife have often put up a united front through allegations of cheating, and one withdrawn divorce filing.

In the wake of Matt Lauer's firing from the Today show after being accused of "inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace," it remains unclear where things stand with his longtime wife, Annette Roque.

The former morning show host married the Dutch-born model in 1998 in Bridgehampton, New York, and the couple has often put up a united front in public, despite facing years of tabloid rumors of Lauer allegedly having affairs.

"I go home and live my life and with my family and, you know, smile when I read some stuff and laugh," Lauer said at the UNICEF Snowflake Ball in 2005, with Annette adding, "And cry."

"As long as my kids and our family and our friends know the real story, that's all we care about," Lauer noted.

Getty Images

The two were last seen publicly with each other in September, heading to lunch in New York City.

Elder Ordonez / Splash News

But despite brushing off the allegations of infidelity, Lauer and Roque's marriage has not been without turmoil.

In 2006, Roque reportedly filed for divorce against her husband before eventually withdrawing the documents, per The New York Daily News. According to paperwork first obtained by the National Enquirer, in the filing, Roque accused her husband of "cruel and inhumane acts," reportedly also claiming that Lauer was controlling about "even the smallest decisions," alleging he showed "extreme anger and hostility" toward Roque.

The couple, who share three kids, reconciled, and in June 2016, Lauer purchased a $36.5 million North Haven, New York, estate from actor Richard Gere.

Past allegations of infidelity prompted a response from Lauer's first wife, TV producer Nancy Alspaugh, who was married to Lauer from 1981 until 1988.

"The reason my marriage to Matt ended was not because of infidelity on his part," Alspaugh said in a 2005 interview.

ET has reached out to Lauer regarding his firing. He did not comment on the allegations or his recent termination until Thursday morning at the top of the Today show.

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ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

More Matt Lauer Sexual Harassment Accusations Surface After His Firing From 'Today' Show

Matt Lauer Fired: A Look Back at His Past Scandals

Rose McGowan, Olivia Munn and More Stars React to Matt Lauer's 'Today' Show Firing

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Matt Lauer, Bill OReilly, and Corey Feldman. (Photo: Getty Images)

After Matt Lauers swift firing from NBC following a complaint about inappropriate sexual behavior, the former host of the Today show is in the hot seat. Lauer has now been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women in a report published by Variety.

The veteran TV journalist has conducted several interviews on the topic of sexual harassment in the last three months  and theyre all especially awkward to look back at now. Here are a few:

Bill OReilly

Lauer scored an interview with the former The OReilly Factor host, who was let go by Fox News after his own sexual harassment scandal earlier this year.

You were probably the last guy in the world that they wanted to fire, because you were the guy that the ratings and the revenues were built on. You carried that network on your shoulders for a lot of years, Lauer said. So doesnt it seem safe to assume that the people at Fox News were given a piece of information, or given some evidence, that simply made it impossible for you to stay on at Fox News?

Thats false assumption, OReilly retorted. It was a business decision that they made. But there isnt any smoking gun.

But you dont let your No. 1 guy go unless you have information that you think makes him.  Lauer said, before OReilly jumped in with, Sure you do.  Thats not true. There are billions of dollars at stake in business deals, and they made a business decision that they could possibly prosper more without me.

Later on, Lauer asked, So why didnt you sue those women if you say you did absolutely nothing wrong?  Think about those five women and what they did. They came forward and filed complaints against the biggest star at the network they worked at. Think of how intimidating that must have been, how nerve-wracking that must have been. Doesnt that tell you how strongly they felt about the way they were treated by you?

Politics aside and keeping in mind the events of today, the entire eight-minute sit-down is uncomfortable, to say the least.

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Julia Roberts

A few weeks ago, Lauer chatted with the actress about her film Wonder, and he brought up the prevalent topic. While Robertss family and career are on track, the movie industry has been derailed by recent revelations and admissions about sexual abuse by several powerful men in Hollywood, Lauer says in a voiceover. As a staple in the business, I asked Julia to weigh in.

After Roberts condemned what has been going in in Hollywood, Lauer brought the #MeToo movement in, asking, I mentioned youre a huge name in Hollywood, but it wasnt always the case. You were a young and up-and-coming actress  did you have these experiences? After Roberts said she was lucky not to have experienced harassment, Lauer asked, Do you think as a 21-year-old  that Mystic Pizza Julia Roberts  you would have known how to deal with it? Being put in one of those situations?

In Varietys article, Lauer has been accused of focusing his attention on attractive young women with career ambitions.

Corey Feldman

Last month, former child star Corey Feldman was interviewed by Lauer about his plans to expose Hollywood pedophiles in an upcoming feature film. The Today host opened the interview by asking Feldman how prevalent the abuse in Hollywood is.

I believe theres a lot of darkness in Hollywood right now.  As weve seen with the Harvey Weinstein scandal, it continues to unfold. New names come forward every day  its going to continue unraveling, Feldman said. Everything youre seeing is building up to what I believe is going to be a dam breaking open.

The entire interview was contentious. Feldman was quick to explain his thoughts about the hostile sit-down on Twitter after news of Lauers firing broke.

HMMMMM INTERESTING..THIS MIGHT EXPLAIN THE HOSTILE INTERVIEW WHILE I WAS TRYING 2 EXPOSE THE #TRUTH.EH MATT? NBC Fires Matt Lauer Over Sexual Misconduct Allegation  The New York Times https://t.co/ZYQVSLR4U4  Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) November 29, 2017

Ronan Farrow

The NBC News correspondent helped blow open the Harvey Weinstein scandal with his piece for the New Yorker. It contained on-the-record accounts from some of the disgraced producers alleged victims, as well as the first allegations of nonconsensual sex (something Weinstein has denied). Farrow sat down with the Today show and talked with co-hosts Lauer and Savannah Guthrie about his story. At the end of the three-minute interview, Lauer told Farrow, Its an extraordinary article; nice job.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
The sexual misconduct allegations against Matt Lauer continue to pile on as he has been accused of sexting NBC female staffers and an intern.

The alleged inappropriate and lewd messages were the reason that he was fired so quickly from NBC, according to New York Post. The messages were saved by an NBC employee who Lauer approached during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The messages showed incontrovertible proof of inappropriate sexual behavior on his part.

NBC News President Andy Lack said that Lauers involvement with the unnamed woman, who is still employed at NBC continued after they returned to New York.

NBC News fired longtime Today show anchor Matt Lauer Monday night after receiving a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace. The stunning news was announced on the program earlier this morning by Savannah Guthrie, who was seated with Hoda Kotb in Lauers place at her side.

Lauers termination comes just one week after CBS News fired its morning show co-host Charlie Rose over sexual harassment claims, ending his five-year run on CBS This Morning and as a 60 Minutes correspondent.

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Just one day after it was announced that he was fired from the Today show, Matt Lauer was out and about in East Hampton, New York, where his family resides.

Dressed in a navy blue sweater, jeans, brown boots and dark sunglasses, the 59-year-old newsman was seen getting out of his Jeep to meet with a man in a gray suit.

After hugging the gentleman, Lauer handed him a piece of paper before getting back into his vehicle and driving off. An eyewitness tells ET that the TV personality appeared sad and sheepish and did not look happy during the exchange.

The man in the suit is apparently criminal defense attorney Eddie Burke, Jr. According to his law firm's website, Burke and his associates have "been involved in high profile cases as well as several high verdict negligence cases that have been the topic of articles and discussions in national media."

Photo: MATT AGUDO/INSTARimages

Photo: MATT AGUDO/INSTARimages

Photo: MATT AGUDO/INSTARimages

Photo: MATT AGUDO/INSTARimages

Photo: MATT AGUDO/INSTARimages

Lauer's brief meeting occurred just hours after his former colleague, Savannah Guthrie, read aloud his statement at the top of Thursday's Today show. In the statement, he addresses the sexual misconduct allegations that led to his termination after 20 years on the NBC morning program.

"As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC. Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed," Lauer said. "I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly. Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and Im committed to beginning that effort. It is now my full time job."

Here's more on Lauer's termination from Today and the multiple allegations against him:

RELATED CONTENT:

Jenna Bush Hager Tears Up Talking About Matt Lauer Scandal, Megyn Kelly Invites His Accusers to Her Show

More Matt Lauer Sexual Harassment Accusations Surface After 'Today' Show Firing

Story continues

Ann Curry Is 'Still Processing' Matt Lauer Firing as Source Says Savannah Guthrie 'Took the News the Hardest'

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From Esquire

You know you're in trouble as a Republican if you've got a running beef with Fox News. The network has essentially transformed into state TV under the current president, relentlessly backing the Trumpian agenda. But even the folks at Fox can't go all in on supporting Roy Moore, the accused child predator and lawless theocrat running for Senate in Alabama. Last week, Moore campaign chief strategist Dean Young railed against Fox's "fake polls" that showed Moore losing after a number of women - now nine - accused the candidate of sexual misconduct. Several say they were eighteen or younger when Moore, then in his 30s, came after them. One says she was 14.

Young dismissed these allegations of child molestation Monday as "Jerry Springer stuff," but things really came to a head last night, when others on Moore's campaign physically engaged a Fox News crew outside a rally:

"Two individuals...[push] the cameras back & physically manhandle two Fox News photographers." - @jonathanserrie on "scuffle" at Moore event pic.twitter.com/ojRtC1BG0A

- Fox News (@FoxNews) November 28, 2017

Here's another angle on the altercation:

At Roy Moores Monday Night Rally, Moores Dekalb County Campaign Chairman Tony Goolesby Attacks A News Cameraman Just Trying To Film Moores Arrival...it so happened to be a Fox News crew. pic.twitter.com/L30uJ75FZs

- Trump's ZombieLand (@StevenReyCristo) November 28, 2017

The campaign chair, Bill Armistead, issued a statement that could fairly be classified as apology-adjacent:

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2 Fox News crews pushed & shoved as they cover Roy Moore in Henagar, AL. Moore chairman Bill Armistead: Our campaign certainly doesnt condone any pushing or shoving of anyone, certainly not reporters or anyone else.

- Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) November 28, 2017

But he also saw another opportunity to moan - to Fox News - about the media coverage of his candidate, who, again, is accused of, among other things, molesting a 14-year-old girl:

Armistead accused the media of inappropriate behavior and trying to stampede us in a lot of different situations and running down hallways, chasing after, shouting things that are inappropriate.

It's not entirely clear whether the officials knew the crew was with Fox News, specifically. But it's certainly confirmed that the Roy Moore campaign is melting down, and that their natural reaction is to physically attack reporters. Where could they have gotten the idea this was acceptable? President PROBABLY Man of the Year has sought to demonize and undermine the press at every opportunity, encouraging intimidation and scorn among his supporters at rallies. Even more to the point, Republican congressional candidate Greg Gianforte choke-slammed a Guardian reporter at an event in Montana. He won the election and was seated in Congress with little pushback. It emerged this week that a Gianforte spokesman lied about the attack.

Clearly the right's attitude towards the free press has taken on a toxic streak. The problem, it seems, is that the conservative narrative seems to keep running up against reality - the main interest of genuine news organizations. But Moore's clique seems particularly unhinged, perhaps because they've realized they're all-in on backing an accused child predator for Senate, and if he loses, it might be hard for them to get another good job. Apparently, even Fox News has a left-wing bias now. Only Breitbart is sufficiently Mooreish, in that it runs interference for him on the web and TV - you know, like a news organization does.

Oh, and there's Project Veritas, the ratfucking operation run by James O'Keefe that tried to smear The Washington Post by sending an operative to present false allegations against Moore, hoping the paper would report it - thereby tarnishing the rest of its fine work. Except O'Keefe and his crew were poleaxed by the Post and its reporting methods, another narrative smashed on the rocks of reality. In fact, the Post ran a story exposing the scheme instead of the false allegations. Veritas likely spent thousands in plutocrat donor money to uncover the steamy scoop that the Post has an editorial page.

At least the mainstream, Fake News Media isn't so damn embarrassing all the time. After his campaign staffers attacked members of the media outside, Roy Moore compared the allegations against him to the Russia probe.



[editoriallinks id='85429a74-4a26-47a1-8d85-09bf977beef1'][/editoriallinks]
Matt Lauers firing from NBC News over allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace took the world by surprise  including his Today co-host Savannah Guthrie.

The 45-year-old journalist, who has sat beside Lauer since replacing Ann Curry on Today in 2012, was said to be in total shock after learning of Lauers ousting, according to an insider at the NBC morning show.

Savannah was hit especially hard, a source tells PEOPLE. She and Matt were incredibly close and she was blindsided by his firing.

During all the sexual harassment stories that began with [Harvey] Weinstein, Matt came down harsh on the accused, as did Savannah, says the source. And now to learn that Matt, your best friend, is participating in inappropriate sexual behavior too? Its going to take her a long time to get through this.

Savannah Guthrie and Matt Lauer

Guthrie opened Wednesdays 7 a.m. hour holding back tears as she read a memo about the situation from NBC News chairman Andrew Lack.

We just learned this moments ago, just this morning, Guthrie said, visibly shaken. As Im sure you can imagine, we are devastated and we are still processing all of this. And I will tell you right now, we do not know more than what I just shared with you. But we will be covering this story as reporters, as journalists. Im sure we will be learning more details in the hours and days to come, and we promise we will share that with you.

We are heartbroken, she continued. Im heartbroken for Matt  he is my dear, dear friend and my partner, and he has been loved by many, many people here. And Im heartbroken for the brave colleague who came forward to tell her story, and any other women who have their own stories to tell.

How do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation that they have behaved badly? I dont know the answer to that, she added. But I do know this reckoning that so many organizations have been going through is important, its long overdue, and it must result in workplaces where all women  all people  feel safe and respected.

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Matt Lauer has been terminated from NBC News. On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer. As a result, weve decided to terminate his employment. pic.twitter.com/1A3UAZpvPb  TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 29, 2017

Hoda Kotb joined Guthrie in Lauers usual seat, calling it a tough morning.

Its hard to reconcile with what we are hearing with the man who we know, who walks in this building every single day, Kotb said. We were both woken up with the news, kind of pre-dawn, and were trying to process it and trying to make sense of it  and itll take some time for that.

Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie

According to the insider, Guthries strength in that moment was impactful for the whole Today staff.

Everyone here was in a state a shock  from staffers, to guests, to the fans standing outside. It was a chaotic yet somber morning on set, says the source. How Savannah went on air with that statement, Ill never know. Thank God she and Hoda were there to help guide the show this morning. They did a great job.

Matt was always the leader around here, adds the insider. This alleged behavior a total surprise to those of us who worked with him day-to-day.

Matt Lauer

Lauer, 59, got his start at NBC in 1992 when he filled in as a newsreader on Today, becoming a co-anchor of the morning show in January 1997. He reportedly signed a $20 million dollar contract last year.

On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer. It represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our companys standards. As a result, weve decided to terminate his employment, Lack said in his statement. While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over twenty years hes been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.

Our highest priority is to create a workplace environment where everyone feels safe and protected, and to ensure that any actions that run counter to our core values are met with consequences, no matter who the offender, he continued. We are deeply saddened by this turn of events. But we will face it together as a news organization  and do it in as transparent a manner as we can. To that end, Noah and I will be meeting with as many of you as possible throughout the day today to answer your questions.

A source told PEOPLE Lauer was fired after alleged inappropriate sexual behavior throughout 2014, including at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

An NBC staffer filed a complaint Monday that was serious enough that he was terminated, the source explained. The accuser described inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace occurring throughout 2014.

Reps for Lauer declined to comment.
With Matt Lauers firing from NBCs Today over charges of sexual misconduct, some of his old interviews are getting a second look  particularly a tough one he conducted with ex-Fox News host Bill OReilly in September.

As OReilly offered repeated denials about the sexual harassment accusations he has faced, Lauer pressed with probing questions.

Over the last six months since your firing, have you done some soul searching. Have you done some self-reflection and have you looked at the way you treated women that you think about differently now than you did at the time, said Lauer.

Also Read: Matt Lauer Accuser's Lawyer 'Encouraged' by NBC's Decision to Fire 'Today' Host

My conscience is clear, OReilly responded defiantly. What I have done is organize a legal team to get the truth to the American people.

When OReilly raised the fact that one of his accusers once filed a false police report, Lauer immediately offered skepticism.

I just want to mention, the two things can be mutually exclusive. he said. She could have filed a false report in 2015 and still be telling the truth about you.

Also Read: Keith Olbermann Says NBC News 'Enabled' Matt Lauer, Slams Fired Star as 'Vindictive'

In a statement to TheWrap, a lawyer for Lauers accuser said he was pleased with NBCs response to the Lauer matter.

My client and I met with representatives from NBCs Human Resources and Legal Departments at 6 p.m. on Monday for an interview that lasted several hours, said the womans lawyer, Ari Wilkenfeld, of the firm Wilkenfeld, Herendeen & Atkinson. Our impression at this point is that NBC acted quickly, as all companies should, when confronted with credible allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace.

Lauers accuser has not been named.

NBC News chairman Andy Lack explained the decision to part ways with Lauer in an internal memo to employees and said a detailed complaint against the host had been filed by a staffer on Monday night.

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It represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our companys standards, Lack wrote. While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over 20 years hes been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.

The news of Lauers termination was broken on-air Wednesday by his former TODAY show colleague Savannah Guthrie while sitting next to her colleague Hoda Kotb.

It is unclear who will replace Lauer on the iconic program.

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Matt Lauers days at the Today show are over  but theres no shortage of co-hosts who will fill his seat before NBC replaces the longtime anchor.

A source tells PEOPLE that the morning show has a general system in place.

When Matt was on vacation or on assignment, there was a huge bench of people that filled in for him, the source says. Whether its Hoda [Kotb] or Carson [Daly] or Willie Geist or Craig Melvin, the weekend anchor.

There will be a rotation for now, the source explains. But theres a lot that has to get worked out.

Matt Lauer

NBC terminated Lauer, 59 after the network received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior on Monday, with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.

Lauer, who joined the network in 1992 as a newsreader on Today, had been co-anchor of the morning show since January 1997 and reportedly signed a $20 million dollar contract last year. His termination comes after a string of firings of top stars in television news, following the ouster of Fox News Bill OReilly last April and CBSs Charlie Rose earlier this month.

On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer. It represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our companys standards. As a result, weve decided to terminate his employment, Andrew Lack, chairman of NBC News, said in a statement. While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over twenty years hes been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.

Our highest priority is to create a workplace environment where everyone feels safe and protected, and to ensure that any actions that run counter to our core values are met with consequences, no matter who the offender, he continued. We are deeply saddened by this turn of events. But we will face it together as a news organization  and do it in as transparent a manner as we can. To that end, Noah and I will be meeting with as many of you as possible throughout the day today to answer your questions.

A source told PEOPLE Lauer was fired after alleged inappropriate sexual behavior throughout 2014, including at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. (Reps for Lauer declined to comment.)

An NBC staffer filed a complaint Monday that was serious enough that he was terminated, the source explained. The accuser described inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace occurring throughout 2014.
Female employees who did not flirt with Matt Lauer were not considered good colleagues by the disgraced Today co-anchor, a source with knowledge of his workplace conduct tells PEOPLE.

NBC announced Lauer, 59, had been fired Wednesday after the network received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior on Monday, with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.

What people need to understand is that there is a flip side to Matt-the-serial-adulterer persona, and thats all the women he didnt hook up with  and they didnt always fare so well, the source tells PEOPLE. So if you were a woman who didnt seem just utterly charmed by him, or who wasnt interested in flirting with him, then you were useless to him, and worse, youd get a target on your back. Period. If you didnt bat your eyelashes and giggle and banter and play along, then sooner or later youd get the criticism that you didnt appear to be supportive of him, that you didnt have his back, that you werent being a proper colleague to him. But that was almost the best case scenario, because that could ostensibly be fixed: you could just decide to kiss up and go along to get along.

Matt Lauer

Heres what was worse: if he flat-out wasnt interested in you? Then you might as well have been invisible, the source adds. For the most part, women served no purpose for him unless he was attracted to them. So if he wasnt hot for you, it was only a matter of time before youd become more and more marginalized. You were damned if you did and damned if you didnt.

PEOPLE previously reported that Lauer allegedly cheated on his wife Annette with multiple women. Since the news broke, two more women have accused him of sexual harassment, and a former NBC employee alleged to The New York Times that he sexually assaulted her in 2001.

If youre a PA fetching coffee for him, youd better know how to flirt, PEOPLEs source adds. If youre a new producer working on second-hour segments, youd better know how to flirt. And if he deemed you to be not his type and didnt want to flirt? Then youd better not be counting on him to have the first idea who you even are. And certainly not to have your back if you ever want a promotion or anything like that.

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An NBC spokesperson previously told PEOPLE in a statement, We can say unequivocally, that, prior to Monday night, current NBC News management was never made aware of any complaints about Matt Lauers conduct.

Lauer, who joined the network in 1992 as a newsreader on Today, had been co-anchor of the morning show since January 1997 and reportedly signed a $20 million dollar contract last year.

He addressed the allegations for the first time in a statement Thursday.

There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions, Lauer said. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry. As I am writing this, I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC.

Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed, he added. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly.
President Donald Trump launched a second Twitter broadside on his former Apprentice network, NBC, after its news division abruptly fired veteran Today host Matt Lauer over unspecified allegations of sexual misconduct.

In his latest tweet, Trump called for the termination of MSNBC President Phil Griffin and MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Joe Scarborough.

So now that Matt Lauer is gone when will the Fake News practitioners at NBC be terminating the contract of Phil Griffin? said Trump And will they terminate low ratings Joe Scarborough based on the unsolved mystery that took place in Florida years ago? Investigate!

So now that Matt Lauer is gone when will the Fake News practitioners at NBC be terminating the contract of Phil Griffin? And will they terminate low ratings Joe Scarborough based on the unsolved mystery that took place in Florida years ago? Investigate!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017

Also Read: Trump Weighs in on Matt Lauer Firing, Calls for More Purges at NBC News

Trumps line about the unsolved mystery that tok place in Florida years ago appears to be a reference to Lori Klausutis, a congressional intern who was found dead inside then-Congressman Joe Scarboroughs Florida office in 2001.

Klausutis death was later attributed to heart problems. There were no allegations of foul play. Scarborough resigned from Congress not long after.

Representatives for MSNBC and Scarborough were not immediately available for comment.

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Matt Lauer Fired by NBC News After Sexual Misconduct Complaint (Video)
Trump Weighs in on Matt Lauer Firing, Calls for More Purges at NBC News

President Donald Trump took to Twitter within minutes of the news that NBC News had fired long-time Today host Matt Lauer for sexual misconduct against a colleague.

Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace,' the president wrote Wednesday morning. But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News.

Check out Andy Lacks past! he added, referring to the chairman of NBC News who announced the decision to terminate Lauers employment after more than two decades at the network.

Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace. But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lacks past!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017

Also Read: Matt Lauer Fired by NBC News After Sexual Misconduct Complaint (Video)

The news was broken on-air by Today host Savannah Guthrie, who looked shaken. I am heartbroken, she said while sitting next to her colleague Hoda Kotb.

In a memo to employees sent early Wednesday, NBC News chairman Andy Lack said that he had received a detailed complaint from a staffer on Monday night about Lauers behavior in the workplace.

It represented, after serious review a clear violation of our companys standards, Lack wrote. While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over 20 years hes been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.

Also Read: Matt Lauer Nabs $20 Million Payday to Extend 'Today' Contract (Report)

A rep for Lauer did not immediately respond to TheWraps request for comment.

Lauer, the longest-serving Today host in history, last year snagged a $20 million annual payday to extend his contract, according to the New York Post.

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Matt Lauer Fired by NBC News After Sexual Misconduct Complaint (Video)

Matt Lauer Grills Kellyanne Conway Over Michael Flynn Resignation: 'That Makes No Sense' (Video)

Matt Lauer Nabs $20 Million Payday to Extend 'Today' Contract (Report)
Donald Trump made sure the White Houses holiday card was not politically correct this year

Making good on his campaign promises to embrace the phrase Christmas, Donald Trump made sure that his first White House holiday card was not politically correct. Both Barack Obama and George W. Bush sent inclusive greeting cards that embraced holidays outside of Christmas, but Trump thinks the phrase Happy Holidays is too politically correct and instead sent out official White House cards that read, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Many think the phrase Happy Holidays is an attack on Christmas, though its confusing because the interfaith and inclusive holiday greeting only meant to include those who may not celebrate Christmas. Its like an international airport in the United States with signs written in multiple languages and someone saying, Hey, those other languages are an attack on English!

They dont use the word Christmas because its not politically correct, Trump lamented in October of this year at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. We are stopping cold the attacks on Judeo-Christian values. You know, were getting near that beautiful Christmas season that people dont talk about anymore. You go to department stores, and theyll say, Happy New Year and theyll say other things. And it will be red, theyll have it painted, but they dont say it. Well, guess what? Were saying Merry Christmas again.

It seems strange that in light of everything happening in 2017, a debate on seasonal jargon is still on the table.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 27: The 2017 official White House Christmas card is on display during a press preview of the 2017 holiday decorations November 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. The theme of the White House holiday decorations this year is "Time-Honored Traditions."

The former White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers revealed to the New York Times in 2009 why the Obamas opted for a more secular greeting card. We want it to be inclusive, diverse, representative of all Americans, celebratory, authentic, Rogers said at the time.

People photograph Christmas trees during a preview of holiday decorations in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington,

In case the holiday phrase debacle is starting to feel like a bipartisan issue, George W. Bush sent cards in 2005 that wished supporters a happy holiday season.

Even Starbucks cups are not immune from this culture war, perhaps this is an issue that will never resolve.
An NBC employee reportedly had to seek medical attention after Matt Lauer sexually assaulted her

After Today host Matt Lauer was fired on Tuesday, November 28th, over accusations of sexual misconduct, NBC has received more complaints against him. One account claims that Lauer sexually assaulted an NBC employee in his office, and the woman subsequently sought medical treatment.

The employee  who chose to remain nameless  told The New York Times that Lauer summoned her to his office in 2001, at which time he told her to unbutton her blouse, bent her over a chair, and proceeded to sexually assault her. She said she passed out from the trauma of the encounter, and had to be taken to the on-site nurse (Rockefeller Center has an on-site medical staff). The victim said she felt helpless at the time and declined to report the incident to authorities or higher-ups because she was afraid of losing her job.

NBC officials confirmed that at least two more employees have made accusations against Lauer following the initial complaint against him. The network also confirmed that the initial report filed against Lauer accused him of inappropriate sexual advances during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Variety has since reported that Lauers victims included at least three NBC staffers, and sources in the piece allege that Lauer routinely made sexual comments to and about his female coworkers, on one occasion comparing a colleagues work performance to her sexual abilities. The article also details accusations that Lauer gave a sex toy to a female colleague and exposed himself to another without her consent.

Lauer issued a statement on November 30th apologizing for the pain he has caused, which was read on Today by his former cohosts. Lauer said that some of the allegations against him were not true or misrepresented, but added there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed.

'I am truly sorry': Matt Lauer responds to sexual misconduct allegations https://t.co/EMyks6Wnhh pic.twitter.com/z2IwqPiGCv  TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 30, 2017

At the end of the day, its not enough that Lauer feels ashamed; he needs to be held accountable as well. Sadly, Lauer is just one of many men in recent weeks who have been accused of sexual misconduct and failed to accept full responsibility.

Men like Lauer need to do better, and until they do, we will stand by their victims  no matter what.


Photo: Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock

It's good to know the right people during the holidays!



Lucky Prince George got his Christmas wishlist personally handed to Santa Claus by none other than his dad, Prince William.



During his royal visit to Finland, William, 35, bumped in to Kris Kringle while walking through Helsinki's Esplanade Park on Thursday, and he knew he had to hand over the very special note from his son.

George wasn't greedy with his request -- even though there were five blank spaces to put in present requests, the 4-year-old royal only wrote that he'd like a police car. He also circled that he had been nice this year on the pre-printed sheet and signed his name in big block letters.



Photo: Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock

We're sure a police car will be a nice addition to George's beloved collection of toy trucks, but the real question is what does his younger sister, Charlotte, want for Christmas?!

William was only in Finland for a quick two-day visit, but his hours there were jam packed. Not only did he speak with Al Gore about environmental issues and test out Google's virtual reality gadgets at Slush HQ, a massive European startup event, and sit in on English and coding lessons at a Finnish school, he also took time out on Wednesday to congratulate his younger sibling, Prince Harry, on his engagement to Meghan Markle -- brotherly jab included.



"Were very excited, delighted for them both. Were wishing them all the happiness in this very exciting time, he told reporters. Personally, I hope it means he stays out of my fridge and will stop scrounging my food, which hes done for the last few years!



"It's a fantastic process to go through, the engagement and then the buildup to the wedding, so they've got a lot of happy times ahead of them, and I think they're both caught up in the moment and I wish them all the happiness and success in planning the wedding. I hope it goes really well," he added when the reporter noted that Harry and Meghan look very in love.

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Meanwhile, William's pregnant wife, Kate Middleton, visited a museum in London on Tuesday, where she also expressed her excitement for her brother-in-law and future sister-in-law. Hear more in the video below.

Kate Middleton Shows Off Her Growing Baby Bump, Talks the Struggle of Leaving Prince George at School

Prince William Reveals Prince George Is Over School After Just 14 Days!

Kate Middleton Gardens With Local Schoolchildren While Prince William Travels to Finland: Pics!

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Victorias Secret Angels dancing and singing Cardi Bs Bodak Yellow. (Photo: Twitter/Pop Crave)

Cardi Bs hit Bodak Yellow anthem has been nominated for two Grammys this year, and among its fans, apparently, are this years Victorias Secret Angels. The Angels, backstage at the recent runway show, can be seen singing along with the lyrics  including the N word  in a controversial video that surfaced online. And the scene has many people ready to cancel the Angels altogether.

The part that has people outraged is when the smiling women (mostly white) in pink robes belt out, And Im quick, cut a n***** off so dont get comfortable. After Pop Crave shared the 11-second video on Twitter, more than 600 comments emerged, many critical. They said the N word so their canceled, noted one, while and another shared, Nah. That N word was too loud and clear for there only to be one black girl in this room.

The Victoria's Secret angels singing Cardi B's "Bodak Yellow" backstage. pic.twitter.com/gGFbNBnQLI  Pop Crave (@PopCrave) November 29, 2017

They said the N word so their canceled  Beynika Fenty Grande (@yonceonyagrill) November 29, 2017

Nah.

That n-word was too loud and clear for there only to be one black girl in this room https://t.co/BoY9xcyWUL  Mikelle Street (@MikelleStreet) November 29, 2017

If youre not black, dont say the N word. Point. Blank. Period. So who said it ?  Stefan (@insatiablevices) November 29, 2017

so they can stop themselves from eating for days but cant stop themselves from saying the N word?? pic.twitter.com/9DrMNdVlwY  22 GRAMMYS (@Justemisexual) November 29, 2017

While all the Angels seem to be in unison, many people were able to point out that model Devon Windsor avoided the word and applauded her for it, as the look on her face showed she may have been aware of the potential damage of singing along. Her mouth was closed, and she picked the song back up after that part of it was over.

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everyone but her sis skipped the whole line! pic.twitter.com/x8ObiyuQBi  miamicutie1996 (@laurmanisman) November 29, 2017

The word n***** is a derogatory term thats been used to describe people of color since as early as the 18th century, and while its largely been reclaimed by people of color as a term of endearment or in rap lyrics  similar to the way queer has been reclaimed by some LGBTQ folks  many people find it highly offensive and especially troubling when used outside the black community.

Plus, Victorias Secret has been slammed before for racist allegations. Rewinding to 2012, the brand left a lot of people uneasy when it sent two black models down the runway with tribal wear, followed by Karlie Kloss in a Native American-style headdress. In 2016, the annual show was accused of cultural appropriation for featuring Chinese and Mexican traditional clothing, and this year, the brand was faulted for another uncomfortable headdress moment during its Nomadic Adventures portion of the show.

Further, the fashion industry as a whole has been criticized on many occasions for the lack of diverse models included in runway shows and ad campaigns, and contentious incidents such as this one are seen as adding fuel to the fire.

Just two months before this Cardi B clip outcry, there was an outpouring of criticism about a similar video from a New Hampshire sorority that belted out, She aint messing with no broke n***** to Kanye Wests popular Gold Digger song. The girls featured in the video did not face any disciplinary action, but reactions acted as living examples of the negative implications of nonblack people using the racial slur.

Regarding the current controversy, some spoke up to say that its a song everyone should be able to freely sing along with. As Wwhiteje shared on Twitter, If N***** is in a song everyone has every right to say it yall weird you just want us to skip that part of the song? Yall make things too deep.

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A suspect has been arrested in the Tampa serial killings

On October 24th, we reported on a possible serial killer stalking Tampas Seminole Heights neighborhood. Now, after a nearly two-month search, police have arrested a suspect believed to be responsible for the four seemingly random murders.

During a Tuesday, November 28th, press conference, Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan announced that police had arrested 24-year-old Howell Trai Emanuel Donaldson III. Donaldson faces four counts of first-degree murder.

The four victims targeted during the 51-day murder spree were shot and killed while carrying out normal daily activities. The only thing the victims had in common was the fact that they were walking alone at night when gunned down.

Benjamin Mitchell, 22, was shot on October 9th while at a Seminole Heights bus stop. Monica Hoffa, 32, Anthony Naiboa, 20, and Ronald Felton, 60, were also shot within the same half-mile area in Seminole Heights between October 11th and November 14th.

On Tuesday, November 28th, police received a tip from an employee at a local McDonalds who claimed Donaldson, her former coworker, had a gun. According to The Tampa Bay Times, Donaldson supposedly asked the McDonalds manager to hold his fully-loaded semiautomatic pistol for him while he ran a quick errand. Luckily, a police officer was sitting in the fast food restaurant at the time and was alerted to the situation. Backup was immediately called to the scene.

Here's a photo of Howell Emanuel Donaldson, III, the 24-year-old Tampa resident being taken into custody on four counts of first-degree murder in connection with the recent serial killings in Seminole Heights. Want to know what evidence police say they have on him? Go to the link on our profile. A post shared by Tampa Bay Times (@tampabaytimes) on Nov 29, 2017 at 6:49am PST

CNN reported that Dugan stated on Wednesday, November 29th, Weve had other guns, but we knew this was the one. Investigators are now trying to ascertain Donaldsons motive for the murders.

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Police in Tampa are holding a suspect in the hunt for a suspected serial killer. Howell Emanuel Donaldson, known as Trai, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder. @BojorquezCBS reports. https://t.co/4Tgdwt2E18 pic.twitter.com/sfktT1J35V  CBS News (@CBSNews) November 29, 2017

The real goal is to let the people of Seminole Heights be able to get a good nights sleep, Dugan stated during a late-night press conference on Tuesday, November 28th. Its been 51 days that theyve been terrorized in their neighborhood and it is about letting these families know that were going to bring this person to justice, and letting this neighborhood get some rest.

A McDonald's employee says Howell Dondaldson III asked a manager to hold his loaded gun while he went to get a payday loan. Employees didn't know what to do with that gun and flagged down an officer. Law enforcement says he is the suspected Tampa serial killer. pic.twitter.com/bbNC9N2xke  Letisha Bereola (@LetishaANjax) November 29, 2017

After living in fear for almost two months, the residents of Seminole Heights can breathe a sigh of relief. As residents heal, police and investigators will begin the judicial process.
kellyanne conway

Kellyanne Conway, White House spokesperson and counselor and formerly President Donald Trumps campaign manager, has been tapped to oversee the administrations efforts to fight the opioid epidemic.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions made the announcement at a press briefing today, explaining that Trump has asked her to coordinate and lead the effort from the White House.

Conway does not have a background in drug policy or public health, though as a White House spokesperson and counselor, she has been involved in the administrations response. She has a law degree and founded a polling company, called The Polling Company, in 1995, where she advised Republican candidates including Newt Gingrich and Ted Cruz.

Conway has agreed with Trumps just say no message about opioids in the past. In an appearance on Fox News last month, she said, The president echoed the message that many health-care providers and elected officials say, which is, the best way to stop people from dying from overdoses and drug abuse is by not starting in the first placeThats a big core message for our youth that the first lady is continuing to push with prevention education.

Related: How It Feels When Someone Tells Me I'm 'In Control' of My Life With Illness

Conway has also backed is the National Institutes of Healths efforts to develop technology to objectively measure pain, rather than using the pain scale of numbers or faces.

One of the things we heard from many physicians is that the pain-specific indicator contributed to this crisis. We dont think health care by emoji is a good idea, she said.

Conway added, over-prescribing has been problematic, as has the default notion that pain management means pain medicine. That is not true of everyone.

What Conway will do as the opioid czar is unclear. In 2014, when Ron Klain was named Ebola czar (later changed to Ebola response coordinator), White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Klain would serve an important, high-level implementation role. According to Earnest, Klain would also, make sure that all the government agencies who are responsible for aspects of this response, that their efforts are carefully integrated. He will also be playing a role in making sure the decisions get made.

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Related: Fun and Creative Apps to Try When Your Pain Is Overwhelming

Trump declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency in October.

Photo courtesy of Michael Vadon via Flickr

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Here's what you need to know about the slave auctions plaguing Libya.

By Jessica McKinney

The current crisis in Libya, in which hundreds of thousands of migrants are being smuggled and sold in slave auctions, is finally getting global attention after CNN published a report regarding the shocking issue. Video footage showed clips from a live auction, prompting outrage and protests.

A number of musicians, influencers, and politicians have also spoken up on social media, in hopes of bringing more awareness to the issue. While CNNs report put a spotlight on the terror in Libya, there are still a number of questions unanswered as well as false information circulating. Find out all the basics you need to know below.

1. People are being smuggled into Libya with the hopes of migrating to Europe.

Refugees and migrantsmostly from Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Zambia, Senegal, Gambia, and Sudanare reportedly being smuggled into Libya by a number of gangs with the promise of a new life in Europe, Al Jazeera reports. Libya is reportedly the main gateway for migration to reach Europe by sea. The United Nations estimates that nearly 150,000 migrants pass through the country in a year.

2. Migrants are being forced into slavery and prostitution rings.

Upon entry into Libya, men and women are sold into prostitution and forced labor. Theyre reportedly being sold for prices ranging from $700 to several thousands.

3. There are several slave markets happening at once.

CNN reports that there are at least nine locations across Libya where slave markets take place. The number of slave auctions reportedly increases each month. Some of the auction sites are believed to be controlled by Libyas Government National Accord, while others reportedly are not.

4. Libyas conflicting governments put a strain on any resolutions.

Libya is believe to be a failed state. Its political system is controlled by competing governmentthe National Transition Council (which is recognized by the UN), and the Khalifa Hafta governmentand other political groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq, the Levant group, and al-Qaeda. Each group controls a specific territory with contrasting immigration laws.

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5. Deportation centers are full.

In Sept. 2017, officials conducted a raid of the Libyan city, Sabratha, where they rescued thousands of migrants from warehouses and farms. According to CNN, approximately 8,000 migrants were being held in detention centers, awaiting deportation.

6. The UN considered sanctioning guilty parties.

The UN Security Council reportedly held an emergency session earlier this year, in which they were considering sanctions against individuals or groups involving in the auctions and human smuggling, according to Al Jazeera.

This post Everything You Should Know About The Slavery Crisis In Libya first appeared on Vibe.
Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site.

As Jaguars first entry into the hugely popular compact sport-utility segment, the E-Pace commands a starring role for the British brand here at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

With a starting price of $39,595, the E-Pace is smaller in size and several thousand dollars cheaper than the F-Pace. Since going on sale in 2016, the F-Pace has streaked to the top of Jaguars U.S. sales charts. But until now, it has been the sole SUV in the companys lineup.

Compared with luxury rivals such as Acura, Audi, BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar remains a newcomer to the world of SUVsso long as you dont count the brands long affiliation with Land Rover.

With todays red-hot market for luxury compact SUVs, adding the smaller and cheaper E-Pace to its range could provide another serious sales boost to the automaker.

The smaller and less expensive E-Pace will face a formidable list of competitors when it goes on sale next year, including well-established rivals including the Acura RDX, Audi Q3, BMW X1, and Mercedes-Benz GLA.

The E-Pace offers a choice of two turbocharged engines: a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that delivers 246 hp and a 296-hp four-cylinder in the R-Dynamic variant. Each model will be offered in three select trim levels.

No matter which engine or trim you choose, all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission come standard. To help save fuel, the transmission can disengage the rear axle to reduce mechanical friction in the drivetrain. By operating in front-wheel drive, the E-Pace doesnt have the thirst for fuel of an SUV thats continually operating in AWD mode.

When the E-Paces onboard sensors detect that additional traction is needed, the all-wheel-drive hardware automatically sends power to the rear wheels in 0.3 second, according to Jaguar.

The E-Pace interior features a 10-inch touch-screen display for the infotainment system, large rotary controls to adjust temperature settings and fan speed, and multiple USB ports and available 4G WiFi that can support up to eight devices. Also optional is a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and full-color, head-up display screen that displays navigation commands, radio settings, vehicle speed, and warnings related to blind-spot monitoring and active cruise control.

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All versions of the E-Pace come equipped with automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, a driver monitoring system to detect if the driver is distracted or drowsy, and front and rear parking aids to assist in parallel and perpendicular parking.





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Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright  2017, Consumer Reports, Inc.
U.S President Donald Trump caused controversy on both sides of the Atlantic on Wednesday when he shared three anti-Muslim videos tweeted by a fringe, far-right group Britain First.

Trump retweeted links to three unverified videos shared by Jayda Fransen, deputy-leader of the ultranationalist Britain First, which were captioned: Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!, VIDEO: Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches! and , VIDEO: Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!

Fransen, who was convicted in 2016 of religiously aggravated harassment, was elated that the U.S. President had shared her posts to more than 40 million people. GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS YOU AMERICA! She tweeted.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSEN'S TWITTER VIDEOS! DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA! OCS @JaydaBF @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/BiQfQkTra9  Jayda Fransen (@JaydaBF) November 29, 2017

Heres three things to know about the fringe, ultra-nationalist group:

1. They are known for their Islamophobic stunts

Britain First claims to be an anti-immigration group, which seeks a nativist return to traditional British history culture and customs, according to a page on its website that has since been removed. It claims to be committed to maintaining and strengthening Christianity and has a paramilitary wing, known as the Britain First Defence Force.

But it has become notorious for its confrontational anti-Islam stunts, such as invading mosques in London in order to distribute inflammatory propaganda. Their actions are designed to ignite violent responses from the Muslim communities, according to anti-racism advocacy group Hope Not Hate.

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Fransen, Britain Firsts deputy leader who Trump retweeted on Wednesday, was found guilty of religiously aggravated harassment in 2016 for hurling abuse at a Muslim woman, who was with her four children.

The groups leader Paul Golding ran against Sadiq Khan in last years London mayoral election. Golding came in eighth place as Khan was anointed the countrys first Muslim mayor. Golding stood with his back to Khan and the new Mayor of London made his victory speech. The group later said that it would take militant direct action against elected Muslim officials.

2. They gained notoriety after the murder of British lawmaker Jo Cox

Britain First came to new prominence after the June 2016 murder of Labour party lawmaker Jo Cox. At the height of the 2016 E.U. referendum campaign, far-right extremist Thomas Mair confronted Cox and shouted Britain First as he shot and stabbed her at her constituency near Leeds.

Britain First distanced themselves from the attack and condemned Mairs actions. On Wednesday, Brendan Cox criticized Trump Wednesday for legitimizing a far-right group in the U.K.

Trump has legitimised the far right in his own country, now hes trying to do it in ours. Spreading hatred has consequences & the President should be ashamed of himself.  Brendan Cox (@MrBrendanCox) November 29, 2017

3. Trumps tweets were greeted with howls of outrage

British commentators and politicians stand appalled that Britain First, which has no elected representatives and is known for its virulent Islamophobia, was given a platform by the American President.

Labour Party lawmaker Chuka Umunna told Sky News that Trumps planned visit to the U.K. should be canceled.

Chuka Umunna MP tells @skynews the State Visit invitation to Donald Trump should be withdrawn immediately:

He is normalising hatred.. if we dont call this out we are going down a very dangerous road  Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) November 29, 2017

Piers Morgan, the TV journalist who has been a supporter of Trump, asked his former The Apprentice co-star what the hell are you doing retweeting a bunch of unverified videos by Britain First, a bunch of disgustingly racist far-right extremists?

Good morning, Mr President @realDonaldTrump - what the hell are you doing retweeting a bunch of unverified videos by Britain First, a bunch of disgustingly racist far-right extremists?

Please STOP this madness & undo your retweets.  Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 29, 2017

Another Labour party lawmaker, David Lammy, said Trump is is no ally or friend of ours and was not welcome in the U.K.

Trump sharing Britain First. Let that sink in. The President of the United States is promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group whose leaders have been arrested and convicted. He is no ally or friend of ours. @realDonaldTrump you are not welcome in my country and my city.  David Lammy (@DavidLammy) November 29, 2017

Journalist and author Laurie Penny, an occasional TIME contributor, put the Presidents retweets in some context:

Every time something like this happens- Trump retweeting Britain first today, attacking his opponents with racist slurs at a Native American veterans ceremony yesterday- the cost of normalization gets higher for those still somehow pretending hes not a monstrous racist despot.  Laurie Penny (@PennyRed) November 29, 2017

Even the editor-at-large of Infowars, a hub for the American so-called alt-right, questioned the wisdom of the Presidents retweets, calling it not great optics:

Yeah, someone might want to tell whoever is running Trump's Twitter account this morning that retweeting Britain First is not great optics. ????  Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) November 29, 2017

The retweets remained on President Trumps account as of 9am ET Wednesday morning.
Rome (AFP) - Twenty-five asylum seekers from Africa arrived safely in Rome Thursday, using a Christian "humanitarian corridor" set up for Syrians fleeing the war in their homeland.

"It was just a project but it became THE project, the way of the future," said Mario Morcone of the Italian interior ministry.

The 25 men, women and children from Somalia, Eritrea and South Sudan arrived in Rome before dawn on a flight from Ethiopia. They will be moved to centres across the country.

"We want to ensure that people do not risk their lives in the desert and at sea," Morcone said. "This is an important turning point in the politics of our country. You are witness to this turning point and we will not go back."

The evacuation of displaced Syrians from Lebanon to Italy was launched in February 2016 by the Catholic community of Sant'Egidio, the Italian Federation of Evangelical Churches and the Waldensian Church.

The programme, which is open to vulnerable Muslims and Christians alike, is an alternative to dangerous smuggling routes.

It has so far facilitated the arrival of 1,000 displaced Syrians from Lebanon, and plans are under way to bring in another 1,000 Syrians as well as 500 African refugees currently in Ethiopia.

A similar project is being set up in France and Belgium.

The charities behind the so-called corridor help new arrivals with housing, Italian language courses and skills training.
On Wednesday, news broke that American Airlines (AAL) was without pilots for around 15,000 flights during the holidays from Dec. 17 to 31, due to a computer glitch.

The app that the pilots and airline uses for trip assignments, Trip Trade, allows pilots to decline or trade certain trips if they want to. On the app, trips that can be traded show up green, and for some reason, not fully explained, the app showed all the flights during the holidays as green. Trips in red are locked in.

Not surprisingly, pilots, who dont want to work on the holidays, dropped trips. American Airlines, however, said all is well.

Out of the 200,000 flights American will operate in December, only a few hundred are currently unassigned to pilots, the statement read. The airline cited pilots who are stepping up to the plate and reserve pilots as the saviors of the situation, and said it had not canceled any scheduled flights in December.

This statement has left pilots scratching their heads, however.

American Airlines scheduling app says thousands of flights unassigned

For them to say that were confused, said Captain Dennis Tajer, the Allied Pilots Association unions communications chair. I pulled data today. Currently theres thousands of unassigned flights, so Im not sure what theyre looking at. All our pilots can pull the same data.

If American Airlines Trip Trade app is indeed correct, then thousands of holiday trips are in jeopardy of being cancelled. The concerned union has been attempting to get in touch with management, but to no avail. The APA has been trying to work out a deal to finally figure out a satisfactory holiday pay schedule, which has long been a thorn in the side of pilots. So far, American Airlines has not been open to negotiating.

They havent even given us a meeting, none, said Tajer, who noted that both parties have creative ideas they need to discuss. The two parties have only had one phone call.

Solving the problem is tricky, given that the pilots have little incentive to move their schedules around to fix a screw-up. In fact, said Tajer, a pilot moving his or her schedule around could result in losing premium pay trips, which pay 150%, because of Federal Aviation Administration regulations  a net loss for helping.

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Theres a level where you want to help out, but theyre being punitive, said Tajer.

Where it stands now is unclear, given the conflicting statements between American Airlines public relations department and the airlines Trip Trade app, but Tajer said the pilots remain committed to getting passengers where they need to go.

I dont know whats going on, he said, I just know were screaming from the rooftops into an empty canyon when it comes to getting this resolved.

American Airlines did not respond to Yahoo Finances request for comment on the discrepancy.

Ethan Wolff-Mann is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann. Confidential tip line: FinanceTips[at]oath[.com].

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President Donald Trump sparked controversy on Monday when, at an event meant to honor Native American veterans of World War II, he referred to Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren as Pocahontas.

This afternoon, in the Oval Office, Donald Trump was supposed to be honoring Navajo code talkers  American heroes who helped save the world from fascism and hate during World War II, Warren said in reaction, in an email to her supporters. Instead, Trump stood right next to those Native American war heroes and came after me with another racist slur.

Pocahontas has been used before by Trump as a shorthand to attack Warren, whose Native American heritage he and others have questioned in the past. While the Presidents statements on Monday caused a new round of controversy, his statement is also part of a four-century-long history of using Pocahontas as a stand-in for a wide range of Native American experiences.

Shes probably the only Native American woman whose name we all know; theyve been so wiped out of history, says historian Camilla Townsend, author of Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma. Its sad that her name has become a joke that Trump and others use because her real life was so difficult and frightening and she had to make decisions so much rougher than any of us had to face.

Below is a brief look at what historians know about what her life was really like.

Her name wasnt even Pocahontas

Born in the 1590s and raised a member of the Pamunkey tribe in Virginia, she actually went by Amonute or Matoaka, and Pocahontas was a nickname thought to mean playful one. She was the daughter of the chief of the tribe, Powhatan, and grew up in the tribes capital Werowocomoco, located along the Pamunkey (now York) River.

She and John Smith probably werent lovers

Its probably true that Pocahontas and John Smith, a leader in the colony of Jamestown established in 1607 by the Virginia Company of London, worked closely together and served as liaisons to each others communities. But  though the Disney version of Pocahontas may have convinced many people otherwise  their relationship was probably not romantic. After all, Pocahontas is now thought to have been about 10 or 12 years old when she met the English colonists.

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They probably served as each others translators and teachers, giving each other informal language lessons, as some of Smiths writing shows them repeating the same sentences in Algonquian and English, Townsend tells TIME. In some respects, her role shows how some Native American women in this period had more authority than English colonial women. Would the English ever have taken a 10-year-old girl and turned her into a translator? No, says Townsend. And her role was an important one, as she would have facilitated important trade relationships.

She probably didnt rescue John Smith from kidnappers

In one of Smiths accounts, he talks about being captured by Native Americans a few months after arriving and says Pocahontas saves him from being killed by her father. But thats classic John Smith, says Townsend. He always says half-naked girls rescued him, that it happened in Africa and Asia.

Plus, more recent research into tribal rituals suggests that the episode Smith described may have been a ceremony in which Pocahontas acted a prepared part. Its also possible that the experience was meant to send a particular message to Smith and the other settlers by reminding them of Powhatans authority  a message that may not have gotten across due to cultural prejudices. [Smiths] presumption, says Peter Mancall, an expert on the history of Native Americans at the University of Southern California, is that that doesnt make any sense because the English are superior.

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In fact, it was the English who kidnapped her



During a period of simmering fighting between the settlers and Powhatans people, Pocahontas was held prisoner for a year. The way to get out was to marry the enemy and convert to Christianity, explains Townsend. We dont know if it was her fathers idea but he was consulted through messengers, and it was his decision to go forward with it. Around 1614, she was baptized Rebecca, converted to Protestantism and married John Rolfe, who is best known for bringing a profitable form of tobacco farming to Virginia.

She and her husband were then brought back to England by the Virginia Company to prove to investors that immigration and investment were safe ventures, and that the Native Americans in Virginia were at peace with the settlers. The company needed to be able to point to her as a good Christian with a son. Her marriage also appeared to be more strategic than romantic. Rolfe, at one point, in one of the odder ways of describing a romantic relationship, refers to his marriage to Pocahontas, as holy work, meaning hes going to help spread the English Christian message through this marriage, says Mancall.

She died in England around 1617.

The only written descriptions we have of her there are of her being quite miserable, Townsend says, and then she gets sick and dies.

Theres only one portrait of her  but it tells a big story



The only surviving record of Pocahontas sitting for a portrait in England in the early 1600s was for an engraving by Simon van de Passe that is now in the National Portrait Gallerys collection.

Dressed like an English woman, and having taken the name Rebecca, [Pocahontas in] this picture tells the English that their idea that they can convert native people will work, and Pocahontas is living proof of that, says Mancall. As he points out, the English colonies were in trouble at the time, so the Virginia Company needed someone like Pocahontas to help turn things around.

That engraving is really important because she becomes an object lesson to the English about the deeper truth and meaning of their colonial project, he says. The lesson, he says, came from the transformation of a Native American girl into an English woman  and, largely after she died, into a symbol of her entire people.
Vienna (AFP) - With their torch-lit processions and duels, Austria's nationalist "burschenschaft" student fraternities appear as if from a bygone era. But they are alive and kicking -- and poised for power.

And following October's elections, they look closer than ever to taking it after the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe), to which many of them belong, became the third biggest party in parliament.

Last month, the party agreed to enter talks on forming a coalition government with incoming chancellor Sebastian Kurz, the 31-year-old who heads the conservative People's Party (OeVP).

Of the FPOe's 51 lawmakers, a record 20 belong to a "burschenschaft" where membership is for life, and not just for university.

Among those involved in the negotiations are party leader Heinz-Christian Strache, 48, a member of the "Vandalia" fraternity who flirted with neo-Nazism in his youth but who today strongly denies any extremist sympathies.

Another is Wolfgang Zanger who in 2006 said that National Socialism, or Nazi ideology, "had its good sides".

And FPOe negotiator Harald Stefan belongs to a fraternity that officially rejects the "fiction" of Austria as a nation. "I feel German," he told Austrian television in 2008.

- Chaps in frats -

The "burschenschaft" -- or "association of chaps" -- emerged in the 19th century to defend the liberal ideas that were sweeping Europe at the time, as well as pan-Germanic identity and culture.

But quite quickly, "the liberal dimension disappeared and was replaced by German nationalism and by an ever-more virulent anti-Semitism," said political scientist Patrick Moreau.

With strict rules on "racial purity", Jews were barred from being members even before the Nazis took power. Fraternity members would assault Jewish students and throw them out of lectures.

Despite being disbanded by the Nazis, who distrusted organisations not under their control, many members welcomed Hitler and were enthusiastic participants in the crimes of the Third Reich.

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After 1945, "the fraternities reformed but not a single one of these murderers was excluded," according to author and journalist Hans-Henning Scharsach.

- 'Silent takeover' -

And in recent decades, they have remained a cornerstone of Austria's nationalist scene, and of the FPOe, itself formed by former Nazis after World War II.

According to Scharsach, author of a recent new book on the subject, in recent years the fraternities have achieved a "silent takeover" of the party.

"When the party split in 2005, the 'liberals' went with (Joerg) Haider" the party's former leader, to form a new grouping, the ill-fated BZOe, according to former member Michael Krueger.

"It was the burschenschaft members who kept the FPOe alive after the split," said Bernhard Weidinger, a researcher at the Documentation Centre of Austrian Resistance.

The fraternities are notoriously wary of the media, saying that they are incorrectly portrayed. Several groups contacted by AFP declined to comment.

- Setting the tone -

With their distinctive caps, they hold their own annual Viennese ball at the imperial Hofburg palace, which regularly attracts protests that often turn violent.

"We are the new Jews," Strache reportedly said at one such ball in 2012. He later said his comments were taken out of context.

When he visited Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in 2010, Strache wore his burschenschaft cap instead of a kippa skullcap, prompting outrage from Austria's Jewish community.

In 1987, an association of fraternities even called for Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy until 1941, to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Every November, fraternity members gather in Vienna's vast Central Cemetery to pay homage to Walter Nowotny, a Luftwaffe ace decorated by the Nazis.

Although the fraternities may only count around 4,000 members, they "set the tone" in the FPOe, according to the Profil weekly.
The longtime Today show anchor who was fired after a complaint about his behavior was popular and influential, but not a stranger to awkward incidents

Sources have reported that the allegations stem from an incident at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Photograph: Scott Halleran/Getty Images

US morning television host Matt Lauers cultivated image of a trusted, charming newsman was shattered on Wednesday, when he became the latest powerful media figure to be swept up in the cascade of allegations of sexual misconduct.

Lauer was a pillar of NBC, which on Wednesday announced that it had terminated the longtime Today show anchor after receiving a detailed complaint about the 59-year-olds sexual behavior in the workplace.

Popular for balancing serious news reporting with morning news silliness, Lauer had previously survived minor dents to his reputation in two decades as host of Today at NBC, which granted him a two-year, $20m a year contract in 2016.

He is more of an entertainer than a news gatherer, but at the Today Show he assembled a large following, Mark Feldstein, a media professor at the University of Maryland who worked for 20 years on TV news including at NBC, told the Guardian.

Feldstein, who is writing a book on scandals in the media which he is having to update given the recent spate of sexual harassment allegations, said that Lauers position within NBC grew all the more powerful in recent years given the cash-making importance of morning news shows. I have to believe their evidence against Lauer was very compelling to have taken such drastic and rapid action, he said.

Millions of Americans worldviews were partially shaped by Lauer, who since January 1997 anchored Todays 7am to 11am programming block with a rotating cast of hosts. The show mixes traditional morning fodder like cooking demonstrations with hard-edged reports that are regularly cycled into primetime news.

A work day for Lauer could involve dressing as Pamela Anderson on Baywatch for the 2013 Halloween episode or pushing George W Bush to explain the use of secret interrogation sites abroad in an Oval Office interview.

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It was Lauer and Katie Couric, his co-host from 1997 to 2006, who many turned to on the morning of 9/11. Today broadcast live footage of the second plane hitting the World Trade Center as the hosts struggled to understand what was happening five miles from the newsroom. It was a very bizarre scene inside the studio because were all justifiably terrified of what was happening, Lauer said five years later.

In the 2013 book Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV, CNN media correspondent Brian Stelter wrote about Lauers longtime hold on morning television.

Men fantasized about being him; women fantasized about sleeping with him (surely some of those men did, too), Stelter wrote. To an entire generation of aspiring television journalists, he represented the pinnacle, the peak of the profession.

Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie and Dylan Dreyer sit at a table during a break on the set of NBCs Today Show on Wednesday in New York City. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

But Lauers reign at Today was occasionally tarnished by awkward incidents.

There was his interview with actor Anne Hathaway, one day after paparazzi snapped an upskirt photo of her while she exited a car. Seen a lot of you lately, Lauer said at the beginning of an interview about the film Les Miserables in December 2012.

And earlier that year, Couric disclosed Lauers most annoying habit. He pinches me on the ass a lot, Couric told Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in June 2012.

Many Today fans were furious with Lauer after he was credited with ending the Today show career of beloved co-host Ann Curry. Curry felt that the boys club atmosphere behind the scenes at Today undermined her from the start, and she told friends that her final months were a form of professional torture, Stelter wrote.

In a segment marking her exit from the show in 2012, the journalist turned away from Lauers attempted kiss. TMZ reported that people screamed at Lauer on the streets after Currys departure.

Lauer also received heaps of criticism because of his handling of a presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in September 2016.

Clinton, who in 1998 famously told Lauer there was a vast rightwing conspiracy against her and her husband, criticized the journalist in her new memoir What Happened. Lauer had turned what should have been a serious discussion into a pointless ambush. What a waste of time, Clinton wrote.

The NBC News chairman, Andy Lack, said in a statement that Lauers termination was a response to the first complaint about his behavior. We were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident, Lack said.

NBCs announcement pre-empted stories in the works at Variety and other newspapers.

Elizabeth Wagmeister, a reporter at Variety, said on Wednesday she had been working on an article about Lauer for months and NBC knew about her reporting. There are multiple women weve spoken to with far-ranging accusations against Lauer, Wagmeister wrote on Twitter.

Ari Wilkenfeld, a civil rights lawyer, told the New York Times he represented the woman who made the complaint to NBC, but declined to publicly identify her. Wilkenfeld said he and his client met with NBC on Monday for an interview. Our impression at this point is that NBC acted quickly, as all companies should, when confronted with credible allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace, he said.

Lauer, a New York City native, worked for three years as a news reader before becoming Today show host  a job that would send him around the world to cover landmark news events and profile interesting places in his segment Where in the World is Matt Lauer. He has hosted Olympic Games opening ceremonies and has been the host of the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade for two decades.

The father of threes first of two marriages ended in divorce. He has been married to model Annette Roque since 1998.

Savannah Guthrie, who worked alongside Lauer on the Today show, said the program was devastated before describing the personal impact of the news.

We are grappling with a dilemma that so many people have faced these past few weeks. How do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation that they have behaved badly, Guthrie said. And I dont know the answer to that.
By Tracy Rucinski

(Reuters) - A lawyer for Bikram Choudhury Yoga Inc said on Thursday he is aiming to salvage the so-called hot yoga studio after millions of dollars in legal judgments and numerous allegations of sexual misconduct against its fugitive millionaire founder.

Bikram Choudhury built a worldwide following with classes of 26 yoga postures in rooms heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.6 C). The method was embraced by celebrities including George Clooney, Beyonce and Madonna, according to a Bikram Yoga blog post several years ago.

His Simi Valley, California-based company filed for Chapter 11 protection on Nov. 9, citing $16.7 million in claims by women who are owed money for court judgments awarded against the yoga guru from lawsuits dating back to 2013.

Choudhury has been accused of sexual assault by some of his yoga practitioners, students, instructors and teacher trainees.

A warrant for his arrest was issued in May but his whereabouts are unknown.

The chain has 49 studios across the United States and 37 abroad, and conducts yoga seminars, lectures and workshops across the world, according to its website.

"My focus is to keep the business alive and try to restructure it so there's some value and a recovery by these victims and holders of claims against the company," Bikram Yoga's bankruptcy lawyer, Martin Brill, told Reuters.

"The company really has not been operating as it should in the last couple of years as a result of these allegations and the fact that Mr. Choudhury is no longer in the country," he said.

Bikram Yoga and special litigation lawyers did not return requests for comment on Thursday on the sexual misconduct allegations. Brill represents Bikram Yoga in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy but does not represent Choudhury.

Brill's comments followed a request by the U.S. Trustee, a Justice Department bankruptcy watchdog, that the Bikram Yoga Chapter 11 case be dismissed or converted to a Chapter 7 liquidation due to a failure to file required documents.

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In court papers filed on Wednesday, the office of the U.S. Trustee said Bikram Yoga failed to file federal tax returns, a notice of insider compensation, proof of insurance coverage and various financial disclosures.

Brill said they are working on getting all of the requested items to the U.S. Trustee.

If the case were dismissed, it would lift the stay on lawsuits against the yoga studio.

Bikram Yoga appointed turnaround specialist John Bryan as chief restructuring officer on Nov. 13 with the aim of reviewing strategic options for the company and rebuilding the Bikram brand.

In its bankruptcy petition, the yoga studio said its liabilities were worth up to $50 million and that its biggest creditors are women who are owed money for court judgments awarded against Choudhury. It listed assets of up to $1 million, suggesting creditors may not be paid in full.

A meeting of creditors is scheduled for Dec. 14 at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Santa Barbara, but Brill said he planned to request it be postponed until Bikram Yoga files detailed financial disclosures in early January.

A hearing on the U.S. Trustee's request is scheduled for Jan. 10.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago; writing by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Del.; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
La Paz (AFP) - Bolivian President Evo Morales rejoiced Wednesday following a court decision authorizing a tilt at a fourth consecutive term, in what the opposition slammed as a blow to democracy.

Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, first took office in January 2006. He would rule until 2025 if re-elected in 2019, giving him 19 consecutive years in power.

The leftist president told a news conference that a possible fourth term "guarantees a democratic continuity, but also guarantees stability, dignity and work for dignity."

Morales narrowly lost a referendum last year on changing the constitution to allow him to seek a fourth term.

Bolivia's constitutional court however stepped in when his party mounted an appeal, and ruled in his favor on Tuesday.

"The Democratic and Cultural revolution continues. To Victory forever!" the 58-year-old president wrote on Twitter.

In February 2016 Bolivians voted by a slim margin against proposed changes to the constitution to allow Morales, already Bolivia's longest-serving leader since independence from Spain in 1825, to stand again for the presidency.

The constitutional court however ruled that the right to run for office superseded the limits imposed in the constitution.

Morales already had the constitution changed three years after taking office. Under that revised document he was elected president in 2009, and then won what was meant to be a one-off renewal in 2014.

- Blow to democracy -

Demonstrators against Morales' reelection took to the streets in the capital La Paz on Wednesday. In nearby El Alto, students marched under a banner calling on the president to step down.

The ruling "turns Bolivia into a country subject to the discretion of President Morales," said Carlos Mesa, who according to opinion polls would be Morales' strongest opponent if he decides to run for office.

"We will not allow Bolivia to become Venezuela and we will confront Evo Morales in the streets, at the polls, in the city and in the countryside," said former opposition candidate Samuel Doria Medina.

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"This is one of the largest attacks on the rule of law, the Constitution, democracy," added constitutional lawyer Carlos Alarcon, referring to the constitutional court's ruling that ignored last year's referendum.

Political analyst Jorge Lazarte said the court ruling was "a coup against the constitution and a blow against the popular will."

Former president Jorge Quiroga said, "Being a tyrant is not, nor will be, recognized internationally."

Morales belongs to a generation of Latin American leftist leaders who champion "21st-century socialism."

He has overseen robust economic growth, but opponents accuse him of tolerating corruption and investing in flashy infrastructure projects at the expense of health and education.

Bolivia's mineral- and gas-rich economy has more than tripled in size during his decade in office.

Morales has been re-elected twice with large majorities. Last year's referendum was his only defeat at the polls.

Separately, the secretary general of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, questioned the court decision and recalled that re-election had been rejected in a referendum.

The Morales administration is a staunch ally of leftist governments in Cuba and Venezuela and a fierce critic of the United States.
Donald Trump has retweeted numerous tweets from Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of far-right group Britain First.

The inflammatory posts  one of which appeared to show footage of a boy being killed, and the moment of his death  were apparently endorsed by the President, who retweeted three of them in a row.

To many of his 45 million followers, neither of those names may seem familiar. But to those in the UK, they are well known: Britain First is a now notorious group that has been accused of helping spread Islamophobic and racist content across the internet.

The three posts that the President posted were much in the vein of the work the group usually does. They depicted people who the group claimed were migrants involved in various crimes  and used them to implicitly blame all Muslims for the behaviour.

That Islamophobia is just one of the various controversial views that have been espoused by Ms Fransen, who Mr Trump repeatedly retweeted. The group has also called for the restoration of public hanging as a punishment, and members have given their support to religious war in the UK.

Their work has also extended into direct action. Those have included so-called "Christian patrols", in which members walk the street hunting people who appear to be Muslim, and forcing entry into mosques to distribute inflammatory propaganda.

But like many of Britain First's posts, the three posts shared by the President were entirely shorn of context and information. It isn't clear that any of the posts actually depict what is claimed  and many of them have disturbing context that has been removed from the tweets.

They appear to have been selected from a range of posts on Ms Fransen's Twitter page. She spends much of the day posting inflammatory videos and images  and Mr Trump appeared to have selected three out of a variety of numerous posts on that page.

Such posts have made the group very popular on social media among the British far right.

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For a long time, the group  which calls itself a political party, though has nobody representing it in any public office  bragged about the huge reach of its Facebook page. In 2015, for instance, it claimed to be the first political party to have reached one million likes on Facebook.

The reach of that page was spread with such videos. Many of them depicted explicitly Islamophobic content and received huge numbers of likes and views, which spread the posts quickly across the site.

But since then the page has run into controversy and problems. That has led to the reach of the group's posts dropping, and it now only has a million followers.

The far-right group has celebrated the fact that Mr Trump has shared the posts.

"THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSEN'S TWITTER VIDEOS!" it wrote on its official page. "DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA!"

But even some people who have previously supported the President took issue with Mr Trump's retweet. "Yeah, someone might want to tell whoever is running Trump's Twitter account this morning that retweeting Britain First is not great optics," wrote Paul Joseph Watson, an editor at Infowars and a popular right-wing YouTuber.

And Brendan Cox, whose wife Jo was killed in an attack by a far-right extremist last year, said that the President's tweet was an attempt to promote the far-right.

|Trump has legitimised the far right in his own country, now hes trying to do it in ours," he wrote. "Spreading hatred has consequences & the President should be ashamed of himself."
Riyadh (AFP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May has implored Saudi leaders to ease a blockade on Yemen to "avert a humanitarian catastrophe", her office said on Thursday, echoing urgent appeals from the United Nations.

May met both King Salman and powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on a brief visit to Riyadh late on Wednesday, with a worsening crisis in Yemen topping her agenda.

May had promised to raise concerns over Yemen where a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia has only partially lifted a crippling aid blockade.

"The prime minister made clear that the flow of commercial supplies... must be resumed if we are to avert a humanitarian catastrophe," May's office said.

"They agreed that steps needed to be taken as a matter of urgency to address this."

Saudi Arabia is Britain's largest trading partner in the Middle East, and London has signed off on more than 3.3 billion ($4.4 billion/3.7 billion euros) worth of arms sales to Riyadh since March 2015.

That was the month that Riyadh launched its intervention against Yemeni rebels who still control the capital Sanaa and much of the north of the country.

The war has since killed some 8,600 people, while a further 2,000 have died of cholera.

The United Nations on Monday urged the Saudi-led coalition to do "much more" to ease the blockade impeding shipments of aid and fully reopen the key rebel-held port of Hodeida.

UN officials have warned that Yemen faces the risk of the "world's worst famine in many decades".

burs-ac/kir
By Dave Sherwood and Antonio De la Jara SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A coalition of Chilean leftist parties on Thursday challenged presidential contender Alejandro Guillier to clarify his social and economic policies, withholding the outright endorsement sought by the center-left candidate. Beatriz Sanchez, the flagbearer for the hard-left Frente Amplio coalition, also criticized conservative ex-president Sebastian Pinera, the frontrunner, and called him a "step back" for the country, in a statement issued after a party meeting. Pinera and Guillier will face off in a Dec. 17 runoff vote after placing first and second respectively in the first round of the election on Nov. 19. Sanchez, who campaigned on a promise to tax mining companies and the "super-rich" in order to boost social spending, finished just two percentage points behind Guillier. Her stronger-than-anticipated performance spooked markets and ensured the bloc will have influence, both in Congress and over campaigning for the second round. "We are not the owners of anyone's vote, so we call on our supporters to make their voices heard in this second round, and to vote according to their own convictions and analysis," Sanchez said on national television. She challenged Guillier to clarify his positions on her bloc's priorities, including overhauling the country's highly privatized pension system, forgiving the student loans of university graduates and re-writing Chile's dictatorship-era constitution. "This isn't about negotiating with us. It's about negotiating with those who overwhelmingly support these changes in our society," she said. Guillier did not immediately respond to the demands of the Frente Amplio. But winning over Sanchez's 1.3 million voters is seen by Guillier's camp as essential in triumphing over Pinera. Guillier said at a campaign event on Monday that he "would need everyone's support" to advance. He has offered to forgive the debt of 40 percent of the country's poorest university students and said he remained open to rewriting Chile's constitution, both policies intended to appeal to leftist voters. But Guillier must walk a fine line, as a too-sharp turn to the left could push more moderate voters - historically a large and potent voting bloc in Chile - to Pinera. Both candidates would keep in place the top copper exporter's longstanding free-market economic model, but Pinera has promised investor-friendly policies to turbocharge growth, while Guillier wants to press on with outgoing President Michelle Bachelet's overhaul of education, taxes and labor laws. (Reporting by Dave Sherwood; Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Rosalba O'Brien)
WASHINGTON (AP)  A network of 250 civil society organizations around the world said Thursday that 63 of its experts who were planning to attend a ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization next month in Buenos Aires had their credentials revoked by the Argentine government.

Deborah James, a member of the Our World Is Not for Sale network, sent a letter asking WTO director Roberto Azevedo not to hold the meeting in Argentina unless the participation of the civil society groups is reinstated.

"If any host country starts limiting access and does so arbitrarily and without having to explain any motives, not only is this conference's integrity being attacked, but a key principle of international diplomacy is being violated," the letter said.

Requests for comment by the WTO and the Argentine Embassy in Washington were not immediately answered.

James called the revocation of credentials "unprecedented" because more than 250 members of her network have attended international meetings of the WTO, United Nations and other organizations.

The Our World Is Not for Sale network proclaims as its goal to fight the "corporate globalization embodied in the global trading system."

WTO plans to hold the ministerial conference Dec. 10-13 in Buenos Aires.

___

Luis Alonso Lugo on Twitter: www.twitter.com/luisalonsolugo
Conor McGregor didnt take his court date very seriously, and the judge was SUPER unhappy about it. (AP Photo)

If youre Conor McGregor and you have a court date, do you show up on time? We the public no longer have to wonder about that important, burning question. The answer is: no, not even a little bit.

McGregor was due in court in Dublin on Thursday to answer for a speeding citation he was issued back in March (he was going 98 in a 60 zone), and when it was time for the judge to hear his case, McGregor was nowhere to be found.

Well, thats not entirely true. He wasnt in the courthouse, but he could be found. He was posting on Instagram at the time his case was originally supposed to be heard.

Conor McGregor posing in his sweatsuit instead of appearing in court. (Instagram/@thenotoriousmma)

All of this might be the most Conor McGregor thing ever. No time for a court date, gotta pose in my sweatsuit!

This was the third time McGregor had failed to show to face this charge. According to the Mirror, when McGregors lawyer Graham Kenny said he didnt know where his client was, Judge Miriam Walsh was NOT happy.

Judge Miriam Walsh fumed: Im getting nothing but fingers from Mr McGregor. If hes making a case he has to be here. This is absolute disrespect to the court. I am very annoyed with Mr McGregor.

Im getting nothing but fingers is such a classy way of saying hes giving me the middle finger. Judge Walsh then threatened to have McGregor arrested if he didnt show.

Kenny got Judge Walsh to push back the hearing until later in the day, and he apparently contacted McGregor to get him to come to court. Which McGregor eventually did, but not without more Instagramming.

Feet up on one of my dashes do a dash when you see me A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on Nov 30, 2017 at 3:59am PST

Getting charged in the super charge. #courthouse #relaxjudge A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on Nov 30, 2017 at 5:10am PST

Yeah, Im sure #relaxjudge is the best way to handle a court date.

The judge didnt relax. (Shocker!) When McGregor finally showed up, she didnt take too kindly to McGregors cavalier attitude. Heres the exchange, from the Irish Times.

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When McGregor was asked by the judge if he remembered speeding on the day in question he said emm I cant remember to be honest, what I did also hear is I tried my best to pay for it. McGregor entered a guilty plea, and when asked by the judge why he failed to pay the fixed charge notice he said I dont know, I didnt pay and thats it To which the judge replied thats not it. Addressing McGregor the judge said I have to ask, how much do you earn  and dont say 110 million in one day. McGregor responded to say 140, while laughing.

There was more laughter to be had in the courtroom. After Judge Walsh issued McGregor a 350 fine (around $473), she told him that it could be paid in installments. And then McGregor burst out laughing. To be fair, he might have that much in change rolling around on the floor of his car.

McGregor didnt seem bothered by anything that happened on Thursday. He even took a moment to strike a pose with his sharp-dressed lawyer.

Conor McGregor poses with his lawyer Graham Kenny. (Instagram/@thenotoriousmma)

Its pretty obvious that McGregor didnt take any of this seriously. He didnt show up to court on this charge two other times, and then Instagrammed the day away while his hearing was supposed to happen. He was serious about covering up his face on his way out of court, though.

Respect to Martin they hassled the bollox out of him as well hahah A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on Nov 30, 2017 at 5:41am PST

Just cover your face with your hoodie, Conor! Im sure no one will know its you getting into the car you Instagrammed earlier in the day!

Then McGregor got into his car, and this glorious thing happened.

Conor McGregor @TheNotoriousMMA drives away from court, saying Come and get me pic.twitter.com/ee41k2WYwK  RTE News (@rtenews) November 30, 2017

He *literally* sped away from the courthouse yelling Come and get me! out the window. Delicious, delicious irony.

     

Liz Roscher is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on twitter! Follow @lizroscher
Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke praised President Trump on Wednesday after he retweeted a series of anti-Muslim videos, saying "Thank God for Trump!"

The U.S. commander in chief shared videos from Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen to his own timeline on Wednesday morning that show varied violent acts carried out by people who identify with the Muslim faith. Britain First describes itself as a "patriotic political party and street movement," and online presence evidences a nationalist, anti-immigrant platform.

While Trump faced a wave of criticism from many on social media who questioned the ethics of sharing videos that were unable to be immediately verified, the former Louisiana state representative and white supremacist was quick to laud the Republican president.

"Trump retweets video of crippled white kid in Europe being beaten by migrants, and white people being thrown off a roof and then beaten to death, He's condemned for showing us what the fake news media WON'T," Duke tweeted. "Thank God for Trump! That's why we love him!"

"This is why WE LOVE TRUMP and WHY the FAKE NEWS MEDIA HATES TRUMP," Duke continued. "He brings to light what the lying, Fake News Media Won't. The truth is the media covers up horrific numbers of racist hate crimes against White people!"

RELATED: Social media reacts to Trump's sharing anti-Muslim video



CBS News was able to partially confirm the legitimacy of these videos, with the clip showing an altercation between two teen boys raising the most concerns.

British Prime Minister Theresa May was quick to criticize Trump's giving Britain First a greater platform, saying the group seeks to "divide communities through their use of hateful narratives."

"It is wrong for the president to have done this," the spokesman for May said. "Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions. They cause anxiety to law-abiding people."

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White House press secretary defended the president when asked by reporters about the posts, saying the biggest concern is "the threat is real."

"Whether it's a real video, the threat is real," Sanders told reporters. "His [Trump's] goal is to promote strong border security and strong national security."

RELATED: The Ku Klux Klan throughout history


By Erik Matzen and Stine Jacobsen COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Denmark passed a law on Thursday that could allow it to ban Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from going through its waters on grounds of security or foreign policy. The measure amends Denmark's regulatory framework to allow the authorities to cite security or foreign policy as reasons to block a pipeline. Previously these were not valid grounds for objection. Denmark has been caught in a geopolitical conflict as Russia's Gazprom and its European partners have sought to build Nord Stream 2, a giant pipeline to pump natural gas to Germany through the Baltic Sea, bypassing existing land routes over Ukraine, Poland and Belarus. The proposed route goes through Danish waters, but the pipeline consortium is investigating an alternative route north of the Danish island Bornholm which would run in international waters and therefore not be impacted by a potential Danish ban. Nord Stream 2 has already applied for permission in Denmark and its application is being assessed at the Danish Energy Agency. The change to the law will take effect from Jan. 1 but apply to applications that have already been submitted. In June, Danish energy and climate minister Lars Christian Lilleholt said he expected the agency to have completed its assessment during early 2018. (Additional reporting by Teis Jensen,; Editing by Peter Graff)
President Donald Trump on Wednesday brought a conspiracy theory surrounding one of his frequent critics and media rivals, former congressman and current TV host Joe Scarborough, back into the national spotlight on Wednedsay.

"Will [NBC] terminate low ratings Joe Scarborough based on the unsolved mystery that took place in Florida years ago? Investigate! the president tweeted on Wednesday after the news that Matt Lauer had been terminated over allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace emerged.

Trump's tweet appeared to suggest that Scarborough may have been involved in the 2001 death of a 28-year-old female staffer named Lori Klausutis, whose body was found in his congressional district office.

Despite Trump's inferred accusations, authorities determined at the time there was no foul play involved.

The medical examiner assigned to the case determined that Klausutis had fainted as a result of an abnormal heart rhythm, which caused her to fall and hit her head on a desk. Moreover, Klausutis had apparently complained to a colleague earlier in the day that she had not been feeling well.

Moreover, even if foul play had been involved, Scarborough was nowhere near his office at the time of the womans death, according to FOX News.

%InlineRelated-url="https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/11/29/president-trump-reportedly-revives-birther-claims-against-obama/23291426/" CTA="SEE ALSO" title="President Trump reportedly revives birther claims against Obama"%

While her death was ruled an accident, some have continued to remain suspicious about the incident.

Trump brought it to the forefront with his Wednesday tweet.

The "Morning Joe" co-host was quick to respond to the presidents message.

Looks like I picked a good day to stop responding to Trumps bizarre tweets. He is not well, Scarborough wrote in his tweet.
Wellcome Trust/Wikimedia Commons , CC BY-SA

During the nine-year-long Battle for Gaul, Julius Caesar fought his way across northwest Europe. He invaded Britain twice; in 55BC, and again in 54BC. But while archaeologists have found evidence of the war in France, there has been very little discovered in Britain  until now.

At a site called Ebbsfleet, in northeast Kent, my colleagues from the University of Leicester and I finally uncovered the site where Julius Caesars fleet landed in 54BC. A series of surveys and excavations, spanning from 2015 to 2017, revealed a large enclosure, defended by a ditch five metres wide and two metres deep.

University of Leicester , Author provided

We dated the ditch all the way back to the first century BC, by examining the pottery and using radiocarbon dating techniques.

At the bottom of the ditch, we found the tip of an iron weapon, which was later identified as a Roman spear, or pilum. Similar weapons were discovered at the site of Alesia in France, where the decisive encounter in the Battle for Gaul took place. Whats more, the defensive ditches at Alesia are the same size and shape as those we discovered at Ebbsfleet.

In Caesars own words

Our dig was situated next to Pegwell Bay, a large, sandy beach with chalk cliffs at its northern end. This striking landscape also helps to confirm that we really have found the location of Caesars base. Most of what is known about Caesars voyage comes from his own written accounts, based on his annual reports to the Roman senate.

When the Roman fleet set sail from France, they intended to use the wind to help them cross the Channel to find a large, safe place to lay anchor and prepare for battle. But the wind dropped, and the fleet was carried too far northeast by the tide.

University of Leicester. , Author provided

At sunrise, Caesar saw Britain left afar on the port side. Only high land would have been visible from a small ship far out at sea. And the only such land in northeast Kent are the cliffs near Ebbsfleet. Caesar also describes how he left the ships riding at anchor next to a sandy, open shore  a perfect description of Pegwell Bay.

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Given Caesars own words seem so clear, its surprising that Pegwell Bay has never been considered as a possible landing site before. Instead, Caesar was long thought to have landed at Walmer, 15 kilometres to the south. One reason might be that, until the Middle Ages, Thanet was an island.

The Isle of Thanet was separated from the mainland by the Wantsum Channel. But no one knows how big the channel was 2,000 years ago; it could be that whatever disadvantages it presented were offset by the presence of a large and safe beach, where 800 ships could land and disembark 20,000 men and 2,000 horses in one day.

Peace by force

Despite the imposing size of Caesars fleet, it was long thought that his landing had little lasting impact on Britain. Caesar himself returned to France immediately after the two campaigns, without leaving a garrison. Yet the discovery of the landing site gives us cause to question this assumption.

Andrew Fitzpatrick/University of Leicester , Author provided

Historical sources, royal burials and ancient coins indicate that from about 20BC, the kings of southeast England had strong links to Rome. But historians have found it hard to explain how these alliances came into existence. The suggestion that they sprung from diplomatic ties forged by the emperor Augustus at that time has never been convincing.

But Caesar tells us that he reached a peace accord with the Britons in 54BC, even taking hostages from the ruling families to ensure the agreement was respected. Perhaps the alliances which came to light in the 20s BC were originally established by Caesar, a generation before emperor Augustus asserted his authority over the Roman Empire.

The close ties between Rome and the kings of southeast England assured emperor Claudius of a relatively easy military victory, when he first set out to conquer England in 43 AD. So it seems Caesars earlier conquest could have laid the foundations for the Roman occupation of Britain, which lasted more than 300 years.

For Caesar, the consequences of his invasions were clear. In his day, Britain lay beyond the known world. By crossing the ocean and conquering Britain, Caesar caused a sensation in his homeland. He was awarded the longest public thanksgiving in Rome, winning great acclaim and glory in the process. Mission accomplished.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

The Conversation

Andrew Fitzpatrick receives funding from Leverhulme Trust.
Vladimir Putin appears to stride the globe like a political goliath, a mix of Peter the Great and Joseph Stalin. Whether in Syria or Ukraine, the Russian President flexes his muscles and the world seems to quake with anxiety. There is now little doubt that Putin has skillfully maneuvered Russia back into a position of global prominence following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, which he has called the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century. He poured billions of dollars into modernizing his military machine and plunged into the exciting but murky world of new media technology, transforming it into a formidable weapon of political warfare.

At home he has reached deep into Russian history, religion and mythology to strengthen his image and grip on power, associating himself with successful czars such as Peter and Catherine in the 18th century; with the Orthodox Church, which stresses traditional values of faith and patriotism; with conservative philosophers like Sergei Uvarov, whose writings in the mid-19th century stressed orthodoxy, autocracy and nationality; and even with Stalins discredited dictatorship.

In projecting an image of expansive personal power and influence, Putin leaves little to chance. He wears a large cross, given to him by his mother, that he swears was blessed in the Holy Land. He speaks with reverence of the year (988) when Prince Vladimir of Kievan Rus led the Christianization of the Russian people. On special occasions, he rides horses bare-chested across the Russian tundra. He knows in his gut the Russian people admire such a strong vozhd, and he is determined to be their hero.

But is he? While Putins successes have been made obvious, his failures have been placed on the back burner, where they simmer in anger and disappointment.

Start with the economy. It has been stagnating from slipping oil prices and the Western sanctions imposed in 2014, after Russia seized Crimea and instigated a revolt in southeastern Ukraine. Across the country, strikes (which are increasingly illegal) have sprung upshort, spontaneous and a sign of deepening labor unrest. Meanwhile, salaries have been withheld, sometimes for months. Families have been denied financial compensation for children who die on duty; this was once a given.

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By now the revolt in Ukraine has stale-mated, with the conflict a costly continuing endeavor. The Russian intrusion into the Syrian civil war did embarrass the U.S.and save Bashar Assads regimebut it also carries the danger of wider conflict, possibly involving the U.S. Russians have begun to ask, Is it worth it?

Still, if pollsters say Putins approval ratings are in the 80s, the question is: Why worry? But Putin does worry, and deeply. The evidence lay in the creation, on April 5, 2016, of the Russian National Guard, a domestic force numbering an estimated 350,000 troops that is loyal only to Putin. The general in charge of the guard is Viktor Zolotov, who for many years was Putins personal bodyguard. When he decides to employ his troops, he is not obliged to receive approval from anyone other than Putinnot parliament, not the established military, no one. He and his troops operate as an independent force.

Why would Putin need a powerful praetorian guard? He already has a sophisticated, re-equipped military force. A study of the man strongly suggests that, whatever polls may say, Putin nurses a deep fear of his own people. He is afraid that one day they will rise up against him, as they did against the government 100 years ago on Nov. 7, 1917. One similar uprising looms large in his own biography. Putin was a KGB officer in Dresden in the late 1980s when a mob of angry Germans stormed his headquarters after the fall of the Berlin Wall. As he tried desperately to burn official papers, he telephoned Moscow for instructions. No one answered his call. Stunned, he vowed, never again.

In power, Putin has seen other popular uprisings. A color revolution in Ukraine in 2004 frightened him, and he was at the time unable to suppress it. In 08, Georgia exploded; this time Putin used military force to crush it. Ukraine surged again in 14, so Putinconcerned that the Ukrainians embrace of freedom and independence might spread to the Russian peopletook military action. He occupied Crimea, and soon thereafter moved into southeast Ukraine, which still smolders.

Putin may strut on the global stage, but the creation of his guard betrays consuming doubts about his political longevity. Czar Nicholas II had such a guard too, called the okhrana. It protected that ruler up until 1917, when the Russian people said enough. That is one word Putin does not want to hear anytime soon.
Elizabeth Warren described the President's comments as

Donald Trumps decision to mock a rival by calling her Pocahontas could lead to his impeachment, a political historian has claimed.

The US President used the Native American icons name to refer to Senator Elizabeth Warren during a White House event honouring Navajo veterans, who helped the US Armed Forces to pass secret messages during the Second World War.

Ms Warren, a Democrat who claims to have Native American ancestry said she really couldnt believe the comment.

Political historian Allan Lichtman who has authored The Case for Impeachment, said the comment form part of an article of impeachment.

He added that Abuse of Congress has previously been cited as grounds to remove a US president.

An 1868 article of impeachment against Mr Johnson  one of only two US Presidents who have been impeached  said he used intemperate, inflammatory and scandalous harangues  and loud threats and bitter menaces  against Congress.

Mr Lichtman told Newsweek that a fairly powerful article of impeachment could be formed if such comments were combined with very intemperate attacks on the judiciary and freedom of the press.

Many have condemned Mr Trumps use of Pocahontas to refer to Ms Warren.

Navajo National Council Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty, who said the comments represented the latest example of systemic, deep-rooted ignorance of Native Americans.

Ms Warren herself, told MSNBC: This was supposed to be an event to honour heroes, people who put it all on the line for our country. It is deeply unfortunate that the president of the United States cant even make it through a ceremony honouring these heroes without throwing out a racial slur.

Her fellow Massachusetts senator, Ed Markey, said: What Mr Trump said about my partner, Senator Warren is a slur. It disparages the Native American war heroes, standing right beside the President, who risked their lives to protect his right to make such a disgusting comment.

The White House dismissed the criticism. Asked if the word was racist, White House press secretary Sara Huckabee Sanders, said: I dont think that it is.

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She was then asked why the President would say something that was offensive to many people while honouring the Navajo code talkers  genuine American heroes.

She replied: I think what most people find offensive is Senator Warren lying about her heritage to advance her career.
Barack Obama's birth certificate demonstrates he was born in America: White House

Donald Trump has reportedly continued to promote the conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was not born in America despite disavowing the lie during the campaign.

Before declaring his candidacy, Mr Trump actively embraced the discredited notion that Mr Obama, his predecessor and a Democrat, was not born in the United States and was thus ineligible to be president.

The so-called birther theory persisted even after the White House released Mr Obamas birth certificate verifying that he was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Mr Trumps embrace of a lie hovering on the fringes of American discourse eased his entry into politics.

Late in the 2016 presidential campaign, Mr Trump renounced the birther movement, saying President Barack Obama was born in the United States. Period. The reversal came a day after Mr Trump had refused to acknowledge Mr Obamas American birth to the Washington Post, responding to a question about his views by saying I just dont want to answer it yet.

But despite publicly discarding the birther theory, Mr Trump has continued to embrace it privately, the New York Times reported. According to the paper, he has raised doubts about the veracity of Mr Obamas birth certificate.

An unnamed senator cited by the Times suggested that the President had a hard time letting go of the idea that Mr Obama was not born on American soil.

The birther theory is not the only lie Mr Trump has trumpeted to associates, according to the Times.

The paper said Mr Trump has claimed a tape in which he boasts about sexually assaulting women is inauthentic and does not feature his voice  contradicting his swift concession, when the tape went public during the campaign, that he was the one speaking  and has held onto his unsubstantiated claim that voter fraud cost him the popular vote. There is no evidence suggesting other fraud caused Mr Trumps 2.8 million vote deficit.
Donald Trump has shared a series of Islamophobic tweets from far-right extremist group Britain First, sparking condemnation for spreading its "deplorable" ideology to a global audience.

The first video, originally shared by deputy leader Jayda Fransen's account, claimed to show "Muslim migrants beating up a Dutch boy on crutches".

A second re-post was captioned "Muslim destroys statue of Virgin Mary", while a third read "Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death".

The content of the videos or their origin could not be independently verified, but local reports said the first showed the 2013 murder of a teenager who was himself likely to be a Muslim during riots over the coup against Mohamed Morsi.

The attacker in the video from the Netherlands was neither a Muslim nor a migrant, according to local media, and was arrested over the incident.

Shortly after sharing the footage, the President called on Americans to "boycott Fake News CNN" and hailed "another great day for the stock market".

His early-morning Twitter frenzy came days after Ms Fransen was arrested over a speech made at a rally in Belfast - the latest in a series of incidents over alleged hate speech, religious harrassment and incitement by Britain First members.

Donald Trump shared three tweets from Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen's account

Ms Fransen has been charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour at the Northern Ireland Against Terrorism Rally and is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates' Court on 14 December.

Ms Fransen is also facing trial over four charges of religiously aggravated harassment as part of a Kent Police investigation into the distribution of leaflets and the posting of online videos during a trial in Kent earlier this year.

Her account celebrated the shares, claiming that Mr Trump "himself" had retweeted the videos to almost 44 million followers around the world.

"God bless you Trump! God bless America!" read a tweet, signed off with the abbreviation OCS, meaning Onward Christian Soldiers.

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Britain First's supporters were celebrating the publicity amid a furious reaction by politicians from all parties, with mounting calls for Theresa May to make a statement.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said Britain First sought to divide communities through its use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions", adding: It is wrong for the President to have done this."

Jeremy Corbyn called the tweets "abhorrent, dangerous and a threat to our society".

A question was raised by Labour MP Stephen Doughty over the tweets in the House of Commons, where MPs could be heard calling them absolutely disgraceful.

Yvette Cooper, the former shadow Home Secretary, urged Amber Rudd or Boris Johnson to condemn the significant and serious posts.

"The woman in question has already been convicted of hate crime in this country," she added, warning that Mr Trump had given her a "huge platform".

Chuka Umunna was among those calling for Mr Trump's state visit invitation to be withdrawn immediately, accusing the President of "normalising hatred".

"At some point you've got to draw a line, or you're going down a very dangerous road," he added.

David Lammy, the MP for Tottenham, said he had gone "beyond the pale...promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group", adding: "He is no ally or friend of ours. Donald Trump, you are not welcome in my country and my city."

Ms Fransen's account, which is partly automated, frequently shares unverified videos claiming to show migrants and Muslims physically or verbally attacking people in Europe.

She is the deputy leader of Britain First, which styles itself as a political party but has been condemned by campaigners as a far-right extremist group.

It calls on supporters to join the "British resistance" and "secure a future for British children" and has become known for paramilitary-style "invasions" targeting mosques.

The past year has seen the group's leaders travel to meet far-right groups in Poland and other countries, amid warnings that extremists are increasing international coordination to recruit vulnerable people online.

Brendan Cox, the husband of murdered MP Jo Cox, said Mr Trump had legitimised the far-right in his own country, now hes trying to do it in ours.

Spreading hatred has consequences and the President should be ashamed of himself, he added.

Ms Cox was murdered by a far-right extremist who repeatedly shouted Britain first during his brutal attack, although it was unclear whether he was referring to the group and he was also supported by the neo-Nazi terrorist group National Action.

The Muslim Council of Britain said the shares were the clearest endorsement yet from the US President of the far-right and their vile anti-Muslim propaganda.

We cannot give such bigotry a free pass, a spokesperson added. We hope our Prime Minister and Home Secretary will distance the UK from Mr Trump and his comments, and will reiterate the governments abhorrence to all forms of extremism.

Meanwhile in the US, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said the President was clearly telling members of his base that they should hate Islam and Muslims, following repeated attempts at a controversial immigration ban targeting Muslim-majority countries.

The group's executive director, Nihad Awad, said the posts amount to incitement to violence against American Muslims.

Britain First stage a small counter demo at Eros. UN Anti Racism, Refugees Welcome march and rally through central London to Trafalgar Square in 2016 (Rex Features)

Nick Ryan, of Hope Not Hate, told The Independent it was pretty incredulous that the leader of the free world would stoop to sharing content from one of the most notorious far-right groups in the UK, which has had links to the past to Loyalists, the British National Party.

Unite Against Fascism's joint secretary, Weyman Bennett, said Mr Trump must be condemned for the deplorable shares.

It beggars belief that the most powerful person in the world is retweeting Ms Fransen's vile views, he added.

Britain First rubbed shoulders with fascists in the large far-right demonstration in Warsaw, just weeks ago. They are a poisonous organisation.

A more unlikely critic was Infowars conspiracy theorist Paul Joseph Watson, who said that "retweeting Britain First is not great optics".

Julia Ebner, a research fellow at think-tank the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, said Mr Trumps behaviour had been taken to an entirely new level.

If he was previously merely flirting with the extreme right, then he is now explicitly sharing a bed with them, she told The Independent.

I'm not sure what would be worse - if he purposefully retweeted it or if he was simply unaware what it was that he was sharing.

In any case, this further raises question marks about both his ideological leanings and his sources of information.

Ms Ebner, who wrote a book called The Rage on the vicious cycle of Islamist and far-right extremism, said transatlantic coordination between fringe groups was made more likely by Wednesdays retweets.

She added: President Trump's retweet could act as an endorsement that allows Britain First to move further into the mainstream both in the UK and in the US."
Donald Trump and Theresa May participate in a joint press conference during the prime minister's visit to Washington in January: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Donald Trump has tweeted repeated messages about the use of social media, while failing to address a growing diplomatic row about his own tweeting.

The President has become embroiled in an unprecedented international row after he retweeted posts from Britain First, the far-right extremist group. Theresa May criticised those posts, to which Mr Trump replied telling her "not to focus on him".

Now Mr Trump has failed to address that diplomatic crisis. Instead, his first tweets the morning after the attack on the British prime minister were about the media's use of social media, and their failure to uphold proper standards.

"The Failing @nytimes has totally gone against the Social Media Guidelines that they installed to preserve some credibility after many of their biased reporters went Rogue," he wrote in one of a series of posts. Another said that the paper had become a "virtual lobbyist" for the Democrats because of their criticism of the President's tax bill.

The attack on the paper came as his row with Theresa May and her Government appeared to escalate. Numerous ministers have criticised the President, and some politicians have suggested that his planned state visit to the UK should be cancelled.

Cabinet minister Sajid Javid, for instance, said that the President "has endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me. He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing.

Another tweet from Mr Trump the same morning focused on North Korea, attacking Kim Jong-un and saying it is "hard to believe his people, and the military, put up with living in such horrible conditions". None of the three tweets sent in the aftermath of the row addressed his controversial tweet directed towards Theresa May.

Mr Trump's tweeted had tagged the prime minister  after initially including the wrong account  and took issue with her spokesperson having criticised his retweeting of the far-right group.

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".@Theresa_May, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom," he posted. "We are doing just fine!"

Mr Trump sent the tweet directed at Ms May overnight, UK time. It was followed up with a whole set of entirely separate posts, most of which focused on the progress of his troubled tax legislation, though there was no response from Theresa May or her staff until the morning.

A spokesman said the prime minister was focused on dealing with extremism.

"The overwhelming majority of Muslims in this country are law abiding people who abhor extremism in all its forms," he said.

"The Prime Minister has been clear over a number of years that where Islamist extremism does exist it should be tackled head on.

"We are working hard to do that both at home and internationally including with our US partners. The Prime Minister is fully focused on dealing with extremism."
Donald Trump Jr. has agreed to answer questions from members of the House Intelligence Committee next week, CNN reported Wednesday, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter. The meeting, scheduled for December 6, will be the first time Trump Jr. will take questions from congressional investigators since The Atlantic reported on Trump Jr.'s private correspondence with Wikileaks , an anti-secrecy organization accused of having been used by the Kremlin. The House Intelligence Committee is one of several congressional committees examining whether the Trump campaign collaborated with the Russian government in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.In November, Trump Jr., a vocal Trump campaign surrogate and the president's eldest son, published Twitter conversations he said he had with the anti-secrecy organization Wikileaks. He said that congressional committees had chosen to selectively leak the material and said he was releasing the "entire chain."Wikileaks tweetThe conversation largely involved Wikileaks soliciting leaks from Trump Jr. and him not responding. American intelligence officials published a report in January that said that Wikileaks had likely collaborated with agents of the Russian government, including to release information during the 2016 election . Trump Jr. has also come under fire for setting up an undisclosed June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. Trump Jr. was told the discussion would cover incriminating information on Hillary Clinton, to which he responded: "I love it."Rob Goldstone tweet Trump Jr. later said the meeting was held "before the current Russia fever was in vogue." In a closed door session with congressional investigators, he said "the meeting provided no meaningful information and turned out not to be about what had been represented," NBC News reported in September . The president's son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner as well as Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort were also at the June meeting.Manafort surrendered himself to authorities last month after being indicted by the Justice Department for allegedly failing to disclose his work as a foreign agent for the government of Ukraine, among other charges.Donald Trump Jr.'s attorney Alan Futerfas did not respond to a request for comment from CNBC. A spokesperson for the House Intelligence Committee declined to confirm that the meeting with Trump Jr. had been scheduled. Donald Trump Jr. has agreed to answer questions from members of the House Intelligence Committee next week, CNN reported Wednesday, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter. The meeting, scheduled for December 6, will be the first time Trump Jr. will take questions from congressional investigators since The Atlantic reported on Trump Jr.'s private correspondence with Wikileaks , an anti-secrecy organization accused of having been used by the Kremlin. The House Intelligence Committee is one of several congressional committees examining whether the Trump campaign collaborated with the Russian government in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. In November, Trump Jr., a vocal Trump campaign surrogate and the president's eldest son, published Twitter conversations he said he had with the anti-secrecy organization Wikileaks. He said that congressional committees had chosen to selectively leak the material and said he was releasing the "entire chain." Wikileaks tweet The conversation largely involved Wikileaks soliciting leaks from Trump Jr. and him not responding. American intelligence officials published a report in January that said that Wikileaks had likely collaborated with agents of the Russian government, including to release information during the 2016 election . Trump Jr. has also come under fire for setting up an undisclosed June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. Trump Jr. was told the discussion would cover incriminating information on Hillary Clinton, to which he responded: "I love it." Rob Goldstone tweet Trump Jr. later said the meeting was held "before the current Russia fever was in vogue." In a closed door session with congressional investigators, he said "the meeting provided no meaningful information and turned out not to be about what had been represented," NBC News reported in September . The president's son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner as well as Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort were also at the June meeting. Manafort surrendered himself to authorities last month after being indicted by the Justice Department for allegedly failing to disclose his work as a foreign agent for the government of Ukraine, among other charges. Donald Trump Jr.'s attorney Alan Futerfas did not respond to a request for comment from CNBC. A spokesperson for the House Intelligence Committee declined to confirm that the meeting with Trump Jr. had been scheduled.



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Donald Trump probably thought his decision to pose between two empty seats reserved for missing Democratic leaders was a stroke of genius - or in his own words smart - but it has backfired and the US president has been roundly mocked.

President Trump declared Democrats used to be all talk, no action but now they are not even talk while sat between two seats reserved for Senator Chuck Schumer and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.

The two Democrat leaders did not show up for a meeting at the White House after Mr Trump accused democratic congressional leaders of scheming to use their leverage to increase taxes and deluge the US with undocumented immigrants. Democrats hold significant clout because Republicans do not possess enough votes to pass a spending measure next week without gaining some Democratic support.

Meeting with Chuck and Nancy today about keeping government open and working. Problem is they want illegal immigrants flooding into our Country unchecked, are weak on Crime and want to substantially RAISE Taxes. I dont see a deal!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2017

President Trump suggested it was unlikely the White House would manage to reach a deal with Mr Schumer and Ms Pelosi, the Democratic leaders of the Senate and House, to avoid a shutdown after 8 December, when government funding runs out.

But the senior Democrats responded by choosing to pull out of their planned meeting with President Trump, Republican Congressional Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan at the White House.

Related:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View.

In a statement, the two Democratic leaders said they planned to negotiate directly with their Republican counterparts rather than Mr Trump in order to prevent a government shutdown next month.

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But President Trump doubled down and posed for TV cameras at the White House flanked by empty chairs. He branded his negotiating partners weak on crime, immigration and the military.

The world leader said: Theyve been all talk, and theyve been no action, and now its even worse. Now its not even talk.

President Trumps empty chair stunt sparked a torrent of memes and jokes on Twitter and onlookers have penned pithy captions to correspond to the image of the billionaire property developer surrounded by empty chairs.

One critic went so far as to Photoshop two members of the Ku Klux Klan clad in their trademark white pointed hoods into the vacant chairs.

They've been all talk and no action, Trump says of Chuck and Nancy, as he sits in a meeting room with empty chairs for them, quipped one of NPRs editors, Domenico Montanaro.

"If you are a sixth grader, this was really, really funny. If you're an adult, self-proclaimed 'master of the deal' and charged with leading a great nation, this was just today's embarrassment (slightly less than yesterday's.)," said another.
Donald Trump, the US President - Getty Images North America

Amber Rudd has hinted Donald Trumps state visit to the UK could be delayed after the US President launched a direct attack on Theresa May for criticising his decision to retweet anti-Islamic hate videos.

Mr Trump publicly chastised Mrs May on Wednesday evening after Downing Street said the President was wrong to have shared the content with his 43.6 million followers on Twitter.

Ms Rudd repeated Mrs Mays condemnation of Mr Trump as she told MPs that the Prime Minister would never back away from challenging the President over his behaviour.

Mr Trumps initial decision to retweet the material sparked a fierce backlash in the UK and his subsequent attack on the PM has hardened calls for the Government to withdraw the invitation of a state visit.

One government source suggested yesterday that the trip had been "kicked into grass as long as it can get" and Ms Rudd, the Home Secretary, hinted today that the visit may be delayed.

Responding to calls in the House of Commons to cancel the visit, she said: I can only repeat what I have said before, that the invitation has been extended and accepted and we have yet to make the arrangements.

.@Theresa_May, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2017

The Home Secretary also pointed out that dates have not yet been agreed as she repeated the line from Mrs Mays official spokesman, telling MPs that the President was wrong to retweet videos posted by far-Right group Britain First.

She said Mrs May would not back away from challenging Mr Trump when she needed to.

The Prime Minister will always have regular calls with the President and she has been explicit in criticising this tweet, the Home Secretary said.

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I know that she will always make sure that she calls it out where she sees it and that is what she has done here.

Mr Trump responded to Mrs Mays rebuke by tweeting last night that she should not focus on me but focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom.

However, Downing Street hit back on Thursday morning as the PM's official spokesman insisted Mrs May is focused on combating Islamist extremism.

The spokesman said: The Prime Ministers record both as Prime Minister and Home Secretary points to that fact.

He added: It is clear that over her time as Home secretary and as Prime Minister and in the wake of the tragic events over the summer the Prime Minister is fully focused on dealing with extremism.

The inflammatory videos which Mr Trump retweeted were originally posted by Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of Britain First, an extremist organisation that has carried out "mosque invasions" and provocative "Christian patrols" in ethnically diverse areas.

The Presidents decision to share the videos prompted widespread outcry with politicians from various parties in the UK lining up to criticise Mr Trump.

Terrorist attacks in the UK

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who was involved in an earlier Twitter spat with Mr Trump after the President criticised the response to the London terror attacks, has repeated his call for the state visit to be cancelled.

He said: "As the mayor of this great diverse city, I have previously called on Theresa May to cancel her ill-judged offer of a state visit to President Trump.

"After this latest incident, it is increasingly clear that any official visit at all from President Trump to Britain would not be welcomed.

"The Prime Minister of our country should be using any influence she and her Government claim to have with the president and his administration to ask him to delete these tweets and to apologise to the British people."

Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi shared a letter online which he has sent to Mr Trump and in which he suggested the US President needed educating about Britain.

Theresa May met Donald Trump during a visit in January Credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP

He said: "You are soon due to visit the United Kingdom. When you are here, I believe you would find enlightening the experience of visiting our beautiful cities like Coventry, Birmingham, Manchester and London."

He added: "They are so far removed from the stereotypes that the videos of Britain First try to portray."
The extent of Mr Trump's knowledge on Britain First is unclear: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Donald Trumps pandering to the far-right has been taken an entirely new level, critics have said after the President shared tweets from the Britain First extremist group.

Calls were mounting for Theresa May to revoke his state visit invitation as MPs said Mr Trump was not welcome in the UK.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said Britain First sought to divide communities through its use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions", adding: It is wrong for the President to have done this."

Mr Trump retweeted three videos carrying Islamophobic and misleading captions from Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransens account.

It came as she awaits a court hearing on charges of using threatening, abusive or insulting language in a speech in Belfast  one of several incidents to be met with police action.

Ms Fransen is also facing trial over four charges religiously aggravated harassment as part of a Kent Police investigation into the distribution of leaflets and the posting of online videos during a trial in Kent earlier this year.

Her account celebrated the shares, claiming that Mr Trump himself had retweeted the videos to almost 44 million followers around the world.

God bless you Trump! God bless America! read a tweet, signed off with the abbreviation OCS, meaning Onward Christian Soldiers.

The deputy leader of far-right group Britain First, Jayda Fransen, is awaiting trial in two cases (PA)

The extent of Mr Trumps knowledge on Ms Fransen or Britain First was unclear but the tweets remained on his profile on Wednesday afternoon, following hours of global criticism.

Julia Ebner, a research fellow at think-tank the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, said Mr Trumps behaviour had been taken to an entirely new level.

If he was previously merely flirting with the extreme right, then he is now explicitly sharing a bed with them, she told The Independent.

I'm not sure what would be worse - if he purposefully retweeted it or if he was simply unaware what it was that he was sharing.

In any case, this further raises question marks about both his ideological leanings and his sources of information.

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Ms Ebner, who wrote a book called The Rage on the vicious cycle of Islamist and far-right extremism, said transatlantic coordination between fringe groups was made more likely by the retweets.

She added: President Trump's retweet could act as an endorsement that allows Britain First to move further into the mainstream both in the UK and in the US."

Britain First's supporters were celebrating the publicity amid a furious reaction by politicians from all parties, with mounting calls for Theresa May to make a statement.

"I hope our Government will condemn far-right retweets by Donald Trump," said Jeremy Corbyn. "They are abhorrent, dangerous and a threat to our society."

A question was raised by Labour MP Stephen Doughty over the tweets in the House of Commons, where MPs could be heard calling them absolutely disgraceful.

Yvette Cooper, the former shadow Home Secretary, urged Amber Rudd or Boris Johnson to condemn the significant and serious posts.

"The woman in question has already been convicted of hate crime in this country," she added, warning that Mr Trump had given her a "huge platform".

Meanwhile Chuka Umunna was among those calling for Mr Trump's state visit invitation to be withdrawn immediately, accusing the President of "normalising hatred".

"At some point you've got to draw a line, or you're going down a very dangerous road," he added.

David Lammy, the MP for Tottenham, said he had gone "beyond the pale...promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group", adding: "He is no ally or friend of ours. Donald Trump, you are not welcome in my country and my city."

Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrats foreign affairs spokesperson, accused the President of sowing division and hatred.

The mask has yet again slipped, revealing the atrocious views of President Trump, she added. Mr Trump needs to do the world a favour and delete his account.

The Muslim Council of Britain said the shares were the clearest endorsement yet from the US President of the far-right and their vile anti-Muslim propaganda.

Donald Trump shared three tweets from Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen's account

We cannot give such bigotry a free pass, a spokesperson added. We hope our Prime Minister and Home Secretary will distance the UK from Mr Trump and his comments, and will reiterate the governments abhorrence to all forms of extremism.

Meanwhile in the US, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said the President was clearly telling members of his base that they should hate Islam and Muslims, following repeated attempts at a controversial immigration ban targeting Muslim-majority countries.

The group's executive director, Nihad Awad, said the posts amount to incitement to violence against American Muslims.

Brendan Cox, the husband of murdered MP Jo Cox, said Mr Trump had legitimised the far-right in his own country, now hes trying to do it in ours.

Spreading hatred has consequences and the President should be ashamed of himself, he added.

Ms Cox was murdered by a far-right extremist who repeatedly shouted Britain first during his brutal attack, although it was unclear whether he was referring to the group and he was also supported by the neo-Nazi terrorist group National Action.

Nick Ryan, of Hope Not Hate, told The Independent it was pretty incredulous that the leader of the free world would stoop to sharing content from one of the most notorious far-right groups in the UK, which has had links to the past to Loyalists, the British National Party.

Unite Against Fascism's joint secretary, Weyman Bennett, said Mr Trump must be condemned for the deplorable shares.

Leader of Britain First Paul Golding (PA Archive/PA Images)

It beggars belief that the most powerful person in the world is retweeting Ms Fransen's vile views, he added.

Britain First rubbed shoulders with fascists in the large far-right demonstration in Warsaw, just weeks ago. They are a poisonous organisation.

A more unlikely critic was Infowars conspiracy theorist Paul Joseph Watson, who said that retweeting Britain First is not great optics.

Ms Fransen's account, which is partly automated, frequently shares unverified videos claiming to show migrants and Muslims physically or verbally attacking people in Europe.

She is the deputy leader of Britain First, which styles itself as a political party but has been condemned by campaigners as a far-right extremist group.

It calls on supporters to join the British resistance and secure a future for British children and has become known for paramilitary-style invasions targeting mosques.

The past year has seen the group's leaders travel to meet far-right groups in Poland and other countries, amid warnings that extremists are increasing international coordination to recruit vulnerable people online.

It is not the first time Mr Trump has retweeted posts from controversial Twitter accounts or shared messages from supporters with apparent ties to white nationalist groups.

One example was his sharing of a tweet about pizzagate, an unfounded conspiracy theory that claims Democrats harboured child sex slaves at a pizza restaurant
(NEW YORK)  Dozens of sexual assault survivors were improperly billed for their rape exams by a New York City hospital, the states attorney general said Tuesday.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said that under an agreement with his office, the Brooklyn Hospital Center will reimburse patients who paid out of pocket for a rape kit and will inform rape survivors going forward that under a 2005 New York state law the rape kits can be billed to the states Office of Victim Services.

Schneiderman said he has also sent letters to 10 other hospitals throughout the state seeking information on how they bill sexual assault survivors and hopes the agreement with Brooklyn Hospital will serve as a model.

These kits are used on what is undoubtedly one of the worst days of a survivors life, Schneiderman said. The absolute last thing they should have to worry about is how theyll pay for their care at the hospital. But we have found contrary to law that way too often they do have to worry.

Schneiderman said a woman contacted his office in January about her experience being treated at Brooklyn Hospital after she was sexually assaulted in 2015.

After her visit, in complete violation of state law, she was billed seven different times for her rape kit, hundreds of dollars each time, Schneiderman said.

He said that when the woman did not pay the bill, the hospital sent it to a collection agency, which he called intolerable.

Brooklyn Hospital said in a statement that it regrets the inadvertent breakdown in our billing processes related to sexual assault victims. Spokeswoman Kim Flodin said the hospital worked with Schneidermans office to develop protocols to ensure that these billing issues do not occur again.

Schneiderman said his office investigated and found that in all but one of the 86 forensic rape exams conducted at Brooklyn Hospital between January 2015 and February 2017, the hospital either improperly billed the patient or billed the patients insurance carrier without advising the patient of the option to bill the state.

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Schneiderman said its unclear how many other hospitals are improperly billing patients for rape kits.

Advocates for sexual assault survivors praised the agreement.

Think about it for a moment, how traumatic is sexual assault? said Sonia Ossorio, president of the New York chapter of the National Organization for Women, who joined Schneiderman at a news conference at his Manhattan office. And its re-traumatizing to have bills arrive in the mail asking you to pay for basically what is collection of evidence of a crime scene.
New York (AFP) - A Turkish-Iranian gold trader testifying at trial in New York on Thursday implicated Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a multi-billion-dollar gold-for-oil scheme allegedly designed to subvert US sanctions on Iran.

Reza Zarrab, 34, who was arrested in Miami in 2016 before agreeing to cooperate with US prosecutors, implied that Erdogan knew how he and a Turkish banker, now on trial, circumvented US sanctions on Iran and laundered money from Iranian petroleum sales.

The case has angered Erdogan. His government has called the trial a "plot" and he has demanded the release of Zarrab and defendant, Mehmet Hakan Atilla, the deputy chief executive of Turkish lender Halkbank.

"We did the right thing. We did not violate the embargo," Erdogan told lawmakers in Turkey on Thursday, according to state broadcaster TRT Haber.

But in New York, Zarrab said he was told that in 2012, Erdogan, prime minister at the time, and then treasury minister Ali Babacan had given "instructions" for two other Turkish public banks, Vakif and Ziraat, to take part in the scheme.

Turkey's then economy minister, Zaref Caglayan, "told me that Mr. Prime Minister had given approval for Ziraat and Vakif to also do this work," he said through a Turkish-language interpreter.

Zarrab also used his second day of testimony to declare that he extended the multi-billion-dollar scheme to India and tried to do so in China.

"But then all the banks we were working with, they immediately stopped it when they realized it had something to do with Iran," Zarrab testified.

On Wednesday, he said he paid tens of millions of dollars worth of bribes to Caglayan between 2012 and 2013 to facilitate illegal gold transactions with Iran.

Due to face trial himself, he instead pleaded guilty to seven counts and became prosecutors' star witness. While others have been indicted, they remain at large and Atilla is alone in the dock.

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- 'Under pressure' -

While Erdogan is not charged with any crime, analysts had expected that corruption revelations could embarrass him and his inner circle.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said Zarrab was making defamatory claims because he was "under pressure."

There are fears in Turkey that a guilty verdict could lead to possible sanctions on one or more Turkish banks, spelling bad news for the country's fragile economy.

Zarrab was a key figure in a 2013 Turkish corruption scandal in which he allegedly bribed four ministers to facilitate sanctions-busting trade and other deals.

He allegedly carried suitcases stuffed with cash to Dubai, where they were exchanged for foreign currencies used for international payments to circumvent the US sanctions.

He was held for 70 days until prosecutors dropped all the charges.

Caglayan, who is also named in the US indictment, and the other three ministers resigned from government at the time.

Turkey has denounced both the New York trial and the 2013 scandal as conspiracies by US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, the alleged mastermind of a 2016 failed coup targeting Erdogan.

Gulen denies the allegations.

Atilla is charged with violating sanctions against Iran, as well as of bribery and money laundering.

Halkbank has denied any suggestion that it violated US sanctions, saying it had "not been a party" to any "illegal" transaction.
By Joe Bavier ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Europe and Africa have joint responsibility for making migration more humane and orderly so they can end horrifying abuses being committed against African migrants by people smugglers, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday. He was speaking at a two-day Africa-European Union summit that was meant to focus on development and investment in youth, but had inevitably been overshadowed by the migrant crisis. Reports this month of white Libyan slave traders selling black African migrants at markets in Libya - a grim echo of the trans-Saharan slave trade in centuries past - have drawn worldwide horror. The outcry threatened to put migration to the top of the summit agenda and shine a light on a thorny issue for European leaders faced with a surge in far-right, anti-immigration parties at home. "It is clear that migration is a joint responsibility. It is in all our interests to have orderly migration that is more controlled, more humane and sustainable," Tusk said in his opening remarks. "The recent reports about the treatment of Africans - especially young people - by smugglers and traffickers are horrifying," he said, adding that 5,000 migrants had drowned in the Mediterranean last year. Soon after CNN aired grainy images from Libya this month appearing to show migrants being sold as slaves, African governments began recalling diplomats from Tripoli. Protests erupted in France, Senegal and Benin. Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara called for Libyan slave traders to be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court. "Let's work together to bring more humane solutions to this migration crisis that taints relations between the North and the South," said Guinea's president, Alpha Conde, the chairman of the African Union. Libya has promised to investigate the reports, but many African citizens also blame European policies for abuses along the migrant trail. "The worst we can do is to start the blame game. What we need now are common solutions and stronger cooperation to save lives, protect people," Tusk said. "Our common duty is to step up the fight against these unscrupulous criminals." But European leaders - including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, who head the Franco-German axis at the heart of the EU - are hamstrung by electorates that are increasingly anti-immigration. Despite pressure at home, Merkel on Wednesday highlighted the need to create legal avenues for migration. However, Gunter Nooke, her special envoy for Africa, later told Reuters that alone would not solve the problem. "There we talk about thousands, tens of thousands. But with (illegal) migration we talk about millions." He added that no country is going to allow hundreds of thousands of students in from developing nations unless they can be sure most will go back within four years, which he said rarely happened. In a joint statement, the United Nations, African Union and European Union announced the creation of a joint task force "to save and protect lives of migrants and refugees along the routes and in particular inside Libya," and to speed up returning migrants to countries of origin. European and African leaders met late on Wednesday to discuss the reports of slavery in Libya and the migrant crisis. "We must not only denounce it, we must act, by collectively attacking these smuggling networks," Macron, who has called the abuses in Libya a crime against humanity, said at the meeting. "We are going to ... to carry out targeted sanctions." (Additional reporting by Andreas Rinke and Marine Pennetier; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Mark Heinrich, Larry King)
Britain First is a far-right, anti-immigrant political party in the U.K. The fringe group is known for spreading hoaxes about Islam, conducting aggressive mosque invasions of Muslim worship spaces and campaigning for an outright ban on Islam in their country.

And on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump helped amplify the groups extremist message.

Trump retweeted a series of three overtly Islamophobic videos posted by Britain Firsts deputy leader, Jayda Fransen. The videos purported to show Muslims committing violent and anti-Christian acts. One is called Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches, another is called Muslim destroys a statue of Virgin Mary and the third is called Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!

The legitimacy of the videos hasnt been verified, but the Embassy of the Netherlands in the United States has already offered a correction regarding the first one. That clip originally appeared online months ago, and at the time, it was reported that the attacker didnt appear to be a Muslim or an immigrant. On Wednesday, the embassy confirmed in a tweet that the attacker was born and raised in the Netherlands, and that he has already received and completed a sentence under Dutch law.

The second video was reportedly taken in Syria in 2013 and shows a man belonging to the al Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra. The third video reportedly shows a mob of Muslim Brotherhood supporters in Egypt throwing teens from a rooftop in 2013. It was apparently taken during the political unrest that followed the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi.

Spreading misinformation about Muslims, and conflating political extremism with Islams spiritual tenets, is Britain Firsts bread and butter  and the fact that Trump is amplifying one of the groups leaders has raised concerns on both sides of the pond.

Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of the far-right organization Britain First, participates in a march in central London on April 1, 2017. (Photo: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS via Getty Images)

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May condemned Trump through a spokesman on Wednesday, saying it was wrong for the President to have done this.

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Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tension, the spokesman said. They cause anxiety to law-abiding people. British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far-right which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents: decency, tolerance and respect.

Britain First is a registered political party in the U.K. that formed in 2011 as an offshoot of the far-right and now-defunct British National Party.

The group is led by co-founder Paul Golding, a longtime figure in Britains far-right movement, and by Fransen, who was elected to her current post in 2014.

Britain First describes itself as a patriotic resistance and frontline for the U.K.s long suffering people. Their motto, Take our country back, hints at their radical goals  to severely restrict immigration, promote Christianity above other religions in the U.K., and pull Britain away from the United Nations and other international groups.

The group claims Islam is threatening the U.K.s Christian heritage. Their policies call for a comprehensive ban on Islam in the country  which would mean jailing or deporting anyone promoting the ideology of Islam, shutting down mosques, banning the Quran and prohibiting Islamic headscarves.

The group has been denounced by every major Christian denomination in the U.K.

Britain First has been unsuccessful in electoral politics. Golding campaigned to become Londons mayor in 2016, but only earned about 1.2 percent of the vote.

Paul Golding is a founder of Britain First, while Fransen is its deputy leader. (Photo: Nick Ansell - PA Images via Getty Images)

Britain First has used social media to get its message out to Islamophobes in the U.K. and abroad. The group boasts a Facebook following of nearly 2 million fans. In contrast, Britains Labour Party has about 1 million, while its Conservative Party has about 650,000.

The group is known for posting viral videos of staged anti-Muslim stunts. In the past, theyve stormed mosques and a halal slaughterhouse, threatened to bury a pig on a proposed mosque site and spread false stories about Islam in the U.K.

In January 2016, Golding and Fransen staged what they called a Christian patrol with a group of about 20 Britain First members in the town of Luton. Carrying white wooden crosses, they filmed themselves handing out leaflets and intimidating local Muslim residents.

As a result, Golding and Fransen were banned for three years from entering mosques throughout England and Wales. Golding defied the court order nine days after it was handed down, the BBC reports. He was sentenced to eight weeks in prison.

Golding, left, and Fransen, center, join a British First protest march at Bury Park on June 27, 2015, in Luton, England. (Photo: Tony Margiocchi/Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

Fransen also faced repercussions from the Luton march. In November 2016, she was convicted of religiously aggravated harassment after verbally abusing a Muslim woman who was wearing a hijab.

The convictions dont seem to have hindered Golding and Fransens campaign for Britain First. Both were charged with religious harassment this September, and on Nov. 18, Fransen was arrested in London for having used threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour at a far-right rally in Northern Ireland over the summer. Shes due in court on Dec. 14.

In June 2016, Labour politician Jo Cox was shot dead by a Nazi sympathizer who reportedly shouted Britain First during the attack. Fransen attempted to distance her group from the assassination, telling Reuters it had nothing to do with Britain First.

Jo Coxs widower, Brendan Cox, criticized Trump via Twitter on Wednesday for promoting Britain First.

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Trump has legitimised the far right in his own country, now hes trying to do it in ours. Spreading hatred has consequences & the President should be ashamed of himself.  Brendan Cox (@MrBrendanCox) November 29, 2017

Fransen, meanwhile, expressed elation over Trumps attention.

GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA! she wrote on Twitter. She later posted a video message saying she was delighted the president took the time out to retweet three of my videos.

Tell Mama, an organization that tracks Islamophobia in the U.K., has expressed serious concern over Trumps decision to retweet Fransen.

Fiyaz Mughal, Tell Mamas founder and director of the group Faith Matters, told the BBC that the presidents actions have re-energised far right groups by simply pressing three clicks of a button.

They have effectively felt that their work is bleeding into the White House and so there is serious damage over what has happened today and there will be repercussions felt sadly over the next few months, Mughal said. And for those Muslims who think there is a clash of civilisations taking place it confirms their warped view. So what the President has done today is to actually strengthen the hand of extremists.

This article has been updated to include information from the Embassy of the Netherlands in the U.S.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
The ballistic missile launched by North Korea on Tuesday reached an altitude of a whopping 2,800 miles, South Koreas military said  more than 10 times higher than the International Space Station and way past the edge of the Earths atmosphere.

The missile was launched at a steep trajectory, meaning it went very high but not too far away from North Korea on the map. It splash landed in the Sea of Japan. But if such a missile were launched on a more horizontal trajectory, experts fear it could reach any target in the continental United States, and indeed the rest of the world.

Its a new type of missile, which the regime is calling the Hwasong-15. Its an upgrade to the Hwasong-14 which had a reach of up to 6,200 miles  enough to reach parts of the United States, but not all. The Hwasong-14 was first tested on July 4 2017.

The test marks a ramping up of North Koreas nuclear armory and arsenal. President Donald Trump offered a relatively muted reaction to the latest missile test, saying simply, we will take care of it.
(Photo: AHMAD AL-RUBAYE via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  A visibly frustrated federal judge ordered the Trump administration to tell her  by 5 p.m. Thursday  whether an American citizen the government has detained incommunicado for months has been advised of his constitutional rights and whether he has asked for legal representation.

The U.S. government accuses the man of fighting for the Islamic State, but so far has refused to release his name or charge him with any crime. Instead, the military has imprisoned him in Iraq, without access to a lawyer, since mid-September. The man has asked for a lawyer at least twice, The Washington Post reported last month.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a habeas corpus petition  a formal way to challenge an individuals imprisonment  on the mans behalf on Oct. 5, after he had already been in prison for several weeks. If the group prevails, it could force the government to allow its lawyers to represent the detainee and to meet with him privately.

The Trump administration has argued that because the ACLUs lawyers do not know the prisoner, they do not have legal standing to represent him in court. But U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan was unimpressed by that argument in a Thursday morning hearing.

Chutkan asked Kathryn Wyer, the Justice Department attorney arguing on behalf of the government, at least four times whether the prisoner had been advised of his constitutional rights and whether he had asked for a lawyer. Wyer initially dodged the question, telling the judge that the Defense Department has not made formal statement on those matters, and attempted to shift the focus to whether the ACLU has standing to represent the detainee.

Chutkan soon grew visibly frustrated with Wyer. She repeatedly criticized the governments circular reasoning in arguing that the ACLU cannot represent the detainee because they do not know him  while simultaneously keeping him imprisoned incommunicado and refusing to release his name.

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After a lengthy back and forth, Chutkan warned Wyer that she was growing impatient. Eventually, Wyer said she needed to confer with the Defense Department before answering the questions, and the judge set a 5 p.m. deadline for the government to respond.

Near the end of the hearing, Chutkan proposed moving the deadline up to 3 p.m. She said the Justice Department lawyers should have been prepared to answer basic questions about the detainees access to legal counsel and it shouldnt take a long time to get those answers now. But she agreed to keep the deadline at 5 p.m after Wyer said she had a 2:30 p.m. doctors appointment.

Asked by HuffPost if the Justice Department opposed its responses being made public, Wyer declined to comment.

Chutkans order was a victory for the ACLU, which has been urging the court to order the government to provide the groups lawyers with private access to the detainee. Jonathan Hafetz, the ACLU lawyer who argued the case on Thursday, accused the government of seeking a blank check to secretly detain American citizens and erect roadblocks preventing them from accessing the courts. Without access to a lawyer, Hafetz said, the right of habeas means nothing.

The Trump administration has not explicitly claimed that the American detainee does not have habeas rights. Instead, Wyer, citing a 2008 Supreme Court decision, argued the military can hold a prisoner captured in a warzone without charge as an initial, temporary situation until figuring out what to do with him.

There is no prescribed number of days that this temporary situation can last. Chutkan suggested that two and a half months is too long to hold the prisoner without providing him access to a lawyer. Asked to provide an estimate of how much longer the military would hold the unnamed American citizen without letting him see a lawyer, Wyer said she didnt have a prediction.

Maj. Ben Sakrisson, a Defense Department spokesman, told HuffPost the military is exercising the utmost care and consideration in this situation and will make a decision on the disposition of this detainees custody in the near future, consistent with U.S. and international law.

The government also disputes that the detainee has been held incommunicado, since he has been visited twice by representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross. If he wanted a lawyer, Wyer suggested on Thursday, he could have asked the ICRC to ask his family to get him one.

The ICRCs mandate is to oversee detention conditions, not to help prisoners get access to counsel. Because the groups communications with prisoners are confidential, it is impossible to know whether the American ISIS suspect asked the ICRC representative to reach out to his family. It is possible, Hafetz said, that he doesnt have family, that he wouldnt want to expose his family to retaliation, that they wouldnt want to help him, or that the ICRC simply couldnt find any family members.

The judge appeared on Thursday to largely agree with the ACLUs arguments. The governments position on this case risks setting a precedent where it can pick up any American off the streets and hold him as an enemy combatant indefinitely without access to legal counsel, warned Chutkan. That kind of unchecked power is, quite frankly, frightening.

Basically, Chutkan said, its just: Trust us, we know what were doing.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Conservative undercover journalist James O'Keefe's organization produced a video of a protest planning meeting that was shown in court Tuesday. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  A Justice Department prosecutor pursuing felony convictions for six of the hundreds of individuals arrested during President Donald Trumps inauguration successfully introduced to a jury on Tuesday a video of a protest planning meeting that was secretly recorded by a controversial organization run by conservative activist James OKeefe.

The video, shot by an affiliate of OKeefes Project Veritas, shows a Jan. 8 meeting in a church basement in northwest Washington. It was shown to the jury during Tuesdays testimony of Officer Bryan Adelmeyer of the Metropolitan Police Department, who went undercover to suss out protesters plans for Trumps inauguration on Jan. 20.

The Project Veritas video may play a key role in a trial that could determine the fate of an additional 181 defendants still facing trials on several felony counts over the course of the next year. More than 200 people, including numerous journalists, were arrested en masse after windows were smashed in downtown Washington before the inauguration. One defendant pleaded guilty to felony rioting charges, and 19 others have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts. Seven additional defendants who initially faced felonies are now scheduled to face trial on misdemeanor charges next month.

A total of 187 defendants, including the six currently on trial, have pending felony charges, with prosecutors alleging they were part of a conspiracy that resulted in extensive property damage and should therefore be held responsible for the actions of the other individuals they were arrested with. So far, prosecutors have not alleged that any of the six defendants on trial individually caused any destruction but instead argued that they enabled those who did. One of the defendants is a photographer who had taken an interest in covering demonstrations throughout the United States.

Critics have long accused Project Veritas of deceptive practices. Hours before the video was played in D.C. Superior Court, The Washington Post reported that a woman working with Project Veritas tried to convince the newspaper to print false allegations against Alabama senatorial candidate Roy Moore, who has been credibly accused by multiple women of pursuing relationships with them when he was a prosecutor in his 30s and they were teens. But videos filmed by Project Veritas, which sought to infiltrate groups planning to disrupt Trumps inauguration, have been used to secure at least one other conviction in a separate inauguration-related case.

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The government maintained on Tuesday that the video provided by Project Veritas wasnt deceptively edited. But Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff initially tried to keep Project Veritas name out of the court record, referring to it only as a third party provider and objecting when one of the defense attorneys was about to name the organization.

Who provided it is irrelevant, Kerkhoff told the judge out of the presence of the jury. I have not disclosed the identify of the tapers.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff is leading the prosecution of the first six defendants to go on trial in connection with the mass arrests on Inauguration Day. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rizwan Qureshi, left, is assisting on the case. (Photo: Ryan J. Reilly / HuffPost)

After a defense attorney told Superior Court Judge Lynn Leibovitz that the organization was ultraconservative and had a reason to potentially doctor the video, Kerkhoff relented, admitting to the judge it was provided by Project Veritas.

Kerkhoff even said that the government had redacted the video themselves, concealing the identity of the Project Veritas affiliate who used a button camera to record the video as well as Adelmeyers image.

Leibovitz, over the objections of defense attorneys who believed the video had not been properly authenticated, allowed the Project Veritas video to be shown to jurors. She ruled that because Officer Adelmeyer was present for much of the discussion captured in the video, he would know if it accurately reflected what he saw.

Sam Menefee-Libey, who is handling press for a group of defendants and supporters of what has been dubbed J20 (for the Jan. 20 protests), called the governments use of the video an overreach. He believes the government doesnt want the name of the organization to come out because it undermines its credibility.

The judge has allowed the U.S. Attorneys Office to get away with something that is incredibly questionable, Menefee-Libey said. Veritas has been roundly denounced by every reputable journalistic organization on the planet as being deceptive.

OKeefe did not respond to several questions posed by HuffPost in an email on Tuesday but did send a tweet directed at a HuffPost reporter referencing his organizations work during the inauguration. A Project Veritas representative provided links to prior coverage of its infiltration of protest organizations.

Adelmeyer testified Tuesday that he did not film video or record audio when he attended the Jan. 8 meeting in an undercover capacity. It was only afterward that the government learned the meeting had been recorded by Project Veritas.

Officer Bryan Adelmeyer went undercover to investigate protest organizers and was present at the meeting filmed by Project Veritas. (Photo: Ryan J. Reilly / HuffPost)

Much of the discussion captured on the tape touched on the relatively progressive approach that the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department has taken toward protesters in recent years. Organizers did not believe that police would arrest them en masse or corral them, and one person found it comforting that the Metropolitan Police Department would be in charge of the areas they were protesting. The leader of a group, named Dylan, said its goal was to make inauguration a giant clusterfuck.

In the tape, there was some talk of unarresting people  meaning breaking individuals out of police custody  and resisting attacks from the police and Trump supporters. There was also a brief mention of breaking windows: a caution not to do so during another event.

Adelmeyer will face more aggressive questioning from defense attorneys on Tuesday morning. Theyre expected to ask him about a civil lawsuit brought against him as well as any internal disciplinary actions hes faced.

Prosecutors, defense attorneys and Judge Leibovitz also engaged in a lengthy discussion outside of the presence of the jury about the use of the term antifa, which defense attorneys worried would give negative connotations to the jury. Judge Leibovitz was worried that simply saying antifa was short for anti-fascist would take away from the meaning of the term. I assume if you polled the 15 people in the jury box, theyre not too crazy about fascism either, she said. She ended up telling the jury that antifa was short for anti-fascist and that such a term should not be thought of as an indicator of violence. She also restricted the use of the term black bloc in the trial, saying the phrase for black-clad protesters should be used only when alleged conspirators used it.

Related Coverage

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A 'Sea Of Black Masks': Prosecutors Open Felony Trial Of Inauguration Protesters

Ryan Reilly is HuffPosts senior justice reporter, covering criminal justice, federal law enforcement and legal affairs. Have a tip? Reach him at ryan.reilly@huffpost.com or on Signal at (202) 527-9261.

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Two additional women have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), including an Army veteran who says she was groped while deployed overseas and a former elected official who told a news outlet that he tried to kiss her.

The womens accounts bring the number of accusers against the senator to six as of Thursday.

Army veteran Stephanie Kemplin, 41, of Maineville, Ohio, told CNN that in 2003 she was posing with the then-comedian for a photo in Kuwait, where he was visiting troops with the USO, when he cupped her breast.

When he put his arm around me, he groped my right breast. He kept his hand all the way over on my breast, she told CNN in a report published Thursday. Ive never had a man put their arm around me and then cup my breast. So he was holding my breast on the side.

Kemplin, who was 27 and a military police officer at the time, said she was a longtime fan of Saturday Night Live, which Franken was a writer and performer on, and said she was immediately embarrassed by what happened.

The veteran is also the victim of sexual assault in the military  a big reason she told me the recent Franken news has been so tough to take. https://t.co/nYfenlPrhK  MJ Lee (@mj_lee) November 30, 2017

She said she first wondered if his hand placement was an accident, but he never moved his hand.

Youre immediately put on the spot. What are you going to do? What are you going to do? Your mind goes a mile a minute, she said of her reaction. Who was I going to tell?

Kemplin said she shifted her body before the photo of them was taken so that his hand would fall off of her breast. A photo of them released by CNN shows neither of Frankens hands on her chest at the time.

Kemplin said she later told her sister and an ex-boyfriend about what happened but she doesnt remember telling any fellow soldiers because she felt ashamed and didnt have any particularly close peers to confide in.

Story continues

Sen. Al Franken has faced allegations of past sexual misconduct by several women in recent weeks. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

A former elected official in New England, who asked for anonymity, told Jezebel in a report published Thursday that Franken inappropriately tried to give her a wet, open-mouthed kiss during an onstage event in 2006.

The woman said she was invited to appear as a guest on a live taping of Frankens radio show on Air America. After the taping was finished, she said she reached out to shake his hand onstage but was met with more than his hand.

He took it and leaned toward me with his mouth open. I turned my head away from him and he landed a wet, open-mouthed kiss awkwardly on my cheek, she said.

I was stunned and incredulous. I felt demeaned. I felt put in my place, she said.

A woman, speaking anonymously to Jezebel, said Franken, seen here in 2004, tried to kiss her while onstage for his show on Air America Radio. (Photo: Spencer Platt via Getty Images)

The woman said she didnt want her name published so that her name would only reflect her own accomplishments and not be linked to a mans bad behavior. Jezebel reported that her sister and a friend confirmed having heard about the experience at the time it happened. The news outlet also reported having confirmed that she attended the radio event with Franken.

She said she decided to speak out about her own experience so that this kind of misbehavior ends.

I want him to take personal responsibility for his actions, learn from this, not repeat the behavior, and go forward with respect in all his interactions with women, she said.

Two other women recently told HuffPost, anonymously, that Franken touched their butts in separate incidents. Last week, Minnesota woman Lindsay Menz accused Franken of inappropriately touching her while posing for a photo in 2010. Prior to that, radio host Leeann Tweeden accused him of groping her and kissing her without her consent during a 2006 USO tour.

A photo taken of Tweeden during that tour shows Franken pretending to grab both of her breasts while she was sleeping.

A spokesperson for Frankens office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegations published in Jezebel. In an earlier statement to HuffPost, his office addressed the groping allegation, saying the senator is cooperating with an ethics investigation.

As Sen. Franken made clear this week, he takes thousands of photos and has met tens of thousands of people and he has never intentionally engaged in this kind of conduct. He remains fully committed to cooperating with the ethics investigation, the spokesperson said in a statement.

The Senate Ethics Committee confirmed on Thursday that it has opened a preliminary inquiry into the allegations against Franken.

This story has been updated with news of a sixth accuser, confirmation of an ethics investigation and a statement from Frankens office.

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Also on HuffPost

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Srinagar (India) (AFP) - Five suspected rebels were shot dead by government forces on Thursday in Indian-administered Kashmir, officials said, as the disputed territory reels from the deadliest upsurge in armed conflict this decade.

More than 200 militants have been killed in violent clashes in Kashmir so far this year, officials say, amid a military campaign to rout armed groups resisting Indian rule in the divided Himalayan region.

In the latest skirmish, four gunmen were killed in central Budgam district in a firefight with Indian forces, said army spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia.

A fifth suspected militant was killed in Sopore, an area northwest of the main city of Srinagar, he added.

So far this year 205 rebels have been killed, according to police officials and watchdogs -- the highest number since 2010, when a bloody uprising over the death of three civilians saw hundreds killed in protests and armed clashes with Indian forces.

Militant ranks have swelled since security forces shot dead a hugely popular rebel commander, Burhan Wani, in July 2016 and the frequency of deadly encounters with government troops has escalated.

Wani's death provoked an outpouring of anger directed at government forces that left nearly 100 dead and thousands injured.

"The number of militant killings is higher this year because more youth joined their ranks after last year's summer protests," a top police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Civilians still often break curfew to rally whenever militants are killed or holed up in firefights, hurling stones and chanting anti-India slogans.

An Indian solider was wounded in the Sopore firefight on Thursday and three civilians were injured by pellets fired by government forces to disperse protesters in Budgam, a police officer said on condition of anonymity.

Indian officials believe around 200 armed militants are still active across the portion of the territory they control.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Both claim the former kingdom in full and have fought two of their three wars over its control.

Rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 roughly half a million Indian soldiers deployed in the territory, demanding independence or a merger of the entire disputed region with Pakistan.

The fighting has left tens of thousands, mostly civilians, dead.
Slobodan Praljak, a former Bosnian Croat official who was on trial Wednesday at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, has reportedly died after drinking poison.

Praljak, 72, was filmed drinking the poison Wednesday.

In a dramatic turn of events, former Bosnian Croat General Slobodan Praljak appeared to drink what he said was poison at the ICTY. pic.twitter.com/V3yZLW5sBT  RFE/RL (@RFERL) November 29, 2017

Appeals judges upheld his 20-year sentence for war crimes against Bosnian Muslims during the war in the Balkans in the 1990s, prompting Praljak to stand up and address the court in The Hague, Netherlands.

Judges, Slobodan Praljak is not a war criminal, he said. With disdain, I reject this verdict.

He then drank from what appeared to be a small vial, ignoring calls from the judge to sit down.

I have taken poison, he said, according to a court translator.

The judge suspended the hearing and Praljak was brought in for treatment, according to Reuters. He reportedly died in a hospital in The Hague.

Praljak was a former assistant minister of defense of Croatia, and later commander of the main staff of the former Croatian Defense Council, a militia operating in Bosnia. He was originally sentenced to 20 years in jail in 2013.

The Yugoslavia tribunal, created in 1993 by the United Nations Security Council, has prosecuted hundreds of people for war crimes and is scheduled to shut down at the end of this year.

The Yugoslav army targeted Bosnian Muslims and Croats in a brutal conflict that killed more than 100,000 people. The ICTY has played an integral role in shedding light on some of these atrocities, including the 1995 genocide in the town of Srebrenica and the use of rape as a weapon of war.

Gen. Ratko Mladic, known as the Butcher of Bosnia, was convicted last week of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and given a life sentence. Everything that you have said is pure lies, he yelled in response. Shame on you.

Story continues

Slobodan Milosevic, the former Serbian leader, died of a heart attack in his jail cell in 2006, while his own ICTY trial was underway.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article referred to Praljak as a Bosnian general. In fact, he was a Bosnian Croat commander with a militia operating in Bosnia.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Buenos Aires (AFP) - An Argentine court sentenced 48 former military personnel to prison on Wednesday for involvement in so-called "death flights" and other crimes committed at a notorious torture center when a junta ruled the country.

The trial is part of an effort to probe torture and crimes against humanity committed at the ESMA Naval Mechanics School. Only a fraction of an estimated 5,000 opponents of the regime, which ruled from 1976-1983, survived being sent there.

Twenty-nine people were handed life sentences, 19 received sentences of between eight and 25 years, and six were acquitted.

Among those who received life were Mario Daniel Arru and Alejandro Domingo D'Agostino, two ex-pilots convicted of involvement in "death flights" in which people were killed by being thrown out of airplanes into the Rio de la Plata or the sea.

Victims of the flights include French nuns Alice Domon and Leonie Duquet, who were abducted and killed along with founders of the humanitarian organization Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in December 1977.

The remains of Duquet and three of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo were found on Argentina's Atlantic coast and buried in a nearby cemetery. Domon's remains were never recovered.

Alfredo Astiz, known as the "Blond Angel of Death," and Jorge Acosta, nicknamed "The Tiger," also received life.

- 'Like the Nazis' -

Among other crimes, Astiz and Acosto were accused of the 1977 disappearance of Swedish citizen Dagmar Hagelin, who was 17 years old.

Both men had already been sentenced to life imprisonment in prior trials.

Some 30,000 people were kidnapped, tortured and killed in what became known as Argentina's "Dirty War," according to rights groups.

Victims included Montonero guerrillas, labor union leaders, students, leftist sympathizers and in some instance, their relatives and friends.

This is the third trial for human rights violations committed at ESMA, and some 800 witnesses have given court testimony.

Story continues

Since the process began in November 2012, 11 of the accused have died, and three were deemed too ill to face trial.

The reading of the Wednesday verdict lasted for almost four hours in a packed courtroom in which the defendants were separated by glass from the public, which included victims and relatives of victims.

Outside, people including dozens of human rights activists followed the proceedings on a giant screen.

"It will be like what happened with the Nazis, wherever they go we will go looking for them," survivors, children and mothers of the disappeared and others intoned.

"The huge number of cases and accused gives a sense of the repression," survivor Carlos Loza said.
By Geert De Clercq

PARIS (Reuters) - France has stopped a large shipment of Belarus mushrooms contaminated with low-level radioactivity probably from Chernobyl and not linked to a radioactive cloud that appeared in southern Russia last month, officials said on Thursday.

Earlier, the head of French nuclear regulator ASN Pierre-Franck Chevet told the French senate that traces of cesium had been found on imported mushrooms from Russia and did not mention Belarus.

A spokesman for French nuclear safety institute IRSN said that a few days ago customs officials found that a 3.5 tonne shipment of Belarus mushrooms coming through Frankfurt, Germany was contaminated with cesium 137, a radioactive nuclide that is a waste product of nuclear reactors.

While the contaminated mushrooms did not represent a health threat to consumers, the shipment will be destroyed in a specialised incinerator in coming days, the IRSN said.

"There is no link with the ruthenium 106 pollution," the official said.

Earlier this month the IRSN said that a cloud containing radioactive ruthenium 106 originating from southern Russia had blown over large parts of Europe in October but added that there was no danger to people.

Russia later confirmed it had measured ruthenium pollution at nearly 1,000 times normal levels in the Ural mountains, but did not acknowledge any accident.

"As the mushrooms came from Belarus, it is very likely the contamination originated in Chernobyl," the official said.

ASN did not reply to a number of Reuters calls later on Thursday.

HIGHLY UNUSUAL

Chernobyl, Ukraine is just south of the Belarus border and was the site of a major nuclear disaster in 1986. Cesium 137, which has a 30-year half-life, is still widely found in the areas around Chernobyl.

The official said it was highly unusual for such a large shipment of mushrooms to be stopped and that none of the produce had made it onto French retail markets.

Mushrooms, more than any other vegetable, concentrate radioactivity because their thread-like root systems spread over a large area for several metres on the surface around the plant.

Story continues

The IRSN said eating tens of kilos of the Belarus mushrooms would expose a consumer to a radioactivity level similar to natural ambient radioactivity during a whole year.

He added there had been no risk for the customs officials, even if they had touched the mushrooms with their bare hands.

Earlier, the head of the French nuclear regulator ASN told the French senate that traces of cesium had been found on imported mushrooms and said there was no connection with the ruthenium pollution.

French consumer protection agency DGCCRF said in a statement that the Belarus mushrooms had cesium 137 levels above legal limits but contained no ruthenium 106.

The agency said that following the discovery of the ruthenium, it had started testing samples of food products imported from the regions affected by the radioactive cloud. So far, it has not found food items with ruthenium 106 levels above legal thresholds.

(Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Ralph Boulton and Elaine Hardcastle)
ACCRA (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron fears Islamist militants have scored military and symbolic victories in West Africa while a regional military force has struggled to get off the ground, a French presidential source said on Thursday. To help get the new G5 Sahel force operating effectively, he said, France has invited the United States to a summit with the five participating countries as well as the African Union and European Union in Paris next month. Thousands of U.N. peacekeepers, French troops and U.S. military trainers and drone operators have failed so far to stem a growing wave of jihadist violence, leading world powers to pin their hopes on the new G5 Sahel force. The G5 Sahel initiative - grouping Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger - faces an immense security challenge in a largely desert and weakly governed region and already faces questions over its financing and provision of equipment. "Emmanuel Macron believes that it's not going quickly enough and that the terrorists have registered military and symbolic victories, especially in Niger, and (that) it's urgent to reverse this trend," the French official said in Ghana where Macron was winding up a three-day Africa trip. "The (objective) will be to accelerate the calendar for the support of the force, and the operational calendar." The jihadist threat hit home again last month with an attack in Niger in which eight U.S. and Nigerien troops were killed, prompting American officials to forecast that U.S. involvement in the Sahel region would deepen. As well as the leaders of the G5 nations - all former French colonies - and the EU and African Union, the French presidential official said the United States had also been invited to the Dec. 13 summit. The G5 force is to eventually comprise 5,000 men from seven battalions and police the region in collaboration with 4,000 French troops deployed there since Paris intervened in 2013 to beat back an insurgency in northern Mali. It will also have to coordinate with MINUSMA, Mali's U.N. peacekeeping mission. MINUSMA has been frequently attacked in the north where Islamists have regained ground since 2013. A donor conference will be held in Brussels on Dec. 14 to raise funds for the Sahel force. Paris has also asked Saudi Arabia to help finance the force and representatives of the kingdom could also be in Paris on Dec. 13, the official said. (Reporting by Marine Pennetier; writing by John Irish; editing by Mark Heinrich)
Garrison Keillor, former host of America's beloved "Prairie Home Companion," has been fired by Minnesota Public Radio for alleged "inappropriate behavior."Keillor, 75, had retired from his radio show but still produced "The Writer's Almanac" for syndication.Keillor initially broke the news, telling The Associated Press he was fired over "a story that I think is more interesting and more complicated than the version MPR heard."Minnesota Public Radio confirmed the termination, effective immediately."Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) is terminating its contracts with Garrison Keillor and his private media companies after recently learning of allegations of his inappropriate behavior with an individual who worked with him," it said in a statement.MPR did not give further details about the alleged misconduct, referring to the statement."Last month, MPR was notified of the allegations which relate to Mr. Keillor's conduct while he was responsible for the production of A Prairie Home Companion (APHC)," the statement added.It also said it has severed business ties with Keillor's media companies, including ending distribution and broadcast of "The Writer's Almanac" and rebroadcasts of "The Best of A Prairie Home Companion," hosted by Keillor. Minnesota Public Radio will also change the name of the weekly music and variety program, hosted by Chris Thile, and will separate from the Pretty Good Goods online catalog and the PrairieHome.org website."Garrison Keillor has been an important part of the growth and success of MPR, and all of us in the MPR community are saddened by these circumstances," MPR President Jon McTaggart said in the statement."While we appreciate the contributions Garrison has made to MPR and to all of public radio, we believe this decision is the right thing to do and is necessary to continue to earn the trust of our audiences, employees and supporters of our public service." Just one day earlier, Keillor published a high profile op-ed in The Washington Post, entitled "Al Franken should resign? That's absurd." The Minnesota senator is under fire for sexual misconduct allegations from four women. In the piece, Keillor likened a photograph of Franken faux-groping TV personality Leann Tweeden during a USO event to a gag "in a spirit of low comedy," and her resulting accusation years later as "pure absurdity, and the atrocity it leads to is a code of public deadliness. No kidding."Keillor seems to forgive the Democrat in context with the behavior of other high profile men throughout history."Franken should change his name to Newman and put the USO debacle behind him and then we'll change frankincense to Febreze. Remove the slaveholder Washington from our maps, replacing him with Wampanoag, and replace Jefferson, who slept with Sally Hemings  consensual? I doubt it  with Powhatan, and what about the FDR Drive in New York, named for a man who was unfaithful to his wife? Let's call it RFD and let it go at that," he wrote.Keillor could not be located for comment. His website crashed after the announcement, and the last tweet on his Twitter page was a day earlier. It was a retweet of his Franken op-ed piece.Tweet Garrison Keillor, former host of America's beloved "Prairie Home Companion," has been fired by Minnesota Public Radio for alleged "inappropriate behavior." Keillor, 75, had retired from his radio show but still produced "The Writer's Almanac" for syndication. Keillor initially broke the news, telling The Associated Press he was fired over "a story that I think is more interesting and more complicated than the version MPR heard." Minnesota Public Radio confirmed the termination, effective immediately. "Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) is terminating its contracts with Garrison Keillor and his private media companies after recently learning of allegations of his inappropriate behavior with an individual who worked with him," it said in a statement. MPR did not give further details about the alleged misconduct, referring to the statement. "Last month, MPR was notified of the allegations which relate to Mr. Keillor's conduct while he was responsible for the production of A Prairie Home Companion (APHC)," the statement added. It also said it has severed business ties with Keillor's media companies, including ending distribution and broadcast of "The Writer's Almanac" and rebroadcasts of "The Best of A Prairie Home Companion," hosted by Keillor. Minnesota Public Radio will also change the name of the weekly music and variety program, hosted by Chris Thile, and will separate from the Pretty Good Goods online catalog and the PrairieHome.org website. "Garrison Keillor has been an important part of the growth and success of MPR, and all of us in the MPR community are saddened by these circumstances," MPR President Jon McTaggart said in the statement. "While we appreciate the contributions Garrison has made to MPR and to all of public radio, we believe this decision is the right thing to do and is necessary to continue to earn the trust of our audiences, employees and supporters of our public service." Just one day earlier, Keillor published a high profile op-ed in The Washington Post, entitled "Al Franken should resign? That's absurd ." The Minnesota senator is under fire for sexual misconduct allegations from four women. In the piece, Keillor likened a photograph of Franken faux-groping TV personality Leann Tweeden during a USO event to a gag "in a spirit of low comedy," and her resulting accusation years later as "pure absurdity, and the atrocity it leads to is a code of public deadliness. No kidding." Keillor seems to forgive the Democrat in context with the behavior of other high profile men throughout history. "Franken should change his name to Newman and put the USO debacle behind him and then we'll change frankincense to Febreze. Remove the slaveholder Washington from our maps, replacing him with Wampanoag, and replace Jefferson, who slept with Sally Hemings  consensual? I doubt it  with Powhatan, and what about the FDR Drive in New York, named for a man who was unfaithful to his wife? Let's call it RFD and let it go at that," he wrote. Keillor could not be located for comment. His website crashed after the announcement, and the last tweet on his Twitter page was a day earlier. It was a retweet of his Franken op-ed piece. Tweet



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Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Palestinian rival factions have delayed the handover of power in the Gaza Strip by at least 10 days, stoking fears Thursday that a landmark deal to end their decade-long feud may be set to fail.

A series of Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip in response to mortar fire at its forces meanwhile were a further sign Thursday of the difficulties facing the Palestinian reconciliation bid.

Fatah and Hamas announced the handover delay late Wednesday after sharp disagreements derailed a plan to return civil power in the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority by Friday.

The handover would end Islamist movement Hamas's 10-year dominance of the blockaded Palestinian enclave and had raised hopes that deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the territory could be addressed.

A range of complex issues remain to be resolved, including security control of the Gaza Strip and the fate of two separate civil administrations.

Previous attempts at reconciliation between Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah movement, based in the occupied West Bank, and his Islamist rivals from Hamas have previously failed.

The two factions have not publicly presented a plan for how they will resolve remaining issues before the new December 10 deadline under the Egyptian-brokered accord.

Ghassan Khatib, a former Palestinian Authority minister, said he doubted a true handover could occur by the target date, though partial progress may allow the factions to keep the accord alive.

"This decision (to delay) was taken under pressure from the Egyptian delegation," he said.

"The Egyptian delegation wants success, so they suggested 10 days and promised to continue their presence there and to put pressure on the two sides. I personally doubt that they can solve all those issues quickly."

Wednesday's late-night announcement followed a day of turbulence related to the reconciliation deal signed in Cairo on October 12.

Story continues

Fatah's top negotiator, Azzam al-Ahmad, told AFP on Wednesday that Hamas was "not committed to the agreement it signed in Cairo."

In response, senior Hamas official Bassem Naim accused Fatah of "manoeuvres" to avoid going through with the deal.

Hamas also accuses Abbas of violating the spirit of the agreement by so far refusing to lift punitive measures, including a cut in electricity payments for Gaza.

On Thursday, Israel's military said it struck at least six military posts in the strip, including those for Hamas and Islamic Jihad, after mortar fire from the enclave targeted its forces.

Three Palestinians were reported wounded, while no Israelis were injured.

There was no sign of a link to the reconciliation accord, but the flare-up was another illustration of the difficulties linked to Gaza, which has seen three wars with Israel since 2008.

- 'A good framework' -

Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip since seizing it in a near civil war with Fatah in 2007, leaving the Palestinians with two separate administrations.

A first deadline under the accord was met, with Hamas handing control of Gaza's borders to the PA on November 1, but far more difficult issues remain.

As tensions built Wednesday, Abbas ordered an immediate stop to public statements on reconciliation "for the sake of the Palestinian national interest and our relationship with our Egyptian brothers", official news agency WAFA said.

Palestinian political analyst Nour Odeh said Thursday this was indication that the process could still be salvaged.

"You have a process in which thousands of people are involved," she told AFP. "I expect these delays and complications to happen. I think both sides do as well."

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem also denied the process had failed, as did a senior Palestinian Authority official.

"Hamas will continue to the furthest point to make the reconciliation succeed. This is a strategic decision we will not retreat from," Qassem said.

In Gaza, optimism was in short supply, however, with many residents expecting the process to collapse.

"All the people want to succeed with reconciliation," said Abdul Latif Abu Abdo, a 45-year-old who sells vegetables in Gaza City.

"But both sides are cheating the people -- Fatah doesn't want it, Hamas doesn't want it."

After the 2007 power shift, the PA continued to pay around 60,000 staff in Gaza, despite the vast majority not working.

Hamas has hired around 50,000 civil servants to replace them over the past decade, and the fate of those staff is a key sticking point, with unions insisting on a settlement.

The reconciliation agreement stipulates they have until February to find a solution for the Gaza employees, which could include merging the two civil services.

The future of the police force in Gaza as well as Hamas's powerful armed wing are other key disputes, with the Islamist group refusing to disarm.

Abbas insists the PA have security control of the enclave of two million people.
Jerusalem (AFP) - As Friday's deadline nears for Gaza's Hamas rulers to cede power to the rival Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority, hopes for a new dawn in the enclave face hurdles at home and abroad.

Islamist movement Hamas has run the Gaza Strip for a decade and does not recognise Israel, with whom it has fought three wars since 2008. Hamas is labelled a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union.

President Mahmud Abbas's Palestinian Authority governs the Israeli-occupied West Bank from Ramallah and Hamas maintains a separate, parallel administration in Gaza City.

Separating the two cities is a band of Israeli territory about 70 kilometres (44 miles) wide. Gaza is cut off from Israel by a separation barrier with fortress-like crossing points.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's position is that Israel will not deal with a Palestinian unity government that includes Hamas unless it recognises the Jewish state, renounces violence and returns the remains of two Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza, among other conditions.

"Some say that you cannot have a peace process without Gaza and you cannot have Gaza without Hamas, which means that there is not going to be a peace process," Yaakov Nagel, Netanyahu's national security advisor until May this year, told journalists last week.

"No one is going to have a peace process with Hamas."

The official line from Washington is based on principles set out by the Quartet for Middle East peace -- the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations.

"Any Palestinian government must unambiguously and explicitly commit to nonviolence, recognise the state of Israel, accept previous agreements and obligations between the parties - including to disarm terrorists -- and commit to peaceful negotiations," President Donald Trump's envoy Jason Greenblatt said last month.

- 'Mistake of 2006' -

There are potential ways around the seeming impasse. One would be for a unity government to include ministers who are not part of the Hamas movement but have its approval.

Story continues

After Palestinians elected Hamas in a democratic 2006 poll, much of the international community immediately said it could not deal with Hamas unless it accepted the Quartet's principles.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair, later a Quartet representative, has since said that was a mistake, as it pushed Hamas away from the negotiating table.

Hugh Lovatt, an analyst for the European Council on Foreign Relations, says that has left an impact, "at least in some European capitals and at EU level".

"There is a feeling that the EU should not repeat the mistake of 2006 when it boycotted and sanctioned a Hamas government," he told AFP.

"The EU could likely accept a Palestinian government of national consensus that accepts the Quartet conditions, even if Hamas as a movement does not," he said.

Addressing the Security Council on November 20, UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov said the Egyptian-mentored Palestinian reconciliation process "must not be allowed to fail".

"If it does, it will most likely result in another devastating conflict," Mladenov warned.

But Israel's Nagel does not believe that any meaningful change will happen in Gaza.

"I don't see a real reconciliation process, but we will see," he said.

"None of the real issues between Hamas and the (PA) were on the table in the negotiations. It was only logistics and unimportant things, because Hamas understood that it has to do something."

One major issue left to be resolved is the issue of security in the Gaza Strip.

Abbas says there can be only be one security force in all of the Palestinian territories.

But Hamas restated this week its refusal to disarm its military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.
The Hague (AFP) - The International Criminal Court will not prosecute Israel over the deadly raid on a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid toward Gaza in May 2010, it was announced Thursday.

"I have ultimately decided to reaffirm my previous decision of November 6, 2014," ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement, referring to when she ruled the incident was "not of sufficient gravity".

However, sticking to that same judgement Bensouda said: "My conclusion remains that there is a reasonable basis to believe that war crimes were committed by some members of the Israel Defence Forces."

Nine Turkish citizens died when Israeli marines stormed the Mavi Marmara, among eight ships trying to break a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. One more died in hospital in 2014.

The case was first filed by the Comoros, where the ship was registered.

Ties between Israel and Turkey crumbled after the raid but last year they agreed to end the row after secret talks.

Israel offered an apology over the raid, permission for Turkish aid to reach Gaza through Israeli ports, and a payout of $20 million (18 million euros) to families of those killed.

Under the deal, both sides agreed that individual Israeli citizens or those acting on behalf of the government would not be held liable.

Families of the victims had pressed on with their legal battle, but the ICC's decision is final and was filed Wednesday, Bensouda's statement said.
The Hague (AFP) - In a stunning drama at a UN war crimes court Wednesday, a former Bosnian Croat military leader appeared to drink poison seconds after judges upheld his 20-year sentence.

At his appeal judgement at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Slobodan Praljak, 72, shouted out angrily: "Praljak is not a criminal. I reject your verdict."

He then raised a small brown bottle to his lips, and drank it down in full view of the cameras filming the hearing.

The unprecedented scenes happened just after the judges in their final judgement also upheld a 25-year prison term against Jadranko Prlic, the former prime minister of a breakaway Bosnian Croat statelet during the 1990s Balkans wars.

But the hearing was quickly suspended as Praljak's lawyer shouted out: "My client says he has taken poison."

As court officials surrounded Praljak, presiding judge Carmel Agius immediately ordered the proceedings suspended and the curtains surrounding the courtroom were closed.

Within minutes AFP journalists saw an ambulance arrive outside the tribunal in The Hague, while a helicopter hovered overhead.

Several emergency rescue workers also rushed into the building carrying equipment in backpacks. Court officials called for calm.

Praljak was specifically charged with ordering the destruction of Mostar's 16th-century bridge in November 1993, which judges in the first trial had said "caused disproportionate damage to the Muslim civilian population".

A symbol of Bosnia's devastation in the war, the Ottoman-era bridge was later rebuilt. But the city saw the worst of the Croat-Muslim clashes, with nearly 80 percent of the city's east destroyed in the fighting.

But in their ruling, the judges in fact allowed part of Praljak's appeal, saying the bridge had been a legitimate military target during the conflict.

"It's just an old bridge," Praljak said in 1993, showing no regard for the emotional effect the destruction had on ordinary Bosnians of all ethnic backgrounds.

Bosnian Croats and Muslims were allies against the Serbs but fought each other for 11 months from 1993-1994. Praljak commanded Bosnian Croat forces known as the HVO from July to November 1993.
CHICAGO (AP) -- Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, a Democratic party leader on efforts to overhaul the nation's immigration laws, announced Tuesday he won't seek re-election next year after 13 terms.

"This is my time to move on," the congressman said at a Chicago news conference. "I want to take my energy and abilities to somewhere where I know I want to place them."

Oscillating between emotional and spirited, Gutierrez refused to call it a retirement, saying he still plans on advocating for immigrant rights and for storm-damaged Puerto Rico, where his family is from. After his term ends in 2019, he said he'll travel nationwide with his family and wants to do it while he's healthy.

He appeared alongside Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia and endorsed him as his replacement. They both started their political careers together as proteges of the late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington.

Word of Gutierrez stepping down came as a surprise, especially since the 63-year-old filed candidate petitions for the Illinois primary with the State Board of Elections a day earlier. The late announcement gave potential successors to his predominantly Hispanic Chicago-area district less than a week to gather signatures to get on the March 20 ballot.

Gutierrez, first elected in 1992, is a leading member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and has become one of the most visible figures in the push for immigration reform. He's been arrested for civil disobedience outside the White House and federal immigration offices numerous times, has backed legislation to help young people brought to the country illegally and has called for more English language proficiency programs and citizenship workshops. In immigrant circles and in his district, Gutierrez remains very popular and has easily won re-election over the years. His office has run robust constituent services, with immigrants nationwide seeking his help on their cases.

The congressman has clashed repeatedly with President Donald Trump, accusing him of committing "deep, permanent damage to the United States." Gutierrez is among a small handful of House Democrats who have signed onto a largely symbolic effort to impeach Trump.

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But Gutierrez was also critical of former President Barack Obama, whom he supported, for not halting deportations or doing enough on immigration reform.

In a 2013 memoir covering Gutierrez's experiences about his early life in Chicago politics as an organizer and alderman, he described how he's always identified with the immigrant experience.

Though born in Chicago with parents from Puerto Rico, he's talked about how his family faced similar challenges as immigrants, like struggling with English and being treated like foreigners.

"It's almost as though my life was a training for the ultimate battle of winning comprehensive immigration reform," he told The Associated Press in 2013.

In recent months, Gutierrez, who maintains close ties in Puerto Rico, has pushed for federal aid to help rebuild after Hurricane Maria and brought relief supplies to the U.S. territory.

Gutierrez's announcement raised questions about his political future.

He said he had no immediate plans to run for office in either Puerto Rico or Illinois, but didn't exclude it in the future.

"I'm not going to rule that out," he told AP. "I think there might be a possibility for me to run for public office."

Gutierrez has previously flirted with a run for Chicago mayor, circulating petitions ahead of the 2011 election before deciding to sit out the race. The next city election is in 2019. Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a former White House chief of staff under Obama, has said he's planning on a bid for a third term.

The congressman, who wiped his eyes during the news conference, said he'd continue to live in Chicago but travel widely in his activism.

"We are going to talk to people about creating a new energy and a new vehicle to prepare ourselves for 2020," he said. "The second thing I'm going to do is I'm going to be spending a lot of time rebuilding my island ... the ancestral home of Congressman Luis Gutierrez."

With just days until major party candidate petitions are due for the Illinois primary, candidates began jockeying to replace Gutierrez. Democrats trying to replace him need over 800 signatures; the requirement for Republicans in the Democratic stronghold is far less.

Garcia, who is Mexican-American, said he was ready to pick up where Gutierrez left off and focus on similar issues. He has citywide name recognition, especially after forcing Emanuel into a mayoral runoff election in 2015.

Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa said he was also circulating petitions for Gutierrez's seat.

___

Alan Fram contributed to this report from Washington.

___

Follow Sophia Tareen on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sophiatareen .
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel will refuse Swiss diplomats access to the Gaza Strip until further notice after recent meetings were held with Hamas leaders, an Israeli official said Wednesday.

Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman issued the order to prevent the diplomats from travelling to the Palestinian enclave from Israeli territory, the official said on condition of anonymity.

The order will remain in place "until clarifications occur," said the official, without providing further details.

Israel controls all access into Gaza apart from the strip's sole crossing with Egypt.

On Tuesday, Switzerland's envoy to the Palestinian Authority, Julien Thoni, met Hamas's chief in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar.

At least one other recent meeting was also held with Hamas leaders.

Hamas, the Islamist movement that has controlled the Gaza Strip for a decade, is considered a terrorist organisation by the United States and European Union.

It has fought three wars with Israel since 2008.

Switzerland however has contacts with Hamas in order to maintain dialogue with all parties to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as part of its peace and human rights efforts.

Israel's army radio reported that the decision to bar them from Gaza was taken due to the public nature of the meetings, with Hamas posting photos on its website.

The meetings come with Hamas due to hand over power in Gaza to the Palestinian Authority by Friday as part of a landmark reconciliation deal signed in October.

There are however doubts over whether a signficant transfer of power will occur by that time.
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Israel's military carried out a series of strikes on the Gaza Strip on Thursday after mortar rounds from the Palestinian enclave were fired at its soldiers, in a significant flare-up of violence.

Hamas authorities reported three Palestinians wounded and taken to hospital, providing no further details on their conditions. No Israelis were reported hurt.

The violence came a month after Israel blew up an Islamic Jihad tunnel stretching from the Gaza Strip into its territory, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 Palestinian militants.

There have been warnings that Islamic Jihad would respond to the destruction of the tunnel.

The strikes also occurred at a highly sensitive time for the Palestinians, with rival movements Hamas and Fatah seeking to follow through on a reconciliation accord aimed at ending their 10-year feud.

Israel's army said it had hit six military targets after the mortar fire, including four near the border fence in the north of the strip and two others in the "central Gaza Strip".

The operation involved tanks and Israeli aircraft.

AFP journalists reported seeing three strikes in the Gaza City area.

Palestinian security sources said four Islamic Jihad military bases were struck in different parts of Gaza, as well as at least one Hamas lookout point.

Israel's military said the targets included two belonging to Hamas and two to Islamic Jihad. The other two strikes confirmed by Israel targeted "military posts belonging to terror organisations," a statement said.

Islamic Jihad said none of its fighters were among the wounded.

Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said between 10 and 12 mortar rounds were fired at its forces and positions near the northeastern part of the Gaza Strip before it responded with strikes.

There were no Israeli casualties and "only very light damage," he told journalists.

Conricus signalled that Islamic Jihad was responsible for the mortar fire, but declined to say clearly.

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If confirmed, they would be the first strikes by the Hamas-allied group from Gaza since the last war in 2014, sources close to Islamic Jihad said.

- 'Dangerous escalation' -

Repeating Israel's longstanding policy, Conricus said it held Hamas responsible for all such activity from the Gaza Strip.

Dawoud Shahab, a senior Islamic Jihad leader, said in a statement Thursday they had the "full right to respond to this dangerous escalation for which the (Israeli) occupation is responsible."

Islamist movement Hamas has run the Gaza Strip for a decade.

Conricus said that Israel did not want to escalate the situation but that it considered the mortar fire a "severe event."

"We know exactly who conducted this attack," he said.

"We even know them by name, but we hold the Hamas terrorist organisation responsible for any act of hostility perpetrating from the Gaza Strip against Israel."

He pointed out that the incident came exactly a month after the tunnel operation.

Tensions have risen between Israel and Islamic Jihad after the army blew up the tunnel that stretched from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory on October 30.

Such tunnels have been used in the past to carry out attacks.

Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip have fought three wars since 2008. Occasional exchanges of fire continue to occur along the border.

Under a reconciliation deal signed in October, Hamas was meant to hand power back to the Palestinian Authority by December 1, thereby ending its decade-long dominance there.

But Fatah and Hamas announced late Wednesday that they were postponing the planned handover to December 10 with sharp disagreements persisting between the two sides.
James O'Keefe, the founder of Project Veritas, dodges questions about a woman who falsely claimed in interviews with The Washington Post that U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore sexually assaulted her when she was a teen. (Photo: The Washington Post via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  The background of conservative activist James OKeefe came under scrutiny in D.C. Superior Court on Wednesday morning, as prosecutors continued to seek felony convictions for six individuals swept up in a mass arrest on the day of President Donald Trumps inauguration.

Defense attorneys for those facing felony conspiracy counts pressed Bryan Adelmeyer of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department about the background of Project Veritas. The conservative organization, which OKeefe founded, has launched sting operations against liberals and news organizations, and has been accused of deceptive editing practices.

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia, which is part of the Justice Department, are highlighting a video shot by a Project Veritas operative wearing a button camera. The video shows a planning meeting for a protest on Inauguration Day.

Prosecutors have not alleged that any of the six people currently on trial actually caused any damage ahead of Trumps inauguration, when smashed business windows in downtown D.C. caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage. Instead, they allege that they  and the 181 others whose felony trials are scheduled  were part of a conspiracy and should be held accountable for the conduct of others in the group. More than 200 people, including several journalists, were caught up in a mass arrest that day, when demonstrators seeking to disrupt Trumps inauguration gathered, many of them wearing black.

Related Coverage

An American Journalist Is Facing A Felony Trial This Week -- In The United States

A 'Sea Of Black Masks': Prosecutors Open Felony Trial Of Inauguration Protesters

Feds Use James O'Keefe Video In Felony Trial Of Trump Inauguration Protesters

Adelmeyer testified on Wednesday that he provided a false name when he infiltrated a protest-planning meeting held in a church basement in early January. Adelmeyer, who has been on the force for nearly a decade, said his main priority was to find out about criminal actions masked by First Amendment activities. He said he told his supervisors that he believed protest organizers intended to be non-violent, but confrontational on the day of the inauguration. He testified that he took brief notes about the meeting he attended.

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Adelmeyer testified that he showed up to the protest in an undercover capacity on Jan. 20 wearing black pants and a zip-up black hoodie, but that he never joined up with protesters because he wasnt allowed to be involved in criminal activity.

Adelmeyer said he later found out that a Project Veritas operative had been at the same meeting. The operative had filmed a video that was played for jurors on Tuesday, despite objections from defense attorneys.

Adelmeyer testified Wednesday that he didnt really follow Project Veritas before he learned about the video.

I never really heard of them before, honestly, he said. Adelmeyer initially didnt recall James OKeefes name. But he admitted that he believed the group side[s] very far to one side, specifically the right.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff objected when defense attorney Jamie Heine asked Adelmeyer if he knew that OKeefe broke into the office of a Democratic senator. But following a conference at the bench, Judge Lynn Leibovitz allowed a version of the question to proceed: Heine asked Adelmeyer whether he knew that OKeefe had pleaded guilty to entry by false pretenses, a reference to OKeefe pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count in connection with an incident at the office of Sen. Mary Landrieu.

Adelmeyer said he wasnt familiar with that incident, but referenced a separate incident he said he believed hed read about.

D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Officer Bryan Adelmeyer went undercover to investigate demonstrators organizing a protest against President Donald Trump's inauguration. (Photo: Ryan J Reilly / HuffPost)

Adelmeyer also testified that he had read about Project Veritas attempted sting operation aimed at The Washington Post, in which an operative associated with the organization unsuccessfully tried to trick the paper into printing a false allegation against Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. He said he had read that Project Veritas had been criticized for splicing together videos, but maintained that the video shown Tuesday was an accurate representation of what hed seen at the protest-planning meeting.

Sara Kropf, an attorney representing one of the defendants, introduced to the jury the idea that Project Veritas had planted other individuals at the planning meeting and had them speak during it. Adelmeyer said it was possible that another Project Veritas operative had been in the room.

The jury, which has been sitting on the case for nearly two weeks, has heard from employees at businesses where windows were smashed on the morning of Jan. 20. Additional officers are expected to testify in the coming days. The trial is anticipated to stretch into the next two weeks.

Ryan Reilly is HuffPosts senior justice reporter, covering criminal justice, federal law enforcement and legal affairs. Have a tip? Reach him at ryan.reilly@huffpost.com or on Signal at (202) 527-9261.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
By Kaori Kaneko TOKYO (Reuters) - Emperor Akihito will hand over all public duties to his heir after retiring in what will be Japan's first abdication in nearly two centuries, the monarch's younger son said, responding to worries a former emperor might weaken his successor's status. Japan's constitution defines the emperor as a symbol of the state and the people, without political power. His duties include Shinto religious ceremonies and constitutionally-defined tasks, such as the opening of parliament. The octogenarian Akihito's 29-year reign has also been marked by travels to domestic disaster sites to cheer survivors, and overseas to soothe the wounds of a war fought in the name of his father, Emperor Hirohito, who was considered divine until Japan's defeat in World War Two. Some experts, recalling past examples when ex-emperors kept their influence, had feared the former monarch's existence would undercut the symbolic status of his heir, Crown Prince Naruhito. "The emperor all along has intended to pass all his public duties including state acts to the next emperor," Naruhito's younger brother, Prince Akishino, said in remarks published to mark his 52nd birthday on Thursday. "Even if there are concerns about 'dual authority', if that expression is appropriate, I can clearly say that it is impossible," he added. A law enacted in June allows Akihito, who turns 84 on Dec. 23, to step down, but details have yet to be worked out. A special panel will discuss possible dates on Friday, with the cabinet to make a final decision. The abdication is expected to take place in 2019. Akihito, who has had heart surgery and treatment for prostate cancer, said in rare remarks last year that he feared age might make it hard to fulfill his duties. Akishino, who is next in line to the throne after the 57-year-old Naruhito, said he wanted his father to rest after retiring. "I hope the emperor will spend relaxing time as much as possible after the abdication," he said. Akishino said he was willing to take on the crown prince's duties as much as possible after Naruhito ascends the throne but would need to consult his older brother. "This is unprecedented, so there are many things I can not imagine," he said. Akishino's 11-year-old son, Prince Hisahito, is the emperor's only grandson and will be second in line to the throne after the abdication. Naruhito's daughter, Princess Aiko, who turns 16 on Friday, cannot inherit the males-only throne. (Reporting by Kaori Kaneko and Linda Sieg; Editing by Michael Perry)
Reykjavik (AFP) - Katrin Jakobsdottir has become Iceland's second woman prime minister after winning popularity thanks to a humble and sincere image, but she must now lead a tricky grand coalition in a splintered political landscape.

Born into a family of poets, prominent politicians and academics, the 41-year-old face of the Left-Green Movement on Thursday announced an agreement to form a three-party coalition with the conservative Independence Party and the centre-right Progressive Party.

Described by supporters as "charismatic" and "trustworthy", Jakobsdottir has promised to make sure Iceland's economic prosperity, triggered by booming tourism, leads to a boost in public spending on health and education.

"We are focusing on the broad outlines on how we can really build up the public system in Iceland which of course suffered gravely in the crisis ten years ago," she told AFP, referring to the 2008 financial collapse that devastated the country's economy.

Jakobsdottir must now partner with Independence Party leader and former prime minister Bjarni Benediktsson, 47, who was her main rival in the tight October 28 general election.

Growing public distrust of the elite in recent years has spawned several anti-establishment parties, fragmenting the political landscape and making it increasingly difficult to form a stable government.

The Panama Papers, which revealed offshore tax havens, listed more than 600 Icelanders -- in a country of just 346,750 people -- including Benediktsson.

- 'A strong leader' -

Jakobsdottir is free of scandal -- unlike her rivals from the centre-right -- and served as education minister for Iceland's first left-leaning government which took power after the 2008 economic crisis.

"When we are in a situation of having such great distrust in politicians, she's the person you would like to invite to your home and have coffee with," said Egill Helgason, a political commentator for public broadcaster RUV.

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Married with three sons, Jakobsdottir graduated from the University of Iceland and later received a master's degree in Icelandic literature after writing a thesis on the popular crime writer Arnaldur Indridason.

Surveys suggest she garners most of her support from voters aged between 18-29, in particular women, and that she appeals to an electorate beyond the Left-Green Movement's base.

"I think she would be a strong leader... because she has been a member of the parliament for a long time among corrupt people and still stayed true to herself," said Solkatla Olafsdottirs, a 26-year-old supporter of the anti-establishment Pirates Party.

Helgason said Jakobsdottir has "never been an assertive politician".

"She avoids confrontations and that could become her weakness," he added.
Kim Kardashian lashed out at her younger sister, Kendall Jenner, after learning that the 22-year-old model is considering getting a gun to protect herself.

Kim has always been incredibly outspoken in her hatred of guns and has called for the US government to impose stricter gun control laws on more than one occasion.

Kim is not happy with her little sister. Copyright: [Instagram]

However, Kendall has been left frightened by the amount of stalkers that show up outside her Los Angeles home, where she lives alone.

In a preview for an upcoming episode of the familys reality show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kendall and Khloe Kardashian were discussing the process of buying a gun, with Khloe telling her sister: You have to go in and test them and hold them and see which one feels the most comfortable in your hand and your grip.

Kim interrupted the pair, and when she asked what they were talking about Khloe said: We were looking up different guns.

Kendall and I were talking earlier and she just feels really unsafe. She says she has literally a different stalker outside of her house every few days.

Khloe was advising Kendall. Copyright: [E!]

Shes a single girl who lives alone, like, someones already broken into her home, what if she was there?

An outraged Kim was insistent that security is more than enough protection for her sister, going on to say that having a gun wouldnt have helped her when she was robbed at gunpoint during Paris Fashion Week last year.

She said: I would not shoot these. It was three against one and six I didnt know about.

There was no way I was going to get out of there, Im not like Lara Croft. I couldnt have got away to get the gun.

Kim confessed that she wouldnt let her children stay at her sisters houses if there were guns around. Copyright: [Instagram]

The star went on to say that she wouldnt allow her children, four-year-old North and 23-month-old Saint, to stay with her siblings if she knew that there was a gun in the house.

Kim continued: Im not comfortable with it. I wouldnt want my kids around it. I wouldnt want sleepovers going on here, with the kids here and I know theres a gun.

I dont feel comfortable with that. I dont.

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Last June Kim took to social media to beg for better gun control laws after 50 people lost their lives following a mass shooting at a gay club in Orlando.

Kim often calls for stricter gun control laws. Copyright: [Flynet]

At the time she wrote: We have repeatedly called on Congress to close this loophole that makes it easy for dangerous people to get guns & kill. Nothing has changed!!!!

People continue to senselessly die. When will these gun laws be changed?!

Follow Yahoo Celeb UK on Twitter and Instagram for all of the latest celebrity news!

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By Nate Raymond

(Reuters) - A former partner at a major law firm in Washington pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges that he tried to sell copies of sealed whistleblower lawsuits against corporations that he obtained while working at the U.S. Justice Department.

Jeffrey Wertkin, 41, was working at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP when he was arrested in January trying to sell an undercover federal agent one of the lawsuits while wearing a wig as a disguise, according to court papers.

He pleaded guilty in San Francisco federal court to charges of obstruction of justice and interstate transportation of stolen goods, court records show. Sentencing is scheduled for March.

"Jeff had a long career as a lawyer doing good work," his attorney Cristina Arguedas said. "He made a terrible mistake, for which he is extremely sorry, and is now working to make amends."

Before joining Akin Gump in April 2016, Wertkin worked in a Justice Department division that handles lawsuits filed by whistleblowers against companies on the government's behalf to recover taxpayer funds paid out based on fraudulent claims.

Those lawsuits are brought under the False Claims Act and are filed under seal to allow the Justice Department to investigate and determine whether it wants to join the cases. Whistleblowers can receive a cut of any settlement or verdict.

According to the charging documents, before leaving the Justice Department, Wertkin removed copies of several whistleblower complaints without permission for his personal use.

According to a criminal complaint, in November 2016, someone calling himself "Dan" contacted an employee of the unnamed Sunnyvale, California-based security company to discuss providing a copy of the lawsuit for a "consulting fee."

That employee began recording calls with "Dan" at the Federal Bureau of Investigation's request, and negotiated to have a colleague, who was actually an agent, deliver $310,000 in exchange for the lawsuit.

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Wertkin was arrested on Jan. 31 at a Cupertino, California, hotel while trying to sell a copy of a the lawsuit to the agent in exchange for a duffle bag full of money, the complaint said.

"My life is over," Wertkin said out loud shortly after his arrest, according to the complaint.

Wertkin had prior to his arrest also tried to a sell a copy of a second sealed whistleblower lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco against an Oregon-based company, according to court papers.

The case is U.S. v. Wertkin, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 17-cr-00557.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Additional reporting by Dan Levine in San Francisco; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
The U.S. could soon be at war with North Korea, warned Sen. Lindsey Graham on Tuesday, as concerns rise that the reclusive nation has developed an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the U.S. carrying a nuclear warhead.

The Pentagon confirmed that North Korea had launched its third ICBM of 2017 on Tuesday, which traveled about 1000 kilometers before splashing down in the Sea of Japan.

If we have to go to war to stop this, we will, Graham told CNN in an interview on Tuesday, after the launch. If theres a war with North Korea it will be because North Korea brought it on itself, and were headed to a war if things dont change, he said.

Graham has supported interventionist foreign policy during his career.

I dont want a war. [Trump] doesnt want a war, Graham said, But were not going to let this crazy man in North Korea have the capability to hit the homeland.

I hope the regime understands that if President Trump has to pick between destroying the North Korean regime and the American homeland, hes going to destroy the regime, Graham continued. I hope China understands that also, he added.

Secretary of Defense James Mattis said that the launch demonstrated North Koreas ability to hit everywhere in the world.

He continued: The bottom line is, its a continued effort to build a threat  a ballistic missile threat that endangers world peace, regional peace and certainly the United States.
Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

In a week when Republicans are rushing to pass the most consequential tax bill in a generation, when North Korea is celebrating the launch of a missile that could land in my neighborhood, when Britain just learned its getting an American princess and America found out that another of its trusted anchors is apparently a serial harasser, I find myself puzzling over something of far less gravity and substance.

Namely: Anthony Scaramucci.

Oh, its easy enough to poke fun at Scaramucci, whose career at the highest level of government was like an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm  brief, loud and cringe-inducing. Way back in July, when we were all much younger, Scaramucci, the brash hedge-fund mogul in mirrored shades, showed up at the White House podium as communications director, although he made clear he thought he was effectively stepping in to run the place.

Then he called my friend Ryan Lizza and delivered a profane rant about something Lizza had written in the New Yorker, which somehow led to the firing of Reince Priebus as chief of staff, which in turn led to the hiring of John Kelly, who fired Scaramucci after less than two weeks on the job.

It was great TV.

But the Mooch, as he actually calls himself, was back in the news this week for another reason. And this time his story raised some serious issues, I think, having to do with free speech and modern liberalism.

If you missed it with all the other stuff going on, heres what happened: Earlier this month, a few hundred students at Tufts University demanded that Scaramucci be kicked off the board of advisers at the prestigious Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. I should tell you that, like Scaramucci, Im a Tufts grad, and I serve on an analogous board of advisers for the Tisch College of Civic Life.

The students said Scaramuccis behavior embarrassed the school. They objected, specifically, to a tweet that emanated from a website he started, which had posed a bizarre poll question asking how many Jews the Nazis killed. The exact purpose of asking this question remains opaque, but as a general rule, nothing good is found at the intersection of Twitter and the Holocaust.

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One of the Fletcher students leading this protest, Camilo A. Caballero, published a couple of op-eds in the Tufts Daily, blasting Scaramucci as irresponsible, inconsistent, an unethical opportunist.

Tufts did the mature thing, which was to invite Scaramucci to defend himself in a public forum on campus this week. He accepted, but in the meantime, it seems, Scaramucci fired back through his lawyers, threatening to sue the writer and the paper for damaging his reputation if the paper didnt retract Caballeros latest piece and apologize.

Now, Im no attorney, but even with a passing knowledge of libel law, I can tell you that you its all but impossible to damage a reputation thats already been publicly pilloried. Trying to defame Scaramuccis honor would be like plotting to sink the Titanic in 1913. But anyway.

On Monday, after much drama, Tufts decided to postpone Scaramuccis planned visit to campus that night. Tuesday, Scaramucci resigned his seat on the Fletcher board. The students got their way.

But at what cost?

As Ive written before, we wrestle with these issues all the time now in higher education. Students are scared and angry and eager to strike a blow for social justice, and often that involves banning speakers or castigating alumni. School officials are so preoccupied with safe spaces and micro-aggressions that they sometimes forget what theyre there to teach.

Personally, I have no problem with Scaramucci having been on the Fletcher board. Sure, hes indelicate, and he probably knows less than zero about international diplomacy. I certainly would have objected had Tufts invited him to deliver an endowed lecture on nonproliferation.

But, you know, if we went around purging college and nonprofit boards of rich donors with no real expertise to speak of, an awful lot of catered pasta salad would go uneaten.

As for his demonstrably faulty character, Id object more to Sean Spicer, who knowingly lied from the same podium for the better part of a year and then laughed it up at the Emmys, than to Scaramucci, who seemed to genuinely believe whatever nonsense he was spouting.

No, the real reason for the students activism wasnt Scaramuccis qualifications, or an inexplicable tweet he didnt write or even know about in advance. (I believe him on this.) It really comes down to politics, and his very visibly being on the wrong side of it for a liberal university like Tufts.

In the view of students who signed that petition, and probably many who did not, Scaramucci is guilty of having aided and abetted a racist, dishonest president. They do not see Trump as a legitimate spokesman for American values, and to them, combatively defending the president and his followers is something like a war crime.

But thats hardly a legitimate interpretation of American values, either. Trump is an elected president, and all Scaramucci did was step forward to serve his country in a job for which he wasnt remotely qualified. Thats not a crime, unless it turns out to have involved meetings with Russian agents.

I wish Tufts had held its ground and insisted that Scaramucci speak. He had a right to defend himself, and if his silly legal threat was what worried administrators, what better inoculation than to have given him his chance to address the community directly?

Universities have a lot of competing interests and demands right now, but above all, it seems to me, they have one imperative: to demand that their social-media-savvy students entertain perspectives that dont always comfort them. (This is one of the guiding ideals behind Tisch College, which is why I volunteer my time.)

More broadly, though, this isnt just about elite universities  its also about the fate of the American left.

There are a lot of reasons Trump won last years election  naked nativism, economic exasperation, a deeply distrusted opponent  and it can be hard to untangle them. But somewhere on that list, too, is the cultural elitism of Democrats who want to brand anyone who disagrees with them as immoral and intolerant.

When liberals lecture and try to silence their critics, they lose. Moreover, they manage to do what ought to be impossible, which is to give a guy like Scaramucci the high moral ground.

Making a martyr of the Mooch is no small feat, and nothing to celebrate.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
Matt Lauer: Getty

After women came forward to accuse former NBC Today show host Matt Lauer of sexual misconduct, the backlash has been mighty and swift.

He lost his $20m position as anchor on the flagship morning show, his squeaky clean reputation, and now - perhaps - his farm.

Lauer could be forced to sell the 27,180-acre-sheep-and-cattle farm he and his wife purchased in New Zealand in February because of the country's strict laws on foreign investors having good character.

According to Page Six, New Zealands overseas investment regulator is looking into the allegations made against Lauer, as part of a review of his purchase of a large South Island farm.

That's because foreign investors need to be of "good character", according to the country's Overseas Investment Office, which confirmed it was seeking further information on Lauer.

Related:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View.

Lisa Barrett, deputy chief executive of policy and overseas Investment, confirmed the good character investigation following Lauers removal from NBC News, saying: A condition of the consent granted to Orange Lakes Ltd to purchase the lease for Hunter Valley Station is that the individuals with control of that company must continue to be of good character.

The key word being continue.

Although the purchase was approved by the investment office in February, the regulator has the power to enforce the sale of property if it determines that the good character requirement is not met.

This means that if Lauers recent behaviour does not meet the good character standards he will be required to sell his farm.

And his chances arent looking good - earlier this week, the New Zealand government announced tougher standards for sales of farmland to foreigners.

Associate finance minister David Parker, defending the tougher rules, said, We believe its a privilege to own New Zealand land and that we shouldnt just be selling it willy-nilly to overseas buyers.

Story continues

Matt Lauer said there is

Lauer, who issued an apology on Wednesday for his actions, said, Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterised, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed.

As for the damage he has caused, Lauer insists that although repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul-searching, he is committed to the effort, and now views it as his full-time job.

Which, if he no longer owns a demanding farm on the other side of the world, he'll have more free time to dedicate to his new gig - rectifying the damage he has caused.
As Twitter tries to figure out how to lock down the parts of its platform that enable harassment, as well as the spread of misleading information and illicit content, there have been a number of moments that highlight how the service, and its levers of control, are far from perfect.

One such moment took place earlier this month, when the very active, very watched Twitter account of President Donald Trump was abruptly deactivated for 11 minutes. The man responsible for those 11 minutes moved back home to Germany, and he agreed to speak to TechCrunch about what happened that day.

U.S. President Donald Trump long ago realized that you can use Twitter as an effective mouthpiece without all the pain and price of dealing with the media. Trump's Twitter account (36.5K tweets and counting) has become one of the most popular ones out there today, with 43.5 million followers and growing by several hundred thousand a week. It's also one of the most notorious, because of his flippant jokes, insults, rants and controversial retweets.

So for those who haven't been happy with Trump -- and judging by the popular vote results from the 2016 election, that accounted for a majority of voters in the U.S. -- those deactivated 11 minutes became a burst of unexpected joy.

No joke, the internet has nominated the Twitter employee who shut down Trump's account for a Nobel Peace Prize  Ed Krassenstein  (@EdKrassen) November 6, 2017

Just gonna say it, the employee at Twitter who shut off Trump's account for 11 mins could become a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.  David Jolly (@DavidJollyFL) November 3, 2017

how do i tell my parents im marrying the twitter employee?  Sarah Hagi (@geekylonglegs) November 3, 2017

Twitter, in its turn for more transparency, quickly announced that the account's shutdown was accidental. Moments later, it followed up with more information: a contractor, on his last day of work, was responsible.

Story continues

The story could have ended there, but it didn't.

Reporters started immediately trying to find the now-former Twitter contractor to try to figure out what happened. If it was an accident, how could it happen? If it was intentional, why did it happen?

We were among those looking for the contractor, and through a string of events found out his name, Bahtiyar Duysak, and got him to agree to talk to us in a town in Germany.

Duysak, a twenty-something with Turkish roots who was born and raised in Germany, was working as a contractor for a fixed term for the last part of his stay in the U.S. under a work and study visa. In addition to his role at Twitter with Pro Unlimited, other assignments had included stints in monetization at Google and YouTube via another contractor, Vaco.

Many have wondered on Twitter why Trump's account has never been shut down for violating Twitters terms (among the reasons people have given is that he has threatened North Korea with nuclear violence) while others have been calling for people to report him using Twitters reporting tools for offensive tweets.

At Twitter, Duysak had been assigned to customer support as part of the Trust and Safety division. This team receives alerts when users report bad behavior, including offensive or illegal tweets, harassment, someone impersonating another person and so on. The team performs triage on complaints to determine what further steps, if any, should be taken.

D

uysak, medium in stature and wearing a black and gray cardigan with a pattern of the American flag across it (not something he planned, laughing a little in surprise when he made the connection between it and the story), is a personable guy. He's quick to smile; he's close to his family and has a big network of friends; and he speaks with a certain kind of indeterminate European accent -- the kind you often hear from people who have traveled, lived and studied across different countries. He's more Euro than bro.

His last day at Twitter was mostly uneventful, he says. There were many goodbyes, and he worked up until the last hour before his computer access was to be shut off. Near the end of his shift, the fateful alert came in.

This is where Trump's behavior intersects with Duysak's work life. Someone reported Trumps account on Duysaks last day; as a final, throwaway gesture, he put the wheels in motion to deactivate it. Then he closed his computer and left the building.

Several hours later, the panic began. Duysak tells us that it started when he was approached by a woman whom he didnt know very well. According to Duysak, the woman said that she had been contacted by someone asking about Duysak in connection with Trumps Twitter account. After a moment of disbelief, he said he then looked at the news and realized what had happened.

Duysak describes the event as a "mistake." Specifically, he told us, he never thought the account would actually get deactivated.

In fact, it appeared that Trumps account was essentially protected from being deactivated over Terms of Service violations. In June, Twitter explained why: Some tweets that seemingly violate its terms of service are nevertheless "newsworthy" and therefore in the public interest to keep up.

One takeaway from Twitter's exemption for newsworthy tweets is that news and information trump judgment calls on the relative toxicity of the content, which is probably apt in our age of toxicity dressed up as "news."

Trump's election has signaled a high water mark for how people with opposing views on politics and other flashpoint subjects interact. Perhaps more than ever, people spin stories in ways that fit their own agendas.

Although Duysak was hailed as a hero by some, he says he hasnt felt like one at all.

Hes been pursued by the media, which have been aggressive in contacting family and friends. The woman who first alerted him is a typical example (we asked, and he would not provide her details to us, probably to protect her). Duysak said she had liked some of his posts, and someone -- already with a lead on Duysak -- had spotted this and tracked her down.

But he is not concerned about what happens next if there is further investigation of the incident. He hasnt broken any laws.

I didnt hack anyone. I didnt do anything that I was not authorized to do, he told us when we met in Germany. I didnt go to any site I was not supposed to go to. I didnt break any rules.

For now, it appears that the media has actually been more aggressive than the authorities. We asked and have confirmed with Duysak's legal representative that the FBI is not investigating him at the moment, although Twitter has apparently attempted to get more information from him. Duysak has chosen not to reply.

At Twitter -- which declined to provide any details to confirm Duysak's identity to us -- the event has hastened efforts to change things at the company.

The day after the deactivation, Twitter said it was conducting a full internal review and implementing safeguards to prevent incidents like this in the future.

CEO Jack Dorsey also acknowledged in an interview shortly after the incident that there have been weaknesses and gaps, which it is also trying to address. He said that the clause about newsworthiness, which was not publicly known until Twitter made it so, was one of those gaps.

"We have implemented safeguards to prevent this from happening again," Twitter tweeted from its Twitter Government account. "We wont be able to share all details about our internal investigation or updates to our security measures, but we take this seriously and our teams are on it."

There are some details that potentially complicate things, partly because of how charged the political climate has become in the U.S. Duysak is of Turkish origin, not from the U.S. While these facts have nothing to do with Trump's account on Twitter getting deactivated, in the wrong hands they could be spun negatively, given Trumps previous negative statements on immigration and people from predominantly Muslim countries.

Apart from inflaming those who dont agree with him, and emboldening those who do, Trump has spelled out some specific opinions on how the U.S. sits in relation to the rest of the world. He wants to build a wall to keep out immigrants. He has targeted Muslims specifically as a group, a blanket policy he believes would help keep out extremists and terrorists. He has also proposed and signed orders to fill out those ambitions.

D

uysak, in one physical sense, is out of the picture where the U.S. is concerned: our interview took place in Germany, Duysak's home country, where he returned at the end of his visa period.

He could have just laid low, but he hasn't. So then why come forward? To try to clear the air, he said, get a new job and not worry about how the story would come out, if it did, without his involvement.

I want to continue an ordinary life. I dont want to flee from the media, he said. I want to speak to my neighbors and friends. I had to delete hundreds of friends, so many pictures, because reporters are stalking me. I just want to continue an ordinary life.

He said the pursuit has been relentless: journalists have contacted the university where he studied, his places of employment, his friends and his family. His family has shut down various social accounts to avoid the contact.

He agreed to talk to us because he had a connection to a Muslim-focused community center (which has also had some persistent contact from reporters) in the Bay Area where a relative of Tito's volunteers. That contributed to his trusting us.

I didnt do any crime or anything evil, but I feel like Pablo Escobar," he said, "and slowly its getting really annoying."

These days, Duysak said he isn't likely to take another tech job anytime soon. More likely, he'll be looking into finance or other related field. "But I love Twitter," he said, "and I love America."
Photo credit: Hearst Communications, Inc. All rights reserved

From Cosmopolitan UK

In the wake of this week's royal engagement news, Meghan Markle's university sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, released a portrait of the young actress taken during her sophomore year at Northwestern.

She wasn't always a future duchess. Once upon a time, Prince Harry's betrothed was just a communications major at Northwestern. https://t.co/FczpMGhp2u pic.twitter.com/62ipOLZBYn - Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) November 27, 2017

Markle was a typical student during her time at the Illinois university. She was involved in Greek life and backpacked through Europe on her spring breaks, but Markle was also a "theatre nerd," double-majoring in theatre and international relations.

"I knew I wanted to do acting, but I hated the idea of being this cliche - a girl from LA who decides to be an actress," she told Marie Claire in 2013, according to the Chicago Tribune. "I wanted more than that, and I had always loved politics, so I ended up changing my major completely, and double-majoring in theatre and international relations."

One of her former teachers, Professor Harvey Young, recalls having the actress in one of his seminars. "I taught her in a small, advanced undergraduate seminar. There were only eight students in the class. We sat in a circle. It was on contemporary black theatre," Young told ABC of the future royal. "She was one of those people that I would highlight for students. I would say. 'This is a possibility. This is a path you can pursue if you work hard.'"

In addition to her passion for theatre, Markle's interest in activism was also inspired by her time at Northwestern University.

In my memories of Meghan at Northwestern, she was very clear about the need to think about the experiences of people who are not only biracial but of people of colour," Young said. "She was mindful of the need for gender equality and the importance of championing for womens rights."



Story continues

Markle and Prince Harry announced their engagement on November 27. A royal wedding is planned for May of 2018 at Windsor Castle.



[editoriallinks id='265e9a58-c635-4a0a-9c22-6037a7d46afb'][/editoriallinks]

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Meghan Markle is leaving one of her beloved rescue dogs behind as she begins her new life as a soon-to-be royal following her engagement to Prince Harry.

Guy and Bogart are commonly referred to by Markle as my boys and "my loves" and are constantly featured on her Instagram page.

A moment of zen #adoptdontshop #weekend A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Nov 6, 2016 at 7:13am PST
Before she was a royal-to-be, Meghan Markle penned a letter that would have a lasting impact in the advertising world and drew national attention  when she was only in grade school.

As a young girl, Markle was watching television in a classroom with other students when a commercial for Ivory dishwasher soap proclaimed that "women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans."

She took issue with the 'sexist' phrasing, and ultimately decided to do something about it, especially after two male classmates at the time joked about how women belong in the kitchen.

"I remember feeling shocked and angry and also just feeling so hurt," Markle said in a 2015 speech at the UN on International Women's Day. "It just wasn't right and something needed to be done."

Her father inspired her to let her voice be heard.

"He encouraged me to write letters, so I did  to the most powerful people I could think of, she said in the speech.

Inspired by a poster in her bedroom of Rosie the Riveter and the "We can do it!" mantra, the young Markle wrote a letter to the soap's manufacturer, Procter & Gamble; civil rights lawyer Gloria Allred; then-first lady Hillary Clinton and Nick News anchor Linda Ellerbee.

After receiving the letter, Ellerbee sent a camera crew to meet her. And later the commercial was changed to say "people" and not women.

People all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans, the ad said in its updated version.

Markle spoke about her activism on Nick News in 1993.

"I dont think it is right for kids to grow up thinking that mom does everything, Markle said in the episode. If you see something that you dont like or offended by on television or any other place, write letters and send them to the right people and you can really make a difference, not just for yourself but for lots of other people.

Ellerbee, who provided the footage to Inside Edition, isn't surprised that Markle continues to be voice for women all over the world.

Story continues

"It was absolutely clear that this young woman was strong in her beliefs, she told Inside Edition. It didnt matter that she was 11 years old. She believed in women and she believed in her own power and wasnt afraid to reach out and say, I want my power. I want my rights.'"

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Lagos (AFP) - Blessing wanted to believe the advert on Facebook that promised "a cure for AIDS".

Infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), she felt the ad was her only hope -- so against her better judgement, she clicked on the link.

The 30-year-old Nigerian had created a fake profile on the social networking site in the hope of contacting a traditional healer who would be familiar with modern technology.

For 100,000 naira -- about $280 (230 euros) and more than five times the monthly minimum wage -- she was promised a plant-based potion that would completely eradicate the disease.

Sceptical, Blessing asked for more time and a face-to-face meeting. Instead, her would-be benefactor asked for her bank account details.

That was several months ago.

"He talked only about money, so I gave up," said Blessing, whose name has been changed at her request. "But I was ready to try."

"There are so many people giving positive testimonies about the drug," she told AFP in a soft voice.

Since then, with the distribution in Nigeria of free antiretroviral treatments that repress the virus -- but do not eliminate it -- Blessing has been able to finish her studies in sociology in Abuja.

She said she now feels more comfortable with her HIV-positive status, but while she has a few business projects, the hardest thing has been finding a boyfriend.

"I was desperate. Any relationship I wanted to be in was difficult. I know I have to live with the virus," she said.

- Power of prayer -

Despair and stigma for people living with HIV make them easy targets for a range of supposed miracle workers, including internet scams, in deeply religious Nigeria.

Not a month goes by without a Christian pastor announcing that a follower has been "saved".

In Lagos, the commercial capital of more than 20 million people, vast and imposing evangelical churches have become a magnet for the sick from across Africa.

Story continues

Among the most well-known faith healers is TB Joshua, who runs the Synagogue Church of All Nations, and whose popularity has earned him a multimillion-dollar fortune.

He prides himself in his claims of having cured people of AIDS and even in bringing the dead back to life.

His website is full of testimonies about his apparent powers of prophecy.

One on his TB Joshua Ministries page on Facebook is titled: "AIDS kicked out with prayer."

"Mr Ubon Augustine is a living testimony that no disease can escape the healing power of Jesus Christ," it reads. "He was healed of HIV/Aids through a prayer... Thank You Jesus!"

- No scientific proof -

Others also claim to have found the scientific cure for HIV, publishing research in obscure journals.

One such assertion, from a professor at an agricultural university in the southeastern state of Abia, garnered significant coverage in the Nigerian news media earlier this year.

Maduike Ezeibe claimed that after 25 years of research, he had successfully tested a drug he had developed on patients.

"Nigeria is thus (the) first country to get 10 people (to) recover from HIV/AIDS," he was quoted as saying by Nigeria's Guardian newspaper in March.

Nigeria's health agencies condemn such claims on the grounds of the "absence of sound scientific evidence" as well as the dramatic effects on patients if they stop taking conventional treatment.

HIV levels can fall to below detectable levels with the help of a daily pill, but rebound when the treatment is stopped.

The viruses swiftly reproduces to attack immune cells, exposing the body to opportunistic disease and worsening the risk of infecting others.

"If someone thinks he is cured of the virus when on the contrary he still has the virus, the risk of transmission will be higher," said Daniel Ndukwe of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA).

"We have had people claim they were cured of HIV by miracle healing, and we have also heard of those who later had a deterioration of their health afterward," he said.

No formal study has been undertaken in Nigeria to explore the phenomenon but there is no doubt that many have seen a market for apparent miracle cures.

- Lucrative business -

According to UNAIDS, prevalence of HIV among adults in Nigeria was 2.9 percent in 2016, which is relatively low compared to countries such as South Africa (18.9 percent).

But the actual number of people living with the condition -- 3.2 million -- is among the highest in the continent.

Emmanuel Ugochukwu Michael, the founder of a match-making agency for people with HIV, says he is regularly approached by people asking for his 7,000-name database.

"I receive a lot of calls from traditional doctors and mainly from pastors," he said.

"They invite me for a dinner and promise to pay me money if I provide them phone numbers of my clients," he added.

"It's a lot of temptation. It gives me a lot of sleepless nights, I can tell you.

"There's huge money to be made and everybody wants to take advantage of it."
(TAMPA, Fla.)  New York City police say they would like ballistics results of the gun used in the Tampa, Florida, killings to see if it matches any unsolved crimes in New York.

Twenty-four-year-old Howell Emanuel Donaldson was arrested Tuesday by Tampa police in the shooting deaths of four people. He has been charged with first-degree murder and detained after a tip that he had a gun at a McDonalds restaurant. They said he used the same gun for all the shootings.

Authorities say the gun was purchased in early October.

Donaldson attended St. Johns University in Queens, graduating in January 2017. Police in New York said he had an arrest in 2014 for a minor crime, but the arrest was sealed.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said police will go back through cold cases to see whether Donaldson could be linked to any crimes.

Police officials are in contact with Tampa police.
Beijing (AFP) - Barack Obama has met President Xi Jinping, with the former US president hoping to improve ties between their two countries, China's state media said, as relations between Beijing and Washington are tested over North Korea.

Obama met Xi on Wednesday in Beijng at Diaoyutai Guest House, a sprawling complex frequently used to house visiting leaders. Obama was in China as part of a world speaking tour.

Obama told Xi he was willing to continue to play a positive role in enhancing mutual understanding and cooperative exchange between the US and China, according to state broadcaster China Central Television, which featured the meeting in its prime-time news show.

Obama said it was in the interest of both countries to develop a constructive relationship, according to CCTV.

Xi said that China and the US share a common interest and responsiblity in safeguarding world peace and stability.

The meeting came not long after North Korea conducted its latest ballistic missile test.

In response the United States warned North Korea's leadership that it will be "utterly destroyed" if war breaks out, but its call for nations to cut ties with Pyongyang was rejected by Moscow while Beijing sidestepped talk of an oil embargo.

Chinese state media did not say if the topic was discussed by Xi and Obama.

The state broadcaster said Xi told Obama about the achievements of China's recently concluded 19th Communist Party Congress when he was installed for another five year term.

Obama began his trip to China on Tuesday with a speech to the Global Alliance of SMEs Summit in Shanghai, a non-government organisation promoting small business interests.

He also met Liu Cixin, a prolific Chinese science fiction writer and author of the award-winning "The Three Body Problem" series.

Obama was set to leave China on Thursday for India where he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
By Philip Pullella and Yimou Lee YANGON (Reuters) - Pope Francis flew to Bangladesh on Thursday after a visit to Myanmar where he made no direct reference to the plight of Muslim Rohingya people to avoid a diplomatic incident with a Buddhist-majority country some have accused of ethnic cleansing. There will be no such balancing act for the pope in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, where he is expected to meet a group of Rohingya refugees from among the roughly 625,000 who have fled neighboring Myanmar since the end of August. The Vatican on Wednesday defended the pope's decision not to use the word "Rohingya" in public during his four-day Myanmar trip, saying his moral authority was unblemished and that his mere presence drew attention to the refugee crisis. But a Vatican news conference in Yangon to wrap up the visit only served to highlight the diplomatic minefield that the issue had presented for Francis. Spokesman Greg Burke said the pope's decision not to refer to the Rohingya did not take away from anything he has said in the past - he had mentioned them and their suffering before his Myanmar visit - but added that Vatican diplomacy was "not infallible" and others were entitled to their views. Muddying the waters for the Vatican delegation, a Myanmar regional bishop cast doubt at the same news conference about allegations of ethnic cleansing, suggesting "other communities" might be responsible for stoking them. "When we speak of the truth, we should go to an authoritative source or a reliable source to get the news ... Those who criticize should go to the scene to study the reality and history," Bishop John Hsane Hgyi said. The Global New Light of Myanmar, a state-run daily, seized on the bishop's comments, putting a banner headline on its front page that read "Reports of ethnic cleansing in Rakhine is not reliable: Myanmar church". SUU KYI HEADS TO CHINA The exodus of Rohingya people from Rakhine state to the southern tip of Bangladesh was sparked by a military crackdown in response to Rohingya militant attacks on an army base and police posts on Aug. 25. Scores of Rohingya villages were burnt to the ground, and refugees arriving in Bangladesh told of killings and rapes. The United Nations has accused Myanmar of ethnic cleansing and last week Washington said the military's campaign included "horrendous atrocities" aimed at "ethnic cleansing". Myanmar's military has denied accusations of murder, rape and forced displacement. The government blames the crisis on the Rohingya militants, whom it has condemned as terrorists. Many people in Myanmar regard the largely stateless Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, they are excluded from the 135 "national races" recognized by law, and even using the name is considered inflammatory. Although Francis studiously avoided the term, following the advice of local Church officials who feared it could turn Myanmar's military and government against minority Christians, his calls for justice, human rights and respect were widely seen as applicable to the Rohingya. Francis held talks during his trip with Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate and longtime champion of democracy who in 2016 formed Myanmar's first civilian government in half a century. Suu Kyi has faced a barrage of criticism from Western nations in recent weeks for expressing doubts about reports of abuses against Rohingya and for failing to condemn the military. China has backed what Myanmar officials call a legitimate counter-insurgency operation in Rakhine, and stepped in to prevent a resolution on the crisis at the U.N. Security Council, support observers believe will draw Suu Kyi closer to Beijing. Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Suu Kyi left on Thursday morning for China to join a forum of world leaders hosted by the Communist Party of China. Suu Kyi's defenders say she is hamstrung by a constitution written by the military that left the army in control of security and much of the apparatus of the state. The military's power was clear on Monday when Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, demanded to meet Pope Francis before Sun Kyi, upending a schedule that had her meeting the pontiff first. "I'm sure the pope would have preferred meeting the general after he had done the official visits," spokesman Burke said. (Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Robert Birsel)
President Donald Trump tweeted the wrong account Wednesday night when he shot back at British Prime Minister Theresa May, after she said he was wrong to share anti-Muslim videos tweeted by a U.K. far-right group.

Trump had retweeted three videos posted by the British ultranationalist group Britain First. The Presidents dissemination of the unverified videos, which allegedly show Muslims committing acts of violence and disrespecting Christian symbols, drew outrage on social media. Responding through a spokesperson, May said Trump should not have shared the posts from Britain First, a group that promotes hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions.

Trump lashed back, advising May to focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!

.@Theresa_May, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2017

Unfortunately for Trump, he directed his post not at the British prime minister or at the official Twitter account of the prime ministers office, @Number10Gov, but at a private account that has six followers and has tweeted just nine times since February, 2009.

The President deleted and replaced the tweet, this time tagging the correct, verified Theresa May account  but not before some Twitter users took notice.

Blessed are the screengrabs, for they preserve Twitter idiocy even after deletion #WrongTheresaMay pic.twitter.com/6adWLtxFGq  Jerome Taylor (@JeromeTaylor) November 30, 2017

Donald Trump just tweeted this Theresa instead of @theresa_may. pic.twitter.com/A7Fb5Ie933  Catrin Nye (@CatrinNye) November 30, 2017

Donald Trump starting a Twitter fight with Theresa May, the Prime Minister of England, but using the wrong @, really UNDERSCORES the problem with having him as President. ???????????? pic.twitter.com/QP1wvHXdzs  Frederick Douglass (@gettinnoticedmo) November 30, 2017

Despite drawing sharp criticism from government and opposition politicians in the U.K., Downing St. rejected calls to revoke Trumps invitation for a state visit to Britain, according to the Associated Press. A date is yet to be set.
Photo credit: Getty

From Prima

Prince William has had a jam-packed schedule on his two-day visit to Finland this week, but there was one very important job to carry out before he returned home.

The prince delivered Prince George's Christmas wish-list to Santa during a trip to a Christmas market in Helsinki, revealing the one thing his son is hoping to find under the tree this year.

The letter, handwritten by Prince George, read: 'Dear Father Christmas' and was signed 'love George'. Although the note included spaces for five present ideas, George chose to list just one  a police car (it must have been a tough call between this and a digger).

And in a bid to get in Santa's good books, the four-year-old also circled that he was 'nice' rather than 'naughty'. Clever.

Photo credit: Getty

'I've seen you and I had to give you this letter,' William told Father Christmas, Metro reports. 'He hasn't written down many requests, so I think one request is probably OK,' Prince William added.

As well as a meeting with Santa, William has visited community leaders, mental health campaigners, young people in the tech industry and representatives from the Finnish education system during his tour.

He has also spoken openly about his brother's engagement to Meghan Markle for the first time, and joked that the marriage will hopefully stop Harry from stealing food from his Kensington Palace apartment.

'For me personally I hope it means he stays out of my fridge, it will stop him scrounging off all my food, he's done over the last few years,' William told reporters on Wednesday.

Well we hope little Prince George gets what he wants this Christmas, although perhaps in toy form.

From Country Living UK

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BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia presents Iran as an enemy because it wants to cover up its defeats in the region. "Saudi Arabia was unsuccessful in Qatar, was unsuccessful in Iraq, in Syria and recently in Lebanon. In all of these areas they were unsuccessful," Rouhani said in the interview live on state television. "So they want to cover up their defeats." The Sunni Muslim kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran back rival sides in the wars and political crises throughout the region. Saudi Arabias powerful Crown Prince called the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, "the new Hitler of the Middle East" in an interview with the New York Times published last week, escalating the war of words between the arch-rivals. Tensions soared this month when Lebanons Saudi-allied Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned in a television broadcast from Riyadh, citing the influence of Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and risks to his life. Hezbollah called the move an act of war engineered by Saudi authorities, an accusation they denied. Hariri returned to Lebanon last week and suspended his resignation but has continued his criticism of Hezbollah. Iran, Iraq, Syria and Russia form a line of resistance in the region which has worked toward stability and achieved "big accomplishments", Rouhani said in the interview, which was reviewing his first 100 days in office in his second term. (Reporting by Babak Dehghanpisheh, Editing by Alison Williams)
Moscow (AFP) - Russia on Thursday rejected a US call to cut ties with North Korea in response to Pyongyang's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

"We see this negatively," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists in the Belarusian capital Minsk, Russian news agencies reported.

"We have repeatedly stated that the pressure of sanctions has been exhausted."

He accused the United States of seeking to provoke Kim Jong-Un's regime and demanded to know whether Washington was plotting to destroy the isolated country.

"It's as if the recent actions of the United States are consciously directed to provoke Pyongyang towards other radical actions," Russia's top diplomat said.

"The Americans need to explain what they are aiming for. If they are looking for a reason to destroy North Korea, then they should say it straight and the American leadership should confirm it," Lavrov was quoted as saying.

On Wednesday, Washington warned that North Korea's leadership will be "utterly destroyed" if war breaks out as it called on countries to cut all diplomatic and trade ties with North Korea.

The latest threat came after North Korea tested its third ICBM, which it claimed was capable of striking anywhere in the United States.

"If war comes, make no mistake: the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said.

US President Donald Trump derided Kim as a "sick puppy" and threatened "major" new sanctions.

The Kremlin on Wednesday called the latest missile test a "provocative action" and appealed for calm on all sides.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has emerged as one of the most strident voices against punishing Pyongyang, insisting that further sanctions and threats are "useless" against a regime that feels cornered.

The United States earlier this year pressed for a full oil embargo on North Korea but dropped that demand following resistance from China and Russia.
By Darya Korsunskaya, Katya Golubkova and Gleb Stolyarov MOSCOW (Reuters) - The threat of new U.S. sanctions has spread anxiety among Russia's wealthiest people that their association with President Vladimir Putin could land them on a U.S. government blacklist, members of the business elite say. The list, to be drawn up by early next year, is part of a sanctions bill passed overwhelmingly by Congress soon after Donald Trump became president and reluctantly signed by him on Aug. 2 despite his avowed wish to improve ties with Moscow. Although those included on the list would not automatically be sanctioned, six people who are part of the business elite or close to the Kremlin said it was a major concern because the criteria for inclusion and the consequences were unclear. "People are on edge," said a senior figure in a major Russian company. "If they classify you as close to Putin, just try proving it's not the case," the figure said. "The Americans' tactics are clear: they need to cause pain in all ways possible for those who support Putin." While most of the business elite remains loyal to Putin, the prospect of personal sanctions -- which can prevent travel abroad or access to foreign bank accounts and freeze foreign assets -- has prompted some to steer clear, the sources said. A billionaire businessman who has sat on panels of business leaders with Putin and in the front row of the audience when Putin addressed conferences has adjusted his diary to avoid such occasions, a source who works closely with him said. "He's simply been trying lately to show up less next to Putin," said the source, who spoke on condition neither he nor his boss be identified because of the sensitivity of the topic. "Because it's not clear on what basis there could be sanctions. You get the impression anyone could get hit." A source in the entourage of a second Russian billionaire said several oligarchs had chosen the tactic of keeping a low profile to avoid inclusion in the list. LIST OF OLIGARCHS One billionaire businessman in the top 100 of wealthiest Russians spoke to Reuters in person. He said he could not get any clarity from his Russian political contacts about the threat. Asked what steps he could take to protect himself if he was included on a U.S. sanctions blacklist, he said: "There's no way. You have to leave." He did not say where he would go. Unusually for one of Russia's billionaire class -- a group that presents itself as loyal to the Kremlin - he expressed frustration with senior officials, including Putin. "The leadership (of the country) does not believe that the sanctions are going to follow the hard scenario," said the businessman, speaking on condition of anonymity. "They live in a parallel reality. No one wants to listen to business." Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, told reporters on Thursday that he was not aware of any frustration among the business elite from the new sanctions. "We know nothing of such views. If they exist and appear, we are always open to discussion," he said. Asked whether he believed that sanctions were aimed at setting up elites against Putin, Peskov said: "We are confident this is exactly the case." The Aug. 2 sanctions legislation expanded and toughened sanctions already in force since over Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region. "The law is very bad, it's very broad, very incoherent, its application could have all sorts of consequences," Andrei Kostin, chief executive of VTB Russia's second biggest bank, said this week, referring to the legislation as a whole. The list, to be drawn up by the Treasury Department, is set to name the most significant Russian oligarchs "as determined by their closeness to the Russian regime and their net worth". It is meant to be sent to Congress by the end of January, weeks before Russia is due to vote in a presidential election. Though he has not declared his intentions yet, most Kremlin-watchers expect Putin to run and polls show he would easily win. BANK CHECKS Sanctions lawyers say the list itself has no legal force and inclusion does not mean sanctions will follow. Other provisions of the Aug 2 law present a more immediate threat by raising the level of risk for firms that do business with entities already under sanctions. Nevertheless, Western banks have started making additional checks on people they deem to be associated with Putin, said an executive with a European bank that operates in Russia. The checks, said the executive, were prompted by the Aug. 2 sanctions law and included establishing whether the individuals, whom he did not name, had accounts with the banks concerned. The source did not say whether they were taking any action. Some people in Putin's innermost circle have already been on a U.S. sanctions blacklist since 2014. Gennady Timchenko, an oil mogul and one of Putin's closest friends, called his inclusion in 2014 "an honor for me". Timchenko's wife, Elena, had her bank card rejected the same year when she tried to pay for treatment in a German clinic because her husband was under sanctions. The planned list of oligarchs is likely to include people outside that circle, who are not unquestioning Putin loyalists yet could still be punished for their association with him. "Everyone's fearful for themselves, they're afraid of personal sanctions," said a source close to a fourth top 100 Russian billionaire. "Because, what if the whole of the Russian establishment ends up under sanctions? No one knows, so everyone is afraid." A senior source who is close to the government and the Kremlin said the U.S. authorities were trying to turn Putin's allies against him, especially with the presidential election approaching. "If all these threats become reality, in respect of other people as well, that will create powerful tension and discontent in the business elite," said the source. (Additional reporting by Olga Sichkar, Elena Fabrichnaya, Anastasia Lyrchikova, Polina Devitt, Polina Nikolskaya, Oksana Kobzeva, Vladimir Soldatkin, Maria Tsvetkova and Vladimir Abramov; writing by Katya Golubkova; editing by Christian Lowe and Philippa Fletcher)
By Polina Nikolskaya MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday that U.S.-Russia ties were the worst he could recall, but that U.S. President Donald Trump struck him as a friendly person keen to establish positive working contacts with Russia. Trump took office in January, saying he wanted warmer ties with Russia which had fallen to a post-Cold War low. But since then, ties have frayed further after U.S. intelligence officials said Russia had meddled in the presidential election, something Moscow denies. Medvedev, who met Trump in Manila this month, suggested he and President Vladimir Putin both found Trump constructive and friendly in person, but accused other U.S. politicians of playing what he called "the Russian card" to achieve their own aims and influence Trump's attitude towards Russia. "The impression he (Trump) makes is that of a friendly political figure ready to establish full-scale contacts and who reacts reasonably towards everything," Medvedev said in an interview with Russia's main TV channels. Medvedev said he had chatted to Trump briefly over dinner at a regional summit in Manila. "He (Trump) recalled our cooperation during World War Two, saying that it was important both for Russia and America," said Medvedev. "It was a pretty normal exchange I am sure and President (Vladimir) Putin has spoken about just that - that everything is fine when it comes to our relations when we meet in person." But Medvedev said that was of secondary importance because overall U.S.-Russia relations were "appalling." "They are very bad, I would say appalling. They are the worst I can remember." Medvedev said the political climate towards Russia in the United States reminded him of the 1950s when U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy helped launch a campaign against anyone he regarded as pro-communist in the United States. "But still, even then there was no talk of settling accounts with your own president," said Medvedev. (Reporting by Polina Nikolskaya; Writing by Maria Tsvetkova and Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
Residents stroll on a frozen street in Yakeshi, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Tuesday, wearing thick clothes and masks. [Photo by YU CHANGJUN/FOR CHINA DAILY]

The Greater Hinggan Mountains region in Heilongjiang province is likely to see temperatures as low as - 38 C over the next two days, weather forecasters say.

The lowest temperature dropped to - 40.8 C on Saturday for the first time this winter at Dabai Mountain, according to Wu Shuqin, an observer at the Greater Hinggan Mountains Observatory.

The temperature increased slightly on Sunday and Monday, but it is expected to drop again, Wu said.

The region, regarded as the coldest in China, usually sees winters lasting eight months. Its record low temperature is - 52.3 C.

According to Wu, the expected temperature drop over the next two days is linked to a cold front that will first hit Northeast China and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, before moving south.

According to the National Meteorological Center, the front will cause temperatures to drop 10 to 14 degrees, and even 16 degrees in some places, over the next three days.

In central and eastern China, the cold air will also bring strong winds and sharp drops in temperatures through Thursday, the center said.

Despite the extreme cold weather, border police will continue to patrol the China-Russia border in Mohe county, Heilongjiang province, China's northernmost county and part of the Greater Hinggan Mountains.

"When we started patrolling at 7:30 this morning, the snow was more than kneedeep, and the sharp ice sheets along the river made things difficult," said Zhang Chunmao, a border patrol officer. "It took us three hours to make a trip that usually requires only one hour. I wrapped myself up in thick clothes, but the bitter wind still cut through them."

Gao Junfeng, head of the police station, said: "As winter tourism becomes popular, more tourists travel north to experience the extremely cold weather or explore the aurora borealis. Some will lose their way in the forests and snowy lands."

Gao added that the station will strengthen controls and look out for the safety of locals and tourists through foot patrols and video surveillance.




Savannah Guthrie, left, Matt Lauer, and Hoda Kotb host Today together just days before Lauer is terminated. (Photo: Tyler Essary/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank)

NBCs Today show began with an emotional segment on Wednesday morning, as Savannah Guthrie was joined by Hoda Kotb to announce the termination of longtime co-host Matt Lauer on the basis of alleged inappropriate sexual behavior. The live segment took place just moments after the two women learned of the accusations and allowed viewers to witness them as they grappled with the news themselves.

After reading the statement written by NBC News chairman Andy Lack, Guthrie presented the limited information that they had gathered, and ultimately opened up about the difficult emotions that she and Kotb were experiencing as they tried to reconcile their love for Lauer with the revelation that he had done wrong.

For the moment, all we can say is that we are heartbroken, Guthrie said of herself and Kotb. Im heartbroken for Matt. He is my dear, dear friend and my partner, and he is beloved by many, many people here. And Im heartbroken for the brave colleague who came forward to tell her story, and any other women who have their own stories to tell.

The statement came as a surprise to many, who either couldnt believe how poised the two were or had difficulty accepting the co-hosts standing affection toward Lauer. However, their words illustrate the incredible emotional dilemma presented by the recent string of incidents related to sexual harassment, which they admitted they didnt yet know how to deal with. But in support of the women coming forward with their stories, who may still be contending with the pain of the harassment or assault, Guthrie acknowledged how vital these painful moments are.

This reckoning that so many organizations have been going through is important, its long overdue, and it must result in workplaces where all women  all people  feel safe and respected, Guthrie said. As painful as it is, this moment in our culture and this change had to happen.

Just after the initial announcement made by Guthrie, Today colleague Megyn Kelly addressed the news herself. Expressing a similar sentiment, she fondly reflected on her own relationship with Lauer while reiterating her unwavering support of any woman who deals with harassment.

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I see the anguish on my colleagues faces, Kelly said. But when this happens, what we dont see is the pain on the faces of those who found the courage to come forward. And it is a terrifying thing to do. We dont see the career opportunities women lose because of sexual harassment, or the intense stress it causes a woman dealing with it when she comes to work each day. I am thinking of those women this morning, and hoping they are OK.

Both statements emphasize the importance of not only sharing stories of sexual misconduct but also coming forward to support these women and letting society know that no woman is alone in this fight. For those who have relationships with the men accused, this is more difficult, which was initially expressed by comedian Sarah Silverman.

Following the detailed accusations against Louis C.K., and his admission of the allegations, Silverman took to her Hulu series I Love You, America to address the difficult truth about her friend of more than 25 years. Along the same lines as the women of NBC, Silverman acknowledged her relationship with him and her anguish for the women he victimized.

I love Louis, but Louis did these things. Both of those statements are true. So I just keep asking myself, can you love someone who did bad things? Silverman said. I can mull over that later, certainly, because the only people that matter right now are the victims. They are victims, and they are victims because of something he did. So I hope its OK if I am at once very angry for the women he wronged and the culture that enabled it, and also sad because hes my friend.

Although Silverman seemingly stood alone in making the difficult statement at the time, it wasnt even two weeks before Charlie Rose faced a number of allegations that led to his termination from CBS and a similar statement from his colleague and friend Gayle King.

Through an almost identical evolution of feelings and ideas, King expressed a sadness over her relationship with Rose while simultaneously expressing great sorrow for his victims. Ultimately, she said that regardless of her affection for her co-host, Charlie does not get a pass here.

He doesnt get a pass because I cant stop thinking about the anguish of these women. What happened to their dignity, what happened to their bodies, what happened maybe even to their careers? King said. I cant stop thinking about that and the pain that theyre going through. I also find that you can hold two ideas in your head at the same time, you can grapple with things. And to be very honest with you, Im still trying to process all of this.

And while all of the women above are still processing the difficult allegations that continue to come forward, King graciously summed up her feelings, with the most pressing concern being for her fellow women.

Im still trying to sort it out because this is not the man I know, King said, but Im also very clearly on the side of the women who have been very hurt and very damaged by this.

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Australia's Great Barrier Reef is in peril from climate change and widespread bleaching, but scientists said Tuesday a small portion may be resilient enough to keep much of the rest alive.

About three percent of the World Heritage site -- home to the planet's largest collection of coral reefs with 3,800 in all -- has so far emerged relatively unscathed from a host of threats, from warming waters to pollution to bleaching and disease, said the report in the journal PLOS Biology.

If properly protected, these cool-water reefs could supply larvae to nearly half (45 percent) of the entire ecosystem in a single year, it said.

"Finding these 100 reefs is a little like revealing the cardiovascular system of the Great Barrier Reef," said the study's lead author Peter Mumby, professor at the University of Queensland.

Unlike many other parts of the reef, these 100 are not being eaten up by crown-of-thorns starfish predators.

They are also located in areas that enable them to send coral larvae along ocean currents, reaching a large number of reefs.

"The presence of these well-connected reefs on the Great Barrier Reef means that the whole system of coral reefs possesses a level of resilience that may help it bounce back from disturbances," said lead author Karlo Hock of the University of Queensland.

"Unfortunately, these findings by no means suggest that the Great Barrier Reef corals are safe and in great condition, and that there are no reasons for concern," he added.

"Indeed, the fact that the study only identified around a hundred of these reefs across the entire 1,400 mile (2,300 kilometer) length of the massive Great Barrier Reef emphasizes the need for both effective local protection of critical locations and reduction of carbon emissions in order to support this majestic ecosystem."

The Great Barrier Reef has undergone unprecedented bleaching for the past two years, devastating more than two-thirds of the reef, experts say.

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Many efforts are under way to save the iconic reefs, including one project to transplant larvae into damaged areas of the reef where the natural supply of coral larvae has been reduced or erased.

Scientists announced Monday this approach has shown some success in growing new juvenile coral, eight months after it began.

Corals may look like plants or rocks but they are actually animals. They feed on algae, and "bleach" -- turning bone-white -- when they are stressed by environmental changes, such as ocean warming or pollution.

Coral reefs make up less than one percent of Earth's marine environment, but are home to an estimated 25 percent of ocean life, acting as nurseries for many species of fish.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Senator Susan Collins said on Thursday she was not committed to voting for the Senate tax bill, citing concerns over healthcare and the loss of a deduction for state and local taxes. Collins told reporters at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast it would be "very difficult for me to support the bill if I do not prevail on those two issues" but she was encouraged by her discussions with leadership. Collins said she has proposed an amendment to the tax bill that would retain the deduction for property taxes up to $10,000, as the House bill does. The Senate bill repeals the Affordable Care Act fine on people who do not purchase health insurance, which will lead to higher insurance premiums. Collins has asked lawmakers to include in a separate bill provisions that would help insurers cover expensive patients, and that would continue Obamacare subsidy payments for low income people for two years. The Republican from Maine also said one of her amendments to the tax bill is a refundable tax credit for adult dependent care that would be paid for by closing a loophole on carried interest. Collins said she believed the corporate tax rate does not need to be cut as low as 20 percent, as President Donald Trump has favored. She said 21 or 22 percent would be "fine with me." She said she expected a Senate floor vote during the tax bill debate on making individual tax cuts permanent, or to make corporate tax cuts expire at same time as individual cuts. (Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Nick Zieminski)
Khartoum (AFP) - The United Nations said Wednesday that some armed groups fighting in Sudan still deploy child soldiers, but acknowledged Khartoum's efforts to prevent child recruitment into its forces.

Olof Skoog, chairman of the UN Security Council's working group on children and armed conflict, said armed groups including rebel factions were not implementing international regulations on children in conflict.

"We have made very strong appeals to the armed groups that they fully subscribe to international law when it comes to respecting children," Skoog told reporters in Khartoum during a trip by the working group to Sudan.

He said getting information on children in Sudan's conflict zones of South Kordofan and Blue Nile was particularly difficult, but that his group had met former child fighters who painted a worrying picture.

"They have told me that they know of some other children who are still locked into these armed groups and with the rebel groups," he said.

"I can't give you any number but that makes me worried."

Children caught in conflicts faced grave violations such as killing, maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence, attacks on schools and hospitals, and abductions, Skoog said.

He said Khartoum had made efforts to prevent recruitment of children into its armed forces since it signed an "action plan" with the UN in March 2016 to prohibit such recruitment.

Some rebel groups also had signed the plan but have failed to implement it fully, Skoog said.

"In spite of action plans signed by some of these groups, there are or have been... child soldiers deployed, which is a clear violation of their commitments," he said.

Skoog urged Khartoum to ensure that children who have given up arms be quickly reintegrated into society.

Last year Sudan freed 21 child soldiers who were captured in Darfur in 2015 during fighting between government forces and the rebel Justice and Equality Movement group.

"In any conflict children are the worst off, unfortunately that has been the case... in Sudan," Skoog said.
WASHINGTON  Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) says she does not share worries about President Donald Trumps mental state.

Recent Trump comments and actions have led some to question whether he possesses the mental stability to serve as president.

The New York Times reported that Trump has been raising the prospect with allies that it may not have been him on the infamous Access Hollywood tape in which he bragged about groping women  even though he previously apologized for his comments in it. Also according to the Times, Trump has again questioned the authenticity of ex-President Barack Obamas birth certificate in closed-door conversations with senators, even though he grudgingly acknowledged its validity while campaigning for the White House last year.

Trumps tweets this week, in particular, have prompted the questions about his mental health. The president on Tuesday retweeted incendiary and misleading anti-Muslim videos posted by a far-right British group, earning a rare rebuke from UK Prime Minister Theresa May.

Something is unleashed with him lately, the Times Maggie Haberman said Wednesday on CNN, adding that Trump seemed a little unmoored.

But Collins, who last year said she wouldnt be voting for Trump and who has often counseled him to moderate his words, said she did not have the impression that something was amiss in recent conversations with him about the GOP tax bill.

My conversations with the president recently have given me no reason to be concerned in that regard, Collins said at a Thursday breakfast in Washington sponsored by The Christian Science Monitor.

But, she added, do I think that its helpful that he puts out racist, conspiracy theories, puts out a tweet of an anti-Muslim video that turns out to not even be accurate? No, I do not, and I do not hesitate to criticize the president when he does that.

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Sanaa (AFP) - Clashes erupted on Thursday for a second successive night between Huthi rebels and loyalists of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in the capital Sanaa, witnesses and security sources said.

Security sources close to Saleh said armed supporters of the Huthis had surrounded the residences of local officials in the rebel government who are linked to the former president.

Saleh loyalists were also seen taking up positions in the streets of the rebel-controlled city, witnesses and a security source there said.

Saleh and the Huthis forged an unlikely alliance in 2014, ending decades of animosity to join ranks in fighting against Yemen's internationally recognised government.

The infighting now threatens to unravel the fragile alliance, which has been battling the Saudi-backed government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in Yemen's devastating war.

Thursday's violence comes 24 hours after clashes at the Saleh mosque in Sanaa late Wednesday killed nine Huthi rebels and five Saleh supporters, according to multiple medical sources at hospitals in the capital.

One source at the Jumhuriya hospital on Thursday said the death toll had risen to as many as 18 rebels and six Saleh loyalists. The numbers could not be confirmed by other hospitals in the area.

The latest clashes erupted hours after tens of thousands of Yemenis packed Sanaa's Sabaeen Square to mark the Prophet Mohammed's birthday, heeding a call from rebel chief Abdul Malik al-Huthi.

But the rally was brief and people quickly returned home amid fears of new violence, as armed supporters of both sides deployed in the streets.

A source in Saleh's forces said Huthi fighters were positioned around the residences of two of the ex-president's nephews.

- Missile attack on Saudi Arabia -

Also on Thursday, the Huthis, who are backed by Iran, said they fired a ballistic missile at Saudi Arabia and hit a military target, in the second such attack this month, after threatening to retaliate over a crippling blockade

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"We confirm the success of our ballistic missile trial, which hit its military target inside Saudi Arabia," the Huthi-run Al-Masira television channel said.

A spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Should the blockade continue, we know what (targets) would cause great pain and how to reach them," the rebel leader said earlier in a televised speech.

Saleh and the Iran-backed Huthis, also known as Ansarullah, have accused each other of inciting Wednesday's unrest.

"The General People's Congress and its allies hold Ansarullah fully responsible for every drop of blood shed among the Yemenis... and warn against all acts that, rather than serve national unity, threaten our internal unity and cohesion," said the GPC.

The rebels' interior ministry blamed Saleh's forces for Wednesday's clashes.

It said its security forces had been banned from entering the Saleh mosque by armed guards "not affiliated with the ministry", referring to Saleh's forces.

"We were surprised when these armed forces inside the mosque opened fire on police without warning, which forced police to fire back," it said.

The rift between Saleh and the Huthis goes back months, with the former president slamming the Huthis as "militias" and the rebels threatening Saleh loyalists after armed violence left two dead in Sanaa in August.

The Huthis have also accused the former president of accepting funds from the Hadi government.

Yemen's conflict has claimed more than 8,600 lives since 2015, when Saudi Arabia and its military allies joined Hadi's government in the fight against the rebels.

The United Nations has warned Yemen faces mass famine unless the Saudi-led coalition allows more food aid to enter the impoverished country.

Saleh ruled Yemen from its unification in 1990 until he resigned under pressure in 2012, ceding power to his then vice-president Hadi.

He fought six wars against the Huthis when he was president, but joined forces with them to take over the capital in 2014.

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Protest erupted in February after the Trump administration announced it would no longer support protections for transgender students. (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

After attempting to establish the most basic protections for transgender students across Nevada, the states Department of Education delayed the policys passage following a public hearing at which many parents reportedly objected, invoking Christian beliefs and moral values.

Nevada is just the latest state to propose or approve protections specifically for trans youth  California, Oregon, Washington, New York, Washington, D.C., Minnesota, Massachusetts, Maine, and Delaware among them  that address a range of issues, from the right to choose ones gender pronoun to the restroom that feels most appropriate.

The proposal in Nevada, which did not address bathroom usage, was a response to a 2017 anti-bullying law, effective as of July, requiring districts to establish policies for schools that address the rights and needs of persons with diverse gender identities or expressions. Each of the states 17 districts must either establish its own set of more expansive rules or adapt the general ones set in place by the state department of education, which were the subject of Tuesdays meeting.

Student Kristina Hernandez, center, spoke out in favor of the proposal. (Photo: Elizabeth Brumley)

Those rules, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, would require districts to allow students to have their preferred name used during graduation and other ceremonies; would allow students to pick the cap and gown combination appropriate to their gender identity; and would generally require districts to take steps to prevent discrimination, harassment, bullying, and cyber-bullying of transgender students.

That basic list, department policy maker Amber Reid tells Yahoo Lifestyle, was borne of a requirement to identify needs that are best practice for gender-diverse students in the state.

But the department of education delayed passage of the rules after a nearly three-hour public hearing in Las Vegas that packed a boardroom and an overflow room with vocally critical parents.

Nevada Dept of Ed meeting where they could approve a policy protecting transgender students in all public schools is PACKED. Passion relating to this issue is evident pic.twitter.com/7Yeu6yqOZn  David Schuman (@david_schuman) November 28, 2017

They are now going to be bullied because of my Christian beliefs, mother Sara Ramirez told the Las Vegas Journal-Review, seemingly in reference to her children. She was one of nearly 50 parents who said they opposed the inclusive rules, many invoking religion as their reason. A student who took the microphone noted, A boy is a boy and a girl is a girl. It does not promote moral values, rather it corrupts them.

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A transgender student, Kristina Hernandez, spoke out as well. She said she had switched to homeschooling after being affected by anti-transgender violence at school and said she was in favor of the proposed policy. I would urge you to remember that without policies, kids like me will continue to suffer in silence, she said.

Reid believes that much of the fierce objection to the policy came out of confusion surrounding the substance of the proposal, due both to social media rumors that grew over the holiday weekend and the fact that Clark County School District, of Las Vegas, has simultaneously been crafting its own, more expansive policy. There was some truly misleading information circulation, she says.

Confusion aside, transgender youth advocate Jenn Burleton tells Yahoo Lifestyle, the public outrage and the resulting non-action by the department of education reflects the success of the most conservative Christian extremists to continue to classify this as not a civil rights issue but as an issue of morality.

Burleton, who is executive director of TransActive Gender Center, a national organization based in Portland, Ore., points out that the proposed protections are basic rights.

She goes on to explain her belief that people who are so vociferously anti-trans have a vested interest in converting what is ignorant hate into something they want people to perceive as a moral failure and by conveying that transgender rights pose an imminent threat to non-trans students and society at large.

State Superintendent Steve Canavero, who has sole discretion over whether or not to approve the regulations at this early stage (before they head to a legislative commission), told the crowd on Tuesday, We heard you. We appreciate your voice. I also appreciate the manner in which folks expressed their beliefs. I think this should be an example of how we continue to move forward in this discussion.

Reid adds that the department opted not to rush anything through because, she says, We value the input of parents. Thats why the decision was made to not approve the terminology.

Public schools across the country are continuing to devise local ways to protect the rights of transgender and gender-diverse youth, a proactive response to the Trump administrations early 2017 announcement that it would no longer support the Obama-era position that Title IX includes protections for transgender students. In Delaware, for example, the department of education recently requested community comments on its proposal that would expand a local regulation to include gender identity and expression in its list of protected characteristics within school anti-discrimination policies.

In state after state with good protections for transgender students, the worries [of those opposed to the protections] have proven to be unfounded. Schools can and do support transgender youth with no problems for their peers and classmates, and with much better outcomes for the trans students themselves, noted Eliza Byard, executive director of GLSEN, a national LGBTQ-youth support network, in a statement supporting Delawares move.

That state has also faced pushback on its proposal, from both parents and politicians who reportedly object to the idea of kids being able to self-identity their name and corresponding gender.

It opens Pandoras Box, Rep. Rich Collins, R-Millsboro, said in a statement to the Delaware State News. It has the potential to twist schools up in knots.

But, Burleton stresses regarding protections about chosen names, pronouns, and other rights, These are minimal, basic things  the right to be called by a name we choose, she says. If you take the word transgender out of there, this isnt too much to ask.

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Deputy DNC chair Keith Ellison, Lindsay Graham and Arizona senator Jeff Flake condemn Trumps tweeting of anti-Muslim videos posted by far-right group

Donald Trump is cynically trying to divide people along racial and religious lines, Keith Ellison said. Photograph: Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters

A top Democrat condemned Donald Trump as a racist hours after the president retweeted a series of anti-Muslim videos on Wednesday that were posted by the deputy leader of a British far-right group.

The president is racist. Theres no doubt about that in my mind, Keith Ellison, the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee and a Muslim member of Congress, told the Guardian.

This is Trump. He is a politician who is cynically trying to divide people along racial and religious lines, he added. Somehow people who call him out on his racism have to worry about defending themselves against [people saying], How dare you call the president a racist?

Trump has repeatedly denied being a racist in the past.

He prompted the latest controversy after he shared the incendiary videos  which drew a swift and rare rebuke from Britains prime minister, Theresa May, through an official spokesperson  to his 43.6 million Twitter followers despite serious questions about their authenticity. They marked the latest inflammatory action against Muslims from Trump, who as a candidate campaigned on banning all Muslims from entering the US and as president has sought to limit Muslim immigration through executive order.

Britain First is an Islamophobic group run by convicted racists. It was founded in 2011 by former members of the far-right British National Party (BNP) and loyalist extremists in Northern Ireland.

It organises mosque invasions where followers, often dressed in paramilitary uniforms, raid multicultural areas in the UK.

The group has an influential presence on Facebook and actively uses social media to publicise anti-Islamic material.



Its leader, Paul Golding, a former BNP councillor, and his deputy Jayda Fransen have been arrested several times.

Fransen was found guilty in November 2016 of religiously aggravated harassment after she hurled abuse at a Muslim woman wearing a hijab. A month later Golding was jailed for eight weeks for breaching a court order banning him from entering a mosque.

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Rightwing terrorist Thomas Mair shouted Britain first before killing the MP Jo Cox during the EU referendum campaign in 2016.

The videos purported to show Muslims committing violent acts, such as pushing a boy off a roof and destroying a statue of the Virgin Mary. Another claimed to show a Muslim immigrant beating a Dutch boy on crutches, even though the Dutch police and media never suggested the attacker was Muslim.

They were originally posted to the Twitter feed of Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First, who was charged last year with religiously aggravated harassment for verbally assaulting a Muslim woman wearing a hijab in January 2016.

Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina, said it was particularly unhelpful for Trump to have shared the videos. One, it legitimizes these websites, this group in England, Graham told the Guardian, while adding of Fransen: Shes being prosecuted for religious harassment.

You dont want to take a fringe group and elevate their content, he said. I think it also is not the message we need to be sending right now when we need Muslim allies.

Arizona senator Jeff Flake, one of Trumps most vocal Republican critics, dubbed the presidents tweets as highly inappropriate.

Despite the backlash, the White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, doubled down on Trumps tweets even as she appeared to acknowledge their authenticity could not be confirmed. Whether its a real video, the threat is real, she said. The threat needs to be addressed and the threat has to be talked about and thats what the president is doing in bringing that up.

Raj Shah, the White House deputy press secretary, later framed the matter as one of national security while addressing reporters aboard Air Force One. The president has been talking about these security issues for years, from the campaign trail to the White House, Shah said.

Asked if Trump felt Muslims posed a threat to the US, Shah held up the presidents proposed travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries as reflecting his views on the subject. No, look, the president has addressed these issues with the travel order [he] issued earlier this year, he said.

There are plenty of Muslim-majority nations whose citizens can come to the United States without travel restrictions. Those that pose public safety or terrorism threats  is why there were certain travel restrictions put in place.

A spokesperson for May said it was wrong for Trump to have retweeted the videos. Britain First seeks to divide communities by their use of hateful narratives that peddle lies and stoke tensions. They cause anxiety to law-abiding people, the spokesperson said.

British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right which is the antithesis of the values this country represents, decency, tolerance and respect.

Asked to respond to the statement from Downing Street, Shah simply said Trump has the greatest respect for the British people and for Prime Minister May. Shah declined to comment on how Fransens original tweets came to Trumps attention.

Reaction on Capitol Hill was nonetheless muted, with attention fixated on Republican efforts to pass an overhaul of the US tax code.

Jim Inhofe, a senator from Oklahoma, told PBS he hadnt seen the anti-Muslim tweets but was critical more broadly of Trumps social media habits. I would like to see someone kind of look at the language before they go out, he said.

David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan leader, celebrated Trumps tweets. Hes condemned for showing us what the fake news media WONT. Duke wrote on his own Twitter account. Thank God for Trump! Thats why we love him!

As a candidate, Trump routinely fanned the flames of Islamophobia by making a number of inflammatory statements about Muslims.

In March 2016, he told CNN: I think Islam hates us.

Since assuming office, Trump has shown no signs of shifting his tone  often seizing upon terrorist attacks as evidence that his travel ban is necessary.

Ellison, who in 2007 became the first Muslim member of Congress, said Trumps latest outburst was in line with what he always does.

Yesterday he was calling a US senator Pocahontas at an event designed to commemorate the contributions of Navajo war veterans, Ellison told the Guardian, referring to a racial taunt Trump directed at Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday.

Today, hes pushing out hate propaganda against Muslims  He made an equivalency between the Klan and the neo-Nazis and the people who were protesting them this summer.

Ellison said there was no question Trumps actions could incite violence across the country.

What was it but violence that resulted in the woman getting hit by the car this summer? Ellison said of the August rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, when a white supremacist drove his car into a group of counter-protesters, leaving one dead and several injured.

Ellison also cited the bombing of a mosque in his home state of Minnesota in August as the consequence of hate speech.

My point is simply this: Weve got to stand for solidarity among all people of all colors and all backgrounds, he said.

We believe an American is an American is an American  We believe we need all colors, all cultures and all faiths.

Hes the one who says we dont, Ellison added of Trump. Hes the one who says youve got to be the right religion, the right pigment  to be fully American. He does this time and time and time again.

The point is not whether or not hes racist any more  he clearly is. The question is what are Americans going to do about it.
A pedestrian walks in front of a television screen displaying a map of Japan and the Korean Peninsula in Tokyo on 29 November 2017, following a North Korean missile launch: Getty

President Donald Trump has dismissed Chinas efforts to try and rein in the North Korean regime of Kim Jong-un, saying that a recent visit seemed to have no impact on the nuclear ambitions of Pyongyang.

The barbs come on the heels of North Koreas latest missile launch, and a day after speaking with Chinas President Xi Jinping and reiterating the need for China to use its leverage of North Koreas largest trading partner to increase pressure on the regime.

The Chinese envoy, who just returned from North Korea, seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man, Mr Trump tweeted, referring to this nickname for Mr Kim. The insulting rhetoric, with Mr Trump having also called the North Korean leader a sick puppy, perhaps reflects the Presidents frustration that Pyongyang was able to test-fire its most advanced ballistic missile earlier this week.

State media proclaimed the launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as a breakthrough that put it on track to be able to hit the US mainland  as it also looks to perfect its nuclear warhead technology. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a briefing later in the day that the US is focused on one big thing in relation to North Korea and that is denuclearisation.

A number of rounds of sanctions from the UN has done little to stop Pyongyang pushing on with its nuclear and missile programmes, with the latest launch also pushing US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, to suggest that the regime of Mr Kim would be utterly destroyed if Washington was pushed into war.

Ms Haley told a meeting of the UN Security Council: We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it ... If war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed.

While Mr Trump has repeatedly suggested he could resort to military action if North Korea does not bend to international will, administration officials have said that diplomatic recourse is the preferred option. Mr Trump has repeatedly called on China to do more about North Korea and Beijing had dispatched the envoy mentioned in the tweet earlier this month  after Mr Trump travelled to China as part of a recent tour of Asia.

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The Chinese Envoy, who just returned from North Korea, seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man. Hard to believe his people, and the military, put up with living in such horrible conditions. Russia and China condemned the launch.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2017

Just spoke to President XI JINPING of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017

A sign of that push for diplomacy was given by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who welcomed Chinese efforts on North Korea on Thursday, but said Beijing could do more to limit its oil exports to the country.

The Chinese are doing a lot. We do think they could do more with the oil. Were really asking them to please restrain more of the oil, not cut it off completely, Mr Tillerson said at the State Department.

The launch was the first test the hermit kingdom has conducted in two months, the last coming on 15 September when an ICBM was sent over northern Japan.

South Koreas military says the latest missile was fired from an area north of Pyongyang early on Wednesday morning local time.

The Pentagon tracked the trajectory of the weapon and spokesman Colonel Rob Manning said the missile was launched from Sain Ni, North Korea, and travelled about 620 miles (1,000 km) before landing in the Sea of Japan.

It also reportedly went approximately 2,800 miles (4,000 km) up into the atmosphere, according to South Korean and Japanese authorities. US Defence Secretary James Mattis said the latest missile did fly higher than previous ones.

He warned that North Korea continues to strengthen its nuclear weapons programme with weapons that threaten everywhere in the world.

Mr Mattis added on Thursday that US diplomats are in a strong position as we do have military options and that those diplomats would be unrelenting in their work through the UN.

The US had recently put North Korea back on the list of nations that sponsor terrorism. Mr Tillerson said at the time that the move was very symbolic ... Practical effects may be limited but hopefully clos[es] off loopholes in existing sanctions for dual use product exports that can be used by civilians and the military.

North Korea was last on the state-sponsored terror list in 2008, under the George W Bush administration. It was removed that year in a bid to salvage a deal halting its nuclear development programme.

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Washingtons approach dangerously provocative and said that joint US-South Korean military exercises planned for December could provoke Mr Kim into flying off the handle.

He also flatly rejected a US call for all nations to cut ties with Pyongyang, which Ms Haley had made at the UN, calling US policy toward North Korea deeply flawed.

In a call with Mr Trump in the afternoon, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the missile launched this week was North Koreas most advanced so far, but it was unclear whether Pyongyang had the technology to miniaturise a nuclear warhead and it still needed to prove other things, such as its re-entry technology.

A White House statement said Mr Trump and Mr Moon reiterated their strong commitment to enhancing the deterrence and defense capabilities of both nations.

Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said after meeting Mr Tillerson that he had offered support for taking a tough line towards North Korea and that Germany was withdrawing a third diplomat from its embassy there.

Naturally we are discussing with our European colleagues whether its necessary to further increase the diplomatic pressure, Mr Gabriel said.
President Trump places a note in the stones of the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Judaisms holiest prayer site, on May 22. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Six months after he grudgingly postponed moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, President Trump seems on track to do so again  breaking a frequent campaign promise that, if kept, risks deeply angering the Muslim world.

Government officials cautioned Yahoo News on Thursday that Trump has not yet revealed his final decision. But, they said, his top foreign policy advisers see no choice but to use his waiver authority under a 1995 U.S. law that requires the United States to move its embassy to Jerusalem but gives presidents the power to delay it in six-month increments. The statutory deadline for Trump to make the decision is Monday.

But the tentative White House plan is to couple the waiver with steps that would signal support for the move in the future, according to those officials. They declined to describe the basket of options under consideration, but the Associated Press reported that Trump could recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital  a major shift in U.S. policy, and one that risks inflaming anti-U.S. sentiment among Islamic populations around the world. An informed source told Yahoo News that Trump was considering giving a speech, most likely on Wednesday, to announce that new position.

Vice President Mike Pence said in a speech on Tuesday that Trump is actively considering when and how to move the American Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Pence is due to visit Israel in mid-December and address its parliament, the Knesset.

An Israeli border police officer guards the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv as other Israelis line up for U.S. visas. (Photo: Eitan Hess-Ashkenazi/AP)

In practice, Pence was simply reiterating the principles of the 1995 law, which requires the move but gives presidents the leeway to hold off if they certify that doing so is necessary to protect the national security interests of the United States. Failure to invoke the waiver would trigger the laws enforcement mechanism  a 50 percent cut in State Department funding for acquisition and maintenance of facilities overseas until the administration certifies that the embassy in Jerusalem has opened. Officials say that would require the construction of a new embassy because simply relabeling the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem as an embassy is not feasible.

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The obstacles to the move are not logistical  they are geopolitical. Israel has claimed Jerusalem as its undivided capital since 1950 and supports moving the U.S. Embassy there. But the Palestinians aim to locate the capital of their potential future state in the eastern part of the city, occupied by Israel since the 1967 war. Moving the embassy would effectively ratify the Israeli claim, risking an angry response from Muslim allies. U.S. policy has been to regard the dispute as one of the final status issues to be determined in Middle East peace negotiations. Those diplomatic concerns led Trumps predecessors to break the same pledge that he made on the stump in 2016.

The Trump administration reportedly plans to unveil its blueprint for a new round of peace talks in late 2017 or early 2018. In a statement accompanying the June 1 waiver, the White House said Trump had made his decision to maximize the chances of successfully negotiating a deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

Defense Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson are known not to favor moving the embassy, seeing it as an unnecessary provocation that could inflame anti-American sentiment across the Arab world. Jordans King Abdullah II, a crucial U.S. ally, argued against the move during a visit to Washington this week.

Throughout the 2016 campaign, Trump vowed to move the embassy on his first day in office.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem in May. (Photo: Sebastian Scheiner/AP)

In a statement announcing his nomination, David Friedman, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, said he looked forward to working from the U.S. Embassy in Israels eternal capital, Jerusalem. And just days before his inauguration, Trump responded to a journalist asking him about his pledge by saying, You know Im not a person who breaks promises.

But the sensitivities of the issue are clear on official government websites. The CIAs World Factbook says this under the entry for Israels capital: Jerusalem: note  while Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, the international community does not recognize it as such; the US, like all other countries, maintains its embassy in Tel Aviv-Yafo. (At the State Department, the page that normally would include such details has carried a currently being updated note for most of 2017.)

The embassy issue led to some infamously awkward moments in the Obama White House, including a back-and-forth in which administration spokesman Jay Carney tried to duck the question. And the White House changed a transcript of Obamas eulogy for the late Israeli President Shimon Peres, striking Israel from a dateline that read Jerusalem.

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Addressing Native American veterans of the second world war, the president repeated a favorite racial taunt about Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren

Donald Trump made a racial joke about Native Americans on Monday during a White House ceremony honoring Navajo veterans of the second world war.

Addressing Native American veterans, Trump repeated a favorite taunt about Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren, a political opponent who he refers to derisively as Pocahontas.

You were here long before any of us were here, Trump said, speaking to the veterans from a podium placed in front of a portrait of US president Andrew Jackson. Although we have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas.

Trump has repeatedly mocked Warren over her claim of Cherokee ancestry by calling her Pocahontas, who was the daughter of a powerful Native American leader in 17th century colonial Virginia whose legacy was romanticized in the Disney film of the same name. During the campaign, Trumps use of the nickname drew loud whoops and cheers. But on Monday, the audience remained silent.

Warren, a progressive icon from Massachusetts who has a long record of sparring with Trump, later said it was deeply unfortunate that the president of the United States cannot even make it through a ceremony honoring these heroes without having to throw out a racial slur.

The White House disputed that characterization and blamed the senator for not being forthright about her ancestry.



I think what most people find offensive is Senator Warren lying about her heritage to advance her career, Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary said on Monday.

Challenged over Warrens description of it as a racial slur, Sanders replied: I think thats a ridiculous response.

She denied that the president had insulted elderly guests who served the nation during the war. The president certainly finds an extreme amount of value and respect for these individuals which is why he brought them and invited them to come to the White House, spent time with them, recognizing and honoring them today.

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As Sanders left the briefing room, a reporter shouted a question about why Trumps remarks took place under a portrait of Andrew Jackson, notorious for forced removals of Indians. She did not respond.

The line of attack of Warrens ancestry stretches back to her 2012 senatorial campaign, when it was revealed that she had listed herself as a minority while working at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Harvard Law School. Warren has said that she believed her family had Cherokee ancestors, though critics have argued that she sought to gain an unfair advantage by claiming Native American roots. Both universities have denied that race was a factor in her hiring.

Trump held the ceremony honoring the Navajo code talkers in the Oval Office, where he has hung a large portrait of Jackson, who in 1830 signed the Indian Removal Act that led to the forced removal, relocation and deaths of thousands of Native Americans from the American South.

The Navajo code talkers used their native language to create a secret means of communication that helped the Allied forces gain on Japan in the Pacific theater. At the ceremony, the three code talkers described their experience during the battle of Iwo Jima. Trump hailed the men as special people.
By Makini Brice and Andrew Osborn WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed a Chinese diplomatic effort to rein in North Korea's weapons program as a failure on Thursday, while Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Beijing was doing a lot, but could do more to limit oil supplies to Pyongyang. In a tweet, Trump delivered another insulting barb against North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who he called "Little Rocket Man" and a "sick puppy" after North Korea test-fired its most advanced missile to date on Wednesday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Washington's approach was dangerously provocative. Trump's tweets further inflamed tensions reignited this week after North Korea said it had successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile in a "breakthrough" that put the U.S. mainland within range of its nuclear weapons whose warheads could withstand re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere. "The Chinese envoy, who just returned from North Korea, seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man," Trump said on Twitter, a day after speaking with Chinese President Chinese President Xi Jinping and reiterating his call for Beijing to use its leverage against North Korea. Tillerson on Thursday welcomed Chinese efforts on North Korea, but said Beijing could do more to limit its oil exports to the country. "The Chinese are doing a lot. We do think they could do more with the oil. We're really asking them to please restrain more of the oil, not cut it off completely," Tillerson said at the State Department. China is North Korea's neighbor and its sole major trading partner. While Trump has been bellicose at times in rhetoric toward North Korea, Tillerson has persistently held out hopes for a return to dialogue if North Korea shows it is willing to give up its nuclear weapons program. However, Tillerson may not remain in his job long, with disagreements with Trump over North Korea being one factor. On Thursday, senior Trump administration officials said the White House was considering a plan to replace Tillerson with Mike Pompeo, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he still had confidence in diplomatic efforts on North Korea and that the United States would be "unrelenting" in working through the United Nations. In spite of Trump's rhetoric and warnings that all options, including military ones, are on the table in dealing with North Korea, his administration has stressed it favors a diplomatic solution to the crisis. Trump has pledged more sanctions in response to the latest test and, at an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting late Wednesday, the United States warned North Korea's leadership would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out. "This administration is focused on one big thing when it comes to North Korea, and that's denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told a regular White House briefing. "Anything beyond that is not the priority at this point," she said, responding to a question on whether regime change was on the administration's agenda after Trump's recent tweets and a speech by U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. LAVROV REJECTS U.S. CALL Lavrov pointed to joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises planned for December and accused the United States of trying to provoke Kim into "flying off the handle" over his missile program to hand Washington a pretext to destroy his country. He also flatly rejected a U.S. call for Russia to cut ties with Pyongyang over its nuclear and ballistic missile program, calling U.S. policy toward North Korea deeply flawed. In a call with Trump on Thursday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the missile launched this week was North Korea's most advanced so far, but it was unclear whether Pyongyang had the technology to miniaturize a nuclear warhead and it still needed to prove other things, such as its re-entry technology. A White House statement said Trump and Moon reiterated their strong commitment to enhancing the deterrence and defense capabilities of the U.S.-South Korea alliance and added: "Both leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to compelling North Korea to return to the path of denuclearization at any cost." North Korea has tested dozens of ballistic missiles under Kim's leadership and conducted its sixth and largest nuclear bomb test in September. It has said its weapons programs are a necessary defense against U.S. plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, denies any such intention. Previous U.S. administrations have failed to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and a sophisticated missile program. Trump, who has previously said the United States would "totally destroy" North Korea if necessary to protect itself and its allies from the nuclear threat, has also struggled to contain Pyongyang since taking office in January. (Additional reporting by Susan Heavey and Doina Chiacu, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Eric Walsh in Washington and Adrea Shalal in Berlin; Writing by David Brunnstrom and Susan Heavey; Editing by Frances Kerry, Jonathan Oatis and Alden Bentley)
President Donald Trump on Wednesday retweeted a series of overtly Islamophobic videos shared by a controversial British far-right activist, drawing swift condemnation.

The videos, posted by Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen, claim to show violent crimes committed by Muslims. Britain First is widely known in the U.K. for spreading Islamophobic and racist videos, including many proven to be fake.

Trumps endorsement of the videos was denounced by the British government, with Downing Street saying the president was wrong to retweet videos from a group that peddles lies and is overwhelmingly rejected by the British public.

Fransens first tweet shows a boy beating another boy on crutches. The caption says: Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches! Yet the videos original caption, released with the video in May on a Dutch website, mentioned neither race nor religion. And the 16-year-old pictured in the video was in fact not a migrant but born in the Netherlands, the Dutch embassy in the U.S. confirmed. He and another 16-year-old who shot the video were charged for provoking the fight.

.@realDonaldTrump Facts do matter. The perpetrator of the violent act in this video was born and raised in the Netherlands. He received and completed his sentence under Dutch law.  Netherlands Embassy  (@NLintheUSA) November 29, 2017

A second video appears to show a man destroying a Virgin Mary statue. An Iranian news site claims the man shown in the video belongs to the al Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra. The site says the video dates to 2013 and was taken in a church in a northwestern Syrian town.

The third video shows a group of men, including one who appears to wear the flag of the self-described Islamic State, throwing another man off a roof. France 24 shared the video in 2013, saying it appears to show a mob of angry men chasing down a teenager in Alexandria, Egypt.

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Fransen reacted with delight to Trumps retweets.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSEN'S TWITTER VIDEOS! DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA! OCS @JaydaBF @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/BiQfQkTra9  Jayda Fransen (@JaydaBF) November 29, 2017

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended Trumps retweets, saying topics raised by the videos are real threats we have to talk about.

Asked whether the videos themselves were real, Sanders said simply that the threats are real  no matter how you look at it.

His goal is to promote strong border security and strong national security, she said of the president.

Trumps tweets appear to continue a swerve away from reality in recent days, with him questioning the legitimacy of the Access Hollywood tape that caught him bragging about sexual assault and reviving his debunked birther lie that former President Barack Obama wasnt born in the U.S.

Advocacy groups lambasted Trumps Twitter activity.

These are actions one would expect to see on virulent anti-Muslim hate sites, not on the Twitter feed of the president of the United States, Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said in a statement. Trumps posts amount to incitement to violence against American Muslims. His actions should be condemned by all American political and religious leaders, regardless of their party or faith.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, warned that Trumps spreading of the videos would embolden bigots.

Brendan Cox, the husband of slain British parliamentarian Jo Cox, accused Trump of legitimizing the far right in the U.S., and now in the U.K.

Trump has legitimised the far right in his own country, now hes trying to do it in ours. Spreading hatred has consequences & the President should be ashamed of himself.  Brendan Cox (@MrBrendanCox) November 29, 2017

Britain First is damn-near a terrorist organization that resembles white supremacist groups in the U.S., Southern Poverty Law Center spokeswoman Heidi Beirich told HuffPost.

Britain Firsts list of inflammatory actions includes burying a pig on the site of a proposed mosque, and advocating banning Islam in the U.K. following the November 2015 Paris terror attacks. The group describes itself as a patriotic political party and street movement that opposes and fights the many injustices that are routinely inflicted on the British people.

We want our people to come first, before foreigners, asylum seekers or migrants and we are overtly proud of this stance, the group says in its mission statement. We want British jobs for British workers and will make sure that our workers come first.

The group seeks to restore Christianity as the bedrock and foundation of our national life and make Britain a beautiful country once again where you can leave your door unlocked and your children can play in the streets.

Fransen was arrested earlier this month for a summer speech in Belfast. She and Paul Golding, another Britain First member, were charged in September with causing religiously aggravated harassment for posting videos online during a gang rape trial.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Donald Trump blasted Theresa May in a late night Twitter rant (PA)

Donald Trump has lashed out at Theresa May, telling her she should concentrate less on what he tweets and deal with Islamic terrorism instead.

The President caused outrage on Wednesday by retweeting three anti-islamic posts by Britain Firsts deputy leader Jayda Fransen to his 43.6 million followers.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman later said that Britain First was dedicated to causing division among communities and that the President had been wrong to share the posts.

However, Trump took to Twitter in the middle of the night to personally tweet Mrs May in a virtually unprecedented rebuke by a head of state to the leader of a close ally.

.@Theresa_May, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2017

He wrote: Dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!

Trump originally sent the tweet to the wrong Theresa May, an account that has just six followers.

Downing Street said it would not be responding to the tweet from the President.

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However, other Tory frontbenchers have spoken up, including Communities Secretary Sajid Javid, who said Trump had endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me, adding: He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing.

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Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi shared a letter he has written to Trump to register his strong discontent at the retweets.

Education Secretary Justine Greening also said this morning that she disagrees with Trumps tweeted attack on the Prime Minister  but does not believe it should be allowed to detract from Britains relationship with America and the American people.

Trump caused uproar when he retweeted posts from Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen (Twitter)

She told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: In the end, our relationship with the United States has a longevity to it that will succeed long after presidents come and go.

I dont agree with the tweet President Trump has made, but I have to say I also believe it should not distract from the agenda we have domestically and I dont believe it should detract from the close relationship the UK has had for many, many years and will go on to have with America and the American people.

This is a President that behaves unlike any other in the nature of the tweets he puts out. I dont believe that should be able to undermine an overall important relationship with our country.

Brendan Cox, whose MP wife Jo was murdered by a man shouting Britain first, also criticised the President for his tweet, telling him on Twitter: You have a mass shooting every single day in your country, your murder rate is many times that of the UK, your healthcare system is a disgrace, you cant pass anything through a Congress that you control. I would focus on that.

So POTUS has endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me. He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing  Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) November 29, 2017

You have a mass shooting every single day in your country, your murder rate is many times that of the UK, your healthcare system is a disgrace, you cant pass anything through a congress that you control. I would focus on that. https://t.co/SNcqOZGvLQ  Brendan Cox (@MrBrendanCox) November 30, 2017

New @realDonaldTrump insult to @theresa_may. She must end humiliating dependence of #Brexit Britain on goodwill of evil racist. Cancel visit  Vince Cable (@vincecable) November 30, 2017

Responding to Mr Trumps comments about radical Islamism in the UK, Ms Greening said: The reality of what is happening in the UK is that this is a country united against terrorism and extremism, that has done a huge amount of work to combat that and is broadly a country at ease with itself in relation to being a very diverse place.

In its response to the Trumps original tweets on Wednesday, the Prime Ministers official spokesman said: Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions. They cause anxiety to law-abiding people.

British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far-right which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents, decency, tolerance and respect.

It is wrong for the President to have done this.

Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen welcomed Trumps tweets (Rex)

Fransen, 31, who was convicted last November of religiously aggravated harassment for hurling abuse at a Muslim woman in a hijab, welcomed Mr Trumps rebuke to the PM, tweeting: Well said Mr President! If Theresa May expressed as much outrage at the content of my videos as she has that Donald Trump retweeted them, wed be a lot safer.

The Britain First posts included unverified videos titled Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches! and Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!

The Dutch authorities said on Wednesday that the attacker in the first video was in fact born and raised in the Netherlands.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the President had been seeking to promote strong borders and strong national security.
Ankara (AFP) - Turkish police Thursday detained 50 people including soldiers and air force pilots in raids in 11 cities against those accused of links to the group blamed for last year's failed coup, state media reported.

Prosecutors in the northwestern city of Eskisehir issued arrest warrants for 66 people as part of a probe into followers of US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen in the Turkish air force, state-run news agency Anadolu reported.

Those targeted include an unknown number of air force pilots and serving soldiers, as well as civilians suspected of being so-called "secret imams" who are alleged to be in charge of Gulenists in the military.

The agency said raids are continuing to find the 16 other suspects.

The operation comes after police staged an operation on Wednesday to detained 360 people, including 333 soldiers, as part of a probe into the Gulen network in the armed forces.

Ankara claims Gulen ordered the July 15, 2016 attempted overthrow of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Gulen strongly denies the claims.

Since a state of emergency was imposed last July, more than 50,000 people have been arrested in a crackdown on the movement which has raised alarm in Western capitals.

Turkey's Western allies have said they are worried by the scale of the purge in which over 140,000 people have been suspended or sacked from the public sector including judges, members of the military and police officers.

However, Ankara insists the raids are necessary to go after a group it has dubbed the "Fethullah Terrorist Organisation" (FETO) and to rid Turkey of the "virus" formed by the movement's infiltration of key Turkish institutions.

Gulen, living in self-imposed exile in the US state of Pennsylvania since 1999, insists his group is peaceful and has no links to terror.
By Gabriel Stargardter and Gustavo Palencia TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduras grappled with a slow-motion political crisis on Wednesday, with its president, a crime-fighting U.S. ally, edging ahead of his rival, a TV star whose supporters protested as his early lead in the weekend election evaporated. Three days after polling stations closed in Honduras' presidential election, there was growing international concern and still a fifth of ballots left to count with no clear victor. With around 82.89 percent of ballots counted, center-right President Juan Orlando Hernandez had 42.2 percent of the vote and challenger Salvador Nasralla was on 42.1 percent, the election tribunal said, with the president 3,000 votes in the lead. Hernandez's blue-clad supporters celebrated, chanting the president's name at a base of his National Party in capital Tegucigalpa, TV images showed. The flamboyant Nasralla, 64, who heads a coalition made up of leftist and centrist parties, had initially taken a strong lead against the center-right Hernandez. But after issuing the first batch of results on Monday, the election tribunal went silent for about 36 hours, which it said was because results had been slow to arrive. It began issuing a fresh count sporadically from Tuesday afternoon. Immediately, Hernandez began closing the gap, prompting Nasralla to say his victory was being stolen, and urge his supporters to take to the streets in protest. "We've already won the election," Nasralla said in an angry television interview late on Tuesday. "I'm not going to tolerate this." However, both candidates committed to respect the final result once every disputed vote had been scrutinized, issuing identical signed statements brokered by the Organization of American States on Wednesday afternoon. International observers said the delays were damaging the credibility of authorities and threatened to undermine the legitimacy of the next president. On Wednesday, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman urged Honduran authorities to review the election results without undue delay. "It's critical that Honduran election authorities be able to work in a free and transparent manner without interference. We urge all candidates to respect the results," Heather Nauert said. Pre-election opinion polls indicated that Hernandez had been favorite to win the vote in the poor Central American nation, which struggles with violence, drug gangs and corruption and has one of the world's highest murder rates. Nasralla's supporters accused the electoral tribunal of only releasing results from regions that support Hernandez. About 8,000 people heeded Nasralla's call on Wednesday, and marched through the capital, Tegucigalpa. "I'm here so that justice and the will of the people is carried out, because we elected Salvador Nasralla, and Juan Orlando Hernandez wants to steal his victory," said 22-year-old David Ramirez, a red political flag draped over his shoulder. Behind closed doors, the parties of Hernandez and Nasralla were discussing immunity from prosecution for current officials and carving up positions in government, two diplomats told Reuters on Tuesday. As the vote count progressed at a glacial pace, Hernandez's National Party appears set to retain control of Congress. WASHINGTON CONCERN? With a booming, game-show host voice and finely coiffed hair, Nasralla is one of the country's best known faces, the host of programs that feature scantily clad women. In one interview, he boasted of his penis size and his sexual performance. He is backed by leftist former President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted in a coup in 2009 after he proposed a referendum on his re-election. The possible return of Zelaya risks fueling concern in Washington. The United States has longstanding military ties to Honduras but few ideological allies among the current crop of Central American presidents. Hernandez has won U.S. praise for helping tackle a flow of migrants to the north and extraditing drug cartel leaders to the United States. He was credited with lowering the murder rate and boosting the economy, but was also hurt by accusations of ties to illicit, drug-related financing that he denies. A foreign diplomat in Tegucigalpa, who asked not to be named, said the U.S. would be concerned by a victory for the coalition led by "maverick" Nasralla. But the diplomat added that a slim victory for Hernandez might be "the worst case scenario", as it would likely trigger protests and demands for a full vote count from an election tribunal with little credibility. (Additional reporting by Dave Graham and Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Rosalba O'Brien)
Bahtiyar Duysak, pictured here in London, studied at Birmingham University - Facebook

The mystery rogue Twitter worker who silenced Donald Trumps account earlier this month has been revealed as a German citizen who attended Birmingham University.

For 11 minutes on the evening on November 2, the US presidents account was suspended - sparking hysteria across the social network. Twitter restored the account and launched an investigation, claiming that an employee that no longer worked for the company was responsible, but failed to name who the culprit was.

The brief ban appears to have been the work of German born Bahtiyar Duysak, who has gone public in an interview with TechCrunch.

Mr Duysak, who graduated from Birmingham University in 2015 with a masters in banking, claims that he is responsible for briefly censoring Mr Trump during last moments working as a contractor in Twitter's Silicon Valley headquarters.

A customer support assistant in the Trust and Safety division, he was due to return to Germany the next day. This team receives alerts when users flag bad behaviour on the site, including harassment, fake accounts or inappropriate comments. The team is in charge of deciding which complaints should be upheld and when accounts should be shut down either temporarily or permanently.

The US president's Twitter page was briefly suspended on November 2, 2017 Credit: Twitter

In my opinion, it definitely was a mistake but as I said I had a wild time in America and I was tired, Mr Duysak said, in an appearance in which he shifted the blame onto a series of random events that conspired against him before logging off the computer in the Twitter offices for the last time.

Sometimes everyone makes mistake and it might be that I did [make] a mistake," he said. "But of course, not only one human being can make this sort of mistake."

The twenty-something said that shortly before 7pm and during his final minutes in his employment at Twitter, he received a complaint that Mr Trump's account was violating the company's policies. He upheld that complaint, and approved it for suspension.

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Mr Duysak has several photos on his Facebook page posing with luxury cars Credit: Facebook

"I didnt hack anyone. I didnt do anything that I was not authorised to do, he added.

Once restored that evening, the US president wrote: My Twitter account was taken down for 11 minutes by a rogue employee. I guess the word must finally be getting out-and [sic] having an impact.

Mr Duysaks actions sparked running jokes across the web, including calls for a confederate monument to be torn down and replaced with the mystery man, along with calls for Time to make him man of the year.

The wannabe entrepreneur spent two years working at Mercedes Benz in Germany before deciding to study in Britain, where he worked as a market analyst in Brighter Directions agency, Chesterfield. In 2016 he moved to California to take up a post-graduate degree at Stanford University, according to his LinkedIn profile. It was there that he took on temporary staffing jobs at both Google and Twitter.

After returning to Germany earlier this month, he claimed to hope for a quiet life, but decided to come forward after journalists sussed out who he was and began talking to his friends.

I had to delete hundreds of friends, he said. They kept adding them on Facebook.

Twitter diplomacy | Trumps foreign policy tweets

Following the debacle, Twitter said it would put safeguards in place to prevent similar incidents in the future. Chief executive Jack Dorsey admitted there had been weaknesses that the company was working to address.

Twitter has come under fire for allowing notable figures to wax lyrical about issues that would cause an ordinary citizen to be banned from the site. But it claims that in some cases, a clause that states a tweet which could be seen as inciting hate or violence over-rules Twitters policies if it is deemed newsworthy.

Donald Trump hit back at Theresa May last night after she criticised the US president for re-tweeting three anti-Muslim videos posted by a British far-Right group.
By Phil Stewart

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon will indefinitely delay a ban on the use of older types of cluster bombs due to take effect on Jan. 1, 2019, officials said, arguing that safety improvements in munitions technology failed to advance enough to replace older stockpiles.

Cluster bombs, dropped by air or fired by artillery, scatter bomblets across a wide area, but sometimes fail to explode and are difficult to locate and remove. That can lead to civilian deaths and injuries long after conflicts end.

The U.S. military had hoped to transition to cluster munitions that explode at least 99 percent of time, greatly reducing the risks.

But with just over one year to go before the ban's slated implementation, a Pentagon spokesman told Reuters that safety technology had not progressed enough to replace existing stockpiles with safer weaponry.

Reuters has seen a copy of the memo changing U.S. policy and confirmed the changes with Pentagon officials.

"Although the Department seeks to field a new generation of more highly reliable munitions, we cannot risk mission failure or accept the potential of increased military and civilian casualties by forfeiting the best available capabilities," the Pentagon memo says.

The memo, which was expected to be signed by Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan on Thursday, called cluster munitions "legitimate weapons with clear military utility."

Disclosure of the new policy met sharp criticism from Congress and human rights groups.

Senator Patrick Leahy, a Democrat who has helped lead efforts to restrict use of cluster bombs, said the Pentagon was, in effect, "perpetuating use of an indiscriminate weapon that has been shown to have high failure rates."

Senator Dianne Feinstein called the move "unbelievable."

Human Rights Watch disputed the idea that the U.S. military needed the weapons, saying that with the exception of a single strike in Yemen in 2009 it had not used the weapons since 2003 in Iraq.

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"We condemn this decision to reverse the long-held US commitment not to use cluster munitions that fail more than 1 percent of the time, resulting in deadly unexploded submunitions," said Mary Wareham, arms division director at Human Rights Watch.

RESTRICTIONS ON U.S. USE, ACQUISITION

Pentagon spokesman Tom Crosson acknowledged it has been years since the U.S. military has used any significant amount of cluster munitions and the new Pentagon policy puts emphasis on eventually shifting to safer cluster munitions.

Still, it was unclear at what point in the future the Pentagon might be required to stop using its existing stockpiles, since there would also need to be not just higher-tech weaponry, but sufficient quantities of new cluster munitions for U.S. stocks.

The new policy does not allow the Pentagon to buy any additional cluster bombs that do not satisfy new standards that were outlined in the memo.

The new rules broaden the definition of which types of munitions meet safety requirements beyond the 99 percent detonation rate.

Under the new policy, the Pentagon says bombs that have advanced self destruct or deactivation technology would also be acceptable for future acquisition.

Such weaponry must meet a series of criteria, including having a way to render submunitions inoperable within 15 minutes of being armed.

The Pentagon policy also prohibited purchasing weaponry that is banned under the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

The convention strictly prohibits the use of cluster munitions. But it exempts certain types of munitions that the Pentagon says it would nonetheless classify as cluster munitions.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Tom Brown)
Models Alessandra Ambrosio, Lily Aldridge, Elsa Hosk, Josephine Skriver, Stella Maxwell, Martha Hunt, Liu Wen, and Ming Xi walk the runway during the 2017 Victorias Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Victorias Secret)

Some have called the Victorias Secret Fashion Show the Super Bowl of fashion, considering the expense of producing the show and the global audience it reaches when it broadcasts.

The comparison, apt in more ways than one (commercial appeal, normative standards of masculinity and femininity, just for starters), also highlights just how expensive it is to purchase television advertising space during the broadcasts.

According to Kantar Media, a marketing consulting firm, it cost $1.8 million to purchase a 30-second commercial during the December 2016 Victorias Secret Fashion Show. Thats just over a third of the cost to run a Super Bowl commercial of the same length ($5 million in 2017), but still more expensive than it is to advertise during the Academy Awards, the Grammy Awards, or the Golden Globes.

The figures are astounding, but its lucrative advertising space, considering the reach of the lingerie shows audience. Viewership estimates range between 500 million and 800 million worldwide in more than 190 countries, which outstrips the Super Bowl many times over.

A look at the stage during the 2017 Victorias Secret Fashion Show in Shanghais Mercedes-Benz Arena. (Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Victorias Secret)

This years show on CBS  which in years past has spent $1.3 million to retain the exclusive rights to the broadcast  was interspersed with advertisements for deodorant and cars, but the buzziest commercials come from Victorias Secret itself. The brand bookended show segments with its often-buzzed-about holiday commercials, at once loathed and lauded by viewers.

For Victorias Secret and its parent company, L Brands, the expense is justified by the bottom line. After this years runway show, which included a special collection of lingerie and accessories from the luxury French design house Balmain, items from that line sold out online within two hours.

Despite its popularity (waning, say some), Victorias Secret largely fails to serve the majority of American women  that is, those who are plus-size. Thats inspired commercial retailers like Lane Bryant to produce their own counter-programming marketing campaigns that are clear shots at VS.

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Got my wings! .. my #AdditionElle wings! #thickthighssavelives A post shared by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@theashleygraham) on Nov 19, 2017 at 6:47pm PST

Lane Bryants Im No Angel campaign, launched years ago but broadcast again during the 2017 Emmy Awards, drew praise from those who view Victorias Secret beauty standards to be outdated. Aerie, American Eagles lingerie and loungewear brand, has also seen massive marketing campaign success in its efforts to be realer than glamazonian women on a remote catwalk with their bombshell hair and bombshell bras.

Still, neither of those brands purchased advertisement space during the Victorias Secret Fashion Show this year. Lane Bryant confirmed to Yahoo Lifestyle ahead of the show that it would not broadcast a commercial, but did not respond to questions about the reason.

Of course, theres social media for cheaper (see also: free) ad buys. Ahead of the Victorias Secret show, lingerie designer and model Ashley Graham Photoshopped herself with angel wings on a runway, a hallmark of the VS Fashion Show, and posted the photo to her Instagram page.

Got my wings! My #AdditionElle wings. Thick thighs save lives, Graham captioned the photo, liked by 763,000 viewers.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

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(THE HAGUE, Netherlands)  Croatian state TV reported Wednesday that a convicted Croat war criminal has died after swallowing what he said was poison seconds after a United Nations judge confirmed his 20-year sentence for involvement in crimes during the Bosnian war of the 1990s.

In a stunning end to the final case at the U.N.s International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Slobodan Praljak yelled, I am not a war criminal! and appeared to drink from a small bottle.

Tribunal spokesman Nenad Golcevski, when asked by AP if he could confirm the death, said: I have no information to share at this point.

The courtroom where the dramatic scene unfolded was sealed off and Presiding Judge Carmel Agius said that it was now a crime scene so that Dutch police could investigate. Police in The Hague declined comment on the case.

Croatian state TV reported that President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic decided to cut short an official visit to Iceland and the government was holding an emergency session.

Praljak, 72, had been in the tribunals custody ahead of the hearing and it was not clear how he could have got access to poison or how he apparently managed to smuggle it into the tightly guarded courtroom.

Agius had overturned some of Praljaks convictions but upheld others and left his sentence unchanged. Praljak, standing to listen to the judgment, then produced what appeared to be a small bottle, threw back his head and seemed to pour something into his mouth.

Agius shut down the hearing and cleared the courtroom.

The hearing later resumed and, ultimately, all six Croats charged in the case had their sentences, ranging from 25 to 10 years, confirmed. Judges overturned some of their 2013 convictions, but left many unchanged.

The other suspects showed no emotion as Agius reconfirmed their sentences for their involvement in a campaign to drive Muslims out of a would-be Bosnian Croat ministate in Bosnia in the early 1990s.

Dutch police, an ambulance and a fire truck quickly arrived outside the courts headquarters and emergency service workers, some of them wearing helmets and with oxygen tanks on their backs, went into the court shortly after the incident. An ambulance later left the building, but it could not be confirmed if Praljak was inside.

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Wednesdays hearing was the final case at the groundbreaking tribunal before it closes its doors next month. The tribunal, which last week convicted former Bosnian Serb military chief Gen. Ratko Mladic of genocide and other crimes, was set up in 1993, while fighting still raged in the former Yugoslavia. It indicted 161 suspects and convicted 90 of them.

The appeals judges upheld a key finding that late Croat President Franjo Tudjman was a member of a plan to create a Croat mini-state in Bosnia, but that finding, which angered Croat leaders, was largely overshadowed by Praljak.

The original trial began in April 2006 and provided a reminder of the complex web of ethnic tensions that fueled fighting in Bosnia and continues to create frictions in the country even today.
The White House has defended the unverified, Islamophobic videos that Donald Trump shared as driving home an important point  regardless of if they are real or not.

"Whether it's a real video, the threat is real," Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters. "His goal is to promote strong border security and strong national security."

Mr Trump retweeted several videos from far-right extremist group Britain First on Wednesday morning. The videos purported to show violence by Muslims, such as "Muslim migrants beating up a Dutch boy on crutches". Another claimed to show an "Islamist mob" pushing a teenager off a roof and beating him to death.

The videos have not been independently verified. In a least one incident, local media and police never identified the alleged attacker as Muslim.

Ms Sanders, however, maintained that the videos did not need to be verified, claiming the media was focusing on "the wrong thing".

"I'm not talking about the nature of the video," she said. "...The threat is real, what the President is talking about  the need for national security and military spending  those are very real things, theres nothing fake about that."

At least one of the videos has been discredited by the site where it was originally published. The footage of a boy on crutches being attacked was posted to Dutch website Dumpert.nl in May of this year. The original video post contained no mention of the alleged attacker's religion, though some commenters speculated over it. After Mr Trump retweeted the video, Dumpert.nl posted a short article calling it "fake news".

"Dader was not a Muslim and not an immigrant, but nice try Trumpie," they wrote.

Another of the videos, which purports to show an "Islamist" mob beating a boy to death, was taken in Egypt in 2013. The victim was a young cleric who was critical of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. He was murdered during clashes between Morsis supporters and opponents.

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Mr Trump retweeted the videos from Jayda Fransen, Britain First's deputy leader. Ms Fransen was found guilty last year of verbally harassing a woman dressed in a hijab. She was recently arrested after a speech in Belfast and charged with "threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour".

Britain First leader Paul Golding called the charges "ridiculous" and claimed Ms Fransen was arrested for no bloody reason.

Theresa May criticised both Britain First and Mr Trump through a spokesperson.

"Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions," the spokesperson said. ...British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents - decency , tolerance and respect.

Of Mr Trump's retweets, Downing Street said: It is wrong for the President to have done this.

Mr Trump's previously scheduled state visit will continue as planned.
Donald Trump announcing the US will designate North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism during a cabinet meeting at the White House

President Donald Trump has failed to unequivocally back Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, after reports saying the White House is looking to remove the official from his post.

Asked by reporters if he still wanted Mr Tillerson in the job, the President merely said: Hes here. Rex is here.

Multiple reports suggest that Mr Trump had probably asked Chief of Staff, John Kelly, with handling a transition that would see Mr Tillerson replaced with CIA Director Mike Pompeo within weeks.

Mr Tillerson made what the State Department called two ordinary trips to the White House on Thursday.

However, while a number of Trump administration officials lined up on Thursday afternoon to play down the idea, both White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabbe Sanders and State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that Mr Tillerson served at the whim of the President.

Having issued a statement that said Mr Tillerson continues to lead the State Department and there are no personnel announcements at this time, Ms Sanders used a press briefing to make clear that Mr Trumps backing was key to that continuing.

When the President loses confidence in someone, they will no longer serve here, she said.

Ms Nauert said that Mr Kelly had called the department to say that reports about Mr Tillerson being replaced were not true. But Ms Nauert did add the proviso that Mr Tillerson serves at the pleasure of the President.

She also acknowledged that Mr Tillerson and Mr Trump had areas of disagreement when it comes to policy, but that the President respected Mr Tillerson and valued his opinions. Ms Nauert insisted they had a cordial relationship, but added: Where that relationship is today, I cant speak to that.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was stronger in saying there was nothing in the reports.

I make nothing of it, he said when asked about the potential for change. Theres nothing to it.

The more cautious rhetoric coming from the White House and the State Department may stem from the fact that Mr Trump has, on several occasions, announced personnel changes with no forewarning.

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As part of any planned change, it is believed that Mr Pompeos position at the CIA would be filled by Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who has become a White House ally on national security matters.

An expulsion of Mr Tillerson would be another dramatic shakeup to the Trump administration that has already seen multiple changes to its communications staff and the dismissal or resignation of several top officials.

In his first 10 months as President, Mr Trump has already pushed out his National Security Adviser, communications director and health secretary following controversies. He also dramatically fired the FBI Director, James Comey, in May.

Reports have been swirling for months that Mr Tillerson would be the next to go.

Earlier this year, it was said that Vice President Mike Pence had to persuade the top diplomat to stay with the administration after Mr Tillerson was reportedly unhappy with comments Mr Trump made in a speech to the Boy Scouts of America. But last month, the State Department organised an impromptu press briefing in which the Secretary of State denied reports that he wanted to resign.

Mr Tillerson said he would stay in the Trump administration as long as he is useful. Meanwhile, critics have condemned the way he has led the State Department, where several top posts continue to remain vacant.

Mr Trump and Mr Tillerson are also reported to have been at odds over a slew of major issues, including the Iran nuclear deal and the confrontation between the US and North Korea over the latters expanding nuclear weapons programme. The President has said Mr Tillerson is wasting his time by trying to solve the crisis with Pyongyang through diplomacy.

There are also differences over how to deal with a regional crisis in Qatar, while Mr Tillersons slow speed in filling diplomatic openings at the State Department is also potentially a factor.

The top diplomat is said to have called Mr Trump a moron  a report that Mr Tillerson sought to play down. A department spokesperson later said that the the Secretary does not use that type of language.

Republican Senator Bob Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he spoke to Mr Tillerson on Thursday and that the Secretary of State is not planning on being ousted.

Hes conducting business, as is the norm, and is unaware of anything changing, Mr Corker told reporters.

Mr Corker has his own sour relationship with Mr Trump. In October, the Tennessee senator who is not seeking re-election in 2018, admonished Mr Trump for trying to castrate his Secretary of State on diplomatic efforts.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson could soon be replaced by CIA Director Mike Pompeo, The New York Times and The Associated Press reported Thursday.

Vanity Fair also cited current and former State Department staffers in a report about Tillersons potential replacement, saying Pompeo is a more likely successor than UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Quoting senior administration officials, the Times said Pompeos role at the CIA would be given to Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) as part of a plan to oust Tillerson. Cottons office said Thursday his current focus is on serving Arkansans in the Senate, according to BuzzFeed.

While meeting with the Crown Prince of Bahrain Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa on Thursday, Trump told reporters Tillerson was at the White House but ignored questions about Tillersons future with the State Department.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday that Tillerson continues to lead the State Department.

On Friday, Trump tweeted that Tillerson is not leaving.

The media has been speculating that I fired Rex Tillerson or that he would be leaving soon - FAKE NEWS! Hes not leaving and while we disagree on certain subjects, (I call the final shots) we work well together and America is highly respected again!https://t.co/FrqiPLFJ1E  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 1, 2017

Pompeo has been Tillersons expected successor for months. A Politico report from Nov. 15 said Pompeo has told people he expects Trump to choose him as the next secretary of state, and he would accept the job, if offered.

In October, Sebastian Gorka, former adviser to President Donald Trump, told Breitbart Pompeo is fully on board, very loyal to the president.

Having somebody like Pompeo come into the State Department would be great news, Gorka said.

Tillerson has had a rocky tenure at the State Department, marked by many public contradictions with Trump on issues like North Korea and the Iran nuclear deal. In March, Tillerson admitted he didnt want this job.

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My wife told me Im supposed to do this, he said.

He famously held a press conference in October to reaffirm his commitment to Trump after NBC reported Tillerson called the president a moron. Tillerson remarked that Trump is smart but did not directly deny the NBC report, saying, Im not going to deal with petty stuff like that.

Trump called reports of Tillersons criticism fake news and argued he could beat the secretary of state in an IQ test.

This story has been updated.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
North Korea fired yet another intercontinental ballistic missile this week, prompting U.S. President Donald Trumps now-familiar call for China to crack down on its defiant trading partner with tougher sanctions.

In a phone call Wednesday, Trump told Chinese President Xi Jinping that his country must use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization, according to a statement from the White House.

Trump subsequently announced that additional major sanctions against North Korea are forthcoming and claimed the situation will be handled! But the tired strategy of sanctioning Pyongyang  a regime hellbent on advancing its nuclear abilities at all costs  has not yet proved to be an effective one.

Chinese President Xi Jinping at a business leaders event in Beijing attended by U.S. President Donald Trump on Nov. 9. (Photo: NICOLAS ASFOURI via Getty Images)

More Pressure On China

With Trump at the helm, Washingtons relationship with Beijing has remained turbulent and unpredictable. He has repeatedly complained about Chinas apparent unwillingness to help rein in the North and even accused the country of raping America by hurting the U.S. economy. (He later backpedaled on this claim and said he wouldve done the same.)

His comments about Chinas efforts concerning the denuclearization of North Korea have been similarly inconsistent.

North Korea is behaving very badly. They have been playing the United States for years. China has done little to help! he tweeted in March.

Months later, after hosting Xi at the White House, he changed his tune on the issue, tweeting: China is trying hard!

But in July, Trump reiterated that he was very disappointed in the country, which does NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk, he tweeted.

Upon returning from China, part of his 12-day trip through Asia this month, Trump claimed Xi had promised to use his great economic influence to deal with North Korea. What that means, exactly, is yet to be seen.

I dont think anyone expects that sanctions will change North Koreas behavior, Robert Ross, a Boston College professor and expert on Chinese policy, told HuffPost. To expect China to be able to solve the problem by having tougher sanctions is unrealistic.

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Presidents Xi and Trump in Beijing on Nov. 9. (Photo: Damir Sagolj/Reuters)

China Has Its Own Priorities

Over the past several months, as North Korea has ramped up its ballistic missile campaign, China has responded by increasing sanctions and restricting its oil and energy supplies to the hermit kingdom.

But, according to Ross, Beijings punitive actions against Pyongyang are largely driven by self-interest, not foreign coercion or malicious tweets from Trump.

We shouldnt think that Chinas greater efforts in the past few months have to do with American pressure. American pressures been there  but China has its own interest in increasing sanctions against North Korea, he said.

Pyongyang has continued to dismiss Chinese interests, and its repeated threat to conduct an aboveground nuclear test risks putting Chinese citizens in danger.

And while the White House insists that all options are on the table, hinting at a military intervention or push to topple the North Korean government, Ross says China and South Korea are likely opposed to a regime change  a shift that could potentially lead to war or a massive refugee crisis.

Even under pressure from the U.S., Beijing would not apply sanctions that would lead to the collapse of the North Korean government, said Ross. Theyre willing to put in more sanctions than theyve done in the past, and theyve done so, but there are limits to what they will do. I think the Trump administration understands those limits.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches a missile launch on Sept. 16. (Photo: KCNA KCNA/Reuters)

Mounting Sanctions, Limited Results

The United Nations Security Council passed its toughest sanctions on North Korea after the regime conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September, claiming to have detonated a hydrogen bomb. Trump expanded those sanctions on Sept. 21, targeting financial institutions that conduct business with Pyongyang.

Last week, the U.S. issued fresh sanctions on several Chinese trading companies that have reportedly conducted millions of dollars in business with North Korea. Trump also designated North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.

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But restricting trade with Pyongyang has so far yielded limited results. Mounting sanctions seem to bear largely symbolic weight and, rather than coercing the regime to halt its nuclear ambitions, threaten to punish citizens of the impoverished, isolated country.

As Chun Yung Woo, a former South Korean envoy, told Reuters after China suspended its fuel exports in accordance with U.N.-backed sanctions: North Koreans are so used to living in harsh economic conditions that if faced with harsher restrictions, they would adapt by adopting strategies like replacing cars, tractors [and] equipment with cow wagons, human labor, etc.

The North Korean regimes response to recent sanctions from the international community has been hostile rhetoric and aggressive action rather than submission. The ICBM that Pyongyang tested on Tuesday is believed to be the regimes most advanced, capable of reaching Washington, D.C.

At some point, we will have to sit down to negotiate and talk, said Ross. Going through China will not solve the problem. Sanctions will not solve the problem.

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A woman whose effort to trick the Washington Post into believing she had been sexually abused by Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore schemed for months in an elaborate effort to discredit the newspaper and other mainstream media outlets, according to a Post report published Wednesday.

The new report details how Jaime Phillips attempted to befriend journalists from the Post, The New York Times, Bloomberg and McClatchy News, among other news outlets, by attending media parties and networking events. The infiltration effort dates back to at least July, the Post reported.

Failed effort by conservative activists to plant a false story in The Washington Post was part of a months-long campaign to infiltrate The Post and other media outlets in Washington and New York https://t.co/NS4MqT2QMD  Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 30, 2017

Phillips, 41, is believed to be coordinating with Project Veritas, an organization known for using illegal tactics to target the media and left-leaning groups. She was outed on Monday for trying to push a fake story about Moore, the Alabama Republican Senate candidate accused of sexual misconduct.

Phillips told the Post that shed had an abortion after conceiving a child with Moore when she was 15. Inconsistencies in her tale, however, prompted skepticism among reporters, who had unearthed a GoFundMe page under her name announcing a new job working in the conservative media movement to combat the lies and deceipt [sic] of the liberal MSM, or mainstream media.

On Monday morning, Phillips was spotted walking into the New York offices of Project Veritas.

The controversial organization and its founder, James OKeefe, have been caught out in the past for other sting efforts, such as an attempt to incite a left-wing riot at Trumps inauguration. The groups efforts to discredit CNN have also fallen flat.

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In 2010, OKeefe was arrested and later charged with a misdemeanor for using a fake identity to enter a federal building. He had been trying to break into the office of then-Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) office when he was caught by federal authorities.

Several journalists in Washington and New York told the Post that Phillips attended at least seven social gatherings in recent months, including a going-away party for two Post staffers. Phillips secretly recorded some of her interactions at these events  several of which have since been shared online by Project Veritas.

Journalists reacted to the Posts latest report by calling the tactics disgusting and vile. The news has also raised concerns within other media outlets about how covert operatives from organizations like Project Veritas could be infiltrating their own networks.

McClatchy data reporter Ben Wieder, who met Phillips at a media happy hour meetup in Washington in September, told the Post he attended such events often and was [worried] that this sort of thing will create a little bit of a chilling effect, that people might be worried and more cautious if they are at a happy hour.

On Wednesday night, Wieder retweeted this warning from Post reporter Beth Reinhard, who co-authored the expose on Phillips:

Fellow ink-stained wretches beware: that young journalist or student chatting you up at the bar could be a undercover anti-media guerilla. https://t.co/GZxje2K5oe  Beth Reinhard (@bethreinhard) November 30, 2017

Emily Goodell, a staff writer for the Student Press Law Center, was at the same happy hour meetup as Wieder and Phillips.

In a blog post published Wednesday, she described meeting Phillips whod introduced herself under the false name Jaime Taylor and had quizzed Goodell, then an intern at the SPLC, about being a reporter, about politics, about what I thought about the news.

I didnt think about our interaction again until I read The Post article Tuesday morning, Goodell wrote. Ive been racking my brain since. Nothing came out of my interaction with her, but now my mind is inundated with all the things that could have happened.

Goodell went on to warn all reporters, not just those who are in the early years of their career like me ... [to] learn from my experience.

I got lucky this time, but it was a wakeup call for me. Sometimes I forget the lengths to which people will go to discredit news organizations, she wrote.

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Ann Coulter is thought to have brought Islamophobic tweets by Britain First's deputy leader to Donald Trump's attention: Paul J Richards/Getty Images

The Conservative commentator who shared Islamophobic tweets by the deputy leader of Britain First with Donald Trump has claimed it is "irrelevant" the inflammatory posts he subsequently circulated to millions of people were misleading.

Ann Coulter, one of only 45 people who the US President follows on Twitter, retweeted a video posted by Jayda Fransen purporting to show "Muslim migrants beating up a Dutch boy on crutches" shortly before Mr Trump shared the clip.

The American leader then thought to have browsed Ms Fransen's feed before he retweeted two other videos posted by the far-right leader, sparking condemnation for spreading Britain First's extremist ideology to a global audience.

Dutch authorities later confirmed the supposed "Muslim migrant" shown attacking a victim on crutches had in fact been born and raised in the Netherlands, while the other two videos the President retweeted were also shorn of important context.

But Ms Coulter said it was "supremely irrelevant" if the clips did not show what they were claimed to.

"It's a difference without a distinction," she told BBC Radio 4's Today. "This business about, 'Oh they were born here.' Yeah, from migrant parents who came in the 80s. Anybody can look at the video and see this is a Middle Easterner.

"I think it could not be more supremely irrelevant [whether the attacker was born in the Netherlands.] The issue is all of these Middle Easterners and Muslims being brought in. To pretend like there's no difference between a tenth generation Dutch person and a migrant or the child of a migrant is preposterous."

Ms Coulter has previously suggested Mr Trump's Muslim travel ban did not go far enough, calling on him to restrict "every other kind of immigrant" from entering the US.

Asked if she knew she was sharing posts by a far-right extremist group, Ms Coulter told Today presenter Nick Robinson: "No... I don't think it really matters. It's a video. A video is a video."

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Ms Fransen and Britain First supporters have celebrated the worldwide publicity that followed from Mr Trump's retweets, which came days after she was arrested over a speech at a rally in Belfast.

She was charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour at the Northern Ireland Against Terrorism Rally in the latest in a series of alleged incidents of hate speech, religious harassment and incitement by Britain First members.

Ms Fransen is also facing trial over four charges of religiously aggravated harassment as part of a Kent Police investigation into the distribution of leaflets and the posting of online videos earlier this year.

Mr Trump's retweets prompted condemnation from British MPs and risked creating tensions between the President and Theresa May.

The Prime Minister said the billionaire Republican was wrong to have retweeted the Islamophobic videos, with her spokesman adding: British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents  decency, tolerance and respect.

In response, Mr Trump tweeted: "Theresa @theresamay, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!

Ms May has faced pressure to cancel his state visit over the incident.
After radio host Leeann Tweeden first came forward on Nov. 16 to accuse Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) of groping her in 2006, seven other women have made similar allegations against the Democratic lawmaker. In response to Tweedens allegations at the time, Franken said he would fully cooperate with a Senate ethics investigation. As more allegations were made public, a spokesperson for Franken said that he has never intentionally engaged in this kind of conduct.

Many of his Senate colleagues condemned his behavior, and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio said on Monday that Franken should consider resigning. Franken said that he knows that he let a lot of people down, but wants to get back to work.

Ive been trying to take responsibility by apologizing. And by apologizing to the people Ive let down. And Im going to work to regain their trust. I am going to be accountable, he said. I know I let a lot of people down.  Everyone counted on me to be a champion for women.

The Franken allegations come amid a wave of sexual misconduct allegations against prominent men in public life, as first prompted by the Harvey Weinstein scandal. In the political sphere, former President George H. W. Bush, Democratic Rep. John Conyers, and Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore have also been accused of sexual misconduct. Bush has apologized, while Conyers and Moore have denied the allegations against them.

Here is a list of Frankens accusers so far.

Leeann Tweeden

The allegations: Tweeden, a radio host, wrote in an essay published on the website for KABC radio in Los Angeles that Franken groped her and kissed her without her consent in 2006 when he was working as a comedian. The two were set to appear in a sketch for a USO show for military members overseas at the time. Tweeden said Franken scripted a kiss into the show. She said that Franken insisted on rehearsing the kiss, and when she refused, he allegedly put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth.

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She also alleged that Franken grabbed her breasts while she slept on the flight home. She shared a picture that appears to show the alleged incident.

Frankens response: Franken initially told reporters: I certainly dont remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasnt. I shouldnt have done it.

He subsequently released a longer statement, which reiterated that he didnt remember the skit in the same way as Tweeden but admitted that it was obvious how Leann would feel violated by that picture. He added that he asked for an ethics investigation on his behavior and said he would fully cooperate.

The first thing I want to do is apologize: to Leeann, to everyone else who was part of that tour, to everyone who has worked for me, to everyone I represent, and to everyone who counts on me to be an ally and supporter and champion of women. Theres more I want to say, but the first and most important thing  and if its the only thing you care to hear, thats fine  is: Im sorry, Franken said in the second statement. And the truth is, what people think of me in light of this is far less important than what people think of women who continue to come forward to tell their stories. They deserve to be heard and believed. And they deserve to know that I am their ally and supporter. I have let them down and am committed to making it up to them.

Lindsay Menz

The allegations: Menz told CNN that Franken grabbed her behind during a photo op at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010. Franken was serving as a U.S. Senator at the time of the alleged incident. She said that she had a cordial conversation with Franken, and then her husband took a photo of the two. Menz alleged that Franken put his hand full-fledged on my rear It was wrapped tightly around my butt cheek.

As my husband took the picture, he put his hand full-fledged on my rear," Menz said. "It was wrapped tightly around my butt cheek. https://t.co/a4Ojv3jAkn  MJ Lee (@mj_lee) November 20, 2017

Frankens response: In a statement to CNN, Franken said: I take thousands of photos at the state fair surrounded by hundreds of people, and I certainly dont remember taking this picture. I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected.

Two unnamed women

The allegations: Two anonymous women told the Huffington Post that Franken touched their behinds in two separate incidents. The first woman alleged that Franken groped her while they took a photo together at a June 2007 event hosted by the Minnesota Womens Political Caucus. At the time of the alleged incident, Franken was running for the U.S. Senate.

The second woman claimed that Franken grabbed her behind in 2008 at a Democratic fundraiser. She said that Franken then suggested that the two go to the bathroom together.

Frankens response: Franken told the Huffinton Post: Its difficult to respond to anonymous accusers, and I dont remember those campaign events.

Regarding the second womans allegations, Franken told Huffington Post: I can categorically say that I did not proposition anyone to join me in any bathroom.

Stephanie Kemplin

The allegations: Kemplin, an Army veteran, told CNN in a story published on Thursday that Franken allegedly groped her in December 2003. She said she was stationed in Kuwait, and she met Franken when he toured with the USO. She said that Franken groped her right breast while the two took a photo.

I remember clenching up and how you just feel yourself flushed, she told CNN. And I remember thinking  is he going to move his hand? Was it an accident? Was he going to move his hand? He never moved his hand.

Army veteran: "When he put his arm around me, he groped my right breast. He kept his hand all the way over on my breast he was holding my breast on the side." https://t.co/GWjHwlSOzh  MJ Lee (@mj_lee) November 30, 2017

Frankens response: A spokesperson for Franken said in a statement: As Sen. Franken made clear this week, he takes thousands of photos and has met tens of thousands of people and he has never intentionally engaged in this kind of conduct. He remains fully committed to cooperating with the ethics investigation.

An unnamed elected official in New England

The allegations: The woman told Jezebel that Franken attempted to give her a wet, open-mouthed kiss in 2006 at a live taping of Frankens show at the time, Air America. I was stunned and incredulous. I felt demeaned. I felt put in my place, she told Jezebel about the alleged incident.

Frankens response: Franken has not yet commented on the womans claims.

A former Democratic congressional aide

The allegations: The unnamed woman told Politico that Franken tried to forcibly kiss her after the taping of his radio show in 2006 when she was in her mid-20s. She said that the alleged incident occurred once her boss had left the room. When she tried to leave the room, Franken allegedly told her: Its my right as an entertainer.

Frankens response: Franken told Politico in a statement: This allegation is categorically not true and the idea that I would claim this as my right as an entertainer is preposterous. I look forward to fully cooperating with the ongoing ethics committee investigation.

Tina Dupuy

The allegations: In an essay for the Atlantic, Dupuy alleged that Franken groped her at a Media Matters party during President Barack Obamas inauguration in 2009. He immediately put his hand on my waist, grabbing a handful of flesh. I froze. Then he squeezed. At least twice, Dupuy wrote. Al Frankens familiarity was inappropriate and unwanted. It was also quick; he knew exactly what he was doing.

Frankens response: Franken has yet to comment on Dupuys claims.
ADEN (Reuters) - Three fighters from forces loyal to the former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh were killed in a second day of clashes with their own allies from the Houthi movement in the capital Sanaa, Saleh's party said on Thursday.

The two groups are fighting a Saudi-led coalition that has intervened in a 2-1/2 year Yemeni civil war with a view to restoring the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

A statement from Saleh's General People's Congress Party said three guards were killed when Houthi forces attacked the house of Tarek Saleh, Ali Abdullah Saleh's nephew, adding that they also besieged the residence of Ibrahim Sharaf, a party member and foreign minister of the Sanaa-based government.

"The Houthis violated the truce agreement and attacked the residence of colonel Tarek and killed three guards and wounded three others," the statement said.

The clashes underscore the complex situation in Yemen, as Hadi's alliance has also seen similar internal fighting between his contingents and pro-independence southern forces backed by the United Arab Emirates, a key member of the Saudi-led coalition

Local sources told Reuters some residents fled areas where the fighting, which involved heavy artillery and rocket launchers, raged for several hours for a second day.

Four supporters of Ali Abdullah Saleh were killed when a gunfight erupted on Wednesday in the centre of Sanaa, after the Houthis broke into the city's main mosque complex and fired RPGs and grenades.

Houthi fighters and battalions loyal to Saleh made common cause to fan out through Yemen in 2015 and have weathered thousands of air strikes launched by neighbouring Saudi Arabia and its allies. Hadi's government is nominally based in the port city of Aden.

(Writing by Aziz El Yaakoubi; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's coast guard on Thursday boarded a North Korean fishing boat near a Japanese island where the crew said they had taken shelter from rough seas, the latest in a series of North Korean vessels in distress drifting into Japanese waters.

The wooden boat was towed nearer the northern island of Hokkaido for inspection, a coast guard spokesman said. Authorities had yet to decide what to do with the vessel and the ten fishermen on board.

"At this point, it is still too early to say what we will do," he said.

Experts say food shortages may be driving fishermen to risk taking their small boats to more dangerous waters closer to Japan. The encounters have attracted greater attention amid tension in the region over North Korea's weapons programmes and its latest missile test on Wednesday.

There has been no suggestion that the fishermen may be defectors from the impoverished, tightly controlled country which has fired two missiles over Japan in recent tests and regularly threatens to destroy the United States.

On Monday, eight bodies believed to be of North Koreans, which had been partly reduced to skeletons, were found in a small wooden ship washed up on a beach on Japan's northwest coast. Two other bodies were found at the weekend on the western shore of the Sea of Japan island of Sado, with life jackets displaying Korean lettering.

Last week, police in northern Japan found eight North Korean men who said they landed after claiming their vessel had lost power and run into trouble.

On Thursday, the coast guard issued an advisory to shipping about a half-sunken wooden boat floating in waters close to Sado.

(Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Trumps decision to promote anti-Muslim videos by Britain First, an extreme far-right group, confirms what was abundantly clear after Chartlottesville

Stirring up racial and religious hatred for political ends has become known as populism among the pundit class. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

It was true after the racist mob in Charlottesville three months ago. And its still true today: Donald J Trump quite literally sympathizes with fascists.

He shares their worldview as easily as he shares their language and videos. He gives their voice and values the biggest platform in politics. He is a neo-fascist sympathizer in the mainstream of American politics, sitting at the heart of the West Wing and world power.



But dont take my word for it. Listen to Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of the far-right Britain First group.

After President Trump shared three of Fransens anti-Muslim videos on Twitter on Wednesday morning, the extremist agitator could barely contain herself: THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSENS TWITTER VIDEOS! DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP!



THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSEN'S TWITTER VIDEOS! DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA! OCS @JaydaBF @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/BiQfQkTra9  Jayda Fransen (@JaydaBF) November 29, 2017

You know its a big deal with the fascists cant stop tweeting in ALL CAPS.

Now it doesnt take much to learn about Fransen and Britain First. With the help of a wonderful website called Google, Trump could have discovered in milliseconds that Fransen was convicted and fined last year for religious harassment after she hurled abuse at a Muslim woman in front of her young children.



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At the time, Fransen was on what she calls a Christian patrol when she accosted the young British mother and told her that Muslim men were trying to rape women across Europe.



Just last week Fransen was arrested for a speech she delivered in Belfast only a week before the Charlottesville mob tried to terrorize us with their tiki torches.



Britain First were the last words shouted by the murderer of the British MP Jo Cox, before he brutally killed the rising political star, one week before the Brexit vote.



How could a president whose inaugural address centered on the notion of America First disagree with a group called Britain First?

Britain First is an Islamophobic group run by convicted racists. It was founded in 2011 by former members of the far-right British National Party (BNP) and loyalist extremists in Northern Ireland.

It organises mosque invasions where followers, often dressed in paramilitary uniforms, raid multicultural areas in the UK.

The group has an influential presence on Facebook and actively uses social media to publicise anti-Islamic material.



Its leader, Paul Golding, a former BNP councillor, and his deputy Jayda Fransen have been arrested several times.

Fransen was found guilty in November 2016 of religiously aggravated harassment after she hurled abuse at a Muslim woman wearing a hijab. A month later Golding was jailed for eight weeks for breaching a court order banning him from entering a mosque.

Rightwing terrorist Thomas Mair shouted Britain first before killing the MP Jo Cox during the EU referendum campaign in 2016.

The fact is, Fransen sounds a lot like the president of the United States. Consider her speech in Poland, which echoed many of the themes of Trumps own statements in his infamous Warsaw speech. There is a cancer moving through Europe and that is Islam. Our children are being bombed, our children are being groomed and our government does nothing  Evil will not prevail, she said. Sound familiar?

A little more presidential homework might have unearthed the helpful information that one of Fransens videos did not in fact show a Muslim beating up a Dutch teenager on crutches. Instead, it was simply a dark-haired Dutch teenager beating up a light-haired one.

But thats obviously not the point of what the 45th president of the United States was trying to do. Stirring up racial and religious hatred for political ends has become known as populism among the pundit class.

Its considered impolite to call it what it is: fascism. But we are long past the point of giving Trump the benefit of the doubt, or respecting voters who exercise their democratic rights for racist causes.

Theres something more going on here that demands an honest response. Trump is a particularly stupid neo-Nazi sympathizer.

By now, most rightwing politicians have figured out how to flirt with the neo-Nazis without getting burned by their torch-wielding mobs and burning crosses. They stir hatred for immigrants and preach about the sanctity of national culture and family values. But they generally stop short of circulating fascist propaganda. Its just too offensively obvious.

Even the pro-Brexit British government thinks that Britain First is too extreme for either polite company or presidential endorsements. British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right which is the antithesis of the values this country represents, decency, tolerance and respect, said the spokesperson for Theresa May, the British prime minister. It is wrong for the president to have done this.

So much for the special relationship and the transatlantic trade deal that was supposed to follow Britains departure from the European Union.

Prejudiced rhetoric is a perfectly British way to describe Donald Trumps everyday language. Decency, tolerance and respect are not the words that come to mind when you conjure up the presidents values and politics.

The truth is the first casualty of fascism, and Trump has no use for it. According to the New York Times, he no longer believes his own voice was recorded on the infamous Access Hollywood tape that caught him boasting about assaulting women.

We dont think that was my voice, he told one Republican senator, using the royal we to mask his personal delusions. He continues to suggest in private that Barack Obama was not born in the United States, even though his birth certificate is in the public domain. And his predecessor is, well, no longer president.

But these kinds of fabrications are still helpful because they tarnish everyone. Its a political game of pig wrestling where everyone is caked in mud, and nobody can get a hold of anything.

So we have the remarkable spectacle of a president who boasted about grabbing womens genitals taking to social media to wrestle in the mud with NBC News executives about the Today shows Matt Lauer, who just got terminated for sexual harassment.

Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace. But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lacks past! the president tweeted.

You might file this one under stupid criminals. What kind of serial sexual assaulter wants to talk about the sexual harassment of others? The answer is: the one who wants to drag everyone down into his mudbath.

In a world where there are no media referees, and there is no truth, then one fake racist video is as good as a CNN report. And one presidents lie is as good as a video of him saying something incriminating.

The damage caused by Trumps behavior, as bizarre and reckless as it is, goes far beyond his personal reputation. It undermines American credibility at a time when the world needs to rally to confront the nuclear threat of North Korea, the continued threat of Islamist terror, and Russian manipulation of foreign elections.

Trump has made it clear that he cannot and will not learn in office. There is no presidential pivot, no wisdom that will grow with experience.

The only question is whether his enablers  the Republican leaders and White House staffers who indulge him  will try to salvage their own reputation before they get caked in mud forever.
WAPATO, Wash.  A second suspect in the 2016 shooting of a man in Wapato has been arrested.
A apartment complex along South First Street has had several code violations and issues with bringing the property into compliance. The city has filed a lawsuit against property owner Steve Owens. (MASON TRINCA/Yakima Herald-Republic file)
It was the deadliest terror attack since the 9/11 attacks in the United States 16 years ago. At least 305 people were murdered . Had 30 people been murdered in a terror attack any European city, the attack would have likely received much more coverage by the global media. Because when Muslims massacre Muslims, it doesn't mean as much to the world. Its a lot less moved.

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Even worse is the fact that the massacre was immediately followed by explanations: The Bedouins in Sinai, according to commentators, are deprived by the Egyptian government. Poor things. Theyre just reacting.

With all due respect to the different experts and commentators, they have lost their mind. Are you serious? Is that an excuse for such a murderous massacre? Is that the reason for intentionally firing on infants, women, children, elderly peoplehundreds of innocent people? Is government deprivation, assuming there was deprivation, the reason? Why, the only sin of those who were murdered was that they were there, within the jihadists reach.

How can deprivation be an excuse for such a murderous massacre? (Photo: Reuters)

Were also being told that it happened in a mosque which belongs to the Sufist sect, and thats becoming an excuse too. What does that have to do with anything? Islam has many sects. The Sufists are Sunnis. Many of those who come to pray at Sufist mosques dont even belong to the Sufist sect. Is that the reason? Only a week ago, 58 people were murdered in the Nigerian town of Mubi. It happened inside a Sunni mosque, neither Shiite not Sufist.

Jihad doesnt need any excuse. The arguments and explanations provided by the different commentators and experts are a mockery of a tragedy. They castrate the truth. Because inasfar as the deadly results of jihadist terror can be followed, more than 95 percent of its victims are Muslim and nearly 70 percent are Sunnis murdered by Sunnis. So the glaring truth is that a weed has grown within Islam, and murder is its flag. Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna, formulated this ideology in 1938 in an article titled The industry of death.

And no, this isnt a battle against heretics. Quite the opposite. In fact, as a community becomes more devout, the level of victims in that community rises. After all, the Sharia laws have already been imposed in the areas where jihad is operating in northern Nigeria. And the Taliban murders masses of Sunni Muslims, although they havent sinned and havent deprived and havent denied religious principles. On the contrary, they have become even more religious. Taliban suicide bombers have repeatedly detonated explosives in crowded markets in Sunni-populated areas. Most of the victims have been children and women wearing burkas.

There are other deprived groups in the world. Arent there deprived Christians in Africa? Of course there are. Havent Jews been persecuted and deprived wherever they lived? Arent the Copts deprived in Egypt? Arent the Romani people deprived all over Europe? Arent black people deprived? Oddly enough, none of these groups has produced a sect engaged in organized, worldwide murder. There are no Romani or black jihad cells. And the Jews didnt launch an endless campaign of revenge against the Germans.

The jihadists, on the other hand, have turned to murder and are receiving PR ranging from explanations (in the worst case) to justifications (in the even worse case). It starts with those who explain that its a response to deprivation, and its aggravated by those who explain that its the Wests fault for mistreating the East. Its an illness which is common among some of the progressive circles, which have become jihads allies.

The Swedes should be punished for their involvement in Afghanistan, wrote suicide bomber Taimour Abdul Wahab, who tried to carry out a mass terror attack in Stockholm. Famous Swedish writer Henning Mankell responded in an article filled with self-guilt and self-denigration: The West is committing crimes; jihad is simply responding. That was the spirit of many scholars reactions following the terror attacks in the US. They are hurting us, they explained, because were wrong. Excuse me? The West harmed black people, Jewish people, Romani people, and they didnt produce groups of murderers. These experts are so captivated by post-colonialist theories that its hard to confuse them with facts.

The jewel in the crown of foolishness belongs to Miko Peled, a former Israeli, the son of Major-General Matti Peled, who tweeted: As we mourn the loss of innocents in northern Sinai we must remember that this terrorism is a direct result of the regional instability caused by (Egyptian President Abdel Fattah) al-Sisi and his criminal collaboration with Israel. The problem is that Peled is a popular lecturer in respected forums. And so, the circles of progress will keep providing empty explanations, and the Muslims will keep paying the price.
The United States warned North Korea's leadership it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out, after Pyongyang test fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, putting the US mainland within range.

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The Trump administration has repeatedly said all options were on the table in dealing with North Korea's ballistic and nuclear weapons program, including military ones, but that it still prefers a diplomatic option.

Nikki Haley (Photo: Reuters)

Still, speaking at an emergency UN Security Council meeting, US ambassador Nikki Haley warned:

"We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday ... And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."

Kim Jong Un during ballistic missile test (Photo: AP)

Haley said the United States has asked China to cut off oil supply to North Korea, a drastic step that Beijing - the North's neighbor and sole major trading partner - has so far refrained from doing. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talked on the phone earlier on Wednesday.

"Just spoke to President Xi Jinping of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

Previous US administrations have failed to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and a sophisticated missile program. Trump has also struggled to contain Pyongyang since he came to office in January.

Urging China to use its leverage on Pyongyang and promising more sanctions against North Korea are two strategies that have borne little fruit so far.

In a speech in Missouri about taxes, Trump, who has traded insults with the North in the past, referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with a derisive nickname. "Little Rocket Man. He is a sick puppy," Trump said.

FAR INTO SPACE

North Korea, which conducted its sixth and largest nuclear bomb test in September, has tested dozens of ballistic missiles under Kim's leadership in defiance of international sanctions.

Pyongyang has said its weapons programmes are a necessary defence against US plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, denies any such intention.

Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called on North Korea on Wednesday to stop its weapons tests and for the United States and South Korea not to hold military drills in December as it would "inflame an already explosive situation."

North Korea said the new missile soared to an altitude of about 4,475 km (2,780 miles) - more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station - and flew 950 km (590 miles) during its 53-minute flight.





It flew higher and longer than any North Korean missile before, landing in the sea near Japan.

Photos released by North Korean state media appeared to show a missile being positioned on the launch site by a mobile vehicle, designed to allow the missile to be fired from a wider number of areas to prevent it being intercepted before launch.

Kim is shown laughing and smiling with officials both next to the missile as it is readied, and in a control booth. The launch itself shows the missile lifting off amid smoke and fire, with Kim watching from a field in the distance.

US intelligence analysts have concluded from satellite and other data that the test missile was fired from a fixed position, not a mobile launcher, three US officials said.

One official said the test appears to demonstrate a more powerful North Korean solid-fuel propulsion system, especially in its second stage rocket.

The photos also revealed a larger diameter missile, which could allow it to carry a larger warhead and use a more powerful engine, said David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists, a US-based nonprofit science advocacy group.

MORE SANCTIONS LIKELY

Pyongyang claimed it had "finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force".

Three US intelligence analysts said they were trying to assess whether the remarks meant Kim might now be open to a longer halt in testing in order to reopen negotiations that might help prevent, or at least defer, the imposition of additional sanctions.

The officials also noted, however, that North Korea has not proved it has an accurate guidance system for an intercontinental ballistic missile or a re-entry vehicle capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and surviving a return from space through Earth's atmosphere, meaning further tests would be needed.

An international meeting in Canada in January is designed to produce "better ideas" to ease tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests, Canadian officials said on Wednesday, although North Korea itself will not be invited.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States has "a long list of additional potential sanctions, some of which involve potential financial institutions, and the Treasury Department will be announcing those when they're ready to roll those out."

The new Hwasong-15, named after the planet Mars, was a more advanced version of an ICBM tested twice in July, North Korea said. It was designed to carry a "super-large heavy warhead".

In just three months, South Korea hosts the Winter Olympics at a resort just 80 km (50 miles) from the heavily fortified border with North Korea.
US President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to announce in the coming days that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and is giving serious thought on how to fulfil his election campaign pledge to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

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Two administration officials said on Thursday that even as Trump was considering a controversial declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, set to take place Wednesday December 6, he was expected to again delay his ampaign promise to move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv.

To that end, Trump and his staff are considering how to avoid signing for a second time the waiver that would leave the embassy in Tel Aviv.

President Trump's visit to the Kotel (Photo: AP)

Presidents of both the Republican and Democratic parties have renewed the waiver every six months for years, enabling them to bypass a law that requires that washington order its Israeli embassy be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Trump promised during his election campaign that he would move the US embassy to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem.

While hopes in Israel have so far been dashed that a US president would finally fulfil the embassy pledge, Trump has taken a number of steps that have constituted a departure from previous administration.

Most notably, in May Trump arrived at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, becoming the first sitting US president to visit the ancient Jewish holy site.

Close Trump associates have reportedly recommended that he make the announcement of transferring the embassy in the near future.

In the interim, one of the ideas currently being mooted is to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital as a gesture for Israels 70th independence celebrations as a first step toward the administration's announcement of its peace initiative between Israel and the Palestinians.

Hopes were raised in Israel this week when US Vice President Mike Pence said on Tuesday that Trump is actively considering "when and how" to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Pence made the comment in remarks at Israels Mission to the United Nations in Queens, at an event celebrating the 70th anniversary of the United Nations vote calling for the establishment of a Jewish state.

"President Trump is actively considering when and how to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," stated Pence, after receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.

Officials in Jerusalem say that the Americans are currently examining the ramifications of the recognition.

US VP Mike Pence talks about Trump's plans for Jerusalem

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American intelligence circles may caution Trump against the move, warning of the security-related ramifications that could ensue and danger that it could pose to American embassies around the world.

Rumors of Trumps planned announcement were met with warnings from Jordan's King Abdullah II, who said during a visit to the US that "the transfer of the American embassy to Jerusalem at this stage will have repercussions in the Palestinian, Arab and Islamic scene."

He also added that it would "endanger the two-state solution and could be potentially exploited by terrorists to stoke anger, frustration, and desperation in order to spread their ideologies."
An Israeli shot dead a Palestinian on Thursday who was among a group of Palestinian rioters throwing rocks at a group of Israeli children visiting the Samaria region of the West Bank near the village of Qusra.

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According to the settlers, one of whom opened fire on the Palestinians, the violence erupted after the Israeli group came under attack in what was described by the Samaria Regional Council as an "attempted lynch."

"Dozens of Palestinians threw stones and rocks at us, we were in a life-threatening situation, and we were trying to protect the children," said one of the children's fathers, who shot the Palestinian.

Scene of the clash (Credit: TPS) (:    -TPS)

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"I had to shoot in self-defense. I hope common sense prevails, and people understand what happened here," the father added.

Two of the adults in the group were lightly wounded in the clashes and the children were spirited away from the danger zone under IDF supervision.

Clashes between Palestinians and settlers

The Palestinian man who was shot dead was identified as 47-year-old Mahmoud Zaal Odeh. According to the Yesh Din NGO, he was toiling the land before he was shot.

Resident from Qusra claimed that riots broke out after a group of Israelis approached the village from the direction of the outpost Esh Kodesh.

Palestinian Authority official Ghassan Daghlas said settlers confronted Odeh and ordered him to move. When he refused, one of them shot him in the chest, Daghlas said.

IDF soldiers were rushed to secure the area as medics provided emergency aid to the wounded Palestinian while attempting to disperse the enraged crowds.

Israeli lightly wounded in the clashes

According to one of the two fathers who accompanied the children on the trip, the group of children from different communities in the Samaria region was on a bar mitzvah trip.

"We were hiking in an open area, near the road. Some 200 meters from Highway 5 and the Alon road, we were attacked by dozens of Arabs with stones, rocks and clubs. We were busy protecting the children, and I got hit in the head with a stone. The second father was also wounded. Thank God, the children are safe and sound, that's what's important."

Children escorted away from the clashes

The second father who accompanied the trip said he took the children into a nearby cave to protect them from the barrage of stones.

The children, he said, "were determined and brave, but some of them were frightened."

"I was busy protecting them, when at some point the Palestinians came really close, outflanked us and really boxed us in. The second father left his gun with me. I tried to keep them away by shooting into the air, and it didn't help, they kept coming closer."

He noted there were two Palestinians who tried to protect him and the children, but "30 others just tried to lynch (us)."

One of the parents accompanying the children said his gun was stolen by one of the Palestinian rioters, but was later recovered.

One of the children who came under attack told Ynet the Palestinians "started threatening us with a gun, throwing stones at us, told us 'give us your bags, give us your phones.' They swore at us, slapped us, punched us. I got a stone to my knee, my rabbi got a stone to his head, my friends got slapped and punched. They (the Palestinians) also tried to use tear gas."

"There were also Arabs who chased away the Arabs who wanted to throw stones at us, protected us for a little until the army came and found us," the child added.

Keren Perlman, the mother of one of the children, said her son told her the Palestinians "sprayed pepper spray into the cave" the children were hiding in. "They took their bags, equipment and candy," she added.

"He also told me many children made vows, about the feeling of imminent death, about (children) saying the 'Shema Yisrael' prayer, and about heart-rending crying," Perlman added.

She criticized the IDF for taking too long to arrive to the children's aid. "It took the army an hour and a half. An hour and a half in which the children hid in a crumbling cave with hundreds of Arabs above them. An hour and a half of the heroic parents standing at the entrance, enduring beatings and stones to protect the children, and the army just didn't bother showing up," she lamented.

The Samaria Regional Council said in a statement that around 100 Palestinians tried to carry out a lynch against a group of tourists and attacked them from about a kilometer from the village."

The Judea and Samaria Division is checking whether the trip was coordinated in advance with the head of the Samaria Territorial Brigade, as some of the parents claimed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Welfare and Social Services Minister Haim Katz will not be able vote next week on the controversial bill banning the publication of police recommendations for indictments, according to the Knessets legal advisor, due to a conflict of interest.

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Additionally, other members of the coalition have expressed adamant opposition to the legislation, which would apply to certain criminal investigations.

The feverish efforts of coalition leaders to ram the Recommendations Bill through the Knesset after passing its first reading earlier this week, encountered the unexpected obstacle by the legal advisor Wednesday night, along with coalition members withdrawing their initial support.

MK David Amsalem, who drafted the bill (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Despite the coalition's success in passing the Recommendations Bill, Knesset Legal Advisor Eyal Yinon spoiled their plans when he responded to a motion by the Movement for Quality Government that demanded to prevent Netanyahu and Katz from voting on the bill.

"When we came to examine this, we found that the prime minister and Minister Haim Katz, mentioned in the appeal, did not participate in the vote on the bill in the first reading," Yinon wrote. "According to the chairman of the coalition, MK Bitan, they are not being taken into account by him for the purpose of voting on the second and third readings, nor will they take part in them."

With Netanyahu and Katz precluded from participating in the vote, matters were made more difficult for the bill's chief architect MK David Amsalem when three MKs from the Kulanu party expressed objection, including MK Rachel Azaria, MK Merav Ben-Ari, and MK Eli Alalouf.

If the Kulanu party decides to allow free voting on the bill's second and third readings, the three are expected to vote against it. MK Benny Begin (Likud) is also likely to join them in opposing the bill.

Katz (L) and Netanyahu (Photo: Olivier Fitoussi)

Yinon's decision to disallow Netanyahu and Katz from voting on the bill for their apparent conflict of interest is another embarrassing blow to Kulanu chairman Moshe Kahlon, who justified his support of the bill in its preliminary reading on the basis that it was 'not a personal law,' and that he could no longer find a reason to object to it since he was disabused of his original belief that it was being pushed at Netanyahu's personal behest.

Despite the chiseling away of the bill's support base, the opposition is still not expected to gather a majority since the coalition will still have between 60 and 62 votes in favor of the bill.

They may, however, draw more people from the coalition to be convinced to vote against the bill, or even force the coalition to delay the vote on the bill until they are positive that they have a large enough majority to ensure its passage.
NEW YORK

The five young Jews who sat down in front of a group of Israeli journalists, educators and politicians (both secular and religious) at AIPACs impressive conference room last week came to the meeting armed and equipped with all the necessary punchlines for a first date. From the moment they entered the room, they kept smiling and speaking nicely, and there was no evidence of the crisis between Israel and American Jewry in their pleasant conduct.

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We are members of an organization called GatherDC, which was founded about a year ago. Our goal is to create networking opportunities between young Jews living and working in the American capital, said one of the members of the group, which also included a young rabbi.

Considering the location of the meeting and the friendly message these young people arrived with, it seemed like a promising start. What could go wrong with Jews who just want to spend some quality time together? But several minutes later, the Israeli delegation members found out that the pleasant words were hiding a complex and alarming reality, which could be referred to as Israels relations with the US Jewry in 2017.

Pro-Israel rally in New York. A sight which should no longer be taken for granted (Photo: EPA)

I joined because I saw on Facebook they had Happy Hour, one of the young women said when asked why she had decided to join an organization that defines itself as Jewish but non-religious. Its an organization that aims to create friendships and connections between Jews. Being Jewish is much more than Israel; its family, roots, ties, community and nostalgia. Its neither about Israel nor about religion.

And what about Israel, the Israelis in the room asked. Is it part of the organizations narrative? Israel is a difficult topic, the groups rabbi replied. Its hard to deal with Israel, so its not a topic with deal with. We are neutral in our content, and Israel is a topic that evokes disputes. We prefer not to deal with Israel.

And one of the young women added, I dont really understand what Israel has to do with my Jewish identity. I ignored Israel for years. Its hard to come together on this topic today.

Some 6,000 young Jews are already coming together as part of the organization today, but not for Israel. They come together on everything, in fact, apart from Israel. In the Jewish American narrative, Israel no longer unites. In fact, it turns out, it actually divides.

Israels decisions have consequences

This insight repeated itself quite a few times throughout the tour of the different Jewish communities in Washington and in New York. And as the hours and days went by, the extent of the rift became clearer: That majestic dream that was revived 70 years ago and turned into great pride it was once nice to be affiliated with, lost its glamour on the way and turned into an emotional, national, political and identical burden.

Young members of the GatherDC organization. I dont really understand what Israel has to do with my Jewish identity (Photo: Attila Somfalvi)

Israel united the Jews in the past, said a senior member of one of the major pro-Israel Jewish organizations in the United States, who requested to remain anonymous, but its becoming increasingly difficult. Today, the discourse about Israel is divisive. The conversations about Israel get very heated. Even in the synagogues, rabbis are forced to stop discussions about Israel because they become very loud and focus on left-right division.

In AIPAC, which works to strengthen the relations between Israel and the US and exerts political pressure on Capitol Hill in favor of the Jewish state, officials try to convey a sense of optimism but admit there are difficulties.

The number of Jews involved in any type of activity is small, a senior organization official noted. We havent found sufficiently creative ways to make people come and be active. The Israelis should know that their decisions have consequences in the US Jewish community. In any event, we will keep working for Israel, but there are new challenges every day.

Being Jewish is expensive

The roots of American Jews slow disengagement from Israel branch out in many directions, and its hard to put a finger on the main reason for the serious crisis in the ties these days. It would be pretty superficial to blame Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or the stalemate in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. But Israels policy on the territories and the Palestinians, the decisions the government made on the Western Wall and conversion issues, as well as the ultra-Orthodoxs attitude towards Reform and Conservative Jews, who together make up the majority among some 7 million American Jews, all contribute to the expending rift between the two parts of the Jewish peoplehere and there.

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove (center) in a debate with rabbis from the three streams. Very concerned by the relations between the two communities (Photo: Attila Somfalvi)

An average young American has trouble accepting and coming to terms with what he sees in Israel today. He finds it even more difficult to live with the brutalization of the political and public discourse, which reminds him quite a bit of Donald Trumps American political discourse. Considering the fact that most American Jews are secular (in Israeli terms) and liberal, and vote for the Democratic Party, it isnt difficult to understand the inability to identify with the Israeli public discourse. And it doesnt just have to do with the conflict between Netanyahu and former US President Barack Obama.

The Jews, mainly the young ones who were not raised on the ethos of the Jewish states establishment, have trouble declaring themselves pro-Israel. Such a declaration carries a price, a heavy one. Quite a few young Jews prefer to disengage from Israel and from declared Zionism and clearly opt for the humanistic values they were educated and raised on. On campus, for example, they join human rights organizations that are willing to admit them as long as they dont define themselves as Zionist.

Wanting to join a movement that supports black peoples rights on campus, and supporting Israel and the occupation of the territories in the same breath, dont go together, explained a senior official in one of the Jewish organizations. Young Jews are forced to make a choice, and supporting Israel makes things difficult for them when dealing with questions of identity.

Im very concerned by the relations between the two communities, admitted Conservative Rabbi Eliot Cosgrove of New York during a panel with two colleagues, and Orthodox rabbi and a Reform rabbi. At the moment, there are two communities going in opposite directions. In Israel, positions and hearts are being hardened, and the Haredim are managing the discourse over our personal identity. The Western Wall is a symbol of the hardened soul of Israelis who arent trying to understand their brethren.

I dont think the dispute is only about religion, however. I read that 65 percent of Israelis didnt want Elor Azaria to go on trial. A liberal and democratic American who reads this sees a critical democratic value being jeopardized in Israel. Its extremely troubling.

Guila Franklin Siegel, associate director of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Washington, described a situation in whichregardless of Israelyoung Jews are fleeing the familiar community life in the US.

An average Jew will tell you today that he doesnt have to belong to a congregation, she said. More and more young people are refusing to be part of synagogues. They come together around specific subjects. Most Jews who do connect with Judaism do it through the Reform and Conservative movements. People dont want to pay so much money to the synagogues, so they organize groups and engage in other social activities. Being Jewish these days is expensive. Young people just wont pay.

The state of Jews or the state of Israelis

Since arriving in New York, Israeli Consul-General Danny Dayan has been warning Prime Minister Netanyahu of the serious crisis faced by the Jewish people.

We have to decide whether we are a state for Jews or a state for Israelis, he says. If were only a state for Israelis, fine, but it has consequences and carries a price. I believe we should be a state for Jews, but today we dont pass the Jewish state test. We stopped showing an interest in the US Jewry as soon as their donations became less important and as soon as we got a sympathetic administration in the White House. The Western Wall and the conversion issue are just symptoms resulting from our lack of interest in them.

Eric Goldstein, CEO of the UJA-Federation of New York. We had people who for years donated millions every year, and now they want to stop donating to Israel (Photo: Attila Somfalvi)

Dayans warnings, by the way, went unheeded. Netanyahu listened and nodded as usual, but nothing has changed so far. Gidi Grinstein, president of the Reut Institute and a social entrepreneur promoting Tikkun Olam (literally, repairing the world), has warned of the erosion of Israels status among US Jews and of the ramifications of this erosion. In a small forum led by senior members of New Yorks Jewish community, Grinstein defined the situation as a perfect storm and the cancellation of the Western Wall plan as a nuclear explosion.

US Jews are a national asset, which reinforces Israels national security, he explained. But the situation is very serious and extremely dangerous, as more and more Jews are drifting away from Israel, donating less and being less connected. We must not give up, but the situation is very complex.

Just want to be accepted

The cancellation of the Western Wall egalitarian prayer area plan and the controversial conversion bill infuriated US Jews primarily because of the feeling of rejection from the State of Israel.

Most US Jews dont want and dont need help from Israel, Guila Franklin Siegel explained in a meeting with the Israeli delegation in Washington. They simply want to be accepted. Its called acceptance. It was a very bad year because of the Rabbinate and the Western Wall plan. How can a Jewish student be taught to love Israel, when Israel informs him he isnt Jewish? We were hit in the head this year, and it will take time to fix what happened.

Eric Goldstein, CEO of the UJA-Federation of New York

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In a meeting with a senior Democratic Congress member and with two political advisors from both sides of the aisle, the three warned of the consequences of Prime Minister Netanyahu's past and present actions in the American political arena, when he decided to address the two Houses of Congress in defiance of President Obama. While they define the speech as excellent, they believe its negative implications are still felt to this very day.

Hard to get liberal politicians to sign for Israel

AIPAC officials have also been warning of the changes taking place both below and above the surface. The easiest thing today is to pass a decision for Israel, said a senior AIPAC official, but it wont last if were not active. More and more Democrats are changing their thinking, and we are concerned by the future generation of politicians. In the Right, there is a rise in anti-Semitism, while in the Left there is a rise in anti-Israel sentiments.

Two things concern me, the Iranian threat and the question of whether support for Israel will become a one-party thing, said the Democratic Congress member who asked to speak off-the-record. At the moment, most Congress members are in favor of legislation for Israel. But if this becomes a one-party thing, it would dramatically harm Israel. Netanyahu's Congress speech was prepared inappropriately, and it created real tensions among the Democrats.

Ten years ago, people in the Democratic Party would vote according to AIPACs request. Today, thats no longer the case. The liberals in this party are much tougher and more influential, and its harder to get them to sign in favor of Israel. theres no doubt that the tensions between Obama and Netanyahu created political damage and a certain rift in Congress. Thats why its so important to preserve the bridge between Israel and the US Jewry. But the Israelis dont understand whats important to us.

Eric Goldstein, CEO of the UJA-Federation of New York, had even harsher criticism to dole out. In the past, we would unite around Israel, he said. Today, Israel is much more complex for the Jews of New York. Israel is becoming more right-wing, and that clashes with the opinions of these people, the vast majority of whom voted for Hillary Clinton. In the past five years, there has been a real retreat in the Jews support for Israel. We had people who for years used to donate millions annually, and now they want to stop donating to Israel. We are fighting it, but its reality.

I totally understand the pain of people who are told in Israel that theyre not Jewish enough, he explains. Were in a situation in which we have started to lose focus of Israels importance to the Jews in America, and thats very, very troubling.
The teachers' organization announced that high school studies throughout Israel would be halted on Sunday following a violent incident in which a teacher was beaten in Tel Sheva.

In junior high schools only teachers who are members of the Teachers' Association will go on strike.
Mortar shells were fired at an IDF outpost north of the Gaza Strip Thursday afternoon by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, prompting retaliation from the army.

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The shells followed earlier gunfire aimed at the post. The 10-12 shells that were fired fell in open areas near the outpost, and no one was hurt.

Moments after the mortar fire, IDF tanks and fighter jets attacked four Hamas lookout positions near Beit Hanoun on the northeast edge of the strip, which serves as a military stronghold for Hamas and the Islamic Jihad terror group.

IAF jets bomb two targets in central Gaza (Photo: Roee Idan)

Later, the IAF mounted a second attack against two targets in the central Gaza Strip, which Palestinian reports said were two Islamic Jihad military posts.

The Health Ministry in Gaza said three civilians were lightly wounded in one of the Israeli strikes.

The IDF said Islamic Jihad was behind the attack, which was revenge for the destruction of their border-crossing tunnel.

In the wake of the attack, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot held a situation assessment meet with the army's top generals.

"We know exactly who shot, on a personal level, their names," said IDF Spokesman Ronen Manelis. "It's safe to assume it is the same group that is operating in an organized manner, not from the gut, but with instructions from Damascus."

He said the mortar shell fire was targeting the IDF outpost and the nearby construction work on the Gaza obstacle project, which were stopped immediately afterwards.

Israel has been constructing a sensor-equipped underground wall along the 60-km (36-mile) Gaza border, aiming to complete the $1.1 billion project by mid-2019.

IAF jets bomb two targets in central Gaza (Photo: Roee Idan)

IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said Israel was not looking to escalate the situation but any further Israeli action would depend on what Gaza militants did.

"We remain ready with the tools necessary and the capabilities at hand should Hamas or the Islamic Jihad act aggressively again... We are not looking to escalate the situation or to initiate hostilities," Conricus said.

Security officials issued instructions to cease train operations between Ashkelon and Sderot, and farmers were ordered to vacate fields located around the Gaza region. In addition, all work on the Gaza border fence was suspended and IDF forces were ordered to leave the area.

One of the farmers evacuated from the area recounted the fire exchange.

"Five workers were working in the orchard in a plantation near the border. Suddenly there was a series of explosions, one after the other. We dropped to the ground and put our hands on our head. We thought we were being shot at," he recalled.

"The explosions lasted about five minutes. The moment they ended we picked up our tools and bolted. We were really scared. It was all very jolting."

Less than an hour earlier, Code Red rocket alerts, which turned out to be false alarms, were sounded in Sderot and Negev Regional Council.

A Palestinian was also shot dead before the Code Red alerts after a crowd of Palestinians began throwing rocks at a group of Israeli children visiting the Samaria region of the West Bank near the village of Qusra.

IDF soldiers near Gaza (Photo: AFP)

The incident is the latest in a number of skirmishes that have intensified tensions on the volatile border, rattling the already precarious ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas-ruled enclave.

Last month, the IDF killed several Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists when it carried out a controlled explosion of a terror tunnel that had penetrated into Israeli territory near the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis.

Shortly after, Hamas warned that Israels actions had constituted a grave escalation.

Similarly, Islamic Jihad issued a flurry of threats of retaliatory action against Israel, prompting the IDF to upload warnings to the terror group to refrain from escalating matter and deploying Iron Dome missile-defence batteries around the region and central Israel, including Tel Aviv.
The UN humanitarian adviser for Syria called on world powers on Thursday to help arrange the evacuation of 500 people, including 167 children, from the besieged Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta, saying it has become a "humanitarian emergency".

Jan Egeland said nine people had died in the past few weeks while awaiting permission from the Syrian government for the sick and wounded to be evacuated from the rebel-held area to hospitals less than an hour drive from the capital.

Russia and Iran, as well as the United States and France had pledged to help during the weekly humanitarian meeting, he said.
A roadside bomb killed five anti-Taliban fighters and wounded two others in the country's northwest on Thursday evening, hours after a suspected US drone struck a militant compound near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, killing three militants, Pakistani officials said.

The evening incident took place in South Waziristan's Spinkai area near the Afghan border when a group of anti-Taliban fighters were returning from a function. According to two intelligence officials, their vehicle was attacked using a remotely detonated bomb. The officials said the group was part of a volunteers' militia helping the military in operations against Islamist militants.
Israel Police investigators are in a race against time to finish their investigation against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the next two weeks, before the Recommendations Bill, which would prevent them from publicly presenting their conclusions, is passed into law.

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Coalition chairman MK David Bitan and fellow Likud MK David Amsalem have been working to push the contentious bill through the Knesset in an accelerated legislation process.

The bill has already passed a first reading and is expected to be put to a vote for a second and third reading this coming Monday. Once passed, it is expected to go into effect within two weeks.

Netanyahu and Alsheikh (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky, Marc Israel Sellem)

"We don't have much time," said one official involved in the investigation. "We're aware of what the bill means, and we still have time to work."

Police are investigating suspicions Prime Minister Netanyahu and his family received illicit gifts from wealthy donors, including billionaire Arnon Milchan and billionaire James Packer, with the latter only recently providing his testimony to the police.

The investigators are trying to ascertain whether there is any basis to the suspicions the gifts Milchan and Packer gave Netanyahu were not merely given on account of their friendship, but rather demanded, as well as corroborate Milchan's claim he was required to pay for the gifts, and asked to split the expenses with Packer.

Opposition slams bill

The Knesset's Internal Affairs and Environment Committee held a heated debate on the bill Thursday morning, with members of the opposition leveling harsh criticism against it.

MK Yael Cohen Paran (Zionist Union) attacked MK Amsalem, chairman of the committee and initiator of the bill, for the aggressive promotion of the legislation.

"The conduct here is reminiscent of crime families, your bullying," she said, to which Amsalem replied that she should retract her statement, as it is "very serious."

"I am talking about your conduct. I'm not saying you're the head of a criminal organization," she explained, but Amsalem refused to overlook her remark and threatened to file a complaint against her to the Knesset's Ethics Committee.

David Amsalem (L) and Yael Cohen Paran (Photo: Gil Yohanan, Knesset)

MK Yoel Hasson (Zionist Union) then chimed in, backing Paran's assertions. "Members of the coalition factions turn to me and ask that I offset their vote because they do not want to take part in this shame," he said.

"The bill's purpose was to disrupt the investigation process, so this bill is no less than aiding and abetting," Hasson added.

Nachman Shai (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

At the beginning of the discussion, MK Amsalem noted that "the State Attorney's Office closes some 80 percent of the cases in which police made a recommendation to indict on an evidentiary basis."

Amsalem then claimed that the main purpose of the bill was to prevent the "trampling the rights of more than ten thousand people. With the bill, the attorney general can receive recommendations in any case he wants, but it is barred from publication because it violates basic rights."

MK Nachman Shai (Zionist Union) appealed to MK Amsalem and said: "In this Knesset term, you've succeeded in breaking all records of harming Israeli democracy. You are destroying the foundations of the State of Israel."

He urged Amsalem to "stop it, cancel, give up, wait, come back in a year, let the current situation get off the agenda, and then go back to it."

Tamar Zandberg (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

MK Leah Fadida (Zionist Union) added that the bill "is a crime sponsored by law... It's a law ordered by the boss. It is reminiscent of dark regimes, a banana republic, the main thing is that they succeed in defending the prime minister."

MK Tamar Zandberg (Meretz) added: "This is a contemptible and corrupt law, with a despicable and corrupt timing designed to protect a despised and corrupt prime minister."

Police representatives at the meeting (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Opposition was also voiced by the head of the Israel Police's Investigations Division, Eran Kamin: "This is a very bad bill. The bill says that I am required to provide the investigation's summary without its bottom line."
Turkey's parliament has rejected an opposition motion for an inquiry into allegations that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's family members have evaded taxes by transferring millions of dollars to off-shore accounts.

The main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, says it has obtained documents showing that family members sent up to $15 million dollars to the Isle of Man, and requested a parliamentary investigation.

Parliament, which is dominated by Erdogan's ruling-party members, rejected the motion Thursday.

Erdogan has denied the allegations, said the documents are fakes, and insisted that "not a cent" was sent. He has filed a lawsuit against the CHP's chairman.
AMMAN - Jordan will not allow Israel to reopen its embassy in Amman until it has launched legal proceedings against an Israeli security guard who shot dead two Jordanian citizens in July, a Jordanian diplomatic source said on Thursday.

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Israel must also be able to assure its Arab neighbor that "justice has been served" in the case, the senior source said, asking not to be named.

The embassy was closed shortly after Israel hastily repatriated the guard under diplomatic immunity to prevent Jordanian authorities from interrogating him and taking any legal action against him. The Israeli ambassador and embassy staff were pulled out





Netanyahu meets with the guard, Ziv Moyal, and Israel's ambassador Einat Schlein (Photo: Haim Zach/GPO)

replace Ambassador Einat Schlein at the Amman embassy in an effort to improve ties. However they did not address the long-standing Jordanian demand to take legal action against the security guard.

"They can look for a new ambassador, but that ambassador will not be welcome in Jordan until a due legal process takes its course and justice is served," the diplomatic source said.

"Our position remains solid in Jordan.. The embassy will not reopen until these conditions are met... which is the position we took from the very beginning," he added.

Jordan maintains that even if the guard had diplomatic immunity that did not mean he could not be punished.

"The guard enjoyed immunity and not impunity under Vienna conventions," the source said, referring to the Vienna Convention that specifies privileges given to diplomats.

Guard Ziv Moyal's ID, leaked to Jordanian press

"Jordan acted in compliance with its obligation under international law and Israel has to do the same," the source said.

Jordanian officials have treated the shooting as a criminal case and say the two unarmed Jordanians, one a bystander and the other a teenage workman, were killed in cold blood by the armed guard.

Israel said the armed guard opened fire after being attacked and lightly wounded by the workman, who was delivering furniture at his home within the embassy compound, and acted in self-defence, in what Israeli officials called a "terrorist attack".

A televised welcome and hero's embrace by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the guard enraged King Abdullah . In a rare outburst, the monarch accused Netanyahu of using the incident as a "political show" saying it was "provocative on all fronts."

The king called on Israel to put the guard on trial.

Netanyahu welcomes the guard, Ziv Moyal, back to Israel (Photo: Haim Tzah/GPO)

"From the very beginning they had addressed this issue in a disgraceful way to politically exploit it," the source said.

The handling of the shooting has tested ties between Israel and Jordan, one of only two Arab states that has a peace treaty with Israel. They have a long history of close security ties.

Many Jordanians, in a country where the peace treaty is unpopular and pro-Palestinian sentiment widespread, were outraged the guard was allowed to leave and staged protests calling on the authorities to scrap the 1994 peace treaty.

Israel has said it is highly unlikely it would prosecute the security guard but has hinted at financial compensation to the family of one of the dead Jordanians.
ROME - US President Donald Trump's policies in the Gulf are dangerous and misguided, Iran's foreign minister said on Thursday, adding that pressure from Washington had only succeeded in strengthening Tehran's resolve.

Speaking at a conference in Rome, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif criticised Trump for seeking to renegotiate a 2015 deal aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program. He also questioned the US response to a crisis between Qatar and its neighbors.

"We have problems with the policies that are coming from Washington and I believe those policies are extremely dangerous, impulsive, not grounded in reality," Zarif said.

He said Trump did not understand the nature of the nuclear accord and was trying to dissuade foreign investors from doing business in Iran. "In spite of the arm twisting, more and more European companies have been coming in," he said.
Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels said Thursday they fired a ballistic missile at Saudi Arabia and hit a military target, in the second such attack this month, after threatening to retaliate over a crippling blockade.

"We confirm the success of our ballistic missile trial, which hit its military target inside Saudi Arabia," the Huthi-run Al-Masira television channel said.

A spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
By Benjamin Jumbe:

More than half of the global population  some four billion people  have no social security protection.

This is according to the World Social Protection Report 2017-2019, entitled Universal social protection to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, in which the UN International Labour Organization highlights how this protection gap is an obstacle to reaching globally-agreed targets on promoting growth and development, and protecting the planet.

ILO Director-General Guy Ryder said that although many countries had improved social protection for their citizens in recent decades, much more investment and political is needed to extend coverage.

Speaking to journalists in Geneva, he said that social security protection is a basic human right, and when people dont have it, governments reap the benefits.

Ryder explains that only 45 per cent of the global population have access to at least one social benefit, and only 29 per cent have comprehensive protection.

Despite a slight improvement in welfare coverage since 2015 around the world, much more investment by governments will be needed to extend protection to all; not least the 1.3 billion children who have no cover whatsoever.
President Yoweri Museveni has advised urban authorities to stop begging and look for alternative sources of revenue instead of waiting for grants from the central government.

Museveni was last evening officiating at the annual general meeting of the Urban Authorities Association of Uganda in Masaka town.

He also challenged urban authorities to create jobs for the growing youthful jobless population in their area before they become a problem to the country.

On the recent policy directive barring urban authorities from collecting daily dues from taxi operators, Museveni said that it was unfair to over charge taxi operators since they pay other taxes to government.

He however, promised to meet urban council authorities to hear their side of the story like he did to taxi operators last week.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Snow will taper off and end this morning but skies will remain cloudy this afternoon. High 31F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulations less than one inch..

Tonight

A few clouds. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 22F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.
The Black River Falls School District was recently notified by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) that, based on state testing, their special education students were lagging behind the average Wisconsin test scores for special education students.

DPI used state testing results from the Wisconsin Forward Exam taken by third through eighth grade students and sophomores and the ACT test taken by juniors to find this gap based on a 3-year rolling average (school years 2013-2014, 2014-2015 and 2015-2016).

DPI found this issue by comparing the test score gap between the special education students and regular education students in Black River Falls to the state average test score gap between special education students and regular education students in Wisconsin.

They are not comparing students with disabilities to students without disabilitiesthey are comparing our special education students to the rest of the special education students in the rest of the state, district Superintendent Shelly Severson said.

The district has been working to correct this issue ever since they got a warning last year from DPI.

The state is changing how they measure special education students. Their literacy is becoming a far heavier weight than it used to be. The previous year we were told that while the new requirements were not firmly in place, they let us know that if all data continued in the way it was going that we were not on track to be making adequate progress. So we kind of had a year warning, and then this year that warning came to fruition, Severson said.

Dr. Tammy Kielbasa was hired in July as the new director of pupil services and has been working to bring together what has been previously done and make it stronger.

What they spent time doing last year and this year is that they are really working with the curriculum to make sure that we have a rigorous curriculum not only for our regular education students, but that our curriculum for special education students is just as rigorous as the other students, Kielbasa said adding that they are also working on providing more professional development and additional resources to make sure the teachers have options to teach all of the students.

Having various resources available is important because of the diverse population of students identified as students with a disability, which makes up 11-12 percent of the Black River Falls total student enrollment.

I would contend that you could walk into any one of our classrooms and you would have little to no idea which students are part of that 11-12 percent of that population because they are as diverse as our non-special education population, Severson said.

Some students that need special education have learning disabilities, are intellectually disabled, have an emotional behavior disorder, are mobility impaired or have other health impairments.

To help teachers find new and better ideas, the district installed more time for teachers to learn from each other.

Every Friday is an early release Friday where all of our teachers are working together in Professional Learning Communities. They are specifically working on how to raise the rigor within the grade level curriculum for all students, Kielbasa said adding that she is rotating between the special education Professional Learning Communities at the four schools to help facilitate further action.

Kielbasa said they are also working on goal writing and performing a cause analysis to find out specifically what the students are struggling with and zeroing in on the problems and addressing these.

Thats the focus of the DPI and their college- and career-ready IEPs is to find out what the root cause of the students struggling is and really zero in on those areas of concern, meet those areas of concern and service those areas, Kielbasa said.

Additional area

of concern

DPI also told the district that there is another statistic that is concerning to them: the percentage of special education students that are not currently taking the required tests.

The district can opt to have a special education student take an alternative assessment called the Dynamic Learning Map, which is for those higher-need special education students.

They (DPI) told us that we had too high of percentage of special education students take the Dynamic Learning Map, the alternative assessment, than did the Forward, Severson said adding that the district is currently looking at their decision-making process.

For regular education students, most tests are completed in 12-15 hours, but Severson said the test can take 30-40 hours for a special education student.

There are times when a students abilities are so far apart from their grade level peers that we decide there is really no value in testing them. We are not going to put an eighth grader through 30-40 hours of testing because it just doesnt feel like we are going to learn anything thats going to be valuable information about that student, Severson said.

Sometimes the district is also put in a hard place when parents request the alternative exam.

Sometimes parents feel very strongly about this when we are at IEP meetings. They will say we know that he is reading significantly below grade level  why are we going to make him sit there for 30 hours and go through this test when I dont think that will help them learn anymore? Severson said. It is a little point of frustration because we try to do what we think is best for the individual student, but then the state measures our participation rates carefully and tells us we are using the alternative assessment too often.

Severson expects the changes being implemented now will take three years to be fully realized in the data.
As you probably have heard, RSV is hitting early and hitting hard this year. Here at Winona Health, my fellow caregivers in Pediatrics and Family Medicine and I are fielding many questions from concerned parents and child care providers. We are always happy to be your resource!
First we stuff the turkey then it stuffs usI think that is called the circle of life! I saw this quote and couldnt resist sharing it.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family, feasting and grateful hearts! This lady spent the holiday alone, fighting a full blown cold (excuse the pun) handed to me by a certain ornery spouse.

Same spouse spent the day with Jason and when they sat down to eat, we all went on speakerphone so I was able to be there in spoken word, with the occasional backing off for a coughing fit.

I had to shake my headusually this time of year I am hampered attending a lot of things because of ice and snow on the groundnow, on a perfect day to be out and about, I had to miss things anyway. You do what you have to do.

Funny thing, colds. There are so many stages. First, being, No, this isnt a cold when you sneeze four times in a row. Then there is that tiny tickle in the back of your throat. Then you admit you might have a small cold. Then whammo, you start coughing and hacking, sneezing, blowing and wondering if it feels this bad now, what in the heck it would have been like had I not gotten a flu shot!

So needless to say, I and my cold stayed home as well when the Johnson family gathered to wish Jake Johnson a happy 60th birthday this past Sunday. Figured getting a cold as a birthday present wouldnt be appreciated.

Lisa, Dan and Katie Ripp spent Thanksgiving in New York celebrating with the granddaughters. Getting Lisas picture of Madelyn with her pink frosted donut is a favorite traditio. This time it had white snowflake sprinkles on it.

It was a big day for the Toner Band with the debut of their new album on Nov. 18. CDs are now available for $10. Check it out at tonerband.com.

There were a lot of sad ladies around the country after hearing of the passing of former teen idol David Cassidy on Nov. 22. How many preteens remember him as their first celebrity crush? Even though my 12-year-old heart belonged to Bobby Sherman back then, I sure did like the smooth voice that David Cassidy had and I have to admit, the house was full of his music this past week as I said goodbye to a big part of my teenage years.

And so the holiday season begins. I havent attended the madness that is Black Friday for years, but it seems like there are so many opportunities for sales, I dont need to.

I had to chuckle at a couple of things I received via email. I give credit to the people who come up with advertising gimmicks, but this is the first year I was basically told in a rather snarky way that I would be crazy if I didnt take advantage of what they had to offer.

Then there was a promise that an offer was the lowest price of the year and earlier that week I was sent an email offering the same thing at $10 less than what the product was advertised at. They lied!

The Black River Area Community Band held their holiday concert on Sunday, Nov. 26. The BRF Middle School Band and Choir will present their concert on Monday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Lunda Theater.

I always know the Christmas season has officially begun when I read that Gathjes Greenhouse holds its Open Housethis year it was held on Nov. 24, 25 and 26.

Lisa Rodriguez of Hixton was recently named to Western Technical Colleges Presidents List of highest Distinction in supervisory management.

I heard that Miss Black River Falls float was at the Osseo Christmas Lighted Parade on Nov. 24. This years theme was Peace on Earth and the ladies were invited to tea at the Osseo Community Center. There are several events planned that the court will be attending. Friday, Dec. 1 will be the Sparta Christmas Parade Christmas Around the World, and Saturday, Dec. 2, the Christkindl Festival.

The New Hope Community Lutheran Church will be holding its Bake and Craft Sale at the Main Branch of the Jackson County Bank on Dec. 1 from 9 a.m. until noon.

Its time for the Annual Norwegian Bake Sale and more on Saturday, Dec. 2 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Taylor Lutheran Church.

Hearing of all the different kinds of holiday baking made my mouth water. Noon lunch will be served for a free-will donation and a raffle with more than 20 prizes will be held. Proceeds will go towards Vacation Bible School expenses. Any questions can be directed to Darlene Lunde at 715-662-2591.

Just a reminder that Pizza Orders for the Trinity Peace/Hixton-Northfield Lutheran Church youth fundraiser are due by Dec. 3 with Dec. 10 being the day to get them. Proceeds will go towards the youth attending the National Youth Gathering in Houston in June 2018.
A show choir co-director for the La Crosse School District is jailed and facing charges that accuse him of sexually assaulting a student.

Dustin Bagstad, 33, of La Crosse faces charges of second-degree sexual assault of a child, repeated second-degree sexual assault of the same child and sexual assault of a student by school staff when he appears Friday in La Crosse County Circuit Court.

Bagstad, a part-time employee, is on administrative leave and is not allowed to have contact with students or be on school property, Superintendent Randy Nelson wrote in a letter to parents.

Counselors and social workers are available for students, parents and staff.

Bagstad also serves as the director of marketing and development at Saint Anne of Winona, which provides assisted living, rehab services and respite care. He is on administrative leave, administrator Jodi Barton said.

Holmen police on Monday arrested Timothy Schilling, an educational assistant at Holmen High School, for sexually assaulting a child who is not a student in the district.

Schilling, 47, of La Crosse will appear in court next week for first-degree sexual assault of a child, repeated sexual assault of the same child and child abuse.
Santa and Mrs. Claus, who have set up workshop at Downtown Mainstreet in La Crosse, are determined to help youngsters from 99 days to 99 years create family treasures for generations to come.

Santa, who sometimes dons street clothes and goes by the moniker of Dan Felten, and the Mrs., aka Bonnie Felten, are no plain crusty old mall Santa and crabby elves who grab kids, slap em on the jolly old guys lap, have an elf shoot a photo that costs an arm and a leg and throw em down a slide, a la Christmas Story.

In their previous gigs during their Santa careers, the Clauses have worked a couple of malls  Arlington, Texas, and Colorado Springs, Colo.  in the run-up to Christmas, but they have opted to stay in La Crosse and let parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and all sorts of kin shoot photos with cameras and cellphones to their hearts content.

We wouldnt want anybody to stay away because they couldnt afford $30 for a photo, said Santa, who will open his shop, with Mrs. Santa, to the public from 2 to 7 p.m. Friday and will open Wednesdays-Sundays through Christmas Eve.

Parents and other family members are free to use their own cameras and/or cellphones throughout their free audiences with Santa. Although there is no charge for the hospitality, free-will donations are accepted.

If parents need a hand with the camera or phone, Carly the Elf, who also uses the Felten surname as a pseudonym when shes not helping her grandparents, will take the photos for you.

IF YOU GO WHO: Santa and Mrs. Claus, along with elf Carly and Olive the dog WHAT: Appearing in their workshop and North Pole set WHEN: 2 to 7 p.m. Friday for opening day and Wednesdays-Saturdays, except that this Saturday will be 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Christmas Eve. WHERE: Downtown Main Street, 500 Main St. ADMISSION: Free MORE INFORMATION: Downtown Mainstreet web site or Facebook. Also call DMI at 608-784-0440

We love pictures with the parents and grandparents, Mrs. Claus said. I think thats such a treasure for the family.

She recalled a 97-year-old woman who was passing by during one of their stints in Arlington. She beckoned the woman to be in a photo, but she firmly refused.

I said, Listen, if you will let us take your picture with Santa, you can have the picture, Mrs. Claus said.

The woman not only agreed to meet Santa, but she snuggled right up to him, said Bonnie  uh, Mrs. Claus.

Her son, who probably was in his 60s, was standing there, crying, she said, and he remarked with a sob, We havent gotten a picture of her in years.

The next year, the womans daughter-in-law came back and told the Clauses, Mom died. I just wanted you to know how much that meant to her. She got very quiet after she saw Santa, and I asked her, Mom, did you forget to tell Santa what you wanted?

She said it was the first time she ever had seen Santa, the daughter-in-law told them.

The woman was so happy she made sure it would be in her obituary  that she finally got to meet Santa, Mrs. Claus said.

The Clauses, who, in their Felten disguises, are retirees from Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare, have been revealing their true selves seasonally for 16 years, and they have remained in character all year for the past eight years.

Natives of Sheboygan, Wis., the Claus/Feltens moved to La Crosse in 1975 to work at the then-Franciscan-Skemp Healthcare. Their white SUV, their believe machine, is decked out with their photo, with Mrs. Claus holding Olive, the other member of their entourage.

Olive is named after a 1997 book, Olive, the Other Reindeer, about a Jack Russell Terrier named Olive who wants to help pull the sleigh when Blitzen is put on injured reserve. The book, which became an hour-long, animated TV special in 1999 starring Drew Barrymore in the title role, tells how Olive misheard all of the other reindeer in Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer and thought Santa was depending on her.

Maintaining their North Pole personas year-round can have its drawbacks, the couple said, recalling an off-season trip to Denver when Carly was young and with Olive along for the ride.

We were bombarded with people, Santa said. It took us two hours to get through crowds.

Rotary Lights to illuminate globe with solar power Rotary Lights keeps adding to the wow factor, even entering its 23rd season  and the big ne

It was kind of special, he said, a sentiment that Carly agreed with, with the proviso, It also was annoying that it took so long.

Now 20, Carly signed on as an elf when she was in the sixth grade. The graduate of La Crescent High School is studying early childhood education at Western Technical College in La Crosse and plans to transfer to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

I really, really enjoy it, she said, adding that her favorite part of the role is the look on parents faces when they see how excited their children are.

Just as parents think the visit is nearing an end and start stowing their cell phones, Carly cautions them to keep the phones handy because Santa often takes the children over to his workbench, where candid photos while interacting with Santa often are the best.

When the occasional child is hesitant or even afraid to approach Santa, the Clauses are masters of distraction. Sometimes, Mrs. Claus says he has to go out back to feed the reindeer and he disappears around the corner.

Then, when the children are sitting alone on the bench or, sometimes, Mrs. Claus is reading to them, Santa appears in the window behind and the parents are able to capture the moment.

They work really hard to help the kids relax and get Santa in the picture, she said.

Santa and Mrs. Claus moved their shop lock, stock and barrel from the Doerflinger Building, where they held court last year, to DMI headquarters at the invitation of the downtown business group.

The Clauses  St. Nick is 74 and the Mrs. is 73  said they are grateful that DMI had storage space in the basement for their elaborate North Pole set, which Santa and the couples son, Matt Felten, constructed themselves.

When it was time to set it up, they had a board meeting and had the men carry it up, Santa said, laughing as if he were bringing a poem to life like a bowl full of jelly.

The Clauses, who also play some corporate events and will go to houses if time allows, have overhead to cover, such as performers insurance and background checks. They also exercise extreme caution around children in these litigious times.

You have to make sure both hands show in every photo, Dan/Santa said.

In their quest to make sure children of all stripes get time with Santa, the Feltens are mulling the idea of setting aside time on one of their off days  probably Tuesday  to cater to disabled children, by appointment, for perhaps 15 minutes at a time.

They would make the set more wheelchair-accessible and allow more time to settle childrens nerves, because some disabled kids need that extra care, they said.

The DMI setup is particularly kid-friendly with a room lined with tables and chairs where families waiting to see Santa can chill, while the kids color pictures of Santa that are the handiwork of daughter-in-law Lori Felten.

The Clauses relish the fact that they are able to entertain at their own pace, as opposed to the 12- and 13-hour days at malls  often without even food breaks with often gnarly crowds who rebelled when Santa tried to get away for a little respite.

Try leaving to go to the bathroom, Santa said, recalling a mall incident when the couple had to go, so they went  to the restroom.

As they were making their way back to Santas castle, ringing their bells, a young boy bellowed, Hey Santa, did you PEE?

The reaction restored a bit of revelry to the otherwise restless crowd.

From Tribune files: 1978-1984 Christmas memories from the La Crosse Tribune
Our Saviors Lutheran Church is hosting Leather & Lace at its 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday, Dec. 3. The event is open to everyone.

The Chocolate Church as it is referred to by many holds two Sunday services. The early service at 8 a.m. utilizes a more traditional format using the green hymnal (Lutheran Book of Worship), while the 10:30 a.m. service is a more contemporary gathering for worshipers.

There will also be a community potluck dinner following the 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday, Dec. 3. For more information about Our Saviors Lutheran Church and upcoming events call 634-4871.
Wednesday, November 29, 2017



Independence Day Poland 2015, photo Maja Ruszpel

As we've noted before, the far-right movements in both Germany and Austria have made significant political gains in the last few months. (See here, here.)

Those aren't the only countries in Europe seeing a rise in anti-immigrant nationalism.

Earlier this month, Poland celebrated its independence day and tens of thousands of young people turned out to march in Warsaw. As the WSJ reports, the march was organized by the National Radical Camp - a "nationalist youth movement that seeks an ethnically pure Poland with fewer Jews or Muslims." The event wasn't so much historical as a call to action. Banners on display read "White Europe" and "Europe Will Be White".

As one protestor told the WSJ: We want a Poland that will be for Polish people.

-KitJ

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2017/11/polands-rising-right.html
Thursday, November 30, 2017

Ethics Profs attention here. This is a good teaching tool.

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania concluded in a motion to disqualify counsel that an attorney admitted pro hac vice violated Rule 4.2 by talking to two flight attendants on a US Airways flight.

Because the underlying case had settled, the only issue before the court was possible sanctions.

The attorney represented a plaintiff suing the airline for injuries sustained as a result of turbulence in a flight from Cancun to Philadelphia

Plaintiff filed an Amended Complaint on October 25, 2016, for injuries sustained during US Airways Flight 815 travelling from Cancun, Mexico, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when the flight encountered unexpected turbulence, asserting that US Airways is liable under the Montreal Convention.

During the case

On July 28, 2017, US Airways filed the pending Motion for Sanctions, alleging that plaintiffs attorney, Alisa Brodkowitz, engaged in ex parte communications with two US Airways flight attendants in violation of Pennsylvania Rule of Professional Conduct 4.2, which prohibits a lawyer from communicating about the subject matter of the representation with a person the lawyer knows to be represented by another lawyer in the matter without prior authorization.

The court analyses Rule 4.2 in the employee context

According to Brodkowitz, because the complaint does not allege that the flight attendants were negligent or that the acts or omissions of the flight attendants . . . might otherwise be the basis for imposing liability on US Airways, the flight attendants were not represented parties. Pl.s Memo in Opp. to Def.s Mot. to Sanction Pl.s Counsel at 13. Instead, she argues, the flight attendants were contacted as witnesses, as opposed to negligent actors. Id. In a discovery request dated March 22, 2017, however, plaintiff requested information related to US Airways employment and personnel files on the grounds that [t]he flight and cabins [sic] crews training is at issue, with regard to transport and reporting of the injury causing event following government and or US Airways own policies and procedures. Mot. for Sanctions, Ex. G...

The Court notes, however, that flight attendants are generally responsible for the safety of passengers in their custody. Statements made by the flight attendants regarding the flight and their acts and omissions during the flight that caused plaintiffs injuries could certainly subject US Airways to liability. Viewing Brodkowitzs communications in light of the circumstances of the case, the Court concludes that the flight attendants were represented parties because they are persons whose act or omission in connection with the matter may be imputed to the organization for purposes of civil or criminal liability. Pa R.P.C. 4.2, cmt. 7. Thus, Brodkowitzs communications with the flight attendants violated Rule 4.2.

The court rejected a Rule 4.1 allegation for false statements to the flight attendants as unproven on the submissions .

The court denied sanctions

US Airways failed to provide any evidence of prejudice resulting from Brodkowitzs communications with the two flight attendants. US Airways has stipulated to liability; evidence presented will thus be limited to damages. See Stipulation Regarding Defs. Election Not to Contest Liability. Pursuant to the stipulation, [n]o evidence of . . . [t]he acts or omissions of the pilots or flight attendants of Flight 815 or any other employee or agent of US Airways, Inc. shall be introduced or mentioned at trial. Id. at 2. Thus plaintiff is already precluded from using information related to the acts or omissions of the flight attendantsthe very basis upon which the Court holds that the flight attendants are represented parties under Rule 4.2against US Airways. US Airways has therefore failed to demonstrate that sanctions are necessary to avoid prejudice...

Under the circumstances, revocation of Brodkowitzs pro hac vice admission is not an appropriate sanction. However, the Court concludes that admonishment for violating Rule 4.2 is warranted. This Memorandum constitutes such admonishment.

(Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2017/11/ethics-profs-attention-here-the-united-states-district-court-for-the-eastern-district-of-pennsylvania-concluded-in-a-motion.html
The small but bedazzled cast of "Pippin" fill the air with music and magic during a dress rehearsal Tuesday night at the Albany Civic Theater.
The Willamette Valley Ag Expo is set for Tuesday through Thursday, Nov. 15 through 17, at the Linn County Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E. in Albany.
A fire spread to a Lebanon residence on West Maple Street after starting in the garage on Tuesday, November 28.




Particularly during my sojourns in South Africa, it may not be possible for me to perform the moderation function speedily. I regret the necessity of moderation but it has been rendered inevitable by the behaviour of a particular commentator whose contributions will always and without exception be rejected.





No correspondence will be entered into regarding moderation decisions.

Readers are invited to comment on blog posts. All comments require to be pre-moderated by me, and I shall reject all (a) that are not related to the Lockerbie disaster or (b) that fail to meet my -- perhaps idiosyncratic -- standards of courtesy towards other contributors. Comments will not be rejected simply because I disagree with them or because I, or other contributors, find them irritating. But comments will be rejected if they distort or misrepresent the evidence; are defamatory; or if they risk embroiling me, as publisher, in defamation proceedings. I am perfectly relaxed about being sued in respect of material which I personally have posted -- but not in respect of material that others wish to post as comments and which, in any case, I often strongly disagree with.
MOUNANA - "We are all sick. It's our health, and we are being conned," Moise Massala says angrily.

Photo: AFP

The 82-year-old is a retired geochemist who used to work in a uranium mine in Gabon owned by French nuclear giant Areva.

He and hundreds of other former workers say they fell ill from their work to extract the uranium -- a source of nuclear power and warheads, but toxic and potentially carcinogenic.

The miners worked for an Areva subsidiary -- the Compagnie des mines d'uranium de Franceville, better known by its abbreviation of Comuf.

Over 38 years, the mine extracted some 26,000 tonnes of uranium near Mounana, southeastern Gabon, before closing in 1999 after the global price of uranium fell and the seam of ore began to thin.

By the end of 2016, 367 former workers had died from "pulmonary respiratory infections" linked to working in the mine, according to Matrac, a campaign group gathering 1,618 former employees.

The surviving miners, many of them old and sick, have unsuccessfully demanded compensation for 12 years in the belief they were exposed to dangerous levels of uranium contamination.

Areva, a multi-billion-dollar business majority-owned by the French state, has repeatedly denied that it has any case to answer.

"No occupational disease related to exposure to ionising radiation" has ever been detected, it says.

An internal company mail dating from 2015, seen by AFP and independently verified, acknowledges that the company was aware many of its former employees had developed serious ailments.

In the mail, Areva's health director, Pierre Laroche, wrote that "many serious diseases have been detected among former employees, for example contagious tuberculosis".

For former workers, this proves the company's liability and justifies their claims for compensation, even if it does not legally prove all their illnesses are directly linked to excessive levels of uranium exposure.

The firm has refused to give payouts to the vast majority of its employees, apart from compensation payments in 2011 to the families in France of two French former mine workers who died of lung cancer.

The company has repeatedly argued it was difficult to establish if the rate of cancer cases among former miners was greater than those occurring in the wider population.

"That there was radioactivity in Mounana is a reality. (But) to what degree and to what extent the workers were affected, it will be very difficult to establish," a former senior executive of the mine told AFP, on condition of anonymity.

In similar disputes elsewhere in the world, experts acknowledge the difficulty of pinning cancer and respiratory diseases on nuclear exposure at work.

Smoking and other "lifestyle" habits could, for instance, be a cause.

Areva has been under pressure to compensate its employees for more than a decade.

In 2007, French NGOs Sherpa and Medecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) carried out field surveys in Mounana and in Niger, another Areva uranium mining site.

They published a report denouncing what they described as high rates of cancer among former employees.

Areva agreed to investigate the situation and launched a health initiative in 2009 -- the Mounana Health Observatory (OSM) -- promising to pay compensation and treat former miners who fell ill, provided scientific and medical panels confirmed their disease was attributable to industrial causes.

Seven years on, not one former employee has been compensated.

"I've had difficulty breathing for 10 years," says 77-year-old Roland Mayombo, who spent 27 years in the mine.

"I went to the OSM four times a year, but I have never had a result," he complained.

"We decided to stop going (to the OSM) because no one has ever given us our analysis results," said Estime Beno Ngodi, president of Matrac, who says he is suffering from lung cancer.

Comuf accuses Matrac of spreading "misinformation" and defends its handling of the health initiative.

It looked at more than 650 former workers but suspended the project in 2015 because of a boycott by Matrac, says Gilles Recoche, Comuf's's director of the board.

"We're proud of having set up a unique tripartite structure, which enabled former Comuf workers to benefit from a free medical visit," he adds.

For the surviving miners, their long battle to prove a direct link between their illness and uranium contamination goes on. But, for many, age and sickness are wearing them down.

"It's battle between David and Goliath," sighs Massala.
TWIN FALLS  Opioid overdose patients in Twin Falls may have a greater chance of survival now, thanks to a new tool carried by the citys police officers.

As opioid use explodes across the country, a growing number of police departments  Twin Falls now among them  are equipping their officers with naloxone, a medication delivered by injection or nasal spray that counteracts the effects of an opioid overdose.

Typically, when an officer arrives at the scene of a potential overdose, they must wait for medics to get there to give the patient medical attention. Now, first responders in Twin Falls and elsewhere can administer an antidote themselves while waiting for additional help to arrive.

Naloxone  often referred to as Narcan, the brand name of a nasal spray form of naloxone used by the Twin Falls police and many other departments  isnt an end-all medical treatment for potential overdoses. But proponents of equipping first responders with Narcan say its a simple, low-risk tool that can mean the difference between life and death.

Its no secret this is a national healthcare phenomenon that is truly affecting all of our country, said Twin Falls Police Chief Craig Kingsbury. This is a easily administered medication that, if used in a timely manner on people who have overdosed on opioid substances, can reverse the effects and in essence help them breathe again and save lives.

In Twin Falls, there have already been two instances of officers successfully using Narcan on overdose patients since October, when the department began training and equipping its officers, Kingsbury said. The department started looking into using Narcan late last year.

Overdoses from opioids, particularly heroin and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, have skyrocketed within the past few years. More than 64,000 people in the US died from drug overdoses in 2016, with opioids leading the death count, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. The number of deaths involving heroin and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl have especially increased since 2010.

There hasnt been a rise in overdose deaths in Twin Falls over the past couple of years, but police data suggests that heroin is becoming more prevalent as illegal prescription drugs become more difficult to obtain.

Up until roughly a year ago, heroin overdoses were rare in the area, said Matt Larsen, an emergency room doctor at St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center. Now theyre more common.

Since October, Larsen has led training sessions for the Twin Falls Police Department to explain to officers how the drug works, the correct way to administer it, and under what circumstances it should be used.

When he was first approached by the city to assist with trainings, Larsen said, he was somewhat reluctant.

Police should not normally be tasked with medical provision, he said. However, he continued, having them have a very simple treatment that has no significant side effects ... seems like a reasonable way of trying to save lives.

The Twin Falls Police Department is not the only law enforcement agency in the Magic Valley to consider using Narcan. The Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office plans to consult the police departments model for equipment and training, Sheriff Tom Carter said, with the goal of eventually outfitting its deputies with the antidote as well.

Blaine County deputies will also soon carry Narcan, supplied by a local pharmacy, according to Sheriff Steve Harkins. The department is in the early stages of training, he said.

Deputies in Minidoka and Cassia counties already carry the medication, but only to use on themselves in case of emergency.

Other local sheriffs said they did not have plans to equip deputies with naloxone to use on potential overdose patients, though Gooding County Sheriff Shaun Gough and Jerome County Sheriff Doug McFall indicated that they may be open to rethinking the possibility in the future if needed. Calls to the Lincoln County and Camas County Sheriffs Offices were not immediately returned.

So far, said Jerome Police Chief Dan Hall, his department doesnt have any plans to follow in Twin Fallss footsteps, as Jerome hasnt seen a significant rise in opioid use.

I cant guarantee that wont happen in the future, he said. Given whats going on all around us, it would almost be reasonable to expect that that will rise at some point in time.
HIS supporters gathered on Thursday to urge him to declare a revolutionary government, but President Rodrigo Duterte insisted he would not be doing so and hoped he would not be compelled to do so.

I hope there will never come a time that I will be compelled to call for it, Duterte said in an interview posted at Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Usons blog.

I am a lawyer and I am following the Constitution. [But] only when the Republic of the Philippines is dying, then maybe.

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Duterte made the statement even as Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday raised the alarm over the participation and support of some government officials to a proposal to place the country under a revolutionary government.

In an interview at the sidelines of the Bonifacio Day celebrations in Caloocan City, Robredo slammed administration allies who floated and publicly supported the idea.

FOR, AGAINST REV GOV. With raised clenched fists, supporters (above) of President Rodrigo Duterte gather at Mendiola (now Chino Roces Bridge), near Malacanang in Manila, ahead of the pro-revolutionary government assembly in the afternoon, as an effort to urge Duterte to lead revolutionary government and rid the country of criminality, destabilization and other threats while those opposed (below) to a revolutionary government stage their own protest rally in Morayta, 300 meters away from Mendiola. Ey Acasio, Norman Cruz

Government officials supporting the proposal for a revolutionary government is alarming because it is like you want to revolt against the government you represent. It seems very ironic, said Robredo who was invited to join the annual celebrations along with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

Meanwhile, the Samahang ng Progresibong Kabataan on Thursday slammed the Duterte administration on its plans to establish a revolutionary government.

This November 30 we celebrate the day of a true Filipino revolutionary: Andres Bonifacio, the group said in a statement.

His dream was for the Filipino people to be free from the exploitation of Spanish colonizers. It succeeded. We are already liberated from their hands.

Duterte said the calls he would be doing were just to draw publicity.

Some people are not listening, he said in Filipino.

I see no reason, really. But there is always a predicate really to my statement. So you listen first.

Pro-revolutionary government rallies were held in Mendiola in Manila, at the Plaza Independencia in Cebu City, at the Crocodile Park in Davao City and other parts of the country on Bonifacio Day urging Duterte to lead a revolutionary government and rid the country of criminality, destabilization and other threats.

But Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque insisted that Duterte does not want to establish a revolutionary government despite the calls from several groups.

He called on those favoring the establishment of a evolutionary government to conduct their rallies peacefully and orderly.

The President has earlier said he does not want a revolutionary government. This, however, does not mean he would prevent citizens from expressing their support for a revolutionary government, Roque said.

The Chief Executive in numerous occasions articulated that he allows protests and other forms of mass action as long as public safety and convenience are not compromised.

Roque assured the protesters that the police would observe maximum tolerance and exercise the highest restraint during the rallies.

Duterte had earlier said that establishing a revolutionary government at this time was like looking for a headache.

Bill Casas

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Malacanang said on Thursday that President Rodrigo Duterte was not able to attend the commemoration of the 154th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio in Caloocan City due to a commitment in Mindanao.

In a short message sent to reporters, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the President would be visiting an undisclosed conflict-ridden area in the south.

Commitment in Minda [Mindanao]. Cant disclose sked [schedule] but hes going to a conflict-ridden area, the message read.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana instead led the flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies at the Bonifacio National Shrine as Dutertes representative.

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Also present were Vice President Leni Robredo, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, local government leaders led by Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan, and representatives of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, among others.

Meanwhile, Senate President Aquilino Koko Pimentel III said Bonifacios desire to improve the quality of life of Filipinos and his dedication had made him great.

Worth emulating. Manila City Administrator Ericson Alcobenda and Commodore Raymond Narciso Balde of Cavite Naval Base lead the wreath-laying ceremony at the Bonifacio Shrine in celebration of the 154th birth anniversary of The Great Plebeian Andres Bonifacio. Norman Cruz

Joining the observance of Bonifacios 154th birthday, Pimentel said Bonifacios life story resonates among Filipinoshe stopped school at an early age to support his siblings through his labor.

He wanted a better life for his family. He became great because he went beyond his family and also worked for an improved quality of life for all Filipinos, said Pimentel.

Although remembered primarily as a revolutionary, Pimentel noted that Bonifacio aimed to reform the system from within at the beginning, when he joined La Liga Filipina.

Pimentel said, Bonifacio was a reformist, radicalized by the systemic injustice of the Spanish colonial regime. But some of the problems Bonfacio faced still exists, even more than a hundred years after the Spanish colonial regime was overthrown.

For Pimentel, who is also President of the ruling party PDP Laban, whose Chairman is President Rodrigo Duterte, this is the reason why his party advocates a systemic change through the shift to Federalism.

Pimentel said, Bonifacio wanted to change the system because it wasnt working for the benefit of all. This is also what we want to accomplish in PDP Labana peaceful Change through the shift to Federalism which would help solve age-old problems of poverty, injustice, and inequality.

The Senate President added, My dream is that one day, we can say that we were able to fulfill Bonifacios vision, that we built a Philippine society that benefits all Filipinos.

violence and daily killings as they reflect on the strength and courage of Bonifacio.

She said true change would only come when violence, oppression and injustices happening in the country stop.

She also asked the people to continue fighting for their rights and not to get tired of speaking up against the governments deadly and unjust policies.

A staunch critic of injustices happening in the country since Duterte became the countrys President, De Lima vowed to protect human rights even while in detention for what she claimed as trumped-up drug charges fabricated by the present administration.

Senator Joel Villanueva said the lessons we learn from Bonifacio should teach us to value the institutions that uphold our democracy and our freedom.

May his example ingrain in us a deep sense of nationalism and passion to become future drivers of growth and leaders in nation-building, he said.

He noted that the heroic deeds of Bonifacio should further motivate and inspire each of us more than ever to be critical, assertive, and proactive in finding solutions to our countrys pressing problems

Today, we commemorate the bravery of one of our nations heroesAndres Bonifacio. Known as the Father of the Philippine Revolution, Bonifacio started a movement that defied colonial rule and granted us independence.

His unwavering spirit and thirst for change shown in his leadership as Katipunans Supremo led to a historic uprising which saw the power of collective action in pursuit of one patriotic goal: to defend our Motherland and free our countrymen from the shackles of an abusive system, further added Villanueva.

Senator Gringo Honasan said the country remembers Bonifacio, as someone who dreamed of a strong and sovereign Nation for the next generation of Filipinos.

We celebrate his courage, struggle, vision and sacrifice for the freedoms we now enjoy and must together work hard to earn and keep. God bless our Country and children, he added.

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The participation of Morocco at the fifth AU-EU Summit was highly welcomed by AU officials as well as African and EU officials alike.

At the opening ceremony of the summit, held in Abidjan on November 29-30, Head of the AU and President of Guinea Alpha Conde and Chairman of the AU commission Moussa Faki paid a vibrant tribute to Morocco and to King Mohammed VI for his African leadership as evidenced by his participation in the summit.

Morocco, the closest African country to Europe, is poised to play the role of a bridge between the AU-EU notably in issues of extreme concern to both parties, such as migration and economic development.

The North African Kingdom is also the African country with whom the EU maintains the closest and most multilayered ties. Morocco has received an Advanced Status in its ties with the EU with whom it has close economic ties and deep cooperation on security issues and migration control.

As for Africa, Morocco has forged close human, economic and cultural ties with numerous countries. Morocco is also adopting a proactive African foreign policy underpinned by a south-south cooperation approach that earned Morocco respect and support in Africa leading to its triumphal return to the African Union and an upcoming membership in the ECOWAS.

The win-win projects launched by Morocco and a group of Africas fastest growing economies such as Rwanda, Ethiopia, Cote dIvoire and Senegal are reflective of an active solidarity spearheaded by King Mohammed VI.

The gas pipeline project, signed between Morocco and Nigeria, to channel Nigerian gas up to Europe is a flagship project that puts Morocco on the spotlight of EU-African relations.

In this respect, the attendance of the King in the EU-AU summit shows that the empty seat policy is over and that Morocco will defend its interests and make its voice heard regarding its strategic interests.

The presence of the Polisario in the event is viewed by Morocco as an anomaly at odds with international law. Anyways, such a ceremonial presence is insignificant, as two-thirds of the AU member countries do not recognize the phony SADR republic while no country in the EU has ties with the Algerian-based militia.

As the alliance of the Polisario proponents erodes in the continent with the collapse in Zimbabwe of Mugabes regime and the impending erosion of the ideological ties feeding into the Polisario separatist thesis, support for Moroccos territorial integrity grows in tandem with its south-south cooperation approach in the continent.

The participation of the King in the event sends a strong message that Morocco will not leave its chair empty and that its political, economic and cultural weight are incomparable with a puppet state whose strings are pulled by the military regime in Algeria.
French President Emmanuel Macron Wednesday indicated that he would send to Saudi Crown Prince a list of terror groups and would expect Riyadh to cut their financing as pledged by the apparent heir of the Saudi throne.

The Kingdom has been accused of funding the promotion of religious extremism around the world through its strict Wahhabi school of Islam.

But over the past few months, Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, who has gained enough power from his father, vowed to eradicate extremism and introduced soft changes into the kingdom.

Speaking from Abidjan where he was attending the EU-Africa Summit, President Macron told France 24 television that France is in possession of a list of terror groups linked to the Saudi throne.

He (the Crown Prince) never did it publicly, but when I went to Riyadh (this month), he made a commitment, such that we could give him a list and he would cut the financing, Macron said during an interview.

I believe him, but I will follow up. Trust is built on results, he added.

Saudi Arabia funds religious program around the world through its Mecca-based Muslim World League.

The Head of the League, Mohammed al-Issa told Reuters last week that the league is now bent on squashing extremist ideology.

We must wipe out this extremist thinking through the work we do. We need to annihilate religious severity and extremism which is the entry point to terrorism, Issa said in an interview.

Macrons comments disclose Riyadhs links with terror groups, at a time Saudi Arabia accuses Qatar of its alleged support terrorism.

The French leader added he was looking forward to see Qatar, Iran and Turkey cut financing of terror groups.

Macron is expected in Doha on December 7. He is contemplating a visit to Iran next year at the invitation of President Hassan Rouhani.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Wednesday allowed the army to use brute force to squash militancy in the Sinai following the killing of 305 people in the restive province last Friday in an attack authorities blame on the Islamic State group (IS).

Allow me to take this opportunity to commit General Mohamed Farid Hegazy, in front of you and all the Egyptian people: you are responsible for restoring security and stability in Sinai within three months, you and the interior ministry, al-Sisi told the chief of staff in a televised speech marking the birth of Prophet Sidna Mohamed.

In three months, with Gods grace, and with your help and sacrifices and those of the police, Egypt will restore stability and security in Sinai, al-Sisi told his new Chief of staff Maj. Gen. Mohammed Farid Hegazy.

Complete brutal force will be used. Complete brutal force.

Egypt witnessed last Friday its deadliest terror attack in modern history as jihadists, carrying the banner of the terror group, attacked worshippers in a mosque during the midday Friday prayer in the Sinai killing over 300, including 27 children.

The jihadists attacked the mosque because it is linked to Sufi order considered heretic by the Sunni group.

It was the second time since the attack that al-Sisi mentioned the use of brutal force.

The mandate given to armed forces is unclear but observers believe that allows the military to commit human rights abuses and atrocities already blamed on the Egyptian forces.

The army general turned-President has made the fight against terrorism his major concern, a move that won him the praise and support from Western powers with the Trump administration being the staunch supporter.

Jihadists have stepped up attacks against the armed forces in the Sinai since 2013 following the overthrow of elected President Mohamed Morsi by al-Sisi who was then Defense minister.

The attacks have also targeted Christian communities and spilled to mainland including Cairo and other major cities.
Gaza ruler Hamas and its rival Fatah in the West Bank decided Wednesday to postpone the December 1 deadline concerning the handover of the Strip to President Mahmoud Abba-led Palestinian Authority (PA) as both groups trade accusations over the implementation of October reconciliation deal brokered by Egypt.

The December 1 deadline could not be met, so both factions have proposed December 10 as tensions remain.

Hamas and Fatah are asking Egypt to postpone the transfer of the government roles from December 1 to December 10 in order to finalize arrangements to ensure the completion of national reconciliation steps, Hamas said in a statement.

Rival Fatah confirmed the move.

Hamas has already complied with part of the deal after it surrendered all Gaza crossings earlier this month to PA dominated by Abbass Fatah.

The Wednesday postponement follows string of accusations traded by the two groups.

Fatahs top negotiator in the deal, Azzam al-Ahmad, told AFP that Hamas was not committed to the Egypt-mediated deal to end divisions.

Until this moment, the problems and obstacles from Hamas are still there and are increasing.

Hamas hit back telling the French press agency that Fatah was rather the real spoiler.

The leadership of the Palestinian Authority and Fatah insist on continuing maneuvers and have not committed to implementing the reconciliation agreement, said Bassem Naim, an official of the Islamist group.

Wednesday, the return of Fatah employees to a number of ministries in Gaza as part of the deal turned sour after union delegates reportedly close to Hamas prevented workers from taking office.

Both groups tossed responsibilities over the incident.

Strife between Hamas and Fatah started since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 and drove out the West Bank-based movement following its victory of 2006 elections. Efforts to unite both groups have failed ever since.
Moroccos King Mohammed VI has pleaded for a courageous and responsible dialogue between Africa and Europe and for the establishment of a new bi-continental pact between the two sides so that they rise, together, to the challenges thrown at them.

In a message to the 5th European Union-African Union summit held in Abidjan November 29-30, King Mohammed VI pointed out that the EU and the AU are two essential and inevitable regional groupings, and that Partnership between Africa and Europe is as relevant as ever.

It is essential that the courageous, responsible dialogue between former colonizer nations and former colonized countries remain frank and direct. Today, fresh impetus needs to be injected into it, the monarch argued, adding that the EU and the AU are equally concerned by opportunities and responsibilities as they are by the challenges they face.

For the Moroccan King, Solidarity between Europe and Africa is neither a hollow concept nor some sort of association based on one-way philanthropy; it is built on shared responsibility and mutual dependence. It follows that the logic of a vertical aid pattern can today give way to a genuine horizontal partnership.

To materialize this genuine horizontal partnership, the Monarch argued that there should be a shift in the EU-Africa Partnership towards a new bi-continental Pact. Both Africa and Europe must rise, together, to inevitable challenges through shared competitiveness, co-localization of productive businesses, regulated human mobility and fruitful cultural exchanges.

In his message, the King of Morocco who has made of Africas development a top priority in his foreign policy, urged Europeans to reconsider the harsh conditions they impose on African countries to get loans. The conditionality of the debt must be reconsidered, he said, pointing out that Western countries expect some African countries  which gained independence less than half a century ago  to perform in politics and the economy as optimally as they themselves do, and they therefore impose impossible conditions on them.

This aberration is all the more inexplicable as these European countries sometimes face significant financial and political difficulties themselves, he said.

In his message to the AU-EU summit, King Mohammed VI dealt at length with the immigration issue and the atrocious practices migrants are subjected to in an utter denial of hu-manity, in reference to the gross violations of migrants hu-man rights in Libya, including the slave trading of the mi-grants as reported by CNN this month.

Libya, a new crossing point between Africa and Europe, has become the corridor of all evils, epitomizing all types of misfortunes. We are deeply shocked by the atrocious practices reported by the media and currently plaguing migrants in our region. This is an utter denial of humanity.

The Monarch insisted that European policy should change and that a new vision is needed.

We ought to turn immigration into a subject of peaceful debate and constructive exchange, the King said, underlining that it is the time for action and for finding effective solutions to this issue.
King Mohammed VI warned that the continuing stalemate in the Middle East peace process jeopardizes the future of the peoples in the region and is a key driver of extremism and instability.

It goes without saying that the Palestinian cause is the most important issue for the Arab and Muslim world. Allowing it to go unresolved jeopardizes the future of the peoples in the region and is a key driver of extremism and instability, stated the Moroccan king in a message commemorating the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

He urged for setting up a reasonable time frame, to hold meaningful negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians in order to end the occupation and reach an agreement that covers all final-status issues.

In the royal message addressed to the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, King Mohammed VI, who is the Chairman of the OIC-Al Quds Committee, stressed the need for Israel, as the occupying power, to respect the historical and legal status of the al-Aqsa Mosque and the al-Aqsa Mosque Compound and stop all unilateral measures aimed at changing the Arab, Islamic and Christian identity of East al-Quds.

Similarly, the 4 June 1967 lines should be considered as the borders of the Palestinian State, and the settlement activities in all occupied Palestinian territories should stop, in compliance with the relevant United Nations resolutions  the latest being Resolution 2334, passed in 2016, the Monarch insisted.

My call for the establishment of an independent Palestinian State is an appeal for legitimacy to be upheld and for an end to be put to the injustice inflicted upon the Palestinian people, so they may fulfil their aspirations for freedom, independence and a dignified life, just like the other peoples of the world he went on to say.

Underscoring that the continuation of the occupation is a blot on the conscience of Israel and the international community, the King made it clear that the international community has a legal, political, moral and humanitarian responsibility to end the occupation as well as Israels illegal practices in the Palestinian territories.

Those practices are the main reasons and arguments put forward by terrorist groups to justify their criminal agenda in the region and in the world, he said.

In a message on the same occasion commemorating the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, UN Secretary General Antono Guterres pointed out that the two-state solution is the only one for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Seventy years since General Assembly Resolution 181 was adopted, a sovereign and independent State of Palestine has yet to emerge alongside the State of Israel, Guterres stated, noting that the resolution of this conflict would also create momentum for greater stability throughout the region.
The King of Morocco Mohammed VI on Wednesday called on African leaders to pool efforts to tackle the issue of migration, pledging his dedication to the problem as the African Union (AU) leader in charge of migration issue on the continent.

In my capacity as the Leader in charge of the migration issue within the African Union, I am particularly keen to submit proposals to my Brothers and Sisters the Heads of State at the next AU Summit in order to chart a real African Agenda on migration, the King stated in a message addressed to the ongoing EU-Africa Summit in Abidjan.

He recalled that in July 2017 during the AU 29th summit, he submitted to the AU Chairman, President Alpha Conde, the preliminary draft outlining the broad lines of this Agenda, insisting that this full-fledged Agenda requires that we speak with one African voice, in accordance with our own work plan.

King Mohammed VI was appointed AU leader in charge of the migration issue on the continent after the North African coun-try regained its seat in the continental organization, 33 years after it walked out to protest against the membership of the pseudo-Sahrawi Republic.

The preliminary draft outlined the required steps to address migration, notably through adopting national policies, improving sub-regional coordination, and harnessing continental and international efforts to ensure an adequate management of migration.

Given the unprecedented migratory flows we are witnessing, that Agenda is more important than ever. It involves four levels of action: national, regional, continental and international, he explained in his message to the AU-EU summit.

Under this agenda, the Moroccan Monarch insisted that African countries would shoulder their responsibilities in terms of guaranteeing the rights and dignity of African migrants on their soil, in accordance with their international commitments, thus doing away with the shameful, inhuman practices inher-ited from a bygone era. He was thus referring to the gross breach on migrants human rights in Libya, including the slave trading of the migrants as reported by CNN this month.

Libya, a new crossing point between Africa and Europe, has become the corridor of all evils, epitomizing all types of misfortunes. We are deeply shocked by the atrocious practices reported by the media and currently plaguing migrants in our region. This is an utter denial of humanity, he underscored.

Today, a new vision is needed: we ought to turn immigration into a subject of peaceful debate and constructive exchange, the King insisted.

The Monarch went on to brush aside what he called four baseless myths, namely that African migration is not mostly intercontinental, it is primarily intra-African: out of every 5 African migrants, 4 remain in Africa. Irregular migration does not predominate; it accounts for a mere 20% of international migration. Migration does not impoverish host countries: 85% of migrants earnings remain in host countries. Lastly, there is no longer any distinction between migrant-emitting, transit and destination countries.

Insisted that European policy should also change and that a new vision is needed, he urged to turn immigration into a subject of peaceful debate and constructive exchange. It is the time for action and for finding effective solutions to this issue.

In his message, the Monarch also dealt with African-European relations, underscoring that solidarity between Europe and Africa is built on shared responsibility and mutual dependence, and that the logic of a vertical aid pattern can today give way to a genuine horizontal partnership.

To that end, there should be a shift in the EU-Africa Partnership towards a new bi-continental Pact. Both Africa and Europe must rise, together, to inevitable challenges through shared competitiveness, co-localization of productive businesses, regulated human mobility and fruitful cultural exchanges, the Monarch advocated, pointing out that both groupings are just as concerned by opportunities and responsibilities as they are by the challenges they face.
King Mohammed VI has called for a new EU-Africa Partnership pact, urging African and European leaders to join efforts to be able to face common regional & international challenges.

In a message addressed Wednesday to the 5th African Union-European Union summit convened in Abidjan Nov.29-30, the Moroccan Sovereign stressed the importance of partnership between Africa and Europe, saying it is no longer the time now for diagnoses or useless controversies.

The time now is for action. It is essential that the courageous, responsible dialogue between former colonizer nations and former colonized countries remain frank and direct. Today, fresh impetus needs to be injected into it, said the Monarch, whose first participation in the AU-EU summit was acclaimed by African and European heads of state as well as by AU and EU officials.

He went on to say that the EU and the AU are two essential and inevitable regional groupings which are important to each other, noting that solidarity between Europe and Africa is built on shared responsibility and mutual dependence.

Both Africa and Europe must rise, together, to inevitable challenges through shared competitiveness, co-localization of productive businesses, regulated human mobility and fruitful cultural exchanges, added the Sovereign.

He called on European countries to reconsider the conditionality of the debt, saying that Western countries expect some African countries, which gained independence less than half a century ago, to perform in politics and the economy as optimally as they themselves do.

Dealing with the issue of migration, he said that relations between Africa and Europe have always been marked by population movement and migratory flows, and deplored that tens of thousands of African migrants try, each day, to reach Europe, often putting their lives at risk.

Because of their geographical location, some countries have become a land of immigration. This has been the case for Morocco from the very beginning  and more so since the countrys independence. It has always been the target of several waves of migration: our European and Maghreb partners know this only too well, stressed the King.

In Africa, the concept of borders emerged after the independence era. During the post-colonial period, the management of migration issues has only been moderately successful; migration has systematically been perceived not as a source for solutions and opportunities, but rather as a threat and a source of desperation, explained the Moroccan Sovereign.

There was a time when migration was connected with commercial travel and religious pilgrimages, or was the consequence of conflict and pandemics, but today it has taken on a negative connotation, since it is being associated with drugs and other trafficking  even with the damaging effects of climate change, said the Monarch, citing in this regard the case of Libya, a new crossing point between Africa and Europe, which has become the corridor of all evils, epitomizing all types of misfortunes.

We are deeply shocked by the atrocious practices reported by the media and currently plaguing migrants in our region. This is an utter denial of humanity, said the King, referring to the sale of migrants in an auction in a Libyan center for $400.

He said one would be tempted to blame Europeans for fearing a massive influx and seeing it as a threat, but unfortunately, these fears are not always baseless.

According to King Mohammed VI, regional groupings could have dealt with the situation more effectively. In fact, one could rightly think that if the Arab Maghreb Union had really existed, we would have been stronger in the face of such a challenge, he deplored. AMU (gathering Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia) has been crippled by regional conflicts, leaving migrants often fall prey to different trafficking networks, ranging from drug trafficking to terrorist networks, he said.

King Mohammed VI, in his quality as the African leader who was put in charge of the question of migration, announced that he would submit proposals to the AU coming summit to chart a real African Agenda on migration.

Morocco is thus spearheading an initiatives aiming at reaching a paradigm change in how migration is tackled on the continent.

The guiding line is to depart from the security approach in addressing migration issues in favor of a humanistic approach focusing on opportunities and common management.

Late last October, Morocco hosted a meeting on the migration issue aimed at garnering support for the adoption of a common African stance on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, to be adopted in 2018.
The 5th European Union-African Union (EU-AU) Summit held in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire this week has fulfilled its promises.

Attended by 83 Heads of State representing all African countries and 28 European countries, the high-level meeting on Wednesday has focus on economic opportunity for young people, as well as climate change issues, followed by sessions on mobility and migration, and peace and security.

Delegations from partner countries, the African Union Commission, the European Union Commission, regional and international organizations participated in discussions around the theme Investing in youth for a sustainable future.

The issue of migration was also high on the agenda as the summit took place after the CNN video footage showed an auction in Libya where African migrants were being sold as slaves.

During the discussion on Wednesday, the panellists and delegates have once again explored ways to reinforce existing measures to curb the illegal immigration of young Africans to Europe.

The EU has called on Africa and European nations to endorse a position paper on migration to complement the Continental Dialogue on Migration and Mobility proposed by the AU. The EU leaders want to see more progress on border security and AU states accepting people deported from the EU.

African leaders urged the EU to do more to offer legal pathways for people seeking short-term stays in Europe.

Note that The EUs latest policy tool is the External Investment Plan, a 4.1 billion ($4.8 billion) initiative to draw private investment onto the African continent.

The Abidjan summit has also highlighted the newly formed G5 Sahel Joint Forces counter-terrorism mission, which became operational in late October.

The joint task-Force is expected to include 5,000 personnel across five countries to counter terrorism, fight organized cross-border crimes, and reduce human trafficking.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini underlined the need for the two unions to meet on a regular basis to ensure the implementation of the decisions taken during the summits.

On the sidelines of the summit, the United Nations, the European Union and the African Union have agreed to set up a joint Task Force to save and protect lives of migrants and refugees along the routes and in particular inside Libya.

The decision was made Wednesday at a meeting of senior of-ficials of the three organizations, in addition to delegates of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Chad, Congo, Libya, Mo-rocco and Niger.

The meeting discussed concrete steps to address jointly the dramatic situation of migrants and refugees, victim of criminal networks, primarily in Libya.

According to a joint UN-EU-AU statement, the task force will also accelerate the assisted voluntary returns to countries of origin, and the resettlement of those in need of international protection.

This action will build on, expand and accelerate the ongoing work done by countries of origin, and the IOM, with EU funding, which allowed so far the voluntary return to their countries of origin of 13 000 migrants since January, the statement said.
Georgias Ambassador to US Says Anti-Tank Missile Deal Builds Greater Trust

By Gvantsa Gabekhadze

(TBILISI) -- Georgias Ambassador to the US, David Bakradze, said the US State Departments decision to sell Javelin anti-tank missiles to Georgia is another step in the process of building trust between Tbilisi and Washington.The (Javelin) missiles will strengthen Georgias self-defense capabilities, said Bakradze. This is a major step forward for state security. Unfortunately, the current leadership (of the Georgian Dream) has absolutely no idea how to ensure better self-defense for the country, this is the challenge.The Javelin is a portable, shoulder-fired anti-tank missile that is particularly effective against Russian and Soviet-made armored vehicles.Military expert Zurab Agladze says the sale is a new phase in Georgian-US relations as the Americans only these types of weapons systems to very close allies, including Israel.The is an incredibly hi-tech weapons system that will give Georgia a major edge it its defensive capabilities, especially when having to deal with the older Soviet-era weaponry that the Russian Armed Forces still currently use, said Agladze.Russian military expert Alexey Podberezkin told Moscows state-run news agency Ria Novosti that Georgia and the US are actively engaged in an active confrontation policy with the Kremlin.The State Department gave the green light for the $75 million sale of 410 Javelins, as well as 72 command launch units, to Georgia on November 17.
The News in Brief

EU, Georgia Adopt Revised Association Agenda



(TBILSI) -- The European Union and Georgia adopted a revised EU-Georgia Association Agenda for 2017-2020, the EU Delegation to Georgia said Tuesday.



The new agenda builds on a previous document for 2014-2016, and is designed to facilitate the implementation of the Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA).



The revised Association Agenda maintains a practical framework for achieving political association and economic integration between the EU and Georgia and sets out an ambitious program of reforms for the immediate years to come,the EU Delegation said in its official statement.



It addresses a wide range of issues such as strengthening democratic institutions, the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, respect for human rights; cooperation on foreign and security policy as well as peaceful conflict resolution. It also incorporates economic and trade elements, including a dedicated DCFTA chapter and cooperation in a number of sectors such as energy, transport, employment and social policy, reads the statement.



The EU will continue supporting Georgia in a number of ways as it implements the Association Agenda. These include financial support, technical expertise and advice, information sharing and capacity building, the EU Delegation also noted.



Georgia and the European Union adopted the previous Association Agenda on the eve of signing of the Association Agreement in Brussels on June 27, 2014. (Civil.ge)







Faced with new bureaucratic hurdles, Georgians in Abkhazia ponder leaving



(GALI, Abkhazia) -- Secessionist authorities in Georgias breakaway region Abkhazia are developing new ways to discriminate against the ethnic Georgian population in the regions southeast Gali district.



We are absolutely deprived of any civil rights. We feel like we are being forced out of our homes, a young man living in the village of Nabakevi told DFWatch.



Leaving their homes would mean moving from the Russian-backed region to Georgia proper.But the rebel government is unlikely to see any gains from displacing the ethnic Georgians, as the trade going on in Gali, for the most part in hazel nuts, is a significant source of income for the occupied region.



The Abkhaz government has stripped Gali resident of most of their rights, including the ability to educate their children in Georgian. The policy is the continuation of its forced discrimination initiatives that began after the Georgian-Abkhaz War in the early 1990s.



The latest addition to this ongoing policy is a new document about permanent residence.



Since 2008, the rebel authorities in the regional capital Sukhumi began issuing Abkhaz passports. This practice was soon discontinued, and nowadays local ethnic Georgians must have five different kinds of documents to either live in or travel to the breakaway region. These include a visa, an old Soviet passport, an Abkhazian passport, a special document dubbed Form #9, and residence permit. However, getting all of these documents is problematic and requires money, and for Georgians living in Gali crossing the administrative border is becoming more complicated day by day.



The visas are available for everyone who possesses a foreign passport and who pays the required fees.



We use visas every summer, but they are not easy to get. It takes 10 business days to get a visa, but this term is often extended for the whole month, sometimes for two months, but during this period the summer is over, and there are many cases when the money is paid and the guest is not able to visit us, because the summer is over. Often it also happens that a visa isnt issued or a person with a visa is denied entry by the Russian border guards. If you give a little money (as a bribe), you can get it earlier, a 50-year-old teacher from Gali told DFWatch.



Those who possess Abkhaz or Soviet passports can cross the border freely, but cannot be sure about how long their documents will be valid. However, only a few Gali residents have Soviet or Abkhaz passports. It is currently almost impossible for Georgians in Gali to obtain the latter.



I had to visit the Gali administration three times to obtain an Abkhazian passport. I had collected all the necessary documents and paid the appropriate amount of money, a university student from the village of Tagiloni told DFWatch. However, a problem arose when a clerk who was ethnic Abkhaz noticed what she perceived as a technical flaw in the document.



An employee in the administration was irritated and she threw the document literally in my face, she said.



After that, I left and went home, but my mother told me that without this document Id be denied entry to Gali, she continued. I now have to use visas.



The vaguely-named Form #9, like a visa, is issued for various periods and the price depends on the term of validity.



A Gali resident told us most of the population are now using this document because it takes the least time to obtain. Hence, those who do not have any other documents have to pay 1,000 rubles ($17.05) per month.



Nowadays the document is usually issued for a month, while a couple years ago it had up to three years period of validity. The reason for this change is the regimes desire to get more money, locals say.



They believe the separatist authorities are trying to impose as many bureaucratic hurdles on the Georgians in Gali as possible but, at the same time, to such an extent that it doesnt cause them to flee to Georgia proper. (DF watch)




China Samples Georgian Vintages at Leading Regional Wine Fair

(SHANGHAI) -- About 100,000 visitors were able to taste Georgian wine at the ProWine Shanghai international trade fair in Shanghai, China's largest city.Thirty Georgian companies participated at the annual fair, which highlights new vintages and developing market trends.A seminar focusing on Georgian was held for wine importers and media representatives, which was led by wine master Debra Meiburg.The interest of Chinese customers towards Georgian wine remains high...especially since the publication of scientific research proving that wine was produced in Georgia 8,000 years ago, the head of the Georgian National Wine Agency Giorgi Samanishvili, said on the sidelines of the event.The East Asian giant is the second largest importer of Georgian wine with 6.1 million bottles of exported to China in the first 10 months of 2017 - a 41 percent increase over the same period in 2016.
South Korea to assist Uzbekistan in joining WTO

The governments of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea, in the framework of the state visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, signed a memorandum and a "road map" in Seoul on Korea's assistance in Uzbekistan's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).The documents provide for assessing the consequences of accession to the WTO, examining national legislation for compliance with the requirements of WTO agreements, as well as providing technical, advisory and expert support to ministries and departments.In Seoul, the heads of the Ministry of Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea discussed the possibility of creating a free trade zone.To introduce the advanced forms of interaction in foreign trade in Uzbekistan, facilitate the procedures related to conducting foreign trade operations and stimulate exports, an agreement was reached to establish the National Electronic Commerce Platform of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the basis of advanced Korean experience and a roadmap for the implementation of this agreement was approved.Uztrade has signed a memorandum with the Korean International Trade Association (KITA) and KTNET on the organization of joint activities on the development of electronic commerce in Uzbekistan.The volume of investments of the Republic of Korea attracted to the economy of Uzbekistan exceeded $ 7 billion. Some 461 enterprises with the participation of South Korean capital operate in Uzbekistan. These enterprises successfully operate in the oil and gas, petrochemical and chemical, machine-building, electrical and textile industries, information and communication technologies, transport, logistics and tourism.There are 164 members of the World Trade Organization. That's 84 percent of the 196 countries in the world.They enjoy the privileges that other member-countries give to them and the security that the trading rules provide. In return, they had to make commitments to open their markets and to abide by the rules  those commitments were the result of the membership (or accession) negotiations.
The News in Brief

Ukraine Cites National Security Threat as Reason for Deportation of Georgian Citizens



(KYIV)  Following an intense week of meetings with his counterparts in Kyiv, Georgias Ambassador to Ukraine, Gela Dumbadze, said Wednesday that Ukrainian officials acted on unspecified national security concerns to deport several Georgian nationals late last week.



Speaking to Georgias Rustavi-2 news TV station on Tuesday, Dumbadze said the Ukrainian side denied there was any connection between those who were deported and Georgias ex-President Mikheil Saakashvilis, but noted that Ukraines security services  known as the SBU  failed to clarify the reasoning for the deportations because of vital national security concerns.



Dumbadze said hed received assurances from Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman that the heads of Kyivs State Border Protection and the Migration Services would discuss these cases in detail.



Ukraines SBU reported on November 17 that they had deported eight Georgian citizens after carrying out a joint operation with other law enforcement services. Among those who were sent by ferry from Odessa to Georgias port city Poti was a cameraman from Rustavi-2, as well as several Georgian combat volunteers fighting for Ukraine in its war against invading Russian forces in the eastern Donbass region.



Saakashvili, leader and founder of the opposition Movement of New Forces party in Ukraine, slammed the deportations, saying the move was carried out as a personal vendetta against him by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgias billionaire former prime minister.



Both men are bitter rivals of Saakashvilis.



Saakashvilis political party in Georgia, the opposition United National Movement (UNM), held a protest rally outside the Georgian Foreign Ministry on November 20. They accused the Ministry of failing to protect the interests of Georgian citizens in Ukraine.



The incident was the latest case to complicate relations between Tbilisi and Kyiv  traditionally close allies in the post-Soviet space. UNM MP Koba Nakopia was banned from entering Ukraine on October 15 and on November 11, an employee of the Special State Protection Service of Georgia, who was accompanying Saakashvilis younger son Nikoloz, was also barred from entering Ukraine. (civil.ge)







Former Georgian Prison Officials Charged with Abusing Prisoners



(TBILISI) -- Georgias Chief Prosecutors Office has charged five former employees of prisons in Tbilisi and Rustavi with having abused prisoners through inhumane and degrading treatment.



In a statement released Tuesday, the Prosecutors Office revealed that between 20112012, the warden of Tbilisis Gldani District Prison #8, responsible for directly supervising all prisoners, and two of his subordinates would routinely physically assault prisoners and put them in degrading conditions to punish and intimidate them.



According to the Prosecutors Office, the three subjected prisoners to systemic and regular acts of violence and denied the prisoners the right to walk, make phone calls, access to medical services and the ability to sleep.



Two employees from Rustavi Prison #6 were also charged with ignoring the rules and procedures of proper conduct when dealing with prisoners.



The Prosecutors Office claimed that the prison administration would confiscate personal hygiene items and bed linen, forcibly removed prisoners clothes, and keep prisoners naked in isolated cells with low temperatures for several days at a time.



The prosecution has interviewed as many as 800 prisoners in case.



According to the Prosecutors Office, criminal investigations have been launched into 72 former employees of Georgias prison system, including seven wardens and eight others who served under them.



They say that all the above-mentioned crimes were committed before October 2012.



In the run-up to the 2012 parliamentary elections, a number of videos depicting the physical and sexual abuse of prisoners were leaked to Georgian TV channels. This resulted in large protests and were widely attributed to the defeat of Saakashvilis UNM.



The Georgian Dream, a party founded by billionaire oligarch-turned-politician Bidzina Ivanishvili, won the vote in a landslide.



Despite promises of reform, the prison system has still faced criticism from independent watchdogs and human rights groups, including the Public Defenders office.



In a 2016 report Georgias ombudsman pointed to proposals from 2013 that called for the establishment an independent investigative body to investigate abuses by law-enforcement officials working in the prison system.



This recommendation has yet to be fulfilled, the report added. (oc-media.org)




On December 14, something massive is happening in Miami. It doesnt involve the beach, models, bottles or any of the glitz, glamour or beauty that Miami has become known for.

In a secret location somewhere in Little Haiti, the citys coders, creatives, founders and investors will gather. The celebration will bring together the entire Miami startup ecosystem for one night, and one huge party. Attendance is expected to exceed 1,000 attendees, nearly triple last years 1st annual event at Wynwood Yard.

here is much to celebrate from the year past and for the even brighter future that lies ahead for the Magic City. The party is aptly named, The Future. Its produced by Miami made., a grassroots organization uniting Miamis top founders as one tribe committed to a collaborative startup community that thrives together with founders backing founders.

Many startups here in Miami dont have the time, money or resources to host a holiday party for their company for all employees, investors and favorite service provides. Now they can all celebrate together as one community, said Miami made founder Barry Stamos.

Joining Miami made. in creating an ecosystem wide holiday party in partnership with nearly every organization involved in Miamis startup scene. This includes Refresh Miami, The LAB Miami, Endeavor Miami, Building.co, CIC, Ironside, WeWork, Creative Glue, 1heart, Prism, AGP, New World Angels, The Venture City, Rokker, Unbound, Bridges Unite, Reset and others. The event is generously sponsored by Knight Foundation, JP MorganChase, Wyncode Academy, Innergy Meditation, A.N Other and Springtech Partners

Miami has a lot to celebrate and even more to look forward to. As an organization dedicated to helping the founders of Miami thrive, we felt compelled to help create a collective celebration. We are proud to be Miami made! added Brandon Evans, co-founder of Miami made.

Much of what will occur at The Future celebration is being kept secret. The location, performers, and other surprises are being withheld. Just like the actual future, you cant predict it, you cant fully know it. Most of those in Miami best at predicting the future will be in attendance, but they too will have to wait to realize how glorious The Future will be.

Heres what we can tell you:

Date: Thursday, Dec. 14 @ 8:00pm - late

Location: Secret Location in Little Haiti (to be revealed at 11:11am on Dec. 14)

Tickets and info: bit.ly/thefutureparty - Early bird prices currently available. Tickets start at $15 and go up to $750 for a VIP table for 10 for those companies that want to bring their team in style.

Sponsorships: Limited sponsorships still available. E-mail weare@miamimade.org for details

List of Sponsors: Knight Foundation, JPMorganChase, Wyncode Academy, Innergy Meditation, A.N Other, Springtech Partners

List of Community Partners: Refresh Miami, 1heart, Endeavor, WeWork, LAB Miami, CIC, Building.co, The New Tropic, Ironside, Prism, AGP, New World Angels, The Venture City, Rokker, Unbound Miami, Bridges United, Reset MIA

Find event details here: bit.ly/thefutureparty.com

-submitted by miami Made
The Missoula City Council moved forward on Wednesday with a law restricting peoples ability to live in an RV in city limits.

The updated law applies just to recreational vehicles, and removes all references to people living in cars, as part of what Ward 1 representative Bryan von Lossberg called a narrowly tailored update.

Weve had a number of issues recently, Development Services Director Mike Haynes said. An escalating number of instances.

His office works with Missoula Police Department, Missoula City-County Health Department and other agencies to respond to reports of people who are living in their campers parked on the street, not on private property.

Our focus is on RVs and RV-type vehicles, Haynes said.

The complaints are about folks who move an RV into the neighborhood, he continued. Were certainly not driving around looking for issues, but we do receive a good number of complaints.

Since the RVs dont hook up to water, electricity or sewage, they pose a public health risk, Haynes said, and, in many cases, a safety hazard.

Several City Council members said theyd had to deal with people living out of RVs in their wards.

Ward 4 Representative Jon Wilkins recognized the public health aspect  hed seen people dump sewage straight into the gutter  but was the only council member to vote against a public hearing on the ordinance.

A lot of these people are one step away from being homeless, Wilkins said. I wish there was somewhere they could go  but they cant be on the streets.

Ward 5 Representative Julie Armstrong also wasnt happy to be criminalizing behavior, worried that the city was forcing people into homelessness and maybe taking away their only option for a semi-stable life.

Von Lossberg pointed out the ordinance didnt allow for imprisonment as a penalty, and the ordinance would allow for people to live out of campers and cars if they were parked on private property (with the property owners permission, of course).

Haynes said the updated ordinance was meant to address less than a handful of cases where people dont comply with police and the health department.

The public hearing on the ordinance will be on Dec. 18 during the councils Monday night meeting.
Calling it a test that would give him the opportunity to demonstrate that you can follow the rules, Missoula County District Court Judge Leslie Halligan gave a fully suspended sentence to Shilo Anthony Moncy, convicted of repeatedly stalking his ex-wife and being found with methamphetamine.

The five-year Department of Corrections sentence handed down Wednesday comes from a plea agreement that wraps up two cases charged against Moncy earlier this year.

Moncy was initially charged in April with stalking and two violations of an order of protection his ex-wife has against him. She reported that starting in late February, Moncy repeatedly drove laps around her apartment building, which under the terms of the protection order he's not allowed to approach. At one point, he yelled Do you see what youve done? at her, according to a court affidavit.

Throughout March and April, Moncy repeatedly texted the woman, left a voicemail and continued to drive by her home. The woman told investigators she would push a bookcase in front of her door because of her fear of Moncy, and eventually went to stay at a hotel to stay away from him, court records said.

In May, prosecutors filed to revoke his release when he stopped reporting to his pretrial supervision officer. When he was arrested on a subsequent warrant after being found at KTs Hayloft Saloon in Lolo, a deputy found two baggies containing a total of 10 grams of meth in his pocket, and Moncy picked up a new felony drug charge.

Prosecutors filed to revoke his release again, twice, in June after he repeatedly tested positive for alcohol and meth use, and was not keeping his court-ordered GPS monitor charged.

In July, while a warrant was active for his arrest, Moncy cut off the GPS monitor and absconded until he was caught later in the summer.

Moncy signed a plea agreement with prosecutors in October and, to resolve both cases, pleaded guilty to three counts of violating an order of protection  one of which is a felony  and a felony for drug possession.

Deputy County Attorney Selene Koepke noted in court Wednesday that Moncy has had several new violations of his pretrial release conditions in the past week, but that even so, prosecutors decided to continue to abide by their side of the plea agreement.

Judge Halligan told Moncy that his various release violations, including cutting of the monitor, were the type of behavior that will land you in prison, if he does it again.
Joe Robertsons story is a cautionary tale. Last year Robertson, a 77-year-old disabled Navy veteran from Basin, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined hundreds of thousands of dollars. His crime? Digging ponds on his property after getting a state  but not a federal  permit.

Its cautionary because under the Obama administrations agenda to control all the water in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency had hoped to make cases like Robertsons the new normal. Plans were in the works to expand federal authority to impose heavy punishments on unsuspecting property owners for relatively pedestrian activities, like installing fences or digging ditches.

To get there, the EPA attempted unilaterally to expand their authority under the Clean Water Act. As written, the Clean Water Act applies only to navigable waters  those running from state to state. Protection of other surface waters was left to state regulators, which is one reason Montana has some of the toughest water quality standards in the country.

Under President Obama, the EPA ignored the legislative intent behind the Clean Water Act and undertook a concerted effort to expand their authority to non-navigable water.

Thats what happened to Joe Robertson. The water in question on the Robertson property was not navigable, nor did it abut any navigable water. In fact, the nearest navigable water was the Jefferson River, 200 miles away.

To prosecute Robertson, the EPA claimed that water on Robertsons property possibly could someday end up traveling to an actual navigable waterway, therefore it was subject to federal regulation.

That theory has no basis in the Clean Water Act. In fact, Congress has passed legislation specifically telling the EPA they have no authority over non-navigable water.

That theory has also been rejected by the United States Supreme Court. In the Rapanos case, a plurality of the court held that the Clean Water Act is applicable only to navigable waters and directly abutting wetlands.

This is what we mean when we say federal overreach. Here we have an agency thumbing its nose at Congress and the judiciary, setting its own policy, making its own rules and ignoring the law.

That agency also has broad enforcement and prosecutorial powers. During the Obama years the EPA employed over 1,000 lawyers, making it one of the countrys largest law firms. It also had its own SWAT-style tactical force, outfitted with military-style assault weapons and body armor.

This is the force that came at Joe Robertson.

And perhaps worst of all, the judge in Robertsons case  the notorious Justice Don Molloy  wrongly instructed the jury to ignore the Supreme Courts narrow-applicability decision in the Rapanos case.

Robertson and his government-provided public defender never had a chance.

Robertsons prosecution is under appeal, but the damage has been done. He served 12 months in prison before being released to a halfway house in Butte in September, and has been ordered to pay hundreds of thousands in fines. In prison, the 77-year-old was denied some of his medical equipment and medications, and his health has seriously deteriorated.

Still, Robertson is fighting on  not only for himself, but for the rest of us too. After all, any property owner could find himself blindsided by an overreaching federal agency. Robertsons case isnt the first, and it wont be the last  especially if the ability of unelected bureaucrats to set their own agenda and make their own rules is once again allowed to proliferate in our government.
What a summer we had in Glacier National Park. Just look at the numbers. Before Going-to-the-Sun Road opened, June visitation was up 28 percent from 2016. During July, Glacier Park became the first destination national park in the West to host 1 million visitors in a single month  a number never experienced by Yellowstone, Grand Canyon or even Yosemite.

The park saw 20 fires start within its boundaries this summer, with an additional two fires that made their way into the park from neighboring land. Park firefighting crews took decisive action on all of these fires and succeeded in suppressing 18 of them within a few days. One of the remaining fires grew to be what was called the Sprague fire. It was a blaze that behaved badly indeed, an ember storm which consumed the iconic dormitory building at the Sperry Chalet. The west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road closed for the remaining summer season due to the fire on Sept. 3 and yet, for the first time ever, more than 3 million people visited Montanas beloved Glacier National Park by the end of September.

While its going to take all of us some time to wrap our minds around what these statistics mean and what we might do to respond, three things are clear. First, this increase in usage and the impacts caused by the fires are going to require significant investments in restoration, rehabilitation and research. Second, as visitors from around the world continue to be attracted to the splendor and majesty that Montana in general and Glacier National Park specifically have to offer, doing nothing is not an option. Third, responding to this new normal is going to require a highly functioning public-private partnership to preserve and protect the place that means so much to all of us as Montanans.

And thats exactly where we, and you come in. At the Glacier National Park Conservancy, our very mission is to help preserve and protect Glacier National Park. Thats it. So how exactly do we do that? We accomplish this mission by working closely with the park to identify critical projects that may not be included in the parks base budget; projects like the installation of backcountry toilets at Hole in the Wall, and the recent completion of the structural stabilization of the burned Sperry Chalet dormitory building.

In 2017, the Glacier Conservancy will have provided over $2 million in grant funding to support more than 50 projects across the park in the areas of research, education and preservation. The fact of the matter is though, we cant do any of it without your help. And thats what makes this work so special. Ours is the work of real teamwork; the park, the Glacier Conservancy and you.

Thats why as the snow begins to fall and we Montanans start thinking about making a few turns in the snow, its good to remind ourselves that next summer will be here before we know it. Will we be ready? For our part, we committed to raising $2.2 million for 54 projects that touch every corner of the park. I hope youll help us keep this promise to Glacier.

Each project is described in some detail on our website at glacier.org and I think youll be impressed with the significance and breadth of the work. I hope youll take a look, give us your feedback, add your voice to the discussion about the future of our park and, if you are able, support this important work in any way you can.
Montana is an aging state. Approximately 25 percent of our workforce is 55 years old or older. Assuming most retire in the next 10 years, we stand to lose 126,000 people from our workforce of 505,000. A further challenge is that Montanas high school graduation numbers are not expected to rebound to 2006 levels until 2023.

Montanas economy is strong, with low unemployment rates, strong growth and increasing demand for new employees with a postsecondary credential. All of this underscores the importance of increasing the number of high school students who go on to college or apprenticeship programs, and ensuring they are successful.

We know if Montana high school graduates go on to graduate from a Montana college or university there is higher than a 75 percent chance they will be employed in the state after graduation.

In 2013, Gov. Steve Bullock and Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian announced the creation of Complete College Montana in conjunction with the national Complete College America (CCA) effort. Over the past four years, the Montana University System has made dramatic progress regarding creating system-wide buy-in to a concerted effort around student success.

***

Success in math is key

Montana State University President Waded Cruzado said it best: Not every student who fails at math will abandon college, but almost every student who leaves college has failed at math. Over the past three years, the faculty of the MUS have engaged in two efforts to address student success with math.

The first effort was the creation of math pathways ensuring that students were receiving the most appropriate math for their degree path. This began with the realization that college algebra and calculus were not the best options for all students. The faculty created a statistics-based contemporary math option for liberal arts and non-science based majors.

The second effort has been to restructure how we as a system approach remedial math for students who fall below a cut line on college entrance examinations. Data analysis showed that students who were placed in one or more remedial math courses had less than a 10 percent chance of ever completing a degree.

The MUS faculty devised a co-requisite approach whereby students were enrolled directly into their first college level math course and given the support on the side to be successful. Three institutions piloted this approach (MSU Billings, MSU and Helena College) and the results were dramatic. In some cases, the students placed into the co-requisite sections outperformed those who were deemed college-ready.

***

Momentum within Montana University System

On Oct. 25, the MUS hosted a Complete College Montana Summit on the campus of the University of Montana. Over 150 faculty and staff attended from all of Montanas public institutions of higher education and six of the states seven tribal colleges. In addition, representatives from K-12 education were present. The summit was supported by Complete College America and CCAs President, Tom Sugar, spoke at the event.

The summit created a new level of system-wide momentum around student success. Since the summit, all of the MUS institutions have committed to implementing and scaling a broad suite of student success initiatives all focused on ensuring our college students are retained and complete their certificates and degrees on time, thus saving time and money.

On Friday, Dec. 1, the Montana University System will be recognized in New Orleans at the national Complete College America Summit as one of the leading states in the nation to have garnered support from all of its public colleges and universities to focus on CCAs student success momentum strategies.
On the first Saturday in December each year, the Butte Emergency Food Bank "is as close to Santa's Workshop as you'll ever see," Margie Thompson says.

That's the day of the annual Thompson Distributing Citywide Food Drive. And given that, it's impossible to avoid the fact that Margie and her husband Jim are Mr. and Mrs. Claus in the whole affair. With the help of a whole lot of elves.

They started the project in 1989 "as a way to give back" to the community that made their business work, Jim Thompson said.

This Saturday will mark the 29th year that Thompson Distributing has run the food drive, which has grown into the largest single-day food drive in the state.

"It'll be organized chaos" at the Race Track Fire Hall on Saturday, says Scott Thompson, Jim and Margie's son, who has coordinated the logistics for the event for the past two decades. "Volunteers will be meeting up with the volunteer fire departments, and we'll be assigning people to their routes.

"My phone will be going off about every 30 seconds."

The logistics are truly daunting, but Scott is nothing if not organized. He's gone from handwritten notes to computer-kept lists of routes and volunteers.

Here's a community event that has grown to the point where two percent of the entire population of Butte volunteers for it  some 700 people out of the town's population of around 35,000.

Volunteers include Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Butte High students, Butte Central students, Montana Tech students, the volunteer fire departments, the 15-90 Search and Rescue, and many, many more organizations and individuals.

That first year of the drive, the Thompsons picked up food from a fairly limited area of town. It took all day, and they collected approximately 10,000 pounds of food and $2,000 in cash.

That was great. But to illustrate how much the drive has grown over the years, consider last year's numbers: 70,000 pounds of food and about $43,000 in cash collected  in around two hours.

For the Butte Emergency Food Bank, the drive is a godsend.

"This food drive is so valuable to us," said Kathy Griffith, director of the food bank. "We just can't thank the community enough."

The timing is perfect. "Shelves are low right now due to Thanksgiving. We gave out 900 turkeys and everything that goes with them, so lots of people had a good Thanksgiving. But this drive will restock us and carry us through until the postal workers' drive in May."

The cash contributions are really important, she said, because the food bank "can leverage that cash" into much more food than people could buy individually.

She pointed out that the event, after 29 years, is ingrained in the community's culture. "And we love that we have young people involved, so they can see the importance of helping people," Griffith said.

Thompson Distributing has a new partner this year  Harrington Bottling Co., Pepsi distributors and long one of Butte's most active businesses in community service.

"When Scott (Thompson) came down and visited with me about it, I said immediately, Gosh, Scott, you guys have done such a nice job with this project, how could we not help? " said Jim Bennett, Harrington's vice president for sales and marketing.

Bennett said, "This being our first year, obviously we had to call for volunteers from our employees. We got an overwhelming response. I still have employees asking me if there's still time to get involved."

Bennett said the event is perfectly aligned with the company's own culture.

"The Harrington family has always done so much in Butte  Don and now his daughter Lynn (Harrington Hirschy)  and so this was something we were all very excited about doing.

"As employees we love the chance to give back. It's heartwarming, for the company and for me personally."

Harrington's employee Amy Hopewell and her family have volunteered for the drive in past years, so this will be nothing new. "My son loves it," she said.

So both Thompson Distributing and Harrington Bottling will have semitrailers and delivery trucks out on Saturday, in addition to the volunteer fire department's engines.

"It's a win-win-win," said Jim Thompson. "We feel good about giving, the food bank gets what it needs, and the recipients are the real winners."

For the Thompsons, it doesn't get old.

"It's just the best feeling," Margie said. The same goes for Scott, his brother Mark, and his wife Mary. Scott's sons, Josh and Ryan, are involved now too.

"It won't be long until we have a fourth generation participating," Jim said.

That would be Josh's 2-year-old son Wyatt and his sister Gabby.

"Maybe in a couple years," Scott said.

He's probably already planning which routes they'll take.
Two copper and brass-clad doors that graced St. Marys Church in Uptown Butte for decades were headed to Colorado on Wednesday to the dismay of some who desperately wanted them back on the old church.

Mark Reavis, a longtime architect in Butte who moved to Colorado last year, said he wanted them back on the church, too. But he said his requests to guarantee their preservation were not met after a year and he faced a deadline to remove them.

So Reavis, who says he owns the doors, retrieved them Monday from the Butte Archives building where they were being stored, loaded them in a U-Haul and headed back to Silverton, Colorado, where he is planning director.

The Our Lady of the Rockies Foundation, which owns the vacant church at 440 N. Main St., and a group of Butte Catholics say they were working to meet Reavis demands for repatriating the doors and were almost there.

Im just broken-hearted about this, said Debbie Shea, who helped organize a St. Marys Committee that wants to preserve the church, among other goals. I tried to get something in place real fast to stop him from doing this.

Mike Cerise, president of the Lady of the Rockies Foundation, said the group planned to meet Wednesday night to discuss efforts at getting the doors back but, I dont know what we can do.

Its the latest and perhaps final chapter in a dispute over the giant doors, which are more than 8 feet tall, 2 inches thick of wood and covered with copper and brass sheet metal with crosses on each.

The church has been closed for years but Our Lady of the Rockies Foundation bought it in 1987 for its office and shops. That was short-lived and the office moved to the Butte Plaza Mall.

DOORS OFF

At some point the doors came off, but there have been conflicting claims and stories about their fate after that.

Reavis says the doors were sold at a yard sale by the Lady of the Rockies group and were transferred to other owners before he got them in a building purchase in Butte years ago. Shea disputes that, others do, too, but some say they just dont know.

Reavis says while he was serving as Butte-Silver Bows historic preservation officer in the late 1980s, he prevented stained glass from the church from being sold. He said he tried to save the doors then, too.

When he left for Colorado last year, he and his wife, Nicole von Gaza Reavis, were prepared to gift them back if certain conditions were met. They included promises to put the doors back on the church and protect them with restrictions spelled out in a property deed.

The Archives Board of Directors agreed to store them for up to a year in hopes that an agreement could be reached. The year deadline was this coming Dec. 13.

Archives Director Ellen Crain sent Reavis an email Nov. 21 saying she had received permission to keep the doors until March 1 if he could send a copy of a good faith offer that the doors would be transferred to the church owner.

EMAIL EXCHANGE

Reavis shared that email with The Montana Standard as well as recent emails sent to him by Vicky Leskovar, manager of the Lady of the Rockies Foundation.

In one dated Nov. 22, Leskovar said the foundation planned to send Reavis a declaration of covenant when their attorney returned from the holidays Nov. 28. It would be part of the deed and be in full compliance with his wishes, she wrote.

Thank you for your willingness to work with us, Leskovar wrote in the email. We will forward the completed documents as soon as we have them.

In an email two days before, Leskovar said the foundation had delayed action until they had funds and people in place to move, revitalize and reinstall the doors, which they now had.

Shea said she was trying to get a court injunction to at least temporarily prevent Reavis from retrieving the doors. But she got a call Monday saying he had gotten them.

His title was historic preservation officer and then he takes off with them, she said. What kind of character does that?

Crain said her board had agreed only to store the doors temporarily, and because Reavis owned them, he was allowed to remove them Monday. The county had nothing to do with the dispute, she said.

Reavis said the county had raised safety issues about storing the doors  concerns he said were obviously fabricated by their willingness to keep them until March. Crain said she only told Reavis that her staff could not move the doors themselves because they were very heavy and the Archives didnt own them.

Reavis said he wanted to gift the doors back all along but the St. Marys group and the foundation had not met the preservation conditions and he was under a December deadline to retrieve the doors.

Then, he said, he was suddenly being asked to provide a letter of good faith, which he feared would be turned against him legally. He also said he didn't know if he could return to get them in March.

We already offered to donate the doors, he said. They were at the Archives. They were right there. The church is only a block up the street.

Reavis said Shea, in a story the Standard did on the doors last January, had only negative things to say about him and county officials had ignored a formal letter he sent them on the issue.

In an email he sent to the foundation, he noted the fast-approaching deadline to get the doors and said he would be retaining them.

We will never consider the repatriation of the doors without clear historic protections imposed on the church buildings deed, he said. Frankly the true lack of a historic preservation ethic by BSB makes it highly unlikely that we will ever donate the doors.

County Chief Executive Dave Palmer said Wednesday that the dispute didnt involve the county and he thought the parties were working toward an agreement.
MUSCATINE  A choir filled with Muscatine talent, a big jazz band from the Quad-Cities and a remodeled church sanctuary are some of the ingredients to make next month's "Christmas a la Mode" concert.

On Dec. 8, the Muscatine Civic Chorale will be joined by the Josh Duffee Orchestra and the Muscatine Community College Jazz Choir to put the "swing in the Christmas season." The group will perform its annual holiday concert at Wesley United Methodist Church, 400 Iowa Ave., Muscatine.

Janet Phillips, who has directed the Muscatine Civic Chorale since 1996, said this year's show will include a mix of traditional and new, plus sacred and secular, Christmas music.

The group will perform a contemporary "Christmas Cantata" by Swedish composer Nils Lindberg, which Phillips said called for a big jazz band, including saxophones, trumpets and trombones, plus a rhythm section.

"Josh Duffee has performed with his group in Muscatine many times and he was kind of our first go-to person when we needed that kind of accompaniment," she said. "He's like a Bix Beiderbecke aficionado and he's known all over the country."

Duffee, who was born in Moline and is based in the Quad-Cities, is known throughout the country as a 1920s style jazz percussionist. Phillips said his jazz orchestra was the missing piece to complete this year's holiday concert.

"When I was calling musicians to play, they were excited," Duffee said. "It's the music around the holiday season that makes it special."

"He's great and fun to work with and it's great working with a professional group like that," Phillips said.

In previous years, the Muscatine Civil Chorale has collaborated with groups including the Muscatine Children's Choir, the Muscatine Symphony Orchestra and bluegrass bands. This year, along with the Josh Duffee Orchestra, she said the chorale will be joined by Muscatine Community College's Jazz Choir, which includes around eight members.

The concert, Phillips said, will begin with several Christmas spirituals and traditional songs, then the group will present the cantata, which contains the biblical Christmas story. The chorale will also include what Phillips calls the most joyful Christmas tunes, such as "Deck the Halls" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

"There will be something for everyone," she said. "I think children will enjoy it as well as adults. It's just a fun piece. And that big jazz band sound that goes with it it's electrifying."

Also this year, the concert will be held at Wesley United Methodist Church's recently remodeled sanctuary. The church was damaged in the March tornado that traveled through Muscatine, causing a 75-foot tall chimney to crash into the roof, damaging the sanctuary and demolishing its organ.

The church used the damage as an opportunity to renovate several of its rooms. In the sanctuary, crews added new flooring, LED lighting, paint, plus a larger chancel, according to Greg Wall, chairman of the board of trustees.

"When you're singing and playing in a grand and beautiful place like this, it's a unique experience that you'll always remember," Duffee said.

The Muscatine Civic Chorale has 35 members, made up of local volunteers and vocalists, according to Phillips.

"We invite anyone who enjoys singing to join with us," she said. "And we have people from all walks of life, from high schoolers all the way to people in their 70s."

The Muscatine Civic Chorale held its first concert in April 1975, and now performs two concerts each year, one in the winter and one in the spring. The chorale is a not-for-profit group, but Phillips said donations will be accepted at the door.

The Howe Foundation and the HNI Charitable Foundation are sponsoring the concert, but Phillips said donations are requested, especially to fund the cost of bringing in the Josh Duffee Orchestra.

Admission is free to the Muscatine Civic Chorale's "Christmas A La Mode" concert at 7 p.m. on Dec. 8.

Charles Potter, a freelancer for the Muscatine Journal, contributed to this story.
MUSCATINE  To say the past few months have been a "busy season" for the American Red Cross is an understatement, according to Dan Hayes, a disaster services coordinator based in the Quad-Cities.

This year has brought an unrelenting wave of disasters across the United States and Caribbean, according to Hayes, who cited the three back-to-back hurricanes, followed by widespread wildfires in California, a deadly earthquake in Mexico and a mass shooting in Las Vegas.

Despite the unusually hectic season, Hayes spent Wednesday afternoon at West Middle School in Muscatine, teaching sixth graders to be prepared for emergency disasters.

"There are two reasons we do this [in schools]," Hayes said. "One, this could save a life. And it could save the life of a family member of one of these young people. They might go back home and tell their family, and their parents might learn something they hadn't thought about."

For Hayes, the session is also an opportunity to teach Muscatine residents about the work the Red Cross does in the area. Although the Red Cross moved out of its Muscatine office around 2014, according to Hayes, it still offers smoke detector installations, CPR training, fire and disaster assistance, support for veterans and safety programs.

The Red Cross office in Moline serves Muscatine and Scott counties, Hayes said, and sent around 50 local volunteers to assist residents in Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. In Texas, he said around 41,000 residents were displaced and had to stay in shelters.

He told the students about the other recent disasters, too, including earthquakes in Iran and Iraq and volcanoes in Mexico and Bali. Hayes also showed the group what kind of disasters students should be prepared for in Muscatine.

Amy Matteson, a Language Arts teacher, said sixth graders are currently learning about disasters, so inviting the Red Cross to West Middle School was a way to "incorporate real life with what we're learning."

"Some of the kids lived around the area where tornadoes hit here a while ago," Matteson said. "And at the beginning of the year, we were talking about fears, and some said tornadoes, so now we can think about that (differently)."

Wednesday, students learned how to track tornadoes and weather events online, as well as the steps to take if a tornado hits their neighborhoods. Hayes, however, said the most likely disaster to hit Muscatine would be a house fire.

So far this week, the Muscatine Fire Department has responded to at least two structure fires, plus an explosion at the HON plant in Muscatine.

Hayes told the students they should create an plan with their families in case of a fire, and work to exit their homes within two minutes from when the smoke alarm goes off. He said the most common cause of death in a fire is smoke inhalation.

Matteson welcomed the chance to teach her students real-life preparedness training.

"The students are getting older and some of them are staying home by themselves," Matteson said. "If something were to happen, now they are old enough to learn what to do."

Recently, Matteson had the American Red Cross install a smoke detector at her home. And Hayes said there are still free smoke detectors available for residents of Muscatine, by calling 309-277-4026.
Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi []
Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
Dear Tom and Alan:

I have a small business with five employees on my group health plan.

Ive had to change the plan to the Bronze $6,000 deductible to at least try to keep my workers from bankruptcy if something catastrophic should happen.

I have read about, but dont understand, tax-free ways to pay some of the out-of-pocket expenses.

Can you explain?

George

Tom: OK, George, heres a pre-tax (not tax-free!) way to save: a Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

You or your employee can contribute pre-tax dollars to their FSA account. Visualize it as a bank account in the employees name.

As the year goes by, regular deposits are made to this account. Regular meaning per pay period: monthly, quarterly, etc. As the money accrues, the employee can use the funds for copays, co-insurance, out-of-pocket expenses.

Al: For 2018, the maximum an employee can contribute to this account will be $2,650. Although there is no limit on employer contributions, owners typically match the employees contribution up to the annual maximum.

Ive always considered an FSA the use it or lose it program.

However, employers can adopt a carryover feature where the employees can roll over up to $500 that was not used. Another option is to extend the period two and a half months to spend the previous years funds.

Tom: A MetLife survey finds that for employee acquisition and retention, 61 percent of applicants say they are more likely to accept a job offer with these kinds of benefits.

A total of 59 percent say the benefits will make them more loyal. There were 27.4 million FSAs in use last year, and that is expected to grow to over 32 million in 2020.

Al: Heres a wrinkle your CPA will lovethere are different kinds of FSAs.

So far weve been talking about general-purpose FSAs.

There are also limited-purpose FSAs and dependent care FSAs.

An individual covered by a general purpose FSA may also contribute to a limited-purpose FSA (dental and vision).

What this individual cannot do is contribute to a Health Savings Account (HSA)  even if the group health plan is an HSA.

Tom: That one made my head hurt.

For someone on a general purpose FSA, there is actually a website called fsastore.

It begins with over-the-counter medicines and medical supplies that either do or do not require a doctors prescription. Bandages, hearing aid batteries, and many other things can be purchased using your FSA card without a prescription.

Acne treatments, allergy medication, eye drops, nicotine patches, and lots of others do require a prescription. After this initial group, there is page after page of eligible products and services.

These include: AA meetings; acupuncture; ambulance and emergency room; anesthesia; artificial limbs; maternity charges; etc.

Well, you get the idea. Pretty much anything remotely medical will probably qualify as a legitimate FSA expense.
19222017

Eleanor Jean Wentz Sheehe, born March 26, 1922, passed away peacefully at her home in Napa, California on November 22, 2017. Eleanor was vibrant, active, and independent up until her very last dayshe volunteered often, attended church weekly, and spent time with friends and family as much as possible. Eleanor lived fully during her 95 years, but more than any single story or accomplishment, she cherished her family, her faith, and her community.

Eleanor was born and raised in Shelby, Ohio where she attended grammar school, graduated valedictorian of Shelby High School and went on to college. Ever social, Eleanor was the president of her sorority, started the local Family YMCA, and volunteered for many charities and organizations. After marrying her late husband Richard Dick Sheehe Sr. in 1948, the two started a family, having three sons (Steve, Scott, and Richard Jr.) and a daughter (Carol Euser). Eventually the family relocated to San Bernardino, California where Eleanor began an outside sales job for Home Interiors & Gifts. She was eventually honored as top salesperson in the nation for the company.

Once their children were grown, Eleanor and Dick traveled the world, and through their travels Eleanor continued to add to her impressive collection of vintage salt dips (also known as salt cellars). In true Eleanor fashion, she shared her passion with others and created something truly one-of-a-kind. In 1996, Eleanor and Dick made their final move to Napa. Their neighborhood proved to be a special one, and Eleanor felt truly blessed to have known her neighbors. Eleanor would want to give special thanks to her next-door neighbor Nick Jennison for all he did for her since Dick passed in 2007.

Eleanor is preceded in death by her husband Richard Sheehe Sr. and son Stephen Sheehe. She is survived by Stephens wife Patty Sheehe, son Scott Sheehe and his wife Rose, son Richard Sheehe Jr., and daughter Carol Euser and her husband John. Eleanor is also survived by her beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A funeral service and reception will take place at 3:00pm on Saturday, December 9, 2017 at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Napa (3521 Linda Vista Ave). In lieu of flowers, please honor Eleanor by donating to a charity or cause of your choosing.

Eleanor would want to reinforce her love of God and the importance of service. Eleanor dutifully hung her flag each morning and retrieved it every night before sundown, and she approached everything in life with that same kind of commitment and respect. She will be missed so dearly, but her legacy will live on and on.
When St. Helena Police Officer Fil Bianco heard a strange knocking sound while on patrol Tuesday morning, he decided to follow it, stumbling upon an attempted burglary in progress, according to St. Helena Police.

The unusual knocking sound seemed to be coming from somewhere west of Bianco, who was near the intersection of Hunt and Main streets in downtown St. Helena. The noise led him to Money Way, where he found Domingo Parra, 30, of St. Helena trying to break into St. Helena Antiques, police said.

Para was allegedly hammering a chisel blade between a brick wall and a sheet of plywood at the back of the store.

After being processed at the St. Helena jail, Para was booked into the Napa County jail on suspicion of attempted burglary, vandalism and being in possession of burglary tools.
ST. HELENA  In a tour that was called depressing and enlightening, members of the new St. Helena Assets Planning Engagement (SHAPE) Committee got their first look last month at the citys public facilities.

Sights like a red-tagged elevator at the flood-prone Carnegie Building, hours-old roof leaks at the Corporation Yard, and hazardously sloped floors at the police station underscored the difficulty of the task facing the committee assigned with assessing St. Helenas public facilities and making recommendations to the City Council.

Deteriorating buildings suffering from decades of deferred maintenance are only one piece of the puzzle. Theres also the question of how to use them most efficiently.

The Head Start building at Crane Park is occupied for only eight weeks a year, the Carnegie Building has been reduced to a venue for exercise classes and recreational programs, and the tenant who leases a city-owned office building on Railroad Avenue is vacating the building at the end of the year. Meanwhile, in a cramped City Hall, cubicles are awkwardly installed in an area that used to be reserved for printers, which have been relegated to a break room.

City employees who led the tour pointed out various problems, starting at City Hall, which is plagued by a meandering floor plan, poor insulation, accessibility problems, inadequate storage, outdated heating and cooling units, code violations involving electrical panels and roof access, and chronically overflowing sewer lines.

A bathroom shortage occasionally sends City Hall workers to Lyman Park in search of relief. The overall lack of space is so severe that the committees meeting had to be called to order in the break room, since the buildings only conference room was being used by financial auditors.

The buildings exterior walls are stained by moss, lichen and rainwater that cant be corralled by the gutters. On the roof, a black tarp covers a plywood wall to prevent leaks.

Inside the police station, cinder block walls make it impossible to hide wires and cables, which instead snake across the walls and ceilings. A hand-painted cardboard sign warns Caution Uneven Surface over a visibly slanted floor.

Police Chief Bill Imboden assured the committee that the sign was not a joke.

Ive had employees fall flat on their face walking through here, he said. Its caused some injuries that have caused time off.

The citys Railroad Avenue property  home to the Teen Center and an office building  has been floated as a possible site for a new police station. Adventist Health, which had been leasing the office building, is moving out at the end of the year, leaving the future of the building uncertain.

Meanwhile, the citys recreation staff have been trying to make better use of the adjacent Teen Center. Since only six to eight teens visit the center on a regular basis, staff moved the teen activities to a separate game room and converted the main building into a headquarters for the parks and rec department, which had been split between the Teen Center and the Carnegie Building.

That leaves a lot of unused space at the Carnegie Building, where an elevator installed as part of a seismic retrofit in 2010 has caused endless headaches. On three occasions, people have become trapped, due to water entering the basement and activating the elevators emergency shut-off feature. One city employee had to stand in calf-high water for hours until she could be rescued from the elevator.

We thought wed figured out (the cause) of the first two, which were rain events, said Carlos Uribe, Public Works maintenance manager. Then we got one in August.

A track system was installed to divert water out of the basement through a pair of sump pumps, but the elevator has still been red-tagged as unsafe to enter.

The lack of a working elevator prevents the building from complying with the Americans With Disabilities Act, which rules it out as a venue for public meetings. However, the SHAPE Committee could evaluate other uses for it  factoring in a quirky floor plan that makes it hard to use the building efficiently and bad windows that need to be replaced.

Perhaps worst of all was the Corporation Yard on Charter Oak Avenue, where temporary trailers installed after the 2005 New Years flood have turned into permanent offices for Public Works staff.

Committee members arrived to discover two major roof leaks that had occurred during the previous nights storm: one leaving large coffee-like stains on the floor of a common area and the other soaking a desk in Uribes office. Uribe said the leaks occur every year at the seam where the two temporary trailers are joined.

The low-lying yard is susceptible to flooding from Sulphur Creek. Every time the creek threatens to top its banks  most recently last year  city employees scramble to evacuate the city vehicles that are stored on the property, or else risk having them destroyed or cut off from the rest of the city during a disaster when theyre needed the most.

The flooding risk is bad enough, but even during heavy rain the low-lying areas in the center of the yard where the vehicles are stored become one big puddle, Uribe added.

The tour also included stops at the firehouse, Scout Hall, the secondary fire station on Dowdell Lane, the library and the Signorelli Barn, which is used for storage.
A new piece of public art has been installed in a prominent location on First Street, adjacent to the newly opened Archer Napa hotel.

Napa artist Gordon Huether was commissioned by the hotel developers to create the piece, called The Basket.

The artwork is meant to serve as a focal point and wayfinding element to the entrance of the downtown hotel, said a news release from Huether. Its located immediately north of the new hotel on First Street in a small plaza area.

Im thrilled to be a part of Napas growth and creating a gateway into this new part of downtown, Huether said.

Were excited about the Napa installation not only because of the piece but also because it represents the progress of the hotel and the rest of the project towards completion, said Mike Daood, president of LodgeWorks Partners, owner and developer of Archer Napa. The hotel, located at 1230 First St., was estimated to cost $70 million.

The hotel is one part of the redevelopment of First Street Napa, formerly known as the Napa Town Center.

Huether said completing an installing on such a large project is like having a baby. The process was particularly long and painful because of The Hand debacle.

Huether and LodgeWorks originally intended to install a sculpture of a giant orange-yellow hand holding a clear orb at the Archer.

Called The Hand of the Land, the proposed artwork generated heated debate about its prominent location on First Street, the design of the sculpture itself and the choice of Huether as the artist.

After public outcry, the plan for The Hand was dropped.

In an interview this week, Huether reflected on the controversy over The Hand.

Im not sure what that was about, he said. Somehow it got personalized because it was me. Apparently I am on a list of high-profile citizens of the community and an easy target. Im still perplexed by it all, to tell you the truth.

And what became of The Hand?

Huether had the sculpture made and it is now prominently displayed at his studio on Monticello Road.

The Hand was replaced by The Basket, a 22-foot sculpture, which incorporates horizontal woven aluminum bands and inset dichroic glass panels that refract light colors.

Installed last month, the artwork weighs about 400 pounds, Huether estimated. It was made at his Monticello road studio, which was not affected by the Atlas Fire, he said.

Huether said he took inspirational cues from the hotels design when conceptualizing the new sculpture. According to the artist, the concept for The Basket was inspired by the indigenous peoples of Napa Valley who were known for the artistry of their basket-making.

Huether said his intent was to honor and remember these artisans with the sculptures basket design, while integrating broader, fundamental human themes, the values of the Napa community and the interwoven experiences of an interdependent community.

Napas municipal code requires a public art element for commercial construction projects that cost more than $250,000. The cost of the art must be equal to at least 1 percent of the projects construction costs. Huether estimated that The Basket cost around $225,000.

According to a news release, Huethers knowledge of Napa culture and broad experience in creating site-specific art installations with a distinct contemporary aesthetic resulted in his being selected for this unique sculptural project.

Huether previously collaborated with the Archer team on a suspended art installation for its New York City property.
The state agency that regulates Californias legal profession jumped out of the political frying pan this year, but is still feeling searing heat from two new conflicts.

Bowing to pressure from critical legislators, the State Bar finally agreed to divide its two incompatible roles of licensing (and policing) attorneys and acting as a trade association for the profession. Critics said the agency was neglecting its obligation to weed out incompetent and/or shady lawyers as it pursued its other mission.

The Legislature passed and Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation that not only ratified the split but overhauled the State Bars board.

As that was occurring, however, the agency became embroiled in another dustup over Californias low passage rate on the licensing examinations it requires aspiring lawyers to take.

Deans of the states 21 accredited law schools complained that the required passing score on the exams is too high  in fact, second-highest in the nation  and thus denies licensure to too many of their graduates, especially those from non-white ethnic groups.

Californias passing rate hit a record low of 62 percent in July, including just 56 percent for first-time test takers, one of the lowest in the nation.

Underlying the deans complaints is a crackdown on accreditation of their schools by the American Bar Association. Schools with particularly low rates are in danger of losing their accreditation and therefore, in essence, their institutional viability.

The deans pressed their case for a lower passing score in multiple arenas, but the state Supreme Court, which is the ultimate authority on the states legal profession, refused to intervene.

The court expects the State Bar to  continue analyzing whether the exam or any of its components might warrant modification, the court said.

In effect, therefore, the court tossed the issue back to the agency, setting the stage for continued wrangling as the law schools try to stave off accreditation sanctions.

As if that wasnt enough angst for one year, the State Bars own employee union is now threatening to strike, saying that the agency continues to overpay its executives while stiffing rank-and-file employees, many of them attorneys themselves, on their pay.

SIEU Local 1000 filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the Public Employment Relations Board, alleging that the agency had not negotiated on a new contract in good faith and has been attempting to cut, rather than raise, salaries. Its members have also authorized a strike should negotiations continue to bog down.

One factor in the union-management conflict is that the State Bar is headquartered in San Francisco and its employees, therefore, must contend with the Bay Areas sky-high living costs, especially for housing.

Also, the State Bars finances have been in turmoil for several years as it juggled its now-divided priorities, failed to persuade the Legislature to raise mandatory dues from licensed attorneys and battled with its former executive director, Joe Dunn, over competing allegations of financial mismanagement.

The State Bars unresolved examination issue and the labor conflict will likely push it back into the political spotlight when the Legislature reconvenes in January. Legislators had been critical of the State Bars high executive salaries and are also feeling heat from the laws school deans who believe they are fighting for their lives.
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!)
Walk-around holiday parties entailing wines usually include finger foods with simpler flavors. So aim for wines everyone will appreciate  simple, young, and unpretentious, for the reasons listed below.

Wine collectors take note: This is not your day. The wine is secondary to the festive nature of the event.

Some people spend days fussing to make a slew of fancy hors doeuvres, hauling out fine crystal stemware and rare old bottles of red wines that have been carefully matured.

In my judgment, this is no way to stage a celebratory and festive holiday event. A 20-year-old Barolo may be fine for a quiet sit-down dinner for a small group, but its the wrong sort of thing for a Christmas party designed to allow folks to mingle and chat.

No one at such functions expects a Great Wine Experience. So dont waste such a wine at these events. They are staged in part to catch up with friends, neighbors, family, and acquaintances.

To try to impress  to don the canine, so to speak  with a special rare bottle of wine youve been saving for just such an occasion? My suggestion is: save the wine for a more introspective time.

Its possible that many of the people who show up have no appreciation of a classic old red wines, so serving such a thing is a waste.

This sad tale was educational: About 1980, I bought a bottle of the famed 1968 Beaulieu Vineyard Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Even though it was expensive, I thought, Why not try this at the small gathering to which we had been invited? I had been told there would be seven or eight people there.

When we arrived, I counted 13 persons, some of whom knew absolutely nothing about wine. And once they heard that what Id brought was good, they all wanted some. Before I could do anything, the host poured everyone large servings. One older gentleman took a swig and added two ice cubes to it.

I got barely three ounces of this amazing wine. The host apologized for handling it as badly as he did. And I learned something: never bring a classic to a holiday party.

Casual parties are fine for serving Camembert, truffled brie, home-made hummus, guacamole, and smoked salmon, but it gets a bit precious with bottles of great wine that few will appreciate.

(Of course, if some dedicated wine lovers are among the guests, a great older wine is fine. But control who does the pouring  to avoid any ice cube additions.)

In planning for walk-around parties, the host should acquire wines that work with a wide variety of foods and an eclectic group of palates. And let people pour for themselves.

Without specific suggestions, here are some general food-wine pairings that work nicely:

Sushi, sashimi, and other light Asian foods: The best match here are Gewurztraminer or Riesling. A German Kabinett, or a Washington Riesling would be a good choice. Even a Russian River Pinot Gris would work.

Canapes made with tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes: I prefer a light Chianti with this sort of food. Numerous versions can be found for less than $10. A good compromise choice would be a lightweight Zinfandel or even a French Beaujolais.

Creamy cheeses (Brie, Saint Andre, Boursin, etc.) or creamed dips, especially if spicy: An inexpensive Chardonnay would be a fine choice. Get the youngest you can find.

Herbed finger foods, especially things that have assertive green flavors (as found in guacamole, herbed cheeses, and green onion dips) such as cilantro, basil and sage: Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect choice.

Meat items (dry sausages, meatballs, cubes of steak, mushroom-y items) and hard cheeses: I prefer softer reds such as Argentine Malbecs or Rhone Valley reds. A great buy is La Vieille Ferme, a Rhone-type red blend at about $8.

Glassware? Forget crystal. At such parties, use cheaper glasses that can safely go in the dishwasher. Also, consider using stem tags that allow guests to identify which glass is theirs.

Need sparkling wines to ring in 2018? Here, the budget rules. Decades ago an East Coast wine columnist suggested several very expensive French Champagnes. Thats fine for some people, but context is important:

Today, the national average price for Dom Perignon is about $180 per bottle. The national average price for Gloria Ferrer Brut is less than $20.

No Wine of the Week.
Breaking news brief: Matt Lauer FIRED, North Korea able to NUKE the USA, and Elizabeth Warren exposed as a liar

Theres so much insane news breaking each day right now that its almost impossible to keep up with it. Today, there are three monumental stories you need to know about. As usual, the legacy media is not telling you the full story in each case.

Matt Lauer FIRED from NBC News for being a sexual assault monster

NBC News giant Matt Lauer, a frequent Trump critic, has been fired after being outed as a monster for routinely sexually assaulting female staffers. He even reportedly sexually assaulted an employee while on assignment at the 2014 Olympics.

Yashar Ali claimed that multiple women have come forward privately about Lauer, but were terrified of doing so publicly because of the power Lauer had in media, reports Daily Caller:

Matt Lauer put the fear of god into these women, Ali wrote. He had relationships with reporters outside NBC that he cultivated just for this purpose. They knew that.

As expected  because theres always a double standard among Leftists who routinely pardon their own people for sexual assault and even rape (Bill Clinton, anyone?)  legacy media staffers gushed over Matt Lauer even as these accusations surfaced.

NBC co-host Savannah Guthrie, for example, actually fought back tears while explaining she was heartbroken for her friend who is beloved by the people at NBC. Even when these people are exposed as being sex predators and abusers of women, they are still adored by the Left. (And why isnt Sen. Al Franken resigning, come to think of it?)

With his firing, Matt Lauer now joins Charlie Rose, Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and a rapidly expanding list of other once-great media giants whose reputations have been decimated by the truth coming out about their mistreatment of women. The list of left-wing media men who have been accused of sexual misconduct now includes Glenn Thrush (NYT), Mark Halperin (NBC News), Charlie Rose (PBS), David Corn (MSNBC) and many others.

North Koreas nuclear missiles can now reach any city in the United States

North Korea just tested an ICBM that achieved sufficient altitude and velocity to allow it to reach any city in the United States. This is a shocking advancement that we were all told would not be possible for at least another decade. Yet North Korea now stands as a threat to every city in the United States, including Washington D.C. and New York City.

At least one expert said its lofted trajectory suggested an actual range of 13,000 kilometres that would bring every city in the continental United States within range, reports Breitbart News. It was the Norths third successful ICBM test and David Wright, a co-director at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the flight parameters pointed to a significantly longer range than previous launches.

North Korea, of course, has already promised to destroy the United States of America with nuclear strikes targeting multiple cities. Now, it seems, they have achieved the capability to do exactly that. North Korea also claims to posses EMP weapons capability, meaning it could launch just one missile into low orbit over North America and take down most of the power grid, plunging the USA into the 18th century which would result in as much as a 90% die-off of the population due to chaos, starvation and disease, according to at least one analysis.

If this news doesnt cause you to double down on your prepping activity, youre simply not living in the real world. A North Korean EMP attack could arrive at any moment, and theres absolutely nothing the Pentagon can do to stop it once the missile leaves the launch pad.

Elizabeth Warren LIED about being Native American

While the entire legacy media is going insane against President Trump for daring to refer to Elizabeth Warren as Pocahontas, the truth they never report is that Elizabeth Warren lied about being Native American in order to obtain special privileges and standing at Harvard. She exploited Native Americans, in other words, and engaged in highly deceptive behavior for her own political gain.

Secondly, even though the entire media claims its racist for Trump to call her Pocahontas, theres no element of racism in that at all. Warren is Caucasian, not Native American, thus the accusation of racism has no standing when leveled against someone who isnt the implied race. As usual, the deranged left-wing media invokes racism by default because they have no logic, no reason and no standing. Quite literally, they are helping a lying White woman play the race card in a wholly dishonest way.

Various media members and Warren herself have feigned offense at the racial slur, but the real offense is in Warren faking her ancestry to get ahead professionally and politically, the Daily Caller reminds us.

Watch this site for more news as events unfold. Ive just completed a studio video on North Koreas ICBM advancements that will be released in less than 24 hours.
- U.S. vows to utterly destroy North Korea in the event of war.





- Comments come in the wake of North Korea's latest missile test.





- North Korea may now have the capacity to target mainland U.S.A with their missiles.

The U.S. has warned that it is prepared to "utterly destroy" North Korea in the event of war should the country's nuclear and missile aggressions amount to that.





This was disclosed by the United States' ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley in the wake of North Korea's latest missile test which is perhaps one of their most successful ever.





"If war comes make no mistake: the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed," Nikki Haley said during a UN Security Council meeting that followed North Korea's latest launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, an action Ms Haley warned "brings us closer to war".





"We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday," Ms Haley said.





"No one can doubt that this threat is growing," Ms Haley said of a missile that soared higher than previous tests before crashing into the sea near Japan and prompted North Korea to boast it was now capable of striking the mainland United States.





"Yesterday the North Korean regime made a choice. It chose to feed its nuclear aggression" and to "thumb its nose" at the world, she said.





Ms Halley lauded the UN penalties as the "most impactful sanctions that any country has experienced in a generation," but she warned that North Korea was thwarting new restrictions with the aid of other nations. She noted reports that the North Korean regime continued to smuggle coal into other Asian countries, flouting a ban on exports, and said the country was still "illegally obtaining refined petroleum".





"There are countries that are continuing to fund the North Korean nuclear program," Ms Haley warned.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-29 14:11:14|Editor: Lifang

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SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- South Korean military on Wednesday condemned the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The country's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement that the DPRK's ballistic missile launch was in a blatant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and posed a grave threat to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the world.

According to the JCS initial assessment, the DPRK launched a long-range ballistic missile from Pyongsong in South Pyongan province in the western part of the DPRK at about 3:17 a.m. local time.

The missile flew eastward as high as 4,500 km before falling into waters around 960 km from the launch site. It was the highest-ever altitude, which any missile, tested by the DPRK, reached until now.

The DPRK's Korean Central Television reported that the country tested "Hwasong-15," which it described as a newly developed ICBM, as top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un signed the order of the launch the previous day.

Local media in South Korea citied U.S. missile experts as saying the missile can theoretically strike Washington D.C., some 11,000 km away from the Asian country, if the missile was fired at a normal angle rather than a lofted one.

Under the UN resolutions, Pyongyang is banned from testing any ballistic missile technology. The DPRK conducted another missile test-firing after launching an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) over Japan on Sept. 15.

The South Korean military strongly condemned the DPRK's missile launch, which it called a serious challenge to the South Korea-U.S. alliance, saying Pyongyang has rejected the international community's dialogue overtures.

It said combined forces of South Korea and the United States were closely monitoring the moves of the DPRK force, saying the militaries were always ready to conduct a precision strike against the origin of provocation on land, by sea and in the air.

South Korea's military test-fired short-range missiles in protest against the DPRK's resumed missile provocation. The missile tests came just six minutes after the DPRK's missile launch.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in was reportedly briefed on immediate signs of the DPRK's ballistic missile test-launch, and authorized the JCS chairman in advanced to conduct the precision strike exercise right after Pyongyang's launch.

According to the JCS, a joint "precision strike" missile drill was conducted by South Korea's army, navy and air force, mobilizing ballistic missiles from ground, an Aegis-equipped destroyer and a fighter jet which have a range of 300 km, 1,000 km and 57 km respectively.

President Moon held a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to the presidential Blue House of South Korea.

During the 20-minute phone talks beginning 8:30 a.m. local time, Moon and Trump strongly denounced the DPRK for its long-range ballistic missile provocation in defiance of the international society's repeated warnings and the tough, concerted pressure and sanctions under the UN Security Council resolutions.

The two presidents agreed to sternly deal with the DPRK's provocation in close cooperation with the international community, while making efforts to encourage Pyongyang to come to a dialogue table through continued pressure and sanctions.

President Moon convened a National Security Council (NSC) meeting at the Blue House and briefed on the advanced ballistic missile technology of the DPRK.
Kim Jong Un (C), top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), speaks during the Second Plenum of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, capital of the DPRK, Oct. 7, 2017. (Xinhua/KCNA)

MOSCOW, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Foreign Ministry urged the United States, its allies and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Wednesday to refrain from steps that might aggravate the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

"It is more important than ever for all parties involved not to provoke each other but to exercise restraint and not allow any new steps leading to further escalation of tension," it said in a statement.

The DPRK announced earlier in the day that it had successfully test-fired a newly developed "Hwasong-15" Intercontinental Ballistic Missile capable of striking the entire U.S. mainland.

The new missile launch in violation of relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council raised serious concerns, the Russian statement said.

The ministry urged the DPRK to stop the nuclear missile tests, and asked the United States and South Korea to stop military exercises to be held at the beginning of December, which will only inflame an already explosive situation.

Russia's position on the Korean Peninsula issue remains unchanged, said the statement, adding that an effective search for a long-term and mutually acceptable solution is only possible through persistent and energetic political and diplomatic work.

Moscow urged all parties to immediately start implementing a joint Russia-China "roadmap" for the settlement of the Korean Peninsula crisis.

"We do not see any reasonable alternative to this," the statement said.

China and Russia suggest a dual-track approach of advancing denuclearization while at the same time establishing a peace mechanism.

Meanwhile, they demand that the DPRK suspend its nuclear and missile activities, and the United States and South Korean suspend military exercises.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 01:30:39|Editor: huaxia

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by Ronald Njoroge

NAIROBI, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Kenya plans to begin privatizing five ailing state-owned sugar firms to boost the agricultural sector, officials said on Wednesday.

Jacqueline Muindi, acting CEO of the Privatization Commission, told journalists in Nairobi that the government plans to sell a 51 percent stake of South Nyanza Sugar Company, Chemelil, Miwani, Muhoroni, Nzoia sugar factories to strategic investors.

"The qualified firms will come in as strategic investors and bring in the much-needed financial, operational and technical expertise in order to revive the sugar industry," Muindi said.

She said a strategic partner that has a majority shareholding has every incentive to ensure that they get a return on their investment and in so doing safeguard the interests of other shareholders, including farmers, employees and the government.

"We have... started reaching out to all the stakeholder parties and hope to conclude the engagement process by end of January 2018," Muindi said.

She said prospective bidders must demonstrate that they have operated in the sugar industry for not less than 10 years and have managed profitable operations for at least five years.

Shortlisted pre-qualified firms will then be given time to undertake their own due diligence before they submit their bids.

According to a study by the Privatization Commission, 645 million U.S. dollars is required to rehabilitate and modernize the sugar factories.

Muindi noted that the commission plans to complete the respective transactions in the next seven to nine months. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 02:16:05|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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LONDON, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The latest measurement of energy spectrum of cosmic-ray electrons and positrons by China's Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) satellite could provide important information to scientists who are searching for the elusive dark matter, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

Nicknamed "Wukong" , or Monkey King, the DAMPE satellite was launched into orbit in 2015. The satellite is equipped with instruments that can observe the direction, energy and electric charge of high-energy particles in space.

In this study, the DAMPE Collaboration team reported direct measurements in the energy range 25 gigaelectronvolts to 4.6 teraelectronvolts with extremely high energy resolution and low background.

Nature's Chief Physical Sciences Editor Karl Ziemelis told Xinhua that the spectrum of cosmic rays at high energies provides clues to the origins of these energetic particles, and these origins might include processes involving the still-elusive dark matter.

"These latest measurements, reported in Nature, confirm the impressive potential of the DAMPE satellite for determining this spectrum," said Ziemelis.

The team also find a spectral break, which is an unexpected drop in the number of cosmic-ray electrons and positrons seen at high energies, at about 0.9 teraelectronvolts, confirming previous indirect measurements.

Since 2008, scientists have found "abnormal" phenomena within the one-teraelectronvolt cosmic rays, and some of them believed that such abnormality may be related to dark matter, Yizhong Fan, vice director of the scientific application system of DAMPE, told Xinhua.

If it turns out to be dark matter, its spectrum at high energies may significantly differ from those from regular astronomical processes, therefore measuring the spectral break may help "clarify whether cosmic rays with energy range below one teraelectronvolt come from dark matter", said Fan.

It is believed that only around five percent of the total mass-energy of the known universe is made up of ordinary matter, substances that we know, and the rest is dark matter and dark energy.

Because dark matter does not emit or reflect enough electromagnetic radiation, finding it has proved to be a great challenge to researchers. It is still hard to know whether dark matter is a particle, a field or a misunderstanding of how gravity works.

"The DAMPE satellite is starting to directly measure the properties of cosmic rays at energies that were inaccessible to previous measurements, so we are entering unknown territory -- we do not know what it will find," said Ziemelis. "But whatever it finds will be new and contribute to our understanding of high-energy processes in our galaxy, regardless of whether they involve dark-matter particle annihilation."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 02:31:11|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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GENEVA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Swiss canton of St. Gallen has voted in favor of introducing a ban on covering the face in public, described in the country's media as a "burka ban," Swiss media reported Wednesday.

A burka is a covering used by Muslim women over the whole body and face, except for a slit near the eyes, and the ban on face covering in St. Gallen applies under certain conditions.

The law was approved Tuesday by 57 votes to 55 in its second reading in the cantonal parliament, the Swiss News Agency, ATS, reported.

St. Gallen, close to Zurich, is the second of Switzerland's 26 cantons to legislate on face-covering, following the approval of a similar law by voters in Italian-speaking Ticino four years ago.

The parliament in the eastern canton on Tuesday confirmed the ban despite opposition from the cantonal cabinet and left-wing as well as center-right political parties.

Under the new law, the burka can be banned in public spaces if the person wearing the veil is considered a threat to security or to "religious or social peace."

Supporters of the law have argued that a ban has a "preventive" effect, while opponents in St. Gallen consider it unnecessary and ineffective.

Several countries in the European Union, including France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, as well the Catalonia region of Spain, have outlawed the wearing of face coverings in public.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 02:46:17|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TRIPOLI, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Ghassan Salame said Wednesday that the mission is working on holding elections in Libya before the end of 2018.

Salame made his remarks in a meeting with representatives of tribes, civil society, academics and activists in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.

"We're working hard to secure right conditions for elections, such as voter registration and bolstering High National Election Commission capacity, in addition to legal, political, security requirements to enable holding the elections, God willing, before end of September 2018," Salame said.

"The day for solid and final institutions to emerge in Libya is not far; it is a matter of months. We're close to a stage underpinned by a permanent constitution, general elections and comprehensive reconciliation, which are the three pillars upon which Libya's future will be built," Salame explained.

Salame said that the mission is working on bringing Libyans together and achieve reconciliation in Libya through a national conference sponsored by the UN.

"UNSMIL's groundwork, which many fail to appreciate, is working to overcome fragmentation of the Libyan society, restore cohesion among Libyans through local reconciliation," he said.

"Now is the time to repair the social fabric. People's past is theirs alone, but the country's future owned by your offspring and we're here to help your children build a bright future," he added.

Salame proposed an action plan for Libya in September that includes amendment of the current UN-sponsored political agreement, holding a UN-sponsored national conference for all of Libya's political factions, adopting a constitution, and finally election of a president and a parliament.

Representatives of Libya's eastern-based House of Representatives and the Tripoli-based Higher Council of State have recently held UN-sponsored negotiation meetings in Tunisia to amend the agreement.

The House of Representatives last week approved a UN-proposed amendment. However, the rival Higher Council of State rejected the amendment, announcing possibility of holding elections within six months to appoint a government of technocrats.

Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition ever since the uprising of 2011 that toppled former leader Gaddafi's regime. The country is plagued with political division and unrest.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 03:06:27|Editor: pengying

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GUANGZHOU, China, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Former UN Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moonhas praised China's leadership in global governance, calling for jointly building a better world.

The former UN chief made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 2017 Imperial Springs International Forum held Tuesday and Wednesday in China's southern city of Guangzhou, where 20 members of the World Leadership Alliance - Club de Madrid gathered to exchange their views on global governance.

Ban said he was inspired by the idea of building a community of shared future for mankind proposed by Chinese PresidentXi Jinping, which could help reshape global governance, as some state leaders chose to become "national leaders" rather than "global leaders" by "erecting walls" instead of "building bridges".

Praising the Belt and Road Initiative as part of China's efforts in implementing the ambitious plan to build a community of shared future for mankind, he said the initiative will bring countries closer and more connected.

Proposed by Xi in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. It comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

"This is a very good way to have inclusive and interconnected dialogue and mutual cooperation within the region, which is very helpful for global development," he said. "I really hope this Belt and Road Initiative will bear fruitful results."

Ban expressed his gratitude for China's leadership and resolution in combating climate change, recalling that the process of ratifying the Paris Agreement was greatly accelerated after China ratified the agreement in September 2016 and was quickly followed by as many other countries.

"I really hope that President Xi Jinping will keep leading a global campaign to make sure the Paris climate change agreement is fully implemented," he added.

However, Ban said he is "deeply disturbed and even angry" at the decision of theUnited Statesto quit the agreement, which he believed is "politically short-sighted and scientifically wrong."

Commenting on jointly building a better international community, the former UN chief called on all nations to further engage in global governance on international, regional and national levels, especially with the efforts of the young people.

"A transparent, accountable and responsible governance system will help our world to be a peaceful and prosperous place and ensure all the people be respected," he concluded.

The Imperial Springs International Forum was jointly initiated by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Australia China Friendship and Exchange Association in 2015, aiming at promoting mutual understanding and trust between China and the rest of the world, and discussing important international and regional issues.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 03:26:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HARARE, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday voiced its support to the new government in Zimbabwe and vowed to deepen traditional bilateral ties with the southern African country.

Speaking to the media after meeting Zimbabwe's new President Emmerson Mnangagwa, visiting special envoy of the Chinese government and assistant foreign minister Chen Xiaodong said he delivered a congratulatory message from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Mnangagwa following his assumption of office.

Chen said China would continue to support Zimbabwe's development path suitable to its conditions and would enhance mutual cooperation, including in the international arena.

He hailed the long standing relations between the two countries, which had stood the test of time and evolving situations in the world.

"China will continue to assist Zimbabwe to the best of its ability in pursuit of economic and social development," said the special envoy.

"In his message, President Xi emphasized that China is willing to work with the new government in Zimbabwe to move forward bilateral ties and deepen cooperation in various fields for the benefit of the two countries," Chen added.

President Xi invited Mnangagwa to visit China at a time convenient to both sides while Mnangagwa said China will be the first country he will visit outside Africa, he said.

The Chinese assistant foreign minister said Mnangagwa thanked President Xi for the best wishes on his assumption of duty and conveyed heartfelt thanks to China for its support to Zimbabwe over the years.

"Going forward, the two sides agreed that they are going to develop strategies to ensure cooperation is broadened and deepened to inject more impetus to the development and improvement of livelihoods of the people of Zimbabwe," Chen said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 03:46:44|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KIEV, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams DDG-95 on Wednesday docked at the Ukrainian southern Black Sea port of Odessa, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said.

"The Ukrainian Navy Command attaches a great importance to the visit of the American ship and considers it a continuation of support from the U.S. Navy," said a statement on the ministry website.

The Ukrainian authorities did not disclose the purpose of the visit, but local media said it is aimed at boosting interaction between the navies of the two countries and demonstrating the U.S. support for Ukraine.

According to the Ukrainian Navy, ships of the U.S. Navy and its partners have visited Odessa 10 times this year.

The USS James E. Williams vessel is expected to stay in Odessa port till Dec. 2.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 04:01:50|Editor: Chengcheng

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Dancers perform during a Chinese drama dance show named "To Meet the Grand Canal" in Cairo, Egypt on Nov. 28, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

by Marwa Yahya

CAIRO, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- "My eyes and feelings were completely attached to the show, which took me on a magic carpet to taste the beauty of both history and modern life about China's Grand Canal," said Yaldiz Gamal, a lady in her 50th, as she watched the Chinese dance drama "To Meet the Grand Canal" in the Opera House of Cairo.

"I'm a big fan of the ballet and drama dance shows, and the main common theme was always focusing on the men and women love stories or the struggle between good and bad in a direct way, but this is the first time for me to watch a very elegant performance, with highly professional dancers to defend a canal and tackle a tough environmental issue," Yaldiz told Xinhua.

"To Meet the Grand Canal," which is also scheduled to be performed at Alexandria Opera house on Thursday, is a synthetic presentation and expression of the cultural heritage of the Grand Canal of China.

The canal is the main artery that keeps Chinese nations prosperous. It links five major rivers system of China together, the Haihe River, the Yellow River, the Huaihe River, the Yangtze River and the Qiantang River.

"It is the most complicated and difficult piece I have ever created," said, Cui Wei, director of the dance drama show.

The toughest part was "no one can display the canal of thousands-year history in one hour and a half," the director wrote in the booklet distributed before the show has begun.

The Grand Canal, spanning over 2,000 kilometers between Beijing and Hangzhou was listed as a world heritage site in 2014.

The canal was a pillar of the economy, social stability and government function in ancient China, helping the evolution of Chinese culture by enhancing communication between the south and the north.

"For its length and historic importance, the canal was unlike scenery of Jiang Nan's stream and little bridge; It was a huge project. Therefore, we need collective work of creative artists and cultural preservers from different social regions and cultural identities to make a dance show as an homage to the canal and other world heritages," the director told Xinhua.

"Based on the common Grand Canal culture of the two countries, the tour to Egypt strengthened humanity exchanges and let both peoples feel proud of their splendid civilization. At the same time, they will allow young people of both countries to write a brand new future," Cui Wei told Xhinua.

Egypt's Suez Canal likewise the Chinese Grand Canal locates in the important areas along the line of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

The show will be performed at Corinth canal of Greece as its second leg, then Erie of the United States, Panama Canal, Don-River Canal in Russia.

The Director added that "Meet the Grand Canal" will be in continuous conversation with the world canals to build a culture bridge for exchange with other countries.

"The story expresses love and respect for history and nature," said Mona, an 18-year-old student in the Cairo-Based Ballet Institute.

"When I saw the excavation work and the digging of the Grand Canal by the dancers, I remembered the pains that my grandfathers have experienced in building the Suez Canal," Mona added that mingling the history with love, dance and music was unbelievable and signaled how passionate and professional the director is.

The music, customs, colors, backgrounds of the canal, and movements of the dancers were a model for all ballet dancers to watch, learn from and enjoy, Mona added.

The show shed light on the hard work of excavating the canal, passing through prosperous years, then came the pollution which threatened the life of all beauty inside, or surrounding the canal. The last scene of the show brought back hope and happiness after the man-made waterway was cleaned and purified.

"Such a piece of particular significance should be more a cultural event rather than such a dance drama," said Menna, another ballet dancer, after watching the performance.

The young ballerina told Xinhua "it was my first time to watch Chinese show. I was confused at the beginning because I don't understand the language, but then the idea was crystal clear through dancing."

Despite the fact that the show was mainly about environment and pollution, she still saw it as an unforgettable piece of art at all levels.

"I learned today that the value of cultural heritage lies in its essence of being accomplished by people and nature together," she pointed out.

The music composition and the balanced synchronization of the dancers made her part of the history despite she belongs to modernity, Menna said.

"Combing tradition and modernity, history and future, nature and the big love, everyone can feel that the show is not merely meant to depict a canal but it mirrored development and integrity of the people for building and advancing their societies," the young girl expressed her feelings while making some simple ballet movements.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 04:42:08|Editor: Yurou

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by Jesse Wieten

THE HAGUE, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- With war crimes convict Slobodan Praljak poisoning himself, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague closed with an expected ending on Wednesday.

Accused of war crimes, Praljak passed away in the HMC Hospital in The Hague three hours after he poisoned himself in the courtroom.

During the public pronouncement of his appeal judgment, the appeals chamber upheld the conviction and 20-year prison sentence to the former commander of the ethnic Croat troops in the 1992-1995 war.

"Judges, Slobodan Praljak is not a war criminal. I reject the verdict with contempt," he stood up and yelled immediately.

He then drank a liquid from a small glass. "I just drank poison," he said.

Praljak quickly fell ill and received assistance from the ICTY medical staff before he was rushed to hospital. Judge Carmel Agius immediately suspended the session.

"In accordance with standard procedures, at the request of the ICTY, the Dutch authorities have initiated an independent investigation which is currently ongoing," the ICTY stated in a statement. "The tribunal has extended its condolences to the next of kin."

The death of a convict on the same day as his final verdict in the courtroom is a novelty for the ICTY, but his is not the first death in the tribunal's history.

A total of eight convicts died after their trials or while serving their sentence, and seven accused passed away after their cases were transferred to the tribunal, according to information from the ICTY.

The most well-known of the deceased was former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who died in his cell on March 11, 2006.

Just like Praljak, who is 72, most of the accused are already of an age where health issues play a major role in many proceedings at the tribunal. The case of former Bosnian Serb Army commander Ratko Mladic is one such case. His trial started on May 16, 2012 and has been delayed several times due to his poor health.

During judgment day last Wednesday, Mladic had requested a suspension because he was suffering from high blood pressure. Judge Alphons Orie denied the request, claiming that the doctor's advice was not so alarming so as to immediately stop, and so continued reading the judgment.

Mladic then stood up and started yelling in the courtroom and Orie ordered Mladic to be removed. Mladic was absent from the courtroom when he received a sentence of life imprisonment.

Praljak was a former assistant defense minister of Croatia and during the Bosnian War was commander of the main staff of the HVO, the Croatian Defense Council, the official military formation of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, an unrecognized wartime entity that existed in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1991 and 1994.

On May 29, 2013, the ICTY judges sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment. Together with five other high-ranking officials from Herzeg-Bosna, Praljak heard his appeals judgment on Wednesday.

The judges also confirmed a 25-year prison term against Jadranko Prlic, the former prime minister of a breakaway Bosnian Croat statelet, a 20-year term for its former defense minister Bruno Stojic, also a 20-year term for a former militia head Milivoj Petkovic, a 16-year term to former commander of Bosnian Croat military police Valentin Coric and a 10-year term for Berislav Pusic, ex-head of prisoner exchanges and detention facilities.

With the appeals judgment, the ICTY era comes to an end. On Dec. 31 this year, the tribunal will formally close its doors.

Since its establishment in 1993, the tribunal has indicted 161 persons for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 2001.

The landmark judgment of Mladic last Wednesday was the last trial judgment delivered by the ICTY.

The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT), officially the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, already took over ICTY cases in the appeal phase, such as the case against former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, and will also continue to do so in Mladic's appeal case.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 04:57:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday stressed that the two-state solution remains the only viable option for lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

"I remain convinced that the two-state solution ... is the only premise for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace between Israelis and Palestinians," said Guterres in a message on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity With the Palestinian People, which is generally observed on Nov. 29 each year to mark the anniversary of UN General Assembly Resolution 181.

Seventy years since the adoption of Resolution 181, which provides for the Partition Plan for Palestine, a sovereign and independent state of Palestine has yet to emerge alongside the state of Israel, said Guterres.

He encouraged leaders of Israel and Palestine to tangibly demonstrate their commitment to a negotiated peace and create the conditions for a return to meaningful negotiations. The recent positive developments on intra-Palestinian unity should be harnessed by all to move the process in the right direction, he noted.

"I reiterate my readiness to work with all stakeholders, including the Middle East Quartet and countries in the region, to support a serious political process, drawing on all relevant UN resolutions, international law and agreements, that will realize a two-state solution, end half a century of occupation and resolve all final status issues. Now is the time to end the conflict by establishing an independent Palestinian State, living side by side in peace and security with the State of Israel."

The resolution of this conflict would create momentum for greater stability throughout the region, he said in the message read by his deputy, Amina Mohammed, at an event at UN Headquarters in New York. Guterres is in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, for a summit between the African Union and the European Union.

Moving on to her own words, Mohammed called for efforts to achieve the goal of a Palestinian state.

"We must continue to collectively strive to reach this goal. We must focus on reversing the current negative trajectory and promoting confidence among Palestinians and Israelis that a peaceful future is possible," she said.

"Ending the occupation and achieving a two-state solution is the only path to enduring peace between Israelis and Palestinians. There is no other option. It is the only way to achieve the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. On this International Day of Solidarity, let us reaffirm our commitment to making the vision set out 70 years ago a reality."

Ending illegal Israeli settlement activity and demolitions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is crucial to the viability of a future Palestinian state and to realizing the legitimate national and historic aspirations of both peoples. Eliminating violence and incitement is essential to building trust, she said.

Gaza remains squeezed by crippling closures and in a state of constant humanitarian emergency, with 2 million Palestinians struggling with crumbling infrastructure, an electricity crisis, a lack of basic services, chronic unemployment and a paralyzed economy -- all taking place amid an unfolding environmental disaster. This unsustainable reality demands urgent humanitarian, economic and political measures to support the Palestinian population, she said.

Recent headway in advancing Palestinian unity, particularly the full return of the Gaza crossings to the control of the Palestinian Authority on Nov. 1, is a landmark development, she said. "It is vital that all stakeholders work collectively and determinedly to maintain the positive momentum. Reconciliation is a key step in reaching the larger objective of a Palestinian state."

The Palestinian government should provide Palestinians living in Gaza a much-needed sense that Palestine is, and must remain, one, and enable Gazans to uphold their human dignity and begin rebuilding their lives, she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 05:12:19|Editor: huaxia

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MINSK, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine confirmed on Wednesday the conflicting parties in the Donbas region were ready to exchange the detained persons before the New Year holidays.

Martin Sajdik, the OSCE's special envoy to Contact Group on Ukraine, said at a press briefing here that the Trilateral Contact Group confirmed the exchange the detained persons following a meeting with the participation of representatives of the conflicting sides from the Donbas region.

The warring sides would like to accomplish the exchange before the New Year holidays, Sajdik said.

Donbas is located in the eastern part of Ukraine and witnessed a war since 2014 between the government troops and the separatist forces.

The next meeting of the Contact Group will take place on Dec. 5.

The trilateral contact group is a group of representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that was formed as means to facilitate a diplomatic resolution to the war in the Donbas region. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 05:57:36|Editor: huaxia

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian midfielder Lucas Lima has told Santos he will leave the club next month to join rivals Palmeiras.

Lima's contract with Santos ends in December but he has not played for the club since November 16 and will miss the team's final match of the Brazilian Serie A season against Avai on Sunday.

"Lucas Lima has advised us that he will play for Palmeiras," Santos president Modesto Roma told Brazilian news service Globoesporte.

"It was amicable. He thanked us for the four years that he spent here and I also thanked him and wished him luck. He leaves on good terms."

Lima, who has been capped 14 times for Brazil's national team, has reportedly signed a five-year contract with Palmeiras.

The 27-year-old was linked with several European clubs during the last summer transfer window, including Barcelona, Everton and Fenerbahce. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 07:58:03|Editor: Yurou

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Treasury Department announced on Wednesday that it has imposed sanctions on a Colombian cocaine trafficking network which was playing a "significant role" in international narcotics trafficking.

"Treasury is targeting drug kingpin Ruano Yandun and his criminal organization, as they continue to smuggle and distribute tons of cocaine from Colombia through Central America and into our communities," John Smith, director of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, said in a statement released in the day.

The sanction also targeted another Colombian national who was seen as acting on behalf of Yandun.

The sanctions will "send a strong message to Ruano Yandun and other criminals who export poison and violence across our borders that we intend to target and dismantle these illicit networks," Smith added.

The sanctions would freeze assets of blacklisted persons or entity under U.S. jurisdiction and ban any U.S. individuals or companies from making business deals with them.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 08:33:09|Editor: Yurou

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SYDNEY, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Australian scientists will track the lifelong health and wellbeing of more than 100,000 infants in a world first study.

The Generation Victoria (Gen V) study, announced by the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (MCRI) on Thursday, will see all 160,000 children born in Victoria 2020 and 2021 invited to participate.

Data collected will be collated with existing health statistics to establish a state-wide database.

Melissa Wake, Gen V project leader, described 41.5 million U.S. dollars study as groundbreaking.

"It will mean we're able to connect up the fantastic state wide services and data sets in place in Victoria, and in doing so provide improved personalized support, as well as targeted preventions and care for children and families," Wake said in a media release on Thursday.

"This is the first time this kind of data has been bought together at a state-wide level anywhere in the world. By doing this, we'll be enabling solutions to diverse issues like obesity, allergies, infection, social exclusion, poor mental health and learning and other chronic health conditions."

Researchers will spend the next two years collating existing data from childhood health checks among other sources before beginning to study the infants in 2020.

The Victorian government has given 1.5 million U.S. dollars to the project, an investment Health Minister Jill Hennessy said was a testament to the state's commitment to medical research.

"Victoria is a prime location for the project because of its world-renowned medical research facilities and universities," Hennessy said.

"Our focus is on studies like Gen V that emphasise prevention as well as treatment to ensure better outcomes for Victorians."

In addition to the MCRI, researchers from the Royal Children's Hospital and Melbourne Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne will also work on Gen V.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 08:43:11|Editor: Yurou

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SYDNEY, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Southern and eastern Australia has been warned to prepare for "unprecedented" thunderstorms which could lead to flash flooding.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issued a warning on Thursday morning that heavy rain and thunderstorms would hit the state of Victoria on Thursday night and continue for at least two days.

Parts of the state have been warned to expect more than three times its average monthly rainfall in a 48-hour period.

Scott Williams, BOM senior forecaster, said Melbourne and the state's north-east would be hardest hit on Friday night and Saturday morning, marking a wet start to summer.

"I don't think I've ever seen such a deep low form over Victoria whilst we've got this moisture around," Williams told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Thursday.

"So to that extent we are a little bit in unchartered territory in terms of the weather.

"This is a very big event, a very widescale event and it's right at the top end of rainfalls that we've seen in Victoria in the last 30 years."

The north-east ranges of Victoria could experience up to 300 millimeters of rainfall over the weekend, five times more than is typical in a thunderstorm at this time of the year.

The thunderstorms come after the state has sweltered through November with Melbourne breaking the record for the number of days with a maximum temperature exceeding 30 Celsius degrees in the month.

"November traditionally is a thundery time. It's our peak season for thunderstorms and we do get heavy rain but I'm talking heavy rain as 50, 60 maybe 100 millimetres," Williams said.

"When you're talking 150, up to 300 millimeters on the ranges, that makes it unprecedented."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 09:58:30|Editor: Yurou

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SYDNEY, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Australian police have arrested two men over the attempted importation of 300 kilograms of cocaine.

Police and border protection force officers made the arrests after the drugs with a street value of 79.6 million U.S. dollars were found inside packets of cocoa powder bound for Melbourne.

The packages were brought into Australia by air cargo from Mexico where they were found by authorities.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed that the two men, aged 33 and 34, are from Mexico and will face a Melbourne court on Thursday afternoon.

The 34-year-old man was arrested earlier in November after he arrived in Melbourne from Los Angeles with a small amount of cocaine in his possession.

A subsequent investigation led police to seize a package labelled as coffee and cocoa powder in Altona, south-west of Melbourne, which contained the rest of the drugs.

Properties in Port Melbourne and Balaclava were raided on Wednesday night, resulting in the arrest of the 33-year old man.

Australian Border Force's Rod Winchester said international drug syndicates often targeted Australia due to high demand for drugs.

"Sadly, Australians are still prepared to pay a very high price for drugs including cocaine, but we aren't making it easy for them," Winchester told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.

"This is why Border Force officers turn up to work each day to play their part in stopping dangerous people, peddling dangerous drugs, from entering our country and ruining Australian lives."

A 2017 analysis by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) found that cocaine use in Victoria peaked at 11 hits a day per 1000 people, more than double the national average of five hits per 1000.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 10:13:44|Editor: pengying

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KAMPALA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- As China pursues in its foreign policy the notion of "building a community with a shared future for mankind," analysts said this provides a catalyst for African development.

"It is not a monopoly of the haves, but is a shared vision for the have nots," Fredrick Gume, Uganda's minister of trade, industry and cooperatives told Xinhua on Tuesday.

Zheng Zhuqiang, Chinese ambassador to Uganda, said that the new foreign policy seeks deeper cooperation between China and other countries.

"We will widen the spheres of cooperation and this means more opportunities for African countries," he said.

He said the Seventh Forum for China-Africa Cooperation will be held next year and is expected to discuss foreign policies in relation to African development.

"We hope African countries can grow together with us to realize different dreams. China has Chinese dreams, Africa has African dreams. No one in this world can realize dreams individually," he said.

Basil Ajer, an official at Uganda Investment Authority, a Ugandan state-run organization in charge of attracting investment, said Africa should utilize China's redefinition of internationalism to boost its development.

African countries need to learn from China by having consistent policies backed by research, Ajer said. Through research and planning, China moved away from a controlled economy to a free economy which has accelated its development.

Ajer noted that similarly Africa should have plans that span a period of over 50 years. He said these plans backed by research must be followed and implemented.

Gume said now that China is willing to help other countries grow with it, there should be a mechanism for setting up industries in Africa.

He said what Africa now needs is to add value to its products. This can be achieved by building factories on the continent.

"We want investors to come here and add value to what is produced," the minister said, noting that Africa should not continue exporting raw materials.

He said setting up factories in Africa means more jobs created and foreign exchange earned from exports of finished products.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 10:18:45|Editor: pengying

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OTTAWA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- A National People's Congress (NPC) delegation of legislators from China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Wednesday wrapped up a four-day visit to Canada.

The delegation, led by Danzeng Langjie, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region, visited Montreal and Ottawa, where they met Canadian parliament members, government officials, university professors, researchers and local media.

During the visit, the delegation had talks with the Canadian side on topics covering the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as Tibet's economic development, religious and cultural protection, local people's lives and China's preferential policies for Tibet's development.

At a press conference held in Ottawa Wednesday afternoon, the delegation answered media questions about Tibet's poverty alleviation efforts, the protection and development of traditional cultures, as well as ecological protection.

The delegation departed for Argentina Wednesday evening for a visit.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 10:41:14|Editor: pengying

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by Liu Tian

ISLAMABAD, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The envisaged economic development brought by the China-proposed Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative is going to complement the agenda of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a Pakistani expert said ahead of a key SCO conference to be held in Russia.

Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, an associate professor of politics and international relations with Pakistan's Quaid-i-Azam University, told Xinhua in a recent interview that the SCO, with its primary focus on eliminating extremism, terrorism and separatism in the region, has an interest in the B&R Initiative since sustainable development is the best way to get rid of extremism and terrorism.

The B&R Initiative "is very productive and economically very attractive. It is once again a revivalism of international liberal economic order when we go for connectivity," Jaspal said.

The 16th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the SCO is set to start on Nov. 30 in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi.

The SCO members "have a convergence of interest if you see that the best way to get or the permanent way to get rid of this extremism and terrorism" is a sustainable economic growth, and for this reason they would want projects such as the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor, a significant part of the B&R infrastructure network.

Jaspal praised China's constructive performance in the SCO both when it held the rotating presidency or as an active member, saying that the country has been trying to bring the SCO members together on the same platform and provided a vision that the members can get rid of extremism through economic development.

Pakistan, which became a full member of the SCO earlier this year, will benefit not only from the SCO's increasing focus on the economic agenda, but also the regional group's fundamental task in the security domain, said Jaspal.

The country, which has been fighting terrorism for the past 17 years, could share its experiences in fighting against terrorism with other SCO members, while it can also learn from the others since they all face the challenges of terrorism, extremism and separatism, the Pakistani scholar added.

He expected that the SCO could help accelerate the peace process in Afghanistan, an observer of the group, by eliminating sanctuaries of Afghan militants so as to bring peace and stability to the country and the whole region.

"Frankly speaking, central Asian states, Chinese, Russians, Pakistanis, they all have a genuine interest in Afghanistan," he said.

He further said that the SCO will have a greater influence in the coming years if it could reach out to other regional organizations such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and Economic Cooperation Organization.

By doing so, "even if it limits itself with the same members in the next decade or two, the SCO's rise will be very much optimistic," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 10:46:16|Editor: pengying

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Photo taken on Nov. 27, 2017 shows the first electric bus in Cuba of the Yutong Company, in Havana, Cuba. A singular green bus manufactured by a Chinese company has been circulating the streets of Havana for several days, marking a milestone in Cuba's history of public transportation. (Xinhua/Str)

HAVANA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- A singular green bus manufactured by a Chinese company has been circulating the streets of Havana for several days, marking a milestone in Cuba's history of public transportation.

The electric bus was brought over by China's Yutong to reduce Cuba's dependence on fossil fuels, which is part of a national plan to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Starting Monday, it went into service covering one of the city's main routes, the 22.5-km Route 18, taking passengers through the capital's populous areas like Cerro, downtown Havana and Old Havana.

The wide-bodied 12-meter-long vehicle offers a comfortable ride with 36 seats and a roomy interior that can accommodate up to 51 standing commuters.

In Cuba's sometimes steamy tropical weather, it is the only urban bus in Havana with air conditioning.

"It's really a magnificent bus. It has air conditioning and we have to take care of it so that it lasts. I think it's a good initiative," first-time passenger Leonardo Wong told Xinhua.

The bus can move at 70 km/h, and has a suspension system and tires adapted to the capital's roads, some of which are in poor condition.

"It's electric, so there will be less smoke and pollution in the city. So it's perfect that it has entered into service and hopefully there will be more like it in the future," said Luis Paredes, a regular commuter of the route.

The vehicle has a charging station, also supplied by the bus maker. The charging station's 380-volt generator was specially adapted in Cuba by Chinese experts.

According to Jorge Luis Leon, technical director of the Havana transportation company, the fully-charged batteries have an eight-year guarantee and allow the bus to travel between 250 and 300 km, enough to complete up to 11 round trips on the current route.

"This electric bus, the first in the country, has magnificent operating conditions from an ecological point of view, because it emits zero gases into the atmosphere and meets the Cuban government's pledge to protect the environment," said the executive.

Over the next nine months, his company and the Cuban Transportation Management Research Center will assess the vehicle's technical performance and cost savings to determine the feasibility of its use in other bus routes in Havana.

"In the future ...it could lead to the purchase of more buses of this type for the country," Leon said.

Bus driver Daniel Rios, a 25-year veteran, is Cuba's first "ecological driver," chosen by Yutong to drive the island's first electric bus.

Among the features he most appreciates is the ergonomic seat, which has a digital memory of a driver's weight, so it can adopt the same height and position when used again.

Another well-liked feature is the rear-view mirror, which is covered by an electric heating membrane that resists fogging up during a rain.

"The benefits make the trip more comfortable, more bearable, less stressful for the passenger and even for the driver. The driver's work is humanized a lot," said Rios.

Fang Mingliang, Yutong's representative in Cuba, is optimistic that once the feasibility test is concluded, more electric buses will join transit fleets across Cuba.

"We believe that with the gradual economic development of Cuba and according to the demand of the Cuban people, in the future they can buy more electric or hybrid buses and this will help to save fossil fuels and contribute to the environment in this country," Fang said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 11:03:45|Editor: Yurou

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HANOI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's total goods retail sales and consumer service revenues were nearly 3,601 trillion Vietnamese dong (over 159.3 billion U.S. dollars) in the first 11 months of this year, up 10.7 percent on-year, the country's General Statistics Office said on Thursday.

Specifically, Vietnam's goods retail sales stood at nearly 2,698 trillion Vietnamese dong (119.3 billion U.S. dollars), up 10.8 percent, with sales of automobiles growing 17.8 percent, precious metals and gemstones growing 15.2 percent, food and foodstuffs growing 10.4 percent, educational and cultural products growing 9.7 percent, and garments growing 9.2 percent.

Restaurant and accommodation revenues were 445.3 trillion Vietnamese dong (19.7 billion U.S. dollars), up 12.4 percent, and tourism revenues were 33.7 trillion Vietnamese dong (nearly 1.5 billion U.S. dollars), up 16.2 percent.

Vietnam welcomed over 11.6 million foreign visitors in the first 11 months of this year, up 27.8 percent on-year, said the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 11:18:49|Editor: pengying

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Photo taken on Nov. 2, 2017 shows Fan Yizhong, deputy chief designer of the scientific application system of the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE), introduces research findings at the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province. China's DAMPE has detected unexpected and mysterious signals in its measurement of high-energy cosmic rays, which might bring scientists a step closer to shedding light on invisible dark matter. The satellite, also called Wukong, or Monkey King, has measured more than 3.5 billion cosmic ray particles with the highest energy up to 100 tera-electron-volts (TeV for short, corresponding to 1 trillion times the energy of visible light), including 20 million electrons and positrons, with unprecedentedly high energy resolution. The initial detection results were published in the latest issue of the academic journal, Nature. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) has detected unexpected and mysterious signals in its measurement of high-energy cosmic rays. Are they from dark matter that scientists have spent decades searching for? Will the cosmic "ghost" finally show itself?

The satellite, also called Wukong, or Monkey King, has measured more than 3.5 billion cosmic ray particles with the highest energy up to 100 tera-electron-volts (TeV for short, corresponding to 1 trillion times the energy of visible light), including 20 million electrons and positrons, with unprecedentedly high energy resolution.

This might bring scientists a step closer to shedding light on invisible dark matter.

"DAMPE has opened a new window for observing the high-energy universe, unveiling new physical phenomena beyond our current understanding," said Chang Jin, chief scientist of DAMPE and vice director of the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The initial detection results on the precise measurement of the electron and positron spectrum in an energy range between 25 giga-electron-volts (GeV) and 4.6 TeV were published in the latest issue of the academic journal, Nature.

"This is the first time a space experiment has reported the detailed and precise electron and positron spectrum up to about 5 TeV. In this energy range, we found some unexpected and interesting features. We have detected a spectral break at 0.9 TeV and a possible spike at 1.4 TeV," said Chang.

Precise measurement of cosmic rays, especially at the very high energy range, are important for scientists to look for traces of dark matter annihilation or decay, as well as to understand the universe's most energetic astrophysical phenomena, such as pulsars, active galaxy nuclei and supernova explosions. "Our data may inspire some new ideas in particle physics and astrophysics," said Chang.

COSMIC GHOST

Dark matter, which cannot be seen or touched, passes right through us as if we don't exist. The ghost-like material is one of the great mysteries of science.

Scientists calculate that normal matter, such as galaxies, stars, trees, rocks and atoms, accounts for only about 5 percent of the universe. However, about 26.8 percent of the universe is dark matter and 68.3 percent dark energy.

Exploration of dark matter will be revolutionary for physics and space science. Any discovery in this area could be as significant as heliocentric theory, the law of gravity, the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics.

Currently, scientists mainly use three approaches to detect dark matter: underground direct detection, collider experiments and space indirect exploration. The space exploration approach is based on speculation that detectable particles such as electrons, positrons and photons can be created during the annihilation or decay of dark matter.

China's DAMPE was sent into an orbit of about 500 kilometers above the earth on December 17, 2015. Also dedicated to exploring the evidence of annihilation or decay of dark matter particles in space are NASA's Fermi Space Telescope and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02), a state-of-the-art particle physics detector operating on the International Space Station (ISS), developed by scientists led by Nobel Laureate Samuel Chao Chung Ting.

SURPRISING SIGNAL

Based on DAMPE's data, scientists drew the cosmic ray electron and positron spectrum, from which they try to decipher the hidden secrets of the universe.

Like a good detective story, the universe has its surprises.

On the spectrum, scientists found a break at around 0.9 TeV and a strange spike at around 1.4 TeV. "We never expected such signals," Chang said.

According to current astrophysical models, the electrons and positrons would change smoothly on the spectrum and typically would not concentrate on one point, he said.

"The spike might indicate that there exists a kind of unknown particle with a mass of about 1.4 TeV," said Chang.

"All the 61 elementary particles predicted by the standard model of particle physics have been found. Dark matter particles are beyond the list. So if we find a new elementary particle, it will be a breakthrough in physics," he added.

"The spike is very unusual," said Fan Yizhong, deputy chief designer of the scientific application system of DAMPE. "The signals might have originated from either dark matter or pulsars. Even if they were from pulsars, it would be quite a strange astrophysical phenomenon that nobody had known before."

MORE TIME

If the unusual spike is compared to a picture of the "suspect" dark matter, the picture is still vague.

"So far, we are 99.99 percent sure this spike is real, but we need to collect more data. If the statistical probability exceeds 99.99994 percent, it will be a groundbreaking discovery in particle physics and astrophysics," Chang said.

More than 100 Chinese scientists and engineers, together with those from Switzerland and Italy, took part in the development of DAMPE and the analysis of its data.

Researchers have ruled out the possibility that the unusual signals are caused by a malfunction of the satellite's detectors. Independent analyses from five different teams all came to the same conclusion.

DAMPE's design life is three years, but as it is performing so well, it is expected to work much longer. "DAMPE will continue to collect data to help us better understand the anomaly, and might bring dark matter out of the shadows," Chang said.

Samuel Chao Chung Ting, leader of the AMS-02 experiment on the ISS, said of DAMPE, "It's a very good experiment."

Bi Xiaojun, a particle physicist at the Institute of High Energy Physics of the CAS, said DAMPE's observations are important to help scientists better understand the origin of cosmic rays.

"The satellite's data on the spike at 1.4 TeV are still not enough to declare a physical discovery. If the signal can be confirmed with the accumulation of data, it would be of great significance," Bi said.

"That could be explained by either dark matter or an astrophysical source. If we use dark matter to explain it, dark matter would be different from what we thought before. It conforms to the popular dark matter model of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMP), but has some special features," Bi said.

"DAMPE has made a very successful observation," said Associate Professor Su Meng, of the Department of Physics and Laboratory for Space Research of the University of Hong Kong. "This is the first accurate measurement of cosmic ray electrons and positrons at such a high energy range. It has never been achieved by any of the costly experiments, including AMS-02 and Fermi Space Telescope."

"DAMPE also saw a very interesting new phenomenon. The signal at 1.4 TeV on the spectrum looks very much like dark matter. But it needs further research and different experiments to rule out the possibility that it is generated by other astrophysical phenomena such as pulsars," Su said.

Chen Hesheng, a CAS academician, said that even if a candidate dark matter particle is found, it still needs other experiments such as underground detection or collider experiments to confirm it, which would be difficult.

INNOVATIVE BREAKTHROUGH

DAMPE has the widest energy range coverage, the highest energy resolution and the best particle identification ability of all the dark matter probes currently in space, which is perfect for searching for traces of the annihilation or decay of dark matter particles, scientists say.

The satellite uses the novel detection technology and method independently developed by Chinese scientists, but costs only one seventh of the Fermi Space Telescope and one twentieth of AMS-02.

Asked why exploring dark matter matters, Chang answered, "It is not important to you, but it's important to me, and it will be important to your offspring. When scientists established quantum mechanics in the early 1900s, nobody expected it would be useful in daily life. But now quantum mechanics is a pillar of modern physics and everything is related to it."

"I believe exploring dark matter will also bring breakthroughs in technological development. Only when we understand the nature of dark matter, can we find how it will change the future. But the development of fundamental physics will definitely boost science and technology," said Chang.

Su Meng said, "During the long process of the human pursuit of science, we have seldom seen elements of Eastern culture. As a rising power, China, at its current stage, has the ability and condition to contribute to the progress of human civilization."

"It's worth making efforts to leave China's mark on such an important scientific issue like exploring dark matter," Su said.

Ed Gerstner, scientific director of Springer Nature China, said the discovery is very exciting.

He said China's support of fundamental science reflects not just its commitment to being a global leader, but also an understanding of the role that basic science plays as an engine of the innovation economy.

Bai Chunli, president of the CAS, said, "We should remember this day in the history of human scientific development, when Chinese scientists are no longer learners, successors and onlookers in major natural science discoveries, but, instead, they are gradually entering the center of the scientific stage."

"In the future, the CAS will continue to support Chinese scientists at the frontiers of basic science. We plan to develop and launch more science satellites to study fields such as gravitational wave, the origin of the universe, dark matter, solar activities and the global water cycle," Bai said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 11:26:23|Editor: Yurou

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LONDON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- "Spending a penny" in Britain is becoming harder with more than half of the country's public toilets closed in the past few years.

Even more toilets face closure in the next few years as town and city councils face average 20 percent cuts in grants from the national government, Raymond Martin, managing director of the British Toilet Association (BTA), told Xinhua on Wednesday.

The British expression of "spending a penny" dates back to the days when entering a water closet cost a penny, while men using urinals did not have to pay. Generations of women complained they paid, while the opposite sex could "spend a penny" or use a public toilet without paying.

PROBLEM OF DISAPPEARING TOILETS

While the law in Britain permits local councils to provide public toilets, there is no obligation for them to make such provision, Martin said.

"There is no statutory duty on local authorities in Britain to provide public toilets, so with spending cuts councils are giving priority to services they are legally required to offer. That puts public toilets at risk and we expect to see more closing," he said.

The law making urinals free was only repealed a few years ago, said Martin, paving the way for charges to be introduced.

Even though there is now provision for councils to charge a fee for people to visit public toilets, it has not halted their decline.

"One problem is that councils have to pay business rates on toilets and this makes them uneconomic. We have been fighting for the government to lift these charges," said Martin.

The problem in Britain is that a lot of public toilets were built in back streets, unlike parts of mainland Europe where they are often in prominent, visible locations, Martin noted.

BTA research has shown that people are more likely to head to shopping or leisure areas that offer good quality public toilets.

"Some local authorities are supporting Community Toilet Schemes with local businesses offered incentives to allow people to use their toilets. This has helped, but there are some issues, such as the facilities only available during opening hours of the businesses," Martin said.

IMPACT OF DISAPPEARING TOILETS

Government reports have highlighted the impact of disappearing toilets.

One of the leading organizations representing the elderly told a committee of MPs that more than a million pensioners felt trapped in their own homes because of their fear of needing a toilet when venturing outside. It caused isolation among the elderly and also contributed to health problems if older people did not exercise on outdoor journeys.

For people with disabilities or illnesses that require frequent or urgent toilet visits, the situation is even worse, the parliamentary report said.

"Visitors to Britain can easily be put off by the state of our toilets. In the days of Queen Victoria when plumbing was introduced on widescale basis, we built public toilet facilities that were the envy of the world. Our attention to sanitation saw an end to diseases such as cholera and dysentery. Now we are like a third world country in some places with the lack of facilities," Martin pointed out.

"We are spending billions on improving buildings such as the Houses of Parliament, yet our toilets are either closing down or falling down," he said.

CHINA SETTING GOOD EXAMPLE

Martin praised the work being done in China to dramatically improve public toilets, and make the facilities welcoming for people.

Speaking of China's ongoing "toilet revolution," he said: "The Chinese president is to be congratulated for his stand on toilets, and for realizing how important an issue it is to a civilized society. We would like the British government and the prime minister to follow his lead and make this an issue here. This is something we have been calling for 20 years. If China can do this, then so should we in Britain."

Instead of following China's example, Britain faces more people soiling streets as they find fewer and fewer facilities to "answer the call of nature," said Martin.

Despite national politicians calling for more and improved toilets, their decline will continue, Martin noted.

One British city that sees the importance of public toilets is Oxford. The university city is currently the holder of the Loo of the Year Awards, a title for the best public toilets in an annual competition.

Against the national trend, Oxford City Council invested more than 800,000 U.S. dollars in its toilets, with 10 toilets winning a gold standard category.

Councillor John Tanner, the city council's board member for Cleaner, Greener Oxford, said: "In 2012, the people of Oxford told the city council they wanted their money invested in the city's public toilets. The city council launched a program to improve the public toilets and now, you could say, we are flushed with success."

Martin also cited the experience of public toilets in countries such as Germany and France.

"People in those countries pay one euro to use public facilities, and they are rewarded with immaculately clean and decent facilities. In Britain, sadly, we seem to have moved backwards with many of our toilets again looking squalid. We will continue to press the government to address this problem and recognize the benefit and the importance of good facilities," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 11:31:26|Editor: pengying

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Photo taken on Nov. 2, 2017 shows Fan Yizhong, deputy chief designer of the scientific application system of the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE), introduces research findings at the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province. China's DAMPE has detected unexpected and mysterious signals in its measurement of high-energy cosmic rays, which might bring scientists a step closer to shedding light on invisible dark matter. The satellite, also called Wukong, or Monkey King, has measured more than 3.5 billion cosmic ray particles with the highest energy up to 100 tera-electron-volts (TeV for short, corresponding to 1 trillion times the energy of visible light), including 20 million electrons and positrons, with unprecedentedly high energy resolution. The initial detection results were published in the latest issue of the academic journal, Nature. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

By Xinhua writers: Yu Fei, Cai Yugao and Jiang Fang

BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) has detected unexpected and mysterious signals in its measurement of high-energy cosmic rays. Are they from dark matter that scientists have spent decades searching for? Will the cosmic "ghost" finally show itself?

The satellite, also called Wukong, or Monkey King, has measured more than 3.5 billion cosmic ray particles with the highest energy up to 100 tera-electron-volts (TeV for short, corresponding to 1 trillion times the energy of visible light), including 20 million electrons and positrons, with unprecedentedly high energy resolution.

This might bring scientists a step closer to shedding light on invisible dark matter.

"DAMPE has opened a new window for observing the high-energy universe, unveiling new physical phenomena beyond our current understanding," said Chang Jin, chief scientist of DAMPE and vice director of the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The initial detection results on the precise measurement of the electron and positron spectrum in an energy range between 25 giga-electron-volts (GeV) and 4.6 TeV were published in the latest issue of the academic journal, Nature.

"This is the first time a space experiment has reported the detailed and precise electron and positron spectrum up to about 5 TeV. In this energy range, we found some unexpected and interesting features. We have detected a spectral break at 0.9 TeV and a possible spike at 1.4 TeV," said Chang.

Precise measurement of cosmic rays, especially at the very high energy range, are important for scientists to look for traces of dark matter annihilation or decay, as well as to understand the universe's most energetic astrophysical phenomena, such as pulsars, active galaxy nuclei and supernova explosions. "Our data may inspire some new ideas in particle physics and astrophysics," said Chang.

COSMIC GHOST

Dark matter, which cannot be seen or touched, passes right through us as if we don't exist. The ghost-like material is one of the great mysteries of science.

Scientists calculate that normal matter, such as galaxies, stars, trees, rocks and atoms, accounts for only about 5 percent of the universe. However, about 26.8 percent of the universe is dark matter and 68.3 percent dark energy. Everything we know is really a tiny fraction of reality.

Exploration of dark matter will be revolutionary for physics and space science. Any discovery in this area could be as significant as heliocentric theory, the law of gravity, the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics.

Currently, scientists mainly use three approaches to detect dark matter: underground direct detection, collider experiments and space indirect exploration. The space exploration approach is based on speculation that detectable particles such as electrons, positrons and photons can be created during the annihilation or decay of dark matter.

China's DAMPE was sent into an orbit of about 500 kilometers above the earth on December 17, 2015. Also dedicated to exploring the evidence of annihilation or decay of dark matter particles in space are NASA's Fermi Space Telescope and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02), a state-of-the-art particle physics detector operating on the International Space Station (ISS), developed by scientists led by Nobel Laureate Samuel Chao Chung Ting.

SURPRISING SIGNAL

Based on DAMPE's data, scientists drew the cosmic ray electron and positron spectrum, from which they try to decipher the hidden secrets of the universe.

Like a good detective story, the universe has its surprises.

On the spectrum, scientists found a break at around 0.9 TeV and a strange spike at around 1.4 TeV. "We never expected such signals," Chang said.

According to current astrophysical models, the electrons and positrons would change smoothly on the spectrum and typically would not concentrate on one point, he said.

"The spike might indicate that there exists a kind of unknown particle with a mass of about 1.4 TeV," said Chang.

"All the 61 elementary particles predicted by the standard model of particle physics have been found. Dark matter particles are beyond the list. So if we find a new elementary particle, it will be a breakthrough in physics," he added.

"The spike is very unusual," said Fan Yizhong, deputy chief designer of the scientific application system of DAMPE. "The signals might have originated from either dark matter or pulsars. Even if they were from pulsars, it would be quite a strange astrophysical phenomenon that nobody had known before."

MORE TIME

If the unusual spike is compared to a picture of the "suspect" dark matter, the picture is still vague.

"So far, we are 99.99 percent sure this spike is real, but we need to collect more data. If the statistical probability exceeds 99.99994 percent, it will be a groundbreaking discovery in particle physics and astrophysics," Chang said.

More than 100 Chinese scientists and engineers, together with those from Switzerland and Italy, took part in the development of DAMPE and the analysis of its data.

Researchers have ruled out the possibility that the unusual signals are caused by a malfunction of the satellite's detectors. Independent analyses from five different teams all came to the same conclusion.

DAMPE's design life is three years, but as it is performing so well, it is expected to work much longer.

Samuel Chao Chung Ting, leader of the AMS-02 experiment on the ISS, said of DAMPE, "It's a very good experiment."

Bi Xiaojun, a particle physicist at the Institute of High Energy Physics of the CAS, said DAMPE's observations are important to help scientists better understand the origin of cosmic rays.

"The satellite's data on the spike at 1.4 TeV are still not enough to declare a physical discovery. If the signal can be confirmed with the accumulation of data, it would be of great significance," Bi said.

"That could be explained by either dark matter or an astrophysical source. If we use dark matter to explain it, dark matter would be different from what we thought before. It conforms to the popular dark matter model of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMP), but has some special features," Bi said.

"DAMPE has made a very successful observation," said Associate Professor Su Meng, of the Department of Physics and Laboratory for Space Research of the University of Hong Kong. "This is the first accurate measurement of cosmic ray electrons and positrons at such a high energy range."

"DAMPE also saw a very interesting new phenomenon. The signal at 1.4 TeV on the spectrum looks very much like dark matter. But it needs further research and different experiments to rule out the possibility that it is generated by other astrophysical phenomena such as pulsars," Su said.

Chen Hesheng, a CAS academician, said that even if a candidate dark matter particle is found, it still needs other experiments such as underground detection or collider experiments to confirm it, which would be difficult.

INNOVATIVE BREAKTHROUGH

At the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Chinese President Xi Jinping cited DAMPE as one of China's major scientific breakthroughs of the past five years, together with achievements such as the quantum science satellite, the Jiaolong deep-sea manned submersible, the Tiangong-2 space lab and the FAST radio telescope.

Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, called for more efforts to make China a country of innovators.

The development of China's first astronomical satellite reflects Chinese scientists' creativity and innovation in tackling one of the huge mysteries of modern science.

DAMPE has the widest energy range coverage, the highest energy resolution and the best particle identification ability of all the dark matter probes currently in space, which is perfect for searching for traces of the annihilation or decay of dark matter particles, scientists say.

The satellite uses the novel detection technology and method independently developed by Chinese scientists, but costs only one seventh of the Fermi Space Telescope and one twentieth of AMS-02.

Asked why exploring dark matter matters, Chang answered, "It is not important to you, but it's important to me, and it will be important to your offspring. When scientists established quantum mechanics in the early 1900s, nobody expected it would be useful in daily life. But now quantum mechanics is a pillar of modern physics and everything is related to it."

"I believe exploring dark matter will also bring breakthroughs in technological development. Only when we understand the nature of dark matter, can we find how it will change the future. But the development of fundamental physics will definitely boost science and technology," said Chang.

Ed Gerstner, scientific director of Springer Nature China, said the discovery is very exciting.

He said China's support of fundamental science reflects not just its commitment to being a global leader, but also an understanding of the role that basic science plays as an engine of the innovation economy.

Bai Chunli, president of the CAS, said, "We should remember this day in the history of human scientific development, when Chinese scientists are no longer learners, successors and onlookers in major natural science discoveries, but, instead, they are gradually entering the center of the scientific stage."

"In the future, the CAS will continue to support Chinese scientists at the frontiers of basic science. We plan to develop and launch more science satellites to study fields such as gravitational wave, the origin of the universe, dark matter, solar activities and the global water cycle," Bai said.

(Wang Juebin also contributed to this story.)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 11:46:30|Editor: Yurou

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COLOMBO, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Inclement weather continues to lash Sri Lanka causing disruption to essential services and triggering fears over floods and landslides, an official said on Thursday.

Power remains disrupted in the most affected areas of the southern and central parts of Sri Lanka, according to the Disaster Management Center(DMC).

The education ministry took steps on Thursday to close schools in four out of nine provinces of the country, DMC spokesman Pradeep Kodippili told Xinhua.

The schools in the Central, Western and Southern provinces were closed as students found it difficult to attend due to adverse weather conditions, Kodippili said.

One person was hit dead by a tree branch on Wednesday and two persons were reported missing after their boat capsized in the south of the island, he added.

Rain experienced in the country up Thursday morning exceeded 100 mm in most affected areas. The DMC warned people to be alert on floods, landslides, rockfalls in the affected areas of the southern and central parts of the country.

Train services on two lines connecting Colombo with the central hills and one of its suburbs called Avissawella were disrupted due to the bad weather.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 12:01:35|Editor: Yurou

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CANBERRA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has caved in to pressure and announced a royal commission to investigate the misconducts of banks and the financial sector.

Turnbull announced the inquiry on Thursday after months of repeated calls by the opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) for establishing a commission to probe into the alleged misconducts and frauds of Australian banks, insurance companies and funds.

The prime minister and the banks had been rejecting the proposal, saying it was unnecessary and a waste of money.

However, their attitudes changed amid mounting public discontent and pressure. The big four banks of Australia wrote a letter to Treasurer Scott Morrison asking for a "properly constituted inquiry into the financial services sector," saying it was "now in the national interest for the political uncertainty to end."

Turnbull cited the letter as the reason for his turnaround on the issue, agreeing that "speculation about an inquiry cannot go on."

The royal commission is granted a budget of 56.7 million U.S. dollars and February 1, 2019 as the deadline.

Turnbull said it would be a "comprehensive" review of the financial services sector that would analyze "banks, big and small, wealth managers, superannuation providers, and insurance companies."

Nigel Scullion, interim leader of the Nationals, on Thursday welcomed Turnbull's decision.

"This comprehensive inquiry became necessary to restore trust and confidence in Australia's banking and financial sector following years of concerns, particularly in rural and regional communities, about alleged misconduct and unethical behavior by the banks," Scullion said in a statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 12:36:44|Editor: Yurou

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SOCHI, Russia, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called for closer economic and trade ties between China and Russia, saying the two countries will carry out more cooperation over key international issues.

Li made the remarks in a written interview with Russia's Interfax news agency ahead of the 16th meeting of the Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) in the coastal city of Sochi, to be held on Thursday and Friday.

Noting the gradual recovery of the global economy, Li said that China and Russia face new opportunities to expand economic and trade cooperation.

With improvements in both volume and quality, the development of China-Russia economic and trade cooperation has scored stable progress this year, Li said.

In the first three quarters, the trade turnover between China and Russia reached 61.4 billion U.S. dollars with an increase of 22.4 percent compared to the same period last year, he said, adding that the volume of bilateral trade in 2017 is expected to exceed 80 billion dollars.

In particular, as China and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) have finished substantial negotiations on an economic and trade cooperation agreement, it will settle the institutional foundation for China's economic and trade cooperation with Russia and other Eurasian countries, Li said.

The EEU, which groups Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, is an economic bloc aiming to optimize the flow of goods and services among its members.

"China is willing to work together with Russia to embody the advantage of the high-level political ties in more fruitful economic and trade cooperation, and to benefit the peoples of the two countries," Li told Interfax.

To this end, the premier called for joint efforts from China and Russia to continuously enhance trade liberalization and investment facilitation, so as to create favorable conditions for the two countries' businesses.

In addition, the two sides should strengthen the alignment of development strategies, deepen cooperation in financial industry, as well as expand cooperation platforms in all fields, he said.

When asked about the Russia-China strategic coordination in current international affairs, Li said that the two countries share strong mutual support on issues related with each other's core interests and major concerns.

The China-Russia ties will be able to withstand any hardship and the test of time and will not altered by any changing external condition, he said, noting that the ties serve as a fine example of building relations on the basis of dialogue and partnership instead of confrontation and alignment.

Facing the instabilities and uncertainties across the globe, the development of China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is not only favorable for mutual prosperity, but also conducive to world peace, stability and prosperity, Li noted.

China is ready to make joint efforts with Russia in such fields as safeguarding the basic principles of international relations, supporting the development of multilateral mechanisms and promoting political settlement in the Korean peninsula, Syria as well as Afghanistan, he added.

Before heading to Sochi, Li met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Wednesday night. The two sides agreed to maintain the high-level development of bilateral ties and further strengthen all-round cooperation in the future.

On Wednesday, Li wrapped up his four-day trip to Hungary with enhanced bilateral ties and China-Central and Eastern Europe cooperation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 13:01:49|Editor: pengying

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UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- A Russian envoy to the United Nations on Wednesday called for restraint over the Korean Peninsula nuclear crisis following the launch of a ballistic missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"It is essential to take a step back and carefully weigh the consequences of each move, to revise the policy of mutual threat and intimidation because this policy only leads to consequences or goal that are opposite to those that are sought after," Vassily Nebenzia, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, told the Security Council.

Over the past two and a half months, the United States and its allies seem to have tried the patience of Pyongyang with their activities, including unplanned and undeclared military maneuvers, or unilateral sanctions, he said.

The hostile moves force the DPRK to question the sincerity of Washington to seek a peaceful settlement, he said, adding that a comprehensive settlement will be difficult if Pyongyang feels that its security is threatened.

He asked the parties not to provoke each other but to show restraint and not allow moves that would escalate the tension.

It is clear that there is no military solution to the problems on the Korean Peninsula, he said.

Sanctions against Pyongyang are an instrument aimed at involving it in constructive negotiations and should not be used to strangle the DPRK economically or to intentionally worsen the humanitarian situation in the country, said Nebenzia.

Unless the states in the region show their readiness to pay due attention to the political components of the resolutions containing sanctions, the situation will continue to deteriorate and move in a vicious circle, he said.

"A search for a long-term solution can only be done through tireless and active diplomatic efforts. We call on all sides to immediately begin work on finding a formula for political and diplomatic settlement. We don't see any rational alternative to this path," he said.

The Russian envoy condemned the latest launch of a new type of ballistic missile by the DPRK.

The latest launch is a cause for deep disappointment. Open disregard of the DPRK of the demands of the resolutions of the Security Council and norms of international law justifies the strongest condemnation, he said.

Russia does not accept DPRK's goal of acquiring the status of nuclear power and has supported all Security Council resolutions demanding an end to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs, he said.

The DPRK's Korean Central Television reported that the country successfully test-fired a newly developed Intercontinental Ballistic Missile early Wednesday morning, a move that has drawn condemnation from the international community.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 13:21:59|Editor: pengying

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The United States has a strong and constructive bilateral relationship with China despite frictions between the world's two largest economies, the U.S. State Department said Wednesday.

"We have a strong relationship with China. It is a results-oriented relationship; it's a constructive bilateral relationship," said Heather Nauert, the State Department spokesperson, when asked by reporters to describe bilateral ties of the two major countries at a press briefing.

"I know that the president and the first lady and Secretary Tillerson had a very nice trip there," Nauert said.

Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump, accompanied by his wife Melania and State Secretary Rex Tillerson, made his first Asia tour, of which Beijing was an important leg.

During his China trip, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged in-depth views on key issues of common concern and reached important consensuses on multiple fronts, which bears great significance for maintaining sound and stable bilateral ties.

At the briefing, Nauert also mentioned the dialogue mechanism initiated by Xi and Trump during their first face-to-face meeting at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, in April. The mechanism includes the diplomatic and security dialogue, the comprehensive economic dialogue, the law enforcement and cybersecurity dialogue, as well as the social and people-to-people dialogue.

"We had four of those dialogues that had taken place ... which is pretty significant," the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, Heather acknowledged the existence of frictions between the two countries. "We've had areas of cooperation but also areas of tension, as we do with other countries," she said.

The United States will continue to work with the Chinese government to address the issues including trade, regional security and global challenges like the threat of terrorism, Nauert said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 13:27:01|Editor: pengying

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NEW DELHI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least two people have been killed and two others injured after a three-storied building collapsed in India's western Gujarat state, police said Thursday.

The incident took place late Wednesday evening at Gunjan in Vapi in Valsad district, some 380 kms from state capital Gandhinagar.

While two bodies have been pulled out of the debris of the house, those injured have been admitted to a local hospital, a police official said.

"The death toll could go up as several people are still feared trapped under the debris of the building. Firefighters are carrying out rescue work," he said.

A probe has been ordered into the incident, the official added.

Building collapses are common in India. Poor construction standards and dilapidation are often to blame.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 13:47:07|Editor: pengying

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BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, maintaining international nuclear-nonproliferation regime, and preserving peace and stability in Northeast Asia are China's unswerving goal, Chinese President Xi Jinping said late Wednesday.

In a phone conversation with his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, Xi said China would like to keep up communication with the United States and all other related parties, and jointly push the nuclear issue towards the direction of peaceful settlement via dialogues and negotiations.

In response, Trump said the United States has serious concerns over the launch of a ballistic missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The DPRK's Korean Central Television reported that the country successfully test-fired a newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile early Wednesday morning, a move that has drawn condemnation from the international community.

"The development and advancement of the strategic weapon of DPRK are to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country from the U.S. imperialists' nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat, and to ensure the peaceful life of the people," Pyongyang said.

It is the first launch since Sept. 15, when the DPRK fired a ballistic missile over northern Japan into the Pacific Ocean.

Trump said Washington highly values China's important role in solving the nuclear issue, and is willing to enhance communications and coordinations with China in search for solutions to the issue.

To help soothe the Korean Peninsula situation, China has proposed a dual-track approach, seeking to advance denuclearization and establish a peace mechanism in parallel. Beijing, in its "suspension for suspension" initiative, calls on Pyongyang to pause its missile and nuclear activities, and calls on Washington to put its joint military drills with South Korea on hold.

"China demands the DPRK abide by UN Security Council resolutions and refrains from actions that heighten tension on the Korean Peninsula," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang Wednesday said at a regular news briefing.

China expects all parties to act prudently to maintain regional peace and stability, Geng said.

In response to the DPRK's missile launch, the United Nations Security Council held an urgent meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

"Maximum pressure" must be put on the DPRK so as to pave the way for a political solution to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, French Permanent Representative to the United Nations Francois Delattre said Wednesday before the urgent Security Council meeting.

"The threat has shifted from regional to global, from being potential to immediate. The threat concerns all of us," Delattre noted.

Greece on Wednesday condemned the missile test as "an act that undermines global security and stability."

"We categorically condemn the missile test carried out yesterday by the DPRK. It is an act that violates international legality and undermines global security and stability," the Greek Foreign Ministry said in a press statement, calling on Pyongyang to return immediately to the negotiating table on the future of its nuclear and missile programs.

Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said the move is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and called on the international society to remain united.

Under UN resolutions, the DPRK is barred from developing missiles and a nuclear weapons capability, but Pyongyang argues that the arsenal is needed for self-defense against the "hostile" United States.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 13:52:09|Editor: pengying

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UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy has called for restraint following the latest launch of a ballistic missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"The situation on the Korean Peninsula remains grave. The top priority for now is for all relevant parties to exercise restraint, to comprehensively and strictly implement relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and to strive for an early resumption of dialogue and negotiations," said Wu Haitao, the charge d'affaires of China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

China is gravely concerned and is opposed to the latest missile launch by the DPRK, Wu told the Security Council. "We strongly urge the DPRK to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions and cease actions that would escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula."

In the recent past, the overall situation on the Korean Peninsula remained stable. That provided a window of opportunity for diplomatic efforts. Regrettably, that window failed to lead to the resumption of dialogue and negotiations, he said.

The nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula has lasted more than 20 years. The most valuable experience gained is that when the parties moved toward each other and were engaged in virtuous interaction, agreements could be reached as a result. The most important lesson is that when the parties adopted tough stands and misjudged each other, the chance of peace would pass by, said Wu.

This year the Security Council has adopted several resolutions, which have demonstrated the united position of the international community against the DPRK's development of nuclear and ballistic missile capacities, he said.

The resolutions, at the same time, stressed the importance of reducing tension on the peninsula by the parties concerned, reiterated the necessity of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia as a whole, and committed parties to seeking a solution through peaceful, diplomatic and political means while emphasizing that people's livelihood and humanitarian assistance efforts in the DPRK should not be negatively impacted, said Wu.

China always stands for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and peace and stability on the peninsula. China has consistently advocated dialogue and negotiations as a means to achieve a settlement, and opposed conflict and chaos on the peninsula, he said.

The suspension-for-suspension proposal and dual-track approach put forward by China and the idea of step-by-step approach proposed by Russia formed a roadmap for the settlement of the issue. The roadmap is practical and feasible, he said, asking the relevant parties for positive response and support.

The idea of dual-track approach involves parallel efforts to move forward both denuclearization and the establishment of a peaceful mechanism on the peninsula; the initiative of suspension-for-suspension calls for the DPRK to suspend its nuclear and missile activities and for the United States and South Korea to suspend their large-scale war games.

In the current situation, the Security Council should shoulder its historic responsibility of prompting parties to take integrated measures to settle problems through peaceful, diplomatic and political means and maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, said Wu.

China will continue to implement the relevant Security Council resolutions comprehensively and in their entirety, and together with the parties concerned continue to play an active and constructive role in seeking an appropriate settlement of the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula and an early realization of the denuclearization and long-term peace and stability on the peninsula, he said. "China expects that all the parties will make their own efforts to this end by honoring their commitments in a constructive manner."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 13:52:10|Editor: pengying

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PHNOM PENH, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will lead a delegation to pay an official visit to Cambodia from Dec. 3 to 5, according to a Cambodian Foreign Ministry statement on Thursday.

It will be the second time Hasina visits Cambodia after her first official trip to the country in January 2001, the statement said.

It said her upcoming visit "reflects the strengthening of the bonds of friendship, which both countries have cherished over the years and further deepening of the existing bilateral cooperation between Cambodia and Bangladesh."

Hasina will hold a bilateral meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Peace Palace before the two leaders witness the signing ceremony of a number of cooperative documents, it added.

The two prime ministers will also hold a joint press announcement after their talks, the statement said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 14:12:17|Editor: ZD

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NEW DELHI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- A contingent of British army personnel arrived in India to take part in joint military exercise with the Indian army, officials said Thursday.

The two-week long exercise would begin from Friday.

The British army contingent arrived in Jaipur, the capital city of western Indian state of Rajasthan on Wednesday.

"A 14-day-long combined military exercise between India and the UK (Britain), Ajeya Warrior-2017 will begin from tomorrow in the Mahajan Field Firing Range near Bikaner in Rajasthan," a defense army spokesperson said.

Indian Defense spokesperson Col. Manish Ojha told state-run broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) that about 120 personnel from both armies will participate in the exercise.

Media reports said this would be the third joint military exercise between the two countries.

Officials said the exercise will provide field commanders and troops from both countries, an opportunity to interact with each other in professional, social and cultural matters.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 14:32:20|Editor: Liu

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by Asgwani Upadhyay

NEW DELHI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Toilets are the much talked about subject these days in India, as the country with a billion-plus population lacks proper sanitation and cleanliness.

The Indian government embarked upon the biggest-ever toilet building and awareness campaign in Asia's third largest economy three years ago.

Amid much hype and hoopla, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship cleanliness drive has seen participation of all -- from the country's president to companies and common people.

Under a "Clean India Mission," the Indian government vowed to build 100 million toilets across the country, 55 million of which have already been constructed.

More than 279,000 of over 600,000 villages as well as 1,337 out of 8,000 cities in the country have been declared open-defecation free.

ALL ABOARD

People from all walks of life, including public servants, celebrities, sportspersons, political leaders, all have teamed up for cleanliness drives all over India.

Several private companies as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have also started investing in sanitation as a UNICEF survey recently done in India shows that return on toilet-investment goes as high as 430 percent in the country.

With the tagline "When nature calls, pick your phone," a mobile APP was also launched earlier this year to locate the nearest public toilets.

A less-publicized "Toilet Museum" in New Delhi has also got a wider publicity after much "toilet-talk" sounded louder in the past years.

The museum displays toilets and sanitation cultures prevalent in various parts of the world during different historical periods, including India's Indus-valley civilization, which is claimed to be the world's first to have a proper sanitation system.

It tried to make people talk about one of the most neglected issues in India -- toilet, sanitation and hygiene.

India now has a population of more than 1.3 billion and most of them reside in the countryside where access to toilet is still very low. Over half of the country's population defecate in open -- on railway tracks, farm fields, forests, along highways and beside water bodies.

This practice not only spreads diseases and causes health hazards but also poses a safety issue, especially for rural women who often have to face taunts and sometimes even sexual assault when they go out to relieve themselves.

To avoid any mishap, women try to go in small groups. Often, they hold on for hours which experts suggest may cause serious health problems such as infection, particularly to pregnant women.

SCENARIO IS CHANGING

However, this scenario is changing gradually with a heightened media campaign to generate public awareness about toilets and hygiene. A Bollywood movie with "toilet" as its theme also garnered a nationwide audience earlier this year, and helped create a successful mass-movement against open defecation in India.

It all started with Modi's clarion call for cleanliness in 2014 on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi who was also a staunch supporter for cleanliness.

The goal was to make entire India clean and open-defecation free by Oct. 2, 2019 when the countrymen celebrates the 150th birth anniversary of the father of the nation.

According to a recent government survey, 62.5 percent of rural households have now access to toilets.

Although many dispute this figure, many toilets are really being constructed across the country and public awareness about using toilets has increased manifoldly in recent years.

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, who is widely known as "toilet man" of India due to his crusade to build thousands of toilets in every nook and corner of the country, hails the Indian prime minister's efforts to make India a clean nation.

Pathak's organization Sulabh International has adopted several villages in order to make them clean and open-defecation free, including a village in the northern Indian province of Haryana, which was rechristened as "Trump Village" in the name of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Applauding Modi's efforts to provide "toilets for all," Pathak has given Modi the name "Second Gandhi."

"After Gandhi, honorable Prime Minister Narendra is the second person who has taken up cleanliness and toilets (as an important issue) from core of his heart. And therefore I say, he has changed a culture of sanitation," Pathak said.

"He has asked to end the practice of open defecation by 2019 and the government is working on that," said Pathak.

DRAWING EXPERIENCE FROM CHINA'S SUCCESS

B.R. Deepak, a sinologist and professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said that India could draw lessons from China's past experience in the "toilet revolution."

Recalling his first-ever visit to China for study in 1991, Deepak said: "The public sanitation especially the public toilets were going through a massive transformation (then in China)."

"We stayed in a building especially built to accommodate foreign students with excellent facilities, but ...all toilets were squatting ones... many toilets including some on the metro line 1 and 2 (in Beijing) had no doors, no separators put for male urinals, and the stench was horrible," Deepak said.

"However, with the economy taking flight and people and government getting concerned about the quality of life, public sanitation and 'image' became an issue for public debate. People started to talk about 'toilet revolution' which quickly spread from Beijing to rest of the country," he said.

"The investment peaked during the Olympics and after that China never looked back. In fact, thousands of toilets were built or renovated in all the tourist places," Deepak said.

"I could see this happening in China's remote counties, townships, and even villages as I surveyed over 40 villages in a couple of provinces during my field trip in 2006 and 2007. The toilets are transformed to clean energy-saving, to high tech ones accustomed for any weather conditions," he noted.

Today, India seems to have adopted sanitation best practices prevalent in different parts of the world, though in bits and pieces.

South Delhi Municipal Corporation, one of the three municipalities in Indian capital New Delhi, inaugurated a "Pink Toilet" last month, which was touted as the first of its kind in India, and was unique in many ways.

It has a sanitary-napkin vending machine for the convenience of ladies, a baby-feeding area and an incinerator to burn the waste on the spot. Another "toilet for children" has also been opened in Delhi.

"There is good cleanliness at this toilet and everything is here. I get all essential facilities here," said Rajni, a user of "Pink Toilet."

Building on the success, the authorities are now looking forward to replicating these "exclusive washrooms" across Delhi and in different parts of the country. Yet, maintaining them still remains a challenge due to several shortcomings in the process.

South Delhi Municipal Corporation, which launched several initiatives for public hygiene over the last months, including making 4,000 toilets in hotels, restaurants and oil-stations accessible to the public, has decided to install feedback devices in toilets for real-time monitoring.

"Maintaining the toilets is a big challenge. So we are finding out the way how can we maintain the toilets, cleanliness and other things. We have 355 public toilets (in our area) and we have 512 urinals," said Kamaljeet Sehrawat, mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

"We are installing a device which is called CFD, that is ... citizen feedback device. We are putting up these devices in more than 400 toilets. And that will work as an alert. With that you can give us report about cleanliness, about water, about electricity," said Sehrawat.

Experts suggest that although three years of India's toilet mission has shown satisfactory results, the country has a long way to go before bringing a "toilet-revolution" in its true sense.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 14:57:27|Editor: pengying

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BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China will push for legislation on pre-school education to a provide legal guarantee for the operation and management of such institutions, Vice Minister of Education Tian Xuejun said Thursday.

Tian made the remarks at a press conference organized by the State Council Information Office, with regards to a child abuse case at RYB Education New World Kindergarten in Beijing that received widespread attention last week.

Tian said the ministry was already doing research on the legislation.

"The ministry will also complete the requirements on qualifications of teachers engaged in pre-school education and is considering formulating a code of ethics for them," Tian said.

He also mentioned a plan to step up supervision of kindergartens and solve the problem of insufficient resources for pre-school education.

A female teacher was detained Saturday on suspicion of child abuse at a Beijing kindergarten, according to local police.

Beijing police said the teacher surnamed Liu, 22, was detained on suspicion of child abuse at the RYB Education New World kindergarten in Chaoyang District.

Police said they had not found evidence the children had been sexually molested.

Tian said the case exposed the conflict between public demand for pre-school enrollment and insufficient development of pre-school education.

"It also showed that some local authorities and kindergartens still have problems of unsound management and failure to implement or fully implement regulations," he said.

Since 2010, the gross enrollment rate for the three years of pre-school education rose to 77.4 percent from 50.9 percent, he added.
Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy Wang Jiarui (3rd R), who is also vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta in Nairobi, Kenya, Nov. 29, 2017. (Xinhua)

NAIROBI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy Wang Jiarui met with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday, after attending the inauguration ceremony of the Kenyan president in Nairobi on Tuesday.

Wang, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said the friendship between China and Kenya enjoys a long history, stressing that the political mutual trust has been increasingly enhanced in recent years.

He went on to say that the bilateral relations are at their best in history, with economic and trade cooperation becoming increasingly close and people-to-people exchange displaying many highlights.

Wang said China is willing to work with Kenya in implementing the fruits of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, furthering cooperation on the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, and continuously advancing the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

On his part, Kenyatta expressed thanks for China's abundant support and assistance for Kenya in developing its society and economy over the years, saying that Kenya is willing to work with China in advancing the major cooperation projects between the two nations, deepening cooperation on infrastructure construction, poverty reduction and improvement of people's livelihoods, and increasing exchanges on party and national governance.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 15:02:29|Editor: Lifang

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SHENYANG, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- A northeast China court Thursday sentenced a man to death with reprieve for tomb theft.

The Liaoning Provincial Higher People's Court sentenced Yao Yuzhong to death with a two-year reprieve. Yao was convicted for a series of tomb thefts, robberies and reselling cultural relics.

In late 2014, many ancient tombs and cultural ruins were severely damaged at a relics site on the border area of the city of Lingyuan and Jianping County in Liaoning. Archaeologists had previously unearthed a large number of relics dating to more than 5,500 years ago at the site.

Police caught 225 suspects, including Yao, who was believed to be the ringleader, and retrieved 2,063 items.

In 2016, Yao was given a suspended death sentence by a local court, which he appealed.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 15:07:32|Editor: Lifang

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XI'AN, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-seven people in northwest China's Shaanxi Province were sentenced to prison for terms up to life for involvement in a mafia-style gang, a local court said.

The leader of the gang Zhu Qunyang carried out a series of criminal activities, operating casinos and contracting construction projects from 2004 to 2013, and was given a life sentence, according to the intermediate people's court of Xi'an city.

Another 25 gang members were handed jail terms ranging from 33 months to 20 years, and one more was put under surveillance for two years.

The court found members of the gang had committed a series of crimes, including four cases of assault causing serious injuries to two people and minor injuries to seven, 11 provocation cases causing enormous losses, three robberies with illegal gains of over 370,000 yuan (55,900 U.S. dollars), three unlawful detentions, one extortion and the destruction of 0.85 hectares of farmland.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 15:32:40|Editor: Lifang

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NAY PYI TAW, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi left here Thursday to attend the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Dialogue with World Political Parties High Level Meeting in Beijing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

At the invitation of the Chinese government, Suu Kyi will also pay a visit to China on the occasion to strengthen relations between Myanmar and China.

Suu Kyi last visited China in August 2016.

Myanmar attaches high importance to the development of Myanmar-China ties, anticipating that her visit to China would further enhance the two countries' cooperation.

Suu Kyi also expressed wishes of her National League for Democracy (NLD) to deepen the exchange with the CPC and continuously strengthen the mutual trust and cooperation.

Leaders from more than 200 parties and political organizations in more than 120 countries have registered for the meeting, which is scheduled for Nov. 30-Dec. 3.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 15:37:42|Editor: liuxin

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SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- A paramilitary trooper of India's Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) killed his wife and a couple on Thursday in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.

The killings took place at the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Colony Shalimar in Kishtwar district, about 208 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Early today a CISF constable shot dead three people with his service rifle in Dul Hasti Hydro Electric Project Shalimar, Kishtwar," a police official at police control room (PCR) Jammu told Xinhua. "The slain included his wife, the colleague's wife and the colleague."

Police said they have initiated investigations into the incident and have taken a suspect into custody.

CISF troopers in India are mandated to provide security to major installations of India like nuclear installations, space establishments, airports, seaports, power plants, sensitive government buildings and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation etc.

Local media reports said extra-marital affair is believed to be the reason behind the killings.

Many incidents of suicides and fratricides among stationed troops across India-controlled Kashmir have been reported in the past.

Health experts say continued separation from family, long duty hours, lack of recreational facilities, poor command and control structure were usually found to be reasons behind such incidents.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 15:57:52|Editor: Lifang

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JINAN, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- At the age of 63, Shi Cuiping, a rural resident in east China's Shandong Province, became a worker for the first time in her life.

Sitting under a sign that reads "getting rid of poverty and becoming better off" on the wall of a furniture workshop located within a few minutes walk from her home in Juancheng County, Shi carefully weaved a rattan chair that would be one of many shipped to big cities around the world.

Shi earns nearly 2,000 yuan (about 300 U.S. dollars) a month, much less than her son, who went south to Ningbo as a migrant worker. But the workshop gives her the flexibility to leave at any time, something Shi feels very important.

At 10:50 a.m., Shi rose from her chair and walked out of the front door. "I'm going to pick up my granddaughter from school. I'll cook a good meal for her," she said.

Around 60 people like Shi work in the 440-square-meter workshop. They are mostly women, seniors, or the disabled, those often "left behind" to look after children in China's rural areas when their family members leave to earn higher salaries in big cities. They are now able to earn a meager income in thousands of the so-called "poverty-relief workshops" that have recently sprung up in villages.

With vast areas of plains stretching across counties, the city of Heze, which administers Juancheng County, is traditionally known for its agriculture. A lack of big companies or industrial bases has left the area relatively underdeveloped, and its impoverished population accounts for more than half of provincial total.

In the past two years, more than 2,800 workshops employing rural residents have been opened with the help of the local government, employing 235,245 people that previously lived below the provincial poverty line of 3,000 yuan (in 2010 prices) per capita annually.

Most are engaged in simple labor intensive work such as hair processing, toy making, and furniture manufacturing.

The good part of these workshops is that they are all located within walking distance of the villagers' homes, allowing them to take care of daily chores while working in their spare time, said Cai Weichao, who is in charge of Heze's poverty relief work.

China has an ambitious goal of lifting the entire population out of poverty by 2020, when the country will complete the building of a moderately prosperous society.

Remarkable progress has been made in the past five years, as the country has lowered the number of people living below the national poverty line of 2,300 yuan by an average of 13 million each year, or 20 people every minute.

But it's the remaining 43 million Chinese, many of whom are disabled or elderly, who pose a more difficult challenge for poverty relief officials.

The building of the poverty-relief workshops does not only create jobs for those left behind in rural areas, but simultaneously boosts local industries and increases tax revenue for the community, Cai said.

In Juancheng, "hiring" signs hang on the walls of many local enterprises.

According to Fan Jifu, manager of a hair-processing company, the rural workshops have helped ease labor shortages and saved the company about 20 percent in labor costs.

The firm currently collects semi-processed hair products from six such rural workshops, where women and seniors are paid approximately 1,000 to 2,000 yuan (about 150 to 300 U.S. dollars) a month for simple procedures such as hair sorting.

Seeing job opportunities in their hometowns, some migrant workers are returning from cities and using their experience to run the workshops.

Wang Changyuan has returned to Juancheng and now is in charge of more than 30 workers, 18 of whom previously lived under the poverty line.

As an infant, Wang contracted polio and could only walk with the help of a crutch.

He was in his early 20s when his parents died, leaving him to take care of his younger brother.

After working as an apprentice in clothing factories in cities such as Beijing and Qingdao, Wang decided to come home last year after a phone call from a local official informed him of an opportunity to run his own factory.

At the newly built clothing workshop in the village where he grew up, Wang manages his employees, many of whom he knew as a child.

He named his company "Zhongfa," which means "get rich together" in Chinese. As someone who has survived despite poverty and disability, he hopes no one in the workshop will have to experience what he went through.

"I hope I can earn enough money to buy them some extra meat in winter and ice creams in the summer," Wang said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 16:02:54|Editor: liuxin

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ISLAMABAD, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed when a U.S. drone fired missiles along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, local Urdu media reported on Thursday.

The attack happened in Pakistani territory of Kurram agency, one of the seven tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, Geo TV quoted the local tribal sources as saying.

The aircraft fired two missiles at the hideout of a Taliban commander named Rasheed, and killed him with two others. The strike happened at about 4:30 a.m local time (2330 GMT Wednesday), said the report.

The aircraft kept on hovering over the area before launching the strike, causing panic among the local people.

On Oct. 16, Pakistani media reported that three U.S. drone strikes had been conducted in the same area, killing nearly 31 suspected militants. However, the Pakistani army denied the reports on the next day and said no drone strike had taken place in Pakistan.

Drone strikes are highly unpopular among the Pakistani public. They say the drone kills militants and civilians indiscriminately.

Islamabad also condemns such attacks, calling them violations of their sovereignty.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 16:02:55|Editor: liuxin

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SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least three militants were killed Thursday in a fierce gunfight in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, defense officials said.

The gunfight erupted at village Fultipora-Pakharpora, Budgam district, about 44 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Three militants were killed today in a gunfight at Fultipora-Pakharpora," Indian army spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia told Xinhua. "The operation in the area is going on."

The gunfight was triggered after joint contingents of Indian military, paramilitary and police cordoned off the area on specific intelligence inputs about presence of militants.

The identities of slain militants were being ascertained.

According to officials, Indian police and army have not suffered any damage in the stand-off.

Six militants and an Indian air force (IAF) commando were killed in a recent similar gunfight in Bandipora district of the region.

A guerrilla war is going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. Gunfight between the two sides takes place intermittently across the region.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 16:12:51|Editor: liuxin

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A resident returns to his burnt home to retrieve usable wares after a fire at a slum area in Taguig City, the Philippines, Nov. 30, 2017. More than 200 families were left homeless in the fire. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 16:12:58|Editor: liuxin

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U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley (L) speaks with Wu Haitao, the charge d'affaires of China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, after a Security Council urgent meeting on the Tuesday's missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), at the UN headquarters in New York, Nov. 29, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

by Xinhua writer Wang Jiangang

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday called for all measures possible to prevent escalation of tension on the Korean Peninsula following the latest ballistic missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"Given the grave risks associated with any military confrontation, in exercise of its primary responsibility the Security Council needs to do all it can to prevent an escalation. Unity in the Security Council is critical," Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman said at Wednesday's emergency meeting, the 13th meeting of the council this year to discuss the DPRK.

The appeal came after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier "strongly condemned" the ballistic missile launch.

In his briefing to the council, Feltman said according to the DPRK's official news agency and government sources, Pyongyang launched what it termed an "intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15."

According to the Security Council, Wednesday's launch was the DPRK's third test of a ballistic missile of apparently intercontinental range in less than six months and its 20th ballistic missile launch this year.

The DPRK's repeated nuclear and missile tests over the past two years have created great tension on the Korean Peninsula and beyond, Feltman said, stressing that this dynamic must be reversed. But he stressed the solution can only be political.

Security Council unity would create an opportunity for sustained diplomatic engagement, a chance that must be seized in these dangerous times to work to create conditions for negotiations, he added.

Also on Wednesday morning, Feltman called a meeting with the DPRK's Permanent Representative Ja Song Nam to deliver the secretary-general's message.

At the meeting, Feltman stressed that "there is nothing more dangerous to peace and security in the world than what is happening now on the Korean Peninsula."

He also told the DPRK ambassador that Pyongyang must "desist from taking any further destabilizing steps."

Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said the top priority in view of the current "grave situation" was for all parties to exercise restraint, implement UN sanctions, and strive for early resumption of dialogue and negotiations.

He said that the recent stable period on the peninsula before the latest launch had provided a window of opportunity for diplomatic efforts, but "regrettably, this window failed to lead to a resumption of dialogue and negotiations."

Wu reiterated the China-Russia proposal for the DPRK to suspend all nuclear and missile tests and the United States and South Korea to suspend all military exercises, adding, "We hope it will elicit a response and support."

Russia's Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia also warned that the U.S.-South Korean drills "will only inflame an already explosive situation."

Nebenzia said Russia is deeply disappointed at the DPRK's long-range ballistic missile launch, stressing that Moscow does not support Pyongyang becoming a nuclear power.

He also said that Russia is strongly calling on all parties to stop the "spiral of tension."

French permanent representative to the United Nations Francois Delattre said "maximum pressure" must be put on the DPRK so as to pave the way for a political solution to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

"The threat has shifted from regional to global, from being potential to immediate. The threat concerns all of us," he remarked.

Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi of Italy, chair of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee which facilitates implementation of the provisions of all relevant resolutions, from 1718 (2006) to the latest 2375 (2017), also briefed the council.

Cardi said the committee has been engaged in facilitating implementation of all sanction measures and is continuing its efforts.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 16:18:01|Editor: liuxin

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Air Force on Wednesday said it had fired the captain of its Thunderbird flight demonstration team after his commanding officer lost confidence in him.

The air force's 57th Wing Commander Brig. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt relieved Lt. Col. Jason Heard of duty after the Thunderbirds concluded their flight season on Nov. 20.

In a statement, the air force recognized that the Thunderbirds had a successful season but Leavitt had lost confidence in Heard's leadership and risk management style.

Leavitt held that removing Heard was necessary to "ensure the highest level of pride in precision and professionalism within the team," according to the statement.

Heard had been heading the Thunderbirds, officially known as the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, for about a year. A mishap occurred in June when a jet flipped over upon landing. A probe found the pilot had landed with too much speed, but it is unclear if Heard's firing was related to the incident.

The Thunderbirds team is a group of F-16 jets that fly in dozens of air shows around the world each year to promote the air force's image.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 16:38:09|Editor: Lifang

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BAKU, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The principles outlined at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) coincide with Azerbaijan's position while the direction of the Chinese economy has a global impact, a member of Azerbaijan's parliament said.

Siyavush Novruzov, who is also deputy executive secretary of the New Azerbaijan Party, said in the past five years, China achieved great success in the fields of economy, politics and culture.

"China's domestic and foreign policies aim to provide decent living conditions for the Chinese people, as well as to build harmonious relations with the international community and to expand mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries," he said.

The MP spoke about how China's state interests -- peaceful co-existence, global security and the well-being of all -- are related to universal welfare.

"Mutual respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, mutual non-aggression, mutual benefit, settlement of conflicts through dialogue, and the fight against terrorism are the priorities of China's foreign policies," Novruzov said, adding that these principles coincide with the position of Azerbaijan.

He also said that today, it is impossible to imagine a global economy without China.

"Expanding the volume of foreign trade (and) boosting trade and investment liberalization meet the interests not only of China, but also of countries cooperating with it. The development trends of China's economy have an impact worldwide," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 16:43:11|Editor: liuxin

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COLOMBO, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed when strong winds and heavy rains lashed Sri Lanka since Wednesday night, prompting authorities to issue a severe weather alert.

The police said fatalities had been reported from Galle, Gampaha and Badulla Districts while severe destruction had been caused in several areas across the country.

Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Center said since water levels in some of the major rivers, including Nilwala, Gin and Kalu rivers, were rising due to heavy rains, people had been urged to move to higher grounds.

He said the police and relief teams had been advised to be on alert and help those who had been stranded or affected by the adverse weather.

The Meteorology Department said in its latest weather forecast that more heavy rains and gusty strong winds could be expected over the island, and heavy rains, strong winds and rough seas could also be expected further in the deep and shallow sea areas around the island too.

The department warned fishermen against going to sea.

"The depression in the south-west of Sri Lanka has developed into a deep depression and it is located 200 km away from Colombo. It is expected to develop further and move to the Arabian Sea area," the weather forecast said.

The Disaster Management Center also dismissed rumors of a tsunami threat to the island, which had spread panic among those living in the coastal areas.

Heavy rain falls about 100 to 150 mm could be expected at some places in the Southern, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Western and Uva provinces.

Meanwhile, rail services were delayed in many areas due to fallen trees across railway tracks and landslide warnings. People had been urged to stay indoors.

Several houses were damaged and trees had been uprooted in several areas, making roads inaccessible. Authorities had begun clean up operations amid heavy rains.

The Education Ministry had ordered schools to be closed in the Western, Southern, Uva and Central Provinces on Wednesday owing to the adverse weather conditions.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 16:53:15|Editor: liuxin

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KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Thursday recommended launching a probe into former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed.

In a report released on Thursday, the RCI said the 92-year-old political heavyweight deliberately ignored foreign exchange losses incurred by the central bank between 1992 and 1994, which amounted to 31.5 billion ringgit (7.71 billion U.S. dollars).

Malaysia's official news agency Bernama cited RCI Chairman Mohd Sidek Hassan as saying that the commission formed an opinion that there were deliberate concealment as the annual reports of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) did not state the actual losses incurred from the forex dealings at that time.

The commission also believed that former Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim had deliberately concealed facts and information and made misleading statements to the cabinet led by Mahathir over the matter.

"The prime minister, who also had knowledge of the forex losses, did not correct or offer more information when the losses informed to the cabinet were not the actual losses," the report read.

The RCI was set up by the Malaysian government to probe into the country's central bank's foreign exchange losses in the 1980s and 1990s. The 524-page RCI report was submitted to the parliament Thursday.

At a hearing, Mahathir said he did not have direct knowledge of forex trading activities conducted by the central bank as well as the losses incurred.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 16:58:19|Editor: Lifang

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SOCHI, Russia, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived in the Russian city of Sochi Thursday for the 16th meeting of the Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of Government (Prime Ministers).

The SCO meeting, scheduled for Thursday and Friday, is the first of its kind after the organization's membership expansion in June to include India and Pakistan.

The Chinese premier will expound the principles and policies of the major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and its significance to the ties between China and the SCO countries, said Assistant Foreign Minister Li Huilai.

China, which holds the first rotating presidency after the expansion, will work with other countries to promote the Belt and Road construction, and reach new consensus on the alignment of development strategies, connectivity, industrial capacity cooperation and cultural exchanges, he said.

Founded in 2001, the SCO has China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan as its full members. It has four observer states, namely Iran, Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia, and six dialogue partners, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

The SCO now covers three-fifths of Eurasia, and has nearly half of the world population.

Before heading to Sochi, Li met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Wednesday. The two sides agreed to advance bilateral ties and strengthen all-round cooperation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 17:18:25|Editor: liuxin

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A worker clears off fallen trees in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Nov. 30, 2017. At least six people were killed and 23 injured when strong winds and heavy rains lashed Sri Lanka since Wednesday night, prompting authorities to issue a severe weather alert. (Xinhua/Gayan Sameera)

COLOMBO, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were killed and 23 injured when strong winds and heavy rains lashed Sri Lanka since Wednesday night, prompting authorities to issue a severe weather alert.

The Disaster Management Center said the fatalities had been reported from Galle, Gampaha and Badulla Districts while severe destruction had been caused in several areas across the country.

The center said since water levels in some of the major rivers, including Nilwala, Gin and Kalu rivers, were rising due to heavy rains, people had been urged to move to higher grounds.

The police and relief teams had been advised to be on alert and help those who had been stranded or affected by the adverse weather.

The Meteorology Department said in its latest weather forecast that more heavy rains and gusty strong winds could be expected over the island, and heavy rains, strong winds and rough seas could also be expected further in the deep and shallow sea areas around the island too.

The department warned fishermen against going to sea.

"The depression in the south-west of Sri Lanka has developed into a deep depression and it is located 200 km away from Colombo. It is expected to develop further and move to the Arabian Sea area," the weather forecast said.

The Disaster Management Center also dismissed rumors of a tsunami threat to the island, which had spread panic among those living in the coastal areas.

Heavy rain falls about 100 to 150 mm could be expected at some places in the Southern, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Western and Uva provinces.

President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday ordered Sri Lankan forces to provide immediate assistance to those affected by the disaster.

The president's office said that Sirisena, who is on a visit to South Korea, had been briefed on the situation by the Disaster Management Center.

The government has also announced that an immediate sum of 10,000 rupees (65.2 U.S. dollars) would be given to each family affected by the adverse weather.

Meanwhile, rail services were delayed in many areas due to fallen trees across railway tracks and landslide warnings. People had been urged to stay indoors.

Several houses were damaged and trees had been uprooted in several areas, making roads inaccessible. Authorities had begun clean up operations amid heavy rains.

Schools were closed in the Western, Southern, Uva and Central Provinces on Wednesday owing to the adverse weather conditions.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 17:23:28|Editor: Lu Hui

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ABIDJAN, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron said here Wednesday evening that nine European and African nations, along with the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN), have decided to urgently evacuate African migrants trapped in Libya.

Macron made the remarks at a press conference after an urgent meeting following the opening of the fifth AU-EU summit in Abidjan, the economic capital of Cote d'Ivoire.

A recent footage aired by CNN showing African migrants being auctioned off like slaves in Libya, a transit hub for Europe-bound migrants, has sent shock waves across Africa and sparked outrage from leaders at the summit.

Cote d'Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara called for ending "the practice that belongs to another age" at the opening of the summit.

The UN, AU, EU and countries including Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Chad, Niger, Libya, Republic of Congo and Morocco jointly agreed on the evacuation.

Macron said the evacuation will take place in the next few days or weeks, and called for the punishment of human traffickers linked to terrorist groups.

Libya has fallen into chaos since the 2011 uprising led to the overthrow and killing of its longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi. The coast of the North African continent has become a hub for human trafficking.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 17:48:39|Editor: Lu Hui

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 900 successful applicants for subsidised housing under two national schemes received house keys from Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah on Thursday.

These free houses, under the Kg Panchor project, range from detached to semi-detached to terrace, whose costs run between 45,000 Brunei dollars (33,370 U.S. dollars) to 60,000 Brunei dollars (44,494 U.S. dollars), depending on the location and type of housing, Pg Norhamdiyah Pg Ahmad, head of Housing Development Department of Brunei's Ministry of Development was quoted as saying by local media on Thursday.

According to the Ministry of Development, more than 350 million Brunei dollars (259 million U.S. dollars) have been spent to fund the project, which includes 4,000 detached houses, 2,400 semi-detached and terrace houses spreading over 309 hectares.

The Bruneian government is launching the National Housing Scheme (RPN) and Landless Indigenous Citizens' Housing Scheme (STKRJ) to provide housing and land lots to citizens in need.

Statistics from the Housing Development Department shows that to date free houses and land lots have been provided to over 28,000 recipients across Brunei's four districts under the RPN and the STKRJ.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 17:58:42|Editor: Liangyu

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WELLINGTON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters lauded on Thursday the set-up of Ross Sea Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Southern Ocean.

The Ross Sea region MPA, which comes into effect on Dec. 1, is the result of a joint New Zealand-United States initiative, and will protect an area of the Southern Ocean that is teeming with life, Peters said.

"The Southern Ocean is one of the world's most pristine marine environments. It has an unbroken food-chain and still has a full suite of top-level predators such as whales, seals and penguins," Peters said, adding that the Ross Sea region MPA is 1.55 million square km, or six times the size of New Zealand.

"Getting unanimous agreement to create this marine protected area is a significant achievement," he said.

New Zealand will continue to work with others to ensure that this marine protected area contributes to scientific understanding of the Southern Ocean and the role it plays in regulating the global climate, which includes significant investment by the New Zealand government in scientific study in the Ross Sea region, Peters said.

"New Zealand is committed to protecting this environment for the benefit of future generations, and maintaining Antarctica and the Southern Ocean for science, conservation and peace," the foreign minister said.

The Marine Protected Area was agreed in October 2016 with the consensus of all 25 members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, which was established by an international convention in 1982 with the objective of conserving Antarctic marine life.

A joint proposal for a marine protected area in the Ross Sea region was first made by New Zealand and the United States in 2012.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 17:58:42|Editor: Liangyu

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DUBAI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Thursday to fly the national flag at half-mast to honor soldiers who lost their lives in service of the country.

All flags of public and private buildings were flown at half-mast from 8 a.m. to 11.30 a.m., with a minute of silence observed at 11.30 a.m., local time.

"Today, all of us across the nation stand tall to mourn our loyal martyrs ... they did not leave us but will stay in the memory of every house and every place of our blessed land," Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, said on Twitter.

The UAE government announced in August 2015 that Nov. 30 would be Commemoration Day.

In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition including the UAE forces launched a military campaign in Yemen to drive out the Houthi rebels, an armed group which opposes the internationally-backed President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 18:03:44|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's dollar-denominated Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (QFII) program saw its total quota rise to 96.79 billion U.S. dollars as of Nov. 29, the forex regulator said Thursday.

The amount was up from 94.49 billion dollars at the end of October, according to data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE).

Altogether 287 overseas institutions have received quotas under the QFII program to move money into the country's capital account.

The total quota under the RMB Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (RQFII) program stood at 604.86 billion yuan (about 91.5 billion dollars) as of Nov. 29, higher than the 590.36 billion yuan recorded by the end of October.

China's currency, the yuan, is convertible for trade purposes under the current account, while the capital account, which covers portfolio investment and borrowing, is still largely controlled by the state due to concerns over abrupt capital flows in and out of the country.

To gradually open the capital account, the government introduced the QFII and RQFII programs in 2003 and 2011, respectively.

The QFII scheme represents the country's effort to allow licensed foreign investors to invest in its capital market. The RQFII program allows institutional investors with offshore renminbi deposits to invest in its onshore market.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 18:08:47|Editor: Liangyu

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CAPE TOWN, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- South Africa on Thursday joined the international community in strongly condemning the alleged auctioning of African migrants in Libya as slaves.

This came after a video of slaves apparently being auctioned in Libya had gone viral on social media.

"These inhumane acts are incongruent with the ideals of the African Union and relevant African and international instruments, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights," said Clayson Monyela, spokesperson for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

South Africa calls for an immediate end to these atrocities and other criminal acts of human trafficking, Monyela said.

The Libyan authorities have pledged to investigate reports that hundreds of African refugees are being bought and sold in "slave markets" across Libya every week, with many of them held for ransom or forced into prostitution and sexual exploitation to pay their captors and smugglers.

South Africa welcomes the announcement by the Libyan authorities to investigate and identify all the perpetrators and accomplices of these criminal acts and looks forward to a transparent and credible investigation, Monyela said.

Publishing the outcome of the investigation will be the most prudent and welcome thing to do by the Libyan authorities, he added.

"We further urge the Libyan authorities to do everything in their power to improve the conditions of African migrants in the camps meant to house migrants on their territory," said Monyela.

South Africa will continue its work to eradicate human trafficking and support international efforts to bring those who abuse vulnerable people to justice, he said.

"We will continue to champion the respect for human rights, especially those of our fellow African brothers and sisters," said Monyela.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 18:08:49|Editor: Liangyu

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HANOI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam exported nearly 1.3 million tons of coffee worth roughly 2.9 billion U.S. dollars in the first 11 months of this year, witnessing a decrease of 22.5 percent and 3.8 percent respectively, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said on Thursday.

Germany and the United States continued to be the two biggest Vietnamese coffee importers, and other countries which imported much bigger volumes of the product in the 11-month period included Italy, India and Belgium.

Vietnam will pour 170 billion Vietnamese dong (7.5 million U.S. dollars) mainly into creating four varieties of high-quality coffee to strengthen coffee production and export in the 2018-2023 period, the ministry said.

By 2023, the Vietnamese Robusta coffee productivity is expected to increase to 2.7 tons per hectare, and the Arabica coffee productivity to 2 tons per hectare. By 2035, export prices of Vietnamese branded coffee are expected to be equal to those of similar foreign products.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 18:23:53|Editor: liuxin

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MONTEVIDEO, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Uruguayan business conference of China and Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries will throw light on the changes in the Chinese economy, helping improve trade and other ties between the three sides, an Uruguayan academic said.

Latin America lacks defined subregional strategies, especially on how to improve ties with China, said Ignacio Bartesaghi, dean of the faculty of business science at the Catholic University of Uruguay.

The China-LAC 2017 Business Summit, to be held in Uruguayan resort Punta del Este from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, can help map out such strategies by providing information on the changes the Chinese economy is undergoing, its impact, and how Latin America can benefit from it.

Bartesaghi is also one of the speakers at the second plenary session of the summit on Dec. 1, themed "Infrastructure development and cooperation between China and Latin America and the Caribbean."

Summit participants will explore whether the Chinese pattern of investing in Latin America will change, as well as learn about the importance of business partnerships with China, he told Xinhua.

NEW PARADIGM

The academic is expecting the summit to help replace outdated thinking with a more realistic and dynamic vision of transregional ties.

"These kinds of summits provide us with the reality of the changes taking place in China and how we can position ourselves to be able to stop thinking of China as (just a country that) buys our primary products and...sells us electronic goods," he said. "That's where the central discussion is going to be ...to learn a little more about each other, both in business and government."

Bartesaghi said Uruguay is trying "to make a difference" by crafting a free trade agreement (FTA) with China, because closing an FTA with China implies much more than the deal itself, leading to deepening cooperation in strategic terms.

Bartesaghi said China is also interested in Uruguay as a prior step to entering the regional market.

Besides, closer ties with China and its Belt and Road Initiative could indirectly benefit Latin America, he said.

The initiative China proposed in 2013 comprises the overland Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, seeking to revive and expand the ancient Silk Road trade routes and connect Asia, Africa and Europe through better infrastructure, greater trade, and enhanced people-to-people exchanges.

"Clearly we are not the focus of the Belt and Road Initiative, but the ripple effects of the plan can be favorable to the region," Bartesaghi said.

POTENTIAL COOPERATION AREAS

Bartesaghi also sees great potential for cooperation between Latin America and China in the infrastructure sector, citing transportation, where China boasts expertise particularly in high-speed railway and electric vehicles, as well as renewable energy.

"The challenge is to lay out a strategy for China. That's why fora like this are good. They provide us a platform to know each other better," he said.

More than 2,000 business leaders, government representatives and experts from various fields are attending the summit, an annual gathering started in 2007 and organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 18:23:53|Editor: liuxin

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CAPE TOWN, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- More than 200 women from the African region kicked off a conference in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape Province on Thursday to promote more active participation of women in the tourism sector.

During the two-day Women in Tourism Conference themed "Sustainable Tourism: A Tool for Radical Socio-Economic Development for Women," delegates will address the challenges that affect the socio-economic empowerment of women, funding constraints, and the establishment of support structures and incentives.

In her key-note address, South African Tourism Minister Tokozile Xasa urged African women to work together to influence governments' policies and programs.

"Collectively, our active participation can result in a transformed and inclusive industry," Xasa said.

Since its initiation in 2014, the Women in Tourism Conference has been convened annually, with the aim of elevating women in the tourism industry.

Over the years, the conference has been recognized as a platform that addresses the socio-economic concerns of women in the tourism sector and the continent as a whole.

The conference coincided with the ongoing 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, a worldwide campaign.

Conference participants called for greater commitment to enabling safer communities and an equitable tourism industry. This call has won the support from men in the tourism sector, according to Xasa.

"We acknowledge and applaud the men who joined us in pledging to protect women and children, and in building the representative tourism industry. Together, we can end the cycle of abuse," said Xasa.

According to figures released at the conference, only 11 percent of tourism enterprises in South Africa had black women representation at boards, executives and senior management positions, and that the overall rate of transformation was slow.

"It is concerning that the representation of women at executive and senior management positions is low. Our collective participation is critical to transforming this sector. Rise up, and let us pro-actively strive to make this sector inclusive," Xasa said.

She said radical social and economic transformation has been prioritized to accelerate the process of empowering South Africans, especially women and the youth, to play a meaningful role in building a sustainable economy.

The conference is expected to develop a constitution for the formation of an autonomous body that will drive women empowerment initiatives in the tourism sector.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 18:38:57|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) arrives in Sochi, Russia, Nov. 30, 2017, for the 16th meeting of the Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of Government (Prime Ministers). (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

SOCHI, Russia, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived in the Russian city of Sochi Thursday morning for the 16th meeting of the Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of Government (Prime Ministers).

The SCO meeting, scheduled for Thursday and Friday, is the first of its kind after the organization's membership expansion in June to include India and Pakistan.

At Sochi airport, Li was welcomed by senior Russian government officials and Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui.

Since its founding in 2001, the SCO has become an important platform for maintaining regional safety and stability, and for promoting common development and prosperity, Li said.

"I look forward to meeting relevant sides in Sochi, the pearl of Black Sea. After the membership expansion, we will together review achievements, tap more potentials, and from this new starting point, consistently push for cooperation in political, security, economic, people-to-people and cultural fields," he said.

Li said he also expects to meet with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Sochi to boost bilateral ties and coordination within the SCO framework.

During the meeting, the Chinese premier will sign documents on cooperation with other leaders of SCO members. He is scheduled to hold multiple bilateral meetings and attend cultural events with Medvedev.

The SCO has China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan as its full members. It has four observer states, namely Iran, Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia, and six dialogue partners, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

The organization now covers three-fifths of Eurasia, and has nearly half of the world population.

The Chinese premier will expound the principles and policies of the major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and its significance to the ties between China and the SCO countries, said Assistant Foreign Minister Li Huilai.

China, which holds the first rotating presidency after the expansion, will work with other countries to promote the Belt and Road construction, and reach new consensus on the alignment of development strategies, connectivity, industrial capacity cooperation and cultural exchanges, he said.

Before heading to Sochi, Li met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Wednesday. The two sides agreed to advance bilateral ties and strengthen all-round cooperation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 19:04:08|Editor: liuxin

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ACCRA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has brought back home here 127 Ghanaian illegal migrants from the volatile situation in Libya.

The aircraft carrying these migrants touched down around 10:15 p.m. Wednesday local time, said Kojo Wilmot, a national officer of IOM.

Wilmot told Xinhua, early Thursday that there was one female and two minors among the rescued migrants.

"We promote orderly migration, but these people were caught up in a volatile situation and were being held under various forms of inhumane treatment. We therefore intervened to protect their human rights and return them home in a dignified and safe manner," Wilmot explained.

Majority of the returnees, the official said, were not from Accra, Ghana's capital, but from Takoradi, 218 km west of the capital, Kumasi, 280 km north of the capital, Sunyani, 400 km north of the capital and other areas across the country.

The IOM therefore provided them with a means of transportation back to their final destinations and would be supporting their re-integration into their communities.

"Due to the inhumane conditions they were being kept, most of them would need psychosocial counseling and we would also work together with government of Ghana and the European Union mission in Ghana to support them with basic livelihood to help enhance their integration process," he added.

Wilmot explained that since these immigrants were mostly undocumented who used illegal means to enter Libya and they were forced to do menial jobs, mostly "Malaga" (plastering buildings) but were usually handed over to the police when they pursue those who hired them for payment.

"One Ghanaian who had painted a complete house went to the owner to receive payment, but instead the owner called the police who came to arrest him. While trying to escape from the police, the Ghanaian was knocked down by a vehicle," the official said.

He added that there is also sexual violence against the female migrants being held in Libyan detention camps, where they were captured and being kept.

IOM has identified three more detention camps across Libya with at least 266 Ghanaians among the detainees.

"We will work with all stakeholders to ensure safe and humane return of these Ghanaians and other sub-Saharan African migrants in these conditions. Considering the conditions in Libya, most of them come to us voluntarily seeking help to return home.

"The situation is dire and we invite all stakeholders to get their hands on deck to help in bringing back these migrants to their final destinations," he indicated.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 19:09:10|Editor: liuxin

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MANILA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- A joint military and police team arrested a notorious Abu Sayyaf bomb-maker with 1.3 million pesos (around 26,000 U.S. dollars) bounty on his head, the military said on Thursday.

The military said Rahim Abdul was arrested on Tuesday during an operation in a remote village in Isabela City in Basilan, an island province off Mindanao in the southern Philippines.

"Abdul was positively identified by a civilian, leading to his arrest without resistance," the military statement read.

Abdul is on the government's most wanted list of rebels and criminals.

Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez, the commander of the Western Mindanao Command, lauded the team "for the successful operation which led to the arrest of a notorious bomber."

The Abu Sayyaf group was set up in the early 1990s. The militant group is notorious for kidnapping-for-ransom, bombings and killing their captives when their multi-million-dollar ransom demand is not paid.

The militant group laid siege to the southern Philippine city of Marawi in May, leading to more than five months of fierce fighting that ruined the city and displaced thousands of its residents.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 19:14:13|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) navy will hold a joint patrol with the Vietnamese navy in the Beibu Gulf next month, a Chinese official said Thursday.

The joint patrol, scheduled for the first ten days of the month, will include drills on communication and joint rescue, Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said at a regular press conference.

Stressing that China places great importance on military relations with Vietnam, Wu said that China is willing to jointly maintain stability and order in the Beibu Gulf and develop healthy and stable bilateral military relations.

The upcoming patrol will be the 23rd of its kind.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 19:19:15|Editor: liuxin

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RIYADH, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May left Riyadh on Thursday after a visit to Saudi Arabia for better bilateral ties, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Meeting with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, May reviewed bilateral relations and means of enhancing them, in addition to developments in the region.

They also discussed Syrian crisis, the war in Yemen, and the peace initiatives in the Middle East.

The prime minister arrived here after a surprise visit to Iraq as part of Middle East tour, as she met Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, in which she applauded the progress made in fighting Islamic State (IS) militant group.

Saudi Arabia is British largest trade partners in the region, as both countries have signed arms deals since March 2015 worth billions of U.S. dollars.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 19:24:18|Editor: liuxin

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NAIROBI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Kenya Airways said its flights continue to run as scheduled despite the illegal strike by some of its technical staff.

Kenya Airways said in a statement released on Wednesday night that flight operations are expected to continue as normal despite the strike by over 140 technical workers who went on a go-slow for the second time in a year on Tuesday evening demanding salary increments.

"Kenya Airways management has been consistently communicating in good faith the progress of addressing issues raised by the technical department. Key has been remuneration and this was addressed earlier in the year," the airline said.

"The illegal strike at Kenya Airways hangers by about 140 engineers and technicians is in bad faith and unacceptable," the carrier added.

The workers, including those who fuel, maintain and service Kenya Airways aircraft, want their pay adjusted upwards to match that paid to their equivalents working for Middle East carriers.

They have cited high cost of training maintenance personnel, and an increasing migration of technicians to the Gulf countries due to poor pay in the country.

The technicians are demanding a minimum pay of 3,400 U.S. dollars for technical assistants and 12,000 dollars for the highest paid ones.

The airline confirmed it has lost about 80 engineers and technicians to the Middle East carriers between January 2016 and February.

The airline said it went on a recruitment campaign to replace the exited staff and implemented accelerated course training and approvals for the eligible technicians and engineers. All were recruited within the Kenyan market.

The airline said the current demands for a salary increment comes barely seven months after receiving a pay rise.

Kenya Airways said the technical department has a staff of over 600 employees at various levels but only about 15 percent of these are participating in the illegal strike.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 19:39:24|Editor: Liangyu

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KUNMING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- After lunch, Huang Chuanhe and his wife are too busy to take a nap. They quickly harvest ripe coffee plants while the weather is still good.

Huang, a farmer in the village of Padangba in southwest China's Yunnan province, owns more than 3 hectares of coffee plantation -- the main source of his family income. Last year, the coffee business brought him more than 100,000 yuan (15,131 U.S. dollars) of revenue.

Ten years ago, with help from the local government and a coffee company called Hogood, Huang and other Padangba farmers started growing coffee.

"We used to grow sugarcane and were reluctant to switch to coffee," Huang said. "After visiting other villages and seeing their gains, some of us gave it a try."

Now, a decade later, more than half of the local villagers are growing coffee over an area of 55 hectares, transforming the fortunes of a once impoverished village.

Hogood say they have encouraged about 400,000 farmers in Yunnan to plant coffee over an area of 18,000 hectares, and increased their income by more than 384 million yuan since 2007.

In order to guarantee the quality of the coffee beans and protect the interest of the villagers, the coffee company provides free seedlings and technical guidance. A protective pricing system is also in place to free the villagers from anxiety about sales and income.

"The best thing about growing coffee is that it's less tiring compared to growing sugarcane," Huang said. "During the harvest season, the elderly and children can all come to help pick the coffee plants."

China consumed 128,200 tonnes of coffee beans last year. With an average annual growth rate of over 22 percent since 2006, it is one of the world's largest coffee consumers.

As the main coffee-producing base in China, Yunnan accounts for more than 98 percent of the country's total coffee planting area and coffee production.

In 2016, the province saw 116,667 hectares of coffee grown, churning out 136,000 tonnes of coffee. About 73,000 tonnes of coffee were exported overseas last year, generating an export revenue of 280 million U.S. dollars, according to the provincial department of agriculture.

"The coffee consumption market in China has strong growth potential," said Hu Lu, vice president of the Coffee Association of Yunnan. "The development of the coffee industry in the province can help alleviate poverty effectively."

"I am so glad that I made the right decision ten years ago," Huang said. "Growing coffee changed our lives and helped us shake off poverty."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 19:39:25|Editor: liuxin

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RABAT, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Morocco's King Mohammed VI has called for marking a shift in the EU-Africa partnership towards a new bicontinental pact, local media reported on Thursday.

In a message to the 5th African Union-European Union Summit that is held in Abidjan, the king said both Africa and Europe must rise, together, to their inevitable challenges through shared competitiveness, co-localization of productive businesses, regulated human mobility and fruitful cultural exchanges, the daily Le Matin said.

"Solidarity between Europe and Africa is neither a hollow concept nor some sort of association based on one-way philanthropy. It is built on shared responsibility and mutual dependence," he said.

On the issue of migration, the king, who is in charge of the Migration Issue at the African Union, called for change in the european policy in this area.

"It is not acceptable that the best African talents should be coveted by Europe and found on the benches of prestigious schools as much as in businesses on the continent, without regard for the investment made by the country of origin in terms of training," he said.

"The brain drain caused by this situation is appalling," he stressed.

The king also expressed his deep shock at the atrocious practices reported by the media and currently plaguing migrants in Libya.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 19:49:27|Editor: Liangyu

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ACCRA, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- China handed over on Wednesday a newly constructed edifice housing the Model Confucius Institute at the University of Ghana.

Inaugurating the three-storey structure, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Sun Baohong described the institute in Ghana as a small sapling planted which has grown to become a huge towering tree for cultural exchanges between Ghana and China.

"The Confucius Institute in the University of Ghana has become a leader in the teaching of Chinese language in Ghana; a practitioner of bilateral cooperation in the educational sector; a communicator of Chinese culture and a bridge to promoting mutual understanding between the two peoples," Sun stated.

Established in May 2013 and starting operations in April 2014, the Confucius Institute at the University of Ghana has by dint of hard work made remarkable achievements in the teaching of Chinese language and dissemination of the Chinese culture, winning the honorary title of "Global Model Confucius Institute" with total number of students exceeding 2,000.

"The world we live in is full of hope and challenges. No country can deal with the challenges facing mankind alone, and no country can return to an isolated island. The aim of Chinese diplomacy is to forge a community of with a shared future for mankind and build a new type of international relations with mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation at its core," the ambassador added.

The new structure worth nearly 1 million U.S. dollars has within it the administrative area, lecture halls, language laboratories, library as well as an attic exhibiting various items of Chinese origin, including robes, musical instruments and weapons of war, among others.

Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro-Owusu indicated that the completion of the Model Confucius Institute building in Ghana was timely, with huge interest being generated in the learning of Chinese language and culture in the country.

"The completion of the Model Confucius Institute here on campus through the joint efforts of the Confucius Institute Headquarters Hanban and the University of Ghana is timely, because the state-of-the-art administrative building with facility will serve as a hub for the teaching and learning of not only the Chinese language and culture, but also of Chinese traditional medicine and Chinese Martial Arts," Oduro-Owusu said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 19:54:29|Editor: liuxin

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ISTANBUL, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- As the outline of a post-conflict Syria becomes clearer following last week's Sochi deal, Turkey's hopes of blocking a Kurdish autonomous region and removing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power have dimmed, analysts told Xinhua.

KURDISH AUTONOMY NOT EASY TO RESIST

The United States should be expected to push for an autonomous Kurdish region while Russia would not oppose it, said Cahit Armagan Dilek, director of the Ankara-based 21st Century Turkey Institute.

When they met last week in the Russian resort of Sochi in a bid to find a political settlement of the six-year Syrian war, the Russian, Turkish and Iranian presidents agreed to bring together the warring parties for a Syrian Congress on National Dialogue most probably in February.

"In the light of the recent developments after the (failure of the) Kurdish independence referendum in Iraq, the Syrian Kurds are likely to opt for a federal arrangement, at least initially," observed Faruk Logoglu, a former senior Turkish diplomat.

Turkey strongly opposes the involvement of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its military wing, the People's Protection Units (YPG), in the upcoming peace talks, as Ankara sees them as simply the offshoots of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has been fighting against the Turkish government for over 30 years.

In contrast, Russia and the United States favor the Kurdish militia's presence at the upcoming Syrian congress to make it as inclusive as possible.

Despite Ankara's outcry, Washington has used the YPG as a ground force against the Islamic State (IS). And thanks to U.S. military support, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) dominated by the YPG have established three autonomous cantons in northern Syria along the Turkish border.

Syria will no longer be a unitary state even if it keeps its territorial integrity, Ozturk Yilmaz, a leading figure of Turkey's main opposition party, said at a press conference on Monday.

In his view, Syria's social unity has been almost irrevocably damaged in the war.

All the countries involved in the political process for Syria have voiced their support for its territorial integrity, which does not rule out a federal structure.

The areas captured by the U.S.-backed Kurdish militia are a major concern for Ankara, as they have the potential to become an autonomous region for the Kurds, which Turkey fears may set a precedent for its own nearly 20 million Kurds.

Turkey also argues that the YPG does not represent all Syrian Kurds, accusing it of having ethnically cleansed the areas under its control.

It is often suggested that representatives of the Kurdish militia may well be included in talks under a different name or have separate talks due to Ankara's opposition.

"Given the likelihood of the PYD participation in the peace process, Ankara will be faced with the necessity to make additional changes in its Syria stance, if it wants to avoid further marginalization," said Logoglu.

Following the Sochi summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan once again underlined that no terrorist organizations should be allowed a part in the Syrian political process.

For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted that the proposed congress on dialogue must bring together representatives of all the different ethnic groups.

The congress is aimed, in parallel with the UN-sponsored talks in Geneva, at drawing up a new constitution for Syria and organizing elections under the auspices of the world body.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the upcoming congress should be as inclusive as possible, strongly implying the PYD's direct or indirect involvement.

"Russia does not want to leave the Kurdish card to the U.S. hand in Syria," Dilek said, arguing that as a federal state itself, Russia would not see federalism as a defect.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said in September that Kurdish autonomy was negotiable for his government.

"Damascus may well resist delegating some of its powers to autonomous regions, but the political and military environment shows that is difficult to achieve," remarked Dilek, a former staff of the Turkish military.

In Sochi, Putin stressed that the reform process would require concessions from all parties including the Syrian government.

As long as Assad agrees the autonomy of the Kurds, Ankara has no chance of blocking it, said Hasan Koni, a professor of public international law at Istanbul Kultur University.

The Kurdish militia has control over an estimated 30 percent of the Syrian territory as well as the country's major oil and water resources.

The United States is building its 14th military base in the Kurdish-controlled territory, said Erdogan last week.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has spoken of Washington's intention to stay in Syria before the conditions for a diplomatic solution are set.

Dilek feels that the eastern part of the Euphrates River, where two of the Kurdish cantons are situated, has been put under U.S. sphere of influence, while the rest of Syria would be left to Russia based on a larger consensus on Iraq and Syria between the two superpowers.

A federal Syria is what Moscow and Washington have in mind, Dilek said.

AFRIN OPERATION FACING HEADWIND

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party has been much criticized at home for having been part of early efforts to topple the Syrian government, risking the disintegration of the country itself in the end.

After mending ties with Russia last summer, Ankara has given up trying to oust the Assad government, but has kept saying he must leave.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told the press on Tuesday that Assad might be allowed to remain in power during a transition period, signaling a softening stance of Turkey following the Sochi summit.

Blaming Assad for Syria's years-long war, Yildirim once again said, "Assad would have no future in Syria."

Many believe, however, that given Syrian military's victory over rebels and the Russian support, the Syrian president may well stay long.

"Turkey's Syrian policy is now in retreat, having had to abandon its original objective of removing Assad from power," stated Lologlu.

In Dilek's opinion, Turkey's earlier policy of trying to remove the Syrian president by supporting rebels has proved to be a total failure.

Given the situation on the ground, the analysts think Ankara may well have to give up military intervention against the Kurdish militia in Afrin.

"It has now become almost impossible for Turkey to carry out a military operation against YPG-held areas," said Dilek.

"At a time when the armed conflict is receding, any unilateral military operation by Turkey is therefore likely to draw stiff reaction from both Russia and the United States," warned Logoglu, as Putin and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump have ruled out any military solution in Syria following brief talks in Vietnam on Nov. 11.

Top Turkish officials have now and then threatened a military operation against Afrin, the only Kurdish canton on the west side of the Euphrates River.

Under a deal reached by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran in Kazakhstan's Astana in September, Turkey sent troops to Syria's Idlib province last month to monitor truce between rebel groups and the Syrian military.

Turkey's top security body, the National Security Council, signaled on Tuesday that Ankara may consider expanding its operations for peace in Idlib to Afrin.

Both Russia, which has a military presence in Afrin, and the United States have indicated their opposition to such an intervention against Afrin.

Dilek warned of a big price for Turkey if it pushes ahead with a unilateral operation against Afrin without first seeking political support from the major powers.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 20:04:32|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China and the United States held the first meeting between their joint staff departments on Wednesday and Thursday in Washington, said Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, on Thursday.

The talks were led by Major General Shao Yuanming, deputy chief of the Joint Staff Department of China's Central Military Commission, and Lieutenant General Richard Clarke, director for strategic plans and policy of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Department of Defense, Wu said at a regular press conference.

The two sides discussed how to advance cooperation between the two departments and improve crisis management and communication, he said.

"This meeting has helped enhance mutual understanding and trust, expand common ground and manage risks," he said.

The Chinese and U.S. militaries held joint drills on humanitarian relief and disaster rescue in Portland, Oregon, from Nov. 13 to 21.

Wu told the press that both sides were content with the outcome of the drill, adding that China is willing to enhance cooperation and exchanges with the United States in all aspects.

According to Wu, the drill was based on data from real situations, followed standard protocols for relief and rescue by multinational troops, and was open to observers from other countries and international organizations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 20:09:33|Editor: Liangyu

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (8th L front) poses for a group photo with foreign delegates attending the 2017 Imperial Springs International Forum before their meeting in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 30, 2017. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said here on Thursday that Chinese diplomacy in the new era is to promote the construction of a new type of international relations and a community of shared future for mankind.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with foreign delegates attending the 2017 Imperial Springs International Forum from Tuesday to Thursday.

Former world leaders, renowned scholars and business elites gathered in China's southern city of Guangzhou to exchange their views on global governance.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 20:19:36|Editor: liuxin

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MOGADISHU, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- About 3.3 million people will require urgent life-saving assistance in Somalia next year due to combined vulnerabilities resulting from drought-induced displacement, conflict and limited access to basic services, the UN said in a report released on Thursday.

According to Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) released by the Somalia Humanitarian Country Team, some 6.2 million people, half of the population of Somalia, will need humanitarian assistance and protection in 2018.

Peter de Clercq, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, said drought and conflict have continued to be the major drivers of humanitarian needs in Somalia, with the civilian population in many parts of the country exposed to significant protection risks that threaten life, dignity and well-being on a daily basis.

"Alongside providing life-saving assistance, reducing emergency levels of acute malnutrition, reinforcing provision of resilience support; the centrality of protection will inform our response strategy for next year," Clercq said.

He called for collective Somali and international efforts to support the 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan once it is launched early next year.

According to the report, the severe drought, spanning almost four consecutive poor rainy seasons, has resulted in harsh and growing humanitarian needs across Somalia. The UN said over one-third of those in need (6.2 mln) are internally displaced persons (IDPs).

This, the UN said, includes 866,000 people in emergency as of November, reflecting a sharp spike in the number of most vulnerable people, up from 83,000 people in emergency in January.

The report which identifies priority needs to support informed strategic planning and resource mobilization for the Humanitarian Response Plan for 2018, says over one million people have been displaced due to drought and conflict since January, mainly from rural areas to urban centres.

"The estimated number of displaced in Somalia is now above 2 million. With the current Deyr season (October-December) having started late and generally performing below average marks a fourth failed rainy season," the HNO said.

It warns that the long-term forecast of a below-average Gu season from April to June 2018, the prospects for relief are grim.

"The serious and persisting humanitarian situation requires a simultaneous and complementary effort to address the underlying causes to recurring crises, including food insecurity and mass displacement," says the report.

The UN report says malnutrition rates are on the rise, with the overall median prevalence of Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rate at 17.4 percent, significantly above the emergency threshold of 15 percent.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 20:24:38|Editor: Liangyu

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with former U.S. President Barack Obama in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 29, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with former U.S. President Barack Obama in Beijing on Wednesday, calling for enhanced communication, exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States.

Xi made a positive appraisal of Obama's efforts in promoting China-U.S. relations during his presidency.

He stressed that China and the United States have an important responsibility to safeguard world peace and stability, as well as boost global development and prosperity.

A long-term, stable and healthy development of Sino-U.S. ties accords with the interests of both nations and the world, said Xi.

China is ready to work with the U.S. to strengthen communication, exchanges and cooperation, so as to push for new development of bilateral relations, he said.

Xi briefed Obama on the major outcomes of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held in October.

Obama thanked Xi for meeting with him and appreciated China's development achievements.

Developing constructive U.S.-China relations is in line with the interests of the two peoples, he said, noting that he will continue to play a positive role in promoting mutual understanding, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 20:29:39|Editor: liuxin

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LISBON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese Finance Minister Mario Centeno has applied to become the next president of Eurogroup, the Portuguese government confirmed on Thursday.

Centeno was only expected to run if he felt assured of winning and so his candidacy suggests he has the tacit support of a majority of eurozone members' governments.

Certainly a number of international newspapers, including The Financial Times, cite Centeno as favourite.

Centeno has previously been described as the Ronaldo of European finance by German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble. On Centeno's watch, Portugal has exited the European Union's excessive deficit procedure and had its debt return to investment grade.

His position is therefore secure within the Portuguese government and the next general election in Portugal is not scheduled until October 2019.

Imminent elections in Italy, due in Spring 2018, are believed to have scuppered Italian Finance Minister Pier Carlo Padoan's chances of leading the group.

The presidency of Eurogroup will become vacant in January 2018 because Jeroen Dijsselbloem lost his job as finance minister at the last Dutch elections.

Centeno will now run off against Peter Kazimir of Slovakia and Dana Reizniece-Ozola of Latvia. Voting takes place on next Monday, Dec. 4.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 20:44:42|Editor: liuxin

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SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Five militants were killed Thursday in two separate gunfights in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, defense officials said.

The gunfights raged in Budgam and Sopore areas in south and northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Four militants were killed at village Fultipora - Pakharpora while as one militant was killed at Sagipura in Sopore," Indian army spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia told Xinhua.

The gunfight at both places were triggered after joint contingents of Indian military, paramilitary and police cordoned off the area on specific intelligence inputs about presence of militants.

According to police, an army trooper was wounded in Sopore.

Reports said eight youth were injured in clashes near the site of gunfight in Futlipora village. The youth took to the streets and pelted stones on government forces, who responded by firing teargas shells, pellets and warning shots.

Recently six militants and an Indian air force commando have been killed in a similar gunfight in Bandipora district of the region.

A guerrilla war is going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. The gunfight between the two sides takes place intermittently across the region.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 20:54:46|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia will strengthen their cooperation in air defense and the anti-missile field, according to the Chinese Ministry of National Defense Thursday.

"The militaries of China and Russia will hold a joint anti-missile drill based on computer simulations from Dec. 11 to 16 in Beijing," said Wu Qian, the ministry spokesperson, at a routine press briefing.

The drill aims to help the two sides cope with any sudden or provocative attack of ballistic or cruise missiles in the countries' territories, according to Wu.

He said that the drill is not directed at any third party, and preparations are already under way.

The drill will be the second of its kind for the Chinese and Russian militaries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 21:09:52|Editor: Liangyu

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by Xinhua writer Hu Tao

BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- French novelist Jules Verne might have imagined the future in his science fictions, but a modern fan is actually defining the future of flight.

Paul Eremenko, 39, is chief technology officer of Airbus and he has a mission to explore the future. He admits to being "probably one of the luckiest men in the world".

"There could not be a more exciting time for aerospace than today as there are many probabilities for the future," Eremenko told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

And he believes the aerospace giant should work with the world' s most populous nation to define the future.

China, he said, is a country "full of energy, great ambitions and resources in its massive scale".

CHINA PIVOTAL

China has made remarkable achievements in the aerospace industry. "It is no longer catching up with the world, but the leader in multiple technological domains," said Eremenko.

He congratulated the maiden flight of the C919 passenger aircraft, and added China is also leading in digital technology, software and other cutting edge fields.

He was speaking after announcing the establishment of the European firm's innovation center in south China's Shenzhen, its second after the A3 Airbus Silicon Valley Innovation Center.

Eremenko was CEO of A3 before his appointment as Airbus CTO. He is amazed by the unique innovative ecosystem in "China's Silicon Valley" of Shenzhen.

"In this dynamic city, you can see how fast China is moving forward and how talented young Chinese are," said Eremenko.

In July, Airbus appointed young Chinese entrepreneur Luo Gang as CEO of the Airbus China Innovation Centre, where initiatives in autonomous flight, unmanned vehicles, and in-flight experience are underway with local partners.

"Airbus looks and invests in the future. That's its job as a global aerospace giant. And China will surely become a pivotal power in defining the future of the world's skies," said Luo.

Airbus is tracking more than 200 core start-up companies worldwide, many in China, in aerospace areas such as drones, supersonic business jets and satellites. They attracted more than 5 billion euros from 2010 to 2015.

SKIES OF THE FUTURE

More than a century after the Wright brothers' first flight and six decades after the shift to jet engines, the world has entered "a third revolution in aerospace", said Eremenko.

The upgrading of technologies in fields like digitalization and electrification increasingly intercept and impact the aerospace world," said Eremenko.

Airbus is focusing on two development areas: large commercial aircraft, which are "the heart of the business", and vertical flight.

In large commercial aircraft, its core interests are in electrification, connectivity, and digital design and manufacturing.

"The fully electric large commercial aircraft is not feasible with the constraints of today's energy storage technologies. However, a hybrid-electric aircraft is not out of question," he said.

Airbus has a record of aggressive technological innovation. Its hybrid-electric E-Fan aircraft, driven by two 30-KW motors, successfully flew across the English Channel under battery power in 2015.

A joint program is underway with Rolls-Royce and Siemens on the "E-Fan X", a 2-mW hybrid-electric prototype.

"I'm confident that we are taking a significant step in exploring the driving power for future commercial aircraft. And we will surely get it as the technologies evolve extremely fast," said Eremenko.

It might even change the traditional configuration or appearance of commercial aircraft.

But the "building blocks for future commercial aircraft" include a rich set of options for Airbus to improve efficiency and the passenger experience, alongside creating new business models and value-added services for customers and passengers.

Eremenko and his team are also working on a "changeable" passenger cabin at the A3 Innovation Center.

In the "Transpose" program, innovators are revolutionizing the current "fixed" cabin with modularized functional segments that would allow for a children's playhouse, a shower or even a massage in flight.

"Airlines could redesign and reassemble the cabin configuration with a totally different style," Eremenko said.

"Like uploading or downloading apps on your smartphone or playing Lego, it will not be far away in the future."

SPIRIT OF EXPLORATION

Eremenko began his career at a start-up drone company, and then worked at Google, Motorola and the Pentagon as an innovator and technology executive.

"I was so happy to come back to the aerospace industry, to my roots and passion," he said.

The son of a former Soviet mathematician, he grew up in the United States and became fascinated with aeronautics while reading Jules Verne as a child.

"I received my pilot license on my first day of the legal age at 17, even before I learned how to drive," said Eremenko.

One of Fortune magazine's Top 10 Tech Leaders of 2015, he has abundant experience with drones, experimental aircraft and Google's Ara modular smartphone. He understands the whole process of bringing concepts into reality with design and manufacturing.

But from a business angle, he sees the commercial aviation sector's future in making air travel more efficient and profitable.

"In a foreseeable time, we will not do that in the commercial aircraft sector," he said, citing Vahana, a single-passenger, self-piloted electric vertical taking-off and landing aircraft, which is being developed by A3.

It is part of the Airbus' blueprint for the future, with electrification, urban air mobility, autonomous design and digital manufacture, connectivity and data analytics, as well as new business models.

It is a challenge to balance business with innovative technologies, with both risks and possibilities.

He is also in an industry that attaches incomparable importance to safety.

"It is not an either-or choice of innovation and safety, but a question of the mindset. I think both are imperative, and aviation engineers are flexible creatures capable of bridging them," said Eremenko.

"It is helpful to leverage experience from China, especially in the unique innovation ecosystem in Shenzhen, in the culture of risk-taking and the grand rapid prototyping."

It takes him at least 10 hours to fly from his base in France and Germany, but China draws him nearly every month.

"It is the most exciting time for aerospace. And the best decision is to leap ahead by joining hands with China."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 21:29:58|Editor: liuxin

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JERUSALEM, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Israel targeted Hamas posts in the Gaza Strip late on Thursday noon, shortly after Gaza militants fired mortars at troops near the separation fence.

A military statement said that Israel Defense Forces' tank and aircraft fired at four Hamas positions in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

The shooting came after 13 mortars were fired at an Israeli military position near the northern Gaza Strip, while soldiers were carrying construction works near the fence, according to the statement.

There were no reports of casualties or damage on the Israeli side but the train transportation in southern Israel was temporarily halted for fear of more mortars. There were no immediate reports of casualties also on the Palestinian side.

No group immediately assumed responsibility for the fire but Israel said it holds Hamas, an Islamist Palestinian organization that controls Gaza, accountable for any fire incident.

"The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) sees Hamas a terror organization and holds it responsible for everything that happens in the Gaza Strip," a military spokesperson said in the statement read.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 21:34:59|Editor: liuxin

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MOGADISHU, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- About 32,000 people have been displaced by conflict and severe drought ravaging several parts of Somalia in October, the UN humanitarian agency said on Thursday.

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest bulletin this is a slight decline in the number of newly displaced people, compared to about 49,000 people displaced in September.

"Of those displaced in October, 23,000 were due to drought related reasons as the cause of the displacement, while 8,000 cited conflict," the UN said.

The Horn of Africa nation is in the midst of unprecedented drought after rains failed for the fourth year in a row.

Humanitarians in Somalia have mobilized 1.2 billion U.S. dollars since January for famine prevention to reach the most vulnerable with life-saving assistance.

The UN agency, which cited figures compiled by the UNHCR-led Protection and Return Monitoring Network (PRMN), said more than 1 million people have been displaced due to drought compounded by armed conflict since January, mainly from rural areas to urban centres.

It said the latest displacements bring the estimated number of displaced in Somalia to more than 2 million people.

"It is imperative to complement humanitarian assistance with more sustainable durable solutions for IDPs, currently making up more than 16 percent of the population," said OCHA.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 21:35:00|Editor: liuxin

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NAKURU, Kenya, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday vowed to win the war again terrorism, citing unity among Kenyans in flushing out terrorists responsible for the loss of innocent lives in the country.

Kenyatta said terrorists have tried to create division, hatred and fear among Kenyans but have failed.

He lauded the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) for their commitment to keeping Kenya safe, especially in the fight against terrorism.

"I want to be perfectly clear: we will win because we have right and might on our side," the president said when he presided over the KDF officer cadets' commissioning parade at the Kenya Military Academy at Lanet in Nakuru County.

He urged all Kenyans to be alive to the fact that terrorism cannot be defeated by the military might alone. As the defence and security forces continue in their efforts to keep the country safe, President Kenyatta

The president stressed the prosperity of Kenya depends on how the crucial factors of peace, security, governance and sound economic development policies are brought to act on each other for the advancement of the society.

He lauded the military for ensuring that Kenyans of different ethnic and religious backgrounds work together in harmony as patriots guided by the values of loyalty, discipline, professionalism, integrity and a high sense of identity.

Kenyan soldiers are currently engaged in the fight against the militia group in southern Somalia where its soldiers under, the Africa Union peacekeeping mission (AMISOM) have intensified fight against the insurgents.

The country faces insecurity as bomb attacks using improvised explosive devices and grenades have become more frequent in the coastal city of Mombasa and northeastern region since KDF entered Somalia in 2011 to secure the shared border with the lawless country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 21:45:02|Editor: liuxin

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NAIROBI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Kenya is currently developing a policy in order to fast track Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) into the country, officials said on Thursday.

Moses Ikiara, the Managing Director of Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest), told Xinhua in Nairobi that stakeholders are currently finalizing the Kenya Investment Policy so that it presented to Cabinet for approval.

"Thereafter, it will be presented to Parliament so that it becomes endorsed as a policy that will guide the flow of investments into the country. We hope it will be in place by mid 2018," Ikiara said during a Kenya Belgium Business delegation forum.

Over 40 Belgium investors are in the country looking for investment opportunities in Kenya. The policy has been in development for the past two years.

Ikiara said that the new policy is expected to provide the institutional architecture that will coordinate promotion and retention of investments.

He said that Kenya has never had a holistic national policy that looks at the investment issue in the broad sense.

"As a result, investment issues have been ignored as existing laws have gaps in addressing emerging issues," he said.

Ikiara noted that at present, the country's investment framework is contained in a myriad of laws that have an impact on investments.

The managing director noted that once the investment policy is in place, it will require some of the existing laws to be amended.

According to investment agency, FDI into Kenya has been hampered as lack of a clear investment policy has resulted in delays in making key decisions required by international investors.

One of the provisions of the investment policy is the formation of an investment council that will be empowered to make critical decisions in a timely manner.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 22:00:08|Editor: liuxin

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JERUSALEM, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian villager was shot dead by an Israeli settler in a clash in the West Bank on Thursday morning.

An Israeli military spokesperson said the shooting was carried out as self-defense.

According to the spokesperson, some 20 Israeli settlers were hiking near Qusra, a Palestinian village southeast of the city of Nablus, when the Palestinians attacked them with stones. Two settlers were slightly wounded.

In response, one of the settlers opened fire with his personal gun, fatally wounding a stone thrower. The settlers then hid in a nearby cave until the Israeli forces evacuated them, according to the military.

The military said that a medical team rushed to the scene to offer medical care to the Palestinian.

According to Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper, the casualty is a 48-year-old farmer from Qusra, who was working on his land at the time of the shooting.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 22:15:14|Editor: liuxin

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KIEV, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed and 10 others wounded Thursday in a grenade blast at a court in the Dnipropetrovsk region in eastern Ukraine, the regional department of the National Police said.

The incident occurred at around 11:20 a.m. local time (GMT 0920) during a court hearing, when the father of a murder victim set off two hand grenades in the court hall, killing himself and wounding the other participants in the trial.

Ten people sustained shrapnel wounds, two of whom are in severe condition, according to police spokesperson Anna Starchevska. The police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 22:15:15|Editor: liuxin

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OSLO, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Norwegian National Police Directorate (POD) supported the proposal of the Weapon Selection Committee to have unarmed police as the main model, newspaper Aftenposten reported Thursday.

POD, however, is open for increased use of armed patrols in downtown Oslo.

"There are many good reasons why the police will continue to be unarmed in the future," National Police Comissioner Odd Reidar Humlegard said.

The directorate's response shall be forwarded to the Ministry of Justice, Aftenposten wrote.

According to Humlegard, crew at the Oslo police district shall initially get increased armed forces, especially in the center center.

"We do not find other police districts with the same needs. But we also do not see reason that all patrols in Oslo should be armed, " he said.

Humlegard also stated that the decision was reached after a thorough consultation process.

Six police districts and one specialized organ wanted to continue the current model with unarmed police.

Three police districts recommend that the police should have uncharged weapons, while three police districts and one special organ called for general arming of police, he said.

"In addition, we have received a number of suggestions for intermittent solutions and clear signals about the need for greater flexibility. We have listened to this," Humlegard added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 22:20:17|Editor: Lifang

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HONG KONG, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences Holdings Co., Ltd. (CAS Holdings) signed here Thursday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on a cooperation framework to foster green technology development.

The signing ceremony was held at the "Forum on Technology and Innovation for One Belt One Road and Greater Bay Area Development" co-organized by HKSTP and CAS Holdings, with the aim to drive the creation of an international innovation and technology hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Through establishment of a laboratory, both parties will work together to create new platforms for international exchange, R&D and technology transfer, capital investment and talent development.

Key areas and projects of the partnership will focus on bio-tech, artificial intelligence, fin-tech, new energy and new materials, among others.

Under the MoU, CAS Holdings will consolidate the research resources of Chinese Academy of Science to recommend start-ups and enterprises with high potential to set up operations in Hong Kong Science Park.

HKSTP and CAS Holdings hope to expedite the transfer and commercialization of the new technologies and solutions, further strengthen the development of green-tech and create new opportunities for continuous economic growth.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 22:40:24|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CAPE TOWN, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The South African Energy Ministry on Thursday denied allegations that it intends to proceed with a nuclear expansion program in violation of a court order.

Such allegations "are aimed at creating panic, misinformation, and misrepresentation of facts and are intended to derail government from reinvigorating the economy," ministry spokesperson Nomvula Khalo said.

He was responding to an urgent high court application on Wednesday by Earthlife Africa Johannesburg (ELA-JHB) and the Southern African Faith Communities' Environment Institute (SAFCEI) in a further attempt to halt what appears to be a rush by the government in decision-making on a nuclear energy deal with Russia.

The two organizations claim that the Ministry of Energy is rushing through the nuclear expansion program despite a court order ordering a halt to the deal.

In April this year, the Western Cape High Court ordered the South African government to set aside the nuclear deal which is "unconstitutional and unlawful" as the government had flouted due process by not first debating in Parliament its decision.

The South African cabinet approved the deal in December 2015 despite strong opposition from environmental groups which question the safety of nuclear energy.

Following the ruling, the government has stated that it would put the nuclear program on hold, at least for the time being.

The allegations which seem to suggest that the government would have proceeded with the nuclear expansion program in an unlawful manner "are malicious and aimed at impugning the integrity of government," Khalo said.

He said the Energy Ministry would like to categorically state that the applicants had no legal basis for launching the urgent application.

The court application was speculative at best as the Energy Minister, David Mahlobo, has never contravened any of the aspects of the court judgment delivered by the Western Cape High Court, said Khalo.

"It is very unfortunate that at the time when all hands should be on the deck to bolster the economy, others are creating side-tracking events," he said.

The time and effort spent as well as financial resources utilized responding to this urgent court application could have been utilized to deliver energy services to the South African citizens, said Khalo.

The government and Energy Minister Mahlobo in particular, will abide by the Constitution and the rule of law, Khalo said.

The South African government reportedly has signed an agreement with the Russian state-owned nuclear corporation, Rosatom, to develop nuclear energy.

To make up power shortage which is expected to stall growth in gross domestic product (GDP), the South African government has been pursuing the nuclear program that would produce 9.6 gigawatts of nuclear energy at a cost of 1 trillion rand (about 73.4 billion U.S. dollars)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 22:45:27|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HARARE, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean acting finance minister Patrick Chinamasa said Thursday that Zimbabwe will review the controversial indigenization law to change the economic environment and attract more foreign direct investment.

Chinamasa told Xinhua in an interview that the government will quickly align the controversial indigenization law with policy pronouncements made by former President Robert Mugabe in 2016.

In his clarification following conflicting interpretations by some of his ministers, Mugabe said existing mines which were yet to indigenize would be exempted from the 51 percent local ownership requirement but would be required to retain 75 percent of total earnings locally in the form of wages, taxes and procurement.

However, in new investments in the mining sector, the government and its designated entities would hold a 51 percent stake with the remaining 49 percent belonging to partnering investors.

Firms outside the natural resources sector, including manufacturing, telecommunications, energy and banking, would negotiate empowerment credits or quotas with appropriate ministries, Mugabe said.

Chinamasa said the Indigenization and Economic Empowerment Act would be aligned to these policy pronouncements by Mugabe "soon" because they were adopted by Mugabe's cabinet but "their implementation was frustrated by the then indigenization minister."

"We were not able to honor the wishes of the former president, but we now want to honor his wishes because they represent the views of the cabinet," he said.

Meanwhile, Chinamasa said the new Zimbabwe government would also compensate former white farmers whose farms were taken for redistribution to landless blacks during the land reform program.

"We are going to move faster on this issue. We need to bring finality to the land question. We had already started to engage the former white farmers and we need to come to a round table and agree on the modalities of the payment of the compensation," he said.

He said the Zimbabwe government currently did not have funds to compensate the former white farmers right now but hoped to come to an agreement with the farmers as discussions move forward.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 22:50:29|Editor: pengying

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This photo taken on Nov. 30, 2017 shows the press conference after the closing of the 5th African Union-European Union Summit in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. The 5th African Union-European Union Summit concluded on Thursday, focusing on youth development, illegal immigration and regional security. (Xinhua/Lyu Shuai)

ABIDJAN, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- European and African nations on Thursday pledged to stem illegal migration and bring back thousands of African migrants trapped in Libya.

"We've made firm decisions for immediate repatriation of refugees ... Various countries have established a special force to fight human traffickers," said Guinean President Alpha Conde at the closing of the 5th African Union-European Union Summit in Abidjan, economic capital of Cote d'Ivoire.

Conde, also AU Chairman, called for bringing to book the human traffickers and charging them with "crime against humanity."

On Wednesday, nine European and African nations, along with the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN), agreed to urgently evacuate African migrants trapped in Libya.

On the number of migrants needing repatriation, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission, said 3,800 migrants, mostly from West Africa, have been found in just one migrant camp in Libya, which has at least 42 such camps.

Despite the official theme of "investing in youth for a sustainable future," issues of migration and terrorism have dominated discussions at the two-day forum, which took place as Europe seeks relief from its migrant crisis and frequent terror attacks.

A recent footage revealing enslavement of African migrants in Libya, a transit hub for migrants trying to make the dangerous Mediterranean crossing to Europe, also triggered an outcry in Africa. Cote d'Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara, at the opening of the summit, called for ending "the practice that belongs to another age."

Africa has the world's youngest population, 60 percent of whom being under the age of 25, but high unemployment coupled with instability and disasters have fueled migration to neighboring Europe.

The summit has renewed calls for creating more jobs and enhancing training for Africa's youths, as Europe hopes to see young Africans shunning illegal immigration and terrorist recruitment.

Dozens of leaders from the EU, the AU and their member states, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and South African President Jacob Zuma, attended the summit.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 23:00:32|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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VIENTIANE, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Feasibility study of a proposed railway to link Lao capital Vientiane with Vung Ang Seaport in Vietnam has been completed, officials said on Thursday.

Officials and experts from Laos, Vietnam and South Korea met in Vientiane on Thursday to finalize the study which began in 2015.

The feasibility study recommended the speed of 150 km per hour as the most appropriate train speed.

With 3 million U.S. dollars in grant funding from South Korea, the feasibility study assessed the proposed 555-km railway, which would pass through Thakhaek, the provincial capital of Khammouane in Laos.

The project has been supported by Korea International Cooperation Agency.

The Vientiane-Thakhaek-Mu Gia-Vung Ang railway is one of the six rail network projects being considered by Laos to transform the country from being land-locked to land-linked.

The others are the Laos-China railway, Savannakhet-Lao Bao to the Vietnamese port of Dongha, Thakhaek-Savannakhet-Pakxe-Vangtao, and Pakxe-Veunkham (Lao-Cambodian border), said Vientiane Times.
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.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 23:00:33|Editor: pengying

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by Christine Lagat

NAIROBI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Margaret Wambui has never felt intimidated working in the male dominated construction industry where grit, resilience and agility are a prerequisite for success.

The 24-year-old diploma holder in electrical engineering grew up in a farming village in central Kenya but aspired for a career in engineering given its prestige and ability to reward financially.

Wambui is among some 100 Kenyan youth shortlisted recently by Chinese firm, AVIC International to participate in its fourth edition of African Technology Challenge (ATC) that is focusing on developing their skills in the construction industry like masonry, brick laying and general steel works.

During an interview with Xinhua on Monday at a construction site in Nairobi where AVIC International is putting up modern apartment blocks, Wambui vowed to remain in the construction industry for the long haul irrespective of unforeseen challenges.

"So far, I have gained immense knowledge in building and construction since joining the ATC program early this month. I'm the only lady working at this construction site as a brick layer after the other six dropped out due to pressure from peers," said Wambui.

The confident young woman was at ease as she placed concrete on steel bars at the fourth floor of Nairobi Global Trade Centre, an ultra modern high rise building that is being developed by AVIC International.

"My day job involves hours of concrete mixing and placing it inside the folded steel bars to develop strong pillars. It is a grueling job that requires a positive attitude and patience," Wambui told Xinhua.

She hailed mentorship provided by Chinese technicians and vowed to utilize skills acquired at the one month training program to start her own construction company.

"We are motivated during this training and have been earning a good income that I intend to invest in a profitable business. Likewise, I feel empowered to start a construction company and apply for small-scale tenders in the public sector," said Wambui.

The fourth edition of Africa Technology Challenge differed from the previous three that focused on imparting skills among Kenyan youth in mechanical and electrical engineering.

Su Tianshu, the Chief Representative of AVIC International Kenya, said that youth shortlisted for this year's ATC program will benefit from skills development in civil engineering disciplines like carpentry, steel works and brick laying.

"The decision to focus on these disciplines was agreed on taking into consideration the booming construction sector in the country," Su remarked.

He added that skills upgrade is key to tackle Kenya's youth unemployment challenge that currently stands at 22 percent.

AVIC International in partnership with Kenyan agencies will implement the one month apprenticeship program dubbed "Jenga Vijana" or empower the youth to address skills gap in the construction industry.

The beneficiaries who are drawn from all walks of life are unanimous in their endorsement of a training program that has potential to transform their lives.

Douglas Too, a 26-year-old former security guard, considers himself an accomplished carpenter since joining the AVIC international sponsored training program early this month.

"The most exciting component of this training is the freedom and space we are given by our supervisors to innovate and ask tough questions. I can now handle woodwork at ease thanks to the in-depth and hands on training from Chinese and local supervisors," Too remarked.

He was born in a sugar cane plantation in North western parts of Kenya but plans to invest in a furniture workshop in Nairobi or other big towns once he completes the apprenticeship program.

The fourth edition of AVIC International sponsored technical skills upgrade program has gained traction among Kenyan youth grappling with joblessness and financial hardships.

Evans Onderi, a 31-year-old father of one, felt relieved when he joined the program two weeks ago with a mission to refine his skills in masonry.

"Let me admit that the theoretical and practical components of the training have been transformative. I have previously worked for small construction companies but have never acquired the kind of life-long skills that are guaranteed in these sites," said Onderi.

He aims to become a much-sought-after mason in Nairobi and its environs after acquiring cutting edge skills from AVIC International funded apprenticeship program.

Onderi's colleagues too were enthusiastic about completing the training program in the hope it will in future unleash new opportunities.

Joseph Odhiambo, a 38-year-old father of five who has previously worked for Chinese construction firms, was optimistic about the future, given the opportunity accorded to him to refine his skills in masonry.

"It is now possible for me to use an automated concrete mixer and lay bricks inside the folded steel bars. This experience will ultimately open new doors for me," said Odhiambo.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 23:05:35|Editor: Yamei

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BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) is currently holding a high-level world political party conference in Beijing, showing a more open and inclusive party to the globe.

Focusing on the responsibilities of political parties in building a community of shared future, and a better world, the meeting is attended by leaders from over 200 parties and political organizations in more than 120 countries.

During the conference, the CPC will hold routine discussions with political parties from Africa, Central Asia and the United States.

The organizer said the event is held in response to the request from parties around the world for in-depth knowledge of the 19th CPC National Congress and the new guiding theory adopted.

The meeting is the first multilateral diplomatic event hosted by China after CPC national congress in October and the first high-level dialogue between CPC and world political parties.

Such a high-level meeting reflects the CPC's determination to "building a community with a shared future," which was listed as one of the fundamental principles of the new guiding theory in the congress report.

"We call on the people of all countries to work together to build a community with a shared future... to build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity," said the report.

The CPC promised to "strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the political parties and organizations of other countries" in the report.

During the meeting, the CPC will not onlyshare its experience but learn from other parties.

The CPC is in close contact with over 400 political parties and organizations in more than 160 countries.

There has been three CPC in Dialogues with the World since 2014, during which the CPC interacts with political figures and academics.

There are reasons to believe that the ongoing meeting will bring more high-level communication and in-depth exchanges.

As the congress report said, to make new and greater contributions for mankind is the Party's abiding mission. With such a mission, the CPC is certainly to have many more friends.
File Photo: Soldiers attend a military parade in central Pyongyang, April 15, 2017. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) showcased its military muscles by parading all of its most-advanced ballistic and tactic missiles, including a submarine-launched ballistic missile which could strike targets 1000 km away. (Xinhua/Cheng Dayu)

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy has called for restraint following the latest launch of a ballistic missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"The situation on the Korean Peninsula remains grave. The top priority for now is for all relevant parties to exercise restraint, to comprehensively and strictly implement relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and to strive for an early resumption of dialogue and negotiations," said Wu Haitao, the charge d'affaires of China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

China is gravely concerned and is opposed to the latest missile launch by the DPRK, Wu told the Security Council. "We strongly urge the DPRK to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions and cease actions that would escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula."

In the recent past, the overall situation on the Korean Peninsula remained stable. That provided a window of opportunity for diplomatic efforts. Regrettably, that window failed to lead to the resumption of dialogue and negotiations, he said.

The nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula has lasted more than 20 years. The most valuable experience gained is that when the parties moved toward each other and were engaged in virtuous interaction, agreements could be reached as a result. The most important lesson is that when the parties adopted tough stands and misjudged each other, the chance of peace would pass by, said Wu.

This year the Security Council has adopted several resolutions, which have demonstrated the united position of the international community against the DPRK's development of nuclear and ballistic missile capacities, he said.

The resolutions, at the same time, stressed the importance of reducing tension on the peninsula by the parties concerned, reiterated the necessity of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia as a whole, and committed parties to seeking a solution through peaceful, diplomatic and political means while emphasizing that people's livelihood and humanitarian assistance efforts in the DPRK should not be negatively impacted, said Wu.

China always stands for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and peace and stability on the peninsula. China has consistently advocated dialogue and negotiations as a means to achieve a settlement, and opposed conflict and chaos on the peninsula, he said.

The suspension-for-suspension proposal and dual-track approach put forward by China and the idea of step-by-step approach proposed by Russia formed a roadmap for the settlement of the issue. The roadmap is practical and feasible, he said, asking the relevant parties for positive response and support.

The idea of dual-track approach involves parallel efforts to move forward both denuclearization and the establishment of a peaceful mechanism on the peninsula; the initiative of suspension-for-suspension calls for the DPRK to suspend its nuclear and missile activities and for the United States and South Korea to suspend their large-scale war games.

In the current situation, the Security Council should shoulder its historic responsibility of prompting parties to take integrated measures to settle problems through peaceful, diplomatic and political means and maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, said Wu.

China will continue to implement the relevant Security Council resolutions comprehensively and in their entirety, and together with the parties concerned continue to play an active and constructive role in seeking an appropriate settlement of the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula and an early realization of the denuclearization and long-term peace and stability on the peninsula, he said. "China expects that all the parties will make their own efforts to this end by honoring their commitments in a constructive manner."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 23:15:39|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HANOI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Ratraco under the Vietnam Railway Corporation on Thursday launched the first container train to China from Vietnam's capital Hanoi.

The train transported 20 containers carrying coal, ore and electronic products to the southern Chinese city of Nanning.

After the first trip, Ratraco and its Chinese partner will operate the route with fixed itinerary every Tuesday and Thursday, before increasing the frequency.

Hanoi welcomed a container train from Nanning on Wednesday. The train carried refrigerated containers with new technology, which is expected to meet the demand of transporting frozen goods between the two countries and ease overload in border gates.

The two sides have also worked on the launch of trains from other Chinese localities to Vietnam, facilitating goods exchange with lower transport prices, and creating favorable conditions for the shipment of Vietnamese products to Central Asia, Russia, and Europe through China, Vietnam News Agency reported on Thursday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 23:15:40|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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GENEVA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Humanitarian workers striving to reach the besieged area of Eastern Ghouta with aid need a "greenlight" from the authorities to access the area, special advisor to the UN special envoy for Syria on humanitarian affairs,Jan Egeland said Thursday.

In that area on the outskirts of the capital Damascus, he said that children face "acute malnutrition" which is at 11.9 percent, up from 2.1 percent in January.

Humanitarian workers are unable to assist people in dire need of medical assistance due to a blockade on Eastern Ghouta which has been under siege for more than four years, according to the UN High Commission for Human Rights.

Egeland urged nations to help hasten the evacuation of 500 people, including 220 women and 167 children, from Eastern Ghouta, as it has become a humanitarian emergency.

He said that in the seven-year Syrian conflict, due to recently heavy military activities, battles have ended in places such as Homs and Raqqa.

"They have moved to Eastern Ghouta which is the eye of the hurricane at the moment," he said,

"There is no de-escalation zone, there is only escalation in this de-escalation zone," Egeland said at a UN news briefing.

In this year along in Syria, he said 1.8 million people have been displaced and last month along 400,000 were displaced.

The UN official said, "We still need the issuance of the facilitation letter" before the aid can begin, adding that he hoped this would happen soon.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 23:20:44|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MONTEVIDEO, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Uruguayan business conference of China and Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) countries is enjoying a high turnout and will see promising cooperation in different fields between the two regions, an Uruguayan official has said.

The China-LAC 2017 Business Summit, to be held in the Uruguayan resort Punta del Este from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, has over 2,500 business people signed up, including 700 from China.

"We have had a very important response. Being the host of this event is a great opportunity," said Antonio Carambula, executive director of Uruguay XXI, the country's foreign trade promotion bureau.

Easily surpassing last year's scale, this year's event will attract about 700 Chinese businessmen and a similar number from the rest of Latin America, Carambula said, adding that over 1,000 Uruguayan executives would also attend.

Some 150 Chinese businessmen attended last year's summit in Mexico's western city of Guadalajara.

This is a great opportunity for Uruguay as China is "our main trading partner for goods. There is also great potential for services and the investment flow," Carambula said.

"At a time when protectionist tendencies are rising in the world, China has transformed into a champion and its initiatives, especially the Belt and Road Initiative, have doubtless caught the attention of the world," he said, adding that Latin America should definitely be involved.

The initiative China proposed in 2013 comprises the overland Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, seeking to revive and expand the ancient Silk Road trade routes and connect Asia, Africa and Europe through better infrastructure, greater trade and enhanced people-to-people exchanges.

China is playing a crucial role in collaborating "with the infrastructure plans pushed by the Uruguayan government," he said, while mentioning cooperation opportunities in agriculture, forestry, global services, renewable energy, smart cities and e-commerce.

"We are using the platform of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to allow business meetings to take place between companies. We already have over 1,000 meetings scheduled to straighten bonds and create new links," Carambula said.

Aside from the discussions, the Punta del Este Convention and Exhibition Center will host an expo covering 3,000 square kilometers with stands of around 150 companies.

"It is a challenge. I think Uruguay, and Punta del Este in particular, will rise to the occasion to receive such an important crowd, in terms of both numbers and quality," Carambula said.

More than 2,000 business leaders, government representatives and experts from various fields are attending the summit, an annual gathering started in 2007 and organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the IDB.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 23:25:46|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ISLAMABAD, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis will visit Pakistan for talks on bilateral and regional matters, the Pakistan's foreign ministry said on Thursday.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Muhammad Faisal did not give any specific date for the visit. However, Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said last week that the visit is expected on Dec. 3.

Faisal said at his weekly briefing in Islamabad that the visit of Mattis will be part of the continued interaction between the two countries.

"This clearly indicates that dialogue between both the countries to bridge gap in perceptions is ongoing. We are trying to find common grounds and move forward in our bilateral relationship with the U.S. in a positive and cooperative manner," he said.

Regarding the U.S. policy on South Asia announced in August by U.S. President Donald Trump, the spokesman said "there was a difference in understanding and perceptions on both sides."

He added that thereafter, a dialogue started by a meeting between Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this year.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif also met with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Washington. Tillerson later visited Pakistan in October.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 23:25:47|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TEHRAN, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Iran is in negotiations to manufacture tractors in the African state of Namibia, Financial Tribune daily reported on Thursday.

A business delegation from Tabriz city in northern Iran is in Namibia's capital Windhoek to finalize a contract to roll off tractor assembly plant either in Windhoek or Walvis Bay in Namibia.

"A delegation from Iran has been in Windhoek since two months ago and they have seen the sites that could be allocated for that purpose," Vahid Karimi, the ambassador of Iran to Namibia, was quoted as saying.

"It could either be in Windhoek or Walvis Bay, but it all depends on the (Iranian) company to have the final decision. I think if everything goes well, within a year we could have the first production of tractors in Namibia," Karimi said.

"The planned tractor assembly plant will help create jobs and help in the transfer of knowledge and skills. In the agriculture area, I am sure it will create lots of jobs in the African country," he said.

Iranian president is keen to boost trade and diplomatic relations with the African nations, and in this vein, he gave the assurance, the ambassador said.

"I'm trying to bring more Iranians here..., now the priority of my present government is Africa, so they are coming to African countries in big numbers where they are engaged in business," he added.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif led a high-ranking politico-economic delegation to Africa last month.

According to Foreign Ministry's Director General of Africa Department Mehdi Aqa-Jafari, the African tour, the third such visit in the last four years, indicates Iran's determination to put promotion of wide-ranging ties with the continent on top of its agenda.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 23:35:50|Editor: Yamei

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UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura speaks during a meeting with Syrian government delegation, during the UN-led Intra-Syrian talks in Geneva, Switzerland, Nov. 30, 2017. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura on Thursday held seperate meetings with the Syrian government delegation and the Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC) delegations at the same time. (Xinhua/POOL/Xu Jinquan)

GENEVA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Though the UN said that it was "aiming for a direct dialogue" in the latest round of Syrian peace talks, participants failed to sit face-to-face on Thursday, two days after fresh talks began.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura on Thursday held meetings with both the Syrian government and opposition delegations but in different rooms.

While calling it "close proximity type of discussions," De Mistura said he would like to see this type of discussions in "a parallel way."

"I will be with you at the beginning, then I will be moving to the other room, and I will be returning very quickly," he told the Syrian government delegation Thursday morning before the formal meeting started.

On the first day of the latest round of talks here, the Syrian opposition delegation, now called the Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC), issued a statement calling for "direct negotiations" with representatives of the government.

"We are one and we are ready to negotiate directly with the other side," the statement said.

In order to create a better atmosphere for talks, the UN envoy on Wednesday night requested both delegations to refrain from statements aimed at delegitimizing other invitees.

De Mistura is intending to have both sides stay in Geneva to continue meetings next week, after a possible weekend off.

The Syrian armed conflict broke out in 2011 and quickly turned into a war, now entering into its seventh year. UN figures show more than 330,000 people have been killed and millions displaced so far.

The last UN-led talks aimed at brokering a political solution between the Syrian government and the major opposition forces ended on July 14 without going deeper into any of the scheduled topics.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 23:40:51|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TEHRAN, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urged the European Union to further back the 2015 Iran's international nuclear deal, Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday.

Speaking upon his arrival in the Italian capital of Rome on Thursday, Zarif said he will reiterate, in his address to the Rome MED-Mediterranean Dialogues, that EU's support for the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is appropriate but not sufficient.

EU should take more practical measures in this regard, Zarif was quoted as saying.

In October, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the stances adopted by some European governments against the recent comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump against Iran's nuclear deal "as good but insufficient."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-30 23:50:54|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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GENEVA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian opposition delegation participating the eighth Intra-Syria peace talks here in Geneva on Thursday said that they are ready to stay engaged in the talks for "as long as necessary".

Speaking after Thursday's meeting with the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, the spokesman for the opposition delegation, now called Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC), Yahya Aridi, said: "We have had good discussions with Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura about the pathway towards progress in the Geneva talks."

"We have presented ideas for discussion on behalf of our united delegation. This is the first fruit of the extended meeting in Riyadh of the revolutionary and opposition forces," he said, stressing that a political solution is "the only way to bring security and stability to Syria".

De Mistura on Thursday morning held meetings with both the Syrian government and opposition delegations almost at the same time, but still in different rooms.

As for the length of the new Geneva talks, the latest information from the UN is that de Mistura is intending to have both sides staying in Geneva to continue the meetings next week, after a possible weekend off.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 00:05:58|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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LONDON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Net migration into Britain fell to 230,000 in June, over 100,000 less than a peak of 336,000 a year earlier, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported Thursday.

The figures take in the first full year since Britain voted in June, 2016 to leave the European Union, with the reduction of 106,000, the largest annual decrease recorded by ONS.

ONS said the Brexit decision was likely to be the factor in a 43 percent fall in the number of Europeans heading to Britain during the year to find work.

At the same time, 123,000 EU citizens left Britain during the year, up 28,000 compared to 2016, added ONS.

During the year, a total of 572,000 people arrived in Britain and 342,000 emigrated, giving the new net migration figure.

Nicola White, head of migration statistics at ONS, said the first full year of data since the EU referendum vote in 2016 shows a decrease in the number of people coming to live in Britain and an increase in the number leaving, resulting in a fall in net migration of 106,000. Over three quarters of the fall in net migration was accounted for by EU citizens.

"Overall more people are still coming to live in the UK than are leaving and therefore net migration is adding to the UK population," White said, "The decline follows historically high levels of immigration and it is too early to say whether this represents a long-term trend."

ONS noted that the number of people immigrating for a definite job has remained stable but there has been a 43 percent decrease in the number of people immigrating to look for work over the last year, especially for EU citizens.

"These changes suggest that Brexit is likely to be a factor in people's decision to move to or from the UK -- but decisions to migrate are complex and other factors are also going to be influencing the figures,"said White.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 00:21:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TIRANA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Albania was swept by bad weather Thursday, with heavy rainfalls and storms prevailing all over the country.

Rain in the last 24 hours has also increased the risks of massive flooding in different parts of Albania, with the precipitation forecast to continue throughout the week.

To help citizens cope with flooding situations and assist in flood-hit areas, Albanian Defense Minister Olta Xhacka told reporters at a press conference Thursday that country's armed forces were ready to come to the rescue.

According to Xhacka, local and central institutions were asked to take "urgent measures" to prevent flood damage.

She also said that talks were ongoing with the ministries to guarantee the water supply and energy, and work to enable water drainage.

Meanwhile, data provided by Albania's civil emergency department showed that floods were first recorded in northern city of Shkodra where significant surfaces of land are under water.

In the border zone with Montenegro, water has flooded around 40 hectares of land, and there have been power shortages in many villages around Shkodra.

In Velipoja, around 80 hectares of land are flooded and the number is expected to grow.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 00:21:03|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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PARIS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Air transport "has its role to play" under the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative, vice president of European aeronautic giant Airbus Marc Hamy has said here.

During the first edition of the Paris Forum on "Belt and Road" held jointly by the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS) and the Chinese Embassy in France on Wednesday, Hamy noted that France and Airbus will directly benefit under the the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

"China is the world's largest market for Airbus, with 20 to 25 percent of our deliveries made in China and 300 aircrafts in our factory in Tianjin," Airbus official said.

Speaking about training and innovation, Hamy recalled that a training partnership already linked Chinese universities with France's school of civil aviation.

Besides, Airbus has also created recently its Chinese innovation center in Shenzhen, he added.

Aked about the regulatory harmonization between China and Europe in the air sector, the vice president of Airbus said that many bilateral agreements were already under discussion with expected positive outcomes.

"It is interesting that Europe and China are cooperating on the certification process so that it is easier for certification in China as well as in Europe, and I believe that these discussions are well progressing in the interests of both parties," Hamy said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 00:31:06|Editor: Yamei

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Chinese Tourists speak with staff members from China's consulate in Indonesia's Denpasar as they wait at the International Ngurah Rai airport in Bali, Indonesia, on Nov. 30, 2017. The Indonesian Transport Ministry on Thursday closed again the international airport in Lombok of West Nusa Tenggara province due to impact of volcanic ash from Mount Agung volcano on nearby Bali island, a senior government official said. (Xinhua/Du Yu)

BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has arranged domestic airlines to send 13 flights to fetch stranded tourists in Bali, Indonesia, as the airport reopened after a volcano eruption.

On Wednesday night, China Southern Airlines flew two planes from Guangzhou and Shenzhen while China Eastern Airlines sent four from Beijing and Shanghai to take more than 2,700 Chinese tourists home.

On Thursday, domestic airlines sent another seven flights to bring nearly 1,000 tourists home, according to the CAAC.

It also mobilized the help of foreign carriers, which are expected to send 29 planes to bring 5,596 tourists home.

The International Ngurah Rai airport in Bali was closed on Monday due to the eruption of Mount Agung volcano. The airport reopened Wednesday afternoon and was subject to further closures depending on the weather and the movement of volcanic ash.
File photo provided by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Dec. 2, 2016 shows top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un (C) guiding an intensive artillery drill on Dec. 1, 2016. (Xinhua/KCNA)

by Xinhua writer Wang Jiangang

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday called for all measures possible to prevent escalation of tension on the Korean Peninsula following the latest ballistic missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"Given the grave risks associated with any military confrontation, in exercise of its primary responsibility the Security Council needs to do all it can to prevent an escalation. Unity in the Security Council is critical," Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman said at Wednesday's emergency meeting, the 13th meeting of the council this year to discuss the DPRK.

The appeal came after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier "strongly condemned" the ballistic missile launch.

In his briefing to the council, Feltman said according to the DPRK's official news agency and government sources, Pyongyang launched what it termed an "intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15."

According to the Security Council, Wednesday's launch was the DPRK's third test of a ballistic missile of apparently intercontinental range in less than six months and its 20th ballistic missile launch this year.

The DPRK's repeated nuclear and missile tests over the past two years have created great tension on the Korean Peninsula and beyond, Feltman said, stressing that this dynamic must be reversed. But he stressed the solution can only be political.

Security Council unity would create an opportunity for sustained diplomatic engagement, a chance that must be seized in these dangerous times to work to create conditions for negotiations, he added.

Also on Wednesday morning, Feltman called a meeting with the DPRK's Permanent Representative Ja Song Nam to deliver the secretary-general's message.

At the meeting, Feltman stressed that "there is nothing more dangerous to peace and security in the world than what is happening now on the Korean Peninsula."

He also told the DPRK ambassador that Pyongyang must "desist from taking any further destabilizing steps."

Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said the top priority in view of the current "grave situation" was for all parties to exercise restraint, implement UN sanctions, and strive for early resumption of dialogue and negotiations.

He said that the recent stable period on the peninsula before the latest launch had provided a window of opportunity for diplomatic efforts, but "regrettably, this window failed to lead to a resumption of dialogue and negotiations."

Wu reiterated the China-Russia proposal for the DPRK to suspend all nuclear and missile tests and the United States and South Korea to suspend all military exercises, adding, "We hope it will elicit a response and support."

Russia's Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia also warned that the U.S.-South Korean drills "will only inflame an already explosive situation."

Nebenzia said Russia is deeply disappointed at the DPRK's long-range ballistic missile launch, stressing that Moscow does not support Pyongyang becoming a nuclear power.

He also said that Russia is strongly calling on all parties to stop the "spiral of tension."

French permanent representative to the United Nations Francois Delattre said "maximum pressure" must be put on the DPRK so as to pave the way for a political solution to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

"The threat has shifted from regional to global, from being potential to immediate. The threat concerns all of us," he remarked.

Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi of Italy, chair of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee which facilitates implementation of the provisions of all relevant resolutions, from 1718 (2006) to the latest 2375 (2017), also briefed the council.

Cardi said the committee has been engaged in facilitating implementation of all sanction measures and is continuing its efforts.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 01:11:22|Editor: Mengjie

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (3rd R rear) meets with foreign delegates attending the 2017 Imperial Springs International Forum in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 30, 2017. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said here on Thursday that Chinese diplomacy in the new era is to promote the construction of a new type of international relations and a community of shared future.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with foreign delegates to the 2017 Imperial Springs International Forum from Tuesday to Thursday.

Former world leaders, renowned scholars and business elites gathered in China's southern city of Guangzhou to exchange their views on global governance.

A new type of international relations mean countries need to uphold mutual respect, fairness and justice and win-win cooperation, abandon law of the jungle, promote dialogue and partnership instead of confrontation and alliances, Xi said.

A community of shared future will bring lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness and inclusiveness as well as a clean and beautiful world, he said.

"As a country of over 1.3 billion people, China contributes to the construction of a community of shared future by maintaining its own long-term stability and development," Xi said.

He said China will always follow the peaceful development path and will never seek hegemony like great powers did, adding that China's cooperation with other countries is never attached with strings to interfere with their domestic affairs.

China will take a more active posture in global governance, including facilitating the political settlement of international issues, participating in UN peacekeeping missions, implementing the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Xi said.

"Our development path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the choice of history and people. China's historic achievement has consolidated our confidence in the path," Xi said.

Since the founding of People's Republic of China in 1949, especially since the reform and opening-up in 1978, China has undergone great changes. It has become the second largest economy in the world and improved the lives of more than 1.3 billion people, getting 700 million people out of poverty.

"Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era," Xi told the delegates.

He explained the country's task is to satisfy people's increasing needs on many fronts and China wants to turn itself into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful by 2050.

The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China set guidelines for China's development in politics, culture, society and environment, Xi noted.

China will put people at the center, carry out comprehensive reform and open up further, he said.

"Our goal is lofty as well as simple, and ultimately, we want all the Chinese to live a better life," the president said.

"China advocates a country's development path should be decided by its people and there is no one-size-fits-all model," Xi said, adding that China is willing to share national governance experiences with other countries.

Foreign dignitaries said China in the new era will bring more benefits to the world, as the country has shown leadership in global economy and promoting a multi-polar world.

They applauded China's efforts in making globalization more balanced and inclusive, its commitment to international partnership in addressing climate change and its assistance to developing countries.

The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank offer more opportunities for other parties to work with China, they said.

Former Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former Japanese Prime Minister Yokio Hatoyama and others were present at the meeting.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 01:16:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HELSINKI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Pirkanmaa District Court of Finland decided on Thursday to ban the Finnish branch of the Nordic Resistance Movement, a Neo-Nazi organization. Finnish national broadcaster Yle reported.

The organization was clamped down because it "flagrantly violated the principles of good practice," the court was quoted by Yle as saying.

The court ruled that the organization was a violent group that incited its members and followers to take violent acts and spread hate speeches.

In addition, the court considered that the group's activities were not within the scope of protection of freedom of speech, as it violated the fundamental human rights of other people.

The organization expressed its intention to appeal the district court's verdict to the court of appeal, according to Yle.

The Nordic Resistance Movement, a Neo-Nazi organization, was founded first in 1996 in Sweden, and its branches were later formed in other Nordic countries -- Norway, Finland, Iceland and Denmark.

In October last year, a Finnish member of the organization was sentenced to two years of imprisonment for assaulting a passer-by at a protest venue near the Helsinki railway station. The victim died in hospital later, although the court did not believe his death was caused by the injuries made in the assault.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 01:31:27|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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SHANGHAI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai's consumer quality watchdog on Thursday said it has asked IKEA Group to investigate product safety and consider a recall after similar action was taken in North America.

A spokesperson for Shanghai Administration of Quality and Technology Supervision said it raised the concern with IKEA, asking it to investigate if any of its products are faulty, to evaluate safety risks, and not to evade the responsibility of recall.

"Recalls are an important way to prevent problematic products from causing harm to consumers," the spokesperson said. "Businesses should always pay high attention to consumers' interests. That's part of corporate social responsibility."

Earlier this month, IKEA relaunched a recall of chests and dressers in North America, after a child in the United States was found dead being trapped under an IKEA Malm dresser in May.

The first recall was launched in 2016 in North America and then in China after the national and Shanghai consumer quality watchdogs made repeated requests.
A picture taken on November 29, 2017, shows smoke billowing in Gaza City after Israel's military targeted Hamas posts in Gaza in retaliation to mortar rounds fired from the Palestinian enclave. (AFP PHOTO)

JERUSALEM, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military said it launched a second airstrike against "terror infrastructure" in the Gaza Strip on Thursday afternoon, accusing the Palestinian Islamic Jihad of carrying out a mortar attack earlier on the same day.

The flare-up came after Gaza militants shelled mortars towards a military post next to separation fence between Israel and the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday's noon. The fire caused a minor damage and no injuries, according to the military.

Israel later accused the Gaza-based Islamic Jihad of carrying out the attack. In response, the military launched a combined artillery and airstrike, targeting two Islamic Jihad posts and two Hamas posts, according to a military statement.

A few hours later, a second airstrike was launched, in which an Israeli aircraft targeted two additional military posts belonging to the Islamic Jihad in the central Gaza Strip, the statement said.

A spokesman for the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, Dr. Ashraf al-Qidre, told Palestinian media that two people were lightly wounded by Israeli bombing.

The Jihad said the mortar barrage was a retaliation of a killing of a Palestinian farmer earlier on Thursday. The 48-year-old villager was shot dead by a settler in disputed circumstances.

Israel's military said the settler shot him in self-defense as a group of settlers were attacked by stone throwers and Palestinian eyewitnesses say the man was working his land during the shooting.

The outburst of violence comes a month after Israel bombed a tunnel crossing from Gaza to Israel, killing at least a dozen of Islamic Jihad militants.

The Islamic Jihad, an Iranian-backed Palestinian group, has vowed to avenge the killing.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened then to "take a very firm stance against anyone who tries to attack us."

The escalation comes at a sensitive time, as the rival Fatah and Hamas, an Islamist movement that runs Gaza, are working on the implementation of a reconciliation historic deal. Israel objects the deal.

Israel's last massive offensive in the Gaza Strip was concluded 2014. Since then, sporadic fire incidents occur on both sides of the border but have never evolved into a full-blown war.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 01:46:33|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ADEN, Yemen, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Militants suspected of belonging to the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch on Thursday killed five security members during an ambush in the southeastern province of Shabwa, a police officer told Xinhua.

The local police source said an unknown number of al-Qaida suspects ambushed newly-recruited security members who were on patrol at the entrance of Ataq city, the provincial capital of Shabwa.

"During the ambush, five security members of the newly-trained troops were killed, and one injured. Their vehicle was burnt by the militants during the surprise attack," said the officer who declined to be named.

A military official said a contingent of security forces, backed by local tribes, are pursuing the al-Qaida attackers, while some tribal chiefs were asked to provide support and protection for the troops there.

"The al-Qaida hideouts and other terrorist locations will be targeted later today in retaliation for the ambush. A number of arrests have been made so far," the official said on condition of anonymity.

Several areas in the country's provinces controlled by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government have been the target of al-Qaida militants and other terrorists, who frequently kill security officers and government officials, using either grenades or drive-by shootings.

No one has claimed responsibility for the ambush, but Yemeni security officials accused gunmen linked to the Islamic State (IS) of being behind such attacks and ambushes in southeastern Yemen, where militants of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch and the IS are more active.

In recent weeks, Yemeni armed forces supported by the United Arab Emirates launched large offensives against some hideouts there.

The al-Qaida and IS-linked terrorists took advantage of the security vacuum and the 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 others.

In addition, 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| 2017-12-01 02:11:41|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in Sochi, Russia, Nov. 30, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

SOCHI, Russia, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi promised more efforts to build the cross-border economic corridor during their meeting in Sochi on Thursday.

Both leaders are here to attend the 16th meeting of the Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of Government (Prime Ministers), which is scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

Li told Abbasi that China and Pakistan, as all-weather strategic cooperative partners, have cooperated well in various fields. Positive progress has been made since both countries began building the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor more than four years ago.

China is ready to continue building key infrastructure with the Pakistani side, and to carry out cooperation on production capacity, Li said.

"China holds high political sincerity in exploring the building of a free trade zone with Pakistan, to promote balanced trade between the two sides and help companies in both countries to cooperate," Li said.

Li extended gratitude to his Pakistani counterpart for their help in ensuring safety for Chinese companies and citizens in Pakistan, expecting Pakistan to continue to boost security measures so as to create a favorable environment for bilateral economic cooperation.

China would like to continue collaboration with Pakistan in security and defense affairs, and make contribution to regional peace and stability, Li said.

Li welcomed Pakistan to attend the SCO meeting for the first time as a full member and China will continue to coordinate with Pakistan closely within the SCO , in other multilateral organizations and on regional affairs.

Abassi agreed that Pakistan and China have deep friendship and close cooperation.

Both sides are all-weather strategic cooperative partners who share common goals and mutual support. Pakistan will continue high-level exchanges with China, deepen cooperation and add new impetus to the development of bilateral relations, he said.

The building of the economic corridor is going smoothly, and Pakistan will advance the project with full force and take concrete measures to ensure safety for the corridor, Abassi said.

Pakistan stands ready to cooperate with China within the framework of the SCO, he said, voicing confidence that China, which holds the rotating SCO presidency, will advance the development of the organization.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 02:16:44|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KHARTOUM, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- A Turkish passenger plane on Thursday made an emergency landing at Khartoum airport after a report on bomb threat, airport authorities said.

"The control tower at Khartoum airport received a report on a bomb threat aboard the Turkish airlines' plane, Boeing (737) with 100 passengers and seven crew members on board, which was en route from Nairobi to Istanbul," said Khartoum International Airport Company in a statement.

"The emergency center has been immediately alerted and all the concerned authorities have been notified," added the statement.

It went on saying that "after the plane landed at an isolated area, the passengers and crew members were safely evacuated after been searched. Then a trained team of intelligence, forensic evidence and airport security conducted explosive detection procedures."

"No bomb or explosives were found," It added, noting that the plane resumed its flight to Istanbul.
Palestinian fishermen ride their boats as they go fishing at the seaport of Gaza City on Oct. 10, 2016. (Xinhua Photo)

GAZA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic Hamas movement and the Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip said on Thursday that Israel should take full responsibility for the recent growing tension in the coastal enclave.

On Thursday evening, Israeli war jets struck several military posts belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad in response to earlier mortar attacks on Israel, no injuries reported, according to security officials.

Hazem Qassem, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said in an emailed press statement that Israel's artillery shelling and intensive airstrikes on Gaza "are a continuation of the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people."

Meanwhile, Islamic Jihad Spokesman Dawood Shihab said in another emailed press statement that Israel's attacks won't break the Palestinian armed resistance.

"The armed resistance won't keep their hands tied and it has the full right to respond against this aggression and the full right to defend itself and to defend our people," said Shihab.

Security sources and eyewitnesses said Israeli war jets fired several missiles at Hamas and Jihad military posts across the Gaza Strip, adding that huge explosions were heard in the area despite no injuries reported.

Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the health ministry in Gaza, said three Palestinians were moderately injured after the Israeli strikes on Gaza.

Security sources said militants in Gaza fired 25 mortars on Israeli engineers and workers near the separation fence between Israel and northern Gaza earlier on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army said in an official statement sent to the press that the Israeli artillery shelling on Gaza militants' posts was a response to mortar shells from there.

Tension has been mounting between Israel and the Palestinians in the past few weeks, after Israel destroyed a tunnel between southeast Gaza Strip and Israel, killing 12 militants and wounding 17 others.

Palestinian sources said a Palestinian was shot dead earlier Thursday by a Jewish settler who opened gun fire toward him in Qusra village near Nablus city, north of the West Bank.

AbdelAzim Odeh, the head of Qusra village council, told Xinhua that the victim, Mahmoud Odeh, who is in his early 40s, was working on his farmland when a Jewish settler attacked and killed him.

Odeh said the villagers withheld a group of settlers in a nearby cave area before handing them over to the Israeli side through the Palestinian civil liaison office.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' office condemned the killing, saying in an official statement that it "shows the brutalism of the settlers in the West Bank."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 02:51:56|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ROME, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Italy's unemployment rate in October was steady at 11.1 percent, compared to the previous month, data from the country's statistics institute, ISTAT, reported Thursday.

This compared to a jobless rate of 8.8 percent in the 19-country eurozone, and 7.4 percent in the 28-member European Union (EU), according to EU statistics office Eurostat.

Also for comparison, October unemployment stood at 3.6 percent in Germany and at 16.7 percent in Spain, Eurostat said.

Back in Italy, ISTAT said that according to its provisional data, there were 2.88 million people out of a job in October, while unemployment among youth aged 15 to 24 stood at 34.7 percent, a 0.7-percent month-on-month decline.

At the same time, 23.082 million people or 58.1 percent of the total working population were employed, unchanged over September 2017.

As well, ISTAT said 73,000 jobs or 0.3 percent were added in the August-October period, all of them on temporary contracts.

On a yearly basis, unemployment dropped by 4.6 percent and employment grew 1.1 percent, ISTAT said.

While unemployment is still high, positive new data appears to suggest Italy's economy has turned a corner after over half a decade of stagnation.

Earlier this month, ISTAT raised its 2017 gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast to 1.5 percent based on new jobs and domestic demand, while Standard & Poor's ratings agency said Italy's GDP grew 1.5 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2017, the highest read in six years.

However, center-left Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni has warned that Italy is not out of the woods yet, and unemployment is still the biggest issue the government must tackle.

"Economic recoveries can take place without (creating new) jobs," and it is the task of government to "intervene against exclusion and poverty", Gentiloni said earlier this month.

Popular discontent over unemployment is one of the key factors as Italy's political parties try to sway voters their way ahead of the next general election, likely to be held in spring 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 02:56:59|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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The Mayor of Helsinki Jan Vapaavuori (C) cuts the ribbon at the opening ceremony of an innovation center jointly opened by Alibaba Cloud and Eficode Oy in Helsinki, Finland, on Nov. 30, 2017. Alibaba Cloud, a cloud computing company affiliated to Chinese Internet giant Alibaba Group, and Eficode Oy, a leading Finnish digital company based in Finland, jointly opened the innovation center in Helsinki on Thursday. (Xinhua/Li Jizhi)

HELSINKI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Alibaba Cloud, a cloud computing company affiliated to Chinese internet giant Alibaba Group, and Eficode Oy, a leading Finnish digital company based in Finland, jointly opened an innovation center in Helsinki on Thursday.

The newly established center will provide a platform to enhance the collaboration between Nordic and Chinese businesses, researchers and education institutes, said Alibaba Cloud in a press release.

"Finland and the Nordics are well known for their ground-breaking research and innovation in data intelligence, and as one of the world's leading cloud computing companies, Alibaba Cloud will empower Finnish companies to achieve global expansion and success through this innovation center," said Yeming Wang, Deputy General Manager of Alibaba Cloud Global.

Located at Eficode's headquarters in central Helsinki, the innovation center is the first to be opened by Alibaba Cloud in the Nordic region, and will provide R&D resources and workspace to the local big data sector and related businesses, to develop solutions that will help enterprises address the digital challenges in business expansion and digital transformation, said the company.

Risto Virkkala, the CEO of Eficode, told the press conference on Thursday that the innovation center was regarded "as an opportunity to innovate more together, not only for Eficode and Alibaba, but also to bring this innovation center to be an innovation platform for all Nordic companies and companies in China to innovate and to do innovation with us."

The opening ceremony was witnessed by the Mayor of Helsinki Jan Vapaavuori, who cut the ribbon and praised Helsinki and Beijing as two cities having much in common.

"We are both technology, innovation, design driven cities. From that point of view, we are very proud to have Alibaba Cloud having decided to put one of its innovation centers in Helsinki," he said.

Chinese Economic and Commercial Counselor to Finland Sun Liwei said he hoped the innovation center would provide a new platform for Chinese and Finnish enterprises that want to be at the forefront of the technology research and innovation.

He quoted Chinese leader's remarks as saying that "innovation is the primary driving force behind development, and it is the strategic underpinning for building a modernized economy".

The launch of the innovation center followed the announcement of a strategic partnership between Alibaba Cloud and Eficode last month. Through the partnership, Eficode started to bring a comprehensive range of Alibaba Cloud offerings to Northern Europe and Nordic companies in the Chinese market.

Eficode's sister company ePassi was also a strategic partner of Ant Financial, Alibaba's financial arm, when they brought Alipay, the world's biggest digital payment system, to Finland lately.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 03:02:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MADRID, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish economy grew by 0.8 percent in the third quarter of this year, compared to the previous quarter, according to data published on Thursday by Spain's Statistical Office (INE).

INE figures showed that household consumption rose by 0.7 percent, public expenditure increased by 0.4 percent and investment rose by 1.3 percent on a quarterly basis.

On a year-on-year basis, the economy grew by 3.1 percent in the third quarter, the INE said, highlighting that employment rose by 2.9 percent, which meant 501,000 full time jobs more were created.

Investment grew by 5.4 percent in the third quarter year on year and consumption rose by 2.1 percent, with households' consumption rising by 2.4 percent. Public spending rose by 1 percent, the INE reported.

Exports rose by 4.9 percent and imports increased by 4 percent, the INE said.

Spain's Minister of Economy and Competitiveness, Luis de Guindos, said Spain could grow by 3.1 percent this year despite Catalonia's economic growth would slow down at the end of the year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 03:07:02|Editor: pengying

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People light candles in front of the Freedom Monument during a commemoration event in Riga, capital of Latvia, on Nov. 30, 2017. A number of events were held on Thursday to remember the worst Holocaust tragedy in Latvia - the killing of 25,000 Jews in just two days in the winter of 1941 in a forest outside Riga. (Xinhua/Janis)

RIGA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- A number of events were held on Thursday to remember the worst Holocaust tragedy in Latvia - the killing of 25,000 Jews in just two days of the winter of 1941 in a forest outside Riga, the capital city of Latvia.

Hundreds of people gathered at a memorial in the Rumbula forest where the atrocious crime was committed 76 years ago to lay flowers and light candles in remembrance of the victims.

The event started with a minute of silence to honor the memory of the people who on Nov. 30 and Dec. 8 of 1941 were led out of the Riga Ghetto and forced to march to the forest in the outskirts of the city only to be executed by the Nazis and their local henchmen.

"This is an event of silence. How are you supposed to speak about these things?" Ilja Lenskis, director of the Jews in Latvia Museum, told Latvian public television at the commemorative event.

"All my people is lying here," said Margers Vestermanis, a survivor of the Rumbula massacre whose whole family was murdered there.

Lolita Tomsone, director of a museum dedicated to Zanis Lipke, a Latvian who saved Jews during World War II, said that only by taking an honest look at this evil one can hope to overcome lack of empathy because compassion for the suffering of other people is what makes us human.

In the evening, people flocked to downtown Riga to lay candles and remember the victims of the Rumbula massacre by the Freedom Monument.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 03:12:05|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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AMMAN, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Jordan and Britain on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding under which the latter will provide Jordan with 94.5 million British pounds (127.58 U.S. dollars ) to support the Arab kingdom's economy and education.

The deal was signed by Jordan's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury and British Ambassador to Jordan Edward Oakden, in the presence of Prime Minister Hani Mulki and his visiting British counterpart Theresa May.

Fakhoury said the memorandum, as part of a future aid by Britain to Jordan in the next 10 years, seeks to establish a strategic partnership between the two countries.

Earlier, Mulki discussed with May the ways to cement bilateral cooperation in various fields.

Mulki commended the British support to Jordan in economic, military and political fields.

The British government plays a key role in enhancing Jordan's economic resilience through offering technical and vocational training for the Jordanian youth, he said.

The latest developments in the Middle East and anti-terrorism within a holistic approach were also on the agendas of the two leaders.

For her part, May said her visit to Jordan, the second in seven months, aims to advance ties between the two countries, expressing her country's readiness to provide necessary support to Jordan at various economic, developmental and educational levels.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 03:12:06|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ROME, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Migrant arrivals dropped 32.35 percent in the 11 months ending in November this year compared to the same period of 2016, the Italian Interior Ministry reported Thursday.

The new data came as Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and other European leaders gathered at the 5th African Union-European Union Summit in the Ivory Coast capital of Abidjan, where combating migrant traffickers was on the agenda.

A total of 117,042 migrants and asylum seekers reached Italy between the January-November period this year, compared to 173,008 arrivals in the same period last year, the Interior Ministry reported on its official website.

A majority of new arrivals to Italy this year said they are Nigerian, followed in descending order by people from Guinea, Ivory Coast, Bangladesh, Mali, Eritrea, Sudan, Tunisia, Senegal and Gambia, according to the Interior Ministry.

Every year, thousands of men, women and children fleeing war and poverty in their home countries pay human traffickers exorbitant prices to smuggle them into Europe.

Survivors of the perilous journey to Italy report serious human rights abuses suffered at the hands of the human traffickers, who hold them in Libyan detention camps and torture them in order to extort more money from their families back home.

Earlier this month, the international community was shocked at the emergence of a video shot in a Libyan detention camp, in which African migrants were auctioned off as slaves.

That footage placed the issue of migrant trafficking even more squarely on the EU-AU summit agenda.

In a statement posted on the summit's official website, African Union Commission President Moussa Faki Mahamat strongly condemned the migrant slave auction, and said the African Union is "determined to spare no effort" to combat the traffickers.

This sentiment was echoed by Italy's Gentiloni. "Confirmation of the friendship between our countries and commitment to development and against human trafficking," the Italian prime minister tweeted along with a photo of himself shaking hands with Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara.

Italy has been bearing the brunt of the migration flows, because its southernmost islands are the nearest landfall to Africa.

The thousands fleeing across the Mediterranean prompted the EU in 2015 to set up an emergency trust fund for Africa "due to ongoing unprecedented levels of irregular migration".

"The Trust Fund aims to help foster stability in the regions to respond to the challenges of irregular migration and displacement," according to the European Commission.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 03:17:10|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Kenya Airways said Thursday it has sacked 140 employees from its technical department who have been on a two-day illegal strike over higher salary.

Kenya Airways CEO Sebastian Mikosz said the dismissal came after three written instructions to the striking staff to return to work were defied and their illegal strike continued on Wednesday.

"As a consequence, management took disciplinary action against the said staff in accordance with the company's policies and the law. As a result, all staff who participated in the illegal strike were terminated from employment with immediate effect and KAA revoked their passes to deter unauthorized entry into the airside," Mikosz said in a statement.

The workers started go slow on Tuesday with the engineers failing to work on aircraft in the hangars for repairs and maintenance, forcing Kenya Airways to let them go.

The workers, including those who fuel, maintain and service Kenya Airways aircraft, want their pay adjusted upwards to match that paid to their equivalents working for Middle East carriers.

They have cited high cost of training maintenance personnel, and an increasing migration of technicians to the Gulf countries due to poor pay in the country.

The technicians are demanding a minimum pay of 3,400 U.S. dollars for technical assistants and 12,000 dollars for the highest paid ones.

The carrier said its flights continue to run on schedule with minimum disruption, noting that engineers and technicians who did not participate in the illegal action are on duty and ensuring our operations continue as normal. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 03:27:13|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ACCRA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron visited Ghana on Thursday as part of his three-nation African tour, to boost economic ties.

The visit also took him to Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire, two former French colonies.

Receiving the French leader at the seat of government in Accra, Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo said Ghana stood ready to renew and deepen the ties of cooperation and friendship with France.

He said Ghana wants its relations with France to be characterized by an increase in trade and investment cooperation, not aid, as that was the way to develop healthy Ghana-France relations, and put Ghana at the high-end of the value chain in the global market place.

"Our vision is to build a free, prosperous, independent country, a Ghana beyond aid," he said, stressing that his administration is poised to building a value-added, industrialized economy with a modernized agriculture, which is neither victim nor pawn of the world economic order.

The bonds of friendship between Ghana and France dates back many years. Both countries have strong ties in trade, investments, civil and security cooperation among others.

Statistics show that French investments in Ghana totalled 1.5 billion Euros in 2015, making Ghana the seventh-biggest destination of French investments in sub-Saharan Africa.

Akufo-Addo assured the French president that Ghana stands shoulder-to-shoulder with France in the promotion of human rights in Africa and the rejection of terrorism as a legitimate means of resolving political issues.

Macron earlier joined Akufo-Addo at the Independence Square in Accra where they laid wreaths and lighted the perpetual flame at the liberation monument.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev (3rd R) meets with Meng Jianzhu (3rd L), member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, in Baku, Azerbaijan on May 23, 2016. (Xinhua/Lu Jinbo)

BAKU, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The principles outlined at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) coincide with Azerbaijan's position while the direction of the Chinese economy has a global impact, a member of Azerbaijan's parliament said.

Siyavush Novruzov, who is also deputy executive secretary of the New Azerbaijan Party, said in the past five years, China achieved great success in the fields of economy, politics and culture.

"China's domestic and foreign policies aim to provide decent living conditions for the Chinese people, as well as to build harmonious relations with the international community and to expand mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries," he said.

The MP spoke about how China's state interests -- peaceful co-existence, global security and the well-being of all -- are related to universal welfare.

"Mutual respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, mutual non-aggression, mutual benefit, settlement of conflicts through dialogue, and the fight against terrorism are the priorities of China's foreign policies," Novruzov said, adding that these principles coincide with the position of Azerbaijan.

He also said that today, it is impossible to imagine a global economy without China.

"Expanding the volume of foreign trade (and) boosting trade and investment liberalization meet the interests not only of China, but also of countries cooperating with it. The development trends of China's economy have an impact worldwide," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 03:52:23|Editor: huaxia

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LUSAKA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The volume of Zambia's copper exports increased in October compared to the previous month, its statistics agency said on Thursday.

The volume of copper exports increased by 25.2 percent in October from 60,896.3 tons recorded in September to 76,250.3 tons in October, the Central Statistical Office (CSO) said.

The agency said the increase in copper exports resulted in the country's trade deficit reducing by 58.35 percent from 2,125.6 million Zambian Kwacha in September to 885.2 million Kwacha in October.

"The reduction in the deficit is mainly on account of a 25.2 percent increase in the volume of copper exported as copper account for the largest weight in the export profile," John Kalumbi, the agency's director told reporters during a monthly briefing. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 04:27:32|Editor: Yamei

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Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the headquarters of the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency in Moscow, Russia, on June 8, 2016. (Xinhua/SPUTNIK)

MOSCOW, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Kremlin on Thursday expressed its disappointment at the withdrawal of Russian state-funded broadcaster Russia Today (RT)'s news credentials by the United States Congress and predicted that it will arouse an "emotional response" from the Russian lawmakers.

"We would like to describe the decision by the American senators and congressmen to deprive RT of accreditation as extremely disappointing, wrong, and violating the freedom of the press principles," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian news agency Interfax as saying.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Executive Committee of the Congressional Radio and Television Correspondents' Galleries stripped RT America of its press credentials in the Capital Hill due to RT America's registration as a foreign agent in the country.

"Such hostile and undemocratic decisions cannot be left without a response... You don't have to be a prophet to predict an emotional response from our lawmakers regarding the U.S. media," he said.

Earlier in the day, speaker of Russia's State Duma lower parliament house Vyacheslav Volodin said that the Duma is mulling over "symmetrical measures" in response to the U.S. decision in the near future.

Washington has been accusing Russian media, including RT and Sputnik, of influencing public opinion during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, while Moscow claims that they are being oppressed by U.S. authorities.

On Nov. 13, RT America said that it has registered as a foreign agent in the United States at the demand of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 04:32:33|Editor: pengying

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The UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura gestures during a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on Nov. 30, 2017. Staffan de Mistura said on Thursday that he is planning to extend the ongoing UN-led Syrian peace talks till Dec. 15. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan)

GENEVA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said on Thursday that he is planning to extend the ongoing UN-led Syrian peace talks till Dec. 15.

The new round of the talks, started on Tuesday, was originally scheduled to close on Dec. 1.

De Mistura described the talks this week as "professional and serious" when he addressed a press briefing on the intra-Syrian talks which began in Geneva with low expectations on their outcome.

De Mistura described the atmosphere as different to previous times "on both sides".

"The biggest obstacle is trust," said de Mistura, noting that this has always been the case in the Syrian negotiations. "We have to have a process of political dialogue; there is not military solution," he said.

The Syrian opposition delegation arrived for the start of the talks on Tuesday, while the government delegation under Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations Bashar al-Jaafari arrived a day later.

"We are still at the beginning if you want to look at in the context of the 15th of December," said de Mistura, adding that the present round is scheduled to last until that date with all parties participating "without preconditions".

He said that he held "very close proximity parallel meetings" on Thursday with the two parties, shuffling between two rooms five meters apart, but there had been no interaction between them.

The UN envoy expected that the Syrian government delegation will return home for discussions at the weekend and return to Geneva on Dec. 5 to resume discussions.

He was asked if Russian talks scheduled in Sochi next year were a counter measure to the UN talks.

"Every single member country of the Security Council... has been clearly indicating and repeating that the only process for the political process is the one led by the UN mandated by the Security Council linked to [Resolution] 2254 and based in Geneva," answered de Mistura.

De Mistura also noted that he is unable to give any guarantees regarding the talks as those have to come from the negotiating parties.

"If they do not follow what we are advising them there can be very negative consequences," de Mistura said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 04:37:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KIEV, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- The French Navy frigate Guepratte arrived at the Ukrainian southern Black Sea port of Odessa on Thursday for a four-day visit, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said.

During its stay, the French delegation will hold talks with the representatives of the Ukrainian Navy Command and Odessa City Council, the ministry said.

Besides, the Guepratte crew will take part in cultural activities in Odessa and in a sightseeing tour across the city, it said.

On Wednesday, U.S. guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams DDG-95 docked at Odessa port. It is expected to stay till Dec. 2

Overall, the Black Sea port welcomed more than 10 foreign vessels since the beginning of the year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 04:42:39|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ANKARA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Turkey set an all-time record high for drugs seizures at its borders in the first 11 months of 2017, Customs Minister Bulent Tufenkci said Thursday.

"From January to November 2017, the amount of drugs seized in Turkey has increased by 11 times compared to the same period in 2016 and rose to around 26 tons from 2.3 tons," Tufenkci was quoted by Anadolu Agency as saying.

Near 5,000 seizures between January and November have seen contraband worth 547.7 million U.S. dollar confiscated, according to the minister.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Recep Akdag said on Sunday that the government is fighting against drugs. The amount of drugs caught in Turkey is more than the total of the cases in Europe.

In October, Turkish security forces seized more than five tons of drugs in nationwide anti-narcotic operations, Turkey's Security General Directorate said on Monday.

More than three tons of hashish and nearly 2.5 tons of heroin were seized during the operations.

Turkey lies on the trafficking route for smugglers shipping heroin from Afghanistan to Europe.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 05:02:43|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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OTTAWA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Canadian lawmaker Jenny Kwan on Thursday made an open statement in parliament on the Nanjing Massacre and other Japanese atrocities committed during World War II.

It was the first time for a Canadian lawmaker to deliver such a statement to the House of Commons, and it came two weeks before the 80th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre.

"Eighty years ago, Imperial Japanese Army Forces raped an estimated 20,000 to 80,000 Chinese women and girls and some 300,000 people were killed," Kwan said.

"Western eye-witnesses in Nanjing described the atrocities as 'Hell on Earth'," she said.

On Dec. 13, Canadian provinces of Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia will hold events to mark Nanjing Massacre Commemorative Day, she said.

Last month, the Ontario provincial parliament passed a motion designating Dec. 13 as the Nanjing Massacre Commemorative Day to commemorate the mass killing of 300,000 Chinese by Japanese troops.

The parliament of Ontario, home to Canada's largest Asian community with more than 3 million of Asian descent, became the first regional legislature in Western countries to adopt the motion.

Manitoba joined a growing movement in Canada to recognize and commemorate the Nanjing Massacre, with a motion of this kind passing its second reading with unanimous consent in its legislature.

Kwan also took note of the heinous crime committed against female war victims in Asia, who were forced into sexual slavery known as "comfort women" by Japanese troops during World War II.

"Some 200,000 women from Korea, Philippines, China, Burma, Indonesia and other Japanese occupied territories were tricked, kidnapped or coerced to work in brothels to serve as 'comfort women' to the Imperial Japanese army," she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 05:22:47|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ANKARA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Turkey dispatched 180 commandos to the Syrian city of Al-Bab on Thursday, Turkish military stated.

Troops from the Turkish Gendarmerie's "Wolves" battalion held a leaving ceremony at the base of the Black Sea province of Tokat before heading to Syria, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

The commandos' expected role in Al-Bab has not been revealed, though the deployment comes more than a month after Turkish troops entered Syria's Idlib province under the framework of establishing de-escalation zones.

Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey was conducting a "serious operation" with the Free Syrian Army as part of the de-escalation deal.

The operation in Idlib is the second time in over a year that the Turkish military has crossed into Syria. The first, Operation Euphrates Shield, was launched on Aug. 24, 2016, during which the military captured several Islamic State strongholds.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 05:27:50|Editor: pengying

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JERUSALEM, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Israeli officials said on Thursday evening that they are ready to respond to any more assaults from Gaza, after a day of attacks and counterattacks.

The flare-up came after Gaza-based militants fired at least dozen mortars at soldiers near the separation fence between Israel and the Palestinian enclave, reportedly in retaliation for a fatal shooting of a Palestinian villager by a settler in the West Bank earlier on Thursday.

An Israeli military spokesperson said the mortars targeted a military position next to the fence. According to the spokesperson, the mortars caused no injuries but a minor damage was done to the position and the soldiers had to stop the "important infrastructure works" they were doing.

Additionally, the train service between the southern town of Sderot and the city of Ashkelon was temporarily halted for fear of further attacks.

No organization immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Less than an hour later, Israel struck Gaza with tanks and an aircraft.

"IDF (Israel Defense Forces) tanks and IAF (Israel Air Force) aircraft targeted four military posts in the northern Gaza Strip," the military said in a statement.

Two of the posts belonged to Hamas, an Islamist organization that controls the Gaza Strip, and two to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a Gaza-based Islamist group, according to the army.

The statement added that the army holds Hamas "responsible for any hostile activity perpetrated against Israel from the Gaza Strip."

A few hours later, an Israeli aircraft bombed Gaza again, injuring at least three persons, according to the Palestinian ministry of health in Gaza.

The military released a notice saying the aircraft targeted "two additional military posts belonging to the terror organization in central Gaza Strip," without elaborating on the specific targets.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said the residents of Gaza received no notice ahead of the bombing "because there were no civilians near the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad positions; these were military targets."

"The (Israeli military) sees this as a severe event," Conricus told journalists about the mortar attack.

He said the mortars were fired by Islamic Jihad militants but Israel holds Hamas responsible.

"We know exactly who conducted this attack," he said. "We even know them by name, but we hold the Hamas terrorist organization responsible for any act of hostility perpetrating from the Gaza Strip against Israel," he said.

"We remain ready with the tools necessary and the capabilities at hand should Hamas or the Islamic Jihad act aggressively again. We are not looking to escalate the situation or to initiate hostilities," Conricus said.

The Israeli spokesman revealed that the mortar attack came exactly a month after Israel blew up a tunnel leading from Gaza into Israel, killing at least 14 Islamic Jihad militants.

The demolition raised tensions between Israel and Gaza, with leaders on both sides hurling threats and counter-threats. The Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad vowed to avenge the death of its fighters, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to "take a very firm stance against anyone who tries to attack us."

On Thursday, Islamic Jihad Spokesman Dawoud Shahab said in a statement that the group had the "full right to respond to this dangerous escalation for which the (Israeli) occupation is responsible."

The escalation came at a sensitive time when rival Fatah and Hamas are working on the implementation of a historic reconciliation deal. Under the deal signed in October, Hamas would hand power back to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) after nearly a decade of dominance in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Israel objects the deal and has called for Hamas to disarm itself.

Israel, along with several other Western powers, notably the United States and the European Union, has declared Hamas a terror organization.

On Wednesday, the West Bank-based PNA said it agreed to postpone the final power transfer of Gaza from Hamas to the Ramallah-based concensus government, which is acknowledged by the international community, until Dec. 10 to allow for complete arrangements.

Israel's last massive offensive in the Gaza Strip concluded in 2014. Since then, sporadic fighting occurs on both sides of the border but has never evolved into a full-blown war.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 05:47:52|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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LOS ANGELES, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Police were looking for two suspects who had carried out an armed robbery at a shopping mall in suburban Sherman Oak of Los Angeles on Thursday morning.

Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Capt. Lillian Carranza told reporters that the pair apparently entered Macy's department store's jewelry section on the second floor around 10:35 a.m. local time, smashed a glass display case and took an amount of jewelry, then fled before the policemen and firefighters arrived at the scene.

Some of calls described shots fired, she said in a video clips posted online, "we found it was not the case, we did have an armed robbery, it was a smash and grab, and the smashing on the glass sounds like shot being fired."

Los Angeles Daily News website quoted LAPD Officer Drake Madison as saying that one of the suspects brandished a handgun. No one was injured in the incident.

The suspects reportedly exited the mall on its east end, police are searching for a gray SUV and described the suspects only as two white men.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 06:03:00|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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LONDON, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Former Irish prime minister Enda Kenny on Thursday expressed his concerns over the question of the land border between Ireland and Britain's Northern Ireland.

"This is not a case of Britain negotiating with Ireland as always happened in the past. This is a case of Britain negotiating with the EU of which Ireland is a member, and will remain a member," he told Xinhua in an interview in Liverpool.

"The media have reported that the next few weeks are important in the Brexit negotiations. But I believe that the next few days are critical," he said, adding that the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, will in Dublin on Friday and the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, is to meet British prime minister on Monday.

"That means that the European Council, the European Commission and the European Union will have to be clear by the middle of next week about the progress made on the three particular issues before they agree to go on to stage two of the negotiations," said Kenny.

Those three issues are citizens rights, the so-called divorce bill to be paid by Britain for leaving the EU and the question of the Northern Ireland border.

"It is going to be difficult next week, but you have got to believe it will be positive. Politicians have to lead and leaders have to have the courage to make choices and to take risks," he said.

Since the foundation of the Irish Republic, the people of Britain and Ireland have shared common travel area rights, with no borders. Once Britain leaves the EU, the border with Ireland will be the only EU border within the British Isles.

Looking to next week's crunch decisions, Kenny said: "I think the question of a departure bill will happen and citizen's rights will be looked after. The question is what is going to be the relationship between Ireland and England. We are coming from Ireland being a full member of the EU rather than just the Irish Republic."

"You cannot have a return to a hard border with customs posts. We spent 30 years putting together the Good Friday Agreement... Nobody wants to go back to there... It is surmountable, but how is the question that has to be answered," he added.

Kenny said he hopes that "progress can be made, but if it is to be made, it has to be made clear what is on offer".
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 06:08:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ROME, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Italy's October unemployment was steady at 11.1 percent compared to the previous month, but more must be done to combat the inequalities the economic crisis has left in its wake, Italian President Sergio Mattarella said Thursday.

The president's comments came after official statistics institute ISTAT also reported that according to its provisional data, unemployment among youth aged 15-24 dropped by 0.7 percent to 34.7 percent in October.

The Italian numbers compared to an overall jobless rate of 8.8 percent in the 19-country Eurozone and of 7.4 percent in the European Union, according to EU statistics office EUROSTAT.

Also for comparison, October unemployment stood at 3.6 percent in Germany and at 16.7 percent in Spain, said EUROSTAT.

Mattarella said that while "employment levels have improved" and gross domestic product (GDP) growth "is better than expected", the ongoing recovery "has not yet impacted on the imbalances created by the crisis, which must be faced and redressed."

As well, ISTAT said 73,000 jobs or 0.3 percent were added in the August-October period, all of them on temporary contracts. On a yearly basis, unemployment dropped by 4.6 percent and employment grew by 1.1 percent.

While unemployment is still high, positive new data appears to suggest Italy's economy has turned a corner after over half a decade of stagnation.

Earlier this month, ISTAT raised its 2017 GDP growth forecast to 1.5 percent based on new jobs and domestic demand, while Standard & Poor's ratings agency said Italy's GDP grew 1.5 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2017, the highest read in six years.

However like Mattarella, center-left Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni also has warned Italy is not out of the woods yet, and unemployment is still the biggest issue the government must tackle.

"Economic recoveries can take place without (creating new) jobs", and it is the task of government to "intervene against exclusion and poverty", Gentiloni said earlier this month.

Popular discontent over unemployment is a key issue as Italy's political parties try to sway voters their way ahead of the next general election, likely to be held in spring 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 06:18:06|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CARACAS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Two former top oil officials were arrested on charges of corruption, Venezuelan Prosecutor General Tareck William Saab said on Thursday.

Eulogio del Pino and Nelson Martinez, who served this year respectively as oil minister and president of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA, were arrested "in order to dismantle the cartel ... causing serious damage to the patrimony" of the country, Saab said at a press conference.

Martinez, who was arrested early Wednesday, is charged with wrongdoing in relation to the debt refinancing of PDVSA affiliate in the United States Citgo Petroleum, which was carried out without the authorization of President Nicolas Maduro, said Saab.

He is accused of embezzling, conspiring with contractors, and conspiracy to commit a crime, among other charges.

Del Pino, arrested early Thursday, is charged with sabotaging Petrozamora, the Russian-Venezuelan joint venture, which registered losses of 15 million barrels of oil per day between 2014 and 2017, said Saab.

"Both arrests should not be seen as isolated events. They should be seen as a wide-reaching systematic effort" to combat corruption, he added.

So far, as many as 65 oil industry executives have been arrested, including 16 top executives, over corruption or embezzlement.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 06:28:09|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HELSINKI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini said on Thursday that the new system of tripartite meetings gathering Finnish, U.S. and Swedish defense ministers is not a start of new defense policy structure or alliance.

Soini made the remarks when talking to foreign media representatives in Helsinki.

The ministerial level tripartite meetings were agreed during the recent visit to Finland by U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis.

Soini said both Finland and Sweden are militarily non-aligned countries, and thus cooperation in defense is important. He noted Finland and Sweden are in agreement for widening their cooperation in defense "without a limit".

Meanwhile, he also mentioned the increased divergence in the support of the two countries for joining NATO.

This week a poll commissioned by the think tank Frivarld in Sweden showed an increase from 37 to 44 percent in NATO membership backing, while the majority of Swedes still remain opposed.

In Finland, a poll by official defense information body, MTS, released this week showed NATO support had declined from 25 percent to 22 percent within a year. In 2014, it had been at 30 percent.

Soini also talked about his current visits to Finnish schools to warn against radicalism. He underlined his lecturers were intended to discourage all variants of radicalism, both left and right.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-12-01 06:53:17|Editor: Lu Hui

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov in Sochi, Russia, Nov. 30, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

SOCHI, Russia, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov on bilateral ties in the Russian city of Sochi on Thursday.

Li said China and Uzbekistan are close and friendly neighbors. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

In May this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Both sides decided to strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

China-Uzbekistan cooperation is mutually complementary and both sides need to further align each other's development strategies, Li said.

Li called on both countries to carry out projects on inter-connectivity and production capacity and to create favorable conditions for cooperation between the two countries' companies.

Regarding China as an important partner for Uzbekistan, Aripov said his country is ready to work with China to cooperate in various fields such as transport infrastructure and hydropower, and to push forward all-round development of bilateral ties and cooperation.

Uzbekistan highly appreciates the positive role China has played in the development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and will enhance collaboration with China within the framework of the SCO, said Aripov.
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King Mohammed VI has reiterated condemnation of the Israeli settlement policy, which jeopardizes prospects for achieving the two-state solution.

This came in a message to the chairman of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

King Mohammed VI, who is the chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, reaffirmed that the Palestinian cause remains the most important issue for the Arab and Muslim World and expressed condemnation for Israels attempts to alter the status of Al Quds.

It was my hope and the hope of the Palestinians  indeed of all freedom-lovers around the world  that 2017 would see the end of the Israeli occupation so that efforts could be focused on the practicalities of the peace agenda. However, the other party has sought to divert attention towards secondary matters, which are the natural outcome of a colonial policy and of an intensification of settlement activities, both of which create fertile ground for violence and extremism, regretted the King.

He held the Israeli Government accountable for the status-quo in light of its rejection of a host of peaceful solutions, including the 2003 Road Map, which was adopted by the Security Council, and the French initiative, which led to the Paris Peace Conference earlier this year.

After citing multiple violations by Israeli occupation forces of fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, the King warned that the the ever expanding construction of illegal settlements is an enemy of peace.

He added that such illegal activities have increased at an alarming rate since the beginning of 2017, not to mention the retroactive legitimization of settlement outposts, in blatant defiance of Security Council resolutions and in violation of all international instruments and resolutions relating to the Palestinian issue. It is therefore legitimate to wonder: Is there still room for the establishment of a Palestinian State that would live side by side with Israel?

The King also warned of turning the Palestinian-Israeli political dispute into a religious conflict saying that the changes Israel has systematically introduced with respect to the historical status of al-Quds and the al-Aqsa Mosque amount to playing with fire.

Indeed, the Israeli practices are likely to arouse sentiments of religiously motivated hostility, which could lead to a violent religious conflict. I therefore call once again on Israel to respect the historical and legal status of the holy sites in the city which has been occupied since 1967, and I reiterate our rejection of Israels decision to annex it, the King underscored.

On inter-Palestinian relations, the Monarch said that he has stressed, on many occasions, the need to end the state of division and to opt, resolutely and in good faith, for a national unity Government that would shoulder its responsibilities towards the Palestinian people and serve as the sole, credible interlocutor in any endeavor with the international community to end the ordeal and the injustice suffered by the Palestinians.

Today, after years of division and scattering of efforts, our Palestinian brothers have concluded a reconciliation agreement. We cannot but welcome that. It is a step in the right direction  one which is likely to help end the state of division and restore the spirit of national unity, as a prelude to fulfilling the Palestinian peoples aspirations for an independent State, with al-Quds as its capital, said King Mohammed VI.

He expressed hope that the Palestinians will continue to consolidate their unity and to close ranks in order to serve the Palestinian national agenda.

The Monarch concluded with a plea against occupation which he described as a blot on the conscience of Israel and the international community. The latter has a legal, political, moral and humanitarian responsibility to end the occupation as well as Israels illegal practices in the Palestinian territories. Those practices are the main reasons and arguments put forward by terrorist groups to justify their criminal agenda in the region and in the world.
Angola, one of the last few countries in the continent to maintain ties with the Polisario separatist militias, is on course to join its voice to the bulk of African countries supporting Moroccos territorial integrity and sovereignty over its southern territories, the Sahara.

The talks King Mohammed VI held Wednesday with Angolan President Joao Lourenco on the sidelines of the AU-EU Summit in Abidjan are reflective of an undergoing rapprochement between the two countries.

The high-level talks are a continuation of a rapprochement process that took shape last June with a visit of Angolas Foreign Minister Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti to Rabat.

This visit opened a new chapter in Angolan-Moroccan relations, breaking away with the animosity that characterized ties between the two countries due to the Sahara issue.

The two countries also signed a visa exemption agreement for their respective diplomats and agreed to hold regular political consultations on bilateral, African and international issues of mutual concern.

As it sees the success of Moroccos south-south cooperation with African partners, the new Angolan leadership seems intent on breaking away with void ideological schisms in favor of a win-win partnership that will see it benefit from Moroccan investments in its areas of excellence that are key to meeting challenges facing Angolan economy such as agriculture, tourism, finance and industry.

The headway made by Morocco in Africa stands in stark contrast to the setbacks endured by the proponents of the Polisario separatists in the continent with the recent collapse of Mugabes regime and the impending demise of the Algiers-Pretoria axis. The first is battered by an oil crisis that hinders its capacity to buy support for separatists while the latter verges on authoritarianism coupled with endemic corruption and an unprecedented economic crisis.

In this context, the rapprochement between Morocco and Angola will deal another blow to the Polisario and their Algerian mentor who see that Morocco has been winning new allies and friends on the continent since returning to the African Union.

At the African Union Summit in Kigali, 28 African countries submitted a motion demanding to freeze the Polisarios membership in the continental organization. A course that is set to continue as more countries in the African Union see the Polisarios membership as an aberration in contradiction with international law because the Polisario is not a state and lacks state attributes.

Recently, several African countries that once supported the Polisario separatist endeavor are backtracking. After a diplomatic offensive coupled with win-win partnerships led by King Mohammed VI in Africa, several countries have ceased to support Algerias plot to create a separatist entity in Morocco and affirmed support for the UN-led political process. These countries include African heavyweights such as Nigeria and Ethiopia, which now see new cooperation opportunities with Morocco.

Overall, Moroccos return to the African Union has set the tone for a gradual demise of the Algerian-sponsored separatism in the Sahara as the Kingdom and its friends will act as a bulwark against any attempt to use the pan-African body to simmer tension and instability in the continent.

Globally, support for the Algerian nurtured separatist thesis in the Sahara is waning as 43 countries have withdrawn their recognition of the SADR entity out of 80 that previously recognized it in a Cold War context.
The United Nations, the European Union and the African Union have agreed to put in place a joint Task Force to save and protect lives of migrants and refugees along the routes and in particular inside Libya.

The decision was made Wednesday during a meeting on the sidelines of the African Union-European Union Summit that brought together UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the High Representative/Vice President Federica Mogherini.

The meeting discussed concrete steps to address jointly the dramatic situation of migrants and refugees victims of criminal networks, in particular inside Libya.

The dire situation of migrants in Libya came under the spot-light lately after CNN aired a shocking video footage showing Sub-Saharans being sold at an auction in Libya slave markets. The video, showing migrants referred to as merchandise sold off for $400, triggered a global outrage.

It is probably the appalling video footage that has prompted the three organizations to set up the joint task force that will hopefully put an end to the misery of the migrants stranded in Libya and dismantle the rampant human trafficking networks in the lawless North African country.

According to a joint UN-EU-AU statement, the task force will also accelerate the assisted voluntary returns to countries of origin, and the resettlement of those in need of international protection.

This action will build on, expand and accelerate the ongoing work done by countries of origin, and the IOM, with EU funding, which allowed so far the voluntary return to their countries of origin of 13 000 migrants since January, the statement said.

The work of the Task Force will be closely coordinated with the Libyan authorities and be part of the overall joint work that the African Union and the European Union, and the United Nations, will intensify to dismantle traffickers and criminal networks, and to offer opportunities of development and stability to countries of origin and transit, tackling root causes of migration.

The United Nations, the African Union and the European Union agreed to upgrade in a systematic manner their trilateral cooperation and to meet on a regular basis at the highest political level, notably on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
King Mohammed VI received on Wednesday in Abidjan President of South Africa Jacob Zuma, and the two leaders, who are both taking part in the 5th African Union-European Union Summit, talked about the future of their countries relations.

The meeting, the first between the two leaders, was described as warm, candid and characterized by good understanding.

King Mohammed VI and President Zuma agreed to join efforts to build a promising future for their two countries, which both impose themselves as models of political stability and dynamism in terms of economic development.

The two leaders discussed the establishment of an economic and political partnership that will strengthen the ties between the two states at all levels and agreed to maintain direct contact in order to build strong, lasting and stable relations and overcome the divergences that have characterized bilateral relations for decades.

On the diplomatic front, King Mohammed VI and President Zuma decided to appoint plenipotentiary ambassadors to Pretoria and Rabat.

The high-level talks thus break away with the animosity that characterized bilateral relations because of the Sahara issue and herald a new era of dialogue and cooperation that will open a new chapter in Moroccan-South African relations.

These talks also fall in the context of the rapprochement process initiated by King Mohammed VI with all African countries, regardless of their stand on the Sahara, out of his concern to promote Africas integration.

On the sidelines of the AU-EU summit, the Monarch also held talks with Angolan President Joao Lourenco, as well as with President Emmanuel Macron of France.

The King was also greeted by the Algerian Prime Minister, Ahmed Ouyahia, who was representing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika at the summit.

The participation of King Mohammed VI at the summit was highly acclaimed by AU officials as well as by African and EU heads of delegations. It is Moroccos first participation in the event since it reintegrated the AU.
King Mohammed VI has called for the establishment of a new bi-continental pact between the European Union and Africa to rise, together, to the challenges thrown at them.

In a message to the 5th European Union-African Union summit that opened Wednesday in Abidjan, King Mohammed VI pointed out that the EU and the AU are two essential and inevitable regional groupings, because they are important to each other and that seventeen years after it was established, the Partnership between Africa and Europe is as relevant as ever. However, it is no longer the time now for diagnoses or useless controversies. The time now is for action, he said.

He deemed it essential that the courageous, responsible dialogue between former colonizer nations and former colonized countries remain frank and direct. Today, fresh impetus needs to be injected into it.

The Monarch who underscored that solidarity between Europe and Africa is built on shared responsibility and mutual dependence, said the logic of a vertical aid pattern can today give way to a genuine horizontal partnership.

To that end, there should be a shift in the EU-Africa Partnership towards a new bi-continental Pact. Both Africa and Europe must rise, together, to inevitable challenges through shared competitiveness, co-localization of productive businesses, regulated human mobility and fruitful cultural exchanges, the Monarch advocated, pointing out that both groupings are just as concerned by opportunities and responsibilities as they are by the challenges they face.

In his message, the King also dealt with the harsh conditions that underpin the granting of loans, stating that the conditionality of the debt must be reconsidered.

Indeed, he went on to say, Western countries expect some African countries  which gained independence less than half a century ago  to perform in politics and the economy as optimally as they themselves do, and they therefore impose impossible conditions on them.

This aberration is all the more inexplicable as these European countries sometimes face significant financial and political difficulties themselves.

The Monarch who dwelt in his message on the immigration issue and the atrocious practices migrants are subjected to in an utter denial of humanity, insisted that European policy should change and that a new vision is needed.

We ought to turn immigration into a subject of peaceful debate and constructive exchange, the Sovereign underlined, noting that it is the time for action and for finding effective solutions to this issue.

I deeply believe that the Abidjan Summit will be a watershed moment in the African-European partnership, and that it will mark a qualitative leap towards greater stability, security and prosperity on both continents, he said.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco has outlined a new approach to migration that should be perceived in an inclusive, positive light as is the case in Morocco, pointing out that as the 21st century will be a century of large-scale human intermingling, we should refrain from giving any ideological, emotional or even xenophobic twist to the discourse on migration.

This came in a message the Monarch addressed to the 5th African Union-European Union summit held in Abidjan.

The king deplored that migration, which was connected with commercial travel and religious pilgrimages, or was the consequence of conflict and pandemics, has systematically been perceived not as a source for solutions and opportunities, but rather as a threat and a source of desperation.

In todays world, it has taken on a negative connotation, since it is being associated with drugs and other trafficking  even with the damaging effects of climate change. To put it simply, in the collective mind today, immigration is associated with such scourges as poverty, precariousness, instability  even death, he pointed out.

In his capacity as the leader in charge of the migration issue within the African Union, he announced that he would submit proposals to the next AU Summit in order to chart a real African Agenda on migration, whose outlines were submitted in a preliminary note to the AU presidency during the previous African summit in July 2017.

The preliminary note outlined the steps that should be taken to tackle migration notably through adopting national policies, improving sub-regional coordination, and harnessing continental and international efforts to ensure an adequate management of migration.

And in his message to the Abidjan summit, the Monarch in-sisted that this full-fledged Agenda requires that we speak with one African voice, in accordance with our own work plan. Given the unprecedented migratory flows we are wit-nessing, that Agenda is more important than ever. It involves four levels of action: national, regional, continental and inter-national, the sovereign explained.

In this regard, four baseless myths need to be dispelled: Afri-can migration is not mostly intercontinental, it is primarily in-tra-African: out of every 5 African migrants, 4 remain in Afri-ca; irregular migration does not predominate; it accounts for a mere 20% of international migration; migration does not impoverish host countries: 85% of migrants earnings remain in host countries; and, lastly, I would remind you that there is no longer any distinction between migrant-emitting, transit and destination countries, the King went on to say.

Under this agenda, the Moroccan Monarch insisted, African countries would shoulder their responsibilities in terms of guaranteeing the rights and dignity of African migrants on their soil, in accordance with their international commitments, thus doing away with the shameful, inhuman practices inher-ited from a bygone era.

Today, a new vision is needed: we ought to turn immigration into a subject of peaceful debate and constructive exchange, the King insisted.

Morocco was one of the first countries of the South to adopt a genuine solidarity-based policy regarding sub-Saharan migrants.

The policy, rooted in humanitarian values, was launched in 2014 and benefited notably Sub-Saharans who make the bulk of migrants within Morocco.

And so far, nearly 20,000 migrants submitted to Moroccan authorities their requests to gain residency cards as part of the second phase of a regularization campaign that was launched last December upon directives from King Mohammed VI after the success of the first phase that saw 25,000 migrants gain residency status.
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What had originally looked like a banner year for Senate Republicans is now a cliffhanger. Photo: Photo: John Lund/Corbis via Getty Images

For Democrats, the 2018 Senate elections have been approaching like an Arctic cold front for years. In part the product of two exceptionally good years for Senate Democrats in 2006 (when they gained five net seats) and 2012 (when they gained two more), the 2018 landscape is one of the best in living memory for Republicans. They are defending only nine seats, as compared to 25 for Democrats (two of which  Bernie Sanders and Angus King  are technically independents, who caucus with Democrats). Only one Republican seat up this year is in a state (Nevada) carried by Hillary Clinton in 2016. Ten Democratic seats up this year are in states (Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wisconsin) carried by Donald Trump last year. On paper, this should be a year when the GOP makes sizable Senate gains, and indeed, early in the cycle there were elephant dreams of achieving a filibuster-proof 60 votes in the upper chamber.

But a combination of factors, including some unusually popular Democratic senators in red states, and an unusually unpopular Republican president generating stronger-than-normal antiWhite House midterm headwinds, has changed the expected dynamics. Thanks to a potential GOP calamity in a special Senate election in Alabama on December 12, Democrats actually have a decent chance of making their own gains in 2018. And there is even a discernible (albeit tricky) path to a net-three-seat gain that would give Democrats control of the Senate. If it happens, that would be a disaster of the first order for the Trump administration and the conservative ideologues who are counting on a Republican Senate to rubber-stamp the presidents Executive and Judicial branch nominees, including (potentially) a fifth vote on the Supreme Court to reverse Roe v. Wade.

Midterm antiWhite House dynamics have probably wiped out any fleeting GOP advantage in a number of states that went narrowly for Trump in 2016. According to September data from Morning Consult, Trumps approval/disapproval ratings are now significantly underwater in Michigan (40/55), Pennsylvania (45/51), and Wisconsin (41/53), where Democratic senators are running for reelection, and also in the Republican-held states of Arizona (44/51) and Nevada (44/51). Some states where Trump remains very popular also happen to have especially popular Democratic senators as well. In West Virginia, for example, Trumps approval ratio is an impressive 60/36, but Joe Manchins, at 53/36, isnt bad, either. Similarly, Trump is at 51/44 in North Dakota, but Heidi Heitkamp looks even stronger at 55/32. And in Montana, Trump is at 50/45, but Jon Tester is at 53/33. There is no particular reason to think any of these incumbents is in deep peril at the moment so long as the presidents popularity continues to gradually erode. Joe Donnelly of Indiana (47/26) and Claire McCaskill of Missouri (42/39) are looking significantly more vulnerable; not coincidentally, both won six years ago when Republicans nominated unusually weak candidates who imploded after saying stupid things about rape.

At least two Democratic incumbents  Bill Nelson of Florida and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin  will be running in highly polarized states with very competitive gubernatorial elections where the campaign could become a long, painful, expensive slog. While Nelson is reasonably popular with an approval ratio of 50/26, he is likely to face Governor Rick Scott, who can self-finance to an enormous extent in a state with many pricey media markets. Baldwin (in dicier territory with an approval ratio of 41/38) may not face as formidable opponent, but her race could be overshadowed by Scott Walkers attempt to win a third full term as governor.

Meanwhile, Republican problems in their own territory are by no means limited to Alabama. A potentially toxic primary for the Arizona seat of retiring Senator Jeff Flake makes this a strong pick-up possibility for Democrats, who have been steadily gaining strength in the state recently. And the GOP pain could be doubled if poor health forces John McCain to step down before next November. Nevada senator Dean Heller (whose approval ratio is among the worst in the Senate at 39/39) is vulnerable to both a primary challenge and to likely Democratic opponent Representative Jacky Rosen. And a potentially fractious and complicated GOP primary to choose a successor to retiring Tennessee senator Bob Corker could conceivably open a path for Democrats in that unlikely territory, particular if former governor Phil Bredesen decides to run.

Along the same lines, a real wild card for 2018 involves Steve Bannons threats to run right-wing insurgent primary challenges to several Republican incumbents who would otherwise be expected to stroll to reelection. The potential targets include Roger Wicker of Mississippi (already opposed by Chris McDaniel, who very nearly defeated Thad Cochran in 2014), Deb Fischer of Nebraska, John Barrasso of Wyoming, and Orrin Hatch of Utah (who may well retire, leaving the seat in all probability to Mitt Romney). These races are all in very safe Republican territory, but at a minimum could drain resources better deployed by the GOP elsewhere.

Nasty Republicans primaries could also cause trouble for the GOP in otherwise-promising Indiana, where U.S. representatives Luke Messer and Todd Rokita are holding a true grudge match; in Arizona, where Establishment Republican Martha McSally and fiery conservative Kelli Ward are likely to collide; and in West Virginia, where Representative Evan Jenkins and state Attorney General Patrick Morrissey are challenging each others pro-Trump credentials.

As always, there is the possibility of competitive races emerging that no one currently expects. One possibility involves New Jersey Democratic senator Robert Menendez, who recently underwent a much-publicized corruption trial that ended in a hung jury and a mistrial. Menendezs approval/disapproval ratio is a dismal 32/41, according to Morning Consult, and the embattled senator could face new charges from federal prosecutors, or at least an ethics investigation by the GOP-controlled Senate. But leading New Jersey Democrats are without exception sticking with Menendez, and so far New Jersey Republicans have not found a credible challenger. Given the strong Democratic lean of the state, its no wonder the incumbent is favored to survive.

The big intangible for all 2018 races at every level is turnout. In recent elections Republicans have gained a distinct advantage in midterms as their voting base became aligned with the demographic categories (older, whiter voters) most likely to participate in non-presidential contests, even as Democrats became more reliant on the younger and minority voters most likely to sit out midterms. But if the special and off-year elections of 2017 are any indication, Democratic  or to be more precise, anti-Trump enthusiasm could erase or even reverse that GOP advantage, at least for this one midterm.

All in all, its a Senate landscape that could produce any number of outcomes. At present the Cook Political Report, which is very cautious about its projections, shows ten highly competitive races (including the 2017 special election in Alabama); six are rated as tossups (Democratic-held seats in Indiana, Missouri, and West Virginia, and Republican-held seats in Alabama, Arizona and Alabama), and four more (all currently Democratic) are rated as leaning Democratic (Florida, Maine, North Dakota, and Ohio).

New Yorks analysis suggests that if Republicans lose in every state where Trumps approval rating is below 50 percent, Democrats could gain three seats and win control of the Senate even without Alabama, though thats a very long shot. But if every senator with a current approval rating under 50 percent lost, Republicans could gain five net seats (an equally long shot). For the obvious reason that only a third of the states are holding Senate elections next year, there is no national polling lens for judging the Senate landscape like the generic congressional ballot, which is highly correlated with the national House popular vote. But if the generic ballot remains as strongly pro-Democratic as it has been during much of 2017 (the Democratic advantage in the RealClearPolitics polling average is currently at 9.3 percent), the likelihood of Democratic gains or at least minimal losses will continue to grow. As Democrats looked ahead at 2018 a year ago, that scenario would have seemed idyllic. And its worth making a mental note that the 2020 Senate landscape is skewed toward Democrats nearly as much as this years is skewed toward Republicans. So if happy days are not yet here again for Senate Democrats, they could be arriving soon.
Trump will see a lot of signs like this if he goes to London. Photo: Alberto Pezzali/NurPhoto via Getty Images

President Trump is an evil racist who is spreading extremism and should be arrested if he ever sets foot in London, according to a handful of British members of Parliament, who are furious over Trumps retweeting of the far-right anti-Muslim group Britain First.

The three retweets, sent Wednesday morning, were of videos purporting to show Muslims committing acts of violence, though their veracity has come into question. True or not, the videos appeared on Trumps timeline for obvious reasons. As Labour MP Stephen Doughty said Thursday, Trump is trying to sow hatred and division. He added: By sharing it, he is either a racist, incompetent, or unthinking  or all three.

Doughty also condemned Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First and the person Trump retweeted. She is, he said, a convicted criminal who is facing further charges, who represents a vile fascist organization seeking to spread hatred and violence in person and online. In November of last year, Fransen was convicted of religious harassment for lobbing insults at a Muslim woman in a hijab.

Conservative MP Peter Bone asked Prime Minister Theresa May to get Trump to leave Twitter. Wouldnt the world be a better place if the prime minister could persuade the president of the United States to delete his Twitter account? he said. Tim Loughton, another conservative MP, said Twitter should act and delete Trumps account for him, as it would any other citizen of the world who peddles such hate crime.

Others called for the cancellation of Trumps planned, but not scheduled, state visit. Labour MP Chris Bryant said, You cannot stand up to horrible racism or pretend to do so and invite the man in through the front door. If Trump does come to London, Bryant said, he should be arrested. Fellow Labour MP Naz Shah proposed a simpler solution. The commander-in-tweet should be banned from the country for promoting the hate-filled ideology of fascism, she said.

May was less strident in her condemnation of Trump, though she did say he was wrong to amplify the message of Britain First. Trump did not agree, tweeting late Wednesday that May shouldnt be worried about him.

.@Theresa_May, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2017

That tweet set off a whole new round of criticism of Trump, who is an evil racist according to Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable. It also got a response from London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who tweeted that Trump is not welcome in Britain. Dont be surprised if Trump responds in kind to Khan. Theres something about that guy that the president doesnt like.
Friend of coal. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Don Blankenship, the disgraced coal baron who was released from federal prison in May, will run for the U.S. Senate in West Virginia, local news is reporting. The former CEO of Massey Energy filed Tuesday to run in the crowded Republican primary. The winner of the race, which will also include U.S. representative Evan Jenkins and West Virginia attorney general Patrick Morrisey, will go up against Democrat senator Joe Manchin in the general election.

Blankenships candidacy is big news in West Virginia, where he is a well-known and deeply polarizing figure who spent decades as a ruthless advocate for the coal industry.

If people in the rest of the country know Blankenship, its likely because of his 2015 conviction for conspiring to break mine-safety laws, leading to the 2010 disaster at the Upper Big Branch Mine. Twenty-nine men died in an explosion there, but Blankenship refused to shoulder any of the blame. While in prison, he wrote a 67-page booklet in which he claimed to be an American political prisoner and arguing that the deadliest mine disaster in four decades was caused by natural factors.

The federal government has disputed that claim. In a 2016 report, the Mine Safety and Health Administration said Massey had a culture of prioritizing production and profits over the safety of the people who worked for the company. While workers toiled underground with inadequate ventilation and incomplete safety protocols, Blankenship brought an eight-figure salary home to his mountaintop mansion.

Blankenship is not a charismatic figure. His business success was achieved more with brute force than a winning personality, but he has shown a flair for marketing that could help him as a politician. The Kentucky native was instrumental in crafting the bogus idea that President Obama was waging a war on coal, and he generously backed Friends of Coal, an organization that boosted the industry in and around West Virginia. The propaganda campaign, which equated support for coal companies to patriotism and brought people like Ted Nugent and Sean Hannity to rallies in West Virginia, was wildly effective at convincing the people who worked in the mines to side with the coal companies against the federal government and other regulators.

Still, there are plenty in West Virginia who refuse to see Blankenship as the hero he believes himself to be. His company didnt just get 29 men killed by cutting corners in 2010, it also wreaked havoc on West Virginias waterways, busted unions, and extracted billions of dollars of wealth from the mountains in Appalachia while telling people they were lucky to have jobs that might get them killed.

The 67-year-old will begin running campaign ads this week and he appears to have an uphill climb. A 2016 poll found that he was the most hated figure in West Virginia. The new ads wont attempt to change that by focusing on health-care access for West Virginians, the opioid epidemic, or the need for innovative new jobs in the state. Instead, a campaign representative said Wednesday, theyll be focused on getting the truth out about [Upper Big Branch] and exposing the government cover-up.
Photo: Al Pereira/WireImage

Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. Today: Donald Trump and the Matt Lauer scandal, James OKeefes shoddy brand of journalism, and the prospect of a federal government shutdown next month.

In the wake of Matt Lauers sudden firing from NBC after a colleagues complaint of inappropriate sexual behavior, President Trump took to Twitter to accuse the network of fake news and lobbed nasty (or already disproven) allegations against morning MSNBC host Joe Scarborough and NBC News chairman Andy Lack. What could he hope to gain with that kind of response?

More than a dozen women have accused Trump of sexual harassment or assault with, as yet, no legal consequences  even though he was caught admitting guilt (gleefully) to Billy Bush on the Access Hollywood tape. As our mad presidents delusional thinking has it, accusing others of his own crimes is always the best defense; its the same impulse that has led him to repeatedly claim that it was Hillary Clinton who colluded with Russia in the 2016 election. That said, we should not let Trumps tweets distract us  either from his own history as a sexual predator or NBC News own dubious history in dealing with alleged sexual predators, including both Trump and Lauer. NBC and NBC News should not be allowed to play the victim here just because Trump smeared Scarborough and Lack. This network and its news division have a lot to answer for.

5 Times Matt Lauer Was Inappropriate

As the Lauer story broke yesterday, some (including talking heads on MSNBC) applauded the network for being proactive and firing Lauer on its own volition rather than waiting to respond until journalists elsewhere reported his transgressions (as Fox News waited with Bill OReilly, and CBS, PBS, and Bloomberg did with Charlie Rose). That praise is unwarranted. When NBC News fired Lauer, it knew that both Variety and the New York Times were preparing to publish investigative accounts about his serial abuse of women. Indeed, the imminent unmasking of Lauers offenses was widely known among journalists; I first heard that Lauer stories were in the offing more than three weeks ago. So all the shock and tearful emotional consternation that made for such great drama on the Today show yesterday (as well as at Morning Joe on MSNBC) involved a certain amount of playacting. There was no way the Today family could have been surprised by the revelations of Lauers sexual abuses; the only surprise was that NBC had so suddenly fired him.

Prior to this, its impossible to forget, NBC News had dropped the ball on two major stories of sexual assault. It had passed on airing the Access Hollywood video of Trump, even though NBC owned the show, ceding that scoop to the Washington Post. And it had retreated from airing the reports of its own correspondent, Ronan Farrow, on Harvey Weinstein, ceding that investigation to The New Yorker. NBC News has never credibly explained either of these punts.

I suspect we are soon to learn much more about who at NBC knew about Lauers behavior and enabled it or chose to look the other way  just as we will surely learn more about what those managing House of Cards knew about Kevin Spaceys sexual predation when the show was in production in Baltimore. We will also learn more about those who either enabled Weinstein at Miramax or (like the disgraced lawyer David Boies) sicced attack dogs on his victims. If NBC wants to start making amends, it could finally make public any Apprentice archival video that sheds further light on its stars behavior. As the Associated Press reported last year, more than 20 former crew members, editors, and contestants affirmed that Trump repeatedly demeaned women on the show. Bill Pruitt, a former Apprentice producer, said there are far worse tapes than the Access Hollywood video that surfaced. NBC must stop sitting on any additional evidence of potentially criminal Trump behavior.

NBC News might also bring back Lauers former co-star Billy Bush for on-camera testimony. Ann Curry could conduct the interview.

The failed attempt to plant a fake story in the Washington Post by James OKeefe of Project Veritas seems like the biggest of his long list of backfires, but previous botches dont seem to have hurt his esteem in the eyes of his conservative donors. Will the conservative money move on?

Lets take a moment to acknowledge the moral atrocity of what OKeefe did: He created a fake sexual-assault crime by Roy Moore in a failed attempt to discredit the real Moore predation that the Post uncovered. What could be more depraved than that?

But even though this stunt blew up, possibly blowing up the punk OKeefe with it, this incident is only a tiny cog in a much larger right-wing effort, led by Trump, to discredit the news media and to destroy the whole idea of fact-based news as we know it. As the Times has reported, Trump is now revving up to peddle a fiction that the incriminating Access Hollywood video is a hoax  and perhaps to revive his birther calumnies against Obama. Last week he went on yet another tirade attacking CNN, and particularly the brave war-zone journalists of CNN International, for perpetrating fake news. Yesterday, he posted on Twitter bogus videos earlier tweeted by the fringe ultra-right group Britain First purporting to depict Muslims engaging in vicious violence. (The videos are about as true-to-life as a Monty Python sketch if you watch them.) Not for nothing had the Trump Foundation (surely Foundation should be in quotes) given at least $20,000  its rare charitable contribution  to OKeefes Project Veritas.

Whatever the fate of Project Veritas, Breitbart and its like arent going anywhere. Trump and right-wing money will continue to support the blitzkrieg to undermine actual news and install fake news in its place. Count me among the skeptics who do not believe that the Koch Brothers invested in the Meredith Corporations purchase of the Time Inc. magazine empire to make money. You dont invest in print to make money. You invest to make Betsy DeVos Person of the Year.

An attempt at bipartisan budget negotiations this week regressed into Trump airing complaints to television cameras while sitting between two empty chairs. Is the country headed for a government shutdown?

Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi were right to pull out of a supposedly bipartisan White House summit after Trump (again on Twitter) accused them of deluging America with floods of illegal immigrants and condoning crime. How could they have done otherwise?

Meanwhile, Im all for the Democrats having the spine to shut the government down. Dick Armey, the Texas congressman in Newt Gingrichs leadership who argued against Newts shutdown gambit in the Clinton years, had it right when he said that Republicans would always get blamed for shutdowns. It is counterintuitive to the average American that Democrats want to shut down the government, he said, because theyre the advocates of the government. Meanwhile it is perfectly logical to them that Republicans would shut it down because were seen as antithetical to government. Go for it!

Another wild card that could shut the government down, at least figuratively, has nothing to do with the Democrats debatable spine. If Roy Moore, now ahead in three recent Alabama polls, wins on December 12, the Senate will be thrown into turmoil as it weighs the question of whether to admit him to its ranks. Or will it? Now that even John McCain has surrendered to an outrageous tax bill that violates his own stated principles about fiscal probity and congressional process, perhaps he and his colleagues, for all their bluster, will surrender to Trumps inevitable demand that they let a sexual predator join the Senate too.
Paul Ryan and Donald Trump, partners. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty Images

As he has silently endured, or cooperated with, an endless series of Trumpian outrages, House Speaker Paul Ryan has been mocked as a spineless party functionary. But Ryan is not lacking in spine. He flashed a display of steel this week when he canceled a fundraiser with New York representative Lee Zeldin, whose offense was to criticize the House tax cut bill for provisions harming Zeldins constituents.

To the outside world, it might seem bizarre that Ryan would tolerate the slow transformation of his party into authoritarianism and naked racism, only to rise up in righteous indignation over a defection on a tax bill that nonetheless passed easily. Ryan is a man of principle, and his principles are shared by many if not most members of his partys elite. Their fixation with cutting taxes and their tolerance for the presidents abuses of power are both expressions of these principles. We need to understand these beliefs and what they imply.

In addition to their belief in the curative powers of supply-side economics, and their desire to reward their donor base, conservatives consider redistribution a monstrous moral evil. Tax cuts represent a victory in a cause far larger than squeezing out a couple tenths of a percent of economic growth or another private jet for their rich friends. This belief pops up when wealthy conservatives compare progressive taxation to the Nazi persecution of the Jews  a belief they share, despite the inevitable backlash, with surprising frequency. In 2002, Senator Phil Gramm called a policy to tax capital gains by people who renounce U.S. citizenship something right out of Nazi Germany. In 2003, Grover Norquist described the estate tax as the morality of the Holocaust. Well, its only a small percentage, you know. I mean, its not you, its somebody else. arguing that its OK to loot some group because its them, or kill some group because its them and because its a small number, that has no place in a democratic society that treats people equally. In 2010, Stephen Schwarzman described a proposal to raise taxes on private equity firms as like when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939. In 2014, Ken Langone remarked on plans to raise taxes on the rich, If you go back to 1933, with different words, this is what Hitler was saying in Germany. That same year, Tom Perkins said, The parallels of fascist Nazi Germany to its war on its one percent, namely its Jews, to the progressive war on the American one percent, namely the rich.

What are they telling us with these comments? They are revealing that there is something more than dollars and sense at stake. They believe a political system that allows the majority to vote themselves a raise by taxing a minority is a form of persecution.

Economic libertarianism is the quality that most sharply distinguishes the modern Republican Party from conservative parties in other democracies. Economic libertarians consider the free market to be the sole fair arbiter of the distribution of wealth. If I have earned 100 times the average wage through acts of capitalism between consenting adults, the theory goes, then I am entitled to keep it. For hard-core economic libertarians, this absolute right to property supersedes all other rights.

The Niskanen Centers Will Wilkinson, who could be called either a recovering libertarian or a moderate libertarian attempting to recover the philosophys defensible elements while jettisoning the rest, wrote a remarkable essay not long ago. In it, Wilkinson confessed the anti-democratic tendencies built into the most powerful strands of American economic libertarian thought. It is not only Ayn Rand who disdained democracy as a social system in which ones work, ones property, ones mind, and ones life are at the mercy of any gang that may muster the vote of a majority at any moment for any purpose. Other libertarians, like Frederick Hayek, Robert Nozick, and others, advocated similar views. (Paul Ryan, the Republican Partys chief ideologist, has been deeply influenced by all these thinkers.)

During the 20th century, fusionism brought economic libertarianism together with hawkish foreign policy and social traditionalism as the standard American conservative dogma. Wilkinson argues that economic libertarianism has contributed to the Republican Partys contempt for democratic norms. The traces of libertarianism that survive in contemporary fusionism, he writes, have left many conservatives with a Jacobins indifference to the norms and institutions of successful liberal-democratic polities, and an unpopular vision of prosperity as freedom from redistribution.

Its not a coincidence that, while some hawkish conservative intellectuals have recoiled from Trump, he has retained the loyalty of the partys money wing. The Wall Street Journal editorial page spins wild fantasies to justify firing Robert Mueller; Rand Paul, the most libertarian Republican in Congress, has forged a tight bond with the president; Wall Street has thrilled to his policies.

Liberals have had trouble grasping the willingness of conventional Republican politicians like Ryan to cooperate with Trumps repeated violations of democratic norms. Why violate a core ideal like the sanctity of the republican form of government, they wonder, for a meager reward like tax cuts?

From the standpoint of a Paul Ryan, however, he is not selling out. He is advancing his highest ideals of public service. The tax bill, protecting the makers from the predations of the takers, represents one of the great triumphs of freedom of his adult life.
Country last. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In 2001, John McCain stood on the Senate floor and denounced the very concept of supply-side tax cuts.

I cannot in good conscience support a tax cut in which so many of the benefits go to the most fortunate among us, at the expense of middle-class Americans who most need tax relief, the Arizona senator said, explaining his decision to vote against George W. Bushs signature tax package. Two years later, McCain voted against renewing those tax cuts because they were still too tilted to the wealthy  and, also, because it he felt it fiscally irresponsible to cut taxes when no one knew how long or costly the war on terror would prove to be.

Graduate Students React to the Republican Tax Plan

Sixteen years later, economic inequality in America is dramatically more severe than it was when McCain said those words; the United States military is still fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq; and the Republican Party is pushing legislation that raises taxes on many middle-class families  and increases the deficit by at least $1.5 trillion  in order to finance a gigantic tax cut for corporate shareholders, millionaire business owners, and the heirs of multimillion-dollar estates.

And McCain will vote for the Trump tax cuts, anyway.

McCain is FOR tax bill pic.twitter.com/geNMQ97vev  Stefan Becket (@becket) November 30, 2017

McCain had more reasons to oppose this legislation than any other Republican senator. Beyond his historic opposition to regressive changes to the tax code, McCain had demanded, just two months ago, that his party take a bipartisan approach to its tax legislation. He has spent most of this year railing against the GOPs subversion of normal parliamentary procedure.

Now, Senate Republicans are trying to pass sweeping changes to the American tax code on a party-line vote  by gaming the rules of budget reconciliation in a manner that all but nullifies the legislative filibuster  while refusing to hold hearings on the bills (profound) consequences for our economy, or even present the Treasury Departments own analysis of the bills implications for the national debt (because that analysis would reveal that the Treasury secretary is lying about the bills implications for the national debt).

And McCain will vote for the Trump tax cuts, anyway.

Several Republican senators have expressed concerns about the bills deficit impact. But McCain has more concrete reasons to oppose large deficits than those lawmakers do. The Arizona senator has flip-flopped on many issues during his time in office. But his one, unshakable policy conviction is that the United States must maintain a global military empire until the end of time. And empires cost money. The current Republican president won election while promising to curtail Americas involvement overseas and invest more money here at home. There is no popular support for cutting Social Security, while maintaining American boots on the ground in Somalia. If our nation ever enters a true fiscal crisis, McCains beloved military-industrial complex is all but certain to take a hit.

And McCain will vote for the Trump tax cuts, anyway.

The president has tried to publicly humiliate several Senate Republicans  but McCain is the only one whom he has mocked for suffering torture as a prisoner of war. Multiple GOP lawmakers are immune from political pressure because they are headed for imminent retirement  but only McCain enjoys the radical freedom that attends the knowledge of ones imminent death.

And McCain will vote for the Trump tax cuts, anyway.

Mitch McConnell still has some wrinkles to iron out. Its unclear how he will address his deficit hawks concerns without alienating his other members. And he has made expensive promises to Susan Collins and Ron Johnson, without revealing how he intends to pay for them.

But if John McCain will vote for McConnells final product  even if that means making one of his final acts as a public servant a garish betrayal of his putative principles  then his colleagues are all but certain to do the same.
Where there isnt a will, theres a Conway. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

In 2016, 50,000 Americans lost their lives to the opioid epidemic, according to the federal governments preliminary count. Thats more than the number of Americans killed in combat in Vietnam, or that died during the worst year of the AIDS crisis, or that die annually from car accidents or gun violence.

In response to this mass death, public-health advocates have implored the Trump administration to mount a more comprehensive effort to the opioid crisis. One of their proposals was for the president to appoint an opioid czar  an official with the time and expertise to coordinate the federal governments response to the worst drug-overdose epidemic in American history.

The administration has decided to honor this request. In a gesture meant to convey just how seriously President Trump takes his responsibility to combat the opioid emergency, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced on Wednesday that Kellyanne Conway would be assuming duties consistent with those of an opioid czar.

Conway is a career pollster and pundit, best known for managing Donald Trumps presidential campaign and telling brazen lies on cable news. While she has been a part of the White Houses opioids response from its beginning, she has no background in public health. And it is not immediately clear whether she will be abandoning her surrogate duties to devote herself to her new assignment.

Andrew Kolodny, an opioid policy expert at Brandeis University, told BuzzFeed News that he sees Conways appointment as a positive sign, since she is a high-profile figure in the administration. But Kolodny  and other opioid policy experts and stakeholders  were quick to note that Trump still hasnt appointed anyone to lead the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Which seems like something an administration that cared deeply about reducing the suffering caused by this epidemic would have bothered to do.

Last month, Trump declared the opioid crisis a public-health emergency  while declining to call for a single dollar in additional funds to combat the crisis. Meanwhile, the president and his party spent most of this year trying to slash Medicaid spending by $1 trillion, even though that program is one the top funders of addiction treatment in the United States.
In a shuffle now reportedly underway, Mike Pompeo would replace Rex Tillerson at State and Tom Cotton would replace Pompeo at the CIA. Photo: Alex Wong; Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg/Getty Images

A much-rumored shuffle in the foreign policy and national security leadership of the Trump administration is now apparently underway. According to a strongly sourced report in the New York Times, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who has become steadily more estranged from the president in recent weeks, will get the heave-ho before the end of the year. He will be replaced by CIA director Mike Pompeo, the former Kansas congressman who has insinuated himself into Trumps inner circle. And then Pompeo would be replaced at Langley by Arkansas senator Tom Cotton, who has likewise become a key Trump adviser from his own perch in the Senate.

While a lot of the buzz over this reshuffling will focus on Tillerson, who has been a dead man walking in the administration for a good while, its more interesting aspects involve Pompeo and Cotton. These two men have more in common than congressional experience (Pompeo served in the House from 2011 until his CIA appointment), strong connections to the tea party movement, and success in brown-nosing the president. Both have combined military service (Pompeo is a West Point grad and a former military intelligence officer, Cotton volunteered for active duty in Afghanistan and Iraq) with elite law careers (both are Harvard Law grads). Both are much more likely than Tillerson to encourage Donald Trumps more aggressive, militaristic instincts.

Pompeo is obviously getting a big promotion to a position that has long been considered the top Cabinet post (as reflected in the secretary of States high ranking in the presidential succession). Its more interesting that Cotton would be willing to give up a safe Senate seat for the CIA. His friends are attributing that willingness to simple patriotism (he does his duty when the country calls). But unless Cotton thinks he is the only qualified person for the job (and he surely isnt), you have to figure this lateral transfer is connected to his intense ambitions (in a recent profile of Cotton, Jeffrey Toobin commented that back home in Arkansas, the only thing everyone agrees on is that he wants to be president someday.). And indeed, as Molly Ball observed in an earlier piece on the fast-rising phenom, Cotton has long believed that superior people with burning ambition for national office are essential to the constitutional order, given the weakness and selfishness of the masses.

So why does Tom Cotton want to be Chief Spook? Perhaps he thinks its a position where he can help make the case for some of his long-term foreign policy objectives, most notably the deployment of force (diplomatic if not military) against Iran. But a more interesting possibility (via Axioss Mike Allen) is raised by one of his most influential fans, conservative pundit Hugh Hewitt, who was the first to publicly promote the shuffle.

MSNBC and conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt  who talks frequently to Cotton on and off the air, and first floated the idea of Cotton for CIA  told me that Pompeo, Cotton, SecDef Mattis and Chief of Staff Kelly would be a quartet of serious intellectuals and warriors in the big four jobs.

That makes a lot of sense. As noted above, Cottons career parallels Pompeos in many respects. Hes also close to Kelly; according to Steve Bannon, Cotton is the one who brought the current White House chief of staff to the attention of Team Trump in the first place. And the Arkansan most definitely shares Mattiss obsession with engineering a major boost in defense spending. Looking at the quartet of serious intellectuals and warriors the shuffle would create, it becomes much more obvious why Rex Tillerson  a Vietnam-era boomer who never wore the uniform  didnt fit in. Now we will apparently have two former generals, a West Point grad, and a viscerally militaristic former infantry combat officer, at the peak of the foreign policy/national security structure, all advising another Vietnam-era boomer who never wore the uniform, but who seems to compensate with a passionate love for all things military.

Its a scary prospect for peace-loving opponents of this administration. But it could be catnip for someone like Tom Cotton, who could view participation in this team of testosterone addicts as vital occupational training for a future commander in chief.
McConnell shrugged. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Congressional Republicans are on the cusp of delivering enormous tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy, in defiance of the wishes of a large majority of the American public, and of a small majority of their own partys voters. They are poised to do so just hours after their final bill is written and before holding a single hearing on their legislations (profound) consequences for higher education, the housing market, health care, the deficit, inequality, outsourcing, and tax avoidance.

One of the few remaining obstacles to the Republican tax bill is the anxiety of the partys few, halfway-sincere deficit hawks. As written, the legislation will add $1.5 trillion to the deficit over the coming decade  and, assuming that Congress doesnt allow a bunch of popular, middle-class tax cuts to phase out in 2026, the bills true cost will be even higher. The GOP leadership has assured their caucuss fiscal scolds that the tax cuts will pay for themselves through higher growth. But Senators Bob Corker and James Lankford arent so certain. They want to add a trigger to the bill, which would repeal certain tax cuts if growth comes in weaker than expected.

This is a terrible idea. It would essentially require the government to raise taxes as soon as the economy goes into recession. But Republicans havent objected to it on these grounds. Rather, theyve argued that the trigger will be self-fulfilling  if corporations cant be certain that the tax cuts will be permanent, then theyll hold back investment, and growth will come in weaker than expected.

Theres one word: Its certainty, Nevada senator Dean Heller said Wednesday. I do not support triggers. Louisianas John Kennedy and Pennsylvanias Pat Toomey have echoed this concern.

Anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist laid out the logic of this objection on Twitter.

Key to pro-growth tax reform is permanence and certainty.

This encourages job creating investment.

No one invests in response to "maybe."

A trigger that threatens tax hikes is a self-fulfilling threat to kill jobs.  Grover Norquist (@GroverNorquist) November 28, 2017

Theres some obvious dissonance between this argument and the GOPs broader messaging. Republicans have insisted that tax cuts lead to higher growth as an immutable law of economic science  and that Americas job creators understand economics better than anyone. Thus, corporations should have certainty, even if there is a trigger in the bill, because they know that it will never go into effect.

The bigger problem with this certainty line, however, is that we live in a (putative) republic. Republicans are saying that their tax cuts will only work if corporations can be absolutely sure that they will never be repealed. But in a free society with open elections, it shouldnt be possible for Wall Street to have such certainty about any policy  let alone, a historically unpopular one that Republicans misrepresented on the campaign trail, and then jammed through Congress in a couple weeks without any public hearings or extended debate.

Democrats currently lead polls of the 2018 generic congressional ballot by eight points. No previous president has been this unpopular this early in his tenure. More baby-boomers retire every day. Congress has never met a military spending increase it didnt like. Americas infrastructure is in disarray; climate change ensures that the government will have to spend more and more on disaster relief; and automation is poised to displace large swaths of the workforce over the coming decades. In other words, it is getting more expensive for the government to meet its existing obligations to the public  and there is no popular mandate for scaling back those obligations. There is, however, broad, bipartisan support for raising taxes on corporations.

All of which is to say: There is a very good chance that Democrats will regain power in the next four-to-eight years  and that they will raise taxes on business when they do so.

Progressives have long argued that the Republican Partys economic ideology is fundamentally hostile to democracy. While self-styled libertarians like Grover Norquist claim that their core political principle is individual liberty, their theory of good government cannot be implemented without undermining the bedrock freedom of every republic  the right to self-rule.

By rushing to pass unpopular legislation with little-to-no public debate or transparency, Republicans have tacitly admitted that this is true. Now, by arguing that this legislation will only be worthwhile if it is permanently immune from democratic rebuke, these libertarians have made their longing for authoritarianism explicit.
The New York Times building. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

For a few hours on Wednesday morning, the New York Times editorial board took over the @NYTOpinion Twitter account and urged readers to call senators to oppose the GOPs tax bill. The experiment, as editorial page editor James Bennet called the Twitter takeover, marked an unusual turn toward activism for the editorial board, which is known for arguing its point of view on legislation, not encouraging readers to advocate for it.

This morning, The New York Times Editorial Board is tweeting here to urge the Senate to reject a tax bill that hurts the middle class & the nation's fiscal health. #thetaxbillhurts  NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) November 29, 2017

Contact @SenatorCollins, (202) 224-2523, particularly if you live in Maine, and ask her to oppose the Senate tax bill because it would repeal Obamacare's individual mandate, driving up the cost of health insurance. #thetaxbillhurts pic.twitter.com/id69OJ4CPC  NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) November 29, 2017

In a statement provided to New York, Bennet described the tweets as an extension of the boards editorials opposing the GOP tax plan: The Editorial Board has been writing for weeks about concerns over the tax legislation pending in Congress. This was an experiment in using a different platform to get that message out. We emphasized to our audience that this was the position of the Editorial Board in particular, not of Times Opinion generally.

But Bennet didnt address the oddity of publishing phone numbers and telling readers what to say when calling their senators. It was a move more classically associated with an activist outfit than a news organization  even if it was from the editorial board.

I can't remember a big newspaper (even under the guise of "opinion") ever using its brand to directly activate voters to deluge a lawmaker with demands. Not a good look for the Times. https://t.co/mWzpJ8TQeO  David Martosko (@dmartosko) November 29, 2017

When did the Times opinion page become an issue advocacy organization? https://t.co/oRMttZjeKL  Josh Barro (@jbarro) November 29, 2017

The boards experiment comes not long after the paper updated its social-media guidelines for those working in the newsroom, which is separate from the editorial board. Under the new rules, journalists are not to express partisan opinions, promote political views, endorse candidates, make offensive comments or do anything else that undercuts The Timess journalistic reputation.

The editorial board is presumably outside the jurisdiction of these rules. Still, one imagines that the boards experiment might bump up against some of the same concerns that prompted the new rules.

Does this mean the Times is coming out as being an activist organization rather than a news outlet? https://t.co/26CMucYDtF  It's Only Words (@itsonlywords) November 29, 2017

The New York Times finally admits it is a partisan political activist organization. https://t.co/Lv14uArjcC  Joel B. Pollak (@joelpollak) November 29, 2017

And then theres the minor issue of the editorial boards argument  that the tax bill is particularly bad for the middle class  not aligning very neatly with the analysis coming out of the newsroom, which says the majority of middle-class families, in the near term at least, will get a tax cut.
Republicans are so obsessed with their precious tax bill that theyll do anything to pass it.

As the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 slouches toward the Senate floor to be born, the most fascinating question that is beginning to be asked is this: Exactly what are Republicans willing to sacrifice politically to give themselves and their donors this shiny, gauzy Christmas gift, as precious to them as the ring of power was to Gollum in Lord of the Rings.

It is, after all, a far from risk-free undertaking. While tax cuts as an abstract matter are usually popular, a bill that places lower taxes for corporations, heirs, and wealthy pass-through business proprietors first, and swells budget deficits enormously, is not a way to make friends and influence people outside boardrooms and Wall Street.

Indeed, as FiveThirtyEights Harry Enten explains, polling shows that this tax bill is far less popular than its 1981, 1986, 2001, and 2003 antecedents, and is actually less popular than several tax increase bills. Only about one-third of Americans support it. And aside from the perception (and reality) that it primarily helps the wealthy, voters prefer big tax bills that are shaped by bipartisan compromises; this bill is a Republican-only production, which also means its unpopularity will reflect poorly on its creators.

Beyond that, this bill concentrates much of its pain on upper-middle-class swing voters in geographical areas which happen to harbor a goodly number of vulnerable Republican House members. The most widely understood and controversial provision is the elimination (partial in the House bill and total in the Senate bill) of the tax deduction for state and local taxes. This affects people in high-tax, high-income states the most, including California, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York. According to the latest Cook Political Report analysis of House races, there are 13 House Republicans in vulnerable seats in just these four states, more than half the number Democrats would need to regain control of the chamber and break Republican hearts everywhere. Yes, going after the SALT deduction is essential to the math of the tax bill. But it could be very expensive politically.

The bill also includes a repeal of the Obamacare health-care purchasing mandate which the Congressional Budget Office says will cost 13 million people their health-insurance coverage while boosting individual insurance premiums 10 percent per year beyond the increases we can already expect. According to an analysis from the Los Angeles Times, the damage from this provision will be concentrated in pro-Trump rural areas, many of which are in competitive House districts or states with competitive Senate races.

With Republicans fighting to hang onto the House and increasingly worried about hanging onto the Senate, why would they pursue such a large and unpopular tax bill in so partisan a fashion, knowing at this point that it could well be their only major legislative accomplishment before the midterm elections?

New Yorks Jonathan Chait argues persuasively that the tax bill rewards highly influential GOP constituencies, including campaign donors, and reflects conservative theology. You can indeed make a case that using the trifecta power Republicans have at the moment (and could soon lose) for this major priority is precisely the grand strategy that drives Republican politics.

But Republicans have other important priorities that require continued electoral victories, not cashing in political capital for tax cuts. Cultural conservatives care a lot more about yet-to-be-achieved immigration policy changes, yet-to-be-enacted bans on funding for Planned Parenthood, and yet-to-materialize Supreme Court openings than about cutting corporate tax rates. State-level Republicans are battling to win midterm elections and position themselves for the next round of redistricting fights; a national party thats more focused on using its power than in maintaining it could be a millstone. And anti-Trump Republicans concerned with the partys long-term integrity cant be happy that their members of Congress are devoting most of their time to working hand-in-glove with the 45th president to shovel money to Donald Trumps billionaire peers.

It could be a good while before we can make a full political cost-benefit analysis of this tax bill. But the current atmosphere, replete with Republican senators pointing out huge problems with the bill and then pledging to vote for it anyway, suggests a congressional party that has decided nothing on earth is more important. Compounding the factual lies and fuzzy math and distortions of budget rules and phony economic estimates required to get to yes, the GOP is in danger of fooling itself into sacrificing an awful lot for tax cuts.
AZ republican 3.9% Trump 48.1% toss-up More Information

Jeff Flake (Open) ( republican , Arizona) 2012 Campaign Spending $9,557,420 2012 Margin of Victory 3.9% Presidential Winner (2016) Trump 48.1% Trump's Disapproval Rating 51.1% Latest Polling (Primary) Kelli Ward 42%; Martha McSally 34% Jeff Flake (Open) ( republican , Arizona) How vulnerable is the seat? Inside Elections: toss-up

Cook Political Report: toss-up

Sabato's Crystal Ball: toss-up Why is it in play? Call it an inspired speech or a face-saving bow-out after a 33 percent approval rating, but Jeff Flakes party condemnation and campaign suspension in October has left a power vacuum in Arizona. Though the president has only a 44.2 percent approval rating in the state, Flakes long-standing criticism of the president was enough to doom him and unsettle the local GOP Establishment, who now have to find a measured head to run against the freewheelin Trump-era candidate Kelli Ward. There hasnt been a Democratic senator from the deep-red state in over 20 years, but a close presidential race, bipartisan representation in the House, and Flakes contested 2012 win signal an opportunity for Dems to chaos-ladder their way to victory. Who are the challengers? Republican congresswoman Martha McSally  who did not endorse Trump and has criticized his language toward veterans and Hispanics and women and others  has also all but formally announced a bid, which would make her the Establishment front-runner. Republican Kelli Ward ate a 12.5-point loss in her primary long shot against John McCain, but faces better odds running for the junior seat, with $300,000 from Robert Mercer, and endorsements from Steve Bannon and Rand Paul. She calls herself a build-the-wall, stop-illegal-immigration Americanist, suggested John McCain resign as quickly as possible after his brain-tumor diagnosis, and would like the U.S. to leave the U.N. But Arizona party leaders worry that her conservative-populist bona fides could hurt their chances in the general election. As a primary alternative, the party has its hopes in potential candidates such as Arizona treasurer Jeff DeWit, the Trump campaigns chief operating officer, who would surely enjoy presidential backing if he made good on his reported interest in the seat.Centrist and Democratic congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema is the front-runner on the left. The first openly bisexual person in Congress, Sinema is a member of the conservative-leaning Blue Dog Coalition of Democrats, and has moved away from her party on key issues  in 2015 and 2017, she did not support Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House and was one of only seven House Democrats to approve the Select Committee on Benghazi. As of September, she had$4.17 million on hand to fund her bid. Currently, she has no major primary opponents, which could change if astronaut Mark Kelly listens to party encouragement and joins the race. The husband of former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Kelly was thrust into the national spotlight after his wife was the target of an attempted assassination in 2011. In the past, hes been called theDemocrats dream candidate.

FL democrat 13% Trump 49% toss-up More Information

Bill Nelson ( democrat , Florida) Age 75 Term 3rd 2012 Campaign Spending $17,125,413 Money Raised $7,604,978 2012 Margin of Victory 13% Presidential Winner (2016) Trump 49% Trump's Disapproval Rating 47.4% Incumbent's Disapproval Rating 26% Latest Polling Bill Nelson 44%; Rick Scott 44% Bill Nelson ( democrat , Florida) How vulnerable is the seat? Inside Elections: tilt democratic

Cook Political Report: lean democratic

Sabato's Crystal Ball: toss-up Why is it in play? As Floridas only statewide elected Democrat, the 75-year-old, third-term senator is solidly centrist. Hes also never faced serious competition for his Senate seat, but he may this year if Floridas popular governor, Rick Scott, who is term-limited, enters the Senate race, which hes widely expected to do. An October poll showed Scott and Nelson neck and neck, pointing to an expensive race ahead. Both Democratic insiders and grassroots activists worry Nelson is out of touch with the partys current trends. Nelson appealed to national Democratic leadership for help over the summer, and his race will likely get extra financial help from the party. However, theres some reason to think Nelson will hang on  an analysis from the University of Minnesota found that in the 17 Senate elections since 1966, Floridians chose a nominee from the presidents party only five times, or less than 30 percent of the time. Who are the challengers? Governor Rick Scott would be a formidable challenger. His approval rating has hovered around 54 percent. He also has the wealth to fund his campaigns, and has spent at least $86 million on his own gubernatorial campaigns in the past. And while he hasnt yet declared his candidacy, Democrats have already begun targeting him with TV ads and voter-registration drives. The only Republican to declare his or her candidacy so far is white supremacist Augustus Sol Invictus, who was recently accused of drinking the blood of a sacrificed goat and trying to lure neo-Nazis into the Libertarian Party. Nelson might also face a bruising primary: Law-school professor Tim Canova, who lost a bid to unseat Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz last year, and Orlando state senator Randolph Bracy have said theyre considering bids.

IN democrat 5.8% Trump 56.9% toss-up More Information

Joe Donnelly ( democrat , Indiana) Age 62 Term 1st 2012 Campaign Spending $5,579,171 Money Raised $6,769,897 2012 Margin of Victory 5.8% Presidential Winner (2016) Trump 56.9% Trump's Disapproval Rating 44.9% Incumbent's Disapproval Rating 26% Joe Donnelly ( democrat , Indiana) How vulnerable is the seat? Inside Elections: toss-up

Cook Political Report: toss-up

Sabato's Crystal Ball: toss-up Why is it in play? Like many of his fellow Senate Democrats from states won by Trump, Donnelly is a moderate often at odds with his own party. Hes pro-life, didnt endorse same-sex marriage until 2013, and opposed Obamas 2014 executive orders regarding immigration. Donnelly was also one of three Democrats who voted for Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. Hes the only Democrat elected statewide in Indiana, and his 2012 win was largely attributed to his opponents many mistakes. Outside groups have already run more than $2.5 million in ads against him this year. But with a 47 percent approval rating and more than $4 million already in the bank, Donnelly could be doing worse. Who are the challengers? Things have gotten brutal between the Republican front-runners, U.S. representatives Luke Messer and Todd Rokita, leading Politico to dub it the GOPs nastiest primary. Rokita has referred to Messer as unhinged, and Messers Wikipedia entry was edited to mimic Rokita campaign rhetoric. Its also causing divisions between Pence, whose brother supports Messer, and Trump, whose prominent supporters are backing Rokita. Messer's fundraising edge over Rokita has been slipping  Rokita has closed the gap to within $50,000. Rokita has also served two terms as secretary of state and has experience winning statewide campaigns. Either Messer or Rokita would prove a formidable challenger against Donnelly, but the ideologically similar congressmen will face a brutal primary. Three less-well-known Republicans have also entered the race, including Mark Hurt, a lawyer from the small city of Kokomo; Andrew Takami, a university administrator; and Terry Henderson, a businessman from an Indianapolis suburb.

Tina Smith ( democrat , Minnesota) Age 59 Term 1st 2012 Campaign Spending $31,908,222 Money Raised N/A 2012 Margin of Victory 10.2% (Al Franken, 2014) Presidential Winner (2016) Clinton 46.4% Trump's Disapproval Rating 56.1% Latest Polling N/A Tina Smith ( democrat , Minnesota) How vulnerable is the seat? Inside Elections: likely democratic

Cook Political Report: toss-up

Sabato's Crystal Ball: leans democratic Why is it in play? Second-term senator Al Franken resigned in mid-December after eight women separately accused him of groping and forcibly kissing them. Franken hadnt been up for reelection until 2020, and Democrats hadnt anticipated defending the seat heading into 2018. Minnesota governor Mark Dayton appointed Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith to replace him, and shell have to defend the seat next year (and again in 2020). A rising political star in the state, Smith has been lieutenant governor since 2015, and served as the governors chief of staff before that. Though Minnesota leans Democratic, Republicans control both chambers of the state legislature, and Clinton won the state by a much narrower margin than expected. Frankens resignation also sets the stage for massive upheaval in the state next year: Both Senate seats and the governors seat will be in play. Who are the challengers? No one has officially declared his or her intent to challenge Smith next year, but observers are asking whether Republican candidates for the governors seat (like the states former GOP chair, Keith Downey) might switch races. Representative Keith Ellison has said he will not challenge Smith for the Senate next year, decreasing her chances of a fraught primary.

MO democrat 15.7% Trump 56.8% toss-up More Information

Claire McCaskill ( democrat , Missouri) Age 64 Term 2nd 2012 Campaign Spending $21,264,063 Money Raised $10,659,893 2012 Margin of Victory 15.7% Presidential Winner (2016) Trump 56.8% Trump's Disapproval Rating 44.6% Incumbent's Disapproval Rating 39% Latest Polling Josh Hawley 48%; Claire McCaskill 45% Claire McCaskill ( democrat , Missouri) How vulnerable is the seat? Inside Elections: toss-up

Cook Political Report: toss-up

Sabato's Crystal Ball: toss-up Why is it in play? Claire McCaskill is a notably centrist Democrat. Shes butted heads with more progressive members of her own party, including Kirsten Gillibrand (over Gillibrands military-sexual-assault bill) and recently came out against Medicare for All. She voted against only seven of Trumps Cabinet appointments and almost voted to approve Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. McCaskill has plenty of practical reasons to edge away from the left: Trump won Missouri by 19 points, and her disapproval rating is hovering around 42 percent, making her the 14th-most unpopular senator. Shes a shrewd campaigner: She first won election to the Senate in an extremely competitive 2006 race, and in 2012, she helped the weakest Republican primary candidate, Congressman Todd Akin, win the partys nomination by running $1.7 million in ads lambasting his paleoconservative views, a strategy that endeared him to the states most extreme voters and alienated him from everyone else. (She ended up spending more on Akin in the last two weeks of the primary than Akin spent on his entire campaign, and it worked.) This time, however, she might not get so lucky. McCaskill has spoken about her fear of a primary opponent, claiming back in February that people are very impatient with me because they dont think Im pure. Not every Democrat seems to share those views: Grassroots groups helped McCaskill bring in a record-breaking $2.8 million in the first quarter of the year. Who are the challengers? The Republican primary field is shaping up to be messier than expected, which could give McCaskill an advantage. U.S. representative Ann Wagner declined to enter the race, leaving 37-year-old state attorney general Josh Hawley as the front-runner. Though hes clearly leading the field and has the backing of Mike Pence and Mitch McConnell, hes only held office since January, and at 37, hes the youngest attorney general in the country. Following reports that Steve Bannon might back a more conservative candidate in the race, as he did in Alabama, Hawley began courting the former White House adviser and talking up his conservative bona fides. Still, its possible that Bannon could lend his support to a more conservative candidate, like ex-Libertarian presidential candidate Austin Petersen, Air Force veteran Tony Monetti, or Courtland Sykes, a 37-year-old newcomer whos trying to rely on social media and anti-Establishment rhetoric to gin up support for his campaign.

MT democrat 3.7% Trump 56.5% democrat More Information

Jon Tester ( democrat , Montana) Age 61 Term 2nd 2012 Campaign Spending $13,347,866 Money Raised $7,660,206 2012 Margin of Victory 3.7% Presidential Winner (2016) Trump 56.5% Trump's Disapproval Rating 45.2% Incumbent's Disapproval Rating 33% Jon Tester ( democrat , Montana) How vulnerable is the seat? Inside Elections: tilt democratic

Cook Political Report: likely democratic

Sabato's Crystal Ball: leans republican Why is it in play? This two-term senator has the kind of bona fides you cant fake: Born and raised in Montana, he still maintains the farm thats been in his family for more than 100 years, and lost three fingers in a meat saw as a child. When he last ran for reelection, he had an A rating from the NRA, and he voted against the DREAM Act. Still, Trump won the state by 20 points and Romney by 14. Opponents try to paint him as a Washington insider, and hes been hit with ads criticizing his support of Obamacare and vote against Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. Tester has never had an easy election. He eked out his first win against a three-term incumbent in 2006, and in 2012, he only barely won reelection against Denny Rehberg, a six-term House representative. (Larry Sabato thought this was the Senate seat most likely to switch parties that year.) However, Testers approval rating has jumped to 53 percent since July, making him one of only two vulnerable senators to see an increase there. Who are the challengers? Republicans initially had difficulty recruiting candidates: U.S. representative Ryan Zinke was widely expected to challenge Tester until he was chosen by Trump to become the secretary of the Interior, and Montana attorney general Tim Fox decided against a bid back in June. Since then, at least five Republicans have declared their candidacy, with the most serious challenges coming from Montana state auditor Matt Rosendale and former Yellowstone County district judge Russell Fagg. Rosendale raised over $400,000 last fundraising quarter and is campaigning on a platform to improve Defense Department funding and strengthen support for veterans, who make up about 10 percent of Montanas population. Though he hasnt run for statewide office, Fagg has name recognition in Yellowstone County, which holds about a seventh of the states population and is key to Testers success. Local businessmen Troy Downing and Ronald Murray, and state senator Al Olszewski are also making bids for the seat.

ND democrat 0.9% Trump 63% toss-up More Information

Heidi Heitkamp ( democrat , North Dakota) Age 62 Term 1st 2012 Campaign Spending $5,493,544 Money Raised $6,056,386 2012 Margin of Victory 0.9% Presidential Winner (2016) Trump 63% Trump's Disapproval Rating 43.9% Incumbent's Disapproval Rating 32% Heidi Heitkamp ( democrat , North Dakota) How vulnerable is the seat? Inside Elections: toss-up

Cook Political Report: lean democratic

Sabato's Crystal Ball: leans democratic Why is it in play? During her only term in the Senate, Heidi Heitkamp has pushed for farm subsidies, an all-of-the-above energy policy, and Second Amendment rights. She was one of four Democrats who voted against new background-check legislation in the wake of the Newtown shooting, and supported Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. (So far this year, shes voted in line with Trumps position a little more than half the time.) Despite what seem to be fairly conservative bona fides and a 55 percent approval rating, Heitkamps reelection chances are dampened by Trumps 36-point win in the state. She waited until September to even declare her intentions of seeking reelection. Who are the challengers? Republican state senator Tom Campbell is Heitkamps only declared challenger so far. Campbell, who makes his living as a farmer and has only served in the state senate since 2012, has criticized Heitkamps support of Obamacare and wants to balance the budget. Hes raised a little over half a million since entering the race in August; by comparison, Heitkamps raised a little over twice as much since July. Congressman Kevin Cramer, the states only U.S. representative, is seen as a potential challenger and met with Mitch McConnell back in December when Heitkamp was being considered for a Cabinet position, which would have left her Senate seat open. He has a history of controversial remarks, defending Sean Spicer after his Holocaust centers comments and mocking the white pantsuits women Democrats wore to Trumps first address to a joint session of Congress. However, Republicans reportedly fear a Todd Akinlevel gaffe and have largely lined up behind Campbell instead. State representative Rick Becker is also seriously considering a bid. So far no serious Democratic primary challenger has emerged.

NV republican 1.2% Clinton 47.9% toss-up More Information

Dean Heller ( republican , Nevada) Age 57 Term 1st 2012 Campaign Spending $9,192,588 Money Raised $6,451,791 2012 Margin of Victory 1.2% Presidential Winner (2016) Clinton 47.9% Trump's Disapproval Rating 51.2% Incumbent's Disapproval Rating 39% Latest Polling Dean Heller 38%; Danny Tarkanian 44% Dean Heller ( republican , Nevada) How vulnerable is the seat? Inside Elections: toss-up

Cook Political Report: toss-up

Sabato's Crystal Ball: toss-up Why is it in play? With Jeff Flake sitting out 2018 in Arizona, Dean Heller is the Republican senator most vulnerable to a primary challenge from the right. The first-term senators troubles date back to the election, when he refused to endorse the Republican nominee. Under Trump, hes drawn ire from both sides for his waffling; he voted against the Affordable Care Act, then publicly opposed the House repeal, even as tape surfaced of him saying helldo everything I can to get to a yes. At a rowdy town hall in April, Heller, who has a pro-life voting record, stated that he opposed defunding Planned Parenthood. Nevadas blue streak also works against Heller: Senator Catherine Cortez Masto won Harry Reids former seat in 2016 with a majority in just one county, thanks in large part to the left-leaning cities of Las Vegas and Reno. Clinton and Obama won in the last three presidential elections, and in 2016, Democrats flipped two Republicans in the House and took both chambers in the state legislature. Who are the challengers? First, Heller must make it out of the primary. Danny Tarkanian, an attorney whos been unsuccessful in his bids for state senate, the Senate, the House, and the Nevada secretary, finally has momentum, thanks to his unwavering support of the president and a cosign from Steve Bannon. The son of famed UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian, the 55-year-old enjoys strong name recognition and a reputation for solid fundraising. In August, he led in the primary in at least one poll  though a $17 million judgment over an unpaid loan and a sanction for practicing law with an inactive license could derail him in the long run. Hellers threat from the left is Congresswoman Jacky Rosen, who defeated Tarkanian in the 2016 bid for the open seat in Nevadas far-southern Third District. Already, Rosen has the blessing of retired Silver State powerhouse Harry Reid and $1.2 million in hand to fight the survivor of the Republican primary. She could make gains among the majority of Nevadans who voted for gun-control reform on the 2016 ballot, and which still havent been enacted after the Las Vegas shooting.

OH democrat 5.2% Trump 51.3% democrat More Information

Sherrod Brown ( democrat , Ohio) Age 65 Term 2nd 2012 Campaign Spending $24,576,288 Money Raised $13,735,090 2012 Margin of Victory 5.2% Presidential Winner (2016) Trump 51.3% Trump's Disapproval Rating 48.8% Incumbent's Disapproval Rating 28% Latest Polling Sherrod Brown 42%; Josh Mandel 50% Sherrod Brown ( democrat , Ohio) How vulnerable is the seat? Inside Elections: lean democratic

Cook Political Report: lean democratic

Sabato's Crystal Ball: leans democratic Why is it in play? A dovish, economic populist, Sherrod Brown represented a northern-Ohio district in the House for 14 years before riding a wave of anti-Iraq momentum into the Senate in 2006. Brown is something of a blue star in a bleak state for Democrats  the GOP has a super majority in both state house chambers, and Trump won Ohio by eight points. The senator has held on with a commitment to pro-union and pro-labor politics, including an endorsement for theFight for $15. Since November, he has been one of the leading Democrats to cooperate with the president, reaching out with a skeptical optimism on trade, jobs, and health care. Yet Brown maintains that the Cabinet has been handpicked for arollback of protections for workersand recently said that Stephen Miller seems to be a white supremacist. In 2016, Trump won an estimated one-third of the votes cast by members of the United Auto Workers, the type of lunch-pail voters that Brown counts as part of his core constituency. After Trumps blue-collar victory, Republican movers see 2018 as a banner year to remove Brown, whose 47 percent approval rating is just a point and change higher than the presidents rating in Ohio. Plus a 2018 loss would reduce Browns chance at his own populist presidential run in 2020. Who are the challengers? Ohio treasurer and Iraq War veteran Josh Mandel, who lost to Brown in 2012, is running again in 2018. Mandel, 40, has matched Browns economic populism with an appeal to nativism. In his announcement for 2018, Mandel promisedno sanctuary cities, never to succumb to political correctness, and never to forget we are a nation founded on Judeo-Christian values. So far, Mandel has received the endorsement of the Cleveland police union (who also went for Trump) and substantial backing from the tea-party-affiliated FreedomWorks PAC, and Ted Cruzs senior strategist Jeff Roe is on the team. In a poll this past July, Mandel was favored by Ohio voters by eight points, though Brown still holds the fundraising advantage, with twice as much cash on hand as Mandel and a strong $2.6 million third quarter. Mandel also faces a primary challenge from Cleveland businessman Mike Gibbons, who has called for the resignation of Mitch McConnell and is the favored candidate of the LLCCitizens for Trump.

PA democrat 8.9% Trump 48.2% democrat More Information

Bob Casey ( democrat , Pennsylvania) Age 57 Term 2nd 2012 Campaign Spending $14,341,536 Money Raised $11,369,937 2012 Margin of Victory 8.9% Presidential Winner (2016) Trump 48.2% Trump's Disapproval Rating 50.7% Incumbent's Disapproval Rating 32% Bob Casey ( democrat , Pennsylvania) How vulnerable is the seat? Inside Elections: lean democratic

Cook Political Report: likely democratic

Sabato's Crystal Ball: likely democratic Why is it in play? After Trump won Pennsylvania by 44,000 votes and incumbent Republican Pat Toomey held onto his seat in themost expensive U.S. Senate race ever, reelection prospects didnt look great for the two-term incumbent Bob Casey. A centrist, pro-life Democrat, Casey had a quiet career in the capitol after knocking out the unpopular Rick Santorum in 2006; thePhiladelphia Daily News once called him the political equivalent of Ambien. But in recent months, the 57-year-old lawyer has awakened to the Trump resistance, calling Republican tax reform a giveaway to the rich, holding a press conference at a suburbanPlanned Parenthood center in Darby, Pennsylvania, promising to defend the institutions funding, and calling out the president with reaction GIFs on Twitter. Casey enjoyed his own viral success when he rushed to the Philadelphia airport from a gala to negotiate for travel-ban detainees, still wearing his fundraising tux. If Pennsylvanias$113 million Senate race in 2016 has set a precedent, a serious bid would mean serious money  already, Casey has $7 million on hand to fight for his third term on a platform of middle-class defense and standing strong against terrorism. Still, his pivot to the left has created space for a Republican to convert his centrist voting base. After the Las Vegas shooting, the historically pro-gun senator supported Dianne Feinsteins bill to ban the sale of bump stocks, and he appears to be hedging his stalwart pro-life stance. Who are the challengers? Four-term congressman Lou Barletta is the most prominent Republican candidate to declare. An early supporter of Trump, Barletta may try to replicate the coal-and-populism angle that won the presidential race  hes an extreme border-security hard-liner and supports clean-coal technology,as well as further exploration for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale. Barletta is second among Pennsylvania GOP candidates in fundraising, almost $300,000 shy of the $1,024,930raised by businessman Jeff Bartos, who is running on a similar platform with the addition of senatorial term limits.

TN republican 34.5% Trump 61% republican More Information

Bob Corker (Open) ( republican , Tennessee) 2012 Campaign Spending $8,472,064 2012 Margin of Victory 34.5% Presidential Winner (2016) Trump 61% Trump's Disapproval Rating 41.8% Bob Corker (Open) ( republican , Tennessee) How vulnerable is the seat? Inside Elections: solid republican

Cook Political Report: likely republican

Sabato's Crystal Ball: likely republican Why is it in play? In September, Bob Corker, a second-term senator and head of the Committee on Foreign Relations, became the first senator to announce his retirement. He followed that up with a series of candid interviews about Trump, and an infamous tweet comparing the White House to an adult-day-care center. Trumps disapproval rating in the state has also gone up 14 points since January, though he won it by 26 points last fall. Still, Tennessee hasnt sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1990. Who are the challengers? Leading the Republican side is U.S. representative Marsha Blackburn, whos represented the state since 2003 and has closely aligned herself with Trump. In a video announcing her candidacy, she called herself politically incorrect and proud of it. Shes also filed a resolution requiring NFL players to stand during the anthem and voiced support for Trumps immigration ban. Former Republican representative Stephen Fincher is also making a bid, as is Andy Ogles, former head of the Tennessee chapter of the Koch-funded group Americans for Prosperity. Democrat James Mackler, a Nashville lawyer and Iraq War veteran, announced his long-shot bid against Corker back in April. His chances against Blackburn are a dramatic improvement, allowing him to act as the rational center to her extreme-right views. However, she also has $3.2 million on hand, compared to Macklers $320,000. Since Corkers announcement, former Democratic governor Phil Bredesen has reportedly begun considering a bid. Bredesen won election by a landslide in 2006 (the last Democrat to win statewide office), and was known for his fiscally conservative, centrist politics. Many Democrats consider him key to winning the seat. A late October poll found that Blackburn and Bredesen had statistically indistinguishable approval ratings, at 37 percent and 34 percent, respectively. But whoever wins the nod will make a better challenger than 2012 candidate Mark Clayton, a conspiracy theorist who was disavowed by the Tennessee Democratic Party for his connection to an anti-LGBT hate group.

WI democrat 5.5% Trump 47.2% democrat More Information

Tammy Baldwin ( democrat , Wisconsin) Age 55 Term 1st 2012 Campaign Spending $15,204,940 Money Raised $10,750,736 2012 Margin of Victory 5.5% Presidential Winner (2016) Trump 47.2% Trump's Disapproval Rating 53.2% Incumbent's Disapproval Rating 38% Tammy Baldwin ( democrat , Wisconsin) How vulnerable is the seat? Inside Elections: tilt democratic

Cook Political Report: likely democratic

Sabato's Crystal Ball: leans democratic Why is it in play? After 14 years representing Wisconsin in the House, Baldwin became the first openly gay person elected to the Senate when she won in 2012. As a one-term senator with a very progressive voting history, shes a target for Republicans hoping to capitalize on Trumps surprise upset in the state last fall. Senate races in Wisconsin have also traditionally received a lot of outside spending, and this race is likely to be very expensive. The Koch Brothersaffiliated group Freedom Partners has already dropped $1.6 million on TV ads slamming Baldwins 2011 vote to raise taxes. The Senate Majority PAC fired back with a similarly hefty ad buy touting Baldwins record of cutting taxes for the middle class. Outside groups have already dumped more than $5 million into the race, most of which has gone toward either opposing Baldwin or supporting her main opponent. Baldwin also has a 38 percent disapproval rating, one of the highest among vulnerable senators (only Claire McCaskill and Dean Heller have higher disapproval ratings, with 39 percent each). Who are the challengers? Kevin Nicholson, a 39-year-old Marine veteran and former McKinsey consultant, has won over influential Republicans in the state. And while his campaign has only raised a little over $400,000 since entering the race in July, the conservative megadonors Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein has given $3.5 million to a pro-Nicholson PAC. Nicholson was involved in Democratic politics when he was younger and was the president of the College Democrats of America. As part of the gig he got to give a short speech at the 2000 convention, in which he spoke about generational differences and emphasized a womans right to choose. State senator Leah Vukmir also announced a bid in September and has raised an impressive quarter-million since then. Nicholsons Democratic past has given Vukmir an opening, and shes emphasized her working relationship with Governor Scott Walker and long history with conservatives in the state (shes already won support from several key Wisconsin conservatives). Vukmir, a nurse, has criticized Baldwins support for Medicare for All, but its unclear how much that will resonate in a state that Bernie won by more than 13 points in the primary.

WV democrat 24.1% Trump 68.6% toss-up More Information
The director general of the Norwegian Development Agency (Norad) Jon Lomoy has hailed Makerere University for using its research output to support other institutions.

Lomoy, who was at Makerere last week on a familiarization tour, was impressed that researchers who had benefitted from Norad support were now sharing their skills with other universities.

Im impressed that our support is now benefitting others such as the University of Juba in South Sudan and others, he said.

We are hopeful that our support will continue  but in the long run, you will also be able to support others in the same way.

Jon Lomoy (front row 2nd L), the director general of the Norwegian Development Agency, with Makerere University officials last week

Lomoy was also impressed with what had been achieved since Norway started supporting research at Makerere University in the 1940s. This was on the back of a presentation by the universitys director of Planning and Development, Dr Florence Nakayiwa, who gave an overview of Norwegian support to Makerere.

There is a footprint of Norway on almost every part of Makerere, in the form of buildings, improved facilities and skilled professionals, she said.

Norwegian support has seen at least 15 major buildings set up, including the School of Gender and Women Studies, which is due for an upgrade in 2018. The upgrade will see three storeys added to the three-story structure.

Other benefitting colleges include Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (Forestry building), Engineering Design Art and Technology (new engineering building), Computing and Information Sciences as well as the University Library.

Norad support is now going to the institute of open, distance and e-learning, which will see the universitys online learning enhanced. In her remarks, the Norwegian Ambassador to Uganda, Susan Eckey, commended the university for

its prudent use of funds extended to Makerere. The Norwegian government has invested over 500m NOK (about Shs 220bn).

I want to commend you for putting the money to good use, which is why Makerere is the largest beneficiary of Norwegian funds, she said. Im looking forward to new developments including the new performing arts centre [to be built at Makerere] start next year.

Speaking on behalf of Makereres vice chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, the principal of the College of Business and Management Sciences, Prof Elia Hisali, said the university was committed in its drive towards becoming a research-led institution. He commended Norad for supporting Makereres drive to excel in research.

Makerere is now ranked among the top 10 in Africa on account of its research output and we are grateful to Norad for this support, he said.

Prof Hisali assured his guests that with more support, Makerere would strive to reach the top of the rankings.
For a group of Congolese about to fly out of Ugandas Entebbe International airport to settle in America, the mood around Jeremiah Mbaha Mungangas family is markedly dull.

From three-year-old Kevin to 46-year-old Jeremiah, nothing gives away any sort of excitement as the refugees are briefed by officers from IOM, the United Nations Migrations Agency. I reach out to flat-faced Dorcas Munganga, 15.

She did her Primary Leaving Examinations last year, but has been out of school, unable to raise the fees. Clearly, she must be excited to be heading to America!

Not so much, she mumbles.

Why? I ask.

Because I will miss my friends.

Yes, your friends! I nod.

I have left behind my best friend Ketsi. We have grown up together. We have been playing together.

Benwamanzi is wheeled to the departure gate at the airport with her family in tow

Dorcas sister Rachael is just as downcast, almost absentmindedly pushing her luggage cart up the immigration desk queues.

Kind of, Racheal replies when I ask if she is thrilled to be going to America. I will miss my ball. I really loved that ball.

A keen rugby player, Rachael has been told she cannot take her inflated ball onto the aeroplane. Seeing how much this means to her, I ask various airport staff but no one can find a pin to deflate the ball, and everything else fails.

Still, the eight members of the Munganga family  accompanied by IOMs Dr Philippa  are inching towards the Qatar Airways counter to check in their luggage. Having arrived in Uganda in 2004, they are relocating under the United States Refugee Admissions Programme (USRAP).

The departure is organized by IOM Uganda, working closely with the Refugee Coordinator at the United States embassy, UNHCR, Office of the Prime Minister and the Nairobi-based Resettlement Support Centre (RSC).

Unlike Dorcas and Rachael and their seemingly unimpressionable siblings, their father Jeremiah declares himself very happy to be going to America.

I am feeling very excited. I am curious to see and discover the new place, says Jeremiah, who has been working as a hairdresser and musician to support his family in Kampala.

In Uganda, Jeremiah also got involved in charity work. He co-founded the Forum of Artists Associations of Refugees (FAARU)  Uganda Limited. FAARU organized several concerts, with the proceeds and donated items going to refugees or disadvantaged Ugandans, including children admitted to the Uganda Cancer Institute.

Part of the reason for Jeremiahs excitement is his wife, Benwamanzi Mulumba, who looks weak and needs a wheelchair and life-saving medical care. Jeremiah recalls a day in September 2016, when he feared the worst.

Benwamanzi greets Cameron McGlothlin, the refugee coordinator at the USA Embassy, as Jeremiah looks on at the IOM transit centre

FAARU had organized a concert to support children with cancer. But for two weeks, his wife had been in and out of hospital, with some doctors suspecting she could be having a liver problem. Her eyes were yellow and her skin pale.

Hours before the concert, someone called from Mulago National Referral hospitals satellite hospital at Kiruddu; Mulumbas blood level was very low and they feared she might not live much longer.

I sang quickly and left, Jeremiah says. But really my heart was now not in what I was singing. I had to run to my wife.

The doctors ordered a bone marrow test and the results delivered a devastating diagnosis: Benwamanzi had leukemia.

That was crushing for Jeremiah. Although the doctors in Mulago hospital were exceptionally helpful, Jeremiah feared the worst for his wife and mother to their growing children. And to him, this relocation to America, where his missus will be able to get top medical care, is a miracle.

I think this is God doing this, Jeremiah says, more to himself. And you know, I just heard that there were people negotiating for me, to help me.

That hope was dashed, with the up-and-down movement between the United States government and the courts, particularly when it was declared that only people with close relatives in America could relocate to the USA. But eventually officials at various levels decided that the Munganga family could move to Tampa, Florida.

Talking about that journey, Jeremiah voices his gratitude, all the while shaking his head, unable to believe his luck. As we talk, Benwamanzis thoughts seem far away, and her few words are as low as her energy.

Sometimes, when she wants to say something to her husband, she just lets her eyes pan from him to a child who is probably stepping out of line. Then he says something to the child. And then she is back to herself.

Asked for her thoughts, Benwamanzi thanks God for today, and thanks everyone who has helped her family to reach this stage, where she is hoping to get better treatment.

I am happy that if God heals me, my life is going to change, Benwamanzi says, her husband interpreting.

For the IOM staff arranging the departure for todays group of 44, this is an intense logistical exercise. Someone is asking about a passport; another child wants to go to the toilet.

Everything must be right; everyone must be happy, including the burly police officer, who is concerned that the refugees  and their relatives who have come to see them off  are overcrowding the departure area.

Take your people inside, the officer tells IOM staffer Benson Tumuheki.

A view of the new family house for the Mungangas in Tampa, Florida

Tumuheki pays him a frustrated but pleading look. He whispers some things to the officer and they agree that it is not worthwhile to take the group inside only to get them out in 30 minutes, with their many suitcases. These are suitcases that probably have all their lives in Congo and Uganda, so far.

Then you keep them in one place, because this place needs to be orderly the afande says.

Order indeed prevails. The queues move, and Munganga family is cleared. As we move towards the departure gates, Rachael Munganga is still thinking about the ball she is leaving behind.

Is it possible for you to take my ball? Maybe IOM can keep it for me and maybe I will get it, she says, and then looks away, before adding absentmindedly: Somehow.

And yes, I plan to take the ball to IOM. Dorcas, 15, hopes to become a fashion designer and a writer. Sometimes, she says, when she had nothing to do, she would just sit with her best friend Ketsi and write stories in exercise books.

She talks about her goodbye moment with Ketsi. She saw her last night. It was a sad conversation, but she has kept Ketsis last words.

I dont have anything to give you, Ketsi had started. But you will stay in my heart and I will miss you!

rmkavuma@iom.int
The deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah has condemned the September 27 security raid on parliament by suspected presidential guards. Oulanyah, who was speaking upon the return to parliament of opposition MPs led by their whip Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda said the raid was "highly regrettable."



Opposition MPs boycotted sittings since the suspension of their colleagues and the subsequent raid by plain-clothed personnel who forcibly ejected them from the chambers.



The raid that was later owned up by the Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura came prior to the tabling of a bill which seeks to among others; amend Article 102 (b) of the constitution to lift the cap on the presidential age. The current provision limits persons above 75-years from contesting for the presidency.

Deputy speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah

"I would not be reasonable to say that the events of September 27 are not regrettable, I would not be acting in a sincere way. These events were not proper. It was first of all unnecessary and secondly highly regrettable. And I pray that this House will never witness anything like that ever again," Oulanyah said.



This is the first time Oulanyah is coming out to openly make statements about the events that unfolded under the stewardship of Speaker Rebecca Kadaga.



He explained that he is only aware of the office of the sergeant at arms and the parliament police directorate that was created in the recent past as the only security organs that are supposed to be in charge of the security of the precincts of parliament and protection of MPs.



"We have a department of sergeant at arms responsible for the general security of parliament. And the work of sergeant at arms in the Commonwealth world where we borrowed this from, is maintaining the dignity of the House and related matters and making sure things happen in the way of rules and procedures of this House and practice permit.

But in the recent past, we have also created a directorate of police headed by a commandant. Because of the changed nature, the security definition of things has changed, the threats that could not be within the control of things of Sergeant at Arms - they could be other things terrorism and things like", said Oulanyah.

"In the wisdom of parliament, they decide to invite these people to have the presence of the police in parliament and it is a recognised directorate of police inside parliament. They are the ones I know and those are the I know are supposed to be in charge of the precincts of parliament wherever it may be sitting and its members", he added.



Oulanyah's statements followed a procedural point by opposition whip Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda who narrated how he was brutally ejected from the chambers even when he was not named by the speaker for suspension.



"I was not one of those that were suspended but I was grabbed from this chamber, dragged and thrown on the ground in a room just behind you Sir, I was strangled and driven at a very reckless speed in a police van and detained at Naggalama police station," Ssemujju narrated.



Ssemujju questioned Oulanyah on the issue of his security in the chambers when even the speaker does not know the identity of the people who invaded parliament. He also questioned whether the chambers have the atmosphere where MPs can sit and deliberate on national issues.



However, Oulanyah assured MPs that their security in the chambers is guaranteed and that if anything happens outside this, it would be an exception to the rule that they have a guarantee of security of members.



Kilak County MP Gilbert Olanya also reported that during the ejection, one of their colleagues Odur Jonathan lost Shs 10 million and that he personally lost his iPad during the scuffle.



Oulanyah advised MPs to forward some of the questions to the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga who presided over the session.

"Reference has been made to a letter from the speaker, I have not seen that letter. I have seen it on social media. I have also seen a response purportedly from the president also on social media. I cannot guarantee the authenticity of either of them because none of the purported authors has confirmed to me that they have written this letter. Not the speaker, not the president.

So I cannot say the president has written, I cannot say the speaker has written. I have not received a formal copy from the speaker about this. It will be for the speaker to confirm if she wrote and if she received a response to it from the president. That will be for her because it is not within my knowledge.



On the lost iPads, the issue will not be so much of procedure but claims that if circumstances were such that they could be lost, the people responsible for the losses should be approached and they make good of the loss made to Members of Parliament", Oulanyah said.



Oulanyah also reported that Kadaga had requested that all formal issues in regard to the September 27 should be raised when she is in the chair since she steered the House when the events unfolded.

"I spoke to the speaker this morning and if theres a formal issue that should be raised to address this issue, the speaker requests that it should be in her presence because she was the one who was here", said Oulanyah.
As many as 105 companies and suppliers were suspended from a bidding process over forgeries of documents in the last two financial years. Some of the documents forged by suppliers include; powers of attorney, income tax returns documents among others.

This is according to records from the Public Procurement and disposal of Public Assets Authority, the principal regulator of public procurements. PPDA is supposed to monitor compliance of procuring and disposing entities.

We have suspended big firms over forgeries. We have actually suspended 105 out of 306 suspension cases [against] suppliers for engaging in unacceptable practices through the bidding process, Ronald Tumuhairwe, manager capacity building at PDDA said.

Ronald Tumuhairwe, manager capacity building at PDDA

Tumuhairwe was speaking during the 3rd annual suppliers conference organized by Bank of Uganda at Imperial Royal hotel yesterday. Some suppliers in response said current policies have driven some suppliers out of business thus may have forced them to forge documents.

For example, for a supplier bidding to supply printing papers to a government entity, PPDA requires them to provide a certificate from the manufacturers.

This, some suppliers say, is difficult to get because the suppliers can as well take over the process and supply the materials or equipments themselves.

According to the PPDA mandate under the law, it may suspend a provider from engaging in any procurement and disposal process on grounds which include among others; breach of the code of ethics, after an investigation by the auditor general, upon conviction of provider of corrupt practices, suspension of a provider by a professional body of conduct among others.

POLICY GAPS

Another challenge raised by a several suppliers relates to the local content policy under PPDA Act. Since the discovery of oil, government fast tracked a local content policy with a major aim of ring fencing opportunities for local manufacturers and companies to benefit in terms of supplying materials.

However, the gaps cited within the policy have now made it difficult for suppliers to successfully win bids in some government departments according to suppliers. As a result of the local content policy, some companies are being forced to review their allotment of shareholding in order to receive business.

Between March and now, many companies have raised issued on the local content policy. The definition [of a local supplier] is being revised currently in the local content guidelines, Tumuhairwe said in response to aggrieved suppliers.

In May this year, PPDA issued a set of guidelines aimed at providing mechanisms of increasing the input of local labour goods and services in the procurement of public sector projects, goods and services within the country. Their intervention through the local content policy were aligned to the Buy Uganda Build Uganda policy (BUBU).

The Ugandan local content policy does not state whether a company should be a wholly owned Ugandan company or simply a registered company in Uganda, regardless of its ownership and control. This has left suppliers guessing on what the policy demands for.

Additionally, the BUBU policy is premised on the PPDA clause which talks about preference of 23 per cent which is built into local content.

According to BOU governor, Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile, the BUBU policy gives preferential treatment to Ugandan local producers, something he feels is against East African Community customs protocol which encourages easy trade facilitations among member states.

alitwaha@observer.ug
Since Maj Gen (rtd) Mugisha Muntu lost the FDC presidency last week to former Kumi MP Patrick Amuriat Oboi, fierce public debate has focused much about his next political move.

On Wednesday, he addressed a press conference and committed himself to the party. Our reporter Baker Batte Lule taped the proceedings and brings you a slightly edited version of the events.

We expected you to make a big announcement; are you still in FDC?

There is a lot of debate all over the country about what is happening in FDC which in itself is healthy. Like I already indicated, there are a number of issues that we need to discuss within the party and outside. We dont intend to rush any decision.

The consultations that we want to make, we want to ensure that by the time we are going to make any decision, it is not a decision that we are going to make out of emotions because we are dealing with matters of life and death.

Some people take politics easy others choose to say whatever they want to say without bothering about the implications of what they say or what they do. We are in a country where, for 54 years, we have been involved in bloodletting; killings because of the carelessness of the leaders. When decisions are being made, you must be careful in the manner in which you make these decisions.

We dont intend to do anything in secret because there is nothing to hide. At the end of the consultative processes, which I believe may go through all of December, we would have reached out to our colleagues, many Ugandans; we would have listened to different voices and then make whatever decisions.

There is nothing personal in all this. I hear you naming names. I dont think that this is about myself or Dr [Kizza] Besigye. There are certain dynamics unfolding in this country and we need to critically examine them. For us, we are simply just participants in those unfolding dynamics whether within the party or outside the party.

All our colleagues all over the country must keep calm because decisions of this nature dont need to be made in panic or in a state of anger or frustration because it affects peoples lives. Unfortunately, people are focused on the most immediate thing, the removal of a dictatorship. Yes, it is important but there are issues beyond a dictatorship.



In what capacity will you carry out the mobilisation you have talked about? Wont we see a parallel FDC structure like the one we have been having at Katonga road?

I will be carrying out these consultations as one of the senior leaders of the party and also in my capacity as a free citizen. Whatever we do will be in the open. It will be a transparent process because that is how we operate. We will be briefing Hon Oboi about every step that we will be taking.

I will be discussing with him because politics is not a private affair. I dont know how other people operate but that is the way we operate. At the end of the day, parties are a critical factor. They are the vehicles through which governance is conducted. If there are many parties that subscribe to certain values, not by word of mouth but in practice, it will certainly be good for the country.



We have heard that Hon Amuriat is going to call you for a discussion

I have already talked to him; it is not him who has talked to me. I have no problem with Hon Oboi. I will be available to him all the time. Whenever he needs any advice, I will give it him; Im a very transparent person; Im a democrat, Im an honest person.

Everything I do is above board; so, in whatever I do I will be looking at how FDC can be improved. Im somebody who never gives up even if I operated anywhere else. Even if Im to completely retire from politics, I will still be ready to give advice to those who will still be in politics to ensure that the party becomes better.

This country is going to be run by political parties unless the constitution is changed, and then you can get Kacita running government.



Amuriat thinks you can play an advisory role in the new party elders council.

Let me correct you. Its not Hon Oboi who is going to establish that council. It was a decision made by NEC, made about three years ago. Unfortunately, when the delegates conference was making amendments to the constitution, they made that council elective.

We discussed that issue in NEC and said there is no way you can try to have the services of elders and then tell them to go compete for those positions. There is no way you can tell Hon Amanya Mushega or Wandera Ogalo to compete to become elders. We proposed an amendment that that council should be appointive. It is not as though it is anything new.

Secondly, in the course of consultations there are many things that we are going to be looking at. We cant anticipate the outcome of such consultations. We need to be patient until we get to that point.



Will your views be accepted now that some of the people on the other side say you have killed the party?

I dont know how Hon Oboi is going to handle it. At least for me I have the experience of how to handle it. I must say we handled it well. On Friday, (today), Im going to hand over a party which is intact and yet all these tendencies were there.

Their campaign platform was that there was going to be only one strategy; I dont know how that is going to be in practice. During my time, I recognised that there are different tendencies; I didnt believe that there was any way you can suppress one tendency.



Are your consultative meetings about forming another party or remaining in FDC?

We havent reached there yet. It is healthy to have debates internally, even externally in a country like Uganda in which political dynamics are unfolding. We have got to listen and understand how to handle this one as a party or political parties involved in the change process.

The only disappointing thing is that as political actors, we seem not to realise that you can have disagreements and manage them in a civil way.

That is where I get a bit of a problem that every time there is a problem, people tend to go to the trenches and start fighting. We are focused on the end state which is having good governance in this country. That is the bottom line; there is no compromise on that.



If in the course of your interaction with NRM people they tell you please comeback home, would you give it a thought?

No, no, that is absolutely out!

You know the issue of having new parties is not new; we have lived with it. In 2004, when we formed FDC, there were many people who told some of us who were in Pafo to form a new party and we said no. There was resistance in a number of quarters but we cut into that resistance and ended up forming FDC.

I know for sure that even if there was a separation and you find two or three parties starting; the dynamics within them will not be different from those we currently see in the existing parties.

All actors within those parties are a product of our culture since 1962. The only difference is the party that can manage these contradictions and create stability for a sustained period of time and eventually create a critical mass. Once a party like that achieves that, then it will lead the way for others to follow.



Your approach of building party structures alongside defiance was rejected. What is there to negotiate?

We are not going to be negotiating anything with anybody; we are going to be discussing. We are living in the same country and we dont seem to realise that we are heading to a possible crisis.

Nobody can say with certainty that we are going to have a smooth change yet change will happen. But how will it happen? How will it be managed?

We dont want to face a crisis that we cannot handle as a people. So, we must keep discussing these issues and my hope is that people will act in good faith. The problem is that many of us act from the negative. If there is a controversy, engage it with a view of looking for a solution. If there is a national crisis, it will suck in all of us; it doesnt matter whether you are FDC, DP, NRM or UPC.



You said there are irreconcilable differences within FDC, how are you going to handle that now that you are in talks with the party?

I wish I could give you an easy answer. It is tough and that is why we have to make wide consultations. If it was only myself, I never find it difficult to make hard decisions in my life. I make them whether people understand me or not; I keep moving.



You said that FDC doesnt trust you; now, where have you found the new trust that you can work with them?

As an individual, I can operate in any environment. There are those of us who will keep on pushing the boundaries of our body politic until they open up and everybody feels comfortable with people whether they agree or not.

Maybe there will be sacrifices along the way and that is okay. Fortunately in politics you will be sacrificed politically but in war, you die; they bury you, life continues.



bakerbatte@observer.ug
This page is maintained for historical purposes. On Wednesday 20 December 2017, Parliament passed the bill to lift the constitutional age limit of 75 years for presidential candidates.

As the battle rages to remove the constitutional cap of 75 years of age for presidential candidates, The Observer keeps you up-to-date with all the developments - including how the numbers stack up in Parliament and how voters, opinion leaders and voters are reacting - through this age limit battle tracker.

The contentious move to amend the constitution to remove the age limit would, if it succeeds, allow incumbent President Yoweri Museveni who has ruled Uganda for almost 32 years, and who would otherwise be ineligible, to stand again for the presidency in 2021. He could, potentially, become Uganda's "president for life".

The decision rests primarily with Parliament, which is dominated by the ruling NRM. However, with the attempt to remove the term limit seemingly unpopular with voters in many parts of the country, a number of NRM Members of Parliament are defying their party to oppose the attempt.

The Observer surveyed MPs and analysed their public statements to establish how they intend to vote on the age limit removal bill. The data, presented below, will be updated regularly, to reflect the latest situation.

See also:

Not surprisingly, as our data below shows, many MPs, especially NRM MPs, are refusing to state where they stand on the matter, probably fearing a backlash from voters or from the state.

Interestingly, our data also shows that while some NRM MPs have decided to defy the views of their constituents by supporting the controversial attempt to remove the term limits, no single MP has gone the other way to oppose the move when his or her constituents support it.

With two-thirds of 436 voting MPs required to see through the proposed constitutional amendment to remove the age limit, at least 291 MPs are required for the move to succeed. In light of significant public opposition to the move, it is not clear yet that the NRM has the required numbers, its overwhelming majority in Parliament notwithstanding.
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has initiated inquiry against Bharti Airtel for allegedly opening payments bank accounts of its subscribers who went for Aadhaar-based SIM verification without their 'informed consent'. The Aadhaar-issuing authority has sought an explanation from Airtel by December 4 why a financial penalty should not be imposed on it in this case for violating Aadhaar regulations.

The UIDAI had issued notices against Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank in this regard in back in September this year. The need to seek further explanation arose after UIDAI found the initial response from Airtel unsatisfactory, an UIDAI official told PTI. The anonymous UIDAI official said that prima facie, the authority had found Bharti Airtel responsible for "wrongdoings" in the matter.

The matter came on the radar when the LPG subsidy of some Airtel subscribers was transferred in their Airtel Payments Bank account, and not their designated bank account. The UIDAI received complaints alleging that Airtel opened payments bank accounts without explicit consent of consumers and that the accounts were then linked for receiving LPG subsidy. Presently, the subsidised amount is transferred directly to the bank accounts of beneficiaries under the Aadhaar-based Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme.

As of now, Bharti Airtel has been given time till December 4 to explain why action should not be initiated against it, including imposition of penalty on the issue, confirmed UIDAI sources.

"We have issued notice to a telecom operator and are awaiting their response. After giving full opportunity of hearing to the company concerned, we will take judicious view of the matter," UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey told PTI. Pandey, however, did not identify the operator, saying the issue is under examination.

Meanwhile, Airtel said in its defence that "Airtel Payments Bank accounts are opened only after explicit consent from the customer". Meanwhile, according to company sources, Airtel is readying a detailed response to submit to the UIDAI within the stipulated time period.

As per a statment by an Airtel spokesperson to PTI , the re-verification of mobile phones and the opening of Airtel payments bank account were separate transactions and not linked. "Airtel Payments Bank is fully compliant with all guidelines and follows a stringent customer on-boarding process," the Airtel spokesperson said.

He claimed that the consent for opening Airtel payments bank account as also DBT is taken separately from all customers. The DBT amount is automatically credited to the most recent Aadhaar-linked bank account of a customer as per the applicable norms, the spokesperson added.

"If the Airtel payments bank account is the latest Aadhaar-linked account opened by a customer, the DBT automatically gets routed to it," Airtel said, adding that such subsidy credit is also brought to the attention of the customers through a message or automated call.

In the notice served at that time, the UIDAI had said it had come to know that "Airtel retailers are allegedly opening Airtel payments bank accounts at the time of performing Aadhaar e-KYC verification without informing the purpose of e-KYC and also without taking informed consent of the customer". The authority also prompted both Bharti Airtel and its payments bank arm to take required corrective measures immediately and report back to the authority on the same.

Airtel Payments Bank was the first payments bank to go live in the country when it rolled out banking services from Rajasthan in November 2016. As per norms, payments banks can accept deposits and savings bank deposits from individuals and small businesses, up to a maximum of Rs 1 lakh per account.

(With PTI inputs)
The Sensex and Nifty tumbled off their day's highs during the last hour of trade. While the Sensex fell 453 points to 33,149, the Nifty was down 134 points to 10,226 level. The indexes extended losses in morning trade with the Sensex opening nearly 150 points lower and Nifty falling 60 points to 10,315 level. Kotak Mahindra Bank (2.63%), SBI (2.54%) and Reliance Industries (2.42%) were the top losers on the Sensex. Of 30 Sensex stocks, only Dr. Reddy's (0.45 percent) and NTPC (0.36 percent) closed in the green. We look at why Sensex and Nifty fell today.

Widening fiscal deficit: Fiscal deficit for the April - October 2017 period widened to Rs 5.25 lakh crore, or 96.1 percent of the budgeted target for the current fiscal year that ends in March 2018. Compared to the same period an year ago, the deficit was 79.3 percent of the full-year target. Fiscal deficit is the difference between total revenue and total expenditure of the government.

Futures and Options expiry: Market entered the bearish phase today, amid nervousness prevailing since opening ahead of the derivatives expiry today. Experts also cited high valuations as a reason for market fall. "Markets are at quite a high level in terms of valuations; so some amount of correction is normal to expect," said Deepak Jasani, head of retail research at HDFC Securities.

Banking stocks: The BSE Bankex shed 548 points or 1.88 percent with all 10 components closing in the red. PNB, SBI and Kotak Mahindra Bank were the top losers. The Bank Nifty too fell 1.80 percent or 463 points to 25,332 level. All 12 Bank Nifty components ended in the red.

Asian markets: Indian markets tracked their Asian counterparts since early morning today. In afternoon trade, the Sensex and Nifty extended losses with Asian markets too losing steam.Taiwan Se Weighted Index closed 1.43 percent or 153 points lower to 10,560 level. Hang Seng too fell 446 points followed by Shanghai SE Composite index which was down 20 points to 3317 level. The Nikkei 225 was the only exception, gaining 127 points to 22,724 level.

North Korean tension: Geo political tension continued to weigh on the global arena after Pyongyang test fired its most advanced missile on Tuesday, putting the US mainland within range, in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. In response, the US warned North Korea's leadership it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out after the missile test. State media in North Korea said on Wednesday the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was launched from a newly developed vehicle in a "breakthrough" and that the warhead could withstand the pressure of re-entering the atmosphere.
Though the government's plan to privatise flag carrier airline Air India is on hold for long, many new players are gearing up to grab a piece of cake if the Centre floats the disinvestment plan. Till now, only Tata joint ventures, AirAsia India and Vistara, and IndiGo Airline have shown interest, but now Jet Airways and Spicejet are reportedly also planning to bid for buying the ailing national carrier.

The Times of India quoted an unidentified source saying with its 14 per cent domestic and 17-18 per cent international market share, getting Air India would be a paradigm shift for whichever airline gets Air India, and that Jet Airways and even SpiceJet would have no option but to bid for Air India.

The government think tank Niti Aayog has suggested complete privatisation of the airline, which has a debt burden of over Rs 52,000 crore. The ministry of civil aviation is looking at ways to revive the airline surviving on Rs 30,000 crore bailout package extended by the previous UPA regime.

With such a domestic market share of 14 per cent, the carrier is an attractive buy for airlines but mounting debt burden may pose hurdles. However, the TOI source said, the government was planning to sell a clean carrier to prospective bidders by putting all the tricky aspects like real estate in an SPV.

Jet Airways, being the second largest airline in India, is extensively trying to enhance its national as well as international presence. Though nationally it faces a tough challenge from IndoGo, the Air India acquisition could give it a much-needed fillip.

Jet Airways also announced partnership with Air France-KLM on Wednesday to increase the number of flights to Europe, especially Paris and Amsterdam, and expand further connectivity to the United States. The partnership between the two could, however, hurt the business prospects of major Gulf career Etihad Airlines, which owns 24 per cent stake in Jet Airways, but the pact would help Jet Airlines expand its footprints internationally.
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Many of us who live in this region enjoy a quality of life that generally includes little serious crime. I don't feel unsafe walking at night in Glens Falls, even some of the sketchier areas. Yes, there is crime, but stranger-on-stranger violence is rare.

Wednesday was one of those days that made me wonder about that conclusion.

The morning started off with writeups on two new sex crime prosecutions, and some interviews on a couple of unexplained fires in Washington County.

Then, at 9:30 a.m., I covered the sentencing of a man who stabbed his brother and nearly killed him. A short time later, Bryan Redden, the Glens Falls man charged with the unthinkable murders of a mother and her young daughter, was in court for some pre-trial motions.

That case dragged into the early afternoon, so I was camped out for the afternoon court appearance of the Queensbury woman charged with aiding her boyfriend during a robbery and burglary spree where he allegedly shot the store owner in Hague several times.

And as I was sitting in court waiting for that case, one of the police officers in court leaned over and asked me, "Did you hear about the bank robbery in Glens Falls?"

So as the Hague shooting case ended, down to NBT Bank we went. By the time I walked out of the office Wednesday night, my head was spinning.

Hopefully Thursday is a little quieter.

-- Don Lehman
The videotaping of police interrogations, which has become widespread, defends the rights of suspects and the reputation of police officers.

Defendants who are being filmed are less likely to get badgered into signing confessions they dont believe or have requests for a lawyer ignored. Officers cannot be accused of misconduct that isnt backed up by the videotape.

The other thing that gets protected by videotaping is public trust in the criminal justice process. When the public can see that officers are following the law and see that criminal verdicts are backed up by videotaped statements, that raises the level of trust in law enforcement.

But secrecy undermines trust as much as transparency bolsters it, which is why we object to the new procedure being followed in Warren County Court in the way defendants statements are handled.

In the past, when defendants were arraigned or indicted on felony charges, prosecutors would turn over any defendant statements to defense lawyers, as required, and the statements would be filed with the court. Since court records are public, these statements, whether written or videotaped, would be available for public review.

Our court reporter, Don Lehman, has many times over the years checked court files for particular cases and used excerpts from defendants statements in his stories.

Unfortunately, Warren County Court, under the direction of Judge John Hall, has changed longstanding procedure and begun keeping defendants statements secret. Prosecutors still turn the statements over to the defense, but no longer file them with the court.

Now, the statements cannot be reviewed by reporters or any other member of the public. Now, instead of bolstering public confidence in the criminal justice system, the handling of these statements is undermining it.

A recent letter from Hall to Lehman, written to justify the change in procedure, fails to reassure us. Hall acknowledges the right of the public to be informed of criminal cases in its courts, but says that must be balanced against a defendants right to a fair trial.

But there has been no balancing in Halls court, just a ban on public access to defendants videotaped statements.

For balancing to take place, Hall would have to follow a process that considered specifics  whether a particular defendants videotaped statements, if released, could unfairly prejudice potential jurors.

He would have to consider, among other things, how many people would be likely to watch the video and whether people who hadnt watched it could be easily found to serve as jurors.

Readers may remember the Alexander West case, which received a tremendous amount of front-page attention in this paper before Wests trial this past spring. West had been driving a boat at night on Lake George that smashed into and over another boat, killing a little girl. He was convicted of several crimes.

Despite all the attention the case received before the trial, lawyers were able to find a suitable jury, with jurors who swore they could be impartial, in a single day.

In most cases, allowing public access to videotaped statements, even if newspapers like The Post-Star post the videos on their websites, will not taint the jury pool. Some people dont read their local paper, unfortunately, and many do not watch the videos.

We can imagine videos so inflammatory that withholding them could be justified  if a defendant attacked the officer questioning him, for example.

But the assumption should be that defendants videotaped statements belong with the other public records in the court files. When exceptions are sought, judges should demand that standards be met to justify the secrecy.

That is exactly what Washington County Judge Kelly McKeighan did a couple of months ago, after a prosecutor had a defendants statements sealed. McKeighan reviewed the decision, decided the statements did not meet the standard and ordered them unsealed.

Lehman has been seeking the videotaped statements of Bryan Redden, who is accused of killing a mother and her 4-year-old daughter in August in Glens Falls. But access has been blocked because of the change in Warren County Court procedures.

In his letter, Hall wrote, A judge has extraordinary powers, including the option of closing his/her courtroom to the public to preserve a fair trial.

A judge does have a lot of power, but it should be exercised in a reasonable way. Various rights must be balanced in these decisions, but the publics right to know what is taking place in the courts is fundamental to our criminal justice system.

If Judge Hall or any judge is going to keep secret information that has routinely been public, he should have to justify his decision with specifics. That has not happened in the Redden case, and unless Hall can do that, he should order Reddens statements added to the court files immediately.
I'm writing to question the folks outraged by the use of the creche in the editorial cartoon. It's fine to be upset, but doesn't the inspiration for it bother you? No one mentions that. The cartoon doesn't exist in a vacuum. "Take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus" (Jim Ziegler, Alabama State Auditor). That's the Holy Family used to defend the candidacy of an alleged sexual predator. I'd hope you're not cool with a moral equivalence between Joseph of Nazareth and Roy Moore. As a regular parishioner, my greater concern is being linked to Christian supporters of Moore. I've been told, thankfully not by anyone in my church, that liberals cannot be Christians. That's a stereotype that made me reluctant to return to worship. Luckily, our judge is not on Earth. In a few weeks, there'll be many attending service that don't normally. There are Christians, thankfully not in my church, who vocally back the policies of Donald Trump and Roy Moore. There are also many who consider the brand of moral justice espoused by Jesus to be opposed to the views of men such as these and want to work toward that. Don't be put off by the loud minority. Come and celebrate his birth. Then come back. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
The holiday season is back againor maybe it already has you by the scruff of the neck, depending on your perspective. There are parties with family and friends, potlucks at work, and somehow were supposed to shoehorn finding time to buy gifts into our regular work week. How can we do it all without losing that joyous holiday spirit along the way? I opt for streamliningpulling off one of those three- birds- with- one- stone kind of dealsand man oh man have the Van Rixel Bros. got me covered. Located just south of I-40s Juan Tabo exit, the small, sheet-metaled exterior belies a world of wonders within. Pop in and maybe youll catch Kelvin behind the counter, a friendly face who was happy to let me sample a few of his personal favorites.

First are the gelatos ($5.50 a pint/$2.50 for 4-oz liddles). Expect some wildly inventive flavor combinations that make for a smooth, balanced end to festivities. Fair warning: youll have a helluva hard time deciding on one or even just two flavors to take. The good news is that you really cant pick a bad one. Theres the Venetian tiramisu with its slight notes of ladyfinger and caramel silk and the blueberry lavendera sumptuous fruit and flowery collaboration with the Farm Shop at Los Poblanos. Maybe youre after something crazier? Try the red chile chocolate chunk. Its that familiar spice and dust of powdered red chile that hits the throat, with crunchy bits of frozen dark chocolate sweetened with cane sugar and agave. Theres the lavender lemon chiffon which balances the citrus against the herbaceous must of lavender, and the smoked sea salt and honey caramel has just enough salt to offset the cream and velvet of the caramel. The Sri Lanka cinnamon was subtle on spice while clean and sweet. But if you want your mind blown, get the strawberry habanero. Its a fireworks display in your mouth: Just when you think the fresh strawberry is done, the habanero lands like a sucker-punch.

For vegans or those just looking to cleanse the palate between courses, they offer up some silky sorbets as well. The Mayan spiced chocolate sorbet has no dairy and no gluten, and delivers enough chocolate flavor to help the conscientious eater forget about ice cream. The peach and champagne sorbet is a bright stone-fruit dreamwhich is saying something for a peach dessert connoisseur like me. And if youre in the mood to experiment, I suggest using the gelatos or sorbets in your holiday cocktails. The Thai coconut sorbet, with its chunks of shredded coconut, and luscious milk is right at home in a pina colada, and my wife has already come up with a filthy, unprintable name for a tequila-based concoction made with pomegranate seeds and the mango passionfruit sorbet.

If its a box of chocolates youre after, you can pick from their truffles, nut giandujas, caramels and a couple cordial-like liqueurs. I took a 12-piece ($23)highly recommended, as it gives you a decent pass over many of the flavors on offer. For truffles, I first tried the deep, dark cocoa of the pomegranate. The espresso truffle was rich and smoothso smooth that it misses the texture of the bits of espresso bean that the espresso bar had. The blood orange truffle has the perfect hint of grapefruit-sour, roiling in a creamy center. The blueberry port masterfully blends both notesquite a trick when the berry can be so subtle, and ort so powerful. The caramels were all great, so choose (milk vs. dark, salt, chile, etc.) based on what (if anything) youre pairing them with. The nut giandujas were, like everything else, pretty as a picture and executed with precision. The pine nut and salt has a pinon bite that is instantly recognizable, and the almond is butter-smooth and earthy. The toffee and mixed nut has bits of each gone chewy in the sugar and toffee veneer. In the liqueur department, I had the orange (made with Cointreau), the Patron XO coffee, and the cherry brandy. Each is a small chocolate cup blend of booze and sugary fondant, so expect the burst when you bite them. There are chocolate bars ($1.80) and chocolate covered snacks that will have you picking between milk or dark chocolate, and topped with things like toffee, bee pollen or espresso bitsthe perfect addition to a stocking or gift basket.

So whether youre shopping for a work potluck, family dinners or youre just looking for some Albuquerque-specific gifts, the Chocolate Cartel/Van Rixel Bros. Gelato & Sorbet deliver insane flavor combinations, and tremendous quality with their wide range of inventive confections. Plus, youll be doing your part to support the local economy over the faceless mega-corporations of holiday industryand that always feels right. But be warned: Wherever you bring these artisanal treatsyou better prepare to be complimented!
Paid HealthAdvertisement Advertisement Doctor Predicts End Of Crippling Joint Pain By 2022 According to Dr. David Taylor, Orthopedic Surgeon, remarkable new developments in joint heath research mean, in the next 5 years, millions of joint pain sufferers may no longer need prescription painkillers, walking sticks, wheelchairs or knee and hip replacement surgeries! Heres why New York  After years of painstaking research, doctors have announced a discovery that is so radical it could end Americas crippling joint pain epidemic by 2022. This is a real game changer for people suffering from chronic pain and stiffness, says Dr. David Taylor. In fact, experts are saying the newly released Androxamin pill will cost U. S. drug companies millions of dollars in lost proits. But just think how many millions of people will be saved from chronic joint pain, surgery and addictive prescription pills that are harmful to your health. Top doctors nationwide are now calling it, the holy grail for people in constant pain and stiffness! So How Is Androxamin Wowing The Scientiic Community? For one thing, the clinical proof is impressive to say the least. Androxamin comes from groundbreaking new developments in joint health research that have taken the medical industry by storm. Androxamin is the irst in a new class of Immunomodulator medicines. Its designed to regulate the immune systems inlammatory response to joint pain and crippling stiffness. by blocking multiple chemical pathways in our bodies that produce inlammatory chemicals the source of pain and stiffness. Needless to say, this has caught the attention of scientists and doctors from around the world. Works In A Way Experts Have Never Seen Before Simply take the pill as directed and with each passing day youll notice your pain become less and less intense.  Users also notice their joints become more lexible with regular use. Arthritis experts, such as Dr. David Taylor, are saying the clinical evidence is compelling, in the next ive years, millions of joint pain sufferers may no longer need prescription medications, walking sticks, wheelchairs or hip and knee replacement surgeries! Clinical Results That Shocked Scientists Worldwide The results of more than 30 studies and human clinical trials on Androxamins active ingredient have sent shockwaves throughout the medical community. The indings show it works to produce results scientists never thought were possible. For example, it reduces the quantity of attacker proteins in the body that are shown to target cartilage between bones and destroy joints. It also switches off an inlammatory chemical called NF-kB, which is the Works Like Botox: 52 year old Lynn Corey is thrilled with her results using the new $2 facelift from France; clinical trials show it works like Botox to reduce wrinkles without needles or side effects. Over the next 5 years, experts predict the end of Americas joint pain epidemic and scenes like this of crippled seniors will become rare and unusual. master switch in the human body that turns on pain and swelling. Its even shown to provide bones with the building blocks necessary to build stronger bones in old age, which reduces the risk of broken bones. As a result, users who took Androxamins active ingredient reported fast and impressive relief from pain and stiffness. Redness and swelling around their joints disappeared. Their ability to exercise and carry out everyday tasks and chores increased signiicantly. They also reported less stiffness upon waking in the morning or getting up from chairs after resting. Lubricates Joints For Greater Flexibility Another surprising beneit of taking Androxamin is that the research shows it contains a key ingredient shown to produce synovial luid. Synovial luid acts as a lubrication between joints that stops bone grinding on bone which causes pain and inlammation. Thats why within days of regular use, Androxamin users report their joints become less stiff. They notice they can move with greater freedom and lexibility. They report being able to grip cups and open jars with greater strength and less discomfort. They even report being able to get out of bed or up from chairs with greater ease and less pain. Works Even In Extreme Cases Of Joint Pain Perhaps the most impressive thing about Androxamin is that clinical studies show the active ingredient provides relief to joint pain sufferers who are considered hopeless cases.  For example, a compassion study that was published in the medical journal Innovative Rheumatology in 2013 left scientists speechless. A compassion study is conducted on patients who have tried every standard medical treatment to relieve their pain but nothing worked. Yet, at the end of just four short weeks of taking Androxamins active ingredient, every last participant in this study reported a steady and rapid decrease in the intensity of their joint pain and stiffness. What The Experts Are Saying Androxamin is the irst in a new class of Immunomodulator medicines, said Dr. David Taylor, a board certiied orthopedic surgeon. The word Immunomodulator is a scientiic term. In plain English, it simply means the pill works with the immune system to control the bodys inlammatory response to injured or damaged joints, he added. Its a breakthrough new solution that is changing the way doctors worldwide now treat their patients. Here in America news of this remarkable pill is spreading like wildire and doctors from coast-to-coast are rushing to recommend Androxamin, Taylor said. Whats most fascinating about this pill is that it doesnt just trigger rapid pain relief. It triggers rapid pain relief without putting the user at risk of addiction or harmful side effects. The pill is very safe, with a safety proile far superior to NSAIDs and opioids, which is unlike any other pill we have available in America up until now, he added. How to get Androxamin This is the oficial nationwide release of Androxamin to the general public. And so, the company is offering a special discount supply to anyone who calls within the next 48-hours. A Regional Order Hotline has been set up for local readers to call. This gives everyone an equal chance to try Androxamin. Starting at 7:00 am today, the order hotline will be open for 48-hours. All you have to do is call TOLL FREE 1-888-5453632 and provide the operator with the special discount approval code: ADM179. The company will do the rest. Important: Due to Androxamins recent media exposure phone lines are often busy. If you call and do not immediately get through please be patient and call back. Those who miss the 48 hour deadline may have to pay full price for Androxamin. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. All clinical studies on Androxamins active ingredients were independently conducted and were not sponsored by the manufacturer of Androxamin.
The Mississippi Valley Blues Society and the River Music Experience are co-sponsoring the Quad-Cities' final performance of Bob Door & the Blue Band.

Bob Door has announced a conclusion of the band's tour schedule, ending a 36 year career performing the blues for thousands of fans,. After headlining the first Mississippi Valley Blues Festival in 1985, and returning to the Quad-Cities many times throughout the years, their final Quad-Cities performance will be Saturday, Dec. 9, at the Redstone Room in the River Music Experience, 129 N. Main Street, Davenport. Doors open at 7 p.m. with show at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 the day of the show. or more information go to rivermusicexperience.org

In the Blue Band's 30 plus years, they have averaged playing 125 dates per year, mostly in Iowa and the Midwest. For 15 years the band made trips to Colorado ski resort areas and Sun Valley Idaho.

Bob Door & the Blue Band have opened for B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, Bobby Rush, Robert Cray, Roomful of Blues, Tower of Power, Leon Russel, Duke Robillard, Maria Muldaur, Little Charlie & the Nightcats, Asleep at the Wheel, and many others.

Career highlights include a 25 year run at the Iowa State Fair. five appearances at the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, and 2 appearances at the Kansas City Jazz & Blues Festival. In 2000, Bob Door was inducted into the Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In 2006, he was inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame, and in 2007, he re-inducted into the Iowa Rock & Roll Music Association Hall of Fame.

Bob Door & the Blues Band have also appeared on the Beale Street Caravan radio show, produced by the Blues Foundation in Memphis.

There have been over 25 Bob Door & the Blue Band album releases, including five vinyl records. The band was one of the first Iowa groups to have its music released on CD, in 1987. In 2006, to celebrate the Blue Band's 25th anniversary, Iowa Public Television released a 2-DVD set spanning the group's history and including footage from 12 different years. The 25th Anniversary concert has been broadcast across Iowa on IPTV numerous times.

Location: Redstone Room in the River Music Experience

129 N. Main Street, Davenport, Iowa 52801

Date: Saturday, December 9th

Time: Doors: 7:00/ Show 8:00

Tickets: $12 in advance/ $15 the day of

For more information go to www.rivermusicexperience.org
I admit a bias here. Two biases, in fact.

British authors are among my favorite writers. And the beloved A Christmas Carol is among my favorite books.

So this combination in The Man Who Invented Christmas already appealed to me on the surface. And I enjoyed it even more as the characters  mainly the fictional ones in the book, but also Charles Dickens and his father, in particular  develop more fully as the tale continues to unfold in a gentle, often whimsical view of the beleaguered writer who needed to come up with a best-seller  and fast.

Dickens didnt invent Christmas, of course. But for Victorian England, already in the throes of renewed interest in Christmas, he certainly gave it a boost. This isnt exactly a biopic  its sort of a partial one, with a close-up view of the great writer over about two months of his life in 1843 while he was writing the holiday classic.

The screenplay contains a lot of authenticity. As presented in Susan Coynes mostly historically faithful screenplay, the kind-hearted and charismatic Dickens (Dan Stevens, the beast in Beauty and the Beast from earlier this year) is short on time, money and inspiration. His last three books were flops.

Now he has writers block, another child on the way, and his mooch of a father hanging around.

He knows his characters, especially Ebenezer Scrooge (a wonderful Christopher Plummer) and has lengthy conversations with them as he tries to encourage them to do his bidding.

The fun of it all is watching the characters and the dialogue spring from the people and the conversations he hears around him  theres a cadaverous-looking waiter named Marley that most of the audience will recognize instantly  and some of which he remembers from his childhood.

Stevens has a great time with the exasperated Dickens, and the marvelous Jonathan Pryce (televisions Game of Thrones), likewise has fun as a neer-do-well who has little pride and even less of an understanding of finances.

The parts about the writing of the book, which Dickens did in six weeks time, engaged me the most and will engage anyone who writes or, for that matter, creates. While publishers turn down A Christmas Carol, we know better than they do: Dickens has a hit in his hands. I also liked the way Dickens is forced to grapple with constant interruptions, and the way he overcomes the obstacles that, at one point, never seem to end.

Dont let anything stand in your way of seeing this good-natured, lovely-to-look-at story thats suitable for families with older children (its too talky for the smallest ones) that will get you in the mood for you own Christmas.
BURLINGTON, Iowa  Sometimes, you just get lucky.

It happened to me Sunday evening of Labor Day weekend.

As I pulled into the Port of Burlington, hoping my timing was right to catch the former Rhythm City Casino barge, I spotted it, traveling down the Mississippi River toward me.

A crew from Newt Marine Service of Dubuque had removed the barge two days prior from the Davenport riverfront and embarked on a three-day voyage to its new home port in Keokuk.

Using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lock Queue Report, I occasionally tracked the casinos progress as I explored towns on both banks of the river between Burlington and Keokuk.

Other observers on the levee had been keeping an eye on it, too.

Its like a floating city, said John Miller, who snapped photos of the spectacle from shore as it passed under the Great River Bridge that links Burlington and Gulfport, Illinois.

The avid photographer, however, did not count on good fortune to secure his front-row seat at the casinos welcoming party. He planned his weekend around it.

In the days leading up to its arrival, Miller routinely checked the online lock report and listened for updates on his marine radio at home in Wever, Iowa, an unincorporated community in Lee County. The next day, he shot photos of the barge's delivery in Keokuk.

Its been a longtime fascination, said Miller, who sported blue jeans and a tucked-in t-shirt bearing a graphic of a towboat.

Combining passions

As a teenager, Miller, a native of Keokuk, developed an appreciation for riverboats and the history of the river while working at the George M. Verity Riverboat Museum.

His father later managed the site, and the duo worked together there for close to 20 years.

Dad was the curator, and I was kind of the assistant curator, Miller said. He was a great mentor, and he got me hooked on the river.

Looking back, he credited his mother, an artist, for inspiring him to engage his creative side.

One hobby led to another, and I just thought, Well, if I love the river, I need to be able to photograph it, Miller continued.

So, in the summer of 1978, the then-18-year-old purchased his first single-lens reflex, or SLR, film camera, a Pentax K1000, and boarded the historic Delta Queen steamboat for the first time. As a passenger on the 1920s-era cruiser, he documented his glorious week-long journey from St. Louis to St. Paul.

Miller eventually returned to the now-defunct Delta Queen as a member of the crew, working as an "oiler," or "apprentice engineer, as he called it. (In 2008, federal lawmakers deemed the wooden vessel a fire hazard, prohibiting the boat, which was built in 1926 and registered as a National Historic Landmark, from running overnight excursions.)

No complaints

While back problems hindered Miller from pursuing a career as a full-time riverboat crewman, he managed to form several relationships through the years that spurred future freelance photography gigs.

Twilight, for example, the LeClaire-based riverboat company popular for its two-day overnight cruises to Dubuque and back, has hired him to cover special events in the past.

Carrie Stier, who owns the business with her husband and riverboat captain, Kevin, called Miller a "prolific photographer."

When youve been around the river your whole life, you kind of know the spots you can go and get your shots, Miller said.

From his home in Wever, Miller can walk to the water within two minutes. He monitors river levels as the pump house operator for the Green Bay Levee and Drainage District.

"I wouldn't change it for anything in the world," Miller said, referring to his connection to the ever-flowing waterway. "I mean, lakes and that are nice, but they're not the Mississippi.

"Nothing's the same day to day."
SAVANNA, Ill.  The sun was quickly retreating when we arrived at Mississippi Palisades State Park, about 60 miles upriver from the Quad-Cities.

Sitting side-by-side, two chatty 60-something women greeted me, my girlfriend and our friend at the permit station, where we learned mudslides had washed out almost half of the parks 241 campsites just a couple of weeks before in July.

The friendly campground hosts pulled out a map of the 2,500-acre park and directed us toward an area without much tree coverage. We told them we wanted to catch the annual Perseid meteor shower, which NASA predicted to peak that night.

Although the National Natural Landmark in Carroll County rarely reaches capacity, we felt fortunate to land a site on a Saturday night in August, especially since this was our backup plan.

Earlier in the day, my buddy and I biked upriver from Moline to catch Tug Fest, a tug-of-war battle between the cross-river towns of Port Byron, Illinois, and LeClaire, Iowa. We had planned to camp along the shore at Illiniwek Forest Preserve in Hampton, but many others must have had the same idea.

Every campsite was taken when we checked in that afternoon at the Rock Island County park, which assigns sites on a first-come, first-served basis.

So, we rerouted our trip, and my girlfriend, who had planned to meet us at Illiniwek, picked us up in Port Byron with a vehicle full of camping gear. We then drove north toward Mississippi Palisades on Great River Road, taking in the sites along the way.

Our final pit stop took us across the soon-to-be demolished, 85-year-old bridge that connected Savanna to the island community of Sabula, Iowa. A new bridge constructed 100 feet downriver from the historic one recently opened.

I first visited the Palisades a few years back, but I had never camped there.

Located on the edge of the Driftless Area of northwest Illinois, the park is popular for its bluff-top river views among hikers, birders and rock climbers.

Volunteers-turned-friends

Following a short hike the next morning, I circled back with our welcoming hosts at their adjacent campsites near the north entrance to the park.

Barb Schneider tended her patch of tomatoes while Judy Sager sat near her trailer, socializing with her son and two grandsons, who were visiting from Rockford.

So, did you see anything last night? Schneider asked, referring to the cosmic light show.

We saw a few shooting stars, but nothing spectacular, I told her.

I fell asleep before I got to see it," Schneider responded.

She dedicated several years to working with the homeless population of Elgin, Illinois. Her sidekick, Sager, formerly served as a school bus driver for special needs children in Freeport, Illinois.

The duo met in August 2016 at the park, right around Schneiders birthday, and they since developed a friendship.

In exchange for their time during camping season, they lived there for free with access to basic utilities  water, sewer and electricity.

'Outdoors lifestyle'

Site superintendent Jay Nottrott pointed out that couples usually serve as camp hosts, making single women unique.

"They do a good job," Nottrott said, adding they go out of their way to help visitors find restaurants and other destinations in the area.

They definitely made themselves at home during their stay.

Flowers and other plants, mostly fruits and vegetables, surround a picnic table that separates their respective sites.

"I've always loved camping," Sager said, touting the benefits of her unpaid post. "And I get to meet new people almost every day from all walks of life."

Schneider, a self-proclaimed "doer," who prefers to sleep in a tent, said she could not pass up the opportunity when she unexpectedly happened upon it.

"It was living the outdoors lifestyle that I was used to," she said. "It filled my needs, and it filled their needs, too."

Schneider left the park in October to pursue other adventures.

Sager, meanwhile, said she would stay at the Palisades until Dec. 1, or the first snowfall, whichever came first.

While Schneider is not counting on joining Sager at the park next season, they hope to travel to Alaska together someday to see the Northern Lights.

Youve gotta mark things off your bucket list, you know? Sager said.

Included on that list is a zip line ride at Chestnut Mountain in Galena and a pontoon boat ride on the Mississippi River.

"You know us," Sager said, "we're always trying to find something."
HARPERS FERRY, Iowa  One by one, members of the Mohn family arrived with their 20-foot-long boats in tow, bringing home live fish they caught that sunny August morning on the Upper Mississippi River.

Ralph Mohn, the veteran of the bunch, unloaded his supply first while his wife, Diane, watched curiously from inside their wholesale market, waiting to see how her husband fared that morning on the water.

Its always hectic here, she said, pen and paper in hand, ready to weigh and record each haul.

The aroma of smoked fish filled the air.

Although it varies from day to day, their commercial fishing team, which includes five full-timers and a couple of part-timers, usually returns with about 1,000 pounds of product each morning. They go after flathead catfish and rough fish  buffalo, carp, drum and sheepshead  with heavy trotlines and hoop nets.

Once a week, the Mohns deliver about 5,000 pounds of fish  alive and processed  to Asian food stores in the Minneapolis area. They sell to grocers and restaurants closer to home, too.

The sad thing is, I dont know the first thing about catching a fish with a pole and line, said Ralph, who launched his career in 1967. I never wanted to learn that because it dont make me no money.

This summer marks his 50th year in the industry. In his early days, the U.S. Army veteran sold his stock to Hagensick Fish Market in Lynxville, Wisconsin, which is where he met Diane. Her father owned the place.

While similar operations in the region have dropped off the map, Mohn Fish Market has become a mainstay since it opened 35 years ago off Great River Road in Allamakee County.

Fishing 'keeps me sane'

Family makes up most of the Mohns' crew.

Not many more people would want to do it," Ralph said, "unless you grew up around it.

That goes for two of Ralph and Diane's adult children, Joe Mohn and Vickie Jones.

Aint we the lucky ones? Huh, Vick? Joe said with a grin, as his sister scooped fish out of a tank on her boat and emptied them into separate containers. Its not always easy, but its not too bad.

They get paid, per pound, at the end of every workweek.

Diane, the enterprise's matriarch, runs the show at the market and cuts the checks, but she steers clear of the water.

I dont have time to be out there, she said, adding that she helps clean, fillet and load the fish into their smoker on site. Im too busy here.

On the third Friday of September every year, they provide catfish for a giant fish fry about 15 miles upriver at Wexford Church in Lansing, Iowa. This year, they prepared 400 pounds of catfish for the event.

Vickie, the lone fisherwoman in the group, said the work allows her to have time to herself.

"If I don't get out on the river for two days, I get stir crazy," the married mother of three said. "It's the one thing that keeps me sane."

Her sisters are not as involved. One of them, Amber Foutch, helps their mother on Saturdays at the market, while the other one, Chris Koth, wants nothing to do with it.

Changing industry

The future of Mohn Fish Market concerns Ralph, who is in his early 70s.

There are plenty of fish, but there arent as many fishermen as there used to be, he said. I dont know of many young people in the area wanting to go into this business.

Since 1987, the number of Mississippi River commercial fishing licenses issued by Iowa has declined 54 percent, the Department of Natural Resources reports. Back then, there were 193 people catching fish for a living; last year, there were 88.

Meanwhile, across the water in Wisconsin, the DNR issued 27 Mississippi River commercial fishing licenses this year.

The job wears on people, both physically and mentally.

Its something youve gotta love, or you wont make it, Vickie said.

Joe Larscheid, chief of fisheries for the Iowa DNR, said fish farming has contributed to the steady drop in licenses.

The aquaculture industry is exploding in Iowa, he said. Before, they (commercial fishermen) were the only option, but now, its harder for them to compete."

In 1987, Iowa's commercial fishermen reported harvesting slightly more than 3.1 million pounds of fish from the Mississippi River, compared to about 1.2 million pounds in 2016, according to DNR records Larscheid provided.

Fishing conditions, Ralph mentioned, also have worsened over the years.

"The river has changed," he said, noting many stretches have filled in with silt and weeds. "Islands are disappearing."

Impressed by their dedication and hard work, Larscheid praised the Mohns and others who "live off the land" and continue to "reap an abundance of fish."

To me, its gratifying to see people who can still do that, he said.
HAZEL GREEN, Wis.  Leaning on his cane, an elderly gentleman walked slowly off the boat, carefully navigating a series of rickety wooden planks toward the shore.

His fishing days might be behind him, but Ed Kunkel still spends most mornings at the Eagle Point Fishing Barge playing cards, usually rummy, with a group of fellow early birds in their 70s and 80s.

The first four who come get to play, Kunkel said matter-of-factly as he reached the top of the sandy hill, overlooking the Mississippi River. As for the late-arrivals, they shoot the breeze over coffee.

In the afternoons and evenings, the floating green hangout positioned just south of Lock and Dam 11, and across the water from Dubuque, draws anglers and beer drinkers alike.

For 25 years, barkeeper Carlton Hanson has charged anglers $3 per day and $25 per year, the same usage fees since he took over the 24-hour establishment in 1992. Beer costs $2.25 and soda, water, chips and candy bars sell for $1.

Out with the old

In 2018, the daily and yearly covers for fishing will jump to $5 and $50, respectively, to help pay for a replacement barge. The food and drink prices will not change.

Its got a lot of old memories  some good, some bad, Hanson said of the 100-plus-year-old vessel, which had been docked here since the mid-1950s.

A group of investors partnered with Hanson to bring the new, blue, 100-by-30-foot barge to the area. Newt Marine Services of Dubuque transported it from St. Paul and delivered it Nov. 3 to its final destination.

Its going to make the area look a lot nicer, Hanson said.

But Kunkel, the rummy player, did not seem to mind the old dusty bar and bait shop, covered in cobwebs and photographs of memorable catches.

It dont make any difference to me, he said. "It's pretty along here."

The clutter and the holes in the hull of the old barge contributed to its authentic decor.

Hansons regulars, not the money, have kept him engaged and involved over the years. He knows many of his customers by name or the town they call home.

I just like being here, Hanson said of the job. I aint got nothing else to do.

On a quiet Friday afternoon in September, after the card players cleared out, he greeted the boys from Galena.

The father-son duo of Wayne and Kevin Wasmund come here most Friday afternoons for cheap beer, the scenery and conversation.

Its one of a kind, Kevin said between gulps of Busch Light.

Carls always got a good story for us, Wayne said.

A 'different world'

The somewhat hidden destination also attracts traveling anglers.

For their vacation in early August, a couple from Gurnee, Illinois, visited the barge, a favorite fishing spot of theirs about three hours west of their home.

Its always a guarantee to catch a lot of fish here, said Paul Chen.

Before "accidentally" stumbling upon Eagle Point Fishing Barge online, the couple would drive farther north to the Mississippi River town of La Crosse, Wisconsin, to escape the hustle and bustle of life in suburbia.

Its a totally different world, Chen said, referring to the barge, and other river towns in the region. The drive is part of the fun.

When it comes to fishing, Hanson, a former commercial fisherman, who now walks with a limp, is known here as the king.

I can go out there and catch a fish when nobody else can, he said from inside the old barge, explaining the title.

Hanson's friend and business partner, Ed Bossert, refuted his pal's fishing tale, offering an alternative explanation.

I think he ties it on his hook and throws it in the water," Bossert said.

During their outing on the barge, the Chens reeled in several sizable sheepshead they planned to take home with them and cook. The experience gives them peace of mind.

Its very good for your body and soul, Chen said, noting another major benefit. After you taste this fish, you dont want to buy it in a store anymore.
HARPERS FERRY, Iowa  Jon Stravers is easy to find.

For one thing, the man lives in a stoplight-free town in the northeastern-most county of Iowa, where everybody, for the most part, knows everybody.

It helps, too, that the longtime ornithologist and musician has secured celebrity status across the glacier-spared region of the upper Midwest known as the Driftless Area, which includes parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois.

Folks in these parts call him Hawk or "Hawkman."

During the spring, summer and early fall, Stravers does not stray far from the Mississippi River where he made a name for himself, and has lived for the past 40 years.

My theory on everything is, Alright, lets go to the river, and well figure it out, he said.

While his research on red-shouldered hawks and cerulean warblers has garnered a lot of attention, others may know him through his music.

Emblazoned on both his 17-foot-long flat-bottom boat and his acoustic guitar is an image of a raptor, inspired by the sacred Native American symbol of a thunderbird and designed by Stravers late son, Jon-Jon.

It represents the deep connection their family has to nature.

Hikers and bird watchers may have come across Stravers public interpretation of the image in the summer of 2017 at Yellow River State Forest near his home in Allamakee County.

The stone formation, which has been removed, served as a memorial for Jon-Jon, who died 10 years ago.

Hooked on hawks

As a young man, Stravers served as a radio operator in the U.S. Navy and needed an outlet when he returned home to Pella, Iowa, from the Vietnam War.

I was dysfunctional when I came back, he said.

Following a short stint as a printing press operator, the son of a hardware store owner and a schoolteacher found peace in the outdoors.

When an opportunity surfaced to work alongside researchers conducting a raptor migration study in the mid-1970s, Stravers jumped on it and never let go.

Once I got up here, and once I tasted that, I said, OK, this is what Im going to do, he said. Ive been up here pretty much since then.

That first job led to his work with red-shouldered hawks, a species, he said, no one else in the area was studying at the time.

The animals, which nest in the forests along the river valley, consumed Stravers, who has spent the majority of his career chasing them and deciphering their communications.

When I get into these woods, I have to account for every sound, he said. It may sound weird, but after 38, 39 years, when I hear a red-shoulder, I know what theyre saying, and in most cases, I know whos saying it.

Globally Important research

About 11 years ago, Stravers began listening and watching for cerulean warblers, a small, sky-blue songbird the National Audubon Society considers a possibly threatened or endangered species.

Using what he learned from chasing raptors, Stravers discovered unexpected hordes of the birds near remote bluffs and ravines in his territory.

Everybody had them declining and rare, but I had them all over the place, Stravers said. And they kept coming back.

The birds, he found, live more than half the year in the rainforests of South America and migrate every spring to his neck of the woods, where they nest from early May to late August.

His research, which involves nonstop hand-scribbled note taking and thousands of audio recordings, led to the National Audubon Societys designation of Iowas first Globally Important Bird Area.

The near-135,000-acre area includes 35,000-plus acres of protected land, encompassing Yellow River State Forest; parts of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge; Effigy Mounds National Monument; Pikes Peak State Park; and the Bloody Run and Sny Magill North Cedar Creek state wildlife management areas.

Numerous agencies that manage Stravers research grounds have funded his work over the years, including the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Park Service and the National Audubon Society.

But Stravers, who winters with family in Florida, is not in it for the money. The job, he said, has allowed him to avoid living a normal life.

I dont do that well in the rest of the world, Stravers said, sitting behind the wheel of his boat.

A portion of the proceeds from his music business also funds his conservation work.

On Friday nights in the summer, Stravers performs on the Maiden Voyage, an eco-tourism boat captained by his friend and ambassador for life on the river, Robert Vavra.

Thanks to Hawk, I know about ceruleans, said Vavra, a fellow Harpers Ferry resident. "This guy knows his stuff."

Like father, like son

In the middle of the night on Sept. 2, 2007, Stravers received a heartbreaking phone call from the Colorado State Patrol, one still crushing to revisit in his mind.

Authorities told the divorced father of two that a suspected intoxicated driver of a pickup crashed head-on into Jon-Jons car, killing the 33-year-old and his 3-year-old son, Jonah.

Jon-Jon, who then lived in Boise, Idaho, was driving to visit his dad in Iowa when the tragedy occurred.

At a young age, Jon-Jon developed a keen interest in his dads work and launched his own career as a hawk researcher at age 19.

He cut his own path, but he definitely knew where he started from, Stravers said. He grew up doing this.

In the mid-1990s, the father-son duo began making music together under the name, Big Blue Sky. Inspired by the wild places they explored together, their sound features influences of several musical genres  folk, bluegrass, blues and reggae.

Since Jon-Jons death, Stravers has teamed up with dozens of musicians to carry on the musical and educational mission of Big Blue Sky.

I dont feel disconnected to my son in the spiritual realm, he said. Yeah, in the physical realm we cant do concerts anymore, dammit, but he shows up in spiritual ways.

Approaching the former site of his stonework in the Paint Creek Unit of Yellow River State Forest, Stravers turned on one of his sons original songs.

Jon-Jon's voice soon quieted the car:

You are part of who I am, and I embrace all that I am  This is where the healing starts. Theres music pouring through my blood, breathing life into these bones. Music calls us home.

Unique attraction

As a form of therapy, a grieving Stravers began gathering stones during a rough patch about two years ago.

Piece by piece, he and his helpers transported the rocks to a ridge heavily populated with red-shouldered hawks and cerulean warblers called Cedar Point Overlook.

The creation consisted of 1,000-plus stones laid in the shape of a raptor, along with an interpretive sign that provided context for visitors.

After the work began, the DNR, which manages the 8,500-acre forest, signed off on the effort before later ordering for the removal of the stones.

Bruce Blair, the area forester for the agency, estimates that thousands of people saw it.

The artful installation stretched about 25 feet from wing tip to wing tip and 15 feet from head to tail.

Stravers daughter, Lisa, helped her father position the temporary fixture early on so that the west wing tip aligned with the setting sun on the vernal and autumnal equinoxes.

Stravers, who plans to reconstruct the formation at another location in northeast Iowa, predicts some people enjoyed the addition, while others may have walked right past it without even noticing it.

I did it for me, he said during a visit to the site in August 2017. I come up here and get centered.

After fidgeting with the stones for a while, Stravers pulled out a wooden flute Jon-Jon crafted and walked to the edge of the overlook. He sat down on a log and began to play.
In June 2017, Quad-City Times photographers Kevin Schmidt and Andy Abeyta paddled a 17-foot wooden canoe from the Wisconsin River into the Mississippi, the same route French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet traveled in June of 1673. And with that launch, The Great River project was born. For the next three months, Schmidt, Abeyta and I combed a 400-mile stretch of the Upper Mississippi River Valley, spanning the entire eastern border of Iowa and neighboring towns in southwest Wisconsin and northwest Illinois.

We interviewed dozens of people along the way, while Schmidt and Abeyta shot thousands of photos and dozens of videos on, around and above the winding Mississippi.

We crossed paths with riverboat captains, bird researchers, commercial fishermen and fisherwomen, artists, campground hosts and many others drawn to the river for various reasons and driven to maintain their connection.

Following an overnight fishing trip with his family in early August, I met Robert Vavra, a former commercial angler and clammer, who operates an eco-tourism boat, called the Maiden Voyage, and Andy Mountain Campground. He described the gripping effect the Mississippi can have over people, including him.

The river reaches out and grabs the ones she wants, whether youre over here for five minutes or youre over here all your life, Vavra said, standing near the water in Harpers Ferry, Iowa. And then, you cant ever leave it.

The same goes for another retired commercial fisherman and clammer by the name of Lee Fischer, who runs Camp Hide-Away along the shore of the Mississippi River near Guttenberg, Iowa. Although he battles destructive flooding at times, the long-bearded, resilient river rat hopes to never leave his secluded, almost secret, site.

You have to put up with high water, but thats just how it is on the river, said Fischer. Theres no way youd get me back in town.

About 200 miles south, Joni Allen of Wapello, Iowa, enjoys the simple task of checking on the water from time to time.

This is the closest to paradise youre going to find down here, she said, sitting in her vehicle near the confluence of the Iowa and Mississippi rivers. You never know what youll see.

The assignment introduced us to special spots within two to three hours of the Quad-Cities we might otherwise never have known existed. Among numerous notable experiences, I chowed down on hickory-smoked fish caught in the Mississippi; ferried across the water from Iowa to Wisconsin; and tasted grapes in the river town of Nauvoo, Illinois, grown by Baxters Vineyards & Winery, the states oldest winery.

The journey marked several firsts for all of us, and we each gained a new appreciation for the region, the river and those who call it home.

-- Jack Cullen, Quad-City Times reporter
MILLVILLE, Iowa  Standing at the end of a gravel road, I pushed a button on a solar-powered device to hail a lift across the Mississippi River.

Following their late-summer jaunt to PromiseLand Winery in nearby Guttenberg, a vacationing family from Colorado joined me shortly thereafter to ride to Wisconsin on the state's oldest ferry service. The Pride of Cassville Car Ferry connects the Turkey River boat landing in Clayton County, Iowa, with the village of Cassville in Grant County, Wisconsin.

It was mine as well as Jordan and Stacey Schindlers first voyage on the vessel. Accompanied by Jordans parents, the Colorado transplants also had their two young children with them.

Were being local tourists today, said Stacey, a native of Long Grove, Iowa, a small town in rural Scott County.

Great River Road travelers in search of a bridge between the river towns of Dubuque and Prairie du Chien, about a 60-mile stretch, will not find one. Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians in these parts must board the ferry if they want to cross the water.

Powered by two 300 horsepower diesel engines, the boat carries up to 12 vehicles and 149 passengers on its 2,400-square-foot deck. The 1-mile ride, which lasts about 15 minutes  depending on winds and river conditions  costs $15 for cars, vans and pickups; $8 for motorcycles; $5 for bicycles; and $2 for pedestrians.

A lot of people come here to ride the ferry just to say theyve been on the Mississippi River, said Harold Pollock, a part-time deckhand on the boat, who lives in Cassville.

Service begins in early May and continues through October.

Ferry tales

Both Iowa and Wisconsin were still territories in 1833, when Cassvilles first ferry, a 40-foot rowboat, crossed the Mississippi River.

A pair of horses on treadmills propelled a wooden boat 25 years later, and in the 1890s, Iowa-based farmers used it to transport vegetables to a canning plant in Cassville. The rig continued to evolve in the early 20th century, but the Great Depression and construction of the system of locks and dams on the river interrupted service.

As talks of building a bridge in the area failed to pan out, a private outfit reintroduced ferry service here in the early 1980s before Cassville took over the operation in 1988.

The village coined its 1960s tug and barge the Charlie D. It was rated for 65 passengers and nine vehicles. Instead of upgrading the boat after 20-plus years of use, Cassville applied for and received a $1.8 million federal stimulus grant to replace the aging ferry in 2009.

Skipperliner in La Crosse, Wisconsin, built the villages new tug and barge, which was christened in the summer of 2011. Records show the Pride of Cassville shuttles an average of 25,000 people and 9,500 vehicles per year across Pool 11 of the river.

Four additional ferries work the Upper Mississippi River, which spans 1,200 miles from the headwaters at Lake Itasca in Minnesota, to Cairo, Illinois. Those boats link Illinois with Missouri.

And, about 200 miles downriver from Cassville, the historic Fort Madison Toll Bridge charges motorists $2 to cross the river from Fort Madison, Iowa, to Niota, Illinois. There is no fee for Iowa-bound vehicles.

'Something special'

Each outing on the river brings new experiences for Kim Kottke, who recently wrapped up his fifth season as the Pride of Cassville's pilot.

I was born to fish, he said, but this is the closest thing I can get to still wet a line once in a while and make a living.

Kottke, who plows snow for the village during the winter months, formerly worked as a fishing guide in Alaska and Canada, but those days did not last.

Its all good, he said from his captain's chair on a ride to the Wisconsin side. I just like being on the water.

Geographical distance from the Midwest has helped the Schindlers, who celebrated their wedding in Davenport, appreciate the beauty of the rolling hills and bluffs along the river valley.

You dont realize how pretty it is until you move away, said Jordan, a native of Lancaster, Wisconsin.

That says a lot, considering the couple has lived within view of the Rocky Mountains for almost 15 years.

Tourists make up the majority of customers on the ferry these days, said Pollock, the veteran deckhand originally from Dubuque.

I meet people from all over the world, he said, noting those interactions help him remember he has access to "something special."

People like me, who grew up on the river, tend to take it for granted sometimes.
It was a good way to spend the summer, chasing the Mississippi River up and down Iowa's eastern border.

The idea came from Quad-City Times photo editor Kevin Schmidt. He long had dreamed of a big project for the newspaper that would dispatch journalists onto the banks of the continent's second-longest river in search of the stories that hide in plain sight.

With the Mississippi River right outside the Quad-Cities' front door, many of us are lulled into thinking we know it. We understand it. We've seen it.

But there is so much more to the Mississippi than our relatively tiny pools.

Schmidt, photojournalist Andy Abeyta and reporter Jack Cullen spent the summer searching for more. And they found it. Along the 400-mile stretch of Iowa border, they found the people and places that tell the river's tales. The trio's work is being featured in a book, "The Great River," being released in early December.

In Sunday's Big Story, they take readers inside their journey.
HARPERS FERRY, Iowa  On a blue-skied August afternoon, I lost all sense of time aboard a strangers flat-bottom boat on the Mississippi River.

We were about 150 miles upstream of the Quad-Cities in Jon Stravers 17-footer.

"I don't keep track of stuff very well, unless it's a bird," he said, only half joking.

A well-known ornithologist in the Hawkeye State, Stravers boat was cluttered with notes about the migratory birds he records along miles of meandering waterways.

When I told renowned river rat, Chad Pregracke, about the Quad-City Times hunt for Mississippi River stories, he suggested I contact Stravers, whom Pregracke referred to as Hawk.

Most people call him that or "Hawkman"  nicknames he earned for his considerable research on red-shouldered hawks in the region known as the Driftless Area. The ruggedly scenic stretch encompasses parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. Its rolling hills, steep-sided valleys and high bluffs were spared when others were flattened by glaciers.

This is my domain, Stravers said of the waters dividing northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin.

As a Madison, Wisconsin, native who has been living for eight years in the Quad-Cities, I knew that many people feel a personal connection to the Mississippi River.

And now I have mine.

Intimately connected

We had our assignment: Comb the 400-mile section of the Upper Mississippi River Valley that spans the entire eastern border of Iowa and neighboring towns in southwest Wisconsin and northwest Illinois.

We were to go mining for interesting people and their stories and bring them, along with thousands of photographs, back to the Quad-Cities to share with readers.

We found riverboat captains, wildlife biologists, commercial fishermen and women, artists, bikers, campground hosts and dozens of others who have been drawn to the river.

Our journeys now are documented in The Great River: 400 miles of the Mississippi, a 152-page coffee table book that takes readers along to the places we discovered. The book is sponsored by the Quad-Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau and contains 10 of my stories and hundreds of photos by Quad-City Times photo editor Kevin Schmidt and photographer Andy Abeyta.

For three months, Schmidt covered the area from New Albin, Iowa, to Keokuk.

Abeyta took the other side of the river  from Victory, Wisconsin, to Hamilton, Illinois.

The potential was endless, said Schmidt. For a river town, it just is a natural thing to go and cover, whether its the river itself or the people drawn to it.

Joe Taylor, president and CEO of the Quad-Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau, hopes the book will help slow us down and encourage people to do their own exploring.

The river is so intimately connected to the Quad-Cities and vice versa, he said. It made the book seem like a natural marketing mechanism for the Quad-Cities.

The experience produced several firsts for our trio, including an understanding and appreciation for the Mississippi River and those who connected with it before us.

The river chooses you

As we approached the Allamakee County boat landing, Stravers was pleased to spot his friend and fellow river rat, Robert Vavra.

A burly man with a mustache, Vavra operates the Maiden Voyage. He described it as the last working eco-tourism (for-profit) boat on the Mississippi between St. Louis and Winona, Minnesota.

I do everything from bachelorette parties to nursing facilities, he said.

In Allamakee County, the Mississippi River borders to the east, and Minnesota borders north. The population of the whole county is about 14,000, and Vavra said he got hooked on the area 40 years ago.

The river chooses you, he said. Thats a fact.

Some people come out here their whole life and think, Nah, its a place to drink beer, and they dont really make that huge connection. And then other people like Hawk came over here to do a bird survey and never left.

After graduating from Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids, Vavra worked as a fisherman, primarily catching and selling buffalo, carp and catfish. He also worked as a clammer, diving and digging for mussels between the river towns of Lansing, Iowa, and Dubuque. But that career didnt last.

I knew I had to eat, he said. It wasnt going to be something that you could hitch your wagon to as a young guy and be able to have a family.

Vavras story is representative of many we encountered  resilient folks who have made it their mission to earn a living on the river.

Tens of thousands of men did it, he said, referring to the peak of the commercial fishing and clamming industry on the Mississippi. And today, its down to virtually nothing.

Since 1987, the number of Mississippi River commercial fishing licenses issued by Iowa has declined 53 percent, the Department of Natural Resources reports. Thirty years ago, there were 193 people catching fish for a living; this year, there were 91.

Relying on the river

The Mohn family has been running a fish market on Great River Road in Harpers Ferry for 35 years.

Asked about female figures in the area, Vavra mentioned Vickie Jones, the daughter of Ralph and Diane Mohn.

She (Jones) can skin a catfish faster than you can breathe, he said.

We stopped by Mohn Fish Market  about 3 miles upriver from Vavras place  just in time to watch Jones unload her fresh haul from the Mississippi. Once a week, the family delivers about 5,000 pounds of fish, alive and processed, to Asian food stores in the Minneapolis area. They sell to grocers and restaurants closer to home, too.

In 1987, Iowa's commercial fishermen reported harvesting slightly more than 3.1 million pounds of fish from the Mississippi. Last year, that number dropped by nearly a third to 1.2 million pounds.

But fish remain a central character in some Iowa river towns.

The week before we met Vavra, thousands of cyclists on the final day of the Registers Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, RAGRAI, stopped at Harpers Ferry for the first time. Volunteers in the stoplight-free town prepared about 1,600 pounds of fried catfish and 800 pies, he said.

We showcased our little community to planet earth, he said.

Paying homage to history

In June, photographers Schmidt and Abeyta paddled a 17-foot wooden canoe from the Wisconsin River into the Mississippi, the same route French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet traveled in June of 1673.

To navigate the confluence, Schmidt, an experienced paddler, positioned himself in the stern (the rear), and Abeyta manned the bow. As they approached a buoy marking the main channel of the Mississippi, Schmidt instructed Abeyta to stop paddling and swap his oar for his camera.

Schmidt, whose late uncle built the canoe and taught him how to use it, wanted to own the moment  a historical reenactment.

I literally felt the current of the Mississippi take over, he said. I mean, it hit my paddle, and I was like, Oh, this is it; were in the Mississippi now.

On that voyage 344 years ago, Marquette and Joliet became the first Europeans to step foot in what now is Iowa.

Off the beaten path

Over the summer, Abeyta, a native of Oregon, came to appreciate the Upper Midwest landscape.

I expected to find beauty in the people and the stories, he said. But I didnt expect as much physical beauty as I found.

After a hike at Effigy Mounds National Monument in Harpers Ferry, Abeyta posted a photo to Snapchat to prove to his friends on the West Coast that not all of Iowa is flat.

The National Park Service manages the 2,500-plus-acre preserve, which contains nearly 200 American Indian mounds.

While parks and other natural areas in northeast Iowa get a lot of attention, the river towns south of the Quad-Cities are worth exploring, too.

One of the prettier, less-celebrated sections is the 12-plus miles of riverfront between the Illinois towns of Nauvoo and Hamilton, across the Mississippi from Montrose, Iowa, and Keokuk, respectively.

The book project introduced us to several particularly special places within two to three hours of the Quad-Cities that we might otherwise have never visited.

In Guttenberg, Iowa, for example, Schmidt turned off Great River Road onto Hideaway Lane. Down a steep and narrow gravel road, he happened upon a secluded riverfront campground called Camp Hide-Away.

Lee Fischer, the grizzly bearded property owner, soon approached.

I turned around and there was this scraggly guy just staring at me, said Schmidt, who introduced himself and eventually interviewed the former fisherman and clammer.

You know when you meet some people youre not sure about at first and then they turn out to be the most interesting characters? Schmidt said. Well, he was one of those guys.

I later stopped by, too, learning that Fischer intends to spend the rest of his life right where he is. Standing on the sandy shoreline at Camp Hide-Away on an 80-degree day in August, I couldn't resist taking a quick dip in the Mississippi.

Across from Dubuque, Schmidt came upon another treasure: Eagle Point Fishing Barge, just south of Lock & Dam No. 11 near Hazel Green, Wisconsin. The 24-hour floating hangout is popular among anglers, beer drinkers and card players.

He took pictures, later urging Abeyta and I to check it out, too.

We learned that barkeeper Carlton Hanson has for 25 years been charging anglers $3 a day or $25 per year to fish off the barge. Beer costs $2.25 and soda, water, chips and candy bars go for a buck. Beginning Jan. 1, 2018, the fishing fees will jump to $5 and $50, respectively, to help pay for a replacement barge that was delivered in early November.

During Abeyta's visit, the regulars acknowledged him, but they mostly kept to themselves, allowing the photojournalist to go to work.

The farther you get from the city, the more you stand out with a bunch of cameras, Abeyta said. But, at Eagle Point Fishing Barge, They forgot that I didnt necessarily belong there, which is exactly what I want.

The result was that Abeyta was free to observe and photograph river culture at its best.

They cared more about fishing than they did seeing what I was doing, he said. It just felt really genuine.

More than a passing glance

Some Quad-City commuters regard the Mississippi River a hassle and a hurdle.

When driving one of the area's five busy bridges, it's easy to take for granted the mighty resource that rushes below.

When you live in the city, you need to get away to really appreciate it, said Bruce Blair, a forester for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources at Yellow River State Forest, 150 miles upriver from Davenport.

In fact, taking pictures here at home was the biggest challenge for Abeyta.

For one, I know the area, so nothing stood out to me, he said. There are exceptions to this, but overall, people dont pay attention to the river here.

Taylor, of the Quad-Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau, agreed, saying, We really dont look or take the time to see what we have right here in our own region. The river takes a certain level of engagement to understand."

For Schmidt, our project was an opportunity to re-engage.

A lot of times, you dismiss whats right next to you, he said. You dont have to go far to see something thats really historical, natural and interesting.

For me, personal perspective already was beginning to change as the summer arrived. I moved in the spring to the shores of the Rock River, less than 10 miles from its confluence with the Mississippi. I instantly felt invited to mount my stand-up paddleboard at sunset and bike along the riverfront path.

I don't doubt the boat captain, Vavra, had it right when he said, "The river chooses you."

But part of the connection comes from choosing it, too.
A man who was found dead in his burning home in Clinton Monday has been identified as 50-year-old Donald D. Loechel.

Clinton police and fire officials said in a joint news release Thursday that an autopsy has been conducted by the Iowa State Medical Examiners Office.

A cause of death has not yet been released.

Around 11:22 p.m. Monday, firefighters and police responded to a structure fire at Loechels two-story home, 2426 N. 2nd Street, that was fully involved with fire.

Because they could not enter the building, firefighters fought the blaze from the outside. When the fire was knocked down enough for crews to enter the home, they discovered Loechels body inside.

The state fire marshal is assisting the Clinton Fire Department investigator with the investigation into the cause of the fire.

Fulton firefighters also responded to the scene.

No other information was released Thursday morning.
Teen sentenced to prison for armed robberies

A Davenport teen charged earlier this year as an adult in connection with a string of armed robberies in Bettendorf and Davenport was sentenced Wednesday to up to 25 years in prison.

Davionta Isiah Duax, 17, was sentenced to four concurrent sentence of up to 25-years on four counts of first-degree robbery, a Class B felony, in Scott County District Court.

Although he is charged as an adult, the teen is not required to serve a mandatory minimum sentence before he is eligible for parole.

Police say Duax, while armed with a knife, robbed Express Lane, 1909 Harrison St., Davenport, on Jan. 23 and Feb. 6; Ann's Hallmark Shop, 886 Middle Road, Bettendorf, on Feb. 2; and Little Caesars Pizza, 2900 E. 53rd St., Davenport, on Feb. 8.

He was arrested in mid-February.

Less than a year earlier, he was arrested and charged as an adult for armed robberies at Advance America, 1801 E. Kimberly Road, and Gas America, 3205 Brady Street.

In those robberies, Duax was armed with a pellet gun, according to court documents.

The case was remanded to juvenile court, and in June 2016, he was placed into Woodward Academy, a male youth treatment facility.

 Tara Becker

Woman robbed at Davenport laundromat

A woman sitting in a Davenport laundromat as her clothes were washing was robbed at gunpoint Wednesday, police said.

Police were called to the Westside Laundromat, 2048 W. 3rd St., in response to an armed robbery.

A man entered the business, brandished a gun and fled with a purse belonging to the woman.

The 24-hour laundromat has several security cameras and police are reviewing the images to see if they can identify the man.

No one was injured.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Davenport Police Department at 563-326-6125 or leave an anonymous tip on the city's mobile app "CityConnect Davenport, IA" or "CrimeReports by Motorola."

 Thomas Geyer
One month after the city of Davenport reached a $15,000 settlement regarding the 27-day shutdown of Timothy's House of Hope, city officials have agreed how much it will pay the plaintiffs' attorney.

A notice of settlement filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Iowa shows the city has agreed to pay $18,500 to lawyer Mike Meloy.

Compassion Church, which operates Timothy's House of Hope as a ministry, and its pastors James Swope and Nick Cantwell, filed suit in federal court on Aug. 25 alleging "unauthorized acts under City Code, unconstitutional acts pursuant to the Iowa Constitution, the United States Constitution and violations of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act."

The city, 4th Ward Aldermen Ray Ambrose, 2nd Ward Alderman Maria Dickmann, and Senior Planning Manager Matt Flynn were named as defendants in the case.

Earlier in the year, the city issued a cease-and-desist order against the ministry, at 1602 Washington St., preventing it from serving breakfast on-site and requiring a change in zoning to offer the service.

The ministry had moved to the property from 1407 W. 4th St., which was zoned the same way, C-2, General Commercial District, but was not permitted to offer the same services initially.

In 2012, the city amended its zoning ordinance and grandfathered the West 4th Street property in. Otherwise, it would have required a zoning change to Planned Institutional District-Housing and Supportive Services.

The city changed its stance after City Attorney Tom Warner said the meal service offered fit normal church activities and was permissible under the current zoning.

On Oct. 31, the church accepted the city's offer to confess judgement and a $15,000 judgment was entered three days later. It did not include legal fees.

In two statements for services provided, Meloy itemized $30,490 worth of services from April 21 to Nov. 3.
The city of Davenport may have settled for more than $129,000 in an open records violation case, but an accounting of the city's defense shows that has hurt taxpayers' wallets more.

Davenport reached a settlement with Dr. Allen Diercks and Patricia Lane for $129,055.59 after the Iowa Court of Appeals ruled last year that the city had violated Iowa Records law in not providing two requested public documents related to the attempted purchase of the Isle of Capri Casino in 2013. But according to court documents, the financial blow will be more than $200,000 higher than that based on the cost the city expended to fight the case.

The city retained the outside counsel of Lane & Waterman LLP to fight the case and were billed by five attorneys representing it according to invoices submitted to the court.

This also was noted in Seventh Judicial District Judge Mark Lawson's conclusion when he ruled that the plaintiffs were entitled to $112,000 in attorney fees plus costs related to the violations.

"The attorney fees awarded must be viewed in the context of the proposed $150 million purchase of a casino by city taxpayers, and by the fact the City itself spent over $200,000 in attorney fees resisting the plaintiffs claims," Lawson wrote in his ruling. "Sometimes  as in this case  the price of open government is not cheap."

The makings of the case began in 2013 after Diercks and Lane requested all financial documents related to the potential purchase of the casino.

Davenport began investigating the purchase in the fall of 2012 which prompted then-Mayor Bill Gluba to sign an agreement with the casino to examine its books in October of that year. A contract was executed with Deloitte & Touche to conduct a due diligence investigation in December 2012.

While the city was initially successful in Scott County District Court, the plaintiffs brought their case before the Iowa Court of Appeals.

The Court of Appeals analyzed Davenport's obligations to produce four documents in particular: a Deloitte & Touche due diligence work product, a February 2013 invoice, the Deloitte Scope of Services document and a Jan. 9, 2013 legal memorandum from the city's legal consultant John Hintze.

The court found that Davenport should have produced the $207,900 invoice from Deloitte & Touche and the legal memorandum from Hintze.

With both documents, they were either held by City Attorney Tom Warner or others who were not employed by the city.

The city argued it did not refuse to provide the invoice because Warner had deleted the email it was in. The city also unsuccessfully argued that the invoice provided no insight into its decision-making.

"Further, we are not persuaded the city 'substantially complied' with the request or the invoice provided 'no insight' into the Citys decision-making activities," the court documents state. "The plaintiffs sought 'all invoices' from Deloitte. The invoice provided before the task was complete disclosed the amounts the city was spending incrementally at taxpayer expense and the Citys willingness to continue said expense."

For the other two documents, the court ruled that then-City Administrator Craig Malin and City Clerk Jackie Holecek had complied with the law and had not withheld them.

The city's costly legal battle could have been avoided not only in providing the documents, but settling with the plaintiffs prior to the trial, according to documents.

On Jan. 26, 2015, attorneys Mike Meloy and John Flynn made a settlement offer of $95,000, which was rejected. No counteroffer to the plaintiffs was made.

Up until the attorney fee hearing in September, invoices show that the city was billed for 528.7 trial hours costing $131,310.50.

An additional 128.9 hours were billed based upon the appeal at a cost of $28,409.50.

While Davenport's defense was costly, the $129,000-plus settlement amount is inclusive of $112,000 in attorney fees that were awarded by the court. Davenport will pay out $65,000 to Meloy, $39,000 to Flynn and $4,000 each to Harold DeLange II and James Tappa, who represented Meloy and Flynn during the fee hearing.

The attorney fees awarded were less than the amount that could have been awarded because the court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs regarding two of the four documents.

Had all of the Chapter 22 claims been successful, Meloy and Flynn could have been reimbursed a total of $123,425.

The court also ruled that appellate fees were incorrectly calculated. The fees were calculated at a rate of $250 per hour instead of $300 per hour, but the court chose not to amend the total reasonable attorney fee amount.

This is a victory for the public and reaffirms that citizens do have the statutory right to timely receive public documents," Meloy said Tuesday. "These records are owned by the public, not Davenport.
Through four weeks, 17,525 Iowans have selected health insurance plans in the Affordable Care Act marketplace, according to new figures released Wednesday by the federal government.

That figure exceeds the number who had signed up by this point last year, but Iowa's insurance commissioner is still predicting a difficult year for the state's individual insurance market.

The new enrollment data comes from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The 17,525 figure is higher than the 12,099 who signed up on the Obamacare exchange after the first four weeks of enrollment last year. However, it's still too early to know how many people will end up in the market because of a number of variables, Doug Ommen, the state's insurance commissioner, said Wednesday.

Earlier this year, Ommen predicted that 18,000 to 22,000 Iowans who tend not to get federal tax credits will drop out of the individual market because of big premium increases. And he said Wednesday he sees no reason to alter that prediction. "I'm not seeing anything that suggests that what I expect will happen will not," he said Wednesday.

There are just two weeks to go before the end of the regular enrollment period on Dec. 15. The signup window of six weeks is just half what it was last year.

Greg Bury, a spokesman for Medica, the only company selling policies on the ACA exchange in Iowa, said Wednesday the company is meeting its expectations this enrollment period and that it is projecting close to 50,000 will enroll by Jan. 1.

The new federal figures released Wednesday don't include the 13,000 members who are renewing with Medica, nor the 29,000 who were assigned to it in October.

Typically, enrollment figures ramp up toward the end of the signup window, so Wednesday's figures could change significantly. The number who had selected plans is up by about 3,000 from last week.

Some enrollment specialists have said they are seeing a greater level of interest than last year among those who qualify for premium subsidies. Because of the way insurance companies and state regulators dealt with the Trump administration's elimination of cost sharing subsidies for insurance companies that help with deductible and out-of-pocket costs for low- to moderate-income Americans, some plans are more affordable than in the past.

There are about 70,000 Iowans in the state's individual insurance market, Ommen said. The estimate that as many as 22,000 would drop out this year was included in the state's request to the Trump administration earlier this year to revamp the Affordable Care Act marketplace. The stopgap plan would have had all insurers sell a single, standardized plan, restructured premium subsidies and created a reinsurance pool to help with high-cost clients. The state withdrew the plan shortly before the onset of the enrollment period, which began Nov. 1.
DES MOINES  Two Democratic senators Wednesday called upon Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds to extend the signup period for Medicaid recipients so they could choose between one of two remaining state-contracted managed care organizations or enroll in a state-run fee-for-service option for the coming year.

In a joint letter to the governor, Sens. Amanda Ragan of Mason City and Liz Mathis of Hiawatha requested that members who had been covered by AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa before the company decided to withdraw as a private Medicaid managed-care organization be given an additional 30 days to select a new provider.

We are writing to you today to express our grave concerns about Medicaid. The loss of AmeriHealth Caritas and the inability of Amerigroup to take new members leaves too many Iowans without choice, Ragan and Mathis wrote.

In the name of fairness and choice, we are requesting that you grant an additional 30 days for former AmeriHealth members to choose either United  UnitedHealthcare of the River Valley  or the fee-for-service system.

The change affects more than 10,000 Iowans, according to Iowa Department of Human Services figures.

Reynolds spokeswoman Brenna Smith did not address the requested extension directly in responding to the senators.

Iowa Medicaid has developed a transition plan to ensure members will continue to receive quality care as health plan options change. Iowa Medicaid will be working closely with, and monitoring, patients as they transition, Smith said in a statement.

Medicaid modernization is a proactive, patient-centered approach to modernizing Iowas Medicaid program. Recently, JD Power ranked Iowas Medicaid program as second highest in the nation in patient satisfaction. More than 55 million Medicaid patients are enrolled in managed-care health plans in 39 states and Washington, D.C., Smith added. Gov. Reynolds is committed to improving quality and access to care, promoting accountability for patient outcomes and creating a more predictable and sustainable Medicaid budget.

The senators letter follows this weeks announcement by state Department of Human Services officials that Medicaid beneficiaries who had chosen Amerigroup Iowa as their 2018 managed-care organization instead will be covered by a state program. That decision came after Amerigroup earlier this month said it couldnt take additional beneficiaries.

The DHS transitionary plan was precipitated by a series of developments that began when AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa  one of Iowas original three managed-care organizations and the Medicaid insurer with the largest concentration of the states special-needs population  said it would withdraw from the Medicaid program.

The program covers one in four Iowans.

The loss of AmeriHealth Caritas and the inability of Amerigroup to take new members leaves too many Iowans without choice, Ragan and Mathis wrote.

They also noted that federal law requires that Medicaid beneficiaries must have a choice of managed-care plans.

The state and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid last week told a Lee Enterprises reporter a temporary suspension to the provider-choice rule is not necessary.
The City of Walcotts plan to create a tax increment financing district at the I-80 Truck Stop drew mixed reviews during discussion at Tuesdays Scott County Board of Supervisors Committee of the Whole meeting.

County Planning and Development Director Tim Huey told supervisors the proposed rebate of up to $500,000 as an economic development incentive would expand the parking lot at the truck stop's restaurant. Supervisors discussed the wording of a letter to the city that expresses what Huey called the boards soft opposition to the TIF.

While we do recognize the economic advantages of increased sales tax revenues, there are other truck stops in Scott County that this business is competing with, Huey said.

Supervisor Ken Beck objected to the letters strong message in opposition to the TIF. To me, thats in your face and I dont support it, Beck said. The two other truck stops are corporate and only increase sales taxes for the county. The owners of this truck stop are Scott County residents.

Huey said Iowas broad TIF policy does not differentiate between corporate and locally owned businesses. But this is a relatively successful, thriving operation, Huey said. The question is does the I-80 Truck Stop really need this incentive?

Supervisor Diane Holst asked that the letter include the countys policy against earmarking $7,500 in the TIF agreement to cover administrative costs. Supervisors will vote on the issue at the regular meeting on Thursday at 5 p.m.

In other business, supervisors heard details on the new Youth Transition Decision Making Program and Contract from Juvenile Detention Director Jeremy Kaiser. Kaiser described the three-step process to transition juveniles ages 16 or older from residential placement back into the home and community. Kaiser said the program in place throughout Iowa consists of three meetings with the juvenile and family members, the first within 30 days of placement, the second 45 days prior to discharge and the third 30-45 days after the youth has returned home.

Kaiser explained the meetings address educational and transportation needs, housing, employment and mental health. We ask whos going to take you to school, who will be home with you if youre sick, how are you going to get to work, Kaiser said. Our job is to help them develop a transition plan and report back to the Department of Human Services on outcomes.

Once supervisors approve the contract with DHS, the program will begin December 1st, Kaiser said.
DES MOINES  While Iowa is among the nations safest places to live, the states prison system chief expressed concern Wednesday over a federal report indicating Iowa is one of only two states where homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults rose over a decade.

Jerry Bartruff, director of the Iowa Department of Corrections, said the numbers may be somewhat skewed given that Iowa is a small state with a low crime rate, so percentage increases appear to amplify the data.

Nonetheless, he said he found the higher arrests over the past 10 years in all four major categories of violent crime covered by the latest FBI crime report to be almost shocking.

Because were fairly safe in Iowa, any increase in the percentages looks huge, Bartruff said in presenting his agencys fiscal 2019 budget proposal to Gov. Kim Reynolds. But he said he was concerned there was a sizable spike in violent crimes being committed in rural areas as well as an uptick in Des Moines.

Iowas other metro areas, though, generally showed declines.

Another statistic that troubled the director was a slow but steady rise in the number of paroled prisoners who commit another violent crime. With that number also creeping up, Bartruff worried that Iowas prison population currently at 8,286 inmates could rise, as well as the cost of incarcerating people in Iowas nine prisons.

Currently, he said Iowas incarceration rate of 281 inmates per 100,000 is considerably lower than Missouri (530), South Dakota (413), Indiana (412), Illinois (360) and Kansas (328) and sought a status quo funding level of $378.7 million. The only new request he made was a $1 million increase to cover pharmaceutical costs.

The union that represents correctional officers and other workers in state prisons and community-based corrections repeatedly has asked for staffing increases beyond the current 3,742 full-time positions. But Bartruff told reporters, we think that we have adequate staffing to take care of incidents as they occur.

Last month, Danny Homan, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 61, cited incidents at prisons in Fort Madison, Coralville and Clarinda in which correctional workers were injured in inmate attacks or had to quell multiple race-fueled fights.

Wednesday, Homan characterized Bartruffs assertion that staffing levels are adequate as dangerously false.

The drastic increase in staff being viciously assaulted over the past months prove the ignorance of this claim. Every single one of these incidents, including an officer being stabbed five times with two 10-inch shanks, is tied to woefully inadequate staffing levels, he said in a statement.  ... Director Bartruff ought to be more concerned with the safety of those in his department and less about kissing the governors ring.
When the Trout in the Classroom program started six years ago, the first batch of trout eggs was hatched out of wine coolers. The program has come a long way since then.

Trout in the Classroom is a national program sponsored by Trouts Unlimited and run in South Dakota by South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks education services coordinator Maggie Lindsey. It has blossomed into a program that will include 21 classrooms across the state in 2018 with nine more on the waiting list.

The program's goal, according to Lindsey, is to teach children about trout lifecycles, water quality and habitat by giving a classroom trout eggs to raise throughout the school year, and release them when they are fingerlings and a GF&P official has deemed them healthy in approved waterways.

In addition to lifecycles, water quality and habitat the program also must teach a fishing and a aquatic invasive species component. In addition, students are required to use math to calculate how much food is needed.

"The kids get really attached to the fish, when they can see it first hand and get hands-on experience and see the life cycles, its really neat," Lindsey said. "I know release date is sad and happy at the same time."

Through a grant, Lindsey provides a chiller (water temperatures must stay in the high 50s or low 60s for trout to survive in an aquarium), a filter, a tank and the trout eggs.

Lindsey said the majority of the classrooms in the programs are older students at the middle and high school level, but there are some classrooms in the state that are as young as first grade. Lindsey said most of the classrooms decide to stay with the program, and she tries to add four new classrooms a year.

Classrooms that participate in the program is loaned the equipment for as long as they decide to be involved.

Trouts Unlimited and Black Hills Fly Fishers both come into classrooms to teach classes on fishing, which is one of the components of the program.

In addition, BFF sponsors two classrooms, one in Stevens High School and one in St. Thomas More Middle School, both in Rapid City.

"Its a way for conservation minded groups to get young people engaged and interested and feeling like they're part of the natural world instead of just being observers," GF&P naturalist Keith Wintersteen said. "Its one thing to say clean water is important and its quite another to look at an aquarium where the fish youre taking care of arent doing well, and its up to you to clean things up."

Wintersteen helps with the three classrooms on the western side of the state.

Although the vast majority of the trout population in South Dakota is West of the Missouri River, the amount of classrooms participating in the program is much smaller than those on the East side.

Lindsey said she hopes to change that.

"Part of it is because a lot of teachers dont know about it," she said. "Its kind of a catch-22 because I want people to know about it, but I dont have the funding to add a lot of schools all at once."

Lindsey said the equipment costs roughly $800 per classroom, with the most expensive piece of equipment being the chiller, which is between $450-500.

"I hope they learn about trout lifecycles and the math is pretty interesting too, but the big thing I hope is that they learn about water quality and habitat, what a trout requires for habitat, because theres a lot to it," Lindsey said.

She said a lot of the most educational experiences comes from the failures of classrooms.

"We always have at least one classroom have 100 percent mortality and we go through the nitrogen cycle and ammonium cycle, well have peaks in those and thats where we have problems," she said. "Its really interesting to see them experience it first-hand, and they understand how important water quality is."
A funeral for state Rep. Craig Tieszen, who died in a kayaking accident last week in the Cook Islands in the South Pacific, will take place Monday at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Fine Arts Center.

The service will begin at 1 p.m., according to a release from Gov. Dennis Daugaard's office. In lieu of flowers, Tieszen's family asks that donations be made to the Rapid City Club for Boys, an organization he supported.

Daugaard's chief of staff, Tony Venhuizen, confirmed that the governor will attend the funeral.

Tieszen, 68, and his brother-in-law, Brent Moline, 61, both of Rapid City, died Nov. 22 while kayaking off the island of Rarotonga.

A public visitation for Moline will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home. His family will hold a private funeral at a later time.

The release said Daugaard has requested that all flags in the state be flown at half-staff from 8 a.m. to sunset Monday to honor Tieszen.

Before his legislative career, Tieszen served with the police department from 1975 to 2007 and was chief from 2000 to 2007. The police department will have a presence at Monday's service, but spokesman Brendyn Medina said the details were still being worked out.

The service will be open to the public. The Fine Arts Theater inside the civic center is capable of seating up to 1,700 people, city spokesman Darrell Shoemaker said.

Causes of death revealed

More details are emerging about the events that led up to the kayaking accident. In a Facebook post earlier this week, the Cook Islands Police service said that Tieszen, Moline and a third man who was not named went kayaking around 9 a.m. local time Nov. 22 in the lagoon in Muri.

Tieszen and Moline got too close to the reef and "were dragged to where the waves were breaking," the post said. "It was quite rough on the reef ... and their kayaks capsized."

The third man in the group attempted to rescue the Tieszen and Moline but was unable, and paddled back to the hotel to get help. Cook Island police were notified of the accident shortly before 11 a.m. A tour boat arrived on scene within 20 minutes, and a police officer and three volunteers began searching for the men.

Tieszen was pulled from the water and brought to shore across the lagoon, where a number of people tried to resuscitate him. After those attempts failed, he was taken to a hospital.

Moline's body was later recovered by a search and rescue team. Both men were pronounced dead around 1 p.m. A local coroner determined one of the men died as a result of asphyxia-induced cardiac arrest while the other was from suffocation due to drowning.

In a Facebook message exchange with a Journal reporter, Cook Islands police said they were unable to clarify which man died of which condition.

No life jackets were found in the area, and police said most kayakers don't wear them because the lagoon is considered safe.

Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands, an archipelago of 15 islands in the central South Pacific.

Tieszen and Moline were vacationing on the island with other family members. Tieszen's daughter, Leslie, was to be married Nov. 22, the day of the accident, but the wedding was postponed.
It's funny to me, actually sad, that people want change, don't like what's going on in the country, but vote for the same people that are stee
South Dakotas meth epidemic has so fueled the rise in crime that the state corrections department is now struggling with an influx of prisoners.

The states prison population currently stands at 3,913 men and women, compared with 3,735 last year and 3,557 in 2015, according to figures presented by Corrections Secretary Denny Kaemingk to the state corrections commission on Wednesday.

The past few weeks have been very difficult for us in trying to manage our population, Kaemingk told six commission members in a meeting at the Rapid City minimum security facility. The commission was established to help the corrections department examine criminal justice issues and come up with responses.

The meth epidemic is the driving force behind what we are seeing, Kaemingk said. Frankly, if we do not control our southern border with Mexico and methamphetamine coming in, I dont know if theres a blue sky that were gonna be seeing in the distant future.

People incarcerated on meth offenses encompass both new offenders and convicted individuals who violated the terms of their probation, he said in an interview.

The majority of state inmates are actually nonviolent offenders, Kaemingk told the commission members, including three state legislators and a circuit judge. At the end of June, the secretary's data showed, 54 percent of the men and 84 percent of the women inmates fell in this category.

To provide nonviolent female offenders an alternative to prison, the department is setting up a Pennington County program that would allow women to get drug and/or alcohol treatment while living in a home.

The three-year program, supported by a $1.75 million grant from the Department of Justice, aims to get going by May. The corrections department is now reviewing the bids of potential service providers and plans to begin recruitment and training in January, the commission was told.

The program is targeted at Pennington County female offenders since they made up a quarter of the states female prison population  the most from any county  when the grant was awarded in October 2016. It is expected to benefit at least 100 women.

Kaemingk discussed also the problem of minimum security inmates escaping from corrections facilities or job sites. This year, around 18 inmates committed the violation, including a man who was later found shot to death and another who is facing a murder charge in Rapid City.

From interviews with 19 escapees who agreed to speak about their violation, Kaemingk said some attributed the behavior to mental health issues, others to family problems.

They felt helpless sitting here, and they decided to walk away, he said.

The majority of escapes apparently involved no planning, and Kaemingk said some inmates described their behavior as stupid and regrettable.

The nine-person commission, which meets three to four times a year, will reconvene in another town sometime in the spring. Its upcoming agenda will include voting for a new chairperson after its former head, state Rep. Craig Tieszen, died in a kayaking accident in the south Pacific last week.

We sure miss our chairman, state Sen. Troy Heinert, the commission vice-chairman, said at the end of the meeting. The group had spoken about Tieszen's contributions before they got down to the day's agenda.
The burgeoning southern corridor to Rapid City that has been an area for explosive growth appears likely to see another development project with some help from a tax increment financing district.

At the citys Legal and Finance Committee meeting Wednesday afternoon, members recommended approving a resolution to create a tax increment financing district, or TIF, for a lot northwest of the intersection of U.S. Highway 16 and Catron Boulevard. The vote was 3-1 with Alderwoman Amanda Scott cast the "nay" vote.

TIF districts are intended to encourage economic development or public improvement projects in blighted areas by delaying the payment of increases in property tax payments in the district and instead putting the money toward preapproved project costs. In essence, as the construction or improvements are completed, the districts property valuation and subsequent property taxes increase.

But instead of collecting the increased property taxes, the money is instead diverted to a fund to pay for preapproved project costs approved by the city council. Property taxes are still paid, but only for the valuation of the property before the work begins, called the base valuation.

In the proposed TIF district at Wednesdays meeting, about $5.5 million in property tax payments would be diverted toward construction of a road  called Promise Road in city documents  that would link Golden Eagle Drive with Catron Boulevard along the western edge of the TIF district boundary. Utility and traffic signal adjustments and road realignments at the intersection of Promise Road and Catron Boulevard, and Promise Road and Golden Eagle Drive, would also be completed.

Hani Shafai, president of Dream Design International and the developer of the 105-acre lot, said the parcel is expected to house some minor retail space, a hotel and some restaurants. The main piece of the project, a $60 to $100 million office building, is currently in negotiations, Shafai said. None of the TIF funds would go toward building those structures.

Currently, the estimated assessed value of the area within the proposed district is about $3 million. Assuming the project goes to plan, the estimated valuation in 2037 would be approximately $51 million, according to city documents.

Alderwomen Becky Drury and Darla Drew expressed support for the proposed TIF, with Drew saying she trusted the citys Tax Increment Financing Committee and Planning Commission, which recommended approving the proposal.

Scott, though, sounded less than impressed.

Would this current development continue forward without the TIF? she asked. That has to be the primary question that the council members should be asking themselves. Its (TIF committee) such an initial committee that there is no real data. Its a concept. Now that Ive sat on the TIF committee, I dont put a lot of weight into that committees recommendation. Sorry, I need more information than what they get.

City attorney Joel Landeen and Community Development Director Ken Young said the committees role, and the citys criteria for TIF applications, may soon change.

Currently we are in the process of reviewing the TIF policies, Young said, adding that the state legislature is also looking at revising the regulations and criteria for TIF applications, creating a tighter process and stronger criteria that must be met. We are looking forward to seeing what comes out of the state legislature on their proposals.

But such discussions and the possibility of changes in the future matter little to Shafais project and application.

I just want to caution you that this has been on the drawing board for a long, long time, for almost 10 months, and there has been a lot of holding costs, Shafai told Scott. Dragging this along will not get Promise Road built. I guarantee you that.

A roadway just west and parallel to U.S. Highway 16, called U.S. Highway 16 Service Road, meets the citys code for providing access and utilities to the proposed buildings, Shafai and city long range planning manager Patsy Horton explained to committee members. The proposed Promise Road isnt about necessity but safety and preparation for the future, Shafai said.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation plans to overhaul the intersection of U.S. Highway 16 and Catron Blvd in the next 10 years, and preliminary designs include the elimination of U.S. Highway 16 Service Road.

In other action, the committee recommended:

 Authorizing city leadership to sign an agreement that would effectively allow the city buy out the Rapid City Area School Districts remaining ownership in the city/school administration center at 300 Sixth St. The city would pay the school district $2,904,450 to gain ownership of the entire building as school district offices and staff look to relocate to the recently vacated Black Hills Energy building at 625 Ninth St. along with the YMCA. Details of the agreement were not finalized at the time of the committee decision, but Landeen assured committee members the documents would be ready for the upcoming Rapid City Council meeting on Monday.

 Approving the second reading of an ordinance crafted to allow artisan distilleries to operate in downtown Rapid City as a conditional use. Per South Dakota law, artisan distillery production is limited to 50,000 gallons or less of distilled spirits per year. Randal Decker, part-owner of Black Hills Contraband, petitioned the city for the ordinance as his distilling company looks to relocate from Box Elder to Rapid City and open a distillery and bar. In a Sept. 18 letter to city staff, Decker said his company was interested in moving into the building currently housing Hay Camp Brewing Company at 601 Kansas City St., though the distillery would be located in a separate part of the building with its own address. In a Journal interview, Decker was noncommittal about that location but said they were still interested in relocating to Rapid City.
A jury debated less than two hours Wednesday before finding that Randy Lee Tyer, 57, sexually assaulted a girl he knew when she was 8 and 9 years old.

Tyer sat stone-faced as the jury found him guilty of sexual intercourse without consent, two charges of sexual assault, and indecent exposure to a minor. All of the charges are felonies that allegedly occurred between Jan. 1, 2015, and Sept. 30, 2016.

Tyer faces up to two terms of life in prison, plus 200 years, as well fines of up to $200,000. He was charged earlier this year. He allegedly denied committing a sexual assault when confronted, saying its not child molestation if theres no penetration.

Sentencing is set for Jan. 11. The case was tried by Judge James Haynes, and began on Monday.

The girl told her mother in September 2016 that Tyer touched her inappropriately. She later was interviewed at Emmas House, where she said he would pull down his pants and show her his genitals, along with making inappropriate sexual contact.

In closing arguments, defense attorney Brian Smith told the 12-member jury that Tyer denied any inappropriate touching, and while they might want to believe the testimony of the girl, now 10, they had to presume Tyers innocence unless the facts proved otherwise.

You may want so dearly to believe a 10-year-old girl, Smith said. Theres nothing wrong with that, but that can lead to errors when you act on emotion and act on sympathy. The judge will tell you thats what you cant do. That leads us down the path of mistakes. Thats not proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

Meghann Paddock, a deputy county attorney, countered that the brave young girl took the stand and told a room full of strangers very private details about what happened to her. Paddock noted that the more the girl shared with trusted adults, the more information came out about the allegations.

She didnt concoct something she made up to come here and tell a room full of strangers, Paddock said.

Haynes told the jury that Tyer would be jailed until his sentencing, and is facing similar charges in Colorado. He ordered a pre-sentence report, along with a psycho-sexual exam for Tyer, who left the courtroom in handcuffs.
While a wide range of comments were received on proposed changes to fishing rules on the West Fork of the Bitterroot River and a short stretch of the main stem, the proposal that will go before the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission Dec. 7 will be similar, if not the same, as what was presented to the public.

A review by the Ravalli Republic of the 140-plus comments showed about a third of the commenters supported the proposal or said it doesnt go far enough; another third were opposed to it, objecting to placing limits on public access and the potential for a negative economic impact; and about a third sought what they believed was a more delicate balance.

Chrissy Oschell, the fishing access site program manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, said they have a couple of options moving forward. The commission can adopt the proposal as written; it can decide not to take any action; it can proceed with some minor clarifications and rule changes, or it can come up with something entirely different.

If the fourth option is the route the commission takes, chances are it would have to go back out for public comment.

So at this point, the region will not recommend no action, but are trying to make sure everyone is on the same page before we decide what to do, Oschell said. To make any substantive changes would probably involve going back for public comments, if its anything thats more than a clarification.

Generally, the proposed regulations break the West Fork and upper Bitterroot River into four sections: The first is from Painted Rocks Dam to Applebury; Section 2 is Applebury to Trapper Creek Job Corps; Section 3 is Trapper Creek to Hannon Memorial; and Section 4 is Hannon Memorial to Wally Crawford.

On the first 11-mile section, floating of any kind, including outfitting, would be prohibited on Fridays between June 1 and Sept. 15, mainly to give wade anglers some space. In the 8-mile stretch of Section 2, float outfitting would be banned on Saturdays between those dates, and on Sundays for the 8-mile stretch of Section 3. On the 9-mile stretch of Section 4, float outfitting would be prohibited on Mondays.

Each commercial fishing and floating operator would be limited to two floats per day per designated sections.

In addition, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks would limit the number of fishing outfitters and float operators on the West Fork and upper Bitterroot by requiring them to obtain a permit. Those would be issued only to outfitters who can prove theyve had commercial operations on those designated sections between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2016.

While the permits would be free, the permit holders would have to submit an annual report on their use, and any permit without three consecutive years of activity would be considered abandoned and could be given to someone else.

Generally, those in support of the plan or who wanted to see further restrictions said that the overcrowding on the river has reached critical proportions and the number of float boats has gotten too high.

One person wrote that limiting all current outfitters to two trips per day will do little to reduce excessive outfitter use; another proposed shifting the closure days to take pressure off the river. Another option is to shift the boundaries of the sections to make float fishing more equitable.

Those opposing the plan said the limits would create economic hardships for local outfitters, and would restrict public access on Fridays, which is a relatively high-use day for residents. Also, some stretches are inaccessible to waders due to private lands, and closing those sections to float access effectively locks out the public.

A few people noted a lack of scientific analysis on the reasons for the proposal  the perceived overcrowding  and the need to factor in water flows and weather conditions.

One person said the new rules should be limited to the West Fork, while another said proposed changes should include the Clark Fork, the entire Bitterroot and the Blackfoot rivers. Yet another person wrote in to oppose any float fishing on the West Fork due to low volumes of water at times.

Oschell said its difficult to predict what the commission will do, but they will take public comments at the Dec. 7 meeting in Helena before making a decision. The issue is on the agenda to begin at 10 a.m. and last for 10 minutes, but Oschell noted that the meeting flows from one agenda item into the next, so the issue could come up sooner or later than whats scheduled.

The audio portion of the meeting is live-streamed online at fwp.mt.gov. The regional offices all have a live television feed of the meeting, and Oschell said while shell be at the commission meeting, members of the public are welcome to view the live feed at the regional office in Missoula at 3201 Spurgin Road.

While people can comment from the regional offices, that option isnt available via the audio-only live stream.
Former Ravalli County Treasurer Valerie Stamey has failed to meet filing deadlines in her $20 million federal court lawsuit against Ravalli County officials and Bitterroot Star owner Michael Howell, prompting attorneys to file motions to dismiss the case.

Stamey claimed in a federal court lawsuit in June that she was illegally fired in 2014, and sued 13 current and former county employees, as well as the owners of the Bitterroot Star, who she said all covered up long-term deficiencies in the treasurers office.

Stamey was interim treasurer for eight tumultuous months in which the office fell behind in maintaining the countys books, key employees quit, and bank deposits werent made. After Stamey was suspended, county officials found about $780,000 piled on her desk and in boxes on her floor.

On Oct. 13, the county filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit for Stameys failure to state a claim that would entitle her to some type of relief. Her response to that was due by Nov. 3.

On Oct. 24, Howells attorney Mike Meloy also filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, writing that Stamey failed to file the initial lawsuit within the statute of limitations. Stameys response to Meloy was due on Nov. 14.

For some unexplained reason, on Oct. 27 Stamey sought an extension to file her brief in response to the county until Nov. 3  when it initially was due, Meloy noted.

While it was clear the court was puzzled by this request, it nonetheless granted an extension of time for filing a response until Nov. 14, 2017, the same deadline for responding to Howells motion to dismiss, Meloy wrote, noting that the judge explained that perhaps Stamey was confused.

In that Oct. 27 document, Stamey's attorney Robert Myers writes that it was due today, Sept. 27. He then proceeds to argue that Stamey had lived in South Carolina for more than two years, which meant Montana had no jurisdiction when the county filed a lawsuit against Stamey in June 2014 after she was suspended.

The county issued six separate summonses before finally tracking Stamey down, and in 2016 a district court judge ruled that Stamey committed official misconduct by failing to perform her statutory duties. The district court judge ordered her to pay the county $151,478.

That prompted Stamey to file the federal court lawsuit in June 2017 against Howell, and current or former commissioners Greg Chilcott, J.R. Iman, Jeff Burrows, Chris Hoffman and Suzzy Foss; Ravalli County Clerk and Recorder Regina Plettenberg; former deputy treasurers Linda Issacs, Mary Borden and Bonnie Dugan; former treasurer Joanne Johnson; and county employees Karlyse Murphy and Jana Exner.

She filed an amended complaint in September, and Howell filed a counterclaim on Oct. 16, saying Stamey didnt have any probable cause for suing him, and that her lawsuit not only should be dismissed, but she also should pay for his attorney fees, for damaged caused by her assertion, and for punitive damages.

Stamey didnt file anything until Nov. 21, when she provided a notice containing what Meloy characterized as a rambling, stream-of-consciousness narrative about some alleged failure to property serve a summons. She added that Myers was having problems with his password that prevented him from filing documents.

This was actually a blessing in disguise because the original attempted filing was based on a false factual belief, Myers wrote. The plaintiff was under the mistaken belief that there was only one attempt of service on her in South Carolina were (sic) the process server served plaintiffs husband and not her by throwing documents at him. What plaintiffs counsel was unware (sic) of was that the plaintiff was later served.

He then describes a deep investigation into jurisdiction and official misconduct to explain the delay in timely findings, noting that this was indeed very complex.

Meloy argues in his most recent case filing on Nov. 23 that a technical failure doesnt excuse an untimely finding, and in Howells case, Stamey still hasnt even made an effort to justify her failure to respond to Howells motion to dismiss, nor did she request additional time to file a response.

(This) motion to dismiss is ripe for ruling, Meloy wrote.

Gregory Bonilla, an attorney representing the county defendants, concurred with a motion submitted Wednesday.

Stameys response is now 15 days overdue, Bonilla wrote. Plaintiff has done nothing to rectify the technical issues or otherwise sought a solution to the technical problem. In short, (Stamey) has been recalcitrant about filing her responsive pleading. No less drastic measure than dismissal with prejudice presents.
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines got to yes on GOP tax reform Wednesday after party leaders agreed to sweeten tax cuts for pass-through businesses.

Montanas Republican senator had held out for a new, 23 percent deduction on income for pass-through businesses, which are businesses that do not pay corporate income tax. Instead, the owner reports her business income as personal income on her 1040 tax form.

Pass-through businesses include sole proprietorships, Limited Liability Companies, partnerships and small corporations taxed as partnerships. The broad pass-through category includes start-up small businesses, which Daines highlighted when announcing earlier in the week that he wouldnt support the Senate tax cuts until more was done for Main Street businesses. In Montana, it also includes some mining, oil, lumber and construction companies, among others.

Montana leads the nation in business startups per capita, according to a 2015 report by the Kaufmann Foundation. Those businesses more often than not start as pass-through businesses, and politicians frequently refer to those startups as Main Street businesses.

Daines put that tax savings stemming from the 23 percent deduction at $60 billion for pass-through businesses. Small Montana businesses account for 68 percent of the states jobs.

Montanas Department of Revenue officials said it was unlikely Montanas startup businesses would be the ones benefiting from the new deduction, namely because startups tend to operate at a loss for several years and have little  if any  profit to deduct in the first place.

In Montana, 43.2 percent of pass-through partnerships reported zero or negative income in 2014, the most recent year for which data is available. Among Montana's Subchapter S corporations, which are pass through businesses with 100 or fewer shareholders, 30 percent reported negative to zero income, while 15.3 percent reported income ranging from a dollar to $10,000.

The main beneficiaries will likely be larger pass-through businesses, not the Main Street variety associated with retail trade.

DORs Ed Caplis explained the reason so many business startups use pass-throughs. Say someone wants to start a small brewery. They want to limit their liability, and they also want to avoid paying corporate income tax. The way to accomplish both is to form a sole proprietorship, or LLC and just declare, on your form 1040 personal income tax return, whatever income might result from your small-time beer sales.

A would-be brewer could form a corporation, but then the corporation has to pay taxes, and so does the owner as an individual being compensated by the corporation. Using the pass-through option, the sole proprietor basically avoids being taxed twice, Caplis explained.

These startup businesses deduct their expenses and have little income to report afterward.

The entities earning the majority of pass-through income tend not to be Main Street startups. Hedge funds, law firms, accounting firms and real estate brokerages are just some of the not-so-Main-Street groups that also operate as large pass-through businesses.

The Senate tax bill excludes Hedge funds from the pass-through deduction. It also puts deduction caps on partnerships in which a partner's skill is the stock in trade, such as law and architectural firms.

In Montana, there are oil pipeline companies operating as pass-through businesses. When Plum Creek Timber was a wood products industry giant in Montana, it operated as a pass-through business. Plum Creek, which sold to Weyerhaeuser for $8.4 billion in 2015, was not a Main street business in the mom-and-pop shop sense.

Businesses like KFC of Montana could use that 20 percent pass-through deduction, said company president Brett Harris. The company has plans for six more locations in the coming years. And why shouldn't a pass-through business successful enough to pay taxes not receive a break? Harris asked rhetorically.

In Montana pass-through income is no small matter. Department of Revenue records for 2014, the most recent year available, show that most pass-through income  $64 billion  comes from financial activity partnerships, like hedge funds. The next-largest business sector contributed a little more than $1 billion, professional and business services, for example.

The trade, transportation and utility sector, which includes pass-through retail businesses, reported a negative $266 million in net income.

The conception of what pass-throughs are is different from what they really are, said Dan Dodds, DOR senior economist. Having looked at this, a lot of pass-through entities are strictly investment vehicles that a couple will set up and have that pass-through own all of their investments.

There are real tax benefits for pass-through businesses of all sizes in the Senate tax plan, according the Dainess staff. Business owners typically pay taxes at the highest marginal rate, currently 39.6 percent. The senate cuts that rate to 38.4 percent and then offers the pass-through deduction of 20 percent requested by Daines and fellow Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. After the 23 percent deduction on pass-through income, the highest marginal rate drops to 31.8 percent.

That cut to the highest marginal rate, as well as the 20 percent deduction, target actual income, according to Daines staff, not capital gains. The Senate bill recognizes no difference between passive and active investors.
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Mathew Burciaga is a Santa Maria Times reporter who covers education, agriculture and public safety. Prior to joining the Times, Mathew ran a 114-year-old community newspaper in Wyoming. He owns more than 40 pairs of crazy socks from across the globe.
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The send-off ceremony was held at Sual port of Pangasinan province, 350km north of Manila capital city, with the participation of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and local authorities.

Duterte said that the Philippine Government has completed procedures to send the fishermen back to Vietnam, in accordance with the request of Vietnamese leaders.

For his part, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines Ly Quoc Tuan thanked the Philippine President and agencies for helping the fishermen return home.

The bodies of two other fishermen from the boat were brought back to Vietnam on October 7. Vietnamplus.
According to Mr. Thien, it would be difficult for small and medium enterprises to apply science and technologies in agriculture.

At the conference, Mr. Ngo Tat Thang, deputy head of the Central New Rural Coordination Office under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that after seven years of the programs implementation, the country has 2,835 communes recognized to meet new rural standards accounting for 31.96 percent.

In addition, 41 districts in 24 provinces and cities have been recognized new rural areas by the Prime Minister.

The fact of agricultural and new rural development has affirmed the large role of businesses who provided VND20,408 billion ($898 million) for the program in the first five year phase. Still the amount accounts for only 4.9 percent of total funds which has been raised for the program.

The number of businesses investing in agriculture and new rural development reached less than 1 percent of the total number of 4,080 companies in 2016. Of these, 96 percent are medium and small scaled.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tien, head of the Agriculture and Rural Department under the Central Economic Committee, said that although new policies have been issued to lure businesses to the field, there are many barriers in land and unsuitable credit policies.

Delegates at the meeting said that new rural development is a right policy but it will not be efficient without businesses attendance.

By VAN PHUC  Translated by Hai Mien
Your Thanksgiving feast has ended. All the guests are gone. The table is cleared, and the dishes are done. But there is one more thing you need to consider: leftovers.

Theres no other holiday where the leftovers play as an important role as the main meal. From the turkey and stuffing to mashed potatoes and veggies, so many parts of the feast are prime candidates for new dishes in the days ahead.

But before that can happen, you must store those leftovers properly. Here are some tips:

 Store leftovers within two hours of your meal. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service website says to toss food that has been left out for longer than two hours at room temperature because it could be unsafe. If the temperature is above 90 degrees (thats certainly not an issue here), the limit is one hour.

 Dont store the whole turkey with meat still on it in the refrigerator. Pick all the meat from the bones, place in plastic bags or storage containers and store separately. Use the meat within 3 to 4 days or freeze.

 When using leftover turkey in a recipe, remember that it just needs to be reheated because its already cooked. Prepare other ingredients first, according to your recipe. Then add the leftover turkey.

 If you plan on making stock, store the carcass and bones in a plastic bag.

 Stuffing and gravy keep two days in the refrigerator. Stuffing can be frozen for one month, gravy up to six months.

 Side dishes and casseroles will keep three to four days in the refrigerator.

 Cooked mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes keep three to four days in the refrigerator. These also freeze well in airtight containers for 10 to 12 months, but leave about a half-inch of space at the top. Reheat over low-medium heat in a saucepan with 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or water, stirring to prevent sticking.

 Store cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Fresh, whole cranberries will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks and in the freezer for up to one year.

Todays recipes  for two soups, a pot pie and a sandwich  use mainly kitchen staples, saving you a trip to the grocery store.
DAKOTA CITY | A teenager who pleaded no contest last month to a reduced charge in the fatal shooting and dismemberment of an Emerson, Nebraska, man has changed his mind about backing out of the plea agreement.

Brayan Galvan-Hernandez had asked District Judge Paul Vaughan in a handwritten letter filed Nov. 17 in Dakota County District Court if he could take back his guilty plea and instead go to trial because, he said, his attorneys had lied to him and pressured him to enter the plea deal.

But earlier this week, Galvan-Hernandez withdrew his request, saying he had discussed his concerns about the plea agreement with his attorneys and he wished to go forward with his Dec. 12 sentencing on charges of attempted second-degree murder and accessory to a felony.

"I have made the decision to go forward with the plea agreement previously entered in the court and I would like to be sentenced ...," the document signed by Galvan-Hernandez said. His attorneys, Stuart Mills, of Pender, Nebraska, and Douglas Stratton, of Norfolk, Nebraska, also signed the document.

Galvan-Hernandez, 19, of Wakefield, Nebraska, faces a sentencing range of 50-70 years in prison. As part of his plea agreement, he pleaded no contest on Oct. 10 to attempted second-degree murder, which was reduced from first-degree murder, and pleaded guilty to the accessory charge. Charges of use of a firearm to commit a felony and abandoning human skeletal remains or burial goods will be dismissed.

Galvan-Hernandez would have faced life in prison had a jury found him guilty at trial of first-degree murder. He was charged with Andres Surber, 26, also of Wakefield, for the Nov. 1, 2016, shooting death of Kraig Kubik, 42, and the dismemberment of his body.

Prosecutors have said that Surber shot Kubik in the back of the head and Galvan-Hernandez either knew that Surber planned to shoot Kubik or helped him plan the shooting. Prosecutors also believe Galvan-Hernandez removed or destroyed evidence.

Assistant Nebraska Attorney General Corey O'Brien said during Galvan-Hernandez' plea hearing that video from surveillance cameras at Kubik's home showed Galvan-Hernandez and Surber meeting with Kubik and later that night dragging what was believed to be Kubik's body across the yard.

Investigators responding to Kubik's disappearance the next morning found a pool of blood near his car and his glasses in his driveway. Investigators were later called to an abandoned farmhouse 24 miles away from Kubik's home and found his severed right arm and right leg inside the trunk of a Chevrolet Impala, which surveillance camera footage from a Wakefield convenience store showed Galvan-Hernandez driving on the night Kubik was shot.

The rest of Kubik's remains were found three days later in a culvert about four miles from the farmhouse. Autopsy results showed that Kubik died of a single gunshot wound to the back of the head.

Surber has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. In April, Vaughan found Surber mentally incompetent to stand trial, and Surber is currently receiving psychiatric treatment to determine if his competency can be restored to stand trial.
SAC CITY, Iowa | The Rolling Hills Community Service Region Board expressed reluctance about a request from Woodbury County to join the regional mental health consortium during a board meeting Wednesday afternoon in Sac City.

The board declined to even take a vote on the county's request, putting off any decision until the board's next meeting on Dec. 20 or sometime in January.

Woodbury County is set to withdraw from the three-county Sioux Rivers Regional Mental Health and Disability Services agency on July 1. Since its inception, Woodbury has been part of Sioux Rivers, which includes Plymouth and Sioux counties.

The Rolling Hills governance board picked through issues about whether the move would be a positive step, in terms of services and budget for delivery of mental health services to low-income people.

But several Rolling Hills board members during the 90-minute discussion at the Sac City Community Center shared substantial concerns about adding Woodbury County, while one board member said there was at least one reason to take in the county.

There are a lot of things to be resolved, said Rolling Hills board chairman Rick Hecht, of Sac County.

Woodbury County's recent notice that it planned to withdraw from the Sioux Rivers region came 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, 2018.

Rolling Hills takes in seven smaller counties mostly east of Woodbury -- Buena Vista, Sac, Calhoun, Carroll, Cherokee, Crawford and Ida.

The sole member of the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors at the meeting, Jeremy Taylor, said Woodbury must separate from Plymouth and Sioux counties due to a poor working relationship, something he has routinely stated in meetings since summer. By comparison, Taylor told the Rolling Hills board, We are impressed by your region, impressed by your governance.

Cecil Blum, of Crawford County, said he appreciated such praise, but he is hesitant to make a change that could impact the rapport of the current seven counties.

I am somewhat disinclined to accept someone into the agency that could upset the harmony, Blum said.

Blum and Neil Bock, of Carroll County, shared grave concerns about Woodbury County expanding the region to eight counties. Blum said the Rolling Hills region is made up of rural agriculture counties that might not mesh with Woodbury County, heavily urban by the presence of Sioux City, with a population of more than 100,000.

Woodbury is just the 180-degree oppositeThat gives me pause, Blum said.

Dennis Bush, of Cherokee County, responded that rural people may think that mental health issues found in a metro area will never be their concern. Bush said, however, that rural Iowa is not immune from such issues, so it would be helpful to have the expertise of mental health programs and providers from Woodbury County, as that spills into Rolling Hills territory.

Taylor shared criticisms of the functioning of Sioux Rivers governance board and, near the end of the meeting, appeared to also question its CEO Shane Walter.

We want a CEO who has a good reputation within the state, Taylor said.

Taylor added, (The Sioux Rivers Board) are hoping at this point, frankly, that Rolling Hills doesnt accept us, because they want to remain a region (of three).

I sympathize a little with Plymouth and Sioux countiesI believe they are fighting for survival, Blum said.

Bock encouraged Woodbury County to take your money and your services and try to make it work out to remain in Sioux Rivers. Bock said the Carroll County Board of Supervisors recently discussed the Woodbury County option and are pretty reluctant to add the county.

Hecht was among several board members who raised questions about the possibility of not only Woodbury but also Sioux and Plymouth counties also seeking to join the region if Woodbury exits.

Hecht also said he was concerned that Woodbury County might not enter Rolling Hills with enough money to add to the combined region's coffers.

Taylor said Sioux Rivers board members are dragging their feet and not giving a clear summary of how much money Woodbury County could have on June 30, 2018, once all the fiscal year spending was done. He put the countys ending year balance in a range from $825,000 to $1.45 million, with perhaps $1.23 million most likely.

It would be irresponsible for us not to know what that (ending balance) is, Hecht said.

Three separate votes will be required in order for Woodbury County to join Rolling Hills -- 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.

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.
SIOUX CITY | Sioux City has ceased billing three sister cities with an additional service charge for sewage treatment after discovering that the charge had already been figured into the cities' bills.

Sioux City in July had begun billing what it said was a long-overlooked 7 percent service charge to North Sioux City, Sergeant Bluff and South Sioux City, which each have years-old sewage agreements with Sioux City for use of the regional treatment plant.

The charge, which covers administrative costs, is outlined in the text of the agreements but, according to an audit, had gone un-billed for years. At the direction of city officials, city staff had notified each sister city earlier this year to inform them it had decided to move forward with charging the additional amount.

But the cities took issue, saying they believed the charge was already included in the bills, that their budgets were unprepared for the charge and, in some cases, that such a charge could require rate increases for their residents. City leaders said the new charge would cost their cities thousands of dollars each year.

The cities collectively held off on paying it as they pursued discussions with Sioux City through their attorneys to reach a consensus.

Sioux City utilities director Mark Simms told the Journal Wednesday that additional research uncovered a nearly four-decade-old document that showed that service charge was actually folded into the existing rates.

"The best we can tell, it was built into the rates when they did a rate study in the late 1970s, and it's built into some of the charges," he said. "It was difficult for us to find that."

Simms said after that discovery, the city notified the cities that it had made a mistake and would not be proceeding with the additional charge.

North Sioux City, Sergeant Bluff and South Sioux City received notification from the city earlier this month acknowledging the charge was already included and that the additional charge has been dropped.

"That's been our position all along, that the 7 percent charge was on top of the 7 percent we'd already been paying," said North Sioux City Administrator Ted Cherry, who added he was glad the issue has been resolved.

Sergeant Bluff City Administrator Aaron Lincoln mentioned the resolution Tuesday evening during the City Council meeting. He said the cities have also met collectively with city officials to encourage more open communication on big-picture wastewater treatment issues.

South Sioux City administrator Lance Hedquist told the Journal he believes the cities came to an amiable resolution.
SIOUX CITY | Before being the spiritual pedestals for Sioux City Police Officers to lean on, chaplains Maj. Von Vandiver and Rev. Dan Rupp were in different lines of work.

Vandiver, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, was a computer consultant before he and his wife, Linda, became ministers and led the Salvation Army of Siouxland.

"It was a natural disaster that got me to change. My wife was an insurance adjuster, and, in 1993, there was a flood in the Missouri River that devastated St. Louis," Vandiver, 59, said. "We got busy helping to respond to the flood. I was in Arnold, Missouri, and I will never forget this, this guy came in and he was totally destroyed by the flood. I talked to him and gave him a cup of water and a hot dog. I just sensed God saying to me, 'You could do this the rest of your life.' I thought, 'Wow, I think you are right.'"

Rupp, 51, a Sioux City Catholic priest, heard a similar voice early in his life but didn't listen until after he graduated Iowa State University with a degree in electrical engineering.

"When I was in kindergarten, I wanted to be a priest but that was gone by second grade. I didn't know what I wanted to be, but not a priest. Then in high school, a little call was there but I didn't want anything to do with it," said Rupp, a Cherokee, Iowa, native. "I finally graduated college, and in college, you are always thinking about next year, next semester, next week. Then finally you sit down and you work. And I asked, 'Could I see myself retiring as an engineer, yeah, I suppose I could. I liked my job, I enjoyed my work, good money. But should I retire as an engineer? Oh boy, no. Then the thought of being a priest came back, and I thought here I go again. But I realized, it is not a curse, it is a blessing. I was just uncooperative for a while."

As Sioux City Police chaplains, Vandiver and Rupp are always on-call to tend to the needs of the members of the department, from personal struggles at home to job-related incidents.

"This can be anything from the death or serious injury of an officer to a traumatic incident or major call for service that would result in a critical incident debrief," Police Chief Rex Mueller said. "We rely on them for a lot of the same duties that a church would rely on a pastor. The fact that our chaplains are willing to take on this task for no compensation is a testament to their leadership and desire to help others."

Vandiver has been a department chaplain since 2014. Rupp filled a recent opening, succeeding the Rev. Michael Erpelding, a Catholic priest, in October after Erpelding was reassigned to parishes outside Sioux City.

Von and Linda Vandiver have been leading the Salvation Army of Siouxland since 2008. He was offered the chaplain position after his involvement in an emergency preparedness group with the police department.

"I call it a ministry of presence," Vandiver said. "I've met most of the officers through a training class or whatever, they know I'm here. It's not somebody saying, 'Go talk to the chaplain, now' or anything like that. I'm just going to be there if they need me."

Rupp is a cleric for the Mater Dei Parish in Sioux City that includes the Immaculate Conception Parish and the Nativity Parish. He got in contact with the department through his hair stylist, whose husband in on the force.

"I have a great respect for our police officers," said Rupp, who noted he has not yet counseled an officer. "I'm happy to help any way I can."

Vandiver said the most prominent occurrence his job was needed was with the unexpected death of natural causes of Sgt. Jay Fleckenstein in April 2015.

"The department took it hard, a 39-year-old just went home after work and just drops dead. That was tough for them," Vandiver recalled. "But in a strange way, I like doing funerals. As a minister, people are not really interested in spiritual things, but when you are confronted with death ... particularly an unexpected one -- I think people want to know is there a heaven, and not just, 'Is this it?' I like, in a perverse way, to comfort them during those times."

Both chaplains said the best way to strengthen a person in need is through listening.

"I always tell them, I don't give advice unless they specifically ask for that. I'm here to listen," Vandiver said.

"Of course, listen, listen, listen, is the most important thing" Rupp interjected.

Vandiver continued, "(police officers) are a very closed group of people, they trust other officers and it's hard for them to share anything with somebody outside the organization. So I am just here to listen."

The chaplains earn a badge and a jacket for their contribution to the department (even though Rupp hasn't received one yet, he laughed.)

Mueller applauded their devotion to helping the department.

"Police officers deal with people in crisis and see horrible things on a daily basis. Having some spiritual guidance and leadership inside the police department is extremely important," the police chief said. "This gives our officers and staff a place to turn to when dealing with the many stresses that come with police work. Because of what is expected of us as we carry out our duties, we sometimes fail to appropriately deal with all of the trauma we experience. Since our chaplains are familiar to our officers, it can help open those lines of communication."
Why would Christian conservatives in good conscience go to the polls Dec. 12 and vote for Judge Roy Moore, despite the charges of sexual misconduct with teenagers leveled against him?

Answer: That Alabama Senate race could determine whether Roe v. Wade is overturned. The lives of millions of unborn may be the stakes.

Republicans now hold 52 Senate seats. If Democrats pick up the Alabama seat, they need only two more to recapture the Senate, and with it the power to kill any conservative court nominee, as they killed Robert Bork.

Today, the GOP, holding Congress and the White House, has a narrow path to capture the Third Branch, the Supreme Court, and to dominate the federal courts for a decade. For this historic opportunity, the party can thank two senators, one retired, the other still sitting.

The first is former Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

In 2013, Harry exercised the "nuclear option," abolishing the filibuster for President Obama's judicial nominees. The Senate no longer needed 60 votes to confirm judges. Fifty-one Senate votes could cut off debate, and confirm.

Iowa's Chuck Grassley warned Harry against stripping the minority of its filibuster power. Such a move may come back to bite you, he told Harry. Grassley is now judiciary committee chairman.

And this year a GOP Senate voted to use the nuclear option to shut down a filibuster of Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, who was then confirmed with 55 votes.

Yet the Democratic minority still had one card to play to block President Trump's nominees -- the "blue slip courtesy."

If a senator from the state where a federal judicial nominee resides asks for a hold on proceedings, by not returning a blue slip, the judiciary committee has traditionally honored that request and not held hearings.

Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota used the blue slip to block the Trump nomination of David Stras of Minnesota to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Franken calls Stras too ideological, too conservative.

But Grassley has now decided to reject the blue slip courtesy for appellate court judges, since their jurisdiction is not just over a single state like Minnesota, but over an entire region.

Thus have the skids been greased for a conservative recapture of the federal judiciary unseen since the early days of FDR.

Eighteen of the 179 seats on the U.S. appellate courts and 119 of the 677 seats on federal district courts are already open. More will be opening up. No president in decades has seen the opportunity Trump has to remake the federal judiciary.

Not only are the federal court vacancies almost unprecedented, a GOP Senate and Trump are working in harness to fill them before January 2019, when a new Congress is sworn in.

If Republicans blow this opportunity, it is unlikely to come again. For the Supreme Court has seemed within Republican grasp before, only to have it slip away because of presidential errors.

Nixon had four nominees to the Supreme Court confirmed and Gerald Ford saw his nominee, John Paul Stevens, unanimously confirmed. But of those five justices confirmed from 1969 to 1976, Stevens and Harry Blackmun joined the liberal bloc, and Chief Justice Warren Burger and Lewis Powell voted for Roe v. Wade.

Of Reagan's three Supreme Court nominees confirmed, Sandra Day O'Connor and Anthony Kennedy cast crucial votes in 5-4 decisions to defeat the strict constructionists led by Antonin Scalia.

George H.W. Bush named Clarence Thomas to the court, but only after he had elevated David Souter, who also joined the liberal bloc.

Hence, both Trump, by whom he nominates, and a Republican Senate, with its power to confirm with 51 votes, are indispensable if we are to end judicial dictatorship in America.

And 2018 is the crucial year.

While Democrats, with 25 Senate seats at risk, would seem to be facing more certain losses than the GOP, with one-third as many seats at stake, history teaches that the first off-year election of Trump could prove a disaster.

Consider. Though Ike ended the Korean War in his first year, he lost both Houses of Congress in his second. Reagan enacted one of the great tax cuts in history in his first year, and then lost 26 seats in the House in his second.

Bill Clinton lost control of both the House and Senate in his first off-year election. Barack Obama in 2010 lost six Senate seats and 54 seats and control of the House. And both presidents were more popular than Trump is today.

If the election in Virginia this year is a harbinger of what is to come, GOP control of Congress could be washed away in a tidal wave in 2018.

Hence, this coming year may be a do-or-die year to recapture the Third Branch of Government for conservatism.

Which is why that Dec. 12 election in Alabama counts.
The GOP tax plan has taken aim at what is a cornerstone of Iowa values: higher education.

The House bill asks for a 1.5 percent excise tax on higher college endowments, which are used for scholarships and a lot of good both nationally and worldwide (see my alma mater, Grinnell College), and it will tax tuition waivers given to graduate students who serve as teaching assistants or researchers, all the while eliminating the student-loan interest deduction (up to $2,500) and the lifetime learning credit ($2,000). Instead of addressing the problems of the rising cost of college and the concurrent student-loan debt that hurts many graduates, our representatives feel that our best choice is to make it harder for not only Iowans, but all Americans who want to become world leaders in advanced fields to achieve their dreams.

Instead of investing in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), we are giving huge maximum tax breaks to wealthy individuals and large corporations while further increasing our deficit by the trillions and punishing our future learners. Our country cannot be great if we do not educate our nation's best and brightest to compete with the rest of the world in these fields.

The current tax bill passed by the House shows that they do not want to prioritize higher education in the way we used to, and that is a shame. As an Iowan, I know how much we say we value education, but now is when we need our voices to be heard. - James Schueller, Sioux City
The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.



The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.







By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.
Rutina Wesley showed her Instagram followers she will be getting married again earlier this month.

The actress, who played Tara Thornton on dark fantasy horror television series True Blood for seven seasons, posted a series of photos on her account showing the proposal to Chef Shonda on Nov. 18. According to Queerty, she had previously posted pictures of Shonda throughout the last few weeks, hinting at a potential engagement.

#FromTheInsideOut You are the sunshine of my life, she said of Shonda in a Nov. 12 Instagram post.

Wesley is currently playing a lesbian character on the Oprah Winfrey Network show Queen Sugar.

Wesley was previously married to actor Jacob Fishel from 2005-2014. The pair split up due to irreconcilable differences, according to People Magazine.
December 1 is World AIDS Day  its an opportunity to learn the facts about HIV/AIDS. Knowing the reality of living with HIV/AIDS may help prevent people getting it, and help to make sure people living with HIV are treated fairly.

The first World AIDS Day took place in 1988.

The worldwide effort draws people together in solidarity to celebrate the victories that allow more people to live longer and healthier. Its also a time to pay tribute to the millions of people who lost their battle with AIDS and to make a renewed commitment to assist those who are living with or at risk for HIV.

In Broward County, one in 78 people ages 13 and older are HIV positive. Broward County has experienced the highest rates of new HIV and AIDS cases in the U.S., according to the Florida Department of Health.

The largest WAD event in Broward County is the World AIDS Day Vigil and Remembrance Walk. The candlelight walk begins in Hagen Park at 2020 Wilton Drive and continues through Wilton Manors before ending at the Pride Center at Equality Park. Once there, a few words of remembrance are spoken in this tradition of hope and healing. The event is free and open to the public.

Out of the Closet holds free HIV testing at all of its South Florida locations. Mobile testing units from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) perform rapid, free, 1 minute HIV testing in communities across South Florida. AHF will also participate in a prayer breakfast in partnership with the Urban League or Broward County, on Dec. 2, connected to WAD events.

Latinos Salud will have mobile HIV testing and condom outreach on Dec. 1, in front of its office on 2330 Wilton Drive from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The Broward County Library Hollywood Branch will display books about HIV/AIDS that are also available for checkout. The display is from 10:30 a.m.  6 p.m. The Broward County Library Hollywood Branch is located at 2600 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, FL.

The Stonewall Museum exhibit, A Community Responds: Our Response to HIV/AIDS runs though Jan. 7. This powerful collection explores the human response by the people most affected by the AIDS epidemic. It explores the communities that responded to AIDS using grass roots methods and employed creative methods to fight a disease when politicians wouldnt acknowledge it. The Stonewall Museum Wilton Manors Gallery is located at 2157 Wilton Drive.

The World AIDS Museum and Educational Center teaches AIDS education in select Broward County high schools on WAD. Dec. 1 is a great to visit the museums signature exhibit  The Chronology of AIDS. The exhibit presents the progression of the pandemic alongside key global events. It summarizes the global response to fighting AIDS and honors those affected by the disease. The museum is located at 1201 NE 26th St. Suite 111 Wilton Manors. For more information, visit WorldAIDSmuseum.org/exhibits.
Rev. Fred Gray remembers the time before the AIDS Quilt and all the progress that has been made since it was first stitched 30 years ago. Now, he hopes that bringing the AIDS Quilt to his church, United Church of Christ Fort Lauderdale, will be one small stitch in preventing an unraveling of the progress woven so far.

We decided we wanted to do something that was less church and more community. Were hoping that this just develops more awareness and, with the looks of things politically today, that were not going to regress, Gray said.

One time Gray specifically doesnt want to regress back to is when those afflicted with HIV/AIDS were denied the medical care they needed and treated as pariahs. He recalled the time when he watched his best friend, Joe Hare, and Hares partner, Howard Reynolds, both die from the disease. He had to bring his friend lunch in the hospital because none of the medical staff would enter the room. People were really very sick and dying very quickly. It was absolutely ridiculous for people not to care for about other people.

Parts of the Quilt is on display at United Church of Christ Fort Lauderdale from through Dec. 1 at United Church of Christ, 2501 NE 30 St., Fort Lauderdale. From Dec. 1 to 13, it will be at Compass Community Center, 201 N. Dixie Hwy., Lake Worth. Visit AIDSquilt.org/view-the-quilt/display-schedule for other dates and locations.

The brainchild of Cleve Jones, an LGBT activist from San Francisco who was featured in the Harvey Milk film Milk starring Sean Penn, the AIDS Quilt was first displayed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 11, 1987.

On Nov. 10, Jones spoke about coming up with idea for the AIDS Quilt during the World AIDS Museum and Educational Centers An Evening with Cleve Jones event at Sunshine Cathedral in Fort Lauderdale.

Jones, in a video of his speech provided by the World AIDS Museum, said the idea came to him in November of 1985 when he and a friend were putting up flyers to remind people of the annual vigil held in honor of Milk and Mayor George Moscone. Both were murdered by disgruntled former city supervisor Dan White in November 1978.

Jones said the specific moment of inspiration came when he was in the Castro in San Francisco and saw a newspaper headline about the 1,000 dead from AIDS in San Francisco alone up to that point.

I knew that of those first thousand to die, almost every one of them lived and died within six blocks of where I was standing. And there was no evidence. And I was getting angrier and angrier and angrier, and I remember saying to my friend Joseph, You know . . . maybe if this was a field of rotting corpses in the sun then people would see it and they would understand, and if they were human beings they would be compelled to respond. And there was no response . . . I was furious and I didnt know what to do.

Days later at the vigil for Milk and Moscone, Jones asked the crowd to write the names of the friends, lovers, and neighbors who died because of AIDS on poster boards. Later, Jones and the crowd scaled the side of the federal Health and Human Services building in San Francisco and covered the walls with those poster boards.

And I looked over the heads of everybody at that patchwork of names on the wall, and I thought it looked like some kind of strange quilt, he said as he snapped his fingers, illustrating his eureka moment. And I thought of my great grandma, Irene Rupert, and the quilt she sowed in 1952. It was such a warm, comforting, middle class, traditional family values kind of symbol . . . it just seemed like such an American folk art.
Is God a man? Or a woman? Or neither? Or both? Humans may never truly know the answer to that. But the Church of Sweden recently decided their God is going gender-neutral.

God is not human, Archbishop Antje Jackelen told Swedens TT News Agency. God is beyond our gender determinations.

The Evangelical Lutheran church came to the decision last week during a church body meeting, where they also decided that they would make revisions to their handbook to include gender-neutral language.

Moving forward when referencing the higher power, the church clergy will be asked to use God, instead of Lord, or He/Him/His, pronouns. The decision has been met with some backlash and criticism from church members who disagreed.

It really isnt smart if the Church of Sweden becomes known as a church that does not respect the common theology heritage, Christer Pahlmblad, an associate theology professor at Swedens Lund University, told the Kristeligt Dagblad newspaper, in Denmark.

The policy takes effect May 20.
Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme  La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza.



Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres.




We can't seem to find the page you are looking for.

You may have typed the address incorrectly or you may have used an outdated link.
Stroll past The Mixtape Shop, and youll know straight away that its a shiny new cafebut thats only the half of it.

The brightness, the white wallsthey became steps to make it more welcoming for more people, says partner Brian Thomas, seated in his new cafe-cum-record-store in Brooklyns Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood.



Well over a decade ago, as mom-and-pop record shops succumbed to the MP3, Thomas opening might have seemed ill-timed. And while record sales have actually gone up, record stores are still teeteringwhich is why Thomas hasnt opened a record shop (or at least, not only a record shop).

Think of The Mixtape Shop like the mullet of concept stores: Business in the front (a minimalist cafe), party in the back (a hidden record shop, complete with a DJ booth). A cafe has an easier time standing alone, while a digital-age record store will benefit from the buzzy habitat.

Its an evolution of a story that began in 2009: While Thomas was in art school in California, he co-founded MixTape Club, a website that regularly published batches of mixtapes. It started as a way to bring artists and amateurs together, to share new tracks.

In 2014, Brian Thomas and his partner Erica Roden began to consider bringing the MixTape Club into the physical retail space, inspired by other mixed-use businesses theyd seen anywhere from NYC to Berlin and Tokyo. They dipped their toe in the water last year, opening an online record shop, and after learning the ropes, they eventually found a storefront in Bed-Stuy for their brick-and-mortar.

But they knew that record stores had the tendency to intimidate the casual music fan.

To them, classic record shops were known for being a bit worn around the edges, a clutter of titles in various bins, which were only fun to browse if you knew exactly what you were digging for. The everyday passerby might hesitate to explore such a placewhich was usually dim, dusty, and far from welcoming.

They opted for a complete refresh.



Inside The Mixtape Shop, the cafes clean-lined interior is minimal and airy. Plank floors are painted white, and surfaces are all light-wood accented with leafy green plants and cacti. The tin ceiling, painted black, is highlighted with a succession of thin overhead bulbs that flood the space with light.

The coffee bar, helmed by a shiny La Marzocco Linea that is visible from the street, serves Intelligentsia Coffee (Black Cat for espresso, and Frequency for drip) while a case of treats from nearby Saraghina Bakery offers a range from speck and Robiola croissants to sausage and fennel biscuits.

Once youre inside, you cant miss the music.

Beyond the bar, about halfway through the shop, the space eases into an open layout where vinyl is stocked in the spotlight. For most, theres no need to explore beyond the cafe area, but Thomas and Rodens intention is that, while customers await their latte, curiosity might just handle the rest.

People will order their coffee and then do a loop and around the store and look, says Thomas. But after visiting a few times, theyll start asking questions and start picking things upit can spark the interest.

Unlike timeworn shops with miscellaneous finds, theres a pristine order to the small collection, all encased in tidy rows and right-angles. A long, jet-back DJ booth punctuates the back wall and hosts DJs every few weeks, while two listening stations are permanently up for grabs.

Along the walls, a handful of featured records are propped on shelves. Its no panoplybeats for sale are a special curation, largely house, dance, and techno music along with a sprinkling of music that helped birth those genres, like soul, jazz, and folk. It gets personal, too, with Brazilian funk and boogie, influenced by the owners time in the country.

Its a distilled approach to the classic record shop experiencepaid for by the modest price of a great cup of coffee.



Keith Flanagan is a freelance writer and photographer based in Brooklyn, contributing to Conde Nast Traveler, Tasting Table, USA Today, Paste Magazine, The Robb Report, and more. Read more Keith Flanagan on Sprudge.
This coming Sunday (December 3), the Saratoga Casino Hotel Foundation, Inc. will be awarding more than $25,000 to 21 different non-profit organizations.

The ceremony will take place at 11:30 a.m. in Fortunes Restaurant at Saratoga Casino Hotel.

The awards are part of the foundations annual grant awards, which recognize organizations that benefit the residents of Saratoga County. Initiatives that support youth, senior citizens, recreation, arts and community benefit are given priority. Since its inception in 2004, the Saratoga Casino Hotel Foundation has awarded more than $350,000 to more than 150 non-profit groups in Saratoga County.

The Saratoga Casino Hotel Foundation is jointly funded by Saratoga Casino Hotel and the Saratoga Harness Horsepersons Association. Representatives from the 21 non-profit organizations and the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors will be in attendance for the cheque presentations. Two of the afternoons harness races have been named in honour of the grant recipients and the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors. The live racing program starts at 12:15 p.m. The 2017 harness racing program continues through Sunday (December 17).

Since the Board of Supervisors authorized the establishment of the Saratoga Casino Hotel Foundation it has been a tremendous asset and has made a positive impact on the Saratoga County community, said Ed Kinowski, chairman of the Board of Supervisors. The awardees of these grants have done tremendous work for those they serve, and were happy that the foundation can help these worthy organizations improve or expand their services. Strong non-profit organizations are important to the foundation of any community.

We created this foundation in 2004, in conjunction with the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, with the intention to assist as many local organizations as we possibly could, said Skip Carlson, vice president of External Affairs. Were proud to be here, 13 years later, still sticking true to that mission, lending a hand to organizations that dont typically receive this type of funding.

A full list of this years grant recipients are as follows:

(Organization-Amount)

Best Buddies New York - $1,000

The Charlton School - $1,500

The Children's Museum at Saratoga - $750

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Planning Committee - $750

Franklin Community Center, Inc. - $2,000

Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren & Washington Counties - $750

Mechanicville Area Community Services Center, Inc. (MACSC) - $2,000

Rebuilding Together Saratoga County, Inc. - $2,000

Saratoga Center for the Family - $500

Saratoga County Children's Committee (SCCC) - $1,000

Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council, Inc. - $1,000

Saratoga Mentoring - $500

Saratoga Sponsor a Scholar - $1,000

The Saratoga Springs History Museum - $500

Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation - $500

Schuylerville Food Pantry - $500

Senior Citizens Center of Saratoga Springs, Inc. - $600

Shelters of Saratoga, Inc. - $2,500

Stillwater Food Pantry - $2,000

Wellspring - $3,500

The Wesley Foundation - $500

The grant recipients do great work and make such a positive impact for our Saratoga County communities, said Saratoga Springs Supervisor Matthew Veitch. Im glad the foundation can do its small part to assist these organizations in their mission of providing positive alternatives to gaming. I thank Saratoga Casino Hotel and the Harness Horsepersons Association for again funding this worthwhile program for another year.

(Saratoga Casino Hotel)
Ecuadorian Greenhouse Project Provides a Sweet Way of Sharing the Gospel



With an evangelistic message embedded, a cacao tree-raising initiative offers a welcome economic boost to rural communities





Contact: Darin Campbell,

512-785-8350,

dcampbell@inchristcommunications.com



COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Nov. 30, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- Missionaries in South America have come up with a novel way of encouraging people to respond to the Bible's invitation to "taste and see that the Lord is good."



Photo: Reach Beyond's community development director in Shell, Ecuador, Wim de Groen (right) and project coordinator Eric Fogg in the greenhouse growing cacao and orange trees to help provide income for local communities and reach them with a picture of the gospel.



They have started a project growing cacao treesthe source of chocolatethat aims to help improve income and also present a picture of the gospel as it is expressed in Psalm 34:8, "Taste and see that the Lord is good."



The initiative is taking place in Shell, Ecuador, where Reach Beyond (www.reachbeyond.org) has been involved in broadcast and medical ministry for nearly 86 years. An 8,600-square-foot greenhouse has been constructed on land adjacent to Reach Beyond's former hospital there under the leadership of Dutch missionary Wim de Groen, the organization's community development director.



Since 20,000 cacao trees (plus 2,000 orange trees) were planted earlier this year, several hundred people from surrounding communities have expressed interest in learning from the Reach Beyond team how to raise the plants successfully.



The cacao growing project will provide ongoing contact for Reach Beyond workers with villagers where they have previously worked on clean water projects, giving them an opportunity to share their faith. And it also has a gospel message at the heart of itthe careful grafting required that ensures a good harvest.



"It's a wonderful example of how we need to be grafted in to Jesus to bear good fruit," said de Groen. "And as people walk around their trees and tend them, they will have this lesson constantly in front of them."



The Reach Beyond cacao project, officially dedicated recently with a ceremony at the greenhouse that included sampling some roasted cacao beans, picks up on a previous government effort to encourage cacao growing as a source of income. Ecuador has become a leading producer of cacao in recent years, but the attempt to extend the industry to the eastern Amazon region has failed because of inadequate training.



Now locals are being invited to the Reach Beyond greenhouse to learn how to grow cacao well, with de Groen and other Reach Beyond workers planning to visit surrounding communities to check on progress. A local processor has already expressed interest in buying whatever is harvested, promising an economic boom to communities where day laboring and artisanal craft-making have been main sources of income.



"People are very excited about it, and they all want to know how to get involved," said de Groen, with local officials also expressing appreciation. "We have been surprised how little it has cost," he said$12,000 to build and equip the greenhouse and $2,000 for the plants.



There has been a side benefit to the cacao project, too. The expert who helped de Groen and his team learn about cacao farming also showed them how some of the surplus produce bags could be recycled as miniature plots for vegetables. Now people are using them to grow carrots, cucumbers, lettuces, radishes and tomatoes next to their homes.



"It has been really neat to see something else that we could not have imagined come out of this," said de Groen.



Founded in 1931 as broadcasting ministry, Reach Beyond has since expanded into healthcare and leadership development, continuing its work in Ecuador and also partnering with other agencies around the world.



Reach Beyond (reachbeyond.org) is a media- and medical-based evangelical ministry with operations on five continents. It spreads the message of Jesus in places that are primarily unreached or unengaged in the gospel. Reach Beyond uses media, including radio broadcasts, webcasts, social media and the distribution of solar-powered radios. It also reaches out to the needy throughout its growing network of healthcare services.



To schedule an interview with a Reach Beyond representative, contact:

Darin Campbell at (512) 785-8350 or dcampbell@inchristcommunications.com


A total of 114 trains will run on the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-speed rail line on peak days after it opens in 2018.

The news was announced by Chan Fan, secretary for Transport and Housing of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Nov 27 during his visit to Beijing.

Chan came to Beijing to meet with officials of China Railway Corporation to discuss train frequency, stops and financial issues of Hong Kong section of the high-speed railway.

Chan Fan, secretary for Transport and Housing of HKSAR gives an interview in Beijing after meeting with officials of China Railway Corporation on Nov 27. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Citizens of Hong Kong are very concerned with self-service ticket purchasing and Chan hoped the related authorities in the Chinese mainland can do their best to provide great convenience for Hong Kong residents in terms of ticket purchasing.

The Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-speed Railway started construction in April 2010 and is scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2018.

On Nov 15, the Legislative Council of the HKSAR passed a non-binding motion supporting the HKSAR government's co-location arrangement at the cross-border railway station in West Kowloon, which will allow passengers of cross-border trains a one-stop boundary control.

On Nov 18, the Hong Kong SAR government signed a co-location cooperation deal with Guangdong municipal government, 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 in one-go.

A total of 114 trains will run on the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-speed Rail on peak days after the section opens next year. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com]
Mira Costa became the first team this season to win a set against Cathedral Catholic, but the Mustangs eventually fell in four sets in the CIF SoCal Regional final Tuesday night.
On Saturday night, just after the sun sets, the Wakefield family will flip a life-sized light switch in the Longview Civic Circle to turn on the Christmas lights.

The Longview family spent part of their Thanksgiving Day searching for a large red lightbulb as part of a scavenger hunt sponsored by the Longview Parks and Recreation Department. Their reward: flipping the switch following the Home for the Holidays Christmas Parade, which takes place through downtown Longview at twilight on the first Saturday in December.

Parks employee Dave Burgess has done the honors in the past, but he encouraged the city to involve the community in the park lighting, Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Wills said.

So this year, parks employees spent an early morning hiding the lightbulb near a bench and a tree in Altrusa Park, one of the citys newest parks. Wills stressed that the lightbulb was hidden in a way that did not damage the park.

The scavenger hunt kicked off Nov. 20 on the Parks and Recreation Facebook page. New clues were posted each day.

The Wakefields found the bulb only four days later, and Jayanne Wakefield posted a photo to the Facebook page before anyone else, sealing their first place prize.

Wills said the contest was success.

The goal was to get groups to go to a park that is out in West Longview that not a lot of people know about, Wills said.

She added that the event boosted the Parks and Recreation Departments social media page.

Next year, the department anticipates that the event will be bigger and the hiding spots more challenging.

Were going to continue to look for fun things to encourage community involvement with our park system, Wills said.
The Longview School District is facing a federal civil rights lawsuit over the use of a controversial isolation booth at Mint Valley Elementary School  the same booth that sparked a local outcry almost exactly five years ago.

A jury trial is scheduled to begin Monday at the U.S. District Court for Western Washington in Tacoma. The outcome could have far-reaching implications for how students with disabilities are disciplined in public schools.

In the suit, the plaintiffs allege that seclusion through the use of isolation rooms infringes upon students basic constitutional rights, such as freedom from incarceration, cruel and unusual punishment, and the loss of personal liberty.

The case dates back to Nov. 26, 2012, when Longview mother Ana Bate posted photos on Facebook showing a windowless, 4x4-foot padded box at Mint Valley Elementary. Other than a few peepholes, there was no way to see in or out of the padded enclosure. Bate said her son, who was a Mint Valley student at the time, told her that school officials were placing kids inside the booth for normal things we all do.

The photos quickly went viral and the story made headlines.

The following day, the schools principal sent a letter home advising parents that the booth was only used for children who have individualized education plans (IEPs) and whose parents had given consent. The booth was used to control students who were experiencing violent outbursts or simply needed a quiet place to calm down, the district said.

But local furor prompted the district to conduct a review and the booth was removed just six days later after the photos surfaced online.

The district also announced that it had hired an independent company to investigate whether the booth was used appropriately. The results of that investigation were not immediately available Tuesday, said Sandy Catt, the districts communications director. Catt also said that the district does not comment on pending litigation as a matter of policy.

Now at least four different parties have been accused of violating at least two former students state and civil rights. The underlying lawsuit was first filed on Nov. 15, 2015, which claims at least five general education students were confined in the booth without parental consent.

Defendants include former Longview School District Superintendent Suzanne Cusick; former Mint Valley Principal Patrick Kelley; and special education teacher Jerry Stein. The Longview School District is also named as a defendant.

The plaintiffs in the suit are Kevin and Cecilia Wilson of Longview and Candace Dawson, who currently lives in Lake Stevens, Wash., according to court documents.

(The plaintiffs children are not named in court documents, and The Daily News does not name minors in court stories unless they are charged with a serious crime.)

The Wilsons son, referred to as R.W. in the complaint, was a first grader at Mint Valley in 2012. Dawsons son, referred to as J.D., attended third and fourth grade at the school from 2008 to 2010.

R.W. had an undiagnosed disability at the time the alleged events occurred. J.D. was diagnosed with ADHD while in preschool and started medication the same year.

According to court documents, both children were general education students (students without individual education plans, required for special education students) when they were allegedly placed in the isolation booth for disciplinary purposes without parental consent.

In the complaint, the plaintiffs allege that their childrens civil rights were violated when they were locked inside a closet-like room for long and indeterminate periods of time as a form of punishment.

J.D. was allegedly sent to the isolation chamber for the first time by his fourth-grade teacher at the time following a cupcake incident. The teacher was named in the original legal complaint but later removed due to a lack of evidence. According to the complaint, the teacher became angry when J.D. made a mess on his face with a birthday cupcake and threw his lunch in the trash, causing him to get upset. J.D. was forcibly placed in the isolation chamber four to five more times during the 2009-2010 school year, according to the complaint.

The Wilsons son, referred to as R.W. in legal documents, was forcibly placed in the isolation booth after failing to remain quiet when he was sent to a special education room, according to the complaint.

Stein, the special education teacher named in the suit, allegedly placed R.W. on his stomach in the isolation booth and held him down until he agreed to stand up with his back against the wall before closing the door.

According to the complaint, the school later called the Wilsons and asked them to pick up their son, where they found R.W. hyperventilating. But the Wilsons were never told that R.W. was placed in an isolation room, the complaint says.

The parents in the suit allege that use of the isolation booth aggravated their childrens existing conditions and inflicted grave psychological injuries. R.W. was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2013 and is not currently attending school, according to court documents. Now a sophomore in high school, J.D. continues to receive treatment to help him overcome severe anxiety and distrust issues, the suit says.

The plaintiffs are seeking general damages in an unspecified amount for extreme mental suffering and emotional distress, as well as compensatory and punitive damages to be proven at trial.

Its likely that their children were among hundreds  and potentially thousands  of students with special needs who were subjected to involuntary isolation statewide in recent years.

In 2016, districts were required to start reporting all instances of restraint and isolation to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Last year  the only year with publicly available data  districts reported more than 8,700 instances in which isolation practices were used, according to OSPI.

A year earlier, the Legislature passed a law that permits the use of restraint and isolation only in cases where the student poses an imminent likelihood of harm to that student or another person. The law stated that there is no educational or therapeutic benefit to children from physically restraining them or isolating them as part of their school programs when not necessary for immediate safety.
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WOODLAND  The first time Patricia Peacher tried to feed the homeless, she gave it a half-hearted attempt and failed.

I mentioned it to a few people at church and thought about serving food at an RV park near church, and I didnt follow through, Peacher said. I got busy with other things and thought it wasnt important.

Three years later, Peacher came back to the idea. On Sunday, the Woodland resident hosted her first Ladle of Love event, where she and other volunteers from Clover Valley Community Church fed more than 20 people.

It was put on my heart by the Holy Spirit to feed people, she said.

Peacher reached out to Woodland Public Schools and Woodland Action (a food bank) to get people to attend her first event. Woodland Public Schools has 112 students who qualify as homeless, either because they live in a car, RV, double up or couch surf, according to Eric Jacobson, the districts spokesman.

Peacher said she returned to the idea after going on a trip to build a church in India. Even after the trip, Peacher still felt like she wasnt doing what she was supposed to. She felt like she was meant to feed people.

Her second time around, Preacher found that even roadblocks turned in her favor. She originally wanted to hold her events in a building at Horseshoe Lake Park. Woodland officials had reservations because transients had damaged park bathrooms, a kitchen and caused other problems there, according to Tracy Coleman.

City officials suggested Peacher move her event to the Woodland Community Center, and instead of doing it on the second Sunday of each month, like Peacher hoped, she could use it the last Sunday. The city also waived the rental fee.

Red tape makes (doing things) more complicated. In my case, it ended up working out, Preacher said.

The new, heated location has a full kitchen, a bathroom and tables.

Its a warmer, cleaner environment versus the cold, drafty building where you have to have camp stoves to heat everything, she said.

Peacher also heard from people happy she moved the event later in the month because people using food stamps are more likely to run out of them at the end of the month than in the middle.

At the events, Peacher and other volunteers will prepare soup for the guests. Theyll also have loaves of bread. Peacher still is looking for volunteers for future events.

Anyone interested in donating food or money to Ladle of Love can do so through Clover Valley Community Church by earmarking the donation for Ladle of Love, at www.clovervalleychurch.com. Volunteers can also sign up through the church. Donations of toiletries, tents and other items for those in need can be made through Woodland Action, www.woodlandaction.org.

Peacher said she takes messages from the Holy Spirit very seriously. In much Christian doctrine, The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons or expressions of God and is the one who endows followers of Jesus with spiritual gifts and power. Preacher said she feels like she has been repeatedly told that she is to feed the hungry.

We are called to love, first and foremost, she said. If we look at what Scripture says, the most important thing it says is to love one another. If youre hurting and youre hungry and youre cold, you dont think anyone cares. We need to show that love. We need to show that light. Thats why I decided to call it Ladle of Love.

It was put on my heart by the Holy Spirit to feed people.  Patricia Peacher
PRINT | EMAIL | PERMALINK Weekly Specials Vinaigrette Expands in ABQ Erin Wade landed on a great idea in 2008 when she opened the first Vinaigrette location in Santa Fe. Since then, she has opened new locations of the salad-centric, farm-to-table eatery in Albuquerque and Austin. Now she has a new project in the works: At 1720 Central Ave. NW, the location of the old Draft Station and 35 Degree North Coffee, Wade will be opening two new concept restaurants. One, called Modern General (of which theres already one location in Santa Fe), will serve healthy breakfast food, and the other, The Feel Good, will be a soup and wine bar. Planned opening date is sometime in the spring, but the buildings have to be completely overhauled before thenthey were flooded due to ART construction on Central Avenue earlier this year.

The Gift of Pizza Gives Back Sauce Pizza and Wine is offering a gift card special from now until the end of December: for every $25 in gift cards you purchase, youll receive a $5 bonus card. Yes, that means you get a reward for yourself for buying a gift card for somebody else. You deserve it, you thoughtful gift-giver. Visit saucepizzandwine.com or visit them at their location in Winrock Center (2100 Louisiana Blvd. NE) to purchase a gift card.

Los Poblanos Goes Field-to-Fork Los Poblanos, everyones favorite local organic lavender farm and inn, has opened a new restaurant. Its called Campo, and is now serving breakfast and dinner. The Los Poblanos website calls the restaurants fare Rio Grande Valley Cuisine, which, according to the menu, involves dishes like breakfast sandwiches with housemade sourdough, blue corn hushpuppies, mole-braised lamb and salads made from locally grown dandelion greens. Campo will source their ingredients almost entirely from local farms and their own fields at Los Poblanos. Executive Chef Jonathan Perno, a native New Mexican, has a resume that includes working under Wolfgang Puck at Postrio in San Francisco and learning organic farming techniques at a farm in Berkeley. Needless to say, hes a perfect fit for Los Poblanos.
Editors note: Todays editorials originally appeared in The (Kennewick) Tri-City Herald and Yakima Herald-Republic. Editorial content from other publications is provided to give readers a sampling of regional and national opinion and does not necessarily reflect positions endorsed by the Editorial Board of The Daily News.

The 2017 legislative cram session that finally produced a state plan to amply fund public education unfortunately will have to continue next year.

The state Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that while the Legislature has made progress, it still has a ways to go before it has fulfilled its constitutional duty in the ongoing McCleary saga.

That means lawmakers will have to push through significant budget changes in next years short 60-day session, and that likely wont be easy.

Historically, the even-numbered session years are supposed to be used for relatively minor legislative tweaks to the state budget. That wont be the case this time around.

In order to get the job done on time, lawmakers will have to buckle down right after welcoming ceremonies and work fast to meet the financing needs dictated by the new school financing plan.

Legislators went in to triple overtime earlier this year trying to hammer out a new system to pay for K-12 education. The hope was that, at last, their proposal would be good enough to meet the court mandate set for them back in 2012.

Sadly, it didnt turn out that way.

The court didnt take issue with the proposed financing model as much as with the time frame.

They didnt like the states plan to wait until September 2019 to fully fund teacher salaries when the deadline is supposed to be the year before.

Ultimately, the justices decided they will continue to retain jurisdiction over the case, and they expect a state progress report by April 9.

They mean it.

The court wrote that if the Legislature misses its spring deadline, it will immediately address the need to impose additional remedial measures.

We cant blame them for the tough stance. The Legislature has had plenty of time to address this issue, and continually kicked it to the following year until it ran out of legislative sessions.

For too long, the state has failed in its paramount duty to fully fund K-12 education. To make up for that failure, communities that could afford it used local tax money from school levies to bridge the difference.

But this system allowed students in poorer communities to go without resources that students in other, more affluent areas were able to receive.

To fix that disparity, legislators came up with a plan that shifts reliance on local school levies to the state.

This means an increase in state property taxes, but caps local property tax levies beginning in 2019. In some school districts the result will be an increase in local taxes. In others  like the Tri-Cities  it will be lower.

The justices said the school funding plan eventually would achieve compliance, but it is not there yet and that they cannot accept part compliance as full compliance.

Another hurdle for lawmakers will be the concerns raised from school officials throughout the state over the details in the school funding proposal.

Now that they have had time to study it, many are concerned about which programs are included in basic education and covered by the state, and which ones must be funded with local money.

For instance, it appears special education falls outside the bounds of state funding, which is surprising. If that is the case, lawmakers need to figure out a way to fix that.

Its a sure bet there will be other concerns raised as lawmakers get closer to finalizing this significantly new way to fund education in our state.

We hope lawmakers enjoy their upcoming holiday and that they get some rest.

Once the 2018 session starts, they will have to work hard from the get-go if they are going to meet the latest court-ordered McCleary deadline.

Judge made right call on Seattle tax

All along, a sense of statutory manipulation has driven the city of Seattles effort to impose an income tax on city residents. The Seattle City Council passed it unanimously in July, and then-Mayor Ed Murray signed it into law, knowing full well that past state Supreme Courts have found that an income tax violates the state constitution. Proponents knew the tax would draw a court challenge, but their hope was that sympathetic judges would employ a supple reading of the law and uphold their action.

And the day before Thanksgiving, in what is likely to be the first round of legal wrangling, the ploy gained neither judicial sympathy nor suppleness  as well it shouldnt.

King County Superior Court judge John R. Ruhl on Wednesday ruled against Seattles imposition of a 2.25 percent tax on total income above $250,000 for individuals and above $500,000 for married couples filing together.

For more than 80 years now, the state Supreme Court has ruled that income is property, and that state law prohibits taxes on net income. On top of that, a local government must have express authorization from the Legislature to impose any type of tax  the Legislature has not done so for an income tax. The court also has held that a graduated income tax runs afoul of state law that property must be taxed uniformly.So it was no surprise when Judge Ruhl cited legal precedents last week in deeming the tax to be illegal. The city had argued semantics in saying that it imposed an excise tax that would apply to total income  Ruhl essentially said that whatever it was called, it is an income tax. The judge also ruled that the city did not have the authority to approve the tax. He did not rule on whether the Seattle effort violates state law on uniform taxation.

Income tax supporters argue that the states reliance on sales and property taxes makes Washingtons among the most regressive in the country  that an undue tax burden falls on lower-income residents. They have a number of studies that support their view, but the state has a process already in place to address that issue.

The process is a constitutional amendment, which requires approval by both the Legislature and the electorate. Income tax supporters are frustrated because the amendment route has been tried before for a graduated income tax  five times, most recently in 1973  and each time the voters have voted it down. The voters also have rejected four income tax ballot initiatives  by a near 2-1 ratio in 2010, the most recent vote. If the process doesnt work for them, then supporters need to alter the specifics of their policy or the message  or to accept that a landslide majority of state voters simply dont want an income tax.

Meanwhile, Seattle probably will continue its end run through the courts. Judge Ruhls ruling likely will be appealed, and it likely will land in the state Supreme Court, where it should be an easy legal call for the nine justices to rule the way Judge Ruhl did.
Adah Sharma wants to gift her friend Chris Hemsworth

In a social media post Adah has asked Chris Hemsworth to meet her friend Rajnigandha for lunch as birthday gift.

Adah Sharma, the Commando and 1920 actress is trying to make her friend's birthday wish come true - her friend Rajnigandha wants to have lunch with Chris Hemsworth, the famous Aussie star of Thor. Adah Sharma is channeling her social media to give her friend her desired birthday wish. She shared the video and pictures late yesterday night on her Instagram and Twitter of the special surprise theme party that she threw for her friend. The video, marked to Chris Hemsworth, is clearly an inside joke between the two.

Attending the party were Anjana Sukhani and Sandeepa Dhar who also wore the especially made masks in keeping with the theme of the surprise bash. (Pic attached). Rajnigandha Shekhawat, the friend who's birthday it was, is a budding musician who's singing credits includes Badri ki dulhania, this year's monster Bollywood hit and the first ever Rajasthani English mashup that went viral, giving her a sizeable following in her home state this year.

Says Adah Sharma "Rajnigandha's birthday was coming and each time I asked her what gift I could get her she would say Chris Hemsworth. After a few times I got fed up of her answer decided that I should try to literally give her what she wants, hence the surprise Chris Hemsworth theme birthday party and this video. I hope she gets a response from the mighty Thor now."
Soumitra Chatterjee to get French honour in Kolkata book fair

Legendary Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee would be handed over France's highest civilian award Legion of Honour during the 42nd edition of the International Kolkata Book Fair in January next year.

France, which would also be the focal theme of this edition of the world's most attended book fair, is planning to present the award to the octogenarian actor on the inaugural day of the event in the presence of its Minister of Culture Francoise Nyssen, a senior French official said on Tuesday.
Tackling youth unemployment

Stefan Crets :

Nowadays, young people find it more and more difficult to get a decent and stable job, despite being one of the best-educated generations ever. Youth is still suffering the effects of the economic crisis.

The challenges are many and they vary from region to region and from person to person. Unemployment and growing inequality create a feeling of indignation and a severe sense of injustice.

In addition to the consequences of the crisis, business has changed dramatically over the past decade. As a result, labour skills and requirements have also changed.

There are jobs today that didn't exist ten years ago such as social media manager, data scientist, Uber driver or app developer. In the next five years, there will be new roles with new requirements that don't exist today.

Improving the value of today's education system and helping the preparation of students for life after studies means also adopting a more practical and applied approach and a closer co-operation between business and education.

Launched in 2015, the European Pact for Youth started as a mutual engagement of business, education, youth and EU institutions to create a culture of business-education partnerships and support youth employability and inclusion.

In the last two-years, the Pact has worked to improve opportunities for young people across Europe. Companies and stakeholders in various European countries and regions have agreed on National Actions Plans.

These plans set local priorities for youth's skills and to facilitate their transition towards real jobs. During the two years, the partners created over 23.000 business-education partnerships and provided around 160.000 new opportunities for young people.

Building upon the Pact, business and civil society leaders have developed three policy proposals to make business-education partnerships the new norm. In this sense, a joint appeal will be presented on the occasion of the First European Business-Education Summit to European leaders to accelerate the pace of reforms to make business-education partnerships the new norm.

Through these three proposals, the leaders of the Pact provide a strategic vision on how European institutions and governments can act as game changers to :

make vocational education and training/apprenticeships an equal choice for youth; make business-education partnerships the new normal in Europe; mainstream entrepreneurship education in learning.

The proposals are addressed to the European Commission, the Parliament and the Council as well a the European Heads of State, governments and ministers of Labour, Economy, Education and Youth, and businesses.

They contribute to EU and national policies on skills for competitiveness and employment, which aim to have a long-standing and significant impact on youth. They are accompanied by National Action Plans that are outlined by local actors on the ground.

They provide concrete solutions that respect subsidiarity with member states and public bodies in co-operation with other actors working on the ground, target high ambition and are easy to engage in.

For a number of generations, education has successfully supported economic development, growth and social change. Today, our economies face a large amplitude of change and disruption. These challenges bring significant opportunities for EU institutions and the Member States to find new ways to deliver more value to students and human resources.

By recognising how important corporate social responsibility is to European integration and capitalising on business-education collaborations, we can shape a new way of working and learning, fight youth unemployment and boost growth.

(Stefan Crets is the executive director of CSR Europe, the business network for corporate social responsibility. This opinion piece is published ahead of the First European Business-Education Summit taking place in Brussels on November 23, as part of the 2nd Vocational Skills Week).


Remote island can`t solve Rohingya problem

THE government should abandon all plans to relocate more than 100,000 Rohingya refugees on an uninhabitable island in the Bay of Bengal and increase pressure on Myanmar to take back its nationals so that such relocation is not required. Amnesty International voiced concern on Tuesday as the government approved a $280 million plan to develop the isolated island -- Thenger which is flood-prone and Uninhabitable.







The island emerged into view only 11 years ago. During monsoon, it is highly vulnerable to tidal surge and storm. The human rights organization has warned of the dangers to the Rohingyas if they are relocated to what is widely considered as an uninhabitable place - that takes at least two hours to reach from the nearest settlement. It is not only inhabitable but also make it harder for humanitarian assistance to reach the refugees.

Last week, the Bangladesh government signed a deal with the Myanmar government to repatriate the more than 700,000 refugees who fled ethnic cleansing, such as rape murder and the burning down of their entire villages in northern Rakhine State during military attacks in October 2016 and August 2017. Amnesty International recently published a detailed analysis into the root causes of the plight of the Rohingya, establishing that they have been trapped in a vicious system of state-sponsored, institutionalized discrimination that amounts to apartheid.





It appears that our nation is caught between a rock and a hard place. While it is extraordinarily difficult to find proper shelters for almost 700,000 Rohingya it is also true that we are one of the most densely populated nations on the planet. We have real problems with giving out land for shelter.





However that fact pales when we plan to shelter them in a far away island where life will be difficult in all sense. Understandably our government is worried about their presence with the local population causing local tension in the first place and ultimately they may not return to Myanmar. But if we treat them like the Myanmar government putting them in inhabitable camps - then what makes the difference? One major flood would destroy the char where they are supposed to be relocated to - this should not be the way the Rohingyas are treated.





We have managed to sign a deal which does not even have a stipulated ending time within which all Rohingya should go back. The process is entirely at the mercy of the Myanmar government. It could take as much as seven years for them to properly vet 700,000 plus people, even if Myanmar government agrees to what is not foreseeable. Should they stay in a remote char for that period of time - it could very well end up being a breeding ground for sectarian tensions and violence? Far better is to keep them where they are; and insist our regional allies to put pressure on Myanmar to expedite the repatriation.






Shelving privatization makes no sense

AS per a decision by cabinet committee on economic affairs on Monday, the Textile and Jute Ministry is taking back five silk and textile mills from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority -- formerly the Privatisation Commission, 12 years after the loss making mills were placed for privatisation.







These mills include Rajshahi Silk Mills, Thakurgaon Silk Mills, Sylhet Textile Mills, Kurigram Textile Mills, and Valika Woollen Mills. Two silk mills were sent to the then Privatisation Commission in 2007 and the remaining three were put on sale to private parties in 2012. There is no answer however as to why these mills were not sold by this time. The authorities are now justifying the taking back on the ground that they are causing huge waste of resources of the government for paying electricity bills and staff salary and allowances of the closed mills.







They were not in production but staff members were paid without work up to 10 years for some. We know the government had decided to sell those mills at that time in a list of several others anticipating private sector buyers will modernise the mills to turn them into profiteering. A good number of state owned mills were also sold that time but the process came to a halt on threat of strike by labour unions when the country was facing political crisis that ultimately led to military take over. Once Awami League came to power in January 2009 it quickly shelved the privatisation process as part of its populist labour politics to win labour support. Some other mills and factories in public sector were also removed from privatisation list although they continued to remain loss making. The Prime Minister has given directive to re-open those five mills now and put them into production importing modern equipment.







Many believe however that running those mills again in public sector is not a good decision given their record of huge annual losses before they were put on sale. Even senior government officials believe if they were sold at that time they could create new jobs and increase production. The government is now regularly paying for loss making public industries as many of them even failing to pay retirement benefits and arrear allowances of workers and staff members. The government is allocating funds to mitigate their crisis. Only a populist labour policy provides the basis for such decision.







It goes without saying that new import of machinery will make many rich by over-invoicing. The bulk of the new labour force to be engaged in these mills will be party men who will get fat wages to serve the government political purpose. We suggest the government should review the decision and refrain from taking the load of such industries once again to add to government expenditure.
1,300 Chin State villagers flee to India

Some of the displaced Paleta villagers set up camp near a river along the India-Myanmar border to escape fighting between Myanmar army and AA.

Desk Report :

About 1,300 Paletwa villagers of Myanmar's Chin State have crossed to India to escape a renewed fighting between the Tatmadaw Myanmar Army and rebel Arakan Army (AA).

Men, women and children have taken refuge in four remote villages in mountainous southern Mizoram State and are receiving shelter and relief from the local administration, according to media reports.

The Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that the displaced villagers are currently being sheltered in Lawngtlai district of Mizoram.

"The people who crossed over on Friday are mostly Buddhists and Christians and speak the same tribal language as the locals," PTI reported.

The news report cited a local official saying that this marks the fourth time in recent months that families have streamed across the border due to fighting between the AA and the Tatmadaw.

Police chief Langsanglura of the Indian Lawngtlai District, which borders Paletwa, said 1300 tribespeople from Myanmar have taken refuge in his area to escape the fighting between the AA and the Tatmadaw. "Around 1300 men, women and children have taken refuge in four villages of Lawngtlai district (in southern Mizoram) on Saturday night," Indian newspaper The Hindu quoted Langsanglura as saying.

"The Myanmar (people) fled their homes after the army clashed with the outlawed 'Arakan Army' militant outfit cadres last week. As the armed clashes continue, we will not push back the refugees on humanitarian grounds," he said.

According to Arakan Army's official Facebook page, the fighting has intensified in the areas on the border between Rakhine and Chin States.

Hostilities between the AA and the Tatmadaw were revived in late October after a prolonged period of detente. Both sides engaged in sporadic clashes throughout 2016.

In one of the most serious encounters, a report earlier this month said at least 11 members of the Tatmadaw were killed and 14 injured in a clash with the Arakan Army near Paletwa.

The casualties occurred when the AA fired on a boat on the Kaladan River, the Irrawaddy reported on November 9, quoting Pyithu Hluttaw MP U Thaung Aye Union Solidarity and Development Party, Pyawbwe), a retired Tatmadaw lieutenant-general.

The report said fighting between the two sides had escalated since the first week of November, with clashes in two villages north of Paletwa on November 8.

There have also been reports of recent fighting between the two sides in northern Rakhine.

The AA has become increasingly active in Rakhine and Chin in recent years, with frequent clashes with the Tatmadaw.

Formed in 2008, the AA is a Rakhine insurgent group and ally of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which has trained about half of its troops. Although it has temporary headquarters in KIA-controlled areas, its operational areas include Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U and Myinbya in Rakhine, as well as around Paletwa.
Russia accuses US of goading Kim Jong-un

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused the US of seeking to provoke North Korea into stepping up its nuclear missile programme.

He rejected a call by the American envoy to the UN Security Council to sever ties with the North after its latest ballistic missile test.

Russia argues sanctions do not work and advocates negotiations instead.

The US has warned that North Korea's government will be "utterly destroyed" if war breaks out.

On Wednesday, the North tested its first missile in two months, saying the continental US was now within striking distance.

However, defence experts have cast doubt on its ability to master the technology needed to launch a missile carrying a warhead capable of re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.

Speaking on a visit to the Belarussian capital Minsk, Mr Lavrov asked whether America was actively seeking to destroy North Korea.

"One gets the impression that everything has been done on purpose to make Kim Jong-un snap and carry out further inadvisable actions," he said. The Americans, he said, "should explain to us all what they're after".

"If they want to find a pretext for destroying North Korea, as the US envoy said at the UN Security Council, then let them say it outright and let the supreme American leadership confirm it."

Calling for new talks with North Korea, Mr Lavrov added: "We have already emphasised several times that the squeeze of sanctions has essentially come to an end, and that those resolutions which introduced the sanctions should have included a requirement to renew the political process, a requirement to renew talks.

"But the Americans completely ignore this requirement and I consider this a big mistake."

After China, Russia is one of the few states with which North Korea still has good relations. Both Russia and China wield a veto at the UN Security Council. Nikki Haley, the US envoy to the UN, urged all nations to cut diplomatic and trade ties. President Donald Trump asked his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to cut off oil supplies to the North.

"We know the main driver of its [North Korea's] nuclear production is oil," said Ms Haley. "The major supplier of that oil is China."

China is a historic ally and North Korea's most important trading partner, and Pyongyang is thought to depend on China for much of its oil supplies.

Responding to the US request for an embargo, the Chinese foreign ministry said merely that the country had "always implemented full, comprehensive, serious and strict resolutions".

Tweeting on Thursday morning, Mr Trump referred to a reported visit to North Korea earlier this month by a Chinese envoy and suggested Beijing was having little impact on its ally.

Existing UN sanctions limit oil exports to North Korea but fall short of an actual embargo.

The Hwasong 15 missile launched on Wednesday flew higher than any other previously tested by the North before falling in Japanese waters.

The government says it reached an altitude of about 4,475km (2,780 miles) - more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station.

It says the rocket carried a warhead capable of re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.

"They have extended the range now out to a point that it is hard to credibly argue that North Korea couldn't have the US eastern seaboard within its range," Vipin Narang, associate professor of political science at MIT, told the BBC. However, David Wright at the Union of Concerned Scientists points out in his blog that the missile is likely to have carried a very light mock warhead and that "means it would be incapable of carrying a nuclear warhead to this long distance, since such a warhead would be much heavier".

In September, North Korea said it had successfully tested a nuclear weapon that could be loaded on to a long-range missile. It was the country's sixth nuclear test since 2006.
Disciplinary rules for lower court sent for President's consent

Gulam Rabbani :

The government on Thursday sent the disciplinary rules for the lower court judges to the President for his consent after it had been finalised, said Law Minister Advocate Anisul Huq.

The Minister also said to The New Nation, "The gazette notification will be published after the President's consent. It may take 3rd or 4th December."

Meanwhile, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Corut (SC) had extended time till December 3 in 2017 to the government to publish a gazette notification on the last hearing day of the Masdar Hossain case, known as the judiciary separation case.

But the Minister expressed doubts to complete the process within the date scheduled for the next hearing of the Masdar Hossain case.

Sources said, the Law Ministry has finalised the disciplinary rules for lower court judges in line with Article 116 of the Constitution, which allows the president to control their postings, promotions and leaves in consultation with the Supreme Court.

Article 116, in its current form, says, "The control (including the power of posting, promotion and grant of leave) and discipline of persons employed in the judicial service and magistrates exercising judicial functions shall vest in the President and shall be exercised by him in consultation with the Supreme Court."

The Supreme Court recently had gone through the draft and sent it back to the Ministry with its opinions.

On November 16, Law Minister Anisul Huq met five judges of the Appellate Division of the SC and discussed the rules and then told the journalists that the problem regarding issuance of a gazette notification determining the discipline of lower court judges had been resolved.

The gazette notification might be issued by December 3, then he said.

On November 5, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters that [the then] Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha wanted to see the rules curbing the power of the President. The government, therefore, was trying to resolve the issue through discussions with the SC and the Law Ministry, he added.

While presiding over the Appellate Division bench, Justice Sinha had expressed annoyance and dissatisfaction several times at the government's failure to issue a gazette notification on the rules.

Article 116 of the original charter of 1972 had empowered the SC to decide on the posting, promotion and leave of lower court judges. The top court had also control over the magistrates' exercise of judicial powers and could discipline the judicial service staffs when necessary.

Over the years, this article has been amended several times, curtailing the apex court's powers.

Currently, the powers to control and discipline subordinate courts are vested in the President, who exercises these powers in consultation with the SC.

However, according to article 48(3) of the Constitution, the president acts on the advice of the Prime Minister. This gives the government ample scope to exercise power over the judiciary.

In a message on October 31 last year, Justice Sinha had said such a "dual rule" was hampering the judicial work and was also increasing justice seekers' sufferings.

"The Supreme Court alone cannot take steps regarding lower court judges' promotion and transfer or any disciplinary action against them in view of the Article 116 of the Constitution. Judges cannot be appointed to fill many vacant posts in the district courts on time due to the dual rule," Justice Sinha said in the message issued on the occasion of the ninth anniversary of the separation of the Judiciary from the executive.


Arrest warrants against Khaleda

Court Correspondent :

The Special Judge Court-5 of Dhaka yesterday cancelled the ad interim bail of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and also issued warrant of arrest against the BNP leader as she failed to appear in the court by Thursday afternoon in two graft cases.

Meanwhile, Khaleda Zia's lawyer Md Zakir Hossain Bhuiyan sought time until 2:00pm on Thursday from the court saying that Begum Khaleda Zia could not reach the court due to a hartal enforced in Dhaka city by Left Parties.

The makeshift court at Bakshibazar earlier fixed November 30 to record Khaleda Zia's self defence statement in the Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust corruption cases. Meanwhile, the court fixed December 5, 6 and 7 for submission of the arguments in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. Besides, the court fixed date to record the counter depositions of the defence witnesses.However, Judge Dr Md Akhteruzzaman of the court told the defence lawyers that he did not see any impact of shutdown on the street and she could come to the court and the lawyers also did it. Then as to why Khaleda Zia could not come to the court, the court added.

On August 8, 2011, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Model Police Station, against four, including Khaleda Zia, of raising funds for the trust from unknown sources through abuse of power.

On July 3, 2008, ACC filed the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case with Ramna Model Police Station, accusing Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman and four others for misappropriating over Tk two crore 10 lakh 71 thousand 643 that was received as grants for orphans through a foreign bank.
Shadow minister moves Rohingya crisis in UK parliament

The UK parliament has had a lengthy discussion on the Rohingya crisis which Minister for Asia and the Pacific Mark Field calls a 'global humanitarian catastrophe' and not just a Muslim issue.

British shadow Minister for International Development Roberta Blackman-Woods, who recently visited Bangladesh and Rohingya camps, moved the motion with Ian Paisley in the chair.

Over 20 MPs took part in the discussion at the House of Commons on Tuesday, according to Hansard Online, which says it puts in a substantially verbatim report of what is said in parliament.

Roberta attended the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference in Dhaka as a member of the British delegation. In her opening remarks, Roberta said, "Although stories about the crisis are similar, my visit brought home the vastness of the camps."

"The UNHCR's head of emergency planning told our group of parliamentarians that the camps needed to house the new refugees are the equivalent of a city larger than Manchester and these are being established almost overnight," she told the MPs.

"And it was built with no infrastructure, housing, water, sanitation or any of the tools needed for self-subsistence," she quoted the UNHCR emergency chief.

The International Rescue Committee estimates that nearly 300,000 people need food security assistance and more than 400,000 people need healthcare, Roberta said.

Only a fraction of the 453,000 Rohingya children at camps receives education. The young people they met were desperate for education-particularly higher education, the shadow minister continued.

Another MP, Philip Hollobone, said, "It is ethnic cleansing, pure and simple, and must be 100% condemned through all diplomatic channels available to us."

"I appreciate the sensitivities of the nascent democracy in Burma, but we must make it clear that the generals are responsible for this ethnic cleansing and that the international community will not put up with it."

"When it comes to the potential return of Rohingya refugees, returning stateless people to remain stateless in their country of origin is not good enough. These people require their nationhood to be given to them."

He also said Britain must stimulate further contributions from other countries, particularly Muslim countries, because 'we are dealing with a Muslim population', and "there are lots of rich Muslim countries in the world that, frankly, should be stepping up to the plate rather more".

A family of Rohingya refugees at the makeshift camp on Balukhali Hill in Cox's Bazar's Ukhia. Photo: mostafigur rahman

Taking the floor, Mark Field said, "It would be very dangerous for this to be seen as only a Muslim issue.

"It is a global humanitarian catastrophe, and while I accept what he says - that we want to see all nations contributing - to try to frame it in an ethnic way would be the wrong way forward."

Rushanara Ali, a Bangladesh-origin Labour MP, asked the minister whether they will be pursuing an independent security presence to protect the Rohingyas.

"Because otherwise, we are expecting the perpetrators of ethnic cleansing to be the ones managing this process?"

"Absolutely," Mark Field said in reply. "We will. I am also wary of the idea of having a long-term presence there, rather like what has happened in the Middle East where one has an unsustainable position for the longer term."

"But in the short term, we need to have an independent international presence to police this matter."

He also said the UK government concluded that the inexcusable violence perpetrated on the Rohingya by the Burmese military and ethnic Rakhine militia appears to be ethnic cleansing - or is ethnic cleansing.

The UK has been leading the international response diplomatically, politically and regarding humanitarian support.

Rushanara expressed concern over the supposed agreement between the Bangladeshis and the Burmese as what she terms 'is deeply problematic", given the state of camps in Rakhine and the way the Rohingya are being treated.




Rohingyas expect Pope to talk about their sufferings

Although Pope Francis avoided using the word-Rohingya-during his Myanmar visit, Rohingyas who fled violence in Rakhine State to Cox's Bazar said they are expecting some words about them from him during his Bangladesh visit that began on Thursday afternoon.

"He's global leader. He's now in Bangladesh. I think he'll talk about our sufferings and call for justice," Mohammed Rafique, a 21-year-old Rohingya, told UNB over phone.

He said he heard that Pope did not mention the word - Rohingya-in Myanmar but he believes Pope will tell something about them in Bangladesh.

"Like me, others are also waiting to see what Pope says," Rafique who had the opportunity to study history in Sittwe University, Myanmar, said.

Noor Begum, a 48-year-old forcibly displaced Myanmar national, however, said she does not know about Pope Francis. "I don't know him. I don't know any foreigner," she said. Siddique Islam, another Rohingya from Rakhine State, echoed Noor Begum, saying he does not know why Pope has come to Bangladesh.

However, a senior citizen- Hazi Baser - said he was following Pope's visit since his arrival in Myanmar. "I came to know about his two-nation visit through a radio announcement," said the 74-year-old Rohingya man who was also a government employee in Myanmar before 1975.

Responding to a query, Baser said he did not get hurt as Pope Francis did not use Rohingya word during his Myanmar visit. "He might have done so at the request of the Myanmar government. We didn't mind it," he said hoping that Pope will talk about them in Bangladesh.

"He is a leader of humanity. He talks about unity. I think he has love for Rohingyas," said Baser who is a son of a landlord but turned empty today amid Myanmar Army's crackdown.

Amid 21 gun-salute and highest state honour, Pope Francis arrived here on Thursday afternoon on a three-day state visit carrying a message of harmony, peace, reconciliation and forgiveness.

A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying Pope landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from Yangon, Myanmar. President Abdul Hamid received Pope.

A planned meeting with a small group of Rohingyas is expected to be a high point during the Pope's Dhaka visit. However, there is no mention of such meeting in the draft programme schedule of Pope.

On Tuesday in Myanmar, Pope Francis insisted that Myanmar's future depends on respecting the rights of each ethnic group, an indirect show of support for Rohingya Muslims who have been subject to decades of discrimination and a recent military crackdown described by the UN as a textbook campaign of "ethnic cleansing."

Francis did not mention the crackdown or even utter the contested word "Rohingya" in his speech to Myanmar's civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and other authorities and diplomats in the capital.

But he lamented how Myanmar's people have suffered "and continue to suffer from civil conflict and hostilities," and insisted that everyone who calls Myanmar home deserves to have their basic human rights and dignity guaranteed.

Some 625,000 new arrivals are reported as of November 29, according to IOM Needs and Population Monitoring (NPM) report released on Thursday evening which was done in collaboration with Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG).




Power tariff hike protested

Left parties holding protest marches at various locations in city to support the half-day hartal, protesting govt\'s decision to raise the price of electricity. This photo was taken from Shahbag intersection on Thursday.

Staff Reporter :

The left parties' half-day nationwide general strike protesting the power tariff hike ended peacefully on Thursday without any unwanted incident.

The Communist Party of Bangladesh, the Socialist Party of Bangladesh and the Democratic Left Alliance enforced the countrywide strike that began around 6:00am and ended at 2:00pm.

Law enforcers were deployed in major points of the city to avoid any unwanted trouble.

Police used scaring sound stimulators to disperse pro-hartal supporters so that they could not hold any rally in support with the general strike.

The activists of the left parties, however, marched with processions in different city streets amid police obstruction.

The law enforcers raided the Communist Party of Bangladesh headquarters at Mukti Bhaban in the city's Purana Paltan area early in the morning and detained its 11 activists. They raided the third floor of the building and detained the activists of Garments Trade Union Centre, Chhatra Union and Juba Union, CPB leaders said.

At a brief rally in front of the National Press Club, CPB General Secretary Shah Alam termed the police act anti-democratic and said the law enforcers raided the building without any provocation and detained party activists.

The detainees, however, were released after three and a half hours.

Biplobi Workers Party General Secretary Saiful Haque told the rally that they would observe December 7 as the 'protest day' for raiding the CPB's headquarters in the city and police harassment. Leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra Union said that police used harmful sound stimulators installed at armoured personnel carrier for at least 20 minutes when they attempted to organise a rally at Shahbagh intersection.

They said the sound stimulators were creating harmful noise for human health.

However, the DMP Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner Sarder Maruf Hossain said that the sound stimulators were at a tolerant level.

Amid police restriction, activists of left parties managed to take position at Shahbagh intersection that caused the traffic movement halt for an hour from 11:00am.

In Savar, activists of left-leaning student organizations blocked Dhaka-Aricha highway at Joy Bangla gate of the Jahangirnagar University for two hours.

In Gazipur, the movement of public transports in the city was normal but the number of private vehicles is less than the other days.

In Barisal, hartal supporters marched city streets with procession since morning.

In Gaibandha, at least 10 leaders and activists of the left parties got injured as police charged batons on the hartal supporters while dispersing them.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party has extended 'full support' to the strike.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission on November 23 once again increased the prices of electricity by 5.3 per cent on an average at consumers level with effect from December 1.
Little difference between policies of Trump and Obama : Lavrov

Reuters, Moscow :

The actions of U.S. President Donald Trump's team are similar to the policies of his predecessor Barack Obama, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview, state-run RIA news agency reported on Thursday.

"Unfortunately, many actions of Donald Trump's team are inertial and, in fact, are little different from the line of Barack Obama," RIA quoted Lavrov as saying in the interview with Italian newspaper Libero.

Meanwhile, Russia on Thursday rejected a US call to cut ties with North Korea in response to Pyongyang's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

"We see this negatively," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists in the Belarusian capital Minsk, Russian news agencies reported.

"We have repeatedly stated that the pressure of sanctions has been exhausted."

He accused the United States of seeking to provoke Kim Jong-Un's regime and demanded to know whether Washington was plotting to destroy the isolated country.

"It's as if the recent actions of the United States are consciously directed to provoke Pyongyang towards other radical actions," Russia's top diplomat said.

"The Americans need to explain what they are aiming for. If they are looking for a reason to destroy North Korea, then they should say it straight and the American leadership should confirm it," Lavrov was quoted as saying.




Lebanese PM decries Hezbollah's involvement in region's wars

Lebanese President Michel Aoun, centre, meets with Prime Minister Saad Hariri, right, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, left, at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon on Monday

AP, Beirut :

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said in remarks published Thursday that he fears Hezbollah's military role in regional conflicts will end up costing his country dearly.

But Hariri also stressed he was optimistic that a way to end the political paralysis gripping Lebanon following his Nov. 4 resignation is being worked out.

It is unclear what, if any, concessions Hezbollah would offer to ensure that Hariri remain in office, though Hezbollah officials have said they are keen on finding a political solution to the crisis.

Hariri said his resignation was meant to let the world know that Lebanon cannot tolerate the militant Hezbollah group's meddling in the affairs of Gulf countries - a reference to Yemen, where the kingdom is fighting Shiite rebels. Hezbollah, an Iran ally, denies having a military role in warn-torn Yemen though it openly fights on the side of Syrian President Bashar Assad in Syria's civil war. Saudi Arabia backs the opposition trying to unseat Assad.

Hariri spoke to the French magazine Paris Mach. He is currently on a private visit to Paris and expected back in Beirut next week, according to his office.

"I wanted the world to understand that Lebanon can no longer tolerate the interferences of a party like Hezbollah in the affairs of the Gulf countries, where 300,000 Lebanese live," Hariri said. "We must not pay for the actions of Hezbollah."

Hariri's resignation, announced while he was in Riyadh, stunned the Lebanese and raised suspicions that it was orchestrated by Saudi Arabia, his main backer. He later returned to Lebanon and put the resignation on hold to allow for consultations.

In a tweet late Wednesday, Hariri said matters are moving "positively" and predicted that he may formally rescind his resignation next week. Saudi Arabia and Iran are fighting proxy wars in the Mideast. Hariri has demanded that Hezbollah remove itself from the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah earlier sad his fighters are returning from Iraq now that the Islamic State group has been defeated there.

Hezbollah emerges a winner from Mideast turmoil, alarming foesBEIRUT (Reuters) - When Iran declared victory over Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, it hailed the "strong and pivotal" role played by Lebanon's Hezbollah movement.

The praise, contained in a top general's letter to Iran's Supreme Leader in November, confirmed Hezbollan's pre-eminence among Shi'ite Muslim regional groups backed by Tehran that are helping the Islamic Republic exert influence in the Middle East.

Hezbollah has emerged as a big winner in the turmoil that has swept the Arab world since the uprisings of 2011 that toppled governments in several countries. It has fought in Syria and Iraq, trained other groups in those countries and inspired other forces such as Iran-allied Houthis waging a war in Yemen.

But its growing strength has contributed to a sharp rise in regional tension, alarming Israel, the United States - which designates it as a terrorist organization - and Sunni Muslim monarchy Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional rival, which accuses Hezbollah of having a military role on its doorstep in Yemen.

Israel fears Iran and Hezbollah will keep permanent garrisons in Syria and has called for action against "Iranian aggression". With Hezbollah stronger than ever, war with Israel is seen by many in the region as inevitable, sooner or later.

"Hezbollah has gained from the experience of working with armies and managing numerous weapons systems simultaneously - air power, armored vehicles, intelligence, and drones: all specialties of conventional armies," said a commander in a regional alliance fighting in Syria.

"Hezbollah is now a dynamic army, bringing together guerrilla and conventional warfare."

Hezbollah's elevated status among Iran's regional allies was clear at the funeral this month of Hassan Soleimani, father of Major General Qassem Soleimani who wrote the letter praising Hezbollah's role fighting IS in Syria and Iraq.




Cruise control: All you need to know about the Norwegian Getaway

Eight days, 1,992 nautical miles and six cities across Europe and Russia - the Norwegian Getaway is a sprawling, floating town of luxury

Preeti Verma Lal :

A whistle. Then, boom. Seven short blasts and a long hoarse boom. The Baltic Sea was frigid, the breeze bitter and the sunbed on my private deck the colour of a doleful Danish sky. After a long flight from Mumbai to Copenhagen, I had put my feet up on a 1,46,000 tonne, 1,068-ft long Norwegian Getaway cruise liner, when the maritime distress signal roared. My mind immediately remembered vignettes of drowning men, floating dinner plates and chaos aboard the doomed Titanic. Boom. I had to run to the muster point, F9 I wrapped a scarlet dourukha (shawl) and ran down the staircase. At F9, women in little black dresses and pearl chokers were sitting crosslegged with goblets in hand, men were guffawing and stewards looked relaxed. This did not smell of any catastrophe. There is no emergency. This is a mandatory drill, a guttural voice bellowed.

With that began my eight-day, 1,992 nautical mile cruise through six cities in Europe and Russia. After the drill, I plonked on a white Chesterfield and ran through the itinerary - sailing from Copenhagen (Denmark), docking in ports of Warnemunde (Germany), Tallinn (Estonia), Helsinki (Finland), St Petersburg (Russia), Nynashamn (Sweden) - and two days entirely on the sea.

But before I could feel blue about the sea-bound days, there was an array of services to choose from. Swim in a heated pool on deck 15; slough off urban malice in the spa; get butt-numb in an ice bar, sitting on an ice chair and sipping out of an ice glass; pick from 22 eating joints manned by 233 chefs; watch movies on two-storey high television screens. The to-do list on the ship was unending. The Norwegian Getaway resembled a tony town with 4,000 guests and 1,650 employees to man it.

In that tony town of a cruise ship, every morning there was a near mass exodus. After a large breakfast, one had to line up in the theatre space, a yellow ticket in hand, to get a bus number glued to your chest. Then, down the stairs to listen to the instructions and off for the day trip. On Day 2, it was a three-hour train ride from Warnemunde port to Berlin where the bus meandered through iconic buildings, including the Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Neue Synagogue, Kaiser Wilhelm Church (where the walls are made of a concrete honeycomb containing 21,292 stained glass inlays), the Berlin Wall, now covered in graffiti), and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe with 27,111 concrete slabs that resemble coffins. The unnamed coffins look strangely bare - no epitaph, no tears, no flowers, no votive candles.

It had rained in Warnemunde. The wharf was slippery but the painted mermaid on the hull looked gleeful. Berlin was a burden on my heart - I would have retreated to my room, but for a song that lured me to Deck 7, where a man in black was belting out an Elvis Presley number. A teppanyaki chef ensured giggles as he juggled three eggs on a spatula and pulled a toy chick out of his toque.

By Day 3, I was a pro at the morning exodus. Following the guide like an obedient school girl, I strolled in the rainy city of Tallinn - where a tower is called Fat Margaret and WiFi is considered a human right. Another day, the ship hooted to a halt in Helsinki. The routine repeated in St Petersburg and Stockholm. Sadly, I had barely half a day in Stockholm. If I could stretch time, I would have happily booked a seat in Teater Dur och Moll, Europe's smallest theatre that can only seat 20. Or, booked a table in Restaurant Stadshuskallaren that serves Nobel Prize banquet meals with menus dating from 1901 to now.

On the last day, someone had left chocolate-dipped strawberries in my room and Mukhtar Liu, the housekeeper, had turned a towel into a baby elephant. I swam in the heated pool, ordered risotto, and peeked at expensive watches and gleaming jewellery at the onboard bazaar. Eight days at sea, the Norwegian Getaway never felt like a cruise liner. Instead, it was one happy, bustling neighbourhood. n

Preeti Verma Lal is a writer and photographer based out of Goa.
Construction work of Rooppur Plant opens

This is a joyful day for us: PM

PM opens main construction work on Rooppur Power Plant.

UNB, Ishwardi (Pabna) :

Bangladesh on Thursday entered the nuclear world as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the main construction work on the much-awaited Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, the first-ever nuclear plant of the country.

She formally launched the main construction work on the plant by pouring concretes at the plant site at Rooppur in Iswardi, north off Pabna, in the morning.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, "This is a joyful day for us. Bangladesh enters the nuclear world with the beginning of the construction work of the main structure. It's a pride and joy for us as a nation."

Taking a swipe over those who are very much critical about the Nuclear Power Plant project, she said, "Many have raised various types of questions over the construction of this project. But, I think those who raise question lack self-confidence..."

"There's a quarter that raises questions in TV channels on various issues as some 23 satellite channels are in operation out of 44 channels. They shouldn't have thought that our patriotism is lesser than theirs."

Noting that her government has put utmost importance to ensuring overall nuclear security during construction of the plant, Hasina said this plant would surely be constructed in the country.

She said, her government took initiatives to meet the high demand of electricity of people after taking office in 2009. "We undertook short-, mid- and long-term plans to meet the demand. Now the total electricity production capacity rose to nearly 16,000 megawatt. About 83 percent people have come under electricity coverage."

"We would get 1200 megawatts of electricity from Rooppur Power Plant by 2023 and another 1200 by the following year totalling a 2400 megawatt by 2024. Nearly 10 percent of the total production will come from nuclear energy source by that time," she said.



"We would get 1200 megawatts of electricity from Rooppur Power Plant by 2023 and another 1200 by the following year totalling a 2400 megawatt by 2024. Nearly 10 percent of the total production will come from nuclear energy source by that time," she said.

Hasina said her government has given top priority to the issue of nuclear safety and radiological protections while implementing the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. "We're strictly following IAEA safety standard and other relevant guidance as well as international good practices."

She went on saying, "We've promulgated Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Act-2012 to strengthen national nuclear regulatory infrastructure to ensure safe and secured applications to nuclear techniques and building the country's first nuclear power plant."

"Our nuclear energy programme is very transparent. The country has signed all the major international treaties, agreements and protocols related to the nuclear non-proliferation," she added.

Hasina said, Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority has been continuously supervising and monitoring the safety aspects at every step of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant construction as per Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Act-2012 and IAEA guidelines.

She said, the design of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant has been developed in such a way that it will not succumb to any accident, natural or manmade.

"We've also taken proper initiative for training of manpower for safe operation of the plants. All measures have also been taken so that it does not cause any harm to human beings and environment," she said.

Hasina said, one of the main concerns of any nuclear power plant is its waste management. "Russia will take the wastes and we've struck a deal in this regard with Russia,"

Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman, PM's Economic Affairs Adviser Dr Moshiur Rahman, Energy Adviser Dr Towfique-e-Elahi Chowdhury, Security Adviser Major General (retd) Tariq Ahmed Siddiq, Chief of Army Staff General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq, PM's Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim, Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Ignatov, Russia's state-run atomic energy body Rosatom's Director General Alexey Likhachev, Chief Engineer of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission Md Abdur Razzak and project director of the plant and senior officials of Bangladesh and Russia were present on the occasion.
BNP`s demo against Khaleda`s arrest warrant today

UNB, Dhaka :

BNP will stage demonstrations across the country, including the capital, on Sunday in protest against the issuance of warrants for the arrest of its chairperson Khaleda Zia in Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases.

BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the protest programme at a press conference at BNP's Nayapaltan central office on Thursday.

He alleged that the arrest warrants were issued as part of the government's a blueprint. "The move was taken with a political motive."

Rizvi said the government's 'vindictive' attitude has got exposed with the court order. "We strongly

protest and condemn it." He said their party leaders and activists will stage demonstrations in all metropolitan cities, including Dhaka and all district towns, on Sunday protesting the arrest warrants.

He demanded immediate withdrawal of the court order.

Earlier in the day, Dhaka Special Court-5 issued the warrants for the arrest of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in two graft cases as she failed to appear before it. Rizvi said their chairperson could not go to the court on security ground as the left-leaning parties enforced an eight-hour countrywide hartal protesting the fresh power tariff hike. He said Khaleda's counsel also filed a petition seeking adjournment in today's hearing due to the hartal. "Even, the lawyers in the petition mentioned that she wanted to appear before the court after the hartal hours. But the court issued the arrest warrants rejecting the petition. This order is contrary to justice."

The BNP leader said their party thinks the order was issued at the behest of the government.
Pope urges int`l community for steps to address Rakhine crisis

UNB, Dhaka :

Pope Francison Thursdayurged the international community to take decisive measures to address grave crisis in Rakhine State but he stopped short of uttering the word 'Rohingya' in consistence to the papal stance in Myanmar.

He sought decisive measures not only by working to resolve the political issues that have led to the mass displacement of people, but also by offering immediate material assistance to Bangladesh in its effort to respond effectively to urgent human needs.

He made the call while addressing at the meeting with government and civil authorities and the Diplomatic Corps at Bangabhaban in the evening.

Pope arrived to Dhaka Thursday afternoon wrapping up his tour to Myanmar. There too, Pope preferred not uttering the word 'Rohingya' and such guarded papal preference on this issue drew much media attention.

In recent months, Pope said, the spirit of generosity



and solidarity which is a distinguishing mark of Bangladeshi society has been seen most vividly in its humanitarian outreach to a massive influx of refugeesfrom Rakhine State, providing them with temporary shelter and the basic necessities of life.

"This has been done at no little sacrifice. It has also been done before the eyes of the whole world. None of us can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation, the immense toll of human suffering involved, and the precarious living conditions of so many of our brothers and sisters, a majority of whom are women and children, crowded in the refugee camps," he said.

Although his visit is primarily addressed to Bangladesh's Catholic community, a privileged moment will be his meetingtomorrowin Ramna with ecumenical and interreligious leaders.

"Together we will pray for peace and reaffirm our commitment to work for peace. Bangladesh is known for the harmony that has traditionally existed between followers of the various religions," he said.

Pope said this atmosphere of mutual respect, and a growing climate of interreligious dialogue, enables believers to express freely their deepest convictions about the meaning and purpose of life.

"In this way, they can contribute to promoting the spiritual values that are the sure basis for a just and peaceful society. In a world where religion is often - scandalously - misused to foment division, such a witness to its reconciling and unifying power is all the more necessary."

Pope mentioned that this was seen in a particularly eloquent way in the common reaction of indignation that followed last year's brutal terrorist attack here in Dhaka, and in the clear message sent by the nation's religious authorities that the most holy name of God can never be invoked to justify hatred and violence against our fellow human beings.

He said Bangladesh's Catholics, though relatively few in number, nonetheless seek to play a constructive role in the development of the country, particularly through their schools, clinics and dispensaries.

The Church appreciates the freedom to practice her faith and to pursue her charitable works, which benefit the entire nation, not least by providing young people, who represent the future of society, with a quality education and training in sound ethical and human values.

He thanked President Abdul Hamid for the kind invitation to visit Bangladesh and for his gracious words of welcome.

"I come here in the footsteps of two of my predecessors, Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II, to pray with my Catholic brothers and sisters, and to offer them a message of affection and encouragement," he said.

Pope said Bangladesh is a young state, yet it has always had a special place in the heart of the Popes, who from the start have expressed solidarity with its people, sought to accompany them in overcoming initial adversities, and supported them in the demanding task of nation-building and development.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to address this assembly, which brings together men and women with particular responsibilities for shaping the future of Bangladeshi society."

During his flight here, he was reminded that Bangladesh - "Golden Bengal" - is a country united by a vast network of rivers and waterways, great and small.

"That natural beauty is, I think, symbolic of your particular identity as a people. Bangladesh is a nation that strives to join unity of language and culture with respect for the different traditions and communities which, like so many streams, draw from, and return to enrich, the great current of the political and social life of the country," Pope said.

In today's world, no single community, nation or state can survive and make progress in isolation, he said.

"As members of the one human family, we need one another and are dependent on one another.President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman understood and sought to embody this principle in the national Constitution."

He said Bangabandhu envisioned a modern, pluralistic and inclusive society in which every person and community could live in freedom, peace and security, with respect for the innate dignity and equal rights of all.

"The future of this young democracy and the health of its political life are essentially linked to fidelity to that founding vision. For only through sincere dialogue and respect for legitimate diversity can a people reconcile divisions, overcome unilateral perspectives, and recognize the validity of differing viewpoints," he said.

Because true dialogue looks to the future, it builds unity in the service of the common good and is concerned for the needs of all citizens, especially the poor, the underprivileged and those who have no voice, he added.




Mayor Annisul no more

Staff Reporter :

Dhaka North City Corporation mayor Annisul Huq passes away on Thursday

He was 65.

A businessman-turned mayor was kept on life support at the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Wellington Hospital in London for cerebral vasculitis.

He was also diagnosed with complications in his lungs and some infections in the blood.

He went to London on a personal trip on 29 July last. On 13 August, he was admitted to hospital after falling sick.

According to his family members, the doctors of the London hospital removed the ventilation apparatus from his mouth around 4:23pm in London time (10:23 pm local time), declaring him dead.

His first Namaj-e-Janaja will be held at the Regent Lake Mosque after Juma prayers.

They said Annisul's body will be taken to Bangladesh on Saturday morning and he will be buried at Banani graveyard after his second Namaj-e-Janaja to be held at Army Stadium in Dhaka after Asr prayer.

Annisul took oath as mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation on May 6, 2015.






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CARBONDALE  Brazilian restaurant Sabor de Mel will shut its doors Sunday.

The eatery moved to its current location at 607 S. Illinois Ave., the former home of Cafe Melange, in September 2016, from a smaller location across the street.

Owner Melba Gastal said the new space offered ample storage and a bigger kitchen, but was ultimately too large and costly for the restaurants modest customer base to support.

Even though I knew it was going to be so big for me, we decided to come, just to try, Gastal said. And I told the owner, OK, were gonna try for one year, and if it doesnt work, were gonna close.

Gastal said she believes high taxes imposed by the city and the construction along South Illinois Avenue hurt business over the last year. She added that the streets reconfigured curbs seem to deter customers.

People are not very happy about that, because they cannot access the restaurant right away. They have go to a little bit farther to come inside.  This also hurts a little bit, I think, Gastal said.

According to Gastal, Reemas Indian Cuisine will be moving into the space. The owner of Reemas did not return a phone call on Thursday.

Im happy for them. They have been here for more than 20 years, and I think they have a good customer (base) that usually goes there, Gastal said.

Gastal, who previously worked as a researcher in animal reproduction at Southern Illinois University, said she plans to return to the field as a volunteer. Her husband, Eduardo Gastal, is a professor of animal science, food and nutrition at SIU.

But Gastal said she's happy with the food she served and that shes open to the possibility of trying the restaurant again in a different location.

I closed the business here at this location. Im gonna go Brazil for a vacation, and when I get back Im gonna see what Im gonna do, Gastal said.

Sabor de Mel is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Sunday.
INA  Gov. Bruce Rauner joined a discussion at Rend Lake College on Wednesday morning, trying to pitch Southern Illinois as an investment interest to Japan.

The governor was there with Japan's Consul-General Naoki Ito at the workforce and education roundtable, attended by the chancellor of Southern Illinois University and president of Rend Lake College. They all addressed the gathering during the luncheon at the school's student center.

Ito said he was looking for a good investment climate to help him decide to encourage more Japanese-owned business to build in Southern Illinois.

So I really wanted to look at whats taking place in Southern Illinois with my own eyes, he said. .Im really impressed with the way the companies, the existing companies here, [are] enjoying very, very good working environment.  I see a very high potential here."

Of Midwestern states, Illinois has the highest percentage of Japanese businesses  45 percent, or 630 companies, according to a news release from Japan's Chicago Consul General website.

In 2016, Japan had 1,389 businesses that provided 139,310 jobs in the Midwest.

"From a long-term perspective, the Midwest remains particularly attractive to Japanese direct investment due to its central location, top quality workforce, strong transportation network, and favorable business environment," according to the report on the Consul General website. "In return, Japanese business facilities provide jobs in both urban and rural areas, source components from U.S. companies, and are full members of their communities."

Gov. Rauner said he traveled to Japan and China and the U.S. East and West coasts and has a trip planned to Europe, all with the intent of trying to entice businesses to move into Illinois.

He said East and West coast businesses had already moved into Southern Illinois, which he said had less business regulations than does Illinois.

They have higher tax burden, Rauner said of those states. Weve got a huge opportunity for more growth. . . . If we could get the regulatory burden off of our businesses, so our regulations are very competitive, and if we can bring our tax burden down, especially our property taxes, we will boom.

After the luncheon, the governor and Ito spoke briefly with the media, addressing questions about possible future business investments to concern about North Korea's missile tests  with the governor calling the country and its dictator "a threat to the world"  to sexual harassment to the status of a prisoner re-entry program announced in October 2016.

"I'm personally committed to making sure that gets open," the governor said about the Re-Entry Life Skills Facility in Murphysboro. "The bureaucracy is moving too slow. . It's a very important economic engine to this part of the state. It's also essential to keep our communities safer."

After the brief question-and-answer session, the governor traveled on to Marion, where he visited the AISIN Group, an automobile parts supplier. There, he thanked company representatives for hosting him in a visit to its Aichi, Japan, headquarters during his Asia jobs visit there in September.
MATTOON  Math teacher Angela McQueen said she was focused on saving students lives when she helped subdue a student shooter inside the Mattoon High School cafeteria on Sept. 20.

The Illinois Education Association (IEA) teachers union released a video Thursday of an interview it recently conducted with McQueen, who is a math and physical education teacher. The video was released on the same day that McQueen was honored at the high school for her lifesaving actions.

An IEA news release reported that because of McQueens quick response to contain the shooter, only one student was injured. The injured student was initially hospitalized but has since been released and is now back at school.

"I sprang into action because I looked over and I saw a student pulling a gun out and he was aiming it at students to his right," McQueen said during the interview. "I thought, 'Oh crap, he is going to start shooting,' so I immediately lunged at the gun and got the gun up in the air as quickly as I could, as fast as I could, because I didn't want him to hit the students."

McQueen said the shooter fired a couple of rounds before she was able to force him to point the gun up toward the ceiling of the cafeteria.

Officials with the Mattoon Police Department and the school district have said that Mattoon police school resource officer Kasey Alexander arrived in the cafeteria and took the shooter into custody shortly after McQueens actions.

In that moment, you dont really think. You just react. To me, its almost like the mama bear instinct. I dont have kids of my own right now, but its the instinct of, Youre not going to do this to my kids, McQueen said. These are still my kids, even though I dont know every single kid in there. Youre not going to do this to my kids. Youre not going to do this at my school.

McQueen said she always has taken the active shooter training at the high school seriously, but she had thought a school shooting would never happen in Mattoon because it is such a nice, quiet small town.

"You never think it is going to happen where you are at," McQueen said.

Still, McQueen said she always has been mindful of the message in one of her favorite Bible verses, John 15:13 -- "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down ones life for ones friends."

"It was always in the back of my mind, 'Would I do this for just anybody?'" McQueen said of risking her life to save strangers. She added later, "Everybody, I think, would like to think they would do that for just anybody, and now I know I would."

A portion of McQueens interview was released on the IEAs Facebook page on Thursday. Extended footage from the video shows McQueen visiting with students in the school cafeteria and the gymnasium, and at work in her classroom.

McQueen said in the interview that "I really just want to have a positive impact on kids. I felt like that was what I was meant to do. I feel like that even more now."

We are forever grateful to Angela for her courageous actions that saved the lives of our kids. She was a ray of light in our darkest hour, Mattoon district Superintendent Larry Lilly said in the press release.

McQueen was honored Thursday at the high school by the Illinois State Police, Illinois branch of the FBI, Society of Former Special Agents, City of Mattoon, Mattoon Police Department and the Mattoon school district.

The student, Josiah Lyons, who is alleged to have fired the shots on Sept. 20 has been charged with aggravated battery with a firearm. The suspect is a juvenile, but the JG-TC has opted at this time to use his name, as his identity has been widely disseminated and already made public.
DENMARK  Query-Pritchard Construction Company of Barnwell has been selected to construct the new Denmark City Hall, designed by McDonald Law of Aiken, at a cost of $690,000. The award of the bid was announced by City Administrator Heyward Robinson at Denmark City Council's Nov. 20 meeting.

In addition, the council voted to purchase the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system for the new facility from Neeley Heating and Air of Denmark, Robinson reported. The cost of the HVAC system will be $99,989.

Both companies were selected through the bidding process.

The Denmark City Council approved bids  at its Thursday, Nov. 2 meeting of the Denmark Administration and Finance Committee. Minutes of this  meeting were presented at (the Nov. 20) meeting for city council approval," Robinson noted.

When a quorum of city council members meet at a public meeting, they may take action as if it were a regular or called meeting of city council," the administrator said. "The city council took action on the bids to expedite the process."

Also during the Nov. 20 meeting, council authorized Robinson to establish a new bank account for the management of the city's grant of $500,000 from the Rural Infrastructure Authority to run water and sewer service to the new $8.63 million, 20,500-square-foot Bamberg-Barnwell Emergency Room Center of the Regional Health Center. The facility is being built on 10 acres of land on Highway 70 between Denmark and Barnwell.

In other business, Mayor Dr. Gerald Wright noted that each November the council recognizes citizens who have contributed to the city in significant ways.

These citizens have longevity of service. They have worked for the benefit of others, Wright said.

Those recognized with certificates this year were Jewel Davis, James L. Conelly and Camille Hodge Sr. The mayor expressed his appreciation to them for their years of service in the community.

During the meeting, council also voted to name Jimmie Shepherd the grand marshal of the 2017 Denmark Christmas Parade, which will be held at 1 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 2. Parade units will begin lining up at 12 p.m. in front of the old B&B Building Supply (formerly Shuman Owens Building Supply) at 5648 Carolina Hwy. in Denmark.

For more information about the parade, call 803-793-3734.

In his monthly report, Police Chief Leroy Grimes said Denmark police opened 47 new cases, including simple assault, attempted robbery, burglary, domestic violence, shoplifting, vandalism of property, theft from a motor vehicle, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, driving under suspension and a traffic collision.

In addition, Grimes advised citizens to take precautions as they shop this holiday season, including making sure their vehicles are locked, securing their purchased gifts in locked trunks and securing their purses and wallets.

In other business:

Fire Chief Charles Breeland reported the Denmark Fire Department responded to 27 calls for service last month.

Accountant Rusty Munoz reported the audit for the current fiscal year is ongoing. The city's water revenue is $24,117.04 in the red, Munoz noted.

Councilman Calvin Odom, who oversees the city's recreation department, reported he met with a S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control representative about obtaining recreational grant information for walking trails.

Cedric Hudson of the public works department reported that two water leaks had been repaired. He said DHEC had collected water bacteriological samples from all of the city's water wells but the results have not been reported yet. Hudson also noted that the department put up the city's Christmas tree in Jim Harrison Park and assisted SCE&G in putting up the Christmas lights in Denmark.

Council went into executive session to discuss a contractual matter and a personnel matter at the end of the meeting. No action was taken when council returned to public session.
The fast-approaching Dec. 12 special election in Alabama has now become the gateway to which party will control the next Senate majority. It wasnt supposed to happen this way, but GOP nominee Roy Moores collapse after being accused of sexual impropriety 38 years ago has opened the door for Democratic nominee Doug Jones to steal what should be a rock-solid Republican seat.

Before the Moore implosion, the Republicans were a lock to retain Senate control. The election cycle favors them to the point that Democrats must protect 25 of the 33 regular Class I seats, and only two of the eight GOP defense states are even realistically vulnerable. Therefore, before Alabama, if the Democrats converted both the now-open Arizona seat (Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, retiring) and Republican Sen. Dean Hellers Nevada position while protecting all 25 of their defensive states, the best they could do was to force Republicans into a 50-50 tie. In that scenario, Vice President Mike Pence would cast the tie-breaking vote, thus keeping his party in the majority.

Should Moore lose Alabama, the equation dramatically changes. Democrats gaining this seat with a Jones victory would create a path to the Senate majority and put the once-secure Republican chamber within reach. With Alabama in the Democratic column  and being there through the 2020 election  converting Arizona and Nevada would be enough to give the liberal party a 51-49 edge, and thus majority control.

With so much at stake, it is surprising to see Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, seemingly so willing to cast Alabama away. Once the sexual impropriety allegations were made against the former Alabama state Supreme Court chief justice, McConnell and other Republican senators wasted little time running to microphones and cameras to denounce him, and announcing they were pulling his national party support. The leadership is still hurting from losing the party nomination battle to Moore, as their candidate, appointed Sen. Luther Strange, badly failed to inspire a majority of Republican primary and run-off voters.

Alabama Republican officials and rank-and-file party activists along with President Donald Trump, by and large, reacted differently and remain generally supportive of Moore.

McConnells actions are even more curious when looking at the polls. Before the allegations became public, Moore held a consistent double-digit lead. After the stories broke, the numbers almost reversed with Jones moving in front by an 8 percent mean average. Now, however, the race could actually be moving back toward Moore. Three mid-November large-sample surveys suggest that the former judge has rebounded to a small lead despite having little in the way of campaign funding.

As the candidates turn for the political finish line, the Democrats and Jones have the resources to dominate message delivery. But they must walk a fine line in order to convince the Alabama electorate that having a Democrat represent them isnt as bad as electing the morally questionable Moore.

The party leaders have been very quiet, as have rank-and-file Democratic senators. None have gone public to bash Moore, leaving that to Republicans since the latter group has once again morphed into self-destruct mode. Both sides know that outside influence from Washington would likely hamper the candidate the DC crowd supports, so weve seen little in the way of Super PAC or national party activity from either side.

Understanding this background, Alabama voters will be left to decide the ultimate fate of the two candidates in a special election. What happens is really anybodys guess. Polling is fickle in the specials because turnout is typically low, and often underestimates the rural hard-core conservative support, e.g., how Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio, etc., performed for President Trump.

If a similar dynamic is again present in Alabama, the former judge could still win, and McConnell will then face having Moore in the Senate and part of his party conference, apparently a nightmare he dreads more than losing the Republican majority.

Should the urban and suburban voters, along with a large African-American participation, vote in strong numbers and score the upset for Jones, the Democrats would position themselves to do what was once thought unthinkable: take the Senate majority in 2018.

Their task is formidable even against a wounded candidate, however. Looking at the turnout in the Republican primary and runoff vs. that of the Democrats, for example, we saw more than 481,000 people vote in the GOP runoff, a turnout higher than what was present in the original primary, vs. just 165,006 individuals who chose the Democratic Party. This means a high number of Republican voters must be persuaded to pick the Democrat in this election.

Regardless of how the Senate cycle ultimately ends, the path to maintaining or capturing the new majority begins in this Alabama special election almost a year before the regular midterm vote. The stakes are high, and though Republicans appear to be handing them this seat on a silver platter, questions abound as to whether the Democrats can actually claim the prize.
By Trend





Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree approving the "Agreement on Cooperation in Copyright and Related Rights between the Azerbaijani Government and the Turkmen Government" on November 29.

Azerbaijans Copyright Agency has been instructed to ensure the implementation of the provisions of the agreement after it enters into force.

President Aliyev also signed a decree approving the "Agreement on Cooperation in Culture between the Azerbaijani Government and the Turkmen Government".

Ministry of Culture and Tourism has been instructed to ensure the implementation of the provisions of the agreement.

The mentioned agreements were signed in Baku on August 8, 2017.
By Azernews





By Rashid Shirinov

A territory of 49,300 square kilometers has been completely cleared in Jojug Marjanli village of Azerbaijans Jabrayil region, National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) told Trend on November 30.

Over the past day, an area of 49,300 square meters was cleared in the village, and 20,000 square meters were prepared for cleaning by special mechanical means, the message says. No mines or unexploded ordnance were found.

Currently, ANAMA continues clearing of Jojug Marjanli from mines and UXOs. The operation involves 56 people.

Jojug Marjanli village was liberated by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces from the Armenian occupation in April last year. In late January 2017, President Ilham Aliyev ordered to restore the village.

Yesterday, the Agency informed about detection of a TM-62 mine amplifier in the village. The agency experts removed the unexploded ordnance for neutralization.

Moreover, last week, ANAMA found and removed three UXOs in Jojug Marjanli, including a TM-62 and two anti-tank unguided missiles PQ-7.

The Agency was established in 1998 for planning and coordination, management and monitoring of mine action related activities all over the country.

The problem of unexploded ordnance in Azerbaijan can be divided into the areas that are still under the occupation of Armenian forces and other areas of the country. Most of the unexploded ordinances are the result of Armenian aggression.












By Trend





President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko discussed a wide range of economic and diplomatic issues during official visit of Kazakh president to Minsk.

Nazarbayev thanked Lukashenko for invitation, noting that his visit coincided with the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the press service of the Kazakh president said in a message.

"Presently, there are 260 Belarus enterprises in Kazakhstan. Belarus agriculture products are also present in our markets. There are shops with Belarus furniture almost in all cities of Kazakhstan," Nazarbayev said.

Kazakh president added that entrepreneurs of the two countries will sign contracts on supply of BelAZ trucks and new equipment to Kazakhstan.

The countries will sign a contract on localization of Belarus products in Kazakh market as well as the construction of joint assembly plants, according to Nazarbayev.

The presidents also touched upon the trade turnover between the countries.

"There were difficult times, crisis, trade turnover between our countries decreased, but for 10 months of the current year it grew by 60 percent," added Nazarbayev.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, in turn, stressed that the visit of the president of Kazakhstan will contribute to development of trade relations between the countries.
By Trend





More than 80 PKK terrorists were killed, and a weapons depot was destroyed in counterterror operations carried out in northern Iraq's Asos region early this week, the Turkish military announced in a statement Wednesday.

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which demands the creation of an independent Kurdish state, has continued for more than 30 years and has claimed more than 40,000 lives.

The UN and the European Union list the PKK as a terrorist organization.
By Trend





French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday he was counting on U.N. Security Council members China and Russia to step up sanctions on North Korea after its latest missile test, Reuters reported.

I once again condemn with the greatest force the missile launch yesterday and now we must increase sanctions, Macron told France 24 television.

I am counting a lot in particular on China and Russia in order to take the most difficult and effective sanctions, he added, speaking during an interview from Abidjan in Ivory Coast.
Dubai Investments (DI) , a leading, diversified investments company listed on the Dubai Financial Market(DFM), has raised foreign ownership limit in the company from the existing 35 per cent to 49 per cent.



A proposal to this effect was approved by shareholders at the General Assembly Meeting held on November 29.



Raising the limit to 49 per cent is part of a wider move by Dubai Investments to open up to international investors. The proposal assumes significance after the recent addition of Dubai Investments shares in the MSCI Emerging Market Index.



In his address at General Assembly Meeting, Sohail Faris Ghanim Al Mazrui, chairman of Dubai Investments, said: The proposal to raise the cap to 49 per cent of the capital was aimed at encouraging share ownership to more foreign investors. The company feels that there is an appetite among foreign investors to invest  which is restricted by keeping the cap at 35 per cent.



The provisions of the special resolution to raise the limit is in line with the Federal Law No. 2 of 2015 relating to Commercial Companies. The foreign ownership cap on Dubai Investments shares was 20 per cent from the date of its listing on Dubai Financial Market in 2000 till 2014, when it was raised to 35 per cent.



Dubai Investments is a leading investment company listed on the Dubai Financial Market with over 19,800 shareholders and a paid-up capital of Dh4 billion ($1.08 billion). Incorporated in 1995, the company has grown exponentially with investments in a number of businesses across three core sectors  real estate, manufacturing & industrial and financial investments across the UAE and the Middle East.  TradeArabia News Service
Panasonics pioneering Lumix cameras and camcorders - specifically designed to capture pristine images and high quality videos, are on display at Xposure, at the ongoing International Photography Festival 2017, in Sharjah, UAE.



The event which kicked off yesterday (November 22) will run until November 25, at The Expo Centre.



Panasonics Lumix cameras provide an excellent compromise between image quality, features, and price. One of the flagship products on display is the impressive DC-GH5 camera, the worlds first mirrorless camera to record 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 25/30p videos to SD Card, and record 4K video at 50/60p; and has evolved its original 4K photo to the stunning 6K photo to capture unmissable moments in incredible detail, said a statement from the company.



This camera has received multiple awards for its unrivalled video, and photo hybrid features, it said.



On display will also be the recently introduced its new Digital Single Lens Mirrorless camera, the Lumix G9, which boasts outstanding mobility, with ultra-high-speed response.



Evolving from the GH5s high performance, the Lumix G9 achieves the highest-ever image quality in photo shooting by elevating resolution, gradation, and colour reproduction, thanks to its 20.3-megapixel Digital Live MOS Sensor without low-pass filter. A high-resolution mode is also added that provides 80-megapixel equivalent images in JPEG /RAW formats in the camera.



Panasonics line up of camcorders are all full HD and 4K with dynamic high zoom features and image stabilizer. These camcorders can zoom up on distant subjects while preserving the image resolution.



In addition to being lightweight and compact, an easy-to-grip design fits the hand for comfortable, extended shooting. This grip also helps to reduce movement, thus preventing the video from blurring. Panasonics camcorders achieve superb effects when shooting on the move.



Hitesh Ojha, deputy general manager, digital imaging, PMMAF, said: Xposure brings locally and internationally renowned camera professionals, photo-journalists and digital artists to share their expertise at this event.



It is a great opportunity for them to learn more about the latest equipment, technologies and methods introduced in the photography landscape. Our ultimate photo and video shooting cameras and camcorders are beautifully engineered products, he said.



With our commitment of Japanese quality, this year we will be showcasing a line-up of Lumix cameras and camcorders that promises the pursuit of perfection. With an aim of improving the art of photography at Xposure, we are expecting this event to grow year on year to attract more photography professionals and enthusiasts from around the world, he added.



Xposure provides a platform for visual artists alongside some of the great names in photography to put their best foot forward in a bid to showcase the latest creativity. This year

Xposure will be conducting workshops, photo tours, trade show and many more activities.



Panasonic will have its presence at Xposure International Photography Festival at Expo Centre Sharjah at Stand ST-10. Plethora of products will be displayed at the booth, some of them are 

Cameras - DC-GH5, DMC-G7, DMC-FZ2500, DMC-TZ80, DMC-TZ90, Camcorders - HDC-MDH2, HC-X1000, HC-X1, HC-V180, HC-V785, HC-VX985, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
Mepco, a leading vertically-integrated paper manufacturer in the Middle East, was recently awarded the King Khaled Award for Responsible Competitiveness (RC Award).



The accolade is held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and is known for honouring companies that have built competitive advantage through a commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR).



Responsible competitiveness has been described by the World Trade Organization as being about forward-looking corporate strategies, innovative public policies and engaged and vibrant civil societies.



The King Khalid Foundation established the Responsible Competitiveness Branch with the introduction of the Saudi Responsible Competitiveness Index (RCI) in collaboration with the Foundation and global consulting firm Accountability.



The framework builds on extensive research and consultation with some of the worlds largest companies, management scholars and investors. Five core areas of good performance are measured for the RC Award, each selected with a clear rationale, strong business case and tailored specifically for Saudi Arabia.



Launched in 2008, the award is a multi-year initiative to assess, reward, and improve responsible business practices in Saudi companies. The underlying concept is the notion that organisations can gain a range of competitive advantages from embedding responsible business practices, which also aligns with the Kingdoms broader development goals and Saudi Vision 2030.



The RC Award goes beyond philanthropy initiatives and focuses on aligning CSR practices with business imperatives, such as promoting growth, improving profitability, enhancing brand and reputation, and deepening engagement with key stakeholders.  TradeArabia News Service
Souq.com, a top an online retail and marketplace website in the region, has announced that the number of items sold during White Friday 2017 more than doubled compared to last year - making it the biggest shopping event in Souq history.



An unprecedented one million deals were on offer during the event, and 18 items were sold per second during peak times. Customers enjoyed the four-day online shopping event and over 70 per cent of customers shopped through mobile devices across the region.



Products from over 16,000 international fashion, beauty, electronics, grocery and other brands were on offer during Souq White Friday 2017 from November 22 to 25 across the GCC and Egypt. Almost half of payments during the event were through made through e-payment methods instead of cash, the highest Souq has seen in the region to date.



Ronaldo Mouchawar, co-founder and CEO, Souq.com, said: Wed like to thank our customers who shopped with us on White Friday - we welcomed seven times more new customers during this shopping event compared to an average day.



Our teams and thousands of sellers worked hard to make White Friday a great event for our customers  with over a million deals in total. It is exciting to see that so many customers used our convenient online payment options and our mobile App. Our teams will keep working to delight our customers by adding more products and selection, improving delivery times and offering first-rate customer service.  TradeArabia News Service
A funding analysis of parts of Wyomings education system showed that the state spends similarly to its peers in those areas, consultants told lawmakers Wednesday.

Its comparable to all the studies in general, consultant Mark Fermanich told lawmakers on the Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration, which is conducting a broad examination of Wyomings education system.

The analysis looked at 12 pieces of Wyomings funding model and compared them to other states as part of the broader view of the school system. While the list included major parts of the Cowboy States method  including special education and class sizes  it was not exhaustive. It did not compare salaries, for instance, which account for the vast majority of districts budgets.

The absence of a salary comparison was not lost on Rep. Albert Sommers, the Pinedale Republican who is the co-chair of the Select Committee on School Finance Recalibration.

Why is there no mention ... about salaries? he asked Fermanich, who works with Augenblick, Palaich and Associates, the firm hired by the state to conduct the education review. Theres two big drivers, class size and salaries.

Fermanich replied that many school funding studies in other states did not provide specific recommendations for salaries. They were made in subsequent reports, and so there wasnt a consistent way to draw comparisons between those states and Wyoming.

The consultants also did not compare Wyomings method for funding its small schools and districts to how other states calculate money for those entities.

State comparison

Still, the numbers showed that in many areas, Wyoming wasnt spending wildly compared to its neighbors and national peers. In only two of the 12 areas  special education and gifted and talented  did Wyoming spend significantly more than the average. For special education  which is reimbursed fully by the state  Wyomings model pays more than $18,000 per student. In 2017-18, the state will spend about $238 million.

The comparison showed that Wyoming spent less, on average, in five areas: at-risk funding, pupil support, English language learners, instructional facilitators and instructional materials.

How much Wyoming spends on education has been a regular topic of discussion over the past year, as the state grapples with an education funding crisis that, while smaller than once anticipated, still amounts to more than $340 million for the coming two-year budget cycle. Notable legislators, including Senate President Eli Bebout, have suggested that now is the time to examine those spending levels and determine if Wyoming is receiving a proper return on its educational investment.

The state spends more than $17,000 per student, more than its neighbors and more than most states in the U.S. While other lawmakers have pushed back on the suggestion that Wyoming isnt getting the proper bang for its buck, the idea that schools are over-funded persists.

Questions remain

Indeed, after the consultants finished their comparison report, Sen. Dave Kinskey, a Sheridan Republican, wondered how Wyoming could both be spending comparably and more significantly than other states.

Is there some point at which you have an aha moment in here that says, Heres the difference, heres the key driver why we spend more? he asked the consultants.

Fermanich replied that at least one reason is that Wyoming has implemented much of its funding model, to an extent not seen in most other states.

Sommers asked if that was because of the states supreme court decisions, which consultants had previously said were uniquely strict. Starting in the mid-1990s, a series of Wyoming Supreme Court decisions ruled that the state needed to fund its education system equitably and adequately to all students. Those rulings continue to serve as the foundation for school funding today.

Fermanich said that the Campbell decisions  named for the school district that was a plaintiff in those cases  certainly play a role.

The recalibration committee meets again Thursday and Friday.
A Montana judge has temporarily restricted wolf hunting and trapping near Yellowstone and Glacier national parks and imposed tighter statewide limits on killing the predators. Wildlife advocates sued last month claiming that looser hunting rules adopted in the Republican-controlled state could harm wolf populations. State District Court Judge Christopher Abbott on Tuesday ordered officials to reimpose rules from 2020 that allow the killing of only five wolves per person, instead of 20, and forbid the use of snares for trapping. Abbott also limited hunting and trapping near the national parks. Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte criticized the ruling, saying he thinks the judge overstepped his bounds. But state wildlife officials have pledged to comply with the order.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some Nov. 30 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.
Editor's note: The story has been corrected to say the suspects used a bandanna to stifle the victim's screams.

GILBERT  A robbery victim died after he was found bound and not breathing in his home and two suspects found hiding in the attic were arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, authorities said Wednesday.

Torre Sanders, 20, and a 17-year-old boy were arrested Monday after a neighbor watching from a second-story window called 911 to two people beating Shane Mullins in his backyard and forcing him into his home, Gilbert police said.

The Associated Press does not generally identify juvenile crime defendants.

Officers broke into Mullins' home and found him lying on the floor with his hands and feet bound with cords and rope, to a police probable cause statement said.

Efforts to revive Mullins were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at a hospital.

The defendants had stuffed a bandanna into his mouth and sat on his back so his screams wouldn't be heard when a visitor knocked on the front door just before police arrived, the statement said.

Police searching the home heard noises from the attic, saw its door ajar ordered the suspects to come down. They emerged with bags of marijuana and valuables, the statement said.
The man shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent Wednesday had taken an agent's gun out of its holster, a Border Patrol official said.

Two agents responded to a sensor that was activated in the Baboquivari Mountains southwest of Tucson around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Rodolfo Karisch, chief patrol agent of the Border Patrol's Tucson Sector, said at a press conference Thursday.

The agents tracked a group of suspected illegal border crossers to an area about 21 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. While trying to arrest the border crossers, one of them attacked an agent, Karisch said.

"There was a struggle. The assailant wound up on top of the agent and was able to pull his weapon from his holster, at which time the other agent came up and shot the individual," Karisch said.

The man died later from his wounds.

Karisch called the shooting an "heroic act" and said the agent who fired "saved his partner's life."

An agent suffered minor injuries and was treated at a Tucson hospital.

The Border Patrol did not release the nationality of the man who was killed. Three Guatemalan men who were part of the group of suspected border crossers were taken into custody on immigration violations.

The Tohono O'odham Police Department is the lead agency in the investigation of the shooting. The FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Professional Responsibility have supporting roles in the investigation.
Photo on VisualHunt

It was the beginning of the holiday season, a long weekend I thankfully spent away from the newsdesk atHQ, a time spent refreshing old friendships via that peculiar Gen-X tool known as the telephone.

As I reached out across the country, letting my fingers do the walking across a glass keyboard with no real buttons upon its fragile surface, one message, more than others came back through my receiver. At least two old college chums questioned why I was still a resident in the Duke City; at least one other came clean with an admonition, stuttering succinctly in their handset that they feared for my life. Albuquerque was dangerous they said.

The day after, a busy working day in-between the iterations of holiday mirth this season is famous for, the local daily seemed to confirm the darkest fears of my old friends. Murder rates, the headline fairly screamed, were on target to reach record levels in Burque in 2017.

Embarrassed, shocked and just damn worried about this situation, I lamented the day I told a reporter in the news department to eschew covering violent crimes as part of his beat. I remember I told him that such was the fodder of teevee news, that we had more noble things to cover than humankinds historic tendency to render solutions by invoking deadly violence on each others fleshy existence.

But now, I cant get over it. The increase in violence, the rate of murder and the violence used to perpetrate crimes in Albuquerque in the past four years is disturbing. No one seems immune; even me, a hermetic rock music critic and cultural provocateur has been randomly faced with angry, potentially violent maniacs in my rather mundane wanderings through this town.

Many of the murders committed here in that time periodand beyondhave yet to be solved. An overwhelmed, understaffed police department, a lack of mental and physical public health programs, endemic poverty and youth-consuming drug addiction issues certainly fuel the awful fire that is burning up lives all over this town.

One wonders if acquiescence to and acceptance of a culture of violence, of harassment and debasement of others has contributed to the terrible strength of this mighty urban monster.

This is what I know

Once where there was a vital retail corridor there now is a swath of decay that runs parallel to Central Avenue, from Washington to Eubank roughly; alienation and desperation form the core of this stretch of town. Listen: theres a huge hovel built from tumbleweeds and cardboard boxes in the vacant lot behind Walmart on San Mateo and Zuni. The adjacent streets are literally lined with homeless folks who are displaced, depressed and often drunk.

One day last week while I was parked in those same dilapidated environs, looking over all that fermenting sadness, a man suddenly jumped into the passenger side of my car and menaced me. He told me he had a gun and he wanted my car. He waved his hands wildly, motioned toward his pants-pockets nervously but confidently and asked me in Spanish if I wanted to die.

Foolishly, I stood my ground, and ultimately pushed him out of the car with my cane. I was so shocked that I rushed home to tell my wife without calling the police. When asked later about this omission, I reflected: The previous summer when my car was stolen from the middle of Downtown, it took an officer about three hours to respond. I really felt like I was on my own from that point forward; but more relevantly, the city must address the problems of economic decline, homelessness and drug addiction in this city as all contribute substantially to urban violence.

Multiple Unsolved Murders

Add to that fear of abandonment by local authorities some relevant statistics. There have been 63 murders in Albuquerque so far this year. Of that number, 26 remain unsolved. Thats a substantial increase in unsolved homicides for a police department that is already facing sharp criticism and calls for reform. The result is a city on the edge, where just about every stranger one meets in public is wary.

Three headlines referencing murder dominate the local daily as I write this on Tuesday morning. There are too many homicides to list without becoming sad and agitated at work. So here are includedfrom this years record instances of human-on-human violencethe following second half of the year instances stand out as particularly heinous:

 On July 5, 2017, Brandon Vigil allegedly shot Daniel Miramontes and Consuela Rios to death using an automatic weapon, following a drug deal gone awry.

 Also in early July, during or immediately following an armed robbery in the area adjacent to Tia Betty Blues Restaurant on San Mateo near Gibson Boulevard, a bystander was shot and killed by a trio of humans who are still at large.

 A 14-year-old child, Martin Recio, was murdered a couple of weeks later at a Dions Pizza restaurant on Gibson Boulevard, near I-25. Two others were wounded in this shooting. No arrests have been made in this violent death.

Solving the Problem

Although many will argue that there is no way to prevent murder, that human nature precludes a simple solution to a seemingly ageless problem, its clear that much can be done to stem the flow of blood in our streets, our town, beginning with better treatment and reintegration services for our citys poor and displaced.

Also, the atrocities suffered were usually committed using guns; in at least two cases, semi-automatic weapons were used to render living flesh into lifeless meat. Stricter gun laws should be aimed at limiting the availability of these types of weapons; moreover, fine-tuned licensing guidelines and yearly testing of responsible gun owners may well lead to fewer weapons falling into the hands of criminals.

Working as a community to establish and maintain public mental health, addiction treatment and job-training programs in conjunction with re-establishing effective community-based policing in Burque. Citizens should not be discouraged from or reticent to contacting and interacting with local law enforcement.

This is the responsibility of individual citizens and the arhats of the new mayoral administration, especially and including new APD interim Police Chief Michael James Geier. Geierwho served as the Commander for the International District/Southeast Area among other postswill hopefully bring some clarity and resolution to the problem of death by murder in the Duke City.
PHOENIX  Gov. Doug Ducey signaled his opposition to a new initiative to forbid anonymous funding of political campaigns, saying it would interfere with the ability of people to participate in campaigns without fear.

Ive always been a fan of more transparency, the governor said Wednesday. And Ducey said his own campaigns have always complied with whats required under Arizona law.

But Ducey said theres a valid reason to allow people to contribute anonymously to efforts to ensure that some people are elected and others are not.

I think people have a First Amendment right as well to participate and not be bullied, he said.

Ducey has been the beneficiary of such campaigns where Arizona voters were never informed of who was contributing to his campaign.

He got elected governor in 2014 with the help of $8.2 million spent by outside groups both supporting his election and running commercials attacking Democrat foe Fred DuVal. That eclipsed the $7.9 million Ducey spent on his own, money that came from disclosed donors.

That wasnt just a one-way street. DuVal benefited from $2.4 million in independent expenditures, compared to his own $4.3 million campaign.

The initiative, formally launched Wednesday, would add what amounts to a right to know provision in the Arizona Constitution.

It would require public disclosure of all original sources of money. It is specifically aimed at those who provide more than $10,000 in any two-year election cycle.

It also is designed to address chain donations, where a person gives money to an organization that then funnels it to yet another group that ends up buying the attack ads. The measure says the group making the expenditure has the responsibility of finding that original source.

The campaign is being spearheaded by former Attorney General Terry Goddard. He has until July 5 to get at least 225,963 valid signatures on petitions to put the issue on the 2018 ballot.

At least part of the problem with tracing the funds is that many of the groups that put money into these campaigns are established under the federal Internal Revenue Code as social welfare organizations. And Arizona law exempts them from having to disclose donors when they make independent expenditures on behalf of or against any candidate.

So, in Duceys case, the only information available to the public was that he got money from American Encore, the 60-Plus Association and Conservative Leadership for Arizona. Where they got their money is not listed, though American Encore has its roots in another group that was financed by conservative business owners Charles and David Koch.

Ducey also got help from a political action committee set up by the Republican Governors Association, which tapped a fund financed by a national network of donors.

He did not dispute that those outside funds helped propel him to office but said he did nothing that was not an option for others. We all follow the same rules, Ducey said.

The governors arguments about the need to shield the names of those seeking to influence the outcome of campaigns mirrors those made by lawmakers who have crafted laws reducing public disclosure in the name of protecting them from being harassed.

During debate on legislation last year to take more information out of the public sphere, House Speaker J.D. Mesnard said the source of the funds paying for advertising for or against candidates is irrelevant. He said its about the message.

If its important to you to know whos behind the message and you dont know whos behind the message, then disregard it, he said. But if its not important to you and you want to focus on the message itself, theres no harm done.
Re: the Nov. 27 columns addressing "Are electric vehicles the future of US transportation?"

I read this debate with interest. My wife and I recently purchased a Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid. It gets about 35-40 miles on a battery charge (which costs about 60 cents) and then converts to a 50-mpg gas engine when the battery runs out. We use the car for commuting to work and errand running on weekends. During October, we used NO gasoline.

This kind of technology represents an affordable, needed bridge to future all-electric cars with longer ranges. Sadly, columnist Merrill Matthews conveniently tiptoed around discussing any concerns for climate change in his dissenting piece. Fossil fuels should be more expensive to help push us towards a cleaner energy future. A simple fee on carbon-based fuels would be a good start. Revenue raised could be returned to households using a simple formula.

Edward Beshore

North side
NRK, Norways public broadcaster, reported on Sunday that more than 100 reindeer have lost their lives in the past week. 65 reindeer were killed after being hit by a train Saturday, along with another 41 who were killed between Wednesday and Friday last week. Plans are now being formulated to place a fence along the railway line, as even more reindeer have since lost their lives.

Sami community in Norway suffering the loss

The Local reported the plight of the Sami community in the north of Norway, who make their living off the reindeer. The death of the animals has been called a senseless animal tragedy," especially by one Sami herder, Ole Henrik Kappfjell, who lost 65 of his herd.

He added that it was a psychological nightmare, while saying he was so angry over the loss of his animals, he felt dizzy.

Horror as Norway freight trains mow down over 100 reindeer.

"Im so angry that Im dizzy...Its a senseless animal tragedy, says reindeer owner Ole Henrik Kappfjell. https://t.co/KPHEbzu8xp pic.twitter.com/rSIswdtcdw  The Straits Times (@STcom) November 27, 2017

Reindeer moving to winter pastures

Around 250,000 semi-domestic reindeer live in the far north of Norway and with winter encroaching, the deer are herded to winter pastures in order to give them grazing. This is reportedly a dangerous journey for the animals, many of which are hit and killed by trains and cars. According to a report by the Guardian, some also die of drowning along the way.

The Guardian published images of the dead reindeer, taken by Jon Erling Utsi, a documentary filmmaker. Utsi told NRK it was a nightmare to see the dead and injured animals lying on the bloodstained snow, adding that some had to be shot to put them out of their misery. It was Utsi that described the scene as a bloodbath, as the reindeer were lying over several miles along the railway tracks.

Between 2013 and 2016, over 2,000 of the animals died after being hit by trains on that same railway line.

Plans brought forward to build a fence on the railway line

The reindeer herders have been demanding for years that the railway operator place a fence alongside the track to prevent the deaths, but up until now, no funding has been available.

However, according to a report by The Local, officials said on Wednesday they are speeding up plans to build a fence along the railway line.

After scores of migrating reindeer were mowed down by trains, Norway speeds up construction of a fence https://t.co/kxd2hZCJZX  AFP news agency (@AFP) November 29, 2017

This news came from Bane NOR, the state-owned railway operator after a further 17 reindeer lost their lives alongside the line between Trondheim and Bod this week, which now brings the number of animals killed to a total of 127 within one week. The operator said in a statement that they are planning to build 15 miles of fence in the affected area next year, which was previously planned for construction in 2019 or 2020.

Spokesman Vibeke Aarnes said the collisions by the trains with the reindeer have also affected them. The statement added that plans are afoot to extend an area where trains travel at slower speeds, adding that they are also considering installing an auto-detection system. Talks have reportedly been ongoing with herders, many of whom have tagged their herd with tracking devices.

ERECT THE BARRIERFreight trains in Norway kills more than 100 reindeer https://t.co/oAFlJ573F2  msmorgan1968 (@msmorgan1968) November 27, 2017

The gruesome images of the dead reindeer, surrounded by bloodstained snow, have triggered strong reactions both in Norway and elsewhere in the world among animal activists.

While many Twitter users are quipping that Santa Claus wont be coming this year, others are understandably upset at the tragic and senseless loss.
It is not unusual for a house or apartment to have Bed Bugs. However, there are ways to get rid of them without using the method a 13-year-old Cincinnati boy used. He tried to kill one bed bug that resulted in $300,000 in damage and eight people being displaced from six apartments. The fire got out of hand on Tuesday night around 11 p.m.

What happened?

The boy tried to kill the bed bug by using alcohol and a match. The mattress caught on fire, and the fire got out of control. Major damage was caused to the Hawaiian Terrace apartments. The fire spread through six apartments in the complex before firefighters could bring it under control.

When it was all over, the unwise action of the boy had caused severe damage to the apartment when he lived and other apartments in the complex. A total of eight people had to be displaced. This included three adults and five children. WCPO Channel 9, a local television station, reported that one apartment was completely destroyed by the fire and two others were severely damaged that will need a lot of repairs.

District 3 Chief Marc Monahan didn't seem to be too hard on the boy. He described the fire as accidental. Monahan said the teenager wasn't just playing with matches. He did say the boy's action wasn't the smartest thing to do when he tried to kill just one bed bug. Fortunately, no injuries were caused by the fire.

The Red Cross is providing assistance to the displaced residents of the apartments.

It doesn't appear that the boy or his parents were charged or if they were offered advice on how to get rid of bed bugs in the future. It is interesting that reports say the Ohio boy was trying to kill only one bed bug. There is usually an entire infestation of them.

While the boy tried to get rid of only one, they were others hiding somewhere in his bed.

Safe way to eliminate bed bugs

Bed bugs are a nuisance and no one wants them around. The insects are called bed bugs for a reason. Their preferred place to live is in the bed among the sheets and mattresses. They prefer the bed because it is a warm place to hibernate.

Since they are parasites, they live off of the blood of those who sleep in the bed. They are mainly active at night. While you sleep, they are awake and active.

There are safe ways to get rid of the insects. Many products are on the market, but experts say the best way to get rid of them is to discard sheets and mattresses. If you can't afford to discard your bedding, then wash them in very hot water. The very best way is to call an exterminator. However, that method is costly.
If North Korea takes out an American city with a nuclear missile, or if the United States has to lose 20,000 servicemen in a preemptive strike to prevent it from doing so, we can safely blame the Democrats. The cause of the North Korean Missile Crisis does not just reside in President Bill Clintons misbegotten deal that was supposed to deny Pyongyang the Bomb but actually allowed it to build one. The roots of the calamity we face, now that North Korea has a working ICBM, are in the Democrats decades-long jihad against SDI.

The war against Star Wars

When President Ronald Reagan first proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative program, which he described as an effort to make nuclear weapons obsolete, Congressional Democrats derided the proposal as both a fantasy that would never work and too dangerous to deploy. Senator Teddy Kennedy thought he was being clever by calling SDI Star Wars, a name that stuck even among proponents of the plan. Missile defenses were never deployed in the 1980s.

However, because the Soviets were well aware of how such a system would negate their status as a military superpower, they began down the road that eventually led to the collapse of the USSR. The Soviets attempted to develop systems that would overcome missile defenses while at the same time conducting disinformation operations to erode support for SDI in the United States.

When those measures didnt work, Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev attempted to reform Soviet society through his glasnost and perestroika policies. Reform became revolution. The Berlin Wall fell, tyrannical governments in Eastern Europe fell, and the Soviet Union broke apart.

How Obama left America defenseless to a rogue country nuclear strike

One of the more sensible policies that President George W. Bush enacted was to develop Missile Defense systems against rogue nations, such as Iran and North Korea. Bush withdrew from the Nixon-era ABM treaty. He ordered the development of a number of land-based and sea-based anti-missile systems.

He made an agreement with Poland and the Czech Republic to deploy a missile defense system in those countries against Iranian ballistic missiles. Bush started a program to mount megawatt lasers on 747 jets to provide a boost-phase defense.

When Barack Obama came into office he started to dismantle Bushs missile defense program. He cut overall spending for missile defense. He canceled the airborne laser system and the East European missile defense battery, the latter under pressure from Russias Vladimir Putin, who was afraid that it would degrade his countrys ability to threaten its former satellite countries.

As a result, the United States military cannot guarantee that if North Korea were to launch a nuclear strike on the American homeland that it could stop it from happening. The sole choice is now to augment missile defenses as rapidly as possible and, at the same time, prepare for a Second Korean War.
"Teen Mom 2" star Kailyn Lowry has made no secret of the fact that she would one day like to move out of Delaware and into California. Kail, who recently graduated college with a communications degree, is now looking at houses to buy in L.A., where she says she would be able to find work easier and also fulfill her "TM2" duties. However, Kailyn has a big problem if she wants to move across the country. She has three sons with three different men, and all of them live in Delaware.

Moving across the country?

According to the latest "Teen Mom 2" news, Kailyn Lowry is looking to buy a home in California.

The "Teen Mom 2" star, 25, recently revealed via social media that she has been looking at condos with a real estate agent, and fans immediately began to wonder if Lowry was planning to pack up her three boys, move across the country, and leave her three baby daddies in the dust. This would seem like a risky move for Kail, who would likely have a huge fight on her hands if she were to do so, especially with her oldest son Isaac's father, Jo Rivera, and her middle son Lincoln's dad, Javi Marroquin. Jo relocated with his fiance to Delaware from Pennsylvania just to be closer to his son, and Javi has already revealed that he would fight Kail in court if she tried to move out of state. As for her third baby daddy, Chris Lopez, his involvement with his infant son, Lux, remains to be seen.

Lowry clears the air

However, the "Teen Mom 2" star cleared the air when fans began to throw shade at her for planning to move her sons away from their fathers. Kailyn Lowry claimed that she was only looking at condos to have a house in California for when she needs to stay there for work-related reasons, such as MTV obligations and anything else she can get herself into post-graduation.

Meanwhile, Kailyn's relationships with her baby daddies aren't at their best right now.

Kailyn's baby daddy drama

Kailyn and Jo are seemingly always pretty good at co-parenting. However, her messy divorce with Javi Marroquin has complicated things for the pair. While they are being civil to one another and co-parenting little Lincoln, there is some stress in their relationship.

Despite the fact that the two are currently writing a book together, and plan to head out on a book tour soon, Javi has recently confirmed that he is dating Kail's "Teen Mom 2" co-star, Briana DeJesus. Kail and Bri reportedly got into a bit of a verbal throwdown last week during the "TM2" reunion filming.

The incident allegedly happened backstage at the show and was caught by cameras. Leah Messer was also allegedly involved. Meanwhile, rumors about baby daddy number three, Chris Lopez, being physically abusive towards Kail are circulating, and the Lowry has reportedly banned Lopez from seeing his son for the time being. Fans can watch Kailyn Lowry's journey Monday nights at 9 p.m. on MTV.
Faze Banks is embroiled in quite the controversy, with a Cleveland bar releasing footage showing that the YouTube star had lied about an alleged assault that took place there last week.

Banks is a popular YouTuber who has amassed a following of more than 4 million subscribers for his gaming videos and vlogs. Last week, the YouTube star uploaded a Snapchat story claiming that he and girlfriend Alissa Violet had been assaulted by the staff of the Barley House, a popular bar in Cleveland. In his account of events, bouncers at the bar had been needlessly violent in throwing Banks and Violet out of the bar, claiming that he had been choked out and that his girlfriend was sexually assaulted by a member of the staff grabbing her backside.

Alissa Violet later posted pictures of injuries to her face, including a swollen eye and fat lip.

Posting a video about this whole situation and explaining everything A-Z as soon as I can. This shit is not ok and were going to get to the bottom of it. Love you liss, so sorry this happened  pic.twitter.com/CxXT7iKLzR  FaZe Banks (@Banks) November 26, 2017

The video prompted a quick and drastic response from fans of FaZe Banks, who took aim at the Barley House. Many of them left angry messages, negative reviews on Yelp and some even took aim at bar employees, leaving threatening messages for them.

FaZe Banks' claims appear to be off

But this week, the Barley House released a video showing its account of events, and it told a drastically different story than what Banks had told fans.

Using surveillance from throughout the bar and outside, the establishment's management showed that Banks and Violet had never been assaulted and that they appeared to be the aggressors in the situation.

In the YouTube video, FaZe Banks could be seen initiating contact with the bouncers, and at no point was he choked out, as he had claimed.

Later in the video, Banks and Violet got into a fight with patrons of the bar outside, with video showing FaZe Banks attempting to throw a glass at the couple and striking a man with a sucker punch.

FaZe Banks responds

FaZe Banks released his own YouTube video in response on Thursday, saying the situation is now being handled by lawyers.

He also called on fans to stop harassing the bar and its employees.

"I do want to stress the point, I do not condone any form of threat, harassment," he said. Don't do it. You guys it's not f***ing cool, it has no place in any of this. We're going to get to the bottom of this and we're going to do it with some class and in a respectful way."

But the internet may already be turning on FaZe Banks and Alissa Violet. On Thursday, the response from the Barley House was one of the top-voted links on the JusticeServed subreddit on Reddit, reaching the link-sharing site's front page. The response was overwhelmingly negative for Banks and Violet, with many commenters saying the bar should sue them for defamation.
China will take necessary measures to ensure Chinese aluminum companies' legal rights, the Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday after the United States government launched its first self-initiated, anti-dumping and countervailing duty cases in 25 years.

The ministry's announcement came after the US Commerce Department launched the investigations on Tuesday covering more than $600 million worth of imports of common alloy aluminum sheet from China.

Wang Hejun, head of the trade remedy and investigation bureau at the Ministry of Commerce, said such anti-dumping duty investigations against the aluminum sheet that China exports are the first such actions initiated by the US Department of Commerce instead of a US industrial association in a quarter-century.

"It is a rare case in the history of international trade and has sparked strong dissatisfaction in China," he said.

The US claims that "some evidence shows Chinese manufacturers are shipping aluminum sheet to the country at prices that are lower than fair value and that the Chinese government is providing unfair subsidies to factories of aluminum sheet", Wang said.

"The aluminum industries in the two countries are complementary to each other and trade in such products is two-way," he said. "Disturbing routine trade activities in aluminum will harm the interests of both sides."

Chinese demand for aluminum is more than half of global demand at an estimated 60 million metric tons this year, according to the London-based the International Aluminum Institute.

This is the third case of trade friction between China and the US this month.

The US Commerce Department released its final ruling on Nov 13 on the anti-dumping and countervailing investigations against plywood imported from China, setting a 183.36 percent dumping margin and a subsidy range for Chinese companies of between 22.98 percent and 194.90 percent. A dumping margin is the amount by which the normal value is determined to exceed the export price of merchandise.

On Nov 23, the US Commerce Department also announced that certain tool chests and cabinets from China had a subsidy range of 14.03 percent to 95.56 percent. It ordered US Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from importers.

Gao Peiyong, director of the Institute of Economics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, said, "US manufacturing businesses not only accounted for the most profitable sectors but also a number of segments with the highest industrial value added. They also diverted low-end segments to global markets."
US President Donald Trump's tweeting habits may drive people crazy, but one recent flurry may be something to - ahem - trumpet about.

It started back on Nov 14, when the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced at an African Wildlife Consultative Forum in Africa that trophies from elephants legally hunted in Zimbabwe and Zambia between 2016 and 2018 could now be imported to the United States.

All American hunters needed were permits to bring "their elephants home".

"These positive findings for Zimbabwe and Zambia demonstrate that the FWS recognizes that hunting is beneficial to wildlife and that these range countries know how to manage their elephant populations," said Safari Club International President Paul Babaz, applauding the move. "We appreciate the efforts of the Service and the US Department of the Interior to remove barriers to sustainable use conservation for African wildlife."

Elephant importation has been closed in the US since May 2014, when the FWS, under former President Barack Obama, abruptly imposed the ban.

Understandably, animal rights activists and celebrities bristled at the FWS' announcement.

Cher tweeted a post of a Gothamist article about Trump's sons hunting big game featuring a photo of Don Jr. and a Cape Buffalo he had bagged. "Photos: Donald Trump's Sons Awesome At Killing Elephants And Other Wildlife," Cher wrote.

Trump responded: "@cher Old story, one of which I publicly disapproved. My sons love hunting, I don't."

The decision also took heat from conservative media pundits. Fox News' Laura Ingraham tweeted: "Don't understand how this move by @realDonaldTrump Admin will not INCREASE the gruesome poaching of elephants. Stay tuned."

On Nov 17, Trump astonished everyone involved in the issue with another tweet:

"Put big game trophy decision on hold until such time as I review all conservation facts. Under study for years. Will update soon with [Interior] Secretary Zinke. Thank you!"

Two days later, Trump tipped his cards even further with yet another tweet, saying that he would "be hard pressed to change my mind that this horror show in any way helps conservation of Elephants or any other animal".

The FSW had also built a website instructing hunters how to apply for permits to bring lion parts back to the US. African lions were put on the endangered list last year.

Secretary Ryan Zinke said in a statement that he had spoken with Trump, and "both believe that conservation and healthy herds are critical".

Tanya Sanerib, senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement: "It's great that public outrage has forced Trump to reconsider this despicable decision, but it takes more than a tweet to stop trophy hunters from slaughtering elephants and lions. We need immediate federal action to reverse these policies."

According to Reuters, Africa's elephant population plunged by about a fifth between 2006 and 2015 because of increased poaching for ivory, a coveted commodity used in carving and ornamental accessories in parts of Asia, the International Union for Conservation of Nature said last year.

Wayne Pacelle, the CEO of the US Humane Society, said on Twitter that he was grateful that Trump was reviewing the decision to lift the trophy ban:

"Grateful to @POTUS @RealDonaldTrump for reassessing elephant and lion trophy hunting imports. This is the kind of trade we don't need."

Trump's decision was a shocker not only because it put on hold an agency decision that had gone through routine procedures and approvals, including publication in the Federal Register, but also because it came from a candidate-turned-president who never made wildlife conservation or environmental policy a priority.

Trump's tweets also put him at odds with Zinke, who recently announced the creation of a special council to look into "the benefits that international recreational hunting has on foreign wildlife and habitat conservation".

For now, chalk up a rare victory for conservation activists who challenge the Trump administration at every turn.

"This is a wise and welcome pause in the process," the World Wildlife Fund said.

Meanwhile, European and American conservation leaders meeting in Geneva this week called on governments worldwide to support requests from African nations and "end all trade in elephant ivory to safeguard the future of elephants".

The standing committee of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is having their first meeting since their 2016 groundbreaking recommendation that all domestic ivory markets that are "contributing to poaching or illegal trade" should be closed "as a matter of urgency".

Legal markets, they warn, provide cover for illegal trade, enabling laundering of poached ivory and fuel demand.

Stay tuned indeed.

Contact the writer at chrisdavis@chinadailyusa.com.
Beijing expresses 'grave concern' over claim of successful ICBM test

Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is China's unswerving goal, President Xi Jinping told his US counterpart Donald Trump during a phone conversation on Wednesday.

Xi said China is ready to join the US in pushing the nuclear issue toward a peaceful settlement.

On Wednesday, Beijing expressed "grave concern and opposition" to Pyongyang's latest missile test and called for talks to peacefully resolve the nuclear crisis on the peninsula.

"The United Nations Security Council resolutions are explicit about Pyongyang's use of ballistic missile technologies, and China strongly urged Pyongyang to stop activities that increase tensions on the peninsula," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

China hopes all related parties will behave with caution and jointly safeguard the peace and stability of the region, he said at a daily news conference.

Geng also said that the "suspension for suspension" initiative proposed by China is the most feasible and reasonable approach to ease the current situation.

Early on Wednesday, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea successfully test-fired a newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile, which it claimed is capable of striking the entire United States mainland, the country's Korean Central Television reported.

The newly developed Hwasong-15 ICBM has more advanced tactical and technological specifications and technical characteristics than the Hwasong-14 missiles tested in July, and marks the completion of the DPRK's rocket weaponry development, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

The launch, the first since Sept 15, when the DPRK fired a ballistic missile over northern Japan into the Pacific Ocean, has drawn strong condemnation from countries and international organizations.

Trump spoke by phone with the leaders of Japan and the Republic of Korea separately about the missile launch, the White House said. During their talks, Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reaffirmed their commitment to combating the DPRK's nuclear threat, while Trump and his ROK counterpart Moon Jae-in in another phone call condemned the DPRK for developing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the launch, saying it is "a clear violation of Security Council resolutions".

The Security Council was to hold an urgent meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss Pyongyang's latest launch.

To help defuse the situation, China has proposed a dual-track approach, seeking to advance denuclearization and establish a peace mechanism in parallel. The "suspension for suspension" proposal calls on Pyongyang to pause its missile and nuclear activities, while calling on Washington to put its joint military drills with Seoul on hold.

Xinhua contributed to this story.
LONDON - The wedding of Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle will take place in May in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, a venue with royal associations going back centuries.

The fifth-in-line to the British throne, 33, and the US actress, 36, previously best known for her starring role in the TV legal drama Suits announced their engagement on Monday, sparking a trans-Atlantic media frenzy.

The couple have chosen to marry in Windsor, west of London, because it is "a special place for them", Harry's spokesman told reporters. Queen Elizabeth, the prince's 91-year-old grandmother, will attend the ceremony.

"The wedding will be a moment of fun and joy and reflect the characters of the bride and groom," he said.

The couple's first official engagement together will take place on Friday in the central English city of Nottingham, where they will raise awareness of charities working to prevent HIV/AIDS and youth crime.

"Prince Harry has spent a significant amount of private and public time in (Nottingham) and His Royal Highness is looking forward to introducing Ms. Markle to a community that has become very special to him," said Kensington Palace, Harry's official residence.

Markle, who attended a Catholic school as a child but identifies as a Protestant, will be baptized and confirmed into the Church of England before the wedding, Harry's spokesman said.

She intends to become a British citizen, though she will retain her US citizenship while she goes through the process.

"Miss Markle will be compliant with all immigration requirements at all times," the spokesman said.

The Gothic St George's Chapel is located in the grounds of Windsor Castle, which has been the family home of British kings and queens for almost 1,000 years.

Within the chapel are the tombs of 10 sovereigns, including Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour, and Charles I.

In more recent memory, it was the venue of the wedding of Harry's uncle Prince Edward to Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, and of a service of prayer and dedication to mark the wedding of Harry's father, Prince Charles, to Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005.

A busy 2018

The year 2018 looks likely to be a busy one for the British royal family, with Harry's older brother Prince William and his wife Catherine, known as Kate, expecting their third child in April.

Earlier on Tuesday, Kate said she and William were "absolutely thrilled" about Harry's engagement.

Harry's stepmother Camilla, now known as the Duchess of Cornwall, was equally enthusiastic.

"America's loss is our gain," she said of Markle.

Prince Harry and Markle's engagement represents something genuinely different from everything that has gone before, the Guardian newspaper said on Tuesday.

"Their marriage will bring into reality what the British establishment lacked the imagination to conceive of as possible 17 years ago - that a senior royal can love, marry, someone whose ethnic heritage is not just different to his, but the heritage that has always been most othered in Britain - black and African," said the major British newspaper.

Reuters - Ap - Xinhua

(China Daily 11/30/2017 page11)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi watches as US presidential adviser and daughter Ivanka Trump presses the button on a robot during the opening of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad, India, on Tuesday. [Photo/Agencies]

HYDERABAD, India - US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump kicked off a global business leaders' meeting in southern India on Tuesday, calling for better opportunities for women entrepreneurs battling heavy odds around the world.

Ivanka, also an informal adviser to her father, received a warm welcome in India's high-tech hub of Hyderabad with all the trappings of a state guest.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined her in the opening of the US-backed Global Entrepreneurship Summit which New Delhi is hoping will further boost political and economic ties with the United States under the Trump administration.

Ivanka, wearing a bright green floral dress, said fueling the growth of women-led businesses and closing the gender entrepreneurship gap could help expand global GDP by 2 percent.

"Women still face steep obstacles to starting, owning and growing their businesses. We must ensure women entrepreneurs have access to capital, access to networks and mentors," Ivanka said to loud cheers from a packed audience in a heavily-guarded conference center.

In developing countries, 70 percent of women-owned smaller businesses were being denied access to capital, she said, leading to a near $300 billion annual credit deficit for them.

GES is an event conceived by former US president Barack Obama. It has previously been held in countries such as the US and Turkey, but this year's edition is the first under the Trump administration.

The theme of the conference this year is "Women First, Prosperity for All". More than half the participants at the summit are women, and all-female delegations are representing countries such as Afghanistan, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Ivanka, who ran an eponymous clothing and jewelry business before becoming an adviser in the White House, has made women's issues one of her main policy areas.

Billboards

She cited a Harvard Business Review report that found that in the US, investors ask men questions about their potential for gains, whereas they ask women questions about their potential for loss.

Billboards with pictures of Ivanka dotted many parts of Hyderabad which is also home to major US firms such as Microsoft. In recent days, authorities took beggars off city streets in a cleanup drive before the meeting, media said.

More than 10,000 police officials were deployed in the city and sniffer dogs as well as "spotters", or men trained to detect any suspicious activity or people, were on stand by, a police officer said.

On the sidelines, Ivanka held talks with Modi, as well as Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj. Later she toured the conference center with Modi and met a few entrepreneurs, before watching traditional Indian dance performances in the inaugural session.

India has become a major market for the US, with two-way trade of about $115 billion last year. They aim to raise that to $500 billion by 2022.

Reuters




THE HAGUE - War crimes convict Slobodan Praljak passed away in hospital here after he poisoned himself in the courtroom as the appeals ruling was being handed down, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) confirmed on Wednesday.

This videograb taken from live footage of the International Criminal Court, shows Croatian former general Slobodan Praljak swallowing what is believed to be poison, during his judgement at the UN war crimes court to protest the upholding of a 20-year jail term. [Photo/VCG]

During the public pronouncement of the appeal judgement, the appeals chamber had upheld his conviction and 20-year prison sentence. Immediately thereafter, Praljak drank a liquid from a small glass. "I just drank poison," he said. "I am not a war criminal and protest against the verdict."Judge Agius immediately suspended the session and Praljak was rushed to hospital."In accordance with standard procedures, at the request of the ICTY, the Dutch authorities have initiated an independent investigation which is currently ongoing," the ICTY stated in a press release. "The tribunal has extended its condolences to the next of kin."Praljak was a former assistant defense minister of Croatia. During the Bosnian War, he was commander of the main staff of the Croatian Defense Council (HVO), the official military formation of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, an unrecognized wartime entity that existed in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1991 and 1994.
It was time for a selfie for this couple who attended the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting on Wednesday. Zhou Pai / China Daily

Thousands of people jammed the sidewalks of Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday night for the 85th lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree as millions more across the globe watched on television.

The 75-foot Norway spruce is wrapped in five miles of 50,000 multicolored lights.

The tree lighting is broadcast each year by NBC-TV, which is located across from the plaza where the tree stands. Matt Lauer, one of the anchors of NBC's popular "Today" show, was set to co-host the network's tree lighting show, but on Wednesday NBC announced that it had fired Lauer, 59, after a staffer filed a complaint Monday night about "inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace".

On Twitter, US President Donald Trump said, "Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for 'inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.' But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News."

China Daily
The sale of this street in San Francisco has been reversed by the city Board of Supervisors. LIA ZHU / CHINA DAILY

The sale of a private street in one of San Francisco's most affluent neighborhoods to a Chinese-American couple has been reversed, to the relief of wealthy homeowners.

The city's Board of Supervisors on Tuesday passed a motion to rescind the sale of Presidio Terrace with a seven-to-four vote.

Michael Cheng and Tina Lam, both San Jose-based real estate investors, bought the block-long street lined by 35 multimillion-dollar mansions, the sidewalks and other common ground, for a little more than $90,000.

The street was put up for auction in 2015 after the homeowners association failed to pay its annual $14 tax bill for decades, amounting to a debt of $994.

The homeowners argued at Tuesday's hearing that they were not aware that the street was a separate parcel subject to property tax and that the government should protect them from "strange and abnormal" things.

Among the homeowners who spoke at the hearing was Andrew Whittaker, British Consul General to San Francisco, who raised security concerns if they were to lose the street in the gated, exclusive neighborhood.

The homeowners association that oversees the private street - one of 181 private roads in San Francisco - wasn't aware of the sale until a title company hired by the Chengs contacted them in May.

The association filed a lawsuit challenging the sale and asking the supervisors to rescind it.

Scott Emblidge, the attorney representing the homeowners, said the tax office should have taken "additional steps" to notify the homeowners before auctioning off the street.

Tax Collector Jos Cisneros, who testified at the hearing, said he followed the law and proper notices had been provided. He said there were hundreds of properties auctioned for delinquent property tax bills in 2015, some of them under water.

He said the staff focused its efforts on "occupied parcels", while the street was classified as"unoccupied".

It's not the first time Presidio Terrace has been taken away. The street was seized in the 1970s and in 1983 again for defaulting on a common-area tax bill. Homeowners regained the property in 1985.

"The property has been taken before, so they should have known this would happen," said Michael Cheng. "Now they ask for a third chance, I think it's really unfair to us."

The homeowners got the backing of former Presidio Terrace resident US Senator Dianne Feinstein. She wrote to the board, asking to have the sale negated.

Other influential past homeowners in Presidio Terrace include House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and late mayor Joseph Alioto.

Cheng's supporters complained that rich and well-connected people don't have to play by the same rules.

Shepard Kopp, the attorney representing Cheng and Lam, said his clients had bought the property "fair and square". He warned that rescinding the sale would set a dangerous precedent, potentially invalidating other tax auctions, including previous ones.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com
And they're off.

An agreement that paves the way for US horse exports to China to resume will benefit the equine industry in the US and the state of Kentucky and a rapidly growing racing industry on the mainland, observers said.

Unveiled earlier this month and signed by US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad and Minister Zhi Shuping of the People's Republic of China, the pact will enable the US to export horses, including thoroughbreds, to China.

"China has become a large net importer for horses of all breeds, and for all disciplines. This protocol will enable Chinese and American breeders and end-users to generate a sustainable and competitive horse industry in China," Julie Broadway, president of the American Horse Council, wrote in an email Wednesday.

In 2015 the Chinese Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine placed a hold on the importation of live horses from the US because of concerns about equine infectious anemia, a viral disease spread by blood-feeding insects and potentially fatal to members of the horse family.

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, working with federal and state officials and industry groups, began to address concerns in China about equine infectious anemia. Earlier this year, Quarles hosted a Chinese delegation in Kentucky.

The resumption of US horse exports is expected to greatly benefit Quarles' state which is home to Churchill Downs, site of the famed Kentucky Derby horse race every May. Kentucky is the leading American exporter of live horses, responsible for $195 million, or 65 percent, of the total US exports of live horses.

"This announcement has a huge benefit for the equine industry, which already represents nearly $200 million in exports for our state. It not only provides potential economic benefit to the equine industry, but Kentucky agriculture and her economy. Every horse needs to eat, and Kentucky farmers are well positioned to grow and supply the feed," said Quarles in an email.

"A lot of people in (the) horse industry in Kentucky for many years have been going to China to try to open up the market, especially for the thoroughbred industry," said Terri Burch, interim director of the equine program at the University of Louisville.

Presently there are multiple China-based owners of thoroughbred bloodstock on the racetrack and in the commercial breeding market, said Broadway.

"Many of these investors are active in racing horses both in China and the United States, and the added ingress of American horses, and their expected performance, will be an effective way of building more business to strengthen this trade relationship," she added.

"Because of this agreement we know the door is open for Chinese investment. Our hope is that they will begin purchasing Kentucky horses by the end of the year," said Quarles.

paulwelitzkin@chinadailyusa.com
By Zhao Huanxin in Washington and Hong Xiao in New York | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2017-12-01 02:46

Denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, maintaining the international nuclear-nonproliferation regime and preserving peace and stability in Northeast Asia are China's unswerving goal, Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump in a phone conversation on Wednesday.

Xi said China would like to keep up communications with the US and all other related parties, and jointly push the nuclear issue toward the direction of peaceful settlement via dialogues and negotiations.

The phone call came hours after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea announced it had successfully test-fired a newly developed "Hwasong-15" Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, which is capable of striking the entire US mainland.

The Washington Post reported the event on Wednesday on its front page with the headline "North Korea's latest missile launch appears to put US capital in range".

Trump, in a tweet posted on Wednesday, said he had just spoken to President Xi "concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!"

It was not immediately clear what the additional sanctions are.

"President Trump emphasized the need for China to use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization," the White House said in a readout of the phone call.

On Wednesday, Beijing expressed "grave concern and opposition" to Pyongyang's latest missile test and called for talks to peacefully resolve the nuclear crisis on the peninsula.

"The United Nations Security Council resolutions are explicit about Pyongyang's use of ballistic missile technologies, and China strongly urged Pyongyang to stop activities that increase tensions on the peninsula," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

Geng also said that the "suspension for suspension" initiative proposed by China is the most feasible and reasonable approach to ease the current situation.

Russia's Foreign Ministry also urged the DPRK to stop the nuclear missile tests, and asked the US and South Korea to stop military exercises to be held at the beginning of December, which will only inflame an already explosive situation.

Raj Shah, principal deputy press secretary at the White House, said on Wednesday, "We're looking forward to applying as much pressure as we can to get to our ultimate goal, which is a denuclearized Korean Peninsula."

US State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert also said the goal for the ongoing maximum pressure campaign is to use economic and political pressure to persuade Pyongyang to reconsider the path it is on and think about engaging in a meaningful dialogue about a different future.

Pyongyang said, "The development and advancement of the strategic weapon of DPRK are to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country from the US imperialists' nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat, and to ensure the peaceful life of the people."

"It is DPRK's solemn declaration that the missiles would not pose any threat to any country and region as long as the interests of the DPRK are not infringed upon," said a statement released by the official Korean Central News Agency.

Speaking at an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday afternoon at UN headquarters, Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said China has consistently advocated dialogue and negotiations as the means to achieve a settlement and to oppose conflict and chaos on the peninsula.

For now, the top priority is for all the parties concern to keep restraint, implement comprehensively and strictly relevant Security Council resolutions and strive for an early resumption of dialogue and negotiations, Wu said.

US ambassador Nikki Haley said, "We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday."

On Wednesday, United Nations political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman met with DPRK's Ambassador Ja Song Nam to tell him Pyongyang must "desist from taking any further destabilizing steps", according to a Reuters report.

Lisa Collins, a fellow with the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, analyzed the pattern of the DPRK's missile testing and suggested on Wednesday, "The space for dialogue may therefore be limited to the next three months when we can expect fewer provocations from North Korea."

Xinhua and Mo Jingxi in Beijing contributed to this report.

Contact the writers at huanxinzhao@chinadailyusa.com
Bar Harbor is a beautiful town located on Maine's Mount Desert Island next to Acadia National Park. Bar Harbor is one of the favorite tourist destinations on the East Coast, offering historic charm, a beautiful coastline, great restaurants, and a range of activities. Here are the best things to do in Bar Harbor, ME on your weekend getaway or day trip.

We recommend that you call the attractions and restaurants ahead of your visit to confirm current opening times.

1. Mount Desert Island  Courtesy of jovannig - Fotolia.com

The largest island off the coast of Maine, Mount Desert Islands spectacular natural beauty attracts millions of tourist every year. The island was originally settled by Abenaki Indians some 5000-10,000 years ago, and the French discovered it by accident in 1604. In mid-19th century painters of the famous Hudson River School started a regular pilgrimage to the island attracted by its rugged beauty and it is their art that made the island known to the world. The rich and famous started building magnificent mansions all over the island, started clearing roads and trails and creating spectacular gardens. Acadia National Park, which today protects most of the island, was established in 1919 in order to curb rapid development and cutting of island trees for lumber. Fishing, shipbuilding, and tourism were the island industry then as they are today. While the quaint historic town of Bar Harbor and three other small cities provide more sophisticated entertainment with galleries, museums, theater, excellent restaurants, and shopping, most visitors come to enjoy shady trails of Acadia National Park, whale watching or fishing trips.

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2. Shore Path, Bar Harbor, Maine  Courtesy of Rixie - Fotolia.com

A beautiful way to start your visit to Bar Harbor is to wake up early in the morning and take a slow stroll along the Shore Path. Established in 1880, this lovely coastal trail starts next to Agamond Park at the Towns Ells Pier and is one of the best things to do in Bar Harbor, Maine. After passing the historic Bar Harbor Inn, the path wraps around a point and then continues south along the eastern shore of the island. You will pass on the way several magnificent palaces known as cottages. The view over the water will enchant you with the play of colors and shadows that inspired so many artists through centuries. Over the water, you will also see a number of small islands  the Porcupine Island, Egg Rock, and many others. Sit on one of many benches, breath the clean salty air, and do not be surprised if you spot some of the celebrities that make Bar Harbor their summer home.

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3. Ocean Trail, Bar Harbor, Maine  Courtesy of Brad - Fotolia.com

Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park are best explored on foot. That is the only way you will really experience this magnificent world of sounds and sights. If you take the Free Island Explorer Shuttle Bus, you will arrive at the Sand Beach, the beginning of the Ocean Trail. Stroll along the meandering path by the rough, rocky coast, until you arrive at the Thunder Hole. If the tide and the waves are right, you will hear the sound much like thunder. Pay attention to the heady smell of wild roses from the many bushes that grow in the area. Keep going until you arrive at Otter Cliff, 110 feet high rugged cliff that turns golden with the rising sun and is a photographers dream. If you decide to walk back the same way, the entire loop is only about four miles. There are also many small side paths that will take you closer to the shore. Watch for the rogue waves.



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4. Acadia National Park  Courtesy of Chee-Onn Leong - Fotolia.com



Acadia National Park is a spectacular national treasure on the rugged coast of Maine. Situated on Mount Desert Island, the park is part of a 47,000-acre Atlantic coast recreation area that features rocky beaches, pristine woodlands, and glacier-capped granite peaks. The park is home to breathtaking natural landscapes that teem with a diverse variety of fauna and flora, as well as the Cadillac Mountain - the tallest mountain on the U.S. Atlantic coast. Visitors to the park can enjoy a range of outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding, and bird-watching. The small seaside resort town of Bar Harbor is a gateway to the park and offers various shops, restaurants, and the modern Hulls Cove Visitor Center. More Maine vacations

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5. Frenchman Bay, Bar Harbor, Maine  Courtesy of junej - Fotolia.com



Frenchman Bay in Maine is located between Mount Desert Island, the southern coast of Maine, and the western shoreline of Schoodic Peninsula. Many small islands are scattered throughout the bay including Bar Island, Sheep Porcupine, Bald Porcupine, and Long Porcupine Islands. Bar Harbor is the largest town on the coast of Frenchman Bay. Bar Island becomes a natural land bridge to the Mount Desert Island during low tide. If you have a chance to climb the Cadillac Mountain on Mount Desert Island, the entire Frenchman Bay will spread ahead of you like a magnificent painting. Paddling your own kayak is another fun to explore all the islands in the bay.

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6. Village Green, Bar Harbor, Maine  Courtesy of Enrico Della Pietra - Fotolia.com



After the old Grand Central Hotel was torn down in 1899, the town of Bar Harbor decided to turn this 1.5-acre site in the center of town into a public open space. The first structure built in 1899 was a bandstand. A stone wall and a bench were added in 1904 in memory of local army veterans. In 1905, the town moved its cast iron clock to the green, where it still stands, and is one of the towns best-known landmarks. In 1909, John Callendar Livingston donated the antique Italian fountain to the town in memory of his late wife, Julia. Many pathways cross the park, leading to the fountain, and its cobblestone surrounds, circled with colorful flowerbeds. A granite seat wall is one of the latest additions.

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7. College of the Atlantic Gardens, Bar Harbor, Maine  Courtesy of salyu - Fotolia.com

The College of the Atlantic Gardens consist of several historic gardens, community gathering and recreation areas, an arboretum and walking pathways for the community to enjoy. The seaside campus of the college aims to inspire and educate the public about horticulture through the beauty of landscaped gardens. Signature gardens include The Turrets Sea Side Garden, which features a blue-grey color scheme; The Sunken Garden, which was created for the original owners of the Turrets, John and Lela Emory; and The Straus Gardens in the Kathryn W. Davis Student Village. Designed by landscape architect Sam Coplon, these gardens feature different courtyards that represent regions around the world along the 45th parallel. A contemporary Northern European garden boasts beautiful maple trees and Japanese stewartia in winter and kousa dogwood blossoms in the spring, while a Maine cottage-style garden features native species such as Cunninghams white rhododendron, mountain laurel, and a Japanese-inspired garden. 105 Eden Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, 207-288-5015



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8. Things to Do in Bar Harbor: Hulls Cove Visitor Center  Courtesy of demerzel21 - Fotolia.com

Make most of your visit to the Acadia National Park by exploring The Hulls Cove Visitor Center first, your source of all information you will need. Have a look at the huge three-dimensional relief of the park to get the idea of its size and distances between main attractions. Talk to the park rangers about things you should know, things you should do, and things you should not do. Pick up some free brochures, trail maps and other useful documentation. Take 15 minutes to watch an interesting audiovisual presentation that covers most important park features. Check the schedules of guided hikes, walks, boat cruises, kids activities, and other programs. Have a look around the Visitors Center, there are many high-quality exhibits, including those on animals that live in the park.



9. Oli's Trolley, Bar Harbor, ME  Oli's Trolley; Photo by Jim Glavine

Walking is great, but sometimes you just cannot see and do everything you want on foot. Olis Trolley tours are the next best way of exploring Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park, or the Cadillac Mountain. Charming old-fashioned trolleys go slowly along the coast, through the forests and quaint city streets, while a knowledgeable guide tells the stories of the area glorious past, quirky characters, most important landmarks, and most expensive mansions. The tours of the Bar Harbor and the Cadillac Mountain take about one hour, while the tour of the Acadia National Park lasts about two and half hours. Relax in your comfortable seat, inhale the clean salty air, and enjoy the spectacular vistas without getting muscle cramps. 1 West St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, 207-288-9899

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10. Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company, Bar Harbor, Maine  Courtesy of murmakova - Fotolia.com

Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company offers a variety of tours in and around Bay Harbor, ranging from whale watching and sunset tours to cultural, nature and sightseeing tours. Whale-watching tours take visitors into the heart of the whales habitat to see humpback, finback, and Minke whales, as well as porpoises, seals, dolphins, offshore birds, and North Atlantic Puffins. Enjoy breath-taking views over Frenchmans Bay on the Sunset Tour, while the Lighthouse and National Park Tour explores the Somes Sound and Great Duck Island with their beautiful old lighthouse. Join the crew of the Miss Samantha, Maines largest lobster passenger boat for a fun-filled and informative lobster fishing and seal watching tour, where you can watch experienced fisherman haul in their catch. Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company tours depart daily from the town pier in downtown Bar Harbor throughout the summer season. 1 West Street Bar Harbor, ME 04609, 207-288-2386



11. Bald Porcupine Island  dbvirago/stock.adobe.com

Scenically nestled in the waters of Frenchman Bay, just offshore from Bar Harbor, the Porcupine Islands archipelago consists of 5 separate islands, 4 of which form part of the Acadia National Park. Over the centuries the islands have served many purposes  they were a favorite hiding place for French gunboats waiting to ambush British ships during the French and Indian War and were also a hideout for rum runners during the Prohibition. Today the islands are home to a variety of nesting marine birds. If you take a walk along the Bar Harbor Shore Path you will get a good view of the islands. If you would like a closer look you can paddle out on a kayak or take a boat tour.

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12. Egg Rock Light, Bar Harbor, Maine  Courtesy of littleny - Fotolia.com

Egg Rock Light is a historic lighthouse overlooking Frenchman Bay. Built in 1875 and located on Egg Rock between the Mount Desert Island and the Schoodic Peninsula, the lighthouse is one of coastal Maine's architectural gems. The Light Station consists of a combination light tower and keeper's house, designed with a square tower projecting from the square keeper's house as an active aid to navigating vessels away from the rocky shoreline. There is also a fog station building with a gable-on-hip roof and was originally steam-powered. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Egg Rock Light Station is managed by the Coast Guard and is not open to the public.



13. Abbe Museum, Bar Harbor, Maine  Abbe Museum

The Abbe Museum is dedicated to exploring and highlighting the history and culture of Maines native people, the Wabanaki tribe. The museum is spread over two locations in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island  one at Mount Desert Street in the center of Bar Harbor and the other at Sieur de Monts in the Acadia National Park. The museums collections feature a large variety of artifacts made by Native Americans during prehistoric and historical times, and later by Europeans who settled here in Maine in the early 17th century. Examples of such artifacts include arrows and spearheads, harpoons, combs, and a rare flute that dates back to more than 2,000 years ago. The purpose-built Sieur de Monts building is one of Maines distinctive architectural structures and an excellent example of Mediterranean architecture. 26 Mount Desert Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, 207-288-3519



14. George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History  George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History

The George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History is dedicated to exploring, interpreting and exhibiting the natural world of Maine and its surrounding regions. Housed in the building that used to be headquarters of Arcadia National Park, the Museum is home to an array of interactive exhibits and displays that visitors can touch, feel, and smell, as well as dioramas of local coastal wildlife. A large tidal pool filled with various marine creatures, including hermit crabs, sea snails, and starfish is popular with younger visitors and a gift shop offers an excellent selection of gifts, books and other trinkets related to the natural world. The Museum presents a variety of educational programs and activities relating to natural history, ranging from museum tours and nature walks to whale anatomy scavenger hunts. 105 Eden Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, 207-288-5395



15. Acadia Air Tours, Bar Harbor, Maine  Courtesy of rusty elliott - Fotolia.com



There is no better way to see Mount Desert Island, Frenchman Bay, and Acadia National Park than the way birds see them  from the air. Acadia Air Tours offer a number of different Aviation Adventures: Acadia Park Tours, Romantic Sunset Flights, Lighthouse Tours, and Fall Foliage Flights. You can go with a two-passenger glider, two-passenger open cockpit biplane, or a four-passenger Cessna 182 Skylane. For adrenaline addicts, there are also Aerobatic Warbird Rides in the original WWII Navy "SNJ". To protect the environment and the enjoyment of those on the ground, all of the flights are at least half mile outside of the park boundaries and at no less than 2,000ft altitude. You will have a spectacular view without disturbing animals or people. 1 West St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, 207-288-0703

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16. Diver Ed's Dive-In Theater, Bar Harbor, Maine  Diver Ed's Dive-In Theater



Diver Ed's Dive-In Theater offers a unique marine experience. Professional local divers, Diver Ed and his sidekick Mini Ed take visitors on a scenic boat ride out to the beautiful Frenchman Bay in Acadia National Park, where they dive to the floor of the ocean with specially equipped video and sound equipment. Once there, they film what they see, allowing visitors up on deck to share in their underwater experience. They then return to the boat with a variety of sea creatures that guests can touch, feel, and observe before they are put back in the ocean. Diver Ed's Dive-In Theater also offers Park Ranger trips which include an extensive tour of Frenchman Bay, exploring various locations in Acadia National Park for marine creatures such as seals, porpoise, and eagles. Bar Harbor, ME, 207-288-DIVE (3483)



17. The 1932 Criterion Theatre, Bar Harbor, Maine  Courtesy of salajean - Fotolia.com



The 1932 Criterion is a historic performance space and a community theater that shows first-run Hollywood films and a variety of music and dance performances, live shows and childrens programming. Built in 1932 in the Art Deco style, the Criterion was established during Bar Harbors heyday, when it was the go-to summer holiday destination for the wealthy. The theater has recently been renovated and beautifully restored to its former glory and once again brings an array of excellent entertainment for the whole family to the heart of downtown Bar Harbor. The theater is able to seat 877 patrons on the main floor and the balcony while the facade of the building showcases stunning examples of Art Deco design. 35 Cottage Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, 207-288-0829

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18. Acadia Photo Safari  Courtesy of rusty elliott - Fotolia.com



Acadia Photo Safari is a small company run by local, professional photographer Howie Motenko that offers hands-on nature photography workshops in and around Acadia National Park. Workshops teach guests about camera settings, compositions, visual awareness, and techniques and tips to capturing Acadias incredible natural beauty. The photographic workshops are available for all skill levels from beginner to advanced and held in small, intimate groups to ensure maximum focus. Workshops are three hours long and are offered at various times throughout the day to suit different schedules. Join Acadia Photo Safari for one of the four special Acadia Centennial Lobster Picnic safaris aboard a beautiful yacht, which include personalized photography tuition, fantastic photo opportunities, and a delicious picnic on the waters of Somes Sound. (Phone: 207-318-3402)



19. Things to Do in Bar Harbour, Maine: Agamont Park  Courtesy of Peg Owens - Fotolia.com



Located at the end of West Street in Bar Harbor, overlooking the town pier and Frenchman Bay, Agamont Park is a beautiful green sloping park with panoramic views. A perfect locale for relaxing with a picnic and watching the yachts, lobster boats, and sailing vessels in the bay below, the park offers a stunning visual scene of New England coastal life. The park is full of beautiful blooms during the summer months and the historic Shore Path runs along the rocky shoreline for 1/2 mile, providing spectacular views of the ocean and the Porcupine Islands. This park has free Wi-Fi.

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20. Things to Do in Bar Harbor, Maine: Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf  Courtesy of Mikko Lemola - Fotolia.com



Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf provides a wholesome, fun-filled entertainment option for the whole family. Established in 1983 in Traverse City, Michigan, Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf can be found in various locations across the country, including Maine. The pirate-themed adventure park offers visitors an opportunity to test their skills on various fun and challenging golf holes, against the backdrop of rushing waterfalls and streams, lush landscaping and 18th-century pirate-themed decor and props, including a full-scale pirate ship. Designed specially designed for maximum enjoyment for both adults and children, the range of courses are ideal for fun family gatherings and group activities. 368 State Highway 3, Bar Harbor ME 04609, 207-288-2133



21. Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School, Bar Harbor, Maine  Courtesy of MISHELA - Fotolia.com



If climbing is on your bucket list, there is no better time, nor place, than doing it in magnificent Acadia National Park. Highly-qualified guides at Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School set standards in safety and provide climbing courses for all ages. Visitors can choose from half and whole day rock and ice climbing sessions for individuals, families, or groups, regardless of skill level or age. All equipment is provided. 228 Main St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, 207-288-8186



22. Havana, Bar Harbor, Maine  Havana



Havana is an upscale restaurant in downtown Bar Harbor with a cheerful, colorful decor that brings a tropical vibe to the cool coast of Maine. The cozy, elegant dining room is welcoming and comfortable and the restaurants outdoor patio, open during the warmer months, is spacious and magical with little lights decorating the arbor. The cuisine is contemporary American with Latin influence and a few touches from the rest of the world. You will not find the typical Cuban street food, but upscale treats such as seafood paella and Ancho Braised Short Ribs. The excellent wine list has labels from all over the world, carefully chosen to go with the menu. 318 Main St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, 207-288-2822

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23. Things to Do in Bar Harbor, Maine: The Acadia Night Sky Festival  Courtesy of mandritoiu - Fotolia.com Acadia National Park, along Maines magnificent rocky coast, is the only northeast national park that includes its starry night sky as one of its attractions. Natural darkness with no light pollution offers stunningly clear views of the Milky Way spreading overhead in all its glory. It is a breathtaking sight that unfortunately two-thirds of Americans are not able to see at home. To celebrate this, in 2009 Friends of Acadia and Acadia National Park started hosting the Acadia Night Sky Festival, a celebration of Acadias night sky full of bright stars. The celebration includes films, outings, talks, workshops, and big parties, including the Star Party on Cadillac Mountain. A bioluminescent night paddle is a night paddling activity in Castine Harbor, where glow-in-the-dark organisms dazzle with their own show. And there is, of course, a lot of stargazing. The upcoming festival dates are September 5-9, 2018.



24. Things to Do in Bar Harbor, Maine: Bar Harbor Historical Society  Bar Harbor Historical Society The Bar Harbor Historical Society is the principal historical society of Mount Desert Island and Bar Harbor in Maine. The societys Museum is dedicated to showcasing all historical materials relating to the town of Bar Harbor in the form of excellent exhibits and displays of various artifacts and items. The Museum is located at the former St. Edward's Convent on Ledgelawn Avenue, which is an architecturally distinguished building itself. Designed by local architect Milton Stratton and built in 1917, the building is an outstanding example of the Jacobean architectural style of design. Signature exhibits in the Museum include a celebration of the life of George B. Dorr, the father of Acadia National Park and the History of Bar Harbor. The building and museum are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and open Monday through Saturday from June to October. 127 West St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, 207-288-0000



25. Things to Do in Bar Harbor, Maine: National Park Sea Kayak Tours  Courtesy of Natalia Bratslavsky - Fotolia.com National Park Sea Kayak Tours is a mobile kayak company that offers quality eco-friendly sea kayak tours on the remote western side of Arcadia. Experienced sea kayaking guides take visitors on exploratory kayaking trips along the undeveloped Coast of Maine, sharing their knowledge of the local marine environment and its inhabitants. Tours are run according to the weather conditions and venture into off-the-beaten paths areas such as Western Bay, Blue Hill Bay, and occasionally Somes Sound, covering up to six miles on a half-day trip. Tandem (two-person) Boreal Esperanto kayaks are used, which have rudders to prevent tipping and life jackets are provided. No experience is necessary and all levels of paddler are welcome. 39 Cottage St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, 207-288-0342



25 Best Things to Do in Bar Harbor, Maine

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Acadia Bike

Acadia Bike is a tour company that specializes in running custom group bicycle tours and bicycle rental programs in Acadia National Park. Acadia Bike caters for solo riders and large groups and visitors can choose between self-guided or guided tours, which are led by a professional bike guide. Top of the range bikes are provided and delivered to the park if required, and guides are on hand to give advice, information, safety equipment, helmets and, other things necessary for the tour.

Acadia Bikes bike rental service offers personal bike fitting, free maps of the carriage trails in Acadia National Park, new bikes equipped water bottle cages, and comfortable gel seats and free helmets. Families are catered for with an extensive selection of children's bikes, tag-along attachments, and child trailers. Other services provided by Acadia include the loan of bicycle car racks, a free Island Explorer Bicycle Express shuttle, and an all-day on duty rescue team for unforeseen flats or mechanical difficulties. Address: Bar Harbor, ME, 800-526-8615

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The Astoria Riverwalk is the lifeblood of the city and the best way to get a feel for the city spirit. Start your exploration at the Port of Astoria with hundreds of ships from all over the world. Walk under the 4.1 mile long Astoria-Megler Bridge, enjoy the spectacular views of the river, check out the Maritime Memorial, visit one of the many nearby shipwrecks, learn about life on the beautiful and dangerous

Columbia River at the Columbia River Maritime Museum, and enjoy the lounging sea lions on the docks at 36th Street. On the way, you will also see restaurants, cafes, breweries and the 14th Street Ferry. Hop on the 1913 trolley and learn from the volunteers about the history of the oldest American settlements on the West Coast. If you are lucky enough to come in August, you can enjoy front row seats to Astoria Regatta, the biggest festival on the West Coast.





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Dead Horse Point State Park is a state park near Moab that covers 5,362 acres (2,170 ha) of breathtaking desert landscapes and dramatic panoramic vistas of Canyonlands National Park and the Colorado River.

Named after a natural corral by cowboys in the 19th century, Dead Horse Point, a place where horses often dies of exposure, rests 2,000 feet above a gooseneck in the Colorado River and features several incredible overlooks, picnic areas, a campground, a visitors center and a 9-mile (14 km) loop hiking trail.

The park also features a mountain bike trail called Intrepid Trail with loops of varying levels of difficulty and is famous for having featured in the final 'Grand Canyon' scene of the 1991 film Thelma & Louise. If you are looking for fun things to do in Moab, this park is a must-see.





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HCM CITY  Argentina does not only want to boost exports of agricultural products to Viet Nam but also wants to buy more Vietnamese products, an agriculture official from that country has said.

Rosario Martearena, undersecretary, agricultural markets, in the Ministry of Agriculture, is leading a trade mission comprising 11 companies selling animal feed, soybean, aquatic products, beef, etc. to HCM City and Ha Noi to explore trade opportunities.

Speaking at a business matching event in HCM City yesterday, she said Argentina and Viet Nam have a very good partnership, especially in trade, as shown by their rising trade in recent years.

Last year Viet Nam became only the fourth country import more than US$2.5 billion worth of products from Argentina.

Of Argentinas exports to Viet Nam, soybean meal accounted for nearly 59 per cent, maize for 29 per cent, and wheat for 5 per cent.

She said through her visit Argentina hopes to diversify its exports to Viet Nam by also shipping beef, goat meat, pork and aquatic products.

I am also working to open more market opportunities for Viet Nam. Argentina is very interested in Vietnamese fruits and garments and textiles," she said.

Nearly half of the Argentinian companies represented in her delegation have done business with Viet Nam and so already know the market and about businesses here, she said.

The Vietnamese embassy in Argentina is very supportive in providing us with market information.

They have organised Viet Nam Day to present Vietnamese products and brought Vietnamese sellers there to introduce a wide range of products, not only in the agricultural sector but also in the industrial sector.

Ho Xuan Lam, deputy director of the HCM City Investment and Trade Promotion Centre, said his centre and the city have organised many trade promotion activities including business seminars and B2B events to acquaint local companies with the Argentinian market and solicit investment from Argentinian businesses.

Argentina is now one of Viet Nams most important trade partner in Latin America.

Bilateral trade topped $2.9 billion last year and is expected to rise to $3.5 billion this year.

Viet Nam mainly exports footwear, textiles, rubber, electronic parts, and plastic products and imports soybeans, soybean oil, maize, wheat, cattle feed and drugs.

Next year Viet Nam and Argentina will celebrate 45 years of diplomatic ties, which would be an important milestone encouraging the two sides to further strengthen co-operation, he said.

There is still a lot of untapped potential in trade for the two countries to exploit, he added.VNS
Experts speak at the 19th edition of the Asia IoT Business Platform organised yesterday in HCM City. VNS Photo Bo Xuan Hiep

HCM CITY  The massive potential of Internet of Things (IoT) is set to help Viet Nam pursue its goal of a smart city and becoming an industrial country by 2020, experts said at an international conference held on Wednesday in HCM City.

More than 200 representatives from the hi-tech sectors are participating in the 19th edition of Asia IoT Business Platform.

Speaking at the two-day conference, Duong Minh Tam, vice president of Sai Gon Hi-Tech Park Management Board, said the meeting provided an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and knowledge about IoT for government and businesses.

It aims to raise awareness on using IoT in all sectors to improve the countrys competitiveness and sustainable development, epsecially in building smart cities, he said.

IoT combines the power of advanced technology to promote innovation from research methodology to production, marketing and sales, he said. IoT also plays a role in the development of the industrial 4.0 revolution.

IoT presents a window of opportunities for Vietnamese small- and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) to cooperate with large technology corporations, he added.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Pham Huy Hoang, chief representative of VNPT Office in HCM City, said the platform bridges local and international enterprises, organisations and companies and helps them network, find new partners, expand their market, increase business opportunities, and strengthen international competitiveness.

I personally think that the application of IoT should focus more on projects to build smart cities in the country, including key projects like transportation, healthcare, education, environment and tourism, he told Viet Nam News.

Pham Trung Kien, director of Digital Services of Viettel Group, said the platform would help Viet Nam explore opportunities and challenges within enterprise IoT, while providing ample networking and business matchmaking opportunities for IoT stakeholders.

Speakers talk during the break at the Asia IoT Business Platform organised yesterday in HCM City. VNS Photo Bo Xuan Hiep

Potential

Zaf Coelho, director of Industry Platform Pte Ltd, the events organiser, said: Recently, more than 400 ASEAN enterprises and organisations participated in our annual survey where they responded to questions such as familiarity with IoT technologies, how IoT can improve their business, and concerns about implementing IoT.

The main takeaway here, of course, is ASEAN enterprises familiarity with IoT, he said.

Contrary to common belief that the IoT market in the region is not mature enough, the survey revealed that 73.3 per cent of local enterprises and organisations are in the stage of exploring IoT for their organisations, or are exploring different solutions to be adopted, he added.

The figure is a 23.3 per cent increase from last year. This is in pretty much in line with most projections by market research firms such as IDC and Frost & Sullivan, who expect the adoption rates and IoT market value in countries such as Thailand and Indonesia to grow exponentially, he added.

Local enterprises and organisations believe that IoT can help them improve productivity (76.3 per cent), reduce long-term operational costs (69.7 per cent), and improve customer relationships (66.1 per cent), according to Coelho.

Irza Suprapto, director of Asia IoT Business Platform, said Viet Nam is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and has been rapidly growing its IT sector to pursue the aim of becoming an industrial country by 2020.

The 2016 edition of Asia IoT Business Platform in Ha Noi last November, showcasing IoT initiatives from local companies including Vinamilk and Cau at Farm, was a testimony of the massive potential for IoT in Viet Nam, he said.

IoT is not new to the local tech scene, as tech giants like VNPT, FPT and CMC have identified IoT as the leading tech trend.

Smart city projects started as early as 2008, and since then have appeared in at least five more cities across Viet Nam.

In 2013, the Ministry of Science and Technology set up Silicon Valley Startup Ecosystem to stimulate growth and encourage Vietnamese to venture into tech startups.

The Government pledged to invest US$111.6 million from the State budget in the ICT sector by 2020, incentivising local and international firms to invest in the country.

The fragmentation of IoT in Viet Nam, coupled with the lack of standardisation, presented an opportunity for international IoT players to convene and interact with local enterprises to help them truly reap the benefits of IoT.

There is no better time to develop the IoT solutions in Viet Nam to foster socio-economic development and increase the countrys competitive advantage. This is what we will continue to strive through all our industry events, he said.

The rapid technological developments in Viet Nam have led to great demands for IoT technologies in the country.

A recent survey conducted by Asia IoT Business Platform on local enterprises shows more than 70 per cent of ASEAN enterprises and organisations are currently in the process of exploring or finding possible IoT solutions to be deployed or implemented.

However, only 7 per cent of them report benefitting from any IoT implementation. These enterprises and organisations cite costs, legacy systems and complexity as the top three concerns in adopting IoT.

The conference discussed a wide spectrum of topics including industry trends and outlook, industrial IoT, transport and logistics, public services, smart city, banking, finance and retail, and next generation technologies.

With a focus on local telecommunication companies and verticals, the Asia IoT Business Platform is an educational platform crafted by and for the industry, with the aim of addressing key issues facing the adoption of IoT technologies in the ASEAN region.

The platform, organised by Industry Platform Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based firm focused on the global telecommunications sector, helps enterprises understand and learn about the adoption of IoT technologies for their business.

Since its inception in 2013, the Asia IoT Business Platform has secured strong support from local governments and telecommunication companies for the past 18 editions.  VNS
In response to Viet Nam receiving a yellow card from the European Union, indicating the unions dissatisfaction with Viet Nams efforts to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the National Assembly last week passed the revised Law on Fisheries. The revision has new features to strengthen the IUU fishing fight and help Viet Nam win the removal of the yellow card. Deputy General Secretary of Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) Nguyen Hoai Nam talks with Viet Nam News reporter Ta Thu Giang about the countrys methods to raise awareness for the responsible management of aquatic resources.

What important measures does the law now include to fight against IUU fishing?

Firstly, I want to mention an action programme on sustainable aquatic resource development being carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). Among the contents of MARDs plan, we see at least five or six new elements that not only meet the ministrys desire for sustainable development but also are identical with the European Commissions recommendations on fighting IUU in the revision of the 2003 Viet Nam Law on Fisheries, which was passed last week.

The EU expressed concerns about the fishing capacity and reserve strength of our fishing stocks, so the revised law includes a provision for reserve valuation. The work of inspecting fisheries activities in 28 coastal cities and provinces is also now legalised and enshrined in the law.

We also see that, in addition to the EUs recommendations on legislation, there is one that coincides with the wishes of MARD, businesses and the industry as a whole: the opportunity to push for more effective legislation to facilitate international integration and ensure sustainable development of the fisheries of Viet Nam.

Furthermore, the development of marine conservation, aquatic conservation and natural resource protection areas is needed because stakeholders around the world recognise its importance, in addition to maintaining natural resources and promoting sustainable development. One of the most important pieces of the law aims to control IUU fishing by identifying 14 behaviors considered to be violations of international fishing regulations. We also see that the framework for fishing regulations will apply to both Vietnamese and imported cargoes.

And the last notable aspect will ensure that the rules are enforced effectively. The sanctions issue is quite clear; it is a very new point and the MARD has paid great effort to put it into the law and convince policymakers to approve it.

How does the revised law deal with IUU fishing?

This issue is regulated under the revised law, which is based on the principles of the UNConvention on the Law of the Sea 1982, the Port State Measures Agreement by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and some international rules.

Under the revision, IUU fishing will be heavily fined. Fishing boat owners and captains will be given the highest fines of VN1 billion (US$43,900) for violations or a fine seven times higher than the value of illegal catch. Meanwhile, the organisations involved in IUU fishing will be fined VN2 billion. Apart from this, violators fishing licences will be revoked.

Sanctions are a new point in the law that I have seen proposed in many EU documents and at work sessions with EU delegates. Meanwhile, the community of Vietnamese seafood businesses has also agreed and supported the regulations to implement the law effectively.

In addition, we have already legislated inspection work, in which we establish a fishery inspection force and sanctions as the basis for the relevant sectors to issue guiding decrees. Obviously, we see that the EU, especially MARD, sees this as a prerequisite for the sustainable development of the domestic fishery sector.

In your opinion, how will we turn the regulations into reality and raise the awareness of fishermen and businesses?

Businesses have for the last seven years worked with fishermen in the fight against IUU fishing. The businesses have directly worked with EU customers so that they have a certain understanding about this. In order to put the new laws into practice, I want to say that the Decision No. 4840/Q-BNN-TCTS on approving the plan to implement some urgent solutions to overcome the warning of the European Commission on IUU fishing issued by MARD last Thursday is very clear. I would like to emphasise the leading role of MARD in boosting activities against IUU fishing at the grassroots level.

As for local implementation, the two very important links are fishing ports and fishermen. The fishing ports, according to several recently-revised circulars, will be in charge of controlling fishing boats landing and issuing the certification of raw material output. I think that to implement the law, both fishing ports and fishermen need to have a complete understanding of it. The fishing ports must be provided with necessary infrastructure, adequate equipment and human resources to ensure their operations are completed efficiently and in time.

I also want to talk about the MARDs on-going fishbase software project, which includes a database of boats, fishing ports, and all permits and registry information. Its needed to disseminate this project to fishing ports and fishermen as soon as possible.

Its an important link between fishermen, who are the owners of fishing vessels and boats, and businesses at fishing ports. These businesses work closely with fishermen because they always provide fishermen with funds for fishing and fishing tools. When fishermen return, they will sell all the fish caught to such businesses. Most of this activity occurs at the fishing port, after which the export processing enterprises will sign contracts with these businesses to buy seafood materials for processing and export.

In relation to IUU control, we see the management authorities of fishing ports, fishermen and businesses as a key chain in the coming years. Fishermen will need to learn basic information such as which behavior is considered by businesses to violate IUU restrictions. We will continously promote communication and information on IUU fishing regulations as well as the fight against IUU fishing in the community of fishermen and businesses.

We know that VASEP and the seafood business community are implementing many programmes to fight against IUU fishing. Can you discuss the specifics of the process?

Viet Nam has been making efforts to have the yellow card withdrawn within six months.

We are doing a lot of work. We are trying to race against time to remove the yellow card warning from the EU because the impact is first of all on businesses. There will be many opportunities for Vietnamese businesses thanks to the upcoming Viet Nam-EU free trade agreements, but the yellow card warning causes the seafood exporters to face more obstacles. In the immediate future, they have to increase their resources to deal with rising problems. Their products origins will be checked in foreign countries, so that it will be stuck in the port while awaiting inspection  this means the cost of storage increases, and if the batches are returned the exporters will have to suffer high loss of transport costs and storage fees. And one special thing is that customers can change their partners.

In addition, the community of seafood exporters in Viet Nam also expressed its determination to combat IUU fishing. More than 60 enterprises, who own over 80 seafood factories, have committed to purchasing and importing seafood from legal fishing vessels with clear product origin.

Our action plan is divided into four areas.

In the first and second areas, we will closely co-ordinate with MARD to disseminate information, build or revise legal documents and implement them effectively.

As for the third area, we will carry out our own plan. We will co-operate with agencies who manage seafood exploitation and IUU fishing control. For example, we have recently signed with the Vietnam Coast Guard an agreement on carrying out the national action programme on combating IUU fishing. We also closely worked with Directorate of Fisheries and the national Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department (NAFIQAD) to promote the action.

And lastly, we are actively working to strengthen our customers trust. We publish the list of businesses committed to combat IUU fishing on our website in Vietnamese and English versions to help European authorities and management bodies know about the Vietnamese business communitys efforts in the fight against IUU fishing.  VNS
The Fourth Industrial Revolution has seen a boom in breakthrough technologies and affected every sector, including agriculture. The changes require Viet Nams traditionally strong agricultural sector to implement smart agriculture solutions if it does not want to lose its markets. Photo danviet.vn

HA NOI  The Fourth Industrial Revolution has seen a boom in breakthrough technologies and affected every sector, including agriculture. The changes require Viet Nams traditionally strong agricultural sector to implement smart agriculture solutions if it does not want to lose its markets.

Hoang Quang Phong, vice chairman of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) emphasised the importance of applying Internet of Things (IoT) devices in agriculture at a conference on hi-tech agriculture held in Ha Noi on Tuesday.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has witnessed the development of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, IoT, bio-tech and nano-tech.

He said the active operation of the IoT Open Community of Viet Nam (IOCV) has produced evidences showing how Vietnamese firms might apply smart agriculture. Businesses in the community have built hi-tech agricultural models to control products quality, save resources and improve the sectors competitiveness.

IOCV was initiated by VCCIs Institute of Business Informatics in March. It includes 21 information and technology companies with the goal of building IoT software solutions for agricultural production models.

For example, Wala Company under VNPT Technology has applied Delco smart farm demo model to make automatise all processes of monitoring, operating plantations and breeding. The company previously needed 20 to 30 workers to do what requires only five workers after the application of IoT.

Bui Ngoc Son, head of the companys marketing division, said they are applying IoT technology in melon plantations and chicken farms. They use sensors for monitoring to ensure products quality.

Nguyen Hong Quang, chairman of Viet Nam Free and Open Source Software Association (VFOSSA) said they expected to provide solutions suitable with scale of farmer households with affordable investment.

Quang added Viet Nam should also study IoT models from the US and Israel to develop more advanced technology products.

ao Van Chien, deputy director of the Hi-tech Department under the Ministry of Science and Technology, said they would closely co-operate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to further promote the application of IoT in agriculture.  VNS
HCM CITY  The Board of Directors of Vietjet Aviation Joint Stock Company (stock code VJC  HOSE) has approved to collect shareholders opinions about increasing the 2017 estimated dividend payout ratio from 50 per cent to 60 per cent, including maximum 40 per cent cash dividend payment.

The purpose of collecting the opinion of shareholders is to make necessary arrangements for the second dividend advance payment of 2017, Vietjet said in its statement.

In addition, Vietjet is also collecting shareholders opinions about the change in its business lines and moving its headquarters to Kim Ma Street in Ha Nois Ba inh District.

The deadline for shareholders to submit their opinion is December 19.

In August, Vietjet advanced VN645 billion (US$28.4 billion) for 20 per cent cash dividend payment for 2017. Earlier, Vietjet also paid 40 per cent bonus shares and finalised 2016 cash and bonus share dividend payment at the rate of 119 per cent.

In another move, Vietjet is giving away 15,000 tickets priced only from zero ong during the golden hours from noon to 2pm at www.vietjetair.com to celebrate its new international routes.

The promotional tickets, available from now until Saturday, are applicable on these international routes -- HCM City to Phuket and Chiang Mai (Thailand), and a Lat and Hai Phong to Bangkok (Thailand), for travel from November 30, 2017 to March 24, 2018.

Specifically, travel period for the HCM City-Chiang Mai route is from December 12, HCM City-Phuket route from December 15 and a Lat-Bangkok route from December 18. With these new routes, Vietjet will operate six international routes connecting Thailand and Viet Nam, offering more travel and trade opportunities between these cities.

Recently, Thai Vietjet, a joint venture between Vietjet and Thai airline Kan Air, officially received the new Air Operator Certificate, which is in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation standards of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.  VNS
HA NOI  National carrier Vietnam Airlines and Agribank on Wednesday signed a co-operation agreement to promote the sale of each others products and services in the future.

Accordingly, Vietnam Airlines will provide airfreight services with special incentives for officials and employees of Agribank. The bank, meanwhile, is committed to providing a variety of financial services to Vietnam Airlines, such as deposits in term, payment of airfare and credit co-operation.

The two sides will strengthen co-ordination to conduct regular customer care programmes. At the same time, they also agreed to share experiences and document information to reach co-operation efficiency.

Vietnam Airlines has inked many co-operation agreements with large companies such as FPT Corporation, Vietnam Post Corporation and Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation.  VNS
Phuoc Buu

THUA THIEN- HUE  We woke up from a noon nap to find part of the villages main road gone!

Vo ai Lua, a resident of Thua Thien- Hue Provinces La Khe Trem Village, spoke with a mixture of amazement and fear.

We later recognised a large eroded site, with only the tops of bamboo standing out of the water.

Lua was expressing the anxiety felt by many residents of the central province as he continued: Now I worry about losing my house to landslides or erosion.

Riverbank erosion has turned into a rampant problem after a succession of recent floods, the latest early this month. Residents are increasingly worried about losing their homes and land to broadening rivers.

The collapse of roads has also impacted daily commuting, adding to the disquiet. The residents fears are very real.

The edge of erosion is just five metres away from my house, Lua said.

At one erosion-hit area, water from the Huu Trach stream, one of two streams that merge at the Tuan confluence to form the Huong River, has entered 50m inland. The 2km-long erosion in the village also threatens the safety of 295 students at the Huong Tho Secondary School, with landslides occurring close to the schools main gate.

The Huong River is not the only one in the province whose banks are being eroded. The banks of the Bo River in Phong ien, Quang ien and Huong Tra districts have seen serious erosion.

Among the most badly eroded sites is Phong ien Districts Phong An Commune, where landslides have dug a gaping 100sq.m mouth on the riverbank, forcing local authorities to block one lane of the road to protect commuters from falling into the river.

Tran Luu Hung, an employee of the Thua Thien- Hue Road Management Public Company, said he and other workers were using bamboo poles and baskets of rocks to temporarily reinforce the riverbank.

The erosion seems to be worsening day after day, so we are doing this urgently to ensure safety of commuters, he said.

A report by the local Committee for Disaster Prevention and Rescuing says the recent floods have caused erosion on 70kms of riverbank in the province, and at least 10kms need urgent reinforcement for the safety of nearby residents as well as road users.

The report also said the committee is setting up an embankment project for all erosion-prone sites in the locality.

Reservoirs, sand mining

Residents living near the eroded sites are blaming reservoirs for the erosion and illegal sand mining for worsening the situation.

Tran Cong Trai, a resident of Phong An Commune, said he has noticed that the riverbank section in the commune began collapsing year after year ever since the Huong ien Power Plant, located on the upper part of the Bo River, started operating in 2010.

I always felt that the flood current was stronger than earlier natural floods because of water released by the reservoir, he said. The riverbank has been collapsing into the river since then.

Another resident, Le Minh ao, said the repeated flooding caused recently by the emergency release of huge volumes of water by the power plant was so strong that erosion was inevitable.

Sand mining has exacerbated the problem, he added.

The large scale sand mining on the Bo River has lowered seasonal water levels, allowing the frog-jaw to form beneath the riverbanks, he said.

The residents opinions are backed by experts.

Workers use bamboo poles and rocks to reinforce the eroded riverbank of the Bo River. VNS Photo Phuoc Buu

Eliminate reservoirs

ao Trong Tu, former member of Viet Nams Mekong River Committee and managing director of the Viet Nam Rivers Network, said both reservoirs and sand mining are responsible for the erosion.

Power plant reservoirs have completely changed the natural flow of rivers, reducing their water level, he said, adding that this was causing riverbank erosion.

During the flooding season, the huge water releases from the plants sets off erosion at the riverbanks and this spreads to other areas.

Tu also said that sand mining has hastened the formation of frog-jaw structures at the riverbank and speeded up its collapse.

He warned further that concrete embankments cannot serve as a long-term solution for riverbank erosion. Eliminating power plant reservoirs would work, he said, adding: Tighter management on sand mining is critical as well.

Last year, the province Peoples Committee declared that strict punishment would be meted out to commune heads unable to stop illegal sand mining in their localities.

However, loose management is still the order of the day. No commune official has been held responsible for his or her management failure.  VNS
HA NOI  Vietnamese and South Korean artists will perform together in a concert on Sunday at the Ha Noi Opera House to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Viet Nam  South Korea diplomatic relations.

Within the concert, the audience will have the chance to enjoy a performance by the talented pianist-composer Yiruma, well-known for River Flows In You, Kiss The Rain, May Be and the soundtracks of the Korean drama Winter Sonata.

This is also a chance for K-pop fans to see a performance by Ailee, who is considered the Korean Beyonce. Possessing a powerful voice, many of her songs have become hits, including I Will Go To You Like The First Snow in the Korean drama Goblin.

Vietnamese performers will include Soobin Hoang Son, Huong Tram, Bao Anh and Min.

Apart from musical performances, Korean makeup and dancing will be on show at the event.

Performances will be screened live on the outdoor screen in front of the Ha Noi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien Street, Ha Noi.  VNS
HA NOI  Documents, photographs and memorabilia of American prisoners of war went on show at Tim Lai Ky Uc (Finding Memories) in Hoa Lo Prison yesterday and will run until February.

The event also marks the 45th anniversary of the historic battle against US B-52 bombers in December 1972 - the "ien Bien Phu in the Air" as it is known. Many of the bombers were downed and taken into captivity by local people.

World outcry, including by the peace movement in the United States and other countries, helped push the Americans back to the negotiating table in Paris.

With more than 250 items, Finding Memories takes people back to the tough 12 days and nights in late December, 1972, as endless US bomber attacks pounded strategic links, including important bridges and even Bach Mai Hospital.

"The exhibition features stories about the daily lives of American prisoners of war in Hoa Lo Prison, Truong Minh Tien, vice-director of Ha Noi Department of Culture and Sports, said at an opening event of the exhibition yesterday.

Forty five years have passed, yet the heroic spirit of the "ien Bien Phu in the Air" victory will remain forever. Vietnamese people are always grateful to American peace lovers and aim to heal the pain of war and build a peaceful future together, Tien added.

The show features four themes: Facing B52, Ha Noi - Hilton Hotel, Coming Back Home, and Building Up the Future.

Finding Memories recreates the struggle of local people who overcame the sorrow and loss caused by the war. It gives visitors an opportunity to understand the severe destruction and painfully grim nature of war.

I hope that the memories shaped by the pictures, displays, and descriptions in the exhibition will help people understand the depth of resilience of the people of Viet Nam and the rectitude of their cause, a free and independent country, said Thomas Eugene Wilber, son of the US Commander Walter Eugene Wilber.

Looking back: Finding Memories recalls the hardship of Vietnamese under persistant bombing.  VNS Photo Hong Van

Former prisoner of war, who is visiting, Robert P. Chenoweth recalled: I stayed only a short time at Hoa Lo. My stay began in the midst of the nightly B-52 attacks. Everyone was worried about the damage happening around us and we hoped for the safety of the families of all the camp cadres.

During this dangerous time, the guards and interpreters asked me if I would like to take home a small tea set. I was grateful for this gesture of kindness. I keep it at my home today. Perhaps on another visit, I can bring it back to give to the museum," said Chenoweth.

The former P.O.W. presented 12 memorabilia to Hoa Lo prison, which included daily items he used in prison, such as clothes, towels, bowls and chopsticks. Chenoweth also gave the flag of Viet Nam that Colonel Tran Trong Duyet, former camp officer, presented to him.

The flag became a powerful symbol of all the things I had learned during my captivity. It reminded me of the long struggle of Viet Nam to protect its independence, said Chenoweth.

On December 1972, the US launched an air attack deploying B-52 fighters over Ha Noi and other cities in the northern Viet Nam. The operation was intended to redeem the USs failure on the southern battle front and to push Viet Nam to make concessions in Paris.

The US mobilised 197 of its 207 B-52 bombers and 1,077 other aircraft from three air force bases - plus six aircraft carriers - during the campaign.

Each wave of B-52 bombers dropped bombs onto Ha Noi and many other big cities, including Hai Phong.

Up to 40 per cent of the 100,000 tonnes of bombs dropped on the North during the campaign rained down on Ha Noi. As many as 1,318 Hanoians were killed and 2,000 houses destroyed, cited the museums source.

The Vietnamese army and people shot down numerous aircraft, including B-52s, and captured many enemy pilots, who were then taken to Hoa Lo Prison, where they were generally treated with kindness.

The "Ha Noi-ien Bien Phu in the Air" victory from December 18 to 29, 1972, forced the US to the Paris negotiating table. The Americans withdrew their forces from south Viet Nam, leading to national reunification two years later.  VNS
by An Phuong

In contrast to the number of English, Chinese and Korean teachers in Viet Nam, Natalia Zolkina stands out as being one of the few Russian-language lecturers in HCM City.

Zolkina first visited Viet Nam during the early 1980s when she was assigned by the Ministry of Education and Training and other authorities to work in Ha Noi and the University of Pedagogy in HCM City for two years.

I was the first lecturer to teach Russian language and culture in HCM City then, she said.

Zolkina returned to Viet Nam in 2008 and later took up a position as director of the HCM City University of Pedagogys Russian Centre two years later. She is the only native Russian speaker at the centre.

I visited other countries before Viet Nam, and Korea was one of them. Though it provided me with better conditions, Ive decided to stay in Viet Nam as my heart belongs here, she said.

Maybe this explains why Ive found no troubles living here, considering that I could not understand either Vietnamese or English, she said. Viet Nam is also where I met my husband. We got married in Ha Noi.

Under Zolkinas administration, the Russian Centre has become a common house for individuals interested in Russia and its culture.

Multiple courses on Russian language, culture, cuisine and art are offered at the centre, together with activities including meetings between local students and Russian artists and experts, contests on rhetoric and culture, and Sergei Esenins poetry readings, among others.

All aim to improve students language skills, spread the distinctive Russian culture to the public, and strengthen the Viet Nam--Russia relationship, she said.

Sometimes, Zolkina travels to neighbouring provinces to launch Russian clubs at provincial universities.

Nguyen Thi Hang, dean of HCM City University of Pedagogys Russian Faculty, said that Zolkinas extensive experience had brought a breath of fresh air to the teaching of Russian.

Zolkina provides students with lessons that deal with different fields.

Her significant contributions to Russian language development in Viet Nam earned her the Viet Nam Friendship Medal in 1981 and Viet Nam  Russia Friendship Medal in 2008, Hang said.

Among the different subjects that Zolkina teaches, she most enjoys How to Teach Russian as a Foreign Language.

Since the Russian language itself is difficult, it requires learners to understand pedagogical methods specific to the language in order to effectively teach other people, she said.

The demand for Russian is high, especially in the tourism and translation sectors, she added.

An insufficient number of Russian-speaking tour guides has made Russian tourists, especially the older generation, hesitant to visit Viet Nam. Similarly, the lack of VietnameseRussian language translators has left open many job opportunities, she said.

Ive had many friends who complained about Phan Thiet and Mui Ne where they couldnt find a tour guide with Russian-speaking skills, she added.

Though it might seem that Russian language courses are not popular, it is actually one of the six most common languages in the world and many local students are attending technology courses in Russia, she explained.

Knowing multiple languages boosts peoples chances to land their dream job. Considered that the bilateral relationship between Russia and Viet Nam is getting better, dont be afraid of the Russian language, she said.

As for Zolkinas future plans, she will continue to teach Russian in Viet Nam and participate in language development programmes organised by Russias language association.

Im actually a bit old to do anything too ambitious but retire, she laughed, adding that she had been working in the field for about 40 years.

Im happy to work and live in Viet Nam as it has become my second hometown. Im also positive about the development of Russian language in Viet Nam.  VNS
Three caregivers at the Mam Xanh Kindergarten in HCM City were seen to slap the faces of toddlers aged 3-5, hit them on their backs and heads, and even throw children in the air in anger.  Photo nguoiduatin.vn

by Thu Van

The regularity with which instances of brutality towards their wards by nannies and caretakers at kindergartens are coming to light is as frightening as it is horrific.

It indicates a deeper social, psychological malaise that neither we, as parents and adults, nor authorities, as policymakers and law enforcers, seem to have taken cognizance of.

No social worker, psychologist or other expert has come forward with credible explanation or analysis of the problem, which seems to go beyond the crime-punishment-deterrent paradigm.

President Tran ai Quang this week called for an extensive examination and inspection of compliance with laws at preschools, kindergartens and childrens groups throughout the country, in order to prevent and strictly handle violations committed against children.

The request was made following the latest exposure in a series of exposures of child violence and abuse in preschools across the country. Three caregivers at the Mam Xanh Kindergarten in HCM City were seen to slap the faces of toddlers aged 3-5, hit them on their backs and heads, and even throw children in the air in anger.

Earlier clips have shown some preschool teachers or caregivers brutally smacking, beating, hitting the kids with their hands, spoons and even a knife.

Not surprisingly, most the kids that are subjected to such brutality come from low-income families who can only afford small and private kindergartens, many of them illegal.

The reactions of the authorities  examinations, inspections, reviews, tougher laws and punishments  are needed, but they are predictable and fall short of the kind of diagnosis that is warranted.

Nguyen Thi Thu, Vice Chairwoman of the HCM City Peoples Committee, called an urgent meeting and announced that the city would launch a US$6 million, five-year (2017-2021) project to develop a child-friendly city. She also said that all kindergartens will be required to install cameras.

Apart from the effectiveness of this measure, which is in itself questionable, how does it address the question of what makes people so cruel to children, and how were people prone to such cruelty given charge of the defenseless children?

Deterrence based on fear of exposure and punishment cannot answer the question of what leads to such behaviour in the first place. Can security cameras detect cruelty, frustration, anger or whatever craziness causes people to be so cruel, and to children, no less?

The physical and mental toll that such behaviour will have on children, those who directly suffer the pain and those who are forced to watch it, cannot be understated, and their future impacts can hurt our society seriously.

It is not enough that the violators are punished. They need to be studied, in depth. What are the factors that prompt such cruelty among otherwise ordinary people? Seeing such behaviour as exceptions, not the rule, just wont do.

One root problem in the education sector is recruitment of the right people for the most crucial job of educating our future generations. Clearly, people capable of such heartlessness and brutality are not cut out for nurturing young children. Why are they opting for this job and why are they being hired? How can empathy and love for children be discerned among job applicants? How can the maturity to draw the line between discipline and a childs natural proclivity for fun and frolic, which are absolutely its birthright, be assessed?

On paper, the education ministrys requirements for preschool teachers seem to be sufficient and adequate: they are required to love children and have the skills to teach them in a systematic manner. It might be that preschools are seen as places where childrens physical needs are taken care of  food, cleanliness, etc., rather than spaces where serious, formal education takes place. This is an obvious fallacy that also needs to be nipped in the bud.

According to 2016 statistics complied by ActionAid on public spending on education, health and public transportation, the proportion of State Budget allocated for preschool and general education is just 8.2 per cent compared to 28 per cent for primary education, 21.6 per cent for secondary education and 11 per cent for high school.

Education minister Phung Xuan Nha once admitted that investment in facilities and teachers for preschool education was still limited. The shortage of preschool teachers is rampant in many localities. Some education experts have cited the lack of a master plan for preschool development.

But the first realisation should be that teaching is not a job for everyone. Carl Jung once said children are educated by what the grown-up is. He also said that just as you cant grow a tree in a place lacking light, you cant raise a child up with just a little love.

A strict recruitment process should certainly be part of an answer to the problem: apart from degrees in early childhood teaching or preschool education, tests can be devised to assess the emotional bearings and mentality of preschool teachers, not to mention for all other grades. VNS
Viet Nam is further deepening relations with its key partners, including Australia, National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said yesterday. VNA/VNS Photo Trong uc

CANBERRA  Viet Nam is further deepening relations with its key partners, including Australia, National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said yesterday.

Chairwoman Ngan added that this was part of developing co-operation and friendship with other countries.

The top legislator made the statement during talks with Speaker of Australias House of Representatives, Tony Smith, and Senate President, Scott Ryan, in Canberra yesterday as part of her ongoing official visit to Australia.

The Viet Nam National Assembly backs the early upgrade of Viet Nam-Australia relationship to a strategic partnership, Ngan said, hailing effective economic co-operation between the two countries.

She noted that Australia was Viet Nams eighth largest trade partner and that two-way trade had expanded by 10 per cent a year. "Australia is among Viet Nams largest providers of non-refundable official development assistance (ODA), significantly contributing to raising livelihoods, reducing poverty, improving the environment and promoting equality.

To enhance economic ties, the NA Chairwoman suggested the two sides make the contents of the economic partnership clear so that a co-operation plan could be rolled out with specific activities within three to five years.

Ngan said she hoped Australian enterprises would step up investment with Viet Nam in such areas as high-tech agriculture, animal husbandry, energy, telecommunication, finance-banking, mining and manufacturing.

She called on the Australian side to share its management experience and transfer technologies in coal mining, the treatment of red-mud from bauxite mining, and other forms of environmental protection.

Ngan urged the two countries to increase and balance bilateral trade and lift trade barriers, striving to raise bilateral trade to US$10 billion in the future.

She suggested Australia think twice before conducting investigations into trade protection so as to avoid adverse impacts on economic links.

She also called on Australia to provide technical assistance to Viet Nam to help it meet new import requirements set by Australia. This would make it easier for Vietnamese agricultural products and seafood to access the Australian market.

Ngan also appealed to Australia to continue its ODA to Viet Nam, focusing on infrastructure, agriculture and rural development, poverty reduction, climate change response and high-quality human-resource development.

The Chairwoman said she "noted with joy" the effective collaboration in national defence-security and the fight against crimes and illegal migration, the NA Chairwoman proposed the continued consultation and support for each other at regional forums, especially at the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+).

She thanked Australia for sharing its experience in anti-terrorism and peace-keeping operations, as well as co-operation in searching for Vietnamese soldiers missing in action. Ngan called for Australias further support in implementing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on dealing with post-war bomb and mine consequences.

She urged Viet Nam and Australia to continue their affiliation in combating cross-border crimes, terrorists and human traffickers, as well as illegal border crossings. This included implementing a memorandum the return of Vietnamese with no legal right to stay in Australia signed in 2016 in a spirit of goodwill.

"Viet Nam also wishes to join hands with Australia in science, technology and innovation so that it can adapt to new trends in the world, address urgent issues and cope with climate change," she said.

The NA Chairman suggested Australia provide more scholarships for Vietnamese students and expand its educational collaboration with the country under different reforms. She praised the implementation of a vacation-labour programme in March 1 this year.

Ngan urged the legislative bodies in the two countries to intensify delegation exchange at different levels, co-ordinate in supervising the implementation of co-operation agreements signed by the two Governments, exchange information about parliamentary activities, and enhance the role and activities of friendship groups of parliamentarians.

Ngans proposals were accepted by the Australian leaders, who said her visit was of significance, contributing to strengthening the enhanced comprehensive partnership between the two countries, towards a strategic partnership in 2018.

They praised achievements made by Viet Nam, including those in improving peoples living standards and spurring economic growth.

Speaker Smith affirmed that Australia would continue its ODA to Viet Nam, covering projects on infrastructure development. He said he hoped that Viet Nam would pay more attention to enhancing the capacity and leadership of women.

Senate President Ryan described education as a spotlight of bilateral co-operation as the number of Vietnamese students in Australia increased in recent years.

Australia will offer more scholarships to regional students, including those from Viet Nam, within the framework of the New Colombo Plan, he said.

During the talks, the two sides also discussed regional and international issues of shared concern, including the East Sea issue.

They stressed the significance of maintaining peace, stability, security, aviation and navigation freedom and safety in the region, and handling disputes by peaceful measures, in line with international law.

Following the talks, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull directly called NA Chairwoman Ngan, explaining to her that he could not return home as scheduled to greet her due to unexpected issues on a working trip.

The top legislator welcomed the Australian governments initiative to offer US$100 million scholarships to Australian students in Indian-Pacific countries, including Viet Nam.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has told the Australian property group Sakkara that there are huge investment opportunities for the group in Viet Nam.

Receiving the groups president Neil Robert Wilson in Ha Noi on Wednesday, the Prime Minister said urban development is important for Viet Nam but the Vietnamese Government lacks sufficient financial capacity to invest in the field. Therefore, many opportunities are available for investors, he said.

PM Phuc suggested the group can expand investment in other fields, such as transport, environment, waste and waste water treatment, and infrastructure development in the forms of build  operate  transfer (BOT) and pulbic  private  partnership (PPP).

He affirmed that the Government of Viet Nam always facilitates foreign investment in the country.

For his part, Neil Robert Wilson expressed his impression of Viet Nams hosting of the APEC Economic Leaders Week.

According to him, the group decided to invest in Viet Nam because of the countrys young and dynamic population. He said Sakkara has achieved success since entering Viet Nam in 2003, noting that Viet Nam is the only foreign market the group has invested in.

He expressed his hope for more assistance from the Government of Viet Nam and the PM for his group when it invests in large-scale projects on home development and equitisation of State-owned enterprises.  VNS
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong met with citizens in Ba inh, Tay Ho and Hoan Kiem districts, Ha Noi yesterday. VNA/VNS Photo Tri Dung

HA NOI  Many citizens in Ha Noi applauded improvements in the National Assembly (NA)s recent activities, especially its fourth session, while meeting with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other NA deputies of Ha Noi yesterday.

The legislators met with citizens in Ba inh, Tay Ho and Hoan Kiem districts to detail the outcomes of the 14th NAs freshly concluded fourth session, the implementation of their action programme in 2017, and the action plan for next year.

Many local constituents lauded the fourth sittings outcomes, especially question and answer sessions, adding that the NA changed from a parliament of discussion to a parliament of debate. During this sitting, the Government also pointed out shortcomings that need to be addressed so as to boost national development.

Ha Noi citizens said they want the NA to continue reforming its activities and shorten its sessions durations so that authorities and sectors can focus on implementing targets set by the parliament.

Echoing this view, the Party chief said the fourth session was successful as reforms and improvements were made in a democratic, straightforward, responsible, and constructive manner.

At the meetings, citizens also lauded the NAs approval of many laws, including the Law on Planning. They asked the legislative body to monitor the enforcement of this law.

However, they also voiced concern about the fact that although many laws were issued, law enforcement is still weak. The issuance of documents guiding enforcement remains sluggish while there is a shortage of personnel and funding for law dissemination. They asked the NA to watch the issuance of legal documents so as to avoid issuing documents that are impractical or run counter to law.

Several people mentioned deforestation and mining that affect ecosystems, the new universal education curriculum and textbooks, teaching and learning facilities, and policies for educational workers.

Regarding the fight against corruption, they expressed their support for the Party and States resolve, noting that once violations are discovered, they must be handled stringently.

General Secretary Trong said this is a serious problem on which the Party Central Committee has issued many resolutions. Although efforts have been made and more effective actions have been taken, this is a long-term fight that needs to be ramped up.

He called on voters to have greater consensus and determination to join the entire Party, people and political system in fighting corruption and developing Viet Nam into a prosperous, democratic, equitable and civilised country. VNS
PHILIPPINES  The Philippines President, Rodrigo Duterte, and the Viet Nam Embassy in the Philippines, on Wednesday, co-hosted a ceremony to send five Vietnamese fishermen back to the country.

At Sual Port in Pangasinan Province, the five fishermen were in a fishing boat, numbered PY 96173 TS, which was towed into international waters by the Philippines Marine Police, according to the newspaper Tuoi Tre (Youth)

Speaking at the event, Duterte said that the government and relevant authorities had completed all the procedures and supported the fishermen to go back, considering humanity values and friendship between the two countries.

Ly Quoc Tuan, the Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines, expressed his appreciation towards Duterte and the Philippines governments efforts to assist the Vietnamese fishermen.

Early last month, the bodies of two other dead fishermen of the PY-96173-TS fishing boat were transferred to Viet Nam.

According to the Viet Nam Embassy in Manila, the Philippines government said that Phu Yen-based fishing boat numbered PY 96173 TS was illegally operating in Pangasinan Provinces waters from September 22 to 23 and had attempted to attack the Philippines Marine Polices PS19 ship after being chased.

The Philippines Marine Police shot the fishing boat when they were about to hit the forces ship.  VNS
HA NOI  A number of agencies and district-level authorities in Ha Noi have proposed a reconsideration of the increase in street and pavement usage fees. They say it is too high in comparison with the current rate.

According to a proposal of Ha Nois Peoples Committee, the new rate of street and pavement usage fees will increase by at the most three times compared with the current rate.

The proposal will be discussed at a meeting of the citys Peoples Council next month.

If the proposal is realised, parking fees are also expected to increase.

The current street and pavement usage fees at the highest rate are VN80,000 (US$3.5) and VN45,000 ($2) per square metre per month, respectively. Motorbike parking fee is the highest at VN50,000 ($2.1) per month, or VN3,000 ($0.13) per time, while the fee for cars is VN1-2.5million ($44-108) per month, or VN20,000-40,000 ($0.8-1.7) per time.

According to a representative of the Planning and Urban Development Association, the proposal to increase street and pavement usage fees does not include a proposal on new vehicle parking fees.

The proposal to increase street and pavement usage fees will increase the citys budget, but it does not clarify how much people will have to pay as parking fees, the representative said.

Representatives from Ha Nois Planning and Urban Development Association and Ha Nois Transport Association said the proposal is not clear and convincing.

President of Ha Nois Fatherland Front Vu Hong Khanh said the proposal was made based on legal foundation, however it was not practical.

According to owners of licenced parking lots in Hoan Kiem and Hai Ba Trung districts, if the new street and pavement usage fees are applied, parking fees must also be adjusted.

Each car parked on the street accounts for 11sq.m and each motorbike takes up 1sq.m area. Adding all kinds of fees they have to bear, including taxes and wages paid to employees, the owners of the lots said car parking fee must increase to VN4-4.1 million ($174-178) per car per month, or VN130,000 ($5.5) every two hours. Motorbike parking fee would increase to VN230,000-240,000 ($10-10.5) per month, or VN10,900 per time ($0.5).

ao Ngoc Nghiem, deputy head of Ha Nois Planning and Urban Development Association, said this increase is unimaginable compared with general living standards.

This decision leads to difficulties for people and units using streets and pavements, he said. VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam can and should extend social protection to those in the informal economy through a mix of contributory and non-contributory schemes in order to achieve universal coverage, experts said at a conference on Wednesday.

They also agreed on the need for evidence-based social insurance reforms to meet the challenge of a rapidly aging population.

The conference on Reforming social insurance policies  International experiences and recommendations for Viet Nam was organised in Ha Noi by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Conference participants also agreed that social insurance reforms should build on results already achieved.

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong inh Hue said: Social insurance is a key pillar of the social security system. It makes a great contribution to realising social advancement and justice with the view that access to social insurance is a universal right

He said a proper roadmap should be linked to the goal of universal coverage.

As a country with a fast aging population and a predominant informal economy, Viet Nams social insurance system faces several challenges, participants said.

Current coverage remains limited due to low compliance in the formal sector and low participation in the informal sector. Around 6-7 million senior citizens do not receive any pension at present, the conference heard.

The nations social insurance policies were not diverse or flexible enough to attract participants, and current procedures were also not convenient, speakers said.

The challenge is how to reach the missing middle, who fall between social insurance and social assistance coverage, said ILO Viet Nam Director Chang-Hee Lee.

He said that extending coverage among small and medium enterprises, workers with short-term contracts and those without an employer-employee relationship requires additional effort and innovation.

It is important to extend social protection to workers in the informal economy as a way of formalising and improving their working conditions, he said.

The ILO recommended that Viet Nam extends social protection to those in the informal economy through a mix of contributory and non-contributory schemes in order to achieve universal coverage.

The expansion of health insurance in Viet Nam shows that extending social insurance coverage is possible, he added.

Pension crisis

Viet Nams pension fund is also facing a financial sustainability challenge in the near future.

High replacement rates (75 per cent maximally) and low retirement ages, a significant amount of members opting for lump-sum payouts, a high number of early retirement cases due to health issues and other factors including sectoral preferentials, are among the causes for the crisis.

Parametric reforms towards a contributing-receiving balance in pension policies were addressed in the development of social insurance laws, most recently the revised Social Insurance Law in 2014, Minister Hue said.

However, with the aging population and restructuring of the labour sector due to economic integration, climate change and industrial revolution 4.0, the pension fund faces the risk imbalance in the long run.

The ILO has suggested Viet Nam undergo further parametric reforms, which could include increasing retirement age and reducing the replacement rate.

The head of ILO Viet Nam said the country should develop a multi-tier system for its social insurance scheme, taking inspiration from the positive experience acquired in health insurance.

Fiscal space for extending social protection exists even in non-rich countries, he added.

The Government of Viet Nam could explore all possible financing options to promote the Sustainable Development Goals and national development through decent jobs and social protection.

In Viet Nam, access to social protection is a citizens right enshrined in the countrys constitution.

Out of its population of about 95 million people, 14.6 million people are registered in social insurance schemes, accounting for about 30.4 per cent of the labour force.

About five million social insurance participants receive short-term insurance benefits (for sickness, work accidents, occupational diseases or maternal leave) yearly and about 150,000 people receive long-term benefits (pension after retirement pension and life insurance). Almost 3 million people receive a monthly pension.  VNS
TRA VINH  Local farmers in the Mekong Delta Tra Vinh Province have turned challenges, triggered by climate change, into opportunities to earn money.

Nguyen Van Danh, of Tra Vinh Provinces Long Hoa Island Commune, said he started to raise blue-legged prawn instead of planting rice for three years.

He and six children now own a 7-ha shrimp farm, earning a profit of hundred millions of ong each year, the Tien Phong (Vanguard) online newspaper reported.

By growing rice, we always worried how to earn money to cover daily expenses in the past, by farming blue-legged prawn, we now only focus on making more money to become richer, he said.

Danh said, a decade ago, local farmers only cultivated rice during six months, the rest six months of a year; they planted nothing because salinity attacked their fields. Thus, local farmers at that time were very poor and had to go to other provinces to earn their living during the salinity season.

Now things are changed, Danh added.

The changes actually came when ang Van Chuot, 78, of the commune, bought 2,000 baby blue-legged prawns to breed nearly ten years ago.

The baby blue-legged prawns with scientific name as Macrobrachium rosenbergii, were worth about a mace of gold at that time. (Currently, a mace of gold worth VN3.6 million, or US$158).

Chuot said, We were too poor so that we even think if the situation still continued how we could live.

Then he persuaded his wife to spend their savings on breeding blue-legged prawn. At first, she rejected because she feared that if they failed, the savings would disappear. Chuot tried to persuade her many times and she finally agreed.

Five months later, they harvested the first blue-legged prawns and gained a profit about 25 times higher than the money they invested.

Chairman of the Peoples Committee of the island commune Huynh Quoc Vu said that thanks to the successful model of Chuot, dozens farmers of the commune raised blue-legged prawns and succeeded.

In Hoa Minh Commune, Vo Thi Chanh, of Con Chim Village, owned a 1-ha field. She both planted rice and raised blue-legged prawn. During the fresh water season, she grew rice. When salinity came, she raised blue-legged prawn.

She got a profit of VN200 million (US$8,800) each year.

Chanh said she harvested about three tonnes of rice each year. Her family would eat two tonnes of rice, one tonne would be used to raise blue-legged prawn.

She pureed rice mixed with acetes (baby shrimp) to feed blue-legged prawn.

Nguyen Van Si, chairman of the Peoples Committee of the commune said the income of local farmers was improved in recent several years.

The ratio of poverty household has been down below 4 per cent, meeting the criteria for a new-style rural area under the Government decision 1980/Q-Ttg issued in 2016.

Mekong Delta suffers from climate change

The Mekong Delta, home to more than 17 million people and the Viet Nams most important agricultural region, is facing threats due to climate change.

Last year, a severe drought and salinity invasion in the southern delta gave the national agriculture sector a wake-up call on climate changes threat to the region.

The record extreme weather affected 13 provinces in the region, causing water shortages for millions of people and caused the loss of some 800,000 tonnes of rice.

Additionally, the sediment in the Mekong River which constantly brings down to the delta and is vital for rice growing capability, has decreased at a remarkably fast speed over a short time.

Statistics from the Mekong River Commission show that the river delivered up to 160 million tonnes of sediment to the delta in 1994, which was slashed by half to only about 75 million tonnes in 2014.

The delta with 13 cities and provinces plays an important role in the countrys economy, accounting for 80 per cent of rice exports and nearly 60 per cent seafood exports.  VNS
The nations population policy must be integrated with other socio-economic factors including national defence and security to ensure rapid and sustainable development, experts said yesterday. Photo vtc.vn

HA NOI  The nations population policy must be integrated with other socio-economic factors including national defence and security to ensure rapid and sustainable development, experts said yesterday.

They were speaking at a policy dialogue on population and sustainable development organised in Ha Noi to discuss the draft Law on Population.

The draft law will be submitted to the fifth National Assembly session for discussion.

Truong Hai Cuong, member of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, said the countrys population was aging rapidly, so the draft law should have provisions that ensure the rights, interests and responsibilities of the elderly, and encourage senior citizens to do suitable jobs, based on their health and experience.

Quach Sy Hung, also with the VFF, said the draft law should have clear regulations on responsibilities of relevant ministries and agencies on family planning services and taking care for old people.

International principles and commitments should be adhered to in building population policies, said Nguyen Ngoc Quynh of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Viet Nam.

She said the draft law should meet international standards and comply with human rights principles, including the right to decide to have babies, time to have babies and the number of children.

Regulations should ensure the provision of full and clear information, education and qualified services on reproductive health, with priority given to population in disadvantaged areas, she said.

Dialogue participants also discussed and shared their experiences on the development and implementation of population and development policies; raising awareness and changing societal behaviour; and integrating population variables into development policies.

The dialogue organised by the VFF, the UNFPA in Viet Nam, the General Office for Population and Family Planning and the Ministry of Health.  VNS
THANH HOA  A 165kg bomb and some 100kg of explosive equipment were disposed of on Wednesday in Tinh Gia District, central Thanh Hoa Province.

On Monday, fishermen of Hai Binh Commune, Tinh Gia District, found a bomb with a length of 1.2m and diameter of 0.23m stuck in the fishing net. They reported the bomb to the local military steering committee.

The explosives that have been disposed of include bullets, grenade, explosives and detonator handed over by police, execution bureau of Tinh Gia District and locals.  VNS
MEKONG DELTA REGION  Viet Nam needs US$140billion to $179 billion in the next 20 years for climate change reduction and adaptation, as well as technology.

However, the current budget can meet only some 5 per cent of the estimated demand, Nguyen Ngoc Hung, deputy head of Peoples Aid Coordination Committee under the Viet Nam Union of Science and Technology Association told the ai oan Ket (Great Unity) newspaper.

In a recent workshop on mobilising sources to adapt to climate change in An Giang Province, environmental experts said that Viet Nam needs some $30 billion to reach the target of reducing greenhouse gas by 2020. The budget to realise this target accounts for 0.1 per cent of GDP.

Out of more than $3.3 billion assistance given by non-governmental organisations to Viet Nam between 2001 and 2016, only $2.5 million, equivalent to 7.4 per cent, was for natural resources and the environment sector.

In the first six months of this year, Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta region was in need of some $10.2 million for climate change adaptation and rising sea water level.

Associate Professor, Le Anh Tuan, from Can Tho University, said that while waiting for investment sources for climate change adaptation work for the Mekong Delta region (the region hit the hardest by climate change in Viet Nam), localities must play an active role to implement climate change adaption works by themselves.

Tra Vinh Province, for example, has built a climate change adaptation capacity, with the engagement of community and agriculture-rural development agencies. They have invested in sustainable agricultural livelihood through financial tools and equipment and the study of community-based development in the sector.

This month, Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, signed a resolution to sustainably develop the Mekong Delta as part of an effort to cope with climate change. The resolution also highlights the necessity of the Mekong Delta to create sustainable and prosperous development on the foundation of actively adapting and mobilising its strength and potential and transforming challenges into opportunities for development.

The Mekong Delta region, home to 19 per cent of the countrys population, has contributed to half of the rice production of the country, 65 per cent of aquaculture and 70 per cent of fruit production. Due to impacts of climate change, saline intrusion and landslides have been major threats to local agriculture.

According to a survey conducted by Aid for Social Protection Programme Foundation in Viet Nam (AFV) in August and September this year in three districts of An Giang, Soc Trang and Tra Vinh provinces in the Mekong Delta region, nearly 13 per cent of households have totally lost their land or been forced to abandon their land or water surface due to climate change.

The cost to revive the soil for production is VN19.16 million ($830) per household, per year.

Surprisingly, more than 50 per cent of the households affected by climate change have never heard of or heard of but have no idea about the phrase, climate change. More than 32 per cent of climate change-affected households are not concerned about climate change.

For these reasons, experts said it is necessary to change the mindset of the community towards climate change in the Mekong Delta region. It is also necessary to share climate change information among sectors and mobilise sources from international non-governmental organisations, cooperation development agencies and social organisations.
UNITED NATIONS, United States  The United States yesterday warned that North Koreas leadership will be "utterly destroyed" if war breaks out as it called on countries to cut all diplomatic and trade ties with North Korea -- including Chinese oil shipments to Pyongyang.

Washington urged tough action at an emergency meeting of the Security Council called to respond to North Koreas launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

US Ambassador Nikki Haley told the council that the North Korean leader had made a choice that brings the world closer to war.

"If war comes, make no mistake: The North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."

US President Donald Trump threatened "major" new sanctions after Pyongyang tested its third ICBM  which it claimed was capable of striking anywhere in the United States.

The test ended a two-month lull in missile tests that had raised hopes for the opening of diplomatic talks.

North Korean leader Kim said the test of the Hwasong-15 weapons system had helped his country achieve the goal of becoming a full nuclear power, as the international community expressed outrage.

Haley said Trump had called Chinese President Xi Jinping and urged him to "cut off the oil from North Korea", a move that would deal a crippling blow to North Koreas economy.

Piling pressure on China, Haley said that if Beijing does not act to cut off oil supplies "we can take the oil situation into our own hands."

The United States earlier this year pressed for a full oil embargo on North Korea but dropped that demand in negotiations on a sanctions resolution with China.

The situation will be handled

The Security Council met at the request of the United States, Japan and South Korea to consider next steps after three rounds of sanctions adopted in the past year failed to push North Korea to change course.

Earlier, Trump -- who had traded barbs with Kim for months -- had asked Xi to use "all available levers" to press the hermit state.

"Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!" Trump said on Twitter.

So far Wednesday, no new announcements were forthcoming.

Last week, Trump announced new US unilateral sanctions on Pyongyang and returned it to a US list of state sponsors of terror.

There are concerns in Seoul that Trump might be considering military action against the North that could trigger a full-scale war.

Russia urged the United States to scrap military exercises planned with South Korea in December, arguing they would exacerbate tensions.

"It is essential to take a step back," said Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, who urged Washington "to revise its policy of mutual threats and intimidation."

China once again pressed its proposal that the North stop missile and nuclear tests in exchange for a freeze of US military exercises -- a proposal Washington has repeatedly rejected.  AFP
ABIDJAN  Libya agreed Wednesday with key EU and African leaders to allow migrants facing abuse in detention camps to be evacuated within days or weeks, mostly to their home countries, French President Emmanuel Macron said.

The decision was taken after Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara called for "all urgent measures" to end slave trading and other migrant abuses in Libya at an EU-Africa summit in Abidjan.

The leaders of Libya, France, Germany, Chad, Niger and four other countries "decided on an extreme emergency operation to evacuate from Libya those who want to be," Macron told reporters after their emergency talks on the summit sidelines.

The summit comes just two weeks after US network CNN aired footage of black

Africans sold as slaves in Libya, sparking outrage from political leaders and street protests in African and European capitals.

"Libya restated its agreement to identify the camps where barbaric scenes have been identified," Macron said, adding Libyas UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez "Sarraj gave his agreement that access be assured".

African Union, European Union and United Nations officials at the meeting offered increased support for the International Organisation of Migration "to help with the return of the Africans who want it to their home countries," said the French leader who called the emergency meeting.

"This work will be carried out in the next few days, in line with the countries of origin," he said, adding in some cases they could be given asylum in Europe.

Wretched drama

EU sources earlier said UN humanitarian agencies like the IOM had arranged for some 13,000 migrants to return voluntarily to their home countries mainly in sub-Saharan Africa in the last year after a deal with Libya.

The furor over slavery as well as torture and rape of black African migrants in Libya prompted the select group of countries -- which also included Spain, Italy, Morocco and the Congo -- to undertake other measures.

The group also decided to work with a task force, involving the sharing of police and intelligence services, to "dismantle the networks and their financing and detain traffickers," Macron said.

The AU, EU and UN officials also pledged to freeze the assets of identified traffickers while the AU will set up an investigative panel and the UN could take cases before the International Court of Justice, he added.

Opening a European Union-Africa summit that was meant to focus on the continents long-term economic development, Ouattara immediately lashed out at slavery as a "wretched drama which recalls the worst hours of human history."

Other African, EU and United Nations leaders also condemned the slavery revelations when they met at the summit in Ivory Coasts economic capital Abidjan.

"I would like to appeal to our sense of responsibility to take all urgent measures to put an end to that practice, which belongs to another age," he said, opening the gathering of 55 African Union and 28 EU leaders.

African Union and other critics have accused the EU of creating conditions for the slave trade as well as rape and torture of migrants by encouraging Libyas UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) to detain migrants and stop them from coming to Europe.  AFP
PARIS  Muslims could make up over 11 per cent of Europes population in the coming decades, compared with just under 5 per cent currently, if legal migration levels are maintained, a report by a US-based think tank said Thursday.

The Pew Research Center, in a study entitled "Europes Growing Muslim Population" issued three projections based on different migration scenarios -- zero arrivals, "medium" flows and "high" migration.

It showed that even if all migration into Europe stopped immediately, the Muslim population of the 28-member European Union plus Norway and Switzerland would rise to 7.4 per cent from 4.9 per cent in 2016.

Europe received more than one million migrants and refugees in 2015, according to figures from the UNs refugee agency.

Most arrived from Muslim-majority nations and some rightwing political parties have upped their anti-Muslim rhetoric in their wake.

Pew, which based its projections on government data and other studies, explained the rise by saying that fertility rates were higher among Muslims, who are on average 13 years younger than non-Muslims.

The "medium" scenario was based on a return to the levels of migration seen before the refugee influx of 2015/2016.

Under that scenario the proportion of people who self-identify as Muslim was projected to more than double to 11.2 per cent of the population in 2050.

The third model was based on refugees, most of them Muslim, continuing to arrive in the record numbers seen in 2015 and 2016.

Under that scenario Muslims would account for 14 percent of Europes population in 2050, which Pew said was "still considerably smaller than the populations of both Christians and people with no religion".

The authors of the report also noted that refugee flows had already begun to decline in line with EU efforts to curb arrivals, suggesting the third outcome was unlikely.

Pews projections showed Europe being unevenly affected by migration.

If arrivals halted altogether, France -- which was home to an estimated 5.7 million Muslims (8.8 per cent) in 2016 according to the report -- would continue to have Europes largest Muslim community.

Under the "medium" scenario, Britain -- the top destination for non-refugee Muslims migration -- would pass out France while under the "high" scenario the mantle would pass to Germany, which has received over 1.5 million refugees in the past two years.

The report also highlighted the role of migration in stemming population decline in Europe.

In the absence of further migrants the population was projected to shrink from 521 million in 2016 to 482 million in 2050.

Under the "medium" scenario, it would rise to 517 million people, while in the "high" migration scenario would take it to 539 million.  AFP
WATERLOO  Two men have been sentenced in connection with a botched plot to stick up a check cashing business in March.

Patrick Earl Sumerall Jr., 22, of Waterloo, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and carrying weapons and on Monday was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.

Preston Floyd Brown, 21, of Waterloo, was granted a deferred judgment with two years probation and 90 days on work release after pleading to similar charges on Nov. 13.

Authorities said Sumerall, Brown and two others had been involved in a plan to rob Check Into Cash, 2144 University Ave., on March 4, but Waterloo police officers stopped their vehicle and found a BB gun, a pistol, rope, duct tape and masks.

Cody Leigh Carson of Evansdale pleaded and is scheduled for sentencing in December, and Brian John Bennett of Waterloo is awaiting trial.
WATERLOO  It started with a threat to shoot the dog.

He started fussing about the dog, Vickie Butler told jurors Wednesday as trial started for her ex-husband, 61-year-old Michael Fristo, who is accused of shooting her in the hip during the spat that unfolded in their Belleview Road home Oct. 27, 2016.

Butler, who had been married to Fristo for about 10 months at the time of the incident, said they had just returned from a bar following Fristos pool league. Fristo was getting something to eat, and her German shepherd was following him, hoping to score some food.

She told jurors they began arguing, he accused her of loving the dog more than him, and the matter came to shoves and punches, and the dog started to growl in response.

He said Ill shoot that damn dog, Butler said. She said he went into the basement where he kept a long gun, and Butler went upstairs to retrieve her .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver because she feared he was going to follow through with the threat.

She then went to the basement where she said she saw Fristo holding a shotgun pointed at her  prosecutors identified it was a rifle. She testified that she was holding her revolver with the finger out of the trigger guard and wasnt pointing her weapon at him.

Fristo dropped his gun and made a grab for her revolver, a struggle ensued and he pulled the weapon from her grasp, Butler said.

He pried the gun out of my hand, stood against that wall, looked me in the eye and pulled the trigger, Butler said.

I didnt feel anything when the bullet hit me, she said. I looked down on my hip and there was a pool of blood on my hip.

She said Fristo then simply walked out of the room.

He didnt say a word. He just walked away and left me there to die, she said.

She said she crawled up two flights of stairs to her room where she called 911 and waited for police and paramedics.

Prosecutor Brad Walz said investigators determined the gun was fired at Butler from a distance of 2 to 4 feet or greater.

This was not a hair trigger revolver. This was not a malfunctioning revolver, Walz told jurors.

He also said Fristo didnt attempt to help his wife or call 911.

The defense didnt deliver an opening statement to outline its case, but defense attorney James Metcalf questioned Butler about differences in her testimony  where she said both were standing when he fired  compared to a statement she gave to police shortly after the shooting where she said Fristo was standing over her.

Fristo responded she had been in shock when she talked to police immediately after the shooting.

Court records indicate Fristo later told police the revolver went off while they were struggling over it.

The trial was scheduled to continue today in Black Hawk County District Court.
DES MOINES  Iowas road to a state tax overhaul leads through Washington, D.C.

The two chairmen of the Legislatures tax-writing committees were at the Capitol this week gathering information on tax credit programs that could be part of a major overhaul of the states income tax system. The effort is contingent on what federal lawmakers do.

Im on the edge of my seat waiting for Washington, said Rep. Guy Vander Linden, R-Oskaloosa, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, who is among those monitoring work by Republicans in Congress to overhaul the federal tax code.

Changes at the national level could affect the states fiscal position given that Iowans can deduct federal tax payments from state income taxes.

Lower federal taxes would reduce the amount Iowans could deduct from their state returns  which in turn would mean a windfall for Iowas treasury.

Its going to make a lot of difference. If Washington comes up with a significant tax decrease, thats going to mean  if nothing changes  Iowa is going to have more available revenue because of federal deductibility. So, yeah, were anxious to see what happens there, Vander Linden said.

Republicans who control the Iowa Senate and Iowa House with comfortable majorities and GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds are in the process of formulating their agenda for the 2018 legislative session, which they have indicated will have revamping Iowas tax code as one of its key items if Congress acts in time.

Theres a lot of uncertainty, a lot of gray area right now. I think everybodys goal is to do whatever we can to help stimulate our economy and to always put more money in peoples pockets, said Sen. Randy Feenstra, R-Hull, chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

There are a lot of things that are predicated on what can be done and what cant be done, he added. Obviously, we have to look at what the feds do and we also have to look at the revenue currently coming into our state and what the expenditures are.

The state Revenue Estimating Conference set a preliminary growth forecast in October for fiscal 2019 state tax collections at nearly $7.43 billion. The panel meets again Dec. 11 to finalize the official level available for budgeting by the governor and Legislature next session.

Sen. Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, ranking member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and a member of the Legislatures Tax Expenditure Committee that met Monday to review state tax credit programs, said she has heard Statehouse Republicans plan to pursue a tax package next session, but details have not been made available.

The question is: is it a reform package or is it a cut package, because there is a difference. If youre going to reform a system, then youre going to make sure that people who are paying a higher percentage of their income in taxes actually see a reduction; and that credits and taxes that arent working in the way that they were designed to, then do we have the courage to get rid of it? asked Jochum.

Another question is how tax changes fit into a fiscal situation where state government already has had to borrow from its reserves because tax receipts are growing less than expected.

The bottom line is, are we going to have the money to continue to invest in our childrens education, in their health care and in public safety in our neighborhoods? she asked. To me, those should be our first priorities and from there you reform a system.
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[contentcards url=https://themoscowtimes.com/news/in-russia-you-freeze-on-your-way-to-school-59675]

Beats any, I walked through 10 feet of snow and fought off a wolf going to school when I was little!

Right grandpa?

It was minus 50 this morning, all children are studying, the Oymyakon administration told the news site.

Get up, go to school kids, it could be worse

I thought -35 in the Tiny Russian Village was a little rough

I miss TRV

WtR
Jordan to consider deployment of X-energy SMR

29 November 2017

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The Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with X-energy to assess the US company's small modular reactor (SMR). They will look at the potential deployment of X-energy's Xe-100 high temperature gas-cooled pebble bed modular reactor in Jordan.

The Xe-100 is a 200 MWt (75 MWe) reactor, which X-energy envisages being built as a standard "four-pack" plant generating about 300 MWe. The plant will use 'pebbles' of fuel containing Triso fuel particles. Each Triso particle has a kernel of uranium oxycarbide (also known as UCO) enriched to 15.5% uranium-235, encased in carbon and ceramic layers which prevent the release of radioactivity. The layers provide each particle with its own independent containment system, while the graphite surrounding the particles moderates the nuclear reaction. Such fuel cannot melt down.

A cutaway of the Xe-100 reactor design

(Image: X-energy)

JAEC chairman Khaled Toukan said, "The HTR's potential, once implemented, provides Jordan with opportunities that include both electric generation and non-electric utilisation such as water desalination and industrial applications and is the nexus between 3rd and 4th generation technologies."

X-energy CEO Kam Ghaffarian said, "Delivery of our Xe-100 for electricity, water desalination and other thermal applications in Jordan represents a breakthrough for the advanced nuclear reactor industry."

He added, "As we work to bring our Xe-100 to markets worldwide, we will continue to create alliances with other potential customers that share the Kingdom of Jordan's goal for clean air, fresh water and energy security. This MoU is a demonstration of our commitment to provide distributed and clean energy solutions to countries like Jordan."

US research into high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) began in the 1940s at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and X-energy's reactor design builds on earlier US Department of Energy (DoE) studies. Demonstration HTGR plants of various designs have operated in Germany, the UK and the USA, and two are currently operable - Japan's HTTR, and China's HTR-10.

In January, X-energy was awarded cost-shared funding of $53 million over five years from the DoE to support the development of the Xe-100, working in partnership with BWX Technology, Oregon State University, Teledyne-Brown Engineering, SGL Group, Idaho National Laboratory and ORNL.

In September, Greenbelt, Maryland-based X-energy signed an MoU with uranium enrichment company Centrus. Under the MoU, the two parties will work towards the development of a fabrication facility to provide Triso fuel for the Xe-100 reactor. The companies will jointly prepare a deployment plan for the fuel technology; design a cost-effective, highly automated manufacturing process line; and seek funding for a future commercial fuel production facility.

Jordan, which relies on imports to meet some 90% of its energy needs, plans to build a nuclear power plant, comprising two 1000 MWe units, in the Amra region, about 70 kilometres east of Amman. It is aiming to have the first unit in operation by 2021 and a second one by 2025. Jordan has already selected Russia as the preferred bidder for the plant. Russia will also make a significant investment in the plant.

Small reactors are also on Jordan's agenda. In November 2013, JAEC said it would build several small reactors of about 180 MWe capacity. In March this year, an agreement between JAEC and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy was signed for a feasibility study on construction of two SMRs in Jordan. Earlier this month, JAEC signed an MoU with Rolls-Royce to conduct a feasibility study for the construction of an SMR.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
We conduct four Christmas Bird Counts in our part of Northern California, the first of which is the Fall River Christmas Bird Count coming up in just about two weeks. In contemplation of this event, my Audubon chapter scheduled an outing to Fall River and McArthur (location of the previously posted Snow Bunting  see map).

We began birding at Fall River overlook, a vista parking area overlooking a canyon. We often find Canyon Wren there but not this day. We did however spot a few Stellers Jays (Cyanocitta stelleri) and some Dark-eyed Juncos.

Next stop would be Fall River Lake where we were hoping to find some reported rarities. We noted a Barrows Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) drake (featured image above) amongst several Common Goldeneyes (Bucephala clangula) on the river leading to the lake.

Among the many species seen on the lake were Common Loon (Gavia immer), Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis), Clarks Grebe (Aechmorphorus clarkii) 

and Bonapartes Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)  this one photographed at Don Edwards NWR.

Did I forget to mention seeing California Quail (Callipepla californica) 

and Black-billed Magpie (Pica pica) on the way into the lake?

Leaving Fall River, past the local Bank Swallow nesting site, we head over to Rat Farm Road, a hot spot for raptors, leading to Horr Pond and Big Lake. We did see several Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) and American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) but no Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) which I know are there since I just spotted one a couple of weeks ago. We also see Rough-legged Hawks (Buteo lagopus) here during the winter but not this day.

At Big Lake we saw thousands of American Coots (Fulica americana) and huge flocks of Red-winged (Agelaius phoeniceus) and Brewers (Euphagus cyanocephalus) Blackbirds as well as American Goldfinches (Spinus tristis) and Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola).

Heading out Island Road to Eastman Lake we got Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus), Greater white-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons), the Rough-legged Hawk, a Merlin (Falco columbarius) and Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens).

One of the first birds we spotted upon arriving at Eastman Lake was a Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator), a rare bird to see inland here. We also added several Pied-billed Grebes (Podilymbus podiceps) and a handful of Eared Grebes (Podiceps nigricollis).

A flock of thirty-six Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) were obvious, roosting on the edge of the lake.

All in all, eight enthusiastic birders had a great time, and I got a lifer! Back at Fall River Lake a Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) had been reported hanging out for the past few days, but it had been hunkered down and difficult to find. We met an out of town birder on the way in who had heard the bird calling adjacent to the parking area, so thats where we looked. We all got out of our vehicles and spread out, waiting for a glimpse of the rare bird.

The sparrow popped up right in front of me for about five seconds as I called out I got it! Unfortunately, by the time the others came over, the bird dove back down into the brush, never to be seen again. Of course I had no time to get a photograph but here is the Swamp Sparrow from Wikipedia.

LUCKY ME !
Nov 30, 2017 | By Tess

The first ever fully 3D printed satellite to be launched from the International Space Station (ISS) has successfully completed its mission. The satellite, called Tubesat-POD (or TuPOD, for short), was developed through a collaboration between GAUSS, Teton Aerospace (Tetonsys), CRP USA, and JAXA.

(Image: JAXA / NASA)

The 3D printed TuPOD was created as a solution for launching TubeSats (compact cylindrical-shaped satellites from the ISS). As TubeSats were not compatible with the ISS CubeSat deployer platform (P-POD), the challenge arose to design a launching pod that could hold and release at least two TubeSats.

The TuPOD was specifically conceived of by Italian company GAUSS (Group of Astrodynamics for the Use of Space Systems) and California-based Tetonsys, which were approached by a team of Brazilian students seeking a launch solution for its TANCREDO-1 TubeSat.

(Image: Tetonys)

After much development and testing, the TuPOD was ultimately 3D printed from CRP USAs Windform XT 2.0 carbon reinforced composite material. The satellite was produced by Tetonsys and GAUSS with support from both CRP USA and Moreheard State University (MSU) which helped prepare it for launch.

Windform XT 2.0, which is part of CRP USAs family of high performance Windform materials, was reportedly a crucial element to successfully creating the TuPOD satellite device, largely because of its conductive properties and its ability to be machined post-printing. Though originally developed for motorsport applications, Windform XT 2.0 apparently has the potential to be used for aerospace projects.

(Images: GAUSS (left), Tetonys (right))

Using Windform XT 2.0 material in the 3D manufacturing of TuPOD was one of the best decisions we have made, explained Amin Djamshidpour, co-Founder of Tetonsys. During the prototyping phase and even the final manufacturing, we got into multiple situations that we needed to drill the part or make small modifications to the 3D printed structure and working with Windform XT 2.0 gave us the ability to do so.

Once the TuPOD was equipped with the TANCREDO-1 as well as the OSNSAT TubeSat, which was developed by the Open Space Network, it was scheduled to be sent up to space as part of JAXAs JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD), which itself was launched into space aboard the KOUNOTORI 6 autonomous space craft.

Once the craft had reached the space station, the TuPOD was subsequently launched from the ISS through JAXAs KIBO experimental module.

(Image: GAUSS)

Within 83 hours of its launch from the ISS, the TuPOD successfully deployed its two TubeSats and transmitted a beacon signal for four days until its primary mission was complete and the primary batteries depleted. Since then, sources say the 3D printed satellite launcher has fallen out of orbit and has burned up safely upon re-entering the Earths atmosphere, as planned.

TuPOD mission was scheduled to work up to one week, and it worked more than the expected time, said Chantal Cappelletti, Project Manager GAUSS. Since the system was not equipped with solar cells, it was impossible to survive more than a few days. We can consider the TuPOD mission itself a great success since it sent message for more time than expected.

(Image: JAXA / NASA)

The mission not only marks the first time a fully 3D printed satellite has completed a launch mission from the ISS, but also the first time that TubeSats have been successfully launched into space. The TuPOD is the first launching device for TubeSats.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Jacob Hamburger at The Point:

Allan Bloom was an elitist. He saw himself as a champion of excellence in an age of vulgarity. While a professor at the University of Chicago between 1979 and 1992, he sought to immerse his students in only the most classic works of philosophy and literature. Someone looking to define the Western canon could do worse than to dig up his course syllabi. In his personal style, he embodied high culture nearly to the point of caricature. His friend Saul Bellow captured him in the novel Ravelstein as a man who wore expensive European suits, lived in a Hyde Park apartment lavishly decorated with French art, and bragged of listening to Mozart on a state-of-the-art stereo system. A lifelong Francophile, he made regular jaunts to Paris over the course of four decades. Yet Bloom insisted that for all his erudition, he was merely a product of Americas democratic promise. Well into his fifties, he often spoke of himself as a simple Midwestern boy, the Indiana-born son of Jewish immigrants who received the best gift a meritocratic democracy could offer: a great education. Bloom thought of himself as proof that, thanks to its universities, anyone can make it in America.

So when thirty years ago Bloom addressed a group of Harvard students and faculty as fellow elitists, he was not being entirely ironic. The quip came in response to controversies surrounding his 1987 best seller The Closing of the American Mind, which defended an idiosyncratic vision of higher education in the United States. Bloom saw the liberal education traditionally offered at exclusive colleges and universities as the fulfillment of democratic ideals, but condemned his fellow professors for having abandoned this crucial responsibility.

more here.
Our country is developing not because of politicians, political parties or propagandist TV channels, but because the youth are engaged in studies, body building and following their parents and teachers.

In the morning, by 7 oclock, when I step out of my house to buy milk and the newspaper, I see boys and girls are rushing to school, well dressed, well groomed, with a smile on their faces and water bottles tugged in their bags, girls well groomed with do chotiya (tightly braided hair) and spring in their stride.

Population control, control on ownership of big private vehicles (SUVs), collection, segregation and disposal of garbage are important jobs for our government. In our society, the lady who comes to collect garbage is punctual; she reaches sharp 7 oclock in morning all year round, also while passing by me, she never ever failed to say, Namaste uncle.

Providing clean drinking water to citizens is the prime duty of any government but we are way behind in this.

Many times I wrote here urging our government to call in several foreign experts but they dont do it fearing exposure (I suppose).

Derailment of trains is regular but I read that they are employing contractual labours and their compensations are pending. In 2015-16, a majority of train accidents were caused due to derailments (60 per cent), followed by accidents at level crossings (33 per cent). Various committees such as the High Level Safety Review Committee in 2012 (chaired by Anil Kakodkar) and the Standing Committee on Railways have looked at the aspect of safety in the Indian Railways and made certain recommendations. We are good at issuing tenders and devouring the cuts. We cant do much ourselves.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, who holds office in the Assam state government, said that cancer is caused by bad deeds in previous birth. Our country is developing such idiots. Yoga guru Baba Ramdev also stood by Assam Health Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma and said it is true people have to bear and endure for what they do in their life. He added, Everything is related to deeds, our birth and death are related to deeds. For disease there are several reasons and one of the reasons is Karma.

We need to train up our youth for high skills, modern skills and for this, bringing in foreign technicians is a must, in large numbers. If we dont do it, we wont develop.

Our doctors are very good. These days I am visiting Sion hospital and see how good are the doctors in OPD 9 and 10. We must select and train more doctors and encourage foreigners to come to India for treatment.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
US and Chinese generals on Thursday engaged in an unusual set of security talks, just hours after North Koreas most powerful missile test yet, focused on how the mighty American and Chinese militaries might communicate in a crisis.

As President Donald Trump greeted the Norths launching of another intercontinental ballistic missile with familiar demands for China to get tougher with its ally, the low- profile and unpublicised meeting at the National Defence University in Washington was taking place amid signs

China is more willing to discuss how the two world powers would manage an even worse emergency on the divided Korean Peninsula.

The Pentagon stressed the talks were scheduled long before North Koreas surprise missile launch in the early hours in Asia.

Officials insisted the dialogue wasnt centred on North Korea or anything else in particular.

Trump has vowed to prevent North Korea from having the capability to strike the US mainland with a nuclear-tipped missile or using military force if necessary.

He is running out of time: Some experts said the missile fired on a high trajectory that splashed down in the Sea of Japan showed North Koreas ability to strike Washington and the entire US Eastern Seaboard.

The threat of a military confrontation is making China rethink its resistance to discussing contingencies involving North Korea, according to experts. Such discussions have long been off-limits for Beijing, which fought on North Koreas side against the United States in the 1950-53 Korean War and remains its treaty ally.

In a phone conversation with Trump on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his desire for a diplomatic resolution to the standoff with North Korea.

The US and China agreed on the talks when Dunford met with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing in August. While in China, Dunford observed a Chinese military drill at Shenyang, about 120 miles from the North Korean border, an unusual stop for an official visit.
As the Gujarat elections are nearing, the blame game too has gone bad to worst between Congress and BJP. Indians Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is BJPs campaigner, has crossed all the boundaries of attack from Indira Gandhi to Rahul Gandhi; this time Modi was at his nastiest by using all sorts of adjectives for Gandhi family. Controverting Rahul Gandhis relentless Gabbar Singh Tax (GST) jibes, Modi heaped accusation on him stating that only those who have looted the country for 70 years can think of dacoits. Modi even labelled Congress GST demand for 18 per cent uniform tax as a Grand Stupid Thought and said the party has become a liability on the nation as it has always thrived on dynasty, corruption and casteism. Later in Navsari, he poked fun at Tuesdays Sholay-style protests by stating that they are remembering Gabbar Singh, we remember Sardar Patel. It depends on whom one wants to relate with. A couple of hours later, Rahul Gandhi hit back at Modi in Visavadar saying Congress had insisted on uniform 18 per cent GST, but opposed taxing all items consumed by the poor tooth and nail. However, he stuck to the Gabbar Singh jibe and said, Just the way Gabbar Singh carried out dacoities at 12 midnight, the same way you implemented GST at midnight. Anyways, Indian politics and politicians are not to be understood. No sensible person ever becomes part of it.

Looking at the present scenario we need to understand that Gujarat politics is far more than Jignesh Mevani, Hardik Patel, and Alpesh Thakor or Rahul Gandhi. BJP will not easily let go or lose here. They are taking no risk, their efforts are made to sustain. The Congress is leaderless in Gujarat. A possible face for CM candidate of the Congress is Bharatsinh Solanki because of his father Madhav Singh Solanki (Four times CM of Gujarat and former External Affairs Minister of India). Solanki himself was a Minister in UPA-2 government. He is considered to be close to Sonia Gandhi and Ahmed Patel camp. The next big face of the Congress is Shaktisinh Gohil. Ideally, this man deserves more than what he has been offered so far from the party. He is a very good speaker and arguably the best speaker of INC Gujarat. Recently he was in the news when he challenged two votes in recently held Gujarat Rayja Sabha elections and helped Ahmed Patel win the election. Despite the facts, he has been ignored by the Congress. The rumours are that he is going to fight the elections against Jitu Vaghani-the President of BJP Gujarat. Though Shaktisinh defeated Jitu Vaghani in 2007 when he later fought his first election, in 2012 election Jitu Vaghani won the election by the largest margin in whole Saurashtra Region. So again Shaktisinh has been allocated the seat where he will face a Patidar Giant, Jitu Vaghani. Shankersinh Vaghela was the latest stalwart resigned from the Congress. He was known in Gujarat as the front-runner for CM candidate of the Congress, but Bharatsinh and Ahmed Patel camp are said to have opposed this. So Bapu has formed the third front mainly to weaken the Congress.

In between, soon after the Patidar Andolan, Alpesh Thakor founded the OSS (OBC, ST, SC) Ekta Manch mainly to oppose the move to include Patidars in OBC category. He has joined the Congress recently. This move has upset many open category organisations. It should be noted that Alpesh Thakor and his father both were Congress supporters even before agitation. But Congress wanted 51 per cent share of OBC category and went ahead. On the other hand many Patidar Andolan leaders left Hardik Patel due to his arrogant behaviour, and separate movements are being run for the same cause but by the different leaders. He was barred from entering Gujarat for six months by the high court in the sedition case. Hardik indirectly supports the Congress though he has denied joining with. So the inclusion of Hardik in the Congress as an indirect force has not gone well with other communities. It should be noted here that both Alpesh Thakor and Hardik Patel are coming from a city/village-Viramgam.

The Open Category is the main supporters of the BJP. The argument is rather simple that the Congress introduced the Reservation system then how can they support in their fight against reservation. Many Patidars are still in dilemma over this element. This will be the First Election since 2002 when Modi will not be the CM candidate of Gujarat. It can be said that Modi was single-handedly winning the elections for the BJP. So the most loved son of Gujarat will surely be missed as far as BJP is concerned. Moreover Amit Shah also will not be there. Vijay Rupani was chosen as the CM after Anandiben resigned. He has a clean image and hails from a Jain community. So both Patidars and OSS couldnt fight over his appointment. But the fact is that he is very weak compared to Modi and is said to be acting on advice from the Centre only. Arrogance of local BJP leaders has tarnished BJP; many BJP leaders after successive assembly wins have become arrogant. The workers not being answered properly by elected members.

After Patidar agitation, many other communities were furious over violence and Bandhs called by the Patidars. Anandiben Patel was accused of not taking appropriate actions as she is a Patidar and she had to resign after such allegations. Many cases were registered against Patidars for violence in which several Patidars and Police personnel lost their lives. But the BJP government dropped charges against the Patidars a few days back. This hasnt gone well with other communities. The Government is accused of appeasing the Patidars. The move is also criticised for disheartening the Police force. Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor, and Jignesh Mevani have political aspirations whether they admit or not. There is enough evidence which prove their earlier political inclination. Although a few but their respective community persons have accepted them as their leaders. The OBC front will be deciding factor over almost 70 seats out of 182. Patidars will have their say in North Gujarat and Saurashtra region. The BJP will be hopeful of the Vote bank division as it will be advantageous to them. Despite all the facts, BJP might edge Congress by few seats. Talk about the Gujarat development and Gujarat Model as long as you want but ultimately caste-politics will override development agenda at the time of elections. Two things are clear after a fortnight on the campaign trail: One, both parties are confident in public and confused in private. Two, Hindutva is getting replaced with caste identity, depriving the BJP of its biggest weapon.

Surat textile businessmen have always supported the BJP. Most of these businessmen have evaded the tax and became rich. But after GST, the textile is under 5 per cent slab of GST. Losing crores of rupees is not what any businessmen will want. So the vote bank of these people will surely swing. The BJP keeps floating trial balloons in the political stratosphere filled with its favourite poll cocktail. It keeps talking about Rohingya, Kashmir, Pakistan and giving Gujarat a curfew-free life, as Shah claimed this past week in Navsari near Surat. At its election rallies, songs talking of a Hindutva surge are played on loop.

The Congress, for a change, has smartly stayed away from the Hindutva debate. Its leader Rahul has tried to neutralise the partys pro-Muslim tag by visiting temples, invoking the name of Lord Shiva, appearing in public with vermilion dots on his forehead and not referring to Godhra or Gujarat riots. The focus has been on the economy, unemployment and aspirations of Dalits, Patidars and other caste groups. The strategy has, so far, succeeded in keeping the narrative away from the traditional communal fault lines. All this, juxtaposed with 22 years of anti-incumbency, slowdown in the economy and quota stirs, has confounded the BJP.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@afternoonvoice.com)
This book is a masterpiece and a must-read for anyone with concerns about the safety and efficacy of vaccines.



Stephanie Seneff, PhD, senior research scientist, MIT



Leave a comment and enter to win a copy. New from Skyhorse Publishing. Buy now!



Richard Moskowitz, MD, is a family physician who received his BA from Harvard, Phi Beta Kappa, his MD from New York University, and a US Steel Fellowship in Philosophy at the University of Colorado. He has been in private practice since 1967. After studying herbs, Japanese acupuncture, and other holistic modalities, he has specialized in homeopathic medicine since 1974, and has written four previous books and over a hundred articles on homeopathy, midwifery, natural healing, and the philosophy of medicine. He resides in Boston, Massachusetts.



An experienced family doctor reexamines the risks and benefits of vaccines and our public health policy.



Dr. Richard Moskowitz, a Harvard-educated family doctor with more than forty-five years of clinical experience treating children, examines vaccines and our current policy regarding them. His book Vaccines (Skyhorse Publishing hardcover; September 19, 2017; $27.99) offers an ensemble of observed facts, clinical and basic science research, news reports from the media, and actual cases from his practice, Dr. Moskowitz provides an overview of the subject in a respectful and thoughtfully reasoned manner.



He shows how vaccines, by their very nature, have a major downside that has largely been ignored and is built into their design, and explores how it is reckless to continue mandating them until their dangers are taken seriously, understood in a broader context, and assessed in a more careful and systematic fashion.



He also presents evidence that the risks of vaccination are compounded by the concerted efforts of pharmaceutical companies, the CDC, and the doctors who speak for them to keep them hidden. Writing with a sense of urgency, Dr. Moskowitz advocates for making vaccines optional, while the country seems to be moving in the opposite direction. He believes that parents should be able to exercise their moral and legal right to choose which treatments are appropriate for their children, and which diseases, if any, to vaccinate their children against. Above all, he hopes to promote a healthy debate and to encourage more of the rigorous scientific work that still needs to be done.








Rape and Forced Conversion, How One Assyrian Woman Survived ISIS

( Bethnahrin Women's Protection Forces) The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has saved an Assyrian/Syriac woman who had been missing for three years. She hails from Qaraqosh in the Nineveh Plains, Northern Iraq-the part of the country where the indigenous community was nearly wiped out following the invasion of ISIS. Rita Habib Ayyoub was rescued from a village close to the city of Deir ez-Zur in Syria. While anxiously awaiting a reunion with her family in Iraq, she is being cared for by an Assyrian/Syriac women's organization in northeast Syria.

"When ISIS invaded Qaraqosh, my father and I were kidnapped by the terrorists. They took us to a hospital in the city of Mosul. They split the women and the men up. I haven't heard anything about my father since."

"My name is Rita. The terrorists changed my name to Maria. I am 30 years old. In the hospital in Mosul, we women were subjected to the most degrading abuse. Three children from my people were with me, and I witnessed them being sold to emirs in Mosul. I was sold to Abu Mus'ab al-Iraqi. In his home, there was also a Yazidi girl from Sinjar named Shata...she was only 14 years old. He raped the both of us over and over again."

"He made us watch videos with terrorists slaughtering non-Muslims. In one of them, they were beheading Shata's brother."

"After six months, Abu Mus'ab sold me to another terrorist, and I was transported to Raqqa, Syria. But he did not keep me...he sold me to a third terrorist, a Saudi named Abu Khalid al-Saudi."

"Abu Khalid was married to a woman from Morocco. I was beaten and tortured by her every day. She would not give up until I was bleeding, from my head, for example. They made me read the Quran and threatened to kill me if I did not convert to Islam."

"After four months in Raqqa, I was transported to Abu Kamal, on the border between Syria and Iraq. I was there for a year and four months, then I was moved once more, this time to the village of outside of Deir ez-Zur."

Qaraqosh, also known as Baghdede, was emptied of it's Assyrian/Syriac/Chaldean Christian population when ISIS invaded in the summer of 2014. Most managed to flee. Others disappeared without a trace. The fear was that all those who were missing had been killed, but some have miraculously been rescued, a majority of whom have been found in Iraq. Rita Habib Ayyub is the first known survivor to have been found in Syria. In an interview conducted earlier today by Gozarto Bethnahrin of Syria, the Assyrian/Christian women's organization, she shared details of the horrors she encountered at the hands of the terrorists over the last three years.The ISIS leaders are called emirs. The rapes and sexual abuse was not enough. The emir, Abu Mus'ab, enjoyed torturing them in more ways than that. She continued.After half a year, he got tired of Rita and felt that it was time to earn some money off of her.In the Al-Saudi household, she was routinely beaten severely by the terrorist's first wife. And the quest to forcefully convert her to Islam began again.A few months later, she was sold again.It was there that the SDF managed to rescue Rita.

Babilona Khosravi from Sweden, Diana Sarkisian from Australia and Nathan Kalasho from USA contributed to this report
Thermal container specialist va-Q-tec has signed an agreement with Mexican flag carrier Aeromexico Cargo to offer door to door cold chain solutions to pharmaceutical and life science customers.

Aeromexico Cargo now offers va-Q-tainer units directly, providing six temperature ranges from -70C to +25C in five sizes, with space for up to two US pallets. They offer constant temperature control for several days without using external energy sources.

Joachim Kuhn, chief executive of va-Q-tec, said: Pharma is a significant industry segment in Mexico and the country is the eleventh largest global market for pharmaceutical productsThe increased global connectivity we will achieve through our partnership with Aeromexico Cargo helps underpin our strategy for the Americas.

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SAS Automotive Systems is coming to Tuscaloosa County, bringing 170 jobs.

The German-based global auto supplier, which assembles cockpit modules, will support production of Mercedes-Benz's next generation SUV in Alabama.

The Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority (TCIDA) made the announcement, along with the Alabama Department of Commerce.

SAS COO Francois Barthel said in a statement that company is "more than happy to contribute to the great success story of Alabama's auto production that started right in the very plant where we will be supplying components for Mercedes-Benz's next generation of SUVs."

Mercedes is currently wrapping up a $1.3 billion expansion for SUV production.

According to the company, SAS engineers are already on-site at the Tuscaloosa County Mercedes-Benz plant to streamline processes prior to first assembly trials, which are scheduled for the beginning of next year.

Production will begin later in 2018. Hiring will begin soon for 160 shop-floor workers with SAS. The company already has cockpit module businesses in California and Michigan.

"SAS Automotive Systems is a premier global automotive supplier and its locating here in Tuscaloosa County speaks well of a strong and capable workforce in a pro-business environment," TCIDA Chairman Claude Edwards said.

Gov. Kay Ivey said Alabama is grateful for the jobs created as part of the project.

"Alabama's thriving auto manufacturing industry continues to attract world-class supplier businesses like SAS Automotive Systems, whose new Tuscaloosa County presence will join the company's global operating network," Ivey said.
At least once every couple of months, I update you guys on what's going on in the world of Bigfoot. Why? Because it tickles me. And also so you will be up-to-date on the topic for your next dinner party.

This week, I not only have some reports from the interwebs, but some personal accounts from readers, as well. Y'all know I get some weird emails, right?

But first let's address a report about yetis, which are really just white Sasqui.

(A quick reminder of my plural guide: Bigfoot and Sasquatch = Sasqui; Yeti= Yeti.)

Yeti are the winterized versions of the big critters, who live in snowy, mountainous regions. They are sometimes referred to as Abominable Snowmen, and sometimes as Not Really Real At All.

Yeti believers got quite a blow recently when a scientist examined an array of bones collected in the Himalayans over the years that were purported to be from Yeti. Biologist Charlotte Lindqvist, asked by a company that produced episodes for the show "Yeti or Not," did DNA testing and found the nine bones were from ... wait for it ... bears. Well, all except a large tooth that came from a dog.

But don't despair, Yeti groupies.

*** Tangent alert *** Here are some good names for your Yeti-hunting club, if you were stumped: Yeti Bettys (all female), Yeti Cadetis (camo-wearing), Ready for Yeti (generic), Yeti Quarteti (group of four), Yeti Cigarettis (for smokers) ... I could do this all day. You're welcome. Tangent over. ***

Only this week, Sweetums and I heard from two people who have critter troubles. One is a woman in Clanton, Ala., who said a swamp monster is eating her cats. I'm not making fun of her, really I'm not, because she says she's not messing with me and is truly having a problem.

She wrote: "It's big, it sounds scary, but I've seen it twice, the first time I was scared and it looked sad and walked away. The second time I spoke to it and it was scared and ran away ... [it's] tall, apx 7-8 feet and apx 500-600 lbs ... It has a hairy face but its body is sleek and smooth with long fur/hair. It has been dark but it looks to be black, and has very long finger nails or claws."

She said she doesn't want the creature killed. "I will continue to try to make peaceful contact I kind of think it's like the Beast in 'Beauty and the Beast'; it's not really mean, just completely misunderstood. Otherwise it would have hurt me by now as I have given it several opportunities to do so."

Sweetums wants to go visit her and look for evidence. Of course he does. (As I often say, you really don't want to look too closely inside our lives.)

A couple of days after that email, Sweetums got a text from a friend who owns a zoo saying a guy in Florida contacted him about a family of Skunk Apes that live behind his house in Florida. Skunk Apes, y'all. For those who aren't familiar with mythical creatures, these are Sasqui that are unique to Florida (because of course Florida would have its own brand of Bigfoot) and smell bad enough to knock a buzzard off a gut wagon.

So Sweetums called this guy, who lives near Destin, Florida, because ... really, did you expect him to ignore the phrase "Skunk Ape family"?

Here's what the man said: There are three Skunk Apes living in an abandoned house in the woods - a father, a mother and a baby that is about the size of an average human. One of them looked in his window, frightening his wife.

He also said the ape apparently longs for a home-cooked meal. One night when his wife was cooking meatloaf, the couple heard loud banging on their front door. When they looked, there were dents in the door. The man "picked up a sword and ran outside yelling, 'Get out of here ape'" because he didn't know what else to do. (Pro tip: Always have a sword handy if you live in a Bigfoot-prone region).

This guy is also a right-to-lifer - he just wants the family run off so it will stop messing with his family.

I am hoping Sweetums doesn't want to go to Destin but I don't have much confidence in that. And, if we're to be honest, I'm not the type to pass up the chance to see a baby Skunk Ape soooo ... be on the lookout for photos on our social media accounts. Probably of me in a beachside hammock with a margarita but you never know.

Kelly Kazek's humor columns appear regularly on AL.com and in The Huntsville Times, The Birmingham News and The Press-Register in Mobile. Find her on Facebook or follow her humor columns on Pinterest here. You can also follow her blog here.
Dewayne Price, left, was shot and killed by his older brother, Jeremiah Price, on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. Jeremiah Price then killed himself.

A fight between two brothers turned deadly Thursday afternoon.

One young Birmingham man shot his brother in front of their Fountain Heights apartment, and then turned the gun on himself. The fatal bloodshed, police said, all happened in front of their mother.

"The mom is heartbroken. She said they got to scuffling in the house and they got separated and once they went outside, she heard the gunshot,'' said Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper. "She walked out there and one son is lying on the ground and the other son committed suicide right in front of her."

Police identified the brothers as Dewayne Price, 22, and Jeremiah Price, 24. Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards said Jeremiah Price shot Dewayne Price and then killed himself.

The shootings happened about 1 p.m. outside an apartment complex in the 1200 block of 12th Street North. Both brothers were pronounced dead on the scene.

The killing is Birmingham's 98th homicide this year, compared to 104 last year. Of those, at least five have been ruled justifiable and therefore aren't deemed criminal. Countywide, there have been 152 homicides this year, surpassing 2016's total of 151.

Roper described the murder-suicide as a tragedy for the family, and a tragedy for the community. "It's absolutely mind-boggling how cheap life has become, even in a family situation with two brothers arguing over someone owing money," Roper said. And when it's all over, it's all over, both are lying there side by side in the yard dead. It's not a police issue. It's bigger than a police department. It's a community issue and one that we won't solve just relying on the police department alone."

Roper said obviously it is a tragedy that will take time for the family to process. "This is heartbreaking. The bottom line is it's really beyond words,'' he said. "It's something we can't even process and understand how this situation could end in both brothers being dead."

"It's unfortunate in our society, in modern society, we see violence but when it's this close and personal, when it affects one family, it's difficult to deal with,'' the chief said. "Now they have to plan two funerals and pull the family together to try to get through that."

Roper said the violence is not only heartbreaking, it's also challenging. When these happen, you always think this is going to be the one that is the clarion call , that will change people and touch their hearts but then we go to the next scene,'' he said. "We've got to change hearts and minds and we're all struggling with this incident, this gun violence that has really gripped our society."
A former University of Alabama professor was sentenced to federal prison today for possessing child pornography.

Nikos Pappas pleaded guilty in July to two counts of receiving and possessing child pornography. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Scott Coogler to serve a total of 72 months in prison, and ordered to remain on supervised release for the rest of his life.

At the time of his arrest in May, 41-year-old Pappas was a music professor at UA. Investigators previously said hundreds of images were found on two of Pappas' computers. Court records show a laptop from his Tuscaloosa home contained more than 100 videos of child pornography, some showing sex acts with very young children. A second computer, located at Pappas' university office, contained more than 150 images and at least 25 videos of child pornography.

UA spokesman Chris Bryant said Pappas was placed on leave Sept. 22, 2016, when the school became aware of the investigation. Officially, he was fired May 15, 2017, which was the end of the academic year.

Pappas' attorney Tommy Spina said, "Suffice it to say, that we are very grateful for the below guideline sentence handed down by the judge today. There were a number of mitigating factors that justified a variance from the advisory guideline sentencing range provided for by the United States sentencing guidelines."

The maximum penalty each charge is five to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. One of the charges carried a mandatory minimum sentence of five years.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ward prosecuted the case.
Details of the 2009 murder of 23-year-old aspiring rapper Robert Tucker in an Inglenook back yard are as vivid to his mother today as they were that November morning.

The memories and the pain are everlasting, as is the family's quest for justice. Eight years later, the killer remains free. "I just want to know why,'' said the victim's mother, Audrey Tucker. "Robert wouldn't hurt a flea unless they were bothering his family, and he proved that. He was a great man."

Tuckers mother, sisters, brother and nephew met with the media Wednesday in hopes of bringing new life to the cold case. Audrey Tucker recalled the events of that night, and following morning, that took the life of her youngest child and forever changed the lives of the entire family.

Then a dental assistant, Audrey Tucker loaded the washing machine with her scrubs to get them clean for the coming week of work. Her sinuses were bothering her, so she took a Benadryl to help ease the pressure. It was about 10:30 p.m.

"Right at the point where I laid down, I remembered I was washing clothes,'' she said. "I told him, 'If you're still away, put my clothes in the dryer for me.' He looked at and said, 'I got you lady, go to bed.' That was our last conversation."

She awoke at 1:40 a.m. to use the restroom. "I could see the TV up that hallway was on, so I just assumed he fell asleep watching the TV,'' she recalled.

His keys were still on the table, so she looked around the house but didn't see him. Though he would go outside of the house to smoke a cigarette, the front door was locked and bolted so his mom knew that wasn't the case.

Puzzled but not concerned, Audrey Tucker went to check on her clothes. She noticed the back door was cracked, which was unusual, and opened it to find the storm door wide open and pinned against the house. "I stepped out on the porch, and I could see something in my yard. It looked like a stuffed animal,'' she said. "I went back in and put some clothes on and grabbed a flashlight and then I shined the light on my baby. I just couldn't leave him there. I did have enough composure to call 911 and I did call my sister. At that point I lost it."

She said she doesn't know how long she stayed on the ground, next to her son. "I just couldn't move. My body was numb. Aside from that, I didn't want to move. That was my baby,'' she said. "There was a thin stream of blood running from his mouth, but he just looked asleep."

Audrey Tucker said she later worried that had she woken up earlier and heard something, she maybe could have saved him. "But the coroner's report said it was instant. It hit his artery and severed it in half and he stopped breathing before the bullet was lodged in his heart and he was already gone,'' she said. "There wasn't anything I could have done, but it took a long time for me to accept that."

She said her home had been burglarized more than a half-dozen times, and her youngest son had come home to "protect her." She believes her son was killed when he confronted someone was trying to break into her home. He was on the phone with his girlfriend at the time who heard someone demand his money.

"He was my hero,'' she said. "As someone was attempting to take something from me in the middle of the night, he was the one who was attempting to save me. He was fighting them off and it ended badly."

"He sacrificed himself to protect his mother, and how great is that? That's what God did with His son. He sacrificed His son for all of us,'' she said. "My son thought enough of me to give his life for that. He told me that he would."

Audrey Tucker was amazingly candid about the effects of her son's murder. "I have been suicidal, and every time I would take the razor blade to my vein, it was like I could hear Robert saying, 'Really mama? You going to let me sacrifice myself to keep you here and you're going to take yourself out?' And that somehow always eased my hand away,'' she said. "It's been really, really hard."

"I never went back to that house,'' she said. "I walked away from my mortgage, from my everything and I lost my mind,'' she said.

Ultimately, she moved to Houston, went to therapy and started taking anti-depressants. She said she is in a much better place. "I had to give it God or else I was totally going to lose my mind,'' she said. "Had I not let go and let God, I don't know where I would be today."

Audrey Tucker said she's had recurring nightmares about a suspect being arrested and going to trial. She said the family has gotten word from the streets about the name of the possible shooter, though she said detectives told them they didn't have any evidence to make an arrest.

"Knowing a name, I think that might have been the biggest part of not getting satisfaction because my dream has me in the courtroom with this defense attorney who did nothing but went to school to get a good job creating this fantastic lie for this person who took my child away to continue to walk and breathe God's air which my child can't do no more,'' she said.

"So, I fear the courtroom because of that. I really don't want to go. That's why I gave it to God,'' she said. "But my children want man's justice. I'm here to support my children because this is what they want."

Robert Tucker's family said the young man was much loved. "Robert was a funny child. As a teen, as an adult, he was playful,'' his mom said. "He loved his nephews. He was everything to them. He was their uncle, their Santa Claus, their everything. They enjoyed him, and he enjoyed them which you don't get a lot with a young man. That made him a special character."

One of his nephews, Keyshawn Tucker, now a junior at Parker High, is still visibly upset about the slaying of his uncle. "He was like our brother,'' he said. "I always wanted to be like my uncle."

Tucker graduated from Parker High School. He moved to Huntsville to live with his sister, Lisa Tucker. He attended Alabama A & M where he majored in engineering. But he missed his brother, Tony, and his cousin and moved back to Birmingham where he and his brother recorded music.

"To me, we had a bright future in recording,'' Tony Tucker said. "It really did take a lot from all of us losing Robert."

Robert Tucker's murder is just one of hundreds that police would like to solve. Birmingham police in 2016 announced the department's Cold Case Unit will highlight an unsolved homicide each month. The department in 2005 launched the Cold Case Unit and has made several high-profile arrests since its inception. There are 300-plus murders that remain unsolved in Birmingham dating back to 1951.

Family members are confident that someone has the evidence needed to make an arrest in the fatal shooting. Audrey Tucker pointed to the slogan of Parents Against Violence which is, "It ain't snitching when it happens to you."

Anyone with information is asked to Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777, Det. Jonathan Ross at 205-297-8497 or Det. Talana Brown at 205-297-8479.
A Hoover accountant has been sentenced after pleading guilty earlier this year to stealing tens of thousands of dollars from two of his former employers, including a non-profit group that supported the University of Alabama's Million Dollar Band.

Randall Sho Woods, 33, pleaded guilty in June before U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler to two counts of wire fraud and one count of bank fraud. On Thursday, Coogler sentenced Woods to two years and three months in prison, according to a joint announcement by U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr.

"This case is yet another example of an employee stealing from a series of employers," Town said. "Citizens have to trust those with access to bank accounts and confidential business information and when that trust is breached, there needs to be dire consequences."

A federal grand jury in May issued a 24-count indictment against Woods, who was at one time a staff accountant with Ingram's Account & Financial Management Inc. in Tuscaloosa. While working for the company, Woods fraudulently charged more than $30,000 on corporate credit card accounts for personal expenses, according to the charges and Woods' plea agreement.

Another company, Birmingham-based State Traditions, previously employed Woods as an account clerk. While at State Traditions, Woods engaged in numerous fraudulent activities, including stealing from the company's Pay-Pal account and forging the endorsement of one of State Traditions' owners on multiple checks. Combined, Woods stole more than $150,000 from State Traditions, federal authorities said.

Finally, while Woods served as treasurer of the Million Dollar Band Association, he stole more than $28,000 by writing checks payable to himself, according to his plea agreement.

The FBI investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Beardsley Mark prosecuted.
High Court upholds death for 139 soldiers but activists and families of those convicted say the trial was not impartial.

Dhaka, Bangladesh  In what observers have dubbed Bangladeshs biggest-ever criminal case, 139 mutineers of a defunct paramilitary force were sent to gallows by the countrys High Court (HC) on Monday.

Life sentences for another 146 people were also upheld by the court in the capital Dhaka. The mass convictions have been criticised by rights groups and the families, who say the trial was rife with procedural flaws and torture allegations.

At least 57 army officers and 17 civilians were killed during a mutiny in 2009 that the three-judge HC bench called the most heinous, brutal and barbaric carnage in Bangladeshs history.

For the family members of those killed, the verdict seems to have brought closure.

Syed Md Ismail Parvez, brother of Major Idris Iqbal who was killed on that day, told Al Jazeera that they are happy and want the immediate execution of the perpetrators who had killed his brother and others.

This will not bring my brother back. But at least it will let us know that justice is there to hold them accountable for what they did.

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But one of the main defence lawyers, Aminul Islam, called the verdict too harsh and based on flimsy or no evidence. He said he would appeal against the HC judgement in the Supreme Court.

Violation of human rights

Relatives of many of the convicted paramilitary officials have raised questions on the impartiality of the trial, while rights groups have termed the whole trial process a violation of human rights.

At least 47 suspects died while in police custody during the nine-year period of the trial.

Nargis Nasir, wife of one of the death row convicts  Nasir Uddin Khan, Deputy Assistant Director of the erstwhile BDR, said, Its anything but a justice for us.

She said her husband was tortured and forced to give confessional statement on the crime that he didnt commit.

Since then, for the last nine years, our family is struggling to accept the fact that an innocent man was victimised for a crime of which he was no part.

Brad Adams, Asia director of HRW, said the convictions were obtained after unfair trials.

We interviewed many people who were badly tortured. The courts and police should have investigated this but have failed to do so, he said.

We have always called for the perpetrators to be held accountable, but in many cases there was no credible evidence against the specific individual charged.

It is not acceptable to convict individuals for the crimes committed by others, or simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A legal expert, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the trials probably were not of international legal standards and avoided considering valid arguments presented by the defence lawyers.

But Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told Al Jazeera that the HC bench delivered the verdict after a thorough and careful investigation.

Awarding death penalty even to an individual is not easy one. Here it was given to 139 people, the government lawyer said. The High Court considered everything before giving that verdict.

Outside forces?

On February 25-26 in 2009, indignant members of the erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), later renamed Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), revolted against senior officers.

It initially appeared to be a few disgruntled Jawans (or soldiers) taking up arms against the deputed army officers in high positions of BDR, for better financial and working conditions, but later found to be a calculated massacre.

Among those killed was the then BDR chief Major General Shakil Ahmed and his wife. The remains of those massacred were dumped in sewers or buried in shallow graves.

Many theories have been doing the rounds about the nature of the mutiny and the real motives of the alleged perpetrators.

The most prominent of those theories suggested the involvement of outside forces. The HC observations running in about thousand pages said: There was a plot both from internal and external sides behind the BDR carnage, to uproot [Prime Minister] Sheikh Hasina-led government which came into power in 2008.

There is a need for digging deeper to unearth who was supposed to be the maximum beneficiary of such carnage. by Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, opposition leader

Lt General (retired) Mainul Islam, who took over as the first Director General (DG) of the BGB right after the mutiny, however, told Al Jazeera he had not found any evidence of outside involvement.

According to him, the underlying reason behind the mutiny was the prevailing discrimination between the army officials deputed in BDR and the BDR Jawans.

The question that befuddled many during that time, as well as now, is why the intelligence unit failed to get a sense of what might happen on the morning of February 25, 2009, even though there were many suspicious activities that should have raised red flags.

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The HC bench, in one of its recommendations, had called for investigating the failure of the intelligence unit in the purview of the carnage.

Critics and opposition leaders have called for an independent investigation into the incident.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary general of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said the killing of 57 top army officials in such a short span of time raises a lot of doubts.

And it happened right after a new government came into power, he said, adding that a probe needs to be conducted to find out whether it was simply a ploy against a new government or against the whole nation.

There is a need for digging deeper to unearth who was supposed to be the maximum beneficiary of such carnage.
How many states will it take to resolve the conflict over Palestine?

How many states will it take to resolve the conflict over Palestine?

Deceit and conceit were on full display at the Chatham House earlier this month, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dropped in for a chat. He was visiting London to celebrate 100 years of the Balfour Declaration, in which colonial Britain promised a Jewish homeland in Palestine at a time when Jews made up less than 10 percent of its inhabitants.

Before bombarding his audience with a barrage of the usual political spin and tired cliches about peace and security, Netanyahus British host readily provided the launching pad: Israel exists in a very dangerous region, a conflict-prone region of the world.

I listened carefully for any hint of irony as a Brit and an Israeli complained about the Middle East mess, but could only see a childish grin of satisfaction on Binjis face. Its as if, from Balfour to Blair and from Ben Gurion to Barak, countless British and Israeli leaders have tried in earnest to help these ungrateful Arabs, but to no avail.

And so today, despite the sincerity of their colonial efforts to bring reason and stability to these troubled lands, the poor Israeli and Chatham House lads are lamenting the mess. Preoccupied with so many conflicts in the Middle East, theres no time for anything else to do or discuss.

Especially not when it comes to peace.

Israels preoccupations

Netanyahus theatrics vary depending on the audience. These days, his roles include strategic analyst, marketing executive, chief moralist, Sunni leader and modern Israelite prophet. Hes anything but a peace-seeker, let alone peacemaker.

So, Netanyahu, the strategist, warns of Tehrans non-existing nuclear weapons programme and rails against the Iran nuclear deal using charts and maps, but says nothing of Israels own decades-old nuclear arsenal and its contribution to nuclear proliferation.

Perhaps thats because he wasnt asked. Ever?

Today, Chief Moralist Netanyahu looks at dictators and he sees 'moderate Sunni' leaders. by

Before the Arab spring, Netanyahu argued that democracy was indispensable for peace since dictators couldnt be trusted to maintain it. He preached democracy, when democracy was a useful pretext to justify the invasion of Iraq. But today, Netanyahu, the marketing executive, is re-branding democracy as a dangerous gamble.

Back when Natan Sharanskys The Case for Democracy was in fashion, Netanyahu stressed that the more democratic Arab states became, the less dangerous they would be for Israel. But I could only shake my head listening to Netanyahu at Chatham House cite Israeli-American sociologist Amitai Etzionis book, Security First, to show why democracy is bad for stability and peace. What a farce!

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So today, Chief Moralist Netanyahu looks at dictators and he sees moderate Sunni leaders. With a nudge from his pal, US President Donald Trump, he volunteers to champion the Saudi Sunni crescent against Irans Shia Crescent in return for the Sunni world looking the other way as Israel devours Palestine.

All in all, Netanyahu is optimistic. The Middle East has turned against itself, and its leaders are slowly but surely turning to Israel unconditionally, despite their self-interested coyness on the matter. And the world, especially the United States, has never been as receptive to Israeli demands.

But what about peace with the Palestinians? Well, Israel, is in no hurry.

The idea that a fully secure Israel would be conciliatory and generous with the Palestinians, which guided the peace process from the start, has proven false once again, but Arabs and others continue to make gestures towards Israel in the hope of a compromise.

Wishful thinking.

Half a state on half of the West Bank

After Netanyahu became prime minister in 2009, a TIME cover story explained that, Israel doesnt care about peace because Israelis feel prosperous, secure and disengaged from the peace process with the Palestinians.

The same goes for their leaders. The ruling coalition is actually opposed to the peace process and is sure to implode at the mere consideration of a withdrawal from any part of the occupied West Bank, let alone from Jerusalem. So would the Likud Party. Netanyahu has no interest whatsoever in changing the status quo.

He rather insists on Israels historical right to a fully-fledged, sovereign and secure Jewish state, rooted in both biblical mythology and modern realpolitik. This means, among other things, extending Israels authority to all of Palestine.

While peacemakers ponder possibilities outside Netanyahu's box, his government continues to box in the Palestinians. by

But when it comes to the Palestinians, Netanyahu, the spinner, questions their demand for sovereignty, security and statehood, and suggests that peacemakers must think out of the box.

In other words, if they must stay, the Palestinians will have to do so as guests in the Jewish homeland or in Greater Israel. And if they behave, they may get half a state.

Just maybe.

While peacemakers ponder possibilities outside Netanyahus box, his government continues to box in the Palestinians.

It expands illegal settlements in occupied Palestine, tightens its security grip on the West Bank, and issues new humiliating preconditions for any progress in the peace process: Palestinian recognition of Israels historical right to exist as a Jewish state and abandonment of the right of return.

All of this diminishes the once-envisioned sovereign, independent and contiguous Palestinian state into a fragile, half-state on parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, undercutting a fair resolution of the refugee question.

It clearly doesnt matter to Israel that the Palestinian leaders have committed to a two-state solution or that more than two-thirds of the UN member states have recognised Palestinian independence. As long as Israel can help it, Palestine will remain a distant dream. As former Secretary of State John Kerry concluded after his exhaustive experience with the Netanyahu government, Israel doesnt want peace with the Palestinians.

Its more interested in US bombing Iran than in advancing peace in Palestine.

The endgame

Then came President Trump promising to confront Iran and propose an ultimate deal to resolve the conflict once and for all.

When asked about the substance of his proposal, the US president was terribly blase and uncommitted: Im looking at two-state and one-state and I like the one that both parties like. Im very happy with the one that both parties like. Trump left it to his religious Zionist son-in-law to articulate the ultimate deal, but he wont propose anything serious before checking with Israel first.

Pressured to choose between a two-state solution and an emerging one-state reality, Netanyahu has come up with his own formula: a state and a half. And now hes got the US to sponsor it and the Saudis to pay for it. No wonder he cant stop smiling.

What the proposed deal may lack in fairness, the Saudis are expected to make up in funding. With Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbass authority facing bankruptcy and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) in shambles, the Palestinian leadership may bite  not because it wants to, but because the ultimate deal is, in fact, an ultimatum: get with the programme or get lost.

This may work for a short while, but it wont bring peace or security in the long term. And it will undermine, perhaps for good, the idea of a two-state solution, while at the same time prevent a de facto one-state reality from emerging.

But regional and international support wont change the stubborn fact; it will merely formalise apartheid, Israeli-style.

This is a deadlock. Its injustice. And it will only fester, Netanyahus false prophecy notwithstanding.

The real solution lies not in the number of states required to resolve the conflict, but in the state of mind that maintains it.

This article is part one of a series. Part two, The peace criminal: Netanyahus Israel and Israel without Netanyahu, coming soon
Lebanese President Michel Aoun and most Lebanese Christians did not join Saudi Arabias campaign against Hezbollah.

One of the remarkable aspects of the latest commotion in Lebanon  the now suspended Riyad resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri  was the national unity displayed.

Let no one think that we will be a vehicle for a civil war, and let no one think that we may even consider aligning ourselves with Israel against any internal party, Future Movements Secretary General Ahmad Hariri emphatically said on November 24.

Lebanons Christian president, Michel Aoun, called the incident a Saudi act of aggression. Nothing justifies Hariris lack of return for 12 days, he said.

You call it terrorist, we call it resistance, TV host Marcel Ghanem responded on November 23 to his Saudi guest Saoud Al Eids description of Hezbollah.

But in these expressions of nation-wide solidarity, there is one question that has not really been discussed: Why didnt Lebanese Christians join Saudi Arabias campaign against Hezbollah, since one would assume they consider the Islamic resistance (al-Moqawama al-Islamiyya) an existential threat?

To be sure, some Christian politicians were quick to show loyalty to Saudi Arabia, rather than to President Michel Aouns position in calling for Hariris release. But a recent Ipsos poll showed that 81 percent of Christians (and 79 percent of Lebanese people as a whole) considered Aoun to have done a good job handling the crisis. Surprisingly, this included 67 percent of Sunnis, who have generally been hostile to Aoun in the past.

Hezbollahs agreement with Aoun

Hezbollah has employed a winning strategy when it comes to its relations with Lebanese Christians. It needs to be noted before proceeding that Christians in Lebanon are not a monolithic entity. I am using the term here to denote elected Christian parties based on the 2009 parliamentary elections. That said, Hezbollahs success with Lebanese Christians is not a value judgment, but a mere reading of the state of affairs in the country  one that helps understand the complexity of the Lebanese mosaic.

When Aoun, as head of the largest Christian party, and Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, signed the Paper of Understanding in 2006, critics accused Aoun of providing Hezbollah with a Christian cover.

This was definitely true, especially during the 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon, and in all major political battles since. However, Hezbollah has also given Aoun and his party an unshakeable commitment when it comes to internal feuds.

It is, in some ways, fascinating that the 'Islamic resistance' was Aoun's strongest ally during this period. by

During the presidential vacuum (May 2014-October 2016), Nasrallah was steadfast in his support for Aouns candidacy, and he rhetorically said: Everyone knows our candidate, and his name begins with the letter Michel Aoun.

To understand the significance of Aouns election, we need to remember that he has been widely described as Lebanons first strong president since the end of the civil war in 1990. This is because previous presidents lacked Christian popular support and were elected during the Syrian tutelage (1990-2005) or as a result of a political settlement (2008).

Electing a president who enjoys similar, popular backing among his/her constituency as the Sunni prime minister and the Shia house speaker do, has been a Christian demand since 2005.

By supporting Aoun, Hezbollah was seen as a positive factor leading to the current presidency, which even the anti-Hezbollah Christian party, Lebanese Forces, has described as a step forward when it comes to Christian representation in government institutions.

Of course, both Samir Geagea, the leader of the Lebanese Forces, and Hariri had a major role in Aouns election when they agreed to endorse him. But there is no doubt that the Nasrallah-Aoun alliance that started in 2006 was equally crucial in the presidents election. It is, in some ways, fascinating that the Islamic resistance was Aouns strongest ally during this period, and a major reason behind him eventually becoming Lebanons strong Christian president.

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Another factor that made Christians less hostile to Hezbollah in the past few years was undoubtedly the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

While most Christians would naturally side with the sovereignty of the state and would support the need for Hezbollah to hand over its weapons, there is a general perception that the party has played a role in protecting Lebanon against ISIL, despite attempts by Saudi Arabia and its allies to equate the two as being one and the same manifestation of terrorism.

In this regard, it was interesting that even US President Donald Trumps letter to Aoun on Independence Day described Lebanon as a strong partner in the fight against terrorism  the same Lebanon that Saudi Arabia calls a Hezbollah government.

Again, this is not a value judgment and only relates to internal perceptions, and not to the larger question about Hezbollahs involvement on the side of the Syrian regime that has been accused of countless war crimes.

The Saudi efforts

The Lebanese Forces and Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai have been two important voices within the Christian community talking about the danger of Hezbollahs growing influence.

But as both Hariri and Aoun currently enjoy high ratings in the country, Geageas pro-Saudi stance and Rais visit to Riyadh did not manage to create a viable bloc to support the recent Saudi escalation, and calls for Lebanon to do something about Hezbollah.

Aoun now needs to bring Hezbollah 'back to Lebanon'. by

In fact, Rais visit to Riyadh on November 13 in the midst of the Hariri crisis was not met with widespread internal approval, as it was seen by many as whitewashing Saudi Arabias treatment of Lebanon  not to mention its treatment of minorities. However, some have justified the visit as necessary to appease tensions, especially the fears of Lebanese expats in the Gulf who were worried that Saudi Arabia would force them out.

Next spring, when Lebanese citizens go to the ballot box for the first time in nine years, we will know for sure where the majority of Lebanese Christians stand vis-a-vis Hezbollah and Saudi Arabia.

But there is no doubt that Aoun has won the battle for public opinion during the last three weeks.

Whether he will be able to keep the momentum going in his favour will be determined by his ability to secure a viable settlement that would avert a potential Qatar-like embargo, should Saudi Arabia decide to escalate.

In fact, Aoun now needs to bring Hezbollah back to Lebanon.

In other words, he needs to deliver a viable agreement with the party concerning its regional involvement and its armed status  one that would satisfy its regional and local opponents who rightly see, in its growing influence, a threat to Lebanons sovereignty and independence.

Attacks on Aoun in Saudi media reflect the growing Saudi resentment towards him. His role in providing a Christian cover for Hezbollah, as well as the consensus around his official position against Saudi Arabia during the Hariri episode, made it harder for Riyadh to speak of Lebanon as a Hezbollah government. This seems to have backfired for now, as Aoun and Hariri seem set on solidifying their alliance, much to the detriment of Saudi Arabias hardline supporters in Lebanon.

The clouds seem to have settled after a stormy three weeks in Beirut. One of the factors that have aided the de-escalation of tensions is that Lebanon is not a simple Sunni vs Shia dichotomy, as short-sighted analysis of the country and the region generally slides into.

There is a myriad of other political, social, religious and economic factors at play in Lebanon and each country in the region. The recent events in Lebanon were yet another example of how Christians play an important role in shaping the countrys internal and international policies.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Senior Hamas leader says Palestinians depend on African allies for symbolic support in their struggle against Israel.

Senior Hamas leader Musa Abu Marzouk has praised African states for the solidarity they have shown Palestinians in their fight against Israeli occupation.

In an opinion piece he wrote for South Africas Mail and Guardian newspaper, Abu Marzouk called on African states and political parties to reject attempts to normalise relations with Israel.

The deputy chairman of Hamas political bureau said Africans and Palestinians were brought together by a shared history of fighting colonial powers.

The Palestinian people now look to South Africa and Africa for support in our struggle against settler colonialism and apartheid, he wrote.

African and Palestinian liberation movements have long stood in mutual solidarity for self-determination, while Israel has consistently supported colonial and neo-colonial powers on the continent.

Israel was a close ally of South Africa under apartheid rule, and the two countries cooperated in developing the others nuclear weapons programme.

South Africas ruling African National Congress (ANC) party has held historically close ties to Palestinian groups, whose struggle they saw mirrored in their own.

The party is set debate a recommendation to downgrade ties with Israel over its treat of Palestinians.

Africa's solidarity is a major pillar in our struggle. 'Constructive engagement' (with Israel) has no place in this solidarity; we depend on our African allies to support our resistance by isolating Israeli apartheid. by Musa Abu Marzouk

In recent years, Israel has increased its efforts to make diplomatic inroads into the country by working alongside African states on issues such as agricultural development and security.

Earlier this week, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, was in Kenya, where he asked Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to help Israel obtain observer status within the African Union.

Nevertheless, Abu Marzouk said he was confident African states could be relied upon to help isolate Israel for its actions towards the Palestinians.

Africas solidarity is a major pillar in our struggle. Constructive engagement (with Israel) has no place in this solidarity; we depend on our African allies to support our resistance by isolating Israeli apartheid.
The countrys constitutional court has lifted limits to re-election, paving the way for President Evo Morales to run for a fourth term in 2019. If he wins, his time in office will be extended to 19 years.

The countrys constitutional court has lifted limits to re-election, paving the way for President Evo Morales to run for a fourth term in 2019. If he wins, his time in office will be extended to 19 years.

Opponents have held large rallies across Bolivia, calling the ruling undemocratic.

Al Jazeeras Daniel Schweimler reports.
The Yugoslavia war crimes courts sentencing of six wartime Bosnian Croat officials has special significance for Mostar.

Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina  For over 400 years the Old Bridge in Mostar united the east and west of the city.

For centuries, the men of Mostar competed in jumping and diving off the bridge as part of the local tradition.

The bridge has always been the symbol of the Herzegova regions Mostar, the most multi-ethnic city in former Yugoslavia.

But on November 9, 1993, the unthinkable happened. After Croatian military forces had fired more than 60 projectiles at the bridge, the old stones finally gave way and collapsed into the deep Neretva River. Residents were in shock.

On Wednesday the appeals chamber at the UNs International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague upheld its first-instance verdict and sentenced six former Bosnian Croat military and political officials to 111 years in prison.

The tribunal upheld the verdict from 2013 that the six Bosnian Croat officials along with the late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, formed the Croatian joint criminal enterprise (JCE), which aimed for a unification of the Croatian people and ethnically cleansed the Muslim population in Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to create a Greater Croatia.





Croatias then-Defence Minister Gojko Susak and former Croatian chief of general staff, Janko Bobetko, also participated in the JCE.

Croatia led the JCE with the goal of creating a Croatian entity known as Herzeg-Bosnia, the tribunal found.

The tribunal further confirmed Croatias role in the conflict, ruling that Croatia held authority in municipalities in Herzeg-Bosnia by controlling the Bosnian Croat armed forces, the Croatian Defence Council (HVO).

Croatia held eight municipalities in the statelet under occupation.

Disproportionate damage

One of the convicted war criminals, Slobodan Praljak, was initially charged with ordering the destruction of the Mostar Old Bridge, which judges in the first trial said: caused disproportionate damage to the Muslim civilian population.

This time, however, the appeals chamber accepted part of Praljaks appeal, stating that the bridge had been a legitimate military target during the conflict.

I couldnt believe it [when I heard], said Emir Balic, 82, a renowned diver from Mostar. I couldnt believe that someone had destroyed the Old Bridge, which has existed for 500 years, which survived wars, natural disasters. We considered the bridge to be the oldest resident of Mostar, as if it was a human being.

Indeed, Mostar city was named after the bridge keepers, or mostari, who in medieval times guarded the Stari Most (Old Bridge) over the Neretva.

The Old Bridge, built by the Ottomans in the 16th century, is one of Bosnia and Herzegovinas most recognisable landmarks and is considered one of the most exemplary pieces of Islamic architecture in the Balkans.

I was shocked when the Old Bridge was destroyed, and now I went through shock again when the representatives of an international court accepted this from the HVO, from the people convicted that the bridge was of military character, that it was used as a crossing for soldiers, transferring of munitions, etc, Balic said.

All of the bridges were destroyed in Mostar at that time, all of them.

Only the Old Bridge was left standing. I remember it well  The bridge was used to transfer patients from the right bank of the Neretva to the left.

On the right side of the bank there was no medical aid at all; on the left bank, there was a first aid station, not even a hospital. The injured would go there. Mostar was completely blocked from all sides; you couldnt get in or out.

This latest verdict held at the ICTY, like that of Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic, did not end without a dramatic interruption.

Upon hearing that his 20-year sentence had been upheld, General Praljak shouted at the presiding judge I, Slobodan Praljak, reject the verdict. Im not a war criminal, and then drank poison out of a tiny bottle. Praljak died shortly after in the hospital.

Eugen Jakovcic, of the Croatian Documenta (centre for dealing with the past), told Al Jazeera that Praljaks insane act strengthens the mythology which undeniable crimes were built on.

Praljaks act contributes to the continuation of that Balkan tradition  this heroism which isnt founded on logic, facts, but on irrationality. Crimes were committed based on this mythology. We all know how that whole Serbian moment started off; it was full of mythology, Jakovcic said.

This was a hard hit for all of us who would like to live in a civilised, reasonable society, where we can debate, talk  This is an opportunity for the Croatian public to confront the crimes of individuals.

However, the six convicted war criminals still find support among many Croats.

Following the verdict, Andrej Plenkovic, Croatias prime minister, said the convictions were a moral injustice and that Praljak acted in a way that he thought was best for his people.

Despite the ICTYs findings, President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic denied Croatias involvement in the Bosnian war. Croatia did not attack anyone, Grabar-Kitarovic said on Thursday.

Idea of Herzeg-Bosnia

The idea of a Herzeg-Bosnia statelet lives on in many cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In many areas of Herzegovina, Croatian flags and the similar coat of arms of Herzeg-Bosnia decorate the streets that feature names such as Republic of Croatia.

There is little to remind a visitor that they are in fact in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the Bosnian-Croat Federation entity, there are more than 30 schools that operate under the principle of two schools under one roof.

Bosniak and Bosnian Croat students attend the same school but are segregated and follow a Bosnian and Croatian curriculum respectively.

Segregation also applies to some hospitals and seniors homes. There are also two post offices, two telephone companies and two electrical companies  one for Croats, the other for Bosniaks in many cantons.





Mostars Old Bridge was officially rebuilt in 2004, but the city remains deeply divided between a Bosniak side on the east and a Croatian side on the western bank of the Neretva river.

It is a sorry sight for Balic, who was born and raised in Mostar, once known as the most multi-ethnic city in Yugoslavia.

Its a divided city, but its not due to the people. I frequent both the left and the right side; I drink coffee here and there. Its the youth that need to come to power, Balic said, referring to the politicians who fuel division.

A lot of people from Mostar were killed [defending their city]  23 jumpers from my [jumping and diving] club, Balic said. They were of all nationalities  Serbs, Croats, Muslims. We didnt divide ourselves by nationality.

Whether people like it or not, the verdict is what it is. In the end, they are held to account.
Former Egyptian PM says he is prevented from leaving the UAE, while Emirati minister Gargash says he is free to go.

Former Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik and the UAEs foreign minister have issued contradictory statements over the formers fate in the country.

Shafik claimed on Wednesday to have been prevented from leaving the UAE after announcing his intent to contest the Egyptian presidential elections expected to take place next year, but the Emirati minister of state for foreign minister disputes that.

In a series of tweets late on Wednesday night, Anwar Gargash, said there was no obstacle to Shafiks departure from the UAE.





Shafik, who fled Egypt to the UAE in 2012 after losing the countrys first freely contested election, had claimed that UAE officials had prevented him from leaving the country and embarking on a tour of Egyptian expatriate communities.

I reject any intervention in Egypts affairs by preventing me from participating in a constitutional right and a holy mission to serve my country, Shafik said in an exclusive video message to Al Jazeera.

I call on the UAE leaders to order the lifting of any restrictions on my ability to travel, he said.

Gargash hit back at Shafiks lack of gratitude in a tweet published shortly after the video was broadcast.

(Shafik) took refuge in the UAE and ran away from Egypt after the results of the 2012 presidential election. We presented him with every facility and generous hospitality despite our severe reservations about some of his positions, Gargash said.

After losing the closely contested 2012 election to Mohamed Morsi, Shafik fled to the UAE. He was placed on trial in absentia in Egypt and found guilty of corruption charges.

He was later acquitted, clearing his path for a potential return to Egypt.

Samer Shehata, an associate professor at the University of Oklahoma, USA, says it is unknown if Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi is behind Shafiks purported travel ban.

The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are among the staunchest supporters of the current Egyptian president, so they have an interest in Sisi continuing by Samer Shehata, University of Oklahoma

It is not clear if Sisi or the Egyptian government is behind this move, Shehata told Al Jazeera from Norman, Oklahoma.

He said Shafiks inability to leave the UAE is to the advantage of Sisi and also benefits the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are among the staunchest supporters of the current Egyptian president, so they have an interest in Sisi continuing.

They are in favour of Sisi staying in power and not in seeing [the appearance of] any potential challengers.

Shafik was prime minister for just over a month during the 2011 Arab Spring uprising, which led to the fall of long-serving leader Hosni Mubarak.

Morsi was removed in 2013 in a coup led by Sisi, then Egypts defence minister, but Shafik remained in the UAE.

In the 2018 elections, Shafik could again be one of the few candidates challenging Sisi. However, Shehata thinks Shafik has got little chance of actually winning the presidential election.

The reality is that the system is engineered so that Sisi will win. He will win another term next year, Shehata said.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras  Tensions are high in Honduras as the outcome of Sundays presidential elections lurched into uncertainty in the final leg of the long-delayed vote count.

Opposition candidate Salvador Nasralla vowed to not accept the official results if the win is handed to his opponent, President Juan Orlando Hernandez.

With about 94 percent of ballot boxes counted, incumbent President Hernandez, with 42.9 percent of the vote, had a slight lead over the Opposition Alliances Nasralla, who has 41.4 percent, according to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) on Friday.

Opposition supporters protested throughout the capital Tegucigalpa on Thursday, setting up roadblocks in different areas of the city.

Both candidates had claimed victory just hours after polls closed in Sundays election, but long silences from the TSE has threatened to provoke political unrest and chaos throughout the country.

In the TSEs first report of preliminary results early on Tuesday, Nasralla led by nearly five percentage points with 57 percent of the ballot boxes counted.

Following the initial report, TSE magistrate Ramiro Lobo called the result an irreversible trend of a win for Nasralla.

But by Tuesday afternoon, the gap between the two main candidates began to close, and by Wednesday, Hernandez had inched ahead of Nasralla, raising suspicions of foul play and spiking tensions in an already anxious waiting game.

We dont want Juan Orlando in power any more, 19-year-old student Raquel, who declined to disclose her last name, told Al Jazeera during a grassroots opposition rally on Wednesday in Tegucigalpa outside the location where ballots were being counted.

Its already clear he is trying to carry out fraud to stay in power, and we are not going to allow that, Raquel said.

We are not going to allow him to exercise his dictatorship.

Gerardo Torres, international director of the Opposition Alliance, accused the TSE, whose president, David Matamoros, was formerly a National Party member of Congress and the partys general secretary, of electoral manipulation and forge an electoral coup.

They know they lost, Torres told Al Jazeera.

And only through disorder, or a state of emergency or an electoral coup can they stay in power, he added.

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They are dividing the Honduran people through a psychological war.

The TSEs Lobo told media that the shift was due to the TSE processing ballots from areas where Hernandez had strong support.

He said the initial trend was unchanged and that when the count included ballots of Nasrallas strongholds in the northern part of the country, official results would swing back in his favour.

Meanwhile, Hernandezs supporters took to the streets Wednesday in a caravan, waving blue flags of the National Party to celebrate the incumbent presidents lead and the partys success in all levels of government.

Dishonest system

Hernandez and Nasralla signed an accord Wednesday, at the request of the Organization of American States, agreeing to respect the TSEs final results.

But Nasralla retracted his signature hours later, saying that he did not trust the TSE and that the OAS agreement was invalid and a trap. He accused the TSE of trying to steal the election.

We will not recognise the results of the dishonest system of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, he said.

The television host-turned-politician said his chief concerns surround a technical problem that caused the TSE servers to go down for hours on Wednesday, as well as the inclusion of unsigned tally sheets in the official results, among other alleged irregularities.

According to Torres, the National Party leveraged Nasrallas shrinking margin of victory to pressure the Opposition Alliance to negotiate. Torres denied rumours that such talks were happening behind closed doors.

The negotiation they are proposing is to maintain impunity, maintain their protections, he said.

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In the lead up to the election, allegations of corruption and drug-trafficking links have swirled around Hernandez and his government.

Among other scandals, he and his National Party are accused of accepting both drug money and public funds embezzled from the countrys struggling social security institute to help fund his 2013 presidential campaign.

Hernandez has denied alleged drug trafficking links and personal involvement in the social security scandal.

Critics also say Hernandezs re-election bid, justified using a contested 2015 Supreme Court ruling, is illegal.

They are pushing us to this point where there are two options: They stop counting ballots and impose an electoral coup, or they force us to negotiate in order to enter the ballots normally, Torres continued. Were not going to do it.

Anything can be expected

Based on scanned copies of the tally sheets, which all of the parties have in their possession, Nasralla claimed he has the figures to prove he won the election.

Meanwhile, Hernandez maintained that the rural vote is in his favour and that his partys tallies show he is on track to clinch re-election. His conservative National Party called supporters to the streets earlier this week to defend what it called a total victory.

Scores of supporters for both of candidates have demonstrated in the capital and cities around the country as results continue to trickle in. Late on Wednesday, security forces fired tear gas at opposition supporters demonstrating outside the place where the votes are being counted.

The TSE has said final official results will be released by Thursday at the latest.

The European Union election observation mission criticised the slow process. The US, one of Honduras closest allies, urged election authorities to complete their work without undue delay and for all candidates to respect the results once [the] results are tabulated.

But after the sharp turn in direction of the results that saw Hernandez leap ahead of Nasralla, it remains unpredictable who the TSE will ultimately announce as president-elect of the Central American country.

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From this spurious tribunal, anything can be expected, Juan Barahona, general secretary of the Libre Party, the main party making up the Opposition Alliance, told Al Jazeera.

Thats why we dont trust it, and were going to be alert for what they decide today, tomorrow, or any day.
Pakistans government is facing criticism for the way it handled protests against a minister who was accused of blasphemy.

Pakistans government is facing criticism for the way it handled protests against a minister who was accused of blasphemy.

At least five people were killed in the demonstrations, which ended with the resignation of the minister.

The government says agreeing to the protesters demands was the only way to prevent more violence.

Al Jazeeras Zein Basravi reports from Lahore.
Some are describing it as the capitulation of the government to Muslim protesters.

A sit-in blocking a major road in the capital Islamabad ended earlier this week after the resignation of the law minister who was accused of blasphemy. Government leaders also agreed to a list of other demands by demonstrators. Some are describing it as the capitulation of the government to Muslim protesters.

And now the ruling party is facing another challenge in the city of Lahore.

Al Jazeeras Zein Basravi reports from Lahore.
Palestinian man, 47, was working the land in Qusra village with his six-year-old son when he was shot.

A village in the Nablus district of the occupied West Bank has expressed outrage over the killing of a Palestinian farmer by an Israeli settler under disputed circumstances on Thursday.

According to locals, Mahmoud Odeh, 47, was shot by an Israeli settler while on his private agricultural land in the village of Qusra. He died shortly after at the scene.

Abd al-Atheem, a leader in Qusras village council, told Al Jazeera that Odeh  a father of 10 children  was a humble and talented farmer.

The crops he harvested were so large they could feed an entire tribe, he said. He was a really good man who was killed in cold blood.

The Israeli settlements of Migdalim and Shilo were built on land belonging to Qusra residents, and now border the village to the northeast and south. Three additional settler outposts were also established on the villages lands in the past two decades. Israeli settlements are considered illegal under international law.

According to Gilad Grossman, spokesman for Israeli human rights NGO Yesh Din, the village has long been a hot spot for Israeli settler violence against Palestinians.

Disputed circumstances

An Israeli army spokesperson told Al Jazeera that dozens of Palestinians had thrown rocks at an Israeli youth group who were hiking in the area. An armed adult in the group opened fire on the Palestinians, fatally shooting Odeh and wounding another Palestinian in the leg.





However, Yariv Mohar, a spokesperson for the activist group Rabbis for Human Rights, quoted Palestinian witnesses as saying Odeh was shot after an altercation with settlers while caring for his olive groves with his six-year-old son.

After Odeh was shot, his son called another resident in the village, prompting other Palestinians to arrive on the scene and throw rocks at the Israelis in an attempt to push them out of the area, the group said.

At this time the armed Israeli opened fire again, injuring another Palestinian.

The Israeli army spokesperson said the travellers entrenched themselves in a cave near the village until soldiers evacuated them from the area.

According to locals, an Israeli paramedic attempted to resuscitate Odeh, but to no avail. Israeli forces then confiscated his body amid clashes between Palestinians and the Israeli army.

Village in trauma

Qusra village is split in two: about half of its land is designated as Area C, where Israel retains full civil and military control. The other half is in Area B, where the Palestinian Authority (PA) has control over civil affairs, but security is under the control of Israel.

In the absence of any protection from the Israeli army or the PA, some villages must take security into their own hands to defend their communities. Its common for Palestinians to throw rocks at Israelis on their land as such incursions often result in attacks on the village.

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The trauma of settler violence in the community runs deep. According to the United Nations, settlers have uprooted hundreds of the villages olive trees and have torched its mosque.

Settlers from the Esh Kodesh outpost have long carried out so-called price-tag attacks on the village.

Abd al-Atheem said the settlers have also killed a number of the residents sheep and demolished the villages water wells.

In 2011, Odehs nephew was killed by an Israeli soldier after attempting to stop settlers from uprooting his olive trees.

We live a very difficult life here, Atheem said. Each one of my sons could use 10 psychologists.

Grossman told Al Jazeera only about eight percent of cases involving settler violence against Palestinians lead to indictments and even less result in punishment.

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This causes an environment that allows the continued violence against Palestinians, he said.

Others have pointed out that this impunity also encourages a trigger-happy mentality among armed Israeli settlers when dealing with Palestinians.

If its not the settlers attacking us, then its the [Israeli] army, Abd al-Atheem told Al Jazeera. No one is here to protect us. We only have God.
At least five rebels killed and several others injured in two separate gunfights in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Villagers in Indian-administered Kashmir have protested against security forces after at least five rebels were killed and several civilians wounded in two separate gunfights, according to the police.

The gunfight started in the early morning hours in central Kashmirs Pakherpora village, 45km from the regions main city [Srinagar], Munir Khan, inspector general of police for Jammu and Kashmir state, told Al Jazeera.

The security forces rushed to the area in Budgam district after getting information about the presence of armed rebels, Khan said.

The encounter is over, and total four militants have been killed in Pakherpora village in central Kashmir. We have been able to recover three bodies so far; the search is going on to recover the body of the fourth militant, the top police official said.

He said that in a separate encounter in north Kashmirs Sopore Sagipora village, in Baramulla district, one fighter was killed in a gunfight that also started during the wee hours.

We are looking for another militant in Sopore; the search is on, Khan said.

Anti-India slogans

Officials said that the four fighters, one local and three foreigners, belonged to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad armed group.

Soon after the news of gunfight spread, large numbers of people from neighbouring villages took to the streets in protest, throwing stones at soldiers and chanting slogans against Indian rule. Several people were injured in clashes near Pakherpora village.

A teenager was hit in the face by a bullet during the clashes between forces and the protesters. He was rushed to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital in Srinagar where he is being treated, officials said.

His condition is stable, medical superintendent of SMHS, Dr Saleem Tak, told Al Jazeera.

Locals from Pakherpora village said that forces fired pellets at the protesters, resulting in injuries to many of them.

Authorities suspended internet service in the whole district to prevent protests from spiralling out of control.

The army has been running a major counterinsurgency operation against rebels this year, particularly in the southern part of the region, which has become a hotbed of armed rebellion following the death of rebel commander Burhan Wani last year.

Following the killing, the region was rocked by one of the most widespread civilian uprisings in the two decades of conflict. Over 100 civilians have been killed and several hundred blinded by pellet guns since July last year.

By the collective effort of police, Indian army and central reserve police and people of Kashmir have led to neutralisation of more than 200 terrorists in the year 2017 alone, the Director General of Police Shesh Paul Vaid tweeted.

Rebel groups have largely been suppressed by Indian forces in recent years, and public opposition to Indian rule is now principally expressed through street protests.

Roughly half a million soldiers are stationed in the disputed territory claimed by both India and Pakistan.

India accuses Pakistan of arming and training the rebels, which Pakistan denies.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs response to Washingtons statement on the need to cut ties with Pyongyang was negative.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has rejected the US call to cut ties with North Korea after Pyongyang launched ballistic missiles on Wednesday.

We perceived this negatively, Lavrov told journalists in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, commenting on Washingtons statement on the need to cut ties with North Korea.

US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, on Wednesday called on all countries to sever relations with Pyongyang, including cutting trade links and expelling North Korean workers.

The Trump administration vowed to slap additional sanctions on North Korea after the reclusive country test-launched its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) yet, with a range capable of striking Washington, DC.

North Korean state television, KCNA, said that missile is the most powerful ICBM, which meets the goal of the completion of the rocket weaponry system development set by the DPRK, according to South Koreas news agency, Yonhap. DPRK refers to North Koreas official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

Last month President Donald Trump said that Russia was hurting US efforts to disarm the North Korea of its nuclear weapons.

Trump has praised China  a close ally of Pyongyang  for its efforts to put pressure on North Korea.

In a tit-for-tat war of words with Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the US president called Kim a madman while the Korea leader dubbed him a mentally deranged US dotard.

The Russian foreign minister in September urged hot heads to calm down, calling the war of words a kindergarten fight.
Leading female scholars from Saudi Arabia have described moves to ease restrictions on women as government spin aimed at an international audience to bolster support for efforts to liberalise its ailing economy.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is seeking to appeal to western governments as a reformist while cracking down on the very women inside the country who have been campaigning for an end to systematic discrimination, they say.

Rights groups welcomed a decision to end a ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia, but have called for more comprehensive changes to the kingdoms guardianship system, which Human Rights Watch describes as the main obstacle to realising womens rights.

Hala Aldosari, a prominent Saudi woman academic in the United States, told Al Jazeera: The government is trying to portray itself as reformist by tackling certain things that are visible to their outside patrons.

They need international businesses to recognise the leadership of Saudi Arabia as a reformer in order to show that they are not discriminating against women and are reforming their competitiveness.

But they are trying to pick and choose those kinds of reforms that they know will make a high impact on the international media and their allies, while at the same time silencing anyone within Saudi Arabia for demanding those reforms.





A number of policy changes by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman included an announcement in September that women will gain the right to drive in 2018.

Saudi women activists have been campaigning for this since 1990  it is the only country in the world that prohibits women from getting behind the wheel  and some have been jailed for defying the ban or are in self-exile.

External observers attribute recent policy changes to an ambitious economic masterplan unveiled by the crown prince, Vision 2030, aimed at ending the countrys dependence on oil by kick-starting its private sector.

Aldosari, a fellow at Harvard Universitys Radcliffe Institute, praised Saudi women for their activism but said the countrys rulers are now trying to hijack their efforts in order to promote their credentials as reformists.

Saudi Arabia needs to reform its economy, and that is why they have to remove barriers to womens employment  and one of the main barriers mentioned over and over again is the lack of public transport and hence the ability of women to commute in an affordable, convenient way.

She added: What worries me is that, with every reform, the government tries to silence the activists who have called for it so that it can be controlled. They want to manage what reforms are enacted and how.

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Aldosaris views chime with those of Professor Madawi Al-Rasheed, another prominent Saudi academic at the London School of Economics, who told a recent conference in London that it was no coincidence the driving announcement came on the eve of a UN Human Rights Council decision on sending observers to Yemen to investigate war crimes allegations.

All the respectable journalists in the west were hailing the decision to give women the right to drive in the 21st century as if it were the ultimate reform that we Saudi women could aspire to, said Al-Rasheed.

The academic warned liberals outside Saudi Arabia not to be taken in by the driving reform.

These are media and PR exercises that want us to believe that the regime has actually changed, she said. We need to be aware, as women, how our gender issues are used by these autocrats as unelected, unrepresentative people, in order to show the world their soft face  that velvet glove.

Jane Kinninmont, senior research fellow at the Chatham House think-tank in London, said lifting the driving ban will have important repercussions on the lives of many women, and the fact that men will not be able to dictate whether they can get a driving licence points to this being a significant change.

It fits with Mohammed bin Salmans focus on the economy as well, because you have seen a growing number of Saudi women in the workplace yet there is basically no public transport if you need a way to get to work.

Kinninmont said the growing role of women in work and the shift towards utilising more female talent after significant investments in womens education has become one of the huge underlying stories in the Saudi economy.

She said: Women are now the majority of students at Saudi universities, they are getting the best degrees, and they are increasingly interested in having a career.

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Human rights organisations have welcomed the decision on driving as a step in the right direction, but have called for comprehensive action to dismantle the guardianship system, under which women are in effect legal minors who must defer to men to make key decisions about their lives.

Rothna Begum, womens rights researcher covering the Middle East for Human Rights Watch, told Al Jazeera: The lifting of the driving ban is an achievement for Saudi women activists who have faced imprisonment, harassment, and intimidation for more than two decades.

However, these reforms are limited unless the authorities dismantle the male guardianship system, which is the most serious impediment to women realising their rights in the kingdom.

Samah Hadid, director of campaigns for Amnesty International in the Middle East, said: We still need to see a whole range of discriminatory laws and practices swept away, including the repressive guardianship system where every woman has a male guardian to make decisions on her behalf.

Saudi Arabia urgently needs to reform laws that treat women as second-class citizens in comparison to men.

Hadid noted the announcement came at a time when Saudi Arabia continues an unabated crackdown against activists. A new counterterrorism law has been denounced by rights groups for giving the authorities in the kingdom a powerful tool to silence critics.

Ironically, following the announcement Amnesty International received reports that womens rights activists who campaigned for the ban being lifted received phone calls warning them against publicly commenting on the development  or else they will face interrogations, Hadid said.
After drinking poison and killing himself at The Hague court, public opinion of former Croatian general remains divided.

Shortly after Slobodan Praljak  the convicted Bosnian Croat war criminal who drank poison in a Hague courtroom on Wednesday upon confirmation of his 20-year jail term for crimes committed during the Bosnian War  killed himself on live television, messages posted on social media mirrored divided public opinion in the Balkans.

For some, this was the final desperate act of a selfish villain; for others, that of a wrongly accused hero.

Journalist Amer Obradovic, who as a teenager suffered horrors in a prison camp run by Croatian Defence Council (HVO) soldiers under general Praljaks command, wrote on Twitter: People who were with me in the camp survived the most horrific torture, but none of them took their own life. Camp detainees are brave people. And these great army leaders and generals are mere cowards.

Others saw Praljak as a hero  with this tag being tweeted even by some Croatian TV journalists.

By the evening, mass was held in Catholic churches in several cities across Praljaks native Herzegovina. On Thursday, Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, who returned to Zagreb having cut short a trip to Iceland, spoke of Praljak as a man who preferred to give his life, rather than to live, having been convicted of crimes he firmly believed he had not committed. His act struck deeply at the heart of the Croatian people and left the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia with the weight of eternal doubt about the accomplishment of its tasks.





Praljak took his life on the final day of deliberations for the ICTY on November 29, celebrated in the former Social Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as Republic Day.

Who was Slobodan Praljak, the former HVO general in the wartime statelet of Herzeg-Bosnia, self-proclaimed in parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 1992-1995 war?

Praljak was born on January 2, 1945, in Capljina, in Bosnia and Herzegovinas south, close to the Croatian border.

His father, Mirko, was a state security official in former Yugoslavia after World War II.

Slobodan Praljak attended high school in Siroki Brijeg near Capljina. For six years, he was in the same class as Gojko Susak, later the Croatian defence minister.

Praljak completed his tertiary education in Zagreb, Croatia, gaining three university degrees in the early 1970s  Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, Bachelor of Philosophy and Sociology, as well as Directing at the then Academy of Dramatic Arts.

He started his career as manager of the electronics laboratory at the Nikola Tesla Vocational High School in Zagreb and later worked as a theatre and TV series director. In 1989, he directed a feature film.

After a short foray into politics, in September 1991, four months into the war in Croatia, Praljak volunteered to go to Sunja, near Sisak in central Croatia, where he headed defence operations.

He became a Croatian Army colonel in November 1991. By the following year, he was a brigadier and assistant to the defence minister.

In April 1992, he volunteered to go to southeastern Herzegovina to be a commander in the area spanning his native Capljina, Mostar, Jablanica and Konjic.

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On his request, he was relieved of his duties in the Croatian Army and became an HVO general in Bosnia and Herzegovina in July 1993. HVO comprised mostly Bosnian Croats.

He returned to the Croatian Army in November 1993, where he held various positions, one of which was as head of former Croatian President Franjo Tudjmans military cabinet.

According to ICTY, Praljak was the key link between the political leaders of the Republic of Croatia and the leaders of the internationally unrecognised breakaway statelet of Herzeg-Bosnia, which formed part of a joint criminal enterprise.

His conviction and jail term were upheld on appeal alongside those of other Bosnian Croat leaders  former Herzeg-Bosnia prime minister Jadranko Prlic and four others.

The ICTY Appeals Chamber found that an international armed conflict and a state of occupation took place during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It upheld the existence of a joint criminal enterprise aimed at ethnically cleansing parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina of Muslims in order to annex Herzeg-Bosnia to Croatia. It also found that Croatias first president, Franjo Tudjman, was part of the joint criminal enterprise.

Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency member Bakir Izetbegovic earlier said The Hague Tribunal had put an international stamp on the dark side of the truth about the formation and actions of Herceg Bosna'.

He said Croatian politics created in Zagreb and Bosnia and Herzegovina were two-faced.

One was the failed joint criminal enterprise which led to horrific suffering The other, bright face of Croatian politics fought for the end of conflict, looked after expelled Bosniaks during wartime  and enabled the Army of the Republic of BiH and HVO to fight side-by-side until the end of the war.

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The Croatian Parliament on Thursday held a minutes silence for Praljak. MPs from the opposition Socialist Democrats and the Civic Liberal Alliance (GLAS) did not attend. Former Croatian foreign minister and GLAS MP Vesna Pusic received death threats for criticising wrongful Croatian politics of the 1990s.

GLAS MP Goran Beus Richembergh also received death threats after branding Praljak a convicted war criminal on Facebook and claiming the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) was misusing the Parliament.

Croatias prime minister and president (both HDZ) strongly disagreed.

Yesterday in The Hague, a sentence was neither passed to the Republic of Croatia, nor Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Croatia was not an aggressor, said President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.

[Former Serbian president Slobodan] Milosevics Serbia and the Yugoslav National Army attacked Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and those are notorious facts. Croatia did not attack anybody.

The Mechanism for International Tribunals in The Hague is yet to rule on the retrial of former Serbian State Security Chiefs Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic, accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

One of the key parts of the indictment deals with a joint criminal enterprise that included former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and others.
Flow of commercial supplies into Yemen must be resumed to avert humanitarian catastrophe, British PM tells Saudi royals.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has called on Saudi Arabia to ease the siege on Yemen as a matter of urgency to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.

The statement, published by Mays office on Thursday, said the British leader met King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman late on Wednesday during her three-day tour of the Middle East.

They discussed Yemen, where the prime minister made clear that the flow of commercial supplies on which the country depends must be resumed if we are to avert a humanitarian catastrophe, the statement said.

They agreed that steps needed to be taken as a matter of urgency to address this and that they would take forward more detailed discussions on how this could be achieved.

Famine-like conditions

The 22 humanitarian groups issued a warning in early November that Yemen had only six weeks of food air remaining for about seven million Yemenis who were facing famine-like conditions.

Saudi Arabia, which has been at war with Yemen since 2015, tightened its air, land and sea blockade of the country on Sunday, after Houthi rebels fired a ballistic missile towards the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

The UK has been criticised for selling arms used by the Saudi-led coalition.

The conflict that has seen more than 10,000 people killed and three million people displaced since 2015.
British PM says US leader is wrong for retweeting three videos by UK far-right figure, prompting Trumps outburst.

US President Donald Trump has brushed off British Prime Minister Theresa Mays criticism of his online support of a far right group, suggesting she defends the United Kingdom from Radical Islamic Terrorism instead.

The US president on Wednesday retweeted a series of anti-Muslim Twitter video posts by Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of the far-right Britain First movement.

@Theresa_May, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine! Trump tweeted late on Wednesday.

The outburst came after Mays office said Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives, which peddle lies and stoke tensions.

British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right, which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents: decency, tolerance and respect, the Downing Street said in the statement reported by UK media.

It is wrong for the president to have done this.

.@Theresa_May, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2017

The US leader shared three videos by Fransen, purporting to show Muslims carrying out beatings or acts of vandalism.

Fransen, who in 2016 was convicted by a British court for harassing a woman wearing a hijab, is banned by court order from entering mosques in the UK.

Together with other activists from the far-right group, Fransen took part in regular mosque invasions.

Thomas Mair, who killed British MP Jo Cox in a far-right attack, is reported to have shouted the groups name after stabbing the Labour Party politician.

One of the tweets shared by Trump shows a video of a teenage boy beating up another teen boy on crutches. The incident happened in May this year in the Dutch town of Monnickendam.

After the video was posted on Dutch social media in May, police arrested two Dutch teens from Monnickendam and neighbouring town, Edam-Volendam, in connection to the beating. It was never confirmed that the individual in the video was Muslim or a migrant.

Trumps decision to share the videos was sharply condemned by rights groups.

By his unconscionable and irresponsible actions this morning, President Trump is clearly telling members of his base that they should hate Islam and Muslims, said Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council of American-Islamic Relations.

The Muslim Council of Britain urged the countrys authorities to distance themselves from Trump and his comments.

The Muslim Council of Britain comments on President Trump sharing anti-Muslim videos from the far right pic.twitter.com/rYOlUkLxUj  MCB (@MuslimCouncil) November 29, 2017

The American Civil Liberties Union also said that Trumps prejudice against Muslims reveals itself at every turn.

Trump's prejudice against Muslims reveals itself at every turnwith today's tweets meant to gin up fear and bias, with statements like "Islam hates us," and with every version of the Muslim ban.  ACLU (@ACLU) November 29, 2017

Many others on social media also voiced anger that the holder of such a high office would share material from a far-right activist.

Trump sharing Britain First. Let that sink in. The President of the United States is promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group whose leaders have been arrested and convicted. He is no ally or friend of ours. (Donald Trump) you are not welcome in my country and my city, British Labour Party MP David Lammy tweeted.

Brian Klass, an academic at the London School of Economics, wrote: Here in the UK, Britain First is (correctly) seen as a neo-Fascist hate group. They are beyond the fringe extremists. Their leaders have been arrested and convicted for inciting hatred, including the horrible racist woman that Trump re-tweeted multiple times.

Donald Trump has been retweeting Britain First leader and rampant anti-Muslim activist Jayda Fransen. See how her online following has spiked following recent terror attacks: https://t.co/Zx2aj0KzZk pic.twitter.com/5I8llyLm4M  HOPE not hate (@hopenothate) November 29, 2017

Wednesdays retweets are not the first time Trump has shared or made comments that are considered racist or discriminatory.

On Monday, speaking to a group of Native American veterans, Trump referred to US Senator Elizabeth Warren who claims Native American ancestry as Pocahontas, after a historic Native American figure.

Trump also campaigned on a platform of banning Muslim entry to the US and the surveillance of mosques in the country.

Shortly after taking office, he signed an executive order banning nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US. After court challenges, the ban was revised and now includes restrictions on citizens from six Muslim-majority countries, as well as North Korea and Venezuela.
US president declines to confirm or deny media reports saying Rex Tillerson may be replaced by CIA chief Mike Pompeo.

US President Donald Trump has addressed US news media reports on the imminent departure of Rex Tillerson as secretary of state without clearly confirming or denying them.

The rumours, which had been present for months, grew louder when the New York Times newspaper reported, citing senior administration officials, on Thursday that Trump intended to replace Tillerson with Mike Pompeo, the CIA chief, in the coming months.

Hes here. Rex is here, Trump said in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday.

In a statement, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, said: As the president just said, Rex is here.

There are no personnel announcements at this time.

Secretary Tillerson continues to lead the State Department, and the entire cabinet is focused on completing this incredibly successful first year of President Trumps administration.

Tillerson, a former executive for the energy company Exxon, took office on February 1.

Trump and Tillerson are believed to have disagreed on a number of foreign policy issues, including the regional blockade of Qatar.

Controversial remarks

Pompeo, a former Congressman from Kansas, is a controversial figure. He told Congress in 2013 that the silence from Muslim leaders on acts of violence committed by violent extremists was deafening.

Instead of responding, silence has made these Islamic leaders across America potentially complicit in these acts, and more importantly still, in those that may well follow, Pompeo said.

The reports came a day after Trump retweeted a series of videos deemed Islamophobic from UK-based Britain First, a far-right nationalist group.

Britain First has held Christian patrols in predominantly Muslim areas of UK cities.

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Jayda Fransen, the groups deputy leader, has been convicted of religiously aggravated harassment for accosting a British Muslim mother of four for wearing a hijab.

I think the world has come to expect a certain level of anti-immigrant and Islamophobic tint from this administration. Pompeo in the state department would continue this trend, Corey Saylor, the Council on American-Islamic Relations chief Islamophobia expert, told Al Jazeera on Thursday.

Regarding Pompeos rumoured move from the CIA to the state department, Saylor said: each position gives him different ways to advance the administrations troublesome agenda.

Saylor pointed to previous actions by Pompeo, including his retweeting of a blog post that called Raj Goyle, a former political opponent of Indian descent, a turban topper. Pompeo later apologised for the retweet.

Pompeos campaign later used a hoarding encouraging voters to Vote American by voting for Pompeo over Goyle.

Saylor said these actions could have a negative impact on his tentative role as secretary of state, the highest diplomatic position in the US government.

When youre trying to negotiate with countries that are our allies, with the type of background and things hes said in the past, I think that starts things off on a completely different level than those who have been able to separate violent extremism from the religion of Islam, Saylor concluded.
In a bid to ease cash shortages, Zimbabwes new President Emmerson Mnangagwa has offered a three-month amnesty for companies and individuals to surrender public funds illegally stashed in overseas bank accounts.

Zimbabwes new President Emmerson Mnangagwa has offered a three-month amnesty for companies and individuals to surrender public funds illegally stashed in overseas bank accounts.

He hopes this will ease chronic cash shortages; however, people are sceptical about his plan.

Al Jazeeras Haru Mutasa reports from Harare.
Former President Robert Mugabe and his wife to receive $10m, immunity and protection of their vast business interests.

Harare, Zimbabwe  Zimbabwes recently retired President Robert Mugabe and his wife, Grace, are set to receive a golden handshake worth millions of dollars, immunity from prosecution and protection of their vast business interests.

News of Mugabes immunity has sparked criticism from activists, including activist pastor Evan Mawarire, who has called on the 93-year-old to face trial for alleged human rights abuses that date back to the beginning of his premiership in 1980.

After staging the largest anti-government protests the country has seen in almost a decade, Mawarire faced charges of subversion and inciting violence, but under a new dispensation, the charges against Mawarire were dropped on Wednesday.

Mugabe resigned as president on November 21, following a military takeover on November 15 that saw the veteran leader largely confined to his private residence by the army.

According to emerging details, the deal could see the former first family receiving a total of up to $10m on top of their annual salaries, complete with medical and travel benefits.

Although Zimbabwe is in a post-Mugabe era, most people are still fearful of publicly sharing their opinions on the former leader.

However, Al Jazeera has gathered some views from the streets.

Joseph Mutisi, 61, guard

President Mugabe deserves the money because he worked for this country for a long time, but I dont really know why his wife should get anything.

She never did anything for Zimbabwe except to insult people and make Mugabe fight with his comrades.

Mugabe is someone who grew up with this country, right from [its] birth and we cannot forget that, but the mistake he made was to think his wife could rule forgetting his comrades from the war.

Its only that Zimbabweans are a forgiving people, otherwise she should be in jail because shes done a lot of corrupt things and abused her husbands power.

Many people still respect Mugabe so he should get the benefits, but that wife has never served this country, she deserves nothing.

Delroy Oloka, 24, DVD seller

In school, we were taught that no matter what, no one is above the law and if someone does something wrong, then the law should take its course.

Thats what must happen in this case.

The Mugabes have done so much wrong to this country that we cant just allow them to get away with it.

Everyone must be accountable for their actions, especially as a leader, so they cant let Mugabe go just like that.

What does that say about the future?

If those who are in charge today do wrong, will they just be excused and give each other immunity because thats the standard?

I believe in justice, not immunity, everyone who is guilty must be brought before the law. It doesnt matter who you are or how old you are.

Doreen Bopoto, 51, IT administrator

Only God can judge someone, so its not up to us, the people, to say that President Mugabe must be taken to court and prosecuted.

Even with his age, you cant take someone so old to court so we have to make peace with the past and as a nation we have to learn to forgive.

If hes getting the golden handshake, theres nothing we can do about it, we are not the ones who can decide how much he should get or expect to have a voice in those issues.

Michael Mangodoza, 21, student

After 37 years of service, he has to get something and maybe a $10m payout is fair, but only on condition.

He and his wife must return all the things they acquired through illegal means, all the properties, the farms here, the offshore bank accounts and investments must come back because it doesnt belong to them.

If we could get back the $15bn that Mugabe said was stolen in corruption in the diamond sales then itd do so much for this economy, we have a $6bn budget, we are struggling to finance, but $15bn would make such a difference.

But I really dont feel he should be prosecuted because thats like putting my great-grandfather in jail, but his wife has many questions to answer, she shouldnt get the immunity cover.

Cynthia Mukombero, 36, student chef

Two wrongs dont make a right. Things started to go bad towards the end, but we cant blame only him for that, he was not alone.

We cant punish him for the suffering the country went through because it doesnt make it better. What will we gain if we do that?

If I look back on my life, I cant hold any bitterness towards someone like President Mugabe because I grew up in a peaceful country and in a Zimbabwe that was on the right path, it was a prospering country.

Im really grateful for that, but now as Zimbabweans, we must look forward and not be a country of bitter people.

Edgar Mangwende, 35, taxi driver

The Mugabes may get immunity, but this seems like a trap.

How can the President [Mnangagwa] give immunity to the Mugabes then the next day the President says everyone has [90 days] to bring back the money they took out of the country or else.

If the Mugabes dont bring it back, will they be protected from being prosecuted?

They were some of the biggest thieves in this country and they have properties all over the place so if they continue to have their properties and their money outside after 90 days surely they will be doing something wrong.

Their immunity cant protect them in that case because it only applies to the time Mugabe was president not now.

I hope theyll be trapped by this new law, because itll be a good way to make them answerable, especially the wife.

Follow Tendai Marima on Twitter: @i_amten
Yet more calls for sanctions and isolation following the latest ballistic missile test by North Korea.

The latest missile launch by North Korea is ringing more alarm bells  especially in the US. North Korea says the missile was bigger and more powerful than previous launches this year and is capable of striking anywhere in the US.

Even more worrying for the US and its allies, the North Korean leadership has declared its dreams of becoming a nuclear state to be finally realised.

The White House is demanding that China do more to contain the North Korean regime.

And Donald Trump describing Kim Jong-un as little rocket man is doing little to ease fears of a nuclear showdown.

Presenter: Peter Dobbie

Guests:

Victor Gao  China Energy Security Institute

Richard Weitz  Hudson Institute

Ross Darrell Feingold  Asia political risk analyst
UF Student Government Cabinet is hosting the Gator Career Closets first clothing drive.

UF Student Governments Internal Communications and Community Involvement Cabinet began the drive on Monday, and it runs until Friday. The donation station for the closet is in the SG offices, located on the third floor of the Reitz Union. The Gator Career Closet is on the third floor of Peabody Hall.

Stephanie Muench, a supervisor for the Gator Career Closet, said the closet needs smaller sized items for students, but any donation helps.

Anything we get helps someone, Muench said. There is a really big variety. You cant really pinpoint a college student by stereotyping one way. It is completely variable, so anything we get will be used by someone.

Muench said the closet collects donations year-round, but this is the first time SG will organize a drive.

When clothes are donated, the workers go through the items to make sure theyre in good shape, up to date with business trends and clean, Muench said. She said if items are not used in the career closet, they will be given to the UF Field and Fork Pantry for other use.

Madeline Fava, an 18-year-old UF business administration freshman, found out about the closet because of her Warrington Welcome class, an introductory class for students in the Warrington College of Business.

I use it because as a freshman I don't own a lot of business clothes and did not have a lot of money to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe, Fava said. I use it when I have meetings that require you to wear business casual or professional clothes, or if I have an interview.

Fava said she is glad SG is having a drive for the Gator Career Closet, and she thinks more students should be aware of the closet.

Muench said her favorite time of the year is during career showcase because she sees the needs of students when it comes to showcasing themselves. This past Fall, the closet loaned out about 55 percent of its inventory, she said.

They are coming to UF to get an education and to get a job, Muench said. That transition between education and a job will need a suit, so you can go to interviews so your visual resume can be as good as your written resume.

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Irving Roth said he didnt understand why he was at Auschwitz.

Why was I there? What crime did I commit? the Holocaust survivor said as the audience sat in silence.

About 500 students came out to hear Roth speak at the Reitz Union Auditorium on Wednesday night. About 350 students were able to watch Roth speak in the auditorium, while the rest were taken to an overflow room to watch the speak from a Facebook Live video.

My crime was a very simple one, Roth said. I was a 14-year-old Jew. My parents were Jewish. My grandparents were Jewish.

Roth told his story of survival after he was transported to Auschwitz, a Nazi death camp, as a teenager. As he spoke, Roth made jokes about his childhood and his experiences with American soldiers after being freed from the concentration camp. As he spoke, the audience laughed with him, or at later parts of his speech, wiped away tears.

He also spoke about how the non-Jewish members of his community alienated him because of his faith.

Thats what made what was next possible; the support of the people, Roth said.

Taylor Roth, the president of UFs Christians United for Israel branch, said the goal of the event was to present students with the increasingly rare opportunity to hear directly from a Holocaust survivor. Taylor Roth is not related to Irving Roth.

I think theyll take away from this event the opportunity of a lifetime to actually be able to tell their grandchildren one day that they listened to somebody whos survived one of the worst events in human history and still had the courage to share his experiences and educate others, the UF public relations sophomore said.

The 19-year-old said Roths speech will allow students to understand the Holocaust and prevent something like it from occurring again.

I think it relates to the political environment today because theres a lot anti-Semitic rhetoric in college campuses, especially when we had a speaker like Richard Spencer coming, and this is just a way we can counter-challenge that with our own free speech, she said.

Jillian Stern, a Jewish UF student, said she didnt want to miss out on one of her last few chances to hear from a Holocaust survivor.

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I think he was unique because he was able to bring humor to his story, the UF history junior said. He was able to not be so sad, but rather talk about it in a lighthearted manner and look back and not see the good in it, but in a way for people to relate and understand easier.

The 20-year-old said students should share Roths story.

As people, we have an obligation to continue telling these survivors stories, even when theyre no longer with us, she said. Its going to be our responsibility to share their stories and tell the truth about the Holocaust.

Holocaust survivor Irving Roth speaks to students about his experiences in Auschwitz. Roth spoke to about 500 students.

About 350 audience members listen to Holocaust survivor Irving Roths speech. At the end of the night, the audience gave Roth a standing ovation, while some wiped tears from their eyes.
As part of the [Nigeria Fiber Optic Cable and Broadband Information and Communications Technologies Reverse Trade Mission](https://www.ustda.gov/events/2017/sub-saharan-africa/nigeria-fiber-and-broadband-technologies-rtm#), USTDA is hosting a half day Business Briefing to connect U.S. industry with new opportunities in fiber and ICT infrastructure projects in Nigeria. The event will allow U.S. companies Read more on https://africa-newsroom.com/press/nigeria-fiber-and-broadband-technologies-rtm-...Source : http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric...
The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) (www.ICD-ps.org) and Shobak Wind Energy PSC (the Project Company) have signed the facility agreements for a US$26 million Shariah-compliant senior financing to part fund the construction of a 45 MW wind farm (the Project) in Jordan near the Shobak town municipality,160 km south of []http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric...
 The Government of Japan congratulates the reappointment of H.E. Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta as President of the Republic of Kenya.  At the same time, Japan expresses its concern over the security issues that have arised in the process of confirming the results of the presidential election and expects that the stability will be established []http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric...
ABCNews.com(NEW YORK) -- While traditionalists may opt to count down to Christmas with single squares of chocolate hidden behind a decorated cardboard door, some companies are thinking outside the box when it comes to Advent calendars.

Check out these twists on the Christmas classic filled with trendy products from bath bombs to wine and other festive items that you never knew came in such a fun-size package.

Beauty

Birchbox is known for its subscription beauty product boxes, but this holiday season, the company created a special 14-day "Countdown to Beauty" Advent calendar featuring 14 samples of its best-selling products. The company also offers limited-edition holiday boxes for both men and women filled with everything from grooming products to accessories to supplement the overwhelming demand for their first-of-its-kind calendar.

"Our customers went crazy for it," public relations director Jenna Hilzenrath told ABC News. "The feedback was amazing, we heard from many of them that they were buying it for themselves in addition to gifting it to friends and family."

Beauty and skincare company L'Occitane offers a classic advent calendar available in stores that includes 24 beauty products. The calendar is filled with a variety of hand creams, soap, perfumes and more of the company's favorite products hidden inside a holiday illustrated box tied with a big red bow.

Lush cosmetics has made a splash with its effervescent bath bombs and the company's 12 Days of Christmas advent calendar is filled with an assortment of popular and seasonal bath and body products.

Fun gifts

Fans of witchcraft and wizardry can find Harry Potter sock Advent calendars at Target this holiday season.

Fill the home with scents of the holiday season with the Yankee Candle Countdown Calendar. This years calendar is in the shape of a house and includes a frosted glass snowflake candle holder and 24 tealight candles (one for each day leading up to Christmas) in 12 of Yankee Candles favorite holiday fragrances, director of brand development Nancy Sacco told ABC News.

Food

Dylan's Candy Bar created a printed cotton calendar from the Land of Nod collection. The brightly colored calendar is shaped like an apartment building with a surprise toy or treat tucked away behind each of the 25 colorful windows.

Drinks

Canadian tea purveyor David's Tea offers a tiny single serving tin of tea within each day of its calendar.

Drinks by the Dram sells its holiday spirit countdown to Christmas Whiskey Advent calendar. The adults-only beverage calendar has 24 different wax sealed bottles of whiskeys tucked behind each door. From single malt Scotch to Irish and American expressions, the malt calendar features an array of choices for any whiskey connoisseur.

The company also offers a bourbon, gin, rum, vodka and additional specific whiskey calendars.

Supermarket giant Aldi unveiled a wine Advent calendar filled for the holidays. Behind each day are a single 200-milliliter bottle of red, white, rose and bubbly.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Men accused of sexual taint continue to be beheaded by the media, falling like aristocrats trundled to the guillotine. The latest in the tumbrel full of miscreants to go under the blade is Matt Lauer, who was fired from NBCs Today show for sexual misconduct. Apparently, Lauers tribe numbers in the hundreds of thousands.

Or more.

But just as it seems every man is a predator and every woman has been wrongfully fondled, there is a small cloud on the horizon that augers a storm. The cloud may portend a new revolution.

Revolutions often begin with questions about truth and reality. What is the truth behind the accusations? Are men automatically guilty if accused? Should we consider whether women can be as predatory as men? Are all the accusing women innocent victims? Are none of them looking for power or money?

Maybe there is a little room for realistic cynicism.

As Angelo Codevilla recently pointed out, Men, but mostly women, have been trading erotic services for access to power since time began. As he observed sexual power plays during his eight years on the Senate staff, Access to power, or status, or the appearance thereof was on one side, sex on the other. Innocence was the one quality entirely absent on all sides.

Codevillas point is that all sexual transgression, including bargaining and power mongering, is held to be entirely the fault of men. But not all can be blamed on what radical feminists see as an inherently detestable and predatory patriarchy.

Women can be just as predatory as men, sexually and otherwise. Though assigned invisibility by most contemporary feminists who have a vested interest in the myth of women as always and forever victims of men, Phyllis Chesler and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, both cool-headed analysts, have shown that women can be as cruel and heartlessly manipulative toward men and other women as men can be toward women and other men.

Yes, we must recognize it has been and still sometimes is the lamentable truth that women unfairly have been considered the chief sexual polluters of men and society in general. Some medieval (and even contemporary) theologians discourses on the temptations the fair sex present to men more than suggest women are more sexually predatory than, as well as inferior to, men.

Such ideas about women began much earlier than the Middle Ages. Tertullian (160-220 AD) addressed women, saying, "Do you not know that you are (each) an Eve? You are the devil's gateway you are the first deserter of the divine law on account of your desert -- that is, death -- even the Son of God had to die."

St. Jerome believed woman is the root of all evil; Eve in paradise was a virgin virginity is natural and marriage (and sex) comes after the Fall. (Parentheses mine.)

The theological reasoning goes something like the following: Eve was not able to resist temptation and so was responsible for Adams and mankinds Fall. All women after Eve bore the consequences of her sin, and all had her predatory sexuality and accompanying weaknesses and sins, one of which was that of a seductress who tempted men into the sins of lust.

Alas, not all such reasoning about the inferior and inherently subordinate status of women is in the dim past. Some contemporary theologians such as Bruce Ware and Wayne Grudem, whose ideas are influential in evangelical and reformed circles, insist women will be eternally subordinate to men, as their status of subordination is characteristic of the eternally submissive relationship of Jesus to the Father within the Trinity. For Grudem and Ware, equality of redeemed men and women is not possible even when men and women are resurrected to eternal life. Both men appear to have succumbed to contemporary sexual/gender identity politics as a necessary characteristic of the Godhead. At least Aquinas averred womens resurrected bodies were as redeemed as mens. Their unorthodox view concerning the position of women in Heaven vaguely resembles the idea that in Paradise, there are seventy eternally submissive virgins available to men who attain blessedness.

To the credit of some feminists, secular and religious, many have strongly objected to the distorted image of women as inferior to men and as the chief locus of sin, sexual or otherwise.

Thank God.

However, as the current frenzy over the sexual abuse of women begins its descent into sexual McCarthyism, too many contemporary feminists are erring by now assigning the vice of lust almost entirely to the lustful hairy beasts of the male sex, and to the always suspect, but ill defined patriarchy. To put it another way, the sins of lust and aggression now have too often been attributed almost solely to men. The predations of women like the pedophile Mary Kay Letourneau, who was convicted of the rape of her twelve-year-old student, are somehow regarded as anomalies.

For some feminists, the idea is that all will be well if and when the patriarchy is destroyed and if and when the sexually rapacious white male is deprived of power.

In sum, as is the case with extremists who believe the evil of racism is part of the genetic makeup of whites, particularly white males; feminist extremists believe men, particularly white men, are automatically predisposed to sexual predation and seldom, if ever, contain their lust. It is assumed that women are never -- well very rarely -- predators and are to be automatically assumed victims because men have power, the original sin of the patriarchy. Therefore, mere accusation is legitimately enough to condemn any male. Emotional distress is enough to bypass evidence and the rule of law.

Blaming one sex as more intrinsically disordered than the other ignores the fact that each sex is as inclined to evil as the other. As Chesler and others have pointed out, there is more than some truth to the accusation that women are just better at hiding their transgressions than men and that they often direct their worst toward members of their own sex. Ask any woman whose marriage has been destroyed by the pretty young thing at the office just who was preying on whom.

Sin is remarkably evenhanded phenomenon.

The capacity for evil lies in the hearts of men and women. Men are not guilty just because they are men. Women are not guilty just because they are women. Some men are guilty of predation. Some women are guilty of predation. Both can be guilty of using sexual shortcuts in order to achieve power.

If theres to be an overhaul of the dead end of the sexual revolution we are now witnessing after decades of descent into sexual degradation, it has to start with the idea that though men and women are equally corrupt -- each in their own ways toward each other and the members of their own sex -- both are redeemable.

The true sexual revolution has never been attained. What we are witnessing now is the dead end of the purely negative sexual revolution begun in the 60s, during which time equality of the sexes was increasingly measured by the calculus of equal degradation, with Everyman and Everywoman being urged to continue the inexorable slide into the lust-filled second circle of Hell.

Christianity has always held out the hope of redemption for both sexes -- equally, both here and in eternity. It offers the hope of both sexes redemption and the restoration of equality between the sexes. It urges both to be imitators of Christ.

Sadly, even within the Christian Church, doctrine and cultural practices mitigate against the Edenic and Heavenly ideal. The Church has never taken the ideal of men and women as created equally in the image of God and as equally coheirs of the Kingdom of God with enough seriousness to model those ideals here on planet earth; instead the Church has most often taken its cues from the world.

But all is not lost.

We can hope the spiritual revolution necessary for approaching ideal relationships between men and women and with their God at least will look nearer to Eden than it presently does; and that it might even approach the Heavenly ideal of men and women standing together as redeemed equals who are united to God.

Fay Voshell holds a M.Div. from Princeton theological Seminary, which awarded her its prize for excellence in systematic theology. She is a frequent contributor to American Thinker. Her thoughts have appeared in many online magazines. She may be reached at fvoshell@yahoo.com
In his compelling new book, Blue on Blue, Charles Campisi, chief of the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau, tells how he was able to dramatically reform the bureau and improve the quality of NYPD policing.

Campisi instituted what he called "integrity tests." These were more commonly known in the NYPD as "stings." In his newly proactive NYPD, Campisi ran as many as 500 to 600 integrity tests a year, in which cops had "the opportunity to do the right thing or the wrong thing."

The key, writes Campisi, was "to make the situation seem real, so real ... the cop in question doesn't know he's being tested."

For the past nine years, Project Veritas, the brainchild of 33-year-old James O'Keefe, has been running integrity tests on a variety of institutions the major media have chosen to leave untested. Among the untested, at least until recently, are the major media operations themselves.

Earlier this week, the Washington Post did a spectacularly self-congratulatory end-zone dance for no greater accomplishment than having passed a test. Its reporters sniffed out a Project Veritas undercover who was testing the Post's eagerness to find still one more alleged victim to kill Roy Moore's candidacy in Alabama.

Where Project Veritas failed in this instance was, to paraphrase Campisi, to make the situation seem so real that the subject did not know he was being tested. Project Veritas has failed before. It is inevitable in this line of work. What is remarkable is how often these young guerrilla journalists have succeeded.

In 2009, for instance, O'Keefe and a young friend ran integrity tests on ACORN offices in six separate cities. ACORN execs celebrated upon realizing that their Philadelphia office saw through the sting. This was before they realized that their officials in Washington, Baltimore, Brooklyn, and San Bernardino had no problem advising a pimp on how to find housing for his underage Central American sex slaves.

The major media had turned a blind eye to the flagrant corruption of their ACORN allies for years. As a direct result of Project Veritas's exposure, this billion-dollar enterprise collapsed within months. When it did, the media turned on O'Keefe. He had not only brought down a useful leftist institution, but also embarrassed the reporters who should have done that job themselves. The media have been in full vengeance mode ever since.

In August 2016, Russ Feingold's operatives detected a young female undercover working her away inside the Senate campaign in Wisconsin. The Feingold people rushed to the media, and the media traced the woman to Project Veritas. "Democratic Senate Campaign Catches Conservative Infiltrator," shouted Time magazine.

Undeterred, this same undercover started interning at Democracy Partners in Washington a month after the Wisconsin bust. Her work there helped expose the illegal DNC dirty tricks operations, get two top Democratic operatives fired, and reversed the momentum of the presidential campaign. Some stings work. Some don't.

In the run-up to the inauguration, this same young undercover got busted again. The work of her colleagues on the same investigation, however, went undetected. "A D.C. police spokesman has confirmed," reported the Washington Post grudgingly in January 2017, "that a secret video recording made Dec. 18 by one of O'Keefe's operatives led to the arrest of one man and foiled an alleged plot to spread acid at the DeploraBall for Trump supporters at the National Press Club." Two other men were also arrested as a result of the Project Veritas videos.

In this past year, O'Keefe turned his attention to the media. He focused on the major media  CNN, Washington Post, New York Times  to test whether they lived up to their own stated objectives, as the Times puts it, ''to give the news impartially, without fear or favor, regardless of party, sect, or interests involved.''

The media have welcomed this integrity test about as much as a corrupt cop does a visit from Internal Affairs. At every level of these news organizations, employees recognize they are making a mockery of their mission. O'Keefe and crew have been gradually and quietly accumulating these admissions.

Desiree Shoe, a senior staff editor based in London, described for a Project Veritas undercover the charade she and her colleagues are asked to pull off on a daily basis. Like almost all of her colleagues, she is open in her disdain for President Trump.

"Trump is just an oblivious idiot," Shoe insisted. It was not just Trump that bothered her. She considers even Vice President Mike Pence "f------ horrible." Shoe believes that her sentiments are the norm among journalists.

A Times staffer in New York confirmed her suspicion. "Yeah, they all hate [Trump]," he told an undercover. When asked whether this pervasive hatred affects reporting at the Times, he conceded, "They unfairly report on him."

Aware of the stated mission of the Times, Shoe acknowledged, "Our main stories are supposed to be objective," but as she conceded, the Times is "widely understood to be liberal-leaning."

Compounding the problem for the Times and the other media is that they have experienced a "Trump bump." As John Bonifield of CNN told a Project Veritas journalist, "I think there are a lot of liberal viewers who want to see Trump really get scrutinized, but I think if we had behaved that way with President Obama, I think our viewers would have been turned off. Trump is good for business right now."

To retain their liberal viewers, the major media have to create stories that will hold the audience's attention. This explains why Adam Entous, the national security reporter for the Washington Post, has hammered out more than 50 stories on potential Trump collusion with Russia, a collusion that would not be criminal even if it were true.

What does Entous have to show for his work? "Our reporting has not taken us to a place where I would be able to say with any confidence that the result of it is going to be the president being guilty of being in cahoots with the Russians," he told a Project Veritas undercover. "There's no evidence of that that I've seen so far."

A few months back, CNN's Van Jones told a Project Veritas undercover, "The Russia thing is just a big nothingburger." CNN producer John Bonified elaborated, "I think the president is probably right to say, like, 'Look, you are witch-hunting me. You have no smoking gun; you have no real proof.'"

Patiently and quietly, Project Veritas journalists have been stripping the mainstream media of even the illusion of objectivity. To be taken seriously, their newsrooms need that illusion as much as a dirty cop needs his badge.

There is only one organization willing and able to blow their cover. Although the dominant media will do everything in their power to stop them, the scrappy guerrilla journalists of Project Veritas are not about to quit.
Roy Moore has given scrupulous conservatives (SC) a new reason to help liberals destroy America.

When the "Access Hollywood" tape came out, SCs bemoaned the fact that Trump accepted groupies consensual offers of free gropes while ignoring the fact that the behavior appeared to be something that happened years ago. While such behavior is hardly wonderful, the SCs seemed to forget that the alternative to Trump was a woman who supported dismembering viable pain-capable unborn women-to-be simply because their parents wanted a boy.

Putting feelings ahead of logic, SCs told us that not voting for Trump wouldnt really help Hillary win and hence didnt increase the risk of creating a pro-abortion anywhere any time for any reason majority on the Supreme Court.

To SCs, feeling pure and untainted is the driving factor in their voting decisions. While charges of past indiscretions seem to trigger SCs loathing, they oddly werent bothered by the fact that Bush was an alcoholic -- as it shouldnt have since hed been on the wagon for a long time. Apparently only people who are sexually impure can never repent and reform in the minds of SCs.

In the case of Moore, there are three young women who said he hugged and kissed them consensually when they were above the age of consent, one woman who said he attacked her, and one girl who said he tried to get her to have sex with him in a grossly inappropriate and criminal way but accepted no for an answer.

The fact that the media has to include the three women with whom Moore did nothing wrong is one of the many problems with the charges against Moore.

The woman who claimed that Moore assaulted her has now disappeared after the authenticity of Moores inscription in her yearbook has been called into question. Her unwillingness to submit the yearbook to independent analysis has, for the moment, rendered her claims somewhat dubious.

Which leaves one still possible claim against Moore. While there are a number of problems with the claim, ranging from the girl not having a phone in her bedroom to how did the east coast elite Washington Post reporters find this woman when people who lived near her -- democrat operatives who wanted to destroy Moore for years -- couldnt, we cant positively say that shes not telling the truth. Further Moore adamantly denies the charges and unlike almost all the other recent cases there arent multiple women, or girls in the case of Roman Polanski, pointing to a pattern of sexual misconduct.

Because there is a chance that the charge is true, all conservatives are a little uneasy about supporting Moore. Yet the SCs position is that any defect on the part of a conservative candidate is instantly disqualifying, which is actually a very anticonservative position.

In America, conservatism is generally based on Christian principles, which include the ideas of redemption and forgiveness. If Moore did do this one thing decades ago and never ever did it again, does it mean that hes still unfit or does it mean that hes a sinner like the rest of us who strayed seriously once and then, through the grace of God, repented and reformed?

One of the greatest saints, Saint Augustine, lived such a horrible life that his mother, Saint Monica, prayed for 20 years for his conversion. He too was saved by turning to God, and no Christian rejects what he wrote after he reformed because he led a dissolute and immoral life in the past.

When Bill Clinton first ran for the presidency he admitted on 60 Minutes that hed cheated on his wife, but Hillary and Bill said that that was in the past. At the time, while still opposing Clinton for his odious policies, most conservatives were willing to give him a pass on the adultery if it was in the past and it had ended.

Interestingly, the same liberals who tell us that vicious criminals can repent and hence should be released early and have their voting rights returned are declaring that Moores decade-old possible crime is both unforgivable and something he cant have repented of.

Ignoring for the moment both the possibility that Moore is completely innocent and the idea that if he sinned once but then lived a good life for decades after, perhaps he should be forgiven, the truly major problem with the SC position is that it essentially presumes that Moores opponent is morally unobjectionable.

Jones, Moores opponent, has said that he opposes any and all restrictions on abortion. He supports the physical dismemberment of viable, pain-capable unborn babies. He supports sex-selection abortions which target women to be. If one believes the science which says that a new human being is formed at the moment of conception, that makes Jones an ongoing supporter of mass murder on an unbelievable scale -- nearly 60,000,000 babies killed since Roe v. Wade.

Jones also supports allowing any man who self-identifies as a woman to use womens bathrooms, thereby ensuring equal opportunity for heterosexual pedophiles. Currently gay pedophiles can stalk their victims in the bathroom and Jones wants to extend that right to heterosexual predators.

The reality is that its cowardly, not noble, to refuse to support a flawed yet reformed man over a pro-abortionist who supports laws enabling pedophiles. SCs value their own feelings of superior smugness more than they do the safety of little girls or the lives of the unborn who will be violently snuffed out if Jones is elected.

Its one thing to oppose Trump when there were other options, such as Ted Cruz, or to oppose Moore during the primaries, but its quite another to say that its better to have a pro-mass murder of the unborn uberliberal in the Senate rather than a pro-life man who may have done something horrible decades ago.

The SCs argue that rational conservatives are simply unconcerned and morally inferior. Yet the reality is that someone who, in an election between Peter and Satan, would vote for Satan because Peter sinned is not morally superior at all.

No one who thought that Moore has molested underage girls in the recent past, say as recently as 10 years ago, would vote for him. But its not a sign of moral inferiority to declare that in the face of one he said she said claim that supposedly occurred decades ago to choose to forgive and vote against an abortion supporter.



Everyone who is planning to vote for Moore would be ecstatic if the charge could be proven to be false, yet the reality is we need to put on our big boy/girl pants on and pick the solution that is best for keeping the children safe in America.

Now is not the time to be scrupulous and put ones feelings of self-righteousness ahead of whats best for the country and the children.

You can read more of toms rants at his blog, Conversations about the obvious and feel free to follow him on Twitter
Its difficult to know how the Drug Enforcement Administration is adjusting tactics following media scrutiny about a new laws impact on its regulatory authority, namely what is called immediate suspension orders. These orders allow the agency to freeze suspicious shipments of prescription opioids involving manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies, and doctors.

The Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016, enacted last year requires a higher standard before DEA can issue these orders, raising questions about how such a measure sailed through Congress and was signed into law by President Obama in the middle of a raging drug epidemic. While some see red flags, with the drug industry exerting undue influence in getting the measure passed, others say immediate suspension orders vested too much authority in federal law enforcement powers, citing civil liberty and due process concerns.

Nevertheless, an October Washington Post  60 Minutes investigation highlighting DEA whistleblowers prompted Tom Marino, President Trumps drug czar nominee, to withdraw his name from consideration, and now Congress is considering bills to restore powers under the Controlled Substances Act to freeze more suspicious opioid shipments.

Communicating with the public, press, and Congress in a clear and complete manner will go a long way to restoring confidence that there is a strong law enforcement response to the worst drug crisis in our nations history. Despite the increased scrutiny of the opioid epidemic, and more recently the inner workings of the DEA, there are more questions than answers at this point.

Acting DEA Administrator Robert Patterson participated in a press conference last month in which he was asked about suspension orders. He provided few answers. Explaining the agencys diversion control division moved to other tools in the administrative toolbox, as the law sharply curtailed the use of immediate suspension orders, the director highlighted other regulatory powers still authorized. But he did not provide specifics to back up his claim that one alternative tool, known as voluntary surrenders, is stemming the diversion of prescription opioids for illicit use on par with suspension orders.

Similarly, its difficult to find current data on immediate suspension orders. Numbers provided by the auditing office of Congress are reported only through 2013, and conservative media outlets cited that analysis in asserting that use of the enforcement measure was on the decline anyway. More recent years, as the opioid epidemic spiked, are missing from the Congressional report. The Government Accountability Office report relies on DEA to provide data. It would help inform the debate if recent numbers were available so we can all see if DEA can do its job with less unilateral power.

Members of Congress are likewise frustrated as bills are being considered to restore DEAs ability to issue suspension orders. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) asked the DEAs head of diversion control if Congress should subpoena the agency in order to get documents related to suspension orders after repeated efforts to obtain them. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) wants to know why the DEA refuses to let a critic of the law testify before her committee. John J. Mulrooney, II the agencys chief administrative judge, wrote an article for the Marquette Law Review outlining how legislation diluted the effectiveness of immediate suspension orders.

Even the data that does exist sheds little light on how immediate suspension orders actually work in practice. The 2015 GAO report, which seems to be the best online source for DEA administrative actions, describes agency processes but offers little analytics that could be used to determine strategy. For example, how many opioid shipments were frozen according to key parts of the supply chain? Widely covered in the press is the example of Kermit, West Virginia, a town with a population of 400 that received 9 million hydrocodone painkillers. How many other Kermits are there? More important than knowing the number of orders issued is the volume of opioids pulled from the market. What is the breakdown according to hydrocodone, morphine, and oxycodone?

This information is sitting on peoples desks at the DEA. It certainly was when former DEA personnel and whistleblowers came forward to discuss their successes cracking down on illicit distribution in earlier years. Congress could overturn a law that many say harmed the DEAs ability to take down illegal drug markets. Then again, maybe DEA can actually work around existing law and use other enforcement powers, or as agency personnel like to say other tools in the toolbox. Until we see the tools, how they work, and their results, Congress is going to have a difficult time drafting an effective bill. As for DEA leadership, providing a candid, public assessment of various enforcement actions will ensure a legal and regulatory framework that recognizes opioid abuse as a national health emergency while enabling legitimate commerce.

Matt Mossburg is a recovering opioid addict and former Maryland legislator active in seeking public policy solutions to the epidemic.
The collective groupthink media are having a cow because one of their chosen ones has been called a nickname by President Trump. And so they must go into protective mode. They pulled out the card they always pull out: the race card.

If there was a racial slur at all in President Trump's description of Warren as "Pocahontas," it was when Elizabeth Warren created the fake identity for herself around thirty years ago. Somehow she became a partial American Indian. Maybe the reporters should care that we have a sitting senator who committed a crime by creating a fake identity. Is someone who created a fake identity to enrich herself fit to serve as a senator?

I now understand why Elizabeth Warren, who doesn't mind people being required to have a photo ID for so many things, thinks people shouldn't be required to show proof of who they are when they vote or seek affirmative action privileges. She certainly didn't when she claimed racial preference for her perch at Harvard and has said she didn't think she needed to show any proof. The media have been accommodating.

Everyone should also understand why she doesn't care that illegals are allowed to come and stay. If she can be a fake Indian for all these years, why shouldn't people who created fake documents and have been fake citizens for a number of years be allowed to stay? Identities are malleable, and laws are just so irrelevant.

If Harvard wanted to hire someone with actual minority heritage for a high-paid job, Warren stole that job and prevented an actual minority from having the opportunity to move up as she did. Warren pretends she is all for minorities, but she stole one of their jobs. Maybe that minority could have been an honest minority and had a chance to be a senator instead of having a fake Indian in that seat. Warren made a salary of between $350,000 and $400,000 in 2009-2010 at Harvard. Did that money belong to someone else?

The wealthy Warren, who always lectures about income inequality, flipped houses in the 1990s. One home she bought for $30,000 from an elderly lady and then flipped it for $145,000 five months later. Why was she so willing to screw the other family members by buying a house so far below market?

Warren's brainchild bureaucracy in D.C. is the Consumer Finance Performance Bureau (CFPB). It is an off-budget agency with little or no oversight. It has provided a great living for many bureaucrats (mostly Democrats) in D.C., which may be its main purpose. The average annual salary of CFPB workers in 2012 was $118,000 (not including generous benefits), while the median income of a family of four in the U.S. is around $60,000. Isn't it great that the taxpayers who make so much less are funding this toy of Elizabeth Warren and we aren't even allowed to see its budget?

Banks were already heavily regulated by FDIC, the Federal Reserve, and state regulators prior to the CFPB being formed, but that wasn't enough. More government is always the solution for Democrats. The number of small banks has been declining rapidly, and the more regulations that are stacked on, the worse it gets. Democrats like Warren always pretend they are for the small guy, but their regulatory and tax policies show they don't really mean it. As with health care, Democrats don't mind taking away freedom of choice by regulating so many out of existence.

From the Mercatus Institute:

Dodd-Frank poses considerable challenges for small banks. While bank concentration itself is not bad, increasing regulatory burdens should not be the driver of regulatory consolidation. Dodd-Frank is costly for large banks, too, but regulatory compliance can be a particular challenge for small banks with limited access to compliance expertise. Regulatory expenses absorb a larger percentage of small banks' budgets than that of their larger counterparts' budgets.

I would love to have any reporter give a list of Elizabeth Warren's policies that have actually allowed the poor, minorities, and middle class to have opportunities to move up the economic ladder instead of making government bigger and making a bigger share dependent on government. I can't think of any, so why are she and other Democrats called progressives? Democrat policies can be summed up as: the government knows how to spend your money better than you do.

Instead of reporters telling us who Elizabeth Warren is and what she has done to make herself rich, they pull out the race card on Trump because that is all they've got. There is nothing derogatory toward Indians when Trump uses Pocahontas for Warren. It is purely a nickname to show that she made up that she was an Indian to get ahead. The fact that so many reporters just repeat the term "racial slur" regarding his comment shows that they have lost their ability to independently think.

It is a true shame that guys like Al Franken are considered the best Democrats have got, and John Conyers is considered an icon. It's an even bigger shame that Elizabeth Warren is the standard-bearer who replaces them.
In a panel on anti-Semitism, Palestinian-American radical feminist leftist Linda Sarsour said the "Jewish media" are why she has such a bad name for anti-Semitism.

You can't make this stuff up.

According to the Daily Caller:

Palestinian activist Linda Sarsour accused members of the "Jewish media" for her bad reputation, in an event entitled "Anti-Semitism and the Struggle for Justice" Tuesday night at New York City's The New School. "If what you're reading all day long, morning and night, in the Jewish media is that Linda Sarsour and Minister Farrakhan are the existential threats to the Jewish community, something really bad is gonna happen and we gonna miss the mark on it," Sarsour remarked in an event intended to be "a discussion on how to combat" bigotry against Jews. It should be noted that Farrakhan once praised Adolf Hitler as "a very great man."

So "The Jews" did it?

No wonder there were people out there who thought Sarsour would be a most unfortunate choice of speaker to lecture Jews on anti-Semitism.

Besides blaming "The Jews" for the press coverage describing her own activities, the big organizer of "The Women's March" laid blame for on President Trump for anti-Semitism and then touted her support for the anti-Semitic boycott, divestment, sanctions movement to damage Israel.

Projections, anyone? She wouldn't think the Jews control the press, now, would she? Perhaps the Daily Stormfront, or whatever it's called, will be interested in her next panel discussion.

It goes to show how anti-Semites will do anything they can to engage in anti-Semitism without taking responsibility. This includes claiming that their anti-Semitic activities are really just anti-Zionist, as well as throwing the anti-Semitism label onto people they don't like, such as President Trump, calling them the "real" anti-Semites, the way O.J. Simpson called for the capture of the "real killer." It's as Orwellian a dynamic as any out there.

It's also not the first time this type of projecting has been seen out there on the lunatic fringe of the left.

From the papers of Ronald Reagan, a famous anecdote about the Sandinistas of Nicaragua pretty much tells the same story:

The Sandinistas' real face is not hard to find. A few years ago, the chief of censorship at the Interior Ministry explained the censoring of La Prensa with a comment that would have made George Orwell blush. She said, and I quote: "They accused us of suppressing freedom of expression. This was a lie, and we could not let them publish it."

Linda Sarsour would be right on the same page as her lady Sandinista comrade.
In a panel on anti-Semitism, Palestinian-American radical feminist leftist, Linda Sarsour, said the " Jewish media " was why she had such a bad name for anti-Semitism.

According to the Daily Caller:

Palestinian activist Linda Sarsour accused members of the Jewish media for her bad reputation, in an event entitled Anti-Semitism and the Struggle for Justice Tuesday night at New York Citys The New School. If what youre reading all day long, morning and night, in the Jewish media is that Linda Sarsour and Minister Farrakhan are the existential threats to the Jewish community, something really bad is gonna happen and we gonna miss the mark on it, Sarsour remarked in an event intended to be a discussion on how to combat bigotry against Jews. It should be noted that Farrakhan once praised Adolf Hitler as a very great man.

So "The Jews" did it?

No wonder there were people out there who thought Sarsour would be a most unfortunate choice of speakers to lecture Jews on anti-Semitism.

Besides blaming "The Jews" for the press coverage describing her own activities, the big organizer of 'The Women's March' laid blame for on President Trump for anti-Semitism and then touted her support for the anti-Semitic boycott-divest-sanction movement to damage Israel.

Projections, anyone? She wouldn't think the Jews control the press, now, would she? Perhaps the Daily Stormfront or whatever it's called, will be interested in her next panel discussion.

It goes to show how anti-Semites will do anything they can to engage in anti-Semitism without taking responsibility. This includes claiming their anti-Semitic activities are really just anti-Zionist, as well as throwing the anti-Semitism label onto people they don't like, such as President Trump, calling them the 'real' anti-Semites, the way O.J. Simpson called for the capture of the "real killer." It's as Orwellian a dynamic as any out there.

It's also not the first time this type of projecting has been seen out there on the lunatic fringe of the left.

From the papers of Ronald Reagan, a famous anecdote about the Sandinistas of Nicaragua pretty much tells the same story:

The Sandinistas' real face is not hard to find. A few years ago, the chief of censorship at the Interior Ministry explained the censoring of La Prensa with a comment that would have made George Orwell blush. She said, and I quote: "They accused us of suppressing freedom of expression. This was a lie, and we could not let them publish it."

Linda Sarsour would be right on the same page as her lady Sandinista comrade.
As a practicing Catholic, I have frequently been disappointed in Pope Francis.

On his trip to Burma, he somehow failed to directly mention that 600,000 Muslim Rohingya have been chased out of the country into Bangladesh since late August. They're refugees.

He seems to be very selective about what he will talk about harshly.

He has gone against Trump on wanting to be careful on what refugees we allow in. Yet his own Vatican is careful. Why are there walls around the Vatican?

He has railed against capitalism. Somehow he doesn't understand that capitalism is the system that finances the Vatican and has lifted the most poor people out of poverty. It's not socialism or communism. He seems to think economic systems that make people more dependent on government are superior to a system that gives more people the opportunity to move up the economic ladder. He talks about greed but not the greed of government officials or the greed of the Church, especially the Vatican.

He continually condemns how global warming and fossil fuels have been tremendous dangers, not seeming to understand that the advent of fossil fuels the last 150 years has yielded great increases in the quality and length of life. Fossil fuels have led to water and sewage treatment facilities, among other things. Somehow the pope doesn't seem to mind that underdeveloped countries and underprivileged people remain that way because of their inability to utilize fossil fuels. He's offered them no encouragement to develop with fossil fuels.

I have always thought some enterprising person should ask the pope if he doesn't believe that God controls the climate, the weather, the sun, the moon, the tides, and the seas. Doesn't he believe that God developed CO2 and all the chemicals in the atmosphere that allow life to thrive on Earth? Didn't God create the process whereby humans breathe out CO2, which allows plants to thrive and emit oxygen, which allows humans to live? Does he believe that God put all the natural resources inside the Earth? Does he believe that God meant for the natural resources to remain inside Earth or for humans to develop them? Didn't God give humans the brains that allow for the development of fossil fuels, cars, and all other inventions powered by fossil fuels and made out of crude oil?

It also seems that the pope would gladly have had a president who supports abortion on demand, including partial-birth abortion, instead of Trump.

Sometimes it appears that the pope has his priorities all screwed up.
The strategy of the Democratic Party for the last two generations finally threatens to unravel before our eyes. Blacks and feminists are in conflict over the abusive behavior of John Conyers toward subordinate females.

Normally, Democrats sweep under the rug the obvious clashes among the interest of the various identity groups  for example, the homosexual lobby and the courting of Muslims, whose religion calls for the death penalty for homosexuals. With the support of the MSM, they get away with it by demonizing Republicans as the real enemy. However, we are in the midst of a form of hysteria driven by long repressed anger. Women have been abused in the workplace in the media and political bastions of Democrats for as long as anyone can remember. The party even united behind supporting the obvious abuse that Bill Clinton practiced in Arkansas and brought with him to the White House, where the Oval Office itself was defiled by inducing a young intern to deliver sexual acts along with pizza. That was an indignity that power-seeking feminists supported with absurd doctrines like "one free grope." It made the ongoing abuse all the more painful for the women sacrificed for the cause. They didn't matter  until they did, after Trump became the target and the hopes of impeaching him for sexual improprieties opened the door to tales of misbehavior of others being publicized, so as to set precedents that could be used against the POTUS.

Now, with women gaining the courage to speak out, all hell is breaking loose. Mike Lillis of The Hill sums up the situation with the headline "Conyers saga brings Dem tensions to a boil."

Tensions are running high in the House Democratic Caucus over the fate of Rep. John Conyers Jr., with allies of the embattled Michigan lawmaker digging in behind him even as others demand his immediate resignation. The debate has heightened long-standing generational differences within the party; triggered thorny and uncomfortable conversations about race; fueled the effort to overhaul the way sexual harassment cases are handled on Capitol Hill; and highlighted the differences in how the public and private sectors are addressing a national harassment problem that seems to mushroom by the day. ... Privately, however, there's overwhelming sentiment among Democratic leaders that the interests of the party would be best served if Conyers resigned immediately, according to numerous aides.

The problem with that outcome is that Conyers wants to hang tough. He has, after all, ridden out scandals before, such as when his wife, Monica Conyers (35 years younger than he), was sentenced to prison for bribery. And he made his political bones in the Civil Rights Movement, which confers a form of sainthood upon him in the eyes of many. In all likelihood, he will stick out his term and not run for re-election, which does no good for the Get Trump Gang and leaves his victims with no satisfaction.

After an initial flirtation with collectively demanding that Conyers resign, the Congressional Black Caucus has reverted to form:

The head of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) said late Tuesday that he won't press embattled Rep. John Conyers Jr. to resign from Congress over allegations that the long-serving Michigan Democrat sexually harassed multiple aides over the course of decades. Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), who huddled with Conyers and other CBC members Tuesday afternoon, said he wants Conyers to cooperate in a nascent ethics investigation surrounding the charges.

Even worse for the Get Trump crowd and the feminists, Rep. James Clyburn, third ranking Democrat in the House, seemed to offer the opinion that being elected confers immunity:

CBC Chair Richmond asks for ex. of ppl leaving jobs faster than Conyers when face sexual harassment claims; Clyburn asks "who elected them?" pic.twitter.com/FGDNbvBUcg  Alex Moe (@AlexNBCNews) November 29, 2017

Nancy Pelosi tried to defend Conyers as an icon on Sunday and had to walk that back in the face of fury from women. But that hasn't stopped Rep. Gregory Meeks from arguing that Conyers "has made America a better place" while paying lip service to the concerns of feminists and bringing racial discrimination into the conversation.

It has gotten so bad that another prominent member of the CBC is reverting to shocking racism, dismissing the complaints because the victims are white and implying that racism is at work, likening the complainers to one of the most hated women in recent memory:

Also at this morning's House Democratic caucus: James Clyburn compared Conyers' accusers to the child murderer Susan Smith, who initially claimed a black man had abducted her kids. Clyburn said, these are all white women who've made these charges against Conyers.  Robert Draper (@DraperRobert) November 29, 2017

There is enough anger in the air among Democrats, with the self-identification with victim groups continuing to outweigh the joint quest for power, that Democrats have got to worry about whom to sacrifice, and how  to keep their female turnout high, without damaging black turnout in 2018.
Over the last couple of days, First Lady Melania Trump has beautifully welcomed the Christmas season. Cheers to the president and Mrs. Trump!

Unfortunately, some in the media don't like it at all, as Debra Haine posted:

Did you know that those exquisite White House Christmas decorations First Lady Melania Trump proudly unveiled yesterday are "spooky," "spine-chilling," and "nightmarish"  like scenes from Mordor, Narnia, or The Shining? It took most of the day yesterday, but by nightfall, the Trump-hating media was able to settle on an unfavorable narrative with which to belittle the newly unveiled decor.

Amazing! What is the point of getting so worked up over a White House that just dressed up for Christmas? Have we sunk to this level of silliness?

According to a Pew study from 2015, Americans celebrate Christmas in huge numbers:

About nine-in-ten Americans (92%) and nearly all Christians (96%) say they celebrate Christmas, according to a 2013 Pew Research Center survey. This is no surprise, but what might be more unexpected is that a big majority (81%) of non-Christians in the U.S. also celebrate Christmas. This includes 87% of people with no religion and even about three-quarters of Asian-American Buddhists (76%) and Hindus (73%). Roughly a third of U.S. Jews (32%)  many of whom have non-Jewish spouses  said in a 2013 survey that they had a Christmas tree in their homes during the most recent holiday season. Among Americans overall, about half (51%) say they celebrate Christmas as more of a religious holiday, while roughly a third (32%) say it is more of a cultural holiday to them personally.

Sounds about right. My own personal experience confirms that.

So are Americans worked up about the White House saying, "Merry Christmas"? Not at all, unless you were hoping that First Gentleman Bill Clinton would introduce the Christmas decorations and bake cookies in 2017.

Or maybe there is Melania Derangement Syndrome in the water at some newsrooms in the U.S.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
Melania has decorated the White House for Christmas, and it's gorgeous. Melania doesn't look too bad, either.

The decorations are up! @WhiteHouse is ready to celebrate! Wishing you a Merry Christmas & joyous holiday season! pic.twitter.com/d6ZuyeFvrw  Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) November 27, 2017

The MSM appear more ridiculous every day. And now Garrison Keilor and Matt Lauer have been fired. But they've been on the right side of all the right causes, so shouldn't they get a free grope, following the Gloria Steinem rule for Bill the Lech?

Maybe it's because Melania wished everyone Merry Christmas. I suppose that if she had said, "Happy Yule sabbat! Praise be to all Newborn Gods, Sun Gods, Mother Goddesses, and Triple Goddesses," they would have been ecstatic.

Henry Percy is the nom de guerre of a writer in Arizona. He may be reached at saler.50d[at]gmail.com.
A mammoth new hotel is rising in Saudi Arabias holy city Mecca. When completed it will have 10,000 rooms spanning more than 1.4 million square meters, and 70 restaurants catering to the most affluent of pilgrims from the Gulf and abroad.

Resembling a traditional fortress, the hotel Abraj Kudai consist of a ring of 12 towers soaring 45 stories into the sky. Atop its central tower will be one of the world's largest domes. Surrounding this dome will be five helipads. The worlds biggest hotel will also feature a bus station, food courts, and a shopping mall on the lower levels and a ballroom housed inside the dome. The interiors, as expected, will be lavishly decorated.

A computer-generated 3D model of the under-construction hotel Abraj Kudai.

Located just 2 km away from the Holy Haram in Mecca, Abraj Kudai is the latest attempt by the Gulf country to turn Mecca into Manhattan. In the past few years, the city has seen tremendous expansion in size and infrastructure, and home to structures such as the Abraj Al Bait, a mega complex consisting of seven skyscraper hotels overlooking the Kaaba  the black cube at the center of the world's largest mosque around which Muslims walk during Haj. One of the hotels, the Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel is the world's third tallest building and fifth tallest freestanding structure in the world. This tower also boasts of having the world's largest clock face. At night, the glowing clock face is visible from 30 km away.

The construction of Abraj Al Bait caused quite a controversy. The developers razed a historic 18th century Ottoman-era fortress along with a small hill upon which the fortress stood to make room for the structure. The Ajyad Fortress was built in 1780 under Ottoman rule in order to protect the Kaaba from bandits and invaders.

The Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel. Notice how it dwarfs the Great Mosque and the black Kabba, which itself is a gigantic structure.

Irfan Al-Alawi, director of the UK-based Islamic Heritage Research Foundation, has been trying with little success to campaign for the protection of what little heritage that is left in Saudi Arabias holy cities. Everything has been swept away to make way for the incessant march of luxury hotels, which are destroying the sanctity of the place and pricing normal pilgrims out, Al-Alawi told The Guardian.

The destruction of heritage sites associated with early Islam has been going on since centuries driven by the Wahabi belief that idol worship is sinful. In Mecca and Medina, the very structures associated with the prophet and his family such as tombs, mausoleums, mosques and homes were destroyed. The house of Khadija, Muhammads first wife, was demolished to make way for a library, according to Wikipedia, and public lavatories, according to The Guardian. Where the house of Islams first caliph, Abu Bakr, once stood now stands a Hilton hotel. The house where Muhammad was born now lies in ruins. The house where he lived in Medina, and the first Islamic school where Muhammad taught were leveled to the ground. The list of heritage crimes goes on.

"They are turning the holy sanctuary into a machine, a city which has no identity, no heritage, no culture and no natural environment. They've even taken away the mountains," says Sami Angawi, an architect and founder of the Jeddah-based Hajj Research Centre, who has spent the last three decades researching and documenting the historic buildings of Mecca and Medina.

Thousands of tents housing Muslim pilgrims fill the landscape in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca. Photo credit: ABC.net

Religious pilgrimages make up the bulk of the tourists to Saudi Arabia, especially to Mecca, where non-Muslims are not allowed to enter. During the annual Hajj, Mecca receives over three million pilgrims but during the rest of the year more than 20 million visit the city, which has become a popular place for weddings and conferences. To accommodate the growing influx, the Saudi authorities has deemed it necessary to raze large tracts of formerly residential neighborhoods as well as heritage sites to make way for pilgrimage-related infrastructure.

In the city of Mina, 8 km away from Mecca, the Saudi government has installed more than 100,000 air-conditioned tents to accommodate Hajj pilgrims. Although their accommodation is temporary, the tents are permanent.

Another large ongoing construction project in Mecca is the Jabal Omar development consisting of 40 residential towers that will accommodate 160,000 Islamic pilgrims, and a prayer area for 200,000 worshippers. The Grand Mosque itself is undergoing a USD 50 billion expansion to double the capacity of its prayer halls, from 3 million to nearly 7 million. To make room for the gigantic project, a vast part of the old city was flattened to the ground. Residents were evicted with one week's notice, and many have still not been compensateda common story across Mecca's developments, says Irfan al-Alawi. "They are now living in shantytowns on the edge of the city without proper sanitation. Locals, who have lived here for generations, are being forced out to make way for these marble castles in the sky."

The most anticipated is the Jeddah Tower, also known as Kingdom Tower, in the port city of Jeddah, which is expected to stand a kilometer tall with over 250 floors. It will be the tallest building in the world outranking the 828-meter-tall Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

"It is the end of Mecca," says Alawi. "And for what? Most of these hotels are 50% vacant and the malls are empty  the rents are too expensive for the former souk stall-holders. And people praying in the new mosque extension will not even be able to see the Kaaba."

This is how the northern side of the Grand Mosque will look like. The black Kabba is a tiny speck on the bottom right.

The sky behind the Great Mosque is bristling with cranes heralding one tower hotel after another. Photo credit: Fadhlur Rahman/Flickr

The Jabal Omar development, also under construction.

The Abraj Kudai hotel, the largest hotel in the world, as it will appear when completed.

The Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel when still under construction. Photo credit: Fadi El Benni/Al Jazeera

The towers of the Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel, as visible from the mosque. Photo credit: neo saed/Flickr
(ANSA) - Milan, November 28 - Salem Bashir Mazan Rajah, a Libyan suspected jihadist who spurred a Milan probe that arrested 13 people for conspiracy to money launder via the Hawala system, moved cash worth "over 100 million euros," between Libya, Italy and Europe, an investigating judge said Tuesday. Cited for laundering after a Milan airport check in 2015 and now on a wanted list, Rajah "could play a role as money mule" for groups linked to jihad, the judge said. Italian police said earlier they had suspected Rajah for some time.

Police said they had found evidence that the laundering group had been infiltrated "by jihadist organisations".

They said the hawala money-laundering system was "linked to the funding of international terrorism".


(ANSA) - Dhaka, November 30 - Pope Francis on Thursday thanked Bangladesh for helping "the refugees who flooded in from the (Myanmar) State of Rakhine", avoiding using the word Rohingya again. In his first speech on a trip here, in the presidential palace, the pope hailed Bangladesh's "humanitarian generosity" in welcoming some 620,000 refugees. He said it had been done "with no little sacrifice" and was "in the eyes of the whole world". Francis said "it is necessary for the international community to implement effective measures on this grave crisis" both for political solutions and material assistance. Myanmar objects to the word Rohingya because the Muslim group is not one of the country's many official minorities, and the pope avoided using the term during his three-day visit to Myanmar earlier this week, on the advice of the local Catholic Church.

In previous speeches, however, he has used the word. The Rohingya refugees have told tales of brutality and rape by Myanmar Buddhists and the military.

Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid, for his part, praised Francis's "very praiseworthy position" in favour of persecuted Rohingya" who have taken refuge there from Myanmar "and his impassioned voice against such brutality". Saying his government had given refuge to "a million Rohingya driven out of Myanmar", he said the pope's support "gives hope for a solution to this crisis". Hamid said "his closeness to them, his request to help them and ensure their full rights gives the international community the responsibility to act with speed and sincerity". Most estimates put the number of Rohingya who have fled to Bangladesh at 620,000.


BEIRUT - Shia Houthi rebels and soldiers loyal to the deposed president Ali Abdullah Saleh have resumed fighting in the capital Sanaa after at least 15 people were killed in clashes there on Wednesday, pan-Arab television news network Al Arabiya reported Thursday. Sources close to Saleh and to the Houthis say so far attempts at mediation have failed and that the Shia rebels are continuing to lay siege to the residence of the president and members of his family in the Hadda area in the Al Siyasi neighbourhood and on Algeria Road. The loyalist soldiers and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels together control Sanaa.



They are fighting against the forces loyal to the internationally recognised government of President Abd Rabbo Mansur Hadi, an ally of Saudi Arabia, based in the southern city of Aden. Houthi rebels from various parts of the country have taken control of Piazza Al Sabain, where they are waiting for the celebrations for the anniversary of the birth of Mohammed on Thursday. Al Arabiya reports that the fighting began on Wednesday evening in the south of the capital before spreading to various other areas. Informed sources say the fighting started after the Houthi rebels were prevented from installing surveillance cameras on the minarets of a mosque controlled by Saleh. Forces loyal to Saleh clashed with Houthi rebels who were trying to attack the home of General Tariq Mohammed Abdullah Saleh, the former president's brother.
Croatian parliament holds minute's silence for Praljak Sentence against Croatian leaders for war crimes 'unfair'

(ANSAmed) - ZAGREB, NOVEMBER 30 - The Croatian parliament began its Thursday sitting with a minute's silence in memory of all the Croatian victims in Bosnia and of General Slobodan Praljak, who committed suicide by drinking poison on Wednesday at the International Criminal Tribunal (ICT) in The Hague after being handed down a definitive sentence for war crimes. Parliamentary speaker Gordan Jandrokovic read a joint statement from almost all the parliamentary groups describing Wednesday's conviction for war crimes of six high-ranking Croatian politicians and soldiers including Praljak as "unfair and unacceptable". "The sentence handed down by the ICT does not take account of the historical truth and indisputable evidence" concerning the role of the Croats and of Croatia in the war in Bosnia in 1992-1995. (ANSAmed).




Deal with Italy example to follow - Libya deputy PM Other EU countries need to step up - Maitig

(ANSA) - Rome, November 30 - Libya's deal with Italy on migrants is "a model accord, which other European countries can subscribe to," Libyan Deputy Premier Ahmed Maitig told the Med Dialogues 2017 in Rome Thursday. Maitig said "Italy has done a lot, it has done what is possible, also against terrorism, but we are looking for other partners to stop the phenomenon of clandestine immigration. More initiatives are needed on the part of the European countries".




Trump to receive Libyan Premier Al Sarraj President supports Tripoli government and UN peace plan

(ANSAmed) - WASHINGTON, NOVEMBER 30 - Donald Trump is taking the field personally in the effort to stabilise Libya by hosting Premier Fayez al-Sarraj at the White House on Friday. "President Trump looks forward to discussing the bilateral ties between the United States and Libya and reaffirming the United States' support for the Government of National Accord, and commitment to helping the Libyan people realize a more stable, unified, and prosperous future, a statement said. The two leaders "will also discuss the importance of the political reconciliation effort being facilitated by the United Nations within the framework of the Libyan Political Agreement, as well as counterterrorism cooperation and ways to expand bilateral engagement in several areas".



It is hoped the long-awaited move might be a turning point in the international community's efforts to resolve the crisis that has gripped Libya since 2011, and which has been exacerbated by the migration challenge and scandal of Libyan detention centres.



These issues were at the centre of the fifth EU-African Union summit in Abidjan on Thursday, with the participation of Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Spanish Premier Mariano Rajoy, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, Serraj and other African leaders.



In Libya there are two governments and two parliaments and dozens of rebel groups that are fighting for control of the country and its resources. The UN has recognised and supports the government of Tripoli led by al-Sarraj, whose legitimacy is disputed by General Khalifa Haftar, head of the Libyan National Army, who backs the parliament in Tobruk and is extending his influence with support from Egypt, United Arab Emirates and Russia (and a certain degree of benevolence on the part of France). On September 20 UN Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame presented a new peace plan in view of the end of al-Serraj's mandate next month. This includes confirming the 2015 Skhirat accords in December; calling a national assembly of all political and civilian actors in the spring; strengthening the transitional presidential council and government in order to have more solid interlocutors; and work towards elections "by universal suffrage" in 2018. US support for this process is fundamental, as is their military engagement to neutralise possible terrorist groups in Libya. (ANSAmed).




If youre considering a subscription to the Disney Plus streaming service, you may be wondering how much it costs. The service is available on both
Carmaker denies allegations, cites unusually rigorous quality check.

The luxury cars regularly require fixes before they can leave the factory, according to the workers.

San Francisco: After Teslas Model S and Model X roll off the companys assembly line, the electric vehicles usually make another stop  for repairs, nine current and former employees have told Reuters.

The luxury cars regularly require fixes before they can leave the factory, according to the workers.

Quality checks have routinely revealed defects in more than 90 per cent of Model S and Model X vehicles inspected after assembly, these individuals said, citing figures from Teslas internal tracking system as recently as October.

Some of these people told Reuters of seeing problems as far back as 2012.

Tesla said its quality control process is unusually rigorous, designed to flag and correct the tiniest imperfections. It declined to provide post-assembly defect rates to Reuters or comment on those cited by employees.

The worlds most efficient automakers, such as Toyota, average post-manufacturing fixes on fewer than 10 per cent of their cars, according to industry experts. Getting quality right during initial assembly is crucial, they said, because repairs waste time and money.

At Tesla so much goes into rework after the car is done ... thats where their money is being spent, a former Tesla supervisor said.

The automaker said the majority of its post-assembly defects are minor and resolved in a matter of minutes.

Tesla has enthralled consumers with sleek designs, clean technology and legendary acceleration on its pricey cars. A Consumer Reports survey found 91 percent of Tesla owners would buy again.

Still, the magazine and market researcher J.D. Power have dinged the company on quality, citing troubles such as faulty door handles and body panel gaps. Bernstein analyst A.M. (Toni) Sacconaghi, Jr. test-drove one of the companys Model 3 earlier this month, writing that the fit and finish were relatively poor. Tesla owners have complained on web forums of annoying rattles, buggy software and poor seals that allow rainwater to seep into the interior or trunk.

Auto industry experts say the companys survival now depends on its ability to crank out high-quality cars in volume as it begins to build its first mass-market car, the Model 3, which starts at $35,000.
A controversy erupted on Wednesday when Mr Gandhis name appeared in a register meant for non-Hindus entering the Somnath temple.

New Delhi: Continuing his one-question-a-day series, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and asked him why the people of Gujarat should pay the price for his financial mismanagement and publicity.

In 1995, the total debt on Gujarat was Rs 9,183 crore. In 2017, the total debt on Gujarat was Rs 2.41 lakh crore. That means a debt of `37,000 on every Gujarati. Why should the people of Gujarat pay a price for your financial mismanagement and publicity? asked Mr Gandhi in a tweet.

The Congress vice-president also sought to set the record straight on the controversy related to his Somnath temple visit and BJPs barbs questioning his religion.

My grandmother and my family are Shiv bhakts, dont make a political capital out of religion, my religion is my personal belief, he said.

A controversy erupted on Wednesday when Mr Gandhis name appeared in a register meant for non-Hindus entering the Somnath temple. The Gandhi scion said on Thursday that he did sign the visitors book at the temple but the entry in the register meant for non-Hindu visitors was made by some BJP leader.

For attacking the BJP, Mr Gandhi has come up with slogan 22 salon ka hisaab, Gujarat mange jawaab. He will pose one question daily to Mr Modi and the BJP which has been in power for 22 years in the state where voting for 182 Assembly seats will take place on December 9 and 14 The result will be out on December 18.

Earlier, Mr Gandhi wrapped up his two-day Gujarat visit on Thursday by campaigning in the Saurashtra region and promising a farm loan waiver within 10 days of the Congress coming to power in the state.

Addressing a public meeting in Amreli district, Mr Gandhi attacked the Prime Minister and said, Modiji waived loans worth `1.25 trillion of his 5-10 industrialists friends, but Modiji and (Arun) Jaitleyji say that it is not their policy to waive off loans of farmers when they ask for it.

Modiji talked for 22 years about farmers, but you have not got anything, your land has been taken away, your water is diverted to industrialists and you do not get crop insurance, said Mr Gandhi.

Addressing another public meeting, Mr Gandhi hit out at the Modi government over demonetisation. He said, Demonetisation was implemented suddenly, may be he did not like the `500 and `1,000 currency notes. On November 8, the whole country was standing in line... But did you see any big industrialist from Gujarat in the queue outside banks? Did you see anyone coming in a Mercedes car?

Terming demonetisation a money-laundering scheme, Mr Gandhi added, Those who ride Mercedes cars, entered the bank from the back door, and got their black money converted. This is the reality of demonetisation. The thieves got their black money laundered and you were left standing in queues.

The Congress is locked in a fierce electoral battle with the BJP in the upcoming Assembly elections. The BJP is battling a 22-year-old anti-incumbency but is hoping that the popularity of Mr Modi will help them clinch the elections.

While the Congress is latching on to the discomfort of the influential Patidar community, demanding a job quote, it has also struck an electoral alliance with Hardik Patel the leader of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti.

Mr Gandhi has been on a temple run during the campaign, eager to remove the partys tag of being pro-minorities. In his campaign visits, had declared that he is a Shiv bhakt and a practicing Hindu.
Pervez Musharraf said that he was biggest supporter of LeT.

Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and working president of Opposition National Conference (NC) Omar Abdullah on Wednesday took a dig at former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf over his statement that he likes Hafiz Saeed and was biggest supporter of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT), saying he could do anything to find a foothold in his country.

May be now some of our news channels & anchors will stop falling over themselves to interview this man. Clearly he will say anything to find a foothold in Pakistan, Mr Abdullah wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.

Mr Abdullahs father and NC president Farooq Abdullah also lashed out at Gen. Musharraf, who had earlier told ARY News that he was the biggest supporter of the LeT and its co-founder and the chief or amir of Jamaat-ud-Dawah Hafiz Saeed. They (LeT) are the biggest force. India got them declared as terrorists after partnering with the US. Yes, they (LeT) are involved in Kashmir but in Kashmir, it is between us and India, he said.

Senior Abdullah termed it as a tragic moment. He said, I feel sad that a man of his integrity, who has been the chief of the Pakistan Army as well as the President, has praised something like this. It is a tragic moment.

The NC president who has served Jammu and Kashmir as chief minister thrice also said, Any terrorist outfit is going to destroy not only their country, but every other country where terrorism is being promoted. Im sorry if the ex-President of Pakistan thinks the LeT was going to protect Islam.

He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to devise ways to initiate talks with the neighbouring nation to combat the problem which has been there for the last 70 years.

He suggested that both the South Asian countries should forget the past and more forward. Time has come when the Prime Minister speaks that we have to find a solution which will be better. Time has come to start finding ways of talking with Pakistan and finding a solution which will be in the interest of people of Pakistan, India and the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, he said.

He reiterated that wars have not solved situations, nor have they given us any solutions and that the people of the sub-continent were paying the price for the rift between the two countries. In fact, it is we the people living in Jammu and Kashmir who bear the brunt of the hostility, he said.
Delhi has got dubious distinction of topping the list in cases of murder, kidnapping, abduction,juveniles in conflict and economic offences.

The national capital recorded the highest crime rate 182.1 compared to the national average of 77.2. (Photo: Representational | PTI)

New Delhi: Delhi has reported the maximum number of rape cases amongst 19 major cities at 40 per cent, besides the highest crime rate in 2016, according to the data released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on Thursday.

The national capital has got the dubious distinction of topping the list in cases of murder, kidnapping and abduction, juveniles in conflict and economic offences.

Delhi reported 33 per cent (13,803 cases out of total 41,761 cases in 19 cities) of total crimes against women followed by Mumbai at 12.3 per cent (5,128 cases) last year among the 19 cities with population above two million.

The national capital reported nearly 40 per cent of rape cases and nearly 29 per cent of each of cruelty by husband and his relatives and dowry deaths, the NCRB data said.

Delhi accounted for 38.8 per cent of total IPC crime reported in 19 cities followed by Bengaluru (8.9 per cent) and Mumbai 7.7 per cent.

The national capital recorded the highest crime rate 182.1 compared to the national average of 77.2.

Chennai has reported highest number of cases of Special and Local Laws (SLL) crimes, accounting for 32.9 per cent of total reported cases among the 19 cities, followed by Kochi (12.9 per cent) and Surat (12.6 per cent) during 2016.

Delhi reported the highest number of kidnapping and abduction - 5,453 cases (48.3 per cent) followed by Mumbai with 1,876 cases (16.6 per cent) and Bengaluru 879 cases 7.8 per cent during 2016.

The city reported highest number of murder - 479 out of 2,194 cases- (21.8 per cent) followed by Bengaluru 10.4 per cent (229 cases) and Patna 8.9 per cent (195 cases).

Highest number of cases at 35.6 per cent (2,368 cases out of 6,645) of juveniles in conflict with law were reported in Delhi among the 19 cities during 2016.

Delhi has reported the maximum number of cases under economic offences 5,942 cases (19.3 per cent) followed by Jaipur (4,742 cases) and Mumbai (4,191 cases) accounting for 15.4 per cent and 13.6 per cent respectively during 2016.

In cyber crimes, Mumbai reported the highest number of cases - 980 (23.5 per cent) out of 4,172 cases in 19 major cities in 2016.
Modi said that efforts should be made to introduce systematic changes to minimise peoples grouses related to various issues, and mainly GST.

New Delhi: Expressing grave concerns over burgeoning consumer grievances especially related to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked officials to focus on complaints related to the newly introduced taxation system. This has come in the aftermath of GST collections falling to Rs 83,346 crore in October this year, after having recorded collections of more than Rs 90,000 crore in each of the first three months of its implementation since July 1, 2017.

In a recent meeting with top officials of central departments, Mr Modi said that efforts should be made to introduce systematic changes to minimise peoples grouses related to various issues, and mainly GST.

Highly-placed sources informed that several complaints are learnt to have been received by the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) related to implementation of the new taxation regime. In fact there have been reports that owing to the complexities involved in the registration process under the GST network (GSTN), several small business persons are said to have failed to complete the procedure, thus resulting in a dip in GST collections.

Mr Modi, sources said, is learnt to have directed the Finance Ministry officials to analyse the grievances in terms of their nature and process, and take necessary steps for their faster resolution.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister emphasised on the need for sensitising officials involved in the entire GST registration exercise as well as in other public services towards greater usage of technology, as this will help in increasing overall efficiency in redressing grievances.

Earlier this week, the Finance Ministry had released the figures for GST collections for the month of October 2017. In a statement, it had said that the dip in the October collections compared to higher collections of July, August and September, was due to detachment of state and central GST from the integrated GST (IGST).
The court had ordered that the college records her name in the registry as Akhila and not as Hadiya.

Salem: Akhila Ashokan aka Hadiya on Wednesday accused the Supreme Court of denying her basic right to free movement while ordering her return to complete the homeopathy degree at the Salem college. Also, the SC order was vague as it did not clearly define the duties and limitations of the college and its officials in their role as the court-appointed guardians, she told reporters shortly after arriving at Sivaraj Homeopathy College here.

Alleging that she was not being allowed to meet the people of her choice, she said, I want to meet my husband. I am asking for my fundamental rights. I asked the court for freedom but I have not got it till now. I dont know if this (college) is going to be another prison. She said she spoke to her father but was not allowed to call her husband.

She said, For six months I was forced to put up with the people I hated. They only tried to convert me. And my own parents said Im mentally unstable. The court had ordered that the college records her name in the registry as Akhila and not as Hadiya.

I have no mobile phone, no TV. There are so many restrictions. The college does not have clarity on the court order, so cannot take decisions on my various security issues. I have waited this long for freedom. People will say I can wait for some more time, she said.

The angry young womans media interaction happened even as the armed police guards prescribed by the court judgment stood listening close by. We will provide her protection as per the court directive, said district SP G. Subbulakshmi.

Playing down the Akhilas anguish, colleges managing director S. Kalpana said her husband could meet her at the college after obtaining the permission of the principal, who has been appointed by the court as her guardian. We have made all the necessary arrangements to make her feel comfortable here, she said.

Insisting that the girl was happy, Principal Dr G. Kannan said the college would move the Supreme Court for clarifying on the execution of the order.
The Singaporean defence minister emphasised the need for concerted regional and global efforts to deal with terrorism.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman receives her Singapore counterpart, Ng Eng Hen, during his guard of honour at South Block in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: In an important pact to add much more depth to bilateral maritime security and defence ties, India and Singapore on Wednesday inked an agreement which acquires significance amid Chinas increasing military manoeuvres in the Indo-Pacific region.

During the wide-ranging talks between defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her visiting Singaporean counterpart Ng Eng Hen, the two countries declared an intent to ensure freedom of navigation in critical sea lanes besides boosting overall military cooperation with a particular focus on combating terrorism.

The pact on naval cooperation provides for increased engagement in the maritime security sphere, joint exercises, temporary deployments from each others naval facilities and logistics support.

India and Singapore remain strongly committed to tackle the transnational security threats, Ms Sitharaman said at a joint media interaction with Mr Ng.

Calling the talks overwhelmingly successful and productive, the Singaporean defence minister emphasised the need for concerted regional and global efforts to deal with terrorism and other challenges such as tackling chemical and biological weapons.

A joint statement issued after the talks referred to regional security scenario in the maritime domain, with both ministers reaffirming the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and trade consistent with international law.

Both sides also signed the revised Defence Cooperation Agreement to further strengthen the longstanding defence relationship between the Singapore Armed Forces and the Indian military.

Appreciating Indias lea-ding role in the Indian Ocean Region, Mr Ng agreed to Indias proposal for continuous and institutionalised naval engagements in shared maritime space of the two countries, including establishing maritime exercises with like-minded regional and Asean partners.

However, Mr Ng, speaking at a think-tank on Tuesday, had expressed Singapores reservation over the proposed quadrilateral coalition of India, the US, Japan and Australia.

The two ministers also discussed Singapores proposal to expand the Code of Unplanned Encounters at Sea to all ADMM (Asean Defence Ministers Meeting)-Plus countries as well as to establish guidelines for air encounters between military aircraft, the statement said.

The pact also underscored areas like aerospace and electronics among other areas of mutual interest between the defence industries of both countries for enhanced collaboration.

The Singaporean defence minister also expressed his appreciation for Prime Minister Narendra Modis acceptance to be the keynote speaker at the 2018 Shangri-La Dialogue.
Of the total fine, the court has levied Rs 45 lakh on Nestle India, Rs 15 lakh on distributors and Rs 2 lakh each on two sellers.

The sample of Maggi Masala noodles from the shop of one Rinku Gupta had 2.54 per cent of ash content, excluding salt in the tastemaker.

Lucknow: A district court in Shahjahanpur has imposed a fine of Rs 62 lakh on consumer goods giant Nestle and its distributors and sellers after a laboratory report confirmed presence of ash content, higher than the permissible limit, in samples of Maggi noodles.

Seven samples were collected and sent for testing at a laboratory in Lucknow in 2015 and the report was received in 2016, following which seven cases were lodged at the additional district magistrates court.

Of the total fine, the court has levied Rs 45 lakh on Nestle India, Rs 15 lakh on distributors and Rs 2 lakh each on two sellers.

The court order comes after alleged excessive lead content in Maggi created a major controversy in 2015, and the popular noodles brand was banned for five months in the country.

However, in a statement to a news agency, a Nestle India spokesperson said, We strongly reiterate that Maggi noodles are 100 per cent safe for consumption. While we have not received the orders passed by the adjudication officer, we have been informed that the samples are of 2015 and the issue pertains to ash content in noodles. This appears to be a case of application of incorrect standards, and we will file an appeal urgently once we receive the order. In 2015, Nestle India and other companies had represented to the relevant authorities, via industry associations, to set standards specific to instant noodles to avoid confusion amongst enforcement officers and consumers. The standards have since been introduced and the product complies with these standards. We regret the confusion it may cause to consumers.

The sample of Maggi Masala noodles from the shop of one Rinku Gupta had 2.54 per cent of ash content, excluding salt in the tastemaker. Ash percentage of 2.60 per cent was found in the tastemaker of Maggi Atta noodles and Maggi Pazzta samples were found to have ash percentage of 1.2. Four samples of Maggi Masala, two samples of Maggi Pazzta and a sample of Maggi Atta noodles failed the lab test.

ADM J.K. Sharma, while levying the fines, said that Ash content in Maggi samples exceeded the prescribed limit of 1 per cent. Maggi is consumed mostly by children and playing with the health of people by providing sub-standard products is something that cannot be pardoned.
Prime Minister said those who had looted the country could only think of dacoits.

New Delhi/Ahmedabad: Gujarat turned into a battleground Wednesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Patidar leader Hardik Patel stepped up their campaign for the first leg of voting in the high-stakes poll-going state. While the Prime Minister accused the Congress of being feudal and its vice-president of propagating a grand stupid thought (GST) in the name of GST, Mr Gandhi stuck to his anti-demonetisation and GST stance to woo voters and sought to make the states ruling BJP accountable for its promises in the last polls. Hardik Patel, on the other hand, continued to breathe fire against the BJP.

Continuing his attack on the Congress and its vice-chief for calling GST Gabbar Singh Tax, the Prime Minister said those who had looted the country could only think of dacoits. He also took a jibe to counter Mr Gandhis remark when he called the Congress leader a new economist who was propagating a grand stupid thought (GST) in the name of GST, telling people that they will slash all tax rates and make it 18 per cent.

In a dig at Mr Gandhi over his visit to the Somnath Temple, Mr Modi said our first PM (Jawaharlal Nehru) was not happy with the idea of a temple being built there, and added: If there was no Sardar Patel, the temple in Somnath would never have been possible. Today some people are remembering Somanth, I have to ask them  have you forgotten your history? Your family members, our first PM, was not happy with the idea of a temple being built there... When Dr Rajendra Prasad was to come to inaugurate the Somnath Temple, Pandit Nehru expressed his displeasure... Sardar Patel dreamt about the Narmada, but your family did not let that dream to be fulfilled. Mr Modi addressed four rallies at Morbi, Prachi, Palitana and Navsari.

Stepping up his offensive against the PM, Mr Gandhi sought to make the states ruling BJP accountable for its promises in the last election and also brought up the BJPs record over its 22-year rule in Gujarat, and said that people were demanding answers. 22 saalon ka hisaab, Gujarat mange jawaab (Gujarat demands answers for 22 years of BJP rule), Mr Gandhi tweeted.

Later, addressing a rally at Visavadar in Junagadh, Mr Gandhi referred to the 2015 quota agitation in which 14 members of the Patidar community were killed in police firing, and said if anyone raises his voice he either gets beaten up or has to face bullets in Gujarat. Visavdar is a Patidar-dominated constituency in the politically crucial Saurashtra region. He also raked up the Rafale deal and sought to know if due procedures were followed before formalising the deal with France last year for procuring the fighter jets. He also alleged that the Centre delayed Parliaments Winter Session to avoid giving answers on that issue and also over allegations against BJP president Amit Shahs son Jay Shah. Mr Gandhi also criticised the Narendra Modi government on the issues of farmers and unemployment in BJP-ruled Gujarat.

Hardik Patel interacted mainly with farmers and locals in Morbi, where he attacked the BJP for being insensitive towards the woes of farmers and small traders. Blaming the Congress for taking credit for minor schemes in the state, like providing hand pumps, Mr Modi said BJP rule had brought in major works like the Narmada project.

Bringing late PM Indira Gandhi into the campaign, Mr Modi recalled the Macchu dam flood tragedy of 1979 in Morbi and said: I remember Indira Gandhi had come here and Chitralekha (a local language magazine) had printed her photo with a handkerchief over her nose, trying to avoid the stench, while another photo on the same front page had RSS workers carrying dead bodies.

Mr Modi also said that the Congress loves asking me  Modiji, what did you do? I want to tell them (that) due to our efforts the corrupt are languishing in jail. They could also have done that, but for them fighting corruption is not an issue. The PM also mentioned the Amarnath terror attack to hit out at the UPA government.

Recently tourists from Navsari were attacked by terrorists  many people were killed at the Amarnath Yatra... When (former PM) Manmohan Singh was ruling, such an incident had also taken place. We have killed all the terrorists within three months of the incident, the Prime Minister said.

Mr Modi also raised the issue of the bill on constitutional status for the OBC Commission to target the Congress, who he accused of stalling the legislation.

Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, Mr Modi said: We have the legacy of Fakir Gandhi  the great Mahatma. They have the legacy of royalty. They were born with all privileges, and are disconnected with the roots.
As the controversy trended big time on social media, Congress media managers were quick to get their act together.

Rahul Gandhi was paying a visit to the temple ahead of a two-day campaign in the state and is expected to address multiple rallies. (Photo: Twitter/@INCGujarat)

New Delhi: As the battle for Gujarat hots up, a big furore erupted on Wednesday over Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi visiting the Somnath Temple after allegedly signing a register meant for non-Hindus.

The ruling BJP insisted that the Congress declare his religious faith while the Congress countered saying that Mr Gandhi had signed in the register meant for Hindus and the signature in the register meant for non-Hindus was fabricated.

The Congress also released screen-shots of the register for Hindus which Mr Gandhi had signed. The goof-up was apparently made by Congress media coordinator Manoj Tyagi who entered Mr Gandhis name in a register meant for non-Hindus.

While writing the name of Muslim Congress MP Ahmed Patel, who was a part of the Congress vice presidents entourage, in the register for non-Hindus, Mr Tyagi, apparently, also jotted down Mr Gandhis name, said party leader.

The doors of Somnath Temple, one of the most famous pilgrim places of Hindus, are not open for non-Hindus, who must obtain permission from the temple authorities to enter the sacred place.

As the controversy trended big time on social media, Congress media managers were quick to get their act together.

Chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the signature which was being talked of was different. Neither was it the signature of Rahul Gandhi nor was this register ever given to him, he said.

Rahul ji made an entry into the visitors book, the signature which is being talked of is different, neither it is the signature of Rahul Gandhi nor was this register ever given to him, Mr Surjewala said.

Releasing the screen-shots of visitors register, Congress leader Deependra Hooda said, Here is the original signature of Rahul Gandhi at Somnath Temple. Very clearly. The other signature is written as Rahul Gandhi ji, why would he write ji? Dont know who wrote it. BJP doing what it does best, diverting from real issues.

The Congress media cell went further and asserted that Mr Gandhi was a Janeu Dhari Hindu (one who wears a sacred thread) and released some family pictures to substantiate the claims.

The Congress which is trying to regain power in the state after a gap of 22 years, has been toeing a soft Hindutva line in its campaign and has assiduously avoided any Muslim cause or name.

In fact, Mr Gandhi began his campaign in the state from the famous Akshardham Temple in Gandhinagar. Subsequently, he visited many more temples as part of his Gujarat Navsarjan Yatra.

The ruling BJP, on the other hand, has repeatedly attacked Mr Gandhis temple visits, saying it was a sign of desperation in a state where the Congress has been out of power for over two decades. The attacks have come from none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On Monday, while Mr Gandhi was visiting the Somnath Temple, Mr Modi while campaigning in Prachi, which is around 25 km from Somnath, sought to remind him that Jawaharlal Nehru, Indias first Prime Minister and his great-grandfather, had opposed the idea of building the Somnath temple.

If there was no Sardar Patel, the temple in Somnath would never have been possible. Today, some people are remembering Somanth, I have to ask them - Have you forgotten your history? Your family members, our first Prime Minister, was not happy with the idea of a temple being built there, he said.
According to the party constitution, he will have to file nomination before the Central Election Authority of the party.

New Delhi: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is all set to file his nomination for the post of Congress president on December 4. After the Congress Working Committee CWC ratified the schedule for internal elections, Mr Gandhi will be the only candidate for filing nomination.

According to the party constitution, he will have to file nomination before the Central Election Authority (CEA) of the party.

Ten Pradesh Congress Committee delegates are required to seek his consent on the nomination papers. Almost all the Pradesh Congress Committees have passed resolutions requesting Mr Gandhi to take over as president of the party. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and ex-Union minister A.K. Antony are likely to propose his candidature.

The CEA will scrutinise papers on December 5 and if no other nomination is filed, the result can be declared that day itself. He will also be handed over a certificate.

The last date of withdrawal of nomination for the election is December 11. After this, his election will have to be ratified by the AICC. According to the Congress constitution, the president has a three-year term.
Naveen was the fourth journalist shot after Sudip Bhaumick, Gauri Lankesh and one other.

A journalist was shot dead on Thursday by unidentified men who were on bikes in Kanpur's Bilhaur. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Kanpur: A journalist was shot dead on Thursday by unidentified men who were on bikes in Kanpur's Bilhaur.

The journalist, Naveen, succumbed to his injuries while being taken to a hospital after he was shot. More details are awaited.

A journalist working with a Bengali newspaper was shot dead on November 21 in Tripura allegedly by a constable of Tripura State Rifles (TSR) following an altercation. The scribe, Sudip Datta Bhaumick, was gunned down around 2 pm inside the headquarters of the 2nd battalion of TSR.

On September 20, a journalist of a local television channel was killed at Mandai in West Tripura when he went to cover an agitation by the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT).

Another journalist, Gauri Lankesh, was shot dead point blank outside her residence on the outskirts of Bengaluru, Karnataka on September 6, triggering protests in many parts of the country.
The IT city Bengaluru saw the third most cases of women-related offences with 3,412 cases registered by the local police.

Experts also denied that the rise crimes against women does not mean Mumbai is no longer safe for women.

Mumbai: Mumbai turned out to be the second most unsafe city for women in India, after national capital Delhi, with the metropolis accounting for 12.3 per cent of the total number of cases of crime registered against women in the country in 2016.

According to the statistics released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on Thursday, 5,128 cases, out of a total of 41,761 cases of crimes targeting women, were registered in Mumbai.

Delhi got the dubious honour of topping the list by registering 33 per cent (13,803 out of 41,761 cases) of total cases of crimes against women. The IT city Bengaluru saw the third most cases of women-related offences with 3,412 cases registered by the local police.

Mumbai has seen a steady rise in the number of crimes against women in the past three years. While 3,974 cases were registered in 2014, the figure increased to 4,819 cases in 2015.

It only indicates that over the years, we have been successful in our efforts to encourage women to come forward and lodge complaint. Offences against women on cyber and electronic platform and cases of abuse on the false promise of marriage are also part of it, said Deven Bharti, joint commissioner of police (law and order).

Experts also denied that the rise crimes against women does not mean Mumbai is no longer safe for women. The citys policing is more transparent resulting in more crimes being registered, reasoned Y.P. Singh, IPS officer turned lawyer.

Even if you ask any women if she feels safe while travelling alone here, she would say yes. Women work at odd hours and roam freely in Mumbai than other places. This is also a glamour town and the surge in figure is also due to many cases of failed love affairs being registered, Mr Singh said.

The police also added that they have been successful in spreading awareness among women and that is another factor, which has culminated in the rise in a number of cases.

We have been successful in preventing major offences against women at public places which has been largely due to visible police presence, intensive patrolling and awareness campaigns by police in partnership with social groups, said Mr Bharti. Implementation of Police Didi scheme has been a great help and has encouraged young children to share their sufferings with the police, he said.

In 2016, Maharashtra recorded the third highest number of cases in connection with rape with the police registering a rise of 12.4 per cent from 34,651 cases in the country in 2015 to 38,947 in 2016.

Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh reported the highest incidence of rape with 4,882 cases (12.5 per cent) and 4,816 (12.4 per cent) respectively followed by Maharashtra 4,189 (10.7 per cent) last year.
The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act bars abortion of a foetus over 20-week old unless approved by a court.

Mumbai: The father of a 13-year-old rape victim on Thursday moved the Bombay high court (HC) seeking permission to terminate his daughters 26-week pregnancy.

According to the father, the girl was physically not capable of bearing and delivering a baby and must be saved from the mental and physical anguish that may be caused to her if she continues with the pregnancy.

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act bars abortion of a foetus over 20-week old unless approved by a court. The court has kept the next hearing of the case on December 5.

The petition filed by the father has referred to research, which has claimed that the risk of maternal mortality could be five times higher for mothers aged 10 to 14 than for those aged above 20 years.

After going through medical records placed on record by the petitioner, advocate Meenaz Kakalia and Kranti L C, the division bench of Justice Shantanu Kemkar and Justice G. S. Kulkarni directed the Medical Board of Sir J. J. Hospital to examine the victim and file a report, stating if it would be safe to allow her to undergo pregnancy termination process. The court has directed the Dean of J. J. Hospital, HoD of Gynaecology, Professors and HoD of Paediatric Cardiac Surgeon, Professors and HoD of Radiology and Psychology, a Cardiologist and any other expert in the field as the Dean may deem fit to examine her and submit report before the court by December 4.

The petition said that the victims cousin, who lived in the same house, repeatedly raped her. On November 7, the girl complained of pain in the abdomen following which her parents took her to doctor, who informed them about the pregnancy. Later, an FIR was registered against the accused on November 17. Subsequent medical tests confirmed that she was 24-weeks pregnant at that time.

According to father of the victim, forcing her to continue with an unwanted pregnancy would deprive her of her right to safeguard the privacy of procreation, motherhood and child-bearing, as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
The brick had bounced off the roof of a nearby tempo on Keshavji Naik road near Masjid Bunder on Wednesday afternoon.

Bhavesh Vyas was declared brought dead when he was taken to JJ hospital.

Mumbai: A 35-year-old person lost his life when a cement brick fell on him as he was passing by an under-construction building. The brick had bounced off the roof of a nearby tempo on Keshavji Naik road near Masjid Bunder on Wednesday afternoon.

The deceased, Bhavesh Vyas, was immediately rushed to staterun JJ hospital, where the doctors declared him brought dead. Vyas, a resident of Andheri used to work as a manager in a transport tempo service company. After the post-mortem, his body would be given to his family for the last rites, said the police.

Talking to The Asian Age, senior police Inspector Sandip Bhagdikar said, We received the call in afternoon after which we rushed to the stop and started our investigation.

Vyas was handling the transport tempo service and had gone out to look for the transport tempo which was expected when the mishap happened, Mr Bhagdikar added.

Eyewitness Shakil Shaikh who works as a helper in the Janta godown said, The cement brick fell on tempos roof and then on him, his injuring him. He was bleeding copiously.

The Dongri police station has registered the matter as an accidental death report (ADR).

The investigation regarding Vyas death is ongoing and the police has called in the eyewitnesses, the owner of the company where Vyas used to work and the contractor of the tower from where the brick fell.
CM Fadnavis recently laid the foundation stone for a feeder based solar energy pilot project in Ahmednagar district for agriculture pumps.

Representational image. The Centre has given its nod for a 500 MW solar plant in Dondai, Dhule district.

The Central government has cleared decks for a 500 MW solar plant in Dondai, Dhule district on Wednesday. It is one the biggest solar power plants in the state.

A few problems had come to fore during land acquisition process for the solar plant. With the nod of the Central government now, the ultra mega power plant would become functional by 2021.

Union minister of state for defence Subhash Bhamre met state energy minister Chandrashekhar Bavankule on Wednesday in Delhi to discuss the issue of solar power plant in Dhule. The Centre will clear all the land acquisition hurdles to speed up the project work. The project requires 1024 ha land of which 825 ha has been purchased by the MahaGenco.

The remaining land would be soon acquired from Methi and Vikaran villages as per the land acquisition act. The compensation amount of Rs 14.63 crore hasbeen deposited with the district collector, a press release of the government said.

The 500 MW of the project will be completed in two phases and will cost about Rs 160 crore. The first phase of 250 MW will be functional in 2019 and the second phase in 2021-22. The MahaTransco has taken the responsibility of the laying the transmission wires for the project to supply power to the farmers.

The state government is also looking at setting up a solar energy park in Dhule. The state has undertaken many initiatives for the renewable energy in last few years and solar is one of the most important initiatives.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis recently laid the foundation stone for a feeder based solar energy pilot project in Ahmednagar district for agriculture pumps.

The cost of the electricity generated from the solar project is Rs 2.96 per unit which is the lowest tariff compared to other electricity. The green energy will have the same tariff for next 20 years.
Police arrested the four after a decoy, posing as a client, was sent to meet one of the accused near a local college as part of a deal.

Police said that offences under sections 370(1)(3), read with 34, of the Indian Penal Code and also section 4 and 5 of the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act have been registered against the arrested persons. (Photo: representational | File)

Mumbai: The Navi Mumbai police on Thursday arrested four people for running a prostitution racket through a website.

The NM police in an official release said that the accused ran the racket through the website Navi Mumbai Escort Services. Police said that the accused would provide contact details to prospective customers and once these customers contacted the number, a deal would be made.

Police arrested the four after a decoy, posing as a client, was sent to meet one of the accused near a local college as part of a deal, police said.

Police said they moved in as the deal was being finalised. The police gave the names of the arrested accused as Durgeshkumar Chowdhary, 21, Anilkumar Shah, 23, Ritesh Paswan, 21 and Aniket Pandey, 20, all residents of Shiravane village in Navi Mumbai.

The police said that offences under sections 370(1)(3), read with 34, of the Indian Penal Code and also section 4 and 5 of the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act have been registered against the arrested persons at the Nerul police station.
A release issued by the NIA stated that Nayeem was tracked down in Lucknow in connection with LeT activities in various parts of India.

Mumbai: Three years after he escaped from police custody, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative, Shaikh Abdul Nayeem alias Nomi (37), from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Nayeem, a native of Aurangabad, who escaped from West Bengal police custody in 2014, is an accused -in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case.

A release issued by the NIA stated that Nayeem was tracked down in Lucknow in connection with LeT activities in various parts of India. He was apprehended from Charbagh bus stand in Lucknow. Some incriminating documents, a mobile phone and bank account details were seized from him at the time of arrest. The NIA release stated, Nayeem has been associated with LeT commander Amzad alias Rehan who is stated to be based in Pakistan, and received funds from LeT operatives in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for setting up bases in different parts of India.

A senior Maharashtra Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) officer said, We have been informed about the development and we are closely coordinating with the NIA on the same. Nayeem will be brought to Mumbai in due course for being produced in the MCOCA court.

Nayeem was arrested while infiltrating into India through the Bangladesh border in 2007 and was being brought to Mumbai on the Howrah-Mumbai Express to be produced in the MCOCA court in the arms haul case. During his attempted infiltration in 2007, two Pakistani nationals and a Kashmiri accompanied him, officials said. In 2014, he escaped from judicial custody in the Chhattisgarh area while being brought to Mumbai. Nayeem also allegedly conducted reconnaissance of different tourist destinations in Delhi, UP and Himachal Pradesh for the purpose of carrying out terror attacks.
In the Hadiya case, sections of society have labelled the matter a case of love jihad.

As talk about womens empowerment rends the air and much advice is trotted out on how to do it, let me add my bit  to empower women, one must listen to what they want. That must be the starting point. You cant buy empowerment off the shelf. You must work at it. Not all women have the same views about empowerment. And women, just like men, can and do make mistakes.

But one thing is clear  you cant empower anyone if you dont respect their right to think for themselves and take decisions based on their own aspirations and capabilities. This is what is understood as agency. You cant claim to empower anyone if you deny her or him the agency or the autonomy to think for herself/himself, especially if the person is an adult.

These unoriginal thoughts are worth repeating in the context of recent headline-grabbing events. One recent case is that of a young couple  Faiez Modi, 23, and Payal Singhvi, 22  who were classmates and childhood friends. This April, they got married secretly and a few weeks ago Payal left her home to be with Faiez.

Childhood sweethearts wanting to marry each other is not novel. But the story became news because the girls family filed a habeas corpus petition, alleging that she has been brainwashed and was a victim of love jihad. According to news reports, the Rajasthan high court asked the local police to pack off Payal to a Nari Niketan, a shelter, for a week. Then, after listening to Payal, the court ordered that she be set free. Payal Singhvi stated before us that she is a major, and she was not in illegal detention of any person, therefore, she may be set free, said a bench of Justices G.K. Vyas and M.K. Garg. Payal has now changed her religion to Islam, changed her name to Aarifa and has moved in with her husband.

Will the couple live happily ever after? We dont know. Will they split after some years? We dont know. Did the duo marry hastily? We dont know. What we do know is that both are adults, and capable of taking decisions on behalf of themselves and both will have to also bear responsibility for the consequences of their decisions. But if you read parts of the national media, that is not how many see it.

According to a national daily, Payals father is convinced that his daughter is under some sort of a spell, tantra mantra, as he called it. He also thinks that no other parent should face this and that there should be a law whereby one cannot change his/her religion without the consent of parents.

If we want to walk the high-decibel talk about womens empowerment, we have to accept that an adult is capable of taking decisions, right or wrong.

While parents and other well-wishers can certainly advise and offer suggestions, they have no right to take decisions on behalf of their children, once the children become adults. Empowerment cannot happen if you infantilise a person.

Which brings one to the big story of the week  Hadiya. A Hindu girl, Akhila, converted to Islam, was renamed Hadiya and married a Muslim man, Shefin Jehan. Hell has broken loose. The family complained as in the Rajasthan case; the Kerala high court annulled the marriage and gave her custody to her father. The case went to the Supreme Court. This week, the Supreme Court said that the 25-year-old woman who had converted to Islam two years ago against the wishes of her parents, and married a Muslim man, would resume her studies in a homeopathy college in Tamil Nadu. She will no longer be in the custody of her parents as she was since August. The case will come up for hearing again in January. While staying in the hostel, would she be able to meet her husband? We dont know yet.

But what is striking is the set of assumptions being made about the 25-year-old woman. Hadiyas parents and many groups allege that the girl had been forcibly converted to Islam and there were plans by terrorist groups to take Hadiya to Syria. What is the credible and concrete evidence to support these serious charges? What stops the government from tracking Hadiya and her husband and taking action if there is indeed enough evidence to link to them to terrorist groups? Thats what they should do if anyone is suspected of planning criminal activities, be they married or unmarried. Why is the marriage a problem? The final word is not out yet.

Very similar are the situations of hundreds of people who marry outside their caste, and particularly so if one those involved happens to be a dalit and the other one not. It seems everyone has the right to criticise, vilify, assault or even kill in support of their prejudices; with the two people who want to marry despite such daunting odds the only ones who cannot exercise the normal rights of adult humans unless some empathetic judge comes to the rescue.

In the Hadiya case, sections of society have labelled the matter a case of love jihad. The stories of Aarifa and Hadita should be opportunities for self-introspection. Do labels reflect prejudices? Like the use of the term honour killing when the killing is just the opposite, clearly an act of dishonour.

Without pushing these changes through, talking about womens empowerment is just empty talk. When we talk of womens empowerment, we must remember that it starts with acknowledging that an adult woman has an independent mind. If we dont allow her to exercise it and believe those who say she has been brainwashed every time she acts/reacts in a way that someone else does not like, we rob her of power, of the agency that the authorities claim they want to promote.
The original INS Kalvari was decommissioned a few years ago but its reincarnation will rejoin the Indian Navy on December 14.

On December 4, Navy Day, President Ram Nath Kovind, vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman along with the three service chiefs and bureaucrats are expected to attend the traditional tea party at Navy House in New Delhi. A few days later, on December 8, the President will review a ceremonial parade at the naval base in Visakhapatnam where the Presidents Colours will be presented to the Submarine Arm of the Indian Navy on the 50th anniversary of its foundation day (the Indian tricolour was first hoisted on our first submarine INS Kalvari at Riga, Latvia, on December 8, 1967). The original INS Kalvari was decommissioned a few years ago but its reincarnation will rejoin the Indian Navy on December 14, when the Navy is formally expected to commission the first French-designed Scorpene-class submarine (built by Mazagaon Docks Limited, Mumbai) as INS Kalvari, in the presence of the Prime Minister. Henceforth, five indigenous Scorpene-class subs will join the Navy, at the rate of one every year. As a former naval officer and submariner, I hope that the President, the Prime Minister and the defence minister will find time to spend a few hours underwater in a submarine as was done in the past by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and defence minister George Fernandes. Given the recent tragic sinking of the 32-year-old Argentinean submarine ARA San Juan on November 15, 2017 with the loss of her entire crew of 44, it is vital that the Indian Navy gets funding for additional subs, more so as 11 of its 13 conventional subs have crossed their designed life of 25 years; eight of these are over 30 years of age.

With India joining the joint secretary-level talks in Manila last month for the proposed Quadrilateral, or Quad, of the US, Japan, India and Australia, to ensure safety and freedom of seas, this basically maritime organisation, if it fructifies, will need India to increase the size of its largely home-built Navy by greatly increasing its miserly naval annual budget of about $5 billion (Chinese Navy budget is $40 billion) starting with the next budget in February 2018. I doubt if the proposed Quad would take the form of a military alliance, nevertheless it may result in sharing real-time intelligence and maritime domain awareness (MDA), cooperation in tracking Chinese subs and warships in the Indian Ocean along with possible coordination of activities to combat piracy and maritime terror. With or without the Quad, the Navy needs additional funds and political support.

I write this article with the experience of having visited and been briefed at ship, submarine, aircraft and missile-building facilities in India and abroad. One encouragement our domestic industry needs is long-term investment and economies of scale. It is my opinion that top priority should be given to the infrastructure development for maritime operations in our long-neglected and strategically-located Andaman and Nicobar, and Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands.

While the Indian Navy is doing extremely well with about 44 indigenous ships and submarines (another 20 more are expected to be contracted for soon) in Indian shipyards, there exist some critical shortcomings. In my last article, Sitharamans to-do list for next 16 months published in this newspaper on September 8, 2017, I had listed three items which would need urgent government approval for domestic production  viz conventional and nuclear subs (SSK, SSN, SSBN), mine counter-measures vessels and light (four tonnes) and medium (12 tonnes) multi-role ship-borne helicopters. Indeed the Indian Navy, which has over the last 60 years built up a team of highly competent warship and submarine design specialists, now needs to consider inducting design specialists for aircraft, helicopter as well as the UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). And since Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the future of human progress and also warfare, it is vital for the Navy to create a cadre of AI specialists. Also, since I am unaware of the results of the Indo-US talks on building a 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier (IAC2) in India, with the latest electric propulsion and EMALS (electro-magnetic aircraft launch system), I have not written about it here. I am happy that the Navy has finally decided that IAC2 will not be nuclear-propelled.

I now come to some articles in the press criticising the Indian Navy for abandoning the indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA-Navy) jet fighter project, and sending an RFI (request for information) for 57 foreign twin-engine jet fighters needed to operate from the indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant (IAC-1) when it becomes operational in 2021, and also for the planned IAC-2. The actual facts about LCA (Navy) are that the HAL-designed LCA Tejas, made for the IAF, was heavier by one tonne and the naval version which required additional modifications (a drooped nose for better pilot visibility and a strengthened undercarriage with tail hook for arrester wire landing system on a carrier) was two tonnes overweight. Trials ashore on the Shore-Based Test Facility in Goa, which replicates an aircraft-carrier flight deck on land, indicated that the LCA (Navy) in its present form could not take off within the 195-metre deck runway space with any worthwhile load and neither could it land on the carrier. But true to its faith in indigenisation, the Indian Navy continues to fund the naval version of LCA Mk2 with a more powerful American engine GE 414, replacing the present GE 404 which powers the LCA Mk1.

Lastly, given the enormous in-house expertise available and capability built-up of domestic vendors for nuclear submarines, India urgently needs to commence domestic production of SSNs in a separate production line. The only Indian platform capable of stealthily tracking Chinese warships in the Indian Ocean and also patrolling in the western Pacific to deter China is the SSN. Hopefully, the February 2018 defence budget may bring good news for a home-built, balanced and three-dimensional Indian Navy.
Google is been testing Datally in Philippines for the past few months, and people are saving up to 30 percent on their data.

Internet speeds have been increasing in India with 4G becoming a standard across the country. While 4G is quite fast, it also is expensive for many people, and whats worse, its hard to figure out where it all goes. Chatting, playing games or watching videos are just part of activities we do on the phone, but with the increased speeds in place, the data runs out faster than ever.

Google has launched an app Datally for Android users to stay under the limits, when it comes to data usage. With Datally the user can monitor, control and save data. Firstly the app provide usage insights on hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis, Secondly the user can monitor and block background apps using data saver option. Thirdly the app will retrieve your location and suggest if there are any public WiFi networks nearby.

Google is been testing Datally in Philippines for the past few months, and people are saving up to 30 percent on their data. The app is finally available now globally on the Google Play Store for all the phones running running Android 5.0 (Lollipop) and higher.
Libya is the main departure point for African migrants trying to cross to Europe.

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, speaks with German chancellor Angela Merkel upon her arrival at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny airport in Abidjan on Wednesday, ahead of the Afican Union-European Union summit. (Photo: AFP)

Abidjan: German chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday stressed the importance of ending smuggling and slavery while creating a legal route for Africans to come to Europe as she faces pressure at home to tackle a migrant influx.

Speaking at an EU-Africa summit in Abidjan, Merkel, is seeking to show Germany can take foreign policy action despite still being under a caretaker government two months after an election.

The influx of more than a million migrants since mid-2015, many of them fleeing the Middle East and Africa, was largely to blame for the rise of the anti-immigrant alterna-tive for Germany (AfD) in a Sept. 24 election.

By taking votes from Ms Merkels conservative bloc and others, they surged into parliament for the first time, leaving Merkel facing complicated coalition arithmetic.

She is grappling to form a new government with the center-left Social Democrats after discussions on forming a three-way tie-up with the liberals and Greens failed.

On the issue of illegal immigration, Ms Merkel said: This plays a role all over the African continent now because there are reports that young African men are being sold like slaves in Libya.

Libya is the main departure point for African migrants trying to cross to Europe.
US, Japanese and South Korean officials all agreed the missile, which landed within Japan's exclusive economic zone, was likely an ICBM.

An international meeting in Canada in January is designed to produce "better ideas" to ease tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests. (Photo: AP/File)

United Nations/Seoul: The United States warned the North Korean leadership that it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out, after Pyongyang test fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, putting the US mainland within range.

The Trump administration has repeatedly said all options were on the table in dealing with North Korea's ballistic and nuclear weapons program, including military ones, but that it still prefers a diplomatic option.

Still, speaking at an emergency UN Security Council meeting, US ambassador Nikki Haley warned:

"We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday ... And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."

Haley said the United States has asked China to cut off oil supply to North Korea, a drastic step that Beijing - the North's sole major trading partner - has so far refrained from doing. Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier on Wednesday and said more sanctions on Pyongyang would be enforced.

"Just spoke to President Xi Jinping of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

Just spoke to President XI JINPING of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017

Previous US administrations have failed to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and a sophisticated missile program. Trump has also struggled to contain Pyongyang since he came to office in January.

Urging China to use its leverage on Pyongyang and promising more sanctions against North Korea are two strategies that have borne little fruit so far.

In a speech in Missouri about taxes, Trump, who has traded insults with the North in the past, referred to Kim with a derisive nickname. "Little Rocket Man. He is a sick puppy," Trump said.

The latest missile was fired a week after Trump put North Korea back on a US list of countries it says support terrorism, allowing it to impose more sanctions.

United Nations political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman met with North Korea's Ambassador Ja Song Nam on Wednesday to tell him Pyongyang must "desist from taking any further destabilizing steps" after the country launched another ballistic missile.

Read: Will take care, says Donald Trump on North Korea missile

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday he was counting on UN Security Council members China and Russia to step up sanctions on North Korea.

"I am counting a lot in particular on China and Russia in order to take the most difficult and effective sanctions," Macron told France 24 television.

North Korea, which conducted its sixth and largest nuclear bomb test in September, has tested dozens of ballistic missiles under Kim's leadership in defiance of international sanctions.

North Korea said the new missile soared to an altitude of about 4,475 km (2,780 miles) - more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station - and flew 950 km (590 miles) during its 53-minute flight.

It flew higher and longer than any North Korean missile before, landing in the sea near Japan. Experts said the new "Hwasong-15" missile theoretically gave North Korea the ability to hit the United States, including the East Coast, although it was not clear whether it could carry a nuclear weapon.

North Korean state media said the missile was launched from a newly developed vehicle and that the warhead could withstand the pressure of re-entering the atmosphere, which if confirmed would be an important technical advance.

Kim personally guided the test and said the new launcher was "impeccable", state media said. He described the new vehicle as a "breakthrough".

North Korea also described itself as a "responsible nuclear power", saying its strategic weapons were developed to defend itself from "the US imperialists' nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat".

Many nuclear experts say the North has yet to prove it has mastered all technical hurdles, including the ability to deliver a heavy nuclear warhead reliably atop an ICBM, but it was likely that it soon would.

'Threaten everywhere'

US, Japanese and South Korean officials all agreed the missile, which landed within Japan's exclusive economic zone, was likely an ICBM.

"It went higher, frankly, than any previous shot they've taken, a research and development effort on their part to continue building ballistic missiles that can threaten everywhere in the world, basically," US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters at the White House.

Read: North Korea fires highest ever ballistic missile, US says 'it poses worldwide threat'

An international meeting in Canada in January is designed to produce "better ideas" to ease tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests, Canadian officials said on Wednesday, although North Korea itself will not be invited.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States has "a long list of additional potential sanctions, some of which involve potential financial institutions, and the Treasury Department will be announcing those when they're ready to roll those out."

US east coast in range?

The new Hwasong-15, named after the planet Mars, was a more advanced version of an ICBM tested twice in July, North Korea said. It was designed to carry a "super-large heavy warhead".

Based on its trajectory and distance, the missile would have a range of more than 13,000 km (8,100 miles) - more than enough to reach Washington DC and the rest of the United States, the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists said.

However, it was unclear how heavy a payload the missile was carrying, and it was uncertain if it could carry a large nuclear warhead that far, the non-profit science advocacy group added.

In just three months' time, South Korea hosts the Winter Olympics at a resort just 80 km (50 miles) from the heavily fortified border with North Korea.

Pyongyang has said its weapons programmes are a necessary defence against US plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, denies any such intention.
In August, Trump outlined a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, chastising Pakistan over its alleged support for Afghan militants.

Washington: The top US general in Afghanistan General John Nicholson said on Tuesday that he had not seen a change in Pakistans support for militants so far, despite President Donald Trump taking a tougher line against Islamabad.

He also claimed that though the Talibans tactical-level commanders were in the field in Afghanistan, its senior leadership still resided in Pakistan.

Taliban leaders are living in comfort outside of the country with plenty of drug money while the rank and file fighters were dying in Afghanistan, CNN quoted him as saying. US officials have long been frustrated by what they see as Paks reluctance to act against groups that they believe exploit safe haven on Pakistani soil to launch attacks on neighbouring Afghanistan.

In August, Trump outlined a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, chastising Pakistan over its alleged support for Afghan militants.

He accused Pakistan of harbouring agents of chaos and providing safe havens to militant groups waging an insurgency against a US-backed government in Kabul. Pakistan has vehemently denied all such claims.

US official expressed hope that relations between the two countries could improve after a kidnapped US-Canadian couple and their three children were freed in Pakistan in October. The couple was abducted in neighbouring Afghanistan.
US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley also praised 36-year-old Ivanka.

Washington: US President Donald Trump has applauded his daughter and advisor Ivanka Trumps great work in promoting women entrepreneurs during her visit to India.

Ivanka is currently in India leading a high-profile US delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Hyderabad being co-hosted by the two countries.

This is not the first time Ivanka is visiting India. But yes, this is her first visit to India as a senior presidential advisor.

Great work Ivanka, Mr Trump said in a late-night tweet as he retweeted State Department which said that Ivankas comments on US efforts to fuel entrepreneurship so that Americans can turn their dreams into incredible legacies.

US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley also praised 36-year-old Ivanka.

Thrilled to see Ivanka Trump in India promoting female entrepreneurs. At home that means improving workforce development and cutting government red tape, Haley said in a tweet on Tuesday.

Haley is the highest ranking Indian-American in the Trump administration. She is also the first ever Indian American serving in the Cabinet of any presidential administration.

Globally it means creating an environment where women- across the world-have access to the capital & mentorship they need to succeed, Ms Haley said.

In recent weeks, Ms Haley said that she was planning to visit India this year but could not go because of her other pressing engagement, but hopes to travel soon.

The State Department spokesperson, Heather Nauert, also praised Ivanka for her accomplishments in Hyderabad.
Nikki Haley said the ICBM launch had raised the threat of war.

Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that North Korea's latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile demands that countries further isolate the Kim regime. (Photo: AP)

United Nations: The United States Thursday urged China to cut off crude oil shipments to North Korea and pressed all countries to isolate Kim Jong-Un's regime by cutting off all diplomatic and trade ties.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that North Korea's latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) "demands that countries further isolate the Kim regime."

During a phone conversation earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump asked President Xi Jinping to cut off China's crude oil supplies to North Korea, a move that would deal a crippling blow to North Korea's economy.

Trump told the Chinese leader "that we have come to the point that China must cut off the oil from North Korea," Haley said.

Read: White House exhorts countries to pressure N Korea, says it poses grave threat

"That would be a pivotal step in the world's effort to stop this international pariah," she said.

Haley also called "on all nations to cut off all ties with North Korea" and said the Security Council should take away North Korea's voting rights at the United Nations.

The council was meeting at the request of the United States, Japan and South Korea to consider next steps after three rounds of sanctions adopted in 2016 failed to push North Korea to change course.

Haley said the ICBM launch had raised the threat of war. "The dictator of North Korea made a choice yesterday that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it."

"If war comes, make no mistake: The North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed," she warned. Pyongyang Thursday tested its third ICBM - which it claimed was capable of striking anywhere in the United States - snapping a two-month pause in missile launches.
Shah underscored that safety and security were priorities of the Trump administration.

Trump Wednesday took the social media by storm when he retweeted inflammatory anti-Muslim videos by Britain First, a group founded in 2011 by former members of the far-right British National Party. (Photo: AP/ File)

Washington: The White House Thursday came out in defence of US President Donald Trump who retweeted anti-Muslim videos from a far-right British account, arguing that he has been talking about national security issues for long.

Trump Wednesday took the social media by storm when he retweeted inflammatory anti-Muslim videos by Britain First, a group founded in 2011 by former members of the far-right British National Party (BNP).

"The President has been talking about these security issues for years now, from the campaign trail to the White House. He talked about them Wednesday at the pool spray. He's going to continue to talk about them on Twitter, he's going to talk about them in speeches, he's going to talk about them in policy," White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Shah was accompanying Trump en route to St Louis, Missouri, where the US president was scheduled to deliver a major speech on middle-class tax relief and business tax relief.

Read: Don't focus on me: Trump attacks UK PM over anti-Muslim video criticism

Shah underscored that safety and security were priorities of the Trump administration.

"Look, we are now looking at the possibility of a difficulty in passing government funding legislation because of disagreements on immigration policy. The Democrats' priority is amnesty. Our priority is safety and security," he said.

Trump's move drew criticsm from The Downing Street which said the US president was "wrong" to retweet the controversial videos.

Responding to a question on the British Prime Minister's office condemning Trump's retweets, Shah said, "The president has greatest respect for both the people of Britain and Prime Minister Theresa May."

"We are going to be focusing on ... safety and security for the American people. We're talking about extreme vetting policies, ensuring that individuals who come to the United States do not pose either a public safety or a terrorism threat, and the other measures that we want to take," Shah said.

Read: Trump retweets videos with anti-Muslim sentiments posted by British far-right party

To butteress his contention, Shah reiterated the need to end the visa lottery system, that allows individuals to come to the US, and replace it with a merit-based system. He noted that the terrorist who killed eight individuals in New York City in October came to the US through the visa lottery system.

"So the President is going to continue talking about these issues because they're important for the safety and security of this county," he said.

Shah strongly refuted allegations that Trump is anti-Muslim.

"The president has addressed these issues with the travel order that he issued earlier this year and the companion proclamation," he said.

"There are plenty of Muslim-majority nations whose citizens can come to the US without travel restrictions. But those that pose public safety or terrorism threats through our worldwide security review that was overseen by the Department of Homeland Security is why there were certain travel restrictions put in place," Shah said.
Trump also spoke with his Chinese and South Korean counterparts Xi Jinping, and Moon Jae-in respectively, and Japan's PM Shinzo Abe.

The North Korean threat is very grave. It's not just a threat to the United States or a threat to the region  or the Korean Peninsula region, but a threat to the entire world and the civilised world, Raj Shah told reporters. (Photo: File/ Representational)

Washington: North Korea poses a "grave threat" to the world, the White House said Thursday, exhorting countries to apply maximum pressure on Pyongyang after it launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

"The North Korean threat is very grave. It's not just a threat to the United States or a threat to the region  or the Korean Peninsula region, but a threat to the entire world and the civilised world," White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah told reporters.

"We're encouraged that more countries are taking more significant steps to help apply as much pressure as we can on North Korea," Shah said in response to a question.

He, however, parried questions on Trump's tweet about more sanctions against North Korea.

Read: Nikki Haley warns N Korea of utter destruction, Trump calls Kim Jong sick puppy

"I'm not going to get ahead of any announcement that's coming. I will say, though, that the maximum pressure campaign that the US has been a big part of has really yielded a lot of results," he said.

"We have seen the toughest sanctions ever imposed on North Korea that the Chinese and Russians have signed onto. We've seen China restrict energy shipments to North Korea. We're seeing dozens of countries engage in different efforts in their bilateral ties with North Korea to cut off both energy, economic ties, and diplomatic ties," Shah said.

"So we're seeing more and more steps take place. We'll see future actions by the United States and others, and we're looking forward to applying as much pressure as we can to get to our ultimate goal, which is a denuclearised Korean Peninsula," he told reporters.

The ICBM, launched Wednesday from Sain Ni, North Korea , travelled about 1000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Read: Will take care, says Donald Trump on North Korea missile

"We will take care of it...It is a situation we will handle," Trump told reporters soon after North Korea's missile test.

Trump also spoke with his Chinese and South Korean counterparts Xi Jinping, and Moon Jae-in respectively, and the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer said in a statement that the launch of a ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear payload across thousands of miles far enough to threaten cities in the continental United States violates international laws and demands a strong international response.

"The President's lack of a policy to deter North Korean aggression is deeply concerning, and it is clear that the President's soft approach with the Chinese leadership has not borne fruit. I urge him to pursue a diplomatic strategy that places serious pressure on the Kim (Jong-Un) regime to change its behaviour," he said.
The US President has threatened North Korea with fire and fury if it continues to work toward an ICBM capable of carrying a nuclear payload.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signing an order document of a test-fire of the inter-continental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15. (Photo: AFP)

Washington: US President Donald Trump pledged to take care of North Korea after its latest ballistic missile launch the first after a two-month hiatus  which his Pentagon chief said was its highest yet, signifying an expanded threat.

The ICBM is believed to have flown a relatively modest 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from North Korea, before splashing down harmlessly in the Sea of Japan. But defense secretary Jim Mattis said the missile went higher than ever before and was a step toward North Korea building missiles that can threaten everywhere in the world, basically.

I will only tell you that we will take care of it, Trump said at the White House.

It is a situation that we will handle, he added, in remarks designed to show resolve, but which offered little clue of an immediate US response.

The US President has threatened North Korea with fire and fury if it continues to work toward an ICBM capable of carrying a nuclear payload.

A more than two-month pause in tests had prompted speculation about whether North Korea might be willing to embrace a negotiated solution to the nuclear standoff.

Shortly after Trump spoke, secretary of state Rex Tillerson said diplomatic options remain viable and open on North Korea  but they now appear to be further away than ever before.

Mr Mattis said South Korea had responded to the test by launching pinpoint missile strikes into the water  an effort to show North Korea that a true attack would bring a swift and crippling response.

Since coming to office, Mr Trump has ratcheted up the diplomatic and economic pressure on the regime of Kim Jong-Un.

He has pressed China to break trade ties with its dependent neighbor and has applauded countries for shuttering Pyongyangs diplomatic installations, which have long been used to gather illicit finance.

Earlier this month, Mr Trump declared North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism  a symbolic move, but one which amps up diplomatic pressure on the regime.

We have a very serious approach. Nothing changed, Mr Trump said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said Wednesday his country had achieved full nuclear statehood after what he said was the successful test of a new missile capable of striking anywhere in the United States.

North Korean state television brought out Ri Chun-Hee, a star presenter who only appears for significant developments, to announce the landmark.

Kim Jong-Un declared with pride that now we have finally realised the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power, she said.

The great success in the test-fire of ICBM Hwasong-15 is a priceless victory won by the great and heroic people of the DPRK, she said, using the official abbreviated name for North Korea.

Wednesdays missile was more sophisticated than any previously tested, state media said.

The ICBM Hwasong-15 type weaponry system is an intercontinental ballistic rocket tipped with super-large heavy warhead which is capable of striking the whole mainland of the US, the Norths official news agency KCNA said.

Pyongyang said the missile reached an altitude of 4,475 kilometres (2,800 miles) and splashed down 950 kilometres from its launch site.

At least one Western expert said the missiles lofted trajectory suggested an actual range of 13,000 kilometres  enough to hit every major US city.

The US leader spoke by phone with both Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-In after Wednesdays test to underline the global threat posed by North Korea.
Praljak was one of six former Bosnian Croat political and military leaders appearing before the appeal court.

Seconds after his war crimes sentence of 20 years was upheld at the international criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Praljak raised a small brown bottle to his lips, and drank it in full view of the cameras filming. (Photo: ANI)

The Hague: Former Bosnian Croat general Slobodan Praljak has died after he claimed to have drunk poison at a UN Tribunal in The Hague when he lost an appeal, according to Croatian state media.

Seconds after his war crimes sentence of 20 years was upheld at the international criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Praljak raised a small brown bottle to his lips, and drank it in full view of the cameras filming the hearing, reported the Guardian.

"Judges, I am not a war criminal, I reject the verdict with contempt," he said after drinking.

The presiding judge called for a doctor and halted the proceedings.

Croatian television quoted sources close to Praljak as saying he later died in a hospital in The Hague.

Dutch police declared the courtroom to be a crime scene.

Praljak was one of six former Bosnian Croat political and military leaders appearing before the appeal court.

Three out of the six defendants in the last case at the war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia had their sentences confirmed.

According to the reports, Praljak was originally sentenced in 2013 for his involvement in a campaign to drive Muslims out of a would-be Bosnian Croat mini-state in Bosnia in the early 1990s

Praljak was specifically charged with ordering the destruction of Mostar's 16th-century bridge in November 1993, which judges in the first trial had said "caused disproportionate damage to the Muslim civilian population".
Yao Yuzhong made a 30-year career out of robbing historical burial sites.

The Paper, a Chinese news website, noted that Yao was considered the 'kingpin' of a gang of 225 grave-robbing suspects rounded up by authorities in 2015. (Photo: AFP/ Representative)

Beijing: A Chinese court has handed a death sentence to a "master" tomb raider from northern China who made a 30-year career out of robbing historical burial sites.

A native of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, 55- year-old Yao Yuzhong was found guilty of "digging ancient cultural sites and ancient graves" and "reselling cultural relics", his lawyer, Bi Baosheng, said.

He was given a suspended death penalty with a two-year period in which to appeal the sentence or have it decreased through good behaviour.

The Paper, a Chinese news website, noted that Yao was considered the "kingpin" of a gang of 225 grave-robbing suspects rounded up by authorities in 2015.

Though Yao had only an elementary school education, he was an avid reader and picked up the tradition of trawling tombs from his father, according to local media in northeast Liaoning province, where Yao was tried.

The practice is a timeworn one in China, a country whose long history and elaborate burial customs have made it ripe territory for coffin-crashers.

Yao reportedly got his start combing graves dating back to the Neolithic Hongshan culture. Such graves are shallow and rely more on the raider's ability to perceive excavation sites than on his digging skills, The Paper said.

He steadily built a reputation as a "master" tomb-raider - "the best in all of China's northeast", the news outlet said.

China has seen an upsurge in grave-robbing incidents coinciding with rising demand for Chinese antiquities.

According to the country's State Administration of Cultural Heritage, there were 103 cases of tomb-raiding and cultural relic theft in 2016.
The ICRC has bought 750,000 litres of diesel fuel to run pumps. On the long run, this decision is "exceptional and unsustainable" to solve the emergency situation. An appeal is made to Riyadh to lift the blockade that prevents aid from entering the country, which imports 90 per cent of the goods it needs.

Sana'a (AsiaNews/Agencies)  The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is buying 750,000 litres of diesel fuel to provide clean water to a million people in need in Yemen.

In the past month, nine cities in the Arab country have run out of drinking water due to Saudi Arabias blockade, which has left it without fuel for pumping water and sanitation.

The ICRC's fuel purchase will allow the water systems in two cities, Hudaydah and Taiz, to operate for a month. But the agency described the move as "exceptional and unsustainable".

Remaining fuel stocks, some available only on the black market, have rocketed in price leaving local water boards unable to afford them.

A few days ago, for the first since the Saudi blockade was imposed at the start of the month, a United Nations ship was allowed to deliver food and basic necessities to a Houthi-controlled area in the war-torn country.

In January 2015 civil war broke out in Yemen, pitting the mostly Sunni government of former President Hadi, backed by Riyadh, against Shia Houthi rebels, who are close to Tehran and Hezbollah.

In March of the same year, a Saudi-led coalition began carrying out air strikes against the rebels, which the UN criticised for causing civilian casualties, including children.

According to UN sources, some 9,000 people have died so far in the war, 60 per cent civilians, with 45,000 injured. Out of a population of 28 million, up to 20 million people need humanitarian aid.

Speaking to AsiaNews, the apostolic vicar warned that the country was moving towards a huge disaster. The ICRC and other humanitarian groups too have raised the alarm, stressing that they alone cannot meet the needs of the population.

This has led to more appeals to Riyadh and its allies, to allow for the immediate entry of food and fuel. The country imports over 90 per cent of what it needs and has been in a food emergency situation for a long time.

According to the Red Cross, more than 2.5 million people currently do not have access to drinking water; hence the exceptional decision to buy fuel for the cities of Hudaydah  where untreated sewage has been flooding the streets regularly  and Taiz, to cope with a desperate situation. At the same time, the humanitarian agency wants fuel imports to resume.
The priest is the pastor of Holy Rosary church, in the neighbourhood of Tejgaon. He explains what it's like to be a priest in an Islamic majority country. "People know us for our loving work." "We are part of the universal Church following the directions of the Holy Father." From our envoy on the ground.

Dhaka (AsiaNews) - Pope Francis "chose to visit the church of the Holi Rosary Church for a very precise reason: many civil and Christian leaders are buried there. In this way, even if he cannot go around the country, he wants to pray and show his closeness to the whole population" Fr. Kamal Corraya, pastor of Holy Rosary tells AsiaNews.

His words reveal the great emotion he feels born of "the joy of having him here". At the same time he also averts a great sense of responsibility: welcoming the pope to what is considered the "primary church" of Bangladesh, the only one where he will gather in prayer, on December 2. "In 1986," the priest adds emotionally, "I was honoured to wash John Paul II's hands. I will have another opportunity to touch Pope Francis and welcome him to my church. "

The Church of the Holy Rosary is located in Dhaka, in the district of Tejgaon with a large Catholic presence. In the area there are numerous schools run by religious congregations, hostels, and even one of the homes of the nuns of Mother Teresa.

Fr. Kamal explains the reasons for the churches primacy. "It is the oldest church in Bangladesh, the largest parish of the capital with more than 25,000 faithful, and the one that offers the largest number of prayer services: every Sunday we celebrate 20 masses, not only in our church, but also in various chapels or sub-centres scattered around the city (such as Banani or the airport). Prayers are recited in Bengali, but we also have services for foreigners. "

The priest adds that the church "also has a great historical value". The original building - still present - dates back to 1677 and has undergone many restorations of ornamental pieces. It was built by the Portuguese Augustinian missionaries, who also erected one of the two Catholic cemeteries in the city. Inside the little church the oldest tombstones written in Armenian, Portuguese and Latin are still visible. The new building was erected in the 1940s and is next to the older one.

The characteristic that has led Pope Francis to choose this place to meet the religious of the country, explains Fr. Kamal, "is the presence of the cemetery. It is a historical monument. Here the first missionaries, priests and nuns are buried. By praying at the tombs of missionaries, it is as if he invites us all to be missionaries. And he wants to show us that he is here for all of us. Given that it cannot personally travel throughout the territory, he will bless a cemetery where ordinary people are resting, to bless us all in a symbolic way. He wants to bless the missionaries and to be close to the consecrated people of Bangladesh in prayer, physically and spiritually."

Not only that, many Muslims are also looking forward to meeting him, "including our employees, about 90% of employees, who are also working overnight so that everything is ready, painting, sweeping the driveway and preparing flowers for the church.

But what does it mean to be a priest in a Muslim country. "We live as members of one family.  Fr. Kamal responds. If Muslims or Hindus need help, we Christians are the first to give it. The same goes for us. " "The best way to witness the Gospel is through service, hospitals, humanitarian institutions, or missions."

Kamal remembers that in 1971, during the liberation war from Pakistan, "so many Muslims have found shelter in our churches. This has enabled the creation of relationships of friendship and affection. Still today we speak with those who were welcomed at that time. " He does not deny the existence of conflicts and tensions, "but this is also true of the relationship between Christians. There are disagreements, but in principle we live in a serene way and we are happy to be here in Bangladesh." According to the pastor, "Christians are truly respected. 90% of those working in our media centers are Muslims. They support us in a concrete way."

On the life of his parish, he reports that "we have more than 25,000 parishioners, mostly from rural villages seeking new opportunities in Dhaka. Every year we celebrate about 100-130 baptisms, which take place every Friday." The pastor explains that baptisms do not occur during "some special holidays such as Christmas or Easter. Friday is the holiday and rest day in our Muslim-majority country, so the faithful take advantage of them to come to church. For example, last week we welcomed nine Christians into the community. "

Speaking of Gospel witness, he states: "We are present among non-Christians through our service. There are not many in this country [about 600,000, of which 380,000 Catholics, ie 0.3% of the population of nearly 163 million inhabitants] but most people know us for our service. They really have a good opinion of us because they see that we are here to serve them. We have nurses in hospitals, operators in various associations. And we work well. Every time someone does his job well, he is asked, 'Are you a Christian?' This means that in the country it is well known that Christians work in the best of ways. "

The example of Christians continues, "Sometimes leads to conversions, because people want to be like us. They are interested in helping children, the poor, the marginalized. Sometimes it happens that conversions disturb the most extreme radicals, who are really small fringes. But in general if you live peacefully and in a serene manner, no one complains."

At this point he tells the story of a Muslim, "who saw a Catholic girl who had to undergo a very delicate operation at heart on television. She was in the hospital and the papers talked about her. The boy was so impressed that he decided to go to the hospital. There he saw that the young woman was supported by the whole community, that it was by her side from the physical and spiritual point of view. And his life changed, he wanted to convert. His family was opposed to it, they did not want him to, because in Bangladesh it is believed that those who change their belief produce misfortune for all relatives. Even his friends abandoned him. But he could not turn back: he had seen service, love, a human attitude towards a living being. "

According to Fr. Kamal, for a small Church like that of Bangladesh, one of the peripheries spoken of by Pope Francis, "the way to feel part of the universal Church is to follow the directions of the Holy Father. This makes us feel close, members of the same family. And it is the same universal Church that makes us feel part of it: when we have some problems, we get help from all over the world, such as Europe, Canada, the United States. The Church is not only a spiritual entity, but a material one. There is a mute exchange: foreign missionaries come here - the first were the Portuguese in 1677 - but now Bangladeshi missionaries go to other countries and there they carry Christ and the traditions typical of our culture, such as the 'bhojom' our sacred hymns. These relationships are mutually enriching." (ACF)
Representatives of minorities talk about living together in society, progress and the truth that leads to development. Religions provide help in cases of violence. The non-war view can play a role in a world where fighting is everywhere. From our correspondent

Dhaka (AsiaNews)  "Pope Francis is welcome in Dhaka, we are looking forward to meet him. Everyone in Bangladesh will feel blessed by his presence, said a Buddhist leader speaking to AsiaNews. "We are lucky, and we are grateful to him, added a Hindu swami. He is a messenger of peace and love. He is a symbol of hope, honesty and simplicity. We must show him respect from the bottom of our heart."

A few hours before the pope began his pastoral visit to Dhaka, we asked them how minorities live in a Muslim-majority country and how harmony can be built in such a complex society, where fast economic growth has not generated social equality and rights for everyone.

In Bangladesh, Buddhists are about 1 per cent of the population with some six thousand monks and 6,000 seminaries. Women are not admitted to the religious life. Hindus, on the other hand, are 8 to 10 per cent.

Venerable Bhikkhu Sunandapriya is secretary general of the Bangladesh Buddhist Federation. We met him at the International Buddhist Monastery of Merul Badda, a Dhaka neighbourhood.

"Our goal is to give voice to those who have none, he said. We support harmony, non-violence. We practice our religion freely and we have no concerns about our security. We want this country to live in a peaceful way. Our country is secular, the constitution says we are all the same."

He acknowledges though that "extremist groups perpetrating violence do exist, like those that attacked Muslims in 2012 in Chittagong and set fire to 22 Buddhist temples. For us it was very painful, but despite everything we always try to build the process of peace."

This can be seen in "the celebration of religious festivals, when we invite leaders of other confessions and they invite us to participate in theirs. Or the support we gave last year to the Hindu community of Nasirnagar, victim of an attack from fundamentalists over a fake picture that insulted Islam. More than 300,000 people of every faith demonstrated together."

For Swami Gurusevananda, assistant secretary to the Ramakrishna Mission in the capital's Gopibag neighbourhood, the countrys religious communities live together in harmony. Yet, he did not want to say how Hindus live in Bangladesh.

"We participate in interfaith programmes, and we meet leaders to stimulate dialogue. But "The most important thing is to tell the truth. Instead, lies are often told. God is truth and if we tell the truth; this is for the development of society. Our Lord Shiva never says lies. If we preach truthfully, everything will follow, like spiritual development, education, institutions."

"We believe in peaceful coexistence, but today this is in danger, he said talking about relations between religions. We respect the Christian community, Jesus Christ, but also Buddha and Krishna.

All religions tell the truth, so why should I say that my religion is better than that of others? People fight around the world against each other. Instead, we teach non-war, non-clash. But there is no safe city; people are frightened; they live in fear of attacks. We want to support freedom."

Pope Francis "preaches peace, that everyone should live in brotherhood. For us it is the same, said the Venerable Sunandapriya.

We believe that all living things on this planet  humans, plants, animals  have the same dignity and deserve respect. That includes the Rohingya, for whom we are collecting offerings, which we give to support them in the camps in Cox's Bazaar. But the question must be solved by the government, because it is of national interest." (ACF)
by Vladimir Rozanskij

200 Russian bishops; 100 from Ukraine; 20 from Belarus; bishops in service in 22 countries; dozens of retired bishops gather in Holy Savoir Cathedral. The 100th anniversary of the restoration of the Moscow Patriarchate was celebrated at the very beginning of the revolutionary storm (1917). New martyrs, religious life, divorced remarrying. The greeting of Vladimir Putin.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - The extraordinary Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church (Arkhiereiskij Sobor, "Episcopal Council") opened yesterday in Holy Savoir Cathedral on the 100th anniversary of the dramatic Moscow Council of 1917, in the days preceding the revolutionary storm, where the Patriarchate of Moscow was restored after 200 years of synodal rule. The Synod will close on Saturday, December. Then, in the presence of guests and journalists, Patriarch Kirill (Gundjaev) will solemnly celebrate a liturgy on December 4, commemorating the enthronement of Patriarch Tikhon in 1917.

The Patriarchate of Moscow was established in 1589, introducing in the Orthodox ecclesiology the novelty of the "national patriarchy": in the ancient church there were only five "apostolic" patriarchs, Rome, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Alexandria and Antioch (the first two, , of imperial importance). Just over a century after its establishment, Tsar Peter the Great abolished the patriarchate in 1701, to replace it with a state administration to which the bishops themselves were subjected, the Holy Synod led by the imperial oberprokuror or procurator. The paradox is that at the time of its restoration, the highest Russian ecclesiastical office had to again suffer the persecution and conditioning of the Soviet State, which was officially atheist, controlling the Church with the "Religious Affairs Council". Only in 1990, with the election to the patriarchal throne of Aleksij II (Ridiger), did the Russian Church recover its autonomy.

The topics on the agenda of the ongoing Synod are not only celebratory, exalting the memory of the new martyrs of atheist persecution, starting with Tsar Nicholas II and his family. Indeed, the verification of the remains of holy imperial martyrs, kept in St. Petersburg, will be the first question posed to the bishops' judgment. Their recognition has never been officially established, and there are still many doubts: the Tsars family was shot in the basement of Ekaterinburg's "Ipatiev House", and the bodies were buried in a mass grave. The same patriarch Kirill warned against hasty conclusions urging a careful examination of all available evidence.

The Synod must also deliberate on the proclamation of a further group of new martyrs, to be added to over 2000 already canonized, and together with the inclusion in the calendar of Russian saints of some names whose devotion is practiced only in Ukraine. This will also help entrust the harmony and union of the two parties of the ancient Rus' of Kiev in conflict to the intercession of the saints. The new rules of monastic life, which have been a source of debate for several years, will also be examined, including the delicate issue of using the Internet in monasteries and in the cells of monks. Another issue concerns the celebration of marriage, which for the orthodox tradition can be carried out a second and also a third time, but often these are civil unions, even more than three, that are then regularized with undefined procedures.

The Russian bishops want to focus greater attention on culture, beginning with the teaching of the religion in schools and theology in universities. In addition to education, they also want to reflect on the variety of artistic and cultural expressions in Russian society, a particularly hot topic after this year's controversy around the movie "Matilda", even though the Synod does not intend to pronounce itself for or against individuals authors and works. The intention is to foster a more constructive dialogue between the Church and the world of culture in the current conditions of Russian society.

In addition to the almost 200 bishops in office in Russia, the 100 of Ukraine and 20 of Belarus, the Russian bishops gathered in the Synod are serving in 22 countries, and there are dozens of retired bishops also participating reaching a total of 500 bishops. Thanks to the decision for greater openness and transparency in ecclesiastical support of media and information the number of accredited journalists is also on the rise.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin greeted the participants in the Synod without visiting the cathedral as initially planned. Previously, the Tsar and the Soviet authorities sent their representatives to direct the work; today the president merely honours and hear the voices of the Church's hierarchs at a respectful distance.
Francis wants the international community to take political and material steps to help Bangladesh immediately. This was seen in a particularly eloquent way in the common reaction of indignation that followed last years brutal terrorist attack here in Dhaka, and in the clear message sent by the nations religious authorities that the most holy name of God can never be invoked to justify hatred and violence against our fellow human beings.

Dhaka (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis arrived at 10 am today (local time) in Bangladesh. In his first address he said that the international community has to take the necessary political and material steps to help Bangladesh deal with its worst problem, namely the Rohingya crisis, by providing immediate aid, which Dhaka is generously giving to hundreds of thousands of refugees.

The pontiff praised the harmony among religions shown following last years brutal terrorist attack in Dhaka, and the clear message by the countrys religious leaders who said that Gods holy name can never be used to justify hatred and violence against fellow human beings.

Francis spoke at the Presidential Palace in Dhaka during the meeting with the countrys political and religious authorities, members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of civil society.

On his arrival, Francis was welcomed by President Abdul Hamid (pictured) in a ceremony that included groups that performed traditional dances and some forty children. Afterwards, the pope visited the Martyr's Memorial in Savar and paid tribute to the Father of the Nation at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum. In the afternoon, he met again with President Abdul Hamid.

In his speech to the authorities, Francis noted that he is the third pope to visit the country, after Paul VI and John Paul II. This shows that Bangladesh has always had a special place in the heart of the Popes, who from the start have expressed solidarity with its people, sought to accompany them in overcoming initial adversities, and supported them in the demanding task of nation building and development.

Golden Bengal, he said, is a nation that strives to join unity of language and culture with respect for the different traditions and communities which, like so many streams, draw from, and return to enrich, the great current of the political and social life of the country.

The countrys founder, President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman understood and sought to embody this principle in the national Constitution. He envisioned a modern, pluralistic and inclusive society in which every person and community could live in freedom, peace and security, with respect for the innate dignity and equal rights of all. The future of this young democracy and the health of its political life are essentially linked to fidelity to that founding vision. For only through sincere dialogue and respect for legitimate diversity can a people reconcile divisions, overcome unilateral perspectives, and recognize the validity of differing viewpoints. Because true dialogue looks to the future, it builds unity in the service of the common good and is concerned for the needs of all citizens, especially the poor, the underprivileged and those who have no voice.

In recent months, the spirit of generosity and solidarity which is a distinguishing mark of Bangladeshi society has been seen most vividly in its humanitarian outreach to a massive influx of refugees from Rakhine State, providing them with temporary shelter and the basic necessities of life. This has been done at no little sacrifice. It has also been done before the eyes of the whole world. None of us can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation, the immense toll of human suffering involved, and the precarious living conditions of so many of our brothers and sisters, a majority of whom are women and children, crowded in the refugee camps. It is imperative that the international community take decisive measures to address this grave crisis, not only by working to resolve the political issues that have led to the mass displacement of people, but also by offering immediate material assistance to Bangladesh in its effort to respond effectively to urgent human needs.

A prayer by all religions set for tomorrow

For Francis, his meeting tomorrow in Ramna with ecumenical and interreligious leaders a privileged moment [. . .]. Together we will pray for peace and reaffirm our commitment to work for peace. Bangladesh is known for the harmony that has traditionally existed between followers of the various religions. This atmosphere of mutual respect, and a growing climate of interreligious dialogue, enables believers to express freely their deepest convictions about the meaning and purpose of life. In this way, they can contribute to promoting the spiritual values that are the sure basis for a just and peaceful society. In a world where religion is often  scandalously  misused to foment division, such a witness to its reconciling and unifying power is all the more necessary. This was seen in a particularly eloquent way in the common reaction of indignation that followed last years brutal terrorist attack here in Dhaka, and in the clear message sent by the nations religious authorities that the most holy name of God can never be invoked to justify hatred and violence against our fellow human beings.

Bangladeshs Catholics, though relatively few in number, nonetheless seek to play a constructive role in the development of the country, particularly through their schools, clinics and dispensaries. The Church appreciates the freedom to practice her faith and to pursue her charitable works, which benefit the entire nation, not least by providing young people, who represent the future of society, with a quality education and a training in sound ethical and human values. In her schools, the Church seeks to promote a culture of encounter that will enable students to take up their responsibilities in the life of society. Indeed, the vast majority of the students and many of the teachers in these schools are not Christians, but from other religious traditions. I am confident that, in accordance with the letter and the spirit of the national Constitution, the Catholic community will continue to enjoy the freedom to carry out these good works as an expression of its commitment to the common good.
Before his departure for Bangladesh the final Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in Myanmar is dedicated to young people. " be missionary disciples, messengers of the good news of Jesus, above all to your contemporaries and friends. Do not be afraid to make a ruckus, to ask questions that make people think! And dont worry if sometimes you feel that you are few and far between. The Gospel always grows from small beginnings."

Yangon (AsiaNews) - Bring the Gospel " bring good news for your suffering brothers and sisters who need your prayers and your solidarity, but also your enthusiasm for human rights, for justice and for the growth of that love and peace which Jesus brings". Before his departure for neighbouring Bangladesh, the second and final stop of his 41st trip outside of Italy, the final Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in Myanmar was dedicated to young people.

Francis was welcomed to the neo-Gothic cathedral of Yangon dedicated to the Immaculate Conception by thousands of young people to whom he has addressed the invitation to be the bearer of the Good News among their peers and in the society of their country without being frightened of being few and sometimes misunderstood.

Thus, starting with a sentence from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans: "The footsteps of those who bring good news are a welcome sound!" (Rm 10:15), addressing those present, the Pope said, " Dear young people of Myanmar, hearing your young voices and listening to you sing today, I want to apply those words to you. Yes, you are a welcome sound; you are a beautiful and encouraging sight, for you bring us good news, the good news of your youth, your faith and your enthusiasm. Indeed, you are good news, because you are concrete signs of the Churchs faith in Jesus Christ, who brings us a joy and a hope that will never die. Some people ask how it is possible to speak of good news when so many people around us are suffering? Where is the good news when so much injustice, poverty and misery cast a shadow over us and our world? But I want a very clear message to go out from this place. I want people to know that you, the young men and women of Myanmar, are not afraid to believe in the good news of Gods mercy, because it has a name and a face: Jesus Christ. As messengers of this good news, you are ready to bring a word of hope to the Church, to your own country, and to the wider world."

"But I also have a challenge to set before you. Did you listen carefully to the first reading? There Saint Paul repeats three times the word unless. It is a little word, but it asks us to think about our place in Gods plan. In effect, Paul asks three questions, and I want to put them to each of you personally. First, how are people to believe in the Lord unless they have heard about him? Second, how are people to hear about the Lord unless they have a messenger, someone to bring the good news? And third, how can they have a messenger unless one is sent? (Rom 10:14-15). I would like all of you to think deeply about these questions. But dont be worried! As a loving father (or better, a grandfather!), I dont want you to wrestle with these questions alone."

The answer to Saint Paul's first question: "How will they believe in him without having heard them?" Must be sought in authenticity. " Our world is full of many sounds, so many distractions, that can drown out Gods voice. If others are to hear and believe in him, they need to find him in people who are authentic. People who know how to listen! To be so Francis recommends "to speak" to Jesus and also to "the saints, our friends in heaven who can inspire us."

"Pauls second question is: How are they to hear about Jesus without a messenger? Here is a great task entrusted in a special way to young people: to be missionary disciples, messengers of the good news of Jesus, above all to your contemporaries and friends. Do not be afraid to make a ruckus, to ask questions that make people think! And dont worry if sometimes you feel that you are few and far between. The Gospel always grows from small beginnings. So make yourselves heard. I want you to shout! But not with your voices. No! I want you to shout with your lives, with your hearts, and in this way to be signs of hope to those who need encouragement, a helping hand to the sick, a welcome smile to the stranger, a kindly support to the lonely."

" Pauls last question is: How can people have a messenger unless one is sent? At the end of this Mass we will all be sent forth, to take with us the gifts we have received and to share them with others. This can be a little daunting, since we dont always know where Jesus may be sending us. But he never sends us out without also walking at our side, and always just a little in front, leading us into new and wonderful parts of his kingdom. How does the Lord send Sant'Andrea and his brother Simon Peter in the Gospel of today? How does our Lord send Saint Andrew and his brother Simon Peter in todays Gospel? Follow me!, he tells them (Mt 4:19). That is what it means to be sent: to follow Christ, and not to charge ahead on our own! The Lord will invite some of you to follow him as priests, and in this way to become fishers of men. Others he will call to become religious or consecrated men and women. And yet others he will call to the married life, to be loving fathers and mothers. Whatever your vocation, I urge you: be brave, be generous and, above all, be joyful! "

At the end of the celebration, at 12:45 local time, Francis arrived at Yangon International Airport where he left for Bangladesh. At 15am, local time, the plane arrived at Dhaka International Airport.
By Richard John Arculus, Emeritus professor in geology, Australian National University

Mt Agung, known locally as Gunung Agung, is a 3,142 metre high volcano located at the eastern end of the island of Bali, Indonesia.

Its erupting ash and steam right now, and has been since Saturday November 25, 2017.

To work out what might happen next at Agung, scientists rely on current observations, paired with forensic techniques that tease apart the geology of this volcano.

Signs that might indicate onset of a more dangerous eruption at Agung are:

intensifying emissions of ash that reach the stratosphere (the second layer of the Earths atmosphere)

lava flows starting to descend the mountains flanks

sustained shaking of the volcano by earthquakes.

On everyones mind is Agungs most recent large eruption in 1963-64. At this time, more than 1,000 people were killed by dense flows of hot volcanic rocks and dust (called pyroclast density flows), and mudflows of volcanic debris called lahars.









Read more: Tourists are stuck at the airport, but erupting Mt Agung has a deeper significance for the Balinese

Recent activity at Mt Agung

Through September and October this year, a large number of earthquakes were detected below Mt Agung.

A 10 km evacuation zone was established, and about 100,000 persons moved to safer accommodation. The seismicity declined, and a steady plume of steam emerged from the summit crater. This indicated that groundwater was being heated by magma (a hot mixture of molten and semi-molten rock).

A phreatomagmatic eruption  resulting from interaction between magma and groundwater  occurred a few days ago. This was followed by an intensifying eruption of a column of ash, reaching some 8 km into the atmosphere. This style of eruption is called plinian after the climactic eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD, as described by Pliny the Younger.

The ash is fragmented magma, blown apart by separation and expansion of minerals and gases (water, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide) previously dissolved in the magma.

Now earthquake activity has picked up again. Harmonic tremors are occurring, where the volcano shakes due to magma moving rapidly through underground channels and fractures that are connected to the summit crater.

Evacuations are active again, given concern that the eruption might escalate further. Dangerous pyroclast density flows  a style known as peleean after the 1902 eruption of Mt Pelee in the Lesser Antilles  are possible.

Volcano forensics at Agung

Studies of previous eruptions of volcanoes are critical in attempting any kind of prediction for future behaviour.

In the case of Mt Agung, mapping of the ashes, mudflows, pyroclast density flows, and lavas for eruptions that dated back about 5,000 years were reported in a 2015 study.

Measurements to determine the frequency of eruptions, plus the area and thicknesses of the various types of flow and ash deposits were made. The map shows some of these features for the eruptions in 1963 and 1843.









Marcella Cheng for The Conversation, adapted from Figure 5 Fontijn et al 2015, CC BY-NC-ND





The authors concluded that the eruption of Agung in 1843 was more energetic than that of 1963-64, and eruptive activity in the past few hundred years has been more intense on average than its behaviour for the past few thousand years.

Volcanic Explosivity Index

Accompanying the basic field mapping, a variety of other forensic methods are used by geologists to map out past volcanic activity.

A Volcanic Explosivity Index is a measure calculated based on direct observations of eruptions, plus experimental replication and modelling. It reflects the intensity and explosivity of a given eruption, factoring in how high, how much, how widespread, how hot, and how dangerous (in terms of gas output) the emitted materials were.









Clare Connolly, Author provided





Follow up analyses take place in the lab. Scientists work on volcanic rocks and other materials to determine what materials they are made of, their chemical compositions and the makeup of any trapped gases.

One important goal is to work out the viscosity (the runniness) of the magma that was present at the site. Magmas that contain high levels of silica  an example is rhyolite  tend to be more viscous, and therefore more likely to be explosive than less silica-rich types, such as basalt and andesite.

Rocks that are recovered from a volcanic site carry a physical and chemical record of the underground conditions they had been exposed to in the past. The record is seen in the layers, or zones, of crystalline minerals that make up volcanic rocks.

For Mt Agung, this type of forensic work has been very useful. It shows that recharging of a magma chamber in the Earths crust  that is, arrival of a new batch of magma from deeper levels in the crust into the shallowest magma chamber that feeds the summit eruption  had preceded and probably triggered the 1963-64 eruption.

Some volcanic rocks are incredibly beautiful. Fragments of magma that have cooled within the Earths crust result in coarsely crystalline rocks, as shown in the photograph below.









Richard J. Arculus, Author provided





Watching and waiting

There remain many uncertainties in terms of predicting where, when, and how energetic the next eruption will be for many of the many volcanoes on Earth.

In the case of Mt Agung, current measurements plus past form are currently being applied to monitor the situation.

Read more: Curious Kids: Do most volcanologists die from getting too close to volcanoes?

For many volcanoes however, we have not established patterns because the gaps between eruptions are so long. Other factors can be hard to predict, like the structural collapse that occurred at Mt St Helens in 1980.

The volcanoes with the longest known breaks between eruptions have erupted the largest volumes of material. These are the so-called super volcanoes, such as those at lakes Taupo (New Zealand) and Toba (Sumatra, Indonesia).

There are no observations recorded by humans for these enormous events, and volcano forensics are currently our only guides as to their possible behaviour.

In Bali, experts are watching closely for more ash, and evidence of lava flows that might herald high danger for locals.

Richard John Arculus receives funding from the Australian Research Council

Originally published in The Conversation.
London, UK, November 30, 2017 / B3C newswire / -- Orchard Therapeutics (Orchard), a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to transforming the lives of patients with rare disorders through innovative gene therapies, today announced the opening of a second facility for technical operations in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In combination with the existing Foster City site, the new facility located at 1360 OBrien Drive, Menlo Park, Calif., quadruples Orchards laboratory footprint for the technical operations that support development and validation of processes and controls for the manufacture of the Companys ex-vivo lentiviral gene therapy products.

Stewart Craig, Ph.D., chief manufacturing officer of Orchard, said, Since the start of its technical operations in April 2016, Orchard has made significant progress in building a world-class team of experts for the development, manufacture and delivery of our ex-vivo gene therapy product pipeline. Opening of the new Menlo Park facility represents the next step of a phased plan to establish a fully integrated infrastructure for the companys Technical Operations. Dr Craig added that Even as we open the new Menlo Park site, we are already evaluating sites for a further custom-built facility in the Bay area to provide another threefold increase in our overall capacity with additional operational capabilities by 2019.

Orchards pipeline includes transformative clinical and pre-clinical stage autologous, ex-vivo lentiviral gene therapies for primary immune deficiencies and inherited metabolic disorders. The Companys lead product, OTL-101, for the treatment of adenosine deaminase severe combined immunodeficiency (ADA-SCID) is in late-stage development and is anticipated to progress to a Biological License Application with the FDA in 2018. The OTL-101 development program has received a $19 million award from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM).

Mark Rothera, president and chief executive officer of Orchard, added, The new facility in Menlo Park reflects the rapid growth of our pipeline of transformative gene therapies. In concert with our facility expansion, we look forward to continuing to attract first class technical and management talent to the many career opportunities we are creating in our California operation.





About Orchard Therapeutics

Orchard Therapeutics is a privately-held clinical-stage biotechnology company based in the UK and in California, US. Orchard is dedicated to transforming the lives of patients with rare disorders through innovative gene therapies.

Orchard works in partnership with some of the world's leading centres in gene therapy, including University College London, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Manchester and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the University of California Los Angeles and Boston Childrens Hospital.

In 2016 the company was named a Fierce 15 Company by Fierce Biotech. Also, Orchard and UCLA were awarded a $19 million grant from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in 2016 to advance the development of autologous ex-vivo lentiviral gene therapy in ADA-SCID.



About CIRM

At CIRM, we never forget that we were created by the people of California to accelerate stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs, and act with a sense of urgency to succeed in that mission.

To meet this challenge, our team of highly trained and experienced professionals actively partners with both academia and industry in a hands-on, entrepreneurial environment to fast track the development of todays most promising stem cell technologies.

With $3 billion in funding and approximately 300 active stem cell programs in our portfolio, CIRM is the worlds largest institution dedicated to helping people by bringing the future of cellular medicine closer to reality.



Contacts

Corporate contact

Sylvie Blanchier

+44 (0) 7469 935464

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Media contact

Allison Blum, Ph.D.

LifeSci Public Relations

+1 516 655 0842

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Joseph Luiz can be reached at 395-7368 or by email at jluiz@bakersfield.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @JLuiz_TBC.
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A plane bound for Egypt made an emergency landing in the Sudanese capital Khartoum over a bomb scare on November 30, 2017. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Turkish airline plane bound for Egypt hit emergence the land of Sudan at Khartoum from Jomo Kenyatta international airport in Nairobi. Bomb scare and explosion are what the plane had an emergency landing at Khartoum, Sudan.Sudanese civil aviation authority spokesman Abdul Hafiz Abdul Rahim told the Africa Review that the Boing 738 aircraft had 107 passengers of different nationalities.Today, Thursday, at 7.30am Sudan local time, Khartoum airport was notified by the Captain of the Turkish Airlines plane Number 608 that there was a possible bomb device on board as reported by a British passenger, Mr. Rahim said.Accordingly, the authorities at the Khartoum International Airport allowed the emergency landing and immediately evacuated the plane and experts did a thorough search but found no suspected explosive device on the plane, he explained.The travelers were taken to the nearby hotels in Khartoum. The journey to Cairo Egypt was cut short due to raising bomb alarm on the plane. The Journey is speculated to start tomorrow are experts are still diagnosing the possible scare and problems.
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The members of Ad Hoc Beaumont have never been about escapism.

Since the group started performing in Southeast Texas in January of 2012, their goal has been to make theater audiences feel raw emotions.

From shows like "Penetrator," which explored themes of war and masculinity, to the time they went around town selling fake drugs to people who called a mysterious phone number, they've forced people to think and rethink.

"We do try to be provocative to the audience," Ad Hoc member Jody Reho said. "We don't just want it to be a safe place."

'The Lonesome West' When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Dec. 8, 9, 15 and 16

Where: The Art Studio, 720 Franklin St., Beaumont

Cost: $15

Info: thelonesomewest.brownpapertickets.com Cast:

Michael Mason as Coleman

Jody Reho as Father Welsh

Heather Rushing as Girleen

Michael Saar as Valene See More Collapse

Ad Hoc hopes to challenge their audience one more time with its last show, "The Lonesome West."

Because of various changes in the members' lives, the group has collectively decided to "take a long hiatus."

"The Lonesome West," written by Martin McDonagh, is a dark comedy about a down-and-out family in Ireland. (Oh, and it's definitely R-rated.)

It's an edgy end to almost five years of alternative theater in Southeast Texas that have broadened artistic outlets and introduced new possibilities for aspiring creatives.

Shaking up theater

All the members of Ad Hoc Beaumont will say the group started organically, but that the relationships didn't come easy.

It wasn't about liking each other, but a desire to make something fresh in Southeast Texas.

At the start, they'd bicker about what shows they should do and how things should be done.

But a DIY mindset held them together. They found spaces to work in and brought in whatever help they needed.

"You can do whatever you want with a little elbow grease," said member Michael Mason.

From their first show, "1.1-1.7" at an Old Town home known as the Beach House, they've taken audiences to the streets of Spindletop-Gladys City for "My Aim is True," to the empty Copa downtown for "Year of the Rooster" and then to a more traditional setting at the Betty Greenberg Center for the Performing Arts for "She Kills Monsters."

Then, they performed at a prison for "Waiting for Godot" before returning to the Betty Greenberg center to perform it for the public.

"Everyone has a preconceived notion of what theater is and we've tried to change that," Reho said.

They've gone beyond theater too, to support other creative endeavors in Southeast Texas. Ad Hoc has hosted pop-up art shows and even put on a confusing dance performance at the first Pride festival.

Despite the oddity of that performance, Heather Rushing, who is in "The Lonesome West," said people were still looking for meaning because they knew Ad Hoc Beaumont always had something to say.

"I think that says something for what they've done for theater," Rushing said.

Collaborative art

From the start, Ad Hoc has set out to prove that good theater doesn't require a fancy auditorium with high-tech lights and sounds.

They've found places to perform and crafted their spaces to fit.

By doing site-specific performances, they've been able to make whatever they've got work for them in the best way possible.

But the group has never wanted their work to look DIY, even if they were using power strips as light dimmers.

"We take stagecraft and storytelling seriously," Mason said.

The professionalism in the final result comes from weeks of collaborative work.

Taylor VanDevender, who performed in "Year of the Rooster" and "She Kills Monsters," said she was challenged more creatively with Ad Hoc than other performances she's been in.

"Not only does Ad Hoc prefer to give their performers more freedom of choice as far as making characteristic choices and development choices, they also enjoy help with building their spaces and their DIY aesthetic," VanDevender said.

They've been known to spend hours at Luke's Icehouse looking at one light cue or arguing over how a scene should go.

Reho said oddly enough, while trying to produce alternative theater, the group became more traditional.

Their rehearsals are no longer at odd hours, and they've begun performing in more traditional spaces. But they haven't lost that DIY mindset of working with what they have.

"It's not so much the space is found anymore, just the elements," Reho said.

While the group has changed its dynamics and process, they've kept true to their mission of enticing non-theater-going audiences to give the art form a chance.

"I don't think the goal was to influence the theater people make, but their thoughts about  theater," Reho said.

Ad Hoc hopes they've opened some people's eyes to the what theater can be beyond a traditional musical.

"We've told some weird stories," Mason said. "I think people liked them."

Gina Hinson, Beaumont Community Players board president, said having groups like Ad Hoc in the area has broadened the area's theater community.

Hinson said it's been a crucial part of attracting a younger audience to live theater.

"To create something that's interesting to them and makes them want to go to live theater is very important," Hinson said. "When you have these alternatives, you're much more likely to hit on something that's interesting to people."

The final act

Ad Hoc Beaumont members read about 10 plays before settling on the "The Lonesome West."

The group had grand ideas in mind. They wanted to go out on a big show with a large cast.

But Tropical Storm Harvey had other plans, and as they rejected play after play, they realized getting back to basics was what they needed to do.

"The Lonesome West" uses a small cast and the writing by McDonagh plays to Ad Hoc's core members' strengths.

It has let the group work with people they've collaborated with before one last time without it being overwhelming.

"We're trying to get the people we've worked with extensively to be a part of this," Ad Hoc member Michael Saar said.

The play fits Ad Hoc's mold of a thought-provoking show driven by story with a hint of dark humor.

"It's character-driven art," Mason said.

Saar said the show about a family that feels stuck in the past explores several topics real families grapple with.

"It looks at compassion and how we deal with religion," Saar said.

Rushing has enjoyed delving in to her role. She's sipped on Irish moonshine to really embody her character, Girleen.

She's enjoyed working within Ad Hoc's collaborative process of sorting out how characters should be portrayed.

"It's just having that banter and folks to play devil's advocate," Rushing said.

Reho said all plays present challenges, but this one has some different ones.

For one, the cast has had to work on matching Irish accents.

"It's an odd challenge for us," Reho said.

And in order to convey the play's humor, they've had to rely on honesty, which can be hard to do.

If they want to be authentic, Reho said they can't rely on the typical humor tropes.

But everyone is looking forward to opening night and showing everyone what they've been working on. It's sure to be a well-thought out performance that will leave audiences asking questions, but excited to have experienced live theater.

"I'm going to treasure, one last time, sharing the stage with these a--holes," Mason said.

AFletcher@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/afletcher727
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Beaumont police are advising Southeast Texans to avoid leaving cash in their vehicles, particularly after withdrawing it from a bank.

Referred to as "jugging," there has been an increase in cases where a thief follows a bank customer to their next location and breaks into their vehicle to steal the recent withdraw, police said.
Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward in the shooting death of Chicken Nugget, a Liberty County pony that was the best friend to a 5-year-old girl.

Chicken Nugget was found dead in the family's pasture from a gunshot wound to the head at about 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 8, according to information from the Liberty County Sheriff's Office.
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Update, 7:10 p.m.: Heaven Ray Cox was found in Louisiana earlier today after the Orange County Sheriff's Office received a tip, Det. Janois Grizzaffi said.

Grizzaffi said she was safe and reunited with her mother, Tammy Cox, around 7 p.m.

Heaven was located at a residence belonging to the relative of an acquaintance, according to information from the department.

The sheriff's office said as they continue to investigate more information will become available. Criminal charges have not been ruled out.

Now Playing: Latest Local And State News Video: Houston Chronicle

Update, 6:45 p.m.: Heaven Ray Cox, a 15-year-old reported missing from Orange County Sunday, has been found safe, her mother said in a Facebook post Thursday afternoon.

Previous Story: The passport belonging to missing Orange Co. teen Heaven Ray Cox was discovered missing, her mother told Facebook followers late Wednesday.

In addition, an Instagram account reportedly belonging to the 15-year-old has been updated with the hashtag #runaway.

Immigration officials have been notified and given her photograph, Tammy Day Cox said in the 9 p.m. update.

Cox previously said that her daughter may be with a "much older" man from California whom she met through a popular social networking site. Heaven was last seen on Saturday.

Det. Janois Grizzaffi with the Orange County Sheriff's Office said on Wednesday that the Mauriceville-area girl is listed as a runaway, but that detectives are working to confirm claims that Heaven could be with a man she met on Snapchat.

Snapchat is a popular online messaging site used by teens and young adults. According to Bloomberg, more than 150 million people use the app each day.

"As in any case, the Orange County Sheriff's Office is taking this very serious and is checking all leads that may give our office knowledge of Heaven's whereabouts," Grizzaffi wrote in a statement. "We are aware of various social media posts claiming Heaven may be in the company of someone she met online. Investigators are working diligently to verify and confirm this information and will actively pursue leads as they come available."

Grizzaffi said authorities were first notified about Heaven's disappearance by her parents about 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Tammy Day Cox told investigators that it wasn't unusual for her daughter to sleep late on weekends, Grizzaffi said. When the girl wasn't up by lunchtime on Sunday, her mom decided to check on her. Heaven was not in her room.

The Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School student left behind a note that indicated she might be heading to California, Grizzaffi said. The note offered no details about who Heaven might be traveling with or how she was getting around, according to Grizzaffi.

> > RELATED: Missing Beaumont girl's mother calls for more attention to case

Tammy Day Cox wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday that her daughter could be with a California man who told her he would pick her up in San Antonio, which is where he was staying for Thanksgiving.

"The man she has been talking to is a predator, who has apparently been manipulating her for some time, and in her current state of mind, she believes that he is her friend," the post continued. "She left a goodbye note to me and her Dad, and said that she wouldn't have a phone, so I'm sure he has taken it from her, as it isn't here, and I have torn her room apart."

Anyone with information about Heaven's whereabouts is asked to call the Orange County Sheriff's Office at (409) 883-2612.
Pope Francis lays a wreath during a stop at the National Martyrs Memorial in Dhaka, which honors those who died during the 1971 War of Independence, Nov. 30, 2017.

Updated at 4:38 p.m. ET on 2017-11-30

In a historic visit to Bangladesh, Pope Francis on Thursday praised the South Asian nation for giving shelter to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and he called on the international community to help resolve the humanitarian crisis.

Addressing officials, lawmakers and diplomats in Dhaka during his first day in the Bangladeshi capital, the pontiff underscored the tradition of inter-religious harmony in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. In recent years, the country has seen a major terrorist attack and the emergence of Islamic fundamentalism.

The founders of Bangladesh envisioned a modern, pluralistic and inclusive society in which every person and community could live in freedom, peace and security, with respect for the innate dignity and equal rights of all, the Pope said in a speech delivered in Italian at the Bangladeshi presidential palace.

The future of this young democracy and the health of its political life are essentially linked to fidelity to that founding vision, the 80-year-old Argentinian pontiff said after visiting a museum honoring the countrys founding president and laying a wreath at a memorial honoring those who died in the 1971 war of independence, which birthed Bangladesh.

Francis, the second pontiff to visit the nation of Bangladesh, landed in Dhaka in the mid- afternoon after spending the earlier part of the week in neighboring Myanmar. His was the first visit by a pope to that Buddhist-majority nation.

It is imperative that the international community take decisive measures to address this grave crisis, not only by working to resolve the political issues that have led to the mass displacement of people, but also by offering immediate material assistance to Bangladesh in its effort to respond effectively to urgent human needs, he told his audience at the presidential palace.

He said he looked forward to a meeting with ecumenical and inter-religious leaders at the archbishops house in Dhaka on Friday.

Together we will pray for peace and reaffirm our commitment to work for peace. Bangladesh is known for the harmony that has traditionally existed between the followers of the various religions, the head of the Roman Catholic church said.

In a world where religion is often  scandalously  misused to foment division, such a witness to its reconciling and unifying power is all the more necessary.

Refugees from Rakhine

But as he did during his stay in Myanmar, Francis refrained from using the term Rohingya at the start of his three-day visit to Bangladesh.

During his remarks Thursday, he described them only as refugees from Rakhine state, but he acknowledged the toll of human suffering they had endured.

He refrained, too, from describing violence in Myanmars Rakhine state that had forced more than 620,000 Rohingya to flee to southeastern Bangladesh since late August as ethnic cleansing  as the United Nations and United States had done in recent weeks.

People in Myanmar, whose government has denied Rohingya citizenship, refer to Rohingya Muslims as Bengalis or illegal migrants from Bangladesh. But across the border in Bangladesh, the government also refuses to acknowledge them as Rohingya, referring to them instead as displaced persons from Myanmar.

At the Bangabhaban, the presidents palace in Dhaka, the Pope lauded Bangladesh for displaying the spirit of generosity and solidarity through its humanitarian outreach to the refugees by giving them temporary shelter and basic necessities.

This has been done at no little sacrifice. It has also been done before the eyes of the whole world, he said. None of us can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation, the immense toll of human suffering involved, and the precarious living conditions of so many of our brothers and sisters, a majority of whom are women and children, crowded in the refugee camps.

During his remarks welcoming Pope Francis to his country, Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid accused Myanmars military and security forces of committing ruthless atrocities, which ignited the most recent exodus of Rohingya refugees from their ancestral homes in Rakhine state.

They had fled a military crackdown that followed attacks mounted on police and army posts in Rakhine by Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) insurgents on Aug. 25.

Hamid said Bangladesh had welcomed the Rohingya refugees with an open heart, but now there was a shared responsibility to ensure their safe, sound and dignified return to their homeland in Myanmar.

Growing religious fervor

On Friday, Pope Francis is also scheduled to celebrate mass with about 80,000 Catholic faithful at a local park and meet with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Holy Sees embassy in Dhaka. He is expected to meet with a group of Rohingya refugees as well, before returning to Rome on Saturday afternoon.

It is the first papal visit to Bangladesh  home to about 400,000 Catholics  since Pope John Paul II in 1986, and only the second in the countrys 46-year history. Pope Paul VI visited Bangladesh, when it was known as East Pakistan, a province of Pakistan, in 1970.

Lately, majority Sunni-Muslim Bangladesh has seen growing religious conservatism and a series of deadly attacks by Islamic extremists on secular writers, minorities and foreigners.

We believe that inter-faith dialogue, at all levels of the society, is important to combat such extremist trends, he said. We denounce this extremism, in all its forms and manifestations. Hamid said in his speech.

The countrys Catholic community is tiny, making up about 0.2 percent of the population of about 163 million, but its members have also been targeted by Muslim extremists.

Just days before the Popes arrival, a Catholic priest, Walter William Rosario, went missing in northwestern Natore district, according to a Christian association. The circumstances of the priests disappearance remain mysterious and it is unclear whether he may have fallen victim to extremists.

In July 2016, the nation was rocked by a terrorist attack in which gunmen took over an upscale cafe in Dhaka, leaving 29 people dead, including nine Italians and the five attackers. The extremist group Islamic State claimed responsibility.
Berlin  The mayor of Berlin-Neukolln, Franzisca Giffey (SPD), recently said quite casually, There are 12 to 14 criminal clans in Berlin that are threatening peace in the city. After her comments, no one made too much of a fuss. It has become the norm.

Nine of the clans consist of large Arab families with several hundred of members each. They are involved in drug trafficking, burglary, theft and they deal in stolen goods, human trafficking, prostitution and gambling dens. Their parents were stateless Palestinians who resided in Lebanon and who arrived in Germany in the 1980s. Their sons have gotten a German passport. And if one of them gets caught, he refuses to testify. Because, he doesnt want to get one of his people into trouble. Hed rather go to prison himself than report a family member.

Berlin is not just the capital of Germany, but also the capital of crime! Approximately 1558 crimes* are perpetrated every single day. Thats more than in any other German state on a per capita basis. More robberies (5146*), more pickpocketing (44,722*) and most stolen vehicles (7349*). Last year, the police investigaged 61 cases against perpetrators in the area of organized crime. In all crime areas, police officers in Berlin investigated 148,042 suspects. But: Not even every second crime was cleared. This is equivalent to 42 %. (nbi)

Their business is just doing too well. Lets take a look, for example, at organized theft. In March 2017, a gold coin worth 3,7 million euros, weighing 100 kg, was stolen from Berlins Bode Museum. The police took aim at an Arab clan and arrested four suspects. The getaway car was held at the police station. However, it did not act as a deterrent to criminals: Unknown perpetrators broke into the police premises at night and tried to remove all evidence of their crime.

Auch interessant

How did they enter the premises? Recently, the police station has been burglarized three times, and the headquarters one time. Due to staff shortages, the police has been protected by private security companies. But some of them are partially, if not completely, in Arab hands. Who is watching over the guards? asked the FDP party the senate in Berlin in April 2014. They have yet to respond.

Neither has there been an answer to the drug trafficking problem at Gorlitzer Park. Those who get out of the subway station at the Park, are surrounded by drug dealers right away. Monika Herrmann, the Green partys borough mayor, is looking on. She says, that if cannabis were legalized the problem would be solved, and went on to provide space for an exhibition in which drug dealers are being revered as heroes. In her words: Drug sellers are working fearlessly and courageously in public space.

Like Anis Amri who was responsible for the attack on a Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz. He had already a criminal career behind him as a dealer, before he was radicalized at various Berlin mosques.

Other gangs, too, conduct themselves fearlessly: 1000 militant bikers romp through Berlin. Russian, Ukranian and Lithuanian networks are specialized in the theft of cars. It takes them one hour to get to Poland, and shortly thereafter they have left the EU. Its that easy!

This little robbing business is thriving in different places, which people once considered safe. But this isnt the case anymore. At Alexanderplatz, for example, almost every day someone reports a robbery or a stabbing. When darkness falls, people steer clear from Alexanderplatz. For 20 years, organized crime has spread its tentacles like an octopus in Berlin. The state is not powerless, but it lacks financial resources.

Politicians of all parties have been sleeping and neglecting the police force. This will have dire consequences!

PS: Sind Sie bei Facebook? Werden Sie Fan von BILD.de-Politik!
For Immediate Release, November 30, 2017 Contact: Stephanie Kurose, (203) 524-0562, skurose@biologicaldiversity.org 100-plus Groups Urge Feds to Increase Funding to Save Monarch Butterflies WASHINGTON The Center for Biological Diversity and 101 other conservation organizations today urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Natural Resources Conservation Service to substantially increase funding for monarch butterfly conservation and habitat restoration. In the past 20 years, the population of these once-common butterflies has plummeted by more than 80 percent. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey say there is nearly a 60 percent chance the monarchs spectacular, multigenerational migration could completely collapse within the next two decades. Biologists at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are so concerned that in 2014 they concluded the butterflies may need protection under the Endangered Species Act. Its heartbreaking that these magnificent orange and black butterflies that were once such a familiar sight are now declining toward extinction, said Stephanie Kurose, endangered species policy specialist at the Center. We need strong leadership from the Natural Resources Conservation Service if were going to save this beloved creature for future generations. The monarch population has been declining due in large part to the ubiquitous spraying of herbicides that destroy milkweed  the monarch caterpillars sole host plant and only food source. Because of the widespread use of glyphosate, commonly called Roundup, on corn and soy, nearly 165 million acres of milkweed have been lost. Widely used neonicotinoid insecticides are also toxic to young monarch larvae. Todays letter notes that the cost of restoring 1 million acres of milkweed per year would be $100 million based on the governments own assessment of milkweed restoration costs. Spending just $100 per acre on restoration could substantially reduce the likelihood of monarch extinction. The letter points out that this amount of funding is not unprecedented for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which spent nearly half a billion dollars on a similar initiative to restore and conserve the sage grouse, thereby alleviating the need to protect the grouse under the Endangered Species Act. The Natural Resources Conservation Service needs to take effective action to save the monarch before its too late, said Kurose. A significant boost in funding to help this beautiful butterfly survive could not come soon enough.
For Immediate Release, November 29, 2017 Contact: Randi Spivak, (310) 779-4894, rspivak@biologicaldiversity.org Republicans to Advance Four Bills Attacking Climate, Public Lands WASHINGTON Led by Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah), the House Committee on Natural Resources will mark up four anti-climate and anti-public lands bills on Thursday that would reverse the landmark Obama-era coal moratorium and give thousands of acres of public lands to private developers. This is an unmitigated attack on our public lands and public health, said Randi Spivak, public lands program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. Bishop and other members of Congress are ignoring the publics wishes and blatantly doing the bidding of fossil fuel developers and other special interests. This is not what they were elected to do. Our children, public lands and wildlife deserve better. On Thursday Republicans will consider: H.R. 1778, sponsored by Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), would roll back the Obama administrations January 2016 moratorium on new federal coal leasing by requiring congressional approval of the coal moratorium. The Obama administration established the coal moratorium while the Department of the Interior examined the 1970s era leasing program cost and climate impacts. If passed into the law, H.R. 1778 would circumvent a pending court case over whether the Trump administration has the authority to reinstate the coal leasing program without environmental review. H.R. 3117, sponsored by Rep. Evan Jenkins (R-W. Va.), would prohibit federal agencies from considering the social cost of carbon on their actions. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires that federal agencies take a hard look at the environmental impacts of their proposed projects. NEPA is also the primary means to ensure public participation in agency decision-making and minimize harm to the environment. This bill would transfer complex science decisions from technical experts at federal agencies to Congress and prevent meaningful public participation. H.R. 2630, sponsored by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), would exempt 8,000 acres of federal land from laws requiring taxpayers to be compensated when federal lands are sold or disposed of. Based on Gosars website and other news articles, a 2,400-foot-tall experimental solar chimney will be built on the land to generate electricity. A Senate companion bill, S. 1222, was introduced in May by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.). H.R. 4299, sponsored by Bishop, would allow the military to appropriate public land indefinitely for military use, without environmental review. Under current law, the taking of public land for military uses must be reviewed every 25 years along with a full environmental impact statement. This bill would prevent future environmental review and public disclosure of harms under NEPA on those public lands. In the first 10 months of the 115th Congress, Republicans have introduced more than 80 bills that attack public lands, weaken environmental safeguards on those lands or turn over control to states and local governments. These attacks come despite the fact that the vast majority of voters across political parties support protecting and maintaining forests, national parks, monuments and other public lands and waters.
The gender tradition-transforming power of advertising

Swati Bhattacharya, CCO of FCB Ulka in India, explains the intricacies of changing a 400-year-old Hindu tradition from one of status-based exclusion into a sisterhood of inclusion through the #NoConditionsApply campaign.

Back in June, FCB held its global leadership conference in Cape Town. Bhattacharya shared at the time that:  When your workday is a melting pot of peoples and cultures, your storytelling ability becomes more layered, more nuanced and richer. I believe there is no such thing as Chinese pain, Jewish love, Palestinian orgasm, Asian jealousy or African laughter. If we all feel the same things, well, we must be the same. FCB Ulka has since honed in on the divisive nuances within a single culture, when it released the second leg of its #NoConditionsApply campaign across print and across social media platforms for Times of India. FCB Ulka has since honed in on the divisive nuances within a single culture, when it released the second leg of its #NoConditionsApply campaign across print and across social media platforms for Swati Bhattacharya, CCO of FCB Ulka. For the past four centuries, the Shindoor Khela ritual - also known as Sindoor or Sundur Khela, has seen married women playfully cover each other with rich red paint on the last day of the annual Durga Puja festival celebrating the warrior goddess, Durga, to both mark and honour their marital status. Now, the agency has flipped the script on the conditions for participating in the custom. In the new celebration filmed in Kolkata  seen as the mecca of Bengali Hindu culture, as its where the religious heads reside  all women were celebrated and invited to participate, and to change the symbolism from the traditional single forehead dot to a double dot, thereby doing away with the traditions 'divisiveness'. So the single ladies, whether as yet unmarried, divorcees or widows, as well as the gay and transgender community formerly outliers left on the outskirts, were all made to feel part of the sisterhood tradition, and the campaign is told from their perspective. Bhattacharya says the impact is like what youd imagine from holding a gay wedding in the Vatican  it will have more of a meaning for the rest of the world. Every culture can benefit from a closer look, an inclusive story, and hopefully every divisive practice that exists will be questioned and protested. Thats because she feels every progressive, inclusive thought is only as powerful as the ritual it permeates  at least in a country like India, where ritual is everything. Here are the women - FCB's female dynamos tell it like it is By Leigh Andrews 1 Jun 2017 Sumeli Chatterjee, vice president and head of brand for Times of India, comments on the campaigns social significance as follows: #NoConditionsApply is an initiative that is close to our heart and existence. There is a lot of talk about diversity of gender; this highlights the need to have diversity even within the gender. While we have hosted this inclusive Shindoor Khela initiative in Kolkata, the messaging is relevant to every occasion and every festivity. When we talk of gender equity, we cannot limit our conversations to only ambition and opportunities; we need to talk about inclusion in festivals, celebrations and every walk of life, which will allow everyone to walk that step together. No celebration can ever be complete without including one and all. Its an irresistible message. Here, Bhattacharya explains the impact of advertising on society and the challenge of condensing five hours of powerful guerrilla footage into a two-minute package. Its an irresistible message. Here, Bhattacharya explains the impact of advertising on society and the challenge of condensing five hours of powerful guerrilla footage into a two-minute package. Talk us through the current impact of advertising on society and how this has changed over the years. Talk us through the current impact of advertising on society and how this has changed over the years.

Advertising, like art, began by mirroring society, and even today it has the potential to genuinely capture its audiences attention. However, to do that, brands and advertisers need to transcend product functionality and look at the bigger picture.

Intimacy is the true algorithm of creativity, and as advertisers we should know how to forge a closeness with our audience. We need to commit to addressing what is coming in the way of us being humans. We need to commit to forming a deeper connection. We need to commit to making a genuine difference in peoples lives. It is all about unpacking the power of purpose in advertising and in the brand.

Why is this type of advertising, which moves towards better female empowerment  much like #LikeaGirl and #FearlessGirl  so important? Why is this type of advertising, which moves towards better female empowerment  much like #LikeaGirl and #FearlessGirl  so important?

As much as 80% of advertising caters to the woman as a consumer, and while we continue to speak to her as a consumer, its appalling how only a handful of brands genuinely listen to the woman that she is.

This is all the more exasperating when we think about how gender equality and female empowerment have become movements of incredible urgency. Breaking the glass ceiling is a universal emotionality and ambition that women share across the world, and it transcends all geographies and all socioeconomic divides. So if we are not committing to it in some way, we are not only failing our consumers, but also failing humanity.

By listening, by resolving and by genuinely understanding women in their own life, brands can move from being just transactional to being empowering. Women will then move from we bought something to we believe in something.

#NoConditionsApply is a moving piece of work. Explain how the widows in the ashram reacted to the invitation to participate. #NoConditionsApply is a moving piece of work. Explain how the widows in the ashram reacted to the invitation to participate.

The biggest breakdown happened in the ashram. These were the women who had played Shindoor Khela as married women, and then when their husbands died, they had to stop. Not only did they lose their husbands, they suddenly also lost their place in society.

I think that their coming into the fold was too overwhelming, even for them. The transgenders and the prostitutes were a little more wary as to what does this invitation mean? They looked at this with a bit of suspicion, which says a lot about how weve been making them feel.

Definitely. It was so clever to remove the dividing line in the symbol for division as a symbol of this movement, also to switch from black-and-white film to colour once the festival begins. Explain the creative work behind this. Definitely. It was so clever to remove the dividing line in the symbol for division as a symbol of this movement, also to switch from black-and-white film to colour once the festival begins. Explain the creative work behind this.

The film wasnt shot with any of the traditional methods that come with shooting an ad. There were 5,000 women that day, and it was so guerrilla that everyone ended up being a cameraman. The film wasnt about controlling reality, but about how much to take out from it. The film was also not about making the shiniest piece of work, it was about capturing the day, as it unfolded. We had about five hours of footage, and to tell all of it in two minutes was really the biggest challenge.

Explain the importance of social media and the #NoConditionsApply hashtag spreading the message of double-dot selfies as part of the campaigns success. Explain the importance of social media and the #NoConditionsApply hashtag spreading the message of double-dot selfies as part of the campaigns success.

Social media was really big. The kind of cathartic outpouring, across all links shared, was overwhelming.

A lot of my work is feminist in nature, but seeing 2,500 comments with no negative response was very endearing. People internalised the message and felt that they were now responsible to take it forward. There was also a cumulative guilt, Why didnt I get my mum or that aunt who never married to play shindoor khela? All this was possible because of the discussive nature of social media.

Strangers from around the country, including people who never knew of such a practice, talked about how beautiful it was. There were so many men who posted on their Twitter with the two dots  it was a pleasant surprise! The part where the leftover vermillion was distributed also played out on social media very powerfully.

So much of tradition is based on exclusionary practices like this. Do you think advertising will keep moving towards making the world a better place as we enter 2018? So much of tradition is based on exclusionary practices like this. Do you think advertising will keep moving towards making the world a better place as we enter 2018?

Absolutely. I think cultural nuances will be spoken about more openly. Like, motherhood is a biological state, and there are as many kinds of mothers as there are kinds of women. But according to advertising and often to society, motherhood is only one type.

Until we show single mothers, divorced mothers, unwed mothers, women who struggle with IVF, we arent being honest enough.

How can agencies inspire their clients to be brave and take a chance on honest work like this, going forward? How can agencies inspire their clients to be brave and take a chance on honest work like this, going forward?

There has to come a time where brands need to question whether theyre only talking to themselves or whether they are truly connecting. Because with so many choices now, if you dont have a place in peoples hearts, you wont have a place on their shelves.

Until and unless what you are really saying is connecting with people, you are just making white noise.
Digital marketing boutique agency, Jellyfish, has expanded its footprint in South Africa following the recent acquisition of ClickMaven. With its roots in Durban since 2005, this strategic step is in line with Jellyfish's plans to bring quality digital services to the whole South African market.

Tim Lombard, Jellyfish SA managing director.

ClickMaven, an award-winning digital marketing leader established in 2007, has been seamlessly integrated into Jellyfish with the 14 new staff members set to continue the top-level work from their Milpark offices.

This is really a perfect fit, said Tim Lombard, South African managing director. We felt there were a few pieces missing from the Jellyfish puzzle and this integration has made us complete. Culturally, our organisations are very much aligned. Both are research-based and focus on constantly upskilling staff members. This has allowed us to remain at the forefront of new technologies, developing cutting edge marketing campaigns which we are excited to be bringing to Johannesburg.

Ferdie Bester, founder of ClickMaven.

The combination of ClickMaven's lead generation expertise combined with Jellyfish's full service offering and Google partnerships (Google Analytics 360 and DoubleClick reseller status) makes for a very compelling offering, says Ferdie Bester, founder of ClickMaven.

Jellyfish has a network of offices in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Europe and America. The company has worked hard to retain a boutique agency feel premised on accountability, flexibility, autonomy and accessibility. However, its impact is by no means small. By researching the most effective marketing tools and devising strategies suited to individual clients, Jellyfish has expanded its network, delivering scale and reach for global brands.

More streamlined focus on regional market

The full-service digital offerings of Jellyfish include analytics  earning them the RAR Digital Award for Analytics  brand analysis and re-structuring; targeted digital marketing across all platforms; conversion optimisation; as well as website development and management; among many others. The latest company integration will further enhance the services offered by Jellyfish with a more streamlined focus on the regional market.

Lombard said they were looking forward to making waves within the South African digital landscape. When compared globally, South Africa is still some way behind, but catching up at a rapid rate. We see our clients now spending significantly more in this space than they did a year or two ago, and new clients are entering this space with a sense of optimism and more regularity. It has taken some time, but 2018 could see us reach a tipping point.

With the company acquisition underway, Jellyfish is already getting prepared to astound the local market.

We have ambitious plans to acquire new office space which reflects our culture and offers our clients a really impactful experience, said Lombard. Our training proposition requires significant infrastructure, access, parking and state-of-the-art facilities, all of which we are building into our new office plans. Were going big. Were set on emulating the success that our UK and US agencies have already shown by winning Performance Agency of the Year in 2017 for their respective regions. And the ClickMaven deal is an indication of our ambition in the South African market!
Virgin Active Collection Menlyn Maine is the second of the health club group's facilities to be awarded a 4-star Green Star SA rating for interiors, a tool that assesses the environmental attributes of interior fit-outs.

Virgin Active Collection Menlyn Maine

The 4056m club was the fourth Collection club to open in South Africa but the first in the Pretoria area. The target at the outset of the project was a Green Star SA rating, and the award is a confirmation that the design principles delivered to their sustainability objectives. Virgin Active Collection Alice Lane was the first to be awarded a 4-star rating using the Interiors Pilot V1 in 2016, and Silo is the next club that has been submitted for rating.

The Green Building Council of South Africa's ratings are determined by a buildings performance in a nine categories: management, indoor environmental quality, energy, transport, water, materials, land use and ecology, emissions, and innovation. Each category is divided into credits, which address the initiatives put in place to improve a buildings interior environmental performance.

A total of 81% of the waste produced during the construction of the interior project was diverted from landfill. All paints, coatings, sealants, adhesives and flooring have low VOC (volatile organic compounds), contributing to a healthy indoor air quality and the hot water heating for the club is processed through 100% heat recovery system associated with HVAC chiller. And finally, the club is in a prime location, with access to variety of amenities, public transport and bicycle racks for employees as well as visitors.

With the Western Cape in the clutches of a devastating drought, never has it been more imperative that businesses assume a leadership position and conduct operations in an environmentally responsible manner. This certification is testament to our sustainability commitment," says Ross Faragher-Thomas, MD Virgin Active South Africa.
Recognising the value and importance that SMEs play in the growth of the economy, collectively contributing 50%-60% to GDP, Retail Capital is giving SMEs an opportunity to win a makeover to build their brand with an investment of R250,000. During the summer campaign, SMEs are encouraged to share the vision of how they would like to see their business grow, and led by a team of experts, Retail Capital will work with the winning SME to help make their vision come true.

Karl Westvig

While South Africa's economy is not faring well, Retail Capital CEO Karl Westvig remains optimistic about the country's retail and hospitality sectors. We are seeing some green shoots, with an increase in turnover in these sectors - starting from the end of September. Economic conditions remain very tough, but businesses seem to be trading well into October and were hoping this continues into the festive season trading.

According to recent statistics from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), South Africa's retail sales rose by 5.5% year-on-year in August 2017, following a downwardly revised 1.6% gain in the previous month and above market expectations of 2.3%. It is the biggest gain in retail trade since August of 2012.

I do believe that these sectors will see an improvement during the summer season. But, key to this will be for small business owners to ensure that they have the right amount of stock, adequate cash flow, as well as other systems in place to meet the ever-changing needs of customers, says Westvig.

For many small businesses, however, continually adapting to market changes requires cash injections that they dont often have.

Your Vision. Our Belief

Westvig explains that the summer campaign tagline Your Vision. Our Belief' really speaks to why Retail Capital first opened its doors. Our goal is to see the potential of small businesses and to work with them in making these become a reality.

He adds that the idea is not to simply help one business during the campaign either. Westvig points out that one of the biggest challenges that small businesses face in the sluggish economy is enough foot traffic through their doors. Generally, the main hurdle in creating brand awareness and projecting credibility of their establishments boils down to establishing a strong online presence.

One of the first ways that South Africans identify a business or service provider that they want to work with is over social media  even in a country where the digital divide has traditionally separated the technological haves from the have-nots, he says.

He explains that companies that dont have a social media presence are running the risk of being overlooked entirely. They may attract customers in their own community with signage or word of mouth, but to grow a business, they need to expand their reach  and thats where social media comes in.

But, the reality is that resource and time constraints mean that for many SMEs, social media is not prioritised. Unfortunately for the average small business owner, they dont have the time or expertise to get connected.

Developing a digital presence

Understanding the importance of having an online presence, Retail Capital has also committed to developing the digital presence of all campaign entrants. This would include setting up each entrants digital presence on platforms such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, Tripadvisor, Zomato and any others that may be relevant to their specific market or industry.

As a partner to many SMEs in South Africa, we are continually looking at new and innovative ways to help provide them with the much-needed support in order for them to realise their visions. SMEs need to be supported with initiatives like targeted education and training, supportive legislation, and funding opportunities that collectively help them grow our national economy, says Westvig.

SMEs wishing to take part in the competition can visit the dedicate page online for more information.
Former Eskom boss Brian Molefe sat in the public gallery of the Pretoria High Court with his arms folded as his assertion that he had not resigned from the state-owned company was being shredded.

Brian Molefe. Photo: BizNews

Lawyers representing trade union Solidarity, the DA and Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown took turns at rubbishing Molefe's claim that his return to Eskom was not a reinstatement but a continuation of his contract.

The parties want Molefe's reinstatement and the decision by Eskom to give him R30.01m declared unlawful and set aside.

Anton Katz, acting for Solidarity, said Molefe had publicly said he was stepping down in the interest of good governance but returned to work without asking a court to set aside Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's State of Capture report implicating him in state capture.

Katz said Molefe did not care what his statement that he was stepping down meant to the public and the world.

He said Molefe resigned but then realised he had made a mistake and returned.

"He makes a mockery of our laws " he realised his mistake, that he is not getting the R30m [early retirement package]."

Earlier, Molefe's counsel, Arnold Subel, said the case against his client was "high on emotions but low on facts".

The crux of his argument was that Molefe had not resigned from Eskom but had taken early retirement, so there was no "reinstatement" but a continuation of employment.

Subel said, based on these facts, there was no administrative action to be set aside.

But Lynne Brown's lawyer, Garth Hulley, said Molefe's exact words were that he had decided "to leave my employ at Eskom" and that "I leave now".

"That is the end of the matter. That is resignation. Whether he uses the term 'resignation' is neither here nor there," Hulley said.

Paul Kennedy, for the DA, said Molefe stepped down and Brown had used the term "resigned" in her public announcements and Molefe had not corrected her.

Kennedy asked the court to order Molefe to pay back the R30.01m.

Judgment was reserved.
The Constitutional Court wants Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) to give reasons - if any - the alternative grant payment systems described in the Auditor General's report are not feasible.

The Minister of Social Development and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) are directed to include in their quarterly report, due on 18 December 2017, the reasons, if any, the alternatives described in Chapter 4 of the Second Quarterly Report by the Auditor General and the Panel of Experts, dated 16 November 2017, are not feasible, said the Constitutional Court on Wednesday.

The Ministry and SASSA are due to submit a report to the court on 18 December 2017. The courts directives issued on Wednesday are in anticipation of this report.

If the alternative grant payments are feasible, the Minister and SASSA were ordered to report by 15 January 2018 how:

they intend to set up a system of direct payments into beneficiary bank accounts from SASSAs own corporate bank accounts, enabling beneficiaries to access grants through the National Payment System, which can be tested and made ready to effect payments by 1 April 2018, and



with respect to the payment of social grant beneficiaries who do not live within five kilometres of an ATM or point of sale device or facility, SASSA and other relevant role players will evaluate and implement other methods making use of new technologies or facilities to facilitate the payments.

The Constitutional Court also ordered the Panel of Experts to urgently arrange a short series of meetings under the guidance of the South African Reserve Bank, National Treasury and other stakeholders to consider the Minister and SASSAs reports.

Following the meetings prescribed by the court, the panel must file a report in the Constitutional Court on the progress and outcomes of the meeting by Monday, 29 January 2018.

Probe into SASSA and department employees

The report must contain recommendations on whether an investigation by Treasury into the conduct of SASSA employees and officials of the Social Development Department is necessary.

The investigation into these employees will span back to 2016 and determine whether there was any malpractice or obstruction to the issuing of contracts to service providers.

In addition to determining whether there has been foul play, the investigation must determine whether any person involved in this regard must be prosecuted in terms of section 81, 83, or 86 of the Public Finance Management Act 1 of 1991.

The Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) has been tasked with ensuring that SASSAs governance is stabilised through the appointment of technically and administratively skilled management as well as a board of qualified experts.

The courts orders come on the back of an agreement signed between SASSA and the South African Post Office (SAPO) that paves the way for a collaborative agreement towards the payment of social grants.

The agreement was announced by Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe on Tuesday, 21 November 2017, in his capacity as the chair of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Comprehensive Social Security.

Background to the case

In March this year, the Constitutional Court extended SASSAs contract with Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) for a year in order to fulfil the constitutional obligation of paying social grants to beneficiaries.

CPS is responsible for the distribution of social grants to more than 17 million beneficiaries. Its contract, which was declared invalid by the Constitutional Court in 2014, would have come to an end on 31 March 2017.

The court, however, suspended the invalidity so grants could continue to be paid while SASSA made another plan for 1 April 2018.
At the recent African Agri Investment Indaba hosted by the African Agri Council at the CTICC in Cape Town, founder and chairman of Agricollges International, Howard Blight chaired a pertinent topic - Understanding the changing agriculture and soft commodities landscape in South Africa, with Agri SA CEO, Omri van Zyl delivering the key talk, touching on the importance of agricultural transformation and investing in agri-tech and training as well as megatrends presenting opportunities for innovation.

Howard Blight

We asked Blight for some more insight on the importance of modernising agricultural education, industry transformation and the need for greater investment in these sectors.

How important is modernising agricultural education to the transformation of the industry?

Agri-education and agri-transformation go hand in glove with one another. Without the one you dont have the opportunity to upskill the very people who should be the recipients in the partnership with commercial agriculture in the process of transformation - which is the sharing of information from big commercial organisations with the small-scale farmers and emerging farmers from previously disadvantaged communities who come into the industry with little knowledge.

Agricolleges International (ACI) is developing 12-week comprehensive short courses in each specific crop. In this case, adult students in our learn-as-you-earn programme will be taken through step-by-step and integrated into the knowledge field of the first four which is avocado, macadamia nuts, table grapes and citrus. We are busy extending those to all the crops which should be put on the platform by the end of next year.

It's important to modernise existing agricultural education, which is in the form of bricks-and-mortar institutions. Their diplomas and certificates in agriculture are in a state of disintegration not only from an academic perspective but in terms of cost-effectiveness - the institutions are no longer affordable but more importantly, they have no scalability beyond the number of spaces they have in the classrooms. With cloud-based education, scalability is infinite because there is no bricks and mortar. This is the modern focus on how to get coursework to the masses using laptops and tablets and more importantly smartphones, this is the way that the world is beginning to change and its the way the world is going to become.

How can the industry go about bolstering agri-education and investment therein?

The universities that we have are producing excellently at the undergraduate, masters and PHD levels, but theres very little coming out of the colleges. ACI has a Learning Management System (LMS) which sits out on the cloud in our headquarters in Canada, Consilience Innovations is building the tool for us and we are in collaboration with Stellenbosch University from whom we are getting the coursework. An institution like ACI - with better-educated functionaries, people, students, and farmers on the ground and by its very nature offering a more efficient understanding of the agri-sciences - will be more attractive for investment.

The drought is going to be testing. At the Agri Indaba, a gentleman spoke about the skills of farming in the desert, efficient water utilisation and the transfer of knowledge in that context to South Africa because the drought situation seems to be perpetuating itself, not only in the Western Cape but elsewhere. Therefore, efficient cognitive understanding of the agri-sciences will bring investment because they will come into an environment with confidence knowing that the people have an intrinsic understanding of how to manipulate the soil to get it to grow things that people can eat.

Theres also straightforward evidence that there are people on the ground that dont have sufficient knowledge on how to do some of the most basic functions on the farm and thats where the agri-education opportunity through organisations like ACI will lift the profile, not only of the people that work on the farm or students coming into the industry but the perceived integrity of farming as a career.

As Helen Zille said at the Agri Indaba, we need to be making farming sexy again and thats exactly what were doing through the use of technology.

Farming is no longer about the farmer smoking his pipe on his stoep, it is a young and sexy industry - @helenzille #agriindaba pic.twitter.com/hrF1HGJ9bZ  African Agri Council (@AgriCouncil) November 21, 2017

What are some of the key investment areas, in your opinion, for agriculture and food production?

Basic foods need to be an area where investment is made. Due to uncertain conditions, we need to invest in irrigation, particularly that of maize and wheat. We need to invest in growing foods that will feed a growing population, in our case maize, wheat, and sorghum, And, of course, the export-orientated crops like avocados, macadamias, apples, table grapes - those are the crops that are going to be exported and bring foreign exchange into the country.

Where can the industry look for such investments?

We must look for such investments under the umbrella of good government, where theres no perceived risk that the government are going to put plans in place to take away the commercial farms. We heard the new president of Zimbabwe recently warning South Africa against the dismantlement of the commercial sector because the backbone of our industry is commercial agriculture. It brings about food security.

We need political stability and understanding, education and the availability of land, water and technology. Under good governance, farmers securing the right to farm on an ongoing basis will be a natural invitation for investors as they'll be coming into a more secure environment.

What would you like to see more of in the years to come regarding education and technology?

Its all very exciting because what were going to see is the unfolding and development of massive opportunities and how education and technology can be learned. We need proper stable agricultural research to continue taking place. We need to continue researching new innovative ways to employ technology.

ACI, as an educational platform, can only do so much. I think, in time, we will get involved with organisations within the agricultural sector and through them generate the opportunity for research. Private initiatives and private institutions like ACI will continue to be the driving force which in time we know will secure a better place for all in South Africa. A better place with reasonable political dispensation, food security and social stability.
Pravin Gordhan, the former Minister of Finance, has been appointed as a Visiting Professor in the Wits School of Governance as from 1 December 2017.

It gives us great pleasure to welcome Pravin Gordhan to Wits. He has played an integral role in South Africas history and we believe that his strong experience, sound public financial management and principled stand on good governance and transformation of the economy will add substantial value to the academic programme, says Professor David Everatt, head of the Wits School of Governance. Gordhans strong views on corruption and financial mismanagement are well known  these are the values that we want to impress upon our students, many of whom serve in the public sector.

Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Professor Imraan Valodia concurs: This is a substantial appointment that will bode well for the Faculty. Mr Gordhan will join the likes of Nhlanhla Nene (Interim Director of the Wits Business School), Max Sisulu and Tito Mboweni, all whom have held leadership positions in government. This is another step forward in strengthening the Facultys cohort of stalwarts whose knowledge, energy and experience will no doubt inspire the next generation of leaders.

Through his long and distinguished career, Gordhan has obtained first hand practical knowledge of sound corporate governance and public sector management.

Professor Adam Habib, Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal says: Pravin Gordhan has a very successful track record in management of the public service. The skill sets that he has acquired through his years of managerial experience will be the basis of rich learning for the University and its students.

Gordhan embodies the values of Wits University and the School, Faculty and administration look forward to engaging with him in the near future.
The human need for adventure is a well-documented school of thought, highlighting adventure as an essential and integral part of our biological makeup. Adventure, in this respect, can be described as anything uncertain or different. It's the human need for shock, challenge, excitement, surprise, change, chaos and innovation.

Gert Vermeulen via 123RF

SA ticks every box

South Africa can offer the world this and so much more. Statistically, it has less than 1% of the global tourism market and as a country, South Africa is uniquely set up and qualified to be the number one adventure tourism destination worldwide - if only it were given half the chance.

South Africa, as an adventure destination, can offer such a wide variety of experiences to its visitors. The extensive selection is unparalleled and makes it the perfect holiday destination for many travellers worldwide. South Africa ticks every box when it comes to the necessary requirements for adventure. Its diverse and distinct terrain offers over 3,000km of coastline, beautiful plains and bushveld, magnificent and accessible mountains and all of this within easy travelling distances.

Together with its ideal climate for adventure activities, which mostly takes place in the great outdoors, South Africa is an easy target for adventure seekers and adrenaline junkies.

No longer a niche

Adventure travel is no longer a growing niche, it is a full-blown industry. In the past few years, this industry has seen remarkable growth with more travellers wanting to experience a destination rather than simply observing it. It also appeals to a much wider audience now. Previously, it was always seen as an industry geared towards the young and the active but in recent years, this has changed to include a much bigger demographic.

Adventure is addictive, its a thrill, its a journey. It gets your blood pumping and your heart beating and it reminds you to live your life while you have life to live. Maybe its the morbid reality of everyday life that has resulted in this shift. Or maybe its the constant reminder that the people you follow on social media are living more exciting lives than you. Or maybe this exponential growth can be attributed to the simple knowledge that as a human being with blood pumping through your veins, we all need a little adventure. Either way, South Africa is the refuge that holds all the answers.

The first ever adventure summit in South Africa

September 2017 saw the first ever Adventure Summit take place in South Africa. With over 150 delegates and industry professionals gathered to talk, discuss, experience, eat, breathe, sleep and live adventure tourism for a jam-packed, content heavy, three-day conference in Elgin, Western Cape. This first, and massively successful conference, organised by the dynamic two-man team from Dirty Boots, Esna Theron and Johan Radcliffe, was what everyone hoped would be the first of many.

Image Supplied

Their goal was to bring like-minded people under one roof to discuss pertinent and trending topics affecting the adventure tourism industry in South Africa. Discussions, concerns and observances around relevant issues such as government rule, regulation, restrictions and so on were debated, argued and taught to a captive audience of professionals who all walked away with a little more knowledge and insight. With ambassadors from all aspects of adventure and tourism within South Africa represented, no stone was left unturned.

This summit allowed all the attendees to have their voices heard and ask questions that they needed answers to. This, in turn, will allow the adventure tourism industry to grow and South Africa to undoubtedly become the number one adventure tourism destination across the globe. No small task, but then again, when have South Africans ever shied away from a challenge?

As a nation, we want tourism to grow. We want more jobs, better infrastructure, and safer adventures. It will not take a day, it will not take a year and it wont even take a decade to get right, but a solid foundation would be to have every person stand behind this industry, offer support, guidance and assistance where needed.

And maybe, just maybe, an annual adventure summit is the place to start.
Femicide is a global problem with devastating impacts on the lives of individuals and families. In South Africa, instances of femicide are five times the global average and one in five women are assaulted by their partner. #NoExcuse, a five-year initiative - which will initially run during the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence - has been launched with Carling Black Label and Takuwami Riime!, a consortium of non-governmental and civic organisations that focus on driving positive change amongst South African men, as the inaugural supporters.

The holistic approach of this bold new movement is aimed at driving awareness, creating conversations and providing tools for people to take positive action as a means of driving a change. #NoExcuse refers to there being no excuse for men to perpetrate any form of violence, and no excuse for people to stand by and do nothing when others abuse.

Champions, keep raising awareness. The #NoExcuse Men's March was the first step as we now focus on driving change in communities across the country. The #NoExcuse movement is a long journey and it starts with you.



Join the movement at https://t.co/a68P71xAxi pic.twitter.com/62KKfjFdFD  Carling Black Label (@blacklabelsa) November 19, 2017

Smart drinking: Challenging South African men to take action

Andrea Quaye, vice president marketing, SAB and AB InBev Africa, says: Our decision to be an inaugural supporter of the #NoExcuse movement was driven by Carling Black Labels status as a beacon of masculinity. As the largest beer brand in the country, it is our responsibility to ensure alcohol is consumed responsibly and to use the power of our brand to challenge South African men and our consumers to take action. While many consumers of alcohol drink responsibly and in moderation, it is clear that some people who commit acts of violence have consumed, and often misused, alcohol.

There are no excuses for not getting involved and we hope to get the nation behind us in tackling the issue of gender-based violence. Over time, we would encourage more corporates to join this movement.

The approach is aligned with AB InBevs Global Smart Drinking Goals aimed at fostering a culture of smart drinking amongst consumers and reducing the harmful use of alcohol. Through the Global Smart Drinking Goals, SAB and AB InBev are making a deeper investment in initiatives that measurably shift social norms and behaviours to reduce the harmful use of alcohol. AB InBev has committed to investing $1bn across the world in dedicated social marketing campaigns and related programs by 2025 to promote smart drinking.

The #NoExcuse movement is initially being launched with a thought-provoking television commercial developed to bring awareness to the reality of gender-based violence and the effect it has on lives, families, and communities, followed up by on-the-ground activations.

The ongoing #NoExcuse activations will include:

 The creation of a #NoExcuse website with suggestions and information on how Champion Men can get involved and what they can do to stop violence in their families, communities and more broadly

 A call on men to make a pledge to the movement and to take a stand against gender-based violence

 Continued engagement on our digital and other platforms to advise our consumers of, and channel them to work with those programmes that NGOs are running to tackle gender-based violence

 Working with NGO partners to develop an online tool that will function as an always-on virtual counsellor. The Facebook Messenger Bot will engage key audiences and supply resources based on user interaction to allow for continuous and anonymous engagement on gender-based violence for help

 A communications campaign on local district radio stations, as well as on social media, educating consumers on the role they can play to get involved and address gender-based violence

 Educating and challenging men through the Smart Drinking Squad, an initiative by South African Breweries (SAB) where 100 SAB employees will work with more than 10,000 taverns in key provinces to educate tavern owners and communities to increase participation and ownership in alcohol harm reduction
Organisers of the Creative Business Cup South Africa were presented with a Special Recognition Award in Denmark for their outstanding achievement in putting the local event together at short notice and without any financial backing.

The National Partners Awards recognise the role played by the local Creative Business Cup organisers and their efforts in helping creative startup businesses in their countries. The other recipients were Australia, Estonia and Peru.

We would like to thank our partners: Reed Exhibitions, Small Business Expo, Business Partners and Basa for helping the team to stage this event. Next year promises to be bigger and better as Creative Business Cup South Africa will be launched countrywide in 2018. said local organiser, Mvuyo Ngqulana.

A look at the three-day event

Winning startups from over 60 countries were invited to a two-day intensive boot camp hosted by Clever Academy. Their entrepreneurial skills were enhanced and they were helped to polish their pitches for the Creative Business Cup competition.

On the first day of the event, Creative Business Cup Marketplace was centre stage with all the startups showcasing their businesses. Local entrant, Smir Designs Sanmari Vivier impressed visitors with her South African rugs, runners, cushions and her innovative see-before-you-buy AR app.

Investors and buyers engaged with startups and heard the stories behind the amazing work done by these entrepreneurs. Products ranged from apps to food, energy drinks robotics. Every one of these ideas was innovative and impressive.

Creative Business Cup managing director, Rasmus Tscherning, hosted the delegates for the opening ceremony. Then the closed pitching sessions, with a maximum of 20 invitees, began. Startups had three minutes to present their products or services to the jury panels, followed by Q&A sessions.

After the hectic Marketplace and pitching, national partners and contestants were hosted by the City of Copenhagen and Deloitte, the main sponsors of Creative Business Cup. This was an excellent networking opportunity for the national partners, the speakers, the jury as well as the contestants.

Finalists and global winner

On the second day, the twelve finalists were announced. They were called to pitch again in front of the packed Copenhagen City Hall.

Creative Business Cups impressive lineup of speakers included Pussy Riots Nadya Tolokonnikova, Scott Halford, author of Activate your Brain, Brandon Kavulla, David Granger, Jeremy Bloom and Bonin Bough. There were also panel discussions on Investing in Creative Startups and Women Entrepreneurship, as well as Developing Startups and Co-working Spaces.

The top six finalists

AlgaLife from Israel,

Bildits from Lebanon,

BRCK from Kenya,

CellRobot from China,

Genki Instruments from Iceland,

and Jala from Indonesia rounding up the top six.

On the final day, the top three global winners of the 2017 Creative Business Cup were announced:

CellRobot from China won the first place,

Genki Intrument from Iceland came second and were also awarded the Microsoft Special Award,

and Bildits from Lebanon came third.

After this exciting day of events, all the participants were invited to a grand reception hosted by Estonian EU Presidency and again it was a chance for everybody to meet and mingle. Lasting connections were made by participants as they prepared to return to their home countries.

As this was South Africas first entry in this competition, we really appreciated the fantastic experience and learned a lot from the other national partners, and what startups in other countries are doing. We look forward to the development of Creative Business Network and to be part of this amazing family that grows creative startups. said Ngqulana.
In six years, South African natural haircare brand AfroBotanics went from being manufactured in founder Ntombenhle Khathwane's garage to a fully equipped factory in Midrand, and now occupies prime shelf space in some of the country's largest retailers.

Ntombenhle Khathwane

Displaying a keen willingness to learn and unafraid to ask for help along her startup journey, Khathwane's rise to success stems from AfroBotanics  at its inception  being one of the few local natural haircare brands present in a market that was ready to explode. And it really has... with newly attractive ethnic haircare aisles fully stocked with local and international brands alike looking to capitalise on the growing movement of women that have ditched harsh styling tools and chemicals in an effort to embrace and properly care for the hair they were born with.

Community upliftment

AfroBotanics products are infused with natural ingredients, like aloe vera and coconut oil, that are scientifically-derived and sourced from various locations throughout the African continent.

"I wanted a performance product. At the end of the day people don't care if it's local or black-owned, people care if the product works or not," said Khathwane when we sat down with her at the Clicks Curls event held in Cape Town.

"All the oils benefit a community somewhere. I buy my coconut oil in Mozambique, my avocado oil and baobab oil in Nelspuit, and my shea butter is from Ghana. So every time somebody buys a product of mine it goes back into the community."

As a small business owner, Khathwane has also taken a decision to invest in an especially economically-depressed community in Makapanstad in the North West.

"It has a very high unemployment rate amongst young people, but it also has aloe vera growing everywhere. So I approached the community and said 'I'll invest R20,000 to get the right kind of aloe growing for you guys to then process it and sell it to me in aloe vera gel and aloe vera juice'. That's a project that we hope to see started by the end of the year."

"You're never too small to start giving back. It's important for me to use African ingredients not only from a product performance perspective, but to economically activate our communities."

Here, Khathwane shares the highs, lows and learnings of her small business journey.

Tell us about your background. What were you doing before starting AfroBotanics?

I studied Politics and Philosophy and minored in Economics at the University of Natal. After university, I went into government in 1999 with the intention of contributing to our democracy and a better South Africa. I worked there for eight years and it started feeling redundant, so I started looking for business opportunities.

I was in Nelspruit in Mpumalanga, which is a very economically depressed and rural province, and I wanted to start a manufacturing business that would employ people and also show them that government is not the only destination for employment.

I had never worn my hair natural because my hair is coarse and dry. I got the idea for AfroBotanics by watching my grandmother mix aloe vera gel and marula oil and put it on her hair - her hair went amazingly soft. I thought wow, this is a business opportunity - Im sure there are many women like me that are looking for the opportunity to wear their hair natural.'

So I quit my job in 2010, took my R240,000 pension and invested it into starting this business.

How has the expanding natural hair movement helped your business grow?

When I started out I was the only brand catering to natural African hair. It helped me get into retail. From a business perspective, competition has grown immensely, but thats great because it gives women options. That means theres not a single woman that can say I dont have the tools for my kind of hair.

With AfroBotanics we focus a lot on education...we had to, to encourage women to feel comfortable with their natural hair and show them how to care for it. At first, bloggers and retailers thought it was a passing phase but its growing and its here to stay. Not just in South Africa but the entire continent.

Share with us the process of getting your product on the shelf - from concept to manufacturing, and finally retail.

In 2010 I entered the Pitch & Polish business competition and I won. I was flown to the States where I was able to meet a mentor who produces natural haircare products, and she introduced me to trichologists and formulators. When I came back home, my brand at the time was built around avocado oil because it wasnt big back then. I formulated and tested for over a year and then I eventually started on the branding and packaging process.

My first batch had a total of about 2,000 products, with a range of five products. Then I realised that I dont have a place to sell them. I wrote a business plan, but business plans hardly ever work out the way you expect them to. I also looked at online stores, which aren't very big among black women. I had to go to markets and find bloggers to test my product. I grew my product one person at a time.

I started getting one order a day and then two, three orders a day and then I realised my website wasn't built for retail, and I had to find somebody to build a proper website. Then I realised I needed a bigger range, more money ... how am I going to find it? I went to my family and asked for loans. My first retail listing was for seven products and by the time I listed with Clicks last year I was able to list twelve products.

I started off manufacturing in a garage and now I have a nice factory in Midrand and its growing. Weve got bigger machinery now and I employ six people.

What would you say have been the biggest challenges on your entrepreneurship journey?

As an entrepreneur you have to decide from the onset how you want to distribute your product. I made the decision that I want to build an African brand available throughout the continent, competing equally with international brands. And I wanted to do that through mass retail, so I wanted to create a premium mass product.

That presents two problems for me. It means that I must have the capacity to produce mass products for me to make money, and I must have the capacity to distribute products in mass so that everyone can get them. So firstly, it was hard getting market access. Retailers generally dont want to look at small businesses to supply them. It took me from 2011 to 2014-15 to get into retail. By the time I got into retail I exhausted all my funds. So how do I upscale my factory so that it meets capacity?

Ive had challenges with my supply chain; Ive had orders from Clicks, Game and Pick n Pay that I couldnt fulfil at that time. I overcame this by going to these retailers and telling them that I need help. Game, for instance, now orders every two weeks instead of every week to give me time to manufacture. Clicks is actually loaning me money to capacitate my factory.

Lots of challenges! Challenges at startup phase. Challenges at scale-up phase. So I cant wait to see what happens when we get bigger. We've launched a kiddies range, which will be exclusive to Clicks, and then we're going into natural bodycare... like body washes, body creams. Itll be interesting to see what challenges come as we grow, but I'm not afraid to ask for help.

Visit AfroBotanics online to shop the range and view the list of stockists, and connect with the brand on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Over the last couple of years, AAXO positioned itself as the leading authority in the exhibitions industry in South Africa and Africa with a mandate to drive industry growth across the continent. This is exactly why the Management of the Ticketpro Dome are so proud to announce their Platinum Sponsorship of AAXO.

For Ticketpro Dome, there are two main benefits to this sponsorship package: one, the excellent branding exposure opportunity for them, both before and during AAXO events; and two, the opportunity to make a difference  by offering the ultimate exhibition experience - to AAXO and its membership which represents more than 80 percent of the organiser community in South Africa.

The Exhibition of Exhibitions will showcase industry players in the Blue Wing Conference and Events Venue for two days of networking and information sharing, whilst the AAXO ROAR awards will celebrate excellence in the exhibition industry with a gala dinner in the Main Arena of the Ticketpro Dome.

The Ticketpro Dome offers unlimited possibilities to the exhibition industry, ranging from the classic exhibitors platform to whatever you set your mind on, connecting AAXO with its exhibitions, exhibition visitors and buyers. The venue is ideal for business events, conferences, corporate training presentations, product launches, media and company networking sessions and trade exhibitions.

We are excited about 2018 and the acquisition of a Platinum Sponsorship from the Ticketpro Dome which offers significant advantages for us, our organisers and our associated members, said Carol Weaving, Chairperson of The Association of African Organisers (AAXO).

For more information on AAXO or their upcoming events, visit www.aaxo.co.za or contact Llewellyn du Plessis on 011 549 8300 or at az.oc.oxaa@nyllewell.

All membership inquiries, including a full list of associate membership benefits and information on how to join, can be directed to az.oc.oxaa@srebmem.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AAXO_SA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/AAXO-Association-of-African-Exhibition-Organisers/834647736604223?ref=hl

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/association-of-african-exhibition-organisers-aaxo-?trk=biz-companies-cym




Burning bricks made of dry chilli, dung and water could stop endangered elephants raiding crops in Africa and Asia, reducing conflicts with farmers trying to secure harvests to feed their families, experts said on Wednesday.

Medienservice via pixabay

Resin from crushed dry chillies irritates elephants' trunks, acting as a repellent, said a study in northern Botswana, published in the journal Oryx. "This is an excellent non-lethal and low-cost opportunity for local farmers to keep elephants away from their crops," Rocio Pozo, a researcher at the University of Oxford, said in a statement.

The findings could help to protect elephants, whose population in Africa has plummeted in the last decade due to ivory poaching.

Lines of chillis could be used to separate farms from elephant paths, teaching the animals which routes were safe to use, said Anna Songhurst, director of the Botswana-based Ecoexist and co-author of the study.

Reduce human-elephant conflicts

Botswana has the largest population of African elephants, and in the eastern Okavango Panhandle, where Ecoexist works, an equal number of animals and humans - 15,000 of each - compete over water, food and land.

"For an individual farmer, their whole year's supply of food for the whole family could be destroyed in just one night," Songhurst told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone.

The study is part of a wider strategy to reduce human-elephant conflicts, including providing food security for the animals as well as humans, she added.

Reporting By Thin Lei Win, Editing by Katy Migiro and Kieran Guilbert.

Thomson Reuters Foundation
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast - The African Development Bank has launched a Youth Advisory Group to create 25 million jobs and impact 50 million youth across the continent in the next 10 years, in its Jobs for Youth in Africa, by equipping them with the right skills to get decent and meaningful jobs.

Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The President of AfDB, Akinwumi Adesina, has launched the Presidential Youth Advisory Group (PYAG) to provide insights and innovative solutions for job creation for Africas youth, as outlined in the Banks Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy (JfYA).

The advisory group, inaugurated on the sidelines of the 6th EU-Africa Business Forum in Abidjan on Monday, November 27, will work with the Bank to create jobs for Africas youth.

This is a huge opportunity for Africa. If we fix the youth unemployment challenge, Africa will gain 10-20% annual growth. That means Africas GDP will grow by $500 million per year for the next 30 years. Africas per capita income will rise by 55% every year to the year 2050, Adesina said at the inauguration of the group.

Adesina, who identified Africas greatest asset as its youth, observed that out of the 13 million youths that enter the labour market each year, only 3 million (about 33% of African youth) are in wage employment, while the rest are underemployed or in vulnerable employment. The annual gap of more than 8 million jobs is going to worsen, with the number of youth expected to double to more than 800 million in the next decades.

Africa has an unemployment crisis among its youth, he stressed, noting that unless employment opportunities are created for them, Africas rapidly growing population of youths can give rise to serious social, economic, political and security challenges.

Africas youth, though strong and dynamic, cross the desert or the Mediterranean sea because they do not find decent jobs in Africa. Graduates are wandering in the streets, jobless. The low level of employment opportunities is also fueling violence and extremism in Africa. 40% of African youth engaged in armed violence join gangs or terrorist groups because of limited opportunities in their countries, Adesina said.

66 million African youths earn less than $2 a day - less than the price of a hamburger, the AfDB President emphasised. 66 million is eight times the size of Switzerland, six times the size of Belgium, the same size as UK, France or Italy, and 80% of Germanys population, he added.

Advisory group

The Presidential Youth Advisory Group (PYAG) comprises nine members under the age of 40 who have made significant contributions to the creation of employment opportunities for African youth.

The PYAG members are: Ashish Thakkar, CEO, Mara Group, Tanzania (chair); Uzodinma Iweala, award-winning author, Nigeria; Mamadou Toure, founder/CEO, Africa 2.0/Ubuntu Capital, Cameroon; Vanessa Moungar, human and social development director, AfDB and member of President Macrons Presidential Council for Africa, Chad; Francine Muyumba, president, Panafrican Youth Union, Democratic Republic of Congo; Jeremy Johnson, co-founder, Andela, USA; Clarisse Iribagiza, CEO, Hehe, Rwanda; Ada Osakwe, CEO, Agrolay Ventures, Nigeria; and Monica Musonda, CEO of Java Foods, Zambia.

On the rationale behind the setting up of the advisory group, President Adesina explained: We recognise the enormous amount of energy, creative and innovative thinking, and entrepreneurial excellence that many of our youth bring to the table. For this reason, the Bank must ensure that it is well advised by cutting-edge youth representatives on its policies, actions and programmes, for the benefit of Africas youth.

The members of the Presidential Youth Advisory Group are expected to actively engage private sector partners, government leaders, civil society, donor partners, and other stakeholders; and support the significant amount of work that the Bank is already doing and promoting across the continent through its Jobs for Youth in Africa strategy, President Adesina added.

Youth-led transformation agenda

PYAG is an opportunity for leading young voices in Africa to develop new and fresh perspectives and recommend innovative solutions that will shape AfDBs support to African countries, and reduce the scourge of Youth unemployment.

The AfDB is fully committed to working with the PYAG to scale up and expedite results that deliver decent and sustainable jobs for African youth, through formal employment and successful youth entrepreneurship that allows African youth to become their own drivers of economic prosperity, social stability and environmental sustainability.

Ashish Thakkar, CEO of the Mara Group and chair of the PYAG, said: It is a great honour to serve our continent in this function. We know that the stakes are high, but we are committed to the task of creating flourishing youth businesses that provide tremendous value. We are also focused on facilitating the achievement of AfDBs High 5s and Sustainable Development Goals. We have just concluded our work program for the next year and have hit the ground running.

He described how his family lost everything they had during the genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s. I have borrowed $5,000 to launch my business without any form of support. Today, Mara Group has 14,000 employees around the world. I was alone, but imagine what we can do together with the support of an institution like the AfDB.

I have never heard of an institution as important as the AfDB setting up and advisory group only made of youth. A Chinese proverb has it that if you want one year of prosperity, plant a grain. If you want 10 years of prosperity, plant a tree. If you want a century of prosperity, invest on people, said Mamadou Toure, a member of the group.

To make agriculture more attractive to young people, the AfDB last year invested $800 million in supporting young entrepreneurs in agriculture as a business in eight countries. It will reach 15 countries this year. The Bank expects to invest 1.5 billion per year for the next 10 years to support young agripreneurs.

Youth strategy

The AfDB said it has made great progress toward implementing its strategy through three key pillars: innovation, integration and investment. In terms of integration, the Bank entered into partnership with the International Labour Organisation to strengthen the capacity of African countries to harmonise Youth Employment into national policies.

The Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund which will serve as a financial and operational instrument, with initial support of USD 4.4 million by Denmark and Norway.

The African Development has also developed the Enabling Youth Employment (EYE) Index to measure youth employment outcomes and enabling policies at country levels.

With this amazing group of very diverse young individuals, we even hope to exceed the Banks goal to create 25 million jobs and 50 million youth equipped with the right skills, said Thakkar enthusiastically. It is time to change the narrative about Africas youth!


An internet imagery.

HYDERABA (PTI): Planet Labs Inc, a US-based integrated aerospace and data analytics company, has said four of its Dove satellites will be launched aboard India's PSLV-C40 mission, scheduled to fly in January next year.



The primary payload for this mission is Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Cartosat-2 Series satellite, and Planet's four satellites will ride as secondary payloads.



In February this year, Planet's 88 Dove satellites travelled on the PSLV-C37 as part of ISRO's record-breaking launch of 104 satellites.



The four Dove satellites on the upcoming launch are tech demos responsible for testing improvements to several of the satellite subsystems, including camera technology, thermal control, and altitude determination & control system, Planet said in a statement.



The company, founded in 2010, said it launches tech demo satellites several times a year to ensure they are using the latest and most advanced technology. These advancements are then incorporated into future operational fleet.



The company operates a fleet of earth-imaging satellites, collecting a massive amount of information about the planet.



"We've been very pleased with our working relationship with Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix), the commercial arm of ISRO. When Planet proposed to send a record-breaking 88 satellites to orbit on a single launch, they accepted the challenge without hesitation, and they delivered," said Karthik Govindhasamy, chief technology officer and executive vice president of engineering at Planet.



"We have a rich history with Planet and we are proud to be a reliable launch partner that they can count on for consistent and timely launches," Rakesh S, chairman and managing director, Antrix, was quoted as saying in the statement.



"The Planet's appetite for launch capacity is impressive and we're excited that the PSLV continues to meet their needs," he said.


'Bling' is back here at least for some - as sales of Louis Vuitton luxury goods here last year soared by 35% to 10.8m, writes Gordon Deegan.

Louis Vuitton is the worlds most valuable luxury brand and new accounts for the Irish business of Louis Vuitton show that its pre-tax profits here last year almost doubled going from 1.7m to 3m.

This on the back of a sales surge of its expensive hand-bags and other sought after branded items.

Customers to the only Louis Vuitton outlet in Ireland at Dublins Brown Thomas store can splurge up to around 34,000 for the most expensive hand bag in the brands prized City Steamer range.

The cheapest bag in the range comes in at around 2,540.

Since the start of 2014 to the end of last year, sales of Louis Vuitton goods have more than doubled going from 5.3m to 10.8m as the economy has rebounded.

The brand - endorsed by Bono and Angelina Jolie - also here sells watches, accessories, watches, jewellery, shoes and ready to wear clothes.

Louis Vuitton is part of the multi-billion stockmarket-listed LVMH Moet Hennessy luxury brands company and its brands also include Dior, Givenchy and Moet & Chandon in its extensive luxury goods portfolio.

The accounts for the Irish company show that the surge in sales has allowed it this year to pay over a dividend of 2.63m to its owners and this followed a dividend payout of 1.55m in 2016.

Louis Vuitton opened its store at Brown Thomas in Dublin in 1999 and it is not the only luxury brand enjoying great business here right now.

Last year, sales at Swarovski Ireland jumped by 1m from 3.9m to 4.9m and the directors credit a particularly strong performance at the companys outlet store in the Kildare Village as contributing to the sale growth.

MANDATE members are employed selling such high end goods in the retail sector here and Asst General Secretary of MANDATE, Gerry Light said yesterday: I cant understand how someone can go in to the likes of Brown Thomas and spend thousands of euro on a handbag after passing probably half a dozen homeless people on the street.

He said: I cant understand how people can justify such a purchase to themselves, but that is their own business. How they do it, I dont know.

Asked to comment on the large increase in sales at Louis Vuitton here, Mr Light said: It is remarkable that there are such levels of disposable income when there are such levels of social deprivation in our society.
Leading investment banks have warned that global stock markets may have risen too far and too quickly.

Investors may only have seven months left to savour a bull run that has added 22.7 trillion to global equity markets this year, said Credit Suisse Group strategists.

A prolonged bull market across stocks, bonds and credit has left a measure of average valuation at the highest since 1900, a condition that at some point is going to translate into pain for investors, according to Goldman Sachs.

Credit Suisse said that while they predict economic growth and steady profits will help add another 6% to the MSCI All-Country World Index by mid-2018, stocks are unlikely to push any higher after that.

Risks that could make the second half more difficult include a flare-up in junk debt markets, Chinas tightening policy and accelerating wages in the US, according to Credit Suisse.

There is likely to be one last hurrah for equities in 2018, strategists led by Andrew Garthwaite at Credit Suisse wrote in the note. We do see rising risks in the second half of 2018, however, and hence forecast flat markets, they said.

Europe is a bright spot for Credit Suisse. The region has missed out on the double-digit gains seen in Asian and US markets this year. The brokerage increased its overweight recommendation for Europe, saying its discount to global peers and European banks exposure to rising bond yields make it the best place for equity investors in 2018.

Credit Suisse joins strategists at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley in warning that investors wont have it so easy next year.

Despite missile launches from North Korea, a deleveraging campaign in China, political wrangling in the White House, the UK and even Germany, and a slowdown in monetary stimulus, global equities are at a record.

The MSCI gauge extended this years gain to 20% this week, boosted by optimism over tax reform in the US.

At Goldman Sachs, it has seldom been the case that equities, bonds and credit have been similarly expensive at the same time, only in the Roaring 20s and the Golden 50s, strategists including Christian Mueller-Glissman wrote in a note this week.

All good things must come to an end and there will be a bear market, eventually, they said.

As central banks cut back their quantitative easing, pushing up the premiums investors demand to hold longer-dated bonds, returns are likely to be lower across assets over the medium term, the analysts said. A second, less likely, scenario would involve fast pain.

Stock and bond valuations would both get hit, with the mix depending on whether the trigger involved a negative growth shock, or a growth shock alongside an inflation pick-up.

Elevated valuations increase the risk of draw-downs for the simple reason that there is less buffer to absorb shocks, the Goldman strategists wrote. The average valuation percentile across equity, bonds and credit in the US is 90%, an all-time high.

A portfolio of 60% S&P 500 Index stocks and 40% 10-year US Treasuries generated a 7.1% inflation-adjusted return since 1985, Goldman calculated  compared with 4.8% over the last century. The tech-bubble implosion and global financial crisis were the two taints to the record. Low inflation has prevailed in the current period, just as it did alongside economic growth in the 1920s and 1950s, according to the Goldman report. The worst outcome for 60/40 portfolios is high and rising inflation, which is when both bonds and equities suffer, even outside recessions.

An increase in policy rates triggered by price pressures remains a key risk for multi-asset portfolios, they wrote.
The Government has issued a renewed warning that the UK must come up with a solution to the issue of the border between the North and the Republic if Brexit negotiations are to progress.

Agriculture minister Michael Creed said the British Government need to put forward a "political solution" to ensure there was no return to the "hard border" of the past when Britain leaves the EU single market and the customs union.

The border issue has emerged as a major sticking point in the Brexit talks in the run-up to a crunch EU summit on December 14 and 15.

Theresa May is desperately hoping EU leaders will give the green light for the second phase of the negotiations - including talks on a free trade deal - to begin.

The Department for Exiting the EU (DExEU) refused to comment on a report in The UK's Times newspaper that British negotiators had put forward a proposal to devolve powers to Northern Ireland to enable "customs convergence" with the Republic of Ireland in areas such as agriculture and energy in an attempt to break the deadlock.

The paper quoted sources in Dublin as saying that there had been "movement" on the issue and confidence was growing that agreement could be reached in time for next month's summit in Brussels.

However, appearing on BBC2's Newsnight, Mr Creed said that they had yet to see a workable solution from the UK.

He said that having ruled out an Irish proposal for Northern Ireland to remain part of the single market and the customs union, it was up to the British to say how they could get round the need for border checks.

"If the UK has clearly said no to a single market and customs union, it is clearly incumbent on the British Government to articulate a way forward that enables us to have an invisible, seamless border which they have said they want," he said.

"We need political solutions now and we are not getting them from the UK Government."

Yesterday, Theresa May denied that the UK has agreed a Brexit "divorce bill" with the EU, amid reports of a deal which could see Britain pay up to 50bn.

During a visit to Iraq, the British Prime Minister insisted that the UK was "still in negotiations" with Brussels and that "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed".

DExEU would not comment on a report by Newsnight that the two sides would put a figure on the final settlement, with the British view that it would come to between 40 to 45 billion with an "absolute cap" at 45 billion.

While Brexiteer Cabinet ministers such as Boris Johnson and Michael Gove appeared to be signed up to the Prime Minister's approach, there was disquiet at the emerging scale of the settlement among some Tory MPs.

Backbencher Peter Bone told The Guardian he would be prepared to vote down a final Brexit deal that came at too high a price.

"I think people in the country will be very, very upset. I don't think paying billions to the EU is what the people voted for," he said.

"If the deal is voted down we come out on World Trade Organisation rules. I don't think that is a problem at all.

"Then all that money - 60 billion lying around - we could use that to help the NHS and other things and even do tax cuts."
A Senator has called for the Junior Defence Minister to resign.

It comes as wives and partners of the Defence Forces hold a 24-hour protest outside the Dail claiming pay levels are too low, leaving one in five members of the forces having to access social welfare.

Members of the Irish UN Veterans Association, Peace Commissioner Tony Flanagan, Portlaoise, and Charlie Mann, Wexford, with Alisha Mahon Tobin, 11, Lucan, at the protest over pay and conditions for members of the Defence Forces at Leinster House. Pictures: Gareth Chaney

Senator Gerard Craughwell says Minister Paul Kehoe, who has responsibility for the Defence Forces, needs to go.

"I've called for the resignation of the Junior Minister. He has singularly failed to deal with the Defence Forces and the issues that pertain to that. It is all very well buying beautiful ships but we have nobody to sail those ships. What's the point? Where are we going?" he said

"The Minister needs to get a grip or step aside and let somebody in who can take control of what's going on in the Defence Forces."
Dublin Airport introduced new passport machines and 'e-Gates' this morning.

Ten Automatic Bordor Control 'e-Gates' came into operation at Terminal and Terminal 2 this morning, with five placed in both.

The gates work by electronically checking the authenticity of biometric passports and checking that the holders facial features match those contained on the passports electronic chip.

The e-Gate system uses a passport reader and camera to perform immigration checks.

An immigration officer still always monitors the operation of the e-Gates, however, they can monitor several e-Gates at the same time resulting in shorter queues and a higher throughput.

The e-Gates are open to Irish and EU e-passport holders over the age of 18 and it is planned that their use will be extended to other categories of passengers as the programme develops.

These 'chipped' e-Passports have the biometric logo on the front cover.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan welcomed the introduction of the gates, which will increase to 10 in each terminal in the coming weeks.

The introduction of e-Gates is aimed at improving customer service through self-service through the immigration process while at the same time enhancing border security," he said.

"I would ask passengers travelling to be conscious that this is a new measure and to exercise patience should any teething problems arise. Ultimately, these gates should facilitate a more efficient process for those travelling through our airports," he added.
A tattoo studio in Dublin has said they are not surprised by the overwhelming response to their upcoming fundraiser in aid of homelessness.

On December 22, 'Dublin Ink' will be offering 'lifeline' tattoos for 40 with the proceeds going to Merchants Quay.
Gardai are trying to trace a 16-year-old boy missing in Dublin.

Kalem Murphy was last seen on the North Circular Road yesterday.

He is described as 6ft tall, with slight build and blonde hair.

When last seen he was wearing grey tracksuit bottoms, a blue Nike jacket, black runners, and wine check hat with ear protectors and matching scarf.

Anyone who can help is asked to contact Mountjoy Garda Station on 01-6668601, The Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
By Tom Tuite

Tusla is to carry out a full welfare assessment of the family of a teenage girl whose baby was taken into care after her arrest for stealing groceries and claims she was living in a boarded-up house in Dublin.

Dublin Childrens Court heard the home-alone 17-year-old girls parents, who are non-nationals, were out of the country and she claimed she had been living in the abandoned house.

Judge John OConnor said today the girls history of offending indicated possible attachment issues or something organised in relation to it that she was being sent out by others to commit these offences.

I would like to get to the bottom of this. Why is a 17-year-old girl with a baby repeatedly involved in theft? he said.

The girl, who cannot be named because she is a minor, pleaded guilty today to stealing food worth 38 from a shop on a date in June.

After concerns were raised for her welfare, Judge John OConnor had asked Tusla Child and Family Agency to attend the proceedings when they resumed at the Dublin Childrens Court today.

The teen, who was born in Ireland, was arrested on Tuesday at a shopping centre in Dublin on foot of a bench warrant issued earlier this month when she failed to appear in court.

Gardai invoked Section 12 of the Childcare Act allowing the girls baby to be removed from her and placed in temporary emergency care.

Attempts were made to contact her parents but they were not in the country, Judge OConnor heard.

The girl, who did not require an interpreter, claimed she had been staying at a house in the citys north-side. The judge said her father was known to the court from previous cases.

Garda Sergeant Seamus Treacy told the court that address was is boarded up and as far as he was concerned the girl was no longer residing there.

She had given that address four times and was caught there following the theft incident, the court heard.

The sergeant was satisfied she was now staying with people claiming to be relatives at another address in Dublin.

However, he said that previously there had been limited engagement from the family in relation to the Probation Service and the sergeant remained concerned she was a flight risk.

The judge has said he could not be certain about the couples relationship with the girl but the court has ordered her to reside with them.

Tusla solicitor Shane Reynolds told the court a full assessment of the family will be carried out.

The girl had six prior criminal convictions for theft offences.

Her barrister Damian McKeone said the girl was sorry for causing hassle and her ultimate objective was to get her child back.

Her parents had to leave Ireland as a result of difficulties involving her siblings, however, the girls father planned to return.

The girl had failed to attend court on eight previous occasions. She spoke briefly to confirm she was pleading guilty.

Judge OConnor ordered a probation report and adjourned the case for three weeks. He told her that he was not going to put her into detention but she needed to turn up for her court cases otherwise she was making it very difficult.
By Brion Hoban

A man on trial accused of sexually assaulting a female client during a massage texted her several days later saying hope youre not upset with me, a jury heard.

The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexually assaulting a woman on January 24, 2015.

He is charged with allegedly removing the woman's underwear and touching her vagina, before kissing her bare bottom and saying he just couldn't help himself.

Sergent Andrew Digan told Maurice Coffey BL, prosecuting, that he arrested the man at his place of business and seized his phone.

A text was discovered on the phone dated January 30, 2015 which said hope youre not upset with me and went on to say if you decide to stop seeing me I will understand.. Photos of the text were shown to the jury.

During questioning the man admitted he had sent the text, but denied all allegations. He said the most he had done was hug the woman.

A friend of the woman also gave evidence. She said the woman called her multiple time on January 24 and they arranged to meet the following day.

She said the woman looked dreadful when she arrived to her home on January 25. She said the woman told her what had happened, including that the accused had said women can be so mean with their sharp tongues after the alleged assault.

She told the woman she should inform her fiance and report the alleged incident to gardai, which she did that night.

Earlier in the day the woman had been cross-examined by Tara Burns SC, defending, who asked why the woman had not said or done anything when the alleged assault first occurred.

I just froze and I was trying to work out what was happening, said the woman. She said that she had been petrified and told the man to stop when he moved a second hand to her shoulder.

She asked the woman why she had not mentioned in evidence an alleged incident she described in her garda statement where the man took of his top and was bare-chested at an earlier appointment. The woman said she had only remembered it after Ms Burns had mentioned it.

Ms Burns put it to the woman that the alleged assault did not happen, that accused was massaging the inside of the womans leg, that it was painful for her and that the accused asked frequently if he should stop. The woman rejected this version of events.

The trial continues tomorrow before Judge Karen OConnor.
The Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan is today proposing 42m in extra funding to cover Garda overtime for this year.

He is to introduce the supplementary estimate following a controversy over pre-Christmas overtime in Dublin.
Update - 10.09am: The UK should not seek convergence with EU regulations after Brexit, a senior Democratic Unionist said.

Ian Paisley urged better post-separation co-operation between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as negotiations continue to break the deadlock over the Irish border.

But he said matching the two countries' red tape in areas like agriculture was not the way ahead.

He told RTE that issues of post-Brexit convergence with EU regulations needed to be negotiated one by one.

"I am up for co-operation, I believe co-operation between our two states is good and in many areas is vital."

Mr Paisley is one of 10 DUP pro-Brexit MPs who are propping up the British Government on key votes.

He again voiced his party's strong opposition to any outside interference with Northern Ireland's exit from the EU and urged the Republic to take a more "mature" approach.

"If the Republic of Ireland is going to keep shouting at our border and telling us that it is all doom and gloom and we are not going to get a proper relationship, that interferes in the negotiation process.

"All of us, every constituent part, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, are leaving the EU.

"Don't undermine our position and our sovereign integrity."

Adhering to certain EU policies would hold Northern Ireland back, the North Antrim MP added. That included areas like agriculture.

"We are not about convergence here, we are about co-operation."

Previously Mr Paisley suggested the UK should make life hard for the Republic of Ireland over a post-Brexit fisheries deal as a response to its "disgraceful" behaviour in the negotiations.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he does not think Ireland will need to use its veto at the crucial Brexit summit in Brussels next month.

The Irish Government has an option of playing an ace card to block progress in crunch negotiations on the UK's exit from the European Union if it determines there is insufficient certainty on the future of the Irish border.

8.56am: UK 'close to Irish border solution' post-Brexit

The British Government is reportedly close to reaching a solution on the Irish border after Brexit.

The issue is a major sticking point in the negotiations and must be dealt with before trade talks can begin.

Efforts to reach a deal are to intensify with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to hold talks with European Council President Donald Tusk in Dublin tomorrow.

John Walsh, Deputy Ireland Editor with The UK's Times newspaper, outlines how agreement on the border may be achieved:

He said: "The one thing that the EU doesn't want is a divergence in regulatory standards between the north and south of Ireland, if that was to happen then you would need a hard border.

"But if Belfast had powers to set its own regulatory standards then there would be a basis of an agreement where you could get regulatory convergence between the north and south that would obviate the need for a hard border."
Update 3.41pm: Micheal Martin has welcomed the appointment of Simon Coveney as Tanaiste.

"I want to congratulate Minister Coveney on his appointment which obviously has to be verified for the Dail," he said.

"I'm glad that the Taoiseach is at last beginning to realise the enormous reservoir of talent and ability that resides in the county of Cork," he added.

Elsewhere, Heather Humphreys was made Minister for Business with Josepha Madigan being elevated to the role of Minister for Culture.

The changes came about following the resignation of Frances Fitzgerald as the Tanaiste.

Meanwhile, the Transport Minister said he is no doubt Simon Coveney will be "superb" in the role.

Minister Coveney is taking over the role after Frances Fitzgerald resigned.

Heather Humphreys will become Enterprise Minister while Josepha Madigan has been promoted to Culture Minister.

Minister Shane Ross welcomed the appointments.

"Simon Coveney will be a superb Tanaiste. I have no doubt whatsoever about that. He's a very worthy successor to Frances Fitzgerald and others," he said.

"I welcome the fact that Josepha Madigan has been appointed to the Cabinet. I think she'll be extremely effective and I look forward to working with her.

Update - 12.07pm: Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has been appointed by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to the position of Tanaiste, succeeding Frances Fitzgerald who resigned earlier this week, writes Daniel McConnell of the Irish Examiner.

Normal proceedings in the Dail were suspended to allow Mr Varadkar make the announcement which sees his main leadership rival elevated to the position of Tanaiste.

Minister Heather Humphreys has been moved to the Department of Business Enterprise and Innovation and she will now be replaced in her old department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht by first time TD Josepha Madigan, the Dublin Rathdown TD.

The elevated ministers will this afternoon will travel to Aras an Uachtarain to receive their seals of office.

In the Dail, most Opposition leaders including Micheal Martin, Mary Lou McDonald, Brendan Howlin, Eamon Ryan and Richard Boyd Barrett wished the new appointees well in their posts.

However, Ms McDonald and Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger did call into question the appointment of Ms Madigan to the Department of Culture given what they described were her anti-Traveller comments in previous times.

Ms Coppinger described her as engaging in anti-traveller bigotry adding it said a lot about this Government's attitude to minorities.

Announcing the new appointees, Mr Varadkar said: Appointing the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney TD, as Tanaiste will enhance his role in the Brexit negotiations currently underway and will make it easier for him to coordinate the work of other departments with respect of Brexit.

In appointing Minister Humphreys to the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, for the first time in seven years the minister will be from outside the Dublin region, and also from the Border. This is particularly relevant in the context of Brexit and also the Governments commitment to bring more jobs and good jobs to all regions of Ireland, especially rural Ireland. Heathers experience as a minister and also her background in banking and finance makes her very suited to this role.

Minister Madigan will build on the work of Minister Humphreys in the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and will drive forward the Governments agenda for arts, culture and heritage, including the Creative Ireland programme, an ambitious ten year capital plan for the arts and multi-annual increases in funding for culture and heritage.

The nominations were approved by the Dail.

9.45am: Latest: Richard Bruton distances himself from Tanaiste job

Richard Bruton has distanced himself from the vacant role of Tanaiste.

The Taoiseach will announce Frances Fitzgerald's replacement later, with Simon Coveney and Heather Humphreys the favourites.

The role of Business Minister also has to be filled, so a Junior Minister or first time TD may be promoted.

Education Minister Richard Bruton's name has been in the mix for Tanaiste, and he was asked if congratulations are in order.

He said: "You'd be foolish to do that. I think the reality is that the Taoiseach will make his own choice, that's always the way.

"I think we're a bit of a gambling couuntry so there will always be odds being kicked about even on the darkest horses."

6.59am: Taoiseach under pressure to address gender imbalance as he prepares to name new Tanaiste

The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is due to name the new Tanaiste later today.

It follows Tuesday's resignation of Frances Fitzgerald from the role.

He was Mr Varadkar's opponent in the battle to lead Fine Gael, but the Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney was an early favourite to be announced as Tanaiste today.

However, also hotly tipped is Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys.

Further back in the field contenders include Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy.

The departure of Frances Fitzgerald from the Cabinet also leaves the Taoiseach with the Business, Enterprise and Innovation role to fill.

Given that he has been criticised for the gender imbalance in his Cabinet, there is speculation the next holder of that portfolio will also be female.
A jury has convicted a man of sexually assaulting a woman during a date arranged through Tinder.

The 36-year-old Dublin man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexual assault of the foreign national on UCD campus, south Dublin on July 23, 2014.

Shortly after noon today, having deliberated for around 90 minutes, the jury of six men and six women returned a unanimous verdict of guilty.

The accused showed no reaction when the verdict was delivered. Judge Cormac Quinn made an order declaring the accused as a sex offender.

During the trial the woman, now aged 35, testified that she arranged to meet the man after some weeks of communicating with him on the Tinder dating programme and on Whatsapp.

He picked her up in his car, a blue BMW, and drove her to a field on UCD campus. The woman said that he then changed completely, becoming aggressive and sexually assaulting her.

The man told gardai that he thought they were meeting to hook up and hoped they would have sex. He denied getting angry and attacking her when this didn't happen.

He said that while in the car he did lean in to kiss her and that she pushed him away and he moved away. He said she then became hysterical and jumped out of the car and he drove off.

Judge Quinn thanked the jurors for their service. He remanded the man in continuing custody for sentencing on December 15.
A man has been shot in both legs in a paramilitary-style attack in Belfast.

Police are appealing for witnesses after the 29-year-old was seriously injured.
By Ann O'Loughlin

A former Ryanair pilot has told the High Court he felt the company treated pilots "like robots" and was not interested in any issues they had, including about safety.

"They forgot about us as human beings, we were treated like robots" Jean Francois Claes said.

"It was: go to work, we don't want to hear from you, whether it is personal or safety issues, we don't want to hear about it", he said.

He was giving evidence on the 13th day of the airline's action for defamation against Ryanair Pilot Group (RPG) founders, Evert Van Zwol, John Goss and Ted Murphy.

They deny a September 2013 email sent by the RPG to pilots was defamatory.

Captain Claes, who now works for Transavia, said he was warned he would face possible dismissal in relation to three matters in which he said he acted from concerns in relation to flying safety.

The first related to his refusal to extend the normal 11-hour maximum flying time permissible in one day due to fatigue of himself and his crew after they landed at Santiago airport in Spain.

He said he was required to do six flights that day and due to delays building up throughout the day he became concerned that he and his crew would be unable to complete all the flights within the permitted time.

He requested Ryanair operations to have a standby crew in place for a Madrid-Santiago run but was told he would have to keep going to Santiago.

When he got to Santiago, he decided that due to the fatigue he was exercising his captain's discretion not to return that night to Madrid as once in the air they would be outside the permitted daily flying time limit. A flight with 182 passengers was cancelled.

As a result, he faced an investigation which led to a letter telling him his fatigue was his fault for having commuted from Charleroi to Madrid two days earlier and if it happened again he would face disciplinary action, including possible dismissal.

He told the court this was not the case because he had two full days rest before the Santiago incident and the fatigue was the result of a difficult day and difficult landing conditions in Madrid.

There was a second incident in Charleroi airport when confusion about the disembarking of a wheelchair passenger led to passengers about to board a flight becoming angry when they were told they could not get on at that stage as the stood in the rain at the bottom of the stairs into the aircraft.

This was because, Capt Claes said, it was against procedures to allow a plane to be boarded if all previous passengers had not disembarked and a security check carried out.

Capt Claes said up to 20 passengers became angry and some started shouting and making gestures.

He decided for his own safety to disembark and another pilot was found to fly the plane.

He believed it could not be dealt with by calling airport police because Charleroi was a small airport and this was a large group of angry people.

He was again warned he would face disciplinary action even though he said he explained he believed his decision was correct from a safety viewpoint.

Capt Claes said he was again threatened with disciplinary action and with being sued after he sent a letter through Ryanair's internal communications system raising a number of safety related questions, including the airline's refuelling policy.

He felt harassed and intimidated by the reaction and had withdrawn some of the questions he raised because of this.

Darrell Hughes, Ryanair's HR manager, who was recalled to deal with some of Capt Claes' evidence, said no disciplinary action was taken against Capt Claes and he was given the "benefit of the doubt" over the Santiago incident.

However, the company believed he should have been able to complete his duty for the day as it meant only going eight minutes into his 'captain's discretion' which allows pilots extend their permitted flying time limit.

In relation to the incident involving the wheelchair passenger, Mr Hughes believed Capt Claes should not have walked off the flight and should have, as a professional person, had the skills the defuse the situation with passengers.

The case continues.
The Supreme Court has told the State it will make a formal declaration next February that the absolute ban preventing asylum seekers working here is unconstitutional.

The five-judge court made it clear today the declaration will be made on February 9, irrespective of what progress the State has made towards addressing the courts findings on the ban.

The court on May 30 last unanimously held that the ban was in principle unconstitutional but deferred making a formal declaration for six months to allow the legislature address the situation.

When the case returned to the court today exactly six months after the May 30 judgment, the State asked the court for a further deferral to March next.

Nuala Butler, SC for the State, said the State is in the process of opting into the EC Reception Directive, which contains a provision requiring member states to afford the right to work in certain circumstances, but the matter was complex with many issues requiring to be addressed.

She urged the court not to make a formal declaration of unconstitutionality today, saying that would lead to a flood of applications seeking permission to work. Most of those would be rejected but it would take considerable administrative time to process them, she said.

Michael Lynn SC, for the Rohingya man who brought the successful challenge to the ban, said his side would prefer a declaration was made today, but did not want to create unnecessary obstacles and the issue was for the court to decide.

After adjourning to consider the matter, the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Frank Clarke, said the court had already given judgment in this matter and ruled , in certain respects, the absolute ban is inconsistent with the Constitution.

The court last May had exceptionally not taken the normal course of immediately declaring the provisions to be unconstitutional, thus rendering them void and of no legal effect.

Instead, the court recognised there were choices to be made as to how the difficulty identified was to be addressed and the first port of call for those choices was the legislature.

The Chief Justice said the court strongly emphasises, on finding a measure to be unconstitutional, the normal position is the court must immediately declare it to be so and thereby render it inoperative. The court has not yet had to consider the parameters of the circumstances leading to a departure from that general rule and to deferral of a declaration of unconstitutionality.

Such circumstances must necessarily be exceptional and the court had identified this case as one where such circumstances did arise. However, the court also put a limitation on appropriate scope of further interaction between the court and the parties.

While it appreciated the State was not asking the court to involve itself in approving the choices made, the whole point of giving the State a time period was to allow the legislature make decisions and the court had no role in those.

The essential issue now was to decide what is appropriate for the court to do when the State has said a decision on how to address the matter has been made and plans are afoot to take the necessary measures so Ireland will opt into the Reception Directive.

He said the court appreciates the State has taken measures to use the time given to it, but the court did not want to get involved in even monitoring the speed of developments.

The balance of justice would be met by affording the State a relatively brief period to take whatever measures the State considers necessary, he said.

The court envisaged no further hearing concerning the matter and its intention was to make a formal declaration on February 9, he stressed.

The Rohingya man, aged in his thirties, spent eight years in Direct Provision before getting refugee status here last year. While offered work in his Direct Provision centre in 2013, he could not take that up due to the ban on seeking work.

While in Direct Provision on a 19 weekly allowance, he suffered depression and "almost complete loss of autonomy", he said. Being allowed to work was vital to his development, personal dignity and "sense of self worth".

The Supreme Court found in principle, and where there is no statutory time limit for processing asylum applications, the "absolute prohibition" on asylum seekers seeking employment in the 1996 Refugee Act, and continued in the International Protection Act 2015, is contrary to the constitutional right to seek employment.

The judgment focussed on the extent of the entitlement of non-citizens, "as human persons", to rely on constitutional rights.

The case, brought against the Minister for Justice with the Attorney General and Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission as notice parties, raised important legal issues and the Commission had described it as a "test" case.
The partners of Defence Forces members are holding a 24-hour vigil outside Leinster House.

They are demanding better pay and conditions for personnel in the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps.

The group 'Wives and Partners of the Defence Forces' is organising the protest, as enlisted members are barred from speaking out.

WPDF says pay levels are so low that many families rely on social welfare supplements to get by.

6 days to our protest march & vigil pic.twitter.com/SLeEQmyVuE  WPDF (@WPDF_2017) November 24, 2017

Sheila, whose fiance is in the Naval Service, says she struggles to make ends meet.

She said: "There are weeks where, I am not ashamed to say it, I have sat and I have cried in the kitchen because it's like 'what do I do?' and 'are we doing the right thing here?'

"It just seems wrong, it really seems wrong, nobody who is serving their country should be relying on social welfare payment to make ends meet."

Shelly Cotter from WPDF says enlisted personnel deserve better given the sacrifices they make.

She said: "They're doing it in the middle of Ireland, and even though they'er earning those medals, and my God they are earning those medals, medals don't feed families.

"But we are very proud, but the problem then is on the flip-side the povery in the Defence Forces is an extremely proud hidden secret."

It comes after more than 30 recruits in the Naval Service who have been in training for five weeks received just 200 in pay from the Department of Defence until they were finally paid in full on November 22, writes Sean ORiordan.

Several recruits in the Army, who enlisted on October 16, also didnt get their full pay until the same day. Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) held a whip round to help some of them out.

PDFORRA, which represents 6,500 enlisted men in the Defence Forces, said it had made numerous representations to the Department of Defence on these issues and intervened to prevent the cash-strapped recruits being charged 2 every time they had to use washing machines in barracks.

The 56-strong crew of LE Niamh, who departed Haulbowline on October 6, werent paid their allowances until November 8.

This isnt the first time this has happened. Last June, Naval Service officers also organised a whip-round to help recruits who hadnt been paid for a number of weeks.
A five-year-old boy was found drowned more than two hours after his mother and stepfather let him "go off by himself" to play in a pool at a water park, a UK court has heard.

A group of other children pulled Charlie Dunn from a lagoon after his stepfather Paul Smith was allegedly seen smoking and heard saying: "For f***'s sake, we're ready to go. I don't know where he f****** is."

A jury at Birmingham Crown Court was told Charlie, from Tamworth, Staffordshire in England, was found in a 1.4-metre deep lagoon at Bosworth Water Park in Leicestershire in July last year.

Smith, 36, and Charlie's mother, Lynsey Dunn, 28, both deny causing the youngster's death by gross negligence by permitting him to enter a bathing area unsupervised.

Opening the Crown's case, prosecutor Mary Prior QC alleged that Charlie, who could not swim, was supervised near the water by strangers - including a man who was mistaken for his father - after being left alone.

The QC told the jury: "Charlie Dunn drowned in the pool for children at the park known as the Blue Lagoon.

"No one knows how it happened, no-one knows why it happened, and at the time he died neither Miss Dunn or Mr Smith had any idea where he was.

"Charlie had been permitted to go off by himself. The prosecution say that Charlie died because he was not supervised by any adult.

"He was left alone in a busy park at five years old in circumstances where there was a clear and obvious risk that he might come to very serious harm leading to his death. It will be for you to decide in this case whether that is right."

Claiming the defendants had shown "ingrained and entrenched indifference" at the time of the tragedy, Mrs Prior added: "This case is not about parents turning their back for a minute whilst a tragedy occurs.

"We don't prosecute parents for unavoidable tragedies nor do we expect perfection in parenting.

"This is a gross failure to supervise not for seconds, and not for a few minutes, but for protracted periods of time in circumstances where the child was exposed to danger."

Neighbours previously found Charlie unsupervised

Jurors heard the couple were given a "warning" of what could happen in the summer of 2015, when a neighbour prevented the unsupervised toddler, then aged four, from driving a toy car on to a main road.

Another neighbour, the court heard, spotted Dunn inside a car - out of sight of her son - when the boy came "perilously close" to straying on to a road in October 2015.

It was also alleged that Dunn and Smith were berated by a woman during a visit to the water park about two months before Charlie's death.

The witness, the court heard, told the defendants "in no uncertain terms that she was not happy that the defendants were not supervising Charlie near to the water".

Both defendants are said to have replied that Charlie "would be all right".

The Crown allege the couple breached their duty of care to Charlie, causing or significantly contributing to his death by gross negligence.

Concluding her opening speech, Mrs Prior claimed the parents were unable to help with what happened to Charlie during the two-hour period "except for the odd minute" when he returned to their car for something to eat or drink.

Charlie was 'terrified' of water, Lynsey Dunn tells court

The couple deny being grossly negligent.

Dunn told police she thought Charlie would have informed her if he was going into the water, which he was "terrified" of.

Her partner told officers he had watched Charlie from a distance "and that if there had been a problem he could have leaped across and got him".

Smith also denies a count of attempting to intimidate a witness.

Jurors were told the open air pool had signs indicating that children must be supervised, and was not required to have lifeguards because of its depth.

It also emerged that Charlie - whose mother and stepfather went with him to the pool at about 12.25pm - did not have any buoyancy aids.

Off-duty police officers and paramedics tried to save Charlie after he was pulled from the water at about 2.45pm.

His parents then allegedly told on-lookers he had only been out of their sight for five or 10 minutes.

After acknowledging that the death of Charlie must have caused the defendants unimaginable pain, Mrs Prior said of the pair: "Neither of them at any stage said 'It's my fault - this is all down to me'.

"Neither of them say 'Do you know, on reflection I should never have let my boy go off and play by himself'."

The case continues on Monday.
Donald Trump has told Theresa May "don't focus on me" after Downing Street said it was wrong for the president to share anti-Muslim videos posted online by the deputy leader of Britain First.

The US president said the British Prime Minister should instead "focus on the destructive radical Islamic terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom".

It comes after Mr Trump caused outrage after retweeting three posts by the group's deputy leader Jayda Fransen to his 43.6 million followers, including footage from the Netherlands purporting to show a Muslim migrant committing crimes.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said Britain First was dedicated to causing division among communities and that the president had been "wrong" to share the posts.

He originally addressed the tweet to @theresamay, who has just six followers, rather than the Prime Minister's account.

He later re-sent the tweet to tag the Prime Minister's correct Twitter handle, saying: @Theresa_May, don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!

Commenting on Mr Trump's post, Fransen, 31, who was convicted last November of religiously aggravated harassment for hurling abuse at a Muslim woman in a hijab, said: "Well said Mr President!"

Earlier Downing Street made clear the Government's dismay at the way he had publicised the views of a such far-right group.

"Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions," the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.

"They cause anxiety to law-abiding people.

"British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far-right which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents, decency, tolerance and respect.

"It is wrong for the president to have done this."

Meanwhile, Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi shared a letter he has written to Mr Trump to register his "strong discontent" at the retweets.

Referencing Mr Trump's planned state visit to the UK, Mr Zahawi said: "You are soon due to visit the United Kingdom. When you are here, I believe you would find enlightening the experience of visiting our beautiful cities like Coventry, Birmingham, Manchester and London."

He added: "They are so far removed from the stereotypes that the videos of Britain First try to portray."

The UK's Communities Secretary Sajid Javid also condemned Mr Trump for endorsing the views of the far-right group, which he said "hates me and people like me".

He tweeted: "So POTUS has endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me. He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing."

So POTUS has endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me. He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing  Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) November 29, 2017

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson described the group as "divisive" and "hateful" but stopped short of criticising the president for sharing the posts.

He said on Twitter: "Britain First is a divisive, hateful group whose views are not in line with our values. UK has a proud history as an open, tolerant society and hate speech has no place here."

British Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt described the retweets as "both alarming and despairing", saying: " As Minister for the Middle East, proud of our relationships with the Islamic world and those within it, the White House tweets are both alarming and despairing tonight. This is so not where the world needs to go."

The posts included unverified videos titled "Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!" and "Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!"

The Dutch embassy in the US said the perpetrator of the violent act in one of the videos was born and raised in the Netherlands.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president had been seeking to "promote strong borders and strong national security".

The Prime Minister is currently on a tour of the Middle East.

Hours before Mr Trump's latest tweet, the Prime Minister's spokesman made clear the invitation for the president to make a state visit, made when Theresa May met Mr Trump in Washington in January, still stood.
Parts of the UK have been blanketed in a layer of snow as forecasters warned of possible disruption and plunging temperatures.

The British Met Office has issued yellow warnings for icy patches and snow covering swathes of the eastern coast of England and northern Scotland, and for ice in western Wales, Cornwall and much of Northern Ireland.

Police forces across the country issued warnings to drivers to beware of icy roads.

Residents in the North East of England and Scotland shared photos and videos of the snowfall on social media.

Handout photo shared by @KeCroft of snow on rooftops in Scarborough in the north of England.

Among them was Twitter user Woody, who posted a short clip of a car park in North Skelton, Redcar and Cleveland, where vehicles were covered in snow.

Other videos showed snow swirling in blustery conditions.

The weather warning for the eastern UK said: "Wintry showers will bring an additional hazard and may lead to 2cm to 5cm of snow accumulating on ground above 100m, primarily over northern Scotland and north-east England.

"Some roads and railways are likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services."

Snow falling outside Teesside Crown Court in Middlesbrough in the north of England.

Nineteen schools in Aberdeenshire have been closed due to the weather while others are partially closed.

Helen Roberts, a Met Office forecaster in the UK, said central parts of England will see cold autumn sunshine, with wintry showers most likely in eastern and northern parts of the UK.

She said: "As the showers push further inland by this afternoon and this evening, we could see them pushing as far inland as the Midlands, and it could turn to sleet and snow.

"There could be an accumulation but probably not a lot, like the North York Moors, where we have already got a few centimetres.

"Otherwise it will feel cold, with temperatures in the low to mid single figures.

"With the wind chill factor particularly it will feel quite a lot colder in some places. It will definitely feel sub-zero and a temperature of 3C could feel more like minus 3C."

Ms Roberts said it was "not impossible" for the sleet and snow to reach northern and north-eastern parts of London this evening but added: "It would be fleeting and it would not settle."

She added that tonight going into Friday could be the coldest of the season so far, with the mercury potentially sinking below the minus 6.3C recorded in Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, on November 25.

She said: "It could well fall below that to make it the coldest of the autumn. It would be isolated and more widely temperatures are likely to be between minus 4C and 2C so it will be a frosty start and there will be icy stretches.

"We are likely to see further warnings for ice tonight."
The world's biggest marine reserve in Antarctica officially comes into effect on Friday, in what has been hailed as a "watershed" moment in conservation.

The marine protected area in the Ross Sea curbs damaging activities such as fishing, to protect wildlife including Adelie and emperor penguins in the high seas off Antarctica.

Agreement was reached in October 2016 by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, which is made up of 24 countries - including the UK - and the EU, to protect 1.55 million square kilometres (600,000 square miles) of the Ross Sea.

Some 72% - 430,000 square miles - of the marine protected area is a "no-take" zone where all fishing is forbidden, while other areas will allow some harvesting of fish and krill for scientific research.

British endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh completed a series of swims in the freezing waters around Antarctica to call for the marine reserve in the "pristine" waters of the Ross Sea.

He also engaged in "Speedo diplomacy", travelling between the US and Russia to help negotiate the final agreement, which the Russian government had initially sought to block.

Earlier this month, Mr Pugh swam a kilometre in the icy, dangerous waters of South Georgia to urge the British Government to better protect the waters around the UK overseas territory.

He is campaigning for the creation of a series of marine protected areas around Antarctica by 2020 which would protect a total area roughly the size of Australia.

As the Ross Sea protected area comes into force, he said: "All the freezing swims I undertook in the Ross Sea in 2015 were now absolutely worth it.

"The creation of Ross Sea marine protected area is a watershed moment in the history of conservation. It's not just the largest protected area in the world, but it's the first large scale marine protected area in the High Seas.

"As such, it sets a very important precedent. But the real work starts today - we now have to intensify our efforts to protect the remaining seas around Antarctica. Our futures really do depend on it."

He urged the UK Government to take the "next step" in protecting the waters around Antarctica by boosting protection around South Georgia and putting in place a fully protected "no-take zone" round the neighbouring South Sandwich Islands.

"These islands in the Scotia Sea are one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in the whole world, and it's crucial we protect them from rapid climate change and industrial over-fishing."

He called on Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to take decisive action to protect the islands from industrial fishing fleets which he fears will soon move in.
Talks over the transfer of powers to Scotland after Brexit have resulted in "good progress" but failed to reach a deal.

The Scottish Government said the UK Government had not gone far enough for ministers to recommend that Holyrood gives legislative consent to the EU Withdrawal Bill.

The legislation - designed to transpose EU law into British law so the same rules apply on the day of Brexit as the day before - will see EU responsibilities in devolved areas initially transferred to Westminster.

The UK Government said this will allow common frameworks to be created ahead of further devolution.

Ministers in both Edinburgh and Cardiff said it amounts to a power grab and must be amended.

First Secretary Damian Green and Scottish Secretary David Mundell met with Deputy First Minister John Swinney and Scottish Brexit Minister Michael Russell in Edinburgh in an effort to resolve the dispute.

Mr Russell said: "Today's talks were held in a positive and constructive manner.

"Good progress has been made in several areas, most specifically on the issue of UK frameworks.

"This is to be welcomed, however it does not yet go far enough for the Scottish Government to recommend parliament agrees to give legislative consent to the EU Withdrawal Bill."

He added: "It is extremely important that the UK Government continue to engage with the devolved administrations so we can find a path that works for all the nations of the United Kingdom.

Scottish Secretary David Mundell arrives for a meeting with Scottish Government ministers to discuss Brexit at St Andrew's House, Edinburgh.

"This is particularly important in relation to future talks including trade as it is essential that Scotland's interests are represented in any negotiations.

"It must be recognised that fundamentally nothing can be agreed until agreement is reached on both frameworks and amendments to the Bill.

"We, therefore, look forward to the next discussions on these matters which will take place at the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations) in London on December 12."
Preliminary tests show that a container from which a former Bosnian Croat military commander drank in a United Nations court contained a deadly chemical, a Dutch prosecutor has said.

Slobodan Praljak stunned the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia yesterday when he gulped down liquid from a small bottle seconds after a UN appeals judge had confirmed a 20-year sentence against him.

The 72-year-old said he had taken poison and later died in a hospital in The Hague, Netherlands.

Dutch prosecutor Marilyn Fikenscher told the Associated Press today that "there was a preliminary test of the substance in the container and all I can say for now is that there was a chemical substance in that container that can cause death".

Croatian prime minister Andrej Plenkovic said at the start of the Croatian government session today that Praljak was "obviously shaken by the possibility he would be convicted" of war crimes during Bosnia's 1992-95 war.

Croatian politicians held a moment of silence for him and the victims of the conflict, saying "let the death of General Praljak be the last act of the war".

Dutch prosecutors said a post-mortem examination will be carried out soon.

Praljak was convicted in 2013 of crimes including murder, persecution and deportation for his role in a plan to carve out a Bosnian Croat mini-state in Bosnia in the early 1990s.

AP
UK Prime Minister Theresa May has declined to set a target for when half her Cabinet ministers will be women.

Despite two recent mini reshuffles, only a third of those around Mrs May's Cabinet table are female - a total of six women and 17 men.

She has just undertaken a three-day visit to the Middle East, stopping in Jordan, Iraq and the conservative Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

While in Saudi Arabia, she discussed and reiterated her support of Vision 2030 - reforms being set out by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which include increasing the number of women in work.

Asked by reporters if she would set a target for when half the Cabinet would be women, Mrs May said: "I am very pleased with the fact that I have good women sitting around that cabinet table doing a good job.

"I was pleased obviously when I made recent Cabinet changes, I was able to bring a new female Secretary of State into the Cabinet and behind her actually bring on some young female ministers as well - including a new female minister of the 2015 intake."

Pressed as to why only a third of her Cabinet are women, the Prime Minister said: "We have good women sitting around the Cabinet table and if you look through the ministerial appointments that I have made, there are a number of women there and I was very pleased in recent times to be able to bring on somebody from the 2015 intake.

"We have got some good women who are getting experience in the House of Commons who I am sure will make excellent ministers, including around the cabinet table in the future."
A UK inquest into the death of the 13-month-old who a judge said had probably been sexually assaulted by her father has continued today.

Poppi Worthington's father described his daughter as a "bully" as he refused to respond to questions about how her DNA came to be on his penis.

His voice broke with emotion and he wiped away silent tears as he sat in the witness box, refusing 252 times to answer questions about the unexplained death of his child in the early hours of December 12 2012.

He refused to answer any questions about the minutes and hours before his daughter died or respond to why his daughter's DNA was found on his penis, but asked to describe "the child he knew" he replied: "Lively. Bubbly. The happy one out of the siblings. Bully in her own little way."

The former supermarket nightshift worker has been in hiding for up to two years since a family court judge made public his conclusion that Mr Worthington, 49, probably sexually assaulted his daughter before her collapse.

A botched investigation by Cumbria Police meant vital evidence was lost.

Mr Worthington has never been charged with any offence and denies any wrongdoing. The cause of her death remains "unascertained."

On Wednesday, Mr Worthington again declined to answer the majority of questions posed to him by counsel to the inquest Alison Hewitt after he was told that under Rule 22 of the Coroners (Inquests) Rules 2013 he was not obliged to answer any questions tending to incriminate him.

Over two sessions, two hours on Wednesday afternoon and two hours on Thursday at the inquest at County Hall in Kendal, Mr Worthington replied 252 times with the same answer, "I refer to my previous statements under Rule 22."

Sitting yards away in the courtroom was his former partner, Poppi's mother, who held her head in her hands.

Mr Worthington's voice faltered though as he continued to provide the same answer to Miss Hewitt's questions about events on the night.

Poppi's mother was asleep downstairs when she heard a scream which was followed by Mr Worthington coming down to fetch a clean nappy.

Shortly after, Mr Worthington rushed back downstairs holding his lifeless daughter and shouting to his ex-partner to call for an ambulance, the inquest has heard.

The second inquest into Poppi's death was ordered after the controversial first hearing - held by a different coroner - was shrouded in secrecy and lasted just seven minutes.

Poppi was listed as "a child aged 13 months" at the first inquest in 2014 and her death was declared as unexplained.

In a fact-finding judgment as part of care proceedings involving Poppi's siblings, family court judge Mr Justice Peter Jackson, now Lord Justice Peter Jackson, said Poppi's "significant bleeding" within 15 minutes of the 999 call made from the family home could only be explained sensibly as the result of penetrative trauma.

On Thursday, Mr Worthington was also asked about Poppi's DNA being found on his penis, which he has previously said was by transfer from him holding the child then going to the lavatory at the hospital.

Ms Hewitt asked him whether he was "aware of the view expressed by at least one pathologist that the findings of the post-mortem suggest that there had been penetration of Poppi's anus".

She continued: "Did you at any time place Poppi in a position where her face was pushed into a pillow? Or put your hand or an object over her face?"

Mr Worthington replied again in a quiet voice: "I refer to my earlier statements, rule 22."

Kate Stone, representing the mother, asked him: "Why did you hurt your daughter, Mr Worthington?"

The witness shook his head and gave the stock reply he had used before.

Coroner David Roberts completed the questions, telling the witness it was his legal right not to answer.

But he added: "That said, today is an opportunity for you to tell me anything you think may help me understand how Poppi came by her death.

"So I don't want you to leave court thinking you have not had the opportunity to tell me what happened as best you can remember about the facts of those hours.

"It's an opportunity. Is there anything else you would like to tell me?"

Mr Worthington replied: "No sir."

The hearing continues.
A coroner has adjourned an inquest to gather more evidence after he said he could not decide what led to the unexpected death of an 11-year-old girl.

Police investigated after Georgia Newnham was found dead in her bed clutching a can of Sure deodorant just before 8am on May 15 at her home in Peacehaven, East Sussex.

Officers said the circumstances were unexplained but not suspicious.

A post-mortem found the schoolgirl died as a result of cardiac arrhythmia and had inhaled aerosol deodorant, an inquest heard today.

Coroner Alan Craze said he was considering an open conclusion because he could not be sure of the circumstances leading to her death.

He said he did not know if the death was an accident after using deodorant as normal, or due to solvent abuse.

Georgia had been using aerosol deodorant for around two years because she did not like using a roll-on. She would often sweat in the night and was self-conscious about body odour, the inquest at Eastbourne Town Hall heard.

The day before her death she had been shopping with her foster mother Casandra Copping who bought her a Sure deodorant because her usual Nivea brand had sold out.

She normally kept the aerosol in a wash bag in her bedroom and would put it on once a day before she went to school, Mrs Copping told the inquest.

She added: "She never, ever put her deodorant on under her duvet."

She said Georgia was "100% not abusing solvents".

Teacher Jane McCaughan, the head of Year 7 at Peacehaven Community School that Georgia attended, described her as a "lovely little thing" who was a "real character".

She said: "There was absolutely no question she was having problems. She always presented herself beautifully. [Her personal hygiene] was not of concern and there was absolutely no doubt in my mind she was well-cared for."

She said while some students at the school may have difficulties with substance misuse, solvents or "glue sniffing" were not the item of choice and she said there was never any suggestion Georgia had tried this.

Detective Inspector Vivienne Johnson, of Sussex Police's safeguarding investigations unit, said Georgia was described to police as a child who was fit and well, did not take medication and had not been to hospital in the eight years she had been with her foster family.

She said the family told her she liked to sleep and would often wrap herself up tightly in her duvet, adding: "There was no sign of a struggle or a forced entry to the room. [I found this was an] unexpected death with no third-party involvement."

Mr Craze said: "Frankly, I cannot make my mind up. This is very rare for me. I need to give some thought in what seems quite a difficult inquest.

"Did she use this deodorant in order to achieve some sensation or high? Or did she use the deodorant for normal purposes in a confined space?"

When Mr Craze suggested he might give an open conclusion, barristers representing Mrs Copping and her biological mother Joanne Lewendon asked if he would adjourn the proceedings so medical experts could be asked more questions on the findings of her toxicology report.

The inquest will resume on a date yet to be fixed, most likely in the new year.
Hardware virtualization for cloud computing has come a long way, improving performance using technologies such as VT-x, SR-IOV, VT-d, NVMe, and APICv. At Netflix, we've been using these technologies as they've been made available for instance types in the AWS EC2 cloud. The latest AWS hypervisor, Nitro, uses everything to provide a new hardware-assisted hypervisor that is easy to use and has near bare-metal performance. It's an exciting development in cloud computing: hardware virtualization is now fast.

I've summarized hypervisor developments in EC2 with the above diagram. The columns show dimensions of instance performance, ordered in importance for typical workloads at Netflix (CPU-bound being the most important). The rows of this table are virtualization types, and the cells show the type of virtualization and are colored by the expected performance.

You may first notice that, over time, green is creeping in from the left. That's deliberate engineering: optimizing the most important workloads first. Each dimension has progressed through these stages:

Virtualized in Software: While this can support an unmodified guest OS, many operations are emulated and slow. Apps may run 2x to 10x slower, or worse. Paravirtualization: The hypervisor provides efficient hypercalls, and the guest OS uses drivers and kernel modifications to call these hypercalls. It's using software and coordination between the hypervisor and guest to improve performance. I'd expect measurable overhead of 10% to 50% (depending on the PV type and workload). Virtualized in Hardware: Hardware support for virtualization, and near bare-metal speeds. I'd expect between 0.1% and 1.5% overhead.

I'll summarize each row in the diagram, in chronological order:

1. Fully Emulated

Remember the original VMware x86 hypervisor from 1998? It's amazing to recall that it was even possible to virtualize x86 before processors had hardware-assisted virtualization (Intel VT-x and AMD-V), which were added in 2005 and 2006.

This first x86 hypervisor used emulation and binary translation for privileged operations, such as syscalls and page table operations. This had a noticeable performance cost, especially for I/O-heavy workloads. First impressions endure, and many of us were introduced to hardware virtualization by something that was known for being "slow." But that was nearly two decades ago, and I don't think this hypervisor type ever ran on EC2.

2. Xen PV 3.0

(With Xen, there are many different possible configurations, including some I'm leaving out. I'm including this one as it helps tell the story of virtualization.)

Enter paravirtualization, originally introduced in Xen, where the guest has been modified to be aware of the hypervisor and to make efficient hypercalls. In this configuration, the AMI and boot is paravirt (PV), the kernel is making hypercalls instead of privileged instructions, and the system is using paravirt network and storage drivers. This provides a performance improvement, but there are still significant overheads with privileged operations (syscalls and page table events, which also slows I/O)  although it is faster than before, so perhaps I should have colored the CPU cell yellow instead of red. This is before processor hardware virtualization for CPUs and memory (Intel VT-x, AMD-V).

The first instances on EC2 were configured like this, m1.small (thanks @cperciva).

3. Xen HVM 3.0

This row shows a more recent hypervisor configuration, running on a processor with hardware virtualization for CPUs and memory (VT-x), and using paravirt drivers for network and storage devices. The AMI and boot are now HVM. Interrupts and timers haven't been paravirtualized yet. I also started coloring "Motherboard and Boot" green, because instances of this type can boot faster than a bare metal machine can, despite software virtualization.

4. Xen HVM 4.0.1

This configuration boots HVM and uses PVHVM drivers. Those drivers are also called PV on HVM, which are paravirt drivers that use HVM features. While this is using an HVM AMI, to help differentiate it, I call these instances "PVHVM", after the drivers. This improves some kinds of workloads including interrupts and timers.

Things started to become confusing here for two reasons. Instead of glossing over these details, let me dig in:

The first source of confusion was the AMI types. AWS EC2 uses a different image type and boot process for PV and HVM, as described on the Linux AMI Virtualization Types page. People then began referring to the running instances as PV or HVM, but it's more complex than that, because HVM can boot and then run paravirt drivers (PV), and can also run paravirt on HVM Drivers (PVHVM). Most (or all) of the "HVM" instances we use on EC2 are HVM with PVHVM drivers.

The second source of confusion was performance. Earlier "HVM" versions didn't use as much paravirt, and could even be slower than "PV," causing many to recommend "PV" over "HVM." This recommendation quickly became out of date. It's all a bit confusing, and I wrote about this in 2014: Xen Modes.

When I joined Netflix in 2014, we had begun transitioning from PV to HVM (PVHVM). I came from the world of containers, and expected to be busy wrestling with the overheads of hardware virtualization and details such as PV vs PVHVM, but I found that workloads were already running pretty fast on these instances. This was because most of our workloads are CPU and memory bound, which were already virtualized in hardware. But not all workloads: some are network bound (proxies) and storage bound (databases).

5. Xen AWS 2013

Starting in 2013, some EC2 instance types began supporting hardware virtualization for network interfaces: Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV). The first was c3. AWS called this enhanced networking. This was initially used via the ixgbe driver for speeds up to 10 Gbps, then the ena driver for speeds up to 25 Gbps.

My colleague Amer Ather was responsible for testing it and making it work at Netflix, and posted some of his results: 2 Million Packets Per Second on a Public Cloud Instance. Impressive! With a solution in hand for network performance, the next target was storage.

6. Xen AWS 2017

In 2015, AWS launched c4, which used hardware virtualization for EBS volumes. This was extended to instance storage devices for the x1.32xlarge in 2016. This finally came to storage-optimized instance types in 2017 with the i3 instance type, which used SR-IOV and the nvme storage driver. Amer has tested and deployed this as well, and shared some results: 3 Million Storage IOPS on AWS Cloud Instance.

This is a great development, and I've been working on a blog post to describe these new instance types: with hardware virtualization for CPU, memory, network, and storage. Before I could even finish this post, AWS launched the Nitro hypervisor.

7. AWS Nitro 2017

As was announced at AWS re:Invent last night, and covered in Anthony Liguori's talk today (CMP332: video), and the bare metal talk (CMP330: video), the c5 instance type uses a new hypervisor called Nitro. Nitro is lightweight. It is based on the KVM core kernel module, but does not use many of the other KVM components, such as QEMU. There is also no domO or IDD involved in the I/O path. Direct metal access.



Before Nitro: I/O initialized via dom0 (CMP332)



After Nitro: Direct metal I/O access (CMP332)

The aim of Nitro is to provide performance that is "indistinguishable from metal." It not only uses SR-IOV for hardware virtualization of network and storage I/O (provided by custom silicon cards by annapurnalabs), but it also has hardware virtualization support of interrupts: using posted interrupts and APICv to reduce the number of VM exits. Improving interrupt performance has been described as the last battleground for hardware virtualization performance.

As Anthony explained in his talk, these previous hardware virtualization developments were components of Nitro. They were being launched piecemeal, improving performance of pre-Nitro systems. Nitro is easier to use, as it uses all these technologies by default (that's why I left the "With" cell blank). The c5 is pictured right is EBS-only, so that diagram doesn't show direct metal access for ephemeral drives (which we'll see in other Nitro instances).

I've been investigating the overhead of Nitro, and have so far found it to be miniscule, often less than 1% (it's hard to measure). Nitro's performance is near-metal.

I'm also excited about Nitro because it exposes all PMC counters. I previously posted The PMCs of EC2: Measuring IPC, covering the architectural set of PMCs that were recently exposed to certain instance types in EC2. That was only seven PMCs. On the c5 Nitro instances, you have hundreds of PMCs, and can truly analyze low-level CPU performance in detail. This should help find wins of 5%, 10%, and more.

The c5s were the first to use the Nitro hypervisor, but also at re:Invent the m5 instance type was launched, also based on Nitro. AWS have said that eventually most (or all) instances will use the Nitro hypervisor, with the exception of the new Bare Metal instances.

8. AWS Bare Metal 2017

Also announced at AWS re:Invent: the Amazon EC2 Bare Metal instances, which are just that  bare metal servers. 0% performance overhead. Run whatever you like: Xen, KVM, containers. Access all PMCs, and other processor features. It was covered in detail today in a talk by Matthew Wilson and Aaron Blasius (CMP330: video).

AWS has a name for their Bare Metal platform: it's the "Nitro system". The "Nitro" I discussed earlier for the c5 and m5s is the "Nitro hypervisor", which also runs on a Nitro system. It sounds a bit confusing at first, but you can hear Matt use both these terms in the CMP330 talk: start watching here.

In summary

I hope the diagram now makes more sense, and summarizes the virtualization development journey:

I'll leave you with one parting thought: the Bare Metal instance types are huge (eg, 72 CPUs), and you'll probably want to divide them up into cloud instances. Do you think you can setup a hypervisor to do that with <1% overhead? Even containers can have hidden overheads (like Docker's use of overlayfs or bridge networks). I'd personally find that a fun and interesting challenge, but I think it will be hard to beat Nitro. I imagine that, for most people, Nitro is exactly what they want.

Acknowledgements & References

My EC2 virtualization diagram began as a Xen modes diagram from Lars Kurth at LinuxCon EU and also published by George Dunlap on xenproject.org in 2012, which I developed further here in 2014, and now Lars is updating it on xen.org. In my new diagram, to show the importance of hardware virtualization, I've made that green, and paravirtualization is now blue.

Thanks to Amer Ather of Netflix for help and input, and from AWS, Matt Wilson, Anthony Liguori, Greg Dunn, and others, for their work on virtualization and helping me understand how it all works. Thanks to Deirdre Straughan for edits. Disclaimer: this is not an officially-endorsed AWS post.

More reading about these virtualization topics:
Hitting new heights

One need only look at the trophies lining Smartmoves welcome area to recognise its high levels of success. Australian Broker sat down with general manager Darren Little to see what qualities underpin a first-class brokerage
Flame Heating Group is celebrating the launch of its 1,500 sq ft bathroom showroom  Durhams only 4D bathroom design experience.

The heating and plumbing merchant has invested in excess of 100,000 to open the bathroom showroom, after acquiring the adjoining property of its current Durham branch to extend the premises.

It was officially launched at an event held at the site, on Dragonville Industrial Estate, by Dr Bill Moir, Deputy Mayor Consort Durham City, as well as attended by customers and suppliers of Flame Heating Group.

The showroom is said to be the first 4D bathroom design showroom in Durham, which offers customers the opportunity to view their tailored bathrooms, complete with the products and features they have selected through a virtual reality headset.

It also includes whirlpool bath displays, remote showers, as well as log burners among Flames product range.

As a result of the expansion, a role has been created, with Graeme Bonas joining the company as Showroom Manager to complement the branchs Investor Director, Simon Mann.

Simon said: A lot of hard work, time and dedication has gone into bringing our bathroom design showroom to life, and we are delighted with how it has evolved from concept to the finished article. We are the only firm offering such a bespoke, virtual reality experience in the area, to our knowledge, which allows us to offer even more to our customers.

It was nice to welcome a number of colleagues, suppliers and friends of the branch to the event, as we look to build on this period of positivity and grow the site further.

John Savage, Managing Director of Flame Heating Group, added: The company has benefited from rapid expansion in a relatively short space of time, and our Durham offering has been enhanced by this official launch. We are continually innovating and embracing new forms of technology, as we develop our product range and overall customer experience.

Further openings and expansions are in the pipeline, which I am hoping will lead to more Flame bathroom showrooms rolled out across the region in the not too distant future.
The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has signed a group membership agreement with Allied Merchants Buying Association (AMBA), an independent merchant buying group in Ireland.

Formed in 2011, AMBA is said to be the fastest growing merchant buying group in Ireland, encompassing 17 members with 85 outlets, and an annual spend of 130m on building materials, plumbing and heating goods, and timber products. The total turnover of members is around 230m. All 17 AMBA members joined the BMF on 1 December, 2017.

Welcoming AMBA members, John Newcomb, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the BMF, said: While the BMF has always had the ability within its constitution to extend its reach into Ireland, strategically the impetus to join had to come from Irish merchants. When AMBA made its request, we were delighted to respond and look forward to providing our full range of training and support services to its members. We are very excited at the prospect of developing our alliance and extending our core membership benefits to AMBAs members.

Explaining why AMBA has joined the BMF, Keith Giblin, CEO of the buying group, said: AMBAs fundamental purpose is as a low cost, highly professional group with strategically placed members working with partner suppliers. Our buying group has grown rapidly since its inception, successfully ensuring we defend and grow our members competitive position, profitability and market share by working together.

We are continually focussed on adding further value to our members and an alliance with the BMF offers numerous opportunities to enhance our members businesses. Foremost among these is the BMFs approach to recruitment, which is helping to attract and develop talented people within the merchant industry.

Brexit is another factor in AMBAs desire to create a strong link with the BMF as an international trade association. Dennis OConnor, Chairman of the AMBA, said: We have three aims for our ongoing relationship with the BMF: alliance, recruitment and awareness. Our market is somewhat reliant on the UK, and with the countdown to Brexit well underway, it is essential to draw closer to a Federation that represents merchants and building materials suppliers operating in the UK in order to develop a greater awareness and understanding of the issues on both sides.

Peter Hindle MBE, Chairman of the BMF, added: Many building materials producers administer the UK and Ireland as one commercial region, and it is likely that this will continue beyond Brexit. It is strategically important for the BMF to continue to develop its links with European trade bodies, such as UFEMAT and FEST, in order to support existing members in the UK, as well as our latest members in Ireland. I look forward to welcoming AMBA into membership.

The addition of AMBAs members increases the number of BMF merchant members to 337, operating from over 5,000 branches throughout the UK and Ireland. As of 1 December, the BMFs total membership, including supplier and service members, now stands at 640. Together, BMF merchant and supplier companies have combined sales of 28 billion, and employ 123,000 people in the building materials industry.

Pictured: Left-to right: Dennis O'Connor (AMBA Chairman) and Keith Giblin (AMBA CEO), John Newcomb (BMF CEO), and Peter Hindle MBE (BMF Chairman).
HDFC Asset Management Company (commonly referred to as HDFC MF) could soon become the second asset manager to go public. The countrys second-largest mutual fund on Thursday got its boards approval to initiate the process to go public. HDFC MF is backed by the countrys largest mortgage lender Housing Development Finance Corporation, and global investment firm Standard Life.
Japanese investment giant SoftBank has reached out to other shareholders of Indias largest e-commerce marketplace Flipkart with a proposal to buy their stock at a valuation of around $9-10 billion.
Anglo-Dutch consumer goods maker Unilever told investors on Wednesday that it expects new products and a leaner organisation to help win an intensifying battle to sell packaged goods around the world.

The maker of Dove soap and Knorr soup, which is under huge shareholder pressure since rebuffing a $143 billion takeover bid in February from Kraft-Heinz , posted an unexpected slowdown in sales last month, citing lost market share to smaller rivals.

The company's 20 billion-euro-a-year personal care business, often seen as its most attractive, posted only 2.4 per cent growth in the first nine months of the year, but the unit's president, Alan Jope, on Wednesday said it should be back above 4 per cent soon.

"I'm not going to give an exact date," Jope said during an investor event in New Jersey that was broadcast online. "But I don't think I'd be standing here with this tone and this cocky, relaxed position if it wasn't going to come around quite soon."

In explaining the slowdown, Jope pointed to lower growth of the global market, weakness in Indonesia and Brazil - two of its big markets - and increased competition from local rivals, such as Patanjali in India and Wardah in Indonesia.

While the first two issues were temporary, Jope said local competition was a long-term phenomenon, and largely why Unilever was focusing on increasing its agility in local markets.

He cited several new brands that would aid the unit's growth going forward, including prescription-strength Dove products for people with psoriasis or eczema; Skinsei, a personalised, subscription-based skincare regimen sold directly to consumers; and a beauty brand called Love Beauty and Planet.

Over the past two years, Unilever has worked to make the most of its global scale in areas where it counts, like back-office functions and procurement, and to be quicker with new products targeted for local markets.

The company cited this new structure for being able to launch a low-calorie, high-protein Breyers ice cream in the United States in only five months, capping the damage done by the start-up Halo Top, which quickly gained market share.

Another reason for the new structure is costs, and Unilever on Wednesday reiterated its targets for savings of 6 billion euros by 2019, two-thirds of which will be reinvested into the business, and a 20 per cent operating margin by 2020.

Over the next few years Unilever expects to generate more of its sales from alternative channels like health and beauty stores, delivery services and online. It is launching new products to suit those channels and pursuing partnerships with firms like Just Eat and Deliveroo to expand distribution.

The company said it is nearly done with the stock buyback plan it announced in April soon after the Kraft approach, and its plans to dispose of its spreads business were progressing well.

Reuters reported earlier on Wednesday that the auction process for the business, which could be worth more than $7 billion, has narrowed to three bidders.

Unilever said on Tuesday it favoured collapsing its dual-headed, Anglo-Dutch structure into a single entity, but delayed a decision whether it would be based in Britain or the Netherlands, avoiding for now a choice with political dimensions amid ongoing Brexit negotiations.
A Delhi resident has urged former US president Barack Obama to wear a face mask during his scheduled town hall meeting in the city tomorrow.

Data scientist Amrit Sharma, who made the request in an open letter to Obama, said doing so would help generate awareness and catalyse action on air pollution.

Delhi's air quality remained in the "very poor" category for the seventh straight day today with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recording an AQI (air quality index) of 360.

Sharma has also been invited to attend the interactive session with Obama at the town hall.

"You are one the most photographed people on earth, but none of your photos could potentially save millions of lives yet.

"I believe that if you wear a face mask while you are in Delhi and take a photo (of it), that alone could have such an impact," Sharma wrote in the open letter to Obama.

He acknowledged that in a developing country like India, a vast section of the population could not afford the expensive face masks, let alone an air purifier.

However, he said, Obama wearing a mask at a public forum might spur the authorities into action.

Delhi's air quality was under an intense scanner when Obama had attended the 2015 Republic Day parade as the chief guest.
The Indian capital is the most unsafe of 19 major cities in the country, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of rapes reported, 33 per cent of crimes against women and the highest crime rate in 2016, according to data released by the NCRB today.

New Delhi also has the dubious distinction of topping the Crime Records Bureau list in cases of murder, kidnapping and abduction, juveniles in conflict and economic offences.

According to the report for 2016, covering 19 cities with a population above two million, Delhi reported 33 per cent (13,803 cases of 41,761) of crimes against women last year. Mumbai followed at a distant second with 12.3 per cent (5,128 cases).

The capital has a population of nearly 19 million.

Nearly 40 per cent (1,996) of the total number of rape cases in the 19 cities occurred in Delhi in 2016. Mumbai was number two with 712 cases and Pune was third with 354 rapes.

Besides, Delhi accounted for nearly 29 per cent of cases of cruelty by husband and his relatives (3,645) and dowry deaths (162), the NCRB data revealed.

Delhi reported 38.8 per cent of the total number of crimes under the Indian Penal Code, followed by Bengaluru (8.9 per cent) and Mumbai 7.7 per cent.

The capital recorded the highest crime rate at 182.1 compared to the national average of 77.2.

Delhi reported the highest number of kidnapping and abduction cases with 5,453 cases (48.3 per cent) followed by Mumbai with 1,876 cases (16.6 per cent) and Bengaluru 879 cases (7.8 per cent) during 2016.

The city reported the highest number of murders with 479 out of the total 2,194 cases (21.8 per cent) followed by Bengaluru with 229 cases (10.4 per cent) and Patna with 195 cases (8.9 per cent).

Delhi had the highest number of cases of juveniles in conflict with law at 35.6 per cent (2,368 cases out of 6,645).

The city reported the maximum number of cases under economic offences 5,942 cases (19.3 per cent) followed by Jaipur (4,742 cases, 15.4 per cent) and Mumbai (4,191 cases, 13.6 per cent).

Chennai reported the highest number of cases of Special and Local Laws (SLL) crimes, accounting for 32.9 per cent of total reported cases among the 19 cities, followed by Kochi (12.

9 per cent) and Surat (12.6 per cent) during 2016.

In cyber crimes, Mumbai reported the highest number of cases - 980 (23.5 per cent) out of 4,172 cases -- in the 19 major cities in 2016.

The total number of crimes against women across the country in 2016 was 3,38,954 against 3,29,243 in 2015, an increase of 2.9 per cent.

The total number of rapes reported across India in 2016 was 38,947; cruelty by husband or his relatives was at 1,10,378; assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty was 84,746; kidnapping and abduction of women was 64,519.
Security officials went on high alert after a note was found warning of an ISIS attack on Mumbai Airport's Air Cargo Complex (ACC) on Republic Day (January 26), or "anytime", official sources said here on Wednesday.

The note was discovered in one of the toilets of the sprawling and bustling ACC building, located around 3.5 km away from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on the Sahar Road sometime on Wednesday afternoon.



It read "attack the cargo on 26.01.18 or anytime - ISIS".

Immediately the Central Industrial Security Force, Mumbai police and bomb squads got into action and started evacuating the entire cargo section, and launched a search. It was also decided that people will now be allowed inside only after thorough screening, said officials.

The cargo terminal area has been evacuated and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) is at the spot, an airport spokesperson said.



Though the threat note has been received two months in advance, the airport security agencies are not taking any chances.

The note looks like a hoax, sources said, adding anti- sabotage checks were being conducted in the cargo area.



"While the cargo area is not secured by the CISF, passenger checks and vigil has been enhanced in the main airport terminal area," a senior CISF officer said.

In late January 2016, a telephonic threat was received warning that the CSMIA would be blown up within a fortnight, by February 2016.

Though the security agencies concluded it was a "non-specific threat", all teams were on high alert to ward off any untoward incident.
Reliance Infrastructure's One notched a new record by ferrying 10.02 million commuters this month, an company official said here on Thursday.

"We operated 10,606 services (trips) this month carrying a total 1,02,57,057 with 99.9 percent punctuality in performance," said an official spokesperson.

Near flawless services, best-in-class commuter experience and a slew of passenger-friendly marketing initiatives helped the company achieve the feat this calendar month, the spokesperson said.

Incidentally, for the same month last year, the commuter ridership was 84,92,650 and in 2015 it was 70,67,775, marking a continuous increase couple with increased train availability.

For November 2016, the total trips on regular weekdays were 370 which have now increased to 378 services.

Operational excellence was benchmarked also in Peak Hour Peak Direction Traffic which was approximately 25,000 commuters.

The trips were increased after the strategic realignment of trains in both platforms of Ghatkopar Metro Station and the value added services provided by the company covering various parameters.

Operational since June 2014, the 11.4 km long Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar corridor with 12 stations is the eighth densest metro line in the world and has helped reduce the commuting time between Versova to Ghatkopar from 90 to 21 minutes.
The Trump administration threatened new sanctions on North Korea on Wednesday after the reclusive government shattered two and a half months of relative quiet with its most powerful weapon test yet, an intercontinental ballistic missile that some observers believe could reach Washington and the entire US Eastern Seaboard.

President Donald Trump tweeted that he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about Pyongyang's "provocative actions," and he vowed that "additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!" Trump's top diplomat, Rex Tillerson, said the US could target financial institutions doing business with the North.



The UN Security Council, meanwhile, held an emergency meeting on Wednesday evening.

US State Departments spokesperson Heather Nauert on Wednesday termed North Korea's missile launch as a threat to international peace and hoped that India will contribute more in combating the global problem.



Nauert said that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson considers "diplomatic options" to be "viable and open" when it comes to North Korea.

The US urged all countries, including India, to cut off diplomatic, trade ties to North Korea.

The US spokesperson in a press conference told ANI, "We hope that India will do more to help with North Korea. It's a global problem."

When asked if the US will consider talking to India over the latter's diplomatic relations with North Korea, she said, "We have a wonderful relation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Government of India."

During US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's late-October visit to India, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had said that the diplomatic channels with North Korea would continue.

"A part of our constant conversations with those nations is to do more to help with North Korea. It's a global problem. We hope that India will do more. We will continue to have our conversations with the government (of India), " Nauert added.

The US State Department spokeswoman said, "The United States strongly condemns North Korea's launch of a likely intercontinental ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan, indiscriminately threatening its neighbors, the region, and global peace and security."

"The DPRK's relentless and unlawful pursuit of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them must be reversed. Together, with the international community, we must send a unified message to North Korea it must abandon its weapons of mass destruction programs," she said.

"The United States remains open to finding a peaceful (path) to denuclearization and ending the belligerent actions by North Korea. Our goal for the pressure campaign, in which the entire world has now joined us, is to persuade the regime it needs to reconsider the path that it's currently on and think about engaging in a meaningful dialogue about a different future," Nauert said.

"The President spoke to the South Korean President and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and called Chinese President Xi this morning," she added.



Secretary Tillerson had a talk with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, and Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland to discuss how the global community can counter North Korea's threat to international peace.

The United Nations Security Council meeting is likely to take place on December 15 and will be attended by Tillerson.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today invoked late President APJ Abdul Kalam to urge the media to give up negativity and focus on positive developments to help give direction to the country.

Modi made the remarks while addressing the inaugural session of the 'Hindustan Times Leadership Summit - 2017' here.

The prime minister also said that each institution involved in nation building should identify challenges before the country and resolve to solve these at their respective levels by 2022, when the country completes 75 years of independence.

"He (Kalam) had few years ago asked why our media is so negative? These are not my words, (he had said) why is that in India, we are embarrassed of our capabilities and achievements?



"We are a great country, we have unprecedented stories of success. Still, we refuse to accept them. Why it is so? These were Kalam's words," Modi said.

The prime minister suggested that the media can discuss the issue in seminars and their newsrooms to bring about an "irreversible change".

"I urge the media to be resolute and also inspire others. Be part of this journey of resolution the way you played an active role in turning the Clean India mission into a public campaign...increase your partnership...cooperate in giving direction to the country," he urged.
In an apparent reference to Pakistan, Afghan Chief Executive Office on Thursday said that those who nurture terrorism are doing so for "short-sighted and misplaced intentions".

Addressing the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here, Abdullah said that Afghanistan was striving to overcome years of geopolitical abuse and terrorist attacks "in attempts by dark forces in designs that threaten our fabric and identity as well as our aspirations".

"In reality, these dark forces and misguided policies do not just threaten us, they threaten all societies, nation states, our cultural heritage and humanity as a whole," he stated.

"Paradoxically, those who nurture and enable terrorism and extremist networks do so for short-sighted and misplaced intentions. They also engage in such activities at their own peril. This is why such strategies are a failure and have brought nothing but misery and hardship to all sides, including the perpetrators themselves."

Abdullah thanked India for its support in fighting terrorism and help in rebuilding the war-torn nation.

"In this context, the last 16 years in particular are a testament to Indian generosity and support as part of a global effort to fight terrorism, help rebuild Afghanistan and integrate our region to global markets in new ideas by enlisting new opportunities and offering our youth hope for the future," he said.

"We are particularly thankful to India's soft power, generosity which ranges from infrastructure building to opening trade routes and providing quality education to our youth," the Afghan CEO said, adding that was why India was "a rising global power, not just an emerging regional economy".

Stating that Afghanistan continued to be at the forefront of the fight against tyranny and terror, Abdullah said: "Whatever the label or brand, we have decided to protect our people against Talibanism and outfits that function under the same overarching umbrella and share an identical world view."

In a question and answer session chaired by Amar Sinha, former Secretary (Economic Affairs) in the External Affairs Ministry and a former Ambassador to Afghanistan, Abdullah said that the Taliban was under increasing pressure and hence was focusing on terrorist attacks in cities

"We are heartened by the latest pledges made by the international community that aim to break the current security stalemate, help us stand on our own feet, take responsibility for our own defence and adopt a more effective approach to fight terrorism in our region," he stated.

The Afghan CEO also welcomed US President Donald Trump's new South Asia policy which he said was not time-bound and was condition-based.

He said that Kabul's message to other regional stakeholders was that differentiating between bad and good terrorists or failing to look at the linkages that exist between terrorists and extremist outfits or ignores state-sponsored violence and proxy warfare "can have catastrophic consequences".

"We urge all nations affected by terrorism to boost their efforts through intelligence sharing and coordination," he stated.

"Heightened cooperation and dialogue can overcome misunderstandings, misperceptions, mistrust and spoiling our tactics."

Stating that his country's efforts were "forward-looking, progressive and intended to foster, peace, growth and prosperity", Abdullah said: "This vision takes into account the god-given rights of individuals and democratic constitutional order, basic rights and freedoms, functioning economy that unleashes human ingenuity and creativity and our promise to uplift people from poverty and inequality in this sphere. We are together in this journey. We have challenges and pitfalls along the way but we are confident that we shall overcome them through resolve, team work, shared moral high ground."
Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani on Thursday said train accidents had decreased by 40 per cent in the country and over 1.25 lakh people were being appointed to the railways' safety department.

The number of accidents between April 1 and November 30 this year had gone down by 40 per cent in comparison to the corresponding period in 2016, he told reporters here.

"The safety wing is being strengthened. The maintenance work of the tracks is going on on a war footing and new tracks are being laid," Lohani said, while acknowledging that there were certain cases of train accidents recently.

A large number of posts were lying vacant in the railways and the process was on to fill up these posts, particularly those associated with the safety of the trains and tracks, he added.

"In the safety category, 1.25 lakh group C and group D staff will be appointed on a priority basis," Lohani said.

To a question, the railway board chairman said officials of the Dhanbad division of the East Central Railway and the Bharat Coking Coal Limited would attend a meeting in Delhi on December 8 to decide on the revival of the closed Dhanbad- Chandrapura route.

The 34-km-long route was declared closed on June 15 on the recommendation of the directorate general of mines safety because of underground mine fire.

The DVC operates a thermal power station at Chandrapura.

Lohani said the board had short and long-term projects for an alternative to the Dhanbad-Chandrapura route, for which a proposal would be put up in the next budget.
The and rural sectors will be the focus areas in the next Union Budget, which will be unveiled on February 1, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Thursday. Speaking at an event in the national capital, Jaitley said the government would concentrate on additional spending in the two areas.
Aditi Balbir, founder of resort management company V Resorts, was keen to meet Kalaari Capital managing director Vani Kola at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad. Balbir, whose company has so far raised $7 million, sat through the Wednesday session where Kola was a panelist.
A delegation of the European Union (EU) tasked to audit the control systems in place governing the production of exportable fishery products in India is satisfied with the quality of shrimp production. The team, over the past 10 days, visited select seafood-processing facilities in Odisha and Tamil Nadu, two leading exporting states.
After being postponed repeatedly for five straight months, the government will come out with the mid term review of the foreign trade policy (FTP) on December 5.

The five-year FTP is in effect since April 1, 2015 and aims to facilitate exports so that the country manages to send out $900-billion goods and services by 2020. It also aimed at increasing India's share of world exports to 3.5 per cent, from 2 per cent.
The technical glitches on the (GSTN), which has off late irked several traders as well as politicians across the country, will take another six to nine months to get resolved.


The Pakistan government recently bought peace with hardline religious groups staging sit-ins at Islamabads Faizabad and paralysing life in the city, as well as neighbouring Rawalpindi, with Law Minister Zahid Hamid offering his resignation. This utter surrender of the state managed to end the protests that saw six people being killed and hundreds injured but also raised several questions. With the sit-in also ended all hopes of a state that could enforce its writ, writes Lahore-based journalist Mehmal Sarfraz in this Business Standard Special piece. What is worse, she says, is that almost all of Pakistans institutions and politicians failed their people.



Anger. Despair. Disgust. Fear. Frustration. Shock. These are just some of the emotions one felt after the state of Pakistan literally bent over backwards to appease religious extremists as it made a deal with those who had laid siege to the capital. What started as a controversy surrounding the Elections Act 2017 due to an amendment to the oath turned out to be the undoing of the entire state of Pakistan.

Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal. They do not reflect the view/s of Business Standard.
While the central government is working to enforce mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery, the average hallmark centre is operating at only 30-40 per cent of its capacity.
On Wednesday, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan expressed his helplessness in controlling the prices of onion, citing a demand-supply mismatch. This helplessness has given voice to an issue that successive governments -- both at the Centre and in states -- have grappled with.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is inviting applications for the post of Research Officer/Planning Officer who will be working for Directorate General of Employment (DGE) under Ministry of Labour and Employment. Candidates willing to take up the post can apply for the same till 14th December, 2017 (Thursday). The number of vacancy is 1 reserved for UR (1), OBC (0), SC (0) and ST (0). The qualified candidates would be paid Rs.9300-34800 (PB-2) plus Rs.4600/-(G.P) (pre-revised) Rs.44900 (Level 7) Total Emoluments Rs.44, 900/- (Total emoluments excluding T.A. and HRA at the time of initial appointment will be Rs.44, 900/-p.m. approximately). So far the job location is concerned; the candidate would be posted in New Delhi. The post carries probation of two years.
Overwhelming response to Namami Gange Roadshow in London Indian corporates commit over 5 billion dollars for developing amenities along the banks of Ganga

Indian corporates, NRIs and PIOs in UK have committed more than 5 billion dollars for the development of amenities like ghats, river fronts, crematoria and parks as part of the Namami Gange Mission. At a roadshow organized in London yesterday, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Water resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Road Transport & Highways and Shipping appealed to business leaders to participate in the mission to clean Ganga. The roadshow was organized by the National Mission for Clean Ganga and the Indian High Commission in UK.

Among the important MoUs signed were those by Shri Anil Agarwal of Vedanta Group for ghats and amenities along Ganga at Patna; Shri Ravi Mehrotra of Foresight Group for Kanpur; Hinduja Group for Haridwar; Shri Prakash Lohia of Indo Rama Group for Kolkata.

The projects will be developed, built and operated by these corporates under their CSR initiatives.

MoUs were also signed for innovative technologies for river cleaning, with companies including Lyndon Water, Celtic Renewables, Medifarm, NVH Technologies and Arkatap. Apart from these, many companies and individuals have agreed to take on projects from the list of over 200 projects for which private funding has been sought.

There are projects worth more than Rs.10,000 crore for development of ghats, crematoria, waterbodies, parks, sanitation facilities, public amenities and river front which need additional funding. Projects worth over Rs 2500 crore, available for private funding have been published as a booklet and are also available on the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) website as an e- booklet. The Government is appealing to the business community to participate in the Namami Gange Mission to clean the river by funding projects of their choice.
President of India addresses a special session of Mizoram Legislative Assembly; says India needs to complement its rich human connectivity with physical and infrastructural connectivity

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, addressed a special session of the Mizoram Legislative Assembly today (November 30, 2017) in Aizawl.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that Mizoram stands out for a very mature and dignified political culture. The Assembly of Mizoram is the true embodiment of Mizorams political culture as well as of the will and aspirations of the people of the state. He commended and congratulated the Assembly of Mizoram over the fact that in its 45-year history, it has established a reputation for smooth conduct of business. He stated that the behaviour and participation of its members has conformed to the highest standards. This Assembly is a role model for our democracy and for how a legislative House should function.

The President appreciated that the sense of honour and dignity that one sees in public life in Mizoram is heart-warming. It is also typical of this states rich society. The signing, implementation and adherence to the Mizo Accord of 1986 is still held up as a shining example all over the world. It truly is a miracle in the way in which it ended an insurgency situation and a conflict that had divided our country and Mizo society itself.

The President noted that all political stake-holders as well as civil society groups including the Church and Church-affiliated groups, womens groups and other non-governmental organisations have got together to create an atmosphere for peace and development in Mizoram. The Accord and its legacy represent one of the greatest successes in Indias long history. One must recall the enlightened and far-sighted leadership of Pu Laldenga as well as the efforts and generosity of spirit of Pu Lal Thanhawla, who is of course the Chief Minister today as well. The President added that he would also like to mention another stalwart of Mizoram, the respected Brigadier T.

Sailo. Mizoram and India owe these nation builders so much.

The President said that India is a nation of astonishing diversity. In our country and frankly even within states of our country we see a huge variety of ethnic and religious identities, and so many languages, cultures and customs, modes of dress, food habits and types of cuisine. This diversity is our strength. It enriches each of us and contributes to both the unity and the wonder of India. It is important to preserve and cherish this diversity.

The President said that economic integration and the movement of people from one part of the country to another for work or education are making all of us much more familiar with each other. For example, young men and women from Mizoram may be found working in the hospitality industry in Kerala or in an IT company in Pune. They contribute, they earn, they stand out for their professionalism and they add to the cultural wealth of our shared society. It is this human connectivity that makes our country so unique. It is important to complement it with physical and infrastructural connectivity in Mizoram and the rest of the Northeast.

The President said that for centuries, South Asia and Southeast Asia have been perceived as a composite trading region, with cultural similarities as well. Mizoram is right at the centre of this process and of this area. Mizorams geography can be its biggest asset and the government of India is working to ensure just that.

Later in the day, the President will leave for Nagaland where he will inaugurate the Hornbill Festival and State Formation Day celebrations tomorrow (December 1, 2017).
RRTS to design speed of 180 kmph using state of the art technologies for Track Structure, Rolling Stock & Signalling System Techno-Commercial agreement signed with ADIF, Spain Institutional Mechanism for mutual cooperation in the field of Urban transport and implementation of RRTS project Three RRTS corridors: Delhi-Meerut, Delhi Panipat & Delhi Alwar smart lines prioritised

An indo-spanish technical cooperation (government to government) agreement was signed by mr vinay kumar singh, managing director/ ncrtc and mr miguel nieto menor, director general, adif of spain, in the presence of shri hardeep singh puri, minister of housing & urban affairs here last evening and shri durga shanker mishra, secretary in the ministry. the ceremony was attended by mr. fernando nocolos puiggari, director international/adif, senior ministry officials, representatives from ministry of external affairs and spanish embassy in india.

addressing on the occasion, sh hardeep s puri informed that the agreement will enable availability of technical advice on specific issues, besides providing training and collaboration in the technical areas of Track, Signalling, Rolling Stock, Safety, Multi modal integration, station design etc. Stressing on the importance of the project, Shri Mishra stated that this agreement will provide institutional mechanism for mutual cooperation in the field of urban transport and specially in implementation of RRTS project.

National Capital Region Transport Corporation, a Joint Venture of Government of India and State Governments of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi, is mandated to design, construct, operate & maintain rail based Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) in the National Capital Region. Three RRTS corridors: Delhi-Meerut Smart Line, Delhi Panipat Smart Line and Delhi Alwar Smart Line have been prioritised for implementation in first phase. Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor will be the first corridor to be implemented for which pre-construction activities including geo-technical investigations, detailed design, utility shifting planning and traffic diversion planning are in progress.

RRTS, first of its kind project in India, with design speed of 180 kmph will use state of the art technologies for track structure, rolling stock and signalling system.

Expertise and experience in India on these technologies for higher speeds being limited, International expertise will be tapped for efficient implementation of project, operation of system and developing capacity in the country. Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias (ADIF), Spain, State-Owned Railway infrastructure company has experience of planning, developing, constructing, operating and maintaining high-speed railway and regional rail systems like Cercanias in Madrid. SNCF, the State-owned Railway Company of France, has also expressed willingness to support RRTS projects. Possibility of similar agreement between NCRTC and SNCF was explored during recent visit of SNCF delegations earlier this week.

RJ
Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh releases NCRB Publication Crime in India 2016- Statistics" Declining trends in murder, rioting, robbery and dacoity cases during last three years

Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh released the Crime in India 2016 published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Ministry of Home Affairs here today. It is for the first time, for 19 Metropolitan cities (having population above 2 million) also, chapters on Violent Crimes"," Crime Against Women"," Crime Against Children", Juveniles in conflict with law", Crime Against SC/STs", Economic Crimes"," Cyber Crimes"," Crime Against Senior Citizens" and Disposal of Cases by Police and Court" have been included in the report.

Some of the salient features in this publication includes a new chapter on Missing Persons & Children", in addition to first time Statistics on the seizures of Arms, Ammunitions, Drugs and Currency by CAPFs/CPOs (Assam Rifles, CISF, BSF, CRPF, NIA and SSB). New tables on cases registered and their disposal by RPF under Railway Act 1989 and Railway Property (unlawful possession) Act 1966 have also been included.

Murder cases in the country have shown declining trends during the last three years. Murder cases decreased by 5.2% in 2015-16, from 32,127 cases in 2015 to 30,450 cases in 2016. Cases under Rioting have decreased by 5% in 2015-16 i.e. 61,974 cases in 2016 as compared to 65,255 cases in the year 2015. Cases under Robbery have decreased by 11.8% in 2015-16.

Cases under Dacoity have decreased by 4.5% in 2015-16, i.e. 3,795 cases in 2016 as compared to 3,972 in 2015.

Cases under Crime Against Women have reported a marginal decrease in the year 2016 (3,38,954) compared to the year 2014 (3,39,457), however for 2016, it is a marginal increase compared to 2015 (3,29,243). Cases reported under Juveniles in Conflict with Law" have also shown a decreasing trend too, in the year 2016, there were 35,849 cases against 38,455 cases in the year 2014, but a increase in comparison to year 2015 (33,433). Atrocities/Crime Against Scheduled Castes have increased by 5.5% in 2016 (40,801) over 2015 (38,670), while Atrocities/Crime Against Scheduled Tribes have increased by 4.7% in 2016 (6,568) over 2015 (6,276), though the Atrocities/Crime Against Scheduled Tribes has decreased in 2016 compared to year 2014 (6,827).

A total of 48,31,515 cognizable crimes comprising 29,75,711 Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes and 18,55,804 Special and Local Laws (SLL) crimes were reported in 2016,showing a nominal increase of 2.6 percent over the year 2015 (47,10,676 cases). IPC Crimes have increased marginally by 0.9% (from 29,49,400 in 2015 to 29,75,711 in 2016). For States perspective, Uttar Pradesh accounted for 9.5% of total IPC crime reported in the country followed by Madhya Pradesh (8.9%), Maharashtra (8.8%) and Kerala (8.7). Delhi City accounted for 38.8% of total IPC crime reported in the cities followed by Bengaluru (8.9%) and Mumbai (7.7%).
The news that bitcoin had broken the $10,000 barrier reflects the way that mainstream investors have been flocking to cryptocurrencies over the past year. But amid the excitement, regulators are fretting about criminals who are increasingly using cryptocurrencies to escape detection from law enforcement

Why is digital currency so appealing to miscreants? Cryptocurrencies are a recent phenomenon and  as with all new technology  it takes time for regulators to catch up. Bitcoin was the first to gain an reputation as a digital currency that could be used to settle transactions after it was anonymously created in early 2009.
and the

. In an important and fundamental way, the ground beneath us has shifted: Victims everywhere have lost their patience and their fear, and are finding willing listeners.

The cascade of accusations over the past month has moved from high-profile men to lesser-known people in sectors such as higher education

A question worth asking is: Why has it shifted now?
The United States warned the North Korean leadership that it would be utterly destroyed if war were to break out, after Pyongyang test fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, putting the US mainland within range.
Pope Francis today arrived in Bangladesh on a key visit likely to be dominated by the issue of Muslim Rohingya refugees who have fled neighbouring Myanmar.

A red carpet was rolled out as the pope arrived here on a special aircraft after wrapping up his Myanmar tour during which he sent out a message that justice and human rights are the foundation of peace, in an apparent reference to the Rohingya crisis.

President Abudul Hamid received the pope at Dhakas Hazrat Shahjalal Airport.

A contingent of Bangladesh's armed forces gave him a guard of honour. His programmes include a visit to the National Memorial for Liberation War martyrs, Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and join a civic reception at Bangabhaban presidential palace.

It the second leg of pope's tour to the region amid heightened Rohingya crisis. About 620,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmars Rakhine State to Bangladesh since August to avoid military crackdown at their home.

This is the second visit to Bangladesh by a pope. Pope John Paul II had visited the country in 1986.
What corporate France lacks in cost-cutting potential, it makes up for in style. That at least appears to be the recipe at Joon, the latest aviation brainchild of Group, which starts operating this week.
According to media coverage, the main problem with Gunung Agungs eruption is that the airport is closed and tourists cannot get in or out.

The people of East Bali are largely invisible in these reports, but they too are worried about getting home. While they are well aware of the physical danger, for them, the mountain also represents spiritual elevation and power. It embodies a god and its rumbles are a sign of the gods displeasure.
Its weird to think that one year ago today Barack Obama was still the president. Michelle Obama was decorating the White House with happy snowmen and gingerbread dogs instead of transforming the East Colonnade into a hell-bound gullet of witch fingers, apparently our new tradition, and the president of the United States somehow made it through the entire week without insulting a single 90-year-old Native American war hero.
The Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, Heather Nauert, on Thursday said that the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) held in India was a "tremendous success".

At a press conference in the national capital, Nauert said, "I am so proud that the US and India held the global entrepreneurship summit in Hyderabad... I think it's a tremendous success when we bring in 1,500 entrepreneurs from around the world."

When asked by ANI on Ivanka Trump leading the US delegation in the summit, she said, "We are also proud that Ivanka Trump, President Donald Trump's daughter and one of his most trusted and closest adviser, led the US delegation over there. I, personally, think of no better representative of a woman entrepreneur in the US than her to go over there."

Ivanka was personally invited by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June earlier this year to spearhead the delegation.

Ivanka's visit to India has been clouded by US media reports questioning Trump's clothing line and its supply chain as well as what some view as a snub by Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State, who has reportedly refused to send senior staff with Trump to India. But Nauert clearly rubbished these reports.

"The State Department was very involved in helping to facilitate all of these. We have a bunch of people on the ground there," the spokesperson added.

On the 1,500 entrepreneurs from across the world attending the summit, Nauert said, "Our embassies helped nominate, if I understand that correctly, many of the entrepreneurs from around the world. Picking entrepreneurs saying that we would like to help you get to India to be able to talk about the great work you are doing, the jobs that you are growing."

"Part of the theory behind that is women's empowerment and getting more women into the workforce by helping them succeed in growing companies by finding investors for those companies. So, we are pleased with that, that we brought in 1,500 and more than half of those are women," she added.

The three-day summit, which is being hosted for the first time in South East Asia, began in Hyderabad on Monday.

"Technology is a great driver of entrepreneurship because a lot of women are leaving and saying this doesn't work for me. It is emboldening them to go out on their own. It is reducing barriers to starting new businesses, and creating flexibility around schedule," Ivanka Trump said earlier in the summit.
Chinese President today met his former US counterpart Barack Obama amid the escalating tensions after North Korea fired a long-range ballistic missile capable of hitting anywhere in America.

In his talks with Obama, Xi stressed that China and the US had an important responsibility to safeguard world peace and stability, as well as boost global development and prosperity.

Xi briefed Obama on the major outcomes of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held last month.

The CPC endorsed a second five-year term for Xi and amended its constitution to add the 64-year-old leader's name and ideology, elevating him on a par with party founder Mao Zedong and his successor Deng Xiaoping.

They called for enhanced communication, exchanges and cooperation between China and the US. Xi made a positive appraisal of Obama's efforts in promoting China-US relations during his presidency, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

A long-term, stable and healthy development of Sino-US ties accords with the interests of both nations and the world, Xi said.

China is ready to work with the US to strengthen communication, exchanges and cooperation, so as to push for new development of bilateral relations, he said.

Obama, who is currently on a visit to China, India and France, thanked Xi and appreciated China's development achievements, the report said.

Earlier, Xi held telephonic talks with US President Donald Trump and discussed the situation arising from North Korea's firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) yesterday which splashed down in the Sea of Japan, shattering a two-month calm in Northeast Asia.

Trump spoke to Xi yesterday, urging him to use "all available levers" to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearisation.

China is North Korea's only major ally and biggest trading partner.

In response to Trump's demands, Beijing has backed increasingly tough UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea to convince it to return to talks.

The official Korean Central News Agency said yesterday that Kim, who personally signed off on the launch, "declared with pride that now we have finally realised the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power".
hit a new high of Rs 3,372, up 1.7% on the BSE in intra-day trade in an otherwise weak market. At 10:18 AM; the stock was the top gainer among the Sensex, up 1% at Rs 3,354. On comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 0.69% at 33,371.
The benchmark indices logged the biggest single day fall in 2 months on Thursday after the Apr-Oct fiscal deficit data, coming in at 96% of the budgeted target for FY18, unnerved investors. The derivatives expiry of November series also hurt sentiment, while investors awaited the September quarter GDP data due later in the day.
have started booking tur in large quantities in Myanmar to ship into the country as and when the government opens up imports, possibly early next year.
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At least 11 foreign nationals, including women and children, have been arrested in Afghanistan's central province Logar.

The detained individuals are all foreigners, hailing from Chechnya, reported local news agency Khaama Press, citing the provincial government as saying in a statement.

Weapons, ammunition, and a vehicle have also been confiscated.

An investigation is still underway.

This comes in the wake of reports that suggested that the militants affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) are trying to migrate from the eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar to Logar province.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday categorically stated that he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon and will strive till the last minute on Polavaram project.

Naidu responded over the Center's letter on Polavaram project.

The Chief Minister said that he tried to talk to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, but could not, as he was in London, adding that he would talk to him when he returns.

Speaking at the State Assembly here, the Chief Minister said, "Will speak to Prime Minister on Polavaram project. If Centre wants us to stop the tender work we will stop it and hand over work to Centre to complete the project."

"Will take Opposition to Delhi to discuss the project if they are willing to come. We have spent Rs. 12,0000 crores so far on Polavaram project and we need Rs. 42, 0000 crores more for it. Because they are the ally, we are acting with patience," he said.

"My only aim is that the project gets completed on time. Doesn't matter who completes it," Naidu added.

Further speaking on Polavaram project, Naidu said, "60,000 acres of land is yet to be acquired for Polavaram. Our aim is that Polavaram project be completed within stipulated time".

Polavaram has been declared as a ' project' under the AP Reorganisation Act-2014 but its execution responsibility was entrusted to the state government, citing a NITI Aayog recommendation for its expeditious completion.

For over three months now, the state government has been trying to replace the main contractor Transtroy India, saying it was unable to execute the works as desired.

The Centre, however, made it clear that it would not permit a change of contractor as it would lead to escalation of costs besides possibly causing legal problems.

The Chief Minister, however, prevailed upon the Union Water Resources Minister and a "via media" solution was found under which the project spillway and spill channel works would be entrusted to a new contractor.

Accordingly, the state invited bids early this month for selecting a new contractor and hoped to complete the process by December 15.

The state's plan, however, hit a roadblock two days ago when the Union Water Resources Department Secretary wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary directing that the tender process be stalled forthwith.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Managing Director of Arun Dev Builders, Manoj Bhardwaj, is planning to set up a food processing plant in rural areas of Central India with an aim to boost agricultural exports and investment for the betterment of Indian farmers and agriculture.

As with his assertions and ideas with real estate, Arun Dev's focus has once again moved to the lower income groups. This time it is the farmers who would be the beneficiaries of the group's initiatives.

"Farmers are often denied their rights to earn. The ones who spend their sweat and time earn in in bits as compared to how it is sold in the market. Therefore, my aim is to help them not only in terms of farming techniques but also in terms of industrial skills," expressed Manoj Bharadwaj.

He added, "I am simply doing what I have been doing. For me this is nothing new, I am building, with a difference," said Manoj Bharadwaj when asked about his decision to foray into the new sector. His endeavor consists of exporting processed foods like Indian spices and dry fruits which has high demand overseas.

The projects include establishing a community by bringing farmers and scientists. This will provide a scope of co-learning, whilst farmers will benefit from scientific aids in terms of harvesting as well as other agricultural practices. Educating farmers about the new techniques of cultivation and increasing the fertility of land, crop productivity will increase and the farmers will directly benefit from employment in offseason. It is likely that the scientific techniques of using fertilisers, insecticides, and pesticides can drastically improve the agricultural output of poor farmers in the Central Indian belt.

With a state-of-the-art Food Processing Plant, under the Make in India Initiative, the agro-produce will be processed and directly sent for export.

Manoj Bhardwaj is hopeful that the rise in exports and investments through the food processing unit will pave the way for the development in the cottage and small-scale industries, and create a whole new real estate market in rural areas. This can raise the income of farmers and employ them during the off seasons.

Arun Dev Builders' MD will soon initiate the development of clusters across the targeted regions and help farmers be independent of growing crops. Further, later initiatives will include overall development in the regions in the form of infrastructure, which will be supported by the expansion of food processing, packaging, and logistics sectors would come up at these regions, sources said. The company has plans to set up more such agro-industrial clusters in other parts of the country, in years to come.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prof Naela Quadri Baloch, head of the Baloch Women Forum (WBWF), has urged the United States to start compiling information for satisfactorily fulfilling statutory criteria for designation of former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf as Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGTs).

This has come in the wake of Musharraf coming out in support of the terror groups, the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), saying they were the biggest force against the Indian Army in Kashmir.

Prof Quadri Baloch, in a statement, said, "We strongly urge the US to immediately start compiling information for satisfactorily fulfilling statutory criteria for designation of Pervez Musharraf as Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGTs) under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, for associating with US designated terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and take appropriate steps to freeze all his assets and interests in the United States."

"Now that he has openly admitted , it is time for US to investigate the extent of control he exercised over LeT during and after his tenure as president of Pakistan. Investigation should include his role in assisting LeT in providing material and financial assistance, in recruiting terrorist operatives, gathering intelligence, covert terrorist operations," she added.

Prof Quadri Baloch further stated that Musharraf, who had callously butchered the Baloch using US-provided weapons, was still baying for Baloch blood.

"He needs to be brought to book for crimes against humanity. 'Those who stay in Pakistan, burn Pakistan's flag and raise anti-national slogans deserve to be butchered,' these are the words of Musharraf. It is high time for the US to rethink its policy towards Pakistan and impose condition of 'no use of US weapons in Balochistan' and halt further sales of weapons to prevent slow motion genocide of the Baloch," she added.

The statement further said that the WBWF urged all Governments around the to actively expose and isolate such individuals in the Pakistani Millitary and impose sanctions for global peace and security.

"Baloch activists will relentlessly expose Musharraf in all International bodies and educate global citizens about his role in butchery of Baloch," it concluded.

Earlier yesterday, speaking on Pakistan's ARY News, Musharraf said, "I am the biggest supporter of the LeT and I know they like me and the JuD also likes me."

He further said he liked the global terrorist, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, and had met him.

The former Pakistan president added he was always in favour of terrorist action in Kashmir, and the LeT and the JuD were the biggest forces to take on the Indian Army in the state.

He also accused India of declaring the LeT and the JuD as terror groups with the help of the United States.

Earlier this week, the US strongly condemned the release of LeT leader Hafiz Saeed from house arrest and called for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution.

The White House in a statement, said, "The United States strongly condemns the release of LeT leader Hafiz Saeed from house arrest in Pakistan and calls for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution."

"A clear international consensus exists regarding Saeed's culpability-he was designated by the United Nations under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008. The Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the United States, since 2012, has offered a $10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice," it read.

Saeed, accused of masterminding the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people, was released on November 24 after a Pakistan judicial body ordered his release from house arrest, rejecting a request from the government of Punjab to extend his detention by three months.

The decision to put Saeed under house arrest in January was seen as a response to actions by US President Donald Trump's White House against nations deemed linked to terrorism.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
United States President Donald Trump has stated that the "Chinese Envoy, who just returned from North Korea", apparently have "had no impact on Little Rocket Man," referring to the North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.

"The Chinese Envoy, who just returned from North Korea, seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man. Hard to believe his people, and the military, put up with living in such horrible conditions. Russia and China condemned the launch," Trump tweeted.

This comes in the backdrop of Pyongyang's latest missile launch.

China dispatched an envoy to North Korea earlier this month after Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, reported the Hill.

Earlier, Trump, in a tweet, had dubbed China's decision to send a special envoy to North Korea as "a big move".

"China is sending an Envoy and Delegation to North Korea - A big move, we'll see what happens!" Trump had tweeted.

North Korea said that it successfully tested a powerful new ICBM that put the entire U.S. mainland within range of its nuclear weapons.

This is North Korea's first missile attack since September 15, when it fired an intermediate-range missile.

On Wednesday, Trump announced new sanctions on North Korea after having a telephonic conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi.

The White House said that Trump "emphasized the need for China to use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization" during his call with Xi.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Wednesday also called on China to cut off its oil supply to North Korea.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi [India], Nov.30 (ANI): The cyber threat landscape is becoming ever more complex and destructive, and this was highlighted very effectively during an interaction with select media on Wednesday afternoon by experts associated with Kaspersky Lab, a multinational cyber security and anti-virus provider headquartered in Moscow, Russia, and operated by a holding company in the United Kingdom.

Participating in the interaction that followed a day-long Associated Chambers of Commerce of India (ASSOCHAM)-sponsored Cyber Resilience Summit here, were Stephan Neumeier, Managing Director of Kaspersky Lab (APAC), Vitaly Kamluk, Chief Malware Expert, Russian Global Research and Analysis Team, and Shrenik Bhayani, General Manager of Kaspersky Lab (South Asia).

All three were of the unanimous view that over the past few months, governments and enterprises are increasingly coming under attack with measurable impact on reputation, revenue, operations and customers.

"In the last year, we witnessed a number of cyber breaches, malicious ransomware and economic espionage," these cyber security experts said.

When asked specifically how cyber security resilient Kaspersky Lab is in the context of what they were projecting in terms of breaches and malicious ransomware, Kamluk said, "Kaspersky Lab today is in a position to say that it is not afraid about its systems being breached, but rather is afraid to be blind to existing or new threats in this sector."

"We are always thinking of and conceiving something new to enable us to discover attackers one after the other. We have been talking about ransomware threats for the past decade or more, and are using models to counter the problem at its root," he added.

Mr. Neumeier used the occasion to highlight why Kaspersky Lab sees India as a key market for cyber security-related initiatives.

He said, "From Kaspersky's point of view, India is a key market. We are keen to make major investments both in the B2B and the B2C environment and we have the right resources to do so. The Indian market is growing very fast, and by our estimate, its GDP is around the six percent mark. Only The Philippines appears to be better in terms of the Asia-Pacific region. We feel that growth in India is real and believe that investments drive growth initiatives. Business, infrastructure and information sectors are growing."

He further said that currently, the Kaspersky business model in India is 70 percent consumer oriented, and added that the investment shift towards a business-oriented portfolio would take about two years.

Mr. Bhayani said he still felt that there is a lot to be done and achieved under the Kaspersky consumer portfolio in terms of expansion in retail, digital and e-commerce. He said that there is a real need to generate awareness, for example, in securing a simple instrument such as your mobile phone.

He added that real time intelligence from a service perspective requires and needs leverage.

All three panelists also emphasized on having critical infrastructure in place to counter any form of cyber security threat. They warned that not doing so could cost not only the individual, but also the nation. Bhayani said Kaspersky will also be looking at expanding its involvement with people linked with OTs or operational technologies and information technologies.

"Kaspersky has to leverage channel partners to deal with cyber attacks and cyber security in India. We have to devise business plans. Our B2C business will increasingly be focused on branding; be associated with a brand ambassador. The task in this sector will be to generate awareness, to educate on all aspects of cyber security," said Bhayani and Neumeier, adding that it could be in the areas of IOTs, Linux or even OEM software.

The panelists also said that they were quite satisfied with the support that they were getting from the Indian government, especially in terms of carrying our joint investigations, research and or prototyping etc.

"The exchange of information is ongoing. We really want to do more. On the telecom side, we would like to target tier two and tier three internet service providers and convince them to accept and sell Kaspersky products. In a couple of months, an announcement will be made; channel partners will also be announced. Kaspersky is among the top three cyber security vendors in the world. We must acknowledge and accept that spending in cyber security is increasing, awareness is increasing, and that India is a major emerging market," both said.

Earlier, at the Cyber Resilience Summit, top professionals from the government, ASSOCHAM, cyber security cells, Ernst & Young and Kaspersky Lab, addressed the most pressing issues India and the world face in cyber security, and how best to handle them.

Kaspersky Lab gave an overview of the landscape in India and the world and what to expect in the near future.

Among those who attended were Rahul Rishi (Partner, E&Y), Dr. Gulshan Rai (National Cyber Security Coordinator, Govt. of India), Mr. K.J. Alphons (Minister of State for Tourism and Electronics & IT), S.D. Rawat (Secretary General, ASSOCHAM), Brijesh Singh (IGP, Head - Maharashtra Cyber), Bharat Panchal (Senior VP and Head - Risk Management, National Payment Corporation of India), Vidur Gupta (Partner, E&Y) and Dr. Madan Oberoi (Ex-Interpol).

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Conor McGregor fans, we might have some bad news for you.

It's been about a year since Conor 'The Notorious' McGregor last fought in the octagon and UFC president Dana White is not sure when he will return, reports Rolling Stone.

McGregor and White have been in talks for a new deal to bring the Irish superstar back to UFC in 2018.

While talking to members of the media this week, White said they were working on a fight for McGregor at the end of the year, but he is "just not ready."

White also suggested that money, particularly the USD 100 million payday, McGregor received from the Mayweather bout, has factored into his slow comeback.

"The guy's got a f***ing USD 100 million. And fighting is the worst. Try to get up and get punched in the face for a living when you've got $100 million in the bank," noted White.

White added, "I've got guys that made less than that, and were lawyers, and went to school their whole life and quit working."

McGregor hasn't fought in UFC since winning the 155-pound title in November 2016 by knocking out Eddie Alvarez and hasn't defended the title.

White has also played down claims that McGregor has been involved in a pub brawl involving a man with links to an Irish gangster.

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The Patiala House court will hear disproportionate assets case against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh and others on Thursday.

The court will also hear the application of Virbhadra Singh seeking permanent exemption from personal appearance before the court.

Earlier on October 31, the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court adjourned the hearing of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's exemption plea in disproportionate assets case to November 30.

During the previous hearing, the special court directed the CBI to hand over certain documents to Virbhadra in connection with the case.

The court's direction came after Virbhadra, his wife Pratibha Singh and others told the court that they have not received various documents filed along with the chargesheet.

Earlier on May 29, the court granted bail to all accused, including Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and his wife, in the matter.

Virbhadra was asked to furnish Rs one lakh personal bond and surety of same amount. He was also asked to not leave the country without the court's permission.

The CBI in his 500-page charge sheet claimed that Virbhadra had accumulated assets worth around Rs 10 crore which were disproportionate to his total income during his tenure as a Union minister.

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The Dutch authorities are investigating the apparent security breach which allowed former Bosnian Croat General Slobodan Praljak to take his own life on Wednesday.

The authorities are probing as to what the substance was and how Praljak was able to obtain it while being held in the UN detention.

"Anyone could have brought him a bottle of poison easily. Family, friends, journalists and lawyers were allowed to visit Praljak but that only lawyers were allowed to take bags into the detention facility," reported CNN, citing, Croatian lawyer Goran Mikulicic as saying.

Praljak had died after he claimed to have drunk poison at a UN Tribunal in The Hague when he lost an appeal.

Seconds after his war crimes sentence of 20 years was upheld at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Praljak raised a small brown bottle to his lips and drank it.

"Judges, I am not a war criminal, I reject the verdict with contempt," he said after drinking.

Dutch police declared the courtroom to be a crime scene.

Three out of the six defendants in the last case at the war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia had their sentences confirmed.

According to the reports, Praljak was originally sentenced in 2013 for his involvement in a campaign to drive Muslims out of a would-be Bosnian Croat mini-state in Bosnia in the early 1990s

Praljak was specifically charged with ordering the destruction of Mostar's 16th-century bridge in November 1993, which judges in the first trial had said "caused disproportionate damage to the Muslim civilian population".

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A journalist has called on Europe to raise its voice in support of Balochistan's representative to United Nations Human Rights Commission, Mehran Marri, who the Swiss authorities have banned from the nation, and therefore, have denied the opportunity to speak as usual to the commission, for the next ten years.

Mehran, his wife and children were recently illegally detained and filed even as there were no charges against them. And the reason for all the above-mentioned was described in a document, sent to Mehran that said "his presence could affect the good relations between Switzerland and Pakistan."

Francesca Marino, a specialist of South Asia and the author of 'Apocalypse Pakistan' with B Natale, has emphasised in her article "Mehran Marri story, or the attempt to silence the voice of unrepresented people", published in 'Stringer Asia', the various measures, that carry in every line the mark of Pakistani intelligence, under which Marri is indicted.

The author brings her point home, citing Geneva had ignored Islamabad's protests in the name of freedom of expression.

She, with these assertions, substantiates that Islamabad and its military intelligence "obviously have other arrows in their bow to convince the authorities of any European country to behave in their ways."

"The name, first of all: the measure is in the name of Mehran Baluch, born in Pakistan. Mehran Marri (and not Baloch) was born in Afghanistan, is a British citizen and Pakistan has nothing to do with him," Marino states, in her article.

"The above data is generally used by the ISI to try to put its hands on one of the most active and visible voices in denouncing the violations of legality and human rights in Balochistan. Mehran is accused of being at the head of a non-existent terrorist organisation, even this in use to the fictional narrative of ISI," she adds.

Marino adds Marri is accused of marrying the sister of Brahumdagh Bugti, considered by Pakistan a dangerous terrorist.

"Strange but true, however, no one is trying to expel Brahumdagh, who was fifteen years old for the last time he was in Pakistan: Brahumdagh Bugti has been living in Geneva for years and even tough his request of asylum has been refused, he has not been expelled by the country but only requested to stop his political activities," she says.

Referring to Balochistan as another Tibet, 'ignored by most', Marino further says that Pakistan is on the path of war because of the recurring campaigns that appeared on the walls of Geneva first and later on London's taxis and buses: Free Balochistan.

Marino goes to on to establish Marri's contribution in tirelessly denouncing to the Human Rights Commission and to the entire "thousands of missing people, mass graves, tortured and abandoned bodies at the edge of the street," and calls on Europe to not be a partner-in-crime of Pakistan in meting out this treatment to the Baloch.

The Baloch Organisation, in a bid to spread awareness about the cause of Balochistan in the UK, had earlier launched its third phase of #FreeBalochistan advertising campaign. Under the campaign, London taxis with the words 'Free Balochistan' written on both sides were seen plying outside the Buckingham Palace, while 100 London buses carried adverts that said "Free Balochistan", "Save The Baloch People" and "Stop Enforced Disappearances".

The advertisement drew strong contempt from the Pakistan Government officials, who pressurised the British Government to remove the WBO's adverts.

But what came as a blow to Pakistan, the United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) refused to take up any action against the removal of the advertisements from London's buses and taxis.

For decades in Balochistan, economic exploitation through the plundering of natural resources, and the systematic economic, social and political exclusion of indigenous Baloch people, has become a norm.

In addition to this, enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings and an escalating crackdown on freedom of expression are used as covert tools to brutally repress the peaceful struggle for justice, rights and equality of the Baloch.

Reports say at least 8,000 Baloch are still victims of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, while 1,500 such victims were killed and dumped, according to human rights organisations.

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The summit between European and African leaders, which is underway in Ivory Coast, will be considering a plan for voluntary evacuation of migrants from Libya's government-controlled detention camps.

French President Emmanuel Macron described the abuse of migrants as "a crime against humanity" and said that the European Union and African Union would "launch concrete military and policing action on the ground to dismantle those networks," The Guardian quoted him as saying.

The plan, when implemented, could see up to 15,000 people flown out of Libya, requires the government to allow the United Nation's evacuation planes to land, as well as for source countries to come to a holding centre in Tripoli and take back their citizens.

Migrants without documentation would be held until their case is resolved.

The European Union is likely to provide the funding, which speeds up a voluntary repatriation scheme already being run by the International Organization for Migration.

Opening the summit, the Ivorian president, Alassane Ouattara, said: "Given this wretched drama which recalls the worst hours of human history, I would like to appeal to our sense of responsibility to take all urgent measures to put an end to this practice, which belongs to another age."

Migration was already at the top of the agenda for the first AU-EU summit since 2014, but the footage of markets in Libya injected immediacy into the issue, spurring French government calls at the UN on Tuesday for sanctions against identified traffickers, the closure of migrant detention camps and renewed calls for Europe to accept more African migrants on a managed basis.

More than 3,000 migrants have died trying to cross the Mediterranean to Italy this year, it was confirmed this week.

Both Macron, and the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, have promised to make Africa a priority, but details of EU funds for Africa are often opaque.

President Macron is on a three-day tour of Africa.

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After allegations of 'inappropriate behaviour with an individual who worked with him,' Garrison Keillor, the creator and retired host of 'A Prairie Home Companion,' was fired on Wednesday by Minnesota Public Radio.

Responding to his dismissal, Keillor posted a statement to his website.

"I've been fired over a story that I think is more interesting and more complicated than the version MPR heard. It's some sort of poetic irony to be knocked off the air by a story, having told so many of them myself, but I'm 75 and don't have any interest in arguing about this," the statement read.

"I cannot in conscience bring danger to a great organization I've worked hard for since 1969. I am sorry for all the poets whose work I won't be reading on the radio and sorry for the people who will lose work on account of this. But my profound feeling is that of gratitude, especially to my wife Jenny, and for this painful experience that has brought us even closer together."

Keillor added that he is "deeply grateful," for his years working on 'A Prairie Home Companion,' and other productions.

The 75-year-old created the folksy variety program in 1974 and hosted it for decades until he retired last year.

MPR will terminate its contracts with Keillor and his media companies, stop rebroadcasting Keillor-hosted episodes of 'A Prairie Home Companion', and change the name of the show's current iteration, reports The Guardian.

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New Zealand right-arm seamer Matt Henry has been confirmed as a replacement for injured Tim Southee for the opening Test of the two-match series against West Indies, beginning at the Basin Reserve on Friday.

Confirming the news, skipper Kane Williamson revealed that Henry has been preferred as Southee's replacement over fast bowler Lockie Ferguson for the first Test match.

Despite Ferguson bagging seven wickets for New Zealand A against the West Indies earlier this week, Williamson insisted that Henry has been chosen for the national team since he has been playing exceedingly well for a long time now.

"He probably hasn't had the opportunities he's deserved and now is a great opportunity for him. He's a different bowler to Lockie but has been bowling with good pace and does tend to move the ball well," Sport24 quoted Williamson, as saying.

As a result, Henry will join the third pace-bowling spot with Trent Boult and Neil Wagner.

Earlier, Southee was ruled out of the first Test against West Indies because of a pending birth of his first child.

Meanwhile, uncapped wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Blundell is also in line to make Test debut for New Zealand after being drafted in the squad as BJ Watling's replacement, who was ruled out due to a hip injury.

Besides Tests, the two sides are also scheduled to play three-match ODI series, beginning December 20 at the Cobham Oval, Whangarei.

The New Zealand squad for first Test is as follows:

Kane Williamson (captain), Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, Mitchell Santner, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult.

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A soldier has been injured on Thursday in an ongoing encounter between security forces and terrorists in the Sopore area of Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The security forces launched the search operation in Sagipora village after getting tip off of the terrorists' hideout.

The terrorists fired on the search party of the security forces, who retaliated.

Earlier in the day, another encounter was raged between the security forces and terrorists in Budgam district.

At least two Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants were reportedly trapped.

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Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office, Jitendra Singh, on Thursday said Congress was the lone party where with each electoral defeat, the leader got an elevation or a promotion.

Speaking to ANI, the union minister said, "Rahul Gandhi was the general secretary then the vice-president. Now this month, the results will be declared of the Gujarat Assembly elections and within 24 hours of the Congress' defeat which is forgone conclusion, he will become the president of the party. With every electoral defeat, the leader gets an elevation or a promotion."

When asked about Maharashtra Congress Secretary Shehzad Poonawalla showing disagreement with the party's internal dynamics, Singh said, "This is an internal matter of the Congress party but since now they are in public life, the entire country knows that this is one party where it is always predictable who is going to be the next president. I don't know to what extent the inner party democracy is actually practiced over there."

He further said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was the only political party which had given India a grass-root democracy in the true sense, particularly in the last three to four years.

Shehzad Poonawalla had earlier slammed the process to elect Congress president, calling it "rigged", citing he had the information that the delegates, who were going to vote for the election, were fixed.

"I have got information that the delegates, who are going to vote for the party president election, are fixed. This process is rigged. They have been appointed for their loyalty," Poonawalla told ANI.

Poonawalla, an office-bearer of the Maharashtra Congress, further said the election process was in reality a "selection process" and perhaps a "sham" of an election procedure.

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A journalist was shot dead by unidentified bike-borne assailants in Kanpur's Bilhaur Town on Thursday.

The deceased has been identified as Naveen Srivastava. He used to work with Kanpur's Hindustan newspaper.

Minutes after the incident, the locals rushed him to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The accused are on the run.

A case has been registered in this regard and further investigation is on.

This is not the first incident; even on November 21, a journalist was shot dead by a Tripura State Rifles (TSR) trooper during an altercation in Bodhjung Nagar in Tripura. He was taken to G B Hospital in Agartala where the doctors declared him brought dead.

On September 20, a television journalist, Santanu Bhowmik, was killed allegedly by some activists of a party in Tripura's Mandai village.

Not forgetting, September 5, when an eminent journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants at her home in Karnataka's Bengaluru which took the country by shock.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on late Thursday night directed state Director General of Police (DGP) to follow up the investigation of journalist, Naveen Srivastava, who was shot by assailants in Kanpur.

Meanwhile, Additional director general of police, (ADG Law and Order), Anand Kumar informed, "journalist Srivastava was shot at by three or four assailants while he was sitting in his hosiery shop".

"We hope to nab the criminals as soon as possible. District Magistrate (DM) and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Kanpur Nagar are already on the spot. Couple of local police teams formed to crack the case," he said.

Earlier in the day, a journalist was shot dead by unidentified bike-borne assailants in Kanpur's Bilhaur Town.

The deceased has been identified as Naveen Srivastava. He used to work with Kanpur's Hindustan newspaper.

Minutes after the incident, the locals rushed him to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The accused are on the run.

A case has been registered in this regard and further investigation is on.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kirron Kher on Thursday cried foul over the controversy her Chandigarh gang-rape statement has sparked and asked the Opposition to not politicise it.

The BJP MP has been facing flak from various quarters after she quipped that the Chandigarh gang-rape victim could have averted the incident by using her 'common sense'.

Kher was alluding to an incident where a 21-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by three men while returning home in an auto-rickshaw on November 17.

Speaking to ANI, the parliamentarian said the Opposition was trying to give it a political colour, which was unfortunate.

"It is very unfortunate that in our country, every statement is politicised. I am a woman and a mother and I have always spoken up for women's rights whether it is in the Parliament or outside. I think to give this a political colour is very unfortunate. It is in extreme poor taste to politicise these things. I am only looking to the security of the girls of the city," she said.

She further requested the political parties to not politicise issues like rape, women security as they were sensitive issues.

The BJP MP further asked all the women to protect themselves and take certain precautions to avert such incidents.

"I would like to tell all the women that the Chandigarh Police provides you with the facility that if you are in a place where you are unable to find a public transport then you can dial 100. The police will then send a PCR to pick you up and drop you to your residence. So I think you should avail this facility. We also have smartphones with which we can click a picture of the number plate of the autorickshaws or of the drivers. We have to learn how to look after ourselves. I am saying this things as a mother, not as a politician," she added.

Speaking at a press conference here, Kher on Wednesday said the woman was allegedly gang-raped by an autodriver and his two accomplices should have applied common sense and not boarded the vehicle as three men were already sitting inside it.

"Bachchi ki samajhdaari ko bhi main thoda sa kehna chahti hun. saari bachiyon ko.. ki already jab koi teen aadmi baithe hue hain uske andar. to aapko usme bethna nahi chahiye tha..I am saying this to protect the girls...," Kher said.

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Kuwait on Thursday invited Qatar to a summit of Gulf countries next week amid the existent Saudi-led diplomatic boycott of Doha.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit is scheduled for December 5 and 6.

Kuwait, which is not among Arab states boycotting Qatar, invited Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Haman al-Thani to the summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council on December 5 and 6, the state-run KUNA news agency said.

The message was delivered by Kuwait's ambassador to Qatar during a meeting with Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Haman Al Thani on Thursday.

In June, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain abruptly cut diplomatic and commercial ties with Doha.

The quartet has accused Qatar of funding "terrorism", a charge that Doha has vehemently denied, calling it an attempt to isolate it.

Kuwait has been trying to play the mediating role from the past six months for the ongoing Gulf crises.

According to the reports, Bahrain said in October that it will refuse to attend the summit if Doha does not change its policies and urged the other countries to suspend Qatar's membership of the GCC.

The GCC, which was established in 1981, is a political and economic alliance of countries in the Arabian Peninsula.

Its member states are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

It promotes economic, security, cultural and social cooperation between the six states and holds a summit every year to discuss regional affairs.

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Pakistan is likely to allow cotton imports from India to meet the demand of key textile industry but with tough conditions for consignments from the neighbouring country.

"Pakistan is likely to start issuing permit for import of cotton from India through land route in a next few days under new tough conditions that may not fully ease already imposed restrictions on trade," The News International quoted an official as saying.

According to the report, Pakistan, which is the world's fourth largest cotton producing country, falls short of around four million bales a year to meet the local demand of nearly 16 million bales.

As per officials, a permit from the Department of Plant Protection of Pakistan's food ministry is mandatory, under the new phytosanitary conditions, for import of unprocessed cotton, including raw or seed cotton, from India.

The consignments would be inspected and tested by the National Plant Protection Organisation according to appropriate procedures and to ensure the goods are free from biosecurity pests.

Pakistan Government had suspended the import of cotton from India last year after its Department of Plant Protection had put forward some objections.

Earlier in the past, Pakistan used to import 0.5 to 2.8 million cotton bales from India.

Naseem Usman, chairman of Karachi Cotton Brokers Association is expecting an import of around 0.7 million bales from India this year.

Describing Indian cotton as good in quality, Usman said it would be convenient for them to buy cotton from India, as delivery time was short and price was feasible.

However, Ihsanul Haq, chairman of Pakistan Cotton Ginners Forum, said the new conditions would not help in fully restoring cotton trade between the two countries.

A senior textile ministry's official said tough conditions were indispensable to protect any threat to local cotton crop as imported seeds may contain diseases and also carry eggs of various insects and pests.

Textile mills in Pakistan have been long demanding restoration of cotton import from India, the world's second biggest cotton producer, to meet shortfall in local production.

All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) also urged the government to immediately notify withdrawal of four percent customs duty and five percent sales tax and other non-tariff restrictions on import of cotton to enable the industry to meet its export commitments.

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Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not a real Hindu, a day later Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) questioned Rahul Gandhi's faith following his visit to Somnath Temple.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not a real Hindu. These people (BJP) have forgotten the Hindu religion and adopted 'Hindutva' instead," the Congress leader told media.

The former Union Law Minister said the political discourse in the election campaigning in poll-bound Gujarat was deliberately being brought down by the BJP, as they lack issues to debate on.

"In Gujarat, BJP is not talking about demonetisation or GST. Therefore, it is evident that the politics has deteriorated. It seems that the development related concerns have lost somewhere in the Gujarat Assembly elections," Sibal said.

Sibal's remark came after a row erupted over Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's visit to the temple in Gujarat, wherein his name was allegedly listed as a non-Hindu visitor in the visitor-book.

The controversy started when party's media coordinator Manoj Tyagi allegedly entered names of Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Ahmed Patel in the special register for non-Hindus visiting the temple.

Soon, the BJP leaders began questioning Congress scion's faith.

Later in the day, the Congress also issued clarification on Twitter saying, "There is only one visitor's book at Somnath Temple that was signed by Congress VP Rahul Gandhi. Any other image being circulated is fabricated.

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Thwarting vicious plot of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, the Indian security forces recently arrested some dreaded pro-Khalistan extremists from Punjab.

It includes a British national, identified as Jagtar Singh Johal alias Jaggi, who was arrested on November 4. Apart from target killings, these extremists are using the cyberspace to incite youth in Punjab.

Jaggi was in touch with Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) members including its chief Harminder Singh.

His name has emerged multiple times during interrogation of members of recently busted modules hired by Sikh extremist groups in Punjab.

The interrogations have also revealed that there are links of foreign-based radical extremist entities that are trying to revive Sikh militancy in India.

Suresh Arora, Director General of Police, Punjab said, "One is (that the) ISI link is well established. Two, the nexus between the gangsters in providing the weapons is well established. Three, exploitation of our innocent youth by radicalising them. To misguide those sitting outside and those who are here, that is also well established".

Jagtar Singh has also been associated with Gursharanbir Singh of the UK and Harmeet, based in Pakistan for promoting terror activities. He and Gursharanbir Singh have discussed ways to revive militancy in Punjab.

Another Khalistan Liberation Front member, Taljeet Singh, who was in touch with Jaggi while living in Glasgow,Scotland is now in jail for funding and sourcing of weapons.

There is no doubt that Jaggi is a radicalised youth and those who are taking up his cause on social media are supporting a terrorist.

Due process of law is being followed.

Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab sais, "Well, ISI is always looking after any opportunity whether it is Khalistani or anything and to disturb the peace in India is ISI's objective, so whether they were Khalistanis or not, only time will tell, but certainly the background is ISI".

Shashi Kant, former DGP (Prisons), Punjab said, "The consistent efforts of Pakistan are, have been and will continue to make an attempt to ensure that somehow there is any trouble and instability in Punjab and other parts of the country".

In UK, pro-Khalistan activists are running propaganda on social media that Jaggi was tortured by the police.

This malicious campaign is being spread to catch the attention of British and Canadian Parliamentarians and to put pressure on India to release him.

Officers of the Punjab police who are involved with this case, and their family members have received death threats.

As videos of his court appearances show, he looks healthy and has no torture marks. His medical reports also show that there has been no torture.

Punjab police has also been in touch with the British High Commission and have been updating them on the case.

On November 15, two consular officers from the British High Commission, viz. Margaret Patridge and Amit Kotecha, met him. They were satisfied that all legal rights were being provided to Jaggi.

The British government is on the same page as India that Jaggi is involved with terror activities and that the law should take its course.

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Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara are all set to reveal tender relationship between Mary and Jesus in their upcoming movie 'Mary Magdalene'.

The makers unveiled the first trailer of the high-anticipated movie yesterday and it looks like the fans are in for an emotional ride.

The moving 2 minute 36 second video follows the outcast young woman (Rooney Mara) as she searches for a new way of living.

In the trailer a troubled Mary is cleansed of her 'demons' by Jesus (Joaquin Phoenix), who smiles and says, "There are no demons here," as he lays his hand on her forehead.

She watches while Jesus heals the sick and, when she points out that women are too scared to approach him, the Son of God tells her to do it.

Now firmly established in the movement, Mary finds herself at the heart of a journey that will lead to Jerusalem.

In a moment of foreboding, Jesus' mother asks Mary if she loves her son and when she says 'yes,' warns her that 'you must prepare yourself to lose him.'

Quick flashes show the ghastly crucifixion after Mary promises to be with Jesus 'until the end.'

But 'the end' never comes as she becomes a witness to a miracle.

Helmed by Garth Davis and written by Helen Edmundson and Philipa Goslett, the flick is slated theatres on March 16 in the UK.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj has attended a joint dinner hosted by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in honour of the participants of the meeting of council of heads of govenment of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states in Sochi.

The two-day SCO Summit being held in Russia's Sochi began on Thursday.

Swaraj will have bilateral meetings with several leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

She will be attending the restricted meeting of the heads of delegations on Friday, which will be followed by the preliminary sessions.

In June, India along with Pakistan had become a full-fledged member of the SCO.

India's membership was strongly pushed by Russia, while Pakistan's entry was backed by China.

Swaraj will return back to India on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attended the SCO summit in June in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan.

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Maharashtra Congress Secretary on Thursday slammed the process to elect party president, calling it "rigged", citing he had the information that the delegates, who were going to vote for the election, were fixed.

"I have got information that the delegates, who are going to vote for the party president election, are fixed. This process is rigged. They have been appointed for their loyalty," Poonawalla told ANI.

Poonawalla, an office-bearer of the Maharashtra Congress, further reiterated his stance he presented on Wednesday and said the election process was, in reality, a "selection process" and perhaps a "sham" of an election procedure.

"The election is a selection and not an election. It's a sham election process," he quipped.

Poonawalla had earlier told the media he would want to contest the election if it was conducted in a genuine manner. Adding to this, he stated, "I think there should be only one ticket in one family, be it or Rahul Gandhi."

Earlier on Wednesday, Poonawalla, claiming that the poll process to elect the Congress president has been stacked in Rahul's favour just because he belongs to the Gandhi family, took to Twitter and said, "Raising an issue nobody in my party - the Congress will have guts to raise- my conscience will not allow me to stay quiet anymore on Dynasty/ sycophancy."

He also tagged his brother, Tehseen Poonawalla, in his tweet, and wrote, "@tehseenp has no idea about this issue else he would have stopped me too."

Tehseen is married to Rahul's brother-in-law Robert Vadra's sister Monicka.

Tehseen responded through a tweet and said, "I am stunned with what @Shehzad_Ind is doing at the time @INCIndia is winning Gujarat. I officially give up all relationship with him politically. The congress needs @OfficeOfRG to be the president."

In a series of tweets, Tehseen announced to end his relationship with Shehzad "officially."

"I officially end all relationship with @Shehzad_Ind . I have never been this hurt. We needed to defeat the BJP. This is unacceptable . Im very very hurt today . Been stabbed in the back ..And how," he posted.

Meanwhile, Poonawalla's move triggered various kinds of reactions from the Twitterati.

Poonawalla responded by tweeting a quote by Martin Luther King that implied he was simply following his conscience.

"I know from tomorrow all kinds of stories will start - I will be targeted :) I am an active Maharashtra Congress Secretary & nobody had any problems till today but new stories to target me will come :) prepared for it- I want Non Dynasts & Merit over Dynasty !! Am I wrong?" he tweeted.

To this end, Poonawalla told ANI, "It takes courage to speak out, and I am sure there will be all kinds of attacks against me. But I have facts.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Thursday welcomed Jammu and Kashmir Government's order of withdrawing cases against 4,327 youth involved in protests, saying it would give them a chance to build their future.

"The list is cleared by the Investigation Agency (NIA) as we thought that all the protesters should be given another chance. We will watch their developments and we are a democratic humane society not an Islamic terrorist society, therefore, we are giving them an opportunity to go back to school and be brilliant students," Swamy told ANI.

However, the firebrand leader added that the accused youth could be again taken into custody if they did not follow rules.

On Wednesday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti ordered the withdrawal of cases against youth involved in 744 cases of stone pelting in the valley.

Last year the chief minister ordered withdrawal of 104 cases against 634 people.

The decision was made on the basis of the report submitted by a high-powered committee headed by Director General of Police (DGP), said an official.

The chief minister initiated the review of cases against youth from 2008 to 2014 and in the first instance 104 cases involving 634 youth were withdrawn within two months of her assuming power.

The process was disrupted due to unrest in the valley last year.

With this, the total number of cases withdrawn so far on the directions of the chief minister has gone up to 848, and the people benefitting out of these withdrawals stand at 4957.

Mufti recently also directed review of cases from 2015-2017 and decision on the same would be taken on the receipt of report by the high-powered committee.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tehseen Poonawalla, brother of Maharashtra Congress Secretary Shehzad Poonawalla who called out the party's president election 'rigged', has refused to be associated with his brother, citing he should have voiced his grievances at the party forum instead of taking it to Twitter or the media.

"He never discussed with me, my wife or my mother about what he was up to. Any grievances Shehzad had in the party can be brought up in the inter-party forum. There is no need to go to the media and bring out these things," Tehseen Poonawalla told ANI, and added, "I formally and firmly declare in front of the media - my wife, my mother and I have nothing to do with Shehzad Poonawalla; we refuse to be associated with him."

"Such a huge party and not one person is raising a voice shows that Shehzad might have been misguided on what he's saying," he added.

Earlier yesterday, Shehzad Poonawalla, claiming that the poll process to elect the Congress president was stacked in Rahul's favour just because he belongs to the Gandhi family, took to Twitter and said, "Raising an issue nobody in my party - the Congress will have guts to raise- my conscience will not allow me to stay quiet anymore on Dynasty/ sycophancy."

An office-bearer of the Maharashtra Congress, Poonawalla had earlier told the media he would want to contest the election if it was conducted in a genuine manner. Adding to this, he told ANI, "I think there should be only one ticket in one family, be it Shehzad Poonawalla or Rahul Gandhi."

Reacting to his brother's statement, Tehseen said he was "stunned" on hearing him last night on TV and seeing his tweets, and added that the statement was particularly harmful to the party against the backdrop of Gujarat polls.

"The only leading party that can take on the BJP is Congress and its allies, and we need to strengthen the Congress, and for that we need to strengthen Rahul Gandhi," he added.

Tehseen had also responded to his brother last night through a tweet and said, "I am stunned with what @Shehzad_Ind is doing at the time @INCIndia is winning Gujarat. I officially give up all relationship with him politically. The congress needs @OfficeOfRG to be the president."

In a series of tweets, Tehseen also announced to end his relationship with Shehzad "officially."

Tehseen is married to Rahul's brother-in-law Robert Vadra's sister Monicka. However, he is not a member of the Congress.

However, a letter by Shehzad addressing Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi reveals that he had taken up few matters with him earlier on November 15, but to no avail.

"I am saddened that there has been no response to my letter to you dated 15th November 2017 in which I had requested your valuable time to discuss issues relating to civil rights ( including minority rights for certain communities like Hindus and Kashmiri Pandits in Punjab, J&K ) and the most important issue of dynasty and fair opportunity to non-dynasts within the party," the letter dated November 30 read.

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The Trump administration, which is mulling to oust Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, has said that he will be in Brussels on December 4 to discuss United States-European Union cooperation on major global issues.

States department spokesperson Heather Nauert on Thursday in a statement said, "Tillerson will also meet with senior Belgian officials, as well as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and the foreign ministers of the 28 European Union member states to discuss US-EU cooperation on major global issues."

Tillerson on Thursday made an unannounced visit to the White House after the news spread of CIA Director Mike Pompeo replacing him as the Secretary of State.

The switch is likely to happen 'within the next several weeks', reported the New York Times, citing senior administration officials as saying.

According to reports, Sebastian Gorka, former advisor to President Donald Trump, told Breitbart in October, Pompeo is "very loyal to the president."

"Having somebody like Pompeo come into the State Department would be great news," Gorka added.

Pompeo's role will be assigned to Republican Senator Tom Cotton at the CIA who had been a key ally of President Donald Trump on national security matters. The senator has advised Trump on issues like the Iran nuclear deal and immigration.

Pompeo, 53, served as a congressman from Kansas before heading the CIA.

Cotton, a 40-year-old Army veteran, first won his Senate seat in 2014.

The White House chief of staff John F. Kelly developed the transition plan. However it is yet unclear if Trump has given final approval to the plan.

Tillerson has been at odds with Trump over a host of major issues.

Their approaches have disparities on North Korea and Iran's nuclear programme among other issues.

The Secretary of State was even reported to have described the president as a "moron".

Trump had publicly criticized Tillerson for "wasting his time" with a diplomatic outreach to North Korea.

"Tillerson will travel to Brussels, Belgium; Vienna, Austria; and Paris, France, December 4-8, to discuss bilateral issues," said the statement.

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The switch is likely to happen 'within the next several weeks', reported the New York Times, citing senior administration officials as saying.

According to reports, Sebastian Gorka, former advisor to President Donald Trump, told Breitbart in October, Pompeo is "very loyal to the president."

"Having somebody like Pompeo come into the State Department would be great news," Gorka added.

Pompeo's role will be assigned to Republican Senator Tom Cotton at the CIA who had been a key ally of President Donald Trump on national security matters. The senator has advised Trump on issues like the Iran nuclear deal and immigration.

Pompeo, 53, served as a congressman from Kansas before heading the CIA.

Cotton, a 40-year-old Army veteran, first won his Senate seat in 2014.

The White House chief of staff John F. Kelly developed the transition plan. However it is yet unclear if Trump has given final approval to the plan.

Tillerson has been at odds with Trump over a host of major issues.

Their approaches have disparities on North Korea and Iran's nuclear programme among other issues.

The Secretary of State was even reported to have described the president as a "moron".

Trump had publicly criticized Tillerson for "wasting his time" with a diplomatic outreach to North Korea.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
United States President Donald Trump has spoken with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to address North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile launch that impacted within Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.

"The two leaders agreed that the North Korean regime's provocative actions are undermining its security and further isolating it from the international community. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to combat the North Korean threat," said the White House in a statement on Wednesday.

An unidentified ballistic missile was fired by North Korea in the direction of the Sea of Japan yesterday.

The missile "flew eastward from the vicinity of Pyongyang" toward the Sea of Japan, South Korean military officials said.

It was fired in the middle of the night (local time) on Wednesday, a US official said to Fox News, which seemed to have landed within exclusive economic zone of Japan.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe termed the misslie launch to be ''absolutely intolerable'' as it "tramples on the international community's unified determination to find a peaceful solution for the former's issue", a local media reported.

On the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) launch by North Korea, which squashed into the Sea of Japan, Prime Minister Abe told media that the government will take "every possible measure for crisis management".

The Japanese Prime Minister assured full protection to its people.

The National Security of Council held an emergency meeting, which was attended by Cabinet ministers, including Abe, Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera.

"We would urge UN Security Council for an emergency meeting over North Korea missile fire," local media quoted Japanese PM Abe as saying.

He requested the international community to unite in this fight and to "implement sanctions against Pyongyang".

Japan's Prime Minister's Office had earlier said that the missile has the possibility of "arriving in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of our country."

The missile fire comes a day after United States President Donald Trump in a summit meeting with Prime Minister Abe extended support to japan and said, "the United States of America is behind Japan, our great ally, 100 percent."

On September 15, North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile, which flew over Hokkaido Island in Japan before and swashed into the Pacific Ocean.

"South Korean unification minister Cho Myoung-gyon told foreign correspondents in Seoul on Tuesday that North Korea is on the verge of achieving full nuclear capability with an intercontinental ballistic missile that could carry a nuclear warhead," Fox news quoted the local media.

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Taking a jibe at British Prime Minister Theresa May, United States President Donald Trump on Thursday said that she should focus on "the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom.

President Trump tweeted, "Theresa @theresamay, don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!"

.@Theresa_May, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2017

The US President's statement came after the British Prime Minister branded the former "wrong" for retweeting anti-Islam videos, which was originally published by Jayda Fransen, a leader of a far-right British fringe party, who was earlier convicted for abusing a Muslim woman.

Local media reports quoted May as saying, "It is wrong for the president to have done this."

The President retweeted three videos from Britain First on Wednesday morning with one carrying the caption "Muslim migrants beating up a Dutch boy on crutches", another claimed to show an "Islamist mob" pushing a teenager off a roof and beating him to death while a third allegedly showed a Muslim man destroying a Virgin Mary statue, said the Independent.
United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday spoke with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in to discuss the alliance's response to North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

"Both leaders underscored the grave threat that North Korea's latest provocation poses not only to the United States and the Republic of Korea, but to the entire world," said a statement by the White House.

They reaffirmed their strong condemnation of North Korea's reckless campaign to advance its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, noting that these weapons only serve to undermine North Korea's security and deepen its diplomatic and economic isolation.

An unidentified ballistic missile was fired by North Korea in the direction of the Sea of Japan yesterday.

The missile "flew eastward from the vicinity of Pyongyang" toward the Sea of Japan, South Korean military officials said.

It was fired in the middle of the night (local time) on Wednesday, a US official said to Fox News, which seemed to have landed within exclusive economic zone of Japan.

Japan's Prime Minister's Office said: "North Korea launched a missile that has the possibility of arriving in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of our country."

This is North Korea's first missile attack since September 15 when it fired an intermediate-range missile, which flew over Hokkaido Island in Japan before and into the Pacific Ocean.

"South Korean unification minister Cho Myoung-gyon told foreign correspondents in Seoul on Tuesday that North Korea is on the verge of achieving full nuclear capability with an intercontinental ballistic missile that could carry a nuclear warhead," Fox news quoted a local news agency.

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kirron Kher on Thursday drew wrath on the social media for her remark against Chandigarh gang-rape victim.

The BJP MP invited the backlash after she quipped that the Chandigarh gang-rape victim could have averted the incident by using her 'common sense'.

Kher was alluding to an incident where a 21-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by three men while returning home in an auto-rickshaw on November 17

The Twitterati, including Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal, vented their ire at the parliamentarian for her insensitive and victim-shaming remark.

Expressing her rage, Maliwal said, "Victim shaming & blaming by woman MP @kirronkherBJP. Pathetic! Sorry but unlike some, survivor may not be able 2 afford luxury of a car! So many times, most of us have been stuck without transport & end up sharing vehicles. How does it make one responsible 4 wrong act by others?"

Another Twitter user asked Kher to resign for defending the rapists.

Another Twitter user said that her statement was a "slap on the face of every woman who risks going out there to make a life for themselves."

The Twitter bashing did not stop here.

Speaking at a press conference here, Kher on Wednesday said that the woman, who was allegedly gang-raped by an autodriver and his two accomplices, should have applied common sense and not boarded the vehicle as three men were already sitting inside it.

"Bachchi ki samajhdaari ko bhi main thoda sa kehna chahti hun. saari bachiyon ko.. ki already jab koi teen aadmi baithe hue hain uske andar. to aapko usme bethna nahi chahiye tha..I am saying this to protect the girls...," Kher opined.

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At least two people were killed and four others injured after unidentified gunmen, riding a motorcycle, opened fire outside an imambargah in Islamabad.

One person died on the spot, while the police later confirmed that one of the injured succumbed to his wounds taking the death toll to two, Geo News reported, on Wednesday.

According to local media reports, an Intelligence Bureau official was amongst those killed in the shooting incident. The gunmen fled from the scene after opening fire on the people.

An investigation into the incident in underway.

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The British High Commission has marked the 10th anniversary of the specialist security "Control Risks" operating in India at a reception hosted at the High Commissioner's residence.

The company, which specialises in internal investigations, operational crises, and cyber-security, also provides guidance and assistance to British companies entering India for the first time.

British High Commissioner Sir Dominic Asquith said, "I'm delighted to be hosting this reception to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Control Risks in India. Control Risks is a leading global risk consultancy provider and I'm very pleased to be able to work with them here where they serve as an excellent example of the UK's expertise in compliance, security and strategic risk management."

Global CEO of Control Risks, Richard Fenning spoke about the larger extent of risks, organisations can expect to face in 2018.

Senior Partner and Head of Control Risks in India and South Asia, Mr. James Owen said, "India is of strategic importance to Control Risks. There is an abundance of opportunity in the market for Control Risks' clients. The essence of Control Risks is its unique combination of diverse expertise, so when you engage with Control Risks in India, you are able to tap into a global company that brings multiple perspectives and deep on the ground experience and expertise. "

In terms of future ambitions, Control Risks aims to support its clients in India by providing strategic consultancy, expert analysis and in-depth understanding of the market, handling sensitive political issues and providing practical on-ground response and support.

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A special court on Thursday will pronounce its judgment in connection with the terrorist attack on the makeshift Ram temple in Ayodhya in 2005.

Earlier, the verdict was scheduled to be delivered on April 12 but was adjourned to November 30.

On July 5, 2005, five armed terrorists attacked the makeshift Ram temple in Ayodhya in Faizabad killing two civilians and injuring seven.

However, the security forces gunned down all the terrorists and had arrested five people for hatching conspiracy to carry out the attack.

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Eight Rohingyas, including two women and four children, who were arrested in Khayerpur area on Wednesday said they reached Tripura in search of jobs.

The police on Thursday said they were on their way to Agartala on an inter-state bus but deboarded it mistakenly at Khayerpur and were spotted there moving aimlessly.

They were then taken to the police station on suspicious grounds.

During interrogation, they disclosed that they were from Myanmar and they had sneaked into India from Bangladesh and via West Bengal had gone to Kashmir, a few years ago.

However, they were now in Tripura in search of jobs.

Despite showing United Nation refugee cards, the police said that they would be produced before a court today.

Rohingyas, described by the United Nations as the world's most persecuted people, have been facing a threat to their lives in Myanmar where they are not considered citizens.

In August, the country's security forces launched a military campaign in Rakhine state, where majority of Rohingya Muslims reside, following terrorist attacks on their posts.

In the following months, over 6 lakh Rohingyas have fled the country and taken refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government had recently said the Rohingya Muslims were illegal immigrants and pitched for their deportation.

The Supreme Court, however, had asked the Centre not to treat them as a security issue, but consider it as a humanitarian and human rights issue.

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The Trump administration is mulling to replace incumbent United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

The switch is likely to happen 'within the next several weeks', reported the New York Times, citing senior administration officials as saying.

According to the reports, Sebastian Gorka, former advisor to President Donald Trump, told Breitbart in October, Pompeo is "very loyal to the president."

"Having somebody like Pompeo come into the State Department would be great news," Gorka added.

Pompeo's role will be assigned to Republican Senator Tom Cotton at the CIA who had been a key ally of President Donald Trump on national security matters. The senator has advised Trump on issues like the Iran nuclear deal and immigration.

Pompeo, 53, served as a congressman from Kansas before heading the CIA.

Cotton, a 40-year-old Army veteran, first won his Senate seat in 2014.

The White House chief of staff John F. Kelly developed the transition plan. However it is yet unclear if Trump has given final approval to the plan.

Tillerson has been at odds with Trump over a host of major issues.

Their approaches have disparities on North Korea and Iran's nuclear programme among other issues.

The Secretary of State was even reported to have described the president as a "moron".

Trump had publicly criticized Tillerson for "wasting his time" with a diplomatic outreach to North Korea.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
South Asia's ambitious plans to meet its climate targets under the Paris Agreement represent $3.4 trillion worth of investment opportunities in cities and infrastructure by 2030, according to Climate Investment Opportunities in South Asia, a new report by IFC released today by IFC, a member of the World Bank Group.

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, which represent 7.38 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, have enormous but untapped opportunities in climate-smart investing in sectors including renewable energy, transport, green buildings, urban water, climate-smart agriculture, and municipal solid waste. The report identifies $3.1 trillion of climate investment opportunities in India alone, along with $172 billion in Bangladesh, $42 billion in Bhutan, $2 billion in the Maldives, $46 billion in Nepal, and $18 billion in Sri Lanka.

The only way that the South Asian countries can take advantage of these climate investment opportunities is with a strong and engaged private sector, said IFC CEO Philippe Le Houou. We also need to have a comprehensive approach to creating markets for climate business in key sectors. That means putting in place necessary policy frameworks, promoting competition, and building capacity and skills to open new markets.

The impacts of climate change on business assets, supply chains, and business interruptions are already a major concern for South Asian companies. This concern coupled with the urgency of addressing the air pollution reinforce the need for immediate action while capitalize on the existing investment potential.

The South Asia region has seen a surge in investment in clean energy and energy efficiency in recent years, contributing to significant development gains. IFC's report highlighted two sectors for future growth: due to rapid urbanization, green buildings represent an investment potential totaling more than $1.5 trillion across South Asia between 2018 and 2030; and green transport infrastructure and electric vehicles create an opportunity of over $950 billion to 2030. Such investments generate further benefits by providing access to markets, enabling trade, and ensuring mobility, which in turn stimulate economic growth and private investment.

According to the report, other significant opportunities in the region include:

India: renewable energy and electric vehicles. The impressive national target of generating 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022 represents almost $448 billion in investment potential. This will be crucial given India's aim to electrify all new vehicle sales by 2030, creating a potential investment opportunity of almost $670 billion if this goal is fully met.

Bangladesh: climate-smart urban wastewater and agriculture. The government's prioritization of wastewater infrastructure projects creates a $13 billion investment opportunity and climate-smart agriculture sector could see investments of more than $9 billion.

Bhutan: hydropower and electric transport.

Developing Bhutan's 25,000 MW of economically feasible hydropower potential will generate an investment opportunity of over $40 billion as well as substantial export revenues. The government's ambitious electric vehicle target creates over 320 million worth of potential for investment in the sector.

Maldives: climate-smart infrastructure. The country's goals to climate-proof its infrastructure against rising sea levels and extreme weather events translates to an investment opportunity of at least $1.5 billion in transport-related infrastructure and $200 million in green buildings by 2030.

Nepal: hydropower and climate-smart agriculture. Achieving Nepal's ambition to install 12,000 MW of hydropower capacity creates an investment opportunity of $22.5 billion. The government's policy push to make its agricultural sector more climate friendly, including through the use of efficient technologies represents an investment opportunity of $4.8 billion.

Sri Lanka: Municipal solid waste management and climate-smart urban wastewater. Recognizing the need for solid waste management Sri Lanka's national policies create a $3.5 billion opportunity for investment in the sector. Wastewater management, identified as a key priority, opens an investment opportunity of more than $2.7 billion.

The countries in the region are taking the lead in fulfilling their Paris commitments. Scaling and replicating such progress across South Asia will require catalyzing private finance and creating markets for climate business solutions through policies, financial innovations, and business models targeted at sector-specific local conditions. The report provides recommendations on how each country can further accelerate climate-smart investing, including demonstration projects to signal commercial viability and raise awareness, and promoting public private partnerships through streamlining procurement and processes.

IFC is strongly committed to supporting the private sector in the region. Since 2005, IFC has invested $2.6 billion of its own funds in long-term financing for climate-smart projects in South Asia and additionally mobilized almost $1 billion from other investors. The report is a follow-up to the Creating Markets in Climate Business report published earlier this month.

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With effect from 04 September 2017

K-Lifestyle & Industries announced the resignation of Gyaneshwar Singh from post of Company Secretary & Compliance Officer with effect from 04 September 2017.

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Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could fall 13.50 points at the opening bell. Trading could be volatile due to F&O expiry today, 30 November 2017. On the macro front, the government will announce Q2 September 2017 gross domestic product (GDP) data after market hours today, 30 November 2017.

Trading could be volatile as traders roll over positions in the futures & options (F&O) segment from the near month November 2017 series to December 2017 series. The November 2017 derivatives contract expire today, 30 November 2017.

On the macro front, the government will announce Q2 September 2017 gross domestic product (GDP) data after market hours today, 30 November 2017. India's GDP growth rate slowed to 5.7% in Q1 June 2017, on the back of destocking ahead of Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation.

India's infrastructure output data for the month of October 2017 is also scheduled to be released after market hours today, 30 November 2017. India's eight core infrastructure sector, carrying 40.27% of the weight of items included in the index of industrial production (IIP), had shown a healthy 5.2% increase in its output in September 2017 over September 2016.

Overseas, Asian stocks fell as investors ponder the longevity of the global equity bull run. Technology shares in the US tumbled yesterday, 29 November 2017 while the S&P 500 Index ended the day flat, amid signs of a rotation away from the year's leaders into financial stocks as tax legislation proceeded through the Senate.

Back home,key equity benchmarks settled a tad lower yesterday, 29 November 2017 after a range bound trading session. The Sensex fell 15.83 points or 0.05% to settle at 33,602.76, its lowest closing level since 23 November 2017.

The trading activity on that day showed that the foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 859.27 crore yesterday, 29 November 2017, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 771.07 crore yesterday, 29 November 2017, as per provisional data.

Among corporate news,Infosys will be watched. Infosys Finacle, part of EdgeVerve Systems, a product subsidiary of Infosys, announced the global availability of Finacle Trade Connect, a blockchain based trade finance solution for banks. The solution will help digitize the trade finance business process, including validation of ownership, certifying documents and making payments, while working on a distributed, trusted and shared network. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 29 November 2017.

Cadila Healthcare and The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) announced the launch of new diagnostic kits, developed by ICMR's National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune to detect neglected infectious diseases in livestock. This public private partnership will open newer avenues for many more indigenously diagnostics for public health benefits. The announcement was made at the fag end of trading session yesterday, 29 November 2017.

Shares of public sector banks (PSBs) will be in spotlight as reports suggested that the government is likely to directly issue Rs 1.35 lakh crore of bank recapitalisation bonds, taking the entire liability of repayment and interest in the central budget, as it seeks to extricate state-run lenders from a mounting pile of bad debt and make funds available to more productive sectors of the economy. The government is expected to seek approval on the funding mechanism from Parliament in the upcoming winter session scheduled to start from 15th December, reports added. The government had in October announced a Rs 2.11-lakh crore capital infusion into state-run banks.

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Shares of public sector banks (PSBs) will be in spotlight as reports suggested that the government is likely to directly issue Rs 1.35 lakh crore of bank recapitalisation bonds, taking the entire liability of repayment and interest in the central budget, as it seeks to extricate state-run lenders from a mounting pile of bad debt and make funds available to more productive sectors of the economy. The government is expected to seek approval on the funding mechanism from Parliament in the upcoming winter session scheduled to start from 15th December, reports added. The government had in October announced a Rs 2.11-lakh crore capital infusion into state-run banks.

Infosys will be watched. Infosys Finacle, part of EdgeVerve Systems, a product subsidiary of Infosys, announced the global availability of Finacle Trade Connect, a blockchain based trade finance solution for banks. The solution will help digitize the trade finance business process, including validation of ownership, certifying documents and making payments, while working on a distributed, trusted and shared network. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 29 November 2017.

Cadila Healthcare and The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) announced the launch of new diagnostic kits, developed by ICMR's National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune to detect neglected infectious diseases in livestock. This public private partnership will open newer avenues for many more indigenously diagnostics for public health benefits. The announcement was made at the fag end of trading session yesterday, 29 November 2017. Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services said that its committee yesterday, 29 November 2017, approved the allotment of zero coupon non-convertible debentures (NCDs) aggregating to Rs 27.80 crore. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 29 November 2017.

Tata Communications announced the appointment of Andrew Yeong as its head of sales for Asia region. In his new role, Andrew will be responsible for the growth of Tata Communications' business across all industry verticals, focusing on providing transformation services to large corporations in the region. The announcement was made before market hours today, 30 November 2017.

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An Indo-Spanish technical cooperation (government to government) agreement was signed by Mr Vinay Kumar Singh, managing director/ NCRTC and Mr Miguel Nieto Menor, director general, Adif of Spain, in the presence of Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, minister of housing & urban affairs here last evening and Shri Durga Shanker Mishra, secretary in the ministry. the ceremony was attended by Mr. Fernando Nocolos Puiggari, director international/Adif, senior ministry officials, representatives from ministry of external affairs and Spanish embassy in India.

Hardeep S Puri informed that the agreement will enable availability of technical advice on specific issues, besides providing training and collaboration in the technical areas of Track, Signalling, Rolling Stock, Safety, Multi modal integration, station design etc. Stressing on the importance of the project, Shri Mishra stated that this agreement will provide institutional mechanism for mutual cooperation in the field of urban transport and specially in implementation of RRTS project.

National Capital Region Transport Corporation, a Joint Venture of Government of India and State Governments of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi, is mandated to design, construct, operate & maintain rail based Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) in the National Capital Region. Three RRTS corridors: Delhi-Meerut Smart Line, Delhi - Panipat Smart Line and Delhi - Alwar Smart Line have been prioritised for implementation in first phase.

Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor will be the first corridor to be implemented for which pre-construction activities including geo-technical investigations, detailed design, utility shifting planning and traffic diversion planning are in progress.

RRTS, first of its kind project in India, with design speed of 180 kmph will use state of the art technologies for track structure, rolling stock and signalling system. Expertise and experience in India on these technologies for higher speeds being limited, International expertise will be tapped for efficient implementation of project, operation of system and developing capacity in the country. Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias (ADIF), Spain, State-Owned Railway infrastructure company has experience of planning, developing, constructing, operating and maintaining high-speed railway and regional rail systems like Cercanias' in Madrid. SNCF, the State-owned Railway Company of France, has also expressed willingness to support RRTS projects. Possibility of similar agreement between NCRTC and SNCF was explored during recent visit of SNCF delegation's earlier this week.

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On 30 November 2017

Tata Communications announced the appointment of Andrew Yeong as its head of sales for Asia region. In his new role, Andrew will be responsible for the growth of Tata Communications' business across all industry verticals, focussing on providing transformation services to large corporations in the region. He will also support the company's strategic efforts in growing and maintaining its leadership position in the network infrastructure market, as well as build deeper penetration with its cloud enablement and cybersecurity solutions.

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Five militants were killed and a para commando of the Indian Army injured on Thursday in two separate gunfights in Kashmir Valley.

Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said that four terrorists were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Futlipora.

In another gunfight that erupted in north Kashmir Sagipora village of Sopore area in Baramulla, police said one militant has been killed so far while a para commando of the army was injured.

"The operation against militants in Sagipora village is still on," police said.

In the gunfight at Futlipora village, following specific information about the presence of militants, the security forces had surrounded the village in Pakherpora area of Badgam district in the morning.

'As the security forces closed in on the hiding militants, the security forces were fired upon triggering the encounter," a police officer said.

A teenager was injured when a mob clashed with the army in Pakherpora Chowk. The mob attacked the army convoy carrying reinforcements to Futlipora village, the police officer said.

Sinar Ahmad, 15, was injured when the army resorted to aerial firing after the mob attack. Ahmad was shifted to hospital in Srinagar, he added.

Authorities have suspended Internet services in the district to prevent spread of rumours, he said.
Priyanka Chopra starrer "A Kid Like Jake" has been selected for the Sundance Film Festival, which will take place in January. The Indian actress says the film is a story that needs to be "told and seen".

Priyanka on Thursday tweeted: "When I read the script of 'A Kid Like Jake', I knew immediately that this was a story I had to be a part of... A story that needed to be told and seen..And now it's been selected for Sundance Film Festival!"

The actress, 35, expressed her excitement and said that she cannot wait for her fans to watch the film.

"Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, Octavia Spencer, Silas Howard, Amy Landecker, Ann Dowd Daniel Pearle, Todd Spiewak, Eric Norsoph, Paul Bernon, Rachel Song -- thank you for being such an incredible team to work with," she added.

The movie is based on Daniel Pearle's celebrated Lincoln Center play by the same name.

The story follows the life of Alex (Danes) and Greg Wheeler (Parsons. They have high hopes for their son Jake, a bright and precocious four-year-old, who happens to prefer Cinderella to GI Joe.

The 10-day Sundance Film Festival will take place from January 18-28. The selections were announced on Wednesday and include films from 29 countries.

--IANS

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Acclaimed Indian talent Irrfan Khan, who has dabbled in Bollywood and Hollywood, says the key difference between performing in the two industries lies in how the audience perceives an actor -- for one, the parameter is engagement and charisma, while for the other, it is the nuance and subtlety.

"I think the most interesting part of exploring both the worlds of cinema -- Bollywood and Hollywood -- is how the audience perceives an actor. In our (Indian) cinema, actors are like a magician who come on screen and do something to engage and mesmerise. On the other hand, in the West, actors are performers, and the audience looks for a certain amount of nuance, subtleness.

"It is really an interesting area to explore for an actor like me," Irrfan told IANS.

Iconic film directors like Mira Nair, Colin Trevorrow and Danny Boyle have worked with Irrfan in international projects. Some of the titles he has worked in include "The Warrior", "A Mighty Heart", "The Namesake", "Slumdog Millionaire", "Life of Pi" and "Jurassic World".

Irrfan may not be among the blockbuster Khans of Bollywood, but he has made his mark as a critically acclaimed performer who has strengthened Indian presence in films internationally.

Critics praise his performance for intangible elements and for how he can convey a situation or a reaction with mere silence sometimes.

He says there's a thought behind it.

Explaining how he adds "soul" to any written character, Irrfan said: "In the National School of Drama, we learned how to perform, deliver a dialogue or monologue, and how to carry a certain body language for a character that we are playing. But the thought that always played in my mind is how a character establishes its relevance in silence, without uttering a dialogue.

"In film acting especially, it works -- a small expression, a small silence and then amalgamate it with the subtext of the situation."

However, he believes, one has to be very careful about improvisation as it might just spoil a character at times. Irrfan stressed that having this understanding is important in the character-building process for an actor.

"For instance, in 'Maqbool', after improvising certain parts in two scenes, I just realised that what I am trying to add is taking away the essence of the character," said Irrfan, whose Indian filmography is decorated with projects like "Paan Singh Tomar" and "Piku".

Pointing out how actors at times create their own comfort zone by improvisation, he said: "I have seen actors taking an unnecessary pause between lines because he did not learn the lines properly and is trying to find his own ease in between. For me, that is not the right thing to do.

"For a performer in a film, how the director is setting our frame of mind also matters," said the actor, who has enjoyed working with Vishal Bhardwaj, Shoojit Sircar and Tigmanshu Dhulia.

The year 2017 has been eventful for Irrfan.

He got commercial success with "Hindi Medium", acclaimed movies like "Doob: No Bed of Roses" and "The Song of Scorpions" and had another commercial release "Qarib Qarib Singlle".

Asked if he is saying "yes" to more scripts these days instead of being too choosy like earlier, Irrfan said: "My criterion of a good script as the deciding factor has not changed. But scriptwriters are coming up with some brilliant stories and that is bringing all the changes in our cinema."

(Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in)

--IANS

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A day after Congress' Maharashtra activist asked the party's Vice President Rahul Gandhi to resign before contesting the elections for party President, the state unit and his family members virtually "disowned" him on Thursday.

State Congress President Ashok Chavan said Poonawalla's remarks were aimed at getting "cheap publicity", to which the party gives no importance.

Questioning Poonawalla's locus standi, he said there is no truth in his allegations nor is Poonawalla a representative or leader of the party, has remained inactive since the past couple of years and done nothing for the party.

"Moreover, the newly-elected Pradesh Congress Committee representatives (delegates) have unanimously adopted a resolution asking Rahul Gandhi to contest the Congress President's election," Chavan pointed out.

He condemned Poonawalla for his reckless utterances when the election process is underway in a free and transparent manner, and said it was aimed at deriving media attention.

Shahzad's brother Tehseen Poonawalla, who is also with the state Congress, quickly declared that he "officially ended all relationship with (Shehzad)".

"I have never been this hurt. We needed to defeat the BJP. This is unacceptable. I'm very, very hurt today. Been stabbed in the backa and how," Tehseen said in a tweet.

Tehseen's wife - Monicka Vadera-Poonawalla followed suit and also expressed full support to her husband and all his statements in the matter which has snowballed into a raging controversy.

"My family and I neither have any relation, association, nor wish to comment on the issue or the said individual . Please refrain from tweeting/contacting me for the same," Monicka declared in her tweet.

State Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said Poonawalla was not even a primary member of the party, so where was the question of him being a leader or a PCC representative.

"In reality, he is a self-proclaimed person, using the name of Rahulji for drawing public attention," he said.

Maharashtra Youth Congress Vice President Satyajeet Tambe said everytime he saw representing the party on television debates, "I feel ashamed of myself".

"I am working in the Congress party since 17 years and loyal. Only because (such) people can speak few words in English better, doesn't make them great leaders... Congress should learn and keep such people away," he said.

Late on Wednesday night, Shehzad Poonawalla created a ruckus when he questioned the process to elect the Congress Party President, terming it "rigged" and calling upon Rahul Gandhi to first quit his post before contesting for the top post.

He also indicated his desire to contest for the top post, if the election was conducted in a "genuine" manner and wrote a letter to Rahul Gandhi in this connection.
The Indian Navy's sailboat INSV Tarini -- carrying an all-women crew of six on an around-the-world expedition -- arrived here in New Zealand, their second port of call during the world odyssey.

Lack of wind has been the biggest challenge for the crew on the sailboat, its skipper Lt Commander Vertika Joshi said after the vessel arrived at Lyttelton on Wednesday.

The boat arrived a day later than expected, with Vertika Joshi mentioning unusually calm seas, with little wind, as they crossed the Tasman Sea, an official statement said on Thursday.

"We were told to expect rough seas, but somehow that didn't happen," Joshi was quoted as saying in a statement released by New Zealand's High Commission in India.

"Lack of wind has been the most challenging aspect of the journey so far. It can get really frustrating when the sails start flapping and you don't make good headway," she said.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had flagged off INSV Tarini from Goa on September 10.

The vessel has covered 7,800 nautical miles from Goa, crossing the Equator on September 25 and Cape Leeuwin on November 9. It reached Fremantle on October 23 in the first leg of its journey, departing again on November 5 for Lyttelton.

Welcoming INSV Tarini to New Zealand on behalf of the Royal New Zealand Navy, Captain Corina Bruce admired the crew.

"These women are not only outstanding representatives of their country and their service but also a high-performing team of ocean sailors," Captain Bruce said.

"This round-the-world voyage is definitely not for the fainthearted but these sailors have clearly shown that they have what it takes."

"As a sailor myself, I am incredibly impressed by these sailors who have set an example for women around the world with their courage and determination," added Joanna Kempkers, New Zealand's High Commissioner to India.

"It's indeed a special occasion for New Zealand to welcome these pioneers and be part of this historic effort."

Ahead of the sailboat crew will be the challenge of the longest and probably roughest leg, from Lyttelton to the Falkland Islands, which involves passing Cape Horn.

The crew of Lieutenant Commanders Joshi, Pratibha Jamwal and P. Swathi and Lieutenants S. Vijaya Devi, B. Aishwarya and Payal Gupta will spend about two weeks in New Zealand.

"Our main focus will be to get the sailboat ready for the next leg. We would like to look around. This is a beautiful place," Lieutenant Commander Joshi said.

The vessel is expected to return to Goa in April 2018.

The expedition will be covered in five legs, with stopovers at four ports: Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falklands), and Cape Town (South Africa).

Presently, the vessel has covered two of the five legs, with the first port halt at Fremantle in October.

The crew has also been collating and updating meteorological, ocean and wave data on a regular basis for accurate weather forecasts by the India Meteorological Department, as also monitoring marine pollution on the high seas.

It would interact extensively with locals, especially children, during the port halt to promote ocean sailing and a spirit of adventure.

The vessel is likely to depart from Lyttelton on December 12.

--IANS

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Its value has eroded over its lifetime of a century. Today, a rupee can buy very little, may be a toffee. Yet, this sturdy currency has survived two world wars, regularly shedding value till it has practically gone out of use.

The British government introduced the one rupee note on November 30, 1917.

Currency notes were introduced in India in 1861. Silver coins, including one rupee ones, were in existence for very long, some being traced to Sher Shah Suri's reign in 1540. The one rupee paper currency, issued as a promissory note, was printed in England and depicted a silver coin image of King George V on the left corner. The words 'I promise to pay the bearer the sum of One Rupee on demand at any office of issue' was printed on it. Later, the promise was removed for this denomination.

"As people were increasingly melting silver one rupee coins during World War I, the number of coins were reducing from the market. At that time the British government planned to introduce this note," Sushil Kumar Agrawal, CEO of mintageworld.com, an online museum of coins, stamps and currency notes, told IANS.

In its 100-year journey, design of One Rupee note was changed 44 times. The one Rupee note is the only currency printed by the Government of India and not by the Reserve Bank, and is signed by the Finance Secretary.

Though printing of One Rupee note was discontinued in 1994, it was re-introduced during 2015-16 financial year after a gap of 21 years. The re-introduction was more on nostalgic value than actual usage.

Asked about the reason, Agrawal said perhaps collectors' demand for One Rupee note was the reason behind the re-printing.

"It does not as such have any value and the printing cost is certainly much higher than the value of the note" he said.

Talking about One Rupee note's 100-year journey, founding Partner of Numismatic Auction House and founder of Oswal Antiques, Girish Jagshi Veera told IANS that the government might have reintroduced the currency because it is the basic currency of the country.

But we do not get to see the note too often. It is learnt that a bundle of 100 one rupee notes is sold for Rs 600 in grey markets of Zaveri Bazaar in Mumbai and Chandni Chowk in Delhi. Collectors do not mind shelling out premium for the notes.

In fact, different years of printing can fetch vastly different prices. A one rupee note of 1985 signed by Finance Secretary S. Venkitaramanan was sold for Rs 2,75,000 at Classical Numismatics Gallery on January 21, 2017. Another one, of 1944, issued by British India, signed C.E. Jones, was sold for Rs 130,000 for a pack of 100 at Todywalla Auctions in October 2009.

The note, for all practical purposes, has become a collector's item.

(Aparajita Gupta can be contacted at aparajita.g@ians.in)

--IANS

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The Australian government has made a pitch to Britain's Prince Harry to host his stag party and honeymoon.

Australian Tourism Minister Steven Ciobo confirmed he had written to Clarence House following the prince's engagement to American actress Meghan Markle.

The couple, who have been dating since July 2016, will marry next spring. They will live at Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace in London.

"Australia would be honoured to welcome Prince Harry and Markle to celebrate some small part of their wedding with us," Ciobo said in a statement on Thursday.

He said tourism officials were prepared to design the "ultimate Australian experience" for the pair. Ciobo's pitch drew a mixed response on social media, the BBC reported.

Recommended activities for Prince Harry's pre-wedding celebrations included a James Bond-style jetpack adventure, dune-buggying and barramundi fishing, according to an itinerary drawn up by Tourism Australia.

"They could even do a helicopter crawl... where they visit various iconic Australian pubs in the Top End (Northern Territory)," Ciobo told the Nine Network.

He also envisaged a "perfect honeymoon" for the couple in a luxury lodge near landmarks such as Uluru or the Great Barrier Reef.

Some Australians expressed concern over who would pay for such a trip, but others liked the idea. "I don't believe we as taxpayers should be forking the bill for it," one person said on social media.

Another wrote: "He can come to my place. I'll supply the Crownies (beer), he can roast the chook (chicken)."

Prince Harry last travelled to Australia in June to promote the Invictus Games. He and Markle made their first public appearance as a couple in September.

--IANS

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An algorithm developed by NASA to study star charts has been used by an Australian marine scientist to track and identify whale sharks.

The extensive international research project by Murdoch University applied the technology by the American space agency to examine the distinctive spots that appear on whale sharks, reports Xinhua news agency.

Over the course of two decades, lead scientist Brad Norman amassed around 30,000 photos of the awe-inspiring creatures, sent from "citizen scientists" across 54 countries.

Norman said in a statement on Thursday that the information provided by citizen scientists and eco-tourists through their photographs has played vital role for conservation.

"This effort is helping us to uncover the mysteries of whale sharks and better understand their abundance, geographic range, behaviours, migration patterns and their favourite places on the planet," he said.

By using the NASA algorithm, researchers have been able to examine photographs from around the globe and identify where each individual whale shark came from.

So far the project has helped uncover 20 whale shark aggregation sites, an increase from 13 when the project began.

The main hotspots are located at the Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, the Atlantic coast of Mexico, Mozambique and the Philippines.

Norman said the research could be used to prioritize "conservation areas for the species".

--IANS

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Bangladeshi police on Thursday continued investigations into the disappearance of a Catholic priest who went missing this week in Natore district, where a Christian businessman was murdered last year.

"We have engaged our entire force to find the priest but so far we have not found any clue with which we could go forward," Superintendent of Natore, Biplob Bijoy Talukder, told Efe news on the disappearance of Walter William Rosario.

He said that Rosario's family had received a call demanding a ransom "but it appeared to be a hoax".

"There is a gang which kidnaps people for ransom but we did not find any link between this incident and them," he said, adding that they were investigating all possible leads.

A spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh, Kamal Corraya, said that Rosario, assistant priest at Jonail Catholic Church and the headmaster of a local high school in Bonpara area of Natore, disappeared on Monday afternoon.

"He was going to the church from his village and since then there has been no trace of him," said Corraya.

He added that he hoped the incident had no connection to the extremist attacks on members of religious minorities, bloggers, intellectuals, homosexuals and foreigners in Bangladesh since 2013.

"We are really worried about the security of Christian people. But we hope this incident will not influence the visit of his Holiness Pope Francis," he said.

The Pope is due to arrive in Dhaka on Thursday as part of his three-day visit, making him the second pontiff (after John Paul II in 1986) to visit since the independence of Bangladesh in 1971.

Just under 90 per cent of the population practice Islam in Bangladesh, a traditionally moderate Muslim country, with 0.4 per cent of the population being Christian, of whom 450,000 are Catholics.

--IANS

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The BJP on Thursday accused the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) of supplying geographical maps of India to the state-run schools that exclude Arunachal Pradesh and Pakistan-administered Kashmir from Indian territory.

The maps were allegedly circulated by the state government-administered autonomous examination authority for the test examination in schools ahead of the Standard X board examination.

"The question papers given to schools by the WBBSE for Class X board test examination include a map of India that has Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh separated from the Indian territory. The map has a watermark of the state-run board," state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary Raju Banerjee alleged.

"How could this have happened without the state government's consent? While we are trying to protect Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh in India, the Trinamool Congress government is speaking the language of Pakistan and China. What can be more shameful than this?" he questioned.

The BJP leader said they were writing to the central government urging them to initiate immediate action against the Bengal government.

Refuting the allegation, the state government said the board could not be held responsible for the flaws in the question papers of schools' internal examination, as it did not set the question paper.

"These are baseless allegations. The secondary board sets question papers for the final examinations. It has no role in the test examinations held in schools. The respective school authorities set those question papers," state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee claimed.

"Also, there is a watermark of WBBSE on the map. However, there are generally no watermarks on the question papers printed by the board. It would have a code instead," he clarified.

He also accused the BJP of conspiring to malign the West Bengal government and confuse the people of the state, as they (BJP) were unable to score politically here.

"The BJP is constantly conspiring to confuse people and create unrest in the state as they are unable to derive any political mileage in Bengal. I would ask the secondary board to move the police against these allegations," Chatterjee said.

The BJP leader, who made these allegations, should be brought under the scanner, he demanded.

--IANS

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A BJP party member was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in Tripura's Gomati district on Wednesday night, hours after Chief Election Commissioner A.K. Joti ended his two-day visit to the Left-ruled state to review poll preparedness and directed improvement in the law and order situation in order to hold state elections.

"Some unidentified miscreants shot dead Gourhari Molsom, 42, at Killa on Wednesday night. Police is investigating the incident," a police official said.

A police team on Thursday recovered the body and sent it to Gomati district hospital for post-mortem.

Inspector General (Law and Order) K.V. Sreejesh said a forensic team visited the spot and a dog squad has been pressed into service to trace the criminals.

He said no one has been arrested so far in connection with the killing.

State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice president Rampada Jamatia who visited the spot and met the family members of the slain person, has demanded severe punishment for those behind the killing.

BJP spokesman Mrinal Kanti Debnath alleged that "goons" of the Communist Party of India-Marxist were involved in the killing while the Left party has strongly rejected the accusation.

The Election Commission headed by CEC Joti during its two-day visit on Tuesday-Wednesday to Tripura asked state officials to ensure conducive law and order situation for holding of assembly elections, due in February.

--IANS

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The BJP on Thursday called for President's rule in Tripura, alleging "deterioration of law and order situations". The northeastern state's ruling CPI-M and Congress ridiculed the demand.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said it would launch statewide agitations from Friday in support of their demand and would law siege to all the 76 police stations on December 5.

A BJP delegation led by party's tribal leader Jishnu Debbarma on Thursday met Governor Tathagata Roy and submitted a four-page memorandum.

"If the CPI-M-led Left Front remain in power, there would be more killings before the February (2018) assembly polls. Already the law and order situations have been deteriorated to a large extent," Debbarma, who accompanied by party's observer Sunil Deoghar, told the media.

"Besides political violence, there have been many suspicious deaths of general public including two journalists in the recent past. Even the role of the state police is not beyond doubt," said the BJP memorandum, a copy of which was distributed to the media.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state Secretary Bijan Dhar termed the BJP's demand "nasty, undemocratic and unfounded".

"Such demand shows BJP's frustration and they get a sense that they would suffer a great jolt in the next assembly elections in the state," said Dhar, a CPI-M central committee member.

Another CPI-M central committee member Gautam Das said that BJP lost the elections even before the polls and that is why they are raising such demand.

The Congress also rejected BJP's demand, terming it an "evil design" and illogical.

"To come to power through undemocratic means, the BJP earlier demanded central intervention and now demanding for President's rule in Tripura only to defer the assembly elections," state Congress Vice President Tapas Dey told media.

--IANS

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A British man who went to Syria to fight against the Islamic State (IS) has been killed in Raqqa, a month after Kurdish commanders declared the "total liberation" of the terror group's de facto capital, the media reported on Thursday.

Oliver Hall, 24, from Portsmouth, is believed to have been clearing mines in the city with the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) when one exploded near him, reports the Guardian.

Mark Campbell, co-chair of the Kurdish Solidarity Campaign, said: "It is with deep regret and sorrow that I can confirm via Kurdish sources in Syria that Ollie Hall, a UK national who travelled to Syria in August to help in the liberation of the IS city of Raqqa with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), fell on November 25 from an explosion...

"Our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of Ollie at this time."

According to Campbell, Hall travelled to Syria from his home on the outskirts of Portsmouth last August where he underwent the YPG's mandatory month-long training programme, in which new recruits learn basic Kurdish, weaponry and battlefield tactics on top of a crash course in the socialist and feminist ideology of the YPG.

He was then assigned to an infantry division, which comprised a mixture of Kurdish and international fighters. There, he was given the nom-de-guerre Canser Zagros, the Guardian reported.

Hall is believed to be the seventh British citizen killed with the YPG in Syria since the first foreign volunteers joined the fight against the IS in 2014, and the second since the liberation of Raqqa.

--IANS

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Despite a rise in cyber crimes, at least six in 10 Indian consumers feel businesses don't take the security of their data very seriously and 70 per cent of them would stop doing business with a company if it experienced a data breach, a new study said on Thursday.

According to the global security leader Gemalto, consumers too are failing to adequately secure themselves, with over half of the Indian respondents (51 per cent) still using the same password for multiple online accounts.

"Only 39 per cent of Indian consumers feel businesses take customer data security very seriously. Retailers (76 per cent), banks (74 per cent) and social media sites (71 per cent) operating in India were found to have a lot of work to do, with these being sectors that consumers would leave if they suffered a breach," the report noted.

The survey involved more than 10,000 consumers worldwide.

"Consumers are evidently happy to relinquish the responsibility of protecting their data to a business, but are expecting it to be kept secure without any effort on their part," Jason Hart, CTO, Identity and Data Protection at Gemalto, said in a statement.

"In the face of brewing conversations around data protection and privacy law, it's now up to businesses to ensure they are forcing security protocols on their customers to keep data secure," Hart added.

According to the report, Indian respondents have poor security hygiene and fail to take advantage of security measures available to them such as two-factor authentication (28 per cent) for social media accounts.

This is resulting in businesses being forced to take additional steps to protect consumers and enforce robust security measures, as well as educate them on the benefits of adopting these.

Despite their behaviour, consumers' security concerns are high, as two thirds (68 per cent) worry they will be victims of a data breach in the near future in India.

Consequently, consumers now hold businesses accountable if their data is stolen.

The majority (96 per cent) of consumers would take or consider taking legal action against the compromised business.

--IANS

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The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday approved signing and ratification of the Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Treaty (ICFT) with Brazil, aimed at increasing investment flows.

"The Treaty will result in increase of investment flows between the two countries. The ICFT between India and Brazil will provide appropriate facilitation to Brazilian investors in India and Indian investors in Brazil," an official statement said.

The government also said that the treaty is likely to increase the comfort level and boost the confidence of investors by assuring a "level playing" field and non-discrimination in all investment facilitation matters.

"It would help project India as a preferred Foreign Direct Investment destination to all Brazilian investors," it added.

--IANS

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A cleric was beaten by three unknown bike-borne youths in a road rage incident here, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place around 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday in west Delhi's Bawana area, when Irshad Rehmani, who is in his 40s, and works in a Madarsa, was walking to his home in Bawana J.J colony.

"Three youths were riding the bike in a reckless manner. When the bike touched Rehmani, who was walking near the madarsa, he protested and asked them to drive slow in the crowded street," Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Gupta told IANS.

"The accused then slapped him multiple times and fled when Rehmani informed the police control room. It was a minor injury and there is no communal angle to it."

However, Rehmani alleged that the accused hurled religious slurs at him.

Gupta said that a case has been registered against the accused for voluntarily causing hurt and a probe is on to ascertain their identities.

--IANS

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Although a wide range of regional cuisine exists in India, two top chefs believe they don't find a place in the metros because restaurants prefer to stay in the "comfort zone" when crafting their menus.

"We want to stay in a comfort zone. In restaurants also, most of the menus are played along with the dishes which are commonly accepted. More or less you will find Punjabi dishes given certain twists and turns in menu and presentation but the flavour remains same," said Michelin star Chef Vikas Khanna, who runs his famous 'Junoon' restaurant in New York, at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here on Thursday that was moderated by Chef Ritu Dalmia.

Chef Gaggan Anand, who has made a name for himself in the culinary world with his 'Gaggan' restaurant in Bangkok, said:" We are super domesticated and we do not know how to sell our regional food better like the US does."

While talking about Indian dishes coming into prominance across the globe, the chefs believed that most efforts in this direction have been unrecognised.

"India has been a leading exporter of spices and ingredients. We've given everything that has made every other cuisine tastier and yet we are deprived," added Chef Anand.

Asked about the government's initiative in promoting Indian cuisine abroad, both chefs differed. While Chef Khanna praised the steps taken, Chef Anand expresses his disappointment with the government.

"Government, irrespective of political parties, has been supportive when it comes to promoting Indian delicacies. If you see the advertisements of Incredible India you will find images of food. Even in the Presidential dinners, now-a-days chefs are invited to prepare special dishes which was not happening earlier," noted Chef Khanna.

Chef Anand pointed out that "government is not working hard enough to make the ingredients easily accessible abroad, they are not marketed well. It is easier to get US products in India but difficult to get Indian spices in other countries."

--IANS

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As governments and companies face an uphill task to stop hackers from stealing data, the Dark Web is providing them a safe haven, helping them scale up and execute massive data breaches, global cyber security firm McAfee has warned.

Dark Web is an encrypted network of websites and communities that exists outside of mainstream Internet culture.

"We are witnessing a scaling model called Ransomware-as-a-Service where criminals are hired by an entity to host everything, use their own infrastructure, tools and expertise and the employer gives them a target as well as the magnitude of attack," Vincent Weafer, Vice President, McAfee Labs and Product Development, told IANS.

"Before carrying out the attack, hackers are clear that they would vanish if, in case, the attack fails. The hackers make sure that their employer gets caught and they escape," Weafer added.

For example, encrypted software such as Tor's ability to hide the identity of the attacker is key to cybercriminals. Tor is a free software for enabling anonymous communication.

The McAfee executive also said that crypto-currencies like Bitcoin are also a major reason why cyberattacks are increasing.

From a product point of view, Weafer said, there is little that cyber security companies can do to stop communication on the Dark Web, but they can help provide intelligence to the regulators.

"We are not looking at products that could track those criminals on the Dark Web but can provide expertise in terms of where and what information is flowing and which types of groups are operating. That information can be shared with regulators and governments because they are the ones who will be chasing the criminals," Weafer said.

McAfee has assisted several law enforcement agencies in cybercrime cases and Raj Samani, Chief Scientist and McAfee Fellow, is a special advisor to the European Cybercrime Centre at The Hague.

Samani also leads the NoMoreRansomware.Org website -- an initiative by the National High Tech Crime Unit of the Netherlands' police and Europol's European Cybercrime Centre -- that aims to help victims of ransomware retrieve their encrypted data without having to pay.

Samani said that the majority of the breaches worldwide were "SQL Injection" (a type of web application attack) issues where people were clicking on malicious links.

"I agree it is important for cybersecurity companies to stay ahead of the criminals and innovate continuously, but we must not forget the fact that a majority of the breaches were carried out because of fundamental errors," Samani told IANS.

"WannaCrypt could have been patched. We knew its propagation method like 20 years ago. It was spread like old school worms used to attack across systems. Majority of the issues could have been stopped by just doing the basic fundamentals," Samani noted.

When asked how cyber security companies are designing products to protect and help customers retrieve data, Weafer said whatever is happening in terms of the change in attack methodology and its impact, what people are doing and what hackers are going after, decides the product design.

McAfee protects over 300 million devices worldwide and has a presence in more than 2,000 companies, government institutions and healthcare.

In India, the company has got a retail presence and also works with top government institutions. McAfee has its largest research and development facility in Bengaluru that employs over 1,000 engineers.

For Samani, the first step to protect the data is keeping a back-up.

"The best way out is to back your data. As you read this, take a five-minute break, kick off a back-up and then continue with what you were doing. It doesn't matter what hackers do -- whether they leave your data encrypted or decrypt it (if you refuse to pay ransom) -- you are covered. And make sure to go for offline back-ups as well," Samani advised.

(Sourabh Kulesh can be contacted at sourabh.k@ians.in)

--IANS

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Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Gujarat's rising debt of "Rs 2,41,000 crore", which he said was due to Modi's "mismanagement and publicity" and asked why the people of the state should be punished for it.

"In 1995 the total debt on Gujarat was Rs 9,183 crore. In 2017 total debt on Gujarat is Rs 2,41,000 crore. That means every Gujarati owes a debt of Rs 37,000. Why the people of Gujarat should be punished for your mismanagement and publicity?" Gandhi asked in a tweet.

"22 salon ka hisaab, Gujarat mange jawaab. (Gujarat demands answers for 22 years of BJP rule) Gujarat ke haalat par Pradhanmantri Narendra Modi se doosra sawal (The second question to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Gujarat's condition)," he said in another tweet.

Rahul Gandhi's question comes in the wake of the Congress' strategy to pose one question to the Prime Minister everyday till the Gujarat Assembly polls.

On Wednesday the Congress scion asked about Modi's 2012 promise of providing 50 lakh new homes to the people of the state.

"In 2012, promises were made to provide 50 lakh new houses but built 4.72 lakh in five years. Will the Prime Minister tell, whether it will take another 45 years to fulfil the promise?" Gandhi posted on Twitter.

Gujarat is ruled by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for over two decades.

The 182-seat Gujarat Assembly goes to polls in two phases on December 9 and 14. The counting of votes will take place on December 18.

--IANS

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Although there is an ideological chasm between US President Donald Trump and the Democratic Party, India-US relation "transcends partisanship" and the party supports his initiatives to strengthen it further, according to Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi.

"The more he can do that the better because it will help each of our economies and will enhance our security and also bring our two peoples together even closer between the world's oldest and largest democracies," the Democratic Party member of the House of Representatives said in interview with IANS.

Trump has said that a "critical part of the South Asia strategy for America is to further develop its strategic partnership with India." Secretary of State Rex Tillerson expanded on it saying last month the administration wanted to "deepen ties with India" to make it one of the anchors of a democratic world order.

"It is good that the President is continuing the strengthening of the US-India relationship," Krishnamoorthi said. "I am glad that the relationship is now something that both parties support."

But he said that it should not be a transactional relationship but be built on a foundation that endures.

"What I am always concerned about is any kind of relation, any kind of interaction that is transactional in nature," he said. "We need to make it about relationship growing."

For this, "it is very, very important that for instance that we enhance our economic relationship, that we continue to promote Indian investment in the US," he said, "just as the Indians will promote American investment in India".

Krishnamoorthi made a pitch for investments in his Illinois constituency located in suburbs around Chicago, saying he hopes Indian businesses would come there.

The Indian auto manufacturer, Mahindra Group, has set up a factory and technical centre with a $230 million investment in neighbouring Michighan state across the lake from Illinois.

On the security front, Washington and New Delhi "have to be close partners in fighting terrorism, but also in making sure that we can bring some democratic norms and, kind of making sure everyone observes the rules of the road in our global relationships, the way we conduct our global business", Krishnamoorthi said.

Krishnamoorthi, who was born in Delhi and came to the US as a baby with his parents, is a mechanical engineer and a lawyer by training. He headed companies that develop technologies for defence and renewable energy sectors before his election last year.

There are three other Indian-Americans, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Ami Bera -- all Democrats -- in the House of Representatives and a Senator of Indian descent.

"I affectionately call them the 'Samosa Caucus'," Krishnamoorthi said. "We try to help each other out on our bills of interest."

"We have taken a stand against hate crimes directed against Indian-Americans whether they are Sikhs, Hindus or Muslims or Jains. We work together on those issues," he said.

The other Representatives supported a bill he has introduced to set up a commission to study the rise in hate crimes and recommend ways to combat them, Krishnamoorthi said.

While there had been just one Indian-American Congressman, Bera, in the elections last year their numbers shot up to five in a sign of the community's increased political involvement.

"That trend will continue to proceed apace," Krishnamoorthi said. "I think that what is really important is that at the grassroots level Indian-Americans really engage in the political process. That means voting and volunteering and assisting candidates who support their agenda that is friendly to their values."

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)

--IANS

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Actress-producer has been appointed UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador for India.

Dia, who is also the brand ambassador for the Wildlife Trust of India, will take up the role to add more weight to her work on raising awareness and seeking solutions for environmental issues that the world, and India in particular, face, read a statement on Thursday.

"I feel honoured and inspired by this opportunity to work with UN Environment to protect the environment and promote sustainable development.

"Environmental issues will be the defining challenge of this era, and I am committed to helping the UN as a Goodwill Ambassador to do everything I can to provide a better future," said Dia.

She added: "Together, we will continue working towards conservation of nature, tackling climate change and inspiring people to live more sustainably."

As a Goodwill Ambassador, Dia will work with the UN to further spread the message on priority areas including clean air, clean seas, wildlife protection and climate change.

"I am delighted to have Dia join UN Environment as a Goodwill Ambassador. India faces many challenges, in particular, the air pollution that is choking many of its cities.

"Dia's influence can help to turn the situation around and create a healthy future for Indians and their environment," said Erik Solheim, UN Environment head.
Rome, Nov 30 (IANS/AKI) Italy's Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano on Thursday held "cordial" talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of a Mediterranean summit here and described dialogue between the two countries as "excellent".

Topics covered during Alfano's meeting with Zarif included Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, and bilateral ties between Italy and Iran, said a Italian Foreign Ministry statement.

"The level of bilateral dialogue between Iran and Italy is excellent," Alfano said.

Italy and the European Union are determined that the Vienna accord should remain the cornerstone of international nuclear non-proliferation, Alfano told Zarif during their meeting, the Foreign Ministry said.

"The lifting of European sanctions against Iran has lead to a surge in interest shown by Italian companies in the Iranian market," Alfano said, telling Zarif that the Italian government is taking action to support Italian firms interested in Iran.

--IANS/AKI

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Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday warned the CPI-M against committing "another blunder" by staying away from a "secular front" to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"They committed a blunder by withdrawing support to the first UPA government. Now, when the country is passing through a tough phase as the secular fabric of our country is under threat from the BJP and efforts are being made by Rahul Gandhi and the Congress to form a secular front, the CPI-M should not commit yet another blunder by staying away from this," Chennithala told the media here.

Of late, the CPI-M has been looking unsure about joining an alliance with the Congress.

G. Devarajan, National Secretary of the All India Forward Bloc, who has in the past moved closely with the top CPI-M leadership, told IANS that under the present situation, it was it a bit difficult for the CPI-M to decide whether to align with the Congress.

"While Prakash Karat is strongly against having any truck with the Congress, the faction led by its General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri wants to have a tie-up. Even at their most recent meeting, the Yechury faction had a one vote lead on the issue and it was decided to take up the matter at a later date," said Devarajan.

Devarajan added that while the CPI-M in majority of the states wants a tie-up with the Congress, the Kerala unit was strongly against it.

The issue of alliance with the Congress is again going to come up in the central committee and polit buro meetings of the CPI-M to be held in the second week of December in Delhi, as they are getting ready to prepare the road map for the 22nd party congress to be held in Hyderabad from on April 18-22, 2018.

--IANS

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Dutch authorities on Thursday launched a probe into the suicide of a Bosnian Croat war criminal who died after drinking a vial of poison while standing in the dock at a UN tribunal here, where his war crimes sentence of 20 years was upheld.

Seconds after the judges had delivered their decision at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Wednesday, Slobodan Praljak screamed: "Praljak is not a criminal. I reject your verdict," the Guardian reported.

The 72-year-old then raised a small brown bottle to his lips, and drank it in full view of the cameras filming the hearing. He died later at a hospital.

In a brief statement, Dutch prosecutors said the inquiry would look at "assisted suicide and violation of the Medicines Act".

Investigators will look at who gave him the deadly liquid, what it contained and how he managed to smuggle it into what is supposed to be a high-security courtroom, according to the BBC.

Dutch police have declared the courtroom a crime scene.

The confirmation rulings against Praljak and five other defendants brought an end to more than 20 years of work by the tribunal.

Praljak's suicide was not the first during the Hague trials.

Croatian Serb war crimes suspect Slavko Dokmanovic hanged himself in his cell in 1998, and fellow Croatian Serb Milan Babic killed himself in his cell in 2006.

Praljak had already completed a significant portion of his sentence. Before the Bosnian conflict, he had been a writer and film director.

The 1992-95 war in Bosnia, in which 100,000 people died and 2.2 million were displaced, mainly pitted Bosnian Muslims against Bosnian Serbs, but also saw brutal fighting between Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats after an initial alliance fell apart, the Guardian reported.

The proceedings on Wednesday came a week after ICTY judges imposed a life sentence on former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic, whose ruthlessness in the conflict earned him the title of "Butcher of Bosnia".

The ICTY closes its doors on December 31, having indicted and dealt with 161 people.

--IANS

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Environment activist Vandana Shiva on Thursday wrote to Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan seeking a criminal investigation against global seed giant Monsanto for genetic contamination of its herbicide tolerant Round-up Ready Flex Bt cotton.

"Over the two decades since Monsanto entered India, it has violated laws, deceived Indian farmers by making unscientific and fraudulent claims, extracted super profits through illegal royalty collection by violating India's Patent and Intellectual Property laws, pushed farmers into debt, and, as a consequence of the debt trap, to suicide," she said in her letter.

"As per the (Environmental Protection Act) Rules of 1989, a criminal investigation should be started against Monsanto. As per the government's own admission, Round Up is banned in India," she said.

Claiming Bt Cotton failure in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana had cost farmers their lives, Shiva also said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should order a CBI probe into the matter.

She sent the letter after addressing a meeting of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) and Department of Biotechnology on strategies to curb the illegal contamination of Ready Flex Bt cotton.

According to a release, Shiva said Monsanto was caught spreading Roundup Ready Bt Cotton, a probable carcinogen according to World Health Organisation, illegally in Maharashtra's Vidarbha without commercial approval in 2017, and called on the government and GEAC to follow the procedure under the EPA Act and stop this "to save the destruction of biodiversity and the Indian Constitution".

In the US, thousands of cancer victims were suing Monsanto and there was a strong movement to get Roundup banned in Europe, she added.

Shiva also suggested that all cottonseed from the contaminated areas should be banned, and the present refined oil and hydrogenated oils manufactures should go for mandatory testing for Roundup Ready Gene and Roundup Pesticide.

--IANS

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Tagging and typecasting of women is a repercussion of the way society expects women to be, said publisher and feminist thinker Urvashi Butalia at a discussion on gender sensitization here.

"Tagging and typecasting owes to the way people expect you to be," she said at the fifth edition of "She Speaks", an event for gender equality, organised by Aambra Foundation at the India Habitat Centre on Wednesday.

"People often surprisingly ask me about me being a feminist. They ask me why I didn't get married. I put up with them by saying that I do not carry those horns or at best, I laugh at them," Butalia said.

Bulbul Dhar James, professor at Jamia Milia Islamia, said socialization and patriarchy are responsible to a certain degree in typecasting. "In process of hunting for role models, there is a multiplier effect that we lose on our originality and identity."

"Exploitation exists everywhere and the other side too needs to be examined. Gendering of space also requires analysis. The line of demarcation between choices and compulsion is significant to be thought over," she said.

Bureaucrat Garima Gupta narrated the stereotypes attached in depiction of a women officer.

"People never talk about tagging and typecasting. It happens everywhere -- from educational institutions to cinemas. Even today, I face remarks that no women has risen to the post of Cabinet Secretary - then why should she work hard?" she said.

Amrinder Bajaj, a doctor, said: "Right from being raised as spineless dolls, to sacrifices for dowry, depiction as (an object for the) pleasure of men, acceptance of male might... are many things that go along. Women are however much sharper as a human species."

--IANS

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As we enter the last month of 2017 -- a significant year from the publishing point of view -- the wide variety of books published over the past eleven months, both fiction and nonfiction, make a case for book lovers. Despite the rising trend of mediocrity in the literary world, there are enough books of both literary value and merit for readers to chew upon.

And whenever there is a splendid offering on the stands, it is certain to attract vast readership as well as critical acclaim. Consider Jeet Thayil's "The Book of Chocolate Saints" and Sunita Narain's "Conflicts of Interest", both of which had made the cut into this column last month. While dozens of other titles have gone out of sight and mind, these two books -- one fiction and the other nonfiction -- have successfully made their way not only into our reading lists but also into the literary columns of leading newspapers.

The last month of the year is no different and here are the five books we cannot wait to read this December:

1. "That Thing We Call a Heart", by Sheba Karim (Bloomsbury)

Shabnam Qureshi is a funny, imaginative Pakistani-American teen attending a private school in suburban New Jersey, but everything changes when she meets Jamie. Jamie finds Shabnam fascinating -- her curls, her culture, her awkwardness. Shabnam finds herself falling in love, but her best friend Farah finds Jamie worrying. Featuring complex, Muslim-American characters who defy conventional stereotypes and set against a backdrop of Radiohead's music and the evocative metaphors of Urdu poetry, "That Thing We Call a Heart" is an honest, moving story of a young woman's explorations of first love, sexuality, desire, self-worth, her relationship with her parents, the value of friendship, and what it means to be true.

2. "The Fever", by Sonia Shah (Penguin Random House)

Mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue and chikungunya have been around for over 500,000 years and continue to flourish even as we continue to progress as a race. In "The Fever", Sonia Shah delivers a timely, inquisitive chronicle of malaria and its influence on human lives. Through the centuries, she finds, we've invested our hopes in a panoply of drugs and technologies, and invariably those hopes have been dashed. With original reporting from Panama, Malawi, Cameroon, India and elsewhere, "The Fever" captures the curiously fascinating, devastating history of this long-standing thorn in the side of humanity.

3. "The New Pakistani Middle Class", By Ammara Maqsood (Harvard University Press)

Pakistan's presence in the outside world is dominated by images of religious extremism and violence. These images -- and the narratives that interpret them -- inform events in the international realm, but they also twist back around to shape local class politics. In "The New Pakistani Middle Class," Ammara Maqsood focuses on life in contemporary Lahore, where she unravels these narratives to show how central they are for understanding competition and the quest for identity among middle-class groups. Through a focus on religious study gatherings and also on consumption in middle-class circles -- ranging from the choice of religious music and home decor to debit cards and the cut of a woman's burkha -- "The New Pakistani Middle Class" untangles current trends in piety that both aspire toward, and contest, prevailing ideas of modernity.

4. "The Atlas of Beauty", by Mihaela Noroc (Particular Books)

Since 2013, photographer Mihaela Noroc has travelled the world with her backpack and camera taking photos of everyday women to showcase the diversity of beauty. "The Atlas of Beauty" is a collection of her photographs celebrating women from all corners of the world, revealing that beauty is everywhere, and that it comes in many different sizes and colours. Noroc's colourful and moving portraits feature women in their local communities, ranging from the Amazon rain forest to London city streets, and from markets in India to parks in Harlem, visually juxtaposing the varied physical and social worlds these women inhabit. Packaged as a gift-worthy, hardcover book, it presents a fresh perspective on the global lives of women today.

5. "Djinn City", by Saad Z. Hossain (Aleph)

Indelbed is a lonely kid living in a crumbling mansion in super-dense, super-chaotic Dhaka. His father, Dr. Kaikobad, is the black sheep of their clan, the once illustrious Khan Rahman family. A drunken, loutish widower, he refuses to allow Indelbed to go to school and the only thing Indelbed knows about his mother is the official cause of her early demise: "Death by Indelbed". But when Dr. Kaikobad falls into a supernatural coma, Indelbed and his older cousin, the wise-cracking slacker Rais, learn that Indelbed's dad was, in fact, a magician and a trusted emissary to the djinn world. But the djinns, it turns out, are displeased and one of the consequences of their displeasure is that a "hunt" is announced with 10-year-old Indelbed as prey. Still reeling from the fact that genies actually exist, Indelbed finds himself on the run. "Djinn City" is a darkly comedic fantasy adventure and a brilliant follow-up to Hossain's acclaimed first novel "Escape from Baghdad".

(Saket Suman can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in)

--IANS

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Five militants, including four Pakistani nationals, were killed and a para commando of the army was injured in two separate gunfights between security forces and militants in Kashmir valley on Thursday. Five civilians protesting a security forces operation were also injured in firing.

Defence Ministry spokesman, Colonel Rajesh Kalia said four militants were killed in Futlipora village of Pakherpora area of central Badgam district, while one militant was killed in Sagipora village of Sopore area in Baramulla district.

A senior police officer said three of the bodies of the killed militants have been recovered from the gunfight site in Futlipora village. Searches is on to trace the body of the fourth militant.

"Of the four slain militants, three were Pakistani nationals, while the fourth was Shabir Ahmad Thokar, a local militant. All the four militants belonged to Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) outfit," the officer said.

Five civilians were injured in Pakherpora Chowk when a mob attacked an army convoy carrying reinforcements to Futlipora village where the gunfight was going on.

Police said the army fired in the air to disperse the protesters. However, doctors said three of the injured civilians, including a 15-year-old boy, had gunshot wounds.

The mob also torched a private vehicle in Futlipora which was allegedly used by the security forces during the operation and later left behind near the gunfight site.

The injured civilians have been shifted to hospital for treatment.

In another gunfight that erupted in Sagipora village of Sopore area in Baramulla district, one militant was killed and a para commando of the army was injured.

Police said the killed militant was a Pakistani national belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit.

Giving details of the Badgam operation, Colonel Rajesh Kalia said following specific information about the presence of militants, the security forces had surrounded Futlipora village in the morning.

"As the security forces closed in on the hiding militants, the security forces were fired upon, triggering the encounter."

Authorities suspended Internet services in the district to prevent spread of rumours, police said.

--IANS

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Google on Thursday launched an app designed to help Android phone users understand, control and save on their expensive mobile data.

This app, called Datally, allows users to track their data usage in real time, and get personalised recommendations on saving data along with notifications of public Wi-Fi spots available nearby.

The app is now globally available on the Google Play Store for all phones running Android 5.0 (Lollipop) and higher, Google said.

Datally is an initiative of Google's Next Billion Users division that aims to make Internet services more accessible even in countries with limited infrastructure.

"Mobile data is expensive for many people around the world. And what's worse, it's hard to figure out where it all goes.

"That's why we built Datally, an app that helps you to control, save more and do more with your data," Caesar Sengupta, Vice President, Next Billion Users, Google, said in a blogpost.

Tests of the app in the Philippines had shown that Datally could help save users up to 30 per cent on their data, Google said.

Datally helps users do three things. First, it allows users to see data usage on an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis and get personalised recommendations for how they can save more.

Secondly, it also help users block background data usage and track real-time data usage while using each of the apps

"It's like a speedometer for your data," Google said.

And lastly, Datally also tells users if they are near public Wi-Fi so that they can save on data.





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Academia and industry are two important pillars of our economy. A robust collaboration between the two will augur well for our developing economy, enabling innovation, growth in the education system and producing an employment-ready workforce.

For several years, innovation in the education system has impacted the way businesses operate. Millennials entering the job market today are ready to learn new technologies and how to collaborate. Entrepreneurs and educational institutes need to recognise this opportunity and build a constructive framework for collaboration to make India a global innovation hub.

In countries like the US, corporates reach out to universities/institutions to bring innovation into their work, while in India, corporates and industry bodies rely mostly on their own research rather than reaching out to academia. The social environment, lack of awareness about scholarships, stereotyped images of pure science projects and the attitude of corporates towards scholars are some of the issues which need to be dealt with if India needs to surpass China and other Western nations.

There are beginnings of a shift in this approach in India. There have been huge leaps taken by various corporates and academia to bring about positive change and innovation. The country is currently at a juncture where platforms like MeltingPot2020 are playing a major role in the transformational story and reaching the heights of innovation through industry-academia collaboration. Consider a few examples:

* HDFC bank recently announced its plan to partner 50 technology companies and business schools to tap emerging FinTech ideas starting with IIT-Bombay and IIT-Roorkee as part of its industry-academia partnership effort.

* The Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) also increased funding to IIT- Madras by nearly Rs 300 crore ($47 million) to encourage innovation and strengthen industry-academia ties.

* India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA), the trade body representing the Indian ESDM (Electronic System Design and Manufacturing) industry, signed four MoUs with IIT-Kharagpur to build a robust talent pipeline in the ESDM space.

The focus needs to be largely on improving the Research and Development wings of institutes. For lack of it, even home-grown companies such as the Tatas are choosing to invest $25 million in globally-recognised institutions like Harvard and Yale for top-end research instead of betting on India.

Another area for development could be encouraging a public-private initiative to launch faculty development programmes in leading universities and focus on more outcome-based research. Additionally, industry should participate in developing the entrepreneurial culture in India by setting up incubation centres and research parks for innovative research.

It is clearly time to create a nurturing environment where the industry and the academia can work hand-in-hand. Corporates are beginning to realise the significance and engage in more and more research-based projects. In addition, government projects likes Start-up India and the Prime Minister's Fellowship Scheme for Doctoral Research will help bridge this gap and inculcate innovation across industries/sectors.

(Indu Kannan is Associate Vice President, Kestone Integrated Marketing Services Pvt. Ltd. The views expressed are personal. She can be contacted at indu@kestone.in)

--IANS

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Even as India moved into the top 100 for the first time in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business global rankings, there's a lot more that needs to be done to keep up with the rest of the world, said Diljit Rana, one of the UK's top businessmen and a member of the House of Lords.

Rana, originally from Punjab who built a 60 million empire from scratch in Northern Ireland, said there was an urgent need to bring India's archaic regulations into the 21st century environment.

Planning to build a world-class university in Punjab, Rana told IANS in an interview that he faced serious bureaucratic hurdles.

"Planning laws are a bit outdated here. For university approval, there is a mandatory condition which requires to have so much land. Like in Punjab, to get approval as a private university, the minimum land requirement is 35 acres," Rana told IANS in an interview during a visit here.

"But there are many universities across the world which have much less land. And they are world famous universities. So to put a condition for having so much land for university approval -- especially in the age where we are going all electronic -- it does not feel right," he said.

He added that land in Punjab is anyway scarce and very expensive and instead of such requirements, the focus should be on the quality of education.

"What we should be concerned about is the quality of teaching, the faculty and the collaboration with foreign universities to lift our standards. Because the world is changing so much and so fast that half of what we teach these days, nobody would need those subjects in 20 years time. We need to concern ourselves with that," he added.

Rana currently runs an education project -- Lord Rana Edu-City -- in Sanghol, his birthplace in Punjab, where too he had faced problems with the bureaucracy as the grant for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students amounting to around Rs 2 crore had been pending with the government for around two-and-a-half years now, he said.

"First, the Akali Dal government kept delaying and now the new government said they had no funds," said Rana, who met the Finance Minister and the Chief Minister of Punjab regarding the issue.

"They promised. But the promise has not been fulfilled yet. So we are funding the education of these students, and it becomes a cash flow problem," he added.

"There are other similar things in bureaucracy. For example, it took me nearly two years to get our own money back from the AICTE (All India Council of Technical Education). It's not the government money. We had an endowment fund which is part of the conditions when you start business management course or something. They ask you to put an endowment fund. It matured and even after maturity, it took me two years to get it released," he said.

Rana, who built a multi-million dollar hotel empire despite over two dozen bombings at some of his establishments during the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland in the 1980s, had to shelve his plan to invest in budget hotels in India.

"They have outdated planning conditions. First there are requirements like leaving certain portion of land unconstructed, which doesn't make sense for budget hotels in today's time in big cities. We have built hotels in major cities where we constructed on the 100 per cent of the area.

"Then there is demand for over-the-table and under-the-table money. I am not prepared to do that. So I had to shelve that plan for the time being," he said.

Rana, now a wealthy entrepreneur with a property portfolio and hotels including the Crowne Plaza, went to Northern Ireland in the mid-1960s. Surviving the dreadful train journey from Pakistan after the Partition, the violence did not leave him alone even in Northern Ireland as he endured a series of terror attacks during the ethno-nationalistic violence in the region.

Starting with a restaurant in the new country, he overcame 26 bomb attacks on his establishments, and showed amazing resilience in rebuilding them, often having to start from scratch.

He visits India six-seven times a year to promote trade relations and to link UK universities with Indian universities and research institutes.

(Vishav can be contacted at vishav@ians.in)

--IANS

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India's influence on the international stage is increasing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday.

"It is because of the growing reputation and trust for India, Indians living abroad feel proud. When slogans like 'abki baar Trump sarkar' (Trump government this time) and 'abki baar Cameron sarkar' (Cameron government this time) echo, India's might is being accepted," Modi said while addressing the inaugural session of the Hindustan Times Summit.

He was referring to the campaigns of former UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who used the slogan "phir ek baar Cameron sarkar" (Gameron government once again) to woo Indian origin voters in 2015 elections, and US President Donald Trump's election campaign in 2016, inspired by the 2014 Lok Sabha election slogan "Abki baar Modi Sarkar".

"Where is India standing today, you know it well. Big or small, all countries are walking along with India, our influence on the international stage is increasing. We don't have to stop now, we have to keep moving forward," Modi said.

--IANS

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Indonesian authorities on Thursday closed the international airport in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara province, due to the impact of volcanic ash from Mount Agung in the island of Bali island.

The closure began at 10.37 a.m. and will end at 12 a.m., the Transport Ministry announced.

The Lombok airport had reopened on Tuesday after it was shut a day earlier.

Lombok is another major tourist destination in Indonesia.

The Lombok international airport had served as an alternative when Bali's Ngurah Rai airport remained shut.

However, Mount Agung volcano still remains at the top eruption alert level.

Over 1,500 people were killed in the last eruption of the volcano in 1963.

Mount Agung is one of more than 100 active volcanoes in the archipelagic nation.

--IANS

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Defending his party's stand demanding capping of GST at 18 per cent, senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for calling it a "grand stupid thought" and asked if the government considered its Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian also stupid for voicing the same argument.

"If it is grand stupid thought to argue for a cap of the tax rate at 18 per cent, then CEA Arvind Subramanian and many other economists are stupid. Is that what the PM is saying," Chidambaram tweeted.

The Congress leader asked if the Prime Minister had read the economic advisor's report on Revenue Neutral Rate in which he had recommended an RNR of 15-15.5 per cent.

"Why can't the normal GST rate be 15 per cent and RNR plus rate on luxury goods be 18 per cent? Tax and spend is the credo of the BJP government. Example: when crude oil prices fell by 50 per cent, prices of petrol and diesel remained the same."

Modi at a rally in Gujarat's Morbi had mocked at "some intellectuals and economists" for misleading the country.

"The Congress wants the same 18 per cent tax on something as essential as salt and something as expensive as Rs 5 crore worth car. They want 28 per cent tax on alcohol and costly cigarettes to be reduced to 18 per cent.

"Do you want to sell cheap alcohol and spread cancer by selling cheap cigarettes. This is nothing but a grand stupid thought. There can't be any bigger anti-poor and anti-middle class thought," Modi said.

--IANS

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Chandigarh's BJP MP Kirron Kher has stirred a controversy by giving unsolicited advice to a young woman who was gang raped earlier this month here by an auto-rickshaw driver and his two accomplices.

Kher said on Wednesday that the victim should have been more cautious and not boarded the auto-rickshaw in which three men were already sitting.

The Bollywood actress and Lok Sabha member on Thursday sought to clarify her statement, saying it was "only in the context of certain precautions" that women should take and that it was "not intended to blame the victim or shaming her".

The Bharatiya Janata Party MP had earlier said that the 21-year-old gang rape victim should have avoided boarding the auto-rickshaw when she saw that three men were already sitting in it.

"I want to tell this girl and all other girls that if you see three men sitting in the auto, they should not board it. I am saying this to protect the girls.

"We all have to be alert about such things. I am saddened by what has happened with the woman," Kher told media on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Kher clarified her stand.

"I just said that the world is a bad place. We all, especially ladies, have to take precautions. As a mother, I am saying this that we need to take care," Kher said.

She said that if the victim had called up the police control room, the police would have taken her and dropped her safely to her home.

"If the Congress wants to make an issue out of it, I cannot help," she said.

The victim was allegedly gang raped by three men on November 17 evening after she hired the shared auto-rickshaw to go back to her paying guest accommodation in Mohali town, adjoining Chandigarh.

The police got the CCTV footage of the auto-rickshaw and its driver from a gas station in Sector 42 where the vehicle had stopped to get a CNG refuel.

The Union Territory police arrested the three men after over a week after the incident.

The victim, who hails from Dehradun in Uttarakhand, had boarded the shared auto-rickshaw after attending her stenography class in Sector 37 here.

The victim told the police that the driver took the vehicle to the gas station for refuelling and then turned towards Sector 52.

He stopped the auto near a wild growth along the road and said that it had broken down. When the woman got out of the vehicle to take another one, the three men pulled her into nearby bushes and took turns to rape her.

The accused arrested included auto-rickshaw driver Mohammed Irfan, Garib and Poppu.

Irfan had tried to commit suicide in police custody this week by stabbing himself with a glass that he broke in the prison cell.

--IANS

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White House senior advisor Jared Kushner met Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team where he was specifically asked about former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn as part of an ongoing probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, a media report said.

The conversation that took place earlier this month lasted less than 90 minutes, according to the CNN report.

However, the nature of this conversation was principally to make sure that Kushner, who is also President Donald Trump's son-in-law, did not have information that exonerates Flynn.

"Kushner has voluntarily cooperated with all relevant inquiries and will continue to do so," Abbe Lowell, Kushner's lawyer, told CNN on Wednesday.

The meeting took place around the same time the Special Counsel asked witnesses about Kushner's role in the firing of former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey and his relationship with Flynn, the report said.

Mueller's investigators have expressed interest in Kushner as part of its probe into Russian meddling, including potential obstruction of justice in Comey's firing, CNN reported.

Even before Mueller took over the Russia investigation, the FBI had been looking at Kushner's multiple roles on both the Trump campaign and the Trump transition team.

A 2016 meeting, in addition to meetings with Russia's ambassador and a Russian government banker, were left off Kushner's security clearance forms, which had to be revised multiple times.

--IANS

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Actor Arjun Kapoor, who will be seen playing a Haryanvi police officer in "Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar", says learning a new language is difficult.

This is not the first time Arjun will be learning a new dialect. Previously, he picked up Bihari for the film "Half Girlfriend".

Asked how easy or difficult is it to learn new languages for different films, Arjun told IANS over: "It is difficult. I have been saying this for the past last month. I have done more prep with Dibakar (Banerjee) sir than the shoot. My prep went on for three months and shoot for two months. That automatically shows you how much time we put in."

The actor, 32, further said: "I was in Delhi and spent time with the cops. I have spent time alot of time with the cops and their families, going for cadet training, meeting special force people... Dibakar Banerjee wanted me to dive into the character."

The film also stars Parineeti Chopra.

--IANS

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The Supreme Court on Thursday said that the Lt. Governor does not have the jurisdiction to pronounce if the Delhi government's decisions are correct or not as he can only, in the situation of disagreement, refer the matter to the President for decision.

"Lt. Governor does not have the jurisdiction to decide on the correctness or otherwise of the decisions of Delhi government" said Chief Justice Dipak Misra presiding over the five judge constitution bench.

Lt. Governor can call the Chief Minister and apprise him of his opinion and persuade him on the course which is he thinks is correct or vice-a-versa or refer it to the President in the event of difference of opinion but can't take upon himself the adjudicatory role, said the court.

The bench also comprising Justice A.K.Sikri, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Ashok Bhushan said this while making it clear that it would decide the larger issues on "law and principle" leaving the individual issues for the High Court to decide - a position the top court took while deciding whether right to privacy was a fundamental right.

"We will only lay down the law and the principles ... We will decide what kind of State it is and for individual cases, it will go back to two judge bench of High Court," said the bench.

The court noted that once constitutional perceptions are decided, the most of the problems will be solved "their (Delhi government) way or your (Centre) way" as Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, appearing for the Central government, sought to clear the impression that the Lt. Governor was functioning in total disregard of the elected government or was sitting on the files thereby paralysing the fuinctioning of Arvind Kejriwal government.

Maninder Singh told the court that in every meeting called by the Lt. Governor, the Chief Minister or the Minister concerned are called and they attend them. Of the 6,300 proposals that were forwarded to the Lt. Governor in last three years, 96 per cent of them were cleared and that too within two to three days of their submission, he added.

He said that Lt. Governor stood his ground only in three areas - police, public order and land - which are in the exclusive domain of the Centre.

Brushing aside the allegation that Lt. Governor sat on the file recommending the hike in minimum wages, the ASG said that the recommendations were not in accord with the procedure and once the procedural requirements were satisfied, the proposal for hike of minimum wages was cleared immediately.

The constitution bench is hearing a batch of petitions by the Delhi government challenging the Delhi High Court order that held that the Lt Governor had the final authority in the governance of the national capital. The Centre is defending the High Court verdict.

Besides Maninder Singh, the bench was also addressed by senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Sidhartha Luthra.

Hearing will continue on December 5.

--IANS

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Actor Mark Ruffalo wants to spread awareness about the violence faced by women and let them know that they are "not invisible".

Ruffalo took to his Instagram account on Thursday with an image in which he features holding a placard which read "Not Invisble".

He captioned the image with the post: "84 per cent of Native American women experience violence in their lifetime. But outside of Indian country, few people are aware of this epidemic. It's time to raise awareness and show that these women are Not Invisible."

The actor's fans flooded him with posts blessing him for his stance.

"Mark Ruffalo, I am a full-blooded Native American woman. My daughter and I wanted to say thank you for bringing awareness to this plight. West and strong together, Not Invisible, American Indian," wrote one user.

Another fan called Ruffalo "an extraordinary soul" and thanked him for all he does for humanity.

--IANS

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Rome, Nov 30 (IANS/AKI) A total of 117,042 boat migrants arrived in Italy from January to November - a drop of almost one-third from the 173,008 who landed over the same period of 2016, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday.

The sharpest fall in arrivals was from July to November - the months when warmer weather and calmer seas normally fuel a surge in Mediterranean crossings, it said.

Just 33,288 migrants reached Italy in July-November 2017, compared with 102,786 in the same period last year, the ministry figures showed.

The number of unaccompanied children also plunged to 14,579 from 25,846 in the same period of 2016, according the ministry figures.

Italy has been helping train Libyan coastguard who are intercepting migrant boats off the Libyan coast and returning the migrants to shore. The Italian government also introduced earlier this year a stringent code of conduct for charity rescue ships operating in the Mediterranean.

--IANS/AKI

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The signing, implementation and adherence to the Mizo Accord of 1986 is still held up as a shining example all over the world, President Ram Nath Kovind said here on Thursday.

He said credit for the atmosphere of peace and development in Mizoram goes to political stakeholders, civil societies, the Church and bodies affiliated to it.

"The accord was truly a miracle in the way in which it ended an insurgency situation and a conflict that had divided our country and Mizo society itself," the President said while addressing the special session of the Mizoram assembly.

Kovind said: "The accord and its legacy represent one of the greatest successes in India's long history.

"One must recall the enlightened and far-sighted leadership of Laldenga, as well as the efforts and generosity of spirit of Lal Thanhawla, who is now the incumbent Chief Minister."

After the 1959 famine, which resulted in the death of at least 100 people, besides heavy loss to human property and crops, the Mizo National Front (MNF) led by Laldenga waged a 20-year-long guerilla war (from 1966 to 1986), against the Indian government for independence before signing the peace accord with the Centre in 1986.

The MNF is now a regional political party that headed the state government in the Christian majority state led by former guerrilla leaders Laldenga (1986-1988) and Zoramthanga (1998-2008).

Mizoram became the 23rd state of the Union of India on February 20, 1987.

The President said that Mizoram is in focus for the Centre's "Act East Policy".

"This Policy aims at enhancing connectivity and trade linkages between Mizoram and the other Northeastern states and the rest of the country - as well as neighbouring countries of Southeast Asia."

Kovind said: "For a short time in our history there was a misconception about the Northeast India being a "frontier". Far from that, it is at the heart of an ancient trade corridor.

"For centuries, South Asia and Southeast Asia have been perceived as a composite trading region, with cultural similarities as well."

Congratulating the Mizoram Assembly, the President said: "In its decades-old history, it has established a reputation for smooth conduct of business.

"This assembly is a role model for our democracy and for how a Legislative House should function."

The President after a two-day visit to Mizoram left for Nagaland where he will inaugurate the famous traditional Hornbill Festival and State Formation Day celebrations on Friday.

--IANS

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The Muslim population in some European countries could triple by 2050 while it will barely change in others, according to new projections.

The projections were in a report titled "Europe's Growing Muslim Population" released on Wednesday night by the Washington-based Pew Research Centre, reports the Guardian.

The report shows a stark west-east divide.

The Muslim share of Germany's population could grow from 6.1 per cent in 2016 to 19.7 per cent in 2050 if high migration continues, whereas over the border Poland's share would change from 0.1 per cent to 0.2 per cent in the same scenario.

Even if all current 28 European Union (EU) members, plus Norway and Switzerland, closed their borders to migrants, the Muslim population share in the west would continue to grow owing to a younger age profile and higher fertility rates, but remain very low in the east.

According to Pew's data, Muslims made up 4.9 per cent of Europe's population in 2016, with an estimated 25.8 million people across 30 countries, up from 19.5 million people in 2010.

The number of Muslim migrants arriving in Europe surged after 2014 to almost half a million annually, largely due to people fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Researchers considered three scenarios for the increase: zero migration between 2016 and 2050; medium migration, in which the flow of refugees stops but people continue to migrate for other reasons; and high migration, in which the record flow of migrants between 2014 and 2016 continues indefinitely with the same religious composition.

Apart from migration, the number of Muslims in Europe is set to grow considerably through natural increases, the Guardian quoted the report as saying.

Europe's Muslims have more children than members of other religious groups or people of no religion, the study showed. The European average fertility rate is 2.6 for Muslims compared to 1.6 for non-Muslims.

The Muslim population is also much younger than non-Muslims. The proportion of Muslims under the age of 15 is 27 per cent, nearly double the proportion of under-15 non-Muslims at 15 per cent.
North Koreas latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile has brought the world "closer to war", US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley warned at an emergency meeting with the members of the UN Security Council in New York and urged all nations to ties with the rogue regime.

Speaking at the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Haley said: "The dictator of North Korea made a choice yesterday that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it."

"We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come... make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."

Haley said the Trump administration warned North Korea that its future is in the hands of its leaders and the choice was theirs. With the launch, she said, Kim Jong-un's regime made a choice "and with this choice comes a critical choice for the rest of the world", CNN reported.

She stressed that the nations of the world "have it within our power, to further isolate, diminish, and... reverse the dangerous course of the North Korean regime" and called on all nations to "cut off all ties with North Korea.

"In addition to fully implementing all UN sanctions, all countries should sever diplomatic relations with North Korea and limit military, scientific, technical or commercial cooperation," she said.

"They must also cut off trade with the regime by stopping all imports and exports and expel all North Korean workers."

Haley said President Donald Trump had asked his Chinese counterpart to cut off oil supplies to Pyongyang. "We need China to do more," she said.

"We know the main driver of its nuclear production is oil," she said. "The major supplier of that oil is China."

Earlier on Wednesday, the White House said that Trump spoke to Xi Jinping by telephone, urging him to... convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearisation".

Speaking in Missouri about tax reform, Trump derided Kim, describing him as a "sick puppy" and "little rocket man".

Xi responded by telling Trump it was Beijing's "unswerving goal to maintain peace and stability in northeast Asia and denuclearise the Korean peninsula", Xinhua news agency reported.

Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Pyongyang should stop its missile and nuclear tests but also called on Washington to cancel military exercises with South Korea in December as it would "inflame an already explosive situation".

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the US would press for tougher measures allowing North Korean shipping to be stopped and searched at high sea.

The Hwasong-15 missile, described as North Korea's "most powerful", was launched early Wednesday with a "super-large heavy warhead" which the regime claimed was capable of striking the US mainland. It landed in Japanese waters.

--IANS

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Claiming there is no democracy in Bengal under the Trinamool Congress, BJP leader Mukul Roy on Thursday alleged that 'police raj' is going on in the state where several youth have been "falsely implicated" in narcotics cases for opposing the ruling party.

"Thousands of youths have been arrested in false charges in Bengal and given narcotic cases because they were not with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party.

"The only job of the police here is to arrest the activists of BJP. A police raj is going on in Bengal," Roy said.

"I challenge the Chief Minister to take appropriate action against the officers concerned if they are found guilty of charging people with false cases. And if the arrested people are found involved in narcotic cases, I will quit politics," he claimed.

--IANS

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Indian naval ships have been deployed for search and rescue operations after some boats went missing when cyclonic storm Okhi hit the Kerala coast, an official statement said on Thursday.

At least six fishing boats with fishermen on board and one marine engineering vessel are reported missing at sea near Vizhinjam. The storm had developed in the Indian Ocean off the Kerala coast.

A Navy statement said ships Shardul, Nireekshak, Kabra and Kalpeni and two aircraft based at Kochi were deployed following a request from the Thiruvananthapuram District Collector for assistance in search and rescue operations.

"The ships and aircraft will continue to maintain at sea for any assistance required by the civil administration till the cyclone crosses the Indian coast," the Navy said.

The Southern Naval Command is also gearing up for any humanitarian assistance and disaster relief that may be required due to the storm in the southern part of Kerala, the statement added.

--IANS

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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday summoned representatives of the Valmiki community from Najafgarh after the Delhi Government expressed its inability to set up an STP for cleaning the Yamuna river since the land in the area belonged to the community.

An NGT bench headed by its Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar ordered the SHO concerned to bring to the green court representatives of the Valmiki community from Dichaon Kalan village on Friday.

The Tribunal, in October, slammed the Delhi government and the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for delaying its orders on the Yamuna cleaning project.

On Thursday, the National Capital Territory of Delhi authorities informed the tribunal about the inability to install the sewage treatment plant (STP) in the village since the land belonged to the Valmiki Samaj.

"Land acquisition is an issue... the Valmiki Samaj is not giving the land... we cannot displace the people there," the Delhi government told the NGT.

The bench thereafter ordered summoning of the community representatives.

Earlier, the tribunal ordered the installation of seven STPs along the Yamuna to control pollution due to sewage.

The DJB said it had initiated the process but could not go ahead due to lack of central funds.

The tribunal had earlier directed the Delhi government and the DJB to submit a status report on the progress in the work in the first phase of cleaning of the river.

Pointing out that pollution of the Yamuna by industrial effluents and sewage was a matter of serious concern, the green court had noted that almost 67 per cent of the pollutants entering the river would be treated by two sewage treatment plants at Delhi Gate and Najafgarh under the first phase of the 'Maili Se Nirmal Yamuna Revitalisation Project'.

--IANS

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In the midst of a raging controversy over his film "Padmavati", director Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Thursday appeared before a Parliamentary committee here and maintained that the row over the yet-to-be-released movie was just based on rumours, strongly rejecting charges that he had distorted historical facts about the 16th-century Rajput queen.

Bhansali was grilled for over two hours by members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on IT as he appeared before it in Parliament House with Prasoon Joshi, who heads the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Sources told IANS that the filmmaker was asked why he had screened the movie for a few select journalists even before it was cleared by the censor board.

"All the controversy over the film is based on rumours. I have not distorted facts. The film is based on a poem by Malik Muhammad Jayasi," Bhansali said, referring to the 16th-century Indian Sufi poet's epic poem "Padmavat".

"We don't intend to hurt anyone's sentiments," Bhansali told the 30-member panel headed by BJP MP Anurag Thakur. Among those who attended the meeting were Congress' Raj Babbar and BJP patriarch L K Advani.

Thakur in a statement said he raised a few questions in view of the "Padmavati" controversy and get them addressed.

"How and why did this divide and controversy erupt, why is a huge amount of money of taxpayers being utilized towards providing security in wake of this issue, why was the movie showcased to a select media, even before screening it to CBFC. A movie is meant for entertainment, not for creating a tensed atmosphere across the country. This meeting has been called upon to discuss all these issues at length, bring all the relevant stakeholders on a common platform to eventually reach a consensus."

The director has been given time until December 14 to give a written reply to the panel about the movie and the controversy surrounding it.

Thakur said the media too played a role in creating a perception amongst the audience, referring to death threats against Deepika Padukone who is playing the title role. The cases registered against the people who issued inflammatory statements by the respective state governments was not played up by the media. This at times leads to forming a negative mindset amongst the audience, he noted.

The Parliamentary panel had asked him to attend its meeting to explain his point of view as several states have threatened to block the screening of the film, which was earlier scheduled for release on Friday.

The film stoked controversy over assumptions that it has a dream sequence depicting romance between Rajput warrior queen Padmini and Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khilji.

Joshi told the panel that the censor board was yet to take a decision about the movie as it would be shown to regional and central screening committees.

Earlier in the day, the censor board chief also appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Petitions to brief its members about the controversy. Joshi is believed to have told the panel that the film had not yet been approved and the board only cleared the trailer and promos of the period film.

Members who raised objections against the movie include Congress' C P Joshi, BJP's O M Birla and Shiv Sena's Rajan Vichare. They also sought a ban on airing the promos of the film.

The Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation of the Rajput community, has urged a nationwide ban on "Padmavati". Activists of the Sena and some other groups have been protesting against the movie, claiming it "distorts" historical facts.

As six states, including Rajasthan, have already announced that they will not release the film, the Supreme Court on Tuesday took exception to people holding official positions making "prejudicial comments" about the movie, saying these breached the principle of rule of law.

The apex court asked when the matter was pending for consideration before CBFC, how could persons in public authority comment on whether the censor board should issue a certificate or not.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi left for Russia on Thursday to represent the country at a two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Sochi.

This is the first SCO Heads of Government meeting that Pakistan will attend after assuming full membership of the organisation in June this year along with India, Radio Pakistan reported.

The meeting is mandated to focus on the strategy, prospects and priorities for SCO's developmental cooperation.

The Prime Minister along with his other SCO counterparts will participate in the SCO retreat being hosted by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

The retreat will be followed by a plenary session of the Council of Heads of Government where the Prime Minister will deliver a statement.

Abbasi is expected to outline Pakistan's commitment to SCO's objectives, including fighting terrorism and extremism and its sincere interest in regional peace, stability and development.

The Prime Minister will also hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.

--IANS

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A Palestinian man was shot dead on Thursday in a confrontation between a group of Palestinians and several Israelis near the village of Qusra in the northern West Bank.

The Israeli army claimed in a statement that the Israelis were travellers who had been attacked by the Palestinians, Efe news agency reported.

"Earlier this morning, Palestinians threw rocks at a group of Israeli travellers near the village of Qusra, southeast of Nablus. One of the Israeli civilians fired towards the Palestinians in self-defence," the Israel Defence Forces said on their official Twitter account.

The IDF added that security forces arrived at the scene to evacuate the Israeli group, treat those injured and disperse the protest.

This version of events was contested by Palestinian leaders.

Ghassan Douglas, a Palestinian official in charge of settlements in the area, told Efe that the Israelis were settlers.

Douglas said that the confrontation took place when the Israelis attacked a group of Palestinian farmers who were heading for their fields.

Douglas added that following the death of the Palestinian man, further clashes erupted between the residents of Qusra and Israeli soldiers.

According to the Red Crescent emergency service, the Palestinian ministry of health had confirmed that the man injured by gunfire succumbed to his wounds.

Qusra is under full Israeli military and civilian control, as it is located in Area "C" under the terms of the 1993 Oslo Accords.

--IANS

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Pope Francis arrived in Bangladesh on Thursday, the second and last stop of his six-day two-nation South Asia tour. He became the first Catholic leader to visit Dhaka since 1986.

On Thursday, the pontiff will visit a memorial for the Bangladesh war of independence in 1971 after which he will hold a meeting with President Abdul Hamid and then deliver a speech at the presidential palace.

On Friday, the Pope is expected to meet a group of Rohingya refugees, as well as hold talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

His Bangladesh visit comes days after a priest, Walter William Rosario, went missing in Natore district, where a Christian businessman was murdered last year.

Rosario, had been organising a trip to the Pope's Mass in Dhaka which will take place on Friday.

The pontiff arrived in Myanmar on November 27 where he held meetings with President U Htin Kyaw, de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Army General Min Aung Hlaing and representatives of different faiths.

But in all his sermons in Myanmar, the Pope avoided the term Rohingya, the Muslim community of whom 620,000 people have fled to Bangladesh after a military crackdown in late August, the BBC reported.

He had been warned by his Catholic representatives in the country not to use the term for fear of alienating the Buddhist majority and causing difficulties for the nation's 600,000 Catholics.

There are fewer Catholics in Bangladesh than there are in Myanmar.

They make up about 0.2 per cent of the population, about 450,000 people, compared to about 600,000 in Myanmar.

--IANS

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Pope Francis on Thursday urged the youth in Myanmar to defend human rights and justice.

At a mass at the St. Mary's Cathedral here, with which the Pope concluded his state visit to Myanmar, the pontiff wondered how to spread the message of positivity amid so much suffering and conflicts, reports Efe news.

"Where is the good news when there is so much injustice, poverty and misery that cast its shadow about us and our world," he asked.

The Pope also asked the young people present at the mass to reach out to those who were suffering and to fight for human rights, justice, love and peace.

"As a good father, although it would be better to say a grandfather, I want to give you some ideas," he joked.

He asked the youth to cultivate an inner life and not to be afraid of asking questions that would lead to new thoughts and ideas.

"I ask you to shout, but not with your voices, no, I want you to shout, to be with your life, with your hearts, signs of hope for those who are discouraged, a hand outstretched for the sick, a welcoming smile for the stranger, a solicitous support for the one who is alone.

"Be brave, be generous, and, above all, be happy!" concluded Pope Francis, whose speech in Italian was being simultaneously translated into the local language on screens placed outside the church.

"He has come to do good not only to Christians but to all Burmese," said Elisabeth La Npai Nang Doi, who travelled from an internal refugee camp in Kachin state.

"It's a unique opportunity to see and listen to the Pope, it's the first time that a Pope has come to visit us," said Lucas Han Lohayai, a resident of Yangon.

The Pope in all his sermons in Myanmar avoided the term Rohingya, the Muslim community of whom 620,000 people have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh after a military crackdown in late August.

He had been warned by his Catholic representatives in the country not to use the term for fear of alienating the Buddhist majority and causing difficulties for the nation's 600,000 Catholics.

After Myanmar, he will travel to Bangladesh to meet Rohingya refugees in a symbolic gesture.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that there has been a "positive change" in the mindset and self-confidence of the people ever since his government came to power in 2014.

"If we see the country as a living entity then the positive attitude that has come to India, was never before," Modi said while addressing the inaugural session of the Hindutan Times Summit.

Earlier the youth, women, farmers and the poor had minimal faith in the country's resources, Modi said and added that now they trust the government and its resources.

Emphasising that the citizens of India in 2014 not just voted to change the government, Modi said that people wanted and therefore voted for "change in system that will be permanent, stable and irreversible".

"Every where in the country, someone had to fight with the system day and night. I am trying and have committed that there will be irreversible change -- ease of living will improve," said Modi.

--IANS

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The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the publication of the draft National Register for Citizens (NRC) for Assam carrying 2.38 crores names by the midnight of December 31, rejecting the plea for extension of time till July 2018 by the Centre.

Out of 2.38 crore names to be included in part publication of draft NRC, 38 lakh are yet to be verified - a task, the court said, has to be completed by deploying more manpower. Besides this another 76 lakh names are yet to be verified.

The NCR for Assam is jointly prepared by the Central government and the state and its agencies.

Rejecting the plea for the extension of time, the bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman also rejected the contention by Attorney General K.K.Venugopal that the fixing of December 31 deadline for the part publication of the National Register for Citizens would amount to an encroachment on the executive domain.

As the court directed the part publication of NCR, Venugopal said that "the fixing a date for publication of the draft NRC is really an executive function" and any direction by the court to that affect would be "an encroachment on the executive domain and violation of doctrine of separation of powers".

Taking note of the submission, the court said that it was being advanced for the "first time" and "overlooks the fact that over a period of three years the Court has been monitoring the matter and fixing appropriate timelines for the completion of different phases of the exercise".It further noted that even on the last date of hearing on July 13, when the December 31 deadline was fixed for publication of the draft NRC, the contentions, now being advanced of encroachment of executive domain and violation of the principle of separation of powers, were not made before the curt.

Justifying its direction, the court said that "it is the sheer inaction on the part of the executive in dragging the matter for a period of over three years ..."

Saying that there was no justifiable cause to hold back even a partial publication, the court brushed aside the argument that this "could result in a law and order situation inasmuch as a large segment of the people would understand that their names have been excluded.."

"We do not see how the aforesaid situation can even remotely arise as we have already indicated ... that claims of 47 lakh persons and 29 lakh persons are still pending and would be subject to verification and covered by publication of another draft NRC at a subsequent point of time," it said in its order.

The exercise for the upgradation of the NRC which is underway involves verification of people who claim to be residents of the state but were living in different parts of the country prior to 1971 -- the cut-off date for identification of illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

--IANS

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The Narendra Modi government on Thursday cited its policies for the acceleration of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) to 6.3 per cent during the second quarter (Q2) of 2017-18.

"Government's reforms to push economic growth are working (and it) can be seen from that manufacturing has shown robust growth of 7 per cent in Q2 and services at 7.1 per cent," tweeted Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Arun Jaitley.

"Gross fixed capital formation has increased from 1.6 per cent in Q1 to 4.7 per cent in Q2."

Official data revealed that a rise in the manufacturing sector's output pushed India's growth rate higher to 6.3 per cent during the second quarter of 2017-18 breaking a five-quarter slump.

On a sequential basis, India's GDP growth for Q2 of the current fiscal went up to 6.3 per cent, from 5.7 per cent reported during the first quarter of 2017-18.

Railways Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted: "Transformational reforms under PM Narendra Modi is bearing fruit through faster growth and prosperity for all. Quarterly GDP growth accelerates to 6.3 per cent versus 5.7 per cent in the previous quarter."

Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said the fundamentals of Indian economy are getting stronger. "Benefits of structural reforms by Narendra Modi will boost GDP in future," he said.

Echoing Prabhu's sentiment, Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "India's GDP growth rate shows upward trend in 2nd quarter of 2017-18 and registers a growth rate of 6.3 per cent.

"This coupled with strong fundamentals hold promise for a great future of Indian economy under the leadership of Narendra Modi. India unstoppable."

Praising Modi for the growth, Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah tweeted: "Today's GDP numbers reiterate the India unstoppable story under PM Modi.

"The strong rebound in growth is a reflection of solid economic management by the Modi Government. The significant uptick in the manufacturing sector is a very positive sign for our economy and will further boost Make In India and generate more employment.

"India's rise in World Bank's Ease of Doing Business rankings, upgrade by Moody's, praise by Standard & Poor's and the strong growth in Q2 show that India's rise is inevitable," he said, adding that Modi government's efforts are ensuring better prospects for every Indian.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted: "A big blow to all those who were criticising GST's historic decision! Great news that quarterly GDP growth accelerates to 6.3 per cent against 5.7 per cent from the previous quarter. Thanks to the continuous reforms by Narendra Modi that our nation is conquering peaks of success!"

Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram tweeted that he was "happy that the July-Sep quarter has registered a growth rate of 6.3 per cent" but said this was below expectations.

"This a 'pause' in the declining trend of the last five quarters. But we cannot say now whether this will mark an upward trend in the growth rate. We should wait for the growth rates over the next 3-4 quarters before we can reach a definite conclusion."

In another tweet, he said that "6.3 per cent is far below the 'promise' of the Modi government and far below the 'potential' of a well-managed Indian economy".

--IANS

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Reliance Power (RPower) announced on Thursday said that it has signed the project agreements for executing the first phase of its gas-fired power plant and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal integrated project in Bangladesh.

"Reliance Power today (Thursday) completed execution of project agreements for Phase - I of its project in Bangladesh," an RPower release said here.

"The first Phase of Reliance Power's integrated project consists of 750 MW combined cycle gas based power plant to be set up at Meghnaghat near Dhaka and 500 mscfd (million standar cubic feet per day) LNG Terminal at Kutudbia Island in Bangladesh," it said.

R-Power said the Terminal Use Agreement for the LNG Terminal project was signed with Bangladesh state-run PetroBangla.

"The project agreements for the power project have already been executed with Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB)," it added.

The integrated project entails an investment outlay of over $1 billion, which represents the largest foreign direct investment (FDI) in Bangladesh and the largest investment in the country's energy sector, the statement said.

"Reliance Power will relocate one module of world-class equipment procured from internationally reputed original equipment manufacturers for its 2,250 MW combined cycle power project at Samalkot in Andhra Pradesh, for the Phase-1 project in Bangladesh," it said.

The MoU for the integrated project was signed in June 2015 in Dhaka during the Bangladesh visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The Reliance project will give a tremendous boost to the economic and industrial growth of Bangladesh and will enhance the energy security of the country with clean, green and reliable LNG based power," it added.

--IANS

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Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's Friday visit to this Kerala city has been postponed due to bad weather, party sources said on Thursday.

Gandhi was scheduled to participate in a function to mark the conclusion of a statewide yatra undertaken by former state Minister and present Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala.

"Due to bad weather conditions and security considerations over his address at a public meeting at a beachside venue, his visit has been postponed," Chennithala's office said.

Gandhi was earlier expected to arrive on Friday afternoon and depart on Saturday, but heavy rain accompanied by strong winds in the southern districts of Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam since Thursday morning washed out his proposed visit.

More rain has been predicted till the forenoon on Friday.

--IANS

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The Russian envoy to the UN has called for restraint over the Korean Peninsula crisis following Pyongyang's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) which can allegedly reach the entire American mainland.

"It is essential to take a step back and carefully weigh the consequences of each move, to revise the policy of mutual threat and intimidation because this policy only leads to consequences or goal that are opposite to those that are sought after," Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council on Wednesday.

Over the past two and a half months, the US and its allies seem to have tried the patience of Pyongyang with their activities, including unplanned and undeclared military manoeuvers, or unilateral sanctions, he said.

"The hostile moves forced North Korea to question the sincerity of the US to seek a peaceful settlement," Nebenzia said, adding that a comprehensive settlement will be difficult if Pyongyang feels that its security was threatened.

"It is clear that there was no military solution to the problems on the Korean Peninsula.

"Sanctions against Pyongyang are an instrument aimed at involving it in constructive negotiations and should not be used to strangle North Korea economically or to intentionally worsen the humanitarian situation in the country.

"Unless the states in the region show their readiness to pay due attention to the political components of the resolutions containing sanctions, the situation will continue to deteriorate and move in a vicious circle.

"A search for a long-term solution can only be done through tireless and active diplomatic efforts. We call on all sides to immediately begin work on finding a formula for political and diplomatic settlement. We don't see any rational alternative to this path," the Ambassador added.

However, Nebenzia condemned North Korea's latest launch earlier on Wednesday.

"The latest launch is a cause for deep disappointment. Open disregard of the DPRK of the demands of the resolutions of the Security Council and norms of international law justifies the strongest condemnation.

Russia does not accept North Korea's goal of acquiring the status of nuclear power and has supported all Security Council resolutions demanding an end to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programms," he added.

On Thursday, North Korea published photographs of ICBM that was launched on Wednesday under the supervision of its leader Kim Jong-un.

A large gallery of 42 photos published by the state newspaper Rodong Sinmun, unveiled the ICBM Hwasong-15 that has a rounded tip sitting on a transporter erector launcher (TEL) that has nine wheels on each side.

North Korea has also claimed that the missile held a warhead capable of re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.

--IANS

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Actress Angela Lansbury, who was slammed for her comment that "women must accept some blame for sexual harassment", says her remarks were taken out of context.

"There is no excuse whatsoever for men to harass women in an abusive sexual manner. And, I am devastated that anyone should deem me capable of thinking otherwise. Those who have known the quality of my work and the many public statements I have made over the course of my life, must know, that I am a strong supporter of Women's Rights," said Lansbury, reports variety.com.

"Lastly, I would like to add that I am troubled by how quickly and brutishly some have taken my comments out of context and attempted to blame my generation, my age, or my mindset, without having read the entirety of what I said," she added.

On Tuesday, Lansbury, 92, told Radio Times magazine in an interview that " women must sometimes take blame, women. I really do think that. Although it's awful to say, we can't make ourselves look as attractive as possible without being knocked down and raped."

However, the actress, who will soon be seen in "Mary Poppins Returns" as the balloon lady, did not deny having made the comments.

Her comments were published on Tuesday amid a wave of sexual harassment allegations in Hollywood exposing details of decades of alleged misconduct by producer Harvey Weinstein, followed by accusations on celebrities like Louis C.K., Russell Simmons, Brett Ratner, and Matt Lauer.

--IANS

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Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday said small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can play a crucial role in checking climate degrading practices in the industrial sector and ensuring a "greener future".

Addressing the 21st International Conference on Small and Medium Enterprises organised by the World Association for Small and Medium Enterprises, Naidu said that people are now waking up to the reality of climate change, which was not the case till a few decades back.

"Few decades ago, discussions on these topics remained confined to scientific conferences as the general public either remained blissfully indifferent or were not fully aware about the disastrous consequences," he said.

"But gradually people have started to realize the dangers of indiscriminate depletion of natural resources and that it cannot be business as usual. In sustaining this planet and ensuring a greener future for posterity, the SMEs can play a crucial role by adopting practices that will not impact the environment and harm the present and future generations," he added.

Terming them as the "backbone" of the country's economy, Naidu informed the people that SMEs contribute up to 45 per cent in the country's GDP and the sector employs nearly 46 crore people, becoming "the second largest workforce in the country after the agricultural sector".

He said the sector was growing at 11.5 per cent annually.

Citing the numbers from World Bank, he said: "600 million jobs will be needed in the next 15 years to absorb the growing global workforce, mainly in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa."

He also conceded the problems ailing the sector which is "handicapped by skill gaps, poor technology, regulatory complexities and trade barriers", and said these challenges needed to be assailed for SMEs to realise their full potential.

-- IANS

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A latest version of the 1972 classic "Super Fly" is in the works.

Its script will be penned by Alex Tse, best known for penning Zack Snyder's adaptation of "Watchmen".

The remake is inspired by the classic which starred Ron O'Neal as Priest, a cocaine dealer looking to score one more super deal and retire. The original movie was directed by Gordon Parks Jr, reports variety.com.

Sony executive Palak Patel spearheaded the effort to buy the rights, and the studio is already in the process of making a list of actors to meet for the title role.

The remake is produced by Joel Silver.

--IANS

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Syria remains the world's largest and most dynamic displacement crisis, with half of Syrians displaced from their homes, a top UN humanitarian official has said.

On average, more than 6,500 people have been displaced every day in the first nine months of 2017, UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock told the Security Council on Wednesday, Xinhua reported.

In northeast Syria, as fighting continued down the Euphrates River toward the border with Iraq, airstrikes and clashes have displaced more than 436,000 people from and within Raqqa governorate since the anti-Islamic State offensive began a year ago.

Another 350,000 people have been displaced from and within the neighbouring governorate of Deir ez-Zor since August 2017, said Lowcock.

Nearly 3 million people continue to live in besieged and hard-to-reach areas in Syria, he said.

At least 420,000 people are living in 10 besieged areas, 94 per cent of whom are in the rebel-held enclave of East Ghouta near the capital city of Damascus.

The UN official expressed grave concern over the food crisis in East Ghouta as fighting continued. Only 100,000 people out of an estimated population of 400,000 in the enclave have received food assistance this year. And those people are only getting occasional one-off deliveries, he said.

Across the war-torn country, more than 13 million people urgently need humanitarian assistance and protection, 5.6 million of them are in acute need, he said.

Almost one school-age child in three is out of school; one-third of schools are damaged or destroyed; fewer than half of Syria's health facilities are fully operational, leading to thousands of preventable deaths from injury or disease, said Lowcock.

Humanitarian deliveries continue to be impeded, particularly with regard to cross-line operations, he said.

Although assistance to areas under government control represents the majority of UN response, civilians in areas not under government control are reached in much larger numbers, with much greater consistency, and with much more comprehensive support through cross-border operations than through cross-line operations, said Lowcock.

--IANS

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India's tea exports grew by over 6.5 per cent to 189.68 million kgs during the January to October period of the current year as compared to 178 million kgs exported in the corresponding period of 2016.

According to provisional data of the Tea Board India, tea exports, in value terms, stood at Rs 3,724.34 crore during the January-October period of 2017, up by about 4.8 per cent from Rs 3,553.19 crore in the same period last year.

In volume, tea exports to CIS countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and others, were at 50.61 million kgs in the first 10 months of the current calendar year, down from 51.21 million kgs in the same period last year.

Exports to the UK also fell to 11.20 million kgs in the January-October period in 2017 as against 13.09 million kgs in the year-ago period while exports at 8.08 million kgs in Germany in the period under review were also down marginally from 8.76 million kgs exported in the same period last year.

However, tea exports to Iran were up to 20.98 million kgs in January-October of 2017, from 18.67 million kgs in the year-ago period.

As much as 7.54 million kgs of tea was shipped out to Egypt during the 10 months of 2017, up from three million kgs in the year-ago period.

Tea exports to Pakistan stood at 10.39 million kgs in the period under review, as against 9.97 million kgs exported in the year-ago period.

India's tea production, in October only, increased year-on-year by 17.31 per cent to 177.32 million kgs as against 151.15 million kgs in the year-ago month.

In the last month, north India's production including West Bengal and Assam was at 156.36 million kgs, up by 17.66 per cent from 132.89 million kgs in the same month last year.

South India's tea production in October this year grew by 14.79 per cent to 20.96 million kgs.

--IANS

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Enthused by the success of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) which concluded here on Thursday, the Telangana government announced the setting up of WE-Hub, an exclusive incubator for women entrepreneurs.

Minister for Information Technology K. T. Rama Rao announced at the end of the summit that WE-Hub would be modelled on the lines of T-Hub, the country's largest technology incubator which earned appreciation at the summit.

As the summit was focused on women entrepreneurs, the state government decided to set up the facility to help women startups.

Rao also announced the setting up of a Technology Fund (T-Fund) with a corpus of Rs 15 crore exclusively for women entrepreneurs. The women entrepreneurs can get Rs 25 lakh to Rs 1 crore under this fund.

Announcing the third initiative, the minister said women entrepreneurs will get one-fourth share in 25 per cent of the total procurements made by the government from the private sector, mostly SMEs.

NITI Ayog CEO Amitabh Kant announced that the Atal Innovation Mission of the government of India would partner with the state government for these initiatives.

--IANS

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TiE Global in partnership with the US Embassy on Thursday announced launch of AIRSWEE 2.0, its marquee programme for economic empowerment of women through entrepreneurship in 30 Tier 2 and 3 cities in India.

The objective of All India Road Show for Women's Economic Empowerment through Entrepreneurship (AIRSWEE) is to educate, mentor and inspire women in smaller Indian cities to consider entrepreneurship as a viable and rewarding career path.

The announcement was made on the sidelines of Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES).

TiE Global, a not-for-profit organization with the mission of fostering entrepreneurship globally, won a grant of $125,000 from the US Department of State for its second phase. Last year, the grant was $140,000.

Seema Chaturvedi, Chairperson Project AIRSWEE, said AIRSWEE 1.0 initiated in 2016 empowered 125 women mentors from 27 cities.

Based on the significant impact created by it, TiE Global received funding support from the US Embassy to conduct mentorship based programme to scale up women entrepreneurship in India for a second year, she said.

Under Project AIRSWEE 2.0, TiE Global will host four-day workshops in cities which include Baroda, Hubli, Bhubaneshwar, Lucknow and Patna. Each workshop city will host 30 mentee participants for a total of 150 selected mentees.

TiE Global has unveiled the application at its website http://women.tie.org/mentee.php and is inviting applications from interested participants. The workshops will be free of cost for the women participants.

TiE Global is seeking to create a significant multiplier effect by creating a pay-it-forward culture by requiring each of these 150 mentees to mentor at least two mentees each. "This will create a ripple effect of at least 450 empowered women entrepreneurs," she said.

Under the first phase, workshops were conducted in Coimbatore, Warangal, Jaipur, Nagpur and Durgapur.

--IANS

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Paris, Nov 30 (IANS/WAM) The UAE Embassy here has observed the country's National Day for the first time at the Louvre Museum in the presence of top officials.

The United Arab Emirates' National Day is on Saturday. The reception to mark the day was held in the museum on Wednesday and was attended by UAE Minister of State Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Health Minister Abdul Rahman Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais and the country's Ambassador to France Omar Saif Ghobash.

Former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius and the Speaker of the French Constitutional Council were also present.

"We are proud to observe the 46th anniversary of the establishment of the UAE here today in a celebration that reflects the privileged bonds between the UAE and France," said Nusseibeh.

Minister Al Owais lauded the distinguished cultural relations between the two countries and highlighted the recent opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi as a major milestone in further advancing these relations to a higher level.

Around 70 UAE students are enrolled in diverse and rigorous majors in France, including medicine, law, security and political sciences.

Abdullah Musabah Al Naimi, the Chairperson of the UAE Permanent Delegate to Unesco and a number of representatives of the UAE Foreign Affairs Ministry also attended the function.

--IANS/WAM

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With the three-phase urban body polls over, political leaders from Uttar Pradesh, including Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav, are now headed to poll-bound Gujarat.

Akhilesh Yadav will be touring the state between December 4 and 7, party state spokesman Rajendra Choudhary said on Thursday.

The SP, which fought the February-March assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in alliance with the Congress, is fighting the Gujarat polls alone.

However, for the "sake of secularism", it has extended support to Congress candidates in Gujarat and has fielded his candidates in five seats only.

The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister will start his election campaign from Jamnagar, which has a sizable population of people from eastern UP.

Congress leaders from Uttar Pradesh, including its state chief Raj Babbar, P.L. Punia, former Union Minister R.P.N. Singh, Manoj Tyagi and Nadeem Javed are also visiting Gujarat soon to woo the minorities, the scheduled castes and Poorvanchalis.

--IANS

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US Secretary of Defense James Mattis will visit Pakistan for talks on bilateral and regional matters, Pakistan Foreign Ministry has said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Muhammad Faisal did not give any specific date for the visit. However, Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said last week that the visit is expected on December 3.

Faisal said at his weekly briefing in Islamabad on Thursday that Mattis' visit will be part of the continued interaction between the two countries, Xinhua news agency reported.

"This clearly indicates that dialogue between both the countries to bridge gap in perceptions is ongoing. We are trying to find common grounds and move forward in our bilateral relationship with the US in a positive and cooperative manner," he said.

Regarding the US policy on South Asia announced in August by US President Donald Trump, the spokesman said "there was a difference in understanding and perceptions on both sides".

He added that thereafter, a dialogue started by a meeting between Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and US Vice President Mike Pence on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this year.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif also met US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Washington. Tillerson later visited Pakistan in October.

--IANS

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At least three people were killed when a US drone fired missiles along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the media reported on Thursday.

The strike took place before dawn on the Kurram Agency border with Afghanistan. However, Pakistani officials said that it was unclear whether the drone had struck in Pakistani territory.

Local sources quoted by the Express News said there were reports of three deaths and that the area where the incident had taken place was Pesho Ghar.

"We are assessing the situation," an official of the political administration said.
Warning that if it comes to war, North Korea will be "totally destroyed", the US has called on China to show leadership and cut off oil supplies to pressure Pyongyang following its latest missile test.

US Permanent Representative Nikki Haley told the Council on Wednesday that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un was bringing "the world closer to war" through his missile and nuclear provocations.

"We have never sought war with North Korea," she said. "And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."

Haley said that many countries have made economic sacrifices to enforce strict sanctions against North Korea and put the main task of containing Pyongyang on China's shoulders.

"We now turn to (China's) President Xi (Jinping) to also take that stand," she said. "China must show leadership and follow through."

Haley said that President Donald Trump had called Xi and asked him cut off oil supplies to North Korea. "China can do this on its own or we can take the oil situation into our own hands," she added.

Explaining the importance of an oil embargo, she said that when China cut off oil supplies that country in 2003, Pyongyang came to the negotiating table.

Meanwhile, Trump's Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah told reporters: "We'll see future actions by the US and others and we're looking forward to applying as much pressure as we can to get to our ultimate goal, which is a denuclearised Korean Peninsula."

At the Council meeting convened at the request of the US, Japan and South Korea, Under Secretary-General Jeffrey Feltman said the missile launched on Wednesday had travelled about 950 kilometres before falling into the sea in Japan's exclusive economic zone.

"The parameters indicate that if flown on a standard trajectory, the missile as configured would have had a range in excess of 13,000 kilometres," he added.

There was unanimity at the Council in condemning the missile test, but not on the actions to be taken against Pyongyang.

"Japan will never tolerate a nuclear-armed North Korea," the country's Permanent Representative Koro Bessho said.

China's Deputy Permanent Representative Wu Haitao in effect rejected any new sanctions suggested by Haley, saying that Beijing was committed to finding a diplomatic solution that would not impact the North Korean people.

He urged the acceptance of a proposal made jointly by China and Russia that would require North Korea to suspend nuclear activity and the US and South Korea to halt joint military exercises in order to pave the way for talks.

Russia's Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia said the latest missile test was cause for "deep disappointment" but accused the US and its allies of provoking Pyongyang with unplanned military manoeuvres and unilateral sanctions.

Trump kept the war of words going while speaking at a meeting in Missouri ridiculing Kim as a "sick puppy" and "little rocket man".

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) on Thursday announced $1 million to create awareness about Tuberculosis (TB) to help India in its fight against the disease.

Announcing this here on the sidelines of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), USAID Director Mark Green said the move would support Prime Minister Modi's ultimate goal of securing a TB-free India by 2025.

India has the world's highest incidence of TB, with 2.8 million cases annually, and accounts for more than a quarter of the global TB burden.

India also has the largest burden of multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) among all countries, with almost 150,000 cases every year.

TB claims over 435,000 Indian lives each year, which places TB among the top ten causes of death in the country.

USAID feels the TB stigma disproportionately affects women.

In India, as in many countries around the world, people often fear how others will treat them if they are diagnosed with TB. Women diagnosed with TB report that their families, employers and communities shun and discriminate against them, said a statement.

USAID has supported the TB programme of India since 1998, and has invested more than $140 million to strengthen the capacity of national, state, and district-level TB programmes. USAID has also introduced new tools and approaches to reach, cure and prevent TB in India successfully.

The current objectives of the USAID/India TB portfolio are to strengthen the detection and treatment of TB, including a focus on drug-resistant strains; assist the government to plan and implement evidence-based interventions to reach a TB-Free India; and improve patient-centred TB services in private provider settings.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Thursday announced launch of $2.25 million health-impact bond, USAID amdinistrator Mark Green announced here on the sidelines of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES).

He said the agency was also announcing $1 million to create awareness about Tuberculosis (TB) to help India in its fight against the disease.

The health-impact bond -- the Rajasthan Development Impact Bond -- is aimed at improving maternal and newborn health in Rajasthan.

The bond is for improving the quality of health services in private health facilities.

The USAID will pay back the investment only if the private providers achieve certain concrete results.

It believes that the money will increase life-saving supplies and trained staff, and the improved ability to address complications in labour, saving lives of as many as 10,000 women and newborns over five years.

This novel pay-for-success approach is a great value for US taxpayers, because it unlocks private capital and resources from local government to save lives, he said.

Mark Green said $1 million effort for TB awareness would support Prime Minister Modi's ultimate goal of securing a TB-free India by 2025.

India has the world's highest incidence of TB, with 2.8 million cases annually, and accounts for more than a quarter of the global TB burden.

USAID has supported the TB programme of the Indian government since 1998, and has invested more than $140 million to strengthen the capacity of national, state, and district-level TB programmes. USAID has also introduced new tools and approaches to reach, cure, and prevent TB in India successfully.

The US aid agency also announced another $1.5 million for the Women connect challenge for closing digital gender divide. "Of the 800 million people that still go to bed hungry every night women are disproportionately affected. However women are also uniquely positioned to be part of the solution ending hunger," said a USAID statement said.

It added that the $2 million Feed the Future competition 2018 is designed to lift up and mentor female entrepreneurs in Africa.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Uttar Pradesh was the state where the maximum number of crimes took place in 2016, while Delhi reported the highest crime rate, latest Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report said on Thursday.

Uttar Pradesh accounted for 9.5 per cent of total Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes reported in the country followed by Madhya Pradesh (8.9 per cent), Maharashtra (8.8 per cent) and Kerala (8.7 per cent), while Delhi reported the highest crime rate, or incidents per 100,000 persons at 974.9 followed by Kerala at 727.6 and Madhya Pradesh at 337.9 against the average of 233.6.

While Uttar Pradesh reported 4,889 murder cases, the capital reported nearly 40 per cent of rape cases, said NCRB's annual publication "Crime in India 2016" released by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Uttar Pradesh also saw the highest number of crimes against women with 14.5 per cent (49,262 cases) of the total cases.

Delhi reported 33 per cent (13,803 cases of the total 41,761 cases in 19 cities with a population above two million) of total crimes against women, and was followed by Mumbai at 12.3 per cent (5,128 cases).

Overall, rape cases saw an increase of 12.4 per cent from 34,651 cases in the country in 2015 to 38,947 in 2016.

Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh reported the highest incidence of rape with 4,882 cases (12.5 per cent) and 4,816 (12.4 per cent), respectively, followed by Maharashtra 4,189 (10.7 per cent) last year, according to the NCRB data.

The national capital also recorded the highest crime rate of 182.1 compared to the national average of 77.2 and reported the highest number of murders -- 479 out of 2,194 cases (21.8 per cent), followed by Bengaluru 10.4 per cent (229 cases) and Patna 8.9 per cent (195 cases).

Delhi also reported the highest number of kidnappings and abductions -- 5,453 cases (48.3 per cent), followed by Mumbai with 1,876 cases (16.6 per cent) and Bengaluru 879 cases (7.8 per cent) during 2016.

The city reported the highest number of murders -- 479 out of 2,194 cases (21.8 per cent), followed by Bengaluru 10.4 per cent (229 cases) and Patna 8.9 per cent (195 cases).
Although Facebook is doing its job to tackle the presence of fake news and polarised ads on its platform, the world needs a collective take on bad actors -- be it state or non-state -- to ensure the flow of high-quality information on social media, a top company executive said here on Thursday.

Speaking at the HT Leadership Summit, Alex Hardiman, Head of News Product at Facebook, said that there are several aggressive bad actors with sophisticated ways who are spreading misinformation and both traditional media outlets and social media platforms must come together to devise increasingly smart methods to deal with them.

"At Facebook, we are spending tremendous amount of time and energy to identify fake news. We are now sharing information with other big tech companies to find out the root cause. Facebook is going to increase head counts and investments to counter fake news in 2018," Hardiman told the gathering.

"All stakeholders --- governments, third-party players, traditional media houses and social media giants -- need to come under one umbrella to eliminate bad actors," emphasised Hardiman who has worked as Vice President of News Product at The New York Times.

Facebook along with tech giants like Twitter and Google is facing intense scrutiny in the US after the company disclosed details about the presence of Russian political ads, tweets and posts on their platforms during the presidential election in 2016.

The Kremlin-linked Russian organisations purchased more than $100,000 of ads on social media platforms during the US election. Facebook told US Congress this month that 126 million of its users in the US might have seen ads produced and circulated by Russian operatives.

Not just the US, Facebook and Twitter have also agreed to share details with British authorities on Russia's interference in the Brexit referendum by using their platforms.

"Facebook is fully cooperating with the governments. I can't comment on the specifics but we are regulated -- be it in the EU or the US. We will abide by the laws of the land. Back at the company, we are recalibrating efforts and will make sure that inclusive news goes out," she noted.

According to her, Facebook is identifying and blocking misinformation in myriad ways.

"Our Machine Learning (ML) tools are constantly eliminating fake accounts. Human reviewers are helping us spot nuanced information in sensenalised posts and ads. We are also doing third-party fact-checking to understand what is real and what is not," Hardiman said.

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ML techniques, Facebook is removing Islamic State (IS) and Al Qaeda-related terror content from its platform before anyone flags it, the social media giant said this week.

In its bid to help readers identify trustworthy news sources, Facebook along with Google, Twitter and several media organisations have joined the non-partisan "The Trust Project".

"The Trust Project" is led by award-winning journalist Sally Lehrman of Santa Clara University's Markkula Centre for Applied Ethics.

As part of the project, an icon will appear next to articles in Facebook News Feed. When you click on the icon, you can read information on the organisations' ethics and other standards, the journalists' backgrounds, and how they do their work.

"We are now deeply involved with media houses to identify false news as bringing both sides together will ensure high-quality news," the Facebook executive said.

Hardiman is positive on the India market for Facebook.

"The Indian publishers have so much data and can make good decisions about content strategy and revenue models. Facebook is bullish on India when it comes to local context, regional languages -- to create strong threads and connect the next billion," she told the audience, adding that Facebook product like "Instant Article" are being fast adopted in the country.

Talking about India-first innovation, Hardiman said: "More than four million donors in India have signed up for Facebook's blood donation feature which the company launched from the country".

In October, Facebook launched a new blood donations feature, starting in India, to make it easier for people to donate blood.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Leaders of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) West have denounced US President Donald Trump for retweeting violent anti-Muslim videos by leaders of a British hate group.

The WGA West leaders said that "the vile display of naked prejudice reached another low" as part of a letter sent to the 10,000 members of the Los Angeles-based guild, reports variety.com.

The letter, which said "First Amendment Under Attack" in the subject line, was signed by WGA West president David A. Goodman, vice president Marjorie David, secretary-treasurer Aaron Mendelsohn, and executive director David Young.

"As the officers and executive director of a union devoted to the well-being of writers, we have watched, appalled, as our current administration tramples on every principle of justice and truth we hold dear," the letter began.

"The question for us, always, is when to speak out. What is the 'right time' when lies are paraded as truth; when racists are praised for their decency; when the press is derided as 'fake'; when a child molester is endorsed to smooth the way for an unfair tax cut? If we made a statement each time, we'd be writing to you every day."

The WGA West leaders last blasted Trump by issuing a stinging condemnation of the President for failing to sufficiently condemn white nationalism and neo-Nazis following Trump blaming "both sides" for the violence at a Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, where a woman was killed when a car drove into the crowd and 30 people were injured.

"President Trump legitimises hate speech and violence, and disgraces our nation" the guild leaders said at the time.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chinese President Xi Jinping met former US President Barack Obama in Beijing on Thursday, calling for enhanced communication, exchanges and cooperation between China and the US.

Xi made a positive appraisal of Obama's efforts in promoting China-US relations during his presidency, Xinhua news agency reported.

He stressed that China and the US have an important responsibility to safeguard world peace and stability, as well as boost global development and prosperity.

A long-term, stable and healthy development of Sino-US ties accords with the interests of both nations and the world, said Xi.

China is ready to work with the US to strengthen communication, exchanges and cooperation, so as to push for new development of bilateral relations, he said.

Xi briefed Obama on the major outcomes of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held in October.

Obama thanked Xi for meeting him and appreciated China's development achievements.

Developing constructive US-China relations is in line with the interests of the two peoples, he said, noting that he will continue to play a positive role in promoting mutual understanding, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With the advent of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project of the G20-OECD, the global incidence of is back on centre stage. BEPS Action 13 deals exclusively with this matter and Action 15 focuses on, among other things, how countries should come together on a common platform to sign on a mechanism for dispute resolution. Commensurately, the analysis of disputes has sharpened and the conclusions from such analyses have become more meaningful. One illuminating revelation at a recent London School of Economics (LSE) seminar was that a mere counting of disputes may yield erroneous conclusions and, instead, the measurement of disputes should be appropriately normalised across countries before comparing and drawing conclusions on entry costs and exit costs for potential investors which is, after all, the crucial role that dispute resolution has to assume.
The Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra, said at a conference on the National Law Day on November 26 that protection of fundamental rights of citizens is the sacrosanct duty of the judiciary which is conferred on it by the Constitution. The moment the governing entities encroach upon the fundamental rights of the citizens or there is an apprehension that there is an encroachment, the judiciary is obliged to stand by them. He has also appealed to the lawyers not to seek unnecessary adjournments. He has assured zero pendency of cases at the apex court if there is zero adjournment sought by the lawyers. He is trying to ensure speedy justice, with high courts working on weekends to clear the back log of old cases. He has himself followed his advice to others in letter and spirit and hence, the pendency has gone down since he became the CJI two and half months back.
The Global Entrepreneurship Summit that concluded in Hyderabad on Thursday lived up to its theme  Women First, Prosperity for All. Women made up a majority of the 1,500 entrepreneurs invited to the event; a lot of commitments were made by all and sundry and a lot of success stories were shared. This is encouraging as such talk fests do help in raising awareness about the issues involved.
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday termed a money laundering scheme and raked up the issue of BJP President Amit Shah's son Jay Shah's company recording massive turnover after the NDA government came to power.

" was implemented suddenly, maybe he did not like the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes. On November 8, the whole country was standing in line... But did you see any big industrialist from Gujarat in the queue outside banks? Did you see anyone coming in a Mercedes car?" Gandhi said at an election rally in Gujarat.

"Those who ride Mercedes cars entered the bank from the back door, and got their black money converted," he said.

"This is the reality of . The thieves got their black money laundered and you were left standing in queues," he added.

He also raked up the issue of BJP president Amit Shah's son Jay Shah's company.

"Magically, Amit Shah's son's company converted Rs 50,000 to Rs 80 crore in three months... While anyone would usually run a profit-making venture, the company was shut after three months," he said.

He added that the Modi government was avoiding holding the Winter Session of Parliament before the Gujarat elections because they were scared of issues like Jay Shah's company and the Rafale deal being raised.
From retorting to Rahul's 'Gabbar Singh Tax' jibe with 'Grand Stupid Thought' to urging that 'BJP shouldn't be voted out for 100 years', here are the highlights of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Gujarat poll campaign on Wednesday.
on Thursday urged legislators to be the true representatives of people by being fair to the entire constituency, and not just those who voted for them.

Addressing a special session of the Mizoram Assembly, Kovind said a legislator equally represents those who did not vote for him or opposed him.

The president said a rival in an election was a political competitor and not an enemy, and ideally, the functioning of the legislature should be marked by dignity and decorum.

The political system should not allow differences to become disputes, he said.

"After the election, the competitor could become a colleague in the task of ensuring the well-being and development of a constituency, of the state and of the country," he said.

Appealing to legislators to uphold the beauty of a democratic polity, Kovind said, "I am glad to see that this philosophy has such an instinctive acceptance in Mizoram.
Congress Vice-President (VP) on Thursday promised loan waiver to farmers of Gujarat and free education in government aided colleges if the Congress party were to form the government. He said a policy to waive farm debt would be made within 10 days of the Congress forming the government. He also promised a 80% reduction in fees of unaided colleges.
Buoyed by a 12 per cent surge in the number of reserved tickets being booked digitally, the Railways today said passengers can now book their tickets on an app called BHIM.

Ticket buyers can use the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app from tomorrow, Mohd Jamshed, Member, Traffic, Railway Board, said.

Before demonetisation, around 58 per cent of reserved tickets were booked online. The number has risen to 70 per cent since October 2016, he said.

BHIM or UPI (Unified Payments Interface) promoted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi post demonetisation facilitates instant fund transfers between two bank accounts on a mobile platform. Details of the beneficiarys bank account are not needed for this.

The transport behemoth has seen a surge in digital payments since October 2016 through etickets, but at counters, only 2-3 per cent transactions are cashless.

"Around 3-5 crore people in the reserved (ticket) category have migrated towards digital transactions through eticketing. At the counters, around 30 per cent passengers buy reserved tickets. We have installed card swiping machines for debit or credit cards," he said.

But the Railways wanted to find a way to help passengers who did not wish to carry card or cash, but just their phones, he said.

"So we are starting UPI from tomorrow. Passenger can go to the counter with their handsets and get their reserved tickets," he said.

Reserved tickets worth around Rs 80 crore are bought through eticketing daily while tickets worth Rs 30 crore are purchased from counters at railway stations, Jamshed said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two parliamentary panels today examined the controversy over 'Padmavati', as its director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who appeared before one of them, rejected allegations that it distorted history, holding that the film was fictional and based on a nearly 500-year-old poem.

It was perhaps for the first time that any parliamentary panel deliberated on a film before it had been approved by the censor board.

While Bhansali and censor board chief Prasoon Joshi appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, Joshi also presented himself before the Parliamentary panel on petitions.

The standing committee on IT, which is mandated to look into issues relating to the Information and Broadcasting ministry, has given Bhansali two weeks' time to submit a written reply, an MP present at the meeting said.

The two committees are headed by BJP MPs.

During his nearly 3-hour-long interaction with members of the panel on IT, Bhansali said the film was fictional and based on sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi's poem Padmavat, believed to have been written in 1540.

The Bollywood director's response came after some members of the committee asked him how the film, depicting characters and incidents from history, could be termed fictional, the MP said.

Is it not a case of distorting history, another member questioned Bhansali, the MP added.

Bhansali said the controversy had been triggered by rumours.

The members asked him why the film had been screened before sections of the media, and wanted to know if it had been done to influence the censor board, sources said.

"How could you assume that the movie would be released on December 1 when you applied to the CBFC on November 11? As per the cinematography act, the CBFC may take 68 days before certifying a movie," a member said.

Some members wanted to know if creating a controversy was a way of selling a film, the sources added.

The panel said the media, including social media, was giving free space to the film because of the ongoing controversy.

The sources said a few members also claimed Bhansali's films tended to "target" communities, triggering tensions.

Censor board chief Joshi, appearing before the Parliamentary panel on petitions, said the board had not approved the film and will consult experts for this.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief further told the panel that he was yet to see the film.

The process of film certification was underway, a member present at the meeting quoted Joshi as saying.

Later, Joshi also appeared before the Parliamentary standing committee on IT, headed by the BJP's Anurag Thakur. Among the members present today were senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani and Congress MP Raj Babbar.

The Parliamentary panel on petitions is headed by Bhagat Singh Koshyari. Besides him, two BJP MPs Om Birla and C P Joshi, who had moved the petition on the issue, were present at the meeting, apart from other members.

Various Rajput groups and political leaders have accused Bhansali of distorting history by filming a romantic dream sequence between Rajput queen Padmini and Sultan Alauddin Khilji, a claim repeatedly denied by the filmmaker.

Historians are divided on whether Padmavati actually existed.

The Deepika Padukone-Shahid Kapoor-Ranveer Singh film was earlier scheduled to have been released on December 1. The makers, who have deferred the release till it is cleared by the CBFC, recently applied for a 3D certification.

The sets of the film were vandalised twice -- in Jaipur and Kolhapur -- and director Bhansali was roughed up by members of the Karni Sena, a fringe Rajput group, earlier this year.

The Karni Sena and sections of the BJP have been critical of the film, which has already been banned in some BJP-ruled states.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least three persons were killed today in a violent clash that erupted between two factions of Sunni Muslims in Pakistan's Sindh province, police said.

The Deobandi and Barelvi groups clashed in Jani Burira village of Khairpur district during a rally.

Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwer Sial said that three persons were killed in the clashes. He also directed Inspector General of Police (IGP) A D Khawaja to arrest the culprits.

The area remained tense after the clash, police said.

The two Sunni groups have deep theological differences but their armed fights are rare. Major conflicts erupt between Sunni and Shiite Muslims.

Yesterday, two worshipers were killed in Islamabad when a gunmen on a motorbike attacked a Shiite mosque.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Four men put a gun onto the head of the driver of a Lucknow-based hotel owner and fled with the car in Noida, a police official said today.

They kicked the driver out of the vehicle in Delhi last night, Station House Officer of the Sector 20 police station, Anil Kumar Shahi, said.

Shahi said the vehicle - a Honda City - was owned by Sandeep Ahuja, a hotel owner and resident of Lucknow.

"On the basis of the information given by the car owner, we have launched a hunt to trace the vehicle and arrest the men involved. The driver has been called to get more details," he said.

The incident happened after the driver dropped the Ahuja family near the DLF mall in Noida last night and was waiting for them to return from the wedding.

The driver was employed by the Ahujas for 10 years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A total of 61,974 cases of riots and group clashes took place in the country in 2016, down five per cent from the previous year, Crime Records Bureau data said today.

According to it, 35 cases of sedition were also registered in 2016 out of which Haryana accounted for the highest number of 12 cases followed by Uttar Pradesh with six.

Among the 61,974 cases of riots and group clashes, the highest -- 11,617 cases -- were registered in Bihar, 8,018 in Uttar Pradesh and 7,898 in Maharashtra.

There were 61,974 cases of riots and group clashes in the country in 2015.

The 35 sedition cases registered in 2016 included three each in Karnataka and Kerala, two each in Delhi, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh and one each in Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal.

As many as 60 cases of custodial deaths or disappearance from lock-ups were reported in the country in 2016 of which 12 were in Maharashtra, nine each in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, five in Madhya Pradesh, four in Punjab, three each in Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh and two in Rajasthan.

A total of 32 people also died or disappeared in the country last year while they were under the remand of the police. These included six each in Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, four in Maharashtra and two each in Assam, Gujarat, Haryana and Tamil Nadu.
The police administration has withheld the salary of 70 station house officers (SHOs) in the district and served show cause notices to 10 Deputy Superintendents of Police for their alleged laxity in dealing with serious crimes.

DIG of Central Range, Patna, Rajesh Kumar expressed hope that this action would compel the police officials to pull up their socks.

"There have been instructions that in cases of serious crimes like murder, dacoity and loot, there should be at least one arrest per day. This is not a tall order. But the officials' performance has been woefully short of expectation," Kumar said today.

In many police stations, the DIG said, there have been only one arrest in a week and that is as good as zero arrest.

He said, "Arrests in connection with cases of less severe nature would hardly have any impact on crime control."



So, the salaries of 70 non-performing SHOs were withheld with strict instruction to improve performance, Kumar said.

"I also issued show cause notices to 10 DSPs asking them to explain why they have not been able to ensure that SHOs in their jurisdiction perform as per expectations," he said.

The Bihar Police Association, however, said withholding salaries would have an adverse effect on the affected employees' family members who are not at fault.

The decision should be withdrawn, Association's president Mrityunjay Singh said.

Opposition members had created a ruckus in the Assembly yesterday over alleged deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An Afghan official says a Taliban attack has killed four policemen in western Farah province.

Mohammad Naser Mehri, spokesman for the provincial governor, said the Taliban attack early in the morning today targeted a police vehicle in the district of Pushti Road.

There was no immediate comment or claim of responsibility from the insurgent group.

Mehri says the police were patrolling the district when Taliban fighters ambushed and opened fire on the police vehicle.

The Taliban have stepped up attacks on Afghan soldiers and security forces but scores of civilians also die in the assaults by the insurgents.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A court case may take months to conclude but searching details about one will only take seconds!



A new (AI) enabled search tool allows users to browse through millions of legal case records and provides them the most relevant results in seconds, its makers say.

LegitQuest, a website launched earlier this week on the eve of National Law Day, is the latest in the line of ventures aiming to integrate technology with legal research.

According to its creators - a team of tech-savvy attorneys, engineers and designers - the platform has a unique searching feature, called iSearch, which is powered by (AI), machine learning and data analytics.

The feature browses through millions of records and gives users the most relevant results in seconds, its makers told PTI.

iDRAF is another feature which will help users to reduce the time in analysing the case law. With the help of deep learning and natural language processing, users can cull out the issues, facts, arguments, reasoning, and the decision of all judgements of the Supreme Court of India since 1950, they said.

iGraphics is another utility feature in the website, which the creators claim is a first of its kind in India.

"One would be able to see the treatment of case law condensed in the form of graphics and can map the treatment of being relied on, distinguished, overruled etc up to the latest case law," said Karan Kalia, founder and CEO of the startup.

iGraphics is trained to understand the treatment parameters, which is then checked for quality and reliability by the team of experts.

"Users do not have to waste time reading the entire judgement only to find that it has been overruled," said Karan.

"In India, stakeholders of judiciary - lawyers, judges, researchers, scholars, government, law students and others have been stuck with antiquated tools when it comes to legal research. The new generation of lawyers and also the one practicing are shifting from the conventional book reading to online research," said Karan.

He added that their search tool is different as publishers and online portals provide headnote (interpretation of a case) as the only value for a judgement.

"Users tend to read the headnotes and then go to the paragraph which has been interpreted in the headnotes only to find that it has been wrongly interpreted and sometimes has expanded or contracted the scope of the judgement with their interpretation. It is done by a team which is not qualified to interpret a Supreme Court or a High Court judgement," he said.

Karan added, "headnotes are of persuasive value in law and do not have a binding effect. What is binding is the portion which we offer from the judgement itself through iDRAF. There is no interpretation but analyses that this part of the judgement is decision, issue, reasoning and arguments."



At present, portals like 'Indian Kanoon' and 'Law Khoj' also provide a free database of court cases.

LegitQuest has eminent jurist Ram Jethmalani as its investor, patron and adviser.

Speaking at the launch of the search tool, Supreme Court judge Justice A K Sikri said: "LegitQuest may become a tool to felicitate and a tool for augmentation and not automation in the sense that it replaces the lawyers community itself."



"I think the technology Legit Quest has adopted is a next level one, where it is not simply throwing up searches from database which exists," Justice S Ravindra Bhat, from High Court of Delhi, added.

"The algorithms that control and drive this programme attempt to find out context from our search, having regard to our past history of searches and find out which is the most relevant," he said.
The ruling AIADMK today fielded party veteran E Madhusudhanan for the December 21 bypoll to the Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency here, setting the stage for a political fight among rivals who faced off earlier.

Madhusudhanan will take on DMK's M Maruthu Ganesh and sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran.

All three were in the fray for the April 12 bypoll to the city constituency, which was rescinded by the Election Commission following complaints of money distribution.

Dhinakaran was the candidate of the ruling dispensation backed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami then, while this time, he will be a virtual outsider after being sidelined by the Palaniswami-led camp.

Madhusudhanan was fielded by the then rebel camp headed by present Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.

He is not a new face at RK Nagar as he represented the constituency during the 1991-96 period, the first tenure of late J Jayalalithaa as chief minister. He was also a member of the state cabinet then.

Last week, Dhinakaran lost the battle for the party's 'Two Leaves' symbol, with the Election Commission awarding it to the unified AIADMK.

It was seen as a setback for him and his aunt and deposed party leader, V K Sasikala, who is currently serving a four- year sentence in a Bengaluru jail in a disproportionate assets case.

An AIADMK release today signed jointly by party coordinator Panneerselvam and co-coordinator Palaniswami, announced the candidature of Madhusudhanan for the hustings.

Various applications were received from aspirants willing to face the bypoll, the release said, adding the party 'unanimously' chose Madhusudhanan's candidature.

Earlier, a section of the media had reported that the party could not zoom in on its choice of candidate following differences between supporters of Panneerslevam and Palaniswami.

The bypoll, necessitated following the death of its MLA and then chief minister Jayalalithaa in December last, is being seen as a litmus test for the ruling AIADMK, which witnessed rare rebellion and factionalism this year, by Panneerselvam and Dhinakaran, respectively.

The bypoll is also being seen as a possible report card of the 18-month-old AIADMK government which saw two chief ministers head the state during this period.

While Panneerselvam was made chief minister after Jayalalithaa's death, Palaniswami took over from him after the former rebelled against then party chief Sasikala, alleging he was forced to make way for her elevation to the state's top post in February this year.

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India's largest telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Thursday said it has launched VoLTE (Voice over LTE) services in Karnataka, offering users the flexibility of high-quality voice calls and fast data sessions in parallel.

"Customers can call any mobile, landline network using . There will be no additional data charges for VoLTE and calls will be billed as per existing plan or pack benefits," the company said in a statement.

works over 4G but even in the case of unavailability of 4G network, these calls will automatically switch to the 3G/2G network to ensure that subscriber is connected at all times.

" will also enable customers to enjoy HD (High Definition) quality voice calls and high-speed data sessions in parallel," the statement added.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu seems miffed with the Centre which has ordered stalling of tenders for selecting a new contractor for executing some works related to Polavaram project, and said he was "observing restraint" only because the BJP is an TDP ally.

Naidu said he would hand over the Polavaram project (for execution) to the Centre if it persisted with its current stand.

TDP is a part of the NDA government at the Centre while the BJP is a coalition partner in the Chandrababu government in Andhra Pradesh.

The Chief Minister's reaction came after Union Water Resources Secretary wrote a letter to AP Chief Secretary asking that the tenders called by the Chandrababu Naidu government for selecting a new contractor for the Polavaram spillway and spill channel works, be stalled forthwith.

"If they (Centre) want, we will stop the process. If they continue with this type of stand, I will greet them with folded hands and hand over the project," Naidu told reporters in an informal chat in the Assembly lobby this evening.

"We are observing restraint only because we are allies. I am unable to understand why these many problems are being created (for Polavaram)," he asked.

"I tried speaking to Gadkari (Union Water Resources Minister) but was told he is in London. I will speak to him once he returns. I will also meet Prime Minister over this," the chief minister said.

Naidu said he was ready to take the opposition parties in the state to the Centre on the issue.

Earlier, speaking in the Assembly on the implementation of AP Reorganisation Act-2014, Naidu said his government was ready to hand over the Polavaram project (for execution) to the Centre "at once" if it was ready to complete it in the stipulated time.

"If everyone agrees and if it can complete the project within the stipulated time, I am ready to hand it over to the Centre at once. My only intention is that it should do good to the state as Polavaram is our lifeline. The state will prosper if Polavaram is completed," the chief minister said.

Naidu said the works related to the project did not take off for several years before he took charge.

"For years, the project works did not progress at the desired pace but once I took over as Chief Minister in June 2014, I streamlined everything and things are now moving ahead," he said.

A sum of Rs 12,000 crore was so far spent on the project while another Rs 42,000 crore is required to complete it, the CM said.

Polavaram has been declared as a 'national project' under the AP Reorganisation Act-2014 but its execution responsibility was entrusted to the state government citing a NITI Aayog recommendation for its expeditious completion.

For over three months now, the state government has been trying to replace the main contractor Transtroy India, saying it was unable to execute the works as desired.

The Centre, however, made it clear that it would not permit a change of contractor as it would lead to escalation of costs besides possibly causing legal problems.

The chief minister, however, prevailed upon the Union Water Resources Minister and a "via media" solution was found under which the project spillway and spill channel works would be entrusted to a new contractor.

Accordingly, the state invited bids early this month for selecting a new contractor and hoped to complete the process by December 15.

The state's plan, however, hit a roadblock two days ago when the Union Water Resources Department Secretary wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary directing that the tender process be stalled forthwith.

This has pushed the state into a quandary, irking the CM who has a lot of political stake in Polavaram.

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Apparantly mimicking a "fire-dance" scene she saw in a Kannada TV serial, a seven- year old girl caught fire at her home and died of burns at Harihar in north Karnataka, police said quoting her mother.

Prarthana, a class two student, collected waste paper in a room, poured kerosene on them and set them ablaze. She began dancing around the blaze but her clothes caught fire and soon she was engulfed in flames, they said, adding her parents were not at home when the incident happened on November 11.

She tried to enact a scene in the Kannada serial she had just then watched, "Nandini", in which a character performs a dance surrounded by fire but remains unscathed, according to the girl's mother.

Prarthana called her younger sister also to join in, but the petrified sibling refused and rushed to their neighbour seeking help after she saw her sister in trouble, the police said.

The girl, who studies in St Mary's Convent school, was rushed to a government hospital with 60 per cent burns by her neighbours and later shifted to Davangere but she died the next day, they said.

Her mother is a home-maker and father is a daily wage earner.

Police said the incident came to light only yesterday after her mother decided to inform them "so that no other child fell victim to TV addiction".

"Prarthana used to regularly watch two serials, including a horror-thriller. In one of the serials, the lead character is seen dancing on fire," her mother was quoted as saying.

Police said they have registered a case of unnatural death.

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The General Officer Commanding of the Army's 26 Infantry Division, Major General Sanjay Singh, called on Governor N N Vohra today and briefed him about the security situation in Jammu and border belts.

Major General Singh called on the Governor at the Raj Bhavan here and briefed him about the security situation along the International Border, in the area of his responsibility, a Raj Bhavan spokesman said.

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The Indian Army and the Rajasthan government have signed an MoU to improve infrastructure for their posts near the India-Pakistan border, an official said.

As per the memorandum of understanding, the Army will be able to use an airstrip in Lalgarh-Jatan area in Sri Ganganagar district for 10 years.

The Army can undertake temporary construction work as per their requirement, Principal Secretary of the State Civil Aviation Department, Pawan Goyal, said.

The state government has sanctioned funds for the airstrip, which is near the India-Pakistan border, he said.

The MoU was signed between the State Civil Aviation Department and the Army.

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The Assam government invited investors to tap investment opportunities in the state and targets investment of Rs 20,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore in next two years by promoting the north-eastern state as an Indian gateway to ASEAN countries.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was in the city today to attract investments to the state, taking advantage of its liberalised investment policies, ready-made infrastructure and improved business environment.

Sonowal was speaking at a media meet for the 'Advantage Assam: Global Investors' Summit 2018' scheduled for the February 3-4 next year in Guwahati.

To woo foreign investors, international roadshows have been organised at Toronto in Canada, New York and San Francisco in United States and London in United Kingdom, Sonowal said adding that a high level delegation from the state is currently organising roadshows in Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

"Our endeavour is to strengthen trade and industry relations with ASEAN nations. Assam has a geo-strategic advantage...to serve as the manufacturing and services hub for the ASEAN region, one of the world's fastest growing region with an economy of over USD 3 trillion," he said.

The CM said, the investment of over Rs 6,500 crore by major companies like ITC, Dabur, Hindustan Uniliver and others is an example of the state's improving business environment.

It has now set investment target of Rs 20,000- Rs 30,000 crore in the next two years' period, he added.

While drawing the attention of the prospective investors, chief minister Sonowal said that the summit will primarily focus on agriculture and food processing, handloom, textile and handicraft, tourism, hospitality and wellness, plastics and petrochemicals, power, pharmaceutical and medical devices, heavy industries, IT & ITeS, civil aviation, petroleum and natural gas as well as inland water transport, port township and river front development.

The government also sought investments in the power sector where said projects of 1901.5 MW are in the pipeline.

Addressing the gathering, Sonowal said, "We have recently formulated seven critical policies seeking investments.
An Australian lawmaker resigned from his leadership roles in the opposition party today over scandals involving a wealthy Chinese businessman and political donor that have raised accusations of China buying influence.

Senator Sam Dastyari had been deputy whip in the centre- left Labor Party and chairman of a parliamentary committee examining the future of journalism before resigning over his dealings with Chinese Communist Party-linked businessman Huang Xiangmo.

Fairfax Media reported this week that Dastyari gave Huang counter-surveillance advice when they met at the businessman's Sydney mansion in October last year.

Dastyari suggested the pair leave their phones inside the house and go outside to speak in case Australian intelligence services were listening, Fairfax reported. Dastyari has not denied the reports but said he had no knowledge about whether Huang was under Australian surveillance at the time.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten demanded Dastyari's resignation from his leadership roles late yesterday after media broadcast audio of the senator misleading Chinese journalists last year on the Labor Party's policy on the South China Sea territorial disputes.

Australia maintains that China should respect international law, and an arbitration ruling last year found China's broad claims to the sea were legally baseless.

But Dastyari told Chinese reporters at a conference in Sydney attended by Huang that Australia should observe "several thousand years of history" by respecting Chinese claims over most of the South China Sea. The phrasing mirrors China's stance.

Dastyari told the Senate today the recording "shocked me because it did not match my recollection of events." "I want to be absolutely clear: I could not be a prouder Australian," the Iranian-born migrant told the Senate.

"I find the inferences that I'm anything but a patriotic Australian deeply hurtful," he added. "Nonetheless, I'm not without fault."



Government lawmakers today called on Dastyari to quit Parliament because he had been prepared to help a foreign national avoid Australian security surveillance.

The Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation, the nation's main spy agency, said in October it is was unable to keep up with the growing level of "harmful espionage and foreign interference" operations being carried out in Australia.

ASIO also said foreign governments have been attempting to covertly "shape the opinions" of the Australian public and media.

In 2015, ASIO cautioned against accepting political donations from Huang because he was suspected conduit to the Chinese Communist Party. Huang did not immediately respond to a request for comment today.

With concerns over Chinese political influence in Australia and Russian interference in the US presidential election, an Australian parliamentary committee recommended in March a ban on political donations from foreign companies and individuals.

Unlike the US and many other countries that ban foreign donations, Australian law has never distinguished between donors from Australia and overseas.

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Pope Francis will forego his trusty popemobile for a cycle rickshaw in Bangladesh, Catholic officials said today, as the famously frugal pontiff began a three-day visit to the country.

A spokesman for the Catholic Church said the pope had asked to ride in a cycle rickshaw to a park where he will lead an open-air mass tomorrow, which is expected to draw around 100,000 worshippers.

"There is a rickshaw ready for him," Kamal Corraya told AFP, adding that the pope would likely forego the glass-sided popemobile that he usually travels in for a basic Toyota car to save money.

The 80-year-old Argentine pontiff has established a reputation for his down-to-earth manner, vowing to stamp out extravagance among the clergy and bring the Catholic Church closer to the poor.

Dhaka is famous for its cycle-pulled rickshaws, which are usually decorated in bright colours.

But in recent years they have started to fade away, replaced by new battery-driven autorickshaws.

Corraya said the last pope to visit Bangladesh, John Paul II, had ridden in a rickshaw pulled by a Catholic priest.

The moonlighting paid off -- he was later promoted to the rank of Bishop.

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A Bangladeshi court today ordered the arrest of former prime minister Khaleda Zia for skipping a scheduled appearance as the main accused in a graft case, the third such warrant issued against the country's main opposition BNP chief in less than two months.

Court officials said 72-year-old Zia was supposed to resume delivering her unfinished statement defending herself before the Dhaka's Fifth Special Court in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.

However, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) instead announced a country-wide demonstration where it called the court order "politically motivated" and a part of a plan by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League-led government.

"The judge (of Dhaka's Fifth Special Court) issued the arrest warrant as she failed to appear as scheduled in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case once again," a court official said.

This was the third such warrant against the ex-premier since October 10 when two courts in Dhaka separately ordered her arrest after she failed to appear before them as she was in London on a private visit.

She subsequently obtained bail, surrendering before the courts on her return home, he said.

Zia earlier claimed that cases filed against her to be "false, motivated and imaginary made up" and aimed at harassing her.

She is accused in several graft cases, including one under which she allegedly misappropriated funds of an orphanage trust named after her husband and slain president Ziaur Rahman.

Zia is also being tried in another case for inducting in her cabinet during the 2001-2006 tenure people who were opposed to the country's 1971 independence and subsequently convicted and hanged for committing warcrimes.

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West Bengal Assembly today passed the West Bengal Green University Bill 2017 for setting up an environmental studies university at Hooghly district.

State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee tabled the Bill and it was passed while opposition Left Front and Congress boycotted the debate.

Chatterjee said West Bengal is the first state to have a university dedicated to environmental studies.

Two other bills to establish the Purba Medinipur University and the Jhargram University were also passed.

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Bhushan Steel Chief Financial Officer Nittin Johari has resigned as a whole-time director (finance), the company said today.

"This is to inform you Nittin Johari, Whole-Time Director (Finance), has tendered his resignation from the Board of Directors of the company vide his letter date November 17, 2017," Bhushan Steel said in a filing to the BSE.

The company, however, said he has not resigned from his position as the company's CFO and will continue with the post.

The resignation, it said, "was notified by the Committee of Creditors (CoC) of the company in the meeting chaired by the Resolution Professional of the company and held on November 27, 2017".

Bhushan Steel was among the 12 companies which were referred by the Reserve Bank of India to National Company Tribunal Law (NCLT) for insolvency proceedings.

The company has a debt of Rs 44,478 crore.

Various players like the Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal and Tata Steel are looking to acquire the debt-ridden firm which is going through the insolvency resolution process.

Bhushan Steel, which was referred to the NCLT by the RBI under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, has reported a lower standalone net loss to Rs 467.37 crore during the September quarter, from Rs 980.22 crore in the same period a year ago.

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The BJP today demanded President's rule in Tripura claiming that law and order has collapsed in the state.

The ruling CPI(M) has unleashed violence to create an atmosphere of terror before the Assembly elections scheduled early next year, partys state in-charge, Sunil Deodhar told a press conference here.

"We have submitted a memorandum to the governor today demanding immediate imposition of President's rule because law and order has collapsed in the state," he said.

He alleged that a BJP activist Gahur Hari Molsom was shot dead by suspected CPI(M) miscreants in Bagma constituency in Gomati district yesterday.

"Earlier, at least five BJP activists were killed by CPI(M) goons and many of our leaders and workers have escaped from such attacks," he said.

Those who raise the voice of dissent are being silenced and even journalists are not spared in this state ruled by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, he said, adding, two journalists were murdered in the state, one in September and another in November, this year.

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The BJP today reacted exuberantly to the rise in India's GDP growth rate with the party chief Amit Shah saying it underlined "India Unstoppable" story but the opposition Congress observed it was a "temporary pause" from the downward trend though an "encouraging sign".

Striking a note of caution, the Congress also said the rebound in economic growth is nothing but what it called the Modi government's "desperate spin to hide its luminous underperformance".

Locked in a keen fight with the Congress in the Gujarat assembly polls, the BJP is set to cite the uptick in the growth rate as an evidence of a strong economy under its government at the Centre when the opposition has been using GST glitches and demonetisation to attack it.

Lauding the government over the growth figures, Shah said, "Todays GDP numbers reiterate the #IndiaUnstoppable story under PM Narendra Modi. The strong rebound in growth is a reflection of solid economic management by the Modi government."



"India's rise in the World Bank's ease of doing business rankings, upgrade by Moody's, praise by Standard & Poor's and the strong growth in Q2 show that India's rise is inevitable. The Modi government's efforts are ensuring better prospects for each Indian," he said in a statement and series of tweets.

Shah termed the growth in the manufacturing sector as a very positive sign, claiming that it will create more employment and boost the 'Make in India' project.

The reforms by the central government were leading to a faster growth as well as creating a strong and stable economy, with increased opportunities for the poor and middle class, he added.

Former finance minister P Chidambaram said he was happy that the July-September quarter has registered a growth rate of 6.3 per cent and described it a "pause" in the declining trend of the last five quarters.

"But we cannot say now whether this will mark an upward trend in the growth rate. We should wait for the growth rates over the next 3-4 quarters before we can reach a definite conclusion...

"6.3 per cent is far below the promise of the Modi government and far below the potential of a well-managed Indian economy," Chidambaram tweeted.

Congress head of communications department Randeep Surjewala said, "Improvement of GDP numbers is an encouraging sign, but it is just a 'temporary pause' from the 'downward trend'".

"India's economic stress continues; GDP far below at 6.3 pc compared to 7.5 pc of Q2 of last year! - a close scrutiny reveals the real picture of the economic mess created by BJP Government," he said in a statement.

TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was, however, more vocal in her criticism and claimed that a growth of 6.3 per cent was "no growth".

"GDP figures out. Again no growth. No jobs. Effects of note ban scam and unplanned GST continue to damage economy. Only talking. No performance," Banerjee said in a tweet, attacking the central government.

Surjewala also said, "Modi Government's constant resort to market and arrogantly bloat on the meagre achievements by the just released GDP numbers is nothing but a desperate spin to hide its luminous underperformance."



Reversing the five quarters of slowing GDP growth, Indian economy expanded by 6.3 per cent in July-September on the back of a pick-up in manufacturing.

The gross domestic product (GDP) growth had hit a three- year low of 5.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2017-18. It was 7.5 per cent in the September quarter of 2016-17.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued notices to 209 bulk waste generators in south Mumbai, including the Mantralaya (state secretariat), and slapped Rs 10,000 fine on each one of them for not segregating waste and treating it.

A senior official of the A administrative ward of the BMC said these bulk waste generators include several government establishments, hotels, exhibition organisers, malls, etc.

"They were neither following the segregation rules nor responding to our reminders. Therefore, we issued notices to them and slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on each one of them," he said.

The notices were issued under the provisions of section 368 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, which gives power to the ward officer to impose the penalty up to Rs 10,000.

"The notices were issued recently after our inspection teams found that these establishments were not following the rules of waste segregation. We applied a common yardstick and issued noticed to each of these establishments, including the Mantralaya and also to the societies where judges and IAS officers stay," municipal commissioner of A-ward, Kiran Dighawkar, said.

The responsibility of managing the daily affairs of the government buildings, including Mantralaya, lies with the Public Works Department and hence that department has been asked to pay the penalty and follow the rules.

"After the notices were served, a few people came forward saying they would follow the rules, while a few others sought extension of deadline for the segregation of waste," Dighawkar said.

Acting tough, the BMC had recently de-registered 253 Advanced Locality Management (ALM) groups for failing to follow the rules of better waste management in housing societies and neighbourhoods.

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A bomb blast at an election rally of the ruling Nepali Congress party today injured four persons including two minors in Nepal's eastern Itahari city, days ahead of the last phase of provincial and parliamentary polls.

Two minors, a woman and an elderly man were injured in the incident that took place at Bhaladmi Tol area in Itahari sub-metropolitan city, some 366 kms from Kathmandu, police said.

The Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off near the podium of a meeting convened by minister of state Sumitra Devi Chaudhary.

The one-year-old child was said to be in a serious condition as he has sustained injuries on his head. The condition of the 16-year-old boy was stable but not out of danger. The woman and the elderly man sustained minor injuries, the police said.

Security personnel suspect that a socket bomb with a set timer could have been used as the explosion was huge.

The blast occurred one week before the second phase of the provincial and parliamentary elections on December 7.

Around 65 per cent votes were cast on November 26 in the historic first round of elections that many hope will bring the much-needed political stability to the Himalayan nation.

Of the total 15.4 million voters, 3.19 million were eligible to cast their votes in the first phase of the polls while the rest will exercise their franchise during the second phase on December 7.

Meanwhile, Chief District Officer Gopal Prasad Parajuli said that they have stepped-up security measures so as to prevent such incidents in future programmes.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba visited the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu and met with the victims of yesterday's bomb blast.

He asked the hospital to make all necessary arrangements for the treatment of injured people.

The elections are being seen as the final step in Nepal's transition to a federal democracy following a decade-long civil war till 2006 that claimed more than 16,000 lives.

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The Bombay High Court today allowed the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) to carry out work of removal of debris from construction sites of the Metro III project on a temporary basis for three days, post midnight.

The order was passed by a division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice M S Sonak while hearing a petition filed by advocate Robin Jaisinghani that the construction activity for the project was resulting in noise pollution in the areas concerned.

The high court had in September directed the MMRCL against using heavy machinery or transportation vehicles at night for the Metro III line work.

The bench had last month directed the parties concerned to hold meetings and arrive at an amicable solution considering the fact that the Metro project was important.

Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbakoni today told the court that debris being excavated from the sites throughout the day cannot be transported during at that time as it would create chaos in a traffic situation.

"At least 150 trucks are used in a day to clear the debris. The MMRCL should be allowed to remove and transport the debris at least till 1 am," he said.

Conceding this, the court told the petitioner, "You cannot stall the project forever. This noise problem is not a permanent one. It is temporary. Any delay caused would only escalate the project's cost, which in turn means burden on taxpayers' money."



"As a temporary measure, we allow the MMRCL to remove debris up to 1 am from tonight (November 30) to December 3. We make it clear that the authorities should ensure that minimal noise is made during this work," the court said and posted the petition for further hearing on December 4.

The 33-km Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro line III project, is a part of the Metro system which will connect the Cuffe Parade business district in South Mumbai to SEEPZ in the city's North-Central suburb.

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The National Green Tribunal today directed the principal secretary of the AAP government and the CEO of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to hold a meeting on the issue of extraction of water by industries in Narela and Bawana.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked the officials to meet today itself and inform the tribunal about their stand on extraction of water by borewells in highly-exploited areas and devise alternatives to stop illegal withdrawal of water.

The green panel directed them to submit the minutes of the meeting in a week.

The tribunal had earlier rapped the city government and the DJB over illegal borewells in Narela and Bawana industrial areas in the city which has led to serious depletion of water levels.

The NGT had taken exception to the "abuse" of its interim order by the Delhi government to allow borewells in these industrial areas.

The tribunal was hearing petitions filed by the NGT Bar Association and Raj Hans Bansal opposing the illegal use of groundwater in Delhi.

The green panel had in 2014 set up committees comprising officials of the DJB, Central Ground Water Authority, the city government and other bodies to seal the illegal borewells in these industrial areas and file a comprehensive report.

It had also ordered the committees to prepare a comprehensive report on how many borewells were operating in the industrial pockets, including Bawana and Narela, and whether they had the permission from competent authority or were registered with the Delhi administration.

Taking serious note of the "water scarcity" in Delhi, the tribunal had pulled up the authorities for failing to perform their statutory administrative obligation in ensuring adequate water supply.

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The Cabinet today approved signing of an investment cooperation and facilitation treaty between India and Brazil.

The treaty will result in increase of investment flows between the two countries and provide facilitation to Brazilian investors in India and vice versa.

"The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing and ratification of the Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Treaty (ICFT) between India and Brazil," an official statement said.

The signing of the treaty is likely to increase the comfort level and boost the confidence of investors by assuring a level-playing field and non-discrimination in all investment facilitation matters, thus providing conducive investment climate to investors.

"It would help project India as a preferred Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) destination to all Brazilian investors," the statement added.

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Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling today urged Union Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju to ensure that the greenfield airport at Pakyong becomes functional at the earliest.

Chamling said this when the Union minister called on him at his official residence here.

During the meeting, Chamling apprised Raju of the importance of the greenfield airport at Pakyong, which is located about 35 km away from Gangtok, a state government official said.

The chief minister told the minister that local people as well as the defence sector would be benefited once the airport becomes operational, as Sikkim is a hilly and a landlocked state with an international border, the official said.

Since the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is solely responsible for construction, operation and maintenance of the Pakyong airport, Chamling drew Raju's attention to look into payments against damages and compensation to the affected people surrounding the airport area, he said.

Hundreds of families living in and around the airport area are agitating and demanding compensation as per land acquisition rules, official sources said.

Earlier, the Union minister also visited Governor Shrinivas Patil at the Raj Bhawan.

The civil aviation minister and senior officials of his ministry are on a two-day visit to Sikkim to oversee the status of the airport at Pakyong, built at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore, the official said.

The Greenfield airport at Pakyong, Sikkim's first, was approved by the Centre in 2008.

Construction of the airport has been completed this year, the official said.

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BJP MP Kirron Kher today said that her advice asking women to be cautious if they see suspicious men in an auto-rickshaw they plan to travel in was aimed at preventing crimes and she never blamed the victim in a recent case of gang rape.

"It is very unfortunate that my statement was taken completely out of context and now political colour is being given to the whole thing. As a mother and a woman, I have always spoken up for women's rights at every platform including the parliament," Kher told PTI.

She was asked to comment on the controversy that erupted after her remarks on the incident, in which a 22-year-old woman was allegedly raped by three men when she was returning home in an auto-rickshaw here on November 17.

Yesterday, at a press conference, Kher, while referring to the gang rape incident, had said that as a general advice, young girls should be cautious if they notice some men already sitting in an auto rickshaw in a suspicious manner and should avoid boarding that vehicle.

Some reports and social media users had accused Kher of blaming the victim for the incident.

As the controversy erupted over her statement, Kher said that she strongly believe that women safety is an enduring and continuous process in the country.

"..But when I hear of incidents of assault, I feel terribly sad and angry. I only wish that our women be part of this enduring process with us, and take the little precautions that can ensure their safety in any way.

"As much as I wish their freedom came at no cost, and that we become a country with no threat of sexual violence, I will not politicise the issue of women safety, and I will not tell our girls everywhere is safe. Everywhere should be safe, but it is not - not yet. Stay safe, stay constructive," she said in a detailed statement.

Yesterday, my statement about the gang rape in Chandigarh, was taken out of context, selectively reported, and gravely politicised - all of which distracted from the real message I wanted to send out to the girls, she stated.

"So I am putting here, untampered, the things I really wished to convey. First, Chandigarh has a facility for all women who are out late in the night, and cannot find a transport. If a woman finds herself in this position, she can dial 100 and a PCR van is sent to pick her up.

"As a woman MP, I am proud that my constituency offers this reliability to our girls. I did not say it was the victim's fault that the assault happened to her, I said it is terribly sad what happened to her, and I wish she had availed the PCR facility instead of getting into an auto rickshaw with the three men," she said.

I want to mention constructive ways a tragedy like this can be avoided in the future, she said.

"Any woman, when she gets into a public transport - a cab, or a rickshaw- can just click a photo of the vehicle details and send it to her loved ones. Make sure the driver knows that your loved ones know the vehicle details.

"We cannot get into people's minds or change their intentions overnight; but this is what I used to do back in Mumbai too," she said.

This is not to say that any kind of harassment is their fault, she said adding that the alleged rapists had been caught.

Prime accused Mohd Irfan and two alleged accomplices were inside the auto rickshaw when the victim had boarded it in the rape case that shook Chandigarh. All three accused, hailed from UP and were living in Zirakpur, near here, for the past few years, were later arrested by the police.

Kher also drew attention to another statement of hers made regarding another incident of harassment a few months ago.

In that statement, I said "why is there danger at night and not during the day? They should tell boys not to go out at night", she emphasised.

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The Maharashtra government today told the Bombay High Court that it has revised its police protection policy wherein only those private citizens would be provided security who have a real threat to their life and they would have to foot the bill for it.

Appearing for the state government, Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni told a bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice MS Sonak that citizens could not make a claim to receive police protection as a matter of "right".

"They must also not think that police protection is a service provided by the state that they can avail simply by paying the service charge," he said.

As per the new policy submitted by Kumbhakoni today, all private citizens, including celebrities, would henceforth receive police protection only if a real threat to their lives was perceived.

"And all those private persons, whose applications for such protection is approved by the state authorities, will have to pay fees for the same in advance, or deposit a bank guarantee in lieu of the same," the top legal officer said.

He said the revised fees for such protection would be computed on a new formula that would take into account several considerations, including the salaries of the police personnel deployed as bodyguards.

"Such fees, however, will not exceed 15 per cent of the total monthly income of the person receiving police protection," he told the high court.

Also, people, with monthly income less than Rs 50,000, need not pay any fees if their applications for police protection were approved.

"Politicians who get bodyguards to accompany them while on official duty, and government and semi-government staff, who get police protection to help discharge public duties, however, will not have to pay any fees for such protection," the advocate general said.

The revisions in the policy were made in compliance with a previous order of the high court directing the state government to streamline its process of providing police protection to politicians as well as private persons.

Earlier this week, the bench headed by the chief justice had directed the government to recover dues from all such private persons who enjoyed police protection for years but failed to pay for it.

The bench had also directed the state to ensure a periodic review of the status of each applicant to ensure that one was not given police protection indefinitely irrespective of any threat perception to his life.

The bench was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a lawyer seeking directions to the state police to recover dues from VIPs, including politicians and film actors, who were provided security cover, but did not pay the charges for the same.

Stressing that the government would ensure that all pending dues for police protection were recovered, Kumbhakoni said a state-level committee headed by the director general of police would henceforth review the status of all such persons every six months.

He said the state had also amended its decision to not grant any protection to people with a criminal record.

"Such applications will be scrutinised on a case to case basis and the deserving applicants will be given protection," he said.

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It was a pleasant morning in the national capital with the minimum temperature remaining normal.

"The minimum temperature was recorded at 9.6 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year," a MeT department official said.

Humidity was recorded at 72 per cent.

The weatherman has predicted a clear day ahead.

"The skies will remain clear through the day and the maximum temperature is likely to hover around 26 degrees Celsius," the official said.

Yesterday, the minimum and maximum temperatures were recorded at 8.6 and 28.4 degrees Celsius respectively.

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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today expressed dismay over the poor sanitation in the SMGS hospital and ordered the removal of its medical superintendent during a surprise visit.

She took stock of sanitation, medical facilities and availability of medicines to patients, an official spokesman said.

The chief minister visited various wards and inpatient units of the hospital and also inspected the OPD, casualty ward, washrooms and other places in the hospital.

Mufti interacted with patients and their attendants and asked for their feedback, spokesman said.

The Chief Minister's office had received complaints about poor sanitation and other facilities in the hospital in the past.

In a recent review meeting with administrative secretaries, Mufti had directed the department concerned to take measures for improving sanitation and other services at the hospital, he said.

During the visit, she expressed displeasure over the poor sanitation in the hospital, including the condition of washrooms, air conditioners, and beds, and directed the officials to improve the same.

The chief minister ordered the removal of the hospital's medical superintendent, the spokesman said.

Later, she visited Maharaja Hari Singh Park on the banks of Tawi river here and took stock of the beautification works.

She expressed satisfaction over the pace of work and asked officials to operationalise the library and coffee shop in the park.

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The Indian Coast Guard today apprehended 15 Pakistani fishermen and seized two of their boats after they allegedly ventured into Indian waters off Gujarat coast, an official release said today.

The two Pakistani fishing boats- Al Najab and Al Siddique - were detected by a Coast Guard ship during a routine patrol late last evening.

Based on the information sent by the Coast Guard ship, an interceptor vessel was dispatched to the location, which was around 35 nautical miles off Mitha Port of Kutch, a defence release stated.

"The CG Interceptor vessel apprehended the two Pakistani boats, Al Najab and Al Siddique, along with 15 crew members around 35 nautical miles off Mitha Port," the release said.

"The boats as well as the fishermen are currently being brought ashore and will be handed over to the police for further investigation," it added.

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The Congress today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was treating the results of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, held earlier this year, as a "vindication" of his "wrong decisions" such as demonetisation.

"A fundamentally wrong decision remains a wrong decision, despite a political will. A basically right decision remains a right decision, despite a few political losses.

"It is the prime minister's habit of treating an unrelated election, in this case the Uttar Pradesh polls, as a vindication of all the wrongs he is doing," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said.

He was reacting to a question on Modi's remarks that he was ready to pay a "big political price" for bringing about systemic changes in the country and assertion that no one would be able to stop his government from taking decisions, which, he said, were "irreversible".

Singhvi said Modi would have another demonetisation if he won some more elections and then he would say that the poll triumphs were a vindication of his decision.

"I think you have to realise that you are the prime minister of this country, you have to bring in a statesmanship-like element and you have to forget that everything is 24x7 politics, in terms of connecting the unconnectable," he said.

The Congress leader said Modi should not cite poll victories as a vindication of everything.

Earlier in the day, speaking at the 15th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Modi, while talking about the "legacy" left behind for the NDA by the UPA government, said, "I am aware of the big political price I will have to pay for the steps I have taken, the path I have chosen and the destination I want to take the country to. But I am ready for it."



In the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls held in February- March, the BJP-led NDA had won 325 of the 403 seats.

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The election to the lone 'elected by MLAs constituency' seat on December 7 will be a direct contest between Congress candidate Dilip Mane and BJP's Prasad Lad. Neither of them withdrew their candidature on the last day for withdrawal of nominations today.

The Shiv Sena has already declared its support to BJP's Prasad Lad.

The electoral college (voters) for this constituency comprises of the 288 MLAs of the lower house, the legislative assembly. The BJP has 122 MLAs and the Sena has 63 MLAs. With the Sena supporting Lad, the combined tally of votes in Lad's favour is 185, which is 40 more than the required quota.

According to sources in the Election Commission of India (ECI), although this election is held by secret ballot, the party whip does not apply, increasing the possibility of cross voting.

The by-election to the lone seat is being held after former chief minister Narayan Rane resigned from his seat in the upper house on September 22 this year.

He had won from the MLAs constituency in the upper house and his term of membership was to expire on July 7, 2022. The winner will get the remainder of the term of four years and 10 months.

The current party-wise strength in the 78 member Legislative Council is as follows: NCP 23, Congress 19, BJP 17, Sena 9, JD-U 1, PWP-I 1, PRP 1, Independents 6 and vacant 1.

The current party-wise strength in the 288 member Legislative Assembly is as follows: BJP 122, Sena 63, Congress 42, NCP 41, PWP-I 3, BVA 3, MIM 2, MNS 1, Samajwadi Party 1, BBM 1, CPI-M 1, RSP 1, Independents 7 and Nominated 1 (vacant).

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Conservative groups and lawmakers are lining up against a proposal by Senate Republicans to impose automatic tax increases on millions of Americans -- if their sweeping tax package doesn't grow the economy and raise tax revenues as much as projected.

The opposition comes as the tax package cleared a key procedural vote in the Senate yesterday. The Senate voted 52- 48 to start debating the bill.

Yesterday's vote potentially could pave the way for the Senate to pass the package later this week. The Senate could start voting on amendments this evening.

Opposition to the tax "trigger" could doom a delicately negotiated proposal aimed at mollifying deficit hawks who worry that tax cuts for businesses and individuals could add trillions to the mounting national debt.

Tucking a potential tax increase into the tax cut bill isn't sitting well with conservatives.

"Automatic tax increases are a special level of insanity," said Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz. "I don't think it survives."



Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, called the proposal "a uniquely bad idea," especially if revenues fall short because of an unforeseen slowdown in the economy.

Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., said the threat of an automatic tax increase would make businesses reluctant to invest.

"If businesses or individuals have no ability to plan on a rate, it makes an investment decision, for instance, very, very difficult," Sanford said.

The proposal is being pushed by Republican Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee, James Lankford of Oklahoma and Jeff Flake of Arizona. It is picking up steam in the GOP-controlled Senate, even if it could land with a thud in the GOP- controlled House.

Corker said he has received assurances from Republican Senate leaders and the White House that some sort of "trigger" would be added to the Senate package that would increase taxes if the economy doesn't grow and tax revenues don't increase -- as much as projected.

"While we are still working to finalise the details, I am encouraged by our discussions," Corker said.

Senators are also considering a companion proposal from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, that would automatically cut taxes further if the economy grows faster than expected.

Meanwhile, Republicans hit a procedural snag in their bid to use the tax bill to open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. Democrats said measures to fast-track environmental approvals violate a rule designed to limit budget legislation to provisions that are mainly fiscal in nature. Congressional aides said the Senate parliamentarian has signalled agreement with the Democrats.

The overall package is a blend of generous tax cuts for businesses and more modest tax cuts for families and individuals. It would mark the first time in 31 years that Congress has overhauled the tax code, making it the biggest legislative achievement of President Donald Trump's first year in office.

In crafting the bill, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has been trying to balance sometimes competing interests with very little room for error. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said yesterday he would support the bill after reaching a deal to sweeten tax cuts for business owners who report their business income on their individual tax returns.

Senate Republicans hold a slim 52-48 majority in the Senate, meaning they can only lose two votes, with Vice President Mike Pence casting the tie-breaker.

Pence was dining last night with a group of Republican senators, some of whom have expressed reservations about the tax bill. Pence invited Flake, Daines, Lankford and David Perdue of Georgia to the vice president's residence to discuss the tax overhaul, budget and other priorities, the White House said.

Democrats, who have been excluded from crafting the bill, are expected to unanimously oppose it.

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The Arunachal Pradesh government today said that the intention for construction of the greenfield airport at Hollongi near here has been very positive from day one.

Initially the proposed site was selected as Karsingsa but due to technicalities, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Airports Authority of India (AAI) had asked the state government to locate some other site for the airport, state Urban Development Minister Nabam Rebia told reporters here.

The minister informed that accordingly the second option site at Hollongi was selected. But again there were lot of controversies aroused for the site selection.

"On the request of the state government a central joint inspection committee came to Itanagar to study the feasibility of the site.

"The Central Technical Committee in its joint inspection report recommended Hollongi as the feasible site," he disclosed and added that the state Cabinet in its meeting on July 18 this year approved the Central Technical Committees recommendation for Hollongi as the feasible site for Greenfield airport.

"The acceptance and approval of the state government had been communicated to Civil Aviation ministry, DGCA and AAI," Rebia said.

"A team from AAI on the directive of the Union Civil Aviation ministry will arrive here today on a six- day visit to the state to carry out detail study on all airfields in the state including the proposed Greenfield Airport," Rebia said.

On establishment of a Sainik School in the Nyishi belt, the minister informed that instead of a simple Sainik Schook, the state government is in advanced talks for establishment of a cantonment in the capital region.

"We have already identified 500 acres of land and the joint survey will be done shortly," Rebia said adding, the matter was discussed during the recent visit of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who had approved it in principle.

"The cantonment will have referral hospitals, schools and other infrastructure," the minister added.

Rebia said, the chief minister in a meeting on October 20 this year with the NES representatives promised to fulfil their demands and accordingly convened a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) on October 23 last which approved all the proposals and forwarded it for sanction under state infrastructure development fund (SIDF).

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The cotton ginning industry has called for a one-day strike on December 15 to press for their demand to remove the reverse charge mechanism (RCM) on cotton.

They also threatened to go on an indefinite strike from December 22 if the RCM is not lifted at the next meeting of the GST Council that is slated for December 21.

"We want the RCM removed on cotton and if not done so we will go on a one-day strike on December 15 and thereafter on an indefinite strike from December 22, if the issue of RCM is not resolved in the next GST Council meeting scheduled for December 21," Cotton Association of India (CAI) president Atul S Ganatra said in a statement.

In a notification, government imposed 5 per cent GST on cotton under the RCM, which will be paid by the recipient, thus affecting both ginners and cotton traders. Earlier, government had postponed the implementation of the RCM till March 2018.

According to cotton ginners, this decision has blocked working capital for ginners and this has directly impacted cotton, cotton seeds and cotton oil prices too. Ginners also said if government will not change the rule, ginning industry may lose buying power.

Omprakash Jain president of Karnataka Cotton Association stated that unless RCM on cotton is removed immediately there will be no way left to the ginners but to shutter their operations.

Due to RCM, large amount of funds of ginners are blocked because cotton seed buyers and buyers of cotton bales are not paying GST to the ginners this, the association said.

RCM has been imposed only on cotton and not on other agri-commodities which is totally unjust. If RCM continues on cotton it will entail huge losses. The removal of RCM will indirectly benefit the farmers in realising better prices, Maharashtra Cotton Ginners' Association president BS Rajpal said.

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A court in Fazilka district today issued fresh summons against the Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, in a trans-border drug smuggling case after the Aam Aadmi Party MLA did not appear.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had on November 17 turned down Khaira's plea challenging the issuance of summons by the trial court to him for appearance on November 30. It had, however, quashed the non-bailable warrants issued against him by the court and directed it to decide the matter on merit.

Additional District and Session judge, Fazilka, Sandeep Singh Jossan today issued summons to Khaira and four other accused asking them to appear on December 21 to record their statements in the case under the NDPS Act.

Others who were issued summons were Khaira's personal security officer (PSO) Joga Singh, personal assistant Manish, Charanjit Kaur, a resident of Bath village (Jalandhar); and Major Singh Bajwa of Bajwa Kalan village (Jalandhar)



Khaira was not present in the court today.

The Fazilka court had on October 31 sentenced nine persons to imprisonment in the trans-border heroin smuggling racket which surfaced in 2015.

It had issued summons to Khaira for November 30 under section 319 of the CrPC (power to proceed against other persons appearing to be guilty of offence) following an application from the prosecution.

Khaira had then moved the High Court on November 3 against the Fazilka court's order. Khaira and AAP had alleged that the case was an instance of political vendetta.

Those convicted were arrested by the police on March 9, 2015, along with 2-kg heroin, 24 gold biscuits, one country-made pistol, two Pakistani SIM cards and a SUV.

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A Delhi court has refused to quash criminal proceedings against the husband and the in-laws of a woman in a domestic violence case, saying there were specific instances to show she was abused and beaten up by them for bringing insufficient dowry.

Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain dismissed the plea of the man, his parents and sister challenging the order of a magisterial court framing charges against all of them for the offence of cruelty to woman under section 498A of the IPC.

"From the complaint and the material available on record, I am of the view that prima facie case under sections 498A read with 34 (common intention) of the IPC is made out against all the accused persons. I do not find any illegality or infirmity in the order of the trial court..." the judge said.

The court said there was nothing to indicate that the magisterial court order was passed against the natural justice.

It relied on the contents of the complaint that the woman, who got married to the accused in 2008, was physically assaulted and thrown out of the matrimonial house several times but they reconciled after intervention of the Crime Against Women (CAW) cell.

In 2013, when all attempts at reconciliation failed, the woman decided never to return to her husband and his family and lodged a police complaint against them.

She alleged that on August 12, 2013, her husband, her parentsinlaw and her sisterinlaw demanded Rs two lakh. When she refused, they kicked and punched her and tied a dupatta on her neck to strangulate her.

"In the instant case, there are specific instances and allegations against the husband, fatherinlaw, mother-in-law, sister-in-law and brotherinlaw of the complainant who on one pretext or the other, for want of dowry, subjected the complainant to cruelty.

"They also harassed her for unlawful demand of dowry. When she refused to fulfil their demands, all of them beat and harassed her," the court said.

In the plea challenging the framing of charges against them, the accused claimed it was a false and motivated complaint as she wanted to put behind bars as many persons as possible. This claim was rejected by the court.

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CPI(M) in Tamil Nadu will extend support to DMK in the December 21 bypoll to R K Nagar assembly constituency, party's state secretary G Ramakrishnan said today.

A decision to this effect was taken at the State Executive meeting held here, he said.

Briefing reporters in the city on the deliberations of the meeting, Ramakrishnan said the party has decided not to contest in the by-election and extend support to the DMK candidate.

The primary reason for supporting DMK was to "teach a lesson to the AIADMK, whose government was dancing to the tune of BJP like a puppet," he said.

"BJP was attempting to gain foothold in the state through AIADMK, which was neither opposing the Centre's anti-people and anti-Tamil Nadu stance like NEET, Cauvery Management Board, nor raising its voice against the ill-effects of demonetisation and GST," the CPI(M) leader alleged.

In this backdrop, the meeting resolved to defeat the AIADMK-BJP combine, (even if BJP fields its own candidate) and teach a lesson to the ruling party, he said.

To a query whether his party will continue to support DMK in future, Ramakrishnan clarified that it was not an electoral alliance, but was purely aimed at defeating and teaching a lesson to AIADMK, considering the present situation in the state.

VCK and CPI have already extended their support to DMK's candidate.

DMK has named N Marudu Ganesh as its candidate for the bypoll to Dr Radha Krishnan Nagar Assembly constituency in Chennai, which fell vacant after the demise of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa last year.

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Croatia's president said today that citizens had to admit crimes were committed by fellow Croats in Bosnia, a day after a Bosnian Croat war criminal took his own life at a court in The Hague.

"We Croats need to have the strength to admit that some of our fellow compatriots in Bosnia committed crimes and they have to be held responsible for them," Kolinda Grabar- Kitarovic said in a televised address, referring to the bloody 1990s war in Bosnia.

Her statement was more conciliatory in tone than that of Croatian Prime minister Andrej Plenkovic, who on Wednesday slammed the "deep moral injustice" of the UN judges' verdict.

Slobodan Praljak, 72, was one of six Bosnian Croat wartime leaders who had their jail terms upheld by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), in the court's final judgement before shutting down.

The former military commander swigged liquid from a brown bottle, which he told his lawyer was poison, just seconds after UN judges upheld his 20-year sentence. He later died in hospital.

He and his five co-defendants were found to be key participants in a "joint criminal enterprise" to ethnically cleanse Bosnian Muslims in order to unify Croats in the region.

But the ruling and Praljak's death sparked anger among many Croats in the Balkans, who consider the men to be heroes and defenders of their people.

Grabar-Kitarovic said the tribunal had "failed to fulfil its role of bringing justice", with crimes against Bosnian Croats "not punished in the same way".

The president gave her condolences to the family of Praljak, whom she described as a "man who preferred to take his own life rather then live as a convict for acts he strongly believed he did not commit".

She said his death "deeply struck the hearts of the Croatian people".

Croatian lawmakers observed a minute's silence on Thursday for "all victims" of the early 1990s Balkan wars.

"All victims have to remain forever in our collective consciousness and yesterday's death of General Praljak should remain the last act of the tragic events of war," said parliamentary speaker Gordan Jandrokovic.

PM Plenkovic repeated his conviction that the verdict was "unjust".

But he stressed that the UN court had tried "individuals and not states, and it does not speak about responsibility of a state".

Significantly however, the appeal judges upheld the original trial's finding that the "ultimate purpose" of the criminal enterprise in Bosnia was shared by late Croatian president Franjo Tudjman, seen as the "father" of his country.

The court's ruling is at odds with the view from Zagreb, where Croatia's own 1990s war is seen as one of liberation and self-defence against Belgrade aggression as Yugoslavia fell apart.

The verdict "is a serious burden for Croatia as a state," political analyst Zarko Puhovski told AFP.

Allies against Orthodox Serbs for most of Bosnia's 1992- 1995 war, Catholic Croats and Bosniak Muslims also fought against each other for almost a year during the conflict.

Tudjman died in 1999, but the UN court said he would have been indicted if he had lived.

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Companies spent nearly 12 per cent more money at Rs 9,882 crore towards CSR works in 2015- 16, Union minister P P Chaudhary said today even as he appealed to companies to contribute more to such activities.

He also said that a host of government programmes, including Swachh Bharat Mission and Namami Gange, provide opportunities for corporates to meet their CSR mandate under the companies law.

Under the Companies Act, 2013, a certain class of profitable entities have to spend at least 2 per cent of their three-year average annual net income towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in a financial year.

"We have analysed the CSR expenditure of the companies for the year 2015-16 from the annual financial statements filed with the government. We have found that the actual CSR expenditure was Rs 9,822 crore which is 11.57 per cent higher than that of the previous year," the minister said.

The CSR provisions came into force from April 1, 2014.

"I hope that the India Inc will continue to accentuate their contribution for CSR in the coming years," Chaudhary, the Minister of State for Corporate Affairs, said.

Speaking at an event organised by industry body CII, he also said the government has launched a host of programmes, plans and schemes to address social development challenges.

"This has opened a host of opportunities for companies not only to meet their CSR mandate but also to collaborate with the government in their nation-building efforts," he noted.

At a CSR Summit and Awards function organised by industry body Ficci, Chaudhary said companies through their CSR activities are playing an important role in building the nation.

Skill development and entrepreneurship development cannot be viewed in isolation, the minister said, adding that they should be an integral part of employment and economic growth strategies which in turn would help spur employability as well as productivity.

Further, he said that companies through their CSR initiatives are working on various issues plaguing today's youth such as those related to health, water, environment and livelihoods.

"We are aware that engaging young people in policy dialogues and decision-making processes are chief determinants in the socio-economic empowerment of youth ... They (youth) and they also contribute to overall sustainable social economic, environmental and cultural development," he said.
The Delhi government today approved an additional fund of Rs 442.78 crore for payments to sanitation workers of three municipal corporations.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

"Approving the additional funds, the Cabinet said that these should be used only to make payments to safai karamcharis, including their salaries," the government said in a statement.

An official said the fund had been released for the betterment of sanitation workers who had complained of not getting salaries and other payments from their respective corporations.

The move comes a day after a delegation of sanitation workers under the aegis of 'Swachhta Karamchari Union' met Kejriwal and apprised him of the financial problems being faced by sanitation workers of MCDs.

The chief minister expressed surprise that the 'safai karamcharis' are facing problems despite government paying the MCDs much more than what was given in the preceding years.

It was informed to the delegation that in 2013-14 the east municipal corporation got Rs 287.72 crores compared to Rs 948 crores in 2016-17.

Similarly, the north municipal corporation received Rs 808.77 crores in 2013-14 compared to Rs 1318.26 crores in 2016-17, the government said.

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Delhi High Court Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal today inaugurated a sensitisation programme here to make students aware about law and punishment of sexual abuse and violence.

Inaugurating the programme, 'Child Abuse and Violence- Interpersonal and Digital World', Justice Mittal said that the programme should touch upon aspects of cyber crimes and the digital world as children between the age group of 14 and 18 years have easy access to digital media and may be susceptible to digital crimes.

"The objective was to make the children aware of the forms that sexual violence can take, to enable them to identify the same, to empower them to take remedial action if any such incident takes place with them or they come to know about any such incident," according to a press note issued by the Delhi State Legal Services Authority.

The school students were also cautioned that if they commit any such act, they could be held responsible for their action under law.

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Forty per cent of 2.8 lakh fake Indian currency notes seized in the country last year were from Delhi, according to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) today.

Last year, a total of 2,81,839 fake Indian currency notes (FICN) with a face value of Rs 15,92,50,181 were seized.

With confiscation of 1,14,751 notes having a face value of Rs 5,65,21,460, Delhi reported the maximum number of seizures, followed by Gujarat (39,725 notes with a face value of Rs 2,37,24,050) and West Bengal (32,869 notes having a face value of Rs 2,32,95,800).

A total of 87 FIRs were lodged in Delhi in connection with the seizures of fake notes and 35 people were arrested last year, according to the NCRB data.

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Delhi has reported the maximum number of rape cases amongst 19 major cities at 40 per cent, besides the highest crime rate in 2016, according to the data released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) today.

The national capital has got the dubious distinction of topping the list in cases of murder, kidnapping and abduction, juveniles in conflict and economic offences.

Delhi reported 33 per cent (13,803 cases out of total 41,761 cases in 19 cities) of total crimes against women followed by Mumbai at 12.3 per cent (5,128 cases) last year among the 19 cities with population above two million.

The national capital reported nearly 40 per cent of rape cases and nearly 29 per cent of each of cruelty by husband and his relatives and dowry deaths, the NCRB data said.

Delhi accounted for 38.8 per cent of total IPC crime reported in 19 cities followed by Bengaluru (8.9 per cent) and Mumbai 7.

7 per cent.

The national capital recorded the highest crime rate 182.1 compared to the national average of 77.2.

Chennai has reported highest number of cases of Special and Local Laws (SLL) crimes, accounting for 32.9 per cent of total reported cases among the 19 cities, followed by Kochi (12.

9 per cent) and Surat (12.6 per cent) during 2016.

Delhi reported the highest number of kidnapping and abduction - 5,453 cases (48.

3 per cent) followed by Mumbai with 1,876 cases (16.6 per cent) and Bengaluru 879 cases 7. 8 per cent during 2016.

The city reported highest number of murder - 479 out of 2,194 cases- (21.8 per cent) followed by Bengaluru 10.

4 per cent (229 cases) and Patna 8.9 per cent (195 cases).

Highest number of cases at 35.6 per cent (2,368 cases out of 6,645)of juveniles in conflict with law were reported in Delhi among the 19 cities during 2016.

Delhi has reported the maximum number of cases under economic offences 5,942 cases (19.3 per cent) followed by Jaipur (4,742 cases) and Mumbai (4,191 cases) accounting for 15.4 per cent and 13.6 per cent respectively during 2016.

In cyber crimes, Mumbai reported the highest number of cases - 980 (23.5 per cent) out of 4,172 cases in 19 major cities in 2016.

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The BJP today alleged that some schools in West Bengal had distributed a distorted map of India among Class 10 students appearing in the pre-board examination and claimed that the Trinamool Congress' (TMC) teachers' cell was responsible for the goof-up.

State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, however, rubbished the allegation and said it was a conspiracy hatched by the saffron party to malign the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government.

"The map of India distributed among the students in some schools during the Madhyamik Test examination 2017 for the Geography paper showed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh as not parts of the country," BJP state general secretary Raju Banerjee alleged.

The TMC teachers' cell was responsible for the goof-up, he claimed at a press conference and showed a map bearing the watermark of the 'WBBSE' (West Bengal Board of Secondary Education).

Banerjee said the saffron party had written to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, seeking appropriate action in the matter.

Mukul Roy, who had recently quit the TMC to join the BJP, described the matter as "serious".

"It is a serious allegation. Our leader has brought the matter to the Centre's notice and they will probe the matter," he said.

Chatterjee expressed doubts about the authenticity of the map showed by the BJP leader, saying maps distributed by the WBBSE among students did not bear a watermark.

"The maps distributed among the students in the Madhyamik (Test) examination do not contain a watermark of the WBBSE. We use unique codes," he told reporters.

The TMC leader alleged that the BJP was doing this to malign the Mamata Banerjee government as the people of the state had rejected the saffron party.

Chatterjee, who is also the state parliamentary affairs minister, said legal action would be initiated against the BJP leader in connection with the matter.

"I have asked the WBBSE to lodge a complaint with the police in this regard," he added.

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Dutch prosecutors are investigating how a Bosnian Croat war criminal managed to dramatically take his own life, apparently after drinking poison he had smuggled into a UN court, in scenes that were broadcast live.

In shocking footage beamed around the world, Slobodan Praljak drank from a small brown glass bottle and exclaimed he had taken poison moments after UN judges upheld his 20-year jail term for atrocities committed during the 1990s Balkans conflict.

The 72-year-old died in hospital after being rushed from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), casting a cloud over what should have been a successful end to the court's tenure.

Prosecutors said their investigation would focus on what killed Praljak and whether he had received any outside help in obtaining the suspected poison.

"For the time being the inquiry will focus on assisted suicide and violation of the Medicines Act," the Public Prosecution Service said in a statement late Wednesday, adding it would not be commenting further.

The unprecedented drama came as judges handed down their very last verdict at the court in the appeal case of six Bosnian Croat political and military leaders.

Praljak, a former military commander of a breakaway Bosnian Croat statelet, shouted out angrily: "Praljak is not a criminal. I reject your verdict."



Standing tall, with a shock of white hair and beard, he then raised a small brown bottle to his lips, and tipped it into his mouth. The hearing was quickly suspended as Praljak's lawyer interjected: "My client says he has taken poison."



ICTY spokesman Nenad Golcevski told reporters that Praljak "quickly fell ill" and died in hospital. He could not confirm what was in the bottle.

The stunning events caused a shockwave in Croatia and intense embarrassment at a war crimes tribunal that closes next month more than two decades after being set up at the height of the 1992-1995 Bosnian conflict.

Among the questions to be answered will be how he managed to evade tight security to smuggle the bottle into the tribunal.

And if the liquid was indeed poison or noxious, how did he acquire it in the UN detention centre in The Hague where he was being held?



Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic slammed the "injustice" of the UN tribunal and expressed his condolences.

"His act, which we all unfortunately witnessed today, speaks mostly about the deep moral injustice towards six Croats from Bosnia and the Croatian people," he told reporters.

Praljak's act demonstrated "what sacrifice he was ready to make" to show he was "not a war criminal," said Dragan Covic, the Croat member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency.

"It is a humiliation of this institution which has existed since 1993.

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Ecuador's president today called a nationwide referendum that will include a question asking voters whether they want to revoke a law pushed forward by his predecessor allowing presidents to be indefinitely re-elected.

President Lenin Moreno presented two decrees to the National Electoral Council calling for a popular vote that he said is needed to restore the country's constitution, whose values he said have been compromised by "vices" within the nation's political process.

The council has 15 days to formally convoke the vote and 60 days to organise it.

The move widened the divide between Moreno and ex- President Rafael Correa, a former ally who now accuses his hand-picked successor of betraying his legacy. Correa, an iron-fisted leader who served as president for a decade over three presidential terms, would be barred from office if voters should repeal the re-election law.

"It is essential to consult the public on these matters of national interest," Moreno wrote.

The National Assembly passed an amendment in 2015 lifting presidential term limits, in what critics called a shrewd political move by Correa to further consolidate power.

Correa left office earlier this year and has said he would only come out of political retirement if the social gains from his so-called Citizens' Revolution were threatened.

He called the proposed referendum question asking voters to limit politicians to just one re-election an attempt to thwart his leftist movement.

"Not only would the revolution not continue, what's in the works is a true counter-revolution," he wrote in a recent blog post.

Moreno has distanced himself from his one-time political mentor since his April election, exposing corruption, courting conservative business leaders and trying to make amends with groups that Correa shunned, including the media. Polls say his approval rating has soared and point to wide public backing for the referendum.

Aside from the question on re-election, the referendum also will tackle corruption and environmental issues like oil exploration and mining. If voters approve, anyone convicted of corruption would be prohibited from participating in politics.

Vice President Jorge Glas was jailed in October on charges of accepting bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht during Correa's administration and is expected to face a criminal trial.

The referendum heightens tense relations between backers of Moreno and Correa within the Alianza Pais ruling party.

Alianza Pais leaders recently announced that they were removing Moreno as the party's chief, a move the current president's allies and an electoral court consider illegal. Party leaders have called for a December 3 national convention.

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The Enforcement Directorate today conducted seven raids in the national capital region (NCR) in connection with a Rs 5,000-crore money laundering probe against directors and associates of Gujarat-based pharma firm Sterling Biotech, official sources said.

The raiding teams seized documents and computer hardware such as hard drives and CDs from the associates of the owners of the firm, they said.

The sources identified those covered under the searches as Sanjiv Mahajan, Arvind Gupta, Ghanshyam Panda and Lakshmi Chand Sharma.

Seven residential and business premises in areas such as Mayur Vihar, Dwarka and Ghaziabad, apart from a location in central Delhi, were raided, they said.

The ED is also probing their alleged links with some high ranking politicians.

The agency had registered a case against the firm and the directors, members of the Sandesara family, under sections of the Prevention of the Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The case is based on a CBI FIR against the same people.

The CBI had booked Sterling Biotech, its directors Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara, Dipti Chetan Sandesara, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara and Vilas Joshi as well as chartered accountant Hemant Hathi, former Andhra Bank director Anup Garg and other unidentified persons in connection with an alleged bank fraud case.

The CBI alleged that the company took loans of over Rs 5,000 crore from a consortium led by Andhra Bank which have turned into non-performing assets.

According to the FIR, the total dues of the group companies were Rs 5,383 crore as on December 31, 2016.

The ED took cognisance of this FIR to file a money laundering case against them.

The central probe agency also arrested Delhi-based businessman Gagan Dhawan in its case on October 31.

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A special CBI court in Ghaziabad has sentenced two contractors to three years in jail for cheating the Food Corporation of India (FCI) of about Rs 6 lakh 33 years ago, CBI counsel Naeem Rasa said.

CBI court magistrate Anil Kumar also slapped fine on the convicts yesterday.

According to the CBI counsel, the two contractors, in connivance with the then FCI manager in Muzaffarnagar, inflated bills of grain purchase, causing a loss of about Rs 6 lakh to the corporation in 1984.

The FCI manager died during the course of the trial.

The two contractors surrendered before police in 1992.

In 1993, the CBI filed the charge sheet in the case, the counsel said.

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Actor Esha Gupta said it is unfortunate how people are taking mileage out of the "Padmavati" controversy, instead of focusing on more important issues in the country.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period drama is being targeted by several Rajput outfits and political leaders, who have accused the filmmaker of "distorting history" and hurting sentiments.

Bhansali and Deepika Padukone, who plays the title role in the film, have also received death threats for the same.

Asked about how she views death threats being issued to a fellow actor, Esha told reporters, "In India, right now no one says 'we will ban this or that' when a rape happens, but a film is getting so much mileage because even these people know that they will get mileage out of a movie.

"They don't think rape is that important. They should focus on actual social issues."



The "Baadshaho" actor said these are strange times as people are offended over trivial matters.

"People are getting offended by everything - what you eat, wear, who you are sleeping with... They get offended by these things because they have nothing to do in their life," she said.

Esha herself has been trolled on social media several times but the actor has always given it back to the troublemakers.

"I won't say that's (what I do is) revenge because I don't think they are even important for me to take any revenge. But if I have the confidence... Why not just go for it? Trolls are just five per cent (on social media). Ninety- five per cent (people) love me so, I will concentrate on that," she added.

The actor was speaking at the launch of Candy Crush Jewellery by Dream Theatre and Mrinalini Chandra.

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Foreign cigarettes worth Rs 2.18 lakh, meant to smuggled into the country, were today seized from a passenger who arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram airport, a top customs official said.

Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar said officers of Customs Preventive Unit, Thiruvananthapuram under the jurisdiction of Customs Preventive Division, Kochi intercepted a passenger who arrived from Dubai, at the exit gate of the arrival hall of the airport.

As a result of the search of his baggage, 218 cartons of foreign cigarettes of fresh origin having a market value of Rs 2,18,000 were seized from the passenger from Mattancherry here.

"Enquiry revealed that he intended to smuggle the cigarettes by non declaration of the same before the Customs authorities," Kumar said.

On preliminary verification of his passport, it was found that he was a frequent traveller, he said adding further investigation is on, he added.

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The number of international visitors to the US through June fell sharply from last year, according to government data released.

And the number of business travelers fell by much more than the drop in tourists, according to the monthly report from the Commerce Departments National Travel and Tourism Office.

Total foreign visitors fell four percent compared to the first six months of last year, with travelers from Mexico down more than nine percent and from Britain down six percent, but visits from Canada up nearly five per cent.

Excluding Canada and Mexico, overseas visitors fell nearly six percent, but business travel dropped nearly nine per cent compared to a 5.6 per cent decline in tourists.

President Donald Trump in his first year in office repeatedly promised to build a wall on the border with Mexico, and has ordered bans on visitors from several Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Visits from the Middle East plunged 30 per cent in the first half of the year, and from Africa dropped 27 per cent. There also were double-digit declines in visitors from South and Central America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe.

Among the top 20 countries with the most visitors, Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil and India saw travelers fall well over 10 per cent.

In contrast, arrivals from South Korea jumped 18 percent, while Ireland saw a 4.7 percent increase, Italy was up 4.2 percent, Spain 3.5 percent and France 1.5 percent, according to the monthly data.

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The Navi Mumbai police today arrested four people for running a prostitution racket through a website.

The NM police in an official release said that the accused ran the racket through the website Navi Mumbai Escort Services. Police said that the accused would provide contact details to prospective customers and once these customers contacted the number, a deal would be made.

Police arrested the four after a decoy, posing as a cleint, was sent to meet one of the accused near a local college as part of a deal, police said.

Police said they moved in as the deal was being finalised. The police gave the names of the arrested accused as Durgeshkumar Chowdhary, 21, Anilkumar Shah, 23, Ritesh Paswan, 21 and Aniket Pandey, 20, all residents of Shiravane village in Navi Mumbai.

The police said that offences under sections 370(1)(3), read with 34, of the Indian Penal Code and also section 4 and 5 of the Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act have been registered against the arrested persons at the Nerul police station.

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A French mother was charged today with murdering five of her babies in a case solved by DNA evidence obtained years later after a brawl between neighbours.

Fourteen years after the bodies of four of the babies were found in a forest, Sylvie H., aged 53, has admitted to murdering five children, the public prosecutor in the eastern city of Mulhouse told a press conference.

The killings are believed to have taken place from 1993- 1995 and 2003-2005. The body of a fifth baby was found at the suspect's home.

The mother, who has three other children aged 18, 27 and 32, revealed this week that she gave birth alone at home each time, without the father's knowledge.

Investigators had for years puzzled over who was behind the infants' deaths.

An autopsy showed at least two were strangled with cords.

But with no DNA evidence linking the babies to a parent, the case went cold until September 2016 when Sylvie H., her partner and her eldest son were involved in a fight with their neighbours.

Investigators looking into the dispute took DNA samples from the mother -- and to their surprise realised they had a match with the samples taken from the babies in 2003.

When officers arrived to arrest the woman at her home in a Mulhouse suburb on Tuesday "she understood immediately why they had come for her" and confessed to the killings, prosecutor Dominique Alzeari said.

The father of the children, who appeared "absolutely unaware" of the killings, was "very upset", Alzeari added.

The woman's motives remain unclear. She faces life imprisonment if convicted.

In Germany, a woman was sentenced to 14 years in prison last year after being found guilty of killing four of her babies by suffocation.

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Around 2,000 army veterans, employed as security guards in Delhi government-run hospitals, are staring at uncertainty owing to a proposal to replace them with men from private firms.

The Directorate General Resettlement (DGR) branch under the Ministry of Defence, which is responsible for ensuring welfare of retired army personnel, is currently in talks with the Delhi Government to find a solution to the issue.

It all started with the city government floating a tender to rope in private security contractors to guard the hospitals.

The plan will effectively deprive DGR to participate in the process, thus rendering these ex-servicemen jobless, said Col(retd) Rathee, who is associated with a security agency under the DGR.

"The ex-servicemen come back home after serving their country for 15 to 20 years, and are dependent on such resettlement opportunities to support their family. The job as a security guard provides them with stability and income at such a crucial stage of their life," he added.

According to the DGR, the Delhi government is claiming that private security guards will come in at a much less cost as compared to ex-servicemen since a 14 per cent service charge is applicable in the case of the latter.

"Fourteen per cent of the gross wages paid to the security guards is paid to the contractor. The cost spent on maintenance of the office, security guards' wages is part of it. This is apart from the guards' salary. But under the new tendering process, they are talking about zero per cent service charge," said Col (retd) Ajay Ahuja, who is associated with a security agency under the DGR.

Tara Chand (45), who is posted as a security guard at the GB Pant Hospital, said that he is uncertain what the future holds for him and his family.

"I have been posted as security guard at this hospital for two years and earn Rs 20,000 per month. I have a big family comprising my wife, children, brother and father. Somehow, we make ends meet with my salary and some other sources of income but I am worried about the future," he said.

A senior official of the Delhi government's health department said that a retired armyman came to meet him to apprise him of the issue and they are looking into the matter.

"A retired colonel came to meet me yesterday on this issue. We have deputed a special secretary on the job to look into the case. So, let the report come in first," a senior health department official said.

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BJP chief Amit Shah on Thursday cited the acceleration in the growth rate of the country's GDP to assert that it underlined the "India Unstoppable" story under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and described the growth in the manufacturing sector as a very positive sign.

The reforms by the BJP-led central government were leading to a faster growth as well as creating a strong and stable economy, with increased opportunities for the poor and middle class, Shah said in a series of tweets.

"Today's GDP numbers reiterate the #IndiaUnstoppable story under PM Narendra Modi. The strong rebound in growth is a reflection of solid economic management by the Modi government," he said.

"India's rise in the World Bank's ease of doing business rankings, upgrade by Moody's, praise by Standard & Poor's and the strong growth in Q2 show that India's rise is inevitable. The Modi government's efforts are ensuring better prospects for each Indian," the BJP chief said.

Reversing the trend after five quarters of a decline in the GDP growth, the Indian economy expanded by 6.3 per cent in the July-September quarter, due to a pick-up in manufacturing.

"The significant uptick in the manufacturing sector is a very positive sign for our economy and will further boost 'Make in India' and generate more employment," Shah said.

BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao hit out at the Congress, saying its gloomy predictions for the economy had fallen flat on the faces of former prime minister Manmohan Singh and former finance minister P Chidambaram.

As predicted, the economy had rebounded strongly in the second quarter (of the current financial year) and would gather further momentum in the quarters ahead, he said.

"The Congress' cynical attempt at predicting an economic gloom, fully knowing that the GST would recalibrate the economy, has fallen flat on the faces of Manmohan Singh and P Chidambaram. They had brought the economy to the brink of a precipice during the UPA rule," Rao said.
The Goa government has decided to postpone by a fortnight its plan to charge outstation patients for availing medical facilities at the state-run hospitals, including the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) near here.

Currently, the residents of Goa as well as patients from outside the state can avail the medical facilities free of cost here.

The state health department had recently announced that starting December, certain fees would be imposed on the patients from other states for getting treatment at the government-run hospitals here. The decision was taken considering increasing rush at GMCH.

"We had planned to start charging fees from December 1, but we have to delay it by 15 days as we are yet to put in place foolproof system to implement the new rule," health minister Vishwajit Rane told PTI.

He said it would require a little more time to put in place the mechanism for the roll-out of the plan.

The minister, however, denied that the state government was doing a rethink on its decision to charge the patients from outside the state.

"There is no question of rethinking the decision," he said.

The health department had constituted a committee of experts, which submitted its report to the government earlier this month, recommending that the patients who are not from Goa, could be charged for availing medical facilities.

The ten-member committee headed by health secretary suggested that patients from outside Goa could be charged to some extent for the medical interventions.

As many as 447 interventions are covered under the Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana (DDSSY), a health insurance scheme of the state government that has so far covered nearly eight lakh people in the state, approximately half the population of the state.

According to sources, the government is yet to take a final call on the fees to be charged from the outstation patients, which has delayed its implementation.

The authorities in the state-run hospitals have marked two different lines for registration and treatment, with priority being given to the locals.

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Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh today said the government is encouraging setting up of Farmer Producer Companies (FPOs) in the fishery sector, a move that will boost fishermen's income.

The government has received proposals for 21 FPOs in major fish-producing states, he said in a statement.

The government's Small Farmers' Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) under its venture capital assistance (VCA) scheme is providing financial help to set up FPOs.

Addressing the 22nd board meeting of the SFAC, Singh said VCA scheme is getting good response from agripreneurs and many proposals are in the pipeline for sanction.

"FPO is being introduced in the fishery sector," he said, adding that proposals for 21 fishery FPOs have been submitted.

Besides fishery, efforts are being made to promote setting up of FPOs in spices, especially in northeastern region, he said.

SFAC and Spice Board is working with North Eastern Council (NEC) to form spice-based FPOs in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, he added.

The minister further said awareness is being created about FPOs across the country. Even training is being given to the FPOs' board officials on professional way of handling the companies.

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The Finance Ministry has invited applications to fill up the post of Irdai chairperson, which is set to fall vacant post retirement of T S Vijayan in February.

"The government proposes to fill up the post of Chairperson, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) located in Hyderabad, which is falling vacant on February 21, 2018," Irdai said in a notification issued by the Department of Financial Services.

The tenure of the chairman will be for five years from the date of joining office.

As per the eligibility criterion, the applicant shall not hold office beyond 65 years of age.

However, the person would be eligible for reappointment and should have a minimum of 2 years of residual service on the date of vacancy or not more than 63 years of age on February 21, 2018.

The applicant is required to have at least 30 years of work experience and should have served as secretary to Government or at equivalent level in other institutions.

Applicants from private sector can also apply for the post and should have worked as a CEO or equivalent of a large financial institution, the notification said.

The current chairman, Vijayan, who is a veteran in the insurance industry and headed LIC for five years, took charge of Irdai in February 2013.

A native of Kerala, he also worked in various capacities in LIC before becoming its chairman in 2006.

Irdai chairperson is entitled to a consolidated salary of Rs 4.5 lakh per month, without car and housing facility, the notification added.

The applicants are required to apply for the post on or before December 27, 2017.
Social activist Anna Hazare will launch his agitation over Jan Lokpal and farmers' issues in Delhi from March 23 next year and today asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to select a venue for it.

"You tell people that you want to create a corruption- free India. But you weaken the Lokpal legislation which will help curb corruption," Hazare said in a letter to Modi.

"There is a difference between what you say and what you do. That is why I asked activists in many states about the agitation. They said that March 23 being Shahid Diwas, we should launch the agitation in Delhi on that date," Hazare wrote.

"So we have decided to launch the agitation on March 23. Please let us know the venue (in Delhi) for the agitation," the social activist wrote to Modi.

"Please let us know the difficulty in appointing Lokayukt in states where your party (BJP) is in power," Hazare said.

"Lokpal legislation takes five years but the legislation to weaken it is passed in just three days. This shows that it is not the intention of your government to curb corruption," he said.

Hazare, who has been the face of the Lokpal movement, had said while addressing a meeting of his supporters at Ralegan Siddhi village in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district on Tuesday that this agitation will be a satyagrah for Jan Lokpal, farmers' issues and poll reforms.

The veteran activist had said he has been writing to the prime minister on these issues but hasn't received a response.

"At least 12 lakh farmers have committed suicide in the last 22 years. I want to know the number of industrialists committing suicide during this period," he had said.

Hazare has been demanding Jan Lokpal to keep a check on corruption.

He went on a 12-day hunger strike in 2011 after which the then UPA government accepted the demand in principle.

Hazare later launched a fast, which enjoyed a huge popular support across the country. The UPA government subsequently passed the Lokpal bill.

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The Bombay High Court today refused to hear a petition filed by a 28-year-old police constable seeking a direction to the Maharashtra DGP to grant her leave to undergo a sex-change surgery and directed her to approach the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT).

Lalita Salve, who now prefers to be called Lalit, had sought a month's leave to undergo the sex reassignment surgery, but the request was refused by the Beed police authorities.

She filed a petition in the high court last week, seeking a direction to the Maharashtra's police chief to grant her leave for the surgery.

A division bench of justices S C Dharmadhikari and Bharti Dangre today disposed of the petition and said this was a service matter and hence the petitioner will have to first approach the tribunal.

The court refused to accept Salve's lawyer Ejaz Naqvi's contention that the matter also pertains to the fundamental rights of a person.

"We do not think that the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal would be unsympathetic to the petitioner's grievances. We have never seen in any case the tribunal brushing aside matters without proper application of mind and without hearing all the parties concerned," the court said.

According to the petition, Salve, born in June 1988, noticed changes in her body three years ago and underwent medical tests, which confirmed the presence of Y chromosome in her body.

While men have X and Y sex chromosomes, women have two X chromosomes.

"The petitioner later undertook counselling sessions with psychiatrists at the state-run J J Hospital. The doctors detected that she had a gender dysphoria abnormality and advised her to undergo a sex reassignment surgery, if she was willing to and was of sound mind," the petition said.

Subsequently, Salve approached senior police officials and sought a month's medical leave to undergo the surgery.

"Last week, the superintendent of police (SP) of Beed district informed the petitioner that she could not undergo a sex reassignment surgery and refused to grant her leave," the petition said.

It contended that the said decision of the Beed police authorities was violative of the petitioner's fundamental rights.

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The Madras High Court today directed to remove all hoardings and arches from the roads of Coimbatore, put up in connection with the MGR centenary celebrations on December 3.

The court's intervention came days after a techie died in an accident in Coimbatore.

A DMK MLA had filed a public interest litigation petition (PIL) alleging that the hoardings, arches among others, posed a safety hazard and cited the death of the techie.

The first bench, comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sunder, made it clear that all hoardings, banners and arches lining highways, public streets and pedestrian pavements shall forthwith be removed.

In future too, no such arches, hoardings and banners shall be allowed to be erected in these areas, the bench said while disposing of the PIL.

In his PIL, DMK MLA N Karthick had sought that these structures be declared illegal.

He made the plea while referring to the death of a software engineer on November 25 after being run over by a heavy vehicle.

The accident occurred when he fell down from his two-wheeler after the vehicle allegedly hit a wooden structure erected for the centenary celebrations on the main road.

When the PIL came up today, Advocate-General Vijay Narayan submitted that all illegal arches, hoardings and banners were being removed.

The MLA, who represents Singanallur constituency in Coimbatore, also prayed for a direction to the government to pay compensation to the family of 32-year-old Raghupathy, who was working in the US and had come to the city on a vacation.

He alleged that Raghupathy met with the accident after hitting the wooden structure erected by the AIADMK for setting up a huge decorative arch on the Avinashi Road in connection with the MGR centenary function.

Raghupathy fell down and was run over by an unidentified heavy vehicle, resulting in his death on the spot, the petitioner said, adding those who erected the arch should be brought to book.

He also sought immediate removal of all unauthorised advertisement material in public places.

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Better street lighting, CCTV cameras and more public toilets would help to ensure safety and security of women in the city, the Delhi High Court has said.

The observation was made when the police told the high court that there are 118 vulnerable locations in the city for which about 587 CCTVs were required to be installed, but their procurement and installation would take a lot of time.

Asserting that lack of funds should not be cited as an excuse for not ensuring cameras, lighting and public amenities, a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and P S Teji said there was a "grave urgency" for taking such steps and if sufficient funds were not available with the agencies, it will direct that money is drawn from the Nirbhaya and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan funds.

The bench asked Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain to take instructions on this aspect and listed the matter for further hearing on December 4.

In view of the submission by the police, the court directed that since the Aman Vihar area in west Delhi was "statistically shown to be highly vulnerable to children going missing", cameras be set up there "on priority" as a test case, as minor children were often "enslaved and forced into begging and flesh trade".

According to the police, represented by its standing counsel Rahul Mehra and advocate Tushar Sannu, in the last two years, in Aman Vihar alone, there were 389 cases of missing children, of which 99, including 71 girls, are still untraced.

Besides, 801 adults were also reported missing from the area during the same period and of those 414, including 206 women, are yet to be traced, police had told the bench.

Taking note of the "alarmingly" large number of missing cases of minors and adults in the area, the court has said it "reflects an extremely poor state of affairs" there.

It set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by DCP Crime Joy Tirkey, to probe whether any organised mafia was involved in these disappearances and if yes, to "identify and dissolve" such groups.

Besides the police, the court also directed the Principal Secretary or Director (Local Bodies) to examine the public amenities in Aman Vihar, which, according to the authorities, had only one public toilet.

The directions of the court came in a habeas corpus plea moved by a rag picker seeking directions to the police to trace his two daughters who went missing from this locality in April this year.

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The Delhi High Court is likely to pronounce tomorrow its order on controversial businessman Moin Akhtar Qureshi's plea against his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.

The Centre had opposed the plea saying questioning of his arrest was an "abuse" of the legal process and there were serious charges of hawala transactions against him.

A bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and P S Teji had heard the arguments of the counsel for Qureshi, the Centre, the ED and reserved its order on November 13 on the habeas corpus plea.

A habeas corpus plea is a petition filed to ensure that a person under arrest is brought before a court which determines whether the detention is legal.

Qureshi's counsel had said the meat exporter should be released from "illegal custody" and his liberty be restored forthwith.

The government had refuted Qureshi's allegations that he was unauthorisedly detained by the ED in the money laundering case, saying he was arrested under statutory provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and remanded to ED custody by a competent trial court.

Qureshi was arrested on August 25 and sent to ED custody by the trial court the next day for thorough probe in the case against him and others. He is presently in judicial custody.

The agency had claimed that "the witnesses have confirmed in their statements that they have delivered crores of rupees for Qureshi and his associates through his employees and one of the witnesses has stated that nearly Rs 1.75 crore have been exported by the accused from him and his friend in lieu of the help provided to him in a CBI case."



Qureshi has been questioned several times in the past by ED which is probing his role following the registration of two FIRs under the PMLA, it had said, adding that he was arrested in connection with offence alleged in the last FIR in which former CBI chief has also been named.

The earlier PMLA case against Qureshi was lodged by the ED in 2015, based on an I-T prosecution complaint, it said.

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Torrential rains pounded several parts of southern Tamil Nadu affecting normal life as cyclone Okhi lay centred about 70 km from Kanyakumari today.

Four persons were killed when trees fell on them in different places in Kanyakumari district, officials said.

Rains accompanied by gusty winds lashed southern districts including Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin from late last night as the depression in the Bay of Bengal intensified into a deep depression and then into a cyclone today.

Met office forecast heavy-to-very-heavy rainfall at isolated places over south Tamil Nadu in the next 24 hours.

In Chennai, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said state and national disaster response force teams have been rushed to Kanyakumari district, where more than 500 trees and nearly 1,000 electric poles were uprooted.

The southern tip of Kanyakumari bore the burnt of rains and gusty winds with 985 electric poles and more than 500 trees falling, State Disaster Management Agency said.

"Do not come out of homes in Kanyakumari, Tuticorin, and Tirunelveli stay safe indoors and take precautions do not panic," it said in a tweet.

The yesterday's depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a deep depression early today and further escalated into a cyclonic storm.

It is headed towards the Lakshwadeep archipelago, according to the Met Department.

Madhavan Rajeevan, secretary in the Earth Sciences ministry, said in New Delhi that Lakswadeep in the southern part of the Arabian Sea will start experiencing heavy rainfall and strong winds from tomorrow. "It will hit the islands on December 2," Rajeevan said.

Palaniswami, who reviewed the situation, said "To undertake swift relief operations, one team comprising 70 personnel and two teams of 60 personnel of State and National Disaster Response Force respectively have been rushed to Kanyakumari district."



He said state Ministers and senior IAS officials have been assigned to the southern districts to monitor relief work. Ministers who hail from the districts have been asked to coordinate and monitor relief, he said.

Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management R B Udhaya Kumar has been sent to take up relief work in Kanyakumari on a war footing, the Chief Minister said.

Also, electricity personnel with necessary equipment have been rushed to restore power distribution that was affected due to trees falling over electric poles, he said.

Apart from Kanyakumari, rains lashed several other parts of southern Tamil Nadu including Tirunelveli, Cauvery delta belt and Tuticorin since last night.

The Courtallam falls near Tirunelveli and several salt pans in Tuticorin region were flooded. Farmers in Thanjavur expressed joy over the rains.

Educational institutions remained closed in southern districts such as Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Viruthunagar and Thanjavur.

A couple of trains, originating and passing through Kanyakumari suffered partial to full cancellation and some were rescheduled, Southern Railway officials said.

Local administration employed personnel to remove uprooted trees even as movement of vehicular traffic was affected.

Fishermen stayed off the sea in Tuticorin even as boats anchored on the shore suffered damage following strong winds.

The India Meteorological Department said heavy-to-very-heavy rainfall at isolated places were "very likely" over south Tamil Nadu, south Kerala during the next 24 hours.

"Rainfall will occur at most places, heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places, and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over Lakshadweep area during next 48 hours," it said.

Mahesh Palawat, vice-president (meteorology and climate change) of Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency, said there was a possibility of flooding in the islands due to heavy rainfall.

Sea conditions would be "very rough to high" over and around Lakshadweep Islands during the next 12 hours and "high to very high" during subsequent 48 hours, the IMD added.

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Himachal Pradesh minister G S Bali today requested the Centre to come to the rescue of two Kangra-based Navy personnel, who were detained by the Nigerian Navy in August.

The state transport minister, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, said the Navy personnel were among the crew of commercial ship 'Sea Pearl' detained by the Nigerian Navy in August.

The detained sailors had last week sent a video to their family via a social messaging application, requesting the Indian government for their release.

"It has come to my attention that two young boys from Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh have been detained by the Nigerian Navy since August, 2017. Atul Sharma and Sudhir Kumar were serving as sailors on board the commercial sea liner called 'sea pearl' that was apprehended by the Nigerian authorities," Bali said in the letter.

"Taking cognisance of the issue, I request honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to intervene in the matter," it said.

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A key House committee on Wednesday approved a Republican bill to expand gun owners' rights, the first gun legislation since mass shootings in Las Vegas and Texas killed more than 80 people.

On a party-line vote, the Judiciary Committee backed a bill that would allow gun owners with a state-issued concealed carry permit to carry a handgun in any state that allows concealed weapons.

Republicans said the reciprocity measure would allow gun owners to travel freely between states without worrying about conflicting state laws or civil suits.

The bill was approved 19-11 and now goes to the House floor.

The Judiciary panel also approved legislation to strengthen the FBI database of prohibited gun buyers after the Air Force failed to report the criminal history of the gunman who slaughtered more than two dozen people at a Texas church.

The Air Force has acknowledged that the Texas shooter, Devin P. Kelley, should have had his name and domestic violence conviction submitted to the National Criminal Information Centre database. The Air Force has discovered "several dozen" other such reporting omissions since the November 5 shooting.

Democrats said the bill making it easier to carry concealed weapons across state lines, a top priority of the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights groups, would endanger public safety by overriding states with strict gun laws, forcing them to comply with states that have far looser laws on guns.

"You want to wipe out our state law" that places tight restrictions on who can carry a concealed weapon, Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland told Republicans.

The GOP bill "lowers everybody's standards to the lowest in the union," Raskin said. "It is the agenda of the NRA, but it should not be the agenda of Congress."



Representative Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, said the bill would override his state's law barring people under 21 from getting concealed carry permits, while other Democrats noted that restrictions on drunken drivers and convicted stalkers could be overridden.

But Representative John Rutherford, R-Florida, said the bill would increase public safety by allowing more law-abiding citizens to carry guns, regardless of where they live or travel.

"I don't believe my right to defend myself should end at the state line," Rutherford said. "My constitutional rights do not end at the Florida line."



Rutherford and other Republicans said a "good guy with a gun" is often the best way to counter a gun-wielding criminal.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was today granted exemption from personal appearance by a special court till the conclusion of the arguments on charge in a Rs 10 crore disproportionate assets case against him.

Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann also granted the relief to Singh's wife Pratibha Singh, a co-accused in the case.

However, the couple, who were today present before the court, will have to appear whenever directed by the court, the judge said.

In their applications, moved through senior advocates Rebecca John and Ramesh Gupta, 83-year-old Virbhadra Singh and 62-year-old Pratibha Singh had sought permanent exemption from personal appearance citing their advanced age and ailments and had submitted they were not permanent residents of Delhi.

"His identity is not disputed. He is the chief minister of a state and he has various duties to perform. Meanwhile, he will be represented by his advocate on every date," the application moved for the politician said.

Public prosecutor Manoj Shukla, appearing for the probe agency, opposed their applications.

"On the one hand, you (Virbhadra) say you are ailing and on the other you are running an entire state, addressing several public meetings in a day," he said.

Shukla said that being a chief minister was not a ground for the permanent exemption, while citing example of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal who was reportedly denied similar relief.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on January 18.

The couple, who have not been arrested so far, and other accused persons are facing trial in the case. The others are Universal Apple Associate owner Chunni Lal Chauhan, stamp paper vendor Joginder Singh Ghalta, Managing Director of Tarani Infrastructure Vakamulla Chandrasekhar, and co-accused Lawan Kumar Roach, Prem Raj and Ram Prakash Bhatia.

The charge sheet also names as accused LIC agent Anand Chauhan, who was arrested in a separate money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to the present matter and is currently in judicial custody.

Chauhan was arrested by the ED on July 9 last year in a separate money laundering case related to the disproportionate assets case.

The court had on May 8 summoned them after taking cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the CBI.

The CBI charge sheet, running into over 500 pages having statements of around 225 witnesses and containing 442 documents, has claimed that Singh had amassed assets worth around Rs 10 crore which were disproportionate to his total income during his tenure as a Union minister.

The matter was transferred by the Supreme Court to the Delhi High Court, which on April 6, 2016, had asked the CBI not to arrest Singh and directed him to join the probe.

On November 5 last year, the apex court had transferred Singh's plea from the Himachal Pradesh High Court to the Delhi High Court, saying it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, but "simply" transferring the petition "in the interest of justice and to save the institution (judiciary) from any embarrassment".

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India's (PFC) has listed its first international bond in almost two decades on the London Stock Exchange to fund renewable energy projects in the country.

The 10-year dated green bond raised $400 million, paying a 3.75 per cent semi-annual coupon and listed on London Stock Exchange's new International Securities Market (ISM) this week.

"The funds raised will help promote renewable energy projects across the country and aid in achieving the government's target of 175GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2022," said PFC chairman Rajeev Sharma.

"The bond issuance allows PFC to access a new offshore investor base and also diversify its funding sources," he said.

The state-owned PFC said that projects eligible for the funds will be identified within its Green Bond Framework, which was drafted in accordance with the Green Bond Principles, a global set of guidelines framing the issuance of green bonds.

The latest Climate Bonds Initiative certified bond is the seventh green bond listed on London Stock Exchange in November 2017, and the fifth green bond by an Indian issuer in London. "PFC is unlocking and promoting green finance across India, enabling the country to achieve its ambitious climate change targets set out under the COP21 agreement," said Nikhil Rathi, CEO of London Stock Exchange Plc.

"London Stock Exchange is a recognised world leader in green, sustainable and debt financing, highlighted by this years exceptional green fixed income activity. London supports issuers from Abu Dhabi to China, Finland to India in accessing international investment capital," he said.

He added that there has been an "undeniable shift" in momentum in green and sustainable financing across the world which has triggered a "green funding revolution".

According to the LSE, green bonds in London have raised over $3.2 billion in November 2017 alone.

In total, there are 59 green bonds listed in London that have raised over $19.5 billion in aggregate terms across seven currencies.

The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) said it has been supporting investors and issuers in the transition to a low- carbon and sustainable economy for over a decade, developing innovative products and services in close collaboration with the market.

"The comprehensive sustainable finance offering is focused on green financing for issuers (both debt and equity), indexing and analytics," LSEG said.

LSEG had joined the UN's Sustainable Stock Exchanges initiative as a Partner Exchange in 2014 and has also signed The Paris Pledge for Action.

One of the leading lenders to the power sector, the PFC is an infrastructure finance company engaged in providing financial assistance to state power utilities for meeting the financing and development requirements of the power sector.
India's tea exports rose over 6.5 per cent to 189.68 million kg during the first 10 months of 2017, the Tea Board said today.

The exports in the corresponding period a year ago stood at 178 million kg, according to data released by the Board.

In value terms, the shipments stood at Rs 3,724.34 crore during January to October, 2017, up by about 4.8 per cent from the year-ago period.

India exports CTC grade tea mainly to Egypt, Pakistan and the UK, and the orthodox variety to countries like Iraq, Iran and Russia.

The monthly tea production for October grew 17.31 per cent year-on-year to 177.32 million kg, the Tea Board data showed.

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India should participate in China's - 'One Belt, One Road' project - and take economic advantage from it, senior Congress leader Manish Tewari said today claiming the country had nothing to lose if it became part of the OBOR corridor.

The former Union minister also launched an apparent attack on the the Modi government, claiming that during the last 42 months a "dangerous trend of criminalising dissent" had emerged. Criminalising dissent can subvert the very idea of India, he said.

"Let us learn to respect dissent and not criminalise it," said Tewari interacting with a panel of experts and audience during the Chandigarh launch of his second book, 'Tidings of the Troubled Times'.

The book is a collection of his articles published recently in different newspapers on contemporary issues.

The Congress leader alleged that during the last 42 months a dangerous trend of criminalising dissent had emerged which was not good for the democracy, a press release quoting Tewari said.

Commenting on the diplomatic front, Tewari said, while cosying up to new friends, India must not ignore traditional and trusted ones.

He suggested that India should participate in the Chinese project of 'One Belt, One Road' and take economic advantage from it. He said, India had nothing to lose if it became part of the OBOR corridor.

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Indian corporates in the UK have committed over USD 5 billion for development projects under Namami Gange Mission, the government said today.

At a roadshow organised in London yesterday, Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Nitin Gadkari appealed to business leaders to participate in the mission to clean Ganga. The roadshow was organised by the National Mission for Clean Ganga and the Indian High Commission in the UK.

"Indian corporates, NRIs and PIOs in UK have committed more than USD 5 billion for the development of amenities like ghats, river fronts, crematoria and parks as part of the Namami Gange Mission," Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement today.

Among the important MoUs (memorandum of understanding) signed were those by Anil Agarwal of Vedanta Group for ghats and amenities along Ganga at Patna, Ravi Mehrotra of Foresight Group for Kanpur, Hinduja Group for Haridwar, Prakash Lohia of Indo Rama Group for Kolkata, the statement said.

The projects will be developed, built and operated by these corporates under their CSR initiatives.

"MoUs were also signed for innovative technologies for river cleaning, with companies including Lyndon Water, Celtic Renewables, Medifarm, NVH Technologies and Arkatap," the statement said.

Apart from these, many companies and individuals have agreed to take on projects from the list of over 200 plans for which private funding has been sought.

There are projects worth more than Rs 10,000 crore for development of ghats, crematoria, waterbodies, parks, sanitation facilities, public amenities and river front which need additional funding, the statement said.

Projects worth over Rs 2,500 crore, available for private funding have been published as a booklet and are also available on the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) website as an e- booklet, it added.

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A Jewish West Bank settler fatally shot a 47-year-old Palestinian villager today in a clash that occurred under disputed circumstances.

Later in the day, the Israeli military said it attacked four Hamas military posts in the northern Gaza Strip in response to mortar fire from the area.

In the West Bank incident, the military said a group of some 20 settlers were hiking through the Palestinian village of Qusra, southeast of the city of Nablus, when they were attacked by stone throwers and two were lightly wounded.

One of the settlers then opened fire, striking a stone thrower. The settlers then entrenched themselves in a cave near the village until Israeli forces evacuated them, it said.

The military said medical teams rushed to the scene to try to save the Palestinian.

The Palestinians, however, said that 47-year-old Mahmoud Odeh was shot while working on his land in the northern West Bank village.

Palestinian Authority official Ghassan Daghlas said settlers confronted Odeh and ordered him to move. When he refused, one of them shot him in the chest, Daghlas said.

The military would not say where the shooter was, saying only that the incident was being investigated.

The northern West Bank is an occasional flashpoint between settlers and Palestinians. Several isolated hard-line settlements are in the area, situated near Palestinian villages and Nablus.

Odeh became the latest casualty in an intermittent two- year wave of violence.

Since September 2015, Palestinians have killed more than 50 Israelis, two visiting Americans and a British tourist in stabbings, shootings and car-ramming attacks. Israeli forces have killed more than 260 Palestinians in that time. Israel says most of them were attackers and that others died in clashes with Israeli forces.

The frequency and intensity of attacks has lessened in the past year.

Along Israel's southern border with Gaza, meanwhile, the military said several mortar shells were fired from Gaza across the border at an Israeli military post. There were no injuries.

Shortly afterward, Israeli tanks and aircraft targeted four Hamas military posts in Gaza. There was no immediate claim for the mortar attack, but Israel holds Hamas, the de facto power in Gaza, responsible for all fire emanating from the area.

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Two Israeli cabinet ministers said today that they hoped US President Donald Trump was about to move his country's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as a decision deadline neared.

The issue is deeply controversial.

Shifting the building could be seen as a de facto recognition of Israel's claim over the whole city, including predominantly Palestinian east Jerusalem.

Foreign countries, including the United States, currently have their embassies in the Israeli commercial capital Tel Aviv since they do not recognise Israel's unilateral claim of control over all of Jerusalem.

"I hope that an absurd situation will end," Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party told public radio.

He argued that when US presidents came to Israel, they went to Jerusalem and not Tel Aviv.

Environment Minister Zeev Elkin, who also holds the Jerusalem affairs portfolio, told army radio that there was "no logical reason for this transfer to be postponed again."



Such a move, he said, "may convince other countries to do the same."



Congress passed a law in 1995 making it US policy to move the embassy to Jerusalem, symbolically endorsing Israel's claim on the city as its capital.

But the act contained a clause that has allowed each president since to issue and renew a six-month waiver on carrying out the move.

Shying away from a major campaign promise, Trump signed the waiver in June and now has a December 4 renewal deadline.

Israel occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967. It later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community.

The Palestinians see the eastern sector as the capital of their future state.

The traditional United States position is that the status of Jerusalem must be negotiated between the two sides.

The White House yesterday dismissed reports of an imminent move as "premature".

Trump postponed any change in June in order to "maximise the chances of successfully negotiating a deal between Israel and the Palestinians," the White House said at the time.

Vice President Mike Pence, who is due to visit Israel in December, said this week that Trump is "actively considering when and how" to move the embassy.

Support for Israel is a key issue in US right-wing politics.

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An Israeli man aged in his twenties was stabbed to death today in a southern city in what authorities called a terror attack.

"There is no doubt about the terrorist nature of the attack," which happened in Arad, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP, adding that the assailants escaped.

Earlier in the day an Israeli settler shot dead a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank after a group of Israeli hikers was targeted by Palestinian stone-throwers.

Since a wave of violence began in October 2015, at least 309 Palestinians or Arab Israelis, 51 Israelis and seven foreigners have been killed in a series of attacks, according to an AFP count.

Israeli authorities say most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks.

Others were shot dead in protests and clashes, while some were killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

Violence is considered to have subsided greatly in recent months.

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The Karnataka government today said it would soon unveil an action plan for implementation of its electric vehicle and energy storage policy aimed at creating conducive environment and necessary infrastructure for electric mobility in the city.

Stakeholders would meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tomorrow with regard to the action plan on electric vehicles and battery charging, Minister for Major and Medium Industries R V Deshpande told reporters here.

"How fast we can bring Bengaluru under the map of EV (electric vehicle) we will discuss in the meeting. We will come out with a guideline or a road map for the state, but mainly for the Bengaluru city," he said.

The meeting is expected to be attended by urban planners, officials, and electric vehicle manufacturers among others.

The state government in last September came out withthe "Electric vehicle and energy storage policy, 2017" with a vision to make the state preferred investment destination for manufacturing of electric vehicles (EV's).

It sought to leverage advantages and opportunities available for the sustained development of this "promising segment".

The objectives of the policy include attracting investment of Rs 31,000 crore and creating employment opportunity to 55,000 people both from supply and demand side.

Besides it seeks to create conducive environment for transition to electric vehicle environment from internal combustion engines and also to provide opportunities for developing R&D in electric mobility.

Describing the policy as "unique", Deshpande said it has been received well, and a Chinese company had come forward formaking electric buses.

To considerably decrease dependence on petrol or diesel by 2030, infrastructure for electric vehicles had to be created in cities like Bengaluru, he said.

"For the creation of infrastructure we need to have a time bound programme, we will be doing it. We will come out with an action plan on implementing the policy as far as Bangalore city is concerned," he said.

He said the government wanted to bring more and more electric vehicles in the city as they were environment and eco-friendly.

On the Vendor Development and Investor's Summit 2017 organised here by the state government, Deshpande said about Rs 20,499.55 crore worth investments from 347 companies were approved in the last eight months and they would generate employment for about 86,750 people.

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The Karnataka government todaysaid it has sought legal opinion on taking action on alleged violations of the framework agreement by the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises in implementing the Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor project.

"The important thing that is before us is that there are 34 petitions against government in the High Court and 20 in Supreme Court," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jayachandra told reporters here.

There are 54 cases on the matter and government has appointed a special counsel both in Bengaluru and Delhi, he said.

"We are taking opinions from the special counsel. I have sought their advice on what call government needs to take...probably very shortly we will come to a final decision," he said.

In its report tabled in the Assembly in December last year, the 11-member committee, headed by Jayachandra to look into the alleged violations, had concluded that of 22 articles in the framework agreement, 16 have been violated by the private partner which is NICE.

It had recommended an inquiry by CBI, ED, vigilance commission or an investigative agency of equal standing.

NandiInfrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) is the implementing agency of the BMIC project, whichincludes developing the 111-km four-lane expressway, fivetownships and supporting infrastructure.

The minister said there are court stays on matters regarding which the committee has made its recommendations.

He said he has sought opinions from the special counsel at both Delhi and the High Court here besides Advocate General.

"In a week or ten days time, I will hold a meeting and we will come to a final decision," he said.

He also said the company was taking shelter under various agreements signed later, diluting the framework agreement, which has been mentioned in the report also.

During the recently concluded assembly session at Belagavi, members of the legislative assembly cutting across party lines had demanded that government take action at the earliest.

Expressing dismay over delay in taking actionbased on the House committee report submitted a year ago, some of them including former chief minister and JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy had demanded that government take over the project.

About the demand to take over theproject, Jayachandra said "let's see what will be the suggestion from counsel."



On whether government has the power to take over the project citing breach of contract, he said "it is notruled out.

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today mocked at the RJD supremo saying 'corruption is etiquette' for Lalu Prasad who, on the other hand, retorted that the JD(U) president's clean image is actually 'fake'.

The war of words between Kumar and Prasad is going on in Twitter with no one taking the other's name.

Kumar today came up with a sarcastic tweet: "bhrashtachar shishtachar hai, uske khilaaf karrvai anachar hai" (Corruption is etiquette, action against it is misconduct).

The chief minister has been coming up with tweets targeting Prasad for the past couple of days, drawing angry responses from the RJD leader on the micro-blogging site.

In a tweet today, Prasad called Kumar a "farji imaandaar mukhyamantri" (a chief minister with bogus claims of honesty).

In another one, he said: "naitikta aur farzi chhavi ka dhindhora pitwaana" (bragging about morality and fake image).

Replying to a query from journalists about Prasad's retorts outside the Assembly, Kumar said, "When I feel like saying something on twitter, I come up with a tweet. I have nothing to say about what others have to say on that".

Yesterday also the two leaders traded barbs on the social media platform, questioning each other's "deshbhakti" (patriotism).

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has lauded the contribution of North Indians and people from other states to Mumbai, drawing flak from the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

Fadnavis said the country's financial capital has always given shelter to many and those who live here have added to the city's prestige.

"I believe that among the many things which make Mumbai great is the people who have come from various states and settled here. They also make Mumbai great," Fadnavis said at a public event in Ghatkopar area here yesterday.

"Today, when we speak of Mumbai and Maharashtra, we immediately see the North Indian community. This city has always given shelter to many and those who have got shelter here have always added to the city's prestige," he said.

The BJP leader further said, "Today, we can say that the North Indian community which has settled in Mumbai, has always worked towards increasing the prestige of the city."



Criticising the chief minister's remarks, MNS leader Nitin Sardesai said the meaning of what Fadnavis said was simple. "For him, the votes of these North Indians are more important. He is not concerned about the original Mumbaikar, farmers and people of Maharashtra."



Sardesai claimed that such remarks are being made keeping an eye on the North Indian votes.

Mumbai and Maharashtra have always been great. There was no need for people from other states to come here and make it more great, he said.

"They (North Indians) came to Mumbai for their livelihood because there was no development in their states. How are they going to make Mumbai great," the MNS leader said.

Notably, the MNS workers had last week staged a protest against North Indian fish-sellers in several parts of the adjoining Thane city, alleging that they were eating into the native fish-sellers' business.

The MNS said that the fisher-folk, specially women and the younger generation of sellers, had been complaining that they were being driven out of business by North Indian sellers.

A day after the Elphinstone railway station stampede claimed 22 lives on September 29, Raj Thackeray had said such stampedes will continue to occur in Mumbai till hordes of migrants keep pouring into the city.

The MNS leader, who has been stoking controversies with his anti-migrant rhetoric, said, "There has been a collapse of infrastructure facilities due to the migrant influx from other regions.

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today accused the BJP of trying to destabilise the state administration and asked people to be alert against provocation that might foment communal problem in the state.

Addressing a gathering after her brief meeting with the South 24 Parganas district administration here, Banerjee also asked police officials to remain alert on the issue.

"I must tell you repeatedly to keep a close vigil in your locality, specially on any outsider or stranger. If you see anything odd, draw the attention of the police immediately," Banerjee said.

The Trinamool Congress president cautioned people not to fall into any trap of provocation or false campaign that might invite bitterness and enmity among people.

Attacking the BJP, she said, "There is a government at the Centre that is more busy in giving lectures than doing works to benefit the people."



"The BJP is also in the habit of engineering riots or a similar situation in a peaceful state where the party does not have base," Banerjee alleged.

The chief minister also criticised the erstwhile Left Front Government for allegedly leaving the state debt-trapped.

Announcing a number of development programmes for the Sundarbans, she said a new district would soon be created bifurcating the existing South 24-Parganas district.

Elaborating various development programmes undertaken by her government in the state, Banerjee said, "Our government has not done anything which might hurt people belonging to any particular religion, caste or creed."



Banerjee also asked her party workers and leaders to work together forgetting differences among themselves.

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A deputy commissioner in Manipur has urged Reliance Jio Infocomm chairman Mukesh Ambani to set up more mobile towers in inaccessible and hilly areas of Tamenglong district to help improve communication facilities.

The letter to Ambani was written by Armstrong Pame, Deputy Commissioner of Tamenglong, who was instrumental in building a 100 km motorable road without government help five years ago when he was the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Tousem.

It would be a dream come true for the people if he (Ambani) could intervene in setting up more mobile towers and provide Internet service in the district, Pame had written to the Reliance Jio chief early this month.

Now people have to walk for a day or two to reach the district headquarters from remote areas to submit applications to the DC's office, said Pame, an IAS officer of 2009 batch.

Setting up of the mobile towers would improve communication facilities in the hill district and enable people to submit applications online, he said adding that Ambani has acknowledged the letter.

Pame told PTI that he had also received calls from Guwahati and Mumbai offices of Reliance Jio saying "a team will be deputed to the least undeveloped areas of the district by the end of this year to study technical requirements for establishment of mobile towers."



Pame had earned the sobriquet of "Miracle Man" after he helped local people construct a 100-km long road between Tousem and Tamenglong in less than a year without government assistance in the hill district when he was the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Tousem.

The construction of the road became possible after he raised Rs 40 lakh with the help of social media. Donations also came from various individuals. Pame himself had contributed Rs 5 lakh while his brother donated Rs 1 lakh.

The construction of the road started in 2012 and was completed in 2013.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today discussed bilateral relations in their first phone conversation since tensions plunged to an all-time low this summer, Turkish media reported.

According to state-run agency Anadolu, Erdogan and Merkel are committed to "giving fresh impetus to bilateral contacts at the highest level", once a German government has been formed.

The call came a day after a similar call between Erdogan and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Anadolu said.

Ties between the two countries -- NATO allies with strong historic ties -- have nosedived over Ankara's arrest of German citizens and Berlin's strong criticism of the Turkish crackdown following last year's failed coup, which has seen over 50,000 people arrested.

The Turkish government has however sent several reassuring signals in recent weeks, including the conditional release of two German nationals who had been detained in Turkey.

A week after the German citizens were set free, the countries' foreign ministers also met in the southern Turkish resort of Antalya for informal talks -- the first meeting since the bitter row intensified.

During the call today, Merkel and Erdogan discussed the pact signed last year between Ankara and the European Union, which has reduced the number of migrant and refugee routes to Europe, according to Anadolu.

Ankara has accused the EU of not granting the financial assistance promised under this agreement quickly enough.

Erdogan also briefed the chancellor on a Turkey-Iran- Russia summit on Syria, held last week in the Russian resort of Sochi, according to Anadolu.

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Chancellor Angela Merkel has opened talks with Social Democrat chief Martin Schulz hoping to end Germany's political stalemate, but the atmosphere has already been poisoned by disobedience within her ranks.

Held at the invitation of President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the talks started at 8:00 pm (1900 GMT) yesterday as the party leaders sought to explore if they are ready to launch negotiations on forming Germany's next government.

Steinmeier put his office at the disposal of his guests, then decamped to a literary function in Berlin, where he declared that "I am experiencing the most relaxing part of my day."



After September's elections left Merkel without a majority, the Social Democrats (SPD) firmly ruled out renewing an alliance as they had suffered a humiliating loss at the polls.

But as Merkel's bid at forming a coalition with the ecologist Greens and pro-business FDP fell apart earlier this month, the SPD came under pressure to relent and avert snap elections.

Public opinion also appeared to be behind the two sides opening talks, with a poll commissioned by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung showing 61 percent of Germans want the SPD to enter coalition negotiations with Merkel's conservatives.

Spiegel weekly noted that yesterday's meeting, which also ropes in Horst Seehofer -- leader of Merkel's Bavarian allies -- was crucial for the chancellor.

"For Merkel, it's a fight for political survival that's starting," said Spiegel.

"Merkel must do everything to forge this alliance -- the only one that would ensure stable power," it added.

But the talks are clouded by a political storm sparked this week by a member of her conservatives, Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt, who flouted the government's line by voting in favour of approving a disputed weedkiller during an EU meeting.

The action, which Schmidt said he took unilaterally, was condemned as a "breach of trust" by the SPD, which has been junior coalition partner in Merkel's cabinet since 2013.

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The Yogendra Yadav-led Swaraj India today claimed that the Delhi Metro fares were hiked on an assurance from the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) that the bus fares would also be revised subsequently, a charge refuted by the AAP government's transport minister, Kailash Gahlot.

Swaraj India's Delhi unit president Anupam referred to the 4th Metro Fare Fixation Committee's report and claimed that representatives of the Delhi government, the DTC managing director and the transport commissioner of the city-state had said that once the metro fares were increased, the fares of the DTC buses would also be revised.

"Documents make it clear that the Delhi government had prior plans of increasing the fares of the DTC buses on the pretext that the metro fares were also hiked," he said.

"The Delhi Metro fares were increased only on an assurance from the DTC that bus fares will also be revised after that. This is yet another proof that the Delhi government was hand-in-gloves in unjustly increasing the metro fares and that it now plans to hike the DTC bus fares," Anupam added.

Gahlot termed the charge baseless.

"Futile attempts to mislead the public. Have NO basis. There is NO proposal whatsoever to hike DTC fares - all these are LIES (sic)," he tweeted.

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A juvenile was today apprehended for allegedly firing at a toll tax employee in a case of mistaken identity last month in southwest Delhi's Jaffarpur Kalan, the police said.

On October 20, Amar Singh (24) an employee at the Daurala Toll Tax was shot at by three motorcycle-borne persons.

The investigation focused on members of the Nandoo, Manjit Mahal, Neeraj Bawania and Rajesh Bawania gangs as these were active in the border areas, said Shibesh Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest).

During investigation, 50 to 75 people were interrogated and details of motorcycles similar to the one driven by the accused were obtained from the Transport Authority, the officer said.

It emerged that Rajesh Bawania, who is currently in jail, had asked his henchmen to recruit teenagers and kill Vikram alias Katia, an alleged associate of a rival gang, he said.

In the process, the accused fired on the toll tax employee in a case of mistaken identity, the officer said.

Subsequently, the three accused, including two juveniles were identified, the police said.

One of the juveniles was apprehended today from the Delhi-Sonipat border and a country-made pistol used in the incident was seized from him.

The other accused, a juvenile, is already lodged in a children's home in connection with an attempt to murder case.

During interrogation, it emerged that the gangsters lodged in different jails are recruiting youngsters, preferably minors, to carry out their operations, said the DCP.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi would once again visit poll-bound Gujarat on December 3 and 4 and address seven rallies in Saurashtra and south Gujarat where polling will be held on December 9.

On December 3, Modi would address campaign rallies in Bharuch in south Gujarat and Surendranagar and Rajkot in Saurashtra, state BJP in-charge Bhupender Yadav said here.

Modi would also visit Ahmedabad in the evening to attend a function at Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Vishwavidya Pratisthanam (SGVP). As per the SGVP website, Modi will inaugurate a newly built hospital on the SGVP campus.

On the next day, Modi would address poll rallies at four places, starting from Dharampur in Valsad, followed by Bhavnagar, Junagadh and Jamnagar in Saurashtra, Yadav said.

The prime minister addressed eight rallies on November 27 and 29 in Saurashtra and south Gujarat.

The polling for 182-member Gujarat Assembly will take place on December 9 and 14 and the votes will be counted on December 18.

Eighty-nine seats in Saurashtra and South Gujarat region are going to the polls in the first phase.
Two young brothers, separated from their mother nearly nine years ago, were reunited with her in a sequence of events that's no less a blockbuster movie plot.

Anil, now 16, and his brother Sunil, 17, traced their mother to Tilaswa village in Rajasthan's Bhilwara district through extraordinary luck and a little help from the Child Welfare Committee in Kota.

Anil was rescued from Kota railway station by the CWC on October 28. But his trouble had begun nine years ago, when he and his brother ran away from their maternal grandmother's home, fearing they might be punished for laxity on their part.

The family's goats had gone missing under their watch, said Kota CWC chairman Harish Gurubaxani.

From the village, the two kids reached Ujjain, where they were found by the CWC in the city.

The Ujjain CWC sent them to a children shelter home in the city, where the two brothers lived until a few months ago. They were then sent to a foster-care centre in Chittorgarh.

From there, they were sent to Kanpur for skill development training.

But Anil, the younger brother, ran away from there and was finally rescued from Kota railway station last month.

In counselling sessions with CWC members, Anil said he was unable to recall anything about his village but its name - Tilaswa. The CWC members conducted an investigation and found two kids had gone missing from the village nine years ago.

The lead helped the CWC members trace their mother Dhapubai, and then they called Sunil from Kanpur.

The two were confirmed as Dhapubai's sons through identical birth marks on their bodies and similar characteristics, CWC chairman Gurubaxani said.

The reunion has elated the family.

The mother said she was extremely happy and feeling fortunate to have her sons back after so many years.

According to Gurubaxani, the tale of the mother was also no less miserable. She was abducted by her brother-in-law when she was only six. At the age of 16 and 17, she delivered Sunil and Anil, with her brother-in-law being their father.

After living with the man for a few years more, she fled from his house and went to her parents in Tilaswa village.

Her parents did not allow the man to take her back, and instead sent her with another man on the basis of 'Nata Pratha', a centuries-old custom prevalent in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, which allows a man to have a live-in relationship with a married woman, in some cases by paying her parents.

The Kota CWC, meanwhile, has raised questions over the role of their counterparts in Ujjain in determining the age of the two brothers.

The age of Anil, through medical examination, was confirmed to be around 16 years, said Gurubaxani, asking how can the CWC in Ujjain release them to a foster-care centre without them reaching adulthood.

He said he would write to legal bodies concerned in Madhya Pradesh, demanding a probe into the matter.

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The Question Hour of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly was today washed out as the House was adjourned twice after uproar over an alleged remark made yesterday by Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh about Speaker Sitasharan Sharma.

As soon as the question hour began, state minister Gopal Bhargava alleged that the Leader of Opposition, Ajay Singh, yesterday called Speaker Sitasharan Sharma, a bonded labourer (of the government) inside the House as well as outside it (after the Congress' demand for a discussion on the issue of women's safety was not entertained).

"His statement calling Sharma a bonded labourer was widely published by the newspapers as well," he added.

Bhargava demanded that Singh should be censured for speaking against the Chair.

Hitting back at the minister, Congress member Govind Singh said that the ruling party (BJP) is bent on finishing the opposition and stifling its voice.

Seeking a debate over the issue of women's safety and the October 31 gangrape incident in Bhopal, another Congress legislator, Sunderlal Tiwari, said they respect the speaker.

Revenue Minister Umashanker Gupta sought an apology from Ajay Singh for his remark against the speaker.

Congress members Ramniwas Rawat and others sought a debate on the issues of women's safety and the rise in the crime against women.

The treasury and opposition benches traded charges and amid the din, the speaker adjourned the house for ten minutes.

When the house reassembled, ruckus continued as accusations flew back and forth between both the sides over the issue.

The speaker adjourned the house again, leading to the question hour being washed out.

The state legislative assembly was yesterday adjourned for the day due to slogan-shouting by Congress members, who demanded discussion on the issue of the state's "poor records" on women's safety in the wake of the recent gang-rape incident in Bhopal.

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Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has said the coal handling project at the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) was cleared by the previous Congress-led government at the Centre and that he would provide details about it in the next session of the state Assembly.

The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Goa recently resolved against the coal handling facility at the MPT, which is facing opposition from some quarters for causing pollution.

The CLP also resolved against the nationalisation of rivers.

The opposition party has been accusing the government of shielding the coal handling facility at MPT, which is leased out to Adani Murmugao Port Terminal Private Limited and South West Port Limited.

Parrikar yesterday told reporters here that the permission for handling the coal at MPT was granted in January 2014 when the Congress was in power at the Centre. The MPT is governed by the Central government.

"They are trying to create an atmosphere that Adani (group) is a favourite of the BJP which is not true," he said, after addressing a meeting of party leaders representing different municipalities and panchayat bodies.

The government has opposed the expansion of the coal project and has written to the Union environment ministry about it, the chief minister said.

"I will give details during the upcoming Assembly session. All these projects were sanctioned during Congress regime. We have brought to the notice of our workers that Congress was the brain behind these projects but is now pretending to be opposing them," he said.

The Goa Assembly session is likely to begin in the second week of next month.

Parrikar said his government has already written to the Central government to stop any expansion of the coal handling facility and also taken steps to reduce the current pollution.

On declaring Goa's rivers as national waterways, the chief minister said he has called a meeting of MLAs and NGOs on December 11 to explain about the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which his government intends to sign with the Inland Waterways Authority of India.

"The MoU can be accepted as per our terms and conditions. We will be making a presentation about the MoU to the MLAs and NGOs," he said.

Parrikar said the Centre will not decide anything without taking the Goa government into confidence.

"Through the MoU we are having hundred per cent control over the rivers but at the same time the Centre will be spending on cleaning the waterways," Parrikar said equating the situation to "having the cake and eating it too."



He said the rivers in Goa are notified as national waterways "but it has been projected as if we have nationalised the rivers."



"Nationalisation means ownership but declaring them as national waterways is a different thing. The relation of Goans with rivers has been for long, so no one will bear the fact that we are giving ownership of rivers to someone else," he said.

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The top Democrat in the House today called on Michigan Representative John Conyers to resign in the face of multiple accusations of sexual misconduct.

Conyers' lawyer swiftly rejected the request, saying Nancy Pelosi "sure as hell won't be the one to tell the congressman to leave."



House Minority Leader Pelosi called the accusations against Conyers, the longest serving member of the House, "very credible" and "serious," and said he should step down after decades on Capitol Hill. Conyers was first elected in 1964.

Pelosi said she prayed for the 88-year-old Democratic congressman, who was hospitalised in Detroit, and his family.

"However," she said, "Congressman Conyers should resign." Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan minute later told reporters that Conyers "should resign immediately."



In Michigan, Conyers' attorney, Arnold Reed, strongly dismissed the growing clamour for Conyers to step aside, coming not only from Pelosi but other Democrats. Conyers, who has insisted on his innocence, gave up his seat as the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee on Sunday while holding onto his congressional seat.

Reed noted that Conyers was admitted to a Detroit hospital after feeling light-headed late Wednesday. No details about his condition have been released.

The dramatic call from Pelosi came just hours after a former aide publicly accused Conyers of sexual harassment, telling NBC's "Today" show that she was fired for rejecting his advances.

Marion Brown, 61, said the congressman propositioned her for sex multiple times over more than a decade. Brown initially told her story to BuzzFeed on condition of anonymity, saying she'd settled a complaint in 2015 with Conyers over the allegations, according to her attorney.

"It was sexual harassment ... violating my body," Brown said today. "Propositioning me. Inviting me to hotels with the guise of discussing business and then propositioning me ... for sex."



Brown told The Associated Press that if asked, she would testify before the House Ethics Committee, which is investigating Conyers. She said she would prefer to be subpoenaed, saying she and other witnesses would be more comfortable speaking publicly if they were legally compelled to do so.

Reed said Conyers will cooperate with any investigation.

On Sunday, Pelosi called Conyers an icon and argued for the due process of an Ethics Committee investigation. But today, she said: "Zero tolerance means consequences -- for everyone. No matter how great the legacy, it's not license to harass or discriminate. In fact, it makes it even more disappointing.

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Veteran actor Geoffrey Rush has denied allegations of "inappropriate behaviour" levelled against him, claiming his conduct has always been beyond reproach.

A now deleted report in Australia's Daily Telegraph stated that Sydney Theatre Company received a complaint against the Oscar-winner, who starred in the company's adaptation of King Lear in 2015, of misconduct.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Rush's lawyers, in multiple statements, said, "In this current environment, 'inappropriate behaviour' may mean abuse, bullying or other forms of reprehensible activity.

"These are matters that deserve forthright and objective levels of discussion. It must be made clear from the outset that Mr Rush abhors any form of maltreatment of any person in any form," they added.

The statement also said that "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor has not been made aware of the "nature of the complaint" against him.

"In the circumstances, if such a statement has been issued by the STC it is both irresponsible and highly damaging to say the least.

"Your 'understanding' of what has occurred is, with the greatest respect, simply fishing and unfounded. It does not warrant comment except that it is false and untrue," the statement read.

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Clashes erupted today for a second successive night between Huthi rebels and loyalists of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in the capital Sanaa, witnesses and security sources said.

Security sources close to Saleh said armed supporters of the Huthis had surrounded the residences of local officials in the rebel government who are linked to the former president.

Saleh loyalists were also seen taking up positions in the streets of the rebel-controlled city, witnesses and a security source there said.

Saleh and the Huthis forged an unlikely alliance in 2014, ending decades of animosity to join ranks in fighting against Yemen's internationally recognised government.

The infighting now threatens to unravel the fragile alliance, which has been battling the Saudi-backed government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in Yemen's devastating war.

Today's violence comes 24 hours after clashes at the Saleh mosque in Sanaa late yesterday killed nine Huthi rebels and five Saleh supporters, according to multiple medical sources at hospitals in the capital.

One source at the Jumhuriya hospital today said the death toll had risen to as many as 18 rebels and six Saleh loyalists. The numbers could not be confirmed by other hospitals in the area.

The latest clashes erupted hours after tens of thousands of Yemenis packed Sanaa's Sabaeen Square to mark the Prophet Mohammed's birthday, heeding a call from rebel chief Abdul Malik al-Huthi.

But the rally was brief and people quickly returned home amid fears of new violence, as armed supporters of both sides deployed in the streets.

A source in Saleh's forces said Huthi fighters were positioned around the residences of two of the ex-president's nephews.

Also in the day, the Huthis, who are backed by Iran, said they fired a ballistic missile at Saudi Arabia and hit a military target, in the second such attack this month, after threatening to retaliate over a crippling blockade.

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Pakistan today said there will be no meeting with India on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Russia.

Pakistan Prime Minister is currently in the Russian city of Sochi for the SCO Head of Governments meeting and Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Mohammad Faisal was asked at regular briefing about any meeting between the leaders of the two countries.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will represent India at the two-day summit.

"There is no planned meeting on the sidelines of the Summit," Faisal said.

To a question about the decision on India's request to let the mother of convicted Indian death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav in Pakistan meet him, Faisal said it was still being "considered".

He also said that Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua yesterday went to the Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) hearing of 2008 Mumbai attack case and "informed the court that the decision of the court to convey the names of the Indian witnesses required for testifying in this case was being considered by the Interior Ministry".

He said Pakistan continues to stress the need for a meaningful dialogue for confidence building, avoidance of arms race and promotion of strategic stability in South Asia and Pakistan's proposal for a Strategic Restraint Regime for South Asia remains on the table.

He expressed concern over the latest launch of the cruise missile by India and said it was part of the ongoing build-up and induction of sophisticated weaponry and delivery systems by India.

India recently test fired the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile for the first time from the Indian Air Force's frontline Sukhoi-30 MKI combat jet, significantly bolstering the country's aerial prowess.

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Opposition members created noisy scenes in the Assembly for the third consecutive day today forcing adjournment of the House till noon.

They created a ruckus over an alleged scam in which thousands of tonnes of paddy were transported on motorcycles in three years since 2011-12.

Temper rose at the Question Hour when Bhai Virendra of the RJD sought to know why only 15 per cent of the allocated amount was spent in the Second Agricultural Roadmap during the first six months of 2017-18.

Of the 15 per cent, Agriculture Minister Prem Kumar replied, 11 per cent had been spent only during the 4 months of the NDA government in the state.

Following this, opposition members rose on their feet and protested vociferously.

RJD MLA Ramanuj Prasad later asked what action was taken against those guilty in the paddy scam in which hundreds of bags of paddy were allegedly transported by motorcycles



He asked whether the Special Investigating Team constituted to go into this scam, that took place during 2011-14, had found the allegation true, and if yes, what action had so far been taken against the guilty.

Bhola Yadav of the RJD interjected that Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi had got a book published on transportation of fodder by scooters during the fodder scam.

To this, Modi said "It is for the opposition to get a book published on any similar scam".

Following the intervention of the Patna High Court, 15,000 FIRs had been filed in the Rs 4,000 crore paddy scam, RJD's Atri Muni alias Shakti Singh Yadav said amid noisy scenes.

It was alleged that bags of paddy were taken out of mills and sold to open market instead of sending the bags to government godown.

He wanted to know why no action had so far been taken against the guilty officials and other accused persons.

Shakti Singh Yadav also demanded that a joint committee of the House be set up to go into the matter.

As he was pressing for the demand, opposition members rushed into the well of the House and started raising slogans against the government.

Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary, thereafter, adjourned the House till 12 pm.

When the House re-assembled, the Speaker read out obituary reference to Anand Bhushan Pandey, sitting BJP MLA of Bhabua, the about whose death was received today.

The House was then adjourned for the day.

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Non-food credit demand from banks rose by 6.6 per cent in October as against an increase of 6.7 per cent in the year ago month, showed Reserve Bank data.

In September this year, non-food bank credit had risen by 6.1 per cent.

In the reporting month, advances to agriculture and allied activities rose by 5.5 per cent, down from 13 per cent in October 2016.

Loans to industry contracted by 0.2 per cent in October compared to a contraction of 1.7 per cent last year.

"Credit growth to major sub-sectors such as infrastructure, basic metals and metal products, vehicles, vehicle parts and transport equipment and cement and cement products contracted," RBI data showed.

However, credit growth to textiles, chemicals and chemical products, all engineering and food processing accelerated during the period.

Services sector loans rose by 9.4 per cent in the period, marginally up from 9.3 per cent in October 2016.

There was slight decline in personal loans segment at 16 per cent in the reporting month as against increase of 17 per cent last year same month.

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North Korea poses a "grave threat" to the world, the White House said today, exhorting countries to apply maximum pressure on Pyongyang after it launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

"The North Korean threat is very grave. It's not just a threat to the United States or a threat to the region -- or the Korean Peninsula region, but a threat to the entire world and the civilised world," White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah told reporters.

"We're encouraged that more countries are taking more significant steps to help apply as much pressure as we can on North Korea," Shah said in response to a question.

He, however, parried questions on Trump's tweet about more sanctions against North Korea.

"I'm not going to get ahead of any announcement that's coming. I will say, though, that the maximum pressure campaign that the US has been a big part of has really yielded a lot of results," he said.

"We have seen the toughest sanctions ever imposed on North Korea that the Chinese and Russians have signed onto. We've seen China restrict energy shipments to North Korea. We're seeing dozens of countries engage in different efforts in their bilateral ties with North Korea to cut off both energy, economic ties, and diplomatic ties," Shah said.

"So we're seeing more and more steps take place. We'll see future actions by the United States and others, and we're looking forward to applying as much pressure as we can to get to our ultimate goal, which is a denuclearised Korean Peninsula," he told reporters.

The ICBM, launched yesterday from Sain Ni, North Korea , travelled about 1000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

"We will take care of it. .. It is a situation we will handle," Trump told reporters soon after North Korea's missile test.

Trump also spoke with his Chinese and South Korean counterparts Xi Jinping, and Moon Jae-in respectively, and the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer said in a statement that the launch of a ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear payload across thousands of miles far enough to threaten cities in the continental United States violates international laws and demands a strong international response.

"The President's lack of a policy to deter North Korean aggression is deeply concerning, and it is clear that the President's soft approach with the Chinese leadership has not borne fruit.I urge him to pursue a diplomatic strategy that places serious pressure on the Kim (Jong-Un) regime to change its behaviour," he said.

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A leader of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the students' wing of the RSS, today declared a bounty of Rs one lakh for chopping the hands of the director of the upcoming film "Games of Ayodhya".

The remarks come amidst a controversy over period drama "Padmavati". Some people, including a political leader, had reportedly offered bounties against actor Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

ABVP leader Amit Goswami, during a press conference announced the bounty of Rs one lakh for anyone who brings him the hands of the film's director and producer Sunil Singh.

"The film has presented a distorted history of the Babri Mosque demolition which has deeply hurt Hindu sentiments," Goswami alleged.

The ABVP leader alleged that the film wrongfully held senior BJP leaders responsible for the demolition.

Goswami warned that if the film was allowed to be released then people who watch it "will be responsible for their own lives and theatre owners will do so at their own risk".

He ABVP leader claimed that if he came across Singh he "would not hesitate to shoot him".

Singh is a former MLC from the Rashtriya Lok Dal and he belongs to Aligarh.

Meanwhile, state secretary of the Hindu Jagran Manch Yuva Vahini, Sanju Bajaj, in a statement, said his organisation would protest against Singh.

Earlier, Haryana BJP leader Suraj Pal Amu reportedly offered a Rs 10 crore bounty for beheading Padukone and Bhansali.

He, however, resigned yesterday as the chief media coordinator of the state unit of the party after he was served a show cause notice, seeking explanation about his remarks.

A resident of Meerut from the Kshatriya community had also announced a bounty of Rs 5 crore on the heads of Bhansali and Padukone for "wrongfully portraying" queen Padmini.

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Satyajit Ray's famous science-fiction character Professor Shonku will now be adopted for big screen with Dhritiman Chatterjee essaying the role of the world famous fictional scientist visiting Brazil on some expedition.

Ray's son Sandip, who has already made a number of popular films on the versatile writer-director-illustrator father's fictional sleuth Feluda, told a press meet here last evening, "We will take up 'Nakur Babu O El Dorado' one of the most gripping tales of Professor Shonku series as the first film which will be titled 'Professor Shonku o El Dorado'.

"It will definitely be a film in science fiction genre having both Bengali and English dialogues depending on the nationality of characters and the places of occurrence as the shoots will take place in Kolkata and elsewhere in India and also in Brazil.

"Also Professor Shonku, an internationally recognised scientist, will certainly converse in English or other languages like Portuguese with his friends abroad and not in Bengali or Hindi," Sandip Ray commented.

"We will ensure every detail is kept, including the way Professor Shonku's house is etched out in the fictional work of father," he said adding there will be lots of special effects.

"Apart from Shonku and his private assistant Prahlad, there are many other characters of British, German, Brazilian nationalities in the work. We have to think what will be their language. We know the Brazilian film industry is big and would take actors from there when we visit the country," he said.

The film will have lots of special effect but how the story will be told, ether in first person by Shonku's assistant Prahlad or in simple narrative form will be revealed later, he said to a question adding if the shooting in India and Brazil was over by July-August 2018, they were aiming for a December release in 2018.

Actor Dhritiman Chatterjee said, "Shonku is a character meant for an international audience, the audience who are based in Kolkata and also spread elsewhere in the world. We are certainly trying to give a global flavour to the film and its characters."



Asked about the reason behind casting Dhritiman as Shonku, Sandip said, "He fits in well from every point of view. Shonku is not much tall, and we must remember an actor essaying Shonku has to be fluent in English."



Sandip, who had kept the theme music in Feluda by retaining the signature tunes while reworking in contemporary mould, said "We are planning a track which will gel with the literary work."



Srikant Mohta of SVF said, "It is a great moment for SVF. A great moment for Bengali audience which waits for long to see a film like Professor Shonku. It is like fulfilling a childhood dream to see Shonku's story in film.

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Former US President Barack Obama will address a town hall here tomorrow, the Obama Foundation has said.

Obama, who arrived here today, will also address the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit tomorrow.

He is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

At the town hall, the former US president, in his first visit to India after demitting office in January, will interact with nearly 300 young leaders drawn from various parts of the country.

"The town hall will expand the conversation about what it means to be an active citizen and make an impact and how the Obama Foundation can support emerging leaders in this effort," the Foundation said in an update.

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President Donald Trump is considering recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a highly charged declaration that risks inflaming tensions across the Middle East, officials said today.

The announcement would be a way to offset a likely decision delaying his campaign promise to move the US Embassy to the holy city from Tel Aviv.

Trump's announcement is expected next week and follows months of internal deliberations that grew particularly intense in recent days, according to officials familiar with the talks.

They described the president as intent on fulfilling his pledge to move the embassy but also mindful that doing so could set back his aim of forging a long-elusive peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, who claim part of Jerusalem as the capital of an eventual state.

The officials, who weren't authorised to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the outlines of Trump's plan emerged from a meeting of his top national security advisers at the White House on Monday.

Trump himself was expected to drop by the meeting for 15 or 20 minutes. He ended up staying for at least an hour and grew increasingly animated during the session, according to two officials briefed on what happened.

Trump is likely to issue the waiver by Monday, officials said, though they cautioned that the president could always decide otherwise.

The White House also is considering a possible presidential speech or statement on Jerusalem by Wednesday, according to the officials and an outside administration adviser. Another possibility involves Vice President Mike Pence, who is set to travel to Israel in mid-December, making the Jerusalem announcement during his trip, one official said.

Pence said on Tuesday that Trump is "actively considering when and how" to move the embassy.

The Trump administration insisted the president hasn't made any decisions on the embassy.

"No decision on this matter has been made yet," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said today.

Moving the embassy is a step that could spark widespread protest across the Middle East and undermine an Arab-Israeli peace push led by president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Trump's campaign season promises won him the support of powerful pro-Israel voices in the Republican Party. But as president, he has faced equally forceful lobbying from close US allies such as King Abdullah II of Jordan, who have impressed on him the dangers in abandoning America's carefully balanced position on the holy city.

Under US law signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996, the US must relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem unless the president waives the requirement on national security grounds, something required every six months. If the waiver isn't signed and the embassy doesn't move, the State Department would lose half its funding for its facilities and their security around the world.

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Where do we go? Who do we talk to? What do we read about?



Our mobile phones are troves of personal, private information, and the US Supreme Court weighed today how easily police should be able to get it.

In a case seen as a landmark for privacy protection in the digital age, the court heard arguments over whether, police have the right to obtain the location data of a person's phone from providers without a search warrant.

During the hearing, most of the high court's nine justices appeared deeply concerned about how phone companies can track a person's movements via their device and hand that information, sometimes going back years, to police when asked.

Civil libertarians say that information is protected by the US Constitution.

But law enforcement officials say the location data transmitted from a phone to a cell tower has been essentially made public and handed over to a third party, giving up any claim the owner might have to privacy.

The specific case involves Timothy Carpenter, who was tracked down and convicted of theft in 2011 after the police obtained some 12,898 cell tower location points for Carpenter's device over four months from phone companies.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor appeared to agree with the pro- privacy advocates.

The cell phone "is an appendage now for some people," she noted.

"Right now we're only talking about the cell site records, but as I understand it, a cell phone can be pinged in your bedroom. It can be pinged at your doctor's office. It can ping you in the most intimate details of your life -- presumably at some point even in a dressing room as you're undressing."



The US Constitution's Fourth Amendment guarantees the privacy of citizens from "unreasonable searches and seizures," and says police must obtain warrants based on "probable cause" if they want to search a suspect's "persons, houses, papers, and effects."



Parties on both sides of the case agree that the law did not anticipate an era in which everyone relies on a cell phone and technology providers can amass data on a person via those phones.

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A 'jauhar swabhiman yatra' was taken out by some activists here who demanded a ban on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film 'Padmavati'.

Carrying posters of 'Padmavati' and placards against the movie and its director, the activists donning saffron headgear raised slogans against the movie.

The yatra (march) converged at the GPO park later in the day where the activists chanted slogans against the period drama.

The activists also carried a picture of Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav's younger daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav, who has been targeted by fringe groups after her purported dance performance at a family function on the 'ghoomer' song of the yet-to-be-released movie went viral on the social media.

Various groups and political leaders have accused Bhansali of distorting history in the movie by using a romantic dream sequence between the legendary Rajput queen Padmini and Alauddin Khilji, a claim denied by the filmmaker.

Historians are divided over whether Padmini actually existed.

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The Punjab government today said that it had decided to hand over seven cases to the NIA keeping in mind the possible "national and international ramifications" of a conspiracy behind the targeted killings in the state.

It was decided to transfer the cases to the NIA under Section 6 of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act, 2008, as the modus operandi in all of these cases was the same, an official spokesman said.

It was also found that inter-state as well as international perpetrators, handlers, actors and a militancy angle were involved in the criminal conspiracy, to disturb the peace and communal harmony in the border state, by selectively targeting leaders of certain groups, he said.

The decision to transfer the cases was taken after a NIA team, led by the agency's director, Y C Modi, held discussions with officials of the Punjab Police on Monday, the spokesman said, adding that it was felt that the central probe agency was better equipped to undertake further investigations in this regard.

They both agreed that the probe needed to be more broad- based as the handlers, conspirators and financers in the targeted killing cases operated from countries such as the UK, Canada and Italy, he said.

Following the decision, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh directed the police to hand over all the materials related to the cases to the NIA.

The police had recently arrested five persons, including UK citizen Jagtar Singh Johal, in connection with the targeted killings of leaders of the RSS, Shiv Sena and other outfits in the state between January 2016 and October 2017, the spokesman said.

The chief minister has directed that complete support be extended to the NIA to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy to disturb Punjab's peace and harmony.

The spokesman said the move was aimed at ensuring that the foreign-based networks conspiring against Punjab were dismantled and action was taken against the foreign handlers (both organisations and individuals) through cooperation with the Ministry of External Affairs, Interpol, Europol and foreign governments.

It was vital to crack down on such elements that were carrying out murder and mayhem, and reviving terrorism in Punjab, he said.

The decision, it was felt, would also help dispel false, slanderous and orchestrated social media campaigns launched by interested governments, organisations and elements to raise funds, and to deter the police and prosecuting agencies from doing their duty, the spokesman said.

The seven cases being handed over to the NIA include the April 2016 Khanna killing of Durga Das Gupta, the president of labour service wing, Shiv Sena, Punjab; the January 2017 killing of Amit Sharma, Zila Pracharak Hindu Takht in Ludhiana; the February 2017 killing of Dera Sacha Sauda followers Satpal Kumar and his son Ramesh Kumar in Khanna; and the July 2017 Ludhiana killing of Christian Pastor Sultan Masih.

Other cases to be handed over to NIA include January 2016 firing on a RSS Shakha at Kidwai Nagar and February 2016 firing on Amit Arora, Local Hindu Leader. The incidents took place in Ludhiana.

The RSS leader Ravinder Gosain killing case has already been handed over to the NIA. Gosain was killed in Ludhiana on October 17.

The government has proposed that the murder case of RSS leader Jagdish Gagneja, which is being probed by the CBI, be also transferred to the NIA. Gagneja was killed in Jalandhar in August 2016.

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Hailing the rise in GDP growth rate to 6.3 per cent in the July-September period of 2017, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said the figures are an answer to the opposition parties who had criticised demonetisation and GST.

"The GDP growth of 6.3 per cent shows that the economy is improving in (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji's rule and he is taking the country to newer heights," Fadnavis said in a video message.

"These figures are an answer to those who opposed and portrayed that demonetisation and GST were wrong decisions which will lead to a slump in the economy," he added.

Fadnavis said the country has climbed 30 places in World Bank's 'ease of doing business' index while the ratings agency Moody's has upgraded the country after a gap of 14 years under Modi government.

"The exceptional numbers of our economic growth rate, coming at a time when there is barely any growth worldwide, validates Modi ji and his team's leadership. I congratulate Modi ji on the reforms agenda adopted by him," he said.

Reversing the five quarters of slowing GDP growth, Indian economy expanded by 6.3 per cent in July-September on the back of a pick-up in manufacturing.

The gross domestic product (GDP) growth had hit a three-year low of 5.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2017-18. It was 7.5 per cent in the September quarter of 2016-17.

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Rahul Gandhi on Thursday signed off his two-day tour of poll-bound Gujarat with a promise to waive loans of farmers and provide free education in government-aided colleges if the Congress party comes to power in the state.

Unfazed by the Somnath temple controversy, he visited Gadhdha Swaminarayan temple where he offered prayers.

A row erupted on Wednesday after Gandhi's name was found written in the entry register meant for non-Hindus at the famous shrine.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress leader claimed, "Modiji waived loans worth Rs 1.25 lakh crore of his five-ten industrialists' friends, but Modiji and (Finance Minister Arun) Jaitleyji say that it is not their policy to waive loans of farmers when they ask for it."



He was campaigning in Lathi in the Patidar-dominated Amreli district on the last day of his two-day tour.

"Modiji talked for 22 years about farmers, but you have not got anything, your land has been taken away, your water is diverted to industrialists, and you do not get crop insurance," he told a poll meeting.

"We make this promise to you that we will frame a policy within 10 days of forming a government in Gujarat to waive your loans," he said.

Gandhi promised free college education in government- aided colleges and said that fees in other colleges will be reduced by 80 per cent if the Congress is voted to power in Gujarat.

He said the middle class and poor people have to pay Rs 10-15 lakh to realise their dream of making their children engineers or doctors.

"We will offer free education in government-aided colleges which are given money and aid by the government. (We will) reduce by 80 per cent fees (in other colleges)," he said.

Accusing Modi of proximity with select corporates, Gandhi said for the first time he has seen that all sections of the society in the state were "protesting", whether it was the Patidars, Dalits, Anganwadi workers or farmers.

"Only five-ten persons are not protesting. They fly in chartered planes and are Modiji's friends," he said, alleging that "some of them get Rs 33,000 crore (loan) to make Nano car".

"If you ask questions, whether you are a Patidar, farmer, Dalit, they will fire at you, beat you up, and will beat up women. But if five-ten people will ask for your land, electricity, water, Modiji will immediately sign for them," he said, alluding to the 2015 quota stir in which 14 Patidars were killed in police firing.

Describing Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani a "rubber stamp", he alleged that BJP president Amit Shah was remote- controlling the government in the western state.

"Earlier Modiji used to do so. Now Amit Shah does the same. I have not taken the name of Rupaniji because he runs on a remote control. Shahji can change the channel whenever he likes," Gandhi said attacking the BJP leadership.

He said the previous UPA government allocated Rs 35,000 crore in MNREGA and waived loans worth Rs 70,000 crore of farmers of the entire country.

"The amount of money that I put in MNREGA was given by Narendra Modiji to Tata Nano car factory. You lost your land, it was snatched from you, and given to Nano factory," he said.

Breaking its silence over Gandhi's charge that the BJP- led Gujarat government extended undue favours of Rs 33,000 crore to it for its car manufacturing facility at Sanand, Tata Motors said it got Rs 584.8 crore as a loan, and not grant.

The investor-friendly environment created by the Gujarat government encouraged Tata Motors to set up its manufacturing plant in Sanand, with a long-term vision to make it one of the leading automotive hubs, further enabling the state to contribute to the prosperity and growth of India, the company said in a statement.

At the election rally, Gandhi said, "You will not get Narmada water when you ask for it, but Modiji's friends will get it immediately. They get 14 hours power supply, while you get it for a few hours."



He also said that the farmers were not getting the minimum support price for their produce inspite of the "promise" by Modi to provide them with a high MSP.

"You gave Rs 20,740 crore to insurance companies in Gujarat (for crop insurance), and they gave back Rs 4,700 crore and made a profit of Rs 15,000 from your pocket," Gandhi said.

"Modiji will not tell you this in his speech. Modiji is behind the death of farmers who kill themselves after not receiving insurance money," Gandhi said.

"One of Modiji's industrialist friends got 45,000-acre land in Mundra port at Re 1 per square metre as a gift. In months, this man sold the same land at a rate of Rs 35000 (per square metre)," Gandhi alleged without taking any name.
Congress vice president today tried to woo farmers in Gujarat amid a high- stakes poll battle, promising that their loans would be waived if his party forms government in the state.

Calling Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani a "rubber stamp", he alleged that BJP president Amit Shah was remote- controlling the government in the western state.

"(Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji waived loans worth Rs 1.25 lakh crore of his five-ten industrialists friends, but Modiji and (Finance Minister Arun) Jaitleyji say that it is not their policy to waive loans of farmers when they ask for it," Gandhi claimed.

He was campaigning here in the Patidar-dominated Amreli district, on the second day of his two-day tour of Gujarat.

"Modiji talked for 22 years about farmers, but you have not got anything, your land has been taken away, your water is diverted to industrialists, and you do not get crop insurance," he told a poll meeting.

"We make this promise to you that we will frame a policy within 10 days of forming government in Gujarat to waive your loans," he said.

Gandhi said for the first time he has seen that all sections of the society in the state were "protesting", whether it was the Patidars, Dalits, anganwadi workers or farmers.

"Only five-ten persons are not protesting. They fly in chartered planes and are Modiji's friends," he said, alleging that "some of them get Rs 33,000 crore (loan) to make Nano car".

"If you ask questions, whether you are Patidar, farmer, Dalit, they will fire at you, beat you up, and will beat up women. But if five-ten people will ask for your land, electricity, water, Modiji will immediately sign for them," he said.

"Earlier Modiji used to do so. Now Amit Shah does the same. I have not taken the name of Rupaniji because he runs on remote control. Shahji can change the channel whenever he likes," Gandhi said attacking the BJP leadership.

He said the previous UPA government allocated Rs 35,000 crore in MNREGA and waived loans worth Rs, 70,000 crore of farmers of the entire country.

"The amount of money that I put in MNREGA was given by Narendra Modiji to Tata Nano car factory. You lost your land, it was snatched from you, and given to Nano factory," he said.

Breaking its silence over Gandhi's charge that the BJP- led Gujarat government extended undue favours of Rs 33,000 crore to it for its car manufacturing facility at Sanand, Tata Motors said it got Rs 584.8 crore as loan, and not grant.

The investor-friendly environment created by the Gujarat government encouraged Tata Motors to set up its manufacturing plant in Sanand, with a long-term vision to make it one of the leading automotive hubs, further enabling the state to contribute to the prosperity and growth of India, the company said in a statement.

At the election rally, Gandhi said, "You will not get Narmada water when you ask for it, but Modiji's friends will get it immediately. They get 14 hours power supply, while you get it for a few hours."



He also said that the farmers were not getting the minimum support price for their produce inspite of the "promise" by Modi to provide them a high MSP.
History was in making today when Raj Shah, who holds a key position in the White House, gaggled with reporters on board presidential chopper Air Force One, becoming the first Indian-American to enjoy the privilege.

Shah, 33, did so in the capacity of Principal Deputy Press Secretary, a position to which he was promoted by US President Donald Trump in September as he restructured his press office by making Hope Hicks Director of Communications.

Shah was accompanying Trump as he flew to Missouri to deliver a major speech on middle-class tax relief and business tax relief.

Mid-way to St Louis, Shah, the highest ranking Indian- American ever in the White House press office, gaggled with the travelling press corp. Gaggle is the term used for informal briefing by the White House Press Secretary, which is on the record but bars reporters from videographing.

"We're looking forward to the President's remarks later today. It will be in St. Charles, talking about the need for middle-class tax relief and business tax relief," Shah said in his opening remarks.

"The focus of today's remarks are going to be on small businesses. He's going to feature two specific small businesses. One is a local small business incubator, and the other is a jewelry business -- they're a retail business that also wholesales to about two and a half dozen different retailers throughout the country," he said.

"So we're very excited about these remarks, and we're excited about the developments on pushing tax reform and tax cuts. And the President is going to make a push for 'Yea' votes," Shah said after which he took question from the White House travelling press. The questions ranged from the president's controversial tweets, to North Korea, and tax cuts. The gaggle lasted for about 12 minutes.

Shah was born in 1984 to Indian parents of Gujarati origin. Shah's parents moved to Chicago in 1970s and then moved to Connecticut where he was born and raised.

His father was a mechanical engineer, but later moved in the business and owned retail stores. His mother was a dentist. Both are now leading a retired life. After his schooling in Connecticut, Shah went to the Cornell University. It is during the college life that he became politically active. Not as a Republican though.

"I actually interned for a Democrat when I was in college," he says. He became a Republican as he learned more and more into issues. He in fact interned in the Bush White House in the Summer of 2005.

And just out of college, he got a job in the research wing of the Republican National Committee and since there has been no looking back for him. At 33, there are only a very few in his generation who have accomplished so much.

Shah joined the White House right from the day the Trump administration took charge. He was made the Deputy Communications Director and Research Director at the White House. Previously, he was director of Opposition Research in the Republican National Committee.

"It's awesome. This is a lot of fun to represent the president, to represent his views not just to a domestic and audience. What I did in earlier was a little bit about developing our message. This is about delivering the message," he told a group of Indian journalists recently.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, had listed Shah among the top Indian-American performers working under the Trump administration.

"We are seeing more political activity by Indian- Americans on both sides of the aisle. We are proud to watch the work of Raj Shah, Manisha Singh, Neil Chatterjee, Naomi Rao, Vishal Amin among that are all part of the Trump administration," said Haley, the first Indian-American woman appointed to a cabinet-level position in the US.

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Reliance Power today said it has has completed signing of agreements to execute first phase of its USD 1 billion (Rs 6,500 crore) power project in Bangladesh.

"Reliance Power today completed execution of project agreements for Phase I of its project in Bangladesh," Reliance Power said in a statement.

The first phase of Reliance Power's integrated project consists of 750 MW combined cycle gas based power plant to be set up at Meghnaghat near Dhaka ("power project") and 500 mmscfd LNG Terminal at Kutudbia Island in Bangladesh ("LNG Terminal Project"), the statement.

The terminal use agreement for LNG Terminal Project was signed with with PetroBangla, a Bangladesh government entity. The project agreements for Power Project have already been executed with Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).

It said the integrated project entails an investment outlay of over USD 1 billion, which represents the largest foreign direct investment (FDI) in Bangladesh and the largest investment in Bangladesh's energy sector.

Reliance Power will relocate one module of world-class equipment procured from internationally reputed original equipment manufacturers for its 2,250 MW combined cycle power project at Samalkot in Andhra Pradesh for the Phase-1 project in Bangladesh.

Reliance Power had signed an MoU on June 6, 2015 with the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) to set up 3,000 MW integrated combined cycle gas-based power project (in phases) and a 500 mmscfd LNG terminal, during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Dhaka.

Reliance project will give a tremendous boost to the economic and industrial growth of Bangladesh and will enhance the energy security of the country with clean, green and reliable LNG based power.

Reliance Power, a part of the Reliance Group, is India's leading private sector power generation and coal resources company.

The company claimed that it has the largest portfolio of power projects in the private sector, based on coal, gas, hydro and renewable energy, with an operating capacity of 5,945 megawatts.

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Actor-activist Mark Ruffalo has appealed to people to spread awareness about women who suffer from violence, saying they are "not invisible".

The 50-year-old actor took to Instagram where he held a placard reading a hashtag 'NotInvisible' and urged the masses to educate others about the real dangers of the epidemic.

"84 per cent of Native American women experience violence in their lifetime. But outside of Indian Country, few people are aware of this epidemic. It's time to raise awareness and show that these women are #NotInvisible," Ruffalo captioned the post.

"The Hulk" star has been a vocal advocate of equality, women rights and a staunch critic of racism and violence.

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Saudi Arabia today intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired from war-torn Yemen, state media reported, in the second such attack this month claimed by Iran-backed Huthi rebels.

The missile targeted the southern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait, but no casualties were reported, said a spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Shiite rebels.

"Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces intercepted the missile which was heading towards Khamis Mushait," the Saudi Press Agency quoted the Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al- Maliki as saying.

The Huthi-run Al-Masira television channel had earlier claimed the missile hit a military target inside Saudi Arabia, but that was contradicted by the Saudi authorities.

Hours earlier rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi threatened to retaliate over the coalition's crippling blockade on Yemen, which was imposed earlier this month in response to a missile fired by the Huthis that was intercepted near Riyadh airport.

"Should the blockade continue, we know what (targets) would cause great pain and how to reach them," he said in a speech broadcast on Al-Masira.

Riyadh accuses its arch-rival Iran of arming Yemen's Huthis and earlier this month Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said this "could be considered an act of war".

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of supplying the Huthis with arms. Tehran has denied the accusation.

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The Supreme Court today rejected the Centre's plea seeking extension of time for publication of the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam, as the government termed fixing of the deadline as judicial overreach and an "encroachment" into the executive domain.

The top court said that on the expiry of the midnight of December 31, the draft NRC pertaining to 2.38 crore claims, will be published. The NRC is being prepared to identify illegal migrants in Assam.

The court said it has been monitoring the process of updating the NRC for three years now and it was the "sheer inaction on the part of the executive in dragging the matter".

A war of words was also witnessed between the bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R F Nariman and Attorney General K K Venugopal after the court refused to extend the time as sought by the Centre.

Rejecting the prayer for extension of the deadline, the bench said "On the expiry of the midnight of December 31, 2017, draft NRC pertaining to the 2 crore claims which have been verified or likely to be verified by the said date and the additional 38 lakh claims, will be published".

It listed the matter for further hearing on February 20, 2018.

When Justice Nariman asked the AG if the prayer for extension of time was granted, could it mean further extension could be sought by the Centre, Venugopal said it was an executive function and if the need arose, further time could be sought and this possiblity cannot be ruled out.

He said that fixing a date for publication of the draft NRC was really an executive function and an order to this effect by the Court "would be an encroachment on the executive domain and violation of the doctrine of separation of powers".

To this, the bench said, "the contention advanced before the Court for the first time overlooks the fact that over a period of three years the Court has been monitoring the matter and fixing appropriate timelines for the completion of different phases of the exercise of updating the NRC".

It said that even on the last hearing on July 13, when December 31, 2017 was fixed for publication of the draft NRC, "the contentions now advanced of judicial overreach were not made before the court."



"That apart, it is the sheer inaction on the part of the executive in dragging the matter for a period of over three years and the absence of any justifiable cause to hold back even a partial publication that has led the Court to direct publication of the draft NRC on or before December 31, 2017," the bench said.

The Attorney General then said that part publication of the draft NRC could result in a law and order situation as a large segment of the people would understand that their names have been excluded.

The bench refused to agree with the contention, saying it did not see how such a situation could even remotely arise.

It said that claims of 47 lakh persons (where doubts have arisen in respect of their parental linkage) and of 29 lakh people (kept in abeyance of married women who have given a certificate of Gram Panchayat Secretary) were still pending and would be subject to verification and covered by publication of another draft NRC subsequently.

The top court said the exercise of preparation of the upgradation of the draft has been going on for three years, for which the time schedule was first laid down by its December 17, 2014 order.

"The final time frame laid down by order of this Court dated July 13, 2017, contemplates the publication of the draft NRC latest by December 31, 2017", it said.

Assam's State Coordinator of NRC Prateek Hajela told the bench that by the scheduled date of December 31, 2017, the scrutiny of about two crore claims for NRC was likely to be completed.

In the application seeking extension of time for publication of the draft NRC, the Registrar General of Citizen Registration, India, has said the claims remaining to be verified are of 38 lakh persons (where the doubts have arisen in respect of some documents and particulars), 47 lakh (where doubts have arisen over their parental linkage) and 29 lakh (cases kept in abeyance of married women who submitted Panchayat Secretary Certificate).

When the bench asked Hajela how much time he needed to process the claims, he said so far as the claims of 38 lakh persons in respect of whom doubts have arisen over documents and particulars were concerned, instructions have been issued to complete the process by January 15, 2018.

"We accordingly direct Hajela to complete the said process relating to the above 38 lakh claims on or before December 31, 2017 by deployment of additional manpower and resources," it said.

The NRC of 1951 is being updated for Assam in accordance with the tripartite agreement between the state and central governments and the All Assam Students Union (AASU), which was arrived at in 2005 to implement the 1985 Assam Accord.

The apex court was earlier told that as on November 22, a total of 3.29 crore claims were made for inclusion in the NRC, which is being prepared to identify illegal migrants.

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In a major crackdown, regulator Sebi today slapped Rs 26 crore penalty on Rose Valley Real Estate Construction and its directors for mobilising funds from investors through illegal money pooling schemes.

The company raised funds from the public in certain areas of West Bengal in the name of selling plots under its 'Ashirbad' scheme.

Earlier also, the regulator had cracked down on other Rose Valley Group firms for collecting thousands of crore of rupees through illicit money pooling schemes. Sebi and several other agencies, including ED have also passed attachment orders of the group's assets in various cases.

In the latest order, Sebi said Rose Valley Real Estate had raised Rs 1,358 crore as on March 2010 under the Ashirbad scheme. Thereafter, the funds collected under the scheme had increased to Rs 2,016 crore as on March 2011, reduced to Rs 1,538 crore as on March 2012 and further dropped to over Rs 742 crore till March 2013.

"The company has launched the scheme -- Ashirbad -- which is a CIS and has been mobilising funds through the scheme since 2003, but has not obtained a certificate of registration from Sebi for the same. I am, therefore, of the opinion that the noticees have contravened the provisions of... the Sebi Act," Sebi Adjudicating Officer Soma Majumder said.

Noting that mobilising funds through an unregistered CIS is certainly a serious violation affecting the interest of gullible investors at large, Sebi said it warrants maximum possible penalty.

Accordingly, the regulator has imposed a penalty of Rs 26 crore on Rose Valley Real Estates and its directors -- Gautam Kundu, Shibamoy Dutta, Abir Kundu and Ashok Kumar Saha -- Ram Lal Goswami (former director).

The penalty should be paid "jointly and severally", it added.

In June 2014, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) had asked the West Bengal-based firm to wind up its collective investment schemes (CIS), issued through its real estate and construction unit, and repay money to investors within three month.

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The Shiv Sena today called for awarding death to those convicted of raping girls aged 12 or below, on the lines of a similar proposal cleared by the Madhya Pradesh government.

Noting that nobody -- neither a child nor an elderly woman -- was safe, the Sena said the security of women and minors had become an issue of grave concern.

Strengthening the laws may not change the mentality of criminals or stop such crimes, but would send a stern message across, the ruling party ally said in an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

The remarks came a day after a sessions court in Ahmednagar district sentenced three men to death for the brutal rape and murder in 2016 of a 15-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Kopardi village. The incident had triggered protests across the state.

The MP government on November 26 cleared a proposal for a law on awarding the death sentence to those guilty of raping girls aged 12 or below in the state.

The Bill will now be presented before the MP Assembly in the ongoing winter session of the state's Legislature.

The Sena said in the last few years, cases of atrocities against women had increased across the country and female safety had become an issue of grave concern.

"On top of it, the perverse mentality of people has gone to such an extent that nobody, including infants and old women, is safe," the editorial said.

The Sena said after the 2012 gang rape case in Delhi, the laws for crime against women were made stringent and changes were made in the definition of rape and its punishment.

"The government of Madhya Pradesh has gone a step ahead. It has brought rape of females below the age of 12 years under the death penalty. This law mandates that those convicted of the crime will be hanged until death," it said.

After the Kopardi gang rape verdict, Maharashtra and other states should look at the decision taken by the MP government, the Sena said, adding that steps should be taken to make laws for the safety of women as stringent as possible.

Strengthening the laws may not change mentalities but would convey a stern message that such acts would have severe repercussions, the editorial said.

The death sentence awarded to the three men in Ahmednagar district should be seen a punishment for perverse and inhuman mentality, the Sena added.

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Sherin Mathews, a 3-year-old Indian girl who was found dead in a culvert after being reported missing by her foster father, had a series of broken bones and injuries in various stages of healing, a doctor testified before the court.

Sherin, reported missing on October 7, was found dead in a culvert about 1 km from her home in suburban Dallas on October 22. Her autopsy report is still awaited.

She was adopted by the Indian-American couple, Wesley and Sini Mathews, from an orphanage in India last year. Her adoptive parents lost custody of their biological child after Sherin went missing.

He parents appeared before a court yesterday for a long Child Protective Services (CPS) custody hearing about their biological daughter, currently living with family in the Houston-area.

Wesley was brought via van to the courthouse. He is expected to either surrender his parental rights for his 4- year-old daughter or have them terminated by the state.

Sini, who aims to regain custody of her biological daughter, 4, sought right to visit her biological daughter.

Sini took to the witness stand first, but invoked her fifth amendment right not to incriminate herself many times during questioning. One exception came when she was asked if she is trained a nurse to which she responded, "yes".

When Wesley took the stand, he opted to invoke his fifth amendment right as well and answered no questions pertaining to Sherin's death or disappearance.

Prosecution pressed Sini about former CPS involvement, alleging Sherin formerly had a broken femur, elbow and tibia, but she did not confirm the allegations.

The prosecution called to the stand a pediatrician and child abuse expert, Susan Dakil of Referral and Evaluation of At Risk Children Clinic, who testified that the injuries were visible in various X-ray scans taken in September 2016 and February 2017. Dakil said the scans suggest the injuries were inflicted after Sherin was adopted from India.

The X-rays from February showed that fractures in Sherin's tibia and femur were in different stages of healing, WFAA reported.

The pattern of injuries led Dakil to believe that Sherin was injured on separate occasions, but Dakil could not say when they occurred. The doctor filed a report with Child Protective Services after seeing the X-rays, the station reported.

The hearing, which ended for the week, will resume on Tuesday. Two more witnesses are scheduled to take the stand.

Sini, who is behind bars on child endangerment charges, had her bond reduced from USD 250,000 to USD 100,000 on Monday.

Wesley was arrested and charged with felony injury to a child, which carries a sentence of up to life in prison. He is still in the Dallas County jail on a USD 1 million bond.

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Congress leader and former Union minister Kapil Sibal today sparked a row, claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not a "real Hindu" as he has "quit" Hinduism and embraced Hindutva.

Sibal's remarks invited a sharp riposte from the BJP which said people know who is a "Ram bhakt" (devotee to Lord Ram) and who is a "Rome bhakt", a clear dig at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's Italian origin.

The sharp exchange of words between the two parties came a day after they fought over the Congress vice president's faith following appearance of his name in a register, which was meant for non-Hindus, in Somnath temple where he had gone yesterday.

"I want to ask how many times does the prime minister go to temples daily? The one who respects the sentiments of Hindusim also respects temples. You have quit Hindu religion. You have embraced Hindutva which has nothing to do with Hinduism. You are not a real Hindu," Sibal told reporters as he targeted Modi.

Hitting back, BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said, "People know who's a 'Ram bhakt' and a "Rome bhakt". The Congress government told the Supreme Court in 2007 that Lord Ram didn't exist. 'Babar ki bhakti' was to deny Hindus temple in Ayodhya," he said.

Rao alleged that the Congress called Hindus terrorists.

BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli also attacked Sibal.

"Like his famous zero loss theory in the 2G scam which was rejected by the Supreme Court when it cancelled the licences, Kapil Sibal has come up with another zero theory saying Narendra Modi is not a real Hindu," he said.

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A Sikh taxi driver has been hailed as a hero for saving a 13-year-old school girl in the UK from a planned abduction by a paedophile armed with knives, tape and sleeping pills, a media report said.

Satbir Arora picked up the girl on February 20, dressed in her school uniform, after she booked his taxi to go from her home in Oxfordshire to Gloucester train station, the Metro.co.uk reported.

But waiting for the underage girl was 24-year-old Sam Hewings, who planned to abduct her after she was dropped off. He had already discussed kidnapping, sedating and raping a victim on online forums, the report said.

When no one arrived to meet the girl, the taxi driver asked her for more information but when pressed she declined to say more, it said.

Arora tried to ascertain whether the girl's parents knew where she was, while phoning the man she said she was meeting



making recordings of all of the calls.

Arora called his wife with whom he runs the taxi service and discussed his concerns with her, before passing the phone to the girl. The girl eventually confided in Arora that her parents did not know where she was, it said.

He then called the police, while also alerted a nearby police officer.

Arora has now been given an award for his work protecting the girl on February 20 this year, saving her from an 'unthinkable ordeal', the report added.

"Satbir Arora was presented with a certificate for outstanding achievement in safeguarding, by Councillor Kieron Mallon, the lead member for public protection," a spokesman for Cherwell District Council said.

"I can't praise Arora enough for his caring attitude and for recognising that his passenger was in grave danger," Mallon said.

He saved his passenger from an "unthinkable ordeal", and had the presence of mind to record his calls with the would-be kidnapper, providing crucial evidence to the prosecution service, Mallon added.

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A slight intensity earthquake, 3.8 on the Richter Scale, was experienced in parts of Punjab today.

There were no reports of loss of life or damage to property, officials said.

"The epicentre of the quake was Latitude 30.4N Longitude 76.0E and and the region was Ludhiana-Sangrur border," a MeT department official told PTI.

Mild tremors were felt at about 5.15 pm in Ludhiana, Sangrur and some other areas and magnitude of the quake was 3.8 on the Richter scale, the official added.

Officials said that no loss of life or damage to property was reported from anywhere.

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A speeding dumper truck crushed a pregnant woman and her two-year-old daughter to death in Saraimamrej police station area of the district today, police said.

Twenty-six-year-old Renu and her daughter were crossing the road in Temri village around 8 am when the speeding dumper truck ran over them, killing them on the spot, Saraimamrej police station SHO Pradeep Kumar Ray said.

Soon after the accident, residents blocked traffic on the road for sometime demanding immediate arrest of the errant driver.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, the police officer said.

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Union Minister Uma Bharti today urged parents to spend their resources on their daughters' education instead of dowry.

This will boost the Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao programme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, she said while speaking at the 'Global Gita Chanting Programme' organised as a part of the International Gita Mahotsav here.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who was presiding over the programme, said that the 'Shalokas' recited by 18,016 students during the programme will show a new path to the entire world.

The chief minister said that 25 lakh people have so far visited the Mahotsav.

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The remake of 1972 classic "Super Fly" is in its early stages.

Sony sealed the deal for the rights to the epic black exploitation movie, which will be penned by the "Watchmen" writer, Alex Tse, reported Variety.

The original film, directed by Gordon Parks Jr, featured Ron O'Neal as Priest, a cocaine peddler looking to score another super deal, before his retirement.

The movie also saw a sequel, titled "Super Fly T N T" in 1973.

The studio hopes to take the latest potential version to a franchise level.

Sony exec Palak Patel bought the rights of the movie and the studio is already is listing out actors for the title role. The film will be produced by Joel Silver.

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Following the arrest of an alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba operative, Abdul Naeem Sheikh, the Uttar Pradesh Police Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) picked up a suspected accomplice from the Dhakwa Pure Birbal village, about 35 km from here, police said today.

The ATS team which arrived in the village late yesterday night asked for a 20-year-old youth and took him to Lucknow for questioning, an official said.

SP Shagun Gautam confirmed that the youth had been taken for questioning.

According to the family members of the youth, he was a student in Deoband and had come home on November 26 for taking part in a function.

Earlier, security agencies arrested an alleged Lashker-e- Taiba operative and claimed that he was carrying out reconnaissance of vital installations such as Army camps and power projects.

They claimed that the accused, identified as Abdul Naeem Sheikh, a resident of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, was arrested from Varanasi recently after being tailed by security agencies for a few months.

The case was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for further probe, the officials said.

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A man, who is suspected to have links with terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and who was interrogated for over six hours here yesterday by National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths, was issued a notice today, asking him to appear before an SP of the agency in New Delhi on December 4.

Akhtar Hussain Khan (48), who had stayed in Dubai and other places for over a decade, has been roped in as a witness in connection with a November 27 case lodged by the NIA, pertaining to the arrest of an LeT terrorist from Lucknow.

The NIA notice, issued under section 160, CrPC by NIA SP Shantanu Sinha of Kolkata asked Khan to appear before NIA SP Ajit Singh in Delhi for answering certain questions related to the case.

"You are requested to appear at the NIA headquarters in New Delhi on December 4, 2017 at about 1100 hrs," the notice read.

Khan was yesterday taken into custody by a six-member NIA team from his rented house on the outskirts of the city.

He was interrogated by the NIA sleuths at the district police headquarters here for over six hours and released from the custody at night, the police said.

The NIA team has seized certain documents and Khan's mobile phone from the latter's house, they added.

Khan's family members and neighbours claimed that they had no knowledge about his links with any terrorist organisation.

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At least five persons including a teacher were killed today in a bomb blast in Pakistan's restive northwestern tribal region, bordering Afghanistan, police said.

The explosion, triggered by an improvised explosive device, took place in Spinkai area of South Waziristan, administration officials said.

Peoples' Aman Committee Commander Wali Jan and the school teacher was among the five persons killed, they said.

It was the third attack on Jan, they added.

The committee was said to be part of a volunteers' militia helping the military in operations against Islamist militants, officials said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but Taliban militants often target security forces in the area.

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: The Telangana government today announced three initiatives for women entrepreneurs including setting up of a We-Hub which would be an exclusive incubator for them.

"After successful completion of Good and Services Tax (GST), we decided to roll out three initiatives for women entrepreneurs. We will create a Rs 15 crore fund for them. We will set up We-Hub on the lines of T-Hub," said Telangana Minister for IT and Industries KT Rama Rao at a press conference.

T-Hub is a public-private partnership between the government of Telangana, three of Indias premier academic institutes (International Institute of Information Technology-Hyderabad, Indian School of Business and the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research)and key private sector leaders.

The minister added that the government would change its procurement policy to enable the procurement of one fourth of the mandated 20 per cent purchases from SME (small amd medium-sized enterprises) sector.

He along with NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant addressed the media after conclusion of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit-2017 which began on November 28.

Reacting to Rao's announcement on sops for women entrepreneurs, Kant said the NITI Aayog would support it.

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A terrorist neither had any religion nor caste, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said today, stressing that there was "no place" for violence in a democracy.

He called upon all the countries and the United Nations (UN) to take strong steps to eliminate terrorism from the world, noting that the menace was spreading its wing.

"Some people are linking terrorism with religion. Linking terrorism with religion is trying to give strength to the wrong path the terrorists have taken. A terrorist is a terrorist. A terrorist has no religion, no caste and is an enemy of humanity," Naidu said, while delivering the "Dr Rajendra Prasad Memorial Lecture 2017" here.

He said the sooner terrorism was eliminated from the world, the faster the countries would develop.

"If there is tension, you cannot give attention to development. It is a simple point," he added.

The vice president said violence could not bring about any positive change in the society and called upon the central and state governments for coordinated efforts against those taking up arms.

"Violence has no place in a democracy. To say the bullet is stronger than the ballot is wrong," he said, adding that India was battling against and had controlled naxalism and cross-border terrorism.

Naidu called for a global consensus and an action plan to eliminate cross-border terrorism.

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Thousands of Yemenis were expected to gather in Sanaa today after deadly clashes between the Huthi rebels and their allies sparked fears of further violence in the capital.

The clashes, which erupted late yesterday near Sanaa's Saleh mosque, killed nine Huthis and five supporters of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, medical sources said.

The infighting threatens to unravel the fragile rebel alliance that has been battling the Saudi-backed government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in Yemen's war.

Late-night mediation attempts betwen Saleh and the rebels, who jointly control Sanaa, failed to reconcile both sides, sources in Saleh's General People's Congress political party said.

Today, thousands were expected at a rally in the capital's Sabaeen Square to mark the Prophet Muhammed's birthday.

Rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi had on Wednesday urged supporters across the country to head to Sanaa for the event.

Saleh and the Iran-backed Huthis, also known as Ansar Allah, have accused one another of inciting Wednesday's unrest.

"The General People's Congress and its allies hold Ansar Allah fully responsible for every drop of blood shed among the Yemenis... and warn against all acts that, rather than serve national unity, threaten our internal unity and cohesion," the party said in a statement.

The rebels' interior ministry blamed forces loyal to Saleh for the clashes in a statement released late yesterday.

It said its security forces had been banned from entering the Saleh mosque by armed guards "not affiliated with the ministry" -- a reference to Saleh's forces.

"We were surprised when these armed forces inside the mosque opened fire on police without warning, which forced police to fire back," it said.

The rift between Saleh and the Huthis goes back months, with the former president slamming the Huthis as "militias" and the rebels threatening Saleh loyalists after armed violence left two dead in Sanaa in August.

The Huthis have also accused the former president of accepting funds from the Saudi-backed Hadi government.

Yemen's conflict has claimed more than 8,600 lives since 2015, when Saudi Arabia and its military allies joined Hadi's government in the fight against the rebels.

The United Nations has warned that the country faces mass famine unless the Saudi-led coalition allows more food aid to enter the impoverished country.

Saleh ruled Yemen from its unification in 1990 until he resigned under pressure in 2012, ceding power to his then vice-president Hadi.

He fought six wars against the Huthis when he was president, but joined forces with them to take over the capital in 2014.

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A 42-year-old tribal man was shot dead by unidentified miscreants near Pabitra Bazar, in Udaipur sub-division of Gomati district, police said today.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Udaipur, Rajendra Datta said the deceased was identified as Gahur Hari Molsom, who had a confectionery shop in the Pabitra Bazar.

Datta said, police recovered his bullet riddled body from a road this morning after villagers informed them that the body was lying in a pool of blood.

BJP MLA Pranajit Singha Roy visited the area and claimed that the deceased was an activist of their party and convener of a booth committee in 30 Bagma assembly constituency.

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President Donald Trump is donating his third-quarter salary to the Department of Health and Human Services to help fight the opioid epidemic.

The White House did not immediately announce the amount of the check that acting Health Secretary Eric Hargan accepted on Thursday. Trump previously donated salary in the amounts of USD 78,333 and USD 100,000 to the National Park Service and the Education Department, respectively.

Hargan says the donation will be put toward the planning and design of a large-scale public awareness campaign about the dangers of opioid addiction.

Trump announced the ad campaign in October, the same time he declared opioid misuse a national public health emergency. The declaration included no new federal funding to combat the epidemic.

Hargan says 175 people die every day from drug overdose.

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Two persons were arrested in connection with the killing of a 45-year-old Hindu Sangharsh Sena leader here last month, police said today.

Vipan Sharma was shot dead in broad day light in the Bharat Nagar locality on Batala road on October 30.

Addressing a press conference, Amritsar Police Commissioner S S Shrivastav said that two accused persons, Vishal Sharma and Kunvarbir Singh, had been arrested for their alleged involvement in the killing.

Police claimed to have recovered the bike used in the killing from Vishal Sharma, a resident of Tarn Taran road here.

Both the arrested accused helped the two main accused, Saraj Mintu and Shubham, to move out of Punjab safely, Shrivastav said. He added that raids were being conducted to arrest Mintu and Shubham.

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Britain's MPs from across the political spectrum today asked the Theresa May government to cancel its invitation to Donald Trump for a state visit to the UK amid an escalating row triggered by the US President's controversial anti-Muslim Twitter messages.

British Prime Minister May, who is on a visit to Jordan, condemned British far-right group Britain First whose messages were re-tweeted by Trump as a "hateful organisation that seeks to spread division and mistrust" and represented everything that goes against "common British decency".

"The fact that we work together does not mean that we are afraid to say when we think the United States have got it wrong and be very clear with them. And, I am very clear re- tweeting from Britain First was the wrong thing to do," she said.

Describing Britain's ties with the US as an "enduring, long-term special relationship" which should continue in the interests of both nations and the wider world, she added: "An invitation for a state visit has been extended and has been accepted. We have yet to set a date".

May, who was personally tagged on a follow-up tweet by Trump asking her not to focus on him but on the "destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom", stressed that the UK remains at the forefront of "confronting terrorism, wherever it comes from".

The row dominated UK's Parliament proceedings with an urgent question on the issue in the House of Commons today.

UK home secretary Amber Rudd repeated the British Prime Minister's stand branding Trump's re-tweets as "wrong".

"President Trump was wrong to re-tweet videos from the far-right group Britain First," Rudd told MPs.

She, however, added that the intelligence-sharing between the two allies "undoubtedly saved British lives" and "that is the bigger picture here and I would urge people to remember that".

Several MPs demanded a proposed state visit next year on an invitation extended on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II be cancelled, with former Labour Cabinet minister Yvette Cooper saying Britain could not "simply roll out a red carpet and give a platform for the President of the United States" to "sow discord in our communities".

Earlier, London's Pakistan-origin mayor Sadiq Khan had denounced Trump's re-tweets of controversial videos as a "betrayal of the special relationship".

"As the mayor of this great diverse city, I have previously called on Theresa May to cancel her ill-judged offer of a state visit to President Trump. After this latest incident, it is increasingly clear that any official visit at all from President Trump to Britain would not be welcomed," he said.

The UK home minister seemed to indicate in the Commons that the visit remains effectively delayed indefinitely.

"An invitation for the visit has been extended and accepted, but the dates and the precise arrangements have yet to be agreed," Rudd said.

A fellow Conservative MP Peter Bone suggested Trump should delete his Twitter account and stop tweeting altogether, to which the home secretary replied that "many will share his view".

Another Tory MP Tim Loughton said if Twitter was "genuine in its commitment to fight hate crime online" it would delete the US President's account.

"I am sure that the chief executive of Twitter will have heard the interesting suggestions from (Mr Loughton) and we will leave it to them to decide what action to take," Rudd replied.

Other MPs branded Trump as "fascist", "either racist, incompetent or unthinking" and a spreader of "evil".

UK communities secretary Sajid Javid said Trump had "endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me".

"He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing," Javid added.

The videos shared by Trump, who has more than 40 million Twitter followers, were initially posted by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First, a far-right group founded by former members of the far-right British National Party (BNP).

The 31-year-old, who faces two separate trials for religiously aggravated harassment and for using threatening and abusive language in the UK, posted on Twitter in capital letters: "Donald Trump himself has re-tweeted these videos and has around 44?million followers! God bless you Trump! God bless America!".

The first video in question purportedly shows a "Muslim migrant" attacking a young Dutch man on crutches.

A spokesperson from the Dutch Public Prosecution Service told the BBC that the person arrested for the attack "was born and raised in the Netherlands" and was not a migrant.

The second video re-tweeted by Trump shows a man smashing a statue of the Virgin Mary, which was uploaded on YouTube in 2013.

The third video originates from the riots that took place in Egypt in 2013, and shows a man being pushed from the top of a building in Alexandria. In 2015, those involved in the incident were prosecuted, and one man was executed.

White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders responded by saying that May and other world leaders knew that "these are real threats that we have to talk about".

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Difficult negotiations on ending the devastating civil war in Syria began in earnest in Geneva today after a government delegation arrived, with the UN mediator urging all sides to aim for "real progress".

The government in Damascus had initially refused to confirm it would attend the United Nations-brokered peace talks, which formally opened yesterday, after the rebels signalled they would maintain a hardline on their call for President Bashar al-Assad to be removed from office.

But government negotiators sat down today with UN mediator Staffan de Mistura -- first at a luxury Geneva hotel and later at the UN -- after reportedly securing key concessions, including keeping the Assad issue off the table.

De Mistura then met with representatives of the Syrian opposition.

In the past two years, thanks in part to Russian military support, the Syrian regime has made major advances against its opponents, taking back large chunks of the war-ravaged country -- and easing the pressure to negotiate.

The talks have achieved little through seven previous rounds that began last year, but there are hopes that progress will be made this time.

De Mistura said the atmosphere in his meeting with the government was "constructive and professional". He said the talks may stretch into next week.

At day's end, the UN envoy issued a statement stressing that "the time has come to focus on achieving real progress on the political process, in the interest of the Syrian people".

The six-year war has claimed more than 340,000 lives, forced millions to flee their homes and left Syria in ruins.

De Mistura also called on all parties involved to "refrain from statements aimed at delegitimising other invitees."



Government delegation chief Bashar al-Jaafari declined to speak to reporters.

The opposition, united in one delegation for the first time, has stressed it is anxious for face-to-face talks with the government.

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Giving a shock to power consumers, the UP Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) today announced hike in power tariff barely a day after the civic polls concluded in the state, drawing flak from the opposition parties.

The average hike for domestic consumers, to be implemented soon, is 12 per cent.

UPERC chairman SK Agarwal told a press conference here that the electricity tariff for urban domestic electricity consumers has been raised by 9 per cent.

For the metered rural domestic consumers, the tariff has been hiked to Rs 3 per unit for first 100 units and Rs 4.50 per unit beyond that.

The order encourages consumers to shift to metered connections, Agarwal said.

Admitting that the hike for rural consumers was hefty, he said it was because the rates in the past have been very low.

"We have for the first time brought this change," he said.

Principal secretary power, and chairman of UP Power Corporation Alok Kumar later said urban poor who consume up to 100 units will also have to pay at the rate of Rs 3 per unit.

Justifying the hike, Kumar said on studying the power rates of other states it was found that rural (domestic) consumers in the state were paying only 42 per cent of the power supply cost while in Madhya Pradesh they were paying 86 per cent, Rajasthan 100 per cent, Haryana 53 per cent and Punjab 80 per cent.

Even with the new rates, the consumers in this category will be charged only 52 per cent, he said.

Referring to the industrial rates, he said they had always stressed that it were higher as compared to other states because of which they faced problems in selling their produce and was also an impediment in setting up new units.

"Keeping this in mind and for facilitating industrial development and creation of new job opportunities, this section of consumers has been exempted from tariff revision," he said.

Besides, a 15 per cent exemption has been given to the industrial units which run in one shift and are mostly small and medium industries between 5 am to 1 pm in the afternoon in summers, he said.

Terming the hike a "dictatorial attitude" of the BJP government, Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said it will further add to the problems of the common people.

"People were already reeling under severe price rise and now this hike will make their lives more difficult for them," Chaudhary said.

Lashing out at the BJP government for burdening the consumers already troubled by the note ban and GST, the Congress said it did not even wait till the model code of conduct was lifted from the state.

Uttar Pradesh had a three-phase polling for the civic bodies on November 22, 26 and 29. The results are scheduled to be announced tomorrow.

"This amounts to backstabbing the people and the BJP government's vulgar votebank politics...if they had to hike the rates why did they wait for the elections to be over," Congress spokesman Dwijendra Tripathi said.

Refuting the charges, BJP spokesman Manish Shukla, however, said the previous SP government did not raise the tariff just to keep its voters in good humour although it was necessary to meet losses.

"Unless we have enough funds, how can we fulfil out promise of power-to-all by end of 2018," he asked.

Earlier this year, the Uttar Pradesh government and the Centre had signed a pact to provide 24-hour power to district headquarters, 20 hours to tehsil headquarters and 18 hours to all villages in the state.

The pact was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and then Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal.

"In a democracy, if someone is really a VIP or a VVIP, it is the common man. Keeping this thought of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi in mind, we decided to ensure power to all in the state," Adityanath had said.

The state government is also expanding in coming days the ambit of helpline 'Dial 1912' through which the consumers in rural areas could convey their grievances pertaining to electricity.

Apart from this, the rural consumers will also get the facility of making digital payment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Terming North Korea a "global threat", the US said today that it expects India to do more to help America and its international allies exert pressure on Pyongyang to give up its missile and nuclear weapons programme.

North Korea fired of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) yesterday which Pyongyang's top leader Kim Jong-Un said gave his country the capability to anywhere in the US.

The Hwasong-15 missile is believed to have flown 1,000 km from North Korea before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, shattering a two-month calm in Northeast Asia.

"We have a wonderful relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Government of India. A part of our constant conversations with those nations is do more to help with North Korea. Do more to help," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters.

"It (North Korea) is a global problem. It is a global threat. We hope that India will do more and we'll continue to have those conversations with the government," she said.

Nauert said China has a unique leverage with North Korea through trade and Russia is another country that has some unique leverage with China.

"So we encourage China to use that leverage. We have a good dialogue with China. As many of you know, we had the four dialogues with China this year, and that culminated in the final meeting where the President and the Secretary went to Beijing," she said.

"So, like with other countries, we recognise that China can do more; many countries can do more. But China recognises, we believe, the threat that North Korea poses. We believe they do," she said.

Nauert said China had conveyed to the US in the past that they share America's commitment to the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

"We expect that they will adhere to that and follow through," she said.

Expressing concern over the latest missile test by North Koreans, she said it was of great concern to the entire world.

"We have seen two successful UN Security Council resolutions that were unanimously passed late summer and over the fall, including Russia and China as members of that. We have put together our maximum pressure campaign, which many nations have taken part in. That campaign consists of the US and many other nations issuing sanctions," she said.

Nauert said the US had also asked other countries to shrink the size of the North Korean footprint in many other countries.

"We have asked other nations to kick out North Korean guest workers, simply because those North Korean guest workers are essentially working as slave labourers. They don't get to keep the money that they make," Nauert said.

"Much of that money goes back to North Korea, and we recognise that that money, as it doesn't go home to their families we see the conditions of the people, we see the humanitarian rights issues in North Korea. Their people are starving," she said.

Nauert said a part of the US' "maximum pressure campaign" was to choke off that money supply that goes into the North Korean regime.

"We have seen more than 20 countries around the world jump on board that maximum pressure campaign and start to take place with those activities: shrinking the North Korean guest workers, kicking out ambassadors, those types of things, she said.

The US regards that campaign as being successful, but the entire world acknowledges that this is not something that will necessarily change overnight, she said.

"That campaign is a long effort and we will continue to push ahead with that. Obviously, this new development is something that's very serious," she said.
The United States today urged China to cut off crude oil shipments to North Korea and pressed all countries to isolate Kim Jong-Un's regime by cutting off all diplomatic and trade ties.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that North Korea's latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) "demands that countries further isolate the Kim regime."



During a phone conversation earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump asked President Xi Jinping to cut off China's crude oil supplies to North Korea, a move that would deal a crippling blow to North Korea's economy.

Trump told the Chinese leader "that we have come to the point that China must cut off the oil from North Korea," Haley said.

"That would be a pivotal step in the world's effort to stop this international pariah," she said.

Haley also called "on all nations to cut off all ties with North Korea" and said the Security Council should take away North Korea's voting rights at the United Nations.

The council was meeting at the request of the United States, Japan and South Korea to consider next steps after three rounds of sanctions adopted in the past year failed to push North Korea to change course.

Haley said the ICBM launch had raised the threat of war.

"The dictator of North Korea made a choice yesterday that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it."



"If war comes, make no mistake: The North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed," she warned.

Pyongyang yesterday tested its third ICBM -- which it claimed was capable of striking anywhere in the United States -- snapping a two-month pause in missile launches.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The United States sold military hardware and equipment worth over $38 billion this year, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

While a country-wise breakup was not available, according to a State Department official, the sale of military equipment was the maximum in Central Asia and Near East region, which amounted to $22 billion.

This was followed by the Indo-Pacific ($7.96 billion), Europe ($7.3 billion), Western Hemisphere ($641.6 million) and Africa ($248.6 million).

Riding high on the figures, the Defence Security and Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said the sales demonstrated a strong demand for US products and services, particularly through Foreign Military Sales (FMS).

"This positive sales trend isn't surprising as the United States is the global provider of choice for Security Cooperation," said LTG Charles W. Hooper, who became the DSCA Director in August.

"We deliver not only the most effective defence systems to our partners, but we also ensure a 'Total Package' approach that includes the provision of training, maintenance, and sustainment, to support full spectrum capability for our partners," he said.

FMS is a security assistance programme authorised by the Arms Export Control Act under the direction of the Secretary of State.

The United States uses FMS to further its foreign policy and national security objectives by sale of defence articles, defence services, and military training to foreign countries and organisations.

FMS is one of DSCA's most well-known Security Cooperation programmes and has served as a key tool of US diplomacy and defence for the past 70 years.
The US today warned Kim Jong-Un's regime that North Korea would be "utterly destroyed" if a standoff over its missile tests leads to a war and asked all countries to sever economic and diplomatic ties with Pyongyang to punish it for its "acts of aggression".

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss North Korea's latest missile launch, US ambassador to the world body Nikki Haley said Pyongyang had brought the world closer to war with its latest test of a ballistic missile capable of striking the US mainland, its most advanced yet.

The missile was launched from Sain Ni, North Korea on Tuesday, and travelled about 1,000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japan's Economic Exclusion Zone.

"If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday. And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed," Haley said.

"The dictator of North Korea made a choice yesterday that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it. We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it," she said.

The US along with Japan and South Korea had called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council after North Korea's missile launch.

US President Donald Trump yesterday spoke by telephone with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose country is an economic lifeline for North Korea, and asked him to put more pressure on Pyongyang. Trump also asked Xi to cut off China's crude oil supplies to North Korea.

In a tweet after the call, Trump said more punitive sanctions were around the corner.

"As successful as we have been in levelling multilateral sanctions against it, the North Korean regime continues to test new and more powerful missiles. And as it does, it continues its march toward a functional nuclear arsenal," Haley said.

She said the development of North Korea's missile systems demanded that countries further isolate the regime of Kim Jong Un.

"So today, we call on all nations to cut off all ties with North Korea. In addition to fully implementing all UN sanctions, all countries should sever diplomatic relations with North Korea and limit military, scientific, technical, or commercial cooperation. They must also cut off trade with the regime by stopping all imports and exports and expel all North Korean workers," she demanded.

The White House said North Korea posed a "grave threat" to the world.

"The North Korean threat is very grave. It's not just a threat to the United States or a threat to the region -- or the Korean Peninsula region, but a threat to the entire world and the civilised world," White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah told reporters.

"We're encouraged that more countries are taking more significant steps to help apply as much pressure as we can on North Korea," Shah said in response to a question.

He, however, parried questions on Trump's tweet about more sanctions against North Korea.

The British Ambassador to the UN, Matthew Rycroft, said that the latest missile launch follows 19 previous launches this year, and North Korea's sixth nuclear test in September.

"The latest violation demonstrates, once more, North Koreas disregard for our collective security and the international obligations, that all of us, as law-abiding states, take upon ourselves," he said.

The latest North Korean missile launch is a dangerous provocation, he said.

"It demonstrates that all of our Security Council interests are at stake, and this is not just an issue for one region of the world. This affects the whole world now. So the whole world needs to come together in response," said the British Ambassador.

Presiding over the meeting, the Italian Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi, who is the Security Council President for the month of November, strongly condemned the North Korean missile test.

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The US today warned the North Korean regime that it would be "utterly destroyed" if a standoff over its missile tests leads to a war and asked all countries to sever economic and diplomatic ties with Pyongyang to curb its nuclear programme.

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss North Korea's latest missile launch, US ambassador to the world body Nikki Haley said Pyongyang had brought the world closer to war with its latest test of a ballistic missile capable of striking the US mainland, its most advanced yet.

The missile was launched from Sain Ni, North Korea on Tuesday, and travelled about 1,000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japan's Economic Exclusion Zone.

"If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday. And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed," Haley said.

"The dictator of North Korea made a choice yesterday that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it. We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it," she said.

The US along with Japan and South Korea had called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council after North Korea's missile launch.

US President Donald Trump yesterday spoke by telephone with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose country is an economic lifeline for North Korea, and asked him to put more pressure on Pyongyang. Trump also asked Xi to cut off China's crude oil supplies to North Korea.

In a tweet after the call, Trump said more punitive sanctions were around the corner.

"As successful as we have been in levelling multilateral sanctions against it, the North Korean regime continues to test new and more powerful missiles. And as it does, it continues its march toward a functional nuclear arsenal," Haley said.

She said the development of North Korea's missile systems demanded that countries further isolate the regime of Kim Jong Un.

"So today, we call on all nations to cut off all ties with North Korea. In addition to fully implementing all UN sanctions, all countries should sever diplomatic relations with North Korea and limit military, scientific, technical, or commercial cooperation. They must also cut off trade with the regime by stopping all imports and exports and expel all North Korean workers," she demanded.

The British Ambassador to the UN, Matthew Rycroft, said that the latest missile launch follows 19 previous launches this year, and North Korea's sixth nuclear test in September.

"The latest violation demonstrates, once more, North Koreas disregard for our collective security and the international obligations, that all of us, as law-abiding states, take upon ourselves," he said.

The latest North Korean missile launch is a dangerous provocation, he said.

"It demonstrates that all of our Security Council interests are at stake, and this is not just an issue for one region of the world. This affects the whole world now. So the whole world needs to come together in response," said the British Ambassador.

Presiding over the meeting, the Italian Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi, who is the Security Council President for the month of November, strongly condemned the North Korean missile test.

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Three nuclear powers will send deputy chief of missions, not ambassadors, to the December 10 ceremony for the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, in what the recipient is calling a "snub."



ICAN, which was cited for its work that led to an international nuclear weapons ban treaty, said it considered the "ambassador boycott" an attempt to withhold "credibility" from an international nuclear weapons ban treaty that is has worked for.

The US Embassy in Oslo said today that the United States, Britain and France agreed not to send their top diplomats.

The mission said Washington will not sign a treaty advocating the abolishment of nuclear weapons, saying that would not make the world more peaceful" and "ignores the current security challenges.

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Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of heinous crimes such as murder and those against women in 2016, according to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) today.

UP, the country's most populous state, reported the highest number of cases of murder at 4,889, accounting for 16.1 per cent of the total such cases in the country, followed by Bihar where 2,581 (8.4 per cent).

UP registered 14.5 per cent (49,262 cases) of total cases of crime against women, followed by West Bengal 9.6 per cent (32,513 cases) in 2016.

Rape cases recorded an increase of 12.4 per cent from 34,651 cases in the country in 2015 to 38,947 in 2016.

Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh reported the maximum cases of rape at 4,882 (12.5 per cent) and 4,816 (12.4 per cent), followed by Maharashtra 4,189 cases (10.7 per cent) last year, according to the NCRB data, released by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Cases of crime against women have reported an increase of 2.9 per cent in 2016 over 2015. Majority of cases of crimes against women were reported under the heads of cruelty by husband or his relatives (32 per cent), assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty (25 per cent), kidnapping and abduction of women (19 per cent), and rape (11.5 per cent).

UP recorded 9.5 per cent of the total cases of crimes registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the country, followed by Madhya Pradesh (8.9 per cent), Maharashtra (8.8 per cent) and Kerala (8.7 per cent).

A total of 37,37,870 people were arrested in the country in 2016 for various crimes, while a total of 32,71,262 people were charge-sheeted, 7,94,616 were convicted and 11,48,824 people were acquitted or discharged.

Joint Director in the NCRB Surendra Panwar said a total of 48,31,515 cognisable crimes comprising 29,75,711 Indian Penal Code crimes and 18,55,804 special and local laws crimes were reported in 2016, showing an increase of 2.6 per cent over 2015 (47,10,676 cases).

IPC crimes have increased by 0.9 per cent - from 29,49,400 in 2015 to 29,75,711 in 2016. special and local laws crimes have increased by 5.4 per cent from 17,61,276 in 2015 to 18,55,804 in 2016.

During 2016, IPC crimes have reported a charge sheeting rate of 72.9 per cent while conviction rate is 46.8 per cent in the country, Panwar said.

Murder cases in the country have shown declining trends during the last three years. Murder cases decreased by 5.2 per cent from 32,127 cases in 2015 to 30,450 cases in 2016.

Cases of kidnapping and abduction have shown an increasing trend with the increase of 6 per cent (88,008 cases) in 2016 over 82,999 cases in 2015.

The total number of crime against children in 2016 was 1,06,958, which is 13.6 per cent more than 2015 (94,172 cases).

Cases reported under juvenile in conflict with law have shown a mixed trend for the past three years with the decline of 13.1 per cent in 2015 (33,433 cases) over 2014 (38,455 cases), followed by an increase of 7.2 per cent in 2016 (35,849) over 2015.

A total of 7,369 cases (20.6 per cent) under juvenile in conflict with law were reported in Madhya Pradesh, followed by 6,606 cases (18.4 per cent) in Maharashtra.

Atrocities against scheduled castes have increased by 5.5 per cent (40,801 cases) in 2016 over 2015 (38,670 cases).

Uttar Pradesh (10,426 cases) reported the highest number of cases of atrocities against scheduled castes, accounting for 25.6 per cent of total cases, followed by Bihar with 14.0 per cent (5,701 cases) and Rajasthan with 12.6 per cent (5,134 cases) during 2016.

Atrocities against scheduled tribes have increased by 4.7 per cent in 2016 (6,568 cases) over 2015 (6,276 cases).

Madhya Pradesh (1,823 cases) reported the highest number of cases of atrocities against scheduled tribes accounting for 27.8 per cent of total such cases, followed by Rajasthan 18.2 per cent (1,195 cases) and Odisha 10.4 per cent (681 cases) during 2016, according to the NCRB data.

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LIC agent Anand Chauhan, chargesheeted in a money laundering case allegedly involving Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, today moved a special court seeking bail.

Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file a response on his application by December 15, when it will hear the matter.

The accused, who is currently out on an interim bail till December 5, claimed he should be granted regular bail as he was not required for the purpose of investigation and has already spent over a year in prison since his arrested in July last year under the provisions of Unlawful Activies Prevention Act (UAPA).

The accused was earlier denied the similar relief from the court and later the Delhi high court had also denied to granted him bail in the matter.

In the present application moved through advocate Tarannum Cheema, the accused has cited a recent Supreme Court judgement striking down a stringent condition for securing bail in money laundering cases.

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.

Special Public Prosecutor, 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".

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 all the other accused have denied all allegations made against them by the CBI and ED.

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Vodafone India on Thursday said it has rolled out cashback offers on four more entry-level Micromax 4G smartphone models, expanding its ongoing association with the handset maker for bundled offerings.

In a statement, Vodafone said that its existing and new customers can purchase the new Micromax smartphones - Bharat 2 Plus, Bharat 3, Bharat 4 and Canvas -1 - and avail cashback offers.

The move is expected to accelerate the adoption of 4G smartphones at the entry level, the statement added.

The special offer would require customers do a recharge of at least Rs 150 per month for 36 months. The company said that users will receive a cash back of Rs 900 at the end of 18 months, and another tranche of Rs 1,300 cashback after another 18 months. This would the total cashback to Rs 2,200.

"The cash back will be credited to their Vodafone M-Pesa wallets," he added.

Depending on the model, the cashback scheme would bring down the effective price of these models to Rs 1,549 (against price of Rs 3,749) to Rs 3,799 (against original price of Rs 5,999).

"Recently, through our partnership with Micromax we launched the most affordable smartphone in the country at a very attractive price of Rs 999. We are now...bringing four more entry level Micromax 4G smartphones within the special cash back offer," Avneesh Khosla, Associate Director Consumer Business, Vodafone India said.
Breaking its silence over Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's charge that the BJP-led Gujarat government extended undue favours of Rs 33,000 crore to it for car manufacturing facility at Sanand, Tata Motors on Thursday said it got Rs 584.8 crore as loan, and not grant.

The investor-friendly environment created by the Gujarat government encouraged Tata Motors to set up its manufacturing plant in Sanand, with a long-term vision to make it one of the leading automotive hubs, further enabling the state to contribute to the prosperity and growth of India, the company said in an official statement.

Tata Motors said it has received a loan of Rs 584.8 crore from the state government till now and it is repayable.

"Given the scale of the project and its potential to drive growth in the state, the Gujarat government offered Tata Motors an incentive package in the form of a loan (not a grant), which is to be repaid to the state government as per the loan agreement executed," said the statement.

The loan given to Tata Motors is from taxes paid by the company. Until now, the state government has given a loan of Rs 584.8 crore to Tata Motors, it said.

The company also claimed that after the establishment of the plant at Sanand, "there has been a spurt in economic activity and growth in employment (direct and indirect) within the state, making Gujarat one of the key auto hubs within the country with huge employment generation."



The project has also given rise to capital investments, which has further resulted in the development of incidental industrial activities and employment generation in small and medium scale industries, it further claimed.

Rahul Gandhi has been attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi in rally after rally during his campaign for the upcoming state polls, alleging that the latter gave away Rs 33,000 crore for the Nano plant in Sanand, while the previous UPA government gave that much money to MNREGS.
The White House is discussing a plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA director Mike Pompeo.

That's according to two administration officials. They were not authorized to publicly discuss internal thinking and spoke on condition of anonymity.

US officials and individuals familiar with White House plans have spoken about the possibility of a broad shakeup in President Donald Trump's national security team. But the timing of such a change is unclear.

Also unclear is whether Pompeo has been approached about the Cabinet reshuffle, but another administration official said he is open to taking the job.

A senior administration official who spoke recently with Tillerson says the former Exxon Mobil CEO felt secure in his position and was focused on his State Department reorganisation and other diplomacy matters.

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The White House has developed a plan to replace Rex Tillerson as the US Secretary of State with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, a media report said today.

The report carried in 'The New York Times' said the plan to replace the 65-year-old Tillerson was prepared by Chief of Staff John Kelly.

However, US President Donald Trump immediately refuted the claim made in the report.

"He's here. Rex is here," Trump told reporters shortly after the report in the reputable US daily.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders too issued a statement, saying "Rex is here".

"There are no personnel announcements at this time. Secretary Tillerson continues to lead the State Department and the entire cabinet is focused on completing this incredibly successful first year of President Trump's administration," Sanders said.

According to the report, the shake-up of the national security team is going to happen around the end of the year.

"Under his plan, the shake-up of the national security team would happen around the end of the year or shortly afterward," the report said.

"But for all of his public combativeness, Mr Trump is notoriously reluctant to fire people, and it was not known if Mr Tillerson had agreed to step down by then. Public disclosure of Mr Kelly's transition plan may be meant as a signal to the secretary that it is time to go," it added.

The ouster of Tillerson would end a turbulent reign at the State Department, the report said, adding that Tillerson has been marginalised over the last year.

The report noted that Trump so far has not indicated if he has given his approval to the plan.

Former Exxon Mobil CEO, Tillerson is an American civil engineer and former energy executive. He is the 69th US Secretary of State, serving since February 1, 2017.

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A British woman wrongly tweeted by US President Donald Trump for UK Prime Minister Theresa May has sought an apology from the White House, asserting that she has been unable to leave her home.

Theresa May Scrivener, who lives in the coastal town of Bognor in West Sussex, used her middle name when she set up her Twitter handle @TheresaMay in 2009.

Trump tagged that handle instead of the British Prime Minister's handle before deleting the message to send it to the correct handle: "@Theresa_May don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!".

His tweet, last night UK time, was a reaction to the British Prime Minister's rebuke that the US President was "wrong" to re-tweet controversial anti-Muslim videos posted by British far-right group Britain First.

"It's amazing to think that the world's most powerful man managed to press the wrong button. I'm just waiting for a call from the White House with an apology," said Scrivener, who has been bombarded by messages from contrite Americans apologising for their President.

"I haven't been able to leave my house. I've been bombarded and been contacted by press from around the world... I'm just glad he was not contacting me to say he was going to war with North Korea," the 41-year-old said.

Scrivener, whose Twitter account has just six followers compared with Prime Minister May's 427,000, has said she has no plans of changing her social media account name.

"He [Trump] needs to think before he tweets. We - Theresa May and I - are so different. Our profiles are completely different. She runs the country, I'm a mum from Bognor," she said, refusing to be drawn any further into the controversy over the content of his tweets.

Trump's re-tweet of three videos first posted by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First, has created a major uproar in the UK.

Several MPs have demanded that a state visit invitation, extended to the US President on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, be withdrawn in protest.

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By Polina Ivanova

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Thursday as an OPEC-led meeting started in Vienna after initial comments from the group's members suggested an extension of current crude output curbs until the end of 2018 would be its most likely outcome.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is meeting at its headquarters in the Austrian capital, along with ministers from other oil producing countries, including Russia, throughout the day.

The meeting is expected to decide on an extension to ongoing output cuts, which have seen the group reduce oil production by 1.8 million barrels per day, which has bolstered crude prices by 40 percent since the middle of the year.

Comments at a morning session attended only by members of OPEC itself suggested ministers were likely to back a nine-month extension to the deal. As it is due to expire in March, this would draw out the deal until the end of next year.

The most-active February Brent contract was trading 77 cents up at $63.30 a barrel at 1039 GMT, having traded in a range of less than $1. The front-month January contract expires later on Thursday.

U.S. light crude for February delivery was at $57.96 a barrel, up 60 cents.

"A few delegates ... said that it's going to be the nine month roll-over and therefore the market is stable," PVM Oil Associates analyst Tamas Varga said.

"I'm not saying that the market is going to go through the roof if a nine-month extension is confirmed, but prices are unlikely to fall," he added.

Confirmation of the deal is expected at the conclusion of the group's closed session, expected around 1400 GMT.

Though a nine-month extension is likely, it may include a review in June if demand overtakes supply, which could trigger a sharp increase in prices.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said OPEC could examine progress at its next meeting in June, a move also backed by the Iraqi, Iranian and Angolan oil ministers.

"The main parameters that could warrant a review are changes in the market and changes to prices," Iraqi Oil Minister Jabar al-Luaibi said.

"OPEC loves leaving an ace card up their sleeve, they will never give everything away (in advance)," said Matt Stanley, a fuel broker at Freight Investor Services in Dubai.

One of OPEC's biggest problems while cutting supplies has been rising U.S. output, which is gaining global market share and undermining the group's efforts to tighten the market.

U.S. oil production hit a new record of 9.68 million barrels per day (bpd) last week, according to government data released on Wednesday. [EIA/S]

That is up from 8.5 million bpd at the end of last year, before the cuts were implemented.

Rystad Energy, a consultancy, said it expects U.S. oil production to reach 9.9 million bpd in December, which would bring it close to top producers Russia and Saudi Arabia.

(Reporting by Henning Gloystein; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and David Evans)

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By Henning Gloystein

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil markets were cautious on Thursday ahead of an OPEC meeting in Vienna, with producers set to debate an extension of the supply-cut agreement that came into effect in January with the goal of tightening supplies and propping up prices.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will be meeting at its headquarters in the Austrian capital, along with ministers from other oil producing countries, most importantly Russia.

OPEC is scheduled to hold an open session, including media, at 10 a.m. in Vienna on Thursday (0900 GMT), before going into a closed session at noon, according to a tentative programme on OPEC's website. Non-OPEC ministers are set to join at 3 p.m., followed by a joint press conference after the meeting.

Spot Brent crude oil futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were at $62.74 a barrel at 0428 GMT, up 21 cents from their last close.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $57.41 a barrel, up 11 cents.

Trading activity was low during Asian trading hours and ahead of the meeting.

"Asia has unsurprisingly ... concluded that things are best left well alone until we hear from OPEC and non-OPEC later today," said Jeffrey Halley, analyst at futures brokerage OANDA.

While there has not been an official statement, OPEC and Russia seem ready to prolong their oil supply cuts until the end of 2018. The cuts were put in place last January and are set to expire next March.

An extension may include a review in June should healthy demand amid ongoing supply restraint overheat the market.

"The current consensus is that members will agree on an extension to the production cuts but the duration of the extension is uncertain," said William O'Loughlin, investment analyst at Rivkin Securities.

ANZ bank said "anything less than a nine-month extension to the current production agreement could see the recent sell-off accelerate."

SOARING U.S. PRODUCTION

One of OPEC's biggest concerns is rising output in the United States, largely due to shale drillers, who are fast gaining market share - especially in Asia, the world's biggest consumer region - and are undermining the producer club's efforts to tighten the market.

U.S. crude oil production hit a new record of 9.68 million barrels per day (bpd) last week, according to government data released on Wednesday.

Rystad Energy, a consultancy, said it expects U.S. oil production to reach 9.9 million bpd in December.

That would bring U.S. output close to levels of top producers Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Despite this, U.S. crude inventories have fallen by more than 15 percent from their March record to 453.7 million barrels, below levels at this time in 2015 and 2016, although they remain above five-year averages.

Traders said the fall in inventories was largely down to a two-week interruption of the Keystone pipeline bringing Canadian crude to the United States, and as American companies increasingly export excess crude.

(Reporting by Henning Gloystein; Editing by Joseph Radford and Tom Hogue)

(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.)
By Devidutta Tripathy and Sankalp Phartiyal

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Debt-laden Indian wireless carrier Reliance Communications (RCom) on Thursday said that a majority of its 31 creditor banks have decided to oppose China Development Bank's (CDB) insolvency petition against the company.

After a meeting on Wednesday, the lenders have named Indian law firm J. Sagar Associates as their legal counsel to oppose the CDB petition, RCom said in a statement.

CDB said it was unable to make immediate comment.

RCom, backed by businessman Anil Ambani, has struggled under a heavy debt load and has reported a string of losses during a price war in the highly competitive Indian telecoms market, prompting it to announce a partial shutdown of operations.

With debt of 457.33 billion rupees ($7.1 billion) at the end of March, RCom is the most-leveraged of all listed telecoms carriers in India.

CDB, which sources have said is owed nearly $2 billion, last Friday filed a petition with the National Company Law Tribunal, making it the first financial creditor to drag RCom into insolvency proceedings.

The move by CDB follows two other insolvency petitions filed by non-financial creditors including telecoms gear maker Ericsson.

RCom's other lenders, mainly domestic banks including State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank, have discussed an out-of-court debt restructuring. The proposal includes a debt-for-equity swap on some of the liabilities.

While there has been reluctance among Indian banks to swap debt for equity at a pre-agreed price that is double RCom's current share price, they have also been concerned that they will have to make higher loan loss provisions if RCom is pushed into bankruptcy.

There was also concern that CDB's insolvency petition could give the Chinese lender an "upper hand", a banker at one of the Indian lenders told earlier on Thursday.

SBI and PNB did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

RCom shares closed 1.2 percent up before the announcement, against an Indian market that fell 1.3 percent. RCom's stock has retreated by 63 percent this year amid a string of downgrades by ratings agencies.

As part of the debt restructuring, RCom is under a debt standstill arrangement with no payments of interest or principal debt being made to lenders or bondholders.

($1 = 64.4625 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Devidutta Tripathy and Sankalp Phartiyal; Additional reporting by Shu Zhang in Beijing; Editing by David Goodman)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By David Morgan and Susan Cornwell

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Wednesday took a step toward passage of tax legislation that is a top White House priority, setting up a likely decisive vote later this week even though it was unclear if the bill had enough Republican support to become law.Republicans spent the day scrambling to reformulate the bill, which aims to cut taxes on corporations, other businesses and many individuals and families, to satisfy lawmakers worried about how much it would balloon the U.S. budget deficit.

Stocks rallied on optimism it could pass, but obstacles remained, including attempts to address the estimated $1.4 trillion that the bill would add to the United States' $20 trillion national debt over 10 years.

Lawmakers voted 52-48 to begin formal debate, a step that could lead on Thursday and Friday to a full vote on the bill. Republicans are eager to pass the legislation, wanting something to show for their control of the White House and both houses of Congress.

Republicans have a 52-48 majority in the 100-member Senate, giving them enough votes to approve the bill if they can hold together. Without Democratic support, Republicans can afford to lose no more than two of their own votes.

President Donald Trump in a speech in Missouri on Wednesday, implored members of his own party to get behind the effort, which would be his first significant legislative achievement since taking office in January.

"A vote to cut taxes is a vote to put America first again," Trump said, adding the bill could "cost me a fortune" and that his wealthy friends were not happy. "My accountants are going crazy right now. It's all right. Hey look, I am president, I don't care. I don't care anymore."

Democrats say the tax cuts are a giveaway to corporations and the wealthy at the expense of working Americans. Some Democrats have said Trump and his children would gain from the bill, which would repeal the estate tax on inherited wealth.

Among Americans aware of the Republican tax plan, 49 percent said they were opposed, up from 41 percent in October, according to a Nov. 23-27 Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday. The latest online poll of 1,257 adults found 29 percent supporting the plan and 22 percent saying they "don't know."

The sweeping tax package was developed over several months behind closed doors by a small group of senior congressional and Trump administration figures, with little input from many Republican lawmakers and no involvement from Democrats.

A major sticking point in the Senate is how the bill deals with the federal deficit and the national debt.

Senator Bob Corker, one of the few remaining fiscal hawks in the Republican Party, wants to add a tax snap-back provision to the bill that would raise taxes automatically if economic growth targets are not hit in the future to offset a higher deficit.

That trigger proposal has become a target of growing criticism among conservative Republicans and lobbyists, including interest groups aligned with the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch, who say the prospect of tax hikes could undermine future economic growth.

"I'd prefer not having it there. We're probably going to have one. But I'd prefer not having it," Republican Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch told reporters.

'GETTING A DEAL DONE'

Republican Senator David Perdue, a businessman from Georgia, said lawmakers could find common ground on a measure that delays any tax hike for at least five years and spreads the prospective burden among those who benefit from Republican tax cuts.

Senator Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican on the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, suggested such an approach may be gaining ground.

"It looks like the idea is part way through the first 10 years, there'd be an opportunity to see if the economic growth numbers are performing as expected. And if not, there would be a trigger mechanism over a 10-year period," Portman said.

Democrats and independents were trying to persuade nonpartisan Senate officials to disqualify parts of the bill, including one to allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, as impermissible under Senate rules, an aide said.

While some Republicans signalled determination to get the bill passed, they still did not have the votes.

"It's time for us to saddle up and ride. And I'm ready to go," Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana told reporters.

Corker declined to say whether he would vote for the tax bill even if Senate Republican leaders agree to the kind of trigger mechanism he wants.

"I don't do conjecture," he told reporters, saying he could have other concerns about the final legislation. "There are also qualitative issues like the bill not getting any worse, that it doesn't get more expensive."

(Additional reporting by Amanda Becker, Susan Heavey and Tim Ahmann in Washington, Steve Holland in Missouri and Chris Kahn in New York; Writing by Jeff Mason and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Peter Cooney)

(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.)
By Alexandra Ulmer and Deisy Buitrago

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan authorities said on Thursday they detained two once-powerful officials who had run the oil ministry and state energy company PDVSA as part of a deepening anti-corruption purge also seen as a power play by leftist President Nicolas Maduro.

Engineer Eulogio Del Pino was thought to have participated in a $500 million corruption and sabotage scheme at the Petrozamora joint venture, while chemist Martinez was suspected of allowing a poor refinancing deal for U.S.-based refiner Citgo Petroleum Corp, which he used to lead, to go ahead without government approval, prosecutor Tarek Saab said in a televised speech.

Their detention is the biggest development to date in a months-old probe that has led to the jailing of about 65 executives in a sweep that has panicked PDVSA workers and stalled decision-making in the company that oversees the world's biggest crude reserves.

The arrests of Del Pino and Martinez put attention on Rafael Ramirez, who was Venezuela's oil czar for a decade and under whom both men ascended.

Maduro fired Ramirez, who was thought to have presidential ambitions, from his job as representative to the United Nations on Tuesday and summoned him back to Caracas, according to people with knowledge of the information.

Authorities appear to be seeking information on Ramirez from Del Pino and Martinez as splits widen in the ruling Socialist Party, according to one source with knowledge of the detentions.

Del Pino was picked up at his Caracas home, the source added. The oil executive did not respond to a Whatsapp message, although his profile picture had changed to one of his children from a photo of him at a PDVSA event with red-shirted workers.

Venezuela's Information Ministry, PDVSA, and the Oil Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

MADURO AMASSES POWER?

Oil industry sources say Maduro is using the graft purge to sideline political rivals and consolidate his grip on a sector that, despite falling investment and output, brings in more than 90 percent of the cash-strapped country's export income.

The unpopular leftist appears to be seeking to shore up his position as the country heads toward a presidential vote in 2018, when he is poised to seek reelection.

Ramirez had become an increasingly vocal critic of Maduro in recent months amid widening divisions in the leftist administration that his predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez, once kept firmly in check.

After surviving major political protests and pushing through a controversial pro-government legislative superbody, Maduro is feeling empowered and intent on cementing his position, according to government insiders and opposition politicians.

To ensure that support, military and political sources say that Maduro, who unlike Chavez does not hail from the army, has handed it more power.

Del Pino and Martinez had been removed from their posts on Sunday and replaced by a major general, giving the already powerful military further clout.

Their detentions followed the arrests in Caracas of six executives from Citgo on graft allegations last week.

(Additional reporting by Brian Ellsworth; Writing by Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Lisa Von Ahn)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
How did the nationwide rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) impact India's economic growth in its initial days of implementation? Well, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) will be providing some hints today as it releases the estimates of the India's economic - Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - growth during the second quarter (July-September period) of 2017-18.

The second quarter growth, which most economists believe will be slightly better than the previous quarter's 5.7 % will factor in the disruptions in production activities and stocks caused by the rollout of GST from 1, July this year.

The first quarter GDP growth was the slowest in 13 quarters as it reflected the impact of the other major government triggered disruption - demonetisation of high value currencies - that happened in November last year. With circulation of cash back to near normal, the second quarter is likely to capture the positive impact it had on the economy.

If you go by the high-frequency data that is considered while calculating the GDP, there is enough reason to expect a better performance during the second quarter. With the government frontloading its expenditure, and several states toeing the same line, the numbers from the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) and the Comptroller General of India (CAG) is likely to be encouraging.

The performance of the companies were also not too bad during the quarter due to increased consumption demand in both urban and rural areas. The index of industrial production and the purchasing managers index both signal slight revival.

What could probably be a dampener will be the agriculture sector as agricultural production during Khariff season was lower than the same season the previous year.

The MoSPI will release the GDP numbers at 5:30 PM.
Global financial services firm Morgan Stanley sees Sensex at 35,700 by December 2018, 6 per cent higher than the index's Wednesday closing of 33,602.76.

The brokerage is optimistic on industrials, corporate banks, infrastructure owners, discretionary consumption, domestic materials and software stocks.

A combination of supportive global growth, improving capital expenditure, fiscal spending and a buoyant consumer augur well for growth in 2018, the investment banking firm said in a recent note to its clients.

Morgan Stanley said earnings prospects are the strongest since 2010. "Earnings revisions breadth is likely to be in positive territory after spending nearly seven years in negative territory," it said. "Corporate India's earnings and balance sheet recession is over and free cash flow is very strong, setting the stage for private capex."

In June, the brokerage forecasted Sensex to hit 34,000 in June 2018 and reach 33,000 by December 2017.

On October 25, 2017, the Sensex breached the 33,000 level for the first time and closed at 33,042 level.

Jonathan Garner, the chief Asia and emerging markets equity strategist at Morgan Stanley told Mint this year that the investment bank was bullish on the Indian market.

In fact, the firm was overweight India relative to its coverage, Garner said. "If you look at the situation for equities globally, it is characterized by very strong earnings growth."

The Sensex is seen delivering 18% earnings growth for fiscal year 2018 on the back of likely synchronized upswings in the infrastructure and consumption sector in India.

Last week, investment bank Goldman Sachs set a target of 11,600 for the Nifty by next December.

Supporting its target, the bank said Indian economy may to grow at 8 per cent in 2018-19 aided by massive bank recapitalisation which would help revive the long-stalled credit demand and private investments.

Earlier, in a 31 May note, Citigroup Inc forecasted Sensex would hit 32,200 by March 2018, about 3.2% higher than the current levels.
The recently promulgated ordinance barring promoters from bidding for their companies under the Insolvency Code has created an enormous buzz. It, some say, seeks to end promoter raj in the country. If one looks at the objective of the Ordinance, it seeks to prohibit certain persons from submitting a resolution plan who, on account of their antecedents, may adversely impact the credibility of the processes under the Code. As such, it must be noted that this is an Ordinance under Article 123 of the Constitution of India and must be ratified by the Parliament of India in the Winter session, If not, it shall lapse.

Having said that, while it exists, the Ordinance has the same weight as an Act of Parliament and hence, it is immune from constitutional challenges, including but not limited to Article 14,19 and 21 of the Constitution. While there may be legitimate prohibitions and reasonable restrictions are permitted under the scheme of the Constitution of India, it has to meet the touch stone to show that the Act is not arbitrary in nature and has a reasonable causal nexus with the objective that it seeks to prevent/prohibit. While the court may not go into economic issues like the valuation of the bids, affecting competitive bidding, it would definitely test the Ordinance on the basis of arbitrariness.

As mentioned above, the avowed objective is to ensure that the promoters do not game the system. There are also certain restrictions that a person who has executed an enforceable guarantee in favour of a creditor (be it financial, operational or any other creditor) for the corporate debtor is prohibited from submission of a resolution plan. With this clause alone, most of the promoters have been ousted from the CIRP (corporate insolvency resolution process).

It must be noted that the Code gets triggered on default of Rs 1 lakh or more and not on the erstwhile criterion of erosion of net worth/inability to pay debts, hence technically the CIRP may be initiated when the promoter is not a wilful defaulter and can settle the debts since the company is a solvent company. Further, the Ordinance is vast and sweeping and does not consider the reasons for the default: whether the default was promoter-driven or market-driven? The narrative of the Ordinance seems to have been driven by the large accounts which were referred by the RBI, but as per market reports, there have already been more than 350 cases where the company is under the CIRP process and this Ordinance would affect all the said promoters. In addition, the Ordinance can be promulgated only in exceptional circumstances and, thus, the same can be challenged in courts whereby the Union can be put to notice to explain the reasons which justified such exceptional circumstances.

Thus, we see that while the intention of the Ordinance is praiseworthy, if one looks at the fineprint, it may have been too sweeping, making it liable to be challenged in a court of law. There are newspaper reports to suggest that some of the promoters are planning to challenge the Ordinance and the grounds above may be agitated before the Supreme Court/High Court.

(The author is a partner at the law firm Lakshmikumaran and Sridharan)


Over the last 20 years or so, we've seen several policy mistakes. The worst, of course, was the decision to invade Iraq (I opposed the Iraq war, and was shouted down and called names like "Saddam lover" for questioning the veracity of the information). Note: I started this blog in January 2005, and one of my earliest non-housing posts was "A Desolation called Peace" (I'm still angry).



From an economic perspective, the errors include the failure to properly regulate the banks and mortgage lenders, the Bush tax cuts, the original TARP proposal, and some minor mistakes in 2009 like the homebuyers tax credit and "cash-for-clunkers". Also the premature pivot to austerity in 2010, and the failure to pass infrastructure spending programs in the following years, were clear policy mistakes.



We'd better off if we hadn't made these mistakes, but we survived.



The current tax cut bill is another clear policy mistake.



First, if we look at the business cycle and the deficit, economic theory suggests that the government should increase the deficit during economic downturns, and work down the deficit during expansions. The economy is currently in the mid-to-late stage of a recovery, so decreasing the deficit makes sense now - not increasing the deficit.



Are there any fiscal conservatives left in the GOP? There are definitely no deficit hawks!



Also, a key problem in the US is income and wealth inequality. How does this bill address these issues? It does the opposite.



Oh well, it looks like the US is about to make another policy mistake that will have to be reversed in a few years.
CAMEROUN :: Electoral Politics, Political Prisoners, and Consent in Cameroon

As Paul Biya prepares himself for another fantastic coronation next year to extent his 35 years grip on power in the country, the CL2P takes the opportunity to remind ordinary Cameroonians about the meaning of a democratic election and to enlarge their structure of understanding about democracy, institutional control and citizenships equality:

Democratic Election and Consent

For an election to call itself democratic requires the consent of all the electoral body. This knowledge is predicated on the understanding that we get our rights not from the state or the president but from our condition of natality. As such, I am a Cameroonian citizen for being born in Cameroon from Cameroonian parents. In practice, the state of Cameroon cannot decide whether or not I am Cameroonian for the same reason that the state cannot revoke my citizenship. As a consequence, democracy is based on equality, freedom and consent that are integral part of the social contract. On that basis, no one should be excluded from the democratic body.

The real question becomes consent to what? This form of democracy is predicated on the knowledge that ordinary citizens are endowed with the capacity for enlightened self-interest and a strong sense of principles and therefore the power to become rational social actors and masters of their own choices and conscious of their democratic responsibilities.

Thus, since democracy is based on consent and not force and domination, nobody rights must be unilaterally and arbitrary revoked as the political prisoners recognized by the CL2P. Now, the CL2P understands that it has many haters who will cry foul about this but the reasons to unmake these individuals citizenship are yet to proven. Hence, before they begin to spit in our faces, any modicum of intellectual honesty must recognize that the CL2P did not politicize the legal system; the Cameroon government did. Otherwise, how can we explain that people so-called referred to as prevaricators of the public fortune which is a form of common law crime are subjected to extraordinary public inquisition directed by a dark cabinet or deep state under the direct order of the president. Plus, they are judged by special tribunals and locked up under in maximum security prison under a military chain of command? In fact what we have here if people who are above all prisoners of Cameroonians institutions and its dereliction of duties against international human right conventions that the regime of Yaounde has signed but do not enforce.

Democratic Election and the making of Permanent minority

Democracy does not mean the right of the majority. That explains the logic of the separation of power and how, in a normal country, the parliament and the Courts constitute checks and balances that operate as mouse trap against any power overreach. In the United States of America, moreover, they have an electoral college where the power of big states such as California, Texas and New York are counterbalanced by the power of small states which explains why Donald Trump is president, even though, he lost the popular vote by 3 million votes. This has to do with the American founding fathers attempt to protect small states against big ones.

In Cameroon, however, we have a presidential regime with reinforced executive power which de facto turns the president into an absolute monarch. He is a sovereign power onto himself and therefore can veto the National Assembly and the Courts. This kind of absolute power creates, de facto, a regime of unanimity and a subsequent problem of representation.

However, the political prisoners recognized by the CL2P are the weight around his ankles. In practice, these political prisoners constitute a permanent minority which is illegal and illegitimate in a democratic regime. In a real democratic regime, the right of the minority has to be protected. People who do not believe so cannot call themselves democrats because they are actually outside of any genuine democratic process. They are actually involve in anti-politics and archaic modes of power.

Democratic Election and Decision-making in a Democracy

The main question, consequently, is how do we come about collective decision in a democracy? Scholars such as Amartya Sen and Nelson Mandela and the CL2P have theorized at length on the notion of the African Palaver Tree and the importance of deliberation in a democratic system. It is true that in this kind of system, deliberation can take a long time, however, this kind of system requires leaders with real political skills and a knack for building coalitions through trust and not authority. Consensus, in this system, is obtained not through the imposition of the majority but the absence of opposition. This practice in fact guarantee that no one impose his will on other people. The goal is always to narrow political points rather than claiming perpetual victories. Thus, politics become a site to elaborate, negotiate and produce common sense.

In Cameroon, however, the CL2P has already claimed that it opposed any election with people that it recognized as political prisoners still in prison. Because, that will be validating the Biyas regime naked power and control over bodies. So, are Cameroonians going to sit idle and allow this nonsense to continue? Where are the young people whose life has been ruined all these years? Thousands of them have perished en route to Europe because of massive unemployment and government incompetence, yet these people still want the same politicians to continue as usual?
| BY Ricki Green |

The NSW Government has joined forces with high rating broadcaster Ray Hadley in the latest campaign, created by Enigma, against mobile phone use.

The latest figures show mobile phone distraction is a real problem with nearly 39,000 people charged last year for using their mobile phone while driving.

This campaign, spearheaded by Hadley who is a passionate road safety advocate, asks the question  Your Last Text  Is it worth dying for?

LISTEN TO THE RADIO SPOT  TNSW0165B30R_241117.wav

Says Melinda Pavey, roads, maritime and frieight minister: People aged between 25 and 34 are the worst mobile phone offenders, with 13,790 people in that age group charged last year with breaching the states mobile phone laws.

People aged 65 and over had the lowest offending rates, while those aged 18-20 had the second lowest offending with just 1,097 people charged last year.

Pavey said the campaign aimed to highlight, that inconsequential text messages that could have waited, were not worth dying for: We need to get the message out that using a mobile phone while driving is profoundly dangerous.

Taking your eyes off the road to look at your mobile phone for just two seconds, you are travelling 33 metres blind, while texting while driving increases the risk of a crash by 23 times.

This latest initiative is a continuation of the highly successful Get Your Hand Off It campaign launched in 2013.

The NSW Government also has partnered with the Sydney Swans in a mobile phone distraction campaign  Out of Sight Out of Mind.
| BY Ricki Green |

AdFest has unveiled a bold, vibrant identity designed by Kinetic Singapore and inspired by the theme of AdFest 2018, Transform.

Kinetic Singapore was co-founded by its creative director, Pann Lim, one of Singapores most celebrated designers. Conceptually, he says the 2018 AdFest identity is inspired by the process of transforming one thing into another: a process thats often vague, transcending time and space.

Says Lim, who was jury president of Design Lotus and Print Craft Lotus at AdFest 2017: We chose to express this idea of transformation in the form of a gradient, where the blurring of colours represents the melding and evolution of ideas.

Lim also helms gallery space K+ and a family art collective called Holycrap.sg, plus Rubbish Famzine, a zine he makes with his kids, which has a global cult following. He has won over 450 industry awards locally and abroad, including Singapores highest design accolade, the Presidents Design Award in 2013 and 2015.

Says Jimmy Lam, president of AdFest: Never has AdFest has a brighter, vibrant or more distinctive identity, which is perfectly suited to next years theme, Transform. We have a tradition at AdFest of inviting the previous Jury President of Design and Print Craft to design the AdFest logo the following year. It is an honour that one of Singapores most acclaimed designers is behind the 2018 AdFest identity. Wed like to thank Pann and his team for their hard work and passion for bringing our new identity to life.
| BY Ricki Green |

Zenith Sydney has partnered with the University of Technology Sydneys Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation (BCII) to host an innovation sprint that featured a real world business challenge from SBS for students to solve.

Held over two days this week, the Creative Practice and Methods workshop attracted around 200 students studying a range of degrees including communications, business, engineering, IT, design, science, health and law.

The BCII is designed to drive innovation across multiple sectors and this year Zenith was asked to set the subjects agenda, incorporating its own proprietary marketing and innovation models to innovate around a specific and real client challenge.

The sprint, undertaken during the BCII summer school, makes up part of a four-year combined degree, tackling everything from creative and critical thinking to problem-solving, future-thinking, invention, complexity and entrepreneurship. In this particular transdisciplinary school, students explored creative methods from across all the disciplines as well as industry.

The sprint kicked off with a substantial brief from SBS head of group marketing, Uma Oldham regarding a real world business challenge. Zenith chief innovation officer, Kate Evans (pictured above) taught problem framing techniques, disruption methodology, ideation techniques and a disruptive storytelling canvas and was joined by Mark Krebs, Zenith Sydney strategy director, on how to build and use consumer insights. As well as all these methods, students worked with Zeniths proprietary tool for touchpoints and how to use media with Alice Duong, Zenith business director.

Students were divided into 31 groups to pitch their ideas to a range of tutors. Five finalists then presented to SBS head of digital transformation Sarah Yassein; head of group marketing, Uma Oldham; UTS course director, associate professor Bem Le Hunte and Zenith Australia CEO Nickie Scriven.

The winners received an internship at Zenith and SBS, to help realise their solution to SBSs business challenge. The winners were:

 Lauren Ashley

 Lex Barlin

 Victoria Fernandez Jones

 Ciara Mulkeen

 Omer Patel

 Alice Zhang.

Says professor Le Hunte: Its a genuine privilege for students to work on such a challenging brief from SBS and Zenith and learn about creative methods and innovation processes that are being used in Australias leading organisations. Theres electricity in the classroom, the stakes are high and everyones inspired to achieve amazing results. Weve curated a very porous learning environment within the BCII so that brilliant industry partners like SBS and Zenith can help us make the impact universities must have to prepare our students for the challenges and opportunities of the future.

Says Uma Oldham, head of group marketing, SBS: It was incredible to observe the journey the students took in two days. This sprint-based, time-boxed approach to solving a business problem delivered lateral and innovative solutions to drive consumption of SBS digital platforms. I was impressed by the fresh insights, ideas and storytelling skills of the first year students and am looking forward to working with them.

Says Kate Evans, chief innovation officer, Zenith: This innovation sprint attracted some of the most intelligent young minds in Australia and the diversity and skill shown with some of their ideas was outstanding. At Zenith, we have a culture of innovation to help our clients brands grow and succeed and it was a great pleasure to share our knowledge with students. We look forward to welcoming our new interns in 2018.
GOP House majority message to 'woke' firms: Get out of politics

With a Republican majority in the House, GOP plans to put pressure on corporations that take liberal stands on issues like abortion and racial justice
Wednesday, November 29, 2017 at 6:51PM

 2017 LUCASFILM LTD.

While we know that a new Star Wars trilogy is heading our way in the future, there might be one face we wont see then. Actress Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey in the sequel trilogy, is ready to give up the role after Episode IX is done. Speaking to Rolling Stone she says, "I am really, really excited to do the third thing and round it out, because ultimately, what I was signing on to was three films. So in my head, it's three films. I think it will feel like the right time to round it out."

But the actress also isnt completely ruling out showing up somewhere down the line in a similar manner as her co-stars Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill did. "Who knows? I honestly feel like the world may end in the next 30 years, so, if in 30 years we are not living underground in a series of interconnected cells ... then sure," she said. "Maybe." If we keep the planet alive by then, and there are more Star Wars films to be made, then perhaps well get our wish.
Thursday, November 30, 2017 at 2:26AM

The latest sexual harassment/misconduct to allegations hits a prominent name in the tech scene. Essential founder and CEO Andy Rubin is subject to a new report from The Information that claims Rubin left Google shortly after an internal investigation found he had an inappropriate relationship with a woman who worked under him in the Android division. While relationships are allowed within Google, they needed to disclose their relationship so one of them can be transferred out to another division or department. It isnt clear what the relationship was like but during the duration of it the unidentified woman filed a complaint with Googles human resources department. And shortly after this, Rubin left the company.

Rubins official spokesperson Mike Sitrick refutes The Informations story saying, Any relationship that Mr. Rubin had while at Google was consensual. Mr. Rubin was never told by Google that he engaged in any misconduct while at Google and he did not, either while at Google or since. However, after this story broke, its been announced that Essentials founder and CEO is taking a leave of absence for personal reasons and Essentials President Niccolo de Masi will be in charge.

Source: The Verge + Android Central
Thursday, November 30, 2017 at 10:37AM

For longtime Android users, the feature of the new Google app isnt news for you. But if you want a simpler way to manage your data, Google officially launched Datally. Its designed to help you see where your data is going and help you cut down where you need to. It can show you things like which apps use the most data and at what time the data is being used up. It can recommend ways on how you can cut down your data usage based on your activity.

Theres a big button at the top of the app that will let you stop all background data usage, making only the app you currently have onscreen running and using your mobile data. Datally also has a chat-head style bubble that shows up to let you know how much data the current app is using. If you just want to limit specific apps, Datally will let you control those on an app by app basis, too. The app can also suggest nearby Wi-Fi networks you can connect to.

Datally was developed as part Googles Next Billion Users initiative, which is a project that hopes to make Google products more usable for countries with limited mobile connections and where lower-end hardware are more widespread. But it can also be helpful for you, if youre the type of user who always seems to be hitting your data cap.

Source: The Verge
Thursday, November 30, 2017 at 9:42AM

From December 4 to 8, Microsoft is supporting educators, students and nonprofits to drive awareness for Computer Science Education Week and Hour of Code, a global call to action to spend an hour learning the basics of coding.

To get students coding, Microsoft has released a new Minecraft tutorial called Heros Journey and starting on December 4, Microsoft Stores across the country will host free coding workshops, giving kids a chance to use fun, interactive coding to learn how creativity and problem solving come together to make something of their own.

Are you working on any Computer Science Education Week stories? Wed love to have you stop by a Microsoft Store to watch kids coding in action. A Microsoft spokesperson is also available to speak about the importance of learning to code  its been shown that when students use technology to create something of their own design by coding, it builds both technical skills and confidence, both of which are critical for success in the future.
After seeing the FreakShake video, Facebook users from around the world posted thousands of comments including a women from Slovenia who asks her friends "When we go?", a young girl from Brazil who reckons they are worth a "day trip to Canberra" during her visit to Australia and a woman from Norway who laments not having them in her home town.
It will remain under the ownership and management of Canberra's fried chicken guru Gerry Sanfrancesco, but the standard hot chips and gravy in the Civic taxi line at 2am will be a thing of the past.
Happy Friday and welcome to the first day of summer! But, I have some bad news for you, there is a high chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon, so bring that brolly! A top of 29 degrees.
She said her memories of her discomfort and surroundings when the man allegedly told her he "needed it" before pressing her against a laundry room wall and raping her showed "facets of a genuine memory". The prosecutor urged the jury to think about people in their own lives aged about 14 and 40 and what they were like and how they might relate as they considered their verdict.
It will also consider such processes in other jurisdictions, whether the two nominations may be considered "in hindsight to be unsound" and what improvements could be made to the Assembly's process.
"It's not only at festivals that young people take party drugs, they'll do it on a Saturday night, they'll do it on a friend's birthday, they'll do it on various occasions so having that opportunity permanently obviously increases the opportunity for people to go for that harm minimisation strategy."
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Lincoln articulated admiration of Russia to his law partner and friend, Joshua Spzed on August 24, 1855: "As a nation, we begin by declaring that "all men are created equal." We now practically read it "all men are created equal, except negroes." When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read "all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and catholics." When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretence of loving liberty  to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy".
"Staff in areas currently being restructured have been consulted on the process, and have been kept informed at all steps towards the transition to a new structure  including those staff currently on leave or temporarily working in other agencies," a spokesman said.
Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing.

You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
With the production-ready 8-Series Coupe coming out next year, its possible this might be one of the last, if not the very last time BMW shows off their 8-Series Concept at a car show.



The car was initially introduced earlier this year at Villa dEste, after which it also made an appearance at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. Now, with rumors of the production model debuting in Geneva next year, there wouldnt be much else to do for the 8-Series Concept, but retire to memory.

Reports also suggest that once BMW puts the 8-Series Coupe into production next year, the Convertible will follow in 2019.

Yet, seeing this car in concept form remains very intriguing. We know the wing mirrors arent keepers and neither are those spectacular taillights or that futuristic steering wheel. However, the final product still manages to look genuinely sporty, despite all the camouflage.

Whether or not thats going to be enough to give the S-Class Coupe a proper run for its money, remains to be seen.

PHOTO GALLERY
Electric car startups are going all-in with their latest products, with the latest one to grace our screens  for now  being the Sondors.



The crowdfunded company is present at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show with a 3-wheel, fully electric prototype called Model Sondors, which was funded back in January and completed seven months later.

It has a 3-seat layout, two at the front and one at the rear, and it promises to become the most affordable, attractive, and practical EV ever, with an anticipated starting price of $10,000. If all that reminds you of Elio and its three-wheeler, youre right, but at least for now, Sondors isnt going through the problems of the former.

The zero-emission Model can be equipped with various lithium-ion battery packs, which can be charged from 110V or 240V outlets. Its estimated that it will be able to travel for up to 75, 150, and 200 miles (120, 240, 320 km), respectively, between charges, and take from 5 to 8 seconds for the 0-60mph (96km/h) acceleration, depending on the version.

Sondors plans include a pre-production prototype of the 3-wheeled EV, and up to $20 million for tooling, and only then will they sell it online, and deliver it directly to customers, if nothing interferes with the process, though, which is a fundamental difference with Elio.

I want electric to be available to everyone. I believe affordable, clean transportation should be the norm, not the exception, commented the companys founder and CEO, Storm Sondors. You shouldnt have to choose between a car you can afford and a car thats electric. We can do better.

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO
Production of the Hyundai Kona has resumed in South Korea following a two-day long workers strike.



Hyundai originally intended on increasing output of the Kona and building it on a second assembly line at a domestic factory. However, workers were concerned that this move could result in job losses due to the automakers desire to add more automation to the production line and outsourcing work to parts manufacturers.

In protesting against the proposed changes, workers at the factory disrupted the production of roughly 1,230 Kona models.

For now, Hyundai has halted its plans to increase Kona production and doesnt believe the delay will affect the vehicles arrival in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2018.

Hyundai is currently in talks with the labor union to come to an amicable solution, Auto News reports.

PHOTO GALLERY
Not to deify the automaker, but to paraphrase the good book: Lexus giveth, and Lexus taketh away. Only in this case we mean rows of seats in its SUVs.



At the LA Auto Show this week, Toyotas luxury brand revealed a new version of its hot-selling RX thats been stretched by 4.3 inches to accommodate an extra row of seating.

Unveiled as the RX 350L, the extended crossover comes powered by a 3.5-liter V6. Buyers will also be able to opt for the hybrid RX 450hL that throws in a pair of electric motors.

At the same time, Lexus also revealed a version of the top-of-the-line LX570 that goes in the opposite direction by ditching the third row of seating to the benefit of cargo space. All of which goes to show that while some customers expect their sport-utes (or crossovers) to be able to accommodate all their friends and family, others do not.

Photo Gallery
Lincoln have started changing the nomenclature of their models, with the first one to arrive with a new moniker being the updated MKX, aka Nautilus.



Unveiled at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show, the premium midsize SUV is being celebrated on film, where the Ford-owned brand uses words such as beauty meets serenity to describe it.

Regardless if youre a fan of its exterior design, with a front end thats similar to the Lincoln Continental, new tail lamps joined together by a lights strip, and generously-sized wheels, the carmaker will start rolling out the first units next year, as its scheduled to arrive at dealers nationwide in mid-2018.

Customers can choose between the three distinctive exterior and interior themes, sold under the Black Label moniker, including the Chalet, Thoroughbred, and Gala, with the latest one being shown in the SUVs official launch film.

Moreover, they will also have to decide whether the entry-level 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is the one to go for, with 245hp, or if the larger 2.7-liter unit, rated at 335hp, is the smart choice. Both of them are paired to an 8-speed automatic gearbox and get standard stop/start tech.

VIDEO
PSA Group wants around half of the money it paid GM for Opel back, after reportedly discovering the full extent of the German companys CO2 challenges and exposure to future European fines.



Citing inside sources, Reuters reports that PSA has already informed GM that it believes its owed 600 to 800 million euros and intends to pursue a legal claim, claiming it was misled about Opels emissions strategy. PSA paid GM 1.3 billion euros for the acquisition of Opel/Vauxhall.

Earlier this month PSA said that itll need to move Opel models onto its own, more fuel-efficient technology faster than originally planned in order to cut the German companys CO2 emissions before the new EU limits are imposed from 2020-21, which happen to be backed by some rather large penalties.

EU has set a 2021 deadline for carmakers to reduce their average CO2 emissions from 130g/km today to 95g/km. The task has been described as enormous for carmakers, especially with diesel sales steadily declining as customers switch to petrol cars.

This has sparked big investments in smaller engines and new technologies, including plug-in hybrids and all-electric powertrains. According to the new emissions rules, companies that will miss their targets will have to face fines of 95 euros per vehicle, per excess gram of CO2, which could add up to hundreds of millions of euros on a yearly basis.

PSA believes that GM has misrepresented Opels CO2 challenges and emissions trajectory during negotiations and due diligence prior to the acquisition deal as hinted by PSA Groups CEO Carlos Tavares.

We became aware a few weeks after we finalised the closing that the company was going to the wall on CO2 emissions, he said on November 9 after presenting their significantly revised turnaround plan for Opel. We put our teams to work to completely rebuild the product and technology strategies. If you fail to comply (with EU rules) the weight of fines you are hit with can threaten the companys existence.

According to sources, one of the most unpleasant surprises was a CO2 compliance plan presented by GM that relied on significant sales of the Opel Ampera-e, the rebadged version of the electric Chevrolet Bolt, which was priced at a loss close to 10,000 euros ($11,860) per car.

Their technical solution was economically unviable and would have led to enormous losses, said one source. So the first thing you do is drop that (product) line, but then the fleet emissions explode.

PSA has already suspended Norwegian sales of the Opel Ampera-e -where it sold most of its 1,500 deliveries to date- and has increased its European pricing by 5,700 euros ($6,760).

In the end, Opels real situation appears to be even worse than described prior of the sale, according to PSA sources who said that the company is on course to miss its CO2 targets by more than 10gr/km. Such a big difference from the EUs targets could incur fines approaching 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion).

Thats why PSA is now rushing out plug-in hybrid or electric versions of the Grandland X, Crossland X and the next Corsa supermini that were not part of the French companys original plan.

PHOTO GALLERY
Beware an Uber scam. We were contacted by our bank credit card security people this past Saturday to inform us of unusual credit card transactions on my wifes card. When we looked online sure enough, there were 6 Uber charges totalling over $200.00!

The same driver made 2 trips each way and another driver did the same. How is this possible? You cant just go accepting and fraudulently using other people's credit cards for your personal Uber rides.

Maybe Uber needs to work out a few security bugs before they start operating as a business.

Rich Foster
This letter is in response to Their Report Cards are a Lie, an article posted on Castanet.net. In this article, David Brough states that his son is below expectations in reading and writing. Jennifer Bales shared her story regarding her child unable to spell and make certain vowel sounds. While I certainly hear the frustration voiced by these parents, it is important to keep one thing in mind.

It is not only the schools responsibility to ensure these children are reading at a particular level, this is also a responsibility of the parents. There is no magic answer to education however, the blame should not only be shouldered by the school. If your child has made it to grade 5 and you are just seeing a problem now, that may indicate that this is not just a problem with the school.

My daughter and son attended the Waldorf School in Kelowna, my daughter now 22 years old is in her 3rd year of university with a 4.2 grade average and my son graduated high school last year, consistently on the honour role. You can rest assured, that we did not leave our kids at school Monday through Friday with no monitoring or continuous progress checks within our own household.

I would like to remind all parents regardless of the school choice you make, the key to success is being involved with your child, whether with education, sports, or any other activity. Get familiar with the resources available to you if you feel your child may have a learning disability.

Do not however, look immediately for someone else to blame.

John G. Sherman
Most of us get enraged when ICBC puts up rates because of increased accidents. For those of us that have a long safe driving record we are paying for others.

It appears now that logic will apply to MSP and those that have group benefit coverage with their employer. With every new high cost drug that people demand the government pay for we all end up paying with increase premiums. Where does it stop?

Don't get me wrong these people need the life saving treatment and I would do the same, but at what point is our healthcare system going to crash because we cannot sustain this.

As one writer said, we need to go after the drug manufacturers to lower the cost. I would like to see the financials on how they determined this drug cost $750,000 per year. I repeat that is per year! This person requires this every year for the rest of their lives, just imagine

Carole Kormendy


Photo: UBCO

UBC Okanagan is embarking on the largest fundraising campaign for students in its 12-year history.

The Blue & Gold campaign has a goal of $100 million.

The plan is to raise the money over three years to give promising students access to a life-changing education.

The campaign will support a range of student awards, including scholarships, bursaries and experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses.

The awards will support students in need, students from under-represented communities, and leadership-based awards.

Tushar Dave, a recipient of the Deepak Binning Foundation Community Builder Scholarship and now a third-year undergraduate in medical biochemistry and molecular biology at UBC Okanagan, is one student benefitting from a UBC donor-funded award.

The biggest factor for me was getting a UBC education here at home. I live in Kelowna, and it is wonderful for me to have a UBC world-class education at my doorstep said Dave.

Haley Seven Deers, a third-year history and anthropology student at UBC Okanagan, is another.

These awards are truly life-changing for students, said Seven Deers, who received a UBC Okanagan Aboriginal Entrance Award. Every bit, no matter how small or large that you donate is going to have a huge impact on peoples lives.

UBC is providing matching funds of up to $5 million for new endowed donations to select Blue & Gold campaign priorities, which include bursaries and renewable entrance awards for students with high academic standing, known as Presidential Scholars, as well as for outstanding students recognized for their achievement and leadership who demonstrate financial need.
Photo: rashmanly.com

CRA continues a disturbing trend

The Canada Revenue Agency is picking on single moms.

In last weeks report, I referred to challenges single parents, particularly single moms, were facing with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) in receiving their Canada Child Benefit (CCB) support.



Since that report, I have heard of dozens of more cases that illustrate the severity of this problem.



This matters because in many cases, the CRA, with often dubious information, will send out an advisory informing a single parent that their marital status has been arbitrarily changed to married or common-law.



Typically, this occurs because an ex-spouse has left the marriage and has not filed a change of address; often to avoid being found as child/spousal support payments are not being made either.



I have heard from many single mothers of the great lengths they have gone to to attempt to prove an ex-spouse is no longer living at the same address. Even in cases where a restraining order is present, the CRA may still refuse to change the status of the single parent in question.



The CRA is essentially treating single parents as guilty. The Canada Child Benefits are being withheld, denied or reduced until such time they can prove to the satisfaction of CRA that they are innocent.

Only then do the single parents receive the benefit to which they are entitled.



I would submit nowhere else in Canadian society would we accept a presumption of guilt to deny single parents benefits that help care for children.



Yet, I have witnessed evidence that demonstrates the CRA is doing precisely that, and it is wrong.



Keep in mind  in cases where fraud can be proven and established by CRA  the agency has the ability to garnishee wages, bank accounts and other assets.

I mention this as I believe Canada Revenue Agency has sufficient tools to deal with fraud.They do not need to penalize single parents and label them guilty without due process.



From a political standpoint, this is all part of a disturbing trend.



In the last few months, the CRA has attempted to go after staff discounts, began denying significant numbers of Type 1 diabetes applicants their Disability Tax Credit and now single parents, most often single mothers, are being targeted.



Although the CRA may not give many single parents the benefit of the doubt, I will offer the benefit of the doubt that the Trudeau Liberal government has not sanctioned these actions.



I will also publicly pass on that the minister of National Revenue's office has recently reached out to my office suggesting they are well aware of this problem.



However, the minister of National Revenue must get this agency under control, or the prime minister is going to need to find a new minister who can.



My question this week:

Do you think it is fair that Canada Revenue Agency can unilaterally change the marital status of a single parent thus potentially penalizing the Canada Child Benefits and essentially say prove us wrong?

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Photo: Skylar Noe-Vack - File photo

Off the heels of a record-breaking wildfire season, the Penticton Fire Department is looking to close some gaps in wildfire response with new equipment.

The department was in front of council Wednesday as a part of 2018 budget presentations, asking for just under $150,000 for wildfire gear.

Fire Chief Larry Watkinson said the department is planning on outfitting a four-seat side-by-side ATV with a water tank and pump to improve early access to new fire starts.

Get into the wildland interface quickly so we can get to the small hectare-size fire so we manage it, and extinguish it before it grows, he said, noting there was several small fire starts of the KVR trail this year the department had difficulty accessing.

Second, the department is proposing developing a local wildfire structural protection unit.

A trailer that's outfitted with pumps, hose, water tanks, that will basically protect upwards of 50 homes in a community that has a significant wildfire coming in.

He said the provincial government has several of the units scattered around the province, but after last summer, would rather not have to rely on outside resources.

Watkinson added feasibility testing is also underway on how the department may be able to improve its water tender response to neighbourhoods without hydrants on the outskirts of Penticton.

Although the 2018 budget will not be formally passed until Thursday, councillors gave a verbal approval to the department's $5.7M budget and plans.
Photo: Contributed Vernon city council wants to take over and spend some cash on Camp Hurlburt.

The City of Vernon is hoping to take control of Camp Hurlburt on Okanagan Lake and spend some money on it.

The North Okanagan Regional District purchased the 2.5 acre property two years ago to ensure it remained in public hands. The camp had been operated by Trinity United Church for many years.

During budget deliberations Wednesday, city council reviewed the $490,000 set aside for spending on lake access sites owned by the city along Okanagan Lake.

Earlier this week, council decided to cut the number of sites slated for work from eight to four, leaving some cash left over.

We're thinking of taking that money and adding on to what we can do for Camp Hurlburt, said Coun. Catherine Lord.

Council is expected to direct staff to funnel the additional funds to the camp.

Lord acknowledged the camp was not in the city's hands at the moment but said negotiations were underway with the regional district.
The Lions Vision Centre in Armstrong will be getting more than $100,000 in new equipment thanks to the Lions Club.

Located in the Pleasant Valley Health Centre, the vision clinic performed almost 1,000 procedures in 2016 alone.

Lisa Westermark, Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation executive director, said the donation is a huge bonus for the centre.

It's an amazing gift. It really speaks to the community spirit that we have here in our greater community, said Westermark. This is serving a very broad community; the whole North Okanagan will come to this centre so it's really busy.

Sandy McMurray, with the Lions Club, said helping the community is what the club does.

Lions started in 1917 and, in 1927, Helen Keller went to a convention and asked the Lions to be her Knights of the Blind and to focus on helping blind people, said McMurray. That's what Lions International did and it has been their major focus through the years.

Over time, Lions clubs have expanded their role in the communities they serve, but supporting a range of programs.
About 60 artists will flood into Kelowna next October for four days of music at venues throughout downtown.

The 2018 BreakOut West festival and conference will be coming back to town on Oct. 10, 2018, returning eight years after it was first held in Kelowna in 2010.

While the festival's return was announced in October, representatives from the festival, the City of Kelowna and the host committee held an open house Wednesday at Milkcrate Records' new location to promote the event.

Music fans will be able to buy a single wristband that will give them access to nine or 10 venues throughout the weekend.

We'll have rock and pop and hip hop, roots, folk throughout the nights, and you can just pop around and see what you want to see, said Robyn Stewart, executive director of the festival.

In addition to the three-day festival, artists will also participate in a four-day career development conference that will help them grow the business side of their art.

They're all at that level where they've been touring their own market, they've been touring Canada, they may be doing some international touring, but they're coming out to this event to find something to get that next step, Stewart said.

BreakOut West took place in Edmonton this year.
Chantelle Deacon

Part-time viticulture courses are coming to Okanagan College Penticton this January, to accommodate everyone interested in breaking into the wine industry.

Previously there was only a full-time viticulture technician diploma program offered.

Weve designed the program with the industry so that theres a degree of flexibility, said Jonathan Rouse, director of food and wine, OK College. Were trying to encourage individuals that cant take a full-time diploma they could take some of the courses on a part-time basis, whether you are in the industry or you are thinking about moving into the industry.

The three new courses will get underway in January 2018 and will offer students a flexible way to gain the skills and knowledge needed to work in or manage a commercial vineyard.

We have three courses ranging from vineyard health and nutrition to irrigation systems or vineyard operations, Rouse said. If anyone is interested we encourage them to approach the college and see about the availability of getting into one of those courses.

Students will learn in the classroom, while also getting hands-on experience at local vineyards.

You will have the technical and academic skills to be able to work in the vineyards and insure that theyre well managed, healthy, strong and growing quality grapes, Rouse said. You become part of the vineyard management team.

The three part-time courses will begin on Jan. 3 and run until April 26.
Photo: Greater Recreation Services A Vernon resident has asked city council if there is a plan for a new pool

Does Vernon need a new pool?

Vernon resident Dawn Tucker believes it does and she told city council during 2018 budget deliberations.

The public wants to know what it takes to get a new recreation facility, specifically a pool, Tucker said during a break in the discussion Wednesday to allow for public input.

In October, Vernon's recreation services hired RC Strategies PERC to conduct a recreation master plan.

We are just establishing the public engagement aspect of the project and it will start to be rolled out in the near future, said Doug Ross, recreation services manager. The process should be wrapped up by next fall.

The plan is expected to put all types of recreation facilities in some order of priority, said Will Pearce, the city's chief executive officer.

Pearce also mentioned the public consultation process to ensure there was general support for a pool or any other type of facility.
Photo: File photo People can apply for Christmas hampers at the Salvation Army House of Hope.

The Vernon Salvation Army is adding some extra time for people to apply for hampers.

On Monday Dec. 4, House of Hope staff will be conducting hamper interviews from 6-7:30 p.m. for those who are unable to apply during regular business hours.

Thursday is the last daytime hamper interview day.

We understand that many people have full time jobs during the day and we want to give them the opportunity to apply if need be. We also want to remind people that when they arrive to apply for a Christmas Hamper they must bring IDs for everyone in the household along with all income and expenses. This will make the process of applying much smoother, said Lt. Stephan Reid.

For more information, contact the Salvation Army House of Hope at 250-549-4111 or visit see the Facebook page at The Salvation Army  Vernon.
Alanna Kelly

A Glenmore family is warning other families after their small dog was killed by a coyote in their backyard on Monday.

Ben Byer said they brought Kopi, a small Terrier cross, home over two years ago from a rescue kennel.

She has been a great companion dog for our 13-year-old daughter who has high functioning autism. She loved her.

Byer had just let Kopi outside in their backyard on Monday night before going to bed when they he heard a huge commotion.

I looked out the window and saw there was a struggle going on, he said. I opened the door and yelled at it. I could tell then it was a big coyote.

Byer quickly picked up Kopi, wrapped her in a blanket and brought her inside.

She was laying there, bleeding badly on her backend and belly, he said. We took her to the vet hospital and she passed away within a few minutes.

The family called conservation officers who said they would record the incident.

We will get another dog, he said. It is something we need as a family.
Photo: RCMP

A group of Kelowna friends is being honoured for heroism in saving a man's life.

On the evening Aug. 16, the four friends came to the rescue of a man who jumped from a log boom under the William R. Bennett Bridge into Okanagan Lake and got into difficulty in the water.

Dylan Draper, Elijah Brownley and Logan Peachey and a female friend didnt hesitate.

"They quickly jumped into action and plunged into the waters of Okanagan Lake to rescue the man, says RCMP Cpl. Jesse ODonaghey. Using a stand up paddleboard, the group of friends worked together to reach the man, who was struggling to stay above the waters surface and safely return him to our officers on the shoreline.

RCMP had been called to the scene for reports of a person causing a disturbance. The man then jumped into the lake and was being pushed north by strong winds and large waves.

The group, all in their twenties, was presented with an RCMP challenge coin and Detachment Commanders Commendation by Supt. Brent Mundle for going above and beyond.

"(They) would all humbly tell you that they didnt do anything anyone else wouldnt do," said ODonaghey.
Photo: RCMP

It's time to cram the cruiser.

Kelowna and Lake Country Mounties will be out in support of the Lake Country Food Bank on Saturday, urging the community to fill a police cruiser full of donations to help those in need.

This years event takes place outside the Lake Country Save-On-Foods from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Officers and volunteers will be encouraging shoppers to "Cram the Cruiser" with non-perishable food and other donations. Cash will also be accepted.

Since its inception, the event has collected 10,399 pounds of donated items and just over $20,720 for the food bank.

We are thrilled that all those who choose to donate ... have a chance to win one of our many generously donated prizes, including a WestJet flight voucher, which is good for a one round-trip flight for two to any scheduled WestJet destination, says Cpl. Jesse ODonaghey.

The food bank's Joy Haxton reports as many as 900 people will be helped this Christmas season, a number that has nearly doubled since last year.

The food bank's greatest needs include full-meal canned soups and personal hygiene products, along with gifts for children.

Lake Country volunteer firefighters will be serving chili for a donation at the event and have their own door-to-door food drive on Monday.
Photo: SOHC Former Princeton CAO Rick Zerr (left), and Princeton mayor Frank Armitage (right).

Princeton's chief administrative officer Rick Zerr has resigned after spending four-and-a-half years in his position.

Mayor Frank Armitage said Zerr has other career opportunities.

"He's going to be missed, he's done a good job for our community," Armitage said. "He's been very, very helpful to us in bringing us along."

Zerr's resignation is effective now, Armitage said, noting he will be using up vacation time he's accrued.

Former CAO in Princeton Bob Wilson will be assuming duties in the position for the short-term.

Wilson grew up in Princeton and held senior administration positions in Kelowna and then was the CAO in Langley, before retiring several years ago.

"I grew up with (Bob)," Armitage said. "He's a great guy, we're pleased to have him."

Armitage added that the town just put an ad out for a new CAO and there has already been multiple responses.
Photo: mikedejong.com

UPDATE: 12:25 p.m.

BC Liberal leadership candidate Todd Stone is also expected to make an announcement while in Kelowna for the debate this weekend.

On Friday, Stone will unveil what he's calling a "Bold Vision to Move British Columbia Forward Together" at a news conference at the Delta Grand Hotel.

The press conference will be at 11 a.m. in the Selkirk Room.

ORIGINAL: 10:45 a.m.

BC Liberal leadership candidate Mike de Jong will be in Kelowna Friday for what his campaign team calls a "substantive" announcement.

De Jong, one of six seeking the leadership of the provincial Liberal party, will make an announcement concerning education at UBC Okanagan.

The event is slated for the UBCO arts building at 1 p.m.

De Jong will be joined by the other leadership contenders Saturday for the fourth of six live debates.

The debate is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Coast Capri Hotel.

The new leader will be elected following three days of voting by party members Feb.1 to 3.

The race was called after former leader Christy Clark stepped down in early August after her party lost a confidence motion in the legislature. The NDP, with the assistance of the Green Party, former a minority government after the Liberals were toppled.

Clark also relinquished her seat in the Kelowna West riding.

Former MLA Ben Stewart is seeking that seat for the Liberals. Shelley Cook, who lost to Clark in the May general election, is expected to be acclaimed by the NDP at a nomination meeting Sunday at the Holiday Inn in West Kelowna.

Premier John Horgan will also be in attendance.
Photo: The Canadian Press Conservative leader Andrew Scheer speaks with the media in the foyer of the House of Commons, Wednesday.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer demanded Bill Morneau hand in his resignation Wednesday as political rivals intensified their attacks on a finance minister mired in controversy for weeks.

But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launched a spirited defence of Morneau, accusing the Tories of engaging in baseless personal attacks that they won't repeat outside the House of Commons for fear of being sued.

"After careful consideration, in my capacity of leader of the Opposition, I am officially calling on Bill Morneau to resign as finance minister," Scheer said shortly before question period, where the issue dominated debate.

He advised Trudeau to fire Morneau if he refused to step aside on his own.

But the prime minister said he still has full confidence in Morneau and then went on the offense against the Opposition.

"The fabrications and the personal attacks, the slinging of mud in this place, and hiding behind parliamentary privilege, is not what Canadians expect from this place," Trudeau said.

The push for Morneau's departure is yet another challenge to a finance minister who's been forced to navigate several ethics-related controversies since the summer.

In July, he proposed tax-system changes that enraged small-business owners to the point he eventually had to back off elements of his plan.

Morneau has also faced intense political pressure over how he handled his personal financial arrangements after coming to office. The questions focused on his shares in the human resources firm Morneau Shepell, which was built by his family and for which he was executive chairman until his 2015 election win.

After the controversy erupted, he sold off the remainder of his holdings in the company  worth about $21 million  and vowed to place his other substantial assets in a blind trust. Morneau donated to charity the difference between what the shares were worth at the time of the sale and their value in 2015 when he was first elected  an amount estimated at about $5 million.

The federal ethics commissioner also fined Morneau $200 for failing to disclose a private corporation, in which he is a director, that owns a villa in France. Morneau had disclosed ownership of the villa to Mary Dawson but, due to what his office called an administrative oversight, failed to disclose that ownership was through a corporation.

Then came conflict-of-interest allegations over proposed pension reform, spearheaded by Morneau, that opponents have alleged would bring him personal financial benefit. The federal ethics commissioner has launched a formal examination into the matter.

This week, the Tories and the New Democrats have been grilling the Liberals about his earlier, late-2015 sale of shares in Morneau Shepell  a transaction that took place ahead of a tax change announcement.
You have a last chance to vote for Vernon Search and Rescue in a contest aimed at winning a $20,000 KIOTI Mechron UTV for the busy volunteers who go out in all weathers to look for lost or injured individuals.

The contest has been open to first responders throughout North America and the group with the most votes wins. Voting ends tomorrow.

VSAR was well ahead until the last few hours when a Cleveland fire department got a flurry of votes for the machine.

It's much needed, said Trevor Honigman, VSAR spokesperson. We don't have anything like it.

Honigman said the Mechron side-by-side could be used for searches in the back country.

For getting men, materials and first aid gear to the back country, we take big trucks. But we may have to stop one or 10 km away from the actual site of the incident. A lot of the time, if we can't get reach there, we have to take all of that equipment in by hand or on our backs or on ATVs.

Honigman said if VSAR wins the UTV, there are plans to convert it to allow room for a stretcher.

He is urging people to get in that last vote for the local team which has already surpassed last year's number in terms of searches and also asking people to share with their friends in order to bump up the number of votes.
Photo: Robin Jones

After falling from its lofty perch a year ago, CBC has returned to the top of the Kelowna radio ratings.

Numbers for fall 2017, compiled from Sept. 4, to Oct. 29, were released Thursday morning by Numeris.

And, while each of the nine local stations targets specific demographics and genders, Castanet looked at market share for those 12-plus to give an overall snapshot of radio listening in the Central Okanagan.

CBC, which slipped to number three last fall, shot back up to the top with a 17.4 per cent market share, which is the percentage of all radios tuned to that station over the course of a week.

K96.3 and Sun FM, which shared top spot 12 months ago, tumbled to sixth and seventh with market shares of 7.6 per cent and 7.2 per cent, respectively.

New Country 100.7 slotted in behind CBC with a share of 15 per cent, while Power 104 was third at 13.4 per cent.

EZ Rock (12.8 per cent) and AM1150 (8.3 per cent) rounded out the top five.

Juice FM was eighth with a 4 per cent share, while Q103 was at the bottom of the book at 3.4 per cent.

It should be noted the ratings period ended before the Juice officially relaunched as Okanagan Oldies 103.9 and Q103 rebranded to The Beach.

Ratings are taken for each station in the spring and fall of each year.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Quebec's legislature unanimously adopted a motion Thursday calling on store clerks to stick with a simple "bonjour" when greeting customers instead of the hybrid "bonjour/hi" often heard in Montreal.

The national assembly members voted 111-0 in favour of the motion.

The PQ says too many people are speaking both French and English to customers and notes that "bonjour" is one of the most recognized words in the French language.

Leader Jean-Francois Lisee said the vote reaffirms that French is Quebec's official language.

A heated debate on the issue in the national assembly Wednesday was triggered by census numbers suggesting a slight drop in the use of French in the workplace.

Premier Philippe Couillard called the debate ridiculous but admitted his preference for a French-only greeting.

PQ house leader Pascal Berube believes saying only 'bonjour' is the right approach.

"It's about being original and being ourselves, and being ourselves is a major francophone city with an anglophone community," Berube said Thursday.

"First thing you have to say, I think, is 'bonjour.' It's about respect, it's easy to understand."

The original PQ motion sought to describe the expression 'bonjour/hi' as an 'irritant' but Couillard said such wording was aimed at creating an "artificial crisis and a clash between the English and French languages in Quebec."

The contentious word was dropped and the motion that was adopted read as follows: "It (the motion) invites all merchants and all employees who are in contact with local and international customers to greet them warmly with the word 'bonjour.'''
Photo: The Canadian Press

The Canadian Judicial Council has rejected complaints that former federal cabinet minister Vic Toews, who is now a Manitoba judge, is unfit to remain on the bench after violating the Conflict of Interest Act.

The council said Thursday the two complaints were reviewed by Justice Christopher Hinkson, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, who found nothing that would warrant Toews' removal.

"Chief Justice Hinkson notes that the (federal ethics) commissioner did not make any findings that put into question the integrity, good faith or credibility of Justice Toews," the council said in a media release.

"Upon a full review of all the relevant information, Chief Justice Hinkson found an absence of any information that would suggest an attempt to mislead or reveal conduct incompatible with the duties of judicial office."

Federal ethics commissioner Mary Dawson ruled in April that Toews violated the Conflict of Interest Act when he received money from two Manitoba First Nations for consulting services shortly after leaving federal office in 2013.

Toews was appointed to the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench in 2014.

Dawson said Toews broke a two-year cooling-off period required under law in one case involving the Norway House Cree Nation.

In the other, she said Toews provided strategic advice for the Peguis First Nation about the transfer of military land, even though he had been involved with the same file as a minister.

Toews filed an appeal of Dawson's decision. He said his dealings with Norway House Cree Nation during his final year in office were very limited, and his advice to Peguis was not related to the land-transfer negotiations.

The commissioner's findings prompted the two complaints to the judicial council, alleging Toews' actions impaired his ability to be a judge. Toews' lawyer said Thursday he is happy the matter is finished.
Vernon city council has given the green light to a whopping 5.05 per cent increase in taxes in 2018, mainly due to a big hike in RCMP costs. However the increase passed on to taxpayers is expected to be 3.98 per cent.

Council and city staff spent two days reviewing the proposed 2018 budget, whittling down an almost seven per cent increase to just over five per cent. The city expects to pay out just over one per cent less to the North Okanagan Regional District next year, when it takes control of a number of local parks, taking the percentage increase down to 3.98 in terms of property taxes.

I wish we could be lower, said Coun. Bob Spiers, council's financial watchdog following Thursday vote.

On Wednesday, city council approved six new officers for the local detachment at a cost of $1.1 million annually. Spiers said the new officers led to a 2.9 per cent increase to fund next year's budget.

However Spiers pointed out a number of the projects slated to go forward next year will be paid for by reserves, rather than new money coming out of taxpayers' pockets.

You don't like taxes to spike like that so if you've got the money in reserves, and remember reserves basically come from the taxpayer. They come from the taxpayer so let's use them.

Three significant parks projects with a focus on Okanagan Lake will be moving forward next year, including safety and access work at Camp Hurlburt and phase one work on a lakeshore park with funds coming from reserves.

There will be no impact to the taxpayer, said Mayor Akbal Mund.

The mayor said council considered but rejected removing the annual 1.9 per cent infrastructure levy to compensate for some of the tax increase.

Council, as a whole, decided not to do that because we highly believe it's important to keep that in place, said Mund. The city needs to keep the infrastructure in a place where it is not constantly failing.

As well as a new fire engine, council has authorized the purchase of a $1.4 million ladder truck for Vernon Fire Rescue which will paid for through another reserve.

The truck was expected to be purchased in 2019 but the city's chief executive officer, Will Pearce, said it is at the end of its technical life.

Vernon's acting fire chief, David Lind, said he was pleased with the decision.

The community needs to have certain pieces of fire apparatus and that has an effect of the Fire Underwriters Survey rating which affects each citizen as they buy fire insurance, Lind explained. This vehicle is past due for replacement, so very pleased with council's decision. It is putting in a good foundation for the fire service over the next years.

Council still has time to make changes to next year's budget as it won't be passed until the new year.
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More than 250 graduates from across Northwest Georgia will be walking the stage at the Dalton Convention Center on Dec.

GNTCs 2017 GOAL (Georgias Occupational Award of Leadership) Award winner, Miguel Ramirez, will be giving the graduating class their commencement speech. The Whitfield County resident represented the college in the GOAL competition this past spring in Atlanta, Georgia.



An estimated 1,500 family members and friends are anticipated to be in attendance at the colleges commencement exercises. GNTC holds two ceremonies each year: a spring graduation each May in Rome, and a fall graduation each December in Dalton.
TORONTO  Jozy Altidore scored in the 60th minute and Toronto FC advanced to the MLS Cup final for the second straight year with a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew on Wednesday night in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final.

Toronto will host the Seattle Sounders or Houston Dynamo in the Dec. 9 MLS Cup final. The Sounders, who took the title from Toronto in a penalty shootout last year, lead the Western Conference final 2-0 going into Game 2 in Seattle on Thursday night.

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After a scoreless tie in Game 1 last week in Ohio, Columbus needed a win or draw with goals to advance. But Altidore, limping on a bum ankle, came through fort Toronto before a sellout crowd of 30,392 on a crisp night at BMO Field.

The goal started with Alex Bono's goal kick that found Sebastian Giovinco deep in Columbus territory. The diminutive Italian held off several defenders and backheeled the ball to Altidore, who stabbed it to Victor Vazquez. The Spanish midfielder paused and then dinked a pass to Altidore for a right-footed shot past Zack Steffen.

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It was Toronto's first goal in 258 minutes. The last score came almost a month ago  on Oct. 30, via Giovinco's free kick in the 72nd minute of a 2-1 victory at Red Bull Arena.

Columbus striker Ola Kamara nearly tied it in the 87th minute, but couldn't get a boot to the ball on a raking cross. Bono then beat Kamara to a cross in stoppage time.

Altidore had seemed destined for an early night after suffering an ankle injury in the 50th minute in a collision with Crew wingback Harrison Afful. The big man needed treatment on and off the field and Toronto prepared to send in substitute Armando Cooper.

But Altidore stayed on, finally limping off eight minutes after the goal.
Atlanta United have signed defender Greg Garza to a multi-year deal, the club announced Wednesday.

Garza, 26, spent the 2017 season in Atlanta on loan from Liga MX side Tijuana.

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Greg was an integral part of our first-year success and were happy we were able to bring him back on a permanent basis, said technical director Carlos Bocanegra in a statement released by the club.

Hes a natural fit for our style of play and in addition to his on-field performance, which was recognized by his place in the MLS All-Star Game, Greg has become an important figure in the locker room.

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Garza appeared in 26 matches for Atlanta, netting two goals and five assists, and was voted to the 2017 MLS All-Star Game.
Byline Bancorp, which operates more than 50 full-service branches, has agreed to acquire First Evanston Bancorp in a $169 million deal.

Byline Bancorp, which operates more than 50 full-service branches, has agreed to acquire First Evanston Bancorp in a $169 million deal. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)

The areas small, midsize and family-owned companies  and there are a bunch of them around here  are the primary lending targets of a newly created local banking power thats determined to give its larger rivals a run for the money.

This week, Byline Bancorp agreed to acquire First Evanston Bancorp for about $169 million in cash and stock. The purchase is expected to close early next year pending regulatory approvals.

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Once the deal is completed, the combined organization will have about $4.4 billion in assets and 66 local branches  a respectable financial and physical presence but one that will still lag the size and scope of regional and national banks operating throughout this area.

Nonetheless, expect a bulked-up Byline  which nearly doubles its number of experienced commercial bankers to 50 with the First Evanston purchase  to rattle the marketplace and strongly vie with much bigger banks for companies seeking loans and other financial services.

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Its also likely that Bylines acquisition will ignite a chain reaction of other bank buyouts. The Chicago area has about 30 lenders with $300 million to $1 billion in assets, and many of them are ripe for a merger or acquisition.

Do I think there will be further consolidation? I do, said Byline CEO Alberto Paracchini in an interview with me, where he added many of these 30 banking groups are backed by private equity investors who are looking for exits.

Dont be surprised if Byline keeps buying banks. Yet because its a publicly traded company that reports to shareholders, you cant rule out Byline being acquired, should the right offer arise.

A more immediate priority, however, is Bylines plan to expand deeper into local lending by focusing primarily on companies with revenues between $5 million and $70 million.

There are hundreds of such firms in this region and many are established, family-owned or privately held industrial players specializing in distribution, transportation, manufacturing, wholesaling or warehousing.

The bulk of First Evanstons estimated $892 million loan portfolio is made up of these low-profile bread and butter businesses. Thats been the banking groups focus since it was started nearly 20 years ago.

By staying away from riskier credits like commercial real estate loans  which in First Evanstons early years was a hot lending play  the company sidestepped 2008s economic crash. Unlike many other lenders, it didnt have to tap the countrys taxpayer-backed bailout.

We sailed through the financial crisis, asserts Robert Yohanan, a co-founder and CEO of First Evanston, which later touted not taking government funds in the banking groups advertising. Yohanan will be on Bylines board of directors.

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In addition to First Evanstons commercial lending prowess, Byline is acquiring 10 new branches mostly along the North Shore, parts of Lake County and western DuPage County.

In doing so, Byline expands its own geographical reach and adds greater capacity to build its retail customer base and lending portfolio, which is around $2 billion.

With post-acquisition assets of $4.4 billion, Byline will be able to hunt for larger clients  exceeding its current average loan size of a couple million dollars. It will also pursue a diversified client mix that includes more commercial and industrial accounts, selected commercial real estate credits and small business loans, Paracchini said.

First Evanston also offers a feature that Byline doesnt: trust and wealth management services, which can be cross-sold to the new Bylines business loan clients. The Evanston-based bank, which will be called Byline after the buyout is sanctioned, also works with many nonprofits.

Undoubtedly, the First Evanston acquisition signals a new era for Byline.

In recent years, the Chicago-based banking groups focus had been on working out millions of dollars in bad loans racked up by its predecessor the Metropolitan Bank Group.

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In mid-2013, that banking company was recapitalized and new management took over. A name change occurred in 2015 and, earlier this year, Byline floated an initial public stock offering.

We see opportunities ahead and ample room for growth, Paracchini said.

Of course, rival lenders arent going to cede the way for a re-energized Byline.

By stepping up in class, it will be competing more directly with downtown giants including JP Morgan Chase, BMO Harris, Bank of America, Northern Trust and Canada-based CIBC, which recently acquired locally based PrivateBank for $4.8 billion.

Byline will also tangle with the homegrown MB Financial, First Midwest Bank, Wintrust Financial and a slew of community banks.

Ultimately, this stepped-up banking competition should be good for business owners and operators. It is likely to result in more competitive loan rates or terms  providing these borrowers the funding needed for expansion and growth.

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Its also a safe bet that Bylines competitors will soon get into the acquisition game and go after those local banking groups itching to make a deal.

roreed@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @ReedTribBiz

MORE BUSINESS INSIGHTS FROM ROBERT REED

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[ The winner in Amazon and Walmart's holiday showdown is you ]
The company holiday party was once a lavish and sometimes debaucherous affair. But concerns over sexual harassment, budgets and employee lifestyles means many firms' parties, if they have them at all, will be toned down. (Emily Michot/McClatchy-Tribune)

There may be less booze and more daylight at your office holiday party this year.

Some companies are rethinking their year-end celebrations amid a national conversation about sexual harassment. The end result? More lunch-hour parties instead of boozy nighttime affairs, and events with a more limited selection of alcohol. A few have even canceled parties this year, according to firms that track the celebrations.

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Chicago employment consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said that 11 percent of the 150 companies it surveyed nationwide will not have a holiday party this year after throwing one in previous years. Thats more than double the number that skipped them last year. Its also the biggest percentage of companies not having parties since 2010, when a quarter of companies surveyed nixed their celebrations during the height of the recession.

Companies are also less likely to serve booze, use expensive outside services like caterers or extend invitations to nonemployee guests this year, according to the survey, conducted in October and November.

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Businesses want to ensure workers have a safe and happy holiday season, not one marred by a disturbing workplace party experience, said Andrew Challenger, the consulting firms vice president.

Kathleen Jenkins, director of sales and events for Chicago caterer Northern Fork, said theres been a little less demand this year, and fewer bookings for alcohol-focused parties. Instead, more companies are opting for lunchtime holiday celebrations at the office.

Jenkins said she doesnt know if these trends are entirely due to heightened awareness of sexual harassment. In recent years, as workplaces have become more comfortable environments with vast amenities, businesses have increasingly held their parties at the office. Jenkins also believes that younger workers prefer to avoid the pomp and circumstance of a huge off-site event.

Millennials dont want to go out to dinner with their boss, she said.

Dale Winston, CEO of Battalia Winston, an executive search firm that also tracks holiday parties, agrees that the days of lavish affairs with ice sculptures, flowing champagne and caviar are not coming back.

[ Fear and panic in the H.R. department as sexual harassment allegations multiply ]

The parties where people are putting lampshades on their head, dancing on tables, dont happen anymore, she said.

Parties are now a lunch affair, because employees with long commutes dont want to stick around for a late-night party, she said.

But although the current climate may temporarily change holiday party traditions, Winston doesnt think companies will phase out holiday parties in large numbers because of the growing significance such events have for employees.

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The workplace is very different today. We have fewer people doing more. The last vestige of social interaction is the holiday party, she said. The summer picnic and things like that, they just dont exist any longer.

For Tom Gimbel, CEO of staffing agency LaSalle Network, scrapping his firms annual holiday event  a lavish affair with nearly 1,000 invitees  wasnt an option.

Im not naive (about workplace sexual harassment concerns), but not once did I think about not having a holiday party, he said.

Gimbel said the company has measures in place to prevent workplace harassment, but that even the toughest sexual harassment policies cant prevent every bad situation.

Companies are a microcosm of society. You cant be a huge company and not have people that make mistakes, he said. The question is how you correct the problem.

LaSalle Network, which has about 200 employees, opens its holiday parties to clients and other guests.

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I believe that today, the holiday party is one of the best things that companies do to forge a healthy and fun work environment, Gimbel said. Nobody wants to hire people that make bad decisions, but if you cancel a party to punish the few, youre throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

[ What to do when the boss comes on to you ]

Nicholas Pearce, clinical associate professor of management and organizations at Northwestern University, said companies that cancel holiday parties in the wake of high-profile sexual harassment claims may send a message that they were not vigilant enough before the issue became a topic of public discussion.

If companies scale back in the wake of this, it does imply that sexual harassment at the holiday celebration was permitted in the past, he said. Making changes in the holiday party but not changing policy sends the wrong signal.

At the same time, Pearce says current awareness of workplace sexual harassment could put party attendees on their best behavior. I think the vigilance and self-awareness that individuals will have regarding this issue may change the environment, he said, adding that the public conversation may have the biggest impact on bystanders, giving observers the courage to speak up about inappropriate behavior.

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This is not just about lawsuits and staying out of the media, he said. This is about creating an environment where people of all kinds can be their best.

sbomkamp@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @SamWillTravel
Dinner out, paired with craft cocktails or a bottle of wine can add up, quickly. Heck, even a few pints of the house draft beer can be a burden on ones wallet, and this doesnt account for large group meals, which can send the bill skyrocketing.Luckily, Chicago is rich in BYO restaurants, with flavors and cuisines as adventurous as they are affordable. Snag a bottle (or more) from your local liquor store or favorite wine shop, and check out these spots:

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LOGAN SQUARE  90 Miles Cuban Cafe (Cuban): Pro tip: Bring rum or wine, and 90 Miles will offer up mojito or sangria mix-ins. 2540 W. Armitage Ave., 773-227-2822. Also at 3101 N. Clybourn Ave.773-245-2822. 90milescubancafe.com

LAKEVIEW  Andys Thai Kitchen (Thai): The wild boar pad pet, with chunky meat, savory cubes of eggplant, and Sichuan peppercorn-driven red curry, is a must-order. 946 W. Wellington Ave., Also at 6230 N. Broadway St., 773-856-5598. Corkage fee is $1 per wine glass. andysthaikitchen.com

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WRIGHTWOOD NEIGHBORS  Batter and Berries (brunch): Chef Derek Rylon is known the city over for his artistic approach to French toast and waffles. 2748 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-248-7710.

MCKINLEY PARK  La Palapa (Mexican seafood): Transport yourself to a Mexican beachside at this bright and cheery spot, which specializes in Nayarit-style seafood. 2000 W. 34th St., 773-376-9620, lapalapamariscos.com

WICKER PARK  Big & Littles (American): The raw salmon taco made it onto Nick Kindelspergers list of the citys 39 best cheap eats. He describes it as pristine cubes of salmon mixed with at least three sauces and cased in a crunchy corn tortilla. 860 N. Orleans St., 312-943-0000, cash only. Also at 1034 W. Belmont Ave., 773-857-6677. Third location at 1310 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-698-7777, bigandlittleschicago.com

RANCH TRIANGLE  Butcher and the Burger (American): This counter service spot takes its name literally: The burger joint does double duty as a butcher, with the house burgers available for grilling at home, plus meatloaf, fish and other items youd expect in a butcher case. 1021 W. Armitage Ave., 773-697-3735, butcherandtheburger.com

RAVENSWOOD  Caro Mio (Italian): The decor is bright and artsy at this Italian spot on a quiet strip. 1833 W. Wilson Ave., 773-275-5000, caromioitalianristorante.squarespace.com

LAKEVIEW EAST  Chilam Balam (Mexican): This spot snagged a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2016. Check out the flank steak. 3023 N. Broadway, 773-296-6901, chilambalamchicago.com

DOUGLAS PARK  EL Ideas (upscale American): Quirky, entertaining and elevated, this gem of a restaurant has been attracting curious and adventurous diners since 2011 (its no. 39 on Phils 50). 2419 W. 14th St., 312-226-8144, elideas.com

RAVENSWOOD  Goosefoot (contemporary American): This intimate, 16-seat space just west of Lincoln Square is a solid Michelin-starred BYOB gem. Pro-tip: Check out Goosefoots ice cream scoop shop adjacent to the restaurant. 2656 W. Lawrence Ave., 773-942-7547, goosefoot.net

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BRIDGEPORT  Han 202 (modern Asian): This four-course prix fixe spot is a BYOB stalwart, with modern dishes like crispy quail and Frenched pork loin. 605 W. 31 St., 312-949-1314, han202restaurant.com

LAKEVIEW  Home Bistro (New American): Comfort foods get the cozy-yet-elevated treatment, like Prince Edward Island mussels with Oaxacan chorizo, or venison Swedish meatballs with pappardelle. 3404 N. Halsted St., 773-661-0299, homebistrochicago.com

LINCOLN SQUARE  Isla Pilipina (Filipino): Chase that purple food hype, and try the ube ice cream after your meal. 2501 W. Lawrence Ave., 773-271-2988, islapilipina.com

MAYFAIR  Ay Ay Picante (Peruvian seafood): Peru's sizable Japanese population helped popularize tiradito, a cousin to ceviche, so be sure to bring along a white wine you enjoy. 4569 N. Elston Ave., 773-427-4239, ayaypicante.com

ALBANY PARK  Ixcateco Grill (southern Mexican): Chef Anselmo Ramirez worked for 14 years under Rick Bayless, but at this cute spot, its a family affair: His mother makes the tortillas. 3402 W. Montrose Ave., 773-539-5887, ixcatecogrill.com

BUCKTOWN  Coast Sushi Bar (Japanese): This popular sushi spot is a favorite for large groups. 2045 N. Damen Ave., 773-235-5775, coastsushibar.com

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WICKER PARK  Schwa (new American): One of Chicagos most influential and personal restaurants, so good luck getting a reservation. 1466 N. Ashland Ave., 773-252-1466, schwarestaurant.com

LAKEVIEW  Tango Sur (Latin American): Travel to vibrant Argentina at this long-running neighborhood steakhouse. 3763 N. Southport Ave., 773-477-5466, tangosurgrill.com

NORTH PARK  Tre Kronor (Swedish): Skip suburban Ikeas flat-packed version of Swedish culture by hitting up this homey North Park eatery, which serves comforting Scandinavian fare, like aquavit-cured gravlax, Arctic shrimp salad over toast and that perennial favorite, Swedish meatballs. 3258 W. Foster Ave., 773-267-9888, trekronorrestaurant.com

LOGAN SQUARE  Wasabi Sushi and Robata (Japanese): Try the takoyaki, crispy croquettes of octopus drizzled with a savory sauce and Japanese mayo, and topped with pickled ginger, dried seaweed and bonito flakes. 2115 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-697-4286

LOGAN SQUARE  Cellar Door Provisions (American): The quiche is described by reporter Louisa Chu as a quivering custard of golden pastry crust infused with black garlic and French gray shallot. 3025 W. Diversey Ave., 773-697-8337, cellardoorprovisions.com

ARCADIA TERRACE and WICKER PARK  The Angry Crab (Cajun seafood): Expect high-quality seafood at this spot: lobsters, crawfish, Dungeness crab and more. Roll up your sleeves, and dive right in. 5665 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-784-6848. 1308 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-687-9929, theangrycrabchicago.com

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CHINATOWN  Go 4 Food (Chinese): The hot and sour seafood soup is the must-order here. 212 W. 23rd St., 312-842-8688, go4foodusa.com

BRIDGEPORT  Gios Cafe and Deli (Italian): This casual, red checker tablecloth spot serves up affordable Italian favorites like arancini, panini and other deli-style sandwiches. 2724 S. Lowe Ave., 312-225-6368, gioscafe.com

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

HUMBOLDT PARK  Spinning J (American): This bakery and cafe is open for all-day dining, but is well-known for its creative house-made sodas and rotating selection of pies. 1000 N. California Ave., 872-829-2793, spinningj.com

LOGAN SQUARE  L' Patron (Mexican): Reporter Nick Kindelsperger, who ate 234 tacos in a month, says these may be the best steak tacos in the city, but also recommends the fish taco and lengua taco. 3749 W. Fullerton Ave., 773-799-8066, facebook.com/LPATRONTACOS

IRVING PARK  Smoque BBQ (Barbecue): This crowd-favorite on the Northwest Side is known for its tender, smoky ribs and brisket. 3800 N. Pulaski Road, 773-545-7427, smoquebbq.com

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BUCKTOWN  Irazu (Costa Rican): This newly expanded restaurant is known for its vegetarian-friendly fare, and is conveniently located across the street from Red and White wine shop, which specializes in organic, natural and small-production wines. 1865 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-252-5687, irazuchicago.com

LOGAN SQUARE  The Crab Pad (Cajun seafood): Grab some cold beer, and get your seafood-in-a-bag fix at The Crab Pad, but also pungent garlic noodles, crabcakes and spicy wings. 2529 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-360-8332, thecrabpad.com

gwong@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @gracewong630

[ 7 ways to make your BYO wine experience better ]
Sommelier Jennifer Wagoner will take the reins of Sepia's storied wine program in December. (Byrdhouse Public Relations)

The job opening created by Arthur Hons departure from Sepia (123 N. Jefferson St.) and Proxi (565 W. Randolph St.) restaurants has been filled.

Jennifer Wagoner, lead sommelier for StripSteak by Michael Mina in Miami Beach, will be the wine director for both Chicago restaurants, joining the group in mid-December.

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Though shes been overseeing wine service in Miami restaurants for the past 10 years, the Indiana born-and-raised Wagoner is no stranger to Midwest palates or Lake Michigan winters. She takes over a wine program that has earned repeated national awards and recognition.

I love Chicago, she said, and Ive been trying to figure out how to make it back here. This is an awesome opportunity.

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Wagoner noted the brilliant job that Hon established at Sepia and Proxi, and said she plans to ease into her role.

Im not rushing in, she said. Im going to take a very slow, meaningful and thoughtful approach (to the job). I find a lot of joy in just understanding my surroundings, understanding how people are dining and what theyre enjoying. I want to maintain the integrity of Sepias program and slowly add my inspiration to it.

Ive known Arthur for a little while, she said, and hes definitely made it clear that if I need anything to just call. Weve spoken about the importance of staff education. I want to keep things rolling, not make a hard stop.

Wagoner will make her first appearance at Sepia around Dec. 18.

Thats tentative, she said. My dad and I are driving up (in a truck) on the 13th. And I cant wait.

pvettel@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @PhilVettel

[ Sommelier Arthur Hon leaving Sepia ]

[ Proxi, a superior sequel ]
RockSugar Southeast Asian Kitchen executive chef Mohan Ismail makes Vietnamese che sundae, created only for the new Chicago area restaurant in Oakbrook Center mall. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)

From the creator of The Cheesecake Factory, RockSugar Southeast Asian Kitchen will open its first Chicagoland restaurant Dec. 5, not on Michigan Avenue or even in the West Loop, but at Oakbrook Center.

Its the second location for RockSugar, which opened in 2008 also within a shopping mall, in Century City, the Los Angeles neighborhood next to Beverly Hills.

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The Cheesecake Factory founder David Overton and his RockSugar executive chef Mohan Ismail will offer the same menu as in Century City. They carefully note its not fusion, but a showcase of dishes from Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and the chefs native Singapore.

Ismail, previously at Blue Hill, Spice Market and Tabla in New York, said he did create one dish exclusively for the Chicagoland outpost, a Vietnamese che sundae ($9), inspired by his favorite Singaporean dessert, ice kachang, the mixed ice, sweet bean treat.

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The veteran chef may be best known for his appearance last year on the Food Network show Beat Bobby Flay and his winning dish, a take on Hokkien noodles ($15) with shrimp, calamari, egg and bok choy, plus egg and rice noodles, with a side of spicy shrimp sambal sauce.

Hokkien noodles ($15) with shrimp, calamari, egg, bok choy, plus egg and rice noodles, with a side of spicy shrimp sambal sauce at RockSugar Southeast Asian Kitchen. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)

The most popular dishes among his new Oakbrook staff differ from fan favorites at Century City, said Ismail. Here, so far, the staff prefers the Singapore Hainan pork ($14) with slivers of panko-breaded fried meat, sauteed sweet onions and peas, all tossed in a spicy chile sauce.

RockSugar is named for the ingredient (aka rock candy) commonly found in Asian pantries that lends a hint of sweetness and depth to savory recipes. The concepts closest local comparison may be Sunda, where a RockSugar sous-chef recently worked.

Located next to The Cheesecake Factory, near Le Meridien hotel, this RockSugar has been in the planning stages for three years, but was built in only four months from the ground up, or rather from former parking spaces.

Ginger fried rice with Chinese sausage, leeks, crispy garlic and sesame, topped with a sunny side up egg (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)

A lovely lantern-lit outdoor patio illuminates floor-to-ceiling windows along one side. Around the corner, dramatic red double wooden doors open into a theatrical soaring space. A full bar parallels a long communal table. A partition-able private dining room plus open main dining room add seating for 202 total. But intimate spaces can be found in cozy banquettes around the room.

Overhead alcoves house monk statuary, some with palms closed in prayer. Hand-gold-leafed elephants march around and up columns. A techno spa soundtrack plays under conversation.

Instead of bread and butter, or chips and salsa, each table receives complimentary black sesame-flecked papadum crackers with spicy tomato chutney. The crackers are among only a few items not made from scratch in-house  instead imported from India, said Ismail.

Lacquered barbecue ribs with chili, caramel and sesame glaze. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)

A daily so-called Rocktail Hour offers local craft beers on draft and craft cocktails, notably a mai tai ($13) with Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum, a house-made lemongrass and Aperol falernum, plus fresh-squeezed citrus juices.

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Six alcohol-free drinks include a housemade ginger soda ($4.50) with fresh lime juice and lemongrass.

Dishes are designed for sharing, but if you have leftovers, staff will whisk away plates then return not with unruly doggy bags, but a single claim check. When youre ready to leave, your bags will be waiting by the door.

RockSugar will be open for lunch and dinner daily, with takeout and delivery through DoorDash.

Ismail plans to spend one week per month at the Oakbrook RockSugar, he said, in addition to the three times per year he returns home to Singapore to see his mother and sip melting ice kachang in the perpetually tropical heat and humidity.

RockSugar Southeast Asian Kitchen; Oakbrook Center, 2022 Spring Road, Oak Brook; 630-320-2641; www.rocksugarkitchen.com

lchu@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @louisachu

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Former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown, seen here in 2007, came to Chicago on Nov. 29, 2017, to discuss her new book, The Vanity Fair Diaries: 1983-1992."

Former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown, seen here in 2007, came to Chicago on Nov. 29, 2017, to discuss her new book, The Vanity Fair Diaries: 1983-1992." (AP photos)

In 1987, then-Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown decided to excerpt Donald Trumps Art of the Deal.

At the time, she wrote this about the future presidents tome: It feels, when you have finished it, as if youve been nose to nose for four hours with an entertaining con man, and I suspect the American public will like nothing better.

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Brown, who also was editor at The New Yorker, met Trump shortly thereafter and while some might have been upset about her commentary  not Trump, she recalled during an appearance in Chicago on Wednesday.

"I met him at a dinner party and he was happy with me because I had done this extract," said Brown, who sat down with Chicago Tribune columnist Heidi Stevens at the University Club of Chicago to discuss her new book, The Vanity Fair Diaries: 1983-1992, among other topics.

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If I could speak to my younger self, I would say patience, patience, patience,  she said. And I would say dont go work for Harvey Weinstein.

In 1998, Brown resigned as editor of The New Yorker to work with Weinstein on a new multimedia company. It wastwo decades before sexual misconduct allegations would be made against the Hollywood producer  and she had not heard any rumors to that end at the time  but she described him as a paranoid bully.

He was quite dark actually. He was a very paranoid man, she said. It was like Goodfellas. 

In 2013, Brown left her position as editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast to launch Tina Brown Media. Asked if she would consider writing a sequel to her Vanity Fair memoir, Brown said the missing volume was lost in a suitcase with a years worth of diaries from her time at The New Yorker.

If anybody finds it, please let me know, she said.

nmoreno@chicagotribune

Twitter @nereidamorenos
Embattled actor Johnny Depp, engrossed in a multimillion-dollar legal battle with his former business managers, is seeking records from a Chicago-area hedge fund, including any communications relating to Mayor Rahm Emanuels Hollywood mogul brother.

The "Pirates of the Caribbean star and his new business manager in January filed a $25 million lawsuit against The Management Group, a Beverly Hills, Calif.-based company founded by brothers Joel and Rob Mandel, alleging it defrauded Depp out of millions over 17 years.

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A few weeks later, the Mandels countersued for hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid management fees, alleging that Depp had ignored repeated warnings about his finances and continued spending $2 million a month, including $200,000 a month for private flights and a $30,000 monthly wine bill.

In court papers filed in Cook County Circuit Court this week, Depps lawyers subpoenaed records from Lionheart L.P., a Wilmette-based hedge fund. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings list the Mandel brothers as directors of the company.

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Lionheart allegedly received more than $2 million from a trust held by the actor despite the fact that (the Mandels) possessed direct ownership interests in the company, Depp's attorneys said in a separate legal filing. The filing alleged that TMG had Depp invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in at least three other companies owned by TMG employees.

In court papers, the Mandels have said TMG and Depp jointly invested in Lionheart and that the actor cashed out at a profit in 2008.

In an email Thursday, TMG attorney Michael Kump reiterated that point: "Johnny Depp is subpoenaing documents about an investment that he was cashed out of close to 10 years ago at a profit.

The subpoenas from Depps attorneys, filed Wednesday, also seek any communications the hedge fund, its directors or TMG had that relate to Ari Emanuel, the Hollywood mogul who runs the talent agency WME-IMG.

TMG defended the mayors brother.

Ari Emanuel had absolutely nothing to do with that investment, Kump wrote in an email to the Tribune. Depp knows that his claims against TMG are utterly baseless and is simply trying to harass TMG."

Court filings here do not explain why Depps attorneys want those records, but last summer Vanity Fair quoted Ari Emanuel as saying the Mandels are true, honest, loyal brokers whom hed trusted with his own finances.

Katrina Dela Cruz, one of Depps attorneys, declined to comment Wednesday on the subpoenas.

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Representatives for Lionheart could not be reached for comment.

The Los Angeles Times reported in August that several federal agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, had launched probes of TMG.

The dueling lawsuits dont completely explain why Depp, who has earned hundreds of millions of dollars during his career, is in such financial jeopardy. Depp reportedly paid $7 million in his divorce earlier this year from actress Amber Heard.

But court papers filed by TMG allege that Depp spent $75 million on some 14 homes, including a French chateau and a chain of islands in the Bahamas. He also put together a large art collection with works by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol.

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Depp, who starred in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas also spent more than $3 million blasting the ashes of his friend gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson from a 15-story canon outside Thompson's Aspen, Colo., home in 2005.

TMG took a 5 percent cut of Depp's earnings and the actor gave $10 million to his family and friends, the filing alleges. He provided more than $400,000 to his close friend, the actor James Russo, to help Russo keep his home. He also gave over $260,000 to his friend Jonathan Shaw, a self-described outlaw artist and son of jazz icon Artie Shaw, who needed help after being arrested on charges of possessing an AK-47 assault rifle and three other guns along with 96 knives and more than 2,800 rounds of ammunition.

A date for the trial, which will take place in California, has tentatively been set for Aug. 15.

sschmadeke@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @SteveSchmadeke
Chris Ligon and Heather McAdams of "Chris and Heather's Country Calendar Show," at their home on Nov. 29, 2017, in Chicago. The 20th anniversary of the show is scheduled for Saturday, December 9 at FitzGerald's. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Chris Ligon and Heather McAdams annual country calendar shows are a holiday-season staple in Chicago, a multimedia event that in its all-encompassing quirkiness embodies what the citys indie music and art scenes are about.

Though there are films, live performances and an air of unpredictability that make the event a must-see, at the heart of it is McAdams country calendar, which is, among other things, a celebration of trivia. For example:

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What 60s pop vocal group played with Frank Zappa and also sang back-up on both T. Rexs Get it On and Bruce Springsteens Hungry Heart? Who said the following while listening to new country radio: The worst thing about this song is that its going to be followed by another one just like it? What one-hit wonder from the 50s had a song that appeared on both The American Graffiti soundtrack and a ubiquitous TV ad for a hair-removal product?

The answers are supplied within McAdams hand-illustrated annual celebration of the year ahead and the long-ago music that led up to it. The nationally renowned artists 2018 edition veers a touch from the all-country beginnings of the calendar a quarter-century ago. Its titled Heathers Lil Folk, Rock, Pop and Country Calendar, because it includes outliers such as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Diana Lee with the Royal Teens and Mel Torme in addition to Grand Ol Opry favorite Ray Price.

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How many times can you draw Hank Williams? McAdams says, before explaining that the calendars content is dictated as much by the rare 16-mm films she can acquire as it is by personal taste. The films are a centerpiece of the couples country calendar show, which marks its 20th anniversary Dec. 9 at FitzGeralds.

As McAdams husband and collaborator, Ligon puts together the lineup charged with covering the songs of the calendar artists. This years performers include the Flat Five, a local all-star combo with Ligons younger brother, Scott Ligon; Devil in the Woodpile; and Jane Baxter Miller and Kent Kessler, among others.

The Flat Five, who will cover a song by the Turtles, are among Chris Ligons biggest fans. The groups 2016 debut album, Its a World of Love and Hope (Bloodshot), consists entirely of the musicians songs. Ligon has been steadily churning out albums for decades, from self-released cassettes to releases on the indie label run by NRBQ keyboardist Terry Adams. Like his wifes calendars, Ligons songs flow between boundaries, each delighting in its genre-free eccentricity. He says he was thrilled by the Flat Five album and notes that the group is working on a second volume of his songs.

Scott (Ligon) and I were doing stuff since he was a baby  I remember watching him perform as a 10-year-old in Peoria, Ligon says.

He was paid in pork sandwiches, McAdams adds.

The couple revels in the off-beat and the out-of-the-way corners of American culture. For a time in the late 90s they ran the Record Roundup store on the North Side, a treasure trove of arty arcana and novelties. After the rent got too steep, they shipped off for a few years to Delaware to help care for McAdams aging parents. Each year, they would dutifully return to Chicago to maintain the country calendar show tradition, and 10 years ago they moved back to their adopted home.

McAdams, who studied at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1978-81, was always drawn to the citys vibrant music scene as a muse for her interests in art, photography and film. In Ligon, she found a natural co-conspirator, one who appreciated the wonders to be found in the cultural margins as much as she did.

It may be hard to believe for some people, but they have better country music here than a lot of places associated with country music, McAdams says. The people who come here find they have the freedom to do what they want, and that leads to a lot of people exploring different kinds of music.

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She scours everything from garage sales and flea markets to eBay in search of 16-mm films of musicians in action to fuel her country calendar dreams. I dont think people get that excited when they hear about 16-mm films, but when they actually see them, they notice the difference, she says. Its 24 frames per second going by. Its the closest you can get to seeing some of these people play live.

Ligon and McAdams are especially excited about showing a Buffalo Springfield mini-medley dug up from a 60s variety show and a Royal Teens performance of Short Shorts, a 50s one-off that turned into a catchphrase decades later. They also get revved up when talking about some of the live performances theyve lined up, including a live recreation of a Les Paul-Mary Ford recording, with guitarist Joel Patterson accompanied by Kelly Hogan and Nora OConnor channeling Fords double-tracked vocals. Theyre also psyched about one nonmusical entertainer in particular.

We have a new Hula-Hoop Girl,  Ligon notes. Megan Malone used to do Hula-Hoop to music  we found her on Touhy (Rogers Park) Beach. But she enlisted in the Army and had to bail out. Fortunately, we saw Emma Bice at Prop Theatre, and shes fantastic. Shes going to perform to a Flat Five song.

Her hoops light up, McAdams adds. Were looking forward to that.

Greg Kot co-hosts Sound Opinions at 8 p.m. Friday and 2 and 11 p.m. Saturday on WBEZ-FM 91.5.

Greg Kot is a Tribune critic.

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greg@gregkot.com

Twitter @gregkot

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Russell Simmons is stepping down from his companies after being accused of sexual assault by the writer Jenny Lumet. In a guest column in the Hollywood Reporter, Lumet accuses the Def Jam co-founder of forcing her to have sex in 1991. In a statement, Simmons said he had a different recollection of their encounter, but said that Lumet's "feelings of fear and intimidation are real." He apologized to Lumet, who is the daughter of director Sidney Lumet and the screenwriter behind "Rachel Getting Married."

"There is so much guilt, and so much shame," Lumet wrote in her column. "There is an excruciating internal reckoning. As a woman of color, I cannot express how wrenching it is to write this about a successful man of color. Again, shame about who I was years ago, choices made years ago. In this very moment, I feel a pang to protect your daughters. I don't think you are inclined to protect mine."

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For his part, Simmons said, "While I have never been violent, I have been thoughtless and insensitive in some of my relationships over many decades and I sincerely and humbly apologize."

In addition to his music work, Simmons is a successful film and television producer and the founder of such clothing fashion lines as Phat Farm and Tantris. This isn't the first time he has been accused of harassment or assault. Earlier this month, model Keri Claussen Khalighi accused Simmons of forcing her to have sex. She said the businessman worked in conjunction with director Brett Ratner to lure her to his apartment. Another woman, Tanya Reid, also accused Simmons of pressuring her to perform oral sex on Ratner. Both men deny the allegations.

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Simmons did say that the culture is going through "a time of great transition," and said he did not want to be a distraction from the work of his companies. He also plans to convert a studio he founded for yogic science into a not-for-profit center of learning and healing.

"The companies will now be run by a new and diverse generation of extraordinary executives who are moving the culture and consciousness forward," said Simmons, adding, "As for me, I will step aside and commit myself to continuing my personal growth, spiritual learning, and, above all, to listening."

Simmons is the latest high profile figure to become engulfed in a sexual harassment or assault scandal. In recent weeks, Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose, and John Lasseter have all been dogged by claims of sexual misdeeds or crimes.

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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)
Israel Horovitz, the longtime playwright-director who helmed the 2014 film My Old Lady, has been accused of sexual misconduct by nine women.

The women came forward in a report in the New York Times, speaking on the record about allegations that stretch back to 1986, and one of which occurred as recently as last year. One rape is alleged, as are multiple instances of forced kissing and groping.

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Gloucester Stage, the Massachusetts theater where he was founding artistic director, severed ties to Horovitz after learning of the allegations last week, according to the Times. Executives at Gloucester Stage couldnt be reached for immediate comment.

Horovitz has written some 70 plays and regularly served as a mentor to young writers, some of whom are among his accusers. His plays includes Park Your Car in Harvard Yard (1991); My Old Lady, the 2002 play he adapted into a film that starred Maggie Smith, Kevin Kline and Kristin Scott Thomas; and Out of the Mouths of Babes, which premiered last year in a small off-Broadway production at the Cherry Lane Theater.

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Horovitz had previously been accused of sexual misconduct in a 1993 investigation by the Boston Phoenix, but those allegations never led to any action from Gloucester Stages board. The boards current president, Elizabeth Neumeier, has since apologized to the women who came forward in the Phoenix.

Neither Horovitz or his representative could be reached immediately for comment. The playwright told the times that he had a different memory of some of these events, but apologized to any woman who has ever felt compromised by my actions.

Horovitzs son, Beastie Boys founder Adam Horovitz, released a statement standing behind the women.

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[ Matt Lauer was the king of 'Today,' but his reign was not benevolent ]
Now it is Paul Childs turn.

The man best known today for his marriage to Julia Child (and his portrayal by Stanley Tucci in the 2009 hit move Julie & Julia), brought his bride to Paris in 1948 when he took a job as cultural attache fo

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r the U.S. Information Service. It was he who knew France, and good food and fascinating art. Julia? Well, she was an eager student looking for her true calling. The pair stopped for lunch in Rouen on their first day in France, and Paul ordered oysters and sole meuniere. Well, you know what happened next to Julia: That lunch sparked something within her that would ultimately change American cooking, cookbooks and television.

A new book France Is a Feast: The Photographic Journey of Paul and Julia Child tells the story of that fateful time from Pauls perspective, as revealed in letters, sketches and, wonderfully, some 225 black-and-white photographs  many of them never seen before publicly.

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Alex Prudhomme and Katie Pratt are co-authors of the book. Brooklyn, N.Y.-based writer Prudhomme is a great-nephew of Paul Childs. He helped Aunt Julia with her posthumously published memoir, My Life in France (2006), which served as a partial base for the Julie & Julia movie. He later wrote a book about Julias astonishing career upon her return to the United States in 1961 titled, The French Chef in America: Julia Childs Second Act, which has just been released in paperback (Anchor Books, $17). Pratt is a photography curator living in Napa, Calif. Her parents were close friends of the Childs, and Paul Child gave her art lessons as a child.

Alex and I grew up knowing Paul and Julia, Pratt said recently by telephone. For both Alex and I, this is a personal tribute, and were both happy with it.

The Childs were in France until 1954, Prudhomme noted during a talk and book signing in November at the University Club of Chicago. The photographs taken by Paul Child include landscapes, abstracts, architectural studies, man/woman-on-the-street and, yes, his wife. There are photos of the then-unknown Julia in the kitchen, of course, but there are snaps of the Childs discovering France  and each other.

You are seeing them as young people finding themselves, and you see Paris, and Marseilles and the countryside in those post-war years before they were built up, Prudhomme said.

Julia Child considered her husband a photographer of note, as Prudhomme put it. And Paul Childs photographs are quite good; one appreciates the keen attention to form and line, the graceful repetitions of tree trunks or bridge arches, the interplay of darkness and light. His sense of humor is clearly evident, too, as in a photograph of Julia on the telephone and all one sees are her long, long legs sticking out of the booth.

Leafing through the 225 photographs in the book, one can see why the great Edward Steichen came for lunch and left with six of Paul Childs works for the Museum of Modern Art collection. (Prudhomme said one of those photographs is included in the book: a memorial plaque to a Resistance fighter of World War II on a bullet-pocked wall.)

Pratt said what marks all of Paul Childs work is that the compositions are incredibly well-balanced.

Paul Child displayed a photojournalists instinct at times, Prudhomme said, using the books cover photograph of Julia Child outdoors as an example.

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The cover shot, which appears to be sort of a simple photograph, is an example of Paul using that decisive moment technique, because he happens to catch Julia as shes looking over her shoulder. The sun is on her face. Theres a cloud on her shoulder. Its a beautifully composed photograph taken at a picnic. If you see the outtakes, shes looking down and everything is a mess. He happened to get that one instant. It speaks to that instinct he had. Even taking a snapshot, he was composing with his minds eye.

I often wonder what he would think of Instagram and cellphones, added Prudhomme with a chuckle. On the one hand, he would love it because it is a sort of the democratization of photography. But on the other hand, he had this discerning eye, and he would dismiss a lot of it as garbage because its not particularly composed.

Publication of this book coincides with an exhibit of Paul Childs photographs at the Napa Valley Museum, in Yountville, Calif. The show runs through Feb. 18 and is curated by Pratt, who had talked to Paul Child before his death in 1994 about showing the work in either an exhibit or book.

He was flattered but nothing happened in his lifetime, said Pratt, who also broached the idea with Julia Child. She was 200 percent for the project. But this book, Pratt added, had to wait for Julia Childs memoir to come out. Pratt said there were thousands of Paul Childs negatives stored in the homes of various relatives and her parents house. Originally, she had thought of producing a coffee table art book of Paul Childs photographs, but then she realized there was so much biographical information to go with it. Paul Child, she said, meticulously organized his negatives and kept a log book in which he recorded information about every photograph. He kept a journal and was a prolific letter writer too.

Paul left a perfect trail, said Pratt, adding she and Prudhomme decided to narrow the scope of the book of photographs to those years in France and make it a visual followup to Julia Childs memoir.

Prudhomme said a sequel to this photography book is possible  either a full-color overview of his entire body of work, as envisioned by Pratt, or perhaps a second book could be paired up with photographs of the 1960s and 1970s, the period covered in The French Chef in America. It was a time of the couples highest and lowest points, Prudhomme said. Julia Child had undergone a radical masectomy in 1968, and, in 1974, Paul Child had a botched heart bypass operation from which, Prudhomme said, he never fully recovered. Yet Prudhomme said Paul Child continued to take photos, paint and write when he could.

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Pratt said Paul Child left enough photographs for several books. Shes particularly interested in his work from the 1920s and 1930s (before he met Julia), which she described as very strong.

Paul Child once described himself as the unseen part of the iceberg that became his wifes stardom, Prudhomme said, pointing out that after his retirement in 1961 from diplomatic service, Paul worked to support Julias skyrocketing career. That the focus is now returning to Paul Child and his photographs  thanks in large measure to Julias fame  seems a neat circular progression.

How would Paul Child react to this book?

I think hed hed be very pleased, said Prudhomme. He was a modest guy but, again, I think he was ambitious for his work. I think he would have loved a celebration of it. And Julia, for sure, would have loved it. She very much wanted something like this to happen and gave Katie permission to do that. I think shed be very pleased Katie and I teamed up and got it done.

wdaley@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter: @billdaley

France

By Alex Prudhomme and Katie Pratt, Thames & Hudson, 208 pages, $35
CHARLOTTE, N.C.  The doctor warned breast cancer patient Joelle Smith that her hair would fall out on Day 14 of chemotherapy treatment in 2002.



The prediction came true two weeks later when her hair started coming out in chunks while she washed it in the shower, so her husband helped her shave her head.



"I just felt like I stood out as a cancer patient," Smith said. "I didn't want that to be what people saw me as."



Smith went into remission, but was diagnosed with stage 4 four breast cancer in 2012. After trying a few other types of treatments, she learned this summer that she would have to go through chemotherapy once more.



But this time, she kept her hair thanks to a device new to Charlotte.



Many may not have heard of the DigniCap Scalp Cooling System because of the high cost, which insurance doesn't normally cover. The system also isn't common, with only two in North Carolina. The long treatment process can also be uncomfortable.



Oncology Specialists of Charlotte obtained one of the devices in March. Another is at Wake Forest Baptist Health Comprehensive Cancer Center in Winston-Salem. In July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded its use to treat all patients receiving chemotherapy for solid tumor cancers. Previously, it was just for breast cancer patients.



Smith, 51, was told about the treatment option when she learned she would have to go through chemotherapy once more daunting news.



Just the word "chemo" reminded her of feeling sick and tired, and losing her hair.



Back in 2002, Smith was bald for about six months and during that time, she wore lots of hats and bought a wig she never used.



"I couldn't wait for it to grow back," she said.



Smith decided to use the DigniCap system, factoring in an out-of-pocket cost of $400 a treatment, not covered by insurance. In total, Smith said she paid $3,200 for 8 times using the treatment, but she finished chemotherapy keeping her hair.



"It's been worth it," she said.



Dignitana, which makes DigniCap devices, hopes to add more locations in North Carolina, said spokeswoman Melissa Bourestom.



"While scalp cooling does not yet have universal insurance coverage, we are working with third-party payers to change that and also work with patients directly to assist them in filing for reimbursement where available based on their insurance plan and coverage," she said.



To those who can't afford the system or similar devices, a national nonprofit, HairToStay, offers need-based grants to help patients pay some of the cost.



The maximum subsidy is usually about $1,000, according to the organization. Patients whose income is 300 percent of the federal poverty level, or $36,180 for an individual or $73,800 for a family of four, would qualify.



HairToStay offers subsidies for other cold cap treatments, including kits that can be shipped to patients: Arctic Cold Caps, Chemo Cold Caps, Penguin Cold Caps and Wishcaps.



Patients sometimes use online fundraisers to raise money for the treatments.



Charlotte also has services for women who lose their hair during chemotherapy, including Carolina Breast Friends, which offers services at 1607 E. Morehead St. at the Pink House.



"We provide wigs and scarves free to women with breast cancer," said Pamela Young of Carolina Breast Friends. "Many women come in with a friend or family member, and we make the experience as positive and fun as we can in our try-on room."



The organization also holds a monthly "Be Beautiful, Be You" workshop with a fashion consultant that teaches wig, scarf and make-up styling and celebrates the intrinsic beauty of each woman, she said.



For patients who choose scalp cooling treatment, not everyone will keep all of their hair. In an FDA clinical trial of 101 women who used the DigniCap system, about two-thirds lost less than half of their hair.



For Smith, using the system meant a long process that she described as uncomfortable.



First, she soaked her hair with water, then parted her hair down the middle and put on a papery blue bonnet to hold moisture against her head. Next, she put on the tight-fitting silicone cooling cap, followed by an insulating neoprene cap, like the material used in wetsuits. Then Velcro straps held everything in place close to the scalp.



The caps are really tight and once on, she said she would stay cold for four hours.



"Liquid coolant circulates throughout the silicone cap, delivering consistent and controlled cooling to all areas of the scalp," according to Dignitana.



The scalp is cooled to just above freezing, "reducing delivery of chemotherapy to the scalp," according to Dignitana.



Even during July and August she would struggle to warm up.



"I would get in my car that is probably 100 degrees (Fahrenheit) in the middle of summer, and I would drive all the way home for about 20 minutes with the windows up and the air turned off," Smith said. "Just baking, and it would feel so good to me."



Besides helping patients keep some hair, the DigniCap system also allows hair to grow back faster, said Dr. Dipika Misra, who works at Oncology Specialists of Charlotte.



"It does help that they are not faced with their cancer diagnosis everyday when they look in the mirror," she said.



Keeping her hair made going through chemotherapy a lot easier, Smith said.



Recent scans have shown no sign of cancer, Smith said, but she is continuing with another chemotherapy drug that doesn't result in hair loss, to keep treating microscopic cancer cells that are likely still around.



Her thick blond hair is cut to just below her ears, a longer style than what she had been wearing before the treatments.



That was a precaution in case she needed to cover thinning or spottiness.



During the time she was receiving treatments, she had to be careful with heat products, and could not wash her hair as often or dye it.



"I was worried about my gray roots for sure," she said.



But those soon will be gone she has a hair color appointment scheduled in December.






Mayor Rahm Emanuel talks in the shell of an unfinished train station about the prospects for an express train station being built there. Nov. 29, 2017 (John Byrne / Chicago Tribune)

The lofty plan to build an express transit line between downtown Chicago and OHare International Airport might not even include rails if tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has his way.

Taking to Twitter this week, Musk confirmed his The Boring Co. will bid on the transit project  months after he and City Hall conferred about how it could be done. In one tweet, Musk suggested he wanted to use some aspects of his hyperloop technology  which reportedly involves propelling people in pods via an underground vaccuum-type tube  to build the line.

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Electric pods for sure. Rails maybe, maybe not, Musk wrote in a tweet late Wednesday in response to a question about his companys interest in the project. Hours after Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced preliminary steps in his bid to launch the service, Musks company listed a high-speed OHare service as a project in the works. The company wants to fund, build and operate the service, according to its website.

The hyperloop technology Musks company is proposing uses electric motors and magnets to transport train cars through a low-pressure tube, the Baltimore Sun reported in a story about a Maryland project. Musk tweeted that the technology for the proposed OHare express service would kinda be the same.

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A Loop is like a Hyperloop, but without drawing a vacuum inside the tube, Musk tweeted. Dont need to get rid of air friction for short routes.

In August, the Tribune reported Emanuels emails showed Antonio Garcia of Chicago-based Valor Equity helped start conversations between the mayor and Musk about the technology. Valor Equity has invested in Musks SpaceX company. Garcia and his wife contributed $22,700 to the mayors campaign fund, the Tribune reported.

It isnt the first time Musks tweets have caused a stir about the way city dwellers commute. Earlier this year he tweeted he that had gotten a verbal approval to build a high-speed system that would get commuters within 30 minutes from New York City to Washington, D.C.

emalagon@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @ElviaMalagon
Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y., center, answers questions as members of the House Democratic Caucus depart a meeting on Capitol Hill on Nov 29, 2017, in the wake of reports of sexual misconduct by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich. (J. Scott Applewhite / AP)

I dont know U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice, a former prosecutor and Democrat of New York.

But I would like to give her a gift. Why?

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Because shes been extremely impressive, taking a stand on Democratic sexual predators in Congress, having the guts to call out members of her own Democratic Party.

Rice has even defied the boss Democrat, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. And any time a member of Congress takes such a stand, we should all take notice.

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And Rice has also been adept at ridiculing a bad habit among members of Congress. Theyre talkers. And they talk and talk and talk and do nothing.

Congress loves to talk and talk about how we should all be treated equally. But Congress has a multimillion-dollar secret slush fund to pay settlements in Capitol Hill workplace disputes that include sexual harassment.

The victims have to sign nondisclosure agreements to protect the identities of those accused of assault.

Rice and a few others, on both sides of the aisle, find this abhorrent and are offering legislation to change it.

Yet Democrats U.S. Rep. John Shorts Conyers is still in office. Sen. Al Fish Lips Franken is still in office. Both are alleged assaulters of women.

Franken wont quit. Conyers wont quit, and the Congressional Black Caucus that he helped found is defending him.

Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, who allegedly trolled shopping malls for high school girls when he was in his 30s, is still viable in his campaign.

And Congress talks and talks.

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All the talking brings to mind someone dear to me, my late grandfather, Papou Pete. He left me something when he died. It wasnt money. So its probably all right if I offer it to Rep. Rice.

He had a favorite bipartisan saying about politicians that applies especially today: When they speak, the donkeys break wind.

I dont have the time to engrave it on anything, so if you see Congresswoman Rice, please give her this column as a token for standing up for Americans who are sick of all the talking.

Rice gives me some small hope that on issues that matter, tribalism isnt everything. And sexual harassment in the workplace matters to Democratic women and Republican women and men who love them.

She has publicly demanded the resignations of Franken and Conyers. And shes part of a bipartisan effort pushing a bill to release the names of the sexual predators who use the slush fund.

The other day, Rice had been in a Democratic caucus meeting chaired by Pelosi  who stupidly defended Conyers and called him an icon  and finally Rice had enough.

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She walked out. All they were doing in there was talking.

Were not talking about the elephant in the room, Rice told reporters. And thats why I was done with the meeting. I dont have time for conversations that are not real.

I wonder if her Irish grandfather had a similar saying.

Rice pointed out that in the real world  not Congress  sexual predators are dealt with differently. In the show-biz-heavy environment of celebrity broadcast journalism, people get fired.

NBC, for example, fired Today Show anchor Matt Lauer for a history of sexually preying on female subordinates. CBS and PBS fired the old liberal open bathrobe himself, Charlie Rose. Fox News fired boss Roger Ailes and family values anchor Bill OReilly.

And Minnesota Public Radio fired its own icon  and I use the word advisedly  Garrison Keillor, for inappropriate touching.

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Holy liberal Lake Wobegon, is nothing sacred? It almost makes you long for the days when Brian Williams was exiled for making up stories about his heroic exploits.

As she left the Pelosi meeting, Rice talked about how news anchors were punished and that members of Congress were treated with deference.

That discrepancy, she said, breeds cynicism and hurts the nation. Of course shes right.

Congress makes the laws. There shouldnt be two sets of standards, one for congressmen with a tax-subsidized sexual harassment slush fund, and another for the rest of us.

We show no moral authority whatsoever as a body, Rice said. This is why only 6 percent of Americans think that Congress is doing a good job.

You see the actions that CBS and NBC take when there are allegations of very well-known men in positions of power, Rice said.

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And we dont do the same. And I think its a disgrace.

Of course it is a disgrace. All of it is disgraceful.

Many Democrats want Conyers and Franken to stay right where they are to keep supporting liberal policies.

And many Republicans  including President Donald Trump  would rather have teen-trolling Republican Moore in the Senate than seat a liberal Democrat whod vote in support of abortions and against a tax cut.

Didnt character count, once?

So how did we get to this disgraceful place where character doesnt count?

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It goes back to President Bill Clinton, a Democrat who lied under oath in a sexual harassment case.

By todays Democratic political standards, Clinton was a sexual predator. But he was supported, vigorously, with much Democratic tribal outrage, and his female accusers were defamed and trashed by the cultural elites.

On Dec. 19, 1998, the day Clinton was impeached, congressional Democrats went in droves to the White House. They stood in a large group in a great show of partisan support.

Character didnt count. But tribalism sure counted.

So they talked and they talked and talked some more.

And the donkeys? They werent in the news photos. But America knew they were there.

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Listen to "The Chicago Way" podcast, with John Kass and Jeff Carlin, at http://wgnradio.com/category/wgn-plus/thechicagoway.

jskass@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @John_Kass

[ RELATED: Charlie Rose, the time for honoring yourself is at an end ]

[ Sen. Franken should take a long walk along the shores of frozen Lake Wobegon ]

[ Rep. Conyers has no plans to resign amid sexual harassment claims, his lawyer says ]

[ A message to Roy Moore from his accuser: 'I am done being silent' ]

[ NBC fires Matt Lauer over 'inappropriate sexual behavior' ]
At least six people were shot in Chicago between Thursday morning and early Friday, including a 28-year-old man critically wounded on the West Side, according to police.



The man was shot in the lower back about 5:40 p.m. in the 3700 block of West Huron Street in the East Garfield Park neighborhood. He was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, police said.



The man was in his car when someone pulled up and began shooting at him, according to police. The man apparently continued to drive for a short distance and his car came to rest at Homan and Chicago avenues.



At the scene, Ambulance 64 backed down Homan onto Chicago and then left for Stroger Hospital. Police draped red crime tape across Homan north of Chicago. People watched from the front of a corner store across the street. A couple of officers remained behind to guard the scene.



The shooting came a little less than 24 hours after another man was shot in the same block.



In another serious shooting, a 36-year-old man was wounded just after 8:25 p.m. in the 3100 block of West Cermak Road in the Little Village neighborhood, according to police. He told officers a light-colored sedan pulled up next to him and someone inside started shooting.



The man suffered a gunshot wound to the back and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition. Police earlier said the shooting happened in the 2200 block of South Troy Street.



Other shootings



 On the West Side just before 12:10 a.m. Friday, a 34-year-old man suffered a graze wound to the right side of his face, police said. The man was standing in a gas station in the 400 block of South Pulaski Road when someone came up to him and started shooting. The man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.



 In the Far South Side's Longwood Manor neighborhood, a 35-year-old man was shot just before 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the 10200 block of South Vincennes Avenue, according to police. The man suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition, police said.



 On the North Side, a 24-year-old woman was accidentally shot by a man she knew in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, officials said. The shooting happened around 1:30 p.m. in the 2300 block of North Ashland Avenue in a residence. The woman suffered a wound to the hip and was taken in good condition to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, police said.



 On the South Side about 9:30 a.m., a male victim reported he was shot in the Englewood neighborhood in the 6800 block of South Perry Avenue, police said. The victim, whose age was not available, went to St. Bernard Hospital with a wound to the leg, police said.



Chicago Tribune reporter Peter Nickeas contributed.
A Chicago man sentenced to 20 years in prison for shooting his girlfriend in North Dakota this year killed the girlfriend's cousin in 2016 after she told the girlfriend the man had been flirting with her, prosecutors said Wednesday.

David White Jr., 26, was ordered held without bail Wednesday in the June 6, 2016, killing of Fatima Muhammad, 19, whose body was found behind a vacant home in the 6000 block of South Aberdeen Street on June 11, 2016, according to prosecutors and court records.

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White was arrested March 19 in the shooting of his girlfriend  Muhammad's cousin and the mother of White's child  in West Fargo, N.D., according to prosecutors and police. He has since pleaded guilty to attempted murder in the West Fargo shooting and been sentenced to 20 years in prison, according to prosecutors and court records.

The chain of events began the night of June 6, 2016, when White's girlfriend was driving him and Muhammad home in her minivan, with Muhammad in the back seat, according to prosecutors.

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Muhammad told White's girlfriend that White had been flirting with her, and White got angry, prosecutors said. White pulled out a gun and shot Muhammad in the head, then threatened to shoot his girlfriend if she ran away, prosecutors said.

White's girlfriend drove to his sister's house in the 9700 block of South Halsted Street and pulled into the garage, prosecutors said. White went and got plastic bags, a laundry bag and gloves, then put a plastic bag over Muhammad's head and put her body in the laundry bag.

White put plastic bags on the floor of a closet in the house, brought Muhammad's body inside, and hid the body in the closet, prosecutors said. He then cut out part of the minivan's floor mat because it was covered in blood.

White and his girlfriend went back to his sister's home with the minivan June 10, and after White covered the floor of the minivan with plastic bags, he took Muhammad's body from inside the house and put it in the van, prosecutors said. They drove to near 60th Street and Aberdeen Avenue and put Muhammad's body behind a vacant house.

To cover up what he'd done, White threatened to kill his girlfriend, prosecutors said.

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White's girlfriend went to Duluth, Minn., to stay with a sister of hers and escape White, prosecutors said. At some point, she told her sister what had happened and went to the Duluth police and told them about the killing.

On June 11, Chicago police, acting on information from the Duluth police, found Muhammad's body, wrapped in a blanket and hidden in a bag behind the vacant building in the 6000 block of South Aberdeen, prosecturos said. Muhammad was officially pronounced dead at the scene at 6:53 p.m., according to the medical examiner's office.

Following an autopsy, the medical examiner's office determined Muhammad died of a gunshot to the head, according to a spokesman for the office. A fragment of a .22-caliber bullet was found lodged in her skull, prosecutors said.

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Sometime that same day, White was drinking at Muhammad's house  according to the medical examiner, she lived in the 9300 block of South Ada Street  and passed out, prosecutors said. Someone at the house saw that White had passed out. That person took a .22-caliber handgun from his waistband and a note in his pocket in which he confessed to killing Muhammad, prosecutors said.

Someone later turned over the gun and the note to police.

Handwriting samples from White matched the handwriting in the note turned over to police, prosecutors said. Blood samples from the minivan also matched Muhammad's DNA, according to prosecutors.

Early on March 19, West Fargo police were called to the home where White was then living with his girlfriend after he shot her in the face, according to police. White has since pled guilty to attempted murder in the shooting and been sentenced to 20 years in prison, according to prosecutors and North Dakota court records.

On March 30, Chicago police obtained a murder warrant for White's arrest, according to court records. White, of the 6700 block of South Chappel Avenue, was sentenced in North Dakota, he was recently extradited to Chicago to face the murder charge, according to prosecutors.
Police are looking for Ivory Spiller, 71, who went missing from the 1700 block of West Wallen Avenue in Rogers Park on Nov. 29, 2017.

Chicago police are searching for a 71-year-old man with a cognitive disability who went missing from the Rogers Park neighborhood on the Far North Side on Wednesday, authorities said.

Ivory Spiller was last seen in the 1700 block of West Wallen Avenue, police said.

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He was wearing black jogging pants with a blue stripe, a pink shirt, a black leather jacket and a pair of gray gym shoes.

Spiller is 5-foot-6, 135 pounds and has brown eyes with black and gray hair, police said.

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Anyone who finds him should call area north special victims unit at 312-744-8266.
Former Chicago police Detective Joseph Frugoli was never tested for alcohol the night in 2008 he ran a stop sign and T-boned a squad car after a six-hour visit to an Indiana casino.

Although one of the injured officers noticed Frugolis eyes were glassy, the veteran homicide detective was placed in a sergeants squad car, handed two minor traffic tickets and driven home before he was ever even questioned.

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A little over a year later, Frugoli had a blood alcohol content about four times the legal limit when his SUV plowed into a disabled vehicle on the Dan Ryan Expressway in April 2009, killing two young men trapped in the fiery wreckage.

By the time a state trooper arrived at the hospital to arrest Frugoli, a high-ranking Chicago police official acting as street deputy that night was already there  and prevented Frugoli from making any statements.

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Mr. Frugoli sat up and said, I wasnt driving. Did you find the other guy? Trooper Garrett Lindroth testified this week in federal court. The street deputy put a hand on Frugolis shoulder and told him to be quiet and just let the trooper do his job.

Whether Frugoli was protected by his fellow cops is at the center of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the families of the two men who perished in the 2009 crash  Andrew Cazares and Fausto Manzera. The suit alleges the Police Departments so-called code of silence led Frugoli to believe that he could drink and drive with impunity.

The city has denied that any code of silence influenced Frugolis decisions that night and argues that taxpayers should not be on the hook because the crash occurred while he was off duty.

On Thursday, Frugoli, brought from prison, where he is serving an eight-year sentence for an aggravated DUI conviction in the fatal 2009 wreck, took the witness stand and denied he felt he could get away with driving drunk because of his status as a police officer. He said hed seen fellow officers get fired and go to prison for it and that no one was above the law.

Dressed in a white polo shirt and wearing glasses, Frugoli, 50, testified calmly for about two hours in U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendalls courtroom, occasionally sipping from a cup of water as attorneys for the victims asked him repeatedly about his problems with alcohol and history of traffic crashes.

He said he started drinking when he was a teenager and by the time he was in his 30s he would regularly consume up to 20 drinks in a day, typically Miller Lite beer supplemented by Jaeger Bomb shots  a mix of Jagermeister liqueur and Red Bull. He frequented well-known cop-friendly bars like Shinnicks Pub in Bridgeport, Dugans on Halsted Street in the Greektown neighborhood and 115 Bourbon Street in Merrionette Park, often drinking with other detectives from the Wentworth Area.

Frugoli testified he never drove drunk  in fact, he said, the 2009 fatal crash was the first time he had done so to the best of my knowledge.

Still, Frugoli testified he knew he had a problem. In 2007, he requested a transfer to the overnight shift so that bars would close before he could drink too much. Since the crash that killed Cazares and Manzera, he hasnt had a drop, he said.

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Much of his testimony focused on two crashes that occurred 24 hours apart in January 2008. In the first, Frugoli lost control of his unmarked Crown Victoria while on duty and struck a concrete barrier at 47th and Wells streets.

Frugoli testified that it was cold and snowy that morning and his car had simply slipped on a patch of ice. A sergeant came to the scene and the car was towed, but no sobriety tests were given and no further investigation was done.

About 9 p.m. that day, Frugoli went to Harrahs casino in Whiting and played blackjack for about six hours, he testified. Although he acknowledged that Harrahs serves drinks, Frugoli said he had no alcohol at all while he was there.

At about 3:30 a.m., he was driving home in his BMW when he broadsided a Chicago police squad car on West 37th Street in Bridgeport, just a few blocks from his home, records show. The force of the crash pushed the squad car into a light pole and injured both officers, one seriously.

Frugoli blamed the crash on distracted driving.

I applied the brake, my cellphone went sliding, Frugoli testified. When I reached for it, I went through the stop sign and I hit the squad car.

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One of the injured officers testified in Frugolis sentencing hearing in 2012 that his eyes were glassy and that he appeared dumbfounded at the scene. But officers called there to investigate never spoke to Frugoli directly or administered any intoxication tests because the same sergeant who had responded to Frugolis crash the day before, Stacey Smith Cotter, allowed Frugoli to sit in her squad car and told the officers she saw no signs of impairment, records show.

Investigating officers ticketed the detective for running a stop sign, and handed the citation to the sergeant, who then drove Frugoli home. Neither officer was ever notified of Frugolis court date, and the allegations were dismissed, records show.

In April 2009, Frugoli had spent hours drinking at 115 Bourbon Street and Dugans when he got behind the wheel of his Lexus SUV, entered the southbound Dan Ryan at a high rate of speed and slammed into the back of the victims car near Roosevelt Road, where they had pulled over because of a flat tire.

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Frugoli was pulled from the wreckage by a good Samaritan and limped away on a ramp, bleeding from the head as the vehicle hed struck burst into flames. He was arrested by Chicago police officers near Clinton Street and Roosevelt after a tow truck driver spotted him and cut off his path.

Frugoli was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he refused to submit to a blood draw, according to testimony. He was later forced by law to submit to testing, and his blood alcohol level was measured at 0.328 percent, more than four times the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

While at the hospital, Frugoli repeated to both a nurse and Lindroth, the investigating state trooper, that he was not the driver of the car, according to testimony.

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Lindroth also said he found it unusual that a high-ranking street deputy for the Chicago police was with Frugoli at the hospital telling him what to do.

(Frugoli) was off duty and we didnt notify Chicago police that their help was needed, the trooper testified.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @jmetr22b
After a Chicago police officer fatally shot Roshad McIntosh to death in 2014, two of the officer's colleagues gave accounts of the shooting that are contradicted by video of the event. (Civilian Office of Police Accountability) (Civilian Office Of Police Accountability)

Two Chicago police officers changed their accounts of a controversial fatal police shooting after viewing police surveillance video that showed they were not as close to the shooting as they had said, court records show.

The altered accounts raise doubts about the official narrative of the shooting of 19-year-old Roshad McIntosh, who police said pointed a gun at an officer before he was shot.

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The questions come after Chicago's police oversight agency took the unusual step this summer of re-opening its investigation into the 2014 shooting on the West Side.

McIntosh was shot on the back porch of a brick two-flat in the 2800 block of West Polk Street after he fled on foot as numerous officers pulled up to investigate a tip about guns.

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About six hours after the shooting, Officer Saharat Sampim told investigators from the Independent Police Review Authority that he was standing in a vacant lot next to the house when the shots rang out, according to interview transcripts. Watching from the side of the house, Sampim said, he was about 15 to 20 feet from McIntosh when he clearly saw the teen with his arm extended, holding a gun, before Officer Robert Slechter opened fire.

But a Police Department surveillance camera shows Sampim in a different position. And in a January 2016 deposition obtained by the Tribune through an open records request, Sampim acknowledged that he was actually in front and to the side of the house, placing him farther from the back porch and at a different angle than he first said. Nonetheless, he said he still saw the events behind the house from his position near the sidewalk in front.

The commanding officer at the scene, Sgt. Nicola Zodo, told detectives that night  and IPRA investigators later  that he was behind the house in an alley in his squad car when he heard shots and rushed on foot to the porch to order McIntosh to drop a gun and handcuff him, records show.

But Zodo later said under oath that the video  which he did not know existed until he met with his attorneys to prepare for his deposition  indicated his squad car was in front of the house when the shots were fired, suggesting he would have taken longer to reach the porch than he'd said earlier.

The video did not capture what happened behind the house.

A federal lawsuit filed by McIntosh's family alleges he was unarmed and trying to surrender when he was shot, but police recovered a loaded 9 mm pistol from the porch. City lawyers also have photos of him displaying guns before his death.

Another officer who said he was behind the house corroborated the account of McIntosh pointing the gun, though he said he did not see Slechter when he opened fire.

IPRA, the city's often-ineffective and now-defunct police watchdog agency, ruled the shooting within policy in 2015. The investigation, however, was similar to other IPRA shooting investigations in that interviews with the officers were cursory  several of them lasted 25 minutes or less  and investigators left some avenues of questioning unexplored. IPRA records indicate that investigators did not interview any witnesses to the shooting other than the police.

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 21 Police officers and evidence technicians work in an alley behind the 2800 block of West Polk Street after Roshad McIntosh, 19, was killed on Aug. 24, 2014. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

But this summer, disciplinary officials re-opened the case at the request of the family after reviewing the initial investigation. The newly opened Civilian Office of Police Accountability is still investigating both the shooting and the actions of the other officers, said spokeswoman Mia Sissac.

"We saw that there were some insufficiencies in the original investigation, and it warranted a new investigation," she said earlier this week.

The case is the latest in which doubts have emerged about Chicago police accounts of a fatal shooting.

Controversy over a "code of silence" in the department intensified two years ago after the court-ordered release of video of a white officer fatally shooting black teen Laquan McDonald. Several officers at the scene indicated the knife-wielding 17-year-old advanced on police before Officer Jason Van Dyke fired, but the footage showed McDonald was veering away before Van Dyke shot him 16 times.

Van Dyke faces first-degree murder charges, while three officers have been criminally charged with conspiring to cover up the facts of the shooting. The Police Department is also seeking to fire Van Dyke and four other officers.

In the furor over the McDonald shooting video, Mayor Rahm Emanuel acknowledged the existence of a code of silence, and the U.S. Department of Justice determined that Chicago cops have had little reason to fear consequences for lying.

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An attorney for the McIntosh family, Andrew Stroth, said the discrepancies between the officers' original statements and the video were evidence of a "blatant and intentional effort to cover up" the facts of an unjustified shooting.

"It's the code of silence again," Stroth said Wednesday.

Bill McCaffrey, spokesman for the city's Law Department, declined to comment, citing the McIntosh family's pending lawsuit. Neither Zodo nor Sampim could be reached for comment, and several attorneys for the officers involved either declined to comment or could not be reached.

Though McIntosh died before the McDonald video upended policing in Chicago, his death drew attention because it happened weeks after an officer's fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., touched off violent protests there.

The incident unfolded on a sweltering evening in August 2014 as McIntosh stood with a group of men along Polk near California Avenue.

McIntosh's mother, Cynthia Lane, who filed the lawsuit, said in a deposition that he was a good student in high school and the loving father of a baby son. She said she was not aware of him being involved with a gang.

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Officers, however, testified that he had a tattoo indicating affiliation with a faction of the Traveling Vice Lords and was standing on a block controlled by the gang. He'd been arrested by Chicago police a handful of times, though he had no charges for gun crimes in Cook County adult court, records show.

Officers had received a tip from an informant that the men on Polk Street had guns, and eight officers pulled up just after 7 p.m. Video from the police surveillance camera shows the officers piling out of the cars, some with guns drawn. Seconds later, McIntosh bolted around the house to the backyard, with officers on his heels as other cops sprinted through the vacant lot next to the house.

Slechter, who joined the force in 2005, said in official interviews and a deposition that he saw McIntosh holding a pistol as the teen entered the backyard and ran up the porch steps. McIntosh ignored orders to drop the gun, Slechter said, and pointed it at him from the elevated porch landing. Slechter fired three times, with one shot hitting him in the heart, according to the autopsy.

Police said they recovered the 9mm pistol near his body, though an Illinois State Police inspection found no usable fingerprints, a report shows.

Toxicology tests found no substances in McIntosh's system, according to records from the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Along with Slechter and Sampim, a third officer said he saw McIntosh point the gun. Officer Patrick Bowery said in official statements and a deposition that he was in the alley and saw McIntosh point the gun at Slechter, though he said he didn't know Slechter's exact position in the yard because he was focusing on McIntosh. He said he was sure McIntosh was pointing the gun at Slechter, though.

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Bowery could not be reached for comment.

People march in summer 2014 to protest police shootings in the Lawndale neighborhood and call for information to be released in the shooting of Roshad McIntosh that year. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Sampim was the only officer who said he could see both McIntosh and Slechter  the officer who shot him  at the moment of the shooting.

Sampim, who joined the department in 1998, told IPRA investigators about six hours after the shooting that he had heard Slechter tell McIntosh to drop the gun, according to a transcript. Sampim said he ran and stood near a truck parked "in the middle" of the vacant lot. Watching from the side of the house, he saw McIntosh holding a gun with his arm extended before the officer shot him, he said.

But the video  which has no audio  shows Sampim near the sidewalk in front and to the side of the house in the moment when the men being detained by police can be seen ducking and scattering as shots apparently rang out.

Sampim said in his sworn statement that he couldn't be sure that was the moment of the shooting, but he also acknowledged he was near the sidewalk when the shots were fired, contradicting his early statements.

Still, he said he could see Slechter in the yard and McIntosh on the rear porch pointing the gun.

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"I mean, I have a diagonal view, sort of, like, maybe a diagonal view of the yard. So I have a good  good amount of the yard," he said in the deposition.

Stroth said there was "no possible way" Sampim saw the shooting from the front of the house in the way he described.

"His narrative is false," Stroth said.

Zodo, a 21-year department veteran who has since been promoted to lieutenant, told detectives shortly after the shooting that he had pulled his squad car around the block and was driving in the rear alley when he heard shots, according to a detective's handwritten report. Two months later, he repeated that account to IPRA investigators, saying he heard the shots, jumped out of the car and ran through the backyard to the porch, according to a transcript of his deposition. Zodo said McIntosh was still holding the gun after being shot and falling to the porch, and that he ordered him to drop it. McIntosh did so, he said. Zodo then handcuffed McIntosh with Slechter's help, he said.

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In November 2015, Zodo gave a deposition with many similar details, but he acknowledged that the video shows his police car in front of the house as the men ducked and scattered at the apparent sound of gunfire.

"Before I viewed the (video), I thought I was in the alley driving eastbound when I heard the three or four shots. Obvious  according to the video, I was still on Polk, heading westbound," he said.

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dhinkel@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @dhinkel

Related: IPRA reopens investigation into fatal 2014 shooting by Chicago police 

Related: Protesters march on West Side after fatal police-involved shooting 

More stories: Chicago's Cop Crisis 






Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey holds a news conference on the announcement of proposed school closings in the Englewood community on Nov. 30, 2017, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

The Chicago Teachers Union on Thursday condemned school district plans to close four South Side high schools next year and send current students to surrounding schools before a new, $85 million campus opens to freshmen in 2019.

CTU voiced its concerns a day before Chicago Public Schools is set to lay out several controversial school changes, including a new high school in the South Loop area.

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The district on Thursday said it would proceed with plans to open a privately-operated charter school on the grounds of Hirsch High School, one of Chicagos most underenrolled district-run neighborhood schools.

CPS also said it would move to close the ACE Tech charter high school on the South Side because of an extended period of poor academic performance.

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Our priority is ensuring that schools deliver a high quality education and meet a need in the community, and we are confident these decisions are in the best interest of our students, CPS CEO Forrest Claypool said in a statement.

In October, the district said ACE Tech could have its charter revoked because it had not improved its performance. CPS on Thursday said the school, which serves about 300 African-American and Latino students, failed to implement a turnaround plan and did not demonstrate a capacity to deliver a high-quality education during a district visit to the building earlier this year.

The district two years ago said it would be tougher on under-performing charter schools, which are privately operated, in what Chief Education Officer Janice Jackson described as an effort to bring parity between the charter schools and the district schools.

It was the districts previously announced plans to close four high schools in Englewood that led the CTU to call an emergency press conference on Thursday. CPS plans to close three of the citys lowest-enrolled and poorest-performing neighborhood high schools  Robeson, Hope and Harper  along with the TEAM Englewood High School, at the end of this school year.

What thats going to do, is its going to destabilize the neighborhood further, union Vice-President Jesse Sharkey told reporters. Its going to make worse the flight out of that neighborhood, and youre going to end up with a part of the city where theres no neighborhood schools at all.

The city announced the plans in June but has not yet offered details on the closings.

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Sharkey said staff at Hope and Harper were informed those schools would close in June. According to Sharkey, a similar meeting was planned at Robeson for Friday morning.

The district said this week that Englewood community members recommended CPS create individualized academic and safety plans for students who will leave their existing high schools.

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Those plans would be coordinated with families and staff members, the district said, but officials have not yet said where displaced students will land.

They will not be able to attend a high school in their neighborhood, Sharkey said. These current students will be graduated before that school gets completed, and were left to wonder who that new school will be for at all.

In the South Loop, CPS plans to turn National Teachers Academy, an elementary school that serves a largely African-American student body, into a neighborhood boundary high school, and consolidate elementary grades at nearby South Loop Elementary.

jjperez@chicagotribune.com

@perezjr
A client of the Massage Envy in south Naperville sued the company after she says she was groped by her massage therapist. (Suzanne Baker / Naperville Sun)

Following reports of nearly 200 lawsuits filed across the country by women who said they were groped or sexually assaulted by their massage therapists, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan subpoenaed Massage Envy on Wednesday as part of an investigation into whether the company properly handled the allegations.

Madigans office issued subpoenas to the Arizona-based firm over allegations that female clients were sexually assaulted or abused at the company franchises in Chicago, Elmhurst, Naperville and Tinley Park, according to a news release from the attorney generals office.

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The subpoenas seek information about the companys policies and employee training, and on how the company handles complaints related to sexual assault or sexually inappropriate behavior.

The investigation comes on the heels of a report by the website BuzzFeed News earlier this week, which found 180 lawsuits filed against the company and its franchises alleging sexual assault or inappropriate behavior. Many of the victims claimed the franchises mishandled or ignored their complaints.

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The Tribune also found four lawsuits filed in recent years against Massage Envy franchises Chicago, Naperville, Elmhurst and Tinley Park  the same locations the attorney general is now targeting  in which women alleged they were sexually assaulted by male massage therapists.

A Chicago woman who sued the Tinley Park franchise in Will County claimed that in August 2016 a male therapist groped her breasts and vaginal area under the guise of providing her with massage therapy, according to the suit. Afterward, he made several admissions to suggest that he knew his behavior was not welcome, the lawsuit stated.

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An attorney for LCG Massage, owner of the Tinley Park Massage Envy franchise, denied the allegations of sexual touching, according to court documents. The attorney also noted in court documents that no criminal charges were filed against the therapist, despite a police investigation.

The other three lawsuits were settled or voluntarily dismissed, according to a review of court records in Will, Cook and DuPage counties.

Officials at Massage Envy could not immediately be reached for comment on the subpoenas. In response to the BuzzFeed report, the company issued a statement noting the complaints spanned more than 15 years, but we believe that even one incident is too many.

Madigan said she appreciates the women who have come forward about alleged assaults during their massages.

I issued subpoenas to Massage Envy because the public has a right to know what Massage Envys policies are and what steps the company takes to prevent and address sexual assaults, she said in the news release.

mwalberg@chicagotribune

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[ Related: 4 Chicago-area Massage Envy franchises among nearly 200 sued by customers alleging sexual assault ]

[ Naperville Related: Massage Envy among those hit with sex assault complaints across U.S. ]
Then-Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, left, sings Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" with Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, right, after addressing supporters during a rally in Summit, Ill., on March 11, 2016. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders added his progressive bona fides to Jesus Chuy Garcias bid for Congress on Thursday, endorsing the Southwest Side Democrat to succeed U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez.

Garcia was a prominent backer of Sanders in the 2016 presidential race and became a national Latino surrogate for the liberal Vermont senators unsuccessful bid, so it was not surprising that Sanders returned the favor by endorsing Garcia.

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 Chuy Garcia is the right person at the right time for the work we have ahead of us, Sanders said in a news release Thursday morning. He is ready and willing to stand up and fight for the working families of Chicago and our nation and take on the powerful special interests who have far too much power over the economic and political life of our country.

Sanders support could prove particularly useful to Garcia as the Cook County commissioner tries to strengthen his support beyond his Southwest Side base in the primary race for the 4th Congressional District. Garcia is less well-known in the Northwest Side part of the district, which has proved to be a recent hotbed for Sanders brand of progressivism as many younger voters move into Logan Square, Avondale, Bucktown and other neighborhoods.

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And freshman Northwest Side Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, has launched his own bid to succeed Gutierrez. Ramirez-Rosa also hopes to woo Sanders supporters, a task that will be more difficult now that the former presidential candidate has wrapped his arms around Garcia.

Ald. Proco Joe Moreno, 1st, also has announced his candidacy.

Chicago police Sgt. Richard Gonzalez has filed paperwork to run for Gutierrezs seat  a move he made before the congressman announced he wouldnt run again. Hes backed by state Rep. Luis Arroyo Sr., who differs with Gutierrez on the issue of Puerto Rican statehood. Gonzalez in 2011 ran for an open City Council seat in the 41st Ward, placing third with 10 percent of the vote, which prevented him from making the runoff contest.

And Sol Flores, the executive director of La Casa Norte, a nonprofit group that serves youth and families confronting homelessness, is circulating petitions to run for the seat and plans to file them Monday. Ald. Ameya Pawar, 47th, endorsed her Thursday, saying we need new voices in politics and adding that he was inspired by the idea that she would be the first Latina from Illinois elected to Congress.

In his statement, Sanders nodded to Garcias Mexican roots, but he also said Garcias strong ties to the Puerto Rican community will be an asset as a powerful advocate for our Marshall Plan legislation to rebuild and renew that island following the devastation of Hurricane Maria. That comes after Gutierrez, a proud Puerto Rican who has been a loud voice in Washington, D.C., for hurricane relief efforts, also endorsed Garcia.

For his part, Garcia said in the release that he was aligned with the senator on virtually all of his key issues.

I champion opportunity for all as an ally of independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, Garcia, a Cook County commissioner, said in the release. I will do everything in my power to move the nation forward on these crucial issues."

Gutierrez said Wednesday he'd consider entering the 2020 presidential contest if a bid would be the best way to spur immigration reform and the rebuilding of Puerto Rico.

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Chicago Tribunes Hal Dardick contributed to this story.

jebyrne@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @_johnbyrne

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Republican Gov. Bruce Rauners push to put more Medicaid patients in managed care programs is advancing, sparking concerns from critics who point to ballooning costs, a hurried timeline and negotiations that were shrouded in secrecy.

The state has finalized contracts with seven insurance companies worth about $15 billion a year, which were posted quietly to a state government website shortly before the Thanksgiving holiday.

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Rauner has billed the plan as a money-saving initiative, a way to transition more patients to the managed care model in which the state pays a set amount to private insurers to administer health benefits, allowing them to derive profits from the savings they might create.

The new contracts commit the state to pay about $4.5 billion a year more for the managed care program  a more than 40 percent increase. Insurers, though, might have to absorb a smaller increase in patients. The Rauner administration offered only a wide range estimate for how many people would be added to the managed care program, with the potential increase ranging from 30 percent to 42 percent. The states Medicaid managed care program will be consolidated into the hands of fewer insurers while expanding its reach to serve all of Illinois 102 counties starting early next year.

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Democratic lawmakers have called a series of hearings to look into the plan, with Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Felicia Norwood scheduled to testify at the first hearing on Thursday.

The ability to predict and plan for Medicaid costs is important for the state because the state- and federally funded health insurance program for the poor and disabled is a huge part of Illinois yearly budget. Other reasons to switch to managed care include improving access, efficiency and overall health.

Rauner first announced the expansion in February, and the plan to shrink the number of insurers from the original 12 down to seven was controversial because many patients will have to switch companies. Critics also have questioned whether a smaller pool of insurers will hurt competition, but some health care providers say working with a dozen companies was an administrative burden.

Roughly two-thirds of Illinois' 3 million Medicaid recipients are already in the states managed care program after state lawmakers required that half of the program be transitioned by 2015. Since then, the cost of the managed care portion of Illinois Medicaid program has hovered around $10.5 billion a year, according to the Rauner administration.

The governors administration estimates that the new program will save the state $200 million to $300 million each year over the course of the four-year contracts, but Department of Healthcare and Family Services spokesman John Hoffman did not provide details about how those savings would be reached, given the increase in contract costs.

Hoffman said the state was "confident of the savings range" and noted that "many of the new beneficiaries are in high-risk and special-needs populations and require costly care."

Rauner said Tuesday that he expected the savings to come from administrative cost reductions and overhead savings and enrolling many more of our Medicaid recipients into high-quality, more efficient managed care operations."

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Some observers say thats an unrealistic hope.

This wont save the state money, said Sara Rosenbaum, a professor of health law and policy at George Washington University, who recently published a study of Medicaid managed care programs in 10 states. It will give it more predictable growth over time. But actuarially sound rates, which is what the state will have to pay  you cant just make these assumptions that this is a money saver.

Critics including top Democrats have complained that the Republican administrations bidding process to choose insurers was opaque, pointing to guidelines for bids that were written in a way that excluded certain companies. And they say the winning bids were not subjected to the ordinary oversight process that the government uses when is buys regular goods like office supplies.

The Democrat-led General Assembly tried to halt the new bids earlier this year by passing legislation that would require the administration to start the bidding process over and follow stricter oversight rules. Rauner vetoed the bill, and his veto was upheld during the fall session after his Republican allies in the legislature stuck with him.

The governors administration contends that the process was the same one that's been used for years in Medicaid contract negotiations, except that the bids for these contracts were competitive.

Hoffman said the bids were evaluated using best practices from Illinois and other states, and that a multi-agency evaluation team of professionals thoroughly reviewed all aspects of the proposals.

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State Rep. Greg Harris, a Chicago Democrat who chairs a committee that oversees state spending on health care, said lawmakers tried to question the administration about its plan in the spring but ran into roadblocks because of confidentiality agreements between the state and the insurance companies. Now that the contracts have been finalized, Harris said, hes hoping the administration will have more freedom to answer questions starting at Thursdays hearing.

Even though there were competitive bids, nobody knows if the criteria for those bids  who they helped, who they disadvantaged. We dont know who did the evaluations, we dont know who wrote the criteria, Harris said.

The expansion also has providers concerned that its moving too quickly and could leave some vulnerable people without access to care.

Jordan Powell, a senior vice president at the Illinois Primary Health Care Association, which serves 1.3 million Illinoisans in underserved communities, many of whom are Medicaid beneficiaries, said the quick pace had caused his group concern.

We think more time would have benefited all parties, Powell said. With that said, the state seems confident that this transition will be successful, and we hope they are right. Time will tell, but we still have a number of questions and outstanding issues that need to be resolved prior to Jan. 1.

kgeiger@chicagotribune.com

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Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner participates in ceremonies honoring former President Abraham Lincoln in celebration of Lincoln's birthday at the Tomb of President Lincoln on Feb. 12, 2015, in Springfield, Ill. (Seth Perlman / AP)

Bruce Rauner may be the governor of the Land of Lincoln, but hes promoting kudos from a group led by a self-styled taxpayer watchdog who contends Abraham Lincoln fought the Civil War to keep collecting taxes from Southern states, not over the issue of slavery.

On Wednesday, Rauners campaign Twitter account noted the governor had been graded 92 percent in taxpayer friendliness, because as governor, I'm the biggest advocate for taxpayers. I won't stop fighting to protect Illinoisans from more tax hikes.

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The tweet featured a link to Rauners campaign website containing a portion of a report from the Illinois News Network, which is an arm of the Illinois Policy Institute, a libertarian-to-conservative think tank. The report touted ratings of governor candidates from the Taxpayers United of America, a Chicago-based group headed by James Tobin.

Tobin also serves as president of the Taxpayer Education Foundation, which describes itself as a tax-exempt organization conducting research on facts, methods and principles of taxation, government spending and public attitudes on these subjects. The foundation and Taxpayers United share the same address.

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Tobins foundation features several posts critical of Lincoln with such titles as Lincoln brutalized the country and shredded the constitution, Illinois and Lincoln set the bar for political sleaze and Lincolns unpopular war.

Slavery was not the reason for the War Between the States, says the post on Lincoln shredding the Constitution, which was updated in 2015.

Lincoln wanted to prevent secession at whatever cost because his primary goal was retaining the tax revenue from the Southern States, the document says. It added, Slaves were not important to Lincoln except as propaganda.

After the Tribune asked the Rauner campaign for comment, the Wednesday tweet promoting Rauners ranking by Tobins Taxpayers United was removed from Twitter.

But an earlier tweet posted Tuesday remained online, as did a Facebook post from Rauner.

Those posts took a shot at the governors political nemesis, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan: Taxpayers United of America has graded me at 92 percent in taxpayer friendliness. I want to improve on that by blocking more Madigan tax hikes so Illinoisans can keep more of their hard-earned paychecks.

The Tribune asked the Rauner campaign for comment about its promotion of Tobin as part of the governors re-election. A Rauner campaign spokesman sent a statement: The Chicago Tribune, as well as other respected news sources, have cited Jim Tobin and the Taxpayers United of America several times. Five Tribune stories were about transportation and school issues.

Tobin ran as the Libertarian lieutenant governor candidate in 2002 on a ticket that got 2.1 percent of the vote. Four years earlier, Tobin had sought the governors office as a Libertarian, but his ticket was removed from the ballot because of a lack of valid petition signatures. Tobin could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

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The Illinois Policy Institute affiliate organization that was the outlet for the report on Tobins grading of politicians has received funding by Rauner. Last summer, Rauner replaced top staff with institute officials, many of whom were let go weeks later.

Rauners campaign did leave off one detail from the report  Tobin graded state Rep. Jeanne Ives with a tax friendliness score of 100 percent. Ives, a three-term lawmaker from Wheaton, is planning to challenge Rauner in the March GOP primary.

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[ RELATED: Rauner says Medicaid plan will save money despite increased contract costs ]

[ Pritzker listed $15 million in taxable income last year, Kennedy $1.2 million ]

[ Lake Forest businessman is top donor to pro-Moore fund in Alabama Senate race ]
Springfield  Several groups opposed to abortion rights and Republican state lawmakers filed a lawsuit Thursday in an attempt to block a law expanding the use of taxpayer money to fund abortions that Gov. Bruce Rauner signed earlier this year.

The lawsuit wants to keep the state from spending money on abortions as allowed under the new law, contending lawmakers did not specifically set aside money in the state budget to pay for the procedures. The suit filed in Sangamon County Circuit Court and drafted by the nonprofit religious liberty law firm Thomas More Society also attempts to delay when the law takes effect, from Jan. 1 to June 1 of next year.

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Thomas More Society special counsel and Republican state Rep. Peter Breen, of Lombard, said the case goes beyond moral objections to abortion and is designed to protect taxpayers.

This is not a lawsuit about restricting or allowing abortions, Breen said. Unlike more traditional abortion lawsuits where you discuss the specifics on whether a restriction should apply, this is solely about these public funds flowing to these services.

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Breen also took issue with the way lawmakers approved the measure. He noted that after the Senate voted for it in May, Democrats placed a procedural hold on the bill and did not send it to Rauners desk for action until September. During that time, Rauner was the subject of intense lobbying from parties on both sides of the issue, and the Republican governor angered conservatives by eventually deciding to sign the bill after an earlier promise to veto it.

The lawsuit contends that the delay violates a requirement in the Illinois Constitution that a bill be sent to the governor within 30 days of being passed. Further, it says, the bill cannot take effect on Jan. 1 because of that delay.

The Illinois Constitution states that a bill passed after May 31 cannot go into effect until June 1 of the next year without a three-fifths vote of the legislature. The lawsuit contends September should count as when the bill was finally passed because thats when Democrats sent it to Rauner. However, Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigans office issued an opinion on a related matter earlier this year that found lifting a hold on a bill does not count as final legislative action.

Madigans office will represent the state officials being sued, including Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Felicia Norwood and Department of Central Management Services acting Director Michael Hoffman, as well as Democratic state Treasurer Michael Frerichs and Comptroller Susana Mendoza.

State Sen. Heather Steans, a Chicago Democrat who sponsored the measure, said she did not think the lawsuit had much merit.

They failed to defeat it in the legislature, they failed to get the governor to veto it, so now they are bringing this specious lawsuit, she said. Whatever they can do to try to undermine womens reproductive rights.

The law expands taxpayer-subsidized abortions for women covered by Medicaid and state employee health insurance. The state already covers abortions in some limited cases.

Illinois Right to Life, one of the groups bringing the lawsuit, projected that the measure could mean 12,000 additional abortions per year. Another group, however, put the figure at 3,800 a year.

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Opponents to expanding public funding for abortions say doing so violates a longstanding principle that taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for a procedure that they might oppose on moral or religious grounds. Supporters say the limits on abortions for women who are covered by Medicaid or state employee insurance create unfair burdens and hurdles.

A Rauner spokeswoman said the governor understands there will be people who disagree with him. While the governor initially opposed the measure, he said when signing the bill that he has to be consistent with my values.

I also believe that no woman should be forced to make a different decision than another woman would make purely based on her income, Rauner said. I believe that a woman living with limited financial means should not be put in the position where she has to choose something different than a woman of higher income would be able to choose.

His approval of the bill opened a chasm between conservatives in his party, who labeled Rauner a failed governor destined to serve one term. It has prompted a potential primary challenge from Rep. Jeanne Ives, of Wheaton, who is gathering petitions to try to get on the March ballot. Additionally, several other GOP lawmakers signed on as plaintiffs in the case.

The Republican fighting drew jabs from Democrats, including Frerichs, who said in a statement that his office has yet to be served in the lawsuit.

But, perhaps before coming to me, the anti-choice groups and Republican representatives bringing this suit should first have a conversation with the Office of Governor Bruce Rauner, who signed HB40 into law.

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mcgarcia@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @moniquegarcia

[ RELATED: Rauner's left turns on abortion, immigration put his political base in doubt ]

[ Rauner's abortion bill veto pledge puts issue at early forefront of governor's race ]
Had I been faithful to my roots, Id be one of those missing pieces of the puzzle that pundits are looking for to explain the supporters of Donald Trump.

He was elected with a shade less than 50 percent of the popular vote. A year later, his poll numbers are tanking. His disapproval rating is virtually 60 percent.

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So what accounts for his rock-solid working-class base? He hasnt done much to reward it. His failed attempt to deep-six Obamacare was viewed with suspicion. The Republican tax-reform bills would likely take a chunk out of workers paychecks and fatten corporate profits.

Why doesnt that alienate Trump supporters? Here is a short answer: Were I in their shoes, my take on Trump wouldnt depend on this or that policy.

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I grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood and went to high school at Lane Tech College Prep, as it now is called. At the time, it was better known for its shop courses  forge, sheet metal, foundry  that equipped students for good-paying industrial jobs.

Graduates could find those jobs just across Western Avenue. Lanes neighborhood was dotted with small factories. Residents could walk to work. Farther afield was U.S. Steels massive South Works, and the Hawthorne Works factory in Cicero where more than 40,000 employees built telephone equipment.

My high school yearbook reflected those job opportunities. Many classmates listed their post-graduation plans as work. I might have done the same except for my parents.

Themselves high school dropouts, they insisted that I go to college. I often think about what my life would have been like if I hadnt honored their wishes.

It would have straddled years of full employment and the era of job flight to nations with lower labor costs. South Works was knocked down. Hawthorne Works site is now a shopping center.

If Id taken a factory job, it might have been outsourced. If Id been offered job retraining, chances are it would have been for a skill fated to fall victim to foreign competition. My pension might have gone under as factories closed.

I could be a bitter old man, living on Social Security supplemented by a few bucks earned at an hourly rate that was a fraction of what I once made.

In that case, Id lend an ear to Trumps message that the Washington establishment cares not a whit for the little guy. Of course, listening to Trump is one thing, voting for him is something else.

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For generations, my family voted the straight Democratic ticket. They worshiped Franklin Roosevelt, the Democratic president who gave them Social Security.

But Hillary Clinton might have ended my hesitation. Running against Trump, she may have persuaded me to vote for him with her campaign-trail talk like: Were going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.

When she called Trump supporters a basket of deplorables, I may have realized that was the basket I wanted to be in.

You could point out that Trump was foul-mouthed and, in his ignorance, could pull the whole system down. But if I had no chips left, why should I care if he knocked the card table over? I might enjoy it.

Remember that in my alternate life, liberals and Democrats had rubbed salt in my wounds, preaching from the gospel of globalization: I needed to understand that foreign competition was a good for the economy. It forced us to improve the products we sold abroad, etc. etc.

But as I saw it, those exports included my job.

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The word competition, then, might have had a hollow ring. To get their products into China, many American enterprises have to take on a Chinese partner. That is like the scene in a mob movie where the mobster tells a candy store owner: You got a nice little business here. You wouldnt want it to burn down, would you?

So who champions this rigged game? Some are Republicans. Theirs has long been the party of big business. Others are Democrats. Theirs used to be the workingmans party, but now it belongs to the hip and affluent. It feels increasingly like the party of the lawyers, accountants and MBAs who reap the benefits of globalization  a soaring stock market  but find Republicans too stodgy.

Theyre into trendy restaurants and art galleries. Theyre the winners, and as such get to live in urban lofts that once were factories and warehouses.

The losers? The punch-press operators who formerly worked there and used to vote Democratic. Without them, its going to be well nigh impossible to bring a progressive agenda out of hibernation.

So what could persuade them to return to the Democratic fold? I can only speak for my alternative self. It would be a waste of time for a liberal candidate to ring my doorbell, unless he or she was prepared to answer a simple question:

On your mothers honor, can you swear that, if elected, you will do something for the deplorables?

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rgrossman@chicagotribune.com
When Illinois Performance Evaluation Review Act was signed into law in 2010, its supporters promised a more accurate way to evaluate teachers, explaining that it couldnt possibly be true that, as the previous evaluation system indicated, more than 95 percent of teachers were actually doing a good job.

The Illinois State Board of Education recently rolled out the latest Illinois school report cards, and for the first time teacher evaluation ratings based on PERA requirements have been reported in aggregate. According to the state, 97 percent of teachers across Illinois are rated in the top two categories of proficient or excellent.

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But instead of celebrating this achievement and the hard work that teachers do in tough environments every day, some critics are calling for more teachers to be scrutinized and ultimately fired. It seems far more relevant, however, to focus on the very real problems  social and economic  holding back students in districts from Chicago to Cairo.

No one should be surprised that Illinois teachers ratings are good. Upon hiring, educators spend four years on probation; in comparison, a typical probationary period for nurses and many other professionals is three months. During those four years teachers are on probation, they can be terminated if a principal finds their teaching inadequate. Teachers who successfully complete the probation period are thus likely to become lifelong learners, honing their skills through collaboration with other teachers, learning from their students, engaging in deep self-reflection, acting on evaluator feedback and completing self-financed professional development courses. The fact that ratings remain high under the new evaluation system suggests that teachers are successfully working hard to hone their craft.

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Even as our teachers maintain high levels of achievement, the Chicago Teachers Union and the Illinois Federation of Teachers advocate for the resources and policies that make a difference for those teachers and their students. Sufficient and equitable funding directed toward programs that work is at the top of that list. Despite a new school funding formula, education in Illinois is woefully underfunded.

Chicago Public Schools and other districts that serve predominantly high-poverty black and Latino students are particularly impacted. CPS, for example, would need another $2 billion to meet the states targets for adequate funding to schools, guidelines built into the new law. As poverty has intensified and schools across the state have become more diverse, the need for real support has grown: fully funded sustainable community schools for all students, smaller class sizes, librarians for every school, and adequate numbers of social workers, counselors, school nurses and psychologists. We support these measures, as well as increased investment in early childhood education and support for English learners, and we advocate for special education services based on the needs of students with individual education plans.

Students also require social support to be successful. Research is clear on the importance of black and Latino students having some same-race teachers. A recent study by the IZA Institute for Labor Economics found that having just one black teacher in third, fourth or fifth grade reduced low-income black boys probability of dropping out of high school by 39 percent. And students of color are not the only beneficiaries  it is important for all students to learn from diverse teachers. Yet there are 123 Chicago schools with zero or one black teacher and 151 schools with zero or one Latino teacher. What message is being sent to students who only see white teachers?

The lack of teacher diversity is a direct result of the massive decline in the number of black teachers in Chicago, down by nearly 5,500 since 2001. School closings and layoffs have contributed to this loss, and the evaluation system has only exacerbated the problem. According to a 2016 study by the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research, black teachers, who are more likely to work in under-resourced schools, receive lower ratings on average, thereby increasing their likelihood of dismissal. The high-stakes accountability system thus creates a real disincentive for teachers of color to enter or stay in the profession.

Instead of believing that an organization can fire its way to success, CPS and the state of Illinois ought to further support programs, such as Grow Your Own Illinois, that address the long-term goal of increasing the number of teachers of color and retaining them.

Illinois evaluation results mirror those of teachers across the country. Changing the evaluation system does not change the fact that teachers are there because they care about student learning. Teachers choose this profession and work hard to grow and improve. On behalf of public school students, critics should join educators, students, parents and communities in advocating for the types of school and community investment that address rampant segregation, poverty and inequality. And now, as a teacher shortage begins to gain attention across Illinois, the last thing students need is for teachers, as a group, to be attacked.

Jesse Sharkey is vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union. Dan Montgomery is president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers.
With the push of a button and test-launch of another intercontinental ballistic missile Tuesday night, North Korea leader Kim Jong Un raised the stakes in his mad dash to assemble a nuclear weapons arsenal. Washington, D.C., now appears in target range, or soon will be. New York, too. And of course, Chicago.

The North Korean regimes Hwasong-15 ICBM flew higher and longer than in previous tests. The missile reached an altitude of nearly 3,000 miles before plopping down in the sea near Japan. Pyongyang claims it had the capability to arm the missile with a super-large heavy nuclear warhead, which would mean isolated, belligerent North Korea is also now a full-blown nuclear menace. Kim beamed with pride, according to state media. The rest of us should be alarmed.

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While the firepower of the Hwasong-15 is unconfirmed, Pyongyangs nuke program is obviously advancing at alarming speed.

Welcome to a brave, new  and much scarier  world. This is a world in which a ruthless, unpredictable outlaw nation has the capacity now, or will soon, to wield nuclear missiles as a threat. President Donald Trumps response to this provocation was uncharacteristically low-key. We will take care of it.

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But how? U.S. options may be more circumscribed if Kims boast is true, or soon will be.

Trump announced that major new economic sanctions against North Korea will roll out. He talked again to Chinese President Xi Jinping about more cooperation to squeeze North Korea into capitulating. China is Pyongyangs main trade partner and primary lifeline, and also an ally that sees a functioning, muscle-flexing North Korea as a buffer against the United States dominant military presence in the Pacific.

This tense moment has been a long time coming. North Korea, despite its isolation and impoverishment, has spent decades pursuing a nuclear weapons program while its citizens ate grass. Three previous U.S. presidents, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, failed at their efforts to negotiate a deal to put North Koreas nuclear program back in the bottle.

The aim of Kim is the same as that of his father and grandfather, who ran the country before him: self-preservation of the regime. With nuclear arms, Kim wards off the rest of the world and uses his military assets to seek economic aid or try to bully the U.S. off the Korean Peninsula. The United States deploys tens of thousands of troops in South Korea and Japan to keep the peace.

Attempts to cajole or bribe the North Koreans into giving up their nuclear ambitions have never worked. Neither has the lame policy of so-called strategic patience that Obama pursued. With Pyongyang matching its capabilities to its threats, the notion of peaceably defusing this situation seems more distant than ever. But that doesnt mean the U.S. is headed for military confrontation.

Best-case scenario: The North declares it has achieved its goal of becoming a nuclear state and is now ready to talk.

Worst case short of an attack on the U.S. or its allies: North Korea parlays its nuclear prowess into a profit center and sells weapons or technology to other rogue nations and terrorist groups.

As dangerous as this moment feels, its also a reality check. Trump cannot afford to let years pass as his predecessors foolishly did.
In its Nov. 21 editorial Stroger vs. Preckwinkle: Hide your wallets, the Tribune Editorial Board continues its unhealthy obsession with the repealed sweetened beverage tax and once again, ignores basic facts of how Cook County operates.

I introduced the beverage tax last year to plug a budget gap for fiscal year 2017 and set the stage for a stable three-year financial plan for Cook County. Groups like the Civic Federation agreed that the tax would serve that purpose and the bond ratings services agreed. The soda industry didnt and residents made clear they didnt like the tax. Commissioners voted to repeal it as of Dec. 1. That issue is settled and is old news.

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Knowing we would not have revenues from the tax, my budget team spent the last four weeks working with commissioners, separately elected officials, bureau chiefs and department heads, and stakeholders to find cuts that would allow us to balance our fiscal year 2018 budget. As requested by commissioners, we provided them with a road map on how we could accomplish this, and  with some minor adjustments  we did just that. On Nov. 21, the board voted unanimously to approve the budget.

You ask many questions in your editorial, but never in any of your editorials do you note that the county has two major service obligations: public health and public safety. The cuts we proposed, and which ultimately passed, were heavily weighted in those arenas. This budget is sugar-free, but it is certainly not pain-free. The difficulty was to tailor the cuts by focusing on top-heavy management where it existed. This was no small task.

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Allow me to point out that:

Since 2010 when I took office  and with this budget that lays off more than 300 employees and closes more than a thousand vacancies  the county workforce has shrunk about 15 percent.

We have closed budget deficits of about $2 billion.

We have reduced our long-term debt by 11 percent.

Even prior to this budget, we had cut $657 million in expenditures.

These are tangible, taxpayer-friendly actions that are hallmarks of an administration committed to operating in an efficient and fiscally responsible fashion. We are paying down our unfunded pension liabilities, improving our health system, and championing criminal justice reforms.

Were moving on and are dedicated to doing the best we can in providing services to our residents in the most cost-efficient way possible.

 Toni Preckwinkle, president, Cook County Board of Commissioners
Garrison Keillor, creator and former host of "A Prairie Home Companion," pictured in 2015, has been fired by Minnesota Public Radio over allegations of improper behavior. (Jim Mone / AP)

Uncle.

That was my one-word message Thursday morning to a conservative reader with whom Ive been sparring via email over whether or not liberal Democratic Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota should resign.

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My initial position  that the allegation of mild sexual impropriety against Franken was isolated and might have been a one-off lapse in judgment  had already eroded. Several other women had come forward or anonymously related accounts of Franken groping them inappropriately while posing for photographs, but then came news Thursday morning that Stephanie Kemplin, a 41-year-old U.S. Army veteran, was accusing Franken of cupping her breast for up to 10 seconds during a photo shoot in 2003.

True, the number and nature of these assaults still pale next to the allegations against President Donald Trump, who alas isnt going anywhere, but if the Democrats want to try to claim any high ground on this issue in the upcoming special U.S. Senate election in Alabama in which the Republicans are running alleged ephebophile Roy Moore, they ought to exercise independent moral judgment and demand Frankens resignation.

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His effectiveness as a senator and fundraiser have been sharply limited, and his prospects for re-election in 2020, when he will turn 69, are bleak. Further, since Minnesotas Democratic governor is empowered to fill vacancies in the U.S. Senate, the partisan balance in the Senate will stay the same if Franken steps down.

I like him. I like his politics. I like his intelligence. I like his wit. But its time. For the good of his party and the sake of his allies, its time.

But when it comes to Garrison Keillor, Frankens fellow Minnesotan, Im still reserving judgment.

Minnesota Public Radio severed ties with the noted humorist and author Wednesday due to unspecified allegations of his inappropriate behavior with an individual who worked with him. They didnt elaborate and his alleged victim did not amplify.

By Thursday, The Washington Post said it was dropping Keillor's occasional column, which the Tribune also publishes.

Keillor, in a series of peculiar statements on social media and elsewhere, said it was all a misunderstanding: I put my hand on a woman's bare back, he said. I meant to pat her back after she told me about her unhappiness, and her shirt was open and my hand went up it about six inches. She recoiled. I apologized.

Was a mere slip of the hand that touched only a womans back, even if deliberate, really enough to prompt MPR not only to sever its 48-year relationship with Keillor but also to change the name of A Prairie Home Companion, the weekly program he made famous but retired from last year?

That does seem unlikely.

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Adding to my sense that there are more damning details to come is that, in other statements Wednesday, Keillor said he wanted to respect the privacy of the two employees who have made the allegations, when MPR said there was only one victim, and that he said Im 75 and dont have any interest in arguing about this.

Excuse me, but being 75 is a great reason to argue to restore your honor. At 75 you know as well as you ever have that the most important thing you can leave behind when you die is a good name, and that fame, success and riches pale next to an excellent reputation.

Arguing to defend yourself against false or overblown allegations is always important, but its particularly important in the twilight of life when the opportunities to do so or to otherwise restore your legacy are waning.

So is Keillor a handsy letch whose predations demand his professional erasure and banishment, similar to the punishment meted out to other famous men in the last two months?

Or is he the folksy, awkward, serially monogamous nerd he always seemed to be who has become the victim of a ghastly misunderstanding at a time of heightened awareness of sexual harassment and assault?

I realize its unfashionable and considered to be abuse-enabling not to issue wholesale condemnations and expression of knowing revulsion at even the vaguest first allegations. But this one juror among tens of millions sitting in the court of public opinion would, once again, like see more evidence before reaching a verdict.

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So Ill close with my one-word message for those who have already consigned Keillor to the cultural trash heap:

Really?

ericzorn@gmail.com

Twitter @EricZorn
Little Mr. Aurora Jeremiah Smith-Jones visits with Santa during the Winter Lights Festival in Aurora. Santa will be making a number of appearances during the holiday season at Phillips Park in Aurora. ( Jason Arthur )

During the holiday season, parents can bring their children to visit and take photos with Santa at the Phillips Park Visitors Center, 1000 Ray Moses Drive in Aurora.

Santa will be available from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 9 and 10 and again Dec. 16 and 17.

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Santa will return prior to Christmas for four consecutive days  Dec. 20 to 23  from 1 to 4 p.m. each day.

Parents are encouraged to bring their camera to take free photos, according to a press release about the event.

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Santa's visits are sponsored by the Friends of Phillips Park.

Habitat for Humanity to dedicate home

Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity will dedicate its 60th local home Saturday.

The reception will feature a presentation of house keys to homeowner Rubi Mata. Self-guided tours will be offered and refreshments will be served.

The project mobilized hundreds of volunteers from 25 local churches. Participating congregations represent Aurora, Batavia, Geneva, Naperville, Oswego, Montgomery, Sugar Grove and Yorkville churches, organizers said.

Volunteer teams from the churches worked Saturdays to complete the four-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom house.

The celebration begins at 1 p.m. Saturday with a worship service at First Baptist Church, 15 Oak Ave., in Aurora. The reception begins at 2:30 p.m. at the home site at 1555 Solfisburg Ave. in Aurora.

Santa visits Aurora craft show

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Santa and Mrs. Claus will pose for photos on Saturday at a holiday arts and crafts show at Fourth Street United Methodist Church, 551 S. Fourth St. in Aurora.

A photographer will take a photo and provide a color print on site for $5.

A coffee and pastry bar will be offered along with a shop with homemade fudge in five flavors: chocolate, peanut butter, white chocolate cranberry, creme de menthe and Bavarian mint.

The vendor show also includes a cookie walk, handmade crafts, gift baskets and jewelry.

Proceeds from the event, which will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., will benefit church programs. The photo event with Santa is from 10 a.m. to noon.

The event is free and open to the public. For information, call 630-897-5257.

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Buddy the Elf visiting area libraries

Buddy the Elf will visit three public libraries in Aurora and Oswego on Saturday.

Buddy is the lead character in Paramount Theatre's holiday production of "Elf the Musical."

Buddy's first stop is at 10 a.m. at the Aurora Public Library's Eola Road Branch, 555 S. Eola Road in Aurora. Participants can meet Buddy and make an elf craft. A raffle for a basket including an "Elf" book and other holiday items will be held.

At 11:30 a.m., Buddy will visit Oswego Public Library, 32 Jefferson St. Crafts for kids and teens will be provided. Children can write and mail a letter to Santa and a drawing for all ages will include a chance for a $100 Paramount Theatre gift card.

Buddy's last stop is at 1 p.m. at the Aurora Public Library Santori Branch, 101 S. River St. Those who arrive early can join a sing-a-long at 12:15 p.m. A raffle for a basket will be held and free refreshments will be served.

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Seasonal open house in La Fox

Garfield Farm Museum in La Fox will host its annual Candlelight at the Inn on Saturday and Sunday.

Dona and Dan Benkert of the Folklore Center in Naperville will perform both evenings. An additional Saturday performance by Steven Smunt and the Century Air Minstrels will include traditional American and Irish seasonal music in the Burr House parlor from 3 to 5 p.m.

Ann Brack Johnson will be on site to autograph her book "Angie of Garfield Farm," which focuses on daily life of pioneer Illinois.

Attendees will learn about opportunities to become museum members and contribute to the Save Our Barns Campaign.

The Garfield Farm Museum is in La Fox, located between Geneva and Elburn in Kane County. For more information, call 630-584-8485 or email info@garfieldfarm.org.

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Got Pulse? Columnist Joy Davis is looking for interesting, quirky and just plain funny stories about people and places in the Fox Valley. Email her at joydavis234@gmail.com.
Joel Frieders  businessman, politician, developer and writer  is known for his sense of humor.

But he insists his third book, "Mind Your Christmas," is anything but funny  certainly not like his first two books.

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"The first two were designed to invoke belly laughs; this one is a gut punch," he said.

Frieders will sign copies of his new book during First Fridays this week at Gillerson's Grubbery, 33 W. New York St., in downtown Aurora. He did a similar signing for his second book at Gillerson's earlier this year.

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Frieders is manager of The Compounder, a family-owned compounding-only pharmacy at 340 Marshall Ave. in Aurora, which includes his mother and father, Larry and Pat Frieders, and his sister, Lydia.

He is also a partner in Elemy, a development company doing about a $1.5 million project to rehab the building at 66-74 S. Broadway in downtown Aurora. And he's also an alderman in Yorkville.

His first book, "This Call May Be Recorded," and his second, "This Call May Be Recorded, Too," were collections of the strange, mean, funny and sometimes crazy phone calls he has had during his years doing customer service work, most notably at The Compounder.

In both books, he pokes fun at human foibles in how people deal with adversity in their daily lives.

But this third book is a story  one he wrote two years ago  based on a real life experience he had when he first became an alderman. It stemmed from complaints he received, as well as read on social media and even in the local media, about a house in his neighborhood that kept their Christmas lights up throughout the year.

Neighbors wanted them down, and while Frieders said he failed to understand why everyone was so upset about it, he visited the house to talk with the owner.

"When I finally met the owner to do something about it, I found out that all the things I thought I knew about the situation were wrong," he said. "It turned out there was a reason for this  it's about jumping to conclusions, and having to be accepting of other people."

While the book will be available Friday it also is for sale on Frieders' Facebook page.

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slord@tribpub.com
State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora) and representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union will host a seminar focusing on immigrant rights Dec. 5 in Aurora.

The event is set for 5:30 p.m. at La Sierra de Aurora at 2121 E. New York St. in Aurora.

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"With the current political climate in Washington, it's more important than ever for area residents to have an understanding of what's going on with federal and state programs that relate to immigration," Chapa LaVia said in a press release about the event. "By working with the ACLU and community activists, I hope to provide a strong support system for those who may feel vulnerable as a result of their immigration status or that of their family and friends."

The seminar will include information on what individuals can do if stopped by law enforcement, are questioned about their immigration status or are detained by law enforcement.

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Information regarding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and other related issues will also be provided. The seminar is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Chapa LaVia's constituent service office at 630-270-1848 or LindaChapaLaVia@IL83Dist.com.
East Aurora School District 131 board members are looking to a superintendent search firm to begin conducting surveys as part of the quest to find a district leader.

Rather than have the firm begin a comprehensive superintendent search, board members are opting to use Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates for services on an a la carte basis, said school board member Kim Hatchett, who is leading efforts to find a permanent superintendent for the district.

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The firm for now is set to gather parent, community, staff and administration input through surveys. It could provide other services, but the board has not yet discussed further action, Hatchett said.

"If we want to go in a different direction, we can," she said. "It leaves that door open."

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The superintendent search process comes as the district is led by two interim superintendents, Mark McDonald and Steve Megazzini. McDonald began working in the district in July 2016 with another interim superintendent. The other interim was replaced by Megazzini in mid-September, when the former director of human resources was promoted to an assistant superintendent and took on interim superintendent duties.

Hatchett said the time frame to hire a new leader will depend on the search process. There is a chance that a permanent superintendent will not be in place by July 2018, the start of the district's next fiscal year, she said.

School board President Annette Johnson said though the board has not decided definitely to have a new superintendent in place by July 2018, that time line would be doable. Like Hatchett, she said the district will play the hiring time frame by ear.

Johnson said though the board has only discussed using Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates for surveys, she thought the company could end up conducting the complete superintendent search.

"At this point, we're going to be working very hard to get that input first," she said. "We don't want to go back and have any problems like the last time, where the community didn't feel like they had their input."

Hatchett and Johnson said they did not have an estimated price tag for the surveys.

During a previous presentation to the school board, Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates estimated a complete superintendent search would come in at a base price of $23,500, plus possible extras, though the firm said they would match other companies' prices for comparable services.

The firm was one of three companies the board heard from. The Illinois Association of School Boards also presented their search services, quoting between $12,900 and $23,400 for a search, depending on the services the board selects. The third company, School Exec Connect, listed a base price of $20,000 plus extras, board members said.

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At one point, some board members expressed concerns about using any outside company, saying they wanted to be able to review all candidates without a firm whittling out applicants who might be a fit for the district.

The decision to move forward with the surveys allows the board to get the search process started, Hatchett said.

The board would also likely look to a firm  whether Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates or another firm  to help set goals, Hatchett said. The board needs to be able to provide clear direction when a new superintendent is brought in, she said.

"I don't think this is wasted time," she said. "If we spend the rest of this year aligning ourselves and making sure that we are prepared for a new superintendent, that's a good thing to me."

Board members are expecting to discuss the superintendent search process at a meeting Monday.

sfreishtat@tribpub.com

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Twitter @srfreish
A developer is looking to build a complex with 320 apartments in Oswego. (Oswego)

A developer is looking to build 320 "upscale" apartments in Oswego.

Representatives of Continental Properties recently presented a concept plan for the Springs at Oswego, a gated community with private streets on a 27-acre site on the west side of Fifth Street south of the Prairie Market shopping center on Route 34.

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The property has remained undeveloped since it was annexed as part of the Prairie Market development in 2005, according to village officials.

If the Village Board approves of the concept plan, the developer would have to go through the public hearing process to amend the planned unit development. The property was originally approved for 210 townhomes.

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The developer was seeking initial input from village trustees on the plan.

"This is a market-rate gated apartment community," said Bob McCaigue of the Menomonee Falls, Wisc., based firm. He said they own and operate multi-family properties in 18 states including the Springs at Orchard Road in North Aurora. They have another apartment project in South Elgin.

The Oswego complex would be a mix of studio units, one-, two- and three-bedroom units with a range of 600 square feet to 1,400 square feet.

The on-site amenities would feature a clubhouse, fitness center, a demonstration-style kitchen for gatherings and resort style pool.

The developer hosted a couple of outreach meetings with residents of Churchill and Steeplechase subdivisions.

"We understood a lot of the concerns they had. A couple of comments brought up were traffic," he said.

The site plan is for a singular access point along Fifth Street.

Traffic consultant Michael Werthmann of KLOA estimated the proposed development would generate an estimated 2,000 vehicles per day on Fifth Street, a north-south village road that currently carries roughly 6,000 vehicles per day, which is less than 50 percent of its capacity, he said.

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The majority of vehicles would head north to Route 34, he said. He said further traffic analysis will be done.

Village trustees did question the idea of one access point to serve such a large development. Oswego development director Rod Zenner said given the site layout, the developer is restricted on what it can do.

"It is unusual, but it is something that can be engineered," Zenner told the Village Board.

Village Administrator Dan Di Santo in an email to The Beacon-News said the village is pleased with the overall "inclusive" and "deliberate" approach the developer has taken thus far.

He said while the village likes the concept, a lot of work has to be done.

"We believe that the multi-family residential use is appropriate for the challenging site, but there is still a lot of work to do to understand the access issues and density as proposed," Di Santo said.

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Di Santo said it'll be up to the developer to demonstrate how traffic and population projections would impact the surrounding residential areas.

"They must prove that their development is safe and will not have a detrimental impact on surrounding streets and neighborhoods  that may require modifications to the plan to reduce the unit count," he said. "It's premature to speculate on how the plan will change by the time it comes back to the Village Board, but it was encouraging that the developer seemed open and willing to cooperate."

Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News
The Illinois State Police is investigating after a male suspect entered Rivers Casino on Nov. 22, 2017, and attempted a robbery by handing a note to a cashier which stated Give me all the money. (Illinois State Police)

Police are searching for a suspect who they say attempted an armed robbery at Rivers Casino but left without getting any cash.

The Illinois State Police said the suspect handed a note to a cashier at the Des Plaines casino that read, Give me all the money but was unsuccessful in the robbery attempt and left. The incident happened about 6:45 a.m. Nov. 22, police said in a news release issued Wednesday.

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Police released surveillance photos of a man wearing a gray hooded parka and black cap, with his hands in his pockets, standing at a cashiers window. In two photos he appears to be smiling. Its not clear if the man was armed.

Anyone with information is asked to call state police at 855-494-0237 and can be anonymous.
Hersey High School students wait by the front door of the school in Arlington Heights earlier this year. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune )

What is the purpose of high school, or a public education, for that matter?

Is it to prepare students to be successful in life or to achieve at a certain level?

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What is the measure of success in life, and how does that translate into success in high school?

Those are big questions.

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But they're also questions we should be asking ourselves, especially in light of the recent three-part series in the Pioneer Press titled "Anxiety High," which explored how academic pressure at elite suburban public schools is putting more stress on students than ever before.

The series also dives into what schools are doing to help kids cope with the pressure, and also reveals alternatives to the typical path through high school. As the stories show, academic success is apparently determined by a collective mindset of parents, educators and students who are all focused on how to get kids into the nation's elite universities.

But first there is the pressure  pressure from parents, pressure from the school community and pressure from peers  for high achievement at a rate unseen in American education and at an earlier and earlier age.

Parents want what is best for their children, naturally. And what parent can quietly acquiesce when the doors of academic opportunity begin to close for a child because there aren't enough advanced placement classes offered, or because a single misstep on an assignment or test results in a B grade instead of an A?

Of course, the school environment has bought into the whole idea that every child is a potential Harvard graduate, as long as they're shaped and molded by the stellar atmosphere and rigorous education available at places like New Trier or Stevenson or Naperville high schools. Isn't that why they conduct nationwide searches for superintendents and pay them hundreds of thousands over the course of a term of employment? They are not hired just to keep New Trier going, but to also boost it up a few notches.

And then there is the pressure from peers. So many children so eager to please their teachers, parents and friends by climbing the ladder of academic success. Who wants to be left behind?

And because not every kid can get into Harvard or Yale, or even University of Michigan, schools are seeing the negative effects of this academic pressure cooker. In the last decade, Highland Park High School has seen roughly a sixfold jump in student hospitalizations.

If that isn't a warning signal, then what is?

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Yet everyone seems ready to accept this form of collateral damage of kids breaking under the pressure, as long as the status quo isn't challenged. Some sort of mental-health triage to help kids cope can always be developed. Later start times. Mandatory study periods. Less homework. Fidget spinners.

All in the name of providing a better education, whatever that is.

But there is a difference between education and wisdom. And you can hear it in the words of Tessa Newman, a senior at Naperville North who who was inspired by the suicide of a classmate to write an essay critical of the system that puts so much pressure on students.

We have a system, she says, that forces students to have the same desires and same goals.

"When they don't reach them, even if they didn't want to in the first place, they feel hopeless," Tessa wrote.

And they're goals some may not even want to achieve  how do you know at 16 what you want to be doing at 42? There is "no worse fate than failure" and having a different goal, or a goal judged to be something less, can be seen as the ultimate failure.

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"Treating the problem, focusing just on mental health, will never be enough," Tessa says. "We have to look at what's causing the mental health problem."

We don't have to look very far.

Randy Blaser is a freelance columnist.
Beth Lindley, right, pictured in this Nov. 3, 2017 file photo, has been promoted to director of the Skokie Human Services Division after the previous director left. (Mike Isaacs / Pioneer Press )

Beth Lindley, who has worked in Skokie's Human Services Division for the last decade, was recently named its new director.

Lindley began in 2007 as lead social worker in Skokie and was promoted Monday to the top position in the department, village officials said.

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Maureen Murphy recently resigned as human services director to accept a regional director job at a large, national social service organization, according to village officials.

"Having served as a social worker for this community, I have heard repeatedly from residents how much they appreciate the many services offered by their village," Lindley said. "Skokie is special. Our rich diversity and tradition of quality services is both a strength and blessing for the community."

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The Skokie Human Services Division, listed as a part of the village manager's office, includes social services to all Skokie residents.

According to village officials, human service staff provides short-term counseling, information and referrals, social services, and in some cases, limited emergency financial assistance to Skokie residents as well as offering activities to Skokie citizens at the Smith Activities Center.

Lindley said that as needs of the community expand and change, the human services division will "continue to provide quality support, services and programs to serve our citizens."

Lindley was on hand last month to oversee Skokie's Boomers and Beyond Resource Fair sponsored biennially by the village. The program, which draws hundreds of area visitors seeking information for the aging population, began under her leadership as part of the Commission on Family Services.

Skokie Village Manager John Lockerby said Lindley's service has impacted the lives of hundreds of Skokie residents through home visits, assistance obtaining support services, advice about medical health and prescription coverage and more.

"The village of Skokie is very fortunate to have an individual with Beth's experience, educational background and professionalism as human services director," he said. "Beth has served the village with distinction."

Lockerby said her knowledge of the community and the village's multiple social service agency partners will allow Skokie to continue a long-standing commitment to "excellence in service delivery to (its) most vulnerable residents."

According to village officials, Lindley is a licensed clinical social worker, having earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan. Her academic concentration was management of human services, and she was a John A. Hartford Fellow Gerontology Scholar, officials said.

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Lindley also holds a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University. Prior to working in Skokie, she held social work positions focused on advocacy, senior services and long-term care resident rights, officials said.

Lindley has frequently given presentations in Skokie and neighboring communities on issues such as supporting caregivers, Medicare, senior care, financial literacy and more.

According to village officials, she was instrumental in working with the Commission on Family Services, the Public Works Department and other community partners to develop the Fresh Produce Initiative. Under the program, Skokie Farmers' Market vendors donate thousands of pounds of surplus produce to the Niles Township Food Pantry each summer and fall, providing families with fresh produce that they might not otherwise receive.

Village leaders have repeatedly said that they like to promote from within as much as possible when vacancies occur. Multiple village departments are led by those who have been promoted, village leaders point out.

"I am genuinely honored and humbled to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading the Skokie Human Services Division," Lindley said.

misaacs@pioneerlocal.com

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Twitter @SKReview_Mike
Inspired by renowned French pastry chef Pierre Herme, Kim Friedl has been baking macarons in her Mokena kitchen for the past three years and giving them away as gifts.

They were such a favored treat that her friends urged her to sell them.

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Many people sell their home-baked goodies out of their home and may not realize there is a law, but Friedl said, "it was important to do it the right way," and set an example for her 10-year-old triplets.

The "right way" was to follow the state's so-called "cupcake Law," adopted in 2014, which allows home bakers to sell a limited amount of treats without a permit from the Health Department, as long as their local municipality passed an ordinance permitting this.

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Friedl did some research and took her macaron plan to the Mokena village board, urging them to adopt this measure. Several area towns have already adopted the law, including Joliet, Naperville, Aurora and Shorewood, she said.

"I was prepared to argue my case, but I didn't need to," she said, adding that village trustees were "awesome and encouraging."

The board had no objections and amended its business and license regulations to allow home-based kitchen operations at its Nov. 13 meeting, said community and economic development director Alan Zordan, noting that no one ever inquired about this before Friedl.

According to Mokena's amended law, which mirrors the state's, the food cannot be "potentially hazardous," and the monthly gross sales cannot exceed $1,000 to ensure this is not a commercial operation, Zordan said.

Customers must be notified that the product was made in a home kitchen. The operation is exempt from Health Department inspections unless there is a complaint or disease outbreak.

Mokena also requires a license for a home occupation business, which is $67 annually, Zordan said.

"This is an option for people who may want to grow into a business," he said.

Since the village adopted this law, one other person  in addition to Friedl  has come forward for a license, he said.

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Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

And Friedl has turned to promoting her "Macaron Shoppe" on Facebook.

"I was shocked at the response," she said, adding that she had to turn away more orders for the Thanksgiving holiday, and may need to stop taking Christmas orders.

"This allows me to do something I love, while still being a wife and mother," Friedl said. "It's nice to have the opportunity. It's very important for me to be home with my family, and they are thrilled that I am doing this."

Friedl hopes that other bakers will take advantage of Mokena's new law.

"I don't want a shop now, but some day I would love to have a cute shop in downtown Mokena," she said.

slafferty@tribpub.com

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Twitter @SusanLaff
I figured the panel of three state lawmakers, a Cook County commissioner and a Chicago alderman would talk about taxes, budgets and pension costs Thursday morning.

But with elections coming up, I should have known the five Democrats would be unable to resist making a few politically inflammatory remarks, including some digs directed at Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner .

Reaction to a recent crime spree involving carjackings, high-speed chases and gun violence rounded out the discussion.

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Saint Xavier University's 12th annual legislative breakfast gave a few dozen residents, business leaders and other community members the chance to hear elected officials provide a public update on a range of issues.

Panelists were asked about state funding for higher education. Public universities, private institutions and community colleges survived more than two years without most of their anticipated state funding during the budget impasse, said state Sen. Michael Hastings, D-Tinley Park.

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"I believe the legislature will pass a responsible budget in 2018," he said. "But will the governor sign it? The governor is a little erratic these days."

Uncertainty over funding is hurting enrollments, but Governors State University in University Park saw its number of applications quadruple this year after passage of the first full-year state budget since 2014, Hastings said.

Funding cuts for higher education, public transportation and other areas, along with an income tax hike, were needed to restore balance to the state's finances, said state Sen. Bill Cunningham , D-Chicago.

"We still have a rather large hole we have to climb out of," Cunningham said. "I think next year's budget will not be nearly as difficult as the last one ... I don't think the governor wants to be bogged down in Springfield when he'd rather be out campaigning."

State Sens. Bill Cunningham, left, D-Chicago, and Michael Hastings, D-Tinley Park, talked about budgets, taxes and pension costs Thursday during a legislative breakfast at Saint Xavier University in Chicago. ( Ted Slowik/Daily Southtown )

Some institutions are struggling with declining enrollments due to population shifts and other factors unrelated to the budget impasse, said state Rep. Kelly Burke , D-Chicago.

"There needs to be some transformative thinking at institutions," Burke said. "They need to change in order to thrive."

Cook County Commissioner John Daley , D-11th, said the budget recently approved by the county board cut 300 jobs and eliminated an additional 1,000 vacant positions. County leaders resorted to the cuts to reduce a budget deficit after negotiations with labor unions proved unsuccessful, he said.

"We asked unions to take furlough days," Daley said. "We tried working with the unions. Unfortunately they did not cooperate."

Panelists noted that Thursday marked the last day of the county's widely unpopular penny-an-ounce "soda tax" on sweetened beverages.

"In all my years of public service I've never seen a tax that met so much opposition from the public and businesses," Daley said. "I think we took a hit because we were the last of many new taxes."

Moderator Ed Maloney, a retired state senator, asked about Rauner's recent TV ads that feature governors of three neighboring states sarcastically thanking House Speaker Michael Madigan , D-Chicago.

"Madigan is one of the smartest individuals in government I know," Daley said. "Previous governors knew the budget was their key responsibility. You could have a social agenda, but your sole purpose is to pass a budget."

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Hastings criticized Rauner for pushing anti-union "right-to-work" legislation, his unwillingness to compromise and political inexperience.

"This guy hasn't stopped campaigning since day one," Hastings said. "I try to be quiet about these things but I can't help it. My district is the heart and soul of organized labor in the entire state of Illinois."

Large numbers of tradesmen, teachers, public safety and other government workers live in the area, Hastings said. He said Rauner once invited him to the Governor's Mansion to talk issues over beer and cigars.

"He asked me, 'How do you feel about organized labor?'" Hastings recalled. "'How do you feel about unions in the state of Illinois?' as if he didn't do his research about the district I represent."

"'Would you be willing when the time came to take a vote and make Illinois a right-to-work state or diminish workers' rights?'" Hastings said the governor asked. "It's almost like getting a slap in the face, right there, when it's one-on-one. I didn't know whether to go off the chain or whether to be calm.

"But I'm thinking to myself, 'These people are my neighbors, these people are my family members, these people put food on the table for their children, and I'm going to vote against that? You've got to be out of your mind.' It's an example of his lack of leadership, and knowing who you're talking to."

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I find it interesting that Democratic lawmakers have said Rauner tried to flip them, but when all was said and done it was a handful of Republican House members who defected from the party and voted with Democrats to override the governor's budget veto.

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In addition to jobs and taxes, public safety often becomes an issue raised in contentious elections. Chicago Ald. Matt O'Shea, D-19th, addressed a recent crime spree that struck Mount Greenwood, Beverly, Morgan Park and other neighborhoods in November.

O'Shea elaborated on several email alerts his office recently sent to constituents about a series of armed robberies, carjackings and other crimes. Assailants terrorized community residents by pointing guns at them and stealing their property during broad daylight, he said.

Chicago police apprehended four juveniles in connection with the incidents, he said.

"These were 15- and 16-year-old Chicago Public School students," O'Shea said. "They were arrested, then released to the custody of their families.

"It's ironic they were arrested walking out of school," he said. "It's so frustrating. The Chicago Police Department did its job. These weren't professionals, these were kids. Where were the parents? It all starts at home."

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tslowik@tronc.com

Twitter @tedslowik
Trucks are shown going through a checkpoint at one of the many warehouses at the Centerpoint Intermodal Center in Elwood in 2013. (Chuck Berman / Chicago Tribune )

I disagree with the Sierra Club's call for a moratorium on new warehouse developments in Will County.

The Illinois chapter of the environmental advocacy group launched an online petition on Nov. 1. As of Wednesday, the effort had 295 supporters. The county's population is nearly 700,000.

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"As a citizen of Will County, I strongly urge you to place a moratorium on the annexation and zoning for new warehouses and distribution centers until the county completes a comprehensive land use and transportation plan," states the petition addressed to county policy makers.

I think it's fine for the Sierra Club to advocate for environmental causes and to inject itself into the debate over growth in Will County. But I think an outright ban on warehouses is unrealistic and misguided.

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I share concerns voiced by Will County residents and commuters stuck in traffic jams on Interstate 80, I am often one of them. I agree with people worried about highway safety amid the increased volume of trucks using area roads to access the influx of freight terminals.

I understand why people are frustrated, but I think it's unfair to blame the Illinois Department of Transportation solely for the region's lacking infrastructure. Road congestion may seem to be increasing in the Southland, but traffic-count data indicate backups are worse elsewhere.

"Things have gotten increasingly worse across the entire system," Erin Aleman, IDOT's director of planning and programming, told me Wednesday.

IDOT uses data about congestion and safety to determine what projects to prioritize for funding. Other factors, such as economic development, are also considered, she said.

Northeast Illinois is a key freight hub for the nation, with trucks, trains and barges moving coal, grain, gravel and other goods by road, rail and waterway.

"In 2014, 1.23 billion tons of freight was moved to, from or within Illinois," IDOT said in its 2017 Freight Study, currently in draft form. "This cargo was valued at $2.97 trillion."

Because of their location, southern Cook County and eastern Will County are desirable destinations for developers looking to build distribution centers, intermodal facilities and other logistics operations.

Amazon, for example, now has five fulfillment centers in Will County and this year became the county's largest employer. About 7,000 people work at Amazon facilities in Monee, Romeoville, Crest Hill and two in Joliet.

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It's easy to agree that warehouse and distribution centers create need for infrastructure improvements by increasing traffic on roadways. The question is, who should pay to improve roads, and how?

"I think these developers should be paying for improvements," Will County Board Chairman Jim Moustis told me Wednesday.

I think charging developers impact fees to fund improvements is sound policy. When I asked the Will County Land Use Department about its current impact fees, I was directed to ordinances spelling out required contributions of land or cash for schools, parks and libraries.

All would seem to pertain to residential developments, rather than commercial ones. What about road impact fees for warehouse developments?

This is not a new idea. Naperville first adopted a road impact fee in 1988. Developers sued, but the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the fees are legal so long as they are used to improve routes directly impacted by a particular development.

Will County considered adopting road impact fees in 2008 and formed an advisory committee to study the fees as a revenue source. Towns like Orland Park opposed the idea, with the village board unanimously adopting a resolution against the proposal.

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"The fees proposed in the committee's recommended ordinance are excessive and not allocated in a fair and equitable manner, and would significantly deter future economic development in the Will County portion of Orland Park," the resolution stated.

County officials abandoned the notion of collecting road impact fees.

"It never happened," Moustis told me. "There wasn't enough support for it."

The narrow application of road impact fees is problematic. Impact fees collected from a development along, say Gougar Road in New Lenox cannot be used to pay for improvements to Cedar Road in another part of town.

"I think that's one of the reasons we had difficulty with it," Moustis said.

Impact fees are controversial. Following the financial crisis that began in late 2008, Naperville reduced its road impact fees by 50 percent for 10 months in 2009 to encourage development. In its 2009 resolution, Naperville noted it was the only municipality in Will or DuPage counties that levied a road impact fee at the time.

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Now, Lockport is considering reducing its school impact fee by 80 percent after neighboring Homer Glen lowered its school impact fee.

I think it makes sense for municipalities to adjust fees affecting residential development in response to economic conditions. But I believe if Southland municipalities want to exercise more control over growth of warehouses, they should look at imposing road impact fees on industrial developments.

State law grants towns the ability to levy road impact fees. The Highway Code spells out in detail how municipalities considering the fees must hold a public hearing and fulfill other notification requirements.

"It is the intent of the General Assembly to promote orderly economic growth throughout the state by assuring that new development bears its fair share of the cost of meeting the demand for road improvements through the imposition of road improvement impact fees," the law states.

Clearly, the state legislature intended to empower local jurisdictions with the opportunity to capture revenue from developments that would increase traffic on roads. I believe most municipalities are missing out on the opportunity to make developers pay their fair share for local road improvements.

"Land use planning is a critical component of how transportation planning works," Aleman told me.

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Rather than formally setting road impact fees via ordinance, governments more typically negotiate infrastructure improvements with developers as part of an annexation or other type of agreement.

That's how Will County handled development of the CenterPoint Intermodal Center in Joliet/Elwood, Moustis said.

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"We told them they could build but they had to improve all the roads on their own," he said. "We weren't going to spend one nickel."

Often, he added, developers of large-scale industrial projects will agree to such terms then seek grants through IDOT or the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Taxpayers end up footing the bill instead of developers.

Prioritizing road improvements requires coordination among federal, state and local officials. Regional planning agencies play a key role. Funding comes from a variety of sources, including taxes on gasoline.

I think municipal officials have an obligation to consider road impact fees as part of a comprehensive approach to paying for needed improvements.

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"We have to find solutions to mitigate the impact on our residents," Moustis told me.

tslowik@tronc.com

Twitter @tedslowik
Deerfield police said a man robbed the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa Tuesday and then bought a sandwich at a nearby eatery. (Steve Sadin / Pioneer Press)

Deerfield police say a man robbed a downtown spa and then bought a sandwich in the same shopping center Tuesday evening.

Deerfield Police Commander Juan Mazariegos said police responded to a call from the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa at The Shops at Deerfield Square at 6:35 p.m. reporting an armed robbery in progress. He said the robber, who witnesses described as 5 feet 8 inches and 180 pounds with freckles, wore a blue jacket along with a blue and gray cap.

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The robber went into the salon's back office and demanded money, according to Mazariegos. He said the man did not display a weapon but store employees believed he had one.

"They saw something in his right hand but weren't sure what it was," Mazariegos said. "He removed his backpack, started taking money from the safe, and then walked out."

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Deefield police say this image from a video surveillance camera shows the suspect, standing, of an armed robbery that took place at a Deerfield spa Tuesday. (Deerfield Police Department / Handout )

Mazariegos said the man took a "substantial amount" of money, though he didn't disclose the precise amount, citing security concerns.

Shortly after leaving the Red Door, Mazariegos said the alleged robber walked to the Potbelly Sandwich Shop west of the salon in the same shopping center. Witnesses at the restaurant reported that the man purchased a sandwich, he said.

Mazariegos said police are reviewing video surveillance cameras from the shopping center and its stores as part of their investigation.

Mazariegos said anyone with information should call 847-945-8636.

Steve Sadin is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
Elgin Mayor David Kaptain gave the annual State of the City address Wednesday morning, part of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerces yearly Good Morning Elgin! breakfast. (Janelle Walker/Pioneer Press )

There is a lot to be proud of in Elgin  from its AAA bond rating to its police and fire departments  Mayor David Kaptain said Wednesday morning at his annual State of the City address.

But it is what is coming up for Elgin  an emphasis on working with the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce, business and industry leaders and Elgin School District U46  that has him the most excited and optimistic about the city's future, Kaptain said.

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About 200 people attended the annual breakfast event, sponsored by the chamber.

It is a chance, said chamber President Carol Gieske, for business leaders who may not attend council meetings to speak to the mayor and hear more about what is happening at the city on a one-on-one level.

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While the city simulcasts its council meetings  and recorded the breakfast address as well  "those who have conflicts with the council meetings can see this" and hear long-term plans for the city and the council, Gieske said.

Kaptain touted the recently reassigned AAA bond rating received by the city as one of the highlights this year.

"We are among the top 5 percent of cities in the country and it sets us apart from others," Kaptain said.

Elgin's crime rate  at a 40-year low with double the population  is also something to be proud of, and he thanked the police department for those numbers.

At the same time, the city's Fire Department has received a 2 rating from the Insurance Services Office, Kaptain said. "That puts us in the top, a small percentage of the U.S." and helps to lower homeowner insurance rates, he added.

City staff works hard to achieve those goals, but not every department has measures like crime rates and insurance tables to compare to.

For the Public Works Department, Kaptain said, the biggest praise is the number of complimentary calls he received after summer storms that took down many trees and utility lines in the city.

"They got nothing but compliments from the city on their service," Kaptain said.

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Going forward, however, Kaptain said he was most excited about plans to partner with Elgin schools and businesses to help create young people ready to take the jobs available here.

"Education is ... one of the most important things we have had to struggle with," Kaptain said.

Education, and what the city can do to help both young people in school and businesses here that need workers, is part of the city's overall strategic plan, Kaptain said.

"We need an educated workforce, or we will fail. If we can't provide a pipeline of educated workers to our industries and businesses we will fail," he said.

Some of those processes have been in place for a number of years, Kaptain said, and have included helping to ensure all Elgin students are reading at a third-grade level by that phase of their education.

He quoted a study that indicates if a child is not reading at a third-grade level, they are more likely to be in the criminal justice system.

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"We have to explore our options. We can't direct (students), but we can provide them with options," he said.

The current program has gone from a concept to a movement, he said. "Over time, we will see it define us as a city and U46 in the state of Illinois," Kaptain said.

Currently, students in the Elgin middle schools are learning about what jobs they can get here once they graduate. It includes internships and potentially apprenticeships, Kaptain said.

U46 has taken a lead on the program as well with its Pathways program, including offering welding classes at the high schools.

Elgin Community College is also part of the solution to matching students with available jobs, pointing out that the school began a forklift driving class for businesses that needed those positions filled, but could not find those with the needed experience.

By showing students who see college  and college costs  as out of reach, the programs now being embarked on give hope to young people, he said.

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"They will stay here and work here and will be a part of Elgin's future," Kaptain said.

Janelle Walker is a freelance reporter for the Courier-News.
Evanston Township High School District 202 is expected to drop Hebrew as one of the world language courses offered at Evanston Township High School. (Pioneer Press)

Evanston Township High School District 202 plans to discontinue Hebrew as a world language course, even as some parents told school board members during a recent meeting that the course is vital to the community.

"It's a world language whose essence helped shape western civilization," Aaron Cohen said at the November 13 meeting. "It's not just a language of or for Jews.  It is also a language of Israeli Muslims, Christiansas well as others. It represents the literal common ground of one of the most culturally vibrant societies."

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Cohen said his daughter studied Hebrew at Evanston Township High School.

But Peter Bavis, ETHS Dist. 202 assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, told the board that the course is "no longer sustainable" at ETHS.

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He said the school's Hebrew teacher recently took a full-time position at Niles North High School in Skokie and that it would difficult finding a certified teacher who would be willing to take a part-time job teaching the course at ETHS.

"It's a very difficult position to staff," Bavis said. "Our program is really no longer sustainable because of that."

He also said there are currently only 34 students studying Hebrew at the school. Bavis cited that as another reason the course is being discontinued.

"We're committed to working with the students that are currently enrolled in Hebrew I through IV so they have online options over the next years to complete their language sequence if they wish to do so," said Bavis.

Binnie Swislow, of the iCenter organization in Northbrtook, told the board she knows of three licensed certified Hebrew teachers in the area who could step in and teach the course. She also balked at the idea of students taking the class online.

"It is not a way to teach high school students," she said. "Please don't give up. I think you're already endured the pain of the 'off years.'"

iCenter helps educators bring to classrooms the field of Israel education and offers support, according to the organization's website.

Others at the meeting told the school board that offering Hebrew is vital in allowing Jewish students to maintain their identity.

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Steve Drapage, who said his daughter will be an incoming ETHS freshman next school year, explained that offering the language course is important for community members who are Jewish as a way of "being seen."

"She's coming from a small Jewish day school," he said of his daughter. "She sees that as helping her integrate into this large, very intimidating community in a way that is going to make her feel better about herself and confident in her identity and better prepared to be a student as ETHS in all the different academic subjects."

The father appealed to the school board to "put all of your efforts that you can to try and keep this program alive despite difficulties."

Rachel Sollinger, an administrator with the Chicago Jewish Day School, told the school board she has a child at ETHS. She said that offering Hebrew at the high school is "critical at this juncture" because anti-Semitic rhetoric across the country has increased.

"It is beginning to really make its presence known here at ETHS," Sollinger said.

The board did not take any action on the issue during the meeting. Further, no details were given as to when the language course may be fully eliminated from the school curriculum.

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Brian L. Cox is a freelancer.
The Evanston City Council, pictured in this July 2017 file photo, held off voting on the full fiscal year 2018 budget proposal at the Nov. 27 City Council meeting. However, aldermen did approve ordinances at the meeting that call for several fee and tax increases. (Pioneer Press)

Evanston aldermen approved several revenue measures Monday as part of the city's 2018 spending plan, but they held off voting at the City Council meeting on the full $336 million proposed budget.

The City Council did OK new taxes, longer parking meter hours and costlier parking meter tickets in an effort to balance an anticipated $6 million deficit in the budget for next fiscal year  which starts Jan. 1, 2018.

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A tax of 20 cents per ride was approved as part of the Transportation Network Provider Tax for ride share companies, including Uber and Lyft.

According to the approved ordinance calling for the fee, the cost "would be charged to riders each time they take a ride with Uber, Lyft or any transportation network provider that may operate in Evanston in the future."

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Alderman increased the expired parking meter fine from $10 to $20 and also extended parking meter operating hours to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in all zones  instead of just downtown

They increased the Municipal Parking Tax from $35 to $50 per month for parking permits in city-owned garages and increased street-sweeping violation fines from $35 to $40, among other items aimed at balancing the 2018 budget.

All of the increases would be effective Jan. 1, 2018.

Officials said in October that Evanston is facing a shortfall in its proposed budget for FY18. At that time, aldermen were presented by city staff with a $338 million spending plan proposal. But by Monday's meeting, other cuts and savings were included and the budget plan was trimmed to $336 million, according to budget documents.

City officials previously announced that Evanston is facing a budget deficit next year.

More than $5 million of the anticipated $6 million shortfall comes from money lost in building permit fees from 2017 to 2018, according to the budget proposal. The decrease is a result of Northwestern University slowing down a building boom that in recent years contributed millions to city coffers, city officials said.

The rest stems from an anticipated decrease in sales tax and Illinois income tax revenue of about $1.4 million, according to the budget plan.

In addition to the increased fees aldermen approved, aimed at bringing in more revenue, Evanston is expected to lay off more than a dozen city workers and make department consolidations and changes.

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On the expenses side, while health insurance costs decreased about $316,000, union workers are expected to receive a 3 percent general wage increase next year. That pay raise is projected to cost the city about $2.4 million, according to budget documents.

gbookwalter@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @GenevieveBook
The fundamental things apply at Merlo's Italian Restaurant in Highland Park's Ravinia neighborhood.

"The food is good, it's local, and it's got a very nice atmosphere," observes Highland Park resident Meryl Auslander, who dined there recently with her husband. "It's more than a quick meal place. I feel like I'm having dinner  tonight it's Veal Milanese  in a nice restaurant."

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Merlo's, which marks its fifth anniversary this year, is "a versatile neighborhood restaurant serving big Chicago-style Italian fare," states owner John Merlo. "You can feel comfortable coming in for pizza and a beer, or you can dress it up and have a steak with a nice bottle of wine."

After owning several restaurants, nightclubs, and bars in Chicago over the past 20 years, Merlo, a Winnetka native who now lives in Glencoe, was looking to open his first restaurant in the northern suburbs, as he and his wife wanted to move back to the area to raise their children.

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The initial attraction of the restaurant's location on Roger Williams Avenue was its proximity to the Ravinia Festival. "Going in, we didn't know how much we would love the community," he said. "It is very tight-knit. People are proud to make the distinction that they are from Ravinia. It's got a very welcoming and approachable feel to it. (The residents) have been very supportive of us, which we appreciate."

Philosophy: "We build relationships and get to know our customers," Merlo said. "We have a lot of regulars we see sometimes multiple times a week, and so we want to be accommodating to all requests and deliver a consistent product with a happy face. I tell my servers that if someone wants Lobster Thermidor (and it is not on the menu that evening), we shouldn't say no; we say we can do it, but it may take a bit of time."

On the menu: Salads, brick oven pizzas, pastas, Italian sausages, and dinner entrees. The Brussel Sprouts are a popular appetizer, Merlo said. Signature dishes include Rigatoni Bolognese and "the parms"  Chicken, Eggplant, or Veal Parmesan. "People do love the Brick Chicken and the pizzas," Merlo added.

Decor: Merlo's seats about 85 at the white tablecloth tables. There is seating for about 15 at the bar. In warmer weather, there is outdoor seating for about 30 diners. Merlo remodeled when he bought the restaurant, removing the drywall to expose the brick for a warmer atmosphere. He also toned down the lighting. Framed black and white photographs of Italian scenes grace the walls.

Pricing: Appetizers range from $12 for a grilled vegetable platter to $18 for a dozen baked clams. Merlo's Salad is $9 (small) and $15 (large). Twelve-inch pizzas are $13-$14. Pasta dishes range from $16 for homemade ravioli to $22 for the spicy Linguini Fra Diavolo with shrimp. Brick chicken is $18 (half) to $25 (full). Parmesan dishes are $18 (eggplant), $20 (chicken) and $25 (veal).

Logistics: Merlo's Italian Restaurant is located at 581 Roger Williams Ave., Highland Park. Hours are 4-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 4-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Call 847-266-0600 or go to merlosrestaurant.com.
Michael Carbonaro will perform Dec. 8 at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan. ( Stuart Pettican/HANDOUT )

Looking for something to do this week? Here are five things to do in Lake County from Dec. 8-11:

Brass band: There will be a holiday concert featuring the Navy Band Great Lakes Brass Ambassadors at 2 p.m. Dec. 8 at the National Museum of the American Sailor. Admission is free. At 610 Farragut Ave. Go to www.history.navy.mil.

Classic story: "It's a Wonderful Life" will be performed Dec. 8-16 at the Improv Playhouse. Tickets are $5-$20. At 735 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. Call 847-968-4529 or go to www.improvplayhouse.com.

Prankster: Michael Carbonaro will perform at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan. Tickets are $33-$58. At 203 N. Genesee St. Call 847-782-2366 or go to geneseetheatre.com.

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Seasonal sounds: The Highland Park Strings will perform a holiday concert at 3 p.m. Dec. 10. Tickets are free. At Highland Park High School, 433 Vine Ave. Call 847-831-3810 or go to hpstrings.org.

Jazzy: College of Lake County will host a Jazz Combos Concert at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11. Tickets are free. At 19351 Washington St., Grayslake. Call 847-543-2300 or go to jlc.clcillinois.edu.

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Do you have something to add to Five Things to Do? Email to wweber@tronc.com at least two weeks in advance.
Waukegan Public Library Executive Director Richard Lee will be retiring in January after an almost a 15-year stint. (Yadira Sanchez Olson / News-Sun )

In January, the man behind a transformation aimed at increasing literacy initiatives and need-based services at the Waukegan Public Library will be leaving its executive director position to enjoy family, friends and hobbies in retirement.

Richard Lee's departure next year will leave room for a new leader to take the helm of an organization that in 2013 earned the nation's highest recognition for libraries  a National Medal from the Institute of Museum and Library Services  for its responsive services to patrons.

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"It was given totally for meeting the needs of this particular community. It's great to be recognized for that," Lee said about the honor, which also included a trip to the White House and a meeting with then-First Lady Michelle Obama. Lee described the experience as a highlight in his career.

Since 2003, Lee has acted as only the fifth director of the tax-supported public library since it was founded in Waukegan in 1898.

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Since then, Lee's legacy has been punctuated with many changes on account of a growing, culturally-diverse community, currently of approximately 89,000 residents. According to Lee, the community at large is served in one form or another through the evolution of technology, which has meant a constant increase in digital tools and services for employees and those who who visit the main building at 128 N. County Street and its branch at 800 N. Baldwin Ave.

If you ask Lee how far the library has come, he could name a number of dramatic shifts that have significantly moved it from a cavernous, quiet place toward a 21st century community hub where families congregate to learn and connect.

But you won't catch him patting himself on the back over successes and achievements.

Instead, Lee has often been heard to say that what has worked for him is empowering his team to do what they do best. And he began doing that early on in his post in Waukegan.

"Right away, I could see that the staff was on the ball and that they wouldn't go halfway with any challenge," Lee said. "I could see that immediately, and I thought, 'Well then, I'm just gonna get the heck out their way.'"

More recently under Lee's direction, the library went through a $1.2 million renovation that was finished in 2015 and created, along with other additions, more collaborative spaces that included glass-encased rooms with TV monitors.

Lee said his staff was noticing teens trying to work together on projects on weekends and adults getting in groups moving tables and chairs around. He added that those collaborative spaces were the answer to facilitate those engagements already taking place.

"Richard is definitely a director who trusts his people to do what they're assigned and fosters a culture to feel that you can go out there and take risks, and he'll support you," said Amanda Civitello, the library's marketing and communications manager.

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Adding that Lee is known to be modest, Civitello said that kind of leadership is hard to find.

In September, the library hired Vernon Hills-based search firm John Keister & Associates to assist with a national search to find Lee's replacement.

The library's board of directors has conducted interviews with two candidates and will soon meet with two more, said Claudia Freeman, board vice president.

"Those will be huge shoes to fill, because Richard is a leader as opposed to a manager, with professionalism beyond," Freeman said, calling him "an amazing man" who will be missed.

Freeman added that she will even miss Lee's dry sense of humor and his "horrendous dad jokes" that Freeman said he often told crowds during the library's summer concert series. "They were really awful," she said.

What Lee will miss the most when he says goodbye to Waukegan's library is his routine.

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"I'm a regiment kind of guy. I'm gonna have to get used to every day being a Saturday," Lee said.

He added that he'll also miss his team.

"We're all comrades and colleagues, and we all do what we need to get the job done and make the money go as far as we can," Lee said.

When asked whether there's anything left to do, Lee quickly responds with a "no."

"I've done everything I wanted to do. I had two goals when I came here  to win awards, and to have other libraries in the nearby area say, 'Do you see what they're doing in Waukegan?'" Lee said. "I think we've done that."

Lee recalled that after helping build a 60,000-square-foot library in Las Vegas in the 1990s and then a 112,000-square-foot library in Pueblo, Colo., what he was looking for was another challenge almost 15 years ago. He added that he found that in Waukegan.

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Ty Rohrer, supervisor at the Waukegan History Museum, said he thinks history will reflect upon how Lee was able to reimagine what Waukegan's library could be for its culturally-diverse community. Rohrer said during Lee's tenure, he's seen it change to a welcoming environment.

"He took it beyond a place to find books to Waukegan's cultural center," Rohrer said.

Adding that Lee's enthusiasm and love for Waukegan author Ray Bradbury also helped cement some of the now-annual activities around the author's work, Rohrer said Lee has made sure Bradbury's past is always told and that his work continues to inspire perhaps the next Ray Bradbury.

"Personally, it's been very enjoyable working with him," Rohrer said.

No matter who takes his place next year, Lee said he believes the library will continue to be well-served by a culture with a "deep understanding of talking to the community and finding what's necessary and getting with the team."

"The days of creating a program in hopes that people utilize it are gone," Lee said.

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The advice he has for the incoming director is to talk to patrons and listen to what they have to say about their library.

"Get involved in the community, because they will teach you a lot," Lee said. "Over the years, we have developed community partnerships that have been fruitful."

Naming a few of those partnerships, Lee said the Mano a Mano Family Resource Center, PADS Lake County and the Lake County Health Department have been able to work together nicely to serve their constituents.

That's also how Civitello said the library has been able to draw many of its volunteers in for their programs and spark interest from community businesses who have been instrumental in funding projects deemed necessary for the community's prosperity.

Lee won't stray too far away from the place where he said he's made good friends and has learned many lessons, though.

While taking cruises with his wife and reading the classics for pure pleasure are on the list of activities he's got planned in his retirement, Lee said another thing he'll tackle will be trying to see how he fits in after working since the age of 15.

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One particular program Lee is interested in is the library's adult literacy classes because of the stories he's heard over the years about parents and grandparents finally being able to read a bedtime story for the first time to their kids and grandkids.

"That tugs at my heartstrings," Lee said.

So maybe even after retiring, the Waukegan Public Library will still have Lee roaming its halls, fostering literacy.

As Civitello put it jokingly, "He's threatening to turn into a volunteer."

Richard Lee sits next to a statue of children reading a book in a garden outside Waukegan Public Library. (Yadira Sanchez Olson / News-Sun )

Yadira Sanchez Olson is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
Defense attorneys for 19-year-old Willie Jackson, charged with first-degree murder in the killing of a Waukegan High School student last year, are seeking to have statements he made to Waukegan police investigators barred from his trial.

Public defenders Jeff Facklam and John Radosevich argued this week in an ongoing hearing that Jackson had attempted to invoke his right to an attorney, but police continued interviewing him without one.

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During an almost daylong hearing Tuesday in Lake County Circuit Court, assistant state's attorneys Ari Fisz and Danielle Pascucci showed a video recording of the interview that they said shows Jackson said nothing during the interview that rose to the standard of invoking his right to an attorney.

The hearing on the motion to suppress the statements began this week before Circuit Judge Patricia Fix and is scheduled to continue Dec. 7, with Jackson currently scheduled for trial in January.

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Jackson, a Waukegan resident, is charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 11, 2016, shooting death of 17-year-old Dayviontay Jackson in a home on the 400 block of McKinley Avenue, according to authorities.

The two Jacksons are not related.

Waukegan police said at the time that officers responded to a call of a shooting at 8:30 p.m. that night, and Dayviontay Jackson was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to a police news release, the incident stemmed from a verbal argument that escalated into the shooting.

During the Jan. 4, 2017, interview shown in court Tuesday, Willie Jackson told police he had gone with his uncle to the home, which is where a friend lived, and that he had not seen Dayviontay Jackson before.

Jackson told police that the victim was "playing with the gun" and acting "really crazy."

"He said he was going to smoke me," Jackson told detectives. "I wrestled over the gun and I got it."

When asked what happened next, Jackson said he blacked out, and the next thing he remembered was running in the middle of the street.

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Three times during the interview, Jackson asked if he could call his grandmother. The first two times Jackson asked about calling his grandmother, he was told by investigators that he would be allowed to make any calls he wanted to after he told them his "side of the story."

The third time, which occurred after the above exchanges, Jackson again said he wanted to talk to his grandmother and that "she said she got me an attorney."

At that point, investigators asked for her number, and testified in court Tuesday that an attempt to reach her was made but was unsuccessful. Sgt. Scott Thomas, a Waukegan police detective, testified that when he called the number, he believed he talked with the defendant's mother, who later came to the police station and was allowed to speak with Jackson in the interview room.

Facklam and Radosevich told the court they believe police tried to call Jackson's grandmother to head off attempts to have an attorney present for the interview.

According to testimony in court, before the interview occurred, Thomas and Jaroslaw Grzeda, another Waukegan detective, had driven Jackson back from Dyersburg, Tenn., where he had been arrested on a murder warrant from Waukegan and then waived an extradition hearing.

Grzeda said Jackson spoke with the investigators about a number of topics on the drive back from Tennessee, but not about the case.

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Thomas said the two had body cameras they would have activated if Jackson began to "speak freely" about the shooting, but that did not occur and they did not attempt to question him in the car.

After the video was shown, Facklam notified the court he was filing a second motion alleging that Jackson's Miranda rights were not properly given.

Facklam said that while reading Jackson his Miranda rights, Thomas mistakenly said anything you say "cannot" be used against you. Under questioning at the hearing, Thomas testified he actually said anything you say "can and will" be used against you. The audio portion of the video recording shown in court did not appear to definitively prove which version is correct.

Under questioning by prosecutors, Thomas said it was easier to hear the statements in the interview room than it is on the video recording.

The video recording showed that Jackson nodded his head in assent when he was asked if he understood each right.

Jackson has been held in Lake County jail on $3 million bail since his arrest.

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Dayviontay Jackson was a senior and was a former JROTC cadet at Waukegan High School, according to school spokesman Nicholas Alajakis.

In a previous interview, his mother, Shukeitha, said her son had just left their house less than two hours before the shooting on the night he was killed.

"He wanted to be a Navy SEAL and was going to join the Navy after school," she said. "He was a family guy, a good guy. He had a lot of friends. He was a real sweetheart."

jrnewton@tribpub.com

Twitter @jimnewton5
Carter Bailey was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2014 around the time he was planning to graduate from Barrington High School. (Silbar PR)

Carter Bailey was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2014  the same year he graduated from Barrington High School.

Forced into treatment, Bailey had to wait a year before being able to attend college. Now a junior at Indiana University, where he studies finance and information systems, Bailey has recovered from acute myeloid leukemia.

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On Nov. 18, Bailey, his family and blood donation group LifeSource all hosted the annual "CarterStrong and Max's Mission Blood and Bone Marrow Registry Drive" in Barrington. Bailey recently talked with Pioneer Press about his diagnosis and recovery.

Q: Can you talk about your leukemia treatment?

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A: I had leukemia three years ago, and I was in Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago during the spring and summer of 2014. I underwent five chemotherapy (treatments) and two radiation therapies. After that, I got a bone marrow transplant through "Be the Match," a bone marrow registry program.

Q: What helped you during this period?

A: I had my family and friends, and support of the community. All were very helpful. There were definitely some hard times and hard decisions. For instance, when we were thinking of getting a bone marrow transplant, doctors said that if I didn't get one, the chance of a relapse was a lot higher. I got the transplant and had to take a year off school, and missed going to college with my friends.

Q: How else are you involved with advancing awareness of leukemia?

A: At Indiana University, I'm president of "Be the Match on Campus," and we host bone marrow drives and try to educate people on the donation process.

Shout Out is a weekly feature in which we introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban Chicago.

tshields@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @tshields19
The DuPage County Board has not raised taxes in 10 years, a task that board Chairman Dan Cronin said was "more difficult than ever this year. (Gary Gibula/Naperville Sun)

The DuPage County Board has approved a new fiscal year 2018 budget that, for the 10th consecutive year, does not ask residents for a tax increase.

The spending plan calls for belt-tightening across all county departments due, in part, to the General Assembly cutting more than $3 million in revenue allocated to DuPage.

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Board members Tuesday voted in favor of the new budget, although several commissioners disagreed on an item that reduced the number of sworn officers in the sheriff's department.

The $439.6 million spending plan calls for a slight decrease in expenditures compared to the current year and fewer overall employees. The new full-time headcount of 2,178 is down from 2,270 in 2010.

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"This is a particularly challenging time," Chairman Dan Cronin told board members. "We asked each of our county-wide elected officials to work closely with us as we tried to evenly and fairly distribute the reductions needed to balance the fiscal year 2018 budget with reduced revenues."

The new budget, which takes effect Dec. 1, includes some $55.6 million for capital projects, such as road construction and stormwater improvements. It also provides $100,000 to continue fighting heroin abuse in DuPage County.

Several county board members voiced concern over a reduction in sheriff's department deputies from 408 to 392 and overall employees from 519 to 491.

"I think the sheriff and his staff do a wonderful job," board member Robert Larsen said. "Then we get stuck by the state of Illinois for $3.5 or $4 million because of their own fiscal mismanagement, and now we have to make difficult choices."

Board member Sam Tornatore said, "A reduction in headcount is not, per se, a reduction in public safety."

"We didn't create this problem," board member Kevin Wiley said. "It was the state decreasing our budget and revenues that created a problem that we have to respond to."

The two ordinances reducing headcounts passed by identical votes of 14-4, with commissioners Peter DiCianni, Tim Elliott, Gary Grasso and Sean Noonan in the minority.

"Every year we strive to live within our means while offering the highest level of service without raising property taxes," Cronin said. "This year was more difficult than ever."

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Cronin also announced Tuesday that he is proposing an advisory referendum on the March 2018 primary election ballot to ask residents whether they think the DuPage County Election Commission should be combined with the DuPage County Clerk's Office.

A legislative effort to combine the two departments stalled earlier this year. "However, our goal to achieve the consolidation for greater efficiency remains," Cronin said. "The input from this advisory referendum will guide our legislative efforts in the spring session."

Gary Gibula is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
Police Chief James Kruger said the booking room is undersized and doesn't have enough space for safe handling of prisoners. (Oak Brook Police Department )

The Oak Brook Village Board's decision Tuesday to spend nearly $2.5 million for improvements to the Police Department's detention area didn't come without debate.

Village President Gopal Lalmalani, who rarely makes public comments before a board vote, expressed his concerns.

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"I am concerned about the big uncertainty," he said. "We have a decline in sales tax. I support the project, but I'm concerned about the timing of the project."

Lalmalani said it would make sense to wait on making a decision until after the village finds out if Amazon has accepted the state's bid to bring the company's second headquarters to Illinois, as Oak Brook was included in a bid, along with Chicago and Schaumburg.

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"We should wait until the spring," Lalmalani said. "It would change a lot of things for us if Amazon decides to come here."

Board member Philip Cuevas strongly disagreed, saying safety for officers and prisoners was paramount.

"There are dangerous people around here," he said. "We have people coming from Chicago who are gang members, going into our neighborhoods."

Police Chief James Kruger said Cuevas was referring to car burglaries and thefts that have occurred in the western suburbs over the past couple of weeks and last summer.

"Nothing specific I could articulate," Kruger said. "Our detectives are working with surrounding agencies, following up on leads."

Cuevas also said the village risks a lawsuit if someone is hurt, because Kruger notified the board about his safety concerns.

The project includes a rebuild of the lockup area, booking and main hallway; relocation of firing range exhaust equipment; construction of a new usable sally port; and enclosing the roof over the walkway that continuously leaks into the building.

Kruger said the project also improves the electronic surveillance of the lockup area and brings Oak Brook into compliance with all applicable requirements by the Department of Corrections.

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Funding for the project would come in the 2018 village budget, which is to be approved in December, said finance director Jason Paprocki.

He said the proposed budget assumes the full $2.48 million project will be paid with debt, but the final number likely won't be decided until early next year.

"The board may vote to pay some in cash and some in debt, as Trustee (Asif) Yusuf suggested. But for the time being, we're assuming all debt," Paprocki said.

While the board approved the full project, it was noted that another look at the village's financial situation and any news regarding Amazon would be done in the spring.

After an initial expenditure of $100,000 to $150,000, the board could decide to stop remaining work with no further cost or penalty.

Still, board member Michael Manzo voted against approval.

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"Borrowing $2.4 million to fix a hallway issue?" Manzo asked. "Oak Brook is spending its way to a property tax. We have a pattern of overspending to address simple projects."

Manzo suggested a conversation was needed about building a new police facility.

"If that is a conversation we need to have, it doesn't make any sense to spend this much money now," he said. "That is money that could go toward a new facility if we decided that is what we really need."

cfieldman@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @chuckwriting
Pat Pohrte, from left, Brandon Hearne, Christina Biancardi, Kristin Duncan, Mark Aken, Warren Lee Ellis and Mike Johnson star in Hammond Community Theatres You Better Watch Out from Dec. 8-17 at Beatniks on Conkey. ( Anji Britten )

Hammond Community Theatre's latest production may be the ticket for people looking for something different to check out this holiday season.

The comedic play "You Better Watch Out" runs from Dec. 8-17 at Beatniks on Conkey in Hammond.

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"One of the things I as a director like to do is try to find plays that not everyone has done before," said Wayne Puchkors, director of "You Better Watch Out."

"I looked at 15 different shows. This one was funny. I thought the audiences are going to enjoy it. It has a good message at the end, which you need to have for a Christmas show."

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"You Better Watch Out" by Don Hodgins is set on Christmas Eve at the Willow Inn in Wisconsin. Hosts Jenny and Tom invite her father, Art, to see their bed-and-breakfast for the first time.

A snowstorm forces Rudy and Marsha, who run a costume business, and a cheerful man named Mr. Smith, who claims to be in the delivery business, to spend the evening there. Andy, the inn's handyman works with Mr. Smith to help Art, who is still mourning his wife's passing, to see the joy of Christmas.

The cast for "You Better Watch Out" is comprised of Mark Aken, of Griffith; Christina Biancardi, of St. John; Kristin Duncan, of Lafayette; Warren Lee Ellis, of Hammond; Brandon Hearne, of Gary's Miller Beach neighborhood; Mike Johnson, of Whiting; and Pat Pohrte, of Munster.

"It really is a great cast. They're all working very hard at making their characters believable," said Puchkors, of St. John.

"We've all been having fun. There's been a lot of laughs going on at rehearsals. You have a comedy so that's pretty good. They're working very hard and getting their lines down. I think they're doing a wonderful job.

"I've worked with some before and I know what they can do, and the new people that auditioned and got the parts are really pleasing me. It's just fun to work with them."

Puchkors, who has been working with Hammond Community Theatre for approximately 15 years, is a member theater representative for the Northwest Indiana Excellence in Theatre Foundation.

"We try to help every community theater from Cedar Lake all the way out to Michigan City and then some," he said.

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"Whether you're acting or directing, when you do it right and the audience not only applauds but they stick around at the end of the show to congratulate everyone and you hear them talking about what they've just seen, that's a real thrill.

"That's a real reward for community theater since we don't get paid."

Puchkors said "You Better Watch Out" can give people a break from the stress of not only the holiday season but also the world in general.

"It's a funny show. It's got some really good characters in it and comic relief. Like I said, it has a very nice message of hope. The people will leave the theater with a Christmas spirit and wanting to be kind to everybody," he said.

"The holiday season makes people remember people instead of what's going on in this crazy world that we have. Instead of worrying about everything and obsessing over politics, parties and all that stuff, we get a chance to understand what we're here for and trying to treat our fellow man a little better.

"The holiday season brings that out in everybody."

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Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

'You Better Watch Out'

When: 8 p.m. Dec. 8-9 and 15-16; 2 p.m. Dec. 10 and 17

Where: Beatniks on Conkey, 418/420 Conkey St., Hammond

Tickets: $15
A sign on a front yard announced the end of a holiday lighting tradition at the Highland home of Sam and Lorraine Widdall at 41st Street and ODay Drive. (Joe Puchek / Post-Tribune )

Sam Widdall describes the massive holiday display he has put up at his Highland home for more than three decades as a "labor of love."

So when the holiday-spirited homeowner learned he would be commuting between Highland and Houston as he prepped for a permanent move to Texas with his wife, Lorraine, he knew this year he would be unable to put up the display that has drawn thousands of people down 41st Street over the years.

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Instead of just leaving the home and O'Day Drive undecorated  and his fans in the dark about what why the display wasn't there  Widdall erected a sign thanking people for their support and informing them of the final scaled down display.

"I put the sign up, and a couple little trees around it with flood lights on it," Widdall said.

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He also installed a dozen laser lights as a quick way to illuminate and decorate his home without having to hang strands of lights and erect the many silhouettes, displays and the Nativity scene that are usually part of the fun.

A fan of holiday lights and decorating, Widdall and his family flipped the lights on in Highland Nov. 24 and headed to Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago to look at the lighting handiwork there. When they returned a few hours later, his 12 laser light units had been stolen.

"I don't understand the motivation behind that," Widdall said. He was angry and disheartened by the theft, which he reported to police.

Commander John Banasiak, with the Highland Police Department, confirmed police took a report from Widdall.

"People are rotten," Banasiak said. "It just ruins your spirit."

It is not the first time that holiday decorations have been stolen. Banasiak said that while the department does not categorize what items are stolen in thefts for its annual reporting purposes, he said there are incidents like this each season.

"Off the top of my head, every year we have a half a dozen to a dozen thefts or mischief to decorations," Banasiak said.

He described 41st Street as a highly trafficked secondary east-west thoroughfare in town and was surprised the theft took place during what would be a busy time of day for traffic.

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Anyone with information can call the department at 219-838-3134.

Banasiak said Widdall's home is one that Highland families have been going to for generations.

"It's just a longtime Highland tradition," Banasiak said.

Lorraine Widdall at her home at 41st Street and O'Day Drive in Highland. (Joe Puchek / Post-Tribune )

Sam and Lorraine Widdall started decorating in 1986 when they first purchased the home. Lorraine tackles the inside and the outside is his domain. Each year Sam Widdall added to the display. His in-laws lived next door in the duplex and also became part of the effort. At first they stored the decorations in their basements, then in a dedicated shed and finally in an addition to the garage.

"It was amazing. People started honking and stopping," Widdall said.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Widdall said, he and his late father-in-law Jim Courtright wanted to help change the mood.

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"It seemed like it wasn't the same. The Christmas spirit was not there. It was a different kind of year," he said. The duo purchased Santa suits and took turns standing outside from 5 to 7 p.m. to wave at passersby and handed out candy canes to the children who showed up.

Decorating and playing Santa for all those years has left Widdall with a lot of memories. He recalled being Santa for a 9-year-old boy awaiting a liver transplant. The boy's parents made arrangements in advance for Widdall to give the boy and some of his friends presents.

"It was really heart touching. He jumped in my arms," he said.

Widdall chokes up when he talks about the boy's excitement, and the happy ending he learned of later. The youngster received a liver, he said.

Another woman stops by every year with her adult daughter who has Down syndrome.

"Every year she comes up and says, 'Hey, my Santa.' She gives me a Snickers bar every year," Widdall said. He says Santa always tells her to take as many candy canes as she wants.

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"There are a lot of stories like that," Widdall said.

Widdall said this year's theft was not the first. The display has been vandalized in the past. People have thrown eggs at the silhouettes. One year someone threw a beer bottle at his father-in-law while he was dressed as Santa and knocked him down, he said.

Crown Point Police Chief Pete Land said holiday decoration sometimes can be an easy target.

The city hosts an annual holiday light tour and many homes along the planned route, along with those featured in the tour, have elaborate decorations.

"In past years we've almost always had some type of theft or reported vandalism to Christmas lights or displays," Land said. The stolen items are usually those lawn displays that are small and easy to quickly carry away. So far no laser displays have been stolen of which he is aware, but with the popularity of the units growing that could change, he said.

Police provide enhanced patrols in neighborhoods during the holiday season. Beyond protecting holiday decor they are looking for suspicious vehicles that may be targeting homes with packages on the front steps.

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"Up to this point, we've had only a minimum amount of minor calls," Land said.

For Widdall, dealing with the theft is just part of the deal. He refuses to let the theft dampen his holiday spirit and won't prevent future decorating. Widdall said if he were staying in Highland he would still decorate. Next year he plans to decorate in his new home in Texas, he said.

"It's exciting. We are building our dream house on some land we bought. I will continue to decorate, but now I will be in a gated community," Widdall said.

He is a little disappointed his display won't be available to the general public but has figured out a way to get more people to see his love for holiday lights. His daughter will be moving to Texas as well and he will be decorating her house, along with the house of a niece and nephew already there.

Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
A Kansas man accused of soliciting explicit photos from an underage Lake County girl and driving her to meet two men in Ohio pleaded guilty Thursday.

Ian Smith, 20, was one of three men arrested after a 14-year-old girl went missing at the end of April from her home in unincorporated Lake County between Schererville and Griffith, police said.

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Two Cincinnati men, Eric Ho, 25, and Bryan Otero, 27, were each indicted in an Ohio federal court in May with conspiracy to sex traffic children and conspiracy to produce child pornography, court records show.

Smith was indicted in May in a federal court in Kansas on charges of sexual exploitation of a child  production of child pornography, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and possession of child pornography, according to court records.

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After striking a plea deal with the government, Smith pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of production of child pornography, the deal states.

Smith began talking with the 14-year-old girl in August 2016 on social media sites including Kik, Chat-Tango and Skype, according to the plea deal.

Over Skype, Smith "would demand the minor perform sex acts and made arrangements to meet for further sexual activity," the deal states. At the time, Smith was in Kansas and the minor was in Indiana, court records show.

Police previously said Smith picked up the girl from her home around 11 p.m. April 27 and drove her to Ohio, where he left her with Ho and Otero.

The girl was found by police May 2 in Cincinnati and returned to her family in Lake County.

The maximum sentence Smith faces is 30 years, but no less than 15 years, in prison, according to the plea agreement.

The government estimates the sentencing guideline range to between 292 months and 365 months, the deal states.

Smith is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 16, according to court records.

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Ho and Otero are also expected to change their pleas, Ohio court records show, and a hearing was set on the matter for Dec. 11.

Plea deals for the two had not been publicly filed in court records as of Thursday afternoon.

rejacobs@post-trib.com

Twitter @ruthyjacobs
Alex Azar, President Donald Trumps nominee to become Secretary of Health and Human Services, testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Carolyn Kaster / AP )

President Donald Trump could not have been more clear.

"The drug companies, frankly, are getting away with murder," he said in mid-October. He had used the same "getting away with murder" line previously, adding that "pharma has a lot of lobbies and a lot of lobbyists and a lot of power."

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Yet four weeks later, Trump nominated the former president of Eli Lilly's U.S. business to run the Department of Health and Human Services. If drug companies are murderers, Alex Azar is the guy with the rusty hatchet.

Azar was deputy secretary at HHS during the George W. Bush administration before he cashed out and made millions at Lilly while the company's prices for insulin and other drugs soared. Now he's taking another spin through the revolving door  nominated by a phony populist who had promised to drain the swamp but is instead handing over the government to corporations and the treasury to the rich.

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The Senate probably will confirm Azar. This Senate would confirm Mr. Fox as secretary of henhouse security. But even a couple of the Republicans at Azar's first confirmation hearing Wednesday were squeamish about the spectacle of a Big Pharma executive being installed as the ultimate policeman of drug prices.

"You've got some convincing to make me believe that you're going to represent the American people and not Big Pharma," said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. "And I know that's insulting  but we all have our doubts, because Big Pharma manipulates the system to keep prices high."

And that was restrained compared with the Democrats' treatment of Azar.

"Your resume reads like a how-to manual for profiting from government service," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., noting the $3.5 million payout Azar got last year from Eli Lilly. "I think the American people have a right to know that the person running HHS is looking out for them and not for their own bank account or for the profitability of their former and maybe future employers."

Azar offered little beyond an acknowledgment that "drug prices are too high." When it came to reducing prices, he tossed out the usual objections offered by the pharmaceutical lobby  for example, that we can't reimport drugs from the European Union, where prices are lower, because the medicines wouldn't be "reliable and safe."

"It's a canard," Paul said. "That's B.S., and the American people think it's B.S."

If the "forgotten" man and woman were thinking Trump was really going to lower their drug prices  well, they can forget about it.

They certainly shouldn't be surprised. They've already seen Trump stock his administration with corporate titans and billionaires and begin to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Nor should they be shocked to discover that they aren't getting that big, beautiful tax cut Trump promised. The Tax Policy Center projects that under the "cut," the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans will get 62 percent of the benefit in 2027, while the bottom 95 percent will see no real change.

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Tax distribution analysis is hard to understand. Putting a drug executive in charge of drug pricing is easy. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the committee holding Wednesday's hearing, tried to inoculate Azar against the inevitable accusations of plutocracy. "What do you say to the skeptics," he said at the start, "who question the increase in insulin prices while you were a leader at Eli Lilly?"

Azar explained that his knowledge of "how the money flows" would be an asset  in much the way Trump said that his experience gaming the tax system qualified him to fix it.

Paul asked him to acknowledge Big Pharma's role in manipulating patents. Azar repeated that there are abuses "in the system."

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., asked Azar how he would explain the tripling of insulin prices during his tenure at Eli Lilly to a father of diabetics.

Post Tribune Twice-weekly News updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Azar explained, once more, that "the problem is that system."

"The system?" Baldwin said. "So I should just tell them it's the system?"

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Warren asked Azar whether the $515 million criminal fine Lilly paid in 2009 was "adequate accountability"  even though the company made billions from the illegal marketing. Azar said it was. Asked whether Lilly's CEO should have been held personally responsible, Azar merely replied, "I'm satisfied with our discussion."

The plutocrat was not helping matters. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., tossed Azar a lifeline. Would he do some "homework" and "come back to us in six months" with recommendations to end the "gaming of the system"?

"Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah," the nominee replied.

How reassuring.

Dana Milbank is a columnist for the Washington Post.
What's Quickly? It's where readers sound off on the issues of the day. Have a quote, question or quip? Call Quickly at 312-222-2426 or email quickly@post-trib.com.

The president of the United States retweets a hate-inspired, unvetted video out of England that angers our most longstanding ally. The entire British Parliament and the Prime Minister condemn it, likening the video's origin to that of America's KKK. Nations around the world wince. Could it even trigger further violence abroad? Thank you, Mr. President, for your fine statesmanship.

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Instead of teaching girls and women how not to be sexually harassed and assaulted, maybe we should start teaching boys and men not to be predators.

Trump said his focus is helping "the people that like me best." Trump is not the president of the United States. He is the president of old, white, wealthy men who have are seriously racist. The rest of us are on our own.

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Marco Rubio says that the tax plan is just the first step before "instituting structural changes to Social Security and Medicare" benefits to reduce the federal deficit.

The White House is said to be considering replacing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA Mike Pompeo. Trump must have loved playing musical chairs as a kid, or there is nobody else willing to come and work on his team.

A local charter school reported that $60,000 was missing from the fundraising count. Why do people allow someone to have unrestricted access to these funds? People continue to prove that they can't be trusted, and yet they are still allowed the keys to the bank vault.

When you learn to treat people well, it shows that you were raised well. It shows that you aren't looking for anything in return. It shows that you have class, dignity and respect everyone that you come in contact with.

Post Tribune Twice-weekly News updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

It's time for the state's attorney general and the federal government's Justice Department to come in and look into the Gary school board and the city hall of Gary to find out where all of our tax dollars were spent. They can start with all the useless consulting contracts and see how many contracts are tied into political contributions. It is past time for people to be held accountable.

There is no middle ground in the political world. Our legislators rule by the "my way or the highway" rule. That is what has ruined everything. Total gridlock and total obstruction. We need people that are willing to meet in the middle and negotiate.

Drug use, gambling and prostitution have gone on as long as there have been people on earth. Making them illegal has done no good, only harm. Let's reserve the criminal justice system for criminals, the violent among us, and legalize these ancient activities.

We want standards. You can't pull out the pitchforks for Matt Lauer and Al Franken and not feel the same for Roy Moore and and Donald Trump. Sexual abuse is not a partisan issue.

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What we are seeing in today's world are selective Christians. The personal morality of a moral crusader is in inverse proportion to the volume and frequency of their moralizing. In other words, religious peacocks are never what they pretend to be.

All of these sexual offenders are falling like dominoes. People are wondering about the the aftereffects of their actions. What about their wives and children? They also have to live with these transgressions and shame for the rest of their lives.

Read more at www.post-trib.com/quickly.
For the past two years, some Western Springs residents have reported frequent water discoloration issues due to the village use of well water and an aging water piping infrastructure.

The Village Board could decide in December whether to move forward with digging a new well, which could cost several million dollars, or to upgrade one of its existing wells to address the issue.

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A new well site has been proposed at Field Park along Hillgrove Avenue. Building would come at an estimated cost of $3 million, and the project would take at least a year once the village is approved for an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency loan, said Matt Supert, public works director.

The alternative is to retrofit the existing Well No. 1 at a cost of about $77,000, which include modifications to the water plant, Supert said. It would cost about $165,000 to treat about a one-half million additional gallons of water about every 30 days when the well is being used, plus substantial overtime staff labor costs, he said.

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Well No. 1 is primarily a backup well that is used in case one of the other two  Wells No. 3 and No. 4  are not functioning properly or need to be shut down for maintenance. Well No. 2 was capped more than 20 years ago and is not used, officials said. The three deep wells draw water from underground aquifers.

Supert said Well No. 1 has very high iron and hardness levels, and was not designed to go through the reverse osmosis treatment plant that Well No. 3 and No. 4 pass through. It is instead filtered through a lime-softening process. Officials have said the iron content is very high in Well No. 1, and while it passes all quality testing, the iron content has led to much of the water discoloration that has sparked complaints.

Water plant supervisor Erin Duffy said the Well No. 1 option would only meet the water needs of the village on a short-term basis, and through the results of the study it was determined not to be a long-term solution to village water issues.

Officials said once Well No. 5 is built, the village could then shut down Well No. 1 for good, which would address some of the water discoloration issues that result from the use of that well.

The village could also go forward with both options, keeping Well No. 1 as a improved backup until the new well is completed

But a new well, or upgrading an existing one, may not be enough.

Village Board member Shelia Hansen said more than half of the water pipes in the village were installed in the 1930s and are still used daily, and she has concerns the village could spend millions on a new well to provide more water, then still have water distribution problems due to aging water mains and other pipes.

Supert has previously indicated the aging pipes are leading to water main breaks, which can cause sediment and other deposits to appear in water after it has been treated.

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"Even though we may have a more water output, it could still be brown due to the age of the pipes," Hansen said. "Many people don't understand that the water leaving the treatment plan is fine, but the discoloration may occur from the pipes."

Village manager Ingrid Velkme said the plan is for the Village Board to make a decision at its meeting at 7 p.m. Dec. 18 at Village Hall, 740 Hillgrove Ave.

One option that the village has ruled out is connecting to the Lake Michigan water system. Supert said it would cost millions of dollars to connect to it and update the water plant to accommodate it. Existing pipes also could not handle the increased water pressure, he said.

David Heitz is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
All votes in the CO-3 election won't be counted until the end of this week
China to grant overseas investors greater access to its financial market

On November 10, authorities unveiled new round of financial market liberalization rules to invigorate the finance sector and curb potential financial risks. Although authorities are still formalizing some aspects of the announcement, it is clear the reform will be a major boon for the financial market.

The government will allow foreign firms to hold a majority stake  up to 51 percent  of any joint ventures in the securities, fund management, and futures industries. This is up from the current cap of 49 percent. This cap will be totally removed after three years of implementation.

The authorities will raise the ownership cap for life insurance companies from 50 percent to 51 percent in three years, and then remove them totally in five years. Notably, the current 25 percent cap on foreign bank ownership in Chinese banks will also be scrapped, granting foreign banks equal treatment as domestic investors.

Though the detailed timeline and roadmap are yet to be set, the announcement is a major step toward the long-awaited opening of Chinas financial system. Unlike the nearly saturated banking sector that is dominated by government-endorsed players, the securities, insurance, and fund-management industries are seen to have significant room for growth.

By 2019, China is predicted to become the second-largest asset management market, with assets under management growing to US$17 trillion from the current US 2.8 trillion. More overseas financial firms can be expected to increase their presence in China, making Chinas financial markets more competitive.

Business Intelligence from Dezan Shira & Associates

Shanghai to launch free trade port

Authorities have announced a plan to develop a free trade port in Shanghai as the city attempts to keep itself at the forefront of economic reforms after launching the free trade zone in 2013. According to media reports, the plan will focus on the free flow of goods, capital, and talent.

More specifically, the free trade port will involve eased capital controls, scrapped customs duties, minimum clearance procedures, and easier application of foreigners work permits, as compared to the Shanghai Free Trade Zone. The port area will also improve the management of foreign exchange, adjust tax incentives, improve the account system, and speed up the development of offshore RMB businesses, to mitigate the long lasting constraint in capital account.

The concept of inside the territory while outside the customs is of great importance in the plan, which is used to emulate the freest ports in the world, such as Hong Kong and Singapore. Companies within the port can not only import fined products, but also engage in the full supply chain configuration, including material purchasing, manufacturing, processing and marketing.

As a result, enterprises engaging in processing, transshipment and trading within the port area can share the bonuses. Industries including port service, logistics, warehouses and commercial services will probably get the most from the proposed free trade port.



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Chinas Investment Landscape: Identifying New Opportunities

Chinas foreign investment landscape has experienced pivotal changes this year. In this issue of China Briefing magazine, we examine how foreign investors can capitalize on Chinas latest FDI reforms. First, we outline new industry liberalizations in both Chinas FTZs and the country at large. We then consider when an FTZ makes sense as an investment location, and what businesses should consider when entering one. Finally, we give an overview of Chinas latest pro-business reforms that streamline a wide range of administrative and regulatory measures.

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Disney's live-action adaptation of "Mulan" has found its star, Chinese actress Liu Yifei, The Hollywood Reporter revealed on Wednesday.





Over the course of a year, a team of casting directors visited five continents and saw nearly 1,000 candidates for the role, which requires credible martial arts skills, the ability to speak English and the most ineffable requirement of all: star quality," the magazine's website reported.





Liu is one of the country's most popular actresses and can speak fluent English, having lived in New York during her childhood. She has already acted in English in films such as Rob Minkoff's "The Forbidden Kingdom"(2008) and Nick Powell's "Outcast" (2014). Her latest starring role is in Bille August's "The Chinese Widow," which opened Nov. 10 in China.





As was previously reported, Disney has decided to hire "McFarland, USA" director Niki Caro to helm the project and legendary Hong Kong producer Bill Kong will be the executive producer. Kong is the man behind some of China's biggest domestic hits such as "Hero," "House of Flying Daggers," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Monster Hunt" and "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons."





"Mulan" tells the story of Hua Mulan, a legendary woman warrior from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period (420589) of Chinese history who was originally described in a ballad known as the "Ballad of Mulan." In the legend, Hua Mulan pretends to be male in order to take her aging father's place in the army, as women were not allowed to enlist. She fought for 12 years and received high honors, but refused any reward and instead retired to her hometown.

There are many film and TV adaptations of the story. One of the most famous was Disney's 1998 animation, which grossed US$304 million worldwide and earned Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations in addition to winning several Annie Awards, including Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Theatrical Feature.





In recent years, Disney has had several profitable successes in China with remakes of its own animated classics. 2015s live-action "Cinderella" made US$71.57 million in China, while the 2016 remake of "The Jungle Book" grossed US$150 million. The latest remake, "Beauty and the Beast," grossed US$89.2 million since opening in the country in March.





The new "Mulan" is set for release in 2019. The director and studio will be collaborating closely with Chinese cultural consultants and its own China-based team to ensure that details in the film are authentic and accurate.
A Chinese mainland spokesman on Wednesday warned political figures in Taiwan not to obstruct the national reunification.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. [File photo: Chinanews.com]





Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks at a press conference.

The reunification of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait is a common aspiration of all Chinese people and also a fundamental interest of the Chinese nation, Ma said.

"We pin our hopes on the people in Taiwan," the spokesman said."Political figures in Taiwan should, at least, not do things that obstruct the national reunification, let alone to carry out separatist activities."

While answering a question about increasing willingness by Taiwan residents to seek job and academic opportunities on the mainland, the spokesman said that more members of the public in Taiwan will come to realize that compatriots of the two sides belong to one community of shared future.

"The mainland's policies towards Taiwan have helped more people in Taiwan understand that our commitment to seeking welfare for Taiwan compatriots is sincere and that the mainland's development is an opportunity, not a threat, to Taiwan," he said.

He noted that"Taiwan independence" would harm the fundamental interests of people on both sides and the immediate interests of people in Taiwan.

While answering a separate question, Ma pledged to support local Party and governmental departments in Fujian in piloting more programs to promote the welfare of Taiwan compatriots and cross-Strait integrated development in economic and social fields.

He also said the one-China principle is a trend that is in line with the will of the people and a consensus in the international community, expressing opposition to the United States and Taiwan developing military relations, and to any official exchanges between Taiwan and countries that have diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China.
The BRI is a concert for all players but not a platform for a single country or actor. [Xinhua]





South Asia and China have enjoyed steady growth in trade and investment with the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) four years ago. With the projects executed under the BRI framework starting to deliver results, China's global project is being seen as a viable instrument to spur infrastructure development, create jobs and boost people-to-people relations across the region.







India has snubbed the BRI owing to its own parochial and imperial interest. It thinks China wants to play in its own backyard through the BRI but facts prove that such thinking is not only outdated but detrimental to investment, trade and connectivity in the region.





The trade volume between China and South Asian countries increased by 14.8 percent to US$110 billion in 2016 after the launch of BRI in 2013. The direct investment by China in South Asia in 2016 reached US$1.46 billion dollars, an increase of 114.7 percent compared to 2013. South Asia has seen the growth of free trade zones and overseas cooperation zones, which have contributed to raising local incomes and job opportunities.





Viewed from the commercial point of view, it is a quid pro quo between South Asia and China. The region will undoubtedly accrue benefits from the BRI through economic corridors, trade, investment and tourism. At the same time, China will enjoy an extended market for business, investment and construction of ambitious projects in the region which houses the largest number of poor people in the world.





China shares a cumulative 5,000-kilometer border with five South Asian countries  Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan. Both South Asia and China are seats of ancient civilizations and have been in contact since time immemorial. South Asia also facilitated the ancient Silk Road that used to pass through Kathmandu, Patana, Calcutta, Delhi, and Taxilla.





A string of South Asian nations have already joined the BRI to bring about shared prosperity. South Asia and western China have huge potential in road and railway connectivity and trade. The BRI projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway connecting to Kerung, as well as the development of Lhasa-Kathmandu-Lumbini railway are expected to help integrate the economies of South Asia and China.





A China-South Asia Expo was recently held in Nepal for the first time with a view to increase economic and trade links between China and South Asia. Both have of late witnessed an increased number of exchanges at commercial, cultural and academic levels.





Shafqat Munir, president of the Journalists for Democracy and Human Rights, Pakistan, said that his country is benefiting from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in terms of connectivity, investment, trade and job creation. Professor Atiur Rahman of Dhaka University and former governor of the Central Bank of Bangladesh said that South Asian countries should focus on development cooperation by striking a balance between two economic giants  China and India.





Chinese ambassador to Nepal Yu Hong said that South Asian countries need infrastructure investment, including power generation, communication and road construction. "Therefore, there is great potential of project contracting cooperation between China and SouthAsian countries," said the Chinese envoy and urged the South Asian nations to actively participate in the first China International Import Expo to be held in Shanghai in November next year.





Nepal's former ambassador to the U.S. Dr. Shankar Sharma said the BRI sought to end the prevailing inequalities of development in north Nepal and the southwest region of China through connectivity and infrastructure development. "The BRI has opened up the trans-Himalayan route to Central Asia, South East Asia and beyond."

Being an immediate neighbor, Nepal is expected to immensely benefit from the BRI. Chinese tourists visiting Nepal have increased by 60 percent in 2017 compared to last year. The two nations are going to complete the feasibility study for a China-Nepal Free Trade Agreement this year.





Meanwhile, Nepali officials are close to deciding on the projects to be constructed under the BRI framework. A meeting of the Project Development and Facilitation Committee, formed to implement the agreement on BRI assistance, has recently discussed the Kerung-Kathmandu Railway, Kerung-Rasuwagadhi Electricity Transmission Line and Sunsari Diversion Irrigation project.





"We should select such projects which offer maximum advantages, and boost productivity and bilateral ties," Gyan Chandra Acharya, the Prime Minister's economic advisor.





It is beyond doubt that the BRI will play a significant role in ushering peace, stability and prosperity in the region. It requires South Asia and China to enhance mutual trust, exchange of ideas and cooperation to achieve win-win results.





It is suitable to conclude this writing with a statement by Professor Su Changhe from Fudan University in China: "The BRI is a concert for all players but not a platform for a single country or actor."





Ritu Raj Subedi is an associate editor of The Rising Nepal.





Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.




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Chinese embassy in Finland released a series of animation videos on Wednesday as a preventive protection for the increasing number of Chinese travelers to Finland.





Comprising four episodes -- "Arriving at the Airport", "A Glimpse into Finland", "Expanding Your Understanding" and "Endless Aftertastes", each of the video lasts five or six minutes, and provides general knowledge about Finnish formalities, regulations, customs and habits, local emergency calls and consular help numbers.





Statistics showed that Chinese travelers spent nearly 300,000 overnights in Finland in the first three quarters of 2017, almost 40 percent more than the same period last year. The growth was the highest among all foreigners visiting Finland.





Meanwhile, Chinese tourists have encountered some problems in the Nordic country, which made the Chinese diplomats thinking of producing a digital guide book to provide necessary information before they get into trouble, said Chinese Ambassador to Finland Chen Li.





"Of course we are not a tourist agency and we don't want to compete with Lonely Planet," said Chen, "but we want to make sure the Chinese don't feel lonely during their journeys in Finland."





According to the embassy, the video series was already ready for watching and downloading at its official website and its Wechat account, and it would also be distributed by VisitFinland, Finnair and Finavia, all of which are government owned operators in Finland.





Paavo Virkkunen, head of VisitFinland, said he was happy with the growing trend of Chinese tourists coming to Finland. He said he has spotted a structural change in the market as Chinese tourists used to travel in a group, but now individual tourists were growing very rapidly.
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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Wednesday, pledging to work with Moscow to promote regional cooperation for steady progress.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Nov. 29, 2017. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)





China is willing to work with Russia to strengthen communication and coordination on international affairs, and cement cooperation within multilateral frameworks including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Li said, adding that the two countries will work to inject constructive force into the world's peaceful development.

During the meeting, Li conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping's greetings to Putin and recalled the successful meeting between the two leaders earlier in November on the sidelines of the 25th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in Vietnam's Da Nang city.

Noting that the development of economic cooperation has scored stable progress, Li said the two countries have continued to push forward their cooperation in such traditional fields as economy and trade, energy, aviation, transport infrastructure, production capacity equipment and agriculture, while making achievement in cooperation in such new fields as digital economy, technological innovation and small and medium-sized enterprises.

This shows that China-Russia cooperation has great potential and broad prospects, said Li.

China is ready to enhance the alignment of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the development programs of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), he said.

China would like to play well the leading role in cooperation in traditional areas, while focusing on effect of new growth drivers in emerging areas, he said.

Li also vowed to work with Russia to tap the development potential in the Far East and expand the cross-border trade, so as to benefit the two peoples.

For his part, Putin said that the frequent high-level exchanges and communication between China and Russia fully demonstrate the stability and high level of the development of the bilateral ties.

The two governments and relevant cooperation mechanisms have played an important guiding role in the pragmatic cooperation, he added.

He said that the trade between Russia and China has enjoyed a good growth momentum and the cooperation in energy, transportation infrastructure, agriculture and local areas has been actively promoted.

Putin expected the two countries to well align respective development strategies to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, as the Belt and Road Initiative and development programs of the EEU are complementary.

They also exchanged views on global and regional issues of common concerns.

Li arrived in Russia on Wednesday after wrapping up a visit to Hungary. He is expected to attend the 16th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the SCO to be held in Sochi, Russia from Thursday to Friday.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy Wang Jiarui met with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday, after attending the inauguration ceremony of the Kenyan president in Nairobi on Tuesday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy Wang Jiarui (3rd R), who is also vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta in Nairobi, Kenya, Nov. 29, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Wang, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said the friendship between China and Kenya enjoys a long history, stressing that the political mutual trust has been increasingly enhanced in recent years.

He went on to say that the bilateral relations are at their best in history, with economic and trade cooperation becoming increasingly close and people-to-people exchange displaying many highlights.

Wang said China is willing to work with Kenya in implementing the fruits of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, furthering cooperation on the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, and continuously advancing the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

On his part, Kenyatta expressed thanks for China's abundant support and assistance for Kenya in developing its society and economy over the years, saying that Kenya is willing to work with China in advancing the major cooperation projects between the two nations, deepening cooperation on infrastructure construction, poverty reduction and improvement of people's livelihoods, and increasing exchanges on party and national governance.




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A total of 35 people were injured with two of them in serious conditions, following a train crash in the south of Spain on Wednesday, rescue services have confirmed.

The accident happened at around 10:10 a.m. between the stations of El Sorbito and Arahal in the province of Sevilla as the third wagon of train traveling between Malaga and Sevilla and carrying 79 passengers came off the rails, with the train continuing for around 200 meters before finally coming to a halt.

This occurred on a six kilometer-stretch of track which had been closed because of flooding following heavy rainfall and reopened less than an hour before the accident after being declared safe.

The central government delegate to the region of Andalusia, Antonio Sanz, explained that the likely cause of the crash was the filtration of water onto the tracks, while photos published of the site in the Spanish media show the tracks under water and with part of the track bed apparently washed away.

Meanwhile President of the Andalusian regional government, Susana Diaz, asked Spanish ADIF, the company in charge of the infrastructure of Spain's railways for "explanations why the railway line had been re-opened in the conditions it was in".

The two most seriously injured people, one of whom is confirmed to have a fractured pelvis, were evacuated to the Virgin de Rocio Hospital in Seville, which activated its emergency protocol.

The work of the emergency services was complicated by the weather conditions which had turned the field around the railway to heavy mud and in some cases emergency services were only able to arrive after being ferried to the site by tractor, quad bikes and military vehicles.

In addition, Spanish train operator RENFE put on a special train to take emergency workers to the site to avoid them having to travel cross country.

Ambulances, Civil Guard, the Fire Brigade and Regional Civil Protection all sent units to the scene and many of the injured were treated on-site before being taken to hospitals in the region.
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U.S. President Donald Trump has stoked a growing row over his controversial retweeting of far-right video content by hitting out at British Prime Minister Theresa May.





U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May(front) arrive for a joint press conference at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, Jan. 27, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]





May's spokesperson said on Wednesday Trump was "wrong" to have retweeted three inflammatory videos posted online by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of a far-right group called Britain First.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders defended the president's decision to retweet the controversial and unverified content, which led to renewed calls for Trump's invitation to pay a state visit to the UK to be revoked.

"Whether it is a real video, the threat is real," CNN quoted Sanders as saying. "That is what the president is talking about, that is what the president is focused on is dealing with those real threats, and those are real no matter how you look at it."

What do the videos show?

Trump retweeted three videos on Wednesday posted by Fransen, who was convicted in November of abusing a Muslim woman.

The videos purport to show Muslims acting aggressively, but the validity of the content has been questioned. Fransen said the videos came from various online sources.

The first clip shows a person being pushed from the top of a building in Egypt during riots in 2013, and the second shows a man destroying a Christian statue.

The third is titled "Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches," but the Dutch Embassy in the U.S. tweeted back at Trump rejecting the suggestion the man was a migrant.

"The perpetrator of the violent act in this video was born and raised in the Netherlands," the embassy tweeted.

Why did Trump retweet?

The reason for the timing of Trump's retweets  among 22 Twitter posts from the president within 24 hours  is unclear. US media noted that one of the videos was also shared by Ann Coulter, the self-proclaimed right-wing polemicist and friend of Trump.

Trump's call for May to "focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom" chimes with previous comments the U.S. president has made about Britain.

In December 2015, Trump was widely condemned for claiming that there are "places in London and other places that are so radicalized that the police are afraid for their own lives."

The president engaged in a war of words with London Mayor Sadiq Khan over the proposed travel ban and Khan's handling of the aftermath of the June terror attack in the British capital.

Khan told the Huffington Post on Wednesday: "Britain First is a vile, hate-fueled organization whose views should be condemned, not amplified."

The U.S. president has a history of controversial policy towards Muslims. He called for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" during the 2016 presidential race.

Since entering the White House, he has issued executive orders in an attempt to ban entry to some citizens of several Muslim-majority countries. The Supreme Court is now considering the legality of a third version of the ban.

What is Britain First?

Britain First is a far-right political group which had struggled to break into the public consciousness despite a healthy social media presence.

The party campaigns to end all immigration and ban Islam. It is a successor to the British National Party, a far-right group that splintered with the rise of anti-immigrant party UKIP.

"Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions. They cause anxiety to law-abiding people," May's spokesman said.

After Trump's retweets of her videos, deputy leader Jayda Fransen public profile soared  she was interviewed by major television networks from the UK and the U.S.

"I'm delighted," Fransen told Reuters. She said Trump's retweets showed the president shared her aim of raising awareness of "issues such as Islam."

State visit to go ahead

Trump was fiercely criticized by an array of British politicians. Sajid Javid, the only Muslim in the British Cabinet, tweeted that the U.S. president had "endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organization that hates me and people like me."

Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, said the decision to retweet Fransen's posts was "abhorrent, dangerous and a threat to our country."

Brendan Cox, the widower of MP Jo Cox, whose murderer shouted "Britain First" as he attacked her, said Trump "should be ashamed of himself."

May is not set to revoke her invitation to Trump to pay a state visit, however. May's spokesman said: "The invitation for a state visit has been extended and accepted. Further details will be announced in due course."
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The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) navy will hold a joint patrol with the Vietnamese navy in the Beibu Gulf next month, a Chinese official said Thursday.

The joint patrol, scheduled for the first ten days of the month, will include drills on communication and joint rescue, Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said at a regular press conference.

Stressing that China places great importance on military relations with Vietnam, Wu said that China is willing to jointly maintain stability and order in the Beibu Gulf and develop healthy and stable bilateral military relations.

The upcoming patrol will be the 23rd of its kind.




On Tuesday, the United States Department of Commerce abruptly initiated anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duty investigations into Chinese aluminum products, which may lead to punitive import duties.

The move, which for the first time since 1991 was instigated on the Commerce Department's own initiative rather than in response to a request by a US company, is unwarranted and counterproductive.

It erects barriers to normal bilateral trade and does a disservice to the two sides' ongoing efforts to reduce their trade imbalance. It also comes less than a month after US President Donald Trump wound up his maiden trip to Beijing with the signing of business deals worth $250 billion.

It is normal for the world's two largest economies to have trade frictions from time to time, and Beijing is doing its best to ease them. The 100-day action plan it proposed under the framework of the Sino-US Comprehensive Economic Dialogue in Washington underscores its earnestness in trying to accommodate the US' concerns.

However, although the US agreed to the action plan, it seems Washington wants Beijing to make all the concessions, and it is unwilling to try and meet it halfway.

Instead, the US has gone in the opposite direction. Rather than opting for consultations or the dispute-resolution mechanisms of the World Trade Organization for what it claims are unfair practices regarding imports of alloy aluminum sheet from China, it has opted for unilateral action. This only hurts mutual trust and efforts to strengthen cooperation, and may trigger retaliation  a statement from the Ministry of Commerce said China was highly dissatisfied with the US move.

In the context of the big picture of Sino-US trade, the imports of Chinese aluminum sheets, the targeted products, are of little significance  imports of the Chinese products were valued at about $600 million last year. Yet the signal sent by Washington on the issue is more worrying, since it appears to be again leaning toward protectionism.

By launching probes into the Chinese imports without any requests from US companies and industries, Washington is going against the free, fair and reciprocal trade that it has so often proclaimed it wants to safeguard.

The interwoven economic interests of the US and China have been a firm foundation for what the US State Department described on Wednesday as a strong and constructive results-oriented relationship. Rather than making moves that threaten to derail it, the US should strive to keep relations on track and moving forward. Maintaining stable and healthy trade ties would enable the two sides to tap the huge potential of trade cooperation.


Shanghai Clearing House will launch China's first-ever cross border foreign exchange clearing platform with a London partner next month to support China's further capital market liberalization and renminbi internationalization.

Announcing the news in London on Tuesday, Shanghai Clearing House said it will launch the platform in partnership with the London-based R5FX, which is a clearing platform for emerging markets' foreign exchange trade.

While Shanghai Clearing House will provide trade clearing infrastructure within China, R5FX will provide clearing infrastructure in London and other international markets in which it operates.

The new platform is seen as a vote of confidence in London's status as a leading international financial hub despite uncertainties over the United Kingdom's impending exit from the European Union.

It builds on increasingly strong China-UK financial collaboration during the two countries' "golden era" of relations, which began with President Xi Jinping's state visit to the UK in October 2015.

"We have chosen London because it is a leading international foreign exchange hub with 40 percent of global foreign exchange trading," said Cheng Leilei, general manager of product development department at Shanghai Clearing House.

Effectively, the new platform allows China's onshore banks to trade with overseas banks. Initially they can trade currencies, but over time products such as bonds and derivatives could be added.

Without the platform, Chinese and overseas banks would need to invest significant time and efforts into finding counter-parties willing to accept their trades, negotiate the prices of the trades and bear counter-party risks.

The new platform acts as a market place that creates the introduction and transparently help them to price the trades, bear the counter-party risks, and provide additional liquidity.

Jin Mei, the People's Bank of China's chief representative in Europe, said the new service can help to increase the renminbi's further offshore trading and investment activities, which will also bolster China's capital market liberalization.

"China has decided to continue opening up. In the last several years, the PBOC has taken effective steps to reduce forex control and promote renminbi convertibility in a prudent manner," Jin said.

Jinny Yan, chief China economist at ICBC Standard Bank, said: "The new service will help grow London's momentum of offshore renminbi trading and investment."

London is the biggest offshore renminbi foreign exchange trading hub outside Asia. Data for the first quarter of 2017 collected by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication showed that 36.3 percent of global offshore renminbi exchange transactions were conducted through London.
The China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline has transported a total of 200 billion cubic meters of natural gas by Wednesday since it started operation in December 2009, meeting demand in the world's second-largest liquefied natural gas importer, according to China National Petroleum Corp, the country's largest oil and gas supplier and producer.

The pipeline, running through China, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan with an annual gas transportation capacity exceeding 55 billion cu m, is the first pipeline importing natural gas from abroad by land, said Sino-Pipeline International Company Ltd, a subsidiary under CNPC and the operator of the pipeline.

The 200 billion cu m of natural gas is equivalent to the total annual natural gas consumption of China or 11 years of natural gas supply for Beijing, it said.

Qu Guangxue, a CNPC spokesman, said the gas supply from Central Asian countries has played a significant role in ensuring natural gas supplies during the heating season in northern China, when demand rises to nearly three times that of non-heating seasons.

China has faced a natural gas supply crunch in recent winters as the government is trying to replace coal with natural gas to fight pollution.

This winter sees 28 cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and nearby areas steering clear of coal and using only natural gas, electricity or renewable energy for heating, giving demand for the clean fuel another surge this year, with CNPC announcing that sales of the clean energy experienced year-on-year growth of more than 20 percent.

Qu said that the company expects natural gas demand to reach 81.3 billion cu m this year for the company, up by 11.7 percent year-on-year.

He said the company, which accounts for more than 70 percent of the natural gas supplied in China, plans to continue negotiating with Central Asian nations for additional stocks to ensure adequate domestic natural gas supplies.

Analysts said natural gas has become China's fastest-growing fuel in recent years.

The China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline plays a significant role in ensuring China's surging natural gas demand while diversifying its sources of natural gas imports, said Li Li, an energy research director at ICIS China.
Lynk & Co, Geely Auto Group's new car brand, launches 01 in China on Nov 29, 2017. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

China's high-end car market will be more competitive as one burgeoning and brand new auto touches down.

Lynk & Co, Geely Auto Group's new car brand, launched 01 in China on Wednesday. Customers can order 01 at stores like Lynk & Co center and Lynk & Co space in many cities across the country and also book online from 9 am on Wednesday.

The medium-sized, tech-laden SUV was designed and developed by Geely's China Euro Vehicle Technology R&D center in Gothenburg, Sweden, and built in China.

An Conghui, president and CEO of Geely Auto Group, says that Lynk & Co will compete directly against mainstream foreign brands. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

An Conghui, president and CEO of Geely Auto Group, stressed the strong coordination, research and development ties between Geely and Volvo, which Geely acquired in 2010. The new car brand's models use Volvo's compact modular architecture.

"Lynk & Co brought together leading design, research, engineering and manufacturing talents from around the world to create a premium next-generation brand," he said.

Yi Han, executive general manager of Lynk & Co Auto (China) Sales, reveals the price. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The price of 01 ranges from 158,800 to 202,800 yuan ($24,024-30,680), and a limited edition costs 220,800 yuan, Yi Han, executive general manager of Lynk & Co Auto (China) Sales, announced at the launch ceremony in Ningbo, Zhejiang province.

Yi also confirmed three free services, including lifetime warranty, free data traffic and lifetime roadside assistance, for Lynk & Co's customers.

"Lynk & Co vehicles benchmark against other luxury vehicles ensuring a high level of quality, manufacturing technology, and service that allows it to compete directly against mainstream foreign brands," An said.

According to An, Lynk & Co is less luxurious than Volvo, but higher rated than Geely. Analysts note that it will go head-to-head with Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota and Hyundai.
Chinese tourists take photos near the South Pole.[Photo by Wang Yanan/China Daily]

High-end tourists from China are setting new benchmarks in terms of the locations they prefer to spend their holidays, with a growing number of them opting for polar destinations such as the South Pole.

China's largest online travel agency Ctrip said it has received an unusually large number of inquiries for its South Pole tours this year and estimates that more than 1,000 Chinese tourists would be staying at the South Pole during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday in February.

The best season to visit the South Pole is usually between December and February as it is summer time there.

To cater to the rising demand, Ctrip has come up with more than 100 itineraries, including direct flights, concerts at the polar area, cruise trips and even travel in a chartered ship. The South Pole trips, which run from 12 to 37 days, are priced between 60,000 yuan ($9,095) and more than 600,000 yuan per person. Trips priced between 80,000 yuan and 120,000 yuan for each person, which last for up to 20 days, are the most popular.

Trips to the polar regions have witnessed explosive growth in China in the past few years. According to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, China contributed the second largest number of tourists to the South Pole in 2016, next to the United States. The number of Chinese tourists who visited the South Pole reached 3,944 last year, soaring nearly 40 times from the less than 100 in 2008.

The momentum is expected to continue. According to the Chinese Luxury Traveler 2017 Reportjointly released by the Hurun Research Institute and International Luxury Travel Market Asia in Juneabout 32 percent of the affluent travelers born in the 1980s with an average personal wealth of 22 million yuan are keen on making a trip to the South Pole in the next three years, which is 15 percent higher than the number a year ago.

Zhang Xi, 55, visited the South Pole four years ago during a 35-day trip starting from South America. Running a family business that deals with textile machinery in Shanghai with her husband, she has a relatively bigger budget for traveling and always chooses the less visited areas.

Charles Wang, general manager of the product center at HHTravelthe luxury travel brand operated by Ctripexplained that most of the visitors to polar regions are executives at multinational companies and private company owners aged between 35 and 50.

These travelers are keen to know about the ocean and the biological and historical background about the polar regions. Therefore, travel agencies have to provide professional guides and experts in wildlife, habitat and photography.
An advertisement for Agricultural Bank of China's My Way Mastercard in Shanghai.[Photo/Agencies]

The Communist Party of China concluded its 19th National Congress in Beijing last month. China Daily asked business leaders from major multinational companies for their views on economic developments here and the country's global leadership role.

Mastercard hopes to play a key role in helping build a more inclusive and convenient financial system in the country

Dennis Chang is the division president of Mastercard Inc in China, a leading global payments and technology group.

What has been China's biggest achievement during the past five years and the most notable change?

Mastercard has been actively tracking China's development, and we have seen the country's transformation toward a "new economy", which features high-quality investments, products and services. Our New Economy Index has shown a high momentum in information technology and information services.

Not only is China leading in digital payment, it also has the highest momentum in the global digital economy. It has maintained stable growth while becoming more technology driven. Meanwhile, our Consumer Confidence Index, or CCI, shows consumers in China are among the most optimistic of the Asia-Pacific economies.

This is probably because of China's transformation to high-quality developmentthe balance between innovation and regulation, and its focus on supply-side reform and the real economy.

More importantly, Chinese leadership is keeping up with the times.

What are your impressions about the major economic and industrial policies released from the 19th CPC National Congress?

We are thrilled to see the leadership's blueprints, strategies and roadmaps, especially with regards to "modern finance". For us, it means the building of a more inclusive and convenient financial system.

We hope to use our expertise to construct a system, which effectively supports the real economy through innovations in science and technology, and human resources.

Ultimately, we aim to help people attain a better life by offering a more balanced development for everyone. We are also excited to hear the leadership's commitment to an open economy, and equal treatment to businesses both home and abroad.

China will not close its doors to the worldit will only become more open.

Can China's experiences, or practices, be used to solve global problems?

Many multinational corporations in China are often surprised by the country's capabilities in keeping up with and even staying ahead of trends.

During the 19th CPC National Congress, we saw the Party's leadership produce a clear roadmap ahead.

Many things could be learned from China's experiences and practices, for example, their digital innovation, financial inclusion and robust infrastructure. These would not have been possible without visionary leadership.

What three words would you use to describe China today?

Innovative. Invigorated. Influential. China's rapid development in the digital economy, especially in payments, has increased its efficiency and made the country more attractive to investors.

Our latest CCI shows Chinese consumers are optimistic about the future. That means economic reform has benefited the masses and helped invigorate the economy.

Lastly, as China advances its Belt and Road Initiative, the country is taking a bigger role on the world stage. This must be considered when mapping out any business strategy in Belt and Road markets.

What will China be like in five years and what is the country's long-term future?

President Xi Jinping has set goals and outlined China's roadmap for the next five years, as well as setting targets for 2035 and 2050.

In reaching these targets, the country will address the principal contradiction between unbalanced and inadequate development, and the people's ever-growing need for a better life. We anticipate that China will have realized its goals for 2020 to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

We believe the country will continue to be a leader in digital economies, especially fintech, while playing a more important role on the world stage. In the long term, China will become a global leader in terms of composite national strength and international influence.

How do you view China's role in the world today?

China is now a major champion of world peace, global development and international order. It is also one of the most important markets for multinational corporations.

As the country's influence grows, understanding and exchanging ideas will be critical for everyone. Also, China is now setting examples in many key areas from the mobile internet to e-commerce.

They provide useful guidelines for other countries that wish to have a connected and efficient economy.

What is the most unforgettable experience you have had in China?

I live here, and often host executives from outside of the country when they come to visit. I am always proud to see how stunned they are upon witnessing the extent to which China has evolved so quickly.

Back in 2012, few people were using mobile payment apps, but it started to change during the following year. By 2014, it had become common practice in many cities.

This year, people are riding "shared" bicycles and enjoying the benefits of a shared economy. More and more improvements to the quality of life here will be realized if innovation continues at this pace.

What factors will boost China's growth this year and in 2018, and what are the challenges ahead?

The country has taken solid measures to strengthen the real economy, advance supply-side reforms, nurture innovation and improve the quality of development.

These measures have laid a sturdy foundation for China's growth, which will endure for many years to come.

As the country develops, it may need to solve new issues in sustainability, such as building stronger connections with overseas markets. But development always comes with challenges, and through wisdom and patience, progress can be made.

China has demonstrated tremendous capability in seizing opportunities and maneuvering in a complicated international environment. So, we believe the economy will continue to progress.

Which sectors do you think offer the most opportunities for development?

As a payment technology company, we look forward to contributing to China's "modern finance" sector.

Simply put, that means a safer, more inclusive financial system, which is more coordinated with the real economy.

A financial system such as this will unlock even more opportunities for the country.

What opportunities will the Belt and Road Initiative throw up for China and the rest of the world?

It enables China to develop its foreign relations, while bringing mutually beneficial investment opportunities to the country and the rest of the world.

With this initiative, foreign markets are able to gain access to global investment. In return, they can learn from China's experiences in areas such as digital innovation, infrastructure and financial inclusion.

What are the most innovative trends or products in China?

Compared with many countries in the West that are still transitioning from desktop-based operations to smartphones, China's mobile internet is the most innovative.

The country leapt into the mobile internet age much faster, and is now leading in many aspects. This means there are opportunities for many stakeholders.

These include new industries such as e-commerce and traditional sectors like manufacturing.

Or it could be about small businesses looking to connect with local customers and larger businesses looking to trade overseas.

We believe the mobile internet will continue to transform China's economy.
A technician of China Southern Power Grid does maintenance work in Leishan county, Guizhou province. The company will invest in upgrading the rural electric power grid.[Photo by Qin Gang/China Daily]

China Southern Power Grid Co Ltd will invest 131.2 billion yuan ($19.1 billion) to upgrade rural electric power grid, prioritizing poverty stricken areas, during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20).

The upgrades, which aim to meet demand from both agriculture and household consumption, will help address problems such as low voltage and insufficient supply, and the investment is up by 30 percent compared with the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) period, it said.

In addition to low power voltage and insufficient power supply, some lines and equipment in rural areas have serious aging problems.

Han Xiaoping, chief information officer of China Energy Net Consulting Co, said power suppliers were reluctant to build power infrastructure in mountainous areas in the past, including Yunnan and Guizhou provinces.

"The cost of building power lines is much higher than the electricity earnings, since not many people live in those regions," he said.

Upgrading the power grid has improved the living conditions of rural farmers and effectively promoted the economic development of rural areas, especially for small and micro businesses, as well as the manufacturing sector and high-quality rural tourism.

The power network upgrade has enabled these regions with access to electricity, adding fuel to develop the local economy, Han said.

China Southern Power Grid's investment has reached 65.2 billion yuan so far, accounting for half of the planned investment in the five-year period.

The Guangzhou-based company is responsible for the investment, construction and management of power transmission, transformation and distribution in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, as well as Guangdong, Guizhou, Yunnan and Hainan provinces.

The five provincial-level areas cover 790,000 square kilometers, with 160 million permanent residents.

In the past two years, the company has made great efforts in promoting the automated power distribution, full coverage of smart meters and the construction of communication for distribution systems.

Since 2016, China Southern Power Grid has built and upgraded 169 transformer substations, 37,000 kilometers of power lines, 30,000 distribution transformers as well as electricity meters for 6.69 million households.

By September, the company had pushed forward full coverage of power supply for 4,709 motor-pumped well facilities in villages, which have provided water to more than 66,000 hectares of farmland and reduced the cost of irrigation by 70 percent.

As a result, the stable rate of power supply in rural areas has reached 99.75 percent and the average blackouts have been reduced to 21.9 hours annually, down by nine hours since 2015.

Since 2016, in rural areas with upgraded and newly built power grids, people have purchased 1.25 million air conditioners, 861,000 refrigerators, 787,000 washing machines, 747,000 TV sets, 1.08 million electric cooking appliances and 155,000 items of electric processing equipment, with a total value amounting to 4.63 billion yuan.
Hungarian Export-Import Bank Plc will subscribe to 100 million euros ($119 million) of Sino-CEE Fund on accumulative basis, according to a subscription agreement signed by the two parties on Tuesday in Budapest, Hungary.

Aiming to raise a total of 10 billion euros, Sino-CEE Fund is actively pushing forward the investment cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries. Its investments into Hungary are expected to exceed 300 million euros.

The subscription by Hungarian Eximbank on behalf of Hungarian government to Sino-CEE Fund is a major step forward taken by Hungary in response to the call for enhanced cooperation between China and CEE countries.

The fund was officially inaugurated during the 5th Summit of China and Central and Eastern European Countries held in November 2016 in Riga, Latvia.

It will build partnerships with governments, enterprises, and financial institutions to promote capacity cooperation and industrial cooperation between China and CEE countries.
PARIS - A senior analyst with a major French think tank on Wednesday called the China-proposed Belt and Road initiative as "unprecedented", hailing its importance for world economic stability.

The initiative will be one of the most important strategic issues for France and China in the next ten years, said Pascal Boniface, director of the French think-tank Institute of International and Strategic Relations (IRIS), at the first edition of the Paris Forum on "Belt and Road".

The initiative, which has "no historical correspondents," will be "at the center of discussions" between the leaders of the two countries, Boniface said.

The "Belt and Road" is also linked to the protection of the environment, according to the analyst. He recalled that "important events have led our two countries to accelerate their relations, including the Paris climate agreement."

The China-proposed initiative is also one of the answers to multilateralism, the French expert said, stressing the need to defend multilateralism, which "may also bring Franco-Chinese collaboration."

The Paris Forum on "Belt and Road" was jointly organized by IRIS and the Chinese Embassy in France.
ZABAIKALSK - Increased traffic of freight and people has brought prosperity to Zabaikalsk, a small city in the Far East near the Russian-Chinese border, as the two countries are expanding economic and trade cooperation.

Timur, the owner of a small eatery by a highway linking Zabaikalsk and China's largest land border port of Manzhouli in Inner Mongolia autonomous region, had a lot of business in the past two years thanks to an inflow of diners.

"Many truck drivers came to eat at my restaurant. In summer, I received Chinese tourists from time to time," he said, adding that quite a number of local people made a fortune from driving trucks or engaging in trade at the border just miles away.

Outside Timur's restaurant, roaring trucks loaded with Russian beer, candies and beverages sped away toward Manzhouli. Just on the other side of the road, vehicles were busy delivering Chinese products to Zabaikalsk from the opposite direction.

According to data from Manzhouli customs, the volume of road freight passing through the Manzhouli port grew 26.5 percent year-on-year to about 625,000 tons in the first 10 months of this year.

Shops selling Chinese clothes, jewelry and electronic devices can be seen on the streets of Zabaikalsk flanked by buildings from the Soviet era. Chinese clothes are warmly welcomed here, a shop owner said.

Closer business ties have boosted two-way flows of people as well. Buses shuttling between Zabaikalsk and Manzhouli are usually packed with Russian and Chinese traders.

Official data showed that in the first half of 2017, about 830,000 cross-border trips were made by road travel through the Manzhouli port.

Timur said that in the city of Zabaikalsk with a population of more than 10,000, a majority of people have been to China and many can speak Chinese. His restaurant's menu is trilingual -- written in Russian, Chinese and Mongolian.

An international railway runs through Zabaikalsk, where Chinese trains have their wheels changed for wider Russian rails and vice versa. Currently, 41 rail routes connecting different Chinese and European cities pass through this Russian border city.

Zabaikalsk witnessed the inflow of Chinese machines, home appliances, garments and daily necessities and the outflow of European aircraft and vehicle components, clothes, as well as Russian lumber, paper pulp and other materials.

Data showed that in the first 10 months this year, 325 trains entered China through the Manzhouli port, up 45 percent year-on-year, while 762 trains left Manzhouli, up 9 percent.

Local authorities have been renovating the century-old Zabaikalsk railway station to cope with surging freight volume.

Wang Xiwei, a businessman from Inner Mongolia, said at the railway station that Russian products, such as candies, beer, chocolate, flour and cooking oil, sell well in China, and his company's imports of Russian food have doubled this year.

A taxi driver said he has been to Manzhouli and he liked it. "I hope that one day Zabaikalsk will be as prosperous as Manzhouli," he said.
SOCHI - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called for closer economic and trade ties between China and Russia, saying the two countries will carry out more cooperation over key international issues.

Li made the remarks in a written interview with Russia's Interfax news agency ahead of the 16th meeting of the Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) in the coastal city of Sochi, to be held on Thursday and Friday.

Noting the gradual recovery of the global economy, Li said that China and Russia face new opportunities to expand economic and trade cooperation.

With improvements in both volume and quality, the development of China-Russia economic and trade cooperation has scored stable progress this year, Li said.

In the first three quarters, the trade turnover between China and Russia reached $61.4 billion with an increase of 22.4 percent compared to the same period last year, he said, adding that the volume of bilateral trade in 2017 is expected to exceed $80 billion.

In particular, as China and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) have finished substantial negotiations on an economic and trade cooperation agreement, it will settle the institutional foundation for China's economic and trade cooperation with Russia and other Eurasian countries, Li said.

The EEU, which groups Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, is an economic bloc aiming to optimize the flow of goods and services among its members.

"China is willing to work together with Russia to embody the advantage of the high-level political ties in more fruitful economic and trade cooperation, and to benefit the peoples of the two countries," Li told Interfax.

To this end, the premier called for joint efforts from China and Russia to continuously enhance trade liberalization and investment facilitation, so as to create favorable conditions for the two countries' businesses.

In addition, the two sides should strengthen the alignment of development strategies, deepen cooperation in financial industry, as well as expand cooperation platforms in all fields, he said.

When asked about the Russia-China strategic coordination in current international affairs, Li said that the two countries share strong mutual support on issues related with each other's core interests and major concerns.

The China-Russia ties will be able to withstand any hardship and the test of time and will not altered by any changing external condition, he said, noting that the ties serve as a fine example of building relations on the basis of dialogue and partnership instead of confrontation and alignment.

Facing the instabilities and uncertainties across the globe, the development of China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is not only favorable for mutual prosperity, but also conducive to world peace, stability and prosperity, Li noted.

China is ready to make joint efforts with Russia in such fields as safeguarding the basic principles of international relations, supporting the development of multilateral mechanisms and promoting political settlement in the Korean peninsula, Syria as well as Afghanistan, he added.

Before heading to Sochi, Li met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Wednesday night. The two sides agreed to maintain the high-level development of bilateral ties and further strengthen all-round cooperation in the future.

On Wednesday, Li wrapped up his four-day trip to Hungary with enhanced bilateral ties and China-Central and Eastern Europe cooperation.
Chinese smartphone vendor OnePlus unveiled its OnePlus 5T on Tuesday in China, after it said this newly released product was sold out within five minutes in an online one-hour preview in India earlier this month.

To celebrate its fourth anniversary, the company also launched a new limited color variant "lava red" in China, which maintains all the functions of the black version.

With 8GB RAM and 128 GB of storage, the red smartphone is priced at 3,499 yuan ($529), same as the black one of the same configuration. The price for the black handset with 64GB is a bit lower, retailing at 2,999 yuan.

"Not like other smartphone vendors who often launch new handsets, OnePlus unveiled new products with a comparatively lower speed. We dare to be a 'slow' company in the industry, and I believe that's also why we are making many breakthroughs," said Liu Zuohu, CEO and founder of OnePlus.

With a 6.01-inch optic AMOLED display and an 18:9 aspect ratio, the OnePlus 5T aims to deliver a more immersive viewing experience. The new handset also added the function of face recognition which Apple used in its iPhone X.

In terms of photography, the gadget comes with the same main camera as that of the OnePlus 5 but houses an improved camera for superior low-light photography. Featuring a new "Sunlight Display" mode, it can adapt automatically to harsh light.

The new phone also got a Snapdragon 835, just like its predecessor--a chipset that makes it competitive with other flagships.

For a long time, the Shenzhen-based company has been warmly welcomed by foreign markets. In India, where hundreds of millions of consumers crave affordable high-end mobiles, OnePlus premium smartphone (above $400) sales grew by leaps and bounds through the first two quarters this year, even overtaking Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Apple Inc at some point.
Local residents ride Mobike's shared bikes in Berlin, Germany. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Wang Xiaofeng, co-founder and CEO of China's leading bike-sharing company Mobike Technology, said there was no chance of merging with its major competitor Ofo Inc on Wednesday.

In his speech themed "the internationalization of Chinese enterprises" at the Year Ahead Summit hosted by Bloomberg Businessweek, Wang said Mobike has been focusing on product differentiation and users' emotional connections with the brand rather than a merger.

Wang believed there is no need to consider other things if a company can do a good job on two fronts - product differentiation and branding.

"Without a strong differentiation from similar products, the users will eventually abandon you," he said. "If an enterprise can make more efforts in improving its products and brand, it will win the favor of customers."

"People mention mergers a lot because these two things are not perfectly done by the companies, therefore they are not able to survive independently," he added.

In September, Zhu Xiaohu, founder of GSR Ventures  who have led investments in Ofo  proposed a merger between Ofo and Mobike, as the two companies have secured a combined 95 percent of the Chinese bike-sharing market.

Zhu said a merger was the only way to make profits.

Competition between Mobike and Ofo has been fierce, and both have made ambitious global expanding plans.

With 700 bikes launched in Berlin on Nov 22, Mobike has expanded to 200 cities in 12 countries worldwide, according to Wang.

On Wednesday, Ofo announced an agreement has been reached and its shared bikes are being transported to India. The company has entered 19 countries so far, according to Xinhua.

Hu Xinyi contributed to the story.
An artist's impression of what Orthrozanclus elongata might have looked like in life. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Archaeologists in China have discovered a fossilized sea creature that they describe as "strange beyond measure", with long spines along its wormlike body and a shell that covers its head like a helmet.

The 515-million-year-old specimen was unearthed last year by a fossil collector in the hills of the Maotianshan Shales, an archaeological hot spot in Yunnan province.

The collector gave the fossil to Zhao Fangchen, a paleobiologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who studied it with researchers from Durham University in the United Kingdom.

"The creature is like a mythical beast," Martin Smith, an assistant professor at Durham, told science news website Live Science.

He said researchers were surprised by the creature's unusual anatomy, which had spines like cocktail sticks "that emerge from its sides" and a "head covered by a small shell, almost as if it's wearing a bike helmet".

"We don't know much about the animal underneath these mineralized plateswhether it had legs or a sluglike foot, or whether it had teeth or tentacles," Smith added.

He said the fossil is "incredibly rare", with only two specimens having been found among the tens of thousands of creatures seen in the same deposits.

The 2-centimeter-long creature, whose scientific name is Orthrozanclus elongata, lived during the Cambrian period, a time before life had colonized dry land. Microscopic plants, microbial mats and invertebrates with exoskeletons, including trilobites and arthropods, were the dominant forms of marine life.

In the study of the creature published in the journal Scientific Reports, the authors said Orthrozanclus elongata may provide clues about the evolution of mollusks. The creature, which appeared to be mobile, could be an ancestor of some of today's brachiopods, which live in shells and are largely sedentary, it said.

"Whereas many linages show evolutionary trends toward greater activity and complexity, brachiopods seem to have settled down to a sedentary existence, like a retiree settling down in a favorite armchair," Smith said.
GUANGZHOU - Two major Chinese state-owned carriers on Wednesday night sent flights to fetch more than 2,700 Chinese tourists stranded in Bali, Indonesia, after a volcano eruption.

China Southern Airlines flew two planes from Guangzhou and Shenzhen while China Eastern Airlines sent four from Beijing and Shanghai.

China Southern said 1,297 passengers have booked seats on its flights flying out of Bali between Nov. 30 and Dec. 7. China Eastern, on the other hand, has 1,480 reservations on outbound flights from Bali.

The International Ngurah Rai airport in Bali was closed on Monday due to the eruption of Mount Agung volcano. The airport only re-opened Wednesday afternoon and was subject to further closures depending on the weather and the movement of volcanic ash.
Ahead of World AIDS Day on Friday, three people explain how they are beating the once-deadly disease. Cao Bin reports for Xinhua Features.

As preparation for his new life at a university in the United States, A'le gets up early, jogs for an hour, eats a large breakfast and then heads to a nearby cafe to spend the day studying.

Meanwhile, Xiaojuan is busy cleaning her flower shop, preparing orders for customers and putting fresh blooms in the window display.

Mingzai is stressed because his daughter has been coughing all night and needs to go to the hospital, but they are stuck in traffic.

Though they live in three different cities and lead very different lives, A'le, Xiaojuan and Mingzai have something in common: they are all living with HIV.

The days pass quickly for all three, and they rarely feel different to the people around them until the evening, when their cellphone alarms begin to ring.

A'le is just back from the gym. Xiaojuan is video chatting her parents. They both pop three pills. Mingzai is having dinner with some clients, but makes an excuse to leave the restaurant briefly, swallow his pills and wash them down with a bottle of water.

All three are undergoing antiretroviral therapy, a combination of three antiretroviral drugs that suppress the HIV virus and prevent transmission. China has been offering the drugs for free to people with HIV since 2003.

Thanks to the drugs, AIDS is no longer regarded a terminal disease, but a chronic illness that can be controlled. Adherence to the drugs can keep the viral load in an HIV patient's blood at an extremely low level, ultimately making it undetectable. The patient's immune system can be rebuilt, and they can have healthy children and an unaffected life expectancy.

"After being diagnosed as HIV-positive, many people pay more attention to leading healthier lifestyles, adopt a more responsible attitude towards life and lead better lives," said Li Hui, a member of the Shandong Provincial AIDS Prevention and Treatment Association.

Inspiration

Four years ago, Li opened a public WeChat account to post useful information about HIV and treatment, the latest research on the disease, and upbeat messages and stories from the account's followers.
More than 18,000 cans affected; expired components also used in other products

More than 18,000 cans of infant formula produced by Xinjiang Western Animal Husbandry were found to contain expired ingredients, the China Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday.

Two batches of milk powder contained expired docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, which was produced on Oct 12, 2015. It had an expiration date of April 11 this year, authorities said.

Other milk products from the same company were also affected by expired components, such as vitamin complex supplements, but were intercepted and not released into the market, the administration said. It did not provide details about the other products.

"The strictest supervision should be carried out to create a safe infant milk formula market environment, since this is not the first scandal involving baby milk powder," said Huo Junsheng, researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National Institute for Nutrition and Health.

The harshest penalties should be used to avoid violations, and the most serious accountability system should be established to punish companies that fail to perform their duties, he added.

Xinjiang Western Animal Husbandry was also found to have used refined corn oil and soybean oil to replace refined grape seed oil, and lactose instead of white granulated sugar. It also changed the amount of the DHA used in its nine infant food products - all of which violate infant formula regulations.

According to the statement, the company's facilities also did not comply with production requirements.

"Frustrated by food safety scandals over the past few years, many Chinese consumers have lost faith in the domestic food quality and opted for Western infant formula suppliers in search of reliable and delicious alternatives for their children," said Li Shengli, a professor at China Agricultural University's College of Animal Science and Technology.

If companies don't learn the lessons of similar scandals and are not extremely careful with their quality and reputation, they will soon lose all their market share, he said.

In 2008, baby formula tainted with melamine caused the deaths of at least six infants and sickened 300,000.
Customs staff check seized pangolin scales in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Nov 29, 2017. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Customs officials in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, announced on Wednesday that they had intercepted 11.9 metric tons of pangolin scales smuggled from Africa, the largest volume of any single case found by border inspectors.

The scales were taken from an estimated 20,000 pangolins, a species listed last year in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, which bans all international trading of pangolins and their products.

Two suspects in the case, one surnamed Li from Shandong province and another, He, from Anhui province, were the subjects of arrest warrants, according to Chen Qunfang, deputy chief of Dapeng Customs, which is affiliated with the Shenzhen authorities.

The case arose in July when customs officers found bags stuffed with charcoal in a container that had been declared as empty at Yantian port. The charcoal was used to cover 239 bags of pangolin scales.

Lacking full information from the shipping parties on the bill of lading, customs officers spent a lot of time identifying the suspects, Chen said.

Li and He were found to have made frequent money transfers totaling more than 5 million yuan ($758,000) around the time the case came to light.

During an interrogation, He admitted that he helped smuggle the pangolin scales at the request of Li, officers said.

Demand exists in China for pangolin scales as a food or as a traditional Chinese medicine ingredient, Chen said. Bozhou, Anhui province - He's native province - is home to one of the country's largest herbal medicine markets.

The low cost of procuring pangolin scales overseas, especially from Africa, has made the illegal trade highly profitable, Chen said. The scales will be destroyed after the trial concludes.

liwenfang@chinadaily.com.cn
Schools, teachers to face probes in response to Beijing abuse case

A task force has been dispatched by the State Council, China's Cabinet, to check on teacher ethics and work styles in kindergartens across the country in an effort to prevent child abuse, the Ministry of Education said on Wednesday.

The State Council has required immediate punishment and rectification of any problems discovered during the inspections to prevent children from being hurt at kindergartens and ensure their safety and health, the ministry said in a notice released on its website.

The move follows reports of child abuse at the RYB Education New World Kindergarten in Beijing's Chaoyang district last week. Xiao Wen, director of Chaoyang's Education Commission and two other commission officials are being investigated for their negligence in handling the RYB case.

Investigations showed that a female teacher surnamed Liu, 22, is accused of using sewing needles to "discipline" children who would not sleep and Liu has been detained by police in Chaoyang, the district's public security bureau said in a release.

Also in its release, the Chaoyang public security bureau said online claims about children being collectively molested were rumors started by two women.

One woman, 31, was detained on an allegation of fabricating facts and disturbing public order. The other, 29, was given a warning and apologized on her personal social media account, police said without elaborating about the two women's identities or their motives for making the claims.

The police said the hard disk holding surveillance videos of the classroom had been damaged because of frequent forced power outages by a staff member after school, adding that police found no evidence of child abuse after viewing 113 hours of restored videos.

According to Beijing News, the Beijing Education Commission has started an inspection of the surveillance systems at all kindergartens in the city to make sure the devices are installed and functioning properly.

Regarding news reports saying a parent had claimed his child was fed unidentified white pills, the bureau said in its news release that the child's father, surnamed Gou, admitted his child had not been treated that way. Rather, it said, he had told his child to make the claim.

However, questions still remain about how police investigated the incident and made their conclusions. People are calling for more details to be released and more explanations to be made.

RYB Education Inc, the parent company of the kindergarten involved, released a letter on Wednesday apologizing and saying it didn't expect forgiveness but would upgrade its surveillance system and try to make the operation of its kindergartens "as transparent as possible".

China Daily - Xinhua
Beijing is collaborating with the US state of Wisconsin to build a "sponge city" by creating an ecological circle, from the removal of water to its sustainable return to nature.

The Chinese capital city's water authority, together with The Water Council nonprofit organization in the United States and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp, hosted a water conference on Wednesday to transfer the US technology, following a similar one in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, two days earlier.

On the theme of "One Water, One World", the meeting was the first event between the two countries on a water solution, with a special focus on building a "One Water" sponge city circle.

Milwaukee, a city in Wisconsin, accommodates over 200 water technology companies and has become the global center of water technology resources.

"The state of Wisconsin is considerably experienced in dealing with this issue because of the expertise and knowledge all these companies had," said Terry Branstad, US ambassador to China. "And Beijing obviously has a significant strategy to deal with the water issue and the need to have reliable, clean water for the over 21 million residents."

One of the sponge city pilot areas in Beijing is located in the city's subsidiary administrative center Tongzhou district, an area of 19.36 square kilometers. Eight categories of projects - including building and community, road and square, park and greenbelt, and water system renovation - are on schedule.

The city plans to have 20 percent of its urban areas meet the sponge city standards by 2020, and 80 percent in another 10 years.

Pan Anjun, deputy director of the Beijing Water Authority, said that a dozen policies related to rainwater collection and sponge city have been formulated. The upcoming Opinions on Advancing the Sponge City Development in Beijing will further strengthen the foundation of building a sponge city.

The sponge city concept was introduced in China in 2012. In March, Premier Li Keqiang said in his Government Work Report that sponge city construction will be expanded nationwide.

Zhang Shuhan, assistant chief engineer of Beijing Water Science and Technology Institute, said sponge city building is urgent in modern cities, as challenges are rising in cities.

The most severe challenges cities like Beijing face is decreased groundwater, decreased useful water resources, increased pollution and increased flooding probabilities, Zhang said.
A man confessed in court on Wednesday to killing his wife and hiding her body in a refrigerator for three months.

Zhu Xiaodong, 30, had been accused of strangling the woman, Yang Liping, 30, over a dispute on Oct 18, 2016, at their home in Shanghai's Hongkou district.

After killing her, he wrapped the body in a red quilt and hid it in a fridge on the balcony for 105 days, during which time he posed as his wife on social networking sites and through text messages to her parents and friends, Shanghai's No 2 Intermediate People's Court heard.

Zhu turned himself in to police on Feb 1 after inviting his parents over for dinner and confessing his guilt.

In court, Zhu confessed and said he was "willing to accept all punishment in line with the law".

Yang's family believed it was a premeditated murder and has demanded justice, calling for the most severe punishment.

"He didn't kill my daughter on impulse, he plotted it," Yang Gailian, the father of the victim, was quoted as saying outside the court by online news portal Eastday.com.

After Yang's death, the family discovered that the couple, who registered for marriage in December 2015, had filed for a divorce in August last year. In the two months before Yang's death, Zhu bought books about death and murder, and purchased the refrigerator that was later used to store Yang's body. He claimed he bought it to store meat for his pet reptiles.

By October last year, the couple had decided not to divorce after all.

Zhu told Yang that he had been promoted to a position in Hong Kong and wanted to relocate there with her, but he was actually jobless at the time. She subsequently quit her job as a primary schoolteacher.

Yang wrote in her resignation letter that Zhu had persuaded her to quit. But in court, Zhu denied pressing her to resign, saying that she simply didn't like her job.

During the hearing, Zhu admitted to having two extramarital affairs.

After Yang's death, Zhu was also found to have used her credit card for luxury goods, daily expenses and trips in China and abroad amounting to nearly 200,000 yuan ($30,000). A police investigation showed he had also used Yang's ID card to check in at hotels, accompanied by different women.

Police found that Zhu had transferred money on Oct 17 last year, not Oct 18, as he had previously testified. He said that he only transferred money after his wife's death, and that he might have actually killed her on Oct 17.

The court did not hand down a sentence on Wednesday.
The conviction and sentencing of Taiwan resident Lee Ming-che for inciting subversion of State power was based on clear facts and abundant evidence on the Chinese mainland, an official said on Wednesday.

Lee, 42, was sentenced to five years in prison by a court in Hunan province on Tuesday.

"Law enforcement departments on the mainland investigated Lee's case strictly in accordance with the law and legal procedure and the sentence was based on clear facts and sufficient evidence," Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Wednesday at a news conference.

"The defendant's rights and interests were fully protected," he said, adding that any attempt to use the trial and sentencing of Lee for "political hype" would fail.

"It was the groundless attacks on the mainland by some people in Taiwan that have seriously harmed cross-Straits relations," Ma said, commenting on criticism from Taiwan that Lee's sentence had harmed cross-Straits ties.

"Mutual respect for each other's development path and social system is the bottom line for cross-Straits relations," he said. "We respect the current system and lifestyle of Taiwan compatriots, but that does not mean the Taiwan side can impose its own political ideas on the mainland. It does not mean that some people from Taiwan can arbitrarily violate the laws of the mainland under the pretext of 'democracy and freedom' either."

Lee's family had traveled to the mainland and were present when the court handed down the sentence in Yueyang, Hunan province, Ma said.

Lee was prosecuted alongside mainland resident Peng Yuhua, 38, who received a sentence of seven years for the same offense.

Xinhua contributed to this story.
BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue is in the interest of regional countries and their people, including Palestine, and is conducive to promoting global peace and stability.

Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory message as the United Nations marked the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

The Palestinian issue is the root problem of the Middle East issues, which is of great concern for long-lasting peace, prosperity and development of the Middle East countries, including Palestine, Xi said.

Achieving a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue at an early date is in the interest of regional countries and their people, including Palestine, and is conducive to promoting global peace and stability, he said.

China firmly supports Palestinian-Israeli peace, Xi said, adding that the four-point propositions proposed by China in July to promote settling the Palestinian issue aim to push Palestine and Israel to rebuild mutual trust and strive for an early resumption of peace talks.

As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and a responsible major country, China is willing to work with the international community to make unremitting efforts to achieve comprehensive, just and long-lasting peace in the Middle East at an early date, Xi added.
Diarra Boubacar prepares for cupping therapy. [Photo by Liu Song/for chinadaily.com.cn]

Dressed in a white gown with pens in pocket, 53-year-old Diarra Boubacar was welcomed by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in the Xindu district of Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan province, as a specially invited expert.

Born in the African country of Mali, Boubacar continued the family tradition of training to be a doctor at Malian Medical College, earning his degree in 1984. He then joined a government-sponsored program to continue his study in China.

In his freshman year, Diarra was the only one in his class to earn a grade as low as 40 percent. The frustrated man did not buckle under the hardship of learning the ancient Chinese language to read traditional Chinese medicine classics, and he developed an obsession with TCM.

During his years in China, Diarra has studied in different cities like Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu, and after a long journey, he finally got his post-doctorial degree. In 1994, he became the first foreigner to get a Ph.D in acupuncture at the Chengdu Traditional Chinese Medicine College.

After obtaining his medical degree in Sichuan province, he joined Medicins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) to help patients in remote villages in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.

The Chinese language is no longer a challenge to him. In fact, he can tell the difference between Sichuan and Chongqing dialects, and even slight differences between dialects of different counties.




XI'AN -- Twenty-seven people in Northwest China's Shaanxi province were sentenced to prison for terms up to life for involvement in a mafia-style gang, a local court said.

The leader of the gang Zhu Qunyang carried out a series of criminal activities, operating casinos and contracting construction projects from 2004 to 2013, and was given a life sentence, according to the intermediate people's court of Xi'an city.

Another 25 gang members were handed jail terms ranging from 33 months to 20 years, and one more was put under surveillance for two years.

The court found members of the gang had committed a series of crimes, including four cases of assault causing serious injuries to two people and minor injuries to seven, 11 provocation cases causing enormous losses, three robberies with illegal gains of over 370,000 yuan ($55,900), three unlawful detentions, one extortion and the destruction of 0.85 hectares of farmland.
A man in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, was fined by the police for painting a road sign by himself.

The 28-year-old, surnamed Cai, brought a brush, ruler and some white paint Nov 27 to an intersection he frequently passed. An arrowhead allowing vehicles to go straight was added by Cai to the original sign, which had only allowed left turns and U-turns.

Cai later confessed that he passed the intersection almost every day by bus and knew that the lanes for vehicles going straight through the intersection were usually blocked. To get home faster, he decided to change the road sign to add an extra lane for vehicles going straight.

The local traffic police department said that the road signs were specially designed after doing an investigation. What Cai did might cause traffic jams and lead vehicles going straight to crash into those turning left.

Police removed the added road sign and fined Cai 1,000 yuan ($151) for his illegal actions.

Liu Maomao contributed to this story.
The uniforms are designed in various clothing styles. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Say goodbye to boring school uniforms! Last month, the School of Liberal Arts at Southwest University in southwest China's Chongqing hosted a class uniform design competition. The uniforms are designed in various clothing styles, such as the qipao and Chinese tunic suit, using the elements of Chinese literature and cartoons. The school organizer hoped that the class uniform, as a symbol of a class, could help students stay closer as a group.
China would like to make joint efforts with the United States, enhance communication, exchanges and cooperation, and push bilateral ties to achieve new progress, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday.

Xi made the remark while meeting with former US president Barack Obama at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

Xi spoke positively of the efforts made by Obama to push the development of China-US relations during his presidency.

China and the US have wide common interests and shoulder important responsibilities in safeguarding the world's peace and stability and promoting global development and prosperity, he said.

It is in line with the interests of both China and the US as well as other countries around the world to maintain the long-term and healthy development of China-US relations, he added.

During the talk, Xi spoke about the main outcomes of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. The congress, concluded in late October, elected a new CPC Central Committee and drew the blueprint for the country's development in coming decades.

Obama expressed gratitude for the meeting with Xi. "I appreciate your taking the time because I know your schedule has been very busy", he said, mentioning the national congress and the recent state visit of US President Donald Trump.

China's achievements in development are admirable, Obama said. Building constructive US-China relations is in line with the interests of the people of both countries, he said, adding that he would like to continue to play a positive role in boosting the nations' mutual understanding and exchanges.

Also attending were Ding Xuexiang, who is a member of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau and the CPC Central Committee Secretariat and also director of the CPC Central Committee General Office, and State Councilor Yang Jiechi, a member of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau.
It had been closed since Monday due to volcanic ash

KARANGASEM, Indonesia - The airport on the Indonesian resort island of Bali reopened on Wednesday after an erupting volcano forced its closure, but the country's president said the danger had not passed and urged anyone within the mountain's exclusion zone to get out "for the sake of their safety".

Volcanic ash reaching 7,600 meters began drifting south and southeast of Mount Agung, leaving clean space above the airport for planes to land and take off, said airport spokesman Arie Ahsannurohim.

Operations resumed after shutting down on Monday, disrupting travel for tens of thousands of people trying to enter or leave the popular vacation destination. Thick ash particles are hazardous to aircraft and can choke engines.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ordered all concerned ministries and agencies, as well as the military and police, to help Bali's government deal with the disaster.

Authorities have told 100,000 people to leave an area extending up to 10 kilometers in places from the volcano as it belches gray and white plumes. Nearly 40,000 people are now staying in 225 shelters, according to the Disaster Mitigation Agency in Karangasem.

But tens of thousands more have remained in their homes because they feel safe or don't want to abandon their land and livestock.

In the village of Tulamben inside the exclusion zone, farmers were seen plowing their fields with cattle on Wednesday, seemingly unbothered by the smoking mountain behind them swelling with orange lava.

For others, there was a sense of urgency.

Some stranded tourists managed to get off the island before the airport reopened, but they faced an arduous journey involving crowded roads, buses, ferries and sometimes overnight waits in yet another airport in Surabaya on the island of Java.

"This is a very unforgettable experience for us. So much hassle and definitely one for the books," said Sheryl David, 31, a tourist from Manila, Philippines, who arrived on Saturday in Bali with three friends and was supposed to leave on Tuesday. She remained stuck in a third airport on Wednesday in the capital, Jakarta, waiting for a flight home that required buying a new ticket, but said the experience didn't dampen her feelings about the island.

"Yes, still a paradise," she texted.

More than 200,000 foreign visitors come into Bali resort island per month, according to the national statistics bureau.

The volcano's last major eruption, in 1963, killed about 1,100 people.

Ap - Xinhua

A tourist from Lombok island arrives at Padangbai port in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia, on Tuesday. The Bali airport reopened on Wednesday as wind blew away ash spewed out by a volcano, giving airlines a window to get tourists out.Fikri Yusuf / Antara Foto Via Reuters

(China Daily 11/30/2017 page12)
Flow of foreign extremists, financing for terrorism 'have become easier'

A Chinese envoy said on Tuesday that Beijing is firmly opposed to terrorism in all forms, as UN officials have warned that foreign terrorist fighters who are returning home or being relocated in third countries as a result of major military defeats of the Islamic State group pose a global threat.

Speaking before the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Wu Haitao, the charge d'affaires of China's permanent mission to the United Nations, said China is ready to join hands with other countries and international organizations to jointly address the threat of terrorism and maintain world peace and stability.

As an important participant in international counterterrorism efforts, China has actively participated in multilateral cooperation mechanisms, such as the UN-Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Global Counterterrorism Forum.

He said the flow of foreign terrorist fighters and financing for terrorism have become easier, more hidden and more international. Internet and social media are being used by terrorist organizations to conduct incitement, recruit terrorist fighters and plan terrorist attacks.

The international community should firmly block the use of social media for spreading extremist ideologies, strengthen internet supervision and stop terrorist groups from using the internet to expand and finance their activities, he said.

Wu also called for respecting the diversity of civilizations and tackling the root causes of terrorism, namely wars and conflicts, ethnic hatred and poverty and backwardness.

Vladimir Voronkov, UN undersecretary-general for counterterrorism, told the Security Council: "There are at least 5,600 fighters from 33 countries who have returned home. Many returnees are very well trained and equipped to carry out attacks in their own countries; others hope to radicalize and recruit new followers to their cause; there is a number of those who have rejected terrorist ideologies and pose no threat to society."

This is a truly global challenge that demands an urgent and concerted multilateral response," he said, adding that more than 40,000 foreign terrorist fighters from more than 110 countries might have traveled to join terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq.

As the IS has suffered great losses on the battlefield in Syria and Iraq, a significant number of terrorists are trying to relocate to countries such as Libya, Yemen and Afghanistan, he said.

Wu called terrorism a common enemy of mankind.

"Facing this challenge, the international community must realize that we are all in a community with a shared future," he said.

Wu appealed to bring in-house counterterrorism cooperation into full play.

"The leading role of the UN and the Security Council is to respect the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of all countries, follow a uniform standard and reject the practice of associating terrorism with specific ethnicities or religions," he said.

In recent years, terrorist forces have carried out violent attacks around the world.

In response to the unpredictable nature of terrorism, with foreign terrorist fighters becoming more organized and the means of attack becoming more diversified, Wu proposed that comprehensive measures must be taken to remove both the symptoms and the root causes of terrorism.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

xiaohong@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily 11/30/2017 page11)
Tian Lianyuan (second left) alongside well-known pingshu artists Lian Liru (third left) and Liu Lanfang (left) at Beijing Pingshu Dahui, a program showcasing their storytelling performances.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The centuries-old art form of pingshu, or storytelling, is making a welcome return to television after a long hiatus. Xu Fan reports.

One desk and one folded fan was all that consisted for the props used by pingshu (storytelling) master Tian Lianyuan to bring to life a battlefield story from Yang Jia Jiang (Generals of the Yang Family), an influential novel based on the titular legendary family in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) era.

Although Tian is 76 years old, he delivered his dialogue with power and performed with emotion.

When the plot rose to its climax - where a warrior on horseback wields his sword as he rides toward his enemy - he abruptly kicked his leg high to mimic the role's martial arts skills.

The stunt drew ovations from the audience, who watched the performance at the headquarters of one of the country's biggest broadcasters, Beijing TV, on Nov 22.

Alongside well-known pingshu artists Lian Liru and Liu Lanfang, Tian was shooting Beijing Pingshu Dahui (Assembly of Pingshu Artists in Beijing), a program showcasing the artists' storytelling performances.

The 25-minute program started to air on Nov 28 on Beijing Satellite TV, and is scheduled to be broadcast every morning from Tuesday to Friday.

Pingshu is a traditional art form that usually sees a performer wrapped in a Chinese-style gown recount a legend through dialogue and exaggerated gestures. Most of the stories are adapted from classic novels penned by ancient authors.
Wang Zhonglei (left), CEO of Huayi Brothers, and Taiwan director Doze Niu speak about the adaptation of The Drops of God, a popular Japanese manga series.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Huayi Brothers Media Corp, a major factor in the rise of some of China's most popular film celebrities like director Feng Xiaogang and actress Li Bingbing, recently announced plans to expand its influence among television viewers.

As part of the plans, the Beijing-based company released a lineup, collectively titled I Project, to produce 19 series, nine online movies and three variety shows.

Wang Zhonglei, CEO of Huayi Brothers, says that though movies are the company's core and most mature business, they will adapt some of its most successful movies, such as Assembly (2007), Personal Tailor (2013) and Mr Six (2015), to the series format - to be aired online or via TV channels.

Also, besides adapting the Huayi productions for the small screen, the company is seeking inspiration from the rest of the world for its TV plans.

The Drops of God, a popular Japanese manga series, is one such example.

The story is about a famous wine critic's son and his adopted brother.

Co-created by the sister-brother duo, Yuko and Shin Kibayashi, the series is like an encyclopaedia on red wine.

Wang, who says wine tasting is his hobby, purchased the animated work's copyright from the Japanese, and invited Taiwan director Doze Niu to adapt it into a Chinese live-action series.

Niu, best known for the 2009 youth action movie Monga, says he is thrilled.

Niu, also a lover of red wine, toured wine production areas in Europe to interview winemakers. He says the research has broadened his knowledge about wine.
The Bar and Club Award ceremony took place at the EQUIS bar of Four Seasons Hotel Beijing, Nov 27, 2017. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

One cannot do full justice to Beijing's glitzy nightlife without a guidebook. This year, Time Out Beijing, a travel and lifestyle magazine, takes a comprehensive look at the citys amazing drinking and dancing establishments.

The magazine has listed 13 award categories of bars and music venues ranked by professional evaluation and votes of the readers. Each category consists of a winner, a merit award, and a coveted Readers' Choice award.

Let's read on and find out the best of Beijing's nightlife!

Live Music Venue of the year

Winner - School Live Bar

School Live Bar [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Merit - Temple

Readers' Choice  Dusk Dawn Club
ABC/Image Group LAWhen youre a Small Town Boy whos hit it big like Dustin Lynch, theres no other option except to give back to your hometown -- and thats exactly what the Tullahoma, Tennessee native will do Thursday night.

The Id Be Jealous Too hitmaker puts on his annual Dustin Lynch and Friends Benefit Show November 30 at Tullahoma High School. This is the fourth year for the concert, which typically sells out the high school auditorium.

In addition to raising money for childrens charities in the area, Dustins fans, friends and family also bring gifts to help the Tullahoma Fire Departments Toys for Tots drive. Last year, Dustins event raised more than $17,000, according to The Tullahoma News.

Over the years, Dustins donated more than $50,000 to help the kids in his hometown.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
The survival of conventional media is one of the major topics at the Sanya forum.[Photo provided to China Daily]

A global event in China hosts discussions on integrating conventional and new media, Xu Fan reports.

At a global media event hosted this week by China Global Television Network and China Central Television News Content in South China's Hainan province, delegates from media outlets at home and abroad discussed topics such as the survival of conventional media in the era of social media, when practically anyone can "break news" online.

Nearly 400 delegates from around 100 media organizations from 45 countries and regions attended the China Global Television Network (CGTN) Global Media Summit and the Global Video Media Forum 2017 in the resort city of Sanya.

The event, from Tuesday to Thursday, also witnessed participants talking about efforts to integrate conventional and new media, the use of such technology as phone applications to help disseminate information and the challenges faced by media in today's world.

Jiang Heping, a senior executive of CGTN, says media outlets will need to explore newer ways of accelerating the convergence of conventional and digital platforms.

"The future of the media industry has always been a subject of debate in China. Some argue that content is king. Some champion technology and yet others put accessibility above everything else ...In the media today, only integration can be king," Jiang says.

Qu Yingpu, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily, shared the media group's innovative approach to content, expression, format and medium to tell stories better. When reporting the news of Dorian Murray, an 8-year-old American with cancer whose wish was to become famous in China, China Daily held a planning meeting to decide it would do more than just report it.

In addition to a front page report on the child, the story was carried by the media group's multiple platforms, including its social media accounts, such as WeChat, Sina Weibo and Facebook. Some staff members also joined the social media campaign to help Murray fulfill his wish.
PNP talks about smart future in Zhongguancun

( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2017-11-30

The world's largest startup accelerator Plug and Play (PNP) Tech Center welcomed some 16 worldwide outstanding startups to a Smart-Future Cross Border Summit in Zhongguancun Inno Way, the site of PNP'S headquarters, on Nov 9.

The overseas companies were from China, the United States, Canada, Belgium, Singapore and South Korea.

The cross border summit, covering various fields of mobile travelling, smart cities, smart hardware, and brand marketing, will not only visit Zhongguancun but will also tour China to provide insights for entrepreneurs on achieving a global layout for an entrepreneurship eco-system.

Beijing is the first stop of the PNP cross border project and others will include Zhengzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan and Shenzhen.

Huang Ying, deputy director of Zhongguancun Science Park's Administrative Committee, tells participants about the eco-environment of innovation and entrepreneurship and the favorable policies in Haidian district. [Photo/zhsp.gov.cn]

Huang Ying, deputy director of Zhongguancun Science Park's Administrative Committee, welcomed participants with a presentation about the eco-environment of innovation and entrepreneurship in Haidian district and its local favorable policies. She encouraged startups to invest and develop in Haidian district to co-promote cross border innovation.

PNP organized a road show for one to one interactions, and a theme forum where startups outlined the innovation and entrepreneurship mode in China and strengthened their connections with worldwide incubation teams.

PNP opened its China headquarters in Zhongguancun Inno Way in Oct last year. Its mission is to provide professional services for global entrepreneurs and build an international entrepreneurship ecology.
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File photo provided by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Feb. 13, 2017 shows a test firing of a surface-to-surface medium- and long-range ballistic missile Pukguksong-2 on Feb. 12, 2017. [Xinhua/KCNA]

Unilateral countermoves by individual stakeholders have proven insufficient, and ineffective, in reining in the nuclear weapons program of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as its latest missile test on Wednesday demonstrated.

While the accumulative effect of Pyongyang's most recent series of tests has been a hardening of the consensus among the stakeholders that they should come to an end, there is still no well-coordinated collective response to achieve that aim.

The Republic of Korea responded to the latest DPRK missile test with a missile firing of its own within minutes, knowing full well it was a meaningless gesture.

After the launch, the DPRK's state news agency KCNA declared that Pyongyang had now achieved its mission of becoming a nuclear state, calling the weapons a defense against the "nuclear blackmail policy" of the United States. Although analysts suggest such missiles would be unable to hit the US carrying a nuclear warhead, the launch was enough for US President Donald Trump to issue one of his enigmatic statements - "We will take care of it."

Which is worrying. His recent unilateral move to tighten the screw of sanctions - by renaming Pyongyang a sponsor of terrorism - only served to accentuate the belief that his interest in diplomacy is simply for show.

Helpless as he is, ROK President Moon Jae-in is correct in observing the real danger is "the situation could get out of control if North Korea perfects its ICBM technology".

As a key stakeholder in the unfolding confrontation between Pyongyang and Washington, Beijing is in an awkward position, bearing the brunt of the blame for the failure to stop Pyongyang's nuclear missile program, even though that failure has essentially been everyone's, and being criticized for "inaction", which totally ignores the truth.

Beijing wants the two belligerents to calm down as much as anyone. It is vexed that a golden opportunity to build concerted momentum to encourage Pyongyang to engage in talks has been so casually wasted by the Trump administration's recent action of renaming Pyongyang a sponsor of state terrorism, which may have prompted Pyongyang's latest missile launch.

There is a severe trust deficit among the relevant parties that is being repeatedly exacerbated by the actions of Washington and Pyongyang. This, as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, is moving the situation further away from the point where a settlement of the crisis can begin.

Which means the clock is ticking down to one of two choices: learning to live with the DPRK having nuclear weapons or triggering a tripwire to the worst-case scenario. But there is a third choice, which the US keeps ignoring. That is for all stakeholders to genuinely pull together to put an end to Pyongyang's dangerous game once and for all through dialogue and a peace treaty.

To achieve this, as Beijing has consistently argued, requires accommodating the concerns of the various parties and following the proposed step-by-step plan to establish the conditions necessary for dialogue.
Passengers head home at a railway station in Xi'an on a smoggy day, Jan 17, 2017. [Photo/IC]

Imagine 15 million people waving fans in the same direction at the same time... That idea appeared on the official website of the State Intellectual Property Office, as a "solution" to free Beijing of smog, because the person applying for a patent argues that so many people waving fans at the same time will produce a wind strong enough to blow smoggy weather away. According to the website, the applicant has passed the first step of patent application process. China Daily writer Zhang Zhouxiang comments:

It seems the person applying for the patent lacks the most basic training in both social and natural sciences. First, having little knowledge about the science of social organization, he or she does not know how difficult it is to get 15 million people together and get them to fan in the same direction at the same time.

Second, a basic calculation has not been done to determine whether the fanning of 15 million people could produce a strong enough wind. Taking air purifiers for comparison, a rough calculation finds that a 700-square-meter hall, with the height of 3 meters, needs more than 500,000 cubic meters of air flow per hour to keep its air clean. Beijing covers 16,000 square kilometers, which means it is about 22 million times the size of the hall, which far exceeds the ability of human fanning to keep its air clean.

Besides, when people fan together, the majority of them make nothing but air turbulence, rather than a strong air flow.

Therefore, such a patent is foolish and all it does is to make people laugh. But do not mistake it being published on the official website of the State Intellectual Property Office for it being "approved".

Data from the official website show the joke application is still waiting for review, and its publication on the site only means the materials have been received.
The central bank and the housing and land authorities recently convened a conference in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, on local governments' real estate policies. Only the officials from some key provincial-level regions were summoned to attend the meeting. Southern Metropolis Daily commented on Wednesday:

The conference conveyed the unmistakable message that the local governments should continue to strictly control house prices in big cities while preventing sharp falls, and ensure that low-income people have access to the government-subsidized houses, as well as taking steps to promote the healthy development of the real estate industry.

The meeting was timely, as the housing markets in some cities are continuing to heat up, an indicator of the people's expectation that housing prices will rise higher.

As required by the central authorities, some local governments have set a ceiling price for new houses, which is markedly lower than the price of a secondhand house. Buyers of new houses, after securing the deal, can make a fortune by selling them in the market as second-hand houses, as prices are not controlled when reselling a property.

As a result, after the central bank made it difficult for speculators to buy homes through mortgage loans in some cities with overheating real estate markets, some investors have resorted to short-term bank loans to enable them to buy property. Although it is forbidden to use such loans to buy houses, the ban is not strictly implemented or supervised.

The number of personal loans more than tripled year-on-year from January to October, while the growth in retail sales of consumer goods dropped, suggesting that much of the loan money has entered the housing market. This is a noteworthy sign of local authorities' reluctance to cool the housing market, because if they were wholeheartedly trying to do so they would have tightened the conditions for issuing personal loans.

Hopefully, the recent meeting will have awakened local governments to the potential risks.
Only 17 percent of migrant workers living in Chinese cities have urban medical insurance, and the number has been on a downward trend over the past few years, according to a report. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Wednesday:

The fact that most migrant workers receive medical treatment entirely at their own expense points to several loopholes in the nationwide medical insurance system. As of last year, there were more than 282 million migrant workers in cities across the country. They account for about 20 percent of the population and 35 percent of the labor force. And they are an indispensable part of the urban economy.

As China is striving to establish a more extensive and inclusive medical insurance system that covers both urban and rural residents, most of the migrant workers have access to a new-type of rural cooperative medical care for rural residents. But there are procedural difficulties that make migrant workers struggle to get reimbursed the money they spend on medical treatment in places where they work. And the medical insurance for rural residents covers about 56 percent of their medical costs, while the reimbursement amount for urban residents is more than 72 percent.

It is unfair that most migrant workers in cities are not covered by urban medical insurance plans, because either they are not aware of the importance of such insurance or their employers refuse to sign them up for the insurance plans. Even if they are able to reimburse their medical expenses in cities, the subsidized proportion would still be 16 percent less than local citizens.

The rural-urban reimbursement gap may apply to other social insurance programs such as unemployment, work injury, maternity and elderly care. A uniform medical insurance system that treats rural and urban residents equally would be a good way to start narrowing the benefit divide.

It is also important to talk sense into migrant workers who refuse to join the medical insurance plans simply because they find not having contributions deducted from their wages more appealing. They should be made aware that equal access to medical insurance is not an "expendable right" but a guarantee of their personal well-being in the long run. Employers who do not include migrant workers in social insurance schemes must be held accountable.
Premier Li Keqiang's proposals and policy push at the ongoing 16th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Sochi, Russia, will form an important and probably the concluding part of China's major diplomatic efforts this year. High hopes have been pinned on Li's diplomacy in Sochi, especially because this is the first SCO high-level meeting after India and Pakistan joined the organization.

In the 16 years since its establishment, the SCO has grown into an influential organization that endorses and practices new cooperative ideas in line with the changing regional situation. It is therefore crucial that the bloc stays cohesive and vibrant after the inclusion of India and Pakistan in the SCO community.

The expanded SCO is facing some institutional challenges, particularly because India and Pakistan are yet to properly address their disparities and conflicts of interests, and it will take some time for the group to adjust to the changes. In this context, the organization's successes in resolving disputes between member states and the documented promise of the two South Asian neighbors to keep their bilateral conflicts outside the SCO mechanism should be reassuring.

As the only multinational organization named after a Chinese city, the SCO's growth and expansion have a lot to do with China's contributions. China's "major-country diplomacy" with Chinese characteristics, which was highlighted in General Secretary Xi Jinping's report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October, suggests the country is willing to shoulder more global responsibilities and use its experience and wisdom to solve regional problems.

The two-day Sochi meeting that concludes on Friday, too, can expect Beijing's constructive push for expanding trade and implementing the Treaty of Long-Term Good Neighborly and Friendly Cooperation among SCO member states. Beijing will also try to seek wider consensus on capacity, financial and connectivity cooperation, while making efforts to give shape to some 40 cooperative deals it has designed since assuming the SCO rotating chair in June.

The changes in the regional security and economic situations have mixed implications for the SCO. On the security front, the United States has changed tack in its South Asian policy by pressuring Pakistan to take on the Taliban, and the Islamic State group could revamp its guerrilla tactics after losing most of its strongholds in Syria and Iraq.

The world economy's lukewarm recovery and the rise of anti-globalization forces in the West also merit extra vigilance.

So, apart from deepening energy, transportation and agricultural cooperation among member states, as well as streamlining joint operations to combat cross-border crimes, the SCO also needs to pay greater attention to ecological protection, cyber security and cultural exchanges.

The Belt and Road Initiative could offer an opportunity to enhance the cohesiveness of the group, as all member states are on the Belt and Road routes and most of them have shown great interest in participating in the connectivity-centered projects. Pushing forward the Belt and Road programs under the SCO framework and discussing its feasibility at high-profile meetings, such as the one in Sochi, could also help reassure India about the aim and benefits of the Belt and Road Initiative, because it sees the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a vital Belt and Road project, as a geopolitical threat.

The author is secretary-general of the SCO Research Center affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Editor's note: Italian surgeon Sergio Canavero announced on Nov 17 that a team led by him and Ren Xiaoping, a professor at Harbin Medical University, had transplanted the head of a corpse on the body of another, and hinted at carrying out the same operation on a living human. Huang Jiefu, chairman of the China National Organ Donation and Transplantation Committee and former vice-minister of health, shared his views on the subject with China Daily's Zhang Zhouxiang and Shan Juan. Excerpts follow:

Q: Canavero said the surgical operation was a success, because the team connected the spine and the blood vessels, using polyethylen glycol as a kind of binder. What do you think about the claim?

A: The anatomic structure of the human neck is more complicated than a non-medical-professional can imagine. Take the "nerves", which Canavero referred to, as an example. The human neck contains the spine, the accessory nerves, the cervical sympathetic nerves, and the nerves connecting the human brain with the human body number in millions. So, the team might have been able to "glue" the nerves, but it's very difficult to "successfully reconnect" all of them.

Q: Canavero also hinted that the team could perform the same surgical operation on a living human in the future. Are there any challenges in such surgeries?

A: There are at least two. First, important human organs, such as the brain, the eyes, the ears, and the inner part of the nose, could easily suffer permanent damage because of a lack of blood and/or oxygen. That problem is yet to be solved.

Second, even the successfully transplanted organs face a challenge: immunologic rejection. When a human being receives organs or tissues, even cells from another person, his/her immune system is highly likely to recognize them as "alien" and attack it. In serious cases, that could be fatal. That's why some patients who receive organ transplants have to take medicines for the rest of their lives, which in turn increases the risk of cancer.

A majority of the patients who have had a hand transplant, for example, had to get them "detached" again because of fungus infection or psychological distress.

Q: Does human head transplant violate any existing law or regulation?

A: Yes. In the Harbin case, the head transplant involved two corpses. Legally speaking, the corpses have to be recognized as two citizens who donated their body and head to medical science or a medical experiment after death.

There are very strict laws regulating human body and organ donation in China, and the team led by Ren and Canavero has broken some of them. The ethical commission of the hospital where they performed the surgical operation should be answerable for their deeds.

Q: So what are your proposals for strengthening supervision of this sector?

A: We hope our medical professionals and institutions will invest their precious resources and intelligence to help those who truly need it. We have tens of thousands of patients with spine injuries, and if any medical researcher can achieve a breakthrough in autologous nerve regeneration, it will be of enormous help both to the medical profession and the patients.

Q: What about legal measures?

A: As I have always said, we need an amendment to the current Human Organ Transplant Regulation. In 2007, when the State Council, China's Cabinet, issued the regulation, it was a milestone in the field of human organ transplant in China. But on Jan 1, 2015, China called an end to the previous practice of using organs from prisoners on death row after their execution.

After that, voluntary donors have become the only source of organs for transplants, and yet the regulation doesn't include human organ donation. That's why it is time we amended the regulation.

Besides, while respecting the two basic principles of human organ donation - freedom of choice and willingness to donate - we should also consider providing assistance, such as exemption of or reduction in medical costs, for poor families.
China-watchers in Washington have lamented the lack of a presidential speech on China for some time. So the Brookings Institution invited seven scholars last week and asked them to put themselves in the shoes of US National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and prepare such a speech.

The discussions led by Brookings Vice-President Bruce Jones on "Avoiding war: Containment, competition and cooperation in US-China relations" are indeed interesting - some insightful, others just implausible.

While most of the scholars underscored the need to cooperate with China and clearly define what Washington's interests are in its relationship with Beijing, Robert Kagan, a senior fellow with the Project on International Order and Strategy at Brookings, saw "conflicting interests".

"My attitude toward China is do well economically, but you cannot use your military to expand your power position in the region," Kagan said. "Is that fair? No. Is there any justice to that? No," he said, as if in a monologue. "We get the Monroe Doctrine and you don't. That's just the way it is. I'm sorry."

Kagan's overbearing "the way it is" approach is outrageous. Kagan seems to believe that where there is strength, hegemony ensues. That's why he proposed ramping up US military capacity.

While the US may lack a clearcut policy on China, President Xi Jinping has made his view on hegemony clear in his speeches in New York, Geneva and Beijing. China will never waver in its pursuit of peaceful development, Xi said in Geneva in January, three days before Trump was sworn in as US president.

"No matter how strong its economy grows, China will never seek hegemony, expansion or sphere of influence," Xi said at the United Nations Office in Geneva, re-emphasizing what he had said at the UN Headquarters in New York on Sept 28, 2015. He further highlighted this point in his speech at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China last month.

At the Washington gathering, Cheng Li, director of the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings, said Xi has emphasized there are a thousand reasons for the US and China to work together - and no reason for the two sides to fight. "I think our president (Trump) should probably take a similar view," Li said.

Mira Rapp-Hooper, a senior fellow at Yale's Paul Tsai China Center, said Washington's "real competition" with Beijing exists in security issues in Asia, where the interests of the US are not "quite clearly defined". Besides, the US is yet to devise a policy response to China's Belt and Road Initiative. "And it's not clear to me that that's a zero-sum game," she said. "There may well be places where our interests are complementary."

David Dollar, another senior fellow at the John L. Thornton China Center, said "competition with cooperation" is a good framework. "I see cooperation largely in terms of efforts to reform global institutions like the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the multilateral development banks, and that's where cooperating around the Belt and Road Initiative comes in."

Jonathan Stromseth, who holds the Lee Kuan Yew Chair in Southeast Asian Studies at Brookings' Center for East Asia Policy Studies, said some US companies are already trying to win Belt and Road contracts. They could also look at what's emerging in regional infrastructure and try to calibrate their business plans accordingly, he said.

The other points the Chinawatchers raised included those of Ryan Hass, a David M. Rubenstein fellow at Brookings, who stressed the need to "find a way to live with an ascendant China that is aggressive in some areas, and work to create a durable, constructive relationship with them".

It is unclear if or how McMaster would benefit from the experts' opinions. But in an interview with CGTN earlier this month, McMaster said: " ... the comprehensive policy toward China would be to identify... areas where we can... cooperate effectively on... mutual interest and concern."

The author is deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily USA. huanxinzhao@chinadailyusa.com
Statistics showed that Chinese travelers spent nearly 300,000 overnights in Finland in the first three quarters of 2017, almost 40 percent more than the same period last year. The growth was the highest among all foreigners visiting Finland.[Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese embassy in Finland released a series of animation videos on Wednesday as a preventive protection for the increasing number of Chinese travelers to Finland.

Comprising four episodes -- "Arriving at the Airport", "A Glimpse into Finland", "Expanding Your Understanding" and "Endless Aftertastes", each of the video lasts five or six minutes, and provides general knowledge about Finnish formalities, regulations, customs and habits, local emergency calls and consular help numbers.

Statistics showed that Chinese travelers spent nearly 300,000 overnights in Finland in the first three quarters of 2017, almost 40 percent more than the same period last year. The growth was the highest among all foreigners visiting Finland.

Meanwhile, Chinese tourists have encountered some problems in the Nordic country, which made the Chinese diplomats thinking of producing a digital guide book to provide necessary information before they get into trouble, said Chinese Ambassador to Finland Chen Li.

"Of course we are not a tourist agency and we don't want to compete with Lonely Planet," said Chen, "but we want to make sure the Chinese don't feel lonely during their journeys in Finland."

According to the embassy, the video series was already ready for watching and downloading at its official website and its Wechat account, and it would also be distributed by VisitFinland, Finnair and Finavia, all of which are government owned operators in Finland.

Paavo Virkkunen, head of VisitFinland, said he was happy with the growing trend of Chinese tourists coming to Finland. He said he has spotted a structural change in the market as Chinese tourists used to travel in a group, but now individual tourists were growing very rapidly.
Scientists develop 'backpacks' to steer bugs in confined spaces

SINGAPORE - A swarm of beetles, carrying tiny computers as backpacks, could one day be crawling through cracks and crevices in search of survivors during rescue missions.

Researchers from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have developed what they say is the world's smallest cyborg insect, which they can move right and left, backward and forward, with the click of a button.

Using a species of darkling beetles that measures just 2 to 2.5 centimeters long and weighs only 0.5 grams, the team attached a tiny computer on the back of each beetle using beewax.

Using a remote control, they can send electrical pulses to the insect's antennae through implanted electrodes.

The pulses mimic those the insect would feel when its antennae touch an object, which causes the insect to turn on its escape mechanism.

Sending a pulse to its right antenna makes it turn left, and vice-versa.

At present, two 1.55-volt coin cell batteries can operate the tiny computer continuously for up to eight hours. The team hopes to extend this to three days through ways such as using a biofuel cell, which can generate power using glucose in the insect.

A paper on the work was published in scientific journal Soft Robotics recently.

The team is currently developing sensors to detect things like carbon dioxide, temperature and the vibration of heartbeats, which they will integrate into the beetle's backpack to aid in its detection of human life.

"In the aftermath of a disaster, many survivors remain buried and the rescue teams are often not clear which sites they should comb. We need tools that can get through small spaces to help them find missing people," said assistant professor Hirotaka Sato from NTU's School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, who led the research.

The paper's first author, NTU research fellow Vo Doan Tat Thang, noted that as the beetles are commonly found in the environment, they are unlikely to affect the balance of the ecosystem even if they get lost.

Two years ago, the same team created a cyborg giant flower beetle, which could take flight and change directions using radio signals. It was also developed for search-and-rescue missions but it is bigger, making it less efficient in getting into cracks and crevices.

However, Sato said it could take another 5 to 10 years before the cyborg insects are deployed for real-life missions.

Critics have slammed such research, with some calling it "animal torture" and others asking why robots cannot be used instead.

Sato said miniature robots need large amounts of energy to operate, hence requiring them to be wired. Complex algorithms are also needed to help them walk and avoid obstructions.

"You also need to assemble very tiny parts which takes weeks. For search-and-rescue missions, we need hundreds of robots, and creating that many quickly is not realistic," he added.

Singapore's ethics for animal experimentation, as laid out in the National Advisory Committee for Laboratory Animal Research Guidelines, also does not apply to invertebrates such as beetles.

The research team said it conducted the study with "utmost care" for the beetles.

"The beetles also continued to eat, move and behave normally after the experiment," said Sato.

The Straits Times/ann
The British Library has unveiled its oldest artifact in an exhibition dedicated to the fictional Harry Potter, and the origins of "magic".

The Chinese oracle bones included in the display are more than 3,000 years old and were used in attempts to foretell the future.

The bones arrived at the British Library along with the Couling-Chalfant Collection, which was put together in China between 1903 and 1908 by two missionaries, Samuel Couling and Frank Chalfant.

The pair, one British and the other from the United States, had worked in Shandong province.

Questions about crops, the weather, battles, and the ruling family were engraved on the bones and heat was applied with metal sticks. The heat caused the bones to crack and "diviners" interpreted the patterns of the fractures to determine the answer to the question posed.

One bone records a lunar eclipse that has been dated to Dec 27, 1192 BC. The darkness caused by an eclipse was thought to indicate that an ancestral spirit needed to be pacified.

"Harry Potter: A History of Magic" runs until Feb 28 in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

The exhibition comprises some of the British Library's greatest treasures, including a celestial globe from 1693, and items on loan from national and international institutions that include broomsticks, wands and crystal balls.

The exhibition has been structured around subjects taught in the book's Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, including Charms, Herbology, Divination, Care of Magical Creatures and Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Chinese oracle-bone inscriptions were recently included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.

Oracle-bone inscriptions are the earliest documental evidence found in China, with the oldest found so far excavated from Yin ruins in Anyang city, in Central China's Henan province.

They provide records of divinations and prayers from people in the late Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century - 11th century BC).

Over time, oracle bone inscriptions developed into modern-day Chinese characters, helping to show the continuous evolution of Chinese civilization. Oracle bones serve as important materials in the study of the civilization and life in ancient times.

wangmingjie@mailchinadaily.com
LONDON - The wedding of Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle will take place in May in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, a venue with royal associations going back centuries.

The fifth-in-line to the British throne, 33, and the US actress, 36, previously best known for her starring role in the TV legal drama Suits announced their engagement on Monday, sparking a trans-Atlantic media frenzy.

The couple have chosen to marry in Windsor, west of London, because it is "a special place for them", Harry's spokesman told reporters. Queen Elizabeth, the prince's 91-year-old grandmother, will attend the ceremony.

"The wedding will be a moment of fun and joy and reflect the characters of the bride and groom," he said.

The couple's first official engagement together will take place on Friday in the central English city of Nottingham, where they will raise awareness of charities working to prevent HIV/AIDS and youth crime.

"Prince Harry has spent a significant amount of private and public time in (Nottingham) and His Royal Highness is looking forward to introducing Ms. Markle to a community that has become very special to him," said Kensington Palace, Harry's official residence.

Markle, who attended a Catholic school as a child but identifies as a Protestant, will be baptized and confirmed into the Church of England before the wedding, Harry's spokesman said.

She intends to become a British citizen, though she will retain her US citizenship while she goes through the process.

"Miss Markle will be compliant with all immigration requirements at all times," the spokesman said.

The Gothic St George's Chapel is located in the grounds of Windsor Castle, which has been the family home of British kings and queens for almost 1,000 years.

Within the chapel are the tombs of 10 sovereigns, including Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour, and Charles I.

In more recent memory, it was the venue of the wedding of Harry's uncle Prince Edward to Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, and of a service of prayer and dedication to mark the wedding of Harry's father, Prince Charles, to Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005.

A busy 2018

The year 2018 looks likely to be a busy one for the British royal family, with Harry's older brother Prince William and his wife Catherine, known as Kate, expecting their third child in April.

Earlier on Tuesday, Kate said she and William were "absolutely thrilled" about Harry's engagement.

Harry's stepmother Camilla, now known as the Duchess of Cornwall, was equally enthusiastic.

"America's loss is our gain," she said of Markle.

Prince Harry and Markle's engagement represents something genuinely different from everything that has gone before, the Guardian newspaper said on Tuesday.

"Their marriage will bring into reality what the British establishment lacked the imagination to conceive of as possible 17 years ago - that a senior royal can love, marry, someone whose ethnic heritage is not just different to his, but the heritage that has always been most othered in Britain - black and African," said the major British newspaper.

Reuters - Ap - Xinhua
Aussie state to legalize euthanasia in 2019

China Daily | Updated: 2017-11-30 07:09

SYDNEY - Victoria on Wednesday became the first Australian state to legalize voluntary euthanasia. Legislation was passed by the Victorian parliament after more than 100 hours were spent debating the bill.

Under the new laws, patients with a terminal illness will be able to request a lethal drug to end their lives beginning in mid-2019.

The law has been described as one of the most conservative among its kind in the world, with patients required to submit three requests in 10 days ratified by two doctors before they are granted access to the medication.

Premier Daniel Andrews, who came to support euthanasia following the death of his father last year, praised colleagues, particularly Health Minister Jill Hennessy, for their work on the bill.

"Victoria is the first state to pass voluntary assisted dying laws in Australia, giving Victorians with a terminal illness the compassion and dignity they deserve at the end of their lives," he told reporters in Melbourne.

"I'm proud today that we have put compassion right at the center of our parliamentary and our political process. That is politics at its best and it's Victoria doing what it does best, leading our nation."

The bill first passed the lower house of parliament in October before moving to the upper house where changes were made before it was passed.

The lower house ratified those changes, most notably changing the time frame for eligible patients to access the scheme from 12 months to six months to live, on Wednesday.

Other safeguards in the bill include the requirement for a patient to have lived in Victoria for at least 12 months before accessing the medication and a requirement that anyone with a mental illness must be psychiatrically assessed before being allowed to end their life.

Xinhua - Reuters - Ap

(China Daily 11/30/2017 page11)
JAKARTA - The Indonesian Transport Ministry on Wednesday decided to resume the operation of International Ngurah Rai airport in Bali island after three-day closure as flight alert triggered by volcano eruption has been lowered one level from the highest, an official said.

Tourists walk while looking for flights as Ngurah Rai airport is closed due to the eruption of Mount Agung, in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia November 28, 2017 in this photo taken by Antara Foto.

The airport was reopened at 15: 00 pm local time (0900GMT) as the air space around the airport has been free from volcanic ash, director general for air transport at the Transport Ministry Pramintohadi Sukarno said."The spread of volcanic ash has moved to the southeast and do not cover the air space above (the area around) the Ngurah Rai airport so that the flight activities of the airport can be resumed," he told Xinhua in a text message.In a meeting attended by the head of meteorology and geophysics department of the airport, it was revealed that the frequency of the tremor and eruption as well as the height of ash spread have declined, the official said.The status of volcano observation notice for aviation has also been decreased from red to orange, meaning that planes may pass the territory but the potential of eruption remains, said Sukarno.Ngurah Rai airport serves over 200,000 foreign holidaymakers visiting the resort island every month, according to the national statistics bureau.
LONDON - British Prime Minister Theresa May and her senior ministers remained tight-lipped Wednesday over the amount Britain will have to pay to leave the European Union (EU).

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May pose for a family picture during the Eastern Partnership summit at the European Council Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, November 24, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Virtually every media outlet in London is reporting that the figure will be around 50 billion euros (59.3 billion US dollars), a sum that neither 10 Downing Street nor the official Brexit office denied.Leading commentators in London are convinced a deal in the order of 50 billion euros has been offered by London, and welcomed by Brussels, as a way of paving the way for post-Brexit trade talks.Questioned Wednesday afternoon in the House of Commons, Treasury minister Liz Truss declined to comment on what she described as media speculation. Truss insisted any financial settlement was contingent on Britain getting the right overall outcome.She told MPs that Britain would meet its commitments and get a good deal for the British taxpayer.Earlier veteran Conservative and former front-bench minister Ken Clarke, asked Theresa May's deputy, Damian Green to welcome reports that the Brexit bill has being settled by the EU and Britain.Green, standing in for May at the weekly Prime Minister's Questions, responded by saying Clarke "had been around long enough to know not necessarily to believe everything he reads".He then added: "But he's absolutely right in that what we are about is making sure we get the best possible deal at this stage and Britain as a country that meets it international obligations."British negotiators are eager to see progress on Brexit made ahead of crucial "make or break" decisions early December at a meeting of EU member state leaders. What they agree will determine when future trading relations will move to the next stage for discussion.One politician unhappy with the prospect of a bumper check heading to Brussels was Nigel Farage, founder of Britain's anti-EU UKIP party.On his social media site, Farage said: "Even if the UK was guaranteed tariff-free access to the single market, it's not worth 50 billion euros. Christmas has come early for the EU."Vince Cable, leader of the minority Liberal Democrat party, said: "If these numbers are correct, it means we're paying a heavy price to leave an institution that has benefited the country for decades."The true cost of Brexit is becoming clearer by the day. This underlines why people should have a referendum on the final deal, with the option of an exit from Brexit."In a radio interview Wednesday former Conservative leader and leave-supporter Iain Duncan Smith described a likely deal as a bargain for Britain, saying the country would save "a staggering amount of money".With payments spread over many years, said Duncan Smith, the divorce bill would represent a small percentage compared to what Britain would have paid over 40 years to stay as a member.A Department for Exiting the European Union spokesperson said: "Intensive talks between the UK and the European Commission continue to take place in Brussels this week as we seek to reach an agreement."We are exploring how we can continue to build on recent momentum in the talks so that together we can move the negotiations on to the next phase and discuss our future partnership."
BUENOS AIRES - The search for an Argentine submarine that disappeared in the south Atlantic two weeks ago with a crew of 44 on board continues unabated, an official said on Wednesday.

A bouquet of flowers and banners in support of the 44 crew members of the missing at sea ARA San Juan submarine are placed on a fence outside an Argentine naval base in Mar del Plata, Argentina November 25, 2017. The banner below reads "God, give strength to the submariners". [Photo/Agencies]

The search and rescue operation for the ARA San Juan submarine continues "with all the same efforts as day one," Enrique Balbi, a spokesman for the Navy of the Argentine Republic (ARA), told reporters."Today the weather is good for the task of locating the vessel in waters with two-meter high waves," he said.Officials have pinpointed a suspected disaster site with a "40 kilometer radius" and "68 percent of the area has been swept with sonars and eight specialized ships," said Balbi.A multinational rescue effort is underway, including teams from Germany, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Spain, the United States, France, Norway, Peru, Britain, Russia and Uruguay.On Sunday, the Norwegian ship "Sophie Siem" set off from south Argentina with two doctors on board as well as the 43-member U.S. crew of a mini-submarine that will attempt a rescue mission should the submarine be located. It arrived at the site on Wednesday and is awaiting word of the finding.The missing submarine was last detected in Argentina's San Jorge Gulf, 240 nautical miles (432 kilometers) southeast of the Valdes Peninsula.On Nov. 23, the navy reported that an "event" consistent with an explosion had been detected on the same day when the submarine lost its final contact in the area where the submarine was known to be travelling.The navy acquired the TR-1700 German-made submarine in 1985.
Chinese, African parties meet to share wisdom on modernization

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-11-30 10:14

BEIJING - The Communist Party of China (CPC) on Wednesday held a seminar with African political parties to explore the mission and role of parties in building a China-Africa community of shared future.



Song Tao, director of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, addressed the opening of the seminar, which was held ahead of upcoming CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting in Beijing.

Song briefed the attendees on the 19th CPC National Congress, including the concept of building a community of shared future.



In the process of exploring paths toward modernization, China and Africa should share ideas, draw on each other's strengths and support each other's undertakings, Song said.



Acknowledging that political parties exert great influence in the development of countries and their engagement with other countries, Song said that the CPC is willing to maintain close relations with African political parties.



Over 60 representatives of political parties from some 20 African countries attended the seminar.



Evariste Ndayishimiye, secretary general of CNDD-FDD of Burundi, said his country hope to learn from Chinese experiences, especially in promoting comprehensive development and people's welfare.



Solomon Lechesa Tsenoli, Central Committee member of the South African Communist Party and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa, said his party is curious about the CPC experiences in capacity-building and how to run programs.



In his keynote speech, Song also called for more mutual trust and learning, as well as practical and win-win cooperation, as the Chinese and African economies are highly complementary to each other.



He also recommended strengthened security cooperation and coordination on international affairs to contribute insights and solutions on global economic governance, sustainable development and the reform of international institutions.



"Together, we shall give a voice to the developing world and be the constructors of world peace, contributors to global development and guardians of international order," said Song.



On the same day, Song met with Samdech Techo Hun Sen, president of the Cambodian People's Party and Cambodian prime minister, and held talks with Abdulrahman Omari Kinana, secretary general of Chama Cha Mapinduzi of Tanzania, both in China to attend the high-level meeting.



Earlier on Tuesday, Song met with a delegation headed by Demeke Mekonnen, deputy prime minister of Ethiopia and vice chairman of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, who is also attending the seminar and the upcoming high-level meeting.
Morocco king holds historic talks with South African president in Abidjan

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-11-30 10:14

RABAT - Morocco's King Mohammed VI met Wednesday in Abidjan for the first time with President of South Africa Jacob Zuma on the sidelines of of the 5th African Union-European Union Summit.



"During this warm and open meeting, the two heads of state agreed to work together for a promising future, especially as Morocco and Africa South are two important poles of political stability and economic development, respectively in the extreme north and the extreme south of the continent," MAP news agency said in a report.



"They also agreed to maintain direct contact and to launch a fruitful economic and political partnership in order to build strong, lasting and stable relations and to go beyond the situation that had characterized bilateral relations for decades," the report said.



In this regard, the king and President Zuma have decided to raise the level of diplomatic representation through the appointment of high-level ambassadors in Rabat and in Pretoria, it noted.



The relationships between the two countries have been tense for decades over conflicting views on many issues, on top of which Western Sahara issue.



The move comes as part of Morocco's new policy of opening on other African nations since its decision to rejoin the African Union after 33 year of absence.
BEIJING -- Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai will visit Ukraine, Greece and Italy from Dec 4 to 13, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced Thursday.

At the invitation of Ukrainian government, Ma will chair the third meeting of the China-Ukraine Inter-government Cooperation Committee, said Geng Shuang.

During his official visits to Greece and Italy, Ma will hold meetings and talks with government leaders of the two countries, Geng said.
The number of Chinese visitors to Denmark has soared since the start of the 2017 China-Denmark Tourism Year, it is expected that 262,000 people will visit the country this year.

According to VisitDenmark, the country's popularity has been steadily growing during the past few years. It saw about 161,000 Chinese tourists book hotel beds in 2014, 198,000 in 2015, and 221,000 in 2016.

Tour operator Tuniu said the number of Chinese visitors to Denmark was only 50,000 in 2009.

Since the launch of the 2017 China-Denmark Tourism Year on Feb 24, Denmark and its Chinese partners have engaged in several events aimed at attracting more Chinese tourists to the Scandinavian country.

The initiative will end on Dec 5 with a wrap-up event at the Royal Danish Theatre's Old Stage in Copenhagen.

VisitDenmark, the country's official tourism organization, held an online campaign during April and May, along with China DiDi Rental Car Company. The campaign encouraged people to create their dream self-drive trips in Denmark via multimedia platforms.

And in May, when Denmark's shores were clogged up with non-native oysters, the news went viral on Weibo and Chinese netizens offered to help by "eating them to extinction". Following this, VisitDenmark released a series of travel videos and launched a reality show with Denmark as the backdrop that was produced jointly alongside Shanghai Dragon TV and well-known Chinese bloggers.

Other activities held during the special year included a range of seminars, meetings, and campaigns.

Flemming Bruhn, director of VisitDenmark, said: "Scandinavia and Denmark have become very popular among Chinese tourists and they want to find new destinations. Denmark can offer very good activities all year round, also outside Copenhagen."

Bruhn said the tourism advocates are also championing five new signature travel routes that let Chinese tourists experience the country's highlights. The routes are named; Denmark for Kids, Royal Denmark and Living History, Design and Architecture, In the Footsteps of Hans Christian Andersen, and Winter in Denmark.

"These routes show that Denmark has much more to offer than just Copenhagen and that Chinese tourists can spend many days in Denmark," said Bruhn.

A survey by VisitCopenhagen shows that many Chinese travelers associate the nation's capital with the 19th century writer Hans Christian Andersen and his fairytale The Little Mermaid. The author and his stories are the most searched subjects online among Chinese people in relation to Denmark.

The survey also shows that the number of individual Chinese travelers to the country is increasing and that independent tourists stay in Denmark for longer than visitors who are part of tour groups.

Among Chinese people who have visited the city who were surveyed, 81 percent said they would be interested in visiting Copenhagen again.

According to Bruhn, the top three tourist attractions among Chinese tourists are: the Hans Christian Andersen museum in Odense, Kronborg Castle, which is associated with William Shakespeare's Hamlet, and Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, the home of the royal family. Bruhn said Chinese tourists also enjoy the city's shopping opportunities.

Around 1,300 guests are expected to attend the closing ceremony of the 2017 China-Denmark Tourism Year, including delegations from tourism organizations, diplomats, and students.

In the future, in a bid to further grow the number of Chinese tourists visiting the country, China and Denmark may consider operating more direct flights between the nations.

"We will continue all the good work in 2018 and get more Chinese tourists to come to Denmark, experience more of Denmark, and stay longer in Denmark," Bruhn said.

Zhang Yangfei contributed to this story.
China is ready to further link the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union, Premier Li Keqiang said while meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in Moscow.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in Moscow.[Photo/Xinhua]

The alignment can boost bilateral cooperation in traditional and emerging areas to expand cross-border trade and further develop Russia's Far East area, said Li.

China and Russia are making new progress in new areas such as the digital economy, technological innovation and small and medium-sized enterprises, while promoting cooperation in traditional areas such as energy, transport, production capacity equipment and agriculture, Li said.

Li said President Xi Jinping met with Putin in Da Nang, Vietnam shortly after the conclusion of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. The two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership is firmly moving forward, Li said.

The premier said China would like to strengthen coordination with Russia in international affairs and maintain close exchanges under multilateral mechanisms, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which will help regional cooperation and make constructive contributions to global peace and development.

Putin welcomed Li to Russia for the 16th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Minister) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Both countries have maintained frequent high-level exchanges, showing stable and high-profile bilateral ties, he said.

Bilateral trade is steadily increasing and cooperation in areas such as energy, transportation infrastructure and agriculture is being advanced, Putin said. The Eurasian Economic Union and the Belt and Road Initiative, which can complement each other, should be better aligned to achieve win-win outcomes, he said.
The third DCZ Open Day, within the framework of the 2017 German-Chinese Agricultural Week, was held on Nov 29 in Beijing.

Founded in 2015, the Sino-German Agriculture center, or DCZ for short, is an initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture of China and the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture from Germany.

For three years, DCZ has been actively implementing the strategic consensus of the leaders of the two countries, in various areas of policy dialogue, corporate exchanges, academic exchanges and technical demonstrations. The development of Sino-German agricultural cooperation has been steady.

The annual DCZ Open Day serves as a forum to give numerous Sino-German initiatives a platform to present their work through short presentations, a poster session and stands. The DCZ is providing the frame and organizational setting. As with last year's event, a special session will present the work of the 2017 DCZ Agricultural Policy Dialogue.

At the event, there were open talks at exhibition stands, a presentation of Sino-German Agricultural Policy Dialogue activities and the results from 2017, an introduction of Sino-German Science and Technology Cooperation activities and an introduction of Sino-German Initiatives and Projects in Agriculture.

The forum was a meeting place, where contacts could be made with multiple stakeholders of the Sino-German agricultural sector from all arenas, including projects, science and business.
SOCHI, Russia - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived in the Russian city of Sochi Thursday morning for the 16th meeting of the Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of Government (Prime Ministers).

The SCO meeting, scheduled for Thursday and Friday, is the first of its kind after the organization's membership expansion in June to include India and Pakistan.

At Sochi airport, Li was welcomed by senior Russian government officials and Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui.

Since its founding in 2001, the SCO has become an important platform for maintaining regional safety and stability, and for promoting common development and prosperity, Li said.

"I look forward to meeting relevant sides in Sochi, the pearl of Black Sea. After the membership expansion, we will together review achievements, tap more potentials, and from this new starting point, consistently push for cooperation in political, security, economic, people-to-people and cultural fields," he said.

Li said he also expects to meet with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Sochi to boost bilateral ties and coordination within the SCO framework.

During the meeting, the Chinese premier will sign documents on cooperation with other leaders of SCO members. He is scheduled to hold multiple bilateral meetings and attend cultural events with Medvedev.

The SCO has China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan as its full members. It has four observer states, namely Iran, Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia, and six dialogue partners, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

The organization now covers three-fifths of Eurasia, and has nearly half of the world population.

The Chinese premier will expound the principles and policies of the major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and its significance to the ties between China and the SCO countries, said Assistant Foreign Minister Li Huilai.

China, which holds the first rotating presidency after the expansion, will work with other countries to promote the Belt and Road construction, and reach new consensus on the alignment of development strategies, connectivity, industrial capacity cooperation and cultural exchanges, he said.

Before heading to Sochi, Li met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Wednesday. The two sides agreed to advance bilateral ties and strengthen all-round cooperation.
Sexuality is one of the touchiest subjects in the church today. From same-sex marriage to the transgender phenomenon, the issues can threaten to overwhelm our pastoral and theological resources. In the midst of this turbulence, Todd Wilson, pastor of Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Illinois, wants to seek out the solid ground of the Christian tradition. His book Mere Sexuality: Rediscovering the Christian Vision of Sexuality invites evangelicals to see the theological and moral significance of humans being created male and female. Derek Rishmawy, a PhD student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and CT columnist, spoke with Wilson about this vision.

In a world that recognizes so many variations of sexuality, what does it mean to champion mere sexuality?

The mere is a play on C. S. Lewiss Mere Christianity. Its not Baptist, Presbyterian, or Anglican Christianity, but the convictions most Christians at most times have believed. Im trying to capture what most Christians at most times have believed.

In my time as a pastor, Ive been confronted with the reality that your average, Bible-believing Christian lacks a deep understanding of the theological vision of sexuality given in Scripture. We dont see male and female sexuality as theologically significant in their own right. And as a result, their moral significance in the context of marriage is not obvious. But there really is an aesthetic beauty and coherence to the logic of male and female in marriage. And while Ive seen a number of books giving the biblical response or the pastoral response to our sexual controversies, it struck me that the theological response was missing. We cant simply review the verses anymore; we need to see the logic of mere sexuality behind the verses and have it take hold of our imagination.

Why have evangelicals lost appreciation for the deep logic of mere sexuality?

First is the loss of functional biblical authority. Its not that evangelicals dont affirm the authority of Scripture. But sociologist Christian Smith talks about the problem of pervasive interpretive pluralismthe suspicion that the Bible doesnt speak decisively on some important issues. That erodes peoples confidence in the Bibles ability to shape Christian ethics.

Second, the younger generations of evangelicals have essentially had their basic moral intuitions radically refashioned. Ever since the sexual revolution, weve had those intuitions about sexual intimacyand especially same-sex intimacyrewired. What was instinctively wrong for our parents generation seems perfectly normal to someone in their teens or 20s.

The creational, procreative logic of male and female is at the heart of Mere Sexuality. Are you trying to make a kind of natural law argument that evangelicals can embrace?

Im less interested in a direct appeal to natural law and more interested in a Protestant appeal to the goodness of creation and embodiment. My argument is in keeping with what the theologian Oliver ODonovan says in Resurrection and the Moral Order, about how Jesus resurrection dignifies embodiment. When we take the fact of our bodies seriously, were forced to consider what it means to be sexually differentiated creatures. We come to see why being made male and female is both theologically and morally significant. Its a way of affirming creation that has characterized Christian teaching down through the ages, since at least Augustine down to the 1960s.

Article continues below

Why is it important to emphasize that Jesus lived, died, and rose as a biological male?

We need to understand the theological importance of Jesus embodiment before moving on to human embodiment. Its not just that Jesus was a male, as though this makes males more significant than femalesit doesnt. But insofar as God embraces male flesh, he affirms all fleshmale and female alike. Jesus didnt come asexual. He didnt come as an angel. In embracing male nature, he embraces female nature by definition, because the binary of humanity is captured there. To affirm one is to affirm the other.

In the Incarnation and the Virgin Birth, we also see Marys embrace of God the Son in her body. That the female body brought God into the world is a powerful theological reality for both male and female to grasp. If you take Jesus seriously, you must take male and female seriously.

How can the church make lifelong celibacy for same-sex-attracted men and women seem plausible and compassionate?

We need to recover the significance of friendship in the church. Friendship has been on the decline in both church and society, as all relationships are subsumed under the erotic and romantic. We use the language of bromance for deep, male friendship, while husbands and wives have supposedly married their best friend. If marriage is just formalizing an agreement with your number-one person, then friendship loses its distinct dignity and grace.

Recovering friendship will require turning to the person of Jesus. We need to see him as he was: a contented, celibate male, whose life was in no way defective. And we need to hold up this way of life as a privilege, not a burden, just as Paul did (1 Cor. 7). But then we need to turn to Jesus teaching. Here we find a fairly substantive critique of this focus on the family suburban evangelicalism, where the nuclear family is the central thing in Gods economy. Unless we change this, same-sex-attracted people who want to walk the road of chastity will always be falling short of the ideal, and they wont be included in the central culture of our churches.

What does it mean to have a vocation as a man or woman?

I would think about this from two angles: There is a gift to being male or female, and then there is a corresponding responsibility. As best as I can tell, were pretty confused as to the responsibility, because were skeptical that being made male or female is actually a gift. I know, for women, there are all sorts of pressures and reasons to begrudge the gift rather than receiving it joyfully. Theres this ideal of the woman who can compete with a man in any areaathletics, work, wherever. Its as though youre supposed to be a man, but you werent given the body for it. But thats just unfair and confusing.

Instead, the church needs to recover the beauty of the distinctness of men and women before God. Then, having received this gift, we need to reflect on the particular responsibilities we have, as men and women, to love other people for Gods glory.

What is the good news of mere sexuality for both single and married Christians?

Whether youre single or married, mere sexuality is good news but not easy news. Its good news because it points the way to human flourishing, contentment, and, ultimately, joy. But it does this by pointing to the path of discipleship, which is marked by self-denial and patience.

Chastity and fidelity are tough. But following Jesus in this path, while hard, is life-giving. Because as you follow Jesus, the truly human one, you find yourself flourishing as a human beingthis is true for singles as well. It leads to the deep life that Jesus offers.

Learn something new from this interview? Did we miss something? Let us know here.

Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.
Foundation for Moral Law Urges Mississippi Supreme Court to Reject the U.S. Supreme Court's Same-Sex Marriage Decision Contact: John Eidsmoe, Foundation for Moral Law, 334-262-1245, info@morallaw.org MONTGOMERY, Ala., Nov. 30, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Yesterday, the Mississippi Supreme Court held oral argument in Strickland v. Day, a case in which a lesbian is seeking custody rights to a child conceived through artificial insemination and born to her former partner during their "marriage." The mother left the lesbian lifestyle and married a man, but Strickland claims that she should be recognized as a parent because the child was born during the "marriage."



In an amicus brief submitted in August, the Foundation argued that the Court should not extend the presumption of parentage to the former partner because a woman cannot get another woman pregnant. The Foundation also invited the Mississippi Supreme Court to reject as illegitimate and unconstitutional the U.S. Supreme Court's 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges that purported to legalize same-sex marriage.



Foundation President Kayla Moore said: "The Constitution of the United States does not require a state supreme court to hold that a woman can be a child's father. We hope that the Mississippi Supreme Court will stand up for what is right, both morally and legally."



John Eidsmoe, the Foundation's Senior Counsel, added: "In the 2015 case of Czekala-Chatham v. State, two justices of the Mississippi Supreme Court questioned the legitimacy of Obergefell. Our amicus brief urges the Court to consider those concerns in this case."



See: Mississippi woman fights for parental rights in same-sex divorce



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Peska, the Galleria restaurant that sought to elevate seafood dining in Houston, served its last meal Wednesday night.

In a statement from the Peska brand owners, the La Trainera Restaurant Group, the restaurant suffered financially after Hurricane Harvey and an ongoing road construction project on Post Oak. Those factors, despite a recent installation of a new chef and culinary focus, were not enough to sustain the business.

The statement from La Trainera reads (statement continues below):

Now Playing: A slew of restaurants have closed this year, with at least three more establishments calling it quits in the last few months. Video: Houston Chronicle

READ ALSO: Hugo Ortega to open restaurant in Los Angeles

"At the close of business this evening, Peska will permanently close the restaurant. We are very grateful for the growing support and media accolades we received during the launch of our new menu earlier this summer, but ultimately the recovery from Hurricane Harvey and the ongoing Post Oak Blvd. construction was a combination that we could not financially overcome. Unfortunately, like many other Houston restaurants, we simply could not overcome Mother Nature. The excitement of the growing momentum we received from our newly redesigned space and menu just could not sustain the hit to our business. We are incredibly thankful for years of support from our loyal customers and the Houston community."

The restaurant opened as Peska Seafood Culture in April 2015 at 1700 Post Oak at BLVD Place  the first U.S. restaurant from siblilngs Maite and Diego Ysita, who created the La Trainera restaurant brand of upscale seafood restaurants in Mexico City and Acapulco. Peska opened with a 20-year-old executive chef, Omar Perney, a classically-trained native of Venezuela, who was given a sumptuous seafood playground to work in: anywhere from 30 to 40 types of fresh fish and seafood from around the world was flown in on a daily basis. Peska received a tw0-star review from Chronicle restaurant critic Alison Cook in 2015.

How the promising story of Peska unraveled isn't fully known. But Pereney left Peska in February 2017 after the owners rebranded the restaurant as Peska Prime Seafood & Steaks following Maite Ysita's partnership with Jade Hospitality (owners of Grazia Italian Kitchen in Pearland) which brought in management to update the restaurant and broaden its menu offerings. Pereney sued in May to be released from his noncompete contract.

READ ALSO: Lineup for first Houston v. Austin BBQ throwdown is a doozy

Peska Prime didn't last long. By July the restaurant was rebranded again as Peska Cocina Latina with an entirely new menu under chef Chris Loftis who ushered in dishes with much more Mexican ingredients and flavors.

Loftis, according to a spokesperson for Jade Hospitality, is currently the executive chef for the Grazia restaurants in Pearland and Clear Lake. A third Grazia in Katy will open soon. La Trainera has no financial stake in Jade Hospitality.

It is unknown what La Trainera or the building's landlord plan to do with the Peska space.
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A pair of Laredo fishermen caught a massive blue catfish in Lake Casa Blanca last week.

Danny Aguilar and Hector Hernandez reeled in a 4-foot-long catfish weighing a whopping 45 pounds last Wednesday, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife.

TPW posted a photo of the Aguilar and Hernandez holding the monster fish to its Facebook page on Sunday evening.

READ MORE: Texas man catches massive 13-foot-long hammerhead shark off the coast of Padre Island

The duo both live in Laredo, according to the their Facebook pages, and captured the entire experience on video.

Hernandez posted the video to his page with the caption "EXCUSE THE LANGUAGE BUT WE GOT EXCITED."

Click through the gallery above to see photos of the fisherman making their impressive catch.

jray@lmtonline.com | Twitter: @JordanLRay


Authorities say fingerprint testing finally concluded that an alleged burglar locked up in the Liberty County jail on Nov. 24 is Charles Walker, 52, of Houston.

For four days, Walker, using an alias of Mike Even, refused to provide his real identity, leading to a secondary charge in Liberty County for providing law enforcement with false information, according to Capt. Ken DeFoor, spokesperson for the sheriff's office.

A Liberty County judge set Walker's bonds for the two charges at $31,500 total.

Walker is accused of breaking into a home on the 400 block of FM 1413 on Nov. 24 and hiding in a closet for several hours until he was discovered by a sheriff's deputy. The homeowner, Tara Trevino-Pasket, reported hearing noises coming from the closet and finding wet, muddy clothing not belonging to anyone in the house in the same room.

Trevino-Pasket said Walker appears to have entered the home through a window, which he accessed by standing on top of a water spigot. The spigot was broken in the process, which explains the wet, muddy clothing.

After repairs were made to the water lines, she and her family went about their normal routines, enjoying a second Thanksgiving.

According to her account, around 4 p.m., her eldest son came home and asked why there were wet clothing items and muddy boots tucked under his bed.

"He said, 'What did y'all do to my room? There are wet clothes under my bed, my DVDs are thrown around the room and I keep hearing noises from the closet,'" she recalls.

"My husband and I looked at each other and walked into his bedroom. Sure enough, there was a pair of size 40 jeans, wet and muddy, a hat and boots that didn't belong to him," she said.

That is when they noticed that someone allegedly had tampered with the window air conditioning unit.

"No one wanted to open the closet door to see what was inside, so I called the sheriff's office," she said.

Walker reportedly was discovered hiding under a blanket in the closet by Deputy Ryan Cavanaugh and arrested.

Walker has prior arrests for drugs and theft, and is known for using multiple aliases, according to DeFoor,
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Houston will see another music festival in its midst at the end of March.

The inaugural In Bloom Music Festival is coming to Eleanor Tinsley Park March 24 and March 25, 2018.

RELATED: The most anticipated concerts in Houston for 2018

Details for now are scant on the festival, which would come just after the glut of South by Southwest music festival bands make it through Austin.

This is a rebranding of the festival formerly known as Free Press Summer Festival, or as it was called this last year, FPSF. A new website motif seems to point to something a little more breezier than its predecessor.

According to a release Thursday, FPSF is now called the In Bloom Music Festival. With it will come four stages of music and over 50 musical acts.

"As we enter the 10th anniversary of this incredible festival that our dedicated fans have made their annual Houston tradition, we are excited to announce a new name and a new time of year, while returning to our incredible home, Eleanor Tinsley Park," said founding partner Jagi Katial in a statement on Thursday.

Now Playing: If only all exes could be as cool as Katy and John! Video: InStyle

Katial's Pegstar Concerts shepherded the festival from its beginnings back in the summer of 2009 in tandem with Houston alt-news outlet Free Press Houston.

In Bloom Music Festival is sponsored by Budweiser, produced by Pegstar Concerts, Starr Hill Presents and C3 Presents.

"We are always looking to improve the experience for the fans, and after the last few years of challenges with Mother Nature, moving our dates to the spring made sense," Katial added.

A lineup announcement is said to be coming soon.

Pre-sale tickets are currently for sale on the event's website. Two-day general admission passes are $55 each.

RELATED: Explore Houston's favorite live music venues

The spring setting, and its accompanying weather, should make a lot of Houstonians happy.

The festival, coincidentally, shares its name with a Nirvana song which was released on Nov. 30, 1992 as a radio single from the "Nevermind" album.

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.
If you're looking for a slightly used Halloween costume next year for more than $400, Rice University has the getup for you.

The university is auctioning off its Sammy the Owl mascot costume used on campus from 2012-2017. The costume was retired after the university launched a new branding scheme.
On this week's report, city health inspectors condemn potentially hazardous foods for being held out of safe temperatures at several restaurants, including a popular doughnut shop.

Shipley Do-nuts (13349 East Fwy), held food overnight at an improper temperature. Inspectors deemed it not safe for human consumption.
Jamie Colby, the host of Fox Business Network channel's "Strange Inheritance" series, may call San Diego home but she's spending this weekend in one of her favorite cities, Houston.

Sure, she's here to work, filming the 100th episode of her show that explores many of the odd and wonderful objects that families have handed down from one generation to the next. What brought her to H-town this time are the "lunar bibles" -- miniature bibles that flew aboard the Apollo 14 mission in 1971 -- that belong to Houstonian Jonathan Stout. The episode will air in the spring.

But she's planning to do more than work on the series that is now in its fourth season. She has friends and family here but her fondness for the region goes deeper than that.

Now Playing: A massive chocolate and gingerbread wonderland built in the lobby of the Hilton Americas-Houston by an award-winning pastry chef at the hotel has become an annual attraction and this week it returned for the holidays. Video: Houston Chronicle

"There's something about the people in Houston. They love to tell their stories," she said in a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from her Houston hotel. "We're a little different from other show. We don't just talk about the stuff or what it's worth. We really go back ... finding out why this particular object came to their family ... . We've been back here for some great Texas stories."

It's those stories, she says, that make the Lone Star state so special. "It's the integrity, the authenticity," she explained. "People can connect to the stories here because people here, when they tell their story, they're very proud. I think it's infectious."

In fact, this trip is Colby's ninth trip to Houston for the show but her love affair with Texas overall started 15 years ago when she began working for at a Fox News bureau in Dallas. "This whole region was my territory," she said. "I've been down here for NASA investigations, to cover Fort Bliss, Fort Hood. I went to combat medic training at Fort Sam Houston ... I've been able to bring those stories to the rest of the country and everybody loves a good Texas story. They do end up being some of our highest rated."

She's even planning to return to Houston in January to tape another episode.

In the meantime, she will be hitting quite a few Bayou City restaurants during her downtime.

"I really love food," she said. "I worked at the Food Network for a couple of years in my early days and this town, chefs love to do it right and do it big."

She always wants to see how Houstonians are coping post-Harvey. "Having covered Katrina and so many devastating storms -- even overseas covering tsunamis for Fox -- I know how long the journey is for people," she said. "But the people are clearly resilient."
Jacquelyn Martin/STF

A Fort Bend nurse was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison for his role in a Medicare fraud scheme that deprived the government of $17.1 million over seven years.

Eric Ugorji, a registered nurse who relocated to the U.S. from Nigeria 25 years ago, made a lengthy statement to U.S. District Judge David Hittner expressing remorse for his actions and begging the court's mercy.
A Cypress Springs High School teacher accused of having sex and smoking marijuana with a 15-year-old student is free on a $30,000 bail.

Michelle Schiffer, 23, was barred from contacting the student, or anyone under the age of 18, as a condition of her bond after being charged with improper relationship with a student.

If convicted of the second-degree felony, she could face 20 years in prison.

READ ALSO: Cy-Springs High School teacher accused of improper relationship

Now Playing: Cypress Springs HS teacher charged for allegedly having sex with student Video: Fox 26 Houston

She appeared Wednesday before a Harris County magistrate judge.

Schiffer, who taught world history, is accused of meeting with a former student for sex at least twice during the summer, according to court records.

The two first met up at a Chick-Fil-A in Cypress, then went to a friend's apartment to have sex, court records show.

During their second encounter, Schiffer picked up the student in a park they rode around smoking marijuana. She pulled over on a neighborhood street to kiss and have sex, according the criminal complaint.

Authorities learned of the alleged improper relationship after an anonymous student reported it to school officials. Authorities interviewed Schiffer and the 15-year-old student regarding the accusations and both allegedly admitted to it.

Following the criminal complaint, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD removed from campus and placed her on administrative leave.

"We will continue to protect our students and not tolerate relationships of an inappropriate nature," the district said in a statement.

In a similar case, 24-year-old Alexandria Vera, a former Aldine ISD middle school teacher, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to a first-degree felony for having a long-term sexual relationship with a 13-year-old student.

In that case, she admitted to the relationship in exchange for a sentence decided by the judge with cap of 30 years in prison. Her attorney had hoped for probation in the notorious case.
Anthony Valle, 43, spent much of a July night with a teenage girl who later would be found dead at his home.

It wasn't the first encounter Valle had with 14-year-old Layla Ramos, whom he had met a few years earlier after she became friends with his daughter, according to information provided in court at a probable cause hearing late Tuesday.

After the incident early July 20, Valle initially said an unknown intruder broke into his home on Humble's River Brook Drive. When Harris County Precinct 4 deputy constables arrived there around 5:20 a.m., they found Layla dead.

On Tuesday, prosecutors with the Harris County District Attorney's Office charged Valle with murder.

The 43-year-old homeowner appeared in court late Tuesday before Lisa Porter, a Harris County criminal law hearing officer. A prosecutor spelled out the teen's yearslong relationship with Valle.

The teen reportedly threatened "mere days" before her death to disclose an allegation that Valle had previously raped her, according to information provided by the Harris County District Attorney's Office during the hearing.

Father-daughter bond

Valle described his relationship with the girl as a "father-daughter bond" in an initial interview with authorities, according to an outline of the case presented during the court hearing.

But the man told investigators Layla eventually "abused" their relationship by accusing him of sexually assaulting her. He said she began blackmailing him for money.

In the hearing, a prosecutor said Valle admitted that he spoke with Layla the night before she was killed, when they met in her neighborhood several miles from his house.

Valle told authorities he kicked her out of his car after an argument because Layla wanted Valle to give her his car.

Her family told the Houston Chronicle this past summer that Valle had promised the teen a car the night she died.

The homeowner reportedly returned to his house without Layla, according to the hearing. He said Layla threatened to come to his residence with her "homeboys" and "f--- him up."

'It's Layla'

A Harris County prosecutor gave this account in court:

When Valle returned home, he told his adult son to leave and sat on the couch with a shotgun.

Around 5 a.m., he heard a noise and, while investigating its source, he stumbled into a shape in a bedroom doorway.

With his shotgun raised, Valle discharged it in fear as he was "followed by the shape." He walked toward it, fell to the ground and accidentally discharged his shotgun again when he tripped over the body.

Valle said he didn't realize it was Layla until several minutes later, while he was on the phone with an emergency dispatcher who told him to check whether the person was still alive.

A written dispatch log obtained by the Chronicle under the state's open records law shows that Valle reported realizing the girl's identity during the 911 call.

"It's Layla," he told dispatchers. "She was a friend."

Inconsistencies in the story

An autopsy showed the teen was shot at close range, within a foot, the prosecutor said. One wound was to the chest and the other on front-left side of her neck.

"When they said he shot her only one foot away, there's no doubt in my mind he knew exactly who he shot," Carmalita Lugo, the girl's aunt, said in a phone interview Wednesday.

Homicide investigators with the Harris County Sheriff's Office found inconsistencies in Valle's initial statement.

Layla's sister, Angelica Morales, told authorities Valle was being dishonest and said she saw Layla get in Valle's vehicle "about four or five hours before she was murdered."

Morales told the Chronicle a similar story this past summer. She shared text messages Layla sent her the night she died.

Valle's and Layla's cellphones were in the same area near his house until about 4 a.m. July 20, the prosecutor said in court. Layla's phone stopped working after that time.

Investigators concluded from cellphone data that Valle "enjoyed looking at simulated father-daughter pornography frequently."

The prosecutor said cellphone data also indicated Valle helped Layla and her sister get marijuana and "pills."

Investigators interviewed Valle again after finding the inconsistencies in his statement.

This time, Valle acknowledged he had not kicked the teen out of his car. He said he took Layla back to his house the morning she died, adding that the teen left the house about 90 minutes before "he killed her," the prosecutor said.

Layla's family members said they hoped for other charges against Valle involving the alleged sexual assault of Layla. The girl's mother, Alana Mock, told the Chronicle on Wednesday that her daughter "was too young to have a chance with him."

Valle remains in the Harris County Jail on $200,000 bail.
The nation's largest Hispanic business organization is intent on partnering with the city of Pasadena to support not only Latino-owned enterprises but small business of all kinds.

Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Laura Murillo said that the "changing of the guard" in Pasadena politics presents a long overdue opportunity.

Jeff Wagner was elected in May to replace longtime Mayor Johnny Isbell, who was term-limited.

Murillo, whose Houston-based advocacy group started in 1977, plans to visit Pasadena in December to meet with Wagner and other city officials to discuss how a renewed partnership between the two can benefit the city's businesses and residents.

Said Wagner in a prepared statement: "I'm honored the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has recognized our efforts to take our city to the next level, both economically and in quality of living. Having a strong relationship with the HHCC brings networking possibilities for small business owners and job growth opportunities for our citizens."

"I think the biggest opportunity is the relationship with Pasadena and the changing demographics there," Murillo said. "There is much to be learned from cities like Houston."

In fact, a prominent figure in Houston politics is now employed by Pasadena as Wagner's chief of staff. James Rodriguez, a former member of Houston City Council, accepted the position in June.

He and Murillo have been close since Rodriguez began his political career.

"We want to make sure people understand that Pasadena is open for business and want to see more women-owned businesses and diversity," Rodriguez said. "Maybe more people that haven't participated before. That's where the chamber comes in for people who may not have had a chance to before."

He said that the Hispanic chamber doesn't just promote Latino-owned enterprises.

" As far as memberships, there are African-American businesses and Asian businesses. It's really a reflection of our diversity in south Harris County. So, it's very inclusive and diverse," Rodriguez said.

He advises any small business in Pasadena wishing to provide goods or services to the city to reach out to municipal officials.

"Engineering, construction, catering, landscaping, office supplies - we're always in need and always looking for competitive deals," he said.

Wagner said, "Pasadena is open for business. I look forward to developing strong relationships with as many professional organizations as possible. Our location so close to the Port of Houston makes Pasadena a regional economic engine and a strategic asset for all parties involved."

Rodriguez said that Wagner plans to aid the business climate and quality of life in Pasadena, including a focus on addressing blighted buildings.

"We have a lot of blighted buildings," Rodriguez said.The mayor also wants to repair public park equipment and promoting Pasadena to regional business leaders, Rodriguez said.

Part of that plan includes Carlos Guzman, hired this year as director at Pasadena Second Century Corp., the nonprofit aimed at economic development in the city.

"Carlos Guzman was at the economic board for (the city of) Pearland and Greater Houston Partnership. He's a shot in the arm and utilizing his connections and bringing that expertise to Pasadena," Rodriguez said.

Isbell had wielded political power in the city for decades. For May's election, Pasadena reverted to all single-member districts after a federal judge said that an Isbell-backed council system mixing at-large and district seats served to dilute Hispanic voting strength.

Murillo said she had a relationship with Isbell when he was mayor but said that it was not significant.

She said she is enthusiastic about the city's leadership, saying that Wagner "gets it" when it comes to improving quality of life for all residents.

Said Rodriguez: "It's a new day in Pasadena and we're really changing the conversation from what Pasadena used to be."
Diego Gonzales/For the Houston Chronicle

A student at Glenda Dawson High School attempted to hang himself in a stairwell with a rope early Thursday morning, shortly before the start of the school day.

According to the Pearland Police Department, the boy was found by a teacher at about 6:30 a.m.
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A 15-year-old girl missing from Orange County may be with a "much older" man from California that she met on Snapchat, according to social media posts made by the girl's family.

Heaven Ray Cox was last seen Nov. 25, her family said.

Det. Janois Grizzaffi with the Orange County Sheriff's Office told BeaumontEnterprise.com on Wednesday that Heaven is listed as a runaway, but said detectives are working to confirm claims about the Snapchat connection.

> > RELATED: Missing Beaumont girl's mother calls for more attention to case

Grizzaffi said law enforcement was first notified about Heaven's disappearance by her parents around 3 p.m. on Sunday.

The girl lives in the 4000 block of Lemonville Lane in the Mauriceville area, according to Grizzaffi.

Heaven's mother told investigators that it wasn't unusual for her daughter to sleep in late, Grizzaffi said. When she decided to check on her, Heaven was not in her room, she said.

A note left behind indicated that Heaven might be heading to California, but did not include details about who Heaven might be traveling with, Grizzaffi said.

According to social media posts by the teen's mother Tammy Day Cox, Heaven may have left with a man from California who told her he would pick her up in San Antonio, where he was staying for Thanksgiving.

Anyone with information about Heaven's whereabouts is asked to call the Orange County Sheriff's Office at 409-883-2612.

> > MORE: Parents face increasing difficulties protecting kids from online perils




Things went horribly wrong for a Michigan man who tried to pay for a parking ticket in pennies.

Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse than that.

It all started when Anthony Sevy got a $10 parking ticket in Royal Oak, Mich., near Detroit, reports WJBK. He went to pay the ticket with his credit card and was told there would be an added $1.75 service fee.

Sevy wasn't happy with that, his attorney told WJBK, so he left and later came back with rolls of pennies.

"The clerk wasn't too happy about that, they refused to allow him to pay with penny rolls," attorney Jonathan Marco said.

ALSO: High-tech thieves caught on video unlocking, stealing Mercedes without a key

Surveillance video from inside the district court shows what happened next.

Sevy and a court officer appear to get in an argument before Sevy was reportedly asked to leave. On Sevy's way out of the building, a court officer grabs him from behind and chokes him until he passes out.

That's when Sevy defecated himself, his attorney told WJBK. Now, the Michigan man is suing the court officers.

IN OTHER NEWS: Did Irish school's surveillance cam capture a ghost? Snopes weighs in

"I don't think anyone paying in penny rolls, whether it's a preferred thing to do for a court clerk, warrants this type of this assaultive behavior and violation of constitutional rights," Marco said.

Watch WJBK's full report, including the wild surveillance video, in the player at the top of this story.

Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at amartichoux@sfchronicle.com.
An article on Page A1 Sunday about special purpose districts in the Cinco Ranch area and the threat of flooding from Barker Reservoir mistakenly included a photograph of Windsor Park Lakes. The community is not within any of the districts discussed in the article, and residents report that homes in Windsor Park Lakes did not flood during Hurricane Harvey. Also, the photo caption incorrectly described Windsor Park Lakes as a Cinco Ranch subdivision.
Milton Rivera, the former chief deputy at the Harris County Precinct 3 Constable's Office, hit back at his former employer Thursday, calling Constable Sherman Eagleton a "bully" who solicited false sex harassment claims to justify firing him over management differences earlier this month.

Rivera, who was the second in command, told the Houston Chronicle he never touched any of the three women who accused him of harassment and that, instead, they were disgruntled because he had reprimanded them for mistakes.

"All I ever did was correct their lack of performance in the office," Rivera said. "My body never touched their body. I just don't go around doing that type of behavior. I have a beautiful wife 10 years younger than me, and I'm not going to jeopardize that relationship."

Eagleton fired Rivera November 17 after two female employees claimed sexual harassment and a third claimed to be the victim of Rivera's "aggressive beratings," as Precinct 3's chief inspector, Jorey Herrscher, described to the Chronicle Wednesday.

Eagleton had first suspended Rivera November 9 after discovering he had made two untruthful statements targeting another deputy, regarding an incident that transpired at a substation, Herrscher said. As soon as he left, Rivera claims Eagleton "solicited" harassment complaints from female employees--which Herrscher said is only half true.

Immediately after Rivera was suspended, Herrscher said Eagleton received a complaint from one of the women alleging sexual harassment. Eagleton then decided to gather employees for a meeting to ask if any others had experienced any form of harassment while working with Rivera. Two more raised their hands.

On Thursday, Rivera provided the Chronicle with formal written responses to the three female employees' specific allegations, which he submitted to Eagleton during the internal investigation. Rivera said he believes he was ousted because disgruntled employees--including the constable--didn't like his management style and just wanted to get rid of him. This all transpired, Rivera said, in the months following the April ambush-style murder of Precinct 3 Assistant Chief Clint Greenwood, causing emotions to run high in the precinct and stress levels to soar.

Rivera said he was only trying to maintain a level of discipline.

In his written responses, he describes a plethora of mistakes he claims the three women made during the course of their normal duties, as apparent justification for some of his comments or reprimands directed at the employees.

Herrscher, however, described it as "victim-blaming."

The first woman claimed Rivera told her that her hair "looked sexy" and touched it after she came in with a new haircut; that he once offered her to give her a massage; that Rivera once told her he missed her after she was absent for a short period and also that he admired her; and that he made her clean off a radio splattered with blood.

Instead of outright denying most of the allegations, Rivera simply explains he remembers the incidents differently.

He said he said the woman's new hair looked "classy," not sexy, and didn't touch it. He said he didn't "offer" a massage when she mentioned neck pain, but said, "sounds that you may need a massage." And he admitted to saying he admired her and missed her--but said he was only trying to be nice, given their relationship had been strained due to various write-ups he issued to her for mistakes such as not ordering supplies on time. He agreed making her clean the blood-splattered radio was "poor judgment."

The second woman who alleged sexual harassment said Rivera's crotch touched her arm while he was standing behind her at her desk and that he once leaned over her desk and got so close to her she had to scoot backward. Rivera said he never touched her.

Asked whether he ever apologized to the women for making them feel uncomfortable even if he never intended to do so, Rivera said he didn't believe there was anything to be sorry about.

"I never touched them or harassed them. I just disciplined them on their behavior," he said. "Would you apologize for correcting somebody's behavior performance wise? I'm straight to the point. I don't sugarcoat things. But I did not use any foul language. I didn't use any condescending tone. I just think they wanted to get rid of me and go back to doing whatever they wanted to do."

Eagleton expressed disappointment in Rivera's responses to the allegations in his termination letter, saying Rivera seemed to be shifting blame on everyone but himself.

"It was disheartening to see that you completely failed to acknowledge any sense of responsibility but instead placed complete fault and blame on whoever you could including each employee who made a report against you," Eagleton wrote.

The Harris County Attorney's Office is continuing its investigation into Rivera, along with Harris County Human Resources. It is also currently investigating grievances Rivera himself lodged against Eagleton and other employees detailing various forms of mismanagement or policy violations.

Rivera said he obtained a lawyer and plans to appeal his termination.
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When Kristina Davis walked into her daughter's parent-teacher conference high on heroin, it was a moment of truth.

She knew things had to change.

The 31-year-old had tried to get sober before, but nothing stuck. So on Wednesday, she tried something new.

Sleepy-eyed but hopeful, Davis arrived at the Texas Clinic before 7 a.m. for her first injection of Vivitrol, a drug administered once a month to combat addiction.

"Honestly, I just want to live," she said. "I'm tired of dying every day."

The shot is an innovative treatment option that soon will be available for inmates leaving the Harris County Jail. The state's largest county lockup has launched a pilot program that will begin offering the treatment in coming weeks to soon-to-be released prisoners in hopes of preventing relapse and reducing recidivism.

It is believed to be the first county jail in Texas to offer the drug.

"It's really pretty exciting for us," said Dariel Newman, the jail's head nurse of quality improvement. "We see so many folks in here that their addiction is either the reason they were arrested or a factor."

HEROIN: Rice University researcher explains why prescription heroin could fight the opioid epidemic

The medication is designed to combat opioid and alcohol cravings but it's not as well-studied as some of the alternatives, experts caution, and the drugmaker's marketing practices have sparked criticism in recent months, including a sharply worded letter from U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California, calling for an investigation into "treatment manipulation."

But amid a rising tide of heroin addiction, the Harris County Sheriff's Office is optimistic about the drug's possibilities.

"We're trying to be more innovative as an agency," said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. "Incarceration only is not an effective solution."

Vivitrol is non-addictive, non-narcotic and has no street value - three traits that have made it appealing to jails and corrections departments, some of which may not be comfortable with other treatments like methadone or buprenorphine, one of the drugs in Suboxone.

The monthly shot is a long-acting version of naltrexone, which works by covering opioid receptors so heroin can't reach them. That means that patients on Vivitrol aren't able to get high, and also may have fewer cravings.

FULL STORY: Harris County jail launches new program to halt opioid addiction

But unlike Vivitrol, which is a non-narcotic "antagonist," buprenorphine and methadone are agonists. Known as maintenance treatments, the drugs latch onto the opioid receptors and prevent the heroin from attaching, but at the same time deliver a little bit of their own painkilling effect.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Vivitrol shots in 2006 for use in alcohol dependence treatment. But as the opioid epidemic ramped up, the medication became another tool in the fight against heroin.

Because it's a long-lasting shot, patients don't have to take a pill or pick up a methadone dose every day. But it requires that patients get off heroin before they can start the first shot, or risk making the painful detox worse.

It's also pricey - more than $1,000 per shot. Drugmaker Alkermes has donated enough Vivitrol to cover the initial doses for everyone in the Harris County jail's 20- to 30-person pilot program, and after that block grant funds, Medicaid or private insurance are expected to cover the rest.

WAITING: Lack of beds for inmates needing mental health help

"This is a big step for the jail," said Katharine Neill Harris, a researcher with Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Although a large-scale study on the drug's efficacy published this month has offered promising results, experts caution that it may not be the best option for everyone and still has less research behind it than some alternatives.

"We're doing it with great intention and we have every hope that it succeeds," said Harris County Sheriff's Office Major Mike Lee. "But I think we're willing to say if this approach doesn't work then let's try another."

To read the full story, visit HoustonChronicle.com.
A Spring man accused of killing his girlfriend in 2006 then evading authorities for more than than a decade is now in the Harris County jail without bail.

William Joseph Greer, 52, was arraigned Thursday morning by a magistrate judge after being flown in from southern Mexico where he was arrested Tuesday.

The judge found probable cause to hold him after hearing from prosecutors at a hearing at 4 a.m. He was appointed a defense attorney but did not appear before the judge, apparently after telling bailiffs he was not feeling well.

Greer is charged with murder, accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend in 2006 in the master bedroom of their Spring home while his two sons, ages 9 and 13, were in the house.

He allegedly killed his 28-year-old girlfriend, Tammy Marie Esquivel, sometime between 2 and 5 a.m. on Dec. 19, 2006. His sons later told their mother that the couple was fighting and they saw Greer dragging Esquivel into the master bedroom of the home in the 2500 block of Barmby.

The boys said they heard Greer and Esquivel arguing, then a gunshot, a gurgling sound, and Greer asking Esquivel if she was alive.

In the morning, Greer told the boys that his girlfriend, who he had been dating about eight months, was sleeping and would be getting her nails done later in the day. Her body has never been found.

In a bizarre turn three days later, Cleveland police found Greer wandering in a Liberty County field wearing only a shirt, his truck stuck in the mud.

He appeared drunk and told police he had taken cocaine.

Greer admitted to accidentally shooting Esquivel in the chest during a domestic argument, according to court records.

"The gun just went off," Greer allegedly told the arresting officer. "I accidentally shot her in the chest and I watched her die."

The officer got an address where the killing was alleged and forwarded the information to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. He then booked Greer for public intoxication, but without any evidence to substantiate the confession he was bailed out the next day.

Greer went directly to his sister's home and asked her and her husband for money and clothes because he could not go home. They gave him $500 and he made his way to Georgia, according to records.

After meeting up with a friend in Georgia, he called his sister and told her to clean up the house and sell it. While cleaning up, court records show, sheriff's deputies arrived and saw sheets of industrial-strength plastic and enough blood to conclude a person had been seriously injured.

In Georgia, Greer's friend apparently urged him to turn himself in, but instead Greer stole his driver's license and said he was going to hitchhike to Canada.

Months later, sheriff's detectives tracked him to New Orleans, where Greer was working as a cook at a French Quarter delicatessen. He left town before investigators arrived.

The 5-foot-10, 160 pound man had shaved his head and his face was clean-shaven, witnesses said.

His case was featured on a 2007 episode of America's Most Wanted where they pointed out that he was a charismatic flirt who always wore a cowboy hat. He was also missing a toe on his right foot.

After New Orleans, he apparently fled to a remote city in the southern Mexican state of Tabasco.

At the time of his arrest, Greer was going by an alias in remote Nacajuca, a Mexican town in the Yucatan peninsula near the Guatemala border. He was living with a woman and two children.

He was arrested Tuesday following a joint operation by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Mexican authorities.

He was detained without a struggle as he left home on a scooter to pick up the children at their school, said Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Richard Hunter.

He was conclusively identified when U.S. Marshals asked him to removed his shoe. He was missing a toe on his right foot.

Greer was listed as one of the U.S. Marshals Service's 15 Most Wanted fugitives in January 2016 and was added by Interpol to their international fugitive database last year.
Tamaulipas State police seized over 5 tons of marijuana after raiding a house in the border town of Camargo, Mexico.

According to a press release, the authorities teamed up with Mexican Navy officers and brought in over 1,000 packages of weed.
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Here's your chance to own a piece of haunted Houston history, sorta.

Most of the contents from downtown's Harvey-ravaged Spaghetti Warehouse location are currently being auctioned off online.

RELATED: See what downtown's Spaghetti Warehouse looks like after Hurricane Harvey

While the chain has not made any further announcements regarding their plans to continue business in Houston, but they have appear to be unloading everything via online auction house Restaurant Equipment.

Now Playing: February 4, 1906: On this day, the history behind the building that many say is haunted. Tweet host Michael Callahan, @MCallahanTV using #ForgottenDayHOU. Video: Houston Chronicle

All items have a starting bid of just $1. Bidding ends on the morning of Dec. 14. According to the bidding site the winners of the items are to be responsible for the removal of the pieces they purchase at 901 Commerce.

The auction is online only.

Currently up for grabs are various pieces of kitchen equipment and interior decor. Ever had an eye on some of the location's curious antique hutches and stained glass doors? They're up for bid, with some water damage on the lower halves.

One of the most intriguing items is a hefty antique Mosler safe which the listing says would require a team to come and retrieve. It was built for the Melissa State Bank according to the listing.

RELATED: The haunting of Houston's Spaghetti Warehouse: Reality or just a great advertising tool?

The various chandeliers are up for bid too and seem to have escaped flooding from nearby Buffalo Bayou unscathed.

A heating cabinet appears to still have bread inside it. The moldy bread, hopefully, is sold separately. Presumably the bread is from the location's last food service in late August before Harvey visited Houston for a few days.

All bidders must pick up their new toys by Dec. 18. What happens to the building after that is yet to be announced.

David Ayers, spokesman for the restaurant, told Chron.com in early September that the flood-prone building took on water up to the top of the first floor during Harvey.

RELATED: Famous phrases that all native Houstonians should know by heart

On Thursday Ayers told Chron.com that the auction was by no means meant to indicate that the chain was leaving Houston altogether. They just need to lighten their load.

"These are items that can not be used going forward and need to be sold as is," Ayers said. "Some of the antiques were actually set aside to be used at the next location."

Spaghetti Warehouse started in 1972 in Dallas and later spread to the southern and eastern regions of the United State. The Houston location opened in 1973 and at one time was the second-largest in the chain with two stories.

It's also, reportedly, somewhat haunted. No word on if the ghosts come with the auction items.

Craig Hlavaty is a reporter for Chron.com and HoustonChronicle.com. He's an intolerable native Texan with too much ink in his skin and too much brisket stuck in his teeth.
A Cypress Springs High School teacher is accused of having sex with a 15-year-old student.

Michelle Schiffer, 23, was charged Monday with improper relationship with a student, a second-degree felony.

A criminal complaint filed against Schiffer, who taught world history, accuses her of meeting up with a former student multiple times during the summer, according to court documents.

Schiffer first met with the student at a Chick-Fil-A in Cypress, where they proceeded to go to a friend's apartment to have sex, court documents detail. During their second encounter, Schiffer picked up the student in a parking lot and pulled over on a neighborhood street to kiss, engage in sexual activities and smoke marijuana.

BUSTED: Former Texas education employee pleads guilty to possession of prepubescent child pornography

Now Playing: An Oklahoma teacher was arrested on Wednesday after authorities learned that she was allegedly having sex with a male teenage student, PEOPLE confirms Video: People

Authorities learned of the alleged improper relationship after an anonymous student reported it to school officials. Authorities also interviewed Schiffer and the 15-year-old student regarding the accusations.

Following the criminal complaint, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD released the following statement:

When the alleged actions of the staff member were learned, she was immediately removed from campus and placed on administrative leave. We will continue to protect our students and not tolerate relationships of an inappropriate nature.

If convicted, Schiffer may face between two to 20 years in prison.

Above: Houston area teacher-student sex scandals that have occurred in recent years.
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One of the best scenes in the surreal '80s road trip picture "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" is the one where the titular man child finds himself on a pay phone in Texas.

His friend Dottie back home doesn't believe he's actually in the Lone Star State so he calls out "The stars at night, are big and bright!" to which the nearby Texans all clap back to him and sing back "Deep in the heart of Texas!"

This proves to her that Pee-wee is really in Texas and on the hunt for that lost bicycle. This call and response can be done most anywhere in Texas, usually at bars within a few minutes of closing time.

Of course here in Houston there are several famous phrases that could also work the same way. Short phrases and quotes that would help anyone in a bar in another state or country find their fellow Houstonians. If there was somehow a necessity to see if someone else can quote Mike Jones.

Texans, and by extension Houstonians, are fond of explaining where they are from before they are asked. Not unlike vegans, it doesn't take too much coaxing to find out one is in the presence of another Houstonian.

Natives Know: The telltale signs that you might be done with Houston.

In that spirit, check out the collection in the slideshow above of the famous phrases that any self-respecting, cultured Houstonian should be able to finish.

There are a few curve balls thrown in for good measure that might test Houstonians of a certain vintage.

Craig Hlavaty covers Houston history and pop-culture. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | craig.hlavaty@chron.com
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League City police are searching for a man who exposed his genitals at a tanning salon Nov. 20.

The man exposed himself at a salon on South Egret Bay Boulevard in League City at 7:40 p.m., police spokesman K.R. Williamson said in a news release.

The suspect is described as 5'10"- 6'00" tall and 200-240 pounds, Williamson said. The man also had black curly hair and glasses.

UNREAL: Stunning video shows Houston woman held at gunpoint, robbed in broad daylight

Now Playing: Police are investigating a video showing Sara Ludwig getting robbed by a group of young men on Black Friday. Video: Sara Ludwig

A request for comment has been placed with the League City police.

Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to call detective Marty Grant at 281-338-4173 or call the League City Police Department non-emergency number at 281-332-2566.

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.
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ZAGREB, Croatia - Slobodan Praljak, a former film and theater director turned wartime general, was always known for theatrics.

So, when the former Bosnian Croat military commander suddenly threw back his head and drank what he said was poison from a small bottle after his 20-year war crimes sentence was upheld by a U.N. court on Wednesday, many Croats watching the drama unfold on live TV thought it was yet another bluff.

But it wasn't. The 72-year-old silver-bearded Praljak died soon after being rushed from the U.N. tribunal to a nearby hospital.

A shout, then a swallow

The shocking scene was not unlike the suspenseful plays he once directed before becoming a military commander during the Balkan wars of the early 1990s.

"Judges, Slobodan Praljak is not a war criminal! I reject, with contempt, your verdict," Praljak shouted before drinking from the bottle.

Then, his voice rising theatrically, he declared: "That is poison that I drank."

The dramatic scene shocked Croatia, diverting attention from the convictions of Praljak and five other Bosnian Croat wartime military and political leaders for their part in a plot to violently carve out a Croat-dominated mini-state in Bosnia by killing and deporting Muslims.

Wednesday's ruling, which upheld a key finding that the late Croatian leader Franjo Tudjman was directly involved in the plot, could have major financial and political implications for Croatia, potentially triggering massive war damage claims and shaking the Bosniak-Croat mini-state within Bosnia that the two ethnic groups share.

A founder of Tudjman's Croatian Democratic Union party, Praljak was one of six Bosnian Croat political and military leaders who with significant support from neighboring Croatia turned against the Bosnian army during the 1992-95 war, trying to carve out an ethnically pure Croat region by force, just as Bosnian Serbs had done in other areas of Bosnia with help from Serbia.

Could have walked free

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic decried Wednesday's verdicts, calling Praljak's apparent suicide "his message" to Croatia to resist the consequences of the "unjust" ruling by the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia. Ironically, Praljak, who had already been jailed for 13 years before his 20-year sentence was upheld, could have soon walked free because convicts are generally released after serving two-thirds of their sentences.

Before the war, Praljak directed productions in theaters across Bosnia, notably in the southern city of Mostar, where he was accused of ordering the destruction of the city's Old Bridge, one of the most striking Ottoman monuments in the Balkans and a jewel of Bosnia's Islamic heritage.
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WASHINGTON - Stoking the same anti-Islam sentiments he fanned on the campaign trail, President Donald Trump on Wednesday retweeted a string of inflammatory videos from a fringe British political group purporting to show violence being committed by Muslims.

The tweets drew a sharp condemnation from British Prime Minister Theresa May's office, which said it was "wrong for the president to have done this." May spokesman James Slack said the far-right Britain First group seeks to divide through its use of "hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions."

Trump turned away from taxes, North Korea and other issues facing his administration to share the three videos tweeted by Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of the British group. It was not clear what drew him to the videos, though one had been shared by conservative commentator Ann Coulter the day before.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump was simply promoting border security and suggested that verifying the content was not a top concern.

"Whether it's a real video, the threat is real, and that is what the president is talking about," she said.

Boosting the fringe

The tweets read: "VIDEO: Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!" and "VIDEO: Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!" and "VIDEO: Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!"

Trump made anti-Muslim comments one hallmark of his presidential campaign and has previously retweeted inflammatory posts from controversial Twitter accounts including some with apparent ties to white nationalist groups. As president, he has sought to ban travel to the U.S. from a number of majority-Muslim countries.

Britain First opposes what it calls the "Islamization" of Britain. It has run candidates in local and national elections, with little success, and has campaigned against the construction and expansion of mosques.

Trump's retweets gave a wide platform to the previously obscure group. The videos were each shared more than 10,000 times, and Fransen picked up nearly 10,000 Twitter followers in the hours following Trump's retweets. She thanked him on Twitter, saying "GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP!"

'Fear and bias'

Condemnation from civil rights groups was swift.

The executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Nihad Awad, said in a statement that Trump is "clearly telling members of his base that they should hate Islam and Muslims."

The American Civil Liberties Union, in a tweet, said, "Trump's prejudice against Muslims reveals itself at every turn - with today's tweets meant to gin up fear and bias."

There are about 3.45 million Muslims in the United States, according to an August report from the Pew Research Center.

Fransen has been charged with causing religiously aggravated harassment through leaflets and videos that were distributed during a criminal trial earlier this year. She has separately been charged with using "threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior" in a speech she made in Northern Ireland in August. She is currently free on bail.

She was convicted last year of religiously aggravated harassment and fined after hurling abuse at a Muslim woman wearing a hijab.
A Texas appeals court has upheld the conviction of state Rep. Ron Reynolds, who was found guilty in 2015 of engaging in a scheme to illegally solicit potential clients for his law firm.

The three-judge appellate panel ruled Wednesday that there was sufficient evidence to convict Reynolds and that the trial judge did not violate any rules relating to the introduction of evidence.

The Missouri City Democrat was sentenced to one year in jail, but he has been out on an appeal bond since his November 2015 conviction.

Reynolds has served in the Texas House of Representatives since 2011. He was re-elected in 2016, months after his conviction on five misdemeanor charges of barratry, more commonly known as "ambulance chasing."

Jurors in Montgomery County found that Reynolds illegally teamed with a convicted felon, Robert Valdez, to obtain client referrals for his personal injury law firm. Under the scheme, prosecutors said, Valdez obtained police reports immediately following vehicle crashes, contacted the drivers who weren't at fault, referred them to Reynolds, and took payment from Reynolds in exchange.

Texas law bars lawyers from contacting potential clients within 31 days of a crash, and lawyers cannot employ a third party to initiate contact during that time period.

In a phone interview Thursday, Reynolds said he plans to continue appealing his conviction and remain free on a $25,000 bond. He said he couldn't respond to the appellate judges' ruling because he hadn't read their opinion.

"It would be premature of me," Reynolds said. "Once (my lawyer) gets everything filed and once everything is adjudicated, I feel very confident I'll be vindicated and cleared on appeal."

ELECTION: Returns show embattled Ron Reynolds retaining House seat

In his appeal, Reynolds argued that he believed Valdez did not initiate contact with the potential clients for legal representation. Reynolds said he thought Valdez referred clients who had initially sought out Valdez for treatment at his medical clinics.

The judges found enough evidence to uphold the conviction, noting that Reynolds paid Valdez in cash, did not document the payments and used code words in text messages to cover potentially nefarious motives, among other tactics.

"The evidence here supports a rational construct that (Reynolds) was aware of Valdez's scheme and knowingly permitted his conduct," Eighth Court of Appeals Chief Justice Ann Crawford McClure wrote.

Reynolds, who alleged in 2015 that he was the victim of racial bias and that his conviction amounted to a "modern-day lynching," said Thursday that he has no plans to resign following the appellate court's decision. Texas law allows individuals with misdemeanor convictions to hold public office.

In 2016, Reynolds' law license was suspended, he filed for bankruptcy and was ordered to pay $504,000 for failing to give the proper share of a settlement to a fatal crash victim's mother. Nevertheless, voters in his Fort Bend County district returned him to office, giving him 52 percent of the vote in a primary runoff and 68 percent in the general election.
The Republican holding what is essentially the Texas Senate's most vulnerable seat is publicly tamping down rumors that she's looking to run for Congress.

For almost a week, State Sen. Konni Burton, a North Texas Republican has been touted as a potential replacement to U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, if he is pressured out of running for an 18th term in Congress.

But Burton made clear in a statement to the media that if Barton ends his re-election bid, she will throw her support behind another potential north Texas Republican candidate: Tarrant County Tax Assessor Collector Ron Wright.

"Ron is a man of great character and integrity and I want to make it clear that I am one hundred percent behind him if he decides to do so," Burton said in her statement.

Burton holds what amounts to the Texas Senate Republican's most vulnerable seat. Burton won the 10th Senate District by 53 percent to 45 percent over Democrat Libby Willis in 2014. It was the most narrow margin of victory for any Senate Republican over the last four years.

The timing of Burton's statement is important because the filing deadline to run in a political primary is Dec. 11. If Burton signaled she were interested in running for Barton's seat, it would have created an open race to replace her.

As of Wednesday evening, no Republicans or Democrats have filed yet to challenge Burton in 2018.

Other Texas Senate Republicans are already facing competitive primaries and general election battles. State Sens. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, and Joan Huffman, R-Houston, have both drawn primary opponents and Democratic challengers.

Former Army Captain and combat veteran Steven Kling, one of two Democrats to file to challenge Campbell in 2018 said there is a Democratic wave nationally that is renewing optimism that Democrats can pick off Republicans in state legislative races even in Texas.

"We have a great opportunity that we haven't seen in a generation," said Kling, who officially qualified for the ballot in a district that stretches from San Antonio to the Austin area.

Burton's statements come as Barton, currently the longest serving Texan in Congress, fights for his political career after nude photos of him began circulating on social media websites. Barton has apologized for the photos but has not said if he will run for re-election still.

Burton made clear she thinks Barton should not seek another term.

"We must hold public officials to a high standard and recent publicized incidents demonstrate those standards were not met," Burton said. "With only weeks left for primary filing, I am asking Joe Barton not to seek re-election so that Tarrant County can move forward in making sure we send a strong conservative to Congress from District 6."

Jeremy Wallace writes about state politics and government for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter at @JeremySWallace
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.
IDENTCO Mexico Awarded ISO 14001:2015 Certification Published: 30 November 2017 by Chelsey Drysdale by Chelsey Drysdale

INGLESIDE, Illinois, USA (November 30, 2017)  IDENTCO International is pleased to announce that its Monterrey, Mexico operations have been awarded ISO 140001:2015 certification for environmental management systems.

One of the worlds most widely used standards, ISO 14001:2015 helps organizations manage their environmental responsibilities in a systematic manner.



Sustainability and social responsibility are integral to how we do business. We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously, said IDENTCO Founder and CEO Scott Lucas. Achieving ISO 14001:2015 certification in Mexico is a great honor that underscores our organizations commitment to maintaining the highest global standards.



Currently, IDENTCO Mexico is certified to ISO 9001:2008 for quality management systems and ISO/TS16949:2009 for automotive sector-specific quality management systems, as well as FSC Chain of Custody certification, which verifies that products are handled correctly at every stage of production  from forest to shelf.



About IDENTCO

Headquartered outside Chicago, IDENTCO has been delivering technology-driven, high-performance labeling solutions since 1986. We challenge ourselves to develop innovative solutions that can withstand any number of extremes and meet the strictest performance standards. With ISO-certified manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Mexico and Germany, we have a global presence and local expertise. For more information, visit www.identco.com.



Contact: Jill Morino, jmorino@identco.com, 815-385-0011 Ext. 207
Comments the report, High levels of gender inequality manifested in son bias, adding, data on India and China are particularly linked to their unbalanced sex ratios and the likelihood of conflict. It cites studies to say, Youth population bulges in India over 19562002 are associated with higher levels of armed conflict, political violence, and Hindu-Muslim riots.

Azerbaijan and China top the list of 10 countries with the worst son bias, with 116 boys born for every 100 girls, followed by Armenia (114), Viet Nam (112), India and Georgia (111), the Maldives (110), Pakistan (109), and Albania and Papua New Guinea (108).

The report says, Given the combination of adverse sex ratios and large population size, China (5 million missing girls) and India (4 million) account for the vast majority over the five-year period, followed by Pakistan, Viet Nam, Nigeria, and Egypt, adding, Beyond this five year period, the aggregate numbers of missing girls are obviously much larger  estimated on the order of about 66 million in China, for example.

Regretting that many countries have not criminalized marital rape, 103 according to the World Banks Women, Business, and the Law, the report says, Provisions criminalizing marital rape are more common in Latin America and the Caribbean and in countries in the Developed Country group, but regrets, No countries in the Middle East criminalize marital rape. In Sri Lanka, marital rape is recognized as a crime only when the spouses are judicially separated.

As for India, it insists, the country criminalizes marital rape only when the wife is younger than 15, and Bangladesh does so only when the wife is younger than 13.

A fresh report jointly prepared by two of the worlds best known institutes, the Georgetown Universitys Institute for Women, Peace and Security (Washington), and the Peace Research Institute (Oslo), has ranked India a poor 131st in its Women Peace and Security (WPS) Index among 153 countries for 2017-18, worse than other competing BRICS (short form for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries, on one hand, and all of Indias neighbours, except Pakistan, on the other. Measuring WPS index on a scale one 1, the report says, Overall, the index values range from a high of .886 for Iceland, which leads the world in this first edition of the WPS Index, down to .385 for Afghanistan and Syria, the bottom ranked countries in a tie for last place.Indias WPS Index is .580, as against the global average of .662.Suggesting a huge gap between Indias economic development and gender security, the report says that the countrys the WPS index rank is 27 per cent less than the per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rank.Giving a detailed account of the WPS ranking and the reason why India ranks so poor compared to peer countries as well as neighours, the data provided by the report show that a whopping 47.7% of women experience lifetime intimate partner violence.Other figures of equal significance, released by the report, include the mean year schooling of women in the age group 25+ being 5.4, financial inclusion touching 42.6% of women aged 15+, 25% of men aged 15+ agree that it is unacceptable for women to work, and just 29.4% of 25+ women are employed.
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Take the first Tomb Raider movie, in which Angelina Jolie bravely battles both the script and the Illuminati. The latter are hunting an ancient triangle which has the power to control time. It's explained that the triangle was created by an advanced ancient civilization, but its misuse eventually destroyed their city and they realized it was too dangerous for mankind to possess. So they broke it into two pieces and hid them in Cambodia and Siberia. However, the Illuminati plans to unite them during an eclipse. It's all very standard stuff.

The Weirdly Easy Solution:

Lara Croft shoots the triangle, destroying it. Seriously, it's broken really easily by ordinary, non-magical weapons. There's no clear reason the ancient civilization that created the triangle didn't do this. They snapped it in two with a big hammer ... why not keep whacking it into powder instead of building huge mystical temples at opposite ends of Asia and hiding the easily reassembled triangle there for 5,000 years? And Croft isn't the only superhero wasting her time with easily solved shit.

Paramount Pictures An all-powerful device ... so brittle it couldn't even slow down a bullet.

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We've mentioned before how in Hellboy: The Golden Army, there's an unstoppable army of elf-bots controlled by a magic crown, and the Elf King breaks the crown into three pieces to protect the world. When it gets reassembled by his evil son, the Hellboy team gets the crown back and ... melts it? Couldn't the Elf King have done that? It's made extremely clear that he wasn't willing to use the crown under any circumstances, even as his people were dying out, so why keep it around at all? At least break it into 50 pieces instead of three, Jesus.

Universal Pictures "You know how long that would take? I got king shit to do."

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The same thing happens again in RIPD. According to the Ryan Reynolds trainwreck, the Staff of Jericho is an incredibly powerful ancient gold pillar which allows the dead to return and conquer Earth. It's mentioned that the RIPD death cops seized and destroyed it 3,000 years ago. But when they say "destroyed it," they apparently meant "broke it into a small number of large pieces and left it scattered around the Earth." This is especially inexplicable considering how they completely shatter it by dropping a bulldozer on it at the end of the movie. The point is, ancient civilizations need to either stop making weapons of mass destruction or actually fucking get rid of them when they get cold feet about destroying the world.

Universal Pictures Or make them out of materials sturdier than Popsicle sticks and marshmallows.

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When E.M. Caris is not writing for Cracked, you can read his food writing over at the spice subscription service allyoucanspice.com. Alex Perry is a freelancer who wrote an adult novel about time-traveling stalker and a heartwarming kid's book about a boy and his genetically modified pig / organ donor. You can follow her on Twitter.

Check out the first Hellboy by Guillermo Del Toro to see ancient evil getting thoroughly wrecked the old fashioned way, and Mike Mignola's comics because they're also just great.

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.

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For more check out Obvious Ways To Solve Famous Movie Plots In Seconds and 23 Famous Movie Plots Easily Solved by Text Messages.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out Movie Problems With Easy Solutions, and watch other videos you won't see on the site!

Also follow us on Facebook. It's easy!

And to further expand your noggin, check out Cracked's De-Textbook: The Stuff You Didn't Know About the Stuff You Thought You Knew.

It's loaded with facts about history, your body, and the world around you that your teachers didn't want you to know. And as a bonus? We've also included the kinkiest sex acts ever described in the Bible.
Shockingly, American prisons may be just a tad draconian. Perhaps it would make sense to ban a couple of dangerous books, such as, "The Art of the Shiv: A Step-By-Step Guide To Constructing A Shiv Using Nothing But Book Bindings," or, "This Book Has A Gun In It." But the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has taken their book banning to a capricious extreme.

The Texas Civil Rights Project, who admittedly have a pro-civil rights bias, found that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has banned a number of acclaimed books, often targeting books that discuss social justice and civil rights. The guidelines for banning a book are somewhat vague, that allows prisons to ban books if they make, "a specific determination that the publication is detrimental to offenders' rehabilitation because it would encourage deviant criminal sexual behavior."

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This appears to have given Texas prisons a great deal of freedom to ban a wide variety of books, including classics such as, Couples by John Updike, Big Sur by Jack Keroac, Satanic Verses by Salmon Rushdie, Deadeye Dick by Kurt Vonnegut, and the Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler. While there are many others, I'm not going to enumerate them at the risk of getting a flashback to the days of writing out long, painful book-shopping lists in college.
Cloud News

Intel Data Center Bigwig Diane Bryant Joins Google Cloud As COO

Lindsey O'Donnell

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Intel top executive Diane Bryant has jumped ship to join Google as the new chief operating officer of its cloud business, the company said in a blog post Thursday.

Dianes strategic acumen, technical knowledge and client focus will prove invaluable as we accelerate the scale and reach of Google Cloud, said Diane Greene, senior vice president at Google Cloud, in a blog post.

Google Cloud is the most technologically advanced, most highly available, and most open cloud in the world. We are growing at an extraordinary rate as we enable businesses to become smarter with data, increase their agility, collaborate and secure their information, she said.

[Related: Life On The Edge: Why Micro Data Centers Are The Next Frontier]

The longtime Intel employee was recently promoted in April to group president of the Data Center Group, which generated $17 billion in revenue in 2016 and has been one of Intels areas of growth as the company continues its restructuring efforts to become less dependent on its traditional PC market, and more of a data-driven company.

Previously, Bryant was Intels corporate vice president and chief information officer, where she was responsible for corporatewide information technology solutions and services.

While Bryant was key to expanding the business to focus on cloud computing, network virtualization and the adoption of artificial intelligence solutions, Intel in May said that she would take a leave of absence from the company and would be replaced by Client Computing Group executive Navin Shenoy.

Bryant, who worked over the past few years to transform the Data Center Group from a server-centric business to one that spans servers, network, and storage across all end-user segments, joins a growing list of top-level executives  like former Client Compute Group Senior Vice President Kirk Skuagen  who have left the Intel over the past year.

Google, for its part, will benefit from the hire as a significant "investment in building an enterprise practice," said Aric Bandy, president of Agosto, a Minneapolis-based Google partner.

Diane [Greene] has brought in a number of outside individuals to move in a direction of driving the Google Cloud division further into a leading contender for enterprises, he said. This is positioning Google as a go-to for the enterprise.
Acknowledging this strategic role of meetings in agricultural and rural development, the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) convened a three-day project review meeting during 23-25 November in Johannesburg, South Africa under the theme Scaling-Up Climate Smart Agricultural Solutions for Cereals and Livestock Farmers in Southern Africa, and on the back of the 4th Global Science Conference on Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), 28-30 November.

Day 1

On the first day, in front of 20 participants from Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, Olu Ajayi, CTA Senior Programme Coordinator, stressed the fact that there was wide realisation across geographical boundaries among researchers, practitioners, and communities of the stresses on agriculture as a result of climate change. The Head of the European Union (EU) delegation in South Africa, Arno Schaeffer gave the opening remarks in which he reiterated EUs commitment to supporting the work on climate action in the region, and especially in South Africa. He emphasised on sustainable production and consumption, as a pillar in their present focus.

Kolawale Odubote, from Zambia Open University, informed participants that in their project, farmers and agro-dealers had a symbiotic relationship, and were depended on each other for their success. He noted that the professional relationship was essential to trust building among the value chain players. Also speaking during the event, Prince Kuipa, of the Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU), explained a promising initiative, the Ecofarmer Combo that his organisation was promoting in partnership with Econet Wireless Zimbabwe. The product is tailor-made and is suited to clients who are facing operational constraints in farming enterprises and are in need of accurate weather and climate information. Both organisations, ZFU and Econet were assisting farmers with key information for decision making.

Day 2

During the second day, participants were introduced to Knowledge Management (KM), by Krishan Bheenick, CTA Senior Programme Coordinator. Participants learned of visioning and backcasting in project implementation. Visioning was described as a process during which written and visualised statements of a community long-term goals and strategic objectives are developed, whereas, backcasting, is a method in which future desired conditions are envisioned and steps are then defined to attain those conditions rather than taking steps that are merely a continuation of present methods extrapolation into the future.

Bheenick, using Zambia as an example, suggested that this country could adopt lessons from the experiences from Zimbabwe. They were also lessons to inspire partners, for example, through the successful seed fairs in Zambia, where agricultural players (seed companies) came together to participate in the local programmes. Such experiences were shedding light on group dynamics in climate-resilient agriculture.

The National Association of Farmers in Malawi delegate, Wycliffe Kumwenda, gave a report on Malawi noting that in-country partners had been given an opportunity to work to improve their agriculture and that partners would need to ensure that they do their very best until the end of the project.

During the session on Resource Mobilisation, facilitated by CTA officials, participants expressed positive belief in the project review meeting, the goodwill of CTA and its sponsors, and that the governments in the region would be inclined to support (even financially) the project if the results are out in the public. In-country support was also singled out as important in the future of the project in order to keep the momentum going. Partners acknowledged that they should properly manage their interventions so that the government could take up some of the issues to include in the policy agenda.

Day 3

The third day was devoted to KM with the range of tools, methods and techniques available explained by Bheenick. He cautioned partners to be critical in their work and to share stories and experiences, taking context into consideration. Bheenick touched on various aspects such as communication at the project level, collaborative spaces in KM, and the KM platforms for knowledge exchange and sharing. In a knowledge harvesting exercise, participants were asked to do the following: think of an interesting thing they have learnt in the project, describe it, write a catchy title for the story, and present it to the group. This got participants to explore the scope of emerging experiences in CTAs climate-resilient agricultural solutions.

The last segment of the meeting focused on the additional tasks that the partners needed to do in the project. The partners assured each other that they would hasten to complete the outstanding work in the project as the success of the project was dependent on their input and commitment. In sum, participants were appreciative that the meeting had given them new information, a sense of direction, and a feeling of success.
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FAIRFIELD  For weeks, Bridgeport resident Tony Bermudez has traveled past Kings Plaza on his way to neighboring businesses, each time passing by a relatively new sign for a Goodwill store.

Like other shoppers, curiosity and a love for great deals finally drew him into the store, where he found racks and shelves filled with donated, recycled and reused items at Fairfields first Goodwill store and donation station.

This is my kind of zone, especially if you can get a pair of pants for five bucks, he said. I mean how can you beat that, especially in 2017?

The store has been open since September while construction was finishing up. Now completed, Goodwill of Western & Northern Connecticut will be celebrating its latest 12,000-square-foot storefront with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening deals Friday morning.

This the 22nd store weve opened and were happy to have one in Fairfield, said Vicki Volpano, president of Goodwill of Western & Northern Connecticut. Its complete now, and were happy to celebrate that.

The facility features approximately 7,500 square feet of retail space with the rest devoted to a drive-through donation station and canopy on the side of the building that allows people to unload donations with the help of staff members.

The donation station is open seven days a week for about 13 hours a day.

The more convenient we can make that donation process and the more convenient the access is to that, we found that that helps encourage donations of household goods and clothing, Volpano said.

The store offers another option for shoppers and donors who would normally head to either the Westport or Bridgeport locations.

While the store has not been advertising since its opening, there have been plenty of shoppers owing in part to its close proximity to Interstate 95 at 500 Kings Highway E.

According to Volpano, the store has averaged nearly 200 daily customers since opening in the fall.

We are so grateful, Volpano said. We have a mission to fund and a mission to fulfill, so every time someone stops by and shops in the store and certainly those who stop by and share their donations with us, were grateful for that support.

The store employs about 30 people.

First Selectman Mike Tetreau is expected at the ribbon cutting along with Beverly Balaz, president of Fairfield Chamber of Commerce, who said she was glad to see Fairfield joining the list of Goodwill storefront locations.

Its twofold, Balaz said. Its an opportunity to give and its an opportunity for people to shop, then Goodwills greater mission of helping those people with disabilities and other disadvantages reap the rewards of that.

The ribbon-cutting event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 9 a.m., and the grand opening ceremony will start at 10:30 a.m.

The first 75 customers at the store will receive a gift card, while everyone who makes a purchase will receive a complimentary Goodwill tote bag while supplies last.

jordan.grice@hearstmediact.com
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Once again, James Albis is in the position of waiting for the snow to start falling.

Last year at this time, the Ridgefield resident had just launched SnoHub, an Uber-like app that connects homeowners with snowplow drivers. Now, building on the success SnoHub experienced following the snowstorms that eventually hit New England last winter, Albis has expanded both his customer base and his geographic reach.

Last year I had 100 customers and 10 drivers. Now I have 2,000 customers and 1,000 contractors, said Albis, the companys founder and CEO. We just keep growing.

Albis spent the spring and summer improving SnoHubs technology that allowed for the expansion. Last winter, SnoHub focused on Fairfield and Westchester counties. SnoHub now has customers and contractors in Boston and Philadelphia as well as Albany and Rochester, N.Y. It also has customers and drivers in other sporadic locations of the U.S, Albis said. He plans to hold job fairs in Boston and Philadelphia to sign up more contractors.

Weve looked at all the best practices from the user-experience perspective, Albis said. Its the same model as before with improvements to make it even easier to use. You cant be static as a business. You have to evolve; not matter what type of company you are.

Homeowners and contractors download separate apps to make the connection. When a homeowner puts in a request, a contractor accepts it and alerts the homeowner when the plow will arrive. Using the app, homeowners can track the plow and see in advance what the truck will look like.

Homeowners are charged based on the length of their driveway and depth of snow. Pricing for the service starts at $59 for a base of three inches of snow with $10 per additional inch. The driver takes a photograph of the driveway upon arrival and when leaving. The photos are sent to the homeowner following the service. Albis said each driver is licensed, insured and properly skilled and equipped.

Were creating a lot of jobs and opportunity for people, he said.

Albis said homeowners are often stressed during and after snowstorms. Those who have snowplowing contracts are at the mercy of when the contractor will show up, he said. The severity of the winter also comes into play, Albis said, as the homeowners are wasting money during a mild winter and contractors are not getting paid enough during a harsh winter.

SnoHub evens the playing field, Albis said.

We moved the goalposts because they needed to be moved, he said. This was the only way to disrupt an inefficient and antiquated industry.

The app creates money-making opportunities for those needing extra cash in the winter.

SnoHub has opened the door for people with reliable equipment to step into the market and earn extra income when they want, Albis said. There are thousands of people looking for additional ways to generate income to make ends meet.

Albis said some contractors earned more than $5,000 last winter.

Rick Cook is the general operations manager for SnoHub and also a snowplow driver. He is a painter in the summer.

My business slows down significantly in winter, he said. In all my years of contracting, I have not seen such a window of opportunity to generate additional income from an app.

Albis said SnoHub is hoping to grow into a national business with at least 2,500 contractors. He does not, however, want to expand beyond the snow removal industry. According to the marketing research firm IBISWorld, snow removal is a $14.3 billion industry.

Id rather have 10 percent of the snowplow business than be fragmented, he said. Youve got to be very focused on one thing and do it very well.

The writer may be reached at cbosak@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3338
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Connecticuts efforts to create more affordable housing and get people off the streets has resulted in a sharp, 8-percent decline in homelessness since 2015, according to a new study by the Hartford-based nonprofit Partnership for Strong Communities.

The report credits the General Assembly and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy with remarkable progress, creating 10,000 units of affordable housing since Malloy took office in 2011. Those classified as chronically homeless, with disabilities of varying kinds, have decreased by 62 percent over the last three years, the report says.

The 10,083 homeless people found in 2016 was a five-year low, the report said.

Connecticut is a leader in trying to end homelessness in a systematic way, said Sean Ghio, policy director for Partnership for Strong Communities. The fact of the matter is that the administration and the Legislature have been appropriating the funds and they have really focused on the homeless.

While overall housing affordability has increased slightly, the report warns that millenials laboring under the nations fourth-highest education debt  more than $33,300 each, on average  may weaken the market because they are putting off buying homes. Evidence shows a major shift to rental housing, says the report, which was released Thursday morning.

The number of families owning homes in the state has fallen 8 percent from 2015, to 879,073 units, while rental prices have risen from $1,108 a month in 2015 to $1,115. Median monthly housing costs fell 2 percent to $1,366, but Connecticut still ranks sixth highest among the states. Over the last 10 years, renters have increased from 30 percent of all households to 35 percent or 478,196 households.

More Information Housing investments Homeless singles use about $33,000 per year in public services; and a family experiencing homelessness will utilize about $120,000 per year in public services. Up to 70 percent of those costs can be saved when towns and cities invest in affordable housing. It costs about $10,000 per year to ensure access to stable housing for an individual experiencing homelessness about $15,000 per year for a family experiencing homelessness. *Source: Connecticut Department of Housing See More Collapse

Ghio singled out Fairfield and Norwalk, in particular, in making major housing initiatives, especially at a time when more people cannot afford single-family homes and the supply is short on the denser, more-affordable homes that market craves.

Affordable housing has been something Fairfield committed to 25-30 years ago, said that towns first selectman, Michael Tetreau, stressing that there are a number of affordable housing complexes, plus Operation Hope, for those making the transition from homelessness.

Weve made commitments at multiple levels, Tetreau said. One of the challenges for us, as a mature community with the cost of land so high, is that millenials and new buyers in the market dont want big houses on big lots.

Two major new Fairfield housing developments are rentals, close to the Post Road.

People want to live closer to downtown, Tetreau said.

State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said hundreds of new apartments in his city include 10 percent that are classified as affordable units.

I believe the numbers are trending in a positive direction, because the state has made an enormous effort toward affordable housing, leveraging tens of millions of private dollars, Duff.

There are people who say affordable housing is not an economic driver, but all the evidence would suggest otherwise, he said. If Connecticut is going to grow its economy, we need to invest in housing that people can afford to live in.

Evonne Klein, commissioner of the state Department of Housing, said her agency calculates 20,000 units of housing completed since 2011, with about 18,500 affordable units either funded, under construction, or completed.

As we continue to do work in the department, we want municipalities and developers to build multi-family housing and rental housing, Klein said. We want flexibility for market rates and affordable rates at all income levels. We want to keep seniors in the community, as well as our work force and young families.

Jason Novak, deputy press secretary for Malloy, said the governor has recognized that ending homelessness is good fiscal policy as well as a social and moral goal.

By investing in housing and intervention, weve become the first state to end chronic veteran homelessness, one of only three states to end all veteran homelessness, and are the only state to have matched all chronically homeless individuals to housing  all while saving taxpayers money, Novak said. Additionally, we are well on our way toward our goal of ending youth and family homelessness by 2020.

Willie Thomas Miller Jr. was homeless in the Bridgeport area after spending more than 18 years in prison in Texas. But now he says hes off drugs, applying for recovery support specialist jobs and has a roof over his head, thanks to the Operation Hope shelter, The Connection Inc. service program and the Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust.

They always tried to plug me into different organizations that help senior citizens, and they did a heck of a job doing that, Miller said of Operation Hope. After almost three months at the shelter, The Connection Inc. was able to get him into his one bedroom apartment on Freeman Street and into an inpatient program to treat his addiction.

Helen McAlinden, a social worker with The Connection Inc. who helped Miller find housing, said it is the combination of services and stable housing that turn things around for those who are homeless.

Housing is no good to somebody... who has had issues and been unhoused for many years, without supportive services to help them get back on their feet, she said.

Staff writer Sophia Kunthara contributed to this report.
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BRIDGEPORT - North End Democrats will head to the polls for a third time to pick their candidates for City Council.

Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis Thursday ordered a third Democratic primary for the 133rd Council District after finding the partys chairman and his preferred candidate  the chairmans bartender  meddled with the collection of absentee ballots during the Nov. 14 primary redo.

The primary will be held Feb. 6  though the city plans to appeal the ruling in state Supreme Court.

Bellis was particularly aggrieved because she had ordered that second 133rd District primary after tossing out the results of the original September contest over concerns about the legality of one tie-breaking absentee ballot that appeared during a recount.

The citizens of the city of Bridgeport expect and are entitled to integrity in the election process and a fair and honest election, which they did not get, Bellis said.

Emphasizing the seriousness of the situation, Bellis ordered a transcript of her ruling sent to the Chief States Attorney, the Secretary of the State and to federal authorities.

Former state Rep. Robert Keeley originated the court case. He lost the September primary by that one absentee ballot, and the Nov. 14 primary by 18 votes,

Im going to be knocking on doors again, Keeley said after the judge announced her decision.

Three incidents

Keeley and his running mate, Zoning Commissioner Anne Pappas Phillips, will again face-off against the Democratic Town Committees nominees -- Councilwoman Jeanette Herron and newcomer Michael DeFilippo. He slings drinks at party chief Mario Testas pizza restaurant on Brooklawn Avenue, just over the border in Fairfield.

Prior to the primary, DeFilippo made headlines for his controversial efforts to change the citys liquor laws so he could re-open his new package store across from Testas restaurant. A judge ordered the establishment closed in early 2016 after the zoning permits were appealed.

DeFilippo has been the clear winner of both primaries. Herron, who in September had beaten Keeley by that one absentee ballot, then on Nov. 14 by 18 votes, sat in the front seat of the courts spectator section looking at the floor as Bellis read her decision. Herron declined comment.

Bellis' decision rested on three main incidents that came to light during hearings held this week.

Police Officer Paul Nikola testified he was ordered by Police Chief Armando A.J. Perez to report to Testa on the day before the primary. Nikola said Testa introduced him to DeFilippo, who provided Nikola with addresses to go to pick up absentee ballots over the course of Nov. 13 and Nov. 14.

Nikola said he then drove around the citys North End in his police car picking up absentee ballots from those addresses, including from a mailbox. Bellis said Testas personal use of a police officer was a violation of the election process.

Under state law mail-in absentee ballots  available to certain voters who are unable to head to the polls  can be completed and, if necessary, transported to the Town Clerk by a family member, caregiver or police officer. But the voter is supposed to initiate the request. And the Town Clerk normally handles such requests and dispatches an officer assigned each Election Day to deal with last minute absentee ballots. Nikola even testified there was already an officer assigned to the Town Clerk on Nov. 14.

Bellis added: The statutes do not allow a candidate to interject himself into the process. Mr. DeFilippo could have asked the absentee ballot voters to contact the Town Clerks office to arrange for their absentee ballots to be delivered there.

Also local lawyer Maximino Medina Jr., whom Bellis appointed to monitor the Nov. 14 primary, testified that on the morning of the election he visited the City Hall mail room where some absentee ballots had been delivered. He said the supervisor of the mail room, Jack McDowell, told him he had brought the bundle of 15 ballots over from the Post Office. But 12 did not have post marks.

The 12 absentee ballots were not sent by the United States Postal Service and all 12 should have been rejected, Bellis ruled.

Medina also testified that he went to Northbridge Health Care on Main Street where a mandated supervised absentee balloting was to take place and did not see any signs advertising the primary vote. He said two members of the registrars office were in a community room at the center but were not approached by any residents.

Democratic Registrar of Voters Santa Ayala testified that voters at Northbridge refused to cast ballots.

The registrar and her designates failed to take reasonable steps to ensure residents were aware of the supervised balloting, Bellis said. She pointed out that a Northbridge employee had testified that, during a prior election, she and two people from the registrars office had gone door to door to alert nursing home residents to the vote.

Back door deal

Deputy City Attorney John Bohannon on Thursday planned to immediately file an appeal.

We believe that the courts factual findings are contradicted by the evidence and that its interpretation and application of the relevant election laws is erroneous, Bohannon said. Mr. Testa and Mr. DeFilippo acted perfectly consistent with the law. They requested that the police chief, Bridgeports highest law enforcement authority, assign a police officer to retain and return the absentee ballots of citizens who expressed a need for such assistance. Neither individual ever touched an absentee ballot.

But Testa and DeFilippo refused to testify this week unless ordered to do so.

Bellis ruling received mixed reviews outside of the courtroom.

Council President Tom McCarthy, who has represented the 133rd District for years, was headed for retirement. Now he, and Herron, will hold on to their seats through the winter.

McCarthy, a close Testa ally who has campaigned for DeFilippo and Herron, was disappointed in Bellis decision: I do think it is outrageous that we have to force the voters to come out again for the third time.

But Councilman-elect Kyle Langan, who defeated a town committee candidate in the September Democratic primary and went on to win Novembers general election, found the revelations about Testa troubling.

What is extremely concerning is this back door relationship between our Democratic Chairman and the police chief, Langan said. We cant help but make assumptions in the case as Mr. Testa did not take the stand himself to explain the situation. And the optics of it appear that our election system isn't being run from the Town Clerks office, but instead from Mr. Testas restaurant."
FAIRFIELD  First, Kemisha Morris was fired from BJs Wholesale Club, then she was arrested.

Police were called to the wholesale club at 40 Black Rock Turnpike Nov. 24. According to the police report, Morris had just been let go because of her job performance, and as she was being escorted from the store, she shoved another employee, knocking her to the ground.
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FAIRFIELD  The latest entrant into the governors race is not cast from the Rockefeller Republican mold as many of his moderate rivals  a badge of honor for Peter Lumaj.

The immigration lawyer from Fairfield, who fled the Communist regime in his native Albania in the late 1980s, registered as a candidate for the states top office Wednesday after testing the waters for more than year.

Lumaj, who captured the GOP nomination for secretary of the state in 2014 but lost in the general election, is touting his conservative credentials to Republicans. He is a staunch supporter of Donald Trumps immigration policy, from withholding funding for sanctuary cities to ending a program that protects so-called dreamers from deportation.

Were very confident at this point that there is a clear path to the nomination, said Brock Weber, Lumajs campaign manager. We see that Connecticut is ready for an outsider type of candidate, somebody whos willing to bring the issues to the forefront. We need to have strong conservative reforms.

More News Crowd to grow in race for gov.

The campaign did not make Lumaj available for direct comment, saying he would be ratcheting up his media presence in the coming days.

He is one of 13 Republicans who have either entered the 2018 race or formed exploratory committees, and was the first to do the latter. The field will be winnowed next May at the state party conventions, where delegates will make endorsements. Candidates who muster at least 15 percent of the vote will automatically qualify for their partys primary in August, otherwise they have to petition their way onto the ballot.

Listen, Peter has a lot of support, said J.R. Romano, the state GOP chairman. Hes raised a significant amount of money. He has run statewide and came very close.

Since Lumaj formed his exploratory committee in September 2016, his campaign manager said, he has raised over $400,000 in a bid to qualify for public campaign financing under Connecticuts clean-elections program.

Candidates for governor can get up to $8 million for the primary and general election if they raise $250,000 in increments of no more than $100 per person. A maximum of $25,000 can come from out of state, however, which is where the early focus of Lumajs fundraising efforts was concentrated. Weber said Lumaj expects to carry over $150,000 in qualifying funds from his exploratory committee to the campaign and will reach the $250,000 mark well before the state GOP convention.

Weve had strong and steady fundraising, Weber said.

http://twitter.com/gettinviggy; nvigdor@hearstmediact.com; 203-625-4436
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Thanksgiving weekend marked the beginning of the holiday season and the rush to buy fresh Christmas trees. Those shopping at big box stores may have experienced sticker shock due to a national shortage of trees. But here in Connecticut, cut-your-own tree farms have not felt the shortage; they say prices as well as inventory are as good as ever.

The shortage is really only affecting lots that get trees from giant production farms in places like North Carolina, Maine and Oregon. The reason Connecticut farmers have been immune to the national shortage has a lot to do with the size of their farms, according to John Cimochowski, president of the Connecticut Christmas Tree Growers Association.

The root of the problem goes back to the economic downturn of 2007-2010.

"In 2007, we were at the beginning of our recession and tree sales were down, prices were down, farmers didn't have the space in their fields to replant because they weren't harvesting as many," National Christmas Tree Association spokesman Doug Hundley told Hearst Newspapers.

Now, those trees from about 10 years ago are at the right age to sell, and there just aren't enough to go around.

While national production farms around the country harvest hundreds of thousands of trees, the largest Connecticut tree farms harvest about 25,000, so inventory is small enough to maintain. Also, Connecticut tree farms mainly supply the state with trees and do not have to produce trees to sell wholesale around the country, Cimochowski said. There are about 460 Christmas tree growers in Connecticut.

Stew Leonard's

Jones Family Farm in Shelton and Maple Row Farm in Easton both raised their prices on cut-your-own trees by one or two dollars as they do each year, but said it has nothing to do with the shortage. Paproski's Family Tree Farm in Newtown didn't raise prices at all.

The cost of picking out and cutting your own tree ranges from $70 to $73 at these farms while the price of fresh pre-cut trees ranges based on the size.

Stew Leonard's is a bit of an anomaly because it's a neither a big box store nor a family farm. Stew's said it has been able to keep prices steady this year, and Bill Allen, the Norwalk store's Christmas Shoppe Manager, said the shortage has not affected inventory. Stew's receives daily shipments of trees from Quebec, Canada.

The tree shortage has not brought down local tree sales, and may actually be motivating people to go out and buy. Steven Paproski, owner of Paproski's Family Tree Farm said he was busier than ever on the day after Thanksgiving this year.

"I was stunned," he said. "I wasn't ready. I didn't have enough netting and had to borrow. I guess people are getting earlier all time."

Cimochowsk said one of the possible reasons people have gone out in droves to buy trees this November is because they see the news of the national shortage and fear the trees will run out.

Buying a tree the day after Thanksgiving is not unique to 2017. In the last ten years, Black Friday sales have grown two to three times at Maple Row Farm, said owner Scott Edwards. At Stew Leonard's, 2017's Thanksgiving weekend sales were on par with years past, according to Allen.

Stew Leonard's

Jones Family Farm has been opening the week of Thanksgiving since 1947 when they sold just 12 trees, said Farm Manager Thomas Harbinson. Over the years, families have created traditions of cutting their own trees at the farm, Harbison said.

"Heading out to explore and taking in the views and fresh air, taking a healthy walk...it's really an experience unlike any other."

Harbison said his customers come in early for different reasons; some families want to get the tree while college students are home for Thanksgiving break. He said some military personnel come in early so they can set up their trees before being deployed.

And even with Thanksgiving falling a bit early in the month this year, Harbison said a fresh cut tree with proper watering should last all the way through Christmas.
THE ISSUE: Connecticut community college system President Mark Ojakian has inspired students and faculty members to act  to oppose his proposal to create a single accredited body of the 12 campuses to sustain them during Connecticuts deep fiscal crisis. With more than 52,000 students, the Community College of Connecticut would be the fifth-largest community college in the United States.

WHAT WE WROTE: These are no days to be resisting consolidation, reimagining and compromise. In Connecticut, that caveat reaches to the top of the structure, the state legislature and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, and should be embraced by every other unit of government, including the states 169 municipal entities ... and its state community colleges. ... We agree with Barbara Brittingham, president of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, who described the Ojakian plan as ... a bold and dramatic move to improve services to students.  Editorial, Oct. 22.

WHATS NEW: As we anticipated in that editorial, many students and faculty members are experiencing an identity crisis over the proposal and raising voices in opposition. They are mobilizing to persuade the Board of Regents for Higher Education to reject or slow down the process. In addition to sacrificing their individual and community identities, they say, funds raised through individual foundations would be diminished because donors would not want contributions to be reallocated.

As members of a family of newspapers, we know a thing or two about trepidation in the face of consolidation, particularly regarding community image. But economic realities cannot be ignored in Connecticut, and sharing resources can be mutually advantageous in some areas.

WHATS NEXT: Ojakian has dismissed fears of foundation resources, saying local money would stay local. The Board of Regents should allow time to build support for the plan and detail potential benefits while identifying more of them. For example, paperwork regarding everything from financial aid to enrollment should have been made common years ago, and this should enable more fluid transitions from one campus to another. Additionally, new fundraising efforts can be created to address needs shared by all the campuses.

As with any consolidation, resistance can be expected to start at the top, since staff reduction is an obvious source of savings. In this case, the plan calls for a single vice chancellor to be in charge in place of 12 individual presidents. The 36 college administrative positions will be hacked to 16. That number should suggest the state of the economic climate.

Officials at other state agencies would be wise to monitor how this plan is executed, and whether it yields the desired benefits. The alternatives are obvious: Tuitions will rise sharply and/or campuses will close.

We appreciate that students and staff campuses are embracing the past. History is, and should be, a foundation of any school. But math lessons lack the emotions of their history counterparts, and are ignored at great peril.
When Miea Williams finally had her revelation, it was almost too late. A trip to the emergency room on a Sunday night in 2005 not only saved her life, but served as the wake-up call she needed to take back control of it.A

aThe doctors told me that I was lucky I didnat end up dead or paralyzed due to the damage he had caused a I knew it was only a matter of time,a Williams said. aI realized that I could not continue to allow my children to live in that type of environment. I could not allow them to grow up thinking abuse was okay a either as a perpetrator or a victim.a

Coming out against her husband was difficult for Williams. She kept everything a secret to protect him and his reputation. He was a well-respected ordained minister who became afflicted by addiction issues. Even through all of his abuse and mounting problems, Williams continued to stand by and love her husband. Williams said her own insecurities and ignorance led her astray.

aEven as I was hurting and ashamed, I did not want people to look at him differently or to see him in a negative light,a Williams said. aIt was all about perception, my own personal perception of what I thought a marriage and a wife should be.a

Williams is nowhere near the only domestic abuse victim who calls Memphis home.

According to data collected by former University of Memphis criminology professor Richard Janikowski and the Memphis Police Department, there were 16,820 total domestic violence cases reported in Memphis in 2016. Of those cases, 9,054 involved intimate partners. African-American women make up 68.3 percent of the women who report these intimate partner incidents.

The issue is worse considering those aforementioned numbers only reflect the incidents that are reported. Award-winning womenas advocate and Memphis Area Womenas Council executive director Deborah Clubb said the majority of domestic violence incidents go unreported.

aRemember that if women have any other way to deal with this other than calling the police, we will,a Clubb said. aIf we have any supportive family, friends and financial resources, we will deal with this without police as long as possible.a

Clubb said one in four episodes of physical domestic partner violence are reported to law-enforcement. Even more traumatizing for victims are the thousands of episodes involving verbal and emotional abuse, which are not punishable by law.A

Besides advocacy and training, the Womanas Council is also involved with policy change, community outreach and education. They refer victims to valid agencies and work with them to become advocates who promote awareness for employers or students.

One victim-turned-advocate is Williams, who joined with Survivors of Abuse Reuniting (SOAR) when she walked away from abuse 12 years ago.

aI go out to community events to educate and raise awareness about domestic violence,a Williams said. aWhen I attend rallies or events, I always walk away encouraged by the strength of the survivor to take the initiative to walk away, no matter how difficult it may seem.a

Williams didnat stop with rallies and events. She went back to school to get her masteras degree in counseling, and then volunteered her counseling services to the community. Through her hard work, Williams earned board and chair positions at Exchange Club Family Center, VOCAL and VOICES.A

aThere are people, organizations and agencies that are designed to help victims overcome their situations,a Williams said. aThis is why it is so important to educate and raise awareness of domestic violence so that victims will know that they have a way out, they have somewhere to turn and that they have a listening ear when they decide to get the help that they need. There is still hope.a

A few places nearby with available counselors are the Exchange Club Family Center, the Shelby County Crimes Victim Center and Wilder Tower on campus. The counseling offices at Wilder Tower are located in room 214, and accept appointments online (www.memphis.edu/counseling) as well as walk-ins between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is a complete list of domestic violence resources in the Memphis area at www.memphissaysnomore.com, and 1 (800) 799-7233(SAFE) is the National Domestic Violence Hotline.A

aBreak the silence to stop the violence,a Clubb said. aBeing battered or beaten or abused is not your fault a it is wrong. The person doing the beating or abusing or controlling or terrorizing is the one who is wrong and should be stopped.a
Even the flintiest heart will have been warmed by the sight of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle so palpably in love. He is a fine young man, and she is an attractive, clever and vivacious young woman.

There are so many obvious pluses  the most basic of which is that this will be a glamorous Anglo-American wedding at a time when some in Britain feel down in the dumps over Brexit, and a bit unloved by the world.

The Royal Family, after all, is one of our most successful exports, and millions of Americans will think they are in some way buying into this peculiarly British institution.

Moreover, Meghans own back story as the child of an African-American mother and white father who was brought up in pinched circumstances may serve to soften the still somewhat fusty and undoubtedly privileged image of the Royal Family.

Even the flintiest heart will have been warmed by the sight of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle so palpably in love. He is a fine young man, and she is an attractive, clever and vivacious young woman

She is a thoroughly modern woman in tune with modern trends, who has carved out a highly successful career for herself in the cut-throat world of American television.

Indeed, one can almost hear the purring of Palace spin doctors as they congratulate themselves for having shown yet again how marvellously adaptable the monarchy is as an institution  ready not just for the 21st century but also the 22nd.

Why is it, then, that in the face all these very positive reflections I find myself able to raise only two cheers rather than three? Is it that I have become a little bit of a curmudgeon who, when confronted with the spectacle of a happy couple so manifestly blessed by the gods, cant help thinking of possible snags?

Or might it be that, amid all the euphoria and the sometimes rather mindless media gushing, there are good reasons for expressing some doubts as to whether Meghan Markle really is ideally suited to life as a leading member of the Royal Family?

My worry, in a word, is that the very qualities which have propelled her to the top of American television from humble origins may not be the qualities which will work to the benefit of the House of Windsor.

Needless to say, for her hard-won success I have nothing but respect. Whatever may be said to the contrary by those who dont know any better, America can still be a surprisingly racist society in which barriers are erected against non-whites born into modest homes.

Meghan did not just overcome such impediments. She has triumphed over them, eventually landing a major role in a popular U.S. series called Suits, from which she has now stepped down.

You dont succeed in such a world by hiding your light under a bushel, and Meghan certainly didnt do that. She learnt, if she did not already have them, indispensable skills of self-promotion, which she later put to good use on social media.

America can still be a surprisingly racist society in which barriers are erected against non-whites born into modest homes. Meghan did not just overcome such impediments. She has triumphed over them, eventually landing a major role in a popular U.S. series called Suits (above, in the show as Rachel Zane), from which she has now stepped down

For example, she posted an ecstatic email from her father about Suits, and on her lifestyle website The Tig (now shut down) she featured several posts of a bejewelled Audrey Hepburn, who is evidently her style crush. Meanwhile, Meghan avidly promoted to her 2.5 million Instagram followers the interests of the manufacturers of her shampoo, various beauty products, favoured hemp seeds and Nutella.

Nothing much wrong with any of this, of course, and probably only to be expected in a young American celebrity. But it all emphasises that Meghan  who clearly has an acute commercial brain  is far from being a shrinking violet.

Nor can one help questioning her assertion in the BBC interview with Prince Harry on Monday that before she dated him she didnt know much about him. Can this really be true?

It has plausibly been suggested that their first date was arranged by her close friend, New York-based designer Misha Nonoo, whose marriage to Old Etonian Alexander Gilkes ended last year. Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice (Harrys first cousins) attended the Gilkes-Nonoo wedding in 2012.

Is Meghan concealing a more long-standing interest in Harry? According to her close childhood friend Ninaki Priddy, Meghan has been planning this all her life. She gets exactly what she wants and Harry has fallen for her play. She was always fascinated by the Royal Family. She wants to be Princess Diana 2.0.

To her credit, she has embraced a large number of worthy concerns  driving a clean-water campaign in Rwanda, and tackling poverty and injustice as a global ambassador for World Vision

It may be that Ninaki Priddy has an axe to grind for reasons we dont know, but she and Meghan have undoubtedly been close. The two of them were photographed together sitting on a railing in front of Buckingham Palace in 1996.

None of the insinuations against Meghan, if true, make me dislike her one bit. Far from it.

Readers of Thackerays great novel Vanity Fair usually agree that by far the most attractive character is the low-born, socially ambitious, clever beauty Becky Sharp.

In many ways, it would be a cause for celebration if the Royal Familys perhaps sometimes rather sluggish gene pool was enriched by a talented and imaginative adventuress.

The danger is that Meghan has embarked on a mission, and that she will use her new role to promote Brand Markle, whose calculated interests are unlikely to coincide with the sober pre-occupations of the cautious Brand Windsor.

She is an opinionated young woman, seemingly Left-of-centre, and a keen supporter of Hillary Clinton.

To her credit, she has embraced a large number of worthy concerns  driving a clean-water campaign in Rwanda, and tackling poverty and injustice as a global ambassador for World Vision.

Id feel similar qualms if she were a Right-of-centre campaigner or Trump supporter. The last thing the Royal Family needs is a vocal activist from across the pond noisily embracing global causes.

We have learned to put up with Prince Charless sometimes bizarre intellectual excursions, but Meghan evangelising controversial issues  or promoting her own interests  would be very hard to bear.

Surely the lesson of recent history is that the monarchy is safest and most popular when it is dull and uncontroversial.

The institution was seriously undermined by Princess Dianas freelance activities, though I grant she had been much provoked by Prince Charless shenanigans with Camilla Parker Bowles.

And actually people are wrong when they say the Royal Family should be a mirror of society. Of course, we dont want a selfish, self-regarding crew in charge. But they lose their point if they become indistinguishable from the rest of us.

Am I being too hard on Meghan? Possibly. Its a good sign she is taking British citizenship, and that she is being baptised in the Church of England.

And, of course, its the best sign of all that, whatever ulterior motives she may or may not have, she is obviously in love with Harry. She could be a huge asset to the Royal Family.

My heart wants to believe that in this fairytale everyones going to live happily ever after. Yet I cant get rid of a little voice at the back of my mind whispering that Meghan has come to our shores with a purpose, which is the greater glory and stellar success of Meghan Markle as she swaps Suits for an even juicier role on a much grander stage.

I hope Im wrong. I hope that in ten years time, if I should ever look back at this piece, I will marvel that I could ever doubt Meghans enthusiasm for shaking hands and cutting tapes and pulling cords and listening to ordinary people  the unexciting, unglamorous but utterly indispensable work of a modern-day princess.
The Meghan effect is well and truly in full swing, with clothes and shoes worn by Prince Harry's new fiancee already flying off shelves.

And now it appears the actress has been inspiring a trend in an unexpected department - as fans go under the knife seeking to emulate the bride-to-be's nose.

Plastic surgeon Stephen T. Greenberg revealed that he has seen a spike in clients asking for Meghan's nose in the past six months, as well as in the days following her engagement announcement to Prince Harry.

In fact, he says that the Suits star has even overtaken the likes of Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner when it comes to celebrity-inspired plastic surgery requests.

Meghan Markle has caused a spike in women seeking to go under the knife to copy her nose

Dr Greenberg, who is based in New York, believes that the appeal of a nose like Meghan's is its straight profile and defined tip, as well as the fact it isn't quite perfect.

Speaking to Allure, he said: 'Today she is probably one of the top - if not the number one - request that I am getting from patients hoping to look like their favorite celebrities.'

He explained: 'She has a pretty great nose, but I think the beauty of it is that it isn't perfect.

'From the profile you can see that she has a very slight dorsal hump of the nose that is almost undetectable when looking at her straight on.'

Plastic surgeon Stephen T. Greenberg believes the appeal in her nose is its straight profile and defined tip

It comes after the number of women asking cosmetic surgeons to make their own noses resemble the Duchess of Cambridge's trebled in the two years after the royal wedding.

Explaining the interest, plastic surgeon Maurizio Persico told FEMAIL: Her nose is straight with a cute, rounded tip and is perfectly in proportion to her face.

'This gives Kate an attractive and striking profile.

'Plus, she always looks happy and confident in photos, which is especially appealing to women whose own appearance makes them unhappy - those who feel self-conscious about larger or crooked noses, which they believe dominate their faces.
Victoria's Secret Angels wear bras for a living, which is why it's nearly impossible to imagine them buying one for the first time.

However, as three of the brand's models have now revealed, they weren't always so comfortable in lacy lingerie.

Jasmine Tookes, 26, Josephine Skriver, 24, and Romee Strijd, 22, headed to the Victoria's Secret flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City on Tuesday where they spoke with Refinery29 about what it was like when they bought their first bras.

Hello Kitty: Victoria's Secret Angel Josephine Skriver got her first bra when she was 14 or 15 from her aunt, and it had a Hello Kitty pattern

Late bloomer: 'I didn't even have boobs until I was, like, 19,' Josephine, (pictured as a young girl) admitted

'Oh, this is such funny story!' Josephine said about her first bra purchase. 'I didn't even have boobs until I was, like, 19.'

Luckily, Josephine's aunt bought her a bra when she was 14 or 15 to help her get along with the other girls in her class, but that didn't really work out too well.

Josephine explained that the only bra she could fit into at the time was a Hello Kitty one, but she didn't care at all.

She continued, 'I was still so proud of it. I got two, and I refused to take them off.'

Blonde bombshell: Romee Strijd's mother bought her first bra for her on a family vacation to NYC when she was 14

Sweethearts: Romee (pictured eight years ago, when she was 14 years old, with boyfriend, Laurens van Leeuwen) said her first bra was actually from Victoria's Secret

As for Romee, she got her first bra on a family vacation she'll never forget.

The model, then 14, traveled with her relatives to New York City from the Netherlands. There, the blonde bombshell's mother bought her first bra, and the rest was history.

Now, she said she still remembers never wanting to take it offand looking back on it, it seems as though that first purchase sealed her affinity with the brand.

'I think my first one actually came from Victoria's Secret,' she said.

Romee even shared that she used to wear the bra while cleaning her room and practice walking down a runway, which is a pretty ironic foreshadowing.

Big fan: Jasmine Tookes' first bra was also from Victoria's Secret and she even said she 'was a mega-fan growing up'

Inspiring: The model (pictured as a child) said she hopes young girls are watching the Angels at the fashion show thinking, 'those girls are so cool, strong, feminine, and empowering'

Jasmine Tookes, who was the chosen model to wear the $3 million dollar Fantasy Bra at last year's Paris fashion show, also believes her first bra came from Victoria's Secret.

'I was a mega-fan growing up. I probably tried to have padding in it because when you're young, you want to be older,' she said. 'And now that I'm older, I'm all about no padding. It's funny how things change.'

When it comes to the Victoria's Secret show, though, Jasmine hopes its cult status doesn't change for some time.

'There are so many young girls who watch it, like me when I was growing up, and I was like "those girls are so cool, strong, feminine, and empowering," ' she added.

'Hopefully young girls are at home and watching us and saying the same exact thing.'

Kisses: Victoria's Secret Angels Romee, Josephine, Adriana Lima and Jasmine posed together at the VS x BALMAIN collaboration launch in New York City on Tuesday

Remember: Models Romee, Josephine, and Jasmine dished about their first time buying a bra at the launch event

The Angels made these comments just days after returning home from Shanghai, China for the 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, when they shipped off to NYC to promote the brand's new collaboration with its unexpected new partner, Balmain.

Josephine was rocking the crystal VS X BALMAIN Swarovski Long Line Bra with high-waist black trousers, while Romee donned the red plaid Strappy Long Line Bra with a leather mini skirt.

The VS x BALMAIN collaboration marks the first time the lingerie brand has paired with a high fashion designer and the 22-piece collection is made up of a variety of lingerie including bras, underwear, panties, as well as graffiti-printed T-shirts and even handbags.

The leather cross-body bags are decked out in studs and embellishments, while most of the bras and panties are covered in Swarovski crystals.

The entire collection ranges in prices $28 - $248 and is available online and in-stores.
For generations of children, opening the doors of an advent calendar in the run-up to Christmas has been a delightful tradition. But the new breed of festive calendar isn't aimed at under-18s.

From tomorrow, many of us will be ticking off the December days with a slug of gin or a glug of prosecco  because stores from Aldi to John Lewis are awash with boozy versions.

Forget Nativity scenes and chocolate treats. Nestling behind each cardboard window is a little bottle  and as they all contain alcoholic drinks mostly favoured by women, it's clear who the makers are targeting.

There's the Superstar Sparkling Advent Calendar (125 for 24 20cl bottles of white and rose fizz from thepipstop.co.uk); the Ginvent Calendar (125 for 24 3cl bottles, waitrosegifts.com); or the Boutique-y Gin Company Advent Calendar (99.95 for 24 3cl bottles, amazon.co.uk).

Recent statistics show young women have become the biggest binge drinkers in the country (file image)

The list goes on  and they are selling like hot cakes. Aldi boasts that its 49.99 wine calendar sold out within two days of hitting the shelves on November 1.

Even that bastion of good sense, Good Housekeeping magazine, raves about the calendars. 'From quirky flavoured gins to sparkling wine and a whole calendar devoted to spicy vodka, these are the boozy advent calendars you need to try . . .' it raves.

But this latest push to target women drinkers has been greeted with dismay by medical experts and alcohol charities, not least because recent figures from the Office for National Statistics show young women are the biggest binge drinkers in the country.

Women aged 16-24 now outdrink men of the same age.

The definition of 'binge drinking' for women is consuming six units (two large glasses of wine) in one session. And research by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found Britain is the worst country in the Western world for heavy drinking among professional women.

British women, according to the OECD, are twice as likely to be problem drinkers if they have a good education  Britain is one of the few countries in the world where professional women appear to be drinking to keep up with men.

One university-educated English woman in five regularly drinks too much, the report found.

It's not just young women, either. Figures reveal that the likelihood of a woman in her early 60s dying from drink has shot up by more than a third since the turn of the millennium.

Tessa Cunningham says alcohol advent calendars are encouraging women to drink daily

But how has this heavy-drinking culture among women become so entrenched so fast? Look at the shelves of any supermarket and the clues are obvious. Take the fact that nearly every other bottle is pink  there's pink prosecco, pink gin, pink port.

After decades of ignoring women, drinks companies have finally realised we are ripe for exploiting. Experts say what we are witnessing is the feminisation of alcohol.

Advent calendars, encouraging us to have a daily drink despite compelling advice that we should have at least two booze-free days a week, are just the latest way to encourage us to buy more.

Mums think drinking every day is normal

Sir Ian Gilmore, chairman of the 40-strong group of charities Alcohol Health Alliance UK, is clear that the rise in heavy drinking among women is the result of targeted industry efforts.

'Disposable income among young women has gone up, and the alcohol industry has sought to develop marketing strategies aimed at attracting more women to spend their income on alcohol,' says Sir Ian. 'This explains the rise of fruit-based beers and ciders and drinks marketed as low-calorie.

'At the same time, wine and vodka  preferred by women  have come down in price in real terms in recent years.'

The tactics are certainly working. Sales of female favourites gin and prosecco are soaring.

The trend of colouring drinks pink is also paying dividends.

Tessa and experts also believe the trend for pink drinks is fueling the number of women who drink regularly (file image)

For example, Lidl's Christmas range of Hortus pink gin liqueurs ('rhubarb and ginger' and 'Scottish raspberry'), launched on November 1 at 11.99 each, have been selling at the rate of seven bottles a minute. 'The three fastest-growing sectors are prosecco, gin and rose wine,' says wine expert Helen McGinn, author of The Knackered Mother's Wine Club.

'When companies like Waitrose sell prosecco and gin-flavoured lip balms, you can see how feminised these products have become. Can you imagine a beer-flavoured balm? No.'

A recent paper from The Institute of Alcohol Studies states: 'Alcohol industry growth can come in three ways: by encouraging more people to drink, by encouraging people to drink more, and by encouraging them to drink more expensive drinks.

YULE BE SORRY! During the festive month of December, Britons consume 600 million units of alcohol Advertisement

'In Western countries companies have sought to appeal to demographics that typically drink less. For example, the brewer Molson Coors has set up a unit to develop brands and marketing messages to appeal to women, with the goal of creating 'a world where women love beer as much as shoes'.'

Of course, no one would claim that all boozy advent calendars target women exclusively. But when Waitrose advertises the Ginvent Calendar on its 'Gifts For Her' web page, the message is pretty clear.

The calendars join a huge raft of drinks and drinking accessories aimed at women. In time for Christmas, Aldi has just launched a range of gin, port and champagne  all pink.

The stand-out cocktail in bar chain All Bar One's Christmas range this year is 'Bailey's Blush', a mixture of the Irish cream liqueur, milk, cream and cherry brandy, which naturally is eye-poppingly pink.

Even good old Lakeland, supplier of household gadgets, has a range of colouring powders, fizzy balls and gold leaf to scatter over drinks.

Industry experts are in no doubt the tactics are being cleverly thought-out.

Vhari Russell, of The Food Marketing Expert says women are the biggest driving force behind the increase of gin sales

Vhari Russell, of The Food Marketing Expert, which advises food and drinks companies on marketing strategies, says: 'There has been a huge rise in gin sales, fuelled by the rise of trendy artisan gin-makers. But there's no doubt the biggest driving force has been women.

'That's why brands are going all-out to make their products more feminine.

'I notice it in every social group. By and large, the men will be drinking beer. The women will be drinking gin.

'All the indications are that the sector is going to keep growing. The advertising is very specific  gin companies take stands at high-profile events where most of the audience are women, so they will be out in force at the Good Food Show or Country Living Fair, selling 5cl bottles which they promote as 'handbag-sized'.

'Companies are also getting very clever on social media, fuelling our imagination with competitions.

It didn't take long for wine o'clock to come every evening-Marita Moore

'For example, Simply Good Food TV  which provides recipe and cookery programmes to your iPhone  has been offering the chance to win a hamper of Pinkster gin. It's pink. It's girly.

'And companies know the appearance of the bottle sways us, too. I have no doubt that Warner Edwards gin rebranded this year from a chubby square bottle to a round bottle with a floral design to increase their appeal to women.'

According to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), gin sales rose 'dramatically' in the year ending June 2017.

Sales in pubs and restaurants topped 500 million for the first time, and we are also popping more bottles in our trolleys  gin is the 'standout performer', with sales in shops and supermarkets leaping up by 16 per cent to a staggering 687 million.

'Gin is everywhere, from gin and tonic-flavoured crisps and ice creams to gin and tonic-inspired drizzle cake on The Great British Bake Off,' enthuses WSTA chief executive Miles Beale.

According to the WSTA over 40 million bottles of sparkling wine was purchased in the run-up to Christmas last year

It's much the same story with prosecco. According to the WSTA, we bought more than 85 million bottles last year. In the 12-week Christmas run-up alone we bought more than 40 million bottles of sparkling wine, including cava and English sparkling  a record that is set to be overtaken this year.

Sales of Lidl's own-brand prosecco grew by 79 per cent in January 2017 compared with the same month last year, while Marks & Spencer's prosecco sales rose by 25 per cent from 2015 to 2016.

Richard Halstead, from market researcher Wine Intelligence, predicted in 2010 that we would develop a passion for prosecco. But even he has been stunned by how deep-seated that love affair has become.

Its been fuelled in part, he thinks, by another passion: posting pictures of ourselves on social media. A bottle of prosecco or a glass of fizz in shot is instant proof were having a brilliant time.

We are surrounded by messages promoting prosecco as a girls' drink

'Women are also becoming increasingly aware that prosecco is lower in alcohol  around 10.5 per cent ABV compared with 13 per cent for a bottle of red wine  which means it's lower in calories and helps keep your alcohol intake down,' he says.

'You can already see companies such as Skinny Prosecco tapping into the market, highlighting the message that Prosecco is less calorific.'

Indeed, Amanda Thomson, the founder of Skinny Prosecco  which contains 67 calories a glass compared with the 'full-fat' 80 calories  is frank about the giant potential of the female drinks market. Demand for her product, she says, has been 'off the scale'.

Yet Mark Pearson, the OECD's head of health, says the rise in alcohol consumption among middle-class women is 'the dark side of equality' as they risk their health by adopting traditional male drinking habits.

Marita Moore, 36, says there was a culture for 'wine o'clock at her first job after graduating from university. She says people would look aghast when on the nights she didn't drink

When Marita Moore started her first job after graduating from university, an occasional drink with colleagues turned into a heavy drinking habit.

'I had a stressful job in social services,' Marita, now 36, recalls. 'Most of my colleagues were women. We routinely went out on Thursday and Friday nights and got hammered.

'It was a clear sexual divide. We would be drinking gin, prosecco and white wine while the men would stick to a couple of beers, then go straight home.

'We talked routinely about longing for 5pm and 'wine o'clock' when we could get home and open a bottle of wine.

'But it didn't take long for wine o'clock to come every evening. I'd uncork the bottle and by the end of the night, the whole lot would be gone.

'We were all the same. On the few occasions when I had a night off and mentioned it to colleagues, they'd look aghast and ask if I'd been feeling poorly.'

It was only when she decided to leave her female-dominated office that things changed.

Andrew Misell, a director of Alcohol Concern believes concepts such as 'wine o'clock' disturbingly normalise drinking daily (file image)

'I wanted to apply to the fire service. That meant starting an intense training programme to get fit and I quickly realised I couldn't train with a hangover, so I stopped drinking. I thought it would be difficult but I was so focused on my goal, it was easy.

'The hard part was changing my social life. I discovered the only thing I had in common with my 'friends' was drink.

'Going out with them stone-cold sober was horrible. They felt I was judging them and I hated seeing them slobbering and slurring. I realised I must have been just the same.' Since she stopped drinking, Marita's life has changed enormously.

She has taken a second degree, retrained as a fitness instructor and now runs the Lotus Fitness Academy in her home town, Stockport.

But she is concerned by how many of her female clients seem to be trapped in the 'wine o'clock culture' and is eager to help them kick the habit.

'Many young mums think it's normal to drink every day,' she says. 'It rapidly becomes a lifestyle choice.

'They even drink wine instead of coffee when they meet in town  most of the trendy new cafes are licensed.

'And of course, prosecco slips down a treat. It's like fizzy pop. We are surrounded by messages promoting prosecco as a girls' drink. I've even seen a piggy bank with the message 'Mummy's Prosecco Time'.'

Andrew Misell, a director of Alcohol Concern, is firm about the increased risk to women. 'The concerted effort from the alcohol industry to market products and brands specifically to women is worrying,' he says.

'No one wants to roll back feminism and return to the 1950s, when it was considered disgraceful for a woman to enter a pub alone, never mind appear drunk in public.

'But nor should women be pressurised into drinking more. Concepts such as 'wine o'clock' make a daily glass  or even bottle  of wine seem normal. And that's disturbing.'
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This week, it was announced Meghan and Harry will marry at Windsor Castle next May, and according to Markle family legend Meghans great-great-great-grandmother is thought to have worked at the Castle as a teenager, probably in the kitchens or as a housemaid

While Queen Victoria sat on the throne, Empress to a quarter of the worlds population, a woman named Mattie Turnipseed gave birth to a mulatto  the ugly, official term to describe those of mixed race  baby girl in a corner of Americas Deep South.

In that moment, a remarkable chain of events was triggered.

Half the population of Georgia state, named after Victorias ancestor George II, were black.

Almost all of them had been slaves or were descendants of slaves, bought, sold, and passed on to lives of servitude and brutality.

Its almost impossible to picture the colossal gulf separating the most powerful woman in the world from a young, uneducated coloured woman without a vote  without much more, in fact, than the clothes on her back.

Yet this week, with the engagement of Prince Harry to actress Meghan Markle, a descendant of each of these women pledged themselves to the other.

Building on the work of U.S. experts Elizabeth Banas and Doug Nicol, genealogist Angela Aldam has worked with the Mail to create a comprehensive family tree to illustrate Meghans fascinating family history, from her African-American slave ancestry, to those on her fathers side who emigrated from England and Ireland.

Mattie Turnipseed, Meghans great-great-great-grandmother, grew up in or around Jonesboro, Georgia, after the American Civil War of 1861-65, which had laid waste to the area.

That war centred around the determination of the Confederate states to cling on to their slaves because the cotton fields needed them, and the wealth of the South depended on cotton.

They were opposed by the Union, the northern states which, under President Abraham Lincoln, sought to abolish slavery.

The North triumphed and, in June 1865, the Emancipation Proclamation  freeing Americas slaves  was enforced throughout the South.

It would, however, take many decades for that proclamation to become a reality, and life for the black population continued to be one of poverty and barbaric discrimination under Jim Crow Laws that enforced racial segregation.

Lynchings of negroes  for the most minor of misdemeanours or for no reason at all, other than their colour  was to remain commonplace for many years.

But there was a chance to escape  and Mattie Turnipseeds daughter Claudie Ritchie, who was born in 1885, grabbed it. Her first move was to marry Jeremiah Ragland, son of a black father and white mother who were probably share-croppers (renting small parcels of land to cultivate).

He, too, was ambitious for a better life, and they left rural Georgia, moving 130 miles to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to work in the city.

Jeremiah became a tailor and established his own business, while Claudie was a ladys maid who later worked in the Miller Bros department store.

It was in the next generation that remarkable social progress was made, and education was the driver. Two of Jeremiah and Claudies five surviving children, sisters Dora and Lillie  Meghans great-aunts  went on from their segregated schools to attend college.

By 1930, Dora was a teacher and Lillie would go on to study at the University of California, Los Angeles, as a mature student. She became director of an estate agency and was included in the Whos Who Among African Americans.

Their brother, Steve Ragland, did not rise so high, pressing clothes in a cleaners shop in Chattanooga. He married a negro (as the official records insisted on describing her) called Lois Russell, the daughter of a hotel porter.

Steve and Lois moved to Los Angeles, where, in 1930, their son Alvin  Meghans grandfather  was born. Alvin went to work for his Aunt Lillie before moving into the antiques business, where he carved out a successful career.

He married twice and with his first wife  her identity has yet to be confirmed  had a daughter, Doria, born in 1956. When she was 23, Doria  then a make-up artist  married a TV lighting director named Thomas Markle.

Mattie Turnipseed, Meghans great-great-great-grandmother, grew up in or around Jonesboro, Georgia, after the American Civil War of 1861-65, which had laid waste to the area. Above, Meghan with her mother, Doria Ragland

With the birth of their daughter, Rachel Meghan Markle, on August 4, 1981, the 132-year journey from the cotton fields to a royal palace entered its final phase. Meghan  she chose to use her second name in her late teens  is rightly proud of that rich heritage and the family lore attached to it.

In an interview with Elle magazine, she said: In 1865, which is so shatteringly recent, when slavery was abolished in the United States, former slaves had to choose a name. A surname, to be exact.

Perhaps the closest thing to connecting me to my ever-complex family tree, my longing to know where I come from, and the commonality that links me to my bloodline, is the choice that my great-great-great-grandfather made to start anew. He chose the last name Wisdom.

Despite intensive research, no one has so far found a man bearing that name in her genealogy  but there are layers of history yet to be excavated in the family story.

When she was 23, Doria  then a make-up artist  married a TV lighting director named Thomas Markle (above, with Meghan). With the birth of their daughter, Rachel Meghan Markle, on August 4, 1981, the 132-year journey from the cotton fields to a royal palace entered its final phase

Another intriguing member of Meghans family tree on the maternal side is her great-great-great-great-grandfather, Joseph Betts. The evidence is circumstantial, but it seems likely he was the same Joseph Betts who served with the 40th U.S. Colored Infantry in the Civil War.

Slaves who volunteered could be granted freedom. Before the Civil War there was no record of Betts, possibly because the census did not include slaves. After the war, he appeared in a government count as a farmer. He too, it would seem, had made his triumphant escape from slavery.

Determination and aspiration were no less a characteristic on her fathers side. One of Thomas Markles ancestors was George Sanders, who was born in Essex, England, in 1841.

The Sanders family could boast an impressive aristocratic line back to the Bruce and Stewart kings of Scotland, although George had no great wealth. At 18, he emigrated to America and married a New Hampshire girl who bore him five children.

Ms Markle  possibly the future Duchess of Sussex  need have no worries about living up to the ancient blueblood line of the Windsors. Above, with Prince Harry after their engagement was announced on Monday

More intriguing is the story of Mary Bird (nee Smith), who came from Ireland. This week, it was announced Meghan and Harry will marry at Windsor Castle next May, and according to Markle family legend Meghans great-great-great-grandmother is thought to have worked at the Castle as a teenager, probably in the kitchens or as a housemaid.

Certainly, there is an entry in the Windsor Castle Weekly Disbursement Book of 1856 for an M. Bird. Mary married an English soldier and emigrated first to Canada, then possibly to the U.S.

Meghans fathers side of the family also has Civil War links. Father and son Daniel and Thomas Mangle fought in Lincolns army in the 1860s.

Thomas  Meghans great-great-great-grandfather  was possibly present when southern leader General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses Grant on April 9, 1865.

In recent weeks, as speculation about an engagement mounted, genealogists went further in their analysis to establish that Harry and Meghan are actually distant cousins. Go back 15 generations and we find an English landowner called Ralph Bowes (1480-1516), whose home was Streatlam Castle in County Durham.

Bowess son, George, is the ancestor of Harry through the Queen Mothers family, the Bowes-Lyons, while his daughter, Bridget, provides the bloodline down to Meghan.

By any measure it is a rich and interesting mix, quite as compelling in a different way from the marriage, remarriage and intermarriage of royal princes and princesses which has dominated the British Royal Family tree for 1,000 years.

Ms Markle  possibly the future Duchess of Sussex  need have no worries about living up to the ancient blueblood line of the Windsors.
On December 1, changes to the cervical screening programme in Australia will switch from Pap smears to the human papillomavirus (HPV) test.

While many women don't exactly know what this means, many are aware that the HPV test will be done every five years, instead of the two-yearly Pap smears.

Here, FEMAIL sits down with leading Australian doctor, Dr Daria Fielder, GP from Sapphire Family Medical Practice, to tell you what you need to know about the HPV - and the biggest misconceptions about the change.

FEMAIL sits down with leading Australian doctor, Dr Daria Fielder (pictured), to tell you what you need to know about the HPV test - which comes into effect on December 1

According to Dr Fielder, the HPV will feel a lot like the Pap smear - it's done in the same way, but the way the test is processed is different (stock image)

HOW DOES THE NEW TEST DIFFER?

According to Dr Fielder, there is no need to worry - as the HPV will feel a lot like the Pap smear:

'It's done in the same way that we collected Pap smears, and it will feel the same, but the way we process the test is changing,' she told FEMAIL.

Pap smears in 2017 * Almost one million women across New South Wales are overdue for their Pap test, according to new figures released on the evening of the big switch to HPV. * Women in western Sydney were the least likely to have undergone the cervical cancer screening test in the past two years. Advertisement

'It's become a lot more sophisticated. This is why the test will be conducted every five years instead of two - it's become superior.

'Five years of research, clinical trials and lots of money has gone into the test. If it comes back negative, it has a much better negative predictive value than a Pap smear.'

Crucially, what you need to know is that the new test will be conducted every five years instead of two.

You will also need to have your first HPV test at age 25, instead of the required age 18 for Pap smears - it will go up to age 74 instead of 69.

Dr Fielder warned that if you are due for a new test soon - or in the next two years - you should still come along at your due date:

'If you've had your normal Pap smear, you've had an inferior test,' she said.

'This way, you can be sure - and you then won't need to come back for five years all being well.'

Dr Fielder warned that if you are due for a new test soon - or in the next two years - you should still come along at your due date (stock image)

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTIONS?

While health professionals are assuring women that the HPV is superior to the Pap smear, many remain worried that it's less frequent and so less effective.

However, Dr Fielder said that this is not true.

'Today, we are vaccinated against cervical cancer,' she said. 'If you have an abnormal cell, it takes about 10 years for it to turn into cancer, so five years is a safe amount of time for testing period.'

The GP added that, because, these days young people are getting vaccinated against HPV, doctors are expecting less cervical cancer overall.

'The same people might be wondering, if I was vaccinated, why do I still have to have cervical screening?,' Dr Fielder said.

'But the vaccine only protects you against some strains of cervical cancer.'

Dr Fielder concluded by saying you should definitely go and see a doctor if you think you have abnormal symptoms in your body, whether they be pain in intercourse or discharge.

'Make notes of new symptoms and definitely see a professional,' she said.
Luxury handbag retailer, Oroton, has collapsed into voluntary administration after failing to find a buyer.

The 79-year-old Australian company announced on Thursday morning that it was unable to find a viable option for recapitalising or selling the business following a eight-month strategic review.

Oroton has racked up a $14.2 million loss in 2017.

Luxury handbag retailer, Oroton (pictured), has collapsed into voluntary administration after failing to find a buyer

The 79-year-old Australian company announced on Thursday morning that it was unable to find a viable option for recapitalising or selling the business (stock image)

The 79-year-old Australian company announced on Thursday morning that it was unable to find a viable option for recapitalising or selling the business following a eight-month strategic review (pictured: Rose Byrne and Ksenija Lukich wearing Oroton)

Speaking in a statement to the ASX, interim chief executive, Ross Lane, explained that there was no other solution to the problem.

'The board is disappointed that it has had to take this step after running such a comprehensive process,' he said.

'However, having carefully considered the options available to the Company at the conclusion of its strategic review, it is apparent that voluntary administration is necessary to protect the Oroton business and the future of this iconic Australian brand

The 59 Oroton stores will continue to trade as usual, while administrators Deloitte Restructuring Services pursue a sale or a recapitalisation, the company said.

In recent years, the company has suffered falling sales and racked up a $14.2 million loss in 2017 (stock image)

In recent years, the company has suffered falling sales and racked up a $14.2 million loss in 2017.

Earlier this year, there was controversy when the brand dropped Australian actress, Rose Byrne, for 'younger influencers' who costed less.

In March, Oroton announced alongside its disappointing half-year earnings results that it would 'transition away from 37-year-old Byrne to younger influencers - lower cost'.

Speaking in a statement to the ASX, interim chief executive, Ross Lane, explained that there was no other solution to the problem (stock image)

The company's shares, which went into a trading halt on Tuesday while the board finalised the result of its review, had been steadily falling from $7.80 in early 2013 to $2.44 a year ago.

On Monday, they closed at just 43 cents.

'The board is disappointed that it has had to take this step after running such a comprehensive process,' Mr Lane continued in his statement.

'However it is apparent that voluntary administration is necessary to protect the Oroton business and the future of this iconic Australian brand.'

'The board is disappointed that it has had to take this step after running such a comprehensive process,' Mr Lane explained (stock image)

Oroton joins a string of other Australian fashion retailers in collapsing in the past 18 months.

Topshop and Topman Australia, Marcs, David Lawrence, Herringbone, Rhodes & Beckett, Pumpkin Patch and Payless Shoes have all collapsed in the past 18 months to two years.

It currently has 62 stores and 12 concessions across Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia, employing 550 full-time, part-time and casual staff.

More to come.
Queen Rania of Jordan was the picture of elegance in a cream blouse and tweed skirt for her latest visit to Capitol Hill.

The 47-year-old royal joined her husband, King Abdullah II, in a meeting with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday afternoon.

Rania looked ageless in a stunning in a cream mock-neck blouse that she wore tucked into a calf-grazing tweed skirt.

Royal visit: King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan met with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill on Wednesday afternoon

Queen of style: The 47-year-old looked ageless in a stunning in a cream mock-neck blouse that she wore tucked into a calf-grazing tweed skirt

Ageless beauty: Queen Rania accentuated her glowing complexion with natural-looking make-up that enhanced her features

The queen's skirt was cinched at the waist with a cream sash, and she topped off her outfit with a pair of silver pumps.

With her glowing complexion and natural-looking make-up, Rania could easily have passed for a woman half her age.

The mother-of-four wore her highlighted brown hair in loose waves around her shoulders and delicate earrings dangled from her ears.

The queen was all smiles as she stood alongside her husband while posing for photos with Senator Ben Cardin and Senator Bob Corker, the current chairman of the Senate's Committee on Foreign Relations.

Photo op: The queen stood alongside her husband while posing for pictures with Senator Ben Cardin (far left) and Senator Bob Corker (far right)

Rania looked on while King Abdullah II shook hands with U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce before the meeting

Official business: Rania was photographed taking a seat ahead of her husband's meeting

King Abdullah II looked dapper in a black suit and crimson tie for the visit, and he was photographed shaking hands with U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce before the meeting.

Although President Trump's eldest daughter Ivanka met Queen Rania in January, just a few weeks before he was sworn into office, the White House senior adviser was not on hand at during the royals' visit to Capitol Hill.

The 36-year-old first daughter was in India wrapping up her solo official visit to Hyderabad.

Ivanka traveled to the city at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to headline the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.

Busy week: King Abdullah II met with Jared Kushner at the Jordanian Ambassador's residence in Washington, D.C. on Monday

Fast friends: The king also met with Vice President Mike Pence that morning to talk about how to best move forward to ensure stability and safety in the Middle East

Foreign mission: Although Ivanka Trump met Queen Rania in January, the president's eldest daughter was in India during the royals' visit to Capitol Hill

Royal gathering: King Abdullah II and Queen Rania met with President Trump and his wife Melania at the White House in April

Ivanka, in her biggest foreign mission yet, urged India to seize the untapped potential in women and promoted growing ties between the U.S. and the South Asia powerhouse in a keynote speech on Tuesday before the prime minister.

On Monday, Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner, met with King Abdullah outaside his residence in Washington, D.C. to discuss Middle East Peace.

The King of Jordan also had a meeting with Vice President Mike Pence that morning to talk about how to best move forward to ensure stability and safety in the Middle East.

King Abdullah II and Queen Rania met with President Trump and his wife Melania at the White House in April.
EXCLUSIVE. A woman who was raped and sexually abused by her father from the age of 12 has bravely spoken of the chilling moment he told her he 'just couldn't help himself'. Aimee Foley, 21 (right), from Ennisymon, Co Clare, Ireland, says her father Mike O'Donoghue's (inset) verbal and emotional abuse began when she was four-years-old. As she got older and became sexual when she was around 12 (left). Three years later, Aimee - who was then 15 - was raped by her father, now 44, in his home. It was only when the sexual abuse survivor was in her first year of a music degree at Maynooh University that the memory of December 23, 2016 appeared to her in a flashback and she began seeking justice.
A mother-of-three, who decorates her nine foot artificial Christmas tree with 100 Disney bears, has received an accolade from the film giant, deeming her festive efforts a roaring success.

Leanne Tague, 34  who takes just a few hours to expertly cover the Yuletide branches with the teddies she has been collecting for more than 12 years  received a congratulatory email from Disney, after her friend entered her tree into a Facebook contest.

Leanne, of Wirral, Merseyside, said: 'My friend entered it into a Christmas tree competition on Facebook and it got thousands of likes.

Leanne Tangue decorates her artificial Christmas tree with over 100 Disney stuffed toys

'After that, I got an email from Disney, saying they had seen the tree and they loved it. They said they would share it with their staff to spread Christmas cheer. I was so proud and my daughters, Indie, seven, and Poppy, eight, couldn't believe it.'

Leanne, who separated from her husband three years ago, was tickled pink when a crowd-pulling tree in central London was also decorated with teddies.

The beauty therapist said: 'In 2015, there was a huge tree covered in teddies in St Pancras station in London.

'Of course, they weren't likely to have seen my little tree on the Wirral, but it's great to think we had the same idea.

Leanne says that her tree gets a mixed reaction but argues she does it to please her two daughters, Indie, seven, and Poppy, eight (pictured with their mum)

The beauty therapist received an email from Disney itself commending her on her efforts

'And I started doing mine back in 2012, so I definitely did it first, but it was amazing to see it on such a huge scale. I went down to visit to take a picture with it.'

Meanwhile, locally, Leanne's unusual tree has become something of a Christmas landmark, with friends and neighbours all keen to pop over and see it.

She continued: 'I adore Disney and so do my kids. It was just something I thought of over the years and it attracts loads of attention.

'It is a bit like Marmite - people either love it or they hate how untraditional it is. I always get some criticism about how much it cost or how it's not showing the meaning of Christmas. For me, though, Christmas is about the children and making it magical for them.

She was delighted to see that Kings Cross St Pancras had decorated their tree in a similar style in 2015, three years after she began decorating her tree in such a fashion

The family love Disney and visit either Disneyland Paris or Disney World Florida every year

'From the first year I did it in 2007 everyone who sees it has been talking about it and every year, more and more people coming to visit it.'

Growing up, Leanne remembers her own mum Tracey, 53, being equally fussy about the family tree  with everything carefully colour coded and tasteful.

She added: 'When I was little, we had a lovely colour coded tree. It had to be done in a certain way and then I wouldn't be able to touch it.

'But I always said that if I had children, I didn't want a tree that was done to perfection - it would be one where anything could go on it, a mismatch of everything.

'When I bought my first house, 12 years ago, I only added a few Disney teddies to the tree. I've always loved Disney, though, as do my girls, so, over the years, we've bought more and more and added them all. I've completely lost track of how much all the stuff on the tree is worth.

After twelfth night the stuffed toys are re-purposed with Leanne's daughters using them to decorate their bedrooms. Pictured: Poppy and Leanne in Disneyland

'I started planning a Disney bear-themed tree 10 years ago, when I realised our collection was so big there was no room for anything else, really.'

Now a seasoned pro, it only takes Leanne between two and three hours to create her festive masterpiece.

She explained: 'I have a certain order. I do the tree and the lights in one night. I put all the teddies on the floor, then we group them, depending on who we want to put together - the Frozen characters together, for example.

'Mickey and Minnie are always right in the middle. I have quite a few of them in different clothes, so I choose the biggest ones for the middle and work around them.

'It's just a normal fake Christmas tree underneath and I wrap the branches around the teddies, filling any little spaces with baubles. Every holiday we go on, we get a different decoration to go on there, too, but it's always got to be multi-coloured to match the theme.

'The whole tree is really special for us all. It's full of memories and the kids absolutely love it.'

And, unlike other Christmas decorations, the teddies do not get packed away on Twelfth Night.

Instead, Leanne's daughters use the toys to decorate their bedroom - hanging them from the ceiling and walls using fishing wire.

'We're all huge fans. We've been to Disneyworld in California and we go to Disneyland Paris almost every year. It's lovely that the three of us share an interest,' added Leanne.

'It just makes Christmas really magical.'
An aspiring model who was doused with acid in an horrifying and unprovoked attack has made her first TV appearance after vowing to move on from her terrifying ordeal.

Resham Khan, 21, suffered severe and life-changing facial scarring after being doused with corrosive fluid by by John Tomlin, 25, in East London in June, as she and her cousin sat at a red traffic light in their car.

Miss Khan, who is a student in Manchester and dreamed of being a model, appeared on This Morning on Thursday and recalled the 'unbearable pain' she felt in the wake of the attack, which occurred on the morning of June 21 in Tollgate Road, Beckton.

She told hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield she would 'never understand' Tomlin's unprovoked attack, but said she refused to 'let it break me'.

'I have my good days and my bad days,' she said, adding that an influx of support from wellwishers around the globe - as well as that of her own friends and family - had strengthened her resolve to move on.

'In my head I think how can I let this break me when there are so many people there are so many people wishing the best for me?'

Presenter Phillip applauded the student's bravery telling her: 'You are remarkable and very beautiful.'

Resham Khan, 21, suffered severe life-changing facial scarring following an unprovoked acid attack when she was in a car with her cousin who was also severely injured

Miss Khan has had three skin grafts after suffering severe facial burns, and her eyesight is permanently damaged

The man behind the attack Tomlin, hurled the corrosive fluid at Miss Khan and her cousin Jameel Muhktar, 37, as they sat in their car at a red traffic light in Beckton, east London.

The attacker pursued the cousins as they tried to escape, until they crashed their car and he fled the scene.

Mr Muhktar was so badly burned in the incident he was put in an induced coma.

He was left deaf in one ear, damage to his right eye and extensive burns to his upper body, arms, legs, back, neck and face.

Tomlin initially admitted causing grievous bodily harm, but has since admitted the more serious charge of grievous bodily harm with intent. He is yet to be sentenced.

A motive for the attack is yet to be given in court during his trial, but Tomlin has been previously sectioned under the Mental Health Act and has been prescribed anti-psychotic medication.

Police have previously said there was 'nothing to suggest the attack was racially motivated'.

Miss Khan, who studies at Manchester Met university, has had three skin grafts so far and her eyesight is permanently damaged.

She had just returned from an exchange year to Cyprus when the attack happened.

John Tomlin, 25, of Canning Town, is on trial and has pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent

Miss Khan explained how she had been put under a cold shower as soon as she arrived at hospital and the pain was so unbearable that she didn't want to leave the water that was rinsing away the acid.

'I remember I was praying in the shower to die, I was completely praying to die,' she recalled.

The student, who has said she has suffered breakdowns since the attack, has been sharing her journey to recovery on a blog, and last month shared a new picture on Twitter to show it was 'time to stop hiding'.

Miss Khan said the reason she wanted to speak out on This Morning was to show that she was moving on with her future.

'The point I wanted to make was if I can face myself so can many other people. That's why I am proceeding the way I am with my future.

'I have gone back to uni, I want to open my own business. I want to help other people.'

Tomlin had earlier admitted causing grievous bodily harm to the pair but in court earlier this week, he admitted the more serious charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent on the first day of his trial on November 27.

He changed his pleas to guilty before the jury were sworn at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

Tomlin, who has six teardrops tattooed on his face, could now face the maximum sentence of life imprisonment when he is sentenced in January.

Resham appeared on television for the first time to talk about her horrifying ordeal and has vowed to move on with her life and wants to help others

Resham explained that her facial injuries were healing, but her body was still covered in purple blotches from the acid

Miss Khan, pictured before (left) and after (right) the attack, has started campaigning for tighter laws to prevent acid attacks

Resham's cousin Jameel Muhktar, pictured during an interview on Channel 4, was also severely injured in the attack, he was placed in an induced coma because he was so badly burnt

On her blog Resham explained since the attack how she had been 'too petrified to walk to my local shop'.

She also said she has suffered from breakdowns in her road to recovery, and added her voice to petition to strengthen sentences of acid attackers.

Tomlin targeted Miss Khan through the passenger window before moving round to the drivers side.

He then threw more of the acid at Mr Muhktar.

The two victims tried to drive off, pursued by the attacker before their car crashed into a fence and the man fled the scene.

The cousins were left with horrific neck and face injuries and were treated in hospital.

Mr Muhktar was so badly burnt he was put in an induced coma.

He was left deaf in one ear, damage to his right eye and extensive burns to his upper body, arms, legs, back, neck and face.

Miss Khan shared these photos last month of her recovery, saying it's 'time to stop hiding'

This Morning airs weekdays on ITV at 10.30am
The Countess of Wessex's busy week of royal engagements continued with a visit to a women's prison today.

Sophie, 52, spent time speaking to the female inmates at HMP Downview in Sutton, south-west London.

The royal stopped off at the prison's sewing workshop, where she stopped to hear their stories and experiences of being behind bars.

The Countess of Wessex visited HMP Downview in Sutton, south-west London, today

Sophie wrapped up against the chilly day in London in a thick cream coat and long boots

Sophie looks elegant as she meets with women who are at the prison in Sutton

Looking ready for winter, she wore a thick cream coat buttoned up to the top, teamed with a pair of knee high suede boots.

She kept the coat on as she visited different stations in the workshop, where she admired the women's handiwork.

The royal looked engaged as she heard more about their work and was given a tour of the facility, which reopened last year.

Sophie meets with women working on sewing projects in the workshop at the prison

She smiles as she meets with inmates to talk to them about the work that they do

Sophie has just returned from a solo trip in Bangladesh where she travelled around the area meeting volunteers and staff working to decrease the rate of childhood blindness.

She took little time off before returning to royal duties across the UK.

Yesterday she visited a Bracknell pool, where she surprised scantily-clad swimmers.

The Countess was also given a tour of part of the facility, which reopened last year

Sophie talks with a female inmate who is using a sewing machine to make a garment
Queen Letizia of Spain opted for a festive shade of red for a formal engagement in Madrid on Thursday.

The 45-year-old was joined by her husband King Felipe VI at an engagement at Zarzuela Palace.

Letizia, famously a fan of red, wore a vibrant cardigan over a fitted houndstooth dress, sheer black tights and heels.

The royal pair posed together during a visit in Madrid. The mother-of-two wore a fashionable houndstooth dress

The King and Queen were attending an event linked to plans to mark the 5th centenary of the first circumnavigation of the globe by the Spanish explorer Juan Sebastian Encarlo, and the Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan, which began in 1519.

The Queen wore her hair loose and accessorised with diamond drop earrings.

A smokey brown eye shadow complimented her eyes and she added a layer of gloss over her lipstick to tie in the red cardigan.

Despite wearing a cardigan, the sun was still warm for the pair to enjoy as they posed for photos

Her husband King Felipe has had to cancel a number of engagements in recent months due to the crisis in Catalonia

Her husband King Felipe VI of Spain, 49, towered above her as they posed with representatives during the constitution of the commission for the 5th centenary.

He looked smart in a pin-striped suit with a purple and red tie - perhaps a nod to his wife's own colour choices.

Felipe has been forced to cancel a number of engagements in recent months due to the crisis in Catalonia.

However, it has been largely been business as usual for Letizia, who attended a journalism awards ceremony in Madrid last week.

Letizia's hair was full of shine and volume as she stepped out in Madrid for the visit. She wore a pair of diamond drop earrings
Posing on the glossy cover of ELLE France in a denim shirt and billowing midi skirt, Meghan Markle is the picture of elegance.

However, mixed raced Meghan's skin appears much smoother and her freckles look a lot less visible than usual, suggesting the magazine could have airbrushed them out.

Meghan has previously revealed how her 'pet peeve' is having her skin tone lightened and her freckles airbrushed out of photos.

The actress revealed to Allure the difficulties she's faced in the industry due to her 'ethnically ambiguous' appearance.

Newly engaged Meghan Markle is the picture of elegance as she poses on the cover of ELLE France's December 2017 issue but her freckles appear to be missing

Speaking of casting directors attitudes to her, she said: 'Was I Latina? Sephardic? Exotic Caucasian?' she said. 'Add the freckles to the mix and it created quite the conundrum.'

Meghan, who stars in popular US drama Suits, was born to an African-American mother and Caucasian father.

The United Nations Women's advocate gave advice to young 'freckle-faced friends out there' who might be struggling to embrace their identity to listen to the advice she received from her father: A face without freckles is a night without stars.'

Growing up, Meghan says she remembers being seven years old and her mother picking her up from her grandmother's house.

Meghan's skin appears much smoother and her freckles look a lot less obvious, suggesting the magazine could have airbrushed them out

Meghan's freckles are clear in this image from fashion week back in 2015

She told Allure: 'There were the three of us, a family tree in an ombre of mocha next to the caramel complexion of my mom and light-skinned, freckled me.

'I remember the sense of belonging, having nothing to do with the color of my skin.'

It was only as she got older and left home to attend classes at Northwestern where they explored colourism that she discovered for the first time a name to feeling 'too light in the black community, too mixed in the white community.'

MailOnline has contacted ELLE France and is awaiting comment.

The image, which was shot before she announced her engagement to the royal, sees the Suits star donning a denim skirt and white midi skirt.

Her brunette locks are pulled back into a chic bun and she accessorised with dazzling chandelier earrings for the December issue.

Prince Harry and Meghan have been busy celebrating the happy news of their engagement

Prince Harry and bride-to-be Meghan have been busy celebrating their happy news, which they shared with the world on Monday.

The couple are 'very caught up in the moment' of their engagement, the Duke of Cambridge said yesterday.

William, who was on an official visit to Finland, spoke of the joy his family feels for Harry and Meghan and wished them 'all the happiness in this very exciting time'.

But he could not resist poking fun at the prince and quipped that he now expected his fridge to be safe from raids by his younger brother, who lives close to the Duke's Kensington Palace apartment

Prince Harry and Meghan shared their news with the world in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace

Speaking to the Press Association during a visit to a Helsinki-based charity, William said the family were 'all very excited, delighted for them both and wishing them all the happiness in this very exciting time.

'And for me personally I hope it means he stays out of my fridge, it will stop him scrounging off all my food, he's done over the last few years.'

Harry and Meghan will be married in the historic surroundings of Windsor Castle's St George's Chapel next May and are planning a day which will 'reflect their characters and personalities' and be a moment of 'fun and joy', Kensington Palace has said.

Prince Harry will marry his US actress girlfriend Meghan early next year after the couple became engaged earlier this month

Harry's communications secretary Jason Knauf said the newly-engaged pair 'want the public to feel part of their day'  and are looking at ways to achieve that.

The prince and Ms Markle could be taken on a carriage ride through the streets as the Earl and Countess of Wessex did when they married in 1999.

William added: 'It's a fantastic process you go through, the engagement and the build up to the wedding and things like that.'

'So they've got a lot of happy times ahead of them and I think they're very caught up in the moment and I wish them all the happiness and success in planning the wedding, I hope it goes really well.'

Kensington Palace is yet to confirm the exact date of the nuptials, who will be Harry's best man or Ms Markle's bridesmaids, and how many guests will attend.

The royal family will pay for the wedding, including the church service, the music, the flowers and the reception. But the security costs for the high-profile celebration will fall to the taxpayer.

The Queen will be there, as will the rest of the royal family, along with Ms Markle's parents Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland.

William's children Prince George and Princess Charlotte are expected to take on the roles of pageboy and bridesmaid. The palace revealed that Ms Markle has met them on many occasions.
As Diane von Furstenberg remembers it, women in the seventies had two certainties, and they had nothing to do with death and taxes. Rather, the two issues that they knew to expect to encounter in everyday life were periods and sexual harassment.

The iconic designer, 70, gave a no-holds-barred talk at private members' club The Wing in New York on Wednesday night, reminiscing about her experience of womanhood throughout the past four decades, and explaining why it's time for women to 'take over'.

Diane, who rose to fame by inventing her much-loved wrap dress, delivered an empowering message, assuring the audience that she wants her legacy to be for people to know they can be 'the woman they want to be'.

Speaking out: Diane von Furstenberg gave a no-holds-barred talk at The Wing club last night in New York, reminiscing about her experience of womanhood throughout the past four decades

A candid account: The iconic designer, 70, explained that back in the 1970s, women had two certainties  periods and sexual harassment

When asked about how sexual harassment has evolved between the 1970s and the modern day, she reminisced: '[In the 1970s], you'd take it for granted that women have their periods and get groped.

'That's just what happens to women. You have your periods every month and men just do things that they shouldn't be doing.

'And, you know, you do the best you can. You push them away, blah blah blah, but it happens to everybody. I mean, there's no one who doesn't have a story. There's no one. It just doesn't happen.'

Reflecting on her own professional path, she added: 'And I was lucky, because I only had three bosses and they all jumped on me, but it was early on, and after 22 I didn't have a boss. I was my own boss.

'So I haven't been in a position of like, "Oh my God, I could lose my job and I have a child and this and that," and those are terrible.'

The current movement of women speaking out against their harassers and attackers, Diane said, has caused a lot of memories she had buried to come back to her.

'I was never traumatized at all but I'm just thinking, "Yeah, why do they have to treat us as meat?"' she wondered.

Message: Diane, who rose to fame by inventing her cult wrap dress, said she wants her legacy to be for people to know they can be 'the woman they want to be'

Support: The designer commended the women in France who have started their own version of the Me Too movement, coming forward under the label 'Denounce Your Pig'

Diane then made it clear that no one is saying people can't flirt, and that harassment and courtship are two very different things, drawing on a phone call she'd had the previous night with the actor Warren Beatty, 80.

'I was on the phone with Warren Beatty last night late, and he said to me, "Well I hope this won't [mean that] we can't be flirtatious," ' Diane recounted.

'And I said "No, that doesn't, you can be flirtatious and you can talk and you can insinuate and you can do all of that, but if you are an old, droopy 76-year-old TV host and you think that putting your hands every single day on your assistant's tits, if you think that's a compliment, it's not.

'And therefore, I think it's very healthy this whole thing. I actually think it's great.'

Diane then commended the women in France who have started their own version of the Me Too movement, coming forward against their harassers under the label 'Denounce Your Pig'.

When it comes to making progress in the realm of women's rights, the designer believes change will come from equality.

'Women and men are humans and we should be treated equally and we should have equal opportunities and certainly equal salaries,' she said. 'And we start like that.'

She then took a jab at President Donald Trump, whom 20 women have accused of sexual misconduct. Diane pointed out the commander in chief hasn't faced the same consequences as other men, such as Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer, who have been fired as the result of allegations against them.

Past: Diane explained that she had accomplished 'everything' in her lifeincluding marrying Prince Egon von Furstenberg (pictured with her in 1970 in New York City), by the age of 29

It begs the question: 'I was never traumatized at all but I'm just thinking "Yeah, why do they have to treat us as meat?" ' Diane (pictured in 1970) wondered about harassers

Boundaries: Diane (pictured with Egon in an archive shot) then made it clear that no one is saying people can't flirt, and that harassment and courtship are two very different things

Comparison: The designer pointed out that Donald Trump hasn't faced the same consequences as other men, such as Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer, who have been fired as the result of allegations against them

'I don't know why all these people lose their job and our president cannot lost his job,' she said, eliciting cheers and claps from the audience.

Asked to name women who inspire her, the designer discussed Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, stating: 'We have very different styles and very different personalities, but she's a very loyal friend and a wonderful woman.'

She further commented on Anna's famously reserved behavior, adding: 'Anna Wintour is shy. The cold look is because she is shy.'

'I love the intimacy with women and I personally get very inspired by women and that's why I'm so committed to women and I want every woman to be strong and I want every woman to feel good about herself,' Diane added. 'I think it's time to take over. I think we have to and I think we have to do it in a systematic way. We have to do it with our heart but I think that equality is the first step for sure.'

I want every woman to be strong and I want every woman to feel good about herself

Diane also reflected on her personal life, and explained that she had accomplished 'everything' in her lifeincluding starting her business and marrying a royal, her first husband Prince Egon von Furstenberg, by the age of 29.

Looking back on her youth, she reminisced: 'I had lots of lovers. I lived like a man in a woman's body. There was no AIDS, there was Studio 54, I had lots of money... I had a great time!'

She candidly detailed a more difficult part of her life, her forties, during which she was diagnosed with cancer in 1994 aged 47.

'It wasn't my best decade,' she said, before reassuring the crowd that by the age of 50 she was 'on top of the world again'.

Now, Diane, who has been married to media mogul Barry Diller for 16 years, is the proud grandmother of four grandchildren.

Looking back on her incredible fashion career, she said, 'People think I created the wrap dress, but actually the wrap dress created me. And I owe her a lot.'

The fashion mogul even dished some information about her skincare regime, revealing when asked how she maintains such a youthful complexion that she recently became a fan of the brand Natura Bisse.

'I love the products,' she revealed, adding: 'I met the owner recently and I think it's a great brand, a great company.'
The Crown actress Claire Foy has weighed in on the show's decision to delve into rumours of the Duke of Edinburgh's infidelity in a new interview.

The 33-year-old star, who plays the Queen in the Netflix drama, said it would be 'very weird' to make a series 'where we pretended... that Prince Philip was entirely devoted to the Queen, adding, 'that's not a true depiction'.

The actress spoke ahead of the release of the second season of the 100million series, which will paint an unflattering portrait of Prince Philip as an adulterer.

Speaking out: Claire Foy, who plays the Queen on The Crown, opened up about the show's decision to delve into rumours of Prince Philip's infidelity. Pictured with co-star Matt Smith

Cracks in the marriage: Claire Foy and Matt Smith as the Queen and Prince Philip on The Crown

In an interview with Alexandra Pollard at the Guardian, Foy said: 'I think ultimately it would be very weird if we made a series where we pretended that Tony Armstrong-Jones was just a photographer, that Edward VIII never had any scandal in his life, and that Prince Philip was entirely devoted to the Queen.

'Thats not a true depiction of these people, and not a true exploration of their characters. It would be like saying that the Queen was never away from her children.'

Scenes from the new series show the Duke of Edinburgh, played by Matt Smith, being tempted by a flirtatious Jackie Kennedy during her visit to Buckingham Palace in 1961.

Milestone anniversary: The Queen and Prince Philip recently celebrated their 70th anniversary

Meanwhile the Queen's suspicions of infidelity are aroused after she finds a picture of a dancer in his bag - believed to represent Pat Kirkwood, the real-life dancer he was once linked to.

The Netflix show also suggests he was romantically involved with women on a 1956-7 tour of Commonwealth countries without his wife, aboard the HMY Britannia.

There he meets the women of Papua New Guinea and Tonga, with his private secretary writing: 'Nowhere on earth have we seen such beautiful women.

'We tear ourselves away, each of us not a little bit, but very much in love.'

Incriminating: In season two, the Queen finds a photo of a dancer among Philip's belongings

The second season also portrays just how much time the Queen spent away from her children as they were growing up as she battled with growing discontent in the Commonwealth.

Foy, who gave birth to her child shortly before she started work on The Crown in 2015, said that no one could judge the Queen for what she did.

'Ive learned that the last thing you can do is judge another mother,' she said. 'She had a job to do, and if she was a man, no one would have questioned it.'

The second series of The Crown will be available to watch from December 8 on Netflix.
Aly Raisman's mother, Lynn, has scathing words for anyone who supports predators like Larry Nassar after the former USA Gymnastics team doctor pleaded guilty to additional counts of criminal sexual conduct.

The mother-of-one took to Twitter on Thursday morning to hit back at people who have offered their sympathies for Nassar, who admitted to assaulting girls under the guise of medical treatment.

Raisman, 23, detailed the alleged assaults that she endured for years while being treated by Nassar in her new book Fierce, and today Lynn tweeted that she is 'confused by those who feel bad or offer support for a predator.'

Hitting back: Aly Raisman's mother, Lynn, has slammed anyone who supports predators like Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor who pleaded guilty to sexual assault

'Stop Abuse': Lynn tweeted on Thursday morning to stress that a 'good work ethic or friendly demeanor does not excuse predatory behavior'

Using her platform: Raisman responded to her mother's tweet by stressing that 'abuse is never ever OK'

'Predators thrive by calculating who they should show kindness to vs who they can assault and abuse,' the mom added. 'Understand that a good work ethic or friendly demeanor does not excuse predatory behavior.'

Raisman responded to her mother's tweet by stressing that 'abuse is never ever OK.'

'We must stop protecting the abusers,' she continued. 'Please stop victim shaming and offer support to those who were/are being hurt. Why are some so quick to support the monsters? #STOPVictimShaming #STOPAbuse.'

In a stream of tweets, the Olympic gymnast added: 'To all the survivors out there.... Your story matters..... I hope each and every single one of you out there know that.... I hope you know you deserve to feel heard & deserve to be safe. I SUPPORT YOU.'

'I can't tell you how many have told me that their child was being abused by their mom or dad, aunt or uncle, guardian, family member, etc. I am sick over it,' she tweeted. 'Adults please talk to kids out there & SUPPORT. (Don't look the other way) Make sure they feel safe & no 1 is hurting them.'

In her book, Raisman wrote that Nassar's alleged assaults all began when she was 15 and practicing through her pain in Australia ahead of a meet.

Sharing her story: Raisman, 23, detailed the alleged assaults that she endured for years while being treated by Nassar in her new book Fierce

Abuse of power: Raisman wrote that Nassar's alleged assaults all began when she was 15 and practicing through the pain. She is pictured competing at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio

'Your story matters': Raisman shared her support for all the survivors of sexual assault on Twitter on Thursday

A USA Gymnastics official suggested that she get treated by Dr. Nassar, saying that the registered osteopath who was a volunteer with the organization could help her sore heels and back pain.

'I didn't want to be labeled as uncooperative, so finally I said okay,' she recalled.

Raisman immediately realized something was different than her previous treatments, but said nothing at the time.

'There was something about the massage that made me uncomfortable, but the staff member's words stuck in my head,' Raisman stated.

This is the same story many of Nassar's accusers have told, alleging that he would digitally penetrate them anally and vaginally with ungloved hands under the guise of treatment.

Raisman wrote that she was told it was an 'honor' to be treated by Dr. Nassar, and for that reason she stayed silent.

Survivor: Raisman, who is the most high profile victim to emerge, has said that she will not go into specific detail about Nassar's alleged abuse

Plea: Larry Nassar (flanked by his attorneys) pleaded guilty to three felony counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct on Wednesday in a Michigan court

'That's probably why I didn't question why Larry would sometimes close his eyes or seem out of breath when he worked on me,' she said.

'I felt guilty for thinking badly of someone everyone else liked.'

Raisman, who is the most high profile victim to emerge, has said that she will not go into specific detail about Nassar's alleged abuse.

Nassar pleaded guilty in a Michigan court on Wednesday to additional counts of criminal sexual conduct for assaulting girls under the guise of medical treatment, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said.

The 54-year-old appeared in Michigan's Eaton County Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to three felony counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct.

He did not make a statement beyond briefly answering the judge's questions, according to The Detroit News.

Guilty: Nassar (pictured during plea hearing on November 22) admitted to digitally penetrating three girls, one of whom was younger than 13 and two of whom were between 13 and 15

Nassar's attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

He admitted that he digitally penetrated three girls and told them it was part of their medical treatment. One girl was younger than 13 and two were between the ages of 13 and 15 when the assaults occurred between 2009 and 2011.

Nassar was the team physician for the Michigan State University gymnastics and women's crew teams, as well as an associate professor at MSU's College of Osteopathic Medicine.

He served as the USA Gymnastics physician through four Olympic Games.

Last week, Nassar pleaded guilty in nearby Ingham County to seven felony counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct despite his earlier denials of wrongdoing.

Wednesday's guilty pleas put an end to criminal sexual conduct charges brought by the Michigan Attorney General's office against Nassar in Eaton and Ingham counties.

Olympic gold medalist: USA gymnast Gabby Douglas said she suffered abuse at the hands of Nassar

Stories of abuse: McKayla Maroney, another Olympic gymnast, also said she was abused

The Eaton County sentencing hearing will be held on January 31.

The Ingham County sentencing hearing will be held on January 12 when all of the 125 reported victims or their parents will be allowed to give victim impact statements.

He also faces child pornography charges and will be sentenced for those alleged crimes on December 7.

Last week's plea deal with prosecutors calls for a minimum prison sentence of 25 years, but the judge could set the minimum as high as 40 years.

Nassar's plea deal follows claims by two of the United States' most decorated gymnasts, Raisman and Gabby Douglas, that they had been sexually abused by the former USA Gymnastics team doctor. McKayla Maroney, another Olympic gymnast, has also publicly said that Nassar abused her.

Earlier this month, Douglas, a three-times Olympic gold medalist, said she was sexually abused by Nassar while Raisman, also a three-times gold medalist, made similar allegations in an interview with CBS News program '60 Minutes.'

During the November 22 hearing, Nassar apologized and said it was time for his victims to begin healing, The Detroit News reported.
With more theatres and museums than any other US city and following the opening of the Happy Place, a massive pop-up experience in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles last week, the Museum of Failure is not meant to solely chuckle at colossal flops, but to learn how to make success out of failure, whilst adding to L.A's list of quirky museum openings.

The Happy Place , a massive pop-up exhibit in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles is, opened up last week on the 20th November and will run through Sunday, January 7th, 2018.

The Pop Up is filled with larger than life size installations, multi-sensory immersive rooms and dozens of moments curated to Capture Your Happy.

Instagram heaven : The Happy Place is Los Angeles new quirky installation which will push its viewers camera skill to the limit

Jared Paul, founder of HAPPY PLACE shares, I want to live and raise my children in a world surrounded by what makes us happy. With the amount of unfortunate events happening recently, I believe that our world as a whole can use more happiness. To make this dream come true, we set out on a journey to create a special place filled with smiles and laughter for all.

Highlights include: Candy Room, dedicated to your sweet indulgences, featuring 7-foot tall high heels made out of over 1 million candies. In a nod to California, the Paradise Room will showcase one of a kind sculptures sprouting from the walls and floor via the imagination of renowned artist, Steven Harrington.

Success: The Museum of Ice Cream Sprinkle pool was an instant hit

Los Angeles thou bids farewell to the mega popular The Museum of Ice Cream as they make their debut during Miami Art Basel from Friday 8th December.

The new space promises to bring people together through art, design, and innovation as the Miami edition promises to provoke curiosity and imagination in both the physical and digital worlds. The show will run through January 2018.

The Museum of Failure will treat its visitors to a shrine of historys epic fails by some of the worlds best-known companies. Marketing catastrophe that was Bic for Her? Yup.

DeLorean 1981-1982 The DeLorean, with its exotic gull-wing doors, was one of the most spectacular innovation failures in history. The first prototype was built in 1976, when there were not many competitors for this type of futuristic car. The car will always be remembered as the famous time machine from the movie series Back to the Future

Trump: The Game 1989-1990; 2004 Inspired by Donald Trumps real estate business, this game is about buying and selling real estate. It was described as a boring and complicated variation of the popular game Monopoly, though Trump himself said it was much more sophisticated than Monopoly.

The two-wheeled, self-balancing transport innovation, Segway? Better believe it. These, along with artifacts spanning from the 17th century right up to the present day, including the frozen beef lasagna by Colgate, demonstrate the types of failures the museum will showcase.

Other highlights include the hula chair (just envision it), one of Apples few unsuccessful devices, the Newton, and even President Donald Trumps version of Monopoly from 1989 made the cut. With surprise Instagram moments all around, the museum is a family affair with failures for everyone from nine to 90.

Colgate frozen dinner1980s : According to the literature on brand failures, Colgate launched a line of frozen food in the 1980s. This was a mistake because the brand was strongly associated with oral hygiene and strong mint flavors, rather than food.

First displayed in Sweden, the collection of 100 plus failures was originally conceived by psychologist and innovation researcher, Dr. Samuel West, as part of his research on corporate success and innovation. When he discovered that 80-90% of industries projects fail, West felt the untold stories of failures and the lessons within them did not get their deserved attention.

At large, as a society, we are too obsessed with success and underestimate failure," says West. I started the Museum of Failure out of frustration -- its time we accept failure, learn from it, and truly achieve progress. I am thrilled to bring the hilarious, yet impactful memories of these colossal flops to Los Angeles.

Bic for Her 2011: The French company BIC is best known for their pens, which have been produced since the 1950s. Bic for Her are pens designed to fit comfortably in a womans hand. They come inpastel colors and glitter, because women like that kind of stuff. The launch was an instant flop.

We are thrilled to bring Dr. Wests vision to the US along with many cautionary tales the Museum of Failures has to offer, says SEE CEO Martin Biallas.

Though quirky in nature, the museum invites global markets to explore the world of failures in an intriguing way. Like everyone else, the big guys make mistakes too!

Interesting: the museum invites global markets to explore the world of failures in an intriguing way

The Museum of Failure will be on exhibit in Los Angeles starting December 1 to February 4, 2018. For more information on the Museum of Failure and to purchase tickets.
As bucket lists go, it was rather unorthodox. The first item wasnt the usual exotic holiday or taking up an extreme sport.

Rather, upon learning she was dying of cancer not long after turning 50, Annabel Nnochiri immediately resolved to leave her husband.

Unhappy with her husband of 20 years and feeling trapped, she decided that what remained of her life would be free of constraints.

So determined was she to be free of her marriage that she went to elaborate lengths to plan her escape.

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Annabel Nnochiri, from Edgware, London, was diagnosed with cancer in 2010

First, she declined to accompany her husband and their two children on their usual Easter holiday to Tenerife, saying she didnt need a break. Then, as soon as they were gone, she moved her belongings out of the family home near Edgware, North London, into a flat six miles away in Whetstone, which she had secretly rented.

As she packed her possessions, she sang Queens I Want To Break Free to give herself the courage to see her plan through.

Once released from the role of wife, she took off  to Thailand, America and Colombia, among other far-flung locations. She started salsa dancing and painting. The shackles of marriage were finally broken.

Today, though, more than five years after her terminal diagnosis  so far, two-and-a-half years longer than she expected to live  comes a most unexpected twist.

Annabel, now 56, has begun a new romance with an old flame, who, she reveals, also has cancer. They started seeing each other in August.

Annabel first met Keith, a 54-year-old chemist, as a teenager when she lived with her family in Salisbury, Wiltshire. They had a brief romance, but Keith never forgot her.

The family she left behind: Annabel with children Stella and Christian and her ex-husband at Christian's graduation ceremony

When she found a tumour in her hip in 2012, Annabel, seen with daughter Stella and son Christian, believed she had little time left

One cant help but wonder how Annabel can have seemingly found emotional contentment with another cancer sufferer, but she is adamant their relationship has been aided, not hindered, by their shared illnesses.

Shes with someone who fully understands what shes going through; they can support one another and, she admits, living in the diseases shadow gives an impetus to their relationship  a determination to enjoy every single second they have together.

In August, she met up with Keith for the first time in 36 years. Their first date in London took in the Tate Modern, a Greek restaurant and culminated in drinks on the 32nd floor of The Shard.

It may sound strange, but its so helpful having a partner who has cancer, says Annabel.

They know what youre feeling without being pitying and superficial. Its given me a new lease of life, something to make me look forward.

Annabel, seen with her son Christian, says she left her husband of 28 years because she no longer wanted to be 'a housewife'

Five years later Annabel, seen with her daughter Stella, is not only still alive, but has recently started a new relationship

It all seems quite a change for the woman who determinedly walked out on her marriage just a few years ago.

But, she says, until recently she would not have been open to a new relationship  quite simply because she expected to die, and would not have wanted to put someone else, as well as herself, through the anguish.

And so, while she dated a few other men after leaving Alan*, her husband, she never allowed things to become very serious.

Today, however, seven years since she first learned she had breast cancer, the disease has spread less than she feared. First diagnosed in 2010, the cancer spread to her left arm and right hip in 2012, but, apart from some slow progression in her hip over the past year, has developed no further. Annabel is daring to hope for a future.

Despite her hopes, battling the cancer that wants to kill her is a daily challenge. She has endured endless cycles of chemotherapy and other super-strength drugs that make her violently ill. Morphine numbs her crippling pain. Not only this, but she has developed lymphedema, swelling in one of her legs, as a result of the cancer, and now walks with a limp.

Annabel allowed the story of her flight from her husband to be filmed for a BBC documentary, A Time To Live, last May, providing an object lesson to the rest of us in making every second of our lives count.

And now we have a postscript  the romance with Keith. Few of us, perhaps, would consider a new relationship at such a time. But Annabel, the daughter of Antony Barrington-Brown, an acclaimed architect, inventor and explorer, is made of different stuff.

Her father, who studied chemistry at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, is perhaps best known for taking the iconic image of DNA researchers James Watson and Francis Crick with their double helix model at Cambridge University in 1953.

A Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, he was later awarded an MBE for services to heritage and to the community in Codford, Wiltshire.

Annabels mother, Pamela, also studied at Cambridge: botany and zoology at Newnham College.

However, her parents split up in the Eighties and her father later married Althea Wynne, a renowned sculptor, to whom Annabel became close.

Annabel married her ex-husband in 1992 after meeting him at Cambridge University

She followed in her parents footsteps and studied Fine Art at Homerton College, Cambridge.

It was here, in 1985, that she met her future husband, an engineering student at Gonville and Caius College.

They married in 1992 when she was 31 years old and their son, Christian, now 23, followed two years later in 1994. A daughter, Stella, now 21, arrived in 1996.

For many years, the family led a normal existence. Annabel was an art teacher while Alan was an IT specialist. She admits they were content  at least at the outset. However, as time went on, Annabel says she became increasingly unhappy.

It was small things, she says. For instance, hed insist on doing the weekly shop because he said I spent too much money on food. I felt trapped. It was like an ongoing wearing down.

He would make a big thing about small things, mountains out of molehills. I was treading on eggshells all the time.

After about 15 years, Annabels thoughts turned to leaving. The subject was raised several times  but always with the same outcome.

We did discuss it on three occasions, but each time my husband became really, really upset and I couldnt bear to let him be so upset, so I stayed. I compromised.

Then a series of traumatic life events strengthened her resolve, beginning in 2010 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. A mastectomy, as well as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, followed. She also had three lymph nodes removed.

I was quite positive throughout treatment, but it does make you think quite strongly about life, says Annabel. The year after, when I was in remission, I became quite depressed.

Then, while still grappling with the aftermath of breast cancer as well as the strain of caring for her elderly mother, who has Alzheimers disease and is now in a care home, came further tragedy.

Five years on from discovering the tumour, Annabel lives in a flat in Edgeware filled with her own colourful paintings

Annabel Nnochiri's father, Antony Barrington Brown, and stepmother, Althea Wynne, both of whom were killed in a tragic road traffic accident

Annabel was at home on the evening of January 24, 2012 when she took a call from her husband. Her 84-year-old father and 75-year-old stepmother had been involved in a collision with a lorry near their home in Upton Lovell, Wiltshire. Both were killed instantly.

It was devastating, says Annabel. Id been quite scared of my dad when I was younger because he was quite strict, but we had grown close in the last few years of his life. Hed mellowed.

He had been married to Althea for 25 years and I was very close to her. She was so good with the grandchildren and shed made my dad happy.

Then, in March 2012, just two months after the car accident, Annabel began getting a crippling, dagger-like pain in her right hip. A biopsy revealed an 8cm tumour there.

To my mind, the shock of my father and stepmothers deaths brought the cancer back, she says.

Doctors ordered instant radiotherapy followed by chemotherapy, with the aim of preventing the cancers spread.

But as to her long-term future, they were frank: her condition was terminal. They didnt know how much time she had left.

Desperate for some guidance, Annabel researched online and found, she says, that the average time of survival for those in a similar situation was about two-and-a-half years.

This stark number made her take a hard look at her life.

When you get a terminal illness, you think, is this really how I want to spend the time I have left of my life? I realised the years I had left had to be the best they possibly could be.

I knew I needed to change my life. Whatever I was doing was making matters worse. Knowing my time left was limited gave me the courage to leave my husband. And at the time, I felt reasonably physically well.

And so she embarked on her escape, deciding to move out when her husband wasnt at home.

All was planned with meticulous precision. She secured the rental of a one-bedroom flat in Whetstone with the money from her inheritance from her father  and confided her plans to her teenage children, who were fully supportive of her choice.

They knew I was unhappy. Stella was 16 and Christian was 18  it seemed the right time.

When they left, that gave me a whole week to clear the house of my things. I only took things that were personal to me. I felt very determined. I sang a lot of songs about freedom to myself, like Queens I Want to Break Free

A holiday in Tenerife at Easter 2013 was arranged for her husband and the children. Annabel said she wouldnt be coming along. Her husband suspected nothing.

When they left, that gave me a whole week to clear the house of my things. I only took things that were personal to me. I felt very determined. I sang a lot of songs about freedom to myself, like Queens I Want to Break Free.

When her husband and children returned from Tenerife, Annabel was safely ensconced in her new flat.

On the night they came back, I got a text from my son saying: Mum, this is really hard, Dad is trying to buy you a birthday present at the airport.

They got back to the house at 2am and my son and daughter raced up to bed because they knew what was about to happen. When my husband realised I wasnt home, he sent me a text asking where I was. I replied that Id left a letter on his bed explaining everything.

In the letter Id told him Id been thinking of leaving for a long time, that I felt trapped, that I didnt love him any more. I said I needed to be free, be myself. I needed a break from everything to help me heal.

Annabel requested also in the letter that Alan refrain from contacting her for a week, so as to get used to the reality that she was gone.

He didnt call. In fact, once Id done it he was very sensible about it all.

When they did finally speak, it was agreed they would meet up in a park  neutral territory  a week later.

I was nervous, but it was OK, says Annabel. We talked about the kids, my health and decided we would meet for an hour each week, make our separation civilised. That was important  for the children. And wed spent 28 years of our life together, there was no reason why we shouldnt be friends.

It was helpful to me this way, because I did feel guilty. Wed had a happy marriage for many years.

It was agreed the children would continue to live in the house with their father and visit their mother at her flat. I could only afford a small flat, explains Annabel, and Christian, especially, was worried about his dad being on his own.

Annabel had felt brave when she made her secret flit, but her body told her otherwise.

First she contracted shingles, then scarlet fever. Soon afterwards she was parking her car when there was a loud crack in her left arm.

I suddenly felt very sick and dizzy. It was broken and the doctors discovered I had cancer in the bones in my arm. The disease was spreading.

Despite the physical agonies, Annabel confesses to enjoying her new-found freedom  especially not having anyone to answer to. Small things, such as the supermarket shop, became a mark of her liberty: I took pleasure in going to Waitrose on my own and choosing the food I wanted.

Her horizons broadened, too. She took her son to New York and made a solo tour of Colombia. There were trips to Bruges and Barcelona. She felt invigorated, youthful: When Im travelling on my own, its like Im 18.

It wasnt just travel  she also joined an art group, a choir and took up salsa dancing. Painting is very therapeutic. I force myself to do stuff to take my mind off it. It being the cancer, of course, which she calls the cancer creep.

Then, last August, Annabel received a message on Facebook from Keith.

I think one of my brothers told him I have cancer. It was a blast from the past. Wed liked each other as teenagers and had a fling. He used to come over to our house in Salisbury.

We exchanged messages and discovered quite a lot in common. Keith was divorced five years ago, the same time my husband and I split up. He also has two children. And, of course, he has cancer, albeit not terminal. His is a chronic cancer of the blood that is controlled with drugs, which he was diagnosed with in 2012  the year I was told my cancer was terminal.

Having Keith in my life has given me new focus. I dont know what that future is. But the rollercoaster goes on

We arranged to meet up in London. We had a lovely time  our date lasted nine hours. Now, we speak twice a day on the phone and see each other every weekend. He comes here and sometimes Ill make the effort to go over to his place in Essex, though getting about isnt that easy for me any more. Were very fond of each other.

Today, Annabel, who took early retirement from teaching in 2015, lives in a flat in Edgware, which is filled with her bright and colourful paintings.

Physically, shes much frailer than she used to be and she has had to give up the salsa dancing. I cant really do any exercise now  just walking.

She is hoping the diseases progression in her hip will be halted by a new chemotherapy drug she began taking last week. Its scary. [The cancer is] moving around a lot and I dont know whats happening. Most of all Im scared of it going to my brain.

Yet she manages a smile. Having Keith in my life has given me new focus. I dont know what that future is. But the rollercoaster goes on.

*Annabels ex-husbands name has been changed to Alan to protect his identity.
He's more than happy to roast his fans on Twitter when they send him a picture of their poorly made meal.

But now Gordon Ramsay finally knows how it feels to be roundly mocked online as diners have slammed a photo of one of his beef carpaccio starters for being 'tiny' and resembling a woman's genitals.

The Michelin-starred chef had proudly posted a picture of the $24 Wagyu beef starter served up at one of his Gordon Ramsay Steak restaurants in Las Vegas on Facebook to his 7.5 million followers.

Gordon Ramsay posted a photo of the American Wagyu beef carpaccio served with a devilled quail's egg, puffed rice paper and truffle salsa on his Facebook page but the dish was roundly mocked for its small size

Fans roundly mocked the TV star and Michelin-starred chef for the presentation of the dish, which some said looked like a 'beef curtain' or a row of woman's clitorises.

Others said he and his team of chefs were serving up a 'great empty space' with a 'meat garnish' rather than a meal.

They branded the pricey $24 starter 'tiny' and said it didn't have enough food on the plate even for an 'appetiser'.

Gordon Ramsay has not yet responded to his critics.

Gordon Ramsay has 16 Michelin stars for his various fine dining restaurants across the world

Fans of the chef criticised the chef for the small portion and because the meat bore a resemblance to a woman's genitals, according to some

The reason for the small size may be due to the fact it is a starter, and also because the beef is Wagyu, which is the most expensive variety in the world.

It is also garnished with pricey truffle.

The starter also features a devilled quail's egg, puffed rice paper and a cornichon.

It is on sale for $24 at the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino at Ramsay's restaurant there, or for $23 if you pay with Total Rewards points from the casino.

Gordon Ramsay's representatives have been contacted for comment.
A 14-year-old girl was left with permanent crippling ear pain after her friend's stepfather blasted an air horn in her face because she took a phone call at the dinner table.

Cindy Redmond was sitting at the dinner table in her friend's house waiting for food to be served when she answered her cell phone.

Annoyed by her slow comply to hang up, the friend's stepfather blew an air horn in her face, which Cindy said caused a pop in her head and excruciating pain that has lingered ever since.

Cindy was diagnosed with a rare incurable disorder called hyperacusis which causes every day sounds such as babies crying, people talking and sirens blowing to induce a burning and stabbing sensation in her ears.

The life-altering condition that has forced her to stay in the quiet isolation of her home. Without a cure, she will continue to be home-schooled, miss family functions and may never be able to experience concerts, parties, or even get a job.

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Cindy Redmond, 14, suffers severe pain deep in her ear from every day noises including a baby's cry, sirens and a room full of talking people

She now wears noise blocking headphones and uses a special white and pink noise producing ear piece as a form of sound therapy

Hyperacusis is a rare disorder described as super-sensitivity and pain to certain ranges of sounds that most people find as normal.

Cindy described the pain from noise as a stabbing and burning sensation compared to molten lava or ice picks in her ears.

She told Daily Mail Online that since the initial air horn incident, she constantly feels pain at a level of a six, but it only takes a moment of high-pitched sound to send her into debilitating pain for more than an hour.

And if she is exposed to prolonged noise, it could take Cindy two days to recover.

WHAT IS HYPERACUSIS? Hyperacusis is an extremely rare, little-researched disorder that causes super-sensitivity and pain to certain ranges of sounds. The exact reason it occurs it unknown, but it may be caused when nerves in the ear that are used to regulate hearing become damaged. Sufferers become extremely sensitive to sounds. Noise that is normal to most people can seem unusually loud and even painful. It can also cause a sense of vertigo or falling, as well as associated anxiety and panic attacks. Damage to the ear or brain is believed to be a primary cause, through a series of factors including impact, Lyme disease and toxic damage to the ear. It may also be caused by overexposure to loud music and some neurological illnesses. There are no surgical treatments, but sound therapy using white and pink noise can slowly improve tolerance to sound for some people. Source: American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Advertisement

The noise-sensitivity she experiences has turned her home into a sanctuary as the safest and quietest place she knows, according to her mother Laurie Redmond.

The two live in North Wilmington, Delaware, and now have to plan their outings for times that they think are the least populated.

'For her 14th birthday she wanted to go to the aquarium. Twenty minutes in she was sobbing from the pain,' said Laurie.

Laurie told Daily Mail Online that even their home, which doubles as Cindy's school, has red flags including the ice-maker, their dog's bark, the garage door and outside noise from sirens.

She worries that her daughter won't be able to live a normal life due to her inability to be around people.

'We can't avoid babies,' Laurie said, 'Everyone smiles and says ''aw'' and her face crumples.'

Hyperacusis is an extremely rare condition that is a poorly studied phenomenon.

Sufferers become extremely sensitive to sounds. Noise that is normal to most people can seem unusually loud and even painful.

The condition is believed to be caused either by damage to nerves in the inner ear or by neurological damage.

A broad definition characterizes the condition as 'sensitivity to everyday sounds'. In the US, a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 5.9 percent of people had the condition based on that definition.

Last year, a breakthrough in research found that nerve fibers in the ear whose functions were previously unknown, were actually pain receptors.

Before this discovery, researchers looked at the brain and middle ear to explain sound-induced pain.

But studies from Northwestern University and John Hopkins have shown pain receptor-like behavior from nerves connected to outer hair cells, which are the most susceptible to sound-induced damage.

There is no surgical cure but doctors have told Cindy the best treatment is to be exposed to sound 100 percent of the time.

She wears a special earpiece resembling a hearing aide that produces white and pink noise as a form of sound therapy, but so far has not seen results.



After four days of experiencing pain from being blasted in the face with an air horn, Cindy was in the emergency room because she couldn't bare the sound of the outside world

Cindy's mom Laurie Redmond took her to more than six types of doctors before an occupational therapist diagnosed her daughter with hyperacusis

Cindy's ear trauma was caused after her friend's stepfather blew an air horn in her face after being annoyed by her talking on her phone with another friend at the dinner table.

'It felt like a giant pop in my head and ears, and from then on my ears hurt like someone was stabbing me or I'm getting burned,' Cindy said.

The pain persisted and after four days she was in the emergency room.

For six months doctors said Cindy had an inner ear canal infection, prescribing her with Tylenol coated in codeine.

'It helped Cindy's pain but it made her a zombie,' Laurie said of the pain medication.

They sought help from a wide range of doctors including hearing disorder specialists, occupational therapists, neurologists, rheumatologists, psychologist, ENTs, audiologist and allergists.

It wasn't until an occupational therapist, who had previously learned about hyperacusis, recognized the case and diagnosed Cindy.

The Redmond's said the man who blew the air horn in Cindy's face has never apologized, but the two have tried to find forgiveness and have decided to not seek legal action.

Cindy said: 'It was a lot of anger at first and then turned into sadness realizing that my entire world had crumbled.'

She has lost friends who think she has made up her condition and her friend's stepfather doesn't allow the girls to see each other anymore, though they still communicate online at times.

Cindy said her dad's side of the family is very big and loud so she has had to miss holidays and hasn't seem many of them for nearly a year.

There is no cure for hyperacusis, so Cindy wears noise-blocking headphones to go outside and interact with people

The condition is extremely under-researched and Cindy hopes a cure will be discovered soon so she can enjoy the experiences that most teenagers her age are having

Bryan Pollard, president of Hyperacusis Research, told Daily Mail Online that he founded the non-profit organization after he was diagnosed with hyperacusis due to sound trauma from a wood chipper eight years ago.

He realized how poorly-researched this was and works with scientists from around the world for a cure.

Right now he estimates 12 to 15 studies are being conducted worldwide examining the the condition's cause and possibilities of a cure.

And while Bryan is affected less in one ear than the other and able to continue daily life, Cindy's case makes everyday life unbearable.

The now ninth-grader is in a homeschooling group of nine teens her age who meet once a week, which is the extent of sound she can handle.

'She loved to be around other people and loved to be social,' Laurie said.

Now Cindy is grappling with her new lifestyle and working with Hyperacusis Research to find a cure so she can go back to school and experience her teenage years with her friends.
Liver disease will overtake heart disease as the biggest cause of early death by 2020, a major study predicts.

Alcohol and obesity are the main causes of liver issues and many of those dying are young or in middle-age.

The research estimated how many 'years of working life' would be lost to the two illnesses.

Alcohol and obesity are the main causes of liver issues and many of those dying are young or in middle-age (file photo)

This is a measure of early death, likely to be pre-retirement age, and states the total number of years lost by adults who die early.

The study predicted that by 2020, liver disease will have overtaken heart disease with 80,000 working years lost annually.

By comparison there will be fewer than 76,000 working years lost to heart disease, and the number will continue to fall. Professor Nick Sheron, a liver expert from the University of Southampton involved in the research, said many deaths occurred in middle-aged adults.

He said: 'These are young and middle-aged people. I did a ward round two to three weeks ago and a third of patients were under 40.'

The authors, whose study was published in the Lancet medical journal, urged the Government to follow Scotland in imposing a minimum price for alcohol.

Last month the Scottish Government announced that from May 2018, alcohol would be charged at a minimum price of 50p per unit.

Judi Rhys, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, said: 'Many of us are putting our livers at risk from drinking too much alcohol.

'The shocking numbers highlighted show that we are facing a liver disease crisis. There is an enormous cost benefit to addressing liver disease early and we should make sure that primary care practitioners have all of the tools and levers they need to enable early diagnosis and prevention.'

Britain has the highest obesity rates in the EU  with experts warning that so many people were overweight that it was now considered the 'new normal' (file photo)

Katherine Brown, chief executive of the Institute of Alcohol Studies said: 'This report confirms our fears that liver disease rates are continuing to rise in the UK. This means more people are suffering and dying prematurely from a largely preventable disease.

'It is a tragedy for families and communities across the country and places a huge strain on our NHS and public purse.

'The evidence on how to alleviate this burden is clear yet we have seen very little action from Government. Tackling cheap alcohol through the introduction of minimum unit pricing would make a huge difference to rates of liver disease and would save lives in our most deprived communities.'

Yesterday it was reported that as well as affecting liver disease, obesity had been found to directly cause 18,000 cases of cancer a year in the UK. One in every 18 diagnoses was down to being overweight, according to researchers at Imperial College London.

Britain has the highest obesity rates in the EU  with experts warning that so many people were overweight that it was now considered the 'new normal'.

Last week a study showed unhealthy lifestyles were also causing increased numbers of heart failures.

There were 190,798 new cases of heart failure in the UK in 2014  up 12 per cent in a decade. This is higher than the combined number of bowel, breast, lung and prostate cancer cases  189,140 in 2014.
Two US-funded trials for an HIV vaccine launched in Africa, bringing us closer than ever to widespread protection against the virus that causes AIDS.

The start of the three-year vaccine trial involving 2,600 women in southern Africa means that for the first time in more than a decade there are now two big HIV vaccine clinical trials taking place at the same time.

Although modern HIV drugs have turned the disease from a death sentence into a chronic condition and preventative drug treatment can help, a vaccine is still seen as critical in rolling back the pandemic.

The latest vaccine experiments aim to build on the modest success of a trial in Thailand in 2009, when an earlier vaccine showed a 31 percent reduction in infections.

While modern HIV drugs have turned the disease from a death sentence into a chronic condition, a vaccine is still seen as critical in rolling back the pandemic

The new study is testing a two-vaccine combination developed by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) with the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The first vaccine, also backed by NIH, began a trial last November.

At the same time, GlaxoSmithKline's majority-owned ViiV Healthcare unit is starting another study enrolling 3,200 women in sub-Saharan Africa to evaluate the benefit of giving injections every two months of its experimental drug cabotegravir.

The ViiV initiative, which is expected to run until May 2022, also has funding from the NIH and the Gates Foundation.

Women are a major focus in the fight against the sexually transmitted disease since in Africa they account for more than half of all new HIV infections.

ViiV is also running another large study with its long-acting injection in HIV-uninfected men and transgender women who have sex with men.

That study started in December 2016.

'We're making progress,' said J&J Chief Scientific Officer Paul Stoffels, who believes it should be possible to achieve effectiveness above 50 percent.

'That is the goal. Hopefully, we get much higher,' he told Reuters.

The new vaccines require one dose to prime the immune system and a second shot to boost the body's response.

Significantly, J&J's latest vaccine uses so-called mosaic technology to combine immune-stimulating proteins from different HIV strains, representing different types of virus from around the world, which should produce a 'global' vaccine.

One reason why making an HIV vaccine has proved so difficult in the past is the variability of the virus.

Initial clinical results reported at an AIDS conference in Paris in July showed the mosaic vaccine was safe and elicited a good immune response in healthy volunteers.

Some 37 million individuals around the world currently have HIV and around 1.8 million became newly infected last year.
A baby girl born with several rare syndromes 'never seen in one patient' will need surgery every six months until she is 18 years old.

Eight-month-old Zoey Tidwell, from Saucier in Mississippi, battles an array of complications including undergrown facial bones, a large cleft palate and breathing difficulties just to name a few.

Zoey has no bones around her eye sockets, with her jaw also missing chunks of bone, leaving her unable to eat or learn to talk.

The youngster, who suffers from Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS), as well as other conditions, had her first operation at just five months old and requires a tube to feed her directly into her stomach.

Zoey's mother Megan, 27, who also has TCS, said: 'Despite her problems, she's an angel. Zoey is my little fighter, even at such a young age, she is incredibly resilient and has changed my life.

'Without the surgeries her outlook is pretty bleak, and her quality of life will not be great, it's extremely important that she learns to eat, talk and act like everyone else.'

Megan is speaking out to raise awareness of Zoey's conditions, as well as to raise money to fund their weekly hospital visits.

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Zoey Tidwell, eight months, was born with several rare syndromes 'never seen in one patient'

Her mother Megan (pictured), 27, says 'despite her problems, she's an angel' and a 'fighter'

Zoey, who is missing bones around her eyes, needs surgery every six months until she is 18

WHAT IS TREACHER COLLINS SYNDROME? Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS) affects the development of bones and other tissues in a sufferer's face. It affects around one in 50,000 people to some extent but is not always noticeable. TCS is caused by an inherited genetic mutation. Although symptoms vary in severity, most sufferers have underdeveloped cheek bones, and a small jaw and chin. Some also have a cleft palate. In severe cases, a sufferer's airways may be restricted, affecting their breathing. TCS does not usually affect a patient's intelligence. Treatment may include facial reconstruction and managing a patient's airways. Source: US National Library of Medicine Advertisement

'A one-time occurrence'

Single-mother Megan, who works part time, said: 'Zoey is the only patient to have all these conditions together, from their studies no other child has all the same syndromes.'

Zoey inherited TCS from her mother, however, due to other genetic problems the youngster's condition caused her to develop a bilateral cleft lip and palate, which prevents her from feeding and forming words.

She also has micrognathia, which stopped her jaw, chin and ear from developing correctly; as well as Pierre Robin Syndrome that contributes to the obstructions in her airways.

Megan said: 'Her geneticist told me this is very, very rare and a one-time occurrence, he's researched it but hasn't found any other documented cases like my daughter.

'She has one deleted chromosome and an extra chromosome too, it's two different chromosomes that the genetic mutation occurred within.

'Due to her chromosome problems there are certain parts of her face without bones, so she doesn't have any eye sockets and all the bones in her jaw are missing little chunks.

'She has a bilateral cleft lip and palate, meaning both sides of her face are affected; it was one of the most severe cases doctors have ever seen.

'She has a lot of problems breathing too, her chin is very far back so she has always struggled, especially at night where she stops breathing for a few seconds at a time.'

Zoey suffers with undergrown facial bones, a large cleft palate and breathing difficulties

She inherited one condition from her mother, who has to take Zoey to hospital once a week

Zoey had her first operation at five months, and requires more to be able to eat and speak

'Her lip fell apart'

Zoey has already had several operations, including fitting a g-tube to help her eat and lip surgery. A g-tube passes food into a patient's stomach.

She had her first operation on her cleft three months ago, but due to it being such an extreme case the hole reopened, reverting to its previous state.

Megan said: 'Within a few weeks her lip fell apart, it now looks exactly like it did before the surgery, because the gap is so big around her lip the doctors kind of expected that it could happen.

'As well as surgeons attempting to close her lip, she had to take skin from behind her ears and graft them under her eyes.

'They had to take the graft because otherwise when they closed the lip it would mean her eyelids wouldn't be able to shut all the way.'

Her cleft palate reopened despite having surgery three months ago as the case is so extreme

Megan says without surgery, Zoey's 'outlook is bleak' and she will have a poor quality of life

'Zoey is my little fighter'

Megan said: 'Despite her problems, she's an angel and is doing great to get through all of her surgeries so far but realistically will need operations every six months until she's 18-years-old.

'Without the surgeries her outlook is pretty bleak, and her quality of life will not be great, it's extremely important that she learns to eat, talk and act like everyone else.

'Zoey is my little fighter, even at such a young age, she is incredibly resilient and has changed my life.'

Megan was initially concerned strangers would treat her daughter differently due to her appearance.

Yet, to her surprise, she has received support from the public and appeals to other parents to raise awareness of the condition and embrace their differences.

Megan said: 'I was really worried about the reaction from strangers and kids, but they have all been pretty great, I explain to them that this is how God made her.

'Most people tell me she's cute when we go out in public, for me it's important that we try to raise as much awareness as possible as while she is different, she's just a normal baby.

'I call her my "little Zoey bug" all the time, she's just like any other baby she coos, cries and kicks, she's also hitting all of the major milestones.'

Megan is fundraising to cover the cost of travelling to Zoey's weekly medical appointments, which are an hour-and-a-half away

She said: 'Zoey has so many doctors' appointments that I have to go to every week and need to book off a lot of time to take care of her.

'Right now, she's seeing a gastroenterologist, a plastic surgeon, two different paediatricians, a geneticist, a paediatric surgeon, an ophthalmologist, an ear nose and throat doctor, an audiologist and a pulmonologist.

'They all correlate together as her craniofacial team, she has to see each of them at different times, so it can be difficult to coordinate and hold down a job.'

Donate towards Zoey's fund here.

Megan worried strangers would treat Zoey differently, but was surprised by their support
The Royal College of Nursing, the union hoping to launch a mass NHS nurses strike, is caught in a leadership crisis with members to hold a vote of no confidence in union leadership in a few weeks. The chaos comes just as the union is due to release the results of the largest strike action ballot in its history which could see thousands of NHS nurses walk off the job this winter over pay. But in a shock move last night, the RCN's governing body, known as the RCN Council, face being ousted as part of a fallout from an independent review into the union's poor culture. The independent report, conducted by Bruce Carr KC, was set-up following internal accusations of sexual harassment and bullying from 2018 onwards. It found that women are at risk of ' alcohol and power-related exploitation' and junior nurses were groped by senior union officials. The inquiry also highlighted a misogynistic environment in higher levels of union leadership, with 'loud and abrasive' male voices dominating the environment 'to the detriment of female colleagues'. It described the RCN Council as 'not fit for purpose'. Union bosses are also facing rising anger from members over a lack of communication over the result of the strike ballot. Some officials allegedly leaked the results of the historical ballot to national newspapers over the weekend saying the membership had voted in favour of a strike before the nurses themselves had been informed. The union is yet to formally declare the results of the vote, which marks the first time it has balloted all of its 300,000 members for strike action in its 106-year history.
A mother claims her caesarean scar exploded all over her children after doctors used metal staples she is allergic to.

Raluca Oniciuc, 32, from Luton, says the wound burst two days after she gave birth three weeks ago, splattering her mother, two children and even the ceiling in her bodily fluids.

Doctors sealed up Ms Oniciuc's c-section with staples, despite reportedly knowing she was allergic to metal, causing the new mother to lose more than a pint of blood through the incision just 48 hours later in what is thought to have been a uterine rupture.

The mother-of-three claims the scar exploded 'like a water balloon that burst everywhere. It was pouring down my legs'.

After insisting on having the staples removed, Ms Oniciuc, an interior designer, says she is unable to drive, have a bath or hold her children, including newborn baby Theo.

Luton and Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where Ms Oniciuc had the operation, claims it was unaware of her metal allergy, adding it is highly unlikely the staples caused the rupture.

Raluca Oniciuc's (pictured with newborn Theo) c-section scar exploded over her children

She claims doctors were aware of her metal allergy but still used stables on the incision

Ms Oniciuc insisted the staples be removed after losing more than a pint of blood, but says doctors just used surgical tape on her wound and sent her home (pictured after the explosion)

WHAT IS A UTERINE RUPTURE? A uterine rupture is the separation of the uterus wall from the overlying tissue. It is most likely to occur in women who have previously had a caesarean section, with up to two per cent of such women being affected. Babies being born breech or in an unusual position, as well as the use of instruments during labour, also increase the risk. Signs a uterine rupture may occur include babies' heart rates slowing, or women suffering severe abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. After a uterine rupture, women can suffer bleeding, bladder injury, the need for a hysterectomy or even death. Babies are also at risk of death. Source: US National Library of Medicine Advertisement

'My kids were covered in blood'

After being sent home from hospital in agony, with a red and swollen abdomen, Ms Oniciuc asked her mother to look at her c-section scar.

When she pulled down her trousers, Ms Oniciuc claims the scar exploded 'like a water balloon that burst everywhere.'

She said: 'It was pouring down my legs, spraying the walls - it even hit the ceiling.

'My mum and my two kids were covered in blood; they were so scared they went into shock, they didn't cry or speak a word.

'It was blood mixed with this pink liquid that smelt really medicinal, like really strong disinfectant.'

Ms Oniciuc, who is also mother to Izabella, six, and Alexander, three, was taken to hospital where her scar 'exploded' for a second time.

She lost 600ml of blood the first time round and even more the second time.

Ms Oniciuc says her mother was looking at the scar when it burst 'like a water balloon'

She says she is traumatised by the experience and has had a poor quality of life since

Ms Oniciuc worries she will be left with a prominent scar (pictured: scar after the explosion)

'My quality of life is so terrible'

Ms Oniciuc claims doctors only removed the staples after she complained: 'I said, "listen - remove the staples now because I can't take the pain anymore. I'm allergic to metal, take the staples out!"

'So they finally removed them, but they didn't even stitch me back up, they just put steristrips on the scar and sent me home.' Steristrips are surgical tapes used to close small wounds.

Doctors told Ms Oniciuc she should heal but she worries she will be left with a huge scar.

She said: 'I am in so much pain, my stomach is very sore.

'I can't drive, I can't have a bath, I can't even hold my kids. My quality of life is so terrible, even three weeks on.

'The whole experience has left me very upset. I don't want to see those doctors ever again and I will never go back to that hospital.'

Ms Oniciuc claims she told staff she had the allergy when they asked her to remove jewellery

The hospital deny knowing of her allergy and do not believe staples could have been the cause

'My skin was bright red and inflamed'

Three weeks before she was due to give birth, Ms Oniciuc's waters broke and she went into an early labour.

Doctors at the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital opted for an emergency c-section on November 1.

Ms Oniciuc said: 'Before they began the surgery they asked if I had any jewellery on and I explained that I couldn't wear jewellery because I am allergic to metals.

'The surgeon seemed surprised and said that was unusual, she didn't seem to be taking me seriously.'

After the procedure, Ms Oniciuc was shocked to hear what sounded like a staple gun.

She claims she begged the surgeon to remove the staples and use stitches instead, but they insisted she would be fine.

Ms Oniciuc said: 'The staples were so uncomfortable and painful, a horrible stinging feeling.

'My skin was bright red and inflamed, but just where the staples were inserted.

'My other two c-sections hurt, but this time it was a different kind of pain.'

Ms Oniciuc's abdomen was left so swollen and hard she was kept in hospital overnight.

The doctors did a scan but reassured her there was nothing unusual.

A spokesperson for the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: 'We are very sorry that Ms Oniciuc developed a postoperative infection.

'The staples used are made of an inert material and it is therefore highly unlikely that this is the cause of her infection.

'The Trust can confirm that while Ms Oniciuc was under our care there was no documented evidence of any metal allergy.'

Ms Oniciuc says the pain means she is unable to hold her children, including Theo (pictured)
A seven-year-old boy has had successful surgery to burn away 95 percent of a brain tumour which caused him to have up to 25 seizures a day.

Nathan Box suffered with a life-threatening condition called hypothalamic hamartoma which had left him wheelchair-bound.

This made him burst into laughter before having epileptic-type fits throughout the day.

Now he has managed to walk for the first time in two years thanks to the pioneering surgery in the US.

Nathan's parents, Susan and James, from Hornchurch, Essex, were desperately looking for ways to cure their son, but no doctor in the UK was willing to operate due to the risks.

So they turned to Dr Daniel Curry of the Texas Children's Hospital who agreed to perform the complex brain surgery.

The determined family successfully raised 100,000 to take Nathan there for the treatment  and it paid off.

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Nathan Box suffered a life-threatening condition called hypothalamic hamartoma

This made him burst into laughter before having epileptic-type fits throughout the day  the seven-year-old looking poorly after an attack

No UK doctor in the UK was willing to operate on him due to the risks so his parents had to raise 100,000 to take him to Texas for treatment  Nathan pictured with Dr Daniel Curry of the Texas Children's Hospital

WHAT IS THE LESION THAT CAUSES GIGGLE SEIZURES? Hypothalamic hamartoma (HH) is a small, non-cancerous brain tumour which causes seizures, behavioral problems, blackouts and memory loss. The condition is thought to affect only one in a million people across the world. HH is often difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to treat. Some individuals can go years with very few symptoms, or ones that are so mild, they are often missed by both parents and medical professionals. However, for most people with HH, the most common symptoms are frequent daily seizures which involve spontaneous laughing, giggling or smirking or crying or grunting. Some have significant difficulties controlling angry outbursts, aggressive tendencies and many have been described as having oppositional-defiant disorder. These angry outbursts are often referred to as hypothalamic rages. Sometimes they have no memory of the rage once it is over. They are most commonly treated by surgery or anti-epileptic medicine. Source: Hope for HH Advertisement

Dr Daniel Curry said: 'Nathan's operation went perfectly well. We were able to target where we wanted to.

'He has no complications and he's clearly a different kid. He's responsive, he's cooperative, he's interactive, he's smiling in a normal child-like way. So I'm happy.'

'He went absent'

When Nathan was just four-years-old, he experienced a strange incident at a family meal and his parents soon began to realise that something was not quite right.

Susan said: 'He just went absent. Sort of like floppy and blue, which is when we took him outside because we thought maybe he needed a bit of air, maybe he was tired.

'That's when we sort of very first found out that he had the hypothalamic hamartoma.

'Nathan was a cheeky little boy before, progressed very well. He hit his milestones exactly as he was supposed to.'

One in just 200,000 babies worldwide are born with a hypothalamic hamartoma.

It develops when the brain forms during pregnancy and stray cells get lost and gather tumour-like lesions that apply pressure on the brain and trigger electrical activity or seizures.

Dr Daniel explained: 'There's an electrical activity that's uncontrolled, storming through the brain.

'So it's very difficult for a child having so many seizures throughout their development to learn.'

Astonishing recovery

And with no other possible cures available, Nathan had to undergo revolutionary laser treatment to burn away part of the tumour.

Just nine hours after the complicated operation, the youngster showed astonishing signs of recovery and managed to walk for the first time in two years.

This picture shows the injuries Nathan would suffer after having violent fits

'He's clearly a different kid. He's responsive, he's smiling,' said Dr Curry after the operation

Susan said: 'Nathan's just got out of bed for the first time since the operation. Keeping fingers crossed that all improves as well and he won't need his wheelchair anymore.

'Failure for us would never be an option. Nathan's best start in life is to be cured.

'This is Nathan, this is the cheeky, smiley, happy Nathan. His smile is a lovely thing to see now  there doesn't seem to be a fear in his smile.

'It makes you feel proud and happy to see him, as him.'

James added: 'I don't think it ever sank in, I still don't think it's sunk in now.'
Women in Malawi have adopted a secret preventive measure against HIV infection from their partners who they suspect of cheating or who refuse to wear a condom.

A silicon ring is inserted in the vagina which secretes an antiretroviral drug that prevents the virus being contracted.

A similar size to the contraceptive diaphragm, the device  that fits high up inside the vagina  is effective for a month after which time it should be replaced.

The advantages of it are that women can insert it themselves and men reportedly cannot feel it.

Those who regularly used it  coated with an experimental medication dapivirine  were up to 92 per cent less likely to get the deadly virus through unprotected sex, experts found.

Cultural practices in Malawi make safe sex difficult for women to negotiate. At least 10 percent of the country's population has HIV.

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Women who regularly use the controlled drug delivery devices are up to 92 less likely to get the deadly virus through unprotected sex, experts found (stock picture)

Women in Malawi are increasingly becoming concerned about their sexual health as men in the country have many sexual partners, The BBC reports.

There are currently one million people in Malawi living with the disease and last year there were 24,000 AIDS-related deaths, according to The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS).

'The women are geared to put on the ring. Yeah, they are anxious indeed,' said a midwife involved in a trial to test the ring, which costs $7.

'I did special training in community health, I am really proud and I have put all my energy in this project.

'HIV in Malawi was really bad, our wards were full, I can say everybody has lost their loved ones.

'Normally in our culture negotiating sex with a partner is rather difficult, it is really a challenge, the women just want something to get protected with.'

Varying results reported

Studies, which are still ongoing, show one in three women using the ring are protected by HIV.

Dr Annelene Nel, who is leading the clinical trials, says that it is better to save one out of three than none at all.

She said: 'For women who cannot negotiate safe sex and cannot negotiate condom use this may be their only option.'

Research published last year found 27 per cent fewer women acquired HIV in the group using dapivirine compared to those using a placebo ring containing no active drug.

Women account for nearly 60 per cent of adults with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, where unprotected heterosexual sex is the primary driver of the epidemic

HIV: THE STATS There were approximately 36.7 million people living with HIV at the end of 2016. A total of 53% of sufferers were receiving antiretroviral treatment in 2016. A massive expansion of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has seen AIDS-related deaths fall by 48 per cent since the peak in 2005. Yet cases in various low- and middle-income countries  particularly in sub-Saharan Africa  are still 'unacceptably high' says the World Health Organization (WHO) which is working to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. Advertisement

Developed by the International Partnership for Microbicide, the ring tested in the study contained 25 mg of dapivirine, about 4 mg of which gets released over 28 days.

More than 2,600 HIV-negative women between the ages of 18 and 45 from Malawi, Uganda, South Africa and Zimbabwe were analysed.

They were categorised into one of four groups depending on how often they used the ring, ranging from non-use to near perfect ring use  and, as expected, the ring appeared to be far more effective when used most or all the time.

The level of protection for those who used the ring most consistently ranged from 75 per cent in one analysis to 92 per cent in another.

Elizabeth Brown, from the University of Washington, said: 'Adherence to HIV prevention strategies is not always perfect, and we knew that not all women used the ring consistently, so we developed an analysis to explore the degree of HIV protection that was associated with more consistent use.

'Across all analyses we saw high adherence was associated with significantly better HIV protection.'

First regulatory approvals for the vaginal ring could be granted in 2018.
Holidaymakers planning Christmas getaways to some parts of Europe could be at risk of contracting potentially deadly measles.

People who have travelled recently, or plan to travel to Romania, Italy and Germany, and have not had two doses of the MMR vaccine, face a greater danger, Public Health England (PHE) warned last night.

It said anyone planning to travel to these countries should check travel health advice.

The comments come after the health body recorded outbreaks in three areas of England  there have been 16 confirmed cases in Leeds, 11 confirmed cases in Liverpool and nine confirmed cases in Birmingham.

Officials said all cases are among children and adults who have not received two doses of the MMR vaccine.

The MMR vaccine is combined inoculation which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella.

Measles is highly infectious and can lead to serious complications. Although most measles sufferers make a full recovery, around one in 15 develop life-threatening complications, including pneumonia and convulsions.

PHE warned anyone travelling to Romania, Italy and Germany should have two doses of the MMR jab to protect themselves against the measles outbreak (stock photo)

MEASLES COMPLICATIONS Most people will recover from measles after around seven to 10 days, but sometimes it can lead to serious complications, according to NHS Choices. Children who are older than one year and otherwise healthy have the lowest risk of developing complications. But babies under 12 months, children with a poor diet or with a weakened immune system as well as teenagers and adults are at risk. Pregnant women are at risk too. Common complications include diarrhoea and vomiting, middle ear infection. eye infection, inflammation of the voice box, pneumonia, bronchitis, croup and fits caused by a fever. Less common complications of measles include liver infection (hepatitis), squint in the eyes, meningitis and infection of the brain itself, encephalitis. In rare cases, measles can lead to serious eye disorders such as optic neuritis and vision loss and heart and nervous system problems. Another fatal complication is subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), which can occur several years after measles  this is very rare, occurring in only one in every 25,000 cases. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

Unfounded fears over the jab

Earlier this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned measles was spreading across Europe in regions where vaccination is low.

Many parents are failing to have their children vaccinated due to complacency and discredited fears over the jab causing autism.

Disgraced gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield's controversial theory in 1995 that it is linked to the developmental disability and bowel disease have since been widely discredited.

The MMR vaccine is a combined inoculation which protects against measles, mumps and rubella  the full course of MMR vaccination requires two doses.

To prevent outbreaks, it is recommended that 95 per cent of the population is immunised against the infection.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at PHE, said: 'The measles outbreaks we are currently seeing in England are linked to ongoing large outbreaks in Europe.

'This serves as an important reminder for parents to take up the offer of MMR vaccination for their children at one year of age and as a pre-school booster at three years and four months of age.'

She urged children and young adults who missed out on their MMR vaccine in the past or are unsure if they had two doses to contact their GP practice to catch up.

The UK recently achieved World Health Organisation 'measles elimination status'.

But because of ongoing outbreaks in Europe, the UK will continue to see cases in those not vaccinated, PHE said.
Jumping into a relationship right after a break-up makes you more likely to end up with the wrong person because you don't give your brain enough time to 'detox' from your ex.

During a breakup the body goes through withdrawal from feel-good chemicals that are released in the brain when you are in love.

According to a New Jersey psychologist, during the initial break-up period, the lack of those chemicals blinds decision-making triggering the impulse to get into a relationship to fill that void - akin to drug addiction.

But those who don't give themselves enough single time to retrain their body on how to live without those hormones, make themselves vulnerable to revisiting negative past relationships or getting into the wrong one.

Selena Gomez may have a case of love addiction after she is confirmed to be back with ex Justin Bieber shortly following her relationship with The Weeknd

New Jersey psychologist Dr Danielle Forshee specializes in relationship and marriage counseling and weighed in on why it's important to be single between relationships.

She suggests your body can be addicted to love in the same way it can be addicted to gambling, sex and drugs due to a reward system in the brain caused by the neurotransmitter dopamine.

Dr Forshee told Daily Mail Online: 'Being addicted to love means you're addicted to the attachment and comfort of a person and really addicted to the dopamine high that comes along with the relationship.'

There are also two addictive hormones, oxytocin and vasopressin, that are released in both partners' brains when you hold hands for more than 10 seconds, cuddle or orgasm.

Oxytocin is produced in breast milk and stimulates attachment between a mother and baby.

Dr Forshee said that same attachment happens between couples as those hormones are meant to create a pair-bond.

So when you experience a breakup, it's not only the loss of a person, but a loss of all those hormones that come along with them.

Psychologist Dr Danielle Forshee explained to Daily Mail Online that jumping from one relationship to the next can be more about getting a rush of good-feeling hormones than the person

Dr Forshee warns that jumping into a new relationship can be more about getting that rush of hormones than about the person.

Since those chemicals exist in the 'honeymoon' stage, it is likely that once that spike in dopamine is met it will quickly wear off leaving you feeling worse, but also looking for more.

That's why 'rebounding' exists and more times than not, people fall back into the arms of their ex after a breakup.

Humans tend to go back to people or behaviors that are comfortable and known to them, she said.

And even if an old relationship ended badly, Dr. Forshee compared the chemicals to wearing colored glasses.

'The chemicals make it difficult to have good judgement and impulse control, making it hard to see the negative in somebody,' she said.

So instead of letting those hormones dictate your relationship decisions, being single and going through the emotional discomfort will retrain the body to get used to being without someone.

The Weeknd (left) began dating now ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez short after his split with supermodel Bella Hadid and perhaps was missing feel-good chemicals released when in love

'It's important to really sit with whatever emotional distress they're experiencing so they can learn to tolerate and to understand their internal experiences,' said Dr Forshee.

If not, it creates a pattern of break-ups and make-ups with exes or people you normally wouldn't be with.

'If we can force ourselves to not do those things - reach out to an ex or find someone new - and sit with it for five more minutes, you're going to make yourself stronger,' she said.

Dr Forshee said this is a big pattern with clients and social media makes it easy to fall into the trap of obsessing over someone because of its immediate access.

She suggests talking with friends and working out emotions internally during that single period will help the brain move on.

And because every person and relationship is different, there is no exact time frame for how long the process can take.
THE Delhi High Court has taken a magistrate to task over the 'unjustified detention' of a 72-year-old man in a mental institution.

Ram Kumar was freed after spending close to 20 days at the city's Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) without a certificate of mental illness.

His sons had filed a habeas corpus plea through their counsel Akhil Sharma, seeking Kumar's release from the mental home as they claimed that he was being unlawfully detained. Their appeal was turned down by the trial court.

On 3 November, Kumar was sent for medical examination at Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital by the trial court judge who was hearing the matter where Kumar had been defending himself in a motor vehicle accident case for a decade.

Ram Kumar, 72, was 'unlawfully' held at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences for close to 20 days without a certificate of illness. Kumar allegedly entered into an altercation with another party during a long running motor accident case that had been running close to a decade

During the case, he allegedly entered into an altercation with the advocates of the other party that led to his detention at the mental hospital. After a brief examination based on his erratic behaviour, he was referred to the psychiatric ward of the hospital for further medical examination.

The doctor stated that 'no psychopathology was detected' while examining Kumar. Following this, Kumar was once again produced before the magistrate who after a brief interaction with him concluded that he had to be kept under observation at IHBAS for another 24 hours, as he seemed violent.

In the order, the judge also stated that Kumar was not able to provide the whereabouts of his family.

Justice S Muralidhar and IS Mehta of the high court, who were present during the hearing, noted violation of the Mental Health Act by the magistrate court that ordered Kumar's detention and even extended it without issuing the mandatory mental illness certificate.

When Kumar was again produced before the magistrate in front of his two sons on 5 November 5 and 20 November, the orders of keeping him under detention till 5 January 2018 were passed after it was stated that his medical evaluation was still in progress at IHBAS.

The institute is an autonomous body registered under the Societies Act 1860, and is funded jointly by the union ministry of health and family welfare as well as the Delhi government. Kumar's sons also filed an application on November 20 for the release of their father which was turned down.

The high court was surprised to find that the police did not inform his family members even though he was carrying his case papers which had details of his address.

During his detention at IHBAS, Kumar maintained that he was not a patient and refused to sit on his bed.

Delhi's Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, where Mr Kumar was allegedly held for nearly 20 days without proper proof or certification of a mental illness.

Following this, they approached the high court. The bench observed that though the final report revealed that Kumar had no high-risk behaviour, even then IHBAS did not instruct the prosecution to bring this fact before the magistrate at once.

Kumar's sons told the high court that their father was a heart patient and underwent a traumatic experience at the mental health hospital.

The police official who took Kumar to the mental health hospital has been asked to file a separate affidavit, stating why none of the elderly man's family members were informed about his whereabouts when he was detained the very first time.

At the same time, the bench forwarded the matter before the high court committee that supervises the work of the magistrate, who ordered the detention of Kumar, for taking appropriate action.

The Delhi High Court also asked the Delhi Judicial Academy to organise at least four exclusive orientation courses as part of the Mental Health Act in the next year for the benefit of judicial officers as well as the mental health professionals of IHBAS and other similar institutions in Delhi-NCR.

Representatives of Delhi Police will also participate in the classes.
MBNA has withdrawn eight of its airline rewards credit cards, including its Virgin Atlantic, Emirates and American Airlines cards, leaving slim pickings for anyone looking to use their credit card spending to earn free flights and ticket upgrades.

The move wipes out 75 per cent of the UKs airline credit card line up  leaving just the Avios rewards cards from Lloyds and American Express and one from Flybe.

Here's everything you need to know about the eight cards that have been withdrawn and the trick to finding a card that still lets you clock up points to spend on flights.

Virgin Atlantic: MBNA has scrapped both of its rewards cards that earn Flying Club points

The cards that have been axed

Virgin Atlantic Black credit card

Virgin Atlantic White credit card

Emirates Skywards Elite credit card

Emirates Skywards credit card

Etihad Guest credit card

Mileage Plus credit card

Miles&More credit card

MBNA/AAdvantage credit card

Why have they been scrapped?

Nearly two years ago, an EU-wide cap on interchange fees came into force. This limited the amount credit card companies can charge shops and merchants to process a transaction at 0.3 per cent.

Rob Burgess, editor of Head for Points, explains: 'New rules brought in last year restricted the fee that payment processors could charge retailers for accepting credit cards to 0.3 per cent.

'It is very difficult to run a successful mileage card on this basis  if you earn 0.3p per 1 spent, you cannot pay an airline 0.5p to 1p per 1 to buy the cardholder an air mile.

While the cap initially only related to MasterCard and Visa, now American Express' cards offered in partnership with another bank or lender - such as MBNA - also fall under the same rules.

American Express' co-branded cards - those it issues itself in partnership with another business, such as Lloyds - are also being reviewed.

Burgess says: 'The way the law is written means that co-brand cards are seen as bringing in a fourth party. The British Airways American Express is seen as a four-way venture between American Express, British Airways, the shop and the cardholder. Four parties means it must cap its fees at 0.3 per cent.'

'This obviously makes no sense at all, even inside the card industry itself, but unless the final EU court ruling goes against the Advocate General's initial opinion (which is rare) the decision will be binding.'

What about existing MBNA customers? If you have one of the eight MBNA airline rewards cards that have been axed, there's nothing to worry about at the moment. An MBNA spokesperson said: For existing customers, nothing changes for now  they can still earn miles and we will continue to provide exactly the same service. All miles will still be available for redemption under the terms and conditions of the appropriate frequent flyer programme. Typically when cards are withdrawn from general sale on the market customers wont be affected for a little while, but its likely that at some point in the future you will be switched to an alternative card. Rob Burgess, of Head for Points, says: MBNA's contract may allow it to forcibly move cardholders onto a different MBNA own-brand card. This is what happened when Barclays lost the licence to issue IHG Rewards Club (Holiday Inn etc loyalty scheme) cards two years ago - people were sent a Barclays cashback card instead. It is also what MBNA did when it closed the British Midland credit cards after BA bought the airline. Some contracts may not allow MBNA to do this. Those cards will be closed at some point (could be weeks, could be months) and customers given the option of moving to another MBNA card, but MBNA won't be allowed to send an unsolicited card.

Airline cards still available

Lloyds Avios Rewards

Currently, you can still open a Lloyds Bank Avios Rewards credit card that comes with two cards, one American Express and one MasterCard.

In return for the 24 annual fee, you can earn 1.25 Avios for every 1 spent on the Amex and for every full 5 spent on the MasterCard. You can also earn 1.25 Avios for every full 5 of a balance transferred to your credit card account.

You can earn one upgrade voucher per year if you spend a minimum of 7,000 over 12 months.

2 for 1: You get an Amex and MasterCard with the Lloyds Bank Avios Rewards deal

Upgrade vouchers can be used to upgrade by one cabin class either two one-way flights for two people travelling at the same time and to the same destination, or one return journey booked on a British Airways main line service. However, upgrades cannot be made to First Class.

BA Amex

You can also still take out the British Airways American Express credit card, which offers a 5,000 Avios boost when you sign up as long as you spend 1,000 in the first three months.

It pays one Avios point per 1 spent and you get a free companion voucher allowing a friend or family member to travel with you when you redeem your points on a flight after each 20,000 annual card spend.

Unlike the Lloyds Avios card, there's no fee for the BA version.

There is also the British Airway American Express Premium Plus credit card. For a 195 annual fee, you earn 1.5 Avios per 1 spent and collect double on BA holidays and flights.

There's a 25,000 Avios bonus after 3,000 is spent within the first three months and a free companion voucher each year after 10,000 is spent. And you'll get British Airways Executive Club membership.

Flybe

There is also still a Flybe Spend&Fly card from Creation. This offers a free Bonus Return flight excluding taxes when you spend 250 within six months.

You don't earn points but your level of spend triggers eligibility for free flights - as outlined in the table below from FlyBe.

Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Money has announced that it will be launching new products early next year with Virgin Atlantic benefits, but no details have yet been released.

Jet off to the Maldives: a 15,000 spend could get you a return ticket with a rewards card

But there's still a clever way to clock up airmiles ...

According to Burgess, the cards that dont fall under the EU ruling are the American Express Green, American Express Platinum, American Express Platinum Cashback, American Express Preferred Rewards Gold and American Express Rewards card.

The Platinum Cashback credit card and Platinum Cashback Everyday credit card - both from American Express - are the most lucrative cashback cards on the market paying up to 5 per cent back on spending. You can read more about them in our article to the top deals here.

The Preferred Rewards Gold American Express card and the Membership Rewards American Express card however could be the best options long term if you are looking to take out a card to earn airline points.

The Preferred Rewards Gold card costs 140 per year but it cost nothing in the first year. It is a charge card though, so you will have to pay the money off at the end of each month, but you should always do this anyway with any rewards credit card.

It currently offers 20,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend 2,000 in your first three months and gets you two complimentary lounge visits per year.

Each 1 you spend earns one Membership Reward point. You get double points for purchases with an airline and on currency, and three points for American Express Travel spends.

A 1,250 monthly spend on the card in the first year earns 15,000 Membership Rewards points (but you could earn more if you are spending on travel or foreign currency). When you reach 15,000 in a year you get another bonus of 10,000 points  so thats a total of 55,000 points in the first year.

You can swap these points for the same value to airline reward schemes including BA Avios, Virgin Flying Club and Emirates Skywards.

Trading in 55,000 Avios would be enough for a return trip to the Maldives or two return tickets to Greece.

The Rewards Credit Card is free and comes with a 10,000 point sign up bonus, and pays one Membership Reward point per 1 spent.

A 15,000 spend in a year would get you 15,000 points, or 25,000 in the first year, including the sign up bonus.
Banking customers are being warned to watch out for a new scam where fraudsters pose as police officers to ask them to help in a fake undercover operation.

Victims receive a phone call purporting to be from the police or the fraud department at their bank. They are told there is suspected fraud taking place at their local bank branch, with staff under suspicion.

The fraudster informs them that bank staff are carrying out criminal activity such as issuing fake bank notes, and that the fraud department needs their help to catch them.

Bank scam: Victims are told that because branch staff are under suspicion, they should not tell them what they are doing.

The victim is asked to visit their bank branch and withdraw some cash from their account  often to the tune of thousands of pounds.

They are told the cash they withdraw will likely be counterfeit and that they should hand it over to the police for analysis.

The victim is reassured that as soon as the operation is complete the money will be returned to their account safe and sound.

However, as soon as the cash is handed over, unsurprisingly the fake police do not return it and it is never seen again.

Victims are told that because branch staff are under suspicion, they should not tell them what they are doing.

Were they to, of course, branch staff might cotton on that a scam was taking place and try to stop it.

In another version of the scam, the criminal convinces the victim to transfer money to a 'safe account' to protect the funds from 'corrupt' bank staff, but the account is controlled by the criminal.

Katy Worobec, head of fraud and financial crime prevention, cyber and data sharing at UK Finance, said: 'This is a particularly nasty scam as it plays on people's public-spirited nature to assist the police.

'We are receiving a growing number of reports of it occurring, with people often losing large amounts of money, so it's vital that everyone is aware.

'Remember, the police will never ask you to withdraw money and hand it over to them for safe-keeping.'
Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor, pleaded guilty in a Michigan court on Wednesday to additional counts of criminal sexual conduct for assaulting girls under the guise of medical treatment, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said.

Nassar, 54, appeared in Michigan's Eaton County Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to three felony counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct.

He did not make a statement beyond briefly answering the judge's questions, according to The Detroit News.

Nassar's attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Larry Nassar (flanked by his attorneys) pleaded guilty to three felony counts of first degree crimincal sexual conduct on Wednesday in a Michigan court

Nassar (pictured during a plea hearing on November 22) admitted to digitally penetrating three girls, one of whom was younger than 13 and two of whom were between 13 and 15

He admitted that he digitally penetrated three girls and told them it was part of their medical treatment. One girl was younger than 13 and two were between the ages of 13 and 15 when the assaults occurred between 2009 and 2011.

Nassar was the team physician for the Michigan State University gymnastics and women's crew teams, as well as an associate professor at MSU's College of Osteopathic Medicine.

He served as the USA Gymnastics physician through four Olympic Games.

Last week, Nassar pleaded guilty in nearby Ingham County to seven felony counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct despite his earlier denials of wrongdoing.

Wednesday's guilty pleas put an end to criminal sexual conduct charges brought by the Michigan Attorney General's office against Nassar in Eaton and Ingham counties.

The Eaton County sentencing hearing will be held on January 31.

The Ingham County sentencing hearing will be held on January 12 when all of the 125 reported victims or their parents will be allowed to give victim impact statements.

USA gymnast Gabby Douglas said she suffered abuse at the hands of Nassar

Fellow gymnast Alexandra Raisman said in an interview with 60 Minutes that she also suffered abuse

McKayla Maroney, another USA gymnast, also said she was abused

He also faces child pornography charges and will be sentenced for those alleged crimes on December 7.

Last week's plea deal with prosecutors calls for a minimum prison sentence of 25 years but the judge could set the minimum as high as 40 years.

Nassar's plea deal follows claims by two of the United States' most decorated gymnasts, Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas, that they had been sexually abused by the former USA Gymnastics team doctor. McKayla Maroney, another gymnast, has also publicly said that Nassar abused her.

Three-times Olympic gold medalist Douglas earlier this month said she was sexually abused by Nassar while Raisman, also a three-times gold medalist, made similar allegations in an interview with CBS News program '60 Minutes.'

During the November 22 hearing, Nassar apologized and said it was time for his victims to begin healing, The Detroit News reported.
The husband of former Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz is being accused of trying to rip off an elderly commercial property owner and threatening him in the process, according to a lawsuit recently filed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Banker Steve Schultz, husband of the scandal-prone U.S. Congresswoman for 26 years, allegedly tried to have 70-year-old investor Frank DiMaria hand over the deed of his troubled $4 million-commercial property in Pompano Beach, Florida, to Schultz personally, according to the complaint obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com.

Because DiMaria was having troubles paying on credit lines and mortgages, Schultz's now-defunct Community Bank of Broward would eventually launch the foreclosure of DiMaria's property on the heavily-traveled Atlantic Boulevard beachfront area.

DiMaria says Schultz tried to intimidate him into surrendering his property to him without the proper foreclosure proceedings in a court of law.

The husband of former Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz is being accused of trying to rip off an elderly homeowner, according to a lawsuit recently filed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

'Mr Schultz called Mr. DiMaria and proposed that he sign the Pompano Beach property over to Mr. Schultz personally,' the lawsuit reads. 'Mr. DiMaria replied by stating 'are you out of your mind?'

'Mr. Schultz replied by stating 'no' and further stating something to the effect of 'no matter how big a lawyer you get or how many, I will destroy you and them and you know I have the power to do it.'

In an exclusive interview, Schultz told DailyMail.com that DiMaria knows he is married to Wasserman Schultz and is using that fact for effect.

Frank DiMaria, 70, apparently has had trouble reimbursing credit lines and mortgages to Schultz's now-defunct Community Bank of Broward

'Mr DiMaria knows I'm married to Debbie so he might believe in some big conspiracy theory involving me and Debbie,' Schultz said. 'But that's not the case. I couldn't personally seize his property even if I wanted to.

'He is a crazy old guy who cost the bank a lot of money. Eventually, we had to sell his mortgage to another party at a $200,000 loss.'

Schultz blamed DiMaria's heavy Italian accent and lack of proficiency in English for the misunderstanding.

And he questioned DiMaria's lack of business sense, saying that DiMaria overpaid for the 17,000-square-foot strip mall.

And soon after DiMaria's purchase, Schultz said, road work in front of the property caused several tenants to lose business and stop payment on their leases.

'What is definitely possible is that someone at the bank asked Mr. DiMaria to sign over the property without a costly court fight. A full-fledged foreclosure battle costs money not only to the bank but to the landowner as well.

Schultz criticized DiMaria's business decisions saying he overpaid for the 17,000-square-foot strip mall in Florida

'But I never asked that he deed the property to me. Besides, I'm not interested in commercial properties.'

DiMaria's lawyer said the case was in its infancy and declined comment. He confirmed he had Schultz served with the complaint at the house Schultz shares with the congresswoman and their three children.

Schultz and Debbie Wasserman Schultz have been married since 1991. They live in a $700,000-home in the far Fort Lauderdale suburban sprawl of Weston.

Through his wife, Schultz's family is no stranger to controversy.

A U.S. Congresswoman since 2005, Wasserman Schultz resigned her position as head of the DNC during the latest presidential campaign after leaked party emails showed she favored the candidacy of Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders'. Party activists booed her off the stage of the Democratic convention.

Former DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has had her own share of scandal after she was forced to resign during the 2016 Presidential Election after it was revealed she favored Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton over Senator Bernie Sanders

In her recently released book, Hacks, former Democratic party operative Donna Brazile cited Wasserman Schultz for her lack of leadership in handing control of the party to Clinton's campaign.

Earlier this year, Wasserman Schultz refused to fire Imran Awan, an IT staffer under a federal investigation for an alleged equipment and data scam in the U.S. House.

She finally fired him on July 25, one day after authorities arrested him on a seemingly unrelated mortgage fraud charge. He was at the airport leaving for Pakistan after wiring $283,000 there.
Americans Airlines is looking to hire a director of crew scheduling, after an scheduling glitch sent the carrier scrambling to find pilots to operate thousands of flights over the busy holiday period.

A spokesman for the airline tells DailyMail.com that out the 200,000 flights American will operate in December, only a few hundred are now currently unassigned to pilots after the debacle.

'That number of open flights continues to decrease thanks to our pilots who are stepping up to the plate and picking up trips to ensure customers are taken care of,' according to an emailed statement.

'We have not canceled any scheduled flights in December and will continue to work to ensure both our pilots and our customers are cared for.'

The pilots' union said earlier that about 15,000 flights were scheduled without a captain, a co-pilot or both.

Scheduler wanted: Americans Airlines is looking to hire a new director of crew scheduling, after an scheduling glitch sent the carrier scrambling to find pilots to operate thousands of flights over the busy holiday period

On Thursday, ABC7 reporter Sam Sweeney tweeted that the carrier posted an ad on its website seeking to hire a crew scheduling director.

The job posting appeared on Tuesday. The glitch was uncovered last week and made national headlines on Wednesday.

According to the listing, the senior position is based out of American Airlines' headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas.

The head of scheduling for the carrier will be placed in charge of 400 staffers and will be expected, among other duties, to 'help drive culture change in transforming the Crew Scheduling group into a Customer Contact center for our crew members.

A representative for the airline said in an email to DailyMail.com on Thursday that it is an old job listing from earlier this month that was reposted after Thanksgiving.

'It is entirely unrelated to the pilot scheduling issue,' the spokesperson stated.

American, the world's biggest airline, has about 15,000 active pilots and expects to operate more than 200,000 flights in December.

The carrier's official Twitter account has been in full damage control mode over the past 24 hours, with American's social media team going out of its way to reassure passengers that the airline is 'working hard' to avoid cancellations.

'Holiday travel is an important time and we're making sure to get our customers where they need to be. We expect to avoid cancellations.' one tweet read.

Another tweet sent out on Thursday afternoon read: 'We'll take care of our pilots and ensure we get everyone where they need to be over the holidays.'

In a response to a Twitter user's query about the fallout from the scheduling error, sent out shortly after noon, the carrier said: 'We're already seeing resolutions.'

Pilots bid each month for flying assignments based on seniority. The scheduling glitch let pilots drop scheduled flights - to take a vacation over Christmas, for example - even when there were no other pilots available for that flight.

Normally such a request would be denied, especially during busy travel periods.

The pilots' union estimated that when the problem was discovered late last week, about 19,000 cockpit seats were left empty. The glitch affected more than 15,000 flights between December 17 and December 31 from nearly a dozen airports including hubs in Dallas, Chicago and Miami.

'This is a potential crisis that we see well in advance,' said Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the union. 'This is very unusual.'

The carrier is scrambling to find pilots to operate thousands of flights over the busy Christmas holiday period

The union has lodged a protest against the company's plan to fix the mistake by tapping reserve pilots and offering overtime pay for some of the unstaffed flights.

The union says American is violating its labor contract by imposing a solution without union input, and is improperly restricting premium pay.

Some nervous customers tweeted at the airline, looking for reassurance that their Christmas-travel plans would not be upset.

American officials 'expect to avoid cancellations this holiday season,' said airline spokesman Matt Miller. 'We will work with the (union) to take care of our pilots and ensure we get our customers to where they need to go over the holidays.'

Miller said they are paying pilots who pick up certain trips 150 per cent of their hourly rate.

Despite American's can-do response, scheduling mix-ups can create serious problems in the airline business. In September, Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair said it would cancel more 20,000 flights between November and March after admitting it 'messed up' the transition to a new system for scheduling employee vacations.
Milo Yiannopoulos has been involved in a fiery clash with an Australian Muslim who claimed the right-wing mischief-maker 'doesn't know one thing about Islam'.

The controversial author and political commentator was told he was 'off his head' by a caller during his appearance on KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O Show on Thursday.

'He doesn't know one thing about Islam... mate, you don't know what you are talking about... Islam is about peace, it's about love. You're just full of s***,' the called railed.

'You're saying men can... rape little nine-year-olds. Where do you get that? Were you drunk and dancing with the fairies? Where does it say in the Koran that can happen?'

Scroll down for audio

Milo Yiannopoulos was told he was 'off his head' by a Muslim Australian caller during his appearance on KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O Show on Thursday

The caller claimed the right-wing mischief-maker 'doesn't know one thing about Islam'

'You are nothing but a sheep... You're a disgrace to society... Get your facts right before you open your mouth you little peasant.'

Sandilands agreed that Islam is a peaceful religion before Yiannopoulos had his say.

'No it isn't,' Yiannopoulos replied. 'Because the Koran is big and self-contradictory like all long complicated books, Koranic scholars came up with a way to reconcile some of the internal contradictions.

'So what Koranic scholars have come up with is abrogation. The chronological order in which the verses were revealed to Mohammad - stuff that came later supersedes stuff that came earlier.

Sandilands (pictured right) agreed that Islam is a peaceful religion before Yiannopoulos had his say

'You are nothing but a sheep... You're a disgrace to society,' the caller said of Yiannopoulos

'Well unfortunately the abrogated verses, the verses that have been superseded, are the peace, love and understanding ones.

'The ones that were revealed to him later when he was a warlord are the kill the unbeliever, death to the - you know -whatever, verses... those bits, according to Islamic scholars, take precedence over the peaceful bits.

'Muslims are encouraged to live by the example laid down by the founder Mohammad, who of course had a wife of nine years old, but he waited to have sex with until she was 12 I think, good on him.

'Your caller is sadly misinformed about his own religion.'

Yiannopoulos is pictured with his Australian publicist Max Markson on Thursday morning

Yiannopoulos later reiterated his position that all Muslims should be banished from the West.

'If you are a Muslim you should go live somewhere where that is the law of the land,' he said.

Yiannopoulos has promised to offend with intentionally provocative dialogue during his seven-show Australian tour.

'The ultimate sin of contemporary culture is ''niceness''. Everybody trying to be nice and sweet and not offend each other,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday.

Yiannopoulos reiterated his position that all Muslims should be banished from the West

Milo has a busy media schedule during his week-long tour, despite his claims high-profile journalist refuse to interview him. He his pictured here speaking to Alan Jones on 2GB Radio

'When someone turns around to me and says they are offended or upset by something I've said, I will tell a joke twice as offensive.

'Or I will make it twice as uncomfortable for them because I don't give a s*** about people's feelings.'

He has previously likened feminism to cancer, Islam to AIDS and has spoken out against gay rights and the Black Lives Matter movement - despite being openly homosexual and married to an African American man.

He has been banned from entering government buildings in Western Australia and the Greens have officially requested his invitation to speak at Parliament House be revoked.

Yiannopoulos has promised to offend with intentionally provocative dialogue during his seven-show Australian tour

Milo Yiannopoulos arrives at a press conference in Sydney following is arrival to Australia

Daily Mail Australia understands the first show of his tour was cancelled because the owner of the venue didn't agree with his outspoken views.

But Yiannopoulos denied that was the case and said 'it was just one of those things' and there was 'nothing untoward'.

Yiannopoulos has sold 10,000 tickets for his speaking tour of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, the Gold Coast and Adelaide.

The venues are being kept secret until 24 hours before he appears for the two-hour shows, with Yiannopoulos claiming if he reveals the locations journalists will 'invent' stories about protests.

Milo Yiannopoulos (left) spoke with radio shock jock Alan Jones (right) on Thursday morning

Yiannopoulos has sold 10,000 tickets for his speaking tour of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, the Gold Coast and Adelaide
Parents of an eight-month-old girl who died last week have been charged with felony neglect after police said the potent opioid fentanyl was found in her system.

The drug, which is used on the street to increase the strength of heroin, is up to 100 times more potent than morphine.

Authorities received a 911 call around 6am November 19 about an unresponsive infant, Coventry Police in Rhode Island said Wednesday, and Steven Gilchrist and Jocelyn Belmore, both 32, were arrested six days later.

Medics took the child to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Steven Gilchrist (left) and Jocelyn Belmore (right), both 32, were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of neglect

The child's cause of death has not been determined yet, according to police.

An investigation produced evidence of criminal neglect by the parents and a preliminary toxicology report revealed the presence of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic drug, in her system, police said.

Steven Gilchrist and Jocelyn Belmore, both 32, were arrested Tuesday and charged with one felony count each of cruelty to or neglect of a child.

Court records show that both pleaded not guilty when arraigned Wednesday at the Kent County courthouse.

A judge set bail at $50,000 with surety and ordered them not to have contact with children under the age of 16.

They were referred to the public defender's office.

Police say the charges could be upgraded depending on the final report from the medical examiner's office.

Kerri White, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Children, Youth and Families, said Gilchrist was known to them through an unrelated case having to do with a family member.

She said the family is the subject of an active DCYF investigation, and that the agency learned Wednesday of additional information in support of a finding of child maltreatment.

White said she couldn't provide additional information because of confidentiality laws.
After getting a taste of summer the east coast of Australia is set to be pelted with thunderstorms and torrential rain.

A significant storm and rainfall system is set to hit southern and eastern Australia with the potential for widespread flooding in parts of Victoria and southern and central New South Wales, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

After 30C temperatures during the week, Melbourne could receive its entire month's rainfall on Friday alone, and the the whole summer's worth by the end of the weekend.

After getting a taste of summer the east coast of Australia is set to be pelted with thunderstorms and torrential rain (Melbourne pictured)

A significant storm and rainfall system is set to hit southern and eastern Australia with the potential for widespread flooding in parts of Victoria (Melbourne pictured)

After 30C temperatures during the week, Melbourne could receive its entire month's rainfall on Friday alone (Melbourne pictured)

Four day weather forecast SYDNEY THURSDAY: Min: 20, Max: 27, partly cloudy FRIDAY: Min: 21, Max: 28, possible shower SATURDAY: Min: 21, Max: 28, possible afternoon shower SUNDAY: Min: 21, Max: 28, possible shower CANBERRA THURSDAY: Min: 14, Max: 30, mostly sunny FRIDAY: Min: 15, Max: 29, shower or two, possible storm SATURDAY: Min: 17, Max: 23, rain, possibly heavy. Possible storm SUNDAY: Min: 13, Max: 22, showers PERTH THURSDAY: Min: 13, Max: 25, partly cloudy FRIDAY: Min: 13, Max: 29, sunny SATURDAY: Min: 17, Max: 34, sunny SUNDAY: Min: 21, Max: 36, cloudy BRISBANE: THURSDAY: Min: 20, Max: 26, showers FRIDAY: Min: 20, Max: 27, shower or two SATURDAY: Min: 21, Max: 29, shower or two SUNDAY: Min: 22, Max: 29, thunderstorms MELBOURNE THURSDAY: Min: 22, Max: 35, possible shower FRIDAY: Min: 22, Max: 26, heavy thundery rain SATURDAY: Min: 17, Max: 21, rain, possibly heavy falls SUNDAY: Min: 15, Max: 19, rain, heavy falls ADELAIDE THURSDAY: Min: 26, Max: 34, humid, shower or two developing FRIDAY: Min: 17, Max: 21, Morning rain, then showers. Possible storm SATURDAY: Min: 14, Max: 19, shower or two SUNDAY: Min: 13, Max 21, showers HOBART THURSDAY: Min: 15, Max: 33, hot, possible shower FRIDAY: Min: 17, Max: 23, rain SATURDAY: Min: 13, Max: 17, showers DARWIN THURSDAY: Min: 26, Max: 34, possible storm FRIDAY: Min: 25, Max: 35, possible shower or storm SATURDAY: Min: 26, Max: 34, shower or two, possible storm SUNDAY: Min: 25, Max: 33, thunderstorms Source: Bureau of Meteorology Advertisement

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for heavy rainfall for Victoria.

Parts of Victoria could be hit with 300mm of rain in just three days.

'Three day totals of around 60-120mm are expected south of the Divide and over the far northwest with totals of 100-200mm for remaining areas on and north of the Divide. However, totals over the northeast ranges may exceed 250mm,' BoM said.

The rain will de 'absolutely devastating' for Victorian farmers who were set to harvest their crops next week.

Farmer Linc McClelland said he was up all night harvesting his wheat, barley, canola, chickpeas and lentils in Mallee until 4.30am on Thursday morning.

'Another two or three days and we'd be right, but the rain will probably beat us. We won't finish,' he told 3AW.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for heavy rainfall for Victoria

Last week Sydney sweltered through the city's hottest end to spring in more than a century. This woman is seen enjoying the sun at Bronte Beach

Temperatures reached 30C in Melbourne this week. This woman is seen at St Kilda Beach

After getting a taste of Summer Australia's east coast is bracing for torrential rain

The system is due to move over South Australia on Thursday before hitting Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania on Friday and Saturday.

Meteorologist Scott Williams said severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, hail and heavy rainfall will hit South Australia from late on Thursday.

'The impact area is expected to lie between the Nullarbor and the area north of Adelaide where storms may produce rainfall totals of 50mm to 100mm,' he said.

'The Adelaide area could also be impacted by these storms.

'The system will ramp up over Victoria and western NSW on Friday and into Saturday with rainfalls of 100mm-200mm expected in these areas, particularly those areas closer to the ranges.'

Mr Williams said Melbourne is also likely to be hit with rain and severe thunderstorms on the weekend.

Parts of Victoria could be hit with 300mm of rain in just three days

People seen walking through Sydney in the rain- Australia's east coast is bracing for heavy rainfall

Parts of NSW and ACT could get up to 200mm of rain across Friday and Saturday

'There is a chance that heavy rain could return to the Melbourne area on Sunday, possibly delivering another 50mm or more,' he said.

Parts of NSW and ACT could get up to 200mm of rain across Friday and Saturday.

'The heavy rainfall could reach Canberra but at this stage does not look like it will impact Sydney.'
A mining company CEO who did time in prison for conspiring to violate mine safety in connection with a massive mine explosion is running against Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in West Virginia.

Don Blankenship did a year-long stint in a California prison after getting convicted of willfully breaking safety standards.

He got convicted after the Upper Big Branch disaster that resulted in the deaths of 29 miners in 2010.

Manchin won election in 2012 with 60 per cent of the vote, but is considered vulnerable because of the voting patterns in the state he represents. He voted through most of President Trump's nominees, and votes with the president about two-thirds of the time.

A spokesman says ex-Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, who went to prison after a mine explosion, will run for the U.S. Senate seat in West Virginia held by Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin.

A spokesman confirmed the ex-Massey Energy CEO will run against Manchin.

Blankenship is a longtime critic of Manchin, wchstv reported. Manchin said in a statement 'He wont be distracted by [Senate GOP leader] Mitch McConnells backroom deals in Washington, D.C.'

Blankenship spokesman Greg Thomas said the formal filing was expected Wednesday. The Senate clerk's office says it hasn't received it yet.

The 67-year-old Blankenship was released from a federal prison in California in May after serving a one-year term related to a deadly mine explosion. He's serving one year of supervised release.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) looks on during a news conference to discuss the national opioid crisis, on Capitol Hill June 27, 2017 in Washington

A protestor holds a sign above Don Blankenship, chairman and chief executive officer of Massey Energy Co., right, as he sits next to Shane Harvey, vice president and general counsel of Massey Energy, before a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on proposals to invest in mine safety programs, focusing on efforts to prevent mine disasters, in Washington

The Upper Big Branch Mine explosion killed 29 workers

Blankenship was sentenced last year for a misdemeanor conviction of conspiring to violate federal mine safety standards at Massey's Upper Big Branch Mine in southern West Virginia, where 29 workers died in a 2010 explosion.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently rejected Blankenship's bid to appeal.

Two other Repubilans, Rep. Evan Jenkins and state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey are also seeking to challenge Manchin.
Australia's tourism minister has made a shameless pitch to have Prince Harry hold his buck's bash Down Under, or perhaps honeymoon here with Meghan Markle.

Steve Ciobo has written to Clarence House with a long list of adrenaline-packed activities for the royal's buck's party and 'slower, contemplative' honeymoon options for the prince and his bride-to-be.

Mr Ciobo says a visit by the prince, or by the newlyweds after their nuptials next year, would fix the eyes of the world's royal watchers on Australia.

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Australia's tourism minister has made a shameless pitch to have Prince Harry hold his buck's bash Down Under, or perhaps honeymoon here with Meghan Markle (above, with Prince Harry)

Steve Ciobo (above) has written to Clarence House with a long list of adrenaline-packed activities for the royal's buck's party

'I have written to His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales, congratulating him on his engagement to Ms Meghan Markle and inviting him to Australia for his pre-wedding celebrations and honeymoon,' Mr Ciobo said.

He added that he'd also offered the services of Tourism Australia to help the couple plan the 'ultimate Australian experience.'

'Having previously visited Australia, Prince Harry is no doubt aware of the amazing experiences we have to offer,' he said.

'From the world's best beaches and endless coastlines, to the vast and ancient landscapes of the interior to our vibrant cities and thriving food and wine scene, Australia has it all.

The minister suggested Prince Harry and his buddies could replace the traditional Aussie pub crawl with a helicopter crawl of iconic pubs in the Top End

The tourism minister also suggested jet-packing, James Bond-style, on the Gold Coast.

'Australia can provide the perfect pre-wedding party and an amazing romantic honeymoon after the wedding.'

The minister suggested Prince Harry and his buddies could replace the traditional Aussie pub crawl with a helicopter crawl of iconic pubs in the Top End.

They could opt for a barra fishing trip in the wild north, or go jet-packing, James Bond-style, on the Gold Coast.

Also recommendations included taking a Wet 'n' Wet Buggy on the Gold Coast in Australia

Mr Ciobo also suggested Prince Harry and his pals go on a barra fishing trip in the wild north

THE RECOMMENDATIONS BUCK'S PARTY Gold Coasts WetnWild Buggy Jetpack Adventures Darwin Barra Fishing Tours Airborne Solutions  Heli Pub Tour HONEYMOON Tasmanias Saffire Freycinet Lodge, Longitude 131 in the Northern Territory Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island Queenslands Lizard Island Source: Courier Mail Advertisement

He also suggested a stay at the luxury resort Longitude 131, near Uluru, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have stayed

As for the honeymoon, the newlyweds could enjoy the privacy and seclusion of the outback, with a stay at the luxury resort Longitude 131, near Uluru, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have previously stayed.

'I want to make sure we class it up,' the minister added to the Nine Network.

'We have some amazing parts to this country and what better way to showcase it.'
President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has been questioned by special counsel Robert Mueller's team of investigators about former national security adviser Michael Flynn, a person familiar with the investigation confirmed Wednesday to The Associated Press.

The person said the questioning of Kushner earlier this month took about 90 minutes or less and was aimed in part at establishing whether Kushner had any information on Flynn that might be exculpatory.

The person said multiple White House witnesses have been asked about their knowledge of Flynn, who was forced to resign from the White House in February after officials concluded he had misled them about his contacts with the Russian ambassador.

The confirmation of Kushner's interview came as prosecutors working for Mueller postponed grand jury testimony related to Flynn's private business dealings.

The reason for the postponement was not immediately clear, but it comes one week after attorneys for Flynn alerted Trump's legal team that they could no longer share information about the case.

President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner (left) has been questioned by special counsel Robert Mueller's team of investigators about former national security adviser Michael Flynn

That discussion between lawyers was widely seen as a possible indication that Flynn was moving to cooperate with Mueller's investigation or attempting to negotiate a deal for himself.

An attorney for Flynn, Robert Kelner, did not immediately respond to email and phone messages Wednesday afternoon.

Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, declined comment.

In a statement, Kushner's attorney, Abbe Lowell, said, 'Mr. Kushner has voluntarily cooperated with all relevant inquiries and will continue to do so.'

The details of Kushner's questioning and the postponement of the grand jury testimony were confirmed by people familiar with Mueller's investigation.

They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation.

Both developments were first reported by CNN.

The grand testimony that had been scheduled for the coming days related to Flynn's firm, Flynn Intel Group, its work with a public relations firm and interactions with congressional staff, one of the people said.

Mueller and the FBI have been interested in hearing from employees at the public relations firm, SGR LLC, because of the firm's work with Flynn Intel Group.

SGR LLC, which does business as Sphere Consulting, did public relations work on a film Flynn Intel Group was working on about Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen.

The film was never completed.

The person said the questioning of Kushner earlier this month took about 90 minutes or less and was aimed in part at establishing whether Kushner had any information on Flynn (seen above at the White House in February 2017) that might be exculpatory

Mueller was appointed by the Justice Department in May to oversee an investigation into potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

The investigation, which produced its first criminal charges last month against three former Trump campaign officials, incorporated an earlier FBI inquiry into Flynn's lobbying and investigative research work on behalf of a Turkish businessman.

Flynn's firm was paid $530,000 for the work.

Sphere employees have cooperated for months with Mueller's investigation, including by turning over documents requested by investigators and sitting for voluntary interviews.

An October 2016 meeting that was expected to be the subject of the grand jury testimony has been described as a bait-and-switch carried out on behalf of Flynn's firm.

As the AP reported in March , Flynn's business partner, Bijan Kian , invited a representative of the House Homeland Security committee to Flynn Intel's offices in Alexandria, Virginia, to discuss secure communications products.

But after discussing the products, the session quickly turned into a lobbying pitch that mirrored Turkish government talking points.

Kian and others involved were particularly interested in pushing for congressional hearings to investigate Gulen, whom the Turkish government has blamed for a botched coup and who has been living in exile in Pennsylvania.

Gulen has denied any involvement.

Flynn Intel Group's requests for congressional hearings went nowhere.

Flynn disclosed some of the details of the meeting in a filing with the Justice Department earlier this year.

According to that filing, an employee of Sphere consulting was present during the meeting.
A leader in the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe has issued a lengthy and impassioned rebuke to Donald Trump's 'Pocahontas' jibe at Elizabeth Warren during an event honoring Navajo Code Talkers.

Trump on Monday welcomed three Navajo code talkers from World War II to the Oval Office. He called them 'incredible' and 'very special people'.

During remarks praising their service, Trump said: 'We have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas. But you know what, I like you.'

The South Dakota-based tribe's chairman, Harold Frazier, echoed previous criticisms of Trump for his comments.

He said in a statement to the Huffington Post: 'The President of the United States wanted to utilize an opportunity to honor native warriors who defended this land to make a political attack.

'I have one for him, leave the office you bought and take your swamp things with you.'

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Harold Frazier, chairman of the South Dakota-based Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, has issued a rebuke to Donald Trump after he made a jibe at Elizabeth Warren during an event honoring Navajo Code Talkers

Trump said during the White House event on Monday: 'We have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas. But you know what, I like you'

Frazier also described how Trump's comment evoked male violence against women; Pocahontas herself was a victim.

'Native American women continue to be victims of rape and exploitation by white men. The President of the United States is practicing that by exploiting native women as an insult for political machismo.'

Code Talkers used their language, which was not understood by Axis powers, as an incredibly successful means to keep Allied operations a secret during the war.

Donald Trump has not yet responded to the avalanche of criticism against him.

Further fueling controversy, Trump and the veterans stood during the ceremony beneath a portrait of controversial president Andrew Jackson - who ordered the forced removal of Native Americans from their ancestral land, causing thousands to die.

The White House denied after the meeting that Trump's comment constituted a racial slur, instead accusing Warren of 'lying' about her heritage, and describing that as 'very offensive'.

But several Native American groups issued strongly-worded protests in the wake of the incident.

The Alliance of Colonial Era Tribes (ACET) said it considered Trump's remark to be a slur.

'American Indian names, whether they be historic or contemporary, are not meant to be used as insults. To do so is to reduce them to racial slurs,' it said in a statement.

Trump has repeatedly referred to Warren, a Democratic senator representing Massachusetts, as Pocahontas. Frazier said of Trump's comment: 'Native American women continue to be victims of rape and exploitation by white men. The President of the United States is practicing that by exploiting native women as an insult for political machismo'

Likewise, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) regretted in a statement that 'the president's use of the name Pocahontas as a slur to insult a political adversary is overshadowing the true purpose of (Monday's) White House ceremony.'

NCAI president Jefferson Keel emphasized that the real-life Pocahontas, the daughter of a 17th-century Native American chief whose story has been retold countless times including in a hit Disney movie, was 'a hero to her people, the Pamunkey Indian Tribe in Virginia.'

'Once again, we call upon the president to refrain from using her name in a way that denigrates her legacy,' he said.

The story of Pocahontas was adapted for a 1995 Disney film

The president has long feuded with Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat senator and an outspoken Wall Street critic who leveled blistering attacks on Trump during the campaign.

Trump seized on questions about Warren's heritage, which surfaced during her 2012 Senate race challenging incumbent Republican Senator Scott Brown.

During that campaign, law school directories from the Association of American Law Schools from 1986 to 1995 surfaced that put Warren on the association's list of 'minority law teachers' when she was teaching at the University of Texas and the University of Pennsylvania.

Warren said she listed herself with Native American heritage because she hoped to meet people with similar roots.

In a 2012 interview with The Associated Press, Warren said she and her brothers were told of the family's heritage by their parents, the late Don and Pauline Herring.

Brown pressed Warren to release more information about how she described her heritage to potential employers. Warren said she never sought proof of ancestry because she didn't think it was necessary.
Police are being investigated over whether their helicopters fanned the flames during the Grenfell Tower disaster.

A man who lost six relatives in the disaster said their downdraught may have intensified the inferno, which claimed 71 lives.

The independent police watchdog is also examining whether the presence of the aircraft gave trapped families false hope as they circled the building.

Some survivors suspect others may have stayed behind or raced to the roof because they believed they could be plucked to safety.

Sarah Green, of the Independent Police Complaints Commission, said there is no indication of any police misconduct but decided an investigation is appropriate. She said it would be carried out by Metropolitan Police officers under the direction of the watchdog to avoid duplication of work.

A man who lost six relatives in the disaster said their downdraught may have intensified the inferno, which claimed 71 lives

Nabil Choucair lost his sister Nadia, 29, in the fire along with his mother, Sirria, 60, Nadias husband Bassem Choucair, 38, and their three children, Mierna, 13, Fatima, 11, and Zainab, three.

He complained after seeing a heartbreaking photograph of a woman waving a sheet from the west London tower block. He believes she was his sister. The family was trapped in their flat on the 22nd floor of the building and made a series of harrowing 999 calls for help.

In his official complaint, Mr Choucair said he believed the downdraught from the helicopters fanned the flames, worsening the fire.

He also believes the presence of police helicopters led to a cruel and tortuous hope they might be saved despite the fact they were only being used to oversee the rescue effort. Experts say a helicopter would not have been able to land on top of the burning building due to the smoke and heat.

Speaking in September, Mr Choucair said: It made a big impact because they were living in hope that the helicopter was a rescue helicopter.

So on the day, on the night, people were going up and down. And simply the reason they were going up was when they heard the helicopter and when they saw it. They thought, great, theyre coming to rescue us, rather than going down when they should have been.

Mr Choucair said that having listened to the 999 calls made by his family, he believes they were under the impression a helicopter would rescue them.

Other relatives have also claimed some Grenfell residents were told to head to the roof and wait for a helicopter rescue. Shakila Neda, 55, claimed between 35 and 40 people told her they were directed by the fire brigade to head upwards.

But London Fire Brigade insists it does not use helicopters for rescues during high-rise tower fires.

Announcing the investigation, which runs alongside a criminal inquiry, public inquiry and inquest, Mrs Green said: In the months since the horrifying fire at Grenfell Tower, there has rightly been a determination that all aspects of the tragedy should be properly scrutinised in the interests of survivors, the families of those who died and the wider public.

Chief Superintendent Tyron Joyce of the National Police Air Service said it is entirely right that the circumstances of the use of helicopters is thoroughly examined.
A two-page report shows the forensic evidence gathered against Howell 'Trai' Donaldson, who has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder

Bullet casings and cell phone data link the alleged Tampa serial killer to four murders between October 9 and November 14, arrest documents show.

A two-page report released Wednesday and obtained by Tampa Bay Times shows the forensic evidence gathered against Howell 'Trai' Donaldson, 24, who has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder.

Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan said in a news conference Wednesday the gun was the missing piece of the puzzle.

'The gun is what we needed,' he told reporters. He said that based on the evidence he is 100 percent sure they have the right man.

Police found SIG Sauer brand .40 caliber shell casings at each of the four locations where Donaldson allegedly shot dead Monica Hoffa, Benjamin Mitchell, Anthony Maiboa and Ronald Felton.

The shell casings from the first three murder scenes were fired from a Glock handgun that Donaldson told police he bought on October 3, according to a forensic analysis.

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Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan, pictured far left, said in a news conference Wednesday the gun was the missing piece of the puzzle

The shell casings from the first three murder scenes were fired from a Glock handgun that Donaldson (pictured) told police he bought on October 3, according to a forensic analysis

He picked up the gun four days later and also bought a 20-round box of SIG Sauer brand .40 caliber bullets, according to store receipts.

The bullets from Felton's murder weren't available for comparison after the gun was confiscated, but were previously identified as having been fired from the same gun.

That gun is the same that Howard handed his manager, wrapped up in a McDonald's takeout food bag on Tuesday afternoon.

He allegedly asked the manager to hold the bag for him but not open it while he went to cash a check at Amscott. He also said he planned to leave the state.

But the manager, who hasn't been identified, did look in the bag and found the loaded 9mm handgun. They then told another employee to alert a female officer who was doing paperwork in the restaurant.

The glock was confiscated and had a loaded magazines with five brand new rounds of .40 caliber bullets, according to the Times.

Donaldson told police that the gun wasn't handled by anyone else from the time he picked it up from the store, the report states.

That gun is the same that Howard handed his manager, wrapped up in a McDonald's takeout food bag on Tuesday afternoon

Donaldson told police that the gun wasn't handled by anyone else from the time he picked it up from the store, the report states. He is currently being held without bail, and is scheduled to appear in court for the first time Tuesday

While Dugan considers the gun to be the most critical piece of evidence, cell phone data also places him roughly at the scene of the crimes on all dates and times corresponding with the first three murders.

He told police he was 'unfamiliar' with the Seminole Heights area and doesn't know anyone who lives there.

Police also found a hooded sweatshirt with what appears to be a blood stain in Donaldson's red Ford Mustang, which was parked at the McDonald's when he was taken in for questioning. The sweatshirt is similar to what a suspect was wearing in a surveillance video taken October 9 just before and after Benjamin Mitchell's murder.

Dugan told reporters Donaldson wasn't a suspect until Tuesday when they confiscated the gun. He said he doesn't think the alleged serial killer was trying to turn himself in.

Donaldson is currently being held without bail and should appear in court for the first time on Tuesday.

'We were really hoping to find out what was driving him to do this,' Dugan told reporters.

'We don't have those answers yet. It's an ongoing investigation. We're going to speak to a lot of people now who know he did this, we're going to have a lot more tips, a lot more information.'

Donaldson was reportedly friendly to police. He didn't admit to the killings or offer any motive. Police don't believe anyone else was involved or that he is involved in any other crimes.

It does not seem like Donaldson has a criminal record.

Police had been searching for clues to who committed the four murders for 51 days.

On October 19, Anthony Naiboa, (left) 20, was shot after taking the wrong bus home from his new job. Then on November 14 Ronald Felton (right) was crossing at Nebraska and Wilder when a man dressed in all black came up behind him and shot him

The first attack happened on October 9 when Benjamin Mitchell (left) was shot dead after getting off a bus in the neighborhood at night. Two days after Mitchell, 22, was shot, Monica Hoffa, (right) 32, was gunned down

Police had been searching for clues to who committed the four murders for 51 days. After the first three were killed Dugan released a blurry video of a suspect, who can be seen wearing a hooded jacket and walking down a street near one of the shootings

Earlier this week police connected the killings based on their methodology - meaning they were all killed in the same way, which is common for serial killers.

Each of the four victims was killed but not robbed while they walked along at night within a half-mile area of the Seminole Heights neighborhood.

The victims, though, didn't have any common similarities based on race, age or occupation.

The first attack happened on October 9 when Benjamin Mitchell was shot dead after getting off a bus in the neighborhood at night.

Two days after Mitchell, 22, was shot, Monica Hoffa, 32, was gunned down. And on October 19, Anthony Naiboa, 20, was shot after taking the wrong bus home from his new job. Police patrolling nearby heard the gunshots and rushed to the scene to find Naiboa dead.

Then in late October Dugan released a blurry video of a suspect, who can be seen wearing a hooded jacket and walking down a street near one of the shootings.

He then released another video on November 16 of who he believes is the same man, who was present near the fatal shooting of Ronald Felton.

Felton was the last of the four victims to be killed, and was shot on November 14.

Police said the victim, a construction worker and father of three adult children, was crossing at Nebraska and Wilder when a man dressed in all black came up behind him and shot him.
Google is being sued on behalf of millions of Britons over privacy breaches after secretly accessing their iPhone browsing history

Google is being sued on behalf of millions of Britons over privacy breaches after it secretly accessed their browsing patterns on iPhones.

The company has already been fined more than $40 million in the US over the scandal which involved tens of millions of people around the world.

Now, the former director of consumer group Which?, Richard Lloyd, is seeking compensation for up to 5.4m Britons whose privacy was invaded.

Google effectively bypassed the default privacy settings on Apples Safari web browser to access the browsing patterns of people who owned an iPhone or iPad between the summer of 2011 and spring of 2012.

It appears to have used this data to cash in by sending targeted advertising to people using their Apple device to access websites through the Google search engine.

In 2015, Britains Court of Appeal ruled that consumers have the right to sue Google in this country over alleged breach of privacy settings through what was known as the Safari Workaround.

The US tech giant subsequently settled a legal action brought by a small group of UK consumers before it went to trial.

Now, Mr Lloyd is bringing a so-called representative action for compensation on behalf of the estimated 5.4million people in England and Wales who were spied on by Google.

The legal case is similar to a class action in America, however compensation will be limited to a figure that relates to the harm caused and  unlike in the US - there is no scope for additional punitive damages.

Mr Lloyd said: I believe that what Google did was quite simply against the law. Their actions have affected millions, and well be asking the courts to remedy this major breach of trust.

Through this action, we will send a strong message to Google and other tech giants in Silicon Valley that were not afraid to fight back if our laws are broken.

In 2015 the Court of Appeal ruled consumers had a right to sue Google for the breach

In all my years speaking up for consumers, Ive rarely seen such a massive abuse of trust where so many people have no way to seek redress on their own.

Thats why Ive taken on one of the biggest fights of my life in representing this legal action, which is the first case of its kind in the UK against a major tech company for misusing our valuable personal data.

I want to spread the word about our claim. Google owes all of those affected fairness, trust and money.

By joining together, we can show Google that they cant get away with taking our data without our consent, and that no matter how large and powerful they are, nobody is above the law.

The legal case has been launched today under the label Google you owe us.

People who owned an iPhone or iPad at the time will be automatically included in the claim unless they ask to leave the campaign through the YouOweUs.co.uk website.

The people who were targeted by Google do not have to pay any legal fees, conduct any research or - at this stage - contact any lawyers.

Mr Lloyd has instructed the law firm Mishcon de Reya to take the case and the costs are being funded by a firm called Therium, which will take a fee.

A spokesman for the legal case said: As with any representative action, third party funding levels the playing field for consumers against larger, well-funded defendants, such as Google.

In this action against Google, Mr Lloyd has engaged Therium Litigation Funding IC to fund all of the costs of the claim - including Mishcon de Reyas fees - and has arranged After The Event Insurance.

Should the case be successful, Therium will take a fee but the great majority of the damages awarded by the court will be distributed to the claimant class.

An initial court hearing in the case is likely to held next spring, however it could be two to three years before it is settled.

Google has always argued that no compensation is due because the Apple device users suffered no financial harm.
Congressman Joe Barton is facing more scrutiny after a woman shared a series of sexually suggestive messages she received from the Texas lawmaker, who was married at the time of their correspondence.

Barton, who was forced to apologize last week for texting a nude photo of himself to another woman, confirmed on Wednesday to the Star-Telegram that the exchange with the woman, Kelly Canon, happened.

The messages included a blend of politics and questions about whether Canon was 'wearing a tank top only ... and no panties.' In another message, he told Canon that she was 'soft and curvy.'

The Congressman first started messaging Canon on Facebook in 2012 and 2013 while he was married to his second wife, Terri.

Canon, who is a Republican, told the Star-Telegram that for several years she had exchanged messages with 68-year-old Barton that mostly discussed politics.

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Congressman Joe Barton is facing more scrutiny after a woman shared a series of sexually suggestive messages she received from the Texas lawmaker, who was married at the time of their correspondence. This comes a week after a nude photo of Barton leaked forcing him to apologize (right)

Barton (above) confirmed on Wednesday to the Star-Telegram that the exchange with the woman, Kelly Canon, happened. The messages included a blend of politics and questions about whether Canon was 'wearing a tank top only ... and no panties'

During on exchange, Barton was telling Canon that he was tired and getting ready to go to sleep

But before ending the message, he asked her to tell him what he was wearing

'He took it a step too far on rare occasions,' Canon, who lives in Arlington, said.

'He was very fascinated with my attire, to the point of being inappropriate.'

The woman shared a number of messages including when the Congressman questioned her on June 13, 2012 where he asked about her wearing panties after midnight.

She responded: 'Ok, thats enough. You know my attire! Good night ....'

Barton responded: 'answer me miss evasive.'

Then, at 11.40pm on June 18, 2012, the Republican lawmaker sent a message: 'wanna tell me what u r wearing or not wearing tonight miss sweet dreams.'

Canon replied that she was still in her 'regular clothes' and that she had not 'called it a night yet'. In another conversation, he said that Canon was 'a sexy woman'

Canon said that he was a 'good' man since he was married to his second wife at the time

He then also asked her what she was wearing, 'if anything'

Barton then kept asking her what she was wearing before she tried to shut him down

She responded that she was 'still in my 'regular' clothes!' '

During an exchange on October 2,2013, Barton sent her a message that said 'men are men ... and u r definitely a sexy woman.'

Canon responded that 'all the good ones are married,' to which Barton replied: 'I dont know about good ... but I am married.'

She then said: 'Well, that means you're one of the 'good' ones, then!'

He simply wrote: 'Thank u.'

In another exchange she gave him 'a parting hug', to which he said she was 'soft n (sic) curvy'

Of Barton (right), Canon said: 'He took it a step too far on rare occasions. He was very fascinated with my attire, to the point of being inappropriate.'

'Just calling 'em as I see 'em!' Canon replied.

Barton added: 'but ... I am not thinking good thoughts at this moment ... blush.'

Canon shared that she and Barton never had a physical relationship and that she 'never considered that'.

But the woman did say she believes it's 'inappropriate for a congressman to be talking to a constituent like that. ... He wouldn't say that if I was a guy.'

In confirming to the Star-Telegram that the exchange with Canon did happen, Barton said: 'I will affirm I did have that exchange, but nothing more.'

Canon claims that Barton did not offer an apology for the messages, but a consultant for the politician said that he did apologize.

Last week Barton said he was in a 'consensual' sexual relationship when he sent a nude photo of himself that was leaked and forced him to apologize for not using 'better judgment'.

Barton, who is twice divorced, does not plan to step down from his position despite several Texas lawmakers calling for him to resign.

He has since drawn a Republican primary challenger after the nude photo circulated on social media.

Jake Ellzey, a retired Naval combat pilot and member of the Texas Veterans Commission, filed paperwork with the Republican Party of Texas.

Barton, who is from Ennis and is Texas' most-senior congressman, announced his re-election campaign last month.

The latest news about Barton comes as several other members in elected positions are also facing calls to step down after sexual misconduct allegations have been made against them.
A hungry man has been convicted of drink driving after being caught 'doing laps' around McDonald's in a rage because staff would not serve him 200 nuggets.

Kole Olsen, 30, had a huge appetite when he woke up in the early hours of a Saturday morning following a night out.

Olsen went out drinking at a party on Friday, November 5, before catching an Uber back to his Epping home, Hornsby Local Court was told on Thursday.

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McDonald's customer Kole Olsen, 30, lost his licence and was fined $1000 for the bizarre November 6 incident

Olsen, who is a vegan, entered the Drive Thru and demanded 200 nuggets from staff about 4.40am

Hungry? Pictured, is some of what Olsen was after when he went on his drunken rampage

When he woke up in the early hours of the morning feeling peckish, Olsen went to the kitchen but tripped and hurt his toe.

He got even hungrier as he applied ice to his injury, the court heard, so he decided to drive to the local McDonald's outlet, 15 minutes away from his home.

Olsen, who is a vegan, entered the Drive Thru and demanded 200 nuggets from staff about 4.40am.

But staff rejected his order because they were now serving the breakfast menu.

Olsen launched into a tirade where he screamed at staff: 'I want my f***ing nuggets'.

He then did three more laps of the store in his orange Ford Falcon, before returning to the window and ordering 200 hash browns.

He paid $230 for his order, and was told to wait in the waiting bay.

No appetite for attention? Olsen tried to escape a large crowd of media waiting for him out the front of Hornsby Court

Olsen was soon followed down the road by a considerable media pack

Drive-Thru nightmare: Olsen hurled abuse at the fast food outlet's staff during the rampage

When an employee took the order to the window of his car, Olsen continued to rant and rave.

Concerned staff then called police who arrived to find Olsen at the wheel of his car.

The IT worker had a blood alcohol reading of 0.175 and was arrested.

On Thursday, a magistrate handed Olsen a 12 month good behaviour bond, having already suspended his licence at the time of his arrest.

His lawyer told Magistrate Daniel Reiss her client, who is a New Zealand native, took full responsibility for his actions.

Scene of the crime: Olsen, a New Zealand native, was at Thornleigh McDonalds

In sentencing, Magistrate Reiss called Olsen's actions 'disturbing' and said he definitely had 'an alcohol problem'.

'It's lucky you didn't kill yourself or somebody else,' he said.

'Once back at the station you were hostile to police...

'You've got an alcohol problem and you haven't disclosed it to those around you.'

He was handed a 12 month good behaviour bond, ordered to pay a $1000 fine and will have to have an interlock device fitted to his car.
A cap on bankers bonuses could be scrapped after Brexit, Mark Carney said last night.

The burden of other EU rules such as red tape on insurers and tough guidelines for small banks and building societies may also be relaxed to boost the City, the Bank of England Governor suggested.

In a move that will be cheered by finance chiefs, Mr Carney  who has been criticised for his gloom about Britains future outside the European Union  has laid bare opportunities to make improvements after Brexit.

Asked if there were any rules he thought could be changed, the Governor said: There are things we dont think are necessary. There are areas where we would make changes, but within the context of maintaining the overall levels of resilience.

A cap on bankers bonuses could be scrapped after Brexit, Mark Carney said last night

The cap on bankers bonuses, put in place after the financial crisis, has long been a bug-bear of the Square Mile.

Brussels rules mean that bonuses are limited to the same as a bankers basic salary, or double that with special approval from shareholders.

The cap was introduced in 2014, but faced a legal challenge from Britain before the Government bowed to pressure and introduced it.

But the Bank of England has long opposed the restrictions, arguing they just drive up basic pay so lenders can continue offering vast sums to their staff.

Scrapping the rules would allow institutions to woo bankers from across the EU as London fights to keep its spot as Europes top financial hub.

Mr Carney also suggested that the financial services industry will continue to grow after the UK leaves the EU.

He said its size is ten times as big as Britains annual economic output at present - but this could swell to 15 or 20 times in the next few decades.

The insurance industry has repeatedly claimed that EU rules known as Solvency II are restrictive, forcing them to set aside billions of pounds unnecessarily and to file millions of pages of documentation nobody will read.

Many smaller lenders and building societies also feel wronged by Brussels, as a large number of rules designed to keep big banks safe also apply to them.

The burden of other EU rules such as red tape on insurers and tough guidelines for small banks and building societies may also be relaxed to boost the City, the Bank of England Governor suggested

Bosses say this forces them to hold back money which could otherwise be used to support businesses and consumers in the real world.

We think in general there should be more proportionate regulation, Mr Carney said.

The Governor said the Bank of England was determined to avoid Britain becoming a low-regulation state  a so-called Singapore-on-Sea.

He said any changes would not amount to a race to the bottom. The City is widely regarded as having some of the most respected rules in the world, designed to keep a strict eye on financial transactions but allow businesses to thrive.

Mr Carney was talking at an event to mark the second anniversary of the FICC Market Standards Board (FMSB), a regulatory group set up after the Libor rate-rigging scandal to try and clean up the City.

He said: The City has a special responsibility to address the root causes of misconduct, given its pre-eminent position in global markets.

It comes a day after the Bank warned that failure to reach a Brexit deal could have serious economic consequences for the EU.

The Bank of England said 30million people and businesses on the Continent have 40billion of life insurance and other policies with British businesses.

These rely on our membership of the single market to function, and will stop being valid unless the EU writes a law allowing them to continue.

About 6million Britons have policies worth 20billion with insurers across the Channel, and Parliament will need to pass a law here to avoid disruption.

On Tuesday, Mr Carney said: Its absolutely in the interests of all parties, but very much in the interests of Europe, that elements of that close cooperation are continued after Brexit.

London is also global hub for derivatives contracts, which banks use to manage their money and avoid unnecessary risks.

Around 26trillion of existing contracts between UK and EU banks will stop working once we leave the Brussels bloc unless new laws are passed in Brussels and London.
The term baby boomer has become a label of abuse in the wake of the Brexit referendum, experts claim.

Charity chiefs said those born between 1946 and 1964 face resentment for owning their own homes and benefiting from free university education.

And they warned that baby boomers are facing ageist attacks from Remainers for allegedly stealing the future of the younger generation by voting Leave.

The concerns were raised by Age UKs head of public policy Jane Vass and the former head of public affairs at Help the Aged, Kate Jopling.

Speaking at the The Future of Ageing conference in London yesterday, Mrs Vass said: After Brexit, there was this demonisation of older people  in some cases [people said] take away their votes.

The term baby boomer has become a label of abuse in the wake of the Brexit referendum, experts claim

Mrs Jopling added: There was a casual use of demonising and divisive language  the bandying around of stereotypes about who older people are, about their economic circumstances, their motivations and even their ability to form rational judgments.

Baby boomers used to be talked about as the generation that were going to change everything, now it is almost a term of abuse.

Baby boomers  the term given to those born in the population explosion after the Second World War  were widely blamed by the Left for Brexit after polls suggested over-65s were more than twice as likely as under-25s to have voted Leave.

While almost three-quarters of 18 to 24-year-olds are thought to have voted Remain, YouGov reported that 60 per cent of 50 to 64-year-olds probably backed Leave.

Age UK was moved to publish a blog last year calling for an end to the denigration of older people after Brexit was blamed in newspaper commentaries and on social media as the fault of the elderly, baby boomers and wrinkly b*******.

Speaking after the conference, run by the International Longevity Centre, Mrs Vass said: Older people stealing their childrens future was the standard wording.

But actually that was apparent well before Brexit, particularly around housing and wealth.

There has not been as much recognition that a lot of the inequalities in wealth are within generations as well as outside generations.

Baby boomers  the term given to those born in the population explosion after the Second World War  were widely blamed by the Left for Brexit (stock image)

She said many people now try to avoid calling the post-war generation baby boomers, adding: Its often used as a term of abuse.

Policy consultant Mrs Jopling also condemned the tone of the discussion on voting trends. It was more about the language, talking about older voters stealing our future, talking about should older people be allowed to vote, she said.

For me that was illustrative of how far we had gone with age discrimination, if that was acceptable to say. The issue of Brexit discrimination arose in a workshop called Is the future more or less ageist?

Chairman Sam Smethers, of the Fawcett Society, said older people were in fact extremely concerned with the future of their children and grandchildren when voting.

A report this month by Independent Age also found older people wanted public policy to be fair to all age groups and did not want the generations to be played off against each other.
A disqualified learner driver, 20, has been charged with 11 offences over a horror smash that took the life of a girl, 2, and left a man fighting for his life in hospital.

Anelina Janet Matagia Nauer died in the crash as her family travelled from Griffith in south-west NSW to Sydney airport about 1.30pm on Tuesday.

The family were on their way to the airport for a holiday in Samoa.

Two-year-old Anelina has been remembered as a 'beautiful soul', as seven other people in the car recover in hospital.

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A Toyota Hiace mini bus carrying nine people collided head-on with a Mercedes Benz van on Mamre Road at Kemps Creek, in Sydney's west, about 1.30pm on Tuesday

Anelina Janet Matagia Nauer (pictured) died in the horror crash as her family travelled from Griffith

Anelina's mother Kristen, 23, suffered two broken legs, her grandfather Antonio, 59, is in a coma and her young brothers aged nine-months and three-years, were taken to hospital.

A boy and a girl from the same vehicle, both age 16, also remain in hospital being treated for injuries.

All nine passengers in the Toyota Hiace mini bus were believed to be from the same family from Griffith.

Emergency crews were forced to work for close to an hour to free a man trapped in the wreckage.

Up to 12 ambulances and two helicopters attended the scene.

The 20-year-old disqualified learner driver of the mini bus was taken to Westmead Hospital.

Police said the woman 'should never have been behind the wheel' of the van.

All nine passengers in the Toyota Hiace mini bus were believed to be from the same family from Griffith

Following her release from hospital, she was charged with 11 offences including dangerous driving occasioning death, drive whilst disqualified and drive with child not restrained as prescribed

Anelina Janet Matagia Nauer has been remembered as a 'beautiful soul'

Following her release from hospital, she was charged with 11 offences including dangerous driving occasioning death, drive whilst disqualified and drive with child not restrained as prescribed.

She was granted conditional bail and is due to appear at Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday, December 20.

The driver of the commercial van, a 50-year-old man from Merrylands, escaped serious injury and has undergone mandatory testing. His passenger also escaped injury.

Anelina's mother suffered two broken legs, her grandfather is in a coma and her young brothers are in hospital

Anelina's uncle Sio Nauer posted a tribute to her on Facebook, calling her a 'princess'.

'My little niece Princess Anelina R.I.P. I love you very much,' he posted.

'God bless the Nauer family - love you all.'

A GoFundMe pagfe was set up for the family with a $10,000 fundraising goal.

'Any donations would be kindly appreciated for this beautiful family,' the page's creator Puaga Ioelu wrote.

'She was a beautiful soul. She's just adorable  funny. She is everything to her Dad,' her cousin Marilyn Nauer told 9NEWS.

On Facebook, relatives of the little girl posted heartbreaking tributes.

'Your duty here on earth is done and I know God is in control of everything and that he needed you more than we did,' a grieving relative said.
The number of drivers caught using a mobile phone at the wheel fell by more than 10 per cent following the introduction of tougher penalties.

Some 1,700 fewer drivers were stopped for illegally using a phone while driving in the three months after a Government crackdown compared with the three months immediately before, according to police forces across the country.

In total, 14,160 drivers were caught between March and May for the offence, which carries a penalty of six points and a 200 fine.

Some 14,160 drivers were stopped while using their handheld mobiles between March and May down from 15,861 in the three months earlier before penalties were increased

The result is a victory for the Daily Mails End The Mobile Madness campaign.

This was down from the 15,861 motorists who were stopped between December 2016 and February 2017.

The RAC compiled the figures after making Freedom of Information requests to police forces, with 38 responding.

The sharpest percentage fall in the number of drivers caught was in the City of London police force area, with just 41 drivers stopped after the new penalties came in, down from 124 who were caught in the three months prior  a 67 per cent fall.

Security guard escapes ban claiming his phone 'fell on the floor' A security guard caught holding his mobile phone at the wheel avoided a ban by claiming he was just picking it up off the floor. Steven Parkinson, 33, was seen by a police officer on a busy road in Manchester in April. But the father-of-four, of Bolton, insisted he only reached for his phone when it fell off the passenger seat. Steven Parkinson, 33, was seen by a police officer on a busy road in Manchester in April holding his mobile phone in his hand He already had six points on his licence for not identifying a driver in his vehicle last year. Another six for the mobile offence took him to 12 points, usually meaning an automatic ban. But Parkinson claimed he needed to drive for his job to support his family and was instead fined 92 with 115 costs by city magistrates after admitting using a phone while driving. Advertisement

Durham Constabulary stopped 73 drivers, down from 149 (a 51 per cent drop) while Surrey Police caught 279, down from 564 (also 51 per cent fall).

But while 25 forces recorded a reduction in the number of drivers caught for the offence after the new penalties came in, there was a rise in 11, and in two the number was unchanged. Kent Police caught 337, up from 237 (a 42 per cent rise), Gwent Police caught 79, up from 56 (a 41 per cent rise) and Leicestershire Police caught 134, up from 98 (a 37 per cent rise).

Last night the RAC said it supported the Mails campaign, which highlighted the risks of using the phone at the wheel.

Shortly after the campaign was launched, the Government announced plans to double the fines and penalties for drivers who were caught out.

RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams welcomed the fall, but warned that the recorded figures were just the top of the iceberg because a lack of front-line traffic police meant many culprits went unpunished.

The number of dedicated roads policing officers across Britain fell 27 per cent in the five years to 2015.

Mr Williams added: It is still much too early to tell if the stricter penalties are changing drivers behaviour, but these figures give hope that at least some are starting to get the message that driving and using a hand-held phone to talk, text or tweet dont mix.

Following the introduction of tougher penalties, we know police forces are running regular campaigns to catch offenders  so one way of reading these figures is to say that this activity, in parts of the country, is beginning to yield results.

But the flipside to this is the possibility that enforcement levels are still much lower than they need to be to stamp out this illegal activity.

The figures emerged months after RAC research suggested more than nine million motorists continued to use a hand-held phone while driving.
Treasury minister Liz Truss, a former Remainer, said that the proposed 50billion EU withdrawal bill was a slight pay off compared with remaining in the EU, as the Brexit bill dominated Prime Minister's Questions

Deputy Prime Ministers Questions was so low-grade, I will mention it only at the bottom of this sketch. The more significant debate in the Commons came later when MPs discussed the rumoured cost of our EU withdrawal deal.

Some say Mrs May is preparing to hand over 50billion. This was an outrageous sum, agreed plenty of MPs from both In and Out camps.

The one consolation offered by Treasury minister Liz Truss was that we would be paying even more to Brussels if we stayed in the ruddy EU. And she used to be a Remainer!

The session was provoked by an Urgent Question from Blairite Chris Leslie (Nottingham E). Remainer Mr Leslie felt the reported exit sum just showed we should never have voted to leave in the first place.

Other Europhiles such as Pat McFadden (Wolverhampton SE) and Chris Bryant (Rhondda) pretty much took that view. Miss Truss said there was no point trying to re-fight the lost referendum. Blairites should get with the programme and support the nation in trying to get a decent trade agreement from Juncker & Co.

When Remain MPs demanded more detail about the exit payment, Miss Truss refused to help. That would cut across the continuing negotiation.

The Labour front bench had little to say on the matter.

Leave supporter Dennis Skinner (Lab, Bolsover) said his firmly pro-Brexit constituents would think it wicked to hand over billions to the Europeans when we could spend that money on the NHS and our own social care.

Mr Skinner was supported by Philip Davies (Con, Shipley) and Peter Bone (Con, Wellingborough). Mr Bone added Defence to the list of causes that would be more deserving of the cash.

Mr Davies said the Government should produce an itemised account of what we are paying for. Dream on, Philip! The EU hasnt produced certified accounts for years. But it would be lovely to know how much of this Danegeld will be spent on the Kinnock familys pension pot.

First secretary of state Damian Green was faced with references to ongoing sexual harassment allegations as he stepped in for Theresa May during Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions

Jacob Rees-Mogg (Con, NE Somerset) talked of growing concern that Her Majestys Government is dancing to the tune of the European Commission. He wanted not a penny paid until we had a full deal on trade. Robert Halfon (Con, Harlow) hinted we should tell the EU to get stuffed. A couple of Brexiteers took a marginally more upbeat tone. Owen Paterson (Con, N Shropshire) said independent Britain was set to flourish and boom if it secured a decent trade deal without the EUs shackles. He wanted to cheer up the miseries on the far side of the Chamber. This only made the Blairites look even glummer.

Sir Desmond Swayne (Con, New Forest W) hoped we would not have to pay more than was legally obliged but its a bargain against the cost of staying in.

At last, the country is starting to realise how much the EU has been costing us for years. In all the time I have been a parliamentary sketchwriter, I do not recall a single Urgent Question or serious vote on the annual handing-over of billions to Brussels. It always just went through on the nod, Government MPs from the ruling party of the day meekly trooping through the lobbies at the behest of the Whips. Where were the spending-conscious Blairites then?

Euroloony Kenneth Clarke (Con, Rushcliffe) claimed all those billions of pounds over the years were spent well because they secured access to the EUs markets. Spent well? They were certainly spent on the sly. Spent by an elite that thought it could fool the electorate. Now the appalling cost of EU membership is clear. All Juncker & his mates want is our moolah.

Oh yes, Deputy PMQs. It was taken by Damian Green because Theresa May was abroad. He was terrible. All anyone could think about was his computer and the pornography some allege was found on it. A couple of MPs alluded to that in a nudge-nudge way. It was all a bit lowering.
A German supermarket giant has snapped up an empty Bunnings site in Melbourne as it prepares to break into Australia's lucrative $90 billion grocery market.

Kaufland, a warehouse style supermarket, boasts superstores five times bigger than Coles or Woolworths and is similar to Costco but without the membership.

The chain, which stocks about 60,000 products, has already bought a site in the outskirts of Adelaide for $25 million as part of its plans to dominate the sector.

German supermarket Kaufland (pictured) is opening their doors for the first time in Australia

The supermarket giant has snapped up an empty Bunnings site (pictured) in Melbourne as it prepares to break into Australia's lucrative $90 billion grocery market

The German Giant is known for offering shoppers everything from groceries to car maintenance supplies and will be opening its doors in Melbourne and Adelaide

The new stores will reportedly cover 20,000 square metres, just under five acres, and will stock everything from chocolate, televisions and ladders.

Kaufland, which is part of the Schwarz Group which owns Lidl, has never opened in an English speaking country but is extremely popular in eastern and central Europe countries with more than 1230 stores.

Unlike German supermarket Aldi, who mainly stocks their own brands, Kaufland stocks thousands of household brands.

Initial reports suggest Kaufland would need to open about 20 stores in Australia to make a viable investment.

The new stores will reportedly cover 20,000 square metres and will stock everything from chocolate, televisions and ladders.

Kaufland, a warehouse style supermarket, is five times bigger than Coles or Woolworths and is similar to Costco but without the membership (stock image)

Kaufland (pictured) will enter supermarket market alongside key player Coles and is extremely popular within eastern and central Europe

Retail consultant Brian Walker told the Herald Sun he expected Kaufland to be 'very aggressive' with its pricing scheme when it launched in Australia.

'They are going to go hard and fast  they make their money by volume and they've got to get scale,' he told the publication.

'They will be very aggressive on price, very aggressive on product and they are going to appeal to that Aldi, Costco buyer.'

As the company is buying land, rather than leasing the land, it means Australian stores will not open for at least a couple of years, Fairfax Media reported earlier this year.

The German giants reportedly looked at other cities across the country including Geelong and the Gold Coast, but it is believed Sydney is not an option for Kaufland stores because there is not enough available land space.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Kaufland Australia for comment.

How the supermarkets compare KAUFLAND - First opened in Germany in 1984 - Huge ware house style supermarket - $30.5 billion in annual revenue - Has more than 1230 stores in Europe - Set to open one store in Australia WOOLWORTHS - First opened in Sydney in 1924 - Australia's largest supermarket chain - 995 stores throughout Australia - Holds $34.7 billion share in supermarket Australian market ALDI - First opened in Germany in 1913 - Sells affordable brands and products - More than 470 stores in Australia - Holds $9.3 billion share in supermarket Australian market COLES - First opened in Melbourne in 1914 - Traditional style supermarket - 801 stores throughout Australia - Holds $30.8 billion share in supermarket Australian market Advertisement

Unlike German supermarket Aldi, who mainly stocks their own brands, Kaufland (pictured) stocks thousands of household brands




Tasteless jokes Matt Lauer cracked during a 2008 comedy roast about his former colleagues have resurfaced amid his ousting from NBC.

In particular, he made vulgar jokes in which he boasted about sleeping with fellow NBC journalists Katie Couric and Ann Curry, per a report by a Village Voice reporter in attendance.

Couric made a joke during the roast, which was presided over by 'roastmaster' Al Roker, in which she said that doctors found Lauer's head when they performed a colonoscopy on her.

Later Lauer, 59, told the assembled crowd of about 1,900 celebrities: 'Let me just say that I saw that colon a lot before the rest of you saw it.'

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Matt Lauer (right, with Meredith Viera and Al Roker) was fired from NBC today amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Comments he made at the 2008 Friars Club roast of him about Katie Couric and Ann Curry have resurfaced. The trio is pictured at the event

He said: 'It was fun to look over and see Ann Curry (left) laughinglike she doesnt know how big my d*** really is.' Of Couric, who made a joke about how doctors found his head when performing a colonoscopy on her, he said: 'Let me just say that I saw that colon a lot before the rest of you saw it'

Couric, 60, also made a joke about how Lauer 'loves to eat curry,' expressing astonishment at the wild reaction from the crowd and saying: 'What, Indian food! What's wrong with you people?'

But the pun was not lost on the crowd, which saw the gag as a reference to Ann Curry.

Later Lauer said: 'Whats with all the small-d*** jokes? It was fun to look over and see Ann Curry laughinglike she doesnt know how big my d*** really is.'

Meredith Viera also joked that Lauer has 'Al Roker's d***' up his butt and had his testicles 'juggled' by Couric for 'six years'.

The roast was put on by the New York Friars Club at the New York Hilton in Midtown Manhattan.

The organization has put on such roasts since 1950.

The unearthing of these comments comes as Curry, former co-host of the 'Today Show,' spoke out after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against Lauer today.

'The women's movement got us into the workplace, but it didn't make us safe once we got there,' Curry told PEOPLE Magazine during an interview to promote her return back to television.

Ann Curry has, as of yet, declined to comment directly on the allegations aimed at Lauer. She told PEOPLE magazine: 'The women's movement got us into the workplace, but it didn't make us safe once we got there'. She said she was still trying to 'process' the Lauer allegations

'And the battle lines are now clear. We need to move this revolution forward and make our workplaces safe. Corporate America is quite clearly failing to do so, and unless it does something to change that, we need to keep doing more ourselves,' she added.

Curry declined to comment directly on the allegations aimed at Lauer, who was fired from NBC on Tuesday when nearly a dozen people accused the long-time anchor of a vast array of sexual misconduct.

'I'm still really processing it,' Curry told PEOPLE.

Meanwhile, fans of Ann Curry are reveling in the downfall of one of America's most recognizable TV anchors in America following Lauer's sudden ouster from the Today Show's top gig.

Lauer is believed to be the driving force behind Curry's 2012 firing from the popular daytime talk show, according to Page Six.

'Ann, Karma has paid Matt a visit today. I've always believed he orchestrated your removal from The Today Show. I pray we will see you back on TV soon. Be BLESSED,' one person wrote on Instagram.

'Matt Lauer just caught the karma bus and Ann Curry was driving,' added another social media user.

Lauer was fired on Tuesday after an array of sexual misconduct allegations surfaced against him

Fans of Ann Curry reveled in Lauer's downfall and took to social media to express their glee

Curry, 61, joined the Today Show as Lauer's co-host in 2011. But after a year of sluggish ratings, NBC canned the venerated TV news veteran and replaced her with current anchor Savannah Guthrie.

Curry is now making her return back to television, focused on her role as executive producer and host of 'We'll Meet Again.' The show reunites people who have shared a traumatic experience together.

'I admire the women who have been willing to speak up both anonymously and on the record. Those women need to keep their jobs, and all women need to be able to work, to be able to thrive, without fear,' Curry said during the PEOPLE interview.

'This kind of behavior exists across industries, and it is so long overdue for it to stop. This is a moment when we all need to be a beacon of light for those women, for all women, and for ourselves,' she added.
Theresa May also made it clear that the UK would not make a unilateral offer to the EU without guarantees on trade

A Brexit divorce payment of up to 40billion will only be handed over if Brussels agrees a comprehensive trade deal, MPs were told yesterday.

Treasury chief secretary Elizabeth Truss sought to reassure Eurosceptics by insisting any payment was contingent on us securing a suitable outcome in trade negotiations.

Theresa May also made it clear that the UK would not make a unilateral offer to the EU without guarantees on trade, saying the two sides would move in step together towards a settlement.

Ministers have agreed a formula that would raise the UKs offer to about 40billion in the hope of securing a breakthrough at a crunch summit in Brussels next month.

EU sources have suggested the offer may be enough, despite some previous demands of as much as 90billion.

Boris Johnson, who has resisted paying a large bill, yesterday indicated he was satisfied the money was justified.

The Foreign Secretary said: Weve been waiting for this for a long time  18 months or so. Now is the moment to get the ship off the rocks and move it forwards.

Ministers have agreed a formula that would raise the UKs offer to about 40billion in the hope of securing a breakthrough at a crunch summit in Brussels next month

The prospect of a breakthrough was also welcomed by businesses, with the pound rising to its highest level in weeks.

We're the best for business Britain was last night named the best country in Europe in which to do business in a major vote of confidence ahead of Brexit. It was ranked above Germany, France, Italy and Spain for its business environment in the latest Prosperity Index from the Legatum Institute. Globally, Britain was deemed to be the fifth best place in the world for business, with the United States in first place, New Zealand second, Hong Kong third and Canada in fourth. The Legatum Institute praised the UKs flexible labour market, laws that protect the ideas of inventors and entrepreneurs, and the ease of raising money to plough into a business. It said: The stand-out feature of the UK is access to credit and the ability of a company that wants finance to get it. Thats a benefit of London being the financial capital of the world. Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns said: These findings are yet more evidence that the Project Fear of the Remain campaign was pure scaremongering.Theres no doubt that the UK has a prosperous future outside the EU. The London-based Legatum Institute is the charitable arm of the Legatum Group, a private investment firm set up by Christopher Chandler in Dubai in 2006. Mr Chandler, 57, is a New Zealand-born billionaire, who with his brother Richard created a hedge fund in the 1980s and made a fortune investing in Russia, among other places. Advertisement

However, members of the Tory pro-Brexit European Research Group were last night seeking a meeting with government Chief Whip Julian Smith over the issue  with some even warning they could vote down any payment in the Commons.

Conservative MP Peter Bone told The Guardian: Giving billions to the EU is completely the reverse of what people voted for. If the deal is voted down we come out on World Trade Organisation rules.

Fellow Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg said the Government seemed to be dancing to the tune of the European Commission.

But other Tories, including former party leader Iain Duncan Smith, were willing to countenance a substantial divorce payment, provided it was absolutely hinged on a free trade arrangement.

Miss Truss said the Government was not dancing to anyones tune, telling MPs: Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

Any settlement that we make is contingent on us securing a suitable outcome.

Business leaders welcomed her comments. The British Chambers of Commerce said firms would welcome any development that brings us closer to discussions on a future trade deal.

The Federation of Small Businesses said members urgently want to see Brexit negotiations move on to discussions over trade.

However, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier last night insisted there was still much work to do.

n IRELAND last night threatened to block talks on an EU trade deal unless Britain makes concessions on the Northern Irish border.

Irish EU agriculture commissioner Phil Hogan ordered the UK to make specific guarantees, accusing Britain of treating its neighbour like a small country. Ireland wants a legal pledge that there will be no return to a hard border.
Two Mexican men have been arrested over the attempted importation of 300kg of cocaine into Melbourne via air cargo in pallets of cocoa powder.

The arrests were made after the seizure of the illicit drugs worth around $105 million by police and border protection offers.

The men, aged 33 and 34, are scheduled to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday.

A representative from the Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce wheels in 300kg of cocaine

The men, aged 33 and 34, are scheduled to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday

Two Mexican men have been arrested over the attempted importation of 300kg of cocaine into Melbourne via air cargo in pallets of cocoa powder

Earlier this month, the 34-year-old Mexican man arrived at Melbourne International Airport on a flight from Los Angeles.

He was examined by Australian Border Force officers, who detected a small quantity of cocaine.

The man was detained and an investigation begun.

Following enquires, police seized of a consignment labelled as coffee and cocoa powder from a business premises in Altona, Victoria.

Allegedly concealed within the consignment was approximately 300kgs of cocaine.

Border Force's Rod Winchester said international drug syndicates consider Australia a popular destination due to high demand.

Following enquires, police seized of a consignment labelled as coffee and cocoa powder from a business premises in Altona, Victoria

Drugs were smuggled in a consignment labelled as coffee and cocoa powder

'Sadly, Australians are still prepared to pay a very high price for drugs including cocaine, but we aren't making it easy for them,' he said.

'This is why Border Force officers turn up to work each day - to play their part in stopping dangerous people, peddling dangerous drugs, from entering our country and ruining Australian lives.'

The 34-year-old Mexican man, who was previously detained, was formally arrested at the Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre. The 33 year-old was arrested at the Port Melbourne premises.

Police and border protection agencies have seized approximately 300 kilograms of cocaine imported into Melbourne via air cargo in pallets of cocoa powder

Both men have been charged with the importation a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs.

The 33-year-old has also been charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of border controlled drugs.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Allegedly concealed within the consignment was approximately 300kgs of cocaine
The new boss of the NHSs financial watchdog will earn almost 300,000 a year despite an unprecedented cash crisis, it has been revealed.

Ian Dalton will take over as chief executive of NHS Improvement next month on a salary nearly double that of the Prime Minister.

He will lead an organisation whose role is to rein in the spending of hospitals and health trusts, and cut back on waste.

In a further twist, the watchdog has confirmed it is paying 8,000 a year to the countrys highest-earning university chief to work two to three days a month.

Dame Glynis Breakwell  the 468,000-a-year head of Bath University  is employed as NHS Improvements remuneration officer as a non-executive director. A spokesman said Dame Glynis was not involved in the approval of Mr Daltons salary.

The NHS is facing its worst financial crisis in a generation as it struggles to meet the needs of the ageing population on a very tightly constrained budget.

The NHS is facing its worst financial crisis in a generation as it struggles to meet the needs of the ageing population on a very tightly constrained budget

Last week, Chancellor Philip Hammond promised a 2.8billion cash injection over two years but this was a third of what experts had asked for. Tomorrow senior officials at NHS England will discuss imposing widespread rationing of painkillers and routine operations to try to save money.

Figures uncovered by the Health Service Journal show that Mr Dalton will earn 287,000 a year in his new post. This is nearly double the 150,000 salary paid to Theresa May and 92,000 more than the head of the NHS, Simon Stevens.

A spokesman said Mr Dalton would be paid the same salary as in his current post as chief executive of Imperial College Healthcare hospitals in West London. The 53-year-old will also benefit from the NHSs generous pension scheme and his pension pot will be worth more than 1million by the time he retires.

Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat MP and former health minister, said: Anyone who cares about healthcare recognises that you do need to pay proper salaries to hire people of the right calibre.

But paying someone almost 300,000 a year is a huge amount, especially at a time when basic operations are being cancelled. Meanwhile, we are losing huge numbers of nurses, doctors and ambulance staff because the Government say they cannot afford to pay the going rate. Something has clearly gone badly wrong.

Dame Glynis Breakwell (left)  the 468,000-a-year head of Bath University  is employed as NHS Improvements remuneration officer as a non-executive director

Chloe Westley, campaign manager at the TaxPayers Alliance, said: Whilst its important to attract the best talent, it can hardly be justifiable to offer this new NHS boss double the salary of our Prime Minister.

These figures show the public sector elite is not shouldering the burden of the public sector pay cap. Taxpayers expect their money to be spent fairly and focused on frontline services, not on six-figure salaries for those at the top.

Mr Dalton, who is married with two children, said he would bring valuable insight to the role.

He has been in his current job since June and has previously held senior roles at NHS England, the former North of England health board and the Health Department.

An NHS Improvement spokesman said his salary was recommended by the watchdogs board and approved by the Treasury.
Michael Stone was twice convicted of the murders of Lin and Megan Russell, but his sister, Barbara,(pictured) is leading a campaign for his release

Michael Stone is the dangerous, career criminal product of a physically and sexually abusive childhood.

As an adult he was addicted to heroin, convicted of serious acts of violence and diagnosed with an untreatable personality disorder.

But if he did not bludgeon to death Dr Lin Russell and her six-year-old daughter Megan and leave for dead her other daughter Josie, nine, in a remote lane in Kent on July 9, 1996, then he should not be in prison now.

If his three life sentences are overturned  and they were secured on the flimsiest of evidence  Stone is likely to be awarded a large sum from the public purse, perhaps as high as seven figures.

He is not a sympathetic figure and his release will not fill the public with unalloyed relief. But justice must be served.

That Stone still has hopes of acquittal after two trials and 21 years behind bars is all down to the campaigning efforts of his sister Barbara, his barrister Michael McDonald and solicitor Paul Bacon.

The lawyers remain convinced that in spite of his history Stone, who has always protested his innocence, is the victim of a serious miscarriage of justice.

Miss Stone shares this belief. But she also knows all too well the horrifying background from which her brothers miserable situation sprang.

This is the biggest hope that my brother has had for a long time, she told a press conference yesterday. She had never doubted his innocence.

Stone was arrested after the BBC Crimewatch programme marked the first anniversary of the Russell murders.

A psychiatrist who had treated Stone and knew of his paranoid schizophrenia contacted police. It also emerged that Stone had tried to get himself readmitted to a hospital psychiatric wing the day after the attack.

A fellow prisoner called Damien Daley told police that Stone(pictured) had confessed to the murders as they talked from next-door cells

He was arrested and interviewed at length but denied any part, and despite being identified by a witness, there was no forensic evidence to link him to the bloodied scene.

The apparent breakthrough came in September 1997 when Stone was remanded to Canterbury prison.

A fellow prisoner called Damien Daley told police that Stone had confessed to the murders as they talked from next-door cells.

Stone was convicted of the attacks at Maidstone Crown Court in October 1998. But four days later another inmate, who had also given evidence that Stone had confessed, said he had lied.

Stone was granted an appeal, his convictions were quashed and he was retried in Nottingham in 2001. He was convicted again, on a majority verdict. He showed no emotion but his sister cried out: Oh no, not again.

Afterwards Det Supt Dave Stevens, who led the investigation, said: Stone has the most appalling criminal history and a very disturbed psychiatric history. We were looking for a maniac and Stone is a maniac.

In interviews he never admitted anything, but there were things he said to us that were really disturbing. I have no doubt he was responsible.

In 2014, Daley, the junkie criminal whose allegations of a prison cell confession were the cornerstone of Stones convictions, was jailed for life for murder. He had taken part in the stabbing of a drug dealer.

Miss Stone said recently: He was and is a heroin addict and now a murderer and has openly admitted hes lied through his life to get by.

What price Daleys crucial evidence now? Stone, 57, was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, one of five siblings. His mother Jane was married four times and had a string of casual lovers.

If Stone's(pictured) three life sentences are overturned  and they were secured on the flimsiest of evidence  Stone is likely to be awarded a large sum from the public purse

He was never sure of the identity of his real father, but the physical and sexual abuse he received at the hands of some of the men in his mothers life and while in local authority care was dreadful.

According to relatives one of the husbands, Peter Stone  from whom he and Barbara took their family name  beat him with a hammer, the type of weapon used in the Russell killings.

As a child Stone tortured animals stolen from pet shops and forced a schoolgirl to strip at knifepoint in the playground. He received the first of his 14 separate convictions while he was in care, aged 11. He stole and burgled to buy drink and drugs.

As a young man he stabbed a former school friend in the chest while he was asleep on a sofa. When arrested for this, Stone attacked two police officers, gouging the eye of one. He got four years imprisonment.

Shortly after his release in 1987 he was jailed for eight years for armed robbery, serving six. He returned to live with his mother by the Medway. A heroin addict, he stole to feed his habit.

He was also displaying clear symptoms of mental illness. He heard voices in his head and on a visit to a drug rehabilitation centre went berserk, yelling that he would decapitate his victims.

Stone was to spend months in psychiatric hospitals. A local authority report released a decade later revealed both his problems and failures in the health system to address them properly in the months before July 1996.

Stone had told doctors he had felt like murdering children on more than one occasion. His warnings contained references to hammers and the countryside. He also missed taking medication.

The last threat to kill was made only five days before the Russells were attacked.

A horrifying story has become even more grubby. Only two matters remain certain: the desperate loyalty of Barbara Stone and the rekindled anguish of the surviving members of the Russell family.

'I didn't do it': Levi Bellfield's family release chilling recording from behind bars denying claims by Michael Stone's lawyers that he murdered Lin and Megan Russell in hammer attack

Serial killer Levi Bellfield confessed to murdering Lin Russell and her daughter Megan during a conversation with a cellmate, lawyers for the man twice convicted of the killings claim.

Michael Stone, now 57, is serving three life sentences with a minimum of 25 years in prison for the killings in Chillenden, Kent, which shocked the nation in 1996.

Lin's elder daughter, Josie, nine, miraculously survived the frenzied attack, in which even the family dog, Lucy, was slaughtered.

Stone's lawyers claim Bellfield confessed in length and in detail to a fellow prisoner whom he had grown to trust, and that an independent witness confirmed he was near the scene of the murders when they happened.

But in a chilling audio segment recorded in his cell and released by his family this evening, Bellfield rubbishes the claims that he murdered the pair.

Stone was found guilty in 2001 largely on the strength of a disputed cell confession and has fought a protracted legal battle to clear his name.

Milly Dowler murderer Bellfield branded the allegations from Stone's lawyers the work of a 'fantasist' and 'compulsive liar'.

Serial killer Levi Bellfield (left, a police mugshot) allegedly confessed to murdering Lin Russell and her daughter Megan in 1996. Michael Stone, now 57, (right, outside the Court of Appeal in 2005) is serving three life sentences with a minimum of 25 years in prison

The explosive raft of claims and counter claims began this afternoon at a press conference at at 33 Bedford Row Chambers in central London.

Stone's lawyers announced they had submitted a dossier of new evidence to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which could refer the matter to the Court of Appeal, which has the power to quash convictions.

Police have dismissed the basis of his appeal.

Stone's solicitor Paul Bacon said: 'We have seen evidence of a full confession by Levi Bellfield that he has admitted the Russell murders and in the confession Bellfield describes how he came across Lin Russell and her two children.

'How he attacked them with a hammer and he explains his motivation for the killing. The confession is detailed and has a number of facts that are not in the public domain.

'We now have an independent witness who has seen Levi Bellfield close to the scene of the murders at about the time they were committed and importantly we have identified forensic material from the scene of the murders which corroborates the confession made by Levi Bellfield.

'The Russell murders by Levi Bellfield fits perfectly with his modus operandi. He is a man known to attack and murder women. His weapon of choice is a hammer.'

Lin, 45, and Megan, who was just six, were the victims of a frenzied attack as they walked along a quiet country lane in Kent, on their way back from a school swimming gala in the village of Chillenden. They are pictured in an undated handout photo

In a recording sent to national media this evening, Bellfield claimed the 'vile and untrue' allegations came from a conversation he had with serial rapist Richard Baker.

Bellfield, who is now known as Yusuf Rahim, said: 'It appears Mr Baker has made an allegation of a so-called cell confession.

'In my view such vile, untrue allegations don't warrant a response. They are what they are - the words of a lonely... rapist who craves the spotlight.'

He alleges Baker was 'obsessed with crime' and watched BBC documentary The Chillenden Murders before he came forward alleging Bellfield has confessed.

Shaun Russell with his wife Lin and daughters Megan (second left) and Josie (right), who survived the attack. Claims by Stone's lawyers that Bellfield admitted to the murders have been denied by him in a recorded message from his cell

Josie Russell is now a successful textile artist, and is pictured at home in August 2014. It is not known what Josie thinks of the latest developments, but she has always maintained Stone is guilty

Following many days of lengthy conversations the prisoner says he had with Bellfield, he made notes and reported what he had been told to his solicitor, a police officer and a prison liaison officer.

NEW EVIDENCE PRESENTED BY STONE'S LAWYERS Stone's lawyers have provided three items of evidence they believe prove Bellfield's guilt. These are: A 'very detailed' confession by Levi Bellfield in which he admitted to the Russell murders. An independent witness has said they saw Bellfield close to the scene of the murders at about the time they were committed. They also claim to have identified forensic material from the scene of the murders which corroborates the confession made by Bellfield. Advertisement

The prisoner alleged: He [Bellfield] said Ive never told anyone this before I killed another child and got away with it the police were never even close.

Bellfield is said to have told him he had spotted the Russells walking home and approached them with a hammer. Mrs Russell had begged him not to hurt her children.

According to the prisoner, Bellfield said he struck her first and then Josie; then their dog was killed followed by Megan. Even though he wore gloves, Bellfield was reportedly worried about DNA advances, saying my life in jail would be over if they could prove it was me and that it would tear his mother in two.

Mr McDonald told the Mail: The evidence has gone to the CCRC. It now needs to be referred to the Court of Appeal so it can be properly assessed. It has to be put in the context that the only thing that convicted Stone ironically was a cell confession.

Stone's barrister, Mark McDonald, said: 'This evidence needs to tested by the Court of Appeal and, if believed, will lead to the largest miscarriage of justice since the Birmingham Six.'

CRUCIAL DETAILS OF TRIAL THAT HAVE MADE IT SO CONTENTIOUS Although Michael Stone was twice found guilty of murdering Lin and Megan Russell, his case has been contentious. Stone was convicted on the basis of claims by three prison inmates that he had confessed to them. After one of the inmates admitted soon after the trial ended that they had lied and another was discredited, a re-trial was ordered. But one of the witnesses, Damian Daley, held fast and said Stone confessed to the hammer murders through a heating pipe into the next cell at Canterbury Prison, something Stone maintains was a lie. There was no forensic evidence to support Stone's conviction. One particular point of controversy was a shoe lace found near the murder scene, which Stone's supporters claimed could prove his innocence but had been lost by Kent Police. Officers said the shoelace was still in their possession but had been DNA tested so many times it was no longer of value. Police have dismissed the merits of Stone's appeal bid. Advertisement

Mr Bacon said there was concern over Kent Police's investigation and Mr McDonald said the force were 'unenthusiastic' when passed the new evidence.

Stone's sister Barbara said the new evidence offered her and her brother the 'biggest hope' to clear his name.

She added: 'Mick's been in prison for 20 years and that's 20 years too long for somebody who has not committed a crime.

'He wants you to know he is very hopeful, he fully believes Bellfield has committed these crimes.

Known as the bus stop killer, Bellfield, 49, is currently serving two whole life terms, for the murders of Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange, and for the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy(pictured, outside the Old Bailey in 2008)

'Although we've had our doubts in the past, when he has seen the contents of the new evidence, he is quite confident it's him that's done it.

'He's quite hopeful but, like myself, we won't allow ourselves to believe the justice system will be kind to us this time so we remain hopeful but it all depends and relies on the CCRC making the referral.'

A spokesman for the CCRC said they received the application from Stone's lawyers on August 23 and the case is currently under active investigation.

Assistant Chief Constable for the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, Nick Downing, said: 'We feel it is no longer contemporaneous and is unfair on the victims to continue to raise questions or re-release details about the murder investigation and subsequent conviction of Michael Stone.'

Known as the bus stop killer, Bellfield, 49, is currently serving two whole life terms, for the murders of Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange, and for the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy.

Now going under a new name after converting to Islam, the former wheel clamper caused outrage by finally admitting raping and murdering 13-year-old Milly during a prison interview in May 2015.

It is widely believed by detectives that Bellfield is responsible for numerous other crimes dating back to the 1980s.

He has been linked to 24 violent attacks and rapes in the two decades before he was caught in 2004.

Paul Bacon told a press conference in London(pictured) this afternoon that Milly Dowler's murderer Bellfield admitted the killings in prison

Stone's barrister, Mark McDonald, said: 'This evidence needs to tested by the Court of Appeal and, if believed, will lead to the largest miscarriage of justice since the Birmingham Six'

HOW JOSIE MANAGED TO COPE AFTER HORRIFIC EVENTS OF 1996 Josie Russell's rehabilitation after the murder of her mother and sister was a long, slow process  it was a year before she could speak again  but Josie stunned doctors with her progress. Now, 11 years on, she is a successful textile artist, who announced her engagement to her boyfriend of 12 years, Iwan Griffith, in August aged 30. The couple met in a pub in Caernarfon on December 31, 2005, while Josie was at university. Josie, pictured with her Welsh mountain pony in 1997, announced her engagement to her boyfriend of 12 years, Iwan Griffith, in August aged 30 The couple met in a pub in Caernarfon on December 31, 2005, while Josie was at university. Pictured: Josie in 1997 Their romance was sparked by their love of the dramatic Welsh landscape. We arent a lovey-dovey couple but there is love and mutual respect, Josie said. Josie and Iwan now share home, in the foothills of Snowdonia, where she and Megan had lived with their parents. In 2011, using money from a trust fund and compensation for her injuries, Josie was able to buy back the house which the couple have lovingly renovated. Her studio is the bedroom that Lin decorated for her when she was a little girl. Josie and Iwan now share home, in the foothills of Snowdonia, where she and Megan had lived with their parents. Josie is pictured in 2006 Advertisement

It is not the first time Stone's legal representatives have pointed the finger at Bellfield.

In 2011, Mr Bacon claimed Milly's killer was a better match for the e-fit of the suspect issued during the police manhunt.

The claims also come months after a two-part BBC documentary aired in May saw a panel of independent experts re-examine the evidence and questioned whether Bellfield might be a more likely suspect, an accusation he has fiercely denied.

The Russells were killed in 1996 within months of moving to Kent from north Wales. Josie, nine, survived despite dreadful injuries.

All three were blindfolded with strips of Josie's swimming towel as they returned home from a school swimming gala and she and Megan were tied to trees.

The two girls were each struck seven times with a hammer, while her mother, a geologist, sustained 15 blows to the head, almost severing her brain at the stem.

In October 1998, a jury at Maidstone Crown Court found heroin addict Stone(pictured inside a prison van) guilty of counts of murder and attempted murder

Josie as a child with her pet rabbit Domino, at her North Wales Hillside cottage home,(left) and in an undated handout photo

Josie needed intensive neurological treatment for a year before she could even speak again. She lives and works as an artist in north Wales, having returned to Gwynedd with her father soon after the attack.

Stone was found guilty in 1998.

Without any forensic evidence, the jury believed the main thrust of the prosecution's case - three prison inmates who claimed Stone had confessed.

One of the inmates admitted soon after the trial ended they had lied and another was discredited.

Stone's legal team challenged his conviction and a retrial was ordered.

But one of the inmates, Damien Daley, then aged 26, maintained Stone had confessed the crime to him.

In late 2001, Stone was once again found guilty and given three life sentences.

Bellfield,(pictured in an undated photo) who now calls himself Yusuf Rahim, is serving a whole-life tariff after being found guilty of abducting and killing Milly following a trial at the Old Bailey. He was jailed in 2011

As the judge addressed him, Stone shouted: 'It wasn't me your Honour, I didn't do it!'

Since then Stone has failed in two appeal bids.

Josie, now 30, recently announced her engagement to her boyfriend of 12 years Iwan Griffith, 31, and plans to start a family of her own.

Milly was snatched from the street while on her way home from school in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in March 2002

She is convinced the right man is behind bars for the murder of her mother and sister and was angry about the way the family's wounds were reopened when the BBC screened the documentary earlier this year called The Chillenden Murders.

'It didn't seem to prove anything,' she said. 'We just want to get on with our lives. We don't want it to come back again.'

Meanwhile Bellfield has accused Stone of attempting to bribe him to take the blame for his crimes.

After a stream of letters from Stone, Bellfield contacted his lawyers to urge the correspondence to stop, calling it 'quite intolerable'.

Bellfield added that he had challenged Stone to a lie detector test.

Stone has spoken about his reluctance to do this claiming he had been advised that his history of psychiatric problems and drug addiction could impact its accuracy.

The killers are both in Durham's top security Frankland jail, where they are both being held in separate wings.

Kent Police said Stone's protests of innocence had been thoroughly tested by the judicial system.

Bellfield had been given a whole-life term for murdering Marsha McDonnell, 19, in 2003, (left, in 2011) and murdering Amelie Delagrange, 22,(right, in 2000) and attempting to murder Ms Sheedy, 18, in 2004
Almost three decades after Scott Johnson's body was found at the base of a Sydney cliff, the NSW state coroner has found he died as a result of a gay hate attack.

Spear fishermen found the 27-year-old American mathematician's naked body near Blue Fish Point at Manly's North Head in December 1988.

Since then there have been three inquests into his death.

Coroner Michael Barnes on Thursday said: 'Mr Johnson fell from the cliff top as a result of actual or threatened violence by unidentified persons who attacked him because they perceived him to be homosexual'.

Almost three decades after Scott Johnson's (pictured) body was found at the base of a Sydney cliff, the NSW state coroner has found he died as a result of a gay hate attack

Mr Barnes handed down his findings following the third inquest at the Coroner's Court in Glebe in Sydney.

The first inquest in 1989 found Mr Johnson died by suicide. A subsequent inquest in 2012 returned an open finding.

Mr Barnes found it likely more than one person set upon the 'young and strong and fit' Mr Johnson while he was at the known gay beat.

Spear fishermen found the 27-year-old American mathematician's naked body near Blue Fish Point at Manly's North Head (above, file photo) in December 1988

Since the discovery of Mr Johnson's death, there have been three inquests into his death. He is pictured above with his brother Steve

'Homicide is more likely than either of the other two scenarios - accident or suicide,' he said.

The coroner said while the mathematician died as a result of a gay hate attack there was insufficient evidence to identify the perpetrators.

Mr Barnes praised the commitment of Mr Johnson's family who continued to push for the circumstances of his death to be examined.

'Their belief that not all relevant information had been put before the previous inquests has been vindicated,' he said.

The coroner said while the mathematician (pictured) died as a result of a gay hate attack, there was insufficient evidence to identify the perpetrators

The coroner also criticised the initial police investigation as inadequate.

'Regrettably, those responsible for the initial investigation quickly jumped to conclusions without thoroughly and impartially examining all the facts,' he said.

By the time numerous mistakes were recognised it was too late to properly test the evidence to find the truth, he added.

Mr Barnes made no recommendations concerning the police, saying he was satisfied police procedures have improved in the intervening decades.

He said the unsolved case will remain open but he declined to make any recommendations for further investigation.
Labour MP Tulip Siddiq was rebuked by deputy speaker Eleanor Laing for playing the pregnancy card after leaving a debate to take a comfort break

Last year, Labour MP Tulip Siddiq was rebuked by deputy speaker Eleanor Laing for playing the pregnancy card after leaving a debate to take a comfort break. She was seven months pregnant at the time.

Laing, a Tory MP, was apparently infuriated that Siddiq had failed to remain in the chamber for the required period after shed spoken, and told her: Youre bringing down the whole of womankind.

Harsh as it seemed at the time, that same charge could surely be levelled again  and with greater cause following Siddiqs threatening comments to the pregnant Channel 4 reporter Daisy Ayliffe.

Yes, Siddiq, 35, has apologised unreservedly for her offhand and ill-judged response, but the incident is a telling indication of a troubling question mark over the MPs allegiances.

Channel 4 had attempted to question Siddiq, who has been campaigning on behalf of her constituent Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe  jailed in Iran  about why shes ignored calls to take up the case of Ahmad bin Quasem, 33, a Bangladeshi British-trained barrister.

Since July 2016 the father has been detained illegally without charge, according to his supporters, by the Bangladeshi authorities after being abducted by security forces from his home in Dahka.

He had been representing his father, Mir Quasem Ali, a prominent leader of the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami party, who was later executed. Like Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Mr bin Quasem is in poor health.

Channel 4 attempted to question Siddiq, who has been campaigning on behalf of her constituent Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe  jailed in Iran  about why shes ignored calls to take up the case of Ahmad bin Quasem, 33

Despite pleas from his supporters, Siddiq has always insisted the matter was nothing to do with her as Mr bin Quasem is not a constituent  which isnt really the issue.

She also denied taking any interest in Bangladeshi politics  which was. Because if anyone is well placed to intervene in this case, it is the MP for Hampstead and Kilburn.

On the day Siddiq made her maiden speech in the Commons in 2015, watching from the public gallery was a woman few would recognise, but who is ranked by Forbes as the 30th most powerful woman in the world.

Sheikh Hasina Wazed is the divisive and hard line prime minister of Bangladesh who has been accused of human rights abuses. She is also Siddiqs aunt.

By her own admission Siddiq has learnt everything I know about politics from my aunt, who is now in her a third term.

Their closeness has already caused problems after a photo was published of a beaming Siddiq alongside her aunt and Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Moscow in 2013

Prior to the 2015 election, the Tories accused Siddiq of trying to hide her links to the Kremlin from voters. She denied any such link, explaining: I dont get to see [my aunt] much and she suggested me and my sister come to Russia when she was there.

Prior to the 2015 election, the Tories accused Siddiq of trying to hide her links to the Kremlin from voters

'We were separate from the official delegation and were invited to a family event. I didnt know Putin was going to be there, but he asked for a picture.

It was two seconds. Siddiqs claim to have no interest in Bangladeshi affairs is further undermined by the interest shown in her by Bangladeshi journalists, who monitor her every move. And prior to her election she described herself as a spokesperson for the Awami League  her aunts political party.

The truth is Siddiqs family is Bangladeshi political aristocracy. Her grandfather, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was founding father of the nation and its first president.

While no one can fault her efforts to free Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, one has to ask why, given her impeccable Bangladeshi connections, Siddiq wont make representations on Mr bin Quasems behalf too.

A cynic might suggest the latter case is of less interest because it is lower profile and of less use politically, although she insists her focus is on delivering for the residents of Hampstead and Kilburn and that she has no capability nor desire to influence politics in Bangladesh.

During the 2017 campaign, a Labour leaflet bearing the name of Richard Radcliffe, the husband of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, urging people to vote for Siddiq was distributed in West Hampstead.

Even hardened Labour supporters recoiled at the idea of exploiting voter sympathy in this way. And when the Ham & High, her local newspaper, failed to mention her in an article about Zaghari-Ratcliffe, she complained to the editor.

In 2015, Siddiq told Bangladeshi publication bdnews24 that politicians should help people from anywhere in the world. You dont have to be in Bangladesh or England. I try to help Bangladeshis in England in whatever way it is possible. Right now, Ahmad bin Quasem would welcome some of that help.
A newly-engaged couple who planned to get married in Bali are having second thoughts - after becoming stuck on the popular holiday island as Mount Agung roared to life.

When Perth woman Carly Hamence, 30, flew into Bali to celebrate her birthday with fiance Leigh Maher, 33, she didn't expect their cheeky mini-getaway would be extended indefinitely.

The couple told Daily Mail Australia they have been advised they could be stuck on the island for another week and a half - and will have to fly home via Singapore - a grueling 17-hour flight.

Perth couple Carly Hamence and Leigh Maher, both pictured, are stuck in Bali after Mount Agung started erupting - grounding flights

The couple have been told they won't be able to leave the island for more than a week

They have moved to budget accommodation - but say in Legian the air is clear

'I did lots of research before we came and everyone seemed to think the volcano wasn't going to erupt,' Ms Hamence said.

'Now people are saying we could be stuck here until Christmas - I really hope that doesn't happen.'

The couple, who became engaged during a trip to Bali in May were considering getting married there.

'We are obviously having second thoughts about that now,' she said.

The couple have moved to a budget resort for the next week and a half - with financial pressures high among tourists.

'You have schoolies here who don't have enough money for an extended stay,' she said.

'I have had to spend some of my savings for the wedding and my partner is self-employed so he is seriously stressed about not being able to get to work.

The couple said they have met other Australians who are also trapped - they hope they will be home in time for Christmas

'My bosses have been really great - they understand there isn't anything I can do now,' she said.

Ms Hamence said the 'vibe' in Legian isn't the same as it was back in May.

'The store holders are stressed because there aren't as many tourists, they are concerned about their families and they don't know what will happen,' she said.

'The locals said it has been very quiet since September.'

The young woman revealed the air is clear in Legian - and said 'you wouldn't know anything was going on' as it was still beautiful.

An estimated 150,000 tourists are trapped on the Indonesian resort island as the volatile mountain spews volcanic debris and ash almost 10 kilometres into the air

'Lava is coming out of the volcano, there's definitely enough to cause trouble. This can get much worse, you can't outrun this,' an expert said

An estimated 150,000 tourists are trapped on the Indonesian resort island as the volatile mountain spews volcanic debris and ash almost 10 kilometres into the air.

Volcanologist Dr Janine Krippner warned that Bali's Mount Agung eruption would be 'like shaking up a bottle of Coke and then taking the lid off.'

'Lava is coming out of the volcano, there's definitely enough to cause trouble. This can get much worse, you can't outrun this.'

The couple, who became engaged during a trip to Bali in May were considering getting married there

Gede Suantika warned after a large tremor on Tuesday an observatory post near the volcano's summit could be evacuated as the mountain entered a critical phase.

'Small eruptions have been happening continuously but there's still the possibility of a bigger, explosive eruption,' said Mr Suantika.

'Activity remains high and we are still on the highest alert level.'

Tens of thousands have already fled their homes around the volcano, which last erupted in 1963, killing around 1,600 people.
An NHS trust has been fined more than 300,000 after five elderly patients died from falls.

The judge in the case told hospital bosses that had they been a private company the fine would have been at least 1 million.

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust admitted failing to ensure the safety of the five elderly people following a prosecution brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust admitted failing to ensure the health and safety of five elderly patients who slipped over and died while being treated at the facility

At Stafford Crown Court Justice Charles Haddon-Cave fined the trust 333,333 and ordered the authority to pay costs of 130,000 to the HSE.

He said no financial penalty would be able to adequately equal the loss of life.

But he added: 'This prosecution affords a measure of justice and steps have been taken to seek to ensure standards have been improved and this sort of thing will never happen again.'

The court heard that there was a series of failings at the trust included inadequate assessments of patients and poor information sharing by staff at the point of a shift change was insufficient.

The court was told there was also poor record-keeping and failure to provide one-to-one care for the most vulnerable patients.

The trust was prosecuted after five patients died following falls at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital or Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in 2011 and 2012.

The court heard that falls at the hospitals contributed to the death of at least four of the patients. These were 74-year-old Mohan Singh, 74; 81-year-old Eileen Thomson, 81; Edna Evans, 92 and Ada Clarke, 91.

The trust was fined 333,3333 at Stafford Crown Court, pictured, and ordered to pay a further 130,000 in costs to the Health and Safety Executive who took the case

Mr Thorogood said in the case of Gerald Morris, 72, it could not be proven that the hospital fall directly contributed to his death.

Justice Haddon-Cave said he had taken into consideration that the trust had been co-operative, had taken steps to make improvements and had a deficit.

He said if it had been a private company the starting level for the fine would have been 1 million.

He said the reduction was due to the trust's guilty plea, the fact it is a healthcare authority and its financial situation and its future plans.

It is not the first time the trust has been in court for breaching health and safety rules.

The court heard that the trust was fined 50,000 at Shrewsbury Crown Court in 2010 after an 89-year-old man fell out of bed at Princess Royal Hospital and later died.

The HSE said it prosecuted the trust after an investigation found the hospital had failed to provide the man with a bed rail that would have prevented the fall.
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Thundersnow hit Britain today as windchill made temperatures feel as cold as -20C (-4F)  with London facing more snow on Friday and a month-long chill ahead until after Christmas.

Winter does not officially start until Friday  but thundersnow, the rare phenomenon of lightning strikes illuminating falling snow, was reported today in North Yorkshire and near Newcastle.

Snow flurries hit across the East and ferocious Arctic windchill from near-40mph-gale-force northerly wind gusts made 1-4C daytime highs for most feel as cold as -8C in the South, -12C in the North, -15C in Scotland and -20C on higher ground in Scotland, data from the US National Weather Service and The Weather Channel said.

A man walks his dog in the snow next to the Angel of North near Gateshead in Tyne and Wear

A drop to -4C (25F) is predicted tonight in many parts of England and Wales. Meanwhile on snow-covered mountains in Scotland, the temperature could fall to -10C (14F), and -5C (23F) or -6C (21F) in the glens.

The figures compare with a low of -4C (25F) forecast for tonight in Rovaniemi, Lapland, just south of the Arctic Circle, and 6C (43F) in Reykjavik, Iceland. St Petersburg in Russia is only expected to fall to 0C (32F) tonight.

A temperature of below -10.1C in Britain would make it the coldest night of the year so far. Grahame Madge, a spokesman for the Met Office, said: 'Thursday is likely to be the coldest night of the week.

'However, the -10C temperature is an exceptional figure and is likely only over packed snow in the mountains. It will be less cold in the glens and further south in England and Wales.'

The chilliest temperature recorded across the UK so far this autumn was -6.3C (20.7F) at Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, early on Saturday. Last night's minimum was -5C (23F) in the Scottish Borders, while Exeter fell to -3.7C (25.3F).

The Met Office said London and the South-East risks more snow on Friday after London's first flurries today.

'Friday has a risk of wintry showers in the far southeast,' a Met Office forecaster said.

'After Tuesday and Wednesday next week, colder conditions follow into the North with wintry showers. Milder conditions are more plausible in the South.'

The Weather Channel's meteorologist Eleanor Bell added: 'A northerly flow across Britain on Thursday meant significant wind chill of -3C to -8C for the most of the Midlands and South, and -20C on mountains in Scotland.

'After an interlude of mild weather this weekend, an even more intense blast of Arctic air could hit the UK from Wednesday next week.'

Temperatures will average colder-than-normal for the next month, up to and including Christmas.

Snow at Hardwick Hall Country Park in County Durham created picture postcard scenes - but a nightmare for motorists

A man braves a snow blizzard in Haddenham, Cambridgeshire, on Thursday evening

The streets of Haddenham, Cambridgeshire, were seen blanketed in snow on Thursday evening

A van drives through the snow on the A171 in North Yorkshire this morning as motorists face difficult conditions

Passengers get off a double decker bus to enjoy a snowball fight after getting stranded on the A171 in North Yorkshire today

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Met Office forecaster Steven Keates said: 'After midweek, the weather becomes stuck in a rut, staying colder than average across December, up to Christmas.

'After mid-December might have brief milder interludes, but maybe only for the South, with colder weather returning again after a few days.'

On Thursday, Britain was colder than Ny-Alesund, one of the the closest villages to the North Pole. Situated on Norway's Arctic island of Svalbard - famous for its polar bears  it was only due -5C.

Met Office Steven Keates said: 'Down to -7C could be seen on Thursday night in Scotland, with -10C shown on forecast models for Scottish mountains.'

Government weathermen predicted Britain's coldest temperatures since last winter on Friday morning in Scotland, with lows down to -10C on higher ground in Scotland.

Britain's coldest temperature since the -9.8C on February 11 at Altnaharra, Sutherland, Scotland, is -6.3C, set on Saturday morning at Topcliffe, North Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, bookmakers Betfair cut white Christmas odds to 5/2 in London, 9/4 in Manchester and 2/1 in Glasgow. And Ladbrokes cut odds on winter being the coldest ever  beating 1962-63's -0.18C average temperature - to 5/2.

And a Level 2 Government cold weather health warning until Saturday warned hospitals to prepare to be busier than normal and ordered health staff to prepare to make daily visits or phone calls to the vulnerable.

Thermal-imaging helicopters, 'ghost trains' and 2,000 gritters are tackling the freeze  as Britain faces its biggest test of winter resources for five years, since the cold 2012-13 winter, forecasters said.

The Weather Outlook forecaster Brian Gaze said: 'The coming weeks look like the biggest challenge for Britain's winter resources since winter 2012-13.'

Network Rail will use a thermal-imaging helicopter and 34 de-icing trains to keep tracks clear, while rail firms run empty 'ghost trains' at night to clear snow and ice.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: 'Our thermal-imaging helicopter carries out aerial inspections to guide engineers to points heaters which aren't working effectively.

'Train companies will run empty trains overnight to help keep tracks clear of snow.'

Highways England readied its fleet of 500 gritting lorries and 1,300 drivers. Highways England winter manager Sujad Hussain, said: 'Our teams will work around the clock during severe weather to keep traffic moving.'

Councils have stockpiled 1.5million tonnes of salt. Cllr Martin Tett, Local Government Association transport spokesman, said: 'Temperatures are dropping but councils are prepared. Gritters are ready to be deployed at a moment's notice.'

Heathrow Airport put 500 snow-clearing staff and 185 snowploughs on duty. Gatwick Airport has 98 snow-ploughs and blowers ready.

But Brits have little to complain about compared to Delyankir, Siberia, Russia, suffering a -56C (-69F) freeze.

On Thursday, Twitter users were quick to make fun of excitable Londoners left in a panic. Earlier the hashtag #SnowWatch had trended with people sharing how much had accumulated locally.

Londoners were among those excited by the snowfall this morning, while others played down the snowfall expected

Some shared a video of Michael Scott in The Office running around, while one social media user said: 'It's snowing in London. The city is hysterical. Panic buy milk. Panic buy huskies. Panic buy snow booze. The city is doomed.'

And BBC Radio 2 host Jeremy Vine wrote in a social media post: 'The tragedy of living in London  there are four flakes of snow and the media people in offices opposite Radio 2 start filming it.'

But the threat was serious elsewhere as drivers became trapped on the A171 near Whitby in North Yorkshire, after up to three inches of snow blocked the road. The hazardous conditions caused up to four miles of queuing traffic.

Farmers and council workers on snowploughs tried to help commuters dig their cars out of the snow while police offered help. Many had to abandon their vehicles on the gridlocked road while they waited in the icy conditions.

A crashed Volvo and Range Rover Sport on the A170 in the North Yorkshire village of Brompton this morning

A thick layer of snow covers the beach at Tynemouth in Northumberland at sunrise this morning

A crashed car in the village of Allerston this morning after a night of heavy snow in North Yorkshire

Motorists are assisted by police and a snowplough as they attempt to clear the A171 near Whitby in North Yorkshire today

A farmer ploughs the A171 in North Yorkshire this morning after commuters faced heavy snow showers

The Twitter hashtag #SnowWatch was trending this morning as people told on social media of the snow they had seen

Twitter users posted memes about the snow, referencing characters such as Olaf the Snowman and Spongebob Squarepants

Source: Twitter/Enaregina

Some bus passengers made the most of the situation by getting off the vehicle to have snowball fights with each other. The double-decker bus travelling to Middlesbrough was among cars, trucks and tractors stuck in rush hour.

One onlooker said: 'It's completely gridlocked on the bank. A wagon couldn't get up and everything came to a stand still. The snow just came bouncing down about two to three inches deep.'

Police forces across the country issued warnings to drivers to beware of icy roads today, while 19 schools in Aberdeenshire were closed due to the weather while others are partially shut.

Source: Twitter/@skiman63

Motorists try to make their way along the A171 in North Yorkshire in severe weather conditions this morning

Snow on cars in Seaham, County Durham, this morning as forecasters warned of disruption and plunging temperatures

Snow on the ground in Middlesbrough this morning after parts of the country had a dusting of the white stuff

Snow on bicycles in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, this morning as forecasters warn of possible travel disruption

A freezing start to the day in the New Forest in Hampshire this morning as temperatures plunge across Britain

A hare with his coat beginning to turn white for the winter sits in the frozen, snowy landscape of the Cairngorms today

Source: Twitter/Jo Ellery

Snow covers garden furniture in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, as parts of the country experience a dusting of the white stuff

Gritters struggled to handle the amount of snow falling in Teesside especially on the A689 dual carriageway today

Walkers brave wintry conditions on Tynemouth Longsands beach on the North East coast this morning

Commuters walk through Tynemouth in the North East as the area is hit by severe conditions this morning

A farmer ploughs the road in North Yorkshire as commuters on the A171 near Whitby face bad conditions this morning

Heavy snow in County Durham this afternoon resulted in picturesque scenes at Hardwick Hall

The National Trust issued a photo of Nunnington Hall in North Yorkshire in the snow, as parts of the country face bad weather

Snow falls at Nunnington Hall in North Yorkshire today as the Met Office issues a series of weather warnings

Members of the Serpentine Swimming Club enjoy an early morning swim at Hyde Park in London today

Residents in the North East shared video of the snowfall on social media, and among them was Twitter user Woody

Northern Scotland is hit by snowfall and freezing temperatures as snow arrives in Montrose today

Snow fall at Seaton Carew in County Durham today, looking towards Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station and the Able UK yard

Montrose is among the parts of Scotland hit by snowfall and sub-zero temperatures this morning

A walker makes his way through a winter wonderland scene of a snow-covered wooded road near Whitby, North Yorkshire

Motorists are assisted by police and a snowplough as they attempt to clear the A171 near Whitby in North Yorkshire today

Motorists are helped by police as they try to make their way through the snow-hit A171 near Whitby, North Yorkshire

Driving conditions are tough on the A171 in North Yorkshire today as a band of heavy snow sweeps across northern England

A snowplough does its best to clear the road of snow following severe conditions in North Yorkshire overnight

A frosty and frozen morning in Saddleworth, Greater Manchester, as parts of Britain wake up to sub-zero temperatures

Residents of Hornsea on the East Yorkshire coast woke this morning to find their streets blanketed in thick snow

Commuters on the A171 in North Yorkshire were hit with heavy snow showers during this morning's rush hour

Dr Thomas Waite, of PHE's extreme events team, said: 'As the weather is going to get colder everywhere in the coming days, this is a really good time to check on those who may be at-risk.

'People with diseases such as heart and lung conditions, older people and young children can feel the ill-effects of cold weather more than the rest of us.

'To stay well this winter we all need to play a part. Is there someone you know who could be at risk when the weather gets cold? Could you help them out by fetching shopping or prescriptions?

Nunnington Hall in North Yorkshire in the snow, as parts of the country have had a dusting of the white stuff today

A squirrel is seen in a picture postcard moment at Hardwick Hall Country Park in County Durham this afternoon

A van drives along the A171, which runs from Scarborough to Middlesbrough across the North York Moors in North Yorkshire

A pedestrian makes their way through the snow in Hornsea, East Yorkshire, today as severe weather conditions arrive

A lorry makes its way along the A171 in North Yorkshire near Whitby after the area was hit by heavy snow overnight

A woman takes care as walks along an icy pavement this morning in Saddleworth, Greater Manchester

A cold and frosty morning in Saddleworth as the Met Office issues an ice and snow alert for many parts of Britain

Commuters make their way across the A171 in North Yorkshire after it was hit with heavy snow showers this morning

Sheep look for grass on a frozen field in Saddleworth this morning as temperatures fall below zero across parts of Britain

Cars take extra care during the morning rush hour as they make their way along the A171 in North Yorkshire today

The Met Office has issued a snow and ice warning for today

'When the colder weather arrives there are several things we can do to keep well, wear several thin layers instead of fewer thicker ones, keep parts of the home you're using heated to at least 18C (64F) and keep a careful eye on the weather forecasts.'

Breakdown firm Green Flag has issued a series of tips of staying safe while driving in the conditions - including ensuring you have an ice scraper, checking your tyres and fluids and giving yourself plenty of time to stop.

Simon Henrick, head of news at Green Flag, said: 'As we approach the coldest night of the year, it's important that drivers make sure their cars are road ready before they head off, to minimise the risk of damaging their vehicles.'

The company also advised drivers against leaving their car idling to defrost it, waiting for their battery to fail, using the windscreen wipers to defrost a screen, pouring boiling water on the windscreen  and forgetting their coat.

Meanwhile Boots issued a series of tips to help prevent winter illnesses, including taking supplements and vitamins, washing your hands after travelling on public transport and getting a flu vaccination.

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: 'Our breakdown patrols are working hard assisting members in difficult weather conditions. Yesterday, we saw a fifth more breakdowns than we would expect for this time of year in Scotland.

'With conditions expected to remain cold until the end of the week, we urge drivers to make sure their vehicle is 'winter ready' to reduce the chances of them getting caught out.'

And British Gas has predicted this week will be the worst of the year for mass boiler breakdowns across Britain, with engineers expected visit more than 79,000 homes to help fix problems with heating or hot water.

A horse looks for water on a frozen field in Saddleworth as Britain wakes up to sub-zero temperatures today

A beautiful frosty scene across Saddleworth this morning as commuters make their way to work on icy roads

Snow in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, this morning as much of the east coast of Britain is under a weather warning today

Frost on a car roof in Manchester this morning as much of Britain faces a snow and ice warning

A cold and frosty morning in Kendal, Cumbria, today, as snow showers and temperatures as low as -10C sweep across the UK
Ivanka Trump revealed Wednesday that paid family is next on the Trump administration's agenda.

The senior White House adviser said the administration will initiate a full-court press on Congress to pass a national paid family leave program after it finishes with tax reform while she spoke at a conference geared toward women in India.

'Coming into the new year, you will hopefully see it in a national paid family leave program that we're working hard to build coalitions of support for,' Trump said of the White House's desire to implement 'policies that support the modern working family.'

The president's daughter reminded her audience that a federal leave program was part of her father's first, White House budget.

'I'm very encouraged by that step, and we'll be working with Congress to try and pass what is a long overdue policy.'

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Ivanka Trump revealed Wednesday that paid family is next on the Trump administration's agenda while speaking at a conference geared toward women in India

Trump's announcement, during a panel on workforce development, was applauded by the entrepreneurs attending the summit.

Allies of the administration, however, were left scratching their heads.

Senior Republican congressional aides were unaware of any such plans. A source on the right with knowledge of the issue was 'surprised that this was going to be the priority.'

Establishing a federal paid family leave program is a leading aim of the president's daughter. She has been lobbying Republican lawmakers on a set of reform since her father became the party's standard bearer.

In a previous ask, Ivanka Trump challenged Republicans to pass legislation granting six weeks of paid family leave to new and adoptive parents. That version of the program, which she managed to insert into her father's fiscal year 2018 budget, utilized state unemployment programs to distribute the funds.

The White House estimated the program would cost $25 billion over the next decade.

She has signaled her openness to other payment and leave structures since then, including a nonrefundable, 25 percent tax credit for businesses that voluntarily offer four to 12 weeks of paid leave that was proposed in the Senate by Florida Republican Marco Rubio.

The senior White House adviser said the administration will initiate a full-court press on Congress to pass a national paid family leave program after it finishes with tax reform. 'We'll be working with Congress to try and pass what is a long overdue policy,' Ivanka said

Tax legislation that comes for a vote this week in the Senate includes a paid family leave provision - but it does not have the heft of of Ivanka's proposed leave program.

The provision, shepherded by Republican Sen. Deb Fischer, provides for significantly less than the mandatory 12 weeks of paid leave that national Democrats are proposing.

Fischer's measure gives companies that offer at least two weeks of paid leave a tax credit comparable to 25 percent of the affected worker's salary.

Included in a rewrite of the GOP's tax overhaul bill when the legislation went through committee, sources familiar with the issue said it's unlikely that the proposal will make it into the law.

A White House official declined comment earlier this month on Fischer's push, and Ivanka made no mention of it on Wednesday as she spoke about paid family leave at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad, India.

The topic of paid leave came up as the president's daughter discussed the cultural and social blockades for women in the workplace.

America's institutions 'were not set up with the assumption that there would be two parents in the workforce, so we just have to fundamentally change things,' she had just been saying.

In the corporate world, particularly in the sectors of technology and finance, businesses are introducing flexible work programs.

Those enhancements are beneficial for affluent Americans who are already making large amounts of money. 'Not for women working at the lower-income end of the spectrum,' she said.

'So, I think that's where government policy comes in, and we need to start thinking about ways to support the modern workforce, and the modern reality of dual-income households,' Trump added.

A successful business owner with three children, Trump said 'it's incredibly important' to her that 'we have policies that support the modern working family.'

'You see in tax reform the expansion, the vast expansion of the child tax credit, recognizing the massive investment parents make into their families at a time when wages have stagnated for so long and working parents really need relief,' she stated.

The White House adviser referenced the child and dependent care tax credit, which covers up to 35 percent of expenses at a limit of $3,000 for every qualifying person and remains unchanged in an already-passed House tax bill.

'Tackling the cost of childcare, and the fact that it's not only inaccessible in large portions of the country, particularly in rural areas, but the cost is enormous to, to many American parents, and they're unable to afford to provide high-quality child care,' she continued, 'So that's another issue we're addressing.'

A measure in the Senate tax bill that was proposed by Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer would give companies that offer their employees at least two weeks of paid family leave a tax credit comparable to 25 percent of the removed worker's salary

Trump has asked lawmakers to approve six weeks of paid leave for all qualifying Americans; she is seen meeting with GOP members of Congress at the Republican National Committee headquarters on Capitol Hill in September of 2016. Fischer is seated at the front

Ivanka Trump shakes hands with Capitol Police officers as she leaves the U.S. Capitol earlier this month after a tax reform event. Talking about reforms that will help women, she told a conference on Wednesday 'you see some of that agenda coming to life through components of tax reform,' the current focus of the the administration

Ivanka then said then that 'you see some of that agenda coming to life through components of tax reform,' the current focus of the the administration.

'And coming into the new year, you will hopefully see it in a national paid family leave program that we're working hard to build coalitions of support for,' she asserted.

'The president included it for the first time ever in his budget this year, paid family leave, maternity, paternity and adoption, and I'm very encouraged by that step. We'll be working with Congress to try and pass what is a long overdue policy.'

A high-ranking leadership aide told DailyMail.com earlier this fall, when House Republicans were passing their budget, there is 'no appetite' to tackle a paid family leave program.

Asked about the issue again after Ivanka Trump's India comments, the aide said nothing has changed.

If the 36-year-old White House official wants to see a national paid family leave program enacted, she will most likely need the help of congressional Democrats.

More than 100 Democratic members have signed on to a letter smacking down her previous paid family leave proposal.

House Democrats told her father in June: 'We appreciate your interest in paid leave; however we are concerned that the proposal included in your 2018 budget request is inadequate because it only provides six weeks of paid leave for limited circumstances and without a solid funding mechanism.'

Democrats favor a comprehensive leave policy that allows workers to take time off for reasons other than a newborn child.

A program approved by New York this year takes the money out of workers' pay checks. It starts slow, at eight weeks in 2018, and scales up.

Carrie Lukas, president of the Independent Women's Forum, a conservative conglomeration of women, said a national paid family leave initiative is a 'tough policy' to implement.

Paid leave 'can backfire on workers and the economy' if the government adopts an approach that assumes one-size-fits-all,' she said.

'I think it's a very interesting idea and worth exploring how you could improve the unemployment system to provide support like this,' Lukas said in an assessment of Ivanka Trump's original plan.

The women's organization head said she favors the idea of helping low-income workers who must take time off stay in the jobs they already have. She wants more information on the proposal, though, before IWF would endorse it.

'I appreciate what they're trying to do, which I think is to try to find a way that avoids a sweeping new entitlement program, or a huge business mandate, and to target aid at those who really need it,' she said, 'but I feel like we would need to see a lot more about how this would work in practice and what the costs and unintended consequences would be.

'But I think its a great conversation to start having,' she added.
Chihuahua lovers from across the country are expected to flock to Windsor racecourse this Sunday for a Christmas charity fundraiser in aid of the small critters.

Ahead of Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle next May, Windsor will become host to thousands of pooches on 3 December as Haus of Chihuhuas UK embarks on its latest event in aid of Chihuahua Rescue UK to raise money and awareness for the tiny dog breed.

A variety of events, stalls and performances will be on offer to help Chihuahua fanatics and their pets get in the festive mood.

Fest of Chihuahuas  Christmas Spectacular takes place at Windsor racecourse on Sunday 3 December to raise money for charity

Among the guests of honour will be Crufts favourite, Lucky the Chihuahua and #dogsofinstagram stars.

Internet pet sensations Rocco, Rhapsody and Indie  who have over 50,000 social media followers - will also be there to meet and greet guests throughout the day.

Chihuahuas will be able to take part in Chi Idol, the canine X Factor, where they can compete in categories including Smallest Dog, Biggest Attitude, Matching Pairs  Christmas jumper edition, Dapper Dog and the Chihuahua Rescue UK sponsored Rescue Reward.

Internet pet sensations Rocco, Rhapsody and Indie will be on hand to meet and greet fellow pups and dog lovers

Special festive invitations were shot by photographer Rebecca Fitch featuring Haus of Chi dogs

The event will culminate in the ultimate Chihuahuas being crowned King and Queen of the festival in the Royal Windsor Racecourse Winners enclosure.

The Christmas festival, hosted by dog boutique and event organizers Haus of Chihuahuas, aims to raise money and awareness for Chihuahuas at what is a particularly difficult time of year.

Christmas is a dangerous time for the small dog breed as they often fall foul to the likes of backyard breeders who sell to unwitting buyers.

The famous pooches were staged in scenes reminiscent of the nativity to help dog lovers feel the festive cheer

Events, including Chi Idol and doggy performances, will run throughout the day at the even run by Chihuahua Rescue UK

Haus of Chihuahuas founder Rachel Louise Monk said: 'We hope this Christmas special will truly put the wow into Chi-Wow-Wow for owners and spectators alike.'



Fest of Chihuahuas  Christmas Spectacular is open to Chihuahua owners and fans alike.

Tickets are available to purchase in advance at Biletto.

Chihuahua fanatics can also check out Haus of Chihuahuas' Instagram page here.
A Victorian baby girl has been named by a tribunal, after her parents squabbled over whose surname she should take.

The separated parents, who cannot be named for legal reasons, agreed on the child's first and middle names, but each wanted the child to have their surname only.

To settle the dispute, the Victorian Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages used its discretion in May to give the girl her surname, using a hyphenated version comprising both parents' surnames.

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The separated parents, who cannot be named for legal reasons, agreed on the child's first and middle names, but each wanted the child to have their surname only (stock)

Unhappy, the parents challenged the decision in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

The mother said her relationship with the father was brief and long distance, ending early in her pregnancy.

She told the tribunal he gave low priority to building a relationship with the girl, made no financial contribution and had visited her only three times since her January birth.

The father wanted his surname used as a sense of pride in passing on his family name, she said.

The mother also believed it would be emotionally difficult and confusing for her daughter to carry her father's name in her life, and could lead to her being teased down the track.

The girl's father told the tribunal his daughter should carry his name, because it connected her to him, his family and her heritage.

Unhappy, the parents challenged the decision in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (pictured)

He said while he would love to see his daughter more often, he was limited given his interstate responsibilities.

VCAT senior member Ian Proctor said the fact the child is living with the mother, with few visits from the father, is the most relevant factor in the case.

He ruled it was in the girl's best interest to take her mother's name.

'This will likely reduce potential confusion for the child as to identity, particularly if the father proves to be an absent parent,' Mr Proctor said

In his ruling earlier this month, Mr Proctor also decided against including the father's surname as the child's third given name as it ran the risk the child will have a name of a person 'who is a stranger to her'.

Mr Proctor said his decision in no way changed the fact the father could build a positive relationship with his daughter and if so, she may choose as a young adult to include his surname

'There unfortunately seems a real possibility that once the issue of the child's name is settled, he will have very little contact,' he said.

'Therefore, the correct and preferable decision is not to include the father's surname as part of the child's name.'

Mr Proctor said his decision in no way changed the fact the father could build a positive relationship with his daughter and if so, she may choose as a young adult to include his surname.

'Assuming the parents agreed with such a wish, the child's name as registered on her birth certificate could be changed at that point in time, or by the daughter's choice by deed poll.'
A man who was lured to a secluded park and robbed at knife-point has himself been charged after revealing to police it wasn't just his money the thieves stole.

John Albert Iddles, from Gympie, north of Brisbane, had gone to smoke meth at a local oval with three people before he was set upon, The Gympie Times reported.

The 28-year-old labourer reported the incident to police and told them the knife-wielding thieves robbed him of his cash - and his drugs.

A man who was lured to a secluded park and robbed at knife-point has himself been charged after revealing to police it wasn't just his money the thieves stole (stock image)

'The circumstances in which your offending came to light are quite unusual,' Justice Sue Brown said on Wednesday, according to the publication.

Iddles reportedly owed money to a 17-year-old girl who he agreed to meet. But two men not known to him were also at the oval when he arrived.

'You were then set upon. They robbed you after physically harming you,' Justice Brown said.

When he reported the incident, police warned Iddles about the potential consequences of making any admissions, Brisbane Supreme Court reportedly heard.

The 28-year-old labourer reported the incident to police and told them the knife-wielding thieves robbed him of his cash - and his drugs. Pictured, the Cats AFL Oval were the incident took place

But Iddles admitted that he had bought 0.2g of methylamphetamine for $50, according to the paper.

He pleaded guilty to supplying the drug ice and was also a charged with supply to a minor.

Iddles was convicted and given nine months' probation.
The body of a parks worker crushed to death in a rockfall in the Blue Mountains has been retrieved.

The 36-year-old contractor died at the scene and his two colleagues, aged 26 and 27, became trapped under a section of sandstone cliff that fell from a 10-metre height at Wentworth Falls, west of Sydney, on Wednesday morning.

NSW authorities held a briefing at 7.30am on Thursday, a NSW Police spokesman said, with the recovery operation to be 'ongoing' during the day as weather conditions are monitored.

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The body of a worker crushed to death in a rockfall in the Blue Mountains has been retrieved

The 36-year-old contractor died at the scene in Wentworth Falls, west of Sudney, on Wednesday

A police guard was on duty overnight to preserve the crime scene.

The site had been closed since August because of an unstable section of rock above the track.

It took officers 45 minutes to reach the remote accident site on a track 100m below the cliff top and 100m above the ground on Wednesday, an ambulance spokesman said.

The two survivors were winched to safety following a delicate extraction operation on Wednesday afternoon.

On Thursday morning, a NSW Police spokesman said the recovery operation would be 'ongoing' during the day as weather conditions are monitored

The site had been closed since August because of an unstable section of rock above the track

A police guard was on duty overnight at Wentworth Falls to preserve the crime scene

The 27-year-old was airlifted to Westmead Hospital where he remains in a serious but stable condition. The 26-year-old is at St George Hospital in a stable condition.

National Parks and Wildlife said it was deeply saddened by the accident.

'Work to make the track safe was underway by experienced contractors,' a spokeswoman said in a statement.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

An ambulance spokesman said rescue efforts could potentially be hampered by weather, which was turning bad

All tracks in the Wentworth Falls precinct have been closed to assist with the medical evacuation of those injured, not due to safety threats

The three men were working on a section of the popular National Pass walkway at Wentworth Falls, which was closed on August 31 due to unstable rocks overhead.

A National Parks warning said the area had been assessed by a geotechnical engineer due to 'a very dangerous, unstable section of rock above the walking track'.

The men were working to make the track safe before it could be reopened when the very thing authorities were concerned about happened.

Rocks earlier fell on the track, which was visited by 90.000 tourists every year, last November.

A command post was set up at Armstrong Road, and paramedics were sent in on foot
The former Twitter contractor who shut off President Donald Trumps account for 11 minutes on his last day at work earlier this month insisted on Wednesday that it was an accident.

Bahtiyar Duysak, a German national of Turkish origin who was employed in Twitters San Francisco headquarters on a temporary work visa, came forward as the man who briefly silenced the president.

While many anti-Trump forces hailed Duysak as a hero for muting the volatile American president and his favorite mode of communication, he claims there was nothing intentional.

It was definitely a mistake, he told TechCrunch. If Im involved in this I really apologize if I hurt anyone. I didnt do anything on purpose.

'I didnt do any crime or anything evil, but I feel like Pablo Escobar,' he added

Duysak says that on his last day at the company, somebody submitted a complaint against Trump for violating Twitter's guidelines that ban users from incendiary comments.

Bahtiyar Duysak, a German national of Turkish origin who was employed in Twitters San Francisco headquarters on a temporary work visa, came forward as the man who silenced the worlds most important social media page

The former Twitter contractor who shut off President Donald Trumps account (above) for 11 minutes on his last day at work earlier this month insisted on Wednesday that it was an accident

For a few minutes, visitors to Donald Trump's Twitter were greeted with this error message shortly after 7pm on November 2

Twitter explained two hours later that it was one of its own employees that caused the outage and followed up their initial tweet explaining it was an employee on their last day

He worked at Twitter's Trust and Safety division, where he handled customer support.

Duysak told TechCrunch that after Trump's account was flagged, he performed functions on his computer that ended up causing the account to be deactivated - although he did not specify.

He said that he realized after the fact - when he got home and turned on the news - that he may have inadvertently shut off the president's Twitter.

'I had a wild time in America,' he said.

While many anti-Trump forces hailed Duysak as a hero for muting the volatile American president and his favorite mode of communication, he claims there was nothing intentional

If Im involved in this I really apologize if I hurt anyone. I didnt do anything on purpose, he told TechCrunch

Duysak says that on his last day at the company, somebody submitted a complaint against Trump for violating Twitter's guidelines that ban users from incendiary comments

'I was tired sometimes, and everyone can do mistakes. So it might be that I did a mistake.'

Duysak said that Trump's Twitter account was deactivated due to 'a number of coincidences  very little probabilities which randomly occurred on my last day of work.'

'I didnt hack anyone, I didnt do anything that I wasnt authorized to do,' he said.

'I didnt go to any site or tool where I wasnt supposed to be at. I didnt do any crime and I underline that I complied with all rules.'

Duysak said that he is unhappy about the notoriety he has gained since November 2.

He said that since his last day at Twitter, he has been hounded by the press.

Reporters have also contacted his friends, who cut ties to Duysak in response.

'I just want to continue ordinary life. I dont want to flee from the media,' he said.

'I want to speak to my neighbors. I want to speak to my friends.

'I had to delete hundreds of friends [from social media] because reporters are stalking me. I had to delete so many pictures and I just want to continue ordinary life.'

When asked about people's reactions calling him a hero, he said: '[The Nobel Peace Prize] should be accepted by the one who deserves it. I dont deserve to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.'

The suspected sabotage took place shortly before 7pm on November 2, when social media reports surfaced that the president's personal account @realdonaldtrump was unavailable, providing the error message that the user 'does not exist.'

After a brief investigation Twitter owned up and took responsibility for the outage.

In a tweeted statement, the company said Trump's account was 'inadvertently deactivated due to human error' by one of its employees.

'We are continuing to investigate and are taking steps to prevent this from happening again,' the statement continued.

But in a second statement, Twitter confirmed it was an employee on their last day.

'Through our investigation we have learned that this was done by a Twitter customer support employee who did this on the employee's last day. We are conducting a full internal review.'

Memes and gifs quickly sprung up praising the employees mischievous act on their last day

Twitter users with their unique brand of humor were quick to praise the now former worker

Just before 7pm EDT, visitors to the 45th President's Twitter profile were greeted with both a frustrating and confusing message: 'Sorry, that page doesn't exist! You can search Twitter using the search box below or return to the homepage.'

Twitter users were confused as to what could have caused the brief account shutdown with some correctly speculating it was deleted by Twitter and others wondering if the President did it himself. Others simply rejoiced:

'Donald Trump doesn't exist according to Twitter,' wrote one, 'I was there for the great vanishing of Donald Trump's Twitter account,' chimed another.

'Feel like I need to re-evaluate my life choices after reflecting on my reaction to Trump's Twitter,' joked one correspondant.

'The greatest trick Donald Trump's twitter account ever pulled was making us all hope that it didn't exist' tweeted one.

A short time later, the account page reappeared and seemed to be functioning as normal. His government account remained active throughout.

Duysak said that Trump's Twitter account was deactivated due to 'a number of coincidences  very little probabilities which randomly occurred on my last day of work'

When asked about people's reactions calling him a hero, he said: '[The Nobel Peace Prize] should be accepted by the one who deserves it. I dont deserve to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize'

About half an hour earlier, Mr Trump had tweeted a video about his nomination of Jerome Powell to be the next chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Hundreds of Twitter users posted witty comments and memes on the social network enjoying the brief respite from the President's feed.

'@RealDonaldTrump finally became president... for those brief few minutes when his personal Twitter account was down,' joked one user.

'We'll all remember where we were during the 10 minutes of peace while Donald Trump's Twitter account was down,' said another.

'If Trump's Twitter account did in fact get deleted, that would be the first bit of good news we've gotten in a while,' another quipped.

The President's account, which has almost 42 million followers has proved to be a vital tool in the way Mr Trump communicates to the outside work, it being the main channel of communication he uses to disseminate statements and attack his critics.
Vaginal mesh implants have been banned in Australia after more than 700 women who were left in horrific pain, launched a class action lawsuit.

The medical watchdog found the risks of vaginal mesh implants far outweighed the benefits of the product, which was used to treat pelvic prolapse and urinary incontinence.

Hundreds of Australian women claimed the mesh left them with debilitating, chronic pain and left them unable to have sex again.

Hundreds of Australian women claimed the mesh left them with debilitating, chronic pain and left them unable to have sex again

The Therapeutic Goods Administration decided this week to remove transvaginal mesh for the sole purpose of pelvic prolapse and single incision mini-slings from the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) as a result of a review of the latest international studies.

The review was conducted following dozens of complaints by women across Australia, saying the implants had left them with chronic, debilitating pain and unable to have sex.

'Based on this new information, and since the publication by the TGA of the Results of review into urogynaecological surgical mesh implants, the TGA is of the belief that the benefits of using transvaginal mesh products in the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse do not outweigh the risks these products pose to patients,' a TGA statement said.

'The TGA also considers that there is a lack of adequate scientific evidence before the TGA for it to be satisfied that the risks to patients associated with the use of mesh products as single incision mini-slings for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence are outweighed by their benefits.'

The bans take effect from January 4.

(L to R) Members of the class action against Johnson & Johnson, Gai Thompson, lawyer Rebecca Jancauskas and Joanne Maninon, address the media outside the Federal Court in Sydney on Tuesday, July 4

(L to R) Members of the class action against Johnson & Johnson, Gai Thompson, Joanne Maninon and Carina Anderson, arrive to address the media outside the Federal Court

A Senate inquiry into transvaginal mesh products was launched in February after Senator Derryn Hinch labelled their use in Australia as one of the country's worst health scandals. The findings of the inquiry are due to be handed down in early 2018.

The ruling of a class action launched in August by more than 700 Australians against manufacturer Johnson & Johnson is also expected to be handed down by the federal court next year.

Hundreds of women launched a class action in the federal court earlier this year.

The women claimed to have suffered horrific and chronic pain from the implants.

Rebecca Jancauskas from Shine Lawyers said 'many now live in excruciating pain, suffering terrible side effects that impact all aspects of their lives'.

Carina Anderson, is a member of the class action against Johnson & Johnson

'I've had so much bad health since that operation. There are days that i can't get out of bed and there are days that i try to do things and i just can't,' Louise King (pictured) said

'This class action is about righting the wrong against these women, who will suffer pain and complications for the rest of their lives,' Ms Jancauskas said.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia in July, Louise King said the vaginal mesh left her with debilitating chronic pain.

What is a vaginal mesh implant? The mesh is fashioned from a plastic called polypropylene It's designed to help the pelvic floor muscles keep internal organs in place Advertisement

'I've had so much bad health since that operation. There are days that i can't get out of bed and there are days that i try to do things and i just can't,' she said.

Ms King said she was given 'no choice' but to have the mesh implant when she suffered a vaginal prolapse in 2006.

'I was told this was the only option,' she said.

Ms King also said she was unable to have sex with her husband after the operation.

'Before he even entered me i was screaming, it was agonising,' she said.

'We tried a few times but he became really scared to touch me. He got to a point where he couldn't touch me.'
One of two teenagers accused of plotting a 'Columbine-style' massacre at a South Australian school has been described as a 'good kid' before 'something changed in him'.

The pair, aged 16 and 18, have been charged over an alleged plan to carry out an attack using guns, knives and explosives at a school in Renmark, west of Adelaide.

The former best friend of one of the accused said he first noticed a change in the teenager when he began using his garage to make unusual objects.

'He made a knuckle-buster (sic) and Wolverine-type claws out the end of it,' the friend told told Nine News.

One of two teenagers accused of plotting a massacre at a South Australian school has been described as a 'good kid' before 'something changed in him'

'He was a good kid. No doubt about it. But I think something just changed in him... We used to be best mates [so] to see this happen just really surprised me.'

The teenagers had allegedly plotted to 'kill as many people as possible' in the attack, which they are accused of planning to carry out before the end of this school term.

Police said on Wednesday they believed there would have been significant casualties if the attack had gone ahead, but the alleged plot was thwarted when fellow students alerted police.

'We're extremely grateful to those students who came to us with this information,' Detective Superintendent Des Bray said.

The teenagers have been charged with planning a 'Columbine-style' (pictured) shooting at a school in South Australia

He said this was as close to a U.S-style school shooting as Australia had ever come.

'There is no doubt in my mind that we've prevented a major catastrophe,' Mr Bray said.

'Police will allege that they intended to cause harm to a large number of people, however this plan was thwarted.

'There is no evidence to show that any other persons were linked with this matter, not did the two individuals have possession of firearms.'

The principal of the school in the Riverland region has been praised by the education minister for keeping parents informed over the alleged plot.

'I have to pay tribute to the principal who has in this case shown extraordinary leadership and a very steady hand,' Susan Close told ABC radio on Thursday.

Des Bray (pictured), the head of major crime in South Australia, said this was as close to a U.S-style school shooting as Australia had ever come

'In any community, but particularly in regional South Australia people know each other well and it really hits close to home.'

The 16-year-old will face court on December 5, charged with soliciting to kill. Police will oppose bail.

The 18-year-old will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court in January charged with aggravated counts of threatening to kill.

The pair had allegedly been planning the attack on the school in the small town close to the Victorian border since June.

15 people died when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (pictured) opened fire on Columbine High School on April 20, 1999
The first woman who accused Roy Moore of sexually assaulting her when she was just 14 wrote an open letter to the Alabama Republican Senate hopeful to demand he stop calling her a liar.

'I demand that you stop calling me a liar and attacking my character,' Leigh Corfman wrote in the letter, which was published on AL.com Tuesday.

'I am telling the truth, and you should have the decency to admit it and apologize.

'But now you are attacking my honesty and integrity. Where does your immortality end?'

Corfman and three other women accused Moore of sexual harassment and assault in a Washington Post article published earlier this month.

Leigh Corfman, who was the first woman who accused Roy Moore of sexually assaulting her wrote an open letter to the Alabama Republican Senate hopeful to demand he stop calling her a liar

Corfman and three other women accused Moore of sexual harassment and assault in a Washington Post article published earlier this month. Moore is pictured speaking on November 27

The 53-year-old told the Post that in 1979 Moore partially undressed both of them, touched her over her underwear and put her hand on his genitals.

The 53-year-old told the Post that in 1979 Moore partially undressed both of them, touched her over her underwear and put her hand on his genitals

At the time she was just 14, and he was 32.

Moore has fiercely denied all allegations and even denied knowing Corfman.

'When the Washington Post approached me about what you did to me as a child, I told them what happened, just as I had told family and friends years before,' she wrote in her letter.

'I stand by every word.'

Corfman was the first of nine women who have publicly accused the 70-year-old of sexual misconduct. Eight of them claim they were teenagers when the then-judge pursued them.

Since the women came forward Moore has unleashed vicious attacks against them in an attempt to discredit their statement.

LEIGH CORFMAN'S FULL OPEN LETTER TO SENATE CANDIDATE ROY MOORE Mr. Moore, When the Washington Post approached me about what you did to me as a child, I told them what happened, just as I had told family and friends years before. I stand by every word. You responded by denying the truth. You told the world that you didn't even know me. Others in recent days have had the decency to acknowledge their hurtful actions and apologize for similar behavior, but not you. So I gave an interview on television so that people could judge for themselves whether I was telling the truth. You sent out your spokesmen to call me a liar. Day after day. Finally, last night, you did the dirty work yourself. You called me malicious, and you questioned my motivation in going public. I explained my motivation on the Today show. I said that this is not political for me, this is personal. As a 14-year old, I did not deserve to have you, a 32-year old, prey on me. I sat quietly for too long, out of concern for my family. No more. I am not getting paid for speaking up. I am not getting rewarded from your political opponents. What I am getting is stronger by refusing to blame myself and speaking the truth out loud. The initial barrage of attacks against me voiced by your campaign spokespersons and others seemed petty so I did not respond. But when you personally denounced me last night and called me slanderous names, I decided that I am done being silent. What you did to me when I was 14-years old should be revolting to every person of good morals. But now you are attacking my honesty and integrity. Where does your immorality end? I demand that you stop calling me a liar and attacking my character. Your smears and false denials, and those of others who repeat and embellish them, are defamatory and damaging to me and my family. I am telling the truth, and you should have the decency to admit it and apologize. Leigh Corfman Source: AL.com Advertisement

Since the women came forward Moore has unleashed vicious attacks against them in an attempt to discredit their statement. Beverly Nelson, left, reads a statement to reporters on November 13. She is one of the nine women who has come forward about the former judge and been viciously attacked by Moore

On Wednesday his senate campaign tweeted a link to a video that attempts to smear the accusers - alleging that the women are tied to drug dealers.

And at a rally on Monday night he called the charges 'completely false' and said they are a part of a conspiracy concocted by the Democrats and establishment Republicans.

'These allegations are completely false,' he said to his supporters at the rally in Henagar, Alabama.

'They are malicious. Specifically, I do not know any of these women, nor have I ever engaged with sexual misconduct with anyone.'

In her open letter, Corfman wrote: I gave an interview on television so that people could judge for themselves whether I was telling the truth.

'You sent our your spokesmen to call me a liar. Day after day. Finally, last night, you did the dirty work yourself.

'The initial barrage of attacks against me voiced by your campaign spokespersons and others seemed petty, so I did not respond. But when you personally denounce me last night and called me slanderous names, I decided that I am done being silent.

'What you did to me when I was 14 years old should be revolting to every person of good morals. But now you are attacking my honesty and integrity. Where does your immortality end?'

Moore has fiercely denied all allegations and even denied knowing Corfman, and at a rally on Monday (pictured) night he called the charges 'completely false' and said they are a part of a conspiracy concocted by the Democrats and establishment Republicans

At the White House last week President Trump all but endorsed the republican nominee when asked about the scandal. He is pictured Wednesday night at a rally

Corfman spoke out in public for the first time last week, appearing on NBC's 'Today Show.'

She said Roy's claim he doesn't know her is ridiculous, saying: 'I wonder how many me's he doesn't know.'

Corfman also elaborated on the alleged encounter with Moore in 1997.

Corfman said soon after meeting Moore outside the court he called to ask her out, but refused to classify their outings as dates, calling herself a ' a 14-year-old child,trying to play in an adult's world.'

'It wasn't a date. It was a meet. At 14, I was not dating. At 14, I was not able to make those kind of choices,' said Corfman.

'I met him around the corner from my house. My mother did not know. And he took me to his home.'

She then said: 'After arriving at his home, on the second occasion that I went with him, he basically laid out some blankets on the floor of his living room and proceed to - seduce me, I guess you would say.

'And during the course of that, he removed my clothing. He left the room and came back in, wearing his white underwear. And he touched me over my clothing, what was left of it. And he tried to get me to touch him, as well. And at that point, I pulled back and said that I was not comfortable.'

Corfman said that the alleged sexual contact between herself and Moore did not progress beyond that, and soon after she asked him to take her home.

Since the allegations began a number of republicans, including Mitch McConnell, John McCain and even Ivanka Trump have denounced Moore.

But at the White House last week President Trump all but endorsed the republican nominee when asked about the scandal.

'Well he denies it,' Trump told reporters. 'Look he denies it. He says it didn't happen, and you know, you have to listen to him also.'

He then went on to explain why it would be more of a problem to have a Democrat in that seat than an accused child molester.
A group of people searching for Christmas tree in the woods of Northern California instead found a woman who had been kidnapped and was struggling to survive, police say.

The 25-year-old woman, who has not been identified, was only wearing a pair of dead shorts when she was found.

She told police she had been hiding in a dead tree and drank water from puddles in order to survive, the Redding Record Searchlight reports.

The woman was found near Hat Creek, 60 miles away from her hometown of Redding.

She told police that Johanna Knighten, 33, and Fred Sanderson, 44, kidnapped her on Sunday.

Fred Sanderson (left) and Johanna Knighten (right) is wanted for his alleged role in the kidnapping of a 25-year-old woman who was found partially clothed by a group of people in search of a Christmas tree

A motive has not been established but police say the duo might have thought the woman stole drugs from them.

She said that Sanderson assaulted her and that the duo stole her clothes before leaving her in the woods, where she experienced wintry temperatures.

She was found on Monday and taken to a hospital.

Knighten has been arrested and could face charges of kidnapping, attempted murder and conspiracy.

Sanderson, who has a history of previous arrests, remains at large.

Redding is the same town Sherri Papini disappeared from in November 2016. She seemed to vanish without a trace while jogging.

But on November 24, 22 days later, she was found alive by the side of the road shackled, bruised and emaciated.

Those with information are asked to call the Redding Police Department at (530) 225-4200.
Anxious shoppers may have to wait until next year for Amazon to launch in Australia, with the retail giant blaming the false start on 'technical glitches'.

Despite hype the online store would launch its website in time for Black Friday, Australian customers are still waiting.

Amazon is keeping tight lipped about the cause of the delay, but an industry insider told Lifehacker the website's testing phase came across a number of calculation errors.

Anxious shoppers may have to wait until next year for Amazon to launch in Australia, with the retail giant blaming the false start on 'technical glitches'

Despite hype the online store would launch its website in time for Black Friday, Australian customers are still waiting

Market research firm Kantar Retail predicts Amazon will hold off on launching its website until 2018, unless it can get it ready to go live within the next week.

Since confirming plans to open in Australia in April, Amazon has signed up 'many thousands' of sellers, boss Rocco Braeuniger said, who relocated from Germany to take up the role.

Australians can already buy Amazon products from offshore, but having a warehouse locally cuts sometimes sizable international shipping costs, adding to pressure on retailers already struggling with the overheads that come from maintaining shopfronts and employing checkout staff.

Earlier this month, Australia's top department store chain Myer Holdings Ltd cut its growth targets, citing weak trading conditions. Rival David Jones recently contributed to the first profit decline in eight years for its owner, South Africa's Woolworths Holdings.

In a sign of further headwinds for offline retail, Mr Braeuniger said Amazon planned to bring more services to Australia, from the outset, than it had previously flagged.

While Amazon said earlier that it would offer Australia its Marketplace service, he said the company would also run its own retail unit, ordering and shipping its own product. He suggested Amazon would wait, however, before taking on Australia's grocery market.

Amazon Australia's website seems to still only sell Kindle products

Amazon has reportedly bought 2.11 hectares of vacant land in the industrial suburb of Smeaton Grange (above)

The firm took years to offer the service in other countries and 'it's really, really complicated to make fresh food delivery a great customer experience.'

Amazon, among the latest tech heavyweights to expand in Australia, has snapped up a sprawling nine-floor office in Sydney's financial hub, with sweeping views of the Harbour Bridge and Hyde Park.

In August, it said it had picked a distribution warehouse in Melbourne, also on the east coast - where about four-fifths of the country's 24 million people live.
The national parks worker killed in a horror rockslide in the Blue Mountains has been identified as veteran climber Dave Gliddon.

Mr Gliddon, 36, died on Wednesday morning after a sandstone cliff collapsed on the contractor and two of his co-workers, aged 26 and 27.

Friends have flooded social media with tributes to the father of twin girls, describing the local as a 'true legend' and 'as strong as an ox and as calm as a monk'.

'(He was) positive, enthusiastic, he was one of those people who could change the energy in the room,' one said.

'Very, very sad when someone so cool gets taken far too early.'

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'As strong as an ox, as calm as a monk': Father-of-two Dave Gliddon, 36, has been identified as the man killed in the Wentworth Falls rockslide tragedy

Friends said Mr Gliddon was 'the sweetest friend who made you want to be more tolerant and patient'

The contractor's body was retrieved by helicopter about 1.20pm on Thursday

Rescuers are pictured canvassing the tragic situation in the valley this week

'A legend across the board,' a third friend said.

'(He was) the sweetest friend who made you want to be more tolerant and patient, more adventurous, more familial, learn all the skills, just all the good.

'To know Dave is to have him as your hero.'

Mr Gliddon and his colleagues had been repairing a closed walking track.

It was shut to the public in August due to the unstable rock platform above.

A sudden landslide about 11.40am on Wednesday led part of the escarpment to fall from its 10m height.

The rock slip sounded like dynamite exploding, a nearby bushwalker told the Australian Associated Press.

Rescuers rushed to the scene but because of the remoteness of the location it took them 45 minutes to arrive.

Mr Gliddon's body was cut free from a large boulder but he tragically died at the scene.

His co-workers were also trapped under rock but were winched to safety following a delicate extraction yesterday afternoon.

Veteran climber and national parks worker Dave Gliddon was killed in the tragic accident

'To know Dave is to have him as your hero,' another mate said

The site had been closed since August because of an unstable section of rock above the track

Both the 26 and 27-year-old were airlifted to hospital and are now said to be in a stable condition.

Mr Gliddon's body was retrieved by helicopter on Thursday. A police guard stood watch overnight.

In a statement, National Parks and Wildlife said it was deeply saddened by the accident.

'Work to make the track safe was underway by experienced contractors,' a spokeswoman said.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.
The family of a 15-year-old girl who has been missing since Sunday fear she may be with a much older man she met on Snapchat.

Heaven Ray Cox from Mauriceville, Texas vanished on Saturday afternoon.

Her parents said it was usual for the teenager to sleep in late at the weekend, but when they went to check on her she was gone.

Heaven Ray Cox, 15, was last seen in her home on November 25 and was reported missing on November 26

They now fear she may have been abducted or ran away by a man she met on social media, the Beaumont Enterprise reports.

Police were notified of her disappearance on November 26 and are working to assess the potential connection with the unidentified predator.

Heaven's mother, Tammy, has posted on Facebook about her daughter's disappearance.

She wrote: 'The man she has been talking to is a predator, who has apparently been manipulating her for some time, and in her current state of mind, she believes that he is her friend.

'She left a goodbye note to me and her Dad, and said that she wouldn't have a phone, so I'm sure he has taken it from her, as it isn't here, and I have torn her room apart. She is off her meds and is in a manic phase of bipolar disorder.

Her family worries she might be with a 'much older' predator from California

'I am asking everyone to share this to their wall, and particularly those who live in California and every state between there and Texas.

'This man told her that he would be in San Antonio for Thanksgiving and that he would pick her up.'

San Antonio is about 4.5 hours by car from Mauriceville.

Police say that a note indicates Heaven might have been heading to California.

Tammy also wrote earlier tonight that Heaven's passport was missing.

Previously, Tammy wrote that Heaven suffers from bipolar disorder and might be off her medication.

Those with information are asked to call the Orange County, Texas sheriff's office at 409-883-2612.
Adrenaline junkies will soon enjoy a thrilling ride on Australia's longest zipline as plans are formalised for building to commence at Mt Coot-tha.

Brisbane Mayor Graham Quirk said the zipline will offer 'incredible views of the Brisbane cityscape'.

'Zipline Australia will build the longest treetop canopy zipline tour in Australia, with a 1500m course weaving through the Mt Coot-tha forest, creating an exciting new leisure and lifestyle attraction,' Mr Quirk told the Courier Mail.

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Adrenaline junkies will soon enjoy a thrilling ride on Australia's longest zipline as plans are formalised for building to commence at Mt Coot-tha

Brisbane Mayor Graham Quirk said the zipline will offer 'incredible views of the Brisbane cityscape

The zipline is expected to bring an intriguing experience to Brisbane while also offering economic benefits by encouraging international tourism.

With approximately 7 million visitors a year to the city, Mt Coot-tha is the second-most visited area in Queensland behind South Bank.

'Council will contribute $1 million to the construction of the zipline, as part of a wider $15 million investment into the Mt Coot-tha precinct over four years, while Zipline Australia will make a multimillion-dollar investment into new infrastructure and operations for the ziplines,' Mr Quirk said.

Construction will begin late 2018 and is expected to continue half way into 2019.

The zipline is expected to bring an intriguing experience to Brisbane while also offering economic benefits by encouraging international tourism

The zipline will have a 170m vertical drop from its highest point, believed to be the tallest of any zipline in the country

The zipline will have a 170m vertical drop from its highest point, believed to be the tallest of any zipline in the country.

It will finish near JC Slaughter Falls in the northeast, and is believed to be the longest continuous zipline in Australia.

Its length tops that of the 1km zipline in Ourimbah State Forest north of Sydney.

It will finish near JC Slaughter Falls in the northeast, and is believed to be the longest continuous zipline in Australia

Its length tops that of the 1km zipline in Ourimbah State Forest north of Sydney

A 300m treetop walk will be built above JC Slaughter Falls. Mr Quirk said it was the 'longest pedestrian suspended bridge walk in the southern hemisphere'

A 300m treetop walk will be built above JC Slaughter Falls. Mr Quirk said it was the 'longest pedestrian suspended bridge walk in the southern hemisphere'.

Zipline Australia managing director Matthew Thompson said the company aimed to deliver an 'iconic' experience with the zipline.

Opposition leader Peter Cumming welcomed the development but called for an environmental audit on the route.
A Muslim woman who went toe-to-toe with controversy king Milo Yiannopolous says he's a 'd***head' and 'hypocrite', while also claiming she earns more money than him.

Emma Eros took on the right-wing firebrand in a debate during his tour of Australia on Wednesday, with video of their tense discussion going viral online hours later.

The 38-year-old businesswoman, who runs a construction plumbing business in Sydney, was accused of 'being a bad Muslim' by Yiannopoulous after she struggled to recall the five pillars of Islam.

But speaking to Daily Mail Australia a day after their tense exchange Ms Eros went on the attack, slamming the political commentator after he called for Islam followers to be kicked out of Australia.

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Emma Eros, who was born in Australia to Lebanese-Muslim parents, has hit back at controversy king Milo Yiannopolous after their heated debate (pictured) which went viral on social media

Construction owner Ms Eros (pictured) claimed she earned more money than Yiannopolous after he accused her of not paying enough Zakat - a donation to charity required by Muslims

Ms Eros, who supports banning the burqa, said she got shouted down after asking a question and soon realised she was there simply to be put on show by Yiannopolous.

'I was trying to ask for Muslims like myself not to be put in the same pile as terrorists and he just completely bombarded me,' she said.

'I lost my train of thought and couldn't even remember the five pillars because it is quite difficult to speak when the other person is speaking over the top.

'As soon as I got up there I should have shut my mouth, because he was acting like a d***head and he thought: "I've got a Muslim on show, I'm going to shut her down".'

Ms Eros said she had simply wanted to ask Yiannopolous how there was ever going to be peace unless 'fear mongering' about Muslims stopped.

But during their debate, posted online by conservative Jewish activist Avi Yemini, Yiannopolous instead focused on daily prayers, asking if she was a 'perfect Muslim' and how much Zakat - a donation to charity - she paid each year.

The 38-year-old Muslim, who supports a burqa ban, challenged Milo Yiannopoulos on Islam

The construction worker told Daily Mail Australia despite Yiannopolous' claims she did give money to charities every year and also some to her mother who handed it out overseas

The construction entrepreneur told Daily Mail Australia she earns millions of dollars a year installing plumbing in new high-rise apartments across Sydney, and makes large donations to charity.

'I give money to my mother and she goes and visits charities in Lebanon, and I give to charities in Australia all the time as well,' Ms Eros said.

'I just ask my mother (how much to give) and she'll say if you missed Ramadan give this. Charity is charity, it's not like you have to give an exact amount.

'I probably make more money than he does to be honest, but I'd happily be broke if I knew I was helping others.'

Yiannopolous has previously had a book deal which reached number two on the New York Times best sellers list.

During their debate Milo told the mother-of-two: 'I seem to understand more about the Koran than you do'.

Hitting back on Thursday, she said Yiannopolous still didn't understand 'what Islam actually meant' having earlier explaining she was far from a devout follower.

Hitting back on Thursday, Ms Eros said Yiannopolous (pictured) still didn't understand 'what Islam actually meant' having earlier explaining she was far from a devout follower of Islam

Yiannopolous (pictured), the former tech editor of right-wing Breitbart media was due to front a forum in Sydney on Thursday night, but that was postponed until Tuesday next week

'His idea of Islam is that it's what happens in Africa or Somalia or Saudi Arabia - he's got no idea,' she said.

'I made it clear that I am a Muslim and not a perfect one. I do not believe any person is Muslim.

'Milo dodged my questions and I realised I was brought there to be put on show but that is OK as Milo is trying to sell a book.

'He has no interest in solutions that are practical. His solution is to send all Muslims back to the Middle East... I honestly thought Milo was smarter than that.'

Yiannopolous, the former tech editor of right-wing Breitbart media was due to front a forum in Sydney on Thursday night, but that was postponed until Tuesday next week.
A group of Victoria's Secret Fashion Show models have been slammed after a video emerged appearing to show several of the young women saying the N-word while singing along to rapper Cardi B's hit song 'Bodak Yellow.'

The short clip shows several models, most of whom appear to be white, dancing around in their custom made robes backstage before the show in Shanghai to the chart topping song and rap the lyric: 'I don't wanna choose / And I'm quick, cut a n***a off, so don't get comfortable.'

It's unclear exactly which women are rapping in the video, since it pans around the room. But it starts by showing model Karlie Kloss for a few seconds; it's unclear if she rapped in the video.

The footage was posted by a Twitter account called Pop Crave on Tuesday, with many social media users slamming the models and condemning their use of the word.

The footage shows Devon Windsor (facing the camera) dancing with other models as the lyrics to Bodak Yellow are sung. It is not clear if the women pictured sang along

Karlie Kloss, right, films herself with fellow model Ming Xi, who is posing with a member of staff, before the lyrics are sung

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show models are being slammed after a video emerged showing several of the women saying the N-word while rapping to a song. Karlie Kloss (left) and Cindy Bruna (right) are pictured during the 2017 show although it's unclear if they were involved

Kloss (above posing backstage ahead of the show) can be seen at the beginning of the video for a couple of seconds before it pans round the room although there's no indication she actually sang the lyrics

The models were rapping along to 'Bodak Yellow' by Cardi B (above) while backstage at the show

The clip is believed to have come from one of Kloss's video blogs posted on her YouTube channel where it is shown at around three minutes in - though the part where the N-word is sung is not included.

The clip posted by Pop Crave begins with model Ming Xi taking a selfie with a backstage worker before cutting to footage of Devon Windsor dancing with other models as Bodak Yellow is sung. It is not clear if Ming or Devon sang along.

'There are too many nonblack people in this video for the N word to be that loud,' one Twitter user wrote.

'If you're not black, don't say the N word. Point. Blank. Period,' another person tweeted.

Another Twitter user noted: 'Nah. That n-word was too loud and clear for there only to be one black girl in this room'.

One woman even called for the models to be fired.

The clip of the models was posted by a Twitter account called Pop Crave on Tuesday. It's unclear who originally filmed the video. Above a group of models surround fashion designer Oliver Rousteing before the show; unclear if any of the women above were involved in video

As soon as it went online, many social media users slammed the models and condemned their use of the word

'Welp @victoriassecret plz (sic) fire all of them for saying the n-word all carefree.'

Another person agreed and tweeted: 'Oh! I see they said the n-word so freely. They all gotta go.'

But one Twitter user noticed that among the group of women, model Devon Windsor did not open her mouth when the racial slur appeared in the song.

'The safe one is @DevWindsor,' the woman tweeted alongside a photo of the blonde model standing still as her colleagues dance around her.

But one Twitter user noticed that among the group of women, model Devon Windsor did not open her mouth when the racial slur appeared in the song (above)

This latest incident comes after the company faced controversy after Gigi Hadid (above) was accused of squinting her eyes to look like Buddha in a video, and many angry Chinese people told her not to walk in the show in China

Cardi B retweeted a tweet someone posted about the women using the N-word, but she did not comment about it.

Victoria's Secret has not commented about the video.

It comes after Gigi Hadid announced she was not going to walk in the show in Shanghai earlier this month after she came under fire in China over a controversial video showing her squinting her eyes to imitate Buddha.
An Australian woman with family on Mount Agung in Bali has revealed the villagers there are just waiting to be wiped out when the volcano finally explodes.

Wendy Westerveld from Victoria has loved ones on the side of the mountain, in the 'red zone', which is threatening to explode more every day.

She told Daily Mail Australia the last time the mountain erupted in 1963 the villagers 'died where they stood, staring up at the mountain'.

Wendy Westerveld, pictured centre in white shirt, with her sister, daughter and Balinese family

Mrs Westerveld says the people who live on the mountain, or in the danger zone, are terrified of the volcano having a major eruption

Her extended family, pictured, are farmers in the danger zone of Mount Agung

A recent celebration - taken before the mountain started erupting

'They are terrified, once it happens they will lose their homes and their animals, their whole livelihood,' she said.

'Their belief in God is that he will decide their fate but their fear is real. They truly are not sitting there like I would be, they pray constantly but go about daily life as normal.'

Mrs Westerveld has 28 members of her 'extended family' at Desa Tianyar which is 12 kilometres of the top of the mountain.

They have not been evacuated officially  even though their whole village was destroyed last time the mountain exploded. '

Mrs Westerveld has 28 members of her 'extended family' at Desa Tianyar which is 12 kilometres of the top of the mountain

This woman was evacuated early - because she is too old to move quickly

'Once it reaches its maximum height it comes crashing back to earth. 'It is ash, rocks, toxins and it is about 1000 degrees Celsius and it kills everything in its way'

'When a mountain erupts what will generally happens  when it does the big eruption will got up into the air.

'Once it reaches its maximum height it comes crashing back to earth. 'It is ash, rocks, toxins and it is about 1000 degrees Celsius and it kills everything in its way.'

The poor working families who call the mountain home know what will happen when their mountain explodes, but still want to care for their animals.

The poor working families who call the mountain home know what will happen when their mountain explodes, but still want to care for their animals

This village was destroyed last time the volcano erupted in 1963 - it was rebuilt by survivors years later once the earth was no longer toxic

Mrs Westerveld says the families who live on the mountain are completely connected to it - and understand the dangers

'They go up every day to care for their livestock.

'They are just sending the minimum amount of people  but there is no way they would be able to get out in time if there was a major explosive eruption.'

Mrs Westerveld says the families who live on the mountain are completely connected to it - and understand the dangers.

The aftermath of the eruption in 1963 - the powerful blast wiped out entire villages in some cases

This elderly man has seen the volcano erupt before - but respects the mountain

'They don't hate the mountain, they respect it, it is the most importan thing in their lives.

'They are very fatalistic about the whole thing and they believe in reincarnation  but that doesn't mean they aren't scared as well.'

Once the mountain does have a major eruption the families will be displaced, with know government help, and no way to make a living.

Once the mountain does have a major eruption the families will be displaced, with know government help, and no way to make a living

They are very fatalistic about the whole thing and they believe in reincarnation  but that doesn't mean they aren't scared as well'

Mrs Westerveld is very concerned about all the villagers who will be impacted by the natural event and would like people to help in any way they can.

She recommends Solemen, an organisation which aids the communities in Bali year-round.

'They are stretched so thin but everything goes where it should,' she said.

She says their livestock and farms will be completely wiped out along with anyone left in the villages
Embattled Labor senator Sam Dastyari had a long day in the Senate on Thursday, choking back tears as he delivered an emotional speech.

Mr Dastyari has been under fire since leaked audio emerged of comments he made on the South China Sea, contradicting his previous statements on the matter.

During two separate speeches, Mr Dastyari denied giving intelligence information to Chinese businessman Huang Xiongmo, or being in possession of such information.

Calls from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for Mr Dastyari to leave parliament were echoed by Australian Conservatives leader Cory Bernardi and Liberal senator Eric Abetz.

'Today is the day they need to shanghai Sam Dastyari out of this place,' said Mr Bernardi.

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Embattled Labor senator Sam Dastyari (pictured) had a long day in the Senate on Thursday, choking back tears as he delivered an emotional speech

Mr Dastyari (pictured) has been under fire since leaked audio emerged of comments he made on the South China Sea, contradicting his previous statements on the matter

'It's not strike one, strike two or strike three. He has a repeated pattern of being captured by people that are very, very close to the Chinese government.

'You don't have to be Einstein to put two and two together to recognise there is a serious problem.

'We know that there are politicians, or at least one, who have had personal accounts paid by Chinese billionaires with very close connections to the communist party.'

Mr Abetz went a step further, calling on Labor leader Bill Shorten to remove Mr Dastyari from the party.

'Clearly there are very serious questions about Senator Dastyari's integrity and credibility,' he said.

'Foreign investment is welcome, but national security has to be paramount.'

Calls from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for Mr Dastyari (pictured) to leave parliament were echoed by Australian Conservatives leader Cory Bernardi and Liberal senator Eric Abetz

Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm said Senator Dastyari's actions were only a concern if they were in response to political donations.

Senator Leyonhjelm highlighted Chinese influence in stalling negotiations on a free trade agreement with Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.

'China is very influential in Australia in all sorts of ways,' he said.

In his first speech Mr Dastyari described the damage his dealings with Chinese political donors has had on his young family.

But the emotion had drained from his voice by the time he was hauled before the Senate again hours later to deliver a second statement.

In his first speech Mr Dastyari (pictured) described the damage his dealings with Chinese political donors has had on his young family

But the emotion had drained from Mr Dastyari's (pictured) voice by the time he was hauled before the Senate again hours later to deliver a second statement

The excitable Labor senator for NSW usually seeks out the spotlight - but not on Thursday.

Dastyari sat slumped in his Senate chair on Thursday morning as some colleagues huddled around him and those opposite muttered jibes across the chamber.

Standing sullenly after the morning prayers, he tugged at his tie and glared briefly at press gallery photographers working in overdrive above.

'I rise to make a short statement,' Dastyari told parliament, which fell to pin-drop silence.

Hours earlier, he was forced to resign from senior party positions - for the second time - over comments made at a June 2016 press conference contradicting Labor policy on the South China Sea.

Dastyari vacated the chamber by the time Attorney-General George Brandis (pictured) said it was 'pathetically weak' for Mr Shorten to give him another 'summer sabbatical' to overcome his latest embarrassment

Mr Dastyari met with Huang Xiongmo (pictured) at the businessman's Sydney mansion in October 2016

Dastyari had previously said he had only 'incorrectly' mumbled an answer backing Beijing's controversial policy when asked by Chinese reporters.

The embattled Labor senator was forced to walk the plank again after audio emerged which completely jarred with his characterisation of the press conference.

'A recent audio recording shocked me, as it did not match my recollection of events,' Dastyari told the chamber.

'When a public official makes a statement that contradicts events, there are consequences.'

Those consequences extended to his wife and two children, who had also been thrust into the spotlight.

'Hannah is now six and has to answer questions in the playground. That breaks the heart of any father,' Dastyari said through tears.

Sam Dastyari (pictured, far right, with former prime minister Julia Gillard, second right, and Huang Xiongmo, second left) had previously said he had only 'incorrectly' mumbled an answer backing Beijing's controversial policy when asked by Chinese reporters

'Today is the day they need to shanghai Sam Dastyari out of this place,' said Mr Bernardi (pictured)

'I always intend to put the party first and do not want to be a distraction. I will continue to work as I always have done for the people of New South Wales.'

He also denied accusations he leaked intelligence information to Mr Huang.

'I utterly reject any assertion that I leaked intelligence information to Mr Huang,' he said.

'Let me reiterate that I have never been provided intelligence information by any Australian security agency ever.

'I've never passed on intelligence information. I've never been in possession of any.'

Dastyari vacated the chamber by the time Attorney-General George Brandis said it was 'pathetically weak' for Mr Shorten to give him another 'summer sabbatical' to overcome his latest embarrassment.

And he stayed well away as Liberal senator Ian Macdonald accused him of using his children in a 'coward's defence', while One Nation leader Pauline Hanson derided his 'crocodile tears'.

Outside in the prime minister's courtyard, Malcolm Turnbull was also going on the attack.

The PM demanded Dastyari leave parliament over what he called 'disloyal conduct of the highest order'.

Liberal senator Eric Abetz (pictured) called on Labor leader Bill Shorten to remove Mr Dastyari from the party

Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm (pictured) said Senator Dastyari's actions were only a concern if they were in response to political donations

'If he refuses to resign, Shorten should dump him from the Labor Party and let him languish in contempt on the crossbench,' he told reporters.

Many miles away, Bill Shorten was cutting Dastyari adrift, admitting he had lost faith in his beleaguered backbencher.

'That is why I have sacked him again,' Shorten said in Adelaide. 'He has a long, long journey to rebuild trust.'

The Senate later passed a motion forcing Dastyari to return and offer a longer explanation. He fronted up after Question Time but covered little new ground.

And as senators voted against debating his second offering, all that was left for Dastyari to do was tuck the speech under his arm and depart the chamber again.
An untrained British volunteer, who joined joined Kurdish armed groups in their fights against ISIS, has been killed in Syria.

Oliver Hall, 24, from Portsmouth, died while trying to clear mines in Raqqa.

He left Britain to the war-torn country in August to fight for the YPG group, with no previous military training.

Oliver Hall, 24, from Portsmouth, died while trying to clear mines in Raqqa

Mr Hall (far left) left Britain to the war-torn country in August to fight for the YPG group, with no previous military training

Mr Hall (front left, wearing a hat) becomes the seventh British man to be killed with the Kurdish-led group

Kurdish sources in London said he was killed in the incident on Saturday.

Mr Hall becomes the seventh British man to be killed with the Kurdish-led group.

A statement from Mark Campbell, co-chairman of the Kurdish Solidarity Campaign, said: 'It is with deep regret and sorrow that I can confirm via Kurdish sources in Syria that Ollie Hall, a UK national who travelled to Syria in August to help in the liberation of the Isis city of Raqqa with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), fell on 25 November from an explosion of ordnance left by Daesh after the liberation of the city.

'Our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of Ollie at this time.'

Kevin Benton, an ex-soldier and British volunteer who met him in Syria, said: 'He was so willing to learn, always asking questions and taking everything in. He wanted to stop Isis.'

Mr Hall travelled to Syria, via Iraq, and took part in a training academy with YPG armed units, according to his friends.

After two weeks of military training he joined the international wing of the group, mainly made up of British and American volunteers.

Mr Hall's death comes just over a month after the fatal injury to fellow Briton Jac Holmes, a sniper from Bournemouth, who had fought alongside the YPG since January 2015

Posts on social media appeared to show Mr Hall in Raqqa, wearing camouflage clothing and carrying weaponry, with messages pledging solidarity between the UK and Syria.

The posts were accompanied by good luck messages from friends at home.

In a video published alongside a tribute to 'martyr' Mr Hall on the YPG Facebook page, he said: 'I came here of my own free will knowing all the risks and consequences that can follow.

'Whilst being here I've received all the language training, political, history and background to everything.

'Greetings to all my family and friends if unfortunately you are reading this.'

The YPG tribute said: 'The mop-up operation initiated in the city of Raqqa since the end of the liberation campaign of the city has been continuing unceasingly.

'Hundreds of mines and traps have been placed inside almost every building in the city, so the cleaning process is carried out with great care.

'Fighters show a great effort and abnegation even after the operation to ensure that the inhabitants of the city return safely.

'On November 25th, 2017, Canser Zagros (Oliver Hall), who was involved in mine clearance work, martyred as he was trying to defuse a booby-trap.

'We'd like to extend our sympathy to our martyr's family.'

Mr Hall travelled to Syria, via Iraq, and took part in a training academy with YPG armed units, according to his friends

The 24-year-old regularly posted pictures of himself and fellow volunteers, with weapons in their hands

Kurdish sources in London said he was killed in the incident on Saturday. Pictured is Mr Hall (left) in Syria

Mr Hall's death comes just over a month after the fatal injury to fellow Briton Jac Holmes, a sniper from Bournemouth, who had fought alongside the YPG since January 2015.

He was also clearing mines in Raqqa when he died.

The other British fatalities fighting against IS are Mehmet Aksoy, 32, Luke Rutter, 22, Ryan Lock, 20, Dean Evans, 22, and Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, 25.

Raqqa had served as the capital of IS's so-called caliphate since 2014, and had been under the group's control for more than three and a half years until its liberation last month.

The YPG, also known as the People's Protection Units, is mostly made up of Kurdish men and women fighting against IS in northern Syria.
The speeding drink driver who killed a Melbourne nursing student, then fell pregnant after the crash, has been accused of selfishly dragging out the court case.

Subha Anand, 29, was triple the legal blood-alcohol limit when she slammed into the back of 19-year-old Natasha Pigot's car at Williams Landing in January 2016, killing the young woman.

In the months that followed, Anand's court case was delayed because she had a son.

Aleacha McMaster (pictured), the mother of Natasha Pigot who was killed when Subha Anand drunkenly smashed into her car in 2016, held a picture of her daughter in court Thursday

Natasha Pigot (pictured) was killed in a car accident in Williams Landing in January, 2016

She pleaded guilty to culpable driving in June, more than 18 months after Ms Pigot was killed.

The victim's mother Aleacha McMaster on Thursday spoke of the disbelief and heartbreak of losing her daughter.

'I wanted to die with her. How could I live my life without my baby?' she said at Anand's pre-sentence hearing in the Victorian County Court.

She said Anand never apologised for what she did, and selfishly delayed court proceedings.

Anand (pictured) pleaded guilty to culpable driving in June, more than 18 months after Ms Pigot was killed

Subha Anand, 29 was triple the legal blood-alcohol limit when she slammed into the back of the 19-year-old's car

Natasha's mother said Anand never apologised for what she did, and selfishly delayed court proceedings

'I don't think I could ever forgive you,' she said.

'You dragged this out for your own selfish purposes.'

Outside court, Ms McMaster said: 'She chose to have the baby...and live a different life after she caused this accident.'

Anand has applied to have her child with her while she serves an inevitable prison sentence.

She had been drinking at home on the night of the crash but stormed out after an argument with her boyfriend.

Anand has applied to have her child with her while she serves an inevitable prison sentence

Ms McMaster spoke of the disbelief and heartbreak of losing her daughter in court Thursday

She was travelling an estimated 115km/h in a 70km/h zone moments before she hit Ms Pigot's car.

'There is no evidence of braking,' prosecutor Brendan Kissane QC said.

She was taken to hospital and later blew a blood-alcohol reading of 0.159 per cent.

'(She was) not in a position to have the proper control of a motor vehicle,' Mr Kissane said.

Anand, who grew up in New Delhi in India, will be sentenced on Friday, her 30th birthday.

She had been on bail but was taken into custody on Thursday before the sentencing.

Anand had been drinking at home on the night of the crash but stormed out after an argument with her boyfriend

'I wanted to die with her. How could I live my life without my baby?' she said at Anand's pre-sentence hearing in the Victorian County Court
A pharmacy manager said she had no 'ethical dilemma' ordering 5000 laxatives a week for a young mother before she died of anorexia, an inquest has heard.

An inquest into the death of Adelaide woman Claudia La Bella, 28, began on Monday. She died on June 29, 2014 from complications associated with laxative abuse.

Former Chemist King Hectorville retail manager Jessica Cutting told state Coroner Mark Johns on Thursday that she ordered boxes of laxatives for Mrs La Bella before her death, according to the Advertiser.

At the time of her death, family, friends and her husband John thought she had died from ovarian cancer.

They have since learned she lied about having a terminal illness but instead suffered from a secret eating disorder.

An inquest into the death of Adelaide woman Claudia La Bella, 28, began on Monday

At the time of her death, family, friends and her husband John thought she had died from ovarian cancer

John said she insisted on going to doctor's appointments by herself

Ms Cutting said Mrs La Bella and her husband would buy up to 25 boxes of 200 laxative tablets a week.

The tablets were valued at $480.

Ms Cutting said she was told the laxatives were being put into Mrs La Bella's chemotherapy drip.

She said at the time the story did not seem 'ridiculous'.

Counsel assisting the coroner Kathryn Waite asked Ms Cutting about the sales targets the shop had.

'These regular sales of hundreds of dollars is going to keep the boss happy, isn't it?,' Ms Waite asked.

'If he looks at sales, yes,' Ms Cutting replied.

Ms Cutting said she had no ethical dilemma making the bulk orders for Mrs La Bella's laxatives.

She said she though Mrs La Bella had an eating disorder but was then told she had ovarian cancer.

Ms Cutting at first denied knowing about the link between anorexia and laxative abuse but then admitted that wasn't true.

She said she believed the tablets were being used to fight Mrs La Bella's cancer.

The court previously heard Mrs La Bella's cancer claim was an 'elaborate ruse', and her husband John said she insisted on going to doctor's appointments by herself.

When Mrs La Bella died she weighed just 35 kilograms and a CT scan showed she had ingested 'dozens of pills'

'I trusted her,' Mr La Bella said.

'She's an adult, not a child. I took her word.'

When Mrs La Bella died she weighed just 35 kilograms and a CT scan showed she had ingested 'dozens of pills'.

The court heard she had been spending about $500 a week on laxative tablets before she died.

Her employer, an Adelaide architect, claimed she stole $374,000 from the business while managing its accounts.

The coronial inquest is expected to continue for at least five days.
A Theresa May with just six followers on Twitter inadvertently tweeted by Donald Trump as he tried to blast the Prime Minister over terrorism helpfully told the president today: 'She runs the country - I'm a mum from Bognor.'

Mr Trump blasted Mrs May over her criticism of his decision to share anti-Muslim videos posted online by far-right group Britain First.

But instead of sending his message to Downing Street he initially sent it to a Theresa May Scrivener who lives in a flat in Bognor near its seafront.

She said: 'It's amazing to think that the world's most powerful man managed to press the wrong button'.

The wrong Theresa is 41, has only tweeted nine times since 2009.

Speaking exclusively to the Press Association, Miss Scrivener said she was asleep when the US President tweeted her by accident at midnight.

She said: 'I was in bed by half 10 last night and oblivious to it all. I'm just waiting for a call from the White House with an apology.'

A Theresa May from Bognor Regis (pictured with her partner Steve) inadvertently found herself at the centre of a political row between Donald Trump and the Prime Minister last night

Spot the difference: One Theresa is a mother from the south coast - the other is the Prime Minister

Donald Trump fired back at Theresa May by saying she should concentrate on 'Radical Islamic Terrorism taking place in the UK' - but sent it to the wrong Theresa

Twitter users were quick to point out that the president had tagged the wrong Theresa in his message

Miss Scrivener has received 'huge numbers' of messages but said: 'If I wanted to be famous I would have gone on X Factor.'

Her sporadic social media posts are about local issues rather than diplomatic relations with the US including several about the quality and value of a local curry house's poppadoms and chutney tray.

Theresa from Bognor is yet to respond but many have tweeted the US president on her behalf and slammed him for his mistake

Mr Trump's tagging mistake led to a flurry of tweets urging him to 'learn his world leaders'.

Vas Drimalitis said: 'Everyone, say a prayer tonight for @theresamay who Donald Trump (being the bozo he is) accidentally tagged in a tweet instead of British PM Theresa May. This woman, for what it's worth, has 6 followers and 9 tweets'.

Most of the responses on Twitter were from people offering their condolences, with many Americans apologising for their president.

'I'm just glad he was not contacting me to say he was going to war with North Korea,' she added.

Miss Scrivener, 41, said the first she heard of the incident was when she woke at 4am to huge numbers of messages on her phone from reporters hoping to speak to her. It was not until a few hours later she saw the tweets from Mr Trump.

Speaking from her home on Thursday, she said: 'I wasn't really sure what to make of it.

'It has been very surreal. I am laughing about it now but he is the one who sent the tweet and I have been inundated with calls.

'I haven't been able to leave my house. I've been bombarded and been contacted by press from around the world.'

Miss Scrivener said she wanted to stay out of the debate surrounding Mr Trump's conversation with the Prime Minister, but added: 'He needs to think before he tweets. We - Theresa May and I - are so different. Our profiles are completely different. She runs the country, I'm a mum from Bognor.'

Miss Scrivener's account has just six followers compared with Mrs May's 427,000.

Miss Scrivener's account is also locked, meaning only approved people can see her activity on the social network, it is not verified and the profile image is not the Prime Minister of the UK.

She said she was not going to change her name as a result of Mr Trump's blunder, adding: 'Why should I? It's my name, I'm not going to change it.

'I hope now I've said my piece I will be left alone.'

Miss Scrivener's account has just six followers compared with Mrs May's 427,000.

Miss Scrivener's account is also locked, meaning only approved people can see her activity on the social network, it is not verified and the profile image is not the Prime Minister of the UK.

Steve McDonnell and his partner Theresa May Scrivener, who has been on the receiving end of scores of tweets after US President Donald Trump mistakenly tweeted her

Mrs May, pictured on a visit to Jordan today, was confused with a 'mum from Bognor' Theresa May Scrivener (right)

Angry Brits have hit back at Trump over his criticism of Mrs May and the UK

She has not responded to the tweet but one Briton wrote on her behalf: 'He even tweeted the wrong Theresa May when he decided to tell her to mind her own business. Imagine sitting there watching TV and the president starts having a go at you'.

US right wing pundit says Trump was 'right' to attack Theresa May A right-wing US commentator who may have been the source of the videos tweeted by Donald Trump has admitted she did not know who Britain First were and did not attempt to check them out before spreading their messages online. But Ann Coulter said there was no need for her to check the the far-right group's messages, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'A video is a video is a video.' Ms Coulter said Mr Trump was within his rights to criticise the Prime Minister of a close ally online, saying: 'Yeah, after she attacked him? Sure.' She said: 'I think he has only given as good as he gets. I think he has been verbally attacked from the mother country for a lot longer than he has been attacking Britain.' Ms Coulter is one of just 45 people Mr Trump follows on Twitter, and it is thought he may have retweeted three videos posted by Britain First after seeing them on her timeline. Asked if she knew who Britain First - described by Communities Secretary Sajid Javid as 'a vile, hate-filled racist organisation' - were before sharing their clips, she said: 'No... I don't think it really matters, it's a video.' Ms Coulter confirmed she had not even checked the Twitter biography of Britain First leader Jayda Fransen, who originally sent out the message. 'I have a little tip for you,' she told interviewer Nick Robinson. 'You need to spend a little time on Twitter and figure out that people retweeting videos are not researching the bios of the people who sent the video. A video is a video is a video. It's not a fake video.' Confronted with the suggestion that she was spreading 'fake news' by claiming one of the films showed a 'migrant' beating up a Dutch man, when in fact both people pictured were citizens of the Netherlands, Ms Coulter said: 'Nobody cares about `migrant' against 'child of migrant'. He is not a 10th-generation Dutchman, he is beating up a 10th-generation Dutchman.' Advertisement

Jonny Lee wrote: 'Love how #Trump tweeted the wrong Theresa May to begin with! Teresa May with 59 followers got a personal barrage from the leader of the free world this morning!'

Roger Jermyn said: 'He is so confused and out of his mind his first tweet was directed at @theresamay an innocent women with 6 followers'.

Another tweeted: 'Poor @theresamay with her 6 followers must be totally embarrassed '.

Most of the responses offered their condolences to the first woman, with many Americans apologising for the actions of their president.

'Sorry for @POTUS putting you on the spot like that,' wrote one user.

'Sorry about @realDonaldTrump LeaveTheresaAlone,' added another.

It was not the first time the user has been mistaken for the Prime Minister, however, as she appears to receive almost daily tweets from Twitter users asking her to fix the NHS or speed up the Brexit process.

Neither was it the first time Mr Trump has directed his 44 million followers to the wrong account.

In January he mistakenly tagged a woman from Brighton in a tweet instead of his own daughter.

Quoting an account which has since been suspended, her wrote: '@Ivanka Trump is great, a woman with real character and class.'

The owner of the @Ivanka account, a digital consultant from Brighton, replied: 'And you're a man with great responsibilities. May I suggest more care on Twitter and more time learning about climatechange.'

The British Prime Minister slammed the president on Wednesday after he retweeted anti-Muslim videos posted by the leader of the far-right group, Britain First.

The first clip he shared depicted a 'Muslim migrant' beating up a 'Dutch boy on crutches'.

But Trump overlooked her criticism, and hinted that she should be focusing on potential security threats and radicalization and her doorstep instead.

He wrote: 'Theresa @theresamay, don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!'

Twitter users were also quick to point out that the president had tagged the wrong Theresa in his message.

He posted the same message a few moments later with the correct Twitter handle.

The firestorm over Trump's move on social media came during a fierce debate in Britain as to whether he should be invited on a state visit.

Tory Communities Secretary Sajid Javid was the first member of Theresa May's cabinet to respond to Trump's retweeting of the Britain First videos.

Mr Javid, who is a Muslim claimed on Twitter that Trump 'has endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me. He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing'.

London's Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has been a target of Trump on Twitter in the past wrote: 'Britain First is a vile, hate-fuelled organisation whose views should be condemned, not amplified.'

He posted the same message a few moments later with the correct Twitter handle. For a few minutes he left the original tweet up

The British Prime Minister (right) slammed the president on Wednesday after he retweeted anti-Muslim videos posted by the leader of the far right Britain First

The first video President Trump posted depicted 'Muslim migrant' according to Jayda Fransen, beating up a 'Dutch boy on crutches'

Furious MPs insisted Mr Trump was 'not welcome here' following the Twitter posts but No 10 said his invite to come to Britain on a state visit still stands.

The storm over the posts - first shared by Britain First's deputy leader - deepened as the widow of murdered MP Jo Cox accused him of 'spreading hatred'.

The furious backlash came after the 71-year-old President retweeted content posted by Britain First's Jayda Fransen.

Labour politician Mrs Cox was stabbed and shot outside her constituency office in Birstall, West Yorkshire, in June 2016 by a man who shouted 'Britain First'.

Donald Trump has previously mistaken his daughter Ivanka for a council worker from Brighton in another tagging disaster

In January a council worker from Brighton woke up to discover Donald Trump mistook her for his daughter.

The US president-elect quoted a message which praised his daughter, Ivanka Trump, calling her 'a woman with real character and class'.

But instead of tagging the 35-year-old businesswoman, he posted the Twitter handle of Ivanka Majic, from the south-east of England.

The mistake sparked a Twitter storm, which resulted in Ms Majic's profile trending on social media, in what has been described as an 'embarrassing' moment for The Donald.

Donald Trump mistook his daughter (right) for council worker, Ivanka Majic (left), from Brighton, after tagging the wrong woman on Twitter

After waking up to thousands of notifications, the Labour-supporting Ms Majic told Good Morning Britain's Susanna Reid and Piers Morgan: 'My politics couldn't be further from Donald Trump.

'Rather than be concerned at the spaces he puts in his tweets I'm more concerned by the stance that he takes on climate change.

'I am smart enough to switch off my phone and notifications before I get to sleep.

'Some people clock quite quickly who I am ... some are rude. I don't think (I should) take it too seriously.'

Ms Majic added: 'It's not a new thing. I've had the @Ivanka handle for a long time, it's my name.

'All the way through the election I've been tweeted and I did during the election have a twitter box encouraging people to vote for Hillary (Clinton).

'It's also quite amusing because I'm getting all this attention and yet my politics couldn't be further from Donald Trump's.

'So rather than being concerned about the space he puts in his tweets, I'm more concerned about his stance on climate change.'
An art installation showing naked men and women playing a game of tag in one of the gas chambers in a former Nazi concentration camp has caused outrage among Holocaust survivors' groups.

The video was filmed in the Stutthof concentration camp, near Gdansk, Poland, and displayed at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow in 2015.

It shows a handful of naked men and women chasing each other around a former gas chamber at the camp where some 65,000 people were murdered by Nazis during World War II.

Shocking: The video was filmed in one of the old gas chambers of the former Stutthof Nazi concentration camp near Gdansk in Poland

Several organisations representing Holocaust survivors are now demanding that Polish President Andrzej Duda explain why it was allowed to take place and be filmed.

The video was shown as an art installation for an exhibition called 'Poland  Israel  Germany. The experience of Auschwitz,' and was later removed after protests.

At the time, the Museum did not divulge the exact location where it was filmed.

The Organization of Holocaust Survivors in Israel, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and several other groups contacted President Duda this week after it emerged that the video was filmed in the ruins of Stutthof camp, Times of Israel reports.

It comes just weeks after two former Stuffhof guards were charged with being accessories to murder while they worked at the World War II concentration camp.

Horrifying: Holocaust survivors' groups are demanding that the President of Poland explain how the 'naked game of tag' was allowed to take place and why it was allowed to be filmed

Death camp: Some 65,000 people were murdered or died from malnutrition and cold in Stutthof concentration camp in Poland during World War II

The indictments were filed against a 93-year-old man from Borken who served in Stutthof from June 1942 to September 1944 and a 92-year-old man from Wuppertal who was there from June 1944 to May 1945.

Both deny they had any knowledge of killings at the camp, Brendel said.

About 65,000 people died at Stutthof. Some were put to death in gas chambers or shot, while others died from malnutrition or froze to death.

Members of the SS killed more than 100 Polish prisoners and some 77 Soviet prisoners of war in the camp's gas chamber in 1944. An unknown number of Jews also were gassed there in late 1944.

Between June 1944 and April 1945, SS members also killed several hundred Jews by shooting them in the back of the neck.

SS-physicians and nurses at Stutthof killed more than 140 prisoners, many of them Jewish women and children, by injecting their hearts with gasoline and the chemical compound phenol from late 1942 until late 1944.

The Soviet Army's liberated Stutthof on May 9, 1945, the same day World War II ended.
All charges have been dropped against a Malaysian student accused of splurging $4.6million on luxury goods after a bank glitch.

Prosecutors dropped the charges against Christine Jiaxin Lee after a similar case was thrown out of court.

She had previously appeared in court charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.

All charges have been dropped against a Malaysian student (pictured) accused of splurging $4.6million on luxury goods after a bank glitch

Prosecutors dropped the charges against Christine Jiaxin Lee (pictured) after a similar case was thrown out of court

Pictured are some of the luxury designer handbags allegedly bought by Christine Jiaxin Lee

After a Westpac error the Malaysian Sydney University student allegedly went on a spending spree (pictured are Prada sunglasses allegedly purchased by Ms Lee)

The ruling could have wide-ranging implications, Nine News reported.

The Sydney University student was arrested in May 2016 as she tried to board a flight to Malaysia.

Ms Lee had been given an unlimited overdraft from Westpac after a processing error in 2012.

Ms Lee (pictured) had previously appeared in court charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime

The Sydney University student (pictured) was arrested in May 2016 as she tried to board a flight to Malaysia

Pictured is one of the handbags allegedly bought by Ms Lee using the Westpac overdraft

Ms Lee allegedly spent million on expensive designer handbags (pictured), shoes and jewellery

The chemical engineering student allegedly realised she had an unlimited overdraft in July 2014 and allegedly went on a spending spree.

She allegedly spent $4.6million in just 11 months, splurging $220,000 at the Christian Dior store in Sydney in a single day.

In April 2015 a senior manager at Westpac noticed the error and called Ms Lee, demanding she account for the missing $4,653,333.

Ms Lee (pictured) had been given an unlimited overdraft from Westpac after a processing error in 2012

The chemical engineering student (pictured) allegedly realised she had an unlimited overdraft in July 2014 and allegedly went on a spending spree

Ms Lee allegedly spent $4.6million on luxury items, including the Chanel earrings pictured

Ms Lee allegedly spent $4.6million in only 11 months on items including the handbag pictured

These Christian Louboutin are among the designer good allegedly bought by Ms Lee

Ms Lee has a large number of Hermes bags seized, allegedly bought with money from a bank error

Ms Lee claimed at the time she believed the money had been transferred by her parents.

Police seized a number of luxury items from Ms Lee's Rhodes apartment, including Hermes bags, Christian Louboutin boots and Cartier jewellery.

With all charges now dropped, it is unclear whether the items will be returned to Ms Lee.

A Westpac spokesperson said in a statement: ' Westpac has taken all possible steps to recover its funds, including taking civil action against Ms Lee.'

'The criminal charges against Ms Lee were a matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and Police, and we respect their decision.'

Daily Mail Australia contacted New South Wales Police for comment.

In April 2015 a senior manager at Westpac noticed the error and called Ms Lee, demanding she account for the missing $4,653,333 (pictured are handbags seized by police)

Ms Lee claimed at the time she believed the money had been transferred by her parents (pictured are handbags seized by police)
This is the horrifying moment a creepy pervert sits down next to a young woman half his age and puts his hand up her skirt in broad daylight.

CCTV footage shows the man, aged in his fifties, approaching the 24-year-old woman who is already seated on a street bench on the Gold Coast.

Moments later, he sits down next to her, allegedly makes a lewd comment and grabs her leg before putting his hand up her skirt and touching her groin during the 12.30pm encounter on Saturday.

The man approached the woman as she sat on a street bench at Palm Beach on the Gold Coast

The woman managed to break free from his grasp and walk away from the scene at the northern end of Fifth Avenue in Palm Beach.

Queensland Police have released CCTV footage of the encounter in the hope of catching a man described as Caucasian, aged about 50 with a pale complexion and light, orange hair.

The man of thin build was described as being 180 centimetres tall and wearing a dark-blue, short-sleeved shirt and thongs.
Theresa May has said the US must do more to tackle far-Right extremists as she refused to back down in her spat with Donald Trump.

The Prime Minister hit back at Mr Trump's jibe that she is not tackling terrorism in Britain as an extraordinary spat threatened to blow the Special Relationship apart.

Mrs May risked fuelling the row by repeating her view that the US president was 'wrong' to retweet anti-Muslim videos posted by the far-Right group Britain First.

Despite Mr Trump lashing out at her last night demanding she focus on 'Islamic terrorism taking place in the UK', Mrs May said she would not be afraid to raise concerns about such interventions.

She also did little to quell speculation that a visit from Mr Trump has now being kicked into the long grass, stressing that no date has been set.

A senior US diplomat also raised further doubts on the upcoming visit, telling the Daily Telegraph: 'The idea of a visit has obviously been floated, but not December and not January. I would not expect a Trump visit in January.'

Trump was due to visit Britain in January 2018 to officially open America's new London embassy, but the clash with May seems to have pushed any plans aside.

Theresa May faced questions about the spat with Donald Trump after she gave a speech in Jordan today (pictured)

Mrs May slammed Donald Trump (pictured tonight in the Oval Office) yesterday after he retweeted anti-Muslim videos posted by the leader of the far right Britain First

Questioned by journalists during a visit to Jordan this afternoon, Mrs May said: 'The fact that we work together does not mean we are afraid to say when we think the United States has got it wrong and to be very clear with them.

'And I am very clear that retweeting from Britain First was the wrong thing to do.'

'I think that we must all take seriously the threat that far-Right groups pose and both in terms of the terrorist threat that is posed by those groups and the necessity of dealing with extremist material which is far-Right as well.'

And she warned the UK will not be afraid to rebuke America, despite the so-called special relationship, when she feels Mr Trump has got something wrong.

'The fact that we work together does not mean that we are afraid to say when we think the United States have got it wrong and be very clear with them,' she said.

As the row escalated, the UK's ambassador to Washington, Sir Kim Darroch, lodged a formal protest with the White House over the retweets.

Mr Trump's actions drew cold fury from across the political spectrum in the UK, with fresh calls for his invite to the UK - extended by Mrs May on behalf of the Queen in Washington in January - to be withdrawn.

Lib Dem leader Vince Cable labelled Mr Trump an 'evil racist', while shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said he was trying to 'humiliate and belittle' the PM.

Mr Trump has fired back at the PM by saying she should concentrate on 'Radical Islamic Terrorism taking place in the UK' and not his Twitter activity. Twitter users were also quick to point out that the president had tagged the wrong Theresa in his message

He posted the same message a few moments later with the correct Twitter handle. For a few minutes he left the original tweet up

The first video President Trump posted depicted 'Muslim migrant' according to Jayda Fransen, beating up a 'Dutch boy on crutches'

Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the comments will be seen as a 'betrayal' of the Special Relationship and called for his visit to be cancelled.

Cabinet ministers also joined the condemnation. Home Secretary Amber Rudd appeared to hint that the state visit will not be happening any time soon, stressing that 'arrangements have yet to be made'. She also suggested Mr Trump should give up Twitter.

The first video retweeted by Mr Trump yesterday claimed to show a 'Muslim migrant' beating up a Dutch boy on crutches. Dutch authorities have insisted the alleged migrant was born and raised in the country and his religion is unknown.

TRUMP CONDEMNED ON ALL SIDES BY FURIOUS POLITICIANS Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said Mr Trump had 'endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me', adding: 'He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing.' Shadow foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry warned: 'If he comes next year, a year which is supposed to be a really happy year for the royal family, what on earth are people supposed to make of it? 'Of course, the whole thing will be a total security nightmare if Donald Trump comes over.' Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable branded the President an 'evil racist' Labour MP Naz Shah suggested the 'commander-in-tweet' should be placed on the list of those banned from entering the country for promoting 'the hate-filled ideology of fascism' Ex-Tory minister Tim Loughton said Twitter should 'have no hesitance in taking down the Twitter account of the First Citizen of the US, as it would any other citizen of the world who peddles such hate crime' Commons Speaker John Bercow told MPs: 'I thought the House would want urgently to express support for the victims of racism and bigotry and to denounce their purveyors' Labour MP Stephen Doughty said that 'by sharing it, he is either a racist, incompetent or unthinking - or all three.' Advertisement

Mr Trump also retweeted a video of a Muslim man 'destroy(ing) a statue of Virgin Mary', and another where Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen - who has previously been convicted of religiously aggravated harassment - to wrote: 'Islamist mob pushed teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!' The provenance of the footage is unknown.

In an excoriating verdict on Britain First today, Mrs May branded it a 'hateful organisation'.

'It seeks to spread division and mistrust among our communities. It stands in fundamental opposition to the values we share as a nation - values of respect, tolerance and common British decency,' she said.

'On the issue of radical Islamism, British Muslims are peaceful and law-abiding who have themselves been victims of acts of terror by the far right. There are those who conduct acts of terror in the name of Islam, but it is not in the name of Islam.

'As Prime Minister, I am very clear about the priority that I give to dealing with the challenge of the threat of terrorism ... and extremism from whatever source they come.'

Asked whether she regarded Mr Trump as a fit person to be hosted by the Queen on a state visit, the Prime Minister said only: 'An invitation for a state visit has been extended and has been accepted. We have yet to set a date.'

But she made clear that she wanted to maintain the UK's close relations with the US, regardless of Mr Trump's actions.

'This is a long-term special relationship that we have,' said Mrs May.

'It is an enduring relationship that is there because it is in both our national interests for that relationship to be there.

'As Prime Minister, I am clear that that relationship with the United States should continue. I think it is in the interests both of the United Kingdom and the United States and of the wider world.'

The UK's ambassador to Washington, Sir Kim Darroch, said: 'British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right, which seek to divide communities and erode decency, tolerance and respect.

'British Muslims are peaceful and law abiding citizens. And I raised these concerns with the White House yesterday.'

Despite the row with Britain, the President was back on diplomatic duties this afternoon as he appeared in the Oval Office Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa

As the row escalated, the UK's ambassador to Washington, Sir Kim Darroch, lodged a formal protest with the White House over the retweets.

Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke insisted Mrs May had been right to call out Mr Trump's behaviour. 'If that has upset Donald Trump then so be it,' he said.

Winston Churchill's grandson Sir Nicholas Soames, a Tory MP, said the US president 'is ignorant' and 'hasn't a clue'.

The PM's spokesman said: 'Over her time as home secretary and as Prime Minister - and obviously in the wake of the tragic events over the summer - the Prime Minister is fully focused on dealing with extremism.'

'The Prime Minister has been clear that where extremism does exist it should be tackled head on.

'We are working hard to do that both at home and internationally, including with our US partners in Iraq and Syria.'

Mrs May's spokesman said Britain had a strong and constructive relationship 'with the United States and the US President'.

The UK's ambassador to Washington, Sir Kim Darroch, lodged a formal protest with the White House over the retweets

Speaker John Bercow granted an urgent question on Mr Trump's tweets in the Commons today - saying he believed MPs wanted a chance to voice support for 'victims of racism and bigotry and denounce their purveyors'

Home Secretary Amber Rudd told the House the Government wold not 'tolerate' groups that spread hate

Mrs May was delivering a speech during a visit to Jordan today

But an apparently infuriated Mr Trump waded back in on Twitter overnight, saying Mrs May should be focusing on potential security threats instead of criticising him.

He wrote: 'Theresa @theresamay, don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!'

US ENVOY'S TWITTER Q&A HIJACKED BY TRUMP CRITICS A Twitter Q&A by the US ambassador to the UK was swamped by furious users attacking Donald Trump. Robert Wood 'Woody' Johnson IV, 70, had hoped for questions about settling into British life and his priorities as ambassador when he opened up the #AskWoody hashtag on Tuesday. But the next day Mr Trump caused widespread outrage by retweeting three posts by Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen to 43.6 million followers. Mr Trump's man in London - who took up his post two months ago - was inundated with scathing attacks on the US leader. One user said: 'What is your view of a US President retweeting and legitimising a far-right hate group whose leaders have been charged and convicted for hate crimes in the UK?' Mr Johnson, the billionaire owner of the New York Jets American football team tweeted: 'I have relayed your concerns to Washington' on Thursday morning. He added: 'The U.S. & UK have a long history of speaking frankly with each other, as all close friends do. Our relationship is strong, vital and enduring.' Advertisement

Other users were quick to point out that the president had tagged the wrong Theresa in his message.

He posted the same message a few moments later with the correct Twitter handle.

Speaker John Bercow granted an urgent question on Mr Trump's tweets in the Commons today - saying he believed MPs wanted a chance to voice support for 'victims of racism and bigotry and denounce their purveyors'.

Mr Bercow has already made clear he would block the President from getting the honour of addressing both Houses of Parliament if he comes to the UK.

Mrs Rudd told the House the Government wold not 'tolerate' groups that spread hate.

'President Donald Trump was wrong to retweet videos posted by Britain First,' she said.

Ms Rudd said the relationship between Britain and America, including intelligence sharing on terror threats, remained 'vital'.

She said: 'It has undoubtedly saved British lives. That is the bigger picture and I would urge people to remember that.'

When Tory backbencher Peter Bone asked if she would advise the US president to delete his Twitter account, Mrs Rudd said: 'I'm sure many of us might share his view.'

She also repeatedly stressed that the government had 'not yet made the arrangements' for Mr Trump's visit - in what appeared to be a hint that it will not happen any time soon.

Mrs May was in Jordan today as part of her tour of the Middle East, which saw her visit Iraq yesterday. She was the first British PM to go to the country for nine years

Labour MPs Paul Flynn and Chris Bryant suggested Mr Trump should be arrested for inciting racial hatred if he comes to the UK.

Sajid Javid, who is the son of a bus driver of Pakistani descent and now serves in the Cabinet as local government secretary, tore into the tweet online.

He wrote: 'So POTUS has endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me.

MIGRANT VIDEO IS 'FAKE NEWS', DUTCH MEDIA CLAIM The video entitled 'Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!' has already been claimed to be fake news . The clip was allegedly first posted on the Dutch website Dumpert in May before being removed following a request by police. The incident was said to have taken place in Monnickendam, around ten miles north of Amsterdam. But Dutch media the 16-year-old perpetrator, who was arrested, is said to be an 'ordinary Dutchman'  and not a migrant nor a Muslim. Advertisement

'He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing.'

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also joined in the condemnation, writing on Twitter: 'Britain First is a divisive, hateful group whose views are not in line with our values.

'UK has a proud history as an open, tolerant society & hate speech has no place here.'

Mr Khan said: 'President Trump yesterday used Twitter to promote a vile, extremist group that exists solely to sow division and hatred in our country.

'Many Brits who love America and Americans will see this as a betrayal of the special relationship between our two countries.

'It beggars belief that the President of our closest ally doesn't see that his support of this extremist group actively undermines the values of tolerance and diversity that makes Britain great.'

He added: 'As the Mayor if this great diverse city, I have previously called on Theresa May to cancel he ill judged offer of a state visit to President Trump.

'After this latest incident, it is increasingly clear that any official visit at all from President Trump to Britain would not be welcomed.'

He urged the PM to use her influence to urge Mr Trump to delete his tweets and issue an apology.

The Mayor of London renewed his call to cancel the President's planned state visit to Britain following his latest Twitter outburst

The Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid was among the first of a string of cabinet ministers to condemn Donald Trump's post as 'wrong'

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Britain First is 'divisive and hateful' as he joined those condemning the President's tweet on the social media site

Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt also condemned Donald Trump's tweet branding it 'alarming and despairing'

Asked about Mr Trump's comments about the Prime Minister, Ms Greening told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'In the end, our relationship with the United States has a longevity to it that will succeed long after presidents come and go.

'I don't agree with the tweet President Trump has made, but I have to say I also believe it should not distract from the agenda we have domestically and I don't believe it should detract from the close relationship the UK has had for many, many years and will go on to have with America and the American people.'

Furious MPs insisted Mr Trump was 'not welcome here' following the Twitter posts but No 10 said his invite to come to Britain on a state visit still stands.

Brendan Cox, widower of murdered MP Jo, accused him of 'spreading hatred'.

Labour MP Mary Creagh said Mr Trump was 'not welcome here', while Brendan Cox, whose politician wife Jo was killed during the EU referendum campaign last year, accused him of 'spreading hatred'

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn joined calls for the government to take a tough stance on Mr Trump's retweets

Labour politician Mrs Cox was stabbed and shot outside her constituency office in Birstall, West Yorkshire, in June 2016 by a man who shouted 'Britain First'.

During a debate in the Commons, Labour MP Stephen Doughty condemned Mr Trump as 'either racist, incompetent or unthinking or all three'.

Recalling the murder of Cox  and standing a few rows in front of the shield placed in the Commons in her memory  Mr Doughty said: 'We must all make a stand against hate, from wherever it comes, or we will slip into the darkness.'

JO COX MURDERED BY NAZI OBSESSED KILLER WHO SHOUTED 'BRITAIN FIRST' The late Labour MP Jo Cox, a mother of two young children, was brutally murdered by Nazi obsessed Thomas Mair who shouted 'Britain First' as he stabbed her (file pic) Labour MP Jo Cox was murdered by a far-right extremist who shouted 'Britain First' as he brutally shot and stabbed her to death. Mrs Cox, a mother of two young children, was on her way to hold a constituency surgery when she was confronted by Thomas Mair one morning in June last year. Her killer, a Nazi-obsessed loner, shouted 'Britain First, this is for Britain, Britain will always come first' as he rained down blows on 41-year-old Mrs Cox. Mair, 54, spent hours looking up information on the Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist organisations before brutally attacking the Labour MP. He lay in wait outside Birstall Library for her to arrive for her weekly surgery before repeatedly stabbing her with a 7in dagger and firing a .22 rimfire rifle. When arrested, the unemployed gardener told police, 'I am a political activist'. Britain First is a far right organisation set up on 2011 a group of ex members of the British National Party (BNP). Its members have tried to stoke race tensions by launching so-called Christian patrols, which see its members walk through Britain's streets carrying giant crosses and confronting members of the public. Several of its leading members have been convicted of harassment after they hurled abuse at women wearing hijabs and for launching 'mosque invasions'. There have been calls for the group to be listed as a terror organisation. Britain First previously denied any involvement in the attack on Mrs Cox, and there is no suggestion that Mair was influenced by or in any way involved with the group. Advertisement

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable described Mr Trump as an 'evil racist'.

Writing on Twitter, Sir Vince said: 'New Donald Trump insult to Theresa May. She must end humiliating dependence of Brexit Britain on goodwill of evil racist. Cancel visit.'

Shadow foreign secretary Mrs Thornberry said Mr Trump had chosen to 'humiliate and belittle' Mrs May, and his actions underlined her poor judgement in pushing for an early state visit.

The row casts fresh doubt on the prospects for Mr Trump's state visit, which has been repeatedly pushed back since Mrs May extended the invite in January.

There have been claims Mr Trump has been dragging his heels on agreeing a date because he does not want to face protests - after more than 1.8million people signed a petition demanding the visit be cancelled.

Brendan Cox, the husband of Mrs Cox, who was killed during the EU referendum campaign last year, said: 'Trump has legitimised the far right in his own country, now he's trying to do it in ours.

'Spreading hatred has consequences and the President should be ashamed of himself.'

Labour MP Mary Creagh posted: 'Jo Cox's killer shouted 'Britain First'. (Trump) retweeting this hate criminal demeans his office. He is not welcome here.'

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also urged Mrs May to take a tough stance against the President.

'I hope our Government will condemn far-right retweets by Donald Trump. They are abhorrent, dangerous and a threat to our society,' he said.

Labour MP Chuka Umunna told Sky News: 'I don't think the president of the United States, a president who has not only promoted bigotry, misogyny and racism in his own country, I don't think he is welcome here.

'I think the invite that has been made to him to come to our country in early 2018 should be withdrawn.

'What we see here is the president retweeting and promoting the propaganda of a far right racist bigoted group members of which have been arrested and convicted for promoting hatred in this country.

'I am absolutely astounded that a man  any person  in his position holding the office that he does should be promoting the propaganda of a far right British group.'

A tweet from Fransen's account, which is verified by Twitter, appeared to celebrate the retweets by Mr Trump.

It said: 'THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSEN'S TWITTER VIDEOS! DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA!'

Britain First leader Paul Golding said: 'We've never spoken to him (Trump) before. But the fact he's shared his alarm at Jayda's arrest means we're going to reach out to him. Jayda is recording a video message directly to him later.

The third video President Trump retweeted shows an 'Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!'

The second video shows a 'Muslim man' speaking to the camera and then bashing a statue of Virgin Mary on the ground, shattering her

'We're looking forward to all the new followers and support we'll get from Trump's publicity.'

Last year, Ms Fransen was found guilty of religiously aggravated harassment after accosting a Muslim woman.

The charge stemmed from a January 2016 incident in which Fransen, wearing a political uniform and during a so-called 'Christian patrol,' accosted a Muslim woman named Sumayyah Sharpe in Luton, England.

Ms Fransen admitted that she told Sharpe, who was wearing hijab, that Muslim men force women to cover up to avoid rape 'because they cannot control their sexual urges.'

'That's why they are coming into my country raping women across the continent,' Fransen told Sharpe, according to the Independent. Ms Sharpe was in front of her four children at the time.

Ms Fransen, and Britain First leader Paul Golding, 35, also of Penge, are due to appear at Folkestone Magistrates' Court today for a pre-trial review over allegations of religiously aggravated abuse in Canterbury and Ramsgate, Kent.

A trial is scheduled for January 29, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

She will also appear in court in Northern Ireland in December charged with using threatening and abusive language in connection with a speech she made at an anti-terrorism demonstration in Belfast on August 6.

Britain First previously denied any involvement in the attack on Mrs Cox, and there is no suggestion that Mair was influenced by or in any way involved with the group.

The videos were posted by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First (pictured)

Labour MP and Home Affairs Committee chair Yvette Cooper said the government 'must condemn' the retweets by Mr Trump

No-one is safe! From Mayor of London to dead soldier's father, Trump's targets on Twitter

Donald Trump has publicly clashed with dozens of leaders and notable figures across the world since announcing his run for president - frequently through animated Twitter messages.

Among those he has targeted or insulted are London Mayor Sadiq Khan, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Sadiq Khan

Sadiq Khan announced more police officers would be on London's streets after the London Bridge terror attack in June and reassured residents: 'There is no reason to be alarmed by this.'

Trump took this out of context and blasted Khan on Twitter.

Hillary Clinton

Trump has repeatedly criticised Hillary Clinton since beating her to the White House.

Earlier this month he called her 'the worst (and biggest) loser of all time.'

He told her: 'Get on with your life and give it another try in three years!'

Kim Jong Un

While on his tour of Asia this month, Trump tweeted about North Korea Kim Jong Un, sarcastically calling him fat and short.

He wrote: 'Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me 'old,' when I would NEVER call him 'short and fat?'

'Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!' Trump tweeted.'

Fallen soldier's father Khizr Khan

During his election campaign, Trump criticised Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim American soldier who died to protect his unit, after he spoke at the DNC.

Trump said: 'If you look at his wife, she was standing there,' Trump said. 'She had nothing to say. She probably, maybe she wasn't allowed to have anything to say. You tell me.'

Khan responded to Trump in TV interviews and Trump replied that Khan 'viciously attacked' him.

Basketball player's father LaVar Ball

Trump last week launched a personal attack on LaVar Ball, calling him 'a poor man's version of Don King, but without the hair'.

The father of LiAngelo Ball, one of three UCLA basketball players arrested in China accused of shoplifting earlier this month, questioned what Trump did to free his son when he appeared on CNN Tonight.

Trump hit back with a 5am Twitter rant in which he branded him a 'fool' and compared him to legendary boxing promoter King.

Democratic mega donor Tom Steyer

Trump also targeted Democratic mega donor Tom Steyer after he purchased $10million worth of advertisements that criticized the President.

He wrote on twitter: 'Wacky & totally unhinged Tom Steyer, who has been fighting me and my Make America Great Again agenda from beginning, never wins elections!'

Arizona Senator John McCain

Trump has long clashed with former presidential candidate John McCain, who he says has let down his Arizona constituents.

Trump targeted him saying he came last in his class.

He wrote: SenJohnMcCain should be defeated in the primaries. Graduated last in his class at Annapolis-dummy!'

The far-right leader who berates Muslims on the street, has already been convicted of hate crime and is DELIGHTED Trump's retweeted her

Jayda Fransen is awaiting trial on two separate charges of harassment and abuse

Donald Trump shared three videos on his personal account to his 44m followers

The far-right leader is deputy of Britain First - a far-right, anti-immigration party

She was fined nearly 2,000 for religiously aggravated harassment of a woman

Deputy leader of Britain First, Jayda Fransen arrives at Luton Magistrates Court last year

Donald Trump today shared three videos posted by the deputy leader of far-right group Britain First in another anti-Muslim tirade.

Jayda Fransen, whose Twitter feed is littered with videos and pictures condemning Islam, is sitting on a charge of using threatening and abusive language at a rally in Belfast.

She is also expected to appear on religiously aggravated harassment charges next month.

Fransen is renowned for peddling her party's anti-Muslim agenda, and she was clearly delighted Trump decided to share her views.

Using capital letters, and talking about herself in the third person, she tweeted: 'The President of the United States Donald Trump has retweeted three of deputy leader Jayda Fransen's Twitter videos.

'Donald Trump himself has retweeted these videos and has around 44million followers. God bless you, Trump. God bless America. OCS.'

OCS is an acronym used by the party which stands for Onwards Christian Soldiers.

Fransen, formerly of the English Defence League, regularly marches through cities and towns in the UK holding Christian crosses aloft, which provokes angry reactions from Muslim members of the community.

During one of Britain First's so-called Christian Patrols in Luton back in November 2016, Fransen was convicted of religiously aggravated harassment after she harassed a Muslim mother-of-four because she was wearing a hijab.

Britain First Leader Paul Golding and others including Deputy Leader Jayda Fransen during far-right demonstration in London in April

She was fined almost 2,000 as the court heard she told a mother-of-four that Muslim men force women to cover up to avoid being raped 'because they cannot control their sexual urges', adding 'that's why they are coming into my country raping women across the continent'.

Fransen denied all charges, accusing the courts of being 'absurd', and engaging in 'a really clear display of Islamic appeasement'.

'The reason I said them was because from everything I have studied, I understand them to be true,' Fransen said in her defence.

She is deputy to Paul Golding, who was spared jail earlier this month after being found guilty of assault.

He is also facing three charges of religiously aggravated harassment in relation to the trial of a gang of men who raped a teenager above a Ramsgate takeaway.

Golding is set for a three day trial next month, alongside Fransen.

Jayda Fransen was born in London in 1986 and claims to have practised and studied law for many years before founding a recruitment consultancy.

In 2014, she was elected deputy leader of Britain First and two years later she took temporary control over the party when Golding was sentenced to eight weeks in prison for breaching a court order banning him from entering a mosque or encouraging others to do so in England and Wales.

The party's mission statement is issued on its website, and it reads: 'Britain First is a patriotic political party and street movement that opposes and fights the many injustices that are routinely inflicted on the British people.

'Our policies are pro-British, our approach is no-nonsense and our principles are not open to compromise.

'We love our people, our nation, our heritage and culture and will defend them at all times and no matter what odds we face.

'The Britain First movement is not just a normal political group, we are a patriotic resistance and 'frontline' for our long suffering people.'

Fransen, 31, from Penge, south east London, is facing the court action in Northern Ireland over a speech she made at an anti-terrorism demonstration in the city on August 6.

She was arrested by Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers on Saturday in Bromley, south east London and taken to Belfast for questioning.

She has been bailed to appear at Belfast Magistrates' Court on December 14.

Describing her arrest, she said: 'I was escorted in a police van with four officers up to Liverpool to catch a ferry. Bearing in mind, I was arrested at quarter to four, our ferry was 10.30 at night and it arrived here in Belfast at 6.30 this morning so it's been quite a jaunt.'

She said police questioned her for around three to four hours, accusing her of being 'anti-Islamic', and released her after she was charged.

'This all relates to a speech that I gave at an event over here where I was invited as a guest speaker, the Northern Ireland Against Terrorism on the 6 August,' she added.

Britain First leader Paul Golding broke the news to his supporters in a Twitter video on Saturday.

He said: 'A large group of plain clothes police detectives from Belfast of all places jumped out of nowhere and have arrested Jayda.

'What have they arrested her for? Both of us addressed, made a speech, at a public demonstration outside Belfast City Hall all the way back in August.

'The detective I spoke to told me she is being flown to Belfast tonight to be interrogated.

'It's absolutely ridiculous - this is non-stop with me and Jayda, non-bloody stop.'

He said his colleague had been arrested for 'no bloody reason'.

Ms Fransen and Mr Golding were in Belfast on August 6 for a demonstration by around 50 people calling themselves Northern Ireland Against Terrorism, which took place on the same day as a republican march organised by the Anti-Internment League to mark the use of detention without trial by the British Army during the height of the Troubles in 1971.

Trump shared three videos posted by Fransen.

The first was a clip supposedly showing a Muslim migrant beating up a Dutch boy on crutches.

Seconds later, retweeted a video showing what she claims to be a Muslim man destroying a statue of the Virgin Mary.

And the third video posted in quick succession to his 43.6million followers was by far the most disturbing - a video showing an alleged Islamic group throwing a teenager off a roof before beating him to death.

Trump then posted his own tweets, first accusing CNN of fake news, then congratulating his own policies and their impact on the stock market.

The issue was raised in the House of Commons this afternoon by Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee Yvette Cooper MP.

Talking to the Speaker of the House John Bercow, she said: 'I understand the woman in question has already been convicted of hate crime in thsi coutnry.

'And on that basis, given the significance and the seriousness of having the President of the United States of America giving her such a huge platform, does he not think it would be approptiate for us to hear some word of condemnation from the Home Secretary or the Foreign Secretary?'

There was no response from the Cabinet.

Labour MP for Tottenham also weighed in on the debate, saying: 'Let that sink in.

'The President of the United States is promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group whose leaders have been arrested and convicted.

'He is no ally or friend of ours. Donald Trump, you are not welcome in my country and my city.'

He also raised the issue that Thomas Mair shouted 'Britain First' before murdering his colleague Jo Cox on the eve of the Brexit vote.

'Do not forget that the man who murdered Jo Cox shouted 'Britain First',' he said.

'Trump has gone beyond the pale today.'

Mrs Cox's widower Brendan Cox said: 'Trump has legitimised the far right in his own country, now he's trying to do it in ours.

'Spreading hatred has consequences and the President should be ashamed of himself.'
Film-lovers have compared Theresa May's stand-off with Donald Trump to the famous Hugh Grant scene from Love Actually.

The Prime Minister's office condemned the US President yesterday after he shared anti-Muslim posts on Twitter, prompting Trump to hit back at Mrs May online.

The war of words has been compared by many in the UK to the scene in Love Actually where a UK Prime Minister, played by Hugh Grant, criticises a US President, played by Billy Bob Thornton.

Online joker Susan Schafer wrote: 'It's Christmas time and the British PM is standing up to the American President. Except it's not Love Actually this time, it's real life.'

Twitter users have called on Theresa May to follow Hugh Grant's lead in the film Love Actually

In the movie, the UK Prime Minister tells the US President to stop bullying Britain

Theresa May has said the US President was 'wrong' to retweet inflammatory far-right tweets

Britons urged Mrs May to follow the example of the film and stand up to the US President

Twitter user Sue Willsher added: 'We're having our very own Love Actually moment and I hope Theresa May stands firm against Donald Trump.'

In the 2003 Richard Curtis film, the UK Prime Minister, played by Grant, makes a speech attacking the US President after he makes inappropriate comments about his secretary, played by Martine McCutcheon.

When asked about the 'special relationship', Hugh Grant's character tells the President: 'We may be a small country, but we're a great one too.

'And a friend who bullies us is no longer a friend. And since bullies only respond to strength, from now onward I will be prepared to be much stronger. And the President should be prepared for that.'

Scores of tweets compared the current stand-off to the spat in the 2003 Christmas film

British Twitter users urged Mrs May to follow the film's example today.

Comedian Richard Herring wrote: 'Watch Love Actually, Theresa May (I would never offer this advice to anyone usually). Blueprint of how to become most popular UK PM of all time.'

One wrote: 'Theresa May needs to follow Hugh grants lead in love actually and stand up to the US president. We can't have another Martine McCutcheon incident.'

Another added: 'It's Christmas. A perfect time for PM @theresa_may to give #POTUS the #LoveActually moment.'

Some tweeted memes of Hugh Grant dancing around Downing Street in another scene from the film.

Twitter was awash with patriotic Britons telling the Prime Minister to stand up to Trump

Mrs May is currently in Amman, Jordan. Mr Trump returned to the White House last night after travelling to Missouri
Mystery: Isabella Hellmann and Lewis Bennett were on a belated honeymoon cruise

A Briton whose wife mysteriously vanished as the newly-weds sailed off the Cuban coast could plead guilty to an allegation he was smuggling stolen coins when he was rescued alone.

Lewis Bennett, 40, will appear in custody in a Miami court for a change of plea hearing on December 11 over the gold and silver coins allegedly from a batch worth up to $100,000 that he previously reported stolen from an employer.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment and was brought by the FBI as it investigates the disappearance of Isabella Hellmann, the mother of Bennett's baby.

Rescuers found the British-Australian dual citizen alone in his life raft on May 15 after he made an SOS call to say Ms Hellmann, 41, was missing and his 37-ft catamaran was taking on water.

Detectives said they found a stash of silver coins in the raft before uncovering a haul of gold coins in the couple's home in Delray Beach, Florida.

Bennett's lawyer previously said he would deny a charge of transporting the coins while knowing that they were stolen and taken by fraud and a trial was set for December, but a judge earlier this month ordered for him to be given an opportunity to change his plea.

Capsized: Bennetts abandoned catamaran

On May 14  Mothers Day in the US  the British yachtsman and his wife were on the final leg of a belated honeymoon cruise through the northern Caribbean on his 37 ft catamaran, Surf Into Summer.

As Lewis Bennett later recounted to the US Coastguard, he had gone to bed in his cabin at 8pm, exhausted after five days on the water as they sailed from Cuba to Key West in Florida.

Bennett said that his wife, Isabella Hellmann, had been given the helm and left alone in charge of the vessel.

He described how he had been woken at around 1am by the loud thud of the boat hitting an object, and, that when he went on deck, his wife had disappeared.

Mr Bennett, a 40-year-old businessman and mining engineer from Poole, Dorset, fired his emergency positioning beacon and sent out a distress call after he realised the catamaran was taking on water.

Two hours later, he was rescued  safe and sound, but alone  by a US Coastguard helicopter about 30 miles west of the Bahamas.

He was floating in a life raft 1,000 yards from the now half-submerged boat, which he had abandoned after first gathering his possessions.

He said he believed the catamaran had hit something.

He also told investigators that the mast had been loose and there is a possibility that she may have (fallen) in the water due to an accident with the mast hitting her.

An exhaustive four-day air and sea search for his 41-year-old wife, a Colombian-born estate agent he had married three months earlier, never found a trace  even though he said she had been wearing a life jacket.

At 5ft 4in and 7st 12lb, and dressed only in light clothing, she would probably only have survived in the water for a few hours if she had been conscious.

The tragedy has left motherless the couples daughter Emelia, now 13 months, who was being looked after by Isabellas family in Florida.

This week, the mystery of what exactly happened that night was spectacularly revived as Lewis Bennett was arrested and put behind bars in Florida, charged with a completely different crime.

He has been accused of transporting stolen goods worth at least $5,000, a charge that prosecutors say relates to the theft of a hoard of missing gold and silver coins in total worth about $100,000.

Intriguingly, they had gone missing from another yacht in the Caribbean last year at a time when Lewis Bennett was sailing it on its owners behalf.

In court papers filed in Florida, prosecutors mentioned that the Coastguard diver who dropped into the sea to rescue Mr Bennett from his life-raft reported that the yachtsman had taken only one item off the raft with him, a backpack that was unusually heavy.

It was never searched, but among his belongings left on the raft the Coastguard found nine plastic tubes holding 158 silver coins celebrating the Lunar Year of the Horse, produced by Britains Royal Mint in 2014, and 77 Canadian Maple Leaf silver coins.

Their estimated value was $4,730.

The Coastguard returned the coins to Mr Bennett, but almost immediately discovered they might have been stolen.

The case was handed to the FBI, which raided the home in Delray Beach, Florida, which Mr Bennett shared with his wife.

There, according to court papers, they found 162 gold coins  worth more than $26,000  hidden in a pair of boat shoes in a cupboard in the master bedroom.

An exhaustive four-day air and sea search for his 41-year-old wife, a beautiful Colombian-born estate agent (pictured) he had married three months earlier, never found a trace

Prosecutors say the owner of a Gibraltar-registered yacht, Kitty R, has confirmed that all the gold and silver coins discovered in Bennetts possession were just a portion of a collection stolen from the Kitty R while it was moored off the Caribbean island of St Maarten in May 2016.

Mr Bennett had been sailing the boat at the time, and filed a police report about a burglary which had occurred, he claimed, when neither he nor the yachts owner had been on board.

The burglars took the coins from their hiding place by breaking open the vessels floor beneath a pallet of food.

Investigators say about a third of the coins have still not been recovered.

Mr Bennett, who was remanded in custody by a court in Key West at the end of August, faced calls from the prosecution at another hearing that he be denied bail because hes a flight risk.

Lawyers for his wifes family believe the couples daughter, Emelia, is being looked after by Mr Bennetts parents in Hampshire.

Marc Shiner, Mr Bennetts lawyer, said his client will deny the charge against him over the coins at a plea hearing on September 11.

He was arrested on Monday night by FBI agents after reportedly flying in from the UK for an interview with an insurance company.

According to papers filed at court by his sister-in-law Adriana Difeo, in a legal challenge relating to Mr Bennetts control of his wifes finances, just one day after the Coastguard called off its search for her, Bennett asked the service for a letter of presumed death  a document that would speed up the process of sorting out her financial affairs.

(In fact Florida law says nobody can be declared legally dead until he or she has been missing for at least five years.)

The latest colourful allegations about plundered boats and stolen treasure have, of course, only deepened the riddle over Ms Hellmanns fate.

The Coastguard returned the coins to Mr Bennett (pictured), but almost immediately discovered they might have been stolen

Isabellas disappearance remains officially under investigation, although no law enforcement agency has said whether or not Mr Bennett is a suspect.

However, in a police report relating to the Briton, an officer said he had been told by the US Marshals Service that Mr Bennett was being investigated over his missing spouse.

In an eight-hour search of his car and home in June, FBI agents were spotted leaving his 90,000 flat  bought jointly with his wife last year  with numerous boxes.

Meanwhile, prosecutors chose to include in their outline of the stolen coins case some fascinating travel records.

These show that Mr Bennett and Isabella flew to St Maarten in March this year  ten months after the burglary on the yacht Kitty R  and again at the end of April.

What remains clear is that  before this weeks arrest  there has been a very public fallout between Mr Bennett and Isabellas family, with both sides making accusations against the other.

On the one side, her family have accused him to his face, and in front of police, of killing her.

He in turn has accused them of stealing from his home.

On May 28, he contacted police in Boca Raton, Florida, where  with his daughter Emelia in tow  he was visiting one of his wifes sisters.

He requested the presence of officers as he recovered possessions belonging to his wife  including computers, an engagement ring, clothes and handbags  which he said her family had taken from his home while he was in Cuba after Isabella went missing, scouring its hospitals for his wife.

According to police, as soon as Mr Bennett arrived, his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Rodriguez screamed at him to get out and repeatedly stated that Lewis killed her sister.

Mr Bennett and the accompanying officer decided it was best not to pursue the matter and left empty-handed.

Other members of Ms Hellmanns family have revealed they became dubious about Mr Bennetts account because of the unemotional way he reacted to the tragedy. Another of his sisters-in-law, Dayana Rodriguez, recalled: He was calm, he wasnt crying or anything. When I saw him, I ran to him and I hugged him and I said: Where is Isabella? And he said: I dont know. 

She was dumbfounded by the way her brother-in-law, an experienced seaman, had reacted to his wifes disappearance. When she asked him why he didnt stop the boat and drop anchor, he told her he needed to keep the boat on track, she said.

I asked him: Do you think shes alive? Do you think shes dead? And he said: I think shes asleep. That was his answer.

Bennett also told investigators that the mast had been loose and there is a possibility that she may have (fallen) in the water due to an accident with the mast hitting her. Pictured: The family home in Delray Beach

She said her mother had passed out on the floor when Mr Bennett had rejected their pleas to keep baby Emelia in Florida, telling them: Im leaving and youre not going to see the baby again.

In June, weeks after Isabella Hellmanns disappearance, her oldest sister, Adriana Difeo, went to court in order to take over her sisters finances from Mr Bennett. That case has yet to be settled. Asked about her sisters death, Ms Difeo said yesterday: We dont know the truth yet. Were waiting for the FBI report. For his part, Mr Bennett has insisted he is entirely innocent of any involvement in his wifes death, and that it was absolutely devastating to lose the soulmate I had always searched for.

Two months ago, in his first public formal comment since his wifes disappearance, he wrote on Facebook that he had returned to Britain with his daughter to seek the comfort of my friends and family.

He added that he was taking a time for reflection that he hoped might lessen the negativity that I have encountered in this emotionally charged situation, and hope in the future a reconciliation will occur for all parties concerned, if not for my sake but for Emelias.

In recent years, he has preferred to travel far and wide. Having studied at Bangor University in Wales, and then the Camborne School of Mines, part of Exeter University, he moved to Australia, where he worked for several years in mining in Queensland before setting up a solar power business.

He met Isabella Hellmann  who was living in Florida at the time on the internet four years ago, although friends say he hardly ever went to visit her in America, instead having her fly out to meet him in places like Tahiti and Singapore, when he put into port on the yachts on which he was then working.

According to Sarah Cortes, a close friend at the Chase bank where Isabella used to work as a member of the counter staff, her relationship with the British engineer started as a fling but soon became serious, and that she went to meet his parents at their home near Southampton. Ms Hellmann told her friend that Bennett had come into some family money and poured most of it into buying the catamaran, which he used to skipper for paying clients. Hellmanns baby, said Ms Cortes, was her last shot at being a mother.

Ms Cortes claims the couple didnt have an easy relationship as parents, disagreeing over how to bring up their child.

Mr Bennett, she said, was a very hands-on father, and the couple argued over everything from whether to give the girl an English or Latino name to what sort of nappies she should wear, and whether to pierce her ears (a Colombian tradition which Mr Bennett hotly opposed).

More fundamentally, they were at odds over where they should live, according to Ms Cortes. Mr Bennett, she added, had been determined to move back to Australia, while his wife was equally set on staying in the U.S., said her friend.

Despite their differences, the couple were married in February in Atlanta, Georgia.

It was apparently an impulse decision, with Ms Hellmann texting her shocked friend to say: Hey, I just got married.

As for the last days of the fateful honeymoon cruise, nearly two weeks before she vanished, Isabella posted her last message on Facebook in Puerto Rico, saying simply: Another day in paradise.

Her friend Sarah Cortes says Ms Hellmanns family received a final call from the missing woman at 8.30pm on the night she disappeared, to say they had had trouble with the boats satellite phone, but it was now fixed. Were heading home, she told them.

As for Mr Bennett, he does not seem to have been keen to hang around in America.

David Mayer, a neighbour of Bennett in Florida, recounted offering his condolences to him just two days after his wifes disappearance. He said: Yeah. Im going to be leaving for England. Ive got to move on with my life,  he recalled.

Isabella Hellmanns family clearly have their own views on what became of her, while her friends simply say they are holding out for a miracle. But more than three months after that mysterious night in the Caribbean, that seems less likely with every passing day.

Intriguingly, photographs taken at the time have now confirmed that there was a sizeable hole in the starboard hull of the catamaran.

But despite having attached a tracking beacon to the ship, the Coastguard lost track of it, and its presumed to have sunk into the depths of the ocean  perhaps taking with it any hope of finding out what became of Lewis Bennetts wife.
This is the moment a 'serial sex attacker' ran down the street after allegedly groping a 15-year-old schoolgirl.

About 25 women and girls, as young as eight, have reported being attacked in the past year in south London, mainly in Lewisham and Greenwich but also including Southwark, Bromley and Bexley.

Officers believe the assaults are linked and may have been committed by the same person.

Previously police said they believed they were dealing with around 10 linked assaults in the summer last year, but a review of other attacks in the area led detectives to increase the number significantly.

This is the moment a 'serial sex attacker' ran down the street after allegedly groping a 15-year-old schoolgirl

Officers believe the assaults are linked and may have been committed by the same person. Pictured is an efit of the suspect

The first of the recent attacks is believed to have involved a 13-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted in Foxfield Road, Orpington, at about 9.15am on October 16 2016.

Since then, police have received reports of similar offences, mostly during morning or afternoon rush hour.

The last attack was reportedly carried out against a 15-year-old girl in Sandbourne Road, Brockley, just after 8.30am on Wednesday November 22.

Officers have released CCTV footage from the incident showing a man that they want to speak to as part of their investigation.

He is described as white, in his 40s and with blue eyes.

Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Furphy said: 'These offences have been traumatic for the victims, all of whom have been young females going about their daily lives.

'There is a strong possibility that these incidents are part of a linked series of attacks as a number of victims have provided very similar descriptions of the attacker - a white man aged between 40 and 50.

'It is also notable that none of these offences have taken place over a weekend and many of them have been committed during the morning and evening rush hours.'

Officers have released CCTV footage from the incident showing a man that they want to speak to as part of their investigation

Police have received reports of similar offences, mostly during morning or afternoon rush hour

At 9.54am on Thursday 5 October in Liskeard Gardens in Lewisham (pictured, the attacker running away from the scene) a 25-year-old woman was assaulted

Officers have released CCTV footage from the incident showing a man that they want to speak to as part of their investigation

Police said they have increased patrols in the areas where offences have been reported, and were working with local schools and communities

He appealed for the public's help in tracking down the man in the footage and said there may be other victims who have not come forward.

'If you are a victim, or know someone who has been a victim of a sexual assault, I can assure you your information will be treated with strict confidence and sensitivity,' he added.

Police said they have increased patrols in the areas where offences have been reported, and were working with local schools and communities.

Anyone with information can call the police on 0208 284 8346 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Sleep-deprived mum Emma Lane mistakenly thought she'd brought all her three children in from her car after a busy morning on a hot February day in 2016.

Nine-month-old Hugh, her 'false memory' told her, was safely resting in his cot.

It was about two hours later, when it was time to take her daughter to ballet, that she went to wake Hugh - but he wasn't there.

Her worst fears dawning, the frantic mother ran screaming for help down the driveway only to find her baby still in the car severely distressed by the heat.

He died in hospital four days later.

Victorian mother, Emma Lane, mistakenly left her nine-month-old son Hugh in the car on a hot day in February last year, she realised after two hours but he died in hospital four days later (file picture)

On Thursday State Coroner judge Sara Hinchey told an inquest into Hugh's death that 'there is no one to blame. It is simply a tragic accident'.

The Mount Martha mum was juggling three children under the age of five as well as her part-time job as a radiographer.

She'd arrived home with her children at lunch time after taking them to kindergartens and swimming lessons.

After unbuckling and settling inside the house with her other two children, she returned to the car to collect wet towels from the boot, and went back inside, breaking her usual habit of taking all three together.

'At this time, Emma believed she had put him in his cot,' counsel assisting the coroner, Jodie Burns said.

But 'it then occurred to her that Hugh may still be in the car', Ms Burns said.

'She screamed out for help - she was beside herself.'

A neighbour called an ambulance as Ms Lane tried to cool the boy with frozen peas, wet towels and a fan.

Hugh suffered multiple organ injuries and had worsening cerebral swelling. His life support was switched off four days later.

The inquest was told the boy's death was the result of a sleep-deprived mum with too much on her plate.

An inquest into was told on Thursday 'there is no one to blame. It is simply a tragic accident'

'There is no evidence to suggest anything other than Emma forgot Hugh was still in the car,' Ms Burns said.

She brought up the psychological phenomenon of a 'false memory' - when someone believes something that never happened.

She also said a person's short-term memory can only hold so much, and if overloaded, things fall out.

Judge Hinchey hoped other parents would take note and do all they could to prevent such tragedies.

'They are fallible and they are under extreme stress, and must be aware of this fatal distraction problem,' Judge Hinchey said.

The coroner will deliver her findings at a later date.
The Bosnian-Croat war chief who killed himself during his his war crimes trial at The Hague could have had the poison smuggled to him in a suit he was given before the hearing, a court witness has said.

Slobodan Praljak, 72, downed an unknown substance in front of cameras yesterday as his 20-year sentence for war crimes was upheld before dying hours later.

Mate Lausic, a witness at the trial of three generals who is familiar with court security, told Croatian newspaper 24sata that Praljak's suit was the most likely way for the vial to enter.

Shock: Slobodan Praljak, 72, shouted 'I am not a war criminal!' and drank from a small bottle during his war crimes hearing at The Hague before dying hours later

Mystery remains over how he got the vial, though a person familiar with court security said it could have been smuggled to him in a suit he was given for the hearing

'The case had lasted for 13 years so everything was more relaxed. In the cell the suspect gets a suit to go to court. The sterilisation check was not done,' he said.

This could have allowed someone to smuggle Praljak the poison, or for him to have acquired it himself in prison and taken it through security.

A former prisoner at Scheveningen, where criminals at The Hague are held, said it would not have been difficult to get the poison in jail.

He said: 'Prisoners in Hague are not treated like criminals. They are not strict or violent to them. Most of us there were generals, so they treated us like that.

'Slobodan Praljak was a behaving like a gentleman so they were approaching him like that as well. If he wanted to get poison, he could easily get it.

'Someone has helped him on purpose. One needed to know exactly what poison to get and where to get it. Someone has fulfilled his last wish. I am convinced it was someone from the personnel of the Hague court.

'Checks during visits were not that strict. However, the visitor would risk a high fine and the inmate would be sent into a more strict cell.

'Praljak would not risk that. Therefore, I am still convinced that some court employee gave it to him in a very last moment.'

Asked what substance was used, Lausic added: 'Possibly it was some chemical used for cleaning toilets.'

A prominent lawyer who has frequently defended suspects at the war crimes court told The Associated Press that, once the poison was in his possession, it would have been easy for Praljak to bring it into court.

Toma Fila said security for lawyers and other court staff 'is just like at an airport'.

Security officers inspect metal objects and confiscate cellphones, but 'pills and small quantities of liquids' would not be registered, Fila said.

Florence Hartmann, a former spokeswoman for the Court, told Jutanji that Slobodan Milosevic had managed to get into court with a blood pressure medication that he had taken during his trial without being picked up by guards.

Lawyers, security guards and court officials are all now potential suspects in Praljak's case, the paper added.

Praljak was one of six Croatian politicians sentenced to jail for their involvement in a campaign to drive Muslims out of a would-be Bosnian Croat mini-state in Bosnia in the early 1990s.

A former prisoner at Scheveningen, where criminal held by The Hague are detained, said he believes a court official handed Praljak the vial at the last moment

Bosnian Croat people gathered to light candles for Praljak in the Bosnian town of Mostar on Thursday after it was confirmed he had died

Praljak was an intellectual and scholar before becoming a politician and later a general and is still revered by some in his home country

His lawyer shouted out 'my client has taken poison' before judge Carmel Agius suspended the hearing and the courtroom was closed.

Moments after Praljak drank the liquid, ambulance crews arrived at the scene and a helicopter began hovering overhead.

Several emergency rescue workers, some of them wearing helmets and with oxygen tanks on their backs, rushed into the building while court officials called for calm.

A spokesman for the tribunal confirmed he died after 'he drank a liquid while in court and quickly fell ill'.

Nenad Golcevski added: 'One of the six defendants... passed away today in the HMC hospital in The Hague' despite efforts to save him in hospital.

Croatia's state-run TV service said he died in hospital in the Netherlands, a statement which was later confirmed by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, who offered condolences to his family.

Mr Plenkovic said at a press conference that 'we have all unfortunately witnessed his act by which he took his own life'.

'His act mostly speaks about a deep moral injustice towards six Croats from Bosnia and the Croatian people ... We voice dissatisfaction and regret about the verdict.'

Judge Agius declared the courtroom to be a crime scene as he restarted the hearing, though gave no further details.

Dutch police also said an investigation had been launched.

Praljak's lawyer shouted out 'my client has taken poison' before the courtroom was closed and medical teams rushed to the scene

Several medical vehicles were seen outside the court while a helicopter hovered overhead, but Croatian state TV reported medics were unable to save Praljak

Slobodan Praljak, center, enters the Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, to hear the verdict in the appeals case

Praljak was sentenced to 20 years in jail along with his co-conspirators back in 2013, though it is not clear if he began serving that sentence before his appeal.

Bosnian Croats and Muslims were allies against the Serbs but fought each other for 11 months from 1993-1994.

Praljak, a Croatian politician and general in the the Croatian Army, also commanded Bosnian Croat forces known as the HVO from July to November 1993.

During this time, Praljak and his allies were trying to establish the 'Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia' - an ethnically Croatian enclave, with the city of Mostar as it's 'capital'.

The Herzeg-Bosnia republic was declared by the Bosnian Croats in 1993, but as part of the peace agreement in 1994, it merged with the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina that we know today.

Mostar saw the worst of the Croat-Muslim clashes, with nearly 80 per cent of the city's east destroyed in the fighting.

Praljak was specifically charged with ordering the destruction of Mostar's 16th-century bridge in November 1993, which judges in the first trial had said 'caused disproportionate damage to the Muslim civilian population'.

A symbol of Bosnia's devastation in the war, the Ottoman-era bridge was later rebuilt.

But in their ruling, the judges in fact allowed part of Praljak's appeal, saying the bridge had been a legitimate military target during the conflict.

'It's just an old bridge,' Praljak said in 1993, showing no regard for the emotional effect the destruction had on ordinary Bosnians of all ethnic backgrounds.

Praljak, a Croatian politician and general in the the Croatian Army, also commanded Bosnian Croat forces known as the HVO from July to November 1993

Praljak and his allies were trying to establish the 'Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia' - an ethnically Croatian enclave, with the city of Mostar as it's 'capital', during the Bosnian War

Praljak was a Bosnian Croat writer and film and theater director turned wartime general. His indictment said he also worked as a professor of philosophy and sociology.

He was found guilty of crimes that included murder, persecution and inhumane treatment as part of the plan to drive Muslims out of a would-be Bosnian Croat territory in Bosnia.

In the past, two Serbs have taken their lives while in the tribunal's custody.

In July 1998, Slavko Dokmanovic, a Croatian Serb charged with in the deaths of over 200 Croat prisoners of war, was found dead in his prison cell in The Hague.

Milan Babic, a wartime Serbian leader who was closely cooperating with prosecutors, took his life in a prison tribunal cell in March 2006.

Wednesday's hearing was the final case at the groundbreaking tribunal before it closes its doors next month.

The tribunal, which last week convicted former Bosnian Serb military chief Gen. Ratko Mladic of genocide and other crimes, was set up in 1993, while fighting still raged in the former Yugoslavia. It indicted 161 suspects and convicted 90 of them.

The appeals judges upheld a key finding that Croatia's late President Franjo Tudjman was a member of the plot to create a Croat mini-state in Bosnia.

The finding angered Croatian leaders, but was largely overshadowed by Praljak.

The original trial began in April 2006 and provided a reminder of the complex web of ethnic tensions that fueled fighting in Bosnia and underlies frictions in the country even today.

Croatian Prime Minister Plenkovic said that his country's leadership during the Bosnian war could 'in no way be connected with the facts and interpretations' in the appeals judgment
Police are hunting a man who was seen touching himself 'indecently' while watching children play at a public playground in Sydney on Wednesday.

The male, estimated to be in his 50s, allegedly watched children at the Williams Reserve in Dundas, a suburb 20 kilometres north west of the city.

He's believed to have watched the kids for 'a period of time' about 6pm, before walking to a construction site on the nearby Arrunga Street and performing an act of indecency on himself.

The man allegedly watched children at the Williams Reserve in Dundas before walking to across the street to a construction site and touching himself indecently

An onlooker spotted the man and called out to him, prompting him to apologise and walk away.

He was last seen sitting at a bus stop on Kissing Point Road, Dundas, where he was believed to have boarded bus 545 towards Chatswood.

Police have shared a photo of the man they believe can assist in their inquiries.

He's been described as an adult male, Caucasian in appearance, about 180cm tall with a solid build and balding, and aged in his fifties.

Police have shared a photo of a man they believe might be able to assist in their inquiries relating to an individual indecently touching himself while watching children at a playground

Anyone with information should contact Rosehill Detectives or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Serial killer Levi Bellfield claims he has been offered payment to confess to the infamous hammer murders of Lin and Megan Russell, his lawyer has said.

Bellfield has denied confessing to the killings of Lin Russell, 45, and her daughter Megan, six, and the attempted murder of her other daughter Josie, 9.

Stone is serving three life sentences for the attack, near Chillenden in Kent in July 1996, but on Wednesday lawyers representing the 57-year-old, who has always maintained his innocence, claimed Bellfield allegedly confessed to another inmate.

Bellfield's solicitor Julie Cooper said the 49-year-old had complained to the prison authorities about contact from Stone.

The men are both housed in HMP Frankland, a high-security prison in Durham, although they are understood to be on different wings.

Serial killer Levi Bellfield (left, a police mugshot) allegedly confessed to murdering Lin Russell and her daughter Megan in 1996. Michael Stone, now 57, (right, outside the Court of Appeal in 2005) is serving three life sentences with a minimum of 25 years in prison

Bellfield is already serving two whole life prison sentences for murdering two women and schoolgirl Milly Dowler, 13.

In a statement, Miss Cooper said: 'Mr Bellfield denies the murders of the Russell family and denies ever making such a confession.

'Mr Stone has offered payment to our client, which he anticipates receiving as compensation for time served in custody.

'Our client has three notes from Mr Stone in this regard which has been given to the prison service, together with a number of complaints regarding Mr Stone about his persistent attempts to get our client to accept responsibility for his (Mr Stone's) crimes.

'Mr Bellfield instructs that he has invited Mr Stone to undertake a polygraph test, which has been declined.

'For the record, Mr Bellfield is willing to undertake such a test in respect of the murders for which he is serving a life sentence and the murders of the Russell family.'

It comes as lawyers acting for Stone said Bellfield made a 'very detailed confession' to fellow prisoner Richard Baker to the 1996 murders, it was claimed yesterday.

Stone, now 57, is serving three life sentences with a minimum of 25 years in prison for the killings in Chillenden, Kent, which shocked the nation.

Lin's elder daughter, Josie, nine, miraculously survived the frenzied attack, in which even the family dog, Lucy, was slaughtered.

Stone's lawyers alleged Bellfield has admitted being the real killer. They claim the 'confession' to a fellow inmate  understood to be notorious sex offender Richard Baker  contains details known only to the person who really carried out the killings.

Baker claimed Bellfield told him it was 'deeply hilarious that numpty Stone is serving life for what I did', The Sun reported.

The rapist also said Bellfield told him at Durham's Frankland Prison how he bludgeoned Lin and her daughters before performing a sex act on himself.

Lin, 45, and Megan, who was just six, were the victims of a frenzied attack as they walked along a quiet country lane in Kent, on their way back from a school swimming gala in the village of Chillenden. They are pictured in an undated handout photo

Bellfield identified serial 'DJ rapist' Richard Baker (pictured) as the inmate he allegedly confessed to but branded him a 'compulsive liar' and 'fantasist'

Stone's legal team also claimed the alleged admission is 'corroborated' by forensic evidence and bolstered by a new witness who places Bellfield close to the murder scene.

His lawyers have submitted a dossier to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which could refer the matter to the Court of Appeal and lead to the possibility of Stone's murder convictions being quashed.

The frenzied hammer killings of Mrs Russell and Megan is one of Britain's most notorious murder cases.

It also left Mrs Russell's other daughter, Josie, then nine, with serious head injuries.

Stone was first convicted of the two murders in 1998 and, after a retrial was ordered by the Court of Appeal, found guilty again in 2001, largely on the strength of a disputed cell confession.

But the heroin addict and convicted armed robber has always maintained his innocence.

Shaun Russell with his wife Lin and daughters Megan (second left) and Josie (right), who survived the attack. Claims by Stone's lawyers that Bellfield admitted to the murders have been denied by him in a recorded message from his cell

Josie Russell is now a successful textile artist, and is pictured at home in August 2014. It is not known what Josie thinks of the latest developments, but she has always maintained Stone is guilty

Josie as a child with her pet rabbit Domino, at her North Wales Hillside cottage home,(left) and in an undated handout photo

NEW EVIDENCE PRESENTED BY STONE'S LAWYERS Stone's lawyers have provided three items of evidence they believe prove Bellfield's guilt. These are: A 'very detailed' confession by Levi Bellfield in which he admitted to the Russell murders. An independent witness has said they saw Bellfield close to the scene of the murders at about the time they were committed. They also claim to have identified forensic material from the scene of the murders which corroborates the confession made by Bellfield. Advertisement

Last night, Bellfield, 49, rubbished the claims he murdered the pair in a chilling audio segment recorded in his cell.

Milly Dowler murderer Bellfield branded the allegations from Stone's lawyers the work of a 'fantasist' and 'compulsive liar'.

Dismissing the new evidence, he said: 'God help Mr Stone and our justice system if Mr Baker's manipulation and lies are relied upon.'

Bellfield, who is now known as Yusuf Rahim, added: 'It appears Mr Baker has made an allegation of a so-called cell confession.

'In my view such vile, untrue allegations don't warrant a response. They are what they are - the words of a lonely...rapist who craves the spotlight.'

He alleged that Baker was 'obsessed with crime' and watched BBC documentary The Chillenden Murders before he came forward alleging Bellfield had confessed.

Baker was given four life sentences in 1999 for a series of rapes the previous year.

He had already been jailed for six years for rape in 1987 and is suspected of raping more than 100 women, including scores of teenagers.

Bellfield allegedly confessed to notorious rapist Richard Baker (pictured) in prison

In a statement, Stone's solicitor Paul Bacon insisted the confession was credible.

He said: 'We have seen evidence of a full confession by Levi Bellfield that he has admitted the Russell murders and in the confession Bellfield describes how he came across Lin Russell and her two children.

'How he attacked them with a hammer and he explains his motivation for the killing. The confession is detailed and has a number of facts that are not in the public domain.

'We now have an independent witness who has seen Levi Bellfield close to the scene of the murders at about the time they were committed and importantly we have identified forensic material from the scene of the murders which corroborates the confession made by Levi Bellfield.

'The Russell murders by Levi Bellfield fits perfectly with his modus operandi. He is a man known to attack and murder women. His weapon of choice is a hammer.'

Police have dismissed the basis of his appeal.

CRUCIAL DETAILS OF TRIAL THAT HAVE MADE IT SO CONTENTIOUS Stone(pictured) was convicted on the basis of claims by three prison inmates that he had confessed to them Although Michael Stone was twice found guilty of murdering Lin and Megan Russell, his case has been contentious. Stone was convicted on the basis of claims by three prison inmates that he had confessed to them. After one of the inmates admitted soon after the trial ended that they had lied and another was discredited, a re-trial was ordered. But one of the witnesses, Damian Daley, held fast and said Stone confessed to the hammer murders through a heating pipe into the next cell at Canterbury Prison, something Stone maintains was a lie. There was no forensic evidence to support Stone's conviction. One particular point of controversy was a shoe lace found near the murder scene, which Stone's supporters claimed could prove his innocence but had been lost by Kent Police. Officers said the shoelace was still in their possession but had been DNA tested so many times it was no longer of value. Police have dismissed the merits of Stone's appeal bid. Advertisement

Barrister Mark McDonald, who has been representing Stone for 15 years, added that Bellfield allegedly made the confession to a serious sex offender, whom he refused to name, at HMP Frankland in Durham following the BBC documentary on the murders.

Bellfield is said to have been anxious about the coverage and his confession allegedly includes diagrams made by the fellow inmate of the murder scene and where the bodies were left.

Following many days of lengthy conversations the prisoner says he had with Bellfield, he made notes and reported what he had been told to his solicitor, a police officer and a prison liaison officer.

The prisoner alleged: 'He [Bellfield] said 'I've never told anyone this beforeI killed another child and got away with it the police were never even close'.'

Paul Bacon told a press conference in London (pictured) yesterday afternoon that Milly Dowler's murderer Bellfield admitted the killings in prison

Bellfield is said to have told him he had spotted the Russells walking home and approached them with a hammer. Mrs Russell had begged him not to hurt her children.

According to the prisoner, Bellfield said he struck her first and then Josie; then their dog was killed followed by Megan.

Even though he wore gloves, Bellfield was reportedly worried about DNA advances, saying 'my life in jail would be over if they could prove it was me' and that it would 'tear his mother in two'.

Stone's barrister, Mark McDonald, said: 'This evidence needs to tested by the Court of Appeal and, if believed, will lead to the largest miscarriage of justice since the Birmingham Six'

Mr McDonald told the Mail: 'The evidence has gone to the CCRC. It now needs to be referred to the Court of Appeal so it can be properly assessed. It has to be put in the context that the only thing that convicted Stone ironically was a cell confession.'

He added: 'This evidence needs to tested by the Court of Appeal and, if believed, will lead to the largest miscarriage of justice since the Birmingham Six.'

Mr Bacon said there was concern over Kent Police's investigation and Mr McDonald said the force were 'unenthusiastic' when passed the new evidence.

Stone's sister Barbara said the new evidence offered her and her brother the 'biggest hope' to clear his name.

She added: 'Mick's been in prison for 20 years and that's 20 years too long for somebody who has not committed a crime.

'He wants you to know he is very hopeful, he fully believes Bellfield has committed these crimes.

Known as the bus stop killer, Bellfield, 49, is currently serving two whole life terms, for the murders of Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange, and for the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy (pictured, outside the Old Bailey in 2008)

'Although we've had our doubts in the past, when he has seen the contents of the new evidence, he is quite confident it's him that's done it.

'He's quite hopeful but, like myself, we won't allow ourselves to believe the justice system will be kind to us this time so we remain hopeful but it all depends and relies on the CCRC making the referral.'

A spokesman for the CCRC said they received the application from Stone's lawyers on August 23 and the case is currently under active investigation.

Known as the bus stop killer, Bellfield, 49, is currently serving two whole life terms, for the murders of Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange, and for the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy.

Now going under a new name after converting to Islam, the former wheel clamper caused outrage by finally admitting raping and murdering 13-year-old Milly during a prison interview in May 2015.

It is widely believed by detectives that Bellfield is responsible for numerous other crimes dating back to the 1980s.

He has been linked to 24 violent attacks and rapes in the two decades before he was caught in 2004.

HOW JOSIE MANAGED TO COPE AFTER HORRIFIC EVENTS OF 1996 Josie Russell's rehabilitation after the murder of her mother and sister was a long, slow process  it was a year before she could speak again  but Josie stunned doctors with her progress. She is now a successful textile artist, who announced her engagement to her boyfriend of 12 years, Iwan Griffith, in August aged 30. The couple met in a pub in Caernarfon on December 31, 2005, while Josie was at university. Josie, pictured with her Welsh mountain pony in 1997, announced her engagement to her boyfriend of 12 years, Iwan Griffith, in August aged 30 The couple met in a pub in Caernarfon on December 31, 2005, while Josie was at university. Pictured: Josie in 1997 Their romance was sparked by their love of the dramatic Welsh landscape. 'We aren't a lovey-dovey couple but there is love and mutual respect,' Josie said. Josie and Iwan now share home, in the foothills of Snowdonia, where she and Megan had lived with their parents. In 2011, using money from a trust fund and compensation for her injuries, Josie was able to buy back the house which the couple have lovingly renovated. Her studio is the bedroom that Lin decorated for her when she was a little girl. Josie and Iwan now share home, in the foothills of Snowdonia, where she and Megan had lived with their parents. Josie is pictured in 2006 Advertisement

It is not the first time Stone's legal representatives have pointed the finger at Bellfield.

In 2011, Mr Bacon claimed Milly's killer was a better match for the e-fit of the suspect issued during the police manhunt.

The claims also come months after a two-part BBC documentary aired in May saw a panel of independent experts re-examine the evidence and questioned whether Bellfield might be a more likely suspect, an accusation he has fiercely denied.

The Russells were killed in 1996 within months of moving to Kent from north Wales. Josie, nine, survived despite dreadful injuries.

All three were blindfolded with strips of Josie's swimming towel as they returned home from a school swimming gala and she and Megan were tied to trees.

The two girls were each struck seven times with a hammer, while her mother, a geologist, sustained 15 blows to the head, almost severing her brain at the stem.

In October 1998, a jury at Maidstone Crown Court found heroin addict Stone (pictured inside a prison van) guilty of counts of murder and attempted murder

Josie needed intensive neurological treatment for a year before she could even speak again. She lives and works as an artist in north Wales, having returned to Gwynedd with her father soon after the attack.

Stone was found guilty in 1998.

Without any forensic evidence, the jury believed the main thrust of the prosecution's case - three prison inmates who claimed Stone had confessed.

One of the inmates admitted soon after the trial ended they had lied and another was discredited.

Stone's legal team challenged his conviction and a retrial was ordered.

But one of the inmates, Damien Daley, then aged 26, maintained Stone had confessed the crime to him.

In late 2001, Stone was once again found guilty and given three life sentences.

Bellfield,(pictured in an undated photo) who now calls himself Yusuf Rahim, is serving a whole-life tariff after being found guilty of abducting and killing Milly following a trial at the Old Bailey. He was jailed in 2011

As the judge addressed him, Stone shouted: 'It wasn't me your Honour, I didn't do it!'

Since then Stone has failed in two appeal bids.

Josie, now 30, recently announced her engagement to her boyfriend of 12 years Iwan Griffith, 31, and plans to start a family of her own.

Milly was snatched from the street while on her way home from school in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in March 2002

She is convinced the right man is behind bars for the murder of her mother and sister and was angry about the way the family's wounds were reopened when the BBC screened the documentary earlier this year called The Chillenden Murders.

'It didn't seem to prove anything,' she said. 'We just want to get on with our lives. We don't want it to come back again.'

Meanwhile Bellfield has accused Stone of attempting to bribe him to take the blame for his crimes.

After a stream of letters from Stone, Bellfield contacted his lawyers to urge the correspondence to stop, calling it 'quite intolerable'.

Bellfield added that he had challenged Stone to a lie detector test.

Stone has spoken about his reluctance to do this claiming he had been advised that his history of psychiatric problems and drug addiction could impact its accuracy.

The killers are both in Durham's top security Frankland jail, where they are being held in separate wings.

Last night police dismissed the merits of Stone's latest appeal bid.

Assistant Chief Constable for the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, Nick Downing, said: 'We feel it is no longer contemporaneous and is unfair on the victims to continue to raise questions or re-release details about the murder investigation and subsequent conviction of Michael Stone.'

Colin Sutton, the former Scotland Yard detective who secured the Delagrange and McDonnell convictions, said Bellfield's confession was just a cruel 'mind game'.

He said: 'I think he was capable of it but I don't think he did it. He is playing mind games here. He loves being the centre of attention, he likes to create a story and he knows it will cause greater pain and anguish for his victims' families.'

He added that Bellfield would likely go back on his confession: 'He is a manipulative and cunning liar.'

Bellfield had been given a whole-life term for murdering Marsha McDonnell, 19, in 2003, (left, in 2011) and murdering Amelie Delagrange, 22, (right, in 2000) and attempting to murder Ms Sheedy, 18, in 2004
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The latest North Korean missile test has demonstrated a series of advances in technology by the belligerent hermetic state, experts have said.

Based on photographs released by North Korea, analysts have determined that the Hwasong-15 - an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launched yesterday - is taller, wider, capable of carrying a much bigger warhead and fired from its own launch pad.

It is considered a major improvement on the Hwasong-14 missile, which was first launched in July and reached an altitude of 2,313 miles while showing a potential range of 6,213.

Discussing the new weapon, David Schmerler, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, said: 'They wanted to hit all of the US and they wanted something big to hit it with.

'This seems on the surface level to be that missile.'

Based on photographs released by North Korea , analysts have determined that the Hwasong-15 - an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launched yesterday - is taller, wider, capable of carrying a much bigger warhead and fired from its own launch pad

A much bigger missile

The missile's large size was immediately apparent in the photos, which analysts said could provide for a more powerful propulsion system.

'This is a very big missile,' Michael Duitsman, a research associate at the Centre for Nonproliferation Studies, said. 'And I don't mean 'Big for North Korea'. Only a few countries can produce missiles of this size, and North Korea just joined the club.'

One US intelligence official told Reuters the Hwasong-15 test appears to demonstrate a more powerful North Korean solid-fuel propulsion system, especially in its second-stage rocket.

'This is a very big missile,' Michael Duitsman, a research associate at the Centre for Nonproliferation Studies, said. 'And I don't mean 'Big for North Korea'. Only a few countries can produce missiles of this size, and North Korea just joined the club.' Pictured: North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un is dwarfed by the missile as he stands next to it

The missile's size and design may also make it possible for it to carry a larger warhead and a more robust re-entry vehicle, analysts said. Pictured: Kim Jong-Un next to his latest toy

After yesterday's launch, a North Korean official told CNN that the Stalinist state still plans to detonate a 'large-scale hydrogen bomb' above ground

A solid-fuel system for an ICBM would be a significant development and could allow the North Koreans to transport and launch a missile more quickly, compared to a liquid-fuel system that requires lengthy preparation.

The photos appeared to show the missile with at least two large nozzles on its first stage, instead of the one large and several smaller nozzles on the Hwasong-14.

'The first stage seems to use essentially the same case [as the Hwasong-14] but has two engines,' said David Wright, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, a U.S.-based nonprofit science advocacy group. 'The second stage looks like it can carry more than twice as much propellant. The combination of those two things means it really is a new, more capable missile.'

The missile's size and design may also make it possible for it to carry a larger warhead and a more robust re-entry vehicle, analysts said.

The nose section of the missile appeared to be blunter than previous versions, which might suggest progress in developing a re-entry vehicle, Bermudez said.

New engine system

The Hwasong-14 missile featured a primary engine with four separate thrusters used for steering.

The system is known as 'gimbaling', meaning that the exhaust of the primary thruster can move from side to side and determine the trajectory of the missile

But its successor appeared to use just two engines, without any evidence of separate thrusters for guidance.

The system is known as 'gimbaling', meaning that the exhaust of the primary thruster can move from side to side and determine the trajectory of the missile.

Schmerler said this advance is 'certainly a big adjustment'.

He told CNN: 'It means they've probably gimbaled the engines ... something we've never seen the North Koreans do.'

'Gimbaling is something we've never seen in North Korea before, [if we're right] then this would be brand spanking new for North Korea.'

He added: 'They're looking at the rest of the world and seeing what works and what doesn't and applying this to their own program.'

The missile has been compared to the American Titan II, an ICBM first launched in 1962.

It was the biggest - and also the heaviest - missile ever developed by the US, being able to deliver a 9-megaton warhead over 9,000 miles.

The Titan II was also used to transport payloads into space for NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the air force's Defense Meteorological Satellite Program.

Mobile launch vehicle

North Korea boasted repeatedly in its announcement of the launch yesterday that the Hwasong-15 was fired from a domestically made erector-launcher vehicle.

Its photos back that up.

Being able to make its own mobile launch vehicles, called TELs, frees the North from the need to get them from other countries, like China, which is crucial considering the tightening of international sanctions that Pyongyang faces.

North Korea boasted repeatedly in its announcement of the launch yesterday that the Hwasong-15 was fired from a domestically made erector-launcher vehicle. Its photos back that up

Western analysts said it is more likely the truck was one of about half a dozen vehicles obtained years ago from China, which North Korea has modified since then

TELs make it easier to move missiles around and launch them from remote, hard-to-predict locations. That makes finding and destroying the Hawasong-15 before a launch more difficult.

The massive vehicle was '100 per cent' a domestic product of North Korea, state media quoted Kim Jong Un as saying.

Western analysts said it is more likely the truck was one of about half a dozen vehicles obtained years ago from China, which North Korea has modified since then.

'I would need to see a bit more differences to fully believe they made this themselves,' Dave Schmerler, a research associate at the James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies, said of the launch transport vehicle.

'They can reverse engineer it, so there is always that option, but from what I saw, I am not inclined to believe they made this yet.'

Bigger payload

North Korea also claims the Hwasong-15 can carry a 'super-heavy' nuclear payload to any target in the mainland United States.

The re-entry vehicle, the nose cone in the photo, does indeed look large.

But the heavier the load, the shorter the range.

North Korea also claims the Hwasong-15 can carry a 'super-heavy' nuclear payload to any target in the mainland United States. The re-entry vehicle, the nose cone in the photo, does indeed look large

To get to the West Coast, North Korea needs to keep the weight down to 500 kilograms. Whether it can do that remains questionable. Pictured: The missile on board the launch pad

The missile flew for around 50 minutes, travelling 1,000km (620 miles), reaching an unprecedented altitude of 2,800 miles, before splashing down in the Sea of Japan

Michael Elleman, a leading missile expert, has suggested in the respected 38 North blog that Hwasong-15's estimated 8,000-mile range assumes a payload of around 150 kilograms, which is probably much lighter than any real nuclear payload the North can produce.

To get to the West Coast, the North needs to keep that weight down to 500 kilograms. Whether it can do that remains questionable.

'Kim Jong-un's nuclear bomb must weigh less than 350 kilograms if he expects to strike the western edges of the US mainland,' Elleman estimated.

'A 600 kilogramme payload barely reaches Seattle.'

More analysis needed

'North Korea is continuing to pursue its ICBM in a methodical and pragmatic manner, making progress in incremental steps,' said Joseph Bermudez from 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project.

US officials noted, however, that North Korea has not proved it has an accurate guidance system for an ICBM or a capable re-entry vehicle.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Roh Jae-cheon cautioned that more analysis is needed to determine the Hwasong-15's full performance, but said North Korea had clearly made significant changes since the Hwasong-14.

'Our initial analysis of the photos showed that there were clear differences between the Hwasong-15 and Hwasong-14 in terms of the looks of the warhead, the joint of the first and second stages of the missile, and overall size,' Roh told a briefing on Thursday.

A map showing the estimated maximum range of North Korea's new Hwasong-15 ICBM which is capable of hitting virtually anywhere in the world with the exception of South America and parts of southern Africa. But US officials have advised that more analysis is needed, particularly of the missile's guidance system

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Roh Jae-cheon cautioned that more analysis is needed to determine the Hwasong-15's full performance, but said North Korea had clearly made significant changes since the Hwasong-14. Pictured: The dictator watching the launch

North Korea said the new missile soared to an altitude of about 2,780 miles, more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station. Pictured: Crowds in Pyongyang delight in news of the launch yesterday

This picture gives a sense of the size of the Hwasong-15 missile as it lays on its launcher. Also clearly visible are the two stages of the rocket - a large initial stage to blast off from the ground, and a second smaller stage to manoeuver the rocket in the air, with a staggered white line to indicate where they separate

Kim Jong-un, with cigarette in hand, is seen laughing and joking in photographs taken after the successful launch of the ballistic missile. But how much better is it than his previous missile?

The North Korean leader was surrounded by subordinates who keenly clapped the test, which saw the rocket fall into Japanese waters yesterday

North Korea said the new missile soared to an altitude of about 2,780 miles, more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station, and flew 590 miles during its 53-minute flight - higher and longer than any North Korean missile, before landing in the sea near Japan.

But if further analysis of the new missile is needed, North Korea seems likely to provide the opportunity.

After yesterday's launch, a North Korean official told CNN that the Stalinist state still plans to detonate a 'large-scale hydrogen bomb' above ground.

The official also said North Korea has no interest in talks with the civilised world until it has fully demonstrated its capabilities.

But Schmerler said the belligerent hermetic nation 'may feel the technological development they've achieved is not sufficient to bring the Americans to the table'.

Duitsman and CNS research associate Shea Cotton, however, said more tests are likely.
The late brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un was carrying several bottles of nerve agent antidote when he was poisoned in a Malaysian airport earlier this year.

Kim Jong-Nam was carrying a dozen bottles of Atropine, an antidote to the VX nerve agent used to kill him, in his backpack, the Malaysian High Court heard today.

Two women, Siti Aisyah, 25, and Doan Thi Huong, 29, are accused of smearing VX on Kim Jong Nam's face in a crowded airport terminal in Kuala Lumpur on February 13.

Prepared: Kim Jong-Nam, 46, was carrying a dozen bottles of an antidote to the VX nerve agent used to kill him at the time of the attack

Security camera footage shows Kim gesturing for help before he suffered seizures. He was dead within two hours.

Kim was carrying four diplomatic passports that identified him as Kim Chol, aged 46, and eight different international currencies, including $124,000, according to Straits Times.

He was also carrying a dozen small glass vials of Atropine, which is a medication which can be used to treat certain types of nerve agent and pesticide poisonings.

An autopsy showed the banned VX nerve agent was found on Kim's face and in his eyes, blood, urine, clothing and bag.

Accused: Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, center, is escorted by police as she leaves the Shah Alam court house after her trial in Shah Alam, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

On trial: Indonesian Siti Aisyah, center,and Huong are accused of killing Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un

Allegations: Aisya and Huong are accused of being the two women seen on CCTV smearing VX nerve agent on Kim Jong-Nam's face

His organs were damaged, including part of his brain, both lungs, his liver and spleen. Doctors concluded the cause of his death was 'acute VX nerve agent poisoning,' and ruled out any other contributing factors.

Aisyah, from Indonesia, and Thi Huong, from Vietnam, are the only suspects in custody, though prosecutors have said four North Koreans who have since fled the country were also involved.

So far during the trial, prosecutors have focused on proving the women's guilt but shied away from scrutinizing any political motive behind the killing.

The two women's defense lawyers, who say their clients were duped into carrying out the attack, will look to shift that focus when the trial resumes on January 22.

It is known that Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of the family that has ruled North Korea since its founding, had been living abroad for years after falling out of favor with his father Kim Jong-Il.

It is thought that he could have been seen as a threat to his brother Kim Jong Un's rule.
Most of Labour's frontbench have snubbed the royal engagement - with just a handful of Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet bothering to publicly congratulate the couple.

The world rushed to tweet their delight when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement on Monday.

But just three out of Labour's 33-strong shadow cabinet used social media to congratulate the royal couple on their pending nuptials.

Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson and Dawn Butler, the shadow minister for women and equalities, went online to voice their delight at the news.

Emily Thornberry congratulated the couple on during the weekly bout of Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

Jeremy Corbyn and his close ally John McDonnell are both staunch republicans and have called for the abolition of the monarchy

And shadow education secretary Angela Rayner retweeted an article covering Ms Thornberry's comments.

Mr Corbyn is a staunch republican who has called for the abolition of the monarchy in Britain.

And while he congratulated the young couple after news of the engagement broke while he was at a rally in Scotland, some of his supporters booed and heckled the news when the Labour leader was asked about it.

Mr Corbyn has repeatedly voiced his opposition to the monarchy, telling a reporter in June 2015: 'I am basically somebody who would want us to be a a republic.'

His republican views stretch back many years, and in 2001 he told the BBC: 'I think it's time that we just moved on and said, when the current Queen completes her reign, wouldn't that be an appropriate time to call it a day and have an elected head of state, either by both Houses of Parliament, or by popular vote.'

And many of his closest allies have also called for the monarchy to be axed.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, pictured outside Kensington Palace earlier this week, announced their engagement on Monday and will tie the knot in spring next year

Dawn Butler was among the few members of Labour's shadow cabinet to tweet her congratulations to the royal couple

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson, a leading member of the Labour moderates, congratulated the royal couple in a Facebook post

Diane Abbott, shadow home secretary once wrote: 'We are not interested in reforming ... the police, armed services, judiciary and monarchy.

'We are about dismantling them and replacing them with our own machinery of class rule.'

While shadow chancellor John McDonnell has made no secret of his long-held republican views.

Prince Harry said he is 'thrilled' to be marrying Ms Markle and said he knew the Suits star was 'the one' from 'the first day we met'.

He got down on one knee and popped the question to the US actress while they were having a cosy night in cooking roast chicken.

He presented her with an engagement ring which he designed himself and contains two diamonds from Princess Diana's own personal collection set in a gold band.

The couple will marry in church in spring 2018 after the prince proposed in early November after getting permission from the Queen and Meghan's parents.
A teacher, who has been in a coma since she collapsed at school with a brain haemorrhage, may never wake up to be told she's dying of breast cancer.

Mother-of-three Lynda Spargo, 48, from Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, collapsed at her workplace just days before the start of the summer holidays.

The Sherard Primary School teacher was rushed to hospital on July 14 after suffering a brain haemorrhage.

Doctors at Leicester Royal Infirmary stabilised and assessed her, but Mrs Spargo was moved to Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre, where she underwent several operations before suffering a major seizure.

Mother-of-three Lynda Spargo, 48, from Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, collapsed at her workplace just days before the start of the summer holidays

The tragedy comes only two years ago the couple's teenage daughter Kayti underwent life saving treatment for cancer in the US

Over the weeks the family saw signs of improvement but she did not regain consciousness.

Then doctors detected a tumour in her breast, but told her husband Nick, 46, that they would not be able to treat the cancer due to her condition.

Now, heartbroken Mr Spargo has admitted they are looking for a nursing home where she can see out her last days.

The firefighter whose world has been turned upside down, said: 'We are just waiting for her to die, really.'

The tragedy comes only two years ago the couple's teenage daughter Kayti underwent life saving treatment for cancer in the US.

Mr Spargo, a firefighter for 15 years, posted on a crowdfunding page: 'There's no easy way to say this. Lynda has breast cancer, she's having a CT scan today to see if it's spread.

'She'll be moving out of the hospital and going to a care home in about a month.

'Lynda is stable, the cancer hasn't spread but they're not willing to operate as it'll be too traumatic. They're hoping to move Lynda to a nursing home by December. Lynda will never come home.'

Mr Spargo's life changed the moment he took a phone call at Wigston fire station saying his wife had 'suffered a stroke'.

Mr Spargo's life changed the moment he took a phone call at Wigston fire station saying his wife had 'suffered a stroke'

He said: 'I've still been at work all the way through, apart from three days off sick. Friends and family have been helping look after the kids and helping us get things sorted.

'The fire service has been brilliant from top to bottom with moving my shifts and covering for me. I'm also trying to keep running a carpet cleaning business I've set up.

'It's been a struggle, the kids have had to grow up fast and become independent.

'We are coping as a family and getting on with it. It's brought us closer as a family, but it's been a challenge.'

The double tragedy comes two years after Kayti, then 16, was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare cancer affecting 60 children a year in the UK.

After 10 weeks of specialist proton beam therapy, targeting a tumour behind her nose at the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute, in Jacksonville, she was given the all clear in September, 2015.

Kaisey Lambert, whose mother, Wendy, is a close friend of Mrs Spargo, has set up the crowd funding page to help Nick, his two teenage sons and a daughter through the crisis

Kaisey, 21, said: 'Mum and Lynda are close friends and we all know Nick and Lynda's children.

'I was moved by what has happened to the family. I would just like to think that if you were ever in the same situation other people would do the same.'

To donate to Kaisey's appeal, visit: www.gofundme.com/support-for-the-spargo-family
An off-duty solider has saved two men trapped in a crashed car after tearing apart the windshield with his bare hands in northern China.

The solider, unidentified, first smashed the windshield with a stone, ripped off the toughened glass with his hands, then dragged the pair out of the car.

The heroic rescuer is said to be on his way back to the army after a holiday.

A young man, said to be a solider, saw the 4x4 flipped to one side after a crash and rushed to rescue (left). He used his hands to tear apart the windshield glass to free the people (right)

Mobile phone footage emerged online showing a young man in a navy blue puffer jacket tearing the toughened glass apart while other onlookers helped to drag the passengers out.

According to local newspaper, YanZhao Evening Post, a white 4x4 crashed on a highway that connected to a bridge in Anxin, Hebei Province on November 29.

The vehicle toppled and flipped to one side, trapping two men inside.

The car was fuming with smoke and gasoline when onlookers arrived the scene.

He breaks the windshield with a stone and starts to tear off the toughened glass (left). Pieces and pieces of glass are taken off from the car by the rescuer (right)

A driver and a passenger were dragged out of the flipped four-by-four and sent to hospital (left). The young soldier's hands are seen bleeding on the cut areas (right)

One young man can be seen breaking the windshield with a stone and tearing it the glass apart by his bare hands.

The two men were dragged out and taken to hospital for treatment.

Cuts and bleeding can be seen on multiple areas on the rescuer's hands.

It's reported that the young man is a soldier who was on his way back to the army from a holiday visit back home.
Karen Enabofio has avoided a jail term for hacking into her company's computers to look at other employees' pay packets

An embittered office worker hacked the leading private hospital where she worked so she could find out her colleagues' wages.

Financial administrator Karen Enabofio, 43, broke into restricted data on the staff payroll after discovering a 'back door' on the network.

The mother of one obtained details of the various salaries paid to fellow employees at the Cygnet Hospital in Bury, Greater Manchester, as well as personal data of patients.

The hospital, which has previously treated celebrities mental health issues, only discovered the 2015 breach in December last year when Enabofio, from Tottington, quit her job after three years in the post.

Enabofio avoided an immediate jail term on a suspended sentence after admitting an offence under the Computer Misuse Act.

A judge accepted she had not hacked the system for her own financial gain, but to 'put her mind at rest'.

Prosecutor Steve Woodman had told the court: 'She was employed at the hospital in Bury which in the past has had high profile patients, celebrities and people of high interest.

'Obviously for these reasons the hospital has high level security, and there are also young people young vulnerable people in their care. Privacy of patients and staff is of a high priority.'

The hacking took place in 2015, when Enabofio was working at the Cygnet Hospital in Bury

The prosecutor added: 'The defendant had been working in the finance department for three and a half years prior to this offending... but on December 17 last year she handed in her resignation.

'Following the defendant leaving the company, management became aware that the defendant had deleted her work files and financial documents the hospital would need in the future.

'The financial department went into a panic. The IT department restored the deleted files and management feeling that the defendant had something to hide also restored her deleted emails.

'When that was done the IT departments discovered various emails from the defendants work email to her home email.

'Attached to those emails was the personal data of clients and payroll information about other staff.

'This was all sent to her personal email address. As a result of this it was reported to the police.'

The hospital recovered the files after Enabofio left her role as a financial administrator

When confronted by police, she said that the reason she had done it was due to a 'grievance with her pay'

In mitigation for Enabofio, defence lawyer Helen Longworth said: 'The information was taken so she would ease her mind. However her mind was not eased, and that she acted out of paranoia and obsession and the desire to control something in her traumatic life.

'Their own IT department rectified the issue and it cost them no money... the motive for this offending was her severe obsession and control.

'She was concerned about her work and promises of a pay rise or a promotion that never appeared. There was an extremely difficult home life situation that she had to deal with at the time.'

Enabofio was sentenced to twelve weeks in prison suspended for a year, and will complete a maximum of 10 rehabilitation days.

She must also pay 115 victim surcharge and 85 in costs within 28 days.
Call it a coming out party or image rehab for the 36-year-old daughter of the president who gave the management of her company up to join her father's tumultuous administration, Ivanka Trump's solo trip this week to India for a U.S. sponsored conference is winning her new approval.

Her third, unaccompanied international voyage since her father took office, Trump left attendees of the eighth annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit mostly singing her praises.

'She's articulate,' Karma Bhutia, founder and CEO of iShippo told DailyMail.com after the first daughter departed from India.

Aanchal Sood, a design strategist at DLbas, an incubator within the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, said Ivanka 'completely stole the show.'

U.S. presidential adviser Ivanka Trump waves to delegates as she arrives for a panel discussion during Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad, India, yesterday

Ms Trump left attendees of the eighth annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit mostly singing her praises

Summit organizers from the State Department did not hold a reception with Ivanka for the 350 U.S. attendees of the 1,500-person conference

'She got a very warm reception as against what I had imagined,' Sood said, commenting that Trump was better received at the conference than India's prime minister.

Attendees of the summit, held this year in Hyderabad India, expressed disappointment, though, that they were not able to interact with Trump, a senior White House adviser, considering she was the U.S. delegation's leader.

Summit organizers from the State Department did not hold a reception with Ivanka for the 350 U.S. attendees of the 1,500-person conference.

A VIP dinner of roughly 100 people that Indian PM Narendra Modi hosted Tuesday evening at Hyderabad's Falaknuma Palace did not present an opportunity for guests to mingle with Ivanka, either.

Delegates said they would have liked to have their photo taken with Ivanka, however they were generally pleased with the handling of the application-required event.

Some delegates were disappointed that they were unable to interact with Ms Trump

'There are 1,600 people, so she can't talk to everybody,' said Abhishek Singh, chief advisor to Entrepreneurs Association of India. 'She did good. More than what was expected.'

Rohit Anabheri, founder of Silicon Valley-based cyber security firm Osprey Security, said of the first daughter's appearance: 'Ivanka Trump definitely stands as a role model for an independent woman, individual thinking and as a successful entrepreneur who can make and realize dreams of being an entrepreneur.'

A keynote Trump delivered on the opening evening of the two-and-a-half-day summit received especially high marks from young attendees, who said they were inspired by her reach and her poise.

'She was really classy, graceful, and what the Internet has been feeding us is like a totally different picture,' said Zeinorin Stephen, founder of Hill Wild, a company that produces chocolates and helps women become entrepreneurs.

Stephen said Ivanka truly connected with the audience when spoke about herself and why she joined President Donald Trump's administration.

'She is at a stage where she could be influencing the policies,' the India-based businesswoman said.

In the speech, Trump cast a spotlight on three female entrepreneurs in the audience, including Dara Dotz, a 37-year-old who technically lives in San Francisco but spends her time traveling between disaster-stricken areas like the U.S. Virgin Islands, where she's helping with storm recovery.

One attendee at the summit said Ms Trump truly connected with the audience when spoke about herself and why she joined President Donald Trump's administration

Trump visits the historic Golkonda Fort on the outskirts of Hyderabad yesterday

Dotz told DailyMail.com she 'had no clue' that Trump would name-check her non-profit, Field Ready, which provides life-saving supplies on site through the power of 3-D printing.

'To be honest, I was shell-shocked at first,' Dotz said. 'I was so shell-shocked, because I was like, "Wow, she's actually saying, me." '

The Field Ready co-founder said Trump's remarks 'seemed really authentic.'

'I was really blown away and surprised. I had no clue that was gonna happen.'

Dotz was happy to have the shout out - but she said she wished someone from the government had gotten in touch with her beforehand, because the organization that she co-founded is now impacting more than a million people, not the thousands that Ivanka talked about in her speech.

Ms Trump was given a private tour of Goldconda Fort

And while Dotz says she didn't get a chance to speak with Ivanka after the remarks, that wasn't summit organizers' fault. She missed a message inviting her to a meeting with the White House adviser the following day when the Internet was down.

Other entrepreneurs said they would have wanted to meet Ivanka, too - but they're weren't invited to a meet-and-greet with the president's daughter.

One said he would have liked to have seen the State Department hold a photo op with Ivanka, like the Indian government did for local attendees with the prime minister.

'That would have been really cool, because how often does a person in North Carolina, or Indiana, or Texas or Florida go to DC,' the person said.

Ivanka was the 'brand ambassador' for her country at the event, the attendee commented, at a summit in a foreign setting, where the State should have said, '"You know what these guys are awesome. We should have a photo opp moment.'

'I'ts more branding for her. It's a win-win situation,' the person commented.

Trump did come to a pitching competition, where a U.S. official says she had an opportunity to see 3 or 4 entrepreneurs present their products.

She did not stick around to take selfies, though. She had a private tour of Hyderabad's Goldconda Fort to get to before her evening flight departed.

After the tour at Goldconda Ms Trump boarded her evening flight

'She hung around for quite some time,' said Bhutia, the iShippo owner. 'She's a good ambassador for Indo-U.S. kind of trust.'

Sood, an employee of India's most esteemed MBA program, said she had mixed feelings about Ivanka when the conference started. By the time the U.S. official left Wednesday, Sood says she was a fan.

'I loved her speech. She had my ears,' Sood said. 'I did underestimate Ivanka, but once she stared talking, she had my attention.'

The day before yesterday, when the conference began, 'She was Donald Trump's daughter. But today she is Ivanka Trump.

'She is an influencer who holds her own stage, who holds her own self,' Sood said.
A former beauty queen running the police investigation into Poppi Worthingtons death admitted she did not know how to deal with the death of a child.

Detective Inspector Amanda Sadler, who was the 1989 Miss Great Britain, had no experience of leading an inquiry into child death, and was not qualified to be a Senior Investigating Officer.

The 51-year-old had also not completed a child death course and had never read basic investigation protocol, an inquest heard.

Basic steps, laid out in black and white in a document known as Chapter 13, were not carried out, Coroner David Roberts said.

It came as Poppi's father Paul Worthington refused to say why the toddler's DNA was on his genitals before she died amid accusations of a bungled police investigation.

Forensic evidence was not sent for testing for months, the bed sheets where Poppi collapsed were not collected and her body was not swabbed for evidence for five days.

The extraordinary admissions were made as the shamed policewoman gave evidence to the inquest into Poppi Worthingtons death on Thursday.

Detective Inspector Amanda Sadler (pictured) had no experience of leading an inquiry into child death, and was not qualified to be a Senior Investigating Officer

A court drawing of Paul Worthington, 49, who sobbed when he was asked if he abused his daughter but refused to say at her inquest

Poppi Worthington died in December 2012 after she collapsed at home at Barrow-in-Furness. In January 2014 a judge ruled that her father probably sexually assaulted her before her death

A family court judge ruled that Paul Worthington sexually assaulted the 13-month-old in their Barrow-in-Furness home hours before she died.

Detective Inspector Amanda Sadler, who was the 1989 Miss Great Britain (pictured), was demoted and then retired

But police bungles meant that the case has never reached court and Worthington, who gave evidence to the inquest, remains a free man.

Mrs Sadler admitted gross incompetence and was demoted to Sergeant, but retired in September 2016.

Yesterday she said: I wasnt at that time an SIO or trained to that level. I hadnt undergone any child death training.

She admitted, under questioning from the Mr Roberts, that she had never read a document called 'Chapter 13, which lays out the protocol for investigating a child death.

Mr Roberts said: 'Did you read it after you were given the case?

Mrs Sadler replied: I didnt read it on the day Ive read it since.'

Her supervisor Detective Superintendent Mike Forreste admitted he had never heard of some of the steps laid out in the document, the inquest heard.

He was found to have a case to answer for gross misconduct he retired aged 48 on a full pension before he disciplinary actions could be taken.

She was smuggled out of the back door of the court under police guard to evade police photographers.

Mr Worthington was accused of sexually abusing 13-month-old Poppi shortly before her tragic death in 2012 - but he escaped prosecution amid claims of a bungled police investigation.

Police again helped Worthington (pictured with a hood and scarf over his face), who is is unlikely to face any criminal action without new evidence, in and out of the inquest today where he refused 252 questions

Worthington left the inquest with his face down in the seats of his car as it emerged he is in witness protection after receiving threats

In particular, a laptop Mr Worthington used to watch 'adult X-rated' porn in bed on the night Poppi died was never recovered by Cumbria Police and there was no 'proactive' attempts by officers to trace it.

Mr Justice Peter Jackson said last year the toddler suffered 'a penetrative sexual assault' before her sudden death and 'the only person who could realistically have done this to her was her father'.

Giving evidence for a second day today, Poppi's father refused to answer 183 questions by citing 'Rule 22', which allows witnesses at inquests to avoid incriminating themselves. Yesterday he refused 69.

But he did reply to a question about Poppi's personality and said she was a 'lovely bubbly, happy' child, adding: 'She could bully - in her own little way'.

He was asked specifically why her DNA was on his genitals and why she was bleeding from her bottom. He refused to say, but the inquest heard he had told police it was because he had been to the toilet after trying to help her breathe.

He was also asked if he had sexually abused her or smothered her with a pillow and again refused to answer before he broke down in tears.

Judge on Poppi's injuries: 'The only person who could realistically have done this to her was her father' Mr Justice Peter Jackson (pictured) ruled Paul Worthington had brutally abused his daughter who died in hospital hours later Details of what happened to Poppi Worthington were only revealed for first time in January 2016 with the publication of findings by High Court family judge Mr Justice Peter Jackson. Poppi died from injuries sustained shortly after her father, who had earlier been watching pornography on his computer, took her into his bed at the family home in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The family court judge ruled Paul Worthington had brutally abused his daughter who died in hospital hours later. But a catalogue of blunders by police, social workers and medical staff mean that despite the legal ruling Worthington, 49, is unlikely to face any criminal action without new evidence. The supermarket worker, denies any wrongdoing. In his ruling Mr Justice Jackson said: 'P [Poppi] suffered injuries causing substantial bleeding from the anus and that she collapsed for no plausible reason. The only explanation for those stubborn facts is that she suffered anal penetration and the only person who could realistically have done this to her was her father. He added: 'I find that the father perpetrated a penetrative anal assault on P [Poppi], either using his penis or some other unidentified object'. A statement released by Mr Worthington's lawyers said afterwards': 'Mr Worthington does not accept the findings of the court'. The ruling was released months after a fresh inquest was ordered into the death of 13-month-old Poppi. The decision meant more than two years of official silence over the case would be broken. Poppi died in December 2012 but the public were told nothing about what happened to her or how social workers and police handled the affair. There was an initial seven-minute inquest in October 2015 during which Cumbria coroner Ian Smith gave no information about the circumstances leading to the girl's death. It simply found that her death was 'unascertained'. Advertisement

Medical staff at Furness General Hospital told the toddler's inquest this week she had arrived in A&E with blood dribbling down her legs and could not be saved.

Former Detective Constable Lindsey Bolton was told by Mr Worthington that he no longer had the laptop he used to access pornographic material.

Mr Worthington told her he had sold the laptop to a man in Millom and he would try to get it back to hand to police for examination.

Miss Hewitt asked her: 'Did that happen? Did Mr Worthington make efforts to retrieve the laptop?'

Ms Bolton replied: 'Not to my knowledge.'

She said she informed her boss, former beauty queen Detective Inspector Amanda Sadler, about the situation before she went on leave.

Later she found out Mr Worthington had not brought the laptop in to police but no one followed the matter up.

Ms Bolton is no longer a serving police officer.

Throughout the hearing, Mr Worthington refused to answer questions put to him by lawyers.

Kate Stone, representing the mother, asked him about Poppi's health, and taking him through events on the day she died.

All her questions were unanswered by the witness.

Ms Stone continued: 'Do you accept something caused Poppi to bleed before she went into the ambulance?

'Was she bleeding Mr Worthington because you had put something into her?

'Why did you hurt your daughter Mr Worthington?'

The witness shook his head and gave the stock reply he had used before.

He went on to use the same answer to questions put to him about the whereabouts of the laptop on which he said he had been watching pornography on the night of his daughter's death.

Over two sessions, two hours on Wednesday afternoon and two hours on Thursday, Mr Worthington replied 252 times with the same answer.

He replied with the same stock answer when questioned about several inconsistencies between his statements and accounts given to police and family courts and what he told paramedics and hospital doctors at different times.

He was also asked about Poppi's DNA being found on his genitals, which he has previously said was by transfer from him holding the child then going to the lavatory at the hospital.

Ms Hewitt asked him whether he was 'aware of the view expressed by at least one pathologist that the findings of the post mortem suggest that there had been penetration of Poppi'.

She continued: 'Can I ask you expressly please. Did you penetrate Poppi at any time?'

She continued: 'Did you at any time place Poppi in a position where her face was pushed into a pillow? Or put your hand or an object over her face?'

Mr Worthington replied again in a quiet voice: 'I refer to my earlier statements, rule 22.'

Poppi died from the injuries sustained shortly after her father, who had been watching pornography, took her into his bed at the family home in Barrow-in-Furness, in December 2012

Poppi Worthington's father Paul - who has been accused of abusing his daughter was rushed into coroner's court ahead of his evidence at his daughter's inquest yesterday

Poppi's mother, who stormed out of the room yesterday, stayed in the inquest and looked visibly upset as he refused to answer question-after-question to avoid self-incrimination.

Coroner David Roberts completed the questions.

He said: 'Really just one final thing, I'm not going to repeat rule 22, that said my role is to try to establish how Poppi came by her death and that needs to look at the facts and establish all available facts we can.

'Now you are perfectly entitled to rely on your legal right not to answer anything that might incriminate you, there's no inference drawn from that.

Poppi's 'abuser' dad is in witness protection Poppi Worthington's father is in 'witness protection' paid for by the taxpayer to hide his identity and location, the inquest heard yesterday. Police are protecting Paul Worthington following online death threats made after a judge said he probably sexually assaulted his daughter before her death. His barrister Paul Clark told the hearing: 'He has been in a long term position of great vulnerability and risk and as a result has been in a long-term position of witness protection whereby his current appearance and location are not known. 'There are photos of Mr Worthington online but what is not known to the public is currently his location but also his current appearance.' Yesterday Mr Worthington was bundled into the coroner's court through a back door by officers from Cumbria Police. The father, who was living in Cumbria when Poppi died, is has gone into hiding in another part of the country. Witness protection, normally offered to people whose lives are at risk from criminals they give evidence against in court, can cost the taxpayer as much as 50,000 a year. A Cumbria Police spokesman said: 'Cumbria Constabulary this morning assisted in the arrival of Paul Worthington to Kendal County Hall, where he is due to give evidence at an inquest. 'Security arrangements have been in place for Mr Worthington following threats made towards him. To ensure Mr Worthington's safe arrival, a number of police resources were in place.' The force did not comment on whether Poppi's father is in a formal witness protection scheme. The comments came during Mr Worthington's application to give evidence to the inquest from behind a screen, known as 'special measures'. Alison Hewitt, counsel for the inquest, told the hearing: 'Reporting Mr's Worthington's current appearance may, under operational sensitivities, undo work done to date in relation to ongoing arrangements for protection.' Mr Clark argued that Mr Worthington's life was at risk if members of the public could see his appearance. Advertisement

'That said, today is an opportunity for you to tell me anything you think may help me understand how Poppi came by her death.

'So I don't want you to leave court thinking you have not had the opportunity to tell me what happened as best you can remember about the facts of those hours.

'It's an opportunity. Is there anything else you would like to tell me?'

Mr Worthington replied: 'No sir.'

Today he was again bundled into his daughter's inquest at Kendal, Cumbria, by police and used a hood to hide his face amid claims he has had death threats.

He has repeatedly used 'Rule 22' of Britain's Coroners Rules to avoid describing his relationship with Poppi or her mother in case his own evidence was incriminating, the inquest heard.

When asked about sleeping arrangements at the family home and his daughter's morning routine he also said repeatedly: 'I rely on the right not to answer that under rule 22'.

Poppi's mother, who cannot be named, then walked out as he refused to answer what happened in the 24 hours before Poppi died after dodging 69 questions. Hours earlier her QC said she had waited five years for his evidence.

It has emerged that Mr Worthington has been in 50,000-a-year 'witness protection' since January 2016 when a judge said he probably abused Poppi, who suffered acute internal injuries before she died.

Mr Worthington, who denies hurting his daughter, did say that Poppi had a good appetite and was generally 'fit as a fiddle' before her death.

And he admitted he had an on-off relationship including 'sporadic' sex with Poppi's mother who did not like his OCD and the fact he watched too much sport on TV and liked to gamble.

Earlier,Mr Worthington successfully demanded to be hidden from the public behind a screen after claiming he received death threats warning him he faced being 'killed' or 'castrated'.

Cumbria Constabulary sent a marked patrol car to the front door of Kendal Coroner's Court as a decoy as the unmarked people carrier containing Worthington went to another entrance, witnesses said.

At least ten police officers were on duty outside the court despite no protesters being in attendance but the force said it was necessary to ensure his 'safe arrival'.

The lawyer representing Poppi Worthington's mother, who cannot be named, told the coroner: 'We support there should be no screen. She's waited almost five years for this hearing'.

Paul Clark, representing Mr Worthington, said: 'He has been in a long-term position of great vulnerability and risk and he's been in a long-term position of witness protection, whereby currently his appearance and location is not known.

'There are photos of Mr Worthington online but what is not known to the public is currently his location but also his current appearance.

'In this case it has been apparent throughout that there's a real risk to Mr Worthington's life, and even if not at a risk of death, risk of serious mistreatment and clearly substantial concerns outside these tangible risks and substantial concerns on Mr Worthington's right to private life that has already been jeopardised, very, very substantially indeed.'

Following legal submissions over several hours Mr Roberts ruled in favour of the press. He directed that Mr Worthington must give evidence in court in view of the press but screened from anyone watching in the public gallery.

HOW THE DETAILS OF LITTLE POPPI'S DEATH REMAINED SECRET FOR YEARS BEFORE HER INQUEST December 2012 - Poppi Worthington dies suddenly aged 13 months after she collapses at her home in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. February 2013 - Poppi is buried after the coroner releases her body. June 2013 - A full post-mortem report indicates the cause of death is unascertained. August 2013 - Poppi's parents are arrested and formally interviewed for the first time. Poppi's father, Paul Worthington, is questioned on suspicion of sexually assaulting his daughter - an allegation he denies. March 2014 - Fact-finding judgment on the circumstances of Poppi's death is delivered in private as part of family court proceedings involving other children in the family. Its publication is delayed in case it prejudices any criminal trial. October 2014 - HM Coroner for South Cumbria, Ian Smith, holds an inquest at Barrow Town Hall and takes just seven minutes to declare her death as unexplained after stating he was satisfied to rely on the findings of the private fact-finding judgment. The case is not listed in Poppi's name but as 'a child aged 13 months'. January 2015 - Senior Coroner for Cumbria, David Roberts, confirms he will ask for a fresh inquest in a written reply to lawyers representing various media organisations who argued the October hearing was insufficient and therefore unlawful. March 2015 - Cumbria Police announce no charges will be brought against anyone over Poppi's death after they had previously passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service for its consideration. April 2015 - Paul Worthington is granted a review of the March 2014 medical evidence, which further delays publication of the original fact-finding judgment. July 2015 - High Court judges order a fresh inquest into the youngster's death after the first hearing was deemed 'irregular'. November 2015 - A hearing reviewing the medical evidence from the March 2014 court proceedings gets under way in Liverpool. Ahead of the hearing, Mr Justice Peter Jackson releases parts of his original fact-finding judgment which reveal that Cumbria Police did not conduct any 'real' investigation into Poppi's death for nine months despite a senior pathologist raising concerns the girl's injuries were caused by 'a sexual assault'. January 18 2016 - Mr Justice Peter Jackson announces his findings from the review hearing and says her bleeding could only be sensibly explained as the result of penetrative trauma. He said the toddler probably suffered 'a penetrative sexual assault' at the hands of her father shortly before her sudden death. November 27 2017 - An inquest into her death finally begins - but her father refuses to answer majority of questions in case he is incriminated Advertisement

Police failed to investigate until eight months later - despite medical experts Poppi had injuries consistent with a sex attack - and her father has not been prosecuted.

Today Mr Worthington started to give his version of events and he claims he found her lifeless in his bed and had nothing to do with it.

But he then used his right not to answer.

Defending the number of officers involved in protecting him a Cumbria Constabulary spokesman said: 'Cumbria Constabulary this morning assisted in the arrival of Paul Worthington to Kendal County Hall, where he is due to give evidence at an inquest.

'Security arrangements have been in place for Mr Worthington following threats made towards him.

'To ensure Mr Worthington's safe arrival, a number of police resources were in place.'

Yesterday consultant paediatrician Dr Osama Braima described how he fought to resuscitate Poppi for 57 minutes at Furness General Hospital before she was pronounced dead.

He noticed she was 'pouring' fresh blood after she died, she told the inquest.

He said: 'I thought there was something wrong inside the child and I was not comfortable. I was suspicious.'

He alerted Children's Services and examined her body again five hours later at 11am in the children's ward.

He said Poppi was still bleeding fresh blood, which he found to be 'unusual'.

The doctor said Poppi's death was unexplained and it has played on his mind.

'It has stuck with me as quite significant,' he said. I have never seen an incident of this kind to any child in my career.'

Poppi arrived by ambulance to hospital shortly after 6am on 12 December 2012.

Her First Aid trained father Paul, a former ASDA night shift worker, was in the back with her helping a paramedic perform CPR on the toddler.

Nurse Sarah McQuiston scooped Poppi into her arms before rushing her into A&E.

She noticed Poppi was floppy, cold and blue and was bleeding bright red blood.

'Blood was dribbling down her legs. She had no nappy on,' Miss McQuiston told Kendal Coroner's Court.

She said Poppi's stomach was distended, bloated. 'You could see it was quite tight, hard, a bit like a pregnant tummy,' she said.

Left: Nurse Sarah McQuiston, pictured today, told Kendal Coroner's court that blood was dribbling down the child's legs. Right: Tracy Anne Worthington, the aunt of Poppi and Paul Worthington's sister, pictured arriving at the court yesterday

Poppi Worthington's father Paul Worthington leaves Liverpool Civil and Family Courts after a hearing into the death of the 13-month-old in December 2012

Flowers laid at Poppi's grave. An Independent Police Complaints Commission report in March 2017 concluded that senior detectives probing Poppi's death were 'unstructured and disorganised'

THE 12 BASIC ERRORS IN THE INITIAL POLICE INVESTIGATION 1) Items at the hospital Poppi was taken to were not preserved for forensic analysis 2) Items at the family home were not preserved for forensic analysis 3) The scene at the family home was not secured, with Poppi's last nappy being lost despite the presence of police officers 4) The detective inspector and another officer not visiting the home. According to national protocol, a senior officer should immediately attend the home to take charge of the investigation and ensure that evidence is intelligently preserved 5) No reconstruction with the parents at home so that their accounts could be understood and investigations focused 6) No forensic medical examination at the time of death. Swabs were not taken until post-mortem despite delays meaning forensic analysis can be prejudiced 7) No engagement of a paediatrician with specialist knowledge of investigating sexual abuse for there to be a physical examination of the child, a viewing of the home and a report for the pathologist 8) Dr Armour's initial views were not clearly passed on to the local authority for safeguarding purposes 9) The parents were not formally interviewed until August 2013 10) Neither parent's mobile telephone or Facebook accounts were analysed 11) Samples were not sent for analysis until after receipt of Dr Armour's full report 12) No statements taken from any witnesses (paramedics, nurses, doctors, family members) until September 2013. Advertisement

Clinical support worker Kelly Viceroy-Grieve liaised with Paul and Poppi's in the hospital Relatives Room.

Paul has arrived in the ambulance dressed in just a blue t shirt and jeans. He had no coat and had no shoes or socks on, though he had brought them with him.

Miss Viceroy-Grieve said that Paul had told her that he had been still in his boxer shorts when the paramedic had arrived at their family home, in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.

Mother, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, arrived separately to Paul.

'She was distraught, anxious, crying. She was talking more to Poppi's dad, asking him questions "what's happened? Is she still alive?",' said Miss Viceroy-Grieve.

She said Paul told her what had happened with Poppi.

She stated that he said: 'She had woken up in her cot crying, so he put her into bed with him. He tried to give Poppi her dummy but she wouldn't have it.

'Poppi was making a face like she needed a poo, so he put his fingers on each side of her nappy to try to get the nappy from her bottom, so that she could try and push out with ease. He put two fingers on the side of her nappy so she could have a poo easily.'

He explained that he went downstairs to get a nappy.

'Paul said he went back upstairs to see Poppi and she was asleep and so he got back into bed with Poppi,' Miss Viceroy-Grieve told Kendal Coroner's Court.

He also added: 'I don't know why but I looked over to Poppi and touched her arm and it was lifeless.'

Earlier the inquest, which began on Monday, heard a harrowing 999 call from the girl's mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as her daughter lay dying.

This fresh inquest was ordered by the High Court after the controversial first hearing in 2014, held by a different coroner, was shrouded in secrecy with Poppi listed as 'a child aged 13 months'.

Shortly before 6am on the day of her death, Mr Worthington, who had put Poppi in his bed with him, went downstairs with her lifeless body and emergency services were called.

Little over an hour later, at 7.07am, Poppi was pronounced dead at Furness General Hospital, just a day after she had taken her first two steps.

Poppi's mother was frequently visibly distressed as she gave evidence earlier this week, describing her relationship with the toddler's father as 'up and down'.

She described her daughter as 'very alive, bubbly'.

'You knew she was there, there was no missing her,' she said.

The inquest continues.
CNN has fired producer Teddy Davis (pictured)

CNN has fired a senior producer on Jake Tapper's State of the Union show for alleged misconduct.

The network said in a statement that it fired Teddy Davis after a 'comprehensive investigation.'

A source said the claims related only to making employees feel uncomfortable rather than physical abuse.

Tapper wrote in a tweet that he is fully supportive of the decision.

He replied to a tweet by Washington Post media journalist Paul Farhi which read: 'And in still more harassment news: CNN tells me it dismissed Teddy Davis, senior producer of Jake Tapper's State of the Union program, over behavior "that does not align with the standards and values of CNN." Three women had complained about Davis.'

Tapper wrote: 'This tweet is accurate. When CNN executives were told about these complaints, they reacted swiftly and appropriately, as they should. Workplaces need to be safe and I am fully supportive of CNN's action.'

A CNN spokesman said: 'A comprehensive investigation was conducted as soon as this matter was brought to our attention.

Tapper replied to a tweet by Washington Post media journalist Paul Farhi

'The behavior attributed to Mr. Davis does not align with the standards and values of CNN and Mr. Davis is no longer with the company.'

Davis previously worked for ABC News where he served as the network's deputy director of political coverage.

He studied law at Georgetown University and is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. He has not publicly responded to his sacking.

It comes after NBC sacked Today Show host Matt Lauer for alleged sexual misconduct.

Tapper (pictured) wrote in a tweet that he is fully supportive of the decision

On Wednesday a married NBC staffer claimed she woke up in Lauer's office with her pants halfway down her legs after having sex with the anchor until she passed out.

The woman told The New York Times that the longtime Today Show host's assistant had to take her to see a nurse after the alleged encounter in 2001.

The former employee, who was in her 40s at the time, said Lauer first made advances towards her while covering a story away from their New York headquarters in the late 1990s.

She described moving away from him during a car journey to the airport because he was sitting 'uncomfortably close', to which he apparently replied: 'You're no fun'.

Then, in 2001, she claims the married Lauer summoned her to his office at 30 Rock in New York to discuss work. She says he then used a button under his desk to lock the door and then told her to unbutton her blouse.

She said the veteran broadcaster then stepped out from behind his desk, pulled out a chair, bent her over, and started having sex with her until she fell unconscious.

The woman told The Times she woke up a while later on the floor of his office with her pants halfway down her legs, prompting his assistant to take her to seek medical attention.

The ex-staffer, who has not been named, is one of a string of women who have come forward accusing Lauer of sexual misconduct.

She did not tell NBC about the alleged incident at the time because she thought she could have done more to stop Lauer's actions, and she left around a year later.

NBC executives fired Lauer on Tuesday night soon after they saw a string of lewd messages and explicit photos he sent an intern during the Sochi Olympics, reports suggest.

His departure was announced by visibly-shaken co-hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb on Wednesday morning, and a number of explosive stories on his alleged conduct during his time at the Rockefeller Center quickly followed.
Australians stranded on Bali are using boats to flee the holiday island rather than wait up to a week for a flight home.

Airlines are trying to clear a backlog of 100,000 passengers after Denpasar Airport finally reopened on Wednesday night as volcanic ash began to clear.

Mount Agung has been erupting since last Wednesday and more than 1,000 flights were cancelled this week as plumes of smoke spewed into the air.

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Mount Agung has been erupting since last Wednesday and more than 1,000 flights were cancelled this week as plumes of smoke spewed into the air

Airlines are trying to clear a backlog of 100,000 passengers after Denpasar Airport finally reopened on Wednesday night as volcanic ash began to clear

Qantas and Jetstar will fly 10 scheduled flight and six relief flights a day to ferry 3,800 passengers home across Australia.

Jetstar said it would start with those stranded the longest - some already waiting four days - but some passengers said the first available flight was a week away.

Others are taking matters into their own hands, booking expensive tickets to other airports like Singapore and making their way home from there.

Some are even getting buses and ferries to other Indonesian islands to fly out of other airport like Surabaya on nearby Java.

Way out: Passengers gather at the Ngurah Rai International airport in Denpasar, Bali to wait for possible flights out as the airport reopens

However, those who are still waiting could be stuck in Bali until Christmas as experts warn Mount Agung could blow any day

Keira Nolan said Jetstar told her group they couldn't fly back to Perth until December 7 as there were so many other passengers.

'We're going to try and go to another airport  we're going to catch a bus and a ferry and another bus for 12 hours or something like that,' she told the ABC.

'Hopefully it's a straight direct flight not a 12-hour flight.'

Many holidaymakers have racked up thousands of dollars in new airfares, food, hotels and lost wages trying to get home.

Eva Niedzwiedz said she and her boyfriend Bevan were stuck since they were due to fly back to Perth via AirAsia on Monday.

The personal trainer said at first they took it in their stride but decided to take drastic action after their second flight was cancelled even after the airport reopened.

She said they waited in line at the airport for hours and AirAsia hung up calls before they could get through, and disconnected their online support services.

'We're now desperate to get home at any cost as our second flights we're cancelled even with the airport open and other flights leaving,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Long wait: More than 100,000 tourists have been stranded after a spike in activity at Mount Agung grounded hundreds of flights since Monday.

Bali's Mount Agung (pictured) volcano is set to erupt within hours, with one expert warning of a 'big explosion'

The situation can change minute by minute, I'm out of my personal medications and as I'm a personal trainer, I only make an income when I'm working.

'I've now lost a weeks income, let down my clients, spent a lot of money trying to get home and am still no closer to getting home.'

The couple stumbled upon a Singapore Airlines flight heading to Singapore on Friday afternoon with two seats left, and saw it as a way out.

They have spent $3,600 out of pocket on new flights, hotels, and food in addition to lost income trying to get back to Perth.

Phil Wickham finally landed in Perth on Thursday on an AirAsia flight four days after he was supposed to return home.

He said he and his three young children spent several 'cold, wet' nights sleeping at the airport and it cost him $2,500 to get home.

However, those who are still waiting could be stuck in Bali until Christmas as experts warn Mount Agung could blow any day.

An explosive eruption, rather than the current gradual spewing of debris into the air, could produce so much it would take weeks to dissipate.

Qantas and Jetstar will fly 10 scheduled flight and six relief flights a day to ferry 3,800 passengers home across Australia

Many holidaymakers have racked up thousands of dollars in new airfares, food, hotels and lost wages trying to get home

A change in wind direction could also blow the ash still in the air back into the flight path and shut down the airport once again.

As a result, Jetstar asked passengers with flights booked to Bali before December 7 to consider cancelling or delaying their trip or travelling somewhere else.

The airline said it would make those changes free of charge.

Virgin said passengers scheduled to fly to Bali on Friday were able to receive a full travel credit, change their booking or fly to a different destination.

Indonesian volcanologist Gede Suantika warned after a large tremor on Tuesday an observatory post near the volcano's summit could be evacuated as the mountain entered a critical phase.

'Small eruptions have been happening continuously but there's still the possibility of a bigger, explosive eruption,' said Mr Suantika.

'Activity remains high and we are still on the highest alert level.'

Tens of thousands have already fled their homes around the volcano, which last erupted in 1963, killing around 1,600 people.

Volcanologist Dr Janine Krippner warned that Bali's Mount Agung (pictured on Wednesday) eruption would be 'like shaking up a bottle of Coke and then taking the lid off.'

Tens of thousands have already fled their homes around the volcano, which last erupted in 1963, killing around 1,600 people

Agung rumbled back to life in September, forcing the evacuation of 140,000 people living nearby.

Its activity decreased in late October and many returned to their homes.

However, on Saturday the mountain sent smoke up into the air for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption - caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater.

So-called cold lava flows have also appeared - similar to mud flows and often a prelude to the blazing orange lava of popular imagination.

Indonesia, the world's most active volcanic region, lies on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic and seismic activities.
Randi Zuckerberg, whose brother founded Facebook, was on a flight from Los Angeles to Mazatlan when she said a man started talking about touching himself

Mark Zuckerberg's sister has written a scathing letter of complaint to Alaska Airlines claiming she was sexually harassed on one of their flights and that their crew allowed it.

Randi Zuckerberg, whose brother founded Facebook, was on a flight from Los Angeles to Mazatlan when she said a man started talking about touching himself.

The incident happened in the first class section of passenger jet during the three-hour flight, and after raising her concerns with airline crew, she said staff were aware of the man's demeanor.

The furious 35-year-old penned a detailed letter to the company's CEO Brad Tilden and his vice presidents after alighting in Mexico.

In it, she said she 'was put in an extremely uncomfortable situation on a flight' when the passenger next to her in first class began making what Ms Zuckerberg described as 'explicit, lewd and highly offensive sexual comments'.

The comments started almost immediately after boarding with another woman, she said.

'He started talking to me about touching himself, kept asking me if I fantasized about the female business partner I was traveling with, rated and commented on the woman's bodies boarding the aircraft as they walked by us, and many more equally horrifying and offensive comments,' Ms Zuckerberg added.

She claims when the issue was brought to the flight crew's attention, their response was that the man was a frequent flier and that they have had to talk to him about his behavior in the past.

It is said staff walked by his seat and giggled with the accused man asking him if he was 'behaving today'.

As a resolution, Ms Zuckerberg - who herself is a best-selling author, founder of Zuckerberg Media, and editor-in-chief of Dot Complicated -was offered the opportunity to move to the back of the plane because she was feeling 'extremely uncomfortable'.

She said: 'I almost did until I realized... why should I have to move? I am the one that is being harassed.'

Randi Zuckerberg, whose brother founded Facebook, was on a flight from Los Angeles to Mazatlan when she said a man started talking about touching himself

The furious 35-year-old penned a detailed letter to the company's CEO Brad Tilden and his vice presidents after alighting in Mexico

Randi Zuckerberg, a best-selling author, founder of Zuckerberg Media, and editor-in-chief of Dot Complicated, speaks during the Business Innovation and Growth (BIG) Summit at the New World Center on January 20, 2015 in Miami Beach, Florida. She complained to Alaska Airlines

They stayed in their seats and Ms Zuckerberg wrote about how she saw the man knock back multiple alcoholic beverages and at one point had three drinks on his tray table at the same time.

The comments kept coming, according to the Facebook founder's sister, and she added: 'Ironically, one of those comments he made was about all the recent sexual harassment cases in the media and how "these millennial women just aren't willing to give some booty to get a job any more.

She concluded her letter by saying she was furious at herself for not making more of a scene and said: 'But I am even more furious with Alaska Airlines for knowingly and willingly providing this man with a platform to harass women.

'For knowing about this behavior and being more concerned with taking his money than for the safety and security of the other passengers around him.'

Mark Zuckerberg, founder, chairman and CEO of Facebook, announces new tools and initiatives to help people keep each other safe and supported at Facebook's second annual Social Good Forum in New York City on Wednesday

Mark Zuckerberg's sister Randi (pictured) has written a scathing letter of complaint to Alaska Airlines claiming she was sexually harassed on one of their flights and that their crew allowed it

The airline later responded to Ms Zuckerberg (pictured) on Twitter, saying: 'What you have shared with us is very disturbing. 'We have launched an investigation and have revoked this passengers travel privileges pending the outcome of that investigation'

The airline later responded to Ms Zuckerberg on Twitter, saying: 'What you have shared with us is very disturbing.

'We have launched an investigation and have revoked this passengers travel privileges pending the outcome of that investigation.'

She responded, thanking them for taking her allegations seriously.
A Syrian man accused of marrying his 13-year-old cousin laughed as he gave evidence to a Sydney jury.

His cousin Nadia Tabbaa alleged to 60 Minutes in 2014 that she was kidnapped, taken to Syria and forced to marry her older cousin in the Middle East.

However, Issam Alassad laughed at the suggestion he had covered up his marriage to Nadia to avoid embarrassment at her having left Syria, as he gave evidence from Damascus, via video link, to a New South Wales Supreme Court jury in Sydney.

'I didn't marry Nadia,' the 33-year-old man said on Thursday.

Nadia Tabbaa alleged to 60 Minutes in 2014 she was kidnapped, taken to Syrian and forced to marry her older cousin

Nadia Tabbaa told 60 Minutes reporter Liz Hayes she was forcibly married off as a 13-year-old girl

Mouhammad Tabbaa and his former wife Pamela Tabbaa, are suing the Nine Network for defamation over that 2014 episode of 60 Minutes, in which their daughter Nadia said she was kidnapped at 13, taken to Syria and forced to marry a second cousin 15 years older than her.

Nadia, now 29, also told the program she had to live with her grandmother in Damascus where she went to school, but escaped back to Sydney when she was 18 in 2006.

Under questioning from the parents' barrister, Clive Evatt, Mr Alassad said he got married in Damascus in 2015 to a woman he named and he produced their marriage certificate to the court.

Nadia's grandmother was his aunt and he only met the teenager at family gatherings at the home.

Mouhammad Tabbaa is suing the Nine Network over his daughter's allegations about a force marriage

Every year there were two feasts, so he would have met her about 10 or 12 times when she lived there from 2001 to 2006, he said.

During that time he was busy with swimming, university and work.

'Was there any romantic conversation between you and Nadia or any suggested engagement or marriage or anything like that?,' Mr Evatt asked.

'Never,' he replied.

On the occasions he saw her, she was happy 'my aunty was buying her clothes or things for her'.

Mouhammad Tabbaa's former wife Pamela Tabbaa is also suing over the 2014 60 Minutes story

Under cross-examination from Nine's legal counsel Sandy Dawson SC, Mr Alassad said he was first asked to give evidence in the case about two weeks ago.

'When did you first become aware there was an issue about whether you and Nadia were ever married or engaged to be married?,' Mr Dawson asked.

Mr Alassad said that was also two weeks ago.

He found out Nadia left Syria in 2006 through his aunty who was 'broken-hearted and very upset'.

The hearing is continuing.
Graphic footage of teenage girls violently punching and kicking each other in organised brawls has flooded social media.

Several videos have emerged showing girls throwing aggressive punches and kicks in one-on-one fights while being cheered on by both male and female onlookers.

Spectators can be heard giving advice to the girls as they hurl their fists towards each other, with many filming from their mobile phones.

Graphic footage of teenage girls violently punching and kicking each other in organised brawls across Queensland has flooded social media

The large-scale female fights have broken out across Kingston, Woodridge, Logan Central and Wynnum in Queensland, and some of the brawlers make multiple appearances.

'You made her nose bleed, you split her up,' one young female tells a friend after a fighting with a girl.

Social media has been blamed for creating a platform for the horrific footage to be shared, commented on and requested by other teenage delinquents.

'Social media has allowed this whole thing to grow. I don't know how you stop it, I don't know how you put the lid on this. It's awful behaviour,' Hetty Johnson of Braveheart told Nine News.

The large-scale female fights have broken out across Kingston, Woodridge, Logan Central and Wynnum

Social media has been blamed for creating a platform for the horrific footage to be shared, commented on and requested by other teenage delinquents

A parent of one of the fighters involved said her daughter was no stranger to a run-in with the law.

'She's just got court cases and everything to go to for assaulting a copper in the Queen Street mall,' a mother said.

Another concerned father had to resort to Facebook to help locate his missing child, writing, 'does anyone know where my daughter is..?.'

A neighbour of a fight club regular revealed she was not surprised the young perpetrator had become a known trouble maker.

'Cops were always here, the kids were jumping up on the roof. The parents would just leave the kids and go out,' the woman said.

A neighbour of a fight club regular revealed she was not surprised the young perpetrator had become a known trouble maker
An IT manager has been jailed for stealing almost 130,000 from his employers so he could 'fund the extravagant lifestyle of his demanding girlfriend'.

Simon Rey splashed out on goods including flat screen televisions, 40 iPads, laptops and iPhone 6's, charging it to his workplace, the Money Advice Group on Carrington, Manchester.

The company grew suspicious when bosses found a mobile phone bill which exceeded 23,000 in just one month, while Rey was enjoying a holiday in Thailand.

The 40-year-old was jailed for 20 months after admitting fraud at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester.

Simon Rey, 40, has been jailed for 20 months after admitting fraud - but claimed he spent 130,000 worth of goods to please his demanding girlfriend

Rey bought goods through the company for his own personal use including flat screen TVs, 40 iPad's, five HP laptop's, five Microsoft Surface's, five Apple laptop's, 30 PC's, 10 servers and four iPhone 6's.

He was caught out when bosses looked at his Twitter account and found a picture of the one of the items along with the caption: 'loving my new TV'.

But he told the court he sold the items for profit after he found himself trapped in a relationship with a woman who was 'not easy to live with.'

Rey, who lived with his girlfriend at an apartment in Chester, later admitted making 50,000 from selling the items.

He claimed saying he frittered away most of it on gambling and drinking 'to conquer his inadequacies.'

Minshull Street Crown Court heard Rey, who now lives in Connah Quays, North Wales stole goods totalling 127,709.31.

Profits at the firm at the end of the 2015 financial year were 7 million but in the year ending June 2016, the firm posted a loss of 363,000.

Rey gave no comment in police interview, and offered to pay back 5 as he 'was broke'.

The 40-year-old was jailed for 20 months after admitting fraud at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester

His lawyer Timothy Storrie told the court Rey's partner 'was not an easy woman to live with.'

He added: 'She spent his money, was physically abusive to him - and the experience was emotionally draining.

'The physical abuse sometimes came to the attention of others around him. On one occasion the police spoke to them because of her behaviour towards him in the street. But he excused the treatment as victims of domestic violence often do and blamed it on her having too much to drink.

'When she lost her job, he reassured her that she need not worry and she could continue to spend as she had.

'This meant he had to perpetrate and maintain this fraud. This was to fund an extravagant lifestyle to keep his partner happy. This was an emotional response that was a vicious circle.'

Prosecutor Christopher Beckwith said Rey became manager of the IT department in September 2009 and dealt with equipment and phone systems.

In April 2015 the company received a monthly mobile phone bill of 32,489.76 when previous invoices were in the region of 6,800.

Mr Beckwith said: 'The sum of 23,661.14 was the defendant's own phone bill. This raised some eyebrows and it appears he was away in Thailand at the time.

'It was decided he would be suspended on June 9 2016 for an internal investigation. They showed that the defendant had ordered property through the firm and taken the property for himself.'

Sentencing Rey, Judge Mark Savill told him: 'It can hardly be described as sophisticated, there was little chance of success in the endeavours, the fact remains that the reason you were allowed to get away with this for so long is because you were a trusted member of staff, solely responsible for that area of the business.

'Those who employed you have found themselves less likely to trust others and all that is down to your sustained dishonesty.

'You are capable of leading a decent and honest life. I make no secret of the fact this causes me great difficulty. But it has to be immediate custody because of the period of time, abuse of trust and amount of money.'
Dave Rider, 72, pictured, was stabbed and 'left for dead' after being attacked in a park on his way home

A great-grandfather was 'left for dead' by thugs who beat and stabbed him during an ambush in a park.

Retired window cleaner Dave Rider, 72, was knifed in the stomach after being attacked as he was walking home through Peckham Rye Common.

Police said it was 'pure luck' they were not investigating a murder after the brutal attack.

The pensioner had been out with friends in Dulwich when he was robbed by two black males who approached him from behind a toilet at a park cafe, demanding money.

The men stole his watch, keys and wallet, which contained 80 cash and a lottery ticket, 'leaving the great-grandfather for dead', according to his family.

Step-daughter Sharon Chaproniere, 47, told the Evening Standard: 'He was asked to hand over his money. As he said no he was brutally attacked, stabbed in the abdominal area and beaten black and blue.

'They then ran off and left him. Thank God he managed to make it out of the park to get help  otherwise he could've been left there all night.

'He is the loveliest man you could ever meet. He is a brilliant dad and a great-grandad. We cannot believe something so tragic has happened.'

Mr Rider, who has more than 30 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, was able to struggle to an exit and find help.

He was taken to hospital where he was treated for the stab wounds and is now recovering at home in Peckham.

Pictures of Mr Rider's wounds have been shared on Facebook as part of an appeal to bring those responsible to justice.

Detective Sergeant Chris Rogers of Southwark CID said: 'This was an unnecessarily violent attack on a defenceless man. There was absolutely no need whatsoever for this elderly gentlemen to have been brutally attacked for his belongings.

His step-daughter shared pictures of his facial bruising on Facebook to encourage witnesses to come forward

'It is pure luck that we are not now investigating a murder and it is imperative that these suspects are identified and arrested without delay.'

Police say one suspect is described as a dark skinned black male, 20-30 years old, 6ft tall, of medium build, with a goatee beard and untidy hair. The suspect was of 'scruffy' appearance.

Anyone with information should call DS Rogers on 020 7232 6483 or Southwark CID via 101.

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Noel Gallagher has torn into the Labour leader - declaring 'f*** Jeremy Corbyn. Hes a Communist'.

The former Oasis star also lash out at Donald Trump whose views on the environment he branded 'pretty f***ing scary'.

The rock star - who was one of the key figures of 'Cool Britannia' in the 1990s when he went to visit Tony Blair in No10 - has attacked the Labour leader before.

In May last year he said the left-wing leader was 'unelectable' and said he preferred New Labour's Mr Blair.

In an interview, Gallagher tore into politicians, journalists and the news, which he said id 'f***ing boring'.

Noel Gallagher tore into Jeremy Corbyn branding him a Communist. It comes 18 months after he said the left-wing leader was 'unelectable'

He said: 'F*** Jeremy Corbyn. Hes a Communist. And Trumps aaIm not even going to name him. But they dont affect my life.

'Well, Donald Trump, maybe, because his views on the environment are pretty fucking scary, and that will affect my children.

'But politicians? Theyre f***ing idiots. Theyre economiststhats all they are. Theyre fucking full of s***, and I should know, because Ive known quite a few of them.'

Asked if he 'shuddered' when he watches the news, the songwriter said he decides to tune out of it.

And he mocked North Korean tyrant Kim Jong-Un, and the threat of a devastating nuclear war which he poses.

Noel Gallagher sips champagne and chats to Tony Blair in No10 after Labour were elected by a landslide in 1997. The Oasis guitarist was one of a string of Brit pop stars and artists invited to the party as the Labour leader tried to court 'Cool Britannia'

Gallagher told the music magazine Paste: 'No. I dont watch the news. The news is f***ing boring.

'So if the world is going to end, I dont want to know about it. I dont want to watch the run-up to it.

'If the sky is going to catch fire because some little, fat North Korean idiot flies a rocket into it, let it fucking end. I dont want to know about it.

'Id rather be doing something else.'

Gallagher was one of a host of music stars and artists who were entertained by Mr Blair in No10 in the 1990s as the New Labour leader courted 'Cool Britannia'.

But he has far less time for Mr Corbyn - who is one of the most left-wing leaders Labour has ever had.
A mother-of-two bought a Christmas-themed DVD for her four-year-old son - before she was shocked to find out it was actually hardcore pornography.

Brittany Williams from Auckland, New Zealand, is planning to lodge a complaint with police after her young son watched 15 minutes of pornography, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Ms Williams said her son was excited to put on the Christmas DVD she had bought in a bargain bin at a rental store for $1 - but he was then subjected to 15 minutes of images of men and women having sex and using sex toys.

'It was a full-on raging porno from the 80s,' she said.

A mother-of-two bought a Christmas-themed DVD for her four-year-old son - before she was shocked to find out it was actually hardcore pornography (stock image)

She said her son watched about 15 minutes of the DVD before she noticed the explicit material he was privy to.

Ms Williams bought the DVD from the Good2go convenience and video hire store in Auckland.

The store's owner Raj Patel said he apologised to Ms Williams when she went back to the shop.

'I have apologised to her and straight away - withing five seconds - the DVD was broken and put into the bin,' he said.

He believed someone had dubbed over the DVD with the pornographic material.

He also accused Ms Williams of bringing his business into disrepute.

'If she is trying to say our business is at fault we are not at fault. We will take action against her for discriminating us.'

She said her son watched about 15 minutes of the DVD before she noticed the explicit material he was privy to (stock image)

Mr Patel also threatened legal action against Ms Williams.

Ms Williams said the incident has scarred her son, who now constantly asks if any movie they watch is 'going to be another naked DVD'.

'It's revolting. It's not okay,' she said.
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These photographs show a desperately brave seal biting into the ocean's most savage predator while struggling to save its life.

The young Cape fur seal decided to fight back when it was ambushed by a 12ft-long great white shark off the coast of South Africa.

It bit the enormous predator - 20 times the seal's weight - on the face after being launched into the water from below.

The action-fuelled hunt, which lasted minutes, saw the shark leap from the deep and catch the seal mid-air.

The young Cape fur seal decided to fight back when it was ambushed by a 12ft-long great white shark off the coast of South Africa. It bit the enormous predator - 20 times the seal's weight - on the face after being launched into the water from below

The action-fuelled hunt, which lasted minutes, saw the shark leap from the deep and catch the seal mid-air. Even though the shark missed its prey the first time, the seal was ultimately doomed - despite its valiant last stand

Photographer William Buchheit said: 'The poor seal pup was trying to bite back but it was doomed'. Pictured: The seal bites into the shark's head before being dragged into the deep

Photographer William Buchheit travelled to Seal Island, in False Bay, South Africa, to photograph the sharks during an expedition with Chris Fallows, a great white shark expert.

The 41-year-old was on a boat a few miles from the shore when the fish lunged for the seal just 60 yards from the vessel.

He said: 'The great white shark missed the first time but not the second, when it burst like a space shuttle through the spray with the panicked seal in its mouth.

'The poor seal pup was trying to bite back but it was doomed.

'My heart hammered in my throat and my mouth was dry as I photographed the hunt.

'The juvenile seal leaped several feet into the air and it was a shiny brown blur of fur and fear.

'For several seconds, the shark remained unseen, an invisible monster whirling below the ocean foam, then the 12ft white torpedo lunged for its prey at a 45-degree angle.

Buchheit said: said: 'The great white shark missed the first time but not the second, when it burst like a space shuttle through the spray with the panicked seal in its mouth'

'His mouth was a mass of ivory teeth and rosy gums but he missed the seal by over a second.

'The pup surfaced a few feet away. A moment later the shark launched again from the depths with breathtaking focus and precision.

'It rocketed so far out that only its tail was left in the water, the doomed seal pup was thrashing around inside the vice-like jaws.

'The shark then disappeared, emerging again with the pup.

'Seagulls dived towards the surface to scavenge as the shark chomped at the animal and quickly devoured its meal.'

He added: 'For the 65,000 seals that live there, the island serves as home base for the potentially fatal game of tag they play with the sharks daily.

After the seal was killed by the shark, Buchheit said, the 'seagulls dived towards the surface to scavenge as the shark chomped at the animal and quickly devoured its meal'

But the seal could have survived, Buchheit said. He explained: 'About half the time, the seal escapes without injury, surviving the initial attack before using its superior agility to evade the shark until it gets tired and swims off'

'The seals are nocturnal hunters, and will often swim more than 30 miles from the island to forage fish, squid, and crab during the night.

'They return to Seal Island around dawn, when lighting conditions provide a perfect opportunity for great whites to ambush them from below.

'Because adult seals can grow up to 700 pounds and become dangerous to attacking sharks, younger, more inexperienced seal pups weighing about 40-60 pounds are usually targeted.

'Though the sharks are able to successfully hunt hundreds of seals near the island each year, even against the youngest pups, the shark doesn't always win.

'About half the time, the seal escapes without injury, surviving the initial attack before using its superior agility to evade the shark until it gets tired and swims off.

'These events, called "predations" can be as short as 30 seconds and as long as five minutes.

'They provide one of the best opportunities a wildlife photographer can ever hope to experience.'
A homeless charity has slammed a business after it installed a 'heavy-handed' security system which threatens to call the police if people step in its doorway.

The bizarre alarm system is triggered when people enter the sheltered doorway of an office block in Glasgow.

Once set-off, a loud voice blares through the speakers, saying: 'You have been detected in an unauthorised area, please leave the area or the police will be called - CCTV is recording'.

A pressure group has also criticised the security measure for being 'heavy-handed', 'aggressive' and 'intimidating'.

The alarm system was installed outside an office block in Glasgow and is triggered when someone enters the doorway

Once set-off, a loud voice blares through the speakers, saying: 'You have been detected in an unauthorised area'

It comes just two weeks after a homeless man was barred from sheltering between two pillars of a building in York after the area was blocked by spiked chains.

Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, has said homeless people will be affected by the alarm at 46 Gordon Street near Glasgow Central Station.

The alarm is said to have been installed to prevent vandalism and is only activated at night.

But Mr Brown said: 'It is very sad that a business feels it has to go to such lengths to deny even the shelter of a doorway to someone who has no home to go to.

'In Scotland, people have a right to emergency accommodation from their local council if they have nowhere to stay and they also have a right to be treated with dignity and respect.

'We need urgent action to improve the safety net so no-one is looking for a quiet doorway to sleep in.'

The alarm is said to have been installed to prevent vandalism and is only activated at night

The office block on Gordon Street houses a jewellers, a healthcare company, a wig shop, several property consultants and a mortgage broker.

Managing agent Fletcher King refused to give an official comment.

But a source at the company said: 'The security measure was installed recently - only in the last few months.

'It is to prevent vandalism, as the building was experiencing trouble with that being that it is very central.

'It is the cost-effective version of nightly security and it only switches on at nighttime.'

Pressure group Big Brother Watch, who campaign for privacy and civil liberties, said: 'This is an extremely heavy-handed and aggressive approach to security.

'People who come near this doorway should not be subject to such an intimidating message.'
A baby almost swallowed an 'ecstasy' pill at a holiday house after schoolies trashed it the day before without cleaning up.

Simon and Mel Fenwick arrived at the $500-a-night property on the Gold Coast to discover the house was a mess and the kitchen appliances didn't work.

Schoolies had stayed at the apartment the family booked through Stayz, with the owners claiming they lied on the application to move in, saying it was for a wedding.

Baby Jack (pictured) almost swallowed an 'ecstasy' pill at a holiday house after schoolies trashed it the day before without cleaning up

Jack was stopped before he could swallow the purple pill feared to be ecstasy or something else dangerous the schoolies left behind

'We started unpacking and finding little bits and pieces wrong with the house, vomit on the couch, empty or half-empty beer and vodka cans,' Mr Fenwick told 9 News.

'I think it's quite disgusting that we weren't told to some degree the amount of filth that was in the house.'

Then their six-month-old son Jack was lying on a mat in the lounge room and found something lying under the couch that he put in his mouth.

Mr Fenwick stopped him before the little boy could swallow the purple pill he feared was ecstasy or something else dangerous the Schoolies left behind.

'I realised that he hadn't put it in his mouth, he'd just put his hand in his mouth but we just watched him for an hour or so to make sure nothing was wrong,' he said.

The family arrived at the $500-a-night property on the Gold Coast to discover the house was a mess with vomit and alcohol bottles left behind

Appliances at the house they booked on Stayz were also not functioning

Ms Fenwick said though the contents of the pill was still unknown, she was terrified that Jack could have died.

'One of the most scary things I've been through, given we've spent the last three years trying to have him through IVF and to know that if he swallowed that pill he potentially could have died,' she said.

The family has not yet been offered compensation, but the owners said they would 'discuss this directly with the current guests'.

They also said they would not be renting out the house during schoolies week to prevent something similar from happening again.
A Florida sheriff's deputy shot and wounded Babak Payrow (pictured), 35, who was allegedly wielding a screwdriver while walking in a neighborhood

A Florida sheriff's deputy shot and wounded a man who was allegedly wielding a screwdriver after a confrontation in a residential neighborhood.

Babak Payrow, 35, was shot by Deputy David Cloud early Thursday near Tampa.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's officials said in a news release that Cloud was on routine patrol when he saw a man walking suspiciously through the neighborhood.

When he got out of his patrol car to talk to the man, the man pulled a 10-inch screwdriver from a bag and aggressively approached him.

Authorities said the deputy gave Payrow numerous commands to back up, but the man continued to walk towards him.

'The deputy while in fear for his life,' the sheriff's office wrote in a press release. '[The deputy] pulled his service weapon and shot the suspect at least one time.'

Payrow was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Cloud was not injured in the incident. He will be placed on routine administrative leave.

Deputies say Payrow has a prior arrest for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence and resisting arrest.

According to the sheriff's office, Payrow has family in the area and often walks to visit them.

Criminal charges are pending in this case and the investigation is ongoing.
This is the horrifying moment a man caught on fire as he was sprayed with flammable snow foam while blowing out a candle on his birthday cake.

Fayaz Ali Memon, from Hyderabad in Pakistan, was celebrating turning 21 on Monday when his friends presented him with a cake.

But the party took a terrifying turn when party goers unwittingly covered him in hazardous froth.

The shocking moment was recorded by a friend as the birthday cake, complete with a gigantic firework-style candle in the middle, was laid down on the table scattered with flowers

Quickly flames catch the flammable liquid and spread across from his face and head

The shocking moment was recorded by a friend as the birthday cake, complete with a gigantic firework-style candle in the middle, was laid down on the table scattered with flowers.

And as Fayaz went to cut the first slice, his joker pals tried to cover him in synthetic snow.

But quickly flames catch the flammable liquid and spread across from his face and head.

At one point, the young man is almost completely alight as the fire engulfs his body.

'At least it was memorable': Fayaz said he would never forget his 21st birthday and thanked God he wasn't seriously injured

Sanjay Sethani, one of Fayaz's friends who attended the party, said: 'Spraying snow foam on friends at the birthday cake cutting parties was a norm for us. But, that fire was unexpected'

But luckily for him the fire burnt out within seconds after the snow had evaporated.

Fayaz was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure where he received minor burn injuries on his neck, ear and face.

Recovering from the incident, he said it certainly made his birthday 'memorable'.

He said: 'In my entire life, I will not forget this moment. I will remember my 21st birthday celebration all my life.

He added: 'I'm thankful to God that my face didn't burn due to the flames.'

It was not for the first time that Fayaz and his friends were using snow foam to celebrate a birthday party.

Sanjay Sethani, one of Fayaz's friends who attended the party, said: 'Spraying snow foam on friends at the birthday cake cutting parties was a norm for us. But, that fire was unexpected.'

However, the friends have now decided not to use such flammable material in any party in the future.

Sethani said: 'We have decided not to use anything like this in future.

'We are posting this video on social media to educate others for not using such things.'
Stephanie Roberts has avoided jail for a shocking knife attack on her 'controlling' boyfriend Ravi Benitez

A woman who stabbed her boyfriend in the face after taking drugs and drinking heavily has avoided jail after her lawyers insisted she is 'charming'.

Stephanie Roberts, 20, slashed at her lover Ravi Benitez, 19, when she visited him at Warwick University on November 24 last year.

Mr Benitez suffered slash wounds before a security guard managed to wrestle the seven-inch knife from Roberts' hands.

She was spared jail at Warwick Crown Court after the judge was told she is 'an intelligent young woman of integrity and charm'.

The court was told Roberts, of South Kensington, London, took anti-psychotic drug Xanax before going out drinking with Mr Benitez and his friends.

When they returned to Mr Benitez's flat at the university, which he shared with other students, Roberts attacked him.

The court heard Roberts pointed the knife at Mr Benitez before telling him: 'I'd rather kill the person who's f****ed me up the most - you. I know perfectly well what I'm doing.'

She then called her father, telling him: 'You need to get me before I kill him, you need to get me right now. You come here right now, or it's the end.'

Despite hearing how she said she'd kill Mr Benitez, Roberts' lawyer insisted she is 'charming'

But Adam Western, defending, said of Roberts: 'She had been subject to controlling behaviour and isolated from her friends.

'She says he manipulated her entirely. She is described as an intelligent young woman of integrity and charm.'

After admitting wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, Roberts received a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years.

She was also given a rehabilitation activity and a restraining order banning her from having any contact with Mr Benitez.

Judge Sylvia de Bertodano said: 'It was by all accounts a pretty toxic relationship which involved him providing [her] with Xanax on a regular basis.'

Addressing Roberts, she added: 'On this evening, on two separate occasions, you lunged at him with the knife.

The court was told Roberts, of South Kensington, London, (her home is pictured) took anti-psychotic drug Xanax before going out drinking with Mr Benitez and his friends

'The first occasion is what caused the damage, and there are two slashes to his face and to his finger when he put his hand up to defend himself.'

The judge added: 'It was a very, very dangerous way to behave, because if you take out a knife when you are distressed and angry and have had a lot to drink, you can cause very serious injuries indeed.

'Both he and you are very fortunate you did not do so on this occasion.

'But I have read a great deal about you, and both the prosecution and the defence accept I must sentence you according to your basis of plea which makes clear you had for some time been the victim of a mentally abusive relationship.

'Your circumstances had pushed you to the limit, and the combination of drink and drugs that had been supplied to you by him that night were sufficient to push you over the edge.'
A NSW driver is lucky to be alive after a kangaroo smashed through their windscreen in the state's Hunter region before landing and dying in the back seat.

A dramatic photograph of the smashed windscreen was shared on a NSW Police Facebook page on Thursday.

The driver had been making their way along the Golden Highway at Jerrys Plains about 6am when the Mitsubishi utility struck the roo, police said.

So powerful was the force of the impact that the animal smashed through the front passenger seat and landed in the back of the vehicle.

'Fortunately there were no passengers,' police said in their Facebook post.

Some people remarked the stretch of road was notorious for roo strikes.

Chief Inspector Phillip Brooks of the traffic and highway patrol command said all NSW residents should be aware of the risk of hitting kangaroos, especially given long, dry periods of warm weather.

'It's not unlike any other aspect of road safety, in that all road users should drive to the conditions,' he told Fairfax Media.
A father stabbed to death in a horrific road rage attack sent a chilling message to friends about the fragility of life just two days earlier.

Troy James McLean, 34, died on Tuesday after being stabbed multiple times on an Adelaide Street at 10.40am on Saturday.



Last Thursday he wrote the heartfelt message to a group of friends telling them he loved them and urging them to pass it on.

Troy James McLean, 34, sent a chilling message to friends about the fragility of life just two days before he was stabbed to death in a horrific road rage attack

Last Thursday he wrote the heartfelt message to a group of friends telling them he loved them and urging them to pass it on

'The way everyone is losing their life out there in the streets, storms, hurricanes, illnesses you never know when it could be one of us,' he wrote.

'And if it is one of us, I want to let you know that I cared about you. Forward this to everyone you care about including me.'

Mr McLean's friend Dylan King said though the message ended up being eerily accurate, it was hard to believe his childhood friend was gone.

'He was such a generous guy with a lot of friends who'd offer his mates the shirt off his back,' Mr King told Daily Mail Australia.

'He was a fun guy, good outdoors man too, loved four-wheel-driving, fishing, and finding some random river to go for a swim in.'

Mr McLean's friend Dylan King said though the message ended up being eerily accurate, it was hard to believe his childhood friend was gone

Mr McLean was allegedly stabbed by Benjamin Joshua George, 25, (pictured) during a roadside argument, leaving him bleeding at a busy intersection and driving off

McLean tried to drive himself to hospital while bleeding profusely, but crashed into a parked car just metres before he got there

Mr King said his old mate adored his 11-year-old son Sai and regretted things didn't work out with his ex-girlfriend.

'He had a lot of potential we were all waiting for him to realise. I guess now he'll never get his chance,' he said.

Mr McLean was allegedly stabbed by Benjamin Joshua George during a roadside argument, leaving him bleeding at a busy intersection and driving off.

Charges against the 25-year-old were upgraded to murder after his alleged victim died in hospital.

Mr McLean tried to drive himself to hospital while bleeding profusely, but crashed into a parked car just metres before he got there.

The owner of the car he drove into found him slumped behind the wheel when he went to confront him.

'He was such a generous guy with a lot of friends who'd offer his mates the shirt off his back,' Mr King said of Mr McLean (pictured)

George begged the victim's family for forgiveness as he appeared in court on Monday, saying 'can I just say I'm sorry to everyone'

Mr McLean's bloodstained car that he tried to drive to the hospital after he was stabbed

Mr McLean was rushed to Royal Adelaide Hospital in a serious condition and had emergency surgery while clinging to life, but died on Tuesday.

George begged Mr McLean's family for forgiveness as he appeared in court on Monday, saying 'can I just say I'm sorry to everyone', according to the Adelaide Advertiser.

George was remanded in custody to face court again in January, causing his family to burst into tears as they watched from the gallery.

Magistrate Yoong Fee Chin said George could apply for bail at a future court date.
Shocking video footage appears to show the moment a knifeman stabbed a rival during Albanian Independence Day celebrations in Trafalgar Square.

A man could be seen running towards a group of men who were fighting before allegedly stabbing a fellow reveller in the back several times.

The victim had his back to the alleged knifeman when he was attacked and received a series of blows to his midriff.

A man could be seen holding a large weapon - believed to be a knife - (left) during the Albanian Independence Day celebrations before appearing to attack another man

Just moments before, another man was heard screaming after he was punched in the face and upper body just yards from the National Gallery.

Seconds later, the alleged knifeman then sprinted off and it is not known what caused the violent brawl on Tuesday evening.

Police were called to the scene at 9.25pm after reports of a 'fracas' in the world famous square but found 'no evidence of an assault'.

Hundreds of people had gathered in central London to celebrate 105 years of independence in Albania.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'Police in Westminster were called at 9.25pm on Tuesday, November 28 to reports of a fracas outside the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, following Albanian Independence Day gatherings.

'Officers attended minutes later and found no evidence of an assault and no injured persons presented themselves to police.'
Fresh anger erupted over the 45billion Brexit Bill last night as it emerged the cash could go towards funding free Wifi in Greek hotels.

The money may also go towards free rail passes on the continent, tackling Euroscepticism and renovating the former home of one of the bloc's founding fathers.

The revelations has sparked fresh questions over why Britain has agreed to the EU's demand to pour billions of pounds into Brussels' coffers for years to come.

Tory MP and leading Brexiteer Peter Bone MP said the Government was 'betraying the trust of the British people' in agreeing to pay so much money.

He said voters who backed Brexit will want the cash to be spent on the 'NHS, social care and defence, they would not want it given to the European Union'.

Theresa May, pictured in Brussels last week, has agreed to pay 45billion to the Eu in a bid to finally move on to trade talks - but the cash could be spent on vanity projects like renovating the former home of one of the founding fathers of the EU

Fellow Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said there was 'growing concern that Her Majesty's Government seems in these negotiations to be dancing to the tune of the European Commission'.

Britain is understood to have signed up to the 45bn bill as Theresa May makes a final push to get the EU to move on to trade talks by the New Year.

The Brussels club has so fare refused to kick start the next phase of negotiations until sufficient progress is made on the bill, EU citizens rights and the Irish border.

But the cash could go towards a string of highly controversial projects including plans to install free Wi-Fi in parks, squares, public buildings and Greek hotels costing 110million.

It may also be spent on handing out free inter-rail passes for 18-year-olds to help teach them about EU core values costing up to 1.5billion.

And the money might be spent on renovating former home of EU founding father Jean Monnet in Paris costing 10.5million.

Tor MP and leading Brexiteers Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured left) and Peter Bone (pictured right) have raised concerns about the amount of the Brexit divorce bill pointing out that votes would expect the money to be spent on the NHS and schools

And the cash might bankroll a series of projects to 'challenge Euroscepticism' costing some 450,000.

Meanwhile, Britain and the EU are said to be on the brink of a breakthrough on the stand-off on the Irish border after new proposals based on fresh devolution to Belfast.

Under the plan the Northern Ireland Executive would be given sweeping authority to keep laws in the province close to the EU single market rules.

The set up would allow Northern Ireland to leave the customs union with the rest of Britain but still operate different rules on cross-border trade to the mainland UK.

If it went ahead, it could balance demands from Dublin for Northern Ireland to stay on EU customs terms and London's desire to quit the single market and customs union.

Neither side wants a 'hard border' but there has been no agreement so far on how this could be achieved.
In a Thursday morning tweet, President Trump scoffed at the Chinese's attempt to rein in Kim Jong Un, while calling out the North Korean leader for keeping his people in poverty.

'The Chinese Envoy, who just returned from North Korea, seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man,' Trump tweeted. 'Hard to believe his people, and the military, put up with living in such horrible conditions.'

'Russia and China condemned the launch,' the president added.

The tweet comes a day after Trump took the stage in Missouri and called the North Korean dictator a 'sick puppy' for blasting an intercontinental ballistic missile in Japan's direction.

The president said during the speech that tax cuts included in a Republican-backed legislative plan would be 'rocket fuel' for America's economy  and then paused to riff on 'Little Rocket Man,' his favorite insult to lob at Pyongyang's despot.

Trump had said earlier in the day that he plans to slap North Korea with 'major' new sanctions after Tuesday's launch of a missile that could theoretically reach the continental United States.

President Trump has brought back his nickname 'Little Rocket Man' for Kim Jong Un on the heels of the North Koreans' latest missile test

On Thursday, President Trump scoffed at the Chinese's attempt to rein in Kim Jong Un, while criticizing the North Korean leader for keeping his people in poverty

Kim's government launched an intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday that could be capable of hitting the United States

Trump called Kim 'Little Rocket Man' during his speech in St. Charles, Missouri  in just one of many ad-libbed aggressive moments that also included shots at Hillary Clinton and Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill

He spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping, after spending months working with China to try to apply additional pressure and making repeated public statements about China's ability to bring the rogue nation to heel.

'Just spoke to President XI JINPING of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea,' Trump tweeted Wednesday morning.

'Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!' Trump said, without specifying who would be imposing the sanctions  the U.S., China, or both.

His statement came after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has bragged that his country has achieved full nuclear statehood after successfully testing a new missile capable of hitting virtually anywhere in the world.

State media said the missile was launched from a newly developed vehicle and that the warhead could withstand the pressure of re-entering the atmosphere, which if confirmed would be an important technical advance.

According to an official White House statement about the call with President Xi, 'President Trump underscored the determination of the United States to defend ourselves and our allies from the growing threat posed by the North Korean regime.'

'President Trump emphasized the need for China to use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization,' according to the statement.

North Korea ended a 10-week pause in its weapons testing on Tuesday when it fired off a Hwasong-15 rocket - its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile yet which the regime claimed could be fitted with a 'super heavy nuclear warhead'.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un is pictured above signing what is said to be a document authorizing the intercontinental ballistic missile test

'THIS SITUATION WILL BE HANDLED!': President Trump vowed 'we will take care of it' following the launch, but gave no further details of his plan and said the test will not prompt a change of strategy in the region

'Just spoke to President XI JINPING of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea,' Trump tweeted Wednesday morning

It poses a new challenge for President Donald Trump who has vowed not to let North Korea develop nuclear missiles that can hit the US mainland.

After watching the launch, Kim Jong-un boasted about its success, according to state television presenter Ri Chun-Hee.

'Kim Jong-un declared with pride that now we have finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power,' the presenter said.

'The great success in the test-fire of ICBM Hwasong-15 is a priceless victory won by the great and heroic people of the DPRK,' she added, using the abbreviated name for North Korea.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned on Tuesday that North Korea now has the ability to hit 'everywhere in the world' and that the latest missile test went 'higher, frankly, than any previous shot they have taken.'

Pyongyang residents react at the Pyongyang Railway Station after the news of the successful launch of the new intercontinental ballistic missile

One physicist said that the missile appeared to have a realistic range of just over 8,000 miles, which means Washington D.C. is now in range of Kim's attacks

A map showing the estimated maximum range of North Korea's new Hwasong-15 ICBM which is capable of hitting virtually anywhere in the world with the exception of South America and parts of southern Africa

Today's DPRK Missile test, launched out of Pyongsong and according to these numbers: https://t.co/1iTF0qfAnJ



Note: impact location, acceleration, speed, etc. are all notional and for demonstrative purposes only. dat apogee doe pic.twitter.com/2Imcp7BLQm  Scott LaFoy (@wslafoy) November 28, 2017

An animation of the Hwasong-15 missile path. It reached ten times the height of the International Space Station before falling back to Earth

The Pentagon said the test missile traveled about 620 miles and landed within 200 nautical miles of Japan's coast.

In a broadcast on state TV, North Korea said the missile reached an altitude of around 2,780 miles - more than 10 times the height of the international space station - and flew 600 miles during its 53 minute flight.

North Korea deliberately fires its missile on a near-vertical trajectory to artificially limit the range.

If the Hwasong-15 had been fired on a typical trajectory, analysts believe it would have a maximum range of around 8,000 miles (13,000km) - leaving only South America and a small part of Africa beyond it's reach.

President Trump vowed on Tuesday to 'handle the situation' in a brief interview with reporters, but gave no further details.

'A missile was launched a little while ago from North Korea. I will only tell you that we will take care of it,' Trump told reporters in the Roosevelt Room of the White House a few hours after the missile streaked across Korean and Japanese skies at 745 miles per hour.

Asked if Tuesday's provocation by despot Kim Jong-un had changed his strategy in the region, he said: 'Nothing changed. We have a very serious approach and nothing changed. We take it very seriously.'

China expressed 'grave concern' over the new test, with foreign ministry spokesman calling on the US to suspend military drills in the region in return for North Korea freezing its missile programme.

Washington has previously rejected that approach.

China hopes all sides will work on the 'peaceful settlement' of the issue as a military option is not the solution to resolve the crisis, Geng told a regular news briefing.

North Korean state television brought out Ri Chun-Hee, a senior broadcaster who only appears for significant developments, to announce the landmark missile launch

North Koreans were spotted celebrating on the street after hearing the news of the successful launch of the new intercontinental ballistic missile

People cheer as they watch the news broadcast announcing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's order to test-fire the newly developed intercontinental ballisti

President Trump said on Tuesday that an ballistic missile launch by North Korea 'is a situation that we will handle' before Kim Jong-un bragged that his country achieved nuclear statehood

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned on Tuesday that North Korea now has the ability to hit 'everywhere in the world' and that the latest missile test went 'higher, frankly, than any previous shot they have taken'

North Korea has already carried out a record 15 missile tests this year which showed it has developed an ICBM that can likely strike most of mainland America

Beijing 'strongly urges' North Korea to observe UN resolutions and 'stop actions that heighten tensions on the Korean peninsula,' Geng said.

'At the same time we also hope the relevant parties will act cautiously to work together for the peace and stability of this region.'

Meanwhile the Kremlin also described the launch as a 'provocative action' and called for calm on all sides.

North Korea's immediate neighbors were less restrained with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calling the test an intolerable and 'violent' act and South Korean President Moon Jae-In condemning Pyongyang's 'reckless' behavior.

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also condemned the launch, tweeting: 'Another illegal missile launch from DPRK. This is not the path to security and prosperity for the North Korean people. DPRK regime must change course.'

The EU branded it a 'further unacceptable violation' of North Korea's international obligations, while Britain's ambassador to the UN called it a 'reckless act'.

The White House said Trump was notified immediately after the missile was fired, suggesting that the news interrupted a meeting with Republican senators on Capitol Hill.

'@POTUS was briefed, while missile was still in the air, on the situation in North Korea,' press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a tweet.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and her counterparts from Japan and South Korea will hold an emergency Security Council meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

Trump, in the midst of tense budget negotiations with Congress, stressed the need for improved military readiness - tying Tuesday's missile launch to his request for more defense spending.

The missile was launched eastward from Pyongsong in North Korea's South Pyongan Province at around 3:30 a.m local time before landing in the Sea of Japan

A South Korean Navy destroyer launching a missile at South Korea's east sea during a precision-strike missile exercise aimed to counter North Korea's missile test

'A lot of things have happened, even over the last two hours, with respect to the missile launch. We want our military funded, and we want it funded now,' he said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pictured speaking to reports about the missile that landed in the Sea of Japan

It comes as Hawaii has begun renewed tests of its a Cold War-era nuclear early-warning system.

The warning tone is set to be tested on the first business day of every month starting from December.

The missile was launched eastward from Pyongsong in North Korea's South Pyongan Province in the middle of the night local time, according to a statement issued by the South Korean Military's joint chiefs of staff.

Pentagon Spokesman Col. Robert Manning said in a statement that the launch, at about 1.17pm, was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), according to the Defense Department's initial analysis.

'The missile was launched from Sain Ni, North Korea, and traveled about 1000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone,' Maness said.

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson took to Twitter to condemn the missile launch

Trump had said earlier on Capitol Hill that he would talk 'soon' about the launch, which occurred while he was meeting with senators about tax-cut and budget proposals

The missile launch was dictator Kim Jong-Un's first such provocation since September 15

TRUMP'S HANDWRITTEN NORTH KOREA NOTES: President Donald Trump had handwritten notes in black marker and all capital letters in front of him on Tuesday when he revealed news of North Korea's latest missile launch. The piece of paper was spotted on the table in front of Trump as he addressed reporters in the Roosevelt Room of the White House a few hours after the missile streaked across Korean and Japanese skies. 'MISSILE WAS LAUNCHED FROM NORTH KOREA - WILL TAKE CARE OF IT,' the note read. Not straying far from his notes, Trump then told reporters: 'A missile was launched a little while ago from North Korea. I will only tell you that we will take care of it. It is a situation that we will handle.' The piece of paper was spotted on the table in front of Trump as he addressed reporters in the Roosevelt Room of the White House a few hours after the missile launch Advertisement

'The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America, our territories or our allies,' he added.

South Korea and the US worked together to determine the missile's trajectory and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered an emergency cabinet meeting.

Officials in Seoul said a rocket-tracking radar was turned on at a missile base in the North of the region yesterday followed by a large amount of radio chatter, the Yonhap news agency reported.

Tokyo and Washington were also placed on alert after radio signals were picked up, with one Japanese official telling the Kyodo news agency that a test could take place 'within the next few days.'

Cho Myoung-gyon, South Korea's unification minister, confirmed the activity at an event in Seoul as he warned that Kim might complete his nuclear program much sooner than previously thought.

Cho said there had been 'noteworthy activity in the North recently', but said the world would have to 'wait and see whether it leads to an actual missile test'.

Speaking about Kim's efforts to develop a viable long-range nuclear weapon, he added: 'Experts think North Korea will take two to three more years but they are developing their nuclear capabilities faster than expected.

'We cannot rule out the possibility Pyongyang may declare the completion of their nuclear program in a year.'

Trump was flanked by empty chairs on Tuesday afternoon, trolling Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, two key congressional Democrats who refused to negotiate on spending with him

Japan said the latest signals from North Korea might have come to nothing, saying they could have been from military exercises which the North routinely carries out each winter.

Cho said the frequency of North Korean activity tends to decline noticeably during the winter.

'If it launched a provocation, North Korea has to put its military on alert, but most of its troops are needed for manual labour for preparation of winter,' he said.

Other reasons behind the lull could be that Pyongyang simply needs more time to advance its missile program such as perfecting its re-entry technology, Cho said, or the North Korean leader could be focusing on boosting the economy.

Kim has already carried out a record 15 missile tests this year, including two which were fired over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

The tests also confirmed that North Korea has developed a functioning ICBM, a key step toward creating a nuke that can strike mainland America.

News of another launch would come as a blow to North Korea's opponents who had hoped that increased sanctions were at least slowing the country's progress.

After a flurry of missile tests over the summer, Kim last fired a weapon on September 15, despite widely-anticipated launches in October around Labor Day in the US and the Chinese 19th Party Congress.
Dnipropetrovsk Region Police Department said the father 'died on the spot after the explosion'

The father of a murder victim has killed himself and one defendant after detonating two hand grenades during his son's trial today.

Nine other people were hurt after the devastating blast in Ukraine.

It occurred in the city of Nikopol, about 150 miles from the separatist east of the country, during the trial of several men accused of killing two people in 2016, according to a statement from regional police.

During the hearing, the father of one of the victims pulled out and detonated two hand grenades.

Police said the father 'died on the spot after the explosion'.

Later a police spokesman confirmed the death of the second person - one of the defendants - after he was taken to hospital.

The spokesman added that a total of nine people were wounded, including the defendants, court personnel and guards.

In horrific pictures of the scene, blood can be seen splattered on the floor amid debris and signs of burning.

The blast was so powerful that it almost took a door off its hinges and left a TV screen smashed.

It also appeared to have smashed windows at the court, with pictures showing blinds from inside hanging outside.

Police said: 'The man died on the spot after the explosion. Three defendants, two convoy officers, a court employee and a civilian were injured. All victims were taken to hospital'

They added that all the victims were taken to hospital. Pictured: The courtroom after the detonation

Paramedics could also be seen carrying victims away on a stretcher after the shocking incident.

The tragedy highlights the arms trafficking problem in Ukraine since the conflict between Russian-backed rebels and Kiev army erupted in April 2014 in the country's east and has since then killed more than 10,000 people.

In November, Kiev police said two men were detained after 6.5 kilogrammes of explosives were found hidden in a car that was parked near a shopping centre in a densely populated area on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital.

The explosions ripped through the courtroom, almost taking a door of its hinges (left) and smashing a TV screen (right)

The courts windows were smashed out by the blast, which killed the perpetrator and left seven others wounded

Also this month, in the eastern war-torn Donetsk region police intercepted a car that was illegally carrying hundreds of cartridges and six hand grenades.

Security forces in southern Odessa region have also announced the arrest of a man suspected of trafficking weapons from the conflict zone.
A murder investigation has been launched after an elderly woman was killed at her care home.

Police were called to Forest Place Nursing Home in leafy Buckhurst Hill, Essex, after the pensioner was left with serious injuries.

The woman in her 90s was declared dead at the scene and a 32-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. He is being held in custody and will be questioned by officers today.

Bosses at the care home, which was told last year by inspectors it needs to 'significantly improve', labelled the killing a 'tragedy' and revealed that after 999 was called the care home was put into lock down.

Police have arrested a 32-year-old man on suspicion of murder after a woman in her 90s was found dead at Forest Place Nursing Home, pictured, in Essex

It also emerged that care home bosses were last year told to 'significantly improve'.

An inspection of the site found staff failed to store medicine safely, kept dead people's clothes in a resident's wardrobe, and left soiled sheets on beds.

It was rated 'inadequate' in all areas by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), meaning it is not adequately safe, effective, caring, responsive or well-led.

People at the home, which can take 90 residents - including some with dementia - were not protected from harm and not always treated with care or respect.

Other unsafe practices included people being lifted dangerously, fire doors being left wedged open, broken beds being left and very hot water being accessible to people with dementia.

People were sometimes ignored, including one person who was calling out saying they were in a 'dirty' wheelchair which belonged to someone else, and asking to be moved.

Following an unannounced three-day inspection in February 2016, the home was placed in 'special measures'.

The manager and care provider Martlane Limited were criticised by the CQC for failing to train and monitor staff and not being aware of their own requirements.

The CQC website said checks are now being carried out at Forest Place, which 'requires improvement'.

The nursing home provides accommodation for people over the age of 65 requiring nursing or personal care, dementia, diagnostic and screening procedures, disease, disorder or injury.

The home's website describes it as a 'A family run business with over 20 years experience in the provision of high quality personalised care.'

In the wake of the 'traumatic' death staff have been given counselling, but the facility is now operating as normal.

A spokesman said: 'Shortly before 1.20pm on Wednesday 29th November a tragic incident occurred within the home, which resulted in the death of a resident.

'The incident was immediately reported to Essex Police and measures were put in place to safeguard other residents within the home.

'Our thoughts are with the family of the resident.

'We hope the privacy of the family will be respected at this difficult time.

'We would like to thank Essex Police for the sensitive way in which they conducted their initial inquiries which minimised the disruption of care delivery to other residents within the home and we continue to support them with their investigation.

'This has been a traumatic experience for all of us at Forest Place, and we would like to thank Essex County Council for their support and offer of counselling which has been made available to all residents, relatives and staff of the nursing home.

'In view of the police investigation which is currently underway we cannot comment further at this stage as to the circumstances except to say that all normal procedures have been followed.'

A team of forensics officers has been at the scene of the home which specialises in caring for elderly people with dementia.

A post mortem is due to be carried out on the pensioner.

Essex Police have confirmed this morning that the suspect was known to the victim.

A spokesman said: At this stage we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation.'

In a statement Essex Police said: 'A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following a woman's death in Buckhurst Hill.

'We were contacted at 1.20pm yesterday with reports a woman aged in her 90s had suffered serious injuries at Forest Place Nursing Home in Roebuck Lane..

'She was pronounced deceased at the scene. A post mortem examination is due to be carried out later today, Thursday November 30.

'A 32-year-old man from Ilford has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in custody for questioning.

'We can confirm the victim and suspect were known to each other.

'The victim was a resident at the care home at the time of the incident. The suspect has no connection to the care home.'

The home, which cares for up to 90 people, was placed in special measures in 2016 following a Care Quality Commission investigation which judged the service to be 'inadequate'.

There was no police cordon at the building this morning, which sits at the top a leafy hill on the outskirts of London.

The white stained render building was surrounded by builders, with construction work taking place next to the site.

It is understood roughly 70 people are being looked after inside Forest Place Nursing Home, which cares for dementia sufferers, people with physical disabilities and offers palliative care.

Roll's Royces and Porches drove up and down the peaceful road, where houses can sell for as much as 1million.

Locals described the area as wealthy and were shocked at the slaying.

A dog walker, who did want to be named, said: 'This is a quiet affluent area.

'I can't believe this happened here.'
An ever-growing number of teenagers are flocking to Bali for Schoolies, attracted by free nightclubs and cheap drinks.

Unbeknownst to their parents, many Australian school-leavers are engaging in risky behaviour on the streets of Kuta, some even passing out in public.

Schoolies were spotted partying hard in the bars and nightclubs of the Balinese capital this week, enjoying the low prices and lax rules.

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An ever-growing number of teenagers are flocking to Bali for Schoolies (pictured is a Bali nightclub)

Unbeknownst to their parents, many Australian school-leavers are engaging in risky behaviour on the streets of Kuta, some even passing out in public (pictured)

'I'm with all my friends and we're all getting f***ed up tonight,' one Australian teenager told A Current Affair.

Far from the watchful eyes of their parents, out-of-control Schoolies reported visiting multiple bars and clubs on Kuta's Legian Street and drinking all night.

Alcohol flows freely in Bali and costs a fraction of what it does back home, but it is one of the island's biggest hazards.

'For $35 I got at least 15 vodka and Cokes and five of these other things, I'm not sure,' said one teenager.

Schoolies (pictured) were spotted partying hard in the bars and nightclubs of the Balinese capital this week, enjoying the low prices and lax rules

Drinks can contain poisons like methanol, or contains substances made in backyard labs, warned a local security expert, Richard Flax.

'The kids really don't know what they're drinking some of the time and that's the problem,' he said.

The mother of a young Australian who died in Bali four years ago said Schoolies should consider saying home.

As well as methanol, drinks have been known to contain mosquito repellent and arak - Balinese liquor.

Far from the watchful eyes of their parents, Schoolies reported visiting multiple bars and clubs on Kuta's Legian Street and partying all night (pictured is a Bali nightclub)

Schoolies dancing the night away admitted they did not know what was in their drinks, and reported being offered drugs out in the open.

One teen told of being offered cocaine, magic mushrooms, MDMA, and even Viagra.

Bali's harsh penalties for drug use are well-known, but sSchoolies seemed unaware of the dangers of another popular Balinese pastime - riding motorbikes.

Motorbikes and scooters are ubiquitous in Kuta, and Schoolies can be seen riding them recklessly from club to club.

Mr Flax warned Bali is not the place to learn how to ride a motorbike, and urged Schoolies to be careful on mopeds.

One schoolie was spotted with a helmet worn backwards, unaware four Australians have died while riding motorbikes or mopeds in Bali since April 2016.

Violence is another problem, despite a heavy police presence of local officers keeping the peace.

On Monday night a group of a dozen shirtless schoolies were filmed trading punches outside Paddy's Bar on Legian Street.

Other tourists watched in horror as the teenagers brawled in the street, before police arrived to separate the combatants.
Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb regained their composure as they co-anchored Today on Thursday without their 'dear friend' Matt Lauer.

The pair, who held hands, cried and hugged a day earlier after announcing Lauer's shock dismissal from NBC over allegations of sexual misconduct, were less emotional as they kicked off the morning show by sharing his apology and diving in to more accusations against him.

'It is a difficult morning here again because our top story is once again about our former colleague Matt Lauer,' Kotb said.

Guthrie, who fought back tears the previous day as she announced his departure, then read aloud an apology from the 59-year-old in which he expressed 'sorrow and regret'.

Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb were more upbeat on Thursday as they led the first hour of Today for a second day in a row after Lauer's firing

After a brief report on the growing accusations against Lauer from correspondent X, Guthrie and Kotb welcomed NBC favorite Carson Daly on.

His appearance prompted an excited reaction from Guthrie who declared him a 'sight for sore eyes'.

It also fueled rumors of who will replace Lauer on the show.

Fans are abuzz with speculation and hopes that Daly, who presented a brief segment about a Christmas lights and a toy drive, will take his $25million chair.

With years of NBC experience, the 44-year-old would be a natural choice for Today bosses.

He has hosted Last Call with Carson Daly since 2002 and continues to host NBC's New Year's Eve countdown.

Daly is however currently committed to late night finishes in his hosting duties on The Voice which makes the 4am Today wake-up call less of a reality for him.

Willie Geist, the anchor of Sunday Today and co-host of Morning Joe, is another realistic prospect.

He has been a routine fixture on Today weekday shows for years and holds a natural rapport with co-hosts Guthrie and Kotb.

Moving on: Talk has turned to who will replace Lauer and the appearance of Carson Daly on Thursday morning's show put him at the top of the list of favorites. Guthrie fueled the excitement by welcoming him on to the set and calling him a 'sight for sore eyes'

Obvious choice: Daly, 44, is an NBC favorite with a long history at the network. The prospect of him joining Today is hampered only by his current commitments to The Voice which require him to film live shows late at night

When news of Lauer's firing broke on Wednesday, he commended his accuser for taking on 'the most powerful person at NBC News'.

Some fans have called for Kotb to be made a permanent fixture on the first hour of the show.

She stepped in seamlessly when Lauer was fired on Wednesday, accompanying Guthrie through coverage of his departure and maintained reporting of it throughout her regular 7am-9am spot.

Kotb, 53, has years of experience with NBC. Whether NBC will instate a permanent, all-female Today anchoring team is yet to be seen.

Another option for Lauer's replacement is MSNBC News correspondent Craig Melvin.

Melvin, 38, co-hosts Today weekend shows and is well-liked among the week-day crew.

Already there: Hoda Kotb has been filling in for Lauer since he was fired and fans approve of the move. Some have called for her to become a permanent fixture on the 6am slot with Guthrie. Kotb is pictured on Wednesday after breaking the news of Lauer's dismissal on the air

Current fixture: Willie Geist, a long time Today fixture, is another possible replacement. He currently co-anchors Morning Joe and is the anchor of Sunday Today

Popular personality: Craig Melvin, co-anchor of Weekend Today and a popular MSNBC News correspondent (above with Guthrie and Kotb on Today in October) is another possible replacement

Other names thrown out by excitable fans and industry commentators included Today alumni Katie Couric and Ann Curry.

Curry was sensationally fired by the network in 2012 after a long-running reported tension with Lauer. With him gone, fans are calling for her to be reinstated.

Tamron Hall and Sheinelle Jones are two other possibilities.

Hall quit Today after learning earlier this year that Megyn Kelly would be replacing her in her 9am slot.

She filled in for Guthrie when she was on maternity leave and, before her departure from the popular morning show, was tipped for long success as part of its co-anchoring team.

Foreign blood: English journalist Keir Simmons is an NBC News correspondent who has appeared on Today in the past

All female prospects: If Today opts for an all-female anchoring team, Sheinelle Jones (left) and Tamron Hall (right) are two possibilities. Jones is a news anchor for NBC and MSNBC but is lesser known in the morning show circuit. Hall is more seasoned in the morning slot and was the face of the 9am Today hour for a short time before Megyn Kelly joined the network

Kelly's arrival and her new, Megyn Kelly Today show, however took the place of her most prominent hosting gig on the network.

Since Lauer's firing was announced, Kelly has been at the center of talk about his replacement.

The 47-year-old spoke intrepidly of his departure on her own show, describing it as a 'sign of progress' as she lay her thoughts squarely with his alleged victims instead of gushing over him as Guthrie, Kotb and Kathy Lee Gifford had all done hours earlier.

Later, Kelly admitted to hearing 'rumors' about his alleged misconduct but said she hoped they weren't true.

Veteran: Katie Couric is another prospect. The esteemed journalist and Today alumni is now without a TV home after leaving Yahoo as its Global Anchor. She co-hosted Today with Lauer and has in the past joked about how he 'pinched' her backside when they worked together

Revenge return? Ann Curry, who was fired by Today in 2012 as Lauer rose to become its most powerful news personality, is another show alumni who fans would like to see return

She however volunteered herself as a champion and confidante for any other women at NBC who have been sexually harassed.

Kelly made shockwaves in the industry earlier this year when she left Fox News after rising through its ranks at astronomic pace to join the NBC team.

She has since evolved her hard-hitting, 'elbows-out' (as she described it on Wednesday) demeanor to a more relatable and, as she hopes, 'uplifting', tone.

With Lauer and his $25million annual salary now gone, mother-of-three Kelly is NBC's highest paid star with her yearly take-home of $18million.

Lauer was rumored to have been displeased about her joining NBC earlier this year.

Ambitious newcomer: Megyn Kelly, who joined NBC from Fox earlier this year, is another name being widely thrown around in talk of Lauer's replacements. She dove right in to the topic of his firing on her own show on Wednesday and described it as a 'sign of progress'. With Lauer gone, she is now NBC's highest paid star

On Wednesday, she described him only as 'kind and supportive' during her transition to the network but spared him the same glowing tributes as other NBC staff.

It is possible NBC may not replace Lauer, the longest serving Today anchor who had been at its helm since 1997 before he was fired, for some time yet.

With the 2018 Winter Olympics fast approaching, the network is likely to draft in a host of VIP guest hosts to contribute to coverage.

MATT LAUER'S APOLOGY There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry. As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC. Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly. Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and I'm committed to beginning that effort. It is now my full time job. The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws. It's been humbling. I am blessed to be surrounded by the people I love. I thank them for their patience and grace. Advertisement

A spokesman for Today did not comment on any talk of replacing Lauer when contacted on Thursday.

In his apology, the father-of-three said that while some of the claims against him were 'untrue and mischaracterized', there was 'enough truth' to the allegations for him to feel ashamed.

Three separate women have now complained directly to NBC about Lauer's behavior when they worked together. At least one alleges sexual assault.

Since none of the women are named, it is not known if they are the same accusers who spoke to The New York Times and Variety about his alleged misconduct.

In Variety's piece, which was published on Wednesday after his departure, women described how Lauer exposed himself to them in his office and locked the door of it using a button under his desk.

One claimed to have been given a sex toy by the journalist along with a note about how he wanted to use it on her.

Others described being asked to go to his hotel room late at night as they worked together on various Olympics Games around the world.

Lauer, who is married, said in his statement that their accusations have prompted him to examine his 'troubling flaws'.

'Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized. But there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed.

'I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly,' he said.
Greer's missing toe was an identifying characteristic that helped apprehend him

A fugitive on the run for more than a decade has been apprehended in Mexico after he was identified by his missing toe.

William Joseph Greer, 52, of Texas, was arrested in Nacajuca, Mexico.

U.S. Marshals were tipped off to his location, and Mexican authorities assisted in tracking the fugitive down and arresting him, the New York Daily News reported.

Greer was wanted for the 2006 murder of Tammy Marie Esquivel, 28, who was Greer's girlfriend at the time of her killing.

Greer's sons, who were nine and 13 at the time, said they heard the couple arguing before gunshots went off.

Authorities found sheets of industrial-strength plastic and enough blood to conclude a person had been seriously injured, according to a news release from the U.S. Marshal Service. Esquivel's body was never found.

Three days after the December 19, 2006, murder, Greer was found with a pickup truck in a ditch, only partially clothed and intoxicated and was arrested.

In a rant captured on a dashboard camera, he mentioned loving Esquivel and a gun 'just going off'.

Esquivel (left) moved in with Greer (right) after leaving her husband. Following her killing, her body was never found

Despite the confession, authorities lacked evidence to charge Greer at the time.

Greer was arrested for public intoxication, but went on the run after posting bail.

Greer, who is missing the second toe on his right foot, was caught in Mexico

His missing toe was publicized as an identifying characteristic when he was on the lam and when he was detained officers asked him to remove his shoe to help identify him.

Greer's time on the lam landed him on the U.S. Marshal Service's list of 15 Most Wanted Fugitives in January 2016.

'As we approach the 11th anniversary of Tammy's murder, we hope that this arrest brings Tammy's loved ones some sense of closure,' a U.S. Marshal said during a press conference Wednesday.

Esquivel and Greer met when she was working as an exotic dancer to make ends meet, CNN reported. She eventually left her husband and moved in with Greer.

The same report also stated that Esquivel told her mother that Greer would hit her sometimes when he got upset.

Kelly Richardson, an ex-girlfriend of Greer, said: 'He was a real charmer. ... He was a real ladies man. ... He would get nervous if I started speeding or ran through a yellow light. ... You can only put on an act for so long and I knew something just wasn't right. ... It probably wasn't even a month after that that he just disappeared.'
The mother of one of two teens accused of plotting a 'Columbine-style' massacre at their school is shocked that her son could be involved.

The pair, aged 16 and 18, were charged over an alleged plan to attack students using guns, knives and homemade bombs at the school in Renmark, west of Adelaide.

The 18-year-old's mother, who can't be named, said police raided their home several times in the past month looking for weapons, but only found a knife.

The mother of one of two teens accused of plotting a 'Columbine-style' massacre their school is shocked that her son could be involved

The teenager's brother (pictured), who lived with him, said the family was in shock when he was arrested and he was never suspicious of his activities

'He's got a great personality he's no angel, even he won't say that, but he's not someone that everyone now perceives him to be, she told the Adelaide Advertiser.

'He's not the cold-hearted psychopath that he was painted out to be.

'He wasn't aggressive, he would have opinions but he would come back and would say what he thinks was wrong.'

Police were investigating whether Facebook posts by the pair were proof the young man was discussing the alleged plot long before police got wind of it.

The pair, aged 16 and 18, were charged over an alleged plan to attack students using guns, knives and homemade bombs at the school

The teenagers have been charged with planning a 'Columbine-style' (pictured) shooting at a school in South Australia

His heartbroken mother insisted her son was a 'fun-loving kid' always ready to help others, and left school three years ago after being bullied.

The boy knew his 16-year-old co-accused when they attended the same school but they only recently started hanging out.

His mother said her son recently was trying to stay away from the younger teen and 'ignore him as much as he could'.

She said his life went 'downhill' in the past few months, including staying in hospital, due to relationship issues, but he recently was doing better and found a job.

The young man's mother said he hoped to save money to move out with his girlfriend and travel around Australia.

She said police told her very little and she only heard about her son's charges through the news.

Des Bray (pictured), the head of major crime in South Australia, said this was as close to a U.S-style school shooting as Australia had ever come

The teenager's brother, who lived with him, said the family was in shock when he was arrested and he was never suspicious of his activities.

'You don't think something like that could happen in this community let alone your own family,' he told Seven News.

'It's really hard to put your mind around it, to imagine something like that on such a scale. There was never anything to suggest anything was ever going on.'

However, the brother praised police for stopping the alleged plot before it was carried out, and hoped to visit the teenager in prison soon.

'You've got to stand by your family as much as you can. Sometimes it can be a very, very hard thing to do,' he said.

The former best friend of one of the accused said he first noticed a change in the teenager when he began using his garage to make unusual objects.

'He made a knuckle-buster (sic) and Wolverine-type claws out the end of it,' the friend told told Nine News.

'He was a good kid. No doubt about it. But I think something just changed in him... We used to be best mates [so] to see this happen just really surprised me.'

15 people died when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (pictured) opened fire on Columbine High School on April 20, 1999

The teenagers had allegedly plotted to 'kill as many people as possible' in the attack, which they are accused of planning to carry out before the end of this school term.

Police said on Wednesday they believed there would have been significant casualties if the attack had gone ahead, but the alleged plot was thwarted when fellow students alerted police.

'We're extremely grateful to those students who came to us with this information,' Detective Superintendent Des Bray said.

He said this was as close to a U.S-style school shooting as Australia had ever come.

'There is no doubt in my mind that we've prevented a major catastrophe,' Mr Bray said.

'Police will allege that they intended to cause harm to a large number of people, however this plan was thwarted.

'There is no evidence to show that any other persons were linked with this matter, not did the two individuals have possession of firearms.'

The principal of the school in the Riverland region has been praised by the education minister for keeping parents informed over the alleged plot

The principal of the school in the Riverland region was praised by the education minister for keeping parents informed about the alleged plot.

'I have to pay tribute to the principal who has in this case shown extraordinary leadership and a very steady hand,' Susan Close told ABC radio on Thursday.

'In any community, but particularly in regional South Australia people know each other well and it really hits close to home.'

The 16-year-old will face court on December 5, charged with soliciting to kill. Police will oppose bail.

The 18-year-old will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court in January charged with aggravated counts of threatening to kill.

The pair had allegedly been planning the attack on the school in the small town close to the Victorian border since June.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi reversed course Thursday and said embattled Rep. John Conyers should resign from Congress as he faces growing sexual harassment allegations - while he checked into hospital with 'stress'

'The allegations against congressman Conyers as we have learned more since Sunday are serious, disappointing and very credible,' said Pelosi, a California representative who notably did not call for Conyers to go during a Sunday appearance on NBC's 'Meet the Press.'

'It's very sad. The brave women who came forward are owed justice,' Pelosi continued at a Capitol press conference.

'I pray for congressman Conyers and his family and wish them well, however, Congressman Conyers should resign,' she said.

But as her call seemed to seal the end of the 88-year-old alleged serial molester's fight for survival, his lawyer attacked her then smeared women claiming to be his victims as bandwagon jumpers.

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Defiant: Conyers, pictured on November 3 outside the Capitol, has denied any wrongdoing and said through his lawyer on Thursday that he has no intention to vacate his elected post

House Speaker Paul Ryan also called for Conyers to resign  but the 88-year-old's lawyer issued a defiant statement.

'Nancy Pelosi did not elect the congressman and she sure as hell won't be the one to tell the congressman to leave,' said attorney Arnold Reed, Politico reported.

Then he piled on: 'I would suspect that Nancy Pelosi is going to have to explain what is the discernible difference between Al Franken and John Conyers,' referencing another Democratic lawmaker, the Minnesota senator, giving his colleagues heartburn.

Pelosi's statement came as the Michigan representative was hospitalized Thursday morning for stress as he weathers a sexual harassment scandal and faces pressure to end his 50-year career in Congress.

She was joined by House Speaker Paul Ryan, who referenced a morning television appearance by one of Conyers' accusers.

'I heard what she said this morning on NBC. No one should have to go through something like that, let alone here in Congress. So yes I think he should resign. I think he should resign immediately,' said Ryan.

'I've just been briefed on the torrent of allegations and I think he should,' he added.

Conyers, 88, was rushed to a hospital just as a former aide broke her silence for the first time and spoke on the record about her accusations Conyers sexually harassed her.

Conyers' family say the veteran lawmaker is suffering from stress-related illness.

Nancy Pelosi: 'Congressman Conyers should resign.' pic.twitter.com/rC1yksNLR3  Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 30, 2017

Sam Riddle, a political consultant, told WDIV channel 4, 'I just spoke with Monica Conyers on the phone and we want you to know that the congressman is resting comfortably in an area hospital. He's doing OK, as well as he can be expected for a gentleman that's approaching 90 years of age.'.

'The congressman's health is not what it should be and lot of that is directly attributable to this media assault,' The Hill reported.

'He won't be coming out' to address reporters, Riddle said.

'His wife Monica is by his side,' said Riddle, who said he works with Monica Conyers.

'I pray for congressman Conyers and his family and wish them well, however, Congressman Conyers should resign,' said Pelosi

Conyers 'should resign,' said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California

'These serial accusers have done this before. We're used to it. We don't condone sexual harassment on any level.

'But we hope that you will pray for the congressman's good health and we hope and we hope that you will also understand that there is a bitter double edged sword to those that would accuse especially, when they're serial accusers,' Riddle told reporters at the hospital.

He called for the media to spend its time going after 'known pedophiles,' crash the White House Christmas party to research President Trump's accusers, and 'leave congressman Conyers alone.'

Conyers, who House minority leader Nancy Pelosi called an 'icon' on Sunday, was forced to step down from the top Democratic spot on the Judiciary Committee this week while facing mounting harassment allegations.

Fellow Democrats in the Congressional Black Caucus privately urging him to resign from the House of Representatives.

Conyers boarded a flight home to Detroit alongside his wife by on Tuesday afternoon as sexual harassment allegations against him continue to mount

The group's chairman, Rep. Cedric Richmond, says he and the Michigan congressman had a 'candid conversation about the seriousness of the allegations against him.'

'Any decision to resign from office before the ethics investigation is complete is John's decision to make,' Richmond said in a statement after the meeting.

Reps. Kathleen Rice of New York and Pramila Jayapal of Washington, both Democrats, have publicly called for Conyers to quit.

Conyers is facing an Ethics Committee probe after the harassment allegations emerged.

A former aide to the Democratic lawmaker who had received a settlement after accusing the Democrat of sexual harassment, and was later fired, broke her silence for the first time on Thursday, claiming that the veteran lawmaker 'violated' her body and asked her to find other women to sexually satisfy him.

Marion Brown, a single mother of two grown daughters and a grandmother, appeared on the Today Show with her lawyer to detail her history with the 88-year-old representative from Detroit, for whom she had work for 11 years.

'It was sexual harassment, violating my body, propositioning me, inviting me to hotels with the guise of discussing business and propositioning for sex,' Brown told Savannah Guthrie. 'He just violated my body, he's touched me in different ways. It was very uncomfortable and very unprofessional.'

Just a few hours after Brown's explosive interview aired, Conyers' family announced the congressman was hospitalized for a 'stress-related illness.'

Calls for the Michigan Representative have grown even louder after former staffer Deanna Maher (pictured right), 77, said he made unwanted sexual advances in 1997

Accuser speaks out: Marion Brown, an ex-aide to Rep John Conyers, appears on Today Show Thursday to detail allegations of sexual misconduct against her former boss

Rising her voice: Brown tells Savannah Guthrie that she decided to violate her NDA for the sake of her daughters and granddaughter

Conyers, the longest-serving member of the House, has denied any wrongdoing and said through his lawyer on Thursday that he has no intention to vacate his elected post, even though some top Democrats have been pressing him to leave.

In her interview on Today, Brown described one specific instance, which allegedly took place in a Chicago hotel room in 2005, in which she said the married legislator undressed down to his underwear in front of her and bluntly propositioned her for sex.

'He asked me to satisfy to him sexually. He pointed to genital areas of his body and asked me to touch him.

'I was frozen shocked. I didn't want to lose my job, I didn't want to upset him. Also, he asked me to find other people that would satisfy him. I just tried to escape. I did tell him that I was not going to do that and I did not feel comfortable.'

Brown is one of several women who have recently come out accusing the veteran member of the House of sexual misconduct.

Parts of her story
Staffers at The Today Show have expressed their disgust and outrage at Megyn Kelly for her smug, self-aggrandizing display and insensitivity to her distraught colleagues in the wake of Matt Lauer's firing.

Insiders at the show told DailyMail.com that if she had a public comment to make she should have focused on the accuser and the Today team who are devastated by by the allegation surrounding Lauer and his firing, which came late Tuesday night.

Instead, Kelly used her platform on her show Wednesday to say: 'This one does hit close to home. I too have known Matt for a long time and he has been a friend and kind and supportive to me in my transition to NBC News.'

And later that day, at a media event in Manhattan, she hailed his firing as 'a sign of progress.'

Her Today Show colleagues are outraged.

Colleagues at NBC are outraged at Megyn Kelly's remarks about Matt Lauer. Kelly used her platform on her show to say: 'This one does hit close to home. I too have known Matt for a long time and he has been a friend and kind and supportive to me in my transition to NBC News'

Savannah and Hoda were shell shocked and tried to strike the balance of reporting on someone they had known for years and considered a friend, while also showing respect for the accuser, NBC insiders said

Lauer, an NBC veteran, was rumored to have been furious when she joined the network. With Lauer out of the way, Kelly is now NBC's highest-earning host with a salary of $23million. Pictured: Kelly and Lauer in May after she was brought on by NBC from Fox

'We work in an industry of egos but this is the most opportunistic thing we've ever seen,' said one staffer.

'We now have the highest paid person at NBC News hosting one of the lowest rating shows, and rather than being humble, she takes the first opportunity to take the spotlight and make it all about her and what she knew.

'Our team is hurting and the newest member of the team who is yet to prove herself is out and about making public comments that she truly has no knowledge of.'

All day members of the Today show were crying and distraught, staffers told DailyMail.com.

'But rather than sticking around and spending time with the staff, Megyn made sure she was the center of attention.

'No one wanted Megyn here, she was forced upon us and today reinforced why she will never be a member of the Today family.'

Megyn saw this as an opportunity to mark her territory within NBC News. Yet she failed and she's now lost the support of everyone.

Savannah, Hoda and Al showed grace and class, colleagues said. They were shell shocked and tried to strike the balance of reporting on someone they had known for years and considered a friend, while also showing respect for the accuser who made a very difficult decision to file formal complaint against the most powerful person at NBC News  effectively changing the face of the Today Show forever.

A staffer said: 'Megyn on the other hand saw this as an opportunity to mark her territory within NBC News. Yet she failed and she's now lost the support of everyone.

'And here's something we'd like to say about her  she's terrible on morning television, her show is terrible, her staff think she is terrible, in fact her show should be call Terrible with Megyn Kelly.

'They were right over at Fox News, she deserves the nickname 'Me-Again'  as it is all about her even though she fails to see that the viewers don't like her.'

Megyn admitted hearing 'rumors' about Matt Lauer's alleged sexual misconduct before he was fired on Tuesday but said she hoped they 'weren't true'.

The NBC host was speaking at Business Insider's IGNITION media event when she made the revelation on Wednesday, hours after addressing Lauer's shock firing on her own morning show.

She denied having any 'official knowledge' of Lauer's alleged wrongdoing but said she knew reporters were 'sniffing' around 'the issue'.

She also boasted about knowing ahead of time that CBS veteran journalist Charlie Rose was due to be exposed for alleged misconduct too.

'I didn't have any official knowledge but because of the work I do and the stories I cover and the connections I have in the industry, I have a general feel for - I knew the Charlie Rose thing was coming - and I'd heard rumors about Matt but that's all they were.

'My feeling on it was a rumor is not the same as reportable fact. I knew people were sniffing around the issue and, you know, hoped it wasn't true,' she said.

Lauer, 59, was fired on Tuesday night as a result of his alleged sexual assault of a colleague while they were working on the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

News of his termination broke on Wednesday morning.

NBC insiders said: 'Our team is hurting and the newest member of the team who is yet to prove herself is out and about making public comments that she truly has no knowledge of.' Pictured: Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie on the Today Show on Thursday morning

A source said: 'And here's something we'd like to say about her  she's terrible on morning television, her show is terrible, her staff think she is terrible, in fact her show should be call Terrible with Megyn Kelly.' Pictured: Al Roker on Thursday morning

Megyn Kelly said she'd heard rumors about Matt Lauer's alleged misconduct before he was fired on Tuesday as she spoke at the Business Insider IGNITION media event in New York

It makes Kelly the network's highest paid host with her annual salary of $23million.

Lauer was the highest paid morning host, earning $25million a year.

Since Lauer's firing was announced, both The New York Times and Variety have since published in-depth pieces to expose him.

Lauer's first accuser came forward on Monday night and gave 'compelling evidence' of her account, the source said. He was fired 24 hours later.

At IGNITION, Kelly said she did not see it coming despite hearing 'rumors' of his alleged behavior.

She said she would not have been surprised to learn that such rumors had transpired to be false.

'I hear a lot of rumors about myself that are completely untrue.

'When you're a public figure people do make things up about you and put them out there in print, so I had no inside knowledge at all,' she said of Lauer's firing.

She went on to discuss being sexually harassed herself at Fox and said it was the duty of powerful women to be a champion and confidante of those in lower-ranking positions who find themselves being victimized at work.

'If a woman came to me at NBC News and said this has happened to me, a) I would advise her on what to do and b) I would work it behind the scenes even if I had to go into the bosses office and say "here's a name, do some investigating, I'm not going to tell you who reported it, I don't have to."

'Powerful women need to be there for less powerful women so that they can grow into powerful women,' she said.

Kelly also said she knew veteran CBS journalist Charlie Rose was going to be hit by sexual harassment allegations before he was fired earlier this month

News of Lauer's departure dominated the network's morning shows and Kelly, who was brought on in January from Fox, did not shy away from the topic.

'This one does hit close to home. I, too, have known Matt for a long time. And he's been a friend and kind and supportive to me in my transition to NBC news.

'And I see the anguish on my colleague's faces. But when this happens, what we don't see is the pain on the faces of those who found the courage to come forward.

'And it is a terrifying thing to do,' she said.

Kelly, 47, later harkened back to her time at Fox News, 'another news network where this happened' and vowed, like Guthrie and Kotb, to push on with their coverage of scandal despite their personal connections to it.

'We don't see the career opportunities women lose because of sexual harassment or the intense stress it causes a woman dealing with it when she comes to work each day.

'I am thinking of those women this morning and hoping they are okay. The days to come will not be easy.

'We are in the middle of a sea change in this country.

'An empowerment revolution, in which women, who for years felt they had no choice but to deal with being harassed at work, are now starting to picture another reality.

'To feel that change is within their grasp.'

All day members of the Today show were crying and distraught, staffers told DailyMail.com. 'But rather than sticking around and spending time with the staff, Megyn made sure she was the center of attention'. Pictured: Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie on Thursday

Kelly said she had hoped the rumors about Lauer were not true as she spoke at the event with Business Insider's Alyson Shantell, an appearance which was scheduled before Lauer was fired

After the show, Kelly managed a coy smile as she dodged reporters' questions about the scandal. She is now NBC's highest paid star with a salary of $23million

'As painful as this moment is, for so many here at NBC, today, at CBS earlier this month, at Fox News over the last year, in Hollywood this fall, it is a sign of progress, of women finding their voices, their courage and of the erosion of a shameful power imbalance that has been in place for far too long,' she said.

'A final note. I have been at another news channel where this happened, as you know. My experience is, a news organization is bigger than any one person.

'They all face challenges. They all stumble. But the good ones stay standing and forge forward, fulfilling their core mission, journalism. We'll continue to stay on this story and bring you more as we know it. Until then, on with the news,' she said.

Then came a deep breath and a brief glance away from the camera until she segwayed seamlessly into the next item on the agenda.

LAUER ADMITS SHAME AND WRONGDOING There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry. The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my troubling flaws. It has been humbling. Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized. But there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly.' As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC I am blessed to be surrounded by the people I love. I thank them for their patience and grace. Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and I'm committed to beginning that effort. It is now my full time job. Advertisement

Kelly joined NBC in January this year as Fox News's biggest names crumbled under accusations of sexual misconduct.

She had worked there since 2004 and become one of the network's highest paid and most revered presenters.

Lauer's termination was announced by NBC on Wednesday morning.

His accuser has not been named.

Her attorney spoke with The New York Times to confirm the timeline of events.

'My client and I met with representatives from NBC's Human Resources and Legal Departments at 6 p.m. on Monday for an interview that lasted several hours.

'Our impression at this point is that NBC acted quickly, as all companies should, when confronted with credible allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace.

'While I am encouraged by NBC's response to date, I am in awe of the courage my client showed to be the first to raise a complaint and to do so without making any demands other than the company do the right thing,' Ari Wilkenfeld, a civil rights lawyer with the firm Wilkenfeld, Herendeen & Atkinson in Washington, said.

In his letter, Lack said the network received a 'detailed' complaint about the alleged assault and that, upon review, they do not believe it was the only instance of alleged misconduct.

In a statement on Wednesday, Today said: 'Matt Lauer has been terminated from NBC News.

Lauer's Today co-hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb soldiered through their broadcast on Wednesday after learning of the news moments before going on air

After filming, Hoda Kotb was visibly distressed and shaken as she left the set

Lauer, 59, was the show's longest-serving co-anchor after joining in 1997. He was earning $25million a year from his role

'On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer.

'As a result, we've decided to terminate his employment.'

Guthrie and Kotb, who went on air moments after learning of Lauer's termination, were understandably more stunned.

'This is a sad morning here at Today and NBC News. We learned this moments ago, just this morning.

'As you can imagine, we are devastated. And we are still processing all of this,' said Guthrie.

'I will tell you, we do not know more than what I just shared with you. But we will be covering this story, as reporters, as journalists.

'I'm sure we'll learn more details in the hours and days to come. We promise to share that with you.'

The shock trickled into Kathy Lee Gifford's appearance later. She used the scandal to compare Lauer to her cheating husband Frank.

'It makes you question, was everything a lie?' she said. Gifford said she found solace in the Lord and urged others to turn to religion when confronted with hardships.

Hoda, still reeling from the shock herself, held her hand in support.

'Was everything a lie?' A tearful Kathy Lee Gifford compared Lauer's firing to learning that her late husband had been cheating on her

Gifford was supported by co-host Hoda who held her hand as she described finding solace in God during difficult times. Both women acknowledged Lauer as a 'dear friend'

Lauer was paid $25million-a-year and was the show's longest-running host, having been at its helm since 1997.

He is married and has three children with his wife Annette but has long been known for his rumored womanizing. His wife and children live in East Hampton.

Details of the alleged misconduct have not yet been revealed beyond when it is said to have happened.

An NBC source told Page Six on Wednesday that the woman complained on Monday night and that Lauer was fired 24 hours later as a result of the 'compelling evidence' she provided.

'This happened so quickly. She didn't go to the media, she made a complaint to NBC's human resources, and her evidence was so compelling that Matt was fired on Tuesday night.

'The victim says she has evidence that this has also happened to other women, but so far we don't have evidence of that,' they said.

A rumored investigation by The New York Times into claims against Lauer is also said to have been in the works.

CNN reports that several of the newspaper's reporters contacted NBC sources as part of the investigation in the weeks before Lauer's firing.

Two Variety editors also claimed on Thursday that they had been working on a similar investigation and had spoken to 'multiple' women as part of it.
Australians have been urged to steer clear of spray-on sunscreen this summer as most people don't apply enough and are left with serious burns.

The Cancer Council has issued a warning ahead of impending searing summer temperatures, encouraging those planning on catching some rays to stick with the old faithful rub-on sunscreen.

Windy conditions make it difficult for people to evenly apply spray-on sunscreen, and most people don't apply enough, according to the organisation.

The Cancer Council issued a warning, encouraging people to stick with rub-on sunscreen (file picture)

It has stopped endorsing the product, with chief executive Professor Sanchia Aranda saying people rarely got the protection they needed, Daily Telegraph reports.

'People seem to be using them a bit like a mosquito repellent, whereas you're still trying to get exactly the same amount on as you would with a cream sunscreen,' Professor Aranda said.

She said at least five millilitres of sunscreen, which is equal to about a teaspoon, should be rubbed on each section of the body.

'If you are going to continue to use an aerosol, make sure you get that amount on and rub it in as you would a normal sunscreen,' she said.

Windy conditions make it difficult for people to evenly apply spray-on sunscreen Cancer Council says (file picture)

Prof Aranda recommended avoided sunburn by applying sunblock 20 minutes before stepping into the rays and slapping more on every two hours.

She also suggested that people utilise shady areas, wear a hat, sunglasses and protective clothing.

Alarming new research revealed a slip in the proportion of adults being sun smart in the last three years, with 17 per cent now opting for protective clothing - down from 19 per cent.

About 2.7 million adults were still getting sun burnt, prompting the Cancer Council to call on the Government to direct more funds towards skin cancer awareness.


An Ohio man convicted of murdering an expectant couple spat on a courtroom floor in front of their grieving families as he was led away on Wednesday.

David Calhoun, Jr, 26, had just been convicted of shooting dead Le'Shaun Sanders, 33, Sara Marsh, 32, and their unborn child in November 2016 when he showed his contempt for the court.

Moments before, Sanders' sister, Patricia Jones, told the judge, according to the Record-Courier: 'I want him to suffer. I want him to know I want him to suffer. I hope he dies in the worst way.'

David Calhoun, Jr (pictured), 26, pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated murder Wednesday. He spat on the floor rather than say anything as he was led away

Calhoun was given three life sentences for aggravated murder but spared death row after accepting a plea deal earlier this month.

He had previously been in prison - where he picked up the nickname 'D-Block' - and is believed to have shot Sanders dead in Ravenna Township over a long-standing dispute. The details of the dispute were unclear.

Marsh, who was 10 months pregnant with Sanders' child at the time, had no previous history with Calhoun and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, cops said.

Le'Shaun Sanders, 33, and Sara Marsh, 32 (both pictured), were shot in November 2016 after Sanders got in a dispute with Calhoun. Marsh was pregnant with Sanders' baby

Calhoun's lawyers had little to say in his defense during the hearing in Portage County on Wednesday, and much of the time was spent listening to him being berated first by the families of his victims, and then by the judge.

Karen Marsh, Sara's mother, said she had not slept properly in the year since her daughter was murdered.

'She wasn't a mean person. She was loved by a lot of people, so I don't understand [why she had to die],' she said.

'I don't understand, I just don't understand this, to not know why.'

She added that Sara's other children would now face lives of hardship without their mother's love.

Her three-year-old son 'will never know what his mom was like,' she said.

'She has a 6-year-old who will never remember the love her mom had for her. She has a 14-year-old son going through a lot of changes.

'This has not only affected me but the children. Their lives are forever altered and we cant explain to them why.'

Sara Marsh's father, Larry, said that he hopes her killer will 'rot in Hell,' although 'For this individual to spend the rest of his life in prison, that's some consolation.'

Karen and Larry Marsh, Sara's parents, watch emotionally as Calhoun is taken away. Karen told the court that Sara's three surviving children - aged 3, 6 and 14 - would now have hard lives

Sanders' mother, Marcia Patton, said that she hoped to find forgiveness for the man who killed her son just two weeks before his birthday.

'These guns need to be put to peace. Innocent people is being killed for no reason and we got to live with this,' she said.

'I'm not going to say I'd like to see [Calhoun] rotting in hell, but if God has it in his heart to forgive him, then I forgive him.'

However, Sanders' sister, Patricia Jones, denounced Calhoun as a 'thug' and a 'monster' and promised that 'There is special place in Hell for him.'

She continued: 'I don't feel sorry for his mama, for his kids, for anyone that know him. I hate him. I hope one day God forgives him, but I hate him.

'I hope he rots in Hell, in jail, and everybody dies around him. I hope he goes out on a stretcher. I hope someone kills him.'

One person did speak up in Calhoun's favor - a friend, who wrote him a letter of support.

'That you have someone who still sees some good in you is a blessing,' Judge Becky Doherty told him, 'because certainly the families I've heard from today don't see that.

'And they have every right not to see that, given what you've taken from them. You took their lives and changed them forever.'

She asked him if he had anything to say for himself before he was taken away.

He simply said 'No' and spat on the floor as he was led out.
Al Franken was bluntly told to go by two senior Democratic figures on Thursday hours after two more women came forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct on Thursday - bringing the total accusers to six women.

The new accusers include an Army veteran who says Franken grabbed her breast during a USO tour in 2003, and a former New England elected official who says the then-radio host forcibly kissed her on the cheek in 2006.

Both allegations occurred before Franken ran for public office in 2007.

Franken, currently the junior senator from Minnesota, has refused to step down in the wake of the allegations, but apologized for all those he had hurt in a press conference on Monday.

Now he is facing the first call to quit from senior figures in his own party with Joe Crowley, the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus telling Politico: 'I think it's time for Senator Franken to go.'

A fifth woman has come out to accuse Sen. Al Franken of groping. Stephanie Kemplin, left, says Franken groped her during this picture in 2003, during a USO tour event in Kuwait

The congressman was asked about Franken and John Conyers, the 88-year-old longest-serving member of the House of Representatives, who is accused by a series of women of harassment and unwanted touching.

'In my opinion I think its time for John to resign. And I think under the circumstances, given the new revelations about the senator as well, I think its time for both of them to go,' he said.

Tim Ryan, a Democratic house member from Ohio seen as a rising star in the party also tweeted that he should go, saying: 'Conyers should resign. And for that matter, Franken should resign too. These are credible allegations, and I believe these women.'

The move by Crowley and Ryan suggests the waters may be close to closing over Franken's political career. Franken has not responded to the two most recent allegations.

The latest accusation comes from a former New England elected official, who told her story to Jezebel and asked to remain anonymous.

She said Franken came to her town in the spring of 2006 to hold a live tapping of his progressive radio show Air America, and invited her, an elected official on the town's Selectboard, to take part.

I reached out my hand to shake his...He took it and leaned toward me with his mouth open. I turned my head away from him and he landed a wet, open-mouthed kiss awkwardly on my cheek. Anonymous sixth Al Franken accuser

At the end of the interview, she says Franken went to shake her hand and then pulled her in a forcibly kissed her.

'I reached out my hand to shake his...He took it and leaned toward me with his mouth open. I turned my head away from him and he landed a wet, open-mouthed kiss awkwardly on my cheek,' she said.

She says she was dumbstruck by the move, one that was made so boldy in front of a large audience.

'I was stunned and incredulous. I felt demeaned. I felt put in my place.

'It was onstage in front of a full theater... It was insidious. It was in plain sight and yet nobody saw it,' she said.

When other women started coming forward with similar stories of Franken, she says she had a bad case of dejavu.

'The other womens accounts of him grabbing their buttocks in front of their mothers and husbands, I believe them,' she said.

Shortly after the incident, the woman told her sister and a friend about the encounter. Both corroborated her story to Jezebel.

The woman says she's speaking out because she wants Franken to take responsibility for his actions.

'I know that I've let a lot of people down,' said Minnesota Sen. Al Franken said in a press conference on Monday

'My intent in coming forward is not to negate the good work hes done or smear his name,' she told us. 'I want him to take personal responsibility for his actions, learn from this, not repeat the behavior, and go forward with respect in all his interactions with women.'

The woman's friend said she is liberal, and is not part of some right-wing conspiracy to bring the senator down.

'We dont have an agenda to bring this guy down and we didnt at the time,' she said.

About two hours before Jezebel published their story, CNN released a new report from an Army veteran who says Franken groped her in 2003.

I remember clenching up and how you just feel yourself flushed. And I remember thinking - is he going to move his hand? Was it an accident? Was he going to move his hand? He never moved his hand. Stephanie Kemplin, fifth Al Franken accuser

Stephanie Kemplin, 41, says she attended a USO tour event in Kuwait featuring the then-comedian in December of that year. After the show, the Ohio resident waited in line to get a picture with Franken because she was a big fan of Saturday Night Live growing up.

But when it came her turn to pose with the funnyman, she says he reached around and grabbed her breast.

'When he put his arm around me, he groped my right breast. He kept his hand all the way over on my breast,' Kemplin, who was 27 at the time, told CNN. 'I've never had a man put their arm around me and then cup my breast. So he was holding my breast on the side.'

Kemplin said the touching lasted for five to 10 seconds, before she turned her body to move his hand off her breast.

'I remember clenching up and how you just feel yourself flushed,' she said. 'And I remember thinking - is he going to move his hand? Was it an accident? Was he going to move his hand? He never moved his hand.'

THE SIX WOMEN WHO HAVE SPOKEN OUT AGAINST FRANKEN Stephanie Kemplin The 41-year-old Army vet says Franken grabbed her breast when the two posed for a photo at a USO event in Kuwait in December 2003. Kemplin is a registered Republican who voted for Trump in the presidential election. Anonymous former New England elected official A former chair of a New England town's Selectboard says she was invited to take part in a live taping of Franken's radio show in the spring of 2006. After her interview, she says Franken shook her hand, pulled her close and then forcibly kissed her on the cheek. She says she has long admired Franken's politics, so her coming forward is not politically motivated. Leann Tweeden The Los Angeles radio news anchor says Franken forcibly kissed her with tongue and then 'jokingly' groped her breasts on a USO tour in 2006. Anonymous 38-year-old book editor This Franken accuser says she met Franken at the Minnesota Women's Political Caucus in June 2007 and that he grabbed her butt while the two took a photo at the event. She describes herself as liberal. Anonymous This accuser says she was 21 years old in 2008 when she met Franken at a Democratic fundraiser in Minneapolis. She says Franken grabbed her butt and later suggested that the two visit the bathroom together. Lindsey Menz Stay-at-home mom Lindsey Menz says Franken grabbed her butt as her husband took a picture of her and the senator at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010. She described herself as a Republican who voted for Trump in the presidential election. However, she has voted for Democrats including Minnesota's senior Sen. Amy Klobuchar. She can't remember if she voted for Franken, but believes she did. She now lives in Texas. Advertisement

She added: 'It was long enough that he should have known if it was an accident. I'm very confident saying that.'

The photo, which Kemplin shared with CNN, shows her smiling awkwardly, her body turned in towards Franken and her cheek pressed up against his face.

Kemplin says she doesn't remember telling any of her fellow soldiers about the incident, but she did tell multiple members of her family and her ex-boyfriend, who she started dating after the two returned from the Middle East.

CNN interviewed Kemplin's sister and the ex-boyfriend and they told the outlet what they remembered of the incident.

'I just remember her telling me that he grabbed her breast and that she was so shocked about it,' her older sister said . 'My sister is pretty bold and assertive and she said that she didn't know what to do.'

Her ex-boyfriend says he doesn't remember all of the details of the Fraknen encounter, but says he does remember his ex saying 'he went to put his arm around her and copped a feel'.

Kemplin said she thinks what Franken did is especially heinous considering her work serving her country.

'I was in a war zone... You were on a USO tour -- are you trying to boost the morale of the troops or are you trying to boost your own?' she said. 'I just feel so sorry for that young girl in that picture.'

Kemplin also revealed that she was sexually assaulted by a fellow solider just months before her run-in with Franken. She says the assault happened when she was sharing a tent with a specialist.

The Army investigated and determined that the specialist had engaged in 'totally inappropriate behavior' but was not guilty of 'indecent assault'. Kemplin says she was told that she was 'responsible' for the encounter for letting the man get close to her.

'I was really pissed off. It was not right,' Chambers said. 'My reaction was: when is it ever the victim's fault?'

Kemplin is the fifth woman to come forward with such allegations against Franken, the junior senator from Minnesota and a high-profile democrat. She now works as a Medicaid investigator and says she's a registered Republican who voted for Donald Trump during the election.

On Monday, Franken apologized for his behavior but said he would not be stepping down. He said he will cooperate with an ethics investigation.

'I am going to try to learn from my mistakes,' the Minnesota Democratic senator told reporters at the Capitol in his first televised press conference since the allegations came to light.

Kemplin was the second woman to accuse Fraken of groping her during a USO tour, before he went into politics.

Leann Tweeden (pictured), spoke out about an incident involving Franken that happened in 2006. Tweeden accused Franken of forcibly kissing her and putting his hands on her breasts

Three of the accusers said that Franken grabbed their buttocks while taking photos with them during campaign events.

Franken told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he doesn't remember the photos, but such groping is 'not something I would intentionally do.'

The first woman to come forward was Los Angeles radio news anchor Leeann Tweeden.

She released a photo this month showing the then-comedian Franken grinning while reaching out as if to grope her breasts as she slept on a military aircraft during a USO tour in 2006.

Franken told Minnesota Public Radio on Sunday the photo was 'inexcusable', but he declined to explain it further.

'What my intention was doesn't matter. What matters is that I am chained to that photo,' Franken said.

'She ... didn't have any ability to consent. She had every right to feel violated by that photo. I have apologized to her and I was very grateful that she accepted my apology.'

Tweeden said Franken also forcibly kissed her while rehearsing for a USO performance, but Franken has said he has a different recollection of the rehearsal.

Another woman, Lindsay Menz, alleges Franken pulled her in closely and squeezed her buttocks while they posed for a photo at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010.

On Sunday Franken told WCCO in Minneapolis he had no intention of stepping down

Two other women, speaking anonymously to The Huffington Post, said Franken grabbed their buttocks during political events in 2007 and 2008, during his first Senate campaign.

'I don't remember these photographs. I don't,' he said Sunday, estimating he has taken 'tens of thousands' of photos with other people over the years. 'This is not something I would intentionally do.'

Franken faces a Senate ethics investigation - which he welcomed in the wake of Tweeden's allegation - though it's unclear when that review may begin. Franken, who hasn't faced widespread calls to resign, said he will fully cooperate.

Franken sidestepped questions on Sunday about whether the allegations would make him less effective in the Senate. He noted he has apologized to women who have felt disrespected and 'to everyone I have let down.'

'I think this will take some time,' he told Minnesota Public Radio. 'I am trying to handle this in a way that adds to an important conversation. And to be a better public servant and a better man. That is what my goal is.'

Franken came to the Senate after a months-long recount gave him a 312-vote victory in his 2008 election. He immediately tried to distance himself from his decades of professional comedy, which included off-color jokes about rape and disparaging women. He also avoided national reporters.

Dozens of women who've worked with Franken, including former Senate staffers and women who worked with him on NBC's 'Saturday Night Live,' signed statements supporting Franken following Tweeden's allegations.
Chinese Australians are snapping up homes at a much higher rate than other Australians, according to new research.

Almost three-quarters of Chinese people own their own home, compared to 60 per cent of non-Chinese, and they're 23 per cent more likely to be actively seeking property to buy, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Nearly half of China-born Australians were found to be searching for a home to buy, a significantly higher amount than other Australians, at 34 per cent.

Almost three quarters of Chinese owned their own home, compared to 60 per cent of non-Chinese

Data collected by the St George Home Buying Survey revealed despite making up just three per cent of three per cent of the population, Chinese Australians were generally more successful in the property market.

However, their funds are most often sent from overseas, with St George spokesman Ross Miller saying they were twice as likely to receive financial help from parents or other family members based abroad.

More than 40 per cent were found to receive financial assistance from relatives or friends, and 15 per cent gained money as a gift.

Mr Miller also noted that Chinese Australians most commonly arrived in the country in their prime home-buying years - between ages 20 and 44.

'What we found really interesting is that stability, family and long-term grassroots is important to nearly all Chinese-born Australian families,' he said.
The former nanny of the ninth-grader charged with murdering his grandmother claims she caught him walking around at night with a knife like a scene out of horror movie 'Halloween.'

Debbie Gallardo, 55, looked after Logan Mott, 15, for four months in 2012 while his father was at work and says she locked her bedroom door because she feared for her safety.

The mom-of-two claims Mott, then aged ten, had a stash of knives under his bed and says she once found him wandering slowly down the hallway clutching a 15-inch hunting blade.

She said: 'It was like Michael Myers when he was a little kid in the clown outfit. That is what first stuck in my mind when he came walking out.

'They are portraying him as not having any issues and it is alarming to me. I knew back then that there was something off with him. He just had this look at times.'

In social media photos obtained by DailyMail.com Mott is seen posing with a handgun and a shotgun.

Logan Mott, 15, was charged with killing his 53-year-old grandmother Kristina French (right) and allegedly burying her body in a shallow grave in his backyard

The teen had been under the supervision of his grandma in his father's home at the time they both went missing. Undated social media pictures obtained by DailyMail.com show the 15-year-old posing with a handgun

Police arrived at the home to find the home ransacked with guns missing from a safe. Social media photos obtained by DailyMail.com show him previously posing with guns including a shotgun outdoors

Mott, 15, from Jacksonville, Florida, is accused of murdering his grandmother Kristina French, 53, who was shot and suffered multiple stab wounds.

The pair sparked a manhunt when they were reported missing together on November 21.

Mott lived with his father Eric Mott, Kristina's son. Eric was on vacation with his girlfriend at the time of the murder.

Mr Mott reported his mother and son missing after they neglected to pick the couple up from the airport on Wednesday.

The father returned to find the home had been ransacked with multiple guns missing from a safe and police found evidence of 'possible criminal violence'.

Cops initially feared for both their safety but the diabetic teenager was declared a person of interest Thursday after French's body was found buried in the backyard of the family home.

On Friday, Mott was detained by border guards trying to cross into Canada in French's stolen car.

He is charged as an adult with murder and will be held in Buffalo, New York, until an extradition hearing on Friday, the State Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, according to The Buffalo News.

Now Mott's former nanny, who took a $350-a-month job advertised on care.com looking after the youngster between the hours of 10pm and 7am, has spoken out.

She was contacted by Eric Mott on the site in January and says she offered a position a month later after the family's arrangement with a different, younger nanny didn't work out.

The nanny: Debbie Gallardo, 55, says she was Logan's caretaker in 2012 when he was ten years old. She told DailyMail.com she 'knew back then that there was something off with him' and was aware he had a stash of knives under his bed

Debbie says Logan was 'well-mannered' when she first met him in February 2012 but on the second night of the job, a chilling encounter with the boy left her suffering nightmares.

Debbie, of Atlantic Beach, Florida, said: 'Logan was asleep and his dad had told me to leave the hall light on because he was afraid of the dark.

'I was sitting in the living room on my laptop watching Netflix or something, and it was about an hour into being there when I looked up.

'I saw Logan coming down the hallway wearing no shirt and boxers. He was carrying a knife like you would carry a torch.

'It was a hunting knife - large, but not a machete. The kind of knife you would use to skin a deer. The blade was a good 15 or 16 inches long and the end curled up.

'I was terrified. I said: "Logan, what are you doing?" He was walking very slowly. I said, "What are you doing?"

'He said: "Oh, I heard a noise." I said: "Where did you get that knife from? Put it on the table."

Mott, a ninth-grade student, has been charged as an adult with murder and will be held in Buffalo, New York, until an extradition hearing on Friday

Logan and his grandmother were reported missing on November 21, but the diabetic teenager was declared a person of interest on Thursday after French's body was found in a shallow grave. The teen, who is from Jacksonville, Florida, was found trying to cross into Canada in French's stolen car

Mott's father, Eric Mott (right) was on vacation with his girlfriend at the time and reported his son and mother missing after the two failed to pick the couple up from the airport on Wednesday

'There was a table to the left of him so he set it down. I said: "Are you awake?" He said: "Yeah, I heard something."

'He told me it was OK because the knife was his. I was like, "oh my gosh." I went in my bedroom that night and locked the door from then on.

'It was very scary for me to see a child with a knife that big. I was unnerved. I didn't know if he was in a trance, if he heard a noise or was trying to impress me.'

Debbie said she managed to get Mott back into bed and later told his dad about the incident. She claims he told her that the boy had his own knives, which he stored in a box under his bed.

She stayed in the job until that May, when Mott went to stay with his mother and says she felt relatively safe in the house afterwards knowing that his dad was a corrections officer.

Debbie, who has two children in their 20s, said: 'I never saw any signs of abuse or anything like that, and Logan was usually asleep when I was there.

'I just thought: "This is what you get for going on the internet and taking a caregiver job.'''

Debbie says the chilling incident left her suffering nightmares which started up again last week after she heard the news about his and his grandmother's disappearance.

'I saw that they were missing and was sharing the appeal online at first, but then they said they had found a body,' she said.

Police who later investigated the scene said they found evidence pointed to 'possible criminal violence' in the home

'Even before that I messaged my friends on Facebook and said: "My gut says he had something to do with it."'

Logan's mother, who remarried and lives in Missouri, released a statement after her son was found.

'We are relieved he is safe and in custody and we just ask for everyone to give us time to sort out what happened,' Carrie Campbell-Mott said.

'That no matter what, Logan is our child and we love him and are standing by him to help in any way. We want to find out what happened to Kristina and we need time for that to happen.

In an extradition appearance on Wednesday, Assistant District Attorney Danielle D'Abate told the court: 'Mr. Mott has been accused of violently murdering his grandmother.

'She was killed by a gunshot wound as well as multiple stab wounds.'

The hearing was adjourned by Justice Russell P. Buscaglia for 48 hours until Friday following a request by Mott's attorney, Dominic Saraceno, according to the Buffalo News.

When back in court Friday, Mott can either waive opposition to returning to Florida or request an extradition hearing.
A Turkish Airlines flight from Nairobi to Istanbul was diverted after the detection of a wi-fi network called 'bomb on board' that alarmed the passengers, the airline said on Thursday.

In a statement, Turkish Airlines said the flight made an emergency landing at the Khartoum airport in Sudan.

The flight safely resumed after security inspections on all passengers and the aircraft.

A Turkish Airlines flight from Nairobi to Istanbul was diverted after a wi-fi network called 'bomb on board' was detected on the flight

'Experts said the wi-fi network in question was created on board. No irregularities were seen after security procedures were carried out, and passengers were brought back on the plane once boarding restarted,' Turkish Airlines said.

Individuals can create personal wi-fi networks on devises such as mobile phones and name them what they want.

The airline said all 100 passengers were brought back on board the flight, but did not say whether authorities had identified the passenger who had created the wi-fi network.
A Rebels bikie boss allegedly paid a hitman $6,000 and a kilogram of marijuana to kill his childhood friend for insulting his son.

Johnny Salafia was found dead at the front door of his home near Ulladulla with close-range bullet wounds to his head and chest in June 2013.

His former friend Sami Hamalainen, 42, ordered the hit after their relationship deteriorated over a series of issues.

Johnny Salafia (pictured) was found dead at the front door of his home near Ulladulla with bullet wounds to his head and chest in June 2013

A big factor in the falling out was when Salafia allegedly referred to Hamalainen's son in an insulting manner.

The alleged Ulladulla chapter president was also angry the 38-year-old victim left the Rebels after just six months and was cavorting with a rival Comanchero.

'I'm sick of Johnny running around and that, Robbie and his crew are coming down to fix Johnny,' he allegedly told an associate the dead before Salafia was shot, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Police claim the last straw was when Salafia was seen drinking with the Comanchero associate at Ulladulla's Marlin Hotel, police alleged.

Alleged hitman Robert McCloskey, 42, was arrested during dawn raids at a NSW south coast home over the shooting murder of the 38-year-old four years ago

He was allegedly paid $6,000 and a kilogram of marijuana for the hit by Rebels bikie boss Sami Hamalainen, 42, over a falling out

Hamalainen then drove to Sydney to meet Robert McCloskey, 42, the gang's former boss in that city, to convince him to carry out the murder, police allege.

McCloskey allegedly agreed in exchange for the kilogram of marijuana and the comparatively small sum of $6,000.

'Hamalainen gave McCloskey and the males who had been with McCloskey at the time of Salafias murder two pounds of cannabis for their roles in the murder of Salafia,' according to a police statement of facts.

Salafia was then shot dead at his front door while his family including sons were at his home, and his body found on his living room floor by his partner Sara Woodcock.

Hamalainen then supplied a 1999 white Subaru Forester as the getaway car and allegedly got two associates to hide and torch it afterwards.

The alleged Ulladulla chapter president was also angry the Salafia left the Rebels after just six months and was cavorting with a rival Comanchero

He then used a trailer to haul it farther into the bush in nearby Morton to make it harder to find, police alleged.

The pair were finally caught after police received a tip-off about its location that eventually lead them to the alleged conspirators.

McCloskey was dramatically arrested in dawn raids at his Batemans Bay home on the NSW south coast on Thursday and charged with murder.

Hamalainen was nabbed at Sydney airport last Friday as he tried to board a flight to Finland, and also charged.
A baby has tragically died after drowning in a pond in rural New Zealand.

Police were called to an address in Winchmore, near Ashburton on New Zealand's South Island, at about 11.40am on Thursday, according to Stuff

A one-year-old child was found unresponsive in a pond, and emergency services attempted unsuccessfully to revive the baby.

The death is not being treated as suspicious and has been referred to the coroner

A baby has tragically died after drowning in a pond in rural New Zealand (stock image)
The former aide to Congressman John Conyers who had received a settlement after accusing the Democrat of sexual harassment, and was later fired, broke her silence for the first time on Thursday, claiming that the veteran lawmaker 'violated her body and asked her to find other women to sexually satisfy him.

Marion Brown, a single mother of two grown daughters and a grandmother, appeared on the Today Show with her attorney Lisa Bloom to detail her history with the 88-year-old representative from Detroit, for whom she had worked for 11 years.

She claimed her boss made unwelcome sexual advances multiple times , but she stayed on the job because she needed to support her family and found the work rewarding.

It was sexual harassment, violating my body, propositioning me, inviting me to hotels with the guise of discussing business and propositioning for sex, Brown told Savannah Guthrie. He just violated my body, he's touched me in different ways. It was very uncomfortable and very unprofessional.

Just a few hours after Brown's explosive interview aired, Conyers' family announced the congressman was hospitalized for a 'stress-related illness.' His condition is not known at this time.

Accuser speaks out: Marion Brown, an ex-aide to Rep John Conyers, appears on Today Show Thursday to detail allegations of sexual misconduct against her former boss

Rising her voice: Brown, flanked by attorney Lisa Bloom, tells Savannah Guthrie that she decided to violate her NDA for the sake of her daughters and granddaughter

Defiant: Conyers, pictured on November 3 outside the Capitol, has denied any wrongdoing and said through his lawyer on Thursday that he has no intention to vacate his elected post

Conyers, the longest-serving member of the House, has denied any wrongdoing and said through his lawyer on Thursday that he has no intention to vacate his seat, even though some top Democrats have been pressing him to leave.

In her interview on Today, Brown described one specific instance, which allegedly took place in a Chicago hotel room in 2005, in which she said the married legislator undressed down to his underwear in front of her and bluntly propositioned her for sex.

Former aide claims John Conyers ate sandwiches in his 'skivvies' in front of her in a hotel room Deanna Maher, 77, who ran a Michigan office for Rep John Conyers from 1997 to 2005, claims the lawmaker stripped in front of her during a three-day Congressional Black Caucus event in Washington, which she said she 'felt honored' to attend. Maher said while she was in the bedroom of a hotel suite, Conyers, who is now 88, walked in, called room service and ordered sandwiches. 'I had my nightclothes on,' said Maher, who now lives in the Holland area in western Michigan. 'I was just scared to death. I was married at the time. He sat in the bedroom taking his clothes off. I didn't say anything and he didn't say anything. Nothing happened between them, she added. 'He didn't go naked. He was down to his skivvies,' Maher said. 'He sat there eating sandwiches and then he stormed out and slammed the door. I was so embarrassed and ashamed of myself for being so stupid. I needed a job.' 'He didn't put his hand on me, but the message was loud and clear,' she said. She also said he touched her leg while they were driving down the Interstate 75 - causing the car to weave around. Conyers' attorney, Arnold Reed, said Maher's allegations are uncorroborated and that the Representative denies any wrongdoing. 'John Conyers has always said he's not guilty of harassing these women,' Reed said. 'Any woman or man that is violated, that's unacceptable - completely unacceptable. By the same token, a person has right to protest his innocence. 'This is what we call due process. Mr. Conyers wants to be cooperative and will be cooperative with any investigation.' Advertisement

He asked me to satisfy to him sexually. He pointed to genital areas of his body and asked me to touch him.

I was frozen shocked. I didn't want to lose my job, I didn't want to upset him. Also, he asked me to find other people that would satisfy him. I just tried to escape. I did tell him that I was not going to do that and I did not feel comfortable.

The aide said she reported the incident to Conyers' chief of staff at the time, but no action was taken.

'He said he would talk to the congressman about it, he didn't challenge me in disbelief. He said he would talk to the congressman about his behavior," she said. "I didn't see any change because it continued after that."

Brown is one of several women who have recently come out accusing the veteran member of the House of sexual misconduct, harassment and bullying.

On Tuesday, Deanna Maher, now 77, claimed that Conyers stripped down to his underwear in front of her in a hotel room and proceeded to eat sandwiches while they were on a work trip.

Maher ran a Michigan office for Conyers from 1997 to 2005. She noted that he never laid a hand on her.

Last week, Melanie Sloan, who served as minority counsel for House Judiciary Committee, told The Washington Post and ABC that Conyers was verbally abusive towards her, and that on one occasion, she was called up to his office only to find him in his underwear. She did not accuse her former boss of sexual harassment.

Parts of Marion Brown's narrative first emerged a week ago, without her name attached to it, when BuzzFeed News reported that a woman was paid $27,000 from Conyers' taxpayer-funded congressional office allowance.

Conyers admitted at the time to paying the settlement but denied any misconduct, stating that his office 'resolved the allegations...to save all involved from the rigors of protracted litigation.'

The then-unidentified accuser alleged that Conyers repeatedly asked her for sex and recounted the incident in the Chicago hotel room.

BuzzFeed also published affidavits from former staff members who said they had witnessed Conyers touching female staffers inappropriately or requesting sexual favors.

A former scheduler filed a complaint earlier this year, but later dropped it.

Brown was fired in 2014, allegedly for refusing Conyers' sexual advances, and a year later reached the settlement, which came with a nondisclosure agreement.

The woman said Conyers has not released her from the NDA before she decided to identify herself and speak out publicly about the allegations.

'I am taking a risk, and the reason why I'm taking the risk...I want to be a voice,' she said. 'I want [my granddaughter], when she enters the workforce long when I'm gone, to not have to endure sexism and gender inequality. I felt it was worth the risk to stand up for all the women in the workforce that are voiceless.'

Latest sighting: Conyers (R),is helped by an unidetified person into a vehicle outside his house on November 29 in Detroit

Tell the truth: Brown says she wants Conyers to apologize to her for implying that she has lied about his alleged sexual misconduct

Brown explained that what prompted her to come out of the shadows was Conyers' vehement denial of the allegations against him.

'I'm here to say I'm not a liar,' she said.

When asked if Conyers should resign, Brown said she will leave that decision up to the House Ethics Committee and his colleagues.

'All I want from the congressman is to acknowledge what he did and apologize to me for calling me a liar,' she concluded.

Detroit-area attorney Arnold Reed, who represents Conyers, told The Associated Press that the 88-year-old is innocent , and that anyone making inappropriate touching or other claims against his client should be prepared to back them up.

Secret talks: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has reportedly pressured Conyers behind the scenes to leave the chamber

'He's going to fight these allegations tooth and nail if he has to with evidence, with documentation, witnesses, whatever he has to do,' Reed said. 'And the accusers will have to prove up their case.'

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has pressured Conyers behind the scenes to leave the chamber, according to a senior House aide, who spoke late Tuesday on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Also Tuesday, members of the Congressional Black Caucus met with Conyers and explained to one of their founding members why he should resign, but stressed the decision was up to him, the senior House aide said.

Reed said he met with Conyers, who was at his Detroit home Wednesday and mostly remained indoors before being driven away in the afternoon as reporters gathered outside the gated driveway.

His wife Monica told reporters that her husband is entitled to have the judicial process play out 'before we start being his judge and jury ... and tarnish all of these years of his legacy for nothing.'

Conyers is among an ever-growing list of prominent men in politics, entertainment and journalism who have been accused of sexual misconduct in the wake of explosive allegations against former Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein.

On Wednesday, NBC's Today host Matt Lauer and humorist and Garrison Keillor were fired for inappropriate conduct in the workplace.
An Argentine court has jailed 48 former military personnel for involvement in murder and torture at a notorious detention center in the 1970s and 80s.

The 48 men were found guilty of torture, murder and carrying out 'death flights', which saw regime critics and opponents killed by being thrown out of airplanes into the Rio de la Plata or the sea.

The crimes took place at a Buenos Aires navy school used as a secret torture and detention center during the years of Argentina's military dictatorship.

Killer smile: Among those jailed is ex-Navy pilot Mario Daniel Arru, who smiled as he was sentenced to life for the 'death flights', which saw prisoners thrown out of airplanes into the Rio de la Plata or the sea

Sentenced: Jorge Eduardo Acosta, Alfredo Astiz - nicknamed the 'Angel of Death' -, Arru and Carlos Octavio Capdevilla, are seen during their sentencing hearing in Buenos Aires

Only a fraction of an estimated 5,000 opponents of the regime, which ruled from 1976-1983, survived being sent to the ESMA Naval Mechanics School.

Twenty-nine people were handed life sentences, 19 received sentences of between eight and 25 years, and six were acquitted on Wednesday.

Among those who received life were Mario Daniel Arru and Alejandro Domingo D'Agostino, two ex-pilots convicted of involvement in 'death flights'.

Victims of the flights include French nuns Alice Domon and Leonie Duquet, who were abducted and killed along with founders of the humanitarian organization Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in December 1977.

The remains of Duquet and three of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo were found on Argentina's Atlantic coast and buried in a nearby cemetery. Domon's remains were never recovered.

Justice: Families of some of the victims who died at ESMA hold up images of their lost loved ones during the trial

Victory: The families later react as a sentence is read at the federal courts of Buenos Aires

Lost lives: It is alleged that 30,000 people were kidnapped, tortured and killed between 1976 and 1983 - the years of the military junta which became known as Argentina's 'Dirty War'

Alfredo Astiz, known as the 'Blond Angel of Death,' and Jorge Acosta, nicknamed 'The Tiger,' also received life.

Among other crimes, Astiz and Acosto were accused of the 1977 disappearance of Swedish citizen Dagmar Hagelin, who was 17 years old.

Both men had already been sentenced to life imprisonment in prior trials.

Some 30,000 people were kidnapped, tortured and killed between 1976 and 1983 - the years of the military junta which became known as Argentina's 'Dirty War,' according to rights groups.

Victims included Montonero guerrillas, labor union leaders, students, leftist sympathizers and in some instance, their relatives and friends.

This is the third trial for human rights violations committed at ESMA, and some 800 witnesses have given court testimony.

Since the process began in November 2012, 11 of the accused have died, and three were deemed too ill to face trial.

The reading of the Wednesday verdict lasted for almost four hours in a packed courtroom in which the defendants were separated by glass from the public, which included victims and relatives of victims.

Outside, people including dozens of human rights activists followed the proceedings on a giant screen.

'It will be like what happened with the Nazis, wherever they go we will go looking for them,' survivors, children and mothers of the disappeared and others intoned.

'The huge number of cases and accused gives a sense of the repression,' survivor Carlos Loza said.
Dramatic footage has emerged online showing a little boy climbing through a window grille to escape from a fire at his home in south China.

The boy was saved by firefighters, but sustained burns over 13 per cent of his body. His two-year-old sister was killed by the fire.

The accident was caused by a heater after it had been left on unattended.

A five-year-old boy sustains a second-degree burn after being rescued by firefighters at home

Footage posted by Pear Video shows the moment a boy walked dangerously on an anti-theft window grille at the balcony of a blazing home on November 29.

Firefighters put off the fire and saved the five-year-old boy at midnight in Huaihua, Hunan Province.

They also found a body of a two-year-old girl in the flat.

Zhou Yuyi, the boy's uncle, told Pear that the two children had been taken care by their grandmother as the parents worked in another city.

Footage shows the moment he climbs out to the anti-theft window grille during a fire that set ablaze his home (left). The flat is burnt down completely after a heater caught on fire (right)

The boy is calling for his two-year-old sister while being treated in the hospital in Huaihua

Firefighters found a body of a two-year-old girl, believed to be the boy's younger sister

It's said that the grandmother forgot to switch off the heater before going to sleep and the heater set the apartment on fire.

The fire had alerted residents living at upper floors and reported the incident to local fire department.

The five-year-old was sent to a hospital and found to have sustain a 13 per cent burn on his body.

Dr Zhang Chunxi from The Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Medical School said: 'This is considered as a second-degree burn to the boy.'

Zhou Yuyi said his nephew was calling for his younger sister while being treated by the doctors.
Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders dismissed reports that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is on his way out, arguing that if President Trump wanted him gone he'd already be fired.

'When the president loses confidence in somebody, he'll no longer be here,' Huckabee Sanders said at the press briefing Thursday, giving a hazy response on whether Tillerson had an expiration date. 'I think his future right now is to continue working hard as the secretary of state, continue working with the president to carry out his agenda.'

The White House has been forced to respond all day to a New York Times report that the administration had articulated a secret plan, crafted by Chief of Staff John Kelly, to send Tillerson packing.

When President Trump was asked about it in the Oval Office Thursday morning he responded by saying, 'He's here, Rex is here,' pointing to the fact that Tillerson was at the White House then and later returned for another meeting.

Huckabee Sanders made the same point from the podium Thursday afternoon.

'The president was here today with the secretary of state,' she said. 'They engaged in a foreign leader visit and are continuing to work together to close out what we've seen to be an incredible year.'

Her end-of-year phrasing perked up reporters' ears in the room, as the Times report mentioned that the plot to remove Tillerson was to take place around the conclusion of 2017.

Asked about Tillerson's job security once again, Huckabee Sanders showed her sarcastic side by explaining how a calendar works.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders argued Thursday that if President Trump wanted to fire Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, he's already be gone

The White House has come up with a plan for President Trump to fire Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the New York Times reported Thursday

'Rex is here,' President Trump said when asked about the Times report. Tillerson was later seen leaving the White House

Rex Tillerson would be replaced at the State Department by CIA Director Mike Pompeo (left), who would be replaced at Langley by Sen. Tom Cotton (right), an Arkansas Republican

'We're all closing out the year, you guys are closing out the year at your news network, we don't set the calendar, that's something that happened a few centuries ago,' she began.

'The year is going to end whether we like it or not, we're all going to close it out and we're all going to do the best job we can for the American people in that process,' the press secretary added.

The Times said that Tillerson would be replaced by current CIA Director Mike Pompeo, according to unnamed senior administration officials.

Then, Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican who sees eye to eye with Trump on national security, would get the top CIA gig.

Cotton, the officials told the paper, has said he would take over the CIA if asked.

The White House initially responded by saying, ''There are no personnel announcements at this time.'

'Secretary Tillerson continues to lead the State Department and the entire cabinet is focused on completing this incredibly successful first year of President Trump's administration,' Huckabee Sanders added.

Additionally, according to CNN, Kelly phoned Tillerson Thursday to knock down the New York Times' reporting.

However, it's hard to deny that the relationship hasn't been rocky between the two men, who didn't know each other before the president tapped the former ExxonMobil CEO to be the nation's top diplomat.

The two most dramatic incidents of the Tillerson and Trump working relationship both came in October.

On October 1, while Tillerson was meeting with Chinese leaders in Beijing, the president undercut his efforts with North Korea by closing the door, via Twitter, on talks.

'I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man,' Trump wrote. 'Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done!'

Tillerson had just told the international community that the U.S. had spoken with North Korea through direct channels, which was a revelation.

Whether President Trump will pull the trigger on the plan is still up in the air, but it's been apparently, publicly, that Trump and Rex Tillerson have had a rocky relationship in recent months

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's head is seen through the fall leaves as he leaves the White House complex on Thursday

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was photographed leaving the White House Thursday, several hours after the New York Times broke a story that articulated a plan to oust him

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert countered the narrative Thursday afternoon that Tillerson was miserable in the position

'We've made it clear that we hope to resolve this through talks,' the secretary of state had said at a press conference in Beijing.

Those in the diplomatic community were largely shocked that a president would so directly step on the feet of his secretary of state.

Several days later, NBC News had a report out that said Tillerson had labeled Trump a 'moron' after a Pentagon meeting  and had almost resigned after the president gave a politicized speech at the Boy Scout Jamboree.

Tillerson was a former leader of the Boy Scouts.

The article forced Tillerson to give an unscheduled public comment at the State Department in which he said, 'I have never considered leaving this post.'

He pivoted when asked to address the 'moron' component of the story simply answering, 'I'm not going to deal with petty stuff like that.'

Later, during an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Tillerson didn't deny he made the comment, again.

'Jake, as I indicated earlier when I was asked about that, I'm not going to deal with that kind of petty stuff,' the secretary of state said. 'I mean, this is a town that seems to relish in gossip, rumor and innuendo. And they feed on it. They feed on it in a very destructive way. I don't work that way and I don't feel that way.'

Tapper also asked if Tillerson felt he'd been 'castrate[d],' a word used by Sen. Bob Corker, a Republican from Tennessee, who criticized the president for getting in the secretary of state's way.

'I checked,' he told Tapper. 'I'm fully intact.'

Additionally, in a perceived slight to first daughter Ivanka Trump, one of her father's senior advisers, Tillerson didn't send top-tier State Department staff with her to India this week.

Throughout his tenure, Tillerson made it known that he was reluctant to take the job, making a switch to government service after a highly successful career in the private sector.

In March he recalled how his wife was the one who urged him to make the jump.

'I didn't want this job. I didn't want this job,' Tillerson told the Independent Journal Review. 'My wife told I'm supposed to do this.'

In October, as he toured a park in Geneva, the secretary looked at a sculpture of a person in the fetal position.

'Some days I feel like I need to do that. Curl up in a ball,' he said.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert countered the narrative Thursday afternoon that Tillerson was miserable in the position.

'He remains, as I have been told, committed to doing this job, he does serve at the pleasure of the president, this is a job that he enjoys, he is continuing with his meeting, he is continuing with his calls,' Nauert said.

Nauert also conceded that morale was low at the department, following a number of senior staff departures and Tillerson's reorganization efforts.

'Sure,' she told reporters, 'there is a morale issue in this building.'

'And that's why I say, you know, "Folks, hang in there. We have a lot of work to be done. Please don't give up. Don't give up on this building. Don't give up on what America is doing. Don't give up on the importance of this job and career.'"
Bernadette Briggs, 39, pictured, walked free from court after launching a drink-fuelled attack on cabin crew on a Thomas Cook flight

A mother of two who behaved like a 'wild bull' on board a flight to Egypt following a duty-free drinking binge walked free from court today.

Charity worker Bernadette Briggs, 39, launched a booze-fuelled attack upon terrified cabin crew and passengers as the Thomas Cook flight from Manchester was about to start its decent from 20,000 feet.

Briggs, from St Helens, Merseyside, suddenly stood up from her seat and 'went berserk', swearing and shouting after staff had asked passengers to return to their seats.

When air stewardess Madison Preece asked her to sit down, a she shouted 'f*** off' and when told she was putting other passengers at risk she added: 'I'll rip your f****** head off'.

She then punched Miss Preece on her shoulder and began swinging her arms.

A passenger tried to intervene but Briggs scratched him and then tried to bite the captain as he restrained her.

Egyptian Police called to the scene after the aircraft landed discovered an almost empty bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin under her seat which she had bought shortly before the six hour flight.

She was taken to an Egyptian hospital and psychiatrists said she 'suffered a psychotic episode' on board.

It emerged she had consumed two pints of lager, vodka and whiskey, Jack Daniels and coke plus three quarters of the bottle of Bombay Sapphire.

She was later banned from flying back with Thomas Cook and had to find an alternative route back to Manchester.

At Manchester Crown Court she admitted assault by beating, using threatening behaviour and being drunk on an aircraft and was handed with a suspended jail sentence after she told the court she was the 'primary carer' for her 19-year old autistic daughter.

Briggs, pictured, had drunk lager, vodka, whiskey and gin before boarding the flight from Manchester to Egypt

The court heard Briggs, left and right, began shouting and swearing at cabin crew after passengers were asked to return to their seats

Passing sentence Judge Timothy Smith told her: 'That flight was full of people intent on having an enjoyable holiday. One of these passengers was travelling with his wife for effectively, a second honeymoon.

'Yet you and your sister began drinking in the executive lounge where you consumed two pints of lager, a vodka and a whiskey and onboard you were served Jack Daniels and coke.

'You also purchased a bottle of gin and whiskey and consumed three quarters of that gin as well as taking anti-depressant medication.

'What was then witnessed was a disarray of abuse and offensive behaviour, not just to cabin crew who were intent upon doing their job.

'You chose to stand up and became loud, shouting abuse and you placed yourself on the lap of one passenger.

Stewardess Madison Preece, pictured, was told to 'f*** off' by Briggs and she later threatened to 'rip her f****** head off'

After Miss Preece, pictured, again asked Briggs to sit down she was punched by the 39-year-old in the shoulder

'When told to sit down your behaviour wholly unacceptable. You were being told to sit down but you reacted again with abusive and aggressive threats and to one member you threaten to "rip her f****** head off." Your behaviour was quite simply disgraceful.

'The behaviour of someone who is drunk in a confined flight where a plane is 20,000 feet above the air can cause irreparable harm and the safety of the plane can very badly endangered.

'You were described as being crazy, lashing out and being irrational. Some passengers described you as a acting like a wild animal totally out of control. It is not surprising they say their holiday was completely spoilt.

'Your behaviour developed and you punched one member of cabin crew. A passenger was so concerned that he offered his services.

'He and that member of crew were trying to restrain you and you were making it extremely difficult.

'He described you trying to bite him, behaving like a wild bull. The cabin staff were in a considerable state of distress and upset and the captain himself considered whether the flight should return immediately to the UK.

Briggs was handed a suspended sentence and a judge said she 'acted like a wild bull'

The mother-of-two, pictured outside court, was banned from flying back with Thomas Cook after being detained by Egyptian Police on arrival

'This kind of offence requires a deterrent sentence and I have no doubt that custody is amply justified in your case - however I am satisfied this behaviour was out of character.

'You are the primary career for your 19 year-old daughter and provide her with a great deal of support. It seems to me there will be a significantly adverse affect on her and an immediate custodial sentence would have a disproportionate impact on her.'

Briggs was also handed 250 hours of unpaid work and 10 days in rehab. She was also ordered to pay 3,000 compensation.

Earlier prosecuting, Nicola Carroll said: 'On the 23rd of June this year, the defendant and her sister flew from Manchester to Hurghada in Egypt with Thomas Cook shortly after one in the afternoon and was a relatively uneventful flight until 10 minutes before landing.

'For no reason, other than her self-induced intoxication she stood up and started shouting loudly at other passengers. Cabin crew member, Maddison Preece asked the defendant to sit down and the defendant turned and shouted: 'I'll f***ing rip your head off' and continued to be threatening and abusive.

The court also heard Briggs bit the captain when he restrained her during the flight

'Seconds before the plane landed she did sit down. A third member of cabin crew asked her for her passport and that member of staff was told to f**k off.

'The defendant's sister tried to hand them over but the defendant continued shouting and screaming.

'When she was warned she would be arrested she lunged towards Ms Preece and attempted to strike her and was pulled away by other passengers.

'As the plane started to disembark the defendant reacted by punching her to the shoulder which caused her to go flying into the air.

'Some of the passengers had to intervene and restrain the defendant but she struggled so much so that the crew had to use physical restraints against her.

'One passenger, Neil Johnston. managed to help but she continued to be aggressive and tried to bite and spit at him.

'Eventually she was restrained with the assistance of ground crew and local police took control of the situation. She was later released by Egyptian authorities with no further action being taken.

'The crew were extremely shaken up and the pilot almost cancelled the flight home.

'Had they had to cancel the flight the cost would have run into hundreds of thousands of pounds. They did decide to fly but it was delayed and the captain had to make up time.

'The cabin crew member who was assaulted felt unable to drive home and had to stay in an airport hotel.

'She was distressed by the incident and gave serious consideration to resigning from the post.

'The passenger who assisted the crew explains that the incident ruined his holiday.

'He was very much looking forward to his holiday which was effectively a second honeymoon for him and his wife and towards the end of the holiday they became anxious they would bump into the defendant on the return flight.

Briggs, pictured, told the court she was primary carer for her 19-year-old autistic daughter

'This didn't happen as the defendant was in fact barred from travelling with Thomas Cook and had to search for an alternative flight home.

'On return she attended a voluntary interview with police, denying the offences saying she had no memory of them.

In mitigation defence lawyer Simon Leong said: 'The woman that the court has heard about is a very different women to the one she presents in her normal day to day life.

'I don't think I can express how remorseful and embarrassed she is by her behaviour on that flight.

'The excessive alcohol consumption was her decision and resulted in what appeared to be an episode of psychosis and she received hospital treatment for that.'
The far-right leader at the centre of a major diplomatic spat between Britain and the US has added fuel to the fire by calling on Donald Trump to save her from jail.

Jayda Fransen was the little-known deputy leader of the 'Britain First' group until inflammatory messages she posted online were picked up by the US President and re-posted to his followers around the world.

Fransen, 31, is currently facing prosecution for religiously aggravated harassment and a separate trial for using threatening and abusive language.

But - taking advantage of her new-found notoriety - she made a video appeal to Trump last night, calling on him to intervene in the cases and help her.

She posted the video online yesterday evening, after Mr Trump's tweets the previous night had sparked international anger and a confrontation between the President and Prime Minister Theresa May.

Britain First's Jayda Fransen has used her new-found notoriety following Donald Trump's retweeting of her messages to call on the President to intervene in her prosecution in the UK

The Presidents' actions spiralled into an international issue when he was criticised by British PM Theresa May for his retweets, and shot back that she should concentrate on tackling terror

Donald Trump is pictured today at the White House, hours after his Twitter spat with Mrs May

Mr Trump meets with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in the Oval Office of the White House today

Peering out from between two pot plants, Fransen starts the online plea by thanking the President for retweeting her messages and telling him she is 'delighted' with the publicity.

She said: 'On behalf of myself and every citizen of Britain and for every man and women who has fought and died for us to have freedom of speech, I am appealing to you for your help.

'I'm appealing for your intervention before I am thrown in jail.'

Fransen, and Britain First leader Paul Golding, 35, both of Penge, are due to go on trial next month over allegations of religiously aggravated abuse in Canterbury and Ramsgate, Kent.

She will also appear in court in Northern Ireland in December charged with using threatening and abusive language in connection with a speech she made at an anti-terrorism demonstration in Belfast on August 6.

Her group, who often march through British towns wearing pseudo-military clothing and waving flags, have been widely accused of inciting racial hatred and sowing division.

Fransen's anti-Muslim posts were retweeted by Mr Trump although it has since emerged that the attacker in this video is neither a Muslim nor a migrant

Britain First have been widely accused of racism and of stoking up racial hatred

Despite it being unclear whether the President knew who she was when he retweeted her messages, his actions have been taken as an endorsement which has angered many in the UK.

Fransen has previously been convicted of religiously aggravated harassment after she accosted a Muslim woman in Luton.

The charge stemmed from a January 2016 incident in which Fransen, wearing a political uniform and during a so-called 'Christian patrol,' confronted her victim, Sumayyah Sharpe, and her children during a political rally.

Ms Fransen later admitted that she told Sharpe, who was wearing hijab, that Muslim men force women to cover up to avoid rape 'because they cannot control their sexual urges.'

Since that conviction, she and her group have continued to post incendiary messages online, which, until yesterday, went largely ignored.

But, in a flurry of social media posts on Wednesday morning, Mr Trump retweeted three of her posts to his 43.6million followers, including footage from the Netherlands purporting to show a Muslim migrant attacking a man on crutches.

Fransen said she is 'delighted' that the President had retweeted her messages to his followers

The retweets were made without comment, but were regarded by many in the UK as an effective support of the far-right group.

After Theresa May condemned the tweets, Trump then targeted her with an online message, telling her to concentrate on tackling extremism.

In her first personal response to the furore today, Mrs May said that the UK and US worked closely together in the fight against terrorism.

And she added: 'The fact that we work together does not mean that we are afraid to say when we think that the United States have got it wrong and to be very clear with them.

'I am very clear that retweeting from Britain First was the wrong thing to do.'

'That's why they are coming into my country raping women across the continent': Jayda Fransen's vile abuse hurled at a hijab-wearing mother in front of her four children Jayda Fransen the deputy leader of Britain First an extremist political party The deputy leader of far-right group Britain First was found guilty of religiously aggravated harassment after hurling abuse at a Muslim woman wearing a hijab in front of her four young children. Jayda Fransen, 30, was fined nearly 2,000 at Luton and South Bedfordshire Magistrates' Court for wearing a political uniform and shouting at Sumayyah Sharpe during a so-called Christian Patrol of Bury Park in Luton on Saturday January 23, 2016. Fransen admitted telling Ms Sharpe that Muslim men force women to cover up to avoid being raped 'because they cannot control their sexual urges', adding 'that's why they are coming into my country raping women across the continent'. But she denied the words were intended to be offensive. 'The reason I said them was because from everything I have studied, I understand them to be true,' Fransen said in her defence. Around 20 Britain First members took part in the 'patrol' of Bury Park, distributing branded newspapers which had a front page reading 'World War Three has begun - Islam against the world', the court heard. Ms Sharpe, who was shopping with her four young children at the time, refused a newspaper from the group. Giving evidence, she said it was at this point that Fransen, from South Norwood, south London, crossed the road and confronted her. The incident was captured on camera by members of Britain First. Ms Sharpe told the court: 'She came across, shouting at me, saying "Why are you covered?", and she said that quite a few times. I told her it was my choice that I cover. 'I then turned to the camera and I said, "Film me, I'm British, I'm a British Muslim. It's my choice to wear this clothing and it's my right".' She added: 'I called her a slapper, I admit, and I told her to piss off because I was so angry at that point that she had done that in front of my children.' In video footage shown to court, Fransen was seen brandishing a white cross as she told Ms Sharpe that Muslim men made women cover themselves so that they were not raped. Following the incident, Ms Sharpe said she had to go home and explain the meaning of the word rape to her young children. She also told the court her four-year-old son was now scared to leave the house in case they ran into the group. District Judge Mellanby described Fransen's behaviour as 'shocking' and commended Ms Sharpe for the 'eloquent' account of events she had provided to the court. Footage of the incident with Ms Sharpe was edited and included in a video which was posted on the party's YouTube channel. Paul Golding (right) and Jayda Fransen (left), leaders of the far-right organisation Britain First talk during a march in central London on April 1, 2017 District Judge Mellanby said she was aware that as a result, Ms Sharpe had been branded a 'terrorist' on some websites. Fransen, who was elected deputy leader of Britain First in autumn 2014, was also found guilty of wearing a political uniform in a public place. The deputy leader was dressed in a green coat with a Britain First lapel and black beanie hat bearing the party's emblem during the patrol, which District Judge Mellanby ruled was 'similar attire' to the rest of the group and signified her association to the party. Fransen was fined 1,000 for the religiously aggravated harassment and 200 for wearing a political uniform. She was also ordered to pay 620 in costs - as well as a 100 surcharge - and issued with a two-year restraining order to prevent her from contacting Ms Sharpe or engaging in intimidating behaviour towards her. A further charge of failure to surrender to police bail was withdrawn by the prosecution. Following the hearing, a Britain First supporter was arrested on suspicion of common assault after an alleged altercation with a journalist. Advertisement

'I'm not afraid to say he was wrong': May REFUSES to back down in spat with Trump over his far-right retweets and hints State Visit is ON ICE

Theresa May hit back at Donald Trump's jibe that she is not tackling terrorism today as an extraordinary spat threatened to blow the Special Relationship apart.

The Prime Minister risked fuelling the row by repeating her view that the US president was 'wrong' to retweet anti-Muslim videos posted by a far-right group.

Despite Mr Trump lashing out at her last night demanding she focus on 'Islamic terrorism taking place in the UK', Mrs May said she would not be afraid to raise concerns about such interventions.

Theresa May faced questions about the spat with Donald Trump after she gave a speech in Jordan today (pictured)

Mrs May slammed Donald Trump (pictured earlier this month) yesterday after he retweeted anti-Muslim videos posted by the leader of the far right Britain First

Mr Trump has fired back at the PM by saying she should concentrate on 'Radical Islamic Terrorism taking place in the UK' and not his Twitter activity. Twitter users were also quick to point out that the president had tagged the wrong Theresa in his message

She also did little to quell speculation that the state visit has now being kicked into the long grass, stressing that no date has been set.

Questioned by journalists during a visit to Jordan this afternoon, Mrs May said: 'The fact that we work together does not mean we are afraid to say when we think the United States has got it wrong and to be very clear with them.

'And I am very clear that retweeting from Britain First was the wrong thing to do.'

As the row escalated, the UK's ambassador to Washington, Sir Kim Darroch, lodged a formal protest with the White House over the retweets.

In an excoriating verdict on Britain First today, Mrs May branded it a 'hateful organisation'.

'It seeks to spread division and mistrust among our communities. It stands in fundamental opposition to the values we share as a nation - values of respect, tolerance and common British decency,' she said.

Mrs May was in Jordan today as part of her tour of the Middle East, which saw her visit Iraq yesterday. She was the first British PM to go to the country for nine years

He posted the same message a few moments later with the correct Twitter handle. For a few minutes he left the original tweet up

Asked whether she regarded Mr Trump as a fit person to be hosted by the Queen on a state visit, the Prime Minister said only: 'An invitation for a state visit has been extended and has been accepted. We have yet to set a date.'

But she made clear that she wanted to maintain the UK's close relations with the US, regardless of Mr Trump's actions.

'This is a long-term special relationship that we have,' said Mrs May.

'It is an enduring relationship that is there because it is in both our national interests for that relationship to be there.

'As Prime Minister, I am clear that that relationship with the United States should continue. I think it is in the interests both of the United Kingdom and the United States and of the wider world.'

Mr Trump's actions drew cold fury from across the political spectrum in the UK, with fresh calls for his invite to the UK - extended by Mrs May on behalf of the Queen in Washington in January - to be withdrawn.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Britain First is 'divisive and hateful' as he joined those condemning the President's tweet on the social media site

The Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid was among the first of a string of cabinet ministers to condemn Donald Trump's post as 'wrong'

The Mayor of London renewed his call to cancel the President's planned state visit to Britain following his latest Twitter outburst

Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the comments will be seen as a 'betrayal' of the special relationship and called for his visit to be cancelled.

Cabinet ministers also joined the condemnation. Home Secretary Amber Rudd appeared to hint that the state visit will not be happening any time soon, stressing that 'arrangements have yet to be made'. She also suggested Mr Trump should give up Twitter.

'On the issue of radical Islamism, British Muslims are peaceful and law-abiding who have themselves been victims of acts of terror by the far right. There are those who conduct acts of terror in the name of Islam, but it is not in the name of Islam.

'As Prime Minister, I am very clear about the priority that I give to dealing with the challenge of the threat of terrorism ... and extremism from whatever source they come.'

The UK's ambassador to Washington, Sir Kim Darroch, said: 'British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right, which seek to divide communities and erode decency, tolerance and respect.

'British Muslims are peaceful and law abiding citizens. And I raised these concerns with the White House yesterday.'
Pamela Anderson said it was 'common knowledge' Harvey Weinstein was dangerous and told how she avoided being stuck alone with him in an interview on Thursday morning.

The Playboy veteran laughed as she said she was not surprised the onslaught of sexual assault allegations against the movie mogul and described how he once phoned her to bully her about a film she was in.

Appearing on Megyn Kelly Today, Anderson, 50, said: 'I think it was common knowledge. That certain people or certain producers in Hollywood are people to avoid privately.

'You know what you're getting in to if you go to a hotel room, alone.'

In what appeared to be a jibe at his victims, she said it was 'no excuse' to presume the meetings were safe just because they were set up by agents, a claim which has been made by actresses including Gwyneth Paltrow as they detailed their run-ins with Weinstein.

Pamela Anderson said it was 'common knowledge' Harvey Weinstein posed a threat to women during an interview on Thursday

'I just think there's easy ways to remedy that. That's not a good excuse,' Anderson said.

Earlier, she said she had long learned how to avoid being put in the very situation many of Weinstein's accusers described.

'I learned not to put myself in those positions. When I came to hollywood, I had a lot of offers to do private auditions and things that just made no sense, just common sense.

'Don't go into a hotel room alone. If someone answers the door in a bathrobe, leave.

'Things that are common sense but I know Hollywood is very seductive and people want to be famous and sometimes you think you're going to be safe with an adult in the room and, I don't know where this security comes form but somehow I dodged it all.'

While she never encountered any sexual confrontation from Weinstein, she did give an anecdote of how he once bullied her over the phone as they worked on the 2008 film Superhero in which she played The Invisible Girl.

'He's very intimidating. I was doing a movie superheroes or something and I played the invisible girl with an invisible dog. As a PETA activist, I don't work with animals in film because they're treated horribly. I said, "If I have an invisible dog, I just want to make sure there's no dog there because I can't do the film if if there's going to be a dog in the film. That's it".

While she said she never had any physical confrontation with him, Anderson described the mogul as 'very intimidating'

Anderson recalled a phone call during which Weinstein allegedly yelled at her and told her she would never work again unless she did as he told her while they were working on the movie Superhero in 2008

'Then he called and said "you little, you're so lucky that I put you in a film and you're Pamela Anderson and you don't deserve anything and if you don't do this thing, you'll never work in this town again."

'Never in my life have I been talked to like that, and I've had some bad boyfriends,' she said.

Anderson said she had been forced to fight off inappropriate advances and offers long before the Weinstein revelations emerged and that she had turned down 'money, homes and cars' from men who wanted to sleep with her.

'I've been offered lots of things. A condo and a porsche to be someone's number one girl. I just naively said, "Well there must be a number 2 then, so I'm not interested."

'Money, homes, roles in movies. And I just didn't want to do it that way. I had no desire. I'm a romantic and it didn't appeal to me.' Anderson has spoken in the past of how she was sexually abused as a child.

In the second part of her interview with Kelly, she described her friendship with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and described him as 'smart, funny and brilliant'.

Anderson has been known to visit Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London where he has been seeking refuge for years.
A young British woman who faces jail after witnessing a hotel brawl in Dubai has appealed to the victim to help drop the charges against her.

Asa Hutchinson, 21, could spend years behind bars over the fight between her friends and a drunk Swedish man in a hotel lobby.

She was charged with assault and theft following the incident in May last year, despite claiming not to have been in the hotel lobby when the row broke out.

Her friends fled the scene and returned home to the UK, leaving behind Asa, who has lived in Dubai for three years.

Facing jail: Asa Hutchinson, 21, has been charged with assault and theft after her friends got into a fight with a Swedish man in Dubai

Asa was charged with assault and theft following the incident on April 29 last year, despite claiming not to have been in the hotel lobby when the row broke out

Asa' friends fled the scene and returned home to the UK, leaving behind Asa, who has lived in Dubai for three years

Speaking today, Asa said: 'I appeal to the man prosecuting to drop the charges. 'If you feel someone has wronged you, it really wasn't me.

'My friends leaving the country only affects me because this man has now decided to charge me instead.

'I really don't feel like I have done anything to deserve being charged.

'I love my life in Dubai and want to stay here. I have tried to reason with the man because I'm so worried, but it has fallen on deaf ears.

'He only wants to prosecute, and the guys who actually did it are not here, which has left me in the firing line.'

Asa's lawyers told earlier this week how a group of her friends got into a fight with the Swedish tech executive, who is in his 50s, after he caught them taking selfies with him as he was sleeping.

Asa's mother, Lucie (pictured), said: 'She was there, but all she did was pick some glasses up off the floor and put them in the bin because she was worried someone would step on them'

When he woke up, the enraged man, who is a technology company executive, began punching the boys, who fled the scene having suffered blows to their face and head.

Asa claims she wasn't with her friends when the row broke out but returned to the hotel lobby after hearing a commotion - only to be arrested by police.

She said: 'The man woke up and began punching the boys. I heard the commotion and came back to see what was going on.

'He called the police and made official complaints about the boys for taking pictures of him, and for being rude.'

Since the incident, Dubai police questioned Asa's boyfriend Ben and others in the group after getting their names from the hotel reservations list.

The men managed to get their passports back by paying cash deposits, before flying home to the UK.

The Swedish man then made the decision to transfer the charges to Asa after learning she lives in the UAE.

Speaking today, Asa (pictured front) said: 'I appeal to the man prosecuting to drop the charges. 'If you feel someone has wronged you, it really wasn't me'. There is no suggestion that any of the women in this picture was involved in the incident in Dubai

Dubai law dictates that whoever makes the first complaint is the party most likely to be believed, so it may be irrelevant that the Swedish man threw the punches.

Taking pictures of someone without their consent and being rude to another person are both classed as Illegal in Dubai and are punishable by jail time.

Asa, who works as a key account manager for global transportation company Time & Motion, has been released on bail ahead of a trial next year.

If she is found guilty, the penalty will depends on the judge as UAE penalties are 'discretionary' rather than based on precedent.

However her lawyers have advised that for assault and theft charges, the sentence is likely to be several months - or even years - behind bars.

Asa said: 'Going to prison would be awful. I just couldn't bear it, I really hope it doesn't get that far.

'I want to thank everyone around the world for the messages of support I have been getting.

'I also want to tell my mum and dad, Lucie and Iain that I love them and miss them very much.'

Asa's mother has defended her daughter, saying she is 'absolutely and completely innocent'.

Asa, pictured at a fancy dress party wearing a Where's Wally...? costume, said that her boyfriend, Sam, and friends had returned to the UK and she has been left in Dubai facing jail

Lucie Harrison, 51, said: 'Asa is absolutely and completely innocent- she was there at the time but all she did was pick some glasses up off the floor and put them in the bin because she was worried someone would step on them.

'What I find really upsetting is that Asa has not turned her back and run away- she was saying, I've done nothing.

'She's really taking the rap, those guys in Dubai really seem to do things by association, I just find the whole thing so shocking.'

A spokesman for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said: 'Our staff in Dubai assisted a British woman following an incident in 2016, and are ready to provide further help if requested.'
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A waddle of young penguins has been released into the sea after being treated in a rehab centre for exhaustion and sickness.

The ten penguins were taken to Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, to be released into the ocean after having been kept in rehabilitation.

This footage shows the journey that the penguins took on the day of their release - from being transported onto the beach to swimming into the sea.

The ten penguins were taken to Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, to be released into the ocean after having been kept in rehabilitation

Video footage shows the journey that the penguins took on the day of their release - from being transported onto the beach to swimming into the sea

Freedom: The penguins were cheered by supporters on their way to the sea before they splashed their way to liberty

Pictured: The waddle of young penguins being released into the sea after being treated in a rehab centre for exhaustion and sickness

Garth Ensley, the man who recorded the video, said: 'This video shows a penguin release for ten penguins who had washed up on the shore and had been rehabilitated - showing that they have now been released.

'Everyone loved watching it, and there were about 500 spectators who came along to watch their release.

'They were all rescued for different reasons - three had babesia disease, three had avian malaria and four were exhausted and dehydrated.

Garth Ensley, the man who recorded the video, said: 'Everyone loved watching it, and there were about 500 spectators who came along to watch their release'

Garth added: 'They were all rescued for different reasons - three had babesia disease, three had avian malaria and four were exhausted and dehydrated'

The penguins were between six-months-old and one-year-old, and had been in rehabilitation between one to four months before their release

A group of penguins on land is known as a 'waddle', but when they are in the water they become a 'raft'. Pictured: A raft of penguins

Guard of honour: The aquatic birds were given a dramatic send-off as hundreds of people turned out to bid them good luck on their ocean journey

'The penguins are all between six-months-old to one-year-old, and had been in rehabilitation between one to four months.

'They had been living in the Tenikwa Wild Life Sanctuary, South Africa, prior to their release.'

A group of penguins on land is known as a 'waddle', but when they are in the water they become a 'raft'.
Right wing commentator Ann Coulter was i interviewed on the Today programme this morning when she defended retweeting a video by Britain First - saying it does not matter who posted the video

The BBC has faced a storm of criticism after it gave a prime interview slot to a right-wing US commentator believed to be behind Donald Trump's Britain First tweet.

The Today Programme interviewed Ann Coulter - who retweeted the far-right group's video claiming to show a 'Muslim migrant' beating up a Dutch boy on crutches.

She is one of just 45 Twitter accounts the US President follows and it is thought Mr Trump spotted the video after spotting her endorsement.

Nick Robinson interviewed her on the show's famous 8.10am slot during which Ms Coulter defended retweeting the video - dismissed as fake news by authorities - despite not fact checking it.

But the taxpayer-funded broadcaster sparked a barrage of criticism on Twitter for giving the outspoken US commentator a platform.

Joanna Cherry, a barrister and SNP MP for Edinburgh South West, wrote on Twitter: 'Please @BBCr4today is it really necessary to have an extended interview in your top slot with such a hate filled bigoted ignoramus as @AnnCoulter? It's too much.'

Stephanie Merritt wrote on Twitter: 'Dear @BBCr4today - what are you thinking, giving Ann Coulter such an extended platform to spout her misinformed racist hate speech?

'Is this supposed to be edgy? 'Balanced'? Seriously - please justify this decision.'

Andy Littledale wrote on Twitter: 'The worst thing about those Trump tweets is the airtime given to Ann Coulter on @BBCr4today and Sebastian Gorka on @BBCWorldAtOne.'

Another Twitter user wrote: 'I was shocked to learn about you giving the hateful racist @AnnCoulter a platform to speak her lies and divisive rhetoric. She represents the worst of America.'

The backlash was so ferocious that the presenter Mr Robinson, stepped in to defend the decision to interview her.

He wrote on Twitter: 'For those criticising @BBCr4today for interviewing @AnnCoulter - we did so to reveal & explain & scrutinise the source of the Trump tweet.'

SNP MP Joanna Cherry tweeted her outrage at the decision to interview the outspoken commentator on the prime spot this morning

Stephanie Merritt asked if the taxpayer-funded organisation was trying to be 'edgy' by inviting Ann Coulter on for an interview

Many Radio 4 listeners tweeted their outrage at the interview - during which Ann Coulter defended retweeting a video posted by far right group Britain First

Ms Coulter defended her decision to retweet the Britain First video and dismissed criticism that she did not check who tweeted the link or if it was credible, telling the programme: 'No... I don't think it really matters, it's a video.'

She said she did not check the Twitter biography of Britain First leader Jayda Fransen, who originally sent out the message.

'I have a little tip for you,' she told Mr Robinson.

'You need to spend a little time on Twitter and figure out that people retweeting videos are not researching the bios of the people who sent the video.

'A video is a video is a video. It's not a fake video.'

And she dismissed criticisms she was peddling fake news as the so-called migrant in the video was in fact a citizen of the Netherlands.

Ms Coulter said: 'Nobody cares about "migrant" against "child of migrant". He is not a 10th-generation Dutchman, he is beating up a 10th-generation Dutchman.'

Another Twitter user said the controversial interview was one of the worst things about the storm which has erupted after Donald Trump's reweet

BBC Radio 4 Today Programme presenter Nick Robinson defended the interview on twitter after facing a barrage of criticism

She added: 'Anybody can look at this video and see it is a Middle Easterner. If you would prefer, we'll say "Middle Easterners born in the Netherlands".

'But if you don't accept that, we're going straight back to "Middle Eastern" in another 30 seconds. It could not be more supremely irrelevant - it is a difference without a distinction.

'The issue is all these Middle Easterners and Muslims being brought in. To pretend there's no difference between a 10th-generation Dutch person and a migrant or the child of a migrant is preposterous.

'This is what Brexit was about, this is what Donald Trump is about. The native countries are blowing up at the constant importation of people who do not share our Western values. That's the point at issue.'
An 88-year-old man is believed to have fatally shot his wife of 71 years before turning the gun on himself.

Harold and Helen Masten, of Kenton, Delaware, were found by a relative who had gone to check on them and deliver breakfast on October 19, reported The News Journal.

Their bodies were located in the bedroom inside the locked house in the first block of Cooper Street.

While a motivation hasn't been determined, the couple had spoken to a reporter in August about how the elimination of a program that helped cover medication costs for low-income Delaware seniors had left them unable to cover Helen's health bills.

Harold Masten, 88 (left), is believed to have fatally shot his wife of 71 years, Helen, 89 (right), before turning the gun on himself. The couple, of Kenton, Delaware, was found on October 19, in the bedroom of their house

A daughter of the Mastens said she was not aware of what the circumstances were behind the incident.

'We don't know,' said Louise Amick, one of the Masten's five children.

'We're hoping to get some sort of closure from the medical examiner's report that there was something going on medically that we didn't know about.'

Amick said the family continues grieving over the incident and did not want to say more.

According to the couple's obituary, Harold was an auto mechanic who ran his own business, Masten's Garage, and enjoyed riding on his lawnmower in the 4th of July parade as the Kenton Police car.

Helen, 89, was a homemaker and the bookkeeper of Harold's business, who played bingo with her husband.

In August, the couple spoke to The News Journal regarding the elimination of a $1.6million entitlement program that helped cover prescription and over-the-counter drug costs for low-income Delaware seniors.

In August, the couple spoke to The News Journal regarding the elimination of a $1.6million entitlement program that helped cover prescription and over-the-counter drug costs for low-income Delaware seniors. The Mastens told the newspaper that they had hoped to buy a new heater for their house, but they wouldn't be able to afford it (Pictured, Harold)

Helen (pictured) explained that her three prescription eye drops to treat glaucoma only cost her $25 in total on the Delaware Prescription Assistance Program. But after August she would be charged about $150 to cover the prescription and the Part D premium, about 25 percent of what she received each month through Social Security, which was $560.

The Mastens told the newspaper that they had hoped to buy a new heater for their house, but they wouldn't be able to afford it.

Helen explained that her three prescription eye drops to treat glaucoma only cost her $25 in total on the Delaware Prescription Assistance Program.

But after August she would be charged about $150 to cover the prescription and the Part D premium, about 25 percent of what she received each month through Social Security, which was $560.

Harold said then that he was disappointed with the state General Assembly for making a decision that would change so much of their daily lives.

State health officials claimed the number of residents using the program has tapered off in recent years and that by 2020 the program would no longer be needed.
Aveesha Ahsan (pictured outside court), faces a retrial

A maths tutor accused of trying to start a lesbian affair with a teenage pupil after telling her she had 'attractive and alluring' eyes is facing a retrial.

Aveesha Ahsan, 34, allegedly hugged and kissed the teenager after offering to buy her gifts including a Kindle, prom dress and make-up.

Ahsan asked the 16-year-old to engage in sexual activity and to marry her in a series of WhatsApp messages, the court heard.

But a jury was discharged at the Inner London Crown Court today after failing to reach a verdict following four and a half hours of deliberation.

Judge Nigel Seed, QC, gave the Crown a week to made a decision on whether the teacher should face a retrial.

Giving evidence Ahsan denied asking the girl to marry her and blamed a typo saying she wanted to 'merry' her, which meant 'to be friends'.

She denied assaulting the girl by forcibly hugging and kissing her but demonstrated to the court how she had planted a kiss on the girl's forehead.

Ahsan, from Lewisham in south London, denies sexual assault and sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.

She was released on bail ahead of the prosecution making a decision about a retrial on December 7.
A pro-ISIS jihadist group has called for Muslims to murder children in the West, an anti-extremism organisation has warned.

The terrorists - calling themselves the all-Qastantiyyah Foundation - called for the slayings through the Telegram app.

They singled out the US, Australia and Europe as targets.

The pro-ISIS terrorists - calling themselves the all-Qastantiyyah Foundation - called for the slayings through the Telegram app. Pictured: An ISIS supporter in Syria before the organisation was degraded by a US-led coalition

According to SITE Intelligence Group, the children are to be murdered as 'revenge' for minors killed by airstrikes in Syria.

Earlier this year, a different jihadist group - also pro-ISIS - called for children to be murdered in the West.

The US-led coalition battling ISIS in the Syrian Civil War contains the likes of Denmark, France, Germany, Britain and Australia.

They routinely destroy ISIS positions from the air and have previously killed civilians by accident.

Earlier this week, ISIS terrorists operating on the Afghan-Pakistan border forced child soldiers to cut off the arms of a man they said was a spy. A boy no older than 10 (pictured) then beheaded him

ISIS, however, enslaves, tortures, rapes and murders children as a matter of principle, according to the United Nations.

The Islamist group also forces children to fight its battles, and often records videos of youngsters murdering prisoners in gruesome ways.

Earlier this week, ISIS terrorists operating on the Afghan-Pakistan border forced child soldiers to cut off the arms of a man they said was a spy.

He was then beheaded by a boy no older than 10.
A big name celebrity has been accused of raping his personal assistant and exposing her to HIV.

The alleged victim filed a lawsuit suing the man after claiming her boss sexually assaulted her while she was still working for him, according to TMZ.

According to the case, the woman - known by the alias of Jane Doe and the man as David Doe to protect their identities - claims her attacker spat on her and refused to wear a condom when he forced himself upon her.

A huge celebrity has been accused of raping his personal assistant and exposing her to HIV (file image)

Sources connected to the case told TMZ the accused was a big celebrity, but did not elaborate.

Jane Doe, not her real name, has been described as a 'vulnerable single mother' and David Doe, also a fake name, is said to have 'leveraged his power' over her, she claims.

During the alleged attack, he is said to have made her engage in unwanted rough sex and laughed at her when she protested.

David Doe is also accused of spitting on his alleged victim and threatening to rape her again.

Documents relating to the case state the man refused to wear contraception, according to TMZ, which meant the alleged victim was exposed to HIV.

One of the man's previous sexual partners is said to have tested positive and Jane Doe said after her ordeal David Doe told her she should get screened for the virus.

If proved to be true, it would be the latest - and most shocking - sexual assault allegation to rock Hollywood this year.

Harvey Weinstein checked himself into rehab after a slew of sexual assault and harassment allegations were made against him.

The next big celebrity to be accused was Kevin Spacey, who was accused of being predatory towards young men especially during his time as artistic director of The Old Vic theater in London.

Harvey Weinstein checked himself into rehab after a slew of sexual assault and harassment allegations were made against him

Just five days ago the LAPD said it has 28 open sex-crime investigations linked to Hollywood and the media, and that it expects more will come.

As well as the investigations it currently has open, the force has also passed on 37 cases to other jurisdictions where it believes the crimes may have occurred.

'We anticipate the LAPD and other jurisdictions will receive even more high profile sex crime reports in the coming weeks and months,' Police Chief Charlie Beck told the LA Times.

'We encourage all victims of sexual assault to come forward to report these crimes.'

Beck said that his department is committed to investigating all cases of sexual assault.

To that end, they have opened up two teams of five detectives each, with cold-case investigators on board to help look into historical accusations.

Kevin Spacey, who has been accused of sexual harassment

However, he noted that some - such as Corey Feldman's claim that he was sexually abused by two adults while a child actor - had passed the statute of limitations.

However, he thanked Feldman for coming forward, and asked others who believe that they have been affected to do the same.

'We recognize the significant trauma these victims suffer at the hands of the predators who commit these heinous crimes,' Beck said

'Our detectives are coordinating closely with our local prosecutors and other police agencies including the NYPD.

'The high profile nature of these particular cases has not changed our unyielding commitment to seek justice for ALL victims of sexual assault.'

Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey has also announced this month that veteran sex crimes prosecutors will examine the cases put to them by the LAPD.

Hollywood has been abuzz with sex crime allegations since an investigation into eight claims of sexual harassment and assault against Harvey Weinstein snowballed.

More than 50 women have now come forward with claims about Weinstein, with allegations ranging from sexual harassment to rape.

Weinstein is one of those on the LAPD's books, but he has been joined by a number of other figures as others, emboldened by the high-profile case, have come forward.

Among the others being investigated are Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick, who is accused of raping two actresses and sexually assaulting a third; and Girls writer Murray Miller, who is accused of sexually assaulting an actress.

Hollywood agent Tyler Grasham is also on the books, having been accused of sexually assaulting three men, trading sex for favors with a fourth, and asking a 16-year-old boy to be his boyfriend.

No laughing matter: Matt Lauer (above in 2014 at the Sochi Olympics) is accused of sexually harassing a number of female employees, who detailed their alleged encounters with the Today host in Variety

Cartoon villain: Lauer reportedly had a button under his desk at 30 Rock (above) that allowed him to lock the door while inside the office. A woman said that she had sex with the anchor in 2001 until she passed out, and eventually woke up on his floor with her pants down

More recently, a married NBC staffer claimed she woke up in Matt Lauer's office with her pants halfway down her legs after having sex with the anchor until she passed out.

The woman told The New York Times that the longtime Today Show host's assistant had to take her to see a nurse after the alleged encounter in 2001.

The former employee, who was in her 40s at the time, said Lauer first made advances towards her while covering a story away from their New York headquarters in the late 1990s.

Her revelations came hours before Lauer made a grovelling apology for the 'hurt and pain' his actions had caused, admitting there was 'enough truth' in the claims made against him.

'There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry', he said.

The former employee described moving away from Lauer during a car journey to the airport because he was sitting 'uncomfortably close', to which he apparently replied: 'You're no fun'.

Then, in 2001, she claims the married Lauer summoned her to his office at 30 Rock in New York to discuss work. She says he then used a button under his desk to lock the door and then told her to unbutton her blouse.

She said the veteran broadcaster then stepped out from behind his desk, pulled out a chair, bent her over, and started having sex with her until she fell unconscious.

The woman told The Times she woke up a while later on the floor of his office with her pants halfway down her legs, prompting his assistant to take her to seek medical attention.

The ex-staffer, who has not been named, is one of a string of women who have come forward accusing Lauer of sexual misconduct.

She did not tell NBC about the alleged incident at the time because she thought she could have done more to stop Lauer's actions, and she left around a year later.

NBC executives fired Lauer on Tuesday night soon after they saw a string of lewd messages and explicit photos he sent an intern during the Sochi Olympics, reports suggest.

His departure was announced by visibly-shaken co-hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb on Wednesday morning, and a number of explosive stories on his alleged conduct during his time at the Rockefeller Center quickly followed.
Sweden is planning on holding an an amnesty for grenades and explosives in 2018, according to a new government proposal.

The three month amnesty would take place from October 2018 to January 2019 and cover the entire country.

Official statistics show that the number of incidents of hand grenades detonating have nearly tripled, up from ten in 2015 to 27 in 2016, Swedish media reports.

Increasing: Hand grenade detonations in Sweden were up from ten in 2015 to 27 in 2016. Pictured are grenades from Bosnia that were confiscated on their way to Stockholm

In addition, the number of crimes involving hand grenades in some form is up from eight in 2014 to 52 in 2016, writes Dagens Nyheter.

The Swedish government has proposed the amnesty and Parliament is set to vote on the matter in February.

'This[increase in use of hand grenades] is connected to criminal gangs who - in general - have an increased access to weapons which they use on each other and against the judicial system,' Justice Minister Morgan Johansson told Dagens Nyheter.

'We must get this off our streets.'

Amnesty: The Swedish government has proposed a three-month amnesty to take place from October 2018 to January 2019

The Swedish police has carried out weapon amnesties previously, in 1993, 2007 and 2013.

During the most recent one, police received more than 15,000 weapons and 36tons of ammunition, however this time it is specifically targeting hand grenades, Mr Johansson said.

'This [grenades] is something we have no previous experience of. It is the first time'.
Reality television star Jeremy McConnell has told friends the 'cocktails aren't great' after being jailed for missing community service.

The model, 27, has been imprisoned at HMP Cardiff and said he was passing the time by decorating his cell for Christmas.

Former Celebrity Big Brother contestant McConnell had an 18-week suspended sentence activated after breaching the 200-hour community service order handed to him earlier this year for assaulting former girlfriend Stephanie Davis.

Jeremy McConnell, pictured right and left, being led away to jail, has told friends 'the cocktails aren't great' at HMP Cardiff where he has been 'decorating his cell for Christmas' to pass the time

McConnell was jailed after breaching a community work order he was handed for assaulting former girlfriend Stephanie Davis, pictured outside court earlier this year

A friend told The Sun: 'Jeremy is keeping his head up and is trying to fit into life in the prison as best he can.

'He wanted to thank everyone who's shown in support and is trying to keep a brave face on. Jeremy told us the cocktails they served weren't great but is getting by.'

McConnell was said to have been in a 'jokey' mood behind bars despite not having an 'easy time'.

The friend added: 'Being inside has made him realise who his friends are. He's been decorating his cell for Christmas and is keeping his nose clean while he's inside.'

Friends said McConnell has not been having 'an easy time' in prison but has been in a 'jokey mood'

Davis, 24, broke her silence on the case earlier this week on social media when she thanked her fans for supporting her through the ordeal.

Writing hours after McConnell was jailed, she kept her message brief, saying: 'Thank you for your love, faith and support. It means alot [sic]' followed by a heart emoji.

The reason for McConnell missing his community service was to get a hair and beard transplant in Istanbul.

Sentencing him at Liverpool Magistrates Court, District Judge Wendy Lloyd said she tried to rehabilitate McConnell with a suspended sentence to protect women from future violence.

She added: 'Your enthusiasm for co-operation has been short lived and there's nothing to show in the future things will change.

Jeremy's head remained bowed after sentencing and he was silent as he was taken away by two dock officers.

After he was jailed, the TV star's solicitor James Morris announced he intended to appeal the sentence immediately.

The new sentence followed a high-profile trial where he was found guilty of attacking former Hollyoaks star Miss Davis, 24, at her home in Rainhill, Merseyside in March, this summer.

During proceedings in August, a judge said Jeremy had shown no remorse for the attack on his ex-girlfriend or the impact it must have had on their son, Caben.
A woman has been arrested after sickening footage showing nursery staff slapping, beating and kicking toddlers went viral.

The private kindergarten in Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnam was exposed after harrowing footage of children being beaten was widely shared online.

A student newspaper published the sickening video after being tipped off about child abuse at the nursery, which has now been shut down.

Owner Pham Thi My Linh was recorded slapping and caning some of the 30 infants in her care and has now admitted they were punished for being 'too playful'.

The private kindergarten in Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam has been closed after a video showing shocking footage of the children being beaten went viral online

Staff were taking care of around 40 children aged between two and four years old, whose parents are mostly factory workers in the area

Parents stormed the centre on Sunday to rescue their children after the secretly-recorded footage was published online.

Police have shut down the nursery while the owner Linh faces up to three years in prison on abuse charges.

The other two members of staff, named only as Quynh and Dao, have not been traced by police but it has also emerged neither holds qualifications in child care.

Disgusted parents have now recalled in horror how they would drop their children off in the morning and staff would laugh and joke with them.

Unbeknownst to them, their children - aged between two and four years old - were being locked away for hours at a time with workers who would beat them with items ranging from hairbrushes to knives.

Linh has admitted she punished the children for being 'too playful' and said she was 'very wrong' to have allowed such things to happen, claiming that she had lost control in a 'fit of anger'.

The nursery has up to 50 children a day aged between two and four years old, with most of the parents being factory workers at nearby plants

Disturbing incidents captured on camera show a young boy being repeatedly struck around the head

Linh charged VND1.25 million ($55) a month per child at the kindergarten which was popular with factory workers.

The video shows Linh slapping a little boy repeatedly in the face to force him to say hello to her, and hitting a small girl on the head with a big plastic can because she had crawled out of her place.

She is even seen tapping a knife on a child's head and throwing metal poles at the children in her care to force them to eat.

The trio were secretly filmed using anything close to hand to beat the toddlers including a slipper, a comb, a broom, a spoon, a pan lid.

Local reports say the children were tortured throughout the day while happy kids songs were playing in the background.

Parents were quick to react after the video was posted on Sunday afternoon, and stormed the centre to rescue their children.

At least eight families have lodged petitions demanding criminal charges.

Images of child abuse at care centers are no longer rare in Vietnam, but criminal charges are rarely brought against the culprits.

They cause widespread anger every time they come to light, especially if they suggest long-term abuse of a large number of children.
A driver crashed into a lamppost and killed his girlfriend during a 91mph police after being suspected of flying a drone into a prison, a court heard.

Craig Kearney, 27, is charged with causing death by dangerous driving after nursery nurse Acacia Smith, 25, was killed in the collision in south west London.

The car was being followed by officers investigating reports of a drone being flown near the grounds of Wandsworth Prison.

A court heard Kearney was allegedly driving at up to 91mph in a 30mph zone before he crashed and collided with a lamppost.

Acacia Smith, 25, (pictured) was killed following the collision near Wandsworth Bridge, south west London

Craig Kearney, 27, (pictured with Acacia) was being followed by officers investigating reports of a drone being flown near Wandsworth Prison

He was supported by family members when he appeared briefly at Westminster Magistrates' Court today.

Henry Fitch, prosecuting, set out the Crown's case saying: 'On 9 August last year around 3am police were called to Wandsworth Prison to reports of a drone being flown near the prison.

'They were informed the vehicle had left the area shortly before they arrived. They pursued that vehicle, there was a chase.

'He crashed and collided with a lamppost and that resulted in the death of the passenger in the defendant's vehicle.

'Damage was also caused to residential properties near where the vehicle ended.'

Kearney, of Southall, west London, is charged with one count of death by dangerous driving.

He was granted conditional bail ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing at the Old Bailey on January 2.

Speaking after Ms Smith's death friends paid tribute to the 'beautiful, inspirational' nursery nurse known as 'Caysha'.

She had worked at various nurseries in Acton and had ambitions of opening a creche of her own.

The couple were in a silver hatchback that was pursued by officers and it ended up crashing into a lamppost

Officers were responding to calls that a drone was flying near Wandsworth Prison (pictured)

Friends paid tribute to Miss Smith on Facebook, describing her as a 'very special person'.

One wrote: 'Caysha was beautiful inside and out. We are all going to miss her so much. Rip beautiful girl love you always xxx'

Another said: 'Rip beautiful such a humble soul, a truly lovely girl'.

Mr Kearney's sister Carly wrote on Facebook: 'To all that may know my brother and sister in law have been a massive car crash sadly my loving sister in law is no long with us and my loving brother is in hospital all prayers and love from all around rip acacia smith love so much [sic].'
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson today hit back at the EUs chief Brexit negotiator for accusing Britain of abandoning Europe in the fight against Islamic State.

Michel Barnier sparked a diplomatic firestorm when he claimed Britons chose to be on their own in tackling terrorism when voting to leave the EU last year.

Mr Williamson reacted with fury and said any suggestion the UK was not committed to European security was a gross misrepresentation of the work of British troops.

In an excoriating statement, he said: Our Armed Forces have played a key role in keeping our country and Europe safe.

We remain completely committed to European security  to suggest any different is a gross misrepresentation of the great work of brave service men and women.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson (pictured left) hit back at Michel Barnier (pictured right) for accusing Britain of deserting the fight against terrorism by backing Brexit

Sources said he took particular umbrage to suggestions the UK was not pulling its weight in the fight against terror.

The explosive comments came after Mr Williamson, who was given the job earlier this month, pledged to fight on behalf of the Armed Forces.

The row started on Wednesday when Mr Barnier gave a speech in Germany after he briefed acting Chancellor Angela Merkel on developments in Brexit talks.

He cited recent attacks such as those in Paris and Brussels as a reason for members to stand shoulder to shoulder.

But he said the British had chosen to be on their own again at a critical moment by voting to cut ties with Brussels.

He said it was a decision that came just as the need to stand together was so strong, so manifest.

His comments came despite repeated assurances by the Prime Minister that the UK will offer unconditional defence and security support in the aftermath of Britains split with the EU.

Theresa May, pictured in Iraq yesterday where she announced an extra 10million for the fight against Islamic state terrorism

The decision to target the UK over its commitment to security  despite being seen as the blocs leader on such issues  was described as insensitive given the series of recent jihadist attacks in Britain.

Referring to the referendum he said: It was a decision that came after a series of attacks on European soil, committed by young people who grew up in Europe, in our countries.

It was a decision that came six months after the French minister of defence issued a call for solidarity to all his European counterparts to join forces to fight the terrorism of Daesh [IS].

He added: Never had the need to be together, to protect ourselves together, to act together been so strong, so manifest.

Yet rather than stay shoulder to shoulder with the Union, the British chose to be on their own again.

His comments sparked outrage, with UK officials accusing Mr Barnier of an extraordinary slur, admonishing his comments behaviour as irrational and stupid.
The retired detective who investigated the disappearance of Robert Durst's first wife three decades ago has admitted that he had sex with a witness at the time.

Former New York Police officer Michael Struk said he 'went along' with the unnamed witness's sexual advances towards him after he was called to search a location.

In a Los Angeles courtroom yesterday, he admitted that his actions at the time had been 'unprofessional'.

Michael Struk pictured talking on HBO's The Jinx, yesterday admitted to sleeping with a witness as he investigated the disappearance of Kathleen Durst

Durst, pictured in court earlier this year, denies the allegations against him

The revelation came at a hearing for a separate case in which Durst, 74, is accused of murdering his best friend, Susan Berman, in 2000.

Prosecutors allege that the billionaire real estate heir killed her to prevent her telling authorities what she knew about the disappearance of his first wife, Kathleen, in 1982. Durst denies killing both women.

Mr Struk said that he had received a call from a witness during the investigation asking him to search a location, the Los Angeles Times reports.

When he arrived there he was met by two witnesses but one of them left.

Mr Struk said the witness who remained then made sexual advances towards him and he reciprocated.

Durst pictured with his first wife Kathleen before her disappearance in 1982

When asked whether he was aware at the time that such actions were improper for a man in his position the former detective said: 'I would agree with that.'

Mr Struk also testified that he had accepted tickets to see pop star Neil Diamond from one of Kathleen Durst's friends, Geraldine McInerney, who he said had got them for free from her work.

At the court in Los Angeles the former detective said he regretted the decision but stressed that accepting the tickets had not compromised his investigation.

'Sitting here today, I wish I had not done it,' he said.

When asked whether he had ignored NYPD policy in accepting the tickets Mr Struk said: 'It was a mistake - sure.'
They say there is no pain greater than to be helpless in the face of a loved one's suffering.

A terminally ill girl in China has told her parents to stop treating her after the couple spent all their savings on her medical bills before running into debts.

In tears, 14-year-old Li Xiaoqing told her impoverished parents, who were also crying: 'Please give me up. I don't want to be your burden.'

Li Xiaoqing and her parents hug and cry as the girl tells her parents to 'give up' on her

Xiaoqing wipes her mother's tears after she told her parents she didn't want to be their burden

Xiaoqing, from China, was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a rare form of liver cancer in 2014

A set of emotional pictures have captured how the family broken down in tears while hugging each other as Xiaoqing told her parents the thoughts on November 21.

According to reports from Chinese media, Xiaoqing was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a rare form of liver cancer in May, 2014. Her cancer was said to have reached the late stages.

HEPATOBLASTOMA: THE FACTS Hepatoblastoma is a rare form of liver cancer. It's known to primarily affect children before the age of three. The rare disease is diagnosed in fewer than one in a million children. It's deemed to be a particularly aggressive form of cancer, spreading to other areas of the body very quickly. The cause of the disease is unknown, but there are a few disorders that are known to increase the risk. If caught early, surgery can be used to remove the cancerous cells - but it becomes untreatable when it metastasises. Outlook depends on the extent of the disease, size and location of the tumour and how old the child is. Source: Stanford Children's Health Advertisement

She and her family are originally from Nanle County in central China's Henan Province. She lives with her parents, an elder brother, a younger sister and her grandmother on the farm.

However, doctors from a hospital in Puyang, the nearest city, said they were able to treat the illness due to limited medical resources. Therefore, they suggested the family seek medical help from hospitals in Beijing.

Xiaoqing's parents decided to take Xiaoqing to the capital city, which is 510 kilometres (316 miles) away or a five-hour drive.

After examination, doctors from the Beijing Children's Hospital suggested Xiaoqing undergo chemotherapy first because her tumour was too big. They said an operation was possible once Xiaoqing's tumour becomes smaller.

The couple acknowledged the suggestion. Instead of getting Xiaqing treated in Beijing, which would be expensive, they took the medical plan to the People's Hospital in Puyang city for doctors follow. This way they could afford the treatment.

Xiaoqing suspended her school and underwent five rounds of chemotherapy in the following few months in Puyang.

Sadly, her condition worsened and her parents had to take her to Beijing again for more advanced treatment.

Xiaoqing's parents accompanied Xiaoqing as she received treatment in Beijing, leaving Xiaoqing's siblings and grandmother in their hometown.

Xiaoqing's mother looks after Xiaoqing as the girl is being treated in a hospital in Beijing

The girls' mother cries in desperation in their small room on the outskirts of Beijing

Xiaoqing's parents have rented a flat two hours away from the hospital to look after the girl

Xiangping, the only breadwinner of the family, is a farmer and part-time welder.

While her daughter was being treated in the hospital, Xiangping slept in the woods or in underground passages for about a month's time in order to save money.

It's said that there was one time he had his duvet and luggage stolen while sleeping outdoors.

Afterwards, Xiangping and his wife rented a small room on the outskirts of the city - a two-hour journey to the hospital. Xiaoqing would stay in the hospital when she had to receive treatment, and in the small flat when she didn't need to.

Her father would take whatever odd jobs he could find to make ends meet.

Reports claimed that Xiaoqing underwent 20 rounds of chemotherapy between November 2015 and November 2017. Her family had to spent 33,000 for the treatment.

For a while, Xiaoqing's father slept in the woods or in underground passages to save money

Xiaoqing had 20 rounds of chemotherapy between November 2015 and November 2017

But the Xiaoqing's parents said no matter how hard it is, they would not stop treating the girl

On November 21, Xiaoqing found out that her condition hadn't improved and she had to undergo chemotherapy again. She saw her worrisome parents weeping because they didn't have any more money to afford the treatment.

Xiaoqing reportedly told her father while hugging her mother: 'Dad, I don't want more chemotherapy.

'Our family don't have money any more. When could you pay back all the debts.

'Please give me up. I don't want to be your burden. Without me, you still have my brother and sister.'

The family of three then cried in each other's arms. Xiaoqing's parents said they would carry on treating their daughter no matter how hard the process would be.

To help with the family, volunteers from Tencent Charity in China a donation page.

So far, 63215.86 yuan (7,093) has been donated. The target of the charity project is 500,000 yuan (56,103).
Nikki and Paul Turner (pictured) became victims of the fraud, which saw six people jailed

A married couple who uncovered a loans scandal at HBOS have agreed to an undisclosed settlement with Lloyds.

Nikki and Paul Turner became victims of the fraud, which saw six people jailed, after taking out a business loan for 160,000 with HBOS's operation in Reading in 2003.

The pair campaigned on behalf of other small business owners for more than 10 years, and have finally agreed to a pay-off from Lloyds Banking Group.

The lender, which took over HBOS during the height of the financial crisis, has shelled out more than 29million in compensation payouts.

Among those jailed was HBOS manager Lynden Scourfield, who introduced clients to David Mills, who consultancy company profited from exaggerated fees.

A spokesperson said: 'Lloyds and Paul and Nikki Turner are pleased that the dispute between them has been fully resolved and a settlement has been reached.

'Lloyds Banking Group is sorry for the significant personal distress the Turners have suffered and acknowledges their vital role, over more than a decade, campaigning tirelessly for justice for all the victims of the criminal conduct at HBOS Reading Impaired Assets Office.'

The couple uncovered the fraud linked to the former HBOS impaired assets office in Reading and have campaigned for compensation for those affected.

The Turners brought the scandal to the attention of HBOS and Lloyds and then regulators, politicians and the police.

Around 35 out of 63 businesses affected by the scandal and included in a review have accepted compensation offers and been paid.

Among those jailed was HBOS manager Lynden Scourfield (pictured)

Three companies fall outside the review, including that of TV star Noel Edmonds.

The former Deal Or No Deal presenter is seeking significant financial redress from the bank and is set to commence legal proceedings imminently.

Lloyds has set aside a total of 100 million for victims of the fraud at the hands of HBOS Reading staff between 2003 and 2007.

Corrupt financiers from the HBOS Reading branch were jailed earlier this year for the 245 million loans scam which destroyed several businesses, before they squandered the profits on high-end prostitutes and luxury holidays.

After the settlement with Lloyds, the Turners said: 'We are relieved and delighted that, after nearly 14 years, we have been able to agree a settlement with the bank that enables us get on with our lives.

'Lloyds has recognised not only our role in campaigning for the victims of the HBOS Reading scandal but also that we will be continuing our work on behalf of other victims in order to help them secure a similar element of closure.'
These are the rival wills at the center of a court battle for Charles Manson's estate and his body  and DailyMailTV can reveal the two have radically different signatures.

Two wills have now been lodged in court as the 'authentic' wishes of the serial killer, with the second one seen for the first time Thursday after it was obtained by DailyMailTV.

It leaves everything to the cult leader's 'son', Matthew Roberts, and gives him the right to arrange for Manson's burial.

The eight-page document was signed by Manson on January 11 this year, and given to the cult leader's friend and long time confidante Ben Gurecki. He was named executor.

The will is being lodged at Kern County Probate Court by attorney Spencer Kuvin.

The court has already received another purported will, leaving Manson memorabilia fanatic Michael Channels everything and claiming to have been signed in February 14, 2002 and obtained by TMZ.

Kuvin told DailyMail.com he is prepared to challenge the authenticity of the 2002 will in its entirety, saying its signature may not be genuine because it lacks a swastika - setting the scene for a bitter and protracted battle over Manson's estate and possibly even his remains.

Two rival wills have been filed for the estate of Charles Manson. The new document filed by Charles Manson's 'son' Matthew Roberts includes a swastika while the first will filed by Manson's pen pal Michael Channels has a different signature. Pictured: Roberts' will dated January 2017

Channels, a memorabilia collector, filed what he claims is Manson's will, dated February 2002 (pictured), on Tuesday. High profile attorney Spencer Kuvin said he has serious doubts over the 'viability' of that will because Manson didn't sign it properly and it's missing a swastika

The two documents are likely to spark a bitter court battle because both wills feature two completely different signatures. Pictured: Channels (left) and Roberts (right)

He said: 'I question very sincerely this document from the pen pal. I question the viability of the will, we need to take a long look at it.'

Kuvin says by law the new will should supersede the 15-year-old document filed by Channels.

He said: 'If you look at it I don't see a signature, it is something scrawled across the middle of the document that doesn't appear to be Charlie Manson's signature.

'If you take a close look at the signature on the last page of Matthew's will, that's Charlie Manson's signature and it's very clear and it's signed in his own hand, what's more it's signed with his mark, which sadly is the mark of the swastika.'

Several online auction sites, such as Charles Manson Autographs and Pristine Auction, claim to have documents signed by Manson, with signatures featuring swastikas.

Manson's friend Gurecki, however, does say he recognizes Manson's name written across the page but suggests it's an autograph rather than a formal signature - unusual given the document was meant to be his last will and testament.

The will includes a bizarre handwritten note from Manson, saying: 'I'm not in the best spot to rest in peace. To some people my name is Manson but I'm sad.'

But DailyMailTV can also reveal the red 'Charles Manson Authentic' stamp seen on the document released by TMZ last week, is in fact a memorabilia stamp used on dozens of Manson Family items Channels has sold online.

Those with knowledge of the situation believe it was Channels himself who drafted the document before convincing Manson to sign it - with the view of creating a valuable collector's item.

A high profile attorney for Roberts said: 'If you take a close look at the signature on the last page of Matthew's will, that's Charlie Manson's signature and it's very clear and it's signed in his own hand, what's more it's signed with his mark, which sadly is the mark of the swastika'. Pictured: Roberts with the more recently dated will

But DailyMailTV can also reveal the red 'Charles Manson Authentic' stamp seen on the document released by TMZ last week (pictured), is in fact a memorabilia stamp used on dozens of Manson Family items Channels has sold online

Kuvin said he will also take the position that as a biological heir Roberts - real name Matthew Robert Lentz - has a stronger claim against an estate for his father Manson than a pen pal

Online auctions claim to have documents signed by Manson. Pictured a postcard from Corcoran state prison allegedly signed by Manson with a swastika

Pictured: A check Manson allegedly signed with a swastika

On the stamp issue, attorney Kuvin said: 'Channels was probably going to use this will as some kind of memorabilia to sell.'

These points of contention will undoubtedly be raised in the ensuing court battle.

But Kuvin is confident his client Roberts has the stronger claim on Manson's estate and will win the day.

'As it stands now, it appears the most recent will executed by Mr Manson is the one that Matthew holds,' he said.

'And obviously the most recent will should control the estate, in fact the will that Matthew has, reads that it supersedes any prior wills.

'So the one will that has been published and put in the probate file is dated 2002 while Matthew's will is dated 2017.'

Kuvin said he will also take the position that as a biological heir Roberts - real name Matthew Robert Lentz - has a stronger claim against an estate for his father than a pen pal would.

Roberts does not have DNA proof that he is the heir, and in fact once failed a televised DNA test, but maintains that result was faulty and that a new test will prove he is Manson's son.

The fact that Manson's supposed grandson, MMA fighter and oil rig worker Jason Freeman has also emerged as another claimant, doesn't worry Kuvin.

He said: 'He's a grandchild, he's not a direct descendant where Matthew is and when you have a direct descendant they take priority.'

Also stepping into the fight is Manson's long lost grandson, MMA fighter and oil rig worker Jason Freeman (left) who is trying to claim Manson's remains, but Roberts' lawyer isn't worried

Channels rushed to file the Manson will in his possession on Tuesday so he could get custody of the killer's body as soon as possible. The pair pictured together

He continued: 'I can tell you that Matthew is very interested in being able to confirm his genetic link (to Manson) through DNA testing, so that he can prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

'But as far as the courts are concerned there is a presumption based upon the fact he was acknowledged by Mr Manson in correspondence back and forth that he was in fact his child.

'That is reconfirmed now with the will that was executed.'

Kuvin said his main priority is to make sure nothing happens to Manson's body until the legal tussle has been resolved so the DNA testing will still be possible.

'We're trying to put an immediate stop to any destruction of the body and we've been in contact with the coroner's office to do just that,' he said.

Kuvin added that he will now 'dispute' the claim made by Channels.

And ultimately he believes there will be a final hearing at which evidence and testimony would need to be presented.

'I don't think there's any question that there's going to be a legal battle,' he said.

'We're ready, we've got the letters, we've got the correspondence, we've got the will.

'I think ultimately we'll prevail because our claim is much stronger than the others, it's as simple as that.'

Lawyers for Roberts (pictured) and Channels will battle it out over whose will has the most legitimate claim to Manson's estate, which includes his art and rights to make money from the killer's likeness

Channels (left) and Freeman (right) are expected to challenge the new will filed by Roberts. Freeman flew into LA on Monday before driving up to Bakersfield on Tuesday and was seen in the area filming with a documentary film crew

Channels, a well known Manson collector and historian, is a long time pen pal of the cult leader and had been communicating with him for 20 years.

He claims that in 2002 Manson drafted the will and handed it to him.

Earlier this week DailyMailTV approached Channels, 51, to ask him whether his will would win the day.

Instead, business partner and fellow Manson collector Stoner Van Houten spoke on his behalf.

Van Houten, who also runs the infamous Spahn Ranch, said: 'When the bout happens we'll see who's gonna leave the ring. I understand a couple of people will enter but only one man's gonna leave, man, and that one person's gonna be Michael Channels my friend.'

In an exclusive interview musician Roberts, 49, who lives in Los Angeles, said he's confident of his chances.

'I believe this document will supersede any others, I believe that I am Charles Manson's son and I am his rightful heir,' he said.

While Gurecki, who has been helping Roberts, added: 'I believe this (will) will ultimately supersede the other wills that are put there because of the date of the will, it came to me in Februaryso it would have to supersede the others.'

Manson was jailed after he was found guilty of orchestrating the murders of nine people, including actress Sharon Tate (pictured), in the 1960s by his devoted followers in a bid to start a race war

Roberts, who was adopted and grew up in Rockford, Illinois, was told that Manson was his real dad, after he tracked down his biological mother in 2001. She told Roberts she was raped by Manson during a drug-fueled orgy nine months before he was born in 1968  but she later claimed it was not rape but 'vigorous sex'

Both Roberts and Gurecki hope to give Manson a respectful burial at his family's grave site in Catlettsburg Cemetery, Kentucky.

Roberts, who was adopted and grew up in Rockford, Illinois, was told that Manson was his real dad, after he tracked down his biological mum in 2001.

She told Roberts she was raped by Manson during a drug-fueled orgy nine months before he was born in 1968  but she later claimed it was not rape but 'vigorous sex'.

Although attempted, DNA tests have proved inconclusive, Gurecki has said Manson knew Roberts was his son  and even sent people to find him.

Manson orchestrated the murders of seven people in the 1960s by his devoted followers in a bid to start a race war.

On August 8, 1969, he sent Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, Patricia Krenwinkel and Charles 'Tex' Watson  to the Beverly Hills address of movie actress Sharon Tate with the instruction to kill everyone inside.

Less than 24 hours later, the followers  plus Leslie Van Houten and Steve 'Clem' Grogan  savagely tortured, murdered and mutilated wealthy LA couple Rosemary and Leno LaBianca.
Florida inmate, Randall Jordan-Aparo (pictured), 27, who suffered from a rare blood disorder, was allegedly gassed to death in 2010 after begging for medical help

A disabled Florida inmate, who suffered from a rare blood disorder, was allegedly gassed to death in 2010 after he spent for days begging for medical help.

Randall Jordan-Aparo, 27, was serving a 20-month sentence for credit card fraud at the Franklin Correctional Institution in the Florida Panhandle and was classified as a minimum security prisoner.

Jordan-Aparo suffered from Osler-Weber-Rendu disease a rare autosomaldominant genetic disorder that leads to abnormal blood vessel formation in the skin, mucous membranes, and often in organs such as the lungs, liver, and brain.

On September 15, 2010, he went to the prison infirmary to complain about pain in his back and his side.

The lawsuit, which was filed in September 2016, says Jordan-Aparo had a 'serious infection' caused by his disease.

However, he was allegedly told to just drink some water, take Tylenol and get some rest. When he protested, he was put him in an isolation cell and sprayed with a 'chemical restrain agent,' according to court documents.

Jordan-Aparo's death at Franklin Correctional Institution was publicized widely amid scrutiny of the Florida Department of Corrections for suspicious deaths.

On Saturday, the lawsuit filed by his family won a key victory in the case.

On September 15, 2010, he went to the prison infirmary to complain about pain in his back and his side. The lawsuit says he had a 'serious infection' caused by his disease. However, he was allegedly told to just drink some water, take Tylenol and get some rest

When he protested, he was put him in an isolation cell and sprayed with a 'chemical restrain agent,' according to court documents. The incident took place at the Franklin Correctional Institution

A federal judge rejected a request by the Florida Department of Corrections to throw out the lawsuit, which accuses prison workers of violating his rights under the Americans With Disabilities Act, according to The Washington Post.

'If the Department asserts that providing at least some treatment is always sufficient to exonerate the Department from liability under the ADA or Rehabilitation Act, the Department is simply wrong,' US District Judge Robert L. Hinkle wrote.

But the corrections department denied that prison workers were 'deliberately indifferent' to Jordan-Aparo's needs.

The department said he was never denied access to medical services in the prison.

But the judge ruled that providing some medical treatment could still constitute deliberate indifference, the Post reported.

When Jordan-Aparo first sought medical treatment on September 15, 2010, nurses recorded a body temperature of 102.4 degrees.

Medical staff sent him back to his cell and 'ordered bedrest and Tylenol', according to the suit.

Two days later, he went back to the infirmary, and told the staff that it was a 'medical emergency', but a nurse allegedly told him to drink more water.

But Jordan-Aparo demanded to be taken to a hospital and threatened to sue the medical staff, according to the Post.

He was then taken to an isolation cell and sprayed with gass. Hours later, guards found Jordan-Aparo dead on the floor of his cell.

On Saturday, the lawsuit filed by his family won a key victory in the case. A federal judge rejected a request by the Florida Department of Corrections to throw out the lawsuit, which accuses prison workers of violating his rights under the Americans With Disabilities Act

But the corrections department denied that prison workers were 'deliberately indifferent' to Jordan-Aparo's (pictured) needs. The department said he was never denied access to medical services in the prison

'No labs were taken, no x-rays were taken, and there was no referral to a doctor,' the lawsuit reads.

'The medical services provided to Aparo were objectively insufficient,' the lawsuit says. 'This is a deliberately indifferent and reckless disregard for the treatment of Aparo's medical needs and disability.'

The federal civil righs lawsuit filed on behalf of his 13-year-old daughter, alleges that Florida prison officials tried to cover up Jordan-Aparo's death.

Amanda Cimillo, the mother of Jordan-Aparo's daughter, filed the lawsuit that alleges corrections officers killed him and the prison's nurses, doctors and warden conspired to cover up his death.

According to the lawsuit, Jordan-Aparo had been in the prison infirmary multiple times on the days before his death complaining of breathing problems and other health issues.

The suit claims that a nurse and other prison medical staff concluded he was faking illness, and sent him to a confinement cell where he was gassed at least three times.

Inmates interviewed afterward said they heard Jordan-Aparo screaming 'I can't take the gas' and 'I need a nurse.'

The suit claims he was dragged to a shower by guards, where he complained of difficulty breathing.

WHAT IS OSLER-WEBER-RENDU DISEASE? Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a disorder that affects blood vessels. It can cause bleeding in the digestive tract, anemia, increased risk of stroke and other symptoms. In most cases, HHT isn't life-threatening and symptoms can be effectively managed. HHT is also known as Osler-Weber-Rendu disease. Signs and symptoms include nosebleeds, red or purple spots, lacy red vessels, shortness of breath, migraine headaches, iron deficiency anemia, fatigue, and blood in the stool. HHT is genetic and can affect people at any age. No cure exists for HHT, but treatment can help avoid serious complications caused by abnormal blood vessels. HHT treatment often depends on which parts of the body are affected. Source: Mayo Clinic Advertisement

Jordan-Aparo's body was later discovered in the cell covered in an orange residue from the canned chemical 'CNS gas' known as 'red devils' in the prison. He was clothed only in a pair of boxer shorts.

'He had a disease which affected his breathing, which we believe makes him a disabled adult. They knew he had this disease,' Ryan Andrews, the family's attorney, said last year.

'There were other inmates who heard him screaming, begging for help, while he clutched his Bible. When people go to prison, that shouldn't be a fear that they have.'

After his death, the suit claims that the warden, Diane Andrews, 'instructed that no interviews be conducted of inmate witnesses'.

Andrews later concluded that use of force against Jordan-Aparo fell within rules governing the use of force, a finding approved by the department's inspector general.

The lawsuit by the inmate's family isn't the only one related to his case. Florida corrections investigators also have alleged cover-ups by the corrections department in separate lawsuits over Jordan-Aparo's death.
Lord Howard and his wife Sandra(pictured outside court in December) said they could not recall which of them was driving when their car was caught speeding

The High Court has quashed the conviction of former Tory party leader Lord Howard for failing to say who was driving his car when it was caught speeding.

The 76-year-old politician and his wife Sandra said they could not recall which of them was driving when it was clocked at 37mph in a 30mph zone in Lewisham Way, south-east London, in January last year.

The former home secretary was fined 900 and received six penalty points on his licence for failing to give such information as to the identity of the driver of a vehicle of which he was at the material time the keeper as he was required to give by the police.

The couple were not in court in London on Thursday to hear Lord Justice Simon and Mrs Justice Whipple overturn the conviction.

Lawyers for the Director of Public Prosecutions did not apply for the case to be remitted.

Lord Howard completed part one of the relevant form, giving the required details of his own name, address and date of birth but, while he mentioned his wife as being the other possible driver, he did not provide her details.

The second part of the form, which allowed for the details of other drivers to be provided, was left blank.

Lord Howard's solicitor-advocate, David Sonn, said that 'crucially' there were no instructions on the form as to how it was to be completed if the recipient did not know who was the driver at the relevant time.

He added: 'The core submission is that the form was filled in to the best of my client's ability.'

The politician and his wife Sandra said they could not recall which of them was driving when it was clocked at 37mph in a 30mph zone in Lewisham Way, London, in January last year
Surveillance footage of an explosion that left one person dead and 100 injured at a New York cosmetics plant was released on Wednesday.

Authorities said the clip shows the first of two morning explosions on November 20 at the Verla International cosmetics factory in Orange County.

The explosion occurred 25 minutes apart from one another, according to CBS News.

Authorities released footage of deadly New York explosion that occurred earlier this month

At least two explosions ripped through the Verla International cosmetics in Orange County on November 20

Investigators determined the explosions were accidental and were ignited when static electricity caused the ignition

Investigators determined the explosions were accidental and were ignited when static electricity caused the ignition of hexamethyldisiloxane, an ignitable liquid, inside the plant.

Footage shows a worker wiping excess product in the plants batch room just before the first explosion erupted. The employee reportedly sustained minor burns.

Authorities initially said one employee was killed and up to 35 people were injured, including seven firefighters.

The deceased worker was identified Tuesday as 57-year-old William Huntington, of nearby Newburgh.

His body was recovered from the factory later in the evening after fire crews spent the day trying to contain the blaze.

The factory is about a half-mile from the town hall and police station in New Windsor, on the Hudson River's west bank, 55 miles north of New York City.

Authorities said that one employee was killed and more than 100 people hurt in the incident

The deceased worker was identified Tuesday as 57-year-old William Huntington, of nearby Newburgh.

Police said the first explosion occurred around 10.15am. Firefighters who responded were inside the building when the second explosion occurred around 10.40am.

Verla was cited for nine occupational safety violations earlier this year, according to records on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's website.

One was related to problems with the handling of flammable and combustible liquids.

The federal agency also cited inadequacies relating to respirator protection for workers and the maintenance of exit routes. The company agreed to pay $41,000 in penalties.

The 37-year-old New Windsor-based company's website says the products it makes include nail polish, perfumes, lotions, among other things.
A Nazi sympathizer who was profiled in the New York Times last week has lost his job.

Tony Hovater, 29, was the subject of a Times article published on November 25, which described him as the 'Nazi sympathizer next door' - someone who would be an average Joe if it weren't for his extreme political beliefs.

Hovater is a member of the Traditionalist Workers Party, which has been described as a white supremacist hate group allied with the neo-Nazis.

Hovater himself has taken part in two white supremacist marches this year, but claims he's not racist.

Tony Hovater, a Nazi sympathizer who was profiled in a recent New York Times story, has been fired from his job at a bar in New Carlisle, Ohio

Hovater's (center) wife (left and right) and brother-in-law were also let go from 571 Grill and Draft House after the article

The manager of 571 Grill and Draft House says Hovater worked part time as a cook for the past year

The Times article stated that Hovater was a welder, but readers quickly found out that he also worked a part-time job as a cook at 571 Grill and Draft House near his home in New Carlisle, Ohio.

After the story was published, the restaurant's manager says that they received numerous complaints and threats about employing a Nazi sympathizer so they decided to let Hovater go.

His wife and brother-in-law, who also worked at the establishment, have been sacked as well.

Hovater told the Times that the restaurants owners 'decided to can me' and that he's decided to move 'because of safety reasons'.

But in a statement, the restaurant said that Hovater himself 'suggested that we release him from employment' because of the mounting threats.

The Daily Stormer, a white supremacist website, is calling on its supporters to lead a boycott against the restaurant over Hovater's firing

'Due to these very disturbing threats, the employee who was featured in the article suggested that we release him from employment. We have done so and have also released his wife and her brother who also worked for us.

Hovater is seen above wagging his finger at a bumper sticker for the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights organization that tracks hate groups

'We felt it necessary to fully sever the relationship with them in hopes to protect our 20 other employees from the verbal and social media threats being made from individuals all over the country, and as far as Australia. We neither encourage nor support any forms of hate within our establishment,' a statement from the business, issued on November 29, reads.

Since Hovater's firing became public, the restaurant has been hit with even more complaints and negative online reviews - this time from white nationalists and neo-Nazis who object to Hovater's firing.

'This place hates their White customers and promotes the rape of White Women. They will be closing soon mark my words,' a Google reviewer named Josh Plewa wrote.

Others took their negative reviews to Twitter.

Other social media users praised the restaurant when they learned of Hovater's firing

THE FULL STATEMENT FROM 571 GRILL AND DRAFT HOUSE While the 571 Grill and Draft House is happy to be recognized by national news outlets for our 571 Haystack burger, its with a sad heart that we must reflect on a divisive political topic that has unfortunately darkened the doorstep of our small business. A November 25th New York Times article featured one of our employees. In the article, the employee shared his political views, specifically those of being a white nationalist. The article went on, illustrating some very disturbing images and thoughts from this individual. The 571 Grill and Draft House does not share any of these views with this person, nor was the owner aware of them prior to the publishing of this article. Since the release of this article, we have been swamped with phone calls and social media messages that are threatening and intimidating to both us and our employees. These hateful and disturbing messages are truly saddening to those of us who just want to serve delicious food and cold beers. Due to these very disturbing threats, the employee who was featured in the article suggested that we release him from employment. We have done so and have also released his wife and her brother who also worked for us. We felt it necessary to fully sever the relationship with them in hopes to protect our 20 other employees from the verbal and social media threats being made from individuals all over the country, and as far as Australia. We neither encourage nor support any forms of hate within our establishment. We have been in business for a very long time and have a great reputation for supporting our community, and want to continue to do so. We do not check political party affiliation of any of our patrons and as such we are prayerful that members of our community understand that this has been a very difficult situation for us. We hope that you will continue to support us and our small family-owned business. Advertisement

'Firing people for their political beliefs is disgusting. You should be ashamed of yourselves, you're scum,' Twitter user Younger Z wrote.

The Daily Stormer, a white supremacist website, is calling on its supporters to leave negative reviews online, call the management with their complaints and boycott the business.

A fundraising website for white supremacists has also raised more than $8,000 for Hovater and his wife as of Thursday.

There have also been comments from people proud of the management for firing Hovater, who say they'll be stopping by to patronize the business soon.

'Nice rotating selection of beer and the pizza and burgers are good. But what I love most about this place is that the owner recently fired an admitted Nazi sympathizer after reading an article about him in the NYT.

'Lots of negative reviews have coincidentally been posted here and elsewhere; don't believe it. Propaganda from a group of hateful dirtbags. It's 2017 and we're actually debating on whether Nazis are decent people,' one Yelp user named Jennifer P. wrote.
A jobless father apologised to his six-year-old daughter before stabbing her mother to death in the street, a court heard.

Moments earlier Mark Morris, 39, was told by his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend, Emma Day, who was also the mother of his child, that if he could afford alcohol he could pay child support.

Incensed that she would not a be a 'good girl' and drop demands he paid for his own child, he ran after her as she walked away and plunged a large kitchen knife into her back in Thornton Heath, south London, authorities say.

Morris murdered Miss Day nine days after she made another application to the Child Maintenance Service, the court heard.

Mark Morris, 39, was told by his ex-girlfriend, Emma Day, who was also the mother of his child, that if he could afford alcohol he could pay child support moments before he killed her in south London in May, the court heard

He was told the payments - 1,277 a year, or 24.56 a week - would be smaller than an earlier estimate.

Sarah Whitehouse QC, prosecuting, told the Old Bailey: 'Although the amount he was being asked to pay was relatively modest, his earnings were also relatively modest.'

Miss Day said she was 'struggling' and had two children to feed, but he accused her of doing it for 'revenge', adding: 'You leave me with no choice.'

On the day of the attack, May 25, 2017, Morris text his mother saying: 'I'm saying goodbye to all of you. If I'm still alive please don't visit me. Just tell everyone I'm sorry but I had to do this.'

At 5.45pm the day of the attack, Morris bought a can of beer and sat down on a wall near Miss Day's home in West Norwood, south London.

A few minutes later, she walked past with her 13-year-old son, from another relationship, but they did not say anything.

At 6pm, Morris text her saying, 'Ok just so I understand this, your (sic) gonna go through with cms?'

But Miss Day did not reply but asked her friend Sallie Clarke if she could accompany her home, as Morris was making her nervous as he was so 'unpredictable'.

Morris bought another beer and hid in the road, before emerging when the two women and children walked past at 6.30pm.

Ms Whitehouse said: 'He seemed sweaty, dirty and under the influence of alcohol. He approached the group, and said to his daughter, 'I'm really sorry.' The daughter backed away.

'Mr Morris then started to beg Emma about the child support payments. Miss Day insisted that the arrangements were fair and he had a duty to contribute.

'Mr Morris became verbally abusive and complained that he would be left homeless. He said that he was in debt and owed over 6,000.'

Concerned about his 'agitated and volatile' state, Miss Clarke sent the children towards their home.

Morris murdered Miss Day nine days after she made another application to the Child Maintenance Service, the court heard. Pictured above, the crime scene in Thornton Heath, south London

Meanwhile Morris sat on a wall and rolled a cigarette, telling Miss Day she had to be a 'good girl' and 'do what she was told', and that he had drunk 'four cans'.

Ms Whitehouse said: 'Miss Day responded that if he had money to buy alcohol he equally had money to pay child support.'

She walked away with Miss Clarke, who saw Morris run towards Miss Day with a long kitchen knife and plunge the blade into her back in one motion, the court heard.

The prosecutor said: 'Emma called out, 'what are you doing?' They were to be her last words.

'Despite a struggle between Miss Clarke and Mr Morris, he was able to lunge at Emma Day, slashing her neck in the process.

'Mr Morris then ran off down the hill, but not before he had discarded the knife.'

The victim had two stab wounds to her back penetrating her lung, and she was declared dead at the scene at 7.41pm.

Morris also called 999, claiming he was not there but was told she was injured.

At 7.10pm, he called his mother saying, 'I've done it, the thing we spoke about. I've stabbed her'.

Body cam footage showed Morris being arrested in his bed the next day, May 26.

Morris told police: 'I knew what I had done. I could not stop myself.'

He later said he had made regular contributions to Miss Day, but had lost his job and got into debt so stopped before Christmas 2016.

Morris, a former Asda worker, admitted murder and having an offensive weapon last week.

He pleaded guilty to manslaughter at an earlier hearing, but prosecutors did not accept the plea.

The Old Bailey heard on Thursday how Miss Day and Morris had been locked in a bitter dispute over child maintenance payments.

They had been in a relationship from 2008 until they split in March 2016.

In April 2016, Miss Day, who worked as a receptionist on the neuroscience ward at King's College Hospital, reported to police she was being harassed by Morris.

Morris, a former Asda worker, admitted murder and having an offensive weapon last week. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter at an earlier hearing, but prosecutors did not accept the plea. Pictured above, the scene of the murder

Sarah Whitehouse QC, prosecuting, said: 'She said that he had been sending abusive text messages to her and calling her repeatedly.'

A few days later, on April 19, she was granted a non-molestation order against Morris at the Central Family Court, which expired a year later.

Miss Day said in a statement he was controlling, verbally abusive and liable to lose his temper when he had been drinking.

About a week later, Miss Day successfully applied for a 'prohibited steps' order, which stopped Morris from removing their daughter from her mother or school.

In July, she began a new relationship with another man, but it did not seem to have caused any 'significant ill-feeling' between them.

But the problems between them 'escalated' from November 2016 when she made an application to the Child Maintenance Service for financial support from him.

Morris phoned the CMS about the application on November 2.

Ms Whitehouse said: 'He said that he had loans outstanding and was living on nothing.

'He complained that he was 'getting screwed' and that 'you literally are going to make me homeless'.

'He ended by saying, 'I'd rather not deal with this life than deal with what you lot are planning to do, yeah?'

They wrote to him the next day, telling him his contribution to his daughter's maintenance would be 1,898 a year - about 40 a week - which caused him to react badly.

Miss Day told the CMS that, when he heard about her application, 'he basically threatened my life and turned up at my workplace and said that if I don't cancel it then he's gonna kill me'.

On December 16 last year, he sent his brother Simon a Whatsapp message saying: 'And yes I did threaten to kill her if she didn't drop the cms claim. But at least I own up to my shit.'

However the claim was halted by Miss Day, and messages between November and early 2017 suggested he was providing money occasionally to her.

But in early 2017, Miss Day told Morris she was going to re-open the claim again.

Morris messaged her on January 3 saying: 'I'll go prison before they get a penny from me. You just love making a bad situation worse.

'Oh well, suit yourself. No one to blame but you from now.'

Ms Whitehouse said: 'Miss Day called her sister to report that the defendant had threatened to kill her, stating that her child would have no mother.'

She didn't make the claim, telling the CMS in May that Morris 'turned up at my workplace and followed me home threatening me that if I went through with the application he'd do something to me.

'So I cancelled it.'

The trial continues.
Two Rikers Island guards have been suspended after being caught on camera running in the opposite direction as one of their colleagues was attacked by an inmate.

Ricardo Reimers, 36, and Keith Phillip, 31, were suspended this week for not stepping in to help Awais Ghauri as he was thrown to the ground and punched by inmate Jason Reid on Thanksgiving Day.

Shocking surveillance footage of the attack and the two guards fleeing emerged last week as the Department of Corrections launched an investigation into it.

On Thursday, New York Daily News reported that both Reimers and Phillip had been suspended.

The New York City Department of Corrections is still investigating the footage and will not comment.

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Rikers Island captains Ricardo Reimers (L) and Keith Phillip (R) have been suspended for abandoning their colleague as he was beaten by an inmate on Thanksgiving Day

The two captains have however been branded 'cowards' by the Correction Captains Association.

'They ran from danger. There is no room for cowards in my rank. Im not defending them,' its president said.

The footage showed Reid suddenly pouncing on Ghauri, 31, as he walked ahead of Reimers and Philip through the dining hall on Thanksgiving Day.

He threw him to the ground and punched him several times in the face and head.

As the attack happened, Reimers turned and fled, running towards the door while trying to dodge other inmates.

Phillip was grabbed by another of the prisoners and they tussled before he too got to the door.

Ghauri is pictured in the forefront of this image in dark trousers. Reimers is behind him and Phillip is not in view. Reid is seen to the left of the men, seconds before launching his attack

A grainy still of the video shows Reimers in dark trousers turning and running as Reid pummels Ghauri on the ground

Ghauri (seen in dark trousers) was beaten by Reid, his main attacker, for 20 seconds but also took blows from two other inmates who joined in once he was already on the ground

The injured guard (above splayed on the ground with inmates circling him) was left bloody and with facial bruises

In the foreground, Reid continued to hit Ghauri for 20 seconds. Two other inmates also joined in and threw punches before Ghauri was able to break free.

He then got back on his feet and was marched in the opposite direction by other captains who had by this point arrived to assist.

Reid was serving time for robbery, trespassing and assault but now faces additional charges.

Ghauri has not commented on the footage or on his colleagues' behavior.

Last week, the Department of Corrections said in a statement: 'We will never tolerate the actions of those who harm our staff and we are working with the Bronx district attorney to arrest and prosecute any inmate involved in this incident.'
Pereira, 40, is a dual citizen of both the United States and Brazil living in New York

A passenger on a flight from Brazil to New York City has been charged with assault in federal court in Brooklyn after a drunken kerfuffle allegedly led to her biting and punching flight attendants.

Ires Alves Pereira, 40, a dual citizen of the United States and Brazil and a resident of Manhattan, allegedly punched, kicked, and bit flight attendants on a Delta Air Lines flight en route to JFK Airport on Monday.

A report from the New York Daily News states that she antagonized a fellow flyer before hitting her neighbor as the fight spilled into the cabin's aisle.

As flight attendants tried to break things up, Pereira attacked - which led passengers to restrain her.

Pereira was eventually restrained in her seat, but not before a man's glasses were smashed in the fight.

Pereira was charged in federal court for her in-flight antics. She got both her arraignment papers and luggage when she was released

Three attendants were sent to a hospital after the plane landed.

Pereira was held in federal court in Brooklyn from Monday until Wednesday when she was released on $100,000 bond.

Magistrate Judge Roanne Mann ordered the accused to undergo evaluation and treatment for alcohol abuse as a condition of her release.

Pereira got both her arraignment papers and luggage when she was released.
A 22-year-old man has been arrested in Brazil after groping a woman and attempting to run her down with a vehicle following a gas station brawl, police say.

Security footage from the early morning of November 25 in Manaus shows a widespread fight that started inside the gas station and quickly spread out into the parking lot as more people became involved.

The brawl kicked off after a 22-year-old female student accused the suspect of groping her buttocks as she left the store in the Parque Dez neighborhood of Manaus.

The suspect, who has not been publicly named, has since been charged with attempted murder, bodily injury and property damage.

Security footage from the early morning of November 25 in Manaus, Brazil, a woman, 22, confronting a man at a gas station after he allegedly groped her buttocks

The woman was quickly followed by her boyfriend, who also confronted the groping suspect

The couple's confrontation launched a massive brawl inside that store that later spilled into the parking lot

In CCTV footage, the woman is seen returning to the shop and hitting a man in the face after being groped by the door.

She is followed by another man, believed to be her boyfriend, who also confronts the group of men.

Soon after the confrontation, an all-out brawl breaks out and spills out into the parking lot outside.

While everyone was outside, the suspect is seen getting into his car and smashing into the vehicle that the woman was in.

His bumper got stuck to the woman's vehicle, and he continued to drive back and forth before attempting to flee and striking a gas pump with his own car.

The suspect, who has not been publicly named, has since been charged with attempted murder, bodily injury and property damage

At one point in the brawl, a man can be seen holding the victim before she gets into a friend's car

While everyone was outside, the suspect is seen getting into his Ford Ranger (the black truck pictured right) and smashing into the vehicle that the woman was in (far right corner)

His bumper got stuck to the woman's vehicle, and he continued to drive back and forth before attempting to flee and striking a gas pump with his own car

The police identified the suspect and charge of attempted murder after analyzing security footage from the gas station, according to Acritica.com.

Police said that the victim's boyfriend even tried to stop the suspect by getting into the man's vehicle as he drove - in the process he got his arm stuck in the car door.

The victim told police that the incident occurred when she and her boyfriend stopped at the gas station to buy candy on the way home from a birthday party.

She said as she got into her friend's car, the suspect 'threw his car' into the one she was in and 'kept speeding up and dragging our car'.
The mother of a 15-year-old girl who has been missing since Sunday says her daughter was easy prey for a predator because she is afflicted by manic depression.

Heaven Ray Cox from Mauriceville, Texas vanished on Saturday afternoon - after talking to a much older man on Snapchat, according to her mother, Tammy.

'She left a goodbye note to me and her Dad, and said that she wouldn't have a phone, so I'm sure he has taken it from her, as it isn't here, and I have torn her room apart,' Tammy wrote in a Facebook post.

'She is off her meds and is in a manic phase of bipolar disorder.'

Heaven Ray Cox, 15, was last seen in her home on November 25 and was reported missing on November 26. Her mom said on Facebook that she is suffering from bipolar disorder

Mom Tammy (seen left with Heaven; Heaven also seen right with teenage friend) said her daughter took her passport and may have headed to California

Bipolar disorder causes sufferers to swing between depression and mania.

In the latter case, they may feel euphoric, indestructible and hyperactive; they may also make irrational decisions or highly unrealistic plans.

Tammy said that she didn't find out her daughter was missing until Saturday afternoon because it was usual for her to sleep in late on weekends.

But when she and the girl's father took a look in her room, they found that she was missing.

Tammy wrote on Facebook that Heaven had been speaking to an unidentified predator; it's not clear how she knows about him.

Tammy (pictured) said that Heaven was going through a manic phase recently. That can lead to feelings of euphoria and poor decision-making

'The man she has been talking to is a predator, who has apparently been manipulating her for some time, and in her current state of mind, she believes that he is her friend,' the mom wrote on Facebook.

They now fear she may have been abducted or ran away by a man she met on social media, the Beaumont Enterprise reported.

Police were notified of her disappearance on Sunday and are working to assess the potential connection with the predator.

'I am asking everyone to share this to their wall, and particularly those who live in California and every state between there and Texas.

'This man told her that he would be in San Antonio for Thanksgiving and that he would pick her up.'

San Antonio is about 4.5 hours by car from Mauriceville.

Police say that a note indicates Heaven might have been heading to California.

Tammy also wrote earlier tonight that Heaven's passport was missing.

Those with information are asked to call the Orange County, Texas sheriff's office at 409-883-2612.
The ex-Punta Gorda police officer who shot and killed a retired librarian during a training exercise in 2016 has demanded that his department grant him a disability pension for PTSD.

Lee Coel filed a lawsuit on November 21 against the Punta Gorda Police Department for refusing to give him the disability pension for post-traumatic stress he claims he suffered after the shooting of Mary Knowlton, according to the Herald Tribune.

Earlier this year, harrowing footage of the August 9, 2016, shooting showed the moment 73-year-old Knowlton was shot dead in front of her husband during the training exercise.

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Ex-Punta Gorda police officer, Lee Coel (left), has filed a lawsuit against his former department demanding they grant him a disability pension for PTSD he suffered after killing Mary Knowlton (right) during a training exercise

Coel filed a lawsuit on November 21 against the Punta Gorda Police Department for refusing to give him the disability pension. Knowlton (right) was pretending to be a cop, while Punta Gurda police officer Coel was playing the role of the 'bad guy' (left)

Knowlton fell to the ground after Coel, 29, shot her with a gun mistakenly loaded with live rounds instead of blanks.

The mother-of-two had volunteered in a 'shoot, don't shoot' exercise in front of dozens of spectators.

She was pretending to be a cop, while Punta Gurda police officer Coel was playing the role of the 'bad guy'.

Coel was fired in March from the department and charged with manslaughter.

The ex-cop is now asking a judge to reverse the order of the Board of Trustees of the Punta Gorda Police Officers' Pension Fund that ruled him ineligible in July for disability pension benefits, according to the Tribune.

Coel's criminal case will likely occur in 2018, and if he is convicted of manslaughter in Knowlton's death, he will lose his 'rights and benefits' anyway.

The suit includes two physician's statements that claim he suffers from PTSD and other impairments that have left him with 'total and permanent disabilities'.

Coel's lawsuit alleges that he was denied due process, in that a 'final order' regarding benefits must be issued within 90 days from the date of submission.

CCTV shows the mother-of-two walking up to Coel to volunteer in a 'shoot, don't shoot' exercise in front of dozens of spectators in Florida

The retired librarian (left) fell to the ground after Coel shot her with a gun mistakenly loaded with live rounds instead of blanks. Her husband, Gary (right), was standing just 10 feet away

A decision on Coel's application was made over five months after its submission, according to the Tribune.

During the tragedy, Knowlton's husband Gary was standing just 10 feet away when she was shot in the shoulder and chest last August. She died later at a local hospital.

Mr Knowlton said: 'He (Coel) turned her over and she looked horrible. Blood all over the place.

'I thought 'Oh my God!''

Mr Knowlton also claimed that he was not allowed to ride in the ambulance with his wife and was directed to the wrong hospital by police.

Knowlton and her husband had been married for 55 years. The aim of the class was to teach people when not to shoot.

Coel fired the fatal round while dressed in a gray hooded sweatshirt and black ski mask - in a bid to look like a 'criminal'.

The Florida police officer was fired from the police force after he pleaded not guilty to a first-degree manslaughter charge earlier this year.

Coel was charged with felony manslaughter, while police chief Tom Lewis was charged with culpable negligence.

The cop was placed under arrest but Lewis was given a summons to appear in court over his misdemeanor charge.

CCTV footage shows Coel aiming a gun at Knowlton from behind a car and accidentally shooting her

Coel (left) was charged with felony manslaughter, while police chief Tom Lewis was charged with culpable negligence

Lewis said at the time that 'everyone involved is in an overwhelming state of shock and grief', adding that it was a 'horrible accident'.

Punta Gorda City Manager Howard Kunik announced Lewis' termination in August 2017 on the city's website following an internal investigation.

It found a casual approach to citizen safety during demonstrations and a non-standardized approach that created unnecessary risk for everyone involved.

Coel faces up to 30 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.

Experts told NBC News that the revolver, like the one used in the August 2016 shooting, should have been equipped with sizing collars that would have prevented live ammunition from being loaded.

Firearms instructor, Jay Hawkins, told the station: 'If the collars were inserted in the revolver, only the training ammunition marking or blank would be able to fit into that firearm.'

The Punta Gorda City Council approved a more than $2 million settlement with the Knowlton family in November 2016.
Informal Donald Trump advisor Roger Stone is confirming that a New York comedian and radio host who has received a subpoena is the contact to WikiLeaks he refused to divulge to congressional investigators.

Comedian and radio personality Randy Credico tweeted a copy of the subpoena he received from the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, leading to reports he has been identified as the intermediary between Stone and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Credico has interviewed Assange on his radio show.

Stone, who was interviewed by congressional investigators probing Russian election interference, wrote on Facebook that: 'I initially declined to identify Randy for the Committee fearing that exposure would be used to hurt his professional career and because our conversation was off-the-record and he is journalist.'

Stone acknowledged on Facebook that Credico was in contact with Assange - but denied having gotten any inside information through him.

Randy Credico, who was a candidate in the New York mayoral race, speaks during a forum on HIV/AIDS at the GMHC headquarters in New York. Informal Donald Trump advisor Roger Stone is confirming that a New York comedian and radio host was his contact to WikiLeaks

Credico 'merely confirmed what Assange had said publicly. He was correct. Wikileaks did have the goods on Hillary and they did release them,' he said, in reference to Democratic emails that got posted during the campaign.

'The Committee is wasting their time. He merely confirmed what Assange had said publicly,' Stone continued, alternating between the first and third person.

'Credico never said he knew or had any information as to source or content of the material Mr. Credico never said he confirmed this information with Mr. Assange himself. Mr. Stone knew Credico had his own sources within WikiLeaks and is credible. Credico turned out to be 100 % accurate,' he wrote.

In a Nov. 10 appearance on journalist Fred Dicker's radio show on Talk 1300 in New York, Credico disagreed with the 'narrative that Russia hacked the election.'

'The Committee is wasting their time. He merely confirmed what Assange had said publicly,' wrote Roger Stone in a Facebook posting

Wiki Leaks founder Julian Assange speaks from the Ecuador Embassy

'And that's been my point of view. I still believe that. There's still no evidence, no hard evidence that the Russians hacked the election. It was a inside job,' he said.

Credico's lawyer said he 'certainly' would comply with the subpoena, CNN reported.

He backed Green Party candidate Jill Stein in the elections. 'I was supporting Jill Stein and I didn't like Hillary Clinton,' he said. 'Finally they're talking about collusion with the Russians because she paid for the steel document,' he said, referencing the infamous 'dirty dossier.'

Independent New York City Mayoral Candidate Randy Credico protests outside 30 Rock wearing a Richard Nixon mask before the final debate between Bill de Blasio (D) and Joe Lhota (R), on October 30, 2013

Randy Credico (r) tweeted an image of a subpoena he received

Credico will comply with a House Intelligence subpoena, his lawyer says

Contacted by ABC news, Credico said: 'I don't have much to say. I'm a journalist. I have a radio show. I'm not at liberty to talk about it.'

During his testimony before the House Intelligence panel, Stone said he refused to reveal the identity of a contact with WikiLeaks, saying the person was a journalist and that the conversation was off the record.

WikiLeaks posted thousands of Democratic emails during the campaign. Stone is under scrutiny for cryptic tweets he wrote before emails belonging to Hillary Clinton campaign John Podesta showed up online.
Nancy Pelosi's daughter Christine shocked California lawmakers this week by boldly declaring during an address: 'There are rapists in this building.'

Pelosi, 51, delivered the remarks as part of an ongoing campaign to end workplace harassment which she says is rampant in the local government.

She, along with almost 300 women, signed their names to a document calling for an end to it and on Tuesday, Pelosi, the chairwoman of the California Democratic Party's Women's Caucus, used it as ammunition in a hearing before the Assembly Rules Subcommittee on Harassment, Discrimination and Retaliation Prevent and Response, in Sacramento.

'We have a whisper network. You all know it. Because what everybody here knows is that we have rapists in this building. We have molesters among us,' she said.

As she gave her blistering remarks on sexual assault, her mother finally called for Rep. John Conyers to resign over his own accusations after days of silence on the matter.

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Christine Pelosi shocked the California Legislature on Tuesday by declaring 'there are rapists in this building and we all know it' during a hearing before the Assembly Rules Subcommittee on Harassment, Discrimination and Retaliation Prevent and Response

Christine, speaking in Sacramento, thundered: 'There are perpetrators, enforcers and enablers in this building causing a clear and present danger to the public and to the people here.

'We know who they are, a lot of us know who they are and we find out through that whisper network. we find out because people do tell, they do talk they just don't come forward,' she said.

Later, Pelosi refused to name any of the alleged attackers when pushed for names on Twitter.

She said she would not betray the victims who had confided in her by revealing any of the alleged predators and labeled a Sacramento Bee columnist who implored her to as a 'troll'.

In her plea to the committee, she said she had become the 'hotline' for women who have been abused by politicians and compared the state's government to the Catholic church and its covering up of pedophilia.

Pelosi fumed as she described herself as the only 'hotline' available to victims of predators in the government

Pelosi, 51, is the Chairwoman of the California Democratic Party's Women's Caucus. She was stern as she entered the hearing with her notes in hand

Pelosi then labeled a Sacramento Bee reporter who asked her to name the rapists a 'troll'

'I saw the catholic church so unwilling to police itself that it let parishes go bankrupt rather than address the issue.

The thinking at the time was, "well this person's just sick, let's just move them." We do that in the whisper network here in the capitol, don't we? We just rescue someone and move them.

"Let's get them out of that office and put them over here. Let's get them out of that committee and stick them over there."

'That's not enough. It failed the church, It doesn't work,' she fumed.

Christine with her mother, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi who finally addressed a sexual harassment scandal engulfing Rep. John Conyers

Pelosi finally told Conyers, 88, to resign on Thursday amid the accusations against him

Pelosi is leading the We Said Enough campaign where anonymous accusers have shared details of they have been allegedly abused by California politicians on a website. None name their attackers.

As Christine marched on with her crusade against sexual harassers this week, her mother finally condemned Dem. Rep. John Conyers to resign over claims he sexually harassed staffers.

Conyers. 88, has been hospitalized for stress as a growing number of women come out to detail how he abused them.

The older Pelosi had been quiet on the issue until Thursday when she finally accepted he should leave his seat.

'The allegations against congressman Conyers as we have learned more since Sunday are serious, disappointing and very credible,' said Pelosi, a California representative who notably did not call for Conyers to go during a Sunday appearance on NBC's 'Meet the Press.'

'It's very sad. The brave women who came forward are owed justice,' Pelosi continued at a Capitol press conference.

'I pray for congressman Conyers and his family and wish them well, however, Congressman Conyers should resign,' she said.
A 'once-in-a-generation' storm which could threaten lives, flood rivers, turn farms into lakes and cause major flash flooding has started lashing parts of Victoria.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe rain warning for the entire state, with predicted flooding in all of the state's rivers, including the Yarra in Melbourne.

'This is an event of absolute massive scale, half the inhabitants of Melbourne have never ever seen anything like this ' senior meteorologist Scott Williams said.

'It is an event that poses a threat to life. There will be a massive amount of lightning, there will be roads cut and flood waters.

'This event will turn farms into lakes with such rapid rain rates.'

Ominous rain clouds started forming in Victoria early on Friday morning (pictured). A severe rain warning has been issued for the entire state

A 'once-in-a-generation' storm which could threaten lives, flood rivers, turn farms into lakes and cause major flash flooding in Melbourne has started lashing Melbourne (pictured above is flooding after state's last serious storm in 2017)

Victoria will be lashed with three months-worth of rainfall in just two days this weekend (graphic pictured shows predicted rainfall from Friday to Sunday)

Mr Williams said on a scale of one to 10, he'll 'take a punt and say it's a 10 for Victoria'.

VICTORIA'S DEADLY STORM TIMELINE Friday morning - Rain is expected to hit western parts of Victoria from 6am - Suburban Melbourne and Geelong will endure rain between 8am and 11am - Storm cell will pass through Melbourne by midday - Wild weather to hit eastern parts of the state by 5pm Friday night - Ballarat and Bendigo to endure 150mm to 200mm rainfall - Melbourne to be lashed by minimum of 30mm to 50mm of rain - Nearby hills and catchments to endure 100mm to 150mm Source: Herald Sun Advertisement

A rain event of this forecasted magnitude hasn't been seen in metropolitan Melbourne since 2005 and in regional Victoria since 2010, SES deputy chief Tim Wiebusch said.

It only takes 15cm of water for a car to float and people should not attempt to drive through floodwaters, he added.

Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley said people should stay home and avoid driving on the state's roads.

People are being warned not to become complacent if the rains haven't hit by Friday morning, with Mr Williams adding: 'They didn't think the Titanic would sink, but it did two hours later.'

The low-pressure system may dump more than 300mm of rain in Victoria's northeast and up to 200mm over Melbourne.

That's the equivalent of two to three times the monthly average in two days.

Some farmers have been working around the clock since Wednesday, frantically harvesting their crops before the deluge arrives.

City dwellers were also being put on high alert for flash flooding, which was likely to occur too quickly for warnings to be put out, Emergency Management Victoria said.

Victoria and southern and eastern New South Wales are expecting heavy rainfall and NSW is expecting damaging winds to develop

A rain event of this forecasted magnitude hasn't been seen in metropolitan Melbourne since 2005 and in regional Victoria since 2010 (bigger than the above storm, from earlier this year)

'This is a very, very big weather event, we are in uncharted territory,' senior meteorologist Scott Williams told reporters on Wednesday.

'We could see six-hourly rain rates of over 100mm over several parts of the state, stretching from the Grampians and Horsham in the west to the northeast and ultimately Melbourne.'

It follows an unusually hot and humid November, with Melbourne breaking its record for the number of straight days over 30C.

Both the bureau and SES are urging farmers to protect their crops, and for everyone to pay close attention to the weather.

'If we don't, we are potentially putting lives at risk,' SES deputy chief officer of operations Tim Wiebusch said.

Hail is possible in northwest Victoria as well as South Australia, with the storms spanning across southern and eastern Australia.

Severe thunderstorms are also forecast for Victoria's southwest on Thursday.

'We are in uncharted territory': SES deputy Tim Wiebusch said the storm would be the worst Victoria has seen in a decade (previous storm pictured above)

The Bureau of Meteorology has also issued a severe weather warning for southern and eastern New South Wales

The BoM has also issued a severe weather warning for southern and eastern New South Wales, with forecasts of rainfall and damaging winds to develop from Friday.

NSW and Tasmania may also experience floods as a result of the intense downpours.

Sydney is likely to avoid the severe storms, and has a chance of showers on Friday.

There is a chance of a thunderstorm occurring on Saturday as more rain is expected over the weekend.

Temperatures in Sydney will be in the high 20s over the weekend before dropping on Monday.

Severe winds and heavy rain are predicted to roll across South Australia.

Around 1500 homes in South Australia are without power as heavy rains and winds move across the state.

The Bureau of Meteorology says more heavy rain and damaging winds are forecast across much of SA's north, and possible flash flooding in some parts.

Earlier on Friday, the storms moved across the southeast of the state, dumping heavy rain on some centres, including 19mm at Mount Gambier and similar falls at Naracoorte.

While the Mount Lofty Rangers received 25mm.

The State Emergency Service said it had taken around 60 calls for help, mainly for fallen trees.

Wind gusts of up to 118 km/h were recorded at Oodnadatta on Thursday night and a flood watch has been issued for the Torrens, Galwer, and Onkaparinga rivers.
Nine women have come forward to accuse the playwright Israel Horovitz of sexual misconduct.

They told their stories to The New York Times in a lengthy article that was published on Thursday.

None of their claims were a surprise to his Beastie Boy son Adam who said: 'I believe the allegations against my father are true, and I stand behind the women that made them.'

The women include former au pairs, assistants and actresses who all worked with the 78-year-old. Many say he forcibly kissed them and grabbed their breasts.

One, who was Adam's high school girlfriend, says Israel raped her at the family's home when she was 19.

Horovitz, who is married to his third wife, said he remembered the encounters differently but apologized for any pain caused.

Israel Horovitz has been accused of sexual misconduct by nine different women. His son, Beastie Boy Adam, says he believes them all. They are pictured together in 2010

In his own statement, Israel said while he has 'a different memory of some of these events, I apologize with all my heart to any woman who has ever felt compromised by my actions, and to my family and friends who have put their trust in me.

'To hear that I have caused pain is profoundly upsetting, as is the idea that I might have crossed a line with anyone who considered me a mentor.'

Among the accusers is Maddie Corman who says he forcibly kissed her backstage during an off-broadway play they worked on together in 1986 when she was 16.

He pulled me onto his lap and licked my lips and tried sticking his tongue in my mouth several times. I felt frozen. Maia Ermansons, 22, who describing an alleged encounter with Horovitz in 2016

Another is Jocelyn Meinhardt who was Adam's 19-year-old girlfriend in the summer of 1989 when she says he raped her at his family home.

She was working with him on a fellowship at the Gloucester Stage Company in Massachusetts and claims that before the rape, Horovitz locked her in his car to kiss and touch her before driving them from the theater to the house.

Frederique Gifford was 16 when she worked for the family as an au pair in 1991. She claims he groped her breasts and made her touch his erect penis.

Another accuser is Maia Ermansons, now 22, who says Horovitz, a long-term family friend, cupped her breasts during a visit last year and remarked how big they had grown.

The Gloucester Stage Company received several complaints about Horovitz's alleged behavior in 1993 but it ignored them, describing the women who had written them as 'tightly wound'.

In light of the new allegations, the company has cut ties with him and apologized for their previous response to allegations.

ISRAEL HOROVITZ ACCUSERS Maddie Corman Kathleen Nickel Nickle claims Horovitz cornered her, kissed her and stuck his hand down her pants against her will when she was working as the subscription manager of the Gloucester theater in Massachusetts between 1985 and 1986 Maddie Corman Claims he forcibly kissed her in 1986 when she was 16 and they worked together on a play Jocelyn Meinhardt Adams' high school girlfriend who says Israel forcibly kissed her in his car then raped her at the family home when she was 19 in 1989 Frederique Gifford An au pair who worked for the family in Paris. She claims he forced her hand on to his erect penis in 1991 when she was 16 and says he touched her breasts Jana Mestecky Jana Mestecky Mestecky worked for Horovitz as an assistant and stage manager between 1994 and 1996. She claims he forcibly kissed her, touched her from behind and fondled her at work and would sometimes answer the door naked when she went to drop off scripts Kim Senko Worked with Horovitz on a 1990s production of Strong-Mans Weak Child. She claims he once threw her against a wall and stuck his hand down her pants as she closed up the theater Elizabeth Dann Dann was an understudy on the same play on which Senko worked. She claims he told her to practice her monologues while masterbating and once forced his tongue down her throat. When she asked what he was doing, he allegedly told her to 'respond in character' Laura Crook Maia Ermansons Crook was also an understudy on the play and says she was subjected to harassment by Horovitz. The three women say they created a buddy system to avoid being left alone with him Maia Ermansons Ermansons claims Horovitz, who she has known since she was a child, groped her breasts and stuck his tongue into her mouth last year after making her sit on his lap when she was 21 and he was 77 last year Advertisement

Maia Ermansons shared her account in September last year on Facebook but did not name him

This October, she attached Horovitz's name to it after the accusations against Harvey Weinstein emerged

'I apologize to the brave women who came forward in 1992 and 1993 but were not listened to.

'We are individually and collectively appalled by the allegations, both old and new,' Elizabeth Neumeier, the Gloucester boards current president, said in a statement.

Ermansons revealed her allegations in October after the revelations about Harvey Weinstein began.

In a Facebook post, she attached Horovitz's name to a post she had written a year earlier about a 'playwright she regarded as an honorary grandfather'.

'I had just dealt with a couple of deaths and this man offered to help me by gifting me some of his work to produce and act in.

' was extremely grateful and excited. He insisted he come to my apartment for the meeting.

'The door closed and he held my breasts and said hes known me since I was so young and cant believe how large and beautiful they had become.

Horovitz is pictured in 1977 before the alleged abuse began

Horovitz (above with his second wife Gillian and Glenn Close in 2007) said he remembered the encounters differently

'He pulled me onto his lap and licked my lips and tried sticking his tongue in my mouth several times. I felt frozen.

I said "I have a boyfriend," he said "So? I have a wife." I felt like I was 5 years old,' she wrote.

Ermansons says he called later to apologize for the 'terrible, terrible' misunderstanding.

Others say he was so threatening they were forced to devise a buddy system while working together in the mid-nineties on a play.

One claims he told her to practice her lines while masturbating and that he once forcibly kissed her and told her to respond 'in character' when she asked him what he was doing.

Others described how he fondled them, stuck his hands down their pants and kissed them without their permission.

Horovitz has written and directed more than 50 plays including Park Your Car In Harvard Yard and Line. He has six children from three different marriages.
He resigned in disgrace in 2008 after his role in a prostitution ring was revealed

Zakharova claims Spitzer beat and strangled her at the Plaza Hotel in 2016 after she refused to have sex with him

She filed court papers in an attempt to lift a gag order in her criminal case after she struck a plea deal for extorting $400,000 from Spitzer

Former escort Svetlana Travis Zakharova, 27, revealed that disgraced 'Luv Gov' Eliot Spitzer allegedly paid young girls to walk him on a leash and use sex toys

Former New York governor Eliot Spitzer enjoyed 'paying young girls to insert sex toys into his anal cavity and walk him around on all fours with a leash', explosive court papers reveal.

The $5,000-a-night Russian prostitute Svetlana Travis Zakharova, 27, who recently took a plea deal after extorting Spitzer for $400,000, filed the court papers in an attempt to overturn a gag order, the New York Post reported.

She alleges the disgraced 'Luv Gov' likes being walked around on all fours like a dog at the end of a leash and enjoys anal play with sex toys.

The Russian native says she has the First Amendment right to 'discuss any and all actions or events that she participated in with Spitzer', despite signing a nondisclosure agreement in 2016.

Former escort Svetlana Travis Zakharova, 27, revealed that disgraced 'Luv Gov' Eliot Spitzer allegedly paid young girls to walk him on a leash and use anal toys. Pictured on July 25

Eliot Spitzer resigned in disgrace in 2008 after his role in a prostitution ring was revealed

A court evidence photo shows items recovered from Zakharova in 2016, including a leather leash

'If these facts are embarrassing to Spitzer and his family then shame on Spitzer for engaging in the conduct in the first place and shame on the Bronx DA for catering to Spitzer by trying to suppress [Zakharova's] right to free speech,' the court papers say.

Her lawyer accused the Bronx District Attorney of protecting Spitzer's interests by enforcing a February 15 gag order because he is a 'rich, powerful man'.

The papers also contain photographs showing a variety of sex toys, including a leather leash, seized from Zakharova's possession during a bloody incident with Spitzer.

Zakharova claimed that Spitzer had assaulted and choked her during a heated fight in a $1,000 suite at The Plaza Hotel in February 2016 after she revealed plans to return to Moscow.

The $5,000-a-night Russian prostitute Svetlana Travis Zakharova, 27, who recently took a plea deal after extorting Spitzer for $400,000

Spitzer, who resigned as governor in 2008 after he was accused of wiring more than $10,000 to an elite escort service, had admitted to a 'relationship' with Travis in a lawsuit he filed last year. Pictured with girlfriend Roxana Girand on October 24

She alleges that he called her a 'Russian whore' and said 'what am I paying you for?' when she refused to have sex with him.

The escort and model then went back to her native Russia, hindering the police investigation into the alleged attack. She was arrested after returning to New York.

Spitzer, who resigned as governor in 2008 after he was accused of wiring more than $10,000 to an elite escort service, had admitted to a 'relationship' with Travis in a lawsuit he filed last year.

The suit said Spitzer had paid money to stop Zakharova from making their 'trysts' public, and that her claims of assault were made against him in revenge for him cutting ties with her.

Zakharova claimed that Spitzer had assaulted and choked her during a heated fight in a $1,000 suite at The Plaza Hotel in February 2016 after she revealed plans to return to Moscow

Zakharova covered her faced and cried in 2016 as she was arraigned on charges of grand larceny by extortion in Manhattan Criminal Court

Spitzer's representatives told in September that he had withdrawn the claims, 'without prejudice and without costs to either party as against the other.'

But the closure of that civil suit apparently meant little to the NYPD, which picked up Travis and hit her with the charges.

Spitzer's suit claimed that Travis had 'demanded' a meeting with him on February 13, 2016, during a stopover while travelling from her home in California to Russia.

It said that she 'became enraged when [he] told her that he did not wish to maintain any relationship with her, that he did not intend to give her more property, and that he intended to end all contact.'

The one-time 'Sheriff of Wall Street' was even considered presidential material, and became 57th governor of New York in 2007.

But he was forced to quit the following year after it was reported that he had at least seven meetings with high-end prostitutes over a six-month period and may have spent up to $80,000 on call girls over many years.

FROM RUSSIA TO MANHATTAN: JOURNEY OF A $5K-A-NIGHT CALL GIRL WHO SAYS 'SEX IS SEX BUT MONEY IS MONEY' I grew up in central Russia. When I was little, I wanted to be a tour guide and see the world. Then a tour bus came through our town and it was small and stinky with no air conditioning. The tour guide had frizzy hair and sweat stains under her arms. I thought tour guides in the United States probably had it better. I had the phone number of a Russian woman who had said she would host me. When I arrived at JFK, she told me to take the train to Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. I knew about it because in Russian movies it's a place where you can buy smoked salmon and caviar and nice clothes, and where only people who really achieve can go. I felt lucky. When I came out of the train station I saw all these ugly people, people in wheelchairs, old people, and the streets were smelly and the people were wearing clothes worse than what people wore in the Soviet Union and the train station was loud and I thought: F***, this is not the America that I heard of. I spent four days there before I met a girl who said I could live with her in Manhattan. When I got there and looked around, I understood the fuss. I understood why all people want to come here. Advertisement

Infamous as Client 9 of the Emperors Club VIP call-girl ring, he resigned at a public press conference along with his wife Silda, who chose to stand by him.

He then tried to rehabilitate his public image with a stint as a CNN presenter before returning to work for his father, who died last year, leaving him $16million.

An affair with spin doctor Lis Smith in December 2013 is believed to have been the cause of his marriage's collapse in 2014.
Just minutes after a New Hampshire man was sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl, he was headbutted in the Dover courtroom by another prisoner, in an attack that was caught on video.

WMUR-TV reports Christopher Elwell, 29, was sentenced on Thursday to 7  years to 15 years in prison and has to register as a sex offender for his crime.

As he sat down after his sentencing, a shackled and handcuffed Josiah Davies smashed into Elwell's head with his own head multiple times.

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Pedophile: Christopher Elwell, 29, was sentenced on Thursday to 7  years to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl

Elwell was sitting on a bench in court when another prisoner, Josiah Davies, lunged at him and headbutted him multiple times (left and right). Both men were shackled and handcuffed

Quick reaction: The Strafford County deputy sheriff immediately pulled Davies off of Elwell and subdued him

The station caught what happened on video; Elwell did not appear to be injured and seemed impassive.

The Strafford County deputy sheriff immediately pulled Davies off of Elwell, dragged him to the other side of the bench and subdued him.

Davies, 27, was awaiting arraignment and a hearing on a probation violation.

The Strafford County Attorney's Office said the two men did not know each other prior to the altercation and that it must have been something about Elwell's case that set Davies off.

The New Hampshire Union-Leader reported that Elwell was accused of sexually assaulting the four-year-old during a sleepover in Dover back in late June.

Not impressed: Elwell was not injured and appeared impassive after the altercation

Sick crime: Elwell (left) was accused of sexually assaulting the four-year-old during a sleepover. Josiah Davies' (right) alleged crime was passing fake checks

He initially denied any wrongdoing, but on Thursday pleaded guilty to aggravated felonious sexual assault and failing to register as a sex offender.

The latter charge stemmed from a 2008 conviction for engaging in sexual acts with a 14-year-old. Elwell was 20 years old at the time.

Davies, a transient man from Rochester, was in court for allegedly violating the terms of his probation in a forgery case, reported Foster's Daily Democrat.

The 27-year-old has been charged with 17 felony counts for allegedly passing fake checks to the tune of nearly $9,000.

The county sheriff's office is investigating Thursday's courtroom attack. Davies could be looking at up to seven years in prison.
Two horrified online gamers from across the US and Canada heard the shocking moment a man and his mother were shot dead by a gunman in their Kansas home.

Cody Ha, 23, was playing video games in an online group on Saturday night when a gunman opened fire on him and h is 62-year-old mother Huong Pham.

Ha's online friends, who lived in Texas and Canada, heard all of the commotion.

Ashley Martinez of Houston, Texas, told the Wichita Eagle that he and Ha were friends, despite the distance between them.

Two horrified online gamers heard the shocking moment their friend Cody Ha (left), 23, and his 62-year-old mother, Huong Pham (right), were shot dead by a gunman in their Kansas home

Ha's online friends, who lived in Texas and Canada, heard all of the commotion. Ashley Martinez said the incident occurred around 10pm when he and Tommy Ong heard at least two popping noises that sounded like gunshots. An officer is seen at the victim's home

Martinez said it was around 10pm when he and Tommy Ong, heard at least two popping noises. Martinez said the noises were so loud it hurt their ears under the headphones.

The players started asking one another whether they were gunshots and immediately called Ha's number. They listened as the phone kept ringing.

An hour later, Martinez told the Eagle that they could hear Ha's 22-year-old sister finding the bodies.

'She was panicking.  she was on the phone. She said she didn't want to touch them. She said she didn't feel safe,' Martinez said.

Authorities responded to the scene after Ha's sister called 911. The next day, police spoke to Martinez and his friend about what they heard.

Ong told KAKE that Ha had 'answered the door and that's when it happened'. Ong said the gunman may have been someone who wanted prescriptions medications from Ha's mother.

According to Ong, Ha's mother would give Ha some of the proceeds that she received from buyers. But police have not confirmed that prescription drugs may have been involved in the killing.

Ong remembers Ha 'one of the nicest, inclusive, down to earth persons I've ever met'.

Ong said the gunman may have been someone who wanted prescriptions medications from Ha's (right) mother, Pham (left).

Ha's mother, Pham (pictured), has reportedly had conflicts with other people. In 2014, she received a temporary protection-from-stalking order when she claimed a woman threatened her by saying she had 'hired somebody to cause me harm for $2,000'

It's unclear whether any of Pham's (pictured) troubles had anything to do with their deaths

Authorities said they are investigating the killings as a double-homicide. Police have not made any arrests in the case. Officials do not believe the killings were random. Pictured is their home where the killings took place

According to the Wichita Eagle, Ha's mother, Pham, has had conflicts with other people.

In 2014, she received a temporary protection-from-stalking order when she claimed a woman threatened her by saying she had 'hired somebody to cause me harm for $2,000'.

That same month, someone broke windows in the family's stores and slashed tires on her son's car, according to documents.

It's unclear whether any of Pham's troubles had anything to do with their deaths.

Authorities said they are investigating the killings as a double-homicide. Police have not made any arrests in the case. Officials do not believe the killings were random.
A male nurse survived a terrifying abduction ordeal at the hands of an armed gang who left him trapped in the boot of his own car before it crashed.

One man is in custody but police are still searching for two others after they donned balaclavas, armed themselves with knives and a handgun and set upon the nurse as he walked to his car outside a hospital on the Gold Coast.

They bundled the 25-year-old into the boot of his car outside Pindara Private Hospital at Benowa at around 3.30am on Friday before driving him to an ATM and forcing him to withdraw cash.

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The man confronted a male nurse at a hospital on Friday before forcing him into a car boot

The nurse was forced back into the boot before his attackers crashed the car into the fence of a house in nearby Ashmore and fled the scene at around 4.20am.

The owner of the house said the nurse had knife wounds on his arms and had been abandoned inside the car while it was still moving.

'I came out to render assistance and realised he was badly hurt,' the woman, identified only as Samantha, told the Seven Network.

'He said he'd been robbed at gunpoint by four men, one of them had a gun, two of them had knives.

'He had knife wounds all down his arms. He was just in shock he couldn't even tell me his name.

The victim was then forced back into the boot his car  which the assailants reportedly tried to push down a hill, but it crashed into a fence

'They'd obviously just left him in the boot in the back of the car and the car was just slowly rolling and it just veered off and crashed into the back of our fence.'

Samantha said he'd been lucky, because the car was abandoned on a steep hill.

'He was lucky in that regard, that it didn't go all the way down the hill, and make some speed.'

Paramedics took the man to Gold Coast University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

It is alleged the gang then stole a second car, which rolled on Ashmore Road at Ashmore about 4.45am. Police found knives inside the vehicle.

The male nurse was standing outside Pindara Private Hospital in Benowa at around 3.30am on Friday when he was assaulted

The man arrested was picked up in Mingaletta Drive near the second crash scene.

Ashmore Road resident Glenn Campbell went outside when he heard the car roll, and saw one alleged offender fling a knife into the grass.

'(He) just kept saying 'where's me mate?',' Mr Campbell told The Gold Coast Bulletin, adding the man was injured and bleeding from his head.

At one point, the man was lying in the gutter in the foetal position and 'might have been off his head,' Mr Campbell said.

He said he also saw another man hurriedly walking away from the crash site using his mobile phone.

A Queensland Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that officers are still looking for two suspects.

'Police are looking for two men after a traffic crash at Ashmore,' he said.
Rex Tillerson is defying President Donald Trumps hard line on North Korea when he speaks to foreign countries, DailyMail.com has learned.

The secretary of State is reportedly weeks away from being fired and replaced by the director of the CIA, Mike Pompeo.

Now DailyMail.com can reveal that while speculation swirled about his future on Thursday, Tillerson contradicted the presidents position that he wants to see Kim Jong-Uns embassies closed all around the world.

Tillerson told his German counterpart that despite Trump's aggressive rhetoric, the U.S. would not pressure him to expel Pyongyang's diplomats and recall its own to Berlin.

Trump is threatening a new round of unspecified sanctions against North Korea following Tuesday's intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

But Tillerson's message, two State Department officials said Thursday, was that the U.S. would not insist Germany sever its ties with the rogue nation  and that it also won't make similar demands of other allies.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (right) told Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (left) on Thursday that he could go soft on North Korea and stop short of cutting off diplomatic ties with he rogue nation, according to two State Department officials

President Donald Trump has been preaching a hard-line gospel against North Korea, meaning Tillerson's less strict approach might not go over well with his boss

North Korean despot Kim Jong-Un (center) roused Trump's ire this week by overseeing the test-launch of his nation's biggest, highest and fastest intercontinental ballistic missile

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a roundtable of foreign journalists on Wednesday that the U.S. wanted nations with diplomats in Pyongyang  including Germany  'to recall those ambassadors' in order to 'shrink the footprint' of Kim Jong-Un's government worldwide.

Richard Grenell, the diplomat Trump has tapped to be America's next ambassador in Berlin, tweeted his approval after German newspapers ran with the story.

'Heather Nauert is right,' Grenell wrote. 'North Korea is a serious threat & under UN sanctions. Germany should sever ties with DPRK. Diplomacy with muscle helps avoid military action.'

But leading American foreign service officers in Germany spent the 24 hours after Nauert spoke resisting, according to one agency source, and trying to generate high-ranking support for taking a softer approach.

Tillerson's reassurance to German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel appears to have been one result of that lobbying.

Following a meeting Thursday with Tillerson in Washington, Gabriel announced that his government would slim down its presence in North Korea and force the communist dictatorship to follow suit.

Gabriel didn't say how large the impact of his decision would be on North Korea's Berlin footprint, but it fell far short of severing diplomatic ties entirely.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert's told reporters from Germany and elsewhere on Wednesday that U.S. allies should recall their diplomats from Pyongyang and otherwise isolate the hermit kingdom

Richard Grenell, Trump's chosen ambassador to Germany, supported Nauert's position Thursday on Twitter

Tuesday's launch of a Hwasong-15 rocket triggered threats of retaliation by the White House in the form of new but unspecified sanctions

'We have already reduced our embassy staff in North Korea and will do so once more,' he told reporters, saying that two diplomats have been withdrawn and one more would follow.

'We have also told the North Koreans that they will have to reduce their embassy staff,' he added. 'We are thus increasing the diplomatic pressure.'

On Wednesday aboard Air Force One, White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah praised American allies for cutting 'economic ties and diplomatic ties.'

National Security Council spokesman Michael Anton told DailyMail.com on Thursday that the administration's position hasn't wavered.

'We have consistently said that we want all countries to downgrade and reduce their diplomatic ties with North Korea,' he said.

The prevailing posture inside the NSC is a more-is-better approach to isolating Pyongyang. Trump's national security staff would prefer to see Kim cut off completely, but will take what it can get.

Gabriel (left) ended his meeting with Tillerson by announcing an anemic measure  trimming the size of his embassy staff in Pyongyang and requiring North Korea to follow suit in Berlin

Nauert's office at the State Department did not respond to a request for comment about Tillerson's meeting with Gabriel.

But among Trump's loyalists at Foggy Bottom, the reaction was one of annoyed resignation.

One aide said Tillerson can no longer be counted on to 'put the pedal down' when the president issues a directive.

'Following the president's lead has been an ongoing issue at the State Department,' the second official said.

'Shutting down North Korean embassies throughout Europe and Africa should have been done months ago.'

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders hinted Thursday during a briefing that Tillerson's job is not in immediate danger.

'When the president loses confidence in someone, he won't be here,' she said.

'The secretary of state's a pretty tough guy. I think he'll be just fine carrying his job out,' Sanders added.

Trump and Tillerson have not seen eye-to-eye on some major issues including the fate of the Obama-era nuclear bargain with Iran and the ongoing confrontation with North Korea.

The top diplomat reportedly called Trump a 'moron' during a private conversation over the summer.

Asked Thursday by reporters if he wanted Tillerson to remain in the administration, Trump said only: 'He's here. Rex is here.'
A fiery Deb Knight has blasted Labor stalwart Anthony Albanese over his party's refusal to dump embattled politician Sam Dastyari.

Dastyari has been sacked from two leadership roles over his involvement with a Chinese political donor and defiance of party policy on the South China Sea.

Speaking to Albanese on Friday's Today show, co-host Knight asked: 'Why is Sam Dastyari still within the Labor party and still in the parliament?'

'Because I don't give my eight-year-old son as many chances as Bill Shorten has given Sam Dastyari.'

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A fiery Deb Knight has blasted Labor stalwart Anthony Albanese over his party's refusal to dump embattled politician Sam Dastyari

Albanese defended Dastyari's actions, deflecting questions by accusing both parties of still accepting donations from the same Chinese businessman

Albanese backtracked, saying: 'The fact is, the allegation against Sam Dastyari is that he told someone that they were a security issue.'

But Knight was quick to interject, saying: 'And then he also countered Labor policy and he also took funding from the Chinese donor.'

'It's not just a single incident here.'

Albanese, fielding off interruptions from Coalition frontbencher Christopher Pyne, went on to defend Dastyari by saying both parties still received funding from the Chinese donor.

'Not for personal expenses!,' butted in Pyne.

'What's unacceptable is telling Chinese people who could potentially be people of interest not to use their phones because they could be being listened to by security issues,' he added.

As conversation descended into a yelling match between the two politicians, Knight opted to cut the heated segment to a close, throwing her paperwork into the air.

Coalition frontbencher Christopher Pyne was quick to join Knight in condemning Albanese

Embattled Labor senator Sam Dastyari (pictured) had a long day in the Senate on Thursday, choking back tears as he delivered an emotional speech

The passionate debate followed a grovelling apology from Dastyari in Senate on Thursday.

Mr Dastyari has been under fire since leaked audio emerged of comments he made on the South China Sea, contradicting his previous statements on the matter.

During two separate speeches, Mr Dastyari denied giving intelligence information to Chinese businessman Huang Xiongmo, or being in possession of such information.

Calls from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for Mr Dastyari to leave parliament were echoed by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Friday.

'Sam Dastyari is utterly compromised,' she told Sky News on Friday.

'He can no longer continue as a senator in the Australian parliament. He has compromised his own position in the most obvious and dramatic way.'

Ms Bishop said that wasn't a one-off case of poor judgment but part of a pattern of questionable behaviour.

'He risks doing damage to Australia's reputation overseas,' she said.

'He's hopelessly compromised and he cannot remain in the Senate.'

Senior Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen said Senator Dastyari was a loyal patriotic Australian and has twice paid the price for his mistakes.

'He will be paying a price for those mistakes for some time,' he told ABC radio.

'His career has suffered a very considerable setback. He accepts that.'
The performance of Australian police officers is being measured against how many tickets and infringement notices they issue, according to a controversial internal memo.

Officers at an undisclosed Brisbane precinct were told a 'monthly performance sheet' will be used to identify weaknesses or points of improvement by counting how many traffic tickets they dole out, the Courier Mail reports.

'At present I am looking at measuring performance against tasks, domestic violence incidents, full briefs, traffic tickets, street checks and so on,' the memo sent out to staff at the station reads.

Officers at an undisclosed Brisbane precinct were told a 'monthly performance sheet' will be used to identify weaknesses or points of improvement by counting how many traffic tickets they dole out, the Courier Mail reports (Stock image)

'At present I am looking at measuring performance against tasks, domestic violence incidents, full briefs, traffic tickets, street checks and so on,' the memo sent out to staff at the station reads (Stock image)

Officers who do not fulfill their 'quota' of tickets or recorded incidents will be allegedly forced to explain their shortfalls and are 'threatened' with a poor grading.

Policemen and women shocked by the memo likened it to a 'kill sheet' and told the publication the very nature of police work means it cannot fairly be measured against the number of arrests or infractions recorded.

'Policing, by its very nature, does not allow officers to be compared on a monthly basis to compare work performance (output) against their peers,' one officer said.

In 2014, Commissioner Ian Stewart introduced a controversial scorecard system for cops in an effort to reduce crime in the state.

Individual officers were then judged based on their average number of traffic fines, random breath tests, street checks and calls for service.

Officers who do not fulfill their 'quota' of tickets or recorded incidents will be allegedly forced to explain their shortfalls and are 'threatened' with a poor grading (Stock image)

A spokesperson for Queensland Police told Daily Mail Australia the service 'supports' any reasonable performance management and reviews, but did not directly comment on the memo itself.

'The QPS supports reasonable management action aligned with the Performance Review and Development (PRD) process which all employees are required to actively participate in,' the statement reads.

'The PRD process provides a structured framework for individual performance management to be achieved through discussing, negotiating, planning, reviewing and documenting employee progress towards achieving the work level objectives and standards required of an individual role.'

A spokesperson for Queensland Police told Daily Mail Australia the service 'supports' any reasonable performance management and reviews, but did not directly comment on the memo itself (Stock image)

'Individual performance management is designed to drive productivity, accountability and continued improvement throughout the organisation by ensuring members are committed to a high standard of personal performance.'

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers told the Courier Mail the union denies the concept of quotas for arrests issued by officers.

However he also described the actions as 'reasonable' but assures that it will be monitored for any malfeasance.
Twin brothers from New York City were arrested on Thursday for the murder of an associate with ties to an infamous crime family.

Louie and Vincent Iacono, 36, were charged with homicide after the body of Carmine Carini Jr., 35, surfaced in the waters off Brooklyn earlier this week, according to the New York Daily News.

Authorities say that the Iacono brothers were arrested in Indiana after leading local law enforcement on a high-speed chase on Interstate 70 in Henry County late Wednesday.

(L to R) Louie and Vincent Iacono were charged with murder on Thursday for the death of Carmine Carini Jr., 35

Cops initially stopped the brothers' Chevrolet Avalanche for tailgating and a license plate violation, the Daily News reported.

After the responding officer asked Louie Iacono for identification, the native New Yorker reportedly peeled away, leading Indiana police on a 12 mile chase that ended at a local Walmart.

Carmine Carini Jr. (pictured), 35, was found dead in September after his bod surfaced in the Mill Basin Inlet off E. 58th St. and Avenue U on September 2

A subsequent search of their vehicle turned up prescription pills and heroin. They were charged and plead guilty to criminal recklessness, resisting law enforcement and drug possession.

Carini, the son of Gambino crime family associate Carmine Carini, was discovered wrapped in a tarp with a cinder block tied around his ankles.

Authorities said he was found floating in the Mill Basin Inlet off E. 58th St. and Avenue U on Sept. 2, just a few miles away from where he shared a home with the two alleged killers, according to the Daily News.

Investigators believe that Louie Iacono beat Carini to death after repeatedly striking him in the head with a hammer.

Louie then recruited his brother to come to the E. 64th St. apartment where the killing occurred and help dispose of the body.

Police fingered the Iacono brothers for the August 30 killing following numerous interviews with Carini's friends and family.

The brothers were already being held at the Henry County jail when they were charged with murder.

Louie Iacono is being held without bail and is expected to be extradited back to New York in the coming days.

'(Vincent Iacono) is charged for his role in the wrapping of the body,' Assistant District Attorney Timothy Gough said Thursday, adding that he is being held on $250,000 bail.

Motive for the alleged killing remains unclear, according to the Daily News.
The White House said Thursday that President Donald Trump did not know about the background of Jayda Fransen, the far-right 'Britain First' official, when he retweeted three inflammatory videos about Muslims.

'No I don't believe so,' said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, when asked Thursday whether the president knew about Fransen, who has been convicted of religiously aggravated harassment in Britain.

'I think he knew what the issues are,' said Sanders.

'What he's done is elevate the conversation to talk about a real issue and a real threat,' she claimed.

'But I think he knew what the real issues are and that is that we have a real threat of extreme violence and terrorism, not just in this country but across the globe,' she said.

President Donald Trump did not know about the background of Jayda Fransen, the far-right 'Britain First' official, when he retweeted inflammatory videos

But I think he knew what the real issues are and that is that we have a real threat of extreme violence and terrorism, not just in this country but across the globe.

'That was the point he was making,' Sanders said.

The far-right leader at the centre of a major diplomatic spat between Britain and the U.S., and added fuel to the fire by calling on Trump to save her from jail.

British Prime Minister Teresa May said Trump was 'wrong' to share inflamitory videos to his millions of followers

British ambassador to Washington Kim Darroch tweeted that he raised concerns with the White House.

'British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right, which seek to divide communities & erode decency, tolerance & respect. British Muslims are peaceful and law abiding citizens. And I raised these concerns with the White House yesterday,' the ambassador tweeted.

'But I think he knew what the real issues are and that is that we have a real threat of extreme violence and terrorism, not just in this country but across the globe,' said Sarah Huckabee Sanders

Sanders defended Trump's tweets as advancing public dialogue. 'The president feels that bringing up important issues of our time, like extreme violence and terrorism, are important to do,' she said.

The first clip he shared depicted a 'Muslim migrant' beating up a 'Dutch boy on crutches'.

But Dutch media this afternoon said the video was 'fake news'. The video features a born and raised Dutch man and no reports have detailed the suspect's religion.

Trump also retweeted a video of a Muslim man 'destroy(ing) a statue of Virgin Mary', and another where Ms Fransen wrote: 'Islamist mob pushed teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!' The provenance of the footage is unknown.

Jayda Fransen was the little-known deputy leader of the 'Britain First' group until inflammatory messages she posted online were picked up by the US President and re-posted to his followers around the world.

Fransen, 31, is currently facing prosecution in Great Britain for religiously aggravated harassment and a separate trial for using threatening and abusive language.

But - taking advantage of her new-found notoriety - she made a video appeal to Trump last night, calling on him to intervene in the cases and help her.

She posted the video online yesterday evening, after Trump's tweets the previous night had sparked international anger and a confrontation between the President and Prime Minister Theresa May.

Britain First's Jayda Fransen has used her new-found notoriety following Donald Trump's retweeting of her messages to call on the President to intervene in her prosecution in the UK

The Presidents' actions spiralled into an international issue when he was criticised by British PM Theresa May for his retweets, and shot back that she should concentrate on tackling terror

Donald Trump is pictured today at the White House, hours after his Twitter spat with Mrs May

Mr Trump meets with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in the Oval Office of the White House today

Peering out from between two pot plants, Fransen starts the online plea by thanking the President for retweeting her messages and telling him she is 'delighted' with the publicity.

She said: 'On behalf of myself and every citizen of Britain and for every man and women who has fought and died for us to have freedom of speech, I am appealing to you for your help.

'I'm appealing for your intervention before I am thrown in jail.'

The first video President Trump posted depicted 'Muslim migrant' according to Jayda Fransen, beating up a 'Dutch boy on crutches'

Fransen, and Britain First leader Paul Golding, 35, are due to go on trial next month over allegations of religiously aggravated abuse in Canterbury and Ramsgate, Kent.

She will also appear in court in Northern Ireland in December charged with using threatening and abusive language in connection with a speech she made at an anti-terrorism demonstration in Belfast on August 6.

Her group, who often march through British towns wearing pseudo-military clothing and waving flags, have been widely accused of inciting racial hatred and sowing division.

Fransen's anti-Muslim posts were retweeted by Mr Trump although it has since emerged that the attacker in this video is neither a Muslim nor a migrant

Britain First have been widely accused of racism and of stoking up racial hatred

Despite it being unclear whether the President knew who she was when he retweeted her messages, his actions have been taken as an endorsement which has angered many in the UK.

Fransen has previously been convicted of religiously aggravated harassment after she accosted a Muslim woman in Luton.

The charge stemmed from a January 2016 incident in which Fransen, wearing a political uniform and during a so-called 'Christian patrol,' confronted her victim, Sumayyah Sharpe, and her children during a political rally.

Ms Fransen later admitted that she told Sharpe, who was wearing hijab, that Muslim men force women to cover up to avoid rape 'because they cannot control their sexual urges.'

Since that conviction, she and her group have continued to post incendiary messages online, which, until yesterday, went largely ignored.

But, in a flurry of social media posts on Wednesday morning, Mr Trump retweeted three of her posts to his 43.6million followers, including footage from the Netherlands purporting to show a Muslim migrant attacking a man on crutches.

Fransen said she is 'delighted' that the President had retweeted her messages to his followers

The retweets were made without comment, but were regarded by many in the UK as an effective support of the far-right group.

After Theresa May condemned the tweets, Trump then targeted her with an online message, telling her to concentrate on tackling extremism.

In her first personal response to the furore today, Mrs May said that the UK and US worked closely together in the fight against terrorism.

And she added: 'The fact that we work together does not mean that we are afraid to say when we think that the United States have got it wrong and to be very clear with them.

'I am very clear that retweeting from Britain First was the wrong thing to do.'

'That's why they are coming into my country raping women across the continent': Jayda Fransen's vile abuse hurled at a hijab-wearing mother in front of her four children Jayda Fransen the deputy leader of Britain First an extremist political party The deputy leader of far-right group Britain First was found guilty of religiously aggravated harassment after hurling abuse at a Muslim woman wearing a hijab in front of her four young children. Jayda Fransen, 30, was fined nearly 2,000 at Luton and South Bedfordshire Magistrates' Court for wearing a political uniform and shouting at Sumayyah Sharpe during a so-called Christian Patrol of Bury Park in Luton on Saturday January 23, 2016. Fransen admitted telling Ms Sharpe that Muslim men force women to cover up to avoid being raped 'because they cannot control their sexual urges', adding 'that's why they are coming into my country raping women across the continent'. But she denied the words were intended to be offensive. 'The reason I said them was because from everything I have studied, I understand them to be true,' Fransen said in her defence. Around 20 Britain First members took part in the 'patrol' of Bury Park, distributing branded newspapers which had a front page reading 'World War Three has begun - Islam against the world', the court heard. Ms Sharpe, who was shopping with her four young children at the time, refused a newspaper from the group. Giving evidence, she said it was at this point that Fransen, from South Norwood, south London, crossed the road and confronted her. The incident was captured on camera by members of Britain First. Ms Sharpe told the court: 'She came across, shouting at me, saying 'Why are you covered?', and she said that quite a few times. I told her it was my choice that I cover. 'I then turned to the camera and I said, 'Film me, I'm British, I'm a British Muslim. It's my choice to wear this clothing and it's my right'.' She added: 'I called her a slapper, I admit, and I told her to piss off because I was so angry at that point that she had done that in front of my children.' In video footage shown to court, Fransen was seen brandishing a white cross as she told Ms Sharpe that Muslim men made women cover themselves so that they were not raped. Following the incident, Ms Sharpe said she had to go home and explain the meaning of the word rape to her young children. She also told the court her four-year-old son was now scared to leave the house in case they ran into the group. District Judge Mellanby described Fransen's behaviour as 'shocking' and commended Ms Sharpe for the 'eloquent' account of events she had provided to the court. Footage of the incident with Ms Sharpe was edited and included in a video which was posted on the party's YouTube channel. Paul Golding (right) and Jayda Fransen (left), leaders of the far-right organisation Britain First talk during a march in central London on April 1, 2017 District Judge Mellanby said she was aware that as a result, Ms Sharpe had been branded a 'terrorist' on some websites. Fransen, who was elected deputy leader of Britain First in autumn 2014, was also found guilty of wearing a political uniform in a public place. The deputy leader was dressed in a green coat with a Britain First lapel and black beanie hat bearing the party's emblem during the patrol, which District Judge Mellanby ruled was 'similar attire' to the rest of the group and signified her association to the party. Fransen was fined 1,000 for the religiously aggravated harassment and 200 for wearing a political uniform. She was also ordered to pay 620 in costs - as well as a 100 surcharge - and issued with a two-year restraining order to prevent her from contacting Ms Sharpe or engaging in intimidating behaviour towards her. A further charge of failure to surrender to police bail was withdrawn by the prosecution. Following the hearing, a Britain First supporter was arrested on suspicion of common assault after an alleged altercation with a journalist. Advertisement

'I'm not afraid to say he was wrong': May REFUSES to back down in spat with Trump over his far-right retweets and hints State Visit is ON ICE

Theresa May hit back at Donald Trump's jibe that she is not tackling terrorism today as an extraordinary spat threatened to blow the Special Relationship apart.

The Prime Minister risked fuelling the row by repeating her view that the US president was 'wrong' to retweet anti-Muslim videos posted by a far-right group.

Despite Mr Trump lashing out at her last night demanding she focus on 'Islamic terrorism taking place in the UK', Mrs May said she would not be afraid to raise concerns about such interventions.

Theresa May faced questions about the spat with Donald Trump after she gave a speech in Jordan today (pictured)

Mrs May slammed Donald Trump (pictured earlier this month) yesterday after he retweeted anti-Muslim videos posted by the leader of the far right Britain First

Mr Trump has fired back at the PM by saying she should concentrate on 'Radical Islamic Terrorism taking place in the UK' and not his Twitter activity. Twitter users were also quick to point out that the president had tagged the wrong Theresa in his message

She also did little to quell speculation that the state visit has now being kicked into the long grass, stressing that no date has been set.

Questioned by journalists during a visit to Jordan this afternoon, Mrs May said: 'The fact that we work together does not mean we are afraid to say when we think the United States has got it wrong and to be very clear with them.

'And I am very clear that retweeting from Britain First was the wrong thing to do.'

As the row escalated, the UK's ambassador to Washington, Sir Kim Darroch, lodged a formal protest with the White House over the retweets.

In an excoriating verdict on Britain First today, Mrs May branded it a 'hateful organisation'.

'It seeks to spread division and mistrust among our communities. It stands in fundamental opposition to the values we share as a nation - values of respect, tolerance and common British decency,' she said.

Mrs May was in Jordan today as part of her tour of the Middle East, which saw her visit Iraq yesterday. She was the first British PM to go to the country for nine years

He posted the same message a few moments later with the correct Twitter handle. For a few minutes he left the original tweet up

Asked whether she regarded Mr Trump as a fit person to be hosted by the Queen on a state visit, the Prime Minister said only: 'An invitation for a state visit has been extended and has been accepted. We have yet to set a date.'

But she made clear that she wanted to maintain the UK's close relations with the US, regardless of Mr Trump's actions.

'This is a long-term special relationship that we have,' said Mrs May.

'It is an enduring relationship that is there because it is in both our national interests for that relationship to be there.

'As Prime Minister, I am clear that that relationship with the United States should continue. I think it is in the interests both of the United Kingdom and the United States and of the wider world.'

Mr Trump's actions drew cold fury from across the political spectrum in the UK, with fresh calls for his invite to the UK - extended by Mrs May on behalf of the Queen in Washington in January - to be withdrawn.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Britain First is 'divisive and hateful' as he joined those condemning the President's tweet on the social media site

The Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid was among the first of a string of cabinet ministers to condemn Donald Trump's post as 'wrong'

The Mayor of London renewed his call to cancel the President's planned state visit to Britain following his latest Twitter outburst

Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the comments will be seen as a 'betrayal' of the special relationship and called for his visit to be cancelled.

Cabinet ministers also joined the condemnation. Home Secretary Amber Rudd appeared to hint that the state visit will not be happening any time soon, stressing that 'arrangements have yet to be made'. She also suggested Mr Trump should give up Twitter.

'On the issue of radical Islamism, British Muslims are peaceful and law-abiding who have themselves been victims of acts of terror by the far right. There are those who conduct acts of terror in the name of Islam, but it is not in the name of Islam.

'As Prime Minister, I am very clear about the priority that I give to dealing with the challenge of the threat of terrorism ... and extremism from whatever source they come.'

The UK's ambassador to Washington, Sir Kim Darroch, said: 'British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right, which seek to divide communities and erode decency, tolerance and respect.

'British Muslims are peaceful and law abiding citizens. And I raised these concerns with the White House yesterday.'
The father of a missing North Carolina girl says her mom is lying about the girl having been kidnapped - and thinks she is actually to blame.

Mariah Woods, three, was reported missing around 6am Monday morning, when her mom Kristy went into her bedroom to wake her up and found she was gone.

Kristy has told police and media that her daughter was snatched from the home, but Mariah's father, Alex, refused to believe it.

'Someone just walked right up in there, grabbed the 3-year-old out of the bed and she didn't cry, she didn't scream?' he told WJLA.

'Nobody heard anything? Four people in the house, two adults and two kids. Someone just comes up and snatches the baby and walks out?'

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Alex Woods (pictured) says he believes his daughter Mariah's disappearance on Monday is connected to her mom, Kristy, and not the result of a kidnapper entering the home.

Mariah (pictured with Kristy Woods) was reported missing at 6am Monday morning from her mom's house. Police are combing the woods, helped by NCIS troops

On Monday, Kristy (pictured), issued a tearful statement to reporters, asking whoever is responsible for her daughter's disappearance to return the girl

The last time Kristy Woods saw her daughter was at 11pm on Sunday, when she tucked her in for the night.

She says the last person to see her daughter was her live-in boyfriend, Earl Kimrey, who says he told the girl to go back to bed when she came out of her room around midnight.

Alex Woods is separated from Kristy and said he hasn't seen his daughter in a year, despite a custody agreement that gives him weekend visitation rights.

Instead, he said, Mariah - who lives with Kristy and Kimrey - is being kept from him.

And when he was asked whether he believed that the girl's disappearance was due to a third party snatching her, he simply said 'No.'

Kristy and her partner 'have something to do with it,' he alleged.

He told WECT that the last time he had seen Mariah and her two brothers was about a year ago, when he got custody for a month while Child Protective Services investigated an incident.

He also said he's not convinced that Mariah accidentally walked out of the house.

'I don't feel that she just walked out the house. I mean she's three years old,' Alex said.

'You gonna wake up and go to the door at, you know, 2, 3, 4, whatever time in the morning they said she left and you're gonna walk outside in the cold and dark and just walk? Possible, but no.'

An investigator in a Hazmat suit was seen searching under Mariah Woods' home on Wednesday, as the search for the missing three-year-old girl entered its third day

NCIS Marines from nearby Camp Lejeune helped in the search for the girl on Wednesday. The FBI's child abduction team has also been brought in to lead the search for the girl

Mariah Woods was reported missing early Monday morning when her mother went to wake her up and found her missing from her bed

Alex also told WECT that he was at work when he heard the Amber Alert go out for his daughter over the radio.

'It said, "3-year-old Mariah Kay Woods' and I was like, what? Wait a minute. I sat there for a minute - I have a daughter named Mariah Kay Woods - that's my daughter. I was like, nah, couldn't be."'

He said he called his fiancee and asked her if she had heard it on the news. He said he found it weird that no one had called him.

Shortly after, he said, police showed up at his work to interview him and he cooperated, giving them all the information he had.

Woods says he's trying not to give up hope for his little girl, and offered her this statement, in case she was listening: 'Daddy loves you and misses you so much, Daddy wants to hold you in his arms. Daddy loves you, baby.'

On Wednesday, law enforcement stepped up the search around the house and in neighboring woods.

At the same time, it emerged that a little girl seen being carried by a woman on Walmart CCTV was not Mariah, and the woman seen with her had been stricken from inquiries.

The FBI released these images late Tuesday, showing a woman they want to question in the disappearance of three-year-old Mariah Woods. The picture has since been debunked and authorities say the toddler in the picture is not Mariah

Some investigators were focused on what appears to be a nearby abandoned house on Wednesday

Mariah's biological father, Alex Woods (right), said he didn't learn about his daughter's disappearance until the Amber Alert was issued on Monday. He hasn't had custody of her for a year. He's pictured above with his girlfriend

Alex Woods got choked up in another interview with WECT on Wednesday

Dozens of NCIS marines from nearby Camp Lejeune congregated at the trailer park and were seen walking up and down the road in a uniform manner.

An investigator was also seen donning a Hazmat suit to search under the house.

Meanwhile, other investigators were focused on a nearby body of water and abandoned house.

The FBI's child abduction team is working with local authorities and the NCIS to investigate the disappearance.

At an afternoon press conference, law enforcement officials asked anyone who had come into contact with Mariah's immediate family on Sunday or Monday to call the police.

They said it was so they could make a timeline of Mariah's disappearance.

In a tearful address to reporters on Monday, the girl's mother seemed to believe someone had abducted her girl.

'Please, bring her back ... She's my baby, she's my everything,' the mother of three said. 'Just to be able to touch her and hold her and not let her go again. I'd give anything.'

Kristy Woods says that her daughter usually wears orthopedic braces on both of her legs and has trouble walking without them.

Woods' live-in boyfriend Earl Kimrey (left, with Woods) was the last to see the girl alive

Kimrey and Woods are pictured above with Woods' three children (including Mariah, being held by Woods)

She says she calls Mariah 'an angel' because she unexpectedly got pregnant with her after she got her tubes tied.

'This is my world, this is my angel,' said Woods. 'She was sent to me for a reason. This is my everything besides my boys, the love that I have for this girl. The bond that I have ..is my life. please, just don't take that.'

Woods' boyfriend has not been officially identified, but her Facebook profile says she's in a relationship with a man named Earl Kimrey.

A photo on his profile shows him posing with his girlfriend and her children. The profile also says they started dating in July 2015.

On Monday, police searched the woods surrounding the couple's home in a mobile home park.

They say there was no sign of a forced entry, but the back door of the home was left unlocked overnight.

Kristy Woods says she last saw her daughter Sunday night at 11pm, when she tucked her into bed at the home she lives in with her boyfriend and children

Kristy Woods said her boyfriend saw the girl once more, at midnight, when she came out of her room and he told her to go back to bed. Above, search crews on Monday

Mariah was officially reported missing Monday morning around 6am, when her mother went into the room and saw she was gone

Investigators searched the home, the family's car and the woods around the home on Monday. Above, an investigator packages evidence on Monday

Sheriff Hans Miller says it's too soon to know what happened to the girl

Law enforcement officials also searched the home and the family's car for evidence.

They say they found some items of interest in the woods behind the home, but are unsure if it's connected to the girl's disappearance yet.

The FBI is now assisting local and state law enforcement in the case.

Mariah is described as a white female with brown hair and blue eyes. She stands at about two-feet-nine and weighs 30 pounds.

Sheriff Hans Miller said his officers are 'working everything that can be worked to find this little girl.'

'We dont know what happened. Its entirely premature to try to determine what happened,' Sheriff Miller said.

Anyone with information on Mariah's disappearance are being asked to call the Onslow County Sheriff at 910-455-3113 or 911 locally.
Veteran broadcaster Red Symons has been dumped from ABC radio after 15 years.

The 63-year-old former musician and television personality told his listeners on Friday morning the show would be his last, and that he had no idea why he was being taken off the air.

'This will be my last year doing this program on the ABC... Why am I going? They haven't said and I haven't asked,' Symons said on his Melbourne show.

The 63-year-old former musician (pictured) took to the airwaves on Friday morning to announce his departure but admitted he doesn't even know why he was sacked

His mystery exit from the ABC follows an exhausting year for the Skyhooks guitarist

'Other things have been offered here but I think it's better to make a clean break.'

Red also thanked his producers and his listeners.

'I shall miss [producers] Katrina Palmer and Ross Kavanagh, I can pretend that I'm doing this alone but I am not. They make me more interesting than I really am,' he said.

'And I shall miss you, dear listener. Thank you.'

His mystery exit from the ABC follows an exhausting year for the ex-Skyhooks guitarist.

In June, Symons apologised for his controversial interview with fellow ABC host Beverley Wang which was slammed as 'racist' after he quizzed the Asian-born journalist with a bizarre tirade of questions such as 'What's the deal with Asians?' and 'Are you yellow?'

The English-born radio host told his listeners the interview had unintentionally come across as racist, and defended his actions by claiming it was 'not who I am'.

In June, Red (pictured) apologised for his controversial interview with fellow ABC host Beverley Wang which was slammed as 'racist'

And in July Red suffered a fall while walking home from the supermarket and was off air for two months while he recovered.

The host's shock departure was lamented by a brigade of loyal listeners online, some of whom described Red as 'irreplaceable'.

'Gutted to hear Red is leaving ABC Melbourne. He's irreplaceable,' ABC journalist Tim Callanan wrote on Twitter.

He began his career with the ABC in 2002 while filling in for maternity leave on the breakfast radio segment before switching to full time in 2003.

Red's replacement on the early morning ABC show is yet to be announced.
'He proposed while roasting a chicken'

Prince Harry: It happened a few weeks ago, earlier this month, here at our cottage; just a standard typical night for us.

Meghan Markle: Just a cosy night, it was - what we were doing just roasting chicken and having ...

Prince Harry: Roasting a chicken, trying to roast a chicken.

Meghan Markle: Trying to roast a chicken and it just - just an amazing surprise, it was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee.

Prince Harry: Of course.

Was it a 'yes' straight away?

Meghan Markle: Yes, as a matter of fact I could barely let you finish proposing, I said - can I say yes now?

Prince Harry: She didn't even let me finish, she said can I say yes, can I say yes and then were was hugs and I had the ring in my finger and I was like can I - can I give you the ring? She goes - oh yes the ring.

So no it was - it was a really nice moment, it was just the two of us and I think managed to catch - catch her by surprise as well.

Meghan Markle: Yeah.

How long did Harry wait to pop the question?

Meghan Markle: Oh it would be a year and a half, a little bit more than that?

Prince Harry: No just about - it would be about a year and a half yeah.

Meghan Markle: Just about that?

Has it been a whirlwind romance?

Meghan Markle: I don't think that I would call it a whirlwind in terms of our relationship, obviously there have been layers attached to how public it has become after we had a good five, six months almost with just privacy, which was amazing.

But no, I think we were able to really have so much time just to connect and we never went longer than two weeks without seeing each other, even though we were obviously doing a long distance relationship. So it's - we made it work.

How did they first meet?

Prince Harry: Ah yes, we first met - we were introduced actually by a mutual friend, who - we will ...

Meghan Markle: We should protect her privacy and not reveal too much of that.

Prince Harry: We'll protect her privacy yeah. And - but it was - it was literally - it was through her and then we met once and then twice back to back two dates in London, last July.

Meghan Markle: Yes.

Prince Harry: The beginning of July. And then it was I think about three, maybe four weeks later that I managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana. And we - we camped out with each other under the stars, we spent - she came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic.

Meghan Markle: Just to take the - take the time to be able to go on long country walks and just talk.

Prince Harry: We've been - we've been all over the place.

Has Meghan met the Queen?

Meghan Markle: I have, yes.

Prince Harry: A couple of times.

Meghan Markle: Yes, true, a couple of times.

It's incredible, I think, you know, a) to be able to meet her through his lens, not just with his honour and respect for her as the monarch, but the love that he has for her as his grandmother, all of those layers have been so important for me so that when I met her I had such a deep understanding and of course incredible respect for being able to have that time with her. And we've had a really - she's - she's an incredible woman.

Prince Harry: And the corgis took to you straight away.

Meghan Markle: That's true.

Prince Harry: I've spent the last 33 years being barked at; this one walks in, absolutely nothing ...

Meghan Markle: Just laying on my feet during tea, it was very sweet.

Prince Harry: ... just wagging tails and I was just like argh.

Has Meghan brought her beloved dogs to London?

Meghan Markle: Well I have two dogs that I've had for quite a long time, both my rescue pups. And one is now staying with very close friends and my other little guy is - yes he's in the UK, he's been here for a while.

Int: Okay, let's hope he adjusts well.

Meghan Markle: I think he's doing just fine.

On introducing Meghan to the family

Prince Harry: What was it like? It was exciting I mean I've - you know I'd been seeing her for a period of time when I - literally didn't tell anybody at all. And then William was longing to meet her and so was Catherine, so you know being our neighbours we managed to get that in a couple of - well quite a few times now and Catherine has been absolutely ...

Meghan Markle: She's been wonderful.

Prince Harry: ... amazing, as has William as well, you know, fantastic support. And then my - my father as well, we had a couple of - no more than that ...

Meghan Markle: We've had ...

Prince Harry: ... A handful of teas and meetings and all sorts of gatherings over at his place as well. So no the family together have been absolutely, you know, a solid support and my grandparents as well have been - have been wonderful throughout this whole process and they've known for quite some time. So how they - how they haven't told anybody is - is again a miracle in itself. But now the whole family have come together and have been a huge amount of support.

Meghan Markle: They've been amazing.

Are the in-laws over the moon with with the engagement?

Meghan Markle: Yes. Well I'm sure the onset, both my parents and my close friends were concerned, because we got very quickly swept up in a media storm that, as I shared, was not part of my life before that, but they also had never seen me so happy. And I think also once my friends - excuse me, were able to - to really meet Harry, and my mom, who we've spent a lot of time with, who is so much fun.

Prince Harry: Her mum's amazing.

Meghan Markle: It was just - you know it was just obvious that no matter what we were being put through that it was just temporary and that we were going to be able to get through that. So everybody was really happy. And he's talked to my dad a few times, hasn't been able to meet him just yet, but it's all been - it's all been worth every effort.

Prince Harry: Yeah, yeah it's been great.

Do they have plans for children?

Prince Harry: Not currently, no. No, of course, you know, I think one step at a time, and hopefully we'll start a family in the near future.

Meghan Markle: His family's been so welcoming.

Prince Harry: You've met quite a few of them actually.

Meghan Markle: I have, on both sides of his family, his mom's side as well, which has been really important to me too. But yes, the family has been great, and over the past year and a half we've just had a really nice time getting to know them and progressively helping me feel a part of, not just the institution, but also part of the family which has been really special.

Prince Harry: Trying to track them down and make sure that they're around at the same time that she's popping in without telling too many people ... we've managed, we've actually done incredibly well to make sure that you've met all the key people.

The ring

Prince Harry: The ring is - is obviously yellow gold because that's what - her favourite and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana and the - the little diamonds either side are from my mother's jewellery collection to make sure that she's with us on this - on this crazy journey together. And ...

Meghan Markle: It's beautiful, and he designed it, it's incredible.

Prince Harry: Yeah, make sure it stays on that finger.

Meghan Markle: Of course.

What does it mean to have Princess Diana's stones on your finger?

Meghan Markle: I think everything about Harry's thoughtfulness is - and the inclusion of that and obviously not being able to meet his mom it's so important to me to - to know that she's a part of this with us. And I think in being able to meet his aunts and - and also like Julia and just different people who were so important to his mom, I'm able to, in some way, know a part of her through them and of course through him. And it's - it's incredibly special. And you know to be able to have this which sort of links where you come from and Botswana which is important to us and it's - it's perfect.

What would Diana have thought of Meghan?

Prince Harry: Oh they'd be thick as thieves, without question, I think she would be over the moon, jumping up and down, you know so excited for me, but then, as I said, would have probably been best friends - best friends with Meghan.

So no it's - you know it is days like - days like today when - when I really miss having her around and miss being able to share the happy news. But you know with the ring and with everything else that's going on I'm sure she's ...

Meghan Markle: She's with us.

Prince Harry: I'm sure she's with us yeah, you know, jumping up and down somewhere else.

They met on a blind date

Meghan Markle: Yes, it was definitely a set-up. It was a blind date.

Prince Harry: It was definitely a set-up. It was a blind date for sure.

Meghan Markle: And it's so interesting because we talk about it now and even then you know, because I'm from the States you don't grow up with the same understanding of the royal family. And so, while I now understand very clearly there is a global interest there, I didn't know much about him and so the only thing that I had asked her when she said she wanted to set us up was, 'I have one question' which was, 'Well, is he nice?' cos if he wasn't kind it just didn't seem like it would make sense and so we went and we had a, met for a drink and I think very quickly into that we said, 'well what are we doing tomorrow? We should meet again.'

Prince Harry: What are we doing tomorrow? Let's meet again. And then it was like, right, diaries. We need to get the diaries out and find out how we're going to make this work, because I was off to Africa for a month, she was working. And we just said right where's the gap? And the gap happened to be in the perfect place.

Had Harry watched Suits before they met?

Prince Harry: No. I'd never even heard about her until this friend said Meghan Markle. I was like 'right, okay, give me a bit of background... what's going on here?' So no, I'd never watched Suits, I'd never heard of Meghan before, and I was beautifully surprised when I walked into that room and saw her. And there she was sitting there... I was like okay well I'm going to have to up my game ... sit down and make sure I've got good chat.

Meghan Markle: I think for both of us though it was, it was really refreshing because, given that I didn't know a lot about him, everything that I've learned about him, I learned through him as opposed to having grown up around different news stories or tabloids or whatever else... anything I've learned about him and his family was what he would share with me and vice versa, so for both of us it was just a really authentic and organic way to get to know each other.

On Meghan's new duties

Prince Harry: Of course, that sense of responsibility was essentially from day one or maybe a couple of months in, when I suddenly realised actually this is... I feel, I know that I'm in love with this girl, and I hope that she's in love with me, but we still had to sit down on the sofa. I still had to have some pretty frank conversations with her to say, you know what you're letting yourself in for, is ...it's a big deal and it's not...it's not easy for anybody. But I know that at the end of the day she chooses me, and I choose her, and therefore whatever we have to tackle together or individually we'll always be us together as a team, so I think she's capable...

Meghan Markle: That's so nicely said, isn't it?

Prince Harry: ...She's capable of anything

Meghan Markle: Thank you

Prince Harry: And together as I said there's a hell of a lot of stuff and work that needs doing. At the moment for us it's going to be making sure our relationship is always put first. But both of us have passions for wanting to make change, change for good, and with lots of young people running around the Commonwealth that's where we're going to spend most of our time hopefully.

Meghan Markle: And it was really one of the first things we connected on. It was one of the first things we started talking about when we met was just the different things that we wanted to do in the world and how passionate we were about seeing change. I think that was, that's what's got date two in the books probably (laughs).

Prince Harry: Plenty to talk about.

On bonding over nights on the sofa

Prince Harry: Yes, we've had to sort of reverse the whole process, and cosy nights in, in front of the television, cooking dinner just the two of us by ourselves in our little cottage, rather than going out for dinner and being seen in public, so we have, we've reversed the whole process which ... it's provided different opportunities, and it's made us a hell of a lot closer in a shorter space of time without question.

Meghan Markle: That's true.

Prince Harry: So if anybody else at home is listening then maybe slow down on dates and maybe spend more time at home. But, for us, it's an opportunity to really get to know each other without other people looking or trying to take photos on their phones and all that kind of stuff. That comes with the job, comes with the role.

Meghan Markle: And we were able to really get to know each other that way, but also then to go and have friends over for dinner or to go to his family's for tea or.... any of those sort of things and even you know just to take the time to be able to go on long country walks and just talk.




A Brisbane strip club has come under fire for an advertisement that appears to compare women's breasts to pizza.

The Advertising Standards Bureau forced The Grosvenor topless bar and strip club to take down the ad - which features a photograph of two pizzas with red-coloured pepperoni circles gathered in the centre, and the words: 'Pizzas or Jugs? Grab both for just $25' - from one of Brisbane's busiest train stations.

Club owner Jasmine Robson slammed the ASB decision as 'political correctness/censorship gone absolutely mad'.

The Advertising Standards Bureau has forced The Grosvenor to taken down the ad (pictured)

The owner, Jasmine Robson, has slammed the ABS decision as 'political correctness gone mad'

'I am shocked that the ASB would determine that this ad is exploitative or demeaning to women in any way, especially considering there isn't even a woman on the billboard,' Ms Robson told the Courier Mail.

'I even removed part of our logo that reads 'topless bar and strip club. I feel that I went to great lengths to ensure the advertisement was received in the spirit in which it was delivered.'

Ms Robson said she took great care to ensure the ad - which is in full view of thousands of families every day - doesn't contain provocative imagery or show skin and that the club logo was altered so the words 'topless bar and strip club' were not included.

Complaints to the ABS included that the ad condoned sexual harassment of women 'by suggesting that people can grab "jugs" at the bar'.

The advertising watchdog found the representation of women's breasts as pizzas reduced women to an object, 'which was exploitative by way of purposefully debasing women'.

The Grosvenor (pictured) owner Ms Robson is 'shocked' that the ABS found the ad 'exploitative'

In the ABS' determination, the ad 'objectified and demeaned women' and made a 'sexist reference' to women's bodies.

'In addition, the promotion of being able to grab the deal at a bargain price was degrading by lowering in character and quality women in general,' the ASB wrote.

'In the Board's view, the overall impression was that the image and words did amount to a depiction that was clearly appearing to purposefully debase a group of persons, for the enjoyment of others...And did breach section 2.2 of the Code.'

The decision was met with outrage some customers of the Grosvenor - after Ms Robson posted it to the business' Facebook page.

'Isn't pizza everyone's favourite food? How then can comparing breasts to pizza possibly be degrading... if anything it's a compliment,' wrote one supporter.

One Facebook user commented that the ABS 'needs to put things in perspective' if The Grosvenor ad is inappropriate, but an ad for the drink Maximus (pictured) is acceptable

'The Advertising Standards Bureau needs to start putting things into perspective if that's the case,' he added, next to a picture of a double-entendre ad for Maximus.

While one person pointed out that the business had failed 'duty of care' towards employees by suggesting punters 'grab' their bodies.

But several more pointed out that the ad is clearly being playful because there is a clear 'No Touching' sign at the entrance to the establishment.

'Some people have too much time on their hands and are too easily offended,' commented another person.

'It is okay to be offended without expecting the world to apologise to you.'

Ms Robson also defended the advertisement's levity, writing, 'I feel that I went to great lengths to ensure the advertisement was received in the spirit in which it was delivered.

'I am shocked that the ASB would determine that this ad is exploitative or demeaning to women in any way, especially considering there isn't even a woman on the billboard.'

'I believe if you ran a poll, most women would find it to be well done and even humorous.'
Reports that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding will take place on May 26 have been rubbished

Reports that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding will take place on May 26 have been rubbished - with the happy couple yet to set a date themselves.

It was suggested tonight that the pair will marry on the Saturday of the spring bank holiday weekend, meaning Brits would have three days off to celebrate.

However The Sun's was quickly scotched by royal commentators, who told MailOnline that no date has been set in stone since Monday's announcement.

Earlier this week, Kensington Palace said the wedding will take place at St George's Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle sometime in May.

Tonight it refused to comment on the proposed date of May 26.

Britons were hopeful the big day would mean an extra bank holiday would be announced, but the proposal was quickly quashed by Theresa May's government.

This has led some to suggest that the ceremony could be held on one of the two scheduled bank holiday dates in May.

The early May bank holiday falls on May 7, while the spring bank holiday is set for May 28.

The later bank holiday is thought to be the preferred option for the royals, with May 7 falling closer to the Duchess of Cambridge's due date in April.

Kate displayed a hint of a baby bump in her designer dress as she arrived at the museum in a chauffeur-driven car

She and the Duke of Cambridge are expecting their third child at some point during that month, potentially ruling out early May as a suitable date for the wedding.

A bank holiday was declared throughout the UK in 2011 for the wedding day of Harrys older brother Prince William to Kate Middleton, and the nation was also given a day off for the Prince of Waless marriage to Diana Spencer in 1981.

But Theresa Mays official spokesman said: 'There are no plans for a bank holiday. There isnt a precedent in this area.'

The spokesman pointed out that there was no Bank Holiday to mark the weddings of Prince Andrew in 1986 or Prince Edward in 1999.

However, a bank holiday was held for the wedding of Princess Anne in 1973, suggesting that the move has not always been restricted only to those who are in the direct line of succession to the throne.

Social media was awash with comments from British workers hoping there will be a bank holiday on the day, but this was always down to the Prime Minister to decide.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding will take place at St George's Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle in May because it is a place 'close to the couple's hearts'

One was ordered for when Prince William married Kate Middleton in 2011 but he is a future king and Harry will be sixth in line once their third child is born next year.

But Harry is considered too far down the line of succession to warrant one, especially as his brother's children are also above him.

Reacting to the news today workers were already getting excited about the possibility of an extra day's holiday in 2018.

Ellis King tweeted: 'Yaaas Prince Harry engaged so another Bank Holiday on the calendar next year oooh ya belter.

Kevin Ashcroft wrote: 'Prince Harry getting married... perhaps an extra Bank Holiday????'

Cristina Rodriguez said: 'So if Prince Harry is getting married, does that mean we get a bank holiday? Cos I could totally do with a bank holiday'.
A mismatch between a persons personality traits and his or her job requirements can lead to more than just a miserable employee.

A new study has revealed that an employee whose personality traits match the traits that are ideal for his is or her job is more likely to earn a higher salary than an employee whose traits are less aligned.

The findings question the idea that there is an 'ideal' personality type - and could change the way interviews are conducted.

A new study has revealed that an employee whose personality traits match the traits that that are ideal for his is or her job is more likely to earn a higher salary than an employee whose traits are less aligned. These findings question the idea that there is an 'ideal' personality type

THE BIG FIVE PERSONALITY INVENTORY The Big Five personality invetory are a set of five broad personality domains. Several independent researchers defined these five factors based on data-driven research. Human resources preofssionals often use the Big Five personality dimensions to help place employees because these five domains are considered to be the underlying traits that make up a persons overall personality. The Big Five traits are: Openness : People who like to learn new things and enjoy new experiences usually score high in openness. It includes traits such as being isnightful and imaginative and having a wide range of interests. Conscientiousness : People that have a high degree of conscientiousness are reliable and prompt. Traits include being organized, methodic and thorough. Extraversion : Extraverts get their energy from interacting with others, while introverts get their energy from within themselves. Extraversion includes traits such as being energetic, talktative and assertive. Agreeableness : These individuals are friendly, coopoerative and compassionate. Neuroticism : This trait is also sometimes called Emotional Stability. This related to a person's emotiona stability and level of negative emotions. People that score high on neuroticism often experience emotional instability and negative emotions. Traits include being moody and tense. Source: 123test.com - Big Five Personality Theory Advertisement

The research could have an impact on company hiring practices, as the researchers suggest both employees and employers should take a more nuanced approach to assessing both the individual's traits and job-required traits.

'Our findings show that looking at the combination of personality traits and job demands is key to predict important outcomes, like income,' says the lead researcher of the study Jaap J. A. Denissen of Tilburg University.

'This updates the notion that you only have to look at the personality traits of an individual to predict his or her life outcomes.

'Our results indicate that it's more complex: You also have to take that person's environment into account.'

Findings from previous research indicated that some personality traits are generally beneficial in a work environment.

For example, Denissen says that being highly conscientious is associated with being hard-working, well-organized, and rule-abiding, qualities that tend to be valued in employees.

But Denissen and coauthors questioned the notion that there is an 'ideal' personality type.

They hypothesized that the match, or mismatch, between an individual's traits and job demands might be critical when it comes to important outcomes like income.

The researchers developed a new strategy for comparing the fit between a given employee and a given job, quantifying the traits that a job requires using the Big Five personality traits: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness.

The researchers examined the personality profiles, annual income and jobs of 8,458 people living in German, using data from the nationally representative German Socio-Economic panel.

Because men were more likely than women to be employed full-time in Germany at the time of the data collection, the sample was 68 per cent male and 32 per cent female, with a mean age of 43.7 years old.

Each person in the sample completed a shorter version of the Big Five personality inventory in German, rating the degree to which they though 15 personality-related statements applied to them, for example 'I see myself as someone who has an active imagination' or 'I see myself as someone who worries a lot.'

Participants' jobs were classified using the International Labour Organization's International Standard Classification of Occupations.

Then, two psychologists with extensive expertise in occupational issues (but who did not know about the researchers' hypotheses) then assessed each job for its ideal levels of Big Five traits.

For example, they found that a bookkeeper required the lowest level of extraversion, whereas an actor or director required the highest level.

The researchers then used a statistical technique called response surface analysis to create a 3D model that identified how each employee's personality traits and the ideal personality traits for each job contributed to employee income.

The results showed that fit does matter - at least when it comes to extraversion, agreeableness, and openness to experience.

For these three traits, a greater match between an employee's personality and job demands was linked with higher income, which the researchers call a 'fit bonus.'

The data also revealed that it's possible to have too much of a good thing: employees who were more agreeable, more conscientious, or more open to experiences than their jobs required actually earned less than people who had harmoniously matching levels of those traits.

The model showed that, in some cases, having too little of a given trait was actually less costly than having too much.

The results showed that job-personality fit does matter, at least when it comes to extraversion, agreeableness, and openness to experience. For these three traits, a greater match between an employee's personality and job demands was linked with higher income - a 'fit bonus'

'Personality characteristics that have long been thought of as universally adaptive were not very beneficial or even detrimental, given particular job characteristics,' says Denissen.

'For example, highly conscientious individuals whose jobs did not demand such levels actually had lower earnings than individuals who were low in conscientiousness and had jobs that demanded high levels.'

The researchers say that additional studies will be required to understand how individual job experiences, job satisfaction and job performance might affect the association between individual job-personality fit and income.

The results of the study suggest that achieving the correct personality fit requires a more nuanced approach to assessing both the individual's traits and job-related traits than previously thought.

Paying attention to these nuances could have important implications for both employees and employers.

'From a practical perspective, companies should be interested in these results because they imply that it's really important to invest in solid personality assessment,' Denissen says.

'And individuals should care because our findings suggest that if they manage to find jobs that fit their personalities, they can earn more money.'
Elon Musk's plan to dig a tunnel beneath LA could vastly improve the daily commute for thousands of people in the city.

And, it's likely no one will benefit more than Musk himself.

The project is expected to run from Westwood to LAX  passing right by both the SpaceX headquarters and Musk's Bel Air properties, according to Fast Company.

Scroll down for video

The starting point sits near the SpaceX headquarters because the company owns the land, and could immediately begin digging there, a spokesperson said. Musk also owns $70 million worth of property nearby in Bel Air - with five homes all within walking distance of each other

BORING COMPANY Elon Musk has outlined how his Boring Company will work, claiming: Tunnelling costs must be reduced by a factor of more than 10 Key to this is smaller tunnels that can be dug more quickly Will work to increase the speed of the Tunnel Boring Machine Envisions a new breed of smaller, more powerful boring machines, with triple the power of current devices, that can tunnel continuously Advertisement

Musk was vocal about his disdain for LA's notorious traffic at the start of the project, which he launched in effort to solve the ongoing problem.

The tunnel could cut the hour-long trip down to just six minutes.

However, a spokesperson for The Boring Company told DailyMail.com the route was chosen to follow the 405 - which is one of the world's most congested roads.

'The goal of The Boring Company is to reduce soul-destroying traffic and maximize public happiness,' he said.

'This first proposed Los Angeles route along the 405 was chosen not for one person's convenience, but because the 405 is one of the most congested freeways in the world.

'We expect this route to be the first segment of an expansive 3D network of public transportation tunnels in Los Angeles and in many other cities around the world.'

Just days ago, the Boring Co applied to build the second segment of the tunnel.

While the ambitious plan has begun to come to life in a relatively short period after it was first devised, there have been numerous hurdles along the way  and there will likely be more.

One such hurdle is permission.

It might seem strategic that the project aligns with Musk's Bel Air properties, but the firm says this has nothing to do with its location.

Instead, the starting point sits near the SpaceX headquarters because the company owns the land, and could immediately begin digging there, a spokesperson told Fast Company.

Musk also owns $70 million worth of property nearby in Bel Air - with five homes all within walking distance of each other.

The project is expected to run from Westwood to LAX  passing right by both the SpaceX headquarters and Musk's Bel Air properties (circled). Musk owns 5 homes in Bel Air

Astounding aerial photos have laid bare the sprawling, eco-friendly compound Elon Musk has built up.

The tech tycoon's home is flanked with solar panels, and is one of five properties he owns in the lavish neighborhood.

Musk has reportedly spent $70.3 million on the set of palatial homes, according to Variety.

While many derided his plan to build a traffic tunnel under LA, Musk appears to be steadily moving forward.

This home owned by Elon Musk in Bel Air was purchased for $17 million in 2012 (top right on map)

This home was owned by Gene Wilder and was purchased for $6.75 million and was converted into a private school (in long right oval on map next to the newest home)

The Tesla and SpaceX boss hopes to build a tunnel along the route of the notoriously gridlocked 405, past LAX.

His Boring Co. has applied for an excavation permit to extend its electric-vehicle tunnel in Hawthorne into Los Angeles, connecting the South Bay, Westside and San Fernando Valley, city officials said, according to Daily Breeze.

Although the city's Bureau of Engineering did not release details of the permit request, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has supported the plan.

The Tesla billionaire also purchased this home in the Bel Air neighborhood (smallest circle on the left on map)

Elon Musk owns this Bel Air home along with his other Bel Air properties (located on the bottom left portion of the map)

The application is consistent with Musk's announcement in an October tweet that he planned to extend the tunnel 'from LAX to the 101.'

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti expressed early support for the idea.

'Los Angeles has always been a place where innovators come to build new ideas that can change how we live our lives,' Garcetti tweeted.

'We look forward to continuing our conversations about this new transportation technology, and exploring the ways that it can help us build a better future for our city.'

Elon Musk recently shared a photo of the traffic-busting tunnel that will allow Los Angeles commuters to zip under the city at 150mph (240kph). The 150-metre (500ft) shaft 'should be 2 miles [3.2km] long in three or four months', he said

Earlier this month Elon Musk shared the first ever photo of the traffic-busting tunnel that will allowLos Angeles commuters to travel under the city at 150mph (240kph).

L.A. has always been a place where innovators come to build new ideas that can change our lives. Looking forward to exploring how @ElonMusks Boring Company could help us build a better future for our city. https://t.co/doolkpsuZw pic.twitter.com/om7nWEmteD  Mayor Eric Garcetti (@MayorOfLA) November 22, 2017

The 150-metre (500ft) shaft, excavated by the billionaire's tunnel-digging firm The Boring Company, 'should be 2 miles [3.2km] long in three or four months', he said.

SpaceX has also previously received the green light to extend the tunnel by 2 miles in Hawthorne toward the Los Angeles International Airport.

Last month, Musk said that the new section of the tunnel would be completed in '3 to 4 months':

The SpaceX and Tesla founder came up with the idea for the tunnelling firm while frustrated at being stuck in heavy LA traffic.

He plans to build a series of tunnels underneath the city that could ferry cars in pods on 'electric skates' to avoid LA's notoriously busy roads.

An Arial view of heavy traffic moves along Interstate 405 highway in Los Angeles, Musk hopes people will soon be able to take his tunnel instead

We have known for months that Musk's Boring Company has been testing its equipment beneath SpaceX's LA headquarters.

But this is the first image he has shared of what appears to be a completed underground system since the firm was granted permission in August to dig under public roads around campus for a 2-mile tunnel stretching from the lot near Crenshaw Boulevard west along 120th Street.

In response to a user asking how long the tunnel is, Musk tweeted: '500 ft so far. Should be 2 miles long in three or four months and hopefully stretch the whole 405 N-S corridor from LAX to the 101 in a year or so.'

As well as new images of his initial tunnel, Musk also laid out where the track would run under the city (pictured). The SpaceX and Tesla founder came up with the idea for the tunnelling firm while frustrated at being stuck in heavy LA traffic

On Instagram, the billionaire gave more detail on where the track would run and how it would operate.

'First route will go roughly parallel to the 405 from LAX to [Highway] 101, with on/offramps every mile or so,' he wrote.

'It will work like a fast freeway, where electric skates carrying vehicles and people pods on the main artery travel at up to 150mph [240 kph], and the skates switch to side tunnels to exit and enter.

'This is a big difference compared to subways that stop at every stop, whether you're getting off or not.'

THE BORING COMPANY'S TUNNEL In August, it was reported that Elon Musk's firm would build a two-mile-long test tunnel in Los Angeles, after the City Council voted four to one in favour of his ambitious plans. The extension will run 13.5 metres (44 feet) under public roads around the SpaceX headquarters, and is the first time the Boring Company has been allowed to dig outside it's property line. This dry run will make sure plans actually work - if it doesn't, the city can request the tunnel is filled with concrete or soil. 'They won't even know we're there', Brett Horton, senior director of facilities and construction at SpaceX assured members of the council. 'This is groundbreaking, this is establishing a precedent, and I think we all agree that we want to make sure that this goes off without a hitch,' Hawthorne's Mayor Alex Vargas said. The company assured citizens that if the soil moves by as little as half an inch, work will stop immediately. Musk has since posted his plans to Instagram: 'First route will go roughly parallel to the 405 from LAX to [Highway] 101, with on/offramps every mile or so,' he wrote in October. 'It will work like a fast freeway, where electric skates carrying vehicles and people pods on the main artery travel at up to 150mph [240 kph], and the skates switch to side tunnels to exit and enter. 'This is a big difference compared to subways that stop at every stop, whether you're getting off or not.' Advertisement

Since he first announced plans to dig a tunnel under LA last December, Musk has regularly updated fans with his Boring Company's progress via social media.

Previously, the technology mogul tweeted that the firm's second tunnel digging machine was on its way.

'Second boring machine almost ready. 'Will be called Line-Storm, after the poem by Frost' he tweeted.

The billionaire also brought attention to the Frost's line 'and be my love in the rain' in his post.

The tech boss took to social media in August to share progress on his traffic-beating tunnel beneath Los Angeles, revealing it is now big enough to fit a Tesla Model S. Pictured is a test tunnel

MUSK'S 'BORING' PLAN When Musk first announced his plans to bore a tunnel to his SpaceX offices in Los Angeles, it was hard to know if he was simply venting his frustrations about being stuck in traffic. 'Traffic is driving me nuts. Am going to build a tunnel boring machine and just start digging...', he tweeted in December last year. He ended his rant on the social media site with: 'I am actually going to do this'. The billionaire first tweeted a picture of his firm's boring machine back in February with the caption 'Minecraft' - a reference to the popular video game in which players dig large tunnel networks for resources. Many have speculated that Musk will use his Boring Company to build tunnels for Hyperloop transportation systems - either for other firms or his own venture. When he first revealed the plan in a white paper developed with his team at SpaceX, in 2012, he said he would let others build the system. 'I don't have any plan to execute because I must remain focused on SpaceX and Tesla,' he said in a conference call at the time. But in August it appeared Musk would build his own hyperloop tunnel system in a bid to speed up adoption of the radical travel technology he invented. According to reports from a 'person close to Musk,' it appears the billionaire will build the whole system himself. Musk also hinted at it, replying to a tweet about the issues facing the various Hyperloop plans by saying 'I guess a proof of concept is needed.' Advertisement

When Musk first announced his plans to bore a tunnel to his SpaceX offices in Los Angeles, it was hard to know if he was joking

This led some to speculate that his latest machine will be designed for all-weather operation.

The firm's 'Godot' machine was named after Samuel Beckett's famous play 'Waiting for Godot.'

The news came just two months after the firm first got permission to dig outside of its own property.

In August, it was reported that Musk's firm would build a two-mile-long test tunnel in Los Angeles, after the City Council voted four to one in favour of his ambitious plans.

The extension will run 13.5 metres (44 feet) under public roads around the SpaceX headquarters, and is the first time the Boring Company has been allowed to dig outside it's property line.

This dry run will make sure plans actually work - if it doesn't, the city can request the tunnel is filled with concrete or soil.

'They won't even know we're there', Brett Horton, senior director of facilities and construction at SpaceX assured members of the council.

'This is groundbreaking, this is establishing a precedent, and I think we all agree that we want to make sure that this goes off without a hitch,' Hawthorne's Mayor Alex Vargas said.

The company assured citizens that if the soil moves by as little as half an inch, work will stop immediately.

In August, it was reported that Elon Musk's Boring Company will build a two-mile-long test tunnel (proposed route shown as dotted line) in Los Angeles, after the City Council voted four to one in favour of his ambitious plans

Many have speculated that Musk will use his Boring Company to build tunnels for Hyperloop transportation systems - either for other firms or his own venture.

When he first revealed the plan in a white paper developed with his team at SpaceX, in 2012, he said he would let others build the system.

'I don't have any plan to execute because I must remain focused on SpaceX and Tesla,' he said in a conference call at the time.

But in August it appeared Musk would build his own hyperloop tunnel system in a bid to speed up adoption of the radical travel technology he invented.

According to reports from a 'person close to Musk,' it appears the billionaire will build the whole system himself.
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Stunning VR footage that could be taken straight from the latest video game has revealed the United Arab Emirates' vision for its planned Martian colony where robots live alongside humans.

An immersive 360 experience of the futuristic city was released by the Gulf state's government, giving the most detailed view yet of its city.

The release is part of Dubai's Mars 2117 Strategy, which seeks to build the first settlement on Mars in the next 100 years.

Stunning VR footage that could be taken straight from the latest video game has revealed the United Arab Emirates' vision for its planned Martian colony. The video begins with a greeting from a holographic representative of the United Government of Mars, welcoming you to your second home

MAN ON MARS There are some fairly major reasons why we haven't got anyone on Mars yet: - We can't properly store the necessary fuel for such a long flight - We don't have a vehicle capable of landing people on the Martian surface - We don't know how to keep colonists alive once they're there Advertisement

The video begins with a greeting from a holographic representative of the United Government of Mars, welcoming you to your second home.

Your digital host says that the scenes are set 70 years after mankind has set up a colony, suggesting the UAE envisions the first manned mission taking place in the year 2047.

You then enter a flying pod that whisks you on a 1.5 mile (2.5km) ride, showing you the sights of the city.

The City of Wisdom, as humanitys first settlement on Mars will be known, comes complete with laboratories, a university, skyscrapers, beautiful architecture and 600,000 inhabitants.

During the seven minute long tour, you are transported from the exterior of the planet's surface to the inside of a number of large domed buildings.

The footage reveals a Hyperloop transport system in place at the colony, as well as all manner of robots, flying vehicles, crowds of people and vegetation.

For the full immersive experience, users need to view the video using a VR headset.

The immersive 360 experience of the futuristic city was released by the Gulf state's government, giving the most detailed view yet of its city. This image shows the surface of the red planet being probed by an industrial vehicle of some kind, which may be involved in terraforming efforts mentioned by the narrator, or perhaps mining

The release is part of Dubai's Mars 2117 Strategy, which seeks to build the first settlement on Mars in the next 100 years. During the seven minute long tour, you are transported from the exterior of the planet's surface to the inside of a number of large domed buildings

The scenes are set 70 years after mankind has set foot on Mars, meaning the UAE envisions the first landing taking place in the year 2047. This image shows what appears to be an industrial processing plant, involved with collecting and refining the various resources needed by the colony

But the clip, uploaded to YouTube, still makes for impressive viewing even without this.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, was one of the first to test out the experience

Speaking about the project in February, he said: ' The landing of people on other planets has been a longtime dream for humans.

'Our aim is that the UAE will spearhead international efforts to make this dream a reality.'

MARS MISSIONS Since 1965, four entities have successfully made it to Mars: Nasa, the Soviet Union, the European Space Agency and the Indian Space Research Organization. Nasa has the best success rate at around 70 percent. It has sent 21 missions to Mars since the 1960s, and all but six have succeeded. Japan and China have tried and never succeeded. India is the only Asian country to launch a successful mission. The US is the only nation so far to land and operate long-term and unmanned ship on Mars. More missions have been attempted to Mars than any other planet on the Solar System except the moon. The world's overall success rate in Mars missions since the 1960s is less than 50-50. Advertisement

The city is part of a 100-year plan which will see the first UAE astronauts slip the surly bonds of Earth, as part of a burgeoning new space industry.

In 2020, the first interplanetary mission by a Muslim country, an unmanned UAE probe, is due to blast off.

The vehicle is due to go enter orbit around the Red Planet in 2021, just in time for the 50th anniversary of the country's founding.

The probe will carry out scientific observations of the Martian atmosphere and look for traces of water.

The City of Wisdom, as humanitys first settlement on Mars will be known, comes complete with laboratories, a University, skyscrapers, beautiful architecture and 600,000 inhabitants. This image shows a view of the city from a transport network high above it

The footage reveals a Hyperloop transport system in place at the colony, as well as all manner of robots, flying vehicles, crowds of people and vegetation. This image shows crowds of people exploring a plaza area

For the full immersive experience, users need to view the video using a VR headset, but the clip, uploaded to YouTube, still makes for impressive viewing even without this. This image shows the interior of the domed city

The city is part of a 100-year plan which will see the first UAE astronauts slip the surly bonds of Earth, as part of a burgeoning new space industry. This image shows a food court in the city

Plans for the Martian city were first announced by the UAE in February 2017, at the World Government Summit in the presence of representatives of 138 governments.

In the hopes of simulating life on the red planet, Dubai announced in September that it is building a 100 million (AED 500 million/$135 million) 'Mars Science City.'

The city will cover 1.9 million square feet, making it the largest space simulation city ever built.

The project will be home to a team of researchers who will live there for a year, carrying out experiments to look at the food, water and energy needs to sustain life on Mars.

In 2020, the first interplanterary misison by a Muslim country, an unmanned UAE probe, is due to blast off. The vehicle is due to go enter orbit around the Red Planet in 2021, just in time for the 50th anniversary of the country's founding. This image shows vegetation in the city

Plans for the Martian city were first announced by the UAE in February 2017, at the World Government Summit in the presence of representatives of 138 governments. This image shows the city hosting the Planetary Government Summit on Mars a century later

Your ride in a flying pod whisks you on a 1.5 mile (2.5km) ride, showing you the sights of the city, before ending in this area, believed to be a research and education zone

The Mars Science City project was unveiled at the annual meeting for the UAE government in Abu Dhabi.

The city will contain advanced laboratories that simulate Mars' terrain and harsh environment.

There, scientists will carry out experiments to look at the food, water and energy needs to sustain a human settlement on Mars.

It will also have a museum that will display some of the world's greatest space achievements.

Dubai announced in September that it is building a 100 million (AED 500 million/$135 million) 'Mars Science City.' The city will cover 1.9 million square feet, making it the largest space simulation city ever built

The walls of the museum will be 3D printed using sand from the Emirati desert.

As well as the laboratories and museum, the project will also be home to a team living in the simulated red planet city for a year.

The designers hope that this experience will form an important reference model for future innovation around sustaining life in a hostile environment.

The city will cover 1.9 million square feet, making it the largest space simulation city ever built. The project will be home to a team of researchers, who will live there for a year, carrying out experiments to look at the food, water and energy needs to sustain life on Mars

The city will consist of several domes, built using 'innovative construction techniques.'

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, ruler of Dubai, said: 'The UAE is a great country with vision and understanding of the challenges we face and the rapid changes our world is experiencing.

'We believe in the potential of space exploration, and in collaborating with global partners and leaders in order to harness the findings of this research and movement that seeks to meet people's needs and improve quality of life on Earth.'

The city will also have a museum that will display some of the world's greatest space achievements. The walls of the museum will be 3D printed using sand from the Emirati desert

The project is part of Dubai's Mars 2117 Strategy which seeks to build the first settlement on Mars in the next 100 years. Pictured is an artist's impression of one of the laboratories

The project is part of Dubai's Mars 2117 Strategy which seeks to build the first settlement on Mars in the next 100 years.

Sheikh Mohammed added: 'The landing of people on other planets has been a longtime dream for humans.

'Our aim is that the UAE will spearhead international efforts to make this dream a reality.'

It is unclear when Dubai plans to start building work on Mars Science City.
The text messages is about to celebrate its 25th birthday.

While it can be hard to remember life without it, on Sunday, it will be a quarter of a century since the messaging format was invented.

To celebrate, the British programmer behind the pioneering message has recreated it with a modern twist.

On December 3, 1992, 22-year-old Neil Papworth sent the first ever Short Message Service (SMS) from a computer to colleague Richard Jarvis.

The message, which said 'Merry Christmas', has been recreated with emoji by Mr Papworth as an homage to his original text.

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On December 3, 1992, 22-year-old Neil Papworth sent the first ever SMS message from a computer to colleague Richard Jarvis. The message, which said 'Merry Christmas', has been recreated with emoji by Mr Papworth (pictured) as an homage to his original text

HISTORY OF THE TEXT On December 3, 1992, 22-year-old Neil Papworth sent the first ever Short Message Service (SMS) from a computer to a colleague. The message simply read 'Merry Christmas'. Mr Papworth had been working as a developer and test engineer to create a Short Message Service for Vodafone. One year later in 1993, Nokia introduced an SMS feature with a distinctive 'beep' to signal an incoming message. At first, text messages had a 160-character limit, but early adopters got around this by inventing 'txt spk'. These would later inspire the creation of the first emojis, which were invented in Japan in 1999. That same year texts could finally be exchanged on multiple networks, propelling them into greater popularity than ever before. Advertisement

Mr Papworth said: 'In 1992, I had no idea just how popular texting would become, and that this would give rise to emojis and messaging apps used by millions.

'I only recently told my children that I sent that first text.

'Looking back with hindsight, it's clearer to see that the Christmas message I sent was a pivotal moment in mobile history.'

Mr Papworth had been working as a developer and test engineer to create a Short Message Service for Vodafone.

One year later in 1993, Nokia introduced an SMS feature with a distinctive 'beep' to signal an incoming message.

At first, text messages had a 160-character limit, but early adopters got around this by inventing 'txt spk'.

This digital language included phrases such as 'LOL' for 'laughing out loud' and 'emoticons' - symbols made from keyboard characters to show emotions.

These would later inspire the creation of the first emoji, which were invented in Japan in 1999.

That same year, seven after Mr Papworth's first SMS, texts could finally be exchanged on multiple networks, propelling them into greater popularity than ever before.

Commenting on the text message's 25 year anniversary, Tristan Liverpool, an engineering expert at cyber security firm F5 Networks, said: 'This Sunday will mark 25 years since the first SMS was sent.

'In that time, mobile technology has galvanised the way we communicate, opening up dialogues between people in countries throughout the world.'

At first, text messages had a 160-character limit, but early adopters got around this by inventing 'txt spk'. These would later inspire the creation of the first emojis, which were invented in Japan in 1999 (stock image)

While 25 years of texting has made messaging friends and family easier than ever, the SMS has not come without drawbacks.

In April, spine surgeons reported a recent increase in young patients with neck and upper back pain.

They said this was likely related to poor posture during prolonged smartphone use.

HOW TEXTING CAN AFFECT YOUR HEALTH In April, spine surgeons reported a recent increase in young patients with neck and upper back pain. They said this was likely related to poor posture during prolonged smartphone use. Some patients, particularly young patients who shouldn't yet have back and neck issues, are reporting disk hernias and alignment problems, the study authors, from various US institutions, warned. 'In an X-ray, the neck typically curves backward, and what we're seeing is that the curve is being reversed as people look down at their phones for hours each day,' said study coauthor Dr Todd Lanman, a spinal neurosurgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. 'By the time patients get to me, they're already in bad pain and have disc issues,' he said. Advertisement

Some patients, particularly young patients who shouldn't yet have back and neck issues, are reporting disk hernias and alignment problems, the study authors, from various US institutions, warned.

'In an X-ray, the neck typically curves backward, and what we're seeing is that the curve is being reversed as people look down at their phones for hours each day,' said study coauthor Dr Todd Lanman, a spinal neurosurgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

'By the time patients get to me, they're already in bad pain and have disc issues,' he said.
Many of us have had recurring and disturbing nightmares that are difficult to comprehend.

Now, research has discovered these dreams are a reflection of our daily struggles.

In particular, feeling a of lack independence, incompetence or being misunderstood can trigger nightmares, scientists claim.

These feelings suggest that a person's 'basic psychological needs' are not being met, and nightmares occur when we haven't processed these emotions properly.

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Many of us have had recurring and disturbing nightmares that are difficult to comprehend. Now, research from Cardiff University has discovered these dreams are a reflection of our daily struggles (stock image)

THE STUDY Researchers conducted two studies to explore whether experiences related to psychological needs in waking life are related to the deeper level of processing that dreams provide. In the first, 200 people were asked to reflect on their most common recurring dream. The second study analysed the entries that 110 people made over a period of three days in 'dream diaries'. The results from both show that frustrations and emotions associated with specific psychological needs influence the themes that will occur in people's dreams. Participants whose so-called psychological needs were not met reported having more nightmares. A number of recurring themes seem to crop up during disturbing dreams. These may include being trapped, chased or attacked, or failing at an important task. Advertisement

Previous research has identified what some of these dreams might mean.

For instance, people who are frustrated with their daily lives tend to have recurring dreams in which they were falling, failing or being attacked.

Those who feel under pressure in real life are more likely to experience a dream in which they are unprepared for something important like an exam.

Now, researchers from Cardiff University have conducted two studies to explore whether experiences related to psychological needs in waking life are related to the deeper level of processing that dreams provide.

In the first, 200 people were asked to reflect on their most common recurring dream.

The second study analysed the entries that 110 people made over a period of three days in 'dream diaries'.

The results from both show that frustrations and emotions associated with specific psychological needs influence the themes that will occur in people's dreams.

Participants whose so-called psychological needs were not met reported having more nightmares.

A number of recurring themes seem to crop up during disturbing dreams.

These may include being trapped, chased or attacked, or failing at an important task.

Falling from a height

A British psychologist found that people who are frustrated with their daily lives tend to have recurring dreams in which they were falling, failing or being attacked (stock image)

In their latest study on nightmares, Cardiff University found a recurring dream about falling from a height could mean someone feels frustrated in their daily lives.

'We found that people whose recurring dreams were felt to have more negative emotions in them also felt more incompetent, isolated, or pressured by others in their daily life,' Dr Netta Weinstein told MailOnline.

'So they might have been feeling lonely, like they have been failing at things they cared about, or pressured by deadlines.'

Dr Weinstein told MailOnline that finding help for challenges in life could help to alleviate recurring dreams.

'From what this study indicates, findings ways to resolve some of the difficulties in relationships and perhaps in terms of academic or professional challenges might help,' she said.

The results from her studies studies showed that frustrations and emotions linked with specific psychological needs influence people's dreams.

'Waking-life psychological need experiences are indeed reflected in our dreams,' Dr Weinstein said.

Failing

Dr Weinstein said that recurring dreams in which people experience failure were also common among those who frequently felt frustrated. Those who feel under pressure are more likely to dream about being unprepared for something important like an exam (stock image)

Dr Weinstein said that recurring dreams in which people experience failure were also common among those who frequently felt frustrated.

Research has previously shown that those who feel under pressure in real life are more likely to experience a dream in which they are unprepared for something important like an exam or a meeting.

DREAMS AND THEIR EMOTIONAL LINKS Dream experts have previously claimed that nightmares in which people are being chased or forget how to drive reveal that person feels out of control of their life. Those who feel trapped in their dreams likely feel trapped in real life, New Zealand dream experts Margaret Bowater and Dr Rosie Gibson told MailOnline in September. They said that those who feel under pressure in real life are more likely to experience a dream in which they are unprepared for something important like an exam. In the new dream study, Dr Weinstein found that people who experience daily frustrations are more likely to describe their dreams negatively. People who felt more incompetent, isolated, or pressured by others in their daily life were more likely to have dreams in which they were falling, failing or being attacked. Advertisement

'I used to be a teacher, so my typical stress dream was about the whole classroom getting out of control. I would be feeling powerless or helpless to manage a situation,' Margaret Bowater, president of the Dream Network Aotearoa New Zealand, told Stuff earlier this year.

She said the dream is a metaphor for falling short, possibly falling out of favour, or maybe not living up to the expectations of yourself or others.

Feeling trapped

Those who feel trapped in their dreams likely feel trapped in real life, New Zealand dream experts Ms Bowater and Dr Rose Gibson told Stuff in September (stock image)

Those who feel trapped in their dreams likely feel trapped in real life, New Zealand dream experts Ms Bowater and Dr Rose Gibson told Stuff in September.

Ms Bowater said that this kind of dream is a 'conceptual' one - whereby the dreamer feels trapped or lost in real life.

'A dream is trying to show, or repeat, something back to you,' she said.

'It's usually using concrete imagery for something that is not necessarily a concrete thing to say.'

Being chased or attacked

Dr Weinstein said frequently being attacked in your dreams may show you are frustrated in your day to day activities. When you create a dream of being chased, you are encountering some frustration or challenge to your pursuit of a particular fulfilment in your waking life

Dr Weinstein said frequently being attacked in your dreams may show you are frustrated in your day to day activities.

According to UK dream expert Ian Wallace, being chased or attacked is the most common dream from all around the world, regardless of country, creed or culture.

When you create a dream of being chased, you are encountering some frustration or challenge to your pursuit of a particular fulfilment in your waking life, he has previously told MailOnline.

Being chased by an animal indicates there is an instinctive impulse that you are finding hard to contain in waking life.

When a monster is pursuing you, it reflects that you have a raw and powerful talent but are finding it challenging to evolve and refine it.

If a man, woman or a gang is chasing you, then you have the opportunity to assert a particular talent but may be running away from some of the responsibilities involved in displaying your abilities.

Dreams with negative emotions

The recurring dreams may show that someone is going through daily distressing experiences that they still need to process, the researcher, from Cardiff University, said (stock image)

In Dr Weinstein's new study, she found that people who are frustrated with their lives have dreams with more negative themes that made them frightened, angry or sad.

When asked to interpret their own dreams, they tended to do so using more negative words.

Participants whose psychological needs were met were more likely to describe their dreams positively.

'Negative dream emotions may directly result from distressing dream events, and might represent the psyche's attempt to process and make sense of particularly psychologically challenging waking experiences,' Dr Weinstein said.
Stressed newborn babies have a heightened response to pain - but they don't always show it by crying, according to a new study.

Doctors say hospitalised newborns already stressed by their environment have a much larger pain response in their brain following a routine clinical skin lance than non-stressed babies.

But that isn't matched by an equivalent increase in their pain behaviour, suggesting we need different ways to understand babies who are already stressed.

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Doctors say hospitalised newborns already stressed by their environment have a much larger pain response than non-stressed babies (stock image)

WHAT DID THEY DO? The study involved 56 newborn boys and girls from the postnatal ward and special care baby unit at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Obstetric Wing, University College Hospital. Their stress levels were measured based on salivary levels of cortisol stress hormone and heartbeat patterns, both before and after a clinically necessary heel lance. At the same time, they measured the babies' pain response using EEG brain activity and facial expression. Two-thirds of babies show a characteristic brain wave pattern for pain and a similar proportion display typical pain behaviour and a moderate pain score. The results show that the amplitude of the pain evoked brain waves was greater in babies with high stress compared to those with low stress. In the babies with the lowest stress levels, brain activity and behaviour were associated with each other in that greater brain activity corresponded to a longer period of crying and/or grimacing. In the babies with the highest stress levels this association was broken: greater brain activity was not necessarily matched by a more marked behavioural response. Advertisement

This apparent disconnect between the behaviour of newborn babies under stress and their brain activity in response to pain has not been shown before.

Researchers from University College London suggested stress was an important factor in influencing how babies perceive and react to pain.

Dr Laura Jones, who led the study, said: 'When newborn babies experience a painful procedure, there is a reasonably well coordinated increase in their brain activity and their behavioural responses, such as crying and grimacing'.

Babies who are stressed have a larger response in the brain following a painful procedure.

But for these babies, this greater brain activity is no longer matched by their behaviour.

'We see that an increase in pain related brain activity in hospitalised babies is not always accompanied by an increase in typical pain behaviour, such as body movement and facial expressions', said Dr Jones.

'This leads us to question the use of behaviour alone as a way of assessing infant pain, especially in a stressful environment.

'In adults, stress can increase pain experience and our findings suggest that this is also true for babies.'

Doctors and parents rely on indirect measures such as facial expressions to tell if infants are experiencing pain because they cannot express this in words.

The study involved 56 newborn boys and girls from the postnatal ward and special care baby unit at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Obstetric Wing, University College Hospital.

Their stress levels were measured based on salivary levels of cortisol stress hormone and heartbeat patterns, both before and after a clinically necessary heel lance.

At the same time, they measured the babies' pain response using EEG brain activity and facial expression.

Two-thirds of babies showed a characteristic brain wave pattern for pain and a similar proportion display typical pain behaviour and a moderate pain score.

This apparent disconnect between the behaviour of newborn babies under stress and their brain activity in response to pain has not been shown before (stock image)

EYE CONTACT WITH BABIES The more eye contact mothers make with their baby, the better their brainwaves synchronize with one another, a new study by Baby-LINC Lab at the University of Cambridge shows. When parents and infants interact, their gaze, emotions and heart rate synchronize. But until now, little has been known about whether brain activity also lines up. Researchers found that direct eye contact not only aligns the brainwaves but causes infants to vocalize more, showing an intention to communicate. This knowledge can help improve communication between parents and infants, making learning more effective during this critical time in a child's brain development, researchers said. Brainwaves reflect the activity of millions of neurons and are involved in information transferring between brain regions. A child's brain develops rapidly during the first five years of life and babies begin to learn words at around 15 to 18 months. Research has found that a close relationship between a child and caregiver nourishes a growing brain, but synchronization in brain activity opens doors to improved development. Advertisement

The results show that the amplitude of the pain evoked brain waves was greater in babies with high stress compared to those with low stress.

In the babies with the lowest stress levels, brain activity and behaviour were associated with each other in that greater brain activity corresponded to a longer period of crying and/or grimacing.

In the babies with the highest stress levels this association was broken: greater brain activity was not necessarily matched by a more marked behavioural response.

Co-author Dr Judith Meek, said: 'These results are important for people who care for newborn babies.

'Behaviour such as crying or facial responses is widely used as a measurement of a baby's pain experience.

'Pain scores used for babies are based on these observations, because babies can't speak.'

However, this research suggests they may not be appropriate measures for babies who are already stressed.

'We need to explore better ways to monitor pain, reduce stress and tailor our interventions accordingly', said Dr Jones.

'We know that repeated painful and stressful experiences in early life can negatively impact on the development of the central nervous system and our results suggest that controlling the stress levels of hospitalised infants may not only reduce their pain but also contribute to their healthy development'.
Chicago could soon get the first high speed Hyperloop from Elon Musk's Boring Company.

'The Boring Company will compete to fund, build & operate a high-speed Loop connecting Chicago O'Hare Airport to downtown,' Musk tweeted.

The project is designed to create a new 'express' option that would take travelers between downtown and O'Hare in '20 minutes or less,' cutting travel times in half.

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Ther new express service will run from O-Hare airport to downtown Chicago (pictured). It will have to deal with the windy city's notoriously brutal winters.

The city and the trust will consider 'potential corridors above or below surface level' to deliver express service 'at least every 15 minutes for the majority of the day' for fares 'less than' the cost of a taxicab or Uber ride to O'Hare.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) already has trains that run between both Midway and O'Hare and downtown for $5, but the travel time is around 45 minutes.

'There's a lot of room between the price of the CTA [and Ubers or taxis] to price a service in a way that you can make a lot of revenue,' Deputy Mayor Bob Rivkin told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Bidders must give a price that includes downtown and O'Hare stations along with a maintenance facility, and propose options that 'minimize potential conflicts or impacts on existing transportation systems and the environment,' the request-for-proposal documents state.

Rivkin told the paper he hopes and expects that Musk will be among the bidders vying to build and operate the new service.

Elon Musk has shared a photo of the traffic-busting tunnel that will allow Los Angeles commuters to zip under the city at 150mph (240kph). The 150-metre (500ft) shaft 'should be 2 miles [3.2km] long in three or four months', he said

BORING COMPANY Elon Musk has outlined how his Boring Company will work, claiming: Tunnelling costs must be reduced by a factor of more than 10 Key to this is smaller tunnels that can be dug more quickly Will work to increase the speed of the Tunnel Boring Machine Envisions a new breed of smaller, more powerful boring machines, with triple the power of current devices, that can tunnel continuously Advertisement

'The RFQ is agnostic about whether this is a surface or sub-surface system. We hope Elon Musk and either builders of hyper-loops and other innovative technologies will respond,' Rivkin said.

When asked if Chocago's weather would hinder a hyperloop,he said 'We think it could be feasible at no cost to the taxpayers and this is the right format to use to find out formally if that is the case. We'll know as soon as we get responses.'

In LA, ,Elon Musk has applied to build the second segment of his radical plan to revolutionise transport.

He hopes to build a tunnel along the route of the notoriously gridlocked 405, past LAX.

His Boring Co. has applied for an excavation permit to extend its electric-vehicle tunnel in Hawthorne into Los Angeles, connecting the South Bay, Westside and San Fernando Valley, city officials said, according to Daily Breeze.

Although the city's Bureau of Engineering did not release details of the permit request, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has supported the plan.

The application is consistent with Musk's announcement in an October tweet that he planned to extend the tunnel 'from LAX to the 101.'

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti expressed early support for the idea.

'Los Angeles has always been a place where innovators come to build new ideas that can change how we live our lives,' Garcetti tweeted.

'We look forward to continuing our conversations about this new transportation technology, and exploring the ways that it can help us build a better future for our city.'

Earlier this month Elon Musk shared the first ever photo of the traffic-busting tunnel that will allowLos Angeles commuters to travel under the city at 150mph (240kph).

Musk's proposed first tunnel will run from LAX to Culver City, then to Santa Monica, and end in Westwood. Musk claims the tunnel trip will take five minutes, compared to 45 minutes driving in normal LA traffic

The 150-metre (500ft) shaft, excavated by the billionaire's tunnel-digging firm The Boring Company, 'should be 2 miles [3.2km] long in three or four months', he said.

SpaceX has also previously received the green light to extend the tunnel by 2 miles in Hawthorne toward the Los Angeles International Airport.

Last month, Musk said that the new section of the tunnel would be completed in '3 to 4 months':

The SpaceX and Tesla founder came up with the idea for the tunnelling firm while frustrated at being stuck in heavy LA traffic.

L.A. has always been a place where innovators come to build new ideas that can change our lives. Looking forward to exploring how @ElonMusks Boring Company could help us build a better future for our city. https://t.co/doolkpsuZw pic.twitter.com/om7nWEmteD  Mayor Eric Garcetti (@MayorOfLA) November 22, 2017

He plans to build a series of tunnels underneath the city that could ferry cars in pods on 'electric skates' to avoid LA's notoriously busy roads.

We have known for months that Musk's Boring Company has been testing its equipment beneath SpaceX's LA headquarters.

But this is the first image he has shared of what appears to be a completed underground system since the firm was granted permission in August to dig under public roads around campus for a 2-mile tunnel stretching from the lot near Crenshaw Boulevard west along 120th Street.

An Arial view of heavy traffic moves along Interstate 405 highway in Los Angeles, Musk hopes people will soon be able to take his tunnel instead

In response to a user asking how long the tunnel is, Musk tweeted: '500 ft so far. Should be 2 miles long in three or four months and hopefully stretch the whole 405 N-S corridor from LAX to the 101 in a year or so.'

On Instagram, the billionaire gave more detail on where the track would run and how it would operate.

'First route will go roughly parallel to the 405 from LAX to [Highway] 101, with on/offramps every mile or so,' he wrote.

'It will work like a fast freeway, where electric skates carrying vehicles and people pods on the main artery travel at up to 150mph [240 kph], and the skates switch to side tunnels to exit and enter.

'This is a big difference compared to subways that stop at every stop, whether you're getting off or not.'

As well as new images of his initial tunnel, Musk also laid out where the track would run under the city (pictured). The SpaceX and Tesla founder came up with the idea for the tunnelling firm while frustrated at being stuck in heavy LA traffic

In a comment on Instagram, the billionaire gave more detail on where the track would run and how it would operate

THE BORING COMPANY'S TUNNEL In August, it was reported that Elon Musk's firm would build a two-mile-long test tunnel in Los Angeles, after the City Council voted four to one in favour of his ambitious plans. The extension will run 13.5 metres (44 feet) under public roads around the SpaceX headquarters, and is the first time the Boring Company has been allowed to dig outside it's property line. This dry run will make sure plans actually work - if it doesn't, the city can request the tunnel is filled with concrete or soil. 'They won't even know we're there', Brett Horton, senior director of facilities and construction at SpaceX assured members of the council. 'This is groundbreaking, this is establishing a precedent, and I think we all agree that we want to make sure that this goes off without a hitch,' Hawthorne's Mayor Alex Vargas said. The company assured citizens that if the soil moves by as little as half an inch, work will stop immediately. Earlier this year, the Boring Company's first tunnel-digging machine, called 'Godot' (pictured), began digging test tunnels under LA Musk has since posted his plans to Instagram: 'First route will go roughly parallel to the 405 from LAX to [Highway] 101, with on/offramps every mile or so,' he wrote in October. 'It will work like a fast freeway, where electric skates carrying vehicles and people pods on the main artery travel at up to 150mph [240 kph], and the skates switch to side tunnels to exit and enter. 'This is a big difference compared to subways that stop at every stop, whether you're getting off or not.' Advertisement

The tech boss took to social media in August to share progress on his traffic-beating tunnel beneath Los Angeles, revealing it is now big enough to fit a Tesla Model S. Pictured is a test tunnel

Since he first announced plans to dig a tunnel under LA last December, Musk has regularly updated fans with his Boring Company's progress via social media.

Earlier this month, the technology mogul tweeted that the firm's second tunnel digging machine was on its way.

'Second boring machine almost ready. 'Will be called Line-Storm, after the poem by Frost' he tweeted.

The billionaire also brought attention to the Frost's line 'and be my love in the rain' in his post.

Second boring machine almost ready. Will be called Line-Storm, after the poem by Frost. "And be my love in the rain." pic.twitter.com/xlWPYdPu3P  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 19, 2017

Earlier this month, Elon Musk announced that his Boring Company's second tunnel-digging machine is 'nearly ready'

MUSK'S 'BORING' PLAN When Musk first announced his plans to bore a tunnel to his SpaceX offices in Los Angeles, it was hard to know if he was simply venting his frustrations about being stuck in traffic. 'Traffic is driving me nuts. Am going to build a tunnel boring machine and just start digging...', he tweeted in December last year. He ended his rant on the social media site with: 'I am actually going to do this'. The billionaire first tweeted a picture of his firm's boring machine back in February with the caption 'Minecraft' - a reference to the popular video game in which players dig large tunnel networks for resources. Many have speculated that Musk will use his Boring Company to build tunnels for Hyperloop transportation systems - either for other firms or his own venture. When he first revealed the plan in a white paper developed with his team at SpaceX, in 2012, he said he would let others build the system. 'I don't have any plan to execute because I must remain focused on SpaceX and Tesla,' he said in a conference call at the time. But in August it appeared Musk would build his own hyperloop tunnel system in a bid to speed up adoption of the radical travel technology he invented. According to reports from a 'person close to Musk,' it appears the billionaire will build the whole system himself. Musk also hinted at it, replying to a tweet about the issues facing the various Hyperloop plans by saying 'I guess a proof of concept is needed.' Advertisement

When Musk first announced his plans to bore a tunnel to his SpaceX offices in Los Angeles, it was hard to know if he was joking

This led some to speculate that his latest machine will be designed for all-weather operation.

The firm's 'Godot' machine was named after Samuel Beckett's famous play 'Waiting for Godot.'

The news came just two months after the firm first got permission to dig outside of its own property.

In August, it was reported that Musk's firm would build a two-mile-long test tunnel in Los Angeles, after the City Council voted four to one in favour of his ambitious plans.

The extension will run 13.5 metres (44 feet) under public roads around the SpaceX headquarters, and is the first time the Boring Company has been allowed to dig outside it's property line.

Elon Musk says he has 'verbal government approval' to build an underground tunnel to transport passengers between New York and Washington DC in just 29 minutes. His firm the Boring Company could dig these tunnels

WHAT IS HYPERLOOP? Hyperloop is a proposed method of travel that would transport people at roughly 700mph between distant locations. It was unveiled by Elon Musk in 2013, who at the time said it could take passengers the 380 miles (610km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes - half the time it takes a plane. It is essentially a long tube that has had the air removed to create a vacuum. The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes. As several firms vie to create the first operational Hyperloop, Elon Musk's vision of a radical transport system that could ferry passengers above land at 760 miles per hour continues to inch closer to reality Advertisement

This dry run will make sure plans actually work - if it doesn't, the city can request the tunnel is filled with concrete or soil.

'They won't even know we're there', Brett Horton, senior director of facilities and construction at SpaceX assured members of the council.

'This is groundbreaking, this is establishing a precedent, and I think we all agree that we want to make sure that this goes off without a hitch,' Hawthorne's Mayor Alex Vargas said.

The company assured citizens that if the soil moves by as little as half an inch, work will stop immediately.

In August, it was reported that Elon Musk's Boring Company will build a two-mile-long test tunnel (proposed route shown as dotted line) in Los Angeles, after the City Council voted four to one in favour of his ambitious plans

When Musk first announced his plans to bore a tunnel to his SpaceX offices in Los Angeles, it was hard to know if he was simply venting his frustrations about being stuck in traffic.

'Traffic is driving me nuts. Am going to build a tunnel boring machine and just start digging...', he tweeted in December last year.

He ended his rant on the social media site with: 'I am actually going to do this'.

Images released earlier this year show the design of the Boring Company's underground electric buses that it plans to use in its tunnels

The billionaire first tweeted a picture of his firm's boring machine back in February with the caption 'Minecraft' - a reference to the popular video game in which players dig large tunnel networks for resources.

Many have speculated that Musk will use his Boring Company to build tunnels for Hyperloop transportation systems - either for other firms or his own venture.

When he first revealed the plan in a white paper developed with his team at SpaceX, in 2012, he said he would let others build the system.

CHALLENGES FACING MUSK'S 'BORING' PLAN Musk has an uphill battle ahead if he's serious about tunnelling under LA. Digging under cities takes a lot of time because the densely packed earth and rock underground is poorly mapped. 'Our recent experience with tunnels in the US is that neighbours worry, you run up against various environmental laws, and you just never know what's underneath the Earth,' Michael Manville, who studies urban planning at the University of California, Los Angeles, told Wired. The hole is legal because it has been dug on private property. But extending the tunnel further than SpaceX's headquarters would require more discussion, paperwork, and LA City council approval. 'We're just going to figure out what it takes to improve tunnelling speed by, I think, somewhere between 500 and 1,000 percent,' he said during a recent Hyperloop design competition at SpaceX. 'We have no idea what we're doing - I want to be clear about that.' Advertisement

'I don't have any plan to execute because I must remain focused on SpaceX and Tesla,' he said in a conference call at the time.

But in August it appeared Musk would build his own hyperloop tunnel system in a bid to speed up adoption of the radical travel technology he invented.

According to reports from a 'person close to Musk,' it appears the billionaire will build the whole system himself.

Musk also hinted at it, replying to a tweet about the issues facing the various Hyperloop plans by saying 'I guess a proof of concept is needed.'

Many had thought Musk would simply create the tunnels for Hyperloop systems using his recently revealed Boring Company.

'While we're encouraged that others are making some progress, we would like to accelerate the development of this technology as fast as possible,' Musk's Boring Co., a venture created to build roads that run through underground tunnels, said in a statement.

'We encourage and support all companies that wish to build Hyperloops and we don't intend to stop them from using the Hyperloop name as long as they are truthful.'

Musk has an uphill battle ahead if he's serious about tunnelling under LA.

Musk posted a picture on Instagram in February, writing 'Cutterhead in operation at standard industry speed. Planning to jack this up by a factor of ten or more'

Digging under cities takes a lot of time because the densely packed earth and rock underground is poorly mapped.

'Our recent experience with tunnels in the US is that neighbours worry, you run up against various environmental laws, and you just never know what's underneath the Earth,' Michael Manville, who studies urban planning at the University of California, Los Angeles, told Wired.

The hole is legal because it has been dug on private property.

But extending the tunnel further than SpaceX's headquarters would require more discussion, paperwork, and LA City council approval.

'We're just going to figure out what it takes to improve tunnelling speed by, I think, somewhere between 500 and 1,000 percent,' he said during a recent Hyperloop design competition at SpaceX.

'We have no idea what we're doing - I want to be clear about that.'
Armie Hammer has been talking about his decision to abruptly quit Twitter as he continues to promote his film Call Me By Your Name.

He deleted his account on the social media platform this week after a scathing article published by BuzzFeed, posting one final tweet to the author slamming her for the 'bitter AF' piece.

'I just have no impulse control,' the actor, 31, said at a screening of the movie hosted by The Wrap on Tuesday. 'So if somebody says something stupid, I couldnt help but say something back and then it just exploded.'

No regrets: Armie Hammer blamed a lack of impulse control on his decision to delete his Twitter account this week but said he life 'is way better off' as a result of quitting the platform

Hammer went on to say he's glad he made the move to remove himself from the Twitter-verse.

'This is a toxic environment and my life is way better off,' he said.

'People are so addicted and into Twitter, it seems crazy that someone could walk away from it! Theyre like, wait, he DELETED IT? It was actually really easy,' he added.

The BuzzFeed essay by the site's senior culture writer titled Ten Long Years of Trying to Make Armie Hammer Happen posited that the great-grandson of oil tycoon Armand Hammer owed his career to being a privileged white man.

In response, Hammer addressed a tweet to author Anne Helen Peterseon: 'Your chronology is spot on but your perspective is bitter AF. Maybe Im just a guy who loves his job and refuses to do anything but what he loves to do?'

He then deleted his account.

Hammer, 31, quit Twitter after slamming BuzzFeed for an article it published about him claiming his career is owed to being a privileged white man. He told The Wrap Tuesday: 'People are so addicted and into Twitter, it seems crazy that someone could walk away from it! Theyre like, wait, he DELETED IT? It was actually really easy'

'Your persepctive is bitter AF': The actor, 31, tweeted on last time before deleting his account, addressing a message to the author of the article

The article recounted Hammer's career and the film roles he got, the ones that he was promised but didn't materialize, and the fact he continued to be offered roles despite appearing in a string of flops over the years.

The premise was that he kept getting 'second chances' because of his privileged background and the color of his skin.

While the fact that he was able to inhabit the role of 'rich a**hole' was because he had had a lot of practice in his real life.

And despite his string of blockbuster failures: 'Hollywood would never give up on a guy that handsome, that tall, that white, with a jaw that square.'

Wealthy family: The premise of the article was that Hammer, who is the great-grandson of oil tycoon Amrna dHammer, kept getting 'second chances' despite starring in flops because of his privileged background and the color of his skin. He's pictured Monday night in NYC with wife Elizabeth Chambers,

Hammer, whose film Call Me by Your Name (pictured) won best picture at the Gotham Awards in New York this week, hit out at the essay titled Ten Long Years of Trying to Make Armie Hammer Happen

Following the feud, fans flocked to Twitter in droves to call out BuzzFeed and express support for the actor.

One user described the article as 'straight up nasty' and tweeted: 'Just attacking an actor and his career for absolutely no reason... And now he's left Twitter because of it. Not coll at all.'

Another fan wrote on Twitter: 'Going after Armie Hammer for being a good due that manages to keep getting work despite a bomb or two is the definition of picking the wrong fight.'

Fans of the star defended him on Twitter. One user described the article as 'straight up nasty' and tweeted: 'Just attacking an actor and his career for absolutely no reason... And now he's left Twitter because of it. Not cool at all.'

Some Twitter users called out BuzzFeed for its 'nasty' article. 'Going after Armie Hammer for being a good due that manages to keep getting work despite a bomb or two is the definition of picking the wrong fight.'

Hammer is on the cover of the new issue of The Hollywood Reporter talking about the abuse perpetrated by people in positions of power in Hollywood

Meanwhile, Hammer is on the cover of the new issue of The Hollywood Reporter talking about the abuse perpetrated by people in positions of power in Hollywood.

'Its been permissible for too long for people in positions of power to abuse, and for the powerless to be expected to just take it,' he told the trade publication.

'The system seems to be shaken, and thank God,' he added.
She welcomed her first child, son Axel, in December 2015.

And Michelle Bridges revealed her gym-honed figure in a skimpy abstract bikini, on a family beach day, at Sydney's Maroubra last Sunday.

The 47-year-old packed on the PDA with beau Steve 'Commando' Willis and doted over their one-year-old, along with her partner's children from a previous relationship.

One hot mama! Michelle Bridges, 47, revealed her gym-honed figure in a skimpy bikini, during a family beach day at Sydney's Maroubra, last Sunday

Michelle, who rose to fame as a trainer on The Biggest Loser, sported a green abstract bikini top that accentuated her cleavage and very defined arms.

A coordinating pair of skimpy briefs drew the eye to Michelle's washboard stomach and toned legs.

Accessorising with a round-rimmed straw hat and stylish sunglasses, the former Channel Ten personality also adorned her frame with delicate gold jewellery.

Toned: Michelle, who rose to fame as a trainer on The Biggest Loser, sported a green abstract bikini top that accentuated her cleavage and very defined arms. A coordinating pair of skimpy briefs drew the eye to her washboard stomach and toned legs

Buff: Partner Steve 'Commando' Willis, 41, showed off his muscular upper frame, sporting just a pair of Hawaiian-themed board shorts, that hung low on his hips

Inked: The fitness enthusiast's beach attire also drew the eye to his array of tattoos

PDA: Michelle wrapped her toned arms around Steve's muscular upper frame

Michelle's brunette locks fell in relaxed curls around her toned shoulders, and her complexion appeared makeup-free.

Wading out of the surf with a boogie board in hand, Michelle was accompanied by partner Steve, 41, and their son Axel.

Steve's children Ella, nine, and Jack, five, from a previous relationship also joined the outing.

Content: Steve appeared relaxed and at ease in his girlfriend's embrace

Family: The clan were all smiles, with Michelle and Steve engaging in conversation

Too cute: The couple's son Axel, one, looked cute as a button in a blue rash vest, swimmers and a black cap with a white logo emblazoned on the front

Proud father: Steve embraced his young son affectionately

The hunk showed off his bulging biceps, defined pecs and six-pack abs, sporting just a pair of Hawaiian-themed board shorts that hung low on his hips.

Steve's beach attire also drew the eye to his array of arm and leg tattoos.

Michelle and Steve had no qualms in packing on the PDA in front of onlookers.

Having a ball: Michelle raised her lithe arms in a dramatic fashion

Stylish: The former Channel Ten personality accessorised with a round-rimmed straw hat and concealed her gaze behind sunglasses

Protective: Michelle placed her hands protectively on her little boy's frame

I've got you! Michelle strolled across the sand with Axel

Ever the doting girlfriend, Michelle wrapped her toned arms around Steve's muscular upper frame, nestling her head into his neck.

Steve appeared carefree and relaxed, content to be in Michelle's embrace.

When not sharing an intimate moment, the couple doted over precious little Axel.

Adorable: At one stage Axel appeared to want to get down and play on the sand

Family man: Steve also played around in the shallow water with son Jack, five, from a previous relationship

Sun smart: Steve wore a hat to protect himself from the sun's rays

Making a splash: Steve cooled down in the surf

The youngster looked cute as a button in a blue rash vest, swimmers and a black cap with a white font emblazoned on the front.

Axel enjoyed a quick splash in the water, with his proud parents cradling their offspring at alternate times.

Steve also gave his son Jack his full attention, playing around with a boogie board while Michelle enjoyed quality time with Axel in the shade.

Attire: Steve's son Jack wore a pair of two-toned board shorts

On the move: The duo strolled across the sand

Captured: Michelle sat down underneath a large umbrella with Axel

Only eyes for him: Later joined by Steve, Michelle offered her beau a smile

Speaking to New Idea in September, Steve was full of praise for his brood saying that they've been taught 'discipline.'

'Having a framework and structure, we need to have that discipline, that respect for self and others,' he told the publication.

He added that being brought up in a positive environment had seen his children become the 'best version of themselves.'

'They're great kids,' he said. 'They're fit and healthy and they've been brought up in a flourishing environment, which has enabled them to be the best version of themselves.'

Respite: Little Axel looked to be taking a nap

If you've got it: Reclining on the sand, Michelle offered a glimpse of her toned legs

That's a wrap: Upon leaving, Michelle sported a white slim-fitting T-shirt, denim cut-off shorts and thongs
Last week, she was in Manhattan for the iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

But by this Wednesday, Olivia Culpo was back in sunny Los Angeles, wearing Gucci's $550 Coco Capitan logo T-shirt.

'COMMON SENSE is NOT THAT COMMON,' read black text scrawled across the front of the 25-year-old model's designer top.

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Gal on the go: This Wednesday, Olivia Culpo was back in sunny Los Angeles after Thanksgiving back east, wearing Gucci's $550 Coco Capitan logo T-shirt

Voltaire famously wrote this dictum in his Philosophical Dictionary in the form: 'Common sense is not so common.'

Miss Universe 2012 had tucked her T-shirt into a high-waisted pair of skintight charcoal jeans that played up her knockout legs.

Sliding into black thigh-high boots, the Rhode Island-born brunette matched a scarlet snakeskin-patterned purse with red lipstick and fingernails.

Olivia - who with her family opened a restaurant in her home state this August - shielded her face from the sun with a chic black and red pageboy cap.

Wise words: 'COMMON SENSE is NOT THAT COMMON,' read black text scrawled across the front of the 25-year-old model's designer top

It was at this family restaurant, which is called Back 40 and is in North Kingstown, that she enjoyed her Thanksgiving feast after attending the parade in New York.

She revealed on her Instagram page that '60+ of my favorite people' would be attending the 'huge Thanksgiving' celebration.

Though she once dated Nick Jonas, her current beau is the musclebound New England Patriot Danny Amendola, who is seven years her senior.

Hello, gorgeous: Miss Universe 2012 had tucked her T-shirt into a high-waisted pair of skintight charcoal jeans that played up her knockout legs

Coordinated: Sliding into black thigh-high boots, the Rhode Island-born brunette matched a scarlet snakeskin-patterned purse with red lipstick and fingernails

Dishing to Us Weekly about style in September, Olivia confessed that her and Danny's impact on each other's dress sense has been basically nil.

'My boyfriend definitely doesnt influence my fashion because he says I look good in everything which is so nice. And I tell him what I think but I dont think he cares, so no, I dont think we influence each others fashion!'

Olivia has also veered into acting and has a couple of films coming out, including an action movie called Reprisal that stars Bruce Willis.
Jon Voight has spoken publicly for the first time about daughter Angelina Jolie's claim to have been sexually harassed by movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Asked if he knew about her experience with the Miramax co-founder, the Oscar-winning actor, 78, said: 'No, I did not.'

He was asked about the sex scandal engulfing Hollywood as he passed through Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday.

Pressed for further comment, he simply responded: 'Angie's spoken about that and that's it.'

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Unaware: Jon Voight, 78, said he didn't know daughter Angelina Jolie was a victim of Harvey Weinstein when he was asked about the sex scandal engulfing Hollywood on Wednesday

As for the number of predators named and shamed, Voight expressed the opinion that the casting couch is something that has always existed.

'This happens anywhere people have power over other people,' he said. 'They can misuse it and of course it's going to happen.'

'Generally speaking, people are respectful,' he added.

Traveling: The Oscar-winning actor, who was estranged from Jolie for most of her life, made the comments as he made his way through Los Angeles International Airport

In October, Jolie, 42, told the New York Times that Weinstein had acted inappropriately towards her in the late 1990s when he was an executive producer on her film Playing By Heart, released in 1998.

In an email to the NY Times, that published a blistering expose of Weinstein, Jolie said: 'I had a bad experience with Harvey Weinstein in my youth, and as a result, chose never to work with him again and warn others when they did.'

'This behavior towards women in any field, any country is unacceptable,' she added.

Jolie has had a complicated relationship with her famous father from whom she has been estranged for most of her life.

Victim: In October, Jolie, 42, told the New York Times that Weinstein had acted inappropriately towards her when he was an executive producer on the 1998 film Playing By Heart

Complicated relationship: Despite a brief reconciliation in 2001 after making Lara Croft Tomb Raider together, (pictured), Voight and Jolie spent years not speaking after he separated from her mother Marcheline Bertrand in 1976 when Jolie was still a baby

Despite a brief reconciliation when they worked together on 2001's Lara Croft Tomb Raider, they spent years not speaking.

Voight separated from Jolie's mother Marcheline Bertrand in 1976 when Jolie was just a baby.

They hardly spoke or interacted for years with Jolie allegedly blaming him for breaking up the family.

In 2002, the actress filed to legally change her last name from Voight to Jolie, the middle name she had used professionally.

That same year, after she split from her second husband Billy Bob Thornton, Voight told Access Hollywood that his daughter had serious mental problems.

Following the death of Bertrand from ovarian cancer in 2007, Jolie and Voight began a slow process of reconciliation that culminated when the Midnight Cowboy star was spotted in Venice, Italy, in February 2010 with his daughter, her then partner Brad Pitt and their children.

Voight has continued to be a part of his grandchildren's lives and joined Jolie and the kids for the New York premiere in September of her passion project First They Killed My Father.

Reconciled: The famous father and daughter started to repair their relationship following Bertrand's death in 2007. The pair are pictured together at a Hollywood premiere in December 2011
She is enjoying the holiday of a lifetime in French Polynesia.

But Halle Berry revealed she endured a nerve-wracking moment when a stingray brushed against her backside as she enjoyed a snokelling session on Wednesday

The look of terror is clear in her face as the creature slinked by, rubbing against her in the process.

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Ray of sunshine: Halle Berry revealed she had a close encounter with a Stingray in French Polynesia on Wednesday

The cheeky 51-year-old captioned the image: 'Then a ray rolled up on me.'

As if that was not enough, she shared some other choice photos, including a photo of a Tahiti beach that had black sand and an image of herself loitering on a boat.

And while she is now a quinquagenarian, she still clearly has the bikini body which won popular approval when she played saucy secret agent Jinx in 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day.

While they are placid creatures, Australian nature expert Steve Irwin was famously killed by a stingray after being stung in the heart as he attempted to shoot documentary footage for his daughter's television programme.

Sting in the tail: The cheeky creature rubbed against her rear as it slinked past

On the love boat: She is enjoying a holiday with toyboy lover Alex Da Kid

Still got it: The quinquagenarian still clearly has her Die Another Day bikini body

They are usually not aggressive however and only attack humans when provoked, such when accidentally stepped on.

Experts advise shuffling through shallow water when they are nearby, to avoid treading on the creatures.

The 51-year-old is currently enjoying a vacation in the South Pacific with her toyboy lover Alex Da Kid.

Ready for her closeup: She also shared a saucy snap from 'Sunday church boutique'

In a black mood: She boasted about the 'beach with black sand' she visited in Tahiti

She has been dating the 35-year-old music producer since September.

The Grammy-nominated producer has worked with such popular acts as Dr. Dre, Rihanna, Eminem and Imagine Dragons.

Neither of Halle's children  nine-year-old Nahla whom she shares with ex Gabriel Aubry, nor four-year-old Maceo whom she shares with ex Olivier Martinez  appeared to be on the trip.

Every cloud has a silver lining: She shared a moody image as she revealed 'it's a wrap'

Showing off: She previously shared footage of herself diving into the water
She is one of the hottest stars in all of Hollywood.

And Hilary Duff was looking all business as she got ready to attend a meeting in Beverly Hills on Wednesday.

The blonde beauty was spotted chatting on her mobile phone as she headed to her pow wow in the well-heeled area of Los Angeles County.

In the jeans: Hilary Duff flaunted her figure in a smart ensemble in Beverly Hills on Wednesday

And the 30-year-old Lizzy McGuire favourite had certainly dressed to impress in a black sweater, tight jeans and trendy white shoes.

No doubt the Younger star was getting ready to plot the next move in her thrilling career.

The yummy mummy has already appeared in a string of classics that includes animated movie Foodfight, comedy What Goes Up and the wonderfully named Flock Of Dudes.

But it is not just on the career front that the canny blonde is enjoying something of a renaissance.

All business: She was incessantly chatting on her phone as she headed to a meeting

Plotting her next move? She has appeared in classics such as animated movie Foodfight, comedy What Goes Up and the wonderfully named Flock Of Dudes

Lady in black: There are few people who would mess with a woman in smart knitwear

For it recently emerged the mother-of-one is in the midst of a reunion with musician beau Matthew Koma, 30, after a brief split.

The couple initially parted ways in March after a three-month fling, but were spotted back together at her 30th birthday bash on September 28.

An insider previously said: 'Since Matt got back from tour, they've been seeing each other again.

'Him being gone on tour was the main reason things didn't work out the first time around so now that he's back they picked up right where they left off.'

Life's a blur: It was just the latest high-powered meeting for one of Hollywood's hottest stars

Mixing business with pleasure? Perhaps she was just enjoying a jolly conversation
He faced the wrath of his fellow camp-mates after he decided to selfishly eat their Dingo Dollar Challenge prize without them

And now Amir Khan will be trying to redeem himself on Thursday's Bushtucker Trial alongside Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo as they take on Kiosk Keith's Outback Refreshment Shack.

The pair were chosen to take part in the rather gruesome challenge which will see the duo taking it in turns to down glasses of blended jungle critters in exchange for stars.

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Redemption: Amir Khan will be trying to redeem himself on Thursday's Bushtucker Trial alongside Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo as they take on Kiosk Keith's Outback Refreshment Shack

Viewers will be delighted to see more Kiosk Keith at the trial as he returned to tonight's show after he was forced to pull out of last night's instalment with a mysterious illness, which left viewers bereft of his absence.

The pair are in for a rude awakening after Extra Camp host and former King of the Jungle Joe Swash grappled with a taster ahead of tomorrow's task.

The EastEnders star knocked back a shot glass concoction alongside Trials Producer Lauren which left him ready to heave.

After hearing her name being called out for the task, Toff expressed her fear over drinking the outback drinks following her eating challenge with Rebekah Vardy.

He's back! Viewers will be delighted to see more Kiosk Keith at the trial as he returned to tonight's show after he was forced to pull out of last night's instalment with a mysterious illness, which left viewers bereft of his absence

Worry: The pair were chosen to take part in the rather gruesome challenge which will see the duo taking it in turns to down glasses of blended jungle critters in exchange for stars

Tough: The pair are in for a rude awakening after Extra Camp host and former King of the Jungle Joe Swash grappled with a taster ahead of tomorrow's task

Although the MIC star successfully chowed down on a huge huntsman spider and other creepy crawlies, she admitted she was worried for the task.

However, Amir will be no doubt looking at the trial as an opportunity for redemption after munching the camp's looking to strawberries and cream.

Things quickly turned sour for Iain Lee and campmate Amir after they decided to eat the Dingo Dollar Challenge prize unbeknown to their hungry campmates on Wednesday night's episode.

Adding to the betrayal, Amir then later left pal Iain to take much of the blame despite the boxer being the one to instigate the naughty situation and subsequently caused mass outrage amongst their fellow celebrities.

Going for it: After hearing her name being called out for the task, Toff expressed her fear over drinking the outback drinks following her eating challenge with Rebekah Vardy

Outrage: Iain Lee and campmate Amir Khan caused outrage amongst camp after they decided to eat the hungry camp's Dingo Dollar Challenge Cash for Gold prize

The pair were picked to take part in the daily challenge - which saw boxer Amir get dressed up as a giant cat while Iain led the blindfolded boxer through the Jungle Pawn Shop.

Despite a few close shaves, the pair triumphantly won the challenge and headed off to the Outback Shack to spend their dingo dollars on strawberries and cream with Keith Kiosk.

And while the camp successfully answered their question about the percentage of British people who have undergone cosmetic surgery correctly, Amir planted a naughty suggestion into Iain's ear about the fruit they had just won.

He said: 'Shall we eat them and say it was the wrong answer, shall we do that?' To which Iain laughed: 'And then they will say hang on is that cream on your moustache? It's tempting isn't it?

Upset: Rebekah Vardy looked dejected after hearing her camp mates ate the strawberries

Blame: Adding to the betrayal, Amir then later left pal Iain to take much of the blame despite the boxer being the one to instigate the naughty situation

Shock: Toff couldn't believe it when she heard the boys confess to eating the sweet treats

Dollar: Despite the initial fear, the pair triumphantly won the challenge and headed off to the Outback Shack to spend their dollars on strawberries and cream with Keith Kiosk

Pushing his luck, Amir asked again: 'Are we eating them or not, Im having them, I want them, I want to eat them now.'

Falling at the first hurdle, Iain's willpower crumpled and he confessed: 'Right Im eating them, Im going to eat the strawberries'.

Sitting down to dine on their feast, Iain's conscience came into play yet again as he second guessed his decision to eat the sweet fruit.

He shared: 'Im so torn, lets just open them and have a look and see what weve got.'

Naughty: And while the camp successfully answered a survey question about the percentage of British people who have undergone cosmetic surgery correctly, Amir planted a naughty suggestion into Iain's ear

Scardey cat: Amir was dressed as a giant cat for the Dingo Dollar Challenge

Conscience: He said: 'Shall we eat them and say it was the wrong answer, shall we do that?' To which Iain laughed: 'And then they will say hang on is that cream on your moustache? It's tempting isn't it?

Chancing his arm: Pushing his luck, Amir asked again: 'Are we eating them or not, Im having them, I want them, I want to eat them now'

While Iain continued to contemplate whether to eat the prize or not, Amir suddenly poured the cream all over the strawberries, leaving them with no other choice than to gorge on the fruit feast.

'This is the worst thing weve ever done,' said Iain before they hid the evidence behind a tree.

Heading straight to the Bush Telegraph after eating the feast, Iain confessed: 'We won some strawberries and cream and Amir physically intimidated me and forced me to eat the strawberries and cream.'

To which, Amir added: 'Otherwise I would have beaten him up with these (his paw covered hands).'

Willpower: Falling at the first hurdle, Iain's willpower crumpled and he confessed: 'Right Im eating them, Im going to eat the strawberries'

Decisions: Sitting down to dine on their feast, Iain's conscience came into play yet again as he second guessed his decision to eat the sweet fruit

Going for it: Contemplating whether to eat the prize, Amir suddenly poured the cream over the strawberries and left them with no other choice than to gorge on the fruit feast, while Amir still with his paws on

Feeding time: 'This is the worst thing weve ever done,' said Iain before they hid the evidence behind a tree

Forbidden: Amir didn't appear to have any qualms eating the forbidden fruit

Never tasted so sweet: Amir's face was covered in cream as he dined on the strawberries

Arriving back to camp, the pair initially lied to their campmates that they had guessed incorrectly as they listed out the camp's potential choice of treats.

Amir groaned: 'Sixty five (percent) come on guys it was the wrong answer. We didnt win.'

However, the betrayal proved too much for Iain as he told Amir that he had to confess and come clean to their campmates. 'We have to tell them,' protested Iain.

But Amir - who's idea it was originally to eat the strawberries - said: 'I aint going to tell them you can but Im going to say it was your fault then, if you tell them you need to take the full blame, the only way they are going to find out is when they go back home back to the UK, they can find out then.'

With his head in his hands Iain said: 'I cant live like this.'

Pulling the wool over their eyes: Arriving back to camp, the pair lied to their campmates that they had guessed incorrectly before revealing the choice of treats that were up for grabs. Amir groaned: 'Sixty five (percent) come on guys it was the wrong answer. We didnt win'

Coming clean: However, the betrayal proved too much for Iain as he told Amir that he had to confess and come clean to their campmates. 'We have to tell them,' protested Iain

Unable to cope with their deceit, Iain asked the celebrities for their attention.

'I have something really horrible to confess,' he began. 'We won the strawberries and cream, I thought it would be really funny to eat them all on my own, I am not joking, I am beyond shame and cannot live with this anymore.'

However, none of the camp mates took Iain's confession seriously at first with Jamie encouraging him to bring out the treats.

But having already eaten the fruit, Iain continued: 'On my life I have eaten them, I thought it would be funny, I thought I could do it and I couldnt and Im really, really sorry.'

Keeping quiet: But Amir - who's idea it was originally to eat the strawberries - said: 'I aint going to tell them you can but Im going to say it was your fault then, if you tell them you need to take the full blame, the only way they are going to find out is when they go back home back to the UK, they can find out then'

Shock: In shock about the situation, the pair's campmate Dennis uttered: 'Tell me you havent done it'

In shock about the situation, the pair's campmate Dennis uttered: 'Tell me you havent done it.'

Then Amir entered camp from the Bush Telegraph still in cat costume, admitting that he also ate the strawberries.

Becky said: 'He looks like the cat who got the cream.' Shappi asked: 'Have you got strawberries in your belly Amir Khan?'

Iain added: 'We thought it was a gag, it wasnt, Im really sorry.' Jamie chipped in: 'No there is no way you would do that to your mates, no way.'

Confessions: Then Amir entered camp from the Bush Telegraph still in cat costume, admitting that he also ate the strawberries. Shappi asked: 'Have you got strawberries in your belly Amir Khan?'

A horrified Dennis agreed: 'Just out of principle guys that is so wrong, so wrong.' While Rebekah added: 'If they were my kids I would be going ape s**t right now'.

Despite being the one who came up with the idea, Amir finally confessed: 'We wouldnt do it to our mates but guess what we did we are putting our hands up.'

A furious Dennis added: 'Well this is all very simple if we win any more going forward you dont get anything ok?'

Iain and Amir agreed that the campmates didnt have to share their dinner of camel flank.

Hands up: Iain and Amir agreed that the campmates didnt have to share their dinner of camel flank

Honest: Iain couldn't help but confess to the food crime

Whilst Iain was with Toff doing camp maintenance, Jamie turned to Amir and asked 'So was it his idea?' (Referring to the strawberries and cream incident with Iain).

Amir looked sheepish and didnt answer which Jamie took as Amir saying it was Iains fault. Jamie later spoke to Dennis and told him Amir had said it was Iains fault they had no strawberries and cream.

Back in the Bush Telegraph, Iain admitted he would eat the strawberries and cream again despite the upset he caused in camp.

Not impressed: Whilst Iain was with Toff doing camp maintenance, Jamie turned to Amir and asked 'So was it his idea?' (Referring to the strawberries and cream incident with Iain)

Sheepish: Amir looked sheepish and didnt answer which Jamie took as Amir saying it was Iains fault. Jamie later spoke to Dennis and told him Amir had said it was Iains fault they had no strawberries and cream
Sofia Richie paid a visit to a hair salon in West Hollywood for a little pampering on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old, who is dating reality star Scott Disick, 34, showed off her freshly coiffed blonde locks as she strolled along with a pal.

She was dressed in black sweatpants with white stripes and black bandeau top.

Pampered: Sofia Richie, 19, paid a visit to a hair salon in West Hollywood on Wednesday and showed off her freshly styled blonde locks as she strolled along the street

She added a baggy white jacket that she left undone.

The daughter of hitmaker Lionel Richie wore a black shoulder purse slung across her body and sported large black sunglasses.

She accessorized with plenty of bling including a gold bracelet, a luxury wristwatch and an enormous diamond ring on the middle finger of her left hand.

She was seen driving away from the area behind the wheel of a black Range Rover.

Sporty style: Sofia was dressed in black sweatpants with white stripes and black bandeau top. She added a baggy white jacket that she left undone and sported large black sunglasses

In the driving seat: The teen daughter of hitmaker Lionel Richie was seen driving away behind the wheel of a black Range Rover

Had company: Sofia was without boyfriend Scott Disick and was accompanied by a female friend instead

Since going public with their romance in September, Sofia and boyfriend Scott have been virtually inseparable.

However, they have spent the Thanksgiving holiday apart as Scott spent time in new York and Florida with his eight-year-old son Mason.

He has three children with his former girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian: Mason, daughter Penelope, five, and son Reign, two.

Still, it's being claimed that Sofia and Scott are 'very serious'.

A source told People that Richie has been a positive influence on the 34-year-old, who has a party boy reputation and well-documented struggles with alcohol abuse.

'Shes been great for him,' the insider said. 'Shes made a big impact on his life and he hasnt partied at all since they met.'
She missed out on a coveted spot in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show for the second year running.

But there are no hard feelings between Shanina Shaik and those who did land a place on the lingerie catwalk, with the Australian model graciously congratulating them on the achievement.

The 26-year-old took to Instagram on Tuesday to send her best wishes to those who walked as the show aired on television across the world.

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No hard feelings then? Shanina Shaik congratulates 'beautiful girls' who walked in Victoria's Secret Fashion Show after missing out on runway for second year running

Sharing a photo of some of the angels during the show, Shanina captioned the Instagram story post: 'Congratulations to all my beautiful girls!! All looked so beautiful strutting the runway.'

In another post the Australian beauty personally congratulated Austrian model Nadine Leopold, sharing a photo of the blonde walking the Victoria's Secret runway.

'So proud of you babe,' Shanina wrote in the post. 'That little booty shake at the end too!! Aww.'

Popular choice: The leggy brunette went on to walk in the show three more times in 2012, 2014 and 2015 but has failed to score a spot since then

Happy for them: Sharing a photo of some of the angels during the show, Shanina captioned the Instagram story post: 'Congratulations to all my beautiful girls!! All looked so beautiful strutting the runway.'

Well done: In another post the Australian beauty personally congratulated Austrian model Nadine Leopold

Shanina rose to international stardom when she scored a spot in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2011.

The leggy brunette went on to walk in the show three more times in 2012, 2014 and 2015 but has failed to score a spot since then.

Shanina told The Daily Telegraph in 2014 that she was proud of the opportunity to represent her home country in the lingerie show.

'I was the only Aussie in the show': Shanina has previously gushed about how proud she was to appear in show

'I was the only Aussie in the show this year,' the Melbourne-born beauty gushed to the newspaper.

'A lot of girls try out for the shows, and there are obviously a few Australians, so to be chosen is amazing and it makes me proud to represent Australia.'

Despite missing out in 2017 Shanina still has plenty to keep her busy, starring in a slew of high profile fashion campaigns and planning her wedding to fiance DJ Ruckus.
Summer and swimwear model Devin Brugman model are a match made in heaven.

The model and best friend of Australian stunner Natasha Oakley proved that again on Thursday, putting on a scorching display in a series of racy swimwear snaps.

In one, Devin embraced the Bali belfie, seen putting on a very cheeky display on the balcony of her Karma Kandara accommodation.

Gotta get that Bali belfie! Swimwear model Devin Brugman embraced the Bali belfie on Thursday, seen putting on a very cheeky display on the balcony of her hotel

She left little to the imagination in a G-string bikini, easily managing to upstage the stunning sunset in the distance.

Feeling pensive, Devin captioned the image: 'the world is yours.'

Earlier, The Bikini A Day blogger ensured she covered all bases, flashing a glimpse of her trademark cleavage in a skimpy one-piece.

Best of the bust! Earlier, The Bikini A Day blogger ensured she covered all bases, flashing a glimpse of her trademark cleavage in a skimpy one-piece

Devin went solo on this outing, but is most often pictured alongside her best friend and business partner, Natasha.

Based in Bali, this bikini babes returned home this week for a photo shoot on Perth's Rottnest Island.

Busty besties! Devin went solo on this outing, but is most often pictured alongside her best friend and business partner, Natasha Oakley (L)

After flying in overnight, they got straight to work in promoting their new Swim + Resort Series.

The pair recently explained their business model to Collective Hub magazine, insisting it had nothing to do with 'selling sex'.

Sydney-born entrepreneur Tash said: 'They look to us because we are both relatable and aspirational. We're happy, healthy girls who try to make the most out of life.'

'Swimwear naturally has a strong presence on our accounts, however the focus is definitely on the lifestyle,' she concluded.
She was recently slammed her posing with a cigarette in a glamorous photo shoot.

But Roxy Jacenko appeared unfazed by the backlash hosted a Paris Hilton perfume launch in Sydney on Thursday.

Dressed in a pair of skinny ripped jeans and $2,000 diamante Balenciaga shoes, the mother-of-two rounded off her outfit with a Fendi bag and a paris themed Max Made T-shirt.

She's her number one fan! Roxy Jacenko wears a baggy Paris-themed T-shirt to meet Paris Hilton paired with $2,000 diamante Balenciaga heels

The 37-year-old blonde wore her hair tied back into a high ponytail and kept her makeup bold with a brown smokey eye and defined brow.

As Roxy took to the media wall, she beamed proudly and appeared in great spirits.

Later on at the event, Roxy took to the microphone to give a short speech.

The PR guru has been looking after Paris Hilton's events during her time in Sydney.

Sleek: The 37-year-old blonde wore her hair tied back into a high ponytail and kept her makeup bold with a brown smokey eye and defined brow

High flying clientele: The PR guru has been looking after Paris Hilton's events during her time in Sydney

On Wednesday, Roxy hit back at critics over posing with a cigarette in a photo shoot.

She had shared the snap to Instagram and has since deleted it.

Responding to the negative criticism she received, the 37-year-old told Daily Mail Australia: 'It was not lit and purely theatre.'

Hitting back: Responding to the negative criticism she received, the 37-year-old told Daily Mail Australia: 'It was not lit and purely theatre

A black and white image taken on a recent photo shoot that saw Roxy posing with a cigarette in hand, had one social media user writing: 'You don't need that dumb prop.'

Another followed suit with: 'Hot! Such a shame about the smoke,' and another: 'Cigarette - really?'

Critics: A black and white image taken on a recent photo shoot that saw Roxy posing with a cigarette in hand, had one social media user writing: 'You don't need that dumb prop'
He failed to win Georgia Love's heart on The Bachelorette but found love with The Bachelor's Noni Janur last year.

And on Thursday, Samuel Johnston wished his love a happy birthday in a quirky post which expressed how much he loves Noni's 'big boobs and bum'.

'Happy Birthday to my weapon of choice!  it's been over a year and I'm still obsessed with your big heart!... and your big boobs.... and your big bum xxx,' Samuel wrote in an Instagram post.

'I'm still obsessed with your big boobs and bum': The Bachelor's Samuel Johnston wishes girlfriend Noni Janur happy birthday as couple celebrate one year together

''...sorry I can't be there, but have a great day :)' he added.

Samuel Johnston currently he reality star lives in Los Angeles while Noni lives between Sydney, Bali, the Gold Coast and Los Angeles.

Noni, who confirmed her relationship with Samuel, 29, in February, told NW magazine earlier this year she'd like to move to the United States permanently.

Exhibitionist: Noni Janur was at her social media best on Tuesday, flaunting her ample assets for her 51,000 Instagram followers inside her Bondi Beach apartment

'I've wanted to move over to LA too, but it's really hard obviously with visas and stuff.

'We've talked about it and Sam's said, 'Once I get my permanency, we can just get married and you can come over', she told the publication.

'Ahhhh the taste of summer,' she wrote as she posed for the camera seated on her futon-style bed

Noni is well known for her bikini uploads where she is often seen flaunting her ample breasts and rounded derriere.

Her latest Instagram uploads showcase her assets in a tiny G-string bikini bottoms and top with plunging cup.

Well-traveled: The reality star lives between Sydney, Bali, the Gold Coast and Los Angeles, the latter where her boyfriend and former Bachelorette contestant Samuel Johnston resides
She's the multi-talented businesswoman currently in Australia to promote her 23rd fragrance.

And Paris Hilton was looking simply scent-sational as she appeared at a meet-and-greet in Sydney on Thursday.

The 36-year-old heiress put on a leggy display in a pale pink dress as she took to the stage at the event- hosted by PR queen Roxy Jacenko.

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That's hot! Paris Hilton put on a leggy display as she appeared at a meet-and-greet in Sydney on Thursday

Looking pretty in pink, Paris's feminine frock was cut off above-the-knee, allowing her to flaunt her tanned and toned pins.

The beauty added a pair of matching heels, giving extra height to her 5ft 8in frame, and further accentuating her slender stalks.

The Simple Life star left her long locks out, and shielded her eyes from the sun with a stylish pair of shades.

Charismatic: Appearing in her element, the charismatic blonde brandished a microphone as she strutted across the stage

Appearing in her element, the charismatic blonde brandished a microphone as she strutted across the stage.

Paris, who reached the peak of her powers in the mid-noughties before being usurped in popularity by pal Kim Kardashian, proved she's still got what it takes to draw a crowd.

Fans turned out in droves to get up close and personal with the pop culture icon.

Beyond the pale: Looking pretty in pink, Paris's feminine frock was cut off above-the-knee, allowing her to flaunt her tanned and toned pins

A number of Paris-enthusiast's were seen excitedly clutching copies of the star's 2004 book, Confessions of An Heiress.

Her appearance comes a day after she told Daily Mail Australia that wedding bells might soon be on the horizon.

Speaking of her boyfriend Chris Zylka she gushed: 'He makes me feel like the most special girl in the world'.

She's still got it: Fans turned out in droves to get up close and personal with the pop culture icon

He's always making me feel more confident and compliments me every second,' she further enthused.

When asked if fans could expect wedding bells to start ringing for her and Chris any time soon, the beauty playfully replied: 'Watch this space.'

The couple went public with their romance in February.

Soon to be wed? Paris's appearance comes just a day after she told Daily Mail Australia to 'watch this space' in regards to marriage with boyfriend Chris
They're rumoured to be expecting a baby together.

And on Thursday, Laura Byrne and Matty J looked absolutely smitten as they enjoyed a night out in Sydney.

Jewellery designer Laura looked stylish in a flowing cut-out dress, as she and Matty stepped out at The Iconic swim show.

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They're smitten! The Bachelor's Matty J cosies up to girlfriend Laura Byrne who stuns in a cut out dress at The Iconic swim show

Posing up a storm! In one image, Laura lifted her leg as she posed with her man

Showing off a golden tan, Laura was going on the night.

She showcased her new bangs and wore makeup including a bronze eye and a nude lip.

Matty meanwhile - who has dabbled in modelling - wore beige trousers with a white printed T-shirt and a denim jacket.

Loved-up: They're rumoured to be expecting a baby together

Smart casual: Matty meanwhile - who has dabbled in modelling - wore beige trousers with a white printed T-shirt and a denim jacket

Rumours: NW Magazine reported this week that Matty and Laura are expecting a baby together. According to the publication, Laura recently wore a loose-fitting dress during a photo shoot

The pair were seen posing together on the media wall, before heading on the runway for a quip snap with Sydney Harbour behind them.

In one image, Laura lifted her leg as she posed with her man.

NW Magazine reported this week that Matty and Laura are expecting a baby together.

According to the publication, Laura recently wore a loose-fitting dress during a photo shoot.

Speculation: The publication also goes on to allege that the photo shoot was to commemorate a special announcement, such as a pregnancy

The publication also goes on to allege that the photo shoot was to commemorate a special announcement, such as a pregnancy.

'They were clearly celebrating something special... They're over the moon - you could see it on their faces,' a 'source' allegedly told the magazine.

NW also quotes another 'source', who claims that Laura has been avoiding alcohol at several recent events.

'We thought it was a little weird that she was turning down drinks, but we thought she was just on some sort of detox,' they said.
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They welcomed their second child together, a daughter named Skye Coco, in September.

And Holly Candy and her property tycoon husband Nick made their first public appearance together since the birth at the mothers2mothers gala on Wednesday night, joining a host of famous faces at the winter fundraiser.

The Australian beauty showcased her incredible post-baby body in a salmon pink dress with a strapless cut.

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Stepping out: Holly Candy and her property tycoon husband Nick made their first public appearance together since the birth at the mothers2mothers gala on Wednesday night, joining a host of famous faces at the winter fundraiser

The elegant number clung to her toned figure before falling to her lower calf in a fishtail skirt.

Holly set off her elegant dress with a pair of suede nude heels and a hot pink clutch bag.

The former Neighbours star, 34, styled her blonde locks in elegant waves and kept her make-up simple and natural.

The mother-of-two posed with one arm around Nick's shoulders, looking blissfully happy together as they enjoyed a rare night out.

Hostess with the mostess: The dinner, hosted by Salma Hayek and Francois-Henri Pinault (pictured together, left), is in support of mothers2mothers' work to create a generation free from HIV

Suited and booted: Keira Knightley and her husband James Righton (left) were also in attendance, while Nick Cave and his wife Susie (right) put on a bold sartorial display

The dinner, hosted by Salma Hayek and Francois-Henri Pinault, is in support of mothers2mothers' work to create a generation free from HIV.

In September, MailOnline learned that Holly had given birth to her second child, a baby daughter named Nova Skye Coco Candy.

The star already raises three-year-old daughter Luka Violet Toni with her property tycoon husband, Nick Candy.

A representative for Holly told MailOnline: 'I can confirm that Holly Candy gave birth a few days ago to a baby daughter named Nova Skye Coco Candy.

Date night: Colin Firth and his wife Livia were dressed to impress for the star-studded charity gala

Cosying up: The Hollywood star and his wife were also joined by Sheridan Smith, who posed with pal David Walliams

Buxom: Sheridan threatened to spill out of her strapless dress, which also showed off her tattoo sleeve

'Nick and Holly are delighted with the news and mother and baby are both doing well'.

Holly and Nick welcomed their first child at the end of 2013, one year after their lavish nuptials in London.

At the time, Nick said that his wife was 'a perfect mother' and confirmed that she had experienced a natural birth.

Holly and Nick met in 2009 after meeting at a mutual friend's dinner party.

She told the Daily Mail in 2013: 'I never believed it when people said that sometimes you meet someone and you know hes the one,' she said.

She continued: 'But, just to be totally cheesy and cliched, it was like that the first time we met.'

Flower power: Florence + The Machine's Florence Welch was performing on the night, sporting a red poppy ensemble

Looking good: Model, illustrator and filmmaker Quentin Jones donned a floaty, floral dress

Holly's famous sister Olympia, who now stars in the show that made Holly famous, said at the end of 2015 that the duo were planning to expand the family.

Theyre ready for kid number two, she spilled to MailOnline. I just feel like its time. I feel like theyre ready.

Holly, nee Valance, has remained out of the limelight since starting a family, having formerly forged a pop career with the breakout hit Kiss, Kiss.

She began her career as Felicity Scully on the Australian soap opera Neighbours in 1999 and is still best known for the soap role.

Her younger half-sister Olympia joined the soap in 2014, following in her footsteps in the role of Paige Novak.

Glamorous guests: Annie Lennox and Dr Mitch Besse (left) were in attendance, while Mark Brangstrup Watts and Julie Brangstrup (right) partied the night away

Partying in style: Natalie Massenet, Tamara Beckwith and Samantha Bond (left to right) were at the gala

Olympia previously hinted that Holly wouldn't rule out her alter-ego Flick's return to the show.

'A Flick return would be good,' she told The Express. 'It would be so much fun because Stephs on the show, so she should come back and see her sister.

'She probably would do it for me. I mean shes in London doing her own thing. It wouldnt be for money thats for sure, but maybe to work with her sister.'

And as Olympia's star rises, Holly has turned her focus to family, leading a low-key lifestyle.

Billionaire Nick and his brother Christian are best known for creating the luxury One Hyde Park apartment complex in Knightsbridge, London.

The property developers boast an estimated joint net worth of 1.5 billion, according to Estates Gazette rich list 2010.

Property tycoon: Billionaire Nick and his brother Christian are best known for creating the luxury One Hyde Park apartment complex in Knightsbridge, London
She is known for her glamorous sense of style, which she displayed at the Gotham Independent Film Awards earlier this week.

And Reese Witherspoon put on yet another sartorial display on Wednesday, as she stepped out in NYC.

The actress, 41, was classically chic in tailored trousers and a metallic collared coat, as she made a glamorous exit from her hotel in Midtown.

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Fashionista: Reese Witherspoon put on yet another sartorial display on Wednesday, as she stepped out in NYC

The Legally Blonde star was the picture of sophistication in her workwear-inspired look - involving navy cigarette trousers, which skimmed her slender legs to the floor.

Wrapping up warm in the chilly winter climes, Reese then layered a retro black coat on top, complete with stylish bell sleeves and a striking gold metallic collar.

Effortlessly tying her formal look together, the screen star accessorised with trendy black fringed loafers, and a green and black handbag for an added splash of colour.

She means business: The star was the picture of sophistication in her workwear-inspired look - featuring navy cigarette trousers and a retro black coat, complete with bell sleeves

Finishing touches: Effortlessly tying her formal look together, the screen star accessorised with trendy black fringed loafers, and a green and black handbag, for a splash of colour

She kept her hair sleek and straight, but added oversized cat-eye sunglasses and a pink slick of lipstick in glamorous finishing touches, as she embarked on another day in the Big Apple.

Reese has enjoyed a hectic schedule while in New York - having attended the Tiffany & Co. Holiday Breakfast on Wednesday morning.

The Academy Award-winning actress looked effortlessly elegant in a red lace Lela Rose midi-dress as she attended the event at the upscale jewelry brand's flagship store on Fifth Avenue.

Lady in red! Reese has enjoyed a hectic schedule while in New York - having attended the Tiffany & Co. Holiday Breakfast on Wednesday morning

The Big Little Lies star added height to her petite 5ft1in frame with a pair of crushed grey velour pointy-toed heels.

The talented producer tied back her platinum blonde hair into a loose ponytail and showed off a pair of glittering diamond hoop earrings.

Reese kept her make-up demure with a classic black winged eyeliner and pale pink lipstick.

Perusing the shimmering displays, the actress sat down with a host of women at the flagship store.

Tea time! The Academy Award-winning actress, 41, dazzled in a scarlet lace Lela Rose midi-dress as she attended the event at the upscale jewelry brand's flagship store on Fifth Avenue

Tough gig: The talented producer tied back her platinum blonde hair into a loose ponytail and showed off a pair of glittering diamond hoop earrings

Golden girl: Reese kept her make-up demure with a classic black winged eyeliner and pale pink lipstick as she perused the shimmering displays

Pops of Tiffany's classic duck egg blue color were featured throughout the decadent displays as Reese looked at the the beautiful baubles, before dining in a lounge overlooking the city.

Later in the afternoon, the Draper James designer was spotted in a more comfortable jeans and sweater ensemble.

The Legally Blonde actress covered up in a bright red jumper underneath a long black pea coat as she stepped out in Midtown.

Reese added a pair of black leather booties and cat-eye sunglasses to her chic afternoon ensemble.

Just looking: Pops of Tiffany's classic duck egg blue color were featured throughout the decadent displays as Reese looked at the the beautiful baubles

What a start to the day! Reese and her fellow attendees later tucked into a delicious breakfast in a lounge overlooking the city

Chic in the city: Later in the afternoon, the Draper James designer was spotted in a more comfortable jeans and sweater ensemble

Keeping casual: The Legally Blonde actress covered up in a bright red jumper underneath a long black pea coat as she stepped out in Midtown

Reese has been married to CAA agent Jim Toth for more than six years and the couple have five-year-old son Tennessee together.

The actress was previously married to actor Ryan Phillipe and the pair continue to co-parent their two children, Ava, 18, and Deacon, 14.

The family spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Paris, France, where Reese accompanied daughter Ava to a glamorous debutantes ball.

The star returned to New York at the start of the week to attend the Gotham Independent Film Awards alongside her Big Little Lies co-star and producer Nicole Kidman.
They've been happily married for four years and share a two-year-old daughter.

And Keira Knightley, 32, and James Righton, 34, still looked in the first throes of love as they attended the mothers2mothers Winter Fundraiser, hosted by Salma Hayek Pinault and Francois-Henri Pinault in London on Wednesday.

The actress and the Klaxons star put on a chic display at the charity event, which is working to create a generation free from HIV.

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Red hot! Keira Knightley, 32, and James Righton, 34, still looked in the first throes of love as they attended the mothers2mothers Winter Fundraiser in London on Wednesday

Channeling Gothic-chic, Keira slipped into an ankle-skimming black gown by The Vampire's Wife, adorned with a frilled hemline and sleeves.

Adding height to her stature with a pair of black strappy sandals, she wore her chestnut hair in loose waves, working her signature pout.

Meanwhile James put on a suave display in a bright red suit and crisp white shirt, complete quirky bow tie as he cosied up to his belle.

Going strong! They've been happily married for four years and share a two-year-old daughter

Keira joined a star-studded guestlist, including Holly Candy, Colin Firth, Sheridan Smith and Jordana.

As well as being a mum, the Pirates Of The Caribbean star has been busy working on her latest flick.

Berlin, I Love You is an anthology film which tells 20 separate tales of love in the German capital.

Hostess with the mostess: The dinner, hosted by Salma Hayek and Francois-Henri Pinault (pictured together, left), is in support of mothers2mothers' work to create a generation free from HIV

Date night: Colin Firth and his wife Livia were dressed to impress for the star-studded charity gala

Buxom: Sheridan threatened to spill out of her strapless dress, which also showed off her tattoo sleeve

Stepping out: Holly Candy and her property tycoon husband Nick made their first public appearance together since the birth at the mothers2mothers gala on Wednesday night, joining a host of famous faces at the winter fundraiser

Keira will star alongside stars including Jared Leto, Renee Zellweger and Orlando Bloom.

The British beauty combines her acclaimed career with motherhood to daughter Edie, now two, who she welcomed with Klaxons frontman James Righton in May 2015.

The couple got married in the south of France in May 2013.

Young Keira! As well as being a mum, the Pirates Of The Caribbean star has been busy working on her latest flick (pictured in 2003 promoting the flick)

Talking about motherhood to Elle magazine last year, the actress admitted the whole experience was 'astonishing', and that no job or experience in life can begin to prepare you for it.

'It's a very primal, primal love, that's quite extraordinary,' she explained. 'And the ability to have no sleep and continue going.

'It's not pleasantI never thought that I could actually do it for the amount of time that I've done it.'
She's got a handful of commitments, as a journalist and TV personality.

And on Thursday, Bachelorette star Georgia Love took time away from it all to enjoy a day of pampering at a luxury day spa.

The brunette enjoyed a swim in a spa at the retreat, flaunting her trim pins in a black cut-out swimsuit, in shots shared to Instagram.

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Legs eleven! The Bachelorette's Georgia Love flaunts her trim pins in a cut-out swimsuit as she enjoys a pampering session at a luxury day spa

Showing off a soft golden glow, Georgia has her dark locks pulled back off her face.

Her swimsuit features a bustier-style top and a cut-out under the bust.

Georgia shared a shot of herself sitting on the edge of the spa, looking out at the bush land view, and another of herself mucking around with her gal pal, who joined her on the trip.

Playing it up for the camera! In another shot, she mucks around with her gal pal, who joined her on the trip

The pair enjoyed time at Hepburn Springs Day Spa, in Victoria.

She captioned her post using hashtags including 'bathing with bae,' and 'hot springs I thought you said hot wings.'

She and her pal meanwhile also this week, enjoyed time at the hotel called the Lake House, in Daylesford, Victoria.

Escape! She and her pal meanwhile also this week, enjoyed time at the hotel called the Lake House, in Daylesford, Victoria

Georgia's boyfriend Lee Elliott meanwhile was nowhere to be seen.

He recently shared a cheeky snap to Instagram of himself and Georgia, as they enjoyed time at Crown Towers, in Melbourne.

In the snap, Georgia and a shirtless Lee enjoy time in a hotel bed together, eating breakfast.

'She assured me she was an animal in bed!' Georgia's boyfriend Lee Elliott meanwhile was nowhere to be seen. He recently shared a cheeky snap to Instagram of himself and Georgia, as they enjoyed time at Crown Towers, in Melbourne

Georgia is clad in a white robe and has a towel in her hair.

Lee appears to be feeding her, and he wrote a cheeky caption for the post.

'She assured me she was an animal in bed..........I didnt realise she meant being patted and brought food!,' Lee wrote.
She is best known for dazzling onscreen, after forging a stellar career in the movie industry that has now panned over 25 years.

And stealing the limelight once again, Salma Hayek, 51, looked simply sensational as she stepped out on the arm of her husband of eight years Francois-Henri Pinault to host the mothers2mothers Winter Fundraiser on Wednesday night.

The actress commanded attention at the gala, as she slipped into a floral floor-length Gucci gown that sheathed her age-defying figure.

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Stunning: Salma Hayek, 51, looked simply sensational as she stepped out on the arm of her husband of eight years Francois-Henri Pinault to host the mothers2mothers Winter Fundraiser on Wednesday night

Salma showcased her slender frame in the wrap-over design that framed her bust and teased a look at her assets, thanks to its low-cut neckline.

Her shimmering pink dress, that came complete with a vibrant floral pattern all over, nipped in at the waist, before falling down to her feet and billowing out around her legs.

She paired her gown with a complementing statement necklace and added an extra dose of glamour by sporting a bold red lipstick across her lips.

Salma left her glossy dark tresses down to fall past her shoulders in a tousled style, parted in the middle, and highlighted her youthful and flawless complexion with a subtle yet immaculate make-up look.

Beautiful: The actress commanded attention at the gala, as she slipped into a floral floor-length gown that sheathed her age-defying figure

Glamorous: Salma commanded attention as she worked the room and greeted other guests

The beauty was joined by her husband Francois, who was also dressed for the occasion in a two-piece suit and bow-tie that he teamed with a white shirt underneath.

The couple have been married for eight years. They tied the knot back in 2009 in Paris on Valentine's Day, before enjoying a second ceremony just a couple of months later in front of family and friends in Venice.

Salma and Francois share a daughter born in September 2007. He is also dad to three other children from previous relationships.

The duo came together to host the mothers2mothers Winter Gala in honour of the charity that works to create a generation free from HIV.

mothers2mothers provides essential health education and support to women on how they can protect their babies from HIV infection and keep themselves and their families healthy.

Lavish affair: She and her beau Francois were joined at the bash by a slew of celebrity guests including Holly Candy (nee Valance) and her property tycoon husband Nick

Salma is known for her involvement in charity work and has previously shown her support in increasing awareness on violence against women and advocating breastfeeding while working alongside UNICEF. She also helped to launch the initiative Chime For Change with Beyonce back in 2013 to help spread female empowerment.

She and her beau Francois were joined at the bash by a slew of celebrity guests including Holly Candy (nee Valance) and her property tycoon husband Nick - who made their first public appearance together since the birth of their second child.

Keira Knightley and her husband James Righton were also in attendance, along with Nick Cave and his wife Susie and actor Colin Firth and his wife Livia.

Annie Lennox, David Walliams and Sheridan Smith were also seen having a ball at the charity-led event.
They tied the knot in a romantic ceremony at New York City's upscale Plaza Hotel almost seven years ago.

And Kelsey Grammer, 62, and wife Kayte Walsh, 37, proved they're still head over heels for each other as they shared a passionate smooch in a taxi after the Royal Variety Performance at London's Palladium on Friday night.

The former Cheers star looked dapper in a crisp white shirt and bow tie, while his stunning wife cut a chic figure in a turquoise waterfall duster coat.

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Can't keep their hands off each other! Kelsey Grammer, 62, and wife Katye Walsh, 37, proved to be head over heels as they two shared a passionate smooch in a taxi after the Royal Variety Performance at London's Palladium on Friday night

The couple, who wed two weeks after the finalization of Kelsey's third divorce, put on beaming smiles earlier that evening while they made their way to the glitzy event.

The erstwhile Frasier star walked arm-in-arm with his fourth wife as they made their way through the streets of the British capital.

Virgin Islands-born screen star Kelsey donned a suave tuxedo with satin panels as he finished his ensemble with a crisp bow tie.

Beaming pair: The Cheers and Frasier star walked arm-in-arm with fourth wife as they strolled along the streets of the British capital

Well turned out: The American comedian donned a suave tuxedo with satin panels as he finished his ensemble with a crisp bow tie

His radiant British wife showcased her lengthy pins in a thigh-skimming peach frock, with spotted detailing.

Standing tall in matching satin stilettos, Kayte wore her golden tresses in a sleek straight style as she paired her number with emerald green drop earrings.

As they sat in the presence of British royalty - namely the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - the stars enjoyed a night full of energetic performances and speeches.

Stylish: His radiant wife showcased her leggy pins in a thigh-skimming peach frock, with spotted detailing

The couple are currently based in London where Kelsey is making his West End stage debut in the musical Big Fish.

Experimenting with theatre, the star took to the Broadway stage in La Cage aux Folles and Finding Neverland.

The couple are the proud parents of three young children: Faith, five, Kelsey, three, and one-year-old Auden. Kelsey has four other children from previous relationships.

Six years and counting: British-born Kayte, a former flight attendant, wed the American star in 2011
She made a serious impact the day before when she attended the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York City, slipping into a revealing dress.

But Bella Hadid opted for a far more demure look when she headed out in her home city on Thursday night, rocking a super chic plaid Burberry coat.

The model, 21, looked super stylish in the waterproof number, toning down the red tartan check with sombre accessories.

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Check her out! Bella Hadid opted for a far more demure look when she headed out in her home city on Thursday night, rocking a super chic plaid Burbbery coat

Wow: She made a serious impact the day before when she attended the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York City, slipping into a revealing dress

Bella was sporting a black poloneck jumper and matching thigh-high Zvelle boots.

She carried a boxy bag in one hand, keeping the other over her face as she attempted to keep a low profile.

Bella commanded attention in the Burberry coat, as she attended a viewing party held in New York on Tuesday night in honour of the lingerie brand's yearly showcase.

The beauty slipped into a patterned PVC gown that sheathed her lithe frame and teased a look at her assets, before then revealing all as she posed topless on Instagram.

Under the radar: She carried a boxy bag in one hand, keeping the other over her face as she attempted to keep a low profile

Sultry! Bella commanded attention as she attended the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show viewing party held in New York the previous night

Ensuring all eyes were on her, Bella chose to step out in the sultry number that came complete with a daring thigh-high split and made for an eye-popping display.

The frock boasted a low-cut neckline that framed her bust and its skin-tight fit made sure to accentuate her svelte waist and taut stomach underneath.

Adding extra height to her ensemble, Bella paired her risque outfit choice with towering stiletto heels that made sure to elongate her catwalk-worthy pins even further.

The fashion star chose to keep her accessories to a minimum in order to let her dazzling dress take centre stage and was seen sporting a dainty pendant around her neck and a diamond ring on her little finger.

Daring: Her appearance in New York came before Bella sent temperatures soaring on Instagram with topless videos

Daring: The model looked simply sensational as she slipped into a patterned PVC gown that sheathed her lithe frame

Dazzling! Ensuring all eyes were on her, Bella chose to step out in the sultry number that came complete with a daring thigh-high split and made for an eye-popping display

As always, Bella turned heads with her striking beauty that she chose to highlight with a subtle yet glamorous make-up look. Opting for a natural brow and a sweep of blusher across her cheeks, the brunette beauty finished off her look with a slick of eyeliner to frame her eyes and a dark pink hue on her lips.

She left her glossy tresses down to graze her shoulders in a perfectly blow-dried style that boasted plenty of volume and a swept over side parting.

Posing on arrival, Bella made sure to showcase her modelling credentials, making sure to turn both to the side and back so she could be captured from every angle.

She was joined by a bevy of her fellow Victoria's Secret angels, as they came together to mark this year's annual showcase held in Shanghai, including the likes of Sara Sampaio, Adriana Lima, Stella Maxwell and Candice Swanepoel.

Gorgeous: The frock boasted a low-cut neckline that framed her bust and its skin-tight fit made sure to accentuate her svelte waist and taut stomach underneath

Beauty: As always, Bella turned heads with her striking beauty that she chose to highlight with a subtle yet glamorous make-up look

Perfect: Opting for a natural brow and a sweep of blusher across her cheeks, the brunette beauty finished off her look with a slick of eyeliner to frame her eyes and a dark pink hue on her lips

Statuesque: Adding extra height to her ensemble, Bella paired her risque outfit choice with towering stiletto heels that made sure to elongate her catwalk-worthy pins even further

Her appearance in New York came before Bella sent temperatures soaring on Instagram, as she treated her followers to two very steamy video posts that saw her posing topless.

Choosing to forgo her lingerie, Bella appeared to be nude as she playfully posed in the mirror while filming herself.

The beauty made sure to cover her modesty by strategically placing her arm over her bust and was seen putting on a very flirty display, as she flicked her hair and pouted her lips for the camera.

After dark: Later that evening, Bella had treated her followers to two very steamy video posts that saw her posing topless

Kisses: She was seen putting on a very flirty display, as she flicked her hair and pouted her lips for the camera

Cheeky: Letting the clips speak for themselves, Bella chose to leave the captions alongside her steamy posts blank and found herself quickly inundated with compliments from fans

Letting the clips speak for themselves, Bella chose to leave the captions alongside her steamy posts blank and found herself quickly inundated with compliments from fans.

'Imagine being this beautiful,' one follower penned, while another commented: 'Doll of my dreams.'

Her sultry display even prompted a proposal by one fan that penned: 'MARRY ME PLEASE.'

Bella had stormed the runway in Shanghai for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 on November 20, with Harry Styles and Miguel heading up the musical guests that performed on the night.

Much-loved show: Bella had stormed the runway in Shanghai for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017 on November 20 - it aired on CBS on November 28

Doing what she does best: Bella had stunned in the annual fashion show as she donned her huge angel wings and a lacy black lingerie set

Sisterly love: The showcase had aired on CBS on Tuesday night, prompting a slew of praise from Bella's model sister Gigi, 22

'So proud': Gushing over her younger sister, Gigi told fans she was 'so proud' of Bella and her fellow angels for their efforts in the show

Sweet: She had shared her excitement at watching back Bella in a sweet Instagram post, as she penned: 'Excited to watch my gorg lil sis (so proud @bellahadid) and all my angelic friends tonight #vsfs'

The showcase had aired on CBS on Tuesday night, prompting a slew of praise from Bella's model sister Gigi, 22.

Despite being cast by Victoria's Secret for the showcase, Gigi was forced to pull out last minute. She had tweeted to tell fans she was 'bummed' that she had to miss out on the lavish affair, but didn't reveal details with reports later claiming she was unable to secure a visa to travel to China.

However, after seeing her sibling grace the catwalk, Gigi has said she is 'so proud' of Bella.

Stylish: Bella chose to keep her accessories to a minimum in order to let her dazzling dress take centre stage

Having a ball: The fashion star appeared in high spirits as she exited the screening

And pose! Bella made peace signs as she stopped for a quick snap inside the bash

Catching the eye! Bella made sure to turn heads as she left the venue, with her frock drawing attention to her assets

Enviable frame: Bella stunned at the event where she was joined by a slew of Victoria's Secret angels

She had shared her excitement at watching back Bella and her model pals in the showcase in a sweet Instagram post, as she penned: 'Excited to watch my gorg lil sis (so proud @bellahadid) and all my angelic friends tonight #vsfs

'HUGE LOVE to all the girls and the whole VS team!! (sic).'

She continued: 'A year of prep and hard work deserves celebration!!!!!!! (Even though u never stop and you'll already be planning '18 tomorrow morning if not already @ed_razek) (sic).'

Happy: She looked more than content to be back in the company of her model pals

Centre of attention: Bella appeared to have all eyes on her as she entertained onlookers on her way out

Best foot forward! The beauty wasn't afraid to step out in the daring design that bared her pins

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is considered to be the most-watched fashion event of the years, with 800million people believed to tune in to see the models take to the catwalk in the bejewelled ensembles.

According to Harper's Bazaar, it's claimed around $12million (9.2million) is spent on putting the major fashion event together, with a slew of famous musicians accompanying the models as they showcase the brand's dazzling designs.

Ed Sheeran has previously sung on stage with the Angels, with Bella Hadid famously strutting past ex-boyfriend The Weeknd as he performed in 2016 and Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez and Bruno Mars all previously entertaining guests in attendance and viewers at home too.

In all her glory! Bella put on a playful display for the cameras while sporting her PVC gown
She has been an actress for over two decades, and starred in one of the biggest film franchises of all time - the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

So it is no wonder Liv Tyler was given the opportunity to discuss her lengthy career in a talk at the Oxford Union on Wednesday.

The actress, 40, looked typically stylish in a sleek black co-ord as she shared her biggest life lessons with students - before commemorating the day on Instagram with a cheeky snap in the Union's library.

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Looking back: Liv Tyler discussed her lengthy acting career in a talk at the Oxford Union on Wednesday

Say cheese: The actress looked typically stylish in a black co-ord as she shared her life lessons with students - before commemorating the day on Instagram with a cheeky snap in the library

The brunette was the picture of sophistication in a high-neck black jumper and matching cigarette trousers, adorned with a strip of satin down each side.

Adding comfortable black pumps and a pair of geek-chic glasses, Liv certainly looked the part as she reflected on her stellar career with students.

Never without a hint of glamour however, the model styled her hair into big, bouncy waves and added a slick of hot pink lipstick as she addressed her guests.

Specs-tacular: Sporting geek-chic glasses, Liv certainly looked the part as she reflected on her stellar career with students

Glam: Never without a hint of glamour however, the model styled her hair into big, bouncy waves and added a slick of hot pink lipstick as she addressed her guests

Liv discussed her lengthy career at the talk - and revealed she had first been inspired to act by her mother, who noticed her 'empathetic' personality early on.

She said: 'My mum was actually the first person to say I was going to be an actress. I think she saw that I've always been very empathetic - I'm like a sponge for people and observing them, and being aware of their emotions.'

Liv shot to fame in Bernardo Bertolucci's Stealing Beauty in 1996, and went on to star in the likes of The Incredible Hulk, Jersey Girl, and of course the famous Lord of the Rings trilogy, as Arwen Undomiel.

Opening up: Liv discussed her lengthy career at the talk - and revealed she had first been inspired to act by her mother, who noticed her 'empathetic' personality early on

Looking back at her huge variety of roles, the brunette admitted she tries not to identify personally with her characters.

She explained: 'People always ask which character is the most like you. I try and tell them that it's like when you fall in love and you're obsessed with someone.

'That's what I do when I have a character. I don't want to distinguish myself because I'm always thinking of my character.

Style icon: The brunette was the picture of sophistication in a high-neck black jumper and matching cigarette trousers, adorned with a strip of satin down each side

'I act just because of that connection and total bliss that I get whenever I'm doing what I'm doing. I always feel so blessed that I get to go to work and do the thing that makes me happy.'

Clearly excited after the event, Liv then took to Instagram to share a cheeky snap for her 1.6million followers.

Playfully draping herself across a table in the Union's library with a leather bound book in hand, she wrote: 'Thank you thank you @theoxfordunion for having me !!! What a wonderful evening!'

The actress currently balances her screen projects with her family life, raising her three children.

Expert: She later shared a playful snap of herself in the library to Instagram, captioned: 'Thank you thank you @theoxfordunion for having me !!! What a wonderful evening!'

Doting mother: The actress balances acting with her family life - raising Sailor and Lula (above) with fiance Dave Gardner, as well as 11-year-old son Milo with ex Royston Langdon

Liv shares son Sailor, two-and-a-half, and daughter Lula, 16 months with her fiance Dave Gardner, as well as son Milo, 11, with her ex-husband Royston Langdon.

Recently speaking to Red magazine, she insisted it was the desire to extend their families that helped strengthen her relationship with her British fiance.

We both wanted to have a family and children and a partnership and love,' she explained.

Our jobs are high stress and high energy and constantly moving, so its really just the family part were on the same page about, which is amazing because I know thats often quite tricky for couples.'
She's landed a slew of coveted roles in Hollywood over the past few years.

And Ruby Rose, 31, has revealed that her decision to quit alcohol six years ago has done wonders for her career.

Appearing on NOVA's Kate, Tim & Marty show this Thursday, Ruby said that she uses her sobriety to befriend Hollywood hot-shots at parties.

'You talk and the next thing you know you've got a movie role': Appearing on NOVA 's Kate, Tim & Marty show this Thursday, Ruby said that she uses her sobriety to befriend Hollywood hot-shots at parties as well as to stay youthful-looking

'I go out and work functions are the best because you go up and you know schmoose and you talk and the next thing you know you've got a movie role.'

'Because they think you've made a great impression on them but they don't realise it's because you stood there with them all night and that's all they remember,' she explained.

She later cheekily added: 'It's also how I keep looking like a 15 year old boy when I'm 31. If I kept drinking the way I was I would look 65 now.'

Turning over a new leaf: Ruby gave up alcohol eight years ago and has since gone on to find success in Hollywood

'If I kept drinking the way I was I would look 65 now': Ruby also revealed that she believes her prior drinking habits would have prematurely aged her appearance

In 2011, Ruby penned an article published by News Corp detailing why she decided to kick alcohol forever, citing the expenses behind buying alcohol as a major factor.

'I can't say for certain how much money I've wasted on getting wasted but I'm sure the figure would hit me harder than any hangover,' she wrote.

Ruby also explained that she no longer wanted to experience the inelegant parts of drinking, explaining: 'Red eyes, smudged lipstick, a funny walk, potential slurring, forgetting people like their personal space and talking loudly - put them together and you don't get Scarlett Johansson.'

'I can't say for certain how much money I've wasted on getting wasted': In 2011, Ruby penned an article published by News Corp detailing why she decided to kick alcohol forever, citing the expenses behind buying alcohol as a major factor

'I realise now after having DJ-ed the club circuit sober how alcohol can turn a beautiful young man or woman into a slobbering creature from Middle-earth in just a few hours,' she added.

Earlier this week, Ruby re-ignited weight concerns from fans after displaying her very slim frame at Sydney's ARIAs and Pitch Perfect 3 premiere.

The Orange Is The New Black star appeared unfazed by scrutiny surrounding her weight, however, despite fans continuing to express concerns on social media.
Luisa Zissman gave birth to her third child in secret three and a half weeks ago, sharing the good news on Instagram on Thursday morning.

The former Apprentice star revealed she had welcomed a baby girl named Clementine with her husband Andrew Collins, confessing that questions from fans had prompted her to finally make the news public.

The 30-year-old entrepreneur had left fans baffled by posting pictures of herself wearing a figure-hugging blue gown at the Elton John Aids Foundation bash the night before, with her baby bump noticeably absent.

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Baby joy: Luisa Zissman welcomed her third child in secret three and a half weeks ago, but decided to announce the news this Thursday after sparking concern over her 'missing bump'

Addressing the speculation, Luisa wrote: 'So many people have messaged me asking if the baby is ok because I chose not to share on my social media, and now my bump has gone!

'She is absolutely perfect & we are totally in love with her. I had her 3.5 weeks ago on Sunday 5th November at 6.56am.

'She weighed 7lbs 14oz and we named her Clementine Saskia Collins. #newprincess #mysecretbubble.'

The announcement also included a picture of baby Clementine's hospital crib, lined with a duck print blanket and a toy cat.

Big news: The Apprentice star announced, 'she is absolutely perfect & we are totally in love with her. I had her 3.5 weeks ago on Sunday 5th November at 6.56am'

Luisa is already mother to Dixie from a previous relationship and Indigo Esme with husband Andrew.

The TV star's fans were quick to congratulate her, and most couldn't believe that she had managed to keep the news secret for so long.

One posted, '3 weeks ago what! Congrats', while another shared, 'Phew Im so pleased and all is well. Congratulations to you all xx'.

A third commented: 'Saw you in that dress last night and thought WOW as didn't think you even looked pregnant! Well done for keeping your lovely news to yourselves and having time to enjoy her xxx'.

Others queried why she was being so secretive, when she has lived her life in the public eye.

Surprise: The TV star's fans were quick to congratulate her, and most couldn't believe that she had managed to keep the news secret for so long

One of her followers asked, 'Can I ask why you decided not to share that she was born but told us about the pregnancy etc? Not judging just curious ! Congrats tho x'.

Luisa explained: 'I announced pregnancy because everyone said how fat I had gotten, it really upset me knowing I was 5 months pregnant so chose to announce pregnancy.

'Have only announced birth now because obvs bump is gone and ppl have been messaging thinking something bad happened to the baby. Xx'

Revealing that has been focusing on her newborn, Luisa replied to another post, saying: 'I barely told anyone babe. It's been total bliss snuggled up in the warm at home getting to know my newest little lady.'

In June, Luisa revealed to her 433,000 followers that she is set to add to her brood, alongside a picture of two T-shirts and two baby gros - one adorned with the word 'Newbie'.

Hitting back: Justifying why she announced the pregnancy and not the birth, Luisa said, 'I announced pregnancy because everyone said how fat I had gotten, it really upset me knowing I was 5 months pregnant so chose to announce pregnancy'

Her sweet announcement came in the form of a picture of four garments including a T-shirt with Queen Luisa adorned on the back with a 00, atop a T-shirt with Princess Dixie 01, Princess Indigo 02 and Princess 03 Newbie.

While she added the simple caption on the shot reading: 'Girl gang', she took to the comment section to pen: 'always wanted girls never boys!'

The businesswoman also raises seven-year-old Dixie, who she shares with her ex husband Oliver Zissman. Luisa started dating her husband Andrew Collins in late 2013, a few months after she found was propelled into stardom on The Apprentice.

The Irish business tycoon proposed to her with a 1.5million ring in Paris in October 2014 before they tied the knot in France in July 2015. The Milton Keynes native gave birth to their daughter Indigo in August 2016.

Yay! Back in June, Luisa has announced she is expecting her third child, a baby girl

Happy days! The 30-year-old entrepreneur took to Instagram on Thursday to reveal to her 433,000 followers that she is set to add to her brood, alongside a picture of two T-shirts and two baby gros - one adorned with the word 'Newbie'

Describing her dream to add to her brood, she told OK! magazine: My dream is to have four daughters who are all really into horse riding, like me. Im not sure Id know what to do with a boy!

While Luisa no longer shares images of her tots on social media, she did document her last pregnancy and post baby journey.

Two weeks after her youngest's arrival she posted a snap snowing the difference in her frame alongside the caption: '2 weeks ago vs this morning. Surprised at how quickly my stomach has gone down. I gained 2st with this pregnancy & have 7lbs to lose now. With Dixie I gained 4st!

'having been very fit before I got pregnant was a massive bonus in my recovery I think. Skin is still loose & can't wait to tone up but on the whole pretty pleased with how belly is looking.

Happy days: Describing her dream to add to her brood, she told OK! magazine: My dream is to have four daughters who are all really into horse riding, like me. Im not sure Id know what to do with a boy!' (Pictured with Andrew)

Happy days: While Luisa no longer shares images of her tots on social media, she did document her last pregnancy and her post baby journey

Snapping back! Seven weeks after welcoming Indigo, she shared a snap of her incredible post-baby body while adding a caption on the shot reading: '2 weeks postpartum vs today 7 weeks postpartum

'Have no core strength which I realised after trying to ride my horse last week. I did NO exercise throughout my pregnancy due to my hips & pelvis being in agony, and I ate well but didn't deny myself anything. As soon as doc signs me off I'll be following programme to get fit, doing Pilates & yoga'.

Seven weeks after welcoming Indigo, she shared a snap of her incredible post-baby body while adding a caption on the shot reading: '2 weeks postpartum vs today 7 weeks postpartum.

'Stomach gone down & very slowly getting some kind of tone back, long road ahead! For those interested I've been eating well but not denying myself anything & doing Pilates, or toning classes at least once a day, sometimes twice and horse riding too.

'I STILL lack core strength which I discovered when schooling my horse today! But I'll get there! Loving my new leggings from H&M!'
She has been busy promoting hew latest flick Tonya.

And Margot Robbie looked sensational as went braless under a semi-sheer LBD during an appearance in New York on Thursday.

The Australian actress, 27, ensured she turned heads in the sizzling number, as she arrived at the Good Morning America studios.

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Racy! Braless Margot Robbie looked sensational as she slipped into a semi-sheer LBD during an appearance in New York on Thursday

Making the most of her shapely pins, Margot elongated her stature in a pair of black killer heels, showcasing her legs in the thigh-skimming piece.

The stylish frock featured a blazer style look, and boasted a large semi-sheer cut out neckline, covering her modesty with delicate polka dot lace netting and statement bow.

Wearing her blonde hair in a tousled bob and rocking a bold red lip, the Suicide Squad actress certainly turned heads as she arrived at the studios.

Making the sidewalk her catwalk! The Australian actress, 27, ensured she turned heads in the sizzling number, as she arrived at the Good Morning America studios

In her latest project she will be seen portraying ice skater Tonya Harding who was infamously involved in the 1994 attack on fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan.

To prepare herself for the role, the Australian star opted to not meet the American ice skater in real life according to her recent interview with Variety.

She said: 'I actually wanted to keep a bit of distance. I knew that if I met her and liked her, I would never play this character properly.

Show-stopper! Making the most of her shapely pins, Margot elongated her stature in a pair of black killer heels, showcasing her legs in the thigh-skimming piece

Turning heads! The stylish frock featured a blazer style look, and boasted a large semi-sheer cut out neckline, covering her modesty with delicate polka dot lace netting and statement bow

'I would be sugarcoating her flaws; Id be trying to justify the bad things that she may do or say in a situation.'

Instead she did her research on her character by watching video footage of Harding.

Born and raised on the Gold Coast, Margot returned to Australia in December 2016 to marry her longtime English partner Tom Ackerley.

I, Tonya is set for release in the US on December 8 with the UK release following on 23 February.

Leggy lady! Wearing her blonde hair in a tousled bob and rocking a bold red lip, the Suicide Squad actress certainly turned heads as she arrived at the studios
She was crowned Miss Universe Australia in 2015.

And two years on, Monika Radulovic has proved she's still one of the world most beautiful women.

The 27-year-old looked sensational in a figure-hugging frock as she arrived at the Tiffany & Co fragrance launch in Sydney on Thursday night.

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Caution- curves ahead! Monika Radulovic looked sensational in a figure-hugging frock as she arrived at the Tiffany & Co fragrance launch in Sydney on Thursday night

Monika put her jaw-dropping body on full display in the tight tangerine dress, which was patterned with flowers.

Giving a glimpse of her cleavage, the brunette beauty also showed off her pert derriere as she turned her back towards the camera.

Leaving her long locks out, the star was all smiles as she posed for the cameras against a media wall.

Delectable derriere: The brunette beauty also showed off her pert derriere as she turned her back towards the camera

Sadly for her many male admirers, the Bosnian-born babe was accompanied by her long-term fiance, art dealer Alesandro Ljubicic.

Proving the be the envy of men right around the world, Monika's bespectacled beau wrapped his arms around his lady love before later planting a kiss upon her cheek.

The pair's appearance comes just two days about the model revealed that the couple have set a date for their wedding following a four-year engagement.

Sensational: Monika sizzled in the tangerine frock as she posed against the media wall

He's a lucky guy! Monika cosied up to long-term fiance, art dealer Alesandro Ljubicic

Talking with The Daily Telegraph she stated: 'Lots of people think it's crazy that we've been engaged for so long, but our lives have been so busy with out careers that we haven't had any time until now to actually stop and plan a wedding'.

'It's like my heart knew he was the one before my head did. Cheesy I know, but it's completely true,' she added.

Born in the former Yugoslav Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Monika and her family came to Australia as refugees from the Bosnian War when she was just four.
Kendall Jenner is considering getting a gun to protect herself.

The 22-year-old model has been left terrified by strangers turning up to her home so has been looking into weapons with her older half-sister, Khloe Kardashian, to feel a bit safer when she's on her own.

In a new preview for Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kendall is seen asking her older siblings for advice - but Kim, 37, revealed she isn't 'comfortable' with the idea.

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Warning her off: Kendall Jenner revealed she is considering getting a gun to protect herself in a new teaser for Keeping Up With The Kardashians... but her older sibling Kim Kardashian was unimpressed with the idea

Khloe asked her: 'Have you ever shot a gun before?' Kendall replied: 'Yeah I have, I went to a range with Scott.'

Khloe then said: 'You have to go in and test them and hold them and see which one feels the most comfortable in your hand and your grip.'

The two sisters were then interrupted by older sibling Kim, who wondered what they were doing.

Khloe, 33, said: 'We were looking up different guns. Kendall and I were talking earlier and she just feels really unsafe. She says she has literally a different stalker outside of her house every few days.

'She's a single girl who lives alone, like, someone's already broken into her home, what if she was there?'

Concerned: Kim, 37, revealed she isn't 'comfortable' with the idea, saying she wouldn't want her children staying at Kendall's

Worried: Khloe said of Kendall, 'She's a single girl who lives alone, like, someone's already broken into her home, what if she was there?'

But Kim - who has children North, four, and Saint, 23 months, with husband Kanye West and is expecting a third child via surrogate - replied: 'Well, that's what you have security for.'

However, Khloe insisted a firearm was a reasonable suggestion.

She said: 'I'd want to know about these things and be knowledgeable, and how to protect myself, handle a gun.'

Kim insisted having a firearm wouldn't have helped her when she experienced the terrifying ordeal of being tied up and robbed at gunpoint in Paris, France, in October 2016.

Khloe asked her: 'In your situation, say that gun, you were able to get access to it, would you know what to do?'

'I don't feel comfortable with that': Kim - who has children North, four, and Saint, 23 months, with husband Kanye West and is expecting a third child via surrogate - voiced her concerns

Her sister replied: 'I would not shoot these - it was three against one, or six, you know, or seven, I didn't know about. There was no way I was gonna get out of there, I'm not like, Lara Croft. I couldn't have gotten away to get the gun.'

And Kim even insisted she wouldn't feel 'comfortable' letting her children stay with her siblings if she knew there was a gun in the house.

She said: 'I'm not comfortable with it. I wouldn't want my kids around it. I wouldn't want sleepovers going on here, with the kids here and I know there's a gun. I don't feel comfortable with that. I don't.'

And in a confessional cut with clips of her meeting women who have experienced gun violence, she said: 'I personally feel that guns and having guns in the home, especially with everything we've learned...

'Owning guns has never been my thing and with kids in the house, I don't think it's something I'm comfortable with.'

Keeping Up With The Kardashians airds Sundays 9pm on E! and can be streamed Mondays in the UK & Ireland on hayu.
She's one of the world's most in-demand models thanks to her appearance on the Victoria's Secret runway.

And New Zealand model Georgia Fowler, 25, looked every inch the budding supermodel as she posed in a bright red swimsuit during a photo-shoot in The Bahamas this Thursday.

Taking to Instagram to document her travels, the brunette beauty shared a photo of herself perched on the edge of a yacht mid-way through the glamorous shoot, captioning the image with: 'Not crabby about this on set with @calzedonia.'

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'Not crabby about this on set with @calzedonia': Georgia Fowler, 25, looked every inch the budding supermodel as she posed in a bright red swimsuit during a photo-shoot in The Bahamas this Thursday

Georgia completed her breezy look with a simple gold necklace and matching stud earrings, which she showcased in a selfie shared to her Instagram Story on Thursday.

Earlier this week, the blue-eyed beauty spoke to Today Extra about the exclusive party that took place after the Victoria's Secret fashion show in Shanghai last month.

'We all had a big party in the hotel, it was a lot of fun,' Georgia told the program.

Glamorous: Georgia completed her breezy look with a simple gold necklace and matching stud earrings, which she showcased in a selfie shared to her Instagram Story on Thursday

Breaking the diet! Earlier this week, Georgia revealed to Today Extra that Victoria's Secret Angels pigged out on pizza, hot chips and champagne after the annual fashion show this month

The brunette beauty added: 'There were some good cocktails and champagne, there was some pizza, hot chips - actually I think I had fish and chips.'

Georgia - who featured in the show for the second consecutive year - said the models 'had a blast' back at their hotel to cap off the highly-anticipated night.

'It's an emotional experience reliving the moment. There were lots of dance circles and it was good fun,' she told hosts David Campbell and Sonia Kruger.

The genetically-blessed model also revealed the discipline of Victoria's Secret stalwarts Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio.

Treat: Speaking to Today Extra on Tuesday, the 25-year-old (pictured with Nadine Leopold and Megan Williams) said the crew of stunners treated themselves to some deep-fried and cheesy foods after flaunting their enviable figures on the famous Victoria's Secret catwalk

Indulging: 'There were some good cocktails and champagne, there was some pizza, hot chips - actually I think I had fish and chips,' Georgia said

She said she felt motivated by the pair, who encouraged fellow models to be in the hotel gym everyday before the show.

'I've always looked up to them since before I can even remember. Adriana has been an idol of mine - she was on my high school diary,' Georgia said.

'Watching how hard they all trained every day gave me so much motivation.'

Georgia said she hopes to be invited back to the fashion show again, aspiring to match Adriana's run of 19 appearances.
Their daily lunch discussions barely go by without a giggle, blushing face or controversial discussion.

But Thursday's Loose Women panel sent tongues wagging for a very different reason, as the studio suffered a major technical hitch.

TV screens plunged into darkness as Emmerdale's Lorraine Chase gushed to Ayda Field, 38, about how much she fancied her husband Robbie Williams, as the American discussed her sex life with the Take That star.

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Panic! Thursday's Loose Women panel sent tongues wagging as the studio suffered a major technical hitch

The incident happened as Lorraine appeared on the panel to discuss her battle with health issues.

As she gushed to Ayda about how much she fancies Robbie Williams, the studio was plunged into darkness.

Ayda Field, Kate Garraway, Stacey Solomon and Jane Moore were left staring at each other in bewilderment, as Lorraine asked: 'Is it Robbie Williams messing with the lights?'

Is it a sign? TV screens plunged into darkness as Ayda Field discussed her sex life with the Robbie Williams

Joining in on the jokes, Ayda quipped of husband Rob- who was waiting backstage: 'He is so hot and talented he shuts the lights off!'

And Kate didn't miss a beat, adding: 'For heavens sake! Can somebody put an extra coin in the meter? I mean, it's Lorraine on Loose Women live.'

Meanwhile Essex girl Stacey confessed she thought it was actually a part of the show, making shapes with her hands.

Her man candy! The incident happened as Lorraine gushed to Ayda (pictured) about how much she fancies Robbie Williams (leaving the studios), before the studio was plunged into darkness

'Just listened to a complete Loose Women show with a black screen (PANIC)!' Viewers took to Twitter to express their confusion

'I thought we were supposed to have learnt a dance and I got a hot flush,' she admitted, laughing.

And viewers took to Twitter to express their confusion, with one writing: 'Just listened to a complete Loose Women show with a black screen (PANIC) until the screen came back on PHEW. Kate Garaway fronted the show brilliantly and when I saw her wow she looked lovely in that outfit'.

After about 30 seconds of darkness the lights came back on, and Ayda confessed to the panel how her two children with Robbie were conceived.

Causing lights-out! Emmerdale's Lorraine Chase gushed to Ayda Field about how much she fancied her husband Robbie Williams

Back to business! After about 30 seconds of darkness the lights came back on, and Ayda confessed to the panel how her two children with Robbie were conceived

Comparing the circumstances to cocktail names, she joked of daughter Theodora, 5, and son Charlton, 3: 'Teddy was passion on the rocks and Charlie was happy 40th birthday babe!'.

Her appearance comes after she took a break from the panel to look after husband of seven years Robbie.

'Robbie was very ill but he's back,' she said. 'He's embraced a plant based lifestyle and does yoga- he's like the girl I want to be.

'We were inspired by a plant based documentary so we went to shake shack for one last burger and that was it!' she told a surprised panel.

Ayda quipped: 'He is so hot and talented he shuts the lights off!' as Lorraine asked: 'Is it Robbie Williams messing with the lights?'

Technical error: Stacey confessed she thought it was actually a part of the show, making shapes with her hands

Robbie and Ayda got married in 2010, after being introduced by a mutual pal in LA.

Earlier this year the former Take That star recalled that while he looked her up online and found her attractive, but his life on pills left him antisocial.

In preparation for their fateful meeting, which finally occurred after Robbie flaked on their date, he recalled to The Sun: 'A dealer had come round that I was sleeping with and shed given me all these pills. So Id slept with the dealer, taken a bunch of pills.'

American Ayda then arrived at Robbie's house from a party and, sensing that she was uncomfortable with the situation, he decided to escort her back to the bash.

Going strong! Robbie and Ayda got married in 2010, after being introduced by a mutual pal in LA

He said of the gathering: 'Its a tech party with tech people. It was like Revenge of the Nerds. So I got tucked into a lot of drugs. Anyway, I took a turn for the worse, because I started to cluck like a chicken.

'There was a moment in the Jacuzzi where Ayda had gone and got changed and she came in wearing this Ursula Andress bikini, and she had a killer body. So I was in the Jacuzzi with a very, very hot girl in Hollywood doing a Hollywood thing. But then I got ill, started to cluck, had to leave, embarrassingly.'

'Teddy was passion on the rocks and Charlie was happy 40th birthday babe!' Comparing the circumstances to cocktail names, she joked of daughter Theodora, 5, and son Charlton, 3

'Robbie was very ill but he's back': Her appearance comes after she took a break from the panel to look after husband of seven years Robbie

Despite Robbie's erratic display on the night, Ayda went with him, and remained by his side for three weeks. The couple dated on and off before eventually tying the knot at his Beverly Hills home in August 2010.

They are now the proud parents of daughter Theodora Rose, five, and son Charlton Valentine, two. Robbie and Ayda have since moved from the US to London.

On his YouTube channel, Robbie has been giving an insight into his recent touring life.

While in Austria he filmed a midnight dip in the sea in nothing but his little black pants.

Wild one: On his YouTube channel, Robbie was seen taking a midnight dip

Racy: Robbie slipped into his tiny pants once again for a dip in Austria

Cheeky: The musician was spotted at 12.30am heading for the water
She become a happy mother-of-two when she welcomed daughter Amalia into the world earlier this year.

And Natalie Portman was doting on her bundle of joy as they enjoyed a low-key stroll in the trendy Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles on Wednesday.

The Oscar-winning actress, 36, gazed at her little one adoringly as they made their way to visit a friend at their suburban home.

Mommy and me: Natalie Portman was doting on her bundle of joy as they enjoyed a low-key stroll in the trendy Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles on Wednesday

The Black Swan star was simple and chic in a pair of indigo drainpipe jeans paired with white racer-back tank, forgoing a jacket on the mild Southern California day.

Natalie covered her feet with comfortable sandals and masked the sun with classic aviators.

The Jackie star tucked her hair back into a ponytail while keeping it styled in natural curls.

Natalie couldn't take her eyes off baby Amalia, who looked cute as can be in a blue and white floral outfit.

Doting mom: The Oscar-winning actress, 36, gazed at her little one adoringly as they made their way to visit a friend at their suburban home

My girl: The mother-daughter duo appeared to be solo, with son Aleph, six, and dad Benjamin Millepied, 40, staying behind for the outing (Benjamin and Natalie pictured in January)

Ever prepared, Natalie had a diaper bag full of the necessary supplies slung over her shoulder.

The mother-daughter duo appeared to be solo, with son Aleph, six, and dad Benjamin Millepied, 40, staying behind for the outing.

Earlier this month, the actress talked about what it was like to meet her future husband on the set of Black Swan during an appearance at Vulture Fest in Hollywood.

Asked what was better, winning an Oscar or meeting the love of her life she replied: 'Yeah. The husband more.'

Love story! Earlier this month, the star talked about what it was like to meet her future husband on the set of Black Swan, when he worked as lead choreographer on the thriller

Natalie continued saying that that working on the film 'was really special and making it was really wonderful and so fun. It was really incredible.'

Benjamin was the head of choreography for the film, which saw Natalie play a ballerina who breaks from reality while preparing for a high-pressure production of Swan Lake.

The couple were married in August 2012 in a cozy Jewish ceremony in Big Sur, California.
She just announced she would be leaving Victoria's Secret after appearing on her final runway for the brand in Shanghai, China last week.

And Alessandra Ambrosio was ready to cut loose as she headed to a Guns N' Roses concert in Inglewood, California on Wednesday night with her fiance Jamie Mazur.

The catwalk queen, 36, rocked a pair of ripped black jeans, an edgy black leather jacket, and a Guns N' Roses band T-shirt.

She rocks! Alessandra Ambrosio was ready to cut loose as she headed to a Guns N' Roses concert in Los Angeles on Wednesday night with her fiance Jamie Mazur

Match made in heaven! The couple even seemed to match for the occasion, as Alessandra's hunky other half opted to wear a black leather jacket as well

The couple even seemed to match for the occasion, as Alessandra's hunky other half opted to wear a black leather jacket as well.

Alessandra had her brunette tresses scraped back into a low ponytail as she headed out in a pair of lace-up ankle boots and had a bag slung across her body.

She wore her hair back in a low ponytail and accessorized the edgy look with a choker necklace.

It's been a whirlwind few weeks for Alessandra, who appeared at her final Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai last week.

These boots were made for walking! Ambrosio made her way through the concert in a pair of shiny black boots

Hitting her stride: The star had just appeared at her final Victoria's Secret Fashion Show after appearing on the brand's runway for 17 years

Twice as nice! Vanessa Lachey sported tight blue jeans and a leather jacket while Lisa Marie Presley flashed some leg in her sequined blue mini dress and studded high heels

Alessandra announced she would retiring from Victoria's Secret after walking in 17 shows for the brand.

'Last night was so emotional to say goodbye to my #angel sisters but we put on the biggest and best show ever,' she wrote on Instagram.

Alessandra attended the official after party of the 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai with her daughter Anja .

Just the two of us! Wiz Khalifia held hands with his stunning girlfriend Izabela Guedes

Comfort first! Tobey Maguire kept it casual in an all-black look for the concert

Night out: Charlie Sheen flashed a wide smile as he headed to the concert with his girlfriend Julia Stambler

The brunette bombshell is mom to Anja and son Noah Phoenix, five, with fiance Jamie.

The lovebirds have been engaged since 2008.

Other celebrities to attend the star-studded Guns N' Roses concert included the likes of Vanessa Lachey, Lisa Marie Presley, Charlie Sheen, and Jermaine Dupri.

Man of style! Jermaine Dupri rocked a marked up jean jacket and sporty trainers

Look who's here! Clifton Collins Jr. and Matthew Morrison were among the stars at the celeb-packed concert




She's mom to three boys Mason, 11, Braydon, nine, and Tucker, five.

But Melissa Joan Hart is longing for a fourth child, and has revealed her dream to expand her family and have a daughter.

'If I want to have another one and if I want it to be a girl, I will probably have to adopt,' Hart, 41, told Life & Style.

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Expanding her brood: Mother-of-three Melissa Joan Hart has revealed she'd love to have another child and is considering adopting a girl

'Its something we are thinking about and we are starting to discuss.' the Sabrina The Teenage Witch star added.

The actress said she always imagined having four children but can't seem to convince musician husband Mark Wilkerson, 40, to to have another kid the old-fashioned way.

'He kind of convinced me that we were pretty good where we are'. the Clarissa Explains It All star said.

The couple married in Florence, Italy in 2003 and live in Connecticut with their three boys.

Outnumbered: The 41-year-old actress is mother to three boys Mason, 11, Braydon, nine, and Tucker, five, with husband Mark Wilkerson

No more: Melissa said she couldn't convince Mark, 40, to have another kid the 'old-fashioned' way

Meanwhile, Hart stars in a festive Lifetime flick called A Very Merry Toy Store with TV host Mario Lopez.

Last week she shared a promotional snap of the actors kissing on Instagram, excitedly writing in the caption: 'Tonight!!!! Will you be watching? Are you recording it? Either way, you wont be disappointed'.

Hart stars as a single mother who runs a family-owned toy store in Connecticut.

She has to team up with a rival toy store owner (Lopez) to go up against big box toy store 'Roy's Toys' which opens in the neighborhood just before Christmas putting their as risk.

'Its something we are thinking about and we are starting to discuss.' Melissa said, as she revealed she always dreamed of having four children
They've portrayed a myriad of interesting roles, from a single mother turned prostitute in the gritty TV drama The Deuce to a sapient android in Westworld.

And Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sarah Silverman and Evan Rachel Wood have shed light on what they really think about the problems women face on the big screen.

The Hollywood actresses joined a host of stars in a refreshingly honest interview for Net-A-Porter's The EDIT, addressing antisemitism, sexism and rape on and off the cameras.

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Screen queens: Evan Rachel Wood (far left), Yvonne Orji, Maggie Gyllenhaal (centre), Nicole Richie and Sarah Silverman have shed light on what they really think about the problems women face on the big screen

Gyllenhaal looked sensational in a silky black full length gown as she joined the four actresses for the stunning photo shoot.

The 40-year-old seemed in good spirits as she posed alongside Nicole Richie and Yvonne Orji in another shot in a figure-hugging white dress.

Talking about her role in The Deuce, she said: 'I was being asked to play a sex worker, which is a very delicate thing to consider.

'So I said, "I'm really intrigued by this, but I don't feel I can agree without a guarantee that I'll be part of the conversation about what we're ultimately saying, so I want to be a producer."

Power actresses: Maggie Gyllenhaal (left), Nicole Richie (centre) and Yvonne Orji (right) stunned in white dresses in The EDIT photo shoot

'To ask to be a producer on a big-time HBO show was a really big ask, but it was one of the first times in my life that I could hear this voice saying, "You need this."

'Major things [happen to] Candy that were influenced by my ideas and I'm very proud of that.'

Meanwhile, Evans described the lack of opportunity for actresses to portray a sex symbol after the age of 23.

The 30-year-old, who showed off her model physique in a black blouse and high-waisted trousers, said: 'I feel like [in film] after 23-ish, you go into this dead zone where you can't play the little ingenue sexpot anymore, but you're not quite playing mothers or doctors or lawyers yet.

'On TV, I see well-rounded female characters, their flaws [and] triumphs.'

Evan, whose critically acclaimed role in Westworld this year put her at the centre of a discussion about sexual violence on TV, said playing Dolores 'changed her life' and allowed her to 'face her demons'.

Having fun: Evan Rachel Wood and Sarah Silverman opted for monochrome looks in another shot as they embraced each other

Hollywood icon: The stunning 30-year-old described the lack of opportunity for actresses to portray a sex symbol after the age of 23. Pictured her at the Primetime Emmy Awards

She said: 'Her journey actually helped me [deal] with my own rape and sexual abuse.

'Not only had I a [personal] appreciation for her, I knew what she was going to do for other people, because she had done it for me.

'She's literally beaten and on the ground, but she gets up stronger than before. It got me to face my own experience,' she added.

'I wouldn't have been able to talk about it, if playing her had not made it real and validated it. The show gave me permission to face my demons.'

Former reality star Nicole Richie added TV has the power to challenge stereotypes.

'I grew up in [a time where] women were one thing: the housewife, the dumb girl. Portia [on Great News] loves pink, but she's also a news anchor,' she said.

'She has prolific moments where you think, this is an educated, 31-year-old woman. The message is that you don't need to be put into a category.'

Lifting the lid: The Hollywood actresses joined a host of stars in the refreshingly honest interview for The EDIT, addressing antisemitism, sexism and rape on and off the cameras

On the subject of whether female roles are more interesting now, Sarah Silverman revealed she learned early her role options were either 'the sassy friend or the c**** girlfriend'.

She said: 'I even had a director tell me, "You're never going to be the character that deserves love."

'It's antisemitism, and it's half the time by Jews  they don't want to see themselves, especially the women, reflected in the things they make.'

Yvonne Orji, best known for her role as Molly in the award-winning HBO series Insecure, added there needs to be more diversity behind the camera, not just in front of it.

She told The EDIT: 'A lot of times it's like, "OK, we have to cast a person of colour.

'Then you read the role and it's not written for a person of colour, they just took a character [at random].

'So then [you have to ask], do you have a person of colour in the writer's room? [] The important conversation to have around diversity is [that it's] not just the face that you see.'

Read the full interview in The EDIT, available to buy now.
She declared that she's proud of her 'wobbly bits' after giving birth to her fourth child, son Ronnie, two months ago.

But Danielle Lloyd proved she'd had no trouble snapping back into shape, as she showed off her impossibly flat stomach while stepping out in Solihulll on Thursday.

The 33-year-old former WAG flaunted her svelte physique in a chic feather-trim sweater and skintight jeans during the relaxed outing.

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Yummy mummy: Danielle Lloyd proved she'd had no trouble snapping back into shape, as she showed off her impossibly flat stomach while stepping out in Solihulll on Thursday - just two months after the birth of her fourth son Ronnie

The brunette beauty, who has returned from a sun-soaked weekend in Dubai, showed off her glowing tan in the monochrome outfit.

Injecting a dose of glamour to the look, the former beauty queen added some monogrammed Chanel espadrille flats and an oversized Hermes Birkin tote.

Danielle gave birth to her fourth son, and first child with fiance Michael O'Neill, just two months ago in September.

She sent fans wild with her incredible post-baby figure last week, as she slipped into a vibrantly patterned bikini to soak up the sunshine in Dubai.

Looking good: The 33-year-old former WAG flaunted her svelte physique in a chic feather-trim sweater and skintight jeans during the relaxed outing

The former WAG had jetted overseas with her beau ahead of the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2017 event and confidently paraded her post-baby frame while on board a yacht.

Escaping her parenting duties for sunnier climes, Danielle looked simply stunning in the holiday snap that saw her clad in a revealing two-piece bikini for her jaunt out at sea.

Beaming from ear-to-ear, Danielle oozed confidence in her scanty getup as she gushed alongside her Instagram post: 'Day on the yacht with my boy.'

In awe: Her outing comes after she showed off her impeccably toned figure in a sizzling Instagram post from Dubai over the weekend

Bundle of joy: She had given birth to her fourth son, and first child with fiance Michael O'Neill, just two months ago in September

It comes after the former Celebrity Big Brother star recently confessed to spending 'years' crying over her figure and her 'wobbly bits' - particularly after giving birth to her four children, in a candid interview with Closer magazine.

However, Danielle - who has sons Archie, seven, Harry, six, and three-year-old George with ex-husband Jamie O'Hara, and two-month-old Ronnie with fiance Michael O'Neill - insists she has finally learned to appreciate her figure

Danielle soared to fame in 2004 when she was feted as Miss England before being crowned Miss Great Britain in 2006 although she was soon stripped of her title after posing in the December issue of Playboy in the same year.

Adorable: Danielle welcomed another son in September, sweet little baby Ronnie

Stunning: Danielle looked sensational as she flaunted her post-baby frame just TWO months after giving birth by slipping into a vibrantly patterned bikini in Dubai

She has since gone on to make various reality appearances, but has now confessed that beyond her confident public appearances, she has suffered an ongoing battle with her own body image.

Danielle, who had hit out at the pressure new mums feel to lose weight as she proudly debuted her post-baby frame just one week post-partum, said: 'I'm so happy right now and I don't care if I'm not in perfect shape. I've got wobbly bits and a little bump on my tummy but it doesn't bother me.

'I've spent years crying over my figure, especially after I had my other children I felt so big and uncomfortable. But I've finally learned to love myself and that's taken me a really long time.'

Danielle began working out twice a week just six weeks after giving birth to Ronnie but she insists the sessions are more for the mental benefits than the physical.

Candid: It comes after the former glamour model - who had hit out at the pressure new mums face to get back into shape on Instagram - confessed to her previous body battles
It's been a tough year for Billie Lourd after the loss of her mother Carrie Fisher and grandmother Debbie Reynolds in late 2016 and a break-up.

But the the American Horror Story actress put her worries on the back-burner on Thursday, as she treated herself to a day of well-earned pampering at a spa in Beverly Hills.

The Scream Queens standout, 25, looked casual and cute as she stepped out a butterfly adorned Gucci sweatshirt, teamed with red, while and blue slides.

Some me-time: Billie Lourd looked casual and cute as she wore a $1,500 Gucci pullover while heading to a luxe spa appointment in Beverly Hills on Thursday

While the star appeared ultra casual, her sweatshirt retails at a smooth $1500.

Billie teamed the pricey outer-layer with simple black jeans and a pendant necklace with the initial 'B'.

The screen star piled her dark locks on top of her head and appeared to be almost make-up free.

Billie carried her things in a simple but stylish leather cross-body tote as she ventured to her vehicle.

A well-earned break: The Scream Queens star, 25, teamed her butterfly sweater with black skinny jeans and red, white and blue slides

New couple alert? On Wednesday Billie's ex Taylor Lautner was pictured stepping out with Olivia Holt for a church service in Los Angeles

The evening before Billie's solo day, her ex Taylor Lautner was pictured stepping out with his new flame, Olivia Holt, to attend a church service in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Taylor was nondescript in black layers and well-worn dress shoes as he stepped out with the Disney Channel alum.

He walked in several steps in front of the I Didn't Do It star, who looked subdued but chic in a leather jacket, black cigarette pants and heeled booties.

Getting to know you: He walked in several steps in front of the I Didn't Do It star, who looked subdued but chic in a leather jacket, black cigarette pants and heeled booties

The actress, who got her start in Disney XD's Kickin' It, styled her blonde tresses into a sleek bun while framing her face with a pair of large hoop earrings.

The rising star added a pop of color with a red bag across her front.

Taylor and Billie were together for less than a year, but the Twilight alum was by at the starlet's side while she dealt with the sudden death of her mother Carrie Fisher and grandmother Debbie Reynolds at the end of 2016.

While the Cuckoo star appears to have moved on, Billie has been focusing on herself and her career since the split.
She is back in the UK after visiting her beau Ryan Thomas in Melbourne.

And Lucy Mecklenburgh looked like she was missing the warm climates of Australia, as she stepped out in London on Thursday.

Robed in a elegant white coat complete with a faux fur trim, the 26-year-old looked effortlessly glamorous as she strutted down the streets of Mayfair.

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Back in the capital: Lucy Mecklenburgh looked like she was missing the warm climates of Australia, as she stepped out in London on Thursday

The former TOWIE star showed only a glimpse of her sun-kissed tan in a pair of white ruffle sandals, opting to cover up her toned physique in a pale pink jumper and high-waisted grey checked trousers.

Adding a touch of opulence to her look, the star opted for crimson red tassel earrings to complement her deep pink glossy lip.

She completed the look with a chestnut leather satchel and wore her sleek brown hair in a straight center parting as she headed to Isabels for a lavish dinner.

Glowing: The former TOWIE star showed only a glimpse of her sun-kissed tan in a pair of white ruffle sandals

Stylish: Adding a touch of opulence to her look, the star opted for crimson red tassel earrings to complement her deep pink glossy lip

Her outing comes after her sun-soaked holiday in Australia last week, as she flew out to visit her beau Ryan.

Lucy had been Down Under for the past few weeks, recently hinting she was a convert to the lifestyle by captioning a snap, 'Never want to leaveeeeee!!!!'

The happy couple proved their relationship was still going strong with the pair being spotted on casual outings.

The fitness fan struck up a romance with Ryan while filming Bear Grylls: Celebrity Island, but suffered a setback when he took a new job on Neighbours in Australia.

Trendsetter: Her outing comes after her sun-soaked holiday in Australia last week, as she flew out to visit her beau Ryan Thomas

The fashionista documented her stay in Melbourne on her own social media channels - but decided to keep her reunion with Ryan private.

Known for wanting to keep their relationship out of the limelight, the star admitted it can be 'confusing' when her social media posts are taken out of context in an interview with MailOnline.

'I am used to it, you can never please anyone no matter what you post. It's very, very odd. I've learnt to deal with it,' she claimed.

'I've been in the public eye since I was 19, I'm 26 now. It's confusing sometimes, but you have to let it go ahead over your head.'

Keeping things under wraps: The fashionista documented her stay in Melbourne on her own social media channels - but decided to keep her reunion with Ryan private
After completing three films this year, Halle Berry was well-due for a relaxing vacation.

All eyes were on the X-Men star as she displayed her pert posterior in a vacation shot Thursday on Instagram which showed a beautiful moment from her luxurious trip to French Polynesia.

Though the 51-year-old looked enviable-as-ever in the photo, she wasn't above poking fun at herself as she captioned the post: 'When your heart says PEACE OUT let's eat pizza and chips, but your a*** says for the love of God woman eat a salad.'

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Berry nice! Halle Berry displayed her peach posterior in a Thursday vacation shot posted on Instagram showing a beautiful moment from her luxurious trip to French Polynesia

A laughing-with-tear emoji made it clear that the actress' comments were all in good fun.

While Halle poked fun at her junk food cravings in her caption, her lean figure made it clear the mother-of-two takes care of her body masterfully.

In the happy vacation photo, the Kingsman: The Golden Circle actress threw two peace signs up in the air while showing off her long legs and gravity-defying bottom in a dark string bikini.

The scene was truly stunning as the actress posed upon a weather-beaten rock surrounded by waves crashing into a Tahiti beach.

Salad days! While the Catwoman star poked fun at her junk food cravings in her caption, the star's lean figure made it clear the mother-of-two takes care of her body masterfully

Ray of sunshine: The mother of two revealed she had a close encounter with a Stingray in French Polynesia on Wednesday

The South Pacific waters provided Halle quite the thrill earlier, as the Academy Award winner revealed a nerve-wracking moment when a stingray brushed against her backside during a snokelling session on Wednesday.

The look of terror is clear in her face as the creature slinked by, rubbing against her in the process.

The cheeky actress captioned the image: 'Then a ray rolled up on me.'

Sting in the tail: The cheeky creature rubbed against her rear as it slinked past

On the love boat: She is enjoying a holiday with toyboy lover Alex Da Kid

As if that was not enough, she shared some other choice photos, including a photo of a Tahiti beach that had black sand and an image of herself loitering on a boat.

And while she is now a quinquagenarian, she still clearly has the bikini body which won popular approval when she played saucy secret agent Jinx in 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day.

While they are placid creatures, Australian nature expert Steve Irwin was famously killed by a stingray after being stung in the heart as he attempted to shoot documentary footage for his daughter's television programme.

Still got it: The quinquagenarian still clearly has her Die Another Day bikini body

They are usually not aggressive however and only attack humans when provoked, such when accidentally stepped on.

Experts advise shuffling through shallow water when they are nearby, to avoid treading on the creatures.

The 51-year-old is currently enjoying a vacation in the South Pacific with her toyboy lover Alex Da Kid.

Ready for her closeup: She also shared a saucy snap from 'Sunday church boutique'

In a black mood: She boasted about the 'beach with black sand' she visited in Tahiti

She has been dating the 35-year-old music producer since September.

The Grammy-nominated producer has worked with such popular acts as Dr. Dre, Rihanna, Eminem and Imagine Dragons.

Neither of Halle's children  nine-year-old Nahla whom she shares with ex Gabriel Aubry, nor four-year-old Maceo whom she shares with ex Olivier Martinez  appeared to be on the trip.

Every cloud has a silver lining: She shared a moody image as she revealed 'it's a wrap'

Showing off: She previously shared footage of herself diving into the water
She's every inch the fashionista and never fails to dazzle on the red carpet.

And Lily Collins unveiled a bold new look as she debuted blonde locks in a sweet selfie shared to her Instagram account on Thursday.

The actress, 28, showed off her smoldering new look with golden curls cascading down to her shoulders, a stark difference from her usual brunette 'do.

'I really am having more fun': Lily Collins unveiled a bold new look as she debuted blonde locks in a sweet selfie shared to her Instagram account on Thursday

Lily - the daughter of British musician Phil Collins - looked fresh-faced as she posed for the camera with barely a spot of make-up.

The Rules Don't Apply star captioned the gorgeous photo: 'Not sure if it's the blonde or this city, but I really am having more fun...'

Lily was most recently seen presenting nominations at the annual Independent Spirit Awards at The Jeremy Hotel in West Hollywood last week.

The actress looked typically chic in a pretty floral mini-dress, with a kick hemline with a scalloped edge.

Hair today: The actress, 28, showed off her smoldering new look with golden curls cascading down to her shoulders, a stark difference from her usual brunette 'do (pictured last week)

Lily starred in Marti Noxons To The Bone and Bong Joon-Hos Okja, two of this years most widely praised indie movies, both of which are available to stream on Netflix.

A high point of her career came in January when she was nominated for a Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Golden Globe for her role in the Warren Beatty flick Rules Don't Apply.

The hard-working actress recently embarked on filming the J.R.R Tolkien biopic where she stars as Tolkien's wife alongside Nicholas Hoult.

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.

Pretty in pink: Lily is known for her English rose looks and usually sports dark locks in a variety of styles (pictured at the 2017 Golden Globes in January)

The movie, Tolkien, is currently filming.

The actress is no stranger to shaking up her look, joking that she's 'lost track' of her natural hair color because she's changed it so many times.

Speaking to the New York Times last year, she said: 'I've kind of lost track of my natural color. I just got back to brown from watermelon-red.

'That was for a role. I was shooting a movie in Korea, and my characters name is Red. It's nice to be back to brown because I know the makeup colors that work.

'But my hair has been through so much. There's the coloring, but Ive also been doing a lot of period pieces, and theyre always curling my hair.'
Uma Thurman is pictured in a new photoshoot following her scathing attack on disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

The 47-year-old actress is featured in Decembers edition of Rhapsody Magazine for United Airlines where she talks about her Broadway debut in The Parisian Women alongside creator Beau Willimon.

Clad in a white blouse and cream sweater and a pair of diamond earrings, it's an understated and classic look for the actress.

Uma Thurman is featured in Rhapsody Magazine for United Airlines in her first shoot after calling out Harvey Weinstein

Thurman's new play centers on a Washington, D.C. socialite whos trying to secure her husband a high-level judicial post during the Trump administration.

The Pulp Fiction star expressed her delight at being on Broadway and returning to the stage after 18 years.

'It was a dream, a fantasy, to be on Broadway. It was almost sadly so unreal that I really should have pursued it more!'

Thurman reflected on how her dyslexia put her on the path to acting and how she can see theater used as therapy for many people.

Screen icon: The 47-year-old actress is a classic beauty in the shoot accompanying her interview

Debut: Thurman was interviewed with Beau Willimon the creator of her new Broadway play The Parisian Woman

'Theater is used as a therapy for some dyslexicsmemorization is a way that helps dyslexics learn to read. I read late, and then I couldnt stop reading. So for me it was probably my relationship to story that made me fall in love with acting as a child.

'I remember being in silly plays from the time I was tinythose are some of my earliest memories from school. And then some agents came to see me in my high school play.'

The Parisian Woman opens Thursday at the Hudson Theatre.

On Thanksgiving last week Thurman spoke out against disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein with a somber post on social media.

Thurman said: 'It was a dream, a fantasy, to be on Broadway'. It is Beau's Broadway debut too, he's known for creating House Of Cards

Cover star: Thurman is on the cover of Decembers edition of Rhapsody Magazine for United Airlines

'I am grateful today, to be alive, for all those I love, and for all those who have the courage to stand up for others,' she wrote underneath a black-and-white image of herself portraying The Bride in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Vol. 1.

'I said I was angry recently, and I have a few reasons, #metoo, in case you couldnt tell by the look on my face.' she continued.

'I feel its important to take your time, be fair, be exact, so... Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! (Except you Harvey, and all your wicked conspirators - Im glad its going slowly - you dont deserve a bullet)'

The actress then signed off by telling everyone to 'stay tuned.'

On Monday she expressed her gratitude for support she's received with another post which read: 'sitting alone in the hudson theater, painting my face. thank you for hearing me, it's so much better not to sit alone. a new feeling. i am so grateful.'

Thurman has worked alongside Tarantino and Weinstein in at least three of their films - Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Kill Bill: Vol. 2 and Pulp Fiction.

On Thanksgiving Thurman spoke out against disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein with a somber post on social media

Just days before Thurman's post went live, Deadline reported that the actress had parted ways with Creative Artists Agency after two years with the firm.

No reason was given for the actress' unceremonious split, and Thurman has yet to sign with another agency.

Daryl Hannah, who also starred in the Kill Bill movies, came forward to reveal she was a victim of Weinstein.

Daryl noted that it was while promoting Kill Bill Vol. 2 that the alleged misconduct occurred with Weinstein, saying when she refused his advances while they were in Rome she was booted from the press trip as the cast traveled to Cannes.
They began dating in 2013 after meeting on the set of Pitch Perfect.

And Anna Camp has revealed filming the third installment of the popular series hasn't been the same without her husband Skylar Astin - despite the actor playing Anna Kendrick's on-screen love interest.

The 35-year-old actress told Yahoo Be she had been 'lonely' without her husband on set with the rest of the cast.

'It was lonely not having him in the movie': Anna Camp reveals she missed husband Skylar Astin while filming Pitch Perfect 3

Speaking at the Australian premiere of Pitch Perfect 3 in Sydney on Wednesday night, Anna said she didn't have an issue with her husband kissing Anna Kendrick on the big screen.

'It's so funny because we're all friends and I love [Anna Kendrick] so, so much,' Anna told the publication.

'It was lonely not having [Skylar] in the movie though.'

Different: The actress confessed the movie had a 'totally different energy' without Skylar but the film was still 'awesome'

'It's so funny because we're all friends': Anna said she didn't have an issue with her husband kissing Anna Kendrick on the big screen

The actress confessed the movie had a 'totally different energy' without Skylar but the film was still 'awesome'.

'But I have to say I really missed having Mr. Skylar Astin around,' the Pitch Perfect actress added.

Anna and Skylar tied the knot in late 2016, with the actress describing him as the 'must supportive, wonderful' husband.

Speaking to People magazine in August, Anna said her and Skylar keep the romance alive by sending each other love letters.

Time flies when you're having fun! The comedic actress added that the first year of marriage has been the fastest 12 months of her life

Loved up: Anna and Skylar tied the knot in late 2016, with the actress describing him as the 'must supportive, wonderful' husband

'We both send each other cards and he sends me flowers all the time. Were both working a lot and we do that to maintain that love connection  I think were both really kind of good at that,' she said.

The comedic actress added that the first year of marriage has been the fastest 12 months of her life.

'We fall in love with each other more and more every day weve been together. And I know it sounds, like, gross, everyones probably gonna throw up about that, but its actually really true,' Anna said.
Senate Majority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) leaves after a meeting with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill, November 29, 2017 in Washington, DC, as hours of debate on tax reform began

US Senate Republicans advanced their controversial tax overhaul legislation Wednesday, as President Donald Trump headed to America's heartland to sell the plan that he wants signed into law by year's end.

The vote to formally launch Senate debate on the tax plan was along strict party lines, 52 to 48, and formally kicked off 20 hours of what is likely to be fiery debate in the chamber.

With Trump still lacking a major legislative accomplishment after 10 months in office, Republican leaders are hustling to pass the tax reform after they and Trump failed in their high-stakes bid to repeal and replace Barack Obama's "Obamacare" health care reforms.

Democrats have sought to portray the tax measure as a giveaway to American corporations and the nation's wealthy.

Trump and fellow Republicans argue that the bill -- the most significant US tax reform in three decades -- will boost economic growth, in turn increasing tax revenue. But the administration has struggled to convince Americans that the tax cut will help middle-class families.

A final vote on the plan is expected Thursday night, or possibly Friday, depending on the number of amendments proposed to the legislation.

Trump took his pro-growth message to the public, telling a crowd in Missouri that the tax cuts would serve as "rocket fuel" for the economy.

A successful Senate vote this week "will bring us one giant step closer to delivering an incredible victory for the American people: massive tax cuts and reform," Trump said.

- Tough negotiation -

The House of Representatives passed its version of tax reform earlier this month. Should the Senate follow suit, the two chambers will have to iron out their differences and craft a single bill, in what is expected to be a tough negotiation.

While all 52 Senate Republicans voted to advance the bill, a number of them have expressed reservations.

Fiscal hawks like Senators Bob Corker and James Lankford are concerned the $1.5 trillion legislation could raise the national debt.

In a bid to soothe such concerns, leadership is considering adding a "trigger" into the bill that would automatically raise taxes to bring in more revenue if deficits loomed.

Senators Ron Johnson and Steve Daines want bigger tax cuts for small businesses, while Susan Collins is concerned the legislation, which removes the Obamacare requirement that Americans have health insurance or pay a fine, might raise health care costs for poorer Americans.

Then there is Senator John McCain. The political veteran and Trump critic has been a wildcard this year, and was one of three Republicans who sank the president's Obamacare repeal effort in September.

Having so far failed to pass healthcare, immigration or infrastructure reforms, Trump faces a party revolt if he cannot make tax cuts law.

The bill provides for a dramatic reduction in the corporate tax rate, from 35 percent to 20 percent. It is also supposed to lower tax rates for all income brackets, and simplify the overly-complicated code.

The Joint Committee on Taxation has forecast that the reform would add about $1.4 trillion to the national debt by 2028.
Russia's energy minister Alexander Novak arriving Wednesday for the OPEC meeting in Vienna, where he said "more action is needed" to bolster oil prices

Nations that supply a majority of the world's oil agreed Thursday to keep a lid on output for all of 2018, despite Russia starting to get cold feet and tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia in the Middle East.

The 24 nations, which account for some 60 percent of global supply, will maintain production curbs of 1.8 million barrels per day, the energy minister of OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia said.

"I am pleased to announce that the decision has been unanimous. It's a solid decision... which is to roll over and extend the deal through the end of December 2018," Khaled al-Faleh told a news conference in Vienna.

In an apparent nod to Russian misgivings, however, a joint statement said that producers will in June review "progress achieved towards re-balancing of the oil market" and make "adjustments" if necessary.

The agreement among the 14 members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and 10 others including Russia was first struck a year ago and was already extended once.

The aim is to reduce a global excess in supply that has pushed oil prices lower and left a huge hole in the finances of producer nations, despite making life easier for buyers of crude.

So far, helped by improving economy boosting demand, it has worked, helping oil prices climb from less than $30 in early 2016 to around $60 now and reducing bloated inventories to more normal levels.

On Thursday oil prices were little changed. Brent Crude lost five cents to $62.48 and fellow benchmark West Texas Intermediate was up five cents at $57.35, both recovering from a dip earlier.

- Venezuela 'sabotage' -

Higher prices have been of little help to founding OPEC member Venezuela, however, teetering on the brink of a full-blown debt default.

Manuel Quevedo, the general newly installed as Venezuela's oil minister, on Thursday put the country's dire production problems down to "sabotage".

"This sabotage plan is aimed at achieving a repeat of 2002-03 when there was an attempted coup against (former president Hugo) Chavez," Quevedo, in civilian clothes, said in Vienna.

His predecessor Eulogio del Pino was one of several people arrested at dawn in Venezuela on Thursday. Prosecutors said it was an operation "to dismantle the cartel that has been hitting the oil industry."

- 'New Hitler' -

Relations between OPEC members Iran and Saudi Arabia have deteriorated sharply in recent months, with the two countries engaged in a devastating proxy war in Yemen and backing different sides in Syria.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is moving to modernise and wean the kingdom off oil revenue, last week called Iran's supreme leader "the new Hitler of the Middle East".

But when it comes to selling oil, their interests meet, and both sides managed to keep their differences outside the room in Vienna to back the extension of the output accord.

- Russia -

Non-OPEC Russia, represented by stern-faced Energy Minister Alexander Novak, also supported the extension, despite misgivings in particular from Russian oil firms.

They fear that higher oil prices will help US shale oil producers ramp up output and grab market share.

In addition, Moscow is pressing for clarity on how and when to end the curbs, experts said.

Fawad Razaqzada, an analyst at Forex.com, said that the June review meeting means there is a possibility the agreement could end sooner than expected.

"With oil prices being already significantly higher compared to their 2016 lows, there will be less incentive for OPEC and Russia to maintain their oil supply collusion, especially as US shale producers continue to win market share," Razaqzada said.

Faleh, the Saudi minister, conceded that his and Russia's economies and oil industries are "different", but insisted that he and Novak they saw eye to eye.

"I want to assure you that you can't find light between us. We are united shoulder to shoulder," Faleh said alongside Novak at the news conference.
Uber signage is seen outside the entrance of the ride-hailing giant's office in Hong Kong

Uber, the ride-sharing giant hit with a number of scandals in recent months, is now suspected of operating a program to hide nefarious tactics.

The start of a trial in Waymo's suit against Uber over allegedly swiped self-driving car technology was put on hold this week while the court looked into whether evidence of a cover-up was withheld.

An internal letter from a former employee contended Uber had a team that "exists expressly for the purpose of acquiring trade secrets, code base, and competitive intelligence."

Techniques used included smartphones or laptop computers that couldn't be traced back to the company, and communicating through encrypted, vanishing message service Wickr, according to the letter and a transcript of courtroom testimony obtained by AFP.

"You never told me that there was a surreptitious, parallel, nonpublic system that relied upon messages that evaporated after six seconds or after six days," US District Judge William Alsup said to a member of Uber's legal team.

"You never mentioned that there were these offline company-sponsored laptops that -- where the engineers could use that."

The letter signed by former Uber manager of global intelligence Richard Jacobs told of an effort to evade discovery requests, court orders, and government investigations "in violation of state and federal law, as well as ethical rules governing the legal profession."

Jacobs was questioned in court, saying he left Uber early this year with a compensation deal valued at $4.5 million that required him not to disparage the company.

Uber executives who also testified refuted references to wrongdoing and trail-covering.

Uber's deputy general counsel said the allegations in the letter were a tactic by a departing employee to get money from the company and had no merit, according to news website Recode.

The case stems from a lawsuit filed by Waymo -- previously known as the Google self-driving car unit -- which claimed former manager Anthony Levandowski took technical data with him when he left to launch a competing venture that went on to become Otto and was later acquired by Uber.

- Shifting gears -

The courtroom drama is playing out as Uber's new chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi strives to get the company on course and prepare for a stock market debut in 2019.

Khosrowshahi's stated goal of shifting Uber to an era of responsible growth -- after a period of growth at any price -- is beginning to appear Herculean.

"They have a long way to go to win back the trust of both its users who no doubt are quite frustrated in not fully knowing what all of this means to them personally, as well as the financial community," analyst Jack Gold said of Uber.

Uber is a target of investigations and lawsuits over the cover-up of a hack that compromised personal information of 57 million users and drivers.

Uber purportedly paid data thieves $100,000 to destroy the swiped information -- and remained quiet about the breach for a year.

US justice officials are also investigating suspicions of foreign bribery and use of illegal software to spy on competitors or escape scrutiny of regulators.

Challenges at Uber include conflicts with regulators and taxi operators, a cut-throat company culture, and board members feuding with investors over co-founder and ousted chief Travis Kalanick.

The hard-charging style that helped Uber succeed also made Kalanick a target for critics.

Dents to Uber's image include a visit by executives to a South Korean escort-karaoke bar, an attempt to dig up dirt on journalists covering the company, and the mishandling of medical records from a woman raped in India after hailing an Uber ride.

- SoftBank hard cash -

Japanese telecommunications giant SoftBank this week began offering to buy out Uber investors, reportedly at a price well below the value used for the startup's last funding round.

If the investment goes ahead as proposed, SoftBank would directly pump between $1 billion and $1.25 billion into Uber at the San Francisco-based startup's current valuation of $69 billion, according to a source familiar with the matter.

As a secondary investment move, the Japanese group would buy outstanding shares from large investors at a discounted price, the source said.

"SoftBank and Dragoneer have received indications from Benchmark, Menlo Ventures, and other early investors of their intent to sell shares in the tender offer," a SoftBank spokesperson told AFP.

Meanwhile, Uber's loss in the third quarter of this year widened to $1.46 from a loss of $1.1 billion in the second quarter, according to a Bloomberg report.
Australia's tourism minister has written to Clarence House with a list of adrenaline-packed suggestions for Prince Harry's stag night

Australia's tourism minister has made a shameless pitch to entice Prince Harry Down Under for his stag night or honeymoon, offering a James Bond-style "helicopter crawl" or seclusion in the Outback.

The prince will marry Meghan Markle next May, and Steve Ciobo said Thursday he had written to Clarence House with a list of adrenaline-packed suggestions for a buck's party, as well as "slower, contemplative" honeymoon options.

"Australia can provide the perfect pre-wedding party and an amazing romantic honeymoon after the wedding," he said in a statement.

The minister said the prince and his friends could replace the traditional Aussie pub crawl with a helicopter crawl of Outback drinking venues, or go fishing for barramundi in the Northern Territory.

"We also have suggested they could come to the Gold Coast and go dune buggying," he told Channel Nine television.

"Then for the honeymoon something a little bit more slower and contemplative. They could visit some of the magnificent parts of Australia."

He suggested the Longitude 131 Lodge near giant red monolith Uluru -- also known as Ayers Rock -- where his brother Prince William and wife Kate previously stayed, or the Great Barrier Reef.

"I told Prince Harry Tourism Australia stands ready to work with him and Ms Markle to design an itinerary to their tastes," Ciobo said in the statement.

It is not known whether Markle has visited Australia, but Harry was in the country in June this year to promote the Invictus Games.

The next version of the event for injured and sick service personnel is in Sydney in 2018, with local reports saying it could be the newly married couple's first official overseas engagement.
TB Joshua is one of several so-called faith healers in Nigeria claiming an ability to cure people of AIDS

Blessing wanted to believe the advert on Facebook that promised "a cure for AIDS".

Infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), she felt the ad was her only hope -- so against her better judgement, she clicked on the link.

The 30-year-old Nigerian had created a fake profile on the social networking site in the hope of contacting a traditional healer who would be familiar with modern technology.

For 100,000 naira -- about $280 (230 euros) and more than five times the monthly minimum wage -- she was promised a plant-based potion that would completely eradicate the disease.

Sceptical, Blessing asked for more time and a face-to-face meeting. Instead, her would-be benefactor asked for her bank account details.

That was several months ago.

"He talked only about money, so I gave up," said Blessing, whose name has been changed at her request. "But I was ready to try."

"There are so many people giving positive testimonies about the drug," she told AFP in a soft voice.

Since then, with the distribution in Nigeria of free antiretroviral treatments that repress the virus -- but do not eliminate it -- Blessing has been able to finish her studies in sociology in Abuja.

She said she now feels more comfortable with her HIV-positive status, but while she has a few business projects, the hardest thing has been finding a boyfriend.

"I was desperate. Any relationship I wanted to be in was difficult. I know I have to live with the virus," she said.

- Power of prayer -

Despair and stigma for people living with HIV make them easy targets for a range of supposed miracle workers, including internet scams, in deeply religious Nigeria.

An estimated 3.2 million Nigerians are living with HIV, and the stigma of the condition makes many people easy targets for supposed miracle workers

Not a month goes by without a Christian pastor announcing that a follower has been "saved".

In Lagos, the commercial capital of more than 20 million people, vast and imposing evangelical churches have become a magnet for the sick from across Africa.

Among the most well-known faith healers is TB Joshua, who runs the Synagogue Church of All Nations, and whose popularity has earned him a multimillion-dollar fortune.

He prides himself in his claims of having cured people of AIDS and even in bringing the dead back to life.

His website is full of testimonies about his apparent powers of prophecy.

One on his TB Joshua Ministries page on Facebook is titled: "AIDS kicked out with prayer."

"Mr Ubon Augustine is a living testimony that no disease can escape the healing power of Jesus Christ," it reads. "He was healed of HIV/Aids through a prayer... Thank You Jesus!"

- No scientific proof -

Others also claim to have found the scientific cure for HIV, publishing research in obscure journals.

One such assertion, from a professor at an agricultural university in the southeastern state of Abia, garnered significant coverage in the Nigerian news media earlier this year.

Maduike Ezeibe claimed that after 25 years of research, he had successfully tested a drug he had developed on patients.

"Nigeria is thus (the) first country to get 10 people (to) recover from HIV/AIDS," he was quoted as saying by Nigeria's Guardian newspaper in March.

Nigeria's health agencies condemn such claims on the grounds of the "absence of sound scientific evidence" as well as the dramatic effects on patients if they stop taking conventional treatment.

HIV levels can fall to below detectable levels with the help of a daily pill, but rebound when the treatment is stopped.

The viruses swiftly reproduces to attack immune cells, exposing the body to opportunistic disease and worsening the risk of infecting others.

"If someone thinks he is cured of the virus when on the contrary he still has the virus, the risk of transmission will be higher," said Daniel Ndukwe of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA).

"We have had people claim they were cured of HIV by miracle healing, and we have also heard of those who later had a deterioration of their health afterward," he said.

No formal study has been undertaken in Nigeria to explore the phenomenon but there is no doubt that many have seen a market for apparent miracle cures.

- Lucrative business -

According to UNAIDS, prevalence of HIV among adults in Nigeria was 2.9 percent in 2016, which is relatively low compared to countries such as South Africa (18.9 percent).

But the actual number of people living with the condition -- 3.2 million -- is among the highest in the continent.

Emmanuel Ugochukwu Michael, the founder of a match-making agency for people with HIV, says he is regularly approached by people asking for his 7,000-name database.

"I receive a lot of calls from traditional doctors and mainly from pastors," he said.

"They invite me for a dinner and promise to pay me money if I provide them phone numbers of my clients," he added.

"It's a lot of temptation. It gives me a lot of sleepless nights, I can tell you.

"There's huge money to be made and everybody wants to take advantage of it."
Mount Agung volcano's crater is about 75 kilometres from the beachside tourist hub of Kuta

Thousands of villagers living in the shadow of a rumbling Bali volcano have been fleeing for days, but some are now risking life and limb by sneaking back into the danger zone -- along with thrill-seeking tourists.

The 10-kilometre radius around Mount Agung is littered with roadside signs that read "Volcanic danger zone. No entry!", underscoring the potential risks.

But for chicken farmer Wayan Kompyang, a father of nine, heading into the no-go area was no choice at all -- his livelihood depends on it.

"I keep coming back to the village to check on my chickens and feed them," he told AFP in Pring Sari, a tiny community less than eight kilometres from the belching crater.

The 45-year-old's prized poultry isn't for eating though -- the chickens are used in Sabung, a traditional rooster fighting contest in which villagers bet on the outcome.

There hasn't been much chicken fighting since the volcano burst to life again in the past week. But with his family safe in an evacuation centre, Kompyang is now afraid of losing his only source of income.

"I have to keep taking care of them to make sure they are healthy and ready to fight after this situation calms down," he added.

- 'Don't challenge nature' -

The crater is about 75 kilometres from the beachside tourist hub of Kuta, so there is relatively little risk to most of the 120,000 tourists stranded by a nearly three-day airport shutdown earlier this week.

But the dangers are real for tens of thousands who have already fled from homes around the volcano -- which last erupted in 1963, killing around 1,600 people.

Villagers gather at a sports hall being used as an evacuation center in Klungkung on the Indonesian resort island of Bali

As many as 100,000 will likely be forced to leave their homes in case of another full eruption, disaster agency officials have said.

Added to local officials' headaches are foreign "eruption chasers", who are sneaking into the red zone to get close to the burbling mountain.

"We just wanna see it," said French tourist Anna Mangler, who was on a motorbike with her German companion when police stopped them from entering the restricted area.

"We are here for vacation... so why not? Of course it is scary, but it's gonna be okay," she told AFP.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency, urged others to reconsider.

"We're asking foreign tourists trespassing into the exclusion zone to please don't do it," he said.

Tourists leave Bali for a neighbouring island by boat after the closure of Ngurah Rai International Airport due to volcanic activity of Mount Agung

"Yesterday, rocks were falling up to four kilometres away from the crater so it's really dangerous... Don't challenge nature."

The local government has set up a livestock rescue taskforce to rush thousands of at-risk animals to safety with some 8,200 pigs, cows and goats so far cleared from the area.

The slopes of Agung are a hub for cattle farming in the region, providing an important source of income for local communities.

But the mountain is also an important spiritual centre for many of Bali's mostly Hindu population.

"I admit we're having difficulties in evacuating people," Nugroho said.

"Some people think a Mount Agung eruption is a spiritual event and want to leave their fate and safety in God's hands.

"There are also elderly people who have surrendered completely to nature and refused to leave."

- 'I will run' -

Octogenarian Hindu cleric Jero Mangku Darma -- who witnessed the 1963 eruption -- said he is the lone holdout in Sebudi, a small community about five kilometres from Agung.

"I don't want to be evacuated. Why should I?" asked Darma, dressed in a traditional Balinese sarong, as the overwhelming smell of sulphur from the volcano filled the air.

Mount Agung erupting seen at night from Kubu sub-district in Karangasem Regency on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on November 28, 2017

"I will stay here. Unless the volcano really erupts, then I will run."

Hundreds of people who snuck back to their villages died in a 2010 eruption at Java's Mount Merapi -- one of the world's most active and dangerous volcanoes.

But with no work and running low on cash, Wayan Sinta Presana said he would take his chances as he returned from an evacuation centre.

"There haven't been any construction jobs at all for five days," said the 49-year-old whose home in Pakraman Presana village sits near the mountain.

"We have been spending money on food but I don't have any new income. It's very stressful. At home, at least I can relieve the anxiety by looking after my birds."
Officials overseeing the digging of an underground burial site below the city of Jerusalem call it the first of its kind in the modern world

Under the serene and silent hills of Jerusalem's largest Jewish cemetery, a team drills into stone to create a vast underground burial site, melding modern technologies with ancient concepts.

A shortage of burial space in Jerusalem along with the requirements of Jewish law have brought together religious undertakers and a tunnelling expert to create the new underground complex.

When completed, it will contain thousands of new graves set among state-of-the-art lighting, elevators and ventilation systems, at a cost of some 200 million shekels ($57 million, 48 million euros).

Officials overseeing the project call it the first of its kind in the modern world.

On a recent day, heavy equipment gnawed away at the stone under the plots of Har Hamenuhot, Jerusalem's largest Jewish cemetery on the city's western outskirts.

Traditional Judaism requires the deceased to be buried in earth, as per the verse in the Bible's Book of Genesis about man's inevitable "return to the ground", and prohibits moving the interred.

Under Jerusalem's largest Jewish cemetery, heavy equipment has been gnawing away at stone to create a vast underground burial site

Finite land resources have forced religious burial societies, known as Hevra Kadisha, to find solutions.

In recent years, cemeteries have installed burial walls and other types of structures.

But the situation in Jerusalem is perhaps more dire than elsewhere.

It is where, according to Jewish belief, the resurrection of the dead will commence at the end of times.

As a result, Jews from around the world have strived throughout history to have their remains laid to rest in Jerusalem, creating a huge challenge for the city's burial societies.

"We can't keep up with the demand for cemetery space," said Yehuda Bashari, of Hevra Kadisha Kehilat Jerusalem, which is responsible for some 60 percent of Jewish burial plots in the city, "hence the idea of underground burial."

- Around 22,000 graves-

When finished, the underground burial site dug below Jerusalem's Har Hamenuhot Jewish cemetery is to contain around 22,000 graves

Bashari's organisation had long considered the idea of an underground site, but nothing came of it until one of Israel's top tunnellers could no longer stand the sight of Har Hamenuhot endlessly expanding on a hill overlooking the highway to Tel Aviv.

"Every morning I'd drive in and see the cemetery," said Arik Glazer, CEO of Rolzur Tunnelling, which is also carrying out digging for the city's new central train station. "It just looked bad."

Glazer had heard of a paper written at Israel's prestigious Technion Institute of Technology about underground burial spaces and "formulated an idea for how to solve the problem".

They started digging in 2014.

In a vast underground hall, labourers wearing helmets and fluorescent vests operate a massive drill to pierce a hole into its wall, sending fine dust flying.

Around them, similar holes stretch in neat rows along the wall and up to the ceiling.

When it is finished, the underground complex is to contain 22,000 to 24,000 graves in a series of interconnected hallways spanning over a kilometre and a half (more than half a mile).

People can lay their relatives to rest in the ground in the centre of the tunnels, but also in their wall -- directly in the stone or in a styrofoam structure made to look like it.

A continuum of earth will exist throughout the styrofoam structure, surrounding each grave and ensuring the Jewish principle of burial.

The Jerusalem underground cemetery is to see its first burials in the first half of 2019

Burial in stone was used by Jews over 2,000 years ago and appears in early rabbinic literature, Bashari noted, stressing that the various types of burial in the complex all conform with orthodox Judaism.

The tunnels are set to see their first burials in the first half of 2019.

- More 'land for the living' -

Bashari, who is in charge of the project for his burial society, says it has served to put space above ground to better use.

"We're freeing up 30 dunams (seven acres) of land that should serve the living, rather than the dead," he said.

Bashari calls the underground cemetery the first of its kind in modern times and says it has defined the "standards for tunnel burial".

Glazer said it has generated interest in other cities worldwide suffering the same problem.

The undertaking was a finalist at the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association 2017 awards in its category, ultimately won by a Hong Kong project earlier this month.

Israel's government did not help finance the project, with the money coming from Bashari's Hevra Kadisha as a result of non-Jerusalem residents willing to pay significant sums for the privilege to be buried in a Holy City plot.

At the underground burial site below Jerusalem, people will be able to lay their relatives to rest in the ground, but also in its walls

Rabbi Hillel Horowitz, director general of the Jerusalem council of cemeteries, praised the initiative, which, combined with other projects, would provide some 100,000 graves that could supply demand for the next 25 years.

"We need every solution based on Jewish law to provide for Israel's burial needs," he said.

Rabbi Seth Farber, whose ITIM organisation provides advice and help on adherence to Jewish practice, said relatives of recently deceased are at times shocked to see new burial methods.

"There hasn't been enough education, and because of that people are often taken aback by the alternatives that exist today," he said.

To him, the long-term solution would have to be to move cemeteries out of cities to sites "that are not near densely populated areas".

"We need to provide more for the needs of the coming generations than we do for the metaphysical needs of those who have passed," he said.
Mount Agung's rumbling has grounded hundreds of flights this week, stranding 120,000 tourists, but with the airport re-opened, many are now expected to leave

Thousands of foreign tourists were leaving Bali by plane Thursday following a nearly three-day airport shutdown sparked by a rumbling volcano on the Indonesian holiday island.

The alert level on Mount Agung remains at maximum, but a change in wind direction blew towering columns of ash and smoke away from the airport, prompting authorities to re-open the island's main international gateway on Wednesday afternoon.

The move opened an eagerly awaited window for some of the 120,000 tourists stranded after the surge in volcanic activity grounded hundreds of flights, sparking travel chaos and forcing the evacuation of villagers living in its shadow.

Ash is dangerous for planes as it makes runways slippery and can be sucked into their engines.

"Since the airport reopened yesterday, some flights have resumed operation and things are gradually getting back to normal," said airport spokesman Israwadi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

More than 4,500 people have now flown out of Bali's main airport, authorities said, with around 3,200 of them on international flights.

Tens of thousands of people living in the shadow of the volcano have left their homes

On Wednesday evening, domestic carrier Garuda said it would start flights to several cities across the vast archipelago nation, while AirAsia flew to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

However, the airport on nearby Lombok island -- also a popular tourist destination -- closed again Thursday after ash and smoke drifted in its direction.

The shifting wind direction was being caused by cyclone Cempaka which is battering Indonesia's main Java island -- west of Bali -- and has left at least 19 people dead in severe flooding and landslides.

- High alert -

Millions of tourists visit palm-fringed Bali annually. The majority are Chinese, followed by Australians, Indians, Britons and Japanese, according to the immigration office, which added that nearly 25,000 foreigners live on the small Hindu-majority island.

Tens of thousands of Balinese have already fled their homes around the volcano -- which last erupted in 1963, killing around 1,600 people -- but as many as 100,000 will likely be forced to leave in case of a full eruption, disaster agency officials have said.

Experts said Agung's recent activity matches the build-up to the earlier disaster, which ejected enough debris -- about a billion tonnes -- to lower global average temperatures by around 0.3 degrees Celsius for roughly a year.

Indonesia volcano alert

While the volcano appeared to be belching less ash and smoke on Thursday, experts urged caution and have warned a major eruption -- could happen at any moment. It has already experienced a series of mini eruptions.

"The potential for an eruption is still there, but we cannot predict how big the eruption is going to be," said Devy Kamil, a senior volcanologist from the Indonesian volcanology agency.

"The volcano is still on the highest alert level."

Agung rumbled back to life in September, forcing the evacuation of 140,000 people living nearby. Its activity decreased in late October and many returned to their homes.

However, on Saturday the mountain sent smoke into the air for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption -- caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater.

So-called cold lava flows have also appeared -- similar to mud flows and often a prelude to the blazing orange lava of popular imagination.

Indonesia, the world's most active volcanic region, lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic and seismic activities.

Last year seven people were killed after Mount Sinabung on the western island of Sumatra erupted. A 2014 eruption at Sinabung killed 16.
"Kodokushi" or "dying alone" is a growing trend in ageing Japan

The stench of flesh rotting on a sultry day fills the air as cleaner Hidemitsu Ohshima steps into a tiny Tokyo apartment where a dead man lay decomposing for three weeks.

The man, believed to be in his 50s, died alone in a city he shared with tens of millions of other people but no one noticed, making him the latest victim of "Kodokushi" or "dying alone" -- a growing trend in ageing Japan.

Decked out in a white protective suit complete with rubber gloves, Ohshima lifts up a futon mattress soaked with the dead man's bodily fluids, only to uncover a writhing mass of maggots and black bugs.

Alone and single in Japan

"Ugh, this is serious," he says. "You wear protective suits to defend yourself from bugs that may or may not be carrying diseases."

Kodokushi is a growing problem in Japan, where 27.7 percent of the population is aged over 65 and many people are giving up trying to find partners in middle age, opting instead for a solitary existence.

Experts say a combination of uniquely Japanese cultural, social and demographic factors have compounded the problem.

- Lonely death -

There are no official figures for the number of people dying alone who stay unnoticed for days and weeks but most experts estimate it at 30,000 per year.

Yoshinori Ishimi, who runs the Anshin Net service that cleans up afterwards, believes the true figure is "twice or three times that."

Modern Japan has experienced sweeping cultural and economic changes in recent decades but demographers say the country's social safety net has failed to keep pace -- with the burden still on the family to look after the elderly.

In the past three decades, Japan has seen the share of single-occupant households more than double to 14.5 percent of the total population, the rise driven mainly by men in their 50s and women in their 80s and older

"In Japan, family has long served as the strong foundation of social support of all kinds," said Katsuhiko Fujimori, a well-known expert on welfare issues.

"But now things are changing with the rise of single people and the size of the family becoming smaller," added Fujimori, chief research associate at Mizuho Information and Research Institute.

In the past three decades, Japan has seen the share of single-occupant households more than double to 14.5 percent of the total population, the rise driven mainly by men in their 50s and women in their 80s and older.

Marriage rates are also dropping, with experts saying many men fear their job is too precarious to settle down and start a family and more women entering the workforce and no longer needing a husband to provide for them.

One in four 50-year-old Japanese men has never been married. By 2030, the figure is estimated to rise to one in three.

- Isolation -

The problem is exacerbated by a deep-rooted Japanese cultural tendency to turn to family rather than neighbours in times of trouble.

In a bid to be polite, elderly Japanese people fear to disturb their neighbours even to ask for help in the most trifling matters, resulting in a lack of interaction and isolation, expert Fujimori said.

There are no official figures for the number of people dying alone who stay unnoticed for days and weeks but most experts estimate it at 30,000 per year in Japan

Some 15 percent of elderly Japanese people living alone report having only one conversation a week, compared to five percent of their peers in Sweden, six percent in the US and eight percent in Germany, according to a Japanese government study.

And families increasingly live away or do not have the resources to help elderly relatives in tough economic times.

Fujimori advocates raising taxes to provide better social care for the elderly and financial assistance for childcare, freeing up working-age adults to return to the workforce.

"If family can no longer play the roles it has been playing, society must build a framework that responds to that need," said Fujimori.

"If nothing is done, we'll see more solitary deaths," he added.

- No pictures, no letters -

Aside from the anguish for relatives when they realise their loved-one has lain undiscovered for days, there is a practical element as these cases tend to cause apartment prices to plunge.

Cleaning firm boss Ishimi says Japan needs to educate young people about the issue and the lack of dignity suffered by the isolated elderly.

"How does one wish to die? Society as a whole must think about this," he said.

Meanwhile, back at the Tokyo apartment, Ohshima and his team keep the windows closed to prevent the noxious stench from spreading through the densely populated neighbourhood.

The room is filled with signs of the frugal, clean living of a music and movie lover who kept a vast collection of CDs and DVDs but not much else. No pictures. No letters.

Most items are thrown out but Ohshima and his two colleagues methodically go through the man's belongings for valuables in case his family eventually comes forward and wishes to see whatever he left behind.

"Police are looking for his relatives," said Ohshima.

"But no luck so far."
The CTV building in downtown Christchurch crumpled in the 2011 earthquake

New Zealand police on Thursday ruled out laying criminal charges over the catastrophic collapse of a office block that claimed 115 lives in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

The CTV building crumpled then burst into flames after the 6.3-magnitude tremor on February 22, 2011, killing those trapped inside, including 65 foreign students mainly from Japan and China.

After a four-year investigation, police said they did not have enough evidence to proceed with negligent manslaughter charges against the engineers responsible for the building.

"The evidence available is not sufficient to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction in court," police said in a statement.

The building's collapse accounted for almost two thirds of the 185 deaths in New Zealand's worst quake for 80 years, which flattened the downtown area of the South Island's largest city.

A royal commission concluded in 2012 that the six-storey, 1980s-era office block was so badly designed it should never have received a building permit.

It had also been damaged in two quakes which preceded the deadly February tremor, something the local council failed to pick up, allowing it to remain occupied.

The building "pancaked" within 20 seconds of the quake hitting and was engulfed in an inferno so intense that forensic experts had to use DNA testing to identify the remains of many victims.

Police said the investigation raised issues that were "delicate and finely balanced" but ultimately the evidence was not strong enough to take to court.

Detective Superintendent Peter Read said he was aware the families of victims would be disappointed.

"If I'd taken my heart's advice, we would have prosecuted but I can't take my heart's advice, I have to use my head," he told reporters.

"We've done everything that we possibly could to achieve a prosecution outcome for them (the families). If the evidence isn't there, we're not going to manufacture it, we have to deal with the facts we're presented with."

Justice Minister Andrew Little said the government would consider introducing a charge of corporate manslaughter to ensure those responsible for such tragedies were held accountable.

"Another disaster that seems to have been avoidable -- everybody involved in it has walked away scot-free," he told Radio New Zealand.

"That's not right and I think we do have to do better."
Not very many of the Rohingya refugees AFP spoke to in Cox's Bazar had even heard of the pope

The plight of Rohingya refugees is the backdrop to Pope Francis' landmark visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh this week. But in the vast refugee camps on the border, there is puzzlement, with many asking: "Who is he?"

The head of the Catholic church has repeatedly spoken out in support of the Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority who have fled to Bangladesh in their hundreds of thousands, bringing with them allegations of murders, rapes and arson committed by the Myanmar military.

This week he met Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi and army chief Min Aung Hlaing, who is accused of overseeing brutal campaign to drive out the group that the UN and US have labelled "ethnic cleansing".

With his message of hope and tolerance, supporters hope the pope's presence can tamp down the religious and ethnic hatreds that have roiled the region.

Yet in the teeming Bangladeshi camps near the border with Myanmar, mention of the pontiff drew blank faces and raised eyebrows.

Shown a photo, refugees shrugged and guessed him to be anyone from a wealthy king or a celebrity from the US to a Bangladeshi politician. Some mistook his zucchetto for an Islamic skullcap and said he could be a Muslim leader.

"I think I've seen him in the news but what does he do? Is he important?" asked 42-year-old Nurul Qadar.

Pope Francis, who arrives in Bangladesh on Thursday from mainly Buddhist Myanmar, is the first pontiff in 31 years to visit Bangladesh and has called the Rohingya his "brothers and sisters".

He is not due to visit the camps but will meet a small group of Rohingya refugees during an interfaith meeting in Dhaka on Friday.

More than 620,000 Rohingya have poured into the poor, overpopulated country since the start of a violent crackdown by the army in August.

They are denied almost all basic human rights in Myanmar including the right to practise their religion, travel and marry freely.

- 'A very wise man' -

On learning of the pope's role in the world, refugees AFP spoke to said they hoped Francis would be able to broker a deal with Myanmar that would pave the way for a safe return to their homeland.

Maybe the government in Myanmar "might actually listen to him." mused 40-year-old Mujibur Rahman.

Pope Francis has not mentioned the word 'Rohingya' during his trip to Myanmar, a country where the minority is reviled as interlopers

Hassan Arraf, a Rohingya imam at Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, and the only one out of dozens who knew of the pope, said the Argentinian pontiff with his man-of-the-people reputation had the power to change their lives.

"The way they tortured us, no religion allows it. He is a big leader of another religion but I believe he's a very wise man," he told AFP.

"I think he will be able to understand what we went through. And he can ask the Myanmar government to resolve this matter and make the place peaceful."

Caritas, the Catholic Church's humanitarian arm which is helping to feed 40,000 families in the camps, said it hoped the pope's visit would at least help lift the spirits of the community.

"He is coming... as a symbol of reconciliation. We are hoping his visit will bear a very positive impact and create a very good solution between the two countries," James Gomes, regional director of Caritas, told AFP.

When given information about this unfamiliar robed figure, many refugees said the pope should go to the squalid, overcrowded camps in southern Bangladesh to witness their suffering.

"If his visit is about us, then he should come here to meet us and talk to us. He should see how we are living, how we barely survived," said Hami Tusang as he queued for food.

Another man behind him, Azim Ullah, said he wanted to "complain to the pope of the relentless torture we face in Rakhine".

"Being such a big leader, he must be seeing what we have been through. Every bad thing you can think of has happened to us," he said, making a cutting motion across his throat.

"He needs to be our bridge. He needs to demand our rights, our citizenship. Otherwise there is no point of such visits."
Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, known as 'Mother Mushroom', was sentenced to 10 years in jail, a heavy term decried by rights groups that accuse Vietnam's communist government of waging a harsh crackdown against critics this year

A Vietnamese court on Thursday rejected the appeal of prominent blogger known as "Mother Mushroom" who is serving a 10-year sentence for anti-state propaganda, days after one of her lawyers was disbarred in a case that has drawn global ire.

Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh was sentenced to a decade in jail in June, a heavy term decried by rights groups that accuse the communist government of waging a harsh crackdown against critics this year.

Her appeal was denied by a court in the southern city of Nha Trang, her lawyer Ha Huy Son said, at a heavily-guarded trial closed to foreign media.

"The sentence is very unfair and biased. They argued that Quynh confessed her wrongdoings, but I think it's groundless and not in accordance with the law," Son told AFP after the half-day trial.

Quynh, 38, whose pen name "Me Nam" derives from her daughter's nickname "mushroom", was jailed in October 2016 as she was visiting a fellow activist in prison.

She was convicted for anti-state propaganda, which carries a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison.

Quynh wrote posts critical of the government on the environment, politics and deaths in police custody -- a sensitive topic in the one-party state where independent media is banned.

In court Thursday, 'Me Nam' defended her legal right to free expression and said she did not break the law, Son said.

A few days before her appeal, Vo An Don, one of her lawyers, was disbarred in a move he said was politically motivated.

"The main reason was that I had participated in defending the rights of several poor people and prisoners of conscience. The authorities might have hated me for that," Don told AFP.

The bar association in nearby Phu Yen province accused Don of providing false information to foreign media, abusing his right to free speech by spreading propaganda and distorting the truth, according to the state-run Thanh Nien newspaper.

- 'Woman of Courage' -

Human Rights Watch said the move to strip the lawyer of his credentials was a sign of escalating tactics by the government.

"In high-profile cases, Vietnam has not hesitated to harass defendant's lawyers but this goes a good deal further... the gloves are coming off in the Vietnam government's war on its dissidents," HRW deputy Asia director Phil Robertson told AFP.

The US State Department gave Quynh the International Woman of Courage Award in March, presented to her in absentia by First Lady Melania Trump.

Last month, Quynh's daughter wrote an emotional appeal to Trump, asking her to push for the blogger's release. There has been no public reply from the first lady.

The court's decision drew criticism from Washington on Thursday, which called the charges against her "vague".

"The United States calls on Vietnam to release Ms Quynh and all prisoners of conscience immediately, and to allow all individuals in Vietnam to express their views freely and assemble peacefully without fear of retribution," US Charge d'Affaires to Vietnam Caryn McClelland said in a statement.

The European Union and Britain have previously condemned her conviction and called for her release.

Vietnam's foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang defended Thursday's ruling, saying the trial "took place openly and in accordance with regulations of Vietnamese laws".

The appeal comes ahead of an EU-Vietnam human rights dialogue on Friday in Hanoi, which follows a spate of arrests and heavy sentences for dissidents.

More than 15 activists have been arrested since January, according to Amnesty International, and observers say the crackdown is being led by a conservative leadership in charge since last year.

This week, 22-year-old blogger Nguyen Van Hoa was sentenced to seven years under the same anti-state propaganda charge for posts about a toxic waste scandal last year, and several activists were temporarily detained earlier this month after meeting with EU officials in Hanoi.
British Prime Minister Theresa May meets Saudi King Salman in Riyadh on November 29, 2017 on a Middle East tour overshadowed by a high-profile row with US President Donald Trump over Islam

British Prime Minister Theresa May met Saudi leaders before leaving for Jordan Thursday on a Middle East tour overshadowed by a high-profile row with US President Donald Trump over Islam.

Trump has infuriated British authorities with his tweets on terrorism in Britain, including highly publicised run-ins with London's Muslim mayor Sadiq Khan.

On Tuesday, he drew fierce condemnation at home and abroad for retweeting three incendiary anti-Muslim videos posted by the deputy head of a British far-right group who has been convicted of a hate crime.

When challenged over the tweet, he then plunged deeper into controversy by suggesting May focus on defending Britain rather than criticising him.

May's meetings in Saudi Arabia were all behind closed doors and there was no immediate comment from her to the latest outburst from Trump.

She met both King Salman and powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The official Saudi Press Agency said they "reviewed bilateral relations... in addition to discussing developments in the region".

May had promised to raise concerns over a worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen where a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia has only partially lifted a crippling aid blockade.

UN officials have warned of the risks of the "world's worst famine in many decades".

May had insisted that she would send a clear message to the Saudi leadership about the need to fully reopen the main rebel-held port of Hodeida.

"I'm very concerned about the humanitarian crisis that has developed in Yemen, particularly most recently," May told the BBC on Wednesday.

"That's why the strong message I will be giving to Saudi Arabia tonight is that we want to see Hodeida port opened for humanitarian and commercial access."

Saudi Arabia is Britain's largest trading partner in the Middle East, and London has signed off on more than 3.3 billion ($4.4 billion/3.7 billion euros) worth of arms sales to Riyadh since March 2015.

That was the month that Riyadh launched its intervention in Yemen. The war has since killed some 8,600 people, while a further 2,000 have died of cholera.

In Jordan, May is due to hold talks with King Abdullah II and Prime Minister Hani Mulki. Jordan is a close British ally and a partner in the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

burs-ac/kir
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow rejected a US call to cut ties with North Korea in response to Pyongyang's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile

Russia on Thursday rejected a US call to cut ties with Pyongyang, suggesting Washington has been doing everything to prompt North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to "lose it".

On Wednesday, Washington warned that North Korea's leadership will be "utterly destroyed" if war breaks out as it called on countries to cut all diplomatic and trade ties with North Korea.

The latest threat came after North Korea tested its third ICBM, which it claimed was capable of striking anywhere in the United States.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov poured scorn on Washington's call to cut ties with North Korea and introduce new sanctions against it.

"We see this negatively," he told journalists in the Belarusian capital Minsk. "We have repeatedly stated that the pressure of sanctions has been exhausted."

He accused the United States of seeking to provoke Kim Jong-Un's regime and demanded to know whether Washington was plotting to destroy the isolated country.

"It's as if the recent actions of the United States are consciously directed to provoke Pyongyang towards other radical actions," Russia's top diplomat said.

Lavrov pointed to Washington's plans to conduct a large-scale air force drill with South Korea in December, a new show of force aimed at the Kim regime, saying the US would be better off if it tried to hold negotiations instead.

"The impression is that everything has been done to prompt Kim Jong-Un to lose it and take another reckless step. It's sad," he said.

"The Americans need to explain what they are aiming for. If they are looking for a reason to destroy North Korea, then they should say it straight and the American leadership should confirm it," Lavrov said in remarks released by the foreign ministry.

US President Donald Trump derided Kim as a "sick puppy" and threatened "major" new sanctions.

"If war comes, make no mistake: the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley added.

The Kremlin on Wednesday called the latest missile test a "provocative action" and appealed for calm on all sides.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has emerged as one of the most strident voices against punishing Pyongyang, insisting that further sanctions and threats are "useless" against a regime that feels cornered.

The United States earlier this year pressed for a full oil embargo on North Korea but dropped that demand following resistance from China and Russia.
Reza Zarrab, shown in this December 2013 file photo, was to go on trial in a Manhattan federal court but is now the prosecution's star witness

Turkey on Thursday said a Turkish-Iranian gold trader who admitted in a US court to bribing Ankara's former economy minister was making defamatory claims because he was under pressure.

Reza Zarrab told a New York court on Wednesday that he had bribed Zafer Caglayan in order to facilitate illegal gold transactions with sanctions-hit Iran.

Zarrab had been due to go on trial but is now the prosecution's star witness.

Only Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla, accused of violating sanctions against Iran, as well as of bribery and money laundering, is on trial.

But Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said "Zarrab has become a slanderer under pressure" during an interview with state-run news agency Anadolu.

Bozdag repeated previous claims that US-based Fethullah Gulen, the alleged mastermind of the failed 2016 coup, and his network was behind the court case.

Zarrab was one of the main figures in a 2013 corruption scandal in Turkey that Erdogan, then prime minister, also saw as a bid by Gulen to bring him down.

Gulen, who lives in the United States, denies Turkey's claims.

The gold trader had spent 70 days in custody in Turkey over the scandal, but all suspects arrested in the probe were subsequently released.

Caglayan resigned from the government at the time along with three other ministers.

Zarrab told the court that he paid 45 to 50 million euros ($53.2 to $59.1 million) plus approximately $7 million in bribes to the minister between March 2012 and March the following year.

Bozdag denounced the Manhattan federal court trial as "theatre" and indicated it was a plot against the government which the main opposition party in Turkey was a part of.

The Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu on Tuesday claimed he had evidence of offshore transfers made to a tax haven by relatives of Erdogan.

The president on Wednesday denounced the claims as "lies" and said he would file a legal complaint along with five others accused by Kilicdaroglu.

"It is necessary not to think of these two as separate (the US trial and CHP). Both of them are targeting Turkey and the president's government," said Bozdag, also government spokesman, adding that Kilicdaroglu's claims were "slander".
Pyongyang's test of its third intercontinental ballistic missile is a demonstration of its "rising power", says French Defence Minister Florence Parly

Europe, like the United States, is now in reach of North Korea's ballistic missiles, French Defence Minister Florence Parly warned Thursday.

The regime's test of its third intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday is "a demonstration of (Pyongyang's) rising power" Parly told BFM television.

"Europe like the United States is certainly within reach of these launches," she said, adding that "few Western cities" would be out of range.

An initial assessment by the Pentagon suggested North Korea's latest missile flew about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) before crashing into the sea within Japan's maritime Economic Exclusion Zone.

But flying on a standard path instead of a test trajectory, it would have a range of more than 13,000 kilometres, according to David Wright, co-director at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Such a missile would have more than enough range to reach "any part of the continental United States," Wright said, a claim also made by Kim Jong-Un's regime.

It would, in theory, also put London (8,700 kilometres from Pyongyang), Paris and other European cities within range.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had warned in September that North Korea could have the ability to strike Europe "within months".

Parly urged the international community to "pursue the path of sanctions" against North Korea.

"And what is imperative is that everyone applies these sanctions without fail, including China and Russia," she said.

The UN Security Council has already imposed eight sets of sanctions on Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.

Parly reiterated that France "believes diplomacy is the only way out of this extremely tense situation".
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was elected last year largely on an incendiary law-and-order platform in which he promised to eradicate illegal drugs in society by killing 100,000 people

Thousands of supporters and critics of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte staged rallies on Thursday for and against his threat to declare a "revolutionary government", which has fuelled fears of a looming dictatorship.

Duterte warned last month he is prepared to establish a "revolutionary government" to fend off alleged efforts to oust him. He railed against the press, European lawmakers and other critics of his drug war, which has left thousands dead and led rights groups to warn of a crime against humanity.

Duterte, who has courted Beijing while loosening his nation's alliance with Washington, also alleged the US Central Intelligence Agency was part of a plot to destabilise him, and warned he would jail all of his opponents as well as the communist leaders.

Duterte's critics fear the 72-year-old, who has repeatedly threatened to impose martial law, is intent on dragging the country back into dictatorship and allow himself more freedom in prosecuting his drug war.

Under his centrepiece anti-drug campaign, police have said they have killed almost 4,000 "drug personalities" but human rights activists charge that thousands more have been killed by vigilantes and rogue policemen.

On Thursday Pro-Duterte and anti-Duterte protesters, each rally numbering more than 2,000, gathered in front of the presidential palace in Manila with riot police separating them.

Both groups were largely garbed in red-- the traditional Filipino colour for revolutionary movements.

The Duterte supporters waved banners saying 'We support revolutionary government', while the other side carried signs saying 'Fight the Duterte dictatorship'.

The pro-Duterte crowd was allowed to stage their rally in peace, but riot police used fire hoses to drive back the anti-Duterte protesters as they tried to move closer to the palace.

The rallies were staged on a holiday honouring the 154th birth anniversary of Filipino revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio, with the Philippine leader's critics burning a giant effigy of him while chanting "Down with Duterte!"

Duterte was elected last year largely on an incendiary law-and-order platform in which he promised to eradicate illegal drugs in society by killing 100,000 people.

He has repeatedly expressed impatience with the country's current laws and constitution, saying they impede progress and do not allow him to fully crack down on crime and corruption.

While surveys show he retains wide popularity, opposition to Duterte has been growing in the face of increasing charges of human rights abuses being carried out under his rule.
Dhaka is famous for its cycle-pulled rickshaws, which are usually decorated in bright colours

Pope Francis will forego his trusty popemobile for a cycle rickshaw in Bangladesh, Catholic officials said Thursday, as the famously frugal pontiff began a three-day visit to the poor country.

A spokesman for the Catholic Church said the pope had asked to ride in a cycle rickshaw to a park where he will lead an open-air mass on Friday, which is expected to draw around 100,000 worshippers.

"There is a rickshaw ready for him," Kamal Corraya told AFP, adding that the pope would likely forego the glass-sided popemobile that he usually travels in for a basic Toyota car to save money.

The 80-year-old Argentine pontiff has established a reputation for his down-to-earth manner, vowing to stamp out extravagance among the clergy and bring the Catholic Church closer to the poor.

Dhaka is famous for its cycle-pulled rickshaws, which are usually decorated in bright colours.

But in recent years they have started to fade away, replaced by new battery-driven autorickshaws.

Corraya said the last pope to visit Bangladesh, John Paul II, had ridden in a rickshaw pulled by a Catholic priest.

The moonlighting paid off -- he was later promoted to the rank of Bishop.
British Prime Minister Theresa May visited US President Donald Trump at the White House in January

Britain was reeling Thursday after US President Donald Trump castigated Prime Minister Theresa May over her rebuke to him for posting anti-Muslim tweets, but the government sought to play down the row.

Plunging headlong into a high-profile spat with one of America's closest international partners, Trump suggested May focus on defending Britain rather than criticising him after he retweeted anti-Muslim videos from a British far-right group.

"@Theresa_May, don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!" Trump tweeted late Wednesday.

Trump had to delete an earlier tweet with the same message after he used the wrong Twitter handle for May, instead tagging @theresamay, who is reportedly a 41-year-old mother from Bognor Regis with just six followers.

There were calls for Trump's planned state visit to Britain, which has been highly controversial ever since May extended the invitation at her first meeting with him at the White House in January, to be cancelled.

- 'Betrayal of special relationship' -

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has been involved in a series of spats with Trump, said it was "increasingly clear that any official visit at all from President Trump to Britain would not be welcomed".

He said Trump's actions were "a betrayal of the special relationship between our two countries".

"The prime minister of our country should be using any influence she and her government claim to have with the president and his administration to ask him to delete these tweets and to apologise to the British people."

US President Donald Trump Trump has drawn fierce condemnation for retweeting three incendiary anti-Muslim videos posted by the deputy head of the British far-right group Britain First

Trump drew fierce condemnation at home and abroad for retweeting three incendiary anti-Muslim videos posted by Jayda Fransen, deputy head of the British far-right group Britain First, who has been convicted of a hate crime.

- Trump was 'wrong' -

May said through a spokesman that Trump was "wrong" to promote the "hateful narratives" of the group.

Local Government Minister Sajid Javid said Trump had "endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me. He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing."

But the immediate response from the government after Trump's rebuke appeared muted.

"In the end, our relationship with the United States has a longevity to it that will succeed long after presidents come and go," Education Secretary Justine Greening said.

"This is a president that behaves unlike any other in the nature of the tweets he puts out. I don't believe that should be able to undermine an overall important relationship with our country," she said on BBC Radio.

Ann Coulter, a right-wing US commentator who is followed by Trump on Twitter and may have inspired his retweets, defended him in an interview with BBC radio.

"I think he has only given as good as he gets. I think he has been verbally attacked from the mother country for a lot longer than he has been attacking Britain."

Coulter said she had not researched Fransen's background before retweeting.

"People retweeting videos are not researching the bios of the people who sent the video," she said.

Trump's interventions in British politics have strained the so-called "special relationship".

He has infuriated British authorities with his tweets on terrorism in Britain.

Before Trump's latest missive, the White House had scrambled to limit the fallout, saying that even if the anti-Muslim videos were misleading, the president was pointing out a real problem.

"The threat is real, and that's what the president is talking about," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.

- 'Facts do matter' -

Jayda Fransen, deputy head of far-right organisation Britain First, has been convicted of a hate crime

One of the videos falsely claims to show a Muslim migrant beating up a Dutch boy on crutches.

The Dutch embassy in Washington took the unusual step of publicly criticising a sitting US president on Twitter.

"@realDonaldTrump Facts do matter. The perpetrator of the violent act in this video was born and raised in the Netherlands. He received and completed his sentence under Dutch law."

Another video is described as showing an Islamist mob pushing a teenager off a rooftop, without any context -- it appears to be footage filmed during unrest in Egypt in 2013. A man was executed for his role in the teen's death.

The third video allegedly depicts a Muslim smashing a statue of the Virgin Mary.

Britain First hailed Trump for his support.

The group was formed in 2011 and is known for picketing outside mosques. It has run and lost in several British and European parliament elections.
Palestinians celebrate after the landamrk reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Fatah was reached on October 12, 2017

Palestinian rival factions have delayed the handover of power in the Gaza Strip by at least 10 days, stoking fears Thursday that a landmark deal to end their decade-long feud may be set to fail.

A series of Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip in response to mortar fire at its forces meanwhile were a further sign Thursday of the difficulties facing the Palestinian reconciliation bid.

Fatah and Hamas announced the handover delay late Wednesday after sharp disagreements derailed a plan to return civil power in the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority by Friday.

The handover would end Islamist movement Hamas's 10-year dominance of the blockaded Palestinian enclave and had raised hopes that deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the territory could be addressed.

A range of complex issues remain to be resolved, including security control of the Gaza Strip and the fate of two separate civil administrations.

Previous attempts at reconciliation between Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah movement, based in the occupied West Bank, and his Islamist rivals from Hamas have previously failed.

The two factions have not publicly presented a plan for how they will resolve remaining issues before the new December 10 deadline under the Egyptian-brokered accord.

Ghassan Khatib, a former Palestinian Authority minister, said he doubted a true handover could occur by the target date, though partial progress may allow the factions to keep the accord alive.

"This decision (to delay) was taken under pressure from the Egyptian delegation," he said.

"The Egyptian delegation wants success, so they suggested 10 days and promised to continue their presence there and to put pressure on the two sides. I personally doubt that they can solve all those issues quickly."

Wednesday's late-night announcement followed a day of turbulence related to the reconciliation deal signed in Cairo on October 12.

Azzam al-Ahmad of Fatah (R) and Saleh al-Aruri of Hamas sign a deal to end the decade-long feud between the Palestinian factions in Cairo on October 12, 2017

Fatah's top negotiator, Azzam al-Ahmad, told AFP on Wednesday that Hamas was "not committed to the agreement it signed in Cairo."

In response, senior Hamas official Bassem Naim accused Fatah of "manoeuvres" to avoid going through with the deal.

Hamas also accuses Abbas of violating the spirit of the agreement by so far refusing to lift punitive measures, including a cut in electricity payments for Gaza.

On Thursday, Israel's military said it struck at least six military posts in the strip, including those for Hamas and Islamic Jihad, after mortar fire from the enclave targeted its forces.

Three Palestinians were reported wounded, while no Israelis were injured.

There was no sign of a link to the reconciliation accord, but the flare-up was another illustration of the difficulties linked to Gaza, which has seen three wars with Israel since 2008.

- 'A good framework' -

Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip since seizing it in a near civil war with Fatah in 2007, leaving the Palestinians with two separate administrations.

A first deadline under the accord was met, with Hamas handing control of Gaza's borders to the PA on November 1, but far more difficult issues remain.

Smoke billows in Gaza City on November 30, 2017, after Israeli strikes in retaliation to mortar rounds fired from the Palestinian enclave

As tensions built Wednesday, Abbas ordered an immediate stop to public statements on reconciliation "for the sake of the Palestinian national interest and our relationship with our Egyptian brothers", official news agency WAFA said.

Palestinian political analyst Nour Odeh said Thursday this was indication that the process could still be salvaged.

"You have a process in which thousands of people are involved," she told AFP. "I expect these delays and complications to happen. I think both sides do as well."

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem also denied the process had failed, as did a senior Palestinian Authority official.

"Hamas will continue to the furthest point to make the reconciliation succeed. This is a strategic decision we will not retreat from," Qassem said.

In Gaza, optimism was in short supply, however, with many residents expecting the process to collapse.

"All the people want to succeed with reconciliation," said Abdul Latif Abu Abdo, a 45-year-old who sells vegetables in Gaza City.

"But both sides are cheating the people -- Fatah doesn't want it, Hamas doesn't want it."

After the 2007 power shift, the PA continued to pay around 60,000 staff in Gaza, despite the vast majority not working.

Hamas has hired around 50,000 civil servants to replace them over the past decade, and the fate of those staff is a key sticking point, with unions insisting on a settlement.

Fighters of Hamas's armed wing march in the streets of the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Yunis on July 20, 2017

The reconciliation agreement stipulates they have until February to find a solution for the Gaza employees, which could include merging the two civil services.

The future of the police force in Gaza as well as Hamas's powerful armed wing are other key disputes, with the Islamist group refusing to disarm.

Abbas insists the PA have security control of the enclave of two million people.
A malnourished Yemeni child receives treatment at a hospital in the capital Sanaa on November 22, 2017

British Prime Minister Theresa May has implored Saudi leaders to ease a blockade on war-torn Yemen to "avert a humanitarian catastrophe", her office said on Thursday, echoing urgent appeals from the United Nations.

A Saudi-led coalition battling Iran-backed Huthi rebels has only partially lifted a crippling aid blockade on Yemen, which was imposed earlier this month in response to a missile fired by the Huthis that was intercepted near Riyadh airport.

May -- on a Middle East tour that took her to close ally Jordan Thursday -- met both Saudi King Salman and powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh late Wednesday, with the worsening crisis in Yemen topping her agenda.

"The prime minister made clear that the flow of commercial supplies on which the country (Yemen) depends must be resumed if we are to avert a humanitarian catastrophe," May's office said.

"They agreed that steps needed to be taken as a matter of urgency to address this."

British Prime Minister Theresa May urges Saudi Arabia to urgently ease a blockade on Yemen to "avert a humanitarian catastrophe" during talks with King Salman in Riyadh on November 29, 2017

Saudi Arabia is Britain's largest trading partner in the Middle East, and London has signed off on more than 3.3 billion ($4.4 billion/3.7 billion euros) worth of arms sales to Riyadh since March 2015.

That was the month that Riyadh launched its intervention against the Yemeni rebels who still control the capital Sanaa and much of the north of the country.

The war has since killed around 8,600 people, while a further 2,000 have died of cholera.

The United Nations on Monday urged the Saudi-led coalition to do "much more" to ease the blockade impeding shipments of aid and fully reopen the key rebel-held Red Sea port of Hodeida.

The coalition has allowed some supplies to reach rebel-held Sanaa and the Saleef Red Sea port, also in the Huthis' hands.

But little aid has entered through Hodeida, the main conduit for UN-supervised deliveries of food and medicine.

UN officials say Yemen could face the world's largest famine in decades unless the crippling blockade is lifted.

- 'Destabilising activity' -

During her Middle East tour, May also lashed out at Iran, Saudi Arabia's arch foe.

Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia and Iran, the predominant Shiite power, have a long-standing rivalry based as much in geostrategic interests as religious differences.

At a press conference in Jordan after meeting King Abdullah II, May excoriated Tehran for "destabilising activity" across the region from Yemen to Syria.

The Saudi-led coalition, which began its military intervention in Yemen in 2015, has accused Iran of supplying ballistic missiles to the rebels. Tehran denies the charge.

May called for a tougher response to Iran's "ballistic programme and proliferation of weapons" and said it was "unacceptable" for the Huthis to fire missiles at Riyadh.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May reviews the Jordanian honour guard at the royal palace in Amman on November, 30, 2017

Yemen's Huthi on Thursday threatened retaliation unless the blockade is lifting, implicitly threatening fresh missile attacks.

On Syria, the British premier called on all players to "unite behind" UN-led talks in Geneva and "stop creating rival" processes as Russia, Iran and Turkey push a separate initiative.

May's tour also saw her make a surprise stopover in Baghdad Wednesday where she met her Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi and hailed recent military gains against the Islamic State group.

As the jihadists have lost the vast bulk of their territory in the face of multiple offensives, the West is now increasingly focusing on stopping fighters returning home to carry out attacks.

The trip to the Middle East coincided with a furore that erupted after US President Donald Trump retweeted incendiary anti-Muslim videos posted by the deputy head of a British far-right group.

May insisted in Jordan that Trump was "wrong" to post the content, despite the US leader hitting out at her after earlier criticism by suggesting she focus on defending Britain instead of react to him.

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British Prime Minister Theresa May visited US President Donald Trump at the White House in January

When British Prime Minister Theresa May became the first world leader to visit Donald Trump's White House in January, it appeared the historic friendship between the two nations was in good health.

But a series of spats have driven the two leaders apart, and Trump's withering response to May's criticism after he retweeted a British far-right group's videos marked a new low.

Here is a chronology of their deteriorating relationship:

- 'No vacancy' -

November 2016: The US President-elect catches May offguard when he tweets that former UKIP leader and Brexit champion Nigel Farage "would do a great job" as Britain's ambassador to the United States.

May's Downing Street office is forced to say there is "no vacancy".

January 2017: May meets with Trump at the White House, where he predicts that "great days lie ahead for our two peoples and our two countries," raising hopes of a swift post-Brexit trade deal.

The defining image of the trip is of Trump holding May's hand as they walk outside the White House, which caused derision in Britain. The British leader invites her counterpart for a state visit.

But the feelgood factor lasts a matter of hours, as the US president unexpectedly announces a travel ban from seven Muslim-majority countries, affecting dual British citizens and wrong-footing British officials.

"The dual nationals angle will of course be really difficult for us," read one Foreign Office email reported by the BBC.

"Not great after the PM visit," said another.

May and Trump also met at the UN General Assembly in September

May says she "did not agree" with the ban, and MPs demand that she rescinds the state visit invitation.

- 'We're not schoolchildren' -

June 2017: Following previous rows, Trump again targets London mayor Sadiq Khan following a terror attack in the British capital.

Picking on a message from Khan telling Londoners there was "no reason to be alarmed" by an increased police presence, Trump tweets: "At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is 'no reason to be alarmed!'"

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been outspoken in his responses to Trump

Khan responds saying: "We're not schoolchildren. He's the president of the United States, so I'm unclear what his beef is with me."

September 2017: Trump weighs in on another attempted attack, tweeting: "Another attack in London by a loser terrorist. These are sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard. Must be proactive!"

May responds it was "unhelpful" to speculate on an ongoing investigation.

- 'Bitterly disappointed' -

September 2017: Weeks later, relations take a severe blow when the US imposes stiff tariffs on Canadian aerospace firm Bombardier, which employs thousands of people in Northern Ireland, following a complaint from Boeing.

May says she is "bitterly disappointed" by the move, with her government warning that it "could jeopardise" future Ministry of Defence contracts for its aircraft.

Jayda Fransen, the deputy head of a British far-right group, posted anti-Muslim videos that were retweeted by US President Donald Trump

November 2017: Trump retweets three videos originally posted by Jayda Fransen, deputy head of far-right group Britain First, purportedly showing Muslims engaging in acts of violence, although one of the videos was later debunked.

May says Trump was "wrong" to retweet the messages, but the US leader hits back, tweeting to May: "don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom."
An Israeli settler shot dead a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank after a group of Israelis was targeted by Palestinian stone-throwers, officials said

An Israeli settler shot dead a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank on Thursday after a group of Israelis was targeted by Palestinian stone-throwers, officials said.

The Palestinian health ministry confirmed the Palestinian was killed after being shot by an Israeli settler.

It named him as Mohammed Zaal, 45, from the village of Qusra near where the shooting took place.

The Israeli army said the settler opened fire after the group was targeted with stones near Qusra in the northern West Bank.

"An army unit then arrived in the location and provided medical assistance to the Palestinians while providing security to the hikers," a spokesman said.

Tensions run high between Palestinians and Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Qusra is located near the Israeli settlement of Migdalim.

Israeli public radio said the hike had been organised to celebrate a Bar Mitzvah for young settlers from the area.

One of the fathers accompanying them opened fire with his private weapon, the report said.

Since a wave of violence began in October 2015, at least 309 Palestinians or Arab Israelis, 51 Israelis and seven foreigners have been killed in the series of attacks, according to an AFP count.

Israeli authorities say that most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks.

Others were shot dead in protests and clashes, while some were killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

Violence has subsided greatly in recent months.
Macron hosted Trump as guest of honour for Bastille Day celebrations this year.

Emmanuel Macron will host former US president Barack Obama for lunch on Saturday, the French leader's office said, as Paris pursues a tricky diplomatic strategy with his successor Donald Trump.

The lunch at Macron's Elysee Palace residence -- in a "private" capacity, the presidency said Thursday -- will come as Obama visits Paris to speak to Les Napoleons, a network of communications professionals.

Macron, 39, sought to channel Obama's "hope and change" message during his youthful campaign for the presidency, focusing on mobilising grassroots support for his upstart centrist movement En Marche.

The Democrat ex-president gave his official backing to Macron in an online video in May, three days before the second round of the election in which Macron roundly beat far-right rival Marine Le Pen.

Macron also posted an online video of himself speaking on the phone with Obama receiving advice during the campaign.

Macron, who has already waded into a string of international crises as he seeks to build his stature on the world stage, faces a tough balancing act with Obama's unpredictable successor Trump.

Macron rolled out the red carpet for Trump in July, hosting him as guest of honour for Bastille Day celebrations when he sought -- unsuccessfully -- to change the US leader's mind on pulling out of the Paris climate change agreement.

But Trump has not been invited to the December 12 climate summit in Paris, unlike 100 other leaders, and Macron has also said he wants to save the Iranian nuclear deal despite Trump's opposition.
Government figures showed Asia's third-largest economy expanded for the first time in five quarters

India's economy grew at 6.3 percent in the second quarter of the financial year, official data showed Thursday, rebounding from a sharp slowdown in the wake of high-profile reforms.

Government figures showed Asia's third-largest economy expanded for the first time in five quarters, shaking off the lingering impact of a sudden cash ban and launch of a nationwide tax that had dragged growth to three-year lows.

The official figures were slightly below expectations. A Bloomberg survey of economists predicted GDP growth at 6.4 percent from a three-year low of 5.7 percent in the previous June-ended quarter.

But the upturn will come as a relief for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been dogged by criticism over two major reforms that stalled India's much-needed economic expansion.

In the last 12 months Modi's government withdrew most of India's high-value banknotes from circulation in a snap move known as "demonetisation" and rolled out a national goods and services tax.

Both measures sent shockwaves through India's $2 trillion economy, with growth dipping to 6.1 percent in the three months ending March before bottoming out at 5.7 percent in June.

The slump cost India its title as world's fastest-growing major economy but the government defended the pain as necessary to boost tax revenues, crack down on corruption and absorb tens of thousands of new jobseekers into the economy every month.
Smoke billows in Gaza City on November 30, 2017, after Israeli military strikes in Gaza in retaliation to mortar rounds fired from the Palestinian enclave

Israel's military carried out a series of strikes on the Gaza Strip on Thursday after mortar rounds from the Palestinian enclave were fired at its soldiers, in a significant flare-up of violence.

Hamas authorities reported three Palestinians wounded and taken to hospital, providing no further details on their conditions. No Israelis were reported hurt.

The violence came a month after Israel blew up an Islamic Jihad tunnel stretching from the Gaza Strip into its territory, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 Palestinian militants.

There have been warnings that Islamic Jihad would respond to the destruction of the tunnel.

The strikes also occurred at a highly sensitive time for the Palestinians, with rival movements Hamas and Fatah seeking to follow through on a reconciliation accord aimed at ending their 10-year feud.

Israel's army said it had hit six military targets after the mortar fire, including four near the border fence in the north of the strip and two others in the "central Gaza Strip".

The operation involved tanks and Israeli aircraft.

AFP journalists reported seeing three strikes in the Gaza City area.

Palestinian security sources said four Islamic Jihad military bases were struck in different parts of Gaza, as well as at least one Hamas lookout point.

Israel's military said the targets included two belonging to Hamas and two to Islamic Jihad. The other two strikes confirmed by Israel targeted "military posts belonging to terror organisations," a statement said.

Islamic Jihad said none of its fighters were among the wounded.

Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said between 10 and 12 mortar rounds were fired at its forces and positions near the northeastern part of the Gaza Strip before it responded with strikes.

There were no Israeli casualties and "only very light damage," he told journalists.

Conricus signalled that Islamic Jihad was responsible for the mortar fire, but declined to say clearly.

If confirmed, they would be the first strikes by the Hamas-allied group from Gaza since the last war in 2014, sources close to Islamic Jihad said.

- 'Dangerous escalation' -

Repeating Israel's longstanding policy, Conricus said it held Hamas responsible for all such activity from the Gaza Strip.

Smoke billows in Gaza City on November 30, 2017, after Israeli military strikes in Gaza in retaliation to mortar rounds fired from the Palestinian enclave

Dawoud Shahab, a senior Islamic Jihad leader, said in a statement Thursday they had the "full right to respond to this dangerous escalation for which the (Israeli) occupation is responsible."

Islamist movement Hamas has run the Gaza Strip for a decade.

Conricus said that Israel did not want to escalate the situation but that it considered the mortar fire a "severe event."

"We know exactly who conducted this attack," he said.

"We even know them by name, but we hold the Hamas terrorist organisation responsible for any act of hostility perpetrating from the Gaza Strip against Israel."

He pointed out that the incident came exactly a month after the tunnel operation.

Tensions have risen between Israel and Islamic Jihad after the army blew up the tunnel that stretched from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory on October 30.

Such tunnels have been used in the past to carry out attacks.

Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip have fought three wars since 2008. Occasional exchanges of fire continue to occur along the border.

Under a reconciliation deal signed in October, Hamas was meant to hand power back to the Palestinian Authority by December 1, thereby ending its decade-long dominance there.

But Fatah and Hamas announced late Wednesday that they were postponing the planned handover to December 10 with sharp disagreements persisting between the two sides.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947

Five suspected rebels were shot dead by government forces on Thursday in Indian-administered Kashmir, officials said, as the disputed territory reels from the deadliest upsurge in armed conflict this decade.

More than 200 militants have been killed in violent clashes in Kashmir so far this year, officials say, amid a military campaign to rout armed groups resisting Indian rule in the divided Himalayan region.

In the latest skirmish, four gunmen were killed in central Budgam district in a firefight with Indian forces, said army spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia.

A fifth suspected militant was killed in Sopore, an area northwest of the main city of Srinagar, he added.

So far this year 205 rebels have been killed, according to police officials and watchdogs -- the highest number since 2010, when a bloody uprising over the death of three civilians saw hundreds killed in protests and armed clashes with Indian forces.

Militant ranks have swelled since security forces shot dead a hugely popular rebel commander, Burhan Wani, in July 2016 and the frequency of deadly encounters with government troops has escalated.

Wani's death provoked an outpouring of anger directed at government forces that left nearly 100 dead and thousands injured.

"The number of militant killings is higher this year because more youth joined their ranks after last year's summer protests," a top police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Civilians still often break curfew to rally whenever militants are killed or holed up in firefights, hurling stones and chanting anti-India slogans.

An Indian solider was wounded in the Sopore firefight on Thursday and three civilians were injured by pellets fired by government forces to disperse protesters in Budgam, a police officer said on condition of anonymity.

Indian officials believe around 200 armed militants are still active across the portion of the territory they control.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Both claim the former kingdom in full and have fought two of their three wars over its control.

Rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 roughly half a million Indian soldiers deployed in the territory, demanding independence or a merger of the entire disputed region with Pakistan.

The fighting has left tens of thousands, mostly civilians, dead.
US-made armoured vehicles bearing markings of the US Marine Corps are seen on a road north of Raqa in northern Syria on March 27, 2017

Over 400 US Marines involved in battling the Islamic State group in Syria are being withdrawn as part of a cut in forces after the capture of jihadist "capital" Raqa, the US-led coalition said Thursday.

The Marines had deployed to Syria in March and used 155mm howitzers to support local forces as they fought to retake Raqa.

"With the city liberated and ISIS on the run, the unit has been ordered home. Its replacements have been called off," the coalition said in a statement.

The coalition's director of operations Brigadier General Jonathan Braga called the move "a real sign of progress" as the jihadists have seen the vast swathes of ground they seized across Syria and Iraq in 2014 reduced to just a few remaining pockets.

"We're drawing down combat forces where it makes sense, but still continuing our efforts to help Syrian and Iraqi partners maintain security," Braga said in the statement.

A recent report from the Pentagon's Defense Manpower Data Center said that as of September 30, the US military had 1,720 troops in Syria and 8,892 in Iraq.

Those numbers were far above the officially released figure of 503 in Syria and 5,262 in Iraq, and even after the announcement of the Marine withdrawal, that supposed 503 figure hadn't budged.

An alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), retook Raqa from the jihadists in October after a brutal onslaught supported by artillery and air power from the US-led coalition.

The international group -- which began targeting the jihadists in 2014 -- is still supporting the militia in an operation in neighboring Deir Ezzor province.

The Syrian regime backed by Russian fire power is currently conducting a separate offensive in the same region.

As operations change from taking back territory to more of a counter-insurgency, the need for equipment like heavy artillery has diminished, Pentagon spokesman Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway said.

Now the goal is more to "train local security forces to defend their territory," he said.

- 'Adjustments to military support' -

Since Raqa's capture, coalition strikes have dropped off drastically and, under pressure from Turkey, Washington has promised "adjustments to the military support" for the SDF.

Kurdish officials have, however, insisted that cooperation will continue between the two sides, while the US has said coalition forces do not expect to end their mission until a peace deal is negotiated in Syria.

In a separate statement released Thursday the coalition said that 801 civilians had been killed unintentionally in the more than 28,000 air strikes it has conducted, and that it is still probing 695 reported incidents.

Monitoring group Airwars insists that number is well below the true civilian toll of the bombing campaign, estimating that almost 6,000 innocent lives have been lost.

As the "caliphate" the jihadists declared now looks set to be wiped off the map, there are major questions over what comes next in Syria's complex war that has claimed over 340,000 lives since 2011.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad -- and his main backers Iran and Russia -- now have clear military superiority in the country and international players led by Moscow are making their most concerted push to halt hostilities.

But any progress towards an overall political settlement remains fraught with obstacles and UN-backed talks involving the regime and opposition currently taking place in Geneva have been clouded by major disagreements.
Former US President Barack Obama told Xi he was willing to continue to play a positive role in enhancing mutual understanding and cooperative exchange between the US and China

Barack Obama has met President Xi Jinping, with the former US president hoping to improve ties between their two countries, China's state media said, as relations between Beijing and Washington are tested over North Korea.

Obama met Xi on Wednesday in Beijng at Diaoyutai Guest House, a sprawling complex frequently used to house visiting leaders. Obama was in China as part of a world speaking tour.

Obama told Xi he was willing to continue to play a positive role in enhancing mutual understanding and cooperative exchange between the US and China, according to state broadcaster China Central Television, which featured the meeting in its prime-time news show.

Obama said it was in the interest of both countries to develop a constructive relationship, according to CCTV.

Xi said that China and the US share a common interest and responsiblity in safeguarding world peace and stability.

The meeting came not long after North Korea conducted its latest ballistic missile test.

In response the United States warned North Korea's leadership that it will be "utterly destroyed" if war breaks out, but its call for nations to cut ties with Pyongyang was rejected by Moscow while Beijing sidestepped talk of an oil embargo.

Chinese state media did not say if the topic was discussed by Xi and Obama.

The state broadcaster said Xi told Obama about the achievements of China's recently concluded 19th Communist Party Congress when he was installed for another five year term.

Obama began his trip to China on Tuesday with a speech to the Global Alliance of SMEs Summit in Shanghai, a non-government organisation promoting small business interests.

He also met Liu Cixin, a prolific Chinese science fiction writer and author of the award-winning "The Three Body Problem" series.

Obama was set to leave China on Thursday for India where he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country did not violate US sanctions on Iran

A Turkish-Iranian gold trader testifying at trial in New York on Thursday implicated Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a multi-billion-dollar gold-for-oil scheme allegedly designed to subvert US sanctions on Iran.

Reza Zarrab, 34, who was arrested in Miami in 2016 before agreeing to cooperate with US prosecutors, implied that Erdogan knew how he and a Turkish banker, now on trial, circumvented US sanctions on Iran and laundered money from Iranian petroleum sales.

The case has angered Erdogan. His government has called the trial a "plot" and he has demanded the release of Zarrab and defendant, Mehmet Hakan Atilla, the deputy chief executive of Turkish lender Halkbank.

"We did the right thing. We did not violate the embargo," Erdogan told lawmakers in Turkey on Thursday, according to state broadcaster TRT Haber.

But in New York, Zarrab said he was told that in 2012, Erdogan, prime minister at the time, and then treasury minister Ali Babacan had given "instructions" for two other Turkish public banks, Vakif and Ziraat, to take part in the scheme.

Turkey's then economy minister, Zaref Caglayan, "told me that Mr. Prime Minister had given approval for Ziraat and Vakif to also do this work," he said through a Turkish-language interpreter.

Zarrab also used his second day of testimony to declare that he extended the multi-billion-dollar scheme to India and tried to do so in China.

"But then all the banks we were working with, they immediately stopped it when they realized it had something to do with Iran," Zarrab testified.

Reza Zarrab, shown in this December 2013 file photo, was to go on trial in a Manhattan federal court but is now the prosecution's star witness

On Wednesday, he said he paid tens of millions of dollars worth of bribes to Caglayan between 2012 and 2013 to facilitate illegal gold transactions with Iran.

Due to face trial himself, he instead pleaded guilty to seven counts and became prosecutors' star witness. While others have been indicted, they remain at large and Atilla is alone in the dock.

- 'Under pressure' -

While Erdogan is not charged with any crime, analysts had expected that corruption revelations could embarrass him and his inner circle.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said Zarrab was making defamatory claims because he was "under pressure."

There are fears in Turkey that a guilty verdict could lead to possible sanctions on one or more Turkish banks, spelling bad news for the country's fragile economy.

Zarrab was a key figure in a 2013 Turkish corruption scandal in which he allegedly bribed four ministers to facilitate sanctions-busting trade and other deals.

He allegedly carried suitcases stuffed with cash to Dubai, where they were exchanged for foreign currencies used for international payments to circumvent the US sanctions.

He was held for 70 days until prosecutors dropped all the charges.

Caglayan, who is also named in the US indictment, and the other three ministers resigned from government at the time.

Turkey has denounced both the New York trial and the 2013 scandal as conspiracies by US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, the alleged mastermind of a 2016 failed coup targeting Erdogan.

Gulen denies the allegations.

Atilla is charged with violating sanctions against Iran, as well as of bribery and money laundering.

Halkbank has denied any suggestion that it violated US sanctions, saying it had "not been a party" to any "illegal" transaction.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, posing with Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, urges China to cut oil supplies to North Korea

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson renewed US pleas to China on Thursday to cut oil shipments to North Korea to bring it to the negotiating table over its nuclear and missile programs.

The US diplomatic moves come as North Korea celebrates the test of an intercontinental ballistic missile that Pyongyang says gives it the ability to strike Washington with a nuclear weapon.

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, warned Wednesday that the missile test has brought the world closer to war and said President Donald Trump has urged China's President Xi Jinping to cut off Pyongyang's oil supplies.

If Beijing does not act, she warned, "we can take the oil situation in our own hands."

Earlier Thursday, Trump said on Twitter that a Chinese envoy to Pyongyang had apparently failed to sway North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

But at a State Department photo op with visiting German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, Tillerson said "the Chinese are doing a lot."

He added, however, "We do think that they can do more with the oil."

He said the United States was urging Beijing to "restrain" oil shipments to Pyongyang, "not cut it off completely."

"The most effective tool the last time the North Koreans came to the table," he said, "was cutting the oil off."
A handout picture taken from the official Facebook page of Iraq's Interior Minister Qassem al-Araji on November 30, 2017, shows him meeting on August 20 with Iraqi teenager Osama Bin Laden Hussein in Baghdad

Just four days before he was about to legally change his first name, Iraqi teenager Osama bin Laden Hussein died after being electrocuted, a cousin said Thursday.

The 16-year-old was named by his father after Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, whose group carried out the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, his cousin, Mohannad, told AFP.

"He was born at the end of 2001, just after the September 11 attack on the Twin Towers (in New York)," said Mohannad, who declined to give his surname.

At time Iraqi media under former dictator Saddam Hussein "depicted Ben Laden as a hero, not a terrorist" and Hussein's father chose that first name for his newborn son as a tribute, he said.

But that choice backfired.

After the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, US soldiers raided the Hussein family home after they learned that "Bin Laden" lived there, an episode that scarred the young boy, said the cousin.

Hussein was afraid of venturing out of the family home, staying indoors to avoid encountering a patrol which would ask for his papers.

Eventually he dared to go out and sold tea on the street to earn some pocket money.

His luck changed after he was interviewed by a local television channel two months ago.

Interior Minister Qassem al-Araji saw the show and invited Hussein and his family to a meeting in Baghdad's high-security "Green Zone", said Ahmad al-Hajj, the journalist who conducted the interview.

The family was "terrified" when they received the call from the interior minister asking to meet them but the visit went well, Hajj told AFP.

The minister "joked with Hussein, gave him an Iphone and asked him to choose a new first name", said Hajj.

Hussein could not think of one and the minister opted for Ahmad, and a new identify card bearing his name change was due to be delivered on Sunday.

Buoyed by his good fortune, Hussein went looking for a job and a week ago found one in a shop that sells spare parts.

On Wednesday, he climbed on the roof of the shop to bring down some supplies but slipped and grabbed onto an electricity cable, said Mohannad.

"He was electrocuted and died," the cousin said.

Around 3,000 people were killed in the 9/11 plane attacks on the United States, while bin Laden was killed in a 2011 US raid on a compound in Pakistan.
Sacked NBC anchor Matt Lauer expresses "shame" and "regret" after a female colleague accuses him of sexual misconduct

More details emerged Thursday of harassment allegations against NBC's Matt Lauer, the second US star anchor sacked in a week as the sexual misconduct hurricane pummels television networks after convulsing Hollywood and politics.

The 59-year-old married father of three and affable host of NBC's "Today" show beamed into American homes for decades, expressed "shame" and "regret" after being sacked when a female colleague accused him of sexual misconduct.

"Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized," he said in a statement read Thursday on "Today". "But there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed."

Lauer is the biggest media scalp in the firestorm of sexual misconduct allegations that has engulfed the United States, derailing the careers of Hollywood titan Harvey Weinstein, Oscar winner Kevin Spacey, and last week CBS News anchor Charlie Rose.

Paid $25 million a year, he interviewed four of the last sitting US presidents, anchoring some of the world's biggest news events for more than two decades including numerous Olympic Games, and breaking news of the September 11 attacks.

His exit leaves George Stephanopoulos at ABC News the last male star standing on national morning news programs at the traditional three US broadcast networks.

"Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching," Lauer said. "It is now my full-time job."

NBC News confirmed that two additional women had come forward against Lauer. An NBC correspondent covering the story said there could be as many as eight accusers, but that anonymity made it difficult to tabulate.

- Damage limitation -

One anonymous former employee told The New York Times that Lauer summoned her to his office in 2011, locked the door and sexually assaulted her. She told the Times that she passed out and had to be taken to a nurse.

Sexual misconduct scandals have swept through the media, bringing down stars like NBC's Matt Lauer (L), CBS's Charlie Rose (C), and Fox's Bill O'Reilly (R)

Hollywood trade weekly Variety published a two-month investigation resulting from dozens of interviews, suggesting a pattern of inappropriate behavior.

Allegations included Lauer exposing himself to a female employee in his office, inviting female colleagues to his hotel room while covering the Olympics and sending a mortified colleague a sex toy with an explicit note.

Lauer had a button under his desk that allowed him to lock his office door from the inside without getting up, Variety reported.

"He couldn't sleep around town with celebrities or on the road with random people, because he's Matt Lauer and he's married. So he'd have to do it within his stable, where he exerted power," one former producer told Variety.

Several women told the magazine that complaints about Lauer fell on deaf ears.

"We can say unequivocally, that, prior to Monday night, current NBC News management was never made aware of any complaints about Matt Lauer's conduct," NBC News said.

Last month NBC News also terminated veteran political journalist Mark Halperin over allegations that he sexually harassed women while working for ABC News.

The Lauer scandal has revived scrutiny of NBC's apparent reluctance to report other stories of sexual misconduct.

- Falling like dominos -

During the 2016 presidential campaign, the network was scooped on Donald Trump boasting of groping women on an NBC "Access Hollywood" tape, which the Washington Post published first.

Fans look into the windows at the end of the morning Today show segment on November 29, 2017 after it was announced Matt Lauer was terminated by NBC

The broadcaster also knocked back the chance to publish NBC contributor Ronan Farrow's explosive reporting about Weinstein, which was instead revealed by The New Yorker.

But NBC is far from alone.

CBS News fired Charlie Rose, another morning news anchor, on November 21 after eight women told the Washington Post he had made unwanted sexual advances toward them.

Television giant Fox News has struggled to contain allegations that its late former chairman Roger Ailes and ex-star presenter Bill O'Reilly, fired this year, settled multiple cases of sexual harassment brought by female colleagues.

O'Reilly announced Thursday that he would be asking how "fair-minded Americans" should think about "the constant allegations of bad behavior by powerful men" on the paid-subscription podcast he set up after being sacked from Fox.

Lauer recently grilled O'Reilly about the women whose allegations led to his dismissal.

"Think of how intimidating that must have been, how nerve-racking that must have been. Doesn't that tell you how strongly they felt about the way they were treated?" he said at the time.
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Trump will make his second address to a joint session of Congress on January 30

US President Donald Trump will deliver his first traditional State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on January 30, officials said Thursday.

"The New Year will bring an opportunity to take account of the progress we have made but also lay out the work that still remains to be done on behalf of the American people," House Speaker Paul Ryan said in his letter of invitation to Trump.

A few hours later, the White House formally accepted the invitation.

The president, and the Republicans who control Congress, still lack a major legislative accomplishment 10 months into his mandate, after failing to pass health care, immigration or infrastructure reforms.

But Trump is now in reach of a major political victory, with his controversial tax reform bill expected to come to a vote in the Senate by Friday.

The State of the Union address is a presidential obligation that allows the US leader to explain to the American people and their elected representatives his priorities for the coming year.

George Washington gave the first such address on January 8, 1790.

Trump did not give the speech in January because he had just assumed office, but he addressed a joint session of Congress on February 28, a month after his inauguration.

His presentation was well-received as one of his more presidential addresses during a rowdy, atypical start to a mandate in which he cast aside the conventional forms of behavior for a US chief executive.
House speaker Paul Ryan, arriving Thursday for a weekly news conference in the US Capitol Visitor Center, urged passage of a temporary spending bill to avert a government shutdown

US lawmakers should pass a temporary spending bill in the coming week in order to avoid a crippling government shutdown, House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Thursday.

With a December 8 deadline looming to avoid closures affecting much of the federal government, Congress faces a narrowing window to either fund operations through the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, or agree to a so-called continuing resolution (CR) to keep government open for a period under the previous year's spending levels.

"We will pass a short-term CR that is necessary to keep the government open to keep talks going," Ryan told reporters, speaking for the House. "Hopefully, people will decide to participate in the talks."

Any short-term spending extension would also have to pass the Senate and be signed by the president.

The US government cannot legally operate unless Congress allocates funding for federal operations. Such spending is currently assured only until December 8.

Ryan did not say how long the temporary funding might last, but such measures typically extend spending for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.

- A looming showdown -

In the run-up to such deadlines, lawmakers often seek extra time to allow for negotiations over a comprehensive and complex funding package, in this case until the end of the 2018 fiscal year on Sept. 30.

The talks are shaping up to be a showdown between Republicans, under President Donald Trump, and opposition Democrats, who could stall the bill's progress in the Senate.

Pressure swelled on both parties earlier this week, when Trump tweeted that he did not envision a deal being made with Democrats, whom he described as "weak" on immigration, crime and taxes.

Democratic leaders promptly backed out of a long-scheduled White House meeting with the president, saying they would focus instead on negotiating with their Republican counterparts in Congress.

One key point of dispute is whether to include measures addressing the thousands of immigrants who arrived in the United States illegally as children, and were shielded from deportation under the Obama administration's DACA program.

Democrats want legislation that will protect the so-called Dreamers.

But Trump moved to repeal the DACA program, exposing hundreds of thousands of immigrants to possible deportation, while suspending implementation of the repeal until March to provide time for a legislative fix.

"Do we have to have a DACA solution? Yes, we do," Ryan said.

He added that while other fiscal pressures should be addressed first, the two parties ought to begin working on a solution now in order to complete it before March.
Since August, there have been running battles between anti-government protesters and the security forces in Togo which have left at least 16 people dead

Protesters in Togo showed no signs of relenting in their bid to oust President Faure Gnassingbe on Thursday, taking to the streets for a second day as the opposition outlined conditions for talks with the government.

In Lome, the rallies -- which have become a common sight over the past three months -- took place in a calm atmosphere although earlier protests have resulted in deadly clashes with the security forces which have claimed at least 16 lives.

Gnassingbe has ruled Togo for more than 15 years, and demonstrators want him to go -- seeking an end to his family's more than 50-year grip on power. They also want to impose a two-term limit on the presidential mandate.

Although largely silent on the wave of protests, Gnassingbe finally spoke out on November 20, saying the government was in talks about holding negotiations with the opposition which could take place "within several weeks".

The almost-daily protests which have gripped Togo since late August have been organised by a coalition of 14 opposition parties, who have insisted they will only talk if the government releases detainees, lifts the ban on demonstrations in several northern cities and sends troops back to their barracks.

Most of the deadly clashes between protesters and the security forces have taken place in the north where there has been a heavy security presence.

"Mobilisation will continue, even during talks. We are not going to give up the fight," the leader of the National Alliance for Change (ANC), Jean-Pierre Fabre, told AFP on Wednesday.

- International observers -

Demonstrators are adamant that President Faure Gnassingbe, who has ruled Togo since 2005, must go with protests even taking place outside the UN in New York

But many are sceptical about the prospects of talks with the government.

"We've done too much talking in this country and agreements have never been respected," fumed Elie Lodinou, a salesman who was taking part in the demonstrations.

"This time, the international community must come alongside us. We need observers from the UN and the African Union present at these talks," he insisted.

Many African and European heads of states were in Abidjan this week for a key EU-AU summit which touched on the Togo crisis.

On the sidelines of the two-day meeting, Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari and his Ivorian counterpart Alassane Ouattara expressed concern that the instability in Togo could have regional consequences.

"We must have a solution in Togo," Buhari said, stressing that allies of both the opposition and the government "must talk to them (about) the steps to jointly take to achieve stability."

"There will be regional consequences for instability in Togo and this will surely come at a cost to development," he warned.

Speaking to France 24 television and Radio France International (RFI) on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he hoped there would be "an electoral process (in Togo)... which allows either a democratic confirmation or transition of power.

"Keeping power for a long period of time without any electoral processes, without a framework of pluralism, is not a good thing," he said.

Mediators such as Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo and Guinea's Alpha Conde have also been working to open up talks between the two sides.
Shiite Huthi fighters walk outside in front of al-Saleh mosque in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on November 30, 2017

Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels said Thursday they fired a ballistic missile at Saudi Arabia and hit a military target, in the second such attack this month, after threatening to retaliate over a crippling blockade.

"We confirm the success of our ballistic missile trial, which hit its military target inside Saudi Arabia," the Huthi-run Al-Masira television channel said.

A spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hours earlier in a speech broadcast on Al-Masira, rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi warned against "prolonging the blockade" imposed on Yemen following a November 4 rebel missile attack that was intercepted near Riyadh international airport.

"Should the blockade continue, we know what (targets) would cause great pain and how to reach them," he said.

Saudi Arabia and its allies tightened the longstanding blockade on Yemen's ports and the main international airport in Sanaa in the wake of the November missile attack.

The move prompted the Huthis to warn that they considered "airports, ports, border crossings and areas of any importance" in Saudi Arabia, as well as its ally the United Arab Emirates, legitimate targets.

"We will not stand idly by -- we will seek more radical means to prevent both the tightening of the blockade and all acts aimed at starving and humiliating the people of Yemen," the rebels' political office said this month.

Riyadh accuses its arch-rival Iran of arming Yemen's Huthis and earlier this month Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said this "could be considered an act of war".

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of supplying the Huthis with arms.

Iran's foreign ministry has denied the accusation.

- Rebel rift -

The Huthis, a northern minority that has long complained of marginalisation, descended on the capital Sanaa from their mountainous region in September 2014, seizing the city with little resistance.

Security forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who ruled Yemen for decades until he resigned under pressure in 2012, joined forces with the Huthis.

Together they forced the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour to flee to the main southern city of Aden and later to Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia and a coalition of mainly Sunni Arab allies launched air strikes in March 2015 against the Huthis and later sent ground troops to support pro-government forces.

The conflict has claimed more than 8,600 lives since the Saudi-led coalition joined the government's war against the rebel alliance.

More than 2,000 people have also died of cholera this year.

The United Nations has warned Yemen faces mass famine unless the Saudi-led coalition allows more food aid into the country, long the poorest in the region.

The coalition allowed limited supplies into select areas in Yemen last weekend.

Yemen's conflict, which has enabled Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, and the Islamic State group to flourish in the chaos of war, shows no sign of waning.

The Huthi-Saleh rebel alliance has also begun to unravel, with clashes between the Huthis and fighters loyal to the former president leaving at least 14 dead on Wednesday.

Violence between the two, whose alliance first began to show cracks in August, flared again on Thursday night, localised in southern Sanaa and around the residence of two of Saleh's nephews.
Dutch soldiers of the UN's MINUSMA peacekeeping force in Mali, seen Thursday at their base in the city of Gao

France is asking the Security Council to allow the UN mission in Mali to support the struggling African force fighting jihadists in the Sahel region, but at no extra cost to the United Nations, according to a draft resolution seen by AFP on Thursday.

The United States has pledged up to $60 million to the five-nation force but has resisted appeals from France and African leaders to allow the United Nations to shore up the military operations.

The draft resolution, which could be voted on as early as next week, specifies that MINUSMA, the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, would provide fuel, water, rations and other services to the Sahel force that would be repaid in full.

MINUSMA would provide medical evacuation services and engineering units to help prepare the Sahel force in Mali known as the G5 -- with troops from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

The logistical support would be "subject to full financial compensation to the United Nations," according to the draft resolution presented to the 15 council members.

France has clashed with the United States over international support for the Sahel force.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley told a council meeting last month that the peacekeeping mission in Mali was already overstretched. She raised "serious" reservations about "using UN resources to support non-UN activity."

Asked about the French draft resolution, a US mission spokesperson declined to comment, saying negotiations were ongoing.

- Slow deployment -

The French request to the Security Council came as President Emmanuel Macron complained about the sluggish deployment of the G5 force and said it needed more troops and military means.

Macron has called an international meeting in Paris on December 13 to build support for the force because "terrorists have scored military and symbolic victories, notably in Niger."

"It is urgent to reverse this trend," he said.

In early October, four US soldiers and five Nigerien troops were killed by militants with suspected links to the Islamic State group in an ambush of a joint US-Niger patrol near the Niger-Mali border.

The European Union has pledged 50 million euros ($59.5 million) to the force, while the five countries involved have given 10 million each, but the pledges fall well short of the 250 million euros said to be needed to get the force up and running.

Saudi Arabia may make a contribution at France's urging, the French presidency said earlier this month.

The vast Sahel region -- roughly the size of India -- has turned into a hotbed of lawlessness since chaos engulfed Libya in 2011, Islamists took over northern Mali in 2012 and the Boko Haram group became active in northern Nigeria.

Washington's reluctance to lend UN logistical support for the Sahel force comes after the US administration negotiated a $600-million cut to the UN peacekeeping budget this year.

The United States is the UN's leading financial contributor.
UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura speaks at a meeting with the Syrian Negotiation Commission delegation, during the UN-led Intra-Syrian talks in Geneva November 30, 2017

Negotiations in Geneva aimed at ending Syria's devastating civil war have started in a "professional and serious" atmosphere and will be extended another two weeks, the UN mediator said Thursday.

The meetings, which began Wednesday, were initially expected to last only two to three days, United Nations special envoy Staffan de Mistura told reporters.

"The atmosphere... compared to the past was professional and serious on both sides," he said, adding that the talks were now expected to last until December 15.

De Mistura said they would take a break over the weekend and would return to Geneva to continue the negotiations next Tuesday.

In seven past rounds on his watch the envoy has not managed to get representatives of Syria's warring sides to sit at the same table, instead of shuttling back and forth between delegations.

But on Thursday he said talks were heading in the right direction, with the two sides arriving at the UN in Geneva around the same time, and holding parallel meetings in rooms "just five metres apart".

These were "very close, proximity, parallel meetings," de Mistura said.

Syria's government had initially refused to confirm it would attend the UN-brokered peace talks after the rebels signalled they would maintain a hard line on their call for President Bashar al-Assad to be removed from office.

But government negotiators finally showed up after reportedly securing key concessions, including keeping the Assad issue off the table.

The UN mediator told reporters the negotiations so far had not touched on "the issue of the presidency", and stressed there should be "no preconditions".

The opposition, united in one delegation for the first time, has stressed it is anxious for face-to-face talks with the government, but de Mistura hinted that could still be a way off.

"Let's be frank: direct contact is good, but what is essential is being able to exchange opinions and shuttling as we do ... is good enough," he said.

Syria's six-year war has claimed more than 340,000 lives, forced millions to flee their homes and left Syria in ruins.

Earlier Thursday, de Mistura's adviser Jan Egeland told reporters that 500 people, mainly women and children, desperately needed to leave Syria's Eastern Ghouta region, one of the last rebel-held strongholds.

He warned "many of them will die" if they do not receive immediate medical care, pointing out that nine people previously on the UN's list of civilians in urgent need of evacuation had already perished.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson poses with Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel(not shown) ahead of a bilateral at the State Department in Washington, DC on November 30, 2017

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson enjoys his job as Washington's top diplomat and intends to stay on, his spokeswoman said Thursday, after reports President Donald Trump plans to force him out.

Spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly had called the State Department to assure officials that the reports that he was to be replaced were untrue.

"Secretary Tillerson enjoys this job. He has a lot of work to do," Nauert said, confirming that the secretary has a week of meetings planned next week with European ministers in Brussels, Stockholm, Vienna and Paris.

"Chief of Staff Kelly called our department this morning and said that the rumors are not true, that those reports are not true. That is what I've been told, and that's what we've been told, and you heard from the White House today that they have no personnel changes announce."

As Nauert spoke at the State Department, Tillerson was at the White House for a meeting with top national security officials on the crisis in Syria.

Earlier, The New York Times -- followed shortly afterwards by several other news outlets -- had reported that Trump has become frustrated with Tillerson and plans to replace him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo.
ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda affirmed her previous decision that the 2010 raid in which nine Turkish citizens died when Israeli marines stormed the ship Mavi Marmara was "not of sufficient gravity" to prosecute

The International Criminal Court will not prosecute Israel over the deadly raid on a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid toward Gaza in May 2010, it was announced Thursday.

"I have ultimately decided to reaffirm my previous decision of November 6, 2014," ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement, referring to when she ruled the incident was "not of sufficient gravity".

However, sticking to that same judgement Bensouda said: "My conclusion remains that there is a reasonable basis to believe that war crimes were committed by some members of the Israel Defence Forces."

Nine Turkish citizens died when Israeli marines stormed the Mavi Marmara, among eight ships trying to break a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. One more died in hospital in 2014.

The case was first filed by the Comoros, where the ship was registered.

Ties between Israel and Turkey crumbled after the raid but last year they agreed to end the row after secret talks.

Israel offered an apology over the raid, permission for Turkish aid to reach Gaza through Israeli ports, and a payout of $20 million (18 million euros) to families of those killed.

Under the deal, both sides agreed that individual Israeli citizens or those acting on behalf of the government would not be held liable.

Families of the victims had pressed on with their legal battle, but the ICC's decision is final and was filed Wednesday, Bensouda's statement said.
Reports suggest that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) could be replaced by CIA Director Mike Pompeo (R) by year's end, though the State Department spokeswoman said Tillerson intends to stay on

Rex Tillerson's political future appeared to hang by a thread Thursday, with President Donald Trump refusing to rule out his imminent departure as secretary of state.

Amid reports of a plan to replace the former oil man with CIA director Mike Pompeo -- who is seen as more amenable to the president's hardline views -- Trump passed up an opportunity to publicly back his embattled top diplomat.

Asked if he wants Tillerson to remain in his post, Trump said only that "Rex is here" at the White House, a break from the usual expression of confidence in such circumstances.

A senior White House official did not deny reports that Tillerson would be replaced, a rumor that has been circulating for months, but quibbled with the suggestion a plan was being rolled out.

The New York Times earlier on Thursday quoted unnamed senior administration officials as saying Trump had soured on Tillerson and was ready for a change at the State Department, probably around the end of the year.

The White House did little to scotch the rumors.

"There are no personnel announcements at this time," said press secretary Sarah Sanders.

"Secretary Tillerson continues to lead the State Department and the entire cabinet is focused on completing this incredibly successful first year of president Trump's administration."

The State Department said that Tillerson enjoys his job as Washington's top diplomat and intends to stay on.

Spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly had called the State Department to assure officials that the reports that he was to be replaced were untrue.

- 'More control' -

Trump and Tillerson have aired striking differences in public.

Trump surprised many observers when he tweeted that Tillerson was "wasting his time" pursuing contacts with North Korea, and Tillerson was quoted as having said that the president was a "moron."

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and President Donald Trump have aired striking differences in public

The former ExxonMobil executive has also defended the Iran nuclear deal, which Trump last month disavowed.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who has aligned himself with Tillerson's efforts in the North Korean crisis, said when asked about reports the top diplomat may be on the way out: "I make nothing of it, there's nothing to it."

"Certainly, they will have areas of disagreement, when it comes to policy. Of that there's no doubt, and it's very clear. The secretary has spoken to that himself," Nauert said, insisting that Trump welcomes having policy options to choose from.

It was not clear Thursday whether the president had given final approval to the reported cabinet changes, but he has previously tried to push advisors out rather than sack them outright.

Under the purported plan, Pompeo would be replaced at the CIA by Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas and a hawk on Iran and an important Trump ally on national security issues.

A Cotton aide told AFP that "Senator Cotton's focus is on serving Arkansans in the Senate."

His departure would leave Republicans with another seat to defend, at a time when their Senate majority already in question.

Cotton won his seat easily in 2014, and is tipped as a future presidential contender, but Trump's unpopularity means Republicans can no longer assume victory in even deep red states.

The CIA declined to comment.

Analysts saw the reported move as evidence that Trump is trying to take more control over a foreign policy that at times has seem detached from the president's own rhetoric.

"Trump is trying to find a way to hire people who are loyal to him and will help him push back against the establishment," Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution told AFP.

"Pompeo and Cotton have both convinced Trump they fit the bill," he added. "Overall, it's a sign that Trump wants more control over his own foreign policy."
President Donald Trump could choose Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, US media reported Thursday

President Donald Trump's reported plan to make CIA chief Mike Pompeo his top diplomat would bring another tough-talking military veteran into his cabinet, but hand over a troubled State Department to someone with untested diplomatic skills.

US media said Thursday that Trump had decided to remove current Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the former chief executive of oil giant ExxonMobil, after less than a year in the job.

While Tillerson and Trump are not believed to have connected well, over 10 months Pompeo has cut a path into Trump's inner circle with ready praise of the president as he personally delivered many of the Oval Office's crucial daily intelligence briefings.

And he has echoed Trump's aggressive stance in foreign policy, pledging a more "vicious' CIA, saying Iran needs to pay more dearly for its behavior, and half-joking about the prospect of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un being assassinated.

"If Kim Jong-Un should vanish, given the history of the CIA, I'm just not going to talk about it," Pompeo said in October. "Someone might think there was a coincidence.

At the same time, he has not overtly challenged Trump's attacks on the intelligence community's conclusion that Russia meddled extensively in last year's presidential election, attacks that have angered many in the CIA and other spy agencies.

- West Point to Washington -

Pompeo, 53, has had a meteoric career that leaned heavily on political opportunities that ultimately led him to Trump.

Born and raised in southern California, he attended the US Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated top of his class in 1986, specializing in engineering.

He served in the military for five years -- never in combat -- and then left to attend Harvard Law School.

After working in law, he founded an engineering company in Wichita, Kansas, where financial backers included the conservative Koch brothers, oil industry billionaires.

The Kochs backed his successful first run for Congress in 2010, and legislation he promoted in his first years in the House of Representatives was seen as very friendly to them.

He moved quickly onto the House Intelligence Committee, where, as overseer of the CIA and other agencies, he was privy to the country's deepest secrets.

But he made his name on the special committee Republicans formed to investigate the 2012 killing of a US ambassador and three other Americans in Benghazi, Libya. Pompeo was one of the leaders of the effort to focus that probe on then secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

- 'Aggressive, vicious' CIA -

If appointed secretary of state, Pompei would inherit a department unsettled by Tillerson's tenure, which has seen the departure of many top diplomats with some of the most senior posts left unstaffed, and veterans complaining of a lack of leadership.

As director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Pompeo has matched the tone of Trump's foreign policy pronouncements.

"The CIA, to be successful, must be aggressive, vicious, unforgiving, relentless," he said.

But so far there have been few signs of a radical shift.

"Pompeo obviously wants the agency to be more aggressive with paramilitary operations, he wants it to be more aggressive with espionage," said Reuel Marc Gerecht, a former CIA official now at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

But the director can only do so much with the huge CIA bureaucracy, he noted. And covert operations are determined firstly by the president.

Juan Zarate, a former deputy national security advisor in the White House who advised Pompeo's transition to the CIA, said he had earned the president's trust by managing the agency effectively.

"All the while, he has spoken his mind and defended the agency's interests and personnel, focusing it on its core mission of being the best intelligence agency in the world at a time when it's needed most," Zarate told AFP.

But others say Pompeo's aggressive statements on Iran and North Korea -- and his lack of focus on Russia -- were designed to please Trump.

Pompeo "has not shed his partisan clothing," said Ned Price, a former CIA spokesman.

"He appears not to appreciate the corrosive mix of politics and intelligence," he said.
Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, meeting Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the State Department, confirms that Berlin is reducing its diplomatic footprint in North Korea

Germany will reduce its diplomatic mission in Pyongyang and require North Korea to shrink its presence in Berlin, Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Thursday after meeting his US counterpart.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson welcomed Gabriel to the State Department as Washington is turning up the pressure on its allies to do more to isolate Kim Jong-Un's defiant nuclear-armed regime.

"We have already reduced our embassy staff in North Korea and will do so once more," Gabriel told reporters afterwards, adding that two diplomats have been withdrawn and one more will follow.

More Germans may leave the embassy, but this will be carried out in consultation with Germany's European allies, some of whom also have missions in the North.

"We have also told the North Koreans that they will have to reduce their embassy staff," he said, adding: "We are thus increasing the diplomatic pressure."

The Tillerson-Gabriel meeting came after President Donald Trump complained that China has failed to persuade Kim to halt his nuclear and ballistic missile program and as Washington calls for a fuel embargo.

On Wednesday, before the ministers met, Tillerson's spokeswoman Heather Nauert had told reporters that Washington would like its allies to go as far as to recall their ambassadors -- a step Germany has yet to take.

"So we would continue to ask Germany or other countries around the world to recall those ambassadors, shrink the footprint of the size of entity that North Korea has in any given country," she said.

"So that's a campaign. We continue to have those conversations with many nations."

But on Thursday, after the talks, Nauert said that Tillerson had not "specifically" asked Gabriel to withdraw the German ambassador from North Korea.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump will attend a trio of fundraising events in New York City Saturday.

That's according to a White House official and a campaign official, both speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the events on the record.

Trump will first be attending a breakfast that will benefit his active re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee, according to the campaign official. He'll then attend an RNC donor 'thank you' luncheon before headlining a high-dollar fundraiser at a private residence, again benefiting the re-election campaign and the RNC.

President Donald Trump yells to reporters as he walks to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, in Washington. Trump is returning to Missouri on Wednesday as he tries to push the Republican tax plan across the finish line. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The Trump campaign has been advertising a "Christmas Breakfast with President Trump" event to the president's supporters, offering them a chance to win tickets in exchange for contributions.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The Latest on the global response to North Korea's latest missile launch (all times local):

10 a.m.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has told President Donald Trump that North Korea still has technological challenges to clear before obtaining a legitimate intercontinental ballistic missile that could viably target the U.S. mainland.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson answers a reporters question about North Korea while he meets with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, left, at the State Department in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Seoul's presidential office said Friday that Moon in an hourlong phone call with Trump shared South Korea's assessment that the North still needs to perfect skills for miniaturizing nuclear weapons so that they could fit on their ICBMs and ensuring that the warheads withstand atmospheric re-entry.

Moon's office says he told Trump the test of the new Hwasong-15 does represent a jump in North Korea's missile technologies and that stronger international efforts should be made to stop further advancements.

Moon's office says the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen pressure and sanctions on Pyongyang to discourage its nuclear ambitions.

___

1 a.m.

Germany's foreign minister says he's recalling a diplomat from North Korea in protest of the country's latest missile test.

The dpa news agency reported Thursday that Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said during a visit to Washington that he was recalling a diplomat from the German embassy in Pyongyang, though not the German ambassador.

Further details were not immediately available.

North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile early Wednesday that was considered its most powerful yet.

The U.S. has pushed for other countries to cut all diplomatic and economic ties to North Korea to isolate the regime and pressure it to retreat on its weapons development.

___

9 p.m.

Russia says it opposes a U.S. push for further isolation of North Korea after its recent missile test.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that the possibilities of pressuring North Korea with more sanctions have been exhausted. He deplored the U.S. refusal to engage in talks with North Korea and noted that a series of military drills by the U.S. and its allies in the region fueled tensions.

Lavrov referred to comments by the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, who warned that the North Korean missile test "brings us closer" to a war the U.S. isn't seeking.

He said "the Americans need to explain to us all what they want: If they want to find a pretext for destroying North Korea ... they should say it openly."

Russia has condemned North Korea's missile and nuclear tests and urged the U.S. and its allies to freeze their military drills and engage in talks with the North to help end the standoff.

___

9:30 a.m.

Russia's U.N. ambassador is strongly urging North Korea to stop its nuclear and missile tests and calling on the U.S. and South Korea to cancel large-scale military maneuvers scheduled for December, warning that these drills "will only inflame an already explosive situation."

Vassily Nebenzia told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that Russia is "deeply disappointed" at North Korea's long-range ballistic missile launch Tuesday, stressing that Moscow doesn't support Pyongyang "becoming a nuclear power."

He says Russia is strongly calling on all parties to stop the "spiral of tension."

Nebenzia says Russia believes the only way to resolve the situation is through "tireless and diplomatic efforts" to find "a long-term and mutually acceptable solution."

___

8:55 a.m. Thursday

China's deputy U.N. ambassador says the top priority on the Korean Peninsula in view of the current "grave situation" is for all parties to exercise restraint, implement U.N. sanctions "and strive for the early resumption of dialogue and negotiations."

Wu Haitao said at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that the recent stable period on the peninsula provided a window of opportunity for diplomatic efforts. But, he says, "Regrettably, this window failed to lead to a resumption of dialogue and negotiations."

He reiterated the China-Russia proposal for North Korea to suspend all nuclear and missile tests and the U.S. and South Korea to suspend all military exercises. He says, "We hope it will elicit a response and support."

___

8 a.m.

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley says North Korea's ballistic missile launch "brings us closer to war" that the U.S. doesn't seek.

She told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that if war comes as a result of further acts of "aggression" like the latest launch "make no mistake the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."

Haley says the Trump administration warned North Korea that its future is in the hands of its leaders and the choice was theirs.

With Tuesday's launch, she said, Kim Jong Un's regime made a choice - "and with this choice comes a critical choice for the rest of the world."

She called on all countries to cut all ties to North Korea.

___

6:10 a.m.

President Donald Trump can't resist taking a dig at North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, even when selling tax reform.

After calling the Republican tax plan "rocket fuel" for the American economy, Trump digressed with an aside on "Little Rocket Man," calling Kim "a sick puppy."

Trump drew hoots from the crowd during a tax reform speech in St. Charles, Missouri, with the impromptu shot at Kim a day after the North launched its most powerful missile yet.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump threatened additional sanctions against the North over its continued nuclear missile development.

___

5:55 a.m.

France's U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre (fran-SWAH' deh-LAH'-trah) says the North Korean threat has changed dramatically over a few months to being global and immediate and France wants tougher sanctions to maximize pressure on Kim Jong Un's regime.

Delattre told reporters Wednesday ahead of an emergency Security Council meeting on North Korea's latest ballistic missile test that the scope and scale of the North's nuclear threat has moved from being regional and "potential."

He says, "Weakness or ambiguity are simply not an option."

Delattre says that's why France is calling for intensified efforts to strictly implement existing sanctions and additional sanctions.

Delattre says, "Maximum firmness today is our best antidote to the risk of war and our best tool to promote a political solution."

___

4:30 a.m.

Japan's U.N. Ambassador Koro Bessho says the international community must "keep the pressure up so that North Koreans will understand that they need to change their course."

Bessho spoke to reporters Wednesday ahead of an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council called by the United States, Japan and South Korea following North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

France's U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre said full implementation and tightening of sanctions are "key priorities for France but also for others."

Tightening sanctions would require a new Security Council resolution.

Sweden's deputy U.N. ambassador Carl Skau reiterated his country's strong condemnation of the launch and said "it's important that the council speaks with one voice on this issue."

___

12:30 a.m.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the United States may target additional financial institutions with sanctions following North Korea's latest intercontinental missile launch.

Tillerson spoke in Washington on Wednesday during a meeting with the visiting crown prince of Bahrain. He said the U.S. has a "long list of additional potential sanctions."

Tillerson didn't specify what financial institutions could be hit with sanctions. But he said the United States will be announcing the sanctions once they're "ready to roll out." His comments came after President Donald Trump announced on Twitter that more sanctions were coming.

Tillerson said he's not giving up on diplomatic efforts to resolve concerns about North Korea's nuclear weapons program peacefully. He said "we keep working at it every day."

North Korea said the missile it launched early Wednesday can carry a large nuclear warhead and has "significantly more" power than missiles it's tested earlier.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson answers a reporters question about North Korea while he meets with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel at the State Department in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

South Korean Ambassador to the United Nations Cho Tae-yul, left, speaks to American Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley before the start of a Security Council meeting on the situation in North Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, at United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, speaks during a Security Council meeting on the situation in North Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017 at United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Chinese Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Wu Haitao, right, listens as Ambassador to the UN for the United States Nikki Haley, left, speaks during a Security Council meeting on the situation in North Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017 at United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

A man watches a TV screen showing a local news program reporting with a file footage of North Korea's missile launch, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. After 2  months of relative peace, North Korea launched its most powerful weapon yet early Wednesday, a presumed intercontinental ballistic missile that could put Washington and the entire eastern U.S. seaboard within range. The letters read "North Korea's missile launch, serious threat." (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

People watch the news broadcast displaying North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's signed order to test-fire the newly developed inter-continental ballistic missile Hwasong-15, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, at the Pyongyang Train Station in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)

A man stands in front of a huge screen showing TV news program reporting North Korea's missile launch, in Tokyo, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. After 2  months of relative peace, Wednesday's launch of what the North called the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile demonstrated a greater range than other weapons it's tested and showcased several capabilities the North must master if it were ever to actually try to unleash its missiles at the United States.The Japanese letters on top reads: "Missile luanch." (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
WEST CHESTER, Pa. (AP) - A man who was caught on video sucker-punching a man with cerebral palsy outside a store was sentenced to three to six years in prison.

A tearful Barry Robert Baker Jr. asked the judge for leniency during Wednesday's sentencing, saying he wanted to rebuild his life.

"I want this behind me," Baker, 29, told Common Pleas Judge William P. Mahon, according to The Delaware County Times . "I want my life back. This will affect me for the rest of my life."

The judge would have none of it.

"You are a bully," the judge said. "You are a predator. You are a coward. In 18 years on the bench I have never had such tangible evidence of someone's moral compass being so askew."

The judge cited the nature of Baker's crime and what he called the disrespect Baker had shown for the court by fleeing from apprehension and a being untruthful about the matter.

Baker's sentence far outweighed the sentence recommended in state guidelines: between three and 14 months of incarceration for the assault and probation to six months for the flight.

Baker's defense attorney, Thomas Purl, pointed out that Baker had been raised in a dysfunctional home, where his mother died of a drug overdose and his father continued a life of substance abuse. He said that Baker was drunk the night of the punch at 7-Eleven and had mistaken victim Michael Patrick Ryan for someone with whom he had an altercation earlier.

"My client is very remorseful," Purl said. "He doesn't go around hitting people. He's had a very traumatized time."

Ryan, 22, has not spoken publicly about the attack. He was seated in the courtroom with his mother on Wednesday but did not speak during the proceeding and declined to comment afterward.

Cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder caused by brain damage or a developmental issue, affects body movement and muscle coordination. It can impair people's reflexes, posture, balance and speech.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Missouri's health department director on Wednesday said he wants state lawmakers to pass legislation for needle-exchange programs in the state during the next legislative session that starts in January.

Health and Senior Services Director Randall Williams said providing intravenous drug users with clean syringes could reduce needle-sharing that spreads hepatitis C and HIV. His comments came after he and other experts talked about ways to fight the deadly opioid crisis in Missouri during a conference in Columbia.

Missouri law now bans possessing drug paraphernalia, and efforts to create exemptions for needle exchanges have failed in recent years. Republican Rep. Keith Frederick, an orthopedic surgeon and former pharmacist who leads a House health committee, said he expects "significant opposition" to proposals over concerns that it would support illegal drug use.

"We think the benefit of that will outweigh the risk," Williams said. "There's not evidence that this will enable drug use but that they have a great benefit in preventing other harm."

The programs have been shown to decrease needle sharing. The Centers for Disease Control said in a report released last year that only about 1 in 10 people who used exchanges shared syringes, compared with more than 40 percent who didn't use the programs. But it's difficult to link them directly to decreased rates of blood-borne illnesses because data aren't typically collected in controlled clinical trials.

Williams referenced support of the programs by U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who as Indiana's former health commissioner oversaw efforts to allow needle exchanges in the state in 2015 after an HIV outbreak hit a rural southern county in the state.

Since then several counties have enacted needle exchanges, but southern Indiana's Lawrence County became the second in the state this year to end its needle exchange amid concerns that the programs provide illegal paraphernalia to intravenous drug users.

Frederick said he shares similar concerns and wouldn't support Missouri legislation focused only on a needle exchange. But he said he was persuaded by arguments that the programs can help direct users into treatment, and he's now working on legislation that pairs a needle exchange with more resources for medication-based treatment programs.

Williams said he also supports Missouri lawmakers requiring continuing education for prescribing opioids and managing chronic pain. He cited North Carolina, where he previously worked in the state's health department, as a helpful model. The state requires physicians and physician assistants to complete three hours of training every three years.
THEODORE, Ala. (AP) - The Latest on the Alabama Senate race (all times local).:

8:00 p.m.

Republican Roy Moore defended himself against sexual misconduct allegations in a speech at a south Alabama church, but was briefly shouted down by a heckler.

Former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore speaks at a campaign rally, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, in Henagar, Ala. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

A man in the crowd shouted at Moore, asking, "All of the women are lying?" He was quickly escorted from the church by security, as some members shouted, "Get out of here."

Moore has denied accusations of sexual misconduct with teens with he was a prosecutor in his 30s. Moore said he did not know the women.

The church gave Moore a standing ovation.

Some church members briefly got into a shouting match with another man outside the church who accused Moore of distorting Bible verses.

___

7:02 p.m.

Former White House adviser Steve Bannon will campaign for embattled Senate candidate Roy Moore next week in Alabama.

Dean Young, a longtime associate of Moore's, announced Wednesday night that Bannon will attend a south Alabama rally with Moore on December 5.

Young urged people to attend the rally and told a crowd gathered to hear Moore speak at a Magnolia Springs Baptist Church in Theodore, that "the world is watching" to see how Alabama votes in the Dec. 12 U.S. Senate race.

Theodore is 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of Mobile.

___

2:01 p.m.

Republican Roy Moore of Alabama, his Senate bid stung by allegations of sexual misconduct decades ago, is seeking to steer his race against Democrat rival Doug Jones to a hot-button issue in this conservative state: abortion.

In speeches and his campaign posts on social media, Moore has sought to turn the special election to that and other social issues while wooing Alabama's significant bloc of religious-minded voters. Moore even says he hopes to help reverse the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.

Jones has said Moore is trying to divert attention from what the Democrat calls the "serious" allegations the Republican faces.

Jones also says he does not favor new restrictions on abortions and adds a woman's decision should be hers alone.

Alabama's special Senate election is Dec. 12.
TORONTO (AP) - Jozy Altidore scored in the 60th minute and Toronto FC advanced to the MLS Cup final for the second straight year with a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew on Wednesday night in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final.

Toronto will host the Seattle Sounders or Houston Dynamo in the Dec. 9 MLS Cup final. The Sounders, who took the title from Toronto in a penalty shootout last year, lead the Western Conference final 2-0 going into Game 2 in Seattle on Thursday night.

After a scoreless tie in Game 1 last week in Ohio, Columbus needed a win or draw with goals to advance. But Altidore, limping on a bum ankle, came through for Toronto before a sellout crowd of 30,392 on a crisp night at BMO Field.

Toronto FC forward Jozy Altidore (17) scores on Columbus Crew goalkeeper Zack Steffen (23) as Crew defender Lalas Abubakar (17) looks on during the second half of an Eastern Conference MLS final playoff soccer game, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017 in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

"I couldn't really move, I was hobbling around," Altidore said. "It's tough too in these conditions too when you get a knock like that, it's so cold, it's a little bit worse. I wanted to give a little bit of time for whoever was up next, and if a chance came down to it, I wanted it to fall to me. And it did."

The goal started with Alex Bono's goal kick that found Sebastian Giovinco deep in Columbus territory. The diminutive Italian held off several defenders and backheeled the ball to Altidore, who stabbed it to Victor Vazquez. The Spanish midfielder paused and then dinked a pass to Altidore for a right-footed shot past Zack Steffen.

"That's heart," goalkeeper Alex Bono said "That's all that is. That's heart."

It was Toronto's first goal in 258 minutes. The last score came almost a month ago - on Oct. 30, via Giovinco's free kick in the 72nd minute of a 2-1 victory at Red Bull Arena.

Columbus striker Ola Kamara nearly tied it in the 87th minute, but couldn't get a boot to the ball on a raking cross. Bono then beat Kamara to a cross in stoppage time.

"We were inches away from scoring the tying goal, we gave up one chance, they score," Columbus coach Gregg Berhalter said. "Zack makes a huge play on the penalty. It's a game of inches. We play all year for inches. Ball doesn't go under Ola's foot, we score. And we're singing a different tune now."

Altidore had seemed destined for an early night after suffering an ankle injury in the 50th minute in a collision with Crew wingback Harrison Afful. The big man needed treatment on and off the field and Toronto prepared to send in substitute Armando Cooper.

But Altidore stayed on, finally limping off eight minutes after the goal.

Toronto FC forward Jozy Altidore (17) celebrates his goal with midfielder Victor Vazquez (7) during the second half of an Eastern Conference MLS final playoff soccer game against the Columbus Crew, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017 in Toronto. (Mark Blinch/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto FC forward Jozy Altidore (17) scores as Columbus Crew defender Lalas Abubakar (17) looks on during the second half of an Eastern Conference MLS final playoff soccer game, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017 in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) - This year's winners of the I Love My Librarian Award were honored for far more than recommending books.

Julie Bill of the Los Angeles-based Musicians Institute was cited for helping in cataloging music and building an online database. Rosemary Cooper, director of the Albert Wisner Public Library in Warwick, New York, was praised for turning an underfunded facility into a vital community center. Marcia Kochel of the Druid Hills Middle School in Decatur, Georgia, is known for her work with immigrants and those for whom English is a second language.

Ten librarians from around the country are each receiving $5,000 prizes, The American Library Association told The Associated Press on Thursday. The awards are based on submissions by colleagues and library patrons and are sponsored by the Carnegie Corp. of New York, the New York Public Library and The New York Times.

"This year's I Love My Librarian Award recipients are true leaders who are inspiring and implementing strategies to better their communities," Jim Neal, president of the American Library Association, said in a statement. "Whether it's fostering inclusion and diversity or mentoring youth, these librarians are expanding beyond their traditional roles and providing more opportunities to meet the changing needs of the patrons they serve."

Winners also include Natalia Fernandez of Oregon State University, Rita Platt of the Wisconsin-based St. Croix Falls Elementary library and Sheikla Blount of Alabama's Columbiana Middle School. The other recipients are Annie Cipolla of the Los Angeles Public Library; Laurie Doan of the Tredyffrin Public Library in Strafford, Pennsylvania; Mary Jo Fayoyin of Savannah State University in Georgia; and Timothy Ryan of New York's Rochester Public Library.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The top Democrat in the House on Thursday called on Michigan Rep. John Conyers to resign in the face of multiple accusations of sexual misconduct. Conyers' lawyer swiftly rejected the request, saying Nancy Pelosi "sure as hell won't be the one to tell the congressman to leave."

House Minority Leader Pelosi called the accusations against Conyers, the longest serving member of the House, "very credible" and "serious," and said he should step down after decades on Capitol Hill. Conyers was first elected in 1964.

Pelosi said she prayed for the 88-year-old Democratic congressman, who was hospitalized in Detroit, and his family. "However," she said, "Congressman Conyers should resign." Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan minute later told reporters that Conyers "should resign immediately."

FILE -- In this file photo from Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., attends a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the top Democrat in the House, said today, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, that Conyers should resign, saying the accusations are "very credible." (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, file)

In Michigan, Conyers' attorney, Arnold Reed, strongly dismissed the growing clamor for Conyers to step aside, coming not only from Pelosi but other Democrats. Conyers, who has insisted on his innocence, gave up his seat as the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee on Sunday while holding onto his congressional seat.

Reed noted that Conyers was admitted to a Detroit hospital after feeling light-headed late Wednesday. No details about his condition have been released.

The dramatic call from Pelosi came just hours after a former aide publicly accused Conyers of sexual harassment, telling NBC's "Today" show that she was fired for rejecting his advances.

Marion Brown, 61, said the congressman propositioned her for sex multiple times over more than a decade. Brown initially told her story to BuzzFeed News on condition of anonymity, saying she'd settled a complaint in 2015 with Conyers over the allegations, according to her attorney.

"It was sexual harassment ... violating my body," Brown said Thursday. "Propositioning me. Inviting me to hotels with the guise of discussing business and then propositioning me ... for sex."

Brown told The Associated Press that if asked, she would testify before the House Ethics Committee, which is investigating Conyers. She said she would prefer to be subpoenaed, saying she and other witnesses would be more comfortable speaking publicly if they were legally compelled to do so.

Reed said Conyers will cooperate with any investigation.

On Sunday, Pelosi called Conyers an icon and argued for the due process of an Ethics Committee investigation. But on Thursday, she said: "Zero tolerance means consequences - for everyone. No matter how great the legacy, it's not license to harass or discriminate. In fact, it makes it even more disappointing."

A wave of allegations against titans of entertainment, media and sports has resulted in swift punishment. In Congress, however, two lawmakers facing accusations - Conyers and Sen. Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat - have remained in their jobs.

Brown broke a confidentiality agreement to tell her story to "Today," saying she stayed on the job because she needed to support her family and found the work rewarding.

BuzzFeed News reported last week that Conyers had settled a complaint two years ago for $27,000 with a female staffer who alleged she was fired because she rejected his sexual advances. BuzzFeed didn't disclose her name in its initial report and said the settlement was confidential.

Brown's lawyer, Lisa Bloom, confirmed to the AP that Brown is that former employee. She said Brown worked for Conyers in a variety of capacities from 2003 until 2014, mostly in the Detroit district office.

"This went on the entire time - the whole journey of being in the office," Brown said.

Brown said she kept the job partly because she had four children in college. She said she had conversations with Conyers, to make sure he knew she loved her job, but believes she was fired in retaliation for filing a sexual harassment complaint against him.

"I felt there was nowhere to go. I couldn't get a job in the area that I loved. I wasn't ready to retire," she said.

She insists her goal isn't for Conyers to resign.

"All I wanted from him was an apology in calling me a liar," she said. "I want him to acknowledge what he did. He's 88 years old. He is an icon. He's done a lot of good things."

A former scheduler filed a complaint earlier this year, but later dropped it. The AP hasn't released her name. And a third ex-staffer, Deanna Maher, said Tuesday that in 1997, Conyers undressed to his underwear in front of her and twice touched her leg inappropriately.

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Associated Press writers Alan Fram in Washington and David Runk and Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.

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FILE -- In this file photo from Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., right, and other top House Democrats, at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Pelosi said today, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, that Conyers should resign, saying the accusations are "very credible." (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, file)
BERLIN (AP) - Germany's president brought together Chancellor Angela Merkel and the leader of the center-left Social Democrats, Martin Schulz, on Thursday night with the aim of breaking the impasse over the formation of a new government.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called the party leaders together after talks between Merkel's conservative bloc and two smaller parties to form a previously untried coalition collapsed.

Schulz, Merkel and her Bavarian ally Horst Seehofer agreed to meet at Germany's presidential palace to explore the possibility of forming a so-called grand coalition like the one that makes up the outgoing government. After more than two hours of discussions, they left without giving any statements.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, second from right, welcomes German Chancellor and Christian Democratic Union, CDU, chairwoman Angela Merkel, second from left, and Bavarian state governor and Christian Social Union, CSU, chairman Horst Seehofer, right, at Bellevue palace for talks about a new German government in Berlin, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Schultz had initially refused to consider another "grand coalition" with Merkel after a disastrous showing of the Social Democrats in the election on Sept. 24, saying the Social Democrats needed to go into opposition. But he reversed course after Steinmeier's appeal, and said his party is now open to holding exploratory talks.

Merkel this week said she hoped to talk with the Social Democrats "in a serious, engaged, honest way and obviously with the intention of success."

Schulz sounded more skeptical, however, saying the talks hosted by Steinmeier would be about "if and in which form" they would continue discussions and "if it even makes sense to continue to talk with one another."

He added that his party members would have to have a final say over any agreement.

Even if the two sides do agree to continue, they'll first have to negotiate the prerequisites for coalition talks, then carry out the coalition talks themselves, meaning it will likely be several months before a new government is formed.

If Merkel can't put together a coalition, the only options would be a minority government or a new election.

Meantime, she continues to head a caretaker government made up of her conservatives and the Social Democrats.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, center, welcomes German Chancellor and Christian Democratic Union, CDU, chairwoman Angela Merkel, left, and Bavarian state governor and Christian Social Union, CSU, chairman Horst Seehofer, right, at Bellevue palace for talks about a new German government in Berlin, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, left, welcomes Social Democratic Party, SPD chairman Martin Schulz, second from left, at Bellevue palace for talks about a new German government in Berlin, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, left, welcomes Social Democratic Party, SPD chairman Martin Schulz, right, at Bellevue palace for talks about a new German government in Berlin, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, left, welcomes Social Democratic Party, SPD chairman Martin Schulz, right, at Bellevue palace for talks about a new German government in Berlin, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
The Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed recently between Armenia and the European Union, as well as Armenia taking over the chairmanship of La Francophonie Ministerial Conference play key roles in boosting the Armenian-French relations, including the economic cooperation, French Ambassador to Armenia Jonathan Lacote said at a meeting with Armenian Minister of Economic Development and Investments Suren Karayan.

November 30, 2017, 11:16 Frances Macron to visit Armenia: ambassador

STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 30, ARTSAKHPRESS:In this context, the ambassador attached importance to the expected visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Armenia, the ministrys press service reported.

According to Mr. Lacote the French businesses in Armenia are planning to expand. The French official added he has already met with some investors and can assure that they are willing to invest in Armenia given the countrys export opportunities to European, Eurasian and Iranian markets.

We are ready to support the French businesses operating in Armenia and take all the efforts towards ensuring the environment and conditions necessary for French businessmen to carry out activities in Armenia, Minister Karayan said.
MOSCOW (AP) - The Kremlin voiced dismay Thursday over the withdrawal of a Russian state-funded TV station's credentials in the U.S. and warned of a quick retaliation.

A committee that governs Capitol Hill access for broadcast journalists on Wednesday withdrew credentials for Kremlin-funded RT after the company complied earlier this month with a U.S. demand that it register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, denounced the move as a violation of media freedom and "extremely hostile act," adding that "we are deeply disappointed."

FILE - In this Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015 file photo, Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of state-funded RT television network, right, Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, and Kremlin's first deputy chief of staff, Alexei Gromov, left, attend an exhibition marking RT's 10th anniversary in Moscow, Russia. The Kremlin voiced dismay Thursday Nov. 30, 2017 over the withdrawal of a Russian state-funded TV station's credentials in the U.S. and warned of a quick retaliation. (Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, file)

"Such hostile and undemocratic decisions can't be left without an answer," he said in a conference call with reporters. "You don't have to be a soothsayer to forecast an emotional response from our lawmakers regarding the U.S. media."

Senior Russian lawmakers warned that representatives of the U.S. media can lose access to parliament and government agencies as a quid pro quo. Foreign correspondents in Russia can currently access the Russian parliament and some government agencies with their press credentials issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the Russian parliament's lower house, the State Duma, said the U.S. move was a "challenge to the universal values of freedom of speech."

"This is an attack on the foundation of democracy, and we aren't going to tolerate it," he said. "We are considering options for a symmetrical, quid pro quo response to the hostile U.S. actions. They will come soon."

The production company for RT's American operation, T&R Productions, said in a statement that withdrawing the credentials "runs directly counter to the notion that FARA is not intended to interfere or restrict fair journalistic freedom and media access. We hope the executive committee will reconsider its vote."

The U.S. move and the Russian threats of retaliation follow the endorsement of a new Russian bill that allowed the government to designate international media outlets as foreign agents in response to the U.S. demand made to the RT TV channel.

The bill, quickly passed by the Russian parliament and signed into law by Putin over the weekend, says that any government- or private-funded foreign news outlets could be declared foreign agents, leaving it to the Justice Ministry to single them out.

The ministry already has notified the U.S. government-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, along with its regional outlets, that they could be designated as foreign agents under the new law.

U.S. intelligence agencies have alleged that RT served as a tool for the Kremlin to meddle in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Russia has denied any interference.

Russia's hopes for better relations with the U.S. under President Donald Trump have been shattered amid the Congressional and FBI investigations into alleged ties between Trump campaign in Russia.

Speaking in a TV interview broadcast Thursday, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the Russia-U.S. relations are in "horrible" shape, the lowest point since Cold War times.

"Some American politicians are trying to solve their problems and put pressure on their president by playing the 'Russian card,'" Medvedev said.

He drew a parallel with a hunt for purported communist infiltrators in the 1950s led by Sen. Joseph McCarthy that often involved unfounded accusations and sowed fear, adding that "even then it wasn't about settling scores with their own president."

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Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed to this report.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - As Zimbabweans celebrated the ouster of dictator Robert Mugabe, they danced on the streets to previously banned protest songs by one of the country's most famous musicians - a man jailed by the country's former white rulers and hounded by the black government that succeeded them.

The musician, Thomas Mapfumo, watched the euphoria from exile in the U.S. But he's not rejoicing - because Mugabe's political party and his cronies still run the country.

"I think there's nothing to celebrate about," Mapfumo said this week in an interview with The Associated Press in the college town of Eugene, Oregon where he has lived since 2004. "It's still the old train that we're riding but they've got a different driver now."

In this Monday, Nov. 27, 2017 photo, Zimbabwean dissident Thomas Mapfumo, Zimbabwe's most famous musician, pauses while speaking at his apartment in Eugene, Ore. As Zimbabweans celebrated the ouster of dictator Robert Mugabe, they danced on the streets to previously banned protest songs by one of the country's most famous musicians, Mapfumo, a man jailed by the country's former white rulers and hounded by the black government that succeeded them. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky)

When Mugabe resigned on Nov. 21 under military pressure, ending his iron-fisted rule of 37 years, Mapfumo's songs blasted from car speakers to the crowds partying on the streets. For years, his music had been banned from public airwaves and was played in secret by Zimbabweans.

With Mugabe's party, ZANU-PF, still in power, there's no sign Zimbabwe will overcome its long history of repression and political corruption, Mapfumo said. Former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, now the party head, was sworn in as president on Nov. 24. Nicknamed The Crocodile, he is accused of helping direct the slaughter of thousands of people in ethnic massacres in the 1980s.

"The root cause of our problems is ZANU-PF. There are still people who still believe in those bad policies," Mapfumo said, citing in particular the takeover of white-owned farms - many of which went to Mugabe's allies - that led to the collapse of Zimbabwe's agricultural production.

Zimbabweans are electrified about the possibility of Mapfumo returning home to perform with his band, The Blacks Unlimited, for the first time since 2004, when he left the country with band members and relatives.

"I thought we will never see him play here again, but now I am very hopeful he will return home for a show of our lives," said Shupai Muchingami, a fan in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital.

Mapfumo, known as the Lion of Zimbabwe, confirmed to AP that he wants to perform in the southern African country next year and that his manager is trying to arrange a gig.

His upbeat music, featuring the traditional mbira thumb piano and an electric guitar tweaked to sound like an mbira, often carried lyrics of rebellion in the Shona language and in English. He called the musical style he invented "chimurenga," which means "struggle" in Shona.

During the guerrilla war against the white racist regime when the country was named Rhodesia, Mapfumo sang lyrics like "Mothers, send your sons to war" in support of the struggle. After Zimbabwe achieved independence, he performed in a 1980 celebration concert that also featured Bob Marley.

But several years later, Mapfumo became disenchanted with the government as Mugabe and his ministers enriched themselves while Zimbabweans became more destitute.

His most politically charged anti-Mugabe songs included "Masoja neMapurisa" ("Soldiers and Police"), "Pidigori waenda" ("The Man is Gone"), "Vanoita sevanokudai" ("They Pretend to Love You") and "Corruption ."

"When I see something wrong I have to point it out," Mapfumo said. "I can't stand by and look when these things are happening to my people. That's not what we fought for. We fought in the struggle because we wanted to be a free nation. We were fighting for democracy, for freedom of speech, freedom of movement."

Zimbabwe, he said, might need a mass revolt to usher in true democracy.

"The country belongs to the people. The soldiers won't do nothing if the people revolt. They will just stand by," Mapfumo said in the interview in his small apartment.

Mapfumo, who drives a Dodge minivan in Eugene, still chafes at the government's confiscation of several of his BMWs in Harare years ago, which he labeled as government harassment.

"The reason was because I was singing against the ruling party, the government and the corruption that was going on," he said.

A friend was later told he could collect the cars for Mapfumo, but they were gone when he went to get them.

"They'd been sold by a corrupt policeman," Mapfumo said.

Mapfumo believes Zimbabwe needs young leaders and said he admires Nelson Chamisa of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party. But Mapfumo ruled out performing in support of him or any other politician.

Mapfumo plans to keep up his criticism in a new album he's working on that includes a song he wrote shortly before Mugabe resigned. He sang part of it during the interview.

"Rise up Zimbabwe, wake up Zimbabwe, open your eyes," Mapfumo sang in a deep voice.

"It's all about fighting against corruption, fighting against injustice, bad rule of law," he said with a smile.

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AP journalist Farai Mutsaka contributed to this report from Harare, Zimbabwe.

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Follow Andrew Selsky on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andrewselsky

FILE - In this April 6, 2011, file photo, Thomas Mapfumo, of Zimbabwe, performs with members of his band at the Wells-Metz Theatre at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. Mapfumo, As Zimbabweans celebrated the ouster of dictator Robert Mugabe, they danced on the streets to previously banned protest songs by one of the country's most famous musicians, Mapfumo, a man jailed by the country's former white rulers and hounded by the black government that succeeded them. Mapfumo has been in exile from his country in Eugene, Ore., since 2004 and has watched the euphoria over Mugabe's downfall with skepticism. (Jeremy Hogan/The Herald-Times via AP, File)

FILE - In this April 6, 2011, file photo, Thomas Mapfumo, of Zimbabwe, performs with members of his band at the Wells-Metz Theatre at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. As Zimbabweans celebrated the ouster of dictator Robert Mugabe, they danced on the streets to previously banned protest songs by one of the country's most famous musicians, Mapfumo, a man jailed by the country's former white rulers and hounded by the black government that succeeded them. Mapfumo has been in exile from his country in Eugene, Ore., since 2004 and has watched the euphoria over Mugabe's downfall with skepticism. (Jeremy Hogan/The Herald-Times via AP)
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - An Afghan official says a Taliban attack has killed four policemen in western Farah province.

Mohammad Naser Mehri, spokesman for the provincial governor, said the Taliban attack early in the morning on Thursday targeted a police vehicle in the district of Pushti Road. There was no immediate comment or claim of responsibility from the insurgent group.

Mehri says the police were patrolling the district when Taliban fighters ambushed and opened fire on the police vehicle.

The Taliban have stepped up attacks on Afghan soldiers and security forces but scores of civilians also die in the assaults by the insurgents.
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) - The Latest on Pope Francis' visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh (all times local):

6:15 p.m.

Pope Francis is demanding that the international community take "decisive measures" to resolve the causes of the mass exodus of Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar, breaking his recent silence over what the U.N. has declared to be a textbook case of "ethnic cleansing."

Pope Francis shakes hands with President Abdul Hamid upon his arrival at the presidential palace in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Arriving in Bangladesh on Thursday from Myanmar, Francis also said it was "imperative" for world governments to immediately help the Bangladeshi government provide for the refugees.

In a speech before Bangladesh President President Abdul Hamid, government officials and ambassadors from around the world, Francis praised Bangladesh's sacrifice in welcoming in so many people. He didn't identify the Rohingya by name, ethnicity or faith, saying only "refugees from Rakhine state." But his words were sharp: "None of us can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation."

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6 p.m.

Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid has accused Myanmar's military of committing "ruthless atrocities" against Rohingya Muslims and is demanding international help in returning them safely to their homes and integrating them into Myanmar society.

Hamid made the remarks Thursday when welcoming Pope Francis to the presidential palace at the start of a three-day trip to the Muslim-majority country.

The president said thousands of Rohingya men, women and children had been brutally killed, their homes burned to ashes, and thousands of women raped.

Hamid said Bangladesh has welcomed the refugees with open arms, but now there is a "shared responsibility" to safely return them home and help them integrate into the "social, economic and political life of Myanmar."

Francis arrived in Bangladesh after visiting Myanmar.

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2:55 p.m.

Pope Francis has arrived in Bangladesh for the second leg of his six-day trip to Asia amid tight airport security.

Huge banners with pictures of the pope and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have been put up around the city and St. Mary's Cathedral is decorated with lights in preparation for his three-day trip to the Muslim majority nation starting Thursday.

A Christian priest went missing in northern Bangladesh on Tuesday, and his family reported they got calls demanding money. Police say they are looking for the man but would not confirm if it was a kidnapping.

Francis arrived from Myanmar, where he refrained from speaking out about the Rohingya Muslim crisis out of diplomatic deference to his hosts, who consider the Rohingya as having illegally migrated from Bangladesh.

Pope Francis meets with President Abdul Hamid upon his arrival at the presidential palace in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A cyclist rides on a foggy morning near a portrait of Pope Francis displayed along a route the Pope is expected to take during his visit, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. Pope Francis is expected to arrive in Bangladesh Thursday on the second leg of his weeklong South Asia tour. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - Denmark has detained a 43-year-old Russian national at Moscow's request pending an international extradition, Danish prosecutors said Thursday.

Henriette V. Norring from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said Russia now has to make a formal extradition request.

She says Denmark will consider the request "thoroughly," adding any extradition "will only be possible if all conditions of Danish extradition legislation are met."

She declined to name the man but his lawyer said it was Alexander Panesh, a resident of France. Panesh was detained Nov. 21 and can be held in custody until Dec. 19.

The lawyer, Kim Bagge, told The Associated Press that her client was wanted for bribery and making false statements, among other allegations.

Bagge said Panesh claims he fled Russia because of ties to the political opposition - a claim that could not be independently verified.

In July 2016, Moscow request an Interpol Red Notice be issued for her client, Bagge said, adding that he was arrested at Copenhagen airport during a transit for Lithuania where he had gotten permission from Lithuanian police to pick up papers to be used in his French asylum request.

"It is my client's understanding that this is clearly politically motivated," Bagge told the AP. Denmark "cannot extradite a person fleeing from personal persecution. All Denmark does is delay an asylum process in France."

"It is beyond understanding why a man who has lived openly in France for a year and where his asylum application is being processed is now arrested in Denmark," he said. "His name must have popped up as sought-after on computers at the airport."

In 2002, Denmark refused to extradite London-based Akhmed Zakayev, a top aide to Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov, who was arrested in Copenhagen at Russia's request. Danish officials released him after rejecting Moscow's request to extradite him because of insufficient evidence.
BEIJING (AP) - A Tibetan monk set himself on fire in western China in an apparent protest against Chinese rule in the traditionally Tibetan region, a monitoring group said Thursday.

Citing an unidentified friend, London-based Free Tibet said 63-year-old Tenga set himself alight on Sunday in Sichuan province's Kardze county while shouting "We want freedom in Tibet."

Security forces put out the flames and carried Tenga away, the group said. It wasn't clear whether he survived.

Police, government and religious affairs bureau officials in the region either said they were unaware of the situation or did not answer their phones.

The self-immolation was the first among the Tibetan Buddhist community in the region since April.

Nearly 150 Tibetans have immolated themselves since 2009, including monks and laypeople, in protest against Chinese policies and calling for the return of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled Buddhist leader.

The actions have sparked increased security measures in the already heavily policed region, one possible reason behind their decreased frequency in recent years.

The area is off-limits to foreign media, making it virtually impossible to confirm reported self-immolations, which are believed to have peaked in 2012 with 83 that year.

China claims Tibet, including Kardze, has been part of its territory for more than seven centuries and regards the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist. Many Tibetans insist they were essentially independent for most of that time and have protested what they regard as China's heavy-handed rule.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - A senior Turkish government minister on Thursday branded the New York trial of a Turkish bank executive on charges of violation of sanctions against Iran as a new attempt by U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen to harm Turkey's government.

Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag, the government spokesman, also told state-run Anadolu Agency that Turkish-Iranian gold trader Reza Zarrab, now a witness in the trial, is being pressured to slander Turkey.

Zarrab has pleaded guilty and is now cooperating with U.S. investigators against Halkbank's former deputy chief, Mehmet Hakan Atilla, who is charged in a conspiracy that involved bribes and kickbacks to high-level government officials.

In this courtroom sketch, Turkish-Iranian gold trader Reza Zarrab, third from left in the stand, is questioned by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sidhardha Kamarju, center, while defense attorney Victor Rocco, second from right, and Turkish banker defendant Mehmet Hakan Atilla, right, listen during Zarrab's federal court trial, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, in New York. Zarrab testified that he helped Iran evade U.S. economic sanctions with help from Atilla. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)

Zarrab testified on Wednesday that he paid over $50 million in bribes to Turkey's former finance minister Zafer Caglayan in 2012 for his help in laundering Iranian money. He said the sanctions-evasion scheme was done in consultation with Atilla, who has pleaded not guilty.

Turkey claims that the U.S. judiciary has been influenced by a network led by Gulen and has portrayed the trial, which has added to tensions between Ankara and Washington, as a sham aimed at discrediting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government.

Turkey accuses Gulen of orchestrating last year's failed coup and wants him extradited. Gulen denies involvement.

Ankara also says Gulen's movement was behind a bribery and corruption scandal involving Zarrab and sons of ministers in 2013. The scandal led to Caglayan and three other ministers' resignations but the allegations were dropped after Erdogan dismissed police and prosecutors conducting the probe.

"What (Gulen's movement) was not able to achieve here, it is trying to achieve there (New York)," Bozdag said.

He also said the trial would not succeed in "destroying the love and respect" of the Turkish people toward Erdogan.

Meanwhile, Halkbank issued a statement on Thursday insisting that it "strictly adheres to national and international regulations" in all businesses and transactions.

"Foreign trade transactions and money transfers are conducted in an open, transparent manner and can be monitored by the relevant authorities," the bank said.

In this courtroom sketch, Turkish-Iranian gold trader Reza Zarrab, center, testifies before Judge Richard Berman, right, that he helped Iran evade U.S. economic sanctions with help from Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, in New York. At left is an interpreter. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - Britain is making a "new, ambitious and optimistic offer" of closer security and economic ties with Arab allies, the country's prime minister said Thursday, the last day of a Mideast trip meant to bolster ties with the region before the U.K. leaves the European Union.

Theresa May pledged tens of millions of pounds in additional aid, singling out Jordan, and said Britain would negotiate a post-Brexit trade deal with the pro-Western kingdom.

In a wide-ranging foreign policy speech in Jordan's capital, May also addressed the wars in Yemen and Syria, and the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

British Prime Minister Theresa May meets King Abdullah at the Royal Palace in Amman, Jordan during her visit to the Middle East, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh)

May called on a Saudi-led coalition fighting Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen to lift a sea and air blockade of the war-stricken country which has teetered on the brink of famine.

The coalition tightened the blockade earlier this month, in response to a rebel missile launch toward the Saudi capital.

The British leader said that in talks with Saudi Arabia's crown prince Wednesday, "we agreed that steps needed to be taken as a matter of urgency to address this."

May has faced increasing calls to stop British arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Britain has licensed over $6.1 billion worth of arms sales to the kingdom since the war began.

Turning to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, May said that while incitement to violence and denial of Israel's right to exist must stop, "those actions of the Israeli government which create an obstacle to peace - not least illegal settlement construction - must also stop."

May's three-day trip to Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Jordan was overshadowed by a row with President Donald Trump, over his stoking of anti-Islam sentiments.

In Thursday's speech, she said Trump's retweets of inflammatory anti-Muslim videos by a "hateful" far-right British political group were "the wrong thing to do."

But May dug in her heels over mounting calls to cancel Trump's planned state visit to Britain. She said the visit was still on - though she suggested it was not imminent.

"An invitation for a state visit has been extended and has been accepted," she said. "We have yet to set a date.

May's speech came after a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II, seen as a leading champion of religious tolerance and a partner in the campaign against Islamic militants.

The British leader reassured Arab allies that her country would remain engaged in the region in a post-Brexit era, saying that "we are making a new, ambitious and optimistic offer of partnership."

"To those who ask if the United Kingdom is in danger of stepping back from the world, I say nothing could be further from the truth," she said.

May singled out Jordan, saying deeper security and economic ties with the kingdom were the centerpiece of her commitment.

She promised 94.5 million pounds ($128 million) to support Jordan's economy, including $80 million for investment grants and infrastructure projects.

May also said the two countries would work to "deliver an ambitious post-Brexit trade deal."

Abdullah said earlier Thursday that economic support from Britain "will be very critical."

Jordan's stability is seen as a priority by Western allies who have expressed growing concern about the kingdom's economic problems.

Economic growth has been sluggish because of the spillover from conflicts in neighboring Syria and Iraq, such as trade disruptions and the influx of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees. Youth unemployment has risen above 30 percent.

At the same time, Jordan is under pressure to lower its public debt, and has undertaken painful reforms, including reductions in subsidies.

In this photo released by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, British Prime Minister Theresa May arrives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after being greeted by Riyadh Governor Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. May traveled to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday night to meet the kingdom's assertive crown prince, capping a day that saw her make a surprise visit to Iraq. (Saudi Press Agency via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Jordan's King Abdullah II at the royal palace in Amman on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. (Khalil Mazraawi/Pool photo via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May meets with Jordan's King Abdullah II at the royal palace in Amman on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. (Khalil Mazraawi/Pool photo via AP)

British Prime Minister Theresa May arrives to meet King Abdullah at the Royal Palace in Amman, Jordan during her visit to the Middle East, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh)
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump is lashing out at British Prime Minister Theresa May in a dispute over his tweets. Problem is, he initially picked on the wrong Theresa May.

Trump was responding to May's criticism of his decision to tweet anti-Muslim videos.

Online archives of Trump's tweets show the president tweeted Wednesday night to a Twitter user with the handle @theresamay. That user is identified as a woman with a different last name who has only six followers.

FILE - In this May 25, 2017, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, right, speaks to British Prime Minister Theresa May during in a working dinner meeting at the NATO headquarters during a NATO summit of heads of state and government in Brussels. Trump initially responded to May's criticism of his retweeting of inflammatory anti-Muslim videos from a fringe British political group by directing his message to the wrong Theresa May on Twitter Nov. 29, 2017 . (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool, File)

That tweet was soon deleted and Trump sent a new message to May's correct Twitter handle, @theresa_may. He told May not to focus on him and instead worry about "destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom."

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Associated Press Writer Patrick Mairs in Philadelphia contributed to this story.
Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technologies of Armenia Vahan Martirosyan met in Tbilisi with the Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructures of Georgia Zurab Alavidze.

November 30, 2017, 11:48 Armenian, Georgian ministers discuss construction of tunnel near Lars checkpoint

STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 30, ARTSAKHPRESS:A number of road construction programs were discussed, including details of the planned tunnel near the road Stepantsminda  Lars, the only land highway connecting Armenia and Russia, NEWS.am reported.

Martirosyan noted the importance of this road for Armenia and expressed hope that before the construction of the tunnel, especially in winter, snow removal work will be conducted in a timely manner.



In turn, Alevidze assured that they are doing everything possible to ensure the patency of the road. According to him, the relevant structures of Georgia carry out work on road cleaning in emergency mode.



The sides also discussed issues related to construction works to expand the roadway in the neutral zone between Georgia and Russia and modernize the road linking Armenia and Georgia.
BEIJING (AP) - A Chinese official vowed Thursday to make administrative improvements following a scandal involving the abuse of children at a kindergarten in the nation's capital that has sparked widespread outrage.

Vice Education Minister Tian Xuejun said the case exposed mismanagement and a failure to vigorously implement proper policies.

"That such things happened in kindergartens, I think, reveals the gap between people's strong demand for kindergarten entry and the unbalanced, inadequate development of pre-school education," Tian said.

Tian vowed better regulation, new legislation and stricter rules for qualifying teachers.

Chinese police said a teacher at the Beijing kindergarten pricked children with needles as punishment but an investigation found no evidence of sexual exploitation.

Chinese media reports about the alleged abuses at the Xintiandi kindergarten have drawn nationwide anger over potential lapses in supervision in the booming private preschool industry.

The school is run by Beijing-based RYB Education, a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

RYB posted an apology on its website and said complaints from parents at other RYB kindergartens would be fully investigated. It said it would accept responsibility for any harm to its students.

A police statement said initial results of an investigation showed that a 22-year-old teacher it identified only by her surname, Liu, had punished children who refused to sleep by pricking them with sewing needles. Liu has been detained.

Wang Quanjiang, a parent of a student at the Xiantiandi kindergarten, told The Associated Press he trusted the government but was suspicious of RYB management and still had questions about the investigation.

Wang said the report mentioned that three teachers had been placed under investigation, and said he wondered why only one had been detained.

He also described as "ridiculous" an explanation that security video at the school was incomplete because a worker in the room where the equipment was stored shut it off because it was too noisy.

"I have decided not to send my child to the kindergarten right now," Wang said. "From what I have observed, many RYB students are not attending class."

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Associated Press writer Yi-ling Liu in Hong Kong contributed to this report.
LONDON (AP) - Growing calls to cancel President Donald Trump's state visit to Britain have put Queen Elizabeth II - who would host the U.S. president - in a difficult position.

In Britain's constitutional monarchy, the queen invites foreign leaders to state visits - regarded as a great honor - on the advice of Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

In this case, it was the prime minister, Theresa May, who extended the invitation to Trump on the queen's behalf just days after Trump assumed office. While no date has yet been set for the visit, both governments say the state visit is still on.

FILE - In this May 25, 2017, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, right, speaks to British Prime Minister Theresa May during in a working dinner meeting at the NATO headquarters during a NATO summit of heads of state and government in Brussels. Trump initially responded to May's criticism of his retweeting of inflammatory anti-Muslim videos from a fringe British political group by directing his message to the wrong Theresa May on Twitter Nov. 29, 2017 . (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool, File)

It would be extremely awkward for the queen to rescind the invitation, and there is no indication the Foreign Office wishes her to do so.

Instead, a convenient delay is more likely - as suggested in Parliament Thursday.

Labour Party lawmaker Kevin Brennan said the 91-year-old queen has a busy year coming up with the anticipated birth of a new great-grandchild and the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May.

"Don't those facts alone justify the government announcing a postponement of the state visit by the president of the United States for at least, say, three years?" he asked.

In the meantime, Trump could come to Britain for high level meetings on a trip that is not treated as a state visit, which is an event that follows well-scripted protocol.

It begins with the queen and other senior royals greeting the visitors for a ceremonial welcome, typically on Horse Guards Parade near Buckingham Palace.

In Trump's case, he and his wife Melania would typically inspect an honor guard before being taken to the palace in a carriage procession escorted by soldiers on horseback. Gun salutes would be fired by The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery at Green Park and the Tower of London.

The highlight of a state visit is usually the banquet held the very first night in the Buckingham Palace Ballroom. The queen usually invites about 150 guests including business leaders, diplomats and cultural figures.

She begins with a toast to the visiting head of state, who replies with a toast to the queen before the formal meal is served. The menu often includes some of the queen's finest wines.

Former President Barack Obama made a state visit in 2011 with his wife Michelle. His other visits to Britain were not classified that way.
NEW DELHI (AP) - India's economy grew 6.3 percent in the quarter ending in September from a year earlier, rebounding from 5.7 percent growth in the previous quarter, according to government statistics released Thursday.

The statistics showed strong growth in trade, hotels, transport and communication. Agriculture, forestry and fishing were relatively flat.

The GDP figures compared the three-month period with the same period the previous year.

India has recently undergone major economic changes.

Just over a year ago, the government removed 86 percent of the currency from circulation without warning in an effort to fight money laundering and tax evasion.

Demonetization, as it was called, was followed eight months later by another huge change. The nation of 1.3 billion people replaced its complex system of federal and state taxes with a single goods and services tax, or GST.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Embattled Minnesota Sen. Al Franken is facing a new allegation of inappropriately touching a woman after an Army veteran accused him of groping her during a USO Christmas tour in the Middle East more than a decade ago.

Stephanie Kemplin, 41, of Maineville, Ohio, told CNN in report Thursday that Franken had cupped her right breast when she stood next to him for a photo in December 2003. Kemplin, who was deployed to Kuwait at the time, is the fifth women in two weeks to accuse Franken of sexual misconduct.

Franken's office released the same statement it provided CNN late Wednesday.

In this Nov. 29, 2017 photo, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee member Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., arrives at a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. An Army veteran has accused Franken of inappropriately touching her more than a decade ago while she was on a military deployment to Kuwait. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

"As Sen. Franken made clear this week, he takes thousands of photos and has met tens of thousands of people and he has never intentionally engaged in this kind of conduct. He remains fully committed to cooperating with the ethics investigation," the statement said.

Kemplin did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press seeking comment. She is the second woman to accuse Franken of inappropriate behavior during a USO tour. He personally apologized earlier this month to Leeann Tweeden, now a Los Angeles radio host, who said he forcibly kissed and groped her during a 2006 tour. Tweeden released a photo showing the comedian turned senator posing in a joking manner with his hands on her chest as she naps wearing a flak vest aboard a military plane.

Franken personally apologized to Tweeden and said he welcomes an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee of the other allegations against him.

Three other women allege Franken grabbed their buttocks while posing with them for photos during separate campaign events in 2007, 2008 and 2010.
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) - Cyprus' Defense Ministry says the island nation will help Lebanon build a search-and-rescue center for responding to emergencies off its Mediterranean Sea coastline.

A Defense Ministry statement says Cypriot officials will provide Lebanese authorities with training, technical know-how and financial assistance for the center.

The statement says the center will help boost cooperation between the countries on maritime security in the east Mediterranean.

The announcement was made Thursday after Defense Minister Christoforos Fokaides held talks in Cyprus' capital, Nicosia, his Lebanese counterpart, Yaacoub Sarraf.

Cyprus supplies the Lebanese armed forces with small arms and ammunition.

The two ministers agreed to hold a three-way meeting with Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos in the first quarter of 2018.
BALTIMORE (AP) - In the latest move to root out longstanding corruption in Maryland prisons, state and federal officials announced Thursday the indictments of 26 people, including a correctional officer who served as a high-ranking gang member.

The charges include attempted first-degree murder and smuggling contraband like drugs and cellphones into prisons.

Sgt. Antoine Fordham, a correctional officer whom authorities described as a high-ranking member of the 8-Trey Crips street gang, was the initial target of the probe and among those indicted. The indictment alleges Fordham oversaw much of the gang's drug dealing activity at a Baltimore intersection. Officials say Fordham and other members of the gang authorized or committed acts of violence to protect the gang's turf and maintain gang discipline.

Stephen Moyer, secretary of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, holds up a badge during a news conference in Baltimore on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, during an announcement that 26 people, including two correctional officers, were indicted in an investigation into gang activity and corruption in Maryland prisons. Moyer is joined by Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, center, and Don Hibbert, assistant special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Baltimore District Office. (AP Photo/Brian Witte)

"He told another co-conspirator in a recorded call: 'I'm going to tell you cuz, the route I'm going, they're going to have to build a statue out there with my face on it," Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh said at a news conference.

The investigation grew to include additional gang members and another correctional officer, Phillipe Jordan, and other co-conspirators who authorities said were running a large-scale, contraband-delivery operation in Maryland correctional facilities, including Jessup Correctional Institution.

"Gangs are a blight on any community in which they operate. Not only were they involved in a drug-related shooting on the streets of Baltimore, but they also imported violence, drugs and other contraband into the prison system," Frosh said.

Larry Rosenberg, an attorney for Fordham, declined to comment, saying it was early in the case and he had not yet seen all of the information in the allegations against his client. Warren Brown, an attorney for Jordan, also declined to comment, though he said his client doesn't appear to be a gang member.

Ten of the other indicted co-conspirators were described as outside facilitators, including the mothers of three of the inmates.

The gang committed acts of violence behind bars as well, the indictment alleges. During the investigation, Crips leaders, including Fordham, allegedly ordered an attack on an incarcerated former Crips member, who was stabbed more than 30 times but survived. Two other co-conspirators also allegedly were in a physical altercation with correctional officers who were trying to seize contraband, including drugs, it said.

The case is part of an effort to root out corruption spanning years in Maryland prisons.

A 2013 case at a state-run jail in Baltimore led to indictments of dozens of people. In that high-profile case, a Baltimore City Detention Center inmate impregnated four female corrections officers while running a sophisticated criminal organization that smuggled in drugs and cell phones and employed guards as gang associates.

Last year, a pair of federal indictments charged 80 people, including 18 prison guards, 35 inmates and 27 civilians in a vast contraband smuggling enterprise that traded drugs, tobacco and cellphones to prisoners for money and sex at the Eastern Correctional Institution in Westover - Maryland's largest state prison.

Stephen Moyer, the secretary of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, said other investigations are ongoing.

"We have other cases that are coming, and we're not going to stop until we have pushed every lead that we have about corrupt officers still working for us," Moyer said at the news conference with Frosh and Don Hibbert, assistant special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Baltimore District Office.

If convicted, the indicted members of the conspiracy face between three years to life imprisonment.
NEW YORK (AP) - A teenager who says he was bullied before a fatal stabbing in a New York City classroom has been released on bail.

Eighteen-year-old Abel Cedeno (seh-DAYN'-yoh) was released Wednesday after a judge lowered his bail from $500,000 to $250,000.

His lawyers have said Cedeno endured a long history of bullying. WABC says supporters in the gay community and a church helped to raise the money.

Cedeno originally was charged with murder in the September death of 15-year-old Matthew McCree at the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation in the Bronx. He was indicted on a lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter.

The victim's mother, Louna Dennis, says she is angry about the bail and feels like the system is "failing" her.

Dennis has said her son "was no bully."

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Information from: WABC-TV, http://www.7online.com
WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States is joining a fight against China at the World Trade Organization in a decision likely to ratchet up tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The U.S. is supporting the European Union in a dispute over China's status at the WTO, which rules on trade disputes.

The United States and EU contend that the communist Chinese government continues to interfere so heavily in the country's commerce that China remains a "non-market" economy. That label makes it easier to win antidumping cases against China for allegedly selling products at unfairly low prices.

FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2010, file photo, a container is loaded onto a cargo ship at the Tianjin port in China. The United States is joining a fight against China at the World Trade Organization in a decision likely to ratchet up tensions between Washington and Beijing. The U.S. is supporting the European Union in a dispute over China's status at the WTO. The United States and EU contend that the Chinese government continues to interfere so heavily in the country's commerce that China remains a "non-market'' economy. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

China argues that it was automatically elevated to "market" economy status on Dec. 11, 2016, the 15th anniversary of the day it joined the WTO. It has filed a case against the EU to press its claim. America joined the EU's side in documents filed Nov. 21 and released publicly on Thursday.

"The Chinese are convinced they were promised this (status upgrade) unconditionally," said David Dollar, a former U.S. Treasury and World Bank official who is now senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

But the U.S. and the EU are disappointed that the Chinese haven't done more to open their economy to foreign investment and products since joining the WTO. For example, China was "supposed to have opened up their financial sector," Dollar said. "But it has wrapped that up in all kinds of domestic regulations that make it impossible for foreign firms to operate."

President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized China for abusive trade policies, which he blames for the United States' massive trade deficit in goods with China - $347 billion last year, by far the biggest U.S. trade gap with any country.

Upon taking office, Trump did not make good on his campaign threat to sanction China for allegedly manipulating its currency to give its exporters an unfair advantage. But the administration is investigating allegations that China steals U.S. technology and intellectual property.

And on Tuesday, the U.S. dusted off trade-policy tools that haven't been used in a quarter century to investigate whether China is dumping cheap aluminum sheeting in the U.S. market.

U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer has argued that the WTO is ill-equipped to handle the unique problems posed by China, where the boundary between private and state-owned companies can be blurry and where the government limits foreign companies' access to vast Chinese market.

In the U.S. view, the market status case is a key test of the WTO's willingness and ability to rein in China.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House says Bahrain's crown prince promoted $9 billion in commercial deals with U.S. companies during a White House meeting with President Donald Trump.

The deals include the purchase of F-16 fighter planes and the extension of a defense cooperation agreement between the countries for 15 years.

Trump had said during a brief media availability before Thursday's meeting that Bahrain is "doing a lot of business" with the U.S. and "buying a lot of things." He cited the $9 billion figure.

President Donald Trump meets with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa says the visit was important to the kingdom and the 100-year relationship between the two countries.

He says the U.S. and Bahrain will continue to strengthen ties that the people of both countries have benefited from.

President Donald Trump meets with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The Latest on Kansas' plan to have the largest private prison operator in the U.S. build a new prison for the state (all times local):

10:45 a.m.

Kansas legislators in both parties have misgivings about a plan to have the nation's largest private prison operator build a new correctional facility for the state.

The plan outlined Thursday by the state Department of Corrections would replace the state's oldest and largest prison in Lansing, which is near Kansas City.

Nashville-based CoreCivic would build the $170 million prison. The state would pay for the project by leasing the new facility over 20 years.

Democratic state Sen. Laura Kelly, of Topeka, questioned whether the arrangement is the most cost-effective for the state.

Republican state Rep. J.R. Claeys (CLAYS), of Salina, questioned why the department didn't consider other potential sites.

Legislative leaders and the governor would have to approve the proposal next month for it to proceed.

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9:33 a.m.

Kansas plans to have the biggest private prison company in the U.S. build a replacement for the state's oldest and largest correctional facility.

The state hopes to pay for the project in Lansing in the Kansas City area by leasing the new prison from Nashville-based CoreCivic for 20 years.

The state Department of Corrections announced Thursday that it selected CoreCivic as its contractor for the new prison for 2,400 inmates in Lansing.

Parts of the existing prison date to the 1860s. Corrections officials contend a modern facility will be safer while operating with 46 percent fewer employees.

CoreCivic owns, controls or manages more than 80 facilities in 20 states and the District of Columbia. It has been the subject of lawsuits and critical audits in six states, including Kansas.
China has sent six charter planes to Indonesia to evacuate 17,000 Chinese tourists stranded at the airport of Denpasar because of the eruption of Agung volcano, RIA Novosti reported citing the Central Television of China.

November 30, 2017, 12:02 China sends 6 charter planes to evacuate tourists from Indonesia

STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 30, ARTSAKHPRESS:The planes departed to Bali on the evening of November 29 from Guangzhou and Shenzhen airports.

According to media reports, the tourism sector suffered huge losses after the eruption of the volcano. A record number of already purchased tours, bookings and flights were canceled. Overall, 443 flights were canceled only on Tuesday, which affected 59 thousand passengers.
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico's ruling party rammed a bill through Congress' lower house Thursday giving the military legal justification to act as police, stream-rolling objections by rights groups and opposition legislators who said it would effectively militarize the country.

Supporters of the bill said Mexico's armed forces have to stay in the streets to fight gangs, given the incapacity or corruption of local police forces. But critics said there should still be a calm, detailed debate about whether the law should allow the army to perform law enforcement duties indefinitely, and with what limits.

The hurried approval process, in which members of the Chamber of Deputies debated and voted on a bill that most apparently had not had time to read, meant a thorough, reasoned debate did not happen.

FILE - In this Sept. 16, 2016 file photo, soldiers look up toward the president as they ride past the National Palace during the annual Independence Day military parade in Mexico City's main square, known as the Zocalo. A bill to give legal justification for Mexico's armed forces to assume police roles advanced in the country's Congress, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, over objections by rights groups and opposition legislators who say it would provide for an open-ended militarization. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

"Blah, blah, blah. The truth is you always vote against everything," said Arturo Alvarez, a congressman from the Green Party, an ally of the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party. "The fact is we still need the army in the streets."

It remains to be seen whether there will be more debate in the Senate, which will now take up the legislation.

The bill was voted through a lower house committee an hour or two before it was approved by the full body on a 248-115 vote.

"Today this congress is about to write ... one of the most embarrassing and shameful pages in the history of Mexico," said Jorge Alvarez, a congressman from the small Citizens Movement party. "The majority of congressmen and congresswomen here to vote today aren't even familiar with the bill."

The bill would allow soldiers to do legally what they have been doing ad-hoc for at least a decade: conduct raids and man highway checkpoints, pursue and detain suspects.

Supporters said the measure would permit troops to act only for renewable one-year periods in states where the president issued a finding that local police forces weren't up to the task. Opponents said that could make the deployments endlessly renewable.

Critics also questioned a provision that would classify as "secret" any information about deployments.

They also said the bill would make it too easy for a president to declare a state of emergency and send the army into the streets, and warned that it opened the possibility of using troops to crack down not only on cartel gunfights but also on protest movements and other demonstrations if they were not "peaceful."

"We are doing a very rushed and not very professional job," said opposition congressman Jorge Triana of the conservative National Action Party. "What this bill seeks to do is convert something that should be the exception into the norm."

The Washington Office on Latin America think tank wrote that "formalizing the militarization of public security in Mexico would set a fundamentally negative precedent in Latin America," where such arrangements are becoming more common.

President Enrique Pena Nieto's administration has been facing violence that is now worse than during the darkest days of Mexico's drug war. His Institutional Revolutionary Party, known as the PRI, used old-style tactics to limit debate and rush the bill through, including enlisting allies to resort to nationalist rhetoric to attack the international rights groups critical of the bill.

"We shouldn't listen to foreign groups that want to violate our sovereignty, by attempting to define what kind of laws we should have," Norma Martinez Guzman, a congresswoman for the tiny PRI-allied Social Encounter party. "Watch out, this is an effort we have seen from several organizations, and it deeply violates our national sovereignty."

Mexican state governors and the PRI tend to like the law authorizing the army's presence under loose and indefinite rules because it takes the pressure off them to engage in the long, costly and difficult process of training, equipping and paying reliable police officers who can be trusted not to go work for the drug cartels.

Dozens of human rights groups issued a statement on the eve of discussion of the new law calling for strengthening law enforcement institutions instead.

"If today, the federal and state governments haven't lived up to their responsibility to build effective police forces, they're even less likely to do so if they have a legal justification to fill that void with the request for military intervention," it said.

Supporters said the bill includes requirements that the army, which has often been accused of illegal searches and arrests, and in some cases executing suspects, respect human rights.

"The issue of human rights is covered, and covered well" in the law, PRI congressman Cesar Dominguez said. "But we cannot guarantee liberties and the full exercise of rights if there isn't a climate of public safety and peace."

Mexico's army and navy are some of the few remaining respected public institutions. Some regions of the country, such as the violent border state of Tamaulipas, depend entirely on the armed forces to keep some semblance of order after all city and town police forces were disbanded because officers were on the payroll of warring drug cartels.

At present, the military operates under a vague clause that allows troops to "aid" civilian law enforcement agencies when called upon to do so.

Few on either side blame the army and navy, whose leaders have made clear they would rather return troops to their barracks and concentrate on tasks the soldiers were trained for.

"They didn't get themselves involved in this. They were made to get involved in this," said congresswoman Norma Nahle of the leftist Morena party.

But Nahle noted that rights complaints involving the armed forces rose from about 190 cases a year before the army was called out in 2006 to about 1,075 complaints annually in recent years.

Rules already in place specify that soldiers accused of violating civilians' rights must be tried in civilian, not military courts.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - A Penn State University fraternity is facing charges over a woman's alcohol consumption.

The Centre Daily Times reports the 19-year-old woman was taken to a hospital Nov. 11 for alcohol overdose treatment after police found her outside Alpha Sigma Phi's house. They say she was being held up by friends as she went in and out of consciousness.

She later told police she went to the frat party on her birthday and was served about five vodka drinks.

Alpha Sigma Phi was charged with furnishing liquor to a minor.

A message seeking comment from the fraternity's headquarters wasn't immediately returned.

The charges come months after 19-year-old Tim Piazza of Lebanon, New Jersey, died during a night of hazing at another Penn State fraternity. Twenty-six people face charges in his death.

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Information from: Centre Daily Times, http://www.centredaily.com
BRANDON, Miss. (AP) - A Mississippi teen could face the death penalty in the slaying of a 6-year-old boy who authorities said was inside a car stolen from a supermarket parking lot.

Grand jurors returned indictments Wednesday against Byron McBride and a second teen accused of aiding him, Madison County District Attorney Michael Guest said Thursday. A third teen faces youth charges that prosecutors want upgraded to adult charges.

Kingston Frazier was sleeping inside a Toyota Camry in May when his mother left the car running in Jackson. Authorities say McBride got out of a car, leaving behind Dwan Wakefield and D'Allen Washington, and stole the Camry. Miles away, police say McBride later shot Frazier, abandoning the car in muddy ditch with Frazier's body inside.

Investigators don't believe Washington or Wakefield was present when the child was killed, citing cell phone records, surveillance video and gunshot residue tests. However, Guest said evidence shows the two, both then 17, picked up McBride after the shooting, meriting accessory charges.

McBride, 19 at the time of the slaying, was indicted for capital murder and possessing the stolen car. Washington was indicted for accessory after the fact to murder, kidnapping and motor vehicle theft. Madison County grand jurors called on the county Youth Court to send Wakefield for trial as an adult on charges identical to Washington.

A lawyer for Washington, though, says prosecutors can't prove Washington knew McBride had killed Frazier when Wakefield drove Washington to pick up McBride.

"I think in this case it's going to be difficult to prove my client's involvement," Warren Martin said.

State Public Defender Andre de Gruy, whose office is representing McBride, said the indictments are "only the very beginning" of the case. He predicted it could be as long as two years before McBride came to trial, although Guest said he's hoping for trial dates this summer. Wakefield's lawyer didn't immediately return a phone call.

The district attorney said he would consult with Frazier's parents before deciding whether he will seek the death penalty. Guest said he thought the case merited capital punishment, but said McBride's youth could be among mitigating factors against seeking execution.

Wakefield and Washington could each face up to 45 years in prison if convicted of all charges.

McBride and Washington could be arraigned before a circuit judge as early as next week, Guest said.

He said agents of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation will meet with Youth Court officials Monday to seek adult certification for Wakefield.

The jurors wrote that having Wakefield charged as an adult would be "in the best interest of justice." If Wakefield's case is not removed to adult court, the outcome of proceedings against him in Youth Court would be sealed under Mississippi law.

Guest said that although Washington was also 17 at the time, his charges didn't go to Youth Court because he had already been charged as an adult in an unrelated armed robbery. That's also why he's stuck in jail without bail, because his previous bond was revoked. McBride is also jailed without bail, while Wakefield is free on $275,000 bail.

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Follow Jeff Amy on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jeffamy . Read his work at https://www.apnews.com/search/Jeff_Amy .
MIAMI (AP) - Thursday was the last day of an intense and destructive hurricane season that included 17 named storms, 10 of which became hurricanes.

The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season will be remembered for a deadly trio of storms - Harvey, Irma and Maria - that ravaged Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and numerous other islands.

The storms killed at least 441 people and did about $369 billion in damage. This season is one of only six years on record to include multiple Category 5 hurricanes. It's only the second season to include two hurricanes making landfall at that intensity.

Hurricane Harvey made landfall in South Texas on Aug. 25, leading to days of downpours that dumped more than 50 inches (1.3 meters) of rain. Harvey damaged or destroyed about 200,000 homes as the storm system flooded much of Houston and smaller coastal communities.

Irma followed, hitting almost the entire state of Florida on Sept. 11. It had the strongest maximum sustained winds observed in the Atlantic since Wilma in 2005.

Maria caused widespread destruction in Puerto Rico on Sept 20, leaving much of the island without power. It was the 10th most intense Atlantic storm by barometric pressure.

The Atlantic's hurricane season begins June 1 each year.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - Federal prosecutors are recommending that a former Louisiana congressman serve no more jail time now that many of the convictions against him have been overturned.

William Jefferson, 70, a Democrat who represented parts of New Orleans, has served more than five years of a 13-year sentence after being convicted on bribery charges. His case garnered headlines in 2005 after he was caught hiding $90,000 cash in his freezer following a government sting.

He was released from prison last month. A judge ruled that seven counts of conviction against him should be tossed out because of a recent Supreme Court ruling making it more difficult to convict public officials on bribery charges, and that he was entitled to a new sentencing hearing on the remaining three conviction counts.

FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2009, file photo, former Louisiana congressman William Jefferson, left, stands outside the Albert V. Bryan Courthouse with his wife, Andrea after being convicted on 11 of 16 counts in Alexandria, Va. Federal prosecutors and lawyers for Jefferson, who famously hid $90,000 in his freezer, are working on an agreement for his resentencing on corruption charges, according to court documents filed in the case. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File)

Jefferson's new sentencing hearing is scheduled for Friday.

In a court document made public Thursday, prosecutors indicate that they and defense attorneys will jointly recommend a sentence of time served. The recommendation also leaves in place a $189,000 fine, which amounts to what has already been collected on a $470,000 judgment that was entered back when Jefferson was convicted in 2009.

Under the agreement, the most serious of the three remaining counts, a racketeering charge, would be dismissed. Prosecutors would also agree not to seek retrial on the seven counts the judge has already tossed out.

The two lesser counts, conspiracy charges, would remain in place and Jefferson would agree not to seek to have them tossed out.

The judge, though, will not be bound by the recommendation at Friday's hearing. Theoretically he could reimpose the 13-year sentence he initially handed down.

If the judge imposes additional jail time, Jefferson will have the right to back out of the agreement and could seek to have the remaining counts overturned.

Jefferson was convicted of accepting more than $400,000 in bribes and seeking millions more in exchange for brokering business deals in Africa. The 2005 raid of his Washington home that turned up cash stuffed in frozen food boxes made him fodder for late-night comedians.

Last month, U.S. Senior Judge T.S. Ellis III ruled that a new sentencing hearing is necessary because the Supreme Court has subsequently changed what constitutes "an official act" for which a public official can be convicted of bribery. He ordered that Jefferson be freed from custody while awaiting resentencing.

Jefferson's lawyer, Robert Trout, moved last year to have Jefferson's convictions overturned after the Supreme Court unanimously tossed out the convictions against former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. That case redefined what constitutes an official act under the federal bribery laws. The high court ruled in the McDonnell case that acts like setting up meetings or talking to other officials are insufficient to constitute acceptance of a bribe in exchange for an official act.

Judge Ellis has said the cases were very different.

"The Supreme Court described Governor McDonnell's actions as 'tawdry' and 'distasteful,'" Ellis wrote. "Jefferson's actions went well beyond being 'tawdry' and 'distasteful'; they were plainly venal and reflected corrupt intent."
WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. government acknowledging Thursday that it has detained an American citizen accused of fighting with the Islamic State for more than two months without fulfilling his request to see a lawyer.

Responding to a court order, the government said the man picked up on the Syrian battlefield indicated he was willing to talk to FBI agents but "felt he should have an attorney present."

The unidentified American, who has not been charged, surrendered to U.S.-backed fighters in Syria around Sept. 12 and is currently being held in Iraq as an unlawful enemy combatant.

The American Civil Liberties Union recently filed a court petition challenging his detention and asking to act on his behalf to provide him access to legal counsel.

The detainee was in a legal "black hole," Jonathan Hafetz, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU in New York, told U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan.

The judge repeatedly asked Kathryn Wyer, an attorney in the Justice Department's civil division, whether the detainee had requested an attorney or had been advised of his constitutional rights. When Wyer wouldn't answer the questions, the judge ordered the government to respond by 5 p.m.

The government met the deadline with a two-page response.

It said that during questioning, FBI special agents advised the detainee of his right to remain silent even though he might have spoken earlier to other interrogators. That was an apparent reference to intelligence agents who are believed to have questioned the detainee first.

The government said the detainee also was advised of his right to an attorney.

"The individual stated he understood his rights and said he was willing to talk to the agents, but also stated that since he was in a new phase (of questioning), he felt he should have an attorney present," the government said.

When the agents told the detainee it was unclear when he would be able to get an attorney, he "stated that it was OK and that he is a patient man," the government said.

The detainee later said he "did not wish to speak with agents of the FBI" at all, the government said. No further questioning for law enforcement purposes has occurred.

"This admission by the government reinforces our demand that the citizen be given access to a lawyer, which is his fundamental right under the Constitution," Hafetz said. "The Trump administration's position that it can lock up an American in secret without charges or the ability to challenge the detention in court is not how our legal system works."

During the morning court hearing, Wyer told the court that the U.S. military was working "diligently" on the matter, but had not yet decided what to do with the detainee. Wyer cited case law stating the executive branch should be given a reasonable period of time to determine a detained individual's status.

"Two and a half months?" the judge asked, before giving her until 5 p.m. to provide the answers.

The judge asked how long the government thought it should be able to hold someone without a lawyer. That kind of "unchecked power" is "quite frankly, frightening," Chutkan said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross visited the detainee on Sept. 29 and Oct. 23, but has not disclosed details of those contacts. Hafetz said the Red Cross' mission is not to obtain legal counsel for detainees it meets. He also said there is no indication the detainee wants to or could contact relatives or whether they would be willing to risk reprisal by seeking a lawyer for him.

Stephen Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said the case has created a quandary for American officials.

"The Pentagon wants the Justice Department to prosecute him, but Justice officials have been reluctant to take custody of him without more evidence," Vladeck said in an op-ed published Thursday in The New York Times. "The man, meantime, has languished in an Iraqi jail ... but with no contact with the outside world beyond two visits from the Red Cross."
LAS VEGAS (AP) - A rancher's son at the center of an armed standoff with government agents near his family ranch in Nevada in 2014 and a takeover of an Oregon wildlife refuge in 2016 was released Thursday from federal custody in Las Vegas.

Ammon Bundy, 42, was greeted by his wife and six children while friends cheered as he walked out of the federal courthouse.

His first words after 22 months behind bars were about family and American freedoms and his reasons for opposing federal power.

Ammon Bundy, center, a son of Nevada rancher and states' rights figure Cliven Bundy, is greeted by family and friends at the the U.S. District Courthouse in Las Vegas after being released from federal custody on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. A federal judge ordered Bundy, freed to house arrest during his trial on charges in an armed standoff with U.S. Bureau of Land Management agents near the Bundy ranch in Nevada. (AP Photo/Ken Ritter)

"It's about people, and life, and trying to do the best we can to promote and benefit the enjoyment of life," he said. "That's all we've tried to do."

Bundy's brief comments to reporters quickly shifted to the surprising order on Wednesday by Chief U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro to release him, his father, Cliven Bundy, and a co-defendant from jail to house arrest with friends during their ongoing trial on charges in the armed standoff that stopped a federal roundup of Bundy cattle from public land.

Navarro didn't specify why she reversed previous detention rulings. Her decision followed a four-hour, closed hearing amid questions from defense teams about whether federal prosecutors have turned over complete evidence records, and about the conduct of FBI and other government agents during the standoff.

"I want to give Judge Navarro some credit here," Ammon Bundy said outside the courthouse. "She saw something, and she did with her power what she had authority to do.

"It shows where the evidence is taking this case, and what the truth is," Bundy said.

Cliven Bundy, 71, refused the offer and remains in custody.

"There are still a lot of people that are incarcerated right now that he feels a little bit of responsibility for," Ammon Bundy said of his father. "He wants to make sure they're not forgotten ... that they get out as well."

Two other Bundy sons, Dave and Mel Bundy, also remain in federal detention awaiting a trial next year with co-defendants Brian Cavalier, Micah McGuire, Joseph O'Shaughnessy and Jason Woods.

Navarro ruled that Ryan Payne could be released once a federal judge in Portland, Oregon, approves. Payne's defense attorney, Ryan Norwood, said that authorization could come in several days.

Payne, Ammon Bundy and Ryan Bundy were among a group of people arrested in January 2016 following an occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon.

Payne pleaded guilty to a felony conspiracy charge before a trial at which Ammon Bundy and his elder brother, Ryan Bundy, were acquitted of all charges. Payne is now fighting to withdraw his plea that is expected to bring a sentence of more than three years in prison.

Ryan Bundy is also standing trial in Las Vegas. Navarro on Wednesday relaxed release restrictions she set earlier this month when she allowed him to live at a halfway house while serving as his own attorney.

Ryan Bundy, 45, still has a GPS monitor. But he can split time between a friends' home the Las Vegas area and his own home in Mesquite.

FILE - This Jan. 27, 2016, file photo provided by the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office shows Ammon Bundy. Cliven Bundy, 71, a Nevada rancher and states' rights figure refused a federal judge's offer Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, to be free on house arrest during his trial with two sons on charges in an armed standoff with government agents that stopped a cattle round-up in 2014. U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro said Ammon Bundy and co-defendant Ryan Payne can be freed Thursday, Nov. 30, to home detention. (Multnomah County Sheriff via AP, File)

CORRECTS PAPER TO LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL-Bret Whipple, defense attorney for Cliven Bundy, speaks to reporters outside of Lloyd George U.S. Courthouse in downtown Las Vegas on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. Cliven Bundy declined to be released from custody. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

CORRECTS PAPER TO LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL-Stetsy Bundy, right, daughter of Cliven Bundy, outside leaves Lloyd George U.S. Courthouse after her father declined to be released from custody in downtown Las Vegas on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

CORRECTS PAPER TO LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL- Daniel Hill, defense attorney for Ammon Bundy, talks about his client's impending release at Lloyd George U.S. Courthouse in downtown Las Vegas on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017. Cliven Bundy, father of Ammon, declined to be released from custody. (Chase Stevens /Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A four-time winner of Alaska's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race who was recently accused in a dog-doping scandal has signed up to participate in Norway's Finnmarkslopet race next year, a spokeswoman said Thursday.

The announcement came weeks after Dallas Seavey withdrew from next year's 1,000-mile (1,610 kilometers) Iditarod.

It will be Seavey's first sled dog race in Europe, said Elise Houren, a spokeswoman for the racer.

FILE - In this March 15, 2016 file photo, Dallas Seavey talks to officials after finishing the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Nome, Alaska. Seavey a four-time winner of Alaska's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race who was recently accused in a dog-doping scandal has signed up to participate in Norway's Finnmarkslopet race next year. The announcement, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, came weeks after Seavey withdrew from next year's 1,000-mile Iditarod. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File)

Seavey quit the Iditarod in protest over race organizers' handling of an investigation after four of his dogs tested positive for a banned substance following his second-place finish last March. Seavey denies the allegations.

More recently, animal-welfare investigators in Alaska said they found no evidence of animal cruelty after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals complained about a kennel operated by Seavey.

The Iditarod is held around the same time each year as the 745-mile (1,200 kilometers) Finnmarkslopet, which starts next year on March 9.
BOSTON (AP) - Two men accused of conspiring to kill a rival gang member as he shoveled snow in Boston for a nonprofit that steers young people away from crime have been convicted of second-degree murder.

Prosecutors say Donte Henley and Josiah Zachery were found guilty Thursday of shooting Kenny Lamour in February 2015.

Henley and Lamour were on a snow shoveling crew overseen by Roca Inc. Although the men were members of rival gangs, they assured their supervisor they could work together peacefully.

Prosecutors say Henley texted Zachery, gave him a description of Lamour and told him to take a gun to the work site. They say Henley shot Lamour in the head.

Henley's lawyer says his client's texts were misconstrued. Zachery's attorney says no witnesses identified his client as the shooter.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The new head of the U.N. cultural agency warned Thursday that 17 of the 82 World Heritage sites in the Arab region are on its "danger" list because of conflicts.

Audrey Azoulay, who took the helm of the educational, scientific and cultural agency known as UNESCO earlier this month, said over 100 sites across Iraq have been damaged.

She told a U.N. Security Council meeting Thursday on the destruction and trafficking of cultural heritage by terrorists and during conflicts that all six World Heritage sites in Syria have been "severely affected" including Palmyra and Aleppo, one of the world's oldest cities.

Azoulay praised the council's adoption in March of a resolution condemning the unlawful destruction of cultural heritage and warning the Islamic State extremist group, al-Qaida and other combatants that such attacks may constitute war crimes.

The resolution expands previous measures which were limited to the illicit trafficking in looted cultural items to fund terrorism and focused on Iraq and Syria.

Azoulay called the measure "a major breakthrough" that "testifies to a new awareness on the importance of culture, not only to respond to conflicts but also to prevent radicalization and fight violent extremism."

She called for all countries to implement the resolution, improve data collection and information sharing on trafficking routes, and better damage assessments.

"This is why over the last months UNESCO sent rapid assessment missions to Palmyra, Nimrud, Ashur and most recently, Mosul, to define emergency protection measures," Azoulay said.

U.N. counter-terrorism chief Vladimir Voronkov called terrorist attacks on World Heritage sites "an attack on our common historical roots and cultural diversity."

"Additionally, the looting and illicit trafficking of cultural objects leads to the financing of terrorism and criminal networks," he said.

To combat trafficking, he called for a stronger focus on investigations and cross-border cooperation, and on bringing in collectors, art dealers, auction houses and the tourism sector to stop the illegal trade in stolen cultural items.

Yury Fedotov, head of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, told the council by videoconference from Vienna that "we need to do more to support countries to detect stolen cultural property with a view to dismantling criminal networks."

"The art market and museums should pay special attention to the provenance of cultural items that they are considering for acquisition, or with which they otherwise come into contact," he said. "Governments can help them to ensure that this care is diligently exercised."
The Turkish military deployed military equipment at the Syrian-Turkish border on 28 November.

November 30, 2017, 14:59 Turkey sends military equipment to Syrian border

STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 30, ARTSAKHPRESS: The military equipment was sent to the border province Kilis after the Kurds forces in Syrias Afrin district opened fire on the province a few kilometres away, as a result of which one of the Turkish soldiers was wounded, Ermenihaber reported citing Haberler Turkish media outlet.

According to the source, the army sent howitzers, detachments of gendarmes and armored vehicles to the border. The Turkish media also reminded at the recent National Security Council meeting in Ankara, the Turkish officials hinted that they may relaunch the military operations in Afrin.

Turkey considers the Kurdish Syrian fighters, known by the initials YPG, to be terrorists, viewing them as a threat to Turkeys border security.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela's Avior Airlines has been banned from European Union skies after a commission determined it no longer meets international safety standards, another blow to troubled nation's already beleaguered flight industry.

The European Commission announced Thursday that Avior had been added to a list of international airlines prohibited from flying within the union because the European Aviation Safety Agency detected "unaddressed safety deficiencies."

No further details were provided.

The Venezuelan airline is one of a handful still offering international flight destinations as major carriers like United and Delta halt operations in the crisis-ridden nation. Air carriers have cited financial and safety concerns as reasons for suspending service.

An Avior flight made an emergency landing in Ecuador earlier this month after passengers described seeing fire and smelling smoke. Videos posted on social media showed nervous passengers wearing deployed oxygen masks.

"We thought it was our final moments," one passenger said.

Avior operates flights within Venezuela, throughout Latin America and to Miami, Florida, and lists an office location in Madrid on its website.

The airline is certified under U.S. federal aviation regulations and Venezuela remains in good standing with the International Aviation Safety Assessment, the Federal Aviation Administration's program to determine whether foreign countries provide sufficient safety and oversight of airlines that fly to the U.S.

Venezuela has grown increasingly isolated as an expanding list of airlines cancel service amid low customer demand and financial distress. The head of the International Air Transport Association has said that Venezuela owes $3.8 billion to several international airlines, a debt it is unexpected to repay anytime soon. The government defaulted on billions of dollars' worth of bonds earlier this month.

The last United Airlines flight departed Caracas in late June, with crewmembers waving a Venezuelan flag out of the pilot's window. American Airlines, Air France and Iberia are among the large international carriers that still offer service to the South American nation.
PHOENIX (AP) - A man suspected of illegally entering the U.S. grabbed a border agent's gun in a struggle and was fatally shot by the agent's partner, the U.S. Border Patrol said Thursday.

The shooting happened in a remote area of Arizona south of Tucson on Wednesday as the agents were trying to arrest the man among of a group of Guatemalan nationals who authorities believe were in the country illegally, said Tucson Sector chief patrol agent Rodolfo Karisch.

"The assailant wound up on top of the agent, was able to pull his weapon from his holster at which time the other agent came up and shot the individual," Karisch said.

He said the agent who opened fire saved his partner's life, calling him "heroic."

The agent who struggled with the man suffered minor injuries, Karisch said.

The agents and the man were not identified.

The two agents had been tracking the group of men about 21 miles (34 kilometers) north of the U.S. Mexico border.

Three in the group were arrested. Authorities were searching for the rest in the Baboquivari Mountain Range.

The shooting was being investigated by the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Tohono O'odham Nation police.

The incident illustrated the daily threats that agents face, Karisch said.

Last June, a 76-year-old Tombstone man barreled into a Border Patrol checkpoint in southern Arizona and shot at agents before they fired back.

Gary Smith was indicted on charges of assault of a federal officer and use of a firearm in a crime of violence. He was previously struck in the arm after a shootout with Border Patrol agents a month earlier at a checkpoint near Tombstone. No agents were injured. According to court documents, he was recently treated at a mental health facility.

In Texas, a Customs and Border Protection agent was fatally injured Nov. 18 about 110 miles (175 kilometers) southeast of El Paso.

But a local sheriff believes Agent Rogelio Martinez and his partner were hurt in an accident, not an attack. Culberson County Sheriff Oscar Carrillo told The Dallas Morning News on Thursday that the agents, who were found along a culvert next to Interstate 10, may have been sideswiped by a passing tractor-trailer.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump's national security team (all times local):

3:40 p.m.

President Donald Trump's press secretary isn't denying reports that he is considering replacing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson answers a reporters question about North Korea while he meets with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel at the State Department in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. The White House is discussing a plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA director Mike Pompeo, according to an administration official, who sought anonymity to discuss internal thinking. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

But Sarah Huckabee Sanders notes that Tillerson met with Trump on Thursday. She says, "When the president loses confidence in somebody they will no longer serve in their position."

Administration officials say the White House is developing a plan to replace Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo but the timetable for a change is uncertain. They were not authorized to publicly discuss internal thinking and spoke on condition of anonymity.

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3:35 p.m.

The State Department says White House chief of staff John Kelly is disputing reports of a plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert says Kelly called Tillerson's chief of staff, Margaret Peterlin, on Thursday to say the "rumors are not true."

Nauert says Tillerson serves at the president's pleasure and remains in his role until told otherwise. She says that Tillerson "brushed this off today" because he's heard such stories before.

Nauert says Tillerson is "going about his business" and will travel to Europe on an official trip starting Monday.

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12:20 p.m.

The White House says Rex Tillerson continues to lead the State Department.

That's after reports that White House officials are discussing a plan to replace Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo in what would be a major shake-up of the president's national security team.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says there are "no personnel announcements at this time."

She says Tillerson continues to lead the department, and that the entire Cabinet is focused on completing Trump's first year in office.

Tillerson is the former Exxon Mobil CEO who has had tensions with Trump in several foreign policy areas, as well as overwhelmingly negative publicity over plans to reorganize the State Department.

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11:23 a.m.

Republican Sen. Tom Cotton's office says he's focused is on serving the people of Arkansas in the Senate. That's after reports that he might be picked to run the CIA in a major shake-up of President Donald Trump's national security team.

White House officials confirm a plan is under discussion to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA chief Mike Pompeo, and Pompeo with Cotton. Cotton is a staunch Trump ally who was first elected to the Senate in 2014.

Cotton's office says in a statement, "Senator Cotton's focus is on serving Arkansans in the Senate."

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10:56 a.m.

The White House is discussing a plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA director Mike Pompeo.

That's according to two administration officials. They were not authorized to publicly discuss internal thinking and spoke on condition of anonymity.

U.S. officials and individuals familiar with White House plans have spoken about the possibility of a broad shakeup in President Donald Trump's national security team. But the timing of such a change is unclear.

Also unclear is whether Pompeo has been approached about the Cabinet reshuffle, but another administration official said he is open to taking the job.

A senior administration official who spoke recently with Tillerson says the former Exxon Mobil CEO felt secure in his position and was focused on his State Department reorganization and other diplomacy matters.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump has donated his third-quarter salary to the Department of Health and Human Services to help fight the opioid epidemic.

Acting Health Secretary Eric Hargan on Thursday accepted a check from the president in the amount of $100,000. Trump previously donated salary in the amounts of $78,333 and $100,000 to the National Park Service and the Education Department, respectively.

Hargan said the donation will be put toward the cost of planning and designing a large-scale public awareness campaign about the dangers of opioid addiction.

Trump announced the ad campaign in October, the same time he declared opioid misuse a national public health emergency. The declaration included no new federal funding to combat the epidemic.

Hargan said 175 people die every day from drug overdose.

As a candidate, Trump had promised not to take a salary, which is $400,000 annually. By law, he must be paid, so he is donating the money.

Taxpayers can write off such donations, potentially lowering their income taxes.
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Workers on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state have finished cleaning up one of the nation's most contaminated radioactive waste sites, the U.S. Department of Energy said Thursday.

The dangerous wastes at the site known as the 618-10 Burial Ground stem from the production of plutonium for nuclear weapons and took eight years to clean up, the agency said.

"I'm proud of the workers for safely completing this very complex and high-hazard work," said Doug Shoop, manager of the DOE Richland Operations Office.

FILE - In this May 9, 2017 file photo, a sign welcomes drivers to Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Richland, Wash. After almost two decades of work, the government has nearly finished removing radioactive wastes from a first group of underground storage tanks in eastern Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes, file)

The 580-square-mile site Hanford site is located in southeast Washington state.

During the cleanup, workers retrieved more than 2,200 55-gallon drums, plus other waste, some of it buried more than 20 feet underground.

In total, workers removed more than 512,000 tons of contaminated soil and waste debris, which was taken to Hanford's hazardous-waste landfill.

The 7.5-acre burial ground contained highly radioactive waste from Hanford laboratories and fuel development facilities in the 1950s and 1960s. Poor record-keeping at the time meant many of the waste types were unknown, the department said.

The work started in 2009.

Democratic U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, along with U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, hailed Thursday's milestone.

"I applaud the thousands of men and women who show up to Hanford every day and who made this milestone possible," Murray said.

The area will be graded to a natural contour and native vegetation will be planted next year to help restore the site to a natural state, the agency said.

Hanford was created by the Manhattan Project during World War II as the nation raced to create an atomic bomb. It produced most of the plutonium for the nation's nuclear arsenal during the Cold War and contains the nation's largest volume of nuclear waste.

The cleanup work costs more than $2 billion per year and is expected to take decades. The lawmakers said they will press the federal government to continue funding the work.

Progress is being made.

The Energy Department recently announced that it was essentially finished removing radioactive wastes from 16 of Hanford's 177 underground storage tanks.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Automakers often debut their most fuel-efficient vehicles at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and this year is no exception.

Volkswagen is showing off its I.D. Crozz, a pre-production electric SUV, and says it will go on sale in the U.S. by 2020. Land Rover, Porsche and Kia took the wraps off plug-in hybrids. Even the iconic Jeep Wrangler will get a hybrid version sometime after it goes on sale in January.

California buyers purchase a higher percentage of hybrids and electrics than the U.S. as a whole thanks to state tax credits and other incentives. Nearly 50 percent of all U.S. electric vehicle purchases since 2011 have been in California, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation. California also has 31 percent of all U.S. public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

Jack Hollis, group vice president and general manager, Toyota Division at Toyota Motor North America, talks about the Toyota FT-AC concept SUV during the Los Angeles Auto Show, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

But automakers are also appealing to buyers' sense of adventure at the show, with the debut of several off-road vehicles as well as the new three-row Subaru Ascent.

Here are some vehicles visitors can see at the show, which opens to the public Friday:

TOYOTA FT-AC CONCEPT

Toyota is giving Subaru some competition with an SUV for the outdoorsy mountain-bike crowd. The FT-AC prototype, which likely will go into production in the next year or two, looks like a RAV4 compact SUV on weight training. Toyota says it's being unveiled in Los Angeles because so many people there head to hills, deserts or beaches on weekend getaways. The concept vehicle has chunky black fender flares and a rugged-looking black grille. The versatile roof rack has LED marking lights and the side mirrors have detachable cameras with infrared features for night exploring. It'll have all-wheel-drive and come with a gas-powered engine, although a gas-electric hybrid is possible, Toyota says. The company didn't give details on pricing or when it might be in showrooms.

BOLLINGER MOTORS B1 CONCEPT

Three-year-old electric vehicle startup Bollinger Motors is debuting its B1 prototype, a utilitarian, four-seat SUV with the blockish looks of a Land Rover Defender or Mercedes AMG G63. The B1 has two battery options: a 60 kilowatt hour battery that can go 120 miles on a charge and a 100 kWh version that can go 200 miles. The company has already taken 12,000 pre-orders for the B1. Spokesman Jeff Holland says Bollinger will officially open its order banks and start taking deposits in a few weeks, when it announces pricing on the B1. Bollinger is based in upstate New York but will contract with a third party to make the B1. It hopes to start producing the vehicles at the end of 2018 and delivering them in 2019 or 2020.

KIA SORENTO

Kia is updating its seven-passenger SUV for the first time since its full redesign in 2016. Exterior changes are minimal. Kia has dropped a turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder from the Sorento's engine lineup but retains a 185-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a 290-horsepower 3.3-liter V6. Kia says a diesel engine is also in development. The V6 I paired with a new eight-speed transmission borrowed from Kia's Cadenza sedan, while the four-cylinder gets an updated six-speed transmission. Kia now offers a driver attention warning system, which senses if the driver is distracted or drowsy, as well as a system that helps the vehicle stay within its lane. A wireless charging pad for smartphones is also new. Kia didn't reveal pricing or the date the 2019 Sorento will go on sale.

Jack Hollis, group vice president and general manager, Toyota Division at Toyota Motor North America, talks about the Toyota FT-AC concept SUV during the Los Angeles Auto Show, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

The Toyota FT-AC concept SUV is introduced during the Los Angeles Auto Show, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

The 2019 Bollinger Motors electric SUV is displayed during the Los Angeles Auto Show, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

The 2019 Kia Sorento is unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, in Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The 2019 Kia Sorento is unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, in Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
PALATINE, Ill. (AP) - A suburban Chicago school district that was the focus of a federal complaint over a transgender student's use of a girls' locker room was sued Thursday by a high school senior who claims being denied such access, an allegation district officials reject.

The lawsuit was filed in Cook County Circuit Court against Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 by Nova Maday, 18, a senior at Palatine High School. It asks that Maday be allowed to use the girls' locker room to change for physical education classes.

American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois spokesman Ed Yohnka is supporting Maday in her lawsuit.

"I just want to be treated like every other girl in our school," Maday said in a written statement. "Even after the school district agreed to allow another transgender student to use the locker rooms in her school, they have resisted and made things harder for me. I just want to be able to get dressed for P.E. classes without having to jump through a bunch of hoops."

Maday has lived as a girl for most of her high school career and has had to change for gym class in private areas away from the girls locker room against her wishes, according to Yohnka.

"The allegations in this lawsuit misrepresent the accommodations extended to this student and District 211's approach to working with and supporting transgender students," said Superintendent Daniel Cates. "Every transgender student in District 211 who has requested use of the locker room of their identified gender has been offered such access, along with other supports within an individual support plan."

Cates said transgender students who have requested use of the locker room of their identified gender have been offered such access.

"The Illinois Department of Human Rights has already dismissed this case, stating there was no evidence of discrimination," he said. "We will vigorously defend and protect compassionate, fair and equitable support for all students, and, at the same time, we continue to defend our supports for transgender students at the federal level."

The roughly 12,000-student, five-high school district previously allowed a transgender student at a different high school to use the girls' locker room with a private changing station. That followed a 2013 federal complaint and intervention from the administration of then-President Barack Obama.

During the debate over that student's access, District 211 board members decided against a single policy for all transgender students, opting instead to handle each request individually.

But as that debate was going on, Yohnka said school officials were denying Maday's request to use the girls locker room at Palatine High School.

"It's disappointing and it's regrettable that you reach this point with a district again," he said.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on accusations of sexual misconduct in Congress (all times local):

6 p.m.

As allegations of sexual misconduct against powerful lawmakers roil Congress, House Democrats are calling on Michigan congressman John Conyers to resign.

FILE -- In this file photo from Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., attends a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the top Democrat in the House, said today, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, that Conyers should resign, saying the accusations are "very credible.(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, file)

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi characterizes the multiple accusations against Conyers as "serious, disappointing and very credible." She says he should quit.

The allegations against Conyers include repeated propositions for sex, and retaliation against a former aide who rebuffed his advances. His lawyer, Arnold Reed, is rejecting the requests that Conyers leave the House. The lawmaker continues to profess his innocence.

In the Senate, such harsh judgment is being reserved for embattled Minnesota Sen. Al Franken. A Senate ethics panel is opening a preliminary inquiry into Franken's actions.

Five women have accused the Democrat of misconduct. His spokesman says that Franken has never intentionally engaged in such conduct.

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5:45 p.m.

As allegations of sexual misconduct against powerful lawmakers roil Congress, a Senate ethics panel is opening a preliminary inquiry into Minnesota Sen. Al Franken.

Five women in the last two weeks have accused the Democrat of misconduct in years past. On Thursday, a woman told CNN that Franken cupped her right breast when she stood next to him for a photo in December 2003.

Senators on the bipartisan ethics panel say in a statement that they are aware of the allegations and are opening the inquiry into Franken's alleged misconduct.

Franken has apologized and said he welcomes an ethics investigation.

Before the ethics committee announcement, his spokesman released a statement saying that Franken "has never intentionally engaged in this kind of conduct."
Ivanka Trump is making a significant solo outing by headlining a business conference in India, but her trip is highlighting questions about whether her message of empowering poor women matches her actions.

Ms Trump landed in the southern city of Hyderabad on Tuesday to make the opening address at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.

Thank you for the warm welcome. Im excited to be in Hyderabad, India for #GES2017. https://t.co/1U08h5L9Rm  Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) November 28, 2017

Thank you for the warm welcome, Trump tweeted. Im excited to be in Hyderabad, India for #GES2017.

The city cleared away beggars and filled potholes ahead of the visit by Ms Trump, who is senior presidential adviser to her father, President Donald Trump.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is joining her at the opening and will host her for dinner at the luxurious Falaknuma Palace Hotel.

Women entrepreneurs help drive innovation and job creation, as well as address the worlds greatest and most critical challenges, Mr Modi tweeted.

Had a wonderful meeting with @IvankaTrump, advisor to @POTUS and leader of the US delegation at the @GES2017. pic.twitter.com/X5XE0UvEq9  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 28, 2017

Many in India are excited about Ms Trump appearing at the conference, co-hosted by the US and India, and have marvelled at the improvements made around Hyderabad, where more than 1,200 people are expected to attend the three-day conference.

But not everyone is thrilled about Ms Trumps presence.

Its now being called Ivanka Trumps summit. It totally overshadows all our work, said Sangeeta Agarawal, the chief executive of US start-up Helpsy Health. We feel thats it become more about her.

The conferences focus on female entrepreneurs raises questions about some of the commercial decisions made by Ms Trump and her namesake brand.

India a symbol of hope to the world: @IvankaTrump at the #GlobalEntrepreneurshipSummit pic.twitter.com/XMNZ5YGbG5  The Times Of India (@timesofindia) November 28, 2017

Critics have accused her of failing to use her leadership role to call out labour and human rights abuses, particularly in China, where the bulk of her US merchandise ships from, and they point out that she has failed to take a public stand on alleged abuses in her brands own supply chain.

Ms Trump stepped back from day-to-day management of her brand before taking on an official role as White House adviser, but still retains an ownership interest.

Abigail Klem, president of the Ivanka Trump brand, has called supply chain integrity a top priority, but the brand has not joined the growing number of companies that publicly identify their manufacturers.

A September investigation by the Associated Press showed that Ms Trumps supply chain had become more opaque than ever after she took on her White House role, making it impossible to know who her company is doing business with around the world.

Welcome to #IncredibleIndia, @IvankaTrump! Great to have you and the U.S. contingent here in #Hyderabad to kick off #GES2017! pic.twitter.com/JP4Pm6OQv5  U.S. Ambassador to India (@USAmbIndia) November 28, 2017

The brand has said supply chains are the responsibility of its licensees.

Earlier this month, 23 rights groups signed a letter urging Ms Trump, her brand and two licensees to publish the names and addresses of suppliers.

They also urged Ms Trump and her brand to publicly demand that the Chinese government not prosecute three activists detained this summer while investigating the brands supply chain, and allow independent monitoring of factories.

In India, the clean-up of Hyderabad, a southern technology hub, began a month ahead of the conference, when the city began rounding up several hundred homeless people and beggars.

Officials said the drive against begging was launched because two international events were taking place in the city - the entrepreneurship summit and the World Telugu Conference in December.

Begging is a criminal offence in India and can be punished by as much as 10 years in prison, although the law is rarely enforced.
The Conservative Government will not be able to rely on the votes of the DUP in Parliament for any Brexit deal that treats Northern Ireland differently from the rest of the UK, one of the partys MPs has warned.

Sammy Wilsons warning came amid pressure from Dublin for the UK to agree a special arrangement under which Northern Ireland would continue to observe the rules of the EUs customs union to avoid a hard border with the Republic.

Border issues appear to be the biggest remaining obstacle to a green light for talks on post-Brexit trade at an EU summit next month, after reports that the UK has agreed the broad terms of a financial settlement which would see it pay up to 50 billion over a number of years.

.@dupleader - we will not countenance new border in the Irish Sea

https://t.co/G3QATwwkSU  DUP (@duponline) November 30, 2017

London and Dublin have voiced their determination to avoid a return to checkpoints and border posts between Northern Ireland and the Republic, but Irish agriculture minister Michael Creed said no solutions had been offered by the UK Government.

The Department for Exiting the EU (DExEU) refused to comment on a report in The Times that British negotiators had put forward a proposal to devolve powers to Northern Ireland to enable customs convergence with the Republic in areas such as agriculture and energy in an attempt to break the deadlock.

The paper quoted sources in Dublin as saying there had been movement on the issue and confidence was growing that agreement could be reached in time for next months summit in Brussels.

My letter to @MichelBarnier. The @Europarl_EN expects more on citizens rights and much more on the Irish border question. pic.twitter.com/VbHmyAaO2g  Guy Verhofstadt (@guyverhofstadt) November 29, 2017

Responding to the report, Mr Wilson said his party will be making clear to the Government we have a confidence and supply arrangement with them, under which the minority Conservative administration relies on the support of the 10 DUP MPs to ensure its survival.

The East Antrim MP told the BBC: If there is any hint that in order to placate Dublin and the EU, theyre prepared to have Northern Ireland treated differently than the rest of the UK, then they cant rely on our vote.

They have to recognise that if this is about treating Northern Ireland differently, or leaving us half in the EU, dragging along behind regulations which change in Dublin, its not on.

Brexit divorce bill: how much is 50bn worth?

Theresa May is desperately hoping EU leaders will give the go-ahead for the second phase of the negotiations  including talks on a free trade deal  to begin at the European Council summit on December 14-15.

She is due to travel to Brussels on Monday for talks with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in the hope of securing a declaration that sufficient progress has been made on divorce issues like the financial settlement and the Irish border.

The leaders of the remaining 27 EU states, including Irish premier Leo Varadkar, have a veto on triggering the second phase of talks, meaning Mrs May must be sure of support from Dublin for progress to be made.

However, appearing on BBC2s Newsnight on Wednesday, Mr Creed said they had yet to see a workable solution from the UK.

How could the Irish border issue be resolved in Brexit talks? @EvanHD asks Irish Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed @creedcnw #newsnight pic.twitter.com/Gc6Np33yJ5  BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) November 29, 2017

He said that having ruled out an Irish proposal for Northern Ireland to remain part of the single market and the customs union, it was up to the British to say how they could get round the need for border checks.

If the UK has clearly said no to a single market and customs union, it is clearly incumbent on the British Government to articulate a way forward that enables us to have an invisible, seamless border which they have said they want, he said.

We need political solutions now and we are not getting them from the UK Government.

DUP MP Ian Paisley urged the Republic of Ireland to take a more mature approach to Brexit.

If the Republic of Ireland is going to keep shouting at our border and telling us that it is all doom and gloom and we are not going to get a proper relationship, that interferes in the negotiation process, he told RTE.

All of us, every constituent part, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, are leaving the EU. Dont undermine our position and our sovereign integrity.
The session of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has kicked off in Minsk, reports Armenpress.

November 30, 2017, 15:42 CSTO Collective Security Councils session begins in Minsk

STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 30, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS:The heads of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan arrived in the Palace of Independence where they were welcomed by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.

The heads of state launched the narrow-format talks.

According to the session agenda, the leaders are going to discuss the development trends of the international situation and the measures taken to strengthen the collective security of the CSTO.

The summit will sum up the results of Belarus presidency in the CSTO in 2017.

It is expected that a number of decisions will be adopted on the CSTO activity in different spheres.

Armenia presented to the CSTO the draft statement of the Collective Security Council over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
Donald Trump has made the front pages of the UKs newspapers again after sharing anti-Muslim videos posted online by the deputy leader of the far-right group Britain First.

Like most of the papers, The Telegraph reports on the response by Prime Minster Theresa May, whose official spokesman said the president had been wrong to share the posts with his 43.6 million followers.

The paper says pressure is now mounting on Number 10 to cancel the presidents state visit invitation.

Papers

carries a very similar headline and also pictures of former Bosnian Croat general Slobodan Praljak, who died after drinking a liquid in a courtroom where judges had confirmed his 20-year sentence for war crimes.

The paper also reports that Brexit negotiators are close to a breakthrough over the Northern Ireland border.

Tomorrow's front page: Britain close to Irish border deal #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/TXTFiYlIqz  The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) November 29, 2017

The same picture of Mr Praljak, who claimed to have drunk poison from a bottle while in the courtroom, appears in The Independent, which also says Mrs Mays ties with Mr Trump are under intense pressure.

The Financial Times says Mr Trump was rebuked by Downing Street for his retweets while also leading on the resignation on London Stock Exchange chief Xavier Rolet after nine years.

Just published: front page of the Financial Times UK edition for November 30https://t.co/iB2qYAnmVI pic.twitter.com/ZjgPQZYbFh  Financial Times (@FT) November 29, 2017

Sticking with Brexit, The Guardian says some Tory MPs are prepared to vote against the Government over the final divorce bill if it does not include good trade terms and also reports on Mr Trumps latest missive.

Meanwhile, many of the tabloids lead on Russell murders of 1996. The Daily Mirror reports on claims that serial killer Levi Bellfield allegedly confessed to the murders of Lin Russell and her daughter Megan, six, in Kent, more than a decade ago.

andalso lead on the same story, saying Milly Dowlers killer is said to have admitted to the crime while in jail, according to lawyers representing Michael Stone.

Stone, 57, is serving three life sentences for the deaths but has always maintained his innocence.
A series of services may no longer be provided by the NHS and waiting times could soar unless the health service gets more money, officials have indicated.

During a discussion on financial constraints, NHS England leaders set out which services they intended to protect with current funding.

But other aspects of care could come under discussions on what can be expected from the remaining available funds, NHS England board papers suggest.

Hospital ward

 @NHSEngland will now save 100m+ each year by recommending low value treatments that aren't currently provided within the #NHS, as well as launching a consultation on curbs to prescriptions for some over the counter products' such as paracetamol: https://t.co/TURy099v9U pic.twitter.com/DBdLwM3uzB  NHS England (@NHSEngland) November 30, 2017

Innovative treatments should only be recommended for widespread NHS use if they come with an agreed affordability and workforce assessment, the board papers state.

And waiting targets could be missed without cuts to other services, the papers suggest.

But, speaking at the health think tank The Kings Fund, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the Government was absolutely committed to NHS constitutional standards.

Chancellor: I am...making an additional commitment of resource funding of 2.8bn to the NHS in England #Budget2017 pic.twitter.com/YIRtqBDTxc  HM Treasury (@hmtreasury) November 22, 2017

Earlier, during a discussion of the implications of last weeks budget, Sir Malcolm Grant, chairman of NHS England, told the national bodys board meeting the tightness of the settlement would be a catalyst for change.

There are going to have to be some tough decisions and trade-offs, he said.

It is the latest twist in a row over funding between Whitehall and the health service.

.@Jeremy_Hunt Poor quality care is the most expensive care you can give #KFAnnual2017  The King's Fund (@TheKingsFund) November 30, 2017

But The Kings Fund said politicians and health leaders needed to avoid adopting adversarial positions which will undermine public confidence in their stewardship of the NHS.

Patient groups described the move from NHS England as extraordinary.

The board papers state: Our nurses, doctors and other frontline staff routinely go the extra mile for their patients.

It would, however, be unfair to set unattainable goals which staff would then be criticised for not meeting. In part, this therefore means more scrutiny of unfunded new expectations that are loaded on to the NHS.

.@jappleby123 responds to today's @NHSEngland board meeting and what last week's Budget announcements mean for the NHS > https://t.co/Wp6V2ncbce pic.twitter.com/9encj5bP6X  Nuffield Trust (@NuffieldTrust) November 30, 2017

For example, new advisory Nice (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidelines can only expect to be implemented locally across the NHS if in future they are accompanied by a clear and agreed affordability and workforce assessment at the time they are drawn up.

Short waits for routine non-urgent elective care matter, and we should do all we can to increase elective activity volumes next year.

However, even with some increased volume, and even assuming this years unprecedented elective demand management success continues, our current forecast is that  without offsetting reductions in other areas of care  NHS constitution waiting times standards, in the round, will not be fully funded and met next year.

But Mr Hunt later told The Kings Funds annual conference: The Government is absolutely committed to NHS constitutional standards. Thats why weve now announced an increase for the NHS in the budget.

But our absolute determination is to move back towards hitting those standards, which were not hitting all of at the moment, we recognise that.

Personal view...Budget plugs some, but def not all, of NHS funding gap. Will force a debate about what the public can and cant expect from the NHS. Worrying that longer waits seem likely/unavoidable.#NHS  Bruce Keogh (@DrBruceKeogh) November 22, 2017

Part of that is a funding issue, part of it is a capacity issue and I think we will have constructive, sensible discussions with NHS England to find a way forward to lead our objective, which is to get back to meeting those standards.

NHS England said once the Department of Health and others agree to the NHSs list of priority services  including urgent and emergency care, reducing the current deficit and improvement plans for general practice, mental health and cancer care  health service leaders will begin to look at what else it is being asked to provide.

NHS England said it would provide an update at its next board meeting on February 8 and an operating plan for the next financial year would be agreed on March 29.

Labour raised concerns about the unprecedented remarks on waiting time standards.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth added: NHS bosses have effectively conceded that the 18-week target for treatment cant be met given continued underfunding of the NHS.

This will mean more and more patients waiting longer and longer in pain, discomfort and distress for elective operations -

@JonAshworth https://t.co/v3LID0FLjc  Labour Press (@labourpress) November 30, 2017

This will mean more and more patients waiting longer and longer in pain, discomfort and distress for elective operations.

Whats more, there are serious questions about the legality of effectively abandoning a standard of care enshrined in the NHS constitution.

Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: There will be longer waits for elective surgery, and therefore more pain and worse outcomes for many.

Plans announced by @NHSEngland made clear how patients will lose out as a result of political decisions about the funding of health and social care. Read our full comments here >> https://t.co/oQMaK0PHBW #NHSEnglandBoard pic.twitter.com/APJwffQna4  Patients Association (@PatientsAssoc) November 30, 2017

NHS England has also said it is unable to implement best practice as advised by Nice on a routine basis - an extraordinary state of affairs.

The Royal College of Surgeons said rationing and delaying surgical treatment are false economies.

And The British Medical Association said patients are unfairly suffering the consequences of a clearly underfunded service.

#NHSEnglandBoard have said the NHS needs to be "realistic about what can be expected from the remaining available funds" @CNagpaul https://t.co/mD1HAodkDp pic.twitter.com/Mow7VTyP6P  The BMA (@TheBMA) November 30, 2017

A Department of Health spokeswoman said: We are supporting the NHS with an extra 2.8 billion by 2019/20 to make progress on A&E and waiting time performance, including 335 million this year to help with winter pressures.

We expect NHS England will use that money to make sure every patient gets the treatment they require in a timely way.
The Government has been accused of playing Russian roulette with peoples jobs because of its reckless strategy over Brexit.

The TUC laid out a series of measures it said were needed to protect workers rights and jobs as well as safeguarding Northern Irelands Good Friday Agreement.

The union organisation said it was crucial that people in the UK do not have weaker legal protections for consumer, environmental and labour standards.

Brexit flag

We need a real guarantee from all parties to protect workers' rights - we can't afford to lose these rights after we leave #GE2017 #Brexit pic.twitter.com/oXQbdgPJlA  Trades Union Congress (@The_TUC) June 4, 2017

TUC general secretary Frances OGrady said: We need a Brexit that puts working people first, but ministers are playing Russian roulette with peoples jobs, rights and livelihoods.

Instead of sticking rigidly to red lines that rule out the best deal for working people, ministers should go back to the drawing board.

Membership of the broader European Economic Area would mean we can leave the EU but keep the benefits of the single market. Its still the only current option we see that passes the tests for working people.

With 500 days to go until Brexit, the PM must stand up to the Brexit extremists who are hijacking her government and sabotaging negotiations.  Frances O'Grady (@FrancesOGrady) November 14, 2017

Well listen to other ideas that could meet our tests, but time is running out, and ministers have not yet put forward a realistic alternative.

The Government must keep all options on the table, including remaining in the single market through the EEA. Otherwise their reckless strategy could make Brexit a disaster for working people across the UK.

A DExEU spokesman said: The people of the UK voted to leave the European Union, and were getting on with the job of making our exit a success.

Our Withdrawal Bill factsheets give more detail on topics including workers rights, consumer protection and the Charter of Fundamental Rights https://t.co/RHIAcfymDG pic.twitter.com/MMb2YvPe2v  Department for Exiting the EU (@DExEUgov) November 21, 2017

We have listened to EU leaders and respect the position that the four freedoms of the single market are indivisible and there can be no cherry-picking.

Thats why we do not seek membership of the EUs Single Market after we leave the EU, but a bold and ambitious free trade agreement as part of a new, deep and special partnership.
Pope Francis has demanded that the international community take decisive measures to resolve the causes of the mass exodus of Rohingya Muslims from Burma, breaking his recent silence over what the United Nations has declared to be a textbook case of ethnic cleansing.

Arriving in Bangladesh from Burma, he said it also was imperative for world governments to immediately provide assistance to help the Bangladeshi government cope with Asias worst refugee crisis in decades.

Pope Francis is in Bangladesh RV https://t.co/IcswQDX0K9  Vatican News (@VaticanNews) November 30, 2017

In a speech in front of Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid, government officials and ambassadors from around the world, Francis praised Bangladeshs sacrifice and generosity in welcoming in so many refugees before the eyes of the whole world.

He did not identify the Rohingya by name, ethnicity or faith, referring only to refugees from Rakhine state but his words were sharp.

None of us can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation, the immense toll of human suffering involved, and the precarious living conditions of so many of our brothers and sisters, a majority of whom are women and children, crowded in the refugee camps, he said.

Pope Francis with Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid

It is imperative that the international community take decisive measures to address this grave crisis, not only by working to resolve the political issues that have led to the mass displacement of people, but also by offering immediate material assistance to Bangladesh in its effort to respond effectively to urgent human needs.

Francis, a tireless and fearless advocate for refugees, outcasts and societys most marginal, had drawn criticism from human rights organisations and Rohingya themselves for having failed to speak out publicly about their plight while he was in Burma.

He had remained silent out of diplomatic deference to his hosts, who consider the Rohingya as having illegally migrated from Bangladesh and do not recognise them as one of Burmas ethnic groups.

More than 620,000 Rohingya have fled Burma and poured into Bangladesh refugee camps over the last few months amid a scorched earth campaign by the Burmese military.

Pope speech to authorities and diplomatic corps in Dhaka: full text RV https://t.co/KlEl9r8ta8  Vatican News (@VaticanNews) November 30, 2017

The Vatican defended the Popes silence, saying he wanted to build bridges with the predominantly Buddhist nation, which only recently established diplomatic relations with the Holy See.

Spokesman Greg Burke said Francis took seriously the advice given to him by the local Catholic Church, which urged him to toe a cautious line and not refer to the Rohingya by name.

Rohingya have faced persecution and discrimination in Burma for decades and are denied citizenship, even though many families have lived there for generations. The situation grew worse in August when the army began what it called clearance operations in Rakhine state following attacks on security positions by a group of Rohingya militants.

Rohingya living in camps in Bangladesh have described indiscriminate attacks by Burmese security forces and Buddhist mobs, including killings, rapes and the torching of entire villages.

Rohingya Muslim boys play at Jamtoli refugee camp in Bangladesh (Wong Maye-E/AP)

Bangladesh President Hamid accused Burmas military of having committed ruthless atrocities against the Muslims and, in his speech to Pope Francis, demanded international help to return them safely to Burma.

Our people welcomed them with open arms, sharing food, shelter and other basic needs, he said. Now, it is our shared responsibility to ensure for them a safe, sustainable and dignified return to their own home and integration with the social, economic and political life of Myanmar.

The Rohingya crisis loomed large over Franciss arrival in Dhaka, where huge banners with pictures of the Pope and Mr Hamid dotted billboards around town.

Security was tight and was of particular concern after a Christian priest went missing in northern Bangladesh on Tuesday, and his family reported they received calls demanding money. Police said they were looking for the man but would not confirm if it was a kidnapping.

Pope leaves for Bangladesh after historic visit to Myanmar RV https://t.co/5UOTXleduY  Vatican News (@VaticanNews) November 30, 2017

The countrys leading English-language newspaper, The Daily Star, said in an editorial it felt slightly let down that the Pope did not mention the Rohingya crisis specifically while in Burma.

We remain hopeful that given Pope Francis legacy of standing up for the oppressed, he will speak out against the ongoing persecution of the Rohingya during this very important visit, the paper added.

Francis will not visit the refugee camps while in Bangladesh but will host an interfaith peace meeting on Friday in the garden of the Dhaka archbishops residence at which a small group of Rohingya are expected.
Britains water utilities regulator has called out four firms including Thames Water for shortcomings in the way they handle data, saying customers may not be able to trust company information.

Ofwat named and shamed Bristol Water, Dee Valley Water, Southern Water and Thames Water for lagging behind their peers in its annual Company Monitoring Framework report, which is meant to hold companies to account and challenge them to improve transparency.

While it reported overall industry improvement, Ofwat said that shortcomings in the data handling at those four firms means the regulator and customers cannot be sure the information presented is complete and accurate.

Aileen Armstrong, Ofwats senior director for finance and governance, said: As customers, we want to be able to trust what we get from our water company  be that the water out of the tap or what they tell us.

Unfortunately, on the second of those, our checks suggest we might not be able to take everything at face value.

Disappointing that @Ofwat cant have confidence in the info from @BristolWater @SouthernWater @ThamesWater and Dee Valley Water. They need to improve if customers are to have trust #moreofwhatmatters  Ofwat Chair (@OfwatChair) November 30, 2017

Ofwat said there were serious concerns over Thames Water when it came to two categories, including following the regulators financial monitoring framework as well as a broad assessment of outcomes  meant to measure whether stakeholders can understand what companies are doing to meet customer expectations.

It said: We concluded that the significance of our concerns in two assessments meant that the company did not instil sufficient confidence about its ability to deliver, monitor and report performance.

In response to Ofwats findings, Thames Water said it was disappointed by the regulators decision to classify the company in its lowest assessment category.

We will be working hard to rebuild trust and achieve self-assured status as quickly as possible.

Ofwat said Thames Water may choose to revisit a risks, strengths and weaknesses exercise as part of a first step towards developing wider and more detailed assurance plans, with Ofwat saying it expects the company to publish the results ahead of a consultation by the end of January 2018.

After identifying areas needing improvement, Thames Water will then need to seek independent, external assurance for those cases and release its action plans online by March 31 2018, ahead of its annual performance report.

Ofwats recent assessment revealed serious concerns over Thames Water in two categories (PA)

Ms Armstrong said: These businesses provide essential public services and they need to assure customers they are doing the right things in the right way.

If they are to gain and keep the trust of customers, they need to have high-quality checks on their information and present it fairly, clearly and completely.

The report comes just a day after Thames Water said it was unlikely to meet its target for leaks once again this financial year, and promised to return a pot of 40 million built up from fines since 2015 to households.

It has been a tough 2017 for Thames Water, having been fined a record 20 million in March for allowing 1.4 billion litres of raw sewage into the River Thames between 2012 to 2014.

The utilities firm was then hit with an 8.6 million regulatory penalty for missed leak targets in 2016-17, while it was also under pressure over excessive pay for top bosses.

The group last week announced that Ian Marchant  the former chief executive of energy giant SSE  is being brought in as chairman to clean up its corporate governance failings. He will replace long-serving chairman Sir Peter Mason in January.
A deadly chemical was in the container from which a Croat war criminal drank in a United Nations courtroom, a Dutch prosecutor said on Thursday, as an independent investigation into the dramatic death of Slobodan Praljak moved forward.

There was a preliminary test of the substance in the container and all I can say for now is that there was a chemical substance in that container that can cause death, Marilyn Fikenscher told the Associated Press. She declined to elaborate on the exact nature of the substance.

Praljak stunned the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague on Wednesday when he gulped down liquid from a small bottle seconds after a UN appeals judge confirmed a 20-year sentence against him.

The 72-year-old wartime commander of Bosnian Croat forces said in court that he had taken poison. He was rushed to hospital but died there, tribunal spokesman Nenad Golcevski said.

Praljaks lawyer, Nika Pinter, said on Thursday that she never expected him to kill himself and does know how he obtained the fatal liquid given the Netherlands courts strict security.

Bosnian Croat people light candles and pray for Slobodan Praljak in Mostar (Amel Emric/AP)

She described Praljak to Croatias Hina news agency as an honourable man who could not live with the war crimes conviction and leave that courtroom handcuffed.

Praljak was originally convicted in 2013 of crimes including murder, persecution and deportation for his role in a plan to carve out a Bosnian Croat mini-state in Bosnia in the early 1990s.

Prosecutor Ms Fikenscher said that a post-mortem examination, including toxicological tests, will be carried out soon.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said Praljak had wanted to send a message to the UN court that the verdict against him was unjust. He said the former general was obviously shaken by the possibility he would be convicted of war crimes for his actions during Bosnias 1992-95 war.

Ms Fikenscher said the Dutch investigation will look into how Praljak managed to take the small bottle of poison into the tribunals tightly guarded courtroom.

Mr Golcevski declined to comment on the security situation at the court or its detention centre, saying: There is an independent investigation ongoing and  these are issues that will likely be addressed by that investigation.

He also refused to give details of who had visited Praljak in the days and weeks before Wednesdays events, citing privacy considerations.

A lawyer who has frequently defended suspects at the war crimes court told the AP that it would be easy to bring poison into the court.

Prominent Serbian lawyer Toma Fila said security for lawyers and other court staff is just like at an airport.

Security officers inspect metal objects and confiscate mobile phones, but pills and small quantities of liquids would not be registered, he said.

Praljak was a Bosnian Croat writer and film and theatre director turned wartime general. His indictment said he also worked as a professor of philosophy and sociology.

He was among six Croats whose prison sentences ranging from 10-25 years were confirmed by appeals judges on Wednesday.

The five-judge UN panel overturned parts of their convictions but upheld the majority and agreed with trial judges who ruled that the crimes were part of a joint criminal enterprise with links to late Croatian president Franjo Tudjman and other top Croat officials.
Serie A leaders Napoli host reigning champions Juventus on Friday and an Azzurri victory will leave the Bianconeri seven points adrift of top spot.

Here, Press Association Sport looks at five talking points before the showdown at the San Paolo.

Tables are turned

Typically when Napoli tackle Juve the southern side are battling to narrow the gap on first place as the Bianconeri draw ever closer to winning the Scudetto. However, after 14 games of this season, Juve are the club playing catch-up as Napoli sit two points clear of second-placed Inter Milan. Both are unbeaten while Juve, defeated twice already, sit another two points off the pace. An away victory will put the Old Lady right back in the race but a loss will do major damage to their title defence.

Higuain or Higua-out?

Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain will be desperate to play against his former club (Mike Egerton/EMPICS)

As fate would have it, just days before a match against his former club, Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain appeared to be ruled out after breaking a bone in his hand. Despite the risk he could hurt himself more seriously if he plays, Juve seem keen to include him in the travelling squad and rate his chances of featuring at 50-50. Higuain has always made an impact in this game, although not necessarily with goals, as Napoli and their fans are always distracted by making him feel their wrath.

Insigne in fine form

Lorenzo Insigne has been in fine form for Napoli of late (Scott Heavey/PA)

While Juve ponder whether or not they will unleash Higuain against Napoli, Friday nights hosts have almost all of their attacking options available. Key among them is Lorenzo Insigne, the Italy striker who has, after a struggle, secured a place in the starting line-up with goals against Manchester City, AC Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk. Lethal at long and short range, the expert dribbler will surely target Juves creaking back-line, which conceded three goals to Sampdoria two weeks ago.

History not on Juves side

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon will be keen to keep a rare clean sheet in Naples (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Juve may have successfully kept ambitious Napoli at arms length to win the title six years on the spin but their performances in this head-to-head encounter have been less than consistent. Remarkably the Bianconeri have failed to keep a clean sheet at the San Paolo since March 1997 and across the subsequent league and cup meetings in Naples they have conceded three goals on five occasions. Most glaring is their record of one solitary win in the Campanian city between October 2000 and now.

European distraction

Once again Juve head into an important league tie with one eye on the Champions League challenge to come. They dropped points at Sporting Lisbon after giving their all to beat AC Milan while resting key men in a victory over Chievo could not prevent a heavy defeat at Barcelona. Tuesdays trip to Olympiacos is a must-win for the Old Lady as last seasons finalists risk being beaten into the last 16 by Sporting. It is difficult to affirm that more effort should be made in Greece than Naples, though.
Willoughby Court and Yanworth are poised to give racing fans a treat when they clash in a five-runner race for the Ladbrokes Novices Chase at Newbury on Friday.

Both were top class over hurdles but now the pair have to prove themselves equally adept over the bigger obstacles.

Willoughby Court, winner of the Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, won on his debut over fences at Huntingdon three weeks ago but did jump markedly out to his left at several fences.

Trainer Ben Pauling reports the six-year-old to have benefited for the experience and is looking forward to see how he fares against better company in this Grade Two over two and a half miles, registered as the Berkshire Novices Chase.

"He'd schooled fantastically." - @benpauling1 reflects on Willoughby Court's chasing debut at Huntingdon last week. #LuckOnSunday pic.twitter.com/9VYqqissbz  Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 12, 2017

Pauling said: (Im) looking forward to seeing him out again. Obviously, its going to be a right old ding-dong of a race.

Yanworth is an exceptionally good horse. Willoughby won last time out and his jumping has been much improved at home.

I hope it continues to be so and if it does, then it will be a lovely spectacle for the racing public. Ive got him in as good a shape as I can have him at home and well see how he gets on.

Its a decent race. Win, lose or draw tomorrow, its all still education.

Willoughby Court en route to victory in the Neptune Investment Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival (Julian Herbert/PA)

Yanworth ended his hurdling career on a high in the Liverpool Hurdle in April and made a winning debut over fences at Exeter in October.

However, he blotted his copybook on his return to that track when falling in the race won by Briery Queen. Trainer Alan King is confident the seven-year-old can redeem himself.

Its not as if Yanworth jumped clumsily  he just landed a bit steeply and it was a typical novices fall, the Barbury Castle trainer told www.alankingracing.co.uk.

He schooled last week over nine fences and it was clear that the fall hadnt worried him one iota, but it will be good to get some more match practice into him.

Yanworth seeks to get back on track over fences when he runs at Newbury (Julian Herbert/PA)

Frank Berry, racing manager for owner JP McManus, felt it was just one of those things at Exeter last time.

It was just bad luck when he fell the last day. Alan is very happy with him and were hoping for a clear round, said Berry.

Hes in good form and with a bit of luck he can a get a clear round and see well see how we go.

Its a good race and a good track.
PARIS, Nov 29 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday he was counting on U.N. Security Council members China and Russia to step up sanctions on North Korea after its latest missile test.

"I once again condemn with the greatest force the missile launch yesterday and now we must increase sanctions," Macron told France 24 television.

"I am counting a lot in particular on China and Russia in order to take the most difficult and effective sanctions," he added, speaking during an interview from Abidjan in Ivory Coast. (Reporting by Leigh Thomas; editing by Mark Heinrich)
PRAGUE, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial markets on Thursday. ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hours) =========================ECONOMIC DATA========================== Real-time economic data releases.................... Summary of economic data and forecasts........... Recently released economic data.................. Previous stories on Czech data............. **For a schedule of corporate and economic events: http://emea1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/Apps/CountryWeb/#/2E/events-overview =========================NEWS=================================== GOVERNMENT: The Czech centre-left government of Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka stepped down on Wednesday, making way for billionaire Andrej Babis, who won an election last month, to take power in time for an EU summit in December. Story: Related stories: CEE MARKETS: The zloty set a 5-1/2 month high against the euro on Wednesday, boosted by stop-loss deals at the key 4.2 level, while Central European asset prices were mixed. The zloty, which along with the Czech crown, is the top performing currency in the world this year, has been appreciating for weeks. Story: Related stories: ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------ Index/Crown Currency Latest Prev Pct change Pct change close on day in 2017 vs Euro 25.485 25.481 -0.02 5.64 vs Dollar 21.468 21.526 0.27 16.3 Czech Equities 1,053.02 1,053.02 -0.08 14.26 U.S. Equities 23,940.68 23,836.71 0.44 21.14 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600 GMT ***For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX For updates on CEE currencies TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets =====================PRESS DIGEST============================== EPH: Power group EPH's EP Energy EBITDA rose by a third to 6.6 billion crowns in the first nine months of the year. Revenue dropped 2.8 percent to 32.9 billion. Hospodarske Noviny, page 16 O2: Telecoms group O2 Czech Republic will begin offering mobile data through two the 2.6 and 3.7 GHz bands. Hospodarske Noviny, page 16 GOVERNMENT: President Milos Zeman's spokesman said the president would accept the outgoing government's resignation on Tuesday. Pravo, page 2 (Reuters has not verified the stories nor does it vouch for their accuracy.) Prague Newsroom: +420 224 190 477 E-mail: prague.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (Reporting by Prague Newsroom)
A Syracuse man accused of threatening to kill U.S. Rep. John Katko and his family shared his knowledge of net neutrality with FBI agents and admitted to making a phone call "that could be construed as a threat," according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court.

The four-page document details the allegations against Patrick Angelo, a 28-year-old who has been charged with interstate communication of a threat and threatening a federal official. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The call in question was received at approximately 7:50 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19 at Katko's Washington office. However, due to the volume of calls his office receives, the voicemail message wasn't reviewed until Monday, Oct. 23.

After Katko's staff received the message, it was referred to the U.S. Capitol Police's Threat Assessment Section. The agency launched an investigation in coordination with the FBI.

A check of public records revealed that the call originated from a Verizon Wireless phone number belonging to Angelo. On Nov. 1, FBI agents spoke to a family member to establish contact with Angelo.

According to the criminal complaint, when Angelo contacted the agents, he called them from the same phone number used to make the threatening call. He didn't provide his address to the agents, but agreed to meet in a public location.

Angelo met FBI agents at a McDonald's in Syracuse. He denied making a threatening call to Katko's office and claimed he "doesn't involve himself in politics." He responded to a question about net neutrality by describing it as "all about telecom companies tiering internet service providers to provide faster service to certain companies."

After the question about net neutrality, Angelo told the FBI agents he left a voice mail and was "upset about net neutrality." He expressed his support for net neutrality and admitted that "I used strong language, probably something that could be construed as a threat."

Federal prosecutors released the text of the voice mail message Wednesday. The caller stated, "Listen Mr. Katko, if you support net neutrality, I will support you. But if you don't support net neutrality, I will find you and your family and I will kill ... you ... all. Do you understand? I will literally find all ... of ... you and your progeny and t- just wipe you from the face of the earth."

The message continued: "Net neutrality is more important than the defense of the United States. Net neutrality is more important than free speech. Net neutrality is more important than health care. Net neutrality is literally the basis of the new society. That even if you don't understand, how important it is, net neutrality is literally the basis of the new ... free ... society. So if you don't support it, I am willing to lay down my li-." The recording ended before the caller could finish the statement.

After the threatening message was received, court documents indicate that the U.S. Capitol Police increased security for Katko while he was in Washington. FBI agents coordinated with the New York State Police, Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, Syracuse Police Department and Camillus Police Department to provide security for the congressman's appearances in central New York.

"All threats are reported to the U.S. Capitol Police in order to ensure the safety of Rep. Katko, his family and staff," said Erin O'Connor, Katko's spokesperson. "The congressman and his family appreciate the diligent work of our local, state and federal law enforcement in monitoring these threats and taking appropriate action."

Angelo appeared in federal court Wednesday afternoon. He is being held at an undisclosed site pending a detention hearing at 2 p.m. Friday.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. attorney's office for the Western District of New York. While the criminal complaint was initially filed in the Northern District of New York, which covers the Syracuse area, the case was moved because of Katko's past ties to the U.S. attorney's office in Syracuse.

Katko is a former federal prosecutor. Before being elected to Congress, he was an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of New York.

The threat against Katko has received additional attention because of the caller's net neutrality position. The Federal Communications Commission will vote Dec. 14 on a proposal to repeal the net neutrality rules that were established by the agency during the Obama administration.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai released a statement Thursday condemning the threat against Katko.

"I would also like to express my sympathy to Congressman Katko and his family and thank law enforcement officials for taking this matter seriously," he said.
By Philip Pullella and Yimou Lee

YANGON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Pope Francis flew to Bangladesh on Thursday after a visit to Myanmar where he made no direct reference to the plight of Muslim Rohingya people to avoid a diplomatic incident with a Buddhist-majority country some have accused of ethnic cleansing.

There will be no such balancing act for the pope in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, where he is expected to meet a group of Rohingya refugees from among the roughly 625,000 who have fled neighbouring Myanmar since the end of August.

The Vatican on Wednesday defended the pope's decision not to use the word "Rohingya" in public during his four-day Myanmar trip, saying his moral authority was unblemished and that his mere presence drew attention to the refugee crisis.

But a Vatican news conference in Yangon to wrap up the visit only served to highlight the diplomatic minefield that the issue had presented for Francis.

Spokesman Greg Burke said the pope's decision not to refer to the Rohingya did not take away from anything he has said in the past - he had mentioned them and their suffering before his Myanmar visit - but added that Vatican diplomacy was "not infallible" and others were entitled to their views.

Muddying the waters for the Vatican delegation, a Myanmar regional bishop cast doubt at the same news conference about allegations of ethnic cleansing, suggesting "other communities" might be responsible for stoking them.

"When we speak of the truth, we should go to an authoritative source or a reliable source to get the news ... Those who criticise should go to the scene to study the reality and history," Bishop John Hsane Hgyi said.

The Global New Light of Myanmar, a state-run daily, seized on the bishop's comments, putting a banner headline on its front page that read "Reports of ethnic cleansing in Rakhine is not reliable: Myanmar church".

SUU KYI HEADS TO CHINA

The exodus of Rohingya people from Rakhine state to the southern tip of Bangladesh was sparked by a military crackdown in response to Rohingya militant attacks on an army base and police posts on Aug. 25.

Scores of Rohingya villages were burnt to the ground, and refugees arriving in Bangladesh told of killings and rapes.

The United Nations has accused Myanmar of ethnic cleansing and last week Washington said the military's campaign included "horrendous atrocities" aimed at "ethnic cleansing".

Myanmar's military has denied accusations of murder, rape and forced displacement. The government blames the crisis on the Rohingya militants, whom it has condemned as terrorists.

Many people in Myanmar regard the largely stateless Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, they are excluded from the 135 "national races" recognised by law, and even using the name is considered inflammatory.

Although Francis studiously avoided the term, following the advice of local Church officials who feared it could turn Myanmar's military and government against minority Christians, his calls for justice, human rights and respect were widely seen as applicable to the Rohingya.

Francis held talks during his trip with Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate and longtime champion of democracy who in 2016 formed Myanmar's first civilian government in half a century.

Suu Kyi has faced a barrage of criticism from Western nations in recent weeks for expressing doubts about reports of abuses against Rohingya and for failing to condemn the military.

China has backed what Myanmar officials call a legitimate counter-insurgency operation in Rakhine, and stepped in to prevent a resolution on the crisis at the U.N. Security Council, support observers believe will draw Suu Kyi closer to Beijing.

Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Suu Kyi left on Thursday morning for China to join a forum of world leaders hosted by the Communist Party of China.

Suu Kyi's defenders say she is hamstrung by a constitution written by the military that left the army in control of security and much of the apparatus of the state.

The military's power was clear on Monday when Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, demanded to meet Pope Francis before Sun Kyi, upending a schedule that had her meeting the pontiff first.

"I'm sure the pope would have preferred meeting the general after he had done the official visits," spokesman Burke said. (Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Robert Birsel)
SHANGHAI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Chilean miner Antofagasta Plc forecasts copper consumption in the electric vehicle (EV) sector will increase tenfold by 2030, according to its chief executive, who expects Chinese refined copper demand growth to "moderate" next year.

"Electric vehicles, including hybrids, today require around 200,000 tonnes of copper. We would expect by 2030 that number would be in the range of 2 million," Chief Executive Officer Ivan Arriagada said in an interview at the company's Shanghai representative office on Thursday.

A lot of the incremental demand, which does not factor in the copper used in charging stations or other infrastructure, would occur towards the end of the 13-year period, he said, given the need for further technological development in EV batteries.

Prices for battery ingredient metals such as lithium and cobalt have surged this year on predicted demand from the EV sector though gains for copper have lagged. However, attendees at metal industry gatherings such as London Metal Exchange (LME) Week and the ongoing Asia Copper Week in Shanghai have been bullish on copper's potential role in the EV market.

Still, Antofagasta will not be rushing to churn out more copper to meet the incremental EV demand, Arriagada said.

"In our case it's good news because copper will play a role ... but I think the exact impact is something that we still have fully to understand. The pattern in use of cars will also change over time, and miniaturization will mean that you need less copper for the same type of applications," he said.

"But still, an electrical car does need four or five times more copper today than a conventional car."

Overall, Antofagasta expects refined copper demand in China, the world's top copper consumer and biggest EV market, to grow between 4 percent and 5 percent this year, slowing to around 3 percent in 2018.

"Continued growth in the property sector and in the electric grid are very key for copper in the mid-, short term and that is where we are seeing some moderation in growth rates," Arriagada said. "And that's why we expect 2018 to see a deficit in the market but not too different probably to what we have seen this year." (Reporting by Tom Daly; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
By Jessica Jaganathan

SINGAPORE, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Fuel retailer Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc has set up a trading office in Singapore, expanding in the region as it pushes to secure refined fuel to sell in its local market, a senior company executive said.

The Singapore office, which had its "soft opening" in the first week of November, has hired 7 people so far including three traders and will be the sole supplier of refined fuels to Phoenix in the Philippines, said Joseph John Ong, the firm's chief finance officer.

The company in 2018 will require 2 billion litres, or about 12.6 million barrels, of fuels including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), up from the 1.7 billion litres this year and 1.5 billion litres in 2016, he said.

Phoenix Petroleum Philippines currently purchases its fuels from oil traders in the region who in turn procure supplies from refiners. The company hopes its Singapore office will be able to cut out such middlemen by buying directly from refiners.

"What we envision is because Phoenix Singapore will be a full trading outfit, it will not only supply to Phoenix Philippines ... it will also sell to other parties in the Philippines and also in the region," said Ong.

"That will allow it (economies of) scale and allow it to expand and deal directly with refineries."

There are over 100 independent companies in the Philippines' deregulated fuel market that Phoenix hopes to target with sales.

Meanwhile, the company is aiming to next year add another 30 to 50 retail stations to the over 500 it has in the Philippines, Ong said.

The Philippines is one of Asia's fastest expanding economies with a 6.5- to 7.5-percent growth target for 2017, which is expected to boost spending and should drive consumption of fuels.

Double-digit growth in automotive sales, as well as more infrastructure projects and airport expansions are also expected to boost appetite for refined fuels.

Phoenix will continue to look out for assets to acquire next year, Ong said. Earlier in 2017, it acquired the liquefied petroleum gas business of Petronas Dagangan in the Philippines.

"We still need to look for ways to expand our reach and the fastest way to increase market share would be to acquire existing players," Ong said. (Reporting by Jessica Jaganathan; Editing by Joseph Radford)
BRATISLAVA, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial markets on Thursday. ALL TIMES GMT (Slovak Republic: GMT + 1 hour) =========================ECONOMIC DATA======================== Real-time economic data releases.................. Summary of economic data and forecasts......... Recently released economic data................ Previous stories on Slovak data.......... **For a schedule of corporate and economic events: http://emea1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/Apps/CountryWeb/#/1C/events-overview ========================NEWS================================== EUROGROUP CHAIR: Italy will back Portuguese Finance Minister Mario Centeno to be the next chairman of euro zone finance ministers, a government source said on Wednesday. Story: Related stories: For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX Main currency report TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets News editor of the day: Jan Lopatka +420 224 190 476 E-mail: prague.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (Reporting by Prague Newsroom)
YEREVAN, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Armenia's gross domestic product grew by 3.5 percent in the third quarter of this year, official data showed on Thursday, better than the same period in 2016 when it contracted by 2.6 percent.

The Caucasus nation's economic growth slowed to 0.2 percent last year, falling well short of the government's original target of 2.2 percent.

This year's figures are better so far. GDP growth hit 6.5 percent in the first quarter of 2017, outstripping a 4.4 percent rise in the same period a year earlier. The growth in the second quarter was 5.5 percent, up from 1.5 percent in the same period of 2016.

The country of 3.2 million depends heavily on aid and investment from former imperial master Russia, whose economic downturn has hit Armenian exports and remittances from Armenians working there.

The government expects the country's economy to grow by 3.2 percent this year, helped by lower borrowing costs and increased exports to Russia.

Armenian's Finance Minister Vardan Aramyan told Reuters in September the economy was set to grow by 4.3 percent this year.

The central bank said on Wednesday it had raised its forecast for GDP growth to 4.4-4.9 percent this year, up from an earlier estimate of 3.8-4.8 percent. (Reporting by Hasmik Mkrtchyan; Writing by Margarita Antidze; Editing by Alison Williams)
BUDAPEST, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Hungary could face a European Union penalty worth up to 70 billion forints ($265.29 million) next year over financial irregularities in the construction of a metro line in Budapest, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said on Thursday.

"Hungary could face penalties worth about 60 to 70 billion forints over the fourth metro line," Janos Lazar told a weekly government news conference. "We will have to prepare for this in the 2018 budget."

($1 = 263.8600 forints) (Reporting by Gergely Szakacs and Marton Dunai, Editing by William Maclean)
By Mark Bendeich and Parisa Hafezi

ROME/ANKARA, Nov 30 (Reuters) - China is financing billions of dollars worth of Chinese-led projects in Iran, making deep inroads into the economy while European competitors struggle to find banks willing to fund their ambitions, Iranian government and industry officials said.

Freed from crippling nuclear sanctions two years ago, Iran is drawing unprecedented Chinese funding for everything from railways to hospitals, they said. State-owned investment arm CITIC Group recently established a $10 billion credit line and China Development Bank is considering $15 billion more.

"They (Western firms) had better come quickly to Iran otherwise China will take over," said Ferial Mostofi, head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce's investment commission, speaking on the sidelines of an Iran-Italy investment meeting in Rome.

The Chinese funding, by far the largest statement of investment intent of any country in Iran, is in stark contrast with the drought facing Western investors since U.S. President Donald Trump disavowed the 2015 pact agreed by major powers, raising the threat sanctions could be reimposed.

Iranian officials say the deals are part of Beijing's $124 billion Belt and Road initiative, which aims to build new infrastructure - from highways and railways to ports and power plants - between China and Europe to pave the way for an expansion of trade.

A source in China familiar with the CITIC credit line, which was agreed in September, called it "an agreement of strategic intent". The source declined to give details on projects to be financed, but Iranian media reports have said they would include water management, energy, environment and transport projects.

An Iranian central bank source said loans under the credit line would be primarily extended in euros and yuan.

The China Development Bank signed a memorandum of understanding for $15 billion, Iranian state news agency IRNA said on Sept. 15.

The bank itself declined to comment, in line with many foreign investors and banks, including from China, who were reluctant to discuss their activities in Iran for this story. The web sites of banks and companies often carry little or no information on their Iran operations.

POWERHOUSE

With a population of 80 million and a large, sophisticated middle class, Iran has the potential to be a regional economic powerhouse. But with the risk of sanctions hanging in the air, more and more foreign investors want Tehran to issue sovereign guarantees to protect them in case the projects are halted.

Economic ties between Iran and Italy, its biggest European trade partner, have been affected.

Italy's state-owned rail company, Ferrovie dello Stato, is a consultant in the building of a 415-km (260-mile) high-speed north-south rail line between Tehran to Isfahan via Qom by state-owned China Railway Engineering Corp.

The Italian firm is separately contracted to build a line from Qom west to Arak, but it needs 1.2 billion euros in financing. Though backed by the state's export insurance agency, it says it needs a sovereign guarantee.

"We are finalising the negotiations and we are optimistic about moving forward," said Riccardo Monti, chairman of Italferr, the state firm's engineering unit, adding that the financing should be finalised by March next year.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's promise in Tehran last year to oil the wheels of trade with a 4 billion euro credit line from Italy's state investment vehicle is effectively dead, a source in Italy familiar with the matter said.

Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) risked losing the confidence of its many U.S. bond-holders who could sell down their holdings if the credit line went ahead, the source said.

A few European banks have deepened trade ties with Iran this year -- Austria's Oberbank inked a financing deal with Iran in September.

South Korea has also proved a willing investor, with Seoul's Eximbank signing an 8 billion euros credit line for projects in Iran in August, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

But China is the standout.

Valerio de Molli, head of Italian think tank European House Ambrosetti, reckons China now accounts for more than double the EU's share of Iran's total trade.

"The time to act is now, otherwise opportunities nurtured so far will be lost," de Molli said.

A MOVING TRAIN

Iranian officials attending this week's meeting in Rome sought to goad European firms and their bankers into action by talking up the Chinese financing and investments.

"The train is going forward," said Fereidun Haghbin, director general of economic affairs at Iran's foreign ministry. "The world is a lot greater than the United States."

Some Iranian officials remain concerned that investment could become lop-sided and are looking at creative ways to maintain investment links with the West, however.

The Iran chamber is encouraging Western firms to consider transferring technology as a way of earning equity in Iranian projects rather than focusing on capital.

It was also seeking approval to set up a 2.5-billion-euro offshore fund, perhaps in Luxembourg, as an indirect way for foreigners to invest in Iran, especially small and medium-sized Iranian enterprises, Mostofi said.

The fund would issue the financial guarantees that foreigners want in return for a fee, effectively stepping in where banks now fear to tread. Most of the fund's capital would come from Iran, Mostofi said.

For now, however, big Western firms remain stuck.

Italian power engineering firm Ansaldo Energia, controlled by state investor CDP and part-owned by Shanghai Electric Group , has been in Iran for 70 years.

Its chairman, Giuseppe Zampini, told Reuters at the Rome conference there were many opportunities for new contracts but his hands were tied for now, partly because Ansaldo bonds were also in the hands of U.S. investors.

"My heart says that we are losing something," Zampini said. (Additional reporting by Shu Zhang in BEIJING, Stefano Bernabei in ROME, Parisa Hafezi in ANKARA and Jonathan Saul in LONDON; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
By Gabriel Stargardter and Gustavo Palencia

TEGUCIGALPA, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Honduran police fired tear gas at rock-hurling protesters on Thursday after a contentious presidential election that looks set to drag on for two more days without a clear winner, deepening the political crisis in the Central American nation.

Both center-right President Juan Orlando Hernandez and his rival Salvador Nasralla, a television game show host allied with leftists, claimed victory after Sunday's election.

The vote tally at first favored Nasralla, but then swung in favor of the incumbent after hold-ups in the count, fueling talk of irregularities.

International concern has grown about the crisis in the poor coffee-producing nation of more than 9 million, which experienced a military-backed coup in 2009 and suffers from drug gangs and one of the world's highest murder rates.

The delays have already led to violence, and observers fear they could risk undermining the eventual winner's legitimacy.

One of the four magistrates on the Honduran electoral tribunal flagged "serious doubts" about the process on Thursday.

Marcos Ramiro Lobo called for an independent external auditor to review the results, but was non-committal on whether there was evidence of electoral fraud.

"We can't be sure of one thing or the other," Lobo told Reuters, expressing concern about the vote count breaking down. "What I do know is that serious doubts are being raised."

David Matamoros, who chairs the electoral tribunal, on Thursday evening heeded calls from international election observers and Honduras' top business group, and said the tribunal would hand-count some 1,031 outstanding ballots, or roughly 6 percent of the total, that had irregularities.

That fresh count would be completed in up to two days, and would allow the tribunal to declare a definitive winner with 100 percent of ballots counted, Matamoros said.

The tribunal's latest tally showed that with 94.31 percent of ballots counted, Hernandez had secured 42.92 percent of the vote, with Nasralla at 41.42 percent.

The Organization of American States (OAS) appeared to have salvaged the credibility of the election on Wednesday by eliciting signed statements from both candidates who vowed to respect the final result once disputed votes had been checked.

But a few hours later, Nasralla rejected the accord, saying his opponents were trying to rob him. He urged supporters to take to the streets to defend his triumph.

"They take us for idiots and want to steal our victory," said Nasralla, who heads a center-left coalition.

Nasralla is one of Honduras' best-known faces and is backed by former President Manuel Zelaya, a leftist who was ousted in the 2009 coup after he proposed a referendum on his re-election.

On Thursday, Nasralla's coalition issued a statement signed by Zelaya, in which the former president asked for more transparency in the vote count, and said the coalition could not currently accept any decision issued by the tribunal.

Luis Larach, the president of COHEP, a powerful business lobby, told Reuters that given the slim difference between the candidates, the hand-count of irregular ballots would be crucial in deciding the winner.

"For me, it's still up in the air," he said.

PROTESTERS SHOT

Nasralla's followers took to the streets, protesting throughout Honduras on Thursday. At least nine people were injured in protests in the capital, Tegucigalpa, as well as two police officers and a soldier, emergency services said. Six of the nine had been shot.

There were also reports of a police station and highway toll booths set alight in other parts of Honduras.

"We're going to keep protesting and won't let them steal this victory," said university student Josue Valladares, 20, as he battled with security forces, who were guarding a vote-count center in Tegucigalpa.

The sporadic way in which results have been published, and the reversal of Nasralla's lead, have led the opposition to say Hernandez may have influenced the election tribunal, an allegation Hernandez denies. Opinion polls before the election indicated that Hernandez was favored to win.

On Thursday, the OAS urged the tribunal to process all of the ballots before declaring a winner, as did a European Union election monitor.

On Monday, the tribunal published more than half the results, showing Nasralla with a five point lead, but then published nothing more for 36 hours.

When the count started again, Hernandez began to catch Nasralla. The count has started and stopped ever since. The tribunal blamed a five-hour delay on Wednesday on computer glitches. (Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter and Gustavo Palencia, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien, Grant McCool and Michael Perry)
By Michele Kambas and Deborah Kyvrikosaios

ATHENS Nov 30 (Reuters) - Mortar under a slab at the heart of Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre dates to the era of Roman Emperor Constantine, confirming historical accounts of the discovery of the place where Christians believe Jesus was entombed, researchers say.

According to historical accounts, Constantine - who was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity - discovered the rocky tomb with assistance from his mother Helena between 325 and 326 AD, buried beneath a temple to the Roman goddess Venus.

Today it is visited regularly by millions of pilgrims and tended by priests from several Christian denominations under strict rules still in place from the Ottoman era.

Virtually razed to the ground in 1009, the Holy Sepulchre complex was rebuilt over the centuries by various Christian groups, including the Byzantines and the Crusaders from the 12th century onwards.

But a team of scientists and restorers who completed almost nine months of work on the tomb last March said they were able to determine that a slab at the heart of the compound dated from Constantine's time.

"That was a great moment to validate," said Professor Antonia Moropoulou, Chief Scientific Supervisor from the National Technical University of Athens who directed the restoration project.

The researchers restored a structure inside the church called the Edicule, which is believed to house the tomb itself. Their work included removing a marble slab which covers a ledge where Christ, according to Christian scriptures, was lain after crucifixion and resurrected on the third day.

A second fractured slab was found beneath the top slab, attached to the bedrock and engraved with a cross. Analysing gypsum mortar connecting that slab to the bedrock allowed them to determine its age, dating it to 335-345 AD.

"When we opened the tomb and saw this broken grey slab with an engraved cross we didn't know from which era it was," Moropoulou told Reuters. "We concluded, according to concrete results, that the slab which was adjoined to the bedrock of the tomb of Christ was of the Constantinean era."

Moropoulou said she herself had half expected to find that the slab, like the church around it, dated from a later era.

She felt "great. Very happy indeed. I did not expect it...but the monument talks, and it says its history." (Writing by Michele Kambas; Editing by Peter Graff)
By Sebastien Malo

NEW YORK, Nov 30 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A law banning slave-made goods from entering the United States has failed, lawmakers and advocates said, as they push border authorities to step up inspections of suspicious shipments.

More than $140 billion worth of goods likely to be made by forced labor enter the U.S. market each year, New York-based nonprofit Human Rights First estimates.

But only $8.5 million worth of imports have been detained in nearly two years since the ban, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) - which is tasked with enforcing it - told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"I am disappointed to see that the administration has not taken any action to seize goods produced by forced labor," said U.S. House Representative Ron Kind, a champion of the ban, which aims to improve transparency across global supply chains.

Kind was one of nine U.S. House representatives who wrote last month to the CBP voicing their concern over its failure to use the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act (TFTEA) to send a clear message to the world about the use of slave labour.

The CBP has only issued four orders to seize 50 shipments it suspected contained goods made under duress since the law was passed.

This has prompted its architects in Congress to renew their push to put the weight of the U.S. market and its 325 million customers behind the fight against global slavery and eliminate slave-made goods from their stores, homes and children's hands.

Only a few countries have laws on forced labor goods, such as Canada where prison labor imports are illegal, experts say.

"(I) hope that CBP will take immediate steps to increase enforcement," Kind said by email.

FULL FORCE OF THE LAW

The CBP has banned four Chinese companies since 2016 from importing a range of goods, including peeled garlic and industrial chemicals, that it suspects were made by prisoners.

Anti-slavery Congress members say the CBP is not using the full force of the law, which allows the agency to detain goods on reasonable - not conclusive - grounds.

"This misreading of the statute would certainly explain the complete lack of enforcement we've seen this year," U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown said by email.

"It is unacceptable," he said, adding that he also plans to write to the CBP.

A CBP spokeswoman said the agency was looking into how to effectively enforce the law.

"The CBP is committed to rigorous and judicious enforcement of all U.S. trade laws, including the prohibition on the entry of items made using forced labor," the spokeswoman said.

Staffing at the unit has also come under scrutiny. The CBP's former head, Gil Kerlikowske, said that only 24 employees were monitoring forced labor imports, on top of their other duties.

"I don't think we felt the resources were adequate," Kerlikowske, who left his role in January, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone.

The CBP said it had a "dedicated team" at its headquarters to implement the ban and agency-wide staff contributing their expertise far exceeded 24 employees.

Congress did not specifically allocate any funds to implement the TFTEA, it said.

LIVES AT STAKE

Supporters of the law say it does have bite, if implemented.

Sweetener maker PureCircle issued a profit warning and shares tumbled after the CBP seized shipments from China of its low-calorie sweetener stevia - used in Coca-Cola Life - that the agency suspected were produced by convicts.

The CBP released the consignments in January after receiving proof that the sweetener was not produced by Inner Mongolia Hengzheng Group Baoanzhao Agricultural and Trade, the company in CBP's crosshairs for forced labor.

One industry that activists want to crack down on is cotton, which has a complex supply chain, from fields to fashion stores.

A 2016 U.S. Department of Labor report documented state-enforced slave labor to harvest cotton in Turkmenistan.

So campaigners were confident of a "slam dunk" when they submitted a petition to the CBP to ban cotton from the Central Asian nation, said Eric Gottwald, legal and policy director for the Washington-based International Labor Rights Forum.

But it was declined, despite including records of a New York textile distributor receiving cotton from Turkmenistan.

"The materials provided do not contain enough substantial information," the CBP told the petitioners in a letter.

Turkmenistan's U.S. embassy did not respond to requests for comment.

Campaigners are desperate to see tougher action, and soon.

"Men, women and children are forced to work day in and day out for little or no pay, to make products that end up here on our shelves," said Annick Febrey, an expert on trafficking with Human Rights First.

"Lives are at stake - the U.S. government must act with urgency to enforce the ban on slave-made goods." (Reporting by Sebastien Malo @sebastienmalo, Editing by Katy Migiro and Kieran Guilbert.; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)
SYRACUSE  At a rally outside Nottingham High School Wednesday, central New York educators expressed their displeasure with U.S. Rep. John Katko for supporting the House tax bill that was approved earlier this month.

The roughly 30 teachers who marched and participated in a mock bake sale railed against the tax bill, which they believe would be bad for education and the middle class. They repeatedly chanted "Shame on Katko!" to protest the Republican congressman's vote in favor of the tax proposal.

The coalition highlighted several provisions in the tax bill that would affect them, including the elimination of a $250 deduction for teachers who purchase classroom supplies.

Megan Root, president of the Syracuse Teachers Association, called the tax plan "insulting to teachers."

"Teachers have constantly been expected over the years to give all that they can give, and we do," she said. "And we spend thousands of our own dollars. We're asking for a $250 tax deduction and it's pathetic that we're not even respected enough to be given that."

The impact on education would go beyond the deduction for buying supplies. The bill would eliminate the ability to deduct student loan interest. The current tax code allows taxpayers to deduct up to $2,500 of student loan interest annually.

Another provision would target graduate students who work as research or teaching assistants and receive tuition waivers. The Republican tax plan would treat the tuition benefit as taxable income.

Graduate students said they would pay higher taxes as a result of the change. College and universities contend that it will affect the number of people who pursue graduate degrees.

"They're going to be gone or can't afford it because they're going to be taxed on money they do not even receive," said Bill Spreter, central New York representative for the New York State Alliance of Retired Americans. "This is an abomination."

Spreter also lamented the potential loss of the state and local tax deduction in its current form. The deduction, which tends to benefit high-tax states like New York, allows individuals to deduct state and local income, property and sales taxes.

Katko, R-Camillus, initially voiced concern about the GOP tax plan because an earlier version of the bill would have completely eliminated the state and local tax deduction. He has stated that members of the New York House delegation urged GOP leaders to restore the deduction.

The GOP bill Katko supported would alter the state and local tax deduction by allowing homeowners to deduct up to $10,000 of state and local property taxes. However, the ability to deduct state and local income and sales taxes will end.

Spreter believes the loss of the full state and local tax deduction will hurt education.

"It will be a disaster for this country and especially for New York state," he said.

Katko was one of four New York Republicans who voted for the House GOP bill. He reiterated his support for the plan Monday at a roundtable discussion with central New York business leaders. He said the tax bill would benefit a "vast majority" of his constituents.

He also touted the benefits for businesses in his district. The GOP tax proposal would lower the corporate tax rate from 35 to 20 percent. He believes more jobs will be created if the tax burden is reduced.

"It's going to unlock manufacturers' and businesses' potential to not only stay here but to flourish and maybe bring jobs back," he said.

The House vote earlier this month was the first hurdle for Republicans to pass tax reform legislation. The Senate is expected to vote on its proposal Thursday.

If the Senate passes its bill, both houses will form a conference committee to negotiate an agreement. The House and Senate must pass the final tax deal before it's sent to President Donald Trump for approval.
Accenture Global Services Limited filed a plaint alleging trademark infringement, trademark dilution, unfair competition and passing off, in the Commercial High Court of the Western Province in Colombo on 31st October 2017.



Accenture, the plaintiff, a well known global management consultancy, technology services and outsourcing company is one of the worlds largest consulting firms.

It states that it pioneered systems integration and business integration and has established itself as a leader in todays global marketplace. It has a significant business presence in Sri Lanka through its local affiliate Accenture Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.



Accenture claims that a similar company, Ascenture Systems Limited, which is engaged in software development services, software solutions and enterprise resource planning solutions in the clothing industry, is using a trademark and name identical to that of Accenture.



Accenture which is represented by Manoj Bandara with Dhanushka Dissanayake instructed by Sudath Perera Associates claimed that the defendants company, Ascenture Systems, intentionally and deliberately adopted a similar trademark and name of Accenture by changing only one letter to Ascenture with the purpose of trading on the good will and reputation of its world-renowned mark.



In addition, the global company stated, customers are likely to be deceived and confused into believing that the defendant and its products and services and business have some connection associated or affiliation with the plaintiff, when there is no such connection whatsoever. The use of Ascenture would further give them an unfair advantage and cause damage to the plaintiff by way of loss of reputation and goodwill and dilution of their internationally acclaimed and recognized trade mark Accenture.



Accenture has applied for a court order that would declare that the defendants trademark constitutes an infringement of plaintiffs rights as owners of the tradename Accenture and any use of Ascenture would be unlawful and unfair competition against the plaintiff.



They further requested that the court issue a permanent injunction restraining the defendants from further use of the infringing mark as well as a decree for damages. Accordingly, the plaintiff supported for a notice of an interim injunction together with summons. Having satisfied the submissions of the Counsel for the plaintiff, the Court issued notice of the interim injunction together with summons, returnable on the 5th of December of 2017.



It was disclosed that there has been a number of successful actions against other companies in Sri Lanka as well as India, by the global company Accenture, with the similar trade name that has been successfully concluded.
It only means, changes decided elsewhere and offered for people to endorse, end up replacing one despot with another or with a new cartel

Freedom and public space provide no meaning to life in a society that provides no answers and solutions to most urgent and devastating problems

That black money is mostly pumped into real estate, into the media industry, and through fictitious business companies into bank accounts as Panama Papers revealed

That was what part of the black money earned, was laundered for. Eventually totally controlled by the black money

In Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe (RM) was ousted from power after 37 years of despotic rule. In Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR) was ousted from power after nine years, also on similar accusations and allegations.



In Zimbabwe, RM walked in as the PM of independent Zimbabwe, respected and revered as their liberator. In Sri Lanka, MR walked out, still honoured as the Sinhala hero, having won a 30-year-war against Tamil separatism. But the two were ousted from power in two different ways.

Emerson Mnangagwa

The ouster of RM was cheered on the streets of Harare as Zimbabwes second independence.

The ouster of MR was applauded in Colombo and was accepted as a Rainbow Revolution. In Harare, after the military coup, the newly installed President Emerson Mnangagwa on his way to the President promised his supporters, The people have spoken. The voice of the people is the voice of God..Today we are witnessing the beginning of a new and unfolding democracy.



In Colombo after the new President-elect Maithripala Sirisena was sworn in he promised the nation,  all steps will be taken to eradicate the major problems of misappropriation, bribery, fraud, and corruption from this country. Our Government will work towards establishing a disciplined, ethical and a morally strong society.



In Harare, time awaits them to be tested if they would honour their promises. In Colombo, time though not very long, has proven they have backtracked on all promises made at the Presidential Election. All indications are, Zimbabwes second independence will go the same way the Rainbow Revolution in Sri Lanka did. Reasons are quite plain and the fundamentals are the same.

The norm in free market economies are the incorrigibly corrupt elite, the vested interests in politics plan and scheme the change in closed-door conspiracies with no peoples participation. Once the compromises and conditions are agreed upon between them for their benefit, people are called upon to vote (in Sri Lanka) or to the streets (in Zimbabwe) to endorse that change they decided and offered. That is called democracy and there the democracy ends.

Robert Mugabe

Thereafter it is the turn of the schemers to usurp power in the name of the people, ruling as legitimate leaders of the people. Why do these changes always go the same route?

Over the past decades, the free market economy created a new rich clan, as they do in many countries. They are different to the old businessmen in how they invest, what they invest for and where. These investments and productions for export do not come within a socio-economic programme for national development. They only help a new rich urban business clan to be established. Some growing with new technology, have opened up new areas of economic activities, where capital investment is virtual IT activism. The best and the common example is the Uber cab service that owns no vehicles.



Their only asset is the specialised internet service that links the cab and the customer. Most other businesses too now depend on modern technology in this global economy and very much on State patronage that is indispensable in an open economy.



This new business culture bears the cost of installing Governments of their choice. They need Governments to have State facilitated channels for the accumulation of unaccounted for money that can be transferred across geographical borders.



That black money is mostly pumped into real estate, into the media industry, and through fictitious business companies into bank accounts as Panama Papers revealed. Most if not all deals signed as contracts for solicited or unsolicited projects obtained by big-time businesses are State funded or State approved, with big foreign investments coming as aid or loans.

Thereafter it is the turn of the schemers to usurp power in the name of the people, ruling as legitimate leaders of the people. Why do these changes always go the same route?



Very much different to the common perception, it is those who have grown rich, who want to be richer. It is, therefore, necessary for them to have direct access to and control over political power as security for their accumulated wealth and assets.



This led to political parties being financed by these ever growing new rich. Picking potential leaders, grooming the next head of Government, guaranteeing continual publicity for their chosen political prodigies, became their responsibility, while taking care of the ones in power. That was what part of the black money earned, was laundered for. Eventually, the major mainstream political parties have come to be totally controlled by these businessmen, quite openly. It is for them the political leaders ultimately hold themselves responsible to.



They have all turned the political relationship between the voter and the politician inside out and transformed the politician into a service contractor and the voter into a customer who has to pay with his allegiance for all services obtained. In the process, politicians have been turned into an urban power bloc whether in Government or in Opposition. Theirs and also of their families culture, social values, and the whole lifestyle have turned very cosy and expensive. They cannot maintain that life unless this free market is allowed to provide more and more benefits for the urban rich and the new business clan that has encroached the formal sector of the economy.



This is also true for all professions including the media. In urban life, the free market provides unaccounted for opportunities to grow rich for all professions. Most can now earn more than their market value with the right connections and by serving the right individual. With that comes a new lifestyle for the urban professionals that need more money to maintain. Where we have thus come to, has not left any State Agency free from corruption and free from political interference.



It has also blurred the traditional difference between the State and the Government, with the State now behaving politically, no Independent Commission can reverse. It is these complexities that have evolved that make promises for changes at elections irrelevant in a post-election society.



Thus self-appointed urban representatives of an unknown civil society, have lost even their personal credibility promising people a decent government after ousting MR.



Devalued themselves, still defending and appealing to the Government to deliver on promises made. While these civil society representatives go about pleading for 2015 January election pledges to be implemented, they have all been betrayed, already.



The change now spoken of is reduced to the single factor of ousting Rajapaksa. All promises for clean and efficient governance strengthened democratic institutions and corrupt free ethical and morally strong society have been forfeited to the ouster of Rajapaksa.



That it is said to have created more freedom, more public space now. Freedom and public space provide no meaning to life in a society that provides no answers and solutions to most urgent and devastating problems.



This proudly announced freedom and public space means nothing to women, mothers and daughters in the North-East, who protested demanding answers for their missing family members during CHOGM in 2013and still continue agitating almost three years after they voted out Rajapaksa. Freedom and public space have no relevance when agitations against SAITM go without a stable permanent answer for over 20 months and the agitations demanding answers are brutally beaten and repressed, resorting to even judicial rulings.



Freedom and public space have no purpose when that can be used without obstruction by extremist racist elements and violently too.



And it meant nothing when even LG elections were kept postponed for over two years and the PC elections are postponed indefinitely. What is therefore left with this change is the remote possibility of bringing to book the smaller fry in a wholly corrupt society where the big fish can still scheme and manipulate politics. That is openly exhibited with the decision to arrest Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on allegations of misappropriation of public funds. Worst is when MRs Sinhala image still hold sway over political decisions of this Yahapalana Government and without a doubt in State Agencies as well.

Thus the change that the Colombo civil society was proud of as a Rainbow Revolution is proved a change meant for the urban Sinhala South and not for the whole country that counts the rural voter and minorities who voted for the ouster of MR.



These changes promised were cosmetic and only meant to exploit social frustrations and its incapability in pushing for an alternate programme for socio-economic development with required far-reaching reforms.



The change was what the corrupt urban elite and vested political interests schemed and manipulated. They were decided on the personal rivalry, self-interest and to steam off public protests against the total system.



Such only end up with compromises the people dont need and are not for social benefit and advantage. That is what the Zimbabwean ouster of RM would mean and that is also what the ouster of MR now means in Sri Lanka.



Ziyambi Ziyambi, a ZANU-PF MP and former minister, is quoted in The Guardian on 22 November as having said:



There has been an agreement. They are elder statesmen [sic] and will be respected and given their dues. He was our President and he agreed to resign so he will enjoy the benefits of being an ex-president and his wife too. He is our icon. The unwritten and unspoken compromise between the defeated corrupt and the elected corrupt here in Colombo is what Ziyambi Ziyambi said publicly in Harare.



In the absence of alternate political leadership with an alternate programme for democracy and development backed by people, both the Zimbabwean second independence and the Sri Lankan Rainbow Revolution brings no change to people.



In effect it only means, changes decided elsewhere and offered for people to endorse, end up replacing one despot with another or with a new cartel.
However, the law might press to find capable women to represent in the long run

Despite the progressive aspect of the recent laws for the increase of female participation in Provincial Councils and Local Government bodies, almost all political parties irrespective of their outreach and ethnicity they represent seem to be facing a challenge in implementing the relevant laws. This is more so in respect of small parties especially the Tamil and Muslim parties.

The recent amendments introduced to the Provincial Councils Elections Act and the Local Authorities Elections Act have made it mandatory for the political parties and the independent groups contesting elections to include 30 percent and 25 percent of female candidates in their nomination papers respectively. All political parties seem to be struggling to find candidates, not to raise the female participation in politics but to fulfil this legal requirement.



Hence, there is every possibility on the part of the political parties to resort to many manipulations.

Though no political party had ever opposed thus far the laws promulgated providing for female representation, lest they would be branded as archaic or fundamentalist apart from the fact that they too accept the progressiveness for the purpose of the laws, all political parties were well aware that the laws were challenging or impossible to implement in some areas.



This is not purely because of the relative backwardness of the women in social life, but also because of their hesitation or inability to cope with the current political and social cultures in the country.

Yet, women are reported as highest Foreign Exchange Earners in Sri Lanka, declaring 6 billion US$ in the year 2014 through migrating as housemaids according to a report issued by the Law and Society Trust last year which had quoted the Womens Chamber of Industry and Commerce as its source. The other highest foreign exchange generating industries are Textile and Garment (44%), Tea (14%), Rubber and Rubber based products which too have a sizable female workforce, the report further says.

Sri Lanka has the least representation of women in the region. Less than 3% provincially and national politics has only about 5%. Even Afghanistan, a country that is new to democracy has about 28-30%

It is no doubt that the sections pertaining to the female representation in the recently adopted Local Authorities Elections (Amendment) Act and the highly controversial Provincial Councils Elections (Amendment) Act were progressive in nature, given the composition of the Sri Lankan population. Despite the female population in the country forming nearly 52 percent of the total population and Sri Lanka boasting about having the worlds first woman Prime Minister, female representation in any of the peoples representation bodies, at the local level or national level, has never exceeded 6.5 percent of the total members of those bodies.



Parliament has had the highest female participation in number as well as a percentage so far, with women members constituting 6.5 percent of the National State Assembly elected at the 1977 General election.



Eleven female members had been elected at that election, the only election held to elect the National State Assembly while 13 members, the highest number in the history had been elected or appointed after the general elections in 1989, 2004, 2010 and 2015. However, with the number of members increasing from 168 to 225 since the 1989 General Elections the female participation in the Parliament had gone down to 5.7 in percentage, despite the numerical strength of women in the House having shot up to 13at that election and several other elections later.



Quoting Rohana Hettiraratchchi, the Executive Director of the Peoples Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), the report points out where Sri Lanka stands in the region, in respect of female representation in politics.



Sri Lanka has the least representation of women in the region. Less than 3% provincially and national politics has only about 5%. Even Afghanistan, a country that is new to Democracy has about 28-30%. In India the representation is not much at the national level, however, there is active participation in the provincial level it stated.

Though the laws have been introduced to increase womens representation in the PCs and the LG bodies no laws have been brought in with respect of womens representation in Parliament



Though the laws have been introduced here to increase womens representation in the Provincial Councils and the Local Government bodies no laws have been brought in with respect of womens representation in Parliament. The laws already introduced are very complicated and are going to be put to test for the first time at the forthcoming Local Government elections for 93 of which nominations have been called by the Elections Commission. According to the recently adopted Local Authorities Elections (Amendment) Act political parties and independent groups have to submit two nomination papers, The first one which is containing names of the candidates contesting for each ward of the relevant Local Government body should include ten percent of female candidates.



The other list would contain names of candidates of whom some would be elected to the respective body to commensurate the number of members the party is entitled to, under the Proportional Representation system. Fifty percent of that list should contain female candidates.



As Nizam Kariyappar, the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) says, preparation the first nomination paper would be the challenging task for the political parties as the nominees including the women should have the winning capacity and qualities to be elected.

Under the PR system, a woman candidate could be ignored or let to be defeated by other candidates of the same party, as allegedly happened to Rosy Senanayake in the Colombo District at the last Parliamentary election.



However, the party cannot ignore any candidate, man or woman, contesting for wards under the new system, as otherwise, the party would lose the seats allocated for the wards it has been defeated in.

Minority parties, especially the Muslim parties and the parties representing the up-country Tamils are the ones that are going to face the brunt of the new law on womens representation, due to cultural reasons. Muslim parties have so far produced only two women Parliamentarians(JVPs Anjan Umma and National Unity Alliances (NUA) Ferial Ashraff) and two local councillors Ayesha Rauf (first Muslim woman Deputy Mayor in 1952 in Colombo Municipality) and Salma Hamza (Kattankudy Pradeshiya Sabha). Anjan Umma was the only Muslim provincial councillor so far.



The up-country Tamils had only one member in any of the peoples representation bodies. Anusha Sivarajah represented the Central Provincial Council.



N.M. Ameen, the President of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka which is an amalgam of more than 50 Muslim organisations and the Editor of Navamani newspaper says that finding women candidates would be a daunting task for the Muslim parties given the local Muslim culture and the current political culture in the country.



He points out that one who enters politics has to be prepared to insult and to be insulted and subject to character assassination and it would be very difficult for the women in certain minority communities, who live an insular life. However, the General Secretary of the National Front for Good Governance (NFGG) Naja Mohamed says his party would field a strong team of women for election for the Kattankudy Pradeshiya Sabha.



Hassan Ali, the former General Secretary of the SLMC and currently a leader of the Pure Muslim Congress a newly formed grouping observes that many parties would field what he called dummy female candidates just to fill the nomination papers.



If this happens the purpose of the law would be lost, as there is a possibility of some of the dummies winning.



However, the law also might press the parties to find capable women to represent them, in the long run.
The Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade and the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka conducted for the fourth time a dialogue with the European Union Embassy and embassies of representative countries of the Union.



The European Union delegation was led by Tun Lai Margue, Ambassador of the European Union to Sri Lanka who was assisted by representatives of other EU member states.



The countries represented were France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK but also included delegates from Spain who are posted in New Delhi but accredited to Sri Lanka. Also participating were representatives of the European enterprises operating under the BOI.Representatives of the European Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka (ECCSL) also participated at the dialogue.



The Sri Lankan side was led by Malik Samarawickrama, Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade who was assisted by Chandanie Wijayawardhana, Secretary, Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade, Duminda Ariyasinghe, Director General of the BOI and Indira Malwatte, Chairperson of the Export Development Board.



Parakrama Dissanayake, Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Malraj Kiriella, Director General Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority also participated at the dialogue.



Furthermore a number of leading Sri Lankan institutions dealing with investors and other economic issues were also present at the meeting. These included among others the Health Ministry, and vital institutions such as the BOI and Inland Revenue Department.



Minister Malik Samarawickrama welcomed the delegation from the European Union and commended the close relations that have been built over the years. Tun Lai Margue thanked the Minister for organizing the meeting which had been held previously in July 2017.



Subsequent to that meeting, the European Union was able to hold formal discussions with the Ministers of Finance and of Health in Sri Lanka in November 2017. The Ambassador added that the EU was studying Sri Lankas current budget since it reflected some of the countrys political and economic objectives, which met some of the recommendations of the World Bank and of the International Monetary Fund.



The ambassador stated that this budget would lead to the creation of a more favourable business environment and several progressive outcomes would arise from such efforts. This includedevaluating the possibilityof foreign investors owning land in Sri Lanka, as well as economic packages that would promote the development of small and medium enterprises, notably in the Northern Province.



The new budget also encourages investment in new sectors such as the IT industry as well as the agricultural sector. The ambassador also added that it was positive that under the budget, environmental issues were to be addressed by the Government of Sri Lanka. Promotion of electric cars in the country was also a significant new move on the part of Sri Lanka. He stated that the EU felicitated the Government of Sri Lanka in its efforts, particularly in the area of seeking to boost investments in the country.



Minister Malik Samarawickrama replied, adding that the current budget of the Government of Sri Lanka was the most outward orientated budget that the country had adopted since the era of the late President J. R. Jayewardene.



One of its strength was the development of a very comprehensive Inland Revenue Act.

However, a vital areathat needed to be addressed was improvement on the Ease of Doing Businesssince success in this area this would impact very positively on investment and trade.

The minister stated that Sri Lanka warmly welcomes investors from the EU and would greatly appreciate if the EU mission could disseminate within the Union, a message that the Government of Sri Lanka is indeed very keen to welcome them to develop new industries in the country.



The objective of the government was to make every industrialist an exporter. At the same time there is a commitment on the part of Sri Lanka to develop the Northern Province and many concessions have already be given to promote economic activity in the former conflict affected areas.



In that respect investors from the European Union can indeed play a vital role as Sri Lankas partners, developing this area to help address the differences that exist within the country. The minister stated that he was looking forward to continue this dialogue every three months and addressing whatever issues that may exist concerning EU companies based in Sri Lanka.



A number of subjectswere discussed by the Sri Lankan side and the EU delegation. These included the need for a definition of what constitutes used cars in Sri Lanka. In addition to this the EU delegation spoke of a need for Sri Lanka to formulate environmental standards that are consistent and of a very high level. The minister also spoke of Sri Lankas objective to develop container terminals located on both the Eastern and western coasts in the Island. The European Union Chamber of Commerce discussed their need for addressing issues of noise pollution at certain tourism locations as well as the Islands objective to develop a strong dairy sector.



Discussions also covered the future development of a dry port in the area of Bloemendhal.

At a macroeconomic and strategic level the European Union represents an important source of investment for Sri Lanka.



In the period 2005  2016, EU enterprises operating under BOI invested an estimated US$2.5 billion in Sri Lanka.



The bulk sectors for investment were manufacturing (other than textile and apparel) US$ 557 million; textile and apparel manufacture (US$ 327 million); telecommunications (US$ 617 million): Airline services (US$ 325 million); and power generation (US$ 255 million).



The leading European Union countries in terms of FDI to Sri Lanka are the United Kingdom with 90 projects under BOI (of which 54 exporters), Germany (42 projects, 31 exporters), the Netherlands (29 projects, 14 exporters), Sweden (20 projects, 13 exporters) Italy (18 projects, 14 exporters), France (13 projects, 10 exporters) and Belgium (10 projects of which 6 exporters).



The EU-Sri Lanka dialogue thus offers considerable opportunities to creating opportunities for attracting European investment to Sri Lanka.
By Supun Dias

In a bid to place Sri Lanka as a major destination for tourists, 100 Chinese couples will tie the knot at a gala wedding ceremony on December 17, at Town Hall, Colombo, under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena.



The couples will later be hosted a dinner at Waters Edge, Battaramulla and will be take on tours to Yala, Sigiriya and Kandy.



The event is undertaken by the Megapolis and Western Province Development Ministry together with the Tourism and Christian Religious Affairs Ministry.



Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka made this announcement while delivering the keynote address at Sri Lankan Economic and Investment Conclave (SEIC) 2017 on the Sri Lanka-China Dialogue in Colombo, this week.



China has spearheaded the fourth industrial revolution and Sri Lanka should take steps to benefit from this especially from One Belt One Road (OBOR) as we are strategically placed in the centre of the worlds busiest sea lane, Ranawaka said.



We are linked to China in many ways and throughout history we have been close. Back in the day Admiral Zheng He came to the island and took our King Alakeshawara to China. So we have our relatives there too and it is a good opportunity for us to integrate with China, culturally as well, he noted.



China has considerable investments in the country and Sri Lanka has become a popular destination for Chinese tourists with over 200,000 Chinese tourists arriving this year so far.
No partnership between India and Sri Lanka is as strong as the historic Indo-Lanka trade pact inked way back in 1998.



Indo-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement was the most significant Indo-Sri Lanka partnership we have realised on the commercial front, said Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen in Chennai.



Minister Bathiudeen was addressing the inaugural event of the UEF Trade Summit 2017 at the Chennai Trade Centre, Tamil Nadu on November 18th. The event, the second edition in the series organized by the United Economic Forum was unveiled by the Minister for Finance of Government of Jammu and Kashmir Haseeb A. Drabu. UEF is currently led by Ahmed A.R.Buhari Founder President and CEO of Dubai based Coal and Oil Group (C&O).



The most significant Indo Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) played a crucial role in shaping Sri Lankas subsequent economic integration with other countries in the region, said Minister Bathiudeen, and added: We signed it in 1998.

Undoubtedly this was the most significant Indo-Sri Lanka partnership we have realised on the commercial front. I am sure that the ISFTA played a crucial role as a catalyst that shaped our subsequent economic integration that the other countries in the region. With the ISFTA becoming operational in year 2000, the value of Indo-Lanka bilateral trade has increased in an unprecedented manner from US$ 650 million in 2000, to close to US$ 5 billion in 2016.



In 2016, Lankan exports to India totaled US$ 551.2 million of which 68 percent (US$ 375.2 million) were exports under ISFTA. Sri Lankas top five exports -both under ISFTA and out of it-to India last year were pepper, animal feeds, nuts, paper/ paperboard and ships and vessels. Total bilateral trade for last year was US$ 4.37 billion while from January-August this year it reported US$ 3.26 billion. Sri Lankas leading import item from India (for the past 5 years) has been petroleum oil.



Indian Industry and Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu stressed the importance of collaboration in national policy formulation. We must think about policies in a very comprehensive manner and that means a lot of stakeholders need to be consulted, noted Minister Prabhu, and added: That means the government cannot just frame the policies within the four walls of a ministry.



The first ever UEF Summit was held in 2015 in Chennai. Among those who addressed Chennais UEF 2017 was Panneerselvam, the Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu government, who said that the TNs new industrial policy launched in 2014 is now being reworked.



The United Economic Forum, a Chamber of Commerce was founded by Alhaj Dr B.S. Abdur Rahman, a visionary and an educationist, aims to develop entrepreneurs, offering them the latest in training, technology as well as access to emerging opportunities, innovations, rising markets, government concessions and facilitating project finance including Shariah-compliant funds.
Last Fridays mosque massacre in Egypts Sinai Peninsula is yet another tragedy that has brought to the surface the crisis within Islam. The crisis is rooted in not only ideological differences among Muslims, but also on socio-economic backwardness. The solution is found not anywhere but within Islam itself.

The Rawda mosque, roughly 40 kilometres west of the North Sinai capital of El-Arish. Armed attackers killed at least 309 worshippers in a bomb and gun assault on the packed mosque in the restive North Sinai province. AFP

Following the attack, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered his military command to use all force necessary to secure the Sinai Peninsula within the next three months. But analysts believe that the failure of successive Egyptian governments to address the socio-economic issues of the people in the Sinai Peninsula has enabled extremists groups to set up a base in the region. Economic deprivation produces communities without much education or enlightenment and this condition, in turn, enables terror masters to recruit depressed youths living in a state of hopelessness.



More than 300 Muslims were killed by Muslims in the packed al-Rawda mosque in Sinai last Friday because the killers abhorred the type of Islam their victims were professing. The victims were followers of Sufism. The so-called puritans allege that Sufism has degenerated into a form of polytheism with the followers becoming saint worshippers and adopting practices which have not been mentioned in the Quran or in the authentic sayings of the prophet. But Sufi followers say Sufis are intermediaries and they do not raise them to the status of God. Puritans such as Salafis and Wahhabis strongly refute the explanation.



The Sinai massacre was not the first of such attacks. Neither will it be the last as long as the Muslims ignore the liberative spirit of Islam and its rationalistic roots. In February this year, an Islamic State (IS) suicide bomber blew himself up, killing more than 90 people at a Sufi shrine in Pakistans Sindh Province. In October this year, 18 people were killed in another suicide blast at a Sufi shrine in Pakistans Balochistan province. In Iraq, too, attacks on Sufi and Shiite shrines are a regular occurrence.



Extremism presents a distorted picture of Islam without its liberative spirit. Adding to this sad state of affairs is the recent protest in Pakistan over a minor change in the oaths of MPs. The protesters were angry that the words I solemnly swear had been changed into I believe in the MPs oath where they declare that the Prophet Muhammad was the last of the prophets, a declaration that shuts out Ahmadi or Qadiyani minorities from the democratic process. To appease the protesters, the law minister resigned and the government restored the old oath. The overreaction, however, goes counter to the liberative spirit of Islam.



Also adding to this crisis is the opposition in Sri Lanka to Muslim personal law reforms. The spirit of Islam aims to empower women, not to imprison them in harems or in head-to-toe jilbabs. Islam recognises the womens rightful role in society, as community leaders and judges. Last week, in an interview to New York Times, Muhammad bin Salman, the reform-minded crown prince of Saudi Arabia, said, At the time of the Prophet Muhammad, there were musical theaters, there was mixing between men and women, there was respect for Christians and Jews in Arabia. The first commercial judge in Medina was a woman! So if the Prophet embraced all of this, do you mean the Prophet was not a Muslim?



Yet the scholars, conveniently misinterpret a Quranic verse to equate a womans locus standi as a witness in a court of law to half that of a man. Verse 2:282 which they cite in support of their stand, refers to witnesses in trade transactions against the backdrop of the possibility of women being subjected to threats and intimidation by a party to the contract. But several other verses refer to witnesses without any gender identity. Of particular significance are the verses six to nine in the chapter titled Light or An-Noor. The verses give equal weightage to the evidence of a man and a woman. But, most Islamic scholars, hell bent on upholding male chauvinism, conveniently ignore these verses to perpetuate the oppression of women. No wonder, some of them still advocate the much-derided triple Talaq  the instant divorce which has plunged many women into destitution.

The Quranic Chapter titled al Mujadilah or the Pleading Woman outlaws Zihar, a barbaric practice which reduced a wife to a virtual slave of her husband with no right to remarry another person. The lesson to be learnt from this chapter is that God does not approve any injustice to women. But many so-called scholars cannot see the wood for the trees, and by their opposition to reform the Muslim personal law, they advocate injustice which many Muslim women are forced to endure.



The Muslim holy book Quran entices humanity to engage in rational inquiry, to ponder and to meditate. But the action of some Muslims has made Islam a canker that needs to be rooted out.

The advent of Islam as preached by the Prophet Muhammad whose birth anniversary  according to some narrations, also his death anniversary  falls today is not to freeze the progress of humanity in the seventh century. Rather his mission with a progressive character was to liberate humanity from ignorance and barbarism, from blind faith in myths and superstition, and from slavery and oppression. But sadly, the liberative spirit within a strictly monotheistic order has long been lost in the tyranny of irrationalism. It is this distorted Islam that drives some misguided groups to kill anyone who does not subscribe to their version of Islam. The violence they perpetrate is nothing but a manifestation of their intellectual bankruptcy. Thick-skulled, they are incapable of understanding that the height of civilisation is reached when ideological conflicts are won or lost through dialogue and debate, not through killing and terrorism.



Yet, violence is a valid currency in the Middle East where most people believe there is a Western plot to keep the Arabs and Muslims under perpetual subjugation, first through the colonialism project and then through other means such as the setting up of Israel and igniting sectarian violence and civil wars.



Muhammad Iqbal, the philosopher behind the Pakistan idea, insisted through his poetry that Islam was just as rational as any Western system. But there are only a few takers. As a result, fanaticism prevails over rationalism which guided the Abbasid Caliphate from the 8th century to the 12th century to reach great heights in science and literature.
Mr. Gihan Karunaratne  Country Manager, Sri Lanka & Maldives delivering the welcome speech at the event

Oman Air proudly announces its 8th Anniversary of successful operations in Sri Lanka. The national airline of Oman has grown by leaps and bounds in Sri Lanka, playing a major role in supporting Sri Lankas commercial, industrial and tourism sectors by providing flights to all key destinations in the world. The Colombo-Muscat route has become an important part of its global network while becoming indispensable for business and leisure travelers as well as Sri Lankan expatriate workers based in Oman. Oman Airs direct flights are extremely convenient and help connect passengers to Oman, Middle East and Europe. More significantly, this route also connects travelers to Sri Lanka and contributes hugely towards the growth of the local tourism industry.

Commenting on the joyous occasion of the airlines 8th year of operations in Sri Lanka, Gihan Karunaratne, Country Manager  Sri Lanka & Maldives said, We feel immense pride in celebrating our 8th year of a mutually rewarding partnership with Sri Lanka. Over this period, Oman Air has carved out a significant share in Sri Lankas aviation industry and we would like to thank our loyal customer base in the country for their continued patronage. Oman Air enjoys a strong brand presence in the local market, as we work closely with all local stakeholders to deliver a superior experience. Oman Air has recently refreshed its fleet with Boeing 737- Neo & Dreamliners to enhance its luxury product offering. We are committed to growing in Sri Lanka and are grateful for the support given to us by the government, travel and aviation sectors.

Mr. Ihab Sorial  Senior Vice President, International Sales delivering the Key Note Speech at the event

Oman Air commenced its Sri Lankan operations in 2009 with 4 flights a week and now operates 14 flights per week with an average passenger load factor of 82 per cent. Oman Air has received some impressive awards including the World Travel Awards with Worlds Leading Business Class Airline  Middle East and Best Economy Class Airline  Middle East. And one of the most impressive award was the 'Best Airline in Europe, Middle East & Africa' awarded at The Seven Stars Luxury Hospitality & Lifestyle Awards which held in Spain.

Anniversary cake being cut by His Excellency the Ambassador and the Oman Air Team

His Excellency Al Sheikh Jumah Hamadan Hasan Al Shehhi, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman for Sri Lanka and Mr. Salim Al Abrak Bair Shajanah, Head of Administrative & Financial Affairs with the Oman Air & GSA Management
REUTERS: Pakistan raised US$2.5 billion from the sale of two U.S. dollar-denominated sukuk and Eurobond issues in New York, a senior official said yesterday.

The issues had attracted total offers of US$8 billion.



However, Pakistani authorities decided to sell only US$ 2.5 billion at affordable rates, one official who was part of official delegation for launching the bonds told Reuters.



We have raised US$ 1 billion through five-year sukuk at rate of 5.625 percent and US$ 1.5 billion from a 10-year Eurobond maturity at a rate of 6.875 percent, Federal Secretary Finance Shahid Mehmood said.



The deals were the largest in the countrys history, and the 10-year bond was the cheapest bond ever launched by Pakistan, said Mifta Ismail, the economic advisor to the prime minister who is leading Pakistans delegation for launching bonds.



Pakistan last year borrowed US $1 billion in the global sukuk market at 5.5 percent. It also floated a 10-year, US$ 500 million Eurobond at 8.25 percent in 2015.

The government had arranged road shows at Dubai, London, Boston and New York this week.



The government appointed a consortium of Standard Chartered Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Citibank, Deutsche Bank, Dubai Islamic Bank and Noor Bank as lead managers for conducting the sukuk transactions.



It delegated Noor Bank to manage the sukuk bond in the Middle East.



The bond issuance will offer some respite to an alarming balance of payment situation due to a widening current account deficit.



The current account deficit swelled to US$ 12.439 billion, equivalent to 4 percent of GDP, in fiscal year 2017, much above the 1.7 percent in fiscal 2016.



The state bank has projected a current account deficit of 4-5 percent of GDP for the current fiscal year.



Pakistans total foreign currency reserves stood at US$ 19.7 billion, with the State Bank of Pakistanholding US$13.5 billion and commercial banks US$6.169 billion as of Nov. 17.




The petitioners who filed petitions against the Delimitation Gazette had withdrawn their petitions today.

Following the withdrawal, the Court of Appeal had dissolved the stay order issued preventing the implementation of the Gazette notification.

Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Faizer Mustapha earlier informed Parliament that the petitioners had agreed to withdraw the petition.
A Massachusetts man is facing felony charges after state police and the state Department of Taxation and Finance seized hundreds of contraband tobacco products, according to a press release on Thursday.

Following a traffic stop by state police, Yasin Khan, of 356 Park St., West Springfield, Mass. was allegedly found possessing 210 cartons of contraband cigarettes and 208 pounds of loose, untaxed tobacco. The tax department's criminal investigators arrested the 39-year-old after confirming the packs carried a Kentucky tax stamp, and not a New York tax stamp, as required by law.

Khan was charged with criminal tax fraud and the possession of transport of more than 30,000 unstamped cigarettes, both felonies. He was also charged with transporting more than 50 pounds of tobacco, a misdemeanor. In addition, he could face fines up to $600 per carton seized.

Khan was arraigned in the Town of Tyre Court and released on $2,000 bail. He is expected to appear back in court on Dec. 20.

The state Department of Taxation and Finance reminds the public that tax evasion and fraud can be reported online at tax.ny.gov/reporttaxfraud.htm or by calling (518) 457-0578. Information is kept confidential.
President Maithripala Sirisena has today instructed the tri-forces be deployed to provide relief to the people affected by the prevailing weather conditions across the country, the presidential media said.

It said the President, currently on an official visit to South Korea had today directed the Disaster Management Minister and the Presidential Secretary to take immediate measures to provide relief to the affected people.

He has instructed the authorities to conduct search operations to locate the fisherman gone missing in the adverse weather conditions. The government has also decided to pay an initial allowance Rs.10 000 to the affected families, the presidential media said.

It said an urgent meeting will attended by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and other party leaders to look in to this troubling situation.
Form, accuracy and functionality fuse effortlessly to make a Victorinox timepiece that much more special.



Streamlined and sleek, these watches are truly timeless and can handle any challenge, anytime, anywhere. Tough, rugged and with a distinctive, sharp aesthetic, they epitomize the essence of Swiss craftsmanship and ingenuity.



Now along with Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Ferrari, Timberland, Police, Gant, Swiss Military, Raymond Weil, 88 Rue Du Rhone, Earnshaw, James McCabe, AVI-8, Maserati, Tommy Hilfiger, Lee, Sector and Pepe Jeans, Victorinox is the top Swiss brand thats available to Sri Lankas upscale consumer through many GMT outlets spread over Colombo. Under the GMT banner shoppers will find a vast and exclusive array of timepieces from all these globally renowned brands, all available within a highly affordable price range.



Together with its range of watches, stemming from deep European origins when a Swiss Cutler made history back in 1884, Victorinox internationally reputed luggage and travel gear from Switzerland is also available at UrbanTrendz at Colombo 03. Staying true to its brand ideology of Innovation, Functionality, Quality and Design, the brand continues its journey steeped in success with a tremendous respect for customers worldwide.



Victorinox has improved its trends by always identifying current market interests and trends keeping in mind the excellence of the brand. On a global scale, in its retail the brand has constantly thrived on the feedback from end-users, growing from this in terms of manufacturing value-added, highly practical, user-friendly products. Uniquely designed to make traveling with hardside luggage more convenient, the Spectra Dual Access bag for example, with its integrated front zippered quick-access door and removable electronics panel for dynamic-traveler accessibility, was recently awarded Best Design by Travel and Leisure and Red-dot.



The Victorinox travel gear and luggage range is backed by that same commitment to excellence and performance as the original Swiss Army Knife. In keeping with Swiss manufacturing excellence and technical perfection, each design undergoes at least 30 rigorous tests, simulating the most extreme real-world scenarios and environmental conditions, meticulously inspected by certified technicians.



Each timepiece ever since has been crafted and designed to strike the perfect balance between performance and timeless elegance. Victorinox watches are subjected to over 100 quality control tests, which ensure that the products are ready for anything and appropriate for any occasion.



With tracking and travel built into its DNA, Victorinox champions perfection with its series of sophisticated timepieces. Crafted with exceptional durability to suit everyday adventures, the Inox is currently undergoing the 130 test. Meticulously designed with the finest materials, the watches are built on the values of a respect for history, the drive for perfection and the desire for elegance.
In addition to the concessions granted to the tourism industry through Budget 2018, the Ministry of Tourism Development has also made other specific requests to the Finance Minister. These requests include reverting to the previous excise licensing hours, credit facilities for the trade and other concessions.

This was revealed by Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs, John Amaratunga during his address at the Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka Branch 19th Chairmans Black Tie Dinner on November 29th at the Colombo Hilton. While Minister Amaratunga was the Guest of Honour, British High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, James Dauris was the Chief Guest at the event.



The Minister spoke at length about the many challenges the industry has faced this year and the resultant slowdown in arrival figures. At the very start of the year, we faced the challenge of the partial airport closure which went on for four months. This was followed by devastating floods in the southern part of the country followed by the dengue epidemic which resulted in many countries issuing travel advisories. All this took its toll on the arrival figures this year. We will most likely see the same number of arrivals as last year, he said.



The minister was also optimistic about the year ahead. After much effort we are finally seeing progress in the global marketing campaign which as the industry keeps pointing out, is long overdue. One of the issues we have had is the stringent checks and balances with regard to finance and the fact that officials dont want to take a chance given past experience. These are practical issues that have delayed the global campaign. However the digital campaign is now ready to be implemented early next year, the Minister explained.



Focusing on another challenge, Minister Amaratunga highlighted the need for skills development and proper training for hospitality industry personnel. It is no secret that we are facing a shortage of skilled personnel for the hospitality industry. An organisation such as the Institute of Hospitality is in a unique position to help us overcome this problem by leveraging its experience and know-how acquired through 78 years of existence and a branch network spanning over 100 countries, he said.



Minister Amaratunga called on the institution to actively contribute to the national training efforts undertaken by tourism stakeholders. Im aware that this is already taking place but these efforts must be extended beyond the periphery and directed towards attracting the youth in rural areas that may otherwise be lost to the industry, he said.



The Institute of Hospitality is a professional body for managers and aspiring managers working and studying in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industries. It has been playing an important role in Sri Lankas tourism landscapesince the early 90s. Established in the 1930s in the UK,today the Institute of Hospitality has grown in to a global authority in the hospitality business and continues to play a leading role in Sri Lankas evolving tourism industry.



British High Commissioner James Dauris and Chairman of the Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka Branch, Thusith Samarawickrema also spoke during the event.
Honduras must deal with a political crisis that moves slowly after the presidential election last Sunday when there is no clear winner yet. Thousands have come out to protest in support of the opposition candidate, TV presenter Salvador Nasralla, who according to the last vote count, is less than 1% below the current President Juan Orlando Hernandez. With 89.8% of the ballots counted, Hernandez has 42.2% of the votes, while the Nasralla records 42.1%, ie a difference of 3,000 votes, according to the Electoral Tribunal. Both candidates have declared themselves winners of the election. Nasralla, who leads the coalition of the center and left parties, began with a strong advantage against Hernandez, center-right politician, but after the announcement of the preliminary results last Monday, the electoral Tribunal stopped updating The count for 36 hours because the results were slow to arrive, the organ explained. On Tuesday morning he resumed the count with much more closed results. In the face of the new figures, Nasralla said his victory had been stolen and he urged his sympathizers to go out into the streets to manifest. "We have already won the election," said the candidate in a television interview last Tuesday. "I will not tolerate this." Both candidates, however, have said that they will respect the results once they are subject to scrutiny.
AUBURN  State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball met privately with local officials in Auburn Wednesday to discuss revisions to the Owasco Lake Watershed's rules and regulations.

The Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council appointed a steering committee this year  made up of elected and government officials, farmers and lake advocates  to work on updating the 1984 document that stipulates what can and cannot be done in the watershed. Any changes to the rules and regulations must be approved by the state Department of Health, but other state agencies and local governments are part of the review process.

Following the meeting, Ball, the steering committee and others invited, spoke with The Citizen.

"It's been an awesome conversation," Ball said. "I got the opportunity to be updated on where the process is and what it looks like. I think it's a very thoughtful process, well laid out. We've offered the help, resources of the department of agriculture, and I also offered (that) the state's interest in this is at a very high level, both DEC (the state Department of Environmental Conversation) and Ag and Markets, a keen interest along with the governor (Andrew Cuomo)."

Auburn City Councilor and steering committee member Debby McCormick said she was glad to hear the commissioner was supportive of the effort. In past meetings the council was concerned with whether the state health and agriculture departments would be, considering that other watersheds have been unsuccessful in update attempts.

"He offered for someone with Ag and Markets to work with us," McCormick said after the meeting. "It would be great. I think, if they're the big roadblock, having one of them on our team would be really good."

Kathleen Cuddy, director of the Cayuga County Health Department, said she understood Wednesday's meeting was organized due to comments made by Ball to The Citizen in October. Asked then during an Auburn appearance about the local effort to update the watershed's rules and regulations, the commissioner had suggested that county soil and water conservation districts should be leading the revision and not elected officials.

Cayuga County Legislature Chairman Keith Batman announced the commissioner's upcoming visit Tuesday night at the Legislature's meeting. When The Citizen showed up to report on the meeting, the reporter was escorted out, and the meeting was made private.

"There had been some questions that arose based on what was in The Citizen. Not knowing the direction the conversation would go, we thought it would lend to more open conversation," Cuddy said of the reasoning for keeping the meeting closed.

Robert Freeman, the executive director for the state committee on open government, said Wednesday that advisory bodies are not subject to the state Open Meetings Law unless they are creations of law. The meeting was intended, Cuddy said, to be a steering committee meeting with the commissioner, but others continued to be invited.

Not on the steering committee but in attendance Wednesday was Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District Executive Director Doug Kierst. The Citizen asked Ball about the district's involvement, considering the conversation with Ball in October.

"I think the general agreement around the table is that things work better if we all work together," Ball said. "I think that's what we want to achieve here. Obviously we want to get it right. The governor has a very high level of interest in watersheds, in particular what's happening over here, so we're going to work together."

When asked whether he was working with other watersheds on updating their rules, Ball said, "I think this is just the beginning at looking at watersheds in a bigger way with a greater focus."

Following the mass interview, Kierst said he was hopeful that the district and other agencies will be more involved in the revisions process.

"It sounds like our roles are coming up," he said. "It seems like we're going to be more involved a little more, which I think is a good thing."

Cuddy said the district also participated in the last steering committee meeting, as did the Owasco Lake Watershed Inspection Program. The committee has held multiple meetings with stakeholders in the watershed, and is drafting rules and regulations based on those conversations and feedback collected from the public. Cuddy said the hope is to have something for the public's review in the spring.
I want to thank John Katko for voting for tax cuts. Businesses need the freedom to thrive without being choked by burdensome tax percentages and regulations. The government does not produce any wealth, but wealth is created by our country's businesses.

We keep hearing that this tax bill favors the rich and that the government should take more from the rich and give to the poor. That is the idea behind Socialism: government takes a large percentage of the people's wealth and redistributes it as they see fit. The government controls businesses and makes it very difficult to own property. It has never worked in other countries, so why do people think it would work here?

While we should care for people who really need help, there are others who have an "entitlement mentality." They envy those who are rich. But the rich didn't make them poor. It is often moral or social problems that cause poverty. Furthermore, why should we expect people to be more equal in everything when people have different abilities, and work ethics, and goals in life?

Business owners and entrepreneurs bear the risk for a venture and CEOs make decisions that can make or break a company. The skills of a good executive are extremely rare and extremely valuable.

Basic to a free society, is our right to the fruits of our labor. For early immigrants, the American Dream was to work, save and buy property. But there are valuable things money could never buy: freedom of religion, love, joy, peace, and integrity of character.

As for those who say it's not just to give a tax break to the rich consider this: The top 50 percent of wage earners pay 97 percent of the taxes. People who don't work at all receive a tax refund and low wage earners receive more in a tax refund than they paid in.

Congressman Katko, thank you for voting for a bill that should help promote economic growth and be more fair to the middle class.

Virginia VanOstrand

Auburn
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Shanghai (Gasgoo)- In the past several years, the rapid development of self-driving technology and intelligent vehicles attract many internet companies to embrace the promising segment.

As the top three internet giants in China, Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent (namely BAT) have all stepped into the emerging industry. With their core technologies, they join hands with their own automaker partners to apply the artificial intelligence technology in the self-driving segment.

Baidu: A Chinese internet searching engine giant

In August, 2016, Baidu invested $150 million in Velodyne with Ford.

In December, 2016, Baidu launched the artificial intelligence platform Tianzhi.

In 2017, Baidu invested many AI companies such as xPererception, Tuya Technology, 8i.

In July, 2017, Baidu released Apollo autonomous driving platform and gave access to many features successively.

In October, 2017, Baidu revealed its plan to launch autonomous bus next year.

Tencent: A Chinese social media giant

In April, 2016, Tencent established AI lab, opened through API and focusing on fundamental research in machine learning, computer vision, speech recognition, and natural language processing.

In 2016, Tencent invested iCarbonX, a China-based artificial intelligence platform for health data company.

In March, 2017, Tencent took 5% stake in Tesla, becoming one of Teslas largest shareholders.

Alibaba: A Chinese e-commerce giant

Focus: ET Medical Brain, ET Industrial Brain, Machine Learning Platform PAI 2.0

In March, 2017, Alibaba announced plan, centering on machine learning, chips, IoT and operating system

In October, 2017, Alibaba and Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen reached strategic cooperation agreement in vehicle intelligence.

The analysis is from Gasgoos report Overview on Autonomous Driving Industry. For the full report, please contact us at autonews@gasgoo.com.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)-On Nov. 29, Shaoxing Municipal Government and DearCC signed a strategic agreement on a vehicle production base project at Shaoxing Binhai New Area. Moreover, DearCC also relocated its headquarters from Beijing to Shaoxing, Zhejiang province. At the same time, the company also officially changed its name from Beijing DearCC Auto Technology to Zhejiang DearCC Auto Technology.



According to Zhang Hailiang, Chairman of DearCC Auto Technology, DearCC's production base at Shaoxing Binhai New Area is expected to have an annual production capacity of 180,000 vehicles. With a total investment of RMB 5.5 billion (around $832 million), the new production base will cover four car manufacturing processes in an area of 1,000mu (around 666,666 square meters). DearCC will invest RMB 3.5 billion (around $529million) to construct the first phase of the project, which will cover an area of 500mu (around 333,333 square meters) and will deliver 60,000 and 90,000 model units annually. The project construction and production plan will start in 2018, and the new project will be put into batch production in the middle of 2019.

Zhang Hailiang summarized that there are three reasons to choose Shaoxing Binhai New Area as DearCC's new headquarters. Firstly, Shaoxing Binhai New Area gives the top priority to car investment. It not only abounds with a great many of talents, but also boasts highly efficient government departments, which is beneficial for the development of startups. Secondly, the convenient transportation of Shaoxing Binhai New Area will benefit the development of NEV manufacturing projects. Thirdly, Zhejiang has shaped a mature auto parts market, which is another reason that attracts DearCC to locate in Shaoxing. It is revealed that DearCC and CATL had reached an agreement about supplying stable and high-quality batteries, ensuring the successful NEV production for DearCC.



Zhang Hailiang added that DearCC plans to produce one or two new models every year, aiming to cover 80% segment (from A0 to C-class). In Shaoxing base, DearCC will firstly produce the A+-class electric SUV with a wheelbase of over 2800mm, which will be designed by Porsche Cayenne's designer Dr.Ulrich Hackenberg, and will be showcased at Auto Beijing 2018.

In conclusion, With the joining up of a variety of experienced senior executives from other companies, such as Zhang Hailiang and Niu Shengfu, former senior executives of LeSEE Auto, DearCC started to be heard and known by the public. What's more, DearCC unveiled its first model at the Auto Guangzhou 2017, making the NEV startup to gain more public attention. The NEV production base project signed with Shaoxing Municipal Government would be DearCC's chance to go upscale.
PHOENIX -- Gov. Doug Ducey signaled his opposition to a new initiative to forbid anonymous funding of political campaigns, saying it would interfere with the ability of people to participate in campaigns without fear.

"I've always been a fan of more transparency,'' the governor said Wednesday. And Ducey said his own campaigns have always complied with what's required under Arizona law.

But Ducey said there's a valid reason behind allowing people to contribute anonymously to efforts ensuring that some people are elected and others are not.

"I think people have a First Amendment right as well to participate and not be bullied,'' he said.

Ducey has been the beneficiary of such campaigns where Arizona voters were never informed of who was picking up the tab.

He got elected governor in 2014 with the help of $8.2 million spent by outside groups both supporting his election and running commercials attacking Democrat foe Fred DuVal. That eclipsed the $7.9 million Ducey spent on his own, money that came from disclosed donors.

That wasn't just a one-way street. DuVal benefited from $2.4 million in independent expenditures, compared to his own $4.3 million campaign.

The initiative, formally launched Wednesday, would add what amounts to a "right to know'' provision in the Arizona Constitution.

It would require public disclosure of all "original sources'' of money. It is specifically aimed at those who provide more than $10,000 in any two-year election cycle.

It also is designed to address "chain'' donations, where a person gives money to an organization which then funnels it to yet another group that ends up buying the attack ads. The measure says the group making the expenditure has the responsibility of finding that original source.

The campaign is being spearheaded by former Attorney General Terry Goddard. He has until July 5 to get at least 225,963 valid signatures on petitions to put the issue on the 2018 ballot.

At least part of the problem with tracing the cash is that many of the groups that put money into these campaigns are established under the federal Internal Revenue Code as "social welfare'' organizations. And Arizona law specifically exempts them from having to disclose donors when they make independent expenditures on behalf of or against any candidate.

So, in Ducey's case, the only information available to the public was that he got money from American Encore, the 60-Plus Association and Conservative Leadership for Arizona. Where they got their money is not listed, though American Encore has its roots in another group that was financed by conservative business owners Charles and David Koch.

Ducey also got help from a political action committee set up by the Republican Governors Association, which tapped a fund financed by a national network of donors.

He did not dispute that those outside funds helped propel him to office but said he did nothing that was not an option for others.

"We all follow the same rules,'' Ducey said.

The governor's arguments about the need to shield the names of those seeking to influence the outcome of campaigns have a precedent; namely, they mirror arguments made by lawmakers who have crafted laws reducing public disclosure in the name of protecting them from being harassed.

During debate on legislation last year--to take more information out of the public sphere--House Speaker J.D. Mesnard said the source of the funds paying for advertising for or against candidates is irrelevant. He said it's about the message.

"If it's important to you to know who's behind the message and you don't know who's behind the message, then disregard it,'' he said. "But if it's not important to you and you want to focus on the message itself, there's no harm done.''

And Mesnard said he believes that sometimes too much disclosure is a bad thing.

"The end result is a registry of every person and who they donated to,'' the speaker said. "I think that is entirely dangerous.''

It wasn't just the gubernatorial race that was flooded with advertising from anonymous sources in 2014.

Two Republicans got elected to the Arizona Corporation Commission with more than $3 million spent by outside groups. Arizona Public Service, the state's largest utility that is regulated by the commission, has consistently refused to confirm or deny whether it was the source of any of that cash.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services newly released recovery plan for endangered Mexican gray wolves is one that sportsmen and state wildlife managers can live with, said Tom Mackin, the Flagstaff-area representative with the Arizona Wildlife Federation, which supports hunters, anglers and wildlife-related recreation.

The plans goal to establish a sustainable population of 320 animals in Arizona and New Mexico is one we think would be tolerated from a social standpoint, Mackin said.

Reactions to the plan were much different from organizations across the Southwest that are advocates of wolf recovery. A group of 10 issued swift criticisms of the recovery document.

Among them is Emily Renn, who heads the Flagstaff-based Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project. The nonprofit has worked for more than a decade to return wolves to a wider range in Arizona. The recovery plans biggest downfall is its limitation on wolf recovery habitat to south of Interstate-40, Renn said.

Our organization was created because all the science said this was excellent wolf habitat, Renn said, referring to areas north of the highway. For the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to completely ignore that in the future recovery of this species is really arbitrary because there is so much science that supports it.

A nine-member science advisory group in 2012 produced a draft recovery plan for Mexican wolves that recommended recovery habitat extend into northern New Mexico, southern Colorado and the Grand Canyon region, but it was never finalized.

The recovery plan released Wednesday estimates 70 wolves will need to be released from captivity to achieve genetic diversity targets. To reach that number, federal managers will focus a lot on the tactic of cross fostering as opposed to the release of adult wolves into the wild, Sherry Barrett, the Mexican wolf recovery coordinator, said during a media call Wednesday.

Cross fostering involves taking young wolf pups born in captivity and placing them with wild wolf litters born around the same time so they are raised in the wild. The Arizona Game and Fish Department has been vocal about its support for cross fostering and in 2015 voted to stop the release of captive-raised adult wolves.

But to achieve recovery of the species, its not enough to depend on only cross-fostered pups, Renn said.

There are still genetically valuable adults wolves in the captive population, Renn said. Its a matter of getting the most valuable wolves into the wild population and not eliminating any release option to be able to do that."

But adult wolves released from captivity tend to cause more problems, which makes cross-fostering a better alternative, Mackin said.

Expanding wolf habitat north of Interstate-40 also poses potential complications with tribal boundaries in northern Arizona and northern New Mexico, Mackin said in support of the federal plan's current habitat boundary.

He was less supportive of the recovery plans $180 million price tag.

I guess what they're presenting is the Cadillac plan or perhaps the Mercedes plan, but perhaps we need the Chevrolet or Subaru plan to see what we can do to successfully bring these animals up to a delisting level but not spend ($180 million), Mackin said.
Hyundai has announced that 5 million cars have rolled out of its Chennai-based facility on November 28, 2017, since commercial production began in 1998. Hyundai is Indias second largest passenger carmaker after its arch rival Maruti Suzuki but is way ahead of the Indian manufacturer when it comes to exports.

Its first car for the Indian market was the Santro, which was largely pitted against the popular Maruti Suzuki Zen, Fiat Uno and the Daewoo Matiz. The Santro stood the test of time, outperformed almost the entire segment and was on sale until 2015, for nearly 16 years. Recently, a mysterious Hyundai hatchback test mule has been spotted in the country, which is touted as the revival model of the Santro brand. Check out the details here: Hyundai's Santro Replacement Caught Testing, Launch In 2018

Besides this new hatchback, Hyundai is expected to launch the mid-life refreshed/facelift model of the Elite i20 hatchback and the Creta compact SUV. While this year, we saw the introduction of the facelifted models of the Hyundai Grand i10 and Xcent along with the arrival of the all-new fifth-generation Hyundai Verna.

2018 Auto Expo: Expected Hyundai Lineup

Hyundais 1st millionth car was also the Santo in 2007. Post the 3 million mark in July 2013, Hyundai has been consistently achieving a million mark in every two years. This interprets that the South Korean automaker has been rolling out half a million cars every year!

Hyundais sub-brand, Kia, is also planning to set up its shop in the Indian market from 2019. Check out its details here: Kia Motors To Enter India In 2019; Will Set Up Plant In Andhra Pradesh

Source: CarDekho.com
New Delhi: India is poised to become the third largest economy in the world in the next few years, Union Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Thursday, asserting that the government wants to take manufacturing to 20 per cent of the GDP, helped by SMEs.

"One of the great strategies we have is to bring economic development, take our manufacturing to at least 20 per cent of the GDP. "So you can imagine that in the next few years time we will have USD 5 trillion of GDP, so USD 1 trillion of that will come from manufacturing and the substantial part of that, we are aiming to get from small and medium enterprises (SMEs)," he said.

Therefore, he said, the government is trying to be a part of the global supply chains, identifying and creating opportunities.

"In the process we will be very happy to collaborate with our friends from Africa, from other developing countries, to be a part of this process," Prabhu said. Addressing a conference on SMEs here, the Commerce and Industry Minister expressed happiness saying "global recovery seems to be on the anvil".

However, he observed that the recovery would have been faster had nations put even a small amount of money into SMEs. He said the global recession in 2008 started when some countries said that there were banks which were too large to fail, hence pumping in billions of dollars in those banks.

"But they forgot that there are small enterprises which are too small to succeed. The banks are too big to fail, but the small enterprises are too small to succeed. So even if they had put a small amount of money into SMEs, by this time the global recovery would have been faster," Prabhu said.

The minister described small enterprises as the backbone of the global economy, highlighting that they contribute significantly to India's exports and create large employment.
PHOENIX  A lightning strike that set the Pinaleno Mountains in northern Arizona ablaze months ago decimated the population of the endangered Mount Graham red squirrel, leaving few survivors and lending urgency to conservation efforts to save the species from extinction.

Arizona Game and Fish Department officials said only about 35 of the red squirrels survived a July wildfire and its aftermath.

The species already had a tenuous hold on existence.

For the last 15 or 20 years they have bounced around between 200 and 300 individuals on a single, isolated mountain, said John Koprowski, a University of Arizona professor and director of the universitys conservation research lab. He has studied squirrels for 35 years.

The significant drop in population because of the Frye Fire added urgency to an ongoing conservation program at the Phoenix Zoo.

Stuart Wells, director of conservation and science at the zoo, is developing a federally sanctioned breeding program with its two females and three male squirrels.

But breeding red squirrels is not simple. The path has been marked by territorial aggression among male and female squirrels, bad timing and unanticipated complications like a broken air conditioner.

The Mount Graham red squirrel is challenging because of the way we want to breed these animals to be reintroduced back in the wild, said Wells, who was a doctoral student of Koprowskis at U of A. We want to maintain the attributes they already have that are necessary for them to survive.

One challenge is the squirrels are territorial. Female squirrels are sensitive to their space when they arent receptive for breeding.

If its the wrong time, in this setting, it is a possibility that they could injure each other or be killed, Wells said. But in the wild, if a male starts chasing after a female to see if she is receptive for breeding she can keep going  up a tree or out of sight. Shes not going to get cornered.

Then, theres the issue of timing.

To determine the appropriate time for breeding, the conservation center analyzes fecal samples, looking for hormone metabolites that indicate concentrations of estradiol, which can help determine when the females are receptive.

It turns out they cycle about every 25 days, Wells said.

Conservationists then examined aggressive behavior and determined when the squirrels estradiol levels were high, aggression was low.

Only two breeding seasons have passed, with the zoo breeding plan facing complications.

The first season we had, which started in 2016 in May, our air conditioning went out, Wells said. This year, the construction of a new room for the Mount Graham red squirrels disrupted the small mammals, which are behaviorally and physiologically sensitive to noises.

In 2016, one of the female Mount Graham red squirrels was impregnated, but she never birthed the offspring.

The goal: to bolster the zoos population to five males and five females and return a population back to Mount Graham by 2018.

Koprowski said the habitats the Mount Graham red squirrels create with their leftover food wastes  pine cone scales and cores  provide structure and diversity to the environment.

Those debris piles, called middens, provide shelter for other small mammals and attracts larger predators, Koprowski said.

The zoos breeding program is in conjunction with other conservation efforts to save squirrels who survived the wildfire on Mount Graham.

With the Frye Fire clearing much of the forests canopy, the Mount Graham red squirrel is much more susceptible to falling victim to a predator with better newfound visibility.

Koprowski said land management agencies have instituted an emergency supplemental feeding program on Mount Graham which placed small feeders at locations with known surviving squirrels.

This will supplement stored food lost in the fire. Koprowski said some of the squirrels have radio collars that gives detailed information on survivorship, such as, if they get attacked by predators.

Koprowski said despite their efforts, extinction is a possibility. However, he said the species has been around for 10,000 years and survived similar conditions.

Historically, there have been several mountain fires, so this species is a survivor, he said. We need to continue to try and assist them because this is a dire situation. I do think we have an incredibly resilient species here. There is still some habitat on Mount Graham and we can help augment the population.

I would not bet against the Mount Graham red squirrel.
Hyderabad: In a move that could change the nature of developmental funding in the world, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced the launch of Rajasthan Development Impact Bond, which taps private investment for developmental purposes.

Addressing a press meet, USAID administrator Mark Green said countries earlier used to be given aid or grant for developmental purposes. It was more in the nature of contracting. However, with the new bond we will be moving from contracting to collaborative approach.

The money to be raised is $2.5 million. He, however, said more money could be raised for other developmental purposes, if required. Under this scheme, he said private capital will front the cost to improve the quality of health services in private health facilities in Rajasthan.
The makers of Padmavati heaved a sign of relief after the Supreme Court on Tuesday reprimanded politicians for speaking against the film before the Censor Board could see and certify it. This, in a manner of speaking, means politicians trying to get mileage from the controversy have been asked to shut up.

While the films producers Viacom 18 Motion Picture expressed cautious relief at the judicial reprieve, sources very close to director Sanjay Leela Bhansali say that the director is smiling for the first time.

Sanjay has not slept properly for months now. He is finally getting some sleep. The entire controversy is an exercise in the bizarre for him. He doesnt get it at all. Why are politicians and protesters speaking against the film without seeing it? Strangers outside his home ask him when Padmavati will be released. From the public he feels only love for the film. So where is all the hatred and suspicion coming from? asks a source close to the director.

While the release date is yet to be locked in, sources close to Viacom 18 rule out the possibility of Padmavati clashing with Akshay Kumars Padman on January 24.

There is no need for that sort of a thing. Padmavati wont clash with any other major release. A release date will be decided only when all the protests die down, says a source close to the film.

In the meanwhile, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is working relentlessly on the post-production and remix. Everyone associated with the film has been asked to be discreet.

Rather than brooding over the delay, hes working on polishing up his product even more, says a close friend of the director. Be very quiet, is Sanjay Bhansalis instruction to his actors, musicians and technicians.

Once the conflicts of interest are sorted, the Padmavati team will conduct a press conference announcing the date of release and answer all the

questions of the press, says the source.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali has finally stepped out in public, weeks after his film Padmavati fell into trouble.

Even as Deepika has been at the receiving the end of sharp criticism, it was Bhansali who was manhandled and slapped by the Karni Sena during the first

schedule of the film in Rajasthan.

Since there is a bounty on his head, one does not know what anyone can do. Hence, Bhansali has been staying away from the

limelight. Normally one can see him roaming around Versova where he stays. He even carries his Ganesh idol himself on foot to immerse it. He did it this year too. But in the event of this fatwa of sorts, he did not want to come out. He has also been accorded police protection and it is much more than what Deepika has been given as well, says a source close to the filmmaker.

Bhansali was spotted at the Mumbai airport with the police in tow as he had to fly to Delhi to appear before a 30-member Parliamentary panel along with CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi to appraise them about the situation, the film and its censor issues. Anurag Thakur heads the panel, which also includes actor MPs Paresh Rawal and Raj Babbar.

Sources say that a major decision would be reached once the panel is appraised about the accusation that the film has tampered with history.



 Sanskriti Media
Mumbai: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kirron Kher on Thursday drew wrath on the social media for her remark against Chandigarh gang-rape victim.

The BJP MP invited the backlash after she quipped that the Chandigarh gang-rape victim could have averted the incident by using her 'common sense'.

Read some of the tweets here:

Hey @KirronKherBJP you should not have taken birth in this world when there were billions of men already in it.



See how stupid that sounds? you sound exactly like that. https://t.co/rIfgxjH6Qb  Raj (@roflbaba) November 30, 2017

Kirron Kher is right.

The victim should have bought a BMW and hired 5 armed guards.

Can't understand why more people don't do that.

Victims are such gareeb idiots.

They deserve 0 empathy. https://t.co/XdCodB7jU5  Sorabh Pant (@hankypanty) November 30, 2017

Victim shaming & blaming by woman MP @kirronkherBJP. Pathetic! Sorry but unlike some, survivor may not be able 2 afford luxury of a car! So many times, most of us hv been stuck without transport & end up sharing vehicles. How does it make one responsible 4 wrong act by others? https://t.co/HYJjxhg4vu  Swati Jai Hind (@SwatiJaiHind) November 30, 2017

why people sent her to parliament where 500 men were already inside ?  yogesh parihar (@politicisedYogi) November 30, 2017

News: Kid gets murdered inside #RyanInternationalSchool in BJP ruled Haryana.

BJP MP Kirron Kher: Kid should not have gone to school. #BuffoonsOfBJP #BJPinsultsVictims  Samar (@Samar_Anarya) November 30, 2017

#kirronkher Whatever the reason behind Kirronkher saying abt Gangrape Victim, its rubbish.That girl got in the Rickshaw as there was no Rick or transport available, it was urgent. Those Men took advantage, how dare they Rape? They should be hanged. This is what Lher shld hv told  Khalil Herekar (@KhalilHerekar) November 30, 2017

Once a progressive even feminist actor - today a victim-blaming BJP MP Kirron Kher - shame on you! https://t.co/CQ2cTVZwrO  Amrit Wilson (@AmritWilson) November 30, 2017

Kher was alluding to an incident where a 21-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by three men while returning home in an auto-rickshaw on November 17

Speaking at a press conference here, Kher on Wednesday said that the woman, who was allegedly gang-raped by an autodriver and his two accomplices, should have applied common sense and not boarded the vehicle as three men were already sitting inside it.

"Bachchi ki samajhdaari ko bhi main thoda sa kehna chahti hun. saari bachiyon ko.. ki already jab koi teen aadmi baithe hue hain uske andar. to aapko usme bethna nahi chahiye tha..I am saying this to protect the girls...," Kher opined.
Mumbai: Ranbir Kapoor is easily among the most sought after stars in Bollywood and for a reason. The fourth generation Kapoor lad, whos previously been in relationships with top Bwood actresses, is currently single and very much available.

And reportedly, momma Neetu Kapoor is having a hard time trying to find a match for her darling son. After his very public break-up with Katrina Kaif, the actor has been maintaining a low-profile.

Reportedly, Neetu has been looking up prospective brides in London, and has been urging RK to meet them for two years.

Ranbir and Neetu were in London to meet a girl for Ranbirs marriage. The girl they met is from a business family in London and the meeting was fixed by one of Neetus close friends. Ranbir is keen to settle down now and Neetu has made no bones about the fact that she would like to choose the girl who is not from Bollywood for her son. She never approved of his earlier girlfriends Deepika Padukone or Katrina Kaif. Both, Ranbir and Neetu, met the girl and her family and liked them. Now, it remains to be seen whether things will get finalised from here, Pinkvilla quoted a source as saying.

Recently, after Ranbirs pictures in new York with Pakistani actress Mahira Khan got leaked, link-up rumours had started gaining momentum. However, both parties had clarified denying any relationship.

Ranbir, who was last seen in Jagga Jasoos, is gearing up for the release of Rajkumar Hiranis Sanjay Dutt biopic, reportedly titled Sanju.
Shocking incidents of violence against animals have been reported on several incidents and the abuse just doesnt seem to stop. After dogs being raped in India and donkeys being assaulted in Morocco, more appalling acts offer little hope.

In a similar report from Russia, a cruel man froze his dog to death on purpose by driving her out in the snow after pouring cold water on her. The hapless creature was found by activists in a frozen state with only one paw moving.

The volunteers freed the canines body and rushed her to a vet, but she didnt survive. A petition with over 1000 signatures is demanding action against the unnamed perpetrator who has been known to neglect the dog before as well.
Hyderabad: Ingalapa Surinder, a Central Industrial Security Force jawan from Telangana, shot dead three people  his wife Lavanya, colleague Rajesh and the colleagues wife Shobha (all from Telangana) because he suspected his wife of having an affair with Rajesh. The Telangana CISF constable was posted at National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Kishtwar district. Surinder and Rajesh trained at the National Institute of Security Forces at Hyderabad.

A CISF official from New Delhi told Deccan Chronicle that Rajesh had asked for a break from work on Wednesday and was later found in a compromising position with Lavanya at the NHPC quarters by Surinder when he returned home. The two families live in the NHPC quarters in Kishtwar. The couples have two children each. Post-mortems of the bodies have been done. Arrangements are being made to fly the bodies to Telangana, the official said.

Superintendent of Police Abrar Ahmed Choudhary received a call about a shoot-out in the CISF quarters. Surinder had used his service rifle to shoot the three dead. He has been arrested by the Kishtwar police and his rifle seized. Experts of the FSL Forensic Science Lab in Jammu have been called in to help with the investigation.
A journalist was shot dead on Thursday by unidentified men who were on bikes in Kanpur's Bilhaur. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Kanpur: A journalist was shot dead on Thursday by unidentified men who were on bikes in Kanpur's Bilhaur.

The journalist, Naveen, succumbed to his injuries while being taken to a hospital after he was shot. More details are awaited.

A journalist working with a Bengali newspaper was shot dead on November 21 in Tripura allegedly by a constable of Tripura State Rifles (TSR) following an altercation. The scribe, Sudip Datta Bhaumick, was gunned down around 2 pm inside the headquarters of the 2nd battalion of TSR.

On September 20, a journalist of a local television channel was killed at Mandai in West Tripura when he went to cover an agitation by the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT).

Another journalist, Gauri Lankesh, was shot dead point blank outside her residence on the outskirts of Bengaluru, Karnataka on September 6, triggering protests in many parts of the country.
Chennai: Going through the fourth election model code of conduct and its regulations in a row, RK Nagar constituency has always received special treatment from the Greater Chennai Corporation.

This time around the civic body has started filling potholes in rain-battered roads using ready-mix. However, residents of other parts of the city are still waiting for the officials attention to have smoother rides.

For the last two days, Chennai Corporation workers have been filling potholes on damaged roads of RK Nagar, which is set to decide the fate of the AIADMK and its government. To give a quick respite to the voters, the civic body brought bitumen mix all the way down from Kolkata and started filling potholes. The ready-mix bitumen is easy to spread and its bonding strength is higher than conventional bitumen, a Chennai Corporation official said.

While civic body looks after RK Nagar, roads in other parts of the city continue to give riders bumpy rides. This road was laid recently before the onset of NE monsoon. But most parts of the road were damaged during the first spell of monsoon and the potholes remain unattended, thus make riding difficult, M. Mohan Raj of Valasaravakkam said, pointing to Anna Main Road in KK Nagar.

It is also learnt that Chennai Corporation-owned bitumen-manufacturing unit in Chennai had been closed citing environmental issues recently. When contacted, a senior corporation official attached to the north regional office refused to comment on the hasty repairing of RK Nagar roads.
People gather beside an autorickshaw that was damaged after an uprooted tree crushed it due to heavy winds and rains near Sreekanteswaram temple in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. (Photo: A.V. MUZAFAR)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Four persons were killed and over 100 fishermen reportedly went missing after heavy rains triggered by Cyclone Ockhi battered the southern districts on Thursday. Authorites said 14 fisherment returned at night. The cyclone with a wind speed of 75 km which centred between Kanya-kumari and Thiruvananthapuram, resulted in torrential rains through the day. Alphonsamma, 65, of Vizhinjam died after a tree collapsed on her inside Vizhinjam bus depot. Appu Nadar, 75 and his wife Sumathi, 65 were electrocuted from an electric pole which was got uprooted by strong winds at Killi near Kattakada.

Vishnu, 40, died in Kulathupuzha in Kollam district after a tree fell over an autorickshaw. The torrential rains wreaked havoc in coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts. Some 150 fishermen who ventured into the sea in about 50 boats from various parts of Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday were reported missing. Navy, coast guard, air force and local police have launched a massive operation to rescue them. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held an emergency meeting via video conferencing with Collectors of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha Idukki and Ernakulam to review the situation. He directed them to coordinate with other departments and maintain strict vigil.

He said the government had sought the assistance of navy, coast guard and air force for carrying out relief and rescue operations. Pinarayi said two Air Force helicopters from Coimbatore and two aircraft will carry out search operations on Friday. Indian Navy 's helicopter and a dornier aircraft which conducted search today will continue operations tomorrow as well. Fisheries minister J Mercy Kutty Amma who visited coastal areas in the district told reporters that seven navy boats had been requisitioned to trace missing fishermen and bring them to safety. However, adverse weather conditions were coming in the way of rescue operations.

Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted; "Some 450 Kerala fishermen on 80 boats missing at sea since last night. Spoke to @India Coast Guard Commandant who admits his vessels have so far been inadequate for search and rescue but 2 bigger vessels on their way." In Pathanamthitta, district administration sounded alert in Sabarimala area asking pilgrims to avoid night trekking to Lord Ayyappa temple. Owing to overflowing of Pampa river, vehicles of the pilgrims parked in the area have also been moved out. The authorities appealed to the pilgrims to avoid travelling by road to Pampa during night following threat of land slips on the way.

A defence release issued in Kochi said the Navy had deployed four ships and two aircraft to assist in the search and rescue of fishermen who reportedly went missing in the sea near Vizhinjam. The Southern Naval Command has deployed Naval ships 'Shardul', 'Nireekshak', 'Kabra' and 'Kalpeni' and two aircraft based on the request received from the Thiruvananthapuram Collector for assistance.

The ships and aircraft would carry out search and rescue operations in the area and would continue to remain at sea for any assistance required by the civil administration till the cyclone crossed the coast.

The Southern Naval Command was also gearing up for any humanitarian assistance and disaster relief that may be required in view of the cyclone in the southern parts of Kerala, defence statement added. Four trains were partially cancelled due to cyclonic wind and incessant torrential rain between Nagercoil-Kanyakumari, Nagercoil Thiruvnanthpuram and Nagercoil-Tirunelveli sections. Shutters of Neyyar Dam were opened following heavy rain in catchment areas.In Idukki district, a portion of St Sebastians school fell down, but no injuries have been reported so far.

The rains which began early Thursday morning battered various parts of the state especially southern districts. Several houses and vehicles were damaged with high velocity winds uprooting trees, electric posts and advertisement hoardings at many places. Power supply was badly affected in many parts of the affected districts with KSEB trying to restore the supply till late night. Several low lying areas were flooded.

The authorities have opened relief camps at various places to accommodate people being evacuated from the affected areas including coastal areas. The government appealed to the people to remain indoors in view of the torrential rains and high velocity winds. The holiday declared for educational institutions including schools on Friday on account of Milad  e- Sharif has come as a big relief as the met department had predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall during next 24 hours.

State Police Chief Loknath Behra said directions have been issued to district police superintendents and coastal police to evacuate people stranded in low lying areas. The authorities have directed revenue department to keep its offices open 24/7 in affected districts. A state control room has been opened here which can be approached on 0471-2331639, 2333198

Heavy rainfall, high velocity winds predicted:

During next 48 hours high velocity winds up to the speed of 55 km to 65 km per hour are expected in southern Kerala. Fishermen have been warned againt venturing into the sea during next 48 hours. Heavy to very heavy rainfall and strong winds are expected under the influence of cyclonic storm Ockh. Rainfall of 7 cm to 11 cm is expected in the next 48 hours. Gale wind speed reaching 65-75 km per hour gusting to 85 kmph very likely along and off south Kerala during the next 48 hours. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into sea along and off south Kerala coast. Thunderstorms accompanied with squall and lightening likely at isolate places over Kerala. Squally winds speed reaching 55-65 km gusting to 75 km/hour likely along and off Kerala coast.
Chennai: Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds battered the southernmost coast of Tamil Nadu and Kerala as the deep depression over the Comorin Sea intensified into Cyclone Ockhi. Four people died in in and around Kanyakumari in rain-related incidents. About ten fishermen were also reported missing and the Kanyakumari district administration has launched a search operation for them.

Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy, who reviewed the preparations taken up in the wake of the cyclone alert at the state secretariat, dispatched senior IAS officials and state ministers to speed up the monsoon relief works in coastal districts of Tamil Nadu.

Senior bureaucrats B. Chandra Mohan, T K Ramachandran, Kumar Jayanth and Rajendra Kumar were appointed as special officers to lead the relief works in Kany-akumari, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Ramaathapuram districts.

In a statement, the chief minister urged the public not to panic and said that two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) with about 60 personnel have been sent to coastal Kanyakumari.

Besides, the district collectors have been instructed to take all measures to prevent flooding and also evacuate public from low-lying areas, he said.

According to Madhavan Rajeevan, secretary in the ministry of Earth Science, the archipelago in the southern part of the Arabian Sea will start experiencing heavy rainfall and strong winds from Friday. It will hit the Lakshadweep islands on December 2, Rajeevan said.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said heavy-to-very-heavy rainfall at isolated places was very likely over south Tamil Nadu and south Kerala for the next 24 hours. Rainfall will occur at most places, heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places, and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places, very likely over Lakshadweep area, during next 48 hours, the IMD said in its weather bulletin.

Squally winds, reaching speeds of 55-65 kmph and gusting to 75 kmph, were likely along and around Lakshadweep Islands during the next 12 hours and may increase thereafter with wind speed becoming 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph from Thursday night. For the next 48 hours, the sea conditions would be very rough to high, the IMD added.
Lucknow: The Hindu Jagran Manch, an affiliate on the RSS, is planning a massive reverse love jihad programme under which 2,100 Muslim girls will be married to Hindu boys. This programme is being launched from Uttar Pradesh and will be carried out over the next six months. Hindu Jagran Manch state president Ajju Chauhan told a select group of reporters in Agra that time had come to give a befitting reply to those who promote love jihad. We will give our reply in the language they understand. We are giving a target to all district units in this regard and we will welcome at least 2,100 Muslim daughters-in-law into Hindu households. I am confident that we will fulfill the target, he said.

The outfit leader said the organisation was aware of about 150 Hindu leaders who are in love with Muslim girls and want to marry them. We will encourage them and provide all support, he said. He further said that Hindu Jagran Manch activists would visit maximum number of Hindu households that have boys of marriageable age and convince them to welcome Muslim daughters-in-law since this would be the biggest service to Hinduism. We will not only support them but also provide full security, he added. The Manch activists also plan to visit colleges having a large number of Muslim girls as students.

We will interact with Muslim girls and convince them that they will be safer and happier if they marry Hindu boys because there will be no threat of second marriage or talaq. Besides, Hindu families are more liberal than Muslim families, he explained. Mr Chauhan said unlike Muslims, the Hindu boys will not hide their true identity while wooing Muslim girls. Asked whether his outfit also planned to convert the Muslim girls who marry Hindu boys, Mr Chauhan said, Once the girl marries into a Hindu family as per traditions, she automatically becomes a Hindu.
An elderly person is carried to safe place in a flooded locality following a heavy storm at Nagercoil in Kanyakumari district on Thursday. (Photo: DC)

Chennai: Coastal districts of Tamil Nadu received heavy rains and rivers in Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari overflowed their banks on Thursday. Western districts and reserve forests in TN also received good showers increasing the inflow of water into TN dams after a period of two weeks.

Pechiparai, Perunchani, Courtrallam, Papanaasam and Manimutharu rivers started overflowing and the district administrations in Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli sounded flood alerts for local villagers. As a safety measure, waterfalls in southern districts were also closed for tourists. Train services between Nagarcoil, Thiruvananthapuram, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari were also cancelled on Thursday.

However, there was not much inflow of fresh water into the Chennai reservoirs till Thursday. Poondi and Cholavaram received no inflow of water, but the intermittent rains in Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram brought an inflow of 423 cusecs to Chembarambakkam and 153 cusecs to Red Hills reservoir.

Thamaraipakkam and Grant Anaicut, the other catchment areas of Chennai metro water also received rains. The total combined storage capacity of city reservoirs stood at 4.7 TMC against the total capacity of 11 TMC.

Meanwhile Local administration minister S. P Velumani conducted a monsoon review meeting with Chennai corporation, revenue and metro water officials at state secretariat on Thursday.

The minister instructed the government departments to engage heavy machinery and earth movers to remove debris and water hyacinth that block the flow of storm water.

In a press release, minister said that 16,000 tonnes of water hyacinth has been removed and 287 heavy machines like earth movers, crane, Bobcat vehicles and tipper lorries were used to speed up the flood relief works. So far, 5,383 encroachments have been cleared to facilitate free flowing of water, he said.

Earlier in the day Southern railway announced cancellation of trains due to cyclonic wind and heavy rains. In a press release, southern railway said that Punalur Kanniyakumari passenger train, Kollam  Chennai Egmore Anantapuri express, Trichy  Thiruvanathapuram  Trichy intercity express were partially cancelled. Service of Chennai Egmore  Kollam Anantapuri express that commenced journey on Wednesday also stands cancelled between Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam, the release said.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu is a police state, which is something that has been reiterated by members of the civil society for a long time now. Statistics compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for the year 2016, released by the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday, reiterate the same apart from the recent incidents fresh in our memory such as the arrests of activists of May 17 movement and, very recently, that of cartoonist Bala.

Crimes in Chennai City, 2016

The state has recorded the highest number of cases pertaining to the offences against the State for the year 2016 with 1,827 cases followed by Uttar Pradesh (1,414) and Haryana (1,286). A major chunk of these cases, according to the data, is under the prevention of damage to public property 1,818 cases.

In 2016, the number of persons arrested under these offences was 3,648 persons, including 93 women. Of these, 2,635 persons including 86 women were charge-sheeted. However, a critical information is the number of persons who are acquitted of their charges is four times higher than those convicted, raising serious questions about the use of laws.

According to the data, only 139 persons were convicted while 678 persons were acquitted of the charges against them. In Tamil Nadu alone, there are 1,710 cases pending investigations by police and 2,803 cases pending trial by courts.

What is more astounding is the state has led the table despite a normal year in 2016.

With jallikattu protests across the state marking the beginning of 2017 and protests against the implementation of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Neet) and protests in solidarity with the Ariyalur student Anitha who committed suicide, it is anything but given that the state would lead the statistics in the coming year too.
HYDERABAD: The state government plans to launch We-Hub, a start-up incubator exclusively for women, along the lines of T-Hub, in order to support and en-courage female entrepreneurs, IT minister K.T. Rama Rao said at the conclusion of the GES - 2017.

We-Hub will have the ingredients of T-Hub but will be exclusively for women, he said.

Mr Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog, said, NITI Aayog will partner with the Telangana state government as part of the Atal Innovation Mission to realise the plans for We-Hub.

Mr Rama Rao also announced that investments of Rs 25 lakhs to Rs 1 crore would be made in companies, especially those led by women, with a corpus of Rs 15 crore as part of the Technology Fund.

He added that the government was strengthening its procurement policy in the small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) sector to aid women entrepreneurs.

As per the current procurement policy, 20 per cent of the procurement is done from private entities. The government will ensure that at least one-fourth of that 20 per cent is from companies run by women, Mr Rama Rao said.

At a press conference, Mr Kant said, The GES will create innovation; an entrepreneurial run for the Make in India, Digital India and Start-up India initiatives, with the state of TS playing a critical role.

Delegates from 150 countries participated in the Summit. The contingents of 127 countries included female delegates, and ten countries had all-women contingents. 33 percent of the entrepreneurs in attendance were below the age of 30.
Srinagar: Four militants were gunned down by security forces in two separate encounters in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. The police said all of them belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and among them was a commander of the outfit identified by it as Pakistani national Muzzamil.

Three militants were killed in a fire fight in Futlipora village of Pakharpora area of the Valleys central district of Budgam, the Army and J&K police officials said here.

A fourth militant was shot dead by the security forces in Sagipora woods outside north-western town of Sopore in Baramulla district. The slain man has been identified as Muzamil, a resident of Pakistan, the police said. A soldier of the Army's 9 Para was injured in this clash.

Meanwhile, the statistics released by the police said that for the first time in seven years more than 200 militants have been killed by the security forces, so far, in 2017.

J&Ks Director General of Police, Shesh Paul Vaid corroborating it wrote on Twitter, Today by the collective effort of @JmuKmrPolice, Indian Army, @crpfindia, CAPF and people of Kashmir have led to neutralisation of more than 200 militants in the year of 2017 alone.

Today by the collective effort of @JmuKmrPolice, Indian Army, @crpfindia, CAPF & people of Kashmir have lead to neutralisation of more than 200 terrorists in the year of 2017 alone. This marks a huge landmark for establishing peace & stability in the state of J&K &our country.  Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) November 30, 2017

In another tweet, he said This marks a huge landmark for establishing peace and stability in the state of J&K and our country.

The Army and police officials said that the security forces from J&K polices counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG), the Armys 10 Garhwal and the CRPF laid siege to Futlipora at dawn on Thursday after receiving specific inputs about the presence of militants in the village. Defence spokesman, Colonel Rajesh Kalia, said that four militants were killed during the encounter.

However, Budgams SSP Tejinder Singh said that only three bodies along with weapons were found at the encounter site.

A statement issued by the J&K police in the evening said that all the four militants including a commander killed in Futlipora and Sagipora encounters belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The statement confirmed that only three militants were killed at Futlipora including Shabir Ahmed Dar, a resident of Pulwamas Thokarpora. It added that three AK rifles with 3 magazines and 111 rounds and other ammunition were found on slain men.

While the security forces were encircling a private house where militants were hiding, the latter opened fire at them, triggering encounter, the officials said.

Soon surging crowds of the locals, mainly youth, while chanting pro-freedom began marching towards the encounter site but they were intercepted by the security forces at the main square of Pakherpora township.

The angry youth who apparently wanted to disrupt the cordon-and-search operation with the intention to help the holed up militants hurled stones at the security personnel, said a police official.

He added that the protesters torched a private pickup van which was being used by the security forces in the operation. The police and other security forces fired rifles and pellet shotguns and also burst teargas canisters to quell the violent protesters, the witnesses said.

Eight protesters were injured in the use of live ammunition, said an official at the government-run health centre at Pakharpora where the injured were admitted. Five of them have been hit by pellets and the rest have received bullet wounds, he added. One of the seriously injured, a 15-year-old boy, was shifted to a Srinagar hospital later, a report said.

The internet services in the Budgam and neighbouring Pulwama district were suspended to prevent anti-social and anti-peace elements from using social media platforms to incident violence in the backdrop of the encounter at Futlipora and subsequent clashes in the area, the official sources here said.

In a separate clash reported from Zaloora top in Sagipora woods outside Sopore town, one militant was killed and an Army Para commando injured. The defence spokesman here said that the SOG, Armys 22 Rashtriya Rifles and 9 Para and the CRPFs 92, 177 and 179 battalions launched a cordon-and- search operation in the area after inputs about the presence of militants.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Baramulla) BK Virdi confirmed the killing of one militant and injuries to a soldier from 9 Para during the fire fight and said that the contact between the militants and the security forces was established soon after the cordon-and-search operation was launched in the area.

The police said that one AK rifle with 5 magazines and 124 live rounds of ammunition, one Underbarrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) with 5 rounds and other ammunition were recovered from the encounter site.

The police said that the killing of more than 200 militants, so far, this year is the highest since 2010 when 270 militants were gunned down during counterinsurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir. Last year, a total of 165 militants were killed in such operations, the police said.

However, there has been an increase in civilian killings in militancy-related violence. While 14 civilians were killed last year, the number rose to 54 this year. On the other hand, as many as 77 security personnel laid down their lives while fighting militants or in militant attacks so far this year. Eighty-eight security personnel had been killed in 2016.
Four militants were killed in a firefight raging in Futlipora village of Pakharpora area of central district of Budgam in the Valley since Thursday morning. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Srinagar: Five Islamic militants were gunned down by security forces in two separate encounters in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

Four militants were killed in a firefight raging in Futlipora village of Pakharpora area of central district of Budgam in the Valley since Thursday morning, the Army and J&K police officials said here.

A fifth militant was shot dead by the security forces in Sagipora woods outside north-western town of Sopore in Baramulla district.

Defence spokesman, Colonel Rajesh Kalia, said that a soldier of the Army's 9 Para was injured in the second clash.

The Army and police sources said that the security forces including J&K polices counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG), the Armys 10 Garhwal regiment and the CRPF laid siege to Futlipora at dawn on Thursday after receiving specific inputs about the presence of militants in the village.

While the security forces were encircling a private house where militants were hiding, the latter opened fire at them, triggering encounter, the sources said.

Soon surging crowds of the locals, mainly youth, while chanting pro-freedom began marching towards the encounter site but they were intercepted by the security forces at the main square of Pakherpora township.

The angry youth who apparently wanted to disrupt the cordon-and-search operation with the intention to help the holed up militants hurled stones at the security personnel, said a police official.

He added that the protesters torched a private pickup van which was being used by the security forces. The police and other security forces fired rifles and pellet shotguns and also burst teargas canisters quell the violent protesters, the witnesses said.

Eight protesters were injured in the use of live ammunition by the security forces, said an official at the government-run health centre at Pakharpora where the injured were admitted. Five of them have been hit by pellets and the rest have received bullet wounds, he added. One of the seriously injured, a 15-year-old boy, was shifted to a Srinagar hospital, a report said.

The internet services in the Budgam and neighbouring Pulwama district have been suspended to prevent anti-social and anti-peace elements from using social media platforms in the backdrop of the encounter at Futlipora and subsequent clashes in the area, the official sources here said.

In a separate clash reported from Zaloora top in Sagipora woods outside Sopore town, one militant has been killed and an Army para commando injured. The defence spokesman here said that the SOG, Armys 22 Rashtriya Rifles and 9 Para and the CRPFs 92 Battalion launched a cordon-and- search operation in the area after inputs about the presence of militants.

After encircling them, the security forces asked the militants to surrender but they responded by opening fire, the spokesman said adding that the encounter was underway as reports last came in.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Baramulla) BK Virdi confirmed the killing of one militant and injuries to a soldier from 9 Para during the fire fight and said that the contact between the militants and the security forces was established soon after the cordon-and-search operation was launched in the area.
Hyderabad: Eleven days after being crowned Miss World, Manushi Chhillar, made her first trip to Hyderabad on Wednesday.

She was invited by the organisers of the GES-2017 for a fireside chat on day-two of the event. Speaking about her wish to work towards a better society, she said a person need not be a Miss World to make a difference.

The 20-year-old spoke about wanting to continue her medical education after two years, and also wanting to work on her pet-project to provide sanitary napkins to women in rural areas. Providing menstrual hygiene pads to women in rural areas is my personal project. I have already reached out to 20 villages across India.

The project focuses on womens health and hygiene. Every village must have access to basic resources such as sanitary pads, she said.

She said that as soon as she won the title of Miss World, her mother thanked her for the homage that she had paid to motherhood.

Manushi will soon take-off on a long journey spanning two continents accompanied by six other women holding various titles. I will use this journey as a learning experience, she said.

When asked if she had any plans to enter Bollywood, she said, Bollywood is not on my mind as of now. I am interested in being an actor, but I can do a lot more as a doctor.

I have planned to resume my education after two years.

Recalling the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who referred to women as Shakti, Ms Chhillar said, There is a notion that business is a male-dominated world, however, we should put an end to this. Women should feel like they are equally capable.

Her advice to women is, Be confident, believe in yourself, trust what you can do, and be unapologetic about who you are.
Hyderabad: As the first citizen of the city, the Mayor could reasonably have expected to be a major presence at the three-day Global Entrepreneurship Summit being held in the city currently. So Hyderabads Mayor Bonthu Rammohan was in for a rude shock when he found out that the states general administration department (GAD) had not sent him an invitation to attend.

He was kept out of the inaugural session of the GES on November 28 evening and nor was he on hand to receive the guests. Though the summit is being overseen by the Government of India, it is co-hosted by the Telangana government, and according to protocol, the Mayor is supposed to receive and greet state guests. Excluding him in this way is unprecedented.

The Mayors office informed Deccan Chronicle that the GAD did inform the Mayor that Prime Minister Modi would arrive at Begumpet airport on November 28, but also said that the line-up to receive the PM would be 48 individuals, including top police and administrative brass, the Chief Minister and Governor. The Mayor was not given any clarity on his presence in the line-up.

Deputy Mayor Baba Fasihuddin was also not invited to the summit and no passes were issued to officials from the Mayors office.

No reason has been given for the Mayors exclusion. According to sources, the Mayor expressed his anger over officials holding top ranks missing out on the invite. Several attempts were made to get GADs comment. The Protocol office merely informed that its officials were busy.
A day after Hadiya arrived at Salem in Tamil Nadu to continue studies at Sivaraj Homeopathy medical college as directed by the Supreme Court, she spoke to her husband using the phone of the College Dean. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Salem: The long pending desire of Hadiya, a Kerala woman at the centre of an alleged love-jihad case, was fulfilled on Wednesday when she spoke to her husband over a mobile phone.

A day after she arrived in the city to continue studies at the Sivaraj Homeopathy medical college as directed by the Supreme Court, she spoke to her husband using the phone of the College Dean.

"Hadiya talked to Jahan (her husband) for a while from my mobile phone, after I, as local guardian, asked her whether she was interested in talking or meeting anybody, college dean G Kannan told reporters.

The 25-year-old was brought to the institution amid tight security by Kerala police from Coimbatore, about 170 km from Salem on Tuesday evening.

Earlier when reporters asked about her husband Shafin Jahan, Hadiya said she had no contact with him for the last few months as she did not have a mobile phone and the only people she spoke to were her parents.

"I am very eager to speak to my husband," said Hadiya, who was in the news recently after her conversion to Islam and marriage with the Muslim youth in Kerala.

Read Also: Kerala 'love jihad': Not yet free, want to meet husband, says Hadiya

The dean said, She appeared to be relieved from depression after talking to him (husband). There is no restriction imposed on her to talk or to meet anybody."

Hadiya also expressed regret for the tense situation prevailing in the college and inconvenience to students due to her, Kannan said.

Stating that she has not given any application to change her name, he said she has applied on her earlier name (Hindu name-Akhila Ashokan) for internship.

However, there was some confusion about where and with whom to send her during the college holidays, Kannan said adding the management will approach the apex court in this regard.

All rules and regulations and restrictions of the college will apply to her also and weekly once she will be allowed to go out for buying what she requires, along with the hostel wardens, he said.

Meanwhile, the college administrator Kalpana Shivaraj said the management will extend all support to Hadiya to complete her course.

Hadiya's request letter has been sent to Dr MGR University for approval, she said.

Police said one Sub-inspector, four constables  two women and two men - will be part of her security.

"For the past six months, I was talking to persons I did not like (parents) because of their harassment during my stay with them," Hadiya told reporters earlier at the college, where she will be undergoing a 11-month internship.

The apex court, after the proceedings, had freed Hadiya from her parents' custody and asked her to pursue her studies.

She further said she will be able to communicate better with the media persons after receiving the copy of the Supreme Court order.

The court has appointed the Dean of the college as Hadiya's guardian and granted him liberty to approach it in case of any problem. She was earlier staying at her parental home in Kochi for several weeks.

The court, however, did not accede to her plea to be allowed to go with her husband.

Jahan had on September 20 approached the apex court seeking recall of its order directing the NIA to investigate the controversial case of conversion and marriage of Hadiya.

The Kerala High Court had annulled the marriage, terming it as an instance of 'love jihad', following which Jahan approached the Supreme court.
A man was arrested and taken into custody on suspicion of attempted homicide in Williams on Tuesday after firing his weapon at law enforcement.

Jowel Gutierrez, 35, of Williams, fired multiple rounds at Williams police officers after he barricaded himself inside an upstairs room on First Street, police said. Law enforcement was initially called to the scene because Gutierrez was making suicidal comments, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

The fired rounds hit a patrol car and a nearby house but no officers or citizens were struck. Officers did not return fire. Residents were briefly evacuated from the area as the incident unfolded.

A Williams Police sergeant convinced Gutierrez to surrender, according to the Williams Police Department. He is currently being held at Coconino County Detention Facility.

DPS is conducting an investigation of the incident.
Visavadar/Amreli: Beginning his two-day tour of poll-bound Gujarat with a visit to the famous Somnath temple, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his emotional exhortations, calling him an "excellent actor better than Amitabh Bachchan".

Addressing three rallies at Visavadar, Savarkundla and Amreli in the Saurashtra region, Gandhi also reached out to Patidars and attacked Modi over his "silence" on Rafale deal and "proximity" to select industrialists.

Before setting out on the campaign trail, Gandhi offered prayers at the famous shrine of Lord Shiva at Somnath.

"Narendra Modi is a 'zabardast' (excellent) actor, even better than Amitabh Bachchan. Generally, an actor has to put contact lens when he has to weep...His eyes burns and tears roll down. But Narendra Modiji does not need any contact lens for tears to roll down his eyes," Gandhi told a rally at Savarkundla.

At Visavadar, Gandhi referred to the 2015 quota stir in which 14 members of the Patidar community were killed in police firing and said if anyone raises his voice he either gets beaten up or has to face bullets in Gujarat.

"All the communities are raising their voice here against the government. But what do you get if you raise your voice in Gujarat? You are beaten up, you have to face bullets," Gandhi said.

Visavdar is a Patidar-dominated constituency in politically crucial Saurashtra region.

"I asked Modiji three questions (on the Rafale deal). First, is there a difference in the cost of the planes in the first and the second contract (signed with a French firm), please give the reply in yes or no. Why was the contract given to a private industrialist friend instead of Hindustan Aeronautics limited (HAL)? And did you seek the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security for the deal?" Gandhi asked, referring to the deal between French firm Dassault Aviation and a company headed by Anil Ambani.

The Congress vice president also sought to know if due procedure was followed before formalising the deal with France in 2016 for procuring the fighter jets.

Gandhi alleged that the Prime Minister was "avoiding" answering his questions "out to fear" that the "truth" would come out before the crucial polls in his home state.

"Narendra Modiji is not replying to these questions because he wants that the truth of Rafale and Jay Shah (son of BJP chief Amit Shah) should not come out before the people ahead of the Gujarat elections," he said.

Targeting Modi, Gandhi said, "You will see how tears again flow from the eyes of this actor 2-3 days before the elections. He will talk about everything but will not utter a word regarding how much price farmers receive for their produce in Gujarat, loan waiver, or how to convert black money into white".

In an emotional speech post demonetisation, Modi had said that people can hang him if he cannot bring black money back.

In an emotional outreach during canvassing, Modi had recently said that Gujarat is his mother and he her son.

Gandhi said the Gujarat government is run by Amit Shah and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is just the "rubber stamp".

He claimed the NDA government delayed the winter session of Parliament as Modi was not ready to discuss the Rafale deal and Jay Shah issue before the Gujarat polls.

"Generally, Parliament's (winter) session is held every year in November and discussions take place in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. But, due to two reasons, Parliament is opening after the Gujarat polls this time," Gandhi said.

He also criticised the Modi government on the issues of farmers and unemployment in the BJP-ruled Gujarat.

The Congress vice president alleged that entire land was given to "5-10 industrialist friends of Modi" in Gujarat but farmers were left high and dry.

He even read out names of the villages during his speech.

"Narendra Modiji will not talk about these things in his speeches. He will only talk about development, but how much farm loan he has waived and how much money he has gifted to 5-10 industrialists...Modiji will not talk about these things," Gandhi said.

He alleged that Modi has reneged on his promise to offer higher MSP to farmers on cotton and groundnut.

"Modi no longer speaks about these things in his speeches," he said.

Gandhi will visit various towns and villages in Amreli, Bhavnagar and Botad districts on Thursday and address a rally on the outskirts of Bhavnagar city in evening.
Hyderabad: The US government will host a reception for its GES co-host, India and the host city, Hyderabad on Thursday.

Ambassador Mr Mark Green (retired) and administrator US Agency for International Development will represent the U.S side. Attending the farewell dinner from the Indian side will be Union minister for industry and commerce and Indian business delegates.

Source informed that TS Chief Minister Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao will give it a miss, but IT minister K.T. Rama Rao and some top TS department officials will attend.

The event is being hosted at the Novotel - lawn Hitec City for 1,000 plus delegates. A team of chefs headed by Ms Rohini Dey, who runs a chain of restaurants in Chicago and other cities in the US is looking after spread. Ms Dey was a panelist for the GES discussion on We mean Business.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, daughter of and advisor to US President Donald Trump Ivanka Trump at the 8th annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit on Tuesday. (Photo: P. Surendra)

Hyderabad: Guests and delegates attending the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017 being held in Hyderabad were given jute bags bearing several goodies.

The mementoes included a wristband-cum-pen drive stamped with the Make in India logo, a waistcoat with the GES logo, a GOQii Fitness Tracker, and various flavours of coffee powder. Each delegate also received a Pochampally Ikat stole, a pouch, and a booklet published by the Government of Telangana describing the importance of the fabric.

The coffee powder was sponsored by the Coffee Board of India, and the waistcoat was sponsored by Yes Bank. All the gift were neatly arranged in jute laptop bags. Several entrepreneurs from abroad were seen wearing the waistcoat and the wristband at the venue.
Chennai: With the ruling AIADMK casting the die, party veteran E. Madhusudhanan, who is presidium chairman, will lock horns with T. T.V. Dhinakaran and DMKs Marudhu Ganesh in the prestigious R. K. Nagar by-poll scheduled for Dec. 21.

The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, on Thursday, named its presidium chairman as the candidate for the by-election at RK Nagar Assembly constituency.

The decision to field him was made at the governing council meeting of the AIADMK at its headquarters at Royapettah here. In a brief joint statement after the meeting concluded, deputy CM O. Panneerselvam, the coordinator of the party and CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the joint co-ordinator of the party, said, "as per the decision by the governing council, Madhusudhanan is being fielded as the AIADMK's candidate in R. K. Nagar by-election".

Initially, his candidature was opposed by Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar who wanted young blood to be fielded. He was later convinced about the choice of Mr. Madhusudhanan. As a sign of rapprochement, Mr. Jayakumar greeted him with a shawl shortly after his name was announced.

Mr. Madhusudhanan will file his nomination papers on Dec. 1, the day on which T. T. V. Dhinakaran and Marudhu Ganesh for whom the CPI and CPI (M) have pledged support, have also chosen to submit their papers before the Returning Officer.

Both Mr. Pannerselvam and Mr Palaniswami expressed their happiness at the candidature of Madhusudhanan, who had been a former minister and is a resident of R. K. Nagar. Interestingly, he was fielded by Mr Panneerselvam on behalf of the AIADMK Puratchi Thalaivi Amma faction on the earlier occasion in April this year, which was cancelled by the EC following large scale irregularities.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and state BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan during the BJP Janaraksha Yatra in Kannur on Wednesday. (Photo: DC)

Kannur: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath has urged the state government to stop religious conversion taking place in Kerala in the name of Love Jihad.

Love jihad is not a hype, but real in Kerala as well as in the neighbouring Karnataka, he told reporters on the sidelines of Janaraksha Yatra at Keecheri near Kallyassery here on Wednesday.

The NIA findings had confirmed Love Jihad incidents in the state, he said. Reacting to the CPM troll inviting him to visit the hospitals in Kerala to gauge the good health care facilities, Yogi retorted that Kerala should take a cue from UP in health care.
About 58 per cent of voters are in the age group of 19 to 39 years and this accounts to 1,25,399 voters of the total 2,26,715 voters.

Chennai: Voters in early 20s and late 30s will decide the fate of RK Nagar bypoll on December 21. About 58 per cent of voters are in the age group of 19 to 39 years and this accounts to 1,25,399 voters of the total 2,26,715 voters.

According to public election department sources, women outnumber men and as on date there are 1,16,414 women voters and 99 transgenders.

The second major category of 80,000 voters represent the 40 to 59 years category. In the eighty plus category, there are 698 women voters and 586 men voters and close to 6,000 voters are in the age group of 70 to 79 years, sources said. Again going by past polling percentage, 60 per cent of voters who turn out for elections belong the age group of 20 to 40 years sources said. Women voters will also be a crucial factor in the RK Nagar polls as they constitute 52 per cent of the total number of voters.

Polling is usually low in south and central Chennai and in the recent elections Mylapore and Harbour constituencies have always recorded poling percentage of less than 60 per cent.

However, the north Chennai constituencies like RK Nagar and Permabur have always been contradictory recording more than 70 per cent poling in the recent polls. And now for the RK Nagar polls we are hoping for more than 70 per cent polling and voters are aware of the bypoll, a senior official attached with the district election office told Decccan Chronicle.

Unlike south Chennai, north Chennai always records brisk polling and the youngsters from labour dominated constituency also turn out increasing the poling percentage and this election all the parties will focus more on addressing the youngsters, said Poonga Nagar Selvam, a local AIADMK functionary.

Dhinakaran to contest in election

TTV Dhinakaran will throw his hat in the ring to take on the AIADMK and the DMK in the Dec. 21 R. K. Nagar byelection.

The T. T. V. Dhinakaran camp on Wednesday officially announced that the ousted AIADMK leader will contest the Radhakrishnan Nagar by-poll. TTV Dhinakaran will contest the forthcoming by-poll, senior leader in the camp, S. Anbazhagan, told reporters. He will contest the byelection with the approval of his aunt (jailed V. K. Sasikala), Anbazhagan added.

Dhinakaran, who called on his aunt in Bengaluru, vowed to regain the Two Leaves symbol. The RK Nagar election will see a direct contest between me and DMK. Other parties hardly matter, he told reporters. He would file his nomination papers on December 1.
Armed with the charter of historical materialism, committed to delivering a peoples democracy, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) seems to have seen the light. A course correction is almost certain that will steer the meandering political line strongly leftwards at the forthcoming party congress in 2018. There can be no partial fights  is as close to capturing the essence of the political line that has emerged over a succession of intensely-argued internal consultations within the CPI(M). The agenda that seems to have been approved and finalised is a combination of fight communalism, corporate capitalism and corruption, with a strategy of mobilisations and movements that will reflect the renewal of a commitment to wholeheartedly and uncompromisingly engage in an all-out fight. Merely attacking the BJP-RSS aggressive deployment of communalism to divide and divert public opinion is not enough; a comprehensive resistance to its policies of neo-liberalism, communalism and corruption is required to meet the challenges of the current crisis.

The BJP-RSS is unlikely to be provoked by such assertions; instead, it will invite jeers from the Sangh Parivar, that has consistently dismissed the CPI(M) as irrelevant but nevertheless a nuisance for the most part, except in Kerala, where the two parties are locked in a mortal combat, and even in tiny Tripura, where denting with the Manik Sarkar-led CPI(M) government is a mission that has been a serious failure till now. The CPI(M) is a hindrance to the BJP-RSS ambitions in West Bengal, but not a formidable obstruction.

The emerging consensus to revert to a hard-left position and dump the past, where the CPI(M) operated on the basis of contingency and pragmatism that pushed it to consider the Congress as a partner in the fight against communalism, has been in the making since 2008. The hardening of that position is in response to what Prakash Karat, the former party general secretary, has described as the new reality, where the BJP-RSS is the dominant political party and the Congress a shrunk and weak alternative. The incapacity of the Congress to cobble together an alliance, which would be strong or durable or comprehensive enough to challenge the BJP-RSS, is a part of this new reality.

The CPI(M)s discomfort with the pragmatic politics of inclusive alliances and even a partnership with the Congress is well known. On joining hands with the Congress, the final straw that has probably contributed to the hardening of positions and abandoning contingency as a way of remaining relevant was the unhappy outcome of the alliance in West Bengal to try and defeat Mamata Banerjee, in which the CPI(M) miserably failed. It won even fewer seats than the Congress in 2016, making it the third largest party in the West Bengal Assembly.

The near-certain change in political tactics, of looking at the Congress as a possible leader of an Opposition alliance in which the CPI(M) would have a stake, is the triumph of the idea of the new reality propounded by Mr Karat, but effectively voiced by significant numbers of comrades at various levels of the complex hierarchy of the party. As the man who finally put the stamp of approval on this misadventure, party general secretary Sitaram Yechury has been in the line of fire from within the CPI(M). His interpretation of the new reality has clearly not gone down well with his comrades, across the country and in West Bengal, where the idea of jointly doing anything with the Congress has met with very mixed reactions.

The break with the old political-tactical line was very evident when the CPI(M)s politburo and central committee refused to allow Mr Yechurys re-election as a Rajya Sabha member from West Bengal with the support of the Congress. What is also evident is that the CPI(M) has abandoned its rigidities regarding the Congress as an occasional partner on selective issues or causes both inside and outside Parliament vis-a-vis the BJP government as well as the Sangh Parivars communal politics. This neither pragmatic nor puritanical position on the Congress is perhaps more comfortable for the CPI(M), where it is in Opposition in Kerala. Its neither one nor the other position has produced issue-based cooperation with the Trinamul Congress in West Bengal as well as inside Parliament.

That the CPI(M) is in search of tactics that meets the needs of its politics in the new reality is now crystal clear. It is finally shedding its inertia and working at building mass mobilisation; the all-India kisan convention and the Mahapadav rally in New Delhi are signals of its new activism. There were two different kinds of spaces which the CPI(M) once occupied  the first was as the representative of the voiceless and exploited masses, the so-called conscience-keeper; while the second space it created was as the anchor of anti-Congress alliances that later changed into the anchor of an anti-BJP alliance, of which the Congress was the principal party.

In doing so, the CPI(M) backed itself into a corner; while it wanted to operate as the conscience-keeper it failed to do so because it was working on the basis of political compromise to sustain a political platform that was inherently incoherent, and therefore unstable. It had very little going for it as an alternative political agenda. By saying it will not engage in partial fights against communalism or neo-liberalism or corruption, the CPI(M) is trying to reclaim its moral authority. But that authority has to be earned, and not reclaimed. The challenge for the CPI(M) after the Hyderabad party congress in April 2018 will be to earn the political capital that it lost when it failed in its experiments with pragmatism.
The campaign for the Gujarat Assembly election is becoming sordid with the politics of religious identity dominating headlines. After Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhis visit to the famous Somnath Temple on Wednesday, the BJP sought to whip up a furore over the Congress leaders name being entered in its non-Hindu visitors register. But it simply doesnt matter how the patently false entry was made  whether someone in Mr Gandhis entourage inadvertently filled his name in the wrong register, or a Congress opponent sought to prepare the ground for communalising the campaign with a fabricated entry, that purports to show Mr Gandhi does not see himself as a Hindu but is still visiting temples to woo votes.

Can the leader of a political party, which aspires to form the government in Gujarat by defeating the BJP, not be a non-Hindu, granting for the sake of discussion that Mr Gandhi is not a Hindu? Has Indias political idiom slid that low in the 21st century, when it was refreshingly republican and sturdily secular in the middle of the last century when we ended colonial rule and set off on the journey of democracy despite being poor and illiterate? Could freedom have been gained if all religions, regions and classes not been united in confronting foreign rule?

The RSS-BJP werent part of that magnificent saga  of a successful anti-colonial struggle escalating to the path of democracy  and cant see beyond the valorisation of Hindu chauvinism or Hindu-supremacist idealisation. But its sad to see that the Congress, instead of debunking the attempt by its Hindutva opponents to denounce him as non-Hindu (and therefore presumably not qualified to speak for citizens who may be Hindu), is falling into the trap laid for it by its opponents.

Evidently worried that the BJPs religious attack on Mr Gandhi may influence public perceptions of the bulk of the electorate, a Congress spokesman went to the pernicious extent of announcing that the partys de facto leader was, in fact, a brahmin who wore the sacred thread. This is a disgrace. So far, the Congress campaign has been run on bread-and-butter issues  in short, on secular questions, on which the BJPs record is shoddy  and the BJP is trying to deflect it from that strong pitch. By batting on the wicket of religion and caste, the challenger is diluting its own successful campaign. Thats a slippery slope.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled in a recent speech that our first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rahuls great-grandfather, had opposed the idea of President Rajendra Prasad inaugurating the renovated Somnath Temple in 1951. The clear implication was that the Nehru-Gandhis are anti-Hindu. But Nehrus position was clear: those holding State positions shouldnt take part in public religious functions of any kind. That should be the gold standard in a secular republic.
On December 4, Navy Day, President Ram Nath Kovind, vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman along with the three service chiefs and bureaucrats are expected to attend the traditional tea party at Navy House in New Delhi. A few days later, on December 8, the President will review a ceremonial parade at the naval base in Visakhapatnam where the Presidents Colours will be presented to the Submarine Arm of the Indian Navy on the 50th anniversary of its foundation day (the Indian tricolour was first hoisted on our first submarine INS Kalvari at Riga, Latvia, on December 8, 1967). The original INS Kalvari was decommissioned a few years ago but its reincarnation will rejoin the Indian Navy on December 14, when the Navy is formally expected to commission the first French-designed Scorpene-class submarine (built by Mazagaon Docks Limited, Mumbai) as INS Kalvari, in the presence of the Prime Minister. Henceforth, five indigenous Scorpene-class subs will join the Navy, at the rate of one every year. As a former naval officer and submariner, I hope that the President, the Prime Minister and the defence minister will find time to spend a few hours underwater in a submarine as was done in the past by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and defence minister George Fernandes. Given the recent tragic sinking of the 32-year-old Argentinean submarine ARA San Juan on November 15, 2017 with the loss of her entire crew of 44, it is vital that the Indian Navy gets funding for additional subs, more so as 11 of its 13 conventional subs have crossed their designed life of 25 years; eight of these are over 30 years of age.

With India joining the joint secretary-level talks in Manila last month for the proposed Quadrilateral, or Quad, of the US, Japan, India and Australia, to ensure safety and freedom of seas, this basically maritime organisation, if it fructifies, will need India to increase the size of its largely home-built Navy by greatly increasing its miserly naval annual budget of about $5 billion (Chinese Navy budget is $40 billion) starting with the next budget in February 2018. I doubt if the proposed Quad would take the form of a military alliance, nevertheless it may result in sharing real-time intelligence and maritime domain awareness (MDA), cooperation in tracking Chinese subs and warships in the Indian Ocean along with possible coordination of activities to combat piracy and maritime terror. With or without the Quad, the Navy needs additional funds and political support.

I write this article with the experience of having visited and been briefed at ship, submarine, aircraft and missile-building facilities in India and abroad. One encouragement our domestic industry needs is long-term investment and economies of scale. It is my opinion that top priority should be given to the infrastructure development for maritime operations in our long-neglected and strategically-located Andaman and Nicobar, and Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands.

While the Indian Navy is doing extremely well with about 44 indigenous ships and submarines (another 20 more are expected to be contracted for soon) in Indian shipyards, there exist some critical shortcomings. In my last article, Sitharamans to-do list for next 16 months published in this newspaper on September 8, 2017, I had listed three items which would need urgent government approval for domestic production  viz conventional and nuclear subs (SSK, SSN, SSBN), mine counter-measures vessels and light (four tonnes) and medium (12 tonnes) multi-role ship-borne helicopters. Indeed the Indian Navy, which has over the last 60 years built up a team of highly competent warship and submarine design specialists, now needs to consider inducting design specialists for aircraft, helicopter as well as the UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). And since Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the future of human progress and also warfare, it is vital for the Navy to create a cadre of AI specialists. Also, since I am unaware of the results of the Indo-US talks on building a 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier (IAC2) in India, with the latest electric propulsion and EMALS (electro-magnetic aircraft launch system), I have not written about it here. I am happy that the Navy has finally decided that IAC2 will not be nuclear-propelled.

I now come to some articles in the press criticising the Indian Navy for abandoning the indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA-Navy) jet fighter project, and sending an RFI (request for information) for 57 foreign twin-engine jet fighters needed to operate from the indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant (IAC-1) when it becomes operational in 2021, and also for the planned IAC-2. The actual facts about LCA (Navy) are that the HAL-designed LCA Tejas, made for the IAF, was heavier by one tonne and the naval version which required additional modifications (a drooped nose for better pilot visibility and a strengthened undercarriage with tail hook for arrester wire landing system on a carrier) was two tonnes overweight. Trials ashore on the Shore-Based Test Facility in Goa, which replicates an aircraft-carrier flight deck on land, indicated that the LCA (Navy) in its present form could not take off within the 195-metre deck runway space with any worthwhile load and neither could it land on the carrier. But true to its faith in indigenisation, the Indian Navy continues to fund the naval version of LCA Mk2 with a more powerful American engine GE 414, replacing the present GE 404 which powers the LCA Mk1.

Lastly, given the enormous in-house expertise available and capability built-up of domestic vendors for nuclear submarines, India urgently needs to commence domestic production of SSNs in a separate production line. The only Indian platform capable of stealthily tracking Chinese warships in the Indian Ocean and also patrolling in the western Pacific to deter China is the SSN. Hopefully, the February 2018 defence budget may bring good news for a home-built, balanced and three-dimensional Indian Navy.
US President Donald Trump has so far issued a muted response to the changing threat perception. But it is time that he reached out to Mr Kim with an offer of direct talks since the roundabout diplomacy through Chinese envoys does not seem to be working.

North Koreas nuclear scenario just got scarier with Wednesdays launch of the Hwasong-15 ICBM. This missile test with a wider payload capability and a possibly gimballed engine means Pyongyang has moved decisively towards becoming a full-fledged nuclear power that can hit long-range targets. More tests are expected. Its also no surprise that Kim Jong-Uns rogue regime should now threaten to explode a hydrogen bomb in the open air over the Pacific. A North Korea that is seemingly capable of following through with tests of thermonuclear devices is a bigger threat to world peace, even if its declared ambitions are limited to building a nuclear deterrence that may one day force the United States to rethink the stationing of troops in South Korea.

US President Donald Trump has so far issued a muted response to the changing threat perception. But it is time that he reached out to Mr Kim with an offer of direct talks since the roundabout diplomacy through Chinese envoys does not seem to be working. The Chinese may have some influence over a neighbour and major trading partner, but not to the extent of reining in its warring ambitions. It is also possible that the Chinese strategy is to encourage the nuclear programme in a display of schadenfreude against another global superpower. North Korea may be way out of line with its ambitions to enhance its nuclear capabilities in such an irresponsible way as to threaten the US and its allies South Korea and Japan. For the sake of world peace, it would be best, therefore, if Mr Trump reached out directly to Mr Kim.
A man who longed to own a magnificent bungalow contacted a builder who asked: How big is your land? Whats your budget? How many rooms do you want? Showing him a key, the man replied: Dont bother me with questions. Ive got this key; please build my house to suit my key. Dont we likewise build castles in thin air on flimsy foundations?

Religions  as well as do it yourself manuals  provide keys to happiness. Each of these can be judged by its methods and merits. Anyway, I think that those who sincerely seek truth and selflessly serve God and humankind discover priceless keys that unlock timeless treasures transcending the dos and dont's of religions and traditions.

Keys are potent symbols in the Judeo-Christian worldview. For instance, first, Isaiah mentions the key of the House of David as a sign of royal trusteeship taken away from the unfaithful steward Shebna and entrusted to trustworthy Eliakim. Second, it was held that God gave rabbis and scribes  the experts in interpreting scriptures and laws  keys to judge what should bind believers and which penalties would pardon them. Hence, the phrase to bind and unbind was popular in Palestine of Jesus time.

While religious rules and rituals provide the means to worship God and foster family feeling among people, worldwide, they often become ends in themselves  rigid, sterile, inhuman and condemnatory  creating conflicts. Therefore, in chapter 23 of the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus unleashes a scathing critique on the Pharisees and teachers of law for their rigid ritualism and loveless legalism.

In chapter 16 of the same Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus tells Peter, the headman among disciples: I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven. Catholics interpret these keys of the kingdom and to bind and unbind to mean Christs commission to Peter  and his successors, the popes  to interpret scripture and formulate laws to promote Christs teachings.

While so-called binding and unbinding in diverse degrees through religious rules and rites characterise all creeds, the virtues of love, mercy, service, sacrifice and forgiveness which popes, imams and gurus propagate and preach are not the monopoly of any one religion. These keys universally unlock the doors to happiness and create harmony.

As December dawns  with Advent, meaning, coming  Christians are advised to be alert and active like doormen ready with keys to open doors for Christ to enter in at Christmas-time. Rather than expecting builders to build heavenly homes around some small key, lets unlock our hearts and homes to welcome God whom Tagore says: Comes, comes, ever comes.
Astronomers estimate that an interstellar asteroid similar to Oumuamua passes through the inner solar system about once per year. (Photo: NASA)

Astronomers recently scrambled to observe an intriguing asteroid that zipped through the solar system on a steep trajectory from interstellar space  the first confirmed object from another star.

Now, new data reveal the interstellar interloper to be a rocky, cigar-shaped object with a somewhat reddish hue. The asteroid, named Oumuamua by its discoverers, is up to one-quarter mile (400 meters) long and highly-elongated  perhaps 10 times as long as it is wide.

(Source: NASA)

That aspect ratio is greater than that of an asteroid or comet observed in our solar system to date. While its elongated shape is quite surprising, and unlike asteroids are seen in our solar system, it may provide new clues into how other solar systems formed.

The observations and analyses were funded in part by NASA and appear in the November 20 issue of the journal Nature. They suggest this unusual object had been wandering through the Milky Way, unattached to any star system, for hundreds of millions of years before its chance encounters with our star system.

For decades weve theorized that such interstellar objects are out there, and now  for the first time  we have direct evidence they exist, said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASAs Science Mission Directorate in Washington. This history-making discovery is opening a new window to study the formation of solar systems beyond our own.

Immediately after its discovery, telescopes around the world, including ESOs Very Large Telescope in Chile and other observatories around the world were called into action to measure the objects orbit, brightness and colour. The urgency for viewing from ground-based telescopes was vital to get the best data.

Combining the images from the FORS instrument on the ESO telescope using four different filters with those of other large telescopes, a team of astronomers led by Karen Meech of the Institute for Astronomy in Hawaii found that Oumuamua varies in brightness by a factor of ten as it spins on its axis every 7.3 hours. No known asteroid or comet from our solar system varies so widely in brightness, with such a large ratio between length and width. The most elongated objects we have seen to date are no more than three times longer than they are wide.

This unusually big variation in brightness means that the object is highly elongated: about ten times as long as it is wide, with a complex, convoluted shape, said Meech. We also found that it had a reddish colour, similar to objects in the outer solar system, and confirmed that it is completely inert, without the faintest hint of dust around it.

These properties suggest that Oumuamua is dense, comprised of rock and possibly metals, has no water or ice, and that its surface was reddened due to the effects of irradiation from cosmic rays over hundreds of millions of years.

A few large ground-based telescopes continue to track the asteroid, though its rapidly fading as it recedes from our planet. Two of NASAs space telescopes (Hubble and Spitzer) are tracking the object the week of November 20. As of November 20, Oumuamua is travelling about 85,700 miles per hour (38.3 kilometres per second) relative to the Sun.

Its location is approximately 124 million miles (200 million kilometres) from Earth  the distance between Mars and Jupiter  though its outbound path is about 20 degrees above the plane of planets that orbit the Sun. The object passed Marss orbit around November 1 and will pass Jupiters orbit in May of 2018. It will travel beyond Saturns orbit in January 2019; as it leaves our solar system, Oumuamua will head for the constellation Pegasus.

Observations from large ground-based telescopes will continue until the object becomes too faint to be detected, sometime after mid-December. NASAs Centre for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) continues to take all available tracking measurements to refine the trajectory of 1I/2017 U1 as it exits our solar system.

This remarkable object was discovered on October 19 by the University of Hawaiis Pan-STARRS1 telescope, funded by NASAs Near-Earth Object Observations (NEOO) Program, which finds and tracks asteroids and comets in Earths neighbourhood.

NASA Planetary Defense Officer Lindley Johnson said, We are fortunate that our sky survey telescope was looking in the right place at the right time to capture this historic moment. This serendipitous discovery is bonus science enabled by NASAs efforts to find, track and characterize near-Earth objects that could potentially pose a threat to our planet.

Preliminary orbital calculations suggest that the object came from the approximate direction of the bright star Vega, in the northern constellation of Lyra. However, it took so long for the interstellar object to make the journey  even at the speed of about 59,000 miles per hour (26.4 kilometres per second)  that Vega was not near that position when the asteroid was there about 300,000 years ago.

While originally classified as a comet, observations from ESO and elsewhere revealed no signs of cometary activity after it slingshotted past the Sun on Sept. 9 at a blistering speed of 196,000 miles per hour (87.3 kilometres per second).

The object has since been reclassified as interstellar asteroid 1I/2017 U1 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), which is responsible for granting official names to bodies in the solar system and beyond. In addition to the technical name, the Pan-STARRS team dubbed it Oumuamua (pronounced oh MOO-uh MOO-uh), which is Hawaiian for a messenger from afar arriving first.

Astronomers estimate that an interstellar asteroid similar to Oumuamua passes through the inner solar system about once per year, but they are faint and hard to spot and have been missed until now. It is only recently that survey telescopes, such as Pan-STARRS, are powerful enough to have a chance to discover them.

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Microsoft has announced the launch of Azure Location Based Services  a new public cloud offering for enterprise customers, providing location capabilities built and integrated directly into Microsofts Azure cloud platform. The new location capabilities will provide cloud developers geographical data to power smart cities and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions across industries including manufacturing, automotive, logistics, urban planning, and retail, among others.

TomTom Telematics will be the first official partner for the service, supplying critical location and real-time traffic data, providing Microsoft customers with location and mapping capabilities. Microsoft also announced that Azure LBS will be launched in the calendar year 2018 and will be available globally in more than 30 languages. The company will also enter in a cloud with ICONIQ, a Chinese Electric Vehicle company. In the year 2018 Microsoft is expected to be joined in by several partners who will be showcasing various location, connected car and smart city-relevant technologies they are building on top of the Azure cloud.

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Veteran actor Geoffrey Rush has denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour levelled against him, claiming his conduct has always been beyond reproach. A now deleted news report in Australias Daily Telegraph stated that Sydney Theatre Company received a complaint against the Oscar-winner, who starred in the companys adaptation of King Lear in 2015, of misconduct.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Rushs lawyers, in multiple statements, said, In this current environment, inappropriate behaviour may mean abuse, bullying or other forms of reprehensible activity. The statement also said that Pirates of the Caribbean actor has not been made aware of the nature of the complaint against him.
History was in making on Thursday when Raj Shah, who holds a key position in the White House, gaggled with reporters on board presidential Air Force One, becoming the first Indian-American to enjoy the privilege.

Shah, 33, did so in the capacity of Principal deputy press secretary, a position to which he was promoted by US President Donald Trump in September as he restructured his press office by making Hope Hicks Director of Communications.

Shah was accompanying Mr Trump as he flew to Missouri to deliver a major speech on middle-class tax relief and business tax relief. Mid-way to St Louis, Shah gaggled with the travelling press corp. Gaggle is the term used for informal briefing by the White House Press Secretary, which is on the record.
United Nations: The US on Thursday warned Kim Jong-Uns regime that North Korea would be utterly destroyed if a standoff over its missile tests leads to a war and asked all countries to sever economic and diplomatic ties with Pyongyang to punish it for its acts of aggression. Speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss North Koreas latest missile launch, US ambassador to the world body Nikki Haley said Pyongyang had brought the world closer to war with its latest test of a ballistic missile capable of striking the US mainland, its most advanced yet.

The missile was launched from Sain Ni, North Korea on Wednesday, and travelled about 1,000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japans Economic Exclusion Zone. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed on Wednesday. And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed, Haley said. The dictator of North Korea made a choice on Wednesday that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it. We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it, she said.

The US along with Japan and South Korea had called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council after North Koreas missile launch. Meanwhile, the White House on Thursday said that North Korea poses a grave threat to the world. We will take care of it. It is a situation we will handle, Mr Trump said soon after the missile test. He also spoke with his Chinese and South Korean counterparts Xi Jinping, and Moon Jae-in respectively.
The North Korean threat is very grave. It's not just a threat to the United States or a threat to the region  or the Korean Peninsula region, but a threat to the entire world and the civilised world, Raj Shah told reporters. (Photo: File/ Representational)

Washington: North Korea poses a "grave threat" to the world, the White House said Thursday, exhorting countries to apply maximum pressure on Pyongyang after it launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

"The North Korean threat is very grave. It's not just a threat to the United States or a threat to the region  or the Korean Peninsula region, but a threat to the entire world and the civilised world," White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah told reporters.

"We're encouraged that more countries are taking more significant steps to help apply as much pressure as we can on North Korea," Shah said in response to a question.

He, however, parried questions on Trump's tweet about more sanctions against North Korea.

Read: Utter destruction, sick puppy: Warnings, insults from US to N Korea, with regards

"I'm not going to get ahead of any announcement that's coming. I will say, though, that the maximum pressure campaign that the US has been a big part of has really yielded a lot of results," he said.

"We have seen the toughest sanctions ever imposed on North Korea that the Chinese and Russians have signed onto. We've seen China restrict energy shipments to North Korea. We're seeing dozens of countries engage in different efforts in their bilateral ties with North Korea to cut off both energy, economic ties, and diplomatic ties," Shah said.

"So we're seeing more and more steps take place. We'll see future actions by the United States and others, and we're looking forward to applying as much pressure as we can to get to our ultimate goal, which is a denuclearised Korean Peninsula," he told reporters.

The ICBM, launched Wednesday from Sain Ni, North Korea , travelled about 1000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Read: Achieved full nuclear statehood, can now hit whole US: Kim Jong Un

"We will take care of it...It is a situation we will handle," Trump told reporters soon after North Korea's missile test.

Trump also spoke with his Chinese and South Korean counterparts Xi Jinping, and Moon Jae-in respectively, and the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer said in a statement that the launch of a ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear payload across thousands of miles far enough to threaten cities in the continental United States violates international laws and demands a strong international response.

"The President's lack of a policy to deter North Korean aggression is deeply concerning, and it is clear that the President's soft approach with the Chinese leadership has not borne fruit. I urge him to pursue a diplomatic strategy that places serious pressure on the Kim (Jong-Un) regime to change its behaviour," he said.
While a country-wise breakup was not available, according to a State Department official, the sale of military equipment was the maximum in Central Asia and Near East region, which amounted to USD 22 billion. (Photo: File/Representational)

Washington: The United States sold military hardware and equipment worth over USD 38 billion in 2017, the Pentagon said Thursday.

While a country-wise breakup was not available, according to a State Department official, the sale of military equipment was the maximum in Central Asia and Near East region, which amounted to USD 22 billion.

This was followed by the Indo-Pacific (USD 7.96 billion), Europe (USD 7.3 billion), Western Hemisphere (USD 641.6 million) and Africa (USD 248.6 million).

Riding high on the figures, the Defence Security and Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said the sales demonstrated a strong demand for US products and services, particularly through Foreign Military Sales (FMS).

"This positive sales trend isn't surprising as the United States is the global provider of choice for Security Cooperation," said LTG Charles W. Hooper, who became the DSCA Director in August.

"We deliver not only the most effective defence systems to our partners, but we also ensure a "Total Package" approach that includes the provision of training, maintenance, and sustenance, to support full spectrum capability for our partners," he said.

FMS is a security assistance program authorised by the Arms Export Control Act under the direction of the Secretary of State.

The United States uses FMS to further its foreign policy and national security objectives by sale of defence articles, defence services, and military training to foreign countries and international organisations.

FMS is one of DSCA's most well-known Security Cooperation programs and has served as a key tool of US diplomacy and defence for the past 70 years.
An international meeting in Canada in January is designed to produce "better ideas" to ease tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests. (Photo: AFP/File)

United Nations/Seoul: The United States warned the North Korean leadership that it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out, after Pyongyang test fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, putting the US mainland within range.

The Trump administration has repeatedly said all options were on the table in dealing with North Korea's ballistic and nuclear weapons program, including military ones, but that it still prefers a diplomatic option.

Still, speaking at an emergency UN Security Council meeting, US ambassador Nikki Haley warned:

"We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday ... And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."

Haley said the United States has asked China to cut off oil supply to North Korea, a drastic step that Beijing - the North's sole major trading partner - has so far refrained from doing. Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier on Wednesday and said more sanctions on Pyongyang would be enforced.

"Just spoke to President Xi Jinping of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

Just spoke to President XI JINPING of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017

Previous US administrations have failed to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and a sophisticated missile program. Trump has also struggled to contain Pyongyang since he came to office in January.

Urging China to use its leverage on Pyongyang and promising more sanctions against North Korea are two strategies that have borne little fruit so far.

In a speech in Missouri about taxes, Trump, who has traded insults with the North in the past, referred to Kim with a derisive nickname. "Little Rocket Man. He is a sick puppy," Trump said.

The latest missile was fired a week after Trump put North Korea back on a US list of countries it says support terrorism, allowing it to impose more sanctions.

United Nations political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman met with North Korea's Ambassador Ja Song Nam on Wednesday to tell him Pyongyang must "desist from taking any further destabilizing steps" after the country launched another ballistic missile.

Read: Achieved full nuclear statehood, can now hit whole US: Kim Jong Un

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday he was counting on UN Security Council members China and Russia to step up sanctions on North Korea.

"I am counting a lot in particular on China and Russia in order to take the most difficult and effective sanctions," Macron told France 24 television.

North Korea, which conducted its sixth and largest nuclear bomb test in September, has tested dozens of ballistic missiles under Kim's leadership in defiance of international sanctions.

North Korea said the new missile soared to an altitude of about 4,475 km (2,780 miles) - more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station - and flew 950 km (590 miles) during its 53-minute flight.

It flew higher and longer than any North Korean missile before, landing in the sea near Japan. Experts said the new "Hwasong-15" missile theoretically gave North Korea the ability to hit the United States, including the East Coast, although it was not clear whether it could carry a nuclear weapon.

North Korean state media said the missile was launched from a newly developed vehicle and that the warhead could withstand the pressure of re-entering the atmosphere, which if confirmed would be an important technical advance.

Kim personally guided the test and said the new launcher was "impeccable", state media said. He described the new vehicle as a "breakthrough".

North Korea also described itself as a "responsible nuclear power", saying its strategic weapons were developed to defend itself from "the US imperialists' nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat".

Many nuclear experts say the North has yet to prove it has mastered all technical hurdles, including the ability to deliver a heavy nuclear warhead reliably atop an ICBM, but it was likely that it soon would.

'Threaten everywhere'

US, Japanese and South Korean officials all agreed the missile, which landed within Japan's exclusive economic zone, was likely an ICBM.

"It went higher, frankly, than any previous shot they've taken, a research and development effort on their part to continue building ballistic missiles that can threaten everywhere in the world, basically," US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters at the White House.

Read: North Korea test fires ballistic missile over Japan, escalates tension

An international meeting in Canada in January is designed to produce "better ideas" to ease tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests, Canadian officials said on Wednesday, although North Korea itself will not be invited.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States has "a long list of additional potential sanctions, some of which involve potential financial institutions, and the Treasury Department will be announcing those when they're ready to roll those out."

US east coast in range?

The new Hwasong-15, named after the planet Mars, was a more advanced version of an ICBM tested twice in July, North Korea said. It was designed to carry a "super-large heavy warhead".

Based on its trajectory and distance, the missile would have a range of more than 13,000 km (8,100 miles) - more than enough to reach Washington DC and the rest of the United States, the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists said.

However, it was unclear how heavy a payload the missile was carrying, and it was uncertain if it could carry a large nuclear warhead that far, the non-profit science advocacy group added.

In just three months' time, South Korea hosts the Winter Olympics at a resort just 80 km (50 miles) from the heavily fortified border with North Korea.

Pyongyang has said its weapons programmes are a necessary defence against US plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, denies any such intention.
A 22-year-old man and two of his accomplice were arrested by city police for murdering his grandparents at their residence in Ashwath Nagar in HAL on Tuesday.



Police identified the arrested men as Pramod (22) -grandson of the murdered couple- his associates Praveen (20) and Hassan Pasha (20).

Govindan (65), a retired BEL employee, and his wife Sarjomma (60) were found murdered on November 28 after neighbours complained of LPG gas leak from their house. The couple were beaten and stabbed to death on November 26.

The couple's daughter Usha, also the killer's mother, lives in the same compound and went down to check about the gas leak complaints. She found the rear door of the house open and few of her parents' clothes burnt.

Usha ran out of the house screaming having seen her parents' bodies and blood stains. Neighbours then called the police. Both the victims were tied with clothes and their faces had been covered, police said.

Police later picked up Pramod on Tuesday night. Based on information he provided, they arrested Praveen Wednesday morning. They had to shoot the third accused Pasha on the leg when he tried to launch an escape bid by attacking the police constable.

Police sub-inspector Prashila shot Pasha to defend herself and members of her team before arresting him.

Police said Pramod had been involved in house break thefts, while Praveen worked for a vehicle servicing station. Pasha was a bike thief.

The couple was slaughtered between 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm, police said. Usha aa staff nurse at a private hospital- had been living in the same compound as her parents for the past four years.

Police suspect the murder to be for gains. On Sunday, Pramod entered his grandparents' home and unlatched the rear door to let Praveen and Pasha inside.

Pasha, the ruthless among the three, hit Sarjomma's head with an iron club. When Govindan rushed into the kitchen hearing his wife's screams, the accused struck him with the same club and stabbed him multiple times.

The trio made off with 300 grams of gold ornaments and Rs 50,000 in cash. Police later recovered the ornaments though they had spent some of the money. "We're probing more angles," city police commissioner T Suneel Kumar said.

He said police would take Usha's statement to determine if she was involved in the crime directly or indirectly. Kumar lauded the cops for cracking the case within hours after the murders were discovered.

Usha told the police that her parents were planning to leave for Om Shakthi temple in Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) on Sunday afternoon. The silent house did not raise any suspicions as she expected the elderly couple to return on Tuesday.

The couple also had two sons besides Usha. One of them had died and his wife and children live in Mysuru. The second son, who had hearing and speech impairments, lives separately in the city with wife and children.

Usha told the police that her father was embroiled in property disputes and there had been a few unnatural deaths in the family. While a family member hung himself by a telephone cord, another died in road accident. Usha told the police that her father Govindan owned several properties.
The United States on Wednesday warned that North Korea's leadership will be "utterly destroyed" if war breaks out as it called on countries to cut all diplomatic and trade ties with North Korea -- including Chinese oil shipments to Pyongyang.



Washington urged tough action at an emergency meeting of the Security Council called to respond to North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

"The dictator of North Korea made a choice yesterday that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it," US Ambassador Nikki Haley told the council.

"If war comes, make no mistake: The North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."

US President Donald Trump derided Kim Jong-Un as a "sick puppy" and threatened "major" new sanctions after Pyongyang tested its third ICBM -- which it claimed was capable of striking anywhere in the United States.

The test ended a two-month lull in missile tests that had raised hopes for the opening of diplomatic talks.

North Korean leader Kim said the test of the Hwasong-15 weapons system had helped his country achieve the goal of becoming a full nuclear power, as the international community expressed outrage.

"We call on all nations to cut off all ties with North Korea," Haley told the council.

The US ambassador said Trump had called Chinese President Xi Jinping and urged him to "cut off the oil from North Korea", a move that would deal a crippling blow to North Korea's economy.

"That would be a pivotal step in the world's effort to stop this international pariah," she said.

Piling pressure on China, Haley said that if Beijing does not act to cut off oil supplies "we can take the oil situation into our own hands."

The United States earlier this year pressed for a full oil embargo on North Korea but dropped that demand in negotiations on a sanctions resolution with China.

The Security Council met at the request of the United States, Japan and South Korea to consider next steps after three rounds of sanctions adopted in the past year failed to push North Korea to change course.

Earlier, Trump -- who had traded barbs with Kim for months -- had asked Xi to use "all available levers" to press the hermit state.

"Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!" Trump said on Twitter.

So far Wednesday, no new announcements were forthcoming.

Last week, Trump announced new US unilateral sanctions on Pyongyang and returned it to a US list of state sponsors of terror.

There are concerns in Seoul that Trump might be considering military action against the North that could trigger a full-scale war.

Seoul is home to 10 million people and only about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the border -- well within range of Pyongyang's artillery.

Russia urged the United States to scrap military exercises planned with South Korea in December, arguing they would exacerbate tensions.

"It is essential to take a step back," said Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, who urged Washington "to revise its policy of mutual threats and intimidation."

China once again pressed its proposal that the North stop missile and nuclear tests in exchange for a freeze of US military exercises -- a proposal Washington has repeatedly rejected.

North Korean state media said the missile launched Wednesday was more sophisticated than any previously tested by Pyongyang.

"The ICBM Hwasong-15 type weaponry system is an intercontinental ballistic rocket tipped with super-large heavy warhead which is capable of striking the whole mainland of the US," the North's official news agency KCNA said.

State television brought out Ri Chun-Hee, a star presenter who only appears for significant developments, to announce the landmark.

"Kim Jong-Un declared with pride that now we have finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power," she said.

Pyongyang said the missile reached an altitude of 4,475 kilometers and splashed down 950 kilometers from its launch site.

At least one Western expert said the missile's lofted trajectory suggested an actual range of 13,000 kilometers -- enough to hit every major US city.

David Wright, an arms control expert and co-director at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the flight parameters of Wednesday's test pointed to a missile with "more than enough range to reach Washington DC, and in fact any part of the continental United States."

While Pyongyang has yet to prove its mastery of the re-entry technology required to bring a warhead back through the Earth's atmosphere, experts believe it is at least on the threshold of developing a working intercontinental nuclear strike capability.

In September, Pyongyang conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test and then fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan.

Over the past year, the Security Council has imposed biting sanctions on Pyongyang aimed at choking off revenue to its military programs.

These include a ban on North Korean exports of coal, iron, lead, textiles and seafood, trade restrictions and the blacklisting of a number of North Korean entities and officials.

The council has also banned the hiring of North Korean guest workers and capped oil exports, in particular from China, Pyongyang's main trading partner.

Canada said it would host a meeting of foreign ministers to discuss the North Korean threat.
US President Donald Trump publicly upbraided British Prime Minister and ostensible ally Theresa May late Wednesday, rebutting her criticism of anti-Muslim propaganda in a diplomatic row between the two leaders.



Plunging headlong into a high-profile spat with one of America's closest international partners, Trump suggested May focus on defending the United Kingdom rather than criticizing him.

"@theresa_may, don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!" he tweeted, after an earlier tweet with the same message used the wrong Twitter handle for May.

Trump had drawn fierce condemnation at home and abroad earlier in the day for retweeting three incendiary anti-Muslim videos posted by the deputy head of a British far-right group who has been convicted of a hate crime.

May said through a spokesperson that Trump was "wrong" to promote the "hateful narratives" of the group, British First.

Trump's interventions in British politics have strained the so-called "special relationship."

He has infuriated British authorities with his tweets on terrorism in Britain, including highly publicized run-ins with London's Muslim mayor Sadiq Khan.

Khan on Wednesday described Britain First as "a vile, hate-fuelled organisation whose views should be condemned, not amplified."

Before Trump's latest missive, the White House had scrambled to limit the fallout, saying that even if the anti-Muslim videos were misleading, the president was pointing out a real problem.

"The threat is real, and that's what the president is talking about," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.

Deputy spokesman Raj Shah also defended Trump's actions: "It's never the wrong time to talk about the security and safety of the American people. Those are the issues he was raising in his tweets this morning."

One of the videos falsely claims to show a Muslim beating up a Dutch boy on crutches.

The Dutch embassy in Washington took the unusual step of publicly criticizing a sitting US president on Twitter.

"@realDonaldTrump Facts do matter. The perpetrator of the violent act in this video was born and raised in the Netherlands. He received and completed his sentence under Dutch law."

Another video is described as showing an Islamist mob pushing a teenager off a rooftop, without any context -- it appears to be footage filmed during unrest in Egypt in 2013. A man was executed for his role in the teen's death.

The third video allegedly depicts a Muslim smashing a statue of the Virgin Mary.

All three videos were originally posted by Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of the far-right group Britain First, which hailed Trump for his support.

"THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSEN'S TWITTER VIDEOS!" the group tweeted in triumph.

"DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA!"

Fransen was found guilty last year of a hate crime after hurling abuse at a Muslim woman wearing a hijab.

Britain First, which was formed in 2011 and is known for picketing outside mosques, has run and lost in several British and European parliament elections.

Brendan Cox, widower of MP Jo Cox who was murdered by a right-wing extremist last year, said: "Trump has legitimized the far right in his own country, now he's trying to do it in ours.

"Spreading hatred has consequences & the president should be ashamed of himself," he said.

Trump's behavior renewed calls for May to revoke an invitation for the American president to make a state visit.

David Lammy, a lawmaker for Britain's opposition Labour Party, said: "The president of the United States is promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group whose leaders have been arrested and convicted.

"He is no ally or friend of ours," he said.

Conservative Minister Sajid Javid said Trump had "endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me. He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing."

Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said the retweets were "abhorrent, dangerous and a threat."

Added Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson: "UK has a proud history as an open, tolerant society & hate speech has no place here."

Trump's Twitter posts Wednesday were part of an early morning burst in which he again dismissed CNN as "Fake News" and insisted the US economy was in "record territory" by many measures.
The plight of Rohingya refugees is the backdrop to Pope Francis' landmark visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh this week. But in the vast refugee camps on the border, there is puzzlement, with many asking: "Who is he?"



The head of the Catholic church has repeatedly spoken out in support of the Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority who have fled to Bangladesh in their hundreds of thousands, bringing with them allegations of murders, rapes and arson committed by the Myanmar military.

This week he met Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi and army chief Min Aung Hlaing, who is accused of overseeing brutal campaign to drive out the group that the UN and US have labelled "ethnic cleansing".

With his message of hope and tolerance, supporters hope the pope's presence can tamp down the religious and ethnic hatreds that have roiled the region.

Yet in the teeming Bangladeshi camps near the border with Myanmar, mention of the pontiff drew blank faces and raised eyebrows.

Shown a photo, refugees shrugged and guessed him to be anyone from a wealthy king or a celebrity from the US to a Bangladeshi politician. Some mistook his zucchetto for an Islamic skullcap and said he could be a Muslim leader.

"I think I've seen him in the news but what does he do? Is he important?" asked 42-year-old Nurul Qadar.

Pope Francis, who arrives in Bangladesh on Thursday from mainly Buddhist Myanmar, is the first pontiff in 31 years to visit Bangladesh and has called the Rohingya his "brothers and sisters".

He is not due to visit the camps but will meet a small group of Rohingya refugees during an interfaith meeting in Dhaka on Friday.

More than 620,000 Rohingya have poured into the poor, overpopulated country since the start of a violent crackdown by the army in August.

They are denied almost all basic human rights in Myanmar including the right to practise their religion, travel and marry freely.

On learning of the pope's role in the world, refugees AFP spoke to said they hoped Francis would be able to broker a deal with Myanmar that would pave the way for a safe return to their homeland.

Maybe the government in Myanmar "might actually listen to him." mused 40-year-old Mujibur Rahman.

Hassan Arraf, a Rohingya imam at Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, and the only one out of dozens who knew of the pope, said the Argentinian pontiff with his man-of-the-people reputation had the power to change their lives.

"The way they tortured us, no religion allows it. He is a big leader of another religion but I believe he's a very wise man," he told AFP.

"I think he will be able to understand what we went through. And he can ask the Myanmar government to resolve this matter and make the place peaceful."

Caritas, the Catholic Church's humanitarian arm which is helping to feed 40,000 families in the camps, said it hoped the pope's visit would at least help lift the spirits of the community.

"He is coming... as a symbol of reconciliation. We are hoping his visit will bear a very positive impact and create a very good solution between the two countries," James Gomes, regional director of Caritas, told AFP.

When given information about this unfamiliar robed figure, many refugees said the pope should go to the squalid, overcrowded camps in southern Bangladesh to witness their suffering.

"If his visit is about us, then he should come here to meet us and talk to us. He should see how we are living, how we barely survived," said Hami Tusang as he queued for food.

Another man behind him, Azim Ullah, said he wanted to "complain to the pope of the relentless torture we face in Rakhine".

"Being such a big leader, he must be seeing what we have been through. Every bad thing you can think of has happened to us," he said, making a cutting motion across his throat.

"He needs to be our bridge. He needs to demand our rights, our citizenship. Otherwise there is no point of such visits."
At least five militants were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in central and north Kashmir areas on Thursday.



Four Jaish-e-Mohammed militants were killed in a gunfight that erupted after the special operations group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and 10-Garhwal of the army cordoned off Futlipora and Budgam at around 6 am on Thursday after specific inputs about the presence of militants, reports said.

As security forces approached a house, the militants opened fire, triggering a gunfight which lasted for several hours.

Defence spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia confirmed the death of four militants in the Futlipora encounter. He said a combing operation is underway at the site of the gunfight. Sources said three of the slain militants were Pakistanis, while the other is a local.

Reports said that security forces set fire to the house in which the militants were hiding. Meanwhile, eight youths were injured in clashes near the encounter site in Futlipora village. Reports said that the youths took to streets and pelted stones at the security forces to disrupt the anti-militant operation.

The forces responded by firing teargas shells, pellets and live bullets.

In a separate ongoing encounter, a militant was killed and a paratrooper injured in Sagipora village of Sopore in north Kashmir.
Emperor Akihito will hand over all public duties to his heir after retiring in what will be Japan's first abdication in nearly two centuries, the monarch's younger son said, responding to worries a former emperor might weaken his successor's status.



Japan's constitution defines the emperor as a symbol of the state and the people, without political power. His duties include Shinto religious ceremonies and constitutionally-defined tasks, such as the opening of Parliament.

The octogenarian Akihito's 29-year reign has also been marked by travels to domestic disaster sites to cheer survivors, and overseas to soothe the wounds of a war fought in the name of his father, Emperor Hirohito, who was considered divine until Japan's defeat in World War II.

Some experts, recalling past examples when former emperors kept their influence, had feared the former monarch's existence would undercut the symbolic status of his heir, Crown Prince Naruhito.

"The emperor all along has intended to pass all his public duties including state acts to the next emperor," Naruhito's younger brother, Prince Akishino, said in remarks published to mark his 52nd birthday on Thursday.

"Even if there are concerns about 'dual authority', if that expression is appropriate, I can clearly say that it is impossible," he added.

A law enacted in June allows Akihito, who turns 84 on December 23, to step down, but details have yet to be worked out. A special panel will discuss possible dates on Friday, with the Cabinet making a final decision.

The abdication is expected to take place in 2019.

Akihito, who has had heart surgery and treatment for prostate cancer, said in rare remarks last year that he feared age might make it hard to fulfil his duties.

Akishino, who is next in line to the throne after the 57-year-old Naruhito, said he wanted his father to rest after retiring.

"I hope the emperor will spend relaxing time as much as possible after the abdication," he said.

Akishino said he was willing to take on the crown prince's duties as much as possible after Naruhito ascends the throne but would need to consult his older brother.

"This is unprecedented, so there are many things I can not imagine," he said.

Akishino's 11-year-old son, Prince Hisahito, is the emperor's only grandson and will be second in line to the throne after the abdication. Naruhito's daughter, Princess Aiko, who turns 16 on Friday, cannot inherit the males-only throne.
A Vietnamese court on Thursday rejected the appeal of a prominent blogger known as "Mother Mushroom", in jail for anti-state propaganda, days after one of her lawyers was disbarred in a case that has drawn global ire.



Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh was sentenced to 10 years in jail in June, a heavy term decried by rights groups that accuse the Communist government of waging a harsh crackdown against critics this year.

Her appeal was thrown out by a court in the southern city of Nha Trang, her lawyer Ha Huy Son said, at a heavily-guarded trial closed to foreign media.

"The sentence is very unfair and biased. They argued that Quynh confessed her wrongdoings, but I think it's groundless and not in accordance with the law," Son said.

Quynh, 38, whose pen name "Me Nam" derives from her daughter's nickname "mushroom", was jailed in October 2016 as she was visiting a fellow activist in prison.

She was convicted earlier this year for anti-state propaganda, which carries a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison.

Mother Mushroom wrote posts critical of the government on the environment, politics and deaths in police custody - a sensitive topic in the one-party state where independent media is banned.

In court Thursday, Quynh defended her legal right to free expression and said she did not break the law, Son said.

A few days before her appeal, Vo An Don, one of her lawyers, was disbarred in a move he said was politically motivated.

"The main reason was that I had participated in defending the rights of several poor people and prisoners of conscience. The authorities might have hated me for that," Don said.

The bar association in nearby Phu Yen province accused Don of providing false information to foreign media, abusing his right to free speech by spreading propaganda and distorting the truth, according to the state-run Thanh Nien newspaper.

The US State Department gave Quynh the International Woman of Courage Award in March, presented to her in absentia by First Lady Melania Trump.

Last month, Quynh's daughter wrote an emotional appeal to Trump, asking her to push for the blogger's release. There has been no public reply from the first lady.

Her conviction has drawn criticism from the United States and the European Union, which have both called for her release.

The rejection of her appeal comes ahead of an EU human rights dialogue in Hanoi on Friday, which follows at least 15 activist arrests and several heavy jail sentences since January.

Observers say the sweep is being carried out by the conservative communist leadership that has been in power since last year.
The Karnataka High Court ordered notices to all respondents including speaker K B Koliwad, MLAs B N Nagaraj and S R Vishwanath, in a matter pertaining to Ravi Belagere's arrest.



Journalists Ravi Belagere' and Anil Raj had moved the court challenging their conviction and punishment of imprisonment for a year ordered by the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. They were held guilty of breach of privilege over alleged defamatory articles about the legislators.

Justice A S Boppanna said that this matters needs detailed consideration. He said that the all parties should be magnanimous in this matter until this case is before the court.
The woman behind one of the most odious crimes committed in Ontario in recent times has been granted unescorted absences from prison by the parole board. Melissa Todorovic, now 25, sexually blackmailed her boyfriend David Bagshaw into killing 14-year-old girl Stefanie Rengel out of raging jealousy. That was 2008. Today Todorovic persuaded the Parole Board of Canada panel to grant her three unescorted three-day absences from prison. They granted the request saying the Todorovic had made progress in handling her emotions.

MILLARD, SMICH REST THEIR CASE

Dellen Millard and Mark Smich have rested their cases att he first-degree murder trial in which they are accused of killing Laura Babcock and incinerating her body. The two men have chosen not to take the stand in their defence. Justice Michael Code, who is presiding over the trial, told jurors hearing the case that Millard is scheduled to give his closing arguments on Tuesday, followed by Smichs defence lawyer and then the Crown.
One among the top five innovative ideas presented at the GES-2017 was AmbuPod- a three-in-one three-wheeler ambulance that can be tethered to a bike or scooter and can move with ease through narrow urban streets and rough village roads in the fastest way possible.



"We have come up with an innovation that we got a patent for. It is a three-in-one, ambulance that is fully equipped with basic and advanced life support and also a mobile clinic," said Yamini Lavanian, co-founder and director of AmbuPod micro- ambulance and mobile clinic, from Pune.

Explaining how it works she said the pod when not used as an ambulance can be converted into a makeshift clinic. It has a bed and other equipment used for daily consultations.

Patients can get a diagnosis done and then get treated. For this, AmbuPod uses interface that they have created through telemedicine.

"It works as a telemedicine centre when the patients interact with the medical attendant on the ground. The attendant makes a note of all the symptoms of the patient and puts it in the app. We have all the diagnostic equipment and the results are sent to the doctor through the app. It is accessed immediately by the doctor sitting in the city who suggests medicines and the medicines are disbursed," she said.

She added that on an average 30-50 patients can be treated every day.

In case of an emergency, the pod is attached to a two-wheeler like a motorbike and is taken to the nearest hospital. The medical attendant in the pod can give medical resuscitation while on the way.

Like any ambulance, oxygen, nebulizer and suction equipment is available inside the pod. The narrow shape of the pod helps it to traverse through rough village roads and urban narrow streets under traffic and congestion.

"One unit costs Rs 4 lakh. We are now looking for a funding of Rs 2 crore to scale up production. We are planning to take it to 50 villages. We ideally like to start the unit in Pune but the way Telangana responded to it that we might probably start here," a beaming Yamini added.
Continuing his attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today asked him why the people of Gujarat should pay the price for his "financial mismanagement and publicity".



Gandhi, who began his 'one question a day' series yesterday with the BJP's promises in the last polls, today focused on Gujarat's debt burden.

My second question to prime minister on the state of affairs in Gujarat. In 1995, total debt on Gujarat was Rs 9,183 crore. In 2017, the total debt on Gujarat was 2.41 lakh crore. That means a debt of Rs 37,000 on every Gujarati.

Why should the people of Gujarat pay up the price for your financial mismanagement and publicity? he tweeted.

In the first of the posers ahead of the Gujarat assembly polls on December 9 and 14, Gandhi had sought accountability from the ruling BJP for the promises it made to the state during the last polls.

22 salon ka hisaab, Gujarat mange jawaab (Gujarat demands answers for 22 years of BJP rule, he tweeted yesterday.

He went on to ask Modi whether it would take 45 more years to provide new houses to Gujaratis, as the incumbent BJP government had provided only 4.72 lakh houses in the last five years against the promised 50 lakh.
A Delhi court has refused to quash criminal proceedings against the husband and the in-laws of a woman in a domestic violence case, saying there were specific instances to show she was abused and beaten up by them for bringing insufficient dowry.



Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain dismissed the plea of the man, his parents and sister challenging the order of a magisterial court framing charges against all of them for the offence of cruelty to woman under section 498A of the IPC.

"From the complaint and the material available on record, I am of the view that prima facie case under sections 498A read with 34 (common intention) of the IPC is made out against all the accused persons. I do not find any illegality or infirmity in the order of the trial court..." the judge said.

The court said there was nothing to indicate that the magisterial court order was passed against the natural justice.

It relied on the contents of the complaint that the woman, who got married to the accused in 2008, was physically assaulted and thrown out of the matrimonial house several times but they reconciled after intervention of the Crime Against Women (CAW) cell.

In 2013, when all attempts at reconciliation failed, the woman decided never to return to her husband and his family and lodged a police complaint against them.

She claimed that on August 12, 2013, her husband, her parents- in-law and her sister in law demanded Rs two lakh. When she refused, they kicked and punched her and tied a dupatta (scarf) on her neck to strangulate her.

"In the instant case, there are specific instances and allegations against the husband, father- in -law, mother-in-law, sister-in-law and brother- in- law of the complainant who on one pretext or the other, for want of dowry, subjected the complainant to cruelty.

"They also harassed her for unlawful demand of dowry. When she refused to fulfil their demands, all of them beat and harassed her," the court said.

In the plea challenging the framing of charges against them, the accused claimed it was a false and motivated complaint as she wanted to put behind bars as many persons as possible. This claim was rejected by the court.
Union Power Minister R K Singh on Thursday said preparation of a hydropower policy is in its final stage and it will be sent to the Cabinet for an approval soon.



The policy is aimed at accelerating renewable energy production in the country, Singh said at an event here.

The minister also assured industry representatives that he would look into their demands for restructuring debt over stranded hydro projects as well as their refinancing by the Power Finance Corporation and Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA).

As per the draft, it will aim to provide Rs 16,709 crore support for 40 stalled hydel projects with 11,639 MW capacity and to classify all such ventures as renewable energy.

The two main features of the proposed policy granting renewable energy status to all hydro power projects regardless of its size and to provide Rs 16,709 crore support to revive stalled 40 hydel projects.

At present, small hydro projects of up to 25 MW capacity are considered as renewable energy and such projects are eligible for various incentives by the government in terms of taxation, duties and also cheaper credit. Projects beyond this capacity are not in this category and hence not entitled to the benefits.

The granting of renewable energy status to all hydro projects regardless of its size, would enable India to achieve clean power capacity of 225 GW by 2022, said a official in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
India's economy grew at 6.3 percent in the second quarter of the financial year, official data showed Thursday, rebounding from a sharp slowdown in the wake of high-profile reforms.







Government figures showed Asia's third-largest economy expanded for the first time in five quarters, shaking off the lingering impact of a sudden cash ban and launch of a nationwide tax that had dragged growth to three-year lows.





India's chief statistician T.C.A. Anant described the bounce back as "encouraging".

"It's quite a significant trend reversal," he told reporters Thursday.





However he acknowledged that growth clocked 7.5 percent in the same quarter last year.





The official figures were slightly below expectations. A Bloomberg survey of economists predicted GDP growth at 6.4 percent from a three-year low of 5.7 percent in the previous June-ended quarter.





But the upturn will come as a relief for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been dogged by criticism over two major reforms that stalled India's much-needed economic expansion.





In the last 12 months Modi's government withdrew most of India's high-value banknotes from circulation in a snap move known as "demonetisation" and rolled out a national goods and services tax.





Both measures sent shockwaves through India's $2 trillion economy, with growth dipping to 6.1 percent in the three months ending March before bottoming out at 5.7 percent in June.





The slump cost India its title as world's fastest-growing major economy.





The central bank last month downgraded India's growth forecast, as the government sought to allay slowdown concerns.





The International Monetary Fund in October also lowered its growth forecast to 6.7 percent from the 7.2 percent predicted in July, pointing to the impact of demonetisation and the GST.





But the government defended the pain as necessary to boost tax revenues, crackdown on corruption and absorb tens of thousands of new jobseekers into the economy every month.





Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, speaking before the release of the data Thursday, said India was impatient for change and welcomed reform "even if there is a cost involved".





"I am quite certain that the direction on which we have put the economy on, is a direction which is now going to continue," he told a conference in New Delhi.




Zebronics, supplier of IT peripherals, audio/video and surveillance products expands its accessories range, launches Power Bank a '20000mAh ZEB-PG20000PD' that supports fast charge technology.



The power bank can be completely charged in approx 5 hours with a compatible power adapter which is remarkable for 20000mAh capacity.

Speaking on the launch of the power bank, Zebronics Director Pradeep Doshi said in today's dynamic lifestyle people will not find time to stay plugged in all the time.

"The high capacity 20000mAh with Fast Charge Technology is a flawless combination to speed up recharges for your devices, establishing a spend less time charging, grab and go more quickly," said Doshi.

Featuring the next gen technology, the power bank comes with a unique USB Type C port that can be used to charge the power bank, along with micro USB port.

If your device has type C port then there is no need to carry a separate cable for the power bank. The Power Bank supports input DC5V / 2A, DC9V 2A and output DC12v/1.5A, DC9V/2A, DC5V/2.1A, intelligently adjusts power as per the type of the device getting charged and selects the suitable output mode for your device like the original power adapter.

Designed with intelligent informative digital display, that accurately denotes the percentage of charge left in the power bank, lets you know when to charge the power bank again, apart from battery percentage it also displays the charging mode.
The first consignment of sand from Malaysia is expected to arrive before the end of December, with the Mysuru Sales International Limited almost ready with the modalities of the import process.



"Now is when the demand for sand will soar, since the rains have stopped. The rules for the import of sand from Malaysia are being finalised. We should start getting the sand in December," Law Minister T B Jayachandra said.

The state government wants to import sand in the wake of shortage and skyrocketing prices. MSIL is the nodal agency tasked with procurement and distribution of imported sand. Jayachandra said the imported sand will cost anywhere between Rs 3,500 and Rs 3,800. It is expected to cost Rs 175 for a 50-kg bag in Bengaluru.

The government has amended rules governing sand mining in the state. "Earlier, we formed district-level task forces to permit sand mining, but it didn't work and hundreds of applications are pending. Now, we have authorised the commissioner of the mines and geology department to give approvals," Jayachandra said. "We are also identifying traditional sand miners in the coastal regulation zone in Mangaluru."

Jayachandra said vehicles of those caught transporting sand illegally would be seized.
Coast Guard Wives Welfare Association (CGWWA), also known as Tatrakshika, celebrated 'Tatrakshika Day' with the theme of Swachh Bharat and Swachh Sagar at Thannirbhavi beach on Wednesday.



The aim of the programme was to sensitise the Coast Guard fraternity and the society to clean India by maintaining clean sea, clean shores and clean environment.

Tatrakshika organisation is formally setup, run and managed by the wives of Coast Guard Personnel since November 29, 1994. The motto of Tatrakshika is 'Self Help' and every member voluntarily contributes her time, talent and skills towards improving the quality of life within the Coast Guard community. Tatrakshika has grown into a multirole organisation rendering service to the society, the needy and also its own members.

Tatrakshika is a highly active and vibrant organisation which has been regularly extending support to old age people, orphans, cleanliness drives and many other social and communal causes.

Tatrakshikas of Mangaluru, Karwar and Bengaluru celebrated the Tatrakshika Day by spreading the message of social welfare and upliftment.

Sixty women belonging to the Coast Guard Mangaluru fraternity came together and engaged in a cleanliness drive at Tannirbhavi beach. The waste mainly consisted of plastic bottles, food wrappers, polythene bags and household garbage. The collected waste was handed over to a garbage pickup vehicle.

The members also engaged in games like musical chairs, throwing the ball, filling water into glass etc with an aim to build team spirit and cohesiveness.

Deputy Inspector General S S Dasila, Commander, Coast Guard Karnataka accompanied by Coast Guard officers, was also present.

Speaking on the occasion, the Commander said "Tatrakshika has been engaging in social causes including cleanliness campaigns, Swachh Bharat and Swachh Sagar as derived by the vision of Director General Indian Coast Guard."
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched its first health-impact bond on the sidelines of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) here on Thursday.



The bond, called Rajasthan Development Impact Bond, is aimed at improving maternal and newborn health in the state of Rajasthan.

Speaking at an interactive session, Mark Green, Administrator, USAID, a government body responsible for monitoring civilian aid, said that the US $2.25 million bond is for improving the quality of health services in private health facilities in Rajasthan. The USAID will pay back the investment only if the private providers achieve concrete results. The Agency believes that the money will increase life-saving supplies and trained staff, thereby improving the ability to address complications in labour, saving lives of as many as 10,000 women and newborns over five years.

"This is India specific innovative approach and GES is the best place to launch the Bond. It is entirely a private sector programme. The initial amount of $2.25 million could be increased further. This novel pay-for-success approach is a great value for US taxpayers because it unlocks private capital and resources from local government to save lives," Green said.

Gender Divide

Announcing other initiatives launched by the USAID during the past week in the run up to GES-2017, Green said USAID has announced $1 million to combat stigma of TB and end it in India by 2025. USAID has supported the Government of India's TB programme since 1998, and has invested more than $140 million to strengthen the capacity of national, state, and district-level TB programmes. It has introduced new tools and approaches to detect, cure, and prevent TB successfully.

The US aid agency also announced another $1.5 million for the Women connect challenge for closing digital gender divide. "Of the 800 million people that still go to bed hungry every night, women are disproportionately affected. However, women are also uniquely positioned to be part of the solution ending hunger." a USAID statement said.
After nearly two decades, the first Indian submarine Kalvari is to be commissioned in the Navy on December 14.



The first of the six Scorpene class submarines a to be named INS Kalvari is scheduled to be commissioned at Mazgaon dock, Mumbai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi would most probably be present at the commissioning, sources said.

The last conventional submarine commissioned in the Indian Navy was the Russian origin (EKM class) INS Sindhurashtra that was inducted in July 2000. Indian Navy currently operates 13 old diesel-electric submarines and one nuclear-powered boat.

In the 1980s and 1990s, there was regular induction of Russian and German submarines, but a two-decade-long hiatus crippled Indian Navy's underwater fighting abilities.

Way back in 1999, the Indian Navy planned to acquire 24 diesel electric submarines over the next 30 years.

The plan was modified twice later to incorporate nuclear-powered submarines and the deadlines were modified.

The targets set up in the 2008-22 indigenisation plan is way off the mark as Indian Navy currently operates 13 diesel electric and two nuclear-powered boats. Because of the delay, Navy has undertaken costly refit programmes to extend the life of the existing fleet.





To make up for the missing numbers, the government approved the Rs 18,798 crore Scorpene project to construct six conventional submarines in collaboration with France. The project is running four years behind schedule.

In September 2017, Mazgaon dock handed over the first Scorpene class submarine Kalvari (meaning tiger shark) to the Navy after successfully completing sea trial. The second one, Khanderi, was released in the sea for trial in January 2017 and is likely to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2018, while the third, Karanj, would be launched in water in December 2017, sources said.

Second tender

All the six submarines are to be inducted by 2019-20.

The defence ministry has floated a second tender proposal to construct another six submarines with foreign collaboration. Four vendors are known to have responded to the Indian proposal, but the government is yet to take a decision.

Meanwhile, China's submarine fleet has swollen to 63 and is likely to grow to 69-78 underwater boats by 2020, according to a report prepared by the US Department of Defence.
Expressing displeasure over the procrastination in the works related to Ambedkar Bhavans in the district, minister B Ramanath Rai told the officials to expedite the administrative procedures so as to resume with the construction of the Bhavans.



Reviewing the progress of development works during the tri-monthly KDP meeting at Zilla Panchayat auditorium in Mangaluru on Thursday, he said it was important for the officials to follow up the progress of Ambedkar Bhavans, which is a long-pending demand. The construction is been hit with an inordinate delay, he noted.

The official concerned said that 62 Ambedkar Bhavans are sanctioned in various gram panchayats and the proposals of the works requiring more than Rs 50 lakh will be put up for approval of the government. The Additional Chief Secretary of the department of Social Welfare, Government of Karnataka, has been requested to grant the jurisdiction to the Deputy Commissioner towards giving the administrative approval for the works upto Rs five crore.

Vented dams

The Minor Irrigation department executive engineer said that Rs 121 crore has been released to the district towards construction of vented dams under Paschima Vahini project. Dams will be built across the rivers in the district.

Ramanath Rai said that the purpose of these vented dams is to improve the water table to benefit the farmers. He told the official that to construct 10 to 20 vented dams of lesser heights. The cost of each vented dam should not cross Rs 10 crore. If the height of the dam is increased too much, then much larger land will submerge.

Substandard classroom works

Rai, Legislative Council Chief Whip Ivan D'Souza and Zilla Panchayat Education and Health Standing Committee president Shahul Hamid expressed their displeasure over the poor quality of work in the construction of classrooms under Rastriya Madhyamika Shikshana Abhiyana (RMSA). DDPI Y Shivaramaiah said that out of the 46 classrooms built under RMSA, 35 have been handed over to schools. Technical errors were found in the rest of the buildings during the third party inspection.

The district in-charge minister also expressed his discomfiture over the uncompleted works by KRIDL. He, meanwhile, told the DC to suspend the officials, if the lackadaisical behaviour continues.

Backwards Classes Welfare officer said that MUDA has sanctioned seven CA sites towards seven student hostels of the department. The government grants are to be released yet.

Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil said that the alignment for the proposed development of Karkal-Moodbidri road has been finalised. The long-awaited work of the road widening in Gurpur will also be taken up.

Benefits distributed to disabled

Earlier, Ramanath Rai distributed the special vehicles to 64 physically challenged persons, by handing over the keys. The facility was made available to the needy by the department of women and child welfare.
Domestic and foreign companies are in talks with the state government to set up electric vehicle and battery manufacturing units under the Karnataka Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage Policy, Industries Minister R V Deshpande said on Thursday.



"No other state in India has a policy for electric vehicles. It has been well-received. For instance, a Chinese company has initiated talks with the government," Deshpande said.

The government is also in talks with two other companies that are exploring setting up electric vehicle manufacturing units. "One of them has come with a Rs 1,600-crore proposal," the minister said. He refused to name the companies, fearing other states would poach them.

In September, the state government unveiled its Electric Vehicles and Energy Storage Policy that aims to attract an investment of Rs 31,000 crore in the sector and create jobs for 55,000 people.

The government is working on an action plan to make Bengaluru the hub of electric vehicle use. Deshpande said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will convene a meeting of key stakeholders on Friday in this regard.

"We want to put Bengaluru and Karnataka on the world map as far as electric vehicle use is concerned," he said. "We will also discuss the infrastructure that has to be created in Bengaluru."

The Union Transport Ministry wants India to transform into an all-electric vehicle market by 2030. "This will require support from various departments and all of them have to be brought on board for a time-bound implementation," Deshpande said.

'Cut GST on hybrid vehicles'

The Centre has also announced a National Electric Mobility Mission Plan, which targets sales of 6-7 million hybrid and electric vehicles year-on-year, 2020 onwards. But Deshpande rued that GST rate on hybrid vehicles was too high. "It is 42-43% now and it has to be reduced. We are taking this up with the Centre," he said.

Deshpande said commerce and industry in the state were hit since the implementation of GST from July 1. "But ultimately, GST will be a gamechanger. There will be problem till the whole thing stabilises. However, the Centre had to be more careful while fixing tax rates," he said.
A passenger on-board a IndiGo flight from Patna to Kolkata was deboarded after he fell unconscious soon after occupying his seat on the aircraft.



The incident took place at Patna's Jaya Prakash Narayan International Airport where the passenger, Pranab Saha, an engineer working with the Public Works Department (PWD) in Tripura, boarded the IndiGo aircraft on Wednesday evening.

Saha was in Patna to attend a wedding and was returning to his workplace in Agartala via Kolkata. As soon as Saha boarded the flight and occupied his seat, he felt restless and eventually fell unconscious. The airlines brought a private doctor from a prominent hospital, who provided medical assistance to resuscitate him.

"Saha's blood pressure had plummeted and pulse was high," said an aviation source at the Patna airport. "The passenger fell unconscious just when the crew was preparing for take-off. The IndiGo crew informed the Air Traffic Control (ATC), which in turn rushed in the doctor," the source added.

The 52-year-old traveller was later admitted to hospital, where after thorough check-up and proper medication, he was discharged and allowed to travel on Thursday along with his wife Arpana.








30 November 2017 NZSA / Auckland Museum Research Grants  Recipients Announced The New Zealand Society of Authors (NZSA) and Auckland War Memorial Museum are delighted to announce the recipients of the NZSA Auckland Museum National and Auckland Regional Grants.

The National Grant goes to Dunedin writer Joan Norlev Taylor whose winning proposal focuses on articles and books relating to the lives of European settlers particularly women in the 1860s.



Joan will receive a $4,000 grant and one months accommodation at The Michael King Writers Centre in Devonport while she undertakes her research next year. Joan Norlev Taylor's creative writing (prose and poetry) is wide-ranging, spanning diverse genres, and has been published in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand.



Selection panel convener Rae McGregor said  The calibre of all applicants was very high and it was exciting to read such good writing with each of the applications. Of course this did make the job more difficult but finally the two recipients were agreed upon ".



The Auckland Regional grant of $2,500 has been awarded to Auckland writer Geoff Allen . His winning proposal I started out as an artist then worked in theatre and film as an actor. In 2000 I was studying writing at Whitireia Polytechnic and working on Lord of the Rings by night. It was on set that I had an epiphany about myths and legends. How stories moved around the world when their people moved. How they spoke about that culture - even when their people did not. It has set me on a journey of learning Te Reo and about Te Ao Maori; and learning about being Pakeha.



Now in its sixth year, The NZSA / Auckland Museum National and Auckland Region Grants are a wonderful opportunity for writers to develop a manuscript thanks to a stipend, guided access to the Auckland Museums documentary heritage collections and (for the National Grant award) four weeks accommodation at The Michael King Writers Centre.



Auckland Museum is pleased to work with The NZSA to provide support to New Zealand writers and provide access to our research library, where thousands of historical books, manuscripts, newspapers, maps, journals and photographs are available to the authors, to inspire their writing and provide factual information , says Adam Moriarty , Acting Head of Information, Library and Enquiry Services at Auckland Museum.



Past award winners have included historical novelists, archaeologists, biographers and recently a scriptwriter/playwright researching the earliest interaction of Pakeha and Maori for public performance.



Images: (from top to bottom) , Joan Norlev Taylor, Geoff Allen involves researching the New Zealand Land Wars and will use the Auckland Museum research library collection widely. Geoff says of his work:Now in its sixth year, The NZSA / Auckland Museum National and Auckland Region Grants are a wonderful opportunity for writers to develop a manuscript thanks to a stipend, guided access to the Auckland Museums documentary heritage collections and (for the National Grant award) four weeks accommodation at The Michael King Writers Centre., says, Acting Head of Information, Library and Enquiry Services at Auckland Museum.Past award winners have included historical novelists, archaeologists, biographers and recently a scriptwriter/playwright researching the earliest interaction of Pakeha and Maori for public performance. For further information and for media enquiries: Claire Hill , Operations Manager 09 3794801 authors.org.nz aucklandmuseum.com
The accused were so enraged that they got the panchayat to not only expel the entire family from the village but also got them tonsured and forced them to hold a community feast as punishment for lodging the complaint.

The incident occurred at Bhadaura village in Uttar Pradesh's Lalitpur district, about 400 km from here, on Wednesday.

A source said the body of a youth from the village was found hanging from a tree near the village a few months ago.

The family of the deceased alleged that he had been murdered and lodged a complaint, naming three influential people from the same village.

Irked over the complaint, the accused convened a panchayat of village elders and got it to hold the mother of the youth guilty.

The panchayat also ordered the family to hold a community feast as punishment, tonsured them and also expelled them from the village.

The terrorised family has approached senior police officials seeking justice, the source said. The police said they are investigating the matter.

"We will take strict action against those who took part in the panchayat," said a senior police officer.

Panchayats in Uttar Pradesh are known for pronouncing bizarre orders.

In the past, they have punished people by expelling them from their villages or ordering a social boycott.
Telangana, which got a pat on the back for hosting a hassle-free Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) that concluded on Thursday, announced three gifts for women entrepreneurs in the state.



The government will set up a Technology Fund (T-Fund) exclusively for women entrepreneurs. An incubator for start-ups by women, "We-Hub," will be set up on the lines of T-Hub. The government also announced a policy to procure 25% of the mandatory 20% purchase it has to make from the small and medium enterprises, from women entrepreneurs.

Telangana IT Minister K T Rama Rao made these announcements while summing up the deliberations of the GES 2017. He said modalities for the three initiatives would be worked out shortly."We are making these announcements enthused by the enthusiasm from women entrepreneurs at the Summit," he said. NITI Aayog, through the Atal Innovation Mission, would partner these initiatives.

Commending the Telangana government for the smooth conduct of the Summit, Consular General at US Consulate here, Katherine Hadda said, "There was palpable excitement in the air all the three days. It is a wonderful example of growing Indo-US relations, which is almost seven decades old."
Almost six months after the controversy, the Union Environment Ministry has begun the process of changing the contentious cattle slaughter rules that barred farmers trading cattle for slaughter in markets.



Last May, the NDA government came out with an official notification banning the sale of cattle for slaughtering in animal fares.

It triggered angry protests all over the country with people accusing the government of causing hardship to the farmers and trying to influence people's food habits.

After reviewing the representations it received and holding consultations with the stakeholders, the green ministry decided to change the controversial clause "We have sent the file to the law ministry for its opinion on modifying the rule," said an official.

However, it may take several months before the modified rules comes into effect as clearance from the Animal Welfare Board would be required for effecting any changes in the rules that deal with prevention of cruelty to an animal.

Soon after the controversial rules grabbed the headlines, the Madras High Court had granted an interim stay on the implementation of the rules, which was later extended to the entire country in July by the Supreme Court.

Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan, however, stated that it was not a prestige issue for the government, which was open to a change in the rules.

According to the rule, "cattle" means a bovine animal including bulls, bullocks, cows, buffaloes, steers, heifers, calves and camels.



Indian meat industry recorded more than Rs 30,000 crore in export in 2015-16, out of which Rs 26,681 crore came from the export of buffalo meat, according to the statistics available with the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority. The contribution from the ship, goat and poultry is less than 1,000 crore.



Since the meat industry sources part of their raw material from the animal markets, the new rule has the potential to adversely affect the business.
Work on the demolition of Jayadeva flyover will begin in January 2018 with the elevated section on Outer Ring Road as well as the loop connecting the Bannerghatta Main Road set to be brought down in nine phases.



"The target is to finish the entire demolition work in three months. We have held meetings with the traffic police for traffic diversion plans. Initially, the work will be taken up during lean hours. Roads will be closed at the intersection only after the full-fledged work begins," said a senior official in Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).

Preliminary works have already begun with the digging at the foundation of the flyover's pillars. The BMRCL will build a 4.5 metre-wide road to provide a temporary alternative and plans to widen the Outer Ring Road to reduce the hassle.

The Rs 21 crore-flyover was built by the BDA and unveiled to the public in February 2005. It will be replaced by the multi-level flyover which is part of the RV Road-Bommasandra Metro line (Phase 2 Reach 5) which has been divided into three packages of about 6.4 km each.

Tenders for the line were awarded in July with the RV Road-HSR Layout package, that comprises the new flyover, costing about Rs 798 crore, of which BBMP will contribute Rs 100 crore.

The flyover will facilitate two interchange stations with the Jayadeva station allowing passengers to switch between RV Road-Bommasandra and Gottigere-Nagawara line and the Silk Board station connecting the line to the ORR metro.

Traffic nightmare

The demolition of Jayadeva flyover will start a three-year-long traffic nightmare. The work on the new flyover involves putting restrictions on vehicle movement at Silk Board junction in the coming months.

The BMRCL has set a three-year deadline for the completion of Phase 2. However, considering the pace of Phase 1, a delay of two to three years is expected.

"We have requested the BMRCL to complete road widening before taking up work. The work near silk board has come to a halt following rains last month. Potholes on the existing road should be filled before they start the work," traffic police said.
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to modify the deadline of December 31, fixed for publication of the draft National Register for Citizens (NRC) for Assam. It rejected a plea by the Union government that the task was an executive function and the court's order would violate the doctrine of separation of powers.



The top court also did not agree to a plea made by Attorney General K K Venugopal that it might create a law and order problem in Assam as scrutiny of two crore people was yet to be completed and a large number of people might feel their names have been excluded from the register.

"It is the sheer inaction on the part of the executive in dragging the matter for a period of over three years and the absence of any justifiable cause to hold back even a partial publication that has led the court to direct publication of the draft NRC on or before December 31, 2017," a bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R F Nariman said.

The court is monitoring compliance of its directions issued in judgement delivered in December, 2014.

Expressing surprise over the AG's plea, the bench also said, "We do not see how a law and order situation can even remotely arise as we have already indicated that the claims of 47 lakh people and 29 lakh people are still pending and would be subject to verification and covered by publication of another draft NRC at a subsequent point of time."

The court also directed Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to interact with authorities to ascertain the action taken on the border fencing front and apprise it of the action taken on February 20.

The NRC coordinator has told the court that there are doubts in the claims of 47 lakh people in respect of their parental linkage. He also submitted cases of 29 lakh people were kept in abeyance as they belonged to the category of married women who submitted certificate from Gram Panchayat secretary.
A Congress leader's claims about organisational polls being rigged, has raised a cloud over Rahul Gandhi's elevation as party president next week.



A day after Maharashtra Congress secretary Shehzad Poonawala's startling claims in the midst of the internal elections and the heated campaign for Gujarat Assembly polls, Congress disowned the leader declaring him persona non grata.

The Central Election Authority of the Congress is scheduled to issue the notification for the presidential election on Thursday and Rahul is expected to file his nomination papers on Monday.

Poonawala's claims also prompted his brother Tehseen, who is married to Robert Vadra's cousin Monicka, to dissociate from him. "I got him up like my son. He backstabbed me," said Tehseen.

Criticising "dynasty politics", Poonawala said that he will also contest the party poll if Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi agrees to have elected delegates and if Gandhi resigns from his post and participates as an ordinary member of the Congress.

Poonawala said he had written to Rahul about the working of the Congress party and claimed that his mails were leaked to the media.

"I don't think I am required to dignify such comments with a response. It actually adds weight to the maker of such absolutely silly comments," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters here.

Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan said Poonawala was not associated with the party and has been working independently for the past two-and-a-half years.

Now independent

Congress leaders said that Poonawala was a secretary in the Maharashtra unit till recently but had not bothered to renew his primary membership with the party during the ongoing organisational elections.

Poonawala and his brother Tehseen were instrumental in the 'Maanav Suraksha Kanoon' campaign against rising intolerance against minorities under the Modi government. The duo had got leaders of at least a dozen political parties, including Congress, CPM, RJD and NCP, to join them in demanding a law against mob lynching.
The Bengaluru Development and Town Planning Minister K J George set out on a subtle political campaign under the guise of an inspection of the rain-affected areas in the Bommanahalli zone of the city on Thursday.



He was accompanied by senior BBMP officers, BWSSB and BESCOM officials. The cavalcade of officials caused a serpentine jam on the narrow roads.

George was greeted with firecrackers and flower bouquets at almost every stop in the Congress ward. The first stop was at the New MICO Layout where the residents complained the lack of pucca roads due to political interference. "Half of this layout belongs to Bommanahalli zone and the other half belongs to Bangalore South zone. This has created problems with the laying a pucca road for almost twenty years now. Lack of drains cause havoc during rains," said M Krishnappa, who has been residing in the area for the past seven years. George has ordered for stormwater drain's construction in this area at a cost of Rs 14 crore.

In Pillaganahalli, the issue of the illegal construction of houses on the government land was in focus. The occupants of these houses have been denied occupancy certificates even after residing there for over a decade. "We will not ask the people to evacuate the place but we will ensure that they will get an OC," said George. "There are 3,070 families living in this area and some of them have the certificates since they had applied during the time of SM Krishna's regime. We will be issuing the certificates by January," said Congress MP DK Suresh.

He received a lot of flak from the residents of Anjanapura. "There are eleven blocks in this layout with no basic infrastructure like drains or even drinking water," said Nikhil R, a resident. Even the government school in Kembattahalli does not have a water supply, he said.

On asked if the visit was a political campaign camouflaged as an inspection, George said,"Anybody from any party can come to my inspection. I have just come to inspect Bengaluru Rural parts. We need to develop lakes in these areas and we will give more importance for this during the next budget."

He was accompanied by Mayor R Sampath Raj, BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad, DK Suresh and other senior officials.
The concept of a theatre festival in the city was pioneered by Deccan Herald three decades ago. Over the year, the festival has grown to become an iconic event in Bengaluru. Through the theatre festival, Deccan Herald encourages and promotes the city's talent, and provides a unique experience to theatre enthusiasts in Bengaluru.



The opening production QTP's "Mother Courage and her Children" is written by one of the greatest playwrights in the history of theatre - Bertolt Brecht. Set in an unnamed future but relevant now more than ever, the stellar cast will take you on a journey of survival and hope in the toughest of times. This Mumbai-based theatre group, led by Quasar Thakore Padamsee, is known for their lavish productions and epic performances and the central character of Mother Courage is played by none other than Bangalore's own Arundhati Nag.

Closer to home is Girish Karnad's masterpiece "Boiled Beans On Toast", a contemporary theatre production that promises to reconnect us with the city that we have chosen to call home. The metamorphosis of Bangalore is compellingly told through the lives of some of its citizens. Cutting across age, caste and class this production is directed by Prakash Belawadi who is best known for his work on both stage and in film.

Another much looked forward to play is theatre and film director Pawan Kumar's "The Woman in Me." Best known for his crowdfunded film "Lucia" and more recently 'U Turn', his prowess in the theatre is matched only by his innovation in cinema. "The Woman in Me" hits you with its stark reality and dwells on how, sometimes, even the most progressive and liberal among us can be confronted by a startling new voice.

In the midst of all ruminations about life, Tahatto's play "A Funny Thing Called Life" is a comedy about...you! It reminds you of the times life has used us as the punchline in various situations and tells us that life is a bittersweet comedy

Vandana Prabhu's "A Little Calm Before The Storm" is a different kind of comedy. Played out between three actors best known for their roles as Hitler, this play is delicately layered with dark humour. It tells us to laugh at everything, including theatre!

Deccan Herald Theatre Festival 2017 opens on 3 December at Chowdiah Memorial Hall.

Tickets on www.bookmyshow.com
The first book festival was a tentative toe dipping to see if writers and readers would come to an event geared especially for them. And they did. To find out more history and meet the festival volunteers check our The first festival was held in 2014 in Devonport on Aucklands North Shore. It began life as an idea by independently published childrens author Louise de Varga.To find out more history and meet the festival volunteers check our About Us page. "Why giving up worked for me." Weight Loss for Dummies, Make the Big Bucks, You Deserve It, Be a Better You , and of course, Mind over Matter. Actually the last one may be a physics book, but you get the gist. Weve all read those well-intentioned self-help books where in 56 easy steps you too can succeed at everything. Books with encouraging titles such as, and of course,Actually the last one may be a physics book, but you get the gist.

The reason these books fly off shelves is because they deal with a problem. Unfortunately the problem is YOU! Its appears to all and sundry that you dont look the way you should, you dont think the way others think, and of course youre doing it all wrong too. Click here to read Louise's full blog post. Click here to read more blogs on our website. What's in a name?



After the success of the first festival it was suggested it be changed to NZ Independent Book Festival for the 2015 event. The new name reflected the large number of exhibitors that had come from all over New Zealand to participate.



In 2016 it's name was changed to NZ Book Festival. The independent was dropped. Readers don't care if the book is traditionally or independently published. What's important to them is they have access to great books written by Kiwi indie authors and an opportunity to talk with the authors. Writers want to be able to discuss their writing aspirations with indie publishing professionals who know what it takes to become a published author. A festival celebrating indie authors, books, publishing, writers and readers. The idea of an indie book festival was first suggested at a NZ Society of Authors monthly meeting. With lots of enthusiasm the name Auckland Independent Book Festival was born. Though rather boring it 'said' that the 2014 event was being held in Auckland and would be showcasing indie authors and indie publishers.After the success of the first festival it was suggested it be changed to NZ Independent Book Festival for the 2015 event. The new name reflected the large number of exhibitors that had come from all over New Zealand to participate.In 2016 it's name was changed to NZ Book Festival. The independent was dropped. Readers don't care if the book is traditionally or independently published. What's important to them is they have access to great books written by Kiwi indie authors and an opportunity to talk with the authors. Writers want to be able to discuss their writing aspirations with indie publishing professionals who know what it takes to become a published author. A festival celebrating indie authors, books, publishing, writers and readers. The NZ Book Festival - the place for authors to meet readers, and for businesses to meet aspiring writers. 2018 registrations now open. Let's celebrate NZ Indie Authors Our big news:

Online registration for the 2018 NZ Book Festival is officially open.



Your big news:







Are you having a book launch?

Have you received some mainstream media publicity?

Written a blog post with tips for other indie authors? Have you received a wondeful review you want to share with the world? Contact us with the link so we can share your good news with others.Are you having a book launch?Have you received some mainstream media publicity?Written a blog post with tips for other indie authors?



Note: blog posts are limited to 600 words please. Promotional links will be checked for suitably. Dates to Remember 17th November 2018  Mt Eden War Memorial Hall, 10am  4pm 1 st January 2018  Only 2018 exhibitors will be visible on the website 28th February 2018  Early bird pricing finishes 31st August 2018  Exhibitor stand bookings close For 2017 exhibitors wishing to have a stand in 2018 please contact us for easy re-booking. For new, 2015 and 2016 exhibitors please complete the online booking form below. . Click here for the NZ Book Festival's website
The CPI (M) state convention will be held in Sanjiva Shetty Multipurpose Hall in Ontikatte, Moodbidri, from January 2 to 5.



Addressing reporters here on Thursday, State Convention Organising Committee honourary president Fr John Fernandes said that the state convention is being held as a prelude to the All India Convention of the party, at Hyderabad in April 2018.

CPI(M) general secretary Seetharam Yechuri will inaugurate the convention. Polit Bureau members Ramachandra Pillai, M ABaby and Raghavalu will be present.

He further said that the convention auditorium is named after labour leader late Prasanna Kumar. The venue of the convention is named after farmer leader Abraham Karkada. The venue of the public meet is named after Cuban communist leader Fidel Castro.

10,000 people

Around 400 leaders from across the state will take part in the convention and more than 10,000 people are expected at the public meet on January 2 at 10 am. A procession will be taken out from Alangar to Swaraj Maidan by CPI(M)workers on the occasion. Seetharam Yechuri, Kerala former education minister M ABaby, party state secretary G V Sriram Reddy and SVaralakshmi will address the gathering on the occasion, he added.

Leaders K R Shriyan, Vasanth Achary, K Yadava Shetty, J Balakrishna Shetty and Vasudev Ucchil were present.
Waste weir breach was once again reported in Varthur lake on Thursday due to engineering negligence and lack of coordination between the BBMP and the Bangalore Development Authority.



On Thursday morning, local residents noticed water from the lake overflowing into the waste weirs, as the sandbags stacked on the Varthur village side was ineffective in preventing the drain.

Observing the lake gradually bleeding dry, locals were quick to alert the citizens and the authorities concerned.

Members of the Whitefield Rising said the lake had also breached a month and a half ago. The BBMP is carrying out road work in Varthur Kodi close to the lake bed and stacked a wall of sandbags 20 days ago to prevent the lake from draining.

The road-widening work is taking place on the waste weir and the authorities had dyked up the lake's north-eastern side. This seemed to have increased the pressure on the south-western side of the lake facing up to the village and caused the breach.

The same side of the lake had breached during the south-west monsoon season and now, water flowed down the waste weir and further downstream, members of the Whitefield Rising said.

BDA executive engineer Veersingh Nayak, who rushed to the spot, blamed it on the BBMP's negligence. The civic body has been instructed to consult with the BDA and take its permission before carrying out public works, he added.

He also said the BBMP has been asked to install pipes and appropriately divert water before embarking on any civic work.

An on-sight BBMP engineer, seeking anonymity, said the breach could have happened due to negligence on the part of the contractors and workers. "Water has also drained due to increased inflow," he said, assuring that the issue will be probed.
The suicide bomber who stepped inside the gold-domed shrine in southern Pakistan in February was wearing a vest packed with ball bearings, bolts and screws. When he hit the detonator, he killed more than 80 people.



To the world, they were Muslims. But to the Islamic State, which quickly claimed credit for the attack, they were something else: Mushrikin, an Arabic word meaning polytheists.

Because the worshippers who died at the shrine of the Sufi philosopher Lal Shahbaz Qalandar had come bearing offerings of rose petals and had prayed at the tomb of the revered saint, hard-liners saw their faith as an affront to Islam, which holds that there is a single, indivisible God.

Since at least 2016, IS militants have targeted Sufis, who practice a mystical form of Islam that includes the veneration of saints, often at their tombs. The extremist group has systematically razed the tombs of Sufi saints and dynamited their shrines. Just over a year ago, the IS began carrying out mass executions of Sufi worshippers during prayer.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the killings of more than 300 people in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, that attack also took place inside a Sufi mosque, Egyptian officials have said the attackers were carrying the black flag of the IS, though the group has so far remained mum on whether its fighters were behind the savage violence.

After every attack of this nature, observers are perplexed at how a group claiming to be Islamic could kill members of its own faith. But the voluminous writings published by IS and al-Qaeda media branches, as well as the writings of hardliners from the Salafi sect and the Wahhabi school, make clear that these fundamentalists don't consider Sufis to be Muslims at all.

Their particular animus toward the Sufi practice involves the tradition of visiting the graves of holy figures. The act of praying to saints and worshipping at their tombs is an example of what extremists refer to as "shirk," or polytheism, according to Brill's Encyclopedia of Islam.

"Shirk literally means association. It is the act of associating God with other entities," said Jacob Olidort, a scholar of Islam and the author of several reports for the Brookings Institution on these and other concepts. "What they take the Sufis to task principally for is the intercession, the use other media, to access God, rather than going directly."

Alexander Knysh, the author of two studies of Sufism and a professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, agreed. "They believe Sufi shrines are the most egregious expression of that shirk," he said. "You are turning to a mediator, who is inserting himself between the believer and God, and in this way it becomes a kind of idol."

Sufis venerate mystics, who in their lifetime were seen as close to the divine. They bring votive gifts to their graves, like rose water or rose petals. Merchants heading on long voyages will come and make an offering, promising to make another if their venture is successful, Knysh said. Sufis, he said, are monotheistic and, to them, the practice does not supplant or create an equal to God. But hardliners don't see it this way, and instead see Sufis as "grave worshippers."

The debate over what constitutes idolatry in the Muslim faith is centuries old. In the early 1800s, fundamentalists in Saudi Arabia went so far as to try to blow up the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad, Knysh said.

Raging debate

The notion of who is and isn't Muslim has also occupied numerous al-Qaeda theologians, long before the rise of IS. While the older terrorist group also holds Sufis to be heretics, al-Qaeda's official branches have been

more restrained in its violence. When al-Qaeda fighters in nor thern Mali destroyed the tombs of Sufi saints in Timbuktu, the group's emir in the region sent them a multipage reprimand, warning that even though they were correct in principle, their actions could inflame Muslim sentiment against them.

One of the ways IS has departed from al-Qaeda and its official affiliates has been its willingness to use unbridled violence against Muslims they accuse of straying, including Shias and Sufis. In addition to the attack on the shrine in Pakistan in February, the IS bombed a Sufi place of worship in Baluchistan in 2016, and has carried out targeted assassinations of Sufi clerics, including in Egypt. IS's own publication made clear as far back as 11 mon ths ago that it considered Sufism to be one of the main "diseases" it aimed to treat in Egypt.

In a question-and-answer with the IS magazine Rumiyah, the emir of the group's religious police in the area said: "Our main focus, however, is to wage war against the manifestations of shirk and bid'ah, including Sufism," using the word bid'ah to describe heresy.

The article includes images of a Sufi prayer hall in Sinai, and a photo of an old man kneeling as an IS militant lowers a blade over his neck. He is identified in the photograph as Abu Hiraz, a Sufi cleric, who according to news reports was abducted in front of his home in late 2016.

In the article, the IS acknowledged abducting the elderly man, who they say was senten ced to death because of his emb race of polytheism. They also issued a warning to other Sufis living in Egypt, saying they were "mushrikin" and that their "blood is filthy and permissible to shed."
A 25-year-old woman, who filed an abduction and assault case against a cab driver, is getting threat messages and pornographic content on Facebook.



The victim, a fashion designer by profession, had lodged a complaint against the Uber cab driver on November 19 in Sudduguntepalaya police station.

The incident was reported on a local news channel, which not only revealed her identity by downloading pictures from her Facebook account, but also termed her as "a drunk woman who had attempted to assault and rob the cab driver".

Following the news broadcast on the channel, the victim, a resident of Bilekahalli off Bannerghatta Road, complained that she is being threatened on Facebook.

Trapped in cab

On November 19, around 8.30 pm, the victim boarded an UberPOOL cab, booked by her friend, from near Srinivas theatre in SG Palaya to go home.

"During the trip, it seemed the driver was talking over the phone with someone, asking him to come to Adugodi. Moreover, he did not take the usual route to my drop location," her complaint stated.

Anxious over the change in the route, she told the driver her house was in the opposite direction. To this, he said a customer was waiting to be picked at Adugodi, she said.

He again started talking over his phone and addressed the listener as 'macha' (a Tamil slang word for friend), and asked him to get to Adugodi quickly.

"I had a bad feeling that something was not right and that the driver's intentions were not good. So, I told him to stop the car. To my shock, he did not stop and grinned at me, saying he cannot cancel the trip. At the same time, I heard the car's central locking system click and all the doors were locked," she told DH.

She tried to pull the handbrake, but the driver shoved her away. When she tried to pull the keys out, the driver assaulted her, the police said.

She kept screaming and fighting him until he stopped the vehicle. However, he managed to escape. She rushed to the nearby station, only to be informed that women cannot be in the police station after 6 pm, and was told to come back the following morning to file a complaint.

BoX

Cabbie files counter complaint

The next morning when the victim went to the police station, the cab driver was already there and had registered a complaint against her. He was accompanied by several others, who claimed to be from the drivers' union in the area and were forcing the police to take up a complaint against the woman.

The police, for their part, registered an FIR against the driver, and accepted his counter complaint.

BoX

Uber's statement

"The driver partner's access to the app has been suspended. We will extend full support to the law enforcement authorities in any way possible," an Uber spokesperson said.
A former Ridley High School student has died after he was found unresponsive in the Samuel L. Paley Library at Temple University Monday.

Michael Paytas, 24, of Holmes, was pronounced dead soon afterward at Hahnemann University Hospital, officials confirmed Wednesday.

A senior marketing major, Paytas graduated from Ridley in 2011 and attended Delaware County Community College before transferring to Temple in 2014.

We are deeply saddened to inform the Temple community of the passing of Michael Paytas, a fourth-year marketing major from Holmes, Pennsylvania, reads a statement from Temple President Richard M. Englert. We extend our thoughts and prayers to Michaels family, friends, classmates and faculty.

No foul play is suspected in Paytas death, said Brandon Lausch, a university spokesman. The Philadelphia Medical Examiners office has not yet determined the cause of death.

Paytas is the fourth Temple University student to die this semester.

Jenna Nicole Burleigh, 22, of Harleysville, Montgomery County, disappeared in the early hours of Aug. 31 near a Temple-area bar. Her body was found 135 miles north of Philadelphia in Wayne County on the property of her alleged killers grandmothers house. The accused, Joshua Hupperterz, 29, of Philadelphia, is facing charges of murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering of evidence. Hupperterz was in court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.

Freshman mechanical engineering student Richard Dalcourt, 19, died after jumping from the top floor of 1940 Residence Hall onto Liacouras Walk around 10:30 a.m. on October 4.

Cariann Hithon, 22, a transfer student from Bowie, Md., was killed by Miami police on October 10 after running over an officer in an attempt to flee a crowded accident scene. One of the officers opened fire, striking and killing Hithon.

Englert encourage students needing support to visit Tuttleman Counseling Services at 1700 N. Broad St., Philadelphia.
San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD) is now considering six maps for its transition to by-trustee areas. The process to draw up map options to change from an at-large election method to trustee districts is being undertaken in response to threats of costly litigation for violations of the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA).

Attorney Jonathan Salt, of Fagen Freidman & Fullfrost, said making the transition is the only safe harbor from potential CVRA litigation and many governmental bodies in California have had to go through the process.

Since the district begun public hearings in October, the map options have grown from three to six, based on feedback received and in an effort to provide alternative concepts, according to SDUHSD Superintendent Eric Dill.

The board will select from one of the map options at its board meeting on Thursday, Dec. 14 at 6:30 p.m.

The selected map will then go to the San Diego County Committee on School District Organization for approval and if the committee approves the change, the new voting areas would take effect in the 2018 general election.

The maps have no effect on attendance boundaries, Salt stressed, they just create districts where candidates need to live to run for the board and for people to vote for them.

At a community meeting at Torrey Pines High School on Nov. 14, the small crowd of three residents watched a video from demographer Doug Johnson, president of National Demographic Corporation, on his thoughts when putting the maps together.

Johnson said the maps followed certain criteria: each district had to have an equal population and race cannot be a predominant factor. Maps focused on neighborhoods and communities of interest together, such as elementary school feeder districts and boundaries of middle school attendance boundaries and cities.

An effort was made to include at least two middle school attendance zones in each district so trustees are representing multiple schools. Only one, the orange map, has Pacific Trails Middle School represented by just one trustee.

Attendance at community meetings and hearings has been sparse. A meeting at San Dieguito Academy High School on Nov. 13 was attended by just one person, a student reporter for the school paper. The Torrey Pines meeting was attended by two Carmel Valley residents and one Cardiff resident. Only one of two parents at the boards hearing on Nov. 16 provided input. A last public meeting was held on Nov. 28.

Some concerns expressed by residents were that Pacific Highlands Ranch might be under-represented and that one of the maps splits Cardiff  as the resident noted, San Dieguito High School Academy is separated from the Cardiff Elementary School, which has historically been preferred by Cardiff students. Another resident had concerns about equally splitting Rancho Santa Fe between the district lines as he said he believes many residents there send their children to private schools.

If I lived in Solana Beach and planned to go to Earl Warren I would be worried about my trustee being influenced by Rancho Santa Fe voters who dont want their tax dollars spent heavily influencing the election and candidates, the resident said.

One resident reflected that while it is not the districts intent, when lines are drawn on maps, it feels like the goal is to separate. She said that the conversation shes heard in Encinitas is that philosophically, residents are concerned about seated board members perceiving their job as representing specific districts only.

Were hoping that there isnt that danger of people thinking that they only represent a particular area, Dill said. The current board understands that they represent the entire district but that is the concern and the danger moving forward that future candidates or board members might only think that they represent a certain neighborhood.

All of the maps and demographers video presentation are available to view at cvra.sduhsd.net.

Those who cannot attend a hearing but would still like to weigh in on the maps can submit comments and feedback to cvra@sduhsd.net.
Torrey Pines High Schools Safe Schools motto of See something, hear something, say something was put to effective use by students on Nov. 16 when students alerted administration that a fellow student was in possession of a BB gun on campus.

Fortunately, the safety of our students and staff was not threatened and the incident was resolved quickly, said Principal Rob Coppo. We were able to intervene quickly and keep everybody safe.

The San Diego Police Department was also notified and due to the quick response, there was no need to put the school into a secure campus or lockdown mode.

Coppo said he could not comment on the disciplinary actions taken.

Im very pleased that our students felt confident and supported to come and talk to an administrator so we could immediately resolve it and help the student, Coppo said. There are 3,000 people on campus and we all have to work together because we cant possibly see everything.

The Torrey Pines Peer Assisted Listeners (PALs) had just hosted Safe Schools Say Something Week as part of the National School Safety Center program, on Oct. 15-20. Per the national program, school safety includes keeping campuses free of crime and violence, improving discipline and increasing student attendanceSchools that are safe and free of violence, weapons and drugs are necessary to ensure the well-being of all children and the quality of their education.

Torrey Pines PALs decorated the campus and hosted activities throughout the week on the theme of see something, hear something, say something.

Hear something is a big issue for us, so we added that because kids hear things all the time, Coppo said.

Coppo said students are encouraged not only to notify a teacher, a counselor, or other staff member when they hear or see a potentially dangerous situation with a weapon but also to alert someone when they see or hear a student with a mental health issue; to tell someone if a student is suicidal, stressed out or depressed so that a support system can be put in place for them.

We want to work together to help each other, Coppo said. It is important for everyone to play a role in keeping our campus safe and secure.

In May, a 15-year-old Torrey Pines student armed with a BB gun was fatally shot by San Diego police officers in the campus parking lot on an early weekend morning after he called 911. A suicide note was found in his pocket.

Coppo said that Torrey Pines has been focusing on wellness this year like never before, not just because of the tragedy the campus suffered this year, but because it has become part of the schools culture over the last several years.

Torrey Pines website includes a Safety and Crisis Information link with details and resources on emergency preparedness, communication and how students can report something if they prefer to remain anonymous. Those include:

 We Tip (1-800-47-DRUGS) to report information regarding the sale of drugs on campus.

 Crime Stoppers (sdcrimestoppers.org) to anonymously report information regarding past and potential crime.

 Students Speaking Out (studentsspeakingout.org) to make an anonymous phone, text or web tip about dangerous activity or crime at school or in the community and be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

The San Dieguito Union High School District has also developed a Suicide Prevention Policy and Protocol and has numerous resources on the district website under student support and wellness: bit.ly/2icc9Fp.
By Carmen Sesin

30 November 2017

MIAMI (NBC News)  The exodus of Puerto Ricans to Florida following Hurricane Maria has reached a whopping 200,000 in just over two months, obliterating initial conservative estimates that had put the number at 100,000.

Maria Teresa Rosado, 37, and her husband Luis Flores, 33, arrived in Miami over the weekend to start rebuilding their lives. Power has not yet arrived to their house in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico.

Wednesday, the couple was at the hurricane relief center at Miami International Airport, which was set up by the state to make it easier for those arriving to get settled.The couple said that as of now, they are not planning to return to the island even if power is restored and the economic recession subsides.Flores, a hospital worker, said he sometimes had to choose between paying the electrical bill or buying food.There is more opportunity here for us to grow as professionals, Rosado, who was a retail manager said.Hurricane Maria trounced Puerto Rico on 20 September 2017, and since then, families have been boarding planes to the mainland with no end in sight. Flights from the island are booked solid through the end of the year.According to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, over 204,000 people from Puerto Rico have landed at airports in Miami, Orlando, and Tampa since October 3rd.A total of 7,756 Puerto Rican students have enrolled in Florida public schools during the same period. The largest enrollments are in Orange and Osceola Counties in Central Florida, which has the heaviest concentration of Puerto Ricans. Many universities in the state have also waived out-of-state tuition fees for Puerto Rican students. []The scale of migration is larger than any other in Puerto Ricans history. Puerto Rico will be seen by historians as before and after Maria, said Luis Martinez Fernandez, a History professor at the University of Central Florida, calling it a watershed moment.Since the initial aftermath of the hurricane, Fernandez has predicted a total of 500,000 to 750,000 Puerto Ricans would leave the island in a four-year period.As it turns out, 500,000 is now the low-end estimate for a five year period. It appears that it will be closer to 750,000, according to Fernandez. [more]
Eating too fast could promote metabolic syndrome and obesity, according to new research from Japan.

Scientists found that fast eaters were more likely to gain weight and experience health complications compared to normal eaters, while slow eaters were least likely to develop metabolic syndrome.

Lead author Dr Takayuki Yamaji, Miyoshi Central Hospital, Hiroshima, Japa, told Medscape Cardiology: If you chew your food many times, you spend more time at meals, youre more likely to feel full. It takes about 20 minutes for signals from your stomach indicating that you are full to reach your brain.

If you feel your own eating speed is faster than other people in daily life, you may have a risk factor for metabolic syndrome.

Yamaji and colleagues followed up on 1,083 men and women five years after they rated their eating speed during an annual health exam. New-onset metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 11.6 per cent of fast eaters, 6.5 per cent of normal eaters and 2.3 per cent of slow eaters.

Fast eaters also gained greater waist circumference and overall body weight, factors which can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The researchers said that eating fast causes severe glucose fluctuations, which can increase levels of oxidative stress, leading to insulin resistance, the hallmark of type 2 diabetes.

Fast eaters were also more likely to drink alcohol every day, eat dinner nearer to bedtime and snack after dinner, compared to normal or slow eaters.

Benedict Jephcote, Editor of Diabetes.co.uk, said: Eating too quickly is an easy habit to fall into in our busy lives. This study shows that taking more time to really enjoy your food can have firm benefits on weight management as well as diabetes management and prevention.

The findings were reported at the American Heart Association 2017 Scientific Sessions.
Subscriber content preview

People in their late 20s and 30s are browsing showrooms and dealer lots alongside more traditional customers  older couples looking ahead to retirement.



By BRUCE SCHREINER

Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky.  For RV manufacturers, the bumpy ride from the Great Recession has vanished from the rearview mirror as the industry projects shipments to dealers will top 500,000 units this year.

Manufacturers and dealers meeting this week at an industry trade show in Louisville, Kentucky, are pointing to solid fundamentals including favorable fuel prices, strong consumer demand and available credit as key factors behind the unprecedented growth.





. . .
Subscriber content preview

The Board of Supervisors said residents of Presidio Terrace had not received enough notice before their sidewalks, street and common areas were sold at auction in 2015.



By JANIE HAR

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO  Residents of an exclusive San Francisco neighborhood who failed to pay taxes on their private, gated street for two decades got the street back Tuesday after supervisors voted to rescind the sale of the tax-defaulted property.

The Board of Supervisors split 7-4 on the move, with those in favor saying residents of Presidio Terrace had not received enough notice before their sidewalks, street and common areas were sold at auction in 2015.





. . .
After two years of planning and preparation, Fort Rucker broke ground on a project to provide a place where wounded warriors can find an escape.

The installation held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday on East Beach at Lake Tholocco for the Wounded Warrior Retreat by The Lake, which will be a handicap-accessible cabin built specifically to cater to the needs of wounded warriors and their families, according to Conrad Stempel, Wiregrass Wounded Veterans Committee co-chairperson.

In an effort with the WWVC, the cabin has been funded entirely by donations by more than 50 clubs, churches, businesses and organizations, Stempel said.

Its the strength and hard work of our member organizations and our volunteers who allow us the honor to build and donate to Fort Rucker the cabin that you have named the Wounded Warrior Retreat by the Lake, said Stempel during the groundbreaking ceremony. The Wounded Warrior Retreat by the Lake honors the service and sacrifices made by our wounded and disabled veterans and their families. We thank all of you who are with us here today and we thank you for everything that youve done.

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom cabin will feature all of the amenities of the other cabins on the lake, including full furnishings, a full kitchen, televisions with satellite and DVD players and complimentary wireless high-speed internet access, but will also feature wider halls and doorways to make the cabin fully handicap accessible.

The majority of the people who have worked on this project are retired or former military, so we are all tied to Fort Rucker, said the WWVC co-chair. It means a lot to us because weve been there and our families have been there. Its very important that we recognize that we have wounded and disabled service people, but every one of those people has a family  the intent is to try and help them.

William G. Kidd, U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker deputy to the commanding general, was on hand during the ceremony to thank wounded warriors and their families for the sacrifices theyve made throughout the years, as well as those involved in bringing the project to fruition.

John F. Kennedy said, As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them, said the deputy to the commanding general. Tremendous words, because it talks about us and the service that our wounded warriors have given us and the appreciation we have.

Were going to start the journey of completing this cabin that will benefit our wounded warrior, and we need to get at that because this is a time for doing things and not talking, he said. I want to thank our wounded warriors who were able to come here today. Thank you for your service and your sacrifice to our nation, and we hope that this facility, though it will never repay you for the sacrifices youve made, will at least give you an opportunity to at least enjoy some of the freedom and some of the things that you have given to us through your commitment and your sacrifice.

For Robert Green, Purple Heart recipient and commander of the Purple Heart Enterprise Chapter, the ceremony was a great way for the community to show its commitment to wounded veterans and their family members, which is something he said is needed.

This means a lot for (the community) to recognize (wounded veterans), said Green. We went out and we gave, so it means a lot for them to keep going to support the wounded warriors.

Green, who was drafted into the Army and served in Vietnam, was wounded on his first day in the field, which also happened to be his 21st birthday. He said that when a Soldier is wounded in battle, it often extends beyond the physical wounds.

If youve ever been wounded, it breaks your spirit  thats the thing with a lot of these guys and ladies, he said. They get wounded and their spirit gets broken. This right here will help their spirits a lot and let them know that somebody still supports them.

The cabin is slated for completion in six to eight months, said Stempel, and as with all of the equipment and amenities available to wounded warriors through Fort Rucker Outdoor Recreation, there will be no cost to wounded warriors and their families for use of the cabin.
The Marianna Police Department reported the following incidents for Nov. 29, the latest available report: 24 traffic stops, three abandoned vehicles, two suspicious vehicles, one special detail assignment, one escort, two physical disturbances, one prowler, one larceny complaint, one civil dispute, one found or abandoned property report, three follow-up investigations, one illegally parked vehicle, one juvenile complaint, 14 non-residential property checks, two assists of other agencies, one 911 hang-up, 13 patrol requests, one threat/harassment complaint, and five home security checks.

The Jackson County Sheriffs Office and county fire/rescue reported the following incidents for Nov. 29, the latest available report: One armed and dangerous individual, two abandoned vehicles, three suspicious vehicles, five suspicious persons, one escort, one report of mental illness, one structure burglary, three vehicle burglaries, one verbal disturbance, two fires with police response, two residential fire calls, one complaint regarding burning, two drug offenses, 20 medical calls, four grass fires, six medical transports, two burglar alarms, one medical lift assist, 15 traffic stops, one pursuit, two larceny complaints, six civil disputes, one trespass complaint, two follow-up investigations, one animal complaint, seven property checks, one retail theft, five assists of other agencies, two 911 hang-ups, four sex offender registrations, two transports and two threat/harassment complaints.
A Dale County judge has issued a preliminary injunction barring local tax money collected in Dale County from being transferred to school systems in Dothan and Enterprise to fund students from Dale County attending there.

Judge Kimberly Clark on Monday issued the injunction pending a hearing on Jan. 10, or a settlement by the opposing parties in the case. The injunction places the money in an escrow account.

The Dale County Schools, Ozark City Schools, and Daleville City Schools filed the lawsuit after the Alabama Department of Education notified Dale County Revenue Commissioner Eleanor Outlaw that she should distribute some Dale County tax revenues to Enterprise and Dothan.

The Enterprise school system enrolls 596 Dale County residents, most of whom live in Level Plains or Clayhatchee. The Dothan system enrolls 27 Dale County residents, most of whom live in a sliver of Dale County thats within the Dothan city limits.

School systems receive money from state sources of revenue and local sources of revenue. State funds are disbursed based on enrollment. Local revenues have historically been allocated in the counties where they are collected.

The Alabama Department of Educations reasoning in the matter is that because Dale County residents are attending schools in other systems, a portion of Dale County tax revenues should follow them to offset the drain on local resources those students cause.

Ben Baker, Dale County Schools superintendent, said local tax revenues should stay local. The loss of these revenues would cost the Dale County system $270,000, the Ozark system $170,000 and the Daleville system $88,000.
It is 50 years ago to the day that the great Inniskeen poet Patrick Kavanagh died.

Below is an extract from the Democrat at the time of his death in 1967.

"Patrick Kavanagh, aged 62, who was born in Inniskeen, and who only last week attended the Abbey Players production of his play 'Tarry Flynn' in Dundalk's Town Hall, died in a Dublin nursing home early on Thursday morning.

"Generally regarded as Ireland's leading poet in English, he had a number of novels published and his passing received international acknowledgment.

"Mr Kavanagh, who started life as a small farmer had his first verse entitled 'Ploughman and Other Poems' published in the 1930s and in 1942 he published one of his best known poetic works 'The Great Hunger'.

"Later he became a columnist in a Dublin newspaper and later still was film critic with 'The Catholic Standard'."

In 1952 Kavanagh published his own journal, Kavanaghs Weekly: A Journal of Literature and Politics.

It was late in life that Kavanagh married his long term partner Katherine Barry Moloney in April 1967, just months before his passing.

His grave is in Inniskeen adjoining the Patrick Kavanagh Centre. His wife is also buried there following her passing in 1989.
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Two teenage boys have been arrested for allegedly plotting an attack on a South Australian school using guns and explosives.In a statement, SA Police Detective Superintendent, Des Bray, said police raided the home of a 16-year-old boy on November 7 where they found a number of prohibited weapons, homemade body armour and materials that could be used to make bombs or incendiary devices.We will allege that the attack would involve the use of firearms, homemade explosives and incendiary devices, and would have resulted in a significant number of casualties, Superintendent Bray said.There is no doubt in my mind that we've prevented a catastrophe.The boy was charged with solicit to murder while another, aged 18, was arrested under the Mental Health Act and charged with four counts of aggravated threats.The offence of solicit to murder carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.While it is believed that one of the boys charged was a student at the targeted school, South Australia police said the boy and the school cannot be named for legal reasons.The schools principal said staff had cooperated with police throughout the complex and intensive investigation and assured parents that the school was no longer in danger.I wish to reinforce that [the] high school community is safe and remains safe, the principal said in a statement on Wednesday.Also I can state that all action was taken as soon as possible once concerns were raised. I thank every one of you for your ongoing support of our school community and the very positive way in which we have dealt with this difficult situation.The 16-year-old will appear in court next week while the 18-year-old will appear in January.The South Australian Education Department has been contacted for comment.




El Salvador's first president to be elected under the banner of the leftist FMLN, Mauricio Funes, was elected in 2009 to great fanfare. But in November 2017, he is living in exile in Nicaragua and has just been ordered by a Salvadoran court to pay back $419,145 for which he and one of his sons could not explain the origins. Under Salvadoran law, public officials need to make an accounting for any increase in personal wealth during their time in office, and if they cannot explain it, it is presumed they came by the increase in wealth illicitly. A separate claim against Funes' ex-wife and current government minister, Vanda Pignato, was dismissed.Funes immediately launched into another defense of himself from his Twitter account . Funes announced that he would appeal the decision and challenged the government to prove that any of this money had come from Salvadoran government coffers. Funes blamed the outcome on pressure from the right in the country.For his part, El Salvador's attorney general, Douglas Melendez, called the judgement an historic event without precedent in the fight against corruption.Funes may still be prosecuted criminally by the attorney general.Funes' two predecessors in office also faced corruption charges. Funes' predecessor, Tony Saca, from the right wing ARENA party, is accused of looting the largest amounts. Saca is charged with diverting more than $246 million of public funds, and currently sits in prison awaiting trial. Before Saca was Francisco Flores, who died last year awaiting trial on charges that he diverted $15 million in earthquake relief funds received from the government of Taiwan.In comparison to Flores and Saca, Funes' ill-gotten gains seem pretty small.
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Zarrab pleads guilty to bribing an US jail guard

Hakan Atilla's lawyer told the jury that Reza Zarrab had bribed US jail guards to get access to liquor, drugs and women.

Victor Rocco, lawyer of Hakan Atilla, the deputy chief executive officer at state-run Turkiye Halk Bankasi stated that Reza Zarrab, who is a key witness against banker Atilla, bribed US jail guards to get acsess to alcohol, drugs and women.

HE IS READY TO LIE

Rocco said that Zarrab is an unreliable person and hes ready to lie to get out of jail. Rocco also added that his client and Zarrab had communicated very loose and they dont even like each other at all.

HE HAD BRIBED A JAIL GUARD

Victor Rocco, told the jury that Reza Zarrab had also paid bribes in the jail to gain access to women, alcohol and drugs. Zarrab pleaded guilty and said Its true that i bribed a jail guard to get access alcohol and cell phone.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning people from four states who may have consumed raw milk and raw milk products contaminated with a rare but possibly serious bacteria known as Brucella abortus RB51.

The raw milk and raw milk products in question are from Udder Milk. It is not clear where the company sources its milk but available information suggests it delivers to Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. However, it is illegal to sell and distribute raw milk and raw milk products in New Jersey and outside of the farm producing them in New York. Additionally, farms selling raw milk within New York have to carry the necessary permits.

Cases Of Contaminated Milk Consumption

In September, a woman from New Jersey felt ill after consuming raw milk from Udder Milk. The CDC confirmed in October that she indeed got sick from Brucella RB51. Her case is the second reported RB51 illness domestically acquired in the United States. The first one was back in July in Texas.

The CDC has not successfully traced the source of the infection that got the New Jersey woman sick. Nevertheless, it is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state health officials to determine where the contaminated raw milk and raw milk products originated from.

Online, information on Udder Milk directs to members-only websites where people can buy raw milk and delivery sites that frequently change to avoid being detected.

"Because health officials have no direct way to let people know they may have drunk contaminated milk, everyone who consumed milk from Udder Milk in the past 6 months should receive antibiotics now," said William Bower, M.D., who leads the CDC team tasked with investigating RB51 cases.

According to Bower, antibiotic use is necessary to prevent long-term health effects from RB51. However, the bacteria may be resistant to certain antibiotics, so it is critical that doctors are informed that a patient has been exposed to this specific strain.

Brucella RB51 Effects

Anyone can get sick after being exposed to RB51 but pregnant women are at high risk of miscarriage and other pregnancy complications. Untreated, the strain can lead to infections causing long-term health issues like heart problems, arthritis, liver or spleen enlargement, and in rare cases, meningitis, as well as other nervous system problems.

People who may have consumed contaminated milk from Udder Milk are advised to check themselves every day for fever up to a month since last drinking the milk products in question and check for symptoms such as testicular swelling, depression, arthritis, lasting fatigue, and muscle pain up to six months.
A new Jersey Shore special, Jersey Shore Family Vacation, was announced on Monday night, but unfortunately for fans of Sammi Sweetheart Giancola, she wont be heading back to Seaside Heights, New Jersey.

According to a new report, Giancola passed on filming for the upcoming MTV special, which is set to air sometime next year, because she is reportedly in the works on another television project without her famous co-stars.

Sammi is working on another project, a source close to Giancola told Radar Online on Nov. 28.

The report went on to reveal that the reality star was likely joining the cast of Celebrity Big Brother for an upcoming season.

The Radar Online insider went on to reveal that in addition to Giancola's allegedly upcoming role on Celebrity Big Brother, she also doesn't want to be anywhere near her ex-boyfriend, Ronnie Magro. As fans of the MTV reality series will recall, Giancola and Magro dated for a number of years while filming seasons of Jersey Shore and maintained an on-and-off romance with each other in the years that followed.

Radar Online noted that while each and every one of the Jersey Shore cast members were invited to return for the reunion special, Giancola didn't want to do so because she can't stand to be near her former boyfriend.

Earlier this year, after calling it quits with Magro for good in 2016, Giancola began dating Christian Biscardi. Around the same time, Magro briefly dated Malika Haqq, his co-star on the second season of Famously Single.

While Sammi Giancola won't be appearing on Jersey Shore Family Vacation, the rest of the Jersey Shore cast, including Nicole Snooki Polizzi, Pauly Pauly D DelVecchio, Jenni JWoww Farley, Mike The Situation Sorrentino, Ronnie Magro, and Vinny Guadagnino, will be reuniting at their former vacation home.

Radar Online first reported news of an upcoming reunion in July. At the time, Cortese told the outlet that she was ready to get the reunion special started and claimed she and her co-stars wanted to be back together at their shore house. She also said that while they've matured, they still like to have fun.

Just cause some of us are married and have kids doesnt mean we dont go to clubs, she added.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are reportedly deadlocked when it comes to their ongoing divorce. A new report claims their stalemate situation is due to Jolie's alleged desire to get back together.

Angelina Jolie Allegedly Wants To Reconcile

Jolie, who shares six kids with her estranged husband, is hoping to put the past in the past and move forward with a reconciled romance with Pitt. As for Pitt, he reportedly has no interest in doing any such thing.

Pitt is said to be telling his friends that he has a million reasons why he would never consider getting back together with Jolie, an insider revealed to Life & Style magazine on Nov. 29.

Jolie filed for divorce in September of last year and at the same time, the actress requested a judge grant her with full physical custody of their kids,16-year-old Maddox, 13-year-old Pax, 12-year-old Zahara, 11-year-old Shiloh, and 9-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. Since then, the estranged couple has reportedly been feuding over their custody arrangement for their family.

Brad Pitt Reportedly Wants To Speed Up The Divorce

"He wants to speed up the divorce, another insider told the magazine in September. Brads done waiting. The settlement negotiations have stalled, and Brads ready to move on with his life.

In an alleged effort to speed up his split from Jolie, Pitt is reportedly planning to file a bifurcation motion.

Divorce attorney Debra Opri, who doesn't represent Pitt or Jolie, explained the concept to Life & Style magazine, stating that they "just want to be free."

"Under California law, either party is entitled to go before the judge six months after the divorce filing and say, Im not interested in [an immediate] global resolution about custody, division of assets, financial settlement, she explained.

According to the report, Pitt is pressuring all of his attorneys to wrap things up with his ongoing divorce with Jolie and reportedly wants their split to be over and done with as quickly as possible. That said, it is hard to say whether they have made any progress in recent months and reports claim there has been none.

Pitt and Jolie got married at their home in France in August 2014 after about 10 years of dating. Prior to his marriage to Jolie, which lasted just over two years, the actor was married for four years to actress Jennifer Aniston.
Selena Gomez went home to Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday last week as her boyfriend, Justin Bieber, traveled to Canada to spend time with his own family.

Although the couple opted against a joint holiday celebration, a new report claims the distance between Gomez and Bieber was a good thing for the newly reconciled couple.

Justins recent time away from Selena gave him a chance to realize how much she means to him, an inside revealed to Hollywood Life on Nov. 29. He genuinely missed being with Selena over the holiday weekend and the time apart was a learning experience for him. Despite having a great time with his friends, Justin found himself thinking about Selena and wishing she was with him.

Gomez and Bieber reunited in late October for the first time in over a year. Weeks later, they confirmed their romance with a public kiss at an ice rink in Los Angeles. Since then, the couple has continued to be seen together but didn't attend the American Music Awards as a couple. In fact, Bieber skipped the event all together as Gomez performs her latest song, "Wolves."

The time away gave Justin an opportunity to understand how strong his love is for Selena, the source continued. Justin is really in touch with his emotions and his connection with Selena. Thanks to his time away from her, he was able to realize how much he really does love her.

Despite their many outings in recent weeks, Gomez and Bieber haven't confirmed anything publicly about their new relationship.

In the past, the couple has been notoriously known for their on-and-off relationship. After a very public Instagram feud in August 2016, they kept their distance from each another for several months. As fans of the couple will recall, Gomez and Bieber came to blows after he posted an image of his now ex-girlfriend Sofia Richie on his Instagram account. During his relationship with Richie, fans were outraged and Bieber told them to be nice to her or else he would make his account private.

In response to Bieber's threat, Gomez told her former boyfriend to be nicer to his fans and reminded him that his fans and followers have been supportive of him since the start of his career. In turn, Bieber blasted Gomez for allegedly using him to get attention on herself.
For the first time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe history, fans will see their favorite heroes join forces to save Earth. Avengers: Infinity War marks the accumulation of ten years of significant adventure storytelling that started in 2008's Iron Man. Avengers: Infinity War is expected to unite the Avengers as Thanos (Josh Brolin) finally makes his way to Earth with one mission: unite the Infinity Stones.

Earth's Exhausted Heroes

"It all started with an idea, to bring together a remarkable group of people to see if we could become something more. So when they needed us, we could fight the battles that they never could." This opening dialogue opens up the highly anticipated trailer. Fans' faces will light up with delight as their favorites return to the silver screen. Our heroes are in dire straits after the events of previous MCU movies including Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange, and Thor: Ragnarok have left them physically and mentally exhausted.

Thanos Takes Over

Off-screen, Thanos vows that "in time, you will know what it is like to lose." When The Mad Titan inches closer to the Earth, the heroes begin to feel his massive presence all over the world. Spider-Man (Tom Holland) is the first to discover a large circular alien object that threatens the New York City skyline. Thanos has arrived on Earth, and his first stop is Wakanda. Thanos's forces begin their invasion and the heroes are at their breaking point until two figures appear from the shadows: Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.). The trailer ends with Tony Stark facing possible annihilation at Thanos's hands and the former Captain America leading a rag-tagged group of Avengers and the Wakandan army against Thanos's alien forces.

All-Star Ensemble

Avengers: Infinity War will feature the largest acting ensemble in a Marvel Studios film. Between the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy to Doctor Strange and Spider-Man, every Marvel Studios hero from the production company's first 10 years is allegedly going to be part of this film. Vanity Fair satisfied MCU fans all over the world when they produced four covers that featured unique pairings of our favorite heroes and allies. Fans can also check out the epic Marvel Cinematic Universe portrait that features 36 creators and characters in Vanity Fair's 2017/18 holiday issue.

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told the magazine that the upcoming 2019 Avengers film will mark an end of an era.

"There will be two distinct periods. Everything before Avengers 4 and everything after," said Feige. "I know it will not be in ways people are expecting."

Avengers: Infinity War is expected to be released into theatres on May 4, 2018.
A new trailer for All The Money In The World has just been released and Christopher Plummer has taken over the role of billionaire John Paul Getty.

The recast happened earlier this month after the lead character's original actor, Kevin Spacey, was accused of sexual misconduct in October. Director Ridley Scott made the decision to let Spacey go and all of the scenes he already filmed had to be reshot.

New John Paul Getty Actor Is Introduced

In the 30-second trailer, John is introduced and dubbed as the "richest man in the world." In one of the scenes, the mogul is told that his grandson has been kidnapped. He gets out of his mansion and faces the media. When asked how much he's willing to pay a ransom for his grandson, John simply says, "nothing."

Prior to the trailer's release, Scott explained his decision to remove Spacey from his film.

"I sat and thought about it and realized, we cannot. You can't tolerate any kind of behavior like that. And it will affect the film. We cannot let one person's action affect the good work of all these other people. It's that simple," said Scott.

Christopher Plummer Accepts Ridley Scott's Offer

During a recent interview, Plummer revealed that Scott called him earlier this month to offer him the role and he accepted it. When asked to comment on replacing Spacey, Plummer said that's not exactly what he was brought in to do.

"It's starting all over again," said Plummer.

Plummer also expressed his sadness over what happened to Spacey, but he said that he immediately accepted the part because he is a fan of Scott. The actor also revealed that he was in contention for the role several years ago, so he's familiar with it.

The A Beautiful Mind actor also shared that some of his co-stars had to do reshoots for the film and they had no qualms about it. "It's remarkable. All of this is remarkable," Plummer added.

Reshoot Costs Additional $10 Million

All The Money In The World is slated to hit theaters on Dec. 22. The principal photography for the film was already completed as early as August. However, Spacey's sexual misconduct accusations left the production team with no choice but to shell out $10 million for the reshoot. The original budget for the film was only $40 million.

The star-studded film will also feature portrayals by Mark Wahlberg as Fletcher Chase, Michelle Williams as Gail Harris, Charlie Plummer as John Paul Getty III, and more.
Veteran actor Geoffrey Rush has now become entangled in the ongoing scandal currently making headlines. Rush has been accused of conducting 'inappropriate behavior' during the production of the play, King Lear.

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor has been accused by an unnamed staff member who made a complaint about two years ago to the production company, Sydney Theater Company. The production of the show ran from November 2015 to January 2016. Rush has denied the claim stating that he has been made aware of the allegation, but no further information has been provided to him.

"The moment I became aware of rumours of a complaint I immediately phoned and spoke to senior management at the Sydney Theatre Company asking for clarification about the details of the statement. They refused to illuminate me with the details. I also asked why this information was being withheld, and why, according to standard theatre practice the issue had not been raised with me during the production via stage management, the director, my fellow actors or anyone at management level. However, no response was forthcoming," Rush said in a statement.

Rush further elaborated that releasing this information to the public without presenting him the full details is a 'denial' of natural justice and 'not how our society operates'.

Hollywood's Epidemic

Rush joins the list of other men in the industry that have been accused of sexual misconduct or assault since September of this year. The allegations began after an expose article was released about Hollywood mogul, Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein has been accused by over 80 women, including well-known actresses: Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, and Ashley Judd.

Following Weinstein, actors Ed Westwick, Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K. and director James Toback have all been accused of sexual harassment, abuse, or rape by men and women in the industry. Westwick and Toback have denied all allegations against them, while Spacey is currently seeking professional treatment and C.K. has issued an apology to his alleged victims.

Rush is a 'Triple Crown' actor that has won an Academy Award, a Tony, and an Emmy. The 66-year-old actor won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film, Shine. Rush also starred in the film, Shakespeare in Love, which ironically was produced by Weinstein's company, Miramax.

Since 2003, Rush has played the character, Captain Hector Barbossa, in the Disney franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean.
European and African leaders met late on Wednesday (29 November) to discuss the allegations of slavery in Libya and the issues around the migrant crisis. Reports from earlier this month of white Libyan slave traders selling back migrants at markets in the country that are a grim reminder of the trans-Saharan slave trade in past centuries have triggered horror around the world.

The reaction to the allegations put migration into the spotlight at the two-day Africa-EU Summit, which normally deals with development and investment, and pointed out again the urgency and delicacy of the migration issue. It is clear that migration is a joint responsibility. It is in all our interests to have orderly migration that is more controlled, more humane and sustainable, European Council President Donald Tusk said in his opening remarks. The recent reports about the treatment of Africans  especially young people  by smugglers and traffickers are horrifying, he said.

Protests erupted in France, Senegal and Benin, with Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara calling for Libyan slave traders to be prosecuted at the International Criminal Court. Libya has pledged to investigate the allegations, but many Africans blame European policies for abuses along the migrant trail. Despite anti-migration pressures in many European countries, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the EU needed to create legal avenues for migration. However, Gunter Nooke, her special envoy on Africa later said that even legal avenues would not solve the problem since there we would talk about thousands or tens of thousands while with (illegal) migration we talk about millions).

The Africa-EU Summit ended up with a joint statement by the United Nations, African Union and European Union announcing the creation of a joint task force to save and protect lives of migrants and refugees along the routes and in particular inside Libya, and to speed up returning migrants to countries of origin.
In November, the Eastern Partnership summit convened for the fifth time. This was a key moment for a great transformation of the Eastern Neighborhood policy that most EU member states have seemed ready to attempt at achieving. While few analysts expect a dramatic reinvention of the policy at this moment, the EU should try to move away from a status quo plus approach, which draws on the existing activities and relationships.

The main objective of the Eastern Partnership is to bring about reform in its six participating states, but this has proved a Sisyphean task. In Ukraine, for example, critics say that the government is trying to do a sweet counter-revolution against reform efforts. At the same time, Russias conflict with Ukraine is still on, including the status quo in Crimea, where the conflict has already claimed 10,000 lives as of this year.

Tensions have also spread to Armenia and Belarus and fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno Karabakh could flare up again anytime. Moldova, in contrast, which was once seen as an Eastern Partnership success story is now quite the opposite. Since the beginning of the Eastern Partnership in 2008, the program has evolved in response to the circumstances but it still falls short of a transformative project that could properly serve both Brussels and reform-minded forces in partnership states.

The rise of populism inside the EU and a resurgent Russia have quieted talks of EU expansion. A further eastern expansion is seen particularly undesirable among EU nationals. In the spring 2017, according to Eurobarometer, only 40 percent of respondents were in favor of further enlargement of the EU to include other countries in future years, while 49 percent were against.

Ukraine is arguably the most important Eastern Partnership country and the EU can achieve more consistent progress on the reform path here by putting more emphasis on different forces at work inside the country. It is also important to physically connect Ukraine to the EU and therefore Brussels should push for cheaper travel and no roaming charges in Ukraine. It is also important to help the country achieve energy independence by softening its approach to unbundling Naftohaz Ukrainy and by integrating Ukraine into ENPSOG (gas) and ENTSO (electricity).

Importantly, the EU should stay focused on the Eastern Partnership by frontloading as many beneficial policies as possible and communicating the merit of these to the nations of the region in a more effective way than it was done in the past. It is important to get the language right and thus find warmer expressions of solidarity with the six states of the initiative as well as involve them in internal EU decision-making.

Partners for Life: Europes Unanswered Eastern Question  Research Paper by Andrew Wilson  European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

(The Research Paper can be downloaded here)
OPEC and Russia took another step closer to a deal to extend their oil production cuts until the end of next year as they presented a united front at talks in Vienna.

A committee of ministers from major producers including Saudi Arabia and Russia recommended extending their supply agreement for six to nine months beyond the current end-March expiration, Kuwaits Oil Minister Issam Almarzooq told reporters after the meeting on Wednesday. Final details will be announced on Thursday, said his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak.

Oil traders will examine the final communique from Thursdays meeting with special attention. If OPEC signals its going for a nine-month extension that, as a matter of custom, would be reviewed at its next scheduled meeting in June, it would satisfy market expectations for a strong deal. If the producers were to agree to only three more months of cuts, with an option to add another six months after a review, it would be a disappointment.

The ministerial committee recommended a full nine-month extension, said two people familiar with the deliberations.

Prior to Wednesdays talks, banks including Citigroup and Goldman Sachs had warned investors to prepare for disappointment due to Russias hesitance to prolong the cuts. There was no indication that Moscow had received the assurances it was said to be seeking on how and when the agreement could be phased out, yet Russias Novak offered a positive impression of the discussions.

Crude futures extended losses after the meeting in Vienna, with West Texas Intermediate dropping 1 percent to $57.39 a barrel.

We had a very good constructive talk, Novak told reporters after the meeting. The market is still not rebalanced, needs further joint actions after April 1. Everybody recommended to extend the agreement.

Novaks comments echoed the view of his Saudi Arabian counterpart Khalid Al-Falih, who praised the solid results achieved by the cuts before the committee meeting.

It has now been nearly a year since we reached the production agreement and the results have been indeed very gratifying, he said. In order to continue reaching our shared goals a good deal more hard work and commitment is essential.

For Russia, reassurance about how the cuts would eventually be wound down seemed to be as important as the duration of the extension, according to people involved in the closed-door negotiations. Its need for clarity is greater than most OPEC members because its economic policy making is more complex, including a floating exchange rate that fluctuates with the oil price.

Moscow also wants a schedule of how the cuts will end so it can guide privately-owned Russian oil companies and their foreign partners about future output, the people said, asking not to be named because the talks are private.

Igor Sechin, chief executive officer of state-run Rosneft PJSC, and Lukoil PJSCs billionaire boss Vagit Alekperov have questioned the wisdom of prolonging the deal when oil prices are already above $60 a barrel.

The issue of how to eventually ramp production back up was raised in Vienna on Wednesday, Novak said, without elaborating. All details will be announced on Thursday, he said.
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As San Antonio schools rolled out new menu items to comply with a 2012 federal directive for healthier lunches , they noticed some things were ending up right in the trash.

Nonfat milk? Fine, especially when students could get it flavored with chocolate. But whole-grain tortillas netted a giant meh. Menu planners whod managed to reduce sodium content about as far as they could fretted over requirements to cut it even further.

Thats why Sharon Glosson, the districts executive director of school nutrition, is celebrating Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdues announcement Wednesday that it was easing some of the Obama administration restrictions.

The Northeast Independent School District last year got a waiver from the Texas Department of Agriculture to allow them to serve some products that werent whole-grain.

We saw an increase in participation with our tortillas because we were able to go back to a flour tortilla, our biscuits, our spaghetti, Glosson said. There are certain key items that after several years the students were still not accepting.

The district had complied so far with sodium regulations, but didnt think they could take it much further, she said.

We feel like thats really the lowest we can go and still have a variety of food products that our students accept, she said. Even naturally occurring sodium such as in milk and a lot of bread products (count). You dont think of these products as having sodium, but they do.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in May made easing Obama administration restrictions on school lunch and breakfasts one of his first priorities, noting that kids in his home state of Georgia werent wild about the black flakes in whole grain grits.

Schools need flexibility in menu planning so they can serve nutritious and appealing meals, Perdue said in a news release Wednesday. It doesnt do any good to serve nutritious meals if they wind up in the trash can. These flexibilities give schools the local control they need to provide nutritious meals that school children find appetizing.

The USDA said the interim rule is a key part of a regulatory reform agenda developed in response to the President Donald Trumps executive order to do away with unnecessary regulatory burdens. It takes effect with the start of the 2018-2019 school year. Public comments are being accepted for a final rule.

Under this new School Meal Flexibility Rule, schools can serve flavored low-fat milk. They currently can serve only flavored nonfat milk as well as plain low-fat and nonfat milk.

States would continue to be able to grant exemptions to schools that are having a hard time meeting the requirement that grain products be at least 50 percent whole grain.

Catherine Wright-Steele, administrator for the Texas Department of Agricultures food and nutrition division, said a very small percentage of the states approximately 1,300 school districts sought waivers. She said more districts asked for the exemptions this year, likely due to Perdue making his intentions known in May.

Sodium content could be kept at the Target 1 level of 1,420 or less milligrams for a high school lunch and 640 milligrams or less for a high school breakfast. Under the 2012 guidelines, sodium was to be reduced in three phases, with Target 3 levels being less than 740 milligrams for high school lunches and 500 milligrams for high school breakfasts. USDA recommendations are that sodium intake for people 14 years and older be less than 2,300 milligrams per day.

The School Nutrition Association lauded the changes, saying requirements such as for whole grain products and reduced sodium were overly restrictive and succeeded only in kids throwing away food.

Members of SNA have advocated for flexibility to address overly prescriptive regulations that have resulted in unintended consequences, including reduced student lunch participation, higher costs and food waste, the association said in a news release.

But the Center for Science in the Public Interest called the measure a hammer in search of a nail, as most school districts are already compliant.

Nine out of 10 school-aged children are eating too much salt, which is why reducing sodium levels in school meals is so important. The USDA should be doubling down on helping schools reduce sodium, not slowing down progress, as the Trump administration proposed today, said Margo Wootan, the Centers vice president for nutrition.

Its just not the case that schools still need additional flexibility to meet the whole-grain requirement, Wootan added. If all schools in Alabama, Idaho, and Montana can serve whole grains to their students, schools in the rest of the states should be able to, as well. Kids dont need more white flour in meals.

Dr. Josh Axe, a speaker on nutrition and founder of DrAxe.com, said adding extra sugar only exacerbated the negative effects of too much dairy.

I would say the overall changes are slightly negative but not out of the ordinary for the way we try to feed our children healthy foods, he said. We are still using MyPlate, after all, which Harvards School of Public Health has suggested is informed by lobbying and special interests more than the interests of real, science-based nutritional health.

MyPlate is the USDAs current nutrition guide, which shows a place setting divided into recommended intake of five food groups.

Thomas Wherry, director of food services at Northside Independent School District, said the district was already meeting requirements for sodium and finding success with build your own food stations and modifications such as their jalapeno-and-cheddar grain tortilla.

Students these days are more receptive to healthier food, he said.

Even though the rules have changed, our students have changed, he said. Five years ago the build your own concept may or may not have worked. But if you look at the restaurants like the Chipotles and those types of restaurants out there, the students want to see what they see out there in the restaurant world.

Whole grain is working, weve had zero complaints on that tortilla, he added. They want to see food right in front of them, you know, clean labels, fresh, those kind of things.

But even in the same city, what works in one district may not work in another, Glosson said.

You know, we all have different experiences with different student bodies, she said. Sometimes we even see it within the same district, that one from area of the district to another kids preferences change.

lbrezosky@express-news.net
AUSTIN  After just over three months on the job, the states special education director was fired last week after she filed a federal complaint against the Texas Education Agency for awarding a multimillion-dollar, no-bid contract to a company that is mining data on disabled students.

A TEA representative said Laurie Kashs firing had nothing to do with her complaint. Rather, said TEA spokeswoman Lauren Callahan, Kash was fired because of allegations that she covered up the sexual abuse of a 6-year-old girl in her previous school district. Two former employees filed a civil lawsuit making the allegations in Oregon days before Kash was fired.

The existence of allegations of this nature, given her roles and responsibilities, prevent her from carrying out her duties effectively in Texas, said Lauren Callahan, a TEA spokeswoman. Dr. Kash has no business being in charge of special education policy and programming in Texas.

Kashs dismissal leaves the states beleaguered special education department without a director at a time when the agency is trying to rebuild confidence in its ability to provide services to all special-needs students across the state.

Kashs lawyer, Bill Aleshire, said TEA is using the Oregon lawsuit as a cover and contends Kash was fired because she raised concerns about a contract awarded to SPEDx, a data company that received a no-bid contract before she was hired.

Kash was hired in August to lead the states special education department. Previously, she worked as the special education director at a school district serving about 800 students in Oregon.

A few months before she was hired, TEA signed a $2 million contract with SPEDx, a Georgia-based data company, to analyze students Individualized Education Program, or IEP. An IEP lays out a students disability, their education needs and how a school intends to meet those needs.

In a presentation to school districts, TEA said SPEDx will analyze IEPs to detect hidden patterns and insights that can help the department better serve students. In September, TEA amended SPEDxs contract to $4.4 million dollars. TEA says it did not put the contract out for bid because data project requires specialized software that only SPEDx can provide.

Soon after she was hired, Kash began questioning the companys work, according to her lawyer. Kash was concerned the company was not delivering the information laid out in the contract.

When she looked at how the contract occurred, the more she found what the company was doing, she saw no basis at all for why they were awarded the contract, Aleshire said.

SPEDx representatives did not return a request for comment.

In early November, Kash received a written reprimand for accusing the chief deputy commissioner of academics, Penny Schwinn, of awarding the contract to a presumed friend. The reprimand letter also noted other instances when Kash objected to the SPEDx project.

It is your responsibility to represent the positions of the agency, not your personal preferences or opinions, wrote Justin Porter, Kashs supervisor. Porter then required he be present in all of Kashs meetings, including when taking phone calls.

Porter noted that the reprimand was not intended to prohibit Kash from reporting conduct that she believed to be illegal or unethical.

Aleshire said he was retained soon after Kash received the reprimand. On Nov. 21, Kash responded to the reprimand and filed a complaint with the Department of Education outlining her concerns with the contract.

But just a few days before filing her complaint, two former employees in Oregon lodged their own complaints against Kash in civil court. They said Kash and her husband, the superintendent of the Rainier School District, barred them from reporting an alleged sexual assault against a 6-year-old girl. The employees said Kash had a personal relationship with the caretaker of the high school student who was accused of abusing the child. The employees say they endured retaliation for reporting the abuse to local authorities.

Kash denies the allegations, according to her lawyer.

She will aggressively defend herself there, Aleshire said. Obviously that last-minute filing of those spurious allegations hit us like truck in an intersection and gave TEA a cover story.

Aleshire said Kash told TEA staff about the allegations before she was hired, but TEA denies staff were informed.

If these serious allegations had been disclosed, she would not have been hired, Callahan said.

Cheryl Fries, the co-founder of Texans for Special Education Reform, said she and others found Kash to be responsive to their concerns and honest about the improvements needed in the states special education services.

At the end of the day, all of this drama that doesnt benefit our kids, Fries said.
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A former member of the Texas Mexican Mafia was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in prison for his role in the racketeering murders of two people, including Balcones Heights Police Officer Julian Pesina, who was under federal investigation.

Jerry Spooks Idrogo, 37, faced a nearly guaranteed sentence of life in prison for killing another member of the gang, Billy Padilla, and for passing down orders to kill Pesina, 29. But because Idrogo cooperated with federal authorities and testified early this month against the shooters in the Pesina slaying, Idrogo was granted a reduction after prosecutors requested leniency.

U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez gave Idrogo 20 years in prison. Idrogo took a plea deal last year, admitting to racketeering conspiracy that included the murders of Pesina and Padilla, whom Idrogo shot on Aug. 26, 2013, in front of Padillas elementary-age son in order to rise in the gang.

At the trial of Jesse Jay Santibanez, 29, and Alfredo Freddy Low Cardona, 36, it was established that Pesina led a double life. Pesina was on the Balcones Heights police force from 2009 until he was ambushed on May 4, 2014, outside Notorious Ink, the tattoo shop he co-owned. Pesina was killed while under criminal investigation by the FBI and Texas Department of Public Safety.

Testimony established that Pesina dealt drugs and passed himself off as a made member of the Texas Mexican Mafia, while keeping his law enforcement career from members of the gang he associated with.

Idrogo, who rose to become a gang sergeant, testified at that trial that he learned Pesina was a police officer after taking Pesina along for one of the gangs sources of money  collection of a 10 percent street tax from drug dealers known as the dime. A dealer told Idrogo that Pesina was a cop and, after Idrogo confirmed it and told gang leaders, they told Idrogo to kill Pesina.

Idrogo testified he picked Santibanez and Cardona, two lower-level associates, to help carry out the hit.

Idrogo said he had Santibanez pick him up and the pair met Cardona at his aunts house on the Southeast Side. There, they replaced the license plate on Cardonas white Pontiac Starfire with paper plates from Santibanezs car. They went to Notorious Ink, where Idrogo dropped off Santibanez and Cardona on the side of the building, Idrogo testified.

The pair ambushed Pesina after he handed Idrogo the dime.

Jay shot him with the shotgun first and Freddy Low shot him with the 9 mm afterwards, Idrogo testified.

Cardona and Santibanez face up to life in prison when Rodriguez sentences them early next year.

gcontreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland
Researchers at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) have been working with the State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre at Murdoch University to apply the new data from the draft wheat genome to the SNB resistance pre-breeding research.
It has been a common practice for SEC-registered companies with international operations to include FCPA enforcement as a risk factor that investors should consider before buying the companys securities.

Some companies with operations in China have also included warnings about the risks of doing business there. The disclosures mention the prevalence of corruption and, more lately, stepped up enforcement by local agencies.

Now the trend among some issuers is to combine their risk warnings about the FCPA and China.

The idea is that theres more risk of an FCPA-related investigation or enforcement action because the company does business in China.

Companies based in China and are SEC-registered are also adopting this disclosure practice.

In an SEC registration statement filed this month, Shineco, Inc., a Beijing-based manufacturer of traditional Chinese medicines, said,

We have operations, agreements with third parties, and make sales in China, which may experience corruption. Our activities in China create the risk of unauthorized payments or offers of payments by one of the employees, consultants or distributors of our company, because these parties are not always subject to our control.



Although we believe to date we have complied in all material respects with the provisions of the FCPA and Chinese anti-corruption law, our existing safeguards and any future improvements may prove to be less than effective, and the employees, consultants or distributors of our Company may engage in conduct for which we might be held responsible.

San Francisco-based pharma FibroGen, Inc. wrote a disclosure to deal with special industry risks, the FCPA, and China.

It said in a Form 10-Q filed with the SEC this month:

[A]nti-bribery laws present particular challenges in the pharmaceutical industry because in many countries including China, hospitals are state-owned or operated by the government, and doctors and other hospital employees are considered foreign government officials. Furthermore, in certain countries (China in particular), hospitals and clinics are permitted to sell pharmaceuticals to their patients and are primary or significant distributors of pharmaceuticals. Certain payments to hospitals in connection with clinical studies, procurement of pharmaceuticals an d other work have been deemed to be improper payments to government officials that have led to vigorous anti-bribery law enforcement actions and heavy fines in multiple jurisdictions, particularly in the U.S. and China. . . .

In the pharmaceutical industry, corrupt practices include, among others, acceptance of kickbacks, bribes or other illegal gains or benefits by the hospitals and medical practitioners from pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors or their third party agents in connection with the prescription of certain pharmaceuticals. . . . The Chinese government has also sponsored anti-corruption campaigns from time to time, which could have a chilling effect on any future marketing efforts by us to new hospital customers. There have been recent occurrences in which certain hospitals have denied access to sales representatives from pharmaceutical companies because the hospitals wanted to avoid the perception of corruption. If this attitude becomes widespread among our potential customers, our ability to promote our products to hospitals may be adversely affected. . . .

As we expand our operations in China and other jurisdictions internationally, we will need to increase the scope of our compliance programs to address the risks relating to the potential for violations of the FCPA and other anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws. Our compliance programs will need to include policies addressing not only the FCPA, but also the provisions of a variety of anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws in multiple foreign jurisdictions, including China, provisions relating to books and records that apply to us as a public company, and include effective training for our personnel throughout our organization.

China isnt the only country singled out for corruption risks in SEC disclosures. There are warnings that mention Brazil, Russia, and some African countries, among others.

But because of the volume of investment in China, and the number of SEC registrants based there, the China-related warnings appear more often.

_____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
The UK Serious Fraud Office charged two former executives of Dutch oil services firm SBM Offshore NV for allegedly funneling bribes to officials in Iraq through intermediary Unaoil.

Paul Bond and Stephen Whiteley were both charged with conspiracy to make corrupt payments to secure contracts in Iraq for Unaoils client SBM Offshore.

Bond, 65, was formerly a Senior Sales Manager with SBM Offshore. He lives in France.

Whiteley, 62, was formerly a Vice President with SBM Offshore. He was also Unaoils General Territories Manager for Iraq, Kazakhstan, and Angola. He lives in Aberdeen, Scotland.

The alleged bribery occurred between June 2005 and August 2011, the SFO said.

Whiteley and Bond are scheduled to appear in the Westminster Magistrates Court in London on December 7.

In the United States, SBM Offshore agreed Wednesday to pay a criminal penalty of $238 million to resolve FCPA offenses in Brazil, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, and Iraq.

And earlier this month, two former SBM executives pleaded guilty in the U.S. federal court to bribing officials at Brazils Petrobras and two state-owned energy firms in Africa.

Anthony Mace, 65, a UK citizen, was SBMs chief executive officer from 2008 to 2011 and a former board member of SBM USA. He pleaded guilty in federal court in Houston to one count of conspiring to violate the FCPA.

Robert Zubiate, 66, pleaded guilty to the same charge. He was based in California and served as the sales and marketing director for SBM USA.

They havent been sentenced yet.

In the UK two weeks ago, the Serious Fraud Office charged two other men for their alleged roles in the Unaoil  SBM bribery case.

Ziad Akle and Basil Al Jarah were both accused of conspiracy to pay bribes to help Unaoils client SBM Offshore win contracts in Iraq.

Netherlands-based SBM provides floating production systems for the oil and gas industry.

Akle, 42, was Unaoils territory manager for Iraq. He lives in London

Al Jarah, 68, was Unaoils Iraq partner, the SFO said. He lives in Hull (England).

Theyre also scheduled to appear in the Westminster Magistrates Court (London) on December 7.

A third man, Saman Ahsani, is subject to an extradition request to Monaco on related charges, the SFO said. Ahsani, 43, was Unaoils commercial director. He lives in Monaco.

A report in March 2016 by Fairfax Media and the Huffington Post said Unaoil paid bribes on behalf of large companies in the oil and gas sector.

Monaco-based Unaoil has denied the allegations.

The SFO said Thursday its investigation is ongoing.

____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
My first job at seventeen (left school in the middle of A-levels) was as a kennel maid at our local greyhound racing track. I had to work every single day  dogs have to be fed!  but left after six months because of the corruption, and returned to school.

Molly Green

I was the first model to dance to music in Atlanta and possibly the state of Georgia. Terrified, I swung along the catwalk to Simon & Garfunkels rendering of Cecilia belting in my ears. This was a massive change from the slow walk and formal gestures and twirls wed been used to. I loved the sudden freedom!

In my twenties I taught classical guitar to children in Denver, Colorado from my mobile home. One child quickly outshone me so I had to give up!

My real grandfather was apparently a POW in the First World War. This scandal was brushed under the carpet by the family and any mention of it still causes trouble. Much later, as a novelist, I was thrilled with the idea of such a story which I shall definitely write one day, although most of it will be from my own imagination!

When I first went to the States at nineteen, I sang in a Country & Western band  husband at the time played the lead guitar. I mostly sang the songs of Patsy Cline and Tammy Wynette. Decades later and back in England my singing only goes as far as being in the chorus of TWODS (Tunbridge Wells Operatic and Dramatic Society) but I still love being on stage.

I was a veggie cook in a sanatorium in Bavaria in the seventies without knowing a word of German, and very little about cooking either! Thankfully, and by sheer coincidence, Id given up meat three months before I applied for the job!

Ive been a loyal reader of The Lady magazine since my twenties. Thats where I found the ad in the magazines Situations Vacant Overseas for the job above. I also found a cooking situation for my mother, which changed her life. Another story!

I love all animals, but absolutely adore cats and camels. I have a pure white cat with golden eyes (the rescue centre didnt have a camel, unfortunately) whose name is Dougal (Dougie) He comes to see me most days in my writing cabin and helps write my novels by dangling on the worktop and flopping over the mouse-mat so I can barely move the mouse, but I love him to bits.

I was a chauffeuse (we had to use the feminine form in the heady days of the seventies) to a Swiss multi-millionaire in Zurich who made no secret he was looking for a wife! I lived in his fabulous house under lock and key of my bedroom, and although I grew fond of him (he was much older than me and not my type) it never went further. Glad to say he was always a gentleman.

Im crazy trains, especially steam trains, and have actually been on the longest train journey in the world  from London to Beijing. The only thing which marred the trip was when my friend and I were marched off the Russian train as it arrived at the Belarus border. We were under armed guard for eight hours and didnt know what they intended to do with us  a terrifying experience. But from Moscow onwards the journey on the Trans-Siberian Express and then a Chinese train at the border was amazing.
Armie Hammer thinks Twitter is a "toxic environment".

Armie Hammer

The 'Man from U.N.C.L.E.' star was surprised with how "easy" it was from him to walk away from the social media site.

Speaking at TheWrap's Screening Series in Los Angeles, he said: "I just have no impulse control so if somebody says something stupid, I couldn't help but say something back, and then it just exploded. This is a toxic environment, and my life is way better off. It's so funny - People are so addicted and into Twitter, it seems crazy that someone could walk away from it! They're like, 'Wait, he deleted it?' It was actually really easy."

Meanwhile, Armie previously spoke up about how he is glad the "system has been shaken" in Hollywood in relation to the sexual misconduct allegations made against certain producers and actors.

He said: "It's been permissible for too long for people in positions of power to abuse, and for the powerless to be expected to just take it. The system seems to be shaken, and thank God ....

"Nate had the stuff in his past, which is heinous and tough to get beyond. I get that. But that was when he was 18 and now he's in director jail. At the same time, the guy who went and won an Academy Award has three cases of sexual assault against him. And [Parker] had one incident - which was heinous and atrocious - but his entire life is affected in the worst possible way.

"And the other guy won the highest award you can get as an actor. It just doesn't make sense, you know? I'm not saying Nate should not have been in trouble. I'm saying that they got in different levels of trouble. And that's the disparity. It's like there are two standards for how to deal with someone who has this kind of issue in their past, you know?"

by Charlotte Hough for www.femalefirst.co.uk


Jessica Chastain has called for "more women in positions of power" within the film industry.

Jessica Chastain for ES magazine

The 40-year-old actress believes that following on from the sexual misconduct scandal surrounding disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein - who stands accused of sexually harassing over 80 women in a 30-year period - Hollywood needs to start employing more females in positions such as filmmakers and producers, in order to create a "safe place" for women to work.

She said: "Like a safe place in this industry for women to go if something has happened to them. And we need movie studios with a board that's not one gender. More women filmmakers, writers and producers. The one huge thing that we've never tried in Hollywood is putting more women in positions of power."

The 'Molly's Game' star insists she had her own altercation with Weinstein, 65, after he tried to get her to set him up with her friend, and thinks that Hollywood as a whole have been "complicit" in letting his alleged actions slide.

Speaking to ES magazine, Jessica said: "Yeah, he tried to get me to pimp out my best friend Jess Weixler. Like very flirtatious, 'Oh I've got such a crush on her - you got to help me.' He's incredibly friendly but also very volatile. He normalised the abuse.

"But everyone in this industry is complicit. We're all part of the problem. I heard the rumours even before I entered the industry. So we have to ask ourselves, why was it okay? Why are agents sending actresses to meetings in hotel rooms?

"It goes back to the days of Fatty Arbuckle, Louis B Mayer, Jack Warner. Shirley Temple said in her biography that when she was 12, a producer pulled out his penis! So we can look at Harvey as though he was the cancer or we can be realistic. He's not the disease, he's the symptom."

Jessica's full interview appears in this week's edition of ES Magazine, which hits shelves on Thursday (30.11.17).
Karlie Kloss has had "trouble" with her skin for the last 12 months.

Karlie Kloss

The 25-year-old model has admitted she has taken for granted having "good skin", especially over the last year because she has struggled to maintain her flawless complexion.

Speaking in a skincare tutorial video, which was posted on her YouTube channel Klossy, with beauty expert Georgia Louise, Karlie said: "Good morning guys,

"We are here in Shanghai and it is the day we have all been waiting for, it's the Victoria's Secret show today.

"I have had trouble with my skin in the last year so this has been a whole new learning experience for me. I really took for granted having good skin."

And the entrepreneur - who set up her coding organisation named Kode with Klossy - has advised anyone who has a "big event" pending or are in need of a "really good morning routine" to take her advice.

She explained: "Whether you have a big event coming up, or you just want a really good morning routine. These are some really good hacks."

During the video Georgia demonstrated four steps to follow to help achieve clear and vibrant-looking skin, which included bathing your face in a bucket of ice, mask and massage the skin, apply moisturising serum that is not oil and freeze sticks to boost circulation.

Georgia said: "I have a bucket of ice. I may sound horrible but trust me, it's going to tighten and brighten your skin."

While Karlie was carrying out the treatment she admitted the sensation felt nice once she overcame the cold.

She said: "Feel the burn. It's cold. It actually feels nice after a while. My hands are just as cold too."

Georgia advised Karlie to apply the mask to the palm of her hand to warm up before rubbing gently into her skin, ensuring to swipe across the forehead and working towards the hair line, before using a "butterfly" technique across the nose and cheekbones. And Karlie believes a thorough regime is vital for her, because models needs to have a "good foundation" for make-up artists to apply cosmetic products to ahead of a campaign or catwalk appearance.

She said: "We are going to have a lot of make-up on for the show, so we want to have a good foundation."

Once serum was applied to Karlie's face, the catwalk icon used "freeze sticks", although cold tea spoons are a suitable alternative, to "drain the skin".
Books have been adapted into films for decades. Some books have even been adapted more than once! But what about the author behind the prose? In the last few years, there has been a rise in movies telling the stories of those who created the tales we all know and love. The intrigue of what inspired them to put pen to paper is often more interesting, and certainly more revealing, than the books themselves.

Dan Stevens as Charles Dickens in The Man Who Invented Christmas

To celebrate the release of The Man Who Invented Christmas, starring Dan Stevens, Christopher Plummer, Miriam Margolyes and Simon Callow tomorrow (Friday, December 1), we take a look at some of the best biographical films about our favourite authors.

5. P.L. Travers  Saving Mr Banks

After being pursued for 20 years by Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) for the rights to turn Mary Poppins into a film, P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) reluctantly agrees to hear his plans after her book sales stop. Travelling all the way to Los Angeles, the author refuses to let her beloved magical nanny get mauled by the Hollywood machine, despite Disney pulling out all the stops to convince her. Its only when the pair find common ground over their difficult childhoods that they agree to bring Mary Poppins to life on film together.

4. Beatrix Potter  Miss Potter

Exasperating her parents with a determination to earn her own money, rather than marry into it, Miss Potter is the story of how the headstrong author and illustrator became a sensation. Beatrix Potter (Renee Zellweger) had been drawing animals and telling stories of their adventures since childhood, but a chance encounter with young publisher Norman (Ewan McGregor) gives her the chance to share them with children everywhere.

3. Charles Dickens  The Man Who Invented Christmas

Suffering a string of flops, Charles Dickens (played here by Dan Stevens) was desperate for another bestseller. Deciding to write a story about Christmas in six weeks to ensure it hit the shelves on time for the festive season, the legendary author drew on his experiences to conjure up the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet To Come, as well as the infamous Ebenezer Scrooge (played here by Christopher Plummer), to forever immortalise the holiday season into the celebration we know today.

2. Jane Austen  Becoming Jane

At 20-years-old, Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway) already saw a world beyond class and dreamt of marrying for love, rather than money or social standing  despite her parents best efforts. When she meets the roguish lawyer Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy) she initially thinks him arrogant, but sparks fly once they realise that they are two of the same, fighting against societys norms. Their passion for their beliefs and each other soon threatens both of their families wellbeing and they must make a choice between happiness and security.

1. Iris Murdoch  Iris

As a young academic, Iris Murdoch (Kate Winslet) met and fell in love with fellow professor John Bayley (Hugh Bonneville) whose awkward nature seemed at odds with his future wifes vibrant nature and charismatic personality. Over 40 years and several renowned books, poems and plays later, Iris (Judi Dench) is now ravaged by the effects of Alzheimers, but her devoted husband (Jim Broadbent) stays by her side and tells her story.

The Man Who Invented Christmas comes to cinemas across the UK on December 1.
Liam Gallagher will receive the Godlike Genius award at the 2018 NME Awards.

Liam Gallagher

The 'Wall of Glass' hitmaker will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Manic Street Preachers, Coldplay, Paul Weller, Dave Grohl, his own brother Noel Gallagher - who was given the honour in 2012 - and last year's winners Pet Shop Boys in picking up the prestigious accolade at the annual ceremony at the O2 Academy in Brixton, south London, on February 14, and the former Oasis frontman thinks the prize has been a long time coming.

He said: "I wanna thank the NME for their Godlike Genius award. It's about f**king time as far as I'm concerned."

And NME bosses admit it was a "no brainer" to pass the award on to Liam this year.

Editor in Chief Mike Williams says: "Every once in a while you're faced with a decision that you might call a total no-brainer. Giving Liam Gallagher the 2018 Godlike Genius award falls into that category.

"Through his history, the tunes, the swagger and the sense of humour, Liam is one of the most iconic rock stars of all time. He's a frontman who knows the job description - look cool, belt it out, be totally Godlike - and I can't wait to see him take his rightful place on the throne in Brixton in February"

As well as picking up his award at the VO5 NME Awards, Liam will also perform a number of his songs on the night.

Voting is currently open for the other categories at the awards, and fans can buy tickets for the event from Friday (01.12.17).
Stormzy was the big winner at the MOBO Awards, picking up three accolades.

Stormzy at the MOBOs

The 24-year-old grime artist won Best Male Act, Best Album for 'Gang Signs & Prayer' and completed his hat-trick with the Best Grime Artist prize at the Leeds First Direct Arena in Leeds, West Yorkshire, last night (29.11.17).

He tweeted afterwards: "3 MOBO's, love you all, thank you (sic)"

Stormzy could've won five gongs but he was beaten in the Best Song category by J Hus for his track 'Did You See', and he also missed out on Best Video, which went to Mist for 'Hot Property'.

Other winners at the event included Craig David, who was named BestR&B/Soul Act, and Damian Marley - son of the late, great Bob Marley - picked up the Best Reggae Act prize.

Stefflon Don won Best Female Act, while Giggs took home Best Hip Hop Act and Dave was awarded Best Newcomer.

A special award went to actor and DJ Idris Elba, who was handed the Paving The Way Award for his achievements in the arts and his contribution to British culture, and the 'Luther' star felt "humbled" by the achievement.

He said: "I feel incredibly humbled to receive this honour. I have always felt a need to shine a light and pay a lasting tribute to the place that helped shape me in Hackney. Thank you MOBO for finally giving me that opportunity with Paving The Way.

"As someone who once faced homelessness, I know how important it is to have access to something better, to feel inspired and reach for your dreams.

"I'm blessed to have this chance to lay a paving stone in the place that I hold so dear and leave a legacy for future generations."

It was also a good night for Stormzy's girlfriend Maya Jama, who co-hosted the event in its 22nd year alongside former JLS star Marvin Humes.

MOBO Awards 2017, full list of winners:

Best Male Act: Stormzy

Best Female Act: Stefflon Don

Best Album: Stormzy - 'Gang Signs & Prayer'

Best Newcomer: Dave

Best Song: J Hus - 'Did You See'

Best Video: Mist - 'Hot Property'

Best Hip Hop Act: Giggs

Best Grime Act: Stormzy

BestR&B/Soul Act: Craig David

Best International Act: Wizkid

Best African Act: Davido

Best Reggae Act: Damian Marley

Best Jazz Act: Moses Boyd

Best Gospel Act: Volney Morgan & New-Ye
James May has "no real desire" to spend any more time with Richard Hammond or Jeremy Clarkson then he has to.

James May

The 54-year-old television presenter loves being with his co-presenters when he is working on 'The Grand Tour' but revealed that they all prefer to go their separate ways when they've finished work for the day because they spend so much time together when filming.

He said: "Outside of work, we don't meet up. It's very rare. I've spent so much time with them by the time we get to the end of work. I have no real desire spend any more with them! I have other friends and a woman waiting at home who loves me. And that's preferable!"

Richard was involved in a horrific crash earlier this year and James has revealed how "alarming" it was seeing his friend in the car when it burst into flames.

He added: "After he had been pulled out of it. It [the car] caught fire. He had the crash after the finish line so nobody was really filming that bit as that's not normally where anything interesting happens. There's enough to see that it's alarming. I was the last man standing. He [Richard] couldn't and Jeremy was lying on a bed somewhere on a ventilator [with pneumonia]."

James and his co-presenters are known worldwide but he was shocked when he was recognised by a market stall owner in the middle of the desert.

Recalling how he was recognised during a visit to the Iraqi desert, he told ITV's This Morning: "I never really get used to it [fame] because I sort of forget. When I'm sitting at home, I don't think, 'Oh I'm on a global television show'. It's [being noticed has] happened in much more surprising places then New York. It happened right in the middle of the desert in Iraq where this roadside seller, he said to me, 'Welcome to my country, Mr Slowly'. There was no reason why he wouldn't know but he didn't have any electricity or anything ... It's very flattering but it's also very disturbing."
While another $8 billion worth of exports is needed before the yearend to fulfil Vietnamese Governments 2017 export target of $31 billion in textiles and garments, the average export growth rate in August and September indicates the target is achievable, according to Le Tien Truong, general director of Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex).Vietnams textile and apparel exports were worth $28 billion in 2016 and exports growth is projected to reach 10 per cent this year, a Vietnamese online newspaper reported.

While another $8 billion worth of exports is needed before the yearend to fulfil Vietnamese Government's 2017 export target of $31 billion in textiles and garments, the average export growth rate in August and September indicates the target is achievable, according to Le Tien Truong, general director of Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex).#

Of the five major destination markets for Vietnamese clothing goods, the United States, Japan, South Korea and China are members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and jointly constitute 70 per cent of export turnover, contributing remarkably to the countrys export growth in 2017. The fifth is the European Union (EU).Exports to these five markets have witnessed exponential growth, said Truong.From January to September this year, the clothing industry grossed $23 billion in export turnover, including yarn exports at $2.6 billion, materials and non-woven fabrics at $1.1 billion and clothes at $19.6 billion.Exports to the US market have grown by 6.5 per cent and are expected to reach about $13 billion this year. Exports to Europe and Japan have posted slower growth, between 4 and 4.5 per cent. Exports to the South Korean market are expected to hit nearly $2 billion this year.In the first eight months of this year, apparel and textile exports to China rose by 30 per cent to $670 million. Export turnover to the Russian market will likely exceed $200 million this year making it among the top 10 apparel export markets.Russia is considered a potential market for Vietnam over the next five years, Truong added. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The Woolmark Company has entered into a two-season partnership with Japanese fashion label FACETASM for developing its Autumn/Winter 18/19 and Spring/Summer 19 wool-rich offerings, ahead of its show at Paris Mens Collection. Both collections will be Woolmark-certified. The partnership marks the beginning of a long-standing relationship between the two.The Woolmark Company will continue to work closely with and support FACETASMs design team, which has already viewed the Woolmark Companys sourcing guide the Wool Lab, drawing on the most innovative fabrics and yarns for the upcoming collections and connecting the design team with the wool supply chain.

The Woolmark Company has entered into a two-season partnership with Japanese fashion label FACETASM for developing its Autumn/Winter 18/19 and Spring/Summer 19 wool-rich offerings, ahead of its show at Paris Men's Collection. Both collections will be Woolmark-certified. The partnership marks the beginning of a long-standing relationship between the two.#

FACETASM founder/designer Hiromichi Ochiai travelled to Australia with the support of the Woolmark Company to visit the source of Merino wool, experiencing wool-growing properties first-hand and gaining invaluable insight and inspiration for his future collections.I saw how much the sheep farmers have loved the sheep, nature and their own land over generations, said Ochiai of his trip to Australia. It was such a precious experience for me to actually talk to farmers and experience how Merino wool is produced. Although so far I had seen Merino wool only at the fabric stage, through this visit I learnt it is actually based on so much love and history. I would like to deliver the story behind Merino wool and incorporate this invaluable experience in my creations.I believe Merino wool is an essential ingredient for the brand to move onto the next step in its creation and I think this collaboration with the Woolmark Company is a great opportunity for the brand to expand even more.Wool has been an integral part of the labels collections since its launch in 2007, highlighting the versatility of the fibre and its position as the premier ingredient in luxury apparel. Its unique creations are deeply rooted in Tokyos edgy street culture, quickly garnering global praise.Hiromichi Ochiai will be our first global wool ambassador from Japan - a market that remains important in terms of creativity and impeccable quality, further expanding Merino wools legacy beyond traditional tailoring, said the Woolmark Company managing director Stuart McCullough. This partnership deepens the relationship between the Australian wool industry and Japans fashion industry, with FACETASM taking the two to a global audience via its extensive range of stockists. (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Across our platform, from our website to conferences, FinanceAsia will bring you the rising stars of Asian business raising capital to support their unique strategies.

FinanceAsia also will deliver first-hand insight into the regions most dynamic companies, such as Ant Financial, who are disrupting whole industries, and potentially your portfolio.

President Xi Jinping said during the Communist Party Congress that China will accelerate its transition into an innovation economy. The ramifications will be felt around the world via fierce competition and the Chinese acquisition of brands and technology.

We will also profile the regions savviest investors, be it that intrepid frontiersman private equity investor or the patriarchs of family-owned businesses who have a proven track record in unearthing and backing the market darlings of tomorrow.

At FinanceAsia we believe open markets and clear and consistent government policies and regulation will drive economic growth. However in the centurys largest infrastructure programme, we see a major fault line: Chinas Belt & Road Initiative is failing to engage private capital.

We will foster constructive discussion across our platforms to help stimulate economic activity along historical Chinese trade routes.

FinanceAsia will still cover the breaking capital markets transactions by Asian companies, but only those that offer the most compelling insights for our audience.

We plan to be of service and stand apart in an age of click-bait reporting by following the money and maintaining focus.

Our brand is over 20 years old and we will continue to evolve to serve our readers over the decades to come.
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/29/17 -- Allied Properties REIT (TSX: AP.UN) today announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its portfolio of five properties in Winnipeg and that it has sold the Metals Building in Edmonton for aggregate proceeds of $30 million. The Winnipeg portfolio is comprised of 343,083 square feet of GLA. As at September 30, 2017, it was 79.2% leased and represented approximately 0.4% of Allied's net rental income. The Metals Building is comprised of 22,503 square feet of GLA. As at September 30, 2017, it was 30.9% leased and made no contribution to Allied's net rental income.

"We remain committed to selling our small number of non-core assets, and these sales represent progress in that regard," said Michael Emory, President & CEO. "In addition to enabling us to redeploy capital profitably, exiting the Winnipeg market and disposing of the Metals Building will streamline our operations in Western Canada. We don't intend to exit the Edmonton market, however, as our Boardwalk & Revillon Building is a premiere Class I property with significant value-add potential in Downtown Edmonton's burgeoning ICE District."

The sale of the Metals Building closed on October 27, 2017, and the sale of the Winnipeg portfolio is scheduled to close on December 18, 2017. CBRE represented Allied in connection with the sale of the Metals Building, and Colliers International represented Allied in connection with the sale of the Winnipeg portfolio.

Cautionary Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements with respect to Allied, its operations, strategy, financial performance and condition. These statements generally can be identified by use of forward looking words such as "may", "will", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intends", "believe" or "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. The actual results and performance of Allied discussed herein could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations, including that the transactions contemplated herein are completed. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include, among other things, general economic and market factors, competition, changes in government regulations and the factors described under "Risk Factors" in Allied's Annual Information Form, which is available at www.sedar.com. These cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements attributable to Allied and persons acting on Allied's behalf. Unless otherwise stated, all forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and the parties have no obligation to update such statements.

About Allied

Allied is a leading owner, manager and developer of distinctive urban workspace in Canada's major cities. Its objectives are to provide stable and growing cash distributions to unitholders and to maximize unitholder value through effective management and accretive portfolio growth.

Contacts:

Michael R. Emory

President & Chief Executive Officer

(416) 977-9002

memory@alliedreit.com



Cecilia C. Williams

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

(416) 977-9002

cwilliams@alliedreit.com




Insular Life, the first life insurer in the Philippines to automate customer acquisition and underwriting, continues to expand the reach and deliverables of its ALLFINANZ-driven Automated Underwriting System (AUS).

To lead its fast-paced life insurance market, Insular Life resolved to digitize new-customer sign-up and registration. Automating the back office and integrating with Ingenium, its customer database, were additional criteria. Find Insular's full case study at this link.

According to Diana Abuel-Tagra, Vice President of Insular's New Business Division, "In the first month, sign-ups rose 65 percent and agents' use climbed 20 percent. Second month, case throughput rose an additional 283 percent. Our latest version underwrites new customers in 30 minutes, regardless of web latency.

"Our original selection factors show us daily benefits," says Abuel-Tagra. "Underwriters foresaw ALLFINANZ would empower them to change underwriting rules. We don't need IT for rules management."

"Insular was determined to hand agents persuasive and accelerated sales tools. We realised automation would modernise our image as much as it would streamline efficiency. Now, customers tell friends, and ambitious, tech-savvy agents seek us out."

"We incentivise system adoption in agencies by installing sales kiosks and Wi-Fi in interested offices. Where a complex sale might previously have required six customer trips to gather incremental data, now it's three. But nearly all new business is fully automated. We've cut agent busy-work because our reflexive question trees predict data needs earlier. Even sales contests run more smoothly because AUS counts last-minute closes that previously went uncounted."

"We're further innovating our industry by training agents' children in AUS so they can relay the technology to parents in comfortable home settings. Someday, those children may see they're pre-educated to become Insular Life agents!"

Alby van Wyk, Executive Vice President Asia Pacific at Munich Re Automation Solutions Ltd, says, "It's our privilege to empower Insular Life to introduce the Philippines to automated underwriting and raise expectations in its industry."

Established in 1910, Insular Life revenues reached PhP 23.3 billion in 2016 with a net worth of PhP 43.8 billion. It ranks in the top five Philippine life insurers with total assets of PhP 132.9 billion. For more information on Insular Life, visit https://www.insularlife.com.ph/

A full case study of Insular's needs analysis, selection, deployment and benefits is available.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171129005766/en/

Contacts:

Munich Re Automation Solutions PTE Ltd.

David Bordas

Tel: +353 1 293 2888

dbordas@munichre.com

www.munichre.com/automation-solutions
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/17 -- Relevium Technologies Inc. (TSX VENTURE: RLV)(FRANKFURT: 6BX) (the "Company" or "Relevium") is pleased to announce its unaudited financial results for the three-month period ended September 30, 2017.

Financial Highlights

This is the first reporting period that consolidates the results of the acquisition of BioGanix Ltd. ("Bioganix") (see Press Release issued on June 12, 2017) and illustrates:

-- Consolidated revenues of $1.15 Million; -- Adjusted EBITDA(i) of $154,427 or 13% as a percentage of sales; -- Total Assets of $7.1 Million and Total Liabilities of $4.9 Million; and -- 65 million shares outstanding.

Aurelio Useche, CEO of Relevium Technologies stated: "This new fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017 will be a transformational year for Relevium. The financial statements and Management Discussion and Analysis as filed on www.sedar.com consolidate the results of BGX E-Health LLC, the wholly-owned subsidiary in the US that operates the assets of BioGanix, the recently acquired B2C nutraceutical business. Mr. Useche added: "The first three months of post-acquisition is a resource and capital-intensive period for any company. The positive EBITDA results and growing revenues indicate to us that the transition of the business has been successful."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adjusted EBITDA(i) Reconciliation $ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net Loss (127,776) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interest on long term debt 107,617 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Accreted interest 96,443 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Acquistions and related costs 78,137 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adjusted EBITDA(i) 154,421 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i)= Adjusted EBITDA is a non-IFRS financial measurement ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Non-Financial Highlights

-- The Company successfully completed the first half of its active transition period for the acquisition of BioGanix with increased revenues as compared to the same period under the previous ownership -- Launched the first stage of a project to incorporate predictive AI technology for new product selection -- Secured an exclusive partnership with Salvania Nutrition and Biodevas for the launching in 2018 of a nutraceutical and phytoceuticals product line for companion pets.

Aurelio Useche, CEO of Relevium Technologies stated: "Over the second quarter of this new, fiscal year our focus has shifted from integration to organic growth through marketing optimization, new product launches, technology integration and the establishment of key exclusive partnerships to ensure strategic differentiation in our product offering and the build-up of equity for our brands."

About Relevium Technologies

Relevium is a TSXV-listed company focused on growth through the acquisition of businesses, products and/or technologies with a focus on e-commerce in the growing health and wellness sector. Relevium Technologies Inc. also holds patented intellectual property for the use of static magnetic fields for application on wearable devices.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects the Company's current expectations regarding future events. Forward-looking information is based on several assumptions and is subject to several risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking information. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information and are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking information, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

RELEVIUM TECHNOLOGIES INC.

Aurelio Useche, President and CEO

RELEVIUM TECHNOLOGIES INC

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Contacts:

Edward Ierfino

Investor Relations

+1 (514) 562-1374

eierfino@releviumcorp.com

www.releviumtechnologies.com




AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2017 / With thousands of small fluctuations in foreign exchange quotes on any given day, Forex is the most liquid and volatile market. As a result, there is a large segment of traders, known as scalpers, who try to take advantage of the minor changes in the price of assets, usually performed over a very short period of time. The expert advisors from Sentinel 1973 recently discussed the scalping strategy, explaining its rise to prominence and benefit to traders.

The popularity of scalping is born of its perceived safety; many argue that since positions are maintained for a brief time period in comparison to regular movements, market exposure is much shorter than that of a trend follower or even a day trader. Consequently, the risk of large losses is much smaller and the returns generated in each position are usually small. Instead, scalpers focus on building profits through small, but frequent gains. They must be patient, diligent individuals willing to wait as the fruits of their labors translate to great earnings over time. Typically, a scalper will open and close tens, and in some cases hundreds, of positions throughout the course of an ordinary trading day. Sentinel 1973 noted that it appears a formidable task at first to most, but can be an involving, fun style once the trader becomes comfortable with its practices and habits. Still, attentiveness and strong concentration skills are necessary to be successful.

When it comes to selecting currency pairs, the first task is finding a strong market trend, which is imperative when determining whether to place buy or sell orders. Short-term momentum should be the focus, and it is vital to make a selection with high intraday volatility, so that there are a high number of price movements on any given day. To identify optimal scenarios, traders can look at the highs and lows of the currency for the previous week. Not as important in scalping is stop-loss (SL) and take-profit (TP) management, because there is simply not enough time. Most positions are entered and exited within a one to five minute timespan regardless of gains or losses. Some traders set SL and TP points if they are fast enough or if they move more than one currency pair at a time. While it requires an individual commitment, scalping is an excellent way to start a Forex trading career. The strategy offers a good overview of technical indicators and teaches traders how to make fast decisions while quickly interpreting exit and entry signals.

Sentinel 1973 is a leading broker market, offering Contracts for Difference (CFDs) on currencies, indexes, commodities and stocks and specializing in the trading of financial products in Over the Counter (OTC) and organized stock markets. With 10 platforms to trade more than 200 financial instruments, Sentinel 1973 serves retail and institutional clients in more than 180 countries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

Sentinel 1973 - World Leading Trading Broker Chosen by Customers: http://sentinel1973news.com

Sentinel 1973 - On the Heightened Restrictions for China Foreign Investment: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sentinel-1973-heightened-restrictions-china-050000654.html

Sentinel 1973 - On the Rise of Entrepreneurs in the Middle East: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sentinel-1973-rise-entrepreneurs-middle-195000888.html

Contact Information:

Sentinel1973News.com

contact@sentinel1973news.com

http://sentinel1973news.com

SOURCE: Sentinel 1973




MONTE CARLO, MONACO / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2017 / When considering new investments, seasoned forex experts dig deep into the market fundamentals and trend analysis. Recent market data points to Latin America as a destination set to increate its attraction for investors and according to the internationally acclaimed trading expert, Vicente Izquierdo Munoz, there is a growing focus on long-termism in Latin America, which reflects confidence in the region's prospects.

One of the strongest believers is Javier Montero, an Argentine-born manager running a fund for Chile-based Moneda Asset Management. He recently told Bloomberg that Latin America is the place to go for investors chasing returns. Montero sees bright prospects for the region in the next three years as governments in Brazil, Argentina, Peru, and Uruguay adopt a "more market-friendly approach" and other countries look set to follow suit. Moreover, Latin America as a whole boasts relative stability and is not burdened with some of the problems besetting other emerging markets, for example immigration and the possibility of war. "Out of the three emerging-market zones, LatAm has beat and will continue beating Asia and EMEA because of this," the fund manager told Bloomberg. Another sign of confidence in Latin America's prospects is the rapid evolution of the local start-up ecosystem, which has enjoyed steadily growing interest from foreign investors.

Stock market data also convey the image of a region that is flourishing for investors, Vicente Izquierdo Munoz notes further. Several stock market indices posted impressive returns in 2016, led by the MSCI Brazil with an astounding 61% gain. The regional upswing has carried into 2017 and many analysts believe it will persist. According to CNBC business writer and editor Bryan Borzykowski, there are three reasons behind this renaissance. Firstly, some governments have ditched populist sentiments and adopted a pro-business approach, Brazil and Argentina being notable examples. In the second place, regional currencies have been gaining strength and investors have seen their returns climb. Finally, Latin America is expected to sustain its progress due to the persistently attractive valuation of local corporations relative to their peers in the United States.

Vicente Izquierdo Munoz has operated in the forex and contracts for differences (CFDs) markets for more than 17 years, gaining a reputation as one of the leading industry figures. His pioneering work continues with the brokerage company he co-founded to provide CFDs on stocks, commodities, and indices. His clients get access to advanced technological solutions and the support of a team of finance experts to ensure sustained investment success. The company offers ten trading platforms and more than 200 financial instruments to retail and institutional investors in over 180 countries across Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.

Vicente Izquierdo Munoz - Co-Founder of a Leading Brokerage of CFDs: http://vicenteizquierdomunoznews.com

Vicente Izquierdo Munoz - Discusses Investing Based on Personal Values: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/vicente-izquierdo-munoz-discusses-investing-001500234.html

Vicente Izquierdo Munoz - on Global Trade Competition: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/vicente-izquierdo-munoz-global-trade-162500718.html

Contact Information:

VicenteIzquierdoMunozNews.com

contact@vicenteizquierdomunoznews.com

http://vicenteizquierdomunoznews.com

SOURCE: Vicente Izquierdo Munoz




BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - At 2.00 am ET Thursday, Destatis is slated to release Germany's retail sales data. Sales are forecast to grow 0.3 percent on month in October, following a 0.5 percent increase in September. Ahead of the data, the euro traded mixed against its major rivals. While the euro held steady against the pound, it rose against the yen, the greenback and the franc. The euro was worth 1.1871 against the greenback, 133.10 against the yen, 1.1681 against the franc and 0.8812 against the pound as of 1:55 am ET. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Due to a conversion of shares from Series A to Series B in accordance with the Company's Articles of Association, AB SKF confirms the following.

As per 30 November the Company's share capital amounts to SEK 1,138,377,670 and the total number of shares amounts to 35,580,181 shares of Series A and 419,770,887 shares of Series B. The number of votes in the Company amounts to 77,557,270. AB SKF does not hold any own shares.

Aktiebolaget SKF

(publ)

This is information that AB SKF is obliged to make public pursuant to the FinancialInstruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication at 8:00 CET on 30 November 2017.

For further information, please contact:

PRESS:

Theo Kjellberg

Director, Press Relations

tel: +46-31-337-6576

mobile: +46-725-776576

e-mail: theo.kjellberg@skf.com

INVESTOR RELATIONS:

Patrik Stenberg

Head of Investor Relations

Patrik Stenberg,

+46-31-337-2104/+46-705-472-104

patrik.stenberg@skf.com

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NEC Seiichiro Toda s-toda@cj.jp.nec.com +81-3-3798-6511

TOKYO, Nov 30, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation of America (NEC), along with NEC Corporation, today announced it has been selected by Wave Broadband, a Kirkland, WA-based gigabit fiber and broadband services company, to deploy the iPASOLINK EX-Advanced ultra-compact radio communication system as part of its service expansion on the West Coast.The iPASOLINK EX-Advanced wireless system gives broadband service providers a transmission capacity equivalent to that of 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) optical fiber in locations where traditional fiber construction is either cost- or timeline-prohibitive.Introduced to the U.S. market in July 2016, the iPASOLINK EX-Advanced is among the most field-proven 80GHz 10Gbps outdoor wireless transmission products in the U.S. market. The compact and lightweight system offers a quick deployment and broadband transmission using multiple optical 10Gbps Ethernet interfaces via licensed 80GHz frequencies."NEC's iPASOLINK EX-Advanced system fully meets Wave's 10Gbps transport capacity, data capabilities, and reliability requirements," said John Cruz, Vice President, Network Deployment, Wave Broadband. "By utilizing this platform, specifically where optical fiber is difficult to install, we will be able to continue expanding Wave's service areas and add subscribers along the West Coast.""We are delighted that Wave Broadband has selected NEC's iPASOLINK EX-Advanced system to bolster the growth of its business in Washington, Oregon, and California," said Matt Engelmann, Vice President, NEC Corporation of America. "NEC will continue supporting Wave and its commitment to deliver excellent service and value to the West Coast."NEC has an accomplished history of providing highly reliable wireless transmission radio systems. NEC's PASOLINK series features a wide variety of advanced wireless technologies cultivated under challenging environmental conditions.About Wave BroadbandWave is a leading provider of fiber and broadband services on the West Coast. Wave delivers a range of solutions for businesses, including custom fiber networks, high-capacity Internet access, Enterprise Hosting services, data transport, phone services, and dark fiber to meet the specific bandwidth needs of our customers in Washington, Oregon and California. Wave is the fastest growing internet company in the U.S. and is in the process of merging with 2 other companies to become the 6th largest ISP - in the country. For more information, visit http://wavebusiness.com.About NEC Corporation of AmericaNEC Corporation of America (NEC) is a leading technology integrator providing solutions that improve the way people work and communicate. NEC delivers integrated Solutions for Society that are aligned with our customers' priorities to create new value for people, businesses and society, with a special focus on safety, security and efficiency. We deliver one of the industry's strongest and most innovative portfolios of communications, analytics, security, biometrics and technology solutions that unleash customers' productivity potential. Through these solutions, NEC combines its best-in-class solutions and technology, and leverages a robust partner ecosystem to solve today's most complex business problems. NEC Corporation of America is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation, a global technology leader with a presence in 160 countries and $25 billion in revenues. For more information, please visit www.necam.com.About NEC CorporationNEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. By providing a combination of products and solutions that cross utilize the company's experience and global resources, NEC's advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to empower people, businesses and society. For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com.Based on its Mid-term Management Plan 2015, the NEC Group globally provides "Solutions for Society" that promote the safety, security, efficiency and equality of society. Under the company's corporate message of "Orchestrating a brighter world," NEC aims to help solve a wide range of challenging issues and to create new social value for the changing world of tomorrow. For more information, please visit http://www.nec.com/en/global/about/solutionsforsociety/message.html.Source: NEC CorporationContact:Copyright 2017 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
UPPSALA, Sweden, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- IAR Systems a leading supplier of software tools and services for embedded development, announces support for newly launched Internet of Things (IoT) Microcontroller Operating System, Amazon FreeRTOS. Together with Amazon Web Services (AWS), IAR Systems provides developers with easy access to high-performance, pre-integrated development tools for developing and debugging embedded and IoT-connected applications based on Amazon FreeRTOS.

Amazon FreeRTOS provides tools that developers need to quickly and easily deploy a microcontroller-based connected device and develop an embedded or IoT application without having to worry about the complexity of scaling across millions of devices. Based on the FreeRTOS kernel, Amazon FreeRTOS includes software libraries which make it easy to securely connect devices locally to AWS Greengrass, directly to the cloud, and update them remotely. For new devices, developers can choose to build their embedded and IoT application on a variety of qualified microcontrollers from companies collaborating with AWS and IAR Systems, including Microchip, NXP, STMicroelectronics and Texas Instruments.

Since 1983, IAR Systems' solutions have ensured quality, reliability and efficiency in the development of over one million embedded applications. Now available for Amazon FreeRTOS users, development tools from IAR Systems deliver leading code optimizations and extensive debugging functionality. The technology is coupled with professional technical support offered globally.

"AWS is pleased to be teamed with IAR Systems to provide developers with access to a high performance, pre-integrated set of development tools for developing and debugging connected applications," says Richard Barry, Principal Engineer, Amazon Web Services, Inc. "Software development is becoming ever more complex and critical and the need to have access to the right tools to help developers create, optimize and debug their code is paramount."

"FreeRTOS is widely used among our customers and the new capabilities added by AWS will enable them to take their development of connected applications to the next level," says Lotta Frimanson, Product Manager, IAR Systems. "AWS and IAR Systems solutions provide easy access to high-performance and integrated tools that can enable developers to focus on the innovative and differentiating parts of their application."

IAR Embedded Workbenchis a leading C/C++ compiler and debugger toolchain for developing embedded applications, and offers industry-leading support for devices from major semiconductor vendors. Powerful add-ons and integrations, including easy-to-use debugging probes and integrated code analysis tools, provide additional capabilities. Learn more at www.iar.com/iar-embedded-workbench.

Editor's Note: IAR Systems, IAR Embedded Workbench, IAR Connect, C-SPY, C-RUN, C-STAT, IAR Visual State, IAR KickStart Kit, I-jet, I-jet Trace, I-scope, IAR Academy, IAR, and the logotype of IAR Systems are trademarks or registered trademarks owned by IAR Systems AB. All other products names are trademarks of their respective owners.

IAR Systems contacts

AnnaMaria Tahlen

Media Relations, IAR Systems

Tel: +46-18-16-78-00

E-mail: annamaria.tahlen@iar.com

Stefan Skarin

CEO, IAR Systems

Tel: +46-18-16-78-00

E-mail: stefan.skarin@iar.com

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GENEVA, November 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

- New Research Finds Most Australians Consider So-Called 'Plain' Packaging Ineffective, with Eight out of Ten Believing the Government Would Ignore Evidence if it Contradicted its Preferred Policy

- Australians Concerned Regulation May Spread to Other Categories

CanvasU, commissioned by JTI (Japan Tobacco International), recently conducted a poll to understand Australians' views on the policy five years after its implementation. The research found that:

Almost two-thirds (59%) of Australians believe that plain packaging has been ineffective.

The majority of Australians (80%) believe the government wouldn't change or would be reluctant to change a preferred policy if the evidence was weighted against it.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130528/617491 )



Even the Australian government's own data justifies public scepticism; the most recent figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show that "...whilesmoking rates have been on a long-term downward trend,for thefirst time in over two decades, the daily smoking rate did notsignificantly decline over the most recent 3 year period(2013 to2016)"[1]:

"Unsurprisingly, early data from France and the United Kingdom is pointing in the same direction," states Michiel Reerink, JTI's Global Regulatory Strategy Vice President. According to a new report published by Europe Economics, since the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD2) and plain packaging requirements were implemented in both the UK and France, the combined policies haven't had any impact on smoking rates or tobacco sales.[2] Recent data published by the French public authorities confirms that after nine-months, the amount of tobacco products distributed to retailers remains stable.[3]

Around the world, anti-tobacco activists and some health authorities are calling for similar experimental policies to be rolled-out on other product categories such as alcohol, sugary drinks and fast food. In December 2016, Public Health England published a report calling for plain packaging on alcohol,[4] a topic which has been raised again this month by medical journal The Lancet.[5] In Canada, the Ontario Medical Association has mocked up images of plain packaging on food and drink products.[6]

It is therefore no surprise that CanvasU's research found that:

At least half of Australians think it is likely plain packaging will be introduced on alcohol and food & drink with a high sugar content in the future (or that it is already in place).

In fact, a majority of Australians expect this policy to be just the start of an escalation in regulation against lifestyle in the future.

"An increasing number of regulators are looking at extreme tobacco-style regulations on other product categories without considering proper evidence or research into the consequences. Brand owners should be worried about this domino-effect as policy-makers won't stop with tobacco," concludes Michiel Reerink.

Note to editors

Methodology:

CanvasU interviewed 2,097 Australian adults (18+) in a nationally representative online survey between November 2 and 11, 2017.

About CanvasU:

CanvasU is a 100% Australian owned and independent research agency.NeilEvans, Executive Director, has workedwith clients across Government, Education institutions, Blue Chip companies and as preferred supplier for leading Market Research companies within Australia and overseas.CanvasU has extensive experience conducting both online and telephone research for a variety of domestic and international clients. CanvasU is a member of the Australian Market & Social Research Society (AMSRS) and abides by the Society's Code of Professional Behaviour and regulations.

Full research tables and methodology can be found on jti.com.

About JTI

JTI is a leading international tobacco company with operations in more than 120 countries. It is the global owner of both Winston, the number two cigarette brand in the world, and Camel outside the USA and has the largest share in sales for both brands. Other global brands include Mevius, LD and Natural American Spirit. With its internationally recognized brand Logic, JTI is also a major player in the e-cigarette market and has, since 2011, been present in the heated tobacco category with Ploom. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, JTI employs around 27,000 people and was awarded Global Top Employer for three consecutive years. Its core revenue in the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, was USD 10.5 billion. JTI is a member of the Japan Tobacco Group of Companies. For more information, visit http://www.jti.com.

References

1. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/illicit-use-of-drugs/ndshs-2016-key-findings/contents/highlights-from-the-2016-survey

2. The analysis shows that there has been no statistically significant impact on prevalence in the UK and no statistically significant impact on consumption in the UK or in France: http://www.europe-economics.com/publications/15/publications.htm

3. OFDT (Observatoire francais des drogues et des toxicomanies). Volumes of tobacco products (RMC and RYO/MYO) distributed to retailers as reported by Customs autorities (Direction Generale des Douanes et Droits Indirects). See https://www.ofdt.fr/statistiques-et-infographie/tableau-de-bord-tabac/ . Tobacco products went up slightly (+0.6%) during the first half of 2017 versus the same period last year). For the period January to September, the same data showed a decrease by just 1.4% versus to the same period.

4. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/583047/alcohol_public_health_burden_evidence_review.pdf

5. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)32868-4/fulltext

6. https://www.oma.org/wp-content/uploads/pop-obesity-warning.pdf
Previously Announced Proposed Acquisition, Pressland, Releases New Details for Planned Relaunch as Blockchain-powered Platform for Fighting Fake News

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2017 / 360 Blockchain Inc. ('360' or the 'Company') (CSE: CODE; FWB: C5B; OTC PINK: BKLLF) announces that its funding prospect, Pressland, has released more details about its planned revenue models. Pressland plans to relaunch in Q2 2018 as a blockchain-powered platform for fighting fake news and building greater transparency in the media.

'Pressland will operate as a reward economy built on our own cryptocurrency token,' said Jeff Koyen, 360's Strategic Advisor. 'Using this token, planned to be issued in Q2, 2018, we will incentivize Pressland community members to contribute intelligence, insights and other verifiable data about media outlets and media figures. This data will then power a suite of tools designed to debunk fake news on other platforms, such as Facebook.'

Since the most recent U.S. presidential election, 'fake news' has posed a serious threat to the credibility - and bottom lines - of social media platforms, such as Facebook, and has driven distrust in mainstream media outlets. Pressland will fight this threat by building a blockchain-powered platform for media transparency.

'By providing the public with trustworthy, decentralized intelligence, Pressland will offer a valuable service to media companies and social media platforms,' said Jeff Koyen.

Proposed revenue sources include:

Enterprise products that can be licensed to Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms, giving them reliable turnkey solutions for debunking fake news and verifying news sources.

Premium memberships and services for professionals working in the media, public relations and marketing.

White-label solutions for platforms and media companies who prefer to maintain their own branding when offering Pressland's services to their members.

Transaction fees for all payments made to Pressland's contributing workforce.

Additionally, assuming that the Company completes the investment, 360 Blockchain will hold a significant reserve of the proposed cryptocurrency tokens. No definitive documentation has yet been signed by the parties, and there is no certainty that such documentation will be signed.

About 360 Blockchain Inc.

Our Mission: To empower blockchain technologies with capital and experience to create exponential value.

Company Description: 360 Blockchain Inc. has an all-round view to accelerate the development and application of revolutionary blockchain technologies by investing capital and expertise. We are founded on the belief that blockchain technology, essentially a distributed ledger which is transparent and incorruptible, has the potential to transform the way business is conducted, delivering security, cost savings and efficiency gains not seen before in our internet connected world. 360 Blockchain will be focused upon identifying and empowering blockchain technologies applying to crypto-currencies, smart contracts, eSports, data management, the internet of things, equity trading, privacy applications and beyond.

For further information, please contact:

Joe Bleackley, Investor Relations or George Tsafalas, CEO

Telephone: 1 (778) 806-5150

E-mail: IR@360blockchaininc.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as 'plans,' 'expects,' 'is expected,' 'budget,' 'scheduled,' 'estimates,' 'forecasts,' 'predicts,' 'intends,' 'targets,' 'aims,' 'anticipates' or 'believes' or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions 'may,' 'could,' 'should,' 'would,' 'might' or 'will' be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws.

SOURCE: 360 Blockchain Inc.
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Swiss Federal Statistical Office releases Swiss retail sales for October at 3:15 am ET Thursday. Sales had fallen 0.4 percent on year in September. Ahead of the data, the franc traded mixed against its major rivals. While the franc rose against the yen, it dropped against the greenback, the pound and the euro. The franc was worth 0.9851 against the greenback, 113.99 against the yen, 1.1687 against the euro and 1.3265 against the pound as of 3:10 am ET. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Warner Bros/Parlophone RecordsLiam Gallagher will be honored with the annual Godlike Genius distinction at the 2018 NME Awards, held February 14 in London.

"I wanna thank the NME for their Godlike Genius award," Gallagher says. "It's about f****** time as far as I'm concerned."

The ex-Oasis frontman released his debut solo album, As You Were, in October. He concludes a U.S. headlining tour in support of the album tonight in Philadelphia.

Previous Godlike Genius winners include Dave Grohl, Coldplay, and Liam's estranged brother, Noel Gallagher, who took home the prize in 2012.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
AMSTERDAM, November 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

LeaseWeb today announces the expansion of its cloud services offering to the United Kingdom and Australia through the opening of new datacenter facilities in London and Sydney. With this expansion, LeaseWeb now offers customers cloud services on four continents in locations across Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. The opening of the new data centers is in accordance with LeaseWeb's global expansion plans.

Businesses increasingly require a hybrid cloud service partner to host all their data across the globe. As a global partner, LeaseWeb serves as a single point of contact, offers compliance with local requirements, and can 'speak the local language'. LeaseWeb's expansion to the United Kingdom and Australia was driven by three factors, ongoing growth, change in international markets, and the belief that expansion should be driven by customer requirements.

Both the UK and Australia are large markets for cloud services that are predicted to have significant growth over the coming years. Beyond this, LeaseWeb sees a trend where UK based companies are looking to partner with a global cloud provider capable of serving their customers both in and outside the United Kingdom, particularly as the political landscape continues to unfold around issues related to Brexit. Similarly, many EU based customers are looking to have a footprint in the UK to better reach local customers.

Two customers who LeaseWeb has worked closely with in developing its expansion plans are TOPdesk and Acronis. TOPdesk, a Netherlands based international software and consulting company, wanted to expand its business in the United Kingdom and turned to LeaseWeb, their hosting provider since 2001 to help them make it possible.

Jeroen Boks, CIO at TOPdesk, says: "Pushed by the uncertainty created by an upcoming British exit from the EU, TOPdesk noticed an increased demand for a UK based hosting facility. By closely working together with LeaseWeb, we were able to act on this in a timely fashion, without compromising in the reliability that we aim for."

The opening of the Sydney datacenter is the result of LeaseWeb's partnership with Acronis. By expanding the partnership customers in Australia can now benefit from the full cloud service offerings of Acronis. Through its Sydney based datacenter, LeaseWeb is able to service both native and international customers, connecting Australia with rest of the world through its global network infrastructure.

Jan-Jaap Jager, Chief Revenue Officer at Acronis, comments: "We are happy to announce our partnership with LeaseWeb. This expansion offers a great opportunity to address new markets and enable customers to use the full range of our cloud services. LeaseWeb is an experienced Cloud company and an innovative pioneer in the industry. As a partner Acronis is proud to be part of another excellent business prospect to strengthen both our positions in the cloud segment."

Con Zwinkels, CEO and co-founder of LeaseWeb, says: "Internet based business is global business by nature. To provide the best and most reliable user experience every time and everywhere, leading Internet and IT business rely on global infrastructure provides who can deliver locally across the globe. By expanding our services to the United Kingdom and Australia, we deliver businesses of all sizes their locally based cloud infrastructure they need to serve their customers with the option to reach customers globally as well."

About LeaseWeb

LeaseWeb is a leading Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provider serving a worldwide portfolio of 17,500 customers ranging from SMBs to Enterprises. Services include Public Cloud, Private Cloud, Colocation, Dedicated Servers, Content Delivery Network, and Cyber Security Services supported by exceptional customer service and technical support. With more than 80,000 servers under management, LeaseWeb has provided infrastructure for mission-critical websites, Internet applications, email servers, security, and storage services since 1997. The company operates 17 data centers in locations across Europe, Asia and North America, all of which are backed by a superior worldwide network with a total capacity of more than 5.5 Tbps. LeaseWeb offers services through its various subsidiaries, which are LeaseWeb Netherlands B.V. ("LeaseWeb Netherlands"), LeaseWeb USA, Inc. ("LeaseWeb USA"), LeaseWeb Asia Pacific PTE. LTD ("LeaseWeb Asia"), LeaseWeb CDN B.V. ("LeaseWeb CDN"), LeaseWeb Deutschland GmbH ("LeaseWeb Germany"), LeaseWeb Australia Ltd. and LeaseWeb UK Ltd. For more information, please visit www.leaseweb.comor follow @LeaseWeb.

About Acronis

Acronis sets the standard for hybrid cloud IT data protection through its backup, ransomware Active Protection, disaster recovery, and secure file sync and share solutions. Powered by the Acronis AnyData Engine and set apart by its image technology, Acronis delivers easy, fast, complete and affordable data protection of all files, applications and operating systems across any environment-virtual, physical, cloud, mobile and applications. Founded in 2003 in Singapore, with global headquarters in Switzerland, Acronis protects the data of more than 5 million consumers and 500,000 businesses in over 150 countries and 20 languages. With more than 100 patents, Acronis products are consistently named best product of the year and cover a range of features, including migration, cloning, and replication. Today, Acronis solutions are available worldwide through a global network of service providers, distributors, and cloud resellers. Learn more atacronis.com

About TOPdesk

TOPdesk sells, implements and supports ITIL-aligned service management software for IT, Facilities Management, and eHRM helpdesks. It helps organizations manage their services more efficiently. Our software supports service desks and other service departments, helping them perform and manage their tasks.

TOPdesk was founded in 1993, has 4,500+ clients in over 50 countries and offices in 10 countries: Netherlands, UK, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, USA, Canada, and Norway. The service management software is available in 10 languages: English, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Danish. TOPdesk has 500+ employees worldwide.

To see the latest version of the software, aiming for simpler and more accessible service management, go to www.topdesk.com
UK partner programme begins amid quadruple EMEA customer growth in past two years LONDON, 2017-11-30 10:00 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Duo Security, one of the world's fastest growing cybersecurity providers, today announced the launch of its Managed Service Provider (MSP) and invitation-only Security Solution Provider programme in the United Kingdom. Duo's formal partner programme, which launched in the U.S. earlier this year, expands to the UK as the company has quadrupled its overall EMEA customer count from 450 to nearly 1,900 in the past two years. Duo helps defend organizations against breaches by making security easy and effective. Anchored by its flagship two-factor authentication (2FA) app, Duo's cloud-based "Trusted Access" product offering verifies the identity of users and the health of their devices before granting them access to data and applications - helping prevent breaches and account takeover. Unlike traditional security vendor programmes with tiered levels, Duo now offers a bespoke programme and enablement plans for security-centric UK-based solution providers invited to join the programme. The company expects more than half of its UK-based business to come through security solution provider and MSP partners as the programme progresses. "Duo removes the pricing and implementation complexity of traditional partner models, allowing partners to be more profitable while providing their customers what they need to protect their data," said Matt Smith, Vice President of Worldwide Channels & Business Development. "Our comprehensive offering combined with our partner's expertise provides organizations a complete trusted access solution to protect their users, devices and applications without the typical complexity of most security products." Duo's UK security solution provider business is led by EMEA Partner Manager Fiona Doak, a recent Duo hire with more than 26 years of experience in cybersecurity and technology. Doak previously held positions at RSA, Juniper Network, F5 Networks and WhiteHat Security. "Duo brings a targeted, hyper-tailored approach to meeting the specific needs of partners and their customers," said Doak. "Each of the security partners we select has a strong practice with dedicated security architects and consultants, meaning the service they provide their customers is among the best in the industry." Duo's UK Security Solution Provider programme already boasts partners such as Teneo, Saepio and Infosec Partners, and continues to expand with a select group of security-centric solution providers. "It's so important today that security processes can be easily adopted and viewed by employees as business enablers, rather than a drag on productivity," said Marc Sollars, Chief Technology Officer at Teneo. "Our partnership with Duo means our customers can embed security much deeper into their company culture, because Duo's technology is such a pleasure to use. At Teneo, we've innovated around Duo's leading authentication technology to deliver a quick-to-implement and easy-to-use solution 'as a Service,' making security even simpler and intuitive for IT teams and employees. I deployed Duo in minutes via my own smartphone and was so amazed by how simple and effective it was, we immediately rolled it out across our own organization." "The world's leading enterprises trust us to provide them sound advice and product recommendations, which is why we make sure each of our partners is of the highest caliber," said Andrew Pitt, Director at Saepio. "Duo's stellar reputation and proven track record of securing customers with an easy to use and effective product make it one of our hallmark product offerings for clients." For more information, please visit https://duo.com/partners. About Duo Security Duo helps defend organizations against breaches through its easy and effective cloud-based Trusted Access product suite. The company verifies the identity of users and the health of their devices before granting them access to applications. Duo's intentional balance of security and usability has led the company to be a trusted partner to thousands of customers worldwide, including Dresser-Rand, Etsy, Facebook, K-Swiss, Random House, Yelp, Zillow, Paramount Pictures, and more. The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company maintains offices in Austin, Texas; San Mateo, California; and London. Visit duo.com to find out more. Media Contact Meredith Corley & Jordan Fylonenko Duo Security Press@duo.com
LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2017 / The Magnolia development remains one of the most competitive LNG development projects (greenfield or brownfield) globally. The industry is starting to recognize that the current LNG oversupply will move towards undersupply within five years and there are few projects on track to fill the resulting gap. This should put Magnolia increasingly in the spotlight for buyers looking to fulfill demand in 2023 onwards. LNGL (OTC PINK: LNGLY) management has indicated it is in discussions with many companies across a diverse set of geographies and interests. We have adjusted our valuation to account for a delayed expectation of project FID, reducing it slightly to $A1.25/share (US$3.8/ADR).

We have adjusted our valuation to account for actual cash balances and move our expectations of the timing for project FID and construction outwards given how long it has taken to move towards binding off-take agreements and management's current thoughts on when agreements will be signed. These changes result in a reduction in our risked valuation to US$3.8/ADR ($A1.25/share), well above current share/ADR prices, while longer-term valuations are materially above these.

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SOURCE: Edison




Release no. 23/2017 Today, Columbus A/S has submitted a conditional offer to buy 100% of the shares in iStone AB. iStone is a Nordic IT services company with global representation and a leading provider of business applications and e-commerce solutions in Sweden and Norway. iStone consists of five separate business areas covering various technologies and solutions. Market leader in the Nordic region With the acquisition of iStone Columbus enters the Swedish market and holds a market leading position within business applications, e-commerce and IT services for selected industries in the Nordic region. iStone adds more than 600 highly skilled employees from across 13 countries, and Columbus hereby expands its global footprint. As a supplement to Columbus' expertise within business applications and IT services, iStone contributes with deep expertise within e-commerce and a broader ERP business. Strengthened industry focus With a common industry focus on manufacturing, food, retail and distribution companies, Columbus offers a complete solution portfolio to customers globally. Besides the common industry focus, iStone comes with a market leading position within ERP solutions for the Swedish manufacturing industry. Combined with Columbus' complete industry solution portfolio for manufacturing companies it opens new opportunities for creating further value for iStone's existing and new customers. Broader technology competencies iStone's deep competencies within Microsoft, Infor M3, SAP and Commerce combined with Columbus' market leading Microsoft competencies and solution portfolio expand the Group's global market potential to offer a broader solution portfolio to a larger market. "We look forward to welcoming iStone's skilled employees. Together we are market leading in the Nordic region and an important global player, and I am excited about how we jointly will create value for our customers and help them in the digital transformation of their business", says CEO & President in Columbus, Thomas Honore. "We look forward to being part of a global player like Columbus. iStone and Columbus are a very good match both businesswise and culturally, and I look forward to realizing the opportunities we can create for our employees, customers and partners", says CEO in iStone, Markus Jakobson. In 2016, iStone had a revenue of SEK 790m and an EBITDA of SEK 10.1m. In 2017 iStone expects to realize a revenue in the level of SEK 800m and an EBITDA in the level of SEK 41m. Transaction overview The acquisition is structured as an initial acquisition of 51% of the shares and subsequently successive acquisition of the remaining 49% in 2018, 2019 and 2020. The agreed acquisition price for the first 51% of the shares is SEK 230m Enterprise Value. The final acquisition price is dependent on the final result for 2017. The price for the remaining 49% is settled at an average EBITDA multiple of 11 and thus affects the Columbus Group as a performance related earn-out. Based on the preliminary business plan, the price for the remaining 49% is expected to be in the level of SEK 200m to 340m. Among other things, the price is dependent on how quickly the synergies are obtained. As the price is dependent on future development, adjustments may occur. No dividend will be paid in iStone until Columbus owns more than 90% of the shares. iStone has more than 230 shareholders, and today shareholders representing 73.5% of the share capital have initially accepted the offer from Columbus. iStone's Board recommends all their shareholders to accept Columbus' offer. In the period until closing the aim is to obtain accept from the remaining shareholders. The offer is therefore conditional on more than 90% of the shareholders accepting the offer. Besides, the offer is conditional on confirmation of a few partnership conditions before closing (date of takeover and control), which is planned for 2 January 2018. The initial acquisition price is expected to be financed with a bank loan. The subsequent acquisitions are expected to be financed with cash flow from operations. In 2018, the acquisition is expected to contribute with a revenue in the level of SEK 800m and an EBITDA in the level of SEK 50m. Columbus expects to be able to implement similar initiatives in iStone as done in Columbus during the previous years which resulted in increased earnings capacity in Columbus. The EBITDA margin in iStone is therefore expected to increase over the coming years. Following the closing of the transaction, further details about the acquisition will be communicated, including synergies and related costs. The acquisition will not affect the annonced expectations for 2017. The acquisition of iStone is a game changer for Columbus, which in one stroke has increased revenue by 50% and is completely in line with Columbus' vision of becoming a global strategic partner leading customers in the digital transformation of their business. Conference call today Columbus will conduct a presentation about the acquisition of iStone via a conference call today, Thursday 30 November at 13:00 CET. For details, please see Columbus' investor site: http://ir.columbusglobal.com/events.cfm Ib Kune Thomas Honore Chairman CEO & President Columbus A/S Columbus A/S Conference call today at 13:00 CET. Please see Columbus' investor site for details: http://ir.columbusglobal.com/events.cfm Contact for further information Thomas Honore, T: +45 70 20 50 00. Translation: In the event of any inconsistency between this document and the Danish language version, the Danish language version shall be the governing version. Attachment: https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=655314
SCOTTSDALE, AZ and SINGAPORE -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/17 -- InfoArmor, Inc., an industry-leading provider of employee identity protection solutions and elite cyber intelligence services, today announced a partnership with CHJ Technologies, a managed cyber security service provider based in Singapore, as an exclusive distributor in the Asia Pacific region for the award-winning VigilanteATI Advanced Threat Intelligence Platform and Investigative Services. CHJ Technologies enables organizations to discover IT assets, risks, and mitigate them in the cloud and/or on-premises.

As Asia's leading and fastest growing managed cyber security service provider, CHJ Technologies specializes in protecting organizations of all sizes throughout Asia with a comprehensive suite of security services that monitors, detects, and protects organizations from the uncertainty of the cyber-world. The addition of VigilanteATI and InfoArmor's Investigative services complements CHJ Technologies's current offerings of DDoS protection, Website monitoring, malware intelligence and security awareness training.

Recently, CHJ Technologies has been awarded several large tenders by the Singapore government to deliver cloud-based DDoS protection and Web application security services. Due to this recent partnership agreement with InfoArmor, CHJ Technologies has added InfoArmor's Advanced Threat Intelligence solutions to their portfolio and has been awarded other tenders and Proof-of-Concepts within the Singapore government.

"Our exclusive distributorship with InfoArmor will enable us to provide operatively-sourced threat intelligence and investigative services to Singapore and the entire Asia Pacific region," said Linus Choo, Managing Director of CHJ Technologies. "InfoArmor delivers actionable true threat intelligence that will provide businesses and governments with preemptive and other valuable HUMINT to help protect them from the increasing threats from the Dark Web and mitigate exfiltrated data for sale in the underground economy."

Asia Pacific is the most targeted area of cyber-attacks and has created a burden within the region. The lack of operatively-sourced threat intelligence has enabled threat actors to infiltrate networks, launch successful ransomware attacks and exfiltrate data, especially within the banking and healthcare sectors.

"This is a mutually beneficial agreement between CHJ Technologies and InfoArmor," said Mike Kirschner, Sr. Vice President of Sales of InfoArmor Advanced Threat Intelligence Unit. "CHJ Technologies will be able to leverage their Asia Pacific presence and provide unsurpassed threat intelligence to businesses and governments that can greatly benefit them in a region that is besieged by cyber threats. In addition, InfoArmor ATI is gaining global market share by extending its presence in the Asia Pacific region in the fight against global cyber threats."

Product Pricing and Availability

The VigilanteATI solution and investigative services are available immediately. To request pricing, please contact CHJ Technologies at +65 6896 7998, or email sales@chjtech.com.sg. Visit the CHJ Technologies Website athttp://www.chjtech.com.sg for more information.

About InfoArmor Advanced Threat Intelligence

InfoArmor Advanced Threat Intelligence is a world-leading provider of operatively-sourced threat intelligence. InfoArmor Advanced Threat Intelligence delivers unsurpassed targeted threat intelligence sourced by an elite team of Dark Web operatives and researchers. The award-winning VigilanteATI Advanced Threat Intelligence platform has become the de facto standard in delivering true threat intelligence for any size organization. With a robust feature set, VigilanteATI provides comprehensive, actionable and contextual intelligence. Products and services can be delivered in a variety of flexible options and focus on breach intelligence, network exposure, compromised data, risk mitigation, Dark Web surveillance and operative engagement. VigilanteATI provides the highest level of timely and accurate threat intelligence with real-time, client-specific alerts designed to mitigate risk with minimal effort required by your IT security team. InfoArmor Advanced Threat Intelligence products and services are applicable to a broad array of enterprises, government agencies, financial institutions, SMBs, higher education, and managed service providers. For more information, please visit ati.infoarmor.com

About CHJ Technologies

CHJ Technologies is a world-class Information Technologies consultant and implementer, consistently leveraging the cutting-edge in various areas -- rapid software development (Agile/Scrum expert for over 15 years), robust enterprise-grade software (high-availability, high velocity), cyber security (reverse-engineering of malware), cyber hygiene, among many other areas. Our cyber security engineering and software development efforts are precisely focused and up-to-date relevant, given InfoArmor's ability to sense cyber attackers' current interests. We protect our customers' critical assets and data wherever they live -- in the cloud and on-premise. Our globally distributed perimeter defense solutions are quickly and easily scalable for organizations of all sizes in all geographical locations. Continually pushing boundaries with our ability to competently *build* IT systems, we readily meet new and disruptive challenges in the IT world. Guided by InfoArmor's up-to-date insights, we rapidly build solutions for all your needs today and future. We solve tomorrow's uncertainties today. For more information, please visit http://www.chjtech.com.sg

Copyright  2007-2017 InfoArmor. All rights reserved. All other names and marks are property of their respective owners.

InfoArmor Corporate Contact:

Byron Rashed

InfoArmor, Inc.

+1 480 302 6701 Main

+1 480 302 6467 Direct

Email Contact



CHJ Technologies Corporate Contact:

Linus Choo

CHJ Technologies

+65 6896 7998 Main

Email Contact




Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Facebook Inc. said it was temporarily disabling an option that allowed advertisers on its social network to exclude certain races from their targeting. In a letter, Facebook's chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg told African-American U.S. lawmakers that the company was determined to do better. The move follows a news report that said Facebook had failed to block discriminatory ads. Sandberg wrote in the letter to the Congressional Black Caucus, 'Until we can better ensure that our tools will not be used inappropriately, we are disabling the option that permits advertisers to exclude multicultural affinity segments from the audience for their ads.' ProPublica, a U.S.-based news organization, reported last week that, as part of an investigation, it had bought discriminatory housing ads on Facebook. Earlier, Facebook had claimed that it was able to detect and block such ads. Sandberg was addressing the concerns by the group of black U.S. lawmakers about a range of issues, from the ad targeting to Facebook's efforts on workplace diversity. Facebook is said to have tightened rules for advertisers in general, especially around divisive and discriminatory content. These include ads that depict violence, sell weapons or attack people based on their race or religion. Facebook is reportedly hiring more black and Hispanic people for its global ads review team that would increase by 1,000 people over the next year. Around 7,500 employees are working globally removing content that is against the company's community standards. She said, 'This will help increase the diversity of our workforce and improve our understanding and awareness of ads that are meant to exploit culturally sensitive issues.' Under U.S. law, it is illegal to publish certain types of ads if they indicate a preference based on race, religion, sex or certain classifications. Sandberg further said the advertisers who use Facebook's targeting options to include certain races for ads will have to certify to Facebook that they are complying with the company's anti-discrimination policy and with applicable law. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
GRASS VALLEY, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/17 -- Simlatus Corporation (OTC PINK: SIML) announces today the televised phone interview with Chairman Robert Stillwaugh.

On November 16, 2017, Robert "Bob" Stillwaugh, Chairman of Simlatus Corp., gave an interview with Robert Sullivan of the Big Biz Show through JUMP Television Studios.

Please use the following link to watch the interview:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/h1a1k64kotdx8sh/Bob%20Stillwaugh%20BBS%2011-16-17.mp4?dl=0

Seen AND heard Weekdays on ON NETWORK TELEVISION: JUMP Television Studios interviews are broadcast on HD television in 100 million broadcast homes on the YouTOO America Television Network, BizTelevision Network via Time Warner Cable, ATT U-verse and Cox Communications among others and an additional distribution on TIVO homes. Moreover, Sully is a weekly contributor on the FOX Business Network. The broadcast is on the radio in over 150 radio stations nationwide from 12-2pm EST daily on the IHeart Media [formerly Clearchannel], BizTalk Radio Network and American Forces Network [Formerly American Forces Radio] in 175 countries and all the ships at sea, Wall St. Radio Network, Yahoo Radio, AOL Radio, as well as replayed on a total of 1400 stations weekly.

ABOUT SIMLATUS: www.simlatus.com

Simlatus Corporation's 18 year history as an audio/video icon, designs, manufactures and sells 55 commercial broadcast products worldwide. The company has a small revenue base in the broadcast industry with long-term national and international distribution. Our customers include large broadcast giants such as Warner Bros., CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, ESPN and DIRECTV, as well as many smaller broadcast customers which include religious facilities, international broadcast facilities, colleges, and radio stations. The new SyncPal, and our future Simlatus-IBS, will allow the company to capitalize in the $150B growing industry of augmented/virtual reality.

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes forward-looking statements. While these statements are made to convey to the public the company's progress, business opportunities and growth prospects, readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements represent management's opinion. Whereas management believes such representations to be true and accurate based on information and data available to the company at this time, actual results may differ materially from those described. The Company's operations and business prospects are always subject to risk and uncertainties. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ are and will be set forth in the company's periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:



Mike Schatz

COO

(530) 205-3437

www.simlatus.com




VALLEY COTTAGE, New York, November 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

FMI delivers key insights and presents a revised forecast of the global automated breast ultrasound Systems market for a 10 year period from 2017 to 2027 for the report titled "Automated Breast Ultrasound System Market: Global Industry Analysis 2012-2016 and Opportunity Assessment 2017-2027." The revision in the market size and forecasts have been carried out taking into account the impact of various macroeconomic indicators and other industry-based demand-driving factors, as well as the recent developments of key market participants. The global automated breast ultrasound system market is projected to expand at a healthy CAGR of 6.8% in terms of value during the forecast period, revised from the previous CAGR of 8.1%, due to factors regarding which FMI offers useful insights in detail in this report.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161020/430874LOGO )



The global automated breast ultrasound system is expected to increase at a CAGR of over 6.8% and reach US$ 212.8 Mn in revenues in 2027. North America and APEJ has collectively accounted for nearly 55.6% revenue share of the automated breast ultrasound system in 2016. The growing number of cancer treatment cases and increasing real time result analysis with the advent of imaging techniques has led to a threefold increase in the demand for automated breast ultrasound system and services. Due to the dominant features and advantages, the automated breast ultrasound system, is preferred by hospitals, followed by diagnostic imaging laboratories.

Read Report Overview @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/automated-breast-ultrasound-system-market-112017

Asia Pacific and MEA regions are the highest population regions. The rapidly developing health care infrastructure and increasing medical tourism in these regions is expected to play an important role in driving growth of global automated breast ultrasound system market.

Increasing demand for high end, automated breast ultrasound system from end users, such as hospitals and diagnostic imaging laboratories for better throughput and performance will generate opportunities for launching of novel ultrasound techniques and services in the market over the long run and drive the growth of the global automated breast ultrasound system market. Ultrasound services help in increasing the throughput at a remarkable speed and with precise motion and consistency in report generation. The growing number of cancer treatment cases and real time result analysis has led to a threefold increase in demand for automated ultrasound system for breast with advanced software and services.

For ultrasound imaging, various compatible solutions are available which ensure everything is in place to support smooth implementation on the platform. The increasing strategic consolidation activities such as service agreements, technology transfer and collaborations among service providers and end users, is also expected to bolster the growth of the global automated breast ultrasound system market.

Hospitals segment will remain the largest segment by the end user, accounted for over 55.4% revenue share of the market in 2016. The hospital segment is estimated to reflect a market valuation of US$ 120 Mn by the end of the year of assessment and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7% during the forecast period. The increasing demand of automated breast ultrasound system at end users such as hospitals & diagnostic imaging laboratories is anticipated to register a significant growth over the forecast period.

Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-5657

The developing medical industry in respect to advanced infrastructure and increasing medical tourism in the developing countries from the APEJ such as China, India will continue to have a positive impact on automated breast ultrasound system market in APEJ. An ease-of-use and economic convenience in the North America and Western Europe is anticipated to boost the growth of the automated breast ultrasound system market over a forecast period. The rise in discretionary funding for the research and development activities for the advanced and cost effective medical devices and integration services will also drive the market in the North America and Western Europe regions. MEA is at a nascent stage in the global automated breast ultrasound system market and is expected to show a moderate growth over a forecast period.

Request for Table of Contents @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-5657

GE Healthcare, Hitachi, Ltd., Siemens AG, Koninklijke Philips N.V. and Delphinus Medical Technologies, Inc are some of the key players in the global automated breast ultrasound system market. Companies in the global automated breast ultrasound system market are focusing on strategic alliances such as strategic agreements, collaborations, rising research and development activities, new product launches, joint ventures, partnerships, and mergers & acquisitions to sustain in the overall competition in the lab automation market.

Buy Automated Breast Ultrasound System Market Research Report @https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/5657

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 and an aerial view of the competitive framework and future market trends.

Contact Us

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Website: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com
WARSAW, Poland, November 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The FIBARO Wall Plug EU WiFi/BLE designed to work with Apple's HomeKit platform is the first such device to be made available worldwide. Thanks to its completely new means of wireless communication, this intelligent switch can be controlled via a smartphone app without the need to install a central smart home unit.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613225/FIBARO_Home_Intelligence_Logo.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613223/FIBARO_Wall_Plug.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613224/FIBARO_HK_Wall_Plug_E_Right.jpg )

The FIBARO Wall Plug is a remote-controlled electrical outlet and switch capable of measuring energy consumption levels. It is an adapter that is plugged directly into any electrical outlet, allowing users to conveniently and remotely control the power supply to electrical appliances such as: lamps, household appliances, audio/video devices or chargers. The HomeKit-compatible EU WiFi/BLE version of the FIBARO Wall Plug relies on a revolutionary means of wireless communication that combines both WiFi and Bluetooth; allowing the device to communicate directly with Apple's iCloud without the need for a central smart home unit such as an iPad or Apple TV. With just the HomeKit app, users have full control over all their devices connected via the FIBARO Wall Plug; this means that users no longer have to worry about whether they've left the iron on after they've left their home - they can just check if the electrical outlet is on via their smartphone app. Moreover, the FIBARO Wall Plug will notify its users when a connected device, such as a fridge, suddenly stops consuming power (indicating that it may have stopped working).

The FIBARO Wall Plug is ready-to-use straight out of the box. Installing it doesn't require specialized tools or electrical engineering knowledge - just take it out of the box, plug it into an electrical outlet and you're free to connect any electric device to it. The FIBARO Wall Plug is compatible with all other FIBARO smart home devices. For example, these can be set to cut off the electrical supply to devices in the event that a different smart home system detects flooding, or users could set hourly schedules which automatically power down devices for the night and turn them back on in the morning.

The FIBARO Wall Plug monitors the energy consumption levels of any devices connected to it. It also features an RGB LED ring that informs users about the current power consumption of a device. The LED ring can also double as a night light. The FIBARO Wall Plug allows users to effectively manage the energy consumption of electrical devices in and around their homes. The HomeKit-compatible EU WiFi/BLE FIBARO Wall Plug is already available in most European countries including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Norway, Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Finland.

ABOUT FIBARO

FIBARO is an innovative Polish company whose operations are based around the Internet of Things by providing solutions for building and home automation. In just a few years' time, the FIBARO System has spread throughout 6 continents and over 100 countries, becoming one of the most advanced smart home systems in the world. FIBARO is a system that is entirely created and manufactured in Poland - both the company's head office and manufacturing facility are based in Poznan. FIBARO employs nearly 350 people. The company's mission is to enrich people's lives by providing modern solutions that facilitate a comfortable, friendly and safe home environment.

For more information about our products and the company itself, please head over to www.fibaro.com.

Press contacts:

FIBARO Press Office

fibaro@mslgroup.com


NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2017 / Express, Inc. (NYSE: EXPR) will be discussing their earnings results in their Q3 Earnings Call to be held on November 30, 2017 at 9:00 AM Eastern Time.

To listen to the event live or access a replay of the call - visit https://www.investornetwork.com/company/3385.

To receive updates for this company you can register by emailing info@investornetwork.com or by clicking get investment info from the company's profile.

About Investor Network

Investor Network (IN) is a financial content community, serving millions of unique investors market information, earnings, commentary and news on the what's trending. Dedicated to both the professional and the average traders, IN offers timely, trusted and relevant financial information for virtually every investor. IN is an Issuer Direct brand, to learn more or for the latest financial news and market information, visit www.investornetwork.com. Follow us on Twitter @investornetwork.

SOURCE: Investor Network
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 30, 2017) - Bearing Lithium Corp. (TSXV: BRZ) (OTCQB: BRGRF) (FSE: B6K1) ("Bearing" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the Maricunga lithium brine project in Chile. Bearing will hold a final 17.7% interest in the Maricunga Project along with Minera Salar Blanco ("MSB") and Lithium Power International Limited ("Lithium Power") at 32.3% and 50% respectively pursuant to a joint venture arrangement (the "Joint Venture"). Under the terms of the Joint Venture, Lithium Power is earning into the project by funding exploration and development costs with both Bearing and MSB having a free carry until the completion of a definitive feasibility study.

As previously disclosed, WorleyParsons, a global engineering firm, has been appointed by the Joint-Venture to lead the project design which culminates in a definitive feasibility study. Prior to the delivery of the definitive feasibility study in 2018, a preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") is anticipated to be released before year-end 2017. The PEA will be based on an estimated production rate of 20,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate per year. The PEA will include process flow diagram of major units, process description to define the concentration and purification, equipment list, general arrangement of production ponds, plant block diagram and conceptual report for electrical generation. The study will also include capital and operational expenditures and after-tax cash flow forecasts and cash flow sensitivity to key inputs.

Jeremy Poirier, Bearing Lithium President and CEO commented: "The PEA on Maricunga is an important milestone that shows the excellent progress of the project and its true potential as a world class lithium project. As the most advanced development project in Chile, Maricunga's PEA represents yet another step to build shareholder value to our flagship asset."

Frits Reidel, CPG, who is a technical consultant to the Company and is a qualified person within the context of National Instrument 43-101, has read and takes responsibility for this news release. Frits Reidel is independent (as such term is used in National Instrument of Ni 43-101) of the Company.

About WorleyParsons

WorleyParsons Ltd. is a publicly-listed Australian-based engineering firm (ASX: WOR) with a market capitalization of A$4.02 billion dollars. The company has extensive experience in Latin America with a number of lithium projects, including the expansion of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile production from the Salar de Atacama in Chile from 28,000 tons to 40,000 tons of lithium carbonate per annum. SQM is the world-leading producer and service provider in three main business areas - specialty plant nutrition, iodine and lithium - where it currently holds approximately one third of the worldwide market share. WorleyParsons also worked on the original feasibility study prepared by Lithium Americas for their Cauchari project in Argentina.

Engagement of Investor Relations Provider

In addition, the Company engaged Portfolio Wealth Global LLC ("PWG"), an affiliate of Future Money Trends LLC, to provide certain financial publishing and digital marketing services during the period from September 30 to December 30, 2017. In exchange for providing these services, PWG has received a fee of US$225,000. To the knowledge of the Company, no principal of PWG owns any securities of the Company. PWG is a California based financial newsletter.

About Bearing Lithium Corp.

Bearing Lithium Corp. is a mineral exploration and development company, primarily focused on lithium. Its primary asset is a free-carried 17.7% interest in the Maricunga lithium brine project in Chile. The Maricunga project represents one of the highest-grade lithium brine salars globally and the only pre-production project in Chile. Over US$30 million has been invested in the project to date and all expenditures through 2018, including the delivery of a Definitive Feasibility Study in mid-2018, are fully-funded by their earn-in joint-venture partner. Bearing also holds a portfolio of grass-roots exploration projects in the gold district of the Yukon, which are currently optioned to Golden Predator, and a lithium project in Nevada, which is currently optioned to First Division Ventures Inc.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD



Signed "Jeremy Poirier"

Jeremy Poirier, President and CEO



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Jeremy Poirier-- President and CEO Bearing Lithium - Telephone: 1-604-262-8835



Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.



Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information

This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating the future operating or financial performance of the Company, are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate to, among other things: completion of a PEA and completion of a Definitive Feasibility Study. Statements concerning mineral resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking information to the extent that they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered if the Maricunga Project is developed. Actual future results may differ materially. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Bearing, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the occurrence of unexpected financial obligations, fluctuations in the price of lithium or certain other commodities; fluctuations in the currency markets; changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding); the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining and employee relations. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these times. Except as required by law, Bearing does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.
MORRISTOWN (dpa-AFX) - Honeywell International Inc. (HON) said it has acquired SCAME Sistemi, s.r.l., a privately-held provider of fire and gas safety systems. The company noted that the acquisition will add new fire and gas safety capabilities to Honeywell's portfolio of Connected Building solutions. SCAME is a provider of all-in-one systems that deliver management of fire and gas detection, and fire extinguishing systems, from a single interface and supervisory software platform. When combined with Honeywell's fire and gas product portfolio, SCAME's industrial controllers and management systems will provide powerful integrated solutions for customers. Installers and operators will benefit from seamless integration that provides access to critical information, alerts and control. Honeywell's acquisition of SCAME will create new opportunities to deploy SCAME's products worldwide. Founded in 1979, SCAME is based in Arluno (Milan), Italy, and has approximately 25 employees. The company will be integrated into the Fire business within Honeywell Home and Building Technologies or HBT. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2017 / Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS) will be discussing their earnings results in their Q2 Earnings Call to be held on November 30, 2017 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time.

To listen to the event live or access a replay of the call - visit https://www.investornetwork.com/company/2882.

To receive updates for this company you can register by emailing info@investornetwork.com or by clicking get investment info from the company's profile.

About Investor Network

Investor Network (IN) is a financial content community, serving millions of unique investors market information, earnings, commentary and news on the what's trending. Dedicated to both the professional and the average traders, IN offers timely, trusted and relevant financial information for virtually every investor. IN is an Issuer Direct brand, to learn more or for the latest financial news and market information, visit www.investornetwork.com. Follow us on Twitter @investornetwork.

SOURCE: Investor Network
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2017 / Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE: DCI) will be discussing their earnings results in their Q1 Earnings Call to be held on November 30, 2017 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time.

To listen to the event live or access a replay of the call - visit https://www.investornetwork.com/company/3197.

To receive updates for this company you can register by emailing info@investornetwork.com or by clicking get investment info from the company's profile.

About Investor Network

Investor Network (IN) is a financial content community, serving millions of unique investors market information, earnings, commentary and news on the what's trending. Dedicated to both the professional and the average traders, IN offers timely, trusted and relevant financial information for virtually every investor. IN is an Issuer Direct brand, to learn more or for the latest financial news and market information, visit www.investornetwork.com. Follow us on Twitter @investornetwork.

SOURCE: Investor Network
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/17 -- Tangelo Games Corp. ("Tangelo" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: GEL) reports its financial results for the third quarter of 2017 (the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2017).

HIGHLIGHTS

All figures CAD

-- Tangelo generated revenue of $8.45 million and $26.70 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 compared to revenue of $9.31 million and $30.22 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016. The Operating Loss was $1.08 million and $2.26 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 compared to $0.12 million and $1.45 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016. Adjusted EBITDA of $2.03 million and $6.94 million was realized for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 compared to $2.96 million and $8.72 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 (see Non- IFRS measures). -- In the third quarter, Tangelo's operational turnaround began to bear fruit: -- Paying users at Tangelo Israel grew year-over-year for this first time since the acquisition of the Diwip business. -- Revenue from new players at Tangelo Spain grew year-over-year for the first time since the acquisition of Akamon.

Third Quarter Financial Summary

in $000,000 Canadian Dollars except for shares and per share amounts

For the Three Months Ended September 30, 2017 2016 REVENUE 8.45 9.31 Adjusted EBITDA(i) 2.03 2.96 Transaction costs, Severance and restructure costs, Depreciation of equipment, Amortization of intangibles and Stockbased compensation 3.11 3.07 OPERATING LOSS (1.08) (0.12) FINANCING AND OTHER NON-OPERATING EXPENSES Interest and accretion, Interest income, Changes in value of long-term debt, Foreign exchange 1.83 5.94 LOSS, CONTINUING OPERATIONS, BEFORE INCOME TAX (2.91) (6.06) NET LOSS, CONTINUING OPERATIONS (2.67) (5.90) NET(LOSS)/INCOME, DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS (0.00) 0.02 TOTAL NET LOSS FOR THE PERIOD (2.67) (5.89) Basic and diluted loss per share, continuing operations $ (0.01) $ (0.03) Basic and diluted (loss)/income per share, discontinued operations $ (0.00) $ 0.00 Weighted average number of shares: basic and diluted 180,668,880 179,820,105 For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017 2016 REVENUE 26.70 30.22 Adjusted EBITDA(i) 6.94 8.72 Transaction costs, Severance and restructure costs, Depreciation of equipment, Amortization of intangibles and Stockbased compensation 9.20 10.17 OPERATING LOSS (2.26) (1.45) FINANCING AND OTHER NON-OPERATING EXPENSES Interest and accretion, Interest income, Changes in value of long-term debt, Foreign exchange 7.79 7.47 LOSS, CONTINUING OPERATIONS, BEFORE INCOME TAX (10.05) (8.92) NET LOSS, CONTINUING OPERATIONS (9.36) (8.36) NET(LOSS)/INCOME, DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS (0.05) 0.03 TOTAL NET LOSS FOR THE PERIOD (9.41) (8.34) Basic and diluted loss per share, continuing operations $ (0.05) $ (0.05) Basic and diluted (loss)/income per share, discontinued operations $ (0.00) $ 0.00 Weighted average number of shares: basic and diluted 180,668,880 175,629,236 (i) see Non-IFRS measures

Tangelo Q3 2017 results can be found on its website (www.tangelo.com) or SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

Vicenc Marti, President of Tangelo, commented:

"While our development staff has been focused on the essential tasks of developing a better mobile product and completing our migration from Flash to Unity, our operating teams have been fighting hard to drive user growth and spend across our current platforms. In this quarter, Tangelo delivered several improved business metrics that represent milestones in our operational turnaround of Tangelo's social casino assets.

Tangelo Israel - monetizing historical user base

As previously identified, one of our key growth opportunities is unlocking the value in the historical Tangelo Israel database through better data-driven marketing. In the quarter, Tangelo grew paying users at Tangelo Israel year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter for the first time since the acquisition of the Diwip business, and in doing so, effectively reversed a two year decline. This turnaround was driven by a comprehensive range of initiatives, including changing management, technology platform and CRM systems.

Tangelo Spain - driving new user revenue through new features and markets

While Facebook desktop continues to decline as a destination for much of the industry, Tangelo Spain is growing revenue from first-time players at its own portal through the release of innovative new features, including the introduction of its coin "bank" and new missions and tournaments. These new features had the effect of growing portal revenue in Spain and Latin America, including Argentina and Mexico. In the quarter overall, Tangelo grew revenue from new players at Tangelo Spain year-over-year for the first time since the acquisition of Akamon.

Remarkably, these milestones were achieved prior to Tangelo launching its new mobile apps scheduled for release in the next two quarters. Additionally, we achieved these important growth metrics while maintaining our focus on migration out of FLASH and into UNITY, which is nearing completion.

Oscar Fonrodona, Tangelo's Managing Director, remarked: "Our path is clear: we need to continue optimizing our internal marketing programs to set up Tangelo for its next phase of growth, which will be around the launch of its mundijuegos app for the Latin markets by the end of Q4 2017 and the launch of our English-language app at the end of Q1 2018.

Tangelo's first new US facing app is 'Best Jackpot', which will deliver a unique jackpot-based gaming experience, is expected to be released by the end of Q1 2018."

James Lanthier, Chief Executive Officer of Tangelo, commented:

"We are pleased with our progress in improving the business. While our improvement in operating metrics may take some time to translate into revenue and operating profit growth, the business is demonstrably heading in the right direction, with paying users increasingly slightly quarter-over-quarter from approximately 53,000 to 54,000. Our decline in overall revenue in the comparative periods was primarily driven by a reduction in revenue from Facebook at both Tangelo Israel and Tangelo Spain, a secular trend affecting most publishers in the sector. Tangelo's Facebook business was further impacted by our lack of new content due to our migration process. Migration is nearly complete, however, and as we have previously stated, our best defense against Facebook desktop's gradual decline as a distribution platform is a better mobile product, and with two upcoming mobile app releases and the Unity migration nearly complete, we believe that we are well positioned in this regard.

Our costs were essentially flat between periods, and in Q4 we have taken additional steps to reduce our corporate overhead costs and obligations.

The Company reiterates that it is in discussions with a number of parties regarding potential transactions that could result in an acquisition, merger with, or sale to a third party. The Company can offer no assurances that these discussions will yield a successful transaction, and the Company can offer no further details or commentary regarding the likelihood or nature of the potential transactions."

Financial Results and Non-IFRS Measures

The Company has included certain Non-IFRS performance measures, namely EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA, within this press release. The Company believes that, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, we and certain investors and securities analysts use this information to evaluate the Company's performance and ability to generate cash, profits and meet financial commitments. These Non-IFRS measures do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. These Non-IFRS measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS.

EBITDA is defined as "Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization". Adjusted EBITDA adjusts EBTIDA for due diligence and transaction costs and restructure and severance expenses as these are generally non-recurring. The Company removes stock based compensation in calculating Adjusted EBITDA as it is a non- cash expense that can vary significantly depending on the timing of option grants. EBITDA does not include the discontinued operations of Vast and Tech Channel. The following tables provide a reconciliation to Operating Loss/Income on the Statements of Consolidated Income and Comprehensive Loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 as reported in the Company's interim financial statements.

For the Three Months For the Nine Months Ended Ended September 30, September 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 -------------------------------------------- Operating loss, in 000,000's $ (1.08) $ (0.12) $ (2.26) $ (1.45) Add back: Transaction costs 0.19 0.08 0.37 0.35 Severance and restructure costs 0.12 0.08 0.17 0.80 Depreciation of equipment 0.02 0.02 0.08 0.08 Amortization of intangibles 2.76 2.82 8.50 8.58 Stock-based compensation 0.02 0.07 0.08 0.35 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adjusted EBITDA $ 2.03 $ 2.95 $ 6.94 $ 8.71 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

About Tangelo

Tangelo Games Corp., the parent company of Tangelo Israel and Tangelo Spain, is a developer of social and mobile gaming for desktop, iOS and Android platforms. Tangelo Israel and Tangelo Spain design, develop and distribute their top ranked social casino-themed games within online social networks (such as Facebook) and mobile platforms (such as Android and iPhone). All of the Tangelo Israel and Tangelo Spain games are free to play and generate revenue primarily through the in-game sale of virtual coins.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information:

Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward looking statements" which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. When used in this press release, such statements may use such words as "may", "will", expect", "believe", "plan" and other similar terminology. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the future business and operations of the Company, the ability of the Company to release new and successful games, the financial results of the Company and its subsidiaries, negotiations with the Company's lenders to extend or amend terms of the credit facility, the potential to enter into a strategic or financing transaction with a third party or receive approval from the Company's lenders to enter into such transaction, and the future prospects of the Company. These statements reflect management's current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date of this press release. The forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic, market or business conditions and future developments in the sectors of the economy in which the businesses of Tangelo operate. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Please see the Company's short form prospectus dated March 27, 2015, the Company's Annual Information Form dated November 11, 2015 and other documents available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com, for a more detailed description of the risk factors. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether a result of new information, future results or otherwise, except as required by law.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Contacts:

Pinnacle Capital Markets LTD.

Spyros P. Karellas, President & CEO

Mobile/Office:416-433-5696

spyros@pinnaclecapitalmarkets.ca

www.pinnaclecapitalmarkets.ca

Skype: spyros.karellas




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/17 -- ARHT Media Inc. ("ARHT" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: ART), creators of digital human holograms called HumaGrams, is pleased to announce that effective November 30, 2017 the Company's common shares have been consolidated such that one (1) new common share has been issued for every eleven (11) common shares outstanding. A letter of transmittal will be sent by mail to shareholders advising that the share consolidation has taken effect and instructing shareholders to surrender the certificates evidencing their common shares for replacement certificates representing the number of common shares to which they are entitled as a result of the consolidation. Until surrendered, each certificate representing pre-consolidation common will be deemed for all purposes to represent the number of common shares to which the holder thereof is entitled as a result of the consolidation.

The shareholders of the company approved the share consolidation at the special meeting of the Company held on October 26, 2017. Further details regarding the share consolidation are contained in the Company's Management Information Circular dated September 25, 2017, which has been filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About ARHT Media

ARHT's patented Augmented Reality Holographic Telepresence technology is the world's first complete end-to-end solution for the creation, transmission, and delivery of lifelike digital human holograms, known as HumaGrams. The Company's technology is protected by U.S. Patent No. 9,581,962.

Connect with ARHT Media

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ARHTmedia

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ARHTmediainc

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/arht-media-inc-

For more information, please visit http://www.arhtmedia.com/ or contact the investor relations group at info@arhtmedia.com.

ARHT Media trades under the symbol "ART" on the Toronto Venture Stock Exchange.

Regulatory Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the share consolidation. Generally, forward looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic and competitive uncertainties; regulatory risks; risks inherent in technology operations; and other risks of the technology industry. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Contacts:

ARHT Media Public Relations

Kam Gill

+1 416 861 5875

kam@arhtmedia.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/17 -- Novoheart ("Novoheart" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: NVH), a global stem cell biotechnology company, today announced that it has filed a provisional patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a versatile bioreactor platform that is used to culture, stimulate, and monitor the function of multiple engineered human-tissue organoids. The proprietary bioreactor system, which comprises hardware for organoid maintenance, manipulation and recording, together with customized software for seamless data processing and analysis, is designed to increase throughput, deliver heightened consistency, and extend stimulation and monitoring capabilities. Ultimately, the new technology enhances Novoheart's capacity and further expands its ability to identify promising bioactive therapeutics, classify toxicity of unknown drugs and pioneer innovative methods of addressing diseases or disorders.

Drug development is a notoriously lengthy, expensive and inefficient process, typically costing US$2-3bn and taking more than 10 years to develop a single drug, with unacceptably high failure rates of around 90%. Cardiac toxicity has been a major contributing factor, and conventional non-human cell and animal models are part of the problem: they are poorly predictive of human responses, leading to false negative and false positive results that compromise overall successes. Bioartificial tissue-engineered organoids represent a potent technology to revolutionize drug screening by improving the ability to predict the effects of newly developed drugs in a human-specific model system. The expected results are minimized patient harm and significantly reduced screening costs through eliminating toxic drug candidates early in pre-clinical development. The provisional patent covers the design of a bioreactor platform for tissue-engineered human organoids with an array of innovative tools to support organoid development and improve analysis of their functional response to therapeutics.

The first applications of the bioreactor will be to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of cardioactive drugs on human ventricular cardiac organoid chambers (hvCOC), a part of Novoheart's MyHeart Platform. The modular design of the bioreactor allows multiple organoids to be combined for increased throughput of the semi-automated culture and testing process. Additionally, the interconnected bioreactor design makes it uniquely able to simultaneously culture a variety of bio-engineered organoids, such as liver, kidney or brain organoids, and allow them to communicate with one another through a circulatory-like fluidic system, simulating how organs react to drugs as an integrated system. The provisional patent application is expected to mature into a full patent and provide commercial protection for the bioreactor technology.

"The pinnacle of Novoheart's MyHeart Platform is the hvCOC, or human heart-in-a-jar, which provides a unique combination of electrophysiology and contractility measures most informative to cardiologists," said Novoheart CSO Kevin Costa. "By automating some of the existing labor-intensive processes such as data acquisition and analysis, this patent application represents the introduction of a very exciting new combination of hardware and software that will enable us to increase not only the quantity but the quality of hvCOCs that can be tested, and begin to integrate these with other organoid systems in a way that captures the complex systems-level physiology of the human body."

Novoheart CEO Ronald Li said, "The result is that we will be able to deliver more predictive pre-clinical assays for our clients that will help them significantly reduce costs, ensure safety and efficacy of new therapeutics, and maximize success rates, thereby ultimately creating new values to our investors."

About Novoheart:

Novoheart is a global stem cell biotechnology company pioneering an array of next-generation human heart tissue prototypes. It is the first company in the world to have engineered miniature living human heart pumps that can revolutionize drug discovery, helping to save time and money for developing new therapeutics.

Also known as 'human heart-in-a-jar', Novoheart's bioartificial human heart constructs are created using state-of-the-art stem cell and bioengineering approaches, and are utilized by drug developers for accurate preclinical testing as to the effectiveness and safety of new drugs, maximizing the successes in drug discovery whilst minimizing costs and harm caused to patients.

The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") under the symbol "NVH".

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation; statements about the Company's future plans, its goals and expectations, and the potential applications of its MyHeart platform are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the risks identified in the management discussion and analysis section of Novoheart Holdings Inc.'s interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulators. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the respective companies undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.

Contacts:

Ronald Li, CEO

info@novoheart.com



Babak Pedram, Investor Relations

Virtus Advisory Group

416-644-5081

bpedram@virtusadvisory.com



For media enquiries or interviews, please contact:

Josh Stanbury, Media Relations

416-628-7441

media@novoheart.com




VISTA, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/17 -- TetraVue, the leader in high definition 4D LIDAR technology, today announced that KLA Tencor, Lam Research and Tsing Capital have joined existing investors Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH, Samsung Catalyst Fund and Nautilus Ventures in providing additional funding to the company. TetraVue technology is radically different from current LIDAR approaches, merging the resolution of HD video with range data to enable the industry's first long-range, 4D motion capture. It is the first 4D camera technology that captures real-time images with depth perception down to each pixel, allowing it to transform markets including autonomous vehicles, machine vision and factory automation.

Today's digital video cameras accurately capture high resolution 2D images over time, but are unable to see the depth of objects. Competing LIDAR solutions can detect the depth of a set of points, but at insufficient resolution to be discernable as an image. TetraVue cameras uniquely merge digital video with LIDAR technology by capturing multi-megapixel images at up to 30 frames per second with accurate depth for each individual pixel. As a result, a TetraVue camera has the ability to process 100x more real-time data describing object location and motion in the surrounding environment.

"We were impressed with the novel approach that TetraVue brings to solving the high-resolution depth sensing problem currently facing automotive makers who plan to deploy autonomous vehicles," said David Fisher, Senior VP, Corporate Business Development, KLA-Tencor. "Their uniqueness convinced us to bring both our financial and engineering resources to bear to help them realize the vision."

"HD video with accurate depth per pixel is the "Holy Grail" of machine vision that can transform emerging markets from autonomous vehicles, augmented and virtual reality and smart factories," said Hal Zarem, CEO, TetraVue. "TetraVue technology is unmatched in the industry, capturing all four dimensions, 3D plus time, each in high resolution."

In the automotive industry, LiDAR is considered one of the decisive technologies needed to make autonomous driving a reality, effectively acting as a car's eyes, thus enabling it to see and quickly react to the surrounding environment. With orders of magnitude more real-time spatial data about the surrounding environment from TetraVue cameras, advanced driver assist and autonomous driving systems are empowered to make faster and safer driving decisions. TetraVue is initially focused on the automotive market and is working with key partners to bring 4D LIDAR technology to market.

In cinematography, animation and augmented/virtual reality applications, TetraVue 4D cameras allow significantly improved workflows by more effectively bridging the gap between real-world scenes and virtual world content creation. By fusing high resolution, high frame rate images at the pixel level with accurate depth information, TetraVue revolutionizes motion capture, digital asset acquisition and 3D visualization.

Industry 4.0 factory automation from drones to robots can be dramatically enhanced with the deeper vision enabled by TetraVue 4D LIDAR cameras. TetraVue represents a new class of LIDAR that captures unprecedented 4D detail in space and time. With more accurate depth perception, the next generation of autonomous factory robots and machine vision systems are able to deliver enhanced flexibility and efficiency.

TetraVue will be demonstrating its technology at CES 2018 in Las Vegas from January 9-12, 2018 in the Tech East Convention Center North Hall, Booth 9130. To arrange a private demonstration, contact TetraVue at +1 442-207-0560 or CES2018@tetravue.com

About TetraVue

TetraVue is the leading innovator of 4D LIDAR vision systems that empower machines to perceive the richness of our fast-paced 3D world in high definition. TetraVue's groundbreaking 4D LIDAR combines the resolution of high definition video with the range of LIDAR to accurately capture motion and depth for large fields-of-view and distances. Its innovative 4D camera technology captures real-time images with depth perception down to each pixel, allowing it to transform markets including autonomous vehicles, machine vision and factory automation. The company is headquartered in Vista, California. www.tetravue.com

Green Flash Media

949.357.0141

Email Contact




Connects inspection measurement systems to PULSE open architecture

Saki Corporation, an innovator in the field of automated optical and x-ray inspection systems, announces that it has joined the ASYS PULSE Community to network its automated inspection and measurement systems with electronic production equipment from other PULSE member companies.

ASYS (Dornstadt, Germany) created the PULSE Community to bring together system manufacturers in the electronics sector with products that are "PULSE-capable". These systems have custom connections that connect to the PULSE open interface.

"Our aim is to give customers a solution for the entire production line, and we're following that up across the board," said Erwin Beck, senior vice president product management and marketing at ASYS. "In our eyes, it means we will be able to respond appropriately to our customers' requirements in the future in an open way that is not manufacturer-dependent."

Herbert Natterer, product manager of the ASYS Industrie 4.0 solution, commented, "It's great that we can include Saki's inspection systems within the PULSE line so operators can monitor and control the operation of these systems through the PULSE network. We are looking forward to the collaboration and professional exchange. Thanks to the membership of Saki, we have approached our goal to establish one solution for the whole production operation."

"Joining the PULSE Community expands Saki's opportunity to maximize production-line productivity. PULSE provides a very practical, convenient, and visual way to monitor the assembly process. It complements the quality assurance and process controls built into our inspection and measurement systems. We are excited to be part of the PULSE Community," said Jarda Neuhauser, deputy general manager at Saki.

For more information contact Saki at +1.510.623.SAKI (7254), email sales.us@sakiglobal.com, or visit our website at http://www.sakiglobal.com.

Photo at: http://www.sakiglobal.com/line-quality-driven-production.png

About ASYS Group

The ASYS Group is a global technology company and a leading manufacturer of handling, process and special machines for the electronics, solar and life science industries. The corporate headquarters in Dornstadt near Ulm, Germany controls the activities of the subsidiaries in more than 40 countries. The ASYS Group employs over 1000 staff worldwide and supplies both standard products and customized solutions.

About Saki

Since its inception in 1994, Saki has led the way in the development of automated recognition through robotic vision technology. Saki's 3D automated solder paste, optical, and x-ray inspection systems (SPI, AOI, AXI) have been recognized to provide the stable platform and advanced data capture mechanisms necessary for true M2M communication, improving production, process efficiency, and product quality. Saki Corporation has headquarters in Tokyo, Japan with offices, sales, and support centers around the world.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130005517/en/

Contacts:

SAKI America, Inc.

Aizza Que, +1-510-623-SAKI (7254)

Aizza.que@sakicorp.com

or

AR Marketing, Inc. (agency)

Andrea Roberts, +1-858-204-9584

andrea@armarketinginc.com
LONDON, November 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of Small Business Saturday, a day that shines a spotlight on all the amazing small and independent businesses across the country in this busy Christmas shopping period.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613251/Billie_Piper_Icing_Cake.jpg )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613252/Billie_Piper_Icing_Cakes.jpg )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613253/Billie_Piper_Mixing_Icing.jpg )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613254/Billie_Piper_Serving_Cakes.jpg )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613255/Billie_Piper_With_Cakes.jpg )



To celebrate, Billie Piper, a passionate supporter of small businesses, decided to step off the London stage and don an apron to help out in her favourite local showp in North London - The Cake House.

While at The Cake House, Piper alongside the cafe owner, Lorenzo, helped out, baking and icing cakes to encourage everyone to get out there and support Small Business Saturday. Lorenzo has owned the cafe for over 15 years making it an integral part of the community in which Piper and many others live.

"I've been coming to The Cake House - daily! - since I moved to the area. I live locally and absolutely love the relationships with people in what feels like a village. I want my kids to know people in the community and be able to come into The Cake House and ask for their ridiculous desert requests! I come to The Cake House all the time and Lorenzo has managed to get my daily coffee order down from three shots to two which, in fairness, took quite some doing." - Billie Piper

Small Business Saturday sees thousands of small businesses all over the country take part every year since its inception. According to research undertaken by American Express, founder and principal supporter of Small Business Saturday, last year a total of over 717 million pounds was spent by shoppers on this particular day.[1]

Piper partnered with American Express to celebrate the United Kingdom's thriving small independent businesses, such as The Cake House, to encourage shoppers to go out and 'shop small' this weekend.

"I was delighted when Amex asked me to help support this year's Small Business Saturday. They actually read about me talking about local businesses that I'm passionate about in my local press and decided to contact me to get involved. Independent retailers across the UK offer so much more to a community than just a shop - and that is something I really care about." - Billie Piper

1. 3,610 UK adults were polled by Toluna between 8pm on Saturday 3rd December 2016 and 8am on Monday 5th December 2016.

About Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday is a grassroots initiative encouraging people to show their support for small businesses by shopping small.

First conceived by American Express in the U.S. in 2010, where it has become a key date in the shopping calendar, it has received widespread backing from numerous organisations and personalities.

Now in its fifth year in the UK, Small Business Saturday UK 2017 (2nd December) aims to build on the success of previous years.

As founder of Small Business Saturday in the U.S., American Express is principal supporter of the campaign in the UK, encouraging people to make the most of their small, local, independent shops and businesses.

For a detailed Q&A in which Billie Piper discusses her favourite independent retailers, her Christmas traditions, and the importance of shopping small, please download here https://we.tl/KRlYCTyZeq

About Billie Piper

Actress Billie Piper recently won six Best Actress Awards, including the highly prestigious Olivier Award for her phenomenally reviewed starring performance in the title role of Simon Stone's sold out adaptation of Yerma at The Young Vic. She is going with the production to The Armory in New York in Spring 2018.

She is much beloved from our television screens with highly celebrated performances in Showtime's Penny Dreadful, Dr Who for the BBC, the Philip Pullman series of The Shadow of the North and The Ruby in the Smoke for the BBC.

For further information and assets on Billie Piper and her involvement with Small Business Saturday please contact james@kendalandpartners.com or molly@kendalandpartners.com

For further information on the Shop Small initiative and Small Business Saturday go tohttp://www.amexshopsmall.co.uk
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/17 -- CannabisNewsWire ("CNW"), a multifaceted financial news and publishing company for the cannabis industry, today announces the publication of an editorial featuring SinglePoint, Inc. (OTC: SING), a client of CNW focused on strengthening its position in the marijuana industry through the acquisition of, or investment in, small to mid-sized cannabis companies.

The publication, titled, "Companies Offer Intriguing Investment Opportunities as Bitcoin Continues Smashing Records," discusses the operations of several public companies performing in the cryptocurrency market.

To view the full publication, visit: https://www.cannabisnewswire.com/companies-offer-intriguing-investment-opportunities-bitcoin-continues-smashing-records/

"On Nov. 15, holding company SinglePoint (SING) soft-launched its much-anticipated proprietary bitcoin exchange (app.singleseed.com), which is aimed at solving payment problems related to high-risk transactions -- specifically those plaguing another red-hot industry: cannabis.

"In the United States, SinglePoint has become a first mover with its proprietary bitcoin payments solution, which is making it possible for marijuana vendors and users to conduct transactions using debit and credit cards via the vehicle of bitcoin. Due to continued federal restrictions, the majority of cannabis merchants operating in the U.S. have had to conduct their transactions in cash only, which poses many problems and inconveniences. SinglePoint's innovative solution, however, is changing all that.

"Designed to serve cannabis businesses but also having application that goes beyond them, SinglePoint's solution is fully KYC-AML compliant and can be used by any business. For marijuana vendors specifically, it can be utilized within any of the states where marijuana currently has a legal status. It is designed as a payment service that enables instant bitcoin-powered purchases using credit and debit cards. Through a user-friendly signup form and ID verification, customers can set up accounts online prior to visiting a cannabis merchant, or they can sign up in just seconds at the point of sale."

About SinglePoint, Inc.

SinglePoint, Inc. (SING) has grown from a full-service mobile technology provider to a publicly traded holding company. Through diversification into horizontal markets, SinglePoint is building its portfolio by acquiring an interest in undervalued subsidiaries, thereby providing a rich, diversified holding base. Through its subsidiary company SingleSeed the company is providing products and services to the cannabis industry.

Connect on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/SinglePointMobile

https://twitter.com/_Singlepoint_

www.linkedin.com/company/SinglePoint

www.youtube.com/user/SinglePointMobile

For more information, visit www.SinglePoint.com or www.SingleSeed.com

About CannabisNewsWire (CNW)

CannabisNewsWire ("CNW") is a specialized information service that (1) aggregates cannabis news, (2) provides CannabisNewsBreaks that quickly updates investors in the space, (3) enhances corporate press releases, (4) helps companies with distribution and optimization of social media, and (5) delivers comprehensive corporate communication solutions. CNW is uniquely positioned in the cannabis market with a strong team of journalists and writers who can help private and public companies reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public through our ever-growing dissemination network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets. CNW is bringing unparalleled visibility, recognition and content to the cannabis industry.

For more information please visit https://wwwCannabisNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the NetworkNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by NNW, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on current expectations and assumptions concerning future events or future performance of the company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are only predictions and speak only as of the date hereof. In evaluating such statements, prospective investors should review carefully various risks and uncertainties identified in this release and matters set in the company's SEC filings. These risks and uncertainties could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.

CNW Contact:



CannabisNewsWire (CNW)

Denver, Colorado

www.CannabisNewsWire.com

303.498.7722 Office

Email Contact






WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency highly in demand, has been on a roller-coaster ride as it fell over 20 percent from a record high on Wednesday in a period of wild trading.



Bitcoin exchanges crashed after the heaviest selling seen amid reports of service outages and delays on some of the largest online exchanges.



Over the last few hours, major cryptocurrency exchanges Coinbase and Gemini faced a difficult time to complete transactions. Massive spikes in traffic was said to be the cause for the unspecified problems.



In a related development, Coinbase reportedly received demands from US courts to turnover transaction documents. Professor Alan Woodward, a security expert from University of Surrey, tweeted that Coinbase has been subpoenaed with a request for records of all transactions in amounts over $20,000 between 2013 and 2015.



Price of the digital currency had touched $11,434 in US trade on Wednesday, but slipped to $9,009. It was trading at $9,911.10 as of 3:36 p.m. in New York.



A year ago, the currency, which works like virtual tokens, was worth less than $800, touching $1,000 at the start of the year. The currency has fluctuated wildly since it was launched in 2009. In a day, a steady stream of about 3,600 new Bitcoins are created, with about 16.5 million now in circulation, while the maximum limit is 21 million.



Amid the wavering movement, critics warn investors of a bubble similar to that of dotcom boom. A Bank of England deputy governor reportedly warned that investors should do their homework on Bitcoin.



Sir Jon Cunliffe, the Bank's deputy governor for financial stability, told the BBC, 'People need to be clear this is not an official currency. No central bank stands behind it, no government stands behind it.'



According to some, the rising in price is because, it is crossing into the financial mainstream.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/17 -- Midland Exploration Inc. ("Midland") (TSX VENTURE: MD) and Altius Minerals Corporation ("Altius") (TSX: ALS) are pleased to announce the results of channel sampling from their Moria nickel and Shire zinc projects in the James Bay area.

The Shire Project is located in an underexplored area about 80 kilometers east of Nemaska, Quebec. It was initiated following the discovery of a Zn-bearing exhalative horizon in July 2017 (O'Connor showing) that returned up to 7.53% Zn in grab sampling (note that grab samples are selective by nature and values reported may not be representative). Several channel samples were collected at O'Connor in October. The easternmost channel yielded 4.85% Zn over 1.17 m. This includes a section of pyrrhotite-pyrite-sphalerite massive sulfides that yielded 5.46% Zn, 0.11% Cu, 11 g/t Ag over 0.73 m, and a quartz-sphalerite-pyrite exhalite that yielded 3.88% Zn over 0.45 m (note that all thicknesses reported in this press release are apparent thicknesses; true thicknesses cannot be determined at this time). The zinc-bearing sulfide zone is open to the north (across strike) and east (along strike), under thicker overburden. Other channels to the west sampled intervals of massive pyrrhotite-pyrite as well as a quartz-pyrite exhalite that returned anomalous base metal values. Based on these new results, zinc mineralization at O'Connor is now interpreted as the edge of a volcanogenic massive sulfide ("VMS") orebody.

The Moria project is located about 12 kilometers southeast of the Clearwater Au deposit and 25 kilometers east of Hydro-Quebec's Eastmain-1 dam. The project was initiated in August 2017 with the discovery of the Gimli Ni-Cu-Co showing that returned up to 1.13% Ni, 0.11% Cu, 0.07% Co in grab samples. The area was mapped as a large dioritic intrusion that had been overlooked in past exploration campaigns. Channel sampling on Gimli in October yielded 0.80% Ni, 0.06% Co, 0.075% Cu over 0.8 m in a weakly mineralized meta-pyroxenite. The zone is open to the north under thicker overburden. The rest of the discovery outcrop contains lower grade nickel mineralization, with 0.19% Ni / 0.5 m on the last sample to the south. Assay results indicate a perfect nickel-sulfur correlation, which suggests that most of the nickel is found in sulfides and not in refractory silicates. Calculated metal tenors (grades normalized to 100% sulfides) at Gimli are around 14% Ni (see details in the table at the end of this release).

Midland and Altius are very pleased by the results of the fall exploration campaign on Moria and Shire. A mechanical trenching campaign on the Gimli nickel and O'Connor zinc showings is being planned and will be conducted at the earliest time next spring. The campaign will also include mechanical trenching of highly potential electromagnetic anomalies outlined in the VTEM survey completed in October (see November 1st press release for details).

Maps of the channel samples as well as photos of the mineralization are available at: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/MIDLAND_3011.pdf

Grades for Channel #1 on the O'Connor showing

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sample From m To m Length m Zn % Cu % Ag g/t ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- W179835 0 0.73 0.73 5.46 0.11 11.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- W179836 0.73 1.18 0.45 3.88 0.004 0.7 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grades for the Gimli showing channel, with calculated Ni tenors(i) (grades normalized to 100% sulfides)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- % Ni at 100% Sample From m To m Length m Ni % Co % Cu % S % sulfides(i) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- W179809 0 0.5 0.5 0.188 0.012 0.021 0.31 -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- W179808 0.5 1 0.5 0.123 0.097 0.026 0.21 -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- W179807 1 1.5 0.5 0.101 0.010 0.027 0.11 -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- W179806 1.5 2 0.5 0.100 0.009 0.02 0.12 -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- W179805 2 2.5 0.5 0.079 0.009 0.03 0.08 -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- W179804 2.5 3 0.5 0.074 0.010 0.01 0.04 -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- W179803 3 3.5 0.5 0.783 0.056 0.088 2.14 13.48 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- W179802 3.5 3.8 0.3 0.825 0.047 0.061 2.16 14.05 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(i)Ni tenors were calculated according to Barnes and Lightfoot (2005), using the formula: Concentration (100% sulfides of a chalcophile element) = Concentration (whole-rock of the chalcophile element) (i) 100 / (2.527 (i) S% + 0.3408 (i) Cu% + 0.4715 (i) Ni%). --: S values too low for 100% recalculation.

Quality control

Rock samples on the project are assayed by standard 30 gram fire-assaying with AA or gravimetric finish at ALS Minerals laboratories in Val d'Or, Quebec or Sudbury, Ontario. All samples are also analysed for multi-elements, using four-acid ICP-AES method. Samples that exceed 1% zinc or nickel are reanalyzed by four-acid ICP-AES optimized for high grades. Exploration program design and interpretation of results is performed by qualified persons employing a Quality Assurance/Quality Control program consistent with industry best practices, including the use of standards and blanks with every 20 samples.

About Altius

Altius directly and indirectly holds diversified royalties and streams that generate revenue from 15 operating mines. These are located in Canada and Brazil and produce copper, zinc, nickel, cobalt, iron ore, potash and thermal (electrical) and metallurgical coal. The portfolio also includes numerous pre-development stage royalties covering a wide spectrum of mineral commodities and jurisdictions. In addition, Altius holds a large portfolio of exploration stage projects which it has generated for deal making with industry partners that results in newly created royalties and equity and minority interests.

Altius has 43,208,291 common shares issued and outstanding that are listed on Canada's Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol ALS. It is a member of both the S&P/TSX Small Cap and S&P/TSX Global Mining Indices.

About Midland

Midland targets the excellent mineral potential of Quebec to make the discovery of new world-class deposits of gold, platinum group elements, base metals and rare earth elements. Midland is proud to count on reputable partners such as Altius Resources Inc., Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, Teck Resources Limited, IAMGOLD Corporation, Osisko Mining Inc., SOQUEM INC., Altius Minerals Corporation, Japan Oil Gas and Metals National Corporation, NioBay Metals Inc. and Abcourt Mines Inc. Midland prefers to work in partnership and intends to quickly conclude additional agreements in regard to newly acquired properties. Management is currently reviewing other opportunities and projects to build up the Company portfolio and generate shareholder value.

This press release has been prepared by Sylvain Trepanier, P.Geo., VP Exploration for James Bay and Northern Quebec at Midland, a "qualified person" as defined by NI 43-101. For further information, please consult Midland's website: www.explorationmidland.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially from targeted results. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Midland's periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Midland from time to time with securities regulatory authorities.

Contacts:

Gino Roger, President and Chief Executive Officer

450 420-5977

450 420-5978 (FAX)

info@midlandexploration.com

www.explorationmidland.com




BestCrypt Volume Encryption Enterprise Edition Now Easier and More Convenient Than Ever

Jetico, developer of world-class data protection software, has released version 3 of BestCrypt Volume Encryption Enterprise Edition. The updated central management component of Jetico's disk encryption software has been designed with Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in mind to deliver simplified administration of multiple customers just one database and a single browser-based console to rule them all.

"MSPs wishing to stay competitive must complete their offering data encryption is a must have that can no longer be excluded. Jetico recognizes the importance of this solution for our partners and customers," Jetico CEO, Michael Waksman explains. "Beyond that, MSPs tend to serve the SMB market quite well. Like large corporations, SMBs are also more vulnerable to threats and compliance requirements just look at the upcoming EU Data Protection Regulation."

The update to Jetico Central Manager (JCM) allows admins to remotely manage and support multiple companies' encryption activities from one database and a single console. Full control over facilities located outside their local-area network (LAN) is now enabled from anywhere using any device with a web-browser, including smartphones and tablets.

Version 3 of BestCrypt Volume Encryption Enterprise Edition features:

Support for multiple accounts and role-based access control

MSPs can now share responsibilities with customer personnel and assign access to Jetico Central Manager Console based on role (Administrator, Operator, Auditor).

Enhanced reporting for customers

Run and retrieve encryption reports to get an overview of all current customer configurations over a selected time period.

Run and retrieve encryption reports to get an overview of all current customer configurations over a selected time period. Audit logs

Review and report all configuration changes made by an individual account or all accounts with complete and precise activity reporting.

Review and report all configuration changes made by an individual account or all accounts with complete and precise activity reporting. Updated aesthetics and added convenience

Overall improvements, including a new user-friendly interface and pre-set encryption policies for GDPR and HIPAA compliance, can be found here.

Mr. Waksman continues, "This release comes with multiple benefits for MSPs. But there's more. Behind the user-friendly interface, a sophisticated yet flexible design enables easy integration with other solutions and platforms. Jetico software is better positioned to serve the OEM market and a vast possibility for technical partnerships."

Proving the solution's potential for OEM collaborations, Jetico has just published a joint press release with Quick Heal. The full news can be found here.

About Jetico

Jetico provides pure and simple data protection software for National Security, Compliance and Personal Privacy. Trusted for over 10 years by the U.S. Department of Defense, Jetico's BCWipe can wipe selected files beyond forensic recovery such as in response to classified data spills, while BCWipe Total WipeOut can erase hard drive data entirely such as for disposal or decommission. To protect stored data, Jetico's BestCrypt delivers compliant data encryption software for whole disks, virtual drives and selected files or folders. Jetico Enterprise Editions include central management for client software control.

Jetico products are trusted by government and military agencies, all of the top 10 U.S. defense contractors, many national laboratories, as well as various other enterprises and a wide global base of home and small business users in over 100 countries. Founded in 1995, Jetico is privately held and headquartered in the Otaniemi Science Park in Helsinki, Finland. For more information, please visit jetico.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130005454/en/

Contacts:

Jetico

Valeria Corti

Marketing Manager

valeria.corti@jetico.com

Phone (U.S.): +1 202 742 2901

Phone (Europe): +358 92 517 3030
TORONTO, ON -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/17 --Patriot One Technologies, Inc. (TSX VENTURE: PAT) (OTCQB: PTOTF) (FRANKFURT: 0PL) ("Patriot One" or the "Company"), makers of the award-winning PATSCAN CMR (Cognitive Microwave Radar) concealed weapons detection system are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Franco Cerantola, PMP to the position of Vice President, Product Delivery.

Mr. Dinesh Kandanchatha, Patriot One CTO notes, "Mr. Cerantola comes to us from his previous role as Senior Program Manager and Site Leader with Smiths Detection, Canada. As General Manager for Canada, he gained unique insights into the weapons detection sector from an industry leader. Our immediate aim will be to leverage his experience as we undertake installations at multiple customer locations over the next few months, including at casino resorts, performance centers, museums, houses of worship and select government sites. The perspective and experience that Franco brings will be a major asset as we manage the deployment of PATSCAN into a myriad of real-world conditions amid increasing global market demands."

Mr. Cerantola's career spans over 31 years of successful experience in engineering/operations and program management in the aerospace, telecommunication and high-tech industries with national and international exposure. He is extensively experienced at managing personnel, multi-million-dollar budgets, P&L, manufacturing, supply chain and technical projects as well as establishing strategies to develop new markets. He previously served as Senior Program Manager and Site Leader with Smiths Detection Canada and prior to that as President at FLC Performance to aid project development and delivery management at Rockwell Automation. Before that, he was Director of Program Management & Procurement at Field Aviation (Toronto) and also served as Program Director (Canada) for Thales Transportation Systems where he assisted in the development of PRESTO, the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) public transportation fare collection system. He further served as Senior Project Manager with Motorola Canada, and previously was Operations & Control Software Project Manager at Calian Ltd, representing aspects of the Canadian Space Agency in its Canadarm program for the International Space Station. Before that he was Systems Engineering Manager with Lockheed Martin Canada Inc. regarding the Joint Command, Control and Intelligence System. Mr. Cerantola served as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces (Air Force) in many technical management and engineering roles primarily with the CF-18, EH101 and CP-140 aircraft. He holds a bachelor's degree in Engineering Physics, Laval University, Quebec City, is a graduate of the Aerospace Engineering Officer Course, CFB Borden, and the Aerospace Engineering Computer Systems Course, Royal Military College, Kingston and the Canadian Forces Staff School, Toronto. He has successfully completed additional programs in engineering, personnel/project management, quality (Six Sigma) and software applications and is PMI PMP and JHSC certified.

"I am extremely pleased to welcome Franco to the team today," said Martin Cronin, CEO. "We are at a very important juncture in the growth of the Company and his experience and organizational strengths will be put to full use in the coming months. Now that we are moving into real-world scenarios, we are striving to ensure that we have the mechanisms in place to provide for consistent identification and threat assessment. We are focusing all of our available resources, and are bringing on board additional team members, to help manage this significant and historic task. We are teaching PATSCAN to identify real-world potential threats, and our initial installations are being selected to maximize our ability to capture essential use-case and implementation data to ensure that our future customers have the very best counter-threat solution right out of the box. We are building a weapons identification platform that will learn to identify and share threat data system-wide. But today, we must first enable PATSCAN with the real-world building-blocks to teach and augment this machine-learning process. Strategic organizational leadership right now is the key to successfully deploying this all-new technology, and our results will validate our approach to this ongoing process."

In related news, the Company wishes to announce and welcomes the engagement of Mr. John Martin as Manager, Investor Relations. As part of its commitment to continuous disclosure as a reporting issuer, the Company advises Mr. Martin's current compensation is five thousand dollars monthly (CAD). Current and potential investors are invited to contact Mr. Martin at johnm@patriot1tech.com or by calling 1 (888) 728-1832.

About Patriot One Technologies, Inc. (TSX VENTURE: PAT) (OTCQB: PTOTF) (FRANKFURT: 0PL):

Patriot One has developed PATSCAN CMR the next generation of its award-winning radar device and software solution. PATSCAN CMR is a first-of-its-kind Cognitive Microwave Radar concealed weapons detection system, designed as an effective tool to combat active shooter threats before they occur. Built for cost-effective deployment in weapon-restricted buildings and facilities, the Patriot One software solution and related hardware can be installed in key access points to covertly identify weapons and to alert security of an active threat. Owner/operators of private and certain public facilities can now prominently post anti-weapons policies with compliance assured. The Company's motto Deter, Detect and Defend is based on the belief that widespread use of its technology will act as an effective deterrent, thereby diminishing the epidemic phenomena of active shooters across the globe. For more information, visit: www.patriot1tech.com. Patriot One Technologies are proud winners of the 2017 Anti-Terrorism / Force Protection category of the Security Industry Association's New Product Showcase at ISC West.

CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER STATEMENT:

No Securities Exchange has reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to product development, licensing, commercialization and regulatory compliance issues and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the failure to satisfy the conditions of the relevant securities exchange(s) and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by applicable law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Barnes & Noble, Inc. (BKS) reported that its net loss for the second quarter ended October 28, 2017 widened to $30.1 million or $0.41 per share, from $20.4 million, or $0.29 per share, in the prior year. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report a loss of $0.26 per share for the second-quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. In the Thursday's pre-Market trade, BKS is trading at $7.00, down $0.78 or 9.97%. Total sales for the second quarter were $791.1 million, declining 7.9% as compared to the prior year. Wall Street expected revenues of $812.2 million. Comparable store sales decreased 6.3%, with approximately half of this decline attributable to last year's release of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. The balance of the decline was primarily due to non-book categories. For fiscal 2018, the Company expects comparable sales to decline in the low single digits and full year consolidated EBITDA to be approximately $180 million. The Company expects comparable store sales to be approximately flat for the balance of the fiscal year. Additionally, the company plans to reduce costs by $40 million for the full fiscal year. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
More than 1,300 applications from 130 countries were received. The ten awardees have been selected across five continents.

This year, the Intercultural Innovation Award Ceremony has been held for the first time at United Nations headquarters in New York.

Given the tremendous success of the initiative, the BMW Group and United Nations Alliance of Civilizations have decided to renew the partnership for another four years.

The Intercultural Innovation Award, a partnership between the BMW Group and UNAOC, actively supports grassroots initiatives that promote intercultural dialogue and understanding, thereby contributing to more inclusive societies. This year the ten awarded organizations were celebrated at a ceremony held for the first time at UN headquarters in the presence of ambassadors and high-level UN officials.

In her video message, Ms. Amina Mohammed Deputy Secretary-General said "in 2011 the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the BMW Group established the award to support intercultural dialogue and civil society," and welcomed the commitment of this partnership. "It is essential to achieving a safer, more sustainable, equitable and prosperous world for all," said Ms. Mohammed.

"The ceremony is the first step in a constructive process where we work with the BMW Group to support recipients in amplifying their impact," said Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. "At UNAOC, we are committed to collaborating with the corporate sector and civil society to achieve our ultimate goal of building inclusive societies."

"We are honoured to have the privilege of extending our unique collaboration with UNAOC for another four years and look forward to continuing to help grassroots initiatives flourish, together," said Bill McAndrews, Vice President BMW Group Communications Strategy, Corporate and Market Communications.

This year rankings by awardees are:

1st place: Pakistan Youth Alliance (Pakistan)

2nd place: Etijah (Egypt)

3rd place: Community Relations In Schools (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

4th place: Universidad Regional Amazonica Ikiam (Ecuador)

5th place: Interfaith Mediation Center (Nigeria)

Honourable mentions include:

Encontrarse en la Diversidad (Argentina)

Games for Peace (Israel)

Media Focus on Africa Uganda (Uganda)

Te Kaihau Education Trust (New Zealand)

Young Leaders Entrepreneurs (Tunisia)

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130005379/en/

Contacts:

BMW Group

Milena Pighi, +49-89-382-66563

Spokesperson BMW Group Corporate Social Responsibility

Milena.PA.Pighi@bmw.de

or

UNAOC,

Alessandro Girola, +1-929-274-6217

Programming Coordinator

alessandrog@unops.org
NORTHVILLE, MI / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2017 / Under ZF Friedrichshafen AG's plan to reduce gross debt as part of its ongoing capital management, TRW Automotive Inc. accepted for purchase a total of $ 133,377,000 in aggregate principal amount of Any and All Securities pursuant to the Any and All Offer, which commenced on November 21, 2017 and expired on November 29, 2017.

Results of the Any and All Offer

$ 97,943,000 in aggregate principal amount of its 4.500% Senior Notes due 2021 will be purchased at an aggregate purchase price of $ 103,452,294 (excluding Accrued Interest). $ 35,434,000 in aggregate principal amount of its 4.450% Senior Notes due 2023 will be purchased at an aggregate purchase price of $ 37,825,795 (excluding Accrued Interest). These amounts exclude $ 4,500,000 of Any and All Securities that remain subject to the guaranteed delivery procedures described in the Offer to Purchase. The Any and All Securities purchased will be retired and cancelled and no longer remain outstanding.

The settlement date for the Any and All Offer will be December 1, 2017 (or December 4, 2017, in the case of Any and All Securities delivered pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures described in the Offer to Purchase).

Capitalized terms in this announcement have the same meaning as assigned to them in the Offer to Purchase dated November 21, 2017.

Capped Tender Offers

Concurrently with the announcement of the Any and All Offer, ZF North America Capital, Inc. ("ZF North America") also announced an offer to purchase up to $ 900,000,000 (less the aggregate purchase price paid (excluding Accrued Interest) in the Any and All Offer) (the "Maximum Tender Amount") in aggregate purchase price paid (excluding Accrued Interest) for the three other series of notes described in the press release dated November 21, 2017, subject to the Acceptance Priority Levels described in the related Offer to Purchase dated November 21, 2017 (such offer, the "Capped Tender Offers"). The aggregate principal amount of notes subject to the Capped Tender Offers which ZF North America will purchase is limited to the Maximum Tender Amount (as defined above).

On the basis of the results of the Any and All Offer, the Maximum Tender Amount will be set at $ 758,721,911. This amount excludes $ 4,500,000 of Any and All Securities that remain subject to the guaranteed delivery procedures described in the Offer to Purchase.

The Capped Tender Offers are being made upon and are subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. The early participation date for the Capped Tender Offers is 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on 5 December 2017 and the expiration date for the Capped Tender Offers is 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on 19 December 2017. Tenders of notes pursuant to the Capped Tender Offers may be validly withdrawn at any time on or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on 5 December 2017.

For further details about the terms and conditions of the Capped Tender Offers and the procedures for tendering notes in the Capped Tender Offers, please refer to the Offer to Purchase.

The Lead Dealer Managers for the offers are Citigroup Global Markets Limited and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC. The Dealer Managers are Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., MUFG Securities Americas Inc. and RBS Securities Inc.

Questions regarding the offers may be directed to:

Citigroup Global Markets Limited

Telephone London: +44 20 7986 8969

Telephone New York: +1 212 723 6106

Toll free: +1 800 558 3745

E-mail: liabilitymanagement.europe@citi.com

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

Telephone New York: +1 212 834 3424

Toll Free: +1 866 834 4666

Telephone London: +44 207 134 2468

E-mail: emea.lm@jpmorgan.com

Copies of the Offer to Purchase and the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery (in relation to the Any and All Offer) may be obtained from the Information and Tender Agent, D.F. King & Co., Inc. at +1 877-478-5044 (toll free) or +1 212-269-5550 (collect) or in writing at 48 Wall Street 22nd Floor, New York, New York 10005.

ZF Friedrichshafen AG

Graf-von-Soden-Platz 1

88046 Friedrichshafen

Germany

TRW Automotive Inc.

12001 Tech Center Drive

Livonia, Michigan 48150

United States

ZF North America Capital, Inc.

15811 Centennial Drive

Northville, Michigan 48168

United States

NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER

This press release must be read in conjunction with the Offer to Purchase. It is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell the Securities or any other securities. The Companies are making the offers only by, and pursuant to, the terms of the Offer to Purchase and, in the case of the Any and All Offer, the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery. The offers are not being made in any jurisdiction in which the making of or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities laws, blue sky laws or other laws of such jurisdiction. None of the Companies, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, the Dealer Managers or the Information and Tender Agent is making any recommendation as to whether Holders should tender or refrain from tendering their Securities in response to the Offers or how much they should tender. Each Holder must make his, her or its own decision as to whether to tender or refrain from tendering Securities and, if a Holder determines to tender, as to how many Securities of each Series to tender.

OFFER AND DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTIONS

This announcement and the Offer to Purchase do not constitute an offer or an invitation to participate in the Offers in any jurisdiction in which, or to any person to or from whom, it is unlawful to make such offer or invitation or for there to be such participation under applicable laws. The distribution of this announcement and the Offer to Purchase in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this announcement or the Offer to Purchase comes are required by each of the Companies, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, the Dealer Managers and Information and Tender Agent to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.

United Kingdom

The communication of this announcement, the Offer to Purchase and any other documents or materials relating to the Offers is not being made, and such documents and/or materials have not been approved, by an authorized person for the purposes of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Accordingly, such documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom, and are only for circulation to persons to whom they can lawfully be circulated outside the United Kingdom or to persons within the United Kingdom falling within the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order")), or within Article 43(2) of the Order, or within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order, or to other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated in accordance with the Order (such persons together being the "Relevant Persons"). This announcement, the Offer to Purchase and any other documents or materials relating to the Offers are only available to Relevant Persons and the transactions contemplated herein will be available only to, and engaged in only with, Relevant Persons, and this Offer to Purchase must not be relied or acted upon by persons other than Relevant Persons.

Belgium

None of this announcement, the Offer to Purchase or any other documents or materials relating to the Offers in respect of each Series of Securities have been submitted to or will be submitted for approval or recognition to the Financial Services and Markets Authority ("Authorite des services et marches financiers/Autoriteit financiele diensten en markten") and, accordingly, the Offers may not be made in Belgium by way of a public offering, as defined in Articles 3 and 6 of the Belgian Law of 1 April 2007 on public takeover bids (the "Belgian Takeover Law") as amended or replaced from time to time. Accordingly, the Offers may not be advertised and the Offers will not be extended, and none of this announcement, the Offer to Purchase nor any other documents or materials relating to the Offers (including any memorandum, information circular, brochure or any similar documents) has been or shall be distributed or made available, directly or indirectly, to any person in Belgium other than (i) to "qualified investors" in the sense of Article 10 of the Belgian Law of 16 June 2006 on the public offer of placement instruments and the admission to trading of placement instruments on regulated markets, acting on their own account or (ii) in any circumstances set out in Article 6,  4 of the Belgian Takeover Law. This announcement and the Offer to Purchase have been issued only for the personal use of the above-qualified investors and exclusively for the purpose of the Offers. Accordingly, the information contained in this announcement and the Offer to Purchase may not be used for any other purposes or disclosed to any other person in Belgium.

France

The Offers are not being made, directly or indirectly, to the public in France. None of this announcement, the Offer to Purchase nor any other documents or offering materials relating to the Offers in respect of each Series of Securities have been or shall be distributed to the public in France and only (i) providers of investment services relating to portfolio management for the account of third parties (personnes fournissant le service d'investissement de gestion de portfeuille pour compte de tiers) and/or (ii) qualified investors (investisseurs qualifies), all as defined in, and in accordance with, Articles L.411-1, L.411-2 and D.411-1 to D.411-3 of the French Code monetaire et financier, are eligible to participate in the Offers. Neither this announcement nor the Offer to Purchase has been submitted to the clearance procedures (visa) of the Autorite des marches financiers.

Italy

None of this announcement, the Offer to Purchase or any other documents or materials relating to the Offers have been or will be submitted to the clearance procedure of the Commissione Nazionale per le Societa e la Borsa ("CONSOB") pursuant to Italian laws and regulations. The Offers are being carried out in the Republic of Italy as exempted offers pursuant to article 101-bis, paragraph 3-bis of the Legislative Decree No. 58 of 24 February 1998, as amended (the "Financial Services Act") and article 35-bis, paragraph 4 of CONSOB Regulation No. 11971 of 14 May 1999, as amended (the "Issuers' Regulation"). The Offers are also being carried out in compliance with article 35- bis, paragraph 7 of the Issuers' Regulation. A holder of Securities located in the Republic of Italy can tender Securities through authorized persons (such as investment firms, banks or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such activities in the Republic of Italy in accordance with the Financial Services Act, CONSOB Regulation No. 16190 of 29 October 2007, as amended from time to time, and Legislative Decree No. 385 of September 1, 1993, as amended) and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations or with requirements imposed by CONSOB or any other Italian authority. Each intermediary must comply with the applicable laws and regulations concerning information duties vis-a-vis its clients in connection with the Securities or the Offers.

General

Neither this announcement nor the Offer to Purchase constitutes an offer to buy or a solicitation of an offer to sell Securities, and tenders of Securities in the Offers will not be accepted from Holders, in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. In those jurisdictions where the securities, blue sky or other laws require an Offer to be made by a licensed broker or dealer and a Dealer Manager or its affiliate is such a licensed broker or dealer in such jurisdictions, the Offer shall be deemed to be made on behalf of the relevant Company by such Dealer Manager or such affiliate, as the case may be, and no Offer is made in any such jurisdiction where the relevant Dealer Manager or its affiliate is not so licensed.

SOURCE: ZF North America Capital, Inc.
Over 1300 direct and indirect jobs in Lebanon and a US $8.5 million worth of deals in the UK

Nadim Zaazaa announced as new CEO and Ramzi Haidamus announced as new Advisory Board Chairman

The UK Lebanon Tech Hub (UKLTH), a joint initiative by Banque du Liban (Lebanon's Central Bank) and the British Embassy in Beirut, today announced that inside three years of operation it has boosted Lebanon's knowledge economy by creating 1370 direct and indirect jobs. It also contributed more than US $8.5 million worth of deals into the UK and a $26 million increase in company revenues in Lebanon.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130005654/en/

UK Lebanon Tech Hub CEO Nadim Zaazaa (Photo: Business Wire)

The hub, which helps grow tech innovations into global businesses primarily through London, accelerated 78 startups that raised more than $36 million and are currently valued at more than $200 million. The figures presented at the demo day of The Nucleus, the hub's startup venture building programme, were welcomed by Hugo Shorterthe British Ambassador to Lebanon, who said:

"The UKLTH has yielded exceptional results in just three short years. The flows of investment in both directions are an early sign of how much trade and investment could be generated through British-Lebanese tech co-operation."

Following this strong performance, both Banque du Liban (BDL) and the British Embassy in Beirut, today announced a further commitment to support the hub's growth over the next three years.

Following its initial two-year mandate, the hub has now entered a new chapter as a permanent entity in which managing director Nadim Zaazaa has been promoted to permanent CEO. The hub is bolstering its global footprint with a global advisory board of British and Lebanese industry leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and academics. This ambition is reflected in the appointment of US-based Ramzi Haidamus, a renowned Silicon Valley entrepreneur and former President of Nokia Technologies, as the advisory board's Chairman.

As the hub's startups leap to international and digital markets, they are committed, under BDL's support terms, to remain rooted in Lebanon where they create jobs, generate revenues and retain their intellectual property locally. Six out of its 78 startups that originated in London, Dubai, Paris and Seattle arrived to set up shop in Beirut and benefit from BDL funding.

Using London as a launchpad to global markets, particularly Europe and America, six of the startups have also gone on to establish their first international growth outposts from the hub's offices in Moorgate, London. Some are now selling in the UK such as Slidr, a gamified e-commerce experience. Others are leveraging world class UK expertise to design and develop hardware innovations. Sensio Air, a device that measures allergens and pathogens in your direct environment, is now preparing to launch in the EU and US. This strategic relationship between Lebanon and the UK has seen the hub and its startups generate an overall deal flow of more than $8.5 million of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the UK, creating 24 new jobs in the process.

In February this year, the hub launched a centre for international applied research collaborations in all STEM related areas. Backed by a seed fund of 2.5m from the UK government, it aims to commercialize world-leading research conducted by Lebanese universities and industry players, partnering with British education institutions. In less than a year, the hub's research centre launched five applied research collaborations covering health technologies such as a non-invasive device to continuously monitor blood sugar and a biomarker device that can detect early signs of certain types of breast cancer. These collaborations are expected to grow the benefits of this strategic partnership exponentially in a five to ten year window.

The future of this relationship is not only to leverage London as a springboard to the EU, US and emerging markets but also to leverage Lebanon, a historical bridge between Western and Eastern markets, as a talent gateway to the $7.5 trillion emerging markets.

This opportunity for British trade in wider markets beyond Europe is further enhanced by the fact that Lebanon's burgeoning diaspora continues to grow in influence around the world. Around 12 million Lebanese live abroad, renowned for leading successful businesses. There are 81 Lebanese in the list of the top 500 Arab influencers in the world. "At the same time, Lebanon is a perfect gateway for UK investment into emerging markets where its diaspora in tech are market shapers. The hub sets a benchmark for a world of networked value chains," says Zaazaa.

Hugo Shorter, the British Ambassador to Lebanon, added:

"Our support for the UK Lebanon Tech Hub will help build a truly global Britain a nation which seeks to be more outward-looking than ever before and embrace partnerships in every corner of the world.

"Lebanon is a natural partner for the UK: an outward looking, highly educated and highly skilled nation, whose talent is its biggest export. Lebanon is ranked 8th best in the world in early stage entrepreneurship. Its people are trilingual, speaking French, English and Arabic, making it a perfect bridge between Britain, the Middle East and emerging markets, where they've thrived as brilliant business leaders.

"We are also proud to be able to support core innovations and technologies through our funding of 2.5 million ($3.2 million) for the UKLTH's International Research Centre with the aim of solving worldwide problems, with solutions such as early breast cancer detection and new irrigation systems to help farmers to increase crop yield while saving water.

"I am delighted that at least six of the 77 companies operating in the UKLTH now have a permanent presence in the UK, creating jobs, generating revenue, buying services from UK businesses, and paying tax in the UK, all while remaining rooted in Lebanon."

Nadim Zaazaa, The UK Lebanon Tech Hub's new CEO, said:

"The UK Lebanon Tech Hub sets a benchmark for a world of networked value chains. It's a place where an AI engineer in the UK can build a lawyer bot with a Beirut-based startup. Equally, an augmented reality engineer can be enabling the next generation tele-surgery with a Lebanese startup that has gone global.

"The UK is the perfect springboard to help Lebanon's best tech startups go global. At the same time, Lebanon is a perfect gateway for UK investment into emerging markets where its diaspora in tech are market shapers.

"Our focus is twofold: getting the best Lebanese innovations to global markets through the UK and leverage the latter's world class scientific standing to strengthen Lebanon's knowledge core. This two-way relationship means more FDI, jobs and exports for both countries."

-ends-

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130005654/en/

Contacts:

Media

Apollo Strategic Communications

Alan Wheeler

alan.wheeler@apollostrategiccomms.com

+44 (0)208 579 6349
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 30, 2017) - Augusta Industries Inc. (TSXV: AAO) (the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that it has released its financial results for the nine months ending September 30, 2017.

For the three months ending September 30, 2017, the Corporation had revenues of $650,000 as compared to $1,479,000 during the three months ending September 30, 2016. Marcon group backlog sales as on the date of the MD&A is $1,988,000. Four of the backlog orders worth $1,723,000 have a long delivery lead time. The Corporation also expects to build on the two contracts signed in 2017 by FOX-TEK worth $1,039,000 over a three year period.

Total loss from operations for the three months ending September 30, 2017 was $160,000 or a net loss of $0.001 per share compared to a loss of $74,000 or $0.000 per share for the three months ending September 30, 2016. Gross margins for the three months ending September 30, 2017 was 21% compared to 13% for the three months ending September 30, 2016 due to the change in mix between Macron and FOX-TEK sales during the period . The operating expenses in the three months ending September 30, 2017 was slightly less at $251,000 compared to $255,000 for the same period in 2016. Stock based compensation during the three months ending September 30, 2017 was $47,000 while there were no such expenses during the three months ending September 30, 2016.

Marcon group sales in the three months ending September 30, 2017 was $564,000 compared to $1,394,000 in the three months ending September 30, 2016 - a decrease of $830,000. The sales in FOX-TEK for the three months ending September 30, 2017 were $86,000 close to $85,000 sales for the three months ending September 30, 2016.

Consolidated Financial Highlights

September 30, 2017 In $'000s December 31, 2016 In $'000s Current Assets 1,146 1,126 Non-Current Assets 34 42 Total Assets $ 1,180 $ 1,168 Current Liabilities 1,062 1,000 Long term debt 213 31 Total Liabilities 1,275 $ 1,031 Total Shareholder's (Deficiency) Equity $ (95) $ 137





Three months ended September 30, Nine months ended September 30, 2017 (In '000S) 2016 (In '000S) 2017 (In '000S) 2016 (In '000S) Sales $ 650 $ 1,479 $ 2,225 $ 3,297 Cost of sales (515) (1,293) (1,646) (2,419) Gross profit 135 186 579 878 Expenses







Research and development (39) (39) (111) (113) Selling (6) (8) (25) (28) General and administrative (206) (208) (663) (656) Total expenses (251) (255) (799) (797) (Loss) income before the undernoted (116) (69) (220) 81 Finance costs (4) (5) (11) (13) Loss on sale of investments - - - (90) Unrealized gain on investments



- 90 Stock based compensation (47) - (212) - Foreign exchange gain 7 - 17 12 Net (loss) income for the period before tax (160) (74) (426) 80 Income tax expense (5) - (5) (6) Net (loss) income for the period after tax (165) (74) (431) 74

The financial statements, notes to the financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the nine months ending September 30, 2017 are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Corporate Update - Business Development

Please see section on Business Development (Page 5 ) in the MD&A for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 for details.

About the Corporation:

Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Marcon International Inc. ("Marcon") and Fox-Tek Canada Inc. ("Fox-Tek"), the Corporation provides a variety of services and products to a number of clients.

Marcon is an industrial supply contractor servicing the energy sector and a number of US Government entities. Marcon's principal business is the sale and distribution of industrial parts and equipment (Electrical, mechanical and Instrumentation.) In addition to departments and agencies of the U.S. Government, Marcon's major clients include Saudi Arabia-Sabic Services (Refining and Petrochemical), Bahrain National Gas Co, Bahrain Petroleum, Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Gas, Qatar Petrochemical, Gulf of Suez Petroleum, Agiba Petroleum and Burullus Gas Co.

Fox Tek develops non-intrusive asset health monitoring sensor systems for the oil and gas market to help operators track the thinning of pipelines and refinery vessels due to corrosion/erosion, strain due to bending/buckling and process pressure and temperature. The Corporation's FT fiber optic sensor and corrosion monitoring systems allow cost-effective, 24/7 remote monitoring capabilities to improve scheduled maintenance operations, avoid unnecessary shutdowns, and prevent accidents and leaks.

Corporation contact:

Allen Lone, President, CEO, Augusta Industries Inc.

Tel: (905) 275 -8111 Ext 226 email: atlone@fox-tek.com

The TSX Venture Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and as neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions, uncertainties and management's best estimates of future events. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements are detailed from time to time in the Corporation's periodic reports filed with the Ontario Securities Commission and other regulatory authorities. The Corporation has no intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
The main business activity of Trigon Property Development AS is real estate development. As at 30.09.2017, AS Trigon Property Development owned one development project with an area of 22.39 hectares in the City of Parnu, Estonia. An industrial and logistics park is planned to be developed on this area. The Company's objective is to find companies willing to bring their business activities (industry, logistics) to the development project area of AS Trigon Property Development in Parnu, which would add value to the land plots owned by the Company. The realisation of the value of the land is planned through the selling of land plots or through the development of real estate with the intention of creating a rental income-generating project. In the first quarter of 2017 a 10.4-hectare industrial property at the price of 850 000 EUR was sold. According to the real right contract, Trigon Property Development AS was obliged to build a road to the sold land plot. On 08.08.2017 AS Trigon Property Development and the buyer agreed on amending the sales agreement and now the buyer is obliged to build the road and facilities according to the detail plan on its own expense. AS Trigon Property Development no longer is responsible for building the road and facilities and is not obliged to pay for the construction. Due to the change in contractual obligations the sale price of the property was amended and the sale price of Kase str 17 is 550 000 EUR. On 11 May 2017 the Annual General Meeting adopted a resolution to introduce no par value shares with the book value of 0.6 euros and to reduce the share capital of the Company by 400,417 euros from 2,699,020 euros to 2,299,020 euros. Share capital was reduced by reducing book value of the shares by 0.089 euros per share. Share capital reduction will be paid out on 04 December 2017. Condensed statement of financial position as of 30 September 2017 delivered by the present announcement completely reflects the assets, liabilities and equity capital of AS Trigon Property Development. According to the condensed statement of comprehensive income the net loss for first 9 months of 2017 of AS Trigon Property Development is -60,129 euros and the earnings per share is -0.01336 EUR. As of 30 September 2017 the assets of AS Trigon Property Development were 2,292,097 euros. The equity of the company was 1,890,104 euros, corresponding to 82.46 % of the total balance sheet. Condensed statement of financial position EUR 30.09.2017 31.12.2016 ------------------------------------------------------ Cash 482,767 38,393 ------------------------------------------------------ Receivables and prepayments 17,856 5,022 ------------------------------------------------------ Assets held for sale 0 850,000 ------------------------------------------------------ Total current assets 500,623 893,415 ------------------------------------------------------ Investment property 1,791,474 1,471,532 ------------------------------------------------------ Total non-current assets 1,791,474 1,471,532 ------------------------------------------------------ TOTAL ASSETS 2,292,097 2,364,947 ------------------------------------------------------ Payables and prepayments 401,993 14,297 ------------------------------------------------------ Total current liabilities 401,993 14,297 ------------------------------------------------------ Total liabilities 401,993 14,297 ------------------------------------------------------ Share capital at nominal value 2,299,020 2,699,437 ------------------------------------------------------ Share premium 226,056 226,056 ------------------------------------------------------ Statutory reserve capital 287,542 287,542 ------------------------------------------------------ Retained earnings -922,514 -862,385 ------------------------------------------------------ Total equity 1,890,104 2,350,650 ------------------------------------------------------ TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY 2,292,097 2,364,947 ------------------------------------------------------ Condensed statement of comprehensive income EUR 9 M 2017 9 M 2016 --------------------------------------------------------------- Expenses related to investment property -28,616 -7,087 --------------------------------------------------------------- Gross loss -28,616 -7,087 --------------------------------------------------------------- Administrative and general expenses -31,539 33,873 --------------------------------------------------------------- Change in fair value of investment property 0 -1,600 --------------------------------------------------------------- Operating loss -60,155 -42,560 --------------------------------------------------------------- Net financial income 26 7 --------------------------------------------------------------- NET LOSS FOR THE PERIOD -60,129 -42,553 --------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE LOSS -60,129 -42,553 --------------------------------------------------------------- Aivar Kempi Member of the Management Board +372 66 79 200 info@trigonproperty.com Attachment: https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=655433
Seattle, Washington--(Newsfile Corp. - November 30, 2017) - CFN Media Group ("CannabisFN"), the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis, announces publication of an article covering Harvest One Cannabis Inc.'s (TSXV: HVST) new plans to lease and retrofit an existing timber facility to accelerate its cannabis commercialization timeline. The article also discusses Harvest One's subsidiary Satipharm AG and its progress in advancing clinical trials of its proprietary Gelpell delivery system for cannabinoids in the treatment of children's refractory epilepsy.

New Letter of Intent

Harvest One Cannabis recently announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, United Greeneries Ltd., has entered into a letter of intent with a third party for the lease of a property in Chemainus, BC to accelerate and expand production capacity. As a previous industrial lumber kiln drying plant, the facility has an industrial power supply and usable building envelopes. The team has already begun detailed design work and commenced licensing integration activities.

"The Chemainus Facility will allow United Greeneries to capitalize on supplying the upcoming recreational market in Canada with large volumes of high quality dried cannabis buds," said Harvest One Cannabis CEO Andreas Gedeon. "The company is committed to aggressively pursuing the opportunities at hand and to continue its successful approach of providing shareholders with targeted and substantial value in this thriving industry."

Management believes that it will be able to commence cultivation activities next year with an initial annual capacity of approximately 8,000 kilograms. In terms of capital expenditure, the team anticipates covering the retrofitting costs with its current cash balance without need for additional financing. The LOI also provides UG with a lease option on a further eight acres on the site, which could be developed to ultimately produce more than 35,000 kilograms per year on a full build out and expansion basis.

A Better Alternative

Harvest One Cannabis' previously planned Duncan facility expansion would have been a greenhouse operation that would have taken longer to commercialize than the Chemainus Facility. In addition to its shortened timetable, the Chemainus Facility will be an indoor growing environment capable of producing higher quality cannabis instead of extraction grade greenhouse cannabis. This could open the door to higher margin opportunities than were previously possible.

The Duncan facility, with its 1,000-kilogram current annual capacity, will remain as a base of operations for the company on Vancouver Island with a focus on increasing capacity through an expansion plan at the nearby Chemainus Facility. The existing facility's proximity to the new facility is beneficial, as the two locations will complement each other as United Greeneries' business grows.

Additional Potential

United Greeneries may be focused squarely on cultivation, but Harvest One Cannabis also owns Satipharm AG to provide exposure to the medical side of the business.

Earlier this month, Satipharm AG announced positive Phase I clinical trial results in Israel using its proprietary Gelpell technology. The results demonstrated the safety and performance of the oral capsule technology, including the effective delivery profile of cannabidiol (CBD) compound to trial subjects. The trial also highlighted the favorable bioavailability of the capsules compared to Sativex - a market leading oral cannabinoid spray from GW Pharmaceuticals plc (GWPH).

The company has since begun Phase II clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of Satipharm's capsules in treating refractory epilepsy in children. The completion of the Phase II clinical trial would be a major catalyst toward commercialization of the capsules. In fact, the company could become just the third company to complete Phase II clinical trials next to GW Pharmaceuticals plc and Insys Therapeutics Inc. for refractory epilepsy in children.

Please follow the link to read the full article: http://www.cannabisfn.com/harvest-one-cannabis-takes-faster-route-commercialization/

For more information, visit the company's website at www.harvestone.com.

About CFN Media

CFN Media (CannabisFN) is the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis. We help marijuana businesses attract investors, customers (B2B, B2C), capital, and media visibility. Private and public marijuana companies and brands in the US and Canada rely on CFN Media to grow and succeed.

Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/become-featured-company/

Download the CFN Media iOS mobile app to access the world of cannabis from the palm of your hand: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cannabisfn/id988009247?ls=1&mt=8

Or visit our homepage and enter your mobile number under the Apple App Store logo to receive a download link text on your iPhone: http://www.cannabisfn.com

Disclaimer:

Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this release contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Emerging Growth LLC, which owns CFN Media and CannabisFN.com, is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority, and does not provide nor claims to provide investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release. Emerging Growth LLC may from time to time have a position in the securities mentioned herein and may increase or decrease such positions without notice. For making specific investment decisions, readers should seek their own advice. Emerging Growth LLC may be compensated for its services in the form of cash-based compensation or equity securities in the companies it writes about, or a combination of the two. For full disclosure please visit: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/

CONTACT INFORMATION

CFN Media

Frank Lane

206-369-7050

flane@cannabisfn.com


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Elon Musk said that his Boring Company will compete to fund, build and operate a high-speed Loop connecting O'Hare International Airport to downtown Chicago.



Boring Company is an infrastructure and tunnel construction company founded in late 2016 by Musk, who is also the chief executive officer of SpaceX and Telsa Inc. (TSLA).



Musk's expression of interest was in response to the City of Chicago's Request for Qualifications or RFQ relating to the O'Hare Express System or OES Project.



The project aims to deliver express service that would take 20 minutes or less to travel from downtown Chicago to O'Hare International Airport or ORD, cutting more than 50 percent off current travel times.



The current total daily number or air passengers traveling between ORD and the Chicago Central Business District is approximately 20,000 and is forecast to grow to at least 35,000 daily air passengers in 2045.



This RFQ represents the commencement of the procurement process for selecting the private party that will design, build, finance, operate and maintain the OES Project.



Respondents can present their qualifications to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the O'Hare Express operating system through a public-private agreement with the City.



'Although cost estimates for the project are not yet known, the RFQ stipulates that the O'Hare Express Service will be funded solely by project-specific revenues (like fares or advertising) and financed entirely by the concessionaire. There will be no taxpayer funding for the project,' Chicago's Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. RFQ responses are due on January 24, 2018.



In response to a question on Twitter asking to elaborate on what a 'high-speed loop' was, Musk clarified that a Loop is like a Hyperloop, but without drawing a vacuum inside the tube. He added that there was no need to get rid of air friction for short routes.



To another question on whether people would still travel in electric-powered pods on rails, Musk said, 'Electric pods for sure. Rails maybe, maybe not.'



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
LONDON, November 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research from Hyundai has revealed that a quarter of Brits think they would feel more engaged at work if they took on more challenges [1]

One third admit that a new challenge would get them out of a rut with nearly half of those surveyed feeling motivated to take on new challenges in the new year to make life more exciting

Leeds and London are the cities which are most in need of a challenge to boost engagement while Glasgow is in the biggest rut, 60% of Glaswegians citing this as motivation for pushing themselves out of their comfort zone

and are the cities which are most in need of a challenge to boost engagement while is in the biggest rut, 60% of Glaswegians citing this as motivation for pushing themselves out of their comfort zone Research released to celebrate the successful completion of the Hyundai KONA 10 challenge - where 32-year-old adventurer Sophie Radcliffe battled snow and 50 mph winds to conquer ten of the most iconic volcanic landscapes across the UK and Ireland - in just 72 hours

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613334/Hyundai_Challenges.jpg )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613336/Hyundai_KONA.jpg )



https://youtu.be/c_32WjxNblY



Research commissioned by Hyundai Motor UK has found that three quarters of Brits have not pushed themselves out of their comfort zone in the last six months - physically or mentally. And it's cities such as Glasgow, Plymouth and Newcastle that are the biggest culprits.

The survey, carried out by Censuswide, also revealed that more than a quarter of Brits believe they would feel more engaged at work if they took on more challenges, especially in cities such as London and Leeds - with the 1,200 respondents answering the week that it was reported in the Autumn budget that levels of productivity in the UK are low.

When asked what holds Brits back from challenging themselves, more than a quarter cite lack of motivation, while 20% say it's a time issue.

1. All data taken from Censuswide survey carried out 24.11.17 - 27.11.17

However, as we move towards the new year, more than a third of Brits have admitted they would be motivated to take on a new challenge in 2018 if it would get them out of a rut.

The research was carried out to mark the successful completion of the Hyundai KONA 10 challenge - where adventurer Sophie Radcliffe's epic trek involved travelling across the Irish Sea twice and driving the all-new KONA from Hyundai more than 1,000 miles to reach volcanic landscapes on a route curated by historian Dr. Michael Scott.

The historian and TV personality has shed light on the little known volcanic history of the UK and Ireland, and the extraordinary human activity inspired by these landscapes over millennia. The KONA10 route is now available to the public for those who want to combine a challenge with a touch of volcanic history.

Tony Whitehorn Hyundai Motor UK's President and CEO comments:"It's really interesting to find that 75% of Brits don't feel they have challenged themselves, mentally or physically, in the last six months. Our drive behind this challenge was to show not just what the KONA could do, but to inspire people to get out there and find their own adventure.

What Sophie achieved was amazing, and may not be right for everyone but with the KONA 10 route anyone can jump in a car and explore these landscapes.

The new KONA, which is available with four-wheel drive, is well suited to those seeking adventure. It offers all-round capability and is just as at home on urban roads as it is on mountain passes."

More on the rich history of the route by Dr. Michael Scott can be found here - http://www.kona10.co.uk

Sophie has been raising money for Stand Up To Cancer. Everyone can donate at https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/hyundaikona10

The all-new KONA is a compact SUV with a bold, sharp design with full-LED twin headlamps, two-tone roof and the choice of ten distinctive exterior colours. A true SUV with four-wheel drive the KONA also has head-up display, a high-end sound system by Krell and complete connectivity allowing passengers to use Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on the seven-inch screen. The KONA starts at 16,195 for 2WD manual transmission.

Hyundai has captured the KONA 10 route for consumers to explore for themselves using public roads and it can be found at http://www.kona10.co.uk.

About Hyundai Motor

Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company is committed to becoming a lifetime partner in automobiles and beyond. The company leads the Hyundai Motor Group, an innovative business structure capable of circulating resources from molten iron to finished cars. Hyundai Motor has eight manufacturing bases and seven design & technical centres worldwide and in 2016 sold 4.86 million vehicles globally. With more than 110,000 employees worldwide, Hyundai Motor continues to enhance its product line-up with localized models and strives to strengthen its leadership in clean technology, starting with the world's first mass-produced hydrogen-powered vehicle, ix35 Fuel Cell and IONIQ, the world's first model with three electrified powertrains in a single body type.

More information about Hyundai Motor and its products can be found at: http://worldwide.hyundai.com or http://www.hyundaiglobalnews.com.

About Hyundai Motor UK

Hyundai has sold vehicles in the UK since 1982. In 2005, Hyundai opened its own UK subsidiary, Hyundai Motor UK Ltd, based in High Wycombe. Since 2008, the company has risen from 21st to one of the top 10 car manufacturers in the UK and last year sold a record 92,510 vehicles. Hyundai Motor UK employs more than 3,000 people through its UK operations and dealer network. Hyundai offers a full range of vehicles from the award-winning New Generation i10 city car through to the capable Santa Fe SUV and iLoad LCV. All passenger cars come with Hyundai's industry-leading 5 Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty package. Further information about Hyundai and its products is available athttp://www.hyundai.co.uk.

Follow us on Twitter@Hyundai_UK_PR
Alytus, Lithuania, 2017-11-30 16:01 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The consolidated unaudited sales revenue of Snaige AB exceeded 30 million EUR within the first three quarters of this year, which is slightly less if compared to the same period last year.The company's EBITDA was 1.6 million EUR (according to consolidated unaudited data) i.e. 56% less than in the same period last year. According Gediminas Ceika, the Director General of Snaige AB, this year was comprised of many challenges. "Prices of most raw materials increased, however the price of the products remained at the same level in almost all markets of the company. That influenced our results inevitably", stated Mr. G. Ceika. "Many manufacturers of refrigerators, including Chinese manufacturers, have announced on the increase of products price by the end of a year. Thus we anticipate more balanced results of or sale income and EBITDA". Snaige exported its products to more than 30 European and Asian countries within 3 quarters of this year. The company's largest markets in terms of income were Germany, France, Ukraine, Lithuania and the Czech Republic. While the largest increase of income, if compared to the previous year, was in Norway, Portugal, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine. The company implemented two lines of refrigerators of new design. New refrigerators shall arrive to the shops and fascinate the customers in 2018 already. Director General of Snaige AB Gediminas Ceika +370 315 56206 Attachment: https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=655447
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2017 / SeeThruEquity, a leading independent equity research and corporate access firm focused on small-cap and micro-cap public companies, today announced it has issued an update on PotNetwork Holding, Inc.

The report is available here: POTN November Update Note.

PotNetwork Holding (OTC PINK: POTN), through its subsidiary Diamond CBD Inc., focuses on research, development, and sale of premium hemp extracts that contain a broad range of cannabinoids and natural hemp derivatives. CBD is one of the more than 85 cannabinoids identified in marijuana and hemp plants and is non-psychoactive with wide array of therapeutic benefits. Hemp-derived CBDs provides a legal alternative to marijuana-based CBD (which is banned at federal level) and allows the consumer to enjoy CBD without the risk of getting high and breaking any federal laws. Hemp-derived CBD market is projected to grow at a CAGR of ~53% till 2020, positioning it as the fastest growing sub-segment within the multi-billion-dollar legal cannabis and hemp market. Diamond CBD continues to report robust top line growth, as indicated by recent 3Q17 sales and continued momentum in October. We see POTN as a speculative growth company focused on the burgeoning legal cannabis and hemp market targeting the fastest growing sub-segment (hemp derived CBD). Upcoming catalysts new product launches, aggressive marketing initiatives and entry into new markets (specifically China).

Highlights from the update include:

We are increasing our price target for POTN following encouraging results since our initiation of coverage. POTN results have included robust top line growth, as well as a reduction in shares outstanding. The company now appears to be tracking ahead of our initial results, with significant sales momentum in a structural growth market.

Highlights of recent developments at POTN include:

On November 2, 2017, POTN pre-announced positive 3Q17 sales results with revenue of approximately $4.4mn, up 29% sequentially from $3.2mn in 2Q17.

Momentum appears to have continued for the company as management announced October sales came in at $1.7mn, up 40%+ from September.

On November 27, 2017, POTN retired 300mn common shares held by principal shareholders, reducing common shares outstanding; the shares will be exchanged for non-trading preferred shares.

The company appointed a new PCAOB accounting firm registered in South Florida, East West Accounting Services, LLC, to deliver a detailed review and audit of recent revenues results.

In October, POTN appointed Dr. Richard Goulding, MD, as its new CEO. According to the announcement, Dr. Goulding will bring the company key insights on the medical benefits of cannabidiol (CBD) from a physician's standpoint, including insights on research for CBD as a treatment for pain management and other medical applications as the company expands its presence in the market. Former CEO Gary Blum will remain with POTN as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Increasing price target to $0.40

We are increasing our target to $0.40 following recent results and apparent sales momentum at the company as it expands its product offerings and distribution. The $0.40 target suggests a valuation of 4.7x 2018E revenues of 22.8mn and 40x estimated 2018E EPS of $0.01.

Please review important disclosures on our website at www.seethruequity.com.

About PotNetwork Holding, Inc.

PotNetwork Holding Inc. is a publicly traded company that acts as a holding company for its subsidiary, First Capital Venture Co., the owner of Diamond CBD, Inc. Diamond CBD focuses on the research, development, and multi-national marketing of premium hemp extracts that contain a broad range of cannabinoids and natural hemp derivatives. For more information, visit www.diamondcbd.com.

About SeeThruEquity

Since its founding in 2011, SeeThruEquity has been committed to its core mission: providing impactful, high quality research on underfollowed smallcap and microcap equities. SeeThruEquity has pioneered an innovative business model for equity research that is not paid for and is unbiased. SeeThruEquity is the host of acclaimed investor conferences that are the ultimate event for publicly traded companies with market capitalizations less than $1 billion.

SeeThruEquity is approved to contribute its research reports and estimates to Thomson One Analytics (First Call), the leading estimates platform on Wall Street, as well as Capital IQ and FactSet. SeeThruEquity maintains one of the industry's most extensive databases of opt-in institutional and high net worth investors. The firm is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan in New York City.

For more information, visit www.seethruequity.com.

Contact:

Ajay Tandon

SeeThruEquity

info@seethruequity.com

SOURCE: SeeThruEquity
Washington D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - November 30, 2017) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Mark Kronforst, Chief Accountant of the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance, plans to leave the SEC in early January after 13 years of public service with the investor protection agency.

Mr. Kronforst has served as Chief Accountant since October 2013. He leads the Division's Office of Chief Accountant in providing technical accounting and reporting support to the Division's disclosure review program, and oversees the Division's administration of the Commission's reporting rules for public companies' disclosure of financial information to investors. He also serves in a leading role in the Division's ongoing efforts to make disclosure more effective for investors and encourage capital formation.

"Mark has been a trusted advisor to multiple Directors during his distinguished career at the SEC. Through his leadership and boundless enthusiasm for the SEC's mission and the Division's work, he has made significant contributions to investor protection and capital formation," said William Hinman, Director of the Division of Corporation Finance.

Mr. Kronforst said, "It has been a privilege to work in the Division for nearly 14 years alongside so many talented staff members and I am very proud of what we have accomplished together. I am confident that the office will continue providing high-quality expertise and support to the Division and will excel in their efforts to enhance capital formation and protect investors."

Prior to his role as Chief Accountant, Mr. Kronforst served in other capacities within the Division, including Associate Director in Disclosure Operations and Deputy Chief Accountant. Before joining the SEC in 2004, Mr. Kronforst was the Director of Financial Reporting for Solectron Corporation and an audit senior manager at KPMG LLP. Mr. Kronforst received his Bachelor of Accounting degree from the University of Minnesota-Duluth and is a certified public accountant.

Upon Mr. Kronforst's departure, Kyle Moffatt, Associate Director in Disclosure Operations, will become the Division's acting Chief Accountant. Prior to his role as Associate Director, Mr. Moffatt served in several other Division positions, including Associate Director of the Disclosure Standards Office and as Associate Chief Accountant in the Division's Office of Chief Accountant. Mr. Moffatt joined the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance in 2000 as a Professional Accounting Fellow. Before joining the Division, Mr. Moffatt was an audit manager with Ernst & Young LLP. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park and is a certified public accountant.
Next generation system includes whole slide imaging automation enhancements, auto-detection for tissue AOI's and intelligent user features for local and remote viewing

Visit OptraSCAN at Digital Pathology Congress London, Nov 30-Dec 1 at booth #31

OptraSCAN today announced its next generation system at the Digital Pathology Congress meeting in London. The next wave of OptraSCAN WSI scanners will include smart features to enable walk-away automation, automatic detection of tissue area of interest and enhanced smart workflow design.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130005814/en/

Single-touch, interactive, LCD user interface (auto-detect tissue AOI's) (Graphic: Business Wire)

OptraSCAN is exhibiting its On-Demand Digital Pathology scanners and solutions at DPC London at booth #31 and will be presenting during the main program on Day 2.

In an effort to streamline the digital pathology workflow for practitioners and technicians, OptraSCAN is releasing its next generation digital pathology system that will include key capabilities for walk-away automation, automated tissue AOI detection, 'smart feature' design, customization for special stains and a 'live view mode' app for remote frozen sections.

Full system enhancements will include:

Auto-detection of tissue AOI's using a 'single-touch' interactive LCD panel Auto slide detection Histopathologist-friendly user interface Scan customization for special stain handling Dynamic and local scan setting options Zoom features for better slide preview Live View app for frozen sections workflow Scanning operation timer and slide scan counter Scanning with or without a coverslip 'Prompt Scan' status feature

Visit our brand new website for more information on On-Demand Digital Pathology: www.optrascan.com.

About OptraSCAN

OptraSCAN (www.optrascan.com) RUO, is the first On-Demand Digital Pathology System to serves as a perfect tool for the transition from conventional microscopy to Digital Pathology for the effective acquisition of Whole Slide Images, viewing, storing, sharing, consulting, analysis and management of digital slides and associated metadata.

OptraSCAN On-Demand Digital Pathology system includes a small-footprint, low and high throughput WSI scanner OptraSCANTM (for brightfield, fluorescent and frozen section/live view mode), an integrated image viewer and image management system ImagePathTM and telepathology TELEPathTM, image analysis OptraASSAYSTM and CARDSTM (computer aided region detection system), and includes up to 10 TB of complimentary cloud storage. Focused on delivering fully integrated, affordable Digital Pathology solutions, OptraSCAN provides a complete whole slide image solution system via an On-Demand pay-per-use model. Follow OptraSCAN on Linkedin and Twitter.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130005814/en/

Contacts:

OptraSCAN

Media Inquiries:

Jennifer Levy

408.524.5300 x104

Jennifer@optrainc.com

or

Sales Inquiries:

Mike Oria

408.524.5300

Mike@optrascan.com
Regulatory News:

SoLocal Group (Paris:LOCAL), leader in local online communication, announces the finalization of the sale of its online real estate classifieds business, avendrealouer.fr, to leboncoin Group, in accordance with the announcement made on 27 October 2017. This transaction has been made on the basis of a sale price of 19.8 million as of 30 November 2017, this amount being subject to evolution post-transfer, on the basis of adjustment criteria agreed between the parties.

Acquired in 2011 from PriceMinister, A Vendre A Louer benefited from the support of SoLocal Group, which allowed it to become a reference in its sector by strengthening its assets with 6 million visits month and a turnover of 10 million in 2016, thanks to recognized expertise and talents in the field of marketing in the online real estate classifieds market. A Vendre A Louer joins leboncoin Group today, with all its employees.

This sale operation, which reflects positively this value creation generated by SoLocal Group and comes at a favourable moment of main market players consolidation, confirms the continuation of non-strategic activities divestment for SoLocal in favor of priority and structuring investments on high-potential markets, around the Local Search (e.g. referencing on the Group's media such as pagesjaunes.fr and mappy.com and those of partners with Bing, Google, Apple, etc.) and Digital Marketing (e.g.: content creation including 4 million reviews on professionals, transactional services with ClicRDV online appointments, design management of websites for professionals, data-programmatic, etc.), in order to find some leeway to invest and innovate.

"We are proud to have supported the development of A Vendre A Louer for the past six years. The strength of SoLocal 's salesforce spread throughout France, closer to real estate agencies, and the complementarity of our digital expertise have been outstanding assets to enhance the attractiveness of A Vendre A Louer. We wish the teams all the best for the future. This disposal allows to create value for our shareholders and no longer to focuse on the classifieds market but on local digital communication advice for real estate professionals (website creation, SEO offers, etc.). The challenge is to refocus priorities on our high-growth strategic digital activities: Local Search and Digital Marketing. Indeed, our ambition is to make SoLocal a recognized digital leader in France to provide growth to small and medium businesses and network companies. We already have outstanding assets: we are working to make them more effective and to complete them, and we are therefore confident in our ability to succeed ! says Pascal Garcia, Secretary General and Strategy Director of SoLocal Group.

Key dates and figures on A Vendre A Louer Company founded in 1986

65 employees

employees 1.6 million unique visitors in May 2017, growing at +23% versus May 2016 (source: Mediametrie) Key dates and figures on SoLocal(source: SoLocal, 2016) 812 million revenues of which 80% is digital

500,000 clients, SMEs and network groups

SMEs and network groups Powerful parterships with Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Apple, Yahoo!

with Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Apple, Yahoo! 2.4 billion visits/year on Group's websites

Morgan Lewis Bockius and Clairfield International acted as advisors in this sale operation.

About SoLocal Group

SoLocal Group, European leader in local online communication, reveals local know-how, and boosts local revenues of businesses. The Internet activities of the Group are structured around two business lines: Local Search and Marketing Digital. With Local Search, the Group offers Internet services and solutions to clients which enable them to enhance their visibility and develop their local contacts. Thanks to its expertise, SoLocal Group earned the trust of some 490,000 clients of those services and over 2.4 billions of visits via its 4 flagship brands (PagesJaunes, Mappy, Ooreka and A Vendre A Louer) but also through its partnerships. With Marketing Digital, SoLocal Group creates and provides the best local and customised content about professionals. With over 4,400 employees, including a new orders force of 1,900 local communication advisors specialised in five verticals (Home, Services, Retail, Health Public, BtoB) and Internationally (France, Spain, Austria, United Kingdom), the Group generated in 2016 revenues of 812 millions euros, of which 80% on Internet and ranks amongst the first European players in terms of Internet advertising revenues. SoLocal Group is listed on Euronext Paris (LOCAL). More information may be obtained at www.solocalgroup.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171204005836/en/

Contacts:

SoLocal Group

Press

Delphine Penalva, +33 (0)1 46 23 35 31

dpenalva@solocal.com

or

Edwige Druon, +33 (0)1 46 23 37 56

edruon@solocal.com

or

Alexandra Kunysz, +33 (0)1 46 23 47 45

akunysz@solocal.com

or

Investors

Emmanuelle Vinel, +33 (0)1 46 99 41 80

evinel@solocal.com

or

Sebastien Nony, +33 (0) 1 46 23 49 03

snony@solocal.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 30, 2017) - TNR Gold Corp. (TSXV: TNR) ("TNR" or the "Company") advises that the governments of Chile and Argentina have signed a protocol to facilitate the development of the Los Azules Copper project located in San Juan, Argentina. McEwen Mining Inc. ("McEwen Mining") owns 100% of the project and TNR holds a 0.36% royalty on the net smelter return ("NSR") of the entire Los Azules project.

The two countries signed a bilateral mining integration agreement in 1999. The purpose of this new protocol is to facilitate project-related activities in the border zone between San Juan province in Argentina and Limari province in Chile.

"The support and cooperation being exhibited by Chile and Argentina for potential mine development at Los Azules comes as very good news to us and signifies another important step in the development of one of the largest copper porphyry projects in the world," commented Kirill Klip, Executive Chairman of TNR.

Please refer to the recent Company news release issued on November 2, 2017; "McEwen Mining Files Preliminary Economic Assessment for Los Azules Project, Estimates Life of Mine Undiscounted NSR of $35 billion," for an update on TNR's royalty holding on the Los Azules project.

ABOUT TNR GOLD CORP.

TNR Gold Corp. is working to become an energy metals royalty company. Over the past twenty-two years, TNR, through its lead generator business model, has been successful in generating high quality exploration projects around the globe. With the Company's expertise, resources and industry network, it identified the potential of the Los Azules copper project in Argentina and now holds a 0.36% NSR royalty on the prospect.

TNR is also a major shareholder of International Lithium Corp. ("ILC"), with current holdings of approximately 11% of the outstanding shares of ILC. ILC holds interests in lithium projects in Argentina, Ireland and Canada.

TNR retains a 1.8% NSR royalty on the Mariana Lithium property in Argentina. ILC maintains a right to repurchase 1.0% of the NSR royalty on the Mariana Lithium property of which 0.9% relates to the Company's NSR interest. The Company would receive $900,000 on execution of the repurchase. The project is currently being advanced in a joint venture between ILC and Ganfeng Lithium International Co. Ltd.

At its core, TNR provides significant exposure to gold, copper and lithium through its holdings in Alaska (the Shotgun gold porphyry project) and Argentina, and is committed to continued generation of in-demand projects, while diversifying its markets and building shareholder value.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Kirill Klip

Executive Chairman

www.tnrgoldcorp.com

For further information concerning this news release please contact +1 604-700-8912

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "will", "could" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "could" occur, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Specifically, forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements made in relation to: TNR's corporate objectives, changes in share capital, market conditions for energy commodities, the results of McEwen Mining's PEA, and improvements in the financial performance of the Company. Such forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those discussed in the sections entitled "Risks" and "Forward-Looking Statements" in the Company's interim and annual Management's Discussion and Analysis which are available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. While management believes that the assumptions made and reflected in this news release are reasonable, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking information. In particular, there can be no assurance that: TNR will be repay its loans or complete any further royalty acquisitions or sales; debt or other financing will be available to TNR; or that TNR will be able to achieve any of its corporate objectives. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements included herein are not guarantees of future performance, and such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied on.

In formulating the forward-looking statements contained herein, management has assumed that business and economic conditions affecting TNR and its royalty partners, McEwen Mining Inc. and International Lithium Corp. or its joint venture partner, Ganfeng Lithium International Co. Ltd. will continue substantially in the ordinary course, including without limitation with respect to general industry conditions, general levels of economic activity and regulations. These assumptions, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect.

Forward-looking information herein and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change.
BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2017 / Zoom Telephonics, Inc. ("Zoom") (OTCQB: ZMTP) has begun shipments of the Motorola MR1700, an AC1700 Gigabit Router produced under exclusive license from Motorola Mobility LLC.

The MR1700 has four antennas for the 2.4 GHz WiFi channel, the best channel for long-range WiFi, and also has two antennas for the 5 GHz WiFi channel. Netperian, an independent test lab, tested the MR1700 against two popular Netgear routers, the Nighthawk R7000 AC1900 Gigabit Router and the Nighthawk R6700 AC1750 Gigabit Router. Netperian concluded, "The Motorola MR1700 performed best, very strong for all tests. The Netgear R7000 placed second, and the Netgear R6700 placed last." Netperian's full test report is at

www.motorolacable.com/netperian2017.

The MR1700 is available from Amazon now at $79.99, priced well below the Netgear Nighthawk R7000 at $147.87 and the Netgear Nighthawk R6700 at $99.00. The MR1700 will also be available from retailers and distributors in the U.S. and in many other countries.

"The Motorola MR1700 is an excellent router with a great brand, and is well-positioned for success in the USA and other countries," said Frank Manning, Zoom's President and CEO. "This router is a great choice for customers with large homes or in high-density housing where there's significant wireless noise from neighbors. It's also a good router for almost anyone else. The MR1700 is a high-performance router that's good-looking and well-priced, backed by a U.S. support team and Motorola's attention to quality. "

About Zoom Telephonics

Zoom Telephonics, Inc. designs, produces, markets, and supports communication products under the Motorola and Zoom brands. The Company's worldwide licensing agreement with Motorola includes cable modems and gateways, DSL modems and gateways, cellular modems and routers and sensors, range extenders, home powerline network products, and MoCA adapters. For more information about Zoom and its products, please visit www.zoomtel.com or www.motorolanetwork.com.

MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC and are used under license.

ZOOM is a registered trademark of Zoom Telephonics, Inc.

Investor Relations Contact:

John Nesbett/Jennifer Belodeau

Institutional Marketing Services (IMS)

Phone: 203-972-9200

jnesbett@institutionalms.com

SOURCE: Zoom Telephonics, Inc.
BIRMINGHAM, AL--(Marketwired - November 30, 2017) - Harbert Management Corporation ("HMC") is pleased to announce that Gulf Pacific Power, LLC ("GPP") has entered into definitive agreements with Enel Green Power North America, Inc. ("EGPNA") to acquire an indirect 80% cash equity interest in Rocky Caney Wind, LLC ("Rocky Caney Wind"). Rocky Caney Wind owns two wind farms: the 200 MW Caney River facility in Elk County, Kansas and the 150 MW Rocky Ridge facility in Kiowa and Washita Counties, Oklahoma. Caney River began commercial operations in 2011, selling all of its output under long-term contract to the Tennessee Valley Authority, and Rocky Ridge began commercial operations in 2012, selling its output to Western Farmers Electric Cooperative under a long-term contract.

GPP was formed to make equity investments in North American power assets and is backed by commitments from the California Public Employees' Retirement System ("CalPERS") and HMC affiliates. Rocky Caney Wind is the fourth investment for GPP, and follows earlier acquisitions of ownership interests in Northern Star Generation, a portfolio of seven electric generation facilities with a combined net capacity of 1,251 MW; Astoria Energy II, a 575 MW combined cycle power plant in New York City; and Desert Sunlight, a 550 MW(ac) solar photovoltaic power generation facility in eastern Riverside County, California.

"We are proud to be involved in Rocky Caney Wind. This portfolio of wind plants is amongst the highest quality wind assets in the Midwest and will continue to provide clean, reliable power to the region for many years to come," a spokesman for HMC said. "We are also pleased to be partnering with Enel Green Power, who is one of the leaders in wind power generation in North America."

Following the closing of the transaction, EGPNA will continue to manage, operate and perform maintenance activities at both wind farms.

K&L Gates acted as legal counsel to GPP for the transaction.

About HMC

HMC, an alternative asset management firm with approximately $5.1 billion in Regulatory Assets Under Management as of October 31, 2017, is a privately owned firm formed in 1993 to sponsor alternative asset investment funds. HMC serves foundations and endowments, funds of funds, pension funds, financial institutions, insurance companies, family offices, and high net worth individuals across multiple asset classes. Investment strategies include independent power, European and U.S. real estate, seniors housing, growth equity, credit solutions, European growth capital, and public securities. Additional information about HMC can be found at www.harbert.net.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/11/30/11G148352/Images/Rocky_Ridge,_OK,_Wind_(40)-585710138414aec6a70e723cb4a6e8c6.jpg

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/11/30/11G148352/Images/Caney_River-5685d53117948d1eabcaff1f8fa5e592.JPG

Contact:

Harbert Investor Relations

Telephone: 205 987 5500

E-mail: irelations@harbert.net
Wiesbaden (ots) - Wasserpflanzen gehoren ins Wasser? Nicht unbedingt! Jedenfalls, wenn es nach den Anhangern von Wabi Kusa geht. Dieser grune Trend aus Japan begeistert auch in Deutschland immer mehr Aquarianer und Pflanzen-Freunde. Sie machen Wasserpflanzen zu Zimmerpflanzen und verschonern ihr Zuhause mit den asthetisch anspruchsvoll begrunten Glasschalen. Da ein Wabi Kusa auerst pflegeleicht ist, bietet sich das neue Hobby auch fur Einsteiger an. Darauf weist der Zentralverband Zoologischer Fachbetriebe Deutschlands (ZZF) hin.Das Name Wabi Kusa stammt aus dem Japanischen und bezieht sich auf das Konzept des Wabi Sabi. Dabei geht es darum, in etwas Einfachem und Unscheinbarem Schonheit wahrzunehmen. Hintergedanke ist es, sich kreativ und durchaus auch meditativ mit einem kleinen Stuck Natur zu beschaftigen. Ein "Wabi Kusa"-Aquarium kann daher schon als ein Kunstwerk oder Design-Objekt betrachtet werden.Bepflanzt wird ein solcher Hingucker mit unterschiedlichen Sumpf- und Wasserpflanzen, die - das ist der Clou - im Wasser wurzeln, aber auerhalb des Wassers wachsen. Auf einer Art Ball aus Erde werden sie in einer Schale mit ein wenig Wasser gruppiert, die man beispielsweise auf das Fensterbrett stellen kann. So ist auch das notwendige Sonnenlicht garantiert. Zudem besteht die Moglichkeit, vorkultivierte Wabi Kusas doch in einem Aquarium zu platzieren, also einen "Unterwassergarten" aus fertigen Elementen zu gestalten. Den besonderen Reiz eines Wabi Kusa macht aus, dass Sumpf- und Wasserpflanzen sich auerhalb des Wassers teilweise auergewohnlich entwickeln, was etwa in farbenfrohen Blattern zum Ausdruck kommt. Manche Pflanzen bilden "an der Luft" auch prachtige Bluten. Seit dem vergangenen Jahr gibt es sogar einen internationalen Wettbewerb, bei dem die schonsten Wabi Kusas gekurt werden.Im Zoofachhandel gibt es verschiedene Glasschalen und Vasen, die speziell fur ein Wabi Kusa geeignet sind. Dazu wird ein Substrat oder Soil benotigt, wie es auch bei der Gestaltung von Aquarienlandschaften zum Einsatz kommt. Es ist ebenfalls in jedem Fachgeschaft erhaltlich."Soil zieht die Harte aus dem Wasser und sauert es an", erklart der Aquascaper Frederic Fuss. In dieses Substrat werden die Pflanzen mithilfe einer Pinzette eingepflanzt, ganz nach eigenem Gefallen. Im Fachhandel gibt es auch besonders vorgeformte Substratballe. Empfehlenswert ist zudem ein Dunger sowie - falls es am gewunschten Standort an Sonnenlicht mangelt - eine spezielle Lampe. Faustformel fur die Lichtmenge: 0,3 bis 0,5 Watt pro Liter, 20 bis 35 Lumen.Zwei Mal taglich sollte das Wabi Kusa bespruht werden, von Zeit zu Zeit konnen Aquarianer die Pflanzen ein klein wenig stutzen. "Beckengroe, Beleuchtung, Pflanzenbestand und Nahrstoffangebot mussen stets zueinander passen. So wachsen die Pflanzen und Algen sind kein Thema", rat Frederic Fuss. Samtliche Aquarienpflanzen, die sowohl unter Wasser ("submers") als auch uber Wasser ("emers") gedeihen konnen, sind fur die Verwendung im Wabi Kusa geeignet.Weitere Tipps zur Gestaltung von Wabi Kusas: https://my-fish.org/episode141/Pressefoto und Word-Dokument: https://www.zzf.de/presse/meldungen.htmlOTS: Zentralverband Zoologischer Fachbetriebe Deutschlands e.V. (ZZF) newsroom: http://www.presseportal.de/nr/73380 newsroom via RSS: http://www.presseportal.de/rss/pm_73380.rss2Pressekontakt:Antje Schreiber Telefon 0611/447553-14Marie-Christin Gronau Telefon 0611/447553-15presse@zzf.de
DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2017 / Medicine Man Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: MDCL) ("Medicine Man Technologies" or "Company"), one of the United States' leading cannabis branding and consulting companies is pleased to announce that the Company's Co-Founder, Chairman and President Andy Williams, will present at the LD Micro Conference on December 6, 2017 at 11:00 am PST at the Luxe Sunset Bel Air Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

A webcast of the Corporate Presentation will be broadcast live at http://wsw.com/webcast/ldmicro13/mdcl/ and an archive will be hosted on the events page of the Company's website at http://www.medicinemantechnologies.com.

The LD Micro Main Event is the largest independent conference for small/micro-cap companies and will feature 250 names presenting to an audience of over 1,000 attendees. In addition, there will be a variety of speakers/panelists discussing topics of interest to investors and issuers, along with coordinate evening events.

To learn more about the event, please visit: http://www.ldmicro.com/events.

To be added to the Medicine Man email distribution list, please email, MDCL@kcsa.com with MDCL in the subject line.

View Medicine Man Technologies Inc.'s profile at https://www.ldmicro.com/profile/MDCL.

News Compliments of ACCESSWIRE.

About Medicine Man Technologies, Inc.

Established in March 2014, the Company secured its first client/licensee in April 2014. To date, the Company has provided guidance for several clients that have successfully secured licenses to operate cannabis businesses within their state. The Company currently has sixty-two active clients in California, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, Illinois, Michigan, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Maryland, Massachusetts, Puerto Rico, Australia, Canada, Germany, and South Africa. We continue to focus on working with clients to 1) utilize its experience, technology, and training to help secure a license in states with newly emerging regulations, 2) deploy the Company's highly effective variable capacity constant harvest cultivation practices through its deployment of Cultivation MAX, and eliminate the liability of single grower dependence, 3) avoid the costly mistakes generally made in start-up, 4) stay engaged with an ever expanding team of licensees and partners, all focused on quality and safety that will 'share' the ever-improving experience and knowledge of the network, and 5) continuing the expansion of its Brands Warehouse concept.

About LD Micro

LD Micro was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the microcap space. What started out as a newsletter highlighting unique companies has transformed into an event platform hosting several influential conferences annually (Invitational, Summit, and Main Event). In 2015, LDM launched the first pure microcap index (the LDMi) to exclusively provide intraday information on the entire sector. LD will continue to provide valuable tools for the benefit of everyone in the small and microcap universe. For those interested in attending, please contact David Scher at david@ldmicro.com or visit www.ldmicro.com/events for more information.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release may contain forward looking statements which are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those anticipated or expected, including statements related to the amount and timing of expected revenues and any payment of dividends on our common and preferred stock, statements related to our financial performance, expected income, distributions, and future growth for upcoming quarterly and annual periods. These risks and uncertainties are further defined in filings and reports by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Actual results and the timing of certain events could differ materially from those projected in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors detailed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Among other matters, the Medicine Man Technologies may not be able to sustain growth or achieve profitability based upon many factors including, but not limited to, general stock market conditions. Reference is hereby made to cautionary statements set forth in the Company's most recent SEC filings. We have incurred and will continue to incur significant expenses in our expansion of our existing and new service lines, noting there is no assurance that we will generate enough revenues to offset those costs in both the near and long term. Additional service offerings may expose us to additional legal and regulatory costs and unknown exposure(s) based upon the various geopolitical locations where we will be providing services, the impact of which cannot be predicted at this time.

Contact Information:

KCSA Strategic Communications

MDCL@kcsa.com

SOURCE: Medicine Man Technologies, Inc.
At the 2017 World Communication Awards (WCA) in London, Telia Carrier has been recognized for having the best customer care in the industry. This is the third time the company has won the 'Best Customer Care' category and the award is a testament to the company's sustained focus on creating an exceptional customer experience.

"This is a tremendous acknowledgment, not only of our sustained company-wide focus on creating the best possible experience for our customers, but also a testament to the fantastic trust they put in us, each and every day," says Staffan Gojeryd, CEO Telia Carrier.

Customer centricity has become a key differentiator in the wholesale sector, and during the past few years, the company has put it at the heart of their global organization. This was clearly noted by the WCA judging panel.

"The results prove how much Telia Carrier is focused on customer experience. Definitely a reference in the industry," one of the judges said, while another praised Telia Carrier for its "simple but powerful way of increasing customer satisfaction."

Telia Carrier's global fiber backbone has grown organically, without acquisitions, and was the first to be 100G-enabled in both Europe and North America. It is also the first network to successfully transmit 1 Tb/s in super channels on its US network. According to Dyn Research's global backbone rankings, AS1299, Telia Carrier's global IP backbone, is currently ranked as number one. Telia Carrier's rapid growth and ascension through the rankings was highlighted in Dyn's 'Baker's Dozen' report. The company enables worldwide connectivity by connecting more than 230 Points of Presence (PoPs) across Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East including over 80 PoPs in North America alone.

About Telia Carrier

Telia Carrier owns and operates one of the world's most extensive fiber backbones. Our mission is to provide exceptional network infrastructure and services empowering individuals, businesses and societies to execute their most critical activities. By working close to our customers, we make big ideas happen at the speed of fiber.

Discover more at teliacarrier.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130005929/en/

Contacts:

Telia Carrier

Rickard Backlin, +46-72-2368327

VP Brand Marketing

rickard.backlin@teliacompany.com
CHATTANOOGA, TN -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/17 -- Modern States Education Alliance, a philanthropy dedicated to making a college degree more affordable and accessible, today announced a partnership with the National Rural Education Association (NREA), an advocate for rural schools and communities. Working together, the organizations will help high school students in rural areas of the U.S. earn free college credit before graduation.

Modern States recently launched "Freshman Year for Free", the first-ever catalog of tuition-free online courses for 40+ core collegiate freshman subjects, enabling learners to earn traditional academic credits at more than 2,900 major colleges and universities. Taught by professors from leading schools, Modern States' free courses prepare students for the well-accepted Advanced Placement (AP) and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams offered by the College Board.

"The relationship with Modern States presents an excellent opportunity for students in rural America who have limited access to educational resources," said Allen Pratt, executive director of the NREA. "We feel access to Modern States' courses will help rural school district leaders and teachers address a need in their communities, as well as help make a college degree more affordable and attainable for today's students."

David Vise, executive director of Modern States, recently spoke at the NREA's National Forum to Advance Rural Education. "This partnership will give rural high school students the chance to learn from top notch professors," Vise said. "All students need is an internet connection. The Freshman Year for Free program will provide them with an 'on-ramp' to traditional colleges."

Earlier this year, Modern States announced it will pay the College Board test fees for the first 10,000 students who complete a Modern States course. The offer enables learners to earn a single college credit or up to a full year's worth of credits for free, reducing the cost of a traditional four-year college degree by 25 percent.

The Modern States courses are taught by faculty members from some of the nation's best universities, including Columbia, Purdue, Rutgers, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Tufts, Baruch College, University of Texas, and Cal Berkeley. For example, Paul Schiff Berman, a former dean of the George Washington University Law School, teaches the "Introduction to Business Law" course for Modern States.

Modern States aspires to help over one million learners earn credit at no tuition cost, saving students and taxpayers approximately $1,000 per course and over $1 billion in total, while also creating a practical "on-ramp" into the traditional college system for anyone who seeks it. The Modern States charity was conceived, and has been funded to date, by Steve Klinsky, a New York-based education reformer and businessman.

About Modern States

The Modern States Education Alliance is a NYC-based philanthropy dedicated to making a college degree more affordable and attainable for everyone. Its first initiative is "Freshman Year for Free": more than 40 online college courses available tuition-free for credit, from top university professors available to anyone with an Internet connection. Students can use these courses to earn college credits by preparing for and taking AP and CLEP exams, as offered by the College Board. Learn more at ModernStates.org.

About the National Rural Education Association

The NREA (National Rural Education Association) was originally founded as the Department of Rural Education in 1907. It is the oldest established national organization of its kind in the United States. Through the years it has evolved as a strong and respected organization of rural school administrators, teachers, board members, regional service agency personnel, researchers, business and industry representatives, and others interested in maintaining the vitality of rural school systems across the country. NREA is the voice or rural communities and schools across the United States.

Media contact:

Jennifer Leckstrom

RoseComm for Modern States

Email Contact

215-681-0770




WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - After initially resisting the idea, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has called on longtime Congressman John Conyers, D-Mich., to resign over allegations of sexual harassment. Pelosi suggested in remarks to reporters on Thursday that the situation had changed since she said Conyers deserves 'due process' and described the congressman as 'an icon' in an interview on NBC's 'Meet The Press' on Sunday. 'The allegations against Congressman Conyers, as we have learned more since Sunday are serious, disappointing and very credible,' Pelosi said during her weekly news conference. 'It's very sad and the brave women who came forward are owed justice,' she added. 'I will pray for Congressman Conyers and his family, and wish them well. However Congressman Conyers should resign.' Pelosi declared that there is no license to harass or discriminate, suggesting that Conyers' great legacy makes the allegations even more disappointing. The call for Conyers' resignation by the House Democratic leader comes as the congressman has reportedly been hospitalized with a stress-related illness. Conyers' attorney Arnold Reed was defiant when asked about Pelosi's comments, saying the congressman is 'not going to be pressured by Nancy Pelosi or anyone else to step down.' 'Nancy Pelosi did not elect the congressman, and she sure as hell won't be the one to tell the congressman to leave,' Reed told reporters. Conyers announced Sunday he was stepping down as ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee amid an investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations that a former employee was fired because she would not succumb to his sexual advances. Another former staffer for Conyers also accused the lawmaker of sexual harassment, telling the Detroit News he made three unwanted sexual advances toward her, including inappropriate touching. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
IRVINE, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/17 -- Cannabis Science, Inc. (OTC PINK: CBIS), a U.S. company specializing in the development of cannabinoid-based medicines, is pleased to announce the Honorable Judge Kimberly Mueller, appointed to the bench by former President Barack Obama, set the hearing on the temporary restraining order for today, Thursday, November 30, 2017 at 3:30pm in Department 3 of the US District Courthouse, located at 501 "I" Street, #4200 in Sacramento, California. The hearing is public and anyone interested may attend.

On October 27, 2017, Cannabis Science, Inc. (the "Company"), along with its partners Winnemucca Shosoni MBS, American States University, Free Spirit Organics NAC and HRM Farms filed a Complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against ten San Joaquin County defendants including the Board of Supervisors, County Counsel; District Attorney and the Sheriff and against the federal Drug Enforcement Agency.

The Complaint stems from a search warrant and subject seizure executed by the Defendants on the Plaintiff's 26.19-acre plot of land where it was growing industrial hemp. On November 17, 2017, CSI and the rest of the plaintiffs filed seven documents including 45 pages of pleadings, seven declarations, and 150 pages of exhibits asking the Court to issue a temporary restraining order.

Recently, the Plaintiffs learned the DEA was not involved and dismissed it. It had been surprising to discover evidence of DEA involvement at the outset because plaintiffs believed they had been operating with the blessing of the DEA. Accordingly Plaintiffs were pleased to learn that the DEA was not involved with the subject seizure and was apparently unconcerned with the industrial hemp research project.

About Cannabis Science, Inc.

Cannabis Science, Inc. takes advantage of its unique understanding of metabolic processes to provide novel treatment approaches to a number of illnesses for which current treatments and understanding remain unsatisfactory. Cannabinoids have an extensive history dating back thousands of years, and currently, there are a growing number of peer-reviewed scientific publications that document the underlying biochemical pathways that cannabinoids modulate. The Company works with leading experts in drug development, medicinal characterization, and clinical research to develop, produce, and commercialize novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment for illnesses caused by infections as well as for age-related illness. Our initial focus is on cancers, HIV/AIDS, and neurological conditions. The Company is proceeding with the research and development of its proprietary drugs as a part of this initial focus: CS-S/BCC-1, CS-TATI-1, and CS-NEURO-1, respectively.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Press Release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. A statement containing words such as "anticipate," "seek," intend," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "project," "plan," or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based drugs. Cannabis Science, Inc., does not undertake any duty nor does it intend to update the results of these forward-looking statements. Safe Harbor Statement. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a 'safe harbor' for forward looking statements. Certain of the statements contained herein, which are not historical facts are forward looking statements with respect to events, the occurrence of which involved risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements may be impacted, either positively or negatively, by various factors. Information concerning potential factors that could affect the company is detailed from time to time in the company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Cannabis Science, Inc.

Dr. Allen Herman

Chief Medical Officer (CMO)

allen.herman@cannabisscience.com

Tel: 1-888-263-0832



Cannabis Science, Inc.

Mr. Raymond C. Dabney

President & CEO, Co-Founder

raymond.dabney@cannabisscience.com

Tel: 1-888-263-0832




- H/2 Delivers to Four Seasons a Standstill on its December Debt Payments, Representing H/2's Third Offer of Forbearance in 60 Days

- H/2 Ensures that Standstill Not Impacted by Timing of Court Proceeding by "Agreeing to Disagree" on 24 Brighterkind Homes

- H/2 Extends Forbearance Period to Give Four Seasons Extra Time to Establish Independent Board with No Private Equity Sponsor Affiliation

- H/2 Transition Team is Available Immediately and Urges Four Seasons to Provide Access and Information, and to Execute Standstill Rapidly

LONDON, Nov. 30,2017 /PRNewswire/ --H/2 Capital Partners ("H/2") announces that it has delivered a standstill agreement with respect to Four Seasons' December debt payments. Upon its execution by Four Seasons, this standstill will ensure continuity of care for residents and stability for employees and all stakeholders. H/2's position has always been limited to that of a creditor. As a result, it has not had any input into or control over Four Seasons' decisions.

However, H/2 cares deeply about Four Seasons as an enterprise, its residents and the continuity and quality of their care, and its employees and the stability of the organization they depend on for making ends meet. Consequently, H/2 is again taking the unusual step of voluntarily proposing the deferral of its own interest, rather than extending several years of unproductive efforts in the short amount of time left before the 15 December interest payment that Four Seasons has announced it intends not to pay. Despite not receiving a response to its prior standstill offer for two full weeks, H/2 and its advisers decided the best way to benefit Four Seasons was to stay focused on efforts to identify alternative interest deferral ideas that should be acceptable to the various interests at Four Seasons, but still protective of stakeholders.

In addition, to ensure that the standstill is not impacted by the timing of the legal proceeding with respect to the 24 brighterkind homes, H/2 has proposed that the parties to the standstill agreement simply "agree to disagree" and execute the standstill without further delay.

H/2 believes that the complexity of Four Seasons' corporate structure may present challenges to timely decision-making and governance. H/2's standstill agreement further extends the forbearance period to provide extra time for Four Seasons to establish a fully-independent restructuring committee with no affiliation with its private equity sponsor. H/2 believes that this framework, in conjunction with a majority-independent board at Four Seasons, will be a critical step to ensuring a transparent, fair and ultimately successful restructuring process.

About H/2 Capital Partners

H/2 Capital Partners is an institutional investment manager that has completed over$40 billionof investments since its inception, including approximately$3.8 billionin healthcare. H/2 invests on behalf of leading institutional investors, including pension funds, sovereign funds, insurance companies, foundations, and other institutions globally. H/2 has a track record of working constructively with both private and publicly-listed companies in the U.K. and elsewhere to create financial stability and encourage long-term success for those businesses.

Media Enquiries



Camarco H/2 Capital Partners



Jennifer Renwick Ashvin B. Rao Mobile: +44 (0)7928 471 013 680 Washington Boulevard Direct dial: +44 (0)20 3757 4994 Stamford, CT 06901, U.S.A.

Dial: +1 203 569 4000 Ed Gascoigne-Pees Email:IRManager@h2cp.com Mobile: +44 (0)7884 001 949

Direct dial: +44 (0)20 3757 4984

Email:h2capital@camarco.co.uk



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New Partnership with Founder Laura Slatkin is Debut Investment for Eurazeo Brands

Eurazeo, a leading global listed investment company based in Paris and New York with ~$8 billion in assets under management, is pleased to announce a majority investment in NEST Fragrances in partnership with Founder and Executive Chairman Laura Slatkin. This marks the debut investment for Eurazeo Brands, the firm's fifth investment division launched in May 2017 to invest in consumer and retail brands with global growth potential.

NEST Fragrances was founded in 2008 by Slatkin, a successful fragrance entrepreneur, and is now regarded as a leader within both the growing premium home fragrance and fine fragrance categories. Based in New York, the company offers a collection of over 30 home and fine fragrances sold in luxury department stores, leading specialty retailers and upscale boutiques, as well as on QVC and nestfragrances.com. NEST has experienced strong sales growth over the last five years and is poised for expansion in both the beauty and home categories. Slatkin will continue in her role as Founder and Executive Chairman and Nancy McKay will continue to be Chief Executive Officer of NEST Fragrances.

"We are delighted to partner with Laura and Nancy to accelerate NEST's growth across product categories, channels and geographies," said Jill Granoff, CEO of Eurazeo Brands. "The company's successful track record to date and global growth prospects make NEST Fragrances the ideal first investment for Eurazeo Brands. NEST has developed a very strong brand that resonates with a broad consumer base driven by its compelling fragrances, distinctive packaging and accessible luxury positioning."

Eurazeo Brands aims to invest a total of $800 million in high potential U.S. and European consumer companies with differentiated brands across a wide range of verticals including beauty, fashion, home, wellness, leisure and food. The goal is to partner with strong management teams and drive value creation by leveraging Eurazeo's brand building and operating expertise, as well as its global network with offices in New York, Paris, Shanghai and Sao Paulo.

"Eurazeo Brands is the optimal partner for the growth of our business," said Nancy McKay, CEO of NEST Fragrances. "We are very proud of our momentum thus far, and our evolution to a true lifestyle brand with strong self-purchase and gifting components. With Eurazeo's retail and brand building expertise and extensive international reach, we are well equipped to scale and expand our core business built on superior quality and luxury experiences."

The firm's majority investment, along with a minority investment from Slatkin, will be used to diversify product offerings, build consumer awareness and expand across retail and digital channels to meet the demands of an existing loyal customer base and increase access to global consumers.

"The chemistry and shared vision with Eurazeo was undeniable," added Slatkin. "Our new partnership brings together seasoned experts, many with over 25 years of experience in developing global luxury brands. I have tremendous respect for Jill Granoff and Virginie Morgon, Eurazeo's Deputy CEO, and we are excited to tap into their expertise for our next chapter of growth."

The company was acquired from Tengram Capital Partners and the deal closed on November 29. Eurazeo Brands invested approximately $70 million for a substantial majority investment in the company.

About NEST

NEST Fragrances is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury fragrances for the bath, body and home. Founded in 2008 by fragrance authority Laura Slatkin, today NEST Fragrances produces more than 20 home fragrance collections consisting of luxury scented candles in several sizes, reed diffusers, liquid soap and hand lotion. In 2012, the company launched the NEST Fine Fragrances Collection, which today consists of eight fragrances available in eau de parfum sprays and roller balls and luxury body cream. NEST Fragrances products are sold primarily in North America through a growing wholesale customer network of luxury specialty department stores, beauty product stores, boutique stores and spas, and the company's online flagship store NESTFragrances.com.

About Eurazeo

With a diversified portfolio of approximately $8 billion in assets under management, of which $1 billion from third parties, Eurazeo is a leading global investment company with offices in Paris, Luxembourg, New York, Shanghai and Sao Paulo. Its purpose and mission is to identify, accelerate and enhance the transformation potential of the companies in which it invests. The firm covers a broad spectrum of private equity strategies through its five business divisions Eurazeo Capital, Eurazeo Croissance, Eurazeo PME, Eurazeo Patrimoine and Eurazeo Brands. Its solid institutional and family shareholder base, robust financial structure, and flexible investment horizon enable Eurazeo to support its companies over the long term. As a global long-term shareholder, the firm offers deep sector expertise and a gateway to global markets, and enables the transformational growth of its companies.

Eurazeo is listed on Euronext Paris.

ISIN: FR0000121121 Bloomberg: RF FP Reuters: EURA.PA

For more information, please visit the Group's website: www.eurazeo.com

Follow-us on Twitter, Linkedin, and YouTube

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130005985/en/

Contacts:

For Eurazeo

Julia Sahin, 212-738-6131

Julia.Sahin@edelman.com
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Auto giant General Motors plans to commercially launch autonomous vehicles in big cities by 2019. GM's Cruise Automation unit is currently testing autonomous Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles with human backup drivers in San Francisco, Detroit and Phoenix. The company will also test those cars in Manhattan next year. The company revealed its plans to roll out driver-less cars in slides posted on its website ahead of an investor presentation with Wall Street analysts. According to the company's slides, it expects 'commercial launch at scale' in heavily travelled urban environments in 2019. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
MINOT, ND / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2017 / Capital Financial Holdings, Inc. (OTC PINK: CPFH) today announced that its Board of Directors approved a cash capital dividend of $50.00 per share payable on the company's common stock. The dividend is payable on approximately December 28, 2017 to shareholders of record as of the record date, December 12, 2017. The ex-dividend date for the dividend is December 8, 2017.

About Capital Financial Holdings, Inc.

Capital Financial Holdings, Inc.is a North Dakota corporation and the parent of its wholly owned subsidiary, Capital Financial Services, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation, a registered broker-dealer, which deals in sales of mutual funds, insurance products, and other various securities.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain of the statements set forth in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate, or imply future results, performance or achievements, and may contain the words "estimate," "project," "intend," "forecast," "anticipate," "plan," "planning," "expect," "believe," "will likely," "should," "could," "would," "may," or words or expressions of similar meaning. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the company's actual results and financial position to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including those relating to the Company's ability to grow its business. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the Company's limited financial resources, domestic or global economic conditions, especially those relating to Canada, activities of competitors and the presence of new or additional competition, and changes in Federal or State laws and conditions of equity markets. More information about the potential factors that could affect the Company's business and financial results is included in the Company's filings, available via the United States Securities and Exchange Commission's website (www.sec.gov).

Contact

Gordon Dihle

Chief Executive Officer

Capital Financial Holdings, Inc.

E-mail: gdihle@cfsbd.com

Telephone: 701.837.9600

SOURCE: Capital Financial Holdings, Inc.
BizVibe, a smart business networking platform for global B2B buyers and suppliers, announced today their list of the top 10 leading garment manufacturers in India this year, based on their annual sales and market values.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130006012/en/

BizVibe Announces Their List of the Top 10 Leading Garment Manufacturers in India (Graphic: Business Wire)

The garment manufacturing in India is one of the country's largest sectors in terms of GDP contribution, industry revenues, export earnings, and employment. Today, India ranks as the sixth largest garment exporting country in the world. The readymade garment industry in India alone exports over $17 billion worth of products every year and is expected to expand even further. Many leading garment manufacturers in India are also some of the major suppliers of ready garment products in the global market.

As a global B2B marketplace, BizVibe is perfect for companies that want to simplify the complex and tedious process of product sourcing and supplier selection. Get quotes quicker, generate better leads, and unlock a hidden world of new business opportunities. In a recent article titled Top 10 Leading Garment Manufacturers in India BizVibe has compiled a list of the top 10 garment companies in India that have generated the highest sales and market values. Here are the some of them:

10. Bombay Rayon Fashions Ltd

Bombay Rayon Fashions Ltd is a vertically integrated textile and garment company, engaged in the manufacturing of a wide range of fabrics and garments from state-of-the-art production facilities. Apart from being the largest shirt manufacturer in India, today, Bombay Rayon Fashions Ltd has over 38,000 employees and produces over 90 million pieces of garment products per annum. They are a consistent contributor to India's GDP with their high employment.

9. Sutlej Textiles

Sutlej Textiles operates in all stages of textiles and garment productions. Their versatile production facilities are vertically integrated, from spinning and weaving to dyeing and finishing; including making garments. The company also has operating facilities in Russia, Spain, Singapore, and Sri Lanka and many more locations.

8. KPR Mill

KPR Mill Limited is one of the largest vertically integrated apparel manufacturing companies in India producing yarn, knitted gray, dyed fabric and readymade garments. The company has one of the largest garment manufacturing facilities in India, with an annual capacity of 95 million units. It has also installed windmills to generate green power for captive consumption at Tamil Nadu, sufficient to meet 75% of power requirements.

7. Nahar Spinning

Nahar Spinning Mills Ltd is part of Nahar Group and one of the top textile, garment manufacturers and exporters in India specializing in producing and exporting woolen/cotton hosiery knitwears and woolen textiles. The Company has 7 multi-location plants and a range of products -- over 60% of which are exported to markets in Europe, North America, South America and Asia.

6. SEL Group

SEL is one of the largest vertically integrated textile conglomerates in India. They are one of the top Indian garment manufacturers and are on many fashion and garment industry investors' radars for 2017. With facilities spinning, knitting and processing yarns and fabric to value-added products such as terry towels and ready-made garments across its various locations in India, SEL is known to be one of the largest yarn and thread suppliers for European markets.

Read the entire list of Top 10 Leading Garment Manufacturers in India on BizVibe

BizVibe connects buyers and suppliers from all over the world with the goal of helping B2B companies keep up with market demand. In addition to the top companies in India's garment industry, BizVibe is also home to more than 7 million companies overall.

Let the clients come to you. Add your company and reach textile and apparel companies on the world's leading business networking platform for product sourcing and supplier selection.

Connecting on BizVibe

BizVibe has been specifically designed to help industry professionals connect with like-minded businesses, providing them with a seamless, efficient, and easy-to-use platform. Using cutting-edge technology and advanced match-making algorithms, BizVibe has launched the smartest networking platform on the planet, something that can truly help companies find the right partners.

With extensive feedback from communities across multiple industries, BizVibe was able to identify the core problems and uncertainties when finding potential trade partners. Using this feedback, BizVibe developed an efficient networking platform dedicated to buyers, sellers, importers, exporters, manufacturers, and suppliers, helping thousands of users to connect, engage, and make business deals daily.

About BizVibe

The single-minded focus of BizVibe's platform is to make networking easier. Over the years, we've searched far and wide to figure out how businesses connect and enable trade. That first interaction is usually fraught with the uncertainty of finding a potential partner vs. a potential nightmare. With this in mind, we've designed a robust set of tools to help companies generate leads, shortlist prospects, trade seamlessly and network with businesses from around the world.

BizVibe is headquartered in Toronto and has offices in London, Bangalore, and Beijing. For more information on the BizVibe network, please contact us.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130006012/en/

Contacts:

BizVibe

Sony Gomes

Media Marketing Executive

media@bizvibe.com
West Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 30, 2017) - Rainy Mountain Royalty Corp. (TSXV: RMO) (the "Company" or "Rainy Mountain") announces that, with funds previously raised, the Company intends to begin a winter exploration program on the east side of its optioned gold exploration property (the "Brunswick Property" or "Property") located in Brunswick Twp., Ontario. The initial phase of the exploration program will include a 20 to 22 km induced polarization ("IP") grid covering the remaining 1.6 to 1.8 km portion of the east side of the Property not already surveyed. These lines will be completed in an effort to trace the extension of the original gold zone and host shear structure, as well as four other IP trends already known. The IP grid is expected to be completed in the month of December, 2017 and, upon completion of the Company's more recently announced financing (see news release dated November 7, 2017), the Company intends to follow up with a drill program (planned for January 2018). This drill program is intended to begin testing existing IP anomalies and shears exposed by trenching completed by the Company in August 2017 (see the Company's news release of September 12, 2017 for additional details). As previously indicated, anomalous gold values were obtained along these shears in soil and in bedrock corresponding to the shears. High arsenic pathfinders were also seen in one particular shear extending from drill hole BE17-04, and as a result, step out drill holes are planned (see the Company's news release of October 12, 2017 for additional information).

The next phase of the exploration program is expected to include an additional 26 km grid on the west side of the Property, which will be surveyed with IP. Following the IP survey, a drill program is planned to continue testing the remaining IP anomalies and showings on the east side of the Property, before moving to test an IP trend adjacent to highly anomalous gold values (6.6 gm, 4.05gm, 2.58 gm) found along a 900m IP trend on the west side of the Property (see the Company's news releases of July 12, 17 and August 23, 2017 for additional information).

The Brunswick Property covers a full 6 miles (9.6 km) of a set of shear zones that parallel the Ridout Fault system, which is interpreted to be the continuation of the Larder Lake Break. Five shears have been defined by IP-Resistivity surveys and initial drilling has tested each shear with just one hole to confirm that these anomalies were in fact sericite-iron carbonate (ankerite) altered shears with quartz- pyrite. The Property is located 140 km south of Timmins, Ontario and is road accessible from Highway 560 that links Highway 144 to Shiningtree and Kirkland Lake.

This news release has been reviewed and approved by Robert Middleton, P.Eng., who is acting as the Company's Qualified Person for the Brunswick Property gold project, in accordance with regulations under NI 43-101.

For further information, contact Mr. Clive Shallow, Shareholder Communications, at 604-922-2030, or visit the Company's website at www.rmroyalty.com.

Rainy Mountain Royalty Corp.

"Douglas L. Mason"

_______________________________________

Douglas L. Mason, Chief Executive Officer

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

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that address such matters as the Company's planned exploration program on the Brunswick Property, as well as future exploration, drilling, exploration activities, potential mineralization and resources and events or developments that the Company expects, are forward looking statements and, as such, are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors of which are beyond the reasonable control of the Company. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, this forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include such matters as market prices, exploitation and exploration results, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Any forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The information contained herein is stated as of the current date and subject to change after that date and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein in the United States. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to the account or benefit of a U.S. person absent an exemption from the registration requirements of such Act.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil prices fell Thursday, even after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia agreed to extend their oil production-cut agreement to the end of 2018. Markets downplayed the news amid speculation that certain OPEC members will renege on promised supply cuts. Libya and Nigeria will cap oil output at 2017 levels, Saudi Arabia's al-Falih oil minister said. The next OPEC ministerial meeting is set for June 2018, according to Russian Oil Minister Alexander Novak. Jan. WTI oil settled at $57.40/bbl on Nymex, up 10 cents, or less than 0.2%. Yesterday, the Energy Information Administration reported a second consecutive weekly decline in U.S. oil inventories. Also in North America this week, TransCanada re-started its Keystone pipeline following a recent spill in South Dakote. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Regulatory News:

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (NA:PSH) today announces that it has purchased, through PSH's agent, Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies"), the following number of PSH's ordinary shares of no par value (ISIN Code: GG00BPFJTF46) (the "Shares"):

Trading Venue: London Stock Exchange Date of purchase: 30 November 2017 Number of Shares purchased: 28,675 Shares Highest price paid per Share: 1,021 pence 13.79 USD Lowest price paid per Share: 1,010 pence 13.64 USD Average price paid per Share: 1,017.37 pence 13.74 USD

Trading Venue: Euronext Amsterdam Date of purchase: 30 November 2017 Number of Shares purchased: 48,730 Shares Highest price paid per Share: 13.77 USD Lowest price paid per Share: 13.64 USD Average price paid per Share: 13.70 USD

PSH intends to cancel these Shares. The net asset value per Share related to this Share buyback is USD 17.32 GBP 13.09 which was calculated as of 21 November 2017. After giving effect to the above Share buyback, PSH has outstanding 236,089,936 Shares. The prices per share in USD were calculated by Jefferies.

The number of PSH Management Shares and the 1 special voting share (held by PS Holdings Independent Voting Company Limited) has not been affected.

About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd.:

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (NA:PSH) is an investment holding company structured as a closed-ended fund that makes concentrated investments principally in North American companies.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130005998/en/

Contacts:

Media:

Maitland

James Devas, +44 20 7379 5151

Media-pershingsquareholdings1@maitland.co.uk
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 11/30/17 -- Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. (NYSE: ANW) ("Aegean" or the "Company") today announced that it has successfully signed a new Secured Global Borrowing Base Multicurrency Revolving Credit Facility in the amount of $750 million for a term of three years (the "Global Borrowing Base" or "Facility"). Seven of the nine participating lenders updated their commitments to Aegean at improved terms and increased tenor with two new banks joining the Facility.

The three-year Global Borrowing Base also includes an "accordion" option for an additional $250 million and replaces the Company's outgoing one-year $1 billion facility. In concert with our $250 million Secured U.S. Borrowing Base Revolving Credit Facility (the "U.S. Borrowing Base"), which was renewed earlier this year, the Global Borrowing Base is expected to finance the global working capital needs of the Company.

Jonathan McIlroy, President of Aegean, said, "We are extremely pleased to reach this agreement with our lenders. This new, three-year facility, on improved terms with a strong syndicate of international banks is a true testament to the strength of Aegean's global network. We believe it will provide flexibility to continue executing our strategy."

Spyros Gianniotis, Chief Financial Officer of Aegean, stated, "We believe that the decision by our bank lenders to contribute to the credit facility underscores their confidence in the strength of our global platform and ability to generate significant long-term value. We appreciate their continued support as we execute our strategy, serve our global customers and seek to drive profitable growth."

The Global Borrowing Base was arranged by ABN AMRO as Active Bookrunning Mandated Lead Arranger. ABN AMRO also acted as Agent in all capacities. The lending group includes the following banks: ABN AMRO, BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA, KBC Bank NV, NATIXIS, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., HSH Nordbank AG, Belfius Bank NV/SA, Credit Suisse (Switzerland) Ltd and Mashreqbank PSC.

About Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc.

Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. is an international marine fuel logistics company that markets and physically supplies refined marine fuel and lubricants to ships in port and at sea. The Company procures product from various sources (such as refineries, oil producers, and traders) and resells it to a diverse group of customers across all major commercial shipping sectors and leading cruise lines. Currently, Aegean has a global presence in more than 30 markets and a team of professionals ready to serve its customers wherever they are around the globe. For additional information please visit: www.ampni.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words "believe," "intend," "will," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "forecast," "plan," "potential," "may," "should," "expect" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, Company management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Company's records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies that are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Company's control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.

In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Company's view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the Company's ability to manage growth, the Company's ability to maintain its business in light of its proposed business and location expansion or other changes in its business, the Company's ability to obtain double hull secondhand bunkering tankers, the outcome of legal, tax or regulatory proceedings to which the Company may become a party, adverse conditions in the shipping or the marine fuel supply industries, the Company's ability to retain its key suppliers and key customers, material disruptions in the availability or supply of crude oil or refined petroleum products, changes in the market price of petroleum, including the volatility of spot pricing, increased levels of competition, compliance or lack of compliance with various environmental and other applicable laws and regulations, the Company's ability to collect accounts receivable, changes in the political, economic or regulatory conditions in the markets in which the Company operates, and the world in general, the Company's failure to hedge certain financial risks associated with its business, the Company's ability to maintain its current tax treatments and its failure to comply with restrictions in its credit agreements and other factors. Please see the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties.

CONTACTS:

Company

Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc.

Tel. +1-212-430-1098

Email: investor@ampni.com



Investor Relations / Media Advisor

Nicolas Bornozis / Daniela Guerrero

Capital Link, Inc.

Tel. +1-212-661-7566

Email: aegean@capitallink.com




DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / November 30, 2017 / Command Center, Inc. (OTCQB: CCNI), a national provider of on-demand and temporary staffing solutions, announced today that it will be presenting at the 10th annual LD Micro Main Event on Tuesday, December 5 at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time (6:30 p.m. Eastern time) at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. Command Center's president and CEO, Bubba Sandford, will be presenting, as well as meeting with investors.

For additional information or to schedule a meeting with management, please contact the company's investor relations team at CCNI@liolios.com.

View Command Center's profile here: https://www.ldmicro.com/profile/CCNI

The LD Micro Main Event is the largest independent conference for small/micro-cap companies and will feature 250 names presenting to an audience of over 1,000 attendees. In addition, there will be a variety of speakers/panelists discussing topics of interest to investors and issuers, along with coordinate evening events.

News Compliments of ACCESSWIRE.

About Command Center

Command Center provides flexible on-demand employment solutions to businesses in the United States, primarily in the areas of light industrial, hospitality and event services. Through 66 field offices, the company provides employment annually for approximately 34,000 field team members working for over 3,200 clients. For more information about Command Center, go to commandonline.com.

About LD Micro

LD Micro was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the microcap space. What started out as a newsletter highlighting unique companies has transformed into several influential conferences annually.

In 2015, LDM launched the first pure microcap index (the LDMi) to exclusively provide intraday information on the entire sector.

For those interested in attending, please contact David Scher at david@ldmicro.com or visit www.ldmicro.com/events for more information.

Investor Relations

Cody Slach

Liolios

Tel 949-574-3860

CCNI@liolios.com

SOURCE: Command Center, Inc.
Farmers Business Network, a San Carlos, CA-based farmer-to-farmer network, raised $110m in Series D funding.

The round, which brings total equity funding to nearly $200m, was led by funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. and Temasek, with participation from previous investors Acre Venture Partners, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, GV (formerly Google Ventures) and DBL Partners.

The company intends to use the funds to expand its offerings, including its digital crop marketing, FBN Direct, and farm analytics services, as well as expand internationally to Canada.

Led by Charles Baron, VP of Product, Amol Deshpande, CEO, Farmers Business Network is an independent farmer-to-farmer network. FBN members receive comprehensive farm benchmarking, real world seed performance, input optimization and pricing analytics based on over 115 million acre events of real-world precision agronomic data. The companys FBN Direct e-commerce platform provides national, transparent pricing on ag chemicals, fertilizers, seeds, technology and services.

Another service, FBN Crop MarketingTM, provides farms premium contracts, production contracts, risk management, and price intelligence powered by a global buyer network.

The company has offices in San Carlos, California, and a National Operations Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and employees spanning 25 states and Canadian provinces.

FinSMEs

30/11/2017
InstaCarro, a Sao Paulo, Brazil-based marketplace for buying and selling used cars, raised $22m in the first venture capital funding round.

The round was co-led by FJ Labs and Lumia Capital.

The company intends to use the funds for product development and international expansion.

Co-founded by Diego Fischer and Luca Cafici, InstaCarro provides an online marketplace that buys car directly from owners and sells them to used-car dealers.

To date, the company has sold more than 10,000 cars to dealers.

FinSMEs

30/11/2017
Techloop.io, a Nove Mesto, Czech Republic-based provider of a platform that matches IT professionals with companies, raised 5m in Series A venture capital funding.

The round was led by Springtide Ventures / KKCG Group, with participation from Rockaway Capital.

The company intends to use the funds to further expand into more European countries, besides Slovakia and Hungary where they launched earlier this year, as well as to make product improvements.

Led by CEO Joao Duarte and COO Paul Cooper, Techloop.io offers a solution for software developers who are considering a change of employment coming directly into contact with firms. Within this environment, they receive job offers directly from companies seeking employees while maintaining their anonymity. If they find work thanks to the system, developers receive an additional 500 as a bonus.

Techloop.io offers firms access to a large number of qualified candidates without the necessity of engaging the services of an expensive personnel agency.

During 2017, the company has experienced growth and currently boasts more than 25,000 IT professionals in the system, receiving job offers from more than 900 potential employers across the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary.

The company aims to grow from the current 28 employees to around 150 people within the next two years.

FinSMEs

30/11/2017
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said achieving 10 percent growth is challenging. This figure, he said, will depend on how the world is moving. The country has done well by growing at a rate of 7-8 percent in the last three years, he said. Jaitley was speaking at the HT Leadership Summit in New Delhi.

Talking about how the government has brought a number of structural changes in the economy, Jaitley said: "I am realistic that to reach double-digit growth, for an economy to generate that kind of demand on its own, it is going to be extremely difficult." He reasoned that this was because growth does not depend on domestic factors but also on how the world is moving.

On reforms, Jaitley said, India has structurally reformed and there is no 'finishing line' in reforms. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) started with different tax rates and rates have been rationalised on many items, he said. He hit out at the Opposition, particularly the Congress who have been demanding one tax rate. He instead had a question as an answer to this demand. ''Can you have the same tax rate for a Mercedes car and hawai chappals," he asked.

Jaitley also said that the country is becoming 'extremely aspirational and impatient'. He said while a section was putting up stiff resistance to reforms, a larger cross-section welcomed it. "India has not just structurally reformed, but each reform step has a direction/goal attached to it"

He said that the country is in the right direction now. "Even when the world slowed down earlier, we must remember that during each of these periods, it is domestic demand that came to India's rescue. Therefore, India will have to fall back on its domestic demand," he said

The rationalisation of GST rates in the future will be depend on revenue collections, he said, indicating the merger of 12 percent and 18 percent rates into one while keeping a "thin" line of luxury and demerit items in the top 28 percent band

Responding to a question on GST on sanitary napkins, he said: 'It was already being taxed at 13 percent whereas GST placed it at 12 percent. All input materials are taxed at 18 percent whereas a final product is taxed at 12 percent as against 13 percent earlier.''

Jaitley said an area the government needs to focus is exports. It can take India ahead in the future, he said

Currently, the GST has four rates of 5 percent, 12 percent, 18 percent and 28 percent. The finance minister said a cogent GST mechanism has been developed and no country in the world has 5 per cent tax rate. "This is to get people in the habit of paying taxes. This is the kind of nudging Indians need."
Mumbai: Hailing the rise in GDP growth rate to 6.3 percent in the July-September period of 2017, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the figures are an answer to the Opposition parties who had criticised demonetisation and GST.

"The GDP growth of 6.3 percent shows that the economy is improving in (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji's rule and he is taking the country to newer heights," Fadnavis said in a video message.

"These figures are an answer to those who opposed and portrayed that demonetisation and GST were wrong decisions which will lead to a slump in the economy," he added.

Fadnavis said the country has climbed 30 places in World Bank's 'ease of doing business' index while the ratings agency Moody's has upgraded the country after a gap of 14 years under Modi government.

"The exceptional numbers of our economic growth rate, coming at a time when there is barely any growth worldwide, validates Modi ji and his team's leadership. I congratulate Modi ji on the reforms agenda adopted by him," he said.

Reversing the five quarters of slowing GDP growth, Indian economy expanded by 6.3 percent in July-September on the back of a pick-up in manufacturing.

The gross domestic product (GDP) growth had hit a three-year low of 5.7 percent in the first quarter of 2017-18. It was 7.5 percent in the September quarter of 2016-17.
Japans Softbank Group Corp offered to buy an undisclosed number of shares in e-commerce giant Flipkart at a reduced valuation in the range of $9 billion to $10 billion, the Mint reported on Thursday.

Softbank offered to buy Flipkart shares from investors and former and existing employees for $85 to $89 per share, the paper reported, citing sources.

Flipkart could not be immediately reached for comment outside regular business hours. Softbank declined to comment.

Investment bank Goldman Sachs is managing the share sale, the report said.

The Bengaluru-based company reported an $11.6 billion valuation in April, after a funding round from Tencent Holdings Ltd (0700.HK) and others.

Reuters reported in August that SoftBanks Vision Fund would invest nearly $2.5 billion in Flipkart through primary and secondary share purchases. The company had then said: This is the biggest ever private investment in an Indian technology company.

In a statement, it said: "The investment is part of the previously announced financing round, where Flipkart had raised capital from three of the world's premier technology companies - Tencent, eBay and Microsoft.

"After this financing round, Flipkart will have in excess of $4 billion of cash on balance sheet."
The last time we saw Akshay Kumar letting his fists do the talking was in the 2015 film Brothers, the official remake of Hollywood film Warrior, after which, the veteran actor shifted his focus mainly on comedy and drama.

However, with his forthcoming film Kesari, which is inspired by the historic Battle of Saragarhi, Akshay is all set to comeback to heavy duty action and cheer up his die-hard fans. Now according to a report from Mumbai Mirror, the makers have signed Lawrence Woodward, the stunt coordinator behind Hollywood blockbusters like Mad Max: Fury Road and Moulin Rouge, to choreograph the action sequences of Kesari.

In this period drama, Akshay will be seen as Havaldar Ishar Singh, the military commander of 21 Sikh soldiers, who on September 12, 1897, led his men through a furious battle against thousands of Afghani invaders.

The same report states that Lawrence has already met the makers on his last visit to Mumbai and will be returning in December to start prep with Akshay. Kesari is heavy on action and Lawrence will be training the actor in sword-fighting besides rehearsing for other action sequences, which also includes hand-to-hand combat. They start shooting from the first week of January in Mumbai, followed by a schedule in Wai, a town in the Satara district where huge sets of the Saragarhi and Gulistan forts as well as a village will be erected and then later at Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh.

Kesari reportedly stars Parineeti Chopra in the female lead. It is co-produced by Kumar and Karan Johar's Dharma Productions. The film will go on floors early next year and hit the screens in 2019.
Comedy king Kapil Sharma's Firangi  a quirky story on being an Indian national who does not hate the British during the freedom struggle, Kate Winslet-Justin Timberlake's Coney Island centered Wonder Wheel, Sunny Leone-Arbaaz Khan's thriller Tera Intezaar and Gopichand, Anu Emmanuel's pairing in Telugu film Oxygen  know your releases this Friday, and read on about why these movies may or may not work.

Firangi



What's it about: Set during the period of India's freedom struggle and the Independence movement, Firangi is the story of one Indian national who does not have the usual hatred and bad feelings towards the British that most other Indians possessed during that time.

Who is in it: Kapil Sharma, Ishita Dutta, Monica Gill, Jameel Khan and Edward Sonnenblick

Why it may work: Kapil Sharma has gone from being a small time comedian to being the male lead of a mainstream Bollywood film. With a fiercely loyal fan base, Firangi might drive moviegoers to the cinema hall in throngs just to see what their favourite comic has churned out. Also, the film's trailer gave us a good feeling about this movie (and we hope we're not wrong).

Tera Intezaar



What's it about: Not too many details have been revealed about the plot of Tera Intezaar, even after a trailer of the film has been released. However, we do know that the movie is a thriller. Sunny Leone's character is on a quest to find Arbaaz Khan's character in the movie, and the plot seems to have various (some seemingly paranormal) twists and turns.

Who is in it: Sunny Leone, Arbaaz Khan, Aarya Babbar, Gauhar Khan, Sudha Chandran and Salil Ankola

Why it may work: Seeing Arbaaz Khan in the lead role of a film after a long time will be interesting, to say the least. The Sunny Leone-Arbaaz Khan pairing may or may not work, but it is worth trying to find out. Leone's loyal fan base might also help rake in the moolah for this film.

Wonder Wheel



What's it about: Set in the 1950s and based in and around the Coney Island amusement park  the lives of four individuals (Ginny, Humpty, Mickey and Carolina) get intertwined amidst the chaos and hustle-bustle that comes with an amusement park. Ginny is a waitress (also an emotionally unstable, volatile, former actress); Humpty is Ginny's husband and official carousel operator at Coney Island. Mickey is a young lifeguard aspiring to be a playwright and Carolina is Humpty's estranged daughter (hiding out in her father's house in order to escape from gangsters).

Who is in it: Kate Winslet, Justin Timberlake, David Krumholtz, Juno Temple, Jim Belushi

Why it may work: Two words  Kate Winslet. We've seen what a powerhouse of talent the woman is. She  coupled with the interesting story line that Wonder Wheel seems to have  are all the components of making for a good watch. Plus, a little Justin Timberlake never hurts.

Oxygen



What's it about: Oxygen is a Telugu movie about revenge and vengeance. When everything that the protagonist holds dear to him is destroyed and ravaged by cold-blooded criminals, a man sets out to seek revenge. His quest to receive justice has several consequences.

Who is in it: Gopichand, Anu Emmanuel, Raashi Khanna, Jagapati Babu, Abhimanyu Singh, Sayaji Shinde

Why it may work: Gopichand in the role of a revenge seeking man setting out on a path of vengeance will be interesting to see. What he brings to the character might also make Oxygen a good watch.
Geoffrey Rush, renowned Australian actor, has denied allegations of 'inappropriate behaviour' against him during the Sydney Theatre Company's (STC) production titled King Lear, reports Variety.

On Wednesday, a report by the Australian edition of the Daily Telegraph (which has now been removed from public domain) carried a statement issued by the STC. It said that the theatre company had "received a complaint alleging that Mr Geoffrey Rush had engaged in inappropriate behaviour," and further added, "The Company received the complaint when Mr Rushs engagement with the Company had ended. The Company continues to work with the complainant to minimise the risk of future instances of the alleged behaviour occurring in its workplace," as quoted by Variety.

Following this, Rush issued a statement denying any such incident. His statement reads, "Mr Rush has not been approached by the Sydney Theatre Company and the alleged complainant nor any representative of either of them concerning the matter you have raised. In other words, there has been no provision of any details, circumstances, allegations or events that can be meaningfully responded to. It is a great disappointment to Mr. Rush the STC has chosen to smear his name and unjustifiably damage his reputation in this way. Not to afford a person their right to know what has been alleged against them let alone not inform them of it but release such information to the public is both a denial of natural justice and is not how our society operates," as reported by Variety.

The same report states that the Sydney Theatre Company has not provided any further details regarding the alleged incident as the complainant demands anonymity. When Rush himself tried to speak to the STC's senior management, even he was refused of any information regarding the same.

Speaking to Deadline, the actor says, "I asked why the information was being withheld, and why, according to standard theatre practice, the issue had not been raised with me during the production via stage management, the director, my fellow actors or anyone at management level. However, no response was forthcoming."

Geoffrey Rush is one of the most acclaimed actors across the globe having won the 'Triple Crown of Acting' which comprise The Academy Award, the Emmy Award and the Tony Award. He is also among the few actors who won all the major film awards  Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, Critics' Choice Movie Award to name a few  for his riveting performance in the 1996 film Shine.
New Delhi: Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Padmavati was an "insult" to Indian women and an "attempt to assassinate" their character by showing them in a poor light, an RSS affiliate said on Wednesday.

"These days, filmmakers want to make money at any cost, even by distorting historical facts and tinkering with the national pride," national general secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Yojana (ABISY) Balmukund Pandey said.

He was speaking at a conference on "Rani Padmavati" in New Delhi, which was organised by the ABISY, which works in the fields related to India's ancient history and culture.

"Rani Padmavati is a very respected figure in Indian history. This film is not only an insult to her, but also to the Indian women and is an attempt to assassinate their character," he said.

Taking on Bhansali, Pandey said the issue would not be resolved by showing the film to a select few people and that it was a matter of national pride.

The makers of the film, which features Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in the lead roles, have deferred its release from 1 December till further notice.

Many Rajput groups have been up in arms against the film, alleging that it distorts history by featuring a romantic dream sequence between Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji, a claim repeatedly denied by Bhansali.

A number of organisations, especially the Karni Sena, have been opposing the release of the period drama, claiming that it portrays the Rajput queen in a bad light.

BJP-ruled states such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have expressed reservations about releasing the film.

Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani has said his government will not allow Padmavati to be screened in the state as it hurts the sentiments of the Rajput community.
While his character in Baahubali: The Conclusion (2017) was seen as a larger than life personality, Rana Daggubati is gearing up for a whole new challenge as he steps into the legendary Rajesh Khanna's shoes in an upcoming remake of the famous 1971 film Haathi Mere Saathi. Directed by Tamil filmmaker Prabhu Solomon, the film is reported to be a trilingual and expected to release on Diwali 2018.

Mumbai Mirror quotes Daggubati as saying, "Theres a very exciting physical language to the character Im playing in Haathi Mere Saathi and is completely different from what Ive done in the past. Ive always wanted to be a part of content that can travel across the country. It is a rare story about the relevance of nature in our lives, narrated through a wonderful relationship between a man and an elephant. Prabhu Solomons passion for nature and elephants makes him the finest craftsman in the country who can handle a story like this."

Interestingly Haathi Mere Saathi, which released in 1971, was directed by another Tamil filmmaker, MA Thirumugam. The classic Bollywood hit was one of the early works of writers Salim-Javed who later formed one of the most celebrated duo of screenplay writers Hindi cinema has ever seen. Starring Rajesh Khanna and Tanuja in the lead roles, Haathi Mere Saathi became the biggest box-office hit of the year, and was one of the most talked about films of the 17 consecutive hits Rajesh Khanna gave between 1969 and 1971.

Solomon has already worked with the subject of elephants in his previous works. The director's Kumki (2012) highlighted the relationship between a mahout and his elephant. His other two films, Mynaa (2010) and Kayal (2014), also portray the subject of man's true relationship with nature.

The same report also quoted the director saying, "They are intelligent and magnificent creatures that humans can take a cue from when it comes to living, thinking and love. It will be quite exciting for me to shoot the film simultaneously in multiple languages for the first time."

The remake which will offer high doses of VFX and will be produced by Eros International's Trinity Pictures. It will go on floors in Thailand in January.
New York: After NBC News fired their longtime Today show host Matt Lauer on Wednesday for "inappropriate sexual behaviour," it was a shocker for many Americans who regularly follow the popular show. While NBC News, in an official statement, said that Lauer's expulsion comes after a complaint was received from a colleague on Monday night, there are reports that several other accusations followed after the news came out in public.

According to a report by The New York Times, two more allegations have been received against the Today host on Wednesday itself. One of the accusers who happens to be a former NBC employee, on the condition of anonymity, revealed that Lauer had sexually assaulted her in 2001 after he called her in his room in lieu of official work. She also added that she was so frightened that she didn't report the incident as she didn't want to lose her job.

Lauer's co-host Savannah Guthrie made the announcement of Lauer's dismissal at the top of Wednesday's Today show. Last week, CBS News fired Charlie Rose after complaints from several women who worked for him.

NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack said the network had received a complaint from a colleague on Monday night, and a review determined it was a clear violation of company standards. While it was the first complaint lodged against Lauer, Lack said in a memo to staff that "we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident."

Lauer, 59, has hosted Today for two decades. When paired with Katie Couric, Today was the longtime ratings leader and was highly lucrative for NBC. It now runs second in the ratings to ABC's "Good Morning America."

Many Today show viewers took out their anger for the unsightly 2012 firing of co-host Ann Curry on Lauer, sending the show plunging in the ratings. But NBC stuck with Lauer and the show had steadied with his pairing with Guthrie. The show runs for four hours, with Lauer and Guthrie hosting the first two.

He joins a lengthening list of media figures felled by sexual misconduct charges this year. Besides Rose, they include Lauer's former NBC News colleague Mark Halperin, former Fox News prime-time host Bill O'Reilly and National Public Radio newsroom chief Michael Oreskes. The New York Times suspended White House correspondent Glenn Thrush last week.

Lack, in his memo, said that "we are deeply saddened by this turn of events. But we will face it together as a news organization  and do it in as transparent a manner as we can."

Guthrie co-hosted Wednesday's show with Hoda Kotb, who said both of them were wakened with the news Wednesday morning. Guthrie appeared emotional and appeared to fight back tears as she called Lauer her friend who is beloved by many at NBC, and said she was "heartbroken for my colleague who came forward to tell her story and any other women who have their own stories to tell.

"We are grappling with a dilemma that so many people have faced these past few weeks," she said. "How do you reconcile your love for someone with the revelation that they have behaved badly? I don't know the answer to that. But I do know that this reckoning that so many organizations have been going through is important, it's long overdue and it must result in workplaces where all women, all people, feel safe and respected."

On Twitter on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said "Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for 'inappropriate sexual behaviour in the workplace.' But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News."

Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for inappropriate sexual behaviour in the workplace. But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lacks past!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017

So now that Matt Lauer is gone when will the Fake News practitioners at NBC be terminating the contract of Phil Griffin? And will they terminate low ratings Joe Scarborough based on the unsolved mystery that took place in Florida years ago? Investigate!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017

(With inputs from AP)
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Opposition has grown among Americans to a Republican tax plan before the U.S. Congress, with 49 percent of people who were aware of the measure saying they opposed it, up from 41 percent in October, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday. A congressional aide places a placard on a podium for the House Republican's legislation to overhaul the tax code on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 2, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua RobertsCongressional Republicans are trying to rush their tax legislation to a vote on the Senate floor before the end of the week. President Donald Trump strongly backs the bill and wants to sign it into law before the end of the year. In addition to the 49 percent who said they opposed the Republican tax bill, 29 percent said they supported it and 22 percent said they dont know, according to the Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll of 1,257 adults conducted from Thursday to Monday. When asked who stands to benefit most from the plan, more than half of all American adults surveyed selected either the wealthy or large U.S. corporations. Fourteen percent chose all Americans, 6 percent picked the middle class and 2 percent chose lower-income Americans. The tax bill being crafted in the Senate would slash the corporate tax rate, eliminate some taxes paid only by rich Americans and offer a mixed bag or temporary tax cuts for other individuals and families. As congressional discussion on the bill has unfolded, public opposition to it has risen, on average, following Trumps unveiling of a nine-page framework on Sept. 27 that started the debate in earnest, Reuters/Ipsos polling showed. People listen as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about tax reform in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S., October 11, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts On Oct. 24, for example, among adults who said they had heard of the tax reform plan recently proposed by congressional Republicans, 41 percent said they opposed it, while 31 percent said they dont know and just 28 percent said they supported it. Trump and his fellow Republicans are determined to make a tax code overhaul their first major legislative win since taking control of the White House and Congress in January. The House of Representatives on Nov. 16 approved its own tax bill. The Senate is expected to decide on Wednesday whether to begin debating its proposal, as the measure moves toward a decisive floor vote later this week. The two chambers would need to reconcile differences between their plans before legislation could be sent to the White House for Trumps signature. In the Nov. 23-27 poll, 59 percent of Republicans supported the tax bill, 26 percent said they did not know and 15 percent opposed it. Among Democrats, 82 percent opposed it, 11 percent said they did not know and 8 percent supported it. The online poll has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 3 percentage points.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Agartala: The BJP on Thursday demanded President's Rule in Tripura claiming that law and order has collapsed in the state.

The ruling CPM has unleashed violence to create an atmosphere of terror before the Assembly elections scheduled early in 2018, partys state in-charge, Sunil Deodhar told a press conference.

"We have submitted a memorandum to the governor on Thursday demanding immediate imposition of President's Rule because law and order has collapsed in the state," he said.

He alleged that a BJP activist Gahur Hari Molsom was shot dead by suspected CPM miscreants in Bagma constituency in Gomati district on Wednesday.

"Earlier, at least five BJP activists were killed by CPM goons and many of our leaders and workers have escaped from such attacks," he said.

Those who raise the voice of dissent are being 0silenced and even journalists are not spared in this state ruled by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, he said, adding, two journalists were murdered in the state, one in September and another in November.
Jammu: A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) trooper shot dead three people, including his wife, in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, police said on Thursday.

The CISF constable, Ingalapa Surinder posted with the National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) killed his wife Lavanya, his colleague Rajesh and the colleague's wife Shobha, with his service rifle on Wednesday night.

"The accused was arrested on Thursday morning and the rifle used has been seized. Further investigation is going on," the police added.

Meanwhile, a teenager was injured in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday in clashes with the army in Badgam district where a gunfight is raging between security forces and militants.
Srinagar: A day after Jammu and Kashmir government withdrew 744 cases against 4,327 people for stone-pelting and anti-India protests in Kashmir, government forces faced fresh trouble as a large number of youth disrupted an anti-militancy operation at Futlipora area of Pakherpora in central Kashmirs Budgam district.

At least 150 youth were involved in the incident and one received bullet wounds. Police said that action will be initiated against the stone-pelters and a case will be registered.

In the Budgam encounter, which started in the wee hours of Thursday, four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants were killed. The encounter was started after a tip-off was received that militants were holed up in a house. After that, Armys 10 Garwhal and Special Operation Group (SOG) personnel were pressed into service. The fire fight lasted for over seven hours. Both at the encounter site at Phutlipora and few kilometres away at Pakherpora, protesters took to the streets.

As the news spread, youth from neighbouring areas tried to march towards the encounter site, but were stopped from doing so by the forces. The stone-pelting was fierce between 9 and 10 am. A police official said that while over 50 youth protested near Phutlipora encounter, over 100 did so a few kilometres away at Pakherpora.

A police official identified the youth who received bullet wounds as 16-year-old Sayar Ahmad. A police official said Ahmad was shot in the face and was later shifted to a sub district hospital at Charar-i-Sharief, from where he was moved to Srinagar after his condition deteriorated.

Ghulam Hassan Bhat, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Central Kashmir range, said: It was due to the timely action by the forces that the encounter couldnt be disrupted. The youth who was injured was part of the protests. His condition is stable.

Bhat said that the stone-pelting was a routine affair witnessed at encounter sites. We managed to control the stone-pelting after some time. We will register an FIR against the youth."

On Wednesday, Mehbooba said that the withdrawal of cases was a major decision of far-reaching impact. It came on the recommendations of Government of Indias Kashmir interlocutor, Dineshwar Sharma, after his first visit to the state. Sharma had sought that the cases should be withdrawn against first time stone-pelters.

Although dubbed as a confidence building measure by the chief minister, the fresh encounters and youth pouring onto the streets to support militants has only compounded the worries of the PDP-BJP government. A government official said that the cases against youth were withdrawn after a report was submitted by a high-level committee headed by SP Vaid, Director General of Police, to Mehbooba Mufti. The chief minister directed the DGP to regularly monitor the progress in the matter and furnish a fortnightly report in this regard" the official said.

The cases were withdrawn against youth involved in protests from 2008 to 2014. When Mehbooba took over the reins after the demise of her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, she began a process of withdrawing cases. Within two months, FIRs were withdrawn in 104 cases involving 634 youth.

However, after last year's protests over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Burhan Muzafar Wani, the withdrawing of cases was halted. With regard to the cases which have been registered from 2015 until now, a report is awaited from the police.

Although government said that the withdrawal of cases against the youth was a major demand from various sections of the society in the state who would be heaving a sigh of relief after this decision, government forces faced fresh trouble in the face pro-freedom protests which were witnessed at the encounter site in Budgam.

National Conference provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani said that the bullet injury to a civilian was  unfortunate.

"We have been always reiterating that the anti-militancy operations should be handled in a better manner and the civilian casualties should be avoided, he said.
New Delhi: Around 2,000 army veterans, employed as security guards in Delhi government-run hospitals, are staring at uncertainty owing to a proposal to replace them with men from private firms.

The Directorate General Resettlement (DGR) branch under the Ministry of Defence, which is responsible for ensuring the welfare of retired army personnel, is currently in talks with the Delhi Government to find a solution to the issue.

It all started with the city government floating a tender to rope in private security contractors to guard the hospitals.

The plan will effectively deprive DGR to participate in the process, thus rendering these ex-servicemen jobless, said Colonel (retired) Rathee, who is associated with a security agency under the DGR.

"The ex-servicemen come back home after serving their country for 15 to 20 years and are dependent on such resettlement opportunities to support their family. The job as a security guard provides them with stability and income at such a crucial stage of their life," he added.

According to the DGR, the Delhi government is claiming that private security guards will come in at a much less cost as compared to ex-servicemen since a 14 percent service charge is applicable in the case of the latter.

"Fourteen percent of the gross wages paid to the security guards are paid to the contractor. The cost spent on maintenance of the office, security guards' wages is part of it. This is apart from the guards' salary. But under the new tendering process, they are talking about zero percent service charge," said Colonel (retd) Ajay Ahuja, who is associated with a security agency under the DGR.

Tara Chand (45), who is posted as a security guard at the GB Pant Hospital, said that he is uncertain what the future holds for him and his family.

"I have been posted as a security guard at this hospital for two years and earn Rs 20,000 per month. I have a big family comprising my wife, children, brother, and father. Somehow, we make ends meet with my salary and some other sources of income but I am worried about the future," he said.

A senior official of the Delhi government's health department said that a retired army man came to meet him to apprise him of the issue and they are looking into the matter.

"A retired colonel came to meet me on Wednesday on this issue. We have deputed a special secretary on the job to look into the case. So, let the report come in first," a senior health department official said.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday questioned the city government's proposal to use Rs 400 crore out of the Rs 700 crore Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) fund to purchase 500 electric buses.

"Why do you (Delhi government) want to use the just discovered ECC funds for buses? Buses are a part of essential functioning of government. Plan to purchase buses has been pending for a long time," asked a division bench of Justice S Ravindra Bhat and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva.

"Why divert environment funds for bus purchase?" the bench asked, after the Delhi government told it that government has planned to purchase 500 electronic buses from the enviornment fund as a measure to curb air pollution in the national capital.

The government also told the court that a part of environment fund would also be used for creating charging infrastructure and for procuring 1,000 CNG propelled standard low floor buses by DTC, and another 1,000 such buses would be procured and engaged under cluster scheme.

The court also asked the government to inform it on 14 December the five important steps which the high-level committee, formed by the government, will take to control pollution along with a timeline and how it proposes to implement it.

Earlier, the court had asked the city government, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to apprise it of how it intends to spend money collected as green cess and other similar funds to mitigate air pollution in Delhi.

The court was earlier informed that over Rs 700 crore had been collected as green cess for bringing to Delhi cars of 2000cc or larger engine capacity.

The court was hearing a suo motu case it initiated in 2015 to control air pollution in the national capital.
New Delhi: Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal has sought a report from the Arvind Kejriwal government over alleged non-utilisation of Rs 1,002 crore collected as environment compensation charge (ECC).

The L-G's direction came after a memorandum was submitted by Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari and Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta requesting an inquiry "into non-utilisation or misuse of government money of environment cess to the tune of Rs 1,002 crore".

"The Lieutenant Governor has desired that a report in the matter through the minister (transport), GNCTD, be submitted expeditiously for his kind perusal," RN Sharma, Special Secretary to L-G, said in a letter to transport commissioner.

Tiwari and Gupta had met Baijal on 16 November and urged him to seek a report from the AAP government on the environment cess and direct it to procure 8,000 new buses with the fund.

Earlier this month, the Delhi government had been criticised for non-utilisation of over Rs 1,000 crore collected as ECC (till 10 November), when the city was grappling with air pollution crisis.

Facing flak, the AAP government had announced that it would procure 500 electric e-buses.
New Delhi: Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday hoped that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government would be consulted before the appointment of the new chief secretary in the national capital.

"This time, I am hopeful that the tradition to seek names from the elected government for the appointment of the chief secretary will be followed," he told reporters in New Delhi.

The deputy chief minister, however, said the government was yet to propose any name.

In May 2015, the then Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Najeeb Jung had appointed senior bureaucrat Shakuntala Gamlin as the acting chief secretary after K K Sharma went on leave.

Gamlin's appointment was strongly opposed by the AAP government.

Chief Secretary MM Kutty has been transferred to the Union finance ministry as additional secretary, economic affairs department. He is to assume charge by Thursday.

Senior officers  Principal Secretary (Finance) SN Sahai, Principal Home Secretary Manoj Kumar Parida and Anshu Prakash and Arun Goyal  are in the race for the post of chief secretary, an official said.
Jaipur: The Indian Army and the Rajasthan government have signed an MoU to improve infrastructure for their posts near the India-Pakistan border, an official said.

As per the memorandum of understanding, the army will be able to use an airstrip in Lalgarh-Jatan area in Sri Ganganagar district for 10 years.

The army can undertake temporary construction work as per their requirement, Principal Secretary of the State Civil Aviation Department, Pawan Goyal, said.

The state government has sanctioned funds for the airstrip, which is near the India-Pakistan border, he said.

The MoU was signed between the State Civil Aviation Department and the army.
Ahmedabad: The Indian Coast Guard on Thursday apprehended 15 Pakistani fishermen and seized two of their boats after they allegedly ventured into Indian waters off Gujarat coast, an official release said.

The two Pakistani fishing boats- Al Najab and Al Siddique were detected by a Coast Guard ship during a routine patrol late Wednesday evening.

Based on the information sent by the Coast Guard ship, an interceptor vessel was dispatched to the location, which was around 35 nautical miles off Mitha Port of Kutch, a defence release stated.

"The CG Interceptor vessel apprehended the two Pakistani boats, Al Najab and Al Siddique, along with 15 crew members around 35 nautical miles off Mitha Port," the release said. "The boats as well as the fishermen are currently being brought ashore and will be handed over to the police for further investigation," it added.
Mumbai: Indian education system has been awarding degrees but applied knowledge is missing among people, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said in Mumbai on Wednesday.

He observed that universities which follow the path of innovation would survive in future.

"I think our entire society for around 5,000 years is based only on knowledge, and whenever we have stopped passing knowledge to other generations, we have faced a lot of hardships," Fadnavis said while addressing a gathering in Mumbai after inaugurating 'Maitreyi', a new hostel building for girl students of Somaiya Vidyavihar.

Housing Minister Prakash Mehta and Shiv Sena MP Sadashiv Lokhande attended the event.

"Today, we are consuming without thinking about conserving. And after all the consumption, we have destroyed our ecosystem. We have realised that after all the talks about climate change, it is time when we start conserving and minimise and optimise our consuming," he said.

"If you look at the Indian education system, it has been awarding degrees, people are graduating but applied knowledge is missing," he said.

Knowledge is not only something which we find in books, it is something which we practice on the ground, he said.

"I feel only those universities which follow the route of innovation would survive," he added.

Built at a cost of of Rs 30 crore by Somaiya Vidyavihar in its Vidyavihar Campus in Mumbai, the hostel has a capacity to accommodate about 300 students.
Jammu: Pakistani troops violated ceasefire for the third consecutive day on Thursday by targeting Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district.

The Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively, a defence spokesperson said.

The Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from small arms, automatics and mortars from 14.30 hours in the Poonch sector along the Line of Control, he said.

The exchange of fire continued till 15.45 hours, he said. Pakistan forces had on Tuesday breached the truce in the Sunderbani police station area.

On 27 November, Pakistani troops opened fire in the Jhangar forward area in Rajouri.

Pakistan had violated the ceasefire for three consecutive days from 15 November to 17 November in Jammu and Poonch.

On 2 November, a BSF jawan was killed when Pakistan Rangers attacked a patrol party along the International Border in Samba district.

A girl was injured when Pakistani troops opened fire from small arms along the LoC in Karmara belt of Poonch district on 31 October.

On 18 October, eight civilians, including a two-year-old child, were injured in heavy Pakistani shelling in Poonch.
New Delhi: A Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student, who was issued a "warning" letter for allegedly taking part in a protest against the university norms, denied the allegation on Wednesday and claimed that he was out-of-station on the day of the protest.

The chief proctor of the university had issued the "warning" letter to Om Prasad, a student of the School of Social Sciences, on 15 November, for taking part in a protest in front of the administration building on 16 March.

"This act of Prasad is unbecoming of a student of JNU. Om Prasad is hereby warned and advised to be careful in the future. He must refrain himself from getting involved in such activities," the letter read, adding that strict disciplinary action would be taken if the norms were violated again.

Chief Proctor Kaushal Kumar did not respond to phone calls.

However, Prasad showed a copy of a flight ticket and claimed that he had boarded a Hyderabad-bound SpiceJet flight from Delhi at 6 am on 16 March.

To back his claim, he also showed two taxi receipts  one from JNU to the Delhi airport and another in Hyderabad.

"On 16 March, I took a SpiceJet flight at 6 am from Delhi to Hyderabad. Even earlier, I was called for an inquiry regarding this matter, but the proctor kept insisting that there was CCTV as well as video footage taken by the guards," he said.

"This is a clear case of falsely accusing students and punishing them in a completely arbitrary manner. I have enough evidence to prove my absence from the campus on that day, but what about those students, who were on the campus but did not take part in the protest?," Prasad asked.
Salem: The long-pending desire of Hadiya, a Kerala woman at the centre of an alleged love jihad case, was fulfilled on Wednesday when she spoke to her husband over a mobile phone.

A day after she arrived in the city to continue studies at the Sivaraj Homeopathy medical college as directed by the Supreme Court, she spoke to her husband using the phone of the college dean.

"Hadiya talked to Jahan (her husband) for a while from my mobile phone, after I, as local guardian, asked her whether she was interested in talking or meeting anybody," college dean G Kannan told reporters.

The 25-year-old was brought to the institution amid tight security by Kerala police from Coimbatore, about 170 km from Salem on Tuesday evening.

Earlier when reporters asked about her husband Shafin Jahan, Hadiya said she had no contact with him for the last few months as she did not have a mobile phone and the only people she spoke to were her parents.

"I am very eager to speak to my husband," said Hadiya, who was in the news recently after her conversion to Islam and marriage with the Muslim youth in Kerala.

The dean said: "She appeared to be relieved from depression after talking to him (husband). There is no restriction imposed on her to talk or to meet anybody."

Hadiya also expressed regret for the tense situation prevailing in the college and inconvenience to students due to her, Kannan said.

Stating that she has not given any application to change her name, he said she has applied on her earlier name (Hindu name-Akhila Ashokan) for internship.

However, there was some confusion about where and with whom to send her during the college holidays, Kannan said adding the management will approach the apex court in this regard.

All rules and regulations and restrictions of the college will apply to her also and weekly once she will be allowed to go out for buying what she requires, along with the hostel wardens, he said.

Meanwhile, the college administrator Kalpana Shivaraj said the management will extend all support to Hadiya to complete her course.

Hadiya's request letter has been sent to to Dr MGR University for approval, she said.

Police said one Sub-inspector, four constables  two women and two men  will be part of her security.

"For the past six months, I was talking to persons I did not like (parents) because of their harassment during my stay with them," Hadiya told reporters earlier at the college, where she will be undergoing a 11-month internship.

The apex court, after the proceedings, had freed Hadiya from her parents' custody and asked her to pursue her studies.

She further said she will be able to communicate better with the media persons after receiving the copy of the Supreme Court order.

The court has appointed the Dean of the college as Hadiya's guardian and granted him liberty to approach it in case of any problem.

She was earlier staying at her parental home in Kochi for several weeks.

The court, however, did not accede to her plea to be allowed to go with her husband.

Jahan had on 20 September approached the apex court, seeking recall of its order directing the NIA to investigate the controversial case of conversion and marriage of Hadiya.

The Kerala High Court had annulled the marriage, terming it as an instance of 'love jihad', following which Jahan approached the Supreme court.
Actor and BJP MP Kirron Kher raised eyebrows on Thursday when she stated that the survivor of the Chandigarh gangrape should not have boarded the autorickshaw after she saw three men already sitting in it, ANI reported.

#WATCH BJP MP Kirron Kher says 'she (Chandigarh rape victim) should not have boarded the auto rickshaw when she saw three men sitting in it' (29.11.17) pic.twitter.com/Daqe95rTIO  ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

"I want to tell all girls: When there are three men already sitting in an auto, you should not board the auto," the BJP MP said. "I am saying this to protect the girls," Kher added. "Even when we used to travel by taxi in Mumbai, we used to make someone note down the number of the taxi....because we wanted our safety." Kher later defended her remarks. "I just said that because the times are very bad, girls should exercise caution... Politics should not be played here," ANI quoted her as saying. "Shame on those people who are trying to politicise this issue. There are girls in your houses also. You should also make some constructive remarks instead of destructive ones," she further added.

Maine toh ye kaha tha ki zamaana bohot kharab hai, bacchiyon ko ehtiyaat baratna chahiye. Chandigarh Police PCR bhejti hai agar koi ladki raat mein 100 number pe phone karti hai toh. Politics should not be played here: Kirron Kher,BJP MP pic.twitter.com/fbNRyNhM0O  ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

Lanaat hai unpar jinhone iska rajneeti karan karne ki koshish ki hai, aapke ghar mein bhi bachhiyan hai, aapko bhi meri tarah constructive baat karni chahiye, destructive nahi: Kirron Kher,BJP MP pic.twitter.com/z7fEMrpunW  ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

However, Kher did not elaborate how criticism of her remarks amounted to politicisation.

A 22-year-old woman from Dehradun was gangraped allegedly by three men on 17 November after she took an autorickshaw after attending a stenography class from Sector 37 in Chandigarh.

The autorickshaw driver allegedly drove her to an isolated place in Sector 53, instead of taking her to Mohali where she had been staying as a paying guest.

On Monday, the driverthe prime accusedallegedly attempted suicide inside a jail on Monday by stabbing himself with a "piece of broken glass", police said.
Chennai: The Madras High Court on Wednesday modified a simple imprisonment awarded to a man in an assault case over political rivalry, to rigorous jail term, decrying the means of violence to settle political scores.

Justice PN Prakash observed that democracy would survive only if political parties agreed to peacefully settle their disputes through the ballot and not by engaging in "murderous assaults" on members of rival parties.

If the court condones such acts, it would only encourage lawlessness, he said, while dismissing an appeal by one of the seven accused challenging the XV Additional Sessions Judge's order of 12 February, 2013, that awarded three years' simple imprisonment to them.

The trial court had awarded a simple imprisonment to the accused, but Justice Prakash said it shows "misplaced sympathy" and modified the term as rigorous imprisonment.

According to the prosecution, two PMK workers had joined the Congress following the efforts taken by former party MLA Balaraman. Angered over this, a group of PMK activists, including the appellant, allegedly attacked Balaraman on 9 November, 2010, chopping off his left ear.
An ongoing Firstpost investigation into the implementation of the Maharashtra government's farm loan waiver scheme  known as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana  has established it has been botched because of the ineptitude of 66 banks. As a result, a month after the official rollout date (October 18), only a few hundred farmers have received the benefit, leaving over 67 lakh others in the lurch.

One of the biggest issues with the implementation of the scheme was the attempt to link Aadhaar cards to farmer loan accounts, which saw several goof-ups by banks such as multiple persons being assigned the same Aadhaar number.

Underlining just how poorly the rollout of loan waivers was managed is the fact that a senior bureaucrat has already been transferred. And thanks to the inefficiency of banks of all hues  national and district; commercial and cooperative; public and private  the disbursal of waivers has stopped dead in its tracks across the state.

For a closer look at the way this is affecting farmers, Neerad Pandharipande travelled to Latur to better understand the situation on the ground. This is his report:

The massive bungling in preparing the list of beneficiaries for Maharashtra's Rs 34,000 crore farm waiver scheme has left the Devendra Fadnavis government running helter-skelter to implement it. The thoroughly corrupted list of beneficiaries that the banks submitted to the government -- as reported by Firstpost in this story -- has delayed the roll out inordinately.

As pointed out in the reported cited above, the delay is assuming the proportions of a massive administrative and political challenge for Fadnavis who had insisted on Aadhaar-linked disbursal to eliminated leakages. The process of preparing the list of beneficiaries was so vitiated by the inefficiency of the banks that on 18 October when the disbursal was to kick off, the government released funds to only a few hundred beneficiaries and went back to the table to resolve the mess -- which it has been unable to do till date. Our investigation in Latur revealed that the public festival of loan disbursal across the state on 18 October was a desperate attempt by the government to create a perception of the scheme's success.

We recorded instances of this during a three-day tour of Latur: farmers told us of postcards from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis affixed to their doors, declaring them beneficiaries of the farm loan waiver scheme (see photo); when in fact they had received no money from the government. We were also shown text messages sent to farmers' mobile phones (see photo), informing them that money that had been deposited in their accounts (meant to offset agricultural loans), only to be told by bank officials that this money was off limits for "technical reasons" and could be "retracted".

Worse still, farmers we met said they'd been instructed by "government officials" to reply in the affirmative on being asked if they were beneficiaries of the loan waiver scheme. Kailash Salunkhe, a farmer in Nandgaon village, said, "Two women officials from the government visited the village one-and-a-half month ago. They told us that if we get a call from the government asking if we are beneficiaries of the loan waiver scheme, we should say yes."

According to Salunkhe, the officials also affixed "personalised" postcards signed by Fadnavis, congratulating him for being a beneficiary of the loan waiver scheme, on the door of his house (see photo below). The postcards feature a photograph of the chief minister. Similar postcards were seen on several doors in the village. However, villagers said that none have them has received the waiver amount.

The left hand side of the postcard, inscribed in Marathi, reads, "Namaskar, thank you for availing the benefit of a government scheme." On the right hand side of the postcard, along with the name and address of the 'beneficiary', the name of the loan waiver scheme is also mentioned.

Kailash's father Shivaji had applied online for a loan waiver, but is yet to receive any amount in his Canara Bank account, where he was expecting the money to be deposited. "How can we be called beneficiaries if we have only applied and not actually received any money, or the certificate stating that we are debt-free, from the government?" Kailash asked.

Manoj Waghmare, the outreach worker (bank mitra) of Canara Bank in Nandgaon, confirmed that Shivaji had a bank account to his name and that he had applied for the loan waiver. "He has not received any loan waiver amount in his account. The certificate stating that he is a beneficiary is incorrect." Manoj said. However, Shashikant Mekhle, the agriculture officer, Latur Branch, Canara Bank, said that he was not aware of such postcards. He added that no account holder from the bank in the village had received the loan waiver amount.

By itself, inconsistencies in bank data about the status of loans is bad enough, but there are also other problems that have been thrown up over the course of the implementation of the loan waiver scheme:

The use of the same savings account number for two related persons, husband and wife.

The use of the same Aadhaar number for two unrelated persons.

The wrong Aadhaar number affixed to multiple entries.

The wrong savings account number and same Aadhaar number for two unrelated persons (each name entered as a single string)

One name, one Aadhaar number, savings number and loan account numbers repeated over and over.

Gajendra Deshmukh, the assistant registrar (administration) of the cooperative societies department in Latur declined to comment when asked specifically about the postcards and the claims of the villagers about being asked to reply in the affirmative if asked whether they had received the benefit of the loan waiver scheme.

Uncertainty over loan waiver amount disbursed

Even among those who received the loan waiver amount, uncertainty prevails. For instance, Mubasaheb Patil from Masurdi village in Ausa taluka said he had received a text message from Maharashtra Gramin Bank stating that his account had a credit transaction of Rs 1,19,953. "However, when I went to the bank hoping to get the loan waiver certificate, the bank officials told me that this amount can be retracted from my account."

Patil had an unpaid loan of Rs 95,000 and owns around 18 acres of land. As can be seen above, his balance is now Rs 5,530.45 after receiving the waiver. "If I receive the loan waiver amount, then it will help me to invest in my farm again, and also to pay labourers who work on my field. The low minimum support prices set by the government add to my financial difficulties," he said.

It's a very similar case with Sahadev Chavan from Bhada village. Chavan, too, received an SMS from the Maharashtra Gramin Bank stating that his account received a credit transaction of Rs 1,30,711.46. However, he said that he neither received a certificate saying that he is free of debt, nor did he receive a recorded call from the chief minister stating that he is a beneficiary of the loan waiver scheme.

A bank official, on the condition of anonymity, said that the reason for this is that the banks have to scrutinise data of farmers from the list provided by the state government. "If any detail  whether the loan amount, Aadhaar number or the name of the beneficiary  does not match the information provided by the state government, then the money can be retracted," he said.

The bank official also admitted that there were large-scale difficulties in the implementation of the scheme. "There have been all kinds of glitches  amounts getting mixed up, Aadhaar numbers getting repeated and so on." The official went on to add that the government has set impossible deadlines for banks.

"Recently, the government sent us a list with details of around 84,000 farmers, who are to receive an incentive benefit for having repaid their loans before 31 July, 2017. This involved an amount of around Rs 115 crore. We were asked to scrutinise the data and correct the anomalies within just two days. Even assuming that verifying the details of one farmer takes one minute, how is it possible?"

An official from a nationalised bank cited the lack of awareness among farmers as a problem. "A large number of farmers applied regardless of whether or not they were eligible. Some had loans outside the specified period, while some had government jobs," he said, "The entire process of implementing the loan waiver scheme has become unnecessarily complicated. Banks were asked to share data of farmers who had taken loans, and farmers were also asked to submit their details, leading to mismatches in several cases."

Read earlier stories from the series on Maharashtra's farm loan waiver here, here, and here.
New Delhi: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader Bimal Gurung on Thursday claimed in the Supreme Court that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was trying to break his party to finish the movement for separate statehood.

The apex court said the movement was one thing, but no one can be allowed to take the law into his own hand.

Gurung told a bench comprising Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan that he has been framed in several fakes cases and if allowed to surrender, then he will be in jail for a decade and entire movement will be finished.

He sought handing over of the probe to a central agency like CBI or NIA and claimed to have a video showing the state police planting an AK-47 rifle in his house.

"There are difference of opinion between me and chief minister of West Bengal. The effort is being made to break my party and pops up a new leader. If today I am given to the police, then I will be in jail for another decade and the whole movement will be finished," senior advocate PS Patwalia, appearing for Gurung, said.

He claimed that movements for separate states were occurring "everywhere and new states are being carved out".

Patwalia said if the impression goes out that "I have been treated unfairly and wronged, then this would create more unrest in Darjeeling and hence these case be referred to CBI.

He said that recently, multiple FIRs lodged by West Bengal police over violence in hills have a pattern and have same mistakes, same language, and same format.

"These are all fake FIRs have shown a possibility of the frame up," the senior advocate said adding that main flashpoint of confrontation was that the GJM had opposed the state government's move to make the Bengali language mandatory in schools in West Bengal.

"This is a big issue in hills and the people were opposed to it," Patwalia said.

The hearing remained inconclusive and the bench listed the matter for 4 December.

On 28 November, the apex court was told by Gurung that the Police had lodged false cases against its members to pressure them and suppress their movement for a separate Gorkhaland state.

However, the state police had maintained that Gurung was absconding, not cooperating in the probe of cases lodged against him and playing "blatant politics".

The state police has claimed that Gurung was facing trial in 23 cases and several other criminal cases were also registered against him.

It had said that several serious incidents had taken place under Gurung's leadership and a 26-year-old police official was also killed during the recent Gorkhaland agitation.

The charges were refuted by Gurung, who said that a total of 104 FIRs have been lodged against him and other GJM members by the West Bengal Police and the state government had made him a fugitive.

Referring to the application filed by state police seeking vacation of the apex court's 20 November order restraining it from taking any coercive step, Gurung had claimed that incorrect statements were made in the plea.

Centre had however maintained its stand that it would follow the order passed by the apex court in the matter.

The GJM leader had earlier claimed in the apex court that he was being politically persecuted by the state government and had sought a probe by the NIA or CBI in the killings of several Gorkhaland activists during the recent agitation for a separate state.

West Bengal Police had told the court that the order restraining it from taking any coercive steps against Gurung should be vacated, as the morale of the entire force was down since there were several cases of serious nature against him.

The GJM central committee had recently suspended Gurung for six months and appointed Binay Tamang as the party's new president.

Gurung had approached the top court seeking an independent probe into the alleged killings of Gorkhaland supporters during the recent protests.
Srinagar: A teenager was injured in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday in clashes with the army in Badgam district where a gunfight is raging between security forces and militants.

Police said an army convoy carrying reinforcements to Futlipora village, where the gun battle was on, was attacked with stones by a mob in Pakherpora Chowk.

"Fifteen-year-old Sinar Ahmad was injured when the army resorted to aerial firing after the mob attack on the convoy. Ahmad was shifted to hospital in Srinagar," a police officer said.

Following specific information about the presence of militants, the security forces on Thursday morning surrounded the Futlipora village.

"As they closed in on the hiding militants, the security forces were fired upon triggering the encounter, which is still on," the police officer said.

Authorities have suspended Internet services in the district to prevent spread of rumours, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is known for treading the unconventional path and taking unexpected tough measures, chose not to utter a single word on the upcoming Gujarat Assembly election, much against audiences anticipation during his inaugural address at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit (HTLS) in New Delhi on 30 November.

Instead of political rhetoric, he chose to tell the audience why Indians voted the BJP led by him to power. The underlying theme of his address was to showcase how governments tough decisions, and pro-poor policies and schemes have initiated an irreversible change for a new India. A nation about which Indians living abroad could be proud of  with their heads held high  on a global platform.

People voted us to power in 2014 not only to change the then government in power (UPA), but also in order to change the existing system, which should be permanent and irreversible. In the earlier system, there had been several roadblocks. People, especially the poor and the common man, had to struggle every day to avail every single facility, whether it was to get a gas cylinder, railway reservation, telephone connection, income tax refund or a passport. They wanted an end to it. The country was deprived of justice. After coming to power, we focused on building a corruption-free and transparent ecosystem through our policies, schemes and initiatives  right from Jan Dhan scheme for the poor to Ujjwala yojna, which has benefited more than three crore rural women, said Modi.

As the theme of the two-day HTLS 2017 is The Irreversible Rise of India, the prime minister delved on NDA governments schemes and initiatives, and how these have helped in bringing an irreversible change in the country in the last three years.

In the past, crores of people from marginalised section of our society had no access to banking system, but today, more than 30 crore people are using RuPay debit card and the poor have their own bank accounts. The poor are able to get accident coverage and life insurance by paying Re 1 per month and 90 paise per day respectively. Rs 1,800 crore claim amount has already been paid to the poor. No other government in the past did this; and had they done so, they would have claimed themselves to be the messiah of the poor, the prime minister pointed out.

On black money

Coming down heavily on black money hoarders, Modi said that prior to 2014, black money hoarders had been controlling almost every aspect of daily life.

In 2014, we decided to uproot this menace and bring a permanent remedy in our system, because the electorate voted us to change the system. Demonetisation brought a behavioural change and for the first time after Independence, a sense of fear has germinated amongst the corrupts involved in black money transactions, he said.

Referring to the cash that has got back into the banking channel during note ban, Modi said, Knowingly or unknowingly, along with cash, weve got information about illegal accounts. The data mine shows 400 to 500 companies had a single address. While its immensely difficult for a poor to open a single bank account, these corrupt people had hundreds of accounts. Government has de-registered 2.25 lakh companies.

Talking about the fiscal measures, the prime minister said that these have led to a clean, transparent and healthy system. GST has opened a new chapter of transparency.

Speaking on the benefits of Aadhaar card, Modi said, Its helping to bring an irreversible change by extending subsidies to poor. Aadhaar has played a vital role in strengthening our economy and provide benefits to the marginalised section.

He cautioned that the government would use Aadhaar numbers to track down and curb benami properties.

On digital initiatives

The prime minister mentioned that several digital and online initiatives have helped farmers to sell their produce in an effective and non-hassle manner. Mandis have been connected online. Governments e-market place called GEM is a platform where online tendering and procurement can be done, and artisans from cottage industries can sell and supply handicrafts both to public and government. Digitisation has created an ecosystem due to which the level of organised corruption has declined, he asserted.

On Indias global branding

Emphasising on India's progress on the international arena and repositioning the nation as a global brand, Modi said, "Today, where globally India stands, countries, large or small, want to work with India. India is constantly increasing its influence on the international stage. It has to keep moving ahead. Today, Indians living abroad are able to take pride of this nation with their heads held high.

On how government policies are empowering people

From Swachch Bharat Abhiyan to GST, Modi presented an account of the benefits that various policies and schemes have helped in empowering people.

Referring to Gita Jayanti, which is being celebrated today, the prime minister said, Bhagvad Gita asks people to get rid of negativity and uplift oneself through self-enlightenment." Before signing off, the prime minister observed that he might have to pay a heavy price for the strong measures and unconventional steps taken by him.

I know I have to pay a heavy political price for the strong measures I have initiated. But, Im able to do all this due to my conviction. This has made crores of people of this country to have faith on us and voted us to power. We want an irreversible change in their lives.

Speaking to Firstpost on the sidelines of the Day 1 of the summit, image management expert and group chairman of Perfect Relations, Dilip Cherian said, Most crucial thing is that the people wont want the benefits they received in this regime, to roll back. They want it to be permanent. The PM has been able to deliver change with conviction and courage. He has taken risk with conviction, which has appealed the masses and they are having faith on him.
Hyderabad: Buoyed by the success of Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) which concluded on Thursday, NITI Aayog announced setting up of women's cell to help women entrepreneurs.

The Telangana government also announced three initiatives including setting up of an incubator to encourage women start-ups.

NITI Ayog, a policy think-tank of the Central government, will create a women's cell to do the handholding for women entrepreneurs.

NITI Ayog CEO Amitabh Kant told reporters after the end of the GES that the cell will act as a facilitator and catalyst to provide all help including legal and intellectual property help.

The women entrepreneurs will get financing support from Mudra Fund and financial institutions. "We are here to help women entrepreneurs as long as the projects are viable and bankable," he added.

He said one of the issues discussed at GES was inadequate funding for women. He, however, claimed that under Mudra Loan Scheme, 74 percent funding was given to women.

Kant announced that women's schools will get priority in selecting schools for tinkering labs under the Atal Innovation Mission. The selected schools will be provided robots and 3D printers.

He also said the incubator under Atal Innovation Mission will also support startups set up by women or designed for women.

Telangana's Information Technology Minister KT Rama Rao announced that WE-Hub would be modelled on the lines of T-Hub, the country's largest technology incubator which earned appreciation from both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump's daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump at the summit.

As the summit was focused on women entrepreneurs, the state government decided to set up the facility to help women startups.

Kant announced that the Atal Innovation Mission would partner with the state government for the WE-Hub.

Rao also announced setting up a Technology Fund (T-Fund) with a corpus of Rs 15 crore exclusively for women entrepreneurs. The women entrepreneurs can get Rs 25 lakh to RS.1 crore under this fund.

Announcing the third initiative, the minister said women entrepreneurs will get one-fourth share in 20 percent of total procurements made by government from the private sector, mostly SMEs.
London: Union minister Nitin Gadkari said that UK-based Indian-origin businessmen have committed to projects worth nearly Rs 500 crore associated with the Clean Ganga mission.

The Minister for Ganga, river development, water resources, highways, shipping and transport said that riverfront regeneration and development of ghats in the towns of Patna, Kanpur, Haridwar and Kolkata have been taken on by four leading industrialists from the UK.

Vedanta Group chief Anil Agrawal, who is born in Patna, has pledged his support for the regeneration of the city's riverfront; shipping magnate Ravi Mehrotra has taken on Kanpur; the Hinduja Group will develop the ghats of Haridwar; and Indorama Group chief Sri Prakash Lohia will take charge of Ganga Sagar in Kolkata.

"We have a commitment of more than Rs 500 crore with these projects and I appeal to all NRIs to participate wholeheartedly in Namami Gange," Gadkari said at the end of his three-day UK visit.

The businessmen will take on the projects as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda and work with the Indian government on finalising the plans for each of the cities.

"All options are open. The government will act only as a facilitator," the minister said, adding that the UK tour marks the launch of a series of worldwide roadshows to attract businesses to invest in the Clean Ganga mission.

Besides commitments from Indian-origin businessmen, five UK-based companies  Lyndon Water, Celtic Renewables, Mebifarm, NVH Technologies, and Arkatap  have also made a technology sharing commitment to the Clean Ganga programme.

At a business gathering in London, he highlighted the availability of more than Rs 10,000 crore worth of projects for ghat, crematorium, riverfront development water bodies, parks, sanitation facilities and public amenities within the Clean Ganga programme.

He revealed that more than 119 projects have already been taken up in five states at the cost of Rs 650 crore. Following the UK, the minister has plans to hold similar roadshows in Dubai, Singapore and the US to make a pitch to the Indian diaspora to get involved in projects associated with Clean Ganga.
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday claimed that no farmer in the state committed suicide due to agriculture-related issues though 18 such allegations were made during 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Odisha Agriculture and Farmer Empowerment Minister Damodar Rout said the state government had received information about 11 farmer suicides in 2016-17 and seven in 2017-18.

"No farmer has committed suicide due to agriculture-related problems as per information received by our department," he said in the Assembly while replying to a written question of Congress member Bhujabal Majhi.

Rout said all 18 cases were jointly probed by the district collector and superintendent of police of the districts concerned. "The state government has taken a number of measures to prevent farmer suicides," the minister said.

The opposition Congress and BJP, however, rejected the state government's claim and termed the minister's statement "unfortunate". They alleged a number of farmers had committed suicide due to crop loss and loan burden in the state. "We demand a judicial inquiry into all farmer suicides. It is unfortunate that the state government has been denying agriculture issues were not a reason behind them," said BJP MLA Pradip Purohit.

Congress chief whip Taraprasad Bahinipati said: "It is a shame that the state government does not attribute farmer suicides to agricultural issues."
New Delhi: Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has openly endorsed terrorism as state policy with his remarks on Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hafiz Sayeed, Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said on Wednesday

The 74-year-old former Pakistani general, in an interview to Pakistani news channel ARY News, had said that he was the "biggest supporter" of the LeT and its founder Saeed and backs the terror group's role in "suppressing" the Indian Army in Kashmir

Reacting to this, Rathore, the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, said in a tweet, "This, ladies & gentlemen, is former COAS (Chief of the Army Staff) & president of Pakistan, openly endorsing terrorism as state policy, in an interview."

Musharraf, who is in self-exile in Dubai, said that Mumbai attack mastermind Saeed "is involved in Kashmir" and he supports their involvement

He also said that he was always in favour of "action" in Jammu and Kashmir and "suppressing Indian Army in Kashmir"

Musharraf's comments came days after Saeed walked free following Pakistan government's decision against detaining him further. He was under house arrest since January this year

India had expressed outrage over Saeed's release, calling it an attempt by Pakistan to mainstream proscribed terrorists and a reflection of its continuing support to non-state actors

Saeed is accused of having masterminded the November 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people.
Earlier this year, when a controversy was raging surrounding the ban of cattle for slaughter in open markets, Firstpost argued that the Centre was fighting a losing battle, and predicted that sooner or later, the government would have to reverse its decision.

Less than six months later, that is precisely what has happened. On Thursday, the Narendra Modi-led government said that it will withdraw the ban on sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets.

What forced the government to roll back its decision? The reports said it did so based on feedback from the state governments. That is surely one reason. But, there are other major lessons that might have caused this:

One, the rule was nothing but a backdoor cattle slaughter ban although the notification didn't say so explicitly. Banning the sale of cattle for slaughter in open market places meant 80-90 percent business disappeared instantly. Cattle slaughter businesses primarily source cattle from open markets and not from the farmer directly.

Hence, the move was seen as Centre's smartly designed rule to put an end to the meat trade by industry lobbies, leading to massive protests. India is one of the leading exporters of cattle meat and millions are employed in the meat industry and related works such as tanning and leather works. An immediate backlash was not unexpected.

Secondly, it threatened to break the back of the rural economy where the farmer typically get rid of his old, unused cattle by selling it to slaughter houses, and use that money to buy new cattle or invest it in the purchase of farm equipment. Typically, this is done by taking the unused cattle to nearby mandis. This process was halted because of the poorly thought out plan.

If the farmer is unable to sell his unused cattle, it meant he needed to incur additional expense to take care of the animal which is also not giving any revenue. This adds to his financial burden.

Third, the backdoor cattle ban was seen as a move to impose the ideological preferences of the ruling party on the rest of India. It gave room for allegations from political rivals that the government is slowly pushing its "Hinduvta agenda" by forcing vegetarian food habits on the country. The Centre was asking for trouble.

Fourth, the whole issue took a Centre versus states turn, with states like Kerala and Meghalaya passing resolutions against the Centre's law, asserting that they will not implement it. Karnataka, West Bengal and Tripura governments have also said the rule will not be implemented in these states citing their constitutional rights.

Fifth, a legal debate was gaining momentum, where the government couldn't defend its stance strongly. Essentially, regulating livestock markets and cattle trade is a state affair, while the Centre has the right only to intervene on matters of animal welfare. But as reported by The Indian Express, Fahim Qureshi, the Hyderabad-based lawyer who moved a petition in the Supreme Court, has pointed out that Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act does not categorise slaughter of animals for food as cruelty on the condition that it is not accompanied by pain and suffering.

Contradicting orders from Madras and Kerala high courts on the issue complicated the issue, and the Supreme Court later asked for clarifications from the Centre.

It may be that the government had noble intentions behind the rule  to bring in discipline in cattle trade and prevent cattle theft, but it could have done so without shocking the meat trade industry and non-vegetarians.

In fact, most of these rules are already in place in a notification under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960. By doing this, the government could have averted losing face on the issue. For the Modi government, the writing was on the wall from Day 1 on this issue.
Mumbai: The special CBI court in Mumbai which is conducting the trial in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Tulsiram Prajapati alleged fake encounter cases on Wednesday barred the media from reporting the court proceedings till further order, following a plea from the defence counsel.

Raising security issues, the defence lawyers referred to a media report on the death of a judge who had dealt with the case and said "misreporting has already caused prejudice to both sides". They said it was a "sensational" case and some untoward incident could happen if publication of reports was allowed.

Special judge Sunilkumar J Sharma, who also allowed the journalists who were present in the court to put forth their stand, said, "It may happen that publication (of reports) may create security problem for the accused persons, prosecution witnesses, defence team and the prosecution as well. I, therefore, find justification in the request of the defence team of lawyers."

Considering the sensitivity of the matter, there was a likelihood of some untoward incident happening which may affect the trial, the judge said.

The trial was to start on Wednesday. However, one of the defence lawyers moved an application in the morning seeking a ban on the publication of reports of the court proceedings till the judgement is delivered. Publication of (reports of) proceedings will prejudice the case of the prosecution or the defence and may create security problems for the accused, prosecution, witnesses and defence lawyers, the defence lawyers contended. The case has a chequered history and "misreporting has already caused prejudice to both sides", they said.

The journalists vehemently objected to the defence lawyers' demand, saying they were reporting on proceedings in good faith so that the public at large knows about the progress of the case. Media persons too have faced attacks in discharge of duty, they pointed out.

The defence lawyers maintained that the matter was "sensational" and some untoward incident could happen if publication of reports was allowed. Referring to a report in an English magazine, defence lawyers said that "natural death" of an earlier judge who had dealt with the case was portrayed as a murder.

The judge said he appreciates mediapersons' hard work and their role in educating the public. However, the (prime) accused in this case are police officials, the judge noted.

In the past four years, ministers from Gujarat and Rajasthan and high-ranking police officials have been discharged, and the matter appears "sensational", he said, upholding the defence lawyers' request.

Charges have been framed against 22 accused, including police officials, and today the trial was to commence but the prosecution could not produce witnesses, the judge noted. The court in October, framed charges against 22 accused for murder, abduction and destruction of evidence under the Indian Penal Code and for offences under the Arms Act. BJP president Amit Shah, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria, former Gujarat police chief PC Pande, Additional Director General of Police Geeta Johri are among those who have been discharged in the case.

Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kausar Bi were allegedly abducted by the Gujarat police's Anti-Terrorism Squad on their way from Hyderabad to Sangli in Maharashtra in November 2005. Sheikh was allegedly killed in a fake encounter near Gandhinagar. His wife disappeared. She too was believed to have been done to death.

Prajapati, an aide of Sheikh's and eyewitness to the encounter, was allegedly killed by police at Chapri village in Gujarat's Banaskantha district in December 2006.

The fake encounter case was transferred to Mumbai in September 2012 on the request of the CBI which said it was necessary to ensure a fair trial.
Colombo: Sri Lanka's government on Thursday deployed troops to help regions stricken by a major storm which killed seven people with five others missing, authorities said.

Powerful winds and torrential rain battered much of the island late Wednesday, toppling trees and damaging buildings.

More than 20,000 people have been affected by the storm, according to disaster management centre spokesman Pradeep Kodippily, who gave the death toll.

Two of the missing were on a fishing boat that capsized off the south coast.

President Maithripala Sirisena, who is currently on a visit to South Korea, ordered troops to help in the stricken districts. Military spokesman Brigadier Roshan Seneviratne said 2,000 troops had already been deployed.

Schools were closed Thursday across southern and central provinces and several flights into the main Colombo airport were diverted to Mattala airport in the south.

Power supplies were cut in many districts for several hours after the storm.
Uber Technologies Incs former chief executive and some board members knew of a letter alleging employees had stolen trade secrets, but the document was withheld from a high-stakes lawsuit, a company attorney testified on Wednesday.

The admission that the letter was not produced in the lawsuit drew a sharp retort from US District Judge William Alsup, who is overseeing the case and has asked US prosecutors to investigate it, raising the possibility of criminal charges.

On the surface it looks like you covered this up, Alsup told Uber in court, later adding he had never seen a case like this. It seems like there are so many bad things that Uber has done in this case. Usually its more divided.

Alphabet Incs Waymo has accused the ride services company of stealing confidential information about its self-driving car designs, the highest-stakes challenge on a list of litigation and investigations inherited by Dara Khosrowshahi when he joined Uber as CEO in August.

The case has hobbled Ubers self-driving car program and Alphabet is seeking hefty claims. Uber has denied that it used Waymo trade secrets in its autonomous vehicle program.

The company recently signed off on a multibillion-dollar investment from Japans SoftBank Group Corp that, if successful, would demonstrate confidence in Ubers long-term prospects.

SoftBank launched a tender for Uber shares this week and the Japanese company has said some notable early investors planned to sell.

The letter from former Uber security analyst Richard Jacobs alleges Uber trained employees to steal trade secrets and hide their activities by using communications programs with disappearing messages and a separate computer system.

At the hearing in San Francisco federal court, Uber in-house attorney Angela Padilla testified she did not disclose the letter to Uber attorneys and an outside law firm that were defending Uber in the Waymo lawsuit.

There was no effort to cover this up, Padilla said, adding that she takes full responsibility for not circulating the letter more widely.

She said the allegations in the letter had seemed quite fantastical to her.

Jacbos testified in court this week that his lawyer sent a 37-page letter to Padilla describing a group within Uber called marketplace analytics aimed at acquiring trade secrets, code base and competitive intelligence.

Jacobs attorney also sent a letter with the allegations to the US Department of Justice.

In his testimony, Jacobs described an intelligence operation inside Uber to research competitors and gather data about them, and use technology to avoid a paper trail.

Alsup has agreed to Waymos request to delay a trial, which had been scheduled for next week, to give the Alphabet unit more time to investigate the allegations. The trial is now scheduled to begin in early February.

In court on Wednesday, Padilla said Uber viewed the Jacobs letter as a tactic by a disgruntled former employee to secure money from the company.

We felt that Jacobs was trying to extort the company, she said.

Uber eventually settled the matter by paying Jacobs $4.5 million, including a year-long consulting contract, and a further $3 million to his lawyer.

That is a lot of money, Alsup said. And people dont pay that kind of money for BS. And you certainly dont hire them as consultants if you think everything theyve got to contribute is BS.

Padilla said the company had weighed the distraction of a drawn-out battle with Jacobs, as well as security concerns for employees named in the letter. An Uber manager, Mat Henley, who also testified on Wednesday said that he had fired Jacobs for poor performance.

Much of the testimony surrounded Uber employees use of communications applications that did not store messages, including Wickr and Telegram.

Uber CEO Khosrowshahi weighed in by tweeting on Wednesday that he had changed the communications policy in September to forbid use of such applications to discuss Uber.

Henley said that the group that Jacobs alleged stole trade secrets is now focused on counterintelligence to protect Uber from rivals.
New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of heinous crimes such as murder and those against women in 2016, according to the data of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released on Thursday.

Uttar Pradesh, the country's largest state, reported the highest number of cases of murder-4,889 - accounting for 16.1 percent followed by Bihar where 2,581 (8.4 percent) murders took place last year.

Uttar Pradesh registered 14.5 percent (49,262 cases) of total cases of crime against women followed by West Bengal 9.6 percent (32,513 cases) during 2016.

Rape cases recorded an increase of 12.4 percent from 34,651 cases in the country in 2015 to 38,947 in 2016.

Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh reported the highest incidence of rape with 4,882 cases (12.5 percent) and 4,816 (12.4 percent) followed by Maharashtra 4,189 (10.7 percent) last year, the NCRB data said.

Uttar Pradesh recorded 9.5 percent of the total IPC crime reporter in the country followed by Madhya Pradesh (8.9 percent), Maharashtra (8.8 percent) and Kerala (8.7 percent).

A total of 37,37,870 people were arrested in the country in 2016 for various crimes while a total of 32,71,262 people were chargesheeted, 7,94,616 were convicted and 11,48,824 people were acquitted or discharged.
New Delhi: A terrorist neither had any religion nor caste, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu said on Thursday, stressing that there was "no place" for violence in a democracy.

He called upon all the countries and the United Nations (UN) to take strong steps to eliminate terrorism from the world, noting that the menace was spreading its wing.

"Some people are linking terrorism with religion. Linking terrorism with religion is trying to give strength to the wrong path the terrorists have taken. A terrorist is a terrorist. A terrorist has no religion, no caste and is an enemy of humanity," Naidu said, while delivering the "Dr Rajendra Prasad Memorial Lecture 2017".

He said the sooner terrorism was eliminated from the world, the faster the countries would develop.

"If there is tension, you cannot give attention to development. It is a simple point," he added. The vice-president said violence could not bring about any positive change in the society and called upon the central and state governments for coordinated efforts against those taking up arms.

"Violence has no place in a democracy. To say the bullet is stronger than the ballot is wrong," he said, adding that India was battling against and had controlled naxalism and cross-border terrorism.

Naidu called for a global consensus and an action plan to eliminate cross-border terrorism.
New Delhi: Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of violating protocol, the Congress on Wednesday raised objections over his hosting a dinner for US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump in Hyderabad.

"The prime minister broke all traditions and violated protocol and hosted a dinner for Ivanka Trump in Hyderabad.

"When she is being taken care of more than a head of state, then praise is bound to come," said Congress spokesperson Deepender Singh Hooda.

"If the Prime Minister wanted to host her, he could have done it privately in Delhi. She could have flown in. Eager for praise and impatient for a photo opportunity, Modi reached Hyderabad to host a dinner for her...," he said, adding that India had dignity and self-respect and Trump should have met the Prime Minister in New Delhi instead of him going to Hyderbad.

"Though India welcomed her, Trump was not a head of state. Therefore, the entire process raises questions," he added.

The three-day Global Entrepreneurship Summit started in Hyderabad on Tuesday with Modi hard selling India and inviting investors from across the globe to invest in India taking advantage of a friendly climate while Ivanka said much remains to be done with regard to equitable laws for women in many developing as well as developed countries.

The event, being co-hosted by the US and India, is being attended by 1,500 entrepreneurs, investors and eco-system supporters from 159 countries.
The AIADMK has nominated presidium chairman E Madhusudanan as the party's candidate for the upcoming RK Nagar Assembly by-election, media reports said.

AIADMK presidium chairman E. Madhusudhanan to be the party's candidate for RK Nagar by-election #Chennai  ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

Visuals from the AIADMK office in Chennai after E. Madhusudhanan was chosen to be AIADMK's candidate for RK Nagar by-election pic.twitter.com/72MNSyWfFP  TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) November 30, 2017

Madhusudhanan will be contesting against sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran, who was also named as the party's candidate for the by-election on Wednesday. However, Madhusudhanan's candidacy is expected to carry more legitimacy, since the Election Commission had earlier awarded the party's "two leaves" symbol to the E Palaniswamy-O Panneerselvam faction, to which he belongs.

According to India Today, Madhusudhanan, who is a Panneerselvam loyalist, edged past 12 other AIADMK members who had submitted their applications.

Another report on The Times of India pegged the figure at around 20 aspirants who had expressed an interest in contesting the bypoll. Prominent among them, the reports added, are former MP and former north Chennai AIADMK secretary N Balaganga, another former north Chennai secretary Adhirajaram, former minister Gokula Indra, and A Thamizh Magan Hussein.

Who is E Madhusudhanan?

Madhusudhanan, according Deccan Chronicle, is an MGR loyalist and a long-time critic of the Opposition DMK party. He also enjoys a good rapport with political representatives of all parties.

The report added that in 1991, Madhusudhanan had won the RK Nagar by-election and served as handloom minister during the chief ministership of J Jayalalithaa. Earlier, O Panneerselvam had announced Madhusudhanan as the candidate before the merger with E Palaniswamy.

In 1991, Madhusudhanan was convicted in the free sari and dhoti scam, according to The Indian Express, although he was later acquitted in the case.

The report added that Madhusudhanan was among those who had supported VK Sasikala in her bid to become chief minister of Tamil Nadu after Jayalalithaa's demise in December last year.

In February, however, he was removed from his post as presidium chairman, while he also lost primary membership of AIADMK, Huffpost reported.

Madusudhanan's removal came after he trained his guns at VK Sasikala, saying the Election Commission (EC) should not allow her to continue as general secretary of the party.

After he was removed from the party post, he instead extended his support to O Panneerselvam.

Panneerselvam had said that after Jayalalithaa's death, Sasikala told him that Madhusudhanan would become general secretary, The Times of India had reported.

But after AIADMK's EPS-OPS camps called for a truce after the seven-member governing council was expanded to nine, a press release from the party said it was "unanimously" resolved in its meeting to authorise the AIADMK parliamentary board to select a candidate for the RK Nagar bypoll.

The meeting of AIADMK parliamentary board scheduled for Wednesday to choose the party candidate for the bypoll was postponed and no reason was cited, The New Indian Express reported.

The report added that there were speculations over differences of opinion within the AIADMK about its candidate.

With inputs from agencies
The only thing more comical about the controversy around Rahul Gandhi's faith is Congress's defence of it. From a blunder during election season, attempt to take the high moral ground to full blown display of Brahmin chauvinism, in a fateful few hours, Congress' soft Hindutva campaign for Gujarat Assembly polls has come spectacularly unstuck. The fiasco has also exposed Rahul's utter hypocrisy that lies at the intersection of religion and politics.

It is not clear whether the Congress veep signed the register meant for non-Hindus while paying a visit to Somnath Temple. Congress claims he signed only the "Visitor's Book". It is possible that the gaffe was committed by Manoj Tyagi, a party functionary, who purportedly entered the names of Rahul and Ahmed Patel, Sonia Gandhi's political secretary.

PK Laheri, the temple trustee, told The Times of India, "Congress media coordinator made the entry for Ahmed Patel and Rahul Gandhi as 'non-Hindus'. How can we explain it? Congress leaders are best placed to tell why such an entry was made in the register." Leaving aside the motivation behind Tyagi's actions, a larger question remained to be answered. What was the need for ambiguity?

The Indian Constitution guarantees the right of individuals to run for public office regardless of their religion, caste or creed. Rahul may not be of Hindu faith, follow another religion or is an atheist like his great grandfather, nothing stops him from visiting a temple or aiming for the prime minister's chair. Even if he is indeed a follower of Hinduism, a clarification from the party that a mistake had been committed or a two-word confirmation from the Gandhi scion could have settled the debate.

It is not the faith that is in question here but the ambiguity over it. A man who aspires to be the prime minister should possess the moral courage to come clean on his religion instead of being coy, or taking recourse to mystifying silence. While the Gandhi scion stayed silent, his party first accused the BJP of "conspiracy" and then tried to take the high moral ground, claiming that religion and politics should be kept separate. This fragrantly nonsensical positioning of a liberal argument must be called out.

To be clear, Rahul's faith is an issue absolutely private to him. It is nobody else's business. That is, until Rahul himself decided to turn his faith into a campaign cornerstone and sought to create political capital out of much-publicised and frequent temple visits.

Congress may well accuse the BJP of trying to sensationalise a 'non-issue'the saffron outfit has gleefully jumped at the opportunitythe fact remains that Rahul's entire Gujarat campaign rests on three pillars: One, criticism of Modi. Two, stitching of a rainbow coalition of castes and sub-castes and three, soft Hindutva to dispel the party's pro-minority image.

Since the beginning of the campaign with four-leg 'Navsarjan Yatra' in September, the Congress vice-president has reportedly visited over 20 temples in Gujarat starting from Dwarka, Santrampur, Vir Meghmaya, Bahucharji, Khotidyar to Ambaji in Bansakantha and Akshardham, which has a huge Patidar following.

Interestingly, even as he visited a multitude of temples during Gujarat campaign and climbed thousands of steps to seek blessings from Maa Chamunda in Chotila, the Congress vice-president avoided visiting mosques and churches this time, unlike during the Uttar Pradesh elections when he paid a visit to the Deoband Jama Masjid in Moradabad, Jama Masjid in Allahabad, Nadwa Madrasa in Lucknow, Dargahe-Ala Hazrat in Bareilly and the St Joseph Cathedral in Lucknow, as Aman Sharma reminds us in Economic Times.

What's more, during a recent temple visit in Gujarat, Rahul proudly called himself "a devotee of Lord Shiva." It is specious argument to now say that "faith is a personal issue" when it has been made into a public spectacle through assiduous political positioning. It cannot be a matter of convenience to switch between public pronouncements of faith and claims that "religion is private".

Such actions renders one vulnerable to charges of hypocrisy and impressions that Rahul's temple visits were borne less out of faith and more out of a compulsion to tap into majority sentiment.

It SHOULD not matter but lets face it for a politician it does matter. It matters a lot & especially in this surcharged hyper-religious environment. https://t.co/lP3CDdxIbJ  Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) November 29, 2017

At this stage, the crisis could have still been contained had the Congress not gone ahead and committed the second blunder. While the party president-in-waiting still remained silent, an increasingly panicky Congress held two news conferences and proclaimed in one that "Rahul Gandhi is not only a Hindu, but a janeu-dhari Hindu (one who wears the sacred thread)."

Not only is Rahul Gandhi ji a Hindu, he is a 'janeu dhari' Hindu. So BJP should not bring down the political discourse to this level: RS Surjewala,Congress pic.twitter.com/YY5MKQEKt5  ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017

The use of "not only" for emphasis is a dead giveaway. It implies that "not only" is Rahul Gandhi a Hindu, but he sits on the very top of caste hierarchy in Hinduism. It is easy to dismiss such supremacist behaviour as another of Congress gaffes but the rot runs deeper. A mild scratching of the surface exposes Congresswhich positions itself as a centrist political forceas an opportunistic outfit that displays Brahmin chauvinism one day and caste-agnosticism the next.

It was only last year that the Congress vice-president had proclaimed that he "doesn't believe in caste."

"I don't believe in caste, nor endorse any of that. Uttar Pradesh needs to get out of this morass. The only way to do that is to become a party that represents everybody equally. My view is the Congress is a party for all," Rahul Gandhi told Swati Mathur of The Times of India.

It apparently hasn't taken much for Rahul Gandhithe champion of liberalism, voice of the oppressed and guarantor of subaltern upliftmentto swear by his "sacred thread" at the first sign of an identity crisis. It's the election season after all.

Click here for detailed coverage of Gujarat Assembly Election 2017
On Wednesday, Shehzad Poonawalla called the process to elect the Congress president "rigged" and said that Rahul Gandhi must first resign as the party's vice-president. Poonawalla, the Congress' Maharashtra unit secretary, wrote a letter to Rahul stating that if the election is conducted in a "genuine" manner then he would contest it.

Poonawalla had, on 18 November, written to Rahul, raising the issue of "the unabashed proliferation of dynasty politics and children of leaders getting promoted everywhere at the cost of merit" and stating that he was offering his unconditional resignation from all offices relating to the party until he was given the opportunity to raise the most important issues directly with party leadership.

Here is the full text of the letters:

Dear Rahul Gandhi ji,

I have been a humble worker of Congress/Nehru ideology since 2007-08. Often as a volunteer i would come to Delhi after saving my pocket money for months and work free at AICC HQ. Many leaders and journalists know about my struggles. Have my voluntary internship letters too to prove this. Will be happy to show them if I get to meet you one on one.

In 2016, I was appointed as Maharashtra Congress Secretary after 8-9 years of pure, honest hard work. Till date, I have sought nothing from my party except to contribute for it: Using my resources in the public, legal fraternity and media and have held hundreds of programs and taken up several cases to strengthen the party's ideological fight. I made one mistake though: The mistake of seeking an opportunity to discuss some very pressing issues that led to our defeat in 2014top at the listthe unabashed proliferation of dynasty politics and children of leaders getting promoted everywhere at the cost of merit.

Just a quick backdrop: In 2013, I was selected as the best spokesman by a professional set of observers , when training was done at 15GRG but everybody including Surjewala (son of a leader), Salman Soz (son of a leader) and many others made the cut at the behest of Maken (relative of a leader) but I did not. Still, I served the party without expectation or disappointment as is my dharma. I have fought cases like hate speech by Subramanian Swamy, for civil rights of minorities and to build Hindu Muslim unity. I was in touch with Kanishk Singh ji (from 2012-13) seeking your time but never ever got it.

But I am unable to still get time to address the most important structural issues plaguing the party for over years now. I understand these issues are difficult and God knows I have tried to address them even while I was defending the party with all my heart and soul. But to ask me to abandon those issues and to stay quiet on this issue affecting all Indians and important civil rights issues that affect minorities is NOT correct. This pressure today has crossed all limits. I have and will continue to raise them as an ordinary supporter of the ideology and I am offering my unconditional resignation from all offices till the time I am given an opportunity to raise the most important plaguing issue with my leadership directly. It may deemed an automatic resignation if my leadership is unable to make time or if I am coerced to staying silent on issues which matter to 99.999 percent Indians whose journey in politics begins without any father, godfather.

I will remain true to the ideology and hence I did not get poached unlike many seniors post 2014 for greener pastures. But 65 percent of India is below 35 years. I am too from that segment. If a young man cannot address a pressing problem that denies youngsters opportunity to participate in politics due to skewed electoral laws and party systems, within his own party, where does one go? Should Nehru's party worker not speak up when a leader of a communal party makes statements incompatible with the Constitution? Should I not bring to your attention the overwhelming number of dynasts who are given tickets, party positions and patronage? Should I be prevented from fighting that fight? If yes, please consider my resignation from all offices of the party. If not, I will be happy to meet you and elaborate further sir.

I understand a false campaign of misinformation and calumny will be launched against my family and me by those who seek to pull me down: All kinds of rumours will be planted and old baseless skeletons will be removed but I know that nobody said anything until now (2017 after a year and half of my appointment in Maharashtra Congress) and my letter may make them speak today about non-issues. I will not be swayed from my mission.

I await (as I have done always) for your positive response. If you choose not to meet me that is fine too. My respect for Nehru ji and all our leaders remains intact.

Best wishes for Gujarat,

Shehzad

Jai Hind

Dear Rahul ji,

I am saddened that there has been no response to my letter to you dated 15 November, 2017 in which I had requested your valuable time to discuss issues relating to civil rights (including minority rights for certain communities like Hindus and Kashmiri Pandits in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir) and the most important issue of dynasty and fair opportunity to non-dynasts within the party. In the past few days you have met several leaders and activists but it seems that there is little interest in meeting an active, state level, self-made functionary who has concrete solutions to curb dynasty politics in our party. I have been seeking time from your office for a long time in this regard. Anyhow, as a disciplined soldier of the party I will use this medium to communicate some important points with regard to the impending election of the Congress president and dynasty culture within the party.

Sir, 65 percent of India is below the age of 35 and it is this section of voters who played a decisive role in the 2014 election. Takes no rocket science to figure that armed with social media (Whatsapp, Facebook and twitter) enabled smartphones, they will play a bigger role in the 2019 election. Apart from jobs, the state of the economy, Young India has and will also vote for a personality that reflects it's aspirational and identity quotient. That it voted in 2014 with vengeance for a man (who projected himself as a "chaiwala" and a political outsider) especially after that classist jibe made by Mani Shankar Aiyyar is an indicator of the revulsion most people have, especially in this age group, for dynastic privilege, especially in the new politics of a transforming India. But has our party been able to fully understand this?

Rahul Gandhi ji, you joined Congress party in 2004 and immediately got the opportunity to contest the Lok Sabha polls from your family bastion of Amethi. You were then elevated to the position of general secretary while Sonia Maharashtra unit secretary Gandhi was the Congress president. You took charge of the youth wings of the party namely IYC and NSUI and promised to revolutionise it. You led the 2012 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election campaign, holding over 150 rallies, in which the Congress finished in last place. (In 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections, despite your best efforts, the Congress party deteriorated even further and held on to the fourth place in a state which gave birth to Nehru, Congress' tallest leader, this time with lesser dignity and pride). In 2013, you were selected as the Congress vice-president or the de facto number two in the party and to most of us it was clear that you were calling all the shots in the run up to the 2014 elections, where we were reduced to an all-time low of 44 seats.

Today, in a 19 day well-choreographed and orchestrated exercise, beginning on December 1, you will be elevated to the position of the president of the Congress party. Some folks are waiting until the last date of nominations (4 December) and some till counting day (19 December) to arrive at a forgone conclusion about who will be crowned the next president! My friend Rajiv Tyagi, an official spokesperson of Congress has declared, presumably as part of the party line on national television, that a "Gandhi" would be the president of the Congress not for ten/twenty years but for the next fifty years!

The party has not issued a clarification on this until now, thus confirming that they agree with Tyagi's zealous sycophancy and also that the forthcoming election is essentially a stage managed exercise. Do you agree with Rajiv Tyagi? Is the post of president directly or indirectly reserved for "Gandhis"? Illusions like these, where loyalist delegates (members who get to choose and vote between you and well no one ), handpicked and appointed essentially at behest of loyalist state presidents , who in turn were handpicked by the Congress president, who also handpicked the vice-president in 2013 and the ultra-loyal members of the Congress Working Committee (highest decision making body in the party) which rubber stamps every decision taken by the Congress president and you and conveniently times the rather elaborate process, to make it look and feel like a real election, are so sophisticated that even if one was to contest against you, it would be the equivalent of vying for a vote from a mother who is choosing between her own less talented son and the more talented, meritorious outsider.

The choice of the winner would be obvious: It is no contest when the system is rigged. Is this just how transparent, free and fair this December election or any election in the Congress will be, by the virtue of which even the likes of a Tyagi can predict its outcome for the next fifty years? Do let me know Rahul ji. Thank God in all likelihood you will be unanimously (s)elected because most Congress leaders like me know how vain it is to even try to contest. A worker like me would have considered filing a nomination and contesting if you are willing to take a few things on with the candidness.

To make this election fair you must take the following steps:

1) Firstly, a common party worker like me joined the party in 2008-09. I spent time, energy and money working voluntarily for the party at all levels and finally got elevated after eight years to the position of a secretary in a state unit in 2016. But how and why (other than your surname) did you in the same time span get to start off with an MP seat in 2004 itself, general secretaryship in 2007 and then graduate to vice-president of the national unit while his mother was the president? Did you win us more elections, were you genuinely elected to these posts, did you give better speeches than other leaders? You must therefore resign from the vice-president's post and contest as an ordinary member for the election of the president. How can it be a fair contest if a common worker has to contest against the VP (who was selected and not elected as the VP or the number 2 in the party)?

2) Since the delegate system is completely rigged and manipulated, for a fair fight for the presidentship will you allow real delegates to get appointed and vote rather than a bunch of handpicked "yes" men?

3) If not, will you at least face your rival in a televised debate to see who articulates a better vision for the Congress party and India? Will you allow yourself to be judged on merit than your surname? If yes, let's have that contest. I am ready.

4) You failed to deliver on the promise that IYC, NSUI won't end up electing children of netas (those who can spend huge sums to became state presidents, such as the son of Patangarao Kadam in Maharashtra or the son of Virbhadra Singh in Himachal Pradesh become state presidents) Will you at least now curb the innumerable dynasts who are given tickets and posts in the party by implementing the rule :One ticket/post to only one member in any family. So if I have a party ticket or post, my brother, sister, mother, brother-in-law, cannot be eligible for a ticket or post. We are not some family business, are we?

I doubt you will be open to any of these suggestions. If you are, I would be happy to contest this election against you in a fair system.

Rahul ji, during the 2002 Gujarat riots while I was in school, I read in my text books about Nehru, Azad and Gandhi and it was natural for folks like me to fall in love with the Congress ideology. It has a glorious history of over 100 years, it led the freedom struggle and had a solid track record towards building India since Independence. When you took over in 2007, I did not like your direct placement. Is it a private limited company or some Bollywood "khan-dan" I asked myself.

I heard you speak and articulate your plans to "change the system". I was willing to give my first love time: The Congress time to evolve into the party a million nobodies like me truly desired. One where merit and talent counts more than the feudal systems of dynastic political patronage and sycophantic loyalty. It has been ten years since you made those promises but are yet to deliver on those. The more things change the more they remain the same! Dynasts get the overwhelming share of election tickets and nominations to posts in the party: From Ajay Maken to Jyotiraditya Scindia, from Gaurav Gogoi to Sushmita Dev, dynasts enjoy his confidence more than non-dynasts, the power and decision making authority is confined to this elite club.

Farcical and cosmetic exercises take place but nothing changes substantially. I again ask you: Will you bring in a rule that only one ticket or post will be given in every family including your own?

Millions of non-dynastic, progressive, secular liberals like me pin their hopes on Congress. Whether we win or lose Gujarat, if we remain the party that pays more attention to "who you are" than "what you can deliver", it gives more credence to one's legacy and last name than one's merit and hard work, the alternative we provide will be no better than those we oppose. In BJP, you get preference if you belong to the "Sangh Parivar". In Congress, you get preference if you belong to "some parivar".

Rahul ji, I want you to be our party president but not only because you are "Gandhi". Let your leadership be tested through a real election. Let the party be more open to merit and talent than it is to dynasty. Nobody will have the courage to tell you this. Nobody will have the courage to show you the mirror. They are sychophants. To please you they will attack my family and me; malign my work and me and plant misinformation and stories against me (wait and watch) which did not exist till yesterday. I am ready for this slander.

Notwithstanding all the odds and bad times (Congress getting reduced to mere 44 seats), I have not gone to greener pastures despite the various offers and continued to work without any vacation for the party selflessly and without any expectations from 2008-09. But if you think talking about dynasty is against the principles of Mahatma Gandhi's Congress then by all means Rahul Gandhi's Congress can surely sack me or throw me out. Unlike Hemanta Biswa Sarma, I will serve the party and continue to voice my views against parivarwaad and will form and lead an anti-dynasty front within the party. I hope rather than shift the blame on somebody else you can take a stand on issues I have mentioned in my letter. Let us end dynasty politics now before it ends our party.

Best wishes for Gujarat elections. I am working as hard as I can to ensure BJP is defeated.

Shehzad Poonawalla

Secretary

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee
Gandhinagar:The Gandhinagar police has filed charges against Patidar leader Hardik Patel and six others for disturbing peace and breaking the law by holding a rally at Mansa despite not being given permission.

Gandhinagar Superintendent of Police (DSP), Virendra Singh Yadav told the media: "We have filed charges against Hardik Patel, Dharmesh Patel, the proprietor of Umiya decorators who was the organizer of the rally at Mansa, and five others for holding the rally despite the district administration not giving them permission."

"We will be acting against the persons involved in the violation of law," the Gandhinagar SP added.

The police has filed charges against Hardik Patel and the others under the Indian Penal Code clause 188, for disobeying the administrative order.

The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader has been holding protest rallies across the state for the past two years, including at many places without the government or the local authorities granting permission. Till date, neither Hardik Patel nor his aides or other members have been charged on that account.

The PAAS group had convened a mega rally on Saturday at Mansa, the native village of BJP national president Amit Shah, as part of a series of protest rallies against the state's ruling BJP. Before the rally, Hardik Patel had indicated he would "drop a big bomb" in the form of some revealing news that would shake the BJP, but he failed to do so.

Ignoring the police warning, he and his supporters carried out a massive rally in the chilly wintry night on Saturday.

"The police action will only come after the elections are over. The state government cannot dare to lay their hands on Hardik, as it would adversely affect them in the elections. As soon as the elections are over, they will carry out the necessary action," said a political observer.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is also keeping a close watch on the speeches of Hardik Patel and also video recording his public meetings. The EC will initiate action if they find it violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Gujarat, BB Swain said, "We will also be monitoring the money spent on Hardik's rallies where he is joined by any political party candidate."
In Saurashtra's Morbi, there was a buzz about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally. People who came from Morbi and surrounding areas to hear Modi repeatedly said that regardless of anything, victory will got to vada pradhan Narendra Modi.

Sarpanch Keshubhai Kadivar and deputy sarpanch Jayanti Bhai Kadivar of Morbi's Waghpar village reached Modi's rally together. Both were excited to see Modi once again. During the conversation before the rally, Keshubhai said, 'There is no problem. Like other times, Patels are coming with us again.'

Jayanti Bhai said, 'Our vada pradhan has done a lot when he was here in Gujarat. Earlier wedid not have water and had to go far away to get it. But now, weget water in our houses. All this happened due to the vada pradhan. So there is no question of going with the Congress.'

After talking to the elders of the Patel community, I tried to talk to some young Patels too. We talked to some of them who had gone with Hardik Patel at the time of Anamat aandolan and tried to understand what was going on in their minds. After talking to many young people, it seems that change is afoot.

Uday Bhai Seetabara, who lives in Morbi, said, 'We were in the BJP earlier, but later went for the Anamat aandolan with Hardik Patel. Now we have come back to the BJP and vote for the BJP'.

Chandresh Patel too gave a similar response. While waiting eagerly for Modi's rally, Chandresh said, "earlier we were in the Anamat aandolan but Hardik Patel has now gone with the Congress. We cannot go with the Congress. We will vote for BJP only."

During the rally, I talked to many young people. It seemed that while they have a soft corner in their hearts for Hardik Patel's movement around reservation, they did not like his joining hands with the Congress.

BJP looks at this as a ray of hope. BJP strategists are convinced that most of the young people standing with Hardik will come along with the them. Only those who have traditionally supported Congress will stay with Hardik.

Modi magic remains intact

Talking to the people at the Morbi rally, it seemed that the hard work the BJP has put in is turning hopes into reality. BJP repeatedly keeps Modi's face in the foreground and stresses on Gujarati identity.

After being Gujarat chief minister for 13 years, these elections have become very important for Modi, who has become the country's vada pradhan. He is now leading the country after leading the BJP to victory in Gujarat for three consecutive Assembly elections. However he must once again ensure the BJP's victory in these elections as it is now a question of credibility.

Modi, who arrived in Morbi's rally, did not even mention Hardik Patel's name once during his entire speech. Modi is deliberately doing this for political reasons. However, he did not miss the opportunity to once again call Rahul Gandhi and his family anti-Gujarat.

Strategy to label Nehru-Gandhi family as anti-Gujarat

Speaking about the dam on the river Narmada, Modi referred to the UPA government of the time and called Sonia Gandhi anti-Gujarat. During the Amreli rally on the first day of the Gujarat tour, Modi told people it was Rahul Gandhi's party's government which tried to stop the water.

People living in Saurashtra region have also acknowledged that before the Narmada water came, they had to travel several kilometres to get water. But now it is a matter of the past and they get water comes from the taps in their houses.

Sticking to this issue, Modi has been making efforts to remind the people of Gujarat about his work. However he also realises that the young people are not aware/don't remember those times before 1995 when the Congress was in power.

During the Amreli rally, Modi also had a message for the youth of Gujarat. He said that the youth do not know how their parents and grandfathers had to stay in the darkness in Gujarat at night.

Attempts to invoke Gujarati identity

Modi, who speaks of six crore Gujaratis, has ruled their hearts for the past 14 years. He has been at the centre of all the talk about the identity of Gujarat and the Gujarat model across the country.

Once again Modi gave signals regarding this from the stage. He tried to show the people of Gujarat this time too that they have it all and they should not let it go to waste.

Modi's message was clear that this time their vada pradhan is sitting in Delhi and if another of their own sits in Gandhinagar, then the development of Gujarat will happen even faster.

Suresh Bhai Thakore said after the rally, "We are not with Alpesh Thakore, we are with our vada pradhan. He has done a lot for Saurashtra. He has given water, he has given electricity. How can we forget that?"

During his election rallies, Modi is also trying his best to target Congress by talking about his tea-seller roots. By referring to the tweet which made fun of his tea-selling background, he is able to give a new edge to his Gujarati identity. He says that I have sold tea, not the country. He has used this to target Rahul, Sonia and the entire Congress.

At the moment, after speaking to people at rally after rally, it seems that the Modi magic is still prevalent in the Gujarati community. The common Gujarati does not have any complaints with their vada pradhan. This Modi magic is greatly strengthening the BJP. The party is feeling that whatever little resentment is present, that can be handled in the name of Modi.

Click here for detailed coverage of Gujarat Assembly Election 2017
Gujarat has always been a riddle for those who tend to apply conventional academic or intellectual tools to unravel electoral mysteries, especially since 2002 and the emergence of Narendra Modi. But when confusion gets confounded, such analysts invent subterfuge to cover up their failures.

Nothing illustrates this dilemma as starkly as the projection of the upcoming Assembly election in Gujarat as a Narendra Modi versus Rahul Gandhi battle. And ironically, some conventional political analysts  pundits, as Modi loves to describe them  see in this election Rahul's emergence as a formidable politician in his own right.

There is nothing wrong if any person, let alone a politician, evolves in due course of time by dint of his hard work. And equally, one cannot grudge that a section of analysts find Rahul growing into a mature politician. These are subjective opinions which can be contested but have to be respected.

But that narrative is not limited just to Rahul's newfound mojo, as yet unproven. It is being amplified by the national media, that is eager to prop up an alternative to Modi, as a one-on-one Rahul versus Modi fight, with the challenger being drummed up as champion merely for showing up for the bout.

Primarily fed on an overdose of conventional caste politics of North India for decades, the national media tends to see Gujarat through the same prism. But it's doggedly refusing to acknowledge two principal truths: One, Modi has just blown up even Uttar Pradesh's set-in-stone caste politics to smithereens; and two, Modi, before he became the tallest Indian leader of recent decades, essentially built his base as the strongest regional leader in India.

Now, when this tallest and strongest regional leader goes to his home state and seeks support for his party, it would take a great degree of intellectual gymnastics to argue that people will not respond to him.

If Modi is known for his oratory, where else would it be more persuasive than in his mother-tongue?

Let us jog our memory. Just before the 2002 Assembly elections, he had launched 'Gujarat Gaurav Yatra' across the state though the project was disapproved by the BJP's top leadership of the time. This political endeavour was frowned upon as it came in the wake of the post-Godhra riots. But Modi stuck to his guns, completed his yatra campaign with a chutzpah rarely seen in a politician passing through troubled times. Remember, Modi was then a fledgling leader within the BJP, overshadowed by the presence of taller leaders, topped by the Vajpayee-Advani duo.

But those who covered the 2002 Assembly elections would testify that Modi won it on his own. Given the background of the riots, the victory was dismissed as a result of communal polarisation. But was that the case? Gujarat had a long history of riots. For example, riots in the 1980s, that seeded a deep angst in society. But the BJP was just a marginal political force right up till 1995. In 2002, Modi, though belonging to a caste with miniscule representation, emerged as someone who can rid society of this malaise.

Modi's deep understanding of the Gujarati society helped him channelise this simmering social discontent into a positive movement about 'Gujarati asmita (pride)'. He launched various programmes and events that focused only on Gujarat. Unlike in the Hindi heartland  particularly Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP was pushed to the margins of electoral politics during that time  Modi's strategy found resonance in Gujarat.

There is an anecdotal story that Modi was advised by one of his Singaporean friends to "focus on Gujarat" and build his base. His frequent refrain of "working for five crore Gujaratis" was germane to his overall political strategy.

But that is only one side of the story. He worked on various aspects. For instance, till 2007, he launched a vigorous campaign to turn around the state's public sector enterprises, particularly the state electricity board, and tried to devise schemes to ensure water supply in drought-prone Saurashtra and Kutch regions. Those who have visited the state before 2007 would testify that in these two regions, there used to be "water mafias" whose tankers used to ply on streets of cities like Rajkot. Modi took tough decisions like reforming and restructuring the electricity board.

At the same time, he also faced a revolt from within, as Keshubhai Patel, his predecessor and the tallest Patel leader in the state at the time, along with some disgruntled BJP leaders, stealthily supported the Congress and tried to subvert Modi's prospects.

Those who think Patels are currently rising in revolt for the first time would find that the ongoing Patidar agitation is far more feeble compared to the past rebellion. The apparent reason was the fear among powerful Patidars who found power slipping away from their grip. At the same time, Modi's electricity reforms led to the arrest of a large number of farmers who refused to pay electricity bills. Even the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, the farmers' wing of the RSS, had come out on the streets against the chief minister then. And yet, none of it mattered in the 2007 Assembly election results.

Compared with the widespread social unrest caused by power reforms before the 2007 Assembly elections, troubles over GST are on a much smaller scale, and limited only to a few pockets.

Modi not only remained unfazed but also expanded his social base by co-opting social groups that were politically marginalised but numerically strong. For instance, the Koli caste (to which President Ram Nath Kovind belongs) and tribals were roped in by giving them a share of political power. In caste terms, the 2007 Assembly elections had found Modi ranged against all powerful castes of Gujarat  Kshatriya and Patel, not to mention Muslims  if one goes by conventional wisdom. But the result proved all those analyses wrong, as Modi successfully reached out to larger sections of society.

Perhaps the most predictable election for Modi was in 2012, when he had already emerged as the main challenger at the national level and had assumed for himself the numero uno position in his own party on account of his popular appeal. By that time he had become unstoppable.

Now let us examine what has changed in 2017. The logic that his absence in the state would make a big difference is quite akin to saying that people of Gujarat would love Modi more as chief minister than as prime minister. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is a dyed-in-the-wool politician with a fairly untarnished image, and is rooted to the ground in his state over the last four decades. Unlike Modi, he does not evoke extreme emotions and that is his strength.

But look at the crutches on which the Congress has been relying. It would be rather stupid to compare Hardik Patel with Keshubhai. Dalits are too fragmented to be represented by a leader like Jignesh Mevani. Since 2007, the BJP had made significant inroads into social segments like Dalits and tribals. Gujarat being one of states with a high tribal population, the BJP's organisational expansion through the RSS network has made the tribal constituency an impregnable bastion.

In Gujarat's context, the plain and simple caste arithmetic, as is normally applied in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, does not work. The state has found its political and social equilibrium after a great deal of turmoil in the 1980s.

In a society driven by business and entrepreneurial impulses, such a situation can be disturbed only if there is a promise of a better tomorrow. Do they think Rahul is a beacon of such hope? Those entertaining such an illusion will never be able to comprehend Gujarat's puzzle.

I'll put my money on Modi and the BJP winning this election hands down.

Click here for detailed coverage of Gujarat Assembly Election 2017
It doesn't require the genius of a graphologist to understand that Rahul Gandhi didn't list himself as a non-Hindu at the Somnath Temple. The hand-writing of the purported entry in the register is clearly not Gandhi's, Ahmed Patel's or Congress media coordinator Manoj Tyagi's.

Whoever made that entry in the register couldn't spell Patel's first name correct (it is spelt as Ahemed), imitate Gandhi's handwriting or write numerals the way Tyagi did while mentioning his phone number. So, it couldn't have been either of these three. You can read the entire handwriting analysis here.

Also, the Congress V-P would have been really dumb to list himself as a non-Hindu without any reason in the middle of a campaign to obliterate the perception of the party being anti-Hindu. Having declared himself a shiv bhakt, after stopping at almost every temple in Gujarat, Gandhi could have listed himself a non-Hindu only if he were overcome by a desperate desire to commit political harakiri. Gandhi has made many mistakes in the past, and he has been prone to faux pas in the past. But, this certainly doesn't look like one of his gaffes.

For those following the Gujarat election closely, it is evident that the two principal political parties are pulling the narrative in two different directions. The BJP, as speeches by its leaders suggest, wants religion to be the talking point of the campaign. The Congress, on the other hand, doesn't want to get drawn into a discussion on religion. Instead, it wants to highlight the angst in various caste and community groups. In the end, minus the red herrings, this election narrative is a joust between Hindutva and casteism.

The BJP is repeatedly referring to religion. It is incessantly trying to position itself as the protector of Hindus. At its election rallies, songs proclaiming the imminent coronation of bhagwadharis (the saffron-clad ones), declaring that it would be mandatory to chant Vande Mataram if you want to live in this country, are almost de rigueur. In their speeches, senior party leaders never forget to mention how the BJP ensured a curfew-mukt Gujarat by taming the "others" that were patronised by the Congress. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi finds it difficult to not bait the Congress by arguing that Jawaharlal Nehru was against renovating the Somnath Temple.

For the BJP, fighting an election with Hindutva as the backdrop is like the Indian team playing on a spin-friendly track. The moment it gets the turf of its choice, the BJP feels confident of bundling out the opposition for a paltry score. This is especially true in Gujarat, where the communal fault lines run deep and are easy to exploit.

Unfortunately for the BJP, the campaign this year has been hijacked by three young leaders asserting caste identities. By arguing that the cloak of Hindutva can no longer hide the "unjust" social order, Alpesh Thakor, Hardik Patel and Jignesh Mewani have queered the pitch for the BJP. To add to this caste conundrum, the Congress has demonstrated that it is willing to fight for the Hindu votes with the BJP by negating the belief that it cares only for Muslims. All this has combined to deprive the BJP of its favourite poll plank.

The tearing hurry with which the BJP latched on to the bogus controversy over Gandhi's identity indicates how eager it is for creating an opening to reintroduce Hindutva into the campaign, to remind the voter of the perils of supporting a party led by a non-Hindu. In the middle of a tough battle, it is a weapon it can gleefully use to pulverise the caste-centric discourse.

It is also a tactic to divert attention from the real issues of the election. Unlike 2002, 2007 and 2012, where religion, Gujarati asmita and Modi's future were the biggest talking points, this year, voters are asking tough questions of the BJP. Instead of emotional issues, the discussions are more about GST, demonetisation, unemployment, the agrarian crisis, the state of the economy and lack of equal opportunities for different social groups. Running away from real questions by donning the invisibility cloak of religion serves the BJP's interests.

Ideally, the religion of a politician in a country that is constitutionally bound to not differentiate on the basis of religion shouldn't matter. For the BJP, which takes credit for APJ Abdul Kalam's election as the President, it is hypocritical to insinuate that Gandhi shouldn't be trusted because he is a "non-Hindu."

Unfortunately, Gandhi, too, has shown up himself as an opportunist with his response to the controversy. While the BJP was questioning his faith, Gandhi should have stood up tall and asked what business its spokespersons had in raising a private issue in public. He should have asked if Gujarat is voting to elect its head priest or the next government?

After all, who in India doesn't know Gandhi's lineage? His great-grandfather and great-grandmother Jawaharlal and Kamla Nehru were Brahmins from Kashmir. His grandfather Feroze Jehangir Ghandy was a Parsi with roots in modern Gujarat. And his mother is a Christian. In every way, Gandhi is a symbol of what we Indians call vasudhaiva kutumbakam.

Instead of falling into the BJP trap and letting his spokespersons call him a janeu-dhaari (sacred thread) Brahmin, Gandhi should have proudly stepped up to say he is an Indian.

For years, the BJP has tried to dictate the narrative with its chant of ''Garv se kaho hum Hindu hain." Gandhi lost a golden opportunity to counter it by saying: Garv se kaho, hum Bharatiya hai!
Mahatma Gandhi, who encouraged cleanliness, education and respect towards all, completed a part of his education in Gujarat's Rajkot city at Alfred High School. But today, the school at Jubilee Chowk stands quiet in the shadow of its history. Its glory may have faded from people's hearts and minds today, but it was once a symbol of pride in the past.

Designed by British architect, Sir Robert Bell Booth, the school's building is a beautiful testament of the colonial-era architecture. This is why, even 164 years later, the walls of Alfred High School still bear the mark of Gandhi's presence. Perhaps for this reason, despite government and public apathy, the school looks as commanding from the outside as it must have in the past. The school tower is about 30-40 feet away from the main gate. Standing at the main gate, one has to crane their neck to capture the whole vista of the school's facade in one glance. One cannot help but think, "Wow, what a school it is." It is similar to the gurukul (Traditional Indian boarding schools) shown in Karan Johar's film Mohabbatein.

Gandhi's gurukul, Alfred High School

Gandhi passed out of Alfred High School in 1887 at the age of 18. He studied here between 1880 and 1887. At the time of its establishment, on 17 October, 1853, Alfred High School was the first English medium school in the Saurashtra region. The existing building at Alfred's was made under the Nawab of Junagarh. It was he who named the school after the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Alfred. Post-Independence, the school's name was changed to Mohandas Gandhi High School.

While the school took on Gandhi's name, it did not receive the respect it should have. The school's main gate is open at all times. Upon entering, you'll find a closed door and behind it, a life-sized photo of Gandhi. Under the photo is written "My life is my message". Along with it, there is another quote of Gandhi's from 4 September, 1888, when he left Rajkot for Mumbai to go to England and pursue law. At that time he had said, "Those, like me, who will go to England for higher studies, will come back and resurrect our country." Leaving behind this message, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi fulfilled his promise as he went on to become Mahatma Gandhi.

However, looking at the school's dilapidated state, it looks like we have forgotten Gandhi altogether.

Sitting on a bench in the school compound was a 13 or 14-year-old boy named Himanshu, who was sitting alone in the entire school at the time. I asked him, "Is the school closed?" to which he replied, "The school is always closed. If you want to go inside, enter through the lane behind the school but there is nothing worth seeing inside."

The interiors are a shocking sight. As beautiful as the school looks on the outside, it is as discoloured on the inside. The Gujarat government has decided to turn the school into a museum. However, judging from the state of the school, it seems no one has yet taken the decision seriously and worked upon it. It used to be open earlier until the authorities decided to shut it down.

However, despite the dilapidated and fading interiors, the sense of splendour in not lost completely: The huge rooms, the high walls, the wooden staircases. The classroom where Gandhi is said to have studied, now has huge posters of the school's principals. When Gandhi was in school, Dorabjee Eduljee Jimmy was the school principal. In the same room, there is also a Gandhi statue which shows him holding a Navjeevan newspaper. Mahatma Gandhi started this weekly newspaper from Ahmedabad. The newspaper kept running from 1919 to 1931. While it is still in publication to this day, its face has changed entirely. The newspaper is now a magazine.

School at the centre of politics

Alfred School may be in a dilapidated state today but its alumni include Keshubhai Patel and Hansmukh Adhiya. Since the Gujarat Assembly elections were announced, the school has been caught in the frenzy of politics. Recently, Congress leader Sam Pitroda campaigning in Rajkot had said, "If Congress comes to power in Gujarat, we will turn it into the best school in the country." Targetting the BJP government in Gujarat, he said, "Can the state government not revive this school? Why was it shut down and is now being turned into a museum?"

The Gujarat government did not respond to this.

Walking around every corner of the school with Himanshu, all I can wonder is what Gandhi would feel if he were alive today. Gandhi is not with us today, but Himanshu is, who dropped out of school after Class 8. After showing me around the entire school, he goes back quietly and sits on his bench where I found him.

It is interesting to note that Mahatma Gandhi's photos are stuck on the dust laden school walls with "Gandhiji and cleanliness" written on it. That cleanliness is definitely not noticeable around here is quite another matter. Written on another photo is a message which reads, "Humanity is one's truest nationality". But how much of the Father of the nation's teachings we actually remember, is something we must ask ourselves.
New Delhi: Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien says that Gujarat assembly elections should not be seen as a referendum on the impelementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

O'Brien, the national spokesperson of Trinamool Congress and its leader in the Rajya Sabha, also said prime minister Narendra Modi was playing to "Gujarati pride" in next month's Gujarat assembly poll and not focusing on development.

"Why should any election be a referendum? This is the home player playing in his home state. `I am one of you, how can you insult me' so now you are playing to Gujarati pride. Come and play on development, come and answer question on jobs, under-performance, demonetisation, GST and economy, O'Brien told IANS in an interview.

He was asked if the assembly poll in Gujarat, the first assembly election being held after the GST was rolled out on 1 July, should be seen as a referendum on the way it had been implemented.

The opposition has been accusing the government of flawed implementation of GST. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has consistently raked up the issue in his campaign in Gujarat, referring to it as "Gabbar Singh Tax."

Following perception about unease among small traders over some of stipulations concerning GST, the Modi government has eased filing norms. Decisions have also been taken to reduce the rate on 50 items of mass consumption from 28 percent to 18 percent besides providing relief to exporters.

O'Brien's first political book `Inside Parliament, Views From The Front Row', which was released last week, has a chapter on GST titled 'Far From a good and simple tax."

The book says that in countries like Germany and Japan, businesses were given at least one year of trial and adjustments before transitioning to a new tax system.

"In India, the prime minister and his BJP ministers learn on the job and they want the rest of the country to learn as they go along," it says.

On the GST roll-back, the book says "We noted with great amusement the 'khakra special' GST rollback announced weeks before the Gujarat elections."

Asked about the outcome of Gujarat elections, O'Brien said it has to be as to be seen in the context of results of 2014 Lok Sabha polls in the state where BJP secured about 60 percent votes and Congress about 33 percent.

"The 2017 election has to be judged on that," he said.
Visavadar/Amreli (Gujarat): Beginning his two-day tour of poll-bound Gujarat with a visit to the famous Somnath temple, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his emotional exhortations, calling him an "excellent actor better than Amitabh Bachchan".

Addressing three rallies at Visavadar, Savarkundla and Amreli in the Saurashtra region, Gandhi also reached out to Patidars and attacked Modi over his "silence" on Rafale deal and "proximity" to select industrialists.

Before setting out on the campaign trail, Gandhi offered prayers at the famous shrine of Lord Shiva at Somnath.

"Narnedra Modi is a 'zabardast' (excellent) actor, even better than Amitabh Bachchan. Generally, an actor has to put contact lens when he has to weep...His eyes burns and tears roll down. But Narendra Modiji does not need any contact lens for tears to roll down his eyes," Gandhi told a rally at Savarkundla.

At Visavadar, Gandhi referred to the 2015 quota stir in which 14 members of the Patidar community were killed in police firing and said if anyone raises his voice he either gets beaten up or has to face bullets in Gujarat.

"All the communities are raising their voice here against the government. But what do you get if you raise your voice in Gujarat? You are beaten up, you have to face bullets," Gandhi said.

Visavdar is a Patidar-dominated constituency in politically crucial Saurashtra region.

"I asked Modiji three questions (on the Rafale deal). First, is there a difference in the cost of the planes in the first and the second contract (signed with a French firm), please give the reply in yes or no."

"Why was the contract given to a private industrialist friend instead of Hindustan Aeronautics limited (HAL)? And did you seek the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security for the deal?" Gandhi asked, referring to the deal between French firm Dassault Aviation and a company headed by Anil Ambani.

The Congress vice president also sought to know if due procedure was followed before formalising the deal with France last year for procuring the fighter jets.

Gandhi alleged that the prime minister was "avoiding" answering his questions "out of fear" that the "truth" would come out before the crucial polls in his home state.

"Narendra Modiji is not replying to these questions because he wants that the truth of Rafale and Jay Shah (son of BJP chief Amit Shah) should not come out before the people ahead of the Gujarat elections," he said.

A web portal had claimed that the turnover of Jay Shah's firm had seen exponential growth after the BJP came to power at Centre in 2014.

Targeting Modi, Gandhi said, "You will see how tears again flow from the eyes of this actor 2-3 days before the elections. He will talk about everything but will not utter a word regarding how much price farmers receive for their produce in Gujarat, loan waiver, or how to convert black money into white".

In an emotional speech post demonetisation, Modi had said that people can hang him if he cannot bring black money back.

In an emotional outreach during canvassing, Modi had recently said that Gujarat is his mother and he her son.

Gandhi said the Gujarat government is run by Amit Shah and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is just the "rubber stamp".

He claimed the NDA government delayed the winter session of Parliament as Modi was not ready to discuss the Rafale deal and Jay Shah issue before the Gujarat polls.

"Generally, Parliament's (winter) session is held every year in November and discussions take place in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. But, due to two reasons, Parliament is opening after the Gujarat polls this time," Gandhi said.

He also criticised the Modi government on the issues of farmers and unemployment in the BJP-ruled Gujarat.

The Congress vice-president alleged that entire land was given to "5-10 industrialist friends of Modi" in Gujarat but farmers were left high and dry.

He even read out names of the villages during his speech.

"Narendra Modiji will not talk about these things in his speeches. He will only talk about development, but how much farm loan he has waived and how much money he has gifted to 5-10 industrialists...Modiji will not talk about these things," Gandhi said.

He alleged that Modi has reneged on his promise to offer higher MSP to farmers on cotton and groundnut.

"Modi no longer speaks about these things in his speeches," he said.

Gandhi will visit various towns and villages in Amreli, Bhavnagar and Botad districts on Thursday and address a rally on the outskirts of Bhavnagar city in evening.

Click here for detailed coverage of Gujarat Assembly Election 2017
Rajkot: The ruling BJP may face headwinds in the form of resentment over incomplete projects, demonetisation and GST hassles in its bid to repeat its sterling performance in the previous Assembly polls in Gujarat's Saurashtra region.

The Saurashtra region, which goes to polls on 9 December, sends 48 lawmakers to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly. The BJP had won 32 seats from the region in the 2012 state polls.

Opposition parties have been accusing the government of failing to complete various development works, especially canal networks and irrigation projects.

Asked about this, BJP's Saurashtra region spokesperson Raju Dhruv agreed partially, but claimed that many of these projects were at different stages of completion and therefore, the party needed another strong mandate to complete them.

Dhruv sits in his newly set-up Rajkot office every day, holds meetings with party workers, issues statements and submits reports, mostly based on the feedback received from the party cadre on the battleground, to senior leaders.

Saurashtra, the largest region of Gujarat, comprises 11 districts.

The BJP government had faced an outburst of Dalit anger last year when some members of the community were assaulted by cow vigilantes at Una in Somnath Gir district and a video of the incident went viral, making national headlines.

Commenting on it, Dhruv said, "We never supported the (Una) incident and always denied any links to it. We detest the incident. I do not think it will have any impact on the electoral outcome."

The fallout of demonetisation and the teething troubles of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) could be another worry for the BJP, which has been in power in the western state for over two decades.

Rameshwar Patel, a ceramic tile trader in Rajkot, said the note ban went against the saffron party's plank of development-centric governance.

"The demonetisation and the GST took away my business for almost a year. Not just I lost business, several labourers who used to work for me went back to Uttar Pradesh. Now my business is slowly improving, but I do not have the labour force to expand my business," he said.

On the incomplete development projects, Kusumben Bhat, a resident of Padadhari village near Rajkot, said, "The BJP has been in power for so many years. The last three years could have been very good as our (former) chief minister Narendra Modi went on to become the prime minister."

"I do not believe in the BJP's promises. Who had stopped Modi or the party from completing these infrastructure projects?" she said.

Gujarat Congress secretary Mahesh Rajput said the BJP is struggling to remain in power.

"It misused power to keep (Patidar quota agitation leader) Hardik Patel behind bars and is spreading several lies through the social media," he alleged.

Incomplete projects are the perfect example of the BJP doing everything, except development, said Rajput, who is also the party's Rajkot unit chief .

"The rural areas of Saurashtra are still facing a water shortage and the government has done little to solve the problem," he said.

Of the 48 Assembly seats in Saurashtra, the Congress had won 13 in the 2012 polls, the Gujarat Parivartan Party had won two and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) one.

The 182-member Gujarat Assembly will go to polls in two phases - on 9 and 14 December. The counting of votes will be taken up on 18 December.

Click here for detailed coverage of Gujarat Assembly Election 2017
The upcoming Gujarat state elections will go down with the dubious distinction of seeing the least number of women candidates. Gujarat has a population of over six crore, of which almost 48 percent comprise women voters. And yet, the BJP has fielded eleven women candidates while the Congress is one step behind, having fielded ten women candidates, for an Assembly strength of 182 seats.

We keep hearing slogans of 'Bharat Mata' and 'Ganga Mata' but when it comes to the crucial issue of men having to ensure that women receive a fair representation in politics, all parties seem to get stingy.

The question is why are political parties not nominating more women candidates? Is it because they lack the winnability factor? During the last state elections, former Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel contested and won from the Ghatlodiya constituency with a margin of more than 175,000 seats which was the highest in that election. So, obviously, women are in a position to even outperform men in politics.

BJP president Amit Shah conceded as much during a television debate that he would have liked to have given greater representation to women in the current elections. "We have given more seats than the Congress but when the issue of ticket distribution comes up then winnability becomes a key issue," Shah told a television audience.

Some of the prominent BJP women candidates in the present elections are Geetaba Jadeja (Gondal), and Maltiben Maheshwari (Gandhidham). The party has retained four MLAs  Dr Nimaben Acharya (Bhuj), Sangeeta Patil (Limbayat), Vibhavariben Dave and Manisha Vakil (Vadodara city). Some of women candidates fielded by the Congress include Bhavna Patel (Navsari), Nitaben Rathod (Bhavnagar East) and Santok Arethia (Rapar).

Sonal Patel, Gujarat Congress chief of Mahila Morcha, regretted that while women in local self-government bodies had benefitted with 50 percent reservation, that was not the case when it came to state elections, especially when women suffered problems of resources, exposure and mobility.

Gujarat BJP Mahila Morcha chief Jyoti Pandya was not willing to say anything against the state high command, insisting the BJP had always given women a sizeable share in the power structure.

But another senior BJP woman leader, on condition of anonymity, stated: "While the BJP has given 33 percent reservation to women within the party organisation, there is no doubt that men enjoy a greater comfort level with other men. I have been in the party for the last 15 years and I have seen two things happen. One, when a woman is elected an MLA, the party finds it has to deal not only with her but also with her husband, father-in-law, father, brother and son. Most women come with this additional baggage. Even single women will have a boyfriend for the party to contend with and that makes the going tough. The other is that if a woman gets elected, she will not allow herself to be surrounded by a team of talented, attractive and well-educated women as she feels they will overshadow her. And in the long run, such an attitude goes against her."

Dr Indira Hirway, director and professor of economics at the Center for Development Alternatives, Ahmedabad and one of the authors of the Gujarat Human Development Report 2004 is upset at the lack of women representation in both the political and economic affairs of the state.

"Gujarat remains an extremely patriarchal society where women are supposed to be inferior and subordinate to men. The BJP model of governance has only served to reinforce this, as can be seen in the fact that Gujarat's sex ratio remains low while the issues of women's health and employment continue to have a low priority with the state government," said Dr Hirway.

"I keep asking the state government to evaluate the programs to see if they are reaching the grassroots women. To this, the reply of the officials is '(Narendra) Modi Saab hain to evaluation karne ki kya zaroorat hai? (When Modi sir is there then what's the need for an evaluation?),"

"Important issues like the increasing levels of violence against women and their inability to register FIRs are things that need to be addressed," Dr Hirway added.

Manjula Pradeep, the executive director of Navsarjan Trust, one of the largest Dalit rights organisations addressing the issues of caste and gender-based discrimination, seconded Dr Hirway's opinion.

"There is a complete invisibility of women in the political and social arena and one of their biggest challenges is how masculinity has taken over the political space," said Pradeep.

Pradeep undertook a study across 13 districts in Gujarat where 55,000 women were found to have died unnatural deaths (read burnt alive) but the police reported these as accidental deaths caused by stoves bursting. "Gujarat reports the highest number of such cases," Pradeep said.

She also pointed out that after Tamil Nadu, Gujarat reported the second highest number of cases of domestic violence. It also had a large number of Dalit women being forced to do manual scavenging with the government doing little to end this practice.

Congress' woman leader Ami Yagnik is in agreement with the fact that social indicators for women are getting lower and lower. "Gujarat was considered the safest state for women and now we are witnessing increasing numbers of rapes and gang rapes which is against our traditional culture," said Yagnik.

Popular Gujarati fiction writer Kaajal Oza Vaidya believes the lack of women representation is only a reflection of the public's indifference to politics. "People's participation in politics is declining. Educated people simply do not want to join politics," said Oza.

But other BJP leaders do not seem to agree and insist that Modi has assiduously wooed women voters with a slew of women-oriented schemes.

Women have been exempted from having to pay property registration charges if the property is in their name. The present chief minister, Vijay Rupani, has ensured that toilets be built in girl schools and the prime minister's Ujjwala Yojana is aiming to ensure poor women are given access to gas cylinders to free them from cooking on wood fires. Camps have also been held in the state for free breast and cervical cancer check-ups for women, the leaders said.

Gujarati women take pride in how three key Cabinet portfolios  external affairs, defence and information and broadcasting  are with women. Many are conscious that legislative bodies like Bihar and Delhi have reserved one-third of the total seats for women. But as Dr Hirway pointed out, women have not been able to create a unified vote bank.

If they had succeeded in doing so, they would have emerged as a strong pressure group. Nor do they belong to any exclusive political class. They also face institutional hurdles like family and marriage, which can often thwart their attempts to assert themselves in politics.

Not only are women candidates missing in the political arena but issues that affect the day-to-day lives of women are also largely absent in the electoral battlefield. While political parties want women to vote in larger numbers, giving them political power is something the two main political parties of the country are obviously not interested in doing.
Lucknow: The last round of polling in three-phase civic body polls in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday saw the highest turnout as more than 58.72 percent votes were polled, officials said.

According to the State Election Commission officials, the voting percentage this time in these 26 districts, was seven percent more than the urban body polls in 2012.

The highest balloting was recorded in Kanpur rural where 73.46 percent votes were cast. Second highest polling was witnessed in Maharajganj where 72.92 percent votes were cast.

Barring few incidents of violence, protests and baton charges by police, the polling passed off peacefully and repolling was not ordered at any place.

In the first round of polling on 22 November, 52.59 per cent polling was recorded while the second phase on 26 November, saw a meagre 49.30 percent turnout.

On Wednesday, Saharanpur saw 67.28 percent polling, Baghpat 67.14, Bulandshahr 62.68, Moradabad 48.47, Sambhal 57.18, Bareilly 53.17, Firozabad 55.74 and in the Samajwadi Party (SP) strongholds of Etah, Kannauj and Auraiyya, the turnout was 57.56, 67.38 and 63.4 percent respectively.

Voting took place for 233 urban bodies spread across 26 districts of the state. Five municipal corporations also went up for vote to elect their new mayors.

Violence was reported from Moradabad where angered by reports of bogus voting people created ruckus at Thakurdwara polling booth. Three women, clad in burqas were detained by the police and were found to be involved in bogus voting. They were arrested later.

At many polling booths in Saharanpur, people raised slogans and targeted the officials after their names were found missing from the voters list.

Police had to use mild force to disperse the unruly mob there, an official told IANS.

Bogus voting was also been reported from some places in Baghpat, Saharanpur, Bulandshahr districts of western Uttar Pradesh. Polling elsewhere has been peaceful, said State Election Commission officials informed.

A large number of young men and women turned up to vote for the urban body polls in the third phase of the crucial elections, which are being seen as a referendum of Yogi Adityanath government's performance the last seven months. It is also a litmus test for Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress.

While victory in some municipal corporations for Congress could act as a morale booster ahead of the Gujarat assembly polls, wins at some places could also signal a comeback for the Samajwadi Party which was humbled by the BJP with a massive win in the state assembly polls earlier this year.

The BSP, which has been at the sidelines of politics in the state ever since it lost power to Samajwadi Party in 2012 and lost two successive elections - 2014 general elections and the 2017 state assembly elections, is contesting the urban body polls for the first time on party symbol. This is being seen as a desperate bid by the BSP supremo Mayawati to be relevant in the state, which she ruled four times.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is also making its maiden appearance in the urban polls and is expecting some inroads. It has pitched majorly in Lucknow and Kanpur. Vaibhav Maheshwari, state spokesman of the party told IANS on Wednesday that the results would be good for the AAP.

More than 94 lakh voters voted in the final phase and 28,135 candidates were in the fray. Voting took place for five municipal corporations, 76 Nagar Palika Parishads and 152 Nagar Panchayats. For smooth voting, an official told IANS that 3,599 polling booths and 10,817 polling centres have been made.

The five municipal corporations where polling is taking place include Moradabad, Bareilly, Saharanpur, Jhansi and Firozabad. There are 74 candidates for mayoral post in these five places, and 3,175 candidates for 350 corporation seats. Maximum number of candidates for a mayoral seat were 22 in Bareilly.
When we were children, we were sent to some sort of Hindi equivalent of moral science classes where we usually played submarines or some other paper and pencil game since it wasnt really a lesson that got us marks. But one of the basic things we learned was being hospitable and that visitors had to be treated with grace, dignity and generosity of spirit.

I quote from the official source of hospitality initiative, the guiding principles from the Taittiriya Upanishad of the Yajur Veda, which states athithi devo bhava (revere the guest as God). This affirmation of the guest as someone divine is a core concept of Hindu tradition. The Sanskrit word for a guest is athithi (without time) meaning someone who has no fixed day for coming. It is customary for Hindus to visit friends, relatives and even acquaintances without notice.

A Hindu householders essential duties consist of offering hospitality, and manusha yagna (paying homage to humans) referring to graciously hosting guests. Tirukural, an ancient Hindu scripture in Tamil, says, The whole purpose of earning wealth and maintaining a home is to provide hospitality to guests.

This kind of clarifies that if someone comes to your home either on invite or on surprise, you do not worry about protocol, instead you open your home and figuratively, your arms in a welcoming gesture.

So if Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to be nice to Ivanka Trump in Hyderabad and break this so-called protocol in the great scheme of things, it is a minor infringement that does not justify the hue and cry raised by the Congress. Considering that this once dead in the water political party is enjoying some sort of a comeback makes one question if it needs to get bogged in trivial details.

Let us look at this meeting on two levels: One, was the personal courtesy to the daughter of the President of the United States. Just because Donald Trump is not "likeable", it does not make discourtesy acceptable. If it was Malia Obama visiting India, would anyone have made such a piteous protest over the prime minister greeting her? Not likely.

On another level, what great crime has Modi committed in attending the Global Entrepreneurship Summit which saw the participation of 1,500 entrepreneurs, investors and eco-system supporters from 159 countries. For a man who stood on the plank of Make in India, what is wrong in using this forum for a hard sell? In fact, if he hadnt gone to Hyderabad that would be a criminal neglect of an opportunity to call the world over to India.

Next, we go to the word protocol. It's about time we see the word for what it is. It is not written in stone and is largely a bureaucratic code of conduct designed for political and royal masters. It is largely intended to keep them in bounds and ensure there is no faux pas, a mess that the others would have to clear up. Protocol is also used to shore up safety and security and is broken all the time.

Morarji Desai once broke ranks and marched up to a crowd at an airport because he recognised a friend. Rajiv Gandhi would grab a plane from Safdarjang and swan off to Dehra Dun (much to the agony his security). Indira Gandhi went off regularly and chose her own route. Trump was accused of messing up the lines of communication by chatting with Vladimir Putin and a big issue was made of it.

Former Indian president Abdul Kalam broke away from his security to embrace and chat with children at public functions. This was seen as endearing. In July, Prince William made news because he broke royal protocol by putting his arms around a victim of the Grenfell Tower Fire to console her.

So Modi didnt stand on ceremony. What great loss of face happened? The Congress is miffed because Ivanka cut a glamorous figure and they were not invited to the party.
Gosaba (West Bengal): West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the BJP of trying to destabilise the state administration and asked people to be alert against provocation that might foment communal problem in the state.

Addressing a gathering after her brief meeting with the South 24 Parganas district administration, Banerjee also asked police officials to remain alert on the issue.

"I must tell you repeatedly to keep a close vigil in your locality, specially on any outsider or stranger. If you see anything odd, draw the attention of the police immediately," Banerjee said.

The Trinamool Congress president cautioned people not to fall into any trap of provocation or false campaign that might invite bitterness and enmity among people.

Attacking the BJP, she said, "There is a government at the Centre that is more busy in giving lectures than doing work to benefit the people."

"The BJP is also in the habit of engineering riots or a similar situation in a peaceful state where the party does not have base," Banerjee alleged.

The chief minister also criticised the erstwhile Left front government for allegedly leaving the state debt-trapped.

Announcing a number of development programmes for the Sundarbans, she said a new district would soon be created bifurcating the existing South 24-Parganas district.

Elaborating various development programmes undertaken by her government in the state, Banerjee said, "Our government has not done anything which might hurt people belonging to any particular religion, caste or creed."

Banerjee also asked her party workers and leaders to work together forgetting differences among themselves.
Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday hit out at opposition Congress for boycotting the Assembly almost every day during the ongoing Winter Session and warned that her party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), would not cooperate with it in Parliament.

"Some people think that for the sake of getting their photos printed in newspapers, they will continue to spread canards and false allegations and keep on boycotting the house. Whom are they boycotting? They are boycotting their own principles and politics," she said at the Assembly.

"You (Congress) cannot do it every day. I have noticed it for five years that whenever I come to deliver a speech, they (Congress) leave the house on any excuse and boycott it. If you have anything to say, come to the house and speak," the chief minister added.

The TMC supremo claimed that the Congress sought her party's cooperation "even to move one step in Parliament" and added that the same party was boycotting the Assembly and spreading false allegations against the TMC in West Bengal.

"In Parliament, you (Congress) cannot move even a single step without the TMC and here, every day you are boycotting the house and spreading false allegations against the government. On price hike, you question the TMC. Why can't you question the BJP on price hike?

"Keep it in mind that the way you behave here, you will get the same treatment in Delhi. You cannot seek cooperation in Delhi and continue boycotting the house here every day," she said.

The opposition - the Congress and the Left Front - has boycotted the house proceedings several times during the ongoing Winter Session of the Assembly, after their demands for discussions on issues such as the dengue situation in the state were not allowed.

Banerjee laid the foundation for the proposed platinum jubilee memorial bhavan on the Assembly premises. Old documents related to the house proceedings and books would be conserved there.
Panaji: Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar has said the coal handling project at the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) was cleared by the previous Congress-led government at the Centre and that he would provide details about it in the next session of the state Assembly.

The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Goa recently resolved against the coal handling facility at the MPT, which is facing opposition from some quarters for causing pollution. The CLP also resolved against the nationalisation of rivers.

The opposition party has been accusing the government of shielding the coal handling facility at MPT, which is leased out to Adani Murmugao Port Terminal Private Limited and South West Port Limited.

Parrikar on Wednesday told reporters in Goa that the permission for handling the coal at MPT was granted in January 2014 when the Congress was in power at the Centre. The MPT is governed by the Central government.

"They are trying to create an atmosphere that Adani (group) is a favourite of the BJP which is not true," he said, after addressing a meeting of party leaders representing different municipalities and panchayat bodies. The government has opposed the expansion of the coal project and has written to the Union environment ministry about it, the chief minister said.

"I will give details during the upcoming Assembly session. All these projects were sanctioned during Congress regime. We have brought to the notice of our workers that Congress was the brain behind these projects but is now pretending to be opposing them," he said.

The Goa Assembly session is likely to begin in the second week of December. Parrikar said his government has already written to the Central government to stop any expansion of the coal handling facility and also taken steps to reduce the current pollution.

On declaring Goa's rivers as national waterways, the chief minister said he has called a meeting of MLAs and NGOs. On 11 December to explain about the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which his government intends to sign with the Inland Waterways Authority of India.

"The MoU can be accepted as per our terms and conditions. We will be making a presentation about the MoU to the MLAs and NGOs," he said. Parrikar said the Centre will not decide anything without taking the Goa government into confidence. "Through the MoU we are having hundred percent control over the rivers but at the same time the Centre will be spending on cleaning the waterways," Parrikar said equating the situation to "having the cake and eating it too."

He said the rivers in Goa are notified as national waterways "but it has been projected as if we have

nationalised the rivers." "Nationalisation means ownership but declaring them as national waterways is a different thing. The relation of Goans with rivers has been for long, so no one will bear the fact that we are giving ownership of rivers to someone else," he said.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday invoked late President APJ Abdul Kalam to urge the media to give up negativity and focus on positive developments to help give direction to the country.

Modi made the remarks while addressing the inaugural session of the 'Hindustan Times Leadership Summit - 2017'.

The prime minister also said that each institution involved in nation building should identify challenges before the country and resolve to solve these at their respective levels by 2022, when the country completes 75 years of independence.

"He (Kalam) had few years ago asked why our media is so negative? These are not my words, (he had said) why is that in India, we are embarrassed of our capabilities and achievements?

"We are a great country, we have unprecedented stories of success. Still, we refuse to accept them. Why it is so? These were Kalam's words," Modi said.

The prime minister suggested that the media can discuss the issue in seminars and their newsrooms to bring about an "irreversible change".

"I urge the media to be resolute and also inspire others. Be part of this journey of resolution the way you played an active role in turning the Clean India mission into a public campaign...increase your partnership...cooperate in giving direction to the country," he urged.
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Rahul will arrive on Friday morning at Mahatma Gandhi's birthplace Porbandar and address a public rally, focussing on issues of the fishing community.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will visit Gujarat on Friday and Saturday to address election rallies, his fifth visit after Assembly polls were announced in the state next month.

5.30 pm: Interaction with representatives from the teaching community at Shahid Veer Mangal Pandey Hall, Ahmedabad

4.15 pm: Interaction with representatives from the public health sector at Thakorebhai Desai Hall, Law Garden, Ahmedabad

10.45 am: Visit to the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi: Kirti Mandir, Porbandar

"This is the largest national flag ever made. Though it was meant to be presented to Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, he had refused to accept it when Dalits went to Gandhinagar in August. When Rahulji learned about it, he conveyed his desire to accept the flag with full honour," Doshi added.

"During his visit, Rahulji will accept a giant national flag, measuring 125 feet in length and 83 feet in height, from Dalit students of the Kendra. He will also address locals and Dalits of surrounding areas at the centre," Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said.

The national flag was meant to be presented to Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani a few months ago but officials in the state capital had reportedly refused to accept it citing lack of space.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will be on a two-day campaign tour of Gujarat from tomorrow, during which he will accept a giant tricolour made by the Dalit community.

Late evening, he will address a gathering in the Nikol area of the city, the release said.

In the afternoon, Gandhi would visit the DSK near Sanand. He will then arrive in Ahmedabad to take part in two separate interactive sessions, one with doctors and medical professionals and another with lecturers and primary school teachers.

After landing at the Porbandar airport tomorrow morning, Gandhi would start his tour by meeting local fishermen to understand their problems, a release by the party said.

"Are you driving Tata Nano? The truth is that if a big industrialist asks for money from Narendra Modi, he is ready to give Rs 33,000 crore to that one person. But if every fisherman approaches him, they will not even get Rs 300 crore," he said.

"You lost your land, water, electricity for Tata Nano. And now, you are telling me that you did not see Tata Nano anywhere," said the Congress vice-president.

"Congress had given Rs 33,000 crore for NREGA. Narendra Modi gave the same amount for Tata Nano," said Rahul Gandhi in Porbandar.

"But the most important fact is that Gujarat does not belong to five or ten industrialists. It belongs to the farmers and fishermen," he said.

"There should be a separate ministry for fisheries in Gujarat. And if Congress comes to power in Gujarat, we will do this," he said.

"In the last few years, all of the work in Gujarat has been done for just five to ten industrialists," said Rahul. "And those industrialists contributed to campaigning for Narendra Modi later on," he added.

All of the work in Gujarat done only for 5 to 10 industrialists: Rahul

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi alleged that the fishermen from Gujarat are now forced to venture deep into the sea because of the pollution caused by 10-15 industrialists, who are "Modiji's friends".

He criticised the BJP government in Gujarat for stopping the subsidy given to fishermen to buy diesel for their boats.

Reaching out to the fishermen community in Gujarat ahead of the next month's Assembly polls, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday promised to create a separate ministry for fisheries if the party comes to power at the Centre.

Rahul Gandhi to begin rally at 11.15 am at Gandhinagar

Speaking at Gandhinagar, the Congress vice-president slammed BJP chief Amit Shah for the delay in Parliament's Winter Session and said it was done to ensure it is held after the Gujarat election to avoid answering questions on Jay Shah and the Rafale deal. ""This time (parliament) session will be held after Gujarat elections. Do you know the reason? Amit Shah's son converted Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 80 crore. The second reason is that 136 Rafale aircraft had to be bought. Narendra Modi went to France and changed the contract for his friend."

Slamming Narendra Modi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said PM has spent Rs 1,30,000 crore on Tata Nano factories. "Your electricity, water goes to Tata Nano's factories. Thousands of acres has been snatched from you and given to them. After all this, have you even seen a Tata Nano?"

On demonetisation, "When you people were standing in the lines, did you see any industrialist standing in the queue with you? In all this, Amit Shah's son Jay Shah converted Rs 50,000 into Rs 80,000 crore."

Referring to GST as Gabbar Singh Tax, Gandhi said all small traders and businessmen were hit adversely by the move. "Narendra Modi destroyed these businessmen and ensured they were unemployed."

He demanded answers over the Rafale controversy and claimed the Winter Session of Parliament was postponed to after Gujarat polls as he doesn't want to confront these questions.

Gandhi asks a series of questions: Did he (Narendra Modi) or did he not increase the price of Rafale aircrafts? Why did he take away the contract from the designated company and gave it to a company known to him? And did he follow the due procedure of following the deal through the cabinet?

The Winter Session normally takes place in November. "This year the doors of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha will open after the Gujarat polls. This is because prime minister Modi doesnt want to discuss the Rafale deal or Jay Shahs company," Gandhi claimed.

Speaking in Bayad, Aravalli district, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "na khaaonga, na khaane doonga" (Won't be corrupt, not allow others to be corrupt). "His new slogan seems to be 'na bolonga, na bolnedunga' (won't talk, nor will let others speak)," Gandhi said referring to the delay in Parliament Winter Session, which will now take place between 15 December to 5 January.

Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to continue the Gujarat election campaign in the districts of Visavadar, Savar Kundla and Amreli on Wednesday

Rahul Gandhi will begin his campaign on Wednesday with a trip to Somnath Mandir, according to Congress' Twitter account

The Congress vice-president will be arriving for the sixth time on a two-day visit to the poll-bound Gujarat on Wednesday. This is the first leg of Rahul's election campaign in the state.

Gandhi then asked Modi on Twitter if the promise will take 45 more years to be completed.

Rahul Gandhi attacks Narendra Modi on Twitter The Congress vice-president said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in 2012, has promised to build 50 lakh new houses. In the next 5 years, Gandhi claimed, only 4.72 lakh houses were constructed.

After his darshan at Somnath Mandir on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi will address a corner meeting at Visavadar in Junagadh, and attend two meetings in Amreli.

Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to arrive at Somnath temple for darshan at 1 pm, and around the same time, Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a public rally at Prachi, a town some 23 km from the temple, India Today reported

Somnath temple security in a tizzy as Rahul Gandhi, Narendra Modi schedule visit on the same day

Gandhi has visited 20 temples in his four-phase Navsarjan Yatra in Gujarat over 12 days, in the last two months.

The India Today report also said that owing to Gandhi's scheduled visit to the temple at around the same time, Modi will not be going for darshan at the temple, a visit he would not have otherwise missed.

As Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi campaign simultaneously in Gujarat on Wednesday, Patidar leader Hardik Patel is also expected to hold a rally in Rajkot, the constituency of Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, Scroll reported.

At Savarkundla, the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi asked where was the money Narendra Modi promised to put in bank account-holders after demonetisation. Taking a dig at Modi, Rahul said that the prime minister apparently thought overnight, "I will move my wand and these 500 and 1000 notes will become raddi."

He said that the BJP was intentionally delaying Parliament session. "If (Winter Session) debate happens, the entire nation will know what happened in Rafale and what Amit Shah's son (Jay Shah) did," Rahul said.

"On what basis did you snatched contract from government firm" Rahul asked the Centre as he criticised Rafale deal.

He further asked: "Why doesn't Modi admit he failed in providing employment?"

"Narendra Modi talks about progress, but not about farmers, He will not talk about Gabbar Singh Tax, how many people have been left unemployed. You tell us, from the audience, how many youth have received job opportunity because of Modi," Rahul asked at a public meeting in Savarkundla.

Rahul said that Modi had promised to provide employment to 2 crore youth in state. "How many youth have you provided employment," he asked.

Addressing a public meeting in Amreli, Congress vice-president said, "Narendra Modi promised in five villages in Gujarat that he would provide employment to the youth in Tata Nano factory. Not a single person has been given employment in these villages yet."

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul said: "First he (Modi) would say, 'na khaunga, na khane dunga'. Now he says, 'na bolunga, na bolne dunga'.

"Both demonetisation and GST were introduced at 12am. But one company emerged through the storm and converted Rs 50,000 into Rs 80 crore through magic. Do you think a honest businessman could do this in three months," the Congress vice-president asked.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday said Gandhi would pose one question every day to the prime minister about governance in Gujarat. On on Wednesday, he wrote on Twitter: "22 salon ka hisaab, Gujarat mange jawaab. (Gujarat demands answers for 22 years of BJP)."

Rahul Gandhi will ask Narendra Modi a question a day in run-up to Gujarat elections

Why is Gujarat paying for your publicity, Rahul Gandhi asks Modi

Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma has said BJP's party machinery working overtime proves they are nervous.

Mukul Sangma taunts BJP, says Rahul Gandhi is making them 'nervous' in Gujarat

Congress spokesperson Deepender Singh Hooda said he hoped Modi and the BJP would answer Rahul Gandhi, after the latter said he would be asking one question a day, about '22 years of mis-governance' in Gujarat. "We expect the Prime Minister and BJP to find time and answer the questions asked to them by Rahul Gandhi," he said. "The BJP is working for the super rich and middlemen. The party's (BJP) economic policy was at the cost of the poor."

Want BJP to respond to Rahul Gandhi's questions, says Congress

How did Gujarat's debt increase from Rs 9,183 crore in 1995 to Rs 2,41,000 crore in 2014 under BJP rule, Congress Gujarat state president Bharat Solanki asks Narendra Modi, retweeting Rahul Gandhi's early morning post.

But that narrative is not limited just to Rahul's newfound mojo, as yet unproven. It is being amplified by the national media, that is eager to prop up an alternative to Modi, as a one-on-one Rahul versus Modi fight, with the challenger being drummed up as champion merely for showing up for the bout.

Some conventional political analysts see in this election Rahul's emergence as a formidable politician in his own right. There is nothing wrong if any person, let alone a politician, evolves in due course of time by dint of his hard work. And equally, one cannot grudge that a section of analysts find Rahul growing into a mature politician. These are subjective opinions which can be contested but have to be respected.

In Narendra Modi bastion, Rahul Gandhi is being drummed up champion merely for showing up

In pics: Rahul Gandhi interacts with traders, discusses the 'issues' they face

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said that the state debt is so large in Gujarat that every citizen in the state is carrying a debt of Rs 37,000 crore on him/her.

As Rahul Gandhi gets ready to hold a series of rallies in Gujarat, he's met with dissent within the party, with Maharashtra Congress secretary Shehzad Poonawalla questioning the process to elect the party president, calling it "rigged", and saying he must first resign from his post. Poonawalla said he would also contest the election if it was conducted in a "genuine" manner. On Tuesday, he also wrote a letter to Rahul in this regard.

"All the communities are raising their voice here against the government. But what do you get if you raise your voice in Gujarat? You are beaten up, you have to face bullets," Gandhi said. Visavdar is a Patidar-dominated constituency in politically crucial Saurashtra region.

At Visavadar, Gandhi referred to the 2015 quota stir in which 14 members of the Patidar community were killed in police firing and said if anyone raises his voice he either gets beaten up or has to face bullets in Gujarat.

"Modi did not like Rs 500, Rs 1000 notes so he banned them.. Did you see BMW owners in the serpentine lines? These rich people were converting their black money into white. It was only a plan to help the rich. Over 100 died but did it you get your promised Rs 15 lakh?" Rahul Gandhi said in Lathi.

"He says he killed corruption through note ban.Can anything happen in Gujarat without bribing people?," Rahul asked the gathering as the people answered in the affirmative. Rahul added that everything is privatised in Gujarat .

Corruption is part of everyday life in Gujarat, says Rahul

"We will waive off all farmer loans in just 10 days of coming to power," says Rahul Gandhi in Lathi.

"It is indeed like magic that Amit Shah's company emerges. Modi says he does not want to be PM but instead wants to become India's chowkidaar. He says na khaunga na khane doonga..Do you really think Rs 50,000 can turn into Rs 80 crore rupees in three months? But interestingly the company closed down just within three years," Rahul Gandhi told the gathering in Lathi

"Modi does not want the Parliament to run as he does not want to discuss Jay Shah and Rafael deal," Rahul Gandhi said. While concluding his speech, Rahul added that his government will truly listen to the poor unlike Modi.

Modi does not want Parliament to run

"Initially 136 air planes had to be bought and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited had to be given the contract. But suddenly Modi goes to France and while he changes the contract in Rafale's favour, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was spotted buying fish at a Goa market, Rahul Gandhi said in Lathi

Congress vice-president accuses the prime minister of not bringing matters of national importance to the Parliament because the truth would have come out if matters were discussed in the Parliament. Rahul seeks explanation from the prime minister in the Rafale deal, asks on what basis was Rafale favoured over Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

Modi unwilling to discuss matters of national importance in Parliament, says Rahul

"For the first time I see people from every community coming on the streets to confront the government. The only people who are not doing so are the rich businessmen who fly private jets," Rahul said.

Every community is up in arms against Modi, says Rahul

Rahul promised to ask one question every day in the run up to the polls His today's question is: In 1995, Gujarat had a total debt of Rs 9.183 crore. In 2017, it has risen to 2,41,000 crore. This means every Gujarati has a debt of Rs 37,000 on his head. Why should the people of Gujarat suffer for your economic mismanagement and publicity?

"The planted controversy over CVP Rahul Gandhis entry in Somnath temple's register is yet another attempt to distract the public from the real issues under this Govt," the Congress official Twitter handle said.

However, before Rahul, Gujarat Congress Bharatsinh Solanki and state party in-charge Ashok Gehlot are addressing the gathering.

"There is a problem of farmer suicide everywhere. When there is loan burden, these farmers are forced to commit suicide. When they have a debt of Rs 20,000, 50,000 loan, they commit suicide. But when Mallya has a debt of Rs 9,000 crore, he does not commit suicide. Such people are enjoying in London," Rahul said while tragetting Modi in Dhasa.

"Have you every seen Nano car on the roads? There was no employment generation for the common man. Only land was taken away from five main villages for the Tata Nano factory. They were promised employment but none of them have got it. 6 lakh 50 thousand acres of land was taken away from common man,' Rahul Gandhi claimed in Dhasa.

Rahul Gandhi says Nano factory did not give any employment to anyone

"Modi promised that two crore will get employment. But how many did people did get employment? I am giving a statistic: On each day, China will povide employment to 50,000 people. But Modi's government cannot provide so many jobs even in one year," Rahul Gandhi said.

"Modi likes to tell his man ki baat. This is going on since the last 22 years. But he does not want people to protest. If they do so then men will be beaten up. Their women will be harassed," Rahul said in Dhasa.

We wont promise 15 lakh to everyone. It wont be a government for 10 industrialists. It wont be a land grabbing government. It will be a government which will be listening to the "mann ki baat" of the common man," Rahul said while concluding his speech.

We will be a pro-poor government, says Rahul

Rahul promised to ask one question every day in the run up to the polls His today's question is: In 1995, Gujarat had a total debt of Rs 9.183 crore. In 2017, it has risen to 2,41,000 crore. This means every Gujarati has a debt of Rs 37,000 on his head. Why should the people of Gujarat suffer for your economic mismanagement and publicity?

"The planted controversy over CVP Rahul Gandhis entry in Somnath temple's register is yet another attempt to distract the public from the real issues under this Govt," the Congress official Twitter handle said.

However, before Rahul, Gujarat Congress Bharatsinh Solanki and state party in-charge Ashok Gehlot are addressing the gathering.

"There is a problem of farmer suicide everywhere. When there is loan burden, these farmers are forced to commit suicide. When they have a debt of Rs 20,000, 50,000 loan, they commit suicide. But when Mallya has a debt of Rs 9,000 crore, he does not commit suicide. Such people are enjoying in London," Rahul said while tragetting Modi in Dhasa.

"Have you every seen Nano car on the roads? There was no employment generation for the common man. Only land was taken away from five main villages for the Tata Nano factory. They were promised employment but none of them have got it. 6 lakh 50 thousand acres of land was taken away from common man,' Rahul Gandhi claimed in Dhasa.

Rahul Gandhi says Nano factory did not give any employment to anyone

"Modi promised that two crore will get employment. But how many did people did get employment? I am giving a statistic: On each day, China will povide employment to 50,000 people. But Modi's government cannot provide so many jobs even in one year," Rahul Gandhi said.

"Modi likes to tell his man ki baat. This is going on since the last 22 years. But he does not want people to protest. If they do so then men will be beaten up. Their women will be harassed," Rahul said in Dhasa.

We wont promise 15 lakh to everyone. It wont be a government for 10 industrialists. It wont be a land grabbing government. It will be a government which will be listening to the "mann ki baat" of the common man," Rahul said while concluding his speech.

We will be a pro-poor government, says Rahul

INC COMMUNIQUE @rssurjewala issues a statement on the huge scam in purchase of power by BJP, involving private companies in Gujarat. pic.twitter.com/HryM9iGKsc

The Congress on Wednesday stepped up its offensive against Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the Gujarat elections, as party vice president Rahul Gandhi quizzed the BJP leader on promises made in the last polls.

Gandhi, who will ask Modi a question every day in the run-up to the Assembly polls, brought up the BJP's 22-year rule in Gujarat and said people were demanding answers.

"22 salon ka hisaab, Gujarat mange jawaab (Gujarat demands answers for 22 years of BJP rule), he tweeted.

Seeking to pin the government down on the issue of housing, Gandhi asked the prime minister whether it would take 45 more years to provide new houses to the people of Gujarat.

Giving numbers to buttress his argument, he said, "First question to the prime minister on the state of affairs in Gujarat - In 2012, he promised to provide 50 lakh new houses, but provided 4.72 lakh in five years. Will the prime minister tell whether it will take another 45 years to fulfil the promise?"

Congress communications department in-charge Randeep Surjewala said Gandhi would pose a question to the prime minister every day.

"Rahul Gandhi is asking a question every day, why did mis-governance of 22 years create such a situation," he tweeted.

At a briefing, Congress spokesperson Deepinder Hooda said he hoped Modi and the BJP would answer Gandhi's queries on "22 years of mis-governance" in Gujarat.

"We expect that the prime minister and the BJP will find time to answer the questions posed to them by Rahul Gandhi," he said.

Hooda also accused the BJP of working for the "super-rich and middlemen", alleging that the party's economic policy was at "the cost of the poor".

The prime minister and the opposition leader on Wednesday campaigned in the state for the polls to be held on 9 and 14 December.

Gandhi started his two-day visit to the state by offering prayers at the Somnath Temple.

He addressed public meetings in the districts of Junagadh and Amreli and will campaign in the Amreli, Botad and Bhavnagar districts tomorrow.

With inputs from PTI
Congress president-to-be Rahul Gandhi will address a rally in Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, marking the culmination of a month-long Padayorukkam road-show of the state's Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala.

Congress leaders have a target of mobilising 100,000 workers for the Rahul show on the Shanghumukham beach, organised by the United Democratic Front (UDF) that the party leads in the southern state.

Padayorukkam in Malayalam literally means 'preparation for the big battle', which is 18 months away, and the party is planning a series of "agitational" programmes in the run-up to the national elections, to keep the party machinery well-oiled.

Kerala is vital for the party as nine of its precious 46 MPs in Lok Sabha came from the state  besides three from the UPA allies, Muslim League and predominantly Christian Kerala Congress (Mani), winning a majority of the 20 seats despite the double-incumbency in 2014.

In order to get the recognition for him as the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul needs to manage at least 55 seats in Lok Sabha, if not unseating Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the big battle.

Analysts feel the Nehru-Gandhi scion's emergence at the centre-stage has raised the morale of party workers in Kerala, who are yet to recover from the worst defeat in last year's state Assembly elections.

Before the start of the roadshow, the state unit suffered the "solar scam" stroke, with the communist government announcing criminal proceedings against their top leaders, including former chief minister Oommen Chandy and KC Venugopal, the Rahul loyalist AICC general secretary who is in charge of poll-bound Karnataka.

"Kerala's minorities are keenly watching the rise of Rahul, challenging the unbeaten run of Modi for many years in Gujarat," says political commentator Jacob George.

"The enthusiasm is there, and it is seen in the massive participation in the Padayorukkam (road-show), especially in the minority-dominated areas. The million dollar question now is if he would rise to the occasion," George adds.

Muslims constitute 26.56 percent of the Kerala population and Christians 18.38 percent. Chennithala also enjoys the support of his influential Hindu Nair community, though numerically far below the backward communities like Ezhavas.

Rahul had campaigned in Kerala in the past elections as well, and the response from the people, as usual, was lukewarm.

This time, though, he comes with a new image and in an aggressive mood and the faction-ridden party in the state is also with a newfound vigour as reflected in the turnout.

Workers at the grassroots are elated at the tremendous response he had been receiving in Gujarat, where pollsters say the party's fortunes have gone up ahead of the state elections next month.

"But the Kerala scene is not all that rosy for the Congress. The Kerala Congress (Mani) has already severed its ties with them, and the Janata Dal (United) is on the way out," says George.

"The situation demands that the Congress needs to find more friends in Kerala. This is true of Rahul also. But what we see now is otherwise," he says.

JD (U) state unit led by Rajya Sabha member Veerendra Kumar is reportedly planning to join the Left Democratic Front (LDF) of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) to ensure his seat in the Upper House of Parliament.

The socialist leader had made it clear that he could not go with Nitish Kumar and that he finds himself irrelevant in Kerala's bipolar politics, where the Bharatiya Janata Party is trying hard to make a mark. He now faces disqualification and badly needs LDF support to get re-elected to the Rajya Sabha again from Kerala.

But strangely, its top leader and former minister KP Mohanan is very much part of the Padayorukkam team and its general secretary Varghese George addressed the rally in Kottayam the other day.

Both have denied any such move, but Kumar remained jittery at the possibility of losing the Rajya Sabha seat. The CPM has welcomed him with open arms.

The Congress leaders say Kumar, who owns the mass circulation Mathrubhumi daily and Mathrubhumi TV, will also join the rally on the Shangumukham Beach with Rahul.

The JD (U) had drawn a blank in the Assembly elections last year, though they had contested seven seats as part of the UDF. Kumar got the Rajya Sabha nomination after his defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Palakkad.

"The Congress is facing a lot of internal challenges. Chennithala appears to be attempting to marginalise a mass leader like Chandy which would backfire in the Christian heartland of central Travancore, notwithstanding the crowds he draws," observes political analyst J Reghu.

"But the Rahul factor would definitely come into play as a feeling of insecurity is growing among the minorities and Dalits. Besides, unlike his predecessors in the Congress, he appears to be reaching out to the young leaders of marginalised communities like Jignesh Mevani. He engages with all sections of people at ease," Reghu says.

Many Dalit activists also share his optimism. They see him more accessible who is ready to engage in a two-way communication unlike Modi or former leaders of the Congress.

In Kerala, Dalits constitute 9.8 percent of its population, but an estimated 70 percent of them live in ghettos, and the CPM traditionally controls them.

Though the Left-leaning media highlighted the roadblocks the show created in several places, much to the chagrin of ordinary people, including those taking patients to hospitals, students and office-goers, the party leaders are relieved that the show had not kicked up any controversy so far.

They say they had a well-thought-out plan before they started off and the leaders also engage in charity activities as it progresses. Similar shows of strength over the last two months by the BJP and the LDF had ended up in chaos.

BJP's Janaraksha Yatra to save people from "red and jihadi terror", kicked off by its national president Amit Shah, backfired as its leaders, including many Union ministers and chief ministers, tried to portray Kerala in a bad light in comparison to less developed states where BJP is in power.

The LDF's Jana Jagratha Yatra to "expose anti-people policies" and "hate politics" of BJP and the "corrupt Congress" was split into two - one led by CPM secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan from the north and the other by Kanam Rajendran, his Communist Party of India (CPI) counterpart.

Balakrishnan was caught in a controversy when the proletarian leader was seen leading the roadshow in the Kozhikode district in a luxury car belonging to a notorious smuggler and netizens trolled his photograph relishing on a spread of Malabars non-veg delicacies.

In the southern leg, transport minister Thomas Chandy, who had to resign later over land-grab charges and the court admonition, took Rajendran's stage in Alappuzha to attack his detractors in the government where he said he would continue to do so, drawing sharp criticism from CPI leaders.

Padayorukkam has covered 131 of the 140 Assembly constituencies without any controversy for a change, by the Congress party's standards in Kerala, and entered the capital district on Wednesday.

Chennithala even posted his image on social media of having his "humble" vegetarian meal on a plantain leaf, apparently in reply to Balakrishnan's feast with a wealthy family.

As one leader quipped, unlike it used to be, not only the stage, but the audience too remained full.

They had in fact feared the criminal investigation the LDF government announced on 11 October, the Vengara byelection day, against more than a dozen leaders after a judicial commission found them involved in a sex-bribery scam to take the sheen out of the show.

The case is related to a con-woman cheating three dozen people with offers of solar solutions and business proposals of Rs 6.5 crore, claiming her closeness with the office of the then chief minister, Chandy.

However, the crowd surged as Chandy, 74, arrived at the inaugural rally in the northern border town of Uduma and they carried him onto the stage on their shoulders.

He has been drawing good crowds wherever he went during the show, much to their immediate relief, but nobody knows what's in store for these leaders as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is known for his political revenge.

Former defence minister AK Antony flagged off the vehicle tour against the BJP and Left "misrule and price rise" on 1 November and many national leaders, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had already addressed rallies in different cities.

They plan a series of such demonstrations in the run-up to the General Elections 18 months away, with Rahul at the helm.

The UDF volunteers also launched a campaign to collect ten million signatures against the "anti-people policies". They visit homes enlisting support during the campaign, aimed at recapturing the lost ground.

To their surprise, they received more than ten million signatures, far surpassing the total votes the ruling Left coalition, including the independent candidates it supported, won in the last year's elections, which was only 8.5 million, if they are to be believed.

Congress supporters signed on pieces of 3.5-metre clothes with a width of one metre. They will take the shape of a banner to be handed over to Chennithala when he reaches their area.

Claimed to be the biggest signature campaign the country had ever witnessed, the banner would be 70 kilometres long when spread, and it's not clear how they are going to display the serpentine banner.

Kerala Pradesh Congress committee secretary Thampanoor Ravi said they expect more than 100,000 people to converge on the beach to hear the Nehru-Gandhi scion on Friday.

He would address a "leadership meeting" at the party headquarters the next day and inaugurate the birth centenary celebrations of the late Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) leader Baby John at the Kerala University Senate Hall.
Yavatmal: In a scathing attack, NCP leader Supriya Sule on Thursday said Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has "betrayed" people by "not fulfilling" the promises.

Sule announced the launch of her party's "Hallabol" patayatra (foot march) beginning from Yavatmal on Friday.

"Fadnavis has betrayed trust of people. His government deceived people and poor farmers by making tall promises and not fulfilling them," the Baramati MP said while addressing a press conference here.

She said the foot march will be kicked off from here on Friday and will culminate in Nagpur on 12 December where NCP supremo Sharad Pawar will address a rally.

"The objectives of the 'Hallabol' patayatra is to expose the true face of the state government as well as the chief minister, who has not only deceived the people but has also betrayed those who trusted him," Sule said.

Sule, daughter of Sharad Pawar, claimed that not a single farmer has been benefitted so far since the state government announced a loan waiver in June this year.

"While the chief minister takes credit for everything, bureaucrats are being blamed and punished if anything goes wrong," the MP said.

She was referring to recent transfer of Maharashtra Information Technology Principal Secretary VK Gautam following reports of bungling in implementing the politically sensitive farm loan waiver scheme.

Sule also demanded a transparent inquiry into deaths due to passive inhalation of pesticide in Yavatmal district, known as suicide capital of Vidarbha.

Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde said his party would make government pass a special resolution on issues of farmers in winter session of legislature slated for next month.

Munde demanded a compensation of Rs 25,000 per hectare for farmers in Vidarbha whose crop was damaged in pink bollworm attack.
Chennai: The faction led by TTV Dhinakaran and VK Sasikala has no stake in the AIADMK and the two leaders do not have any locus standi to seek documents related to party funds, the Madras High Court was informed on Wednesday.

Senior counsel for Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, CS Vaidyanathan, told Justice CV Karthikeyan when arguments on a civil suit resumed on Wednesday that the documents cannot be sought by the duo.

The suit, filed by Sasikala and Dhinakaran, sought to restrain Palaniswami and Panneerselvam from holding organisational posts of the party.

It also sought quashing of resolutions passed at the AIADMK General Council Meet held on 12 September in Chennai.

At the General Council Meet, Sasikala and Dhinakaran were expelled from their respective posts of general secretary and deputy general secretary.

The meeting also resolved that there would be no post of general secretary, hitherto held by late J Jayalalithaa.

The executive powers of the party were vested with the coordinator and co-coordinator respectively, who are Panneerselvam and Palaniswami.

Counsel for Sasikala and Dhinakaran, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, contended that the other side had not complied with the court's earlier direction to submit the party accounts.

Vaidyanathan replied that the details had already been submitted in a sealed cover. Singhvi pointed out that it has to be served to the plaintiffs (Dhinakaran and Sasikala) so that they can file a counter.

Justice Karthikeyan said that the details were given in a sealed cover and the same was handed over to the registry for safe keep. He also opined that as per law, the plaintiff has to be served a copy.

To this, Vaidyanathan said the plaintiffs were not a legal entity and hence, they had no role to play in the party after the Election Commission's ruling on the party symbol.

"They have no stake in the party and do not have any locus standi to seek the document," Vaidyanathan added.

The Election Commission had recently allotted the two leaves symbol to the Palaniswami-Panneerselvam faction of the AIADMK as they enjoyed a majority in the organisational and legislature wings.

The court adjourned the matter till 21 December, when both parties should file their affidavit and counter-affidavit.
The results of the Uttar Pradesh civic polls are expected to be declared on Friday. The three-phase Uttar Pradesh municipal polls were marred by complaints of names missing from the voters lists and EVM malfunctioning.

According to News 18, this was the first time when web-casting of 10 percent booths of every district was done in an attempt to monitor booth-level activity. In all, 12,007 wards of local bodies, including 16 municipal corporations, 199 municipal councils and 429 nagar panchayats went to the polls. Drones were also used at some sensitive and hyper-sensitive polling booths.

The BJP will fancy its chances in the civic polls, as not long ago, it won the Assembly election in the state with an overwhelming margin.

The civic polls will be seen as a popularity test for mahant-turned-politician Yogi Adityanath. The BJP's victory in these polls would be seen as a stamp of approval for the Adityanath government.

In 2012, the BJP swept these polls, winning 10 of the 12 mayoral posts.

A week back, Yogi Adityanath had appealed to voters in Varanasi to ensure that the BJP wins the upcoming civic polls so that all-round development in their respective areas takes place without any hindrance.

Right from the first phase, on 22 November, technical glitches, EVM malfunction, missing names have been predominant issues. In the first phase, the districts of Shamli, Meerut, Hapur, Bijnore, Badaun, Hathras, Kasganj, Agra, Kanpur, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Chitrakoot, Kaushambi, Pratapgarh, Unnao, Hardoi, Amethi, Faizabad, Gonda, Basti, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Ghazipur and Sonebhadra had gone to the polls.

There was a ruckus at ward number 89 in Meerut after voters alleged that EVMs were casting votes only for BJP, irrespective of which button was pressed. However, additional State Election Commissioner Ved Prakash Verma told Firstpost the allegations were false.

On 22 November, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj was left fuming after he found his name missing from voters list for the local body elections. The MP, who had to return from Gadankheda polling booth this morning without casting his vote, alleged that it was a conspiracy and demanded stern action against erring officials after which the district administration ordered an inquiry.

In the second phase of local body polls in Uttar Pradesh that ended on 26 November with 48.65 percent of the electorate exercising their right to vote. However, reports of malfunctioning EVMs, names missing from electoral rolls, and bogus voting continued to mar the polling process.

Polling took place in 25 districts on Sunday: Varanasi, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budhnagar, Amroha, Rampur, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, Aligarh, Mathura, Mainpuri , Farrukhabad, Etawah, Lalitpur, Banda, Allahabad, Lucknow, Sultanpur, Ambedkarnagar, Bahraich, Shrawasti, Sant Kabirnagar, Deoria, Ballia and Bhadohi.

On 26 November, BSP's deputy leader in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Uma Shankar Singh, was booked by the police for violating the model code of conduct, which is in force for the civic polls, an official said.

The last round of polling in the three-phase civic body polls in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday saw the highest turnout as more than 58.72 percent votes were registered, officials said. According to the State Election Commission officials, the voting percentage this time in these 26 districts, was seven percent more than the urban body polls in 2012.

The highest turnout was recorded in Kanpur rural, where 73.46 percent votes were cast. The second highest polling was witnessed in Maharajganj where 72.92 percent votes were cast.

Barring a few incidents of violence, protests and baton charges by police, the polling passed off peacefully and repolling was not ordered at any place, IANS reported. The 84 kilometre-long Indo-Nepal border was sealed ahead of the third phase.

Meanwhile, taking cognisance of reports of anomalies in the voters' list in the Uttar Pradesh civic polls, the Bareilly district administration on Wednesday suspended five booth-level officers (BLOs), while cases were lodged against 48 of them.

With inputs from agencies

Track all the results here
Bhopal: The Question Hour of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly was on Thursday washed out as the House was adjourned twice after uproar over an alleged remark made on Wednesday by Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh about Speaker Sitasharan Sharma.

As soon as the question hour began, state minister Gopal Bhargava alleged that the Leader of Opposition, Ajay Singh, called Speaker Sitasharan Sharma, a bonded labourer (of the government) inside the House as well as outside it (after the Congress' demand for a discussion on the issue of women's safety was not entertained).

"His statement calling Sharma a bonded labourer was widely published by the newspapers as well", he added.

Bhargava demanded that Singh should be censured for speaking against the Chair.

Hitting back at the minister, Congress member Govind Singh said that the ruling party (BJP) is bent on finishing the opposition and stifling its voice.

Seeking a debate over the issue of women's safety and the October 31 gangrape incident in Bhopal, another Congress legislator, Sunderlal Tiwari, said they respect the speaker.

Revenue Minister Umashanker Gupta sought an apology from Ajay Singh for his remark against the speaker.

Congress members Ramniwas Rawat and others sought a debate on the issues of women's safety and the rise in the crime against women.

The treasury and opposition benches traded charges and amid the din, the speaker adjourned the house for ten minutes.

When the house reassembled, ruckus continued as accusations flew back and forth between both the sides over the issue.

The speaker adjourned the house again, leading to the question hour being washed out.

The state legislative assembly was on Wednesday adjourned for the day due to slogan-shouting by Congress members, who demanded discussion on the issue of the state's "poor records" on women's safety in the wake of the recent gang-rape incident in Bhopal.
Reuters

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk said on 28 November that The Boring Company will compete to fund, build and operate a high-speed Loop connecting OHare Airport to downtown Chicago.

Musk, the chief executive of electric car maker Tesla Inc and rocket company SpaceX, recently started the Boring Company to build transport tunnels for the system, which he says would be far faster than current high-speed trains and use electromagnetic propulsion.

Earlier on 29 November, Chicago's Mayor Rahm Emanuel asked respondents to present proposals to develop, design, equip, finance, operate and maintain an O'Hare Express operating system through a public-private agreement with Chicago.

Although cost estimates for the project are not yet known, the RFQ (Request for Qualifications) stipulates that the OHare Express Service will be funded solely by project-specific revenues (like fares or advertising) and financed entirely by the concessionaire, Mayor Emanuels office said in a statement.

There will be no taxpayer funding for the project. Musk is seeking to revolutionize transportation by sending passengers and cargo packed into pods through an intercity system of giant vacuum tubes known as the hyperloop.

When asked on Twitter to elaborate on his high-speed loop proposal that would link OHare Airport to downtown Chicago, Musk tweeted, A Loop is like a Hyperloop, but without drawing a vacuum inside the tube.

Dont need to get rid of air friction for short routes, Musk added. Passengers will travel in electric pods for sure. Rails maybe, maybe not, Musk said in another reply.
Reuters

European Union privacy regulators said on Wednesday they had set up a task force to coordinate national investigations into ride-hailing app Ubers massive data breach cover-up.

Uber faces fresh regulatory scrutiny after CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the company covered up a data breach last year that exposed personal data from around 57 million accounts.

The company later told Britains data protection authority that the vast majority of its UK users were affected by the 2016 data breach. No information has emerged on whether the breach affected other European countries.

European data protection authorities said after meeting on Wednesday that the French, Italian, Spanish, Belgian, British and German regulators would be part of the task force, led by the Dutch authority, where Uber has its European headquarters.

The task force will not have the power to impose joint sanctions on the company, however, and investigations will still be conducted at national level.

Uber said it will cooperate fully with the task force.

Known for its combative stance with local taxi regulators, Uber has faced a stream of top-level executive departures over issues ranging from sexual harassment to data privacy to driver working conditions, leading its board to remove Travis Kalanick as CEO in June.

Uber paid hackers $100,000 to keep the massive data breach secret.

The stolen information included names, email addresses and mobile phone numbers of Uber users around the world, and the names and licence numbers of 600,000 US drivers, Khosrowshahi said last week.
PTI

Public sector company ITI Limited today said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), to collaborate in the area of Internet of Things (IoT).

It also aims to provide end-to-end IoT solutions and services to the Central and state Government establishments, also large enterprises. C-DAC is the premier R&D organisation of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

The MoU was signed by Y Muralidhar, Unit Head, Bangalore Plant, ITI Limited and Dr.Sarat Chandra Babu, Executive Director, C-DAC in the presence of S Gopu, Chairman and Managing Director, ITI Ltd, here today.

Under the MoU, ITI will manufacture and market various IoT products being developed by CDAC for the specific Smart City components like smart environment, smart agriculture, smart post, smart water management, smart intelligent traffic management and smart safety and security, the company said in a release.

The MoU with C-DAC enables ITI establish an IoT platform where it can manufacture and market the IoT applications to various industries with the help of C-DAC's advanced technology for IoT products, Gopu said.

He said, "This will add another feat to ITI in IoT category after getting an order for manufacturing of feedback devices for toilets under the Swachh Bharath Mission of the Ministry of Urban Development and smart meters from Energy Efficiency Services Limited."
tech2 News Staff

NASA has released an image captioned "Alpha and Omega", which is made up of one of the earliest images the Cassini spacecraft took of Saturn, along with one of the last images captured before the spacecraft plunged into the skies of the gas giant, burning up in the atmosphere like a shooting star in the process.

The image on the left was taken in 2001, roughly six months after Cassini went past Jupiter assisted by the gravity of the most massive planet in the solar system.

The image on the right shows the site where Cassini ended its mission by crashing into Saturn, to prevent contamination of the moons of Saturn, which could harbour life.

There was no fuel left onboard on the spacecraft for NASA to continue to maintain control of the spacecraft. Cassini ended its mission on 15 November, shortly before which the image on the right was captured. The image on the left was taken at a distance of 510 million km from Saturn, while the image on the right was taken at a distance of about 579,000 km from Saturn.

The two images show how far Cassini travelled during the sixteen years it spent in the vicinity of Saturn. The image on the left was captured using the higher resolution narrow-angle camera, while the image on the right was captured using the lower resolution wide angle camera.

Although the spacecraft has ended its mission, the spacecraft has beamed back more images and data than scientists were able to process during the mission. The data sent back by Cassini is expected to continue to provide material to researchers for at least another sixty years, and NASA has been releasing processed images from the mission after the spacecraft ended its mission.

NASA recently released "A Farewell to Saturn", a mosaic of images capturing the entire planet, which is expected to be one of the last full images of Saturn till a subsequent probe from Earth visits the gas giant.
tech2 News Staff

Observations from NASA's Hubble and Spitzer telescopes have allowed a team of researchers to find evidence that the exoplanet WASP-18b has a stratosphere rich in carbon monoxide, and without any water. The planet belongs to a class of bodies known as "Hot Jupiters", and the researchers have found that the planet which is unusually close to its host star may have emerged as a different planetary evolution process as compared to gas giants in other planetary systems, as well as our solar system.

The planet, which is around 325 light years away from Earth was being observed as part of a survey to identify exoplanets with stratospheres. Typically, the stratosphere of a planet contains molecules that absorb the radiation from the host star and releases the stored energy as heat. The spectral fingerprint of the star, which allows researchers to identify its composition by looking carefully at the light emitted by the atmosphere of the planet, was unlike anything seen before.

Kyle Sheppard of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center says, "The composition of WASP-18b defies all expectations. We dont know of any other extrasolar planet where carbon monoxide so completely dominates the upper atmosphere."

The researchers had to use computer simulations to arrive at the conclusion that the planet was cloaked by a thick layer of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide has a similar spectral fingerprint to carbon dioxide, but the presence of the latter molecule was ruled out considering that the spectral lines did not indicate the presence of water at all, and the stratosphere was expected to have more water if there was enough oxygen to form carbon dioxide.

The researchers pointed out that the launch of the James Webb Space Telescopes and other follow up missions would provide a deeper understanding of the variety of exoplanets.
IANS

Finnish telecom major Nokia on Wednesday said it would develop 5G mobile network technology in India at its expanded Research and Development (R&D) centre here.

"We are increasing staffing at our R&D centre here in 2018 to focus on next-generation technologies spanning 5G mobile network architecture, Voice over LTE (Long-Term Evolution or a standard for high-speed wireless communication for mobile devices and data terminals), cloud and big data analytics," Nokia R&D centre head Rupa Santosh told reporters in Bengaluru.

As the next telecommunication standard, the fifth generation or 5G mobile networks, which are being developed by global telcos, are expected to be rolled out by 2020. Set to replace the current 4G, they will enable voice, data and video traffic at higher speeds through faster bandwidth.

"We are already doing collaborate research in 5G mobile network architecture with 14 industrial and academic partners in the European Union," said Santosh.

The company, however, did not disclose how many it will hire in 2018 to ramp up its headcount from 6,000 engineers working in India, which has one of its four global R&D centres, with two in Europe and one in China.

"We have also set up a dedicated 5G/IoT lab here to work on applications for smart cities and public safety, real-time city surveillance and smart parking," said Santosh.

The company is working with telecom service providers such as Bharti Airtel and the state-run BSNL to help them transform their networks for 5G in the near future.

Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge unveiled the new R&D facility on its innovation day, an annual event, where Nokia showcases its latest technologies and products to its partners, including customers, government, universities and start-ups.

"The Bengaluru research centre will also allow Indian and global service providers to leverage our technology and develop capabilities for next-technologies," added Santosh.
tech2 News Staff

Samsung is now manufacturing chipsets using the second generation of its 10-nm FinFET process technology, the company announced on 29 November. Now it isn't official but it could be quite possible that this process would most probably be employed in the new Exynos and Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC that are expected to come in the Galaxy S9.

The South-Korean giant claimed that the 10 nm LPP process technology allows up to 10 percent higher performance and also has 15 percent lower power consumption in comparison to the previous generation.

We will be able to better serve our customers through the migration from 10LPE to 10LPP with improved performance and higher initial yield, said Ryan Lee, vice president of Foundry Marketing at Samsung Electronics.

Samsung Galaxy S8 / S8+ were the first devices that launched with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset this year and it is reported that the Samsung again has dibs on the yet-to-be-announced Snapdragon 845 chipset as well, thanks to its manufacturing process.

Samsung claimed that its newest plant is located in Hwaseong, Korea and is ready to increase the production of process technologies for 10 nm and below.

In other news regarding the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S9, a new report points to a new patent application for an in-display fingerprint scanner by Samsung Electronics.

According to the patent, Samsung has installed a fingerprint sensor between the top-most layer of the cover glass and the second layer of the touch sensor. Below the touch sensor, sits the third layer, which is the display panel.
AFP

Japanese auto giant Toyota Wednesday showcased a humanoid robot that can mirror its user's movements, a product it says has used as varied as elderly care and disaster response.

The T-HR3 can be controlled by a wearable system that allows users to operate the entire robot in real-time by simply moving their own limbs. It is one of the main attractions at the International Robot Exhibition that opened in Tokyo on Wednesday.

Toyota's new robot is the latest in dozens of humanoid models that have been developed recently thanks to rapid technological advances, especially in artificial intelligence. "We are thinking about using this mainly for home elderly care and daily life support," Akifumi Tamaoki, head of Toyota's Partner Robot division, told AFP.

"Technically, this robot could also be used in workplaces, disaster areas and outer space." Robot-makers see big potential for their use in Japan, where the number of elderly people is rapidly growing, causing labour shortages in a country that strictly controls immigration.

The T-HR3 has 32 joints and boasts smooth human-like movements. It can also balance itself in one-legged poses. Sensors on the robot can detect how much force it should exert on humans or objects.

A head-mounted display allows the user to see from the perspective of the black-and-white prototype, which is 1.54 metres (5.1 feet) tall and weighs 75 kilograms (165 pounds). Toyota has no immediate plans to sell the T-HR3, whose development costs were not disclosed.

In 2004, the company unveiled a trumpet-playing robot  its first humanoid machine  in a bid to catch up with robot technology frontrunners like Honda and Sony. Three years later, the carmaker made another robot that could play the violin as part of an effort to develop futuristic machines capable of assisting humans in Japan's greying society.

The country's most famous robot is arguably Asimo, an astronaut-looking humanoid developed by Honda which has been hired out as an office servant and has even popped up to offer toasts at Japanese diplomatic functions.

Separately, Japan's SoftBank has also developed a talking human-like robot called "Pepper", which has been introduced into workplaces around the world.
Asheeta Regidi

This article is part 1 of a multi-part series explaining the recently issued white paper on data protection in India. The responses to the white paper will help in the formulation of Indias future data protection laws.

The Justice Srikrishna Committee has released a White Paper on Data Protection in India. This is the latest in series of steps towards better privacy in India, starting with the recognition of the fundamental right to privacy by the Supreme Court in the Justice K.S. Puttaswamy judgment, followed by TRAIs Consultation Paper on Data Privacy. Following an extensive discussion on privacy, the White Paper has called for public comments by 31 December, 2017 on the crucial issues which form the backbone of a data protection law in India. In view of the near non-existent data protection under Indian laws, the holistic approach of the White Paper is very welcome.

The key overall principles on which the proposed data protection law will be framed include:

1. A technology agnostic law

2. Holistic application of the law to the public and private sector

3. Informed consent

4. Minimisation of data processing (collection, use and disclosure)

5. Accountability of the data controller

6. Structured enforcement through a high powered statutory authority

7. Deterrent penalties

In addition to these principles, participation in this process requires a detailed understanding of the issues involved in framing a data protection law. This series looks in detail at the key issues raised for public consultation in the White Paper.

Part I: Defining Personal Data and Sensitive Personal Data

This, the first part of the series, discusses the definition of personal data (PD) and sensitive personal data (SPD). This will help determine the scope of the law- what data is and isnt protected. Data within the scope of these definitions will be subject to the many protections proposed in the law, such as limitations on collection, use, disclosure and storage (The proposed protections will be discussed in later parts). The same activities will be unrestricted for data outside the scope of this definition. This makes the definition a crucial element in determining the zone of informational privacy guaranteed by the new law.

Personal information and SPD under IT Rules

To understand the impact of a definition, consider the definition of sensitive personal data or SPD under the IT (Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011. This includes data such as passwords, financial information, biometric information, sexual orientation and medical information. While the Rules include a broader definition of personal information or PI, as any information relating to a natural person which is capable of identifying the person, this broader category of data is not protected under these Rules. Typically, SPD is provided with heightened protection compared to PI, such as requirements of express consent before collection, use, etc.

Now, consider a smartphone app, which today collects a wide range of data, including contact lists, message history, call lists, photos and location data. Most people are unaware they have consented to such collection and use of their data.

Photos and biometric information

Of these examples, only photos which reveal biometric information, like face patterns and fingerprints, constitute SPD. The current laws protect only SPD, making it clear that an app can technically collect, use and share your photos with the same general consent taken before using the app.

An increasing amount of sensitive biometric data is also being collected, whether through fingerprints, retina scans and face patterns for authentication, DNA collection for DNA databanks, or fitness apps tracking traits like the gait of a person. With the increasing use of biometrics as passwords, whether for an iPhone or for eKYC, the risk to privacy is obvious. Issues also arise with, for example, images and videos captured on CCTVs. If the image is captured in a public place, is it in the public domain and can it be freely shared?

Contact lists as PI

The remaining examples, since they are not SPD, are not protected under these Rules, even though they may constitute PI. Even as PI, the use of the data may lead to them no longer being considered as PI. For example, consider global phone directories such as those created by a phone call app like TrueCaller, which are crowd-sourced through the contact lists of users. If the contacts are added to a database, and the identity of the person from whom the contact list was collected can no longer identified, then it is no longer PI.

Most users are completely unaware that their phone numbers are available on an easily accessible database. A number saved with a false or defamatory name will also be easily accessible as such. Users whose contact lists were accessed this way also may be completely unaware that they have disclosed information on their friends and associates without their consent.

Message histories

The actual content of messages and e-mails, provided that the persons identity cannot be derived from it, is also unprotected. Unless such data is within the scope of PI, your personal conversations can also be read and disclosed.

Location Data

Google collects traffic data from its users which it states in anonymous. Travel apps like AirBnB and MakeMyTrip have data on a persons travels. Taxi aggregator apps like Uber have access to data like the users ride details and location data. Consider the alleged privacy violation by an Uber executive, who threatened to share scandalous private data collected from the use of the Uber app of a journalist who was critical of them. It is crucial that location data be within the scope of protection.

Transaction histories as SPD

The same ambiguity can also arise with the more clearly defined SPD. Consider the financial data in the possession of financial apps like m-wallets. The IT SPDI Rules define financial data to include information like bank account, credit card, debit card or other payment instrument details. The position of financial data like transaction history, is ambiguous. The result is that this data on a persons transactions, purchases, bill payments, can easily be disclosed to third parties, such as to advertisers, money lenders and data brokers.

The existing ambiguity has led to new business models, such as those proposed by m-wallet companies like PayTM and MobiKwik to provide loans to customers using the data from their wallets. This involves the creation of credit scores as well as sharing of transaction histories, bill payments, and other such data with partner institutes such as banks. Such practices need clarity from a data protection law.

Credit scores, behavior patterns

The m-wallet loans point to ambiguity with the protection of credit scores, behavior patterns, and other such conclusions from data analytics, which are not always fact, but could well be opinion. A mistake in this opinion, such as a wrong credit score, can affect a persons overall credit rating, and potentially affect their access to financial services like loans.

Jurisdictions like Singapore and Australia, state that data need not be true in order to constitute personal data, thus including both erroneous data stored on an individual, as well as data like credit scores, which is opinion. Data may thus refer to facts, opinions or even objective information.

Anonymization and Pseudonymization

Anonymization and pseudonymization are other key concerns. Identification of the individual from the data, whether directly or indirectly, is key to determining the protection accorded to the data. Pseudonymization is not considered to remove the element of identifiability, thus retaining the element of personal data.

Anonymization was earlier considered to be effective to safeguard privacy, but is now no longer so. Techniques including data analytics and data aggregation easily enable deanonymization and identification of an individual even from anonymized data.

The famous AOL leak in 2006 is an example of this. Here, after AOL released anonymized data on search queries, individuals were easily identified from their search history patterns, including personal details like their name and address, and other personal issues that they had searched on.

Including political affiliations and caste as SPD

Apart from such obvious categories of SPD, data such as philosophical beliefs, political affiliations and memberships with trade unions have also been considered to be SPD in some countries. These issues, including issues like caste, are a particularly sensitive issue in India. The extent of protection to be accorded to such practices is another factor. For instance, a persons name alone which reveals their caste or religion may not be SPD, but a database listing caste specifically will be. Countries like Canada simply hold that any data may be sensitive depending on the context.

Key questions raised in the White Paper

The contours of PD and SPD, thus play a major role in determining the scope of data protection. The White Paper looks in detail at current uses of data, as well as various international practices in defining PD and SPD. In view of the issues which arise, it has sought comments of the following key questions w.r.t definitions.

1. What are the contours of the definition of PD and SPD?

2. What constitutes PD and SPD? Should this include fact, opinions and assessments?

3. Should the definition focus on identifiability?

4. Is there a need for differential levels of protection when a person is identified, versus when he is identifiable?

5. What should be the position on anonymized and pseudonymized data?

6. Any other views

Asheeta Regidi is a lawyer and author specializing in technology laws. She is also a certified information privacy professional.
tech2 News Staff

The Xiaomi Redmi 5 has been spotted on the TENAA listings. The Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus is expected to be launched on 7 December in China. The company has already teased the devices in China.

The Redmi 4's successor Redmi 5 is expected to feature a 5.7-inch display with 1,440x720 resolution. According to a report on droidholic the Redmi 5 will come with a 1.8 GHz processor. Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 comes with highest clock speed of 1.8 GHz and is expected to be on the smartphone.

The listing on the website shows that the smartphone will come with 2GB/3GB/4GB RAM and 16/32/64 GB of internal storage option. The storage can be expanded up to 128 GB with the help of a microSD card. The phone will features an 8 MP (or 12 MP) rear camera and a 5 MP front camera on the device. It is also expected to come with Android 7.1.2 and MIUI on the device.

The smartphone is expected to be price at $150 (Rs 9,686). Xiaomi is also expected to launch Redmi 5 Plus on 7 December.

Xiaomi has recently launched the 'Desh Ka Smartphone' in India. The Redmi 5A is the successor of Redmi 4A and comes in two variants. The first one packing 2 GB RAM with 16 GB internal storage and the second one packing 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage.

The Xiaomi Redmi 5A features a 5.0-inch HD IPS LCD display panel. The company has packed a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 SoC with a CPU clocked at up to 1.4 GHz, along with an Adreno 308 GPU to handle graphics-intensive tasks. The phone is priced at Rs 5,999 and Rs 6,999 for the 2 GB and 3 GB variant.
United Nations: The United States on Thursday warned Kim Jong-Un's regime that North Korea would be "utterly destroyed" if a standoff over its missile tests leads to a war and asked all countries to sever economic and diplomatic ties with Pyongyang to punish it for its "acts of aggression".

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss North Korea's latest missile launch, United States ambassador to the world body Nikki Haley said Pyongyang had brought the world closer to war with its latest test of a ballistic missile capable of striking the United States mainland, it's most advanced yet.

The missile was launched from Sain Ni, North Korea on Tuesday, and travelled about 1,000 kilometres before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japan's Economic Exclusion Zone.

"If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed on Wednesday. And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed," Haley said.

"The dictator of North Korea made a choice on Wednesday that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it. We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it," she said.

The United States along with Japan and South Korea had called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council after North Korea's missile launch.

United States president Donald Trump on Thursday spoke by telephone with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose country is an economic lifeline for North Korea, and asked him to put more pressure on Pyongyang. Trump also asked Xi to cut off China's crude oil supplies to North Korea.

In a tweet after the call, Trump said more punitive sanctions were around the corner.

"As successful as we have been in leveling multilateral sanctions against it, the North Korean regime continues to test new and more powerful missiles. And as it does, it continues its march toward a functional nuclear arsenal," Haley said.

She said the development of North Korea's missile systems demanded that countries further isolate the regime of Kim Jong Un.

"So today (Thursday), we call on all nations to cut off all ties with North Korea. In addition to fully implementing all UN sanctions, all countries should sever diplomatic relations with North Korea and limit military, scientific, technical, or commercial cooperation. They must also cut off trade with the regime by stopping all imports and exports and expel all North Korean workers," she demanded.

The White House said North Korea posed a "grave threat" to the world.

"The North Korean threat is very grave. It's not just a threat to the United States or a threat to the region, or the Korean Peninsula region, but a threat to the entire world and the civilised world," White House principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah told reporters.

"We're encouraged that more countries are taking more significant steps to help apply as much pressure as we can on North Korea," Shah said in response to a question.

He, however, parried questions on Trump's tweet about more sanctions against North Korea.

The British ambassador to the United Nations, Matthew Rycroft, said that the latest missile launch follows 19 previous launches this year, and North Korea's sixth nuclear test in September.

"The latest violation demonstrates, once more, North Koreas disregard for our collective security and the international obligations, that all of us, as law-abiding states, take upon ourselves," he said.

The latest North Korean missile launch is a dangerous provocation, he said.

"It demonstrates that all of our Security Council interests are at stake, and this is not just an issue for one region of the world. This affects the whole world now. So the whole world needs to come together in response," said the British ambassador.

Presiding over the meeting, the Italian Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi, who is the Security Council President for the month of November, strongly condemned the North Korean missile test.
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - More than 500 people were killed in twin bomb blasts in Mogadishu in October, a Somali committee looking into the attack said on Thursday, raising the death toll from at least 358. FILE PHOTO: Civilians evacuate from the scene of an explosion in KM4 street in the Hodan district of Mogadishu, Somalia October 14, 2017. REUTERS/Feisal Omar/File PhotoIn the incidents on Oct. 14, a truck bomb exploded outside a busy hotel at the K5 intersection lined with government offices, restaurants and kiosks. A second blast struck Medina district two hours later. The impact of the truck bomb was worsened by it exploding next to a fuel tanker that increased its intensity and left many bodies being burnt or mutilated beyond recognition. By Oct. 20, the government said the toll had reached 358. It set up a committee, known as the Zobe Rescue Committee, to establish a more accurate death toll by talking to relatives of those who may have been at the site of the blasts. So far we have confirmed 512 people died in last months explosion ... (Some) 316 others were also injured in that blast, Abdullahi Mohamed Shirwac, the committees chairman, told Reuters on Thursday. There was no immediate comment from the government on the latest toll. The bomb attacks were the deadliest since Islamist militant group al Shabaab began an insurgency in 2007. Al Shabaab has not claimed responsibility, but the method and type of attack - a large truck bomb - is increasingly used by the al Qaeda-linked organisation. Al Shabaab stages regular attacks in the capital and other parts of the country. Although the group says it targets the government and security forces, it has detonated large bombs in crowded public areas before. It has sometimes not claimed responsibility for bombings that provoked a big public backlash, such as the 2009 suicide bombing of a graduation ceremony for medical students.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Washington: US president Donald Trump lunged headlong into a row with British prime minister Theresa May late on Wednesday, publicly rebutting her criticism of anti-Muslim propaganda.

"Theresa @theresamay, don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!" Trump tweeted, hours after using the social media platform to retweet Islamophobic videos from a British far right leader.

.@Theresa_May, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2017

The White House on Thursday came out in defence of Donald Trump, arguing that he has been talking about national security issues for long.

Trump on Wednesday took the social media by storm when he retweeted inflammatory anti-Muslim videos by Britain First, a group founded in 2011 by former members of the far-right British National Party (BNP).

May said through a spokesperson that Trump was "wrong" to promote the "hateful narratives" of the group, British First.

Trump's interventions in British politics have strained the so-called "special relationship."

He has infuriated British authorities with his tweets on terrorism in Britain, including highly publicized run-ins with London's Muslim mayor Sadiq Khan.

Khan on Wednesday described Britain First as "a vile, hate-fuelled organisation whose views should be condemned, not amplified."

Before Trump's latest missive, the White House had scrambled to limit the fallout, saying that even if the anti-Muslim videos were misleading, the president was pointing out a real problem.

"The threat is real, and that's what the president is talking about," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.

"The President has been talking about these security issues for years now, from the campaign trail to the White House. He talked about them yesterday (Wednesday) at the pool spray. He's going to continue to talk about them on Twitter, he's going to talk about them in speeches, he's going to talk about them in policy," White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Shah was accompanying Trump en route to St Louis, Missouri, where the US president was scheduled to deliver a major speech on middle-class tax relief and business tax relief.

Shah underscored that safety and security were priorities of the Trump administration.

With inputs from PTI and AFP
TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduras grappled with a slow-motion political crisis on Wednesday, with its president, a crime-fighting U.S. ally, edging ahead of his rival, a TV star whose supporters protested as his early lead in the weekend election evaporated. Three days after polling stations closed in Honduras presidential election, there was growing international concern and still a fifth of ballots left to count with no clear victor. With around 82.89 percent of ballots counted, center-right President Juan Orlando Hernandez had 42.2 percent of the vote and challenger Salvador Nasralla was on 42.1 percent, the election tribunal said, with the president 3,000 votes in the lead. Hernandezs blue-clad supporters celebrated, chanting the presidents name at a base of his National Party in capital Tegucigalpa, TV images showed. The flamboyant Nasralla, 64, who heads a coalition made up of leftist and centrist parties, had initially taken a strong lead against the center-right Hernandez. But after issuing the first batch of results on Monday, the election tribunal went silent for about 36 hours, which it said was because results had been slow to arrive. It began issuing a fresh count sporadically from Tuesday afternoon. Immediately, Hernandez began closing the gap, prompting Nasralla to say his victory was being stolen, and urge his supporters to take to the streets in protest. Weve already won the election, Nasralla said in an angry television interview late on Tuesday. Im not going to tolerate this. However, both candidates committed to respect the final result once every disputed vote had been scrutinized, issuing identical signed statements brokered by the Organization of American States on Wednesday afternoon. International observers said the delays were damaging the credibility of authorities and threatened to undermine the legitimacy of the next president. On Wednesday, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman urged Honduran authorities to review the election results without undue delay. Its critical that Honduran election authorities be able to work in a free and transparent manner without interference. We urge all candidates to respect the results, Heather Nauert said. A supporter of Salvador Nasralla, presidential candidate for the Opposition Alliance Against the Dictatorship, carries her daughter as she stands in front of riot police while waiting for official presidential election results outside the warehouse of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal in Tegucigalpa, Honduras November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Jorge CabreraPre-election opinion polls indicated that Hernandez had been favourite to win the vote in the poor Central American nation, which struggles with violence, drug gangs and corruption and has one of the worlds highest murder rates. Nasrallas supporters accused the electoral tribunal of only releasing results from regions that support Hernandez. About 8,000 people heeded Nasrallas call on Wednesday, and marched through the capital, Tegucigalpa. Im here so that justice and the will of the people is carried out, because we elected Salvador Nasralla, and Juan Orlando Hernandez wants to steal his victory, said 22-year-old David Ramirez, a red political flag draped over his shoulder. Slideshow (12 Images)Behind closed doors, the parties of Hernandez and Nasralla were discussing immunity from prosecution for current officials and carving up positions in government, two diplomats told Reuters on Tuesday. As the vote count progressed at a glacial pace, Hernandezs National Party appears set to retain control of Congress. WASHINGTON CONCERN? With a booming, game-show host voice and finely coiffed hair, Nasralla is one of the countrys best known faces, the host of programs that feature scantily clad women. In one interview, he boasted of his penis size and his sexual performance. He is backed by leftist former President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted in a coup in 2009 after he proposed a referendum on his re-election. The possible return of Zelaya risks fuelling concern in Washington. The United States has longstanding military ties to Honduras but few ideological allies among the current crop of Central American presidents. Hernandez has won U.S. praise for helping tackle a flow of migrants to the north and extraditing drug cartel leaders to the United States. He was credited with lowering the murder rate and boosting the economy, but was also hurt by accusations of ties to illicit, drug-related financing that he denies. A foreign diplomat in Tegucigalpa, who asked not to be named, said the U.S. would be concerned by a victory for the coalition led by maverick Nasralla. But the diplomat added that a slim victory for Hernandez might be the worst case scenario, as it would likely trigger protests and demands for a full vote count from an election tribunal with little credibility.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trumps former campaign manager Paul Manafort has agreed to an $11.65 million bail agreement with the special counsel investigating Trump campaign ties to Russia, the longtime Republican political consultants lawyer said on Thursday. Paul Manafort, former campaign manager for U.S. President Donald Trump, departs after a bond hearing at U.S. District Court in Washington, U.S., November 6, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua RobertsManafort, who was indicted along with a business associate Richard Gates in October, would be released from house arrest and electronic monitoring under the deal, lawyer Kevin Downing said in a filing in U.S. District Court in Washington. Manafort, who has been confined to his Virginia home, has agreed to forfeit four real estate properties worth about $11.65 million if there is a bail violation, the court document said. Manafort previously had an unsecured $10 million appearance bond to guarantee he shows up to court. Agreement on bail had been reached with the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, Downing said in the filing. A spokesman for Mueller could not immediately be reached for comment. Manafort, who ran Trumps 2016 campaign for several months, and Gates pleaded not guilty in October to a 12-count indictment by a federal grand jury. They face charges including conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy against the United States and failing to register as foreign agents of Ukraines former pro-Russian government. The charges are part of Muellers investigation into the conclusions of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia undertook a campaign of hacking and misinformation to tilt the election in Trumps favour and potential collusion by Trump associates, allegations that Moscow and the president deny. Mueller and his attorneys have previously argued that the court should only agree to a bail agreement if Manafort fully explains his finances to the court and that they considered him a flight risk. The four properties posted as bail are a Bridgehampton, New York home valued at $4 million, a New York City property valued at $3.7 million, a Florida property estimated at $1.25 million, and a home in Virginia worth $2.7 million, the filing said. Manaforts wife, Kathleen, and his daughter Andrea have agreed to act as sureties on the appearance bond, it said. To address the issue of flight risk, Manafort has agreed to not travel overseas, has handed over his passports, and will restrict his travel to Florida, Virginia, New York and Washington D.C. Downing called the $11.65 million a substantial portion of Manaforts assets. Simply put, Mr. Manaforts family would face severe economic consequences if he were not to appear as required.

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Cairo: Former Egyptian premier Ahmed Shafiq, who narrowly lost a 2012 election to since ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, will challenge leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at a poll next year, his aides told AFP on Wednesday.

"I can confirm he will run," one of the aides said of the Hosni Mubarak-era prime minister who left the country in 2012 for the United Arab Emirates. Shafiq, who was placed on trial in absentia on corruption charges after losing the 2012 election to Morsi, had emerged as a critic and possible contender to Sisi over the past two years.

The former premier has been acquitted and his lawyer had said he would be free to return, but it is thought that he fears another case might be brought against him.

It is not clear if or when Shafiq intends to come back to Egypt to run in the spring election. Sisi, a former army chief elected as president in 2014, less than a year after overthrowing his Islamist predecessor. Morsi has not officially declared his candidacy, but looks all but certain to run in and dominate the election next year.

Shafiq could represent one of the few candidates who can come close to challenging Sisi.

Mubarak had hastily appointed Shafiq as prime minister in the last days of his rule in 2011 before he was ousted from the presidency by a democratic uprising.

A former aviation minister and airforce general, Shafiq did not last long in his role after Mubarak lost power.

But a year later, and despite widespread opposition to Mubarak-era figures at the time, he still only lost out narrowly to Morsi at the national election.
Washington: Outraged at the release of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, a UN and US-designated terrorist, the Donald Trump Administration on Wednesday said it "flies in the face" of Pakistan's claim that the country is not a sanctuary for terrorists.

The release of Saeed, the mastermind of the Mumbai terror attack, from house arrest also shows that Pakistan does not want to improve ties with India and that Islamabad is not in favour of talks with New Delhi, according to a senior Trump administration official.

"Saeed is a declared terrorist by the UN. He is a specially designated terrorist by our own Treasury Department, by our own government. We have put USD 10 million in reward money for information leading to his prosecution. So, there is no doubt in anyone's mind that he is a terrorist leader," the official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

"So, it does not serve Pakistan's interest to let him go free, let him give public remarks or be allowed appear before public gatherings. It belies Pakistan's claim that it is not a sanctuary for terrorists. Frankly, it flies in the face of that claim," the official added.

It also belies Pakistan's pledge or commitment and their indication that they are committed to dialogue with India because it certainly damages the environment for being able to return to dialogue, the official said.

The official's remarks gave an insight into the thinking of the Trump administration and its candid conversation with Pakistan in this regard, in particular after the release of Saeed from the house arrest last week.

Soon after Saeed's release, the White House had asked Pakistan to immediately re-arrest and prosecute the Mumbai attack mastermind.

The White House had also warned Pakistan that it will have an impact on their bilateral relationship.

Saeed continues to roam free after his release.

"It's in Pakistan's own interest to take steps to counter these groups, whether it be Lashkar-e-Taiba, or the Haqqani network, the Taliban or Jaish-e-Mohammad. There are so many terrorist groups operating from Pakistani territory. It does not serve their own interest in becoming a stable democracy to have these groups operate freely and not held to justice," the official said.

When asked about Saeed filing a petition in the UN to get his name removed from the terrorism blacklist, the official said such a move would not be helpful for Pakistan.

"I did not see that report. But again, that would fly in the face of Pakistans claims that it does not serve as a sanctuary for terrorism. This will not be helpful for Pakistans global reputation. So, we find it very troubling," the official said hoping that Islamabad will take steps to reverse these actions.

Responding to questions on the options that the Trump administration have on Pakistan, the official said the US is engaging with the Pakistan on these issues and holding these discussions largely in private.

"But we will be looking for very specific actions in coming weeks and months. We hope that we would see some changes in their behaviour in the coming weeks and months," the official added.
TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduran police fired tear gas at rock-hurling protesters on Thursday after a widely criticized presidential election that saw the opposition cry foul as the incumbent slowly pulled ahead four days after the vote. A supporter of Salvador Nasralla, presidential candidate for the Opposition Alliance Against the Dictatorship, runs away from police during a protest while awaiting official presidential election results in Tegucigalpa, Honduras November 30, 2017. REUTERS/Jorge CabreraBoth President Juan Orlando Hernandez and his rival Salvador Nasralla, a television game show host allied with leftists, claimed victory after Sundays election. The vote tally at first favoured the challenger, but then swung in favour of the incumbent after hold-ups in the count, fuelling talk of irregularities. International concern has grown about the crisis sparked by the count in the Central American nation which in 2009 saw a military-backed coup. One of the four magistrates on the electoral tribunal flagged serious doubts about the process. The Organization of American States (OAS) appeared to have salvaged the credibility of the election on Wednesday by eliciting signed statements from both candidates vowing to respect the final result once disputed votes had been checked. But a few hours later, Nasralla, who initially held a five-point lead, rejected the OAS accord he had signed, saying his opponents were trying to rob him. He urged supporters to take to the streets of the capital Tegucigalpa to defend his triumph. They take us for idiots and want to steal our victory, said Nasralla, who heads a left-right coalition. Marcos Ramiro Lobo, one of the four magistrates, called for an independent external auditor to review the results, but was non-committal on whether there was evidence of electoral fraud. We cant be sure of one thing or the other, Lobo told Reuters, expressing concern about the vote count breaking down. What I do know is that serious doubts are being raised. David Matamoros, who chairs the electoral tribunal, said he expected the count to conclude by mid-afternoon and that at an announcement could be made a couple of hours later. PROTESTS Nasrallas followers heeded his call, with protests throughout the night across the country. In the city of La Ceiba, protesters set up barricades and burned tires across a bridge and blocked at least two other motorways. With the stinging stench of purple-hued tear gas filling the air, dozens of youths shielded themselves with corrugated iron panels as they battled with Honduran security forces, who were guarding a vote-count centre in capital city Tegucigalpa. The fumes entered the building, prompting the evacuation of staff. Riot police fires tear gas toward supporters of Salvador Nasralla, presidential candidate for the Opposition Alliance Against the Dictatorship, during a protest while awaiting for official presidential election results in Tegucigalpa, Honduras November 30, 2017. REUTERS/Jorge Cabrera Were going to keep protesting and wont let them steal this victory, 20-year-old university student Josue Valladares said on Thursday, as votes were being counted on the other side of a human wall of riot police. Hernandez should respect the popular will and hand over power, Valladares said. Nasralla took to Twitter early Thursday to implore his followers to protest peacefully and not be provoked by Hernandezs activists. The sporadic way in which results have been published, and the reversal of Nasrallas lead have led to allegations that Hernandez may have influenced the tribunal. Slideshow (7 Images)The president has consolidated power in recent years and is the first one to seek a second term since a 1982 return to democracy in Honduras, which also suffers from widespread poverty, drug gangs and one of the worlds highest murder rates. Hernandez says the change in vote tendency reflects his support in rural areas, from where ballots were slower to arrive in the city. DAMAGING CREDIBILITY On Monday, the tribunal published more than half the results, showing Nasralla with a five point lead, but then published nothing more for 36 hours. When the count finally started again, Hernandez began to reel in Nasralla. The count has started and stopped ever since, with the tribunal blaming a delay Wednesday on computer glitches. By Thursday afternoon, the tribunals latest tally showed that with 91.18 percent of ballots counted, the centre-right Hernandez had secured 42.74 percent of the vote, more than a one percentage point lead over Nasrallas 41.55 percent. International observers said the delays were damaging the credibility of authorities, and risked undermining the winners legitimacy. The U.S. State Department said the tribunal should be allowed to work without interference. Ahead of the election, opinion polls indicated that Hernandez was favoured to win the vote in the poor Central American country of more than 9 million people Nasralla is one of Honduras best-known faces and is backed by former President Manuel Zelaya, a leftist ousted in a coup in 2009 after he proposed a referendum on his re-election.

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Washington: US and Chinese generals on Thursday engaged in an unusual set of security talks, just hours after North Korea's most powerful missile test yet, focused on how the mighty American and Chinese militaries might communicate in a crisis.

As President Donald Trump greeted the North's launching of another intercontinental ballistic missile with familiar demands for China to get tougher with its ally, the low-profile and unpublicised meeting at the National Defence University in Washington was taking place amid signs China is more willing to discuss how the two world powers would manage an even worse emergency on the divided Korean Peninsula.

The Pentagon stressed the talks were scheduled long before North Korea's surprise missile launch in the early hours of Wednesday in Asia.

Officials insisted the dialogue wasn't centred on North Korea or anything else in particular.

Trump has vowed to prevent North Korea from having the capability to strike the US mainland with a nuclear-tipped missile, using military force if necessary.

He is running out of time: Some experts said the missile fired on a high trajectory that splashed down in the Sea of Japan showed North Korea's ability to strike Washington and the entire US Eastern Seaboard.

The threat of a military confrontation is making China rethink its resistance to discussing contingencies involving North Korea, according to experts. Such discussions have long been off-limits for Beijing, which fought on North Korea's side against the United States in the 1950-53 Korean War and remains its treaty ally.

In a phone conversation with Trump on Wednesday, Chinese president Xi Jinping reiterated his desire for a diplomatic resolution to the standoff with North Korea.

Objectives for Thursday's military consultations appeared modest.

"The engagement will serve as an opportunity to discuss how to manage crises, prevent miscalculations, and reduce the risk of misunderstanding," the office of General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told The Associated Press in a statement.

The US and China agreed on the talks when Dunford met with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing in August. While in China, Dunford observed a Chinese military drill at Shenyang, about 120 miles from the North Korean border, an unusual stop for an official visit.

Thursday's talks were being led by Lieutenant General Richard Clarke, the Joint Chiefs' planning director, and Major General Shao Yuanming, a senior Chinese military official.

They're especially noteworthy given the deep strategic mistrust between the US and China, and Beijing's increasing challenge to America's post-World War II dominance in the Asia-Pacific.
JERUSALEM/GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli tanks and aircraft struck militant positions in the Gaza Strip on Thursday soon after Palestinian militants fired mortar shells at an Israeli military post close to the territory, the Israeli army said. Smoke rises at the Gaza Strip following an Israeli strike, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, November 30, 2017. REUTERS/Amir CohenA Reuters witness in Gaza said he saw smoke rising from at least two targets struck by Israel, one belonging to Hamas and another to Islamic Jihad militants. Witnesses in the southern Gaza Strip said two Islamic Jihad posts was hit there. No casualties were reported initially on either side. Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus said the militants mortar barrage was aimed the Israeli army post and at construction crews working close by on the Israeli side of the Gaza border. Israel has been constructing a sensor-equipped underground wall along the 60-km (36-mile) Gaza border, aiming to complete the $1.1 billion project by mid-2019. Conricus said Israel was not looking to escalate the situation but any further Israeli action would depend on what Gaza militants did. At least three rounds of airstrikes had taken place by dusk, the Reuters witness said. Smoke rises at the Gaza Strip following an Israeli strike, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, November 30, 2017. REUTERS/Amir CohenWe remain ready with the tools necessary and the capabilities at hand should Hamas or the Islamic Jihad act aggressively again... We are not looking to escalate the situation or to initiate hostilities, Conricus said. The train service between the Israeli town of Sderot close the Gaza border and Ashkelon to the north was briefly suspended but resumed later in the evening. Smoke rises at the Gaza Strip following an Israeli strike, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, November 30, 2017. REUTERS/Amir CohenThe mortars were fired exactly a month after Israel blew up an attack tunnel that led from Gaza into Israeli in which 14 militants were killed. Following the tunnel demolition, Islamic Jihad vowed to retaliate but Thursdays action was their first significant reaction. During the last Gaza war, in 2014, Hamas fighters used dozens of tunnels to blindside Israels superior forces and threaten civilian communities near the frontier, a counterpoint to the Iron Dome anti-missile system that largely protected the countrys heartland from militant rocket barrages. Israel and the United States have called for Hamas to be disarmed as part of the pact between it and the Palestinian Authority, so Israeli peace efforts with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which collapsed in 2014, could proceed. Hamas has rejected the demand. On Wednesday, Abbass Fatah and Hamas agreed to delay the final transfer of power of Gaza from Hamas to the Western-backed Palestinian government by 10 days to Dec. 10 to allow time to complete arrangements, officials said.

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SIENA, Italy (Reuters) - Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi was ordered on Thursday to stand trial accused of bribing a witness in a 2013 under-aged prostitution case, a legal source said. Forza Italia party leader Silvio Berlusconi arrives for a rally in Catania, Italy, November 2, 2017. REUTERS/Antonio ParrinelloBerlusconi, leader of the centre-right Forza Italia (Go Italy!) party, is charged with paying a piano player at his wild Bunga Bunga parties to give false witness at that trial, at the end of which he was eventually acquitted. The new trial will begin in the Tuscan city of Siena in February, the source said, not long before a national election which must be held by May at the latest. The 81-year-old four-times prime minister denies all wrongdoing in the case, and has always maintained that the parties at his plush residence near Milan were nothing more than elegant dinner parties. The new case will lead to unwelcome publicity for Berlusconi but may not have much impact on his prospects at the election. He has already undergone numerous trials on various charges and with a range of outcomes, and most of his supporters either care little about his legal problems or believe his assertion that he is the victim of politically motivated prosecutors. Forza Italia is the lynchpin of a centre-right alliance which is set to win most seats at the election, according to opinion polls, although they suggest no party or coalition will secure an absolute majority, leading to a hung parliament. Berlusconi is accused of paying pianist Danilo Mariani to lie in the 2013 trial when he was accused of having sex with 17-year-old Moroccan nightclub dancer Karima El Mahroug, better known in Italy by her stage name, Ruby the Heartstealer. Mariani, who was also sent to trial for alleged perjury, is one of numerous people whom prosecutors believe Berlusconi paid to give false testimony at that trial. The alleged payments to various witnesses are being handled in different courts around the country according to the location of the banks that received the money. Berlusconi was originally found guilty of paying to have sex with a minor and sentenced to seven years in jail, but the verdict was overturned in 2014 by an appeals court, which ruled that there was no proof he had known Mahrougs age. Berlusconis political career has been dogged by non-stop legal battles. After a conviction for tax fraud in 2013, he was barred from office, but this month he asked the European Court of Human Rights to overturn the ban.

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ROME (Reuters) - Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi was ordered on Thursday to stand trial on charge of judicial corruption, a legal source said. Forza Italia party leader Silvio Berlusconi arrives for a rally in Catania, Italy, November 2, 2017. REUTERS/Antonio ParrinelloBerlusconi, leader of the centre-right Forza Italia (Go Italy!) party, is accused of having bribed a witness to give false testimony at a trial in 2013, at which he was accused of having sex with an under-aged prostitute. The trial will begin in the Tuscan city of Siena in February, the source said.

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Washington: North Korea poses a "grave threat" to the world, the White House said on Wednesday, exhorting countries to apply maximum pressure on Pyongyang after it launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

"The North Korean threat is very grave. It's not just a threat to the United States or a threat to the region  or the Korean Peninsula region, but a threat to the entire world and the civilised world," White House principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah told reporters.

"We're encouraged that more countries are taking more significant steps to help apply as much pressure as we can on North Korea," Shah said in response to a question.

He, however, parried questions on Trump's tweet about more sanctions against North Korea.

"I'm not going to get ahead of any announcement that's coming. I will say, though, that the maximum pressure campaign that the US has been a big part of has really yielded a lot of results," he said.

"We have seen the toughest sanctions ever imposed on North Korea that the Chinese and Russians have signed onto. We've seen China restrict energy shipments to North Korea. We're seeing dozens of countries engage in different efforts in their bilateral ties with North Korea to cut off both energy, economic ties, and diplomatic ties," Shah said.

"So we're seeing more and more steps take place. We'll see future actions by the United States and others, and we're looking forward to applying as much pressure as we can to get to our ultimate goal, which is a denuclearised Korean Peninsula," he told reporters.

The ICBM, launched on Tuesday from Sain Ni, North Korea , travelled about 1000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

"We will take care of it. .. It is a situation we will handle," Trump told reporters soon after North Korea's missile test.

Trump also spoke with his Chinese and South Korean counterparts Xi Jinping, and Moon Jae-in respectively, and the Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.

House Democratic Whip Steny H Hoyer said in a statement that the launch of a ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear payload across thousands of miles  far enough to threaten cities in the continental United States  violates international laws and demands a strong international response.

"The president's lack of a policy to deter North Korean aggression is deeply concerning, and it is clear that the president's soft approach with the Chinese leadership has not borne fruit. I urge him to pursue a diplomatic strategy that places serious pressure on the Kim (Jong-Un) regime to change its behaviour," he said.
Yangon: Pope Francis wrapped up his visit to Myanmar on Thursday with a Mass for young people before heading to neighbouring Bangladesh where the Muslim Rohingya refugee crisis was expected to take centre stage.

Francis has so far refrained from speaking out about Asia's worst humanitarian crisis in decades out of diplomatic deference to his hosts in Myanmar, who consider the Rohingya as having illegally migrated from Bangladesh and don't recognise them as their own ethnic group.

The Vatican has defended Francis' silence, saying the pope wants to "build bridges" with the predominantly Buddhist nation. But human rights groups and Rohingya themselves have expressed disappointment that Francis, an advocate for refugees and the world's most marginal, refrained from condemning what the UN has said is a textbook case of ethnic cleansing.

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said Francis took seriously the advice given to him by the local Catholic Church, which urged him to toe a cautious line and not even refer to the "Rohingya" by name during his trip. "You can criticise what's said, what's not said, but the pope is not going to lose moral authority on this question here," Burke told reporters on Wednesday.

Rohingya have faced persecution and discrimination in Myanmar for decades and are denied citizenship, even though many families have lived there for generations. The situation grew worse in August when the army began what it called clearance operations in northern Rakhine state following attacks on security positions by Rohingya militants. More than 620,000 Rohingya have since poured into refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, where they have described indiscriminate attacks by Myanmar security forces and Buddhist mobs, including killings, rapes and the torching of entire villages.

Burke stressed that Francis' diplomatic stance in public in Myanmar didn't negate what he had said in the past, or what he might be saying in private.

In the past, Francis has strongly condemned the "persecution of our Rohingya brothers," denounced their suffering because of their faith and called for them to receive "full rights."

While he called in his first major speech on Tuesday for all of Myanmar's ethnic groups to have their human rights respected, his failure to specify the Rohingya crisis on Myanmar soil drew criticism from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Rohingya themselves.

On Wednesday, Myanmar Bishop John Hsane Hgyi suggested that reports of atrocities being committed against the Rohingya were not "reliable" or "authoritative," and that those who criticised Myanmar's response to a complex situation should "go into the field to study the reality and history" to obtain "true news."

The government has barred independent groups from travelling to northern Rakhine state.

In his final event in Myanmar, Francis celebrated Mass in Yangon's St Mary's Cathedral for young Catholics. The young worshippers, many dressed in the traditional clothing of their ethnic groups, leaned out to touch or kiss Francis' hand as he slowly walked by.

During the Mass, Francis told them to not be afraid to make their voices heard. "Do not be afraid to make a ruckus, to ask questions that make people think," he told them. "Make yourselves heard."
Yangon: The "moral authority" of Pope Francis is undiminished despite his failure to address the Rohingya crisis head-on during a visit to Myanmar, the Vatican said on Wednesday, defending a papal trip framed by the plight of the Muslim minority.

The UN and US say the Rohingya are victims of an ethnic cleansing campaign by Myanmar's military that has sent 620,000 of them fleeing into Bangladesh since late August.

Francis has previously spoken out strongly in defence of the Muslim group, calling them his "brothers and sisters" and rights groups had urged him to publicly confront Myanmar on its treatment of the minority.

In a vigorous defence of the visit  the first ever by a pope to Myanmar's tiny Catholic minority  a Vatican spokesman said papal diplomacy had its limits.

"People are not expected to solve impossible problems and the moral authority of the pope stands," Vatican spokesman Greg Burke told reporters at the tail end of a four-day trip to Myanmar.

"I'm very happy that people think the pope is all powerful but he's not."

His visit has been as much political as religious in a country on the defensive after global outrage over the plight of the Rohingya.

Myanmar's Catholic church had urged the pope not to stray into the incendiary issue of the Rohingya, whose very name is unacceptable in a Buddhist-majority where they are denigrated as illegal "Bengali" immigrants.

But "that doesn't take away anything that the pope has said in the past nor what the pope can say in private," Burke added.

The pope has met in private civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar's powerful army chief Min Aung Hlaing -- an appointment, the Vatican said, was requested at the last- minute by the army.

Earlier on Wednesday, Francis called on Myanmar's top Buddhist monks to conquer "prejudice and hatred" in a country ravaged by communal divisions.

"If we are to be united, as is our purpose, we need to surmount all forms of misunderstanding, intolerance, prejudice and hatred," the pope told the orange-robed monks of Myanmar's highest Buddhist body, called the Sangha Maha Nayka.

Radical monks have played a key role in fanning Islamophobia in Myanmar and hardening attitudes towards the Rohingya.

In recent months the Sangha has moved to rein them in, especially in banning sermons by Wirathu  a monk whose vitriolic rants were widely disseminated via social media.

Myanmar's Catholic community numbers around 700,000  a tiny fraction of the country's 51 million people.

For them the centrepiece of the papal trip was an open-air mass on Wednesday morning in which he delivered a message of forgiveness before a sea of Catholics in Yangon.

Many wore colourful costumes from the country's myriad ethnic groups.

"I never dreamed I would see him in my lifetime," said Meo, an 81-year-old from the Akha minority in Shan state.

A choir of Myanmar nuns sang in Latin, accompanied by organ music, as Francis delivered a homily urging compassion  opening his speech with "minglabar", Burmese for "hello".
DHAKA (Reuters) - Pope Francis called on Thursday for decisive measures to resolve the political reasons that caused mostly Muslim refugees in Myanmar to flee to Bangladesh and urged countries to help the Dhaka government deal with the crisis. Pope Francis attends a welcome ceremony after arriving at the airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh November 30, 2017. REUTERS/Max RossiHowever, just as on the first leg of his trip, in Myanmar, he did not use the word Rohingya to describe the refugees, which is contested by the Yangon government and military. In a speech before Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid and diplomats hours after arriving under heavy security in Dhaka, the chaotic and dusty capital of 14 million people, Francis instead spoke of refugees from Rakhine State. In his speech, Francis, who used the term Rohingya twice this year in appeals from the Vatican, praised impoverished Bangladeshs spirit of generosity and solidarity in helping a massive influx of refugees from Rakhine State. The exodus of some 625,000 Muslim Rohingya people from Rakhine state to the southern tip of Bangladesh was sparked by a military crackdown in response to Rohingya militant attacks on an army base and police posts on Aug. 25. Scores of Rohingya villages were burnt to the ground, and refugees arriving in Bangladesh told of killings and rapes. The United States has said the campaign by mainly Buddhist Myanmars military included horrendous atrocities aimed at ethnic cleansing. The military denies the accusations. None of us can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation, the immense toll of human suffering involved, and the precarious living conditions of so many of our brothers and sisters, a majority of whom are women and children, crowded in the refugee camps, Francis said at the presidential palace. Pope Francis attends a welcome ceremony after arriving at the airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh November 30, 2017. REUTERS/Max RossiIt is imperative that the international community take decisive measures to address this grave crisis, not only by working to resolve the political issues that have led to the mass displacement of people, but also by offering immediate material assistance to Bangladesh in its effort to respond effectively to urgent human needs. Even though his calls for justice, human rights and respect in Myanmar were widely seen as applicable to the Rohingya, who are not recognised as Myanmar citizens or as members of a distinct ethnicity, rights groups such as Amnesty International said they were disappointed he did not defend them by name. In studiously avoiding the highly charged term, the pope has so far followed the advice of church officials in Myanmar, who feared it could set off a diplomatic incident and turn Myanmars military and government against minority Christians. Pope Francis attends a welcome ceremony with Bangladesh's President Abdul Hamid after arriving at the airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh November 30, 2017. REUTERS/Max RossiFrancis is due to meet a group of Rohingya refugees in Dhaka on Friday. In his address to the pope, the president of Bangladesh, which is predominantly Muslim, used the term Rohingya several times and accused the Myanmar army of committing ruthless atrocities. He called for a safe, sustainable and dignified return of the refugees to their homes. Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an accord last week on terms for the return of Rohingya, though rights groups are sceptical Myanmar will follow through on the deal and have called for independent observers for any repatriation. There are concerns about protection for Rohingya from further violence if and when they go home, and about a path to resolving their legal status - most are stateless - and whether they would be allowed to return to their old homes. The popes visit to the South Asian country unfolded under heavy security. While Francis stuck to his custom of using a simple car, he was escorted by many armoured military and police vehicles. The country was shocked on July 1, 2016, when gunmen stormed a cafe in Dhakas upscale Gulshan neighbourhood, killing 22 people, most of them foreigners, in an overnight siege. Islamic State militants claimed responsibility.

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The Hague: Bosnian Croat war criminal Slobodan Praljak on Wednesday became the third defendant at the UN war crimes court for the former Yugoslavia to take his own life.

Other suspects, notably former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic, died of natural causes while in detention at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

These are the men who took their own lives rather than face justice.

Slavko Dokmanovic

In the early hours of 29 June, 1998, Croatian Serb Slavko Dokmanovic, 48, hanged himself with his tie from the hinge of a wardrobe, despite being under strict surveillance by guards at the UN detention unit in Scheveningen prison, in the suburbs of The Hague.

Dokmanovic was indicted by the ICTY on charges of participating in the slaughter of more than 200 civilians in the eastern Croatian city of Vukovar in November 1991. He committed suicide just days before the verdict was due to be announced and was said to be severely depressed.

An inquiry, led by ICTY judge Almiro Rodrigues, concluded that the prison staff had acted within the rules and procedures laid down by the tribunal and that no one was responsible for his death. Rodrigues and his four-man team found that Dokmanovic had made two previous attempts to end his life that evening, neither of which the guards had observed.

Milan Babic

Former Croatian Serb leader Milan Babic, 50, was found dead in his cell in March 2006. The ICTY said he had "hung himself by his leather belt" and used a plastic bag to restrict the air flow to his mouth and nose.

Babic had been jailed for 13 years in 2004 after pleading guilty to crimes against humanity perpetrated during Croatia's 1991-95 war. According to investigators, Babic left a suicide note addressed to his wife in his Bible, saying: "Don't mourn me. I need peace."

Slobodan Praljak

In shocking scenes, Bosnian Croat Praljak took his own life Wednesday in front of UN war crimes judges, apparently drinking poison just after they upheld his 20-year jail term for atrocities committed during the Balkans conflict.

The 72-year-old died in hospital, after drinking from a small brown glass bottle in full glare of the cameras at the ICTY.

As the judges handed down their very last verdict at the court, Praljak, a former military commander of a breakaway Bosnian Croat statelet, shouted out angrily: "Praljak is not a criminal. I reject your verdict."

Not forgetting Milosevic

Other war-crimes suspects have died in custody of natural causes, the most senior of which was former Yugoslav president Milosevic, who died suddenly aged 64, on 11 March, 2006.

He died a few months before the expected end of his mammoth trial on war crimes charges for his role in the bloody conflicts in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo that tore apart the Balkans. The ICTY said in an official report that Milosevic died of natural causes and that it had found no evidence of poisoning or suicide.

In February 2006, judges had denied a request from Milosevic, who was suffering from high blood pressure and heart problems, to undergo medical treatment in Moscow, saying they saw no reason why Russian doctors could not treat him in the Netherlands.
Sochi: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday arrived in the Russian city of Sochi to attend the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit.

The summit will be held on 30 November and 1 December and is likely to discuss issues relating to the regional security scenario, including situations in the Gulf and Afghanistan.

In June, India and Pakistan had become full-fledged members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a China-dominated security grouping increasingly seen as a counterweight to NATO.

"EAM @SushmaSwaraj arrives in the picturesque town of #Sochi to attend the SCO Council Heads of Government Meeting on 30 November & 1 December. #EAMatSCO," external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Honble EAM Smt. Sushma Swaraj arrives in Sochi to represent India in SCO council Heads of Government meeting on 30 Nov. & 1 Dec. She was received by Mayor of Sochi Mr. Anatoly Pakhomov and Indian Amb. Mr.Pankaj Saran.@PankajSaran11 @SushmaSwaraj @DDNewsHindi pic.twitter.com/lkPNvVy97n  India in Russia (@IndEmbMoscow) November 29, 2017

In the summit, India is likely to press for concerted regional and global efforts to contain terrorism.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attended the SCO Summit in June in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan.

Last week, Kumar had said Swaraj will have bilateral meetings with several leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

Asked whether she will have bilateral meetings with the Pakistan foreign minister or call on Chinese premier Li Keqiang, Kumar had said her schedule was still being finalised.

"At this stage we cannot say anything," he had said.

Swaraj will return on 2 December.

As an SCO member, India is expected to have a bigger say in pressing for concerted action in dealing with terrorism as well as on issues relating to security and defence in the region.

India's membership was strongly pushed by Russia while Pakistan's entry into the grouping was backed by China.

India had been an observer at the SCO since 2005. It has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.

The SCO had set the ball rolling to make India a member of the bloc during its summit in Ufa, Russia, in July 2015.
Baghdad: British prime minister Theresa May made a surprise visit to Iraq on Wednesday, meeting her Iraqi counterpart in Baghdad as the war against the Islamic State group there winds down.

Iraq's government released footage of May arriving in Baghdad, greeted by an honor guard, to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on her first trip to Iraq as prime minister.

May visited Saudi Arabia for talks on Wednesday with its assertive crown prince over the kingdom-led war in Yemen, the second European leader to specifically seek him out as he amasses power.

The Islamic State group has been driven out of the last town it held in Iraq and has lost its self-described capital in Syria in recent weeks.

"In Iraq, we are working together to defeat Daesh and my visit comes at a critical moment as we see the caliphate collapsing with the fall of Mosul and Raqqa," May told

journalists, using an Arabic acronym for the extremist group.

"We want to ensure that Iraq can in the future provide that strong, stable and unified state that can provide the security, jobs and opportunities that all Iraqis want and deserve," she added.

Al-Abadi later said May's visit showed Britain's "support and help" in fighting the Islamic State group. Some 600 British troops are deployed to the country.

"Iraq is about to enter a new stage of rebuilding, reconstruction and investment," al-Haider said. "Today, we discussed with the prime minister the strengthening of

economic and commercial ties between the two countries."

May also visited Camp Taji, a coalition base north of Baghdad, where around 80 British troops are currently based.

In Saudi Arabia, May's visit is expected to include her asking Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to allow humanitarian aid through Yemen's port of Hodeida, which is held by the Shiite rebels being targeted in the Saudi-led war.

A UN-chartered aid vessel docked at Hodeida on Tuesday.

"We are very clear that we want to see full humanitarian and commercial access through the port of Hodeida," May said yesterday. "Obviously that is an issue I will be raising when I am in Saudi Arabia."

Saudi Arabia closed off Yemen's seaports and airports over a 4 November rebel ballistic-missile launch that targeted the Saudi capital of Riyadh. The kingdom said it intercepted the missile, the deepest yet to penetrate the country.

Under intense international pressure, Saudi Arabia later promised it would reopen the ports for humanitarian aid.

The Saudi-led coalition began its war in Yemen in March 2015 on behalf of Yemen's internationally recognised government against the Shiite rebels known as Houthis and their allies.

The conflict has pushed the Arab world's poorest country to the brink of famine. The war has killed over 10,000 civilians, displaced 3 million people and left much of the infrastructure in ruins.

May has faced increasingly calls to stop British arms sales to Saudi Arabia amid the conflict, which has seen kingdom-led airstrikes kill hundreds of civilians. Britain has licensed $4.4 billion worth of arms sales to Saudi Arabia since the war began.

May's visit seeking out Crown Prince Mohammed comes as the 32-year-old son of King Salman now appears to hold the levers of power in Saudi Arabia. French President Emmanuel Macron made a surprise visit to the kingdom earlier this month as well, to see the young royal.

In recent weeks, the crown prince led what the kingdom described as an anti-corruption campaign, arresting prominent princes, business leaders, military officials and others. He also was the architect of the kingdom's war in Yemen, which has been at a stalemate for months.

May also will visit Jordan and meet with King Abdullah II on her trip.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a plan to oust Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who has had a strained relationship with his boss over North Korea and other issues, senior administration officials said on Thursday. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson participates in a panel discussion after his remarks on U.S.-European Relations at the Wilson Center in Washington, U.S., November 28, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri GripasTillerson would be replaced by CIA director Mike Pompeo, known as a Trump loyalist, within weeks under a White House plan to carry out the most significant staff shakeup so far of the Trump administration. Republican Senator Tom Cotton would be tapped to replace Pompeo at the Central Intelligence Agency, the officials told Reuters. It was not immediately clear whether Trump had given final approval to the latest staff shakeup, but one of the officials said the president asked for the plan to be put together. Tillersons long-rumored departure would end a troubled tenure for the former Exxon Mobil Corp chief executive who has been increasingly at odds with Trump over policy challenges such as North Korea and under fire for his planned cuts at the State Department. Tillerson was reported in October to have privately called Trump a moron, something which the secretary of state sought to dismiss. That followed a tweet by Trump a few days earlier that Tillerson should not waste his time by seeking negotiations with North Korea over its nuclear and missile program. Trump asked John Kelly, the White House chief of staff, to develop the transition strategy and it has already been discussed with other officials, one administration source said. Under the plan, which was first reported by the New York Times, the staff reshuffle would happen around the end of the year or shortly afterward. Asked if he wanted Tillerson to remain in his job, Trump sidestepped the question on Thursday, telling reporters at the White House: Hes here. Rex is here. There are no personnel announcements at this time, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders later told reporters. Tillersons departure has been widely rumored for months, with attention focused on Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, as his likely replacement. But Pompeo, a former member of Congress, has increasingly moved to the forefront as he has gained Trumps trust on national security matters. Tillerson, 65, has spent much of his tenure trying to smooth the rough edges of Trumps unilateralist America First foreign policy, with limited success. On several occasions, the U.S. president publicly undercut his diplomatic initiatives. A source familiar with Tillersons thinking said Tillersons original plan when he took the job as top U.S. diplomat, was to leave in February. His plan was to make it a year and then find a reason to leave. Who knows if that still holds? the source said. Senator Bob Corker, a senior voice in U.S. foreign policy, spoke to Tillerson on Thursday and said the secretary of state was unaware of any plans to oust him. If carried out, the staff changes would be the latest in a string of departures and firings in Trumps administration in recent months, including his chief of staff, national security advisor and FBI director. Theres so much churn. It feels like whiplash, a State Department official said. FOREIGN POLICY HARDLINER Pompeo, a foreign policy hardliner, especially on Iran, has publicly talked about how the spy agency is becoming more aggressive and how he has been focusing on deploying more CIA officers overseas. Pompeo has offered effusive praise for Trump in interviews and speeches despite the presidents public criticism of U.S. intelligence agencies and his dismissal of the finding by some of them that Russia conducted an influence campaign to boost Trump over his rival, Hillary Clinton, in the 2016 election. Pompeo also has downplayed the extent of Russias intervention, saying that Moscow has sought to influence U.S. elections for decades. While Trump has expressed deep skepticism of the U.S. intelligence community -- he once compared its behavior to that of Nazi Germany -- Pompeo has called the president an avid consumer of intelligence who is grateful to intelligence professionals. Tillerson has at times put distance between himself and Trumps positions. He joined Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in pressing a skeptical Trump not to pull the United States out of an agreement with Iran and world powers over Tehrans nuclear capabilities. Tillerson has taken a more hawkish view than Trump on Russia and tried to mediate a dispute among key U.S. Mideast allies, after four Arab nations launched a boycott of Qatar over its alleged Islamist extremist ties. In late September, while on a trip to Beijing, Tillerson said that Washington was probing North Korea to see whether it is interested in dialogue, and had multiple direct channels of communication with Pyongyang. The next day, Trump appeared to dismiss those efforts in a tweet, telling Tillerson that he was wasting his time trying to negotiate with North Korea. Tensions have also run high between Tillerson and veteran diplomats who oppose his proposed staff and budget cuts. His tenure has coincided with the departure of dozens of veteran foreign policy hands, and many of the State Departments senior policy making positions remain unfilled.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chinas envoy to North Korea appears to have had little impact in addressing tensions with North Korea, U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday after Pyongyang test fired its most advanced missile earlier this week. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about tax reform legislation during a visit to St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueThe Chinese envoy, who just returned from North Korea, seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man, Trump said in a post on Twitter, referring to North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un. A Chinese envoy reportedly visited North Korea earlier this month.

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(Reuters) - A Turkish-Iranian gold trader on Thursday told jurors in a New York federal court that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan personally authorized a transaction in a scheme to help Iran evade U.S. sanctions. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament of his ruling AK Party during a meeting at the Parliament in Ankara, Turkey, November 28, 2017. Kayhan Ozer/Presidential Palace/Handout via REUTERS Reza Zarrab is cooperating with U.S. prosecutors in the criminal trial of a Turkish bank executive accused of helping to launder money for Iran. At the time of the alleged conspiracy, Erdogan was Turkeys prime minister. Zarrab said he learned of Erdogans involvement from Zafer Caglayan, who was Turkeys economy minister. Erdogan said earlier on Thursday that Turkey did not violate U.S. sanctions and did the right thing in dealing with Iran, CNN Turk reported. A spokesman for Erdogans government has called the case a plot against Turkey. Zarrab also said for the first time on Thursday that Turkeys Ziraat Bank and VakifBank(VAKBN.IS) were involved in the scheme. Ziraat denied the allegation. VakifBank could not immediately be reached for comment after business hours on Thursday. The testimony came on the third day of the trial of Mehmet Hakan Atilla, an executive at Turkeys state-owned Halkbank (HALKB.IS), who has pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court. U.S. prosecutors have charged nine people in the case, although only Zarrab, 34, and Atilla, 47, have been arrested by U.S. authorities. Prosecutors have said the defendants took part in a scheme from 2010 to 2015 that involved gold trades and fake purchases of food to give Iran access to international markets. Zarrab, who began testifying on Wednesday morning, has told jurors that he helped Iran use funds deposited at Halkbank to buy gold, which was smuggled to Dubai and sold for cash. Zarrab has said that Atilla helped design the transactions, along with Halkbanks former general manager, Suleyman Aslan. Zarrab said that he paid bribes worth more than $50 million to Caglayan to further scheme. He said he bribed Aslan as well, but never bribed Atilla. Both Caglayan and Aslan were charged in the case. Turkeys government has previously said that Caglayan acted within Turkish and international law, and Halkbank has said all of its transactions complied with national and international regulations. Zarrabs testimony has focused on Halkbank and Turkey, but on Thursday, he said that he had tried to duplicate his scheme in China before Chinese banks shut him down. The banks that realized this had something to do with Iran, they immediately stopped it, he said.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon will indefinitely delay a ban on the use of older types of cluster bombs due to take effect on Jan. 1, 2019, officials say, arguing safety advances in munitions technology had failed to advance enough to replace older stockpiles. Cluster bombs, dropped by air or fired by artillery, scatter bomblets across a wide area which sometimes fail to explode and are difficult to locate and remove. That can lead to civilian deaths and injuries long after conflicts end. The U.S. military had hoped to transition to cluster munitions that explode at least 99 percent of time, greatly reducing the risks. But with just over one year to go before the bans slated implementation, a Pentagon spokesman told Reuters that safety technology had not progressed enough to replace existing stockpiles with safer weaponry. Although the Department seeks to field a new generation of more highly reliable munitions, we cannot risk mission failure or accept the potential of increased military and civilian casualties by forfeiting the best available capabilities, according to a Pentagon memo seen by Reuters. Pentagon spokesman Tom Crosson said it has been years since the U.S. military has used any significant amount of cluster munitions and, by law, it cannot sell older cluster munitions to partners or allies. The new policy does not allow the Pentagon to buy any additional cluster bombs that do not meet new standards, which broaden the definition of which types of munitions meet safety requirements beyond the 99 percent detonation rate. Under the new policy, the Pentagon says bombs that have advanced self destruct or deactivation technology would also be acceptable for future acquisition. The new policy also outlines possible waivers. In an urgent, wartime situation, the new policy also envisions the possibility that the deputy defense secretary can waive safety requirements on the use of cluster munitions.

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More details about a first-of-its-kind hunt in south-central Montana to determine the spread of chronic wasting disease have been revealed.

One thousand special mule deer B licenses are being requested by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to issue to hunters in an attempt to kill more than 300 deer in the region.

The request is one of many items on the agenda for the Fish and Wildlife Commission, which will meet on Dec. 7 in Helena. The commission must approve the special hunt because FWP is still in the process of creating its chronic wasting disease plan. Until then, the agency is following the guidelines of the draft plan and communicating with commissioners.

"We commend FWP for jumping on this early," said Nick Gevock of the Montana Wildlife Federation.

Questions

A number of unknowns surround the process, such as: Will hunters respond in appropriate numbers?

The success of this effort is obviously going to hang on hunters, said Greg Lemon, FWP information officer.

If hunters dont buy and use the licenses, FWP will have to consider other options.

Weve lined out the plan to provide us with a variety of options, Lemon said. Before we got to some type of agency removal or sampling of the deer we would be doing everything we can to use hunters by using partners  to try and help us out.

I think its important we have a quick response to this and thats what were doing, Lemon added, but he said that if enough samples aren't collected that won't be an immediate problem. I dont think were feeling that pressure to get 368 samples come hell or high water.

Licensing

FWP is requesting that the special licenses go on sale by Dec. 11. The first special hunt would begin on Dec. 15 and run through Jan. 14 in whats being called the Bridger Special CWD Hunt, because of its proximity to the town of Bridger, located 50 miles south of Billings. The second hunt period would be from Jan. 15 to Feb. 15. Five hundred licenses would be sold for each hunt period at a price of $10 each for Montana residents, $20 for nonresidents. The licenses would be specific to each hunt period.

When we reach sampling objective well stop the hunt, Lemon said.

Unlike a damage hunt, which focuses on the removal of female animals to reduce populations, licenses for the CWD hunt would be issued for does and bucks, with the proportion mirroring the buck-to-doe ratio in the areas mule deer population. The breakdown for the license sales will be 400 antlerless and 100 either-sex per period. Each hunter could purchase one either-sex license and up to six antlerless tags. Hunters who had purchased B tags for the regular season would have those count toward their total number of possible B tags.

The only legal licenses for the hunt will be the special licenses, hunters cannot use leftover tags from the general season.

The special mule deer B licenses would only be valid in the designated hunt area, which will be defined in maps given to those who buy the licenses.

The area

The general region for the hunt would range from Red Lodge to Fromberg, east of Highway 310 to the border of the Crow Indian Reservation and the western edge of Hunting District 510. It would also include the towns of Belfry and Bearcreek, and east of Bridger and southeast of Fromberg.

We arent handing out copies of the map at this point, Lemon said. Were trying to be as open about what were planning as we can be  to prepare landowners and hunters. But were worried about having to redraw the map and have a bad draft circulating around.

All animals shot during the hunt would be tested for CWD to determine the diseases spread. A check station may be set up at the rest area just north of Bridger. Successful hunters would be asked to pinpoint on a map or with GPS coordinates where the deer was killed.

We want to make it as convenient as we can for folks, Lemon said.

FWP is also calling on landowners in the special hunt area to cooperate with the agency and hunters as mule deer at this time of the year tend to concentrate on agricultural fields where food is more readily available, Lemon said.

Testing

FWP has not decided whether to reimburse those hunters whose animals test positive for CWD for their license expense, as was the case during the general season. To qualify the hunter had to return the deer meat, carcass and antlers to FWP. The agency will not reimburse hunters for the cost of having their meat processed, should it turn out to be CWD positive. FWP has been getting its lab results in about 10 to 11 days, but hunters are typically advised to let their animals carcass age no more than a week. That puts hunters in the awkward position of having to pay to have their meat processed, or doing the work themselves, knowing they may be advised to not consume the venison.

Any hunters traveling to the area to hunt will not be allowed to take carcasses out of Carbon or Yellowstone counties without the animals being deboned and the antlers free of tissue. This is meant to reduce the chance that an infected animal's carcass may be left somewhere that could infect animals outside of the current CWD detection zone.

Our real concern is transporting carcasses from CWD-infected animals to other parts of the state, Lemon said. But the biggest threat to transmission is a live animal walking around.

The hunt would also reduce the number of mule deer, somewhat lessening the chance for CWD to spread. The disease is known to transfer more easily when animals are crowded together, like on winter range habitat.

Two mule deer bucks shot this fall in Hunting District 510, located south of Bridger, have tested positive for CWD. One was killed 10 miles southeast of Bridger and the other 3 miles south of Belfry. The designated CWD hunting area, known as the Initial Response Area, is roughly a 10 mile radius around where each deer was killed.

Contingency

FWP is also requesting that it be allowed to issue another 1,000 licenses for the special hunt, if necessary, based on test results from samples taken from deer harvested during the regular season. Those results arent due back until after the Dec. 7 commission meeting. More positive results could prompt FWP to expand the hunt area.

Other CWD positives may be found through ongoing surveillance between this writing and the end of the general season that would expand the IRA, FWP writes in its agenda item. In that case we would redefine the IRA and sampling needs and need to issue more licenses before initiating the hunt and selling licenses.

Chronic wasting disease is a contagious, fatal illness that can also infect elk, whitetail deer and moose. So far it has been detected in 21 states, including Wyoming, where the disease is believed to have migrated into Montana from, and two Canadian provinces. The disease is not known to spread to cattle or humans, but hunters who kill an animal that tests positive for CWD are advised not to eat the meat.

Compared to a regular-season hunt, we realize there are a lot of steps were asking people to go through, Lemon said. Were hopeful people see the importance of this, not just for the meat, but to determine the best way to manage the disease going forward.
OSLO (Reuters) - The Nobel Peace Prize winners campaign to ban nuclear weapons will not make the world more peaceful, the U.S. Embassy in Norway said, confirming its top diplomat will not attend next months award ceremony. The logo of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) is seen before the news conference after ICAN won the Nobel Peace Prize 2017, in Geneva, Switzerland October 6, 2017. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/FilesOn Wednesday, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) accused the United States, Britain and France of snubbing its disarmament work by planning to send only second-rank diplomats in a coordinated move. ICAN, a little-known organisation that was a surprise choice for the prize, has been campaigning for the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was adopted by 122 nations in July this year. But the treaty is not signed by - and would not apply to - any of the states that already have nuclear arms: the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France, as well as India, Pakistan and North Korea. North Korea said it had successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday in a breakthrough that puts the U.S. mainland within range of its nuclear weapons. The U.S. Embassy in Oslo said it planned to send its acting deputy chief of mission instead of its acting ambassador to the Dec. 10 ceremony, attended by King Harald and Queen Sonja and the highlight of the diplomatic calendar in Norway. This years Nobel Peace Prize to ICAN for its efforts in support of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, comes at a time of increased danger of nuclear proliferation, the embassy said in the statement to Reuters on Thursday. This treaty will not make the world more peaceful, will not result in the elimination of a single nuclear weapon, and will not enhance any states security, it said. This treaty ignores the current security challenges that make nuclear deterrence necessary, and risks undermining existing efforts to address global proliferation. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump nominated Kenneth Braithwaite to the post of ambassador in Oslo, currently held by an acting ambassador. While Britain and France will do the same as the United States in sending lower-ranking diplomats to the ceremony, the other two permanent members of the U.N. Security Council are taking different approaches. The Russian embassy said it would send its ambassador to the ceremony. The ambassador is planning to attend, said Russian embassy spokeswoman Olga Kiriak. The Chinese embassy said the ambassador was unavailable and that it had no plans to send someone else instead of him. We cannot be sure about the ambassadors schedule at this time. He is on holiday, said a press officer at the Chinese embassy, who did not give her name.

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UNITED NATIONS/SEOUL (Reuters) - The United States warned the North Korean leadership that it would utterly destroyed if war were to break out, after Pyongyang test fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, putting the U.S. mainland within range. The Trump administration has repeatedly said all options were on the table in dealing with North Korea, including military ones, but has said it still prefers a diplomatic option. Still, speaking at an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting, U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley warned: If war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed. Haley said the United States has asked China to cut off oil supply to North Korea. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has vowed to halt North Koreas nuclear and missile programs, spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier on Wednesday. A man looks at a street monitor showing a news report about North Korea's missile launch, in Tokyo, Japan, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Toru HanaiChina is North Koreas sole major ally and they share a long border and significant trade. We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday, Haley said. Slideshow (7 Images)North Korea said the new missile soared to an altitude of about 4,475 km (2,780 miles) - more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station - and flew 950 km (590 miles) during its 53-minute flight. It flew higher and longer than any North Korean missile before, landing in the sea near Japan. Experts said the new Hwasong-15 missile theoretically gave North Korea the ability to hit the United States, including the East Coast, although it was not clear whether it could carry a nuclear weapon. North Korea, which conducted its sixth and largest nuclear bomb test in September, has tested dozens of ballistic missiles under Kims leadership in defiance of international sanctions.

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Brussels: Britain and the EU have reportedly reached a deal on the thorny issue of London's divorce bill, but details remain sketchy, and are likely to do so even after it is made public.

Brussels has long demanded that Britain must pay for its share of the budget until it leaves the bloc in March 2019, and then for future commitments made while it was a member.

The financial settlement would be between 45 and 55 billion ($53-63 billion), according to The Daily Telegraph, while the Financial Times said the net figure was 100 billion but would be structured over time.

Here is a breakdown of how the bill is being calculated.

'Reste a liquider': 30 billion?

Known even by English-speakers in Brussels by the French term Reste a Liquider (but translatable as 'amount to be settled'), these outstanding budgetary commitments represent the lion's share of the Brexit bill.

Each year the EU budget has two columns: payments and commitments. These arise because some payments in a given year relate to commitments made in past years for multi-annual projects.

This has been one of the main sources of public disagreement in the Brexit debate, with Britain saying it should not be forced to pay for EU issues after it leaves, but Brussels insisting it must pay the tab for things it has already agreed to.

The Breugel think tank in Brussels estimates that the net total RAL on Brexit day will be between 30 billion and 39 billion.

Multi-year budget: 20 billion?

The EU approves "multi-annual financial frameworks" in blocks of several financial years, and the current one, which Britain has signed up to, runs from 2014-2020. Although they are not officially budgets, with that term reserved for annual budgets, they are viewed by the EU as a legal commitments.

Brussels says that although Britain will leave the EU in March 2019, London is liable for everything in the budget for the rest of 2019 and for the whole of 2020.

With Britain's annual contribution estimated by the European Commission  depending on what parameters are used  as between 10 and 13 billion, the net figure for this part therefore comes to between 20 and 27 billioneuros.

British prime minister Theresa May's earlier pledge to honour this part of its commitment gave rise to the figure put on Britain's original Brexit bill offer of 20 billion.

Pensions: 7 billion

One of the key commitments that the EU claims Britain has made is to the payment of pensions for EU officials. These payments should continue after Brexit because the officials were employed during Britain's four decades of membership, the argument goes.

Breugel estimates the net pensions figure at between 7.7 billion and 10 billion.

Other commitments: dozens of billions

Brussels wants to include other commitments in the final bill that aren't included in the budgets or reste a liquider, potentially amounting to several dozen billion, but probably far less. These include pledges for migration such as the EU's deal with Turkey, and other strategic investments.

Then there are "contingent liabilities"  possible expenses including contributions to possible future bailouts that Britain has agreed to be part of, in Ireland for example, or to accession funds for future members whose membership ambitions began when Britain was part of the EU.

The EU 27 also want Britain to pay for the cost of moving the European Medicines Agency and European Banking Authority from London to their new homes in Amsterdam and Paris respectively.

Net total versus actual total

The net total of all the British commitments above could add up to around 100 billion, the figure cited by the Financial Times.

But for its part Britain would be owed several billion euros by the EU including its stake in several EU buildings, and its shares in the European Investment Bank.

That would bring the final figure far lower, coupled with what the Financial Times said was tapering of payments over several decades.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House has developed a plan to oust Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who has had an increasingly tense relationship with President Donald Trump, and replace him with CIA director Mike Pompeo within weeks, senior administration officials said on Thursday. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson participates in a panel discussion after his remarks on U.S.-European Relations at the Wilson Center in Washington, U.S., November 28, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri GripasUnder the plan, Republican Senator Tom Cotton would be tapped to replace Pompeo at the Central Intelligence Agency, the New York Times reported, citing senior officials. The Times, the first to report the plan, said it was not immediately clear whether Trump had given final approval to what would be the most significant shakeup in his administration since he took office in January. Tillersons departure would end a troubled tenure for the former Exxon Mobil Corp chief executive who has found himself increasingly at odds with Trump over policy challenges such as North Korea and under fire for his planned cuts at the State Department. Tillerson was reported in October to have privately called Trump a moron, which the secretary of state sought to dismiss. That followed a tweet by Trump a few days earlier that Tillerson should not waste his time by seeking diplomatic engagement with North Korea. John Kelly, the White House chief of staff, developed the transition plan and has discussed it with other officials, the Times reported. Under his plan, the staff reshuffle would happen around the end of the year or shortly afterward. Tillersons departure has been widely rumored for months, with attention focused on Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, as his likely replacement. But Pompeo, a former member of Congress, has increasingly moved to the forefront as he has gained Trumps trust on national security matters. Tillerson, 65, has spent much of his tenure trying to smooth the rough edges of Trumps unilateralist America First foreign policy, with limited success. On several occasions, the U.S. president publicly undercut his diplomatic initiatives. A source familiar with Tillersons thinking said Tillersons original plan when he took the job as top U.S. diplomat, was to leave in February. His plan was to make it a year and then find a reason to leave. Who knows if that still holds? the source said.

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London: A British woman wrongly tweeted by US president Donald Trump for UK prime minister Theresa May has sought an apology from the White House, asserting that she has been unable to leave her home. Theresa May Scrivener, who lives in the coastal town of Bognor in West Sussex, used her middle name when she set up her Twitter handle @TheresaMay in 2009.

Trump tagged that handle instead of the British Prime Minister's handle before deleting the message to send it to the correct handle:

.@Theresa_May, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2017



His tweet, last night UK time, was a reaction to the British prime minister's rebuke that the US president was "wrong" to re-tweet controversial anti-Muslim videos posted by British far-right group Britain First. "It's amazing to think that the world's most powerful man managed to press the wrong button. I'm just waiting for a call from the White House with an apology," said Scrivener, who has been bombarded by messages from contrite Americans apologising for their president.

"I haven't been able to leave my house. I've been bombarded and been contacted by press from around the world... I'm just glad he was not contacting me to say he was going to war with North Korea," the 41-year-old said.

Scrivener, whose Twitter account has just six followers compared with Prime Minister May's 427,000, has said she has no plans of changing her social media account name. "He [Trump] needs to think before he tweets. WeTheresa May and Iare so different. Our profiles are completely different. She runs the country, I'm a mum from Bognor," she said, refusing to be drawn any further into the controversy over the content of his tweets.

Trump's re-tweet of three videos first posted by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First, has created a major uproar in the UK. Several MPs have demanded that a state visit invitation, extended to the US president on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, be withdrawn in protest.
WASHINGTON  Republicans plan to vote by the end of the week on their much-anticipated tax-cut proposal. But despite clearing some preliminary votes, the legislations fate remains unclear, largely because some GOP senators may yet vote against the measure.

GOP leaders can afford to lose no more than two votes. Heres a look at some of the Republican holdouts who will decide the fate of the tax bill.

Deficit hawks

 Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn.

A leading critic of President Donald Trump, Corker has emerged as one of the last remaining deficit hawks. He said he wouldnt vote for a bill that adds one penny to the deficit and is pushing a trigger mechanism that would claw back some tax cuts if economic growth doesnt cover costs, as Republican leaders promise. Corker has commanded leaderships attention because hes a known deal-maker and is retiring rather than seeking re-election. That may embolden him to go it alone.

 Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla.

A quiet Christian former youth camp director who has watched his own states deficit struggles with lower taxes, Lankford is a key ally in Corkers push for a trigger mechanism. Even though he rarely bucks leadership, Lankford has increasingly become an independent-minded senator.

 Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.

Flake was a debt-fighting conservative before the rise of the tea party, and he also wants assurances the tax cuts wont add to the deficit. Like others who are retiring rather than face re-election, the outspoken Trump critic has become more willing to challenge leadership and the White House.

Pass-through boosters

 Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis.

A wealthy plastics company owner, Johnson wants more tax breaks for so-called pass-through businesses. That includes the mom-and-pop shops but also highly paid lawyers and professionals who file taxes as individuals, rather than corporations. One goal is to increase the deduction they take on their incomes from 17.4 percent to 20 percent. But his suggestions have been panned. Johnson surprised leaders earlier this year when he initially opposed the health care overhaul, but they think he eventually will come around on taxes.

 Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont.

Another advocate for business pass-throughs, Daines joined Johnson in pushing for more tax breaks that put the individual filers on par with corporations at the new 20 percent rate. Leaders also doubt he will block the bill.

HEALTH CARE

 Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine

The most centrist Republican in the Senate is also among the most seasoned negotiators. She went face to face earlier with Trump over her opposition to repealing the Affordable Care Act mandate that all Americans carry insurance, which is included in the tax bill. She left the negotiating table with assurances that healthcare fixes she sought would be made. But Collins still wants other revisions, including preserving the top tax rate at 39.6 percent. Her vote  as reflected by her opposition to the Obamacare repeal  may be the toughest to get.

WILD CARDS

 Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Fighting cancer and hobbled by a foot injury, McCain is down but nowhere near out of the tax fight. The senator has opposed tax cuts that add to deficits before. McCain shocked Washington when he opposed the GOP Obamacare repeal earlier this year. McCain is no fan of Trump, but hes not likely to oppose the tax bill to simply buck the president. He could vote against it because he doesnt like it.

 Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.

Hardly a headline-grabber, Moran pays close attention to constituents back home, as he did this summer when he stunned Washington as an unexpected critic of the ACA overhaul. Now Kansans, who have had an up-close view of the negative impact of sweeping tax cuts in their state, are pushing him to oppose the tax bill. A conservative, he is inclined to support tax cuts, but his vote is uncertain.
Six-year-old Elijah Salley is an aspiring artist who loves math, enjoys putting together Legos or playing Minecraft, is outgoing and has a great sense of humor.

But for the past eight months, much of the Billings boy's focus has been on cancer. Diagnosed in early March with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Elijah and his mother, Tara Salley, who live in Billings, flew to Children's Hospital Colorado for his initial treatment.

Since then, however, he has undergone subsequent rounds of inpatient chemotherapy at Billings Clinic. Elijah is the first pediatric patient to receive the inpatient treatment at the Billings hospital, thanks to a care alliance agreement signed in February with CHC.

Through the formal alliance, the Aurora, Colorado-based hospital provides training to the medical professionals at the Billings Clinic, as well as support, expert advice and ongoing coordination in cases like Elijahs.

CHC physicians and others visit Billings quarterly for case reviews, for updating protocols and for training. It also includes collaboration via telemedicine.

And when a more specialized type of care is needed, the alliance can streamline coordination between the two hospitals.

It accelerated our ability of achieving the goal of doing inpatient chemo, Billings Clinic pediatric nurse Tammy Johnson said. It would have been more challenging than without it.

There has been an informal arrangement between the two hospitals for years, said Dr. Jack Staddon, pediatric oncologist/hematologist at the Billings hospital.

The care alliance was a formalization and deepening of longstanding relationships between pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists at Childrens Hospital Colorado and those here in Billings, he said.

That has made all the difference for the Salley family. Tara, a physician assistant, and her husband, Gabriel, a real estate broker, have three children, Elijah; Alexis, 17; and Robert, 20.

On Feb. 27, after the family had returned from a vacation, Gabriel noticed a lump in Elijahs groin and thought maybe it was a hernia.

We took him to a walk-in clinic to see, and they discovered it was a very large lymph node and he had enlarged lymph nodes everywhere, Tara Salley said.

A day later, Staddon examined him, and by March 1 Elijah was diagnosed with leukemia. Salley and her son flew to Denver the next day to start treatment at CHC.

They stayed in Denver for about six weeks, with Elijah in the hospital for 11 days during that time.

Were fortunate enough that our closest friends live in Golden, so we were able to live with them when we were down there, which lifted a big financial burden, Salley said. But not every family is that lucky.

Elijah responded well to treatment, Staddon said.

He went into remission and has done actually very, very well in his treatment course, he said.

In the meantime, Johnson said, the wheels were set in motion for pediatric patients to receive inpatient chemotherapy at Billings Clinic.

When our floor opened in January 2016, our goal was to do inpatient pediatric chemotherapy within 18 months, she said.

Two certified pediatric hematology/oncology nurses from CHC traveled to Billings for two days in April to teach pediatric charge nurses how to deliver chemotherapy. The staff did some further hands-on training in the clinics adult infusion center and the pediatric outpatient infusion center.

Then Johnson spent a week at CHC to learn hands-on processes, such as charting, and safety measures. It also included working with nurses at the bedside to see how they interact with patients and administer the chemotherapy, as well as time at the outpatient clinic.

Our goal was to have everybody ready to go by June first, she said.

By the time Elijah was ready for his first inpatient chemotherapy session in Billings in mid-June, the clinic was ready for him. Most of his treatment will be outpatient, Staddon said, but Elijah will require two months of inpatient chemotherapy clustered into in three- to four-day stays.

Expected complications, including fever and low white and red blood cell and platelet counts, have also required additional hospital stays. Throughout the entire process, Staddon has worked closely with the physician team in Denver so their experience is able to inform our care.

Its helpful to dip into the experience of a large center that has several cases like Elijahs instead of just the one, he said.

Hes really been able to get the best of both worlds, Staddon said. He gets subspecialized care and knowledge from Denver and the individualized care Ive been able to do here as more of a general pediatric oncologist and hematologist.

Salley also has been grateful to stay close to home for the extended treatment. It allows her to work, keeps her close to her husband and other children and lets family and friends visit Elijah.

Childrens Hospital Colorado is an amazing facility, but its very big, she said.

It was difficult to get to know the large staff of nurses and doctors. Here, she knows all of the nurses by name, and Elijah has bonded with Staddon.

This is much more personalized, and it just feels more like family, Salley said.
A computer glitch at American Airlines allowed all pilots to take their vacation days off over the week of Christmas, potentially impact thousands of flights and even more travelers during one of the busiest travel times of the year.

Between Dec. 17 and Dec. 31, more than 15,000 flights wont have a full complement of pilots to get passengers to and from destinations. The Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents 15,000 of Americans pilots, said the air carriers management disclosed the failure within the pilot schedule bidding system on Friday.

Thousands of flights currently do not have pilots assigned to fly them during the upcoming critical holiday period, the APA said in a press release. Today, management issued an update detailing the significant holes in the operation and unilaterally invoked a solution for crewing affected flights.

American said it was working to address the issue and expects to avoid cancellations during the crucial holiday travel season.

We have reserve pilots to help cover flying in December, and we are paying pilots who pick up certain open trips 150 percent of their hourly rate  as much as we are allowed to pay them per the contract. We will work with the APA to take care of our pilots and ensure we get our customers to where they need to go over the holidays, the airline said in a statement.

However, the deal wont be such a simple fix, according to the APA, which said the contract with American could hinder the solution.

Unfortunately, the offer of premium pay has some restrictions, some limitations that dont align with the wording in our contract governing situations like this, and so we cant selectively decide which parts of the contact to abide by or otherwise, APA Communications Director Gregg Overman told FOX Business.

While there is no crystal ball to predict the outcome of the situation, Overman hopes management at American can work with the union to solve the issue before it hits passengers and employees.

Right now this is not a fix for sure. Thats safe to say, he said.
Spanish taxis refused to pick up passengers in a one-day strike Wednesday against the increase in cars run by private companies offering cheaper, mobile ride-hailing services.

The near nation-wide stoppage, directed against the San Francisco-headquartered Uber and Madrid-based Cabify services, was called after a court recently allowed new licenses for these firms.

Unions say a law stipulating that there should be one private cab for every 30 taxis is being flouted.

The strike left empty the normally packed taxi ranks at airports and train stations.

Thousands of taxi drivers took part in a demonstration from Madrid's main train station to a square near Parliament, causing considerable traffic chaos for most of the day.

Police maintained a strong presence in the area and cordoned off all side streets to the legislators' building.

The drivers blew horns noisily and set off firecrackers and color smoke bombs. There were brief scuffles with police as some protesters tried to break past the barriers set up to prevent access to the Parliament headquarters.

The unions have held several similar strikes in recent years. They said they would provide free services for the elderly, pregnant women and people with physical mobility problems during Wednesday's stoppage.
Oil was mixed on Thursday after OPEC members agreed to extend curbs on output, though a final deal hinged on a decision by non-OPEC producers later in the day.

Irans energy minister announced that Nigeria and Libya would be included in the oil output deal and an OPEC communique stated that the countries would not produce above 2017 levels in the new year.

The Oman minister said that Nigeria had agreed to cap output at 1.8 million barrels per day.

Under the deal, due to expire in March 2018, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers such as Russia would cut 1.8 million barrels per day from the market in an attempt to tackle global oversupply and bolster prices.

OPEC on Thursday agreed to extend cuts for a further nine months.

OPEC extending the output cut till the end of 2018 was widely anticipated; however, suggestions that both Nigeria and Libya have decided to cap production is a bullish signal, said Abhishek Kumar, senior energy analyst at Interfax Energys Global Gas Analytics in London.

However, price reactions were mostly muted, with many analysts saying the nine-month extension was already priced in.

Because theyre going to be meeting again in a few months, were just going to be doing this again, said John Macaluso, an analyst at Tyche Capital Advisors in New York.

The most active February Brent contract was trading up 16 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $62.37 a barrel at 1:29 p.m. (1829 GMT). The front-month January contract expires later on Thursday.

More on this... OPEC, Russia agree oil cut extension to end of 2018

U.S. light crude for February delivery was at $57.15 a barrel, down 21 cents, or 0.2 percent.

The Brent/WTI spread WTCLc1-LCOc1 widened by 49 cents.

Though the deal looked set to go through, a final decision involving non-OPEC producers, including Russia, had yet to be announced.

A news conference toward the end of the day was expected to outline whether the deal will include a review in June 2018, an opportunity to reassess the cuts, and possibly end them.

Its not surprising that they gave themselves an out, said Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management, referring to the June meeting.

He said the important question would be who complies. I think thats where market attention will focus, because youre trying to get a market into balance, Haworth said.

Market watchers said they would look closely at output from countries like Iran, Libya and Russia.

It will be hard to keep the Russian oil companies in the fold, if shale producers continue to make increased sales to Asia as well, said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital Llc in New York.

Russia has been pushing for a clear message on how to exit the cuts, concerned that prices do not rally too quickly and that rival U.S. shale firms do not boost output further.

One of OPECs biggest problems while cutting supplies has been rising U.S. output, which is gaining global market share and undermining the groups efforts to tighten the market.

U.S. oil production hit a new record of 9.68 million barrels per day (bpd) last week, according to government data released on Wednesday.

That is up from 8.5 million bpd at the end of last year, before the cuts were implemented.

Were sticking with our range bound thesis, said U.S. Banks Haworth, With these higher prices its reasonable for U.S. producers to add to production because the cost of new wells hasnt gone up that much.
European auto manufacturers are following President Donald Trumps push for car makers to build their vehicles in the U.S.

BMW North America CEO Bernhard Kuhnt told FOX Business Hillary Vaughn that the German luxury automaker is planning to ramp up its investment and build more vehicles in the U.S.

"We invested $8.1B in Spartanburg in South Carolina. We're about to invest more. It's our biggest plan globally, Kuhnt said Wednesday during an interview from the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Kuhnt said he thinks the U.S. economy under President Trump is going on the right direction, and he feels positive about his policies.

The automaker spent roughly $1 billion to expand manufacturing capacity at the Spartanburg factory, and in June 2017, announced plans to invest an additional $600 million to support the production of its BMW X sport-utility vehicles.

BMW exports about 70% of the vehicles it makes in Spartanburg, the company says.

We are very well established in this country. As a matter of fact, we are able to take the value of the cars, we are the company with the highest value of export from this country, he said.

The South Carolina facility is now home to the largest BMW factory in the world, employing more than 9,000 people and building 411,000 vehicles in 2016, according to BMW.
The Latest on Senate Republicans' tax overhaul bill (all times local):

8 p.m.

Senate Republicans may have hit a procedural snag in their bid to open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. An arcane budget rule may hinder GOP efforts to include drilling in the tax overhaul legislation.

Senate Democrats objected to the provision opening a portion of the remote refuge to oil drilling, saying measures to fast-track environmental approvals violate a rule designed to limit budget legislation to provisions that are mainly fiscal in nature. Congressional aides say the Senate parliamentarian has signaled agreement with Democrats, which could force Republicans to secure 60 votes for drilling, instead of 50 needed for the tax bill.

While the drilling measure's fate is unclear, stripping it from the tax bill would be a blow to Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski, chair of the Senate energy panel and a key drilling proponent.

Republican aides say the problem is fixable, but environmental groups were celebrating Wednesday. Tiernan Sittenfeld of the League of Conservation Voters said the procedural hiccup "is what happens when you cut corners and try to sneak drilling into an already terrible tax bill."

___

6:18 p.m.

The largest tax package in more than three decades has cleared a key procedural vote in the Senate as Republican lawmakers work to give President Donald Trump the biggest legislative victory of his first year in office.

The Senate voted 52-48 Wednesday to start debating the bill, which would provide generous tax cuts to businesses and more modest tax cuts to families and individuals. It was a party-line vote, with all Republicans in favor and all Democrats opposed.

Wednesday's vote paves the way for the Senate to potentially pass the bill later this week. Lawmakers would then try to reconcile it with a tax package passed by the House.

___

4:20 p.m.

Conservative groups and lawmakers are lining up against a proposal by Senate Republicans to impose automatic tax increases on millions of Americans  if their sweeping tax package doesn't grow the economy and raise tax revenues as much as projected.

The opposition comes as the Senate starts debating the tax package. It could doom a delicately negotiated proposal aimed at mollifying deficit hawks who worry that tax cuts for businesses and individuals could add trillions to the nation's mounting national debt.

But tucking a potential tax increase into the tax cut bill isn't sitting well with conservatives.

Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas, calls the proposal "a uniquely bad idea."
Energy Transfer Partners (NYSE: ETP) has lost more than 35% of its value this year. That's despite the fact that the company finally turned around its sinking earnings and cash flow thanks to the recent completion of several expansion projects. That growth enabled it to continue increasing its already lucrative distribution, which now yields a stunning 14.5%. That's roughly double the yield of the average master limited partnership, mainly because Energy Transfer sells for an absurdly low valuation versus its peers.

That said, Energy Transfer is on sale for a reason, which is that investors remain deeply concerned about the company's financial situation. They see that precarious picture potentially causing a massive distribution cut at some point in the future. However, if Energy Transfer can alleviate those fears by delivering on its growth promises, it could fuel significant gains for risk-tolerant investors in 2018.

The bear case for Energy Transfer

On the surface, Energy Transfer's lucrative distribution appears to be on solid ground. Last quarter, the company generated $1.05 billion in distributable cash flow and only sent $925 million to investors, implying a 1.13 times coverage ratio. Meanwhile, for the full year, it has covered its payout with cash flow by 1.14 times. The only reason it covered the payout with room to spare, however, was that parent company Energy Transfer Equity (NYSE: ETE) gave it a helping hand by agreeing to relinquish a portion of its incentive distribution rights (IDRs). Without that assistance, coverage would have been 0.96 times both last quarter and for the year. That's a concern because Energy Transfer Equity's support will decline from $163 million last quarter to just $153 million for all of 2018.

In addition, Energy Transfer has a relatively weak balance sheet. Last quarter, for example, its debt-to-adjusted EBITDA ratio was 4.92 times. While that's a dramatic improvement from 5.74 times at the end of last year, leverage and distribution coverage are at weaker levels than those of the top MLPs.

As a result, Energy Transfer has had to be much more creative in securing the capital needed to finance its expansion projects. Recent moves have included selling stakes in expansion projects to offload a portion of the financing commitment, issuing higher-cost preferred stock, and selling equity at a very dilutive price. In the meantime, with several more expansion projects underway, the company will need to continue working hard to secure outside capital to finance these projects. That pursuit could ultimately lead Energy Transfer to slash its lucrative payout.

The bull case for Energy Transfer

Those expansion projects, however, should fuel significant cash flow growth over the coming year. The company has several projects coming on line over the next few quarters including the first phase of its Permian Express 3 pipeline in the current quarter and the final stretch of the Rover Pipeline in the first quarter of 2018. By next year's second quarter, the company should also finish Mariner East 2, the Revolution System, and several other smaller pipelines and processing plants. As these projects enter service, they will boost Energy Transfer's earnings and cash flow, which should help increase distribution coverage while continuing to drive down the leverage ratio even as the company expects to keep raising the payout at a double-digit annual rate.

At some point, the organic improvement in those two crucial financial metrics should eventually ease investor fears about the company's financial situation. That's why CEO Kelcy Warren believes that "our unit price will recover. I think at some point, there's got to be some sanity to come back into the market." When that happens, the recovery could be significant given its insanely cheap valuation compared to rivals.

This high-risk gamble isn't for the faint of heart

Energy Transfer Partners looks like a steal right now since it trades at a dirt-cheap valuation, which is one reason the yield has reached such an eye-popping level. That said, it's cheap for a reason as investors remain deeply concerned about its weaker financial situation. While those numbers should get better over the next year as growth projects start contributing earnings and cash flow, it will be a slow process and might not work out as planned.

Energy Transfer is therefore a high-risk bet since it could continue to slide and might eventually need to slash the payout. But if Warren is right that the market will eventually come to its senses, a gamble on Energy Transfer at today's price could pay off spectacularly.

10 stocks we like better than Energy Transfer PartnersWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Energy Transfer Partners wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

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*Stock Advisor returns as of November 6, 2017

Matthew DiLallo owns shares of Enterprise Products Partners. The Motley Fool recommends Enterprise Products Partners and Magellan Midstream Partners. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
There's nothing quite like a good, solid oil dividend, right? Anyone looking for a strong dividend payout backed by torrential cash flows must surely be impressed by ExxonMobil's (NYSE: XOM) 3.7% yield and 34 years of uninterrupted annual dividend increases.

Exxon is indeed a great income stock, but there are many dividend stocks out there that offer even better policies than the oil giant. You don't even have to stick within the energy market.

A panel of your fellow investors here at The Motley Fool has put together a handful of stocks with better yields than ExxonMobil. Read on to see how Spirit Realty Capital (NYSE: SRC), Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), and Six Flags (NYSE: SIX) can beat the big oil stocks from the perspective of a dividend hunter.

A massive yield with capital gain potential

Jordan Wathen (Spirit Realty Capital): Shares of this retail-focused REIT are too cheap to ignore. Though the company has struggled under the weight of its largest single tenant, Shopko, investors are pricing the stock as if its portfolio were filled to the brim with similarly weak tenants. That's not the case, in my view.

To be sure, Shopko is a large tenant for Spirit Realty, making up about 7.8% of contractual rent, compared with 2.6% and 2.4% for its second- and third-largest tenants, respectively. But the portfolio, which includes more than 2,400 properties, is generally leased on a triple-net basis to high-quality restaurants, pharmacies, convenience stores, and movie theaters, all of which derive benefits from proximity to their customers (they can't just move to lower-cost locations).

I suspect that an upcoming spin-off that will push Shopko assets into a new REIT will help investors better understand the value of the remaining assets, particularly its triple-net lease portfolio. With a current yield of 8.5%, the company yields nearly twice as much as other triple-net lease REITs, including Realty Income Corporation and National Retail Properties.

The market is pricing Spirit as if there are several more Shopkos to come. At the current share price, I think it makes sense to take the other side of the trade.

The stable telecom

Chris Neiger (Verizon): It's nearly impossible to put together a list of dividend stocks with high yields and not mention Verizon. The telecom giant currently has a trailing annual dividend yield of 4.9% and has a 10-year history of raising it every year.

The company's wireless business drives its top line, and increasing competition from its rivals has kept Verizon on its toes lately. Wireless revenue of $21.6 billion fell more than 2% year over year in the third quarter of 2017, but there isn't much for investors to worry about over the long term. Verizon added 486,000 postpaid smartphone net additions in the quarter -- which is on top of 590,000 net smartphone additions in the previous quarter -- and show that even the comparable LTE networks from Verizon's competitors aren't enough to siphon off the telecom's loyal and growing customer base.

Verizon is also taking steps right now to ensure that it dominates the upcoming 5G wireless revolution. The company has already conducted extensive 5G tests and rolled out 5G services in test cities this year. This is a long term opportunity for the company, and an early 5G rollout could give the carrier a leg up over its wireless rivals, just as its head start in 4G and LTE networks did in the past.

The company will be dependent on its wireless business for years to come, but the telecom giant has been expanding into content as well after it bought AOL a couple of years ago and through its most recent purchase of Yahoo!. This should help diversify Verizon's revenue in the coming years -- albiet not much at first -- and shows that this long-standing telecom giant understands how to stay nimble in an increasingly competitive wireless market.

Verizon's shares are currently trading at just 12 times the company's earnings, and its dividend yield continues to climb. Add to that all of the advantages mentioned, and investors are looking at a strong dividend investment for years to come.

Six Flags over Wall Street

Anders Bylund (Six Flags): Theme parks are a serious business. Park operator Six Flags collects $1.3 billion of annual revenue, extracting $524 million of that top-line haul in the form of EBITDA profits and $324 of free cash flows. Seventy percent of the free cash is then paid right back to shareholders under a generous dividend program, resulting in a 4.4% dividend yield at current share prices.

That shareholder-friendly dividend policy has seen its yearly payouts more than doubling in five years, rising from $1.20 per share five years ago to $2.80 today. Payout boosts have generally kept pace with the stock chart's upward march, keeping Six Flags' effective dividend yields fairly steady near the 4% level.

So we're looking at a fully cash-funded payout, tied to a rising stock and a successful consumer-facing business. Six Flags has seen its revenue increase by 23% over the past five years, and the company's operating margin has never looked stronger:

Looking ahead, Six Flags is exploring international expansion options in places like Dubai and China. A long-standing partnership with Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX) DC Comics division should continue to benefit from Warner's renewed interest in fresh movies featuring classic DC characters such as Batman and Aquaman, both of whom are featured in several Six Flags rides.

Six Flags Chairman and CEO James Reid-Anderson certainly likes the shareholder value his company offers:

"With our Amazon-proof business; strong recurring revenue; high-margin, solid growth opportunities; and attractive growing dividend, I know of no better place to invest," Reid-Anderson said in the third-quarter 2017 earnings call. That might be a bit over the top, but Six Flags sure looks like a solid long-term dividend play to me.

10 stocks we like better than Verizon CommunicationsWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Verizon Communications wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Click here to learn about these picks!

*Stock Advisor returns as of November 6, 2017

Anders Bylund has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Chris Neiger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Jordan Wathen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Verizon Communications. The Motley Fool recommends Time Warner. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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As Republicans work to approve a tax reform bill before the end of the year, some experts warn that eliminating state and local tax (SALT) deductions could cause wealthy individuals to leave places like New York, New Jersey and California, in favor of states with more favorable income tax rates.

Elimination of the state-local income tax deduction would encourage high-earners to leave the wealthy high-tax states, Chris Edwards, director of tax policy studies at Cato and editor of www.DownsizingGovernment.org, told FOX Business. The marginal income tax rate in states such as California and New York will be over 50%, meaning that high-earners and entrepreneurs would have to hand over to the government more than half of every dollar from new investments.

Eliminating the popular deductions could increase federal revenue by $1.3 trillion over the next decade, according to the Tax Policy Center. However, as a result, about 24% of taxpayers nationwide would see an increase in taxes. Those increases would be outsized for residents in high-tax states where residents would pay more than 30% of the tax increase from trashing the deduction. Additionally, individuals with incomes in excess of $100,000 would have the largest tax increase in both dollars and as a percentage of income  paying 90% of the increase associated with eliminating SALT.

Jeffrey Geida, who advises high-net worth individuals at Los Angeles-based law firm Weinstock Manion, said individuals will likely make decisions on a case-by-case basis. In California, for example, he said his clients may accept paying a higher premium in exchange for the quality of living, but for individuals in New Jersey, the cost-benefit analysis could look different, especially considering the proposal would impact those who already pay a large percentage of state and federal tax revenues. People without children or close to retirement  those with mobility  are the candidates most likely to move, he added.

According to public accounting and advisory services firm Marcum LLC, and as first reported by Bloomberg, if SALT is eliminated, an individual with a yearly salary of $1 million would owe an additional $21,000 in taxes. However, GOP proposals circulating both the House and Senate aim to repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), which would offset some of the tax increases for those high-earners, Geida pointed out.

Edwards said wealthy individuals could flee their homes in New York and Connecticut in favor of states like Texas and Florida, where they would pay nothing in income taxes. Geida added that Nevada is often the tax-haven of choice for the West Coast elite.

A potential millionaire migration could have real economic consequences in the states where individuals have traditionally taken advantage of the SALT deductions.

It wont happen all of a sudden, but over time it will be a steady drag on the economies of such states, Edwards said. Wealthy people dont just earn high incomes, but they often add diverse entrepreneurial efforts to states through their investments in start-up businesses and charities that are close to home where they live.

Nevertheless, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said that the government should not be engaged in subsidizing states. He also said that he hoped eliminating the loophole might act as a warning for high-tax states.

I do hope that this sends a message to the state governments that, perhaps, they should try to get their budgets in line, Mnuchin said during a speech at the Economic Club of New York earlier this month. And the question is: why do you need 13% or 14% state taxes?

Indeed, Edwards agreed that a solution would be for high-tax states to adopt fiscal restraint and reform their punishing tax codes.
When it comes to sexual harassment allegations, no employer wants to find itself in the position an Indiana university was in during the 1990s, when a woman complained to a senior administrator that the school's chancellor had groped her.

"Oh, no, not again," said the administrator at Indiana University's South Bend campus.

A jury awarded the woman $800,000.

Although a judge later slashed that to $50,000, the message was clear: Failing to address allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace can have expensive legal consequences for employers.

"You don't have to fire people necessarily, but doing nothing is usually not helpful," said Camille Hebert, an employment discrimination professor at the Ohio State law school.

Earlier this year, a former University of California, Santa Cruz student who alleges she was raped by a professor settled her claim against the university system for $1.15 million over what she says was its failure to address previous allegations of sexual harassment and sexual violence by the faculty member.

It is with that reality in mind that companies are swiftly firing powerful men accused of misbehavior and taking a zero-tolerance attitude toward such wrongdoing. But whether a no-mercy approach is a good idea is a matter of debate.

While businesses are usually within their rights to swiftly fire employees accused of misconduct, as was done this week with former "Today" show host Matt Lauer and former "Prairie Home Companion" personality Garrison Keillor, such actions can also backfire, legal experts say. For example, they say, women who just want the harassment to stop and don't want to see anyone get fired might hesitate to come forward.

Philadelphia-based employment attorney Jon Segal said zero tolerance for harassment is important, but the consequences should be commensurate with the offense and should include steps short of firing, such as mandatory training, suspension or demotion.

"You don't want to send the message to people that if there is an allegation and it's found to be true, it's automatic termination," Segal said.

For employees who choose to sue, the timeframe can be short for raising the allegation: 300 days if employees want to sue in federal court. States often have more generous deadlines  six years in Ohio, for example  and fewer caps on financial damages.

Time limits don't mean lawsuits can't be brought over older complaints of harassment. For example, employees can argue that a recent incident within the 300-day limit allows them to revisit an older complaint outside that window.

Employers can also inadvertently breathe new life into old complaints by threatening employees with retaliation.

"That is very high on the list of dumb moves for employers to make," said Washington-based labor attorney Richard Seymour.

Last year, a federal appeals court agreed that an Illinois circuit board company retaliated against a woman who brought sexual harassment allegations by firing her. She was awarded $300,000, even though her actual harassment claims were dismissed.

Employers can also take actions they think are fixing a problem but often end up hurting them in court, such as transferring a woman who complained of harassment but not the man who harassed her.

As new allegations crop up daily, labor attorneys say they are already hearing of a troubling trend: men unwilling to interact with female co-workers for fear of saying or doing the wrong thing.

Such behavior is a mistake since it contributes to a new form of discrimination by putting opportunities for women out of reach, experts say.

"The answer to no sexual harassment isn't polarizing the workforce into male versus female camps. That would be the very definition of sex discrimination," said Washington labor attorney Deborah Kelly.

But Hebert, the Ohio State law professor, is skeptical of men who say they're worried about getting accused.

"Most men understand the difference," she said. "I always say, 'If you'd feel uncomfortable with it happening to your daughter or your wife, maybe you shouldn't be doing it.'"

___

Andrew Welsh-Huggins can be reached on Twitter at https://twitter.com/awhcolumbus. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/andrew-welsh-huggins
India's economy grew 6.3 percent in the quarter ending in September from a year earlier, rebounding from 5.7 percent growth in the previous quarter, according to government statistics released Thursday.

The statistics showed strong growth in trade, hotels, transport and communication. Agriculture, forestry and fishing were relatively flat.

The GDP figures compared the three-month period with the same period the previous year.

India has recently undergone major economic changes.

Just over a year ago, the government removed 86 percent of the currency from circulation without warning in an effort to fight money laundering and tax evasion.

Demonetization, as it was called, was followed eight months later by another huge change. The nation of 1.3 billion people replaced its complex system of federal and state taxes with a single goods and services tax, or GST.
The Montana State Fund board has voted to drop a lawsuit against the state over a 3 percent management fee charged on some Fund investments that would have cost $30 million.

The vote was 5-2 and came a week and a half after Gov. Steve Bullock appointed two new board members who voted Wednesday to end the lawsuit.

Bullock, who had to appoint new board members by the end of the year, has said he was unaware of the lawsuit filed Nov. 17, the same day he made the appointments.

On Wednesday after the vote, state legislator Rep. Greg Hertz, a Republican from Polson who strongly opposes the fee and is a State Fund ratepayer, said a group of about 20 stakeholders plans to file a lawsuit in the coming weeks in another effort to stop the fee from being charged.

State Fund CEO and president Laurence Hubbard, who supported the lawsuit, said after the vote he was disappointed but respects the wishes of the board and would direct the Fund's attorney to file papers to drop the lawsuit.

The management fee arose during a special legislative session held earlier this month, called by Bullock to address an anticipated $227 million shortfall in the state budget.

The fee was part of a package including budget cuts and fund transfers proposed by Bullock and passed by a majority of lawmakers to balance the budget.

It will be charged on State Fund investments of over $1 billion with the state Board of Investments. State Fund has about $1.5 billion that is being managed by the Board of Investments. Last fiscal year it paid $334,000 in fees on those investments.

Montana State Fund is a workers compensation insurance organization established in the state constitution. It acts as an insurer of last resort for companies that cannot get coverage elsewhere, including many high-risk industries such as construction.

Many from that industry spoke in support of the lawsuit at the board's hearing Wednesday.

William Johns, president of Summit Roofing in Missoula and a policyholder with State Fund, told the board to oppose the fee and continue the lawsuit.

"If we have $30 million the Legislature can scrape off, we've been overcharged," he said.

Hertz said if the Fund did not use this lawsuit as a "hill to die on" and defend money it has collected from ratepayers, lawmakers would come back to tap reserves in the future. He also said it's time for State Fund to get a legal opinion on the ability of lawmakers to look to the Fund in tight fiscal periods.

"Is $30 million a big enough hill? Is $60 million, is it $100 million? How big does it need to get before we tell the Legislature enough is enough? We need an answer here whether we win or lose. If we lose, we need to strengthen the law because this money should not be accessible as a piggy bank to the Legislature."

Though most who testified, including former board members and policyholders, spoke in favor of continuing the lawsuit, some did not.

That included state Rep. Jim Keane, a Democrat from Butte. Keane said the Fund collects more than it should in premiums because it wants to privatize and is opposed to paying the management fee because it would take away from money set aside to do so.

"Why do they need so much money? To pay off the liabilities to form a mutual company," Keane said. "Let's let these people keep the money in their pocket to pay higher wages, to maybe buy health care instead of sitting here in the Board of Investments and throwing them back a little bit (in dividends) when they think they're doing good."

Chris Cavazos, the political director for Montana AFLI-CIO, said the characterization that the management fee amounts to pilfering State Fund money is not accurate.

This is not a takings, Cavazos said. This is paying for a service they have received that has been state-subsidized.

On Nov. 17, the State Fund filed a lawsuit over the fee and asked a Helena District Court judge for a temporary restraining order to stop the state from charging the fee while the case proceeded.

That order was denied and in his denial, Judge Michael McMahon also questioned whether the Fund had a legitimate case going forward, writing that "the court is concerned whether (Montana State Fund) has established a legitimate cause of action or that it is likely to succeed on the merits of its claims."

The State Fund board, before the special session even convened, had authorized Hubbard on a 6-0 vote to take legal action if necessary. Hertz pointed to two new board directors, plus what he said was a lobbying effort of other board members on behalf of the governor, as to why board support had shifted by Wednesday.

The two new board members, Jim Molloy and Cliff Larsen, joined chairman Lance Zanto, Jack Owens and Lynda Moss in voting to end the lawsuit. Matt Mohr and Jan VanRiper voted to continue the lawsuit.

Molloy said he didn't feel the management fee would put the State Fund's financial status at risk and losing the lawsuit could put the Fund in a worse situation.

"I don't believe this is the hill worth taking the risk of dying on. I believe that is a battle saved for a better day," Molloy said. "My view right now is it's not the time. Over the long-term it will be better to have a more constructive relationship with the state."

VanRiper said even though the judge denied the temporary restraining order, nothing had changed since the board decided at the start of the month to authorize legal action if the bill passed.

"I don't see how now we can say we have plenty of money to fork over $30 million for (something) other than policyholders," VanRiper said.

A spokeswoman for Bullock said Wednesday the governor was pleased with the vote.

"The governors office is pleased the board is fulfilling their responsibility to follow the law passed by the Legislature. We look forward to a collaborative relationship with the State Fund going forward."
OPEC and non-OPEC producers led by Russia agreed on Thursday to extend oil output cuts until the end of 2018 as they try to finish clearing a global glut of crude while signaling a possible early exit from the deal if the market overheats.

Russia, which this year reduced production significantly with OPEC for the first time, has been pushing for a clear message on how to exit the cuts so the market doesnt flip into a deficit too soon, prices dont rally too fast and rival U.S. shale firms dont boost output further.

Russia needs much lower oil prices to balance its budget than OPECs leader Saudi Arabia, which is preparing a stock market listing for national energy champion Aramco next year and would hence benefit from pricier crude.

The producers current deal, under which they are cutting supply by about 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) in an effort to boost oil prices, expires in March.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told reporters the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-OPEC allies had agreed to extend the cuts by nine months until the end of 2018, as largely anticipated by the market.

OPEC also decided to cap the combined output of Nigeria and Libya at 2017 levels below 2.8 million bpd. Both countries have been exempt from cuts due to unrest and lower-than-normal production.

Falih said it was premature to talk about exiting the cuts at least for a couple of quarters as the world was entering a season of low winter demand. He added that OPEC would examine progress at its next regular meeting in June.

When we get to an exit, we are going to do it very gradually ... to make sure we dont shock the market, he said.

OPEC and Russia together produce over 40 percent of global oil. Moscows first real cooperation with OPEC, put together with the help of President Vladimir Putin, has been crucial in roughly halving an excess of global oil stocks since January.

With oil prices rising above $60, Russia has expressed concerns that an extension for the whole of 2018 could prompt a spike in crude production in the United States, which is not participating in the deal.

A joint OPEC and non-OPEC communique said the next meeting in June 2018 would present an opportunity to adjust the agreement based on market conditions.

The Iraqi, Iranian and Angolan oil ministers also said before Thursdays meetings that a review of the deal was possible in June in case the market became too tight.

International benchmark Brent crude LCOc1 rose around 0.5 percent on Thursday to trade above $63 per barrel.

GLUT OR SHORTAGE?

Just as OPEC gathered in Vienna, U.S. government data showed that U.S. oil production rose 3 percent in September to 9.48 million bpd. But Falih said OPEC wont be quick on the trigger to react to short-term U.S. output spikes.

U.S. shale oil producers, which effectively triggered the global oil glut of recent years, have been adjusting their message over the past year, switching away from combative language with regard to OPEC actions.

If producers in the U.S. increase their rig count over the next few months due to higher prices then I expect another price collapse by the end of 2018, said Scott Sheffield, executive chairman of Pioneer Natural Resources Co (NYSE:PXD), one of the largest producers in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico, the largest U.S. oilfield.

I hope that all U.S. shale companies will maintain their current rig counts and use all excess cash flow to increase dividends back to their shareholders, he told Reuters.

Gary Ross, a veteran OPEC watcher and founder of Pira consultancy, said the market could surprise on the upside with Brent rising to $70 if there were a major supply disruption.

Everywhere you look there is an ever-present risk to supply, Ross said.

In Iraqs Kurdistan there is a major risk to oil exports because of tensions with Baghdad, in Libya militias are still fighting, in Nigeria the risks of disruptions are significant, Venezuela is on the verge of default, Iran could again face U.S. financial sanctions and even in Saudi Arabia political risk is on the rise, Ross added.

The production cuts have been in place since the start of 2017 and helped halve an excess of global oil stocks although those remain at 140 million barrels above the five-year average, according to OPEC.

Russia has signaled it wants to understand better how producers will exit from the cuts as it needs to provide guidance to its private and state energy companies. On Thursday, Novak said all companies were on board with the latest limits.
The United States is joining a fight against China at the World Trade Organization in a decision likely to ratchet up tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The U.S. is supporting the European Union in a dispute over China's status at the WTO, which rules on trade disputes.

The United States and EU contend that the communist Chinese government continues to interfere so heavily in the country's commerce that China remains a "non-market" economy. That label makes it easier to win antidumping cases against China for allegedly selling products at unfairly low prices.

China argues that it was automatically elevated to "market" economy status on Dec. 11, 2016, the 15th anniversary of the day it joined the WTO. It has filed a case against the EU to press its claim. America joined the EU's side in documents filed Nov. 21 and released publicly on Thursday.

"The Chinese are convinced they were promised this (status upgrade) unconditionally," said David Dollar, a former U.S. Treasury and World Bank official who is now senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

But the U.S. and the EU are disappointed that the Chinese haven't done more to open their economy to foreign investment and products since joining the WTO. For example, China was "supposed to have opened up their financial sector," Dollar said. "But it has wrapped that up in all kinds of domestic regulations that make it impossible for foreign firms to operate."

President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized China for abusive trade policies, which he blames for the United States' massive trade deficit in goods with China  $347 billion last year, by far the biggest U.S. trade gap with any country.

Upon taking office, Trump did not make good on his campaign threat to sanction China for allegedly manipulating its currency to give its exporters an unfair advantage. But the administration is investigating allegations that China steals U.S. technology and intellectual property.

And on Tuesday, the U.S. dusted off trade-policy tools that haven't been used in a quarter century to investigate whether China is dumping cheap aluminum sheeting in the U.S. market.

U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer has argued that the WTO is ill-equipped to handle the unique problems posed by China, where the boundary between private and state-owned companies can be blurry and where the government limits foreign companies' access to vast Chinese market.

In the U.S. view, the market status case is a key test of the WTO's willingness and ability to rein in China.
The Catholic Church is currently suing the Washington D.C. Metro for rejecting its Christmas advertisement because of its promotion of religion.

First Baptist Church Pastor Robert Jeffress said that D.C. Metro is not only adding to the war against Christmas, but on Christianity as well.

Today were talking a lot about sexual harassment, well cases like this are examples of spiritual harassment, both are serious problems in this country that need to stop. This is a part of the larger not just war on Christmas, but the war against Christianity, he told FOX Business Liz MacDonald on Risk & Reward.

The advertisement showed an illustration of shepherds and sheep walking under the Star of David, with the phrase FIND THE PERFECT GIFT written across it.

Jeffress said that he sees no harm in the advertisement and that its only encouraging Americans to go to church on Christmas Day.

All its doing is reminding people about Christmas, isnt it ironic when we have the president of the United States bringing back Merry Christmas into our culture? We have the D.C. subway system trying to obscure the meaning of this holiday, he said.

Jeffrees believes that secularists are to blame for the deterioration of Christmas in the United States.

We have allowed secularists to pervert the first amendment into something the framers never intended. The first amendment is not about the freedom from religious expression, its about the freedom of religious expression, he said.
Lt. Col. Oliver North says the newly levied United Nations sanctions wont be enough to end North Koreas nuclear program and believes that China needs to take a tougher stance against Kim Jong Un before the U.S. is forced to take military action against the rogue nation.

[The United Nations] only real way to pressure the chubby dwarf in Pyongyang is to convince Xi and his Politburo that the United States will take military action, and they shouldnt want that. Its not good for them either, North told FOX Business Cheryl Casone on After the Bell on Wednesday.

The U.N. is currently holding an emergency meeting after North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile late Wednesday that experts believe has the capability to reach the continental United States.

The latest U.N. sanctions against North Korea were designed to target Korean shipping operations and Chinese companies that traded with the Hermit Kingdom.

Unless [the U.N. stops] the Iranian money being transferred to help this program in North Korea, [the sanctions are] not going to work, he said.

President Donald Trump responded in a Tweet, writing Just spoke to President XI JINPING of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. That major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!

North explained how the Chinese will be affected if the North Koreans decide to launch a nuclear strike against the United States.

There is no doubt that China has all the cards in this. If the North Koreans launch something thats aimed in this direction with a warhead on it, there will be a devastating response. You are talking somewhere between five and ten million refugees crossing the Tumen and Talu rivers, the boundary between North Korea and China, millions of people in boats, totally disrupting the Chinese economy, he said.

North described the destruction that a nuclear missile could cause, if the missile were to reach the U.S.

An electromagnetic pulse because of high altitude bursts of a nuclear weapon would cause that, could literally kill tens of millions of people in the middle of winter on the east coast of the United States. The United Nations sanctions arent going to do a darn thing to stop the North Korean program because its funded by Iran, he said.
If the Senate votes to pass its tax reform legislation this week -- an increasingly uncertain feat amid some party infighting -- it likely wont bring an end to Republicans push to pass a major tax cut package by the end of the year.

Rep. Kevin Brady, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, confirmed to FOX Business that if the Senate manages to approve its tax reform bill, the House would not vote on that legislation and would instead force a reconciliation between the two chambers and merge the different plans. The makeup of the conference committee will be decided by Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) once the Senate finishes voting, Brady said

We also in our discussions believe we can do even better on the tax reform front, the Texas Republican told FOX Business Liz Claman Wednesday. So we look forward to working out the differences in a conference committee with the Senate.

That decision comes with its own complications: the Senates plan offers a somewhat watered-down version compared to the Houses. For instance, Senate dictates that slashing the corporate tax rate from 35% to 20% would not occur for one year, whereas the House puts that cut into effect immediately.

More from FOX Business Tax reform the rocket fuel for US stocks

Most notably, the Senate entirely eliminated state and local tax deductions (SALT), a provision thats widely popular among high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California. There are no Republican senators in those states. GOP representatives, however, sought to appease Republicans in those largely Democratic states by modifying SALT instead of entirely eliminating it, a possible hitching point for reconciliation.

Theres also concern that the Alabama special election, which is scheduled to take place on Dec. 12, could endanger any tax reform efforts. The Republican candidate, Roy Moore, is facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct with underage girls; if he loses the race to Democrat Doug Jones, it could endanger an already razor-thin Republican majority in the Senate. But, Brady said both the House and Senate are committed to working together to find the best overall plan.

Every member in the Senate, Republican, seems to be engaged and contributing. I think those are all good signs, so Im very excited about getting down and working out the final details on this tax reform plan, he said .Its been too long for Americans, weve fallen too far behind.
A Republican tax reform plan passed in the House and now the Senate is debating their version of GOP tax reform. Some Senators such as Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) have raised concerns that the tax reform plan benefits big corporations too much and doesnt do enough for small businesses in America.

Small Business Association (SBA) administrator Linda McMahon weighed in on the tax reform debate, telling FOX Business Networks Stuart Varney, Ive talked to more than 450 businesses and without fail every one of those businesses have said, look, let me have tax cuts, those tax cuts will be plowed right back into my business, theyre not talking about percentages, theyre not talking about where things are going, what they want are those tax cuts.

John Arensmeyer, founder of the organization Small Business Majority told Varney on Wednesday that he would vote against the Senate tax reform plan in its current form.

This isnt about partisan politics, its about doing what is best for small businesses and right now the way the law is written is that the vast majority of the benefits are going to go to hedge funds, real estate investment trusts (REITs), and others at the very top end of the income spectrum while very little is going to go to Main Street small businesses, Arensmeyer said on Varney & Co.

But McMahon cautioned that the tax plan is still being developed.

I dont know that that will be accurate Stuart because we dont really know what the bill is going to be yet, I think its going through the right process, the amendments are being put forth, were voting, were actually debating this and this is the way the process is supposed to work.

Varney then asked about reported proposals to cut the maximum tax rate on big corporations to 21% or 22% instead of 20% in an order to make room to give more tax cuts to small business.

Well, Im in favor of making sure that we can give small businesses as much as they need, but I am very supportive of the Presidents agenda, I think hes holding very closely to the 20%.
The "Today" show hosts kicked off the annual Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center on Wednesday, and they were all smiles  with no mention of Matt Lauer  even though it was arguably the worst PR day in the long-running morning show's history.

In fact, Al Roker showed the group he was in seemingly good spirits, sharing a snapshot of the three "Today" hosts with wide smiles ahead of the big event.

After allegations of sexual misconduct came out against the networks veteran host, the show had to press on with the festive holiday event without him. Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Roker introduced Brett Eldridge to sing Blue Christmas with no mention of their disgraced former co-host, who was booted from the network just hours earlier.

On Wednesday, the network quickly wiped Lauers name off its synopsis for the event on its website, highlighting the three remaining hosts instead. Additionally, the 20-year NBC veterans image was scrubbed from all social media extensions of the brand including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. However, some users on Twitter were quick to note that he still appeared in the synopsis for certain cable providers.

Lauer was abruptly let go from his position at NBC after an unnamed woman approached the network to lobby allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Soon after, Variety reported that Lauer had a history of being inappropriate with female staffers, allegedly exposing himself to someone on one occasion, gifting a sex toy to someone else on another occasion and, according to a separate report from The New York Times, having sex with a staff member who claimed she felt pressured to not refuse his advances.

But for most fans, while Lauers absence was noticeable, the show carried a lot of star power to compensate for his absence with performances by artists including Jennifer Nettles, Leslie Odom Jr., Pentatonix, Seal, Gwen Stefani, Train and The Tenors. Still, some Twitter users took notice of the 59-year-olds absence.

Damn I didnt realize Matt Lauer was fired on the day of the Rockefeller Christmas tree special. That must have caused some chaos, one user wrote.

Must have needed time-filler with Matt Lauer firing, wrote another. Train Christmas, OK then.

The lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas tree on NBC is just not the same without Matt Lauer, a user teased. Actually, I cant really tell the difference. But if Roker ever leaves, it would be a shame.
Two former Today show anchors spoke out Wednesday after learning that their former colleague was fired over sexual harassment allegations.

Ann Curry, who formerly worked alongside Matt Lauer on the "Today" show, told People that she is really processing it.

Curry's departure from the show was plagued with rumors of sexism. She left the network after 25 years in 2015.

She had a previously arranged interview with the magazine and said she didn't want to specifically address Lauer's departure.

"The womens movement got us into the workplace, but it didnt make us safe once we got there, she said. "And the battle lines are now clear. We need to move this revolution forward and make our workplaces safe. Corporate America is quite clearly failing to do so, and unless it does something to change that, we need to keep doing more ourselves."

Natalie Morales, who took over for Billy Bush on NBCs Access Hollywood, said she was in shock after learning about the allegations, People reported.

I have personally dealt with rumors in the past for years that were hurtful to me, my family  they diminished my hard work, she said on the show, apparently taking aim at past rumors about her relationship with Lauer. Ive addressed those rumors head-on in the past. That is not the story today. The story today is the courage of a colleague who did come forward, and when and if she wants to tell her story publicly, Im sure she will. But it did take a lot of courage for her to come forward. It was no doubt a very painful decision.

Lauer was axed on Wednesday just hours after a secret meeting where his alleged victim and her lawyer told NBC brass her story of inappropriate sexual behavior from the long-time "Today Show" host. The alleged incident took place at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, the "Today" show reported via its website.
Former Beastie Boy Adam Horovitz has come out swinging against his famous playwright father, Israel Horovitz, after his dad was accused by multiple women  including his sons high school girlfriend -- of sexual misconduct, including rape and the forced fondling and kissing of women as young as 16.

I believe the allegations against my father are true, Adam Horovitz told The New York Times in a statement. And I stand behind the women that made them.

Nine women told the Times that Horovitz, who wrote over 70 plays including the Broadway hit Who Parked Your Car in Harvard Yard, made unwanted sexual advances against them. One woman, Jocelyn Meinhardt, was his son Adams ex-girlfriend. She said when she was 19 and working on a summer fellowship at the Gloucester Stage Company in Massachusetts, Horovitz drove her to his house, locked her in and raped her.

Russell Simmons steps down from businesses after Sidney Lumet's daughter says he sexually violated her

A former babysitter, Frederique Giffard, said she was 16 when Horovitz groped her breasts and put her hand on his penis. And just last year Horovitz grabbed the breasts of 21-year-old Maia Ermansons, she said.

I felt close to him like a grandfather, but also he was a somewhat famous guy whose time I felt privileged to have, Ermansons told the paper. For the man who represented all that, to treat me the way he did, was the ultimate betrayal.

I believe the allegations against my father are true, and I stand behind the women that made them  Adam Horowitz

Horovitz, 78, told The New York Times he has a different memory of some of these events, I apologize with all my heart to any woman who has ever felt compromised by my actions, and to my family and friends who have put their trust in me. To hear that I have caused pain is profoundly upsetting, as is the idea that I might have crossed a line with anyone who considered me a mentor.

This is not the first time Horovitz has been accused of sexual misconduct. In 1993 a story in the Boston Phoenix detailed the very similar allegations of 10 unnamed women accusing him of sexual assault and harassment while he was the artistic director of the Gloucester Stage Company. The Gloucester Stage boards president, Barry Weiner, dismissed the accusations at the time.

The Gloucester theater fired him last week after some of the allegations to The Times were brought to their attention.

Many of the women Horovitz allegedly preyed on said they maintained complex relationships with him after the initial alleged attacks, and Meinhardt said she even had consensual sex with him twice more, in that I didnt say no clearly.

Giffard said she confronted Horovitz in 2009. I said, I was 16 and he was 52, and that the whole thing was completely wrong, Giffard told The Times. He said he hadnt realized that he had harmed me. He weakly apologized.
Geoffrey Rush denied allegations of inappropriate behavior against him and accused Sydney Theater Company (STC) of attempting to smear his name.

Rush, 66, said in a statement to Fox News Thursday through his lawyers at HWL Ebsworth that the actor denies being involved in inappropriate behavior when he was in the STC production of King Lear in 2015.

It is a great disappointment to Mr. Rush the STC has chosen to smear his name and unjustifiably damage his reputation in this way, Rushs lawyers said. "Not to afford a person their right to know what has been alleged against them, let alone not inform them of it but release such information to the public is both a denial of natural justice and is not how our society operates.

The allegations surfaced when The Daily Telegraph said in a now-deleted article STC received a complaint against the Oscar-winning actor. STC said in a statement to Fox News on Thursday there was an allegation made to (not by) STC and not a conclusion of impropriety.

"STC responded truthfully that it had received such a complaint," the theater company said. "At the time the complaint was made, the complainant requested that the matter be dealt with confidentially, and did not want Mr. Rush notified or involved in any investigation. STC complied, acting in the interest of the complainant's health and welfare."

The company added it received the complaint after Rush left the "King Lear" production.

Rush said in his personal statement, released by his lawyers, that he immediately contacted STC when he was made aware of the allegation and asked for clarification about the details of the statement.

They refused to illuminate me with the details, the actor said. "I also asked why this information was being withheld, and why, according to standard theatre practice the issue had not been raised with me during the production via stage management, the director, my fellow actors or anyone at management level. However, no response was forthcoming."

His lawyers reiterated that Rush denies having been involved in any 'inappropriate behavior' whatsoever.

Until there is the decency afforded to Mr. Rush of what the 'inappropriate behavior' actually is then there is nothing more that can be said at this stage, his statement read.
Two men accused in a meth trafficking conspiracy in Sidney admitted federal drug charges in U.S. District Court in Billings this week.

Bobby Payne, 45, of Glendive, and Anthony Cordell Couture, 48, of Sidney, each pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute as part of plea deals with prosecutors. Other counts are to be dismissed at sentencing.

Payne appeared on Wednesday, while Couture appeared on Thursday.

A third co-defendant, Tiffaney Ann Boland, has pleaded not guilty.

The defendants got indicted after an undercover investigation by law enforcement beginning in September 2016 into meth trafficking activity that used the Sidney Shuttle Service, a local transportation service.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Dake said law enforcement got information that Payne, a shuttle driver, may be selling drugs while operating the shuttle because the shuttle was making a large number of undocumented stops in the Sidney and Fairview areas.

In early October 2016, an undercover agent called the shuttle service requesting a ride and talked to Payne. Payne drove a shuttle to a convenience store where he and the agent discussed a meth sale. Payne dropped off the agent at a restaurant and then returned a short time later and sold the agent about a gram of meth for $125. The agent also paid $15 for the shuttle ride.

Payne sold the agent more meth in a series of buys that also involved Boland and Couture, Dake said.

In one of the deals, Payne and the agent went to Paynes residence and Boland and Couture arrived. Boland brought a scale and sold the agent about 28 grams, or about an ounce, for $1,200, Dake said. Additional sales also were discussed, he said.

U.S. District Judge Susan Watters set sentencing for both men for March 15 and continued their release. The maximum penalty is a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison and a $10 million fine.
Now disgraced NBC anchor Matt Lauer was seen for the first time since his abrupt firing from the network for sexual harassment.

Lauer reportedly left New York City on Wednesday following his firing. His family lives in the Hamptons and, according to Page Six, he allegedly returned to explain himself to his wife, Annette Roque, and their three children in person.

Lauer was spotted in front of a store near the East Hampton train station just one day after being let go from the network and scrubbed from its coverage of the 2017 Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony. He was reportedly meeting with his lawyer and longtime friend, Edward D. Burke Jr. the two met for a brief, one-minute meeting where Lauer was given a letter before driving off.

Lauer was dressed casually opting for jeans and a zip-up sweater.

As previously reported, Lauer was fired from NBC after an unnamed staff member approached the network with alleged proof that hed sexually harassed her. Since then, more women have come forward with allegations against the Today host.

MATT LAUER THROUGH THE YEARS

The crux of the first complaint appears to stem from an incident during the 2014 Sochi Olympics that progressed after returning home to New York City. Some reports indicate that Lauers behavior ranged from exposing himself to female staff members, gifting one a sex toy and making inappropriate advances around the office while married.

The above photo marks the first time the star has been seen in public since all the allegations came to light. On Thursdays episode of the Today show, his former co-hosts read a statement of apology from him on air.

There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt I am truly sorry, he wrote. As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC. Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly.

Lauer went on to say that soul searching and healing are now his full time job, which he apparently is doing with his family in the Hamptons.
It was no secret that disgraced Today show co-host Matt Lauer cheated on his wife, sources told People.

Lauer has been married to Dutch model Annette Roque for 19 years.

He regularly cheated on his wife, one source told People. Everyone knew. His wife lives in the Hamptons and he lives in the city, but we never heard he made unwanted moves.

MATT LAUER ON SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS: I AM TRULY SORRY

A former Today show employee told People it was common knowledge that Lauer cheated on Roque.

That wasnt a secret, but sexual (misconduct) is a shock, the former Today show employee stated. He was friendly and approachable with everyone, and was very well-liked.

Another source told People Lauer had definitely more than one affair and the women he allegedly was having a relationship with were never anyone who the NBC host did not have significant seniority over.

He (Lauer) wasnt a lech and he wasnt known as someone who would corner you or retaliate against you if you spurned him or someone who would lure you into his dressing room, the third source told People.

Lauer was fired from NBC News Wednesday for inappropriate sexual behavior. His co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and Today colleague Hoda Kotb broke the news to Today show viewers Wednesday.

REVELATION OF DISGRACED MATT LAUERS SECRET DOOR BUTTON RAISES EYEBROWS

Network news chief Andy Lack said in a memo to the staff that NBC received a complaint from an NBC employee about Lauers behavior on Monday and determined he violated company standards. NBC said the misconduct started when Lauer and a network employee were at the Sochi Olympics in 2014 and continued beyond that assignment.

Lauer issued a statement Thursday following his termination.

There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt I am truly sorry, Lauer wrote.

Lauer and Roques marriage has been rocky since 2006. Roque filed for divorce in 2006 but did not follow through, People reported. In 2010, Lauer allegedly moved out of their apartment but the former NBC staffer said the report was untrue.

Lauer told People in 2010 that he and Roque have not had a perfect marriage.

Have we had a completely perfect, easy marriage? No, Lauer said.But the stories youve read over the years are not true. The accusations (of infidelity) are ridiculous and Im not going to (dignify) them with an answer. Its not true.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NBC News executives failed to act on complaints from several women about crude behavior by "Today" anchor Matt Lauer, according to a news report detailing sexual misconduct allegations against NBC's biggest and most powerful star.

NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack announced Wednesday that Lauer had been fired the previous evening for what Lack called "inappropriate sexual behavior with a colleague." NBC later said the misconduct started when Lauer and a female network employee were at the Sochi Olympics in 2014 and continued beyond that assignment.

Lack, 70, said it was the first complaint lodged against Lauer, 59, in his 20 years at NBC, but "we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident."

But a report in Variety published Wednesday afternoon detailed multiple sordid allegations against Lauer during his time at "Today," including that he gave one female colleague a sex toy, exposed himself to a different female colleague, often engaged in crude, sexually charged office banter and conducted multiple rendezvous with women as he traveled the world covering the Olympics for NBC.

The Variety piece quoted a former NBC reporter as saying that show executives "protected the s--- out of Matt Lauer." It did not make clear when complaints were made about Lauer's actions or to which executives the complaints were made.

In a statement after Variety's report was published, an NBC News spokesperson said "We can say unequivocally, that, prior to Monday night, current NBC News management was never made aware of any complaints about Matt Lauers conduct."

NBC's insistence that it knew nothing about Lauers alleged behavior is being met with widespread skepticism in the close-knit TV business, according to several industry insiders who spoke to Fox News.

"Current NBC management" as the company put it, has only been in place for a few years or less in their current roles. But network executives have long histories with Lauer.

Lack and Lauer are known to be close personal friends who maintained their friendship during the years in between Lacks two tours of duty at NBC. While President of NBC News in 1997, Lack promoted Lauer to co-anchor "Today" alongside Katie Couric. The tandem would dominate the morning ratings for the better part of the next decade, while Lack was promoted to president and chief operating officer of the network in 2001. He would later leave NBC for several rocky years at Sony and Bloomberg before he pulled off a return to NBC in 2015 after the firing of NBC News Chairwoman Pat Fili, whod struggled to handle the decline of the Today show and the implosion of Brian Williams.

Lacks deputy, current NBC News President Noah Oppenheim, spent two years as the executive in charge of "Today" before being promoted earlier this year. Oppenheim had also worked for Lauer at "Today" in the mid-2000s as a senior producer, working closely with Lauer on political coverage and frequently traveling with the anchor.

"Its hard to read that Variety article and still conclude that those two guys [Lack and Oppenheim] who worked closely with Matt for so many years could have no idea about his behavior," said one industry insider.

"The real focus right now should be on this complete disingenuous behavior by NBC to say, 'I'm shocked,'" a former NBC colleague told Vanity Fair.

"I dont know what everyone is so surprised by," a high-level industry source told the magazine. "This has been going on for months and months and everybody knew it and it was just going to be which girl came forward, and who reported it first."

The chorus grew louder after the New York Post published a report that Lauer had sexted multiple female staffers at NBC, including at least one intern.

"Everybody knew about Matts behavior, and everyone had to put up with it because he was so powerful, and well protected by management," the Post quoted an insider as saying.

A spokesperson for former NBC Universal President and CEO Jeff Zucker, a former "Today" producer who currently heads CNN, insisted to the Post that no complaints about Lauer were made during Zucker's tenure atop 30 Rock's corporate ladder.

Oppenheim has faced a firestorm of recent criticism, including calls to resign, after he was blamed for spiking celebrity scion Ronan Farrows expose on Harvey Weinstein, which would have been the first report to accuse the Hollywood mogul of sexual harassment. At the time, Oppenheims critics accused him of having a conflict of interest since he moonlights as a Hollywood screenwriter and had recently sat at the same small table as Weinstein at an exclusive dinner. NBC strenuously denied Oppenheim had a conflict of interest. Now, however, with the revelation of Lauers alleged conduct, observers are wondering if NBCs reticence to run the Weinstein expose had more to do with problems within NBCs own house.

Lack was notably silent as Oppenheim weathered the heat for spiking the Weinstein story, even though Oppenheims purview at NBC is actually quite narrow compared to Lacks enormous portfolio. Now, other than his sparse and unemotional statement on the firing of his good friend, Lack has also remained silent as he faces the biggest professional crisis of his long career. Even President Trump has since weighed in, with the president calling on Twitter for Lack to be fired.

Fox News' Brian Flood and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
As the number of women claiming Matt Lauer was sexually inappropriate has grown to "as many as eight," NBC is denying that its execs know about his alleged indiscretions until a meeting earlier this week.

NBCs Stephanie Gosk revealed to Megyn Kelly during the 9 a.m. hour of Today that there could be up to eight accusers, as details surfaced about the star's alleged lewd behavior and old video clips back in circulation raised eyebrows.

We have reached out to New York City police; we have reached out to police departments in Long Island. We know of no open criminal investigation against Matt Lauer, Gosk said.

Gosk noted that some of the women being interviewed by news outlets could overlap, since they have declined to share their names.

Because they are anonymous, we dont know if any of the people who spoke to Variety also spoke to The New York Times. ... We dont know if any of them are the same women.

The most horrifying episode allegedly involving Lauer, which was recapped by Gosk and former Fox News anchor Kelly, involves a woman who told The Times that Lauer had intercourse with her in his office at NBCs headquarters until she passed out and had to be seen by a nurse. She described the circumstances to The Times as an assault.

Another woman told Variety that Lauer had gifted her a sex toy with a graphic description, while another said he exposed himself to her in his office, which reportedly had a door that locked via a button under his desk.

A video also surfaced of Lauer telling Meredith Vieira to "keep bending over like that" back in 2006.

Kelly recounted the allegations against her former Today colleague and said: We offer the details not to be salacious, but because you are entitled to know for yourself whether you think this is harassment or not. ... You are entitled to make your own decisions about whether you think those allegations qualify.

Several people told Variety that though they had complained to personnel at NBC, their complaints were ignored.

Kelly said during Today on Thursday, So now there will be an examination about  what qualifies as a complaint: human resources, versus going to a producer ..."

NBC denies that it received any complaints regarding Lauer until Monday evening. The company says it swiftly fired him upon hearing about an episode that began during the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

"We can say unequivocally, that, prior to Monday night, current NBC News management was never made aware of any complaints about Matt Lauers conduct, a spokesperson for the network said on Wednesday.

In a statement shared on "Today," Lauer said he was "truly sorry" and conceded that some of the rumors about him were true.

"Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed," he said. "I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly."

The Variety piece quoted a former NBC reporter as saying that show executives "protected the s--t out of Matt Lauer."

NBC Chairman Andy Lack announced Lauer's firing on Wednesday in a statement to staff moments before Today went on the air. Co-hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb appeared shaken as they announced the news to viewers.

An emotional Guthrie admitted "we just learned this moments ago" and said the "Today" team was "devastated and we are still processing all of this."

But a source insisted to Variety that at least some insiders at NBC knew Lauer was up to no good.

"I dont know what everyone is so surprised by," the source told Variety. "This has been going on for months and months and everybody knew it and it was just going to be which girl came forward, and who reported it first."

Another source offered similar sentiments in when speaking with the New York Post, "Everybody knew about Matts behavior, and everyone had to put up with it because he was so powerful, and well protected by management.


NBCs Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie is being labeled a hypocrite over the way she handled an interview Thursday with one of Rep. John Conyers accusers on the heels of her friend, disgraced co-anchor Matt Lauer, getting fired for inappropriate sexual behavior.

Guthrie sat down with Marion Brown, who said she was fired for refusing to go along with Conyers repeated sexual advances after 11 years of working with the powerful Michigan congressman. Brown told a detailed story of being sexually harassed by Conyers in a hotel room in 2005 and said that because she didnt want to lose her job, she simply froze after he propositioned her. When Brown described a similar incident that occurred five years later, Guthrie kicked off a line of questioning that shocked many viewers, considering the recent Lauer revelations.

The Today star asked, Did you ever tell any of your superiors?

That question is ironic coming from Guthrie since Variety reported on Wednesday that several women complained to NBC News superiors about Lauers lewd behavior but were ignored.

Guthrie then said, I know there will be people watching who say, But you worked for him for 11 years... why didnt you go? Why did you stay?

Perhaps some of Guthries NBC News colleagues could help shed some light on that question, as Variety also reported that a current NBC employee was mistreated by the disgraced newsman for several months.

Accusations of hypocrisy regarding women have dogged Guthrie for years. Guthrie got her big break in 2012 when she stepped in for Ann Curry, who was fired from Today after a long, well-documented period of bullying by Lauer and the Today shows largely male management. A 2013 story in New York Times Magazine described Currys time at Today as professional torture and detailed that Guthries predecessor complained to friends that male co-workers were intentionally mean to her and compared her to Big Bird simply because she wore a yellow dress. Today executives reportedly referred to the plot to remove Curry as Operation Bambi.

During Currys brief co-anchorship, Lauer reportedly told a colleague, I can't believe I am sitting next to this woman.

Currys emotional on-air goodbye became an infamous sore spot for the prestigious Today franchise, especially when Lauer sought to kiss her on the cheek on air, and Curry cringed away. The debacle sorely upset Today fans. Guthrie, whod been a reporter at Today and Nightly News for years prior to her ascension, never publically defended Curry or challenged NBC about Currys treatment, despite numerous publicity interviews she conducted to mark her ascension.

But just yesterday, Guthrie expressed sadness that her dear friend Matt Lauer was outed as a sexual predator.

This is a sad morning here at 'Today' and at NBC News, Guthrie said before explaining Lauers ousting to viewers on Wednesday. All we can say is that we are heartbroken. I'm heartbroken for Matt. He is my dear, dear friend and my partner and he is beloved by many, many people here.

In her public comments, Guthrie said she was also heartbroken for the brave colleague who came forward to tell her story, but failed to address how shed worked side by side with Lauer for years, traveled the world with him, yet apparently never noticed anything untoward. Guthrie was working with Lauer in Sochi, Russia, when he allegedly started the inappropriate relationship with an NBC intern  according to The New York Times  that three years later would cost him his career.

In fact, for her five years as a Today co-host, Guthrie sought hard not to repeat Currys mistakes, eagerly assuming a subordinate role as Lauers junior partner and never challenging him on air -- or off.

She knew how to survive him, said an industry insider. Let him do everything he wants, and never, never challenge him and never try to be your own person.

But Guthries studied sycophancy has come at a price, the insider said: She has not established any public personality or persona and despite five years in the chair, no one knows who she is.

After Guthries ill-timed interview with the Conyers accuser on Thursday, many Today viewers took to social media to express their feelings. One user responded directly to a tweet from Guthrie promoting the interview and wrote, Will she take the same tone with the Lauer accusers? I think not!

One user replied, Her bitterness is quite apparent... and disturbing... Very unprofessional, while another wrote, This interview is painful and disrespectful to the victim. Feels like she is talking to the Matt accuser.

Acclaimed journalist-turned-mogul Porter Bibb isnt sure if Guthries interview was hypocritical or unethical, but feels it was certainly calculated to divert attention from the Lauer issues.

The real question for both Lauer and NBC is whether he accepts Megyn Kelly's invitation to face his accusers on her show, Bibb told Fox News after Kelly extended the invite on Thursdays show.
Prince William is glad Meghan Markle will be soon wed Prince Harry because he will finally have a stocked fridge.

William joked on Wednesday to reporters during a visit to a charity on that Prince Harry, when he was single, was scrounging off his food for years before falling in love with Markle, according to the Telegraph.

"And for me personally I hope it means [Harry] stays out of my fridge, it will stop him scrounging off all my food, he's done over the last few years, William said.

On a more serious note, the proud brother said the royal family was all very excited, delighted for [the couple] and wishing them all the happiness in this very exciting time. William added that the newly engaged couple are very caught up in the moment.

Williams wife, Kate Middleton, who is pregnant with her third child, also sang happy praises for the engagement.

William and I are absolutely thrilled, Middleton told reporters on Tuesday, according to People. Its such exciting news. Its a really happy time for any couple and we wish them all the best and hope they enjoy this happy moment.

Kensington Palace announced on Monday Prince Harry and Markle got engaged earlier this month. The wedding is set for May 2018 at St. Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle.

MEGHAN MARKLE'S EX-HUSBAND TREVOR ENGELSON: WHO IS HE?

The prince and duchess-to-be, who met in July 2016 after being set up on a blind date, will have their first public engagement on Friday at a charity in Nottingham. Markle said in her first interview with BBC after the engagement announcement that she is retiring from her acting career and is excited to begin her royal duties.

"I don't see it as giving anything up. I see it as a change. It's a new chapter, Markle said in the interview.

Harry recalled falling in love with Markle so incredibly quickly and feeling like the stars were aligned after a few weeks of dating and a five-day camping trip in Botswana.

MEGHAN MARKLE, PRINCE HARRY TO BE MARRIED AT WINDSOR CASTLE IN MAY, PALACE SAYS

This beautiful woman just tripped and fell into my life, I fell into her life. I know that she will be unbelievably good at the job part of it as well, Harry said.

The prince designed a dazzling engagement ring for Markle that included two diamonds from late Princess Dianas jewelry collection. The center stone was sourced from Botswana.
HBO is officially distancing itself from Russell Simmons after accusations of sexual misconduct forced him to step down from his companies. Reports indicate the network is actively working to remove him from an upcoming project.

Earlier this month, the network announced Simmons would return to produce All Def Comedy, a six-episode standup series featuring well known comedians such as Deon Cole, DeRay Davis and more. However, Deadline reports that the network is pushing forward with the project, but is hoping to keep Russells name out of it in order to give the comedians a platform to showcase their work.

HBO will be airing All Def Comedy as planned, the network said in a statement the outlet. However, Russell Simmons will not appear in the new series and we will be removing his name from the show moving forward. The series is a platform for promising and upcoming comedians and we do not want to deprive them of an opportunity to showcase their talents to a national audience. We have no other projects with Russell Simmons.

Simmons had a deal with HBO since 2015, but his relationship with the network dates back to 1992 when he co-created Def Comedy Jam. He produced a one-off special in November as part of his overall deal, and the series was picked up to air in December, which will still happen.

As previously reported, Simmons stepped down from his companies after screenwriter Jenny Lumet accused him of violating her sexually in a guest column in The Hollywood Reporter. In it, she details Simmons aggressive behavior that led to non-consensual sex.

"I have been informed with great anguish of Jenny Lumets recollection about our night together in 1991," he told Fox News in an emailed statement. "I know Jenny and her family and have seen her several times over the years since the evening she described. While her memory of that evening is very different from mine, it is now clear to me that her feelings of fear and intimidation are real. While I have never been violent, I have been thoughtless and insensitive in some of my relationships over many decades and I sincerely apologize."
Russell Simmons has stepped down from his businesses after a report of alleged sexual misconduct from 1991 surfaced.

Jenny Lumet, a screenwriter and the granddaughter of Lena Horne, wrote an open letter to Simmons via The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday.

In the lengthy guest column, Lumet detailed a harrowing account of the alleged incident between herself and Simmons, a then acquaintance. She said he offered to give her a ride home back to her apartment in New York City in his limo. Instead, Lumet said she was taken to Simmons' home against her will.

"At no time that night did I say: 'Russell, I will go home with you.' Or, 'Come home with me.' Or 'I will have sex with you.' Or 'I have the desire to have sex with you'," Lumet wrote.

She wrote that she was then coerced into his apartment where she says Simmons assaulted her.

"At that point, I simply did what I was told. There was penetration. I desperately wanted to keep the situation from escalating. I wanted you to feel that I was not going to be difficult. I wanted to stay as contained as I could," said Lumet. "You told me to turn over on my stomach. You said something about a part of my body."

Simmons issued an apology in response to Lumet's claims and stepped down from his companies in light of the accusations.

"I have been informed with great anguish of Jenny Lumets recollection about our night together in 1991," he told Fox News in an emailed statement. "I know Jenny and her family and have seen her several times over the years since the evening she described. While her memory of that evening is very different from mine, it is now clear to me that her feelings of fear and intimidation are real. While I have never been violent, I have been thoughtless and insensitive in some of my relationships over many decades and I sincerely apologize."

Fox News reached out to Jenny Lumet but did not receive comment.

Lumet, who wrote "Rachel Getting Married" and "The Mummy," penned her scathing piece in response to Simmons denying to the Los Angeles Times that he sexually assaulted then 17-year-old model Keri Claussen Khalighi. The model said he tried to force her to have sex and later penetrated her when she was in the shower. He claimed the incident was consensual. She also said moviemaker Brett Ratner, who is fighting multiple sexual harassment claims, was in the room and did nothing to help her. Ratner denied witnessing her "protest," his lawyer told the paper.
Matt Lauer, the disgraced former anchor of NBC's "Today" show who was fired Wednesday for inappropriate sexual behavior, once summoned a married female employee to his office, locked the door and sexually assaulted her until she passed out, the New York Times reported after interviewing the accuser.

The alleged incident occurred in 2001. The woman, who was not named in the report, told the Times that she was in her 40s at the time.

According to the report, Lauer was behind his desk and she took a seat in the office. She said he locked the door from a button at his desk and he asked her to unbutton her blouse. She said she complied and claims he got up from his desk, approached her from behind, bent her over his desk and had sex.

Woke up on the floor

She claims that she passed out during intercourse and woke up later on the floor in his office. She said Lauer had his assistant take her to a nurse. She told the Times that Lauer never mentioned the encounter with her again and she said she left the network about a year later.

The accuser asked the paper not to identify her in the report. The paper said it contacted her ex-husband who said he remembered the alleged encounter. The two were reportedly separated in 2001 and are now divorced.

The Times report said NBC received at least two more complaints about Lauer after the network announced he was fired prior to Wednesdays "Today" broadcast.

While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over 20 years hes been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident, Andrew Lack, chairman of NBC News, wrote in a memo to staff.

Sochi evidence

Meanwhile, an NBC staffer approached executives about an incident that allegedly occurred with Lauer during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

The intern allegedly provided a photo which was a major part of the evidence which is why the firing came so quickly. It was so damning that they had no other option but to fire him, a source told the New York Post. The photo showed incontrovertible proof of inappropriate sexual behavior on his part.

The Times, citing two people briefed on an editorial meeting at NBC headquarters on Wednesday, reported that Lauer and the intern's involvement continued after the Olympics.

Lauer has long been one of the most-liked and highest-paid figures in the TV news industry, and his firing startled many of the roughly 4 million viewers who start their day with the "Today" show.

Follows Rose firing

Lauer became the second morning host in a week to lose his job over sexual misconduct allegations. Previously, CBS fired Charlie Rose of "CBS This Morning" after several women who worked for him complained about his behavior.

Messages to Lauer and his agent were not immediately returned, and the network would not say whether he denied or admitted to any wrongdoing. He is married with three children.

Lauer, 59, has essentially been the king of television morning news since first being paired with Katie Couric on "Today" in 1997.

Ari Wilkenfeld, the attorney for Lauer's accuser, praised NBC for acting "quickly and responsibly" in response to the morning host's "egregious acts of sexual harassment and misconduct." The lawyer did not identify his client.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The people behind Pop-Tarts are fed up with a Midwesterner who enjoys his breakfast pastry with mustard, so theyve taken the only logical step they could think of: Theyve contacted the Illinois State Police.

BURGER KING MANAGER SCREAMS AT CUSTOMER OVER BREAKFAST ORDER

The Pop-Tarts brand first became aware of the odd flavor combination on Tuesday, after an Illinois man proclaimed his love for spreading yellow mustard atop his Dunkin Donuts Vanilla Latte-flavored Pop-Tarts.

You guys aint [sic] from Illinois if you dont put mustard on your poptarts [sic], wrote the man in a now-deleted Twitter post which also contained a photo of his mustard-topped pastry.

In response, the official Twitter account of Pop-Tarts retweeted the mans post and tagged the Illinois State Police Department, asking them to intervene.

Can you guys handle this[?] they asked.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Though no one from the Illinois State Police responded, the police department of Dixon, Ill., came forward on Wednesday to offer its services. Aint nobody puttin mustard on their Pop-Tarts in Illinois, they wrote.

Pop-Tarts later retweeted the Dixon PDs message, thanking them for their support. Due to the severity of the crime, we need all the help we can get, the company added.

As of Thursday morning, Pop-Tarts says it considers the battle to be won, as the Illinois offender deleted his original Twitter post.

IOWA STUDENT'S POP-TART-AND-CHEESE SANDWICH GETS HIM DISOWNED BY IOWA

Judging by their Twitter activity, the people at Pop-Tarts have been critical of strange Pop-Tart flavor mash-ups over for a few weeks now, beginning with the Iowa student who shared his idea for a Pop-Tarts-and-cheese sandwich.

Theyve also tolerated a New Yorker who dipped his Pop-Tarts in hot sauce and an Oklahoman who dipped hers in ranch dressing, though they said they found the latter combination to be especially disrespectful.

Mustard, however, seemed to be the condiment that broke the camels back, at least as far as Pop-Tarts  a company that has, at one time or another, offered "Root Beer," "Maple Bacon" and "Orange Crush" varieties  was concerned.

That said, this probably wont be the last time Pop-Tarts resorts to calling the authorities. As of Thursday morning, they had already tried contacting Alaskas state police about an altogether new abomination:
A woman armed with a starter pistol got more than she was expecting after she robbed a New York Subway restaurant.

Around 9:30 Tuesday night, the robber entered the Buffalo, NY, restaurant and demanded money from the register. She then fled from the store with the cash.

IHOP WAITER STOPS ROBBER WITH MARTIAL ARTS SKILLS

However, an employee chased after her and began punching her before throwing her to the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, Buffalo News reports.

The employee said that the reaction was basically his instincts kicking in, manager Jason Maxwell told The Buffalo News.

The woman dropped the gun and most of the cash, but managed to get up and run away, the police report states.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

The brave employee said he regretted not holding the thief at the scene until the police arrived, Maxwell said.
From hospital mix-ups to cases that left doctors baffled, 2017 had it's fair share of wacky medical drama. Here are 10 of those cases:

A 30-year-old woman in Australia discovered more than she anticipated when she went to the doctor due to stomach pains -- only to find a dental brace wire that had been lodged in her intestine for a decade.

At first, doctors were stumped when laboratory tests, ultrasound and scans of her liver, gallbladder and bile ducts turned up normal, but a CT scan later revealed the 3-inch wire in her intestine.

Read the full article here.

Tragedy struck for one family in the U.K. when their 16-year-old daughter died suddenly while away at college. Jasmine Beever's cause of death was linked to an infected hairball in her stomach, which eventualy lead to a burst ulcer that caused her organs to shut down.

Patients who swallow their own hair are often diagnosed with Rapunzel syndrome, which is caused by a psychiatric disorder called trichophagia.

Read the full article here.

Doctors in China removed 30 inches of a 22-year-old's colon after his belly had swelled past the size that would normally be seen in a full-term pregnant woman. They discovered 29 pounds of feces within the colon, after learning that he had been constipated since birth.

Hirschsprung's disease is a birth defect that occurs in about 1 in 5,000 babies in the U.S., and leaves patients with no nerve cells within the wall of their colon.

Read the full article here.

Steven Hanes was awarded $870,000 after his doctor removed the wrong testicle during a botched 2013 surgery. The 54-year-old had sought treatment for chronic pain in his right testicle, but said he is is now left with a "debilitating fear" about seeking further help.

The jury found that Hanes' doctor was "recklessly indifferent," while his lawyer said his explanation made "no anatomical or medical sense."

Read the full article here.

One of the year's most viewed videos featured a young girl being pulled into the water by a sea lion in Vancouver. After news outlets began reporting on it, the girl's family contacted an aquarium to inquire about "seal finger," which is caused by bacteria found in the mouths of sea mammals.

If left untreated, the infection could turn severe and even lead to a loss of fingers or limbs. It wasn't clear what treatment the girl had been receiving, or if she was ever diagnosed with it.

Read the full article here.

This case features a 21-year-old woman in Italy who was admitted to the hospital for "sweating blood" from her hands and face. The unidentified woman has been dealing with the disorder for three years and would start bleeding spontaneously in her sleep or while she was physically active.

The ultimate diagnosis was hematohidrosis, an uncommon disease that causes a spontaneous discharge of blood to sweat through intact skin, as well as out of areas that don't have sweat glands.

Read the full article here.

Wyatt Shaw, 7, had spent the day celebrating a relative's wedding before falling into a deep sleep. But when his mom went to wake him the following day, he complained of a stomach ache and said that his head hurt. He fell back asleep before being taken to Norton Children's Hospital in Louisville, where it would be 10 days before he opened his eyes again.

His case continues to be a mystery, but he was given a medication that is typically used to treat seizures and seems to be helping him. He is also having trouble walking and talking as doctors attempt to pinpoint what caused his slumber in the first place.

Read the full article here.

The birth of a new infant typically brings joy and excitement for many families, but it led one new aunt to allegedly hatch a devious plot to kill her 11-week-old niece. Sarai Rodriguez-Miranda, 19, reportedly used a cellphone that she shares with her mother to tell her boyfriend that she crushed up pills and put them in the baby's bottle in the fridge.

Rodriguez-Miranda was allegedly upset that her mother had invited her brother, his baby and his fiance to stay with them longer than she had expected. Her mother reportedly read the texts and intercepted the bottles before informing police, prompting Rodriguez-Mirand to express frustration that the baby was still living.

Read the full article here.

This one had parents everywhere fuming after a retired NYPD officer claimed his family's insurance company sent a letter addressed to his 9-month-old son denying coverage for a clinical trial that he was enrolled in to treat an aggressive brain cancer.

Wayne Richardson said the letter said his son's treatment was "not medically necessary," but that without it, the boy would die. While he was receiving treatment free-of-cost at St. Jude's, Richardson was angered that the hospital would not receive funds from the insurance company that could go toward important research.

Read the full article here.

Sarah Gearing, 40, has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which causes her body's connective tissues to collapse, meaning that her joints frequently fall apart. The condition is currently causing her brain to drop out of her skull, and she is in need of $170,000 for a 10-hour operation to fix it.

Her brain has slipped 7-mm out of place and is prventing fluid from circulating between the brain and spine. The condition also causes chronic pain, both physical and mental, and has left her joints so loose that when she sneezes her ribs dislocate.

Read the full article here.
We all love our dogs, dont we? We fall in absolute puppy love when theyre small and the companionship grows each day. Their excitement when we walk through the door, the tail wags when its time to go for a walk, the cuddles and licks, the unconditional love. Puppy love is simply the best.

So when our dogs get sick, we naturally get worried. When they get so sick that the vet cant figure out the problem, we panic. Thats exactly what happened to me last week. Eight days of hell. But thank God, this story comes with a happy (yet mysterious) ending.

My yellow lab, Baxter, has been my pride and joy for more than 10 years. I am currently in my eighth month of pregnancy and just know Baxter will be a great big brother.

During my days hosting Fox and Friends Weekend, Baxter often came up in conversation and even paid a few visits to the curvy couch.

Baxter turned a lot of heads as a groomsman in my Central Park wedding. People couldnt believe my husband and me when we said we were taking him on a sea-to-shining-sea road trip from New York City to San Francisco. And their jaws were on the floor when we told everyone we were putting Baxter on an airplane to come live with us in Australia.

Baxter is all over my social media feeds and even has his own pages with the very regal handle @sirbaxterbear.

So as you can see, its safe to say Im a bit obsessed with Baxter. But you get it, dont you? Pets are simply the best!

Putting all these factors together, the conclusion from several of the doctors was that the problem was likely something that couldnt be easily cured. Something like cancer.

So heres the saga, and hopefully its a lesson learned for all of us. Baxter was sick for two days straight. He wasnt able to keep food or water down. Unfortunately our vet wasnt open on Sunday, so my husband and I found an alternative vet in a neighboring Sydney suburb.

The vet gave Baxter a shot to stop the vomiting but said they couldnt put him on an IV for fluids because the office was closing at noon. We trusted the reassurances we were given that the shot would do the trick.

We took Baxter home. Sure enough, the vomiting stopped, but Baxter started getting really weak. He couldnt even stand up on his own. We opened his mouth and he was so dehydrated that his gums were sticky to the touch. He was so lethargic and out of it. We decided we couldnt wait until the morning for more medical attention.

We gently put Baxter in the car and shuttled him across town to the emergency vet hospital. He was immediately put on fluids, but he wasnt getting better. Based on Baxters behavior we had almost completely ruled out an obstruction. Hes a mellow, old boy. He doesnt rascal around eating leather shoes or socks. He doesnt dig in the trash. Hes an inside dog.

Baxter is always on a leash during our coastal walks. We dont let him scrounge. The docs took some X-rays and didnt see any foreign objects in his belly. They did several blood tests and ruled out pancreatitis. Putting all these factors together, the conclusion from several of the doctors was that the problem was likely something that couldnt be easily cured. Something like cancer.

Cancer. Its a hard word to even say, isnt it? We were devastated. I hugged Baxters neck and kept telling him he had to get better so he can meet the baby boy growing in my belly. Through copious tears, I kept repeating: This cant be happening. He was so happy a few days ago. He HAS to meet my baby boy!

At home that night my husband and I shed a lot of tears, flipped through our library of old pictures, and looked at Baxters big fluffy dog bed, wondering if he would ever be sleeping there again.

In the morning we asked if there were more tests that could be done. What were our options? We werent ready to say goodbye. What if it wasnt cancer? What if it was something we could fix?

The next step was an ultrasound back across town. We again shuttled Baxter to the emergency vet for it, but just our luck, that too came back inconclusive. A second ultrasound was recommended using a higher tech machine. We agreed it should be done by a specialist. We were incredibly worried and at a loss.

Then finally, a call that changed it all. We think there is a foreign body in Baxters intestine. We cant be sure it isnt a tumor, but it looks to be mechanical. Do you want us to open him up to find out?

YES!!!!

A couple hours later, another call from a vet tech: Surgery is going well. The surgeon has just discovered the obstruction. It looks to be a corn cob. They should wrap up the procedure soon. We think Baxter will be fine.

A corn cob. A corn cob! What in the world! Where did he get that? We dont even eat corn on the cob! Confused, but overwhelmed with joy, my husband and I started grinning ear to ear, hugging one another. We were finally waking up from this horrible nightmare.

We got to pick Baxter up 48 hours later. It felt like Christmas morning. Way better. actually. What a journey!

Baxters usual nearly 100 pound frame had been whittled down to a shadow of his former self. He was weak. Despite this, his tail wagged and seemed very excited to see us. And we were pinching ourselves.

Of course we had to see the corn cob the surgeon had recovered. It is still so bizarre. It wasnt even that big and it was black in color. I wonder how long it was knocking around in his belly! The mystery will remain. Were just happy its out.

Baxter is now at home and sporting one of those funny, bell-shaped collars to keep him from disrupting his stitches. Its bright blue and quite the fashion statement for quite the incision. Almost a foot long!

Baxters skin and bones at the moment, but his classic Baxter smile has already returned. We are still cursing that damned, mysterious, corn cob  but our Baxter is on track for a full recovery. Oh happy day!
Catholics across the nations capital are livid after the public transit system rejected the Archdiocese of Washingtons Christmas advertisements because they were deemed religious.

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The advertisement depicted silhouettes of three shepherds walking at night with tall canes and sheep beneath a shining North Star. Emblazoned across the ad is the phrase: FIND THE PERFECT GIFT.

The Archdiocese filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday alleging the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority violated the U.S. Constitution by rejecting the ad.

To borrow a phrase from a favorite Christmas story, under WMATAs guidelines, if the ads are about packages, boxes or bagsif Christmas comes from a storethen it seems WMATA approves, spokesman Ed McFadden said in a statement. But if Christmas means a little bit more, WMATA plays Grinch.

LISTEN: Click here for Americas fastest-growing Conservative Podcast!

The transit authority defended the ban citing a 2015 change in its advertising policies that banned issue-oriented advertising, including political, religious and advocacy advertising.

The ad in question was declined because it is prohibited by WMATAs current advertising guidelines, the agency said in a statement.

Continue reading at ToddStarnes.com
A direct conflict between the U.S. and Russia is a daily threat.

Two months ago, the Pentagon accused Russia of dropping bombs dangerously close to American special operations forces in eastern Syria. The U.S. issued a stern warning. In response, Russia threatened to retaliate if its troops came under fire by the U.S.

The two nations use a de-confliction hotline every day to share information about their operations in Syria, as military officers seek to avoid a mistake or miscalculation that could ignite a full-scale war between them.

Such a conflict is something neither side may want, but its two leaders may be powerless to prevent it. Why? Because of Special Counsel Robert Muellers continuing investigation.

The longer the special counsels case drags on, the less likely it will be that President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin can sit down together in earnest to discuss key issues. These issues include diffusing the increasingly dangerous encounters in Syria, plus a myriad of other contentious topics that imperil American-Russian relations.

Gorbachev Issues Warning

Among those who are deeply concerned is Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union. He recently described U.S.-Russia relations as having deteriorated into a severe crisis, warning that the nuclear arms control treaty that ended the Cold War is teetering on the precipice of collapse. Each side accuses the other of violating the terms of the treaty.

Writing in a Russian government newspaper, the former Soviet leader offered a dire prediction: If the system of curbing nuclear arms crumbles, and that is exactly what the collapse of the INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces) treaty can lead to, the consequences will be catastrophic.

Gorbachev urged Presidents Trump and Putin to hold a summit to address the alarming nuclear issue, calling it totally abnormal that such a meeting has yet to take place.

A summit meeting has not happened because there is legitimate concern in the White House that any friendly or conciliatory overture by President Trump toward Putin will surely be met by a hostile media. The media are predisposed to exploit any U.S.-Russian improvement in relations as incriminating evidence of Trump-Russia collusion which, however mistakenly, is a subject of Muellers investigation.

With no end in sight, the probe will linger as a critical impediment to warmer relations and a better mutual understanding that could avert the kind of cataclysmic conflict Gorbachev envisions and fears. Time is of the essence, and the clock is ticking.

Trump Wants Better Relations

During the 2016 election, and well before President Trump was ever accused of conspiring with Putin to influence the election, candidate Trump called for warmer relations with the Russian leader. At one campaign rally he asked: If we could get along with Russia, wouldnt that be a good thing, instead of a bad thing?

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton predictably derided her opponent for embracing Putin, forgetting that she infamously presented a reset button to Russia while she was secretary of state and then failed to deliver on her promise. Hypocrisy has always been her strong suit.

Other than brief meetings on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Germany in July and again during the more recent Pacific-Asia Economic Cooperation summit in Vietnam, Trump and Putin have had little direct contact. There have been a few phone calls, but nothing of any substance.

In August, Congress escalated tensions when it passed a sweeping package of sanctions against Russia for its election meddling, further alienating Putin.

The Russian leader immediately retaliated by ordering the U.S. to cut 755 people from the staff at its embassy in Moscow and at three consulates in other cities. That left a total staff of 455.

The reprisal prompted President Trump to observe: Our relationship with Russia is at an all-time and very dangerous low. You can thank Congress.

The diplomatic chill, dissension and concomitant danger will likely endure, as long as Muellers investigation languishes.

President Trump has reportedly received reassurance from White House lawyer Ty Cobb that the investigation will be finished by the end of the year. This is overly optimistic, notwithstanding a dearth of evidence that Trump ever conspired with Russia.

The Senate Intelligence Committee spent 10 months investigating alleged collusion and came up with no evidence whatsoever. Senior Obama administration intelligence officials who were privy to the investigations by the FBI, CIA and NSA are on record as saying they, too, saw no such evidence when they were in office.

Unless the special counsel accelerates the conclusion of his investigation, or otherwise reveals that there is no evidence of campaign collusion with Russia, relations between the two great nuclear powers could degrade to such a degree that armed conflict may become a frightening inevitability.

To put it plainly, Muellers investigation may be jeopardizing American lives. It is imperative that the probe be brought to a speedy conclusion.
We all wanted to see more bipartisanship in Washington and it looks like weve finally got it.

On Thursday both House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., called on embattled Michigan Democratic Congressman John Conyers to resign.

For those of you following the Conyers saga  and the sexual misconduct saga more generally  you already know that Pelosi bungled her response to allegations against the 88-year-old Conyers just a few days ago.

On Meet the Press on NBC Sunday, Pelosi said that Conyers  who is the longest-serving current member of the House, holding his seat since 1965  was an icon in America. The top-ranking woman in Congress tossed aside the very credible accusations against Conyers by multiple women, who she had never met.

Its good to see that Pelosi has finally arrived at the place she shouldve begun. This is the right decision for moral and ethical reasons, but also for political reasons.

The outrage was swift, from both sides of the aisle. Pelosi walked it back later that afternoon, saying that no matter how great a persons legacy, it is not a license for harassment. The next day, Pelosi met Melanie Sloan, who worked for Conyers years ago. Pelosi then said she believed Sloans allegations against Conyers.

Theres more to Conyers story. He used his office funds to settle a sexual harassment suit  your tax dollars hard at work. He should resign on the basis of this alone.

Conyers didnt even use funds from the Congressional Accountability Act, which taxpayers pay for so that our representatives can harass and discriminate and then cover up their actions. You and I foot the bill for these settlements, but we never know what happened. This better be fixed, pronto.

Its good to see that Pelosi has finally arrived at the place she shouldve begun. This is the right decision for moral and ethical reasons, but also for political reasons.

Theres a lot more at stake here than Conyers career. For Democrats, every moment that there is any equivocation on the fate of Conyers, another voter in the Dec. 12 special election for U.S. Senate in Alabama becomes more convinced that its OK to back an alleged child molester.

Alabama Republican candidate Roy Moore has been accused by eight women of sexual misconduct in years past, including one who was a 14-year-old girl at the time of the alleged incident.

Voters will conclude that theyre bad on both sides if they believe all male politicians treat women badly. And I can imagine a lot of voters saying: Moore is a terrible guy, but we need more conservative judges. Im obviously against child molesters, but its just allegations at this point.

Now you may be wondering why Im not lumping Senator Al Franken, D-Minn., in the same boat as Conyers. He, too, has been credibly accused of sexual misconduct and has even admitted to one of the incidents  which was caught on camera, when he posed with his hands on the flak jacket over the breasts of the sleeping Leeann Tweeden. Tweeden, who said Franken also forcibly gave her an unwanted kiss, accepted his apology.

I see something fundamentally different in what Franken did and is accused of doing. And Im not alone. Youll notice there isnt nearly the same outcry about his actions or calls for his resignation.

There are some standouts like Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y., who has also called for Conyers to resign. She was a leading voice for a leadership change earlier this year and has been on the forefront of criticizing Pelosi for her management of this crisis.

Rices stance is that there needs to be accountability for politicians like there has been in the private sector. Washington shouldnt be a safe house for men who abuse women.

I wouldnt quibble with that and a majority of Americans would agree. There cant be a different set of rules for elected officials. Hopefully, the House will rectify that.

However, we run into dangerous territory when we throw everyone out, no matter the seriousness of offense. There are differences in what each of these men has allegedly done, and we cant have the same punishment for each.

I accept the fact that Franken may be forced to resign. And I also accept the fact that his refusal to resign may directly influence the outcome in Alabama.

Im desperate for Democrat Doug Jones to win the Senate race in Alabama  not only because it would put another Democrat in the Senate, but also because it would show that Americans are willing to put country over party. We need a lot more of that in America today.

Maybe that means that Ive got to give Franken up. A sacrificial lamb for a better tomorrow, as it were.

Check back with me in a day.
In August, when President Donald Trumps lawyers persuaded him to refrain from attacking independent counsel Robert Mueller publicly -- he had many times called Muellers investigation a witch hunt -- they also told him that the investigation was not aimed at him and not to worry because it would be over by Thanksgiving.

These are the same lawyers who revealed a fissure in the strategy of the presidents legal team. On one side are presidential lawyers who want to cooperate fully with Mueller because they are convinced that the president has nothing to fear from the public revelation of truthful information.

On the other side are presidential lawyers who believe that the office of the presidency is being diminished by its subservient surrendering of all demanded documents and emails to Muellers investigators -- materials that skilled prosecutors might somehow be able to use against the president or members of his inner circle someday.

Adding to this is the presence of Gen. John Kelly, the White House chief of staff, a non-lawyer, who serves as the referee when the presidents lawyers disagree. That disagreement was heightened on Thanksgiving eve when a letter arrived at the White House. It must have been received as if it were a thunderbolt and no doubt generated bitter reminders of the "over by Thanksgiving" remark made to Trump personally.

Here is the back story.

When the government is investigating or prosecuting a group of people who have some common bond or prior relationship or mutual interest, it is not uncommon for their lawyers to enter into a joint defense agreement. This type of agreement is a written contract that generally governs the relationship of the potential defendants to one another and their joint relationship to the government. Though no two agreements are identical, they generally provide for the sharing of communications to and from the government, the sharing of evidence and a joint defense.

So if one of the lawyers in the agreement receives a request from the government for documents from that lawyers client, that lawyer will share the request and copies of the surrendered documents with the other lawyers who have signed the agreement.

The joint defense established by the agreement -- we will sink or swim together -- prohibits any person whose lawyer has signed the agreement from pointing a finger at any other person whose lawyer has signed the agreement. This united front often strengthens the defense team and frustrates the government. These agreements are common, lawful and binding until any potential defendant withdraws.

Lawyers must be very careful about what they have agreed to do, because a lawyers first and core loyalty is to her or his client, not to the group of folks represented by fellow counselors who have signed the agreement.

In the Mueller investigation, lawyers for some of the major targets -- but not all -- signed such an agreement. Those who did include lawyers for the president and lawyers for his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn.

Last Wednesday evening, after Trump had left the White House for a Thanksgiving weekend at his Florida estate, Flynns lawyers delivered a letter to lawyers for all the others in the agreement, including Don McGahn, who is White House counsel, to announce their withdrawal from it. This means that they can no longer comply with the terms of the agreement because they are about to have communications with Muellers team that they cannot share with the lawyers for the others.

That can only mean that Flynn is offering to give the government something. But Muellers prosecutors are threatening Flynns liberty. Why would he help them?

The retired lieutenant general faces a host of potential felonies -- conspiracy to kidnap a foreign national, conducting a private foreign policy with a foreign government, failing to register as a foreign agent, failing to report income from a foreign government, working for a foreign government while working for the U.S. government, lying to FBI agents -- all of which expose him to decades of federal prison time.

Flynn might help Mueller prosecute others because Mueller could reduce Flynns prison exposure substantially in return for credible evidence against another person in the agreement.

The tantalizing question remains: What evidence does Flynn have that Mueller wants or can use? Here is where this business of independent counsels -- prosecutors not answerable through normal Department of Justice channels -- can become dangerous to personal liberty.

Because this independent counsels office has been established solely to examine whether any Americans aided the Russian assault on our electoral system in the months leading up to the presidential election in 2016, Mueller, who heads that office, like his many predecessors who were appointed solely to investigate one person or one crime or one series of events, will have a natural tendency to indict someone for something, if only to justify his offices existence.

We have already seen this in the charges against three former Trump colleagues -- for lying to the FBI and for money laundering -- which have no visible connection to the Russians or the election. Though there may be no visible connection to the Russians or the election, there may be an invisible one, so to speak.

Uncovering that kind of connection, which is brought about by fear of incarceration and a willingness to trade knowledge of dirt on former compatriots in return for ones own freedom, is a technique mastered by prosecutors for nearly a century. But is this type of dirt, which is essentially purchased by the government by shaving years off federal prison exposure, believable?

Regrettably, this purchased, bribed testimony is, more often than not, believed by jurors, even though they are told of the deals that brought the evidence to them. Though Trumps lawyers are gainsaying this Flynn reversal, they must know how potentially dangerous it is to their client. Flynn was Trumps nearly constant confidant from June 2015 to February 2017.

Thanksgiving is over. Mueller and his team remain hard at work.
Since President Donald Trump took office, he has been consistently strategic in working to dismantle the radical, leftwing legacy of his predecessor.

While the mainstream media has fixated on exaggerated day-to-day mini-controversies, the Trump Administration has methodically eliminated job-killing Obama-era regulations, filled judicial vacancies with solid conservatives at an astonishing pace, and accomplished real breakthroughs in trade relations with China and the Middle East.

Now, the President is going after another Obama-era creation: the dangerously unaccountable Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Long time readers of this newsletter know that I have opposed the CFPB on constitutional and economic grounds for years. Ive written about the agencys mafia-like tactics as well as the threat its behavior poses to the rule of law. I have even testified before Congress about the danger this agency poses.

This CFPB was created by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act and was largely designed by radical Senator Elizabeth Warren when she was an Obama advisor. Since the beginning, it has been used as a political weapon by the far Left as a way to intimidate businesses that the Left opposes ideologically.

The CFPB consistently oversteps its bounds. It is prohibited from regulating car deals, yet it does so anyway. It is prohibited from collecting personal data from consumers, yet it does so at a scale that rivals the NSAs most controversial data gathering operations.

Further, the CFPB draws its funding from the Federal Reserves operating expenses rather than annual appropriations  making it unaccountable to Congress. The writers of Dodd-Frank also specified that the director could only be removed by the president  and only under specific circumstances. This undermines both congressional and executive powers. Essentially, the bureau can do whatever it wants  without fear of losing its funding or its leadership.

The bureaus creators claim it needed this unique autonomy from Congress and the president so it could operate free of politics. However, it appears what the CFPB really wanted was a shield against conservative politics. The Washington Examiner found that political donations from bureau employees have been overwhelmingly Democratic. Since 2011, 593 CFPB employees have donated a total of $114,859 to Democratic candidates or groups, while only one employee has given to a Republican  $1,000 to Mitt Romney in 2012.

In other words, the CFPB is the perfect example of an out-of-control, wholly unaccountable, politically-motivated bureaucracy. It is one of the deepest bogs in the swamp.

The best possible evidence of this agencys assumed autonomy is illustrated by the ludicrous fight that has unfolded over the past few days.

Former CFPB Director Richard Cordray announced his resignation the day after Thanksgiving, with eight months left in his term. However, before officially departing Friday, he made his chief of staff, Leandra English, the agencys deputy director, which under Dodd-Frank, would set her up to become acting director in his stead.

However, President Trump exercised his executive power to fill federal vacancies and appointed OMB Director Mick Mulvaney  a fierce critic of the CFPB  as acting director. English is now making an absurd grab for power by suing the Trump Administration. Despite the CFPBs general counsel acknowledging Mulvaney is the legal acting director, English claims President Trump doesnt have the authority to appoint him.

Englishs grandstanding only proves the contemptuous, bureaucratic arrogance of the culture surrounding this deeply flawed federal agency. The Left simply believes the law does not apply to them.

Not surprisingly, the national media continues to treat Englishs ridiculous claim as legitimate  even after U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly on Tuesday denied her request for a restraining order to keep Mulvaney from leading the agency.

In his ruling, Judge Kelly said, Denying the President's authority to appoint Mr. Mulvaney raises significant constitutional questions."

This is another fight that President Trump has won  and it couldnt have happened quickly enough.

Congress and the President should now work to abolish the CFPB as soon as possible, or at the very least, bring this rogue agency back under the rule of law.
Democrats are desperate to derail long-overdue tax relief that is heading to the Senate floor for a vote this week  even if by doing so they take money from the pockets of their own constituents.

There are no good arguments against allowing hardworking Americans to keep more of their money. But that hasnt stopped Democrats, who are intent on denying President Trump a victory at any cost  including lying about the Senate tax bills impact in an attempt to block its passage.

This deceit was on full display at a CNN Town Hall debate this week, where career politicians Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Maria Cantwell of Washington state leaned on shopworn Democratic talking points as the basis for the their opposition to the tax bill. These include the following five myths that have been making the rounds among Democrats and their media allies.

MYTH 1: The tax bill is a tax increase on the middle class.

Cantwell: Raising taxes on the middle class is wrong, and thats what this bill does.

Recognizing the popularity of a middle-class tax cut, Democrats are trying to use the Bizarro-world argument that the tax cut bill is actually a tax increase. They cite a Tax Policy Center report claiming the bill would raise taxes on 87 million middle-class families.

What the Democrats dont mention is that the Tax Policy Center is a project of the left-wing Brookings Institution and Urban Institute, funded by donors like George Soros who want to disrupt President Trumps agenda by any means necessary.

The Tax Policy Center can only arrive at this eyebrow-raising conclusion by making the unrealistic assumption that the tax cuts would expire after 10 years.

In reality, the tax bill would provide significant relief for the middle class by doing the following: doubling the income threshold under which families pay no taxes at all to $24,000; doubling the child tax credit to $2,000; and eliminating the 15 percent tax rate in favor of an expanded 12 percent rate, among other provisions.

The above changes would save ordinary families thousands of dollars a year.

MYTH 2: The majority of the tax bills benefits go to the top 1 percent of earners.

Sen. Sanders: 60 percent of the tax benefits in the Republican plan would go to the top 1 percent.

Democrats are trying to distract from the bills middle-class tax relief by claiming most of the benefits go to the super-rich. But in reality, the bill is targeted at the middle class.

In addition to the middle-class provisions mentioned above, consider the bills relief for Main Street small businesses. The bill offers a 20 percent small business tax deduction for all small businesses earning less than $500,000 a year.

This 20 percent tax deduction would allow small business owners to keep more of their earnings, helping them to compete with their big business and international competitors  as well as hire more employees, raise wages and expand.

According to the Tax Foundation, 97 percent of small businesses earn less than this $500,000 threshold, meaning the overwhelming majority of small businesses would see relief from this provision.

But who would see little-to-no relief from it? The top 1 percent, with annual incomes of roughly $500,000 and higher.

Given this clear middle-class relief, how do Democrats back up their 1 percent claim? By pointing to the tax bills provision to bring the corporate tax rate in line with international standards.

However, survey and economic evidence demonstrates that corporate tax cuts benefit the middle class in the form of higher wages, better workplace benefits, new job opportunities and lower consumer prices.

Even higher dividend payouts benefit the middle class, because the majority of corporate stock is owned by retirement plans, including IRAs, 401ks and government pension plans that help ordinary Americans save.

MYTH 3: The tax bill will grow deficit by $1.4 trillion.

Sen. Sanders: This legislation will grow the deficit by $1.4 trillion. Mark my words.

Democrats are suddenly pretending to care about the nations fiscal state by pointing to the tax bills $1.4 trillion of lost revenues on a static basis over 10 years. What isnt said is that this is only a 3 percent drop from the $43 trillion Congressional Budget Office (CBO) revenue projection over this timeframe.

But in the real world  outside of simplistic Excel spreadsheets  people respond to incentives. With more money in their pockets and in their communities, consumers, businesses and investors will spend more, creating economic growth that will more than pay for the $1.4 trillion in lost revenues.

According to the CBO, every 0.1 percent increase in the gross domestic product adds over $250 billion in revenue over 10 years. This means that even returning to 2.5 percent economic growth  still well below the U.S. historical average  would more than pay for the tax cut.

MYTH 4: The tax bill wont create economic growth.

Sen. Cantwell: No, I dont think (the tax bill) will grow (the economy).

Given the dynamic effects on tax revenue from even minor economic growth, Democrats are at pains to deny the growth created by tax cuts. They cite left-wing economists to make their case  but historical evidence and commonsense undermine it.

The tax cuts enacted under Presidents Coolidge, Kennedy and Reagan, among others, all generated several years of supercharged economic growth. The principle is simple: More money in the wealth-creating hands of the private economy  and less in the wealth-destroying hands of government  creates economic growth.

Some 100 economists wrote an open letter to Congress with the following message: Economic growth will accelerate if the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passes, leading to more jobs, higher wages, and a better standard of living for the American people.

MYTH 5: The tax bill will cause 13 million people to lose health insurance.

Sen. Sanders: This bill will result in 13 million people losing their health insurance.

Given this scare tactic worked so well to kill health-care reform, Democrats are trotting it out in an attempt to do the same to tax reform. But the facts are very different this time around.

Far from kicking people off health insurance as Democrats imply, the tax bill would simply eliminate the health-care tax on those who choose not to purchase health insurance. This tax is borne mostly by working- and middle-class Americans: Nearly 80 percent earn $50,000 a year or less. In fact, this provision would reduce the middle-class tax burden even further.

The tax-cut bill currently before the Senate offers ordinary Americans the best opportunity for tax relief in a generation. But Democrats are putting their narrow political interests ahead of whats good for the country and lying to try to sink it. Their agenda should be exposed.
In the recent special session, Gov. Steve Bullock and Democratic legislators fought successfully to protect $124 million in essential health and community services that mean life or death for many Montana families.

The stakes were high: If Bullock hadnt called us back to Helena, we would have seen a steep hike in college tuition, devastating cuts to rural hospitals and the loss of essential services for elderly and disabled Montanans. The pain from these cuts would have been felt all across the state.

While I am relieved that we managed to avert catastrophe, the people of Montana need to understand the truth about what just happened and what were going to face in the future if we continue down this road.

For starters, the Republican majority demanded up front that Bullock cut at least $76 million in essential services before they would even come to the negotiating table to work with Democrats on a solution. These are the same Republicans who overestimated revenue by $97 million dollars during the 2017 Legislative session, contributing to this budget shortfall in the first place.

Out of these cuts, about $50 million are to the Department of Health and Human Services. Every dollar we cut in state money triggers a loss of matching federal funds, causing our state to lose more than $110 million in essential human services.

In a bizarre twist, Republicans chose to make these cuts permanent. They didnt have to, but they chose to do it anyway. So even if our budget improves before the 2019 Legislative session, these eliminated health services cannot immediately be restored by the governor.

But these cuts were just the beginning.

What became clear was that for the Republicans, the special session meant open season. We saw a series of bills which used the states $227 million budget shortfall as a political opportunity to push unrelated and extreme policies.

One of the more egregious examples of this was the cynical effort to use Montanas budget shortfall as a way to force the governor to prematurely renew a contract with a private, for-profit prison in Shelby. This prison is run by CoreCivic, a multi-billion dollar Tennessee company which gets $15 million a year from their contract with Montana.

This contract is up for review in 2019, when the Legislature is back in session. But in the face of mounting complaints about human rights abuses and safety concerns, CoreCivic worked with Republican legislators from the Shelby area to beat the clock and force us into a new contract right away. You see, CoreCivic has an escrow account with $30 million of Montana taxpayer money in it. If we choose not to renew the contract in 2019, we can access that account to buy back the prison with a goal toward better management and reducing recidivism.

So Republican legislators intentionally left a $30 million gap in the budget and created a legal loophole which allows the Core Civic contract to be renewed immediately. This puts the governor  and the State of Montana  in a terrible negotiating position, because if Bullock doesnt agree, he will have to consider cutting another $30 million dollars in essential services to the elderly, disabled and most vulnerable in Montana.

Yes, you read that right. Thats $30 million of your taxpayer dollars being held hostage to give an out-of-state company a lucrative contract with the state.

It doesnt have to be this way. During the last session, Democrats, along with Bullock, proposed fair and reasonable ways to balance our budget by asking millionaires to pay their fair share, stopping out-of-state corporations from hiding their money offshore, and making people who earn more than a million dollars from investments pay the same tax rate as everyone else. If that budget had passed, we wouldnt be in this situation.

This budget shortfall didnt happen in a vacuum. Republicans have chosen to protect giveaways to out-of-state corporations and multimillionaires on the backs of Montanas working families. These kinds of policies force Montanans to pay more in property and local taxes, as well as higher out-of-pocket costs for in-state tuition, medical care, and services for our aging population.

Its time to change course.

As Montanans, we cant afford to absorb any more of these hits to our communities, to our families, or to our livelihoods.

I can promise you that Democrats will continue to fight for solutions that put hardworking Montana families first. We are eager to work with anyone who is willing to do the same. Together, we can change course.

Eck is the House Minority Leader of the Montana Legislature. She represents House District 79 in Helena.
Three women who have accused former President Bill Clinton of past sexual misconduct were among a group of people that barged into Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Frankens office on Wednesday to demand he resign from Congress amid sexual harassment accusations.

Video posted to social media show Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Willey and Leslie Millwee entering Frankens Capitol Hill office.

We are at Al Frankens office, and were hoping that we get to see him, Broaddrick said on video before going into the office.

I dont think well get anywhere, but at least we can say we were here, Willey said.

The group left Frankens office after police officers arrived.

Earlier in the day, Broaddrick, Willey, and Millwee held a news conference in Washington calling for the resignations of Franken and Michigan Rep. John Conyers, another Democrat facing harassment allegations.

CLINTON ACCUSERS REVIVE ALLEGATIONS AMID WAVE OF HARASSMENT CLAIMS

They also called for the end to the millions in secret settlements lawmakers have used to quietly settle cases of harassment lodged against them by congressional employees.

Im here to demand the resignation of Al Franken and John Conyers, Willey said. They are not sorry. Their apologies are weak. The only reason they apologized is because they were caught.

Im tired of paying Bill Clintons pension for what he did to me and all of these other women. I know there are many, many more like me, Millwee said.

Franken said this week he is ashamed and sorry about his past behavior toward women, but indicated he will not resign. Conyers has denied the accusations of harassment, but has stepped down as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.
One of the women accusing the powerful Democratic Rep. John Conyers of sexual harassment claimed to Fox News on Wednesday night that in addition to touching her inappropriately, he also failed to protect her when one of his top staffers assaulted her.

Deanna Maher, 77, has accused Conyers, D-Mich., of engaging in three inappropriate incidents in the late 1990s. She said the first was in 1997 when she rejected his offer to share a hotel room and have sex. She added that the others involved unwanted touching in a car in 1998 and unwanted touching of her legs under her dress in 1999.

In an interview on Fox News The Story with Martha MacCallum, Maher emotionally described the incident with Conyers' high-level staffer as pretty devastating. She said it happened in 2001 when she was 61.

CONYERS FORMER TOP STAFFER ACCUSES CONGRESSMAN OF INAPPROPRIATE TOUCHING

She said the unnamed staffer grabbed her, forced her against a wall and stuck his tongue down my throat at my age.

I cant tell you how ashamed I felt, she said. Dirty.

Afterwards, Maher, a former deputy chief of staff for Conyers, claimed the congressman gave her no help whatsoever. I got no protection afterwards because Congressman Conyers covered that whole thing up.

She also noted that Conyers was a powerful member of the Judiciary Committee and that it controlled funding for the Department of Justice.

CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS NOT SEEKING CONYERS RESIGNATION, DESPITE PRESSURE FROM OTHER DEMS

Do you realize thats all the jobs and all the budgets, she said to MacCallum. And thats what he controlled. So all he has to do is pick up a phone call and destroy someones life.

When the initial incidents with Conyers allegedly took place, Maher said she didnt report them but was appalled, shocked and devastated, especially since she said they happened on government property with federal law enforcement nearby.

Maher told MacCallum that she was sharing her experiences for the young women entering the workforce on the Hill, saying that when these encounters happened to her she was a mother and a grandmother and not any young chicken.

Im really trying to stand up for them because they are vulnerable, she said. Its very exciting and glamorous to be part of Capitol Hill, congressional hearings and this is where they are shooting ducks.

Fox News reached out to Conyers' office and did not get an immediate response.

Conyers surrendered his post as the House Judiciary Committee's top Democrat after a report that he'd quietly settled a complaint by a former aide who said he'd harassed her. Conyers' attorney, Arnold Reed, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the lawmaker has no plans to leave Congress and will fight the accusations against him "tooth and nail."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Senior White House aide Jared Kushner -- who is President Donald Trump's son-in-law -- met this month with special counsel Robert Muellers investigators, Fox News has confirmed via a source with direct knowledge of the meeting.

Investigators questioned Kushner about a meeting he had with an unnamed Russian ambassador and former national security adviser Michael Flynn, the New York Times reported. The Associated Press also reported about the meeting, citing an anonymous source.

The meeting reportedly took place in December 2016 during then-President-elect Trumps transition into the White House. Other details about the meeting were unclear.

Kushner's questioning took about 90 minutes or less and was aimed in part on establishing whether Kushner had any information on Flynn that might be exculpatory, the AP source said.

The source also said multiple White House witnesses have been asked about their knowlege of Flynn.

The revelation of Kushners meeting with Mueller investigators came days after it was reported that Flynn cut ties with Trumps legal team.

Attorneys for Flynn told the presidents team that they could no longer discuss Muellers probe into Russias involvement with the election.

Kushner was previously accused by leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee of not being fully forthcoming in its Russia probe.

In response, Kushner's lawyer Abbe Lowell said in a statement that his client encouraged members of the Trump campaign to decline meetings with foreigners.

Fox News' Serafin Gomez and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Republican plan to overhaul the nations tax system cleared a key procedural hurdle in the Senate on Wednesday, as President Trump rallied support for the bill and called it the beginning of the next great chapter for the American worker.

The bill advanced on a 52-48 party line vote, allowing senators to start debate on the sweeping legislation.

Ahead of the floor vote, President Trump traveled to Missouri to rally support for the bill -- and pressure Congress.

Now comes the moment of truth, the president said during a rally in St. Louis. In the coming days, the American people will learn which politicians are part of the swamp and which politicians want to drain the swamp.

He said, The eyes of the world now turn to the United States Senate. ... A successful vote in the Senate this week will bring us one giant step closer to delivering a big victory to the American people.

Speaking at the St. Charles Convention Center on Wednesday, the president said he is working to help push our plan for historic tax cuts right across the finish line.

A vote to cut taxes is a vote to put America first again, the president said in St. Louis. We want to do that, we want to put America first again. It's time to take care of our workers, to protect our communities and to rebuild our great country.

He also took aim at Missouris Democratic senator, Claire McCaskill, a top Republican target in the 2018 midterm elections.

Senator Claire McCaskill -- have you ever heard of her? -- is doing you a tremendous disservice, Trump said. She wants your taxes to go up. She's weak on crime. She's weak on borders. She's weak on illegal immigration. And she's weak on the military. Other than that, I think she's doing a fantastic job.

Critics say both the House and Senate versions will disproportionately help the wealthy and corporations.

But Trump on Wednesday argued some super wealthy people  including himself  wont like everything in the bill.

We're also going to eliminate tax breaks and complex loopholes taken advantage of by the wealthy I think my accountants are going crazy right now, he said.

He added: It's all right. Hey, look, I'm president. I don't care. I don't care anymore. I don't care. Some of my wealthy friends care. Me, I don't care. This is a higher calling.

The bill still faces hurdles in the Senate, where Republicans have just two votes to spare in their 52-48 edge over Democrats.

If they send it to my desk, I promise all of the people in this room, my friends, so many friends in this room -- a great state -- I promise you I will sign it, Trump said. I promise. I will not veto that bill. There will be no veto.

As it stands, the Senates tax overhaul plan is different from that of the Houses version. The two chambers would need to come together on a unified piece of legislation to advance to President Trumps desk.

Under the Senate bill, the standard deduction  the amount which reduces the amount of income Americans are taxed  would increase to $12,000 for individual filers and $24,000 for married couples.

When it comes to reducing the corporate tax rate, both chambers want to see the tax rate lowered to 20 percent from 35 percent. However, the Senate measure would delay the implementation for one year.

The Senates tax plan would eliminate state and local tax deductions  meaning taxpayers in high-tax states would lose a write-off. This would impact mostly blue states, such as California and New York.

The Senates tax plan also includes a repeal of the individual mandate, the ObamaCare requirement for Americans to have health care.

The Senate tax reform measure would leave the mortgage deduction pretty much alone, capping it at $1 million. The House plan, on the other hand, would drastically reduce the cap on the popular deduction to mortgage interest to $500,000.

Fox News' Kaitlyn Schallhorn and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Another woman has come forward to accuse Sen. Al Franken of groping her during a USO tour -- this time, an Army veteran who reportedly claims the Minnesota Democrat cupped her breast while taking a photo in Kuwait in 2003.

Stephanie Kemplin, 41, of Maineville, Ohio, was the fifth woman to accuse the senator of inappropriate behavior, CNN reported. She was also the second person to allege an incident during a USO tour. Three women have come forward publicly and the other two have remained anonymous.

Kemplin told CNN that Franken, who was a writer and comedian at the time, was visiting the soldiers when she waited in line to take a photo with the Saturday Night Live alum. During the encounter, Franken allegedly "groped" her breast.

"When he put his arm around me, he groped my right breast. He kept his hand all the way over on my breast," Kemplin told CNN. "I've never had a man put their arm around me and then cup my breast. So he was holding my breast on the side."

FRANKEN WONT RESIGN: SENATOR APOLOGIZES, SAYS HE WANTS TO GET BACK TO WORK

Kemplin told the media outlet she recalled feeling embarrassed and wondered if Franken would move his hand or if it was an accident.

"I remember clenching up and how you just feel yourself flushed," she said. "And I remember thinking -- is he going to move his hand? Was it an accident? Was he going to move his hand? He never moved his hand."

"It was long enough that he should have known if it was an accident. I'm very confident saying that, the veteran added.

Kemplin said the grope lasted about 5 to 10 seconds before she turned away from Franken in order to get his hand off her breast, just before the photograph was snapped.

A spokesperson for Franken told Fox News: "As Sen. Franken made clear this week, he takes thousands of photos and has met tens of thousands of people and he has never intentionally engaged in this kind of conduct. He remains fully committed to cooperating with the ethics investigation."

CNN reported the veteran broke into tears multiple times during the interview while recalling the incident.

"I was in a war zone. ... You were on a USO tour -- are you trying to boost the morale of the troops or are you trying to boost your own?" Kemplin said. "I just feel so sorry for that young girl in that picture."

The veteran said she did not say anything to Franken during the alleged incident and does not remember telling her fellow soldiers about it either.

CLINTON ACCUSERS JUANITA BROADDRICK, KATHLEEN WILLEY BARGE INTO AL FRANKENS OFFICE

"You're immediately put on the spot. What are you going to do? What are you going to do? Your mind goes a mile a minute," the veteran said. "Who was I going to tell?"

The woman told CNN she told family members, relatives and an ex-boyfriend of the alleged incident. Amy Muddiman, Kemplins sister, told CNN she recalled the veteran telling her about Franken groping her.

"I just remember her telling me that he grabbed her breast and that she was so shocked about it," Muddiman said. "My sister is pretty bold and assertive and she said that she didn't know what to do."

The ex-boyfriend, who asked not to be named, reportedly said he could not recall the details but remembered Kemplin telling him, he went to put his arm around her and copped a feel.

Kemplin said she reached out to Leeann Tweeden, a Los Angeles radio host, who was the first woman to come forward with sexual misconduct allegations against Franken. Tweeden said the senator forcibly kissed her and groped her during a 2006 USO tour, before he was elected to the Senate.

Kemplin said Tweedens story made her recall the incident between her and Franken. Tweeden and Kemplin spoke and the radio host connected her to a CNN reporter.

Kemplin told CNN she also reported to her platoon sergeant a separate incident in 2003 in which she was inappropriately touched by a member of their unit. An investigation was initiated.

Documents stated Kemplin was told the alleged incident was totally inappropriate behavior but the specialist was not guilty of indecent assault.

CNN reported Kemplin was honorably discharged in 2008.

Kemplin told CNN she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after coming home from her tour in Iraq. She now works as a federal contractor who investigates Medicare fraud.

Franken did his first press conference Monday since the allegations surfaced and said he was sorry but hopes to regain the publics trust and confidence by getting back to work. The Senate Ethics Committee may launch an investigation into Franken, and the senator said he would cooperate.

After Tweeden came forward with her allegations two weeks ago, Lindsey Menz told CNN the senator grabbed her buttocks in 2010 when they posed together for a picture at a Minnesota state fair. Two other women, who remained anonymous, reported such incidents to the Huffington Post. One woman said Franken groped her in 2007 during a photo at the Minnesota Women's Political Caucus. The other said he cupped her backside with his hand in 2008 and suggested that they go to the bathroom together at a Democratic fundraiser in Minneapolis.

Fox News Chad Pergram, Joseph Weber and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A new lawsuit accuses Gov. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia and Hillary Clintons brother Anthony Rodham of stealing the money and dreams of a group of Chinese investors who propped up a troubled electric-car company, believing they would gain U.S. residency.

The investors filed suit in Fairfax County, Virginia, last week against the automaker, GreenTech Automotive, McAuliffe, Clinton's brother, company CEO Charles Wang and various related companies. The plaintiffs, seeking at least $17.9 million in repayment, accuse the defendants of milking political connections to perpetuate a $120 million scam.

"Plaintiffs now face the prospect of having to uproot their families once again, with the expense and stress of deportation to China looming before them," the lawsuit says.

McAuliffe is set to leave office in January and is often mentioned as a potential 2020 Democratic presidential candidate.

Pitched nearly a decade ago as a revolutionary company that would use foreign investments to build a new line of energy-efficient cars that would create jobs in the impoverished Mississippi Delta, GreenTech -- which closed a factory in Robinsonville, Mississippi earlier this year -- has failed to live up to those promises and has been a magnet for controversy.

McAuliffe served as chairman of GreenTech before leaving the company in 2012 to run for governor. Rodham helped run an associated fund designed to attract foreign money from investors intent on green cards.

Rodham declined an Associated Press request for comment. A GreenTech representative did not immediately return an AP email seeking comment.

Documents obtained by AP show that the Department of Homeland Security decided to reject a number of visa requests made through Rodham's fund because GreenTech had created so few jobs.

The lawsuits were first reported by Politico. The Virginia suit alleges that the governor and his associates "exploited" investors' desire to become permanent residents with an implicit message: "Invest $500,000 in our electric car company, and will leverage our political connections to ensure your immigration papers will get to the top of the pile."

The governor's spokeswoman, Crystal Carson, dismissed the investors lawsuit. "We strongly reject this baseless suit, which has no merit whatsoever. The claims, which regurgitate old political attacks regarding a company that Governor McAuliffe left five years ago, were brought by a lawyer with conservative ties," Carson told Politico. "We are confident it will be dismissed."

But one of the lawyers who drafted the lawsuit fired back at the assertion of political motivations.

"I represented the Chamber of Commerce once or twice. ... I'm not a conservative dude," Scott Abeles of Los Angeles-based Gerard Fox Law told Politico.

The suit says McAuliffe and Rodham visited China to seek investments in the startup.

Despite promising investors, in addition to a highly desired immigration status, that their investments in GreenTech were guaranteed, GreenTech has manufactured very few cars, sold no cars and is rumored to be in the brink of bankruptcy, the lawsuit adds.

They painted a false picture of the company, including instructing employees to be pretend to be working while investors toured the plant.

The lawsuit comes after the Mississippi attorney general, Jim Hood, sued GreenTech in state court in Jackson earlier this month. Hood, a Democrat, is demanding that the company repay $5 million plus interest on money the state and Tunica County borrowed to buy land and build a car factory, plus $2 million in punitive damages.

A 2015 report also found that a senior Homeland Security official broke ethics rules when he intervened in visa proceedings for GreenTech, according to AP. The company has also been facing an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the status of which is not clear.

In Hood's lawsuit, the state also wants a judge to block GreenTech from removing anything from its building in Robinsonville, foreclose on the building and order it sold to cover the company's debts, and to grant the state a claim on any future revenue GreenTech might generate.

In July, Stacey E. Pickering, Mississippi state auditor and a Republican, found that the company couldn't prove that it had met any of the requirements of a 2011 incentive deal with the state, including investing $60 million or creating 350 jobs. Pickering found that the company had only created 143 jobs, and was down to 10 by February. Hood's lawsuit said the company "has removed its operations outside the state of Mississippi."

Pickering also demanded immediate repayment of everything GreenTech owed, setting the stage for Hood's civil lawsuit.

Pickering's audit said GreenTech provided written documents saying it had raised $43 million from 86 investors, who each put in $500,000 through a federal program that allows people to obtain U.S. residency by investing that amount and creating 10 jobs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Embattled Rep. John Conyers "sure as hell" will not be pressured into resigning, a lawyer for the 88-year-old Michigan congressman vowed Thursday, just an hour after House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said he should step down amid sexual harassment allegations.

"Pelosi did not elect the congressman and she sure as hell will not pressure him to leave," Conyers' attorney Arnold Reed said.

The attorney went on to allude to a perceived double standard, noting that Sen. Al Franken, who is the subject of mounting sexual harassment complaints, has not been the subject of similar calls from within the Democratic Party.

"At the end of the day, I would suspect Pelosi would have to explain the difference between Franken and Conyers," Reed said.

Earlier, at her weekly press briefing, Pelosi, D-Calif., called the allegations against Conyers serious and disappointing," quickly changing her tune on the congressman from earlier this week.

I pray for Congressman Conyers, however, Congressman Conyers should resign, Pelosi said Thursday. He has served our Congress and shaped consequential legislationzero tolerance means consequences for everyoneno matter the great legacy.

Pelosi's call for his resignation came after facing backlash for seemingly defending Conyers after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct. Despite Pelosis remarks, the Congressional Black Caucus has yet to call for Conyers resignation.

Following her statement, House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., also said Conyers should resign.

Yesterday, I said Congressman Conyers should do the right thing for the country, the institution, and, most importantly, the woman involved," he said. "The right thing is for Congressman Conyers to resign.

Later in the day, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-MD, weighed in in agreement.

"As I have said, the allegations against Rep. Conyers are serious and credible. As we continue to hear more, I think it is appropriate for him to resign," Hoyer tweeted.

PELOSI FACES BACKLASH FOR QUESTIONING CONYERS' ACCUSERS

Pelosis directive for Conyers to abandon his seat came as the 88-year-old was admitted to a hospital in Detroit for a stress-related illness.

Conyers family spokesperson Sam Riddle told Fox affiliate WJBK on Thursday that Conyers was resting comfortably with [his wife] Monica by his side, but did not give further details about his condition.

[John Conyers] is doing okay, as well as can be expected for a gentleman thats approaching 90 years of age, Riddle said.

JOHN CONYERS' LONG HISTORY OF CONTROVERSY SURFACES AMID MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS

At least three women have accused Conyers of sexual misconduct.

One of the women, Deanna Maher, 77, told Fox News Wednesday night that Conyers had engaged in three inappropriate incidents in the late 1990s, and that touched her without her consent, but that he also failed to protect her when one of his top staffers assaulted her.

In an interview on Fox News The Story with Martha MacCallum, Maher said the incident, which happened in 2001 when she was 61-years-old, was pretty devastating.

She said the unnamed staffer grabbed her, forced her against a wall and stuck his tongue down my throat at my age.

I cant tell you how ashamed I felt, Maher said. Dirty.

Maher said she got no protection because Conyers covered that whole thing up.

Another Conyers accuser said on NBCs Today show Thursday that the Democratic congressman violated my body and often propositioned her for sex.

Marion Brown, a former staffer for Conyers, told NBC Thursday that the misconduct occurred regularly during her 11 years working on his staff.

It was sexual harassment, violating my body, propositioning me, inviting me to hotels with the guise of discussing business and propositioning for sex, Brown said Thursday. He just violated my body, hes touched me in different ways. It was very uncomfortable and very unprofessional.

Brown described a specific encounter with Conyers, who has denied any wrongdoing, in a Chicago hotel room in 2005.

He was undressed down to his underwear, she said. He asked me to satisfy him sexually. He pointed to genital areas of his body and asked me to touch him.

"I was frozen shocked. I didn't want to lose my job, I didn't want to upset him. Also, he asked me to find other people that would satisfy him," she said. "I just tried to escape. I did tell him that I was not going to do that and I did not feel comfortable.

According to NBC, Brown first came forward anonymously to BuzzFeed News on November 20, saying she was fired in 2014 for refusing Conyers sexual advances. That report ignited a wave of fresh accusations against Conyers, forcing him to resign from his post as ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee.

The House Ethics Committee is currently investigating Conyers, but as more women come forward with accounts of alleged sexual misconduct, the list of congressional colleagues calling for his resignation is growing.
A Texas Republican congressman said Thursday he will not seek re-election to Congress after a nude photo and lewd text messages between him and multiple women surfaced.

"I am announcing today that I will not seek reelection in 2018, Rep. Joe Barton said in a Thursday statement. To the people of the 6th District, thank you for your support and friendship."

Before the messages were made public, Barton had said he planned to run for an 18th term to the House.

But this week, another woman released online messages allegedly showing Barton steering the conversation toward sexual themes.

Kelly Canon, a Tea Party organizer in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, released a series of Facebook Messenger conversations with Barton from 2012 in which he asked things like if she was wearing panties.

First reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Wednesday, the revelation comes a week after Barton apologized for a nude photo of him that circulated on social media.

Canon later told The Associated Press that she and Barton exchanged online messages from around 2011 to 2015. They included Barton asking after midnight in June 2012 whether Canon was "wearing a tank top only ... and no panties." The congressman was married at the time to his second wife but is now twice divorced.

Barton told The Dallas Morning News on Thursday that people lost faith in him over the situation.

"There are enough people who lost faith in me that its time to step aside and let there be a new voice for the 6th district in Washington, so I am not going to run for re-election," Barton said.

REPUBLICANS WHO WONT BE COMING BACK TO CONGRESS AFTER 2018 MIDTERM ELECTIONS

It began when an anonymous account on Twitter last week posted a censored photo of a nude man and suggested it was Barton. The account also tweeted a screenshot of a text message from "Joe B" using strongly sexual language.

Barton apologized and suggested the photo was taken while he was separated from his wife and had consensual relationships with other women.

"While separated from my second wife, prior to the divorce, I had sexual relationships with other mature adult women," Barton said. "Each was consensual. Those relationships have ended.

Some have defended Barton, calling him a victim of revenge porn. The congressman said last week the Capitol Police offered to launch an investigation into the release and he accepted the offer.

Barton, who was first elected to Congress in 1984, is the vice-chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Congress is dealing with several other sex scandals, including Michigan Democratic Rep. John Conyers facing allegations of making unwanted advances toward staffers and Minnesota Sen. Al Franken apologizing after several women have accused him of harassment.

Fox News Jason Donner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tax reform won Senate approval in a 51-49 vote shortly before 2 a.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 2.

The White House and Senate GOP leaders announced before the vote that they believed they had enough votes to pass their sweeping tax overhaul plan.

In order to get enough support, GOP lawmakers considered different measures to include with the bill.

Republicans only had two votes to spare in the Senate, where they held a 52-to-48 edge. Vice President Mike Pence would've broken the tie, if needed.

Heres a look at some key Republicans who needed to be persuaded to get on board with the plan.

Steve Daines

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., had some concerns about the tax reform legislation, but his spokesperson told Fox News Friday morning that he now supports the measure.

Daines previously said he was optimistic that the improvements could be made to the bill before its time to vote. And he said Wednesday he'd vote yes to move the motion.

Ron Johnson

Wisconsins Sen. Ron Johnson originally wasn't too big of a supporter of the tax bill, but after meeting with Senate leadership and Trump, he voted it through the Budget Committee.

He told Fox News that Trump promised to fix some of the problems he had with the measure and would work with them as the bill moves to the full Senate. Johnson's spokesperson said the senator would vote for the bill because of concessions made on pass through taxes.

Susan Collins

When it came to Republicans efforts to overhaul the health care system, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was not on board. Now Republicans are looking to see if shell join them on taxes.

Collins has reportedly said there are things she is trying to change regarding the current legislation. But after meeting with the president Tuesday, Collins said she was feeling "optimistic" about tax reform.

Bob Corker

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., was the only Republican who joined Democrats in voting against the proposal.

Previously, Corker's stance on the bill was vague -- at least publically. He has said hes concerned about how the legislation will impact the national debt, but he did vote it through the Senate Budget Committee Tuesday.

Corker wants to include a backstop or trigger in the legislation that would increase revenues even if the plan falls short.

After Trump's meeting with Senate Republicans, Corker said, "I think we're getting to a very good place on the deficit issue."

While we are still working to finalize the details, I am encouraged by our discussions.

Jeff Flake

Like Sen. Bob Corker, Jeff Flake has been publicly at odds with the Trump administration  especially since he announced his impending retirement from the Senate.

But Flake, R-Ariz., said Friday that he would vote for the Senate's tax reform plan.

Jerry Moran

At a town hall event last week, Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., refused to commit to the current tax legislation but did say that he is for some tax bill.

Can we find taxes to cut that grow the economy? We dont want to increase the debt and deficit as a result of tax cuts, Moran said, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal. My goal is to find out which taxes you cut can actually help create more jobs, better jobs, higher-paying jobs  and which ones dont do that. Not all of them do that.

Marco Rubio

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told WFOR-TV that when it comes to tax reform, hes looking for two components: a proposal that will make the U.S. more competitive and take care of workers.

SENATE REPUBLICANS CONSIDER TAX BILL FIGHT, EYE LIGHTER TRIM TO CORPORATE TAX RATE

Rubio has pushed for an expansion of the child tax credit and wants to make it fully refundable against payroll taxes. He introduced an amendment to the bill along with Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, that would raise the proposed corporate tax rate to offset costs by strengthening the child tax credit.

John McCain

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Thursday that he would support the tax plan.

"I believe this legislation, though far from perfect, would enhance American competitiveness, boost the economy, and provide long overdue tax relief for middle class families," he said in a statement.

Like others, McCain is also considered a deficit hawk when it comes to the tax bill and was worried about its impact on the federal deficit.

Finally, I take seriously the concerns some of my Senate colleagues have raised about the impact of this bill on the deficit. However, its clear this bills net effect on our economy would be positive. This is not a perfect bill, but it is one that would deliver much-needed reform to our tax code, grow the economy, and help Americans keep more of their hard-earned money.

James Lankford

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., wants to make sure the legislation doesnt increase the federal deficit but finally said Tuesday he was "on board with" the plan.

"Yes, I am on board with this bill because I want to see the good economic growth that's coming with it," Lankford told CBS News.

He had previously been seen as someone whose support was uncertain.

Lisa Murkowski

A more moderate Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski put speculation regarding her feelings on the tax measure to rest as she tweeted that she would support the bill due to certain provisions that she said will benefit her state of Alaska.

We still have work to do on this legislation and I look forward to debate on the Senate floor and my colleagues ideas to further improve it, Murkowski said.

The bill before us has a number of features that are very attractive to Alaskans. It lowers tax rates, doubles the child tax credit, and provides tax relief for many families by doubling the standard deduction, she said.

Murkowski also praised the tax bill as it comes with a provision that would allow drilling in Alaskas Arctic National Wildlife Refuge  something that shes long pushed for.

Fox News Peter Doocy and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
In an internal House memo obtained by Fox News, a senior counsel for the House Intelligence Committee urged Republican Chairman Devin Nunes three weeks ago to pursue contempt of Congress citations against the Justice Department and FBI.

Congressional investigators accuse those agencies of withholding key documents and an FBI witness that could shed light on whether U.S. officials under then-President Barack Obama relied on the infamous anti-Trump dossier to justify surveillance against associates of then-candidate Donald Trump.

We're trying to work with DOJ and the FBI. We hope that they will comply, but if they don't they leave us very little option, very few options, Nunes, R-Calif., told Fox News.

He said they sent subpoenas out in June, July and August that still haven't been complied with.

Nunes added, So I think stonewalling would be putting it lightly.

The dossier is the compendium of salacious and mostly unverified allegations about Trump and others on his campaign that was compiled last year by the opposition research firm Fusion GPS and based in part on Russian sourcing.

Bank records obtained by the Nunes panel revealed that the dossier was funded by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

In early January, Trump said it was a group of opponents that got together -- sick people -- and they put that crap together.

GOP lawmakers have spent eight months  including issuing a subpoena on Aug. 24  probing whether then-FBI Director James Comey and other officials, who received the dossier in July 2016, used it to place surveillance on Trump associates.

Back in March, Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, asked Comey if he was investigating the claims made in the dossier.

I'm not gonna comment on that, Mr. Castro, Comey replied.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who was briefed this week on the panels probe, is said to be working behind the scenes to advance the case, following stern public comments last month.

We've had these document requests with the administration, with the FBI in particular, for a long time and they've been stonewalling, he said on Oct. 25.

In the internal memo, Nunes counsel wrote: "After eight months of ongoing verbal, written, and subpoenaed requests -- and engagement by Committee and House leadership at the highest levels -- DOJ/FBI continues to impede the Committee's legitimate investigative efforts and hinders the Committee's ability to conduct effective oversight.

The counsel wrote, Staff therefore recommends further congressional compliance actions  a phrase sources said was code for contempt citations.

After Fox News first reported on the memo, President Trump used his widely followed Twitter account to publicly urge the FBI and DOJ to turn over the information in question.

The House of Representatives seeks contempt citations(?) against the JusticeDepartment and the FBI for withholding key documents and an FBI witness which could shed light on surveillance of associates of Donald Trump. Big stuff. Deep State. Give this information NOW! he tweeted.

The Justice Department told Fox News it has been very cooperative with the Nunes panel, consistent with national security and law enforcement responsibilities.

A DOJ spokesman said the department has provided the committee "with any number of documents and multiple briefings related to this matterincluding the documents related to any FBI payments that may or may not have been made to the source in questionand has more recently cleared a key witness they have requested to testify."

And the members who have chosen to attend those briefings should have a clear understanding of the facts surrounding this matter, the spokesman said.

Fox News Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
Think your internet service is slow now? Just wait.

Think your internet service is too expensive? You might soon wish you could pay what you pay now.

Last week, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai proposed rules that would reverse what has become known as "net neutrality." In other words, internet service providers are prohibited from choosing to slow content to some sites, or charging premiums for certain types of content.

If you value free speech and being free from the censorship by big corporations, then reversing net neutrality should alarm you. Without it, large companies could limit which websites you visit. They could also decide to block sites for any reason they want.

Of course, large telecommunications companies have feigned shock that customers might suspect they would either slow down the internet or charge premiums for certain content, like Netflix or Hulu. Big companies, like Comcast, have pledged that they won't slow down, throttle or block content.

But let's face it: If the new rules roll back net neutrality, then absolutely nothing will stop service providers from doing all of those things. Consumers won't be able to hold providers to clever PR slogans or slick ad campaigns. Those aren't contracts, and they're certainly not law.

The truth is that these new rules seem written for large corporations that could easily send rates skyrocketing for service. Moreover, it could provide plenty of collusion by these companies brokering deals with services that would soak the customers. Here's how: A large service provider might threaten to throttle back a streaming service, like Sling, YouTube, Hulu or Netflix, unless they pay premium, or unless a customer pays a premium. That means not all content on the Internet would be accessible to everyone with a connection. As a consumer, you may not be able to access what you can now.

If these laws go into effect, there would be no recourse, other than to pay whatever your internet service provider demanded. It's content extortion.

In this very real way, net neutrality is more than just a threat to your pocketbook. Loss of net neutrality is a threat to freedom of speech and freedom of thought. If you are blocked from accessing content, the large internet service providers will be placing themselves in the role of censor, allowing you to see some sites, while banning or slowing flow to another. Simply put, they will have the power to control what you see and maybe what you know.

We must fight for net neutrality because the only assurances we have are from the very companies that would stand to benefit. And their only guarantee is, "Trust us."

We could also imagine a much more sinister reality. We could imagine internet service providers simply blocking sites that may not agree with them. What happens if, say, a news outlet reported that an internet service provider was engaged in price gouging? It would not be impossible to think that a service provider could simply block the site, and do it legally.

This not only holds consumers hostage, but also all businesses that use a website (in other words, everyone). This is the equivalent of giving another business the right to block the front door of your business  just in electronic form.

Some Republicans, including Montana's Sen. Steve Daines, have praised the new rules, saying they eliminate burdensome rules that inhibit business development.

But, we don't see many businesses in Montana that can't compete because of net neutrality. Instead, we only see a handful of very large providers who could guarantee a stranglehold here, with the help of a senator who is supposed to be watching out for our best interest.

We might be able to buy Daines' flimsy free-market argument if there were truly a market. But most Montanans don't have reasonable choices when it comes to internet service providers. Most have only one choice, and service in some parts of the state isn't that great.

The barrier to entry to become an internet service provider is also costly, nearly assuring that even with the rollback of net neutrality, there's not going to be companies all of a sudden swarming to do business here in the Treasure State.

Daines is simply protecting big business at the expense of Montanans who rely on internet to conduct business worldwide.

We don't have a choice, and this would make Montana even more vulnerable to a company that wants to charge more or throttle back.

That's why the Obama-era rules were and should be a good thing. Those rules treated the internet as a vital service, much like electricity a century ago. No longer is the internet or email a luxury, but an everyday reality of life, even in the more rural parts of our state. Just like electricity  at one point  wasn't a novelty.

We call on our members of Congress to do everything they can to reject these rules and make laws that would ensure net neutrality is preserved permanently.

Why would our own government want us to pay more for internet and get less?
After declaring the nations opioid epidemic a public health emergency in October, President Trump revealed his plans to crack down on the health crisis.



His plan, which he discussed in March, includes harsher penalties for drug traffickers and lowering the amount of drugs needed to trigger mandatory minimum sentences for dealers.

These are terrible people and we have to get tough with those people, Trump said of traffickers and dealers. This isnt about committees ... this is about winning a very tough problem.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 115 Americans die daily from opioid-involved deaths. Opioids, including prescriptions and heroin, killed 42,000 people in the U.S. in 2016  the highest on record.

Its important that the full weight of the federal government  with each Cabinet department determining their role in the crisis  is involved in tackling the epidemic, said Tom Coderre, a former official with the Obama administrations Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The opioid crisis is multi-faceted and multi-dimensional. Its not like there is a secret weapon out there, Coderre, recently hired as a senior adviser to Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo to help combat the opioid crisis, told Fox News.

Heres a look at what the Trump administration has proposed to deal with the crisis.

Death penalty

Trump has often mused that certain countries  such as Singapore  have fewer issues with drugs because of the harsh penalties dealers can face if caught. He has argued that a person in the U.S. can receive the death penalty or life in prison for shooting one person, but a drug dealer who potentially kills thousands spend little to no time in jail.

When the president unveiled his plan to combat the epidemic, he brandished the death penalty as a fitting punishment for traffickers.

Drug traffickers kill so many thousands of our citizens every year, Trump said. That's why my Department of Justice will be seeking so many tougher penalties than we've ever had and we'll be focusing on the penalties that I talked about previously for big pushers, the ones that are killing so many people, and that penalty is going to be the death penalty.

He added, Other countries don't play games ... But the ultimate penalty has to be the death penalty.

"The ultimate penalty has to be the death penalty."  President Trump

The Justice Department said the federal death penalty is already available for several limited drug-related offenses, including violations of the drug kingpin provisions of federal law.

Attorney Gen. Jeff Sessions issued guidance to all U.S. attorneys, urging them to "hold opioid manufacturers and distributors accountable for unlawful practices."

"[T]his should also include the pursuit of capital punishment in appropriate cases," he said. "Congress has passed several statutes that provide the Department with the ability to seek capital punishment for certain drug-related crimes."

Sessions added, "I strongly encourage federal prosecutors to use these statutes, when appropriate, to aid in our continuing fight against drug trafficking and the destruction it causes in our nation."

Mandatory minimum sentencing

Trump has called on Congress to pass legislation which would lower the amount of drugs needed to trigger a mandatory minimum sentence for dealers who knowing distribute illicit opioids.

Congress already has plans to weigh a range of bills targeted at curbing the epidemic.

Republican Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina have put forth a bill that includes lowering the amount of fentanyl needed to invoke mandatory minimum sentences in certain distribution cases.

Fentanyl is a high-risk type of opioid used by doctors to treat pain.

Its past time the punishment matched the crime when it comes to opioid distribution and trafficking, Cotton said in a statement.

Graham added, Increasing these mandatory minimums is well-justified.

More research, less prescriptions

Part of Trumps plan to attack the nationwide crisis is to increase research and development through public-private partnerships between the federal National Institutes of Health and pharmaceutical companies.

With the public health emergency declaration, officials are able to more easily deploy state and federal workers, secure grants for the unemployed and shift funding from certain programs  such as HIV or AIDs programs  to provide substance abuse treatment for certain individuals.

Trump wants to see the number of opioid prescriptions cut by one-third within three years. He also called for expanding access to proven treatment and recovery efforts.

Awareness campaign

Trumps plan includes broadening education and awareness as well  something he called for last fall when he declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency.

This awareness campaign includes broadcasting great commercials to scare kids from dabbling in drugs. Trump also announced the creation of a new website, CrisisNextDoor.gov, where people can share their stories about addiction.

Gary Mendell, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Shatterproof, said the crisis needs more attention and awareness, which the president can provide. An emergency declaration, he told Fox News, creates recognition ... and awareness around the country that this epidemic needs right now.

Past declarations

In October, Trump declared the crisis a national public health emergency, short of the national state of emergency sought by a presidential commission he put together to study the issue. It was renewed in January.

HHS has issued public health emergency declarations in the wake of natural disasters as well as the spread of diseases.

The agency issued its first declaration for the Zika virus in Puerto Rico in August 2016. It was last renewed in April 2017.

Public health emergencies were also declared in New York following Hurricane Sandy in November 2012 and in Missouri following a series of storms and tornadoes in May 2011.

Fox News' Elizabeth Llorente and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An immigration attorney in Indianapolis pleaded guilty Thursday to a fraud scheme in which he filed more than 250 false visa applications on behalf of clients, the Department of Justice said.

Joel Paul, 45, an immigration attorney from Fishers, Indiana, entered a guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson of the Southern District of Indiana. Paul was charged with mail fraud, immigration document fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Individuals who commit immigration fraud undermine and abuse our generous immigration systema system that lawfully admits more immigrants than any other country in the worldand put our public safety and national security at risk, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement about the case.

Prosecutors said Paul orchestrated a scheme to submit fraudulent applications for U-visas, reaping about $750,000 in fraudulent fees. According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U-Visas provide temporary immigration benefits to foreign nationals who are victims of crimes.

DOJ MOVES TO STRIP CITIZENSHIP FOR IMMIGRANT CHILD SEX ABUSERS

Paul admitted in the plea agreement that he submitted more than 250 fraudulent applications between 2013 and 2017, falsely claiming his clients had been victims of a crime and had helped law enforcement in a criminal investigation.

He submitted unauthorized copies of a certification he obtained from the U.S. Attorneys office in 2013, prosecutors added. The attorney charged his clients $3,000 per application, they said.

President Trump promised voters he would return this country to a lawful system of immigration, and this Justice Department is committed to fulfilling that promise by rooting out fraud and abuse, Sessions said. We will not tolerate fraud at any level, and will bring those who engage in fraud to justice.

Paul will be sentenced in early 2018, the department said.

Fox News Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
A former Twitter employee who stunned the world earlier this month by deactivating President Donald Trumps account for 11 minutes has now stepped forward.

Bahtiyar Duysak owned up to his involvement in the Nov. 3 Trump outage Wednesday in an interview with TechCrunch.

Duysak, who is of Turkish decent but born and raised in Germany, called the outage a mistake and said he didnt think the presidents Twitter account would actually get deactivated.

Duysak was assigned to the trust and safety division of customer support while he neared the end of his work and study visa. The team is in charge of responding to alerts of offensive tweets, bad behavior, etc.

During his last day on the job, Duysak said, someone had reported Trumps account. So as his final act as a Twitter employee, he decided to start the process of deactivating the account before he signed off for good.

Duysak said he didnt think much of it until several hours later, when he learned what happened to the president's account and that a media uproar followed.

Bypassing mainstream media

Trump has consistently used Twitter to bypass the mainstream media and reach his 43.6 million followers directly, sometimes with content that some consider inflammatory.

On Wednesday, Trump faced backlash for retweeting several videos that appeared to show Muslims committing acts of violence, with British Prime Minister Theresa May among the critics.

However, Trump seemed to ignore the criticism telling May in a tweet dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom.

Trumps large social media presence was a crucial tool during his presidential campaign and a platform he acknowledged played a role in his election victory, the Washington Post noted.

'Full internal review'

According to TechCrunch, Trumps account was supposed to be protected from deactivation over a Terms of Service violation.

Twitter initially blamed the outage on human error, but later learned that a Twitter customer support employee was responsible and promised to be conducting a full internal review.

As for whether there will be legal repercussions, Duysak told TechCrunch he doesnt believe he did anything wrong and hopes to continue an ordinary life.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Republican Sen. John McCain announced his support Thursday for the Senate tax reform bill, boosting the chances for passage of the sweeping legislation as it faces a likely final vote within hours.

After careful thought and consideration, I have decided to support the Senate tax reform bill," the Arizona senator said in a statement. "I believe this legislation, though far from perfect, would enhance American competitiveness, boost the economy, and provide long-overdue tax relief for middle-class families.

Republicans only have two votes to spare in the Senate, where they hold a 52-48 edge. Vice President Pence would break a tie, if needed.

McCain had not yet backed the overhaul and he has been thought to be a key vote in the effort to pass the tax bill.

Other Republicans who have not publicly said whether they will vote for the final bill include Steve Daines of Montana; Ron Johnson of Wisconsin; Susan Collins of Maine; Bob Corker of Tennessee; Jeff Flake of Arizona; Jerry Moran of Kansas and Marco Rubio of Florida.

On Thursday, even as he announced his support, McCain expressed concerns about the bill, including its impact on the deficit. Still, he said he believes the bill's "net effect on our economy would be positive."

"This is not a perfect bill, but it is one that would deliver much-needed reform to our tax code, grow the economy, and help Americans keep more of their hard-earned money, McCain said.

The tax overhaul cleared a key procedural hurdle in the Senate on Wednesday on a 52-48 party-line vote, allowing senators to start debate on the legislation.

Ahead of the floor vote, President Trump traveled to Missouri to rally support for the bill -- and pressure Congress.

SENATE TAKES UP TAX REFORM: HERE'S WHAT THE PLAN LOOKS LIKE

Now comes the moment of truth, the president said during a rally in St. Louis. In the coming days, the American people will learn which politicians are part of the swamp and which politicians want to drain the swamp.

As it stands, the Senates tax overhaul plan is different from the Houses version. The two chambers would need to come together on a unified piece of legislation to advance to Trumps desk.

Under the Senate bill, the standard deduction  which reduces the amount of income that is taxed  would increase to $12,000 for individual filers and $24,000 for married couples.

When it comes to reducing the corporate tax rate, both chambers want to see the tax rate lowered to 20 percent from 35 percent. However, the Senate measure would delay the implementation for one year.

The Senates tax plan would eliminate state and local tax deductions  meaning taxpayers in high-tax states would lose a write-off. This would impact mostly blue states, such as California and New York.

The Senates tax plan also includes a repeal of the individual mandate, the ObamaCare requirement for Americans to have health care.

The Senate tax reform measure would leave the mortgage deduction pretty much alone, capping it at $1 million. The House plan, on the other hand, would drastically reduce the cap on the popular deduction to mortgage interest to $500,000.

Fox News' Alex Pappas, Judson Berger and Kaitlyn Schallhorn contributed to this report.
More than a year after Michael Flynn, President Trump's former national security adviser, pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI, he still hasn't been sentenced.

Flynn, 60, pleaded guilty in December 2017 to making false statements to the FBI regarding his talks with a Russian ambassador. Flynn was scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 18, but Judge Emmet G. Sullivan delayed it  after tearing into Flynn.

"Arguably, you sold your country out," Sullivan told Flynn, saying he would not hide his "disgust" or "disdain" for the offense.

Ahead of his sentencing, Flynns lawyers maintained he had devoted his career to his country and taken responsibility for an uncharacteristic error in judgment. Flynn is a retired three-star Army general who served as Trumps national security adviser for nearly a month at the beginning of his administration.

SHOCKING SCALE OF RUSSIA'S SINISTER SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN AGAINST US REVEALED

Special Counsel Robert Mueller released key documents on Dec. 14 regarding the FBI's interview with Flynn. The documents include then-FBI deputy director Andrew McCabes notes after talking with Flynn to arrange his interview with the FBI.

"The seriousness of the defendants offense cannot be called into question, and the Court should reject his attempt to minimize it. While the circumstances of the interview do not present mitigating considerations, assuming the defendant continues to accept responsibility for his case ... his cooperation and military service continue to justify a sentence at the low end of the guideline range," Mueller concluded in a document replying to Flynn's sentencing memorandum.

Heres a look at how Flynn  who was one of the more polarizing characters in Trumps administration  is involved in the Russian investigation.

Why did Flynn leave the White House?

Flynn resigned as Trumps national security adviser in February 2017 over revelations that he misled Vice President Mike Pence about his communications with Russias former ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak.

I have nothing to be ashamed for and everything to be proud of, Flynn told Fox News at the time.

How is he connected to the Russia investigation?

Despite earlier statements to the contrary, Flynn discussed sanctions former President Barack Obama imposed on Russia with Kislyak.

He pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about conversations he had during the presidential transition period and is expected to become the first White House official punished in the special counsels ongoing probe into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election.

Muellers team filed a memorandum suggesting Flynn deserved a lenient sentence  with possibly no prison time  because of the substantial help he offered as part of several ongoing investigations. Overall, Flynn sat for 19 interviews with the special counsels office and other Justice Department officials.

MCCABE REVEALS 'ONE THING' THAT STOOD OUT FROM HIS FATEFUL CALL WITH FLYNN

Given the defendants substantial assistance and other considerations set forth below, a sentence at the low end of the guideline range, including a sentence that does not impose a term of incarceration  is appropriate and warranted, the memo states.

Flynns lawyers said he has expressed genuine contrition for the uncharacteristic error in judgment and has a deep respect for the law.

What do we know about his lobbying work?

Aside from Russia, Flynn is also involved in a separate investigation into Turkish lobbying work headed by prosecutors in Virginia, according to The New York Times.

Flynns former lobbying firm is being probed for work they did on a campaign against Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric and green-card holder living in Pennsylvania. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Gulen of being behind a botched coup and has sought his extradition. Gulen has denied the allegations, and U.S. officials have rebuffed Turkey's extradition demands, citing a lack of evidence.

Flynn Intel Group, Inc., carried out $530,000 worth of lobbying and research work for several months, including during the end of the 2016 campaign.

Anything else?

Flynns attorneys have pointed out that two FBI officials involved in interviewing Flynn have since been investigated themselves for misconduct. FBI counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok, who interviewed Flynn, was fired a year later over anti-Trump text messages. Then-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who had arranged the interview but wasn't present for it, was fired for what the Justice Department called a lack of candor involving a media leak.

Fox News Alex Pappas, Gregg Re and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
James OKeefe, founder of the conservative nonprofit group Project Veritas, apparently remains unbowed after the Washington Post claimed it had foiled an undercover operation by O'Keefe's group.

Project Veritas reportedly tried to entice the Post into reporting on false allegations against Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore.

But in speaking to a crowd at the Southern Methodist University in Texas on Wednesday, OKeefe dismissed the significance of the Posts story chronicling the hoax.

"I don't have an opinion on it, honestly. I can't speak intelligently about it. The Washington Post seems to want a Nobel Prize for vetting a source correctly. Our work is sort of changing human nature and making people cautious," he said.

Project Veritas has a history of using disguises and hidden cameras to uncover supposed liberal bias among reporters and left-leaning organzations. It has targeted groups ranging from Planned Parenthood, teachers unions, and most famously, the community organizing non-profit ACORN.

But the group has been criticized for selectively editing its videos in order to push a conservative narrative.

Most recently, the group was foiled Monday after it allegedly tried to convince Washington Post reporters that a woman named Jaime Phillips was impregnated at age 15 by Moore and was convinced to have an abortion.

The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the efforts to infiltrate the paper dated back a few months. Phillips had been confronted by a Post reported about inconsistencies her testimony and was later seen entering Project Veritas offices in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

The Washington Post was the first news media organization to report accusations that Moore sought to date teenage girls while in his early 30s. The allegations have rocked the special election campaign for the Senate seat in Alabama.

O'Keefe admitted that his group was behind the hoax aimed at the Post, saying our cover was blown."

O'Keefe said in an interview with AP that Mondays failed attempt was part of a broader project to use deception as a means to gain access to news organizations including the Washington Post, the New York Times, and CNN, among others.

"If we're doing something on The Washington Post, it's in the context of getting them on tape to tell the truth and to admit either their biases or how the paper works or how honest they are," he said.

Another O'Keefe project led to the demise of ACORN, a community organizing group that O'Keefe negatively portrayed via hidden camera videos. He corded with a hidden video camera as he brought a young woman posing as a prostitute to the group's offices. O'Keefe later agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a lawsuit based on the ACORN incident.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Rep. John Conyers has been admitted to a hospital for a stress-related illness in Detroit.

The congressman has been under investigation after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct.

Conyers family spokesperson Sam Riddle told Fox affiliate WJBK on Thursday that the congressman was resting comfortably with [his wife] Monica by his side, but did not give further details about his condition.

"[John Conyers] is doing okay, as well as can be expected for a gentleman that's approaching 90 years of age. You can wait out here all you want; he won't be coming out," Riddle said.

Fox News confirms the congressman has been hospitalized.

At least three women have accused Conyers, who is the longest-serving sitting House member, of sexual misconduct. Allegations first surfaced last week when BuzzFeed posted an article detailing a settlement involving a former Conyers staffer who said the 88-year-old lawmaker sexually harassed her. She said she was fired after she refused his advances.

Conyers denied the allegations, but said Sunday he would step aside as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee during the investigation into his alleged sexual misconduct. The Congressional Black Caucus also stood behind Conyers, a founding member of the CBC, on Wednesday, with Rep. Cedric Richmond saying they werent urging John to resign.

We think it's a decision for him and his family and his constituents to make, said Richmond, the caucus leader and a Louisiana Democrat. When in an elected office, its those people in his congressional districtand his family that will weigh in on what happens when the ethics investigation is going on.

Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
A reporter who demanded proof that White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders actually baked a chocolate pecan pie for Thanksgiving has complained this week about not being invited to the White House media Christmas party.

April Ryan, Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks, told the Washington Post that she had "given up trying to figure out why" she wasn't invited to Friday's event, but noted President Donald Trump "has the right to invite whoever he wants. He chose not to invite me. Im good.

"I dont think I was overlooked," Ryan told the paper. "I think they don't like me. For whatever reason, they have disdain for me."

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Ryan needled Sanders for the picture the press secretary posted of the pie, which was taken from overhead on a white background.

"Show it to us on a table," Ryan tweeted, and the resulting social media furor was quickly dubbed "#PieGate."

Away from social media, Ryan has repeatedly clashed with Sanders and Sanders' predecessor Sean Spicer in the White House briefing room. Earlier this month, Sanders told Ryan she was "starting to regret calling on you first" during a back-and-forth about Trump's use of Twitter.

On Tuesday, CNN announced it was boycotting the party "in light of the President's continued attacks on freedom of the press ..."

The network added that it would send a "reporting team" to the party to cover any news that develops from it. Sanders responded by tweeting, "Christmas comes early! Finally, good news from @CNN."
For a moment -- if possible -- set aside the case of Roy Moore and excuse any chatter about President Donald J. Trump being named Time's "Person of the Year."

Instead, we'd like think about the best of the Republican Party. Here are some of the things that come to our minds -- spending government money responsibly; smart business principles; compassionate care; and the understanding that more money in citizens' pockets means more prosperity for everyone.

That's why it's hard to imagine a bill more un-Republican than the one Congress is trying to rush through by the end of this week.

Instead, this bill does nothing but appeal to the worst instincts of the party. The Republican tax plan would hand out tax breaks to the richest of Americans and large corporations, while doing little for the average citizen or small business. Republicans constantly complain that framing taxation in a rich-versus-poor dichotomy encourages class warfare. But when a proposal calls for substantial breaks for the wealthiest while hurting the poorest, it's not just class warfare, it's the truth.

Two separate analyses from the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation have come to similar conclusions -- that this plan hurts those who can least afford it.

Even worse, the plan essentially borrows money to give these hand-outs by growing the American debt by as much as $1.5 trillion (with a "t") during the next 10 years.

Any Republican who is truly fiscally conservative would never agree that going into debt to give tax breaks is a prudent course of action. Using even the most basic of business principles, a business wouldn't mortgage itself for nothing. And this tax bill isn't about going into debt to invest in America, it's about helping those earning more than $100,000 per year, according to CBO.

So much for compassionate conservatism because this new plan makes health care nearly unobtainable for lower-income families. Because poor people would receive less government aid, it would mean that they would have to pay out-of-pocket for health insurance, making it all but unreachable.

Assuming that someone struggling to make ends meet could opt out of health insurance, and have a little extra cash, any extra money would be eaten up if he or she made a single trip to the doctor. Or their kids. Or their spouse. God forbid if someone needs a prescription without insurance.

This would re-create the situation we faced before the Affordable Care Act in which residents without health care would be forced into emergency rooms for expensive care. That care would mean some of Billings' largest employers, like the Billings Clinic and St. Vincent would realize huge losses. Those losses would be borne by those remaining few who have insurance; they, in turn, would see premiums sky rocket again.

Most Republicans in Congress seem unfazed by the brazen rewards in this tax plan for the rich. In fact, Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, the Senate Finance Committee Chairman, argued that if a family or individual chooses not to buy insurance, it's their decision. This completely and intentionally ignores the fact that most people making less than $50,000 will not be able to afford the premiums. Yeah, kind of like the choice not to buy a Ferrari -- it's not a choice if you don't have the money in the first place.

Republicans like Hatch would have you believe that paying for health insurance is something as trivial as buying an extra pair of sneakers or splurging on a weekend get-a-way to Las Vegas.

We'd point out that the Republicans have done everything in their power to dismantle health care by cutting subsidies, cutting mandates and acting as if health insurance is a luxury item.

We were pleased to learn that Montana's Sen. Steve Daines has announced that he cannot support the current bill because it doesn't help small Montana businesses while giving plenty of help to huge multinational businesses.

That's the thing about this bill: There's plenty of things not to like.

We may not agree with Daines on all issues, or even exactly on why the current tax bill is bad; however, we believe this bill will harm Montanans -- and that's really the important part.

We support Daines' opposition of what is a terrible tax bill. And, we believe there are ways to improve the federal tax system. But we cannot agree to continue to add to our grandchildren's debt while getting nothing in return. We also believe it's morally bankrupt to understand that devastation that will happen by dismantling healthcare, and continue anyway -- as if poor folks will really have the cash to afford rising healthcare costs.

The rich don't just get richer in this bill. The poor don't just get poorer. The rich get something they don't need while the poor could lose everything they have.
Senate Republicans were looking ahead to Friday after rewriting legislation to overhaul the nation's tax code Thursday evening in an effort to secure support from lawmakers who balked after a congressional analysis found the bill would add $1 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, admitted to reporters that the bill would now have "alternative, frankly, tax increases we don't want to do" to deal with deficit concerns. The Senate adjourned Thursday night and is set to reconvene Friday morning.

GOP leaders had been optimistic the tax bill would pass quickly earlier in the day after Arizona Sen. John McCain and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced their support. Republicans only have two votes to spare in the Senate, where they hold a 52-48 edge.

But their mood changed late in the day after the Senate's parliamentarian ruled that automatic "triggers" designed to guard against big deficits would violate Senate rules. GOP leaders' main concern was winning over lawmakers, including Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee and Jeff Flake of Arizona, concerned about adding more red ink to the deficit.

In a dramatic turn late Thursday, Democrats forced a vote on whether to return the measure to the Senate Finance Committee so it could be rewritten to ensure smaller deficits. After holding out for nearly an hour during the vote, Corker, Flake and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin eventually joined fellow Republicans to scuttle the Democratic proposal.

Other Republican senators whose votes are being closely watched include Steve Daines of Montana; Susan Collins of Maine; Jerry Moran of Kansas and Marco Rubio of Florida.

SENATE TAKES UP TAX REFORM: HERE'S WHAT THE PLAN LOOKS LIKE

Corker has been pushing to add automatic tax increases in future years if the package doesn't raise as much revenue as projected.

With the provision dead, Corker said senators would change the bill to roll back some of the tax cuts in future years, regardless of whether tax revenues meet expectations. Flake said the tax increases would take affect after six years, though he didn't specify which taxes would go up.

The overall legislation would slash the corporate tax rate, offer more modest cuts for families and individuals and eliminate several popular deductions.

The new analysis by the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation shows the tax package would increase economic growth, generating an additional $458 billion in tax revenue. The committee previously estimated the package would add $1.4 trillion to the deficit.

The additional revenue is a boost to the bill but is still far short of the $2 trillion promised by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

The tax overhaul cleared a key procedural hurdle in the Senate on Wednesday on a 52-48 party-line vote, allowing senators to start debate on the legislation.

As it stands, the Senates tax overhaul plan is different from the Houses version. The two chambers would need to come together on a unified piece of legislation to advance to Trumps desk.

Under the Senate bill, the standard deduction  which reduces the amount of income that is taxed  would increase to $12,000 for individual filers and $24,000 for married couples.

When it comes to reducing the corporate tax rate, both chambers want to see the tax rate lowered to 20 percent from 35 percent. However, the Senate measure would delay the implementation for one year.

The Senates tax plan would eliminate state and local tax deductions  meaning taxpayers in high-tax states would lose a write-off. This would affect mostly blue states, including California and New York.

The Senates tax plan also includes a repeal of the individual mandate, the ObamaCare requirement for Americans to have health care.

The Senate tax reform measure would leave the mortgage deduction pretty much alone, capping it at $1 million. The House plan, on the other hand, would drastically reduce the cap on the popular deduction to mortgage interest to $500,000.

Fox News' Chad Pergram, Kaitlyn Schallhorn and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Throughout the first year of his presidency  and even as he campaigned for the office  President Trumps rhetoric regarding North Korea has been harsh.

He warned earlier this year that Americas nuclear capabilities were much bigger [and] more powerful than that of the Asian nation. And at the end of 2017, Trump designated North Korea a state sponsor of terror again  a classification that came with additional sanctions.

On the heels of a planned, historic summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trumps tone softened, saying great progress has been made. But Trump ultimately cancelled that meeting, citing "open hostility" from North Korea.

From agreeing to meet with Kim to dubbing him Little Rocket Man, heres a look at what Trump has said about North Korea and its leader over time.

Back together again

After meeting with a North Korean official in the White House for more than an hour, Trump announced the June summit with North Korea is back on.

We'll be meeting on June 12 in Singapore," the president told reporters after the meeting.

Let's call the whole thing off

Trump announced on May 24 that he has decided to pull out of the June summit with North Korea.

"We were informed that the meeting was requested by North Korea, but that to us is totally irrelevant," Trump said in a letter to Kim. "I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting."

"You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used," Trump said.

"I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately, it is only that dialogue that matters. Some day, I look very much forward to meeting you," he added. "In the meantime, I want to thank you for the release of the hostages who are now home with their families. That was a beautiful gesture and was very much appreciated."

Deal or no deal?

After speaking with the South Korean president amid threats from the rogue regime to cancel talks, Trump suggested the historic summit between him and Kim might not happen after all.

If it doesnt happen, maybe it will happen later. You never know about deals. Ive made a lot of deals, Trump said on May 22. You never really know. It may not work out for June 12.

Trump said he wants the Korean peninsula to be denuclearized in an all in one manner.

I can guarantee Kims safety. He will be safe. He will be happy, Trump said. His country will be rich.

Trump also said hes noticed a change in Kims attitude recently.

I cant say that Im happy about it, he added.

Save the date

Trump officially announced that he would meet with Kim in Singapore on June 12.

We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace! Trump said in a tweet.

The announcement came hours after Trump and the first lady welcomed the three Americans freed from detention in North Korea at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland early on May 10.

After Trump met with the three men, he publicly thanked Kim for releasing the prisoners.

Were starting off on a new footing, Trump said.

Positive gesture of goodwill

In announcing that a date and place has been set for his much-anticipated meeting with Kim, Trump also confirmed three American prisoners have been released.

The three Americans  Kim Dong Chul, Tony Kim and Kim Hak Song  are returning to the U.S. with newly-confirmed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trump said in a tweet. The president confirmed the three men are also in good health.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE HISTORIC SUMMIT BETWEEN TRUMP, KIM JONG UN

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Trump appreciates Kim Jong Uns action to release these American citizens, and views this as a positive gesture of goodwill.

Another American detainee, Otto Warmbier, died in June 2017 after he was released back to the U.S. with severe brain damage.

Good relationship formed

Trump has confirmed that CIA Director Mike Pompeo  his pick to lead the State Department  secretly met with Kim in April and a good relationship was formed. He said the meeting went very smoothly.

The president also disclosed that the U.S. and North Korea have held direct talks at extremely high levels in preparation for the summit.

Kim will do what is right

After Kims first reported visit to China, Trump said there is a good chance that Kim Jong Un will do what is right for his people and for humanity.

For years and through many administrations, everyone said that peace and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was not even a small possibility, Trump said in a March tweet, adding that he is looking forward to his upcoming meeting with the North Korean leader.

He also gave North Korea the benefit of the doubt earlier that month, saying he believes the country will abide by its pledge to suspend missile tests.

When Trump delivered a speech in Pennsylvania, the crowd booed the mention of Kim, but the president stopped them.

No, it's very positive ... no, after the meeting you may do that, but now we have to be very nice because let's see what happens, let's see what happens, Trump said.

Invitation accepted

Trump accepted an invitation from Kim to meet, the White House said. While a time and place has yet to be determined, the two leaders are expected to meet by June.

The invitation to convene was extended by Kim.

Kim Jong Un talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached, Trump said on social media. Meeting being planned!

The deal with North Korea is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined, he later said.

Possible progress

As North Korea is reportedly willing to negotiate its nuclear weapons, Trump cautiously acknowledged possible progress.

For the first time in many years, a serious effort is being made by all parties concerned, Trump said on Twitter. The World is watching and waiting! May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction!

At a later White House news conference, Trump said he believed North Korea, which has a long history of deception and threats to target U.S. cities with nuclear missiles, is sincere.

We have come certainly a long way, at least rhetorically, with North Korea, Trump said. Of the possibility for peacefully resolving the nations deep differences, he said: Itd be a great thing for the world, would be great for North Korea, it would be a great thing for the peninsula.

But well see what happens, Trump said.

Spirit of the Olympics

At the conclusion of the 2018 Winter Olympics, North Korea sent the U.S. a message through South Korea, saying it has ample intentions of holding talks with America.

During a meeting with the nations governors at the White House in February, Trump said those talks will only occur under the right conditions.

The administrations position has been that North Korea must get rid of its nuclear and missile programs first before any talks can take place.

Relationship status: Its complicated

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump reportedly said he probably has a very good relationship with North Korea.

Trump also suggested that he is open to diplomacy with the country hes spent years criticizing, the newspaper reported.

I have relationships with people. I think you people are surprised, Trump said.

The Wall Street Journal released the audio and transcript of the interview after Trump denied making the comments.

'Success for the world'

Trump told South Korea that he would be open to talks with its northern neighbor under the right circumstances, the White House said.

Trump also took credit for the talks between North and South Korea ahead of next months Winter Olympics. At a January Cabinet meeting, Trump said it was his administrations pressure on North Korea that caused the rogue nation to negotiate with the South.

"Without our attitude that would have never happened," Trump said of the inter-Korean dialogue. "Who knows where it leads. Hopefully it will lead to success for the world  not just for our country but for the world, and we'll be seeing over the next number of weeks and months what happens."

Whose button is bigger?

After Kim warned Trump about North Koreas nuclear capabilities, Trump hit back on social media, arguing that his Nuclear Button is bigger [and] more powerful.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the 'Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times,' the president tweeted. 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!

Kim previously warned the U.S. should know that the button for nuclear war is on my table.

The entire area of the U.S. mainland is within our nuclear strike range, he said. The United States can never start a war against me and our country.

Good news or bad news?

Trump insinuated at the start of the new year that sanctions and additional pressures are having a big impact on North Korea.

Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea, Trump said. Kim now wants to talk to South Korea for the first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not  we will see!

In his tweet, Trump was seemingly referring to the recent, dramatic escape of at least two North Korean soldiers across the heavily militarized border into the southern country He also alluded to Kims recent comments indicating he would send a delegation to the Winter Olympics to be hosted in South Korea.

Trump also took credit for the talks between North and South Korean leaders.

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, Trump said in a Jan. 4 tweet. Fools, but talks are a good thing!

'Sick puppy'

While giving a speech on tax reform at a Missouri event in November, 2017, Trump digressed from the topic to call the North Korean leader a "sick puppy."

His comments drew hoots from the crowd.

State sponsor of terror

Trump re-designated North Korea a state sponsor of terror on Nov. 20, 2017, citing its support of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil.

During a Cabinet meeting, Trump announced the designation came along with new sanctions on the murderous regime as part of the administrations maximum pressure campaign in dealing with North Korea. He said these sanctions will be the highest level of sanctions on the North.

North Korea was on the list but was taken off by the Bush administration in 2008.

Why can't we be friends?

In a series of tweets while in Vietnam, Trump said he doesn't know why the North Korean dictator would "insult" him.

Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me old, when I would NEVER call him short and fat? Trump said. Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!

The comment came after Kim referred to Trump's speech in South Korea as reckless remarks by an old lunatic.

'Dont try us'

In Asia, Trump issued a stern warning to North Korea, saying it would be a fatal miscalculation for the country to attack the U.S. or an ally.

This is a very different administration than the United States has had in the past. Do not underestimate us. And do not try us, Trump said during an address at South Koreas National Assembly.

North Korea has interpreted Americas past restraint as weakness, Trump said.

'Lets make a deal'

While on his Asia trip, Trump implored North Korea to come to the table for talks on its nuclear weapons program. Trumps request for North Korea to make a deal was in stark contrast to his previous hardline rhetoric when it comes to the rogue nation.

"It makes sense for North Korea to come to the table and make a deal that is good for the people of North Korea and for the world," Trump said during a news conference alongside South Korean president Moon Jae-in in November 2017.

Trump also said hes seen a lot of progress in dealing with North Korea but still called the country a worldwide threat.

In a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo the day before, Trump repeated his assertion that the era of strategic patience with North Korea was finished.

Some people say my rhetoric is very strong but look what has happened with very weak rhetoric in the last 25 years, Trump said then.

'Rocket Man' is on a 'suicide mission'

After dubbing him Rocket Man in a tweet, Trump eventually tried out the new nickname for Kim during his inaugural address to the U.N. General Assembly.

During his speech, Trump vowed to totally destroy North Korea if the country so provokes him. He also said Kim was on a suicide mission.

No more talking

After North Korea said it successfully launched a missile over Japan, a U.S. ally, and into the Pacific Ocean, Trump initially had a subdued response.

"Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world," Trump said in a written statement after North Koreas missile soared almost 1,700 miles into the Pacific Ocean, triggering alert warnings in northern Japan and shudders throughout Northeast Asia. "All options are on the table."

The missile launch was said to be a precursor to North Koreas containment of the U.S. territory of Guam by Kim, according to state-run media.

But in a tweet, the president suggested the U.S. is finished talking to North Korea.

The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer, Trump tweeted.

The U.S. is 'locked and loaded'

Trump took to social media in August 2017 to proclaim that the U.S. military is locked and loaded in case North Korea act[s] unwisely.

'Fire [and] fury' isn't 'tough enough'

With the threat of nuclear violence growing, Trump warned North Korea on Aug. 8, 2017 that he would unleash fire, fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before.

But when tensions continued to rise and North Korea threatened to attack Guam, Trump said maybe that comment wasnt "tough enough."

"Lets see what [Kim] does with Guam. He does something in Guam, it will be an event the likes of which nobody has seen before  what will happen in North Korea," Trump said.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump was "sending a strong message to North Korea in language that Kim Jong Un can understand, because he doesnt seem to understand diplomatic language."

Kim Jong Un is 'not getting away with it'

Trump said Kim has disrespected our country greatly.

He has said things that are horrific. And with me, hes not getting away with it, Trump said. He got away with it for a long time, between him and his family. Hes not getting away with it. Its a whole new ball game.

'Strategic patience  is over'

After meeting with the South Korean president in Washington, D.C., in June 2017, Trump said that the era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed.

Frankly, that patience is over, he said.

As Trump made these comments, the U.S. was rocked with the death of Otto Warmbier, the 22-year-old American college student who suffered extensive brain damage while being held captive in North Korea for more than a year.

There are 'worse things' than assassinating Kim Jong Un

In an interview with CBS News during the presidential campaign, Trump said he could get China to make [Kim Jong Un] disappear in one form or another very quickly.

When asked if he was talking about assassinating the North Korean dictator, Trump shrugged.

Well, you know, Ive heard of worse things, frankly. I mean, this guys a bad dude  and dont underestimate him, Trump said. Any young guy that can take over from his father with all those generals and everybody else that probably wants the position, this is not somebody to be underestimated.

'What the hell is wrong with speaking?'

Trump told supporters at a campaign rally in Atlanta that should Kim want to come to the U.S., he would be accept[ed].

I wouldnt go there, that I can tell you. If he came here, Id accept him, but I wouldnt give him a state dinner like we do for China and all these other people that rip us off when we give them these big state dinners, Trump said in June 2016.

What the hell is wrong with speaking? Trump said, referencing the criticism he received for being willing to talk with North Korea. Its called opening a dialogue.

'Maniac'

During a GOP presidential debate in September 2015, Trump railed on the maniac in North Korea while answering a question about Planned Parenthood and womens health issues.

Nobody ever mentions North Korea, where you have this maniac sitting there, and he actually has nuclear weapons and somebody better start thinking about North Korea and perhaps a couple of other places. But certainly North Korea, Trump said.

You have somebody right now in North Korea who has got nuclear weapons and who is saying almost every other week, Im ready to use them, and we dont even mention it, he continued.

China needs to solve the problem

Even before he was president, Trump urged China to step in and help alleviate problems with North Korea.

North Korea is reliant on China. China could solve this problem easily if they wanted to but they have no respect for our leaders, Trump tweeted in March 2013.

In April 2013, Trump continued that line of thinking, adding that North Korea cant survive, or even eat, without the help of China. He then accused China of taunting the U.S.

As president, Trump has said he is very disappointed in actions China has taken regarding North Korea, particularly allowing oil to go into the nation. He also said a Chinese envoy to North Korea had no impact on Kim.

Additionally, Trump has said hes spoken to Chinas President Xi Jinping regarding the provocative actions of North Korea as well as the planned meeting between Trump and Kim.

President Xi told me he appreciates that the U.S. is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative, Trump said in March 2018. China continues to be helpful!

'Wack job'

In April 2013, Trump urged then-President Barack Obama to be very careful with the 28-year-old wack job in North Korea.

At some point we may have to get very tough, he tweeted.

'Negotiate like crazy'

Trump warned that the U.S. needed to do something to stop North Korea in 1999 during an interview with the late Tim Russert on Meet the Press.

"Do you want to do it in five years when they have warheads all over the place, every one of them pointing to New York City, to Washington and every one of us, is that when you want to do it, or do you want to do something now? Trump said. You'd better do it now. And if they think you're serious  they'll negotiate and it'll never come to that.

He said then that if he ever became president, the first step he would take would be to negotiate like crazy to make sure that the country would get the best deal possible. Trump also predicted then that in three or four years, North Korea would have weapons aimed all over the world, including at the U.S.

Fox News' Adam Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump says the massive tax plan rolled out by Republicans is a winner, and slammed the New York Times as a lobbyist for the Democrats and opponents of the bill.

The Failing @nytimes, the pipe organ for the Democrat Party, has become a virtual lobbyist for them with regard to our massive Tax Cut Bill. They are wrong so often that now I know we have a winner! Trump tweeted early Thursday morning.

The presidents tweet was a double-whammy -- reigniting his distaste for fake news in the mainstream media by criticizing the Gray Ladys editorial decisions, and slamming the Democrats for not working together to push tax reform.

MEDIA TWIST TAX PLAN STUDIES TO CLAIM IT HAMMERS MIDDLE CLASS

Throughout the day Wednesday, The New York Times Editorial Board posted via Twitter: urge the Senate to reject a tax bill that hurts the middle class & the nations fiscal health. #thetaxbillhurts.

The New York Times Opinion Twitter feed sent out a series of messages, encouraging voters to contact Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine; Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.; Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.; Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska and Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. to ask them to oppose the bill in Wednesdays vote.

"The Failing @nytimes has totally gone against the Social Media Guidelines that they installed to preserve some credibility after many of their biased reporters went Rogue! @foxandfriends" Trump tweeted Thursday morning.

Despite their efforts, the Senate Republican tax plan advanced on a 52-48 party line vote, allowing senators to begin debate on the sweeping legislation.
Rex Tillerson is out as secretary of state, the White House announced on March 13 as he came back to the U.S. from a trip to Africa.

Tillerson will be replaced as the nations top diplomat by CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

Rumors that Tillerson would be out as secretary of state have been circling for quite some time, and he was expected to step down from the position in January.

Tillerson told reporters that his last day will be March 31. Until then, he will delegate all of his responsibilities to the deputy secretary of state.

In leaving, Tillerson lamented that Washington, D.C., can be a "very mean-spirited town." He told the State Department employees that "personal integrity" is the "most valuable asset you posses."

Heres a look at who Tillerson is and what he did before joining the ever-evolving Trump administration.

Who is Rex Tillerson?

Tillerson, 65, grew up in Texas and Oklahoma. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering.

Tillerson is also known for his involvement with the Boy Scouts of America. He served as the organization's national president from 2010 to 2012.

Following the oft-criticized speech Trump gave to the Boy Scouts in 2017, Tillerson reportedly threatened to resign from the State Department.

What about his resume?

Prior to becoming secretary of state, Tillerson did not have any experience in the public sector.

Tillerson was the chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil until 2016. He served in that role starting in 2006, but he actually joined the company in 1975 as a production engineer, according to an archived version of his Exxon biography.

What has he done as secretary of state?

Tillersons tenure as secretary of state was fairly contentious with Trump. He reportedly called Trump a moron in front of other Cabinet officials in July 2017. Following reports of the remark, Tillerson gave an unusual personal address and reassured people he was not quitting.

As secretary of state, Tillerson traveled extensively  visiting Australia, Europe, Mexico and Africa, among other places. He assumed the position of secretary of state on Feb. 1.

Tillersons ties to Russia have also been scrutinized  a criticism that has plagued many Trump administration officials as investigators continue to look into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Tillerson was named vice president of Exxon Ventures (CIS) Inc., and president of Exxon Neftegas Limited in 1998. In those roles, Tillerson was tasked with overseeing Exxons holdings in Russia and the Caspian Sea, his Exxon biography stated. He met with Russian President Vladimir Putin multiple times before becoming secretary of state.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Look out for some changes in the sky on Sunday, when a supermoon will be visible.

People can see it anywhere (as long as its not cloudy), Dr. Noah Petro of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center told Fox News via email. Unlike the solar eclipse, you dont have to be in (sic) particular spot to see it. Just go out after dark and look up!

Read on for a look at the science behind the phenomenon and what you should know about watching it.

What is a supermoon?

Astrologer Richard Nolle came up with the word. His definition, via EarthSky, is when there is ... a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit.

It's a very weird definition, Dr. Jackie Faherty, a senior scientist in the department of astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History, told Fox News.

She said that theres not really a good example of the superest of the supermoons.

Some of them will be much closer than others, Faherty said.

Three new moons earlier this year -- in addition to Sundays full moon -- meet Nolle's criteria for supermoons, EarthSky reports.

The definition we at Goddard use is the closest full Moon in a 14 month cycle, so once every 14 months, Petro wrote. The Dec. 3rd full moon is considered a supermoon.

If you use a looser definition of the full Moons when its within 90% of being closest (which appears to be the common definition) then there are multiple super moons in a year, which makes it much less rare, he explained.

THE U.S. WILL RETURN TO THE MOON: PENCE

What's different about it?

A supermoon compared to the average moon is 14 percent larger but 30 percent brighter, Petro said.

However, he explained that the normal observer will not notice the difference from full moon to full moon. Petro suggested people regularly watch the moon during different phases and look out for changes.

It is a closer full moon than what youd be used to, but not one that youd be paying particular attention to, Faherty said.

MOON PHOTOBOMBS THE SUN

How can I see the supermoon?

Faherty said to just go outside and look at it.

If you watch a moonrise, its not related to a supermoon but can give you an effect that you want, she explained. When the moon is on the horizon, there's an optical illusion where it seems bigger.

You'll need to have a clear view to the horizon, Faherty said. You can use the U.S. Naval Observatory website to search for moonrise times in your area.
A selfie sent from Antarctica to the International Space Station demonstrated an extra-robust communication network that promises to make an interplanetary internet more reliable. NASA announced the achievement on Monday (Nov. 27).

In space, wireless communication networks are critical. They function as a virtual tether, keeping astronauts and spacecraft in contact with Earth and each other. A network failure could leave something, or someone, dangerously cut off from the resources needed to survive. So far, space missions either directly communicate with Earth or go through only a single relay, like an orbiting satellite, making them especially vulnerable to this problem.

Introducing redundant pathways, in which a signal can get from one point to another in multiple ways, increases the resilience of a system, but this can be difficult to accomplish when a network is still small. What's more, the spacecraft that make up the network don't always have a clear view of each other, so a complete, or end-to-end, connection isn't always available, according to NASA. A traditional network requires an end-to-end path to transmit data. [Dial-Up Space Communications System Gets 'High-Speed' Upgrade]

Alternatively, each node in the network can temporarily store the data that goes through it and wait for the best moment to pass that data along. This kind of system, called disruption-tolerant networking (DTN), allows for small interruptions in connectivity without the loss of information, NASA said. The last node simply sends the remaining bundles of data once the connection has returned. Not only does this ensure that data isn't lost, but it also decreases the time needed to send and receive messages, as NASA illustrates in the video above.

Here's how the picture got from Antarctica to low-Earth orbit. On Nov. 20, NASA engineers took a selfie at the National Science Foundation's McMurdo Station in Antarctica. DTN software on a mobile phone sent the data from McMurdo ground station to NASA's White Sands Complex in New Mexico via the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system, a constellation of communication satellites. From there, the data traveled through a series of DTN nodes, devices on the network, to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, which is the access point to the DTN network aboard the space station, according to NASA.

Once the data was beamed up to the space station, it was routed to the Telescience Resource Kit (TReK) demonstration payload. The final DTN node then extracted the photo for the astronauts to see.

Unlike familiar computer-to-computer IP connections, disruption-tolerant networking accommodates temporary disruptions as well as long delays, NASA said in the Nov. 27 statement. These conditions happen in space, but they also occur in remote locations on Earth, like Antarctica, NASA said.

"The Antarctic is an excellent analog for space operations," Patrick Smith, technology-development manager with the U.S. Antarctic Program, said in the statement. "Researchers are conducting important scientific investigations, operating in extreme conditions, with minimal infrastructure, so it's not surprising that we are using NASA space technology to advance science in the Antarctic."

The technology could also have applications in disaster zones, where connectivity is often limited, the statement said.

Original article on Space.com.
Particles split in the hot belly of a lightning bolt. Radioactive particles decay in the afterglow. Gamma rays rain down to Earth.

Teruaki Enoto, a physicist at Kyoto University in Japan, proved for the first time, in a paper published Nov. 23, that lightning bolts work as natural particle accelerators. Enoto and his co-authors' results confirm for the first time speculation dating back to 1925 about this phenomenon. Back then, scientists suggested that energized, radioactive particles might zip through the booms and flashes of a thunderstorm. Those particles emit energy at precise wavelengths, which Enoto and colleagues are the first to detect. [Electric Earth: Stunning Images of Lightning]

Here's what that means:

When lighting strikes, electrons shoot screamingly fast between clouds and Earth's surface (or between two clouds). But the particles don't travel through empty space. Along the way, they crash again and again into atmospheric gas molecules. All those collisions heat the gas into a state called plasma, which glows with blackbody radiation (a type of electromagnetic radiation given off by some opaque objects).

Some of that glow, people can see, in the characteristic bright flash of lightning. But some of the emission takes place at frequencies, including X-rays and gamma-rays, far above what the human eye can detect.

Enoto's results show that those beams of invisible energy  especially the gamma-rays  excite ambient nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere, knocking out neutrons from the molecules the gamma rays encounter. In other words, the process results in nuclear fission. Now, things get really exciting. Nitrogen nuclei with 14 neutrons are stable. But take one of those neutrons away, and you're left with nitrogen-13, an unstable, radioactive isotope. Similarly, oxygen-16 is stable, but -15  not so much.

Soon, all of those N-13 and O-15 molecules decay. Each unstable isotope fires off an additional neutrino and positron (the antimatter partner of the electron); both are elementary particles with exotic properties. The neutrinos stream away, nearly undetectable. But the positrons, or anti-electrons, go on to collide with their twins: ambient electrons in the atmosphere. And when matter and antimatter meet, they annihilate in a signature flash of energy.

In this case, that signature is a gamma-ray with an energy of 0.511 megaelectron volts. And that's what Enoto and his colleagues detected streaming down from a lightning storm, showing that a thunderhead is a giant, natural particle accelerator drifting through the sky.

Original article on Live Science.
Stellar storms, or eruptions of material that are regularly spewed into space by stars, could help scientists search for potentially habitable environments on alien planets, according to a new study.

Most stars, including the sun, produce explosions on their surfaces that spit powerful particles out into space. These expulsions can rain down on nearby planets, and the new study shows that these interactions could create chemical "beacons" in the planetary atmospheres that reveal the presence of potentially life-friendly environments.

"We're in search of molecules formed from fundamental prerequisites of life  specifically molecular nitrogen, which is 78 percent of our atmosphere," Vladimir Airapetian, a solar scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said in a statement from the agency. Airapetian is lead author on the new paper, which argues that modern instruments could detect these prerequisite chemicals faster than they could detect signs of existing life-forms. [Alien Atmospheres: The Search for Signs of Life]

"These are the basic molecules that are biologically friendly and have a strong infrared emitting power, increasing our chance of detecting them," Airapetian said.

"A good candidate for hosting life"

Because Earth is the only known habitable world so far, scientists use it as a guide for what to expect when hunting for life beyond the solar system. Water vapor, nitrogen and oxygen are all products of life as we know it. While the sun releases a relatively light stream of charged particles and occasional, energetic bursts, other stars can release far larger, more energetic and more frequent doses that bathe their nearby planets.

If the charged particles interact with the atmosphere of a planet containing those products of life  water vapor and molecular nitrogen and oxygen  the interaction could trigger a cascade of chemical reactions that form what Airapetian and his colleagues call "atmospheric beacons"  molecular oxygen, nitric oxide and hydroxyl (one atom each of oxygen and hydrogen, bound together), according to the statement.

Then, if the conditions are right, researchers could detect those beacons. As light from the star hits the planet's atmosphere, it would cause the beacons to send energy into space as infrared radiation. Examining the radiation from the atmosphere of such a world would reveal the presence of these beacons. Since it takes a significant amount of molecular oxygen and nitrogen to create the beacons, their detection could indicate an atmosphere filled with biologically friendly chemistry, indicating a potentially habitable exoplanet.

"Taking what we know about infrared radiation emitted by Earth's atmosphere, the idea is to look at exoplanets and see what sort of signals we can detect," said study co-author Martin Mlynczak. "If we find exoplanet signals in nearly the same proportion as Earth's, we could say that a planet is a good candidate for hosting life."

The researchers first used a well-established computer model of Earth's atmosphere to find out how beacons could be produced from ozone  which is made up of three atoms of oxygen and forms naturally in Earth's upper atmosphere  in response to stellar storms from our own sun. By adjusting the model slightly, the researchers found that the ozone levels of a planet orbiting an active star would drop "to a minimum," leading to a high formation of atmospheric beacons, according to the statement.

Next, the researchers wanted to know how bright the infrared signal would be from a world whose atmosphere contained nitrogen, oxygen and water vapor, and which was exposed to an ongoing onslaught of stellar storms. To answer this question, Airapetian and his colleagues relied on data from NASA's Earth-observing Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics(TIMED) mission. An instrument aboard TIMED called the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) "studies the very same chemistry that generates the atmospheric beacons, as it occurs in Earth's upper atmosphere in response to solar activity," according to the statement.

The SABER data revealed that the frequency of intense stellar storms is directly related to the strength of the infrared signals from the atmospheric beacons. If a nearby star is bombarding its planets with storms, enough beacons could be formed to be observed with a 6- to 10-meter space-based telescope in just 2 hours of observation time, according to the study. Future instruments, such as NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, could help to make even more detailed measurements, officials said in the statement.

But even if a planet radiates these signals, that doesn't necessarily mean that life has evolved on its surface. Shawn Domagal-Goldman, an astrobiologist at NASA Goddard who was not connected with the study, said there might be other things that could produce the beacons.

"This is an exciting, new proposed way to look for life," Goldman told Space.com. "But as with all signs of life, the exoplanet community needs to think hard about context. What are the ways nonbiological processes could mimic this signature?"

The new study may help scientists search for alien life in distant solar systems, but it wouldn't be possible without a little help from our favorite habitable planet, Earth.

Originally published on Space.com.
A research arm of the U.S. intelligence community just wrapped up a competition to see who could develop the best facial recognition technology. The challenge: identify as many passengers as possible walking on an aircraft boarding ramp.

Of all the entries, it was a Chinese start-up company called Yitu Tech that walked away with the $US25,000 prize this month, the highest of three cash awards.

The competition was one of many examples cited in a report by a U.S.-based think tank about how Chinas military might leverage its countrys rapid advances in artificial intelligence to modernise its armed forces and, potentially, seek advantages against the United States.

China is no longer in a position of technological inferiority relative to the United States but rather has become a true peer (competitor) that may have the capability to overtake the United States in AI, said the report, written by Elsa Kania at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS).

Future U.S.-China competition in AI, Ms Kania wrote, could alter future economic and military balances of power.

Alphabet Inc.s Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, who heads a Pentagon advisory board, delivered a similar warning about Chinas potential at a recent gathering in Washington.

Schmidt noted that Chinas national plan for the future of artificial intelligence, announced in July, calls for catching up to the United States in the coming years and eventually becoming the worlds primary AI innovation centre.

Im assuming that our lead will continue over the next five years, and that China will catch up extremely quickly. So, in five years well kind of be at the same level, possibly, Schmidt said told the conference, which was also hosted by CNAS.

An unreleased Pentagon document warned earlier this year that Chinese firms were skirting U.S. oversight and gaining access to sensitive US AI technology with potential military applications by buying stakes in American firms.

In response, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the US Senate and House of Representatives this month introduced bills to toughen US foreign investment rules.

The CNAS report noted the Chinese acquisitions and said Beijing faces hurdles to forging a domestic AI industry to rival the United States, including recruiting top talent.

Schmidt, however, expressed confidence in Chinas ability.

If you have any kind of ... concern that, somehow their system and educational system is not going to produce the kind of people that Im talking about, youre wrong, he said.

BATTLEFIELD SINGULARITY

Artificial intelligence, which promises to revolutionise transportation with the advent of self-driving cars and bring major advances to medicine, is also expected to have military applications that could alter the battlefield.

Some machine learning technology is already being applied to a Pentagon project that aims to have computers help sift through drone footage, reducing the work for human analysts.

Chinas Peoples Liberation Army is also investing in a range of AI-related projects and PLA research institutes are partnering with the Chinese defence industry, the report said, citing publicly available documents.

The PLA anticipates that the advent of AI could fundamentally change the character of warfare, the report said.

Ms Kania acknowledged that much of her research was speculative, given the early stages of AI development and policies surrounding it in China and elsewhere.

Still, she said some PLA thinkers anticipate the approach of a singularity on the battlefield, where humans can no longer keep pace with the speed and tempo of machine-led decisions during combat, the report said.

The report quoted PLA Lieutenant General Liu Guozhi, the director of the Central Military Commissions Science and Technology Commission, warning (we) must ... seize the opportunity to change paradigms.

Although Pentagon policy currently calls for a human role in offensive actions carried out by machines, it was unclear whether Chinas Peoples Liberation Army would adopt such a policy, the report said.

The PLA may leverage AI in unique and perhaps unexpected ways, likely less constrained by the legal and ethical concerns prominent in US thinking, Ms Kania wrote.

This story originally appeared in news.com.au.
I am writing in the memory of my son, Chase Shott. Chase was on a long-awaited, well-planned, two-month, solo journey to the Western U.S. However, one week into his trip, he lost his life in a hiking accident by Mystic Lake.

On Oct. 18, my life changed forever. Chase was my only child and the dearest part of my life. My husband, Chase's dad, had passed away three years earlier on Oct. 28.

I am writing in order to thank all the people in Billings, Laurel and Columbia who assisted me and my friend when we had to make our frantic and heartbreaking trip to Montana to deal with all the final plans for Chase.

We were able to meet the two hikers who witnessed Chase's fall, found him and raced for help. We were able to hear from them, the sheriff, and several others about the changing weather and wind conditions on the mountain. Chase was an experienced hiker who had scaled mountains in Colorado and hiked in Illinois and Wisconsin frequently.

Chase's friends, coworkers, clients and family have made many donations in his memory. I have made a donation to the Stillwater County Search and Rescue, because they are the awesome and brave group of volunteers who brought my son down from the mountain, which allowed me to take him back home. I am asking that anyone who feels moved to donate to an organization this holiday season would seriously consider doing so to the SAR team. They risk their own lives on these rescues and pay for their own equipment. I pray if you or your loved ones ever need their services, you would have a successful rescue.

Kathy Shott

Roscoe, Ill.
As in previous years, 2017 was a huge year across the technology landscape. New products were announced, backlash against the tech sector became more pronounced than it has been in years, and concerns about how technology is being used for nefarious reasons popped up seemingly daily.

Fox News compiled a list of the biggest tech stories of 2017.

IPHONE X REVIEW ROUNDUP: SHOULD YOU BUY?

Apple unveils iPhone X

Along with the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, the world watched Apple unveil the iPhone X (pronounced "ten") in September, a smartphone ten years in the making.

During the announcement, CEO Tim Cook described the device as "a product that will set the path for technology for the next decade."

It has a 5.8-inch super retina display and Face ID facial recognition technology, which can be used to unlock the phone and for Apple Pay. Concerns have cropped up about how secure Face ID is, but Apple has said it's significantly more secure than its previous technology, TouchID.

The iPhone X started shipping on Nov. 3 and customer demand has been high, despite its starting price of $999.

Apple has also worked to significantly increase its inventory for the product. When it became available, customers who didn't pre-order the device were told their devices would ship between 5 and 6 weeks. A recent check on Apple's website showed the ship time had been cut significantly.

WannaCry attacks

In May, the WannaCry ransomware attacked hundreds of thousands of computers around the globe, in nearly every country, as hackers demanded payment in bitcoin. It is believed to be the biggest online extortion attack in human history. Hackers took down Britains hospital network, Germanys national railway and a host of other companies, factories and government agencies worldwide.

A "kill switch" in the software was discovered by researcher Marcus Hutchins, thus limiting the damage. Despite his efforts, Hutchins was arrested in the U.S. for allegedly creating another malware, known as Kronos.

The WannaCry attacks were likely the work of the North Korean government, cybersecurity firm Symantec said. The NSA and other agencies, including Microsoft, have also attributed WannaCry to North Korea, but its government subsequently denied the attacks.

SNAPCHAT CEO: SOCIAL MEDIA FUELED THE RISE OF 'FAKE NEWS'

Sins of Silicon Valley

Backlash increased against Silicon Valley giants throughout 2017, with many blaming a number of problems on a select few companies, such as Google, Facebook and Amazon.

Google and its chairman, Eric Schmidt, reportedly influenced the think tank New America  which describes its mission as "renewing American politics, prosperity, and purpose in the Digital Age"  to cut ties with a member after he was critical of Google and expressed support for the recent $2.7 billion antitrust penalty levied by a European Union court against the company.

Amazon has come under scrutiny for its size and for seemingly trying to disrupt every industry it touches, including groceries. Earlier this year, it purchased Whole Foods for $13.7 billion.

The company has also come under scrutiny as President Trump has repeatedly called out Amazon for a number of different reasons. Trump, for example, has accused Amazon of not paying so-called "internet taxes" and "doing great damage to tax-paying retailers."

Many have raised the question whether the U.S. government and its counterparts around the world have the regulatory power or know-how to keep America's tech heavyweights in check and not abuse their power.

Russia influencing the 2016 U.S. presidential election

Russian operatives reportedly tried to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election using social media as its means of choice.

In September, Facebook reported that Russian operatives spent $100,000 in fraudulent ad spending by organizations with ties to the Russian government.

Separately, Twitter and Google also uncovered ad spending by Russian operatives.

The Russian government and some of the players linked have denied the allegations.

SHERYL SANDBERG: CONGRESS SHOULD RELEASE FACEBOOK ADS TO PUBLIC

Bitcoin and the great cryptocurrency boom

Bitcoin, a digital cryptocurrency that many believe is an alternative to the U.S. dollar, exploded in 2017.

The cost of one bitcoin, which can be used to purchase an increasing number of goods and services, was less than $1,000 at the start of the year. By late November, it had surpassed $10,000 for a single bitcoin.

Other cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin cash (which split from bitcoin) and Ethereum, all significantly increased in worth, leading many to believe the market had become a bubble reminiscent of the "tulip mania" of the 1600s during the Dutch Golden Age.

Nintendo is back ... again

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Nintendo has come back into the spotlight, thanks in part to the popularity of its consoles, most notably the Nintendo Switch.

The Switch, which sells for $299, has taken the gaming market by storm and was the best-selling product this past Thanksgiving and Black Friday, according to Adobe.

Nintendo has also enjoyed success capitalizing on nostalgia, due to the release of its NES Classic and SNES Classic consoles, which let gamers play hit 1980s and 1990s games released by Nintendo.

ELON MUSK THINKS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COULD CAUSE WORLD WAR III

Hacking, hacking, hacking

Seemingly every day a new hacking revelation was unveiled, with Equifax perhaps receiving most of the attention. The company said the data of nearly half of all Americans were compromised.

Other major disclosures happened during the year as well, including Yahoo and, most recently, Uber.

Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia
U.K. shipping giant Clarkson has fallen victim to a cyberattack, but has vowed not to pay a ransom to the hackers.

On Wednesday, the London-based company confirmed the incident, which breached its computer systems. Our initial investigations have shown the unauthorized access was gained via a single and isolated user account which has now been disabled, it said, in a statement. We have also put in place additional security measures to best prevent a similar incident happening in the future.

Clarkson has been working with police following the attack, but warned that the hacker or hackers may release some of the data they accessed. The data at issue is confidential and lawyers are on standby wherever needed to take all necessary steps to preserve the confidentiality in the information, it said.

FROM HIGH SEAS TO HIGH TECH: PIRATES HACK SHIPPING COMPANY

The Wall Street Journal describes Clarkson as the worlds biggest shipbroker.

While specific details about the attack have not yet been released, Clarkson CEO Andi Case said that the company will not be intimidated into paying a ransom. I hope our clients understand that we would not be held to ransom by criminals, and I would like to sincerely apologise for any concern this incident may have understandably raised, he said, in the companys statement.

This is not the first time that hackers have placed the shipping industry in their crosshairs. Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk, for example, was targeted in the huge Petya ransomware attack earlier this year.

HUGE 'PETYA' RANSOMWARE ATTACK HITS EUROPE, SPARKS MASS DISRUPTION

Last year, a report released by Verizon RISK (Research, Investigations, Solutions and Knowledge) Team revealed that tech-savvy pirates hacked a shipping companys systems, enabling them to carefully target cargo on the firms vessels.

The unnamed company contacted the Verizon cyber specialists after the pirates adopted a new strategy, the report said.

A hacker recently deleted 30 million files in a ransomware attack on Sacramento Regional Transit. The hacker demanded $7,000 in bitcoins via SacRTs Facebook page, which the agency did not pay. Last week SacRT told Fox News that the deleted files are being restored via backup.

HACKER TARGETS SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT, DELETES 30 MILLION FILES IN RANSOMWARE ATTACK

Last year, a Los Angeles hospital paid a ransom of nearly $17,000 in bitcoins to hackers who infiltrated and disabled its computer network.

Uber recently came under fire for its reported payment of $100,000 to hackers.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
This is a rush transcript from "Your World," November 29, 2017. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

NEIL CAVUTO, "YOUR WORLD" HOST: An important vote on all of this, of course, those 52 senators, those 52 Republican senators.

As always, hopes spring eternal -- certainly, the president echoed it -- that a number of Democrats could vote for this. But the pressure is really on the Grand Old Party members there. There's 52 of them.

Remember, with the case of Alabama election and Roy Moore in a fight for his life here, there might be 51 if that election doesn't go Republicans' way. And there's no way of knowing, if Roy Moore wins, whether he would be a yea or nay vote on this.

That could be a moot point if you speed this whole process up before that December 12 special election in Alabama.

Let's get a read of things right now with Republican West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito.

Senator, thank you for taking the time.

SEN. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, R-WEST VIRGINIA: Sure. Thanks for having me on.

CAVUTO: How does it look to you?

CAPITO: It looks very good.

We had lunch today. We talked about some of the differences that remain. We also talked about some of the movement that has occurred when several members had raised concerns. I think there's a real willingness on everybody's part to do something big and bold for the American public, and that's tax reform. So, I'm feeling very good about it.

CAVUTO: All right, good enough that a vote could happen by the end of the week?

CAPITO: Yes. Yes. I think we will vote probably here within the hour to move the bill onto the floor and have the 20-hour debate. We will have amendments being offered.

They will be good-faith amendments, and we will have the debate on that. I feel like at the end of the day, whether it's Friday, Saturday or Sunday, we are going to have a major victory here.

CAVUTO: Your read on some of your colleagues. I know it's very, very tough. But allowances have been made to certain members for certain things. I know that Senator Ron Johnson was here yesterday, Senator, assurances that they would do something to address small- and medium-size businesses who he felt were getting the shorter end of the stick on this deal.

Others, like your colleague Susan Collins of Maine, on this individual mandate thing, she is concerned about that, doesn't want it in there. Where does this wheeling and dealing stand in your eyes?

CAPITO: I know you have heard threading the needle. And that's what we're trying to do.

But, at the same time, these are very strong opinions that are held and very heartfelt. And so I think, in terms of the pass-through business issue, the Finance Committee has been working with Ron Johnson and I believe has found a pathway forward.

Also on the issue of removing the individual mandate, which I actually think is a really good idea, I think we have some assurances that we're going to be working towards keeping the premiums low, so that isn't an unwanted after-effect of that.

So these things are all things that are very much within the realm of reality, and I think that's what you are going to see.

CAVUTO: So, nixing the individual mandate is still very likely in the final measure?

CAPITO: No, no, no, I think -- oh, yes. Excuse me.

Yes, nixing the individual mandate I think will remain in, and I'm hopeful that the House will accept it, yes.

CAVUTO: All right, but it seems like there's been provisions there to protect those who premiums would increase or force them out of health care.

CAPITO: Well, you know, we have other provisions that are moving forward certainly in the Alexander-Murray bill and others to help stabilize the exchanges. I want that. And many of us do want that.

And I think we have assurances from the president and from others that we are going to have a chance to make that a part of a package, not the tax package, but a package here later in December.

CAVUTO: Have you gotten any indications, Senator, how your Democratic counterpart feels in your fine state, Joe Manchin?

CAPITO: Well, you know what? The way I look at this in West Virginia, it's a win for working families; 83 percent of our people who file don't even use the itemized deductions. So, this is doubling that standard deduction, doubling the tax credit

To me, this is a no-brainer for West Virginia. I'm hoping he joins me.

CAVUTO: Do you feel also that in order to expedite things -- I know this has been raised as a possibility -- whatever the Senate votes on, assuming it's passed -- that might be a leap to my -- here, but that the House then would vote up or down on your plan, or would you do this reconciling back and forth between the two plans?

CAPITO: You know, that was raised at lunch today.

CAVUTO: Yes.

CAPITO: And I think there's a strong feeling that we are going to go to conference. We have some major differences, SALT being one, the individual mandate being the other.

CAVUTO: OK.

CAPITO: These needs to be worked out in a conference. That's the way you get the compromise, and I think that's what you will see happen. We will not skip a conference, I don't believe.

CAVUTO: All right, thank you very much, Senator. We will watch closely.

Always appreciate it.

CAPITO: All right, sure. Thanks.

CAVUTO: All right.

END

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A Manhattan woman who threw a drunken tantrum on a plane from Brazil to New York has been arrested for biting at least three flight attendants during the airborne brawl.

Ires Alves Pereira punched her seat-mate in the face during the international flight on Nov. 27 before turning on the attendants who converged to calm her, according to court documents.

The 40-year-old proceeded to hit, kick, and bite airline employees as they tried to restrain the flailing drunkard, who still managed to break yet another passengers glasses, prosecutors said.

Pereira, who has both American and Brazilian citizenship, was eventually subdued with the help of fellow passengers and strapped to a seat for the rest of the flight.

The raging traveler  who appeared in court Wednesday in a skin-tight T-shirt and jeans was hit with assault and other charges, and released on $100,000 bond.

As she left court toting Louis Vuitton luggage and a Chanel purse, Pereira thanked the federal agents for sandwiches shed eaten while in custody.

Thank you for the sandwiches, I love bacon, she said flirtily. You picked the right one.

You look very fashionable with your luggage, the agent bizarrely responded.

Pereria ignored questions as she left court.

This article originally appeared on the New York Post.
From a lawyer who claims United Airlines gave her seat away to a Democratic congresswoman, to a singer allegedly barred from an airline lounge over her footwear, airline controversies are neither few nor far between.

The rising prominence of social media, and a near-monopoly of the airline industry, are contributing to the growing news of airline customers being unduly inconvenienced as they travel, attorney Arthur Alan Wolk, who specializes in aviation law, told Fox News.

These incidents are happening more because airlines feel that theyre empowered to abuse their passengers more and feel that there are no consequences, Wolk said.

Wolk says that chances of the airline industry improving for customers is bleak, even nil.

Read on for a look at some recent airline controversies.

Canine companion

A dog in a TSA-compliant pet carrier died after a flight attendant forced its owner to store the animal and its carrier in an overhead bin for the duration of the four-hour March 12 United flight from Houston to New York City.

First reported by travel blogger The Points Guy, United has since claimed full responsibility for the tragic accident.

According to passenger Maggie Gremminger, she and others heard the black French bulldog barking initially during the four-hour flight, and were horrified to learn the animal had passed away later in the trip, she told People.

A stranger offered to hold her newborn while she sat on the floor, there in the airplane aisle. She was holding her dog and rocking back and forth. Her daughter was also crying, Gremminger told the publication of the scene following the discovery.

Gremminger told People once the dog was found dead, the flight attendant became "frazzled" and insisted she did not know there was a live animal in the carrier.

I want to help this woman and her daughter. They lost their dog because of an @united flight attendant. My heart is broken, Gremminger wrote on Twitter, sharing a photo of the family who allegedly lost their dog.

A pet traveling in cabin must be carried in an approved hard-sided or soft-sided kennel, United's pet policy says. The kennel must fit completely under the seat in front of the customer and remain there at all times.

United Airlines spokesperson Maggie Schmerin returned Fox News request for comment with the following statement: This was a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin. We assume full responsibility for this tragedy and express our deepest condolences to the family and are committed to supporting them, she said.

Schmerin added, We are thoroughly investigating what occurred to prevent this from ever happening again."

Family matters

A woman upset about sitting next to an 8-month-old boy and his mother was booted from a Delta-operated flight on Feb. 6, the Daily Mail reports.

Mother Marissa Rundell Rundell shared a 45-second video clip of the incident to Facebook on Feb. 6. In it, a woman identified by Spectrum News as Susan Peirez  a program director at the New York State Council of the Arts  can be heard telling a flight attendant that she works for the governor before complaining about being seated next to a crying baby. Peirez then threatened to have the flight attendant fired when she learned she couldnt be moved to a new seat.

Rundell also told the Daily Mail that Peirez told her to shut the f--- up and shove it just prior to the start of the footage, after Rundell asked Peirez to watch her language around the baby.

Peirez could also be seen attempting to apologize to the flight attendant, but was ultimately booted after the staff member accused Peirez of having just "screamed at [Rundell] and her baby."

Ronni Reich, a director of public information for the New York State Council of the Arts, later confirmed to Spectrum News that Peirez had been placed on leave.

State employees are and must be held to the highest standard both professionally and personally, said Reich. We were notified of this situation and have commenced an investigation.

Rundell, however, has said she did not post her video to Facebook with the intention of getting Peirez suspended from her position.

"I don't [often] post really anything," Rundell told Inc. "This was a one-time thing and it happened  I totally was caught off guard with everyone who has been watching it. I didn't even realize that many people could see what I was posting."

Political privilege?

United passenger Jean-Marie Simon says the airline gave her first-class seat on a December 2018 flight to Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat. United, Simon claims, threatened to yank her from the flight after she complained and took a photo of the politician, the Houston Chronicle reports.

A gate attendant at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston told Simon during boarding that her ticket wasnt in the system, the newspaper reported. Told her seat was taken, Simon was reportedly put in Economy Plus and received a $500 voucher.

We were concerned by this issue and took immediate steps to fully understand what happened. After thoroughly examining our electronic records, we found that upon receiving a notification that Flight 788 was delayed due to weather, the customer appears to have canceled her flight from Houston to Washington, D.C., within the United mobile app, United told Fox News in a statement. As part of the normal preboarding process, gate agents began clearing standby and upgrade customers, including the first customer on the waitlist for an upgrade.

Simon disputed Uniteds claim that she canceled her ticket.

Since this was not any fault of mine, the way the individual continued to act appeared to be, upon reflection, because I was an African-American woman, seemingly an easy target along with the African-American flight attendant who was very, very nice, Jackson-Lee said in a staatement. This saddens me, especially at this time of year given all of the things we have to work on to help people. But in the spirit of this season and out of the sincerity of my heart, if it is perceived that I had anything to do with this, I am kind enough to simply say sorry.

Simon told the Houston Chronicle that the congresswomans remarks were accusing her of racism.

I had no idea who was in my seat when I complained at the gate that my seat had been given to someone else; there is no way you can see who is in a seat from inside the terminal, Simon told the newspaper.

Footwear fail

English singer Joanne Catherall, a vocalist for The Human League, made international headlines after she said that she was denied entry to a business-class Qantas lounge in Melbourne, Australia.

Denied access @Qantas business class lounge in @MelairMelbourne Airport apparently Ugg (Australia) Boots are deemed sleepwear by the lady working there although no problem in any of the other lounges so far, she tweeted. Helpfully she suggested I go to one of the shops & purchase some shoes.

Hi Joanne, we endeavour to remain consistent and uphold our Lounge's dress guidelines to all our guests, the airline tweeted, including a link to its domestic-lounge dress guidelines, which considers Uggs sleepwear.

Why would an @UGG boot I wear outdoors in all weathers be classed as sleepwear in @Qantas lounge but nowhere else that I have ever been on this earth ? Catherall asked.

Hi Joanne, we don't accept them in our lounges as you can see on the dress-guidelines, another airline tweet said.

Strange I had no problem in either the Perth or Adelaide @Qantas lounges wearing my Uggs even though they are apparently on the no go list in those 2 airports as well, Catherall tweeted.

The airline's reply here? Understood Joanne, bear in mind each lounge is subject to the discretion of the team. We'll pass your feedback on so we can improve our services.

We completely understand that no one likes being declined at the door but we've always had smart casual dress standards for our lounges, which are similar for those in place for most clubs and restaurants, a Qantas spokesperson told The Independent. "Over the past couple of years, we have had clear feedback from lounge members that they wanted these existing guidelines to be applied more rigorously."

Lewd comments

Randi Zuckerberg, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's sister, claimed that a fellow passenger on her Alaska Airlines flight to Mexico made "lewd sexual remarks" toward her.

Zuckerberg claims that the staff on the flight stood by and let it happen, with one flight attendant reportedly telling her, Dont take it personally, this guy just doesnt have a filter.

Shortly after her flight, on Nov. 29, Zuckerberg penned a letter to Alaska Airlines detailing the incident.

He started talking to me about touching himself, kept asking me if I fantasized about the female business colleague I was traveling with, rated and commented on the womens bodies boarding the aircraft as they walked by us, and many more equally horrifying and offensive comments, she said in the letter, as seen in her Twitter post.

Alaska Airlines began an investigation into the incident, the airline said in a tweet.

The passenger who allegedly made the comments was temporarily suspended from the airline, Zuckerberg wrote in a later tweet.

Mother's concern

Harvard Law student Briana Williams claims she and her daughter were booted from an American Airlines flight over the summer after she requested the 4-year-old's stroller while the plane was delayed, the New York Daily News reported.

Williams, 24, told the newspaper their Aug. 21. New York City-bound flight was delayed for several hours. The plane reportedly went back to the gate and passengers were told to get off.

Williams asked the airline staff for the stroller, which had been checked, while she was exiting, the paper recounted. The staff declined.

I told a crew member that I was not going to be leaving the aircraft without my stroller, Williams said. She later spoke to the "very disgruntled and aggressive" pilot, and says he contacted police to boot her from the flight.

Williams and her daughter were put on a flight in the morning, the report said.

The pilot put me in a potentially dangerous situation with law enforcement as a young, black woman, saying that I was a threat, Williams, who intends to pursue legal action, told the paper. "This type of rhetoric paralyzes the African-American community, and I want to ensure that policies are put in place that regulate the pilots discretionary abilities.

She says she turned down American's offer of 25,000 miles.

The airline told Fox News putting her on a different flight was in "the best interest of everyone involved," and said it offered her the miles. The carrier also said it "does not tolerate discrimination of any kind."

MOM CLAIMS AMERICAN AIRLINES REMOVED HER FROM FLIGHT OVER STROLLER

Patriotic display

In October, a Georgia woman said she was prohibited from singing the national anthem with fellow passengers aboard a Delta flight which was also carrying one of the four U.S. troops killed that same month during an attack in Niger.

Pamela Dee Gaudry, who is married to a Vietnam War veteran, enlisted the support of other passengers and planned to sing the anthem to honor the fallen soldier and his family. But in a now-viral Facebook video, Gaudry said she was prevented from singing by the chief flight attendant, who informed her the song was against Deltas policies.

She also said in her video that she was humiliated by what she saw as her lack of courage for following orders and not singing.

Since her video, Gaudry said she has been offered an apology from Delta, and the airline also confirmed that the national anthem is not against its policies.

Seat change without explanation

In a series of tweets, right-wing commentator Ann Coulter slammed Delta for giving away her seat to another woman on a flight from New York to West Palm Beach, Florida, on July 15, 2017.

Coulter later told Fox News that as she was boarding, a ticket agent snatched the ticket" and informed her that her seat had changed due to an emergency.

DELTA PAYS WOMAN $4,000 TO GIVE UP HER SEAT

She said that she sat in the original seat anyway until she was told to move by a stewardess who was not able to give an explanation for the seat change.

[The other passenger] was not an elderly person, was not a sickly person, a very tall person, Coulter said.

Party of five

A family of five said they were unfairly kicked off a JetBlue flight on July 2, 2017, after a confrontation with an airline employee.

Tamir and Mandy Raanan said they were traveling from Fort Lauderdale to New York with their three young daughters  one of whom kicked the back of another passengers seat.

Mandy said she apologized to the other passenger, but the family were still asked to leave the plane.

JetBlue said in a statement that the incident was not as innocent as described. After a verbal altercation that included physical threats and profanities against a nearby customer, the aircraft door was reopened and our airports team politely asked the customers to step off to discuss the situation, JetBlue said.

The airline thanked its employees for their professional handling of the situation and said it would investigate whether the customers behavior warrants restrictions on JetBlue travel in the future.

Quite the erreur

Lucie Bahetoukilae, who only speaks French, handed her ticket to an airline employee and boarded a plane in Newark, New Jersey, thinking the next stop would be Paris. When she got to her seat and found another woman in it, a flight attendant sat her in an empty seat.

Nearly 3,000 miles later, Bahetoukilae touched down in San Francisco.

In what United Airlines deemed a horrible failure in May, Bahetoukilae boarded the wrong plane after her flights gate switched at the last minute. She said the announcement wasnt made in French, and she didnt receive an email notifying her of the gate change.

CHELSEA HANDLER TO BOYCOTT DELTA OVER MISTAKEN PRICE HIKE

Once in San Francisco, Bahetoukilae had to wait 11 hours before United was able to get her on a flight to France.

Diane Miantsoko, the womans niece, told WABC-TV that she was worried about Uniteds security protocol.

"She could have been a terrorist and killed people on that flight and they didn't know they didn't catch it."  Diane Miantsoko

"With everything going on in this country, people have to be more careful," Miantsoko said. "They didn't pay attention. My aunt could have been anyone. She could have been a terrorist and killed people on that flight and they didn't know they didn't catch it."

United apologized for the mistake in a statement and said it is working with our team in Newark to prevent this from happening again.

Whose seat is it, anyway?

Delta apologized after a California couple and their two children were booted from an overbooked plane when the parents refused to give up an extra seat they had purchased.

Brian Schear said he, his wife and two children boarded a flight from Maui, Hawaii, to Los Angeles on April 23, 2017, and were asked to give up an additional seat they had purchased for their older son -- he had ended up taking a different flight. Since the son wasnt present, Schear said the family planned to use his seat for one of the younger children.

AIRLINE COMPLAINTS DOWN LAST YEAR DESPITE MORE CASES OF BUMPING

But the flight was overbooked, and Schear was asked to give up the seat. When the family refused, they were made to leave the plane. The family booked new tickets home on another airline.

We are sorry for the unfortunate experience our customers had with Delta, and weve reached out to them to refund their travel and provide additional compensation, the airline said.

Id rather go to jail

Dr. David Dao was seated on a United fight in Chicago bound for Louisville, Kentucky, on April 9, 2017, when he was asked to give up his seat on an overbooked flight to make room for crew members.

Dao refused, explaining that he was a doctor who needed to be at work early the next morning.

Im not going, Dao repeatedly said. Id rather go to jail.

Disturbing cellphone footage showing Dao being dragged off the plane, seemingly unconscious, by security officials went viral. During the altercation, Dao suffered a concussion, lost two of his teeth and broke his nose, his attorney said.

Dao and United reached an amicable settlement later in April.

We look forward to implementing the improvements we have announced, which will put our customers at the center of everything we do, United said in a statement at the time of the settlement.

Fox News' Janine Puhak, Alexandra Deabler, Michael Bartiromo, Kaitlyn Schallhorn and Madeline Farber contributed to this report.
Alaska Airlines says it has launched an investigation after media mogul Randi Zuckerberg claimed she was subjected to lewd sexual remarks from a fellow passenger aboard a flight on Wednesday, all while the Alaska Airlines staff stood by and let it happen.

Zuckerberg, the founder of Zuckerberg Media and sister of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, claims that she was flying from Los Angeles to Mazatlan, Mexico, when the passenger seated next to her in first-class began making inappropriate sexual comments.

IN-FLIGHT GROPING ABOARD ALASKA AIRLINES LANDS WOMAN IN JAIL

He started talking to me about touching himself, kept asking me if I fantasized about the female business colleague I was traveling with, rated and commented on the womens bodies boarding the aircraft as they walked by us, and many more equally horrifying and offensive comments, wrote Zuckerberg in a letter she sent to Alaska Airlines, as seen in her Twitter post.

Zuckerberg claims she brought the mans behavior to the attention of a flight attendant, but to her surprise, the attendant claimed that the crew was familiar with this passenger, and had spoken with him about his similar statements in the past. Furthermore, Zuckerberg says the attendant told her something to the effect of, Dont take it personally, this guy just doesnt have a filter.

An attendant then offered to re-seat Zuckerberg at the back of the plane  an offer she refused after reasoning that since he was being inappropriate, he should be the one to move.

For the rest of the flight, however, Zuckerberg claims she watched the man consume several alcoholic beverages while he continued with his inappropriate comments. At one point, she claims he began discussing the current sexual harassment allegations against media personalities, remarking, These millennial women just arent willing to give some booty to get a job anymore.

ALASKA AIRLINES KICKS OUT 11 PASSENGERS FOR BEING 'DISRUPTIVE,' MAKING 'INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS'

Zuckerberg finished her letter by writing that she was furious with the passenger, but also with herself for not making a scene. She saved her harshest criticism for Alaska Airlines, however, accusing them of knowingly and willingly providing this man with a platform to harass women.

Alaska Airlines responded to Zuckerbergs accusations on Twitter just over an hour after she posted her letter online, calling the allegations very disturbing. The company also claimed to have revoked the mans traveling privileges, and asked Zuckerberg to contact them at once.

After getting into contact with Alaska Airlines, Zuckerberg confirmed that the offending passenger had been temporarily suspended from using the airline.

Thank you for taking this seriously, she wrote.

A representative for the airline added that the company will be taking the "appropriate steps" after its investigation.

We want our guests to feel safe, the airline wrote in a statement obtained by Fox News. As a company, we have zero tolerance for any type of sexual misconduct that creates an unsafe environment for our guests and crew members.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

"Two of Alaskas leaders spoke with Randi shortly after she posted her letter. We have launched a full investigation and have revoked the accused passenger's travel privileges pending the outcome of that investigation," the airline added.
The Air Force grounded T-6A Texan II flying operations Nov. 15 after pilots reported oxygen problems  the fourth incident since Nov. 1.

According to officials of the 71st Flying Training Wing at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, four instructor pilots and one student pilot reported physiological incidents while flying.

Vance Air Force Base is committed to ensuring aircrew safety is paramount, and are conducting a full investigation of the reported cases, said Col. Darrell Judy, 71st FTW commander.

According to the Air Force, the aircrafts backup oxygen system operated as designed, and pilots followed the correct procedures, landing aircraft safely.

Pilots also were briefed on all the incidents that have occurred and the successful actions taken by the pilots to safely recover their aircraft, officials said.

The grounded planes are limited to Vance Air Force Base T-6s, according to the Air Force.

T-1A Jayhawk and T-38 Talon flight operations will continue, officials said, because the incidents are limited to the T-6 airframe.

Fox News previously reported the Air Forces oxygen problems, including in June when the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona canceled local flying operations for F-35A Lightning II aircraft after pilots reported suffering symptoms similar to hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation.

Fox News Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.
Cliven Bundy, the 71-year-old rancher who sparked a national debate over states rights, refused a federal judges offer to be released from jail during his ongoing trial on Wednesday.

Bundy, who engaged in an armed standoff with government agents over a cattle round-up in 2014, turned down the judges option of house arrest while others involved in the standoff are still jailed awaiting trial.

A federal grand jury in Nevada indicted Cliven and four others on 16 charges related to the armed standoff near his ranch over unpaid grazing fees last year.

U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro, meantime, said Ammon Bundy and co-defendant Ryan Payne can be freed Thursday to home detention.

The judge also said another Bundy son, Ryan, can now split time between home and a halfway house while serving as his own attorney in the case.

The decision involving the four defendants came amid questions about whether federal prosecutors in Las Vegas have turned over complete evidence records to defense teams.

Bret Whipple, Cliven Bundy's attorney, told Fox News that a motion to dismiss the case entirely on Wednesday morning was denied. The court then unilaterally had a detention hearing regarding custody of the defendants.

It was subsequently granted that Cliven Bundy, Ammon Bundy and Ryan Payne be released from detention for the duration of the trial.

Fox News' Andrew Craft and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A police officer in Florida, accused of punching a male thought to be having a sexual relationship with his underage daughter, was arrested on Sunday and placed on paid leave from the department, Fox News has learned.

According to the arrest report from the Broward Sheriff's Office, Lowrie Simon, 37, of the Opa-locka Police Department, went to Pembroke Park to talk to a male he believed was having sex with his daughter.

The individual told police that after he disputed the relationship to Simon, the suspect hit him in the mouth and chest. The victim was only identified as a 17-year-old male, according to NBC 6.

The male was taken to Joe Dimaggio Children's Hospital where it was determined he had a fractured jaw, the arrest report said.

TAMPA SERIAL KILLER SUSPECT USED SAME GUN IN 4 KILLINGS, POLICE SAY

The arresting officer described photos he saw of the individual's mouth "that appeared as if his teeth had been pushed back, out of place, and then re-wired into place by hospital staff."

Simon was arrested and charged with felony battery, the police report said.

Opa-locka Police Chief James Dobson told Fox News that Simon has been an officer with the department since October 2014 and was assigned to road patrol. But the incident in question occurred while Simon was off-duty and not acting as a police officer, he said.

Following the arrest, Simon was placed on paid leave from the police department.

He has been placed on leave with pay pending the outcome of the criminal investigation by the Broward Sheriff Office and an Internal Affairs investigation by the Opa Locka Police Department, Chief Dobson said via email.
A man in Florida accused of killing his mother reportedly carried out the gruesome act with an ax.

Adam Farney, 27, allegedly killed his mother, Lori Farney, 52, with an ax on Monday night, before going after his sister Autumn, 23, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Autumn reportedly told the Orange County Sheriffs Office that she heard her mother scream, Adam, no from the back porch.

'BRILLIANT' COLUMBIA DOCTORAL STUDENT SHOT IN THE HEAD, KILLED BY HIS BOYFRIEND, POLICE SAY

When she heard the commotion, she went outside and saw Adam holding what she believed was an ax, the police report allegedly stated.

Autumn asked her brother what was going on, to which he responded by attacking her with a knife, according to police. She was stabbed in the collarbone before Adam tried to strangle her, police added.

It was then, according to reports, that Adam dragged his sister to the pool to attempt to drown her while she swung a knife around at him.

Autumn escaped to a neighbors house to call authorities just before 11 p.m., while Adam barricaded himself inside their house, the Sentinel reported.

A neighbor, Denton Smith, told WKMG that after the incident, he and Autumn went back to the house to find Adam smoking a cigarette, surrounded by blood.

Its just a tragedy  I mean an enormous tragedy, its horrific, Smith said.

POSTAL WORKER SHOT IN THE HEAD, KILLED OUTSIDE ATLANTA

He did not give us any explanation as to what caused this; what precipitated this, a spokesperson from the sheriffs office told WKMG regarding Adam.

Adam doesnt have a criminal record, but has a history of mental illness, according to WKMG. In October, he told police that the layout of Britney Spears YouTube videos were organized in order to reveal his address, the station reported, citing police records.

He was booked into the Orange County jail on Tuesday and reportedly charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
President Donald Trump claimed on Wednesday that the Senate Republican tax plan will cost him and his family "a fortune."

Trump turned to his oft-used "believe me" line during a speech in St. Charles, Missouri, telling the friendly audience that the tax plan will cost him.

"America's tax code is a total dysfunctional mess. ... It is riddled with loopholes that let some special interests, including myself, in all fairness -- it is going to cost me a fortune, this thing," Trump said. "Believe me, believe me, this is not good for me."

On Thursday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the President was referring to "deductions that may no longer exist" that he and his family use.

"A lot of the deductions that he would probably normally receive may not be part of the package that would affect ... what he pays in taxes," Sanders said. "Again, until there is a final piece of legislation, I can't go into much more detail. But I know that some versions of it take out a lot of those deductions that currently benefit the President and his family."

It's impossible to say specifically how Trump would be affected, since the President has never released his tax returns. But at least three key provisions in the Senate plan suggest he and his family likely wouldn't be hit hard at all.

Lower taxes on their businesses: Like the GOP bill that passed in the House, the Senate bill would lower taxes on so-called pass-through businesses, which is how most, if not all, of Trump's hundreds of businesses are structured.

Pass-throughs -- LLCs, partnerships, S corporations and sole proprietorships -- are not taxed under the corporate code. Instead, their profits flow through to the owners, partners and shareholders, who pay taxes on them through their individual tax returns.

An even gentler estate tax: As it is today, the estate tax affects only 0.2% of estates.

The Senate bill would further reduce who's affected and lessen the burden on those who still are by doubling the amount of money that would be automatically exempt from taxation -- to roughly $11 million for individuals, up from $5.49 million today, and to $22 million for married couples, up from $10.98 million currently.

The House-passed bill does the same thing, but then goes one step farther and calls for a full repeal of the estate tax by 2024.

Both bills also would preserve what's called a step-up in cost basis. The step-up rule basically lets people inherit, tax free, any asset with untaxed capital gains.

Here's how: Say you bought shares in a company eons ago for $50 a pop. You never sold them and bequeath them to your children.

When you die, the shares are trading at $150, for a gain of $100 per share. That gain will be tax-free forever because when your kids inherit them, they get a "step up" in their capital gains basis to $150, meaning the only tax they'll owe is on the appreciation in price over $150 should they ever choose to sell the shares.

Repeal the AMT: Tax filers are supposed to pay whichever is higher: their tax bills under the rules of the regular tax code or under the rules of the Alternative Minimum Tax, which disallows various tax breaks.

The super-rich are not typically hit by the AMT, because they end up owing more under the regular income tax code.

Trump may be an exception.

Based on what little is known of his taxes, he had to pay an additional $31 million on his 2005 return because of the AMT. That's most likely due to the outsized net operating loss ($916 million) that he reported in 1995 and was allowed to carry over from year to year. The AMT disallows some net operating losses.

It's not known if Trump is still carrying such large losses. But if he is, a repeal of the AMT could further reduce his tax burden.

CNN Money's Jill Disis contributed to this report.
A Pennsylvania man suspected of firing a gun in an upstate New York mall crowded with holiday shoppers has been arraigned on reckless endangerment and assault charges.

Michael Perez Rodriguez pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Wednesday.

Two people suffered minor injuries when the gun discharged at Galleria at Crystal Run in the Orange County town of Wallkill on Sunday afternoon. The shooting sent shoppers scurrying for safety.

Assistant District Attorney Jason Rosenwasser tells the Times Herald-Record in Middletown that Perez Rodriguez turned himself in Tuesday night after police released video showing the shooting suspect entering the mall with a woman, a young child and an infant.

Rosenwasser says Perez Rodriguez is a lawful pistol permit holder in New York and Pennsylvania and has a carry permit.

Perez Rodriguez returns to court Monday.

___

Information from: The Times Herald-Record, http://www.th-record.com
This year's winners of the I Love My Librarian Award were honored for far more than recommending books.

Julie Bill of the Los Angeles-based Musicians Institute was cited for helping in cataloging music and building an online database. Rosemary Cooper, director of the Albert Wisner Public Library in Warwick, New York, was praised for turning an underfunded facility into a vital community center. Marcia Kochel of the Druid Hills Middle School in Decatur, Georgia, is known for her work with immigrants and those for whom English is a second language.

Ten librarians from around the country are each receiving $5,000 prizes, The American Library Association told The Associated Press on Thursday. The awards are based on submissions by colleagues and library patrons and are sponsored by the Carnegie Corp. of New York, the New York Public Library and The New York Times.

"This year's I Love My Librarian Award recipients are true leaders who are inspiring and implementing strategies to better their communities," Jim Neal, president of the American Library Association, said in a statement. "Whether it's fostering inclusion and diversity or mentoring youth, these librarians are expanding beyond their traditional roles and providing more opportunities to meet the changing needs of the patrons they serve."

Winners also include Natalia Fernandez of Oregon State University, Rita Platt of the Wisconsin-based St. Croix Falls Elementary library and Sheikla Blount of Alabama's Columbiana Middle School. The other recipients are Annie Cipolla of the Los Angeles Public Library; Laurie Doan of the Tredyffrin Public Library in Strafford, Pennsylvania; Mary Jo Fayoyin of Savannah State University in Georgia; and Timothy Ryan of New York's Rochester Public Library.
After discussing the idea of adopting a child together, prosecutors said a California man took the opportunity to tell his wife that he had once been convicted on charges related to child pornography, SFGATE reported.

Despite Matthew Coda, 47, claiming that his vice was in the past, his wife reportedly wanted to make sure by recruiting a techie friend to do some investigative work.

The search resulted in more than 3,000 images of child pornography being discovered on his computer, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told the paper.

The wife promptly filed for a divorce and immediately told authorities about Coda in September. He was arrested at the San Francisco International Airport Monday night after a months-long investigation, the paper reported.

Coda was formally charged Tuesday in San Mateo County Superior Court with a felony for possessing more than 600 images of child pornography. His bail was set at $200,000 as he awaits his next scheduled court appearance on Dec. 13, according to the paper.

Although Codas day job didnt involve working with children, he did volunteer with a reading club program at a local library that tutored kids, Det. Sal Zuno of the San Mateo County Sheriffs Office told SFGATE.

A spokesperson for the San Mateo County Managers Office said no complaints were filed with the library regarding Codas participation in the tutoring program, the paper reported.

There is an ongoing investigation, which includes looking into Codas volunteer work at the library, the paper reported.

Wagstaffe believes Coda told his wife of his prior conviction because of the extensive background check required to adopt a child, the paper reported.
A 10-year-old Colorado girl committed suicide after a video of a fight with an alleged bully was posted online, her parents said.

Ashawnty Davis parents said the fifth-grader at Sunrise Elementary School in Aurora, Colo., wanted to grow up to be a WNBA star, but that dream was cut short when the little girl was involved in a fight last month.

She got into her first ever fight. It was recorded by a student and sent to an app called Musical.ly, her father Anthony Davis told KDVR, adding the incident occurred at the end of October on school property.

In the video, he said, Ashawnty and another girl are seen fighting while a group of kids watch.

Latoshia Harris, the girls mother, said the incident happened because her daughter confronted the other girl, who she claims had been bullying Ashawnty.

I saw my daughter was scared, she added. She was devastated when she found out that it had made it to Musical.ly.

The 10-year-olds parents said the little girl endured even more bullying after the video surfaced online and it was just too much for her to handle.

My daughter came home two weeks later and hanged herself in the closet, Harries said.

Ashawnty spent nearly two weeks at Childrens Hospital Colorado on life support. She died Wednesday morning.

Its just devastating, Davis said, adding that his daughter is now the victim of bullycide, a term used for when someone commits suicide because of bullying. We have to stop it and we have to stop it within our kids.

The Cherry Creek School District, of which Sunrise Elementary School is a part of, said Ashawntys death is a heartbreaking loss for the community.

We do not tolerate bullying of any kind in our schools and we have a comprehensive bullying prevention program in place at all of our schools, the district said in a statement to Fox 31 Denver. We were made aware of that video when a media outlet approached us with it. We took immediate action in response, turning the video over to police and addressing the matter with students.
A missing 15-year-old Texas girl may have been lured by a much older man from California she met via Snapchat, the girls family said on social media.

Heaven Ray Cox, of Orange, Texas, was last seen by her parents on Nov. 25.

Detective Janois Grizzaffi with the Orange County Sheriffs Office told the Beaumont Enterprise the teens parents first notified law enforcement of her disappearance around 3 p.m. Sunday.

She is described as being 5 feet 3 inches tall with blonde hair and brown eyes. She weighs approximately 113 pounds.

The teens mother, Tammy Day Cox, told authorities it wasnt unusual for her daughter to sleep in late, but when she went in to check on her, Heaven was not in her bedroom.

A note left behind indicated the teen might be heading to California, but did not include details about who she might be traveling with, Grizzaffi said.

In a Facebook post Wednesday, the elder Cox said they discovered the teen's passport missing.

In additional posts since her daughters disappearance, Tammy Cox said the man she believes her daughter is with is a predator who manipulated her online into believing that he is her friend.

She suffers from mental illness and is currently in a manic phase due to being off her medication, she added. She left a goodbye note to me and her Dad, and said that she wouldnt have a phone, so Im sure he has taken it from her, as it isnt here, and I have torn her room apart."

Grizzaffi told the Beaumont Enterprise the teenager is listed as a runaway and that detectives are working to confirm the Snapchat connection claims.

Anyone with information about Heaven's whereabouts is asked to call the Orange County Sheriff's Office at 409-883-2612.
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Developing now, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017:

NBC ignored complaints about fired "Today" show anchor Matt Lauer, reports say

Jared Kushner questioned by special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators

GOP tax reform bill clears key Senate test vote

One of Rep. John Conyers' accusers tells Fox News he covered up an alleged assault by a top staffer

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tells Fox News an ethics investigation of Roy Moore is "almost certain" if he is elected to the Senate

THE LEAD STORY: NBC News executives failed to act on complaints from several women about crude behavior by Matt Lauer, according to a news report detailing sexual misconduct allegations against the now-former "Today" show anchor ... NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack announced Wednesday that Lauer had been fired for "inappropriate sexual behavior with a colleague." NBC later said the misconduct started when Lauer and a female network employee were at the Sochi Olympics in 2014 and continued beyond that assignment. Lack said it was the first complaint lodged against Lauer in his 20 years at NBC, but "we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident." A report in Variety published Wednesday afternoon detailed multiple sordid allegations against Lauer, including that he gave one female colleague a sex toy, exposed himself to a different female colleague, often engaged in crude, sexually charged office banter and conducted multiple rendezvous with women as he traveled the world covering the Olympics for NBC. A former NBC News employee told the New York Times that he sexually assaulted her in his locked office in 2001.

MUELLER'S TEAM QUESTIONS KUSHNER: Senior White House aide - and President Trump's son-in-law - Jared Kushner - met this month with special counsel Robert Muellers investigators, Fox News has confirmed ... Investigators reportedly questioned Kushner about a meeting he had with an unnamed Russian ambassador and former national security adviser Michael Flynn, the New York Times reported. The meeting reportedly took place in December 2016 during then-President-elect Trumps transition into the White House. The revelation of Kushners meeting with Mueller investigators came days after it was reported that Flynn cut ties with Trump's legal team.

Gregg Jarrett: Mueller's investigation imperils American-Russian relations, jeopardizing lives

TAX-CUT BILL CLEARS HURDLE; TRUMP APPLIES PRESSURE: The Republican plan to overhaul the nations tax system cleared a key procedural hurdle in the Senate on Wednesday, as President Trump rallied support for the bill ... The bill advanced on a 52-48 party line vote, allowing senators to start debate on the sweeping legislation. Ahead of the floor vote, President Trump traveled to Missouri to rally support for the bill -- and pressure Congress. Now comes the moment of truth, the president said during a rally in St. Louis. In the coming days, the American people will learn which politicians are part of the swamp and which politicians want to drain the swamp. The bill still faces hurdles in the Senate, where Republicans have just two votes to spare in their 52-48 edge over Democrats. The Senates tax overhaul plan is different from that of the Houses version. The two chambers would need to come together on a unified piece of legislation to advance to President Trump's desk.

FOX NEWS EXCLUSIVE WITH CONYERS ACCUSER: One of the women accusing Democratic Rep. John Conyers of sexual harassment told Fox News that in addition to touching her inappropriately, he also failed to protect her when one of his top staffers assaulted her ... In an interview on The Story with Martha MacCallum," Deanna Maher, a former deputy chief of staff for Conyers, described the incident with the high-level staffer as pretty devastating. She said it happened in 2001 when she was 61. The unnamed staffer grabbed her, forced her against a wall and "stuck his tongue down my throat at my age." Afterward, Maher claimed Conyers gave her no help whatsoever. "I got no protection afterwards because Congressman Conyers covered that whole thing up."

FOX NEWS EXCLUSIVE - MCCONNELL SEES ETHICS PROBE FOR MOORE: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says an ethics investigation of Roy Moore is "almost certain" if the Republican candidate is elected in the Dec. 12 Alabama U.S. Senate election ... McConnell, who backed incumbent Sen. Luther Strange against Moore in September's Republican primary runoff, told "The Ingraham Angle" that the Senate would "deal with the aftermath of the decision the people of Alabama make on Dec. 12." He declined to indicate whether the Senate would vote to expel Moore, saying only "it'll be up to the [Senate Ethics] committee." Moore, 70, has been accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl in two separate incidents that occurred when he was in his early 30s. McConnell has said Moore should "step aside" in the Senate race.

AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS

NO JUSTICE FOR BENGHAZI VICTIMS' FAMILIES: "I think real justice in this would be a bullet in the back of the head, frankly ... I think their country has let them down."  Jason Chaffetz, on "The Story with Martha MacCallum," slamming verdict against Benghazi conspirator Ahmed Abu Khatallah, who was found guilty on several counts but not the major count of murder. Chaffetz believes the U.S. government did not do everything it could to get a sense of justice for the families of the Americans killed in the 2012 Benghazi attacks. WATCH

BAH HUMBUG, CNN: "These media types... are doing a disservice to a gracious act that the president and first lady have offered."  Sean Spicer, former Trump White House press secretary, on "Hannity," sounding off on CNN's decision to boycott the annual White House Christmas party for the press. WATCH

ACROSS THE NATION

Knocking Trump off Twitter was a 'mistake,' ex-employee says.

Cliven Bundy refuses to leave jail amid ongoing trial.

Air Force fires Thunderbirds commander because of 'risk management' concerns.

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS

Over 15,000 scheduled American Airlines flights do not have pilots during busy holiday season.

Inflation heating up: Fed Beige Book.

The hottest cars at the 2017 LA Auto Show.

NEW IN FOX NEWS OPINION

Newt Gingrich: President Trump is decisively reining in the left.

Cal Thomas: The return of virtue.

Judge Andrew Napolitano: Thanksgiving is over but Mueller and his team remain hard at work.

HOLLYWOOD SQUARED

Matt Lauer's firing casts NBC's call on Ronan Farrow in a whole new light

Garrison Keillor apologizes after firing, reveals he put his hand up woman's shirt.

Star Wars' Chewbacca gets leading role in Texas police recruiting video.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS?

New evidence dates Christs tomb to Roman era, matching historical records.

Man crawls through McDonald's drive-thru window, steals register.

Mom blames plastic surgery addiction on 'selfie dysmorphia.'

STAY TUNED

On Fox News:

Fox & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Fox News' Pete Hegseth sounds off on a controversial exhibit at New York City's John Jay College featuring the art of Gitmo prisoners; Fox News military analyst Gen. Jack Keane on the latest threat from North Korea; and an inside look at the LA Auto Show

Fox News @ Night, 11 p.m. ET: Rep. John Garamendi gives insight of how the Trump administration should handle North Korea's latest missile launch.

On Fox News Radio:

The Fox News Rundown podcast: Fox News Pentagon producer Lucas Tomlinson and former State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf break down North Korea's latest test launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles and how the rogue nation's capabilities are increasing and growing more worrisome. Plus, the Senate voted Wednesday to open debate on their tax reform bill, allowing President Trump to attempt to keep his tax cut Christmas promise alive. Fox News' Chad Pergram and Mike Emanuel tackle the details from Capitol Hill. And we'll have commentary from Fox Business' Trish Regan.

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#OnThisDay

1993: President Bill Clinton signs the Brady Bill, which required a five-day waiting period for handgun purchases and background checks of prospective buyers. It is named for James Brady, who was shot during the assassination attempt against Ronald Reagan in 1981.

1982: Michael Jackson's album, "Thriller," is released by Epic Records.

1835: Samuel Langhorne Clemens  better known as Mark Twain  is born in Florida, Mo.

Thank you for joining us on Fox News First! Enjoy your day and we'll see you in your inbox first thing Friday morning.
Pro-Palestinian activist Linda Sarsour, sitting on an "Anti-Semitism and the Struggle for Justice" panel at New York City's The New School, blamed the Jewish media for her controversial reputation.

Sarsours speech  which barely touched on the issues of anti-Semitism and how to fight it  focused heavily on her unapologetically Palestinian-American identity and how she is a very strong staunch supporter of boycott, divestment, sanctions movement against Israel, which singles out the Jewish state and tries to isolate it economically and culturally.

When one panelist from Jewish Voice for Peace, a Left-wing, anti-Israel group, said Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan is an anti-Semite, Sarsour pushed back.

If what youre reading all day long, morning and night, in the Jewish media is that Linda Sarsour and Minister Farrakhan are the existential threat to the Jewish community, something really bads going to happen and were going to miss the mark on it, she said.

Farrakhan, according to the New York Times, once warned Jews they should not forget that When its God who puts you in the ovens, its forever! and praised Hitler as a very great man.

Sarsour shifted the blame for her reputation to the Trump administration.

LINDA SARSOUR SAYS FASCIST WHITE HOUSE POSES BIGGEST THREAT TO JEWS

The existential threat resides in the White House, in the highest offices of these lands, she said. We are now living under fascism  thats what I believe  and we need all hands on deck.

The Brooklyn-born Muslim activist also said, Under no circumstances should the Jewish community align with people like Milo [Yiannopolous, who is of Jewish descent] or Pamela Geller, among others.

Geller and Yiannopolous protested Sarsours speech at The City University of New York, where Geller called Sarsour a pro-terror, pro-Sharia, anti-Semite and Yiannopolous called her a Sharia-loving, terrorist-embracing, Jew-hating, ticking time-bomb of progressive horror.

She concluded by asking attendees to stand up against Islamophobia, anti-Arab sentiments and anti-Palestinian rhetoric.

The New School received significant backlash for putting Sarsour as one of the so-called experts in the discussion on how to combat bigotry against Jews.

NEW SCHOOL UNDER FIRE FOR PUTTING LINDA SARSOUR ON ANTI-SEMITISM PANEL

The Anti-Defamation League blasted the New York City-based private schools decision.

Having Linda Sarsour...leading a panel on #antisemitism is like Oscar Meyer leading a panel on vegetarianism, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted. These panelists know the issue, but unfortunately, from the perspective of fomenting it rather than fighting it.
A murdered Baltimore police detective was tricked into finding heroin planted by an indicted member of a now-disbanded unit during a 2010 arrest, prosecutors alleged in an indictment unsealed Thursday.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis identified the betrayed officer  dubbed "Officer No. 1" in the indictment  as Detective Sean Suiter, who was fatally shot in the head with his own gun Nov. 15 while probing a triple homicide in a troubled West Baltimore neighborhood.

Davis told reporters that Suiter was "set up" by indicted former officer Wayne Earl Jenkins to discover narcotics planted by Jenkins. He added Suiter was "not involved in any way, shape or form" in the deception.

Speaking of Jenkins, Davis said: "This guy was able to operate with impunity on this police department for far too long."

Jenkins, a former Baltimore police sergeant who is one of the indicted members of Baltimore's disbanded Gun Trace Task Force, is one of eight Baltimore law enforcers being investigated by a federal grand jury.

The elite unit was tasked with getting illegal guns off the streets of Baltimore, but federal prosecutors say they used their position to threaten the innocent, detain people on false pretenses, steal their money, fake police reports, lie to investigators, and defraud their department.

Jenkins is currently detained awaiting a January trial on criminal racketeering and fraud charges. If convicted, he now faces an additional sentence of 20 years for the additional charges announced Thursday.

The 2010 arrest followed a high-speed chase that resulted in the death of an elderly man. Jenkins was the driver of an unmarked police car and Suiter, then an officer, was his passenger.

According to the indictment, Jenkins told a third officer he was going to send Suiter to search a suspect's car because he was "clueless" that drugs had already been planted.

Umar Burley was convicted and sentenced to 15 years as a result of the 2010 arrest where 28 grams of heroin were found in 32 individual packets. Brent Matthews was sentenced to nearly four years. They both pleaded guilty despite knowing they were innocent, according to a statement from the Department of Justice.



"Both men concluded that in a trial involving Sergeant Jenkins' word against theirs, they would lose," the statement said.



Two lawyers for Burley, who was released from prison in August after the government moved to reduce his sentence to time served, did not immediately respond to phone calls or an email seeking comment. Matthews was released from prison after 2 1/2 years in 2013.

Rumors about Suiter's unsolved killing in a vacant lot went into overdrive last week when Davis confirmed that the acting U.S. attorney and FBI informed him that the detective was gunned down the day before he was to testify in an ongoing probe of the specialized gun recovery unit.



Police say he and his partner were in the rough Harlem Park neighborhood canvassing for information when Suiter approached a "suspicious" man in a vacant lot, leading to a violent confrontation in which he was shot with his own gun. His partner can be seen on private surveillance video taking cover across the street, according to Davis.



Suiter was found clutching his radio. A brief radio transmission indicated he was in distress and his clothes had signs of a "violent struggle," according to Davis. Suiter died at a hospital a day later.



The detective's murder is unsolved. There is a $215,000 reward for information leading to the shooter's arrest.

Suiter's Wednesday funeral drew thousands of mourners, including numerous law enforcement officials. Mayor Catherine Pugh said his unsolved killing "leaves a stain on our city," while Gov. Larry Hogan said the detective "lived and died a hero."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump is considering recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a highly charged declaration that risks inflaming tensions across the Middle East, officials said Thursday. The announcement would be a way to offset a likely decision delaying his campaign promise to move the U.S. Embassy to the holy city from Tel Aviv.

Trump's announcement is expected next week and follows months of internal deliberations that grew particularly intense in recent days, according to officials familiar with the talks. They described the president as intent on fulfilling his pledge to move the embassy but also mindful that doing so could set back his aim of forging a long-elusive peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, who claim part of Jerusalem as the capital of an eventual state.

The officials, who weren't authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the outlines of Trump's plan emerged from a meeting of his top national security advisers at the White House on Monday. Trump himself was expected to drop by the meeting for 15 or 20 minutes. He ended up staying for at least an hour and grew increasingly animated during the session, according to two officials briefed on what happened.

Trump is likely to issue a waiver on moving the embassy by Monday, officials said, though they cautioned that the president could always decide otherwise.

The White House also is considering a possible presidential speech or statement on Jerusalem by Wednesday, according to the officials and an outside administration adviser. Another possibility involves Vice President Mike Pence, who is set to travel to Israel in mid-December, making the Jerusalem announcement during his trip, one official said. Pence said Tuesday that Trump is "actively considering when and how" to move the embassy.

The Trump administration insisted the president hasn't made any decisions on the embassy.

"No decision on this matter has been made yet," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Thursday.

White House spokesman Sarah Sanders on Wednesday called an earlier report saying Trump would order an embassy move as "premature."

Moving the embassy is a step that could spark widespread protest across the Middle East and undermine an Arab-Israeli peace push led by president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Trump's campaign season promises won him the support of powerful pro-Israel voices in the Republican Party. But as president, he has faced equally forceful lobbying from close U.S. allies such as King Abdullah II of Jordan, who have impressed on him the dangers in abandoning America's carefully balanced position on the holy city.

Under U.S. law signed by President Bill Clinton in 1995, the U.S. must relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem unless the president waives the requirement on national security grounds, something required every six months. If the waiver isn't signed and the embassy doesn't move, the State Department would lose half its funding for its facilities and their security around the world. Republicans have championed embassy security since a 2012 attack on American compounds in Benghazi, Libya.

All presidents since Clinton have issued the waiver, saying Jerusalem's status is a matter for Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate. Trump signed the waiver at the last deadline in June, but the White House made clear he still intended to move the embassy.

Trump's approach appears to thread a fine needle, much like he did with the Iran nuclear deal. After vowing to pull out, Trump in October decertified the agreement as no longer serving America's national interests. But he didn't announce new sanctions or take any other step to immediately revoke the accord.

Now, as then, he faced significant resistance from his top national security advisers.

At Monday's White House meeting, Defense Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made the case that moving the embassy in Israel would pose a grave danger to American diplomats and troops stationed in the Middle East and Muslim nations, the U.S. officials said.

King Abdullah II, who met Pence and Tillerson this week in Washington, made the same argument, telling the vice president and others that any change to the embassy in the absence of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal would create unrest and instability throughout the region and drive up anti-American sentiment, according to the officials.

After a lengthy back and forth at the White House meeting, Trump and his inner circle appeared to accept those concerns but insisted that the president had to demonstrate his stated commitment to move the embassy, the officials said. The discussion then turned toward waiving the embassy move for another six months but combining it with recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's eternal capital, which the Israelis have long sought.

Any change in U.S. position is delicate.

The State Department recently advised American diplomatic posts in predominantly Muslim nations that an announcement about the embassy and Jerusalem's status is possible next week, and advised them to be vigilant about possible protests, officials said.

Inside the Trump administration, officials said debate now centers on how to make a Jerusalem announcement without affecting Israeli-Palestinian "final status" negotiations. One option under consideration is to include in any such statement a nod to Palestinian aspirations for their capital to be in east Jerusalem.

The U.S. also faces legal constraints. Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital without a peace deal could run afoul of U.N. Security Council resolutions that don't recognize Israeli sovereignty over the city. Washington has a veto on the council and could block any effort to declare the U.S. in violation, but any such vote risks being an embarrassment and driving a wedge between the United States and many of its closest allies.
Cops for Kids, a charity that purports to help families or children who are victims of crimes, allegedly defrauded millions of dollars in donations, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday by the Ohio state Attorney General.

The lawsuit claims that between 2005 and 2015 the charity spent less than 2 percent of the $4.2 million it raised on actual charitable giving, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported.

Meanwhile, the organization allegedly paid founders Thomas Duffy and Charles Hitzel a combined $614,000, and Telcom Enterprises of Ohio  the firm used for soliciting the donations -- $3.3 million, the paper reported.

Only $73,840 went toward the actual purpose of the charity, which solicited thousands of Ohio residents and misled donors.

And despite the name Cops for Kids, the group has no formal ties to any police organization, the paper reported.

The lawsuit aims at preventing the two organizers from starting or working at another nonprofit charity and disbanding Cops for Kids, as well as restitution and fines, the paper reported.

Click here for more from the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
FARGO  The accused ringleader of an international drug trafficking operation connected to overdose deaths in Grand Forks told co-conspirators to remain quiet and tried to warn them about an investigation targeting his associates, according to new federal charges.

Daniel Vivas Ceron, 37, pleaded not guilty Tuesday in North Dakotas U.S. District Court in Fargo to obstruction of justice, an accusation that was added this month to a list of charges that were filed in June 2015.

Ceron, a Colombian national, now faces six charges related to an international investigation into drug trafficking operations that led to the death of Bailey Henke. The Grand Forks 18-year-old died of a fentanyl overdose in January 2015.

That launched Operation Denial, an investigation that brought charges against a dozen defendants in North Dakotas federal court.

Ceron has been accused of leading efforts to traffic drugs, including fentanyl, from China and Canada into the U.S. and ultimately Fargo, Grand Forks and Portland, Ore. Using initials only, court documents indicate there were four other victims of the drug ring in Portland.

The new charge accuses Ceron of corruptly influencing, obstructing and impeding the investigation by secretly sending letters to co-conspirators. He told his associates to remain silent about the charged drug trafficking conspiracy and tried to warn potential targets of the investigation, according to court documents.

The initial charges include conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and controlled substance analogues resulting in serious bodily injury and death, conspiracy to import controlled substances and controlled substance analogues into the United States resulting in serious bodily injury and death, aiding and abetting the distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death, money laundering conspiracy and continuing criminal enterprise.

Ceron was arrested in July 2015 in Panama as a result of the indictment. He was extradited in January to North Dakota.

His trial is slated for Feb. 6.

He is being held at the Cass County jail.
An Army veteran has accused Minnesota Sen. Al Franken of inappropriately touching her more than a decade ago while she was on a military deployment to Kuwait.

She's identified in CNN's Thursday report as Stephanie Kemplin, 41, of Maineville, Ohio. She is the fifth woman in the last two weeks to accuse the embattled Franken of sexual harassment allegations. Franken has welcomed an ethics investigation of the accusations.

CNN reports that Kemplin met Franken, a comedian at the time, when he was on a USO tour in December 2003. She got in line to take a photo with him and she says he groped her right breast.

A spokesperson for Franken told CNN late Wednesday that the senator "has never intentionally engaged in this kind of conduct."
A Texas world history teacher is accused of having a sexual relationship with a former male student after the two met at a restaurant, authorities said.

Michelle Schiffer, 23, of Houston, allegedly had sexual intercourse with one of her former students, now 16, in July after the two met up at a local Chick-fil-A restaurant, court documents stated.

The alleged improper relationship was reported by an anonymous student to Cheryl Henry, principal of Cypress-Springs High School where Schiffer taught.

Authorities said Schiffer admitted to meeting the student at the restaurant before they went to a friends apartment to have sex, Click 2 Houston reported.

Schiffer also allegedly admitted she and the student smoked marijuana in her vehicle.

The student was 15 years old at the time of the alleged incidents.

Schiffer has been charged with improper relationship with a student and sexual assault of a child. She is out on $30,000 bond.

In a statement, the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District said Schiffer was immediately removed from campus and placed on administrative leave once they learned of the allegations.

We will continue to protect our students and not tolerate relationships of an inappropriate nature, the statement said.
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A Texas college's student newspaper is apologizing after coming under fire for running an opinion column called "Your DNA is an abomination" that accuses white people of being oppressors who shouldnt exist.

The apology from Texas States University Star came just hours after the column was printed in the paper's Tuesday edition, sparking a backlash.

Whiteness will be over because we want it to be, the article reads, according to a photograph sent to Fox News by multiple viewers. And when it dies, there will be millions of cultural zombies aimlessly wandering across a vastly changed landscape.

In addition to stating white death will mean liberation for all, the columnist also says whiteness is a construct used to perpetuate a system of racist power and white people are an aberration."

Until then, remember this: I hate you because you shouldnt exist, the column adds. You are both the dominant apparatus on the planet and the void in which all other cultures, upon meeting you, die.

The column was written by Texas State University senior Rudy Martinez, a philosophy major who said in a past article he was one of the more than 200 people who was arrested on Jan. 20 protesting the inauguration of proto-fascist Donald Trump.

The University Stars Editor-in-Chief, Denise Cervantes, said in a statement issued late Tuesday the column received widespread criticism from readers.

The University Stars opinion pages are a forum for students to express and debate ideas, she said. While our publication does not endorse every opinion put forth by student columnists or guest contributors, as the editor I take responsibility for what is printed on our pages.

Cervantes said the original intent of the column was to provide a commentary on the idea of race and racial identities.

We acknowledge that the column could have been clearer in its message and that it has caused hurt within our campus community, she said. We apologize and hope that we can move forward to a place of productive dialogue on ways to bring our community together.

Andrew Homann, a former Texas State student body president and chief of staff at the Texas Federation of College Republicans, was among the leading critics of the column.

Just when you think the opinion's columns in the University Star couldn't get any worse, they publish this masterpiece and exceed my expectations, he wrote on a Facebook post Tuesday. No one is going to take this paper seriously if the editorial board continues to allow baseless garbage to be published week in and week out."

Twitter users also ripped the newspaper and its response.

After reading this I'm embarrassed for my University! I would not be okay if this was written in any other context, I made many friends from different cultures, one wrote.

I expect a better response and repercussions, said another, in a message directed to the schools president.
U.S. and Chinese generals engaged in an unusual set of security talks on Wednesday, just hours after North Korea's most powerful missile test yet, focused on how the mighty American and Chinese militaries might communicate in a crisis.

As President Donald Trump greeted the North's launching of another intercontinental ballistic missile with familiar demands for China to get tougher with its ally, the low-profile and unpublicized meeting at the National Defense University in Washington was taking place amid signs China is more willing at this time to discuss how the two world powers would manage an even worse emergency on the divided Korean Peninsula.

The Pentagon stressed the talks were scheduled long before North Korea's surprise missile launch in the early hours Wednesday in Asia. Officials insisted the dialogue wasn't centered on North Korea or anything else in particular.

Trump has vowed to prevent North Korea from having the capability to strike the U.S. mainland with a nuclear-tipped missile  using military force if necessary. He is running out of time: Some experts said the missile fired on a high trajectory that splashed down in the Sea of Japan showed North Korea's ability to strike Washington and the entire U.S. Eastern Seaboard.

The threat of a military confrontation is making China rethink its resistance to discussing contingencies involving North Korea, according to experts. Such discussions have long been off-limits for Beijing, which fought on North Korea's side against the United States in the 1950-53 Korean War and remains its treaty ally.

In a phone conversation with Trump on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his desire for a diplomatic resolution to the standoff with North Korea.

Objectives for Wednesday's military consultations appeared modest.

"The engagement will serve as an opportunity to discuss how to manage crises, prevent miscalculations, and reduce the risk of misunderstanding," the office of Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told The Associated Press in a statement.

The U.S. and China agreed on the talks when Dunford met with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing in August. While in China, Dunford observed a Chinese military drill at Shenyang, about 120 miles from the North Korean border  an unusual stop for an official visit.

Wednesday's talks were being led by Lt. Gen. Richard Clarke, the Joint Chiefs' planning director, and Maj. Gen. Shao Yuanming, a senior Chinese military official. They're especially noteworthy given the deep strategic mistrust between the U.S. and China, and Beijing's increasing challenge to America's post-World War II dominance in the Asia-Pacific.

China has been more explicit in saying what the talks are about.

Yao Yunzhu, a retired general who specializes in U.S.-Chinese defense relations at China's Academy of Military Science, said this summer they should include Northeast Asia, where North Korea is located. She also mentioned the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.

Yun Sun, an expert on Chinese foreign policy at the Stimson Center think tank, said Dunford raised North Korean contingencies at the August meeting and the two sides discussed the potential danger of a conflict or a nuclear disaster. U.S. officials wouldn't confirm that account. Sun said she anticipated those talks would continue Wednesday.

While such discussions have occurred in recent years among non-government experts, they hadn't yet happened at official levels.

However, Oriana Skylar Mastro, a Georgetown University professor, said her Chinese contacts indicated willingness to broach North Korea contingencies in the military dialogue.

"Things are shifting right now in both China and the United States. There seems to be an opening," said Mastro. She expected the talks would still be at a preliminary stage.

"This type of discussion is difficult among friends. It's much more difficult between potential adversaries, but absolutely necessary," Mastro said. "The type of war that might break out (with North Korea) is one that would be more costly than anything that generations of Americans have experienced."

Political limitations exist on both sides, making some experts skeptical that progress would be made or even that North Korean contingencies would be addressed at all. The U.S. must be wary of offending South Korea, which isn't in the dialogue. China risks further alienating a paranoid ally at a time Beijing is supporting increasingly tough U.N. sanctions on North Korea's economy in response to its missile and nuclear tests.

"The Chinese side is very worried that if North Korea gets word it might turn them into a hostile neighbor," said Frank Aum, a former Pentagon adviser on North Korea.

Chinese opinions are divided. But in a sign of growing antipathy toward Pyongyang, some Chinese intellectuals have called for radical policy change. Not only is North Korea a liability for China's global standing, it also poses a nuclear risk on its doorstep.

A collapse of North Korea's state, or another crisis, could push Beijing into conflict with the U.S. and South Korea. Bonnie Glaser, an Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, mentioned North Korean nuclear facilities within 50 miles of the Chinese border, and said both sides could try to secure loose nukes.

There have been grave miscommunications before. Abraham Denmark, a former senior U.S. military official for East Asia, cited the run-up to the Korean War, when Washington thought Beijing knew it would not seek to invade China; the Chinese thought the Americans knew that if U.S. forces advanced north of the 38th parallel into North Korea, China would intervene.

"Both sides at the time thought that they were being extremely clear, but neither side had any idea of what was going on," Denmark said. "That suggests to me that both sides need to be very up front with one another."

___

AP writer Robert Burns contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of the name of Oriana Skylar Mastro.
U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said Wednesday that North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile that some observers believe could reach Washington and the entire U.S. Eastern Seaboard "brings us closer" to a war the U.S. doesn't seek.

Haley, speaking at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, said that if war comes as a result of further acts of "aggression" like Tuesday's launch, "make no mistake the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."

"The dictator of North Korea made a decision yesterday that brings us closer to war, not farther from it," Haley said. "We have never sought war with North Korea and still today we do not seek it."

The Trump administration threatened new sanctions on North Korea after the reclusive government shattered 2 1/2 months of relative quiet with its most powerful weapon test yet.

President Donald Trump tweeted that he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about Pyongyang's "provocative actions," and he vowed that "additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!" Trump's top diplomat, Rex Tillerson, said the U.S. could target financial institutions doing business with the North.

At the emergency Security Council meeting, China's deputy U.N. ambassador Wu Haitao reiterated the China-Russia proposal for North Korea to suspend all nuclear and missile tests and for the U.S. and South Korea to suspend all military exercises.

The fresh deliberations about new forms of punishment for North Korea came after its government said it successfully fired a "significantly more" powerful, nuclear-capable ICBM it called the Hwasong-15. Outside governments and analysts concurred the North had made a jump in missile capability.

A resumption of Pyongyang's torrid testing pace in pursuit of a viable arsenal of nuclear-tipped missiles that can hit the U.S. mainland had been widely expected. But the power of the missile and suddenness of the test jolted the Korean Peninsula and Washington. The launch at 3:17 a.m. Wednesday local time -- early Tuesday afternoon in the U.S. capital -- indicated an effort to perfect the element of surprise and obtain maximum attention in the U.S.

In a government statement released through state media, North Korea said the Hwasong-15, the "greatest ICBM," could be armed with a "super-large heavy nuclear warhead" and is capable of striking the "whole mainland" of the U.S. The North said the missile reached a height of 2,780 miles and traveled 590 miles before accurately hitting a sea target, similar to the flight data announced by South Korea's military.

After the launch, it said leader Kim Jong Un "declared with pride" that his country has achieved its goal of becoming a "rocket power." State TV said Kim gave the order Tuesday, and it broadcast a photo of Kim's signed order where he wrote: "Test launch is approved. Taking place at the daybreak of Nov. 29! Fire with courage for the party and country!"

Speaking later Wednesday, Trump could not resist taking a dig at Kim. Digressing during a speech in Missouri on tax reform, Trump called Kim "Little Rocket Man" and described him as "a sick puppy."

The North Korean launch was a message of defiance to the Trump administration, which a week earlier restored North Korea to a U.S. list of terror sponsors. It also ruins nascent diplomatic efforts, raises fears of war or a pre-emptive U.S. strike and casts a deeper shadow over the security of the Winter Olympics early next year in South Korea.

A rattled Seoul responded by almost immediately launching three of its own missiles in a show of force. South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed worry that North Korea's missile threat could force the U.S. to attack the North before it masters a nuclear-tipped long-range missile.

The launch was North Korea's first since Sept. 15 and may have broken any efforts at diplomacy. U.S. officials have sporadically floated the idea of direct talks with North Korea if it maintained restraint.

The missile also appeared an improvement on North Korea's past launches.

If flown on a standard trajectory, instead of Wednesday's lofted angle, the missile would have a range of more than 8,100 miles, said U.S. scientist David Wright, a physicist who closely tracks North Korea's missile and nuclear programs. "Such a missile would have more than enough range to reach Washington, D.C., and in fact any part of the continental United States," Wright wrote in a blog post for the Union for Concerned Scientists.

Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said the missile landed inside Japan's special economic zone in the Sea of Japan.

A big unknown, however, is the missile's payload. If, as expected, it carried a light mock warhead, then its effective range would have been shorter, analysts said.

In his call with Xi, Trump made clear "the determination of the United States to defend ourselves and our allies," according to a White House statement. Trump also "emphasized the need for China to use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization."

The Trump administration bolstered U.S. sanctions against North Korea last week and imposed new restrictions on North Korean shipping firms and Chinese companies that deal with the North.

China's state-run Xinhua news agency said Xi told Trump that China remained determined to clear the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons, and to preserve peace and stability in Northeast Asia.
If you were living near a huge volcano that was spewing ash and scientists were warning of a possible eruption, you'd want to flee, right? Well, not necessarily.

Rather than leaving, the compelling impulse to see an aggressive and majestic show of nature, and to record an uncontrollable force, is motivating some visitors to the tropical island of Bali to stick around for a while.

Take Mark Levitin. He's not going anywhere. The activity inside Mount Agung is the 12th volcanic eruption he's witnessed up close.

"It's just beautiful. I like the power of them," said the lanky 39-year-old, who grew up in Russia and Israel.

"We're living on what is essentially a huge bowl of magma with a very thin crust," Levitin told the Associated Press. "Even the place we call home is mostly hot enough to vaporize us in an instant."

Many foreigners are making haste to leave the idyllic Indonesian island after its airport, shut for 2  days due to drifting ash, reopened on Wednesday afternoon.

Some airlines are advising people who'd already booked travel to Bali that they can cancel, defer or change their destination because the airport could easily be forced to close again by a bigger eruption or by the billowing columns of ash moving back in its direction. Its last major eruptions, in 1963, killed about 1,100 people and the volcano didn't quiet down for a year.

However, leaving is not the agenda for Mariano Gonzales, a polyglot travel guide from the Canary Islands, who to his surprise was turned away from an ash-covered hotel he arrived at three days into his two-week Bali vacation.

WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE LAST MAJOR ERUPTION AT MOUNT AGUNG?

"I was a little bit shocked because everybody was a little bit stressy because they saw me arriving with my bags and I didn't know anything about this volcano," said Gonzales, who is now staying in Amed, a picturesque fishing village with a spectacular view of the smoking volcano about 15 kilometers (9 miles) away.

He said he tried to get closer to the mountain but was turned back at a checkpoint.

"We feel comfortable. We're enjoying our beer and this beautiful view," said Gonzales, sitting cliff side at the Sunset Point bar that has a panorama of the cone-shaped mountain, the Bali Sea and rows of brightly painted fishing boats below.

Indonesian disaster officials ordered 100,000 people to leave the exclusion zone that in places extends 10 kilometers from the crater after the mountain began violently erupting on Saturday.

Since then it has gushed ash almost continuously, hurling the gray-black columns of dust, steam and smoke 4,000 meters (13,200 feet) high and glowing a menacing red at night as lava wells up inside. Lahars of muddy volcanic debris have flowed down its sides through some villages.

Though many Balinese did heed the officials and left the immediate danger zone, some feel they have no choice but to keep farming their lands in the volcano's shadow.

Katut Wiri and her family were planting crops Thursday in an area that authorities warn would be in the path of hot ash clouds and mudflows during a major eruption.

"If I'm not planting these fields, somebody might come and claim it and start farming on it. So I won't have any land to farm," said the mother of three. "So that's why I came and started planting."

Still, officials are warning that the volcano could burst.

We cannot predict whether it will be bigger than 1963, but ... according to our evaluation the potential for a full-scale eruption is still high, Devy Kamil Syahbana, an official at Indonesias center for volcanology and geological disaster mitigation center, told Reuters.

"My first volcano was almost 20 years ago in Costa Rica. Almost killed me," Levitin said. "I had no experience and didn't know how to do it and I almost walked right into a bombardment of volcanic rocks."

But, he adds, in the unlikely event an eruption is huge beyond any expectations, nowhere on Bali would be safe.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A boat carrying 10 men suspected to be from North Korea was discovered drifting off a Japanese island, the latest in a series of odd Hermit Kingdom finds --including a skeleton-filled ghost ship and a body with North Korean words scribbled on it -- to wash ashore in Japan this week.

Japans Coast Guard spotted the wooden boat rocking off the western coast of the northern island of Hokkaido on Tuesday, but, due to rough seas, were only able to reach the vessel Wednesday.

[The 10 North Koreans] gestured yes or no to the questions we put on our electronic message board, coast guard spokesman Yuichi Chiba told the Japan Times. We are now towing the boat to calmer water and plan to hold an on-site inspection inside the boat this afternoon.

The Japanese government began investigating the decrepit boat and the men aboard Thursday. Its unclear if the men were defectors or illegally fishing inside Japans 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

The event adds to the string of unusual discoveries possibly involving North Koreans along the Japanese coast the last two weeks. Japan has been stepping up patrols after a recent spike in the number of boats turning up on its coasts.

On Monday, Japanese authorities removed eight remains from a wooden boat that washed ashore Miyazawa Beach in Oga, Akita Prefecture, along the Sea of Japan, according to the Japan Times. So much time had passed since the men had died that many of the remains were skeletonized. There were no clues left on the vessel indicating where it came from, puzzling officials seeking more answers.

Another body of a suspected North Korean man was found on Sado Island on Saturday. Korean letters, a pack of cigarettes and other personal belongings with North Korean writing was found on the man, leading officials to believe he was from the Hermit Kingdom. Its still unclear how he died.

And on Thursday night, a boat with eight North Korean men was located near the seaside town of Yurihonjo. The fishermen, who were standing outside of the boat when police found them, appeared to have stopped at the shore because they were having boat issues. Police said they were most likely not defectors and were hoping to return home soon after about a month out at sea. The boat, carrying squid, also had a sign saying Chongjin, possibly related to a major port city on North Korea's eastern coast, Kyodo News reported.

Dozens of boats and debris wash up on Japanese northern coasts yearly. This year, 59 cases  compared to 66 last year and down from 80 five years ago  have been detected, nearly half of them in November alone, according to the Coast Guard.

Officials said they were linked to a reported campaign by the North to send fishermen farther out for more catches. However, its unclear if people aboard those boats that drift near Japanese shores each year intend to defect or are simply unable to make their way back in unseaworthy wooden vessels. Officials said the boats are frequently pushed toward Japan during winter due to a seasonal wind.

Japan and South Korea were placed on high alert after North Korea fired a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile that Kim Jong Uns regime said was significantly more powerful than any of the previously weapons tested. Kim also said the missile puts all of the United States within range.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who spoke with Trump, said Japan will not back down against any provocation and would maximize pressure on the North in its strong alliance with the U.S.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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The European Union's counter-terrorism coordinator says the loss of its so-called "caliphate" will cripple the Islamic State group but the threat from the extremists is not over yet.

Gilles de Kerchove also told The Associated Press in an interview that there hasn't been a massive flow of IS fighters returning to Europe as many had feared following the group's loss of territory in Syria and Iraq.

De Kerchove says intelligence services describe the fighters' return as "more a trickle than a flow."

He says, however, that the threat posed by people inspired by the ideology remains and the group is likely to entrench in other parts of world with "weak governance" such as Libya or Afghanistan.

De Kerchove was in Turkey for talks on enhancing cooperation against terrorism.
A grieving father killed himself and injured seven others Thursday after reportedly detonating two grenades at the murder trial of the man accused of killing his son.

The fatal incident took place at a court in Nikopol, in the eastern region of Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, police said.

Local authorities said the father died in the explosion, while seven other people  three defendants, two police officers, a court officer and a civilian  were injured by shrapnel.

All victims were taken to a local hospital; the extent of their injuries were not immediately revealed.

According to police, the unidentified man was on trial for allegedly killing another man in what appeared to be a territorial power struggle in relation to a known drug trafficking area.

Additional information was not immediately available.

The incident came a day a former Bosnian Croat military chief died after ingesting what appeared to be poison during a war crimes tribunal at The Hague on Wednesday. An autopsy was planned to determine what liquid Slobodan Praljak, 72, ingested.
After initially making no official plans to do so, the governing board of the North Dakota University System will be discussing in its meeting today the allegations of discrimination made by a former system leader against NDUS Chancellor Mark Hagerott.

A system representative sent notice Wednesday that the agenda had been updated to include an executive session for members of the State Board of Higher Education to privately discuss a preliminary labor complaint filed earlier this month by Lisa Feldner, an NDUS vice chancellor fired by Hagerott in September. The session will be limited to board members with voting status, as well as nonvoting advisers, the boards executive assistant and legal counsel.

Feldner, who also served as Hagerotts chief of staff until shortly before her termination, submitted on Nov. 17 a set of accusations against Hagerott and SBHE leaders to the North Dakota Department of Labor and Human Rights. Her allegations, outlined in a 17-page narrative of her time working with the chancellor, include claims that Hagerott made use of discriminatory practices based on age, gender and health, among other things. Feldner also claims that her termination, which was without cause, was retaliatory in nature.

During the time included in her narrative, Feldner states that leaders of the SBHE -- including current board Chair Don Morton and former Chair Kathleen Neset -- did not take adequate steps to address the allegedly hostile environment in the NDUS office. She has called for an official investigation of the NDUS office, which may be carried out either by the state Department of Labor or the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Both Hagerott and board leaders have said they strongly disagree with Feldners claims, which they have described as a distraction from the work of the board and of NDUS in guiding higher education in North Dakota.

The addition of the executive session for discussion of Feldners allegations wasnt the only change of its kind made Wednesday to the SBHE agenda. The board will also go into executive session later in the meeting to discuss a claim made regarding the A. Glenn Hill Center at North Dakota State University. The $29.4 million center houses courses with a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, a package known as STEM, and is the newest academic building on the NDSU campus. It is not yet clear what the claim refers to.

The SBHE is also set to cover a wide range of other items in its regular open session, including the recently announced higher education governance task force created by Gov. Doug Burgum, as well as system policies regarding intellectual property royalties and the minimum credit hours to confer a student certificate of completion.

The board will also hear a proposal to reduce its current monthly, in-person meeting schedule to a new calendar that would only have an annual total of four face-to-face meetings, interspersed as needed with digital gatherings. The proposal has drawn an official letter of concern from a statewide faculty group, which claims the shift would reduce transparency while reducing the boards connection to the 11 NDUS campuses.
A knife-wielding man barged into an elementary school in China on Thursday and slashed the throats of five children with a box cutter before he was tackled to the ground, a report and video showed.

A man broke into a Wenchang school in the Hainan province, went into a classroom and swung his box cutter, slashing five children in the throat, Chinese media The Paper reported. A Bystander video obtained by The Paper showed the man being held on the ground he was allegedly tackled by people nearby.

Wenchange Municipal Propaganda Department said the five students, who were reportedly in fifth grade, suffered non-life-threatening injuries

Currently the man has been controlled, The Paper said, according to the translation.
North Korea released dozens of photos Thursday showing the events leading up to its latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch, including pics of despot Kim Jong Un howling in laughter after he ordered his rocket men to fire with courage.

The photos, released by Rodong Sinmun, the regimes daily paper, showed a bigger and more advanced ICBM and a domestically produced mobile launcher. The paper claimed the Hwasong-15 missile was powerful enough to carry a super-heavy nuclear warhead that could strike the whole mainland of the U.S.

Analysts quickly examined the photos and deemed them a gold mine for rocket experts. Compared to the Hwasong-14 ICBM North Korea tested in July, the new missile appeared significantly bigger in appearance. The domestically made erector-launcher vehicle also gives Kims regime the ability to avoid begging China or other friendly countries for the technology.

The rocket is believed to be larger than previous North Korean ICBMs because the launch vehicle has nine wheels on each side, rather than the eight seen in previous launches. A mobile launcher also makes it harder for officials to detect and destroy the Hwasong-15 before it's launched.

Kims excitement over the Wednesday middle-of-the-night surprise launch was clearly visible as he watched a monitor with supposed flight data. One picture showed him bending over backward in laughter and another had him pumping his fist.

Kim declared hours after firing the ICBM that North Korea had finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force.

"The development and advancement of the strategic weapon of the DPRK are to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country from the U.S. imperialists' nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat, and to ensure the peaceful life of the people, and therefore, they would not pose any threat to any country and region as long as the interests of the DPRK are not infringed upon," an earlier KCNA statement said.

The regimes Korean Central News Agency also noted the excitement among North Koreans of the successful test-fire who allegedly hosted dancing parties in the midst of their celebration.

"The successful test-fire of the new-type ICBM Hwasong-15 has thrown all servicepersons and civilians of the DPRK into great joy and excitement, KCNA said in a Thursday statement. Dancing parties were displayed by working people of various circles and youth and students in different parts of Pyongyang."

It continued: "The participants danced to the tune of songs 'Our Leader Loved by the People' and 'The Country of the People,' extending the highest gloryto respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un who registered a great success incompleting the state nuclear force.

However, experts still believe the missile may only be able to reach the West Coast of the U.S. if it was loaded with a nuclear warhead, not a dummy such as the one the Hwasong-15 carried Wednesday.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the latest missile test placed the U.S. and the world closer to war, not farther from it.

"We have never sought war with North Korea and still today we do not seek it, Haley added.

President Trump chimed in on Twitter on Thursday saying: The Chinese envoy, who just returned from North Korea, seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man. Hard to believe his people, and the military, put up with living in such horrible conditions. Russia and China condemned the launch.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Pentagon says at least 801 civilians have been killed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

The report released Thursday says five more strikes, all in Syria, were investigated over the past month and found to have resulted in 15 additional civilian deaths.

Monitoring groups say the number of civilian casualties from airstrikes in the fight against IS is far higher.

The London-based Airwars organization that tracks civilian deaths in the anti-IS operation says they believe more than 5,000 civilians have been killed as a result of coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria.

IS held territory that once stretched from northern Syria to the edge of Baghdad has been reduced to pockets of desert along the Iraqi-Syrian border. The U.S.-led coalition launched the campaign of airstrikes against IS in August 2014.
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A Spanish judge has ordered a former Salvadoran colonel jailed while he awaits trial for alleged involvement in the killing of five Jesuit priests in 1989.

Inocente Orlando Montano, who served as vice minister for public security in the 1980s during El Salvador's civil war, was extradited to Spain from the United States on Wednesday.

He faces charges of terrorist murder and crimes against humanity in the killings of the five priests who had Spanish nationality. Another Jesuit, their housekeeper and her daughter were also killed in a case that sparked international outrage.

According to U.S. court documents, the priests were helping to organize peace talks during the 1980-1992 conflict in the Central American country.

Montano's lawyer Antonio Alberca said Thursday the former colonel has denied involvement in the killings.
Turkish officials say President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has held a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel as the two countries try to repair frayed ties.

Officials from Erdogan's office said during Thursday's talk Merkel promised she would work toward expediting European Union funds earmarked to help Syrian refugees in Turkey. Merkel and Erdogan also spoke about the importance of cooperating against terror groups, including Kurdish rebels and agreed to increase discussions once a new German government is formed.

The officials provided the information on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Multiple issues have caused friction between the two countries, including the jailing of several Germans on terrorism-related charges in Turkey following a 2016 coup attempt.

Turkey has also accused Germany of harboring Kurdish rebels.
A U.S. official has called parts of a United Nations framework document aimed at helping the Palestinians gain statehood, as another example of inherent anti-Israel bias in the U.N. system.

Critics say the document will help fund legal action against Israel and is against a U.S. policy that is committed to preventing international de-legitimization campaigns against Israel.

The document in question is the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for the state of Palestine 2018-2022, which has an estimated budget of around $1.3 billion. The money will be earmarked to help finance the political and social infrastructure needed to build a functioning democratic state.

U.N.: WORST MALNUTRITION SINCE WAR IS IN BESIEGED SYRIA SUBURB

Speaking on background, a U.S. official told Fox News that while the U.S. will continue its support for Palestinian economic development, there were some reservations.

We are deeply troubled by the frameworks undue focus on Israel. We intend to raise our concerns with the appropriate U.N. offices.

The official added, We are disappointed that the U.N. Country Team intends to dedicate $18 million of resources over the next five years to projects that could be misused to politicize international legal venues. This is yet another example of the inherent anti-Israel bias in the U.N. system. We hope that this does not accurately reflect the scope and intent of the U.N. projects the document purports to correlate.

The document, which is signed by some 21 U.N. agencies and programs, states that it will put the Palestinian people at the center of its development programming and advocacy, and includes everything from health care to education to promoting Palestinian cultural heritage and tourism.

U.N. SAYS 17 WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN ARAB REGION ARE IN DANGER

U.N. development aid coordinator Robert Piper rejected the concerns expressed by critics, saying the UNDAF was not financing legal action against Israel.

The UN Development Assistance Framework does not finance Palestinian legal action against Israel in international fora, Piper told Fox News in an email. The goal of the UNDAF is to enhance development prospects of Palestinians, raise their living conditions and build strong institutions. This includes promoting democratic governance, improving healthcare, increasing employment opportunities and making people aware of their internationally recognized rights. We do this all over the world.

Critics point to several parts of the framework document with one section stating: The UN will increase its support for Palestinian institutions (state and non-government) and Palestinian victims of violations to effectively monitor, advocate and seek legal recourse for violations by the occupying power."

Also stated in the document is this reference to legal accountability: This will include training, capacity-building and technical advice to ensure that Palestinian victims and institutions are equipped with the knowledge and tools to effectively access international accountability mechanisms in order to hold Israel accountable for its violations under international law.

Republican lawmaker Ron DeSantis of Florida, a member of the House Foreign Affairs committee also expressed his concerns.

The United Nations has demonstrated time and again that it is pathologically anti-Israel and this so-called framework is yet another example. Why doesnt the framework require the Palestinians Arabs to stop supporting terrorism and to recognize Israels right to exist as a Jewish state?

U.N. Watch, an independent monitoring group based in Switzerland, which was one of the first places to highlight the U.N. spending, criticized the $1.3 billion funding and said in a statement on its website that the he U.N. was aiding Palestinian law fare campaigns against Israel.

Hillel Neuer the groups executive director called on the United States, Canada, and Australia and other democracies to ensure that their taxpayer contributions are not being misused to undermine U.N. institutions through an escalation of politicized attacks on Israel.
GRAND FORKS -- President Donald Trump drew wide criticism this week for racially charged comments and Twitter activity, drawing mixed responses from North Dakota leaders.

At a Monday event at the White House honoring Navajo Code talkers, Trump invoked the pejorative nickname hes previously used for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. -- Pocahontas -- in describing a representative in Congress who has been here a long time. The comment, an apparent barb at Warrens prior claim she is part Native American, has been condemned by Native American advocates, while Warren herself has called it a racial slur.

On Wednesday, Trump retweeted videos from a leader of a far-right British group that claimed to show a young migrant Muslim beating a child, another destroying a statue of the Virgin Mary and group of Muslims pushing a teen off a roof and beating him to death. The group has a history of publishing misleading videos. British Prime Minister Theresa May condemned the retweets, saying that the far-right group attempts to divide communities in their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions."

The White House has defended the use of the term Pocahontas, arguing that a racial slight was not the Presidents intent. Trump responded to Mays comments on Twitter, telling her to focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom.

Heres how North Dakota leaders responded to Trumps words and actions:

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.

Hoevens office said in an email that the senator didnt think Trumps use of Pocahontas was a racial slur, explaining that the White House said the President did not intend his remark as such. Hoevens office added that the senators work with tax changes meant he hadnt had time to watch the videos Trump retweeted.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp., D-N.D.

Heitkamp, in statements provided by her office, called Trumps use of Pocahontas as a slur, calling it both inappropriate for the occasion and offensive to the contributions of an important Native American historical figure.

Addressing Trumps retweets, Heitkamp added that if the president wants to have a productive conversation about national security, as he claims, hes not doing himself or our country any favors by sharing offensive tweets from a group known for its hateful rhetoric.

Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.

Cramer was unable to be reached for comment.
STAFFORD HOSPITAL'S TREE HAS STARS OF LOVE

Stafford Hospitals auxiliary has established a Stars of Love ornament program as a way to honor, remember and celebrate loved ones during the holiday seasonand to raise money for hospital programs.

Already, the group has raised $1,000 toward developing a pediatric play area in the hospitals emergency department, said Lisa Henry, marketing director for Mary Washington Healthcare.

Stafford Hospital will hold a tree-lighting ceremony Friday at 1:30 p.m. Choral students from Stafford High School and Mountain View High School will perform.

The ornaments are silver stars and bear the names of honorees. Theyre available for a minimum donation of $15. The donation will be recognized in the Book of Honor on display in the lobby.

People can purchase ornaments through Dec. 22 to get them on the tree, which will stay up until Jan. 2. Those who want the ornaments as a keepsake have until Jan. 8 to get them. Ornaments can be purchased, and later retrieved, at the hospital gift shop. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. on the weekends.

QUIN RIVERS SEEKS COMMUNITY REP

The Quin Rivers Community Action Agency is looking for a representative on its board who will be the voice of the low-income community.

Quin Rivers serves 11 localities in central Virginia, including Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford. Its coverage area stretches from North Stafford to Charles City County and its services focus on eliminating poverty and building self-sufficiency.

The agency is governed by a board of directors from three sectors: one-third are public officials or their appointees, one-third are from business and one-third represent the low-income community. Its for the final category the agency is seeking a representative.

The representative does not have to be low income, but must be able to understand and speak for the needs of low-income individuals in the Quins River area, according to the nomination form.

Anyone interested in making a nomination can contact Cassidy Moore at 804/966-8786 or cmoore@quinrivers.org to receive a nomination packet.

SIERRA CLUB OFFERS TALE ON CHRISTMAS CORALS

The Rappahannock Group Sierra Club is offering a different kind of Christmas story on Sunday, with a presentation called: A Christmas Tale: If Corals Could Talk.

Corals are excellent archives for past climate change, according to a press release about the open house. Dr. Pamela Grothe, the special speaker and University of Mary Washington professor, says the chemistry in their skeletons reflects the temperature and salinity of the ocean at the time the coral was living. She will be sharing research she conducted on Christmas Island corals.

The event will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library headquarters on Caroline Street in Fredericksburg.

The event is free and open to the public and includes light refreshments, door prizes and club updates. More information is available by emailing paulachow132@gmail.com.
GRAND FORKS -- Raccoons displaying odd behavior symptomatic of distemper have been reported by homeowners near Larimore, and while nothing has been confirmed, the reports are a good reminder for people to make sure their dogs and other pets are vaccinated, experts say.

Distemper -- or canine distemper, as its officially known -- is a viral-borne illness similar to rabies.

We always recommend you maintain vaccinations on your pets so that if they do become exposed that they have less of a chance of getting it, said Dan Grove, wildlife veterinarian for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department in Bismarck. Its always better to vaccinate and prevent contact with wildlife if you can than it is to try and treat after the fact.

Unlike rabies, distemper is not infectious to humans, but people still should stay away from wildlife, Grove said.

Ann Bailey, who lives southeast of Larimore, said in an email that her husband, Brian Gregoire, shot a raccoon exhibiting odd behavior a couple of weeks ago in their yard, and a neighbor reported her dogs had tangled with a couple of raccoons.

Similar incidents also have been reported in the area by others, including a raccoon spotted stumbling around in a field on Thanksgiving Day, Bailey said.

Animals with rabies can act either dumb or aggressive, while distemper symptoms can include eye and nose discharge, a rough coat or an emaciated appearance, said Jay Boulanger, a UND assistant professor of wildlife ecology and human dimensions.

Raccoons with distemper also can appear disoriented or walking aimlessly, and muscle spasms may be visible, Boulanger said. Rabies generally is spread through bites, while distemper is highly contagious and can spread through the air via coughing, sneezing or shared food sources, he said.

Skunks are the primary carrier of rabies in this area, and while distemper might be the more likely disease in multiple sightings of sick raccoons, that wouldnt be known without testing, Boulanger said.

Anyone who sees a raccoon or other wild animal acting strangely should contact a local game warden, animal control officer or a federal USDA Wildlife Services expert, Grove said, adding he wasnt aware of any recent increase in the prevalence of distemper.

There might be a little pocket here and there, he said. Basically, its a density-dependent disease, which means that as the population grows, theyre coming in contact more with each other.
Lee S. Donaldson, 64, of Rhoadesville, VA passed away suddenly the morning of November 18, 2017. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Lafayette Station at 26322 Constitution Hwy Rhoadesville, VA on Wednesday December 6 at 6 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to The American Stroke Association or Lifepoint Missions. Online guestbook and full obituary are available at johnsoncares.com.
CHARLES MANSON, the intellectual author of a series of 1969 murders so hideously brutal and pointless that nearly five decades later his name is still synonymous with slaughter, died last week. Of natural causes, they say, though I never thought anything about him was naturalincluding the chilling moment I crossed his path 44 years ago.

It was summer of 1973, between my sophomore and junior years of college, when I was working as an intern in the California Department of Corrections.

The head of the state Health and Welfare Agency, which oversaw Corrections, was gearing up to run for governor, and he wanted regular positive press releases from all 32 or whatever it was departments he controlled.

So I spent a lot of time visiting prisons to look for success stories that could be turned into press releases. (Only 22 stabbings at San Quentin last month!)

One of my visits was to the euphemistically named California Medical Facility in Vacaville, home to the hard-core-craziest inmates. Prison administrators, told an intern was coming from Sacramento, inevitably assumed I was some kind of hippie turn-em-all-loose advocate. (No matter that I was exactly the opposite.)

So my visits always began with a visit to the prison office that investigated internal crime, where Id be shown photos of various shankings and beatings. From there, Id be taken to a security cell block, where the inmates could be counted on to scream abuse and threats at any visitor.

I always tried not to make eye contact with the inmates or gaze at them like they were animals on display in a zoo, because that prodded them to new levels of frenzy.

The Vacaville security wing, where most of the inmates were genuinely out of control, was the worst Id ever visited, and I was really making a point of gazing straight ahead. But as we got about midway through the cell block, the correctional officer escorting me said, very casually, Thats Charlie Manson over on your left.

That was just too much for me to resist. I tried to keep my head pointed straight while swiveling my eyes toward him, but my face moved a little bit, and we locked eyes. His face remained impassive, but he slowly unfurled a middle finger in my direction.

Yeah, he was behind bars and there were two or three big correctional officers on the block floor, but it nonetheless felt like an icicle through my heart.

I thrilled with silent relief as we exited the other end of the block.

I am always careful in telling this story. The first time, I said that Charles Manson had thrown me a finger, and the person I was talking to said in horror, Oh my God! Whose was it? Discussions of Manson create their own ghastly context.

I had one other near-brush with the Manson Family that summer. I visited the state womens prison in Frontera, which (at least at that time) was almost entirely populated with low-security inmates who were locked up for drug charges or writing bad checks. Most of them were housed in dorm-style areas rather than single cells.

My tour was conducted not by a correctional officer but by an inmate who, after we wandered a bit, asked if I wanted to go over to the prisons single real cell block where a handful of medium-security inmates were kept. We entered and walked its length to where it ended in a cinder-block wall with a barred door in it.

Thats the maximum security area, my guide said. The only ones back there are the three Manson women. No one knows what goes on back there, but its kind of weird.

What do you mean, weird? I asked. She took me over to the cell right outside the door and repeated my question to the woman inside.

The COs dont enforce the lights-out time back there, she said of the correctional officers. I guess they think its not worth the hassle, because those women are nuts. They stay up all night, and you hear these strange noises, and sometimes witchy cackling.

She paused, then added: And one time, I heard bagpipes.

Bagpipes? I said.

Bagpipes, she repeated, then shrugged.

I wonder if theyll be playing tonight.

Glenn Garvin is a columnist for the Miami Herald, where this column first appeared. It was distributed by Tribune News Service.
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November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the accomplishments of indigenous peoples in North Dakota and across the country. While there are numerous accomplishments to highlight, I want to focus on one that addresses a problem that significantly impacts many people across our state, including non-Natives: lack of access to dental care.

Across our state, seniors, children, rural residents, American Indians and those who work in jobs that dont provide dental coverage are particularly impacted by this lack of access. Nearly half of North Dakota counties have zero dentists or just one. Even in larger counties with more dentists, many parents of children insured by Medicaid are not able to find one who takes Medicaid. In fact, North Dakota is third worst in the nation at providing dental care to Medicaid-enrolled kids, with two-thirds not seeing a dentist in 2015.

It also can take up to six months to see a dentist for those living on reservations. And one in three seniors experience dental problems, the highest of any age group. Its clear that the residents of North Dakota have difficulty getting needed dental care, but there is a solution.

Dental therapists, similar to physician assistants, allow dentists to expand their care to more patients. While they had been successful around the world for decades, it was tribes in Alaska that brought these dental providers to our country in 2004. The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium reports that dental therapists have expanded care to 40,000 Alaska Natives who previously were not able to get regular care.

The Alaska experience represents just the beginning for this proven and innovative solution. Since tribes there moved forward more than a decade ago, other states have followed their lead and adopted dental therapy to allow their dentists to extend their care to more people who need it. This includes Minnesota, where a law passed in 2009 and dental therapists have been practicing since 2011. Maine and Vermont have now followed suit, and tribes in Oregon and Washington have now hired dental therapists.

To provide more background, dental therapists are trained and skilled in routine care like filling cavities, placing temporary crowns and extracting some very loose and badly diseased baby teeth. This frees up the dentist to do more complex procedures and allows their entire team to treat more patients.

While dental therapists are working successfully in traditional dental offices, they also work outside the office just like some hygienists do here in North Dakota. This could allow dentists to extend their office hours or set up a satellite office in a rural county that doesnt have any dentists. It also could allow dentists or nonprofit programs to bring care to schools or places where people have difficulty moving, like nursing homes. In short, it allows for bringing care directly to the people who need it.

And it is working. A first-of-its-kind study from the University of Washington used 10 years of patient records to analyze how this has worked for tribes in Alaska. The study found that in just one decade, children and adults in communities with high access to a dental therapist experienced a significant increase in preventive dental care services and far fewer children needed traumatic tooth extractions.

Tribes and all the many others in North Dakota that suffer from lack of access to dental care deserve better. That is why the United Tribes of North Dakota, AARP, free market groups and many others representing the disabled, medical providers, rural residents and others all support allowing dental therapists to work in North Dakota. In honor of Native American Heritage Month, I hope we will all join together to support a proven, Native-pioneered solution that will improve lives across our state.
Dairy processor Muller has confirmed a milk price cut of 1.5p/litre to its 700 Muller Direct farmers from January 2018.

The 5% cut means these producers will receive 29p/litre for the milk they supply in the new year.

A Muller spokesman blamed the cut on a 25% drop in the UK values of commodity bulk cream and butter since September 2017.

Sharp decline

Rob Hutchison, Muller agriculture director said: Substantial movement in butter and cream values is now a familiar characteristic of global dairy commodity markets.

While we are disappointed to see this sharp decline, the extensive portfolio of added value dairy products we make in the UK will shield farmers from the full volatility of global dairy commodity markets.

Bigger than expected

But NFU dairy board chairman Michael Oakes said the milk price cut was frustrating and was bigger and earlier than expected.

See also: Focus on labour and machinery costs, dairy farms urged

While fat prices have eased they remain high compared with 18 months ago.

It wasnt long ago that processors were making substantial income from cream, Mr Oakes said.

Our frustration is that prices always appear to come down quickly but take longer to improve when markets move upwards.

Production estimates

He added there were no grounds to continue making cuts based on production estimates for the coming season.

There is no need for a price crash like we saw two years ago. Back then demand was hit by the Russia ban and supply was up under ideal grass-growing conditions.

We are nowhere near that scenario because poor second and third-cut silages throughout Europe will hold back milk production, Mr Oakes said.
Use of antibiotics on livestock farms in the USA is now more than double the level used here in the UK.

The revelation was made by the food and farming body, Sustain, which analysed data from the US Food and Drug Administration.

The data shows total sales of medically important antibiotics for use in animals in the USA increased by 26% in the five years up to 2015.

That is twice as high per animal as it is in the UK, where Defra has recorded a 27% drop in antibiotics use on livestock farms over the past two years.

See also: Sector-specific antibiotics targets and what they mean

Sustain said that the Defra figures showed on-farm antibiotics use had fallen to their lowest level since records began.

The rapid decline means targets to reduce antibiotics use have been beaten two years early.

And now, Sustain is warning against flooding the British market with antibiotic-packed chicken from the US.

Routine uses

In a report by website Food Ingredients First, Sustain said US farmers and meat processors routinely used antibiotics, chlorine rinses and irradiation treatments on meat.

Sustain chief executive Kath Dalmeny raised concern that food produced with these standards would be sold in the UK once Brexit deals were negotiated.

Mass-produced American chicken may seem cheap, but it comes at a gigantic cost to our health, animals and workers, Ms Dalmeny told the website.

British food and farming industries have started to take action on the critically important issue of overuse of antibiotics in farming. We simply cannot afford to let our trade negotiators sweep such progress aside by flooding our market with cut-price US chicken raised with routine antibiotics use, she added.
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After being abandoned at a house in Jackson County earlier this month, black cat Puma Thurman is being cared for at Heartland Humane Society in Corvallis.

The young feline was one of 12 cats taken in by the animal shelter on Saturday and one of 70 abandoned in Phoenix, Oregon.

When we were standing in the yard, we could feel 30 pairs of eyes on us, said Brittany Gardner, director of operations at Heartland and one of the employees who traveled south to rescue the cats.

The cats were discovered after a renter of the house was evicted, said Dan Meyer, a nuisance wildlife trapper in Medford. The pets had belonged to an elderly couple who had lived there prior to the renter and who had moved into a retirement home, Meyer said.

He said the lawyer for the executors of the estate called him to assess the situation. When he arrived at the home about 10 days ago, cats were locked inside the house and others roaming outside, Meyer said.

The ones inside were in sorry shape, he said. They were just skin and bone. You could tell they were all starving.

Meyer said he started calling groups that might take the cats. People began dropping off food and cat litter. Some took cats with them.

Theres been a whole lot of people who have really helped out with this, Meyer said.

Soon, the local news picked up the story. Thats how Gardner heard about the felines in need, she said. Gardner said capacity has been low at Heartland after a summer full of adoptions, so it had room to spare.

Theres no way any one agency could really do this on their own, she said. Were glad we could make a difference.

Gardner said Heartland staffers are still working to examine all of the cats. Those they have examined have, for the most part, been in good health, she said. Some were undernourished. One had an upper respiratory infection. All of the cats were intact and are being spayed or neutered. They also are receiving the necessary vaccinations and have been checked for illnesses like feline leukemia virus.

Some of the cats are feral, and Gardner already has barn homes lined up for them. The others will become adoptable as theyre ready, and two of the cats are already up for adoption. One is a 2-year-old gray domestic medium hair named Lilac. The other is a 1-year-old yellow domestic short-haired cat named Cedar.

Gardner said anyone who would like to help care for the rescued cats should donate dry cat food for adults or kittens or give a monetary donation for medical expenses.

Meyer said about 15 cats left are at the house, and a shelter in Portland is planning to take them in. He said he was upset when he discovered the cats in squalor, and he couldnt turn his back on them. Hes happy theyre getting what they need now.

The weird thing is, I dont even like cats, Meyer laughed.
Seven black actors will perform monologues featuring true stories of how institutional profiling affects African-Americans this weekend at Oregon State University.

The Corvallis/Albany NAACP is sponsoring the production, called "Hands Up," which is visiting from Portland. Community members have two opportunities to see the show, which will take place Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon on the Withycombe Hall Main Stage, 2901 SW Campus Way.

The event, which is being funded by the NAACP and the King Legacy Advisory Board, is free and open to the public. Tickets may be reserved ahead of time at http://reddoorproject.org/hands-up#tickets.

"Hands Up" was created following the police shootings of Michael Brown in Ferguson and John Crawford III in Beavercreek, Ohio, as well as others. The New Black Fest in Brooklyn, New York, commissioned seven black playwrights to write 10-15 minute monologues that explore their feelings about the well-being of blacks in a culture of institutional profiling. The show premiered in 2015 in Philadelphia.

The August Wilson Red Door Project in Portland has been putting on a production of "Hands Up" since early 2016. When a member of the local NAACP heard about the show this year and shared it with the organization, the groups executive committee traveled to Portland to see it, said Senior Vice President Shelley Moon.

It was so in alignment with what we do at the NAACP and who we are, she said. Because this is about healing. Were about building relationships and building community wherever we can.

Moon said the show is meant to bring the African American and law enforcement communities together in healing, not to polarize them further.

You will not leave the performance untouched, I can promise you that, she said. And you will have supported the efforts of coming together. You will do your part in the community by showing up and actually participating in this experience and then taking that out further into your own personal community.

Frederick J. Edwards, president of the local NAACP branch, said he is inviting Corvallis Police Chief Jon Sassaman to see the show.

All of us are going to have to be in this to make it work, Edwards said. Believe me, I know a lot about (law enforcement). These guys are human. Theyre under intense pressure and its not easy. Its not fun. I would never want to have that responsibility. But I can quickly wrestle with him, Hey, you did that wrong. But I wouldnt want to be in their shoes. Thats where this comes in.

Moon said she was moved to tears by the performance. One monologue that resonated with her was a woman talking about a domestic disturbance with her white boyfriend. The police arrived and arrested the woman and took her to jail, where she feared for her life.

Its not just a production, its an experience, Moon said. You will feel lots of feelings.

Kevin Jones, director of the Portland production of "Hands Up," said assumptions about what the show is about may keep some people away. But, he said media often generalizes issues regarding African-Americans, whereas the monologues speak to the diversity of experiences among African- Americans when it comes to police profiling.

Its really an opportunity for healing because so much of this stuff we keep to ourselves, Jones said. We dont share it with one another.

He said the show premiered in Portland in April 2016 with an audience of 25 people. By the end of a six-show tour, the production was selling out. Several organizations stepped up to fund more performances of "Hands Up." Now, about 10,000 people have seen the show, Jones said.

Following each performance, Jones and Lesli Mones, the founders of the August Wilson Red Door Project, facilitate a talkback session with the audience. It allows playgoers to express how the show impacted them.

People just shared an Amen, this is my experience, Moon said. Thank you for sharing your experience with us because it makes me feel more validated. It makes me feel like I am being seen and I am being heard, and thats important.

Edwards said there were audience members who expressed surprise over the playwrights experiences.

Understanding comes by listening, he said. Its just so touching.
The Corvallis Planning Commission held a special meeting Wednesday night at which commissioners decided that, at least for now, fewer meetings might be better than more.

On the table was a possible land development code text amendment that would require neighborhood meetings before a developer can file certain land-use an applications with the city. The commission, as well as CIDAB, the Community Involvement and Diversity Advisory Board, has been charged with making a recommendation to the City Council on the code language.

The commission ultimately voted 6-1 against the idea at the end of a surreal and confusing hour at the downtown fire station in which two commissioners voted against their own motions and one asked what CIDAB was.

One community member, Sara Ingle, testified during the meetings community comments section. She expressed concerns about the requirement adding to the already-complicated nature of Corvallis land use.

There is no huge public outcry for this, Ingle said. Developers already schedule these meetings. It adds to their costs, and its just not necessary.

Most commissioners agreed, with the first vote on a motion from Rob Welsh to recommend in favor of the plan, falling on a 5-2 vote. The other yes vote, Susan Morre, spoke in favor of the concept because she said such meetings often lead to better developments.

Then, Carl Price offered a motion that would keep the meetings voluntary. Prices expectation was that others would seek to amend the motion with code language that would give developers a template for how to set up a neighborhood meeting or differentiate between developments that have adjoining neighbors that might want to participate in such a meeting and those that do not.

When no amendments came, Price sought to pull his motion. After receiving counsel from Deputy City Attorney David Coulombe that the commissioners should go ahead and vote, Prices motion went down 7-0.

Then Welsh, who expressed frustration at the pace of deliberations, put forth a motion to reject the meetings requirement. It passed on the aforementioned 6-1 vote with Welsh casting the lone vote against his own motion.

CIDAB, meanwhile, which is part of the process because it serves as the citys state-required panel on citizen involvement in land-use planning, will discuss the neighborhood meeting requirement at its Dec. 6 meeting. The boards agenda has tentatively allotted 20 minutes for the discussion. The Planning Commission discussed it during two meetings.

The Planning Commission was holding a special meeting Wednesday because at their Dec. 6 meeting they will deliberate on one land annexation and begin their review of two others. That meeting starts at 5:30 p.m., 90 minutes before the commissions usual start time.
Despite the continuing money problems at the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown made the right call last week when she said that the state would pick up the tab for the Children's Health Insurance Program even if federal funds run out early next year.

The program (better known, perhaps, by its CHIP acronym) provides coverage for about 120,000 children and 1,700 pregnant women in Oregon; nationally, it serves about 9 million children and 370,000 pregnant women, according to a recent story in The Washington Post.

The people served by the program tend to be from families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid  in many cases, these are families with working parents that still can't afford health insurance.

Picking up the tab for the program is a relatively low-risk bet for Brown and for Oregon; considering that the program enjoys widespread popularity on both sides of the aisle in Congress, it likely will be renewed. (In fact, one of the program's original authors in 1997 was Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah.)

But there is some financial risk to Oregon because  well, because this is Congress. A bill to extend the program has been approved by the House of Representatives but has not yet passed the Senate. Although most observers expect Congress to renew the program, no one knows for certain, and as one Virginia state official told The Post, "you can't run a health care program that way. You can't say 'probably' everything is going to be all right."

Most states have enough money to keep the program running for a few months, but Oregon is among five states and the District of Columbia that likely will be among the first to run out of funding. Observers expect that once Congress finally passes an extension to the insurance program, federal payments will be retroactive to Oct. 1  which means that states like Oregon that have had to put in their own money to keep the program running would be made whole. But again, because this is Congress, the final result is uncertain, so there is some financial risk to Oregon.

This entire episode offers another good example of how Congress is struggling these days to move ahead on anything. It wasn't all that long ago that renewing a relatively popular and effective program  medical insurance for children, for goodness' sake  would have won congressional approval without anyone even breaking a sweat.

To that end, a Post story quoted an official at the Georgetown University Center on Children and Families: The program, she said, "is successful. Everyone should feel good about it. There's no reason for this to be lagging on like that. This should be an easy win for Congress."

An easy win? There's no such thing in Congress these days.

As for the effectiveness of the program, this is another one of those cases in which a little money spent upfront saves much more money downriver. Before the program established a safety net for children and families, families without coverage sometimes would wait to get medical care for their children until symptoms became so serious that a trip to the emergency room was the only option. And those emergency room visits are the most expensive stop in the health care system.

In Oregon, state officials believe that some 40,000 of the covered children would have to move to Medicaid, known here as the Oregon Health Plan. But the state would have to pay to keep coverage for the remaining 79,000 children. Brown said she wanted the state to take action now, so that affected families would have some certainty that their coverage would continue.

It's the right move for Oregon and for these vulnerable families, but it's just a stopgap. Congress should go for the easy win and renew the program. (mm)
Call for personnel increase : Bonn wants to ensure more order in the city

Bonn The government coalition in the Bonn City Council has called for bolstering public order in the city. It is still undecided at this point, how many new personnel should be added.

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Whether it concerns biking paths or fire service access roads blocked by parked cars, overflowing trash cans or complaints about disturbances of the peace: the city's bureau in charge of public order can not complain about a lack of work. The German word Ordnungsamt refers to a bureau that works together with law enforcement to maintain public order, but they are not able to make arrests and they are not armed. They can write tickets, however. Their area of responsibility continues to grow just as the number of residents increases. The council coalition made up of the CDU, Greens and FDP parties wants to find out how the city administration assesses the situation. Their aim is to increase the number of public order officers.

Georg Fenninger, chair of the subcommittee on Organization and Human Resources said that in addition to the diverse preventative measures being taken, the area of public order must also be strengthened. This has nothing to do with government bullying, but rather takes into account the deterioration of the situation, he said. His council colleague Karin Langer (Greens) also sees a need to strengthen the service charged with keeping public order: "Bonn is a growing city, and the tasks of this bureau charged with maintaining public order have increased.

At the same time, Langer notes that the number of personnel working in this division has fallen in recent years, to the point that some tasks can no longer be performed on a regular basis. She referred to the fire department, which recently discovered that its vehicles were not getting through streets quickly enough because of cars parked illegally and blocking the way (reported in GA). FDP faction leader Werner Hummrich echoes Langer, If the additional public order officers can ensure that illegal parking on sidewalks and biking trails is reduced, that would be a big win.

Department head of the Ordnungsamt, Wolfgang Fuchs told GA that he supported the coalitions idea to strengthen the staff and that the administration was holding talks with them about restructuring their service in the field.

A reinforcement of the Bureau of Public Order would not only help reduce illegal parking and help keep the city clean. It would also be a way of showing more presence by uniformed personnel, which has a deterrent effect and gives people an increased sense of security.

According to deputy spokesperson for the city, Marc Hoffman, there are currently twelve public order officers working with the police in their inner city bureau, and 19 are dispersed throughout the city. A further 27 personnel are responsible for traffic monitoring and controlling illegal parking. Seven officers work in the headquarters of city administration where complaints are registered.
Article

Protecting the worlds oceans  an important goal of Germanys climate diplomacy

The worlds oceans are vital to our survival. They regulate the global climate and are a source of food and income for billions of people. Only a very small part of the seas enjoys legal protection, however. Our diplomats are working in New York right now to change this state of affairs.
Controversial media personality, Ifedayo Olarinde, popularly called Freeze, has lashed out at Nigerian pastors over their silence on the ongoing alleged slave trade in Libya.

Freeze condemned pastors for maintaining sealed lips on matter while celebrities raised their voices against the inhumane act.According to him, the private jets owned by pastors can be used to repatriate Nigerians, but they only call for tithe and offerings and not doing the needful.He wrote on his Instagram page,

Quote

A minor attack on tithing and almost every pastor comes out to defend it.



A major attack on humanity and up until now Im waiting for the first pastor to stand in condemnation, or put their resources together and make that difference.



One GO, they say owns 4 private jets, imagine how many of our brothers that could help bring home. If they could use church jets to buy ammunition, why cant they use them to bring home our brothers?



Or are they implying that the lives of our brothers are worth much less than the guns that will kill them?



Celebrities are coming out to speak and stand up for our brothers, WHERE ARE OUR PASTORS??? Are they too busy advertising their next concert, or are they so preoccupied with filling their event centers this Sunday, that they cant take a few minutes off practicing the speeches that will ginger 10 people to bring out =N=1Billion each, to remember the plight of the very brothers Jesus admonished us to keep?



Could the demeanor of these pastors be attributed to the fact that the refugees dont have tithe cards?



I thank the federal government for rising to the occasion and bringing home our brothers, some returned tonight, as reported by captain @usoroessien.



Its a damn shame to us all, if the government proves more caring and compassionate that the so called house of God.

Lets remember, true Christianity is about love, NOT MONEY!
Charly Boy, Deji Adeyanju & Other Nigerians Protest Slave Trading In Front Of Libyan Embassy

clarajancita at 30-11-2017 12:08 PM (4 years ago) (f)

Charly Boy, Deji Adeyanju and few other Nigerians are right now in front of Libyan Embassy in Abuja to protest slave trading of Nigerians in Libya.

Charly Boy, Deji Adeyanju and few other Nigerians are right now in front of Libyan Embassy in Abuja to protest slave trading of Nigerians in Libya.

They made a call yesterday evening urging Nigerians to join them to say NO to slave trading. Incase you are in Abuja and you are upset about this but don't know how to join, Libya Embassy is located at Roseline Ukeje close, kyari Muhammad crescent off justice Sowemimo, Asokoro. You can also follow @adeyanjudeji on twitter for more details. They made a call yesterday evening urging Nigerians to join them to say NO to slave trading. Incase you are in Abuja and you are upset about this but don't know how to join, Libya Embassy is located at Roseline Ukeje close, kyari Muhammad crescent off justice Sowemimo, Asokoro. You can also follow @adeyanjudeji on twitter for more details.

Post Reply I am a metro reporter on Gistmania, I have been publishing news materials for over 5 years Posted: at 30-11-2017 12:08 PM (4 years ago) | Hero

tonyigho at 30-11-2017 12:24 PM (4 years ago)

(m) Nice move. Bcos d government refuse to something about it Posted: at 30-11-2017 12:24 PM (4 years ago) | Gistmaniac Nice move. Bcos d government refuse to something about it Reply

ruthie at 30-11-2017 12:43 PM (4 years ago)

(f) GOOD ONE Posted: at 30-11-2017 12:43 PM (4 years ago) | Hero GOOD ONE Reply

crocatum at 30-11-2017 01:30 PM (4 years ago)

(m) they always complain the white are discriminatory, well!! give us a break, history is rich and we are familiar with some part of history, what about how Arabs treated black slaves, was it not even worse than what we know so far. There are speculations that millions of Africans were used as slaves, and since Africans were easy to control, they killed them off, by making the woman infertile, there is no account for the disappearance of many Africans slaves in the Arab lands.

Have a pleasant day and upgrade Africa. Posted: at 30-11-2017 01:30 PM (4 years ago) | Gistmaniac they always complain the white are discriminatory, well!! give us a break, history is rich and we are familiar with some part of history, what about how Arabs treated black slaves, was it not even worse than what we know so far. There are speculations that millions of Africans were used as slaves, and since Africans were easy to control, they killed them off, by making the woman infertile, there is no account for the disappearance of many Africans slaves in the Arab lands.Have a pleasant day and upgrade Africa. Reply

REALTRUTH at 30-11-2017 02:09 PM (4 years ago)

(m) PLEASE O!!!!!! EVERYBODY SHOULD PROTEST WE ARE NOT ANIMALS, WE ARE HUMAN BEING, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. STOP THE KILLING IN LIBYA, IF LIBYA DONT WANT BLACKS IN THEIR COUNTRY THEY SHOULD DEPORT THEM TO THEIR COUNTRY, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH OOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Posted: at 30-11-2017 02:09 PM (4 years ago) | Newbie PLEASE O!!!!!! EVERYBODY SHOULD PROTEST WE ARE NOT ANIMALS, WE ARE HUMAN BEING, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. STOP THE KILLING IN LIBYA, IF LIBYA DONT WANT BLACKS IN THEIR COUNTRY THEY SHOULD DEPORT THEM TO THEIR COUNTRY, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH OOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Reply
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- An Ocean Springs man is in custody after police say he burglarized a local business Tuesday night.

Ocean Springs police responded to the call at 2112 Bienville Boulevard, a cluster of small businesses off U.S. 90. The exact business burglarized has not been identified.

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage and saw a white male suspect entering the business using a key. Employee were able to identify the suspect as 37-year-old Michael Glenn Bosarge of Woody Circle in Ocean Springs.

Once Bosarge learned he was being sought be police, he turned himself in at the Ocean Springs Police Department.

During questioning, Bosarge admitted he had committed the crime and that he acted alone, stealing an undisclosed amount of cash from the business.

He was booked into the Ocean Springs Municipal Jail under a $20,000 bond.
DALLAS, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Delta Companies (TDC), a leading staffing firm for healthcare professionals nationwide, announced that DeLibra Wesley has been promoted to Executive Vice President of Operations, a newly created position for the firm. Prior to this new role, Wesley had been the Vice President of Risk Management for TDC for nearly four years, a position she earned after seven years as Director of the department.



During her 14-year tenure with TDC, Wesley also served as Senior Vice President of Operations, overseeing compliance, travel and provider human resources support for all of the firms business units.

DeLibra has experience in all facets of our industry and is one of the most respected leaders at our firm, said Bill Tracewell, CEO for TDC. We are thrilled to now have an executive representative in Direct Services. Wesleys role will ensure our process improvement goals continue to be met with professionalism and accuracy.

During her career at TDC, she has ensured that the firm meet the requirements to become certified by The Joint Commissions Health Care Staffing Services Certificate program, which demonstrates a high standard of service and provides a framework for organizational structure and management. TDC has earned the certification four times.

She has spent four years on the Clinical Executive Committee for the National Association of Travel Healthcare Organizations, as well as two years on the American Staffing Association Healthcare Council.

Wesley has also been named TDCs Leader of the Quarter three times.

DeLibra has the dedication and proficiency to find solutions and overcome obstacles, Tracewell added. We are fortunate to have her as part of the executive team moving forward.

ABOUT THE DELTA COMPANIES

The Delta Companies offers permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, therapy and other allied healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other allied healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Healthcare Providers.

For More Information, Contact:

Eric Sasser

Vice President of Advertising, The Delta Companies

Four Hickory Centre

1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

Dallas, TX 75234

(800) 521-5060 x4600

PR@thedeltacompanies.com

http://www.thedeltacompanies.com
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Five workers unions at have reached agreement with Ingalls Shipbuilding on a four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement, Huntington Ingalls Industries announced this week.

The contract calls for a $2500 lump sum payment for all eligible employees, to be awarded in March 2018. In addition, there will be a $.65 per hour journeyman raise effected March 11, 2019; a $.67 raise on March 9, 2020, and an $.82 raise on March 8, 2021.

Also, all eligible employees will receive a $2,500 contract ratification bonus on Dec. 14 of this year.

The contract affects all employees represented by the Pascagoula Metal Trades Council (PMTC), as well as local chapters of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), International Association of Machinists (IAM), United Federation of Special Police and Security Officers (UFSPSO), and the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU).

"In today's competitive business environment, it is extremely important to foster a collaborative and cooperative partnership between management and labor to provide the best working environment for our shipbuilders," said Ingalls president Brian Cuccias.

"This contract extension does that. It also rewards our employees for their role in Ingalls' success and positions us competitively for future shipbuilding competitions."

The unions are represented by PMTC President Mike Crawley, IBEW Business Manager J.P. Mergenschroer, IAM Directing Business Representative William "Benji" Sullivan, UFSPSO Business Agent Raynard Roberson, and OPEIU Business Manager Lisa Bennett.

"Ingalls Shipbuilding and the PMTC, IBEW, IAM, OPEIU and UFSPSO unions are pleased that our proposal for a four-year contract extension has been ratified by our shipbuilders," the union leaders said in a joint statement.

Ingalls Shipbuilding is Mississippi's largest private employer and in conjunction with parent company Huntington Ingalls Industries is the U.S.' largest military shipbuilding company and provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. Ingalls and its sister shipyard in Newport News, Va., employ nearly 37,000 people.
The Danville Historical Society is celebrating its 45th year of highlighting historic homes and buildings during the holiday season with its 2017 Holiday Tour.

The theme this year is Back to the future: Go back in time and see the future.

Six houses, a church, an apartment in the River District, a hotel lobby, four museums, a coffee/wine bar and a brewery are all on this years list of places to visit during the one-day tour from 1 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 10

Local historian Gary Grant wrote the descriptions of each site on the tour, including its place and importance in Danvilles history.

Though the tour has been set up over two days for the past several years, this years tour will last one day.

Joyce Wilburn, promotion coordinator for the event, said most people toured the sites they were interested in on a single day, so they decided to simplify it this year.

You can get through it in one day, Wilburn said. This will make it easier on the volunteers who work during the tour.

And, if one cant quite get through everything in one day, hang onto the brochure/ticket, Wilburn said.

All of the museums on the tour will let you use the ticket for admission once through the end of the year, Wilburn said.

Tickets are $20 in advance and can be purchased online at www.danvillehistory.org or at Gingerbread House, 1799 Memorial Drive; Karens Hallmark, Danville Mall level 2; Rippes, 559 Main St.; and Vintages by the Dan, 312 Main Street.

On the day of the event, tickets will be $25 and can be purchased at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History, 975 Main St.; Langhorne House Museum, 117 Broad St.; and Schoolfield Museum, , 917 W. Main St.

Houses on the tour

1031 Main St.

 Owner: Jeff and Cyndee Perdue Moore

 Historic designation: The Dula-Penn House

This Queen Anne home was built in 1896, when it was one of a pair of nearly identical side-hall spec houses built for C.C. Dula, one of Danvilles tobacco tycoons.

By 1986, the house had fallen into such disrepair it was in danger of demolition. Local historian Gary Grant said only intervention by the Danville Historical Society saved it from a wrecking ball.

An ad-hoc committee of the Danville Historical Society mobilized to stabilize what was then a neglected eyesore. Grant said. A single classified ad caught the eyes of a couple from Silver Spring, Maryland, willing to tackle the massive restoration project.

Those owners, Bill and Billie McCaw, spent the next two years rebuilding the house, including making the original windows operable, and stripping and repainting the exterior in period-appropriate colors.

Since 2003, when the Moores purchased the house, rehabilitation has continued, including transforming an unused basement into a gathering space and filling the house with works by local artists.

868 Green St.

 Owners: Adam Hurt and Beth Hartness

 Historic designation: The McKinney House

This two-story Italianate style house has a two-story, two-level portico, bracketed cornice, and pedimented windows.

It was built in 1879 by an independent tobacco merchant, Felix McKinney, and had been vacant for 30 years before it was bought in 2007 by Susan and Steve Wilson, who took it through extensive renovations.

The current owners moved in a little over two years ago.

608 Holbrook Ave.

 Owners: Steve and Susan Wilson

 Historic designation: The (W.N.) Brown House

This restoration-in-progress dates back to the early 1900s, with a surprising clue about is completion date: the present owners found a chalk message on sheathing boards that reads, Rosa Brown moved into this house on Oct. 31, 1909.

Little did the 10-year-old daughter of William and Emily Brown know someone would find her message more than a century later.

Since Steve and Susan Wilson acquired the property in 2013, they have refurbished its systems, addressed structural issues and improved its appeal cosmetically. The couple relocated to Danville over a dozen years ago and purchased a home on Main Street. Since then, the Holbrook Avenue project is only the latest of several historic rehabs they have undertaken.

111 Lady Astor St.

 Owner: Barbara Brande

 Historic designation: The (W.H.) Parker House

Until early this year, this English Cottage/Tudor Revival-style brick dwelling with stone trim sheltered three generations of the same family who called it home for nearly a century.

Built in 1924 after a design by the architect J. Bryant Heard, it was constructed by William H. Parker, who worked alongside his father, J.F. Parker, for over a quarter century at Parkers Book Store, a Main Street retail landmark.

William H. Parker, Jr.  a prominent real estate attorney  and his family succeeded his parents in the comfortable family homeplace. A surviving daughter sold the house to Brande in March.

The new owners sensitive renovations reflect well her sense of stewardship and respect for the legacy this house embodies, Grant said.

221 Jefferson Ave. and 120 Chestnut St.

The houses at 221 Jefferson Ave., built in 1928, and 120 Chestnut St., built in 1925, fell into disrepair and were in danger of being demolished.

They were acquired by the Danville Redevelopment and Housing Authority in 2014 and 2016, respectively, as part of the citys overall blight eradication program, which includes a stabilization program as well as plans to renovate some of the houses.

These are the first two weve done complete interior and exterior renovations on, Renee Burton, senior planner with Danvilles community development department, said. Were still doing finishing touches, but they will be done by the tour.

Burton said they are considering keeping at least one of the houses as a model to show aspiring rehabbers what can be done with a formerly blighted property.

They show is can be done and look this beautiful, Burton said. We hope having them on this tour will spark some curiosity.

Other stops

600 Main St.

 Danville House Lobby

 Historic designation: Hotel Danville

For more than half a century, the Hotel Danville was the temporary address for thousands of visitors to this community.

Since 1984, this solid structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has continued to serve the community as Danville House, an adaptive reuse as apartments for area citizens, especially older people on moderate or fixed incomes.

When completed in 1927, it was hailed as a modern, fireproof, facility that added many new guest rooms to those already available at other downtown hotels.

Rising to 10 stories, Hotel Danville become the citys second skyscraper, rivaling the 10-story Masonic Temple completed just a block north in 1921.

In 1983, Allen Management Company of Boston, Massachusetts, began rehabilitating, following the Secretary of the Interiors Standards for Historic Preservation., Grant said. The developers achieved many firsts locally  Danvilles first-ever sensitive adaptive reuse project financed in part using historic tax credits, the first such large-scale, quality facility locally for senior citizens, plus, it pointed the way as the citys first venture into downtown living, now enjoying a key element in the River District renaissance.

218 Holbrook St.

 Calvary Baptist Church

Calvary Baptist Church has a long history in Danville, dating back to its formation in 1892.

Many prominent African-Americans have worshiped here, including Camilla Williams, an operatic soprano and the first African-American to receive a contract with a major American opera company.

Poet and author Maya Angelou gave her piano to the church. Short concerts will be given when tour-takers arrive.

Dec. 9 marks the churchs 125th anniversary, the date when 21 men and 19 women withdrew from High Street Baptist Church and organized a new congregation that they named Calvary.

315 Lynn St., Apartment 305

 Smith Seeds Lofts

 Historic designation: Tobacco Prizery, Smiths Seeds

This former prizery, dating from the late-Reconstruction Era, is one of the River Districts renovation/repurposing success stories.

Danvilles downtown was filled with such multi-story buildings where cured leaf was pressed, or prized, into 1,000-pound wood barrels called hogheads.

On these floors, the leaf was stored until ready for shipping elsewhere to be processed into consumer goods like plug and twist tobacco for smoking, shredding for pipes, chewing, snuff, cigars and cigarettes, Grant said. As hogsheads came and left these cavernous floors, they could be a hub of activity.

In 1943, the building was sold to Smith Seeds, Inc., a local, family-owned company established on Main Street in 1908. Until early this century, it remained a reassuring presence in the community, particularly important to farmers all around Danville.

The building was vacant until its reinvention as the Smith Seeds Lofts, by the Richmond Developer Stephen Staats, who also used historic tax credits to redevelop apartments on the second and third floors of the Dudley Building at 442 Main Street.

600 Craghead St.

 Ballad Brewing

 Historic designation: Danville Storage and Inspection Company

Built in 1891 by T.L. Brown and J.E. Perkinson, the structure housed Danville Storage and Inspection Company; it was the only company in the city that sold tobacco by inspected samples.

From the 1930s through the early 1970s, Liggett & Myers used the building for tobacco storage; it was then purchased by Davis Storage.

Earlier this year, the redevelopment team of Ross Fickensher and Garrett Shifflett opened Ballad Brewing, with a mico-brewery on site, with a huge event/bar area, outdoor seating and a place for food trucks to set up.

There are 53 residential apartments on the upper levels and one other business at street level: Cottontail & Co., a wedding and events venue.

1009 Main St.

Crema & Vine

 Historic designation: Esso/Exxon Station

Earlier this year, developers Rick Barker and Steve DelGiorno opened Crema & Vine, a coffee and wine bar, after doing extensive renovations of the former Exxon gas station at the site.

References to the site housing a gas station appeared in the early-to-mid 1920s, with the Esso name coming into use at the end of World War II at the same time the building was replaced. That building was also torn down in 1969, and replaced with the present Williamsburg Revival-style structure still at the site. In the early 1970s, the name of the station was changed to Exxon.

The four museums on the tour are:

 Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, 975 Main St.

 Schoolfield Museum, 917 W. Main St.

 Langhorne House Museum, 117 Broad St.

 Fire Department Museum, 600 Lynn S.
Final Results from NW Sector Borehole CAU16

High grade interval averages 529 mg/l lithium

TSX Venture Exchange Symbol: AAL

VANCOUVER, Nov. 30, 2017 /CNW/ - Advantage Lithium Corp. (the "Company" or "Advantage Lithium") (TSX Venture: AAL) (OTCQX: AVLIF) is pleased to provide this update on the sampling of diamond core hole CAU16 in the previously undrilled NW Sector of the Cauchari JV property located in Jujuy Province, Argentina.

Highlights:

Systematic brine sampling is now complete in hole CAU16 which intersected permeable sandy sediments that are expected to yield relatively high pumping rates

The brine body extends over >284 m vertically, including a high grade central interval also intersected in CAU07

The CAU16 high grade brine interval averages 529 mg/l Lithium and 4,306 mg/l Potassium from 118-199 m depth, including four samples averaging 619 mg/l Lithium from 169 to 199 m

Low Mg/Li ratio of 2.5:1, similar to CAU07 and the Olaroz and Cauchari projects  excellent for conventional brine processing

Diamond drilling continues on hole CAU15, currently at 205 m, 6.5 km south of CAU16, encountering intervals of sand in the hole similar to CAU16 and CAU07

Pumping tests commenced on wells installed in rotary holes CAU08 and CAU10

Vice President Project Development Andy Robb commented: "The results from the systematic sampling of CAU16 confirm the continuation of the brine body south from CAU07, while the presence of sandy sediments throughout the hole is very positive for brine extraction. We will continue drilling in the SE and NW sectors into 2018, having secured three drill rigs capable of completing our program to fully delineate the potential for high yielding sand zones. Now that the program is more advanced Frits Reidel of hydrogeological consultants FloSolutions will be acting as the nominated QP for the future reporting of exploration results, leading up to a new resource estimate. FloSolutions are currently providing independent oversight of drilling and sampling activities."

CAU16 Drilling Results

Sampling delineated a high-grade brine interval averaging 529 mg/l Lithium and 4,306 mg/l Potassium over 81 m within the larger brine body which extends vertically over at least 284 m (sampling was not completed to the base of the hole at 321.5 m). The average concentration over the drill length of CAU16 (to 298m) is 436 mg/l Lithium and 3,608 mg/l Potassium from 40 primary samples, taken at systematic depth intervals throughout the hole, including the high-grade interval. The four brine samples within the previously reported 169 m to 199 m interval average 619 mg/l Lithium and are part of the 81 m interval average 529 mg/l Lithium.

The brine body defined to date continues from CAU07 in the north, through CAU16 and further south to hole CAU15, which is currently being drilled. This is a distance of over 12.5 km approximately north south. These diamond core holes have all intersected relatively permeable sandy sediments that are expected to yield relatively high pumping rates from the NW Sector, which is very positive for future brine extraction.

Brine sampling was undertaken systematically at nominal 6 m depth intervals using both bailer and packer sampling equipment, depending on the conditions encountered in the hole. The average concentration for the high-grade interval (118-199 m) and average concentration over the entire length of CAU16 (to 298 m) is based on both bailed and packer samples.

The Mg/Li ratio in all brine samples is consistently low, averaging 2.5:1 across all the samples, and 2.3:1 in the high-grade interval. The consistently low Mg/Li ratio confirms the suitability of the brine for conventional brine processing, as applied at the nearby Olaroz project.

Drill core samples from CAU07 and CAU16 have been sent to an experienced porosity laboratory in the United States, where they will be analysed for drainable porosity characteristics for use in the upcoming resource estimate.

SE Sector Drilling - CAU08 and CAU11 Progress

In the SE sector, well development and pump installations have been completed on rotary holes CAU08 and CAU11 in preparation for initial pumping tests and collection of composite brine samples. Results of this test work are anticipated to be reported in December 2017.

President and CEO Mr David Sidoo also commented "These results give us further confidence to continue our exploration efforts in the very strategic NW sector, located immediately south of the Orocobre Olaroz properties. The CAU16 results suggest the brine body here has the potential to be an important part of the project resource base with good Lithium grades and a low Mg/Li ratio capable of supporting a stand-alone processing facility."

The technical information in this news release has reviewed and approved on behalf of the company by Murray Brooker, MAIG, RPGeo, a "Qualified Person" as defined in NI 43-101.

ADVANTAGE LITHIUM CORP.

Per: "David Sidoo"





David Sidoo, President

Tel: 604.343.3760 | Fax: 604.683.1585

Email: info@advantagelithium.com

About Advantage Lithium Corp.



Advantage Lithium Corp. is a resource company specializing in the strategic acquisition, exploration and development of lithium properties and is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. The common shares of the company are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V:AAL), and the company is also traded on the OTCQX Best Market in the U.S. (OTCQX: AVLIF). The company has acquired a 100% interest in five projects in Argentina and has acquired a 75% interest in a sixth, called Cauchari. The Cauchari project is located just 20 km south of Orocobre's flagship Olaroz Lithium Facility.

Further information about the Company can be found at www.advantagelithium.com.

Cautionary Statement:

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "is expected","intends", or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements regarding the future operating or financial performance of Advantage that involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Advantage Lithium Corp.
TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Five Star Diamonds Ltd. (TSXV:STAR) (the Company or Five Star Diamonds) is very pleased to provide the following update on its 100% owned Riachao Diamond Project (the Riachao Project or the Project) in Piaui State, Brazil.



White transparent, dodecahedron microdiamond recovered from mini-bulk sample CF-R1-7



Location of mini-bulk samples recently collected (CF-R1-3 to CF-R1-9)





Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/298dd6f5-94c2-4053-a773-9aee1a2ac09b

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/aa736fec-4b34-4c2b-b11e-775bb3d29459



Highlights

Mineral study on bulk sample CF-R1-7 has identified a white/transparent dodecahedron microdiamond that is approximately 0.2mm in size.

This diamond discovery is importantly located on the opposite side of the Riachao kimberlite approximately 670m from where previous diamonds have been recovered.

Recently completed auger drilling, mapping and detailed ground magnetics completed at the Riachao Project has confirmed the presence of a 25ha kimberlite pipe at surface. This is the largest kimberlite pipe the Company has identified to date amongst its 23 diamond projects in Brazil.

Stage-2 sampling at the Riachao Project has been completed with seven 1t samples collected for caustic fusion and diamond analysis. Results are expected early in 2018.

RIACHAO DIAMOND PROJECT, PIAUI STATE

The Riachao Diamond Project is located in Piaui State and comprises one exploration licence covering a total area of 1,278.13 hectares. It is located within a geological province known as the Gilbues Diamondiferous Province.

Additional Caustic Fusion and Diamond Analysis

The Company recently reported the completion of a second and more extensive caustic fusion and diamond analysis programme. The total programme comprised seven samples which combined have an original total wet weight of 7,117 kgs. These samples were individually pre-treated (washing, sieving and drying) to generate concentrates for diamond analysis (caustic fusion/MiDA). A total of 308.38 dry kilograms of concentrates were produced it total.

The first four samples labelled CF-R1-3, CF-R1-4, CF-R1-5 and CF-R1-6 have arrived in South Africa for caustic fusion and diamond analysis at The MSA Group.

The remaining three samples labelled CF-R1-7, CF-R1-8 and CF-R1-9 have been prepared and are ready for delivery to South Africa.

During a brief mineral examination of concentrates a diamond was identified in sample CF-R1-7. The diamond is a white/transparent, dodecahedron microdiamond and has a size of approximately 0.2mm. This stone has been returned to the concentrate for treatment and recovery by caustic fusion and microdiamond analysis.

This is further verification that the Riachao kimberlite is diamond bearing across large areas with white transparent diamonds now recovered at both extremes of the kimberlite (670 metres apart). Further work at Riachao will be a focus for the Company over the coming months as it advances a sampling program of the 25ha kimberlite pipe that is out cropping at surface.

In May 2017, the Company completed a detailed ground magnetic survey over a small pre-selected target area inside the Riachao mineral property and, as a result of this survey, a potential kimberlite target was delineated with an interpreted size of approximately 25 hectares. A preliminary surface inspection revealed the presence of a series of weathered kimberlite outcrops. Two outcrops (28 metres apart) were selected on the eastern side of the target and one mini-bulk sample was collected on each of these two sites. The surficial exposure of the selected outcrops was cleaned and volumetric samples of clay weathered kimberlitic rocks were manually collected with the help of a hoe and a hammer, roughly on sub-vertical channels. In total, the two mini-bulk samples yielded 13 natural microdiamonds, from an original weight of 195.25 kilograms.



ABOUT FIVE STAR DIAMONDS

Five Star Diamonds is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol STAR and has recently signed a cooperation agreement with leading global diamond house Hennig Limited. The Company controls a dominant and highly enviable position in the Brazilian kimberlite diamond sector owning 23 diamond kimberlite projects comprising an aggregate of 67 exploration licences and applications across 165,019 hectares.

Five Star Diamonds is focused on acquiring and developing advanced staged diamond projects in Brazil. Since it was established, it has pursued an accelerated growth strategy and aims to be one of the first producers of diamonds from kimberlite deposits in Brazil. The Company is focused on the development of sustainable kimberlite pipes and is not involved in alluvial diamond mining with its associated environmental issues. The Company works closely with local, state and federal authorities in Brazil to foster an open, transparent and legal diamond industry in Brazil.

This release is an update by the Company on its 100% owned Riachao Diamond Project. It is expected that the company will be able to provide further updates on this and its other Projects over the coming months and we look forward to keeping shareholders informed of our progress as we move towards building a truly unique Brazilian Diamond Company.

Qualified Person

Mr Paulo Ilidio de Brito

BSc Geology

Mr. Paulo de Brito is a geologist based in Brazil, has over 30 years of experience in the mining industry, dealing primarily with gold, copper, nickel, iron, industrial minerals and more recently diamonds. Mr. Brito is a Principal of consulting group Brasgeo and was until recently Exploration Manager of Paringa Resources Limited. Previously, he worked as a senior geologist with WMC Resources Ltd. for 18 years until the closure of their activities in Brazil in 2002.

The exploration activities and their related results included in this announcement were directly supervised and managed by Mr. Brito. According to Mr. Brito, all exploration work carried out to date on the Projects mentioned in this release follow clear mining industry standards.

Mr. Brito, is a member of AIG (Australian Institute of Geoscientists), a member of AusIMM (The Minerals Institute) and a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Brito reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this press release.

On behalf of the Board

Five Star Diamonds Limited

Matthew Wood

Chairman of the Board, President and CEO

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking statements



Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, many of which are beyond the Companys control. Such factors include, among other things: variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, significant downward variations in the market price of any minerals produced, the Companys inability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities, to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

For further information, please contact:

Five Star Diamonds Limited

Joe Burke, GM Marketing

jburke@fivestardiamonds.net

Rajan Raj Rai

rrai@fivestardiamonds.net

+1 778 835 9200
NORTH VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lion One Metals Ltd. (TSX-V:LIO) (ASX:LLO) (OTCQX:LOMLF) (FSX:LY1) (the Company) is pleased to announce that following the recently announced award of the Navilawa Special Prospecting Licence (SPL 1412) it has completed a first-pass compilation of data over the Banana Creek Target adjoining the Companys fully permitted high grade underground Tuvatu Gold Project located on the island of Viti Levu in the Republic of Fiji.



The Banana Creek Target

Located only 3 kilometres northeast of the Tuvatu Gold Project

Accessible by roads and tracks

114 selective rock chip samples >1g/t gold

46.3 g/t gold peak value in selective rock sample results

160 g/t silver, 2.1% lead, 0.33% zinc peak values in selective rock sample results

1.6 x 0.6 kilometre hydrothermal alteration system defined by radiometric data

750 x 500 metre gold in soil anomaly

6 individual mineralised lodes identified in previous surface work

19.5 g/t gold over 0.4 metres in previous reconnaissance drilling

Presents a target for exploration work and to potentially enhance the Tuvatu Gold Project

One of eleven exploration targets in the recently acquired Navilawa License

Historic Results

The samples in this press-release are compiled from reports and data provided by the Fiji Government Mineral Resources Department and contain information reported by previous explorers in the area. Whilst every effort has been made to review historic reports and check the data, the samples were collected by previous explorers and cannot be fully verified. Company geologists have visited the project and reported lode style of mineralisation visually similar to Tuvatu, however, the original sample security, laboratory, and assay method cannot be fully verified by the Qualified Person / Competent Person other than disclosure taken from previous company reports. These results are hence considered historic and are presented as a guideline only. As a result, the assays reported in this release are not to be considered necessarily representative of the overall system. The Company intends to collect new data in this area, and all historic results will not be used in mineral resource estimation or economic decisions other than to advance exploration. Refer to Appendix 1 for further details.

The Banana Creek Target and its relevance to enhancing Tuvatu

The Banana Creek Target is one of eleven exploration targets recently acquired by the Company in an award of tenure from the Mineral Resources Department, Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources, Government of Fiji (news release November 20, 2017). The Banana Creek Target has been subject to several generations of superficial surface exploration by previous explorers (Appendix 1) which has included geological mapping, soil sampling and rock-chip sampling. The Banana Creek Target is located 3 kilometres northeast of the Companys fully permitted Tuvatu Gold Project, and hence presents an exploration target within a credible potential trucking distance to the milling operations to be constructed at Tuvatu. As a result, Lion One considers Banana Creek as a clear focus with several mineralised structures potentially capable of complimenting and enhancing production scenarios at the Tuvatu Gold Project.

Previous sample collection

The samples in this press-release are compiled from reports and data provided by the Fiji Government by previous explorers in the area.

To view Figure 1, please visit:

http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2178/30866_figure1.jpg

Figure 1 Gold in Soil sampling at the Banana Creek Target (background = shaded terrain model).

More than 500 soil samples have been collected by previous explorers in the Banana Creek area. This work was principally conducted by Oribi Resources in 1999 to 2001 and consists of C horizon soils collected using a 50mm augur and is principally ridge and spur soil sampling. The soil sampling indicates a gold in soil anomaly of >100ppb gold (0.1ppm / 0.1g/t) over an area greater than 500 metres by 750 metres (Figure 1, Appendix 1).

More than 800 rock samples have been collected in the Banana Creek area and are a combination of channel sampling, float (loose material at surface) and rock-chips. Of these 114 samples were greater than 1g/t gold with a peak value of 46.3g/t gold (Figure 2, Appendix 1).

To view Figure 2, please visit:

http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2178/30866_figure2.jpg

Figure 2 Banana Creek Rock Chip Samples with samples >5g/t labelled (background = shaded terrain model). (samples rounded to 1 decimal place)

Previous drilling at Banana Creek consists of 5 diamond core holes drilled by Oribi Resources in joint-venture with Mincor Resources between 1999 to 2001 for a total of 531 metres drilling (average depth = 104 metres). Three of these holes (BCDH001, 002, 003) were drilled away from or parallel to the main structural trends and did not intersect appreciable mineralisation. Holes BCDH004 and 005 respectively were drilled in the central portion of the Banana Creek Target and intersected peak values of 19.5g/t gold and 2.2g/t gold respectively (Figure 3, Appendix 1).

Geology of Banana Creek

The Banana Creek Target consists of altered Navilawa monzonite intrusive flanked by Nadele volcanic breccia and intruded by micromonzonite dykes. The mineralisation has been mapped at surface on lodes that strike NNW-SSE and cross-structures oriented NE-SW. Previous Fiji Government reported airborne surveys indicate that the Banana Creek Target has an elevated potassium signature in radiometrics indicating a zone of hydrothermal alteration approximately 1.6 kilometres by 600 metres and is comparable to the anomaly at the Tuvatu Gold Project (Figure 4). With both gold and base-metal anomalism, the mineralisation may be of a style comparable to the HT Corridor mineralisation at Tuvatu previously announced by the Company.

To view Figure 3, please visit:

http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2178/30866_figure3.jpg

Figure 3 Banana Creek Drill Hole locations (on soil sampling, background = shaded terrain model)

To view Figure 4, please visit:

http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2178/30866_figure4.jpg

Figure 4 Government airborne potassium radiometric image. Hot colours red->purple->white indicate increasing potassium and is an indication of increasing hydrothermal alteration.

To view Figure 5, please visit:

http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2178/30866_figure5.jpg

Figure 5 The Tuvatu Project Area Schematic Project Map

About Tuvatu / Lion One

Lion One is advancing its 100% owned Tuvatu Gold Project as a world class discovery and near-term production opportunity in the southwest Pacific Ring of Fire. Tuvatu is modelled for exploration after regional giants in the low sulphidation family of high grade epithermal gold deposits such as Porgera and Lihir in PNG, and Vatukoula in Fiji. These spectacular discoveries have produced over 35 million ounces of gold in similar alkaline volcanic settings. Tuvatu has been fully permitted by the Government of Fiji for operations start-up and has a dual-track strategy of production development and resource expansion inside its 385 hectare mining lease.

Tuvatu is located 17 km from the international airport in Nadi, on the west coast of Viti Levu in the Republic of Fiji. Lion Ones CEO Walter Berukoff is leading an experienced team of mine builders, and has owned or operated over 20 mines in 7 countries. As the founder and former CEO of Miramar Mines, Northern Orion, and La Mancha Resources, Walter is credited with building over $3 billion of value for shareholders.

Tuvatu was advanced by previous owners through underground exploration and development from 1997 through to the completion of a feasibility study in 2000. Acquired by Lion One in 2011, the project has over 110,000 meters of drilling completed to date in addition to 1,430 meters of underground development.

In January 2016 the Hon. Prime Minister of Fiji, Mr. V. Bainimarama, formally presented the previously granted Tuvatu Mining Lease to Lion One. This concluded the permitting process for the development of an underground gold mine and processing plant at Tuvatu, demonstrating strong government support for Fijis 85 year-old gold mining industry.

Stephen Mann, Managing Director, member of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, is the Qualified Person (QP) responsible for the Tuvatu Mine exploration and delineation programs.



The information in this report that relates to the Banana Creek Target is based on information supplied by the Fiji Government to Lion One Limited and reviewed by Darren Holden who is an employee of GeoSpy Pty Ltd, an Advisor to Lion One Ltd, and a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (MAusIMM). Mr Holden has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity that he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC code) and National Instrument 43-101 in Canada. Mr Holden consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on this information in the form and context in which it appears. Refer to Appendix 1 for sample detail disclosure.

For more information on Lion One including technical reports please visit the Companys website at www.liononemetals.com or the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.

On behalf of Lion One Metals Ltd.

Walter H. Berukoff

Chief Executive Officer

For further information please contact

Stephen Mann, Managing Director (Perth, Australia) Tel: 604-973-3007

Hamish Greig, Vice President (North Vancouver, BC) Tel: 604-973-3008

Joe Gray, Investor Relations (North Vancouver, BC) Tel: 604-973-3004

Toll Free IR Line (North America) Tel: 1-855-805-1250

Email: info@liononemetals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Lion One Metals Ltd.s current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Lion One Metals Ltd. and on assumptions Lion One Metals Ltd. believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the actual results of exploration projects being equivalent to or better than estimated results in technical reports, assessment reports, and other geological reports or prior exploration results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Lion One Metals Ltd. or its subsidiaries to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the early stage development of Lion One Metals Ltd., general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current research and development or operational activities; competition; uncertainty as to patent applications and intellectual property rights; product liability and lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting mining, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; not realizing on the potential benefits of technology; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labor or loss of key individuals. Although Lion One Metals Ltd. has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Lion One Metals Ltd. does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Appendix 1: Banana Creek Data

Table A1.1. Past ownership, report sources and sample details.

Company Report Title / Date Sample Type / Detail Laboratory / Assay Details Pan Continental Mining Reported as historic results compiled in database from Fiji Government 1986-1993

Reported by Alcaston in 2003 annual report and compiled in databases from Golden Rim mining (2010). Rock and soil samples. Techniques not disclosed. Not disclosed in reports CRAE Reported as historic results compiled in database from Fiji Government 1994-1998

Reported by Alcaston in 2003 annual report and compiled in databases from Golden Rim mining (2010). Rock and soil samples. Techniques not disclosed. Not disclosed in reports Oribi Resources NL / Mincor Resources NL Reported as historic results compiled in database from Fiji Government 1999-2002

Reported by Alcaston in 2003 annual report and compiled in databases from Golden Rim mining (2010). 5 diamond drill holes, HQ size core.

Soil sampling using 50mm Augur Samples. C Horizon Soil.

Rock channel sampling ALS Chemex Laboratory in Brisbane. Gold: Fire Assay 50g charge (AA26); Multi-element: Aqua regia digestion / atomic emission spectroscopy MEICP-41 Alcaston Mining NL / Mincor Resources NL SABETO PROJECT

Special Prospecting Licence 1412: Annual Reports 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

(5 reports) and compiled in databases from Golden Rim mining (2010). Rock chips (2003, 2004)

Radiometrics / magnetics 2007 ALS Chemex Laboratory in Brisbane.

Gold: Fire Assay 50g charge (AA26); Multi-element: Aqua regia digestion / atomic emission spectroscopy MEICP-41 Golden Rim Ltd / Mincor Resources N: SABETO PROJECT

Special Prospecting Licence 1412: Annual Reports 2008, 2009, 2010 (3 reports) Rock chips (2008) Not disclosed in reports but assumed equivalent to above 2003-2007 annual reports.

Table A1.2 Banana Creek Rock Sampling Data > 1g/t, sorted by gold grade from various reports as compiled by Alcaston Mining and Golden Rim Mining noted above. Sample Type: Rock = rock sample collected in outcrop; Channel = channel sample collected in outcrop or trench; Rock unclassified = rock sample with unknown sampling technique. Bd = below detection; - = not assayed. Highest samples per assay result highlighted in bold. Coordinates in Fiji Map Grid (Vitu Levu). All samples are considered selective in that they were selected by geologist or field technician from specific mineralised lodes reported between 0.1 and 2 metres wide and may not be representative of the overall system.



Easting (m) Northing (m) Sample Type Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) Copper (ppm) Lead (ppm) Zinc (ppm) 1878501.95 3923403.66 Rock 46.3 14.4 146 1110 276 1878642.91 3923306.93 Rock 32 20.9 579 8130 1860 1878436.26 3923432.09 Rock unclassified 21.9 - 130 5000 335 1878632.66 3923332.84 Rock 20 11.6 234 2000 1185 1878505.75 3923424.71 Rock 19.45 3.8 199 605 357 1878643.91 3923305.94 Channel 18.9 20.1 413 671 1340 1878624.05 3923283.25 Rock unclassified 16.6 - 115 1500 110 1878463.08 3923403.5 Rock unclassified 15.3 3 85 365 60 1878602.42 3923228.14 Rock unclassified 15 3 30 60 55 1878777.77 3923124.34 Rock unclassified 13.3 5 85 370 35 1878659.21 3923551.47 Rock unclassified 13.2 - 125 550 55 1878696.47 3923140.36 Rock 10.6 1.5 65 930 17 1878468.64 3923442.12 Rock unclassified 10.05 1 45 30 15 1878688.04 3923499.74 Rock unclassified 10 2 215 1800 390 1878371.68 3923301.29 Rock unclassified 8.55 - 25 135 15 1878596.3 3923287.85 Rock unclassified 8.3 2 165 1980 120 1878661.37 3923478.24 Rock unclassified 8.2 - 115 320 65 1878453.76 3923353.73 Rock unclassified 8.2 - 75 40 60 1878785.37 3923670.21 Rock unclassified 7.75 110 50 120 20 1878626.05 3923370.31 Rock unclassified 7.6 - 80 390 240 1878438.07 3923340.62 Rock unclassified 7.5 - 45 220 75 1878813.94 3923418.56 Channel 6.86 2.5 166 49 49 1878618.66 3923152.15 Rock unclassified 6.7 - 570 205 360 1878503.9 3923332.64 Rock unclassified 6.5 5 145 1650 3350 1878634.25 3923299.73 Rock unclassified 6.5 - 395 3850 340 1878813.94 3923418.56 Rock 6.23 1.3 52 53 21 1878453.56 3923436.63 Rock unclassified 6.2 bd 145 960 50 1878888.23 3923605.73 Rock unclassified 6 2 370 80 210 1878632.14 3923295.78 Rock unclassified 5.97 - 215 400 185 1878508.28 3923355.51 Rock unclassified 5.3 - 40 150 65 1878505.77 3923333.48 Rock unclassified 5.12 bd 240 790 475 1878476.59 3923401.37 Rock unclassified 5.09 bd 135 315 210 1878665.11 3923480.73 Rock unclassified 4.94 - 290 160 100 1878522.69 3923431.07 Rock unclassified 4.93 bd 170 890 695 1878699.66 3923116.19 Rock unclassified 4.81 1 280 275 355 1878301.32 3923438.79 Rock unclassified 4.78 - 280 430 145 1878603.86 3923266.32 Rock unclassified 4.73 bd 505 275 1950 1878507.42 3923334.58 Rock unclassified 4.6 bd 255 55 355 1878743.85 3923672.77 Rock unclassified 4.36 60 65 45 15 1878721.54 3923241.63 Channel 4.31 1.1 203 180 213 1878675.17 3923434.39 Rock unclassified 4.1 - 350 445 310 1878579.53 3923530.93 Rock unclassified 4.09 - 50 230 60 1878780.71 3923446.82 Rock unclassified 3.99 - 120 50 25 1878787.38 3923665.86 Rock unclassified 3.98 160 55 190 30 1878797.64 3923423.65 Rock unclassified 3.95 bd 125 2400 105 1878872.19 3923317.57 Rock unclassified 3.9 - 90 130 50 1878647.69 3923458.12 Rock unclassified 3.9 - 380 370 205 1878464.31 3923442.91 Rock unclassified 3.57 - 40 350 40 1878698.29 3923186.61 Rock unclassified 3.46 - 720 21000 400 1878494.3 3923049.58 Rock unclassified 3.35 - 195 2900 515 1878689.28 3923505.2 Rock unclassified 3.33 bd 250 390 160 1878706.5 3923332.69 Rock unclassified 3.05 bd 190 1450 145 1878860.85 3923626.02 Rock 2.93 bd 60 125 15 1878874.45 3923624.11 Rock unclassified 2.93 bd 60 125 15 1878722.42 3923692.65 Rock unclassified 2.89 - 290 1500 280 1878471.07 3923401.95 Rock unclassified 2.87 bd 345 170 545 1878544.17 3923435.94 Rock unclassified 2.87 bd 315 50 330 1878481.04 3923403.29 Rock unclassified 2.86 bd 235 800 560 1878696.57 3923523.68 Rock unclassified 2.82 - 50 850 70 1878879.85 3923281.12 Rock 2.79 1.9 237 197 83 1878698.86 3923117.8 Rock unclassified 2.7 bd 560 11400 520 1878509.07 3923335.78 Rock unclassified 2.68 3 200 480 375 1878514.95 3923357.08 Rock unclassified 2.66 - 85 1350 570 1878705.63 3923387.25 Rock unclassified 2.64 bd 115 70 120 1878498.77 3923331.41 Rock unclassified 2.6 bd 115 80 275 1878571.55 3923193.23 Rock unclassified 2.35 3 630 15500 535 1878512.94 3923071.1 Rock unclassified 2.26 2 1180 5400 1200 1878704.26 3923460.9 Rock unclassified 2.17 bd 210 135 170 1878694.68 3923202.44 Rock unclassified 2.13 - 615 790 860 1878340.61 3923401.23 Rock unclassified 2.08 - 35 50 80 1878479.37 3923402.63 Rock unclassified 2.02 bd 215 200 420 1878489.76 3923331.25 Rock unclassified 1.9 3 270 920 515 1878530.54 3923433.47 Rock unclassified 1.89 bd 235 710 250 1878778.88 3923447.97 Rock unclassified 1.88 - 215 55 100 1878517.95 3923403.81 Rock 1.87 0.9 115 361 225 1878541.07 3923505 Rock unclassified 1.85 bd 310 20 160 1878879.85 3923281.12 Rock 1.85 1.3 155 89 53 1879008.91 3923608.39 Rock unclassified 1.85 4 85 50 125 1878570.39 3923195.49 Rock unclassified 1.81 bd 485 2500 750 1878453.2 3923391.47 Rock unclassified 1.75 - 255 660 525 1878538.1 3923494.44 Rock unclassified 1.73 - 40 50 50 1878687.92 3923496.99 Rock unclassified 1.71 bd 160 130 40 1878445.39 3923166.18 Rock unclassified 1.69 - 30 1500 190 1878499.91 3923267.09 Rock unclassified 1.65 1 215 35 200 1878325.29 3923405.65 Rock unclassified 1.63 - 50 450 235 1878766.84 3923320.08 Rock 1.62 1.4 178 36 115 1878916.97 3923601.92 Rock unclassified 1.6 - 125 1450 115 1878348.93 3923373.51 Rock unclassified 1.6 - 35 140 60 1878757.63 3923350.21 Rock unclassified 1.54 bd 245 460 280 1878800.01 3923350.11 Rock unclassified 1.54 - - - - 1878538.26 3923081.13 Rock unclassified 1.54 485 4500 440 1878731.67 3923480.39 Rock unclassified 1.53 bd 270 260 290 1878816.27 3923133.93 Rock unclassified 1.53 2 250 65 65 1878511.76 3923356.5 Rock unclassified 1.53 - 120 890 595 1878609.12 3923548.51 Rock unclassified 1.52 - 140 340 90 1878775.38 3923428.16 Rock unclassified 1.5 - 285 1550 275 1878623.05 3923382.72 Rock unclassified 1.49 1 265 45 650 1878515.57 3923068.33 Rock unclassified 1.468 5 640 7200 665 1878538.74 3923501.57 Rock unclassified 1.45 1 220 -5 130 1878497.35 3923331.39 Rock unclassified 1.43 bd 185 90 290 1878640.53 3923312.71 Rock unclassified 1.4 - 165 330 165 1878433.76 3923340.82 Rock unclassified 1.4 - 165 65 445 1878854.61 3923343.56 Rock unclassified 1.32 - 65 135 45 1878691.77 3923526.87 Rock unclassified 1.3 5 270 150 420 1878863.27 3923595.13 Rock unclassified 1.24 bd 300 180 495 1878495.29 3923331.19 Rock unclassified 1.24 1 195 175 450 1878689.84 3923208.32 Channel 1.18 0.5 213 88 193 1878752.06 3923336.53 Rock unclassified 1.119 bd 330 10 170 1878440.4 3923396.71 Rock unclassified 1.04 bd 340 350 630 1878781.55 3923660.96 Rock unclassified 1.03 6 185 295 50 1878442 3923169.5 Rock unclassified 1.029 - 170 1250 375 1878706.5 3923451.55 Rock unclassified 1.012 - 360 35 215 1878522.17 3923064.1 Rock unclassified 1.004 - 150 1750 405 1878510.49 3923336.91 Rock unclassified 1.002 bd 215 90 630

Table A.2 Banana Creek Drill Data Details. Coordinates in Fiji Map Grid (Vitu Levu)

Hole ID EAST NORTH AZIMUTH DIP Hole Depth From To Peak Assay (Au g/t) BCDH1 1878435.31 3923382.39 315 -60 101.1 10 11 0.61 BCDH2 1878439.45 3923379.97 135 -60 100.4 58 59 0.4 BCDH3 1878637.91 3923316.77 135 -60 100.6 1 2 0.5 BCDH4 1878559.04 3923329.88 337 -60 102.6 32 32.4 19.51 BCDH5 1878558.18 3923334.4 323 -75 116.5 115 116 2.16

__________________

1 Alcaston Annual report for the Sabeto Project (2003) records this result as 23.4g/t gold in the body of the report. However, the subsequent database supplied reports the result as 19.5g/t gold
Vancouver - Far Resources Ltd. (CSE:FAT) (FSE:F0R) (OTCPK:FRRSF) (www.farresources.com) (Far Resources or the Company) is pleased to provide an update on several corporate matters currently underway.

Zoro1 Claim

The Company acquired the Zoro1 claim covering approximately 52 hectares near Wekusko Lake in western Manitoba under an agreement with Top Notch Marketing Ltd., R. Ross Blusson and Double-U-Em Investments Ltd. (the Vendors). The Zoro1 claim is part of the Companys Zoro Lithium Property. In May, 2017, the Company acquired the Zoro 1 claim by accelerating its original option (see news releases dated April 28, 2016 and May 9, 2017) in exchange for a payment to the Vendors of a total of 6,000,000 common shares of the Company at a deemed price of $0.10 per share (the Payment Shares) and a non-interest bearing promissory note for C$100,000 payable in 12 months from the closing of the agreement with the Vendors (the Promissory Note). The Promissory Note may be prepaid at any time without penalty.

The Company is pleased to announce that the Vendors have agreed to accept payment of the Promissory Note in Common shares of the Company instead of cash with such payment to be made immediately at a deemed price of $0.89 per share.

DTC Eligibility

The Company is pleased to provide an update on its application for DTC eligibility for its common shares as announced in a news release dated October 11, 2017. Far Resources common shares have been made eligible for delivery and depository services of The Depository Trust Company (the "DTC") to facilitate electronic settlement of transfers of its common shares in the United States. In the US markets, the Companys common shares are quoted under the symbol FRRSF. The CUSIP number is the same for both the US and Canada: 30734R100.

Annual and General Special Meeting

The Company also provides an update on its previously announced annual general and special meeting to be held in connection with, among other things, a proposed plan of arrangement (the Meeting).

The Meeting was originally announced for Tuesday, December 5, 2017. The Company will now reschedule the Meeting to allow time to prepare all the shareholder materials required for the plan of arrangement (the Plan of Arrangement). This change of meeting date will have no effect on existing shareholders eligibility to participate in the Plan of Arrangement. The record date for shareholders to receive spin out shares from the Plan of Arrangement will be after the Meeting. As long as existing shareholders remain shareholders as of the share distribution record date to be determined for the Plan of Arrangement, they will be eligible to participate in the Plan of Arrangement. Full details of the Plan of Arrangement will be provided in a Management Information Circular (the Information Circular) that will be mailed in advance of the Meeting and publicly posted on Sedar (www.sedar.com).

Options

The Company also announces that it has granted 1,750,000 options to acquire common shares in the equity of the Company to certain officers, directors and consultants (the Options). Each Option is exercisable into one (1) common share in the equity of the Company at an exercise price of $0.89 per option share, expiring 5 years from date of grant. The issuance of securities described in this news release are subject to acceptance by the Canadian Securities Exchange. All amounts quoted in this news release are in Canadian funds.

About the Company

Far Resources Ltd. is an exploration company, publicly traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol FAT, focused on the identification and development of high potential mineral opportunities in stable jurisdictions. Far Resources may acquire or option properties of merit to meet its ongoing goal to locate, advance and unlock the potential of these mineral opportunities. Far Resources has two option agreements in place. The Zoro Lithium Property covers a number of known lithium pegmatite occurrences and is located near Snow Lake, MB. Manitoba has been ranked as the worlds second best jurisdiction for mining investment by the Fraser Institute. The second option is on the Winston Property in New Mexico, USA, another historic mining property with potential for silver and gold; New Mexico is also listed by the Fraser Institute, ranking in the top 25 mining jurisdictions in the world. Please visit our updated website at www.farresources.com for full details on our current projects. Far Resources has optioned its wholly owned Tchentlo Lake Property in British Columbia, Canada to Alchemist Mining Inc.

###

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF

Far Resources Ltd.

Keith C. Anderson, President

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT US AT

CorpCom@FarResources.com

The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy hereof.

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance (including our planned exploration for the Winston Project and the Zoro Lithium Property) and reflect managements current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Readers are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. All of the forward-looking statements made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those in our continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances save as required under applicable securities legislation. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell securities and the Company is not soliciting an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.



Source: Far Resources Ltd. (CSE:FAT, FWB:F0R, OTC Pink:FRRSF)


Burlington, November 30, 2017 - Wabi Exploration Inc. (CSE: WAB) ("Wabi") provides details on the gold and copper assets to be acquired by Wabi as part of the previously disclosed Arrangement Agreement with Buena Vista Gold Inc. ("BVG"). As part of the Arrangement and to better reflect the location of the assets, it is contemplated that Wabi will be renamed "Getchell Gold Corporation".

"Wabi disclosed the Arrangement Agreement earlier this week and the response has been tremendous," said Mr. Clausi, currently CEO of Wabi. "We are confident that BVG will be well-financed by the closing of the Arrangement Agreement and will be ready for an aggressive 2018 exploration program."

Those assets are five (5) project areas containing six (6) identified targets located in the highly mineralized Northern Nevada Rift in northwest Nevada which hosts a number of large gold deposits. Management believes these targets are highly prospective for gold and copper. The six targets, property description and management's opinion of the target mineralization type are:

Hot Springs Peak Property 108 claims  104 controlled via staking and 4 via option agreement. There is evidence of historic, but undocumented, exploitation of near surface gold by numerous steeply dipping shafts. Exploration model is a Carlin Type Au.

Star Property 76 claims with two distinct mineralized areas  57 claims controlled via mining lease and 19 claims via staking. Star Point Copper mineralization at the Star Point Mine in the northern part of the Star claims was discovered in the 1920's. The mine was developed with three adits. A small shipment of high-grade copper ore was made in 1929. A second shipment was made in 1943. The property was re-activated in the 1950's when a large number of prospect pits and bulldozer trenches were cut. There is no record of ore production during this period. Modern exploration includes mapping and sampling. The sampling is not documented as NI43-101 compliant. Exploration model is a Cu skarn. Star South Historic artisan mining of copper is visible but there is no record of ore production. Modern exploration includes mapping and sampling. The sampling is not documented as NI43-101 compliant. Exploration model is a Phoenix Type Cu & Au skarn.

Gold Knob Property 109 claims controlled via mining lease. Historic and modern exploration including mapping, sampling, geophysics and drilling. The historic sampling and drilling is not documented as NI43-101 compliant. Exploration model is Carlin Type Au.

Jasperoid Peak Property 169 claims  136 controlled via mining lease and 33 via staking. Historic and modern exploration including mapping, sampling and drilling. The historic sampling and drilling is not documented as NI43-101 compliant. Exploration model is Hot Springs vein type Au.

French Boy Property 22 claims controlled via mining lease including the historic Henrietta Mine It is reported that "the mineralization was originally discovered in the 1890's but production records were not available until 1903. Total recorded production for the Henrietta Mine during the period 1903-1950 (from the Pershing Co. Report) is 6,311 tons@ 0.62 opt Au, 13.4 opt Ag, 0.80% Pb. Estimated total production from the mine is therefore generally estimated at roughly 10,000 tons of similar grade." (Brady Report on French Boy Property October 5, 2007) Occurrence is a fragment of a massive sulfide (Pb-Ag-Au). Exploration model would be finding other fragments of massive sulfide pieces to contribute to other production.



Hot Springs Peak is located 55 kilometres north-northeast of Winnemucca. A current NI 43-101 Technical Report was commissioned by BVG and completed in June of 2017 on the Hot Springs Peak property and will be filed on SEDAR. The other 5 assets are located 60 kilometres south-southwest of Winnemucca and east of Mill City along the East Range of the Buena Vista Valley. See Figure 1 "Location Map" below.

Location Map





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Figure 1

The Hot Springs Peak Property will be explored for a "Carlin Style" gold deposit using Turquoise Ridge as the nearby deposit model. The Turquoise Ridge (TR) deposit has similar alterations and the property is aligned magnetically to the Getchell Fault Trend that hosts the TR deposit.

The Buena Vista Property includes Star (Star Point and Star South), Gold Knob, Jasperiod Peak and French Boy, all of which are located on the West Central Rift of the Northern Nevada Rift. Across the valley, to the west of the Buena Vista Property, is the Spring Valley porphyry-hosted gold system deposit.

The Sleeper Deposit is west of Hot Springs Peak and north of the Buena Vista Property, on the rift trend. From 1986 until 1996, Sleeper produced 1.66 million ounces of gold and 2.3 million ounces of silver. See Figure 2 "Proximity to Rifts and Other Deposits" map below.

Proximity to Rifts and Other Deposits





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Figure 2

During the past year, BVG has carried out the following work on the properties:

Hot Springs Peak Mapping  Identified a 1.5 km long hornfels altered trend at the surface.

Field work  Locating of past core drilling and identification of the historic trend. Core description and analyses by the Qualified Person and identified mercury mineralization in a mica altered mafic intrusion. Sampling of historic mine dump areas  one sample returned 0.701 opt Au (24 grams/ton). All mine samples contain high arsenic. Chip aggregate sampling of mine dumps was completed to average the grade for the dumps. Sampling is NI43-101 compliant by the Qualified Person. Preparation of samples were performed by ALS Minerals Labs, according to certified standards for reporting results. Internal standards were completed by ALS. All samples were assayed by fire-AA finish. A gravimetric assay was required by ALS to determine the grade for samples above 10ppm gold. ICP analyses were completed on all of the samples for the other metals. Historic drilling is not NI43-101 compliant and there are no drill records on the historic mine trend now being explored by BVG. Historic drill results on the western edge of the property contain 3 drill holes, each containing a 5 feet interval of 0.113 opt gold, 0.226 opt gold and 0.120 opt gold, all in jasperoid silicification. Readers are cautioned that the third party historic information may not be reliable. NI 43-101 Technical Report Completed airborne Magnetic and Radiometric surveys and interpretation subsequent to the Technical Report

Gold Knob Two 400-foot-long reverse circulation holes were drilled to offset a historic drill hole Au mineralization intercept

Both holes intersected Au mineralization, but the results have not been interpreted and incorporated into the historic drill database. The following results are using a cut-off grade of 0.1 ppm gold: Hole BVM2017-01 From 140' to 150' intersected 0.143 ppm Au From 215' to 220' intersected 0.167 ppm Au Hole BVM2017-02 From 170' to 180' intersected 0.324 ppm Au Rock chip samples were taken on 5-foot intervals. The samples were delivered to Bureau Veritas Minerals, Sparks, Nevada (BV Minerals) (ISO 9001) for analysis. BV Minerals analyzed approximately 126 samples, including blanks, standards and duplicates. Samples were prepared under BV Minerals' protocol, and analyzed for gold and silver using fire assay and 33 element ICP ES.



Management cautions that this opportunity involves risks normally involved with a mining exploration venture including but not limited to currency exchange, geologic, environmental, corporate social responsibility, completion of the transaction, accuracy of historic data, an inability to raise all or some of the required financing and future capital, management's business judgment, board governance, an inability to find any or sufficient mineralization to advance the project further, an inability to secure the necessary infrastructure, title, sovereign, regulatory and metallurgic. Management will take all steps necessary to identify risk and implement such measures as are necessary in the circumstances to reduce the possibility of such risk occurring and if it does to minimize its impact.

This release was reviewed for accuracy of the technical data by Timothy Master, who is a Qualified Person as defined in NI43-101.

For further information contact:

Peter M. Clausi

CEO

1 416 890 1232

pclausi@brantcapital.ca

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Not for distribution to U.S. news wire services or dissemination in the United States.


ALBUQUERQUE, Nov. 30, 2017 (- Santa Fe Gold Corp. (OTC:SFEG) is pleased to announce that preparations are under way to commence mining production as soon as possible upon completion of the acquisitions and final permitting. The company is in the closing stage of acquisition of 100% of Bullards Peak Corporation and Black Hawk Consolidated Mines Company, as mentioned in its last press release dated 10/20/2017.

The acquisitions include the formerly optioned AG1 Silver Mine and all lands surrounding the project including potential Porphyry Silver Discovery, Cobalt, Lithium, Manganese and Nickel and all rights to same.

SFEG is a U.S. based mining and exploration enterprise with emphasis on Gold, Silver, Copper, Precious, Industrial and Base metals and owner of multiple claims. These include the Malone Mines complex incorporating 20 associated mine sites, the Playas Lake Bed area of Hidalgo County, New Mexico and a Silver mining opportunity with a potential major Porphyry Silver discovery and is currently in the process of acquiring multiple additional acquisitions, all of which are considered high grade deposits.

The company expects to file the remainder of its 2017-year financial statements in the very near future.

To access recently filed 2016 Annual report:

https://www.otcmarkets.com/edgar/GetFilingHtml?FilingID=12383649 10-K

Santa Fe Gold to Make Important Announcements in the Near Future Re: Additional Acquisitions of High Grade Mines, Tailings and Lithium with Near Term Production Part of Strategic Plan to Rebuild Value

According to a recent Gold Industry Report, since 2007, grades have fallen from an average of 2.5 grams a ton to about 1 gram. This is potentially very positive for the industry longer term as overall output declines. Santa Fe Gold wants to particularly emphasize its sole interest is in acquiring only the highest grade commercially viable deposits while prices are still affordable.

With Global Gold and Silver production expected to decline substantially into the end of the decade and beyond, global demand is expected to rise and if the US Dollar which has already fallen 10% in 2017 continues to decline further, it could auger well for Gold, especially with rising Central Bank demand and continued buying by China and Russia, all of which are positive for metals. Valuations in time should soar and demand should increase, especially for the highest-grade assets held in favorable jurisdictions with relative ease of near term output.

Add to that Santa Fe Gold's $103 Million tax loss, which when combined with recent highly favorable U.S. tax cut proposals, should enable the company to benefit from multiple years of tax free income that could also command a significant premium over other mining companies and potentially render the company an increasingly attractive takeover target.

Further Evidence of Presence of Cobalt, Lithium, Manganese, Nickel and Titanium

As ongoing work and preparations for production to begin have progressed at Santa Fe's properties and already additional benefits have resulted from these acquisitions which are of particular note: In addition to the highly valued and coveted Silver mines along with the potential Porphyry Silver discovery, below and adjacent at depth, which is the main focus of work, the properties include other high quality minerals and rare metals including Lithium, Zinc and especially Cobalt that have seen further significant prices with Cobalt recently rising a very sharp 13% just in the past month to $68,000 per ton, the highest price in over a decade.

This sought after rare metal is in increasingly high demand. Cobalts growing use in a wide variety of technological applications and more recently in Electric Vehicles and Batteries.

Lithium is also currently in extremely high demand, so much so that prices are projected to quadruple in the next few years as more manufacturers turn towards Electric Cars with Volvo set to go All Electric by 2019 and Volkswagen to spend $40 Billion by 2022. In addition, these rare and uncommonly valuable ore deposits are supplemented by additional high demand metals of Manganese and rising Nickel values and are expected to boost Santa Fes revenues once mining and processing of this material begins.

President and CEO Tom Laws Comments:

With filing of the 2016 Annual Financial Statement and final filings to follow, we are looking forward to becoming fully compliant in the very near future and achieving eligibility to apply for listing on a higher exchange.

The addition of several potentially commercially viable deposits of Cobalt, Lithium, Manganese and Nickel adds a dynamic new benefit towards developing additional revenues for Santa Fe and proprietary processing methods for these ores are currently being evaluated by Santa Fe.

The company is continuing to execute on its strategic plan to acquire only the highest-grade deposits we have thus far been fortunate to avail of. Inevitably we see higher prices and rising demand for such prized assets by the major miners, some of whom have already staked high grade properties around us. These are all exceptional acquisitions for Santa Fe Gold that will now own and control these highly prospective increasing land areas in what is proving up to be the exceptionally highly mineralized zones we initially anticipated and expected to find. To be endorsed by outside geologists recent surveys and appraisals confirms our original views and high expectations regarding the exceptional potential of these surrounding properties.

With particularly high concentrations of Silver, including presences of near pure Silver nuggets in the upper zones nearer to the surface, visiting geologists concurred on the uncommonly high prospects of this unique Silver mine and Porphyry Silver Discovery.

Given the broadening dimensions and extent of the structures: "The main Silver mine and potential Porphyry Silver deposit beneath represent tremendous near-term upside potential and value for Santa Fe Gold, which is estimated to contain a world class deposit of Silver and depending upon the extent of the Porphyry deposit discovery, could add ore bodies of additional breadth and value.

"Proprietary surveillance methods recently revealed extraordinarily high concentrations of Silver and Gold in deposits, consistent with other high-grade veins throughout the region and management expects to make a major announcement in the near future of a significant new discovery."

We are committed to building up the companys assets in line with our strategic agenda and our mission is to get as many of these new properties into production as soon as possible:

Our growing portfolio of highly sought-after properties, with more to come, demonstrates the strong commitment, dedication and confidence in the future of Santa Fe Gold as management is intent on building the company to new heights and continues to progress towards a restart of production per our previously announced plans around asset acquisitions and production ramp up at a particularly opportunistic time for gold, silver and precious metals."

Area is Rich in High Grade Deposits

For the benefit of new investors and shareholders: As commented previously, the area in general and its surroundings, has an uncommon history of exceptionally high grades, as borne out by previous very high-grade discoveries reported by Santa Fe Gold in 2012, where assays showed bonanza type high grades of 7.73 ounces of gold per ton and 269.75 ounces per ton of Silver. While such exceptionally high grades are rare and could be considered as an anomaly, they do prove that such grades exist and reason for Santa Fes emphasis.

Recent assessment by outside geologists suggest the presence of a major Gold target in the Malone Mines Complex and a significant Silver rich target in the Black Hawk and Bullards Peak Silver Mines environs. Historically, Malone Mines uncovered exceptionally high-grade showings as borne out with grades reportedly as high as 16 oz per ton at one time encountered in the highest yielding area of this complex of mines, where some 80% of all the gold discovered in New Mexico has reportedly been found.

Release of Completed Financials:

June 30, 2016 Annual Report recently filed and updated through November 14, 2017 available at: https://www.otcmarkets.com/edgar/GetFilingHtml?FilingID=12383649

About Santa Fe Gold

Santa Fe Gold is a U.S.-based mining and exploration enterprise and owns the following mining assets: The Knights Peak region of Grant County, New Mexico comprising the Malone Mines, Patanka, Hillcrest Barranca and Principal Mines, altogether incorporating some twenty mine sites and all located at Knights Peak, together with an expanded area surrounding the Malone Mines in the southern region of Burro Mountains, New Mexico. The company also owns very significant holdings in the Playas Lake Bed Area of Hidalgo County that includes the presences of Titanium ore and other rare earth minerals and deposits.

Santa Fe Gold is in the process of adding additional properties and two mining companies to its portfolio, with very substantial Silver holdings along with Cobalt, Lithium, Manganese, Nickel and other rare earths currently being investigated. The companys Development Team continues to be extremely active in acquiring additional properties over recent months as it finalizes analysis of a number of attractive, economically viable opportunities and executes on the company's acquisition program that is totally focused on positioning the company to resume mining and production operations expected in the near term.

For more information and to register for updates:

Please visit www.santafegoldcorp.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Please refer to the Forward-Looking Statements link at the bottom left of Santa Fe Gold's website for all relevant disclosures.

Contact:



Santa Fe Gold Corp.

Frank Mueller, CFO

(505) 255-4852

info@santafegoldcorp.com
You might have heard recently about a large study of body-worn police cameras in Washington, D.C,. that shed new light on the cameras' effects. The findings -- that the cameras had little impact on police or civilian behavior -- were important, but there's a broader, equally valuable insight for mayors wanting to improve city services: The study was conducted by a group of scientists embeddedthe mayor's office, called The Lab @ DC . We think every mayor should consider building a similar type of applied scientific team.The Lab's mission is to embed the scientific method into the heart of city operations to provide decision-makers with high-quality evidence that they can use to achieve better outcomes for D.C . residents. It currently has 15 experts on the team, many with PhDs in fields such as economics, mathematics and sociology. It also works with a network of researchers at nearby universities who expand the Lab's analytical capabilities.Mayor Muriel Bowser officially launched the Lab in July 2017, although it had been ramping up since 2016. Part of the Lab's value is in idea generation. When the city is dealing with a policy challenge, the team helps define the problem or opportunity and then draws on existing research and data analysis to suggest a useful approach. If that sounds academic, the topics it works on are very real. For example, the Lab used Chicago's approach of using data to help the city predict the location of rats and improve eradication efforts. The Lab also is testing whether signage on trash receptacles reduces litter, and it's planning to study whether a nurse advice line improves health outcomes and saves money on needless ambulance rides.The Lab also adds value by building a learning culture. When the city rolls out a new policy, such as the body-worn police cameras, the Lab looks for opportunities to build in evaluation. That way city officials can determine whether the new policy actually achieves the hoped-for results. The Lab specializes in low-cost yet credible research. The body-worn camera study, for example, was both rigorous (using a randomized design, like a drug trial) and low-cost (using data already being collected).A particular focus of the Lab's work has been on designing interventions that improve customer service at low cost. For example, it examined how to simplify and clarify city forms that people use to apply for benefits, services or permits. In doing this work, it used a unique approach, hosting a community design session to work on the forms with nearly 100 attendees on a Saturday -- a "formapalooza," as it was called. The Lab invited attendees back a few months later to see the finished versions.So how can cities afford to expand their analytical capabilities, drawing on the example of The Lab @ DC? One option is to obtain a foundation grant, as the Lab did. That grant covers most of the staff salaries, allowing the team to operate as a proof of concept for a few years, working to demonstrate its value and hopefully justify an eventual city investment. Another option is to draw on existing talent within a city government, such as agency staff with strong research and analytical skills. A city can start with one or two people and empower them to build and use data and evidence to improve city services. In fact, The Lab @ DC started with two people and then expanded after the foundation grant.A small team can use creative ways to build capacity for free, such as bringing in academic researchers for a semester using temporary assignment-of-personnel agreements, or who are on sabbatical and want to gain experience helping tackle real-world city challenges. Once a core team is in place, it can further expand its capacity by partnering with university-based researchers.There are, of course, other good examples of researcher-practitioner partnerships, often called policy labs, that are helping governments move from wanting to use data and evidence to actually having the capacity to do that. Yet few of them are embedded within city government, ensuring a tight link between researchers' efforts and analytical tools -- data analysis, rigorous low-cost evaluation and rapid experimentation -- and the needs of city decision-makers. That's why The Lab @ DC is an initiative that every mayor should learn about and then ask themselves: How could our city build similar capacity?
With its pink sands and warm water, Bermuda is a great place to visit. Its also a great place to live. It has the fourth-highest per capita income in the world. But thats not because of tourism.It is because of reinsurance, the arcane business of selling insurance to insurance companies. We buy coverage to protect ourselves from really big losses, and the insurance companies do the same -- they buy policies from reinsurance companies to defend their bottom lines from disasters much like this years hurricanes. Low tax rates attract many of these reinsurance companies to havens such as Bermuda. Its the big reinsurers, like PartnerRe, Everest Re, Ace and XL, that float much of Bermudas economy.But hurricanes are a huge nightmare for these companies. As Hurricane Harvey showed this year, a single big storm can drown whole neighborhoods and cause tens of billions of dollars in damage. Economists have argued for years that the best way to manage such risks is for the government to identify neighborhoods that are prone to flooding, create zoning laws that restrict construction in these areas and encourage everyone else to buy flood insurance.First-line insurance companies are very queasy about this approach. Big storms such as Harvey, Irma and Maria can put the companies -- financially speaking -- underwater. Thats where the reinsurers might be expected to come in. They are the masters of disaster, selling policies to other insurance companies to protect against mega-losses. But it turns out reinsurance companies dont much like flood insurance either, because the potential for sudden, large-scale losses is so great.The federal government has its own flood insurance program, and that constitutes a major line of defense when the reinsurers back away. Most citizens in hurricane-prone regions, however, dont take advantage of this federal coverage. Fewer than half of all Florida residents have purchased federal flood insurance. In Houston, its just 15 percent, and in Puerto Rico, 1 percent.Some citizens simply dont have the money to buy insurance. Some are caught up in the it wont happen to me syndrome. And some, perhaps, assume that the government will sweep in to provide relief if theyre ever hurt, even if they didnt buy protection.So the combination of reinsurance and federal coverage isnt enough to solve the problem. That realization led Florida to step in with its own state-run insurance program. The program has boosted the number of Sunshine State residents with flood insurance, but critics complain that the state coverage is too expensive, and conservatives grumble that its a socialist takeover of private markets. Meanwhile, the programs supporters argue that its ultimately the state that ends up protecting residents who are abandoned by private insurance companies and who fail to buy federal policies.Floridas program weathered Irmas fury, but the state was lucky because of the storms last-minute zigs and zags. Had the hurricane hit Florida with the impact that forecasters initially feared, the losses might have collapsed the state insurance program entirely.All of this is generating a huge debate about who ought to be responsible for what in the world of natural disasters. What should we do when private companies back off from selling policies where they might suffer big losses -- and when the reinsurance companies get nervous about backstopping the industry? What should we do about a federal flood insurance program that people wont pay for, even though they should? And what should we do about state-based programs that can be wiped out with a single big storm?One could argue that the federal government is inevitably the insurer of last resort. When a catastrophic flood occurs, everyone tends to look to the feds to provide help -- even those who refused to buy federal flood insurance. That, in turn, triggers another puzzle. When the federal government does provide aid, should it forbid homeowners from rebuilding in harms way?This brings the economists back into the debate. The private insurance option is surely the most efficient answer to the dilemma: Define the risks, allow people to make their choices, encourage them to buy coverage, and do relatively little for those who refuse to buy the insurance and then lose their homes. But like many solutions that economists favor, this one may be politically unfeasible. The political costs of allowing the uninsured to suffer are probably too great. And beyond the politics, the strategy would require stabilizing the private insurance market, especially convincing the reinsurers to take the risk that comes with the potential of more Harvey-Irma-Maria hurricane seasons.Thats a tall order. With the likelihood of more big storms, a private insurance industry struggling to cope and state-based programs likely to be swamped -- the odds are that even fans of small government will have to accept increased involvement on the part of Washington.Everyone wants protection from mega-storms, but no one really wants to spend money to get it. And no one wants to be told that they cant build wherever they want to. These dilemmas are pushing the policy debate away from private market solutions and more toward a federal strategy where taxpayers foot the bill -- and where we struggle over national decisions about local land use. Its no wonder that the Bermuda reinsurers would rather spend their time enjoying the islands pink sands than struggling with these tough dilemmas.
Arizona Treasurer Jeff DeWit has been nominated to oversee the finances at NASA, the White House announced Wednesday.The National Aeronautics and Space Administration job, which is based in Washington, D.C., requires Senate confirmation and involves overseeing an estimated $20 billion budget as well as the agency's financial operations.By joining President Donald Trump's administration, DeWit, who was chief operating officer of Trump's presidential campaign, ends speculation about his political future, including a potential run for Arizona's open Senate seat.The 44-year-old Peoria resident said accepting the nomination wasn't an easy decision.However, when the president of the United States asks you to serve your country, it is my duty to answer the call."Since the conclusion of last year's presidential election, there has been much speculation as to what my future was going to be, and my response has been and remains that I truly love Arizona and my current role as state treasurer," DeWit said in a statement. "However, when the president of the United States asks you to serve your country, it is my duty to answer the call."
Located as it is in rural southwest Kansas, youd expect the Kearny County Hospital to be a relatively sleepy operation. The countys population is just under 4,000, and the closest metropolitan area, Wichita, is four hours away. But the hospitals birthing suites are busy: Theyre now averaging almost one birth every day, nearly twice as many as a few years ago.Theres no mystery as to why the number of babies being born annually at the county-run hospital in Lakin jumped from 189 to 360 in a four-year period. Other hospitals across the region have closed their expensive ob-gyn wards, reflecting a trend across rural America. A study published in September in the journalfound that 1 in 10 rural counties had lost their ob-gyn wards in the past 10 years.It used to be unimaginable for any hospital to shutter its obstetrics ward, says Benjamin Anderson, the Kearny County Hospitals CEO. But for hospitals struggling to stay open at all, there arent a lot of units to close other than the maternity ward. It requires so many fixed costs, Anderson says. You have to have birthing suites, anesthesia, medical staff with C-section capabilities.Yet even getting out of the birthing business hasnt enabled some rural hospitals to survive. Since 2010, 82 of them have closed their doors, the result of factors ranging from the costs of health-care reform to declining populations to aging local workforces that make staffing a particular challenge.The Affordable Care Act forced hospitals to modernize their operations and change existing structures of health-care delivery. Rural hospitals often lacked the resources to comply, but this was especially true in states such as Kansas that didnt expand Medicaid under the federal law.Maternal health in rural America is made more complicated by the fact that rural areas routinely rank higher than urban areas in rates of noncommunicable diseases and preventable deaths. Birth outcomes are poorer, too. And with fewer and fewer ob-gyns available, there will likely be more high-risk pregnancies, unhealthy births and resulting long-term health issues. What happens during pregnancy sets the tone 20 or 30 years down the road, says Lisette Jacobson, an assistant professor of preventive medicine and public health at the University of Kansas.Meanwhile, costs and maternity ward closures are likely to continue to mount. Anderson says that by offering obstetric services, his hospital is operating at a six-figure annual loss, even after receiving funding through a public-private partnership to expand its maternity offerings. Women are coming in from two hours away to give birth, and the hospital is quickly running out of birthing space, he says.Theres no funding solution in sight. While states might try to pick up some of the slack, theres a consensus among most health-care experts that a federal partner is needed. Even a reform as simple as mandating a minimum distance between delivery sites -- along with the funding to make that work -- would benefit not only new mothers but their families as well, Anderson says. Mothers make about 80 percent of the health-care decisions in a family, so if mom is healthy, thats one of the most significant factors to making sure the whole family is healthy. We have to get this right.
Its always embarrassing for a town when the mayor is indicted. But in the case of Snellville, Ga., a 66-count indictment brought against the current mayor is just one example of long-running dysfunction and rivalry in the local government.Snellville is a suburb of Atlanta, not far from Stone Mountain. In September, Mayor Tom Witts was indicted on charges of tax evasion, using campaign funds for personal expenses and funneling government contracts to his private business, among other alleged offenses. Witts says he is innocent, but shortly after the indictment he suspended himself from office so that his case wouldnt interfere with city functions.Danny Porter, the Gwinnett County district attorney who brought the charges, makes no bones about the fact that his investigation was triggered by Witts political rivals. It was a politically motivated complaint, Porter told. But just because its politically motivated doesnt mean its not true.Porter said he gets requests after every election to launch criminal investigations. Gwinnett County in general and Snellville in particular have changed demographically in recent years, switching from largely white and conservative to heavily minority. The county as a whole gave its vote last year to Hillary Clinton. Yet white Republicans continue to hold most political offices, and they are split into factions that bicker constantly. For whatever reason, folks have been there a long time and they just dont like each other, says Bill Torpy, a columnist with the. Its almost like political parties. There are two groups, almost like families, and somehow theyve lined up against each other.Back when Witts was a member of the city council, he regularly sparred with his predecessor in the mayors office, Kelly Kautz. They fought about minor things, such as money paid to take a leadership course, and more serious matters, like her appointment powers. An argument over Kautzs ability to fire the city attorney reached all the way to the state Supreme Court. In 2014, she sued the city council for holding secret meetings, blocking her appointments and generally giving her a hard time. Last year, the Georgia Court of Appeals upheld a ruling ordering the city to pay Kautz more than $83,000 in legal fees. By that time, she was out of office, having been beaten in 2015 by Witts.The Witts-Kautz dispute is just one of a long series of fights between Snellville mayors and the city council. Back in 2009, Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer called code enforcement to complain about a city councilman who kept a toilet and a car in his front yard. Then, apparently fearing retribution, Oberholtzer asked the police chief to escort him to the bathroom at city hall.Snellville has changed, but its politics continue to be dominated by old rivalries, petty and deadly serious. People are probably tired of their city being in the headlines, Kautz said last year. Its a problem that shows no signs of going away.
The top Republican and Democrat in the Wisconsin Assembly Tuesday vowed to ensure there would be no sexual harassment in their house but said they would always oppose releasing the results of investigations into such allegations.The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has sought the results of a still unreleased investigation into the conduct of former Assembly Majority Leader Bill Kramer, a Republican who in 2014 was convicted of two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree sexual assault.Senate Chief Clerk Jeff Renk has already denied an open records request by the Journal Sentinel for the results of personnel investigations in the Senate.The news drew a sharp rebuttal Tuesday from Indiana University law professor Jennifer Drobac, who has written a textbook on sexual harassment law and taught a course on the subject. Drobac said that keeping such findings secret "puts more women at risk" from powerful abusers."It makes women vulnerable when we keep these ... histories secret," Drobac said. "Sunlight is still the best disinfectant."Erin Forrest, executive director of Emerge Wisconsin, said she found the refusal to release information about complaints "a little disingenuous.""Protecting the rights of victims in these cases is really important, and I think that there's also a very legitimate public interest in knowing about these types of really power-abusing behaviors in elected officials," said Forrest, whose group seeks to help female Democrats run for office. "If the goal was to protect victims and the public, I think that there's a way to do that."The practice in the Legislature differs with some other government agencies in Wisconsin.For instance, the state Equal Rights Division releases personnel complaints and investigations about discrimination, including a 2016 case that involved Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) and an employee with a disability claim. The City of Milwaukee also releases completed personnel investigations in certain cases after notifying the affected employees, said Maria Monteagudo, the city's director of employee relations.Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) said he wanted to keep the reports secret because releasing an investigation might reveal the identity of a victim or witness even if that person's name and identifying information were redacted."The goal of an internal process is to make sure that every single person who feels they were the victim of some kind of harassment has a way to go to be able to report it to somebody, have some confidentiality and have it investigated," he said.Vos said he wasn't aware of any settlements paid to victims for misconduct in the Assembly.Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, said there was no justification for always hiding any findings of misconduct by public officials and employees. Lueders noted that in some cases a victim might even support the release of the records."They're wrong on this. These records should not be secret. There is a clear public interest in access to these records," Lueders said of the lawmakers.In Congress, members of both parties have called for changing the confidential manner in which misconduct claims are handled and to unmask lawmakers such as Democratic U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr. of Michigan who have had taxpayer settlements paid out.Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) agreed with keeping Wisconsin personnel investigations secret in all cases."Some of the victims may not want those details out there. I think our policy first has been to protect those most impacted by the release of that information," Hintz said.Aides to Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) and Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse) had no comment about whether they supported keeping such records secret in all cases.On Tuesday, the Assembly held a training session on the existing sexual harassment policies in that house and the system in place to investigate complaints. That session was not open to the news media.Vos said he was serious about preventing bad behavior, noting that Republicans who control his house had stripped Kramer of his leadership post in 2014 after he was accused of sexual misconduct.At the time, Assembly officials said they couldn't release an internal investigation into Kramer's conduct because it was not yet completed. But the report was never released and Vos said Tuesday that it would not be going forward.Both the Senate and Assembly chief clerks have denied similar open records requests for the results of personnel investigations by the Wisconsin State Journal.Legislative leaders have the ability to discipline or fire employees for misconduct in their jobs. The two houses can also vote to discipline or expel elected legislators, but it's rare.Kramer, for instance, did not run for re-election. But he was allowed to serve out his term and keep drawing a salary.
The St. Anthony City Council, facing "threatened litigation," voted Tuesday night to pay Diamond Reynolds and her young daughter a $675,000 settlement in connection with the police shooting of Philando Castile.Reynolds will receive another $125,000 from the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust and the city of Roseville, making the total settlement $800,000.The settlement resolves Reynolds' claims of "emotional distress and false arrest," according to a statement on St. Anthony's website.Reynolds, 28, and her daughter, who was 4 at the time, were riding in the car with Castile when he was pulled over by a St. Anthony police officer on July 6, 2016, in Falcon Heights. Castile volunteered that he had a gun, and the officer started shooting, fatally hitting Castile. One bullet passed within inches of Reynolds' daughter who was in the back seat.Reynolds began livestreaming on Facebook moments after the shooting. The video has been viewed millions of times.Neither Reynolds nor her daughter was injured, but Reynolds was detained for a time by Roseville police and questioned by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Those issues figured into the settlement, according to the city's statement.Reynolds released a short statement Tuesday night, saying, "The settlement symbolizes that what happened to my daughter and I on July 6, 2016 was wrong. While no amount of money can change what happened, bring Philando back, or erase the pain that my daughter and I continue to suffer, I do hope that closing this chapter will allow us to get our lives back and move forward."Reynolds' attorney, Larry Rogers, did not return phone messages left for him Tuesday.The settlement "will resolve all civil litigation" against the city and current and former employees and "opens the door to healing," Mayor Jerry Faust said.Once approved by the court, a portion of the settlement will be placed into trust for Reynolds' daughter and her future educational needs, the city's statement said."The settlement does not assume guilt by any of the named parties, instead the agreement allows the parties to avoid the protracted litigation involved with adjudicating state claims and potential federal civil rights claims, which may have taken years to resolve," the statement said.After previous mediation, City Council members went into a closed-door session about 7:35 p.m. Tuesday night. Twenty minutes later, they emerged and voted 4-0 to approve the settlement.The officer who shot Castile, Jeronimo Yanez, was acquitted of all charges in a jury trial in June. The initial shooting and the verdict sparked weeks of protests, including two that shut down Interstate 94 in St. Paul.St. Anthony City Manager Mark Casey said officials have been in touch with Reynolds' attorney about potential litigation. Although she and her lawyer did not file a lawsuit in court, they prepared one that they shared with city officials before Tuesday's meeting.In June, Castile's mother, Valerie Castile, received a $3 million settlement from the city of St. Anthony. Although Castile's father asked for part of that money, the court ultimately decided it should all go to his mother.Valerie Castile has used some of the money to start a foundation in her son's name. Philando Castile, 32, worked as a nutrition services supervisor at J.J. Hill Montessori School in St. Paul at the time of his death.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions hinted Wednesday that the Justice Department may take a tougher stance on recreational marijuana in the near future, a change in policy that would have a significant impact on the five states plus the District of Columbia that already allow the drug to be used for more than medicinal purposes.California is scheduled to join that group Jan. 1.Sessions and other DOJ officials previously indicated they would continue the policy laid out by the department under former President Barack Obama, which in essence allows state officials leeway in how they deal with the drug as long as they meet certain standards, like keeping cannabis out of the hands of minors, keeping it from crossing into states where it isn't legal and preventing drugged driving.Marijuana, however, remains illegal under federal law, and there was always the possibility the Trump administration could crack down."In fact, we're looking at that very hard right now, we had a meeting yesterday and talked about it at some length," Sessions said at a news conference Wednesday. "It's my view that the use of marijuana is detrimental, and we should not give encouragement in any way to it, and it represents a federal violation, which is in the law and is subject to being enforced."We are working our way through to a rational policy, but I don't want to suggest in any way that this department believes that marijuana is harmless and people should not avoid it," the attorney general added, noting that DOJ was also considering how to deal with opioids and other drugs.Ian Prior, principal deputy director of public affairs at DOJ, declined to comment on what a new "rational policy" might look like or when it might be enforced.As of January 2018, recreational marijuana will be legal in Alaska, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Nevada, Oregon and Washington state. It will become legal in Massachusetts in July. In some of those jurisdictions, cannabis has become a significant industry. In Colorado, for example, 2016 sales totaled $1.3 billion and provided the state with nearly $200 million in additional tax revenue, according to the state Department of Revenue.California officials are loath to speculate on the legal headaches the federal government could create for their burgeoning cannabis market. "It's understandable that those investing money into their businesses would be concerned about what may happen, but the Bureau has been so focused on the incredible amount of work we've had to do to get ready for January 1 that we really can't focus on hypothethicals," emailed Alex Traverso, the communications director for the state's Bureau of Cannabis Control, which has been tasked with implementing the new law.California Treasurer John Chiang has been proactive in trying to ease concerns around one major problem for marijuana sellers created by the clash of federal and state law: access to banking services. Most cannabis entrepreneurs are forced to operate almost entirely in cash because banks don't want to take the legal risk of providing them with accounts.That in turn makes the industry a target of violent crime, makes collecting taxes more difficult and causes problems in identifying legal versus illegal sales of the drug. Chiang's office has been working to create a database that can help financial institutions comply with the strict anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism know-your-customer rules laid out by the Cole memo _ the Obama-era policy applied to states that legalize recreational marijuana _ as well as guidance from the Treasury Department.Some have hoped that Congress would take steps to legalize marijuana, but that doesn't appear to be in the offing anytime soon. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., introduced the latest bill to legalize marijuana at the federal level in August. The bill has no co-sponsors and has not passed any committees.Were DOJ officials so inclined, they could work with the Department of Health and Human Services to reclassify marijuana so it is no longer a Schedule I drug; that status indicates the federal government recognizes no medical use for a substance and believes it has a high potential for abuse. Congress could also reclassify the drug. Sessions said in testimony before a House committee in November that he did not believe marijuana was as dangerous as heroin, which is also considered a Schedule I substance.On Wednesday, Acting Drug Enforcement Administrator Robert Patterson announced officials were submitting fentanyl substances for reclassification under Schedule I. Certain types of fentanyl, an opioid, are currently listed as a Schedule II, meaning they're not considered as dangerous as marijuana under the law, though Sessions called fentanyl "the No. 1 killer drug in America."Sessions' comments Wednesday suggested a shift from some of his recent statements."Our policy is the same, really, fundamentally as the Holder-Lynch policy, which is that the federal law remains in effect and a state can legalize marijuana for its law enforcement purposes but it still remains illegal with regard to federal purposes," Sessions said in testimony to the House Judiciary Committee in November, referring to the Obama-era Attorneys General Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch.But he may have presaged stricter federal enforcement when, last May, he ordered federal prosecutors to pursue the most severe charges and penalties possible against defendants in drug cases, a sharp shift from the policy of his Democratic predecessors.States that have already legalized recreational marijuana haven't encountered federal interference yet. Officials in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington sent a letter to Sessions and Secretary of the Department of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin in April advocating that they and federal officials continued to work under the parameters of the Cole memo and asking that the Trump administration engage with them before making changes.Sessions responded to them in July, saying that DOJ remained committed to enforcing federal law on marijuana "in a manner that efficiently applies our resources to address the most significant threats to public health and safety." But he also cited studies indicating that each of the four states might not be meeting the standards of the Cole memo.The four states wrote back separately in August, all of them disputing the data Sessions used. In Washington, for example, Sessions wrote that according to a report, 61.9 percent of drivers in the state do not believe marijuana makes a difference in their driving ability. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson charged that Sessions had misread the report: It surveyed 893 drivers and found that 97 of them said they had previously used pot within two hours of driving; of those, 61.9 percent said they didn't believe it affected their driving ability. But that number only represents 6.7 percent of all drivers in the survey.Rick Garza, the director of Washington's Liquor Cannabis Board, said following the August letter some state and Justice Department officials met to discuss the issue. He said the three-hour meeting was a "healthy discussion" with a "positive, open dialogue," but that DOJ officials were still reluctant to address how they planned to handle the issue in the future."They weren't going to share too much about a change in policy, or no change in policy," Garza said, adding: "I thought it was going to be a bit more adversarial, to be honest with you, but it wasn't like that."In Nevada, where recreational marijuana sales were legalized for anyone 21 and older on July 1, Stephanie Klapstein, spokeswoman for Nevada's Department of Taxation, said that the Cole memo was "the most recent guidance we have on this from the Department of Justice, so unless that changes we're following that," Klapstein said.California officials also plan to operate under the constructs of the Cole memo. "We've certainly tried to extend our intent that we want to work with the administration in good faith," Chiang told McClatchy. Chiang said that early in 2017, California along with other states that have legalized marijuana spoke with Justice Department to try and reach an "understanding as to what they will permit and what they would find objectionable." But those officials were noncommital at the time, and his office has had no further contact with the administration.Chiang said that while it's been somewhat reassuring to see Trump's Justice Department has not acted against other states' cannabis markets, "we know that could change in an instant."Beau Kilmer, co-director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center, said it would be "very difficult" for the Justice Department to shut down the state-regulated recreational marijuana industry at this point. There are about 7,000 domestic agents of the DEA, many of whom are currently dealing with the opioid crisis, Kilmer said. Sessions could target major players to send a message or even shape the market, such as going after those who sell a high-potency product or engage in advertising."That would have a major chilling effect," Kilmer said.
UPDATED

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos used Americas stagnant performance on an international exam to make her case for her favorite policy prescriptionexpanding school choicein a speech to Florida Gov. Jeb Bushs Foundation for Excellence in Education in Nashville, Tenn.

Decades after the publication of 1983s landmark report A Nation At Risk DeVos said America remains stuck in the middle on the Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA.

We are being outpaced and outperformed by countries like China, Germany, Vietnam, and the U.K. DeVos said. We are a nation still at risk. We are a nation at greater risk.

One of the most intriguing arguments DeVos used to build her case: Other countries that have embraced school choice end up performing better than the United States. But she didnt specifically say which countries she was referring to. The Education Department didnt immediately respond to a request for more detail.

However, reports have found that countries that have gone big on choice have a mixed track record of success. For instance, in Chile, a universal voucher system has exacerbated inequities and had a minimal impact on student achievement, according to a research review by the New America Foundation, a think tank in Washington . However, the Cato Institute has a more favorable view of Chiles school choice initiative .

Whats more, states that outperformed the rest of the country on the 2013 PISA Massachusetts and Connecticutdont have robust voucher programs, although they do have charter schools. Florida, meanwhile, one of the states with the most robust school choice programs, actually did worse than the nation as a whole on the international comparison. (Of course, any researcher will tell you that school choice, or the absence of it, may not account for these differences.)

UPDATE: Liz Hill, a spokeswoman for DeVos, cited Pluralism and American Education: No One Way to School, by Ashley Rogers Berner. Hill said that Berner argues that America is an outlier among Democratic nations in its state-provided school system. According to Hills summary, Berner notes that in several countriesincluding some that outperform the U.S. on PISA, such as Canada, Hong Kong, Germany, Netherlands and Demarkthe state either operates a wide variety of schools or funds all schools but operates only a portion of them.

Personalized Learning

DeVos gave a shout-out to personalized learning programs, which generally allow students to learn at their own pace often using technology. A childs learning experience should be much more driven by the child and much more personalized and customized, she said. For many this is a departure from what has been the routine for years.

DeVos worried that schools are losing high-flyers who finish lessons early and then are bored to death as well as the kids who are having trouble mastering material at the same pace as their peers.

Importantly, though, experts caution schools not to whole hog on personalized learning, at least not yet. The practice still requires a lot more study and refinement. More on personalized learning from my colleague Ben Herold here .

ESSA

Republican Gov. Bill Haslam of Tennessee, who interviewed DeVos after her speech, also asked DeVos for examples of innovative practices in states plans to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act. DeVos said she saw the plans as more of a floor for state action than a ceiling. Thats a signal that shes hoping that states will take more ambitious steps than what theyve outlined for federal compliance.

And she noted that 90 percent of the money for K-12 still comes from the state and local level, so the feds need to take a step back. The federal government has had an outsized role in recent times as it relates to the state. I believe the role of the federal government should be as light a footprint as possible, DeVos said. Weve had top down approaches for more than a decade now and its proven to not be effective.

No Plans to Leave

For weeks, rumors have swirled that DeVos was planning to step down soon, thanks in part to this initially misleading article . DeVos has told Education Week she planned to stick around for Trumps entire term. And, channeling Mark Twain she said at the top of her speech that, Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated. Im not going anywhere! In fact Im just getting started!

She called her plans bad news for the teacher union bosses, the defenders of the status quo, the education-expert bloggers and muckrakers and many of our friends on the Democratic side of the aisle in Congress.

And in response to Haslams question about why shes sticking around, despite the slings and arrows shes been taking, DeVos said she sees lack educational inequity, brought on by lack of choice as an injustice that we have inflicted on our country. She said for every child who has benefitted from a voucher or tax credit scholarship, There are thousands and thousands of others who are not having those opportunities. ... I will continue to take slings and arrows to try to fight for them.

Its not a huge surprise that DeVos addressed Bushs. Before becoming secretary of education, DeVos served on the organizations board. More than half a dozen top officials who are serving in, or have been nominated to work at her department have ties to Bush or the Foundation . And DeVos has visited more schools in Bushs home state of Florida than any other state.

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GIS  30 November, 2017: A Technical Colloquium (TC) aimed at gauging and improving the preparedness in the identification, response, prevention and resolution of computer incidents within organisations, opened this morning at the Swami Vivekananda International Convention Centre in Pailles, in the context of Computer Security Day 2017.

The two-day event is organised by the Computer Emergency Response Team of Mauritius , CERT-MU, which is a division of the National Computer Board operating under the aegis of the Ministry of Technology, Communication and Innovation, in collaboration with the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), USA.

In her opening address, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Technology, Communication and Innovation, Dr Rooba Yanembal Moorghen, recalled that the Ministry, in line with Government vision to have a secure and resilient cyberspace, has devised a Cybersecurity strategy in 2014 and a National Action Plan to implement cybersecurity projects as well as a Cybercrime Strategy in 2017. The Cybercrime Strategy provides an insight into the approach to combat cybercrime and a response through improved law enforcement capability, effective criminal justice framework and active international cooperation, she said.

According to Dr Moorghen, Mauritius recognises the threats caused by cybercrime and the necessity to prosecute criminals. While cybercrime evolves, new challenges emerge and there is a need to go beyond what is obtainable towards the existing legislations and explore means so that we can predict, prevent and even disrupt online criminal activities for an effective capacity-building programme, she said. On that score, it is also crucial for all stakeholders from the public and private sectors, industry operators and academia, to come together and discuss how best to implement strategies to address cybersecurity issues, she added.

For his part the representative of FIRST, Mr Darius Wiles, gave an introduction of his organisation, which is an association of incident response and security teams funded in 1989. He gave an overview of the Forums projects and initiatives. FIRST enables incident responders to engage with their peers and promote work with policymakers as well as delivers training with partners at events such as the present Technical Colloquium hosted in Mauritius, he pointed out.

Technical Colloquium

The TC is focused on the theme Emerging Threats of the Cyberspace and its Countermeasures. Participants include Information Security Consultants/Analysts, Information Security Specialists, IT Managers, IT Executives, Network Engineers, System Administrators and Database Administrators.

The TC is made up of a full-day workshop on (30 November), and a one-day training programme (1st December). The workshop will cover the following topics: Mapping the Ransomware Landscape; Digital Forensics; Demystifying the Darknet; Virtual Currency and Cybercrime; Botnets  A Game changer in Cybersecurity Priorities Blockchain; and Data Loss Prevention.

An exhibition to showcase the latest security products and services is also being held.

Computer Security Day

Computer Security Day is an annual event that is observed worldwide since 1988 to help raise awareness of computer related security issues. It is designed to promote best practices and sensitise public opinion on IT security.
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GIS - 30 November, 2017: Government is determined to valorise the potential of the ICT sector with a view to shaping a new digital landscape in Mauritius. To this end, novel technologies and emerging avenues should be made accessible to individuals and businesses to keep pace with the ongoing worldwide technological revolution.

The Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation, Mr Yogida Sawmynaden made this statement yesterday at the official launching of the 24th edition of Salon Infotech at Swami Vivekananda International Convention Centre in Pailles.

He highlighted that Salon Infotech, each year, is providing its essential contributions as a platform to raise awareness on emerging technologies and to showcase the savoir-faire of tech-savvy individuals. It also helps local ICT operators and organisations to foster new business opportunities in this sector, he added.

The Minister emphasised that a new orientation has been given to Infotech 2017 with the inclusion of the Innovtech Conference which has as objective to inform the public of the new trends in the sector of technology. On that score, he underlined that education, knowledge and expertise are the necessary factors to endorse a culture of meritocracy on the job market. Government, he reiterated, wants to make Mauritius a country with digital natives capable of using and creating technology.

Mr Sawmynaden recalled that Mauritius has adopted the Open source policy and is now a shared knowledge-based society engaged in empowering citizens and businesses. He also pointed out that improved eGovernment services will be more cost-effective as well as sustainable and will in turn promote transparency.

Salon Infotech 2017

Several exhibitors are showcasing their technology and ICT products and services. Over 100 000 visitors are expected and the Salon will be open to the public until Sunday 3 December 2017. Some of the main highlights of Infotech 2017 are: InnovTech Demo Area; 3D Printing; Open Source & Internet of Things; Coding; ICT Exhibition and InnovTech Conferences.
: The Republic of Mauritius and the Republic of Estonia signed on 29 November 2017 a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Digital Cooperation. The MoU was signed following

a meeting between the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia, Mr

Juri Ratas
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GIS - 30 November 2017

: The Mauritius Research Council (MRC) is launching, on a pilot basis, a socially innovative and multipronged programme to assist employees who are diabetic or prediabetic in controlling the disease and its complications. The overreaching aim of the programme entitled Fighting diabetes at the workplace is to incentivise large private establishments to subscribe to this initiative. To this endeavour, a matching grant of Rs 2.5 million will be, on a competitive basis, put at the disposal of interested employers who wish to participate in the project.

The pilot programme was presented today at a workshop on social innovation organised by the MRC in collaboration with the Ministry of Technology, Communication and Innovation at Voila Hotel in Bagatelle.

Present at the opening ceremony, the Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation Mr Yogida Sawmynaden, termed the pilot programme as an initiative which transcends the curative and puts equal emphasis on prevention while engineering health conscious lifestyle transformation that can potentially bring a significant difference in the fight against diabetes. He added that employers can also stand to gain from the programme given that the efficiency, motivation and productivity of the employees are anticipated and enhanced as a result of the programme.

The concept of social innovation as the adoption of new practices to address social issues in ways that are more effective, efficient and equitable than existing solutions was elaborated by the Minister. He recalled that the return on investments, which is normally expected in the pursuit of research, development and innovation, is not measured only in terms of money but also in terms of the greater social good, thus the necessity to harness the applications of science to improve the life of common people and vulnerable groups.

The Minister moreover commended the MRC for the various steps taken to promote the adoption of socially innovative practices. He made mention of the latest social innovation and research grant scheme which encourages applicants to form networks, for example non-governmental organisations in collaboration with academic research institutions and private sector, and submit proposals which combine action research and social innovation potential with tangible outcomes in social development areas. Under the scheme, projects are evaluated in terms of their potential practical merits as socially innovative solutions to the problem identified, and a grant of up to Rs 1 million is awarded for a project duration not exceeding 24 months.

Speaking on the importance of science, technology and innovation in improving the lives of ordinary citizens and make society a better place to live, Mr Sawmynaden stressed that Government is laying much emphasis on the promotion and adoption of a culture of innovation. He pointed out that his Ministry is the driving force behind numerous initiatives, namely: implementing the e-health system, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life; participating in the school net II project to provide high speed data connectivity in secondary schools and educational institutions; easing the daily life of the population with the Citizen Support Unit; and launching of e-services on a regular basis with a view to allowing the public to carry out their administrative chores online.

Workshop on Social Innovation

The objectives of the workshop are to popularise the concept of social innovation locally; provide an understanding of how it can provide possible tracks for developing new tools and approaches to support local initiatives in addressing pressing social problems; and create a community of policy-makers, practitioners, industry, academia and non-governmental organisations that can apply the social innovation approach in meeting these challenges.
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GIS - 30 November, 2017: The interpretation and application of certain provisions of the Employment Relations was the focus of a half-day workshop which opened this morning at the Gold Crest Hotel in Quatre Bornes. The interpretation and application of certain provisions of the Employment Relations was the focus of a half-day workshop which opened this morning at the Gold Crest Hotel in Quatre Bornes.

In his address at the opening ceremony, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training, Mr R. P. Nowbuth , lauded the initiative of the Commission for conciliation and Mediation (CCM) for organising the workshop which will dwell upon employment relations issues and bring forth recommendations for the improvement of industrial relations at the workplace.

The workshop, he stated, will come up with meaningful negotiations to address labour disputes of employers, employees and trade unions and to provide dispute resolution mechanisms. The Ministry looks forward to proposals in terms of administrative changes and amendments that can be brought to the legal framework, he said.

The aim of the workshop is to provide definition of labour dispute; rejection of labour dispute; terms of reference; filling of labour dispute and deadlock for the betterment of industrial relations in the country. The working sessions will also focus on procedure agreement; collective agreement and collective bargaining as regards labour disputes.

About CCM

The CCM has been established under Section 87 of the Employment Relations Act 2008 (Act No. 32 of 2008) thereby replacing the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) which was established under Section 41 of the repealed Industrial Relations Act 1973.

It is a one-stop specialist agency assisting employers, employees and trade unions to resolve fairly and promptly their disputes with minimum legal formalities through discussion, negotiation and mediation. The main role is to provide conciliation, mediation and advisory services for enhancing employment relations between employers, employees and trade unions and engage them in constructive dialogue to reach consensus.
Hiring Dana Bailey, chief of staff to St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and former advisor to the governor, as the new MNIT executive director of projects and initiatives. Her duties, the agency said, will include ensuring clear internal communications; and engaging deputy registrars  businesspeople and public officials who register vehicles  as well as auto dealers and other MNLARS users to prioritize improvements with their input.

Hiring a new software development director, who is expected to start next week. The role will coordinate MNLARS development and work closely with Bailey and FAST Enterprises.

Directing the DPS infrastructure team to report directly to MNITs enterprise service delivery structure, to streamline process, improve the transparency of daily operations and performance and ensure MNIT expertise in systems operations is being fully leveraged.

Two weeks after Minnesotas chief information officer apologized to a state Senate committee for the troubled rollout of a new vehicle license and registration system, officials announced a $26 million contract with an outside vendor to develop the driver services portion of that same process.Minnesota will hire Colorado-based FAST Enterprises, which has created similar systems for 11 other states, to provide the software, implementation services, conversion, and training for Minnesotas drivers license IT system, officials said in a Nov. 28 news release.The company has worked for the state for nearly 10 years and created GenTax, an integrated tax processing system used by the state Department of Revenue since 2008. The GenTax launch was a success, according to the press release: Each piece was delivered on-time, on-budget and delivered high-quality services for its users.The states goal is to ensure REAL ID-compliant drivers licenses and ID cards are available in time to meet an extended federal deadline of Oct. 10, 2018. Its announcement echoed concerns and comments voiced by lawmakers and officials during a hearing on Nov. 15 , by the state Senate Committee on Transportation, Finance and Policy.Senators heard lengthy, heartfelt testimony at that three-hour hearing from business owners involved in the sale and licensing of vehicles, who told them the July debut of the roughly $90 million Minnesota License and Registration System (MNLARS) had been poorly handled by the state, and was costing residents, the state and dealers money while holding back the sale, licensing and registration of vehicles.Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, asked state CIO Tom Baden what the state would do to ensure similar problems dont occur when REAL ID compliance comes due next year.We have federal law to comply with, Kiffmeyer said during the hearing. What are you going to do to make sure that Minnesotans dont pay the price again?Baden, along with Legislative Auditor James Nobles and Department of Public Safety (DPS) Commissioner Mona Dohman were among officials who acknowledged problems with the system during the hearing.In June, following a legislative request that cited long-standing concerns about the status of MNLARS development, the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) released a preliminary review of the system.OLA found MNLARS management and security controls being developed and implemented by the DPS Driver and Vehicle Services division (DVS) and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) appear to be adequate but confirmed long delays in the development process and vague communication, particularly about timelines, have eroded confidence in the project.The CIO told lawmakers MNIT is changing its approach to REAL ID and indicated vendor negotiations were under way.Had I known what I know now, I wouldnt have released it at the time, he said during the hearing. But now, were setting our eyes on How do I make this correct?Gov. Mark Dayton has also apologized for the rollout of MNLARS, which the Legislature first funded in 2008. The system completed a narrow first-phase rollout in 2014 following a failed relationship with vendor Hewlett-Packard. The project was subsequently developed in-house by MNIT and DVS.An MNIT spokesperson said via email that Paul Meekin, DPS chief business technology officer, is on a leave of absence and unavailable. The agency said it would not have additional comment beyond officials remarks at the hearing, but noted MNIT and DPS are making changes to the management structure for MNLARS and to the operations management approach for MNLARS including In a statement provided by email, Baden said Minnesotans should know we are committed to working around the clock to ensure that issues with the current system are resolved, and residents will have access to REAL ID-compliant licenses by the federal deadline.At the hearing, Baden also told senators that he has also assigned MNITs chief enterprise architect, Joan Redwing, to the project to provide oversight of system development.But Scott Lambert, executive director of the Minnesota Auto Dealers Association, said he conservatively estimates dealers are holding more than $3.5 million in registration fees and sales taxes because registrations cannot be completed. The last time the group met with DVS, its officials indicated they were 79 days behind in titling vehicles.In an interview, he described other issues including inventory piling up, erroneous duplicate titles created and bank loans returned to dealers because of incomplete paperwork.Lambert said the rollout, which is segmented with some updates already having occurred and another planned for the first week in December, hasnt added all functions yet  including the ability to process disabled and vanity license plates and expedited titles.This is a technological disaster, theres no two ways about it. Were trying not to make it an economic catastrophe, Lambert said. I think the after-effects are going to ripple through the business for some time.Lawmakers expressed disappointment during the hearing. Sen. David Osmek, R-Mound, asked whether it might be best to roll back to the older system; and Chairman Scott Newman, R-Hutchinson, questioned testimony from the CIO that the system is turning the corner.Baden told the committee MNIT is focusing MNLARS improvements on three areas: performance, which he said is now down to about a half a second; fixing defects with hot fixes nightly; and functionality.Frankly, my entire focus here is to get the performance right, to get these defects done, to get this workable. Ive been listening to the deputy registrars. I hear what theyre saying, and Ive been bending over backward to make this right for them. And thats been my focus, not rollback, Baden said.Nobles, who described the hearing as very painful, reminded senators that the state created a consolidated MNIT in an effort to exert better control over systems development.I think at some point, we need to do an evaluation to determine, did we get what we wanted from the consolidation. And if we were just looking at MNLARS, I think the answer would be No. But I think we would want to look more broadly, Nobles told the state Senate committee.
Ben Miller is the associate editor of data and business for Government Technology. His reporting experience includes breaking news, business, community features and technical subjects. He holds a Bachelors degree in journalism from the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, and lives in Sacramento, Calif.
(TNS) - The 2017 hurricane season, which ends Thursday, will go down as one of the most active and destructive of all time. There were 17 named storms, six of them major, and significant damage was registered in the Leeward Islands, the Caribbean and the United States.After 12 years of calm, the Sunshine State received its first direct hit since Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Hurricane Irma blasted through the Florida Keys, roared ashore near Naples, then jetted up the spine of the state, causing at least $6 billion in property damage and another $2.5 billion in agriculture losses.Locally, Irma caused thousands of trees to topple onto roads, homes and power lines. Most homes and businesses lost power. Residents had to battle gasoline lines and find a way to get to work.Irma was the most disruptive hurricane to make landfall in recent memory, mainly because the entire peninsula suffered damage. In Alachua and Marion counties, Irma was more disruptive than the double whammy of Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Jeanne in 2004.After Hurricane Andrew in 1992, building codes were overhauled statewide. Irma's legacy will include a re-examination of state policies and procedures concerning fuel supply, evacuation routes and nursing home safety.Though the state had plans to ensure that ample fuel supplies were available before and after Irma, Hurricane Harvey hit Texas just weeks before and that led to a fuel shortage in Florida. Now, lawmakers will consider establishing a fuel reserve.Since Irma struck on Sept. 10, Gov. Rick Scott has led the charge to better protect residents: Scott issued an order that requires the state's 3,500 assisted living facilities (ALFs) and 700 nursing homes to have generators large enough to operate cooling systems, and to keep enough fuel on hand to operate these generators for four days.The order was issued after multiple Broward County nursing home patients died after Irma-related power outages at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills. The deaths are still under investigation. Scott believes that a properly functioning air cooling system would have saved lives. After residents were ordered to flee South Florida as Irma approached, a bottleneck developed on the Florida Turnpike where it meets Interstate 75 in Wildwood. To be better prepared in the future, Scott has asked the state Department of Transportation to find ways to better expedite evacuations.The hurricane season began June 1. In all, there were 17 named storms. That includes 10 hurricanes, six of which were major (Category 3 or worse.)Harvey slammed Texas on Aug. 26, triggering unprecedented flooding and causing about $200 billion in damage, nearly double the damage caused by Katrina in 2005. After Irma crushed several Caribbean islands and then the United States mainland, Hurricane Maria plowed across Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, destroying the U.S. territory.2017 was the seventh most active hurricane season on record and the most destructive, according to records dating back 166 years. Some experts believe this year was just the beginning of an active hurricane period that could last at least five more years.Emergency management directors John Shaw of Alachua County and Preston Bowlin of Marion County were both new on the job this year. Both are proud of how well their staffs prepared and implemented disaster plans during Irma. After all, it had been 13 years since Frances and Jeanne had affected their areas.Many veteran emergency workers from numerous agencies  those who worked during Frances and Jeanne in 2004  have since retired or moved on to other services. There was a learning curve, but both men survived.For the most part, emergency officials had roads and other services up and running within a few days of Irma clearing out. Power companies had restored most of the power within a week. And now, for the exception of some debris piles still dotting roads, Irma is a distant memory.In Alachua County, the biggest lesson learned was the importance of communication through AlertAlachua, the county's new emergency app. Shaw hopes to add more subscribers by June. He said the app will make a difference in getting important information out to residents."I think having (hurricanes) Hermine and Matthew last year helped us greatly," Shaw said.In Marion County, the biggest lesson was to create a better list of special-needs residents and to provide more training on the WebEOC computer software."Before (Irma), we only had 560 special-needs residents who were registered with us," Bowlin said. "During the three days before Irma, that number climbed to 1,000."Bowlin said he must make sure the list is current and that special needs residents are registering. The surge of special needs patients forced the School District to move its special needs shelter.Bowlin has ordered more training for people from all agencies who will be called to work at Marion's emergency operations center during a storm. Bowlin said many people were unable to operate the WebEOC software.Scientists created a formula about two decades ago that rates the intensity of a named storm. This formula uses an approximation of the wind energy used by a tropical system and is calculated every six hours during its lifetime.The formula is called Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE). The highest ACE value for a single storm was Hurricane Ivan (70.4) in 2004, followed by Irma (66.7) this year, Isabel (63.3) in 2003, Donna (57.6) in 1960 and Hurricane Carrie (55.8) in 1957.A storm does not have to make landfall to get its intensity rating. The system is used to determine how intense a storm was during its history. Hurricane Matthew (50.9) in 2016 was ranked 10th and Hurricane Maria (44.6) this year was ranked 17th on the list of individual storms. There have been roughly 1,800 cyclones recorded since 1851.The ACE for an entire season is the sum of all the named storms combined. Seasons with ACE totals of 153 or more are considered hyperactive. A normal hurricane season has an ACE of 86-135. A range of 136-152 is considered above normal. A value of 85 or less is considered below normal.The 2017 season produced the seventh highest ACE total, dating back 166 years. With an ACE total of 223.12, this season was about double the intensity of the normal season median of 110.5."It was definitely one of the most active hurricane seasons on record," said Al Sandrik, the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Jacksonville and one of the leading hurricane historians in the United States.Sandrik said the ACE value does not relate to damage done. The most active hurricane season on record was 1933 (ACE value: 258.57.) There have been only nine seasons with ACE values of more than 200. The other eight: 2005 (250.13); 1897 (231.15); 1926 (229.56); 1995 (227.103); 2004 (226.88); 2017 (223.12); 1950 (211.283) and 1961 (205.40). Sandrik said his research into hurricanes prior to 1851 shows that the 1780, 1813 and 1837 hurricane seasons were also hyperactive seasons.Though it appears that 2017 hurricane season has become the costliest on record ($200+ billion), Sandrik said there is no way to truly compare. Though it is possible to convert past damages to 2017 dollars, Sandrik said the figures are still not accurate.For instance, there were no expensive HD televisions, WiFi routers and other devices in 1998. When a home gets leveled today, there are many more expensive items. In 1893, few people had cars like they do today. That means it is difficult to accurately compare cost of hurricanes.Dennis Feltgen, a National Hurricane Center spokesman, said 2017 got everyone's attention. The biggest question he is asked: Will 2018 be another destructive year?His reply: "You have six months to get ready. Use your time wisely."How did experts fare?Nearly every weather agency predicted a normal hurricane season, stating that an emerging El Nino would help create upper-level wind shear that would hinder hurricane development.Instead, La Nina emerged over the summer and eliminated the wind shear. Coupled with warmer Atlantic waters, it was the perfect setting for a hyperactive hurricane season.Colorado State researchers, who have been predicting hurricane activity for the past 34 years, predicted 11 or 12 named storms, four to six hurricanes, and two major hurricanes. Other major agencies offered similar forecasts.Only Global Weather Oscillations Inc. (GWO), an Ocala-based hurricane season prediction company, had an accurate reading. GWO predicted 17 named storms, nine hurricanes, and five major hurricanes."We also predicted six landfalls and there were six," said David Dilley, who owns and operates GWO.Dilley developed a computer model concept, which he touts as a one-of-a-kind long-range forecasting tool. It relies on weather cycles. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration uses several short-term weather cycle-type oscillation models  as well as La Nina or El Nino influences  to forecast six months to a year into the future. NOAA does not use weather cycle data to predict hurricanes four years out.Dilley, a former NOAA meteorologist who worked in Boston for two decades, says his models can predict hurricane activity years ahead. He sells his zone forecasts to clients, such as insurance agencies.Dilley projects the activity in 11 Atlantic and Gulf Coast zones. He has found that each zone has varying weather cycles  up to about 50 years each. And each zone's cycle has its own smaller weather cycle. Once all of the cycles within cycles are discovered, a pattern for each zone emerges.After analyzing the data, Dilley's computer program then projects hurricane and tropical storm probabilities. In 2017, Dilley, 72, had the only perfect prediction."The difference is our Climate Pulse Technology, which I am patenting," he said.Dilley said his models show that hyperactive hurricane activity will continue, or even worsen, for the next five years or so. He said 2018 is poised to be the strongest hurricane season in 70 years."That could continue for the next five, six, seven years," Dilley said. Florida will be under the gun every year.2017 the Ocala Star-Banner (Ocala, Fla.)Visit the Ocala Star-Banner (Ocala, Fla.) at www.ocala.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(TNS) - Two years after the February, 2016 Hesston shooting, Harvey County Emergency Manager Gary Denney spoke to southeast Kansas first responders, representatives from nursing homes, hospital and the city on Wednesday at the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts.Denney shared his county's reflection on the preparation and communication which went before, during and after the shooting.Crawford County Emergency Coordinator Jason VanBecelaere said Denney was brought to Pittsburg to help keep everyone trained, informed and prepared if an active shooter or any tragic event was to occur."We brought him down here to give ideas on how to prepare first responders and schools if something happens in Crawford County," he said.Unbeknownst to Harvey County, a shooting was going to happen a little over a week after beginning the process of preparing for an incident."They found we were lacking common policies across the county," Denney said. "We had to embrace and enhance responses for law enforcement and EMS."Denney said Harvey County learned a lot about managing public information and the recovery process.Denney shared the ups and downs from the moment the event began to take place, throughout it the hours and days after.One of the issues included dispatch phone lines being full, and not being able to make outgoing phone calls, except on radio. He said after the shooting, some changes have been made here to ensure contact with those who need it.Denney said there were some communication issues, as different branches who were on scene for almost 45 minutes did not yet know the shooter was down.Over 100 people  emergency personnel, volunteer firemen and more  were involved in helping out. Denney said many were from out of town and needed food, lodging, restrooms and a place to get away from the incident and relax.He said these were accommodations they had to think about during and after the incident.Denney said over 400 people fled from the building, Excel Industries, during the shooting. He said many people left their belongings behind, including cell phones.Employees' families could not reach those who had left phones and the hospitals became inundated with families searching for them.Denney said different public information officers involved with each organization did not share the same information at times  some information needed to be held or was not planned to be shared. For example the officer who shot the shooter's name was released, which was to be held for the sake of his family and because he could not say anything because of the investigation.He said they did figure out ways to accommodate for the many news stations which were asking for quotes, such as one-on-one interviews with a well-known person in the community. Denney said their goal was to push positive, healthy messages after the incident.Denney said having an Incident Command System, which is like a flow chart for emergencies, and the organizational process of the county's public information officers helped keep things as organized as possible and begin the road to recovery. Stephanie Potter is a staff writer at the Morning Sun. She can be emailed at spotter@morningsun.net or follow her on Twitter @PittStephP and Instagram @stephanie_morningsun.2017 The Morning Sun, Pittsburg, Kan.Visit The Morning Sun, Pittsburg, Kan. at www.morningsun.netDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(TNS)  Columbus Council cleared the way Tuesday for an Atlanta-based company to develop a solar farm on city-owned property just south of the Muscogee County Prison on Schatulga Road.The plans call for the Development Authority of Columbus to lease the 21-acre site from the city under a 35-year lease agreement. The Development Authority would then sub-lease the property to SoLAmerica Energy, which will install solar panels at the 7149 Manor Road location, near Technology Parkway.Council approved plans to quit claim the property to the Development Authority with a unanimous vote. Councilor Bruce Huff was absent at the time the vote was taken.The project would be developed up to 2 megawatts in size under the Georgia Power Renewable Energy Development Initiative, supplying energy to Georgia Powers grid at the location, according to information provided by SoLAmerica. It would provide enough solar energy to power about 265 homes annually.The city has no current or future plans for this property, said City Manager Isaiah Hugley, who presented the lease agreement at Tuesday nights meeting. The property will revert back to the city at the end of the lease or any time the lease is terminated.City officials have said the property would generate $25,000 in lease and tax revenues for the city annually once up and running. On Tuesday, Hugley said there would be an option period, which would generate $1,000 a year and allow the tenant to determine if they want to move forward with the project. Once the project moves to the construction phase, the city would receive $800 an acre during that period.Councilor Judy Thomas raised a couple questions posed by constituents, one concerning the length of the lease.You know, 35 years from now solar power may not be the thing; we may be on to something else, she said. So there was some concern about the length of the lease and I could not say why were looking at a 35-year lease. That does seem like a long time.Tully Blalock, SoLAmericas vice president and general counsel, said the project requires a substantial capital investment of millions of dollars upfront, and the revenue is generated over a long period of time.So, frequently, you dont break even on these projects until way down the line in the distant future, he said. And then you start making a profit after youve paid off the capital investment.SoLAmerica already has a solar farm on former President Jimmy Carters land in Plains, Ga., and it has been working on projects with Georgia Power in other areas, the companys president George Mori told Council during a previous meeting.... The project here is one that were very excited about because it goes to something, which our company focuses on, which is finding under-utilized properties in locations that can be utilized effectively for solar energy, Mori said.He said the typography of the land is best suited for a single access tracker system, which includes motors that power the rods that support the solar panels. The panels start in the east where the sun rises and the motors tilt them to the west, tracking the sun throughout the day.The advantage of these projects is they produce more power and the fact that they track the sun, he said, comparing it to another system used by some companies. They are more costly and, of course, thats to the city/countys benefit from a tax revenue standpoint.
Should students be allowed to take computer science instead of Algebra 2? Ohio schools could be heading in that direction.

House Bill 170 would let high school students replace the Algebra 2 graduation requirement with an advanced computer science course. Students could also choose to take computer science in place of some other science courses. For instance, they might enroll in a coding class instead of astronomy or geology. Life science and biology courses, however, cannot be substituted.

The bill would also require the state Board of Education to adopt K-12 standards for computer science and a model curriculum by July 1, 2018.

Its important that we are preparing our students to enter a 21st century workforce, and HB 170 is a step toward that in the areas of science and technology, said Rep. Rick Carfagna in a statement. He is one of the legislations sponsors. If we can incorporate these classes early on and give students a pathway, we will be all the better as a state and nation.

Tech giant Google supports the legislation, as does the nonprofit code.org , a leading provider of computer science curriculum in school districts across the country.

According to the Columbus Dispatch , Google told senators in a letter that Ohio graduated only 1,137 computer science majors last year, while nationwide there are more than 520,000 jobs in the field. The letter put the problem bluntly: Too few students have the opportunity to study computer science in high school.

Some lawmakers worry that students who opt out of Algebra 2 will be at a disadvantage in pursuing higher education since the math course is often a requirement for college admission. While critics have long questioned the need for Algebra 2, its supporters see it as a critical benchmark on the way to college or career success, as Erik Robelen reported in this Education Week article exploring the debate .

Before approving the bill, the Senate Education Committee added an amendment. It requires parents to sign a form showing they understand that by not taking Algebra 2, their child might not meet the requirements for entry into some universities.

Lawmakers also point out that schools may have a hard time raising money for hiring computer science teachers and updating their computers and networks if needed. The original bill included $2.5 million to aid districts, but the allotment has since been slashed from the proposal. Districts do have the option under the bill to create a technology fund that can include money that has been donated to the district by private backers.

The bill passed in the House in June and was recently approved by a Senate committee. It now faces a full Senate vote.

Photo: pixabay.com

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In a Wednesday press release , the Chicago mayor's office announced that the mayor was soliciting bids for an express train from downtown to OHare International Airport. Apparently, there is one company that the mayor hopes to see among the bids: The Boring Co.We hope Elon Musk and either builders of hyperloops and other innovative technologies will respond, Bob Rivkin, deputy mayor of Chicago, told the Chicago Sun-Times . We think it could be feasible at no cost to the taxpayers and this is the right format to use to find out formally if that is the case. Well know as soon as we get responses.While The Boring Co. has received permission to start digging in other locations to build its underground high-speed trains, this marks the first instance of express interest from a major city. Elon Musk responded in a tweet Wednesday night that The Boring Company will compete to fund, build & operate a high-speed Loop connecting Chicago OHare Airport to downtown. Looks like the mayor will be pleased.
Christian Horner says he supports F1's new owners Liberty Media.

Top teams Ferrari and Mercedes are publicly unhappy with the new era, decrying a drop in revenue and threatening to quit over planned rule changes for 2021.

But with the drop in income this year, Auto Motor und Sport reports that Liberty has offered to make up the shortfall by the way of interest free loans.

Force India is said to have accepted the offer of a $2 million loan.

And Horner, the Red Bull boss, says he supports Liberty Media.

"Bernie was a one man show and irreplaceable," he said. "It was logical that eventually we would have new owners who invest in the sport. I don't see anything bad about that.

"Hopefully we will see the dividends, but that won't be until 2019-2021," Horner said.

(GMM)
The Energy and Commerce Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives held a hearing Wednesday on the role of algorithms in how companies collect and analyze consumer data, then use the information to target consumers.

Education was less of an explicit focus than headline-grabbing data breaches (Equifax, Uber), election interference and social-media manipulation, and the contentious debate over net neutrality. But there was still lots for the K-12 community to chew on.

Here are five big takeaways.

1. Loss of privacy is a major concern.

More than 9 of 10 adults believe that consumers have lost control of how personal information is collected and used by companies, and 68 percent believe current laws are not good enough in protecting peoples privacy online, argued Laura Moy, the director of the Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown Law, in her written testimony.

Here, she argued, K-12 students actually have it better than consumers at large, because there are at least some federal privacy laws (most notably the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, and the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act , or COPPA) in place.

But many in the K-12 community argue that FERPA, in particular, is outdated. Some critics also contend the law was significantly weakened by regulatory changes approved by President Obamas education department. As a result, the argument goes, the legal safety net protecting kids and families is full of gaping holes, and it generally fails to account for many of the modern technologies, data-gathering techniques, and uses of algorithms (basically, a series of steps that tells a computer how to solve a problem) that are common among ed-tech products today.

So far, such concerns have generated lots of state-level legislative activity. In the nations capital, its been mostly talk and little action, although there are again rumblings of potential efforts to update FERPA and issue new guidance on COPPA. This Friday, for example, the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Education will be jointly hosting a public workshop on ed-tech and privacy , with a focus on how the two laws might be bolstered to better protect students.

2. Companies are gathering LOTS of data on consumers. But what they actually collect is only the start of the potential problem.

Credit Michael Kearns, the chair of the computer and information science at the University of Pennsylvania, with the catchphrase of the day: Data intimacy.

In his written testimony, Kearns defined the term as the notion that machine learning enables companies to routinely draw predictions and inferences about consumers that go far deeper than the face-value of data collected as part of consumers online activities. Examples include ascertaining your romantic partners, religious beliefs, and political affiliations based on where you shop and what you search for on the internet.

Particularly worrisome, Kearns said, is that machine-learning algorithms are increasingly being used to determine users emotions, moods, and mental states.

Such information can be used for vulnerability-based marketing, in which people are targeted with particular ads or services based on an algorithms determination of their emotional state. One potential example cited by Kearns: predatory loans aimed at low-income people considering for-profit higher education institutions.

Facebook also recently announced it would use its algorithms to help identify potential suicide risks.

All that likely resonates in the K-12 world, where some school districts are already paying companies to monitor the social-media feeds of their students for potential warning signs, and where the ed-tech industry has grown increasingly focused on social-emotional learning. Parents and activists across the political spectrum have voiced alarm at the prospect of companies using surveys, webcams, clickstream data, and other techniques to create psychological and behavioral profiles of students in the name of better understanding their mindsets and preferences, and targeting content accordingly.

Kearns advice to Congressional lawmakers is also relevant for K-12 policymakers and officials: When considering how to legislate, regulate, and contract with technology providers, dont focus solely on the data they are directly collecting. Take the time to also consider all the inferences and predictions that companies might be able to do with those data, especially if they start combining it with other information.

3. Algorithmic bias is more complicated than you might think.

The possibility of algorithmic bias has started to receive more attention in K-12 . What if software programs recommend a less-rigorous curriculum or lesser career-field opportunities to certain groups of students?

Such concerns have already been documented in the consumer space, said Catherine Tucker, a professor of management science and marketing at MITs Sloan School of Management.

She described a study in which researchers placed an advertisement on Facebook, Google, and Twitter featuring job opportunities in science and technology. They found that the companies targeting algorithms ended up showing the ads to 40 percent more men than women.

But further research showed that the algorithm itself wasnt skewed in favor of men, Tucker said. Nor were there cultural factors at work that led women to be less responsive to the ad.

Instead, she said, the problem derived from hidden economic forces. The companies algorithms were essentially running auctions that let a variety of advertisers bid on the opportunity to reach particular audiences. Other advertisers were willing to pay extra to reach women. And from the algorithms perspective, the priority for the researchers was to keep costs down. The end result was that their job ad was steered away from the more-expensive female audience.

The lesson for policymakers, in K-12 and beyond?

Theres no easy solution, Tucker said.

Just making algorithms open or transparent (as New York City is currently considering forcing public agencies to do) wont necessarily prevent bias, she said. And neither will auditing the data that are used to train them.

4. Sunlight may not be an adequate disinfectant.

In the big-data-and-algorithms field, transparency isnt just about opening up the algorithms.

On a far more basic level, policymakers and regulators have pushed to make sure companies (including those in ed tech) are publicly posting their privacy policies, so consumers (and students, parents, and teachers) can ostensibly know what data are being collected and how they are being used.

But theres a big problem with that approach, said law professor Omri Ben-Shahar of the University of Chicago.

It doesnt work.

Mandated disclosure rules are entirely ineffective and an empty ritual, Ben-Shahar said in his written testimony. Most people dont read them. If they do read them, they dont understand them. And if they do understand them, they dont care.

Thats not the consensus view, of course. Maryland law professor Frank Pasquale, who was also on hand to testify, is a big proponent of more transparency and greater disclosure.

One of Pasquales points that the ed-tech vendor community might take to heart: Theres a lot of talk about data privacy, security and transparency impeding innovation, he said. But developing and employing good data practices can also promote innovation and be a source of competitive advantage.

5. Despite all the worry about algorithms, data collection and privacy, most people dont seem willing to change their behavior.

When it comes to data privacy, one of the big questions for schools, companies, parents, and activists alike is whether people care enough about the potential risks of massive data collection and algorithmic targeting to forego the conveniences and benefits that come with them.

So far, said Tucker of MIT, theres not a lot of evidence thats the case.

She cited another study that highlighted the so-called privacy paradox.

In it, researchers found that even those undergraduate students who said they cared most about their online privacy were willing to share very personal information in exchange for a slice of cheese pizza.

See also:
Programs that offer high school students the chance to earn college credit should be designed with four key principles in mind to ensure high quality, according to a report released Thursday .

The popularity of dual-enrollment courses and other programs that confer college credit has soared in recent years. But as their popularity has grown, so has awareness of their problems. Weak courses that dont measure up to college standards. A patchwork of varying requirements for teachers who teach them . Disappointment when promised credits dont transfer .

These are among the concerns that led the College Board to convene a College Credit in High School Working Group to study the field and come up with nuts-and-bolts advice to help program designers avoid potential problems. The group, which includes some powerhouse names in education policy, issued its report today.

Its guidance falls into four categories of questions that can be used to shape programs:

Rigor and accountability . Programs should be able to demonstrate that students who earn college credit in high school have indeed mastered college-level work. This means showing that a student who got college credit in English can perform as well as a college student in an equivalent course. Data about those outcomes should be shared with the public. Programs also must ensure that teachers are qualified to teach college-level courses.



. Programs should be able to demonstrate that students who earn college credit in high school have indeed mastered college-level work. This means showing that a student who got college credit in English can perform as well as a college student in an equivalent course. Data about those outcomes should be shared with the public. Programs also must ensure that teachers are qualified to teach college-level courses. Value for time and money invested . To ensure a sound investment, policymakers should study outcomes to see whether dual-credit students are progressing through college and participating in the workforce. To fulfill a promise that dual-credit programs can save students money, states should examine course-credit transfer policies.



. To ensure a sound investment, policymakers should study outcomes to see whether dual-credit students are progressing through college and participating in the workforce. To fulfill a promise that dual-credit programs can save students money, states should examine course-credit transfer policies. Equity and access . Programs should ensure equal access by all students. Recent studies have found that low-income and racial minority students, and boys, dont take advantage of dual-enrollment programs as often as other students do. Programs must do a better job of informing notifying students and parents of the opportunity, the College Board paper says.



. Programs should ensure equal access by all students. Recent studies have found that low-income and racial minority students, and boys, dont take advantage of dual-enrollment programs as often as other students do. Programs must do a better job of informing notifying students and parents of the opportunity, the College Board paper says. Transparency about credit transfer. Students should be clearly informed ahead of time about whether their credits will transfer to the college they plan to attend, and whether those credits will be applied to their chosen course of study. High schools, employers, and higher education must collaborate to design dual-enrollment programs, so the content and skills that high school students learn are aligned with what colleges and employers expect and that credits transfer appropriately.

For more stories on dual-credit programs, see:

Image: Courtesy of Samedaypapers
For the first nine months of 2017, electric passenger car and LCV sales were up 21% in North America to 67,000 units; up 24% in Japan and Korea to 19,000 units; up 42% in Europe to 100,000 units, and up 126% in China to 227,000 units, according to JATO. Tesla was the most popular electric vehicle brand in key markets (57,000 units, up 33%), while BAICs new EC was the most popular single model (38,000 units). BAIC was the second-most popular brand (50,000 units, up 92%), while the Nissan LEAF was the second-most popular model (36,000 units, down 4%).

The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) has accelerated as policymakers across the globe pass regulations to reduce emissions of air pollutants, according to the latest analysis by JATO Dynamics. 2017 represents a turning point in the adoption of electric cars, with sales in key regions increasing significantly. The industry is at an important moment in the development of the segment, with the majority of car brands placing various forms of electric vehicles at the heart of their future plans; announcements being made this week at the LA Auto Show reinforce that point.





Chinas ever-expanding car market is crucial to the future of the electric vehicle. If EVs become a realistic mainstream choice, a likely contributing factor will be the emphasis the Chinese market has placed on electric vehicle technology, JATO noted. Policymakers in the country are attempting to balance its rocketing demand for cars with the nations severe pollution problem. The Government has introduced policies to push EVs, such as car purchase restrictions in large cities and subsidies for domestically produced EVs and PHEVs. Global manufacturers are now entering the Chinese market, as fully electric vehicles will earn more credits than plug-in hybrids under the countrys new Carbon Credit Program, which will come into effect in 2019. As a result of this focus, Chinese manufacturers have prioritized the development and innovation of domestically produced electric vehicles.

As a result, China is now the biggest market in terms of volume, with 227,000 EVs sold January through September 2017. China has quickly taken the top spot as the worlds biggest EV market, rapidly outselling other more advanced markets such as the US and Europe. In comparison, it took decades for the country to outsell them on traditional internal combustion engines.

In turn, Chinas focus on producing electric vehicles to solve its domestic emissions problem means it has led the way in the development of the technology. The Chinese automotive industrys resulting leadership in the sector suggests that the nation now has an opportunity to conquer global markets and rival its western counterparts. This is highly significant, as internal combustion engines produced by China-based manufacturers have traditionally struggled to compete against western brands that have more experience and heritage in the sector.

As a result, six of the top ten electric vehicle brands in key automotive markets through September 2017 are based in China. If the Chinese industry is able to produce EVs that are attractive to global consumers and are appropriately priced, the countrys car industry could certainly increase its share of the global market.

In contrast to China, demand for EVs in the US has slowed down since a peak in 2016, JATO said. Results in the US have impacted the wider North American region, which is significantly behind Europe in terms of EV adoption. 67,000 electric vehicles were sold in the North American region, a modest increase of 21% on the same period last year. This can be attributed to a reluctance amongst consumers in the significant US market to move away from gasoline vehicles.

By comparison, there were 100,000 EV sales in Europe for the period January to September 2017, an increase of 42% when compared to the same period in 2016. Key markets such as the UK, Germany and France all showed positive growth in the category. The EU recently introduced WLTP, a test procedure that is more representative of real world driving than previous NEDC testing and is one element of a broader drive to tighten emission reduction rules. European nations such as the UK and France are proposing diesel bans as soon as 2040 and, on a local level, cities are taking action to reduce emissions; the UK city of Oxford recently proposed the worlds first no-emission zone.

Within this context, it is unsurprising that eight of the top ten countries in terms of EV market penetration from January to September 2017 are European, JATO said. The success of electric vehicles in Europe is driven by the combination of EU and national regulation, combined with local initiatives. Norway leads the world, with an EV market share of 16.6%, significantly ahead of the Netherlands in second position, where EVs have a market share of 1.4%. Of the biggest markets, France, Germany and the UK have an EV market share of 1.2%, 0.6% and 0.5% respectively.





Despite increasing consumer adoption of electric vehicles in the region, the European car industry has been built on the internal combustion engine, and this legacy has hindered electric vehicle innovation, JATO suggested. As a result, European manufacturers are yet to establish wide enough EV ranges and consumer choice is limited. Renault, for example, has only two fully electric models, and only one of these, the Zoe, is a passenger car. Volkswagen still does not have a dedicated electric vehicle, but instead offers electric versions of its existing models. Volkswagens situation will change with the beginning of production of the I.D. family. (Earlier post.)
New hanger to open soon

The Rock Springs/Sweetwater County Airports passenger numbers are up and the manager is hoping this trend will continue.

During a recent Sweetwater County Commissioners meeting, airport manager Devon Brubaker said the airport is up 12 percent in passengers compared to last year at this time. Of course, more passengers equals more revenue.

Not only is the airport seeing an increase in passengers, but more passengers are paying for upgrades and more people are connecting past Denver.

Historically, a bulk of our traffic only went to Denver, but because of our new airfares were seeing people connecting past Denver and even into the international routes, which is allowing for a higher average airfare because of the connecting market there, Brubaker said. So everythings looking phenomenal on air service.

He said they have always had people flying international, but since their rates have decreased they are more competitive and it almost costs the same as flying out of Salt Lake City. By the time one adds in the cost of gas, parking and possible hotel room its cheaper just to fly out of Rock Springs on some flights.

Another side benefit is the fun casino flights to Wendover, Nev. Currently, five flights a year go to the city.

However, starting in January this flight will be offered every month. For the past six months in a row, these flights have completely sold out.

The increase will generate money for the airport and give exposure to local residents using this flight.

For example: a resident may have never used the airport before, but then they decide to fly for a casino trip, which gives the person an opportunity to fly locally. They may be more apt to do it again when they need to fly somewhere else.

The airport is seeing positive growth across the board, including air cargo, which is up 1 percent. The only area not seeing a positive growth is fuel. When fuel prices go up, the budget takes a hit.

As for the operation side of things, the airport was inspected this summer by the Federal Aviation Administration and for the second year in a row their inspection was perfect. He said the employees are the ones who should receive the praise since they are the ones making sure the airfield is in top notch condition.

Looking toward the future, Brubaker said the general aviation terminal and hanger facility will be opening up Dec. 16.

The terminal will open up two to three weeks after that because they need to get things ready inside.

One area of concern is the budget is about $160,000 behind.

We are doing everything we can try to and save money and cut costs, he said.

Brubaker said they are looking at everything even things as small as what blinds they purchase, however, he said they may need to come back to both the city of Rock Springs and the county for help.
Loyal E. Kendall, 94, of Rock Springs, passed away Nov. 22, 2017, peacefully at Mission at Castle Rock Rehabilitation Center in Green River, surrounded by his family.

He was born March 17, 1923, in Cleveland, Idaho, the son of Levi and Myrtle Kendall.

He was a veteran, having served in the U.S. Army during World War II, including the invasion of Normandy.

He married LaRue Corbridge Jan. 23, 1947, in the Logan LDS Temple in Logan, Utah. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Loyal had been employed by FMC, retiring after 30 years.

His lifelong interests were dedicated to family and outdoor activities.

Survivors include six sons and spouses, Sid, Dennis and Mary Ann, Merlin and Barbara, Marvin and Barb, Dean and Susie, Clair and Cindy; 15 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchilden; and two great-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife LaRue in February of 2008; brothers Ray, DeWayne, Glen, Lea R; sister Lola and one grandson, Spencer Dean Kendall.

Funeral services will take place at 11 a.m., Dec. 2, 2017, at the Rock Springs LDS Stake Center at 2055 Edgar St., Rock Springs. Friends and family may call 6-8 p.m. Dec. 1, 2017, at Fox Funeral Home at 2800 Commercial Way in Rock Springs and Saturday one hour prior to services at the church.

Interment with military honors will be held at the Rock Springs Municipal Cemetery.

Condolences for family can be left at http://www.foxfh.com.
Longtime hospital employee Tami Love is the new chief financial officer for Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County.

CEO Irene Richardson made the announcement earlier this month.

Tami will be an excellent addition to our executive team, Richardson said. Her commitment and experience is a perfect fit for this role.

Love started at MHSC in 2000 as an accounting analyst and has been the hospital controller (finance director) since 2010. During that time, she oversaw the Fiscal Services Department, responsible for maintaining the general ledger, fixed assets, budgeting, payroll and accounts payable functions.

In her new role, she will direct Fiscal Services, Patient Financial Services, Materials Management, Information Services and Health Information Management.

I am very excited to join such an awesome executive team, Love said. I have worked with all of them for more than 15 years. I join them in their desire to move the hospital in the right direction, in both finances and quality, for the community we serve.

She has earned two bachelors degrees: one in business administration from Weber State University and one in accounting from Boise State University.

Love replaces Richardson, who was named CEO in October.
U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) shared Thanksgiving dinner with Wyoming National Guard troops serving in Kuwait.

Barrasso visited with members of the Wyoming Air National Guard's 187th Airlift Squadron who are stationed at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. The 187th supports airlift operations across the Middle East region.

"Sharing Thanksgiving with Wyoming troops overseas is always an honor," Barrasso said. "There are 106 members of the Wyoming Air National Guard's 187th Airlift Squadron serving in Kuwait. They are a long way from home and it was nice to bring a little bit of Wyoming t...
Western Wyoming Community College will host author and archivist John Waggener, in a historical discussion of Interstate 80 connecting Laramie and Walcott Junction on Friday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m., in room 1302.

Waggener is an archivist at the University of Wyomings American Heritage Center and writer of the book The Snow Chi Minh Trail: The History of I-80 Between Laramie and Walcott Junction.

The 77-mile stretch of highway got its nickname Snow Chi Minh Trail from long-haul truckers negatively referencing the Ho Chi Minh Trail, in Vietnam.

The perilous mountain roadway in Vietn...
@USDA is taking steps towards more local control of school meal menus, since we all want kids to have nutritious meals that also taste good. pic.twitter.com/nsOI3ykXzY -- Sec. Sonny Perdue (@SecretarySonny) May 1, 2017

The U.S. Department of Agriculture published revised school meal rules Wednesday, locking in a pledge Secretary Sonny Perdue made in May to ease heightened nutrition standards championed by former first lady Michelle Obama.

Child nutrition advocates had said those rules were necessary to curb growing rates of childhood obesity. But some, including industry groups representing school nutrition professionals, said the regulations were costly to follow and that students werent eating the healthier meals.

It doesnt do any good to serve nutritious meals if they wind up in the trash can, Perdue said in a statement. These flexibilities give schools the local control they need to provide nutritious meals that school children find appetizing.

The interim final rule includes these changes:



Schools can serve 1 percent flavored milk. Under the previous rule, flavored milk had to be non-fat.

States can grant exemptions from whole-grain rich food requirements for schools that struggle to find compliant products, like pastas.

Schools can continue to serve meals that fall under current sodium restrictions throughout the 2018-19 school year. Those restrictions were previously scheduled to be lowered, further limiting the amount of salt that could be used in school meals.

The School Nutrition Association, an industry group, praised the changes and said it is assembling a working group to recommend even more rollbacks.

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a group that has championed the rules, said in a statement that the eased restrictions arent necessary because most schools were already meeting the heightened requirements.

Every child deserves a healthy futurenow is not the time to reverse progress toward that reality, the organization said. Instead of lowering standards, we need to provide additional training and resources to the minority of schools that have difficulty meeting sodium targets and whole grain requirements. Schools need our support to continue offering meals that keep kids healthy, an investment in our childrens health that will best prepare the next generation for success.
Wyoming mystery author C.M. Wendelboe is visiting Rock Springs on Friday, Dec. 8. Stop by Rock Springs Library, 400 C. Street, at noon to see him. He will be talking about his books and giving tips to anyone looking to get published.

Wendelboes books include the Spirit Road Mystery series and his newly released novels Backed to the Wall: A Tucker Ashley Western Adventure and Hunting the Five Point Killer: A Bitter Wind Mystery.

Wendelboe entered the law enforcement profession when he was discharged from the Marines as the Vietnam War was winding down. In the 1970s, his caree...
New Jersey wrongly billed Medicaid for more than $300 million worth of services that the state provided to students with disabilities between 2003 and 2015, and it needs to pay that money back, says a federal audit released Tuesday from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In addition, the federal government is questioning another $300 million in Medicaid that it provided to New Jersey for students with disabilities. HHS says that it wants to work with the state to find out just what portion of that money should be refunded.

Heres why the education system is involved in Medicaid in the first place: Since 1988, schools have been able to get money from the federal government for certain services that they provide to Medicaid-eligible children with disabilities, such as occupational, speech, or physical therapy.

The federal government also allows states to bill for services related to evaluating a child who might have a disabilitybut only for the portion of the evaluation that would determine a childs health-related needs.

Medicaid provides about $4 billion to schools, making it the third largest federal source of funds for K-12 education. When Congress debated changes to the Affordable Care Act this spring, school advocacy groups fought vigorously against any proposed changes that would cut Medicaid reimbursements .

In this complex case, the office of the inspector general in HHS is arguing that New Jersey didnt use the right calculations to determine how much it should bill Medicaid for these services and evaluations.

But New Jersey and the company it used to handle Medicaid billing, Public Consulting Group, say the audits findings are incorrect.

In a statement provided to HealthLeaders Media , a spokeswoman for New Jerseys department of health services said the federal report is just the first step in a process. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services must evaluate the audit and the states responses, and if theres still disagreement, the case could eventually end up in federal court, Nicole Brossoie told the news site.
A camouflage crossbow with a scope. Automatic rifles. A .44 Magnum revolver as long as my forearm.

These were some of the weapons seized by Greensboro police on the basis of anonymous tips.

Many people believe its impossible to get illegal firearms out of circulation, but you can cut down on the numbers with programs like Gun Stoppers.

An expansion of the Crime Stoppers program, this focuses attention on one particular crime: possession of an illegal weapon.

This covers guns that cant be sold legally or have been altered in such a way that they violate the law. It can also mean guns that have been stolen, guns that have been used in a crime or guns possessed by people who are banned from having guns, such as convicted felons.

Tips are submitted anonymously and result in a minimum cash reward of $250 if a weapon is recovered or an arrest takes place as a result. The Greensboro Police Department funded the program with $6,000 and will increase funding to $8,000 next year.

Its a good investment.

Since February, 33 firearms were recovered, 24 cases were solved, and 18 people were arrested, resulting in 101 felony charges. Those people likely will end up in jail, and the firearms collected will never again be used in a crime.

This is a promising start for a smart program with the potential to make a big difference in our community. It also demonstrates that the police department is willing to try new strategies to reduce violent crime.

Because tips are anonymous, the program allows family members, friends and significant others a safe avenue for getting an illegal gun out of the hands of someone who might do them harm, do themselves harm or harm others.

If youre afraid to call, you can now text Gun Stoppers and Crime Stoppers. Although this method is relatively new, texting now accounts for 25 percent of the tips received, Crime Stoppers President Kevin von der Lippe said.

One of the guns recovered had been used in five robberies. Eight were in the hands of convicted felons.

One of the things weve learned ... is that where there are illegal guns, there are other crimes, Chief Wayne Scott said Tuesday at a press conference. Along with the guns, a table was piled with seized drugs valued at $187,068. Officers also recovered $56,369 in property and $119,192 in cash.

In one case, an individual opened fire on the officers as they followed up on a tip. Anyone willing to open fire on a police officer certainly wouldnt shrink at using a gun on an average citizen.

Thats what cant be calculated: the crimes that might have been committed, the drugs that might have been sold, the people who might have been injured or killed had those guns  and those individuals  remained in circulation.

Programs like these are increasingly important while gun-control measures are stymied in Congress and in state legislatures by the powerful gun lobby. But, although this program disrupts the commission of gun-related crimes, it comes after the fact of gun possession.

Universal background checks could help keep guns from getting into the wrong hands to begin with. Background checks do not limit the right of qualified Americans to buy guns. The program simply puts safeguards in place to make sure the buyer is eligible to own a gun.

Laws requiring background checks at gun shows and banning gun sales to convicted felons, people with mental-health problems and people on terrorist watch lists are supported by 85 to 92 percent of Americans.

Instead, gun regulations have been relaxed nationally and locally. Our society now has more guns than people, and they are allowed in more places. Since 2015 in North Carolina, residents can carry concealed weapons in parks, greenways, bars and, as long as it is properly secured, on school grounds.

But many people dont properly secure their guns. Guns stolen from homes and cars account for most of the stolen guns in circulation, Scott said.

Research indicates that some 380,000 guns are stolen each year, two-thirds of which are stolen in the South. The Southern region has the dubious distinction of containing the highest percentage of households with firearms and the least safe storage practices.

Safe storage protects your family from accidental gun injury, but it also protects the police officer or innocent victim who might be killed or injured if your gun ends up in the wrong hands.

If we claim the right to own firearms, we also must claim the responsibility. And we must support laws that ensure only those willing and able to own and use a gun legally and responsibly have the ability to buy them.
GREENSBORO  Laid-off employees of Cone Denim wont have to hit the streets to hunt for work when their plant closes.

At least 11 textile and other manufacturers are ready to interview some 200 workers who will lose their jobs when the White Oak Plant closes at the end of the year.

Company spokeswoman Delores Sides said this week that Cone Denim will hold a job fair on Wednesday at the Revolution Mill office and residential complex, which has donated space for the veteran employees to talk with their potential next employers.

More than 20 companies expressed interest in the job fair, Sides said, and we are still in the process of confirming who is able to attend. Confirmed companies are:

Gildan Yarn

FairyStone Fabrics

Burlington Technologies

Ralph Lauren

Resource Manufacturing

Copland Fabrics

Carolina Narrow Fabrics

Workforce Unlimited

St. John Packaging

Mount Vernon Mills

Herbalife

In addition, we have worked closely with the Workforce Development group who has conducted educational seminars and workshops with employees to assist with job searches and preparing resumes, Sides said. Additional sessions are planned for December.

In what Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan called a gut punch to the citys business tradition, Cones owner, International Textile Group, said in October its plant would close at the end of December after 112 years of operation.

As millions of consumers wore jeans made at the plant, thousands of Greensboro workers raised families for more than a century on wages they earned at White Oak, building a culture and a corporate legacy that now survives only as a brand name in the city of its origin.

For the first time since the late 1800s, workers in Greensboro no longer will make a product under the name Cone, one of the citys indelible founding families.

White Oak, once the worlds largest denim plant, at 1.6 million square feet with 2,500 workers at its peak, has been hailed in recent years as an innovative survivor in an economy that has been brutal for the textile industry, using its vintage looms to make denim in small batches for high-fashion jeans.

But the company said in a news release that changes in market demand in recent years have significantly reduced order volume at the facility. The cost of operating a cavernous plant with a fraction of its peak production levels was too high, the company said.

In a bittersweet touch, Greensboro-based Wrangler will sell jeans made from one of the last runs of fabric milled at White Oak in its pop-up store that opens Friday in downtown Greensboro.
Thelonious Monk was known as one of two of the greatest jazz legends ever born in North Carolina, along with John Coltrane. He was known for his hats, goatee and stylish clothes. He was known as an eccentric who showed up chronically late for performances and struggled with mental health issues.

But more than anything else, Monk was known for his piano playing. He pioneered an angular, dissonant style that retained a strong sense of melody while pushing jazz beyond the realm of mainstream dance music. He claimed to have originated bebop and resented the credit accorded Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker for that accomplishment.

Robin D.G. Kelley explores all those facets of Monks life and many others in Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original.

First published in 2009, the biography has been revised and updated for Monks 100th birthday this year.

Kelley, a history professor at UCLA and the author of several books, recreates Monks life and times in extraordinary detail. He follows Monks career almost week to week during his creative heyday in the 1940s through 60s, recounting isolated moments of triumph amid long years spent struggling to find work and barely making ends meet.

At 596 pages, including notes and index, this is a book for dedicated music fans interested in a deep dive into Monks world. Everybody who was anybody in the world of mid-20th century jazz makes an appearance, along with an endless parade of Monk sidemen  including a few who went onto greatness in their own right, such as Coltrane and Sonny Rollins.

The author covers Monks birth in Rocky Mount in 1917, providing rich context for what freedom would have meant to an African-American family in the South only a few decades removed from the era of slavery  and establishing the importance of freedom in Monks approach to music. A recurring narrative thread follows Monks encounters with and support for the civil rights movement.

Kelley tracks the familys move to New York City when Monk was 4 and paints a rich portrait of the San Juan Hill neighborhood in Manhattan that helped turn him into a trailblazing musician.

Monks personal life gets a substantial amount of ink, from his courtship and role as husband and father of two children to his lifelong struggles with bipolar disorder and substance abuse. Monks wife, Nellie, gets her due for her role in managing Monks life and career, despite her own chronic health problems.

Kelley never shies away from detailing Monks eccentricities and personal failings, but he succeeds in the books primary missions: debunking the twin myths that Monk was a spaced-out man-child disconnected from everyday life and a musical primitive whose style stemmed from his limited formal knowledge of music.

He received a formidable music education and worked very hard to achieve his distinctive sound, Kelley writes in the books prelude. Nor did he withdraw into an isolated musical meditation, away from the world.

Elsewhere in the book, the author illustrates how Monk would first approach a piece of music more or less conventionally, then meticulously break it down and reassemble it until he had transformed it into something uniquely his own. The book makes it clear that Monks unconventional approach to music was a conscious choice borne of tedious labor. Sidemen always found it a challenge to accompany him. Kelley quotes drummer Billy Higgins as saying that working with Monk taught him when not to play.

To give Monk his due, the author interviewed Monks musical colleagues, relatives and friends; pored through the pianists personal archives; watched television and film appearances; and unearthed countless old newspaper and magazine stories and reviews.

Kelleys writing style is generally straightforward and matter of fact. The author almost never calls attention to himself, and his occasional personal asides are judicious and informative. But he has an eye for the telling detail that helps flesh out Monk as a quirky, memorable character, whether its the picture of Billie Holiday he taped to the ceiling above his bed as a young man to the three kangaroo-skin coats he bought years later during his first trip to Australia.

As Monk once told an interviewer, Sometimes its to your advantage for people to think youre crazy.

Kelley argues that some of Monks eccentricities were designed to keep the public at arms length, though Monks long, slow slide into crippling mental illness is undeniable. A quack treated him for years with vitamin shots secretly laced with amphetamines. Monk spent the latter part of his career in a fog induced by excessive doses of Thorazine intended to treat his bipolar disorder, aggravated by alcohol and street drugs.

Toward the end of his life, he spent most days dressed in a suit and tie, lying in bed watching The Price is Right. He was only in early 60s, but his days as a performer and recording artist were long past.

Monk left behind a rich recorded legacy of his work, and his already lofty reputation has grown in the 31/2 decades since his death. He was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2006, among other high honors, and Duke University honored him earlier this fall with a 10-day centennial festival of concerts featuring such latter-day jazz luminaries as Ravi Coltrane, Joshua Redman and Ethan Iverson.

This updated biography is one more worthy addition to the Monk canon.
The United States appears to have taken sides in the great Middle East confrontation between Shia Islam and Sunni Islam, which is to say, in geopolitical terms, between Iran and Saudi Arabia. We have chosen the Saudis. And, in choosing the Saudis, we have specifically chosen the ultraconservative branch of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism. I chanced the other day to come across an opinion piece Fareed Zacharia wrote in May, in which he described the power structure of modern Saudi Arabia as resting on three pillars: the Saud family, the Arab tribes and the Wahhabi sect of Sunni Islam.

The U.S. has made a strange choice. Wahhabism is an extreme, fundamentalist form of Islam that had its origins in Saudi Arabia and, until recently, was only to be found there. It is, to say the least, uncompromising. Wahhabi teachings stipulate that the most extreme form of Sharia law supersedes all state law everywhere. Islamists who do not subscribe to Wahhabi beliefs are apostates and deserve to die and so on. If all this sounds familiar, it should. Thats because there is a profound resonance between the teachings of the Wahhabis who have enormous influence over Saudi society and the beliefs and teachings of the Islamic State, our sworn enemies. According to a former Imam of the Saudi Grand Mosque, the Islamic State "...exploited our own principles, that can be found in our books...We follow the same thought but apply it in a more refined way.

Fifty years ago, this puritanical, fundamentalist form of Sunni Islam was to be found only in Saudi Arabia and was far less powerful within that country than it is now. It acquired its power by making a deal with the Saud family of the you-scratch-my-back-and-I-will-scratch-yours kind. The Saud family gave the Wahhabi sect free reign in their country in exchange for the sects backing of the Saud family claim to political power. Religious and social power was exchanged for political and economic power.

And thus was born one of the most successful education reforms the world has ever seen. The Wahhabis first took over the schools in Saudi Arabia and then, with the full backing of the Saud family and its oil money, which continues to the present day, began to export Wahhabi schools all over the world.

Over the years, that expansion has been greatly facilitated by two dynamics. First, in the 1960s and 1970s, rapid economic expansion in Western Europe created a demand for low-skill labor that could not be satisfied locally, leading to the importation of low-skill labor on a vast scale from the Eastern Mediterranean basin. Some of these people were Islamists. Originally called guest workers, because they were only supposed to be there for a while, they stayed and their children knew no other home. Socially isolated, undereducated and often despised by their hosts, they were an easy target for Saudi-funded schools that taught not math and the language of their host country and modern science, but rather hate and grievance to their young and impressionable students, who then grew up jobless, rootless and eager to belong to something they could believe in.

To that diaspora another, much larger one was added, the great exodus caused by the economic stress and political conflagration in the modern Middle East as the explosion of Syria and Iraq produced millions of refugees and many others came from Libya and other North African countries as they too, failed after the withering of the Arab Spring.

Wahhabi schools, funded by enormous sums of Saudi money, exert a dispiritingly outsized influence on the ideas, beliefs and commitments of millions of students all over the world now. This is not a benign influence. This risks creating a world-wide army of young people eager to die for their cause as they destroy everything the United States stands for. As we play whack-a-mole with the Islamic State, we do nothing to weaken the growing influence of the schools in which their replacements are being grown every day in far greater numbers than they are being reduced by our military on the battlefield.

The great danger to Europe now is not from Middle Eastern nationals sneaking into their countries eager to create mayhem. It is from European nationals who went to Wahhabi-funded schools in Europe and were radicalized right there. These are the hardest threats for Western intelligence agencies to identify. The only weapon they need is a large truck. And hate, which is taught in plenty, right down the street at their schools.

I know of no more impressive instance of soft power than the rise of Wahhabi fundamentalist schools throughout the Sunni diaspora. Dollar for dollar, it has been a far better investment for the Saud family than any dollar invested in military hardware. And it is being used against us and against everything we stand for, every day.

Islam is a moderate, tolerant religion as are the vast majority of Muslims around the world. There is some reason to believe that the young crown prince now running Saudi Arabia might at long last be prepared to break the deal with the Wahhabi sect that has made it possible for them to use their schools to spread hate around the world. we can only hope so.

Soft power seems to be out of fashion now, here in the United States. I can only muse about what might happen if we took a leaf from the Saudi book and began once again to help young people around world understand the dangers of intolerance and fundamentalism and the attractions of liberty and freedom. Or, for that matter, helped young people around the world learn something about math and science and music and art instead of hate and the making of homemade explosives.

Too expensive? Well, just take a look at the return on investment from Wahhabi schools before you come to that conclusion.
GREENSBORO

From elementary school, through her years at Weaver Academy and Guilford College, Kate Mitchell long has loved studying art.

But Mitchell didnt discover printmaking until she took Professor Roy Nydorfs woodcut class in her sophomore year at Guilford.

That class hooked her on the art form.

Printmaking requires so much strength and precision and time, and I just really enjoy the outcome and the process, Mitchell said.

Starting this weekend, Mitchell will get to display her talent at the 38th annual Winter Show at GreenHill gallery in the Greensboro Cultural Center.

At 23, Mitchell is among the youngest of 111 North Carolina artists chosen to exhibit work.

Being fresh out of college and already being in a show surrounded by artwork made by so many talented North Carolina artists is a really big deal, Mitchell said. Im very honored to do this.

Four of Mitchells linocut prints join more than 500 works on display.

Visitors will find not only prints, but paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, glass, ceramics, jewelry, woodwork and fiber arts. Pieces range in price from a $15 vase to a $10,000 solid bronze sculpture in three parts.

Those who pay to attend Saturdays Collectors Choice fundraising party can mingle with artists over food and wine.

Others can attend the free public opening on Sunday.

I hope that they get a sense of the art of their time, and the art thats being created in their neighborhood, said Edie Carpenter, GreenHills director of curatorial and artistic programs. They will have this wonderful, intense experience of being able to see a wide range of work all together in one place.

At Sundays public opening, students from Weaver Academy will act as docents. Each has selected a specific artist to interview and study and will introduce that artists work to visitors.

Last years Winter Show ranked among the best in sales. Carpenter hopes for a similar level this year.

Artists and the nonprofit GreenHill share proceeds from art sales.

So it helps GreenHill, and it helps the artist also, Carpenter said.

Carpenter selected works for the show. Several of their creators come from Greensboro, others from Charlotte, Asheville, the Triangle, Seagrove and other locales around the state.

She draws from artists who have exhibited at GreenHill before, as well as those who never have.

She canvasses the state to find them, exploring other group exhibitions as a visitor or a judge.

To be exhibited in GreenHill, you should have had at least a one-person exhibition somewhere, whether in a small gallery or in a major art space, Carpenter said. So Im always looking at these organizations and galleries to see what theyre showing.

The tallest work in the show? A large, smooth wooden vessel more than 6 feet tall, made from a tree trunk by Anatoly Tsiris of Charlotte.

The most expensive? A $10,000 three-part bronze sculpture titled Progression, by Pat Wasserboehr, who teaches sculpture at UNC-Greensboro.

To me, its unique, Carpenter said. It would be really wonderful to have in your home.

Carpenter looks for variety in subjects and in media.

She brings some artists back to exhibit every few years.

Im also looking at, Are they doing something new? How has their work changed?  Carpenter said.

As Rebecca Fagg and Jack Stratton install the art, Carpenter walks the expansive gallery to the work of Triangle artist Julie Anne Greenberg.

Greenberg exhibited in a past Winter Show, but that work was in black and white.

In this show, she drops water to create patterns on colorful screenprints, then cuts the screenprints into shapes and arranges them to depict storms.

Greensboro artist Agnes Preston Brame has displayed her paintings in the Winter Show periodically in the past few decades. Carpenter invited her again this year.

Her paintings are very different from the last works we showed of hers, Carpenter said. She wasnt doing figurative painting at all ... She said she hadnt given herself this liberty, to do the figure in this way. Shes just enjoying it, and you can really see that in these works.

Carpenter also finds new artists through other artists, as well as through the Open NC Art Review that she conducts twice a year at GreenHill. Artists present images of their work in a five-minute slideshow, and Carpenter and other art professionals offer feedback.

Thats how she discovered Regina Calton Burchett of Concord and her charcoal drawings.

I was thinking, I would really like to have some landscape drawing in the show, and I remembered when she presented, Carpenter said.

Winter Show displays four of them, including Evening at Julian Price Park at the foot of Grandfather Mountain.

Also chosen for the first time are mobiles from Jay Jones of Greensboro, and molds of manhole covers made from handmade paper by Vito Ciccone of Greensboro.

Carpenter discovered Kate Mitchells work at her senior thesis show at Guilford College.

Kate Mitchells linocut prints depicting a bouquet of flowers or a single birthday candle are actually the portraits of the artist as a young woman, Carpenter said. When I saw them at Kates graduate exhibit at Guilford College, I was struck by the way she invested these common objects with value that creates a kind of visual poetry in her printmaking.

Mitchells prints depict objects against clean, clear backgrounds of paper. She likes that simplicity.

She sketches her print in Photoshop first, mapping out what each layer will look like. She then transfers sketches to linoleum to carve.

She carves a design on a block of linoleum as a relief surface, much like a stamp. She inks the linoleum design and runs it through a press to imprint it onto paper.

Each layer requires a different ink and different stamp.

One linocut depicts her birthday bouquet of coral roses and babys breath. That called for five printings to add each color.

One shows a celebratory apple pie that went uneaten on Election Night 2016, when Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump.

Another displays a key.

My sister and brother-in-law had just bought a house, she says. The key was on a table, and it was Halloween, and we were watching a movie. I just like how, when I see an object, I can remember specific memories Ive had in association with them. Its like a piece of remembrance.

Mitchells muscular dystrophy makes it more difficult to produce work, because carving linoleum is a strenuous task, she said.

I cant make work as fast as my peers do, Mitchell said. But I feel like I put so much effort and so much concentration into what I want to accomplish that theres nothing lacking in my end result.

At her thesis show at Guilford, Mitchell projected animation over her prints. Shes now focusing on her linocuts, but might resume making a combination of prints and animation, she said.

Mitchell sold several of her prints at her thesis show. Those in the Winter Show range in price from $300 to $700.

Now that she has graduated from college, Mitchell makes her art in the home that she shares with her parents, Tom and Melissa Mitchell. After her sister Emma married, she turned Emmas bedroom into an art studio.

She plans to attend Saturdays Collectors Choice fundraising party and Sundays public opening.

I think it would be really good to meet other artists and to get to know the art community that Im entering, she said.
Winston-Salem  Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Solutions has paid four executives a combined $3.8 million in severance packages, defying state officials orders not to do so, according to a letter by the states health secretary.

Dr. Mandy Cohens letter was addressed to the co-chairs of legislative oversight health care committees.

Cohen spoke with the co-chairs over the Thanksgiving holiday before ordering on Monday the operational takeover of Cardinal by state health officials and the removal of the Cardinal board of directors.

Monday was the last day for the four Cardinal executives, including Executive Director Richard Topping. Topping was fired by the Cardinal board on Nov. 17, although the board chose to allow him to stay in his job until Dec. 1.

The severance payments, which Cohen described as exorbitant, were made despite explicit instructions to the Cardinal board of directors regarding the lawful management of public funds.

Topping was paid $1.7 million in severance after the end of his 26-month tenure over the states largest behavioral health managed-care organization, which has Alamance, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Rockingham and Stokes among its 20 counties. There are about 96,000 Medicaid enrollees in those counties.

Three other executives resigned Nov. 20: Pete Murphy, its chief information officer; Will Woodell, the chief operating officer; and Dr. Ranota Hall, the chief medical officer. Murphys severance package was $740,000, Woodells was $690,000 and Halls was $684,000.

Cardinal previously said severance packages for the four executives were contractually scheduled to be paid over two years. Cardinal had said Toppings severance package included two years worth of salary and long-term compensation.

Cohen said payment of the severance packages led DHHS to conclude that we can no longer rely on the board and executive leadership at Cardinal Innovations to bring Cardinal into compliance with its legal requirements.

Dave Richard, deputy health secretary and head of the states Medicaid program, said that DHHS will issue a demand letter to Cardinal for payment from their administrative funds (of) the amount paid in severance to the CEO and any other member of Cardinals leadership.

Several legislative leaders from both parties are encouraging Cohen to pursue legal actions to retrieve the severance package funding.

Im not certain how those funds will be recovered, said state Sen. Joyce Krawiec (R-Forsyth), a health care oversight committee member. Likely, those negotiations are taking place.

As long as Cardinal is held accountable to the taxpayers and its done in a transparent manner, I believe citizens will feel as if we are moving in the right direction.

Cardinal oversees providers of services for mental health, developmental disorders and substance abuse for Medicaid enrollees.

Cardinal is qualified to receive $100 million in state and federal money from the N.C. Division of Mental Health, along with $238 million in state Medicaid and $483 million in federal Medicaid money.

Cardinal and Topping have for years viewed the agency as an independent contractor as part of state Medicaid reform, gaining financial and business flexibility from the state legislature beyond those of other MCOs.

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.

State Auditor Beth Wood said in a scathing May report that Cardinals whole independent contractor claims have been taken out of context, and they are being misleading when they say they are.

The same audit determined that Topping had been paid $1.2 million in salary in excess of what is permitted by state law by a behavioral health MCO.

This year alone, Toppings salary bounced from $635,000 to $400,000 on July 1, then to $617,526 on Oct. 15 and then to $204,195 on Oct. 17  the maximum permitted by state law for the top position of a behavioral health MCO.

In September, the Cardinal board buckled under a threat by Topping to resign if it did not restore his salary back to $635,000 from the $400,000 he had agreed to take in July as part of addressing the state auditors report.

State Sen. Tommy Tucker (R-Union), a co-chairman of a legislative oversight health care committee, said that when DHHS provided Cardinal management and its board with a corrective action plan in October, Cardinal chose not to embrace it.

They had clearly lost sight of their mission to serve, and Topping became toxic to the whole organization, so Secretary Cohen had the legislative blessing to take these steps, Tucker said.

The severance package approved by the board to the Cardinal management was the crowning incentive to replace Topping and the board, Tucker said.
Donald Trump is supporting conservative Judge Roy Moore. President Trump is so much against liberalism that he would rather have someone who might have molested children in the U.S. Senate than a liberal.

When did conservatives turn the word liberal into a dirty word? Liberals supported equal rights for women when conservatives thought that men should have more rights than women. Liberals supported equal rights for black people when conservatives thought that white people should have more rights. Liberals want to help the poor, sick and disabled.

I could go on but I guess we are really living in Trumpworld, now so I guess I should shut up and drink the Kool-Aid.

Chuck Mann

Greensboro
EDEN  The City of Edens brand will get a full makeover now that the council has approved about $17,000 for the project.

As part of Edens strategic plan, the city laid out plans to rebrand and unify the community with a new logo and branding.

In his presentation to council on Nov. 21, City of Eden Main Street Manager Randy Hunt said, Our objectives coming into it was to provide a consistent brand for Eden as a community and across traditional downtown areas, allow each commercial area to retain an identity but be part of a greater whole of Eden business and create a recognizable logo that'll be used by the city and other entities such as the Eden Chamber of Commerce.

The city sent out requests for proposals to 13 companies and to a listserv reaching about 600 planners. In total, city staff received four responses.

The council voted unanimously to approve the recommended contract with Arnett Muldrow and Associates, the same company behind Eden's 2005 "Land of Two Rivers" rebranding campaign and the City of Reidsvilles current logo.

This organization has completed 450 brand plans in 35 states and three countries, Hunt said. In North Carolina, theyve completed 72 projects, 41 of which involved brands and marketing.

The $17,210 contract came in at the lowest cost compared to the other three responses at about $27,000, $29,000 and $58,000.

The funds would draw from the $300,000 budget set aside for the Eden Strategic Community Plan. Accounting for the cost of this branding study contract, Eden would still have $188,943 remaining in strategic plan funds.

If you look at the strategic plan, the branding study is one of the main recommendations within that first strategy area in terms of economic vitality and downtown revitalization, again in an effort to help identify the various areas in the town into some kind of cohesive unit, said City Manager Brad Corcoran.

The city expects Arnett Muldrow and Associates to promote citizen engagement and feedback in this rebranding process.

During the strategic planning process, the city hosted two public outreach meetings and collected names of citizens interested in working with the city on implementation of the strategic plan. The city asked Arnett Muldrow and Associates to contact these people to get input.

Their approach involves engaging the community stakeholders in focus group sessions as part of their branding workshop, Hunt said. They've established that they've been flexible to accommodate Eden's unique request to assure business owner and citizen involvement and input.

Arnett Muldrow and Associates can begin the process as early as December if requested. In all, the process will take about three to four months, according to Hunt.

Once the new logo and brand is developed, the city will reinforce the brand through social media and public displays, possibly including banners similar to the 50th anniversary banners. The city may also pursue local media options.

Weve got to bring in this cohesiveness, Hunt said. Not only with the age groups of the span of these businesses and citizens that have been in this area, but we also have to bring in The Boulevard. We've got to bring in and brand Draper and Spray. It's got to have a cohesiveness like a brand we've not seen in the past.
A blog for the Bloomingdale neighborhood in Washington, DC.
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Connecticut has a low business tax rate or one of the countrys highest levels  depending on the math.

The tax structure continues to attract scrutiny as public officials and business leaders try to jump-start growth in a state with a sputtering jobs recovery. From the vantage point of officials leading the new Fairfield County Five economic-development consortium, Connecticuts tax levels are a key selling point. But others see a state weighed down with too many taxes, an effect they say creates an inhospitable business environment.

When youre looking at the tax implications of a state, there are many drivers, which are limited to not just the corporate tax base, but also include property taxes and sales and use and income taxes, said Milo Peck III, manager of professional-services firm RSMs state and local tax practice in Connecticut.

Differing views

As an example of the areas affordability compared with New York City, a Fairfield County Five presentation cites Connecticuts total effective business tax rate. The total rate measures the ratio of state and local taxes to private-sector gross state product.

At 3.5 percent, Connecticuts rate ranked in the 2016 fiscal year as the lowest in the country alongside those of Michigan and Missouri, according to a report by professional-services firm EY, the State Tax Research Institute and the Council on State Taxation. Among bordering states, New York posted a 5.8 percent rate, Rhode Island 5.2 percent and Massachusetts 4.1 percent.

The effective tax rate is very important to companies that are either here or are looking to locate to Connecticut, said Thomas Madden, Stamfords economic development director. A lot of states have tax rates that look good on paper but hide the overall effective tax rates in county and city sales tax, escalating corporate tax, payroll tax and property tax.

Connecticut yields a total rate well below the national average of 4.5 percent largely because it hosts a number of high-output industries, including insurance, aerospace and financial services that contribute significantly to the gross state product, according to the report.

Maryland and Connecticut produce the smallest shares of overall tax receipts from business taxes, about 30 percent in both cases. In the two states, high earners contribute significantly to income tax receipts that outweigh business collections, according to the report.

As a result, the total rate offers only a starting point for comparing states tax burdens, and not enough data on its own to judge states tax competitiveness, the report said.

Other assessments give Connecticut low marks for its tax structure. A report earlier this year by the Washington, D.C.-based think tank Tax Foundation ranked Connecticut as the seventh-worst business tax climate. New York ranked second worst; New Jersey received the lowest score.

Most businesses in the state are pass-through entities, and we are well-known as a high-tax state with no itemized deductions allowed, said state Sen. L. Scott Frantz, R-Greenwich, who is also co-chairman of the state Legislatures Commerce Committee. We are not competitive from a tax point of view.

Wyoming, South Dakota and Alaska ranked in the Tax Foundation study as the states with the best tax climates.

In our pitch to businesses, I dont lead with saying, We are a low-cost state. Thats not true, said Catherine Smith, Connecticuts economic development commissioner. We are a high-value state. You pay more, but you get more. We have a very educated and productive workforce, wonderful cultural assets and an overall very high quality of life.

Changing tax structure

As it has faced a series of budget deficits, the state has instituted several major tax hikes during Gov. Dannel P. Malloys seven-year tenure. In Malloys first year in office, the state Legislature raised the sales tax from 6 percent to 6.35 percent and the top marginal income tax from 6.5 percent to 6.7 percent.

Four years later, the Legislature passed a budget with $2 billion worth of new taxes. The plan ramped up the corporate tax liability by about $500 million.

The 2017-19 budget passed in October  four months after it was supposed to be enacted  held the line on sales and income taxes. It levied a handful of increases, including a hike on cigarette taxes and a fee on ride-sharing services, and scaled back some tax credits.

Future changes to the states tax structure could hinge on whether tax reform is passed by Congress.

But public officials as well as tax experts, also acknowledge that businesses do not decide where to operate solely on the amount they pay to local and state governments.

There are a lot of positives to being in the Northeast, said RSMs Peck. Weve never heard of a discussion of a company relocating from Connecticut to Alaska, Wyoming or South Dakota because of the taxes.

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschott
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Silver Sands State Park in Milford may seem like a pristine, grassy marsh leading to a Long Island Sound beach if you walk along the boardwalk and dont look too closely.

In fact, the park that attracts 250,000 people a year is built on an old town landfill and the former site of 75 houses that were destroyed in a 1955 storm. The state turned that mess into a park over many decades.

Now the state is about to spend $9.1 million on another round of upgrades, including a maintenance building that will save money on moving equipment around, more parking, food concessions, a lifeguard station and, hold on to your shorts, bathrooms.

Opponents  locals who dont want a more built-up beach park and state spending hawks  thought they had a winning case. If people in town dont want it and the state is broke, why spend the money?

More broadly, why borrow $1.94 billion this year to pay for a laundry list of capital improvements?

Lots of reasons. Chiefly, Connecticut is not a poor, developing nation, its the richest state. We cant escape our fiscal hell by halting maintenance and upgrades on our assets.

We still need to attract and keep people and companies. Having four civilized beach parks if youre a state with 3.6 million people and 332 jagged miles of coastline is very much a part of that. Projects of this sort are not the problem.

The issue came to a head Wednesday morning at the Capitol in Hartford, where a panel of nine powerful state officials, led by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, approved the third and final tranche of bonding projects for 2017. Two items, the $9.1 million for Silver Sands and $40 million to once again patch up the aging XL Center in Hartford, came under fire from the Republicans on the panel, Rep. Christopher Davis, R-Ellington, and Sen. L. Scott Frantz, R-Greenwich.

Now is not the time to be bonding and adding to the states credit cards for projects that are simply wants and not needs, Davis said during a heated spat with Malloy.

Yes, we know the state is basically unable to pay its bills. We know tens of thousands of people could be thrown off the Medicaid rolls in the coming months among many others in jeopardy.

Spending millions on non-necessities sends the wrong message to the people of the state of Connecticut, Davis said.

Malloy fired back, Let me just be clearAre you advocating that we bond operating expenses?

The governor was making a distinction between regular, day-in, day-out state operations, which should be financed by tax collections, and one-time capital improvements, for which we borrow money like a homeowner taking out a mortgage.

Well governor, obviously it comes from the same well and that well is the taxpayer of the state of Connecticut, Davis said. It will be paid for by our children and our grandchildren.

Ah, the grandchildren. This is the rallying cry against borrowing and shorting the pension funds to make ends meet today. But its based on emotion and false logic.

We all agree that commitments made in the past, combined with lack of growth that results from the lack of magnet cities, have left us badly hurting. But we have to invest to dig ourselves out. Why should we, as struggling taxpayers, bear the whole brunt now when borrowing rates are low and returns are obvious?

Members of the Milford delegation said the state didnt listen to them when it planned the Silver Sands work. Malloy, not running for a third term, is now freer than ever to speak bluntly. His vehicle: Babies. You cant change a diaper in a portable toilet.

Again, its those kids.

This is about one community not wanting other people to use the beaches, the public state beaches, in its community, Malloy said. Its easy for people to live along that area to walk home and change their baby, but it isnt for people who have traveled a long way.

Forget diapers. Parks with modern amenities are a front-yard feature of any state, and they are what people remember. The 297-acre Silver Sands attracts one-quarter the crowds of Rocky Neck and barely more than a tenth of the Hammonasset throngs. This plan will add fewer than 200 parking spaces.

We think its an improvement for the public enjoyment, said Eric Hammerling, executive director of the private, nonprofit Connecticut Forest and Park Association. He added that the state changed the plans to solve objections of birders concerned about nesting plovers.

There are ways to cut capital spending. This years level is about $600 million less than most recent years. Theres fat in the details of $500 million for local schools and $50 million for small business handouts, for example  not in marquee beaches and city arenas that attract hundreds of thousands of people.

dhaar@hearstmediact.com
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MILFORD  On Tuesday, Milfords entire Hartford delegation staged a press conference deriding a $9.1 million improvement project for Silver Sands State Park.

Their appeal to the media was all for naught. Less than 24 hours after that event, the state Bond Commission approved $9.1 million to fund the construction of a number of amenities there, the only undeveloped one of the four shore-front state parks.

Todays decision was deeply disappointing, but not at all surprising, Slossberg said after the Bond Commission meeting. This project has been widely opposed from the beginning, and that opposition has consistently been ignored. The simple fact is that no one wants this project and the State of Connecticut cannot afford it.

The improvements will include a new concession building, restrooms and an office as well as a 4,700-square-foot maintenance garage  a garage that Slossberg described as a mansion.

Gov. Dannel Malloy defended the $9.1 million for improvements despite the local opposition, noting it's a state asset.

Back in March, DEEP Commissioner Robert Klee said the state considered the positive impact on the local economy that is likely to result from hosting a premier shoreline park. We are planning to proceed with this project because visitors deserve restrooms, changing areas and other modest amenities to make their visit sanitary, safe and convenient.

Klee said thousands of Connecticut families enjoy this park each year and that their experience would be improved with basic amenities.

But state Rep. Kim Rose, who joined Slossberg at Tuesdays press conference, said its not a dead issue.

We will see what we can do legislatively to stop it, Rose said.

But state officials have long sought to bring Silver Sands in line with the three other shorefront state parks  Hammonasset Beach, Rocky Neck and Sherwood Island. Other than portable toilets and a parking lot, there isnt much in the way of amenities there. A long boardwalk linking Silver Sands with the Walnut Beach enclave opened in 2011.

Milfordites have in recent years opposed the Silver Sands build out idea because they said that theyd have to pay for parking at a park that they frequent a lot.

But thats a moot issue now; the Legislature in recent weeks passed its Passport to Parks bill which gives state residents free parking at all state parks in exchange for a $5 assessment added per year to your vehicles registration charge.

Parking wasnt the only issue, Rose said. The scope of this project was absolutely nothing that we could support. I dont understand the need  already we have a quarter-million people going there in the summer.

Mayor Benjamin Blake suggested that DEEP (the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection) would be wise to consider a scaled-down effort at Silver Sands, which has only portable toilets and no place to change out of a wet swimsuit.

Sure, bathrooms would be great, he said. And how about lifeguards? Weve asked DEEP for lifeguards, but they turned us down  and there have been drownings out there. Why would they turn down lifeguards at $40,000 a year while backing an outlandish $9.1 million expansion?

jburgeson@ctpost.com
Former Jean Georges pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini has been accused of sexual harassment and more by four former employees. Photo: Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images

Star pastry chef turned food television personality Johnny Iuzzini has been accused of sexual harassment by four former employees. The incidents, reported by Mic, allegedly occurred during Iuzzinis time at Jean-Georges Vongerichtens flagship restaurant, Jean Georges. They were shared with writer Rachel Tepper Paley by two pastry chefs and two externs who worked under him from 2009 to 2011. All requested anonymity, one because of Iuzzinis influence and another out of fear of retribution.

Iuzzini left Jean Georges in November 2011, reportedly on good terms. Since then, he has made a career on television shows like Top Chef: Just Desserts, Chopped Desserts, The Great Holiday Baking Show, and more. Earlier this year, he opened a chocolate factory.

All four women describe a work environment beset by sexaul harassment. One pastry chef alleges that Iuzzini stuck his tongue in her ear on several occasions in 2011, causing her to cry each time. She says she resigned later that year, she tells Mic, because of the way he treated me. The other pastry chef shared a story in which Iuzzini allegedly followed her into the walk-in fridge, where he simulated sex and touched her hips. Iuzzini also allegedly touched womens behinds inappropriately with kitchen items like knives, long vegetables, and spoons. The second pastry chef said to Mic of those incidents, It was a big, huge joke to him.

Iuzzini is also accused of being verbally abusive; hovering right behind women and breathing on their necks; using offensive nicknames like Kimchee for an Asian woman; and demanding shoulder massages from some female employees. In a separate allegation, the two pastry chefs say that Iuzzini threw small, empty liquid-nitrogen canisters at a female employee who discovered a freezer had broken. The employee reportedly quit the next day, and told one of the pastry chefs that she feared for her life.

Both pastry chefs say they didnt believe Jean-Georges or his brother Philippe were aware of just how bad Iuzzinis behavior was initially, but Mics sources say management was by the time the chef resigned. (Iuzzini says he still has a good relationship with his former boss.) The first pastry chef says Philippe asked her if she wanted to report the incidents in 2011, but she declined because she feared Iuzzini would see it.

Iuzzini also allegedly had a sexual relationship with a 19-year-old aspiring pastry chef. When she emailed him about an interview, he asked her to come to his apartment, where she spent the night. She says that she wasnt coerced that night, but has grappled with how the then-36-year-old Iuzzini leveraged his power in their interactions.

While a spokesperson says the restaurant group has had a human-resources department since 2003, and that Philippe was trained to encourage people to come forward, three of the women say they were not aware of any official channels to report incidents. When the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported on John Beshs restaurant groups culture of sexual harassment, it was revealed that his 1,200-person company lacked an HR department. In response to a request from Grub Street, a spokesperson for Jean Georges Restaurants wrote:

Jean Georges and the entire restaurant group is troubled and frankly sickened at the thought that anything like what was described in the article could have occurred in our restaurants. We have long had an anti-harassment policy and reporting procedures in place and all employees have been provided with the policy and been made aware of the reporting mechanisms at the time of hire and again and at various intervals during employment. While we have certainly improved and fine-tuned our HR function over the years we have been committed to the underlining principles since the beginning of our organization. We are proud of our overall track record of responding to employee complaints and concerns when they come up and have certainly taken prompt and appropriate action when circumstances have warranted. Fortunately, to our knowledge they have been few and far between. However, we are distressed that some employees may not have felt comfortable coming forward at the time. It is not and has never been our policy to tolerate the type of behavior described in the article. Whether directed at women or men, yelling, berating, touching, or harassment of any kind is not how we operate our restaurants. Mr. Iuzzini has not been a part of our restaurant group for some time and does not represent our philosophy towards dining and more importantly, to our working environment.

In a statement to Mic, Iuzzini described himself as shattered and heartbroken over the allegations, while also describing many as inaccurate. (His statement has been published in full on Mic.) He says he never meant to hurt people, denies throwing nitrogen canisters at an employee, says he left the restaurant on good terms, and blames his behavior on growing up in the industrys male-dominated bro culture. The pervasiveness of that bro culture in restaurants is no secret  chef Preeti Mistry recently talked to Grub Street about the industrys blindness to abuse  but its no excuse.
The sentiment seems pretty clear. Photo: Chris Neal/AP

Tyson Foods pollutes more U.S. waterways than Exxon. Few Americans know this, but the ones likeliest to  farmers  are increasingly rebelling against the idea of having its smelly, potentially toxic plants in their communities. The Wall Street Journal dives into the biggest recent showdown, which occurred this fall, when Tyson pitched its first new chicken-processing facility in 20 years.

After much thought, the poultry giant picked Tonganoxie, a town located in Leavenworth, a major Kansas farming county, and made the locals some nice promises: The new plant would bring 1,600 jobs to the area, it would be a $150 million boon to the states economy, and it would provide struggling local farmers an easy way to sell grain, because Tysons birds would need 12 million bushels a year.

Residents said no thanks, swarming City Council board meetings by the hundreds, protesting in newspapers, and writing Leavenworth County commissioner Robert Holland so many angry letters that his mailbox wouldnt shut. Plus, He said he found dead chickens hurled onto his lawn and had photos of mangled birds mailed to his home.

The public outcry came to a head in September, during a countywide referendum on the $500 million worth of incentives it had offered Tyson. Every county commissioner but one voted no, and Tyson said au revoir.
Published on 2017/11/29 | Source

"Four Men" has a full line-up.

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Director Chang Tae-you helms "Four Men" with Park Hae-jin and Nana in the leading roles. Park Hae-jin and Chang Tae-you worked together on the SBS "My Love from the Star" four years ago.

Music director is Jeon Chang-yeop worked on "Deep-rooted Tree" and "My Love from the Star". He is responsible for many romantic hit OSTs.

The director of martial arts is Baek Kyung-chan from "Bad Guys", "Deep-rooted Tree", and "My Love from the Star". The cinematographer is Lee Yong-joo-II while the lighting director is Jeon Sung-geun.

This is a solid team that will be traveling to Indonesia and other Asian countries to shoot "Four Men".

Meanwhile, "Four Men" is about a man whose goal is to survive in life and another man who looks for answers in love. The drama begins filming in December.
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Hawaii Dusts Off Cold War-Era Sirens As North Korean Nuclear Shadow Looms

by Anders Hagstrom, Daily Caller, 11/28/2017

Hawaii will test its nuclear sirens for the first time since the end of the Cold War, implying that the state is taking ballistic missile threats from North Korea and Kim Jong Un seriously.

The state announced that, beginning Friday, residents will hear the nuclear warning siren on the first business day of every month just before noon, CNN reported Tuesday. Hawaii hasnt tested the system since the end of the Cold War, but even with it up and running, experts say residents can only expect to be alerted 15 minutes before a nuclear detonation.

Pacific Command would take about fives minutes to characterize a launch, where the missile is going, which means the population would have about 15 minutes to take shelter, Vern Miyagi, administrator for Hawaiis Emergency Management Agency told CNN. Its not much time at all. But it is enough time to give yourself a chance to survive.

Residents are instructed to find shelter and stay inside for at least 14 days after a detonation or until they are contacted by relief crews via radio.

South Korea has said that North Korea could become a fully-armed nuclear power in 2018 , with the capability of striking an American state, the closest of which is Hawaii.

North Korea has been developing its nuclear weapons at a faster-than-expected pace, Cho Myoung-gyon, South Koreas unification minister, told reporters at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents Club, We cannot rule out the possibility that North Korea may declare the completion of its nuclear program in 2018.

The Pentagon assessed this past summer that North Korea will be able to field a reliable, nuclear-capable long-range missile next year.
Check-ins, which provide a framework for managers and team members to continuously share genuine feedback.

MARVELs awards, which recognise team members who have gone above and beyond their roles.

CCEs, which publicly praise those who have delivered a compelling customer experience.

Just-in-time feedback, which enables immediate improvement when it matters. People are most effective when they know where they stand and TechnologyOne believe open communication inspires employees to do their best work.

hnologyOne is committed to providing an environment in which employees can be innovative, creative and realise their full potential, according to Jane Coe, Group Director, People & Culture at TechnologyOne.Our people are a crucial source of our competitive advantage, and we strategically invest heavily in activities that support the recruitment, retention and development of individual talent within our workforce, Coe told HRD.Each year, TechnologyOne invest over $4.5 million in training through the TechnologyOne College.Our college is an integral part of a considered approach to technical and professional development, said Coe.By having the right learning programs aligned to the specific needs of each role and strategically delivered, the TechnologyOne College provides employees with a single support solution for all their training and professional development needs.Moreover, a curriculum has been designed for each business stream. Within each curriculum, there are learning programs by position, which range from foundation to advanced and are based on job requirements and individual development plans.Courses may be delivered across multiple modes, including classroom-style training, workshops, webinars and self-paced online learning.In the 2017 financial year, TechnologyOne ran 519 training programs, with a total of 3,468 attendees.The TechnologyOne College continues to develop our training programs to ensure we are providing our people with avenues to develop their skills and careers, she said.Coe added that TechnologyOne believes in leadership at all levels.Our leadership model clearly communicates the expectations of our leaders and forms the foundation of our TechnologyOne Leadership Development Program, which is designed to grow the next generation of leaders from within the company, said Coe.Company-funded professional memberships are also made available to ensure employees are always up to date with the latest trends, knowledge, insight and external networking opportunities.Other systems and strategies we employ to support our high performance culture include:Coe said TechnologyOnes strategies and initiatives for maximising the potential of their people has proven successful.When surveyed, 73% of TechnologyOne employees reported feeling the work they do matters and 64% believe they are recognised for their achievements and accomplishments, said Coe.With opportunity to grow, recognition of achievement and provision to upskill, our people are given the support they need to reach their full potential.
majority of Australians (two-in-three) identify poor leadership as the main motivation to search for a new job, according to recent research by LinkedIn This new research is not surprising, said Keith Ayers, CEO of Integro Learning Company In fact, I saw research several years ago from the American Human Research Institute stating that 70% of people leaving their organisations did so primarily because of their relationship with their immediate manager, Ayers told HRD.People join companies, and leave managers.One of the more interesting pieces of research Ayers has seen has come from Leigh Branham, author of The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave.Branham reports that research conducted by The Saratoga Institute found that 89% of managers believe that employees leave the organisation for reasons related to money, according to an article quoted in the Harvard Management Update by Marie Gendron.The Saratoga Institute research also shows that 88% of already-departed employees say they left for reasons other than money.This disconnect in perception makes sense though, said Ayers.When the manager asks the departing employee why they are leaving they will almost always say I was made a better offer. What they wont say is: Im leaving because you are a jerk and I cant work for you!Ayers added that there are multiple common mistakes leaders make in their goal to become effective.He said the first mistake is to aspire to be a leader because of what you expect to get as a result  increased pay, position, status, autonomy, perks and recognition.If your focus is on what you will get  you will not be an effective leader, said Ayers.Great leaders focus on what they have to give  the value they can create for their organisation both in business results and in building a team of high performing, passionate people.The second big mistake is to believe that you are better than, or smarter than, your direct reports, said Ayers.No matter how smart you are, your team members have ideas that you have never thought of, and they see things that you cant see, he added.Being open to learning from everyone on the team is a key ingredient to leadership success.Going into 2018 and beyond, Ayers said leaders should have the following attributes: the ability to see others needs as at least as important as your own. Humble leaders build trust  arrogant leaders destroy trust. to be adaptable. The world is changing at an increasingly rapid pace. Leaders need to be alert and agile to capitalise on the opportunities being created by these changes.who are inspired by the leaders vision of what they are capable of achieving.Leadership is a Journey  a lifelong learning journey.Keith Ayers is Chairman and CEO of Integro Learning Company and author of Engagement is Not Enough: You Need Passionate Employees to Achieve Your Dream (Elevate, July 2008).




We're a family of seven living in Georgia where Andrew's working as a professor at GSU. You can read more about us here
As many as four-fifths (81%) of respondents indicated they are either somewhat or much concerned about international terrorism, signalling an increase of six percentage points from the previous year.

Climate change, international terrorism and the global refugee situation are among the chief concerns for Finns on the eve of the centenary of the independence of Finland, finds a survey commissioned by the Advisory Board for Defence Information (ABDI) .

Climate change is similarly a concern for a growing number of Finns, with three-quarters (75%) of respondents  four percentage points more than in the previous year  naming it as a concern. The share of respondents concerned about the global refugee situation, by contrast, has decreased moderately from 85 to 83 per cent since 2016.

Over two-thirds (68%) of respondents also voiced their concerns about the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and almost two-thirds (63%) about cyber threats against information networks.

Finlands continuing economic recovery, on the other hand, has seemingly alleviated several economy and employment-related concerns among Finns. The share of respondents concerned about the employment situation in Finland, for example, has decreased from 84 to 71 per cent and that of respondents concerned about the economic outlook for Europe from 75 to 65 per cent over the past twelve months.

Finns concerns about the situations in Syria and Ukraine have similarly lessened, although they remain a concern for 64 and 43 per cent of respondents respectively.

The survey was conducted between 22 September and 10 October by Taloustutkimus. It includes the responses of 1,001 1579-year-old people.

The ABDI also measured public support for membership in Nato. The share of respondents who believe the country should apply for the membership has decreased by three percentage points from the previous year to 22 per cent, with men (26%) being more eager join the defence alliance than women (18%).

Support for the membership has fallen sharply especially among 2534-year-old respondents  from 27 per cent in 2016 to 13 per cent in 2017.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Roni Lehti  Lehtikuva
YLE on Thursday reported that the share of voters who would cast their vote for the incumbent president has crept up from 76 to 80 per cent since October. His challengers, on the other hand, have seen their popularity wane over the past couple of weeks.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto has seen his already high popularity grow over the first few weeks of his re-election campaign.

Johanna Vuorelma, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki, states that voter support for the incumbent candidate is historically high.

Its definitely an unusual situation. The Social Democrats, for example, has always been a strong party when it comes to the presidency and yet were currently talking about a support of two per cent. And the Centres candidate has usually received about a half a million votes, she says to YLE.

I dont know what they could do in a situation such as this.

Finnish presidential elections have never been decided after the first round of voting. Niinisto is defying the odds also by gaining popularity as the incumbent candidate as the elections edge closer.

The poll indicates that the most likely runner-up in the presidential elections is Pekka Haavisto (Greens). Also he, however, has seen his popularity drop from 14 to 10 per cent and has even fallen behind the incumbent among supporters of the Green League. More than half (54%) of the opposition partys supporters indicated that they would vote for Niinisto and two in five (40%) that they would vote for Haavisto.

None of the remaining five candidates are currently polling at over five per cent.

Laura Huhtasaari (PS) would receive four per cent, Tuula Haatainen (SDP) and Matti Vanhanen (Centre) each two per cent, and Merja Kyllonen (Left Alliance) and Nils Torvalds (SFP) each one per cent of the ballot, according to YLE.

Huhtasaari, in fact, is the only candidate who remains more popular than the incumbent among the supporters of her own party: she is projected to receive 56 per cent and Niinisto 33 per cent of votes cast by supporters of the Finns Party.

Taloustutkimus interviewed a total of 1,484 Finns for the opinion poll between 20 and 28 November. The poll has a margin of error of +/-1.9 percentage points.

The first round of voting in the presidential elections will take place on 28 January and the second round of voting, if necessary, on 11 February, 2018.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Antti Aimo-Koivisto  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
Eyes popped wide. Mouths dropped to chins, arms raised skyward, and voices clamored in the midst of a miracle on State Street.

When Michael and Tanya Blount-Trotter sang during the final notes of Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reun-ion in September, neither war nor treaty seemed to matter.

However, the Michigan-based voices of War and Treaty meant everything. Hot from their blistering though brief appearance at Rhythm & Roots, the roots-drenched duo returns to the region on Friday. To Johnson Citys warm Willow Tree Coffeehouse and Music Room go a pair tailor made to deliver mes-sages for all.

Were not singing black music. Were not singing white music, said Michael Trotter by phone from Nashville. Were singing music. It has no color. It has heart. If it doesnt have heart and soul, it doesnt have nothing.

Established several years ago, The War and Treaty evolved from the married couples mutual love of each other, music, and people in general. They want to spread love. They aim to bring people together.

We see cultures come to our shows, said Tanya Blount-Trotter. The music brings it all together, makes sense. Sometimes they cant even speak English, but weve seen tears in their eyes. Its a gift to spread love like that.

Like red on a lovers rose, The War and Treaty bundled seven heartfelt songs last year to comprise their first EP, Down to the River. On a basic level, its an Americana-blended batch of music to groove to. Delve deeper for the records essence.

When I was 8 years old in a choir, Michael Trotter said, I remember singing the words Im gonna lay down my burdens, down by the riverside. I started paying attention to those lyrics when I got older. I got to thinking about the state of our country. Water is a cleansing form. How can I signify to our country that we need some cleansing water?

Hence the song Down to the River was born from the prolific songwriting mind of Michael Trotter.

I started singing the lyrics, Come with me, down to the river, let me drown away all the sins! he said. We marched all the way down to the river. If only I could take all the world down to the river and wash away their pain and sins.

As if he dove into a sea of replenishing water, Trotter learned to write songs while serving as a soldier in Iraq in the early 2000s. He said his captain promised to see him home safely. Only thing, his captain was killed in the war that eventually toppled Iraqs dictator, Saddam Hussein.

Trotter returned home with a talent that now flourishes. He learned to play piano on Husseins piano.

It was a black upright piano, he said. The piano was down in the basement where I stayed. I wrote songs there.

There and on Husseins piano he wrote his first song, Stairway to Heaven, in memory of his fallen captain.

Ive only done it once, Trotter said, for the memorial for my fallen buddy.

Music healed Trotter then, provides comfort now, and serves to help others as sung by the Trotters.

Its therapy for him, Tanya Blount-Trotter said. The University of South Florida flies us down two or three times a year to do seminars where he teaches wounded soldiers how to heal through music. For Michael, its therapy.

When the bombs stopped detonating and the bullets failed to fire, their sounds continue for many a past soldier. Michael Trotter is no different. The war ended but continues onward during occasionally fitful nights.

I had severe PTSD, severe anxiety and depression from the war, he said. How could I stop waking up at night, screaming? Now I wake up at night and write songs. Music is medicine. Love is medicine, too.

Hewn from backgrounds of music forged on the love of Ray Charles and Johnny Cash for Michael as well as Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone for Tanya, their music bears an organically Americana feel. Imagine rural meets urban, country meets soul.

Weve been labeled gospel, but were not gospel artists, Michael Trotter said. Our style is America-na. I would say soul  Americana soul. If Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin had children, itd be Tanya and I.

When The War and Treaty debuted in Bristol, they took those who witnessed the marvels higher than the ground could hold them. To the clouds and beyond the sky they soared as one, together.

And thats the point behind the music of The War and Treaty. Lets be as one.

Sometimes it takes us to the unknown. Sometimes it takes us to the known. Sometimes it takes us to a place I didnt know existed, Michael Trotter said. Music can take you anywhere.

Tom Netherland is a freelance writer. He may be reached at features@bristolnews.com.
ABINGDON, Va. - A federal judge sentenced former Judge Kurt Pomrenke.

U.S. District Judge James P. Jones imposed a two-month sentence and $1,000 fine this afternoon.

"I believe that such punishment is appropriate in this case, given his [Pomrenke] training as a judge and lawyer," Jones said. "He should have known better."

Pomrenke has 14 days to appeal and he will be ordered to self report once notified by the Bureau of Prisons.

The 64-year-old was found guilty of contempt of court in September for violating a 2015 Jones order not to share prosecution evidence from his wife's federal corruption trial.

That order was issued in December 2015, prior to Stacey Pomrenke's trial on federal corruption charges. She was convicted in February 2016. During the trial, the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission began an investigation into Kurt Pomrenke when allegations he'd contacted potential witnesses surfaced.

Some two weeks after the trial, Kurt Pomrenke responded to the JIRC with a three-page letter attempting to defend his actions. In that response, Pomrenke described the contents of some emails provided by the prosecution and attached one of them.

On Monday the Supreme Court of Virginia ordered Pomrenke removed immediately from his spot on the 28th District juvenile and domestic relations court where he had served as judge since July 2013.
ABINGDON, Va.  All required agencies and government entities have signed the Memorandum of Agreement regarding The Meadows project, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Virginia Department of Historical Resources, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the Town of Abingdon and the Corps have all signed the agreement as of Tuesday. This concludes the Corps consultation process with the project.

The Corps  a public engineering, design and construction management agency  is required to follow Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act to be able to approve permits for projects that may adversely impact historical resources. A memorandum of agreement [MOA] is typically required stating that the project applicant  in this case the town  agrees to certain conditions to mitigate any adverse impacts on the historical resources.

The agency is authorized by Congress to regulate activities that may impact wetlands and waters of the U.S., according to the Corps website. It is responsible for reviewing applications and issuing permits for developments that involve springs, waterways, streams and more.

The Meadows project is located in waters and wetlands associated with Town Creek, which is part of the South Holston River drainage basin, according to the Corps website.
During my years co-hosting a nightly news and public affairs show on Los Angeles PBS affiliate, we would occasionally do segments on domestic abuse and the Southern California not-for-profits that provided refuge for the fleeing spouse and children. The shelter community told us that every segment encouraged more people to bolt the abusive environment and seek help. It was television, they said, that actually saved lives. I believed them then and now.

Coverage of sexual assault and discrimination does in fact encourage victims to seek help and often justice. It inspires and motivates. Thus all media has to keep covering, in depth, every scandal. It will motivate people to change behaviors and victims to seek refuge and reparations.

We do so, though, mindful that while the legion of victims is much, much larger than those of the falsely accused, that there are indeed many instances of false accusation. Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago was falsely accused of molesting a young man. His accuser later recanted, and Bernardin famously forgave him. The Duke University lacrosse team was wrongly prosecuted. Rolling Stone terribly bungled a story of campus assault at the University of Virginia, asserting in 2014 that a brutal gang rape had occurred at a U-Va. fraternity. The magazine paid a huge settlement to end the defamation suit that followed.

So false charges exist but are very much a small fraction of the genuine cases of harassment and assault. How, then, ought the media deal with the former while aware of the latter? The answer isnt very satisfactory but it is the only one available: cautiously, with due process for the accused, always in court but also in the press, and via reference to a single standard, not one that bends to partisan pull.

Questions of evidence and standards of proof confuse and often bewilder the general public and even superb reporters. Various forms of evidence have various probative values. Try explaining that in a 60-second commentary. When it comes to allegations such as those made against Roy Moore or Al Franken or President Donald Trump, my standard is  statute of limitations aside  would a civil jury convict for a claim of assault and/or battery? I weigh what is known and thought by me to be reliable and come to a conclusion. Different people will reach different conclusions, but their own standards ought to be the same for every case. (The scandals facing Harvey Weinstein and John Conyers are in a different category as there are documents that are dispositive in the minds of most people. When such settlements are even partially in public view, there isnt much weighing that needs to be done.)

Theres a lot of rough justice being dispensed by the media these days, and much of it deserved. But caution is needed, in every case and with regard to every charge. Even the worst offender deserves a careful weighing of public evidence and a willingness by jurors  the pundit class or otherwise  to explain their thought processes. It isnt easy. It isnt quick. The facile or the overly confident are almost always not to be trusted.

But it has to be done, this case-by-case weighing, and always with an understanding that other victims are watching, wondering whether it is safe for them to speak up or head out to safety. Rarely does media have such a complicated job with stakes as high as these.
Business / Local

by Agencies

Innscor Africa was the overall listed companies winner of the Excellence in Corporate Governance Awards, while CABS was the overall banking sector winner. The Deposit Protection Corporation was the winner of the State Enterprises and Parastatals Award.Innscor was judged the overall winner for the second year running for the Best Corporate Governance Disclosures in the listed companies category. The first runner-up was NicozDiamond Insurance Company. Turnall Holdings was second-runner-up.CABS was judged the overall winner for Banking Sector Corporate Governance Disclosures. FBC Bank was first runner-up, while NMB Bank was second runner-up.The first runner-up in the State Enterprises and Parastatal Awards was ZESA Holdings. The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority was second runner-up. Merit Awards were given to ZimTrade and the Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe.The awards ceremony, which is held annually by the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Zimbabwe (ICSAZ), took place on Wednesday evening (29 November) at the Harare International Conference Centre.In the listed companies sub-categories, Bindura Nickel Corporation came first for Best Shareholder Treatment Disclosures. The first runner-up was Nicoz Diamond, while Innscor Africa was second runner-up. Merit awards were given to CBZ Holdings and RioZim.Innscor Africa won the Best Stakeholder Practices and Sustainability Reporting award. Turnhall Holdings came second and FBC Holdings third. Merit awards were given to Econet Wireless and Padenga Holdings.NicozDiamond was winner of the Best Board Governance Practices Disclosures award, with Turnhall Holdings coming second and Barclays Bank Zimbabwe coming third. Merit awards went to Axia Corporation and CBZ Holdings.In the banking sector, CABS won all but one of the awards. It was first for Best Board Governance Practices Disclosures and Best Risk Management Disclosures, as well as winning the overall trophy.First runner-up in the Best Board Governance Practices Disclosures was NMB Bank. FBC Bank was second runner-up. Merit awards went to CBZ Bank and MBCA Bank.The first runner-up for Best Risk Management Disclosures was CBZ Bank. Barclays Bank was second runner-up. FBC Bank and Stanbic Bank received merit awards.MBCA Bank won the award for Best Internal Audit Disclosures. FBC Bank came second and Agribank third in this section. Merit awards went to CABS and Stanbic.Individual Governance Professional awards were presented to NicozDiamond's Company Secretary Gloria Zvaravanhu for the most improved rankings in the ICSAZ Excellence in Corporate Governance Awards and to Innscor Africa's Group Company Secretary Andrew Lorimer for consistently winning awards over the last five editions of the ECGA awards.A Special Achievement Award was presented to commercial lawyer Canaan Dube for the role he played as chairman of the Project Board that came up with the National Code on Corporate Governance (ZimCode).In his welcome remarks ICSAZ president Paradza Paradza said the institute hoped to continue to expand the awards to include all sectors of the economy."Beginning next year we hope to bring in rural and urban local authorities, the insurance sector and SMEs," he said.Presenting the adjudication report, ICSAZ chief executive Farai Musamba said generally there had been a slight improvement in corporate governance disclosures with regard to shareholder treatment. However, only one listed company presented detailed disclosures on the remuneration of its directors. Most companies did not disclose detailed board member profiles in their annual reports or on their web-sites.The balance between financial and non-financial information in corporate reporting remained poor."Companies continue to litter their annual reports with corporate social responsibility stories but fail to support these stories with quantitative measures of performance as required by global sustainability reporting frameworks," he said.He said the role of the board in ensuring compliance with laws, regulations and relevant standards was assessed to be at its lowest.Only one banking institution disclosed detailed remuneration paid to individual directors. There was an improvement in gender balance on the boards of banking institutions, especially those wholly or partly owned by the government.Of 97 state enterprises and parastatals eligible for assessment, only 13 made their 2016 annual reports available. One state enterprise was observed to have been operating without a functional board since 2009."Evidence from the 2017 adjudication exercise revealed that our reporting entities are following some rigid templates year in and year out without conscious efforts to disclose relevant and reliable information to users. What the institute recognises in the ECG Awards are voluntary as opposed to mandatory disclosures."Any corporate board that takes corporate governance seriously should not wait for a stick to whip the organisation into doing the right thing."Paying lip service to stakeholder engagements and box ticking in corporate reporting are of little value to anyone," Dr Musamba said, adding that this would not bring into the country the much needed foreign direct investment.
News / International

by Staff Reporter

Encouraging discussion with Zimbabwean delegation at #AUEUSummit. They are committed to building on the positive momentum of last few weeks & to take the democratic path to prosperity & stability. pic.twitter.com/V3gUorHpa4  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) November 29, 2017

UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson has said he had an encouraging discussion with the Zimbabwean delegation at the 5th AU and EU Heads of State Meeting in Abidjan.Johnson said via Twitter today: "Encouraging discussion with Zimbabwean delegation at #AUEUSummit . They are committed to building on the positive momentum of last few weeks & to take the democratic path to prosperity & stability."Director of National Association of Youth Organizations (NAYO) Misheck Gondo who was at the summit confirmed that they had "positive discussions for our country.""Indeed I was also with our Delegation from Zim, after meeting the Heads of States _ we had positive discussions for our country. #Roadtoabdjan #aueuypii ," reads Gondo's tweet.
News / National

by Staff reporter

THE British government has expressed optimism that the country's new dispensation will usher positive changes that are desirable for Zimbabweans and the world.In a statement, Britain's Minister for Africa Mr Rory Stewart who last week met President Emmerson Mnangagwa among other political leaders, said his country should be patient with Zimbabwe under its new political leadership.The country last week marked the dawn of a new era following the resignation of Mugabe as the country's President.President Mnangagwa who was inaugurated last week has impressed different sectors with his clear policy on th way forward. He promised to normalise relations with other countries that have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe.Mr Steward who has since returned to Britain said although Zimbabwe has suffered economic setbacks, hope was not lost due to the level of education among the country's citizens.He said the country has a chance to rebuild itself with the assistance of friendly nations."We're now at a situation in Zimbabwe where there could be an opportunity for progress so I went to listen and to learn. This was one of the wealthiest countries in Africa. It has incredible human potential, a very educated population and fantastic natural resources. But it is a country which has suffered terribly. If we're patient and if we're careful, this can be a moment of change where Zimbabwe becomes the country that its people and its many international friends want it to be," said Mr Steward.President Mnangagwa's rise to power has seen friendly nations committing to assist in the rebuilding of Zimbabwe.Mnangagwa's inauguration message has impacted positively on the international community with several countries promising to help the country grow its economy.US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Harry K Thomas Jnr on Sunday said his country was prepared to help Zimbabwe achieve the much needed economic stability.
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News / National

by Staff reporter

THE recent political developments in Zimbabwe could not be predicted even by the shrewdest political analyst yet former Cabinet Minister Cain Mathema had already penned a seemingly prophetic book in defence of the military's operations.Entitled, 'I Defend the Zimbabwe Defence and Security Force', the book has shocked the author and those who have had an opportunity to grab it due to its prophetic message as far as recent political developments are concerned.Any reader can be forgiven for assuming that the book was written within the last two weeks. But the book had already been on book shelves two weeks before the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) embarked on its Operation Restore Legacy to arrest criminal elements surrounding ex-President Robert Mugabe. The commander of the ZDF General Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga had warned the ruling Zanu-PF party against purging members with liberation struggle credentials saying it was destabilising the party.The book is set to be officially launched at the Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel on Saturday before being re-launched at Rainbow Towers in Harare a week later, on December 8.In an interview yesterday, Mathema said although his book is in line with recent political developments, he penned it targeting the neo-colonialist agenda fronted by the opposition parties and their Western sponsors.He said the contents of the book have shockingly become relevant and in sync with developments where those who were close to the former First Family were bullying others stifling democratic processes in Zanu-PF resulting in senseless purging of members with dissenting views.Mathema said his book was justifying ZDF's stance to preserve the country's internal and external peace and stability."No one could put together what I wrote in this book as they compared it to what the defence forces had done in defence of Zimbabwe. When I read the title and the recent events I became surprised at how I put this together. It's actually shocking because I'm very clear that when the State is threatened by both internal and external forces, the Constitution allows our defence forces to intervene," he said.Zanu-PF had become home to praise singing where those who differed with the G40 cabal had no room in the party and were expelled without reason.Mathema said his 455 page book has become sort of prophetic noting that those who were close to the Mugabes were furthering their interests at the expense of development.He said even people who occupied Government positions started quizzing him on how he managed to put to paper a book within a week's time yet it already existed."Some people say that the book has been prophetic, last week people were surprised. I remember one Minister asking, did you write this book kuthange (day before yesterday)" said Mathema.
Weeks after a Haryana BJP leader encouraged violence against Padmavati director-star duo Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone, an ABVP member has offered a bounty of Rs 1 lakh against the director of a controversial film, Game of Ayodhya.

The Times of India reports that Aligarh-based ABVP activist, Amit Goswami offered a Rs 1 lakh bounty to anyone who could chop off the arms of the movies director, Sunil Singh.

Game of Ayodhya was cleared for a December 8 release by the Film Certificate Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) after being refused certification by the Central Board of Film Certification. The movie traces a Hindu-Muslim romance set against the backdrop of the Babri Masjid demolition.

Talking to TOI, the ABVP activist claimed that the film wrongly shows that a statue of Lord Rama was deceitfully installed at the mosque by Hindus. He said, if this movie is released in the cinema halls then the administration and government will be responsible for any untoward incident that happens. He offered the bounty because he says that the constitution does not allow anyone to hurt the sentiments of any religion.

I will kill him (director Singh) if I see him anywhere. He is trying to hurt our sentiments through the movie, said Goswami.

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Bollywood and controversies go hand in hand. And the current example of Padmavati is emerging as the most extreme of them all. Lead actor Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali have been threatened with dire consequences on national television for having allegedly distorted historical facts in their magnum opus.

It was recently reported that a Thakur leader in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, had offered Rs 5 crore as bounty for beheading Bhansali or Deepika. Earlier, when the films shooting was on in Jaipur, Rajasthan, people who said that their sentiments had been hurt  this fringe group claimed to have information that there was a dream sequence showing Queen Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji together  vandalised the films sets and slapped Bhansali, too. He later appeared in a video, in which he promised that in our film... [they have] no such scene together which hurts anyones sentiments. On another occasion, during a shooting schedule in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, the films sets were set on fire, damaging the expensive costumes and injuring a horse that was being used in the film. Political pressure has also been on the rise, with many states having banned the film.

In such a scenario, its natural to feel threatened when youre someone whos a part of the creative industry. Bollywood filmmaker Aanand L Rai says, This is something that stays inside and kills the creative person within you. Its going to be there with you for a longer time, and affects at least four-five stories that you have in your mind, for the next couple of years. This shouldnt happen to any creative person.

Echoing this sentiment, filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia says, This is not happening for the first time  its discouraging for any artist. Filmmakers and artists dont feel secure at all, [and since] the government is not saying anything, we feel unsafe, which is not a good trend. [Such behaviour] shouldnt be encouraged by any party. Artists have always been at the gunpoint in history, and questioned authority.

Gauri Shinde, whose film Dear Zindagi had run into trouble last year, due to the ban on Pakistani actors (Ali Zafar starred in her film), says, Anything and everything can go wrong today. To live in fear has become the norm, rather than an exception. Filmmaking is a big game, with huge investments of time, money, and energy. Till the film actually hits the theatres, kuchh bhi ho sakta hai! [Now] theres no sense of security.

Many films in the past, such as Jodha Akbar, The Rising: The Ballad of Mangal Pandey, and Bhansalis own Bajirao Mastani have run into trouble since they were based on historical characters of events. As Madhur Bhandarkar puts it, People get emotional when it comes to politics and history. [While making a film] theres so much at stake. The kind of money put in by technicians and filmmakers is huge. We are creative people, so I hope this controversy becomes a triumph for Bhansali. Bhandarkars own recent release Indu Sarkar had to undergo a lot of cuts and uncertainty owing to the political nature of the film, which was set in the times of the 1970s Emergency.

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Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Central Board of Film Certification chief Prasoon Joshi will appear before a parliamentary panel on Thursday to discuss the controversy surrounding the period drama, sources in the censor board said.

Bhansali left Mumbai on Thursday morning for the meeting expected to be held in the afternoon.

It is true that there is a meeting between the CBFC and Bhansali regarding Padmavati called by a parliamentary panel today, a source in the censor board said.

Members of India's Rajput community hold a poster of film director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and shout slogans as they protest against the release of Bollywood film Padmavati in Hyderabad, India. (AP)

The 30-member parliamentary panel on IT has also asked the producers of the movie and officials of the information and broadcasting ministry to attend the meeting and brief it on the furore related to the film.

Officials in Viacom18 Motion Pictures, which has co-produced the film along with Bhansali Productions, refused to comment.

The panel has asked Mr Bhansali and Mr Joshi to appear before it and present their views on the movie. They can present their case before the panel. The members have also decided to call the producers of the movie, chairman of the panel Anurag Thakur told PTI on November 28.

Actor-MPs Paresh Rawal and Raj Babbar are also part of the panel.

Various Rajput groups and political leaders have accused Bhansali of distorting history in the movie by using a romantic dream sequence between the Rajput queen Padmini and Sultan Alauddin Khilji, a claim repeatedly denied by the filmmaker.

Historians are divided over whether Padmini actually existed.

The Deepika Padukone-Shahid Kapoor-Ranveer Singh film was was earlier scheduled to release on December 1. The makers have deferred the release till they receive a certificate from the CBFC. They recently applied for 3D certification.

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Bollywood has notoriously copied songs and scripts from the West and, sadly, the tradition seems to continue. The latest song to fall in the trap is the popular number Swag Se Swagat from the upcoming Salman Khan film, Tiger Zinda Hai. Apparently, it has been copied from an English song.

The first song of Tiger Zinda Hai, it was released last week and topped the charts immediately. The song has Salman and Katrina Kaif grooving to the beats of Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. However, just days after the song was unveiled, internet is abuzz with allegations that the song is a straight copy from DJ Katchs The Horns.

The Horns features DJ Kool, Deborah Lee and Greg Mays and the music and beats are exactly same as that used in Swag Se Swagat.

Featuring 100 dancers including ballerinas, hip-hop artistes and Afro-dance hall performers from Greece, France, Trinidad and Tobago, among other countries, the song was shot in Greece. In the video, Salman Khan is seen rapping, complete with glares and a hoodie.

Do you agree the song is copied? Watch it here.



Tiger Zinda Hai is Salman and Ali Abbas Zafars second collaboration. They earlier worked in 2016s Sultan and are slated to start shoot for another film, Bharat.

Tiger Zinda Hai is scheduled to hit the screens on December 22.

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It was high time the issue of Uttarakhands capital --- permanent or summer or both  was finalised, Assembly Speaker Prem Chand Agrawal said on Thursday while appealing the BJP government to resolve the contentious issue that has been eluding the hill state since its formation 17 years ago.

The state capital issue is a touchy oneIt should therefore be resolved before it is too late. This government can resolve it for good as it came to power with an absolute majority, Agrawal said.

The Speakers statement comes days ahead of the assemblys week-long winter session at Gairsain beginning December 7.

In a chat with HT, the BJP lawmaker said Gairsain  the mountain states centrally located hill town  should be made its capital in deference to the peoples sentiment. It should either be made a permanent capital or a summer capital. Allowing such an issue to linger on could have its consequences, he said.

On being reminded that the successive governments avoided taking a call on the issue fearing that it might end up accentuating the hill-plain divide, the Speaker said, We should not bother about minor protests, which even a project for a small road can evoke.

Stating that a call on such a sensitive issue should not be procrastinated too long, he suggested that any opposition to a move by the government to name Gairsain a permanent or summer capital could be resolved by sitting across the table.

Let the government commission Gairsain as a summer capital, a promise that the BJP had made in its vision document ahead of the assembly polls, he said. Such a decision will suit the residents of Gairsain as they shared with me during my recent visit to the hill town, he said. The move, he said, will pave the way for growth in the long- neglected hills.

If a final decision is taken on that (summer capital), a permanent capital could be set up anywhere in the state, he said.

Significantly, when in the Opposition, the BJP constantly criticised the then Congress government for building a Vidhan Bhawan at Gairsain. The question of my toeing the party line doesnt arise as I am holding a constitutional position, Agrawal said referring to the BJPs electoral promise that a summer capital would be set up at Gairsain.

The saffron party had also criticised the previous regimes decision to hold the assembly sessions at Gairsain alleging that it led to wasteful expenditure. Parliamentary affairs minister Prakash Pant recently told HT that the present government decided to convene the session at Gairsain in compliance with a resolution passed by the previous Congress regime on the floor of the House.

Agrawal said final touches were being given to the Vidhan Bhawan coming up at Gairsain. The total worth of the project is about Rs 124 crore, which is now nearing completion, he said adding that he would soon urge the government to release Rs 10 crore more so that barracks for security personnel and some other infrastructures could be built on the Vidhan Bhawan premises.

Sources said work on the mini secretariat planned on the Vidhan Bhawan premises was yet to start whereas the official residences for the MLAs, officials, ministers and VVIPs were ready.

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Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Wednesday told Delhi police to identify the supply chain network of gun smugglers across the city and break their nexus. In a meeting held at the Raj Niwas, with the top brass of city police, Baijal told officers to strike at the root of the gun smugglers.

Recently, several incidents of shooting have been reported from the city. On Wednesday, CCTV footage of four men chasing a property dealer and pumping at least 10 bullets into his body went viral on social media. Also, two weeks ago, an inmate who had come for a court hearing was shot dead inside the Rohini jail complex, prompting police to increase security at the city courts.

Senior police officers said following the meeting, all police stations around the city have been told to launch a crackdown on arms suppliers. The crime branch sleuths have been told to track interstate gangs who smuggle weapons from outside the city.

According to Delhi police crime data between 2014 and 2016, at least 2103 illegal guns, over 31,000 bullets and an improvised AK 47 were seized in Delhi.

A week ago, a joint team of Delhi and Punjab police arrested 5 alleged gangster from Punjab after a shootout near Dwarka Mor Metro station and seized 17 pistols.

We have started the crackdown against weapon suppliers. Apart from gun manufactures, we are also identifying pilferage of bullets from licensed arms dealers. Guns can be manufactured in illegal factories but not bullets. Licensed arms dealers are misusing the bullets. While probing this, last week special cell traced one case to an Aligarh arms dealer, who was selling the bullets illegally, said a senior police official.

DCP Special Cell Sanjeev Yadav told reporters on Saturday that police received 1500 bullets pilfered from the Aligarh shop.

According to interrogation reports of alleged gun suppliers arrested in Delhi, most weapons in Delhi are supplied from parts of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. These days, the weapons police recover are automatic and semi automatic pistols from illegal factories of Munger and Khargone. Depending on the brand of the pistols such as improvised carbine, 9 mm pistols, improvised AK 47 and other sophisticated weapons. A simple 9mm pistol is sold at around 15-20 thousand, while an improvised carbine or an AK 47 rifle may cost about a lakh.
With the spike in onion prices becoming an annual affair, the Delhi government on Wednesday proposed creating a special fund which could be used to provide the kitchen staple at cheaper rates.

The proposal to create a Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) was put before the Union minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution system Ram Vilas Paswan on Wednesday. The Aam Aadmi Party government has suggested that both the Centre and the Delhi government contribute to the PSF.

The Delhi government has requested the Centre to provide financial assistance under Price Stabilisation Fund. If this gets approved then Delhi government will be able to provide onions at affordable rates through its public distribution system (PDS) outlets as and when necessary, an official from the food and supplies department said.

Onion prices have spiralled to Rs 75 a kilo against the usual rate of Rs 25-Rs 30 a kilo due to limited supply. The government said that the rise in prices of onion is due to poor supply from Nasik in Maharashtra.

Delhi food and civil supplies minister Imran Hussain chaired a review meeting on Wednesday.

Departments commissioner informed Hussain that four enforcement teams are making daily inspections of major mandis for taking effective action against hoarding activities.

The teams have not reported any instance of hoarding to date. Considering the high renting costs of storage spaces in Delhi, possibilities of hoarding in the city are very less, an official said.

The department, however, said that hoarding might be taking place in the neighbouring states. The minister directed the department to suggest the Centre for convening a meeting with neighbouring states for increasing enforcement activities against hoarding, a statement later issued by the food and civil supplies department stated.

The minister would convene a meeting on Thursday with officers of the development department, Delhi Agricultural Marketing Board and food and civil supplies department to ascertain the trends of wholesale prices and also quantity of arrivals in the local mandis of Delhi.
The Delhi Police Crime Branch on Tuesday caught five members of a gang who allegedly stole cash and jewellery worth crores from houses in Delhi-NCR.

The arrested women allegedly operated in areas including Hauz Khas, New Friends Colony and Greater Kailash. Police said they gained entry into the houses by posing as house helps and then carried out the theft with the help of an accomplice.

The thefts were allegedly carried out in pairs where one woman was the help and the other posed as her relative. The relative used a range of gimmicks  from tips on meditation to using magic or prayers to solve common problems  to distract the members of the employers family while the help broke open the locks and stole valuables, the police said.

The police have now arrested seven women in connection with nine thefts reported in Delhi and Noida over the past one year and seized jewellery worth Rs1 crore from them, said DCP (Crime) G Ram Gopal Naik.

The police added that the some gang members had earlier sold valuables and used the money to build houses in Bihar. The gang even bought a car to ferry the maids.

The Crime Branch was tasked with probing cases of thefts in posh areas where the modus operandi of the thieves was the same. In all these cases, the households had hired a woman who approached them and after working for a month, she would decamp with cash and jewellery with the help of an accomplice, said Naik.

On how they zeroed in on a house, Naik said the gang members would conduct recce in different parts of the city and spoke to security guards and other staff members to find out the requirement for a house help.

Once they identified a house which had a requirement for a house help, they requested the security guard or driver to introduce them to the owner of the house. They even offered to work for free for a week and asked for lower wages than the usual rates. If hired on an experimental basis, they worked hard to win the trust of the employer while also identifying spots where cash and valuables were kept, said Naik.

The theft

After the domestic help had worked for a considerable period of time, say a month, an accomplice would come to visit her claiming to be her sister or a distant relative. In most cases, it was the visitor who would engage the people in the house, the police said.

Another investigator said the visit was timed in a way that few members were present or were scattered in the house.

The maid meanwhile had enough time to even shut the doors of the room where she would steal the items, claiming to be dusting the rooms  something that the distracted house owners did not notice. They were well experienced to not pick the artificial jewellery, said Naik.

Arrest

Naik said that on November 25, they had a tip off that some of the accused involved in several of the house thefts/burglaries would be arriving near Ghazipur Bus Depot to plan further similar offences.

Accordingly, the team acted swiftly and a raid was conducted to nab the accused persons. The team was successful in arresting five female members of the gang who were found involved in nine cases of burglary and house thefts in Delhi-NCR. Two others had been arrested earlier, said Naik.
A day after chief secretary MM Kuttys transfer to the Union finance ministry, the Delhi government on Wednesday said it hoped that the Centre would consult it before appointing a new officer to the top post in the national capital.

Sisodia, however, said the government had not yet proposed any names.

To a question by Hindustan Times, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said, This time I am hopeful the Centre follows the tradition of seeking names from the elected government for the appointment of the chief secretary.

The minister was indirectly referring to a previous incident involving the chief secretarys post.

In May 2015, then lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung had appointed Shakuntala Gamlin as acting chief secretary after KK Sharma went on leave.

The AAP government strongly opposed Gamlins appointment. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal described it as unconstitutional. The government said it was not asked to nominate any names as is usually the practice.

On Tuesday, Kutty was appointed as additional secretary, economic affairs, in the Union finance ministry. Kutty has to assume charge by November 30.

Probable names

Government sources said principal secretary (finance) SN Sahais name will top the list of probables if the government is asked to nominate names for the chief secretarys post.

Sahai is one the senior most bureaucrats and considered close to the government. After drafting the AAP governments flagship outcome budget and handling GST-related issues smoothly with Delhi traders, Kejriwal had written good things to say for Sahai in his annual performance report, sources said.

The names of principal home secretary Manoj Kumar Parida and Anshu Prakash were also doing the rounds.

A 1986-batch officer of Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, Parida was appointed principal secretary (home) in the Delhi government on November 16, relieving Sahai of the additional charge. Parida was also the chief secretary of Puducherry.

A 1986 batch officer of AGMUT cadre, Anshu Prakash had served as principal secretary (health) in the Delhi government during Sheila Dikshits tenure.

The names of Arun Goyal,a 1985-batch officer of the union territory cadre, and Debashree Mukherjee, joint secretary in the Prime Ministers Office, are also among the probables for the top post.

Mukherjee was the CEO of Delhi Jal Board during Sheila Dikshits tenure.
News / National

by Staff reporter

AN MDC-T youth official has advised his party to shift its mindset and change its approach in order to win over the electorate following political developments, which saw the new President Emmerson Mnangagwa seemingly adopting strategies similar to theirs.MDC-T Matabeleland South youth vice-chairman, Archibald Nyamayaro told Southern Eye yesterday that there was excitement, which was seemingly working against party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai."We need to start to shift goalposts. In the past, it has always been 'Mugabe must fall'. Now there is Mnangagwa, whom we feel has garnered support from people by making people hopeful about Zimbabwe. This in turn is a rejuvenation of Zanu-PF, so how do we react to this and make our party relevant to the situation?" he said.Nyamayaro felt it was necessary to reconsider the face of the party.He said since Tsvangirai was not in good health, it was time for young blood to take over constitutionally.Nyamayaro said the party cannot talk about electoral reforms when MDC-T itself cannot reform as a political grouping.He said what MDC-T had been promising people about change, was now being implemented by Mnangagwa.Nyamayaro said his party should go back to the drawing board and refocus its rhetoric if it was to remain relevant."Although there is need of supporting and engaging on transitional issues, we owe the party an identity. We need to be visible, we need a new face to rejuvenate us not by disrespecting our party president. This is food for thought, which should be digested and acted upon in good time," he said.Nyamayaro said Mnangagwa had taken a leaf from the MDC-T by engaging in economic rejuvenation and this had brought hope to the common man.He said if Mnangagwa's administration repealed repressive laws such as the Public Order and Security Act, Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act and Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, this would seal his acceptance by the masses.
It might be the time to say goodbye to free parking in Khan Market as New Delhi Municipal Council is taking over the lots in this shoppers hub.

Traders of Khan Market had shut down their shops on Wednesday after the council directed its staff to manage the parking at the market. The NDMC claimed that the decision to take over the parking lot has come after the traders association failed to pay nearly Rs 3.5 crore arrears. The shops were shut as a sign of protest between 2pm and 4pm on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for Khan Market Traders Association claimed that the parking is being managed by the traders from the past several years and the NDMC move will leave several people jobless.

The NDMC wants to make it a paid parking. We are requesting them not to. We are managing things well. Today, when the council staff came and tried to take over the parking lot, some shopkeepers decided in the spur of the moment to do a symbolic protest, said the spokesperson.

Many shoppers had to return as traders sat down in front of their shops.

In 2011, NDMC was allotted a plot near Khan Market to develop multilevel parking lot but it has been more than six years and nothing has happened so far. NDMC is unnecessarily interfering in the management of parking lots in Khan Market, which has been managed by the traders. We have deployed staff, which has worked here for several years. This will take away their job, one of the traders said.

A delegation of the Khan Market Traders Association on Wednesday went to meet NDMC officials for resolution of the issue. The traders will meet the chairman on Thursday, when a final decision might be taken on whether the council will run the Khan market lots or they will be managed by the association.

The dispute on the parking lot is not new. In 2011, Delhi High Court asked the Khan Market Traders Association to pay a monthly licence fee of R5.34 lakh to the New Delhi Municipal Council to ensure that parking continues to remain free for the visitors. This was in lieu of the revenue loss suffered by the civic agency due to free parking.

Council officials, however, said the traders stopped payment after 2.5 years.

Till date, Rs 3.5 crore is outstanding. A notice was issued 4-5 months ago to the traders but the reply wasnt satisfactory. A fortnight back, we sent our staff and took over the lots. However, they asked for some time. On Wednesday, we did it again. On Thursday, a decision might be taken after a meeting with the traders association, a senior council official, who wished not to be named, said.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday stood up once again as the voice of sanity amid a cacophony of illogical protests against the release of the Hindi film, Padmavati. In dismissing a petition seeking a stay on the UK release of the film, the bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Mishra, reprimanded people in public offices who were commenting on whether the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) should certify the film. That was tantamount to seeking to influence the verdict of the CBFC. The Chief Justice of India even went so far as to say that the public interest litigation was an abuse of the process of law.

Even though the CBFC has not yet issued a certificate to the film, and none of the objectors have, therefore, seen it, there have been widespread (and sometimes violent) protests across the country to oppose it. So much so that several chief ministers  including Yogi Adityanath of UP, Vijay Rupani of Gujarat, and Nitish Kumar of Bihar  have refused to let the film be released in their states. The protestors have been encouraged by what is being seen as support from such senior political leaders.

The Supreme Courts comments come at a time when there is an urgent need to bring some tempering into the public discourse surrounding the film. It is important to remember that the CBFC is the certifying authority for films in the country, and political ideologies should not be allowed to interfere with its work. Fringe elements of no religion or sect can be allowed to hold an independent body to ransom. It will set a dangerous precedent, and not just for the world of cinema, if such violent and disruptive elements are allowed to influence the work of a certification authority simply by the threat of violence.
Academia and industry are two important pillars of our economy. A robust collaboration between the two will augur well for our developing economy, enabling innovation, growth in the education system and producing an employment-ready workforce.

For several years, innovation in the education system has impacted the way businesses operate. Millennials entering the job market today are ready to learn new technologies and how to collaborate. Entrepreneurs and educational institutes need to recognise this opportunity and build a constructive framework for collaboration to make India a global innovation hub.

In countries like the US, corporates reach out to universities/institutions to bring innovation into their work, while in India, corporates and industry bodies rely mostly on their own research rather than reaching out to academia. The social environment, lack of awareness about scholarships, stereotyped images of pure science projects and the attitude of corporates towards scholars are some of the issues which need to be dealt with if India needs to surpass China and other Western nations.

There are beginnings of a shift in this approach in India. There have been huge leaps taken by various corporates and academia to bring about positive change and innovation. The country is currently at a juncture where platforms like MeltingPot2020 are playing a major role in the transformational story and reaching the heights of innovation through industry-academia collaboration. Consider a few examples:

* HDFC bank recently announced its plan to partner 50 technology companies and business schools to tap emerging fintech ideas starting with IIT-Bombay and IIT-Roorkee as part of its industry-academia partnership effort.

* The Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) also increased funding to IIT- Madras by nearly Rs 300 crore ($47 million) to encourage innovation and strengthen industry-academia ties.

* India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA), the trade body representing the Indian ESDM (Electronic System Design and Manufacturing) industry, signed four MoUs with IIT-Kharagpur to build a robust talent pipeline in the ESDM space.

The focus needs to be largely on improving the Research and Development wings of institutes. For lack of it, even home-grown companies such as the Tatas are choosing to invest $25 million in globally-recognised institutions like Harvard and Yale for top-end research instead of betting on India.

Another area for development could be encouraging a public-private initiative to launch faculty development programmes in leading universities and focus on more outcome-based research. Additionally, industry should participate in developing the entrepreneurial culture in India by setting up incubation centres and research parks for innovative research.

It is clearly time to create a nurturing environment where the industry and the academia can work hand-in-hand. Corporates are beginning to realise the significance and engage in more and more research-based projects. In addition, government projects likes Start-up India and the Prime Ministers Fellowship Scheme for Doctoral Research will help bridge this gap and inculcate innovation across industries/sectors.

(The author, Indu Kannan, is associate vice president, Kestone Integrated Marketing Services Pvt Ltd. The views expressed are personal.)
The lung capacity of Indians is 30 % lower than North Americans or Europeans, making them highly vulnerable to diabetes, heart attacks or strokes, says a top scientist.

Dr Anurag Agrawal, director of the CSIR-Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology (IGIB), believes air pollution, along with ethnicity, physical activity, nutrition, upbringing are the major factors behind this.

The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar awardee has now undertaken a major study to pinpoint the relative contribution of these factors in his capacity as a senior fellow of the Wellcome Trust - DBT India Alliance. Agrawal said, according to data sourced from the American Thorasic Society, the Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) of Indians was 30 % lower than North Americans or Europeans and marginally lower than the Chinese.

FVC is the total amount of air exhaled as hard and as fast as possible after maximum inhalation, which, he said, was a major indicator of a persons susceptibility to cardiovascular diseases, even more than cholesterol.

It means an average Indian being measured by American standards would fall into restrictive low lung function capacity. People in this category have been shown to die much faster of diabetes, heart attacks and stroke, Agrawal told PTI.

The Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance is an initiative funded equally by the Wellcome Trust, UK and Department of Biotechnology, India. A recent study, by the department of pulmonary medicine at the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, found that the lung capacity of children in Delhi was 10 % lower than those in the US or those of Caucasian origin.

However, in this case, the researchers had developed India-specific norms in arriving at the conclusion, to minimise possible errors arising out of direct comparison with American standards.

But Agrawal disagrees. He said doing so, just to make 90 % of Indians feel that they have normal lung capacity, would be a disservice.

Only if people are told they are at higher risk will they focus on nutrition, lifestyle. Of course, air pollution is one part of the story. The study I have undertaken will bring out whether we have genuinely healthy small lungs or diseased lungs, he said.

A report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) yesterday says every third child in Delhi has impaired lungs. CSIR-IGIB is an institute of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), engaged in research of national importance in the areas of genomics, molecular medicine, bioinformatics, proteomics and environmental biotechnology.

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There was high drama at the Heritage City condominiums on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon (MG) Road on Thursday when residents blocked the stretch from Iffco Chowk to Sikandarpur for over half-an-hour.

They were protesting against demolition of shops inside the residential society by the district town planning (DTP) and enforcement department.

The DTP enforcement team on Thursday demolished five porta cabin shops inside the high-end condominium built by the Unitech Limited two decades ago. The society is now maintained by the residents welfare association (RWA).

On Wednesday evening, a DTP team had come to raze the shops, but residents didnt allow them inside the gate. The officials left after sealing one shop.

On Thursday, traffic was disrupted from Iffco Chowk to Sikandarpur because of the protest. Soon, the police moved in and appealed to the agitating residents to clear the service lane and the main carriageway.

You have the right to take legal recourse if any injustice has been meted out to you. However, we would urge you not to block traffic; it isnt fair to the commuters, a policeman was quoted as telling the protesters.

However, residents said they were lathicharged by the police.

No government official can lathi charge law abiding citizens. We wanted to reason with officials to not raze porta cabin shops. We did not pose any hindrance to the demolition team. But the police pushed us and hit us with lathis. One of the protesting residents was badly injured, a woman, who was among the protesters, was quoted as telling a policeman.

Residents condemned the demolition without prior notice. The shops, which sold essential items, were managed by RWA.

RWA secretary Rajdeep Sehrawat said, We asked for a demolition notice, but the enforcement officials couldnt furnish it. We asked why the shops were being demolished, but they couldnt give an explanation. We believe an outsider may have bought some commercial space here from the builder and lodged a complaint against the RWA over these shops. We are contemplating legal action against the department, as common area belongs to the RWA and cannot be sold to an outsider.

Rajender Sharma, DTP enforcement, said, We got a complaint that residents were running illegal shops. The RWA contested the complaint with principal secretary, TCP. Their plea was rejected and a demolition order was issued. These shops were built in an area earmarked for parking.

Heritage City is home to 3,000 people.

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A transmission tower, located in the middle of the service lane from Mehrauli-Gurgaon (MG) Road towards the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, endangers the lives of commuters taking this route.

The transmission tower takes up the bulk of the lane, leaving only a narrow passage for commuters to manoeuvre past. The space is such that even a minor unanticipated deviation can cause vehicles to crash straight into the tower.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), on its part, has barricaded the perimeter of the tower but residents said the barricading is not enough to avert a tragedy.

Besides heavy vehicles, light vehicles may inadvertently collide with the tower and catch fire. I understand that authorities are decongesting traffic by constructing flyovers and underpasses on the expressway but they cant leave commuters at Gods mercy, Ashok Saran, a resident of Sukhrali, said.

Although traffic police officials stated that so far, no mishap has occurred because of the tower jutting out onto the road, residents said its a disaster waiting to happen.

The stretch is poorly lit. A lot of heavy commercial vehicles access the service lane for turning towards Udyog Vihar. Light vehicles often try to overtake trucks on the stretch. Without proper light, the danger of vehicles colliding into the tower is very real, Sandeep Kumar, a resident of Sector 17, said.

Last year, the NHAI had submitted a request to the state government to relocate high tension wires and power transmission towers that are coming in the way of construction of flyovers and underpasses at Iffco Chowk, Signature Tower, Rajiv Chowk and Hero Honda Chowk.

NHAI officials said the high tension cables and transmission towers belong to the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN) and they need the electricity distributors assistance to remove or relocate any power utilities.

The delay in shifting of towers and high tension cables had also proved to be a hindrance in construction of the U-turn flyover near ABW tower.

HVPN, however, said that the ball is in the NHAIs court.

We have given the necessary approval to the NHAI and submitted our estimates for relocating or removing high tension cables and towers at Iffco Chowk. The NHAI is now responsible for executing the work, HVPN superintending engineer Anil Yadav said.

NHAI project director Ashok Sharma said all work related to shifting of power utilities around Iffco Chowk will be completed by December 31.

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The first trailer for Mary Magdalene, a new Biblical epic about the relationship she shared with Jesus Christ, has been released online on Thursday. Directed by Lions Garth Davis, who reunites with Rooney Mara, the film offers a new perspective on one of the worlds best known stories.

Joaquin Phoenix plays Jesus, and its a take that differs greatly from the ones we usually see. His Christ is more jovial, more relatable, and less enigmatic. He plays Jesus like a prophet who may or may not have a close relationship with God.

The film also tells the story through a feminist lens, and it looks like a lot of it will be through Mary Magdalenes eyes. To many, she was just a companion to Christ in his final days - but their relationship did attract the attention, and in some cases, the envy of Jesus disciples. One of them - Peter - is played by Chiwetel Ejiofor and has the most prominent role of any of Jesus followers.

Tahar Rahim hovers in the background as Judas.

The Mary Magdalene trailer promises a film that appears to have both quiet character moments and scenes of grand Biblical scale. The Crucifixion is hinted at towards the end, but more than any religious or spiritual aspect, the film seems to be targeting a wider audience with the potential romantic angle being played up.

Mary Magdalene stars an international cast including Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Hadas Yaron, Lubna Azabal, Lior Raz. The film was initially a Weinstein Company project, but in the wake of Harvey Weinsteins sexual assault scandal, like many of his films, it was sold to another studio - in this case, Sony. Mary Magdalene is scheduled for a March 30, 2018 release.

Trailers are oftentimes not reflective of the actual film but wow wow wow that MARY MAGDALENE trailer is cringeworthy awful, turned it off after 28 seconds. Ooooof.  Jordan Hoffman (@jhoffman) November 29, 2017

A mood: Rooney Mara as Mary Magdalene smoking in front of Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus Christ crucified pic.twitter.com/0K4MEkouyN  The lamb in silence (@l_thelamb) November 29, 2017

If this image isn't used for the MARY MAGDALENE poster, we should all just quit watching movies entirely. pic.twitter.com/8rKVAtlQDZ  Chris Evangelista (@cevangelista413) November 27, 2017

why bother with a trailer for mary magdalene when you have this photo of rooney mara on set for promo pic.twitter.com/CEZOHcb3xb  kendall little (@kendall_l) November 29, 2017

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Afghanistan is thankful for Indias soft power generosity in building infrastructure, opening trade routes and providing quality education, the chief executive of the nation Abdullah Abdullah said on Thursday.

This is why India is a rising world power and not just an emerging regional economy, said Abdullah, who shares power with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, while addressing the 15th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.

The foundation for our bilateral relations is not accidental, nor is it a temporary phenomenon. Regardless of evolving politics or shifting interests by governments.

India has committed $3 billion for various projects in Afghanistan, where it has built schools, roads and a new parliament building.

Abdullah said Afghanistan continued to be at the forefront of the fight against tyranny and terror. We will protect our people against Talibanism, he said.

Without referring to Pakistan or any other neighbour, Abdullah said, any hedging between good and bad terrorists will have catastrophic effects.

Abdullah said India and Afghanistan have inspired each other at different times, especially in difficult times.

Today is one such moment as Afghanistan strives to overcome years of geo-political abuse, terrorist attacks and attempts by dark forces and designs that threaten our national fabric and identity, as well as our aspirations, the 57-year-old, who is known for having joined the Afghan national resistance against the Soviet in 1985, said.

He said the Indian-Afghanistan relationship was deeply rooted in people-to-people ties that existed throughout the ages.

Click here for full coverage on the HT Leadership Summit

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Salman Khan said on Thursday it was not right to hurt peoples sentiments and nor was it to jump to conclusions without watching the film, as he talked about the row surrounding Padmavati at the 15th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.

The yet-to-be released epic drama has been banned in some states, with the Rajput Karni Sena and other fringe outfits threatening the lead actor Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

If the Supreme Court gives its verdict, or the Censor Board gives its certificate, everybody should respect it, the actor said.

Salman Khan in conversation with Shekhar Gupta at HTLS 2017.

To a question from session moderator Shekhar Gupta, editor of the news portal The Print, he jokingly said he, too, had a grouse against the director. I gave Bhansali two hit films and he took Shah Rukh Khan in his next.

Salman and Bhansali have worked in films such as Khamoshi, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Saawariya.

The 52-year-old actor was witty and diplomatic as he fielded questions on Padmavati row, sexual harassment charges levelled against leading Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and nepotism in Hindi film industry.

I got to know the meaning of nepotism only when Kangana talked about it, said Salman.

He said he had not heard about a casting couch in the Hindi film industry. Nobody has ever come forward and confessed about it. Nobody has said it in as many words If some lady and man will come to me with casting couch complaints then I will take them to the cleaners.

He couched his reply in diplomacy when asked how he dealt with failures in life. Now I am used to it. The most unlucky you are in love, the most lucky you are.

Click here for more updates from the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2017.

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A sense of purpose, believing you are Superman, and the ability to juggle ticking time bombs. These are approaches that help become a successful entrepreneur, according to founders of three successful Indian startups.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder of Paytm, Indias biggest largest mobile payment and commerce platform, Ashwini Asokan, founder of Artificial Intelligence solutions company MAD Street Den and Neeraj Kakkar, co-founder of Hector Beverages that makes Paper Boat drinks, discussed their strategies as successful entrepreneurs at the 15th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on Thursday.

Talking to CNBC managing editor Shereen Bhan, Sharma said an entrepreneurs sense of purpose is what drives them. In the end, all of us humans have an urge to leave an impact on the world, he said.

It is the belief that you are a superhero, almost Superman that gave Paper Boat the audacity to take on fizzy drink giants Coca Cola and Pepsi, according to Kakkar. We see ourselves as protectors of these national, traditional recipes. No one has given us this role  we have taken this on by ourselves, said Kakkar.

You have to make one person say I love you. Three persons saying I like you does not work, he added.

For Asokan, the only woman on the panel, it was the urge to take AI out of labs and make it mainstream that fuelled her entrepreneurial instincts. That, and the scepticism that confronts a woman in tech. I love being told that I dont belong, I cant do something, because nothing drives me more than a challenge, she said.

But largely, Asokan said, the experience of being a woman in tech has been awful.

Entrepreneurship is a lot like juggling, except youre juggling ticking time bombs. At any point in time, you get to hold only two. Question is, what do you do when one of those bombs explodes, said Asokan, illustrating the firefighting that comes with being a startup leader.

The challenge to entrepreneurship in India lies not in starting up, but scaling up, Sharma added. He made no bones of the fact that demonetisation helped Paytm grow. Indias market got built in the last two or three years. What happened in demonetisation, Reliance Jio, GST, made Indias market, made digitisation mainstream, he said.

Each of the three said they had moments when the going was tough. For Sharma, it was his parents worry that he would never find a wife if he didnt get a regular job. For Asokan, its multitasking family commitments, kids and in-laws.

But for Kakkar, becoming an entrepreneur is its own reward. Its an extremely selfish decision, he says. You are happy, youre doing what you want. Your family is unhappy, you dont have time for them or money for them, he said.

Click here for full coverage of HT Leadership Summit
News / National

by Simbarashe Sithole

Former Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart has said ZANU PF should donate Grace Mugabe's regalia to prisons other than the suggested orphanages.ZANU PF had reportedly ordered at least 12 000 paraphernalia including T-shirts, mugs and hats for over 12 000 delegates that were set to attend the ZANU PF extra ordinary congress in December."Zanu PF to donate Mugabe,Grace regalia to orphanages." My own view is that it would be better to donate it to prisons where some of those who ordered these things can use them," tweeted Coltart.Coltart's suggestion is directed to former Minister of Finance Ignatius Chombo and former ZANU PF youth chairman Kudzanayi Chipanga who were denied bail by Harare magistrate for various crimes inline with abuse of office.
It comes as a bit of a surprise when one of the countrys biggest celluloid superstars says he leads a very boring life. Thats Salman Khan for the uninitiated. In a free-wheeling conversation at the 15th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Khan said it was only journalists who made his life sound interesting.

During the final session of Day 1 at the summit, the actor was at his witty best despite a sore throat.

Everyone here must have led a better life than me. I have been working 24 hours since the age of 15. I have slept in cars because there were no vanity vans and only worked all my life, Khan said, downplaying his larger-than-life image.

When Shekhar Gupta, editor of the news portal The Print, who was the session moderator, asked him what was the toughest thing about being Salman Khan, the actor mouthed a popular dialogue from his film Wanted. Ek baar maine commitment kar di, toh main apne aap ki bhi nahi sunta It is about the commitments that I make. Like today, in spite of being ill, I am here because I had committed, Khan said.

Dressed in a dark grey suit, Salman said that although he is 52, he is still as enthusiastic as he was earlier. When a member of the audience asked him about how he still manages to look young, the actor said: Mentally, I am still growing up; I would be about 27 now

Speaking about the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment controversy that has rocked Hollywood, Khan said he did not know of any such cases in the Hindi film industry. I have been here for the longest time. My father has been here. Till date, I have never heard this. No one has come out and said it.

He [Weinstein] got caught. Sometimes you push it so much that you feel its easy. You think everyone is the same. I feel its the most disgusting thing ever on this planet to exploit, to use someone to get them work. I hate it, said the actor, adding that would he ever come across such a case here, he would personally take the guilty to the cleaners.

Asked about the Padmavati row, Khan said it isnt fair to hurt anyones sentiments, but neither is it fair to comment without seeing the film. The Supreme Court and the censor board will make the correct decision and people should respect that. I have been doing it, said the actor, referring to his legal tangles. When asked if Padmavatis director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is capable of hurting anyones sentiments, Khan joked, Bhansali has offended me. I gave him two hit films, and then he took Shah Rukh Khan in his next film.

Khan ended the session on a philosophical note, taking a dig at himself, when asked about how he deals with failures. In life, not in love, asked Gupta, to which Khan responded: Love, I am used to it! But in life, to deal with failure is difficult. But when I feel I am being targeted, I walk outside my ground-floor flat and see the watchman sleeping after doing double shifts, fans waiting outside just to get a glimpse, someone washing a car, I say to myself, enjoy your life I have the most amazing life, my parents are healthy, brothers and sisters are doing well and the fans love us. We are blessed 99 per cent of the population of our country hasnt seen this kind of lifestyle and love and adulation

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday the 12-digit biometric Aadhaar number would be used to track assets bought with slush funds in a proxys name, better known as benami property, reaffirming his governments resolve to crack down on corruption.

Modis statement at the inaugural session of the 15th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit confirms reports of the governments plan to use the unique identity number for property transactions, a sector where the use of black money is rampant.

The move to clamp down on benami transactions follows a series of measures the government has taken to combat corruption. Modi said measures such as demonetisation and a new goods and services tax had left the corrupt scared and brought black money into the formal economy.

There is a behaviour change in the country you can see today the corrupt are afraid to deal in black money and there is a healthy and clean corporate culture, he said.

Saying he was ready to pay a political price for fighting corruption, Modi described Aadhaar, which is facing legal challenges over privacy concerns, as an irreversible change, a term he used to play on the HT summits theme of The Irreversible Rise of India.

By linking Aadhaar to mobile and Jan Dhan, we have created such a system that could not have been imagined few years back, the PM said.

Linking Aadhaar with property deals is part of a strategy to profile assessees in the light of asset ownership, lifestyle and spending pattern and the income reported in tax returns.

The Prime Minister said the information the clampdown on cash had unearthed on the black economy was a treasure trove that would help India in its war against corruption. Demonetisation brought in proof of black money finished parallel economy, he said.

According to the income tax department, post-demonetisation, 14,000 people who bought property worth more than Rs1 crore each but had not filed tax returns, have been identified.

Since the benami transactions (prohibition) act was notified on 1 November last year, the tax department has attached 475 properties worth over Rs 1,600 crore.

With biometric identification (Aadhaar) getting linked with property transactions, masking of identity of the owners will not be possible. It will help the authorities to comprehensively profile the owner and enable them to ask explanations for the source of funds used to acquire assets, said Rahul Garg, partner, tax and regulatory, PwC India.

The government is pushing the use of Aadhaar, saying it is necessary to plug leaks in its subsidy schemes for the poor and ensure benefits reach those targeted. Also the government hopes to ensure financial transparency by pushing people to link Aadhaar to bank accounts and other services.

In 2014, people didnt vote only to change the government. They voted to change the system; they voted for a system that is permanent, irreversiblea system that is corruption-free, citizen-centric and development-friendly. Modi said.

Click here for full coverage of HT Leadership Summit.

(With inputs from Gireesh Chandra Prasad)
The use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy must change, chief executive of Afghanistan, Abdullah Abdullah, said on Thursday, alluding to extremist safe havens in Pakistan that threaten peace and stability in the region.

Speaking at the 15th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in Delhi, Abdullah said differentiating between good and bad terrorists can have catastrophic consequences. He also thanked India for its friendship, especially for help in his countrys reconstruction.

The neighbours should change the policy of using terrorism as an instrument of state policy, responding to a question on how Pakistans mind can be changed to fight terrorism in the region.

The session was chaired by Amar Sinha, a retired diplomat and the countrys former envoy in Kabul.

Terrorism is among the primary challenges for Afghanistan as it rebuilds itself following years of a fundamentalist regime under the Taliban that ended in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

We will protect our people against Talibanism. We urge all nations affected by terrorism to boost their efforts through intelligence sharing and cooperation, he said.

The Afghan leader said he was hopeful about the new South Asia policy announced by US President Donald Trump this year, but said its full impact is yet to be determined. Trump said in August that American troops will stay in Afghanistan to help rebuilding efforts, while calling on Pakistan to stop harbouring militants.

Abdullah, a doctor-turned-politician, termed the Trumps policy not time-bound, but condition-based. Here too, without naming Islamabad, he said Pakistan played a central role for the the policy to the successful.

The full impact (Trumps policy) is yet to be seen... Theres no doubt the Taliban is under pressure and thats why they are targeting cities. The real impact will show itself when the neighbouring countries, where the (terror) sanctuaries are, act, Abdullah said.

Abdullah, who received the second-highest votes in the 2014 presidential polls in Afghainistan, holds a special constitutional post giving prime ministerial powers to recommend crucial policy decisions to the president Ashraf Ghani.

The Afghan leader also praised Indian generosity in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, listing out assistance in infrastructure, education and trade.

This is why India is a rising world power and not just an emerging regional economy,

The foundation for our bilateral relations is not accidental, nor is it a temporary phenomenon. (It is) regardless of evolving politics or shifting interests by governments, the leader said,

India has committed $3 billion for various projects in Afghanistan, where it has built schools, roads, power transmission lines, dams and a new parliament building.

Click here for full coverage of HT Leadership Summit

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the 15th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, which will see luminaries such as former US President Barack Obama and Afghanistan chief executive Abdullah Abdullah give their perspectives on Indias rise on the global stage.

The summit is being hosted against the backdrop of a host of reforms such as the Goods and Services Tax, the potential benefits of which have been acknowledged in a sovereign ratings upgrade by Moodys. Indias growing economic clout has also translated into diplomatic victories that are transforming the traditional equations of geopolitics.

Click here for the list of speakers

Click here for the schedule

Here are the highlights:

5.35pm: Day 1 of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit concludes. Join us again at 11am tomorrow for Day 2 of the Summit that will see the participation of former US President Barack Obama and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

SESSION 8: Actor and Philanthropist Salman Khan in conversation with Editor-in-chief Shekhar Gupta

5.30pm: There is no religion in our industry. my dad is a Muslim, my mother is a Hindu and I call myself insaan, says Salman Khan.

5.25pm: Salman Khan on Padmavati controversy: Whenever there is a controversy around a film, there is a lot of loss. People panic, and refrain from going to theatres

5.20pm: I dont think its fair to hurt anyones sentiments or to comment on a film without seeing it first: Salman Khan on the Padmavati controversy.

5.14pm: Bigg Boss is not scripted. Imagine how twisted a creative team would you need for all this to be scripted: Salman Khan.

5.10pm: On being asked his take on the Weinstein controversy, Salman says: The most disgusting thing on this planet is to exploit somebody to get them work.

5.08pm: The best thing to fight your fear is to run into it and take it head on: Salman Khan.

5.05pm: Salman Khan on being asked how he handles stress: I live my life for the moment. I will have a happy life if I keep making the right decisions moment to moment.

5.02pm: I have been linked with some of the most beautiful women, most of which is not true: Salman Khan.

4.58pm: For the kind of life I have led is the kind of life that everyone had led. I have been working 24 hours every day since the age of 15 years. I used to sleep in vehicles, says Salman Khan.

I live in a one-bedroom apartment. Its a nice, hard-working life that I have lead: Salman Khan on the kind of life hes led.

4.57pm: Media is leaving Bollywood behind in screaming. In Bollywood, one person screams, in media everyone is doing that: Salman Khan.

4.55pm: Whenever a star speaks, it creates employment for many: Salman Khan.

4.53pm: I think I have lead the most boring life, its just that the media fraternity has made it interesting: Salman Khan.

SESSION 7: How to be a successful entrepreneur -- Paytm CEO and founder VIJAY SHEKHAR SHARMA, founder and CEO of Mad Street Den ASHWINI ASOKAN, co-founder and CEO of Hector Beverages NEERAJ KAKKAR

4:46pm: I wish Paytm becomes the first 100-billion dollar company, says Shekhar as the session concludes.

4:43pm: I once met Amazon to raise funds for Paytm, says Vijay Shekhar

4:35pm: Once you start loving what you do, theres a different energy. The work-life balance is a wrong oxymoron to follow: Sharma

4:32pm: Its no time to sell out, says Kakkar on being asked what he would do if a larger company attempts to buy Hector Beverages.

4:25pm: On entrepreneurship, Kakkar says its a selfish undertaking because youre happy although your family isnt happy and you barely earn anything.

Asokan compares entrepreneurship to juggling a time-bomb. At any point in time, you get to hold only two. Question is what do you do when one of those bombs explodes? questions Asokan

4:18pm: There is no formula or history for us to follow, says Asokan on running Mad Street Den, a computer vision and artificial intelligence startup.

Mad Street Den is just getting started. Profitability is not one of the things bothering me currently. Getting the tech to everyone is our priority right now, profits should follow.

4:17pm: Increasing scale is like Star Trek, in which youre discovering a new frontier every times, quips Kakkar, giving this example:

One of the problems we faced for making aamras was we wanted to ripen our mangoes naturally, not industrially. We started with 100 tonnes of mango, 5 years down the line we are doing 10,000 tonnes.

4:15pm: One reason why India is behind China, Japan, Germany, France is because of language. Computing in India is in English while the language is not. Smartphones localised the technology: Vijay Shekhar

4:14pm: Talking about market trends, CEO of Hector Beverages, Neeraj Kakkar, says: We see ourselves as protectors of our traditional recipes.

4:10pm: Its really awful, says Asokan on being a woman in the technology industry. She says its extremely challenging but it drives her harder.

4:08pm: For me its always been about cutting edge technology found in labs and figuring out how to get it in the hands of the public, says Ashwini Asokan.

4:05pm: Vijay Shekhar says if he wasnt an entrepreneur, he would be a rockstar, Bono or Chris Martin.

SESSION 6: Dr. ASH K TEWARI and Dr. MADHAV DHODAPKAR on How to beat cancer

3:59pm: We need to introduce palliative care long before it is done... not just for pain control or symptom control, but for overall care: Dr Dhodapkar

3:52pm: Early detection and prevention are key to lowering cancer mortality in India. Cancer doesnt originate overnight. It takes years, says Dr Dhodapkar.

3:48pm: The topic steers to the role of artificial intelligence in cancer treatment. Dr Tewari says robots can give an edge to the surgeon and help in accessing internal parts of the body without losing too much blood.

Technology helps a lot but that doesnt necessarily make a better surgeon.

3:45pm: Does environmental pollution increase the risk of cancer? Dr Dhodapkar says data is less established in certain cases. These are areas that have potential for causing malignancy (cancer) but it hasnt been studied completely.

3:43pm: Prostate cancer screening should be targeted for people who have a family history of cancer: Dr Tewari

3:38pm: Dr Dhodapkar elaborates on genome sequencing, which can help recognise the level of risk of cancer in a human body.

3:36pm: On immuno therapies, Dr Madhav Dhodapkar explains that cancer cells dont live in isolation. Normal cells that surround the cancer determine whether it would spread and the immune system plays a large role in it.

3:32pm: Cutting down on sugar, red meat and regular exercise are ways to live a healthy lifestyle: Tewari

3:29pm: The starting point is to first start the conversation about cancer... If we fight the cancer battle in the end, it will cost 6 times more than diagnosing it early, says Tewari.

We have to look at investing into screening (of cancer) differently.

3:25pm: Many causes of cancer can be prevented with vaccines such as for HPV virus.

3:20pm: In conversation with WHO deputy director general Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Dr Ash Tewari explains the workings of cancer and how it impacts the human body, citing that 7 lakh people die of the ailment in India every year.

30% of cancer deaths in India can be prevented, says Tewari.

PERFORMANCE

2:15pm: Afghan womens orchestra, Ensemble Zohra, begins performance at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2017 in New Delhi.

Afghan womens orchestra Ensemble Zohra performs at HTLS 2017 in New Delhi. (HT Photo)

This is the first group of women in their families, communities, and the country to learn music in over thirty years.

SESSION 5: FINANCE MINISTER ARUN JAITLEY

1:13pm: The effective tax on sanitary napkins earlier was over 13%. GST council put it in 12%. The inputs are taxed at 18%. So, the net tax is pretty small in comparison to the earlier tax rate, the finance minister talks about the controversial issue of levying GST on sanitary napkins.

If there was no fixed tax, the Chinese manufacturers would have flooded the market. It is an ill-informed debate: Jaitley on GST taken on sanitary napkins.

Critics have demanded that the government withdraw GST levied on sanitary napkins.

1:10pm: Weve stepped up our infrastructure spending considerably.

1:09pm: One of the biggest challenges since the last 3 years has been that we inherited a banking structure that was full of NPAs, says Jaitley on the banks in India.

1:05pm: Jaitley hints decision making body GST council could consider merging the current slabs of 12% and 18% into one rate and also reducing the number of items that are taxed at the highest slab of 28%.

We started the rationalization (of GST rates) ahead of schedule. Future rationalization will depend on how the revenue moves. We have thinned down 28% (slab). Going ahead, we will rationalize it further to probably tax only luxury items at 28%.

1:02pm: Now is time to concentrate and two areas -- rural India and infrastructure, so we can expect more spending more in these areas: Jaitley

12:58pm: Unlike in developed countries, a chunk of employment in India is generated by the SMEs, informal and the unorganised sector: Jaitley

One of the areas where we will concentrate is small and medium scale as well as the informal sector.

12:53pm: If we would have had come up low GST rate initially, we would have had an inflationary impact, says Jaitley on Goods and Services Tax.

12:49pm: Jaitley says in order to nudge people to come within the tax base, India is the only country in the world to offer a 5% tax rate.

Earlier, there used be an effective tax rate of 31%, we temporarily parked them at 28% and have now started rationalisation ahead of schedule. Future rationalisation will depend on how the collections improve.

12:45pm: In the absence of an adequate social security mechanism, domestic savings was what Indians relied on: Jaitley

We will have to keep our fingers crossed on exports... India will eventually have to fall back on domestic demand.

12:43pm: India is becoming increasingly aspirational, at times even impatient. Earlier resistance was seen to reforms in early liberalisation in 1993-94, but that phase is over, Jaitley says.

Im certain of the direction weve put the economy on.

12:41pm: A 10% growth is a challenging figure and it wont depend only on domestic factors, Jaitley says, adding he is realistic that to reach double digit growth you need to have a boom period.

12:35pm: In conversation with Jahangir Aziz, of JP Morgan, finance minister Arun Jaitley says India has not just structurally reformed, but each reform has a particular direction.

SESSION 4: VIKAS KHANNA and GAGGAN ANAND, chefs and restaurateur

12:34pm: Give up your life and pick up a knife -- Gaggan Anands advise for aspiring chefs

12:32pm: 2018 will be the last year I will accept an award. From 2019, I wont, not due to arrogance, but to give way to the next generation: Gaggan Anand

12:30pm: Khanna and Anand differ on the governments acknowledgement of promoting Indian cuisine abroad. Khanna says the government has been influential but Anand claims Indian products arent known abroad although it is one of the oldest cuisines.

12:27pm: Anand says luxury is not cheap, explaining why his restaurant isnt affordable because the food he creates is expensive.

12:21pm: Vikas Khannas says his partner should have patience to live with him, and on a lighter vein, says shoudl have a dishwasher.

12:17pm: Khanna recounts the difficult time he suffered a medical problem and he was told by doctors he might lost function of his hand. He recites his poem: Seed.

12:15pm: Cooking is a form of poetry: Vikas Khanna

12:13pm: We are super domesticated and we dont know how to sell our regional food better, says Gaggan Anand on why regional food hasnt thrived in Indian metropolitans.

Vikas Khanna and Gaggan Anand in conversation with Ritu Dalmia at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit at Hyatt Regency, New Delhi. (Burhaan Kinu/HT Photo)

We want to stay in a comfort zone. We dont want to be aggressive, adds Vikas Khanna on the issue

12:11pm: Weve (Indian cuisine) given everything that has made every other cuisine tastier and yet we are deprived: Gaggan Anand

12:10pm: I think we found more glory in copying restaurants on the global platform... the world has changed, says Anand on why chefs leave India to take challenges abroad.

12:05pm: I was not ambitious at all about opening a restaurant outside. I was lucky to get a visa: Vikas Khanna

12:04pm: Food is becoming a self-expression. Suddenly we are seeing people are creating their own language with food, says Vikas Khanna

12pm: The only country I could go without a visa when I started was Bangkok, quips Gaggan Anand on why he picked Thailand to set up his first restaurant.

SESSION 3: ALEX HARDIMAN, DIRECTOR, NEWS PRODUCT, FACEBOOK

11:50am: Fake news is a tough problem. There are sophisticated bad actors and we have to be increasingly smart. We are committed to fighting this problem, Hardiman concedes while speaking at the third session of HTLS 2017.

11:49am: India specifically, Facebook needs to make sure publishers have enough data and content for innovation: Hardiman

11:45am: A world without news on Facebook is a scary world. It (News on Facebook) is not something we are walking away from, says Alex Hardiman.

11:43am: We are constantly monitoring and using every tool at our disposal to ensure we purge fake news out of Facebook: Alex Hardiman

11:41am: There is a lot of competition. For instance, Snapchat is doing pretty interesting work. Twitter is trying to do more in news, says Hardiman, adding: We need to make sure publishers have really innovative story telling formats at their disposal.

11:39am: Its less about competition and more about collaboration, says Alex Hardiman on challenges from other social networking websites.

News wont be a revenue engine for Facebook. So were coming up with innovative solutions.

11:30am: We (Facebook) are regulated. We treat every regulatory body in every nation as a collaborator: Hardiman

We want to make sure high quality news that is trustworthy, informative and inclusive is part of a healthy ecosystem.

11:28am: We have internally learnt a tonne about minimising fake news. Cutting financial motivation, sharing information with other platforms are ways to deal with misinformation, says Alex Hardiman.

Facebook is fighting fake news by increasing its investment to combat misinformation and using at least four ways to eliminate such content, Hardiman explains.

11:20am: If you go back to our roots, we are bringing people together. That said, we are a big part of the news ecosystem because news brings people together. Any article that doesnt pass our filters is immediately downlinked and faces an 80% decrease in traffic. We have radically increased our investment to root out misinformation: Alex Hardiman

We have started third party fact checking to check misinformation and fake news.

11:15am: The amount of misinformation on Facebook is quite small but we absolutely understand that we need to get rid of it.

Watch the session Live here

SESSION 2: Dr Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistans chief executive

11:13am: On the Shia-Sunni conflict, Abdullah Abdullah says the good thing about Afghanistan is that our people, including Shia and Sunni groups, have lived in harmony. People understand their survival is linked to living in harmony.

1:10am: Irreversible changes is not just a promise for India. In Afghanistan too, the promise remains, including for peoples democratic rights: Abdullah Abdullah

11:08am: Our elections have been challenging but we hope for much better polls by 2019, awareness of people about their rights and womens participation, says Afghanistans chief executive.

11am: Weve been a victim and weve been at the forefront of the struggle against terrorism: Abdullah Abdullah

10:58am: Chair Amar Sinha, former secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs, questions Abdullah about US policy changes towards Afghanistan.

The full impact is yet to be seen. On the ground, we are witness to the effect. Theres no doubt the Taliban is under pressure and thats why they are targeting cities. The real impact will show itself when the neighbouring countries, where the (terror) sanctuaries are, act, says Abdullah Abdullah seemingly referring to Pakistan, which Afghanistan has previously accused of harbouring terrorism.

We attach great importance to resolving outstanding issues that can cause or escalate regional tensions. We owe that to current and future generations.

Meanwhile, we also have the resolve to fight for what is right, to protect our societies and way of life.#HTLS #HTLS2017  Dr. Abdullah (@afgexecutive) November 30, 2017

10:55am: In the Question-Answer round, Abdullah Abdullah speaks about his early life and what prompted him to enter politics.

During the 80s, I was studying at the Kabul University when the Soviets invading Afghanistan. I was taking food for political prisoners and that day, everything changed. In 1985, I joined the resistance as a medical doctor... the first years were spent doing surgery in caves. Gradually, I came into politics.

10:48am: We have the resolve to fight for what is right. We continue to be at the forefront of the fight against tyranny and terror. We will protect our people against Talibanism. We urge all nations affected by terrorism to boost their efforts through intelligence sharing and cooperation, says Abdullah Abdullah.

During my recent visit to US I met admin officials and expressed our gratitude for continued NATO engagement.

The opportunity for a frank and sincere exchange is a reflection of the historic ties, deep linkages and warm friendship that our two nations have today, and have enjoyed throughout millenia.#HTLS #HTLS2017 #IrreversibleRiseOfIndia  Dr. Abdullah (@afgexecutive) November 30, 2017

10:46am: The last 16 years are a testament to Indian generosity and support as part of a global effort to fight terrorism and help rebuild Afghanistan. Today Afghanistan strives to overcome political abuse and terrorist attacks. These dark forces do not just threaten us, they threaten humanity as a whole.

Afghanistan appreciates the hand of friendship that India has extended in our vulnerable times: Abdullah Abbdullah

10:45am: Both countries share a firm belief in a democratic order that reflects the will of our people with respect to human rights and dignity: Abdullah Abdullah

Afghanistan is specifically thankful to Indias generosity and soft power... We share a vision of peace and prosperity. We continue to be at the forefront of the fight against terrorism.

10:40am: This summit is an opportunity for a frank exchange to discuss historic ties and warm friendship that our 2 nations share: Abdullah

INAUGURAL ADDRESS: PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI

10:30am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi ends his speech at the 15th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2017.

10:27am:The influence of Indians is visible when there are elections abroad and slogans such as #AbKiBaarTrumpSarkar, #AbKiBaarCameronSarkar are used: PM Modi

10:25am: Indias success in the ICJ elections shows how Indias standing has risen among the nations: PM Modi

10:24am: PM Modi says India has come a long way from an era of policy paralysis that had put India among the fragile five economies... Big and permanent changes do not come on their own, the entire system needs to be revamped. Thats how India scaled up the ease of business rankings.

10:22am: The government is developing a new work culture in bureaucracy and making it responsive, says PM Modi.

10:17am: I might have to pay a political price for the path I have taken (against corruption), but Im ready for it, claims Prime Minister Narendra Modi at HTLS 2017.

10:16am: GST has brought in transparency into the system; Aadhaar, the weapon against benami properties, has brought in irreversible change.

                 ,               3                            : PM  PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 30, 2017

10:15am: Modi says along with money, demonetisation has also brought large parts of the underground economy into the formal system.

10:12am: Our government has a holistic approach. We dont work in silos, and we work together... We have transformed corruption in to probity. Thats why the people of India elected this government.

10:11am: Demonetisation brought in proof of black money, finished parallel economy, says PM Modi of the governments note ban initiative introduced in November last year.

Post demonetisation, theres a behavioural change among citizens.

10:10am: The government is also strengthening the food processing sector: PM Modi

10:04am: Digital platform has been facilitated for farmers to sell their produce online from anywhere in the country: PM Modi

10:02am: Those who believe that the country cannot be transformed with a magic wand are filled with pessimism... That doesnt mean we sit with our hands bound. This approach prevents us from taking risks. Thats why this governments approach is different: PM Modi

10:01am: The LED bulb scheme has helped the medium income families to save up to Rs 14,000 crore, says PM Modi, recounting the progress made by India due to government schemes.

10am: The Prime Minister says Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) scheme has transformed the lives of crore of women.

The poor now have access to health and life insurance at a minimal cost, says PM Modi.

9:55am: People who have Jan Dhan accounts are also using debit cards. This confidence of people is irreversible: Modi

9:50am: Earlier, the poor would be turned away from banks, now they have bank accounts, says PM Modi.

9:48am: I havent seen this kind of positive attitude in the country before... There is trust today, among women, farmers and youth: PM sModi

9:47am: Two years ago when I came to the HT Summit the theme was towards a brighter India. Now, we are talking about the rise of irreversible India. This is the change in Indias thought. The positive attitude in country has never appeared before, says PM Narendra Modi at HTLS.

9:45am: PM Modi begins his address.

9:35am: PM Modi arrives at the HTLS 2017 venue, in New Delhi.

9:20am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in a short while.

9.05am: SOAS professor Rachel Dwyer says Bollywood gets bigger, stays proudly Indian: There are fewer big Bollywood hits but they are getting bigger. Last years Dangal surpassed all others, while the two Baahubalis, PK, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and others are lasting hits.

8.56am: India emerging as regional power and global model, writes Kanwal Sibal: From the day the country became independent, it has faced many external challenges, but our physical size, civilisational resilience and ability to unite in a crisis have enabled us to overcome them.

8.40am: Why Ian Bremmer believes Indias foreign policy rides on Modis charisma: Prime Minister Narendra Modis strong domestic position allows him to build a new kind of Indian foreign policy, one based not on a moral imperative to remain aloof from the fights of others but on a non-ideological pursuit of the countrys national interests.

8.39am: Why India is in a sweet spot to be a revamped economy, writes Bibek Debroy: India will likely become an upper middle income country and cross the threshold of US $3,955 by around 2050. The timeline will be affected, but not the essential thrust.
Students of a girls school in Arunachal Pradesh were allegedly forced to undress by three teachers as a punishment for writing vulgar words against the head teacher.

Eighty-eight students of class VI and VII of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Tani Happa (New Sagalee) in Papum Pare district were subjected to the humiliating treatment on November 23, police said.

The matter, however, came to light on November 27 after the victims approached the All Sagalee Students Union (ASSU), who then filed an FIR with the local police.

According to the complaint, two assistant teachers and a junior teacher forced 88 students to undress before other students following the recovery of a piece of paper containing vulgar words about the head teacher and a girl student.

Papum Pare Superintendent of Police Tumme Amo on Wednesday confirmed the filing of the FIR by ASSU. He said the case has been forwarded to the women police station here.

The officer in-charge of the (women) police station said the victims and their parents along with the teachers will be interrogated before registering a case, Amo said.

A team of All Papum Pare District Students Union (APPDSU) had met the students and teachers on Tuesday, and found that an unidentified student had used vulgar words in a piece of paper mentioning the name of the head teacher and a girl student, a release by APPDSU said.

The teachers demanded an explanation from all the 88 students of classes VI and VII, who were later made to undress before the other students as punishment, it said.

The school authorities did not speak to the parents of the students before punishing them, APPDSU president Nabam Tado said.

The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has condemned the incident and said such heinous act by the teachers might affect the students.

Tempering with a childs dignity is against the law as well as the constitution, it said in a statement.

To discipline a student is an attitude, character, responsibility and commitment of a teacher. Undressing a student is definitely not a corrective measure...Imposing such punishment is total violation of child rights, and more likely it may accelerate the risk of child abuse, the party added.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, keen on adding Tripura to its kitty after Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur in the northeast, has decided to replace the attire of its saffron-wearing Bharat Mata  the personification of India  with indigenous tribal appearance.

Tripura is one of three northeastern states where assembly elections are scheduled to be held next year. The other two are Meghalaya, where the BJP is confident of displacing the Congress-led coalition, and Nagaland, which is ruled by a coalition that the regional Naga Peoples Front, a BJP ally, heads.

Portraits of Bharat Mata in traditional tribal attire will be alongside her portraits in her traditional sari, especially in areas inhabited by indigenous communities. This is driven by the idea of integration, state BJP chief Biplab Deb said.

The concept, he added, would be extended to other northeastern states.

Tripura has 19 indigenous communities, and the BJP is banking on the tribal vote to dislodge Manik Sarkars Left Front government that has ruled the state for more than two decades.

In the first phase, the party is scheduled to make Mother India wear the traditional dresses of four indigenous communities  Tripuri, Jamatia, Reang and Chakma. Bharat Mata is usually seen carrying a national flag and accompanied by a lion.

The party had in a bid to woo the indigenous voters demanded the renaming of Agartala Airport after the states last Tripuri king Bir Bikram Manikya. The party also sought a posthumous Bharat Ratna for the king.
Congress leader and Maharashtra Congress secretary Shehzad Poonawalla has questioned the process to elect party president, calling it rigged and said vice-president Rahul Gandhi must first resign from his post.

Poonawalla said he would also contest the election if it was conducted in a genuine manner. On Tuesday, he also wrote a letter to Rahul Gandhi in this regard. I cannot contest a rigged election. If the system is genuine, then I will contest. It is a rigged election... it is a selection. Delegates who are going to vote for this election have not been elected as per the constitutional requirements. They have been handpicked, he said.

Poonawalla further said: I will contest if Rahul Gandhiji agrees to first have genuinely-elected delegates and not handpicked delegates. Second, he must give up his post because he has an unfair advantage by being the Vice President. He has been selected and not elected as VP. He will leave his post, I will leave my post... Then we can contest.

Third, will he be ready for a televised debate where we both as contestants can have a debate on what is our vision for the Congress party? We can be judged on merit, not on the surname, he said.

And finally, I want him to accept that our party must have a rule of one family-one ticket. I will be happy to contest in a genuine election, not in a rigged election, the party leader added.

In his letter to Gandhi, Poonawalla asked several questions.

Firstly, a common party worker like me joined the party in 2008-09. I spent time, energy and money working voluntarily for the party at all levels and finally got elevated after eight years to the position of a Secretary in a state unit in 2016.

But how and why (other than your surname) did you in the same time span start off with an MP seat in 2004 itself, get general secretaryship in 2007 and then graduate to vice presidentship of the national unit while your mother was the President? he wrote.

Did you win us more elections, were you genuinely elected to these posts, did you give better speeches than other leaders? You must therefore resign from the VP post and contest as an ordinary member for the election of the president. How can it be a fair contest if a common worker has to contest against the VP (who was selected and not elected as the VP or the number two in the party)? he said.

Since the delegate system is completely rigged and manipulated, for a fair fight for the presidentship, will you allow real delegates to get appointed and vote rather than a bunch of handpicked yes men?

If not, will you at least face your rival in a televised debate to see who articulates a better vision for the Congress party and India? Will you allow yourself to be judged on merit rather than your surname? If yes, lets have that contest. I am ready.

Poonawalla further said: You failed to deliver on the promise that IYC, NSUI wont end up electing children of netas. Will you at least now curb the innumerable dynasts who are given tickets and posts in the party by implementing the rule - one ticket/post to only one member in any family?

So if I have a party ticket or post - my brother, sister, mother, brother-in-law, etc., cannot be eligible for a ticket or post. We are not into some family business, are we? his letter read.
The environment ministry has sought advice from the law ministry as it moves to amend its May notification regulating cattle trade, that many saw as an effective ban on cow slaughter motivated by ideological reasons.

Secretary, Ministry of Environment, said that a final decision regarding amendments has not been made and consultations were ongoing. We have sent the file to the law ministry, CK Mishra, said. We are some distance away from a decision.

The May 25 notification sparked protests in many parts of the country, notably in Kerala, West Bengal and Meghalaya where cow slaughter is permitted. While welfare of animals is a union ministry subject, regulation of cattle trade falls within the purview of the state government.

The Madras High Court had granted an interim stay on the implementation of the rules, which was later extended to the entire country in July by the Supreme Court.

The rules, that apply to trade in cows, buffaloes, bulls, bullocks, heifers, calves and camels, aimed to regulate cattle markets so that cattle are traded only for agricultural purposes and not for slaughter. Cattle sellers have to produce a written declaration that the animal was not being sold for slaughter, under the rules.

The notification also limited the trade to farm owners, a move that would have hit poor landless farmers, and restricted supplies to Indias Rs. 1 lakh-crore meat industry.

India is the largest exporter of beef, most of which is buffalo, not cow meat.

Environment minister Harsh Vardhan, who took over the ministry in May, indicated that revisions would be made. The aim of the rules was to prevent cruelty to the animals he said in June, It has nothing to do with the slaughter business, it has nothing to do with changing your food habits.

An animal welfare board member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the revisions being considered pertained to transport of cattle and suggestions to remove Buffaloes from the list. Other members alleged that work at the board was stalled under the new minister.

The amendments will have to be approved by the Animal Welfare Board of India. However, the board met in May to look into representations made by states and is set to meet again only in January.
Five militants were killed in two different encounters in Kashmir Valley on Thursday, army said.

Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said that four terrorists were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Budgams Futlipora.

In another gunfight that erupted in north Kashmir Sagipora village of Sopore area in Baramulla, police said one militant has been killed so far while a para commando of the army was injured.

Earlier in the morning, police said four militants were trapped in the raging gun battle.

Encounter is going on at Fotlipora Pakerpora Charishrief area of Budgam. According to preliminary reports, four militants are trapped, a district police officer had told HT.

A teenager was injured when a mob clashed with the army in Pakherpora Chowk. The mob attacked the army convoy carrying reinforcements to Futlipora village, the police officer said.

Sinar Ahmad, 15, was injured when the army resorted to aerial firing after the mob attack. Ahmad was shifted to hospital in Srinagar, he added.

The police officer while confirming the clashes termed them as minor incidents.

Eyewitnesses from the encounter site said that a house in which the militants were believed to be hiding has been blasted by forces.

Authorities have also suspended Internet services in the district to prevent spread of rumours.

Security forces claimed to have neutralised 200-odd militants in Kashmir this year.
The Supreme Court will put a portrait of a woman lawyer in one of its libraries for the first time in the 67-year history of Indias top court.

A colour photograph of illustrious barrister Kapila Hingorani, known in legal circles as the Mother of PILs, will be seen alongside images of judicial luminaries MC Setalvad, CK Daphtry and RK Jain in the courts second library.

This was long overdue, Chief Justice Dipak Misra said after releasing her portrait on Tuesday. The honour for Hingorani should have come much earlier as she was a true harbinger of justice for the voiceless, he added.

Hingorani, the first Indian woman to graduate from Cardiff Law School in Britain, was the first lawyer to file a public interest litigation (PIL) in the top court in 1979.

Her plea was for prisoners awaiting trial for years  sometimes spending more time in prison than the maximum sentence they would have got if convicted for the crimes they were accused of.

Who is Hingorani? Kapila Hingorani is called the mother of PILs. Her first PIL led the top court to lay down guidelines for speedy trials. The second important PIL which Hingorani filed in the SC related to denial of salary to thousands of employees of Bihar government, ranging from 4 months to 94 months. A barrister, Hingorani was the first Indian woman to have studied law at Cardiff. Though her family settled in Nairobi and London, she chose to stay in India as she was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi.

Her PIL led the top court to issue extensive guidelines for speedy trials and about 40,000 undertrial prisoners were released.

Born in 1927 in Nairobi, Hingorani was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi. The Supreme Court had just three woman lawyers when she began practising there. She was 86 when she died in 2013 after a remarkable career spanning nearly 60 years.

Hingorani and her three children  lawyers Aman, Priya and Shweta  fought more than 100 cases in the top court.

The Supreme Court Bar Association president Rupinder Suri said the portrait is a rightful recognition of Hingoranis achievements as a member of the bar. She was not just a lawyer but a barrister too. She could have lived in the UK, but chose India, he said.

A plaque at her Cardiff alma mater also honours the pioneer among Indias woman lawyers.

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by Staff Reporter

Zanu PF Matabeleland North province has welcomed the expulsion of Tsholotsho North National Assembly member Professor Jonathan Moyo from the party and parliament, saying the decision will eliminate the looming divisions that were engineered to promote the G40 agenda.Professor Moyo was expelled from the party at a Zanu PF Special Central Committee meeting held in Harare on the 19th of November and later expelled as a parliamentarian.According to Matabeleland North Zanu PF provincial chairman Richard Moyo, Professor Moyo's conduct was not befitting a politburo member as he fanned factionalism and never wanted to work with the provincial party structures.Professor Moyo is also alleged to have attempted to have other politburo members who include Dr Obert Mpofu, Thokozile Mathuthu, Ambassador Cain Mathema as well as the Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda expelled from the party together with some provincial executive members."As Mat North, the decision that has been taken by the central committee and parliament is very welcome and we are very happy and are optimistic that the party members in the province will now be able to work without any hassles," said Moyo.Professor Moyo is among the several senior members of the party who were expelled for various acts of misconduct since the launch of Operation Restore Legacy by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces two weeks ago.
An app-based cab hailing service, Namma TYGR, was launched in Bengaluru on Wednesday, culminating a series of protests by cab owners and drivers against US-based Uber and Bengaluru-headquartered Ola.

The venture also has a political twist as its backed by the former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowdas Janata Dal (Secular). The party is banking on the service to take it to the seat of power after the assembly elections due in May next year.

The JD(S) is the third largest political party in Karnataka assembly with 39 MLAs.

HD Kumaraswamy will once again become the chief minister of the state thanks to the goodwill he will garner because of this service, the former prime minister said launching the app.

The company has decided to give drivers a lot of benefits and it has decided to save drivers from the troubles they were facing, Gowda said, adding his party always believed in empowering the working class.

In March, around 1,000 taxi drivers and owners had gone on a week-long protest against the reduction of incentives to partners attached to cab aggregator giants Ola and Uber.

At that time, Gowdas son Kumaraswamy had supported the stir and assured help in forming a company run by the drivers and cab owners.

Speaking at the event, Tanveer Pasha, the leader of the Ola, TaxiForSure, Uber Drivers Association, said around 5,000 drivers and cab owners had already joined the platform. The idea is to facilitate a win-win situation for both drivers and customers, he said.

The association collaborated with the Kolkata-based start-up firm TYGR to run the service.

The company plans to provide health and vehicle insurance to the drivers, two free car washes a month and servicing of their cabs instead of monetary incentives.

The service will have fixed fares of Rs 12.50 per km for hatchbacks, Rs 14.50 for sedans, and Rs 18.50 for SUVs, with no surge pricing.

To run the operation the company will charge a commission of 12% on the charge as against 20% charged by Ola and Uber, Pasha said.

However, the venture will not have a car-pooling feature.

Regarding the companys structure, Pasha said the companys management will be separate from the union. However, all decisions of the company will have to be approved by the union, he said.

In their search for a company to run the service, the drivers and cab owners association had approached several companies before settling on the TYGR.

Dipanjan Purkayastha, the founder and MD of TYGR, said the reason behind entering into such a venture in Bengaluru was the size of the market.

From a strategic perspective, we want to hit where it hurts the most. Bengaluru accounts for 30% of the app-based taxi business, he said.

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A Jaipur court Thursday held eight men, including three Pakistani nationals linked with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), guilty of fomenting terror on Indian soil.

The accused had been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The court of 17th additional district judge (ADJ-17) is likely to pronounce the quantum of punishment on Monday.

Mahaveer Jindal, special public prosecutor for Rajasthan Anti Terror Squad (ATS), said that the accused were held guilty of charges including conspiring and recruiting persons for terrorist acts and also for being members of terrorist organisations.

Of the three Pakistani nationals, Asghar Ali was lodged in Bikaner central jail and Mohammed Iqbal and Shakrullah in Patialas Nabha central jail in Patiala. They had been arrested on charges of spying for the neighbouring country. The trio had, on the directions of LeTs Waleed Bhai, started influencing and recruiting fellow inmates for terror activities, said Jindal.

Ali influenced Babu Nishachand and Pawan Puri in Bikaner jail. Nishachand, after coming out of jail, influenced Arun Jain of Nagaur. In Nabha jail, Iqbal and Shakrullah influenced Qabil Khan, a resident of Jhalawar who worked at a madrasa in that district. Khan, after coming out of jail, roped in Hafiz Abdul Majid, a fellow at the same madrasa, for carrying out terror activities.

Nishachand and Puri were also convicted of raising funds for terror activities. Khan and Majid in Jhalawar were planning to carry out a bomb blast during a Dussehra procession in 2010 but were arrested four days before the event, the public prosecutor said.
Two teenaged brothers, separated from their mother nearly nine years back, were reunited with her in a sequence of events thats no less than a blockbuster movie plot.

Anil, now 16, and his brother Sunil, 17, traced their mother to Tilaswa village in Rajasthans Bhilwara district through extraordinary luck and a little help from the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Kota.

Anil was rescued from Kota railway station by the CWC on October 28. But his trouble had begun nine years back, when he and his brother ran away from their maternal grandmothers home, fearing they might be punished for laxity on their part.

The familys goats had gone missing under their watch, said Kota CWC chairman Harish Gurubaxani.

From the village, the two boys reached Ujjain, where they were found by the CWC in the city.

After finding Anil, the CWC team and a Kota-based NGO, Tabar, tracked the boys village with the Internet search engine, Google.

Recounting the reunion tale, Gurubaxani said during counselling with CWC members and Childline, an NGO, Anil said he was unable to recall anything about his village but its name  Tilaswa.

The CWC members conducted an investigation and found two boys had gone missing from the village nine years back.

Anil said he along with his elder brother, Sunil, were living at a shelter home in Ujjain from where they were released some time back, as they had reached the age of 18 years.

Anil and Sunil with their mother and CWC members. (HT Photo)

Sunil was in Jaipur for some work, he said.

Since Anil remembered only the name of his ancestral Tilaswa village but not the name of the district so it was difficult for us to find locate his house, said Gurubaxani.

Anil, however, remembered his father, Shambhu and his maternal uncle had a fight once.

With the help of Google, the CWC members located the boys ancestral village in Bhilwara district.

The team then enquired from the local police in Bhilwara if there was any police case registered against any person named Shambhu.

Police confirmed that a case had been registered and found that two boys had gone missing from the village nine years ago.

The lead helped the CWC members trace their mother, Ladbai, and then they called Sunil from Kanpur and then summoned Ladbai and her family members to Kota on Wednesday.

The two were confirmed as Ladbais sons through identical birth marks on their bodies and similar characteristics, CWC chairman Gurubaxani said.

The reunion has elated the family. The mother said she was happy and feels fortunate to have her sons back after so many years. The two boys were handed over to Ladbai as she was the appropriate person to have custody of the boys, said Gurubaxani.

According to Gurubaxani, the tale of the mother was also no less miserable. She was abducted by her brother-in-law, Shambhu, when she was only six. At the age of 16 and 17, she delivered Sunil and Anil, and her brother-in-law was the father.

After living with the man for a few years more, she fled and went to her parents home in Tilaswa village.

Lalbai said her brothers and family members had a fight with Shambhu when he tried to take away her with him. After Shambhus death more than nine years back, her mother married her off to a man named Mahaveer and kept the sons with her, she said.

The two boys went missing after going to graze cattle the same year.

The Kota CWC, meanwhile, has raised questions over the role of their counterparts in Ujjain in determining the age of the two brothers. Through medical examination Anils age was confirmed to be around 16 years, said Gurubaxani, questioning how the CWC in Ujjain released them to a foster-care centre without them reaching adulthood.

He said he would write to legal bodies concerned in Madhya Pradesh, demanding a probe into the matter. Gurubaxani said it is a matter of probe as to how the boys reached Ujjain.

(With inputs from PTI)
Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav has decided to campaign for party candidates contesting Gujarat assembly elections from December 4.

SP has decided to contest on five assembly seats in Gujarat. The party president will address his first public meeting in Jamnagar on December 4, said party spokesman Rajendra Chowdhary.

He said Yadav would address several meetings for party nominees over the next four days. He will remain in Gujarat till December 7, said Chowdhary adding that the partys aim would be to ensure the defeat of BJP.

The SP has an understanding with the Congress in assembly polls. Chowdhary said BJP was using UP CM Yogi Adityanath as its star campaigner in the Gujarat elections.

We are going to tell the people of Gujarat how BJP fooled and misled voters in UP by making false and lofty promises. They are yet to implement any one of them, he said.
Alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative Shaikh Abdul Naeem, 37, arrested from Lucknow on Tuesday, is being called Headley-II after David Headley who is serving a prison sentence at a US jail for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Naeem, nabbed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) with the help of UP Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), has reportedly earned his nickname due to his reconnaissance skills and ability to plan terror attacks. Sources said he also has expertise in preparing the fidayeen (suicide bombers and attackers), and was allegedly building a network of sleeper modules and suicide bombers in the country.

Naeem was termed the second David Coleman Headley, the American terrorist-spy of Pakistani origin, who plotted the 26/11 Mumbai attacks of 2008 along with the LeT, said a senior ATS official. He said Naeem was also good at arranging arms and ammunitions for terror activities and was a key accused in the Aurangabad firearms haul case of May 2006 during which security agencies had seized around 30 kg RDX from the CPU of computer, 10 AK-47 assault rifles and over 3,000 bullets.

The official said Naeem reconnoitred tourist destinations in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh for carrying out terror attacks there. The NIA, with the assistance of ATS, arrested Naeem alias Nomi, a resident of Aurangabad Maharashtra, in connection with LeTs activities in India. Several incriminating documents, a mobile phone and bank account details were seized from him at the time of his arrest from the Charbagh bus stand in Lucknow, he said.

A source said Naeem had also reconnoitred some tourist spots popular with foreign visitors as well as Army installations in Varanasi, Lucknow and Agra. He also gathered information and pictures of Army camps and power projects in Kashmir and visited Kasol in Himachal Pradesh.

He was allegedly preparing a network of sleeper modules and suicide bombers in India at the behest of his handler Amzad alias Rehan, an LeT commander based in Pakistan. The suspect was closely associated with Abu Jundal, the key handler in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and had also met LeT chief Hafiz Saeed. He was receiving funds for setting up bases in different parts of India from terror operatives in UAE, said an official.

He said that Naeem was wanted in various cases, including the Mumbai train attacks of 2006-2007. He was arrested at that time but managed to give a slip to security agencies while being taken from the Dum Dum central jail (Kolkata) to Mumbai, to appear in court in August 2014. He had fled while the train was passing through the deep forests of Chhattisgarh. After fleeing, he got busy in organising a new sleeper cell module, said the official.

NIA gets 10-day custody remand of Naeem

The National Investigation Agency registered a fresh case against Naeem at the NIA Delhi police station. The agency also got 10-day custody remand of the suspected LeT operative for further interrogation. Naeem was also produced at the Special NIA Court at Patiala House, Delhi. Sources said his interrogation could reveal startling facts about terror groups and their nefarious plans.

Another suspect held in Pratapgarh

A source said the NIA and the UP ATS had taken another terror suspect in custody in Pratapgarh district on basis of initial revelations made by Naeem. The NIA officials rigorously quizzed the suspect and his arrest was likely if he was found involved in helping Naeem carry out his evil plans. More arrests are expected after details are extracted about the sleeper modules Naeem developed in the past three years, he said.
A 13-year-old rape survivor from Mumbai approached the Bombay high court seeking permission to abort her 25-week foetus on Tuesday. The HC has asked KEM Hospital to conduct a complete physiological and psychological status report of the teenager and submit it by Monday. This is the 19th case of a woman knocking at HCs door to abort the foetus beyond 20 weeks gestation period set by the law.

The Ghatkopar resident was allegedly raped by her cousin for two months. Sources said after a local physician informed the family about her pregnancy during a visit, they failed to avail a sonography report as allegedly every radiologist they visited refused to be involved in the matter.

Family members said since it was an underage rape case, the radiologists said they wouldnt be able to do the sonography. Finally, the family visited a local police station from Ghatkopar, and filed a case under Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, said the petitioners lawyer.

On November 19, after the FIR was filed, doctors conducted a sonography and informed the family that the foetus is 25 weeks old and cant be aborted as per Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971.

The HC heard the case on Tuesday and will take a decision on Monday after considering the report submitted by KEM Hospitals experts committee.
In two separate cases in the city, two people were booked for sexually assaulting and raping minor girls. In one case, an 18-year-old teenager was arrested in Khar for allegedly raping his 15-year-old girlfriend and sending the video of the crime to his friend. In another case from Andheri, a 39-year-old man was booked under the POCSO Act for allegedly watching his 17-year-old daughter while she was bathing.

KHAR CASE

In the first case, the Khar police said the girls mother approached the police on November 26. She and her daughter told the police that the boy lived in their locality and she was romantically involved with him.

The complainant said the accused, earlier this year, took the girl to his residence. He raped the girl and shot a video of the act on his mobile phone, said the minor girl. He then sent it to his friend. When the girls mother came to know about the video, she approached the police.

An FIR was registered against the teenager under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 4 (penetrative sexual assault), 8 (sexual assault) and 14 (2) (uses a child for pornographic purpose by directly participating in pornographic acts) of the Protection of Children from the Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. If convicted the accused faces 10 years imprisonment.

ANDHERI CASE

In the second case, a 39-year-old resident of Andheri was booked for allegedly watching his 17-year-old daughter bathe. According to local police, the incident took place on November 29 at 10.30 am when the girls mother and sibling had gone out and she was alone with her father.

The girl saw someone peeping inside her bathroom from a narrow gap in the wooden door. The girl peeped through the gap and saw that her father was peeping in. After the incident, she left her fathers residence and went to her grandmothers house. An FIR was registered by the 17-year-old girl against her father under section 354 (sexual harassment) and section 12 (sexual harassment) of the POCSO Act.
Maharashtra reported the most number of missing people (94,919; 49,338 women and 45,581 men) in 2016, states the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. While 52,209 of these cases were filed last year, 42,710 are missing people from the previous years who are yet to be found.

The total number of people who went missing across the country in 2016 was 5.49 lakh (2.34 lakh men and 3.15 lakh women). The other states which reported maximum number of missing people are West Bengal (85,855; 53,654 women and 32,201 men), and Madhya Pradesh (59,660; 39,375 women and 20,285 men).

A case in point could be Bhaskar Sawant, 64, who stepped out of his home in a western suburb in the city earlier this year. He was absolutely healthy. There was no reason for him to leave, said his relative Aniruddha Sawant.

Another case in 2016 where a missing case turned out to be a full-fledged murder is the Sheena Bora case

The NCRB has separated the data for missing children. Maharashtra recorded 9,982 cases, followed by West Bengal (16,881) and Delhi (14,661).

It is a matter of concern, said former assistant commissioner of police Vasant Dhoble, founder of website missingpeopleinfo.com, who was also known for his crackdown on bars in the city. The age-wise data needs to be analysed. Missing cases of minors are treated as kidnapping based on the SC directive.

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A study conducted by doctors from KEM Hospital, Parel, along with Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders, an international non-governmental organisation (NGO), revealed that some human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients might have been misled into believing that their condition is stable.

The doctors subjected 2,246 HIV patients, irrespective of their immunity status, to the crucial viral load test. They test revealed that 8% of patients, who had a high CD4 count  an indicator good immunity  had a high viral load as well. The viral load test reveals the numbers of HIV virus particles in the blood, which reveals the stage of infection. Doctors said viral load is a more sensitive test compared to CD4 count.

An indication of good immunity may not always mean that the virus particles are dying in the body. This is the reason why performing viral load test, alongside CD4 count, is crucial, said Dr Reena Verma, a city-based HIV physician.

In 2013, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released guidelines recommending that all patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) must undergo viral load test, to find out the status of their infection. But in India, under National Aids Control Organisation (NACO), HIV patients who are on first line ART are monitored on the basis of CD4 count. The doctors said results from this test an unreliable.

Dr Naresh Gill, a part of the international NGO), who led the study, said the 8% patients, who showed high CD4 count do not need to undergo viral load tests as per the NACO policy. With high CD4 count, and absence of routine viral load results, such patients will think that the treatment is working fine. But in the coming months, they will fall ill because the virus is multiplying, he added.

HT spoke to an HIV patient, who was refused a viral load test at a government centre because he had a high CD4 count, suspects he has developed resistance to the ATR .

Though my CD4 is good, I started feeling weak and lost weight. I suspected an increase in viral load. I have been turned away several times [from government centers] when I asked for the viral load test . If the test is done routinely, doctors will be able to decide further course of treatment, the patient said.

Dr Srikala Acharya, additional project director of Mumbai District Aids Control Society (MDACS), a body that implements NACO, said 8% is not a huge number when compared to the total number of HIV patients who were tested. But NACO has said that by the end of next year, routine viral load test will be included in the programme, Acharya added.

Dr RS Gupta, deputy director general, NACO, confirmed that the number of machines to test viral load will be increased by 2018 using money from Global Fund.

To highlight the issue, members of Mumbai AIDS Forum (MAF)  formed by 30 NGOs  visited MDACS office in Wadala on Thursday demanding health ministry to conduct routine viral load test.

Viral load test measures the stage of HIV infection and is the best way for health workers to understand if patients are responding to ART or have developed resistance, so that the treatment can be changed. Lesser the HIV infection in a persons blood, the less likely they are to pass on the virus, said Poonam Patkar, project director Committed Communities Development Trust, currently having secretariat, MAF.

Those who displayed the fighting spirit

Hospital staff asked me to vacate the room immediately

At the age of 18, I was introduced to the world of sex, drugs, and alcohol, says Timothy, a Vasai resident, who has been living with the rare HIV-2 for more than 30 years.

By 20, Timothy, who was born into a family with a history of schizophrenia and unhappy childhood, would often visit Mumbais infamous red light area Kamathipura, near Grant Road, with his friends to solicit sex from commercial sex workers (CSWs).

We didnt use protection. We believed it would make the act less pleasurable, regrets Timothy. In the next four years, he had sex with at least ten different CSWs.

After repeated bouts of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), Timothy visited a Vasai hospital 1991 to find the cause of the problem. For the first time doctors suspected he might have contracted HIV.

At that time, the words HIV and AIDS, were taboo, he said. The hospital staff asked me to vacate the room immediately and check into to a health centre at Mumbai.

Timothy then visited KEM Hospital in Parel, but back then, there was no treatment available in the public sector for HIV. For 15 years he lived without treatment, which resulted in his hospitalisation eight times.

The antiretroviral treatment (ART) was available only at private hospitals and that too for Rs 40,000. The price was so high that most parents couldnt afford, said Timothy.

Timothy, who is unemployed, has been on second line ART since 2006. I have applied for a licence to drive an auto-rickshaw. Once I get that, I am hoping to make some money from it, he said.

(Name of the patient has been changed to protect this identify)

My dreams shattered in seconds

In 1992, Tony, who worked as a counsellor at Salvation Army, a charitable organisation, got a job opportunity in Saudi Arabia. His salary was four times what he earned here. After clearing the interview he visited a pathology lab for a medical test, as mandated by his future employer.

That day, I didnt know what life had in store for me, said the 66-year-old.

When he went to get the results the next day, the laboratory staff kept him waiting for an hour. They gave the reports to everyone else, but asked me to wait in one corner of the room. A lady walked up to me, told me I was unfit. She said I had AIDS. I blacked out, said Tony, who lost the job.

Tony suspects he contracted the virus during the years when he solicited sex from CSWs at Kamathipura.

Back then, HIV was mostly unheard of and those who knew about the virus thought it was the most dangerous disease, he said. There were also no laws against being tested for HIV without ones consent.

He recalls the dread of breaking the news to his family and friends. I was crippled by fear. My dreams were shattered in seconds, Tony said.

Days later, he mustered the courage to tell his brother, who hugged him and said things would get better.

Over the years Tony kept losing weight, fell sick frequently and couldnt hold on to a job. Twelve years later, Tony started medication, when ART was introduced in the public sector. Weakened by the virus and the side effects of the medications, Tony is trying to rebuild his life and is looking for a job.

My father kept saying that I would get better by eating healthy food

Until five years ago, Ganesh Acharya, 37, introduced himself as Jimmy. I was too scared to reveal my real identity for fear that people will find out about my HIV status. Also, I was a big fan of Bollywood actor Jimmy Shergill, so I took his name.

A history of child abuse, followed by the realisation of being gay, Acharya says he has fought a resentful family all his life.

In the 90s when he was 14, he moved from Nepal to Lucknow to get treated for jaundice. It was here that he got hint about contracting HIV. I heard the doctors discuss that I was infected, but they never came and told me, said Acharya. His parents, who knew his condition, were in complete denial. My father kept telling me that I would get better by eating healthy food. He was not ready to accept that I was infected with HIV, he added.

The news on internet told him that some doctors in Mumbai were treating HIV patients. No one in my family was going to take me, so I knew I was on my own, Acharya said.

At 19, all alone, he left for to Mumbai. But he kept falling sick frequently. In 2002 he got pneumonia and was admitted to TB Sewri Hospital, where he says, he was treated for tuberculosis.

He later started treatment for HIV at Sir JJ Hospital. He got lucky with a job at a city based non-governmental organisation, and saved money to pursue a course in political science. He later got better paying jobs and presently works at Sanjeevani Trust. I am a full-time HIV and TB activist, smiled Acharya.
The citys railway lines have 174 chronic accident spots, where commuters die crossing the tracks, according to government railway polices audit for 2016. Of the spots, 133 are on the central railway (CR), while 41 are on the western line (WR).

More than 1,500 people have been killed while crossing the tracks (trespassing) till August this year. According to the statistics obtained through a right to information plea filed by activist Sameer Jhaveri, 3,202 people died, while 3,363 were injured on the railway tracks in 2016. The number of deaths was 3,304, while injured was 3,349 in 2015.

The GRPs audit over the past two years shows that at least 10 people die on the railway tracks daily, of which six are because of trespassing. The audit for 2016 states many lives could have been saved by providing better infrastructure. We have studied the causes of the fatalities and found many shortcomings in the infrastructure of railway stations and platforms, said Niket Kaushik, commissioner of GRP.

Of the 174, maximum chronic spots are Kurla (23), followed by Kalyan (21). The report states absence of dividers between tracks, encroachments, illegal entry-exit points, insufficient foot overbridges and absence of east-west connectivity as the main causes.

A case in point could be this years five deaths on the tracks between Sandhurst Road and Byculla. Activists say people are forced to cross the tracks along the stretch, thanks to the broken boundary wall and poor state of the foot overbridge (FOB).

Three commuters died while crossing the tracks between Currey Road and Parel in 2017. The problem here is the unauthorised entry and exit points and lack of fencing. A cement wall between Dadar and Matunga could have prevented the nine deaths. The FOB also needs a shed.

Barricades, FOB can help prevent track-crossing: GRP

Putting up barricades and building foot overbridges (FOBs) can help save a lot of lives that are lost owing to crossing the tracks, states the government railway polices (GRP) audit for 2016.

While the railways have tried a number of measures such as forming human chains, distributing roses to offenders, constant announcements and banners to create awareness, very few understand the risk involved.

The GRP audit states that providing dividers between tracks, clearing encroachment and boosting east-west connectivity can improve matters. FOBs get crowded when the platform where a train is scheduled to arrive is changed at the last minute. Not wanting to miss the train or get stuck in the chaos, most cross the tracks, said Niket Kaushik, GRP commissioner.

In 2010, the central railway (CR) used behavioural architecture  showing images of people who have suffered because of trespassing. The idea was the consequences should deter trespassers. Warning signs are usually ignored by a commuter who is always in a hurry, said an officer, adding more stringent measures should be taken.

Although there is patrolling, manning illegal entry and exit points is tough. Staff shortage prevents the GRP and RPF from finding every trespasser, said a GRP official.
News / National

by Staff reporter

As bizarre as it sounds, the former President Robert Mugabe is retiring to his rural Zvimba homestead at a time when LIVE crocodiles have been unleashed from upper mainland Darwendale and to date three (3) Mugabe village mates have been killed.Mugabe's nephew Leo Mugabe revealed to the Mail And Guardian that his uncle is taking his resignation well and is looking forward to his new life as a farmer in Zvimba.The development comes as a Mugabe village-man, Mr. Gabriel Maruza was killed by while in the river that passes through the Mugabe family.To date a total 3 villagers have been taken alive.Mr Maruza's mutilated body was found mid lasr month after disappearing for 2 days and the croc was finally killed by the Department of National Parks.The deceased's nephew, Mr Collin Kaseke revealed to ZimEye there are more crocs and they are fast swimming towards President Mugabe's homestead after being let loose following the invasions which saw white farmers being kicked out.Meanwhile Grace Mugabe cousin, the former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor, Gideon Gono said Mugabe was in good spirits when he last saw him on Friday morning before the inauguration of Emmerson Mnangagwa.Below are the nephew Leo Mugabe's full comments:"He is fine. I have been to see him; he is quite jovial. He is actually looking forward to his new life, farming and staying at the rural home. He has taken it well."Leo also praised his aunt, Grace Mugabe saying, "I like the spirit she has  she is with him all the time. She is an amazing person. She wants to continue planning the Robert Mugabe University so they have something to do"
In a reprieve for Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL), the Bombay high court on Thursday allowed it to ply heavy vehicles to remove debris from Metro-3 construction sites between 10pm and 1am in south Mumbai.

The bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and justice Mahesh Sonak granted the permission after advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni said the work on the Metro line was being delayed because of the restrictions on plying heavy vehicles in south Mumbai. He also pointed out that the ban on entry of heavy vehicles in south Mumbai had created problems in the Metro line work as their heavy vehicles were not allowed to enter South Mumbai during the day.

He was responding to a petition filed by advocate Robin Jaisinghani complaining about construction equipment creating noise pollution. He opposed the plea saying the movement of heavy vehicles was a major source of noise pollution, besides the vibrations caused by hammering.

The bench, however, granted MMRCL permission to remove debris during the night till December 4, when the petition is posted for further hearing.

Jaisinghani complained that the work on the Metro route was being carried out in violation of noise pollution rules and August 2016 judgment of the high court that said no noise emitting equipment can be used in residential areas in the night time i.e. between 10pm and 6am.

The 50-year-old resident of Dalamal Tower in Cuffe Parade also said the construction work had received a nod from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) on the condition that no construction activities would be conducted during the night. Despite these rules, noise levels exceed 90 to 100 dB at any point of time, he said.
Maharashtra Congress has disowned Shehzad Poonawalla after Poonawallah raised concerns over the process of the upcoming party president elections. In a leaked letter written by Poonawallah to the party high command, he claimed that the entire process has been rigged. He added that the delegates that were going to vote for the president had been appointed based on their loyalty to the Gandhi dynasty.

State unit chief Ashok Chavan said that Poonawallah was never a significant member of the party and this was merely a publicity stunt. The state unit completed the process of membership two months and appointed delegates at the block level to participate in the internal elections. According to party members, Poonawallah did not even apply for the membership during this period.

The newly appointed delegates have unanimously passed the resolution giving all the rights of election to the new party president. The election process has been announced by the central election committee of the party. Accordingly, all posts now stand dissolved until new appointments are made by the new party president, Chavan added.

Poonahwalla, however, accused the party chief of trying to deflect the issue at hand. I have letters issued by central leadership appointing me as secretary of the state unit in April 2016. If I wasnt a primary member of the party, why was I invited by the party for various meetings and agitation? Most recently, I was invited for the agitation against demonetisation on November 8 and a meeting of the Pune Congress Committee on November 29. He also stated that his letter was leaked intentionally by party members who wanted to sabotage his career.
Faced with opposition from tribal villages over land acquisition for its ambitious Mumbai-Nagpur expressway project, the state government has diluted powers of gram sabhas  a body of all adult members living in these villages as guaranteed under the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996. The ordinance overrides a notification issued by the Governor in 2016, asking collectors to take the concerned gram sabhas permission before allowing sale of tribal land to non-tribals.

The ordinance, which was issued on November 14, states: No sanction would be required for purchase of land by mutual agreement, if the land is required for vital government projects and if compensation for this purchase is arrived at by fair and transparent manner.

Amending section 36A of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, the ordinance has identified vital projects as those being implemented by the state or central governments relating to highways, railways, multimodal corridors, electricity transmission lines, gas, water supply lines or canals.

There is no taking away of powers of tribal villages or dilution of the PESA Act, as this is only for sale deeds of land which are mutually agreed to by the tribals. The ordinance was necessary to avoid delays in implementing public projects, said a senior revenue department official.

However, activists, who have been opposing land acquisition for projects, including the 700-km-long Mumbai-Nagpur expressway, see the move as going against the spirit of the PESA law that aims to protect rights of tribals.

In Thane district, as many as 27 out of 28 village gram sabhas have opposed the expressway. Despite this, the government is looking at measures and legal loopholes to acquire the land, said Baban Harne, a Thane-based activist, who is opposing the project. Currently, political henchmen are offering money to tribals to sign sale deeds, falsely promising a higher rate for the land. District collectorate officials are also spreading false information that if tribals dont sign sale deeds for the project now, they will get 25 per cent lower prices.

Harne claims majority of the tribals are unaware of the contours of the expressway project and are being forced and bribed to sell off their land by powerful land lobbies.

The PESA act gives powers to the gram sabha to prevent alienation of land in scheduled areas (tribal areas). It aims to protect tribals from losing land due to duress, forgery or fraud.

Tribals roughly constitute 10 per cent of the state population and their lands are spread across 15 out of the 33 districts in the state, including Thane, Palghar, Nasik, Dhule, Raigad, Ahmednagar, Yavatmal, Amravati, Gadchiroli and Chandrapur. Over the years, nearly one third of the tribal land has been transferred to non-tribals largely through fraud, cheating, etc, claim activists.

Last year, the Governor, exercising his special powers under Schedule 5 of the Constitution, had issued a notification reducing powers of the collector to sanction sale of such lands to protect tribal interests.

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Not all art comes with a message. For British choreographer and director Wayne McGregor, art is, more often than not, a creative expression that can take you to a space you havent been before.

McGregor is currently touring India with his company of ten dancers for his production, FAR.

McGregor started the production in 2010, building on his research into medical historian Roy Porters book Flesh in the Age of Reason (hence, FAR), which explores the history of Enlightenment. He roped in neuroscientists to work out how the relationship between mind and body could be translated and expressed through dance.

The choreography is characteristic of McGregors style. Dancers create stunning movements through extraordinary limb-extensions, lifts and a seamless flow of dancers moulding into each other.

Dont miss it WHAT: FAR, a dance production WHERE: National Centre for the Performing Arts, Nariman Point WHEN: December 1, 7.30 pm Tickets are available on bookmyshow.com; prices start at Rs 300

FAR is an extremely physical performance with movements that people havent seen before. The choreography has a direct and real connection with the body, McGregor says.

The production debuts in India at the National Centre for the Performing Arts on Thursday and Friday, in collaboration with the British Council. It will then travel to Bangalore and Delhi. In the past seven years, production has had more than 140 performances across 20 countries.

Theres a rising intrigue in India for contemporary dance. We saw Indias first international ballet festival in Mumbai this month. Theres a definite area of growing cultural experiences taking place in India  towards contemporary and new forms of dance, especially in the cities. Were also seeing more international productions tour India, says Alan Gemmell, India director for British Council.

Its exciting to have an artist of McGregors standing come to India with uniquely intersectional production  a mix of science, music, technology and innovation.

McGregor has previously helped shape actors movements on films like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Sing and helped choreograph the Death Eaters in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Reactions to FAR, McGregor says, cover the entire spectrum of emotions. Some love it, some are confused and some come back to watch it again.

The performance is emotional yet its not necessarily representing something very specific. People should come with an open mind, and see what meaning they find, McGregor says.
A week after city-based lawyer Afroz Shah decided to suspend the Versova beach clean-up after 109 weeks, he has decided to resume the clean-up drive from this weekend.

When ground reality changes, one has to accept the change and move on, Shah said.

Last week, Shah had said that he was suspending his campaign owing to the administrative lethargy on the part of the civic body in clearing the garbage collected by his team and volunteers. He claimed that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had failed to clear 5 lakh kg of garbage from the beach since July. Shah also alleged that his team was being threatened by the local goons.

Speaking to HT on Wednesday, Shah said 90% of garbage has been cleared by 120 trucks by the BMC and the police had taken stern action against the goons.

As part of the phase two of his campaign, Shah has decided to term his campaign as a drive against marine litter because he believes that the campaign is not just about cleaning the beach.

The group will resume its drive from Saturday, and will organise an awareness campaign against marine litter on Sunday.

All this while we were conducting awareness on the south-end of the beach, asking slum dwellers to not dispose their waste in water. But, now I want to make it more obvious and spread awareness regarding marine litter, Shah said.

After Shah decided to suspend the campaign, he received support from people across the globe, including Minister of state for housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, CM Devendra Fadnavis and Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray.

Shah and his neighbour Harbansh Mathur started the clean-up drive in 2015. Till the 109th week, Shah and his team, along with volunteers, had cleared 7-million kg of garbage from the beach. However, at any point of time there is 11,500 kg of garbage along 2.5-km-long beach.

Of the waste present at the beach, 70% comes from Malad and nine other such creeks, 20% from storm water drain openings along its coastline, and the remaining 10% is thrown by citizens.
The University of Mumbai (MU) postponed five papers of three years and five years LLB examinations to avoid a clash with the company secretaries (CS) test.

On Wednesday, the varsity issued revised timetables for Transfer of Property Act and Easement Act, Company Law, Interpretation of Status, Public International law and HR and History of Courts papers. All these have now been scheduled between January 2 and January 5.

The move came after some CS aspirants, who are also pursuing law, wrote to the university authorities, requesting them to reschedule the tests, which were earlier overlapping with the CS tests scheduled from December 21 to December 30.

MU had recently postponed 13 law examinations by a few days after students demanded that the repeat exams be held only after all the re-evaluations results were out. The move, however, resulted in some papers clashing with CS tests.

The university exams clashing with other competitive tests has now become a recurring issue. Earlier, the varsity had to change the dates of BCom and law exams to allow students to take the chartered accountancy (CA) test.

While some students welcomed the varsity's move, others criticised it. "The decision will benefit many students," said Sachin Pawar, president, Students Law Council, a city-based student group.

However, Labdhi Parekh, a student at Pravin Gandhi Law College, Vile Parle, said MU's decision to postpone the exams again for a handful of students means that he won't be able to go on a trip to Dubai. As many law students won't appear for the CS exam, the decision is unjustified, he said.

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To up the ante against the state government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is all set to kick off an 11-day march from December 1. The march called Halla Bol Padyatra will start from Yavatmal, a district in the Vidarbha region prone to farmer suicides, and conclude in Nagpur.

Talking to reporters in Yavatmal on Thursday, NCP chief Sharad Pawars daughter Supriya Sule criticised chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, alleging that he had betrayed people including farmers. The objective of the Halla Bol Padyatra is to expose the lies of the state government. Fadnavis made big promises to the people and farmers but betrayed them, said the NCP MP.

Pawar will address a rally in Nagpur on December 12. It is likely to be attended by senior leaders from all opposition parties, including Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

A few days ago, Pawar had declared that the NCP would not join hands with the BJP. This assumes significance as the NCP has been under criticism over its cordial relations with the saffron party. Senior NCP leaders were seen inviting ministers for their private functions, lauding and felicitating each other.

The NCP chief is also known to be on good terms with the BJP top brass, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

All senior leaders of the party will participate in the rally that includes all its MPs, MLAs and MLCs.

Sule and Dhananjay Munde, leader of opposition in the legislative council, will be part of the padyatra for 11 days. The MLAs will take a three-day break because of the MLC election on December 7 and will again join the protest, said a senior leader.

We will have no vehicles for the padyatra except a state tranport bus-turned-ambulance with a stock of necessary things. The leaders are likely to cover 12 km in two sessions daily. This will be followed by public gathering in most of the villages, he informed.

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The Thane police have found that the main accused in Radheshyam Mopalwar extortion case  Satish Mangale and his wife Shraddha  had gone out of India around 25 times in the past few years to be able to call gangster Ravi Pujari with an international number.

The cops are also looking into the property the accused own to check if they bought that with the money they had extorted.

Pradeep Sharma, senior police inspector, Thane anti-extortion cell, said, We have found call data records of a Sri Lankan SIM card Satish owns and he used it to make international calls. We have sent Mangales audio recordings we retrieved from the phone to forensic lab.

The police said the accused had visited Banghok, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Dubai in past few years. We have their passport, which shows that they have made many foreign trips, especially to Sri Lanka, added Sharma.

On November 12, Mopalwar received a threat call from Pujari asking him to withdraw the case. After Mopalwar received that call, we booked the arrested accused under MCOCA and now we have found that the accused were in touch with the gangster. They would go on foreign trips, make calls and chart a plan and then only come back, said a police source close to the investigation.

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Mumbai reported maximum cybercrimes (980 cases) in all cities in India, followed by Bengaluru (762 cases) and Jaipur (532 cases) in 2016.

Of the 980 cases, 207 cases were committed to outrage the modesty of a woman, while 39 were for sexual exploitation, said police. Revenge was the aim in 649 cases in Mumbai and 584 cases in Bengaluru. While most cases were registered under sections of the Indian Penal Code, 24 were filed under the IT Act.

Last year, six cases of data theft were reported, while there were 15 cases of criminal breach of trust and seven cases of debit and credit card fraud, 711 cases of cheating and 22 forgery.

Cyber expert Vijay Mukhi said, As online transactions are on the rise, debit and credit card frauds will increase exponentially. Mumbai, being a tech-savvy city, is naturally the most common target. Cybercriminals repeat the offence as nobody catches them. This happens as police rarely get international cooperation for social media platforms.

The data revealed that 402 cases were on trial in 2016, of which only four were completed  two convictions and the rest acquittals. Mumbai also has the highest number of cases pending trial (398).

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A 62-year-old woman from Andheri was cheated of Rs 50,000 by three men who claimed they would be able to treat and cure her of the severe joint pain in her legs.

The DN Nagar police, who have registered the case, said that Neela Patel met the trio through a family friend with whom she had discussed her leg problem. The trio suggested that she undergo their treatment, which would cure her, and told her that it would cost Rs 50,000. After giving them the money, they treated her for two days, on November 14 and 16, and then disappeared

After a few days, Patel, a resident of Indian Oil Nagar in Andheri (west), finally approached the police, who have filed a complaint under sections 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

We have got a description of the accused from Patel, and are now checking CCTV cameras in the area to see if we can get their image. She has also given us a mobile phone number from which they used to call her. Our investigations are going in the right direction, said an official from DN Nagar police station, who did not wish to be named.

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News / National

by Staff reporter

Zimbabwe's former first lady, Grace Mugabe, was present at times for talks that led former president Robert Mugabe to resign, says a Catholic priest who helped mediate the talks between the president and military generals who moved to oust him.Father Fidelis Mukonori gave an exclusive interview to VOA's Zimbabwe service this week, days after Mugabe, 93, ended his 37-year reign as Zimbabwe's supreme leader.The military took over state institutions and put the Mugabes under house arrest after the president fired his then-deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa on November 5 and indicated he would appoint his wife to replace him, putting her just a heartbeat away from the presidency.Asked if Mrs. Mugabe participated in the discussions, Mukonori said, "She came in when she had to."Mukonori though was quick to add, "But she was not the major focus. We were zeroing in on the commander-in-chief of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces, and the head of state and government and first secretary of ZANU-PF, President Robert Mugabe. For us that was the center of focus. We didn't want to lose focus."Elimination of General Chiwenga?There were unconfirmed reports that as part of the plot to fire Mnangagwa, Grace Mugabe and her backers planned to arrest or otherwise eliminate Army General Constantino Chiwenga, an ally of Mnangagwa who ultimately led the effort to topple Mugabe.Asked about the reports, Father Mukonori said, "It was denied [by the former first lady]." He added, "I brought up the issue personally during the discussion period with the commanders."There were also allegations that a statement read by Kudzi Chipanga, the now detained former leader of the ruling party's Youth League, had been authored by the former first lady or her office.Father Mukonori told VOA that when that issue was raised, President Mugabe personally called in the first lady to explain to the generals the source of the statement.Mrs. Mugabe denied the allegation that she had authored it. In the press statement, Chipanga said youths were prepared to defend Mugabe to the last man.Said Chipanga: "These people should be warned that we, the youth, are watching in our millions and those who wish to ride on the back of the tiger will end up inside. As a revolutionary party, ZANU-PF is evolving and placing itself at the forefront of the constitutional dispensation we fought the oppressor for and obtained."The remarks were a direct response to warnings given by General Chiwenga that ZANU-PF should not purge war veterans from its ranks.After being allegedly abducted and beaten up by the army, Chipanga offered an apology.He said, "I was ill-advised to read a document that was handed over to me by one Rodney Dangarembizi." Dangarembizi is a close associate of Grace Mugabe who organized her 50th birthday dinner in 2015.
The Bombay high court on Thursday refused to entertain a petition filed by a 28-year-old woman police constable from Rajegaon in Beed district, seeking a months leave to undergo sex reassignment surgery.

A bench of justice SC Dharmadhikari and justice Bharati Dangre dismissed the petition filed by Lalita Salve on the grounds that she did not go for an alternative remedy  approaching the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) -- before approaching the HC.

Salves lawyer, Ejaj Naqvi, submitted that the petition involved a constitutionally guaranteed right to life with dignity, besides the leave, which is why it was directly filed before the high court.

The judges clarified the MAT can also examine the aspect of petitioners fundamental right guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and therefore the petitioner should have first approached the tribunal.

Salve had approached the HC after her plea for leave to undergo the surgery was rejected.

According to the petition, Salve has completed her BA in literature from Lokmanya Tilak College at Wadvani in Beed district and in May 2010 joined Maharashtra police constabulary as a woman police constable. The petition adds that for the past 2-3 years, she has been experiencing a conflict within herself and behaving like a male, and therefore she felt the urge to undergo sex change surgery.

The petition adds the physical abnormality associated with her gender was by birth and although she was born a girl, her orientation is that of a male. She stated that in June 2016 she underwent a psychological test at JJ Hospital in Mumbai and the doctors said she suffered from gender dysphagia and required to undergo sex reassignment surgery to lead a normal life.

The petition adds that after receiving medical report of JJ Hospital, she approached her seniors with a request to grant her leave for the purpose of undergoing the surgery, but the seniors have refused to cooperate with her and her plea for leave was rejected. She claimed the superintendent of police, Beed, had asked her not to undergo the sex reassignment surgery and thus violated her fundamental right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

Apart from leave for getting the surgery done, she had also sought a direction to the superintendent of police, Beed to allow her to use her new identity  Lalit Salve  as a male in the police constabulary.
Family members and relatives of patients coming to Mumbai for treatment will get some reprieve from the desperate hunt for an accommodation in the expensive city.

Three public hospitals are building guest houses where kin and friends accompanying patients can stay at subsidised rates. Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, Sion, BYL Nair Hospital, Mumbai Central, and Group of TB Hospitals, Sewri, will build guest houses that can collectively accommodate 150 people. The contract to run the guest houses, known as Visawa, has been issued to Tanvi Nagari Sewa Sahakari Sanstha, a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

Officials said that once the facilities are built, relatives will no longer have to hunt for accommodation or sleep inside hospitals and risk of contracting various infections. They said those availing the facility will be charged Rs100 for 24 hours and Rs 50 for 12 hours. The charges include morning tea and biscuits, quilts, cushions and pillows and a locker to keep their valuables.

Tertiary care facilities of BMC treat millions of patients every year and hence the doctor may decide the ones who should get accommodation as per their economic condition, case history and period of stay at the hospital. Once the relatives get an approval, they may submit their identity proof along with details of patients admission at the hospital, said an official from Public Health Department.

Doctors from Sewri TB Hospital said the facility can also decrease the drop out rate of patients who cant afford to stay in the city, and leave in the middle of treatment.

Tuberculosis treatment lasts anywhere from six months to two years and is repeated. Relatives take patients back home because they cant afford accommodation in the city. Also, there is a high chance of relatives contracting an infection owing to the time spent at the hospital, said a doctor, adding that the facility will be a blessing for the patients and relatives, who are dependent on the tertiary care health facilities of the city.

The decision to build more guesthouses was taken after a pilot project at the BMC-run KEM was well received. Initiated seven months ago, the guesthouse on KEM hospital premises have provided accommodation to more than 1,500 relatives and friends of the patients undergoing treatment at the medical facility.

The guest house at KEM is running full since its opening in April. Sion hospital had a similar facility in its barracks and now its being renovated. A duplex guest house will be built at Nair Hospital, depending on the space, said Dr Avinash Supe, BMC medical director and dean of KEM Hospital.

The accommodation is provided as per the discretion of the treating doctor or senior doctors of the hospitals since these hospitals treats patients from all over India and other Asian countries as well.
A 52-year-old man was arrested with antique coins, believed to be nearly 2,000 years old, and other artefacts from Phase 3 area of Noida on Thursday afternoon. The accused had smuggled the coins from Aron area of Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh and was on his way to Delhi.

Police said the accused, identified as Sham Singh, a resident of Mathura, was in contact with a dealer based in Old Delhi who would later smuggle these items to foreign countries and sell them at a high price. The gang would sell them for display in private museums, police said.

Deputy Superintendent of police (STF), Raj Kumar Mishra, said, The antiques date back to the Gupta dynasty, pre-Gupta dynasty and the pre-Mughal era. We could not ascertain their antiquity accurately and have contacted the officials of the Archaeological Survey of India, who certified the items. They informed us that some of the items were nearly 2,000 years old.

Mishra said since Madhya Pradesh was home to the Gupta Dynasty, Sham Singh had made contacts in Aron. He conducted a recee of the area and got to know that many people have antique coins and utensils in their possession. (HT Photo)

Sham Singh is popularly known as doctor and he was arrested in 1999 from Alwar, Rajasthan; in 2009 from Bihar and in March 2017 from Banaras. He would come out on bail and restart his smuggling business, police said.

Mishra said since Madhya Pradesh was home to the Gupta Dynasty, Sham Singh had made contacts in Aron. He conducted a recee of the area and got to know that many people have antique coins and utensils in their possession.

Based on a tip-off, the suspect was arrested from Mamura Chowk in Phase 3 area. A team of the directorate of revenue Intelligence was also with us, Mishra said.

Sham Singh was involved in smuggling for the last 20 years, police said.

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Last weeks decision by the Election Commission to award the Two Leaves symbol which is virtually the mascot of the party to the AIADMK group led by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and deputy CM O Panneerselvam dealt a body blow to the Sasikala- TTV Dinakaran factions chances of being seen as a serious contender to Jayalalithaas legacy.

While the decision was widely expected, as the EPS-OPS group had an overwhelming majority of lawmakers (both MLAs and MPs) as well as general council members of the party on their side, the decision to award the name of the party to their group along with the symbol now means that Dinakaran or his faction members cannot technically call themselves part of the AIADMK anymore.

Immediately after the EC verdict, came the announcement about the much-delayed RK Nagar bypoll. The by-election, which was necessitated by the demise of Jayalalithaa on December 5, 2016, was cancelled in April after it was alleged that rampant bribing of voters took place. It is now scheduled to be held on December 21, with the result to be declared on December 24.

The announcement of the bypoll has also seen minor factionalism break out again between the EPS and OPS camps. The announcement of the name of the AIADMK candidate, which should have been a formality as the earlier poll had only been put off (the DMK re-nominated the same candidate) had to be reportedly postponed by a couple of days allegedly due to differences between the factions. They did however succeed in announcing a revamped governing council comprising of nine members, adding some members to placate both factions.

Despite the bickering, much of it from those who supported OPS and feel left out in the cold now that he and a couple of others from his group got themselves positions of power, there is little likelihood of any full-scale rebellion. Both EPS and OPS apparently have advised their supporters that they are not to speak to the media except on governance issues and all political communication should be handled by the designated spokespersons only. Whether this will work in practice remains to be seen.

Further, OPS put out a tweet soon after reports of him not being invited to a party function in Madurai surfaced, saying that the government under the leadership of EPS was following in the footsteps of Jayalalithaa. Sources close to OPS confirm that he is in no mood to rock the boat and there is going to be no revolt.

The AIADMK itself faces a herculean task in the RK Nagar bypoll. With anti-incumbency (six-and-a-half years in power), no charismatic leader and a united Opposition (the Congress, CPI, VCK, MMK have extended support to the DMK candidate) it is going to be an uphill battle. The only real factor in their favour is the tradition across India of ruling parties winning by-elections and if they re-nominate their presidium chairman E Madhusudhanan they will have a veteran candidate who knows the constituency well. Still at this point of time one must believe that the DMK is the favourite to win the bypoll. While Dinakaran has announced that he will contest in RK Nagar, he is unlikely to create a major impact beyond damaging the AIADMKs chances to some extent.

Win or lose, the AIADMK will look beyond RK Nagar. A defeat here is not likely to threaten the stability of the state government. There does not seem to be any immediate threat to it though an adverse verdict in any of the spate of pending court cases could alter that.

Both EPS and OPS and their supporters know that any action at this stage that threatens the stability of the government will result in a loss for both sides and with three-and-a-half years of the government still ahead that will be the last thing they want to do. The bickering will go on though. After several decades of the iron leadership of Jayalalithaa when the public hardly heard them speak, the AIADMK leaders have discovered that they actually have a voice. They are not going to stop speaking.

Sumanth Raman is a Chennai-based television anchor and political analyst

The views expressed are personal
Some Hindu fundamentalist groups have threatened to disallow the release and screening of Padmavati, a film based on a 16th century fictional story of a Rajput queen and an invading ruler. These groups earlier tried to vandalise the sets during the production of this film. They also announced rewards for cutting off the nose of the actor and beheading the director. Similar acts by Islamic fundamentalists surrounded the release of Salman Rushdies book The Satanic Verses. Following threats, Rushdie was forced to go into hiding for years. Many artists and intellectuals have been banished and paid a price, because of such groups, with the State remaining a mute spectator at best.

Several issues are at stake here. The primary argument of such groups is that their community sentiments and pride are hurt and the honour of their women is at stake. The groups get further legitimacy by statements from several politicians who are always ready to pander and promote such sentiments, since they draw their strength from crowd and community mobilisation. In this regard, the Supreme Courts observation asking netas not to make comments that could influence the working of independent bodies is welcome.

Historically and conceptually, it is well known that women are symbolically represented as upholding the honour of their community and the nation they belong to. Womens bodies thus are repositories of such pride and honour. When the enemy or other wishes to destroy this pride, they have traditionally done so by dishonouring women through rape and sexual harassment. This act dishonours the community as a whole. This is why rape has been an instrument of war and of humiliation to a community, even while it is an attack on an individual woman. So symbolic honour is protected while real women are dishonoured.

Womens groups internationally have struggled to delink womens bodies from the concept of honour because it translates into gendered political control, where the power to destroy is shown as part of masculinised toughness. This reinforces the traditionally unequal relations between men and women, based on male privileges and superior rights. Men assert their role as protectors of the weak and occupy public spaces. Women are forced to accept their inferior position as the helpless protected and so get confined to domestic soft spaces. Thus, womens struggles for equality and empowerment are pushed back once again.

Even though at an individual level many women break the glass ceiling, and are encouraged to do so and gain political power, women as a gender remain unequal. Internationally, nationally and at the local level, women have been struggling for equality and parity with their male counterparts. This inequality makes them economically and socially insecure. They have to fight either through collective actions led by womens groups or through courts of law to get the privileges that men have from birth.

That is why many organisations have passed resolutions for gender equality and made attempts to pressure States to make these principles into laws, norms and practices. This gender inequality is also the basis for violence against women. Womens groups, thus, should be at the forefront of the movement for dissent, cultural freedoms as these are lined to participatory democracy.

The truth is that acts of violence and threats, especially through vigilante groups, are deeply embedded in power inequalities. Some politicians while in power, as well as those aspiring for power, are known to use such limited violence to control thought, action and policy. Ethnic and race mobilisations are asserted through violent actions.

Is a country incredible and great because it has high GDP and ease of business alone? Where women remain excluded and security lies in the hands of fundamentalist groups? Where fear stalks and ideas are attacked?

Such threats must be stopped by the State. It has the responsibility to protect its citizens. If artists are made to feel insecure, if their work is threatened on the basis of rumours, when art is repressed, when books are burnt, when the whole country is made to follow a single text, then no good ideas or policies can emerge. Mediocrity triumphs at the cost of talent and commitment. Technocracy takes over from science.

A country becomes great and incredible not with markets alone. Academic and cultural freedoms need autonomy and space. Any violation of this space is a destruction of ideas. Once there is thought control through street violence, there is little left in the creative life of a nation.

Anuradha Chenoy is professor, School of International Studies, JNU

The views expressed are personal
After its restoration in 2008, Pakistans democracy is best described as a hybrid creature. While the prime minister and his Cabinet are the visible facade, the inner core of power lies with the army chief. So not just defence matters but also critical foreign policy concerns like relations with the US, Afghanistan, India and China are decided at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and not the prime ministers office in Islamabad. This has been the established power-sharing for the last nine years.

Last week, however, the army bared its teeth more visibly and significantly altered the balance. It openly defied civilian authority, equated the elected government with unruly protestors and made clear to the country who is in actual control. Consequently, civilian politicians who earlier seemed like puppets have been reduced to players in a pantomime.

This happened when Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasis government, after 20 days of dithering, decided to get tough with some 3,000 protestors from the Tehreek-e-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah, a fundamentalist Barelvi group protesting against a change in the parliamentary oath of office. Demanding the resignation of the law minister, Zahid Hamid, who they blamed for the change, they blockaded the capital. As their protest spread to Karachi and Lahore the government was forced to close private television channels, shut down Twitter, Facebook and Youtube and put schools on holiday. Soon a sense of chaos and crisis seemed to prevail across the country.

Finally on Saturday the government sent in 8,000 policemen to clear the protestors. But it was a poorly conducted operation and spectacularly failed. Faced with this debacle and its credibility damaged, the government decided to call-in the army. This is when the army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, made his move.

He refused to heed Abbasis call. General Bajwa is reported to have said: force could not be applied against (our) own people as the people of Pakistan love and trust (the) army, which cannot be compromised for little gains. Worse still, General Bajwa, equating the government with the protestors, said violence must be avoided by both sides. Its not in national interest, he added. Instead, he told the government to handle the dharna peacefully.

This was a huge slap on the civilian governments face. Social media was quick to pick it up and criticise it, but that didnt change the situation. The army chief stuck to his refusal and the government seemed helpless.

Thus stymied, the government was forced to accept the mediation of the armys intelligence wing. The task was undertaken by a major general of the ISI. The result was the law ministers resignation and the complete capitulation of the civilian government. The army-brokered agreement concludes: we are thankful to him (Bajwa) for saving the nation from a big catastrophe.

Once again social media questioned and challenged the armys behaviour and, once again, was ignored. Then, on Monday, a judge of the Islamabad High Court spoke out. Under which law (does) the army play the role of mediator? asked Justice Siddiqui. How can the army meddle in politics?

How indeed? But who in Pakistan will answer that question? Not the civilian government, whose authority has collapsed, nor civil society, whose voice may tweet but is ignored. General Bajwa knows that for 70 years his country has never stood up to the army. What are the chances it will do so now?

Recent history suggests the answer is bound to be no. The Imran Khan-Tahirul Qadri protest of 2014 was widely believed to have the armys support. It was intended to put pressure on Nawaz Sharifs new government and a better way of dismissing it than an outright coup. In the end Washington prevailed upon then army chief General Raheel Sharif to show prudence.

The fact this time a much smaller protest has not only continued in Islamabad but spread to Lahore and Karachi suggests it had military support. Otherwise it would have ended earlier without embarrassing the government.

One obvious conclusion emerges: The Pakistan army will not topple elected governments because it doesnt need to; instead, it will embarrass and restrict their powers. This civilian facade is the velvet glove it needs to cover its iron fist.

The views expressed are personal

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Vaishali police on Wednesday night recovered the newborn who was stolen from a private nursing home at district headquarters Hajipur five days back.

Superintendent of police (SP) Rakesh Kumar said the alleged child-lifter and the couple to whom he had sold the newborn had been arrested.

The male child, born to the wife of Mukesh Sharma of Sinduyari village in the district through caesarian section, was stolen on November 24, three days after birth from the nursing home at Hajipur, 22 km north of state capital Patna. The theft was captured by the CCTV camera installed at the nursing home.

Kumar said alleged child-lifter Uttam Patel of Rajapakar village was identified on the basis of the CCTV footage and arrested after five days of electronic surveillance.

READ| Three-day-old child stolen from private nursing home in Bihar, theft caught on camera

During interrogation, Patel disclosed that he had sold the child to a couple at Rajapakar village for Rs 1.20 lakh and received an advance payment of Rs 1 lakh, the SP said.

On the basis of inputs provided by Patel, the police raided the house of the couple when the family was performing chatti (a ritual after six days of child birth) and recovered the newborn.

The couple, parents of three girls, had been arrested, the SP said, adding that the child was handed over his mother, still admitted in the nursing home, at 11.30pm.

Meanwhile, Bihar director general of police PK Thakur has congratulated the Vaishlai police team for recovering the child and said the team involved in the investigation would be suitably rewarded.
A local court on Thursday issued fresh summons for December 21 to Punjab leader of opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira in a drug smuggling case after the senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader failed to appear before it.

The court of additional district and sessions judge Sandeep Singh Jossan also summoned, again, Khairas personal security officer Joga Singh; personal assistant Manish; UK-based Charanjit Kaur, a resident of Bath village (Jalandhar); and Major Singh Bajwa of Bajwa Kalan village (Jalandhar), after they too failed to appear.

Khairas name had cropped up in the case after the arrest of nine smugglers in Fazilka on March 9, 2015, with 2-kg heroin, 24 gold biscuits, one country-made pistol and two Pakistani SIM cards. According to the prosecution, his name had cropped up during the interrogation of these smugglers.

On October 31 this year, a Fazilka court sentenced them to imprisonment, ranging from three to 20 years, for trans-border heroin smuggling. The court had summoned Khaira and the others on November 30 and also issued non-bailable warrants in response to an application filed by additional public prosecutor Gurbhaj Singh under Section 319 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Later, on a plea by Khaira and others, the Punjab and Haryana high court had stayed the non-bailable warrants, but asked them to join trial.

After the summonses were issued, the issue went on to acquire political overtones with rival parties demanding Khairas resignation over his alleged links with convicted drug smugglers. Alleging political vendetta, Khaira refused to resign, arguing that other leaders had held on to their posts despite facing court cases.

The issue was raised even in the state assembly with the Vidhan Sabha, on Wednesday, passing a resolution condemning Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) MLAs Simarjeet Singh Bains and Balwinder Singh Bains for making scandalous allegations against a high court judge for political purposes and vested motives. At this, an emotionally charged Khaira had led a walkout of AAP and LIP members from the House.
Kirron Kher, Member Parliament from Chandigarh, who had maintained silence over the gangrape of a 21-year-old on November 17, on Wednesday said the victim should have been more cautious and not boarded an autorickshaw in which already two men were sitting.

Calling the incident terrible, the MP said politicians dont always have to come out and make noise to state the obvious.

I am not the governor, administrator or chief minister, who can issue instructions to bring about changes. I can only advise, she said. Stating that eve-teasing is more rampant in North India, the MP said: If the men in North do not mend their ways, then women will set them right.

A day later, Kirron clarified that her statement should not be politicised as former MP and Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal accused her of taking the issue lightly. I had said that girls need to be more careful. Chandigarh Police sends a PCR if any girl calls for help on 100 at night.

Shame on those who tried to politicise this issue. They should talk about constructive things and not destructive, she added.

Corners Congress on conversion rates

Kher dismissed slashing of the rates for converting leasehold residential properties to freehold. Blaming the Congress and her predecessor Pawan Kumar Bansal for not revising the rates for nearly two decades and causing huge losses to the exchequer, Kirron said the new rates have been fixed according to the collectors rate.

Last month, the UT administration had increased the conversion rates up to 55 times.

Interacting with mediapersons at Chandigarh Press Club, Kirron said allowing conversion of properties from leasehold to freehold was her election promise and she had fulfilled it.

As far as the conversion rates are concerned, the revision has been done according to the collector rates, she said.

Lambasting former Union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, she said between 1996 and 2013, the rates remained stagnant at 1,710 per square yard.

The Congress very smartly stopped the conversion and informed the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) in 2013, as it knew the Comptroller and Auditor General will unearth the scam, she said.

Reacting to the allegation, Bansal told HT that he was aghast at the accusation.

In 1996, the land rates were fixed independent of the collector rates, he said. In 2013, when the administration wanted to increase the rates substantially, I strongly objected to it wanted just a nominal hike to 3,500 per square yard. It is then the administration involved the Centre.

On Metro rail

MP Kirron Kher vowed not to allow Metro rail in Chandigarh. I will not let anyone dig up and ruin the peace of Chandigarh to facilitate movement of people from Mohali and Panchkula, she said.

Kirron said neighbouring states can take up Metro projects to link the peripheries to the UT border, from where first-rate buses will be provided to the people. Raising concern over the rising vehicular population, the MP said a ring road is being built to prevent outside vehicles from clogging the internal roads. She suggested car-pooling as the immediate solution.
The tall Brian McElduff, the Irish ambassador to India, beams as he spies a table laden with whisky. Its not just any whisky, its Irish whisky, the fastest growing category of spirits in the world, McElduff explains the gleam in his eyes.

Its a gleam that any spirited Punjabi will understand. The ambassador, who is on a mission to promote Ireland in City Beautiful, is well aware of the comparisons people of this state make with the Irish. Tell him how Irish are dubbed the Punjabis of Britain, and he shoots back, Then, the Punjabis are the Irish of India.

Be it their nomadic nature, their love for spirits, or their dedication to their roots, there are many similarities the Irish share with Punjabis. Cork in Ireland is home to a shrine dedicated to the victims of the Air India flight Kanishka bombing in 1983. Then there is the legendary friendship between Irish national poet WB Yeats and Rabindra Nath Tagore. We have a bust of Tagore in central Dublin, says McElduff, himself a Dubliner.

The Irish may be very small in number, but they have a global presence as 50% of them migrated in the 19th century. They introduced both the St Patricks festival and even Halloween in the US; in India, they came as teachers, says McElduff.

SERVICES FROM IRELAND

With changing times, Irish nuns and brothers in missionary schools are being replaced with e-learning portals. Ireland, says McElduff, is also becoming a go-to destination for higher studies. As of now, we have more than 20,000 students from India. The biggest advantage that education in Ireland gives Indians is that they are allowed to work there for two years, he adds.

The last 40 years have seen Ireland transform itself from a primarily agrarian economy to one heavy on information technology, aviation and service sector. McElduff claims the Indian budget airlines are a takeaway from the Ryan Airways, the low-cost airline that made travelling across Europe a childs play. Ireland also introduced the world to aircraft leasing, he says, telling you how most Indian aircraft are on lease from Ireland.

The ambassador says at present Ireland is home to 25,000 Indians. They are mostly educated professionals. IT giants such as Facebook and Google are headquartered in Dublin, and I often see many Indians there, he adds.

BREXIT BLUES

Brexit, he agrees, is a bummer. As per the Good Friday agreement, there is complete freedom of movement between Ireland and Britain, the border is only political, says McElduff. But this was predicated to the two countries remaining in the European Union (EU). With Britain deciding to quit EU, there is a question mark on the porous border. The EU was beneficial for peace in Ireland. It created prosperity and facilitated the movement of people. Now we are worried about the trade barriers and the divisions, he says.

But Brexit, he says, is also pushing many Indians, who favour free movement within EU, to Ireland.

This will perhaps give another boost to Irish whisky. Hundred years ago, most whisky was Irish. But it declined after Ireland became independent, and US gained ascendance. Also, Indians took to Scotch after their soldiers tasted it during World War II. But its regaining its sheen, says McElduff.

Irish whisky is strong, just the way Punjabis like it, tells McElduff. I hope they will enjoy it and drink responsibly. Cheers to that.
News / Press Release

by Khulani David Ndhlovu

Revolutionary greetings comrades. Zimbabwe is one of the richest countries in the world. Zimbabwe's minerological wealth if properly managed can develop it into an "African Dubai."Zimbabwe used to be the bread basket of Africa, but it is now the basket case of Africa. Where did we go wrong? Poor governance coupled with violence is responsible for our economic ills. Those in authority personalise the country and run it like a family an animal farm.Mnangagwa's move to exorcise the country of the demon of looting is an applaudable move. It is a move that might give the economy the much needed breath of life.Mnangagwa offered a three months moratorium for those who externalised funds and assets to bring them back into the country of face prosecution. In this issue, charity must begin at home. Mnangagwa must lead by example as a repentee and declare his assests. If he fails, then he must not be taken seriously.Prof Jonathan Moyo has asked Mnangagwa and Chiwenga to lead by example and return the $15 billion from China. This is a big amount of money that can economically and architecturally transfigure Zimbabwe into a Paradise. It can resuscitate and rejuvinate the economy.When a demon possessed man attempts to exorcise demons, the demons can easily find assylum in him . How can Mnangagwa, a man who was part of the corruption arrest corrupt?Zimbabwe is at crossroads today because of looting by Mugabe and his disciples. Mnangagwa before his fall from grace was Mugabe's arch angel. All the sins that Mugabe committed, Mnangagwa is equally guilty of them.If Mnangagwa wants us to take him seriously as a repentee and corruption virgin, he must lead by example. He must walk the talk of anti-corruption. He must declare his assets including his offshore accounts.Times have changed, the masses must stand up against corruption. Power to the people. You must know that you are more powerful than Chiwenga's tankers.Victory is certain dear comrades. Alluta continua.NPP National Youth spokesperson Khulani David Ndhlovu
Kirpal Singh Badungar, 75, who was brought in as president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) a year ago, when the panth was in turmoil after the series incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib, was replaced by a new face Gobind Singh Longowal.

It seems, he failed in big job assigned to him, to reconnect to the Sikhs masses, spruce up gurdwara management and dharma parchar and his removal was expected and meeting with all the elected members of SGPC by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal a few days before the presidential polls, signaled Badungars ouster.

He earned wrath for the party high command for not accepting to function the way they wanted. Looking back at Badungars one year, his second term on the top post of coveted body, had controversy over appointment of five secretaries and not giving funds to the World Sikh University in Fatehgarh Sahib.

Also, his removal points towards a leadership crisis in the Sikhs religiopolitical set up that no leaders have emerged after death of Gurcharan Singh Tohra, who remained SGPC president for 29 years.

All SGPC presidents who were appointed after Tohra including Bibi Jagir Kaur, Jagdev Singh Talwandi and Badungar, could not last beyond a term of one year. Is it deficit of trust from the party high command or lack of leadership incase of all three, but baring Avtar Singh Makkar, none could go beyond a years term. Makkar was no favorite, but managed to stay on the top post because of a Supreme Courts order that freezed the general body led by Makkar over a pending amendment in gurdwara act 1925, in the parliament for no vote right to sehajdhari Sikhs in the SGPC polls.

Sukhbir Badal led SAD has majority among 170 members in general house, and he alongwith his father former CM Parkash Singh Badal as patron of the party plays a key role in selecting the name to head to coveted committee.

In the fag-end of his tenure, Badungar had a clash Sikh clergy when it failed accept celebration for Guru Gobind Singhs birth anniversary on January 5, as passed by the SGPC executive body led by Badungar. The clergy fixed December 25, on a day clashing with three day Jor mela in Fatehgarh Sahib to mark martyrdom day of two younger sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh.

Badungar remained involved in day to day management affairs, but failed to a course correction of the damage that SAD surfed during past few years, he was expected to do that. Also he was not listening much to the party cadres, that annoyed the top brass, said a party insider on anonymity. He adds, Badungar thought himself to an unmatchable choice, which is never true for politics.

Mild mannered, having strong academic credentials and a clean image could not work in Badungars favour as was unable to create a fine balance between religion and politics. Considered a non-confrontationist having good equations with Badal-baiters on the radical side, Badungar was unable to take along SGPC members and Akali leader.

Sikh scholars speak up

Pirthipal Singh Kapur, Sikh historian, former ProVC I dont think Badungar has failed. A change has happened. I think coming of Gobind Singh Longowal is a symbol of generation change. Longowal grew up in a panthic environment and have learnt panthic idiom from Sant Harchand Singh Longowal.

Prof. Balkar Singh, former head department of Guru Granth Singh studies Punjabi university, With Gobind Singh Longowals appointment Sant Harchand Singh Longowals legacy have been revived. Kirpal Singh Badungar promoted self, and couldnt do much for panth as was expected from him at this stage.

Gurdarshan Singh Dhillon, Sikh historian New president of the SGPC is incompetent person. He has been groomed by a person (Harchand Singh Longowal) who worked against the interest of Sikhs and Punjab. What can we expect from his protege.

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Punjab assemblys winter session started with a sting by the opposition. It ended with the government adding its own sting to the tale.

A day after being silent spectator to the standoff over drug cases between both the opposition parties, the Captain Amarinder Singh government decided to ambush leader of opposition Sukhpal Khaira of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by escalating his run-in with the judiciary.

As the session came to a close on Wednesday, the government brought in a resolution condemning members of the AAP and its ally, Lok Insaaf Party (LIP), for bringing a staged audio clip to tarnish the image of the judiciary. LIPs Simarjeet Bains and Balwinder Bains had alleged kickbacks to a Punjab and Haryana high court judge for not staying a trial courts summons to Khaira in a drug case.

Though the thinking of the Congress spinmasters was to let the AAP and the SAD-BJP slug it out, the Akalis changed their script and did not go after Khaira the way they had been posturing, giving the AAP leader an upper hand.

With the municipal polls ahead  schedule to be out on Thursday -- the government decided to contain Khaira, who it felt was over-projecting himself. The governments move hit many targets. It has compounded the judicial troubles of Khaira and demolished the perception that it chose to be silent on drug charges against him, something the Akalis would have used to their advantage.

Most importantly, it has shown the government withholding the dignity of the judiciary which has not taken kindly to the aspersions.

Behind the change of plan is also Captain's legal hawks telling him that the audio clip would hold no water under judicial scrutiny. Khaira and Bains brothers had met the HC chief justice with the audio clip on Monday and demanded a judicial probe.

Many in the Congress believe the CMs stand of no political vendetta too is based on the surmise that the legal troubles of both Khaira and former Akali minister Bikram Singh Majithia are enough and he does not need to gun for either. The HC had on Tuesday asked the special task force (STF) set up by the Amarinder government to look into drug cases to also probe Majithias alleged role.

Cornered by the government, Khaira decided to be brash rather than use reason. He hit out at Amarinders friend from Pakistan and used expletives for Congress leaders at a press conference.

Earlier in the day, he had to apologise to parliamentary affairs minister Brahm Mohindra and local government minister Navjot Singh Sidhu inside the House after accusing all Congress ministers and MLAs of being involved in illegal sand mining. The speaker too called out his name thrice.

His conduct inside the House left the ruling partys power circle feeling that the expose had emboldened Khaira. So it played a reverse sweep. It did not hit Khaira in the drug case but put him in the dock for insulting the judiciary.

State Congress chief Sunil Jakhar reasons that the government resolution has shown it has no tolerance for drugs and to disrespect to judiciary. Unlike the last session when the AAP-Akalis bonhomie caught it unawares, the ruling party decided to have some surprises up its sleeve this time.

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Malayalam actor Abi, well known for his skills at mimicry, died on Thursday at a Kochi hospital, reported Malayala Manorama. He was 52.

The actor had been ailing for a while now and was undergoing treatment for low platelet count, the report added.

With more than 50 films under his belt, he was best known for his roles in Mazhavil Koodaram, Kireedamillatha Rajakkanmar, Mimics Action 500, Aniyathipraavu and Rasikan.

According to IB Times, Abi, whose real name is Habeeb Ahamed, was immensely popular in the 80s and 90s, and his cassettes and mimicry shows did immensely well. He has also hosted many television shows.

The actor gained popularity for his portrayal of a character called Amina Thatha in various comedy shows and movies. He routinely dubbed for Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan for his advertisements in Malayalam, the IB Times report adds.

As a mimicry artiste, Abi also worked with Kalabhavan, Harisree and Cochin Sagar troupes.

The actor is survived by wife Sunila, and children Ahana, Aleena and Shane Nigam -- a budding actor himself. Shane has already worked in films such as Kismath, C/o Saira Banu, Parava and is awaiting the release of his next, Eeda.

Popular Malayalam film personalities, including Dulquer Salmaan and Mohanlal, took to social media to express their grief.

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Rana Daggubati is on a roll as he has signed a trilingual with director Prabhu Solomon. The film is titled Hathi Mere Sathi (Hindi; the Tamil and Telugu names are yet to be announced) and is a tribute to the hit Rajesh Khanna film. Prabhu Solomon, whose last outing Thodari had Dhanush in the lead role excels at telling visually-appealing stories. He rose to fame with the critically acclaimed film Mynaa and has since churned out interesting films.

Rana and Prabhu are expected to begin shooting in January 2018 and the buzz is that the film will be ready for release by Diwali 2018. The film will be shot in Thailand and will be produced by Eros International & Trinity Pictures. There have been reports that the actor would be a part of a film where he plays a wildlife conservationist, who specifically works on helping elephants, and this could be it.

On the work front, Rana is busy shooting his film 1945, which is a period film directed by Sathyasiva. Regina Cassandra is the leading lady of the film, which also stars Baahubali actors Sathyaraj and Nasser in pivotal roles.

In another film, he will be portraying the role of Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, who ruled the erstwhile Travancore state. This movie will be directed by K Madhu and is expected to go on floors in mid-2018. This film will focus on how Marthanda Varma was the first king to defeat an outside force in a war at sea. The director had revealed that a popular Tamil actor will be joining the cast soon to play a pivotal role.



Other than this, Ranas web series Social is being aired on Viu.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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The health of Bahrains top Shia cleric and leading figure in the kingdoms opposition movement, Ayatollah Isa Qassim, has deteriorated and his life is in danger, rights groups said Thursday.

I issue a call: Sheikh Isa Ahmed Qassim is in danger, said Sheikh Maytham Salman of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights and the Bahrain Interfaith Center, referring to Qassims deteriorating health.

Qassim, who is in his late 70s and was a leader of 2011 protests in the Sunni-ruled kingdom, has been under de facto house arrest since a 2016 court order revoking his citizenship on charges including serving foreign interests.

Qassims family said earlier this week that the elderly sheikh was in urgent need of medical attention. The authorities have insisted on sending a medical team of their choice, a relative told AFP.

Bahrains justice ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

We are looking at a slow murder, Salman said at a news conference in Beirut. What (Qassim) needs is medical treatment and freedom, which are natural rights enshrined in law and the constitution.

Ruled for more than 200 years by the Al-Khalifa dynasty, Bahrain is home to a Shiite majority that has long complained of political marginalisation.

The archipelago, located between regional arch-rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia, has been rocked by protests demanding an elected government since 2011.

Bahraini authorities have accused Iran of backing the protests and of aiming to overthrow the government. Tehran denies any involvement.

Over the past six years, Bahraini authorities have tightened their grip on all dissent, jailing dozens of high-profile clerics and activists and disbanding both religious and secular opposition groups.

While Qassim has not made public the details of his condition, London-based rights group the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy said he had high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.

He has also been diagnosed with a groin hernia requiring urgent surgery, according to the institute.
When Iran declared victory over Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, it hailed the strong and pivotal role played by Lebanons Hezbollah movement.

The praise, contained in a top generals letter to Irans Supreme Leader in November, confirmed Hezbollans pre-eminence among Shiite Muslim regional groups backed by Tehran that are helping the Islamic Republic exert influence in the Middle East.

Hezbollah has emerged as a big winner in the turmoil that has swept the Arab world since the uprisings of 2011 that toppled governments in several countries. It has fought in Syria and Iraq, trained other groups in those countries and inspired other forces such as Iran-allied Houthis waging a war in Yemen.

But its growing strength has contributed to a sharp rise in regional tension, alarming Israel, the United States - which designates it as a terrorist organisation - and Sunni Muslim monarchy Saudi Arabia, Irans regional rival, which accuses Hezbollah of having a military role on its doorstep in Yemen.

Israel fears Iran and Hezbollah will keep permanent garrisons in Syria and has called for action against Iranian aggression. With Hezbollah stronger than ever, war with Israel is seen by many in the region as inevitable, sooner or later.

Hezbollah has gained from the experience of working with armies and managing numerous weapons systems simultaneously - air power, armoured vehicles, intelligence, and drones: all specialities of conventional armies, said a commander in a regional alliance fighting in Syria.

Hezbollah is now a dynamic army, bringing together guerrilla and conventional warfare.

Hezbollahs elevated status among Irans regional allies was clear at the funeral this month of Hassan Soleimani, father of Major General Qassem Soleimani who wrote the letter praising Hezbollahs role fighting IS in Syria and Iraq.

Hezbollahs delegation, led by Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, a top figure in its clerical leadership, took responsibility for organising talks on the sidelines of the funeral between the various Iranian allies present, an official who attended said.

All the resistance factions were at the condolences. Hezbollah coordinated and directed meetings and discussions, the official said.

THE HEZBOLLAH MODEL

Hezbollah was set up by the powerful Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) to fight Israeli forces that invaded Lebanon in 1982 and to export Irans Shiite Islamist revolution.

It has come a long way from the Bekaa Valley camps where its fighters first trained. Its fighters spearheaded the November attack on Albu Kamal, a town near Syrias border with Iraq, which ended IS resistance in its last urban stronghold in the country.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has said the battle for Albu Kamal was led by Qassem Soleimani, commander of the branch of the IRGC responsible for operations outside.

An Iran-backed Iraqi Shiite militia, the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), crossed into Syria to help during the battle. Hezbollah helped to set up the Iraqi PMF at the peak of Islamic States expansion in 2014.

The attack was of huge symbolic and strategic significance for Iran and its regional allies, recreating a land route linking Tehran, Baghdad, Damascus and Beirut - often termed the Shiite crescent by Irans regional enemies.

The United States says Iran is applying what you might call a Hezbollah model to the Middle East - in which they want governments to be weak, they want governments to be dependent on Iran for support, White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said in late October.

So, what is most important, not just for the United States but for all nations, is to confront the scourge of Hezbollah and to confront the scourge of the Iranians and the IRGC who sustain Hezbollahs operations, he told Alhurra, a U.S.-funded Arabic-language news network.

Syria is where Hezbollah has made its biggest impact outside Lebanon though its role was kept secret when its fighters first deployed there Syria in mid-2012.

The initial aim was to defend the shrine of Sayeda Zeinab, a Shiite pilgrimage site near Damascus. But as President Bashar al-Assad lost ground, Hezbollah sent more fighters to aid Syrian security forces ill suited to the conflict they faced.

Hezbollahs role was crucial in defeating many of the rebels who fought Assad with backing from his regional foes, helping him win back the cities of Aleppo and Homs, and other territory.

Its publicly declared role in support of Assad has been accompanied by an effort to establish new Syrian militias that have fought alongside it, said the commander in the regional alliance fighting in Syria.

Hezbollah has lost more than 1,500 fighters in Syria, including top commanders. But it has gained military experience, supplementing its know-how in guerrilla tactics with knowledge of conventional warfare thanks to coordination with the Syrian and Russian armies and the IRGC, the commander said.

A BROADENING THREAT

With Iranian support, Hezbollah has raised and trained new Syrian militias including the National Defence Forces, which number in the tens of thousands, and a Shiite militia known as the Rida force, recruited from Shiite villages, the commander said.

Hezbollah has also taken the lead in the information war with a military news service that often reports on battles before Syrian state media.

The United States and Saudi Arabia are worried Hezbollah and Iran are seeking to replicate their strategy in Yemen, by supporting the Houthis against a Riyadh-led military coalition.

Hezbollah denies fighting in Yemen, sending weapons to the Houthis, or firing rockets at Saudi Arabia from Yemeni territory. But it does not hide its political support for the Houthi cause.

Saudi concern over Yemen is at the heart of a political crisis that rocked Lebanon in November. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariris sudden resignation was widely seen as a Saudi-orchestrated move to create trouble for Hezbollah at home.

Shared concerns over Hezbollah may have been a motivating factor behind recently declared contacts between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Hezbollah is meanwhile expanding its conventional arsenal in Lebanon, where it is part of the government, including buying advanced rocket and missile technology, in a broadening of the threat to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Arabian Peninsula, Nick Rasmussen, the director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, said in October.

Despite newly imposed U.S. sanctions, Hezbollah sounds confident. With IS now defeated in Iraq, Nasrallah has indicated Hezbollah could withdraw its men from that front, saying they would return to join any other theatre where they are needed.

He says his group will continue to operate wherever it sees fit, repeatedly declaring: We will be where we need to be.
Imagery released on Thursday of North Koreas latest missile test showed new rocket engines and a larger design that likely puts Kim Jong Un closer to his goal of being able to deliver a nuclear warhead to a target anywhere in the world, though without great accuracy yet, analysts said.

North Korea released dozens of photos and a video after Wednesdays launch of the new Hwasong-15 missile, which North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared had finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force.

Since Julys launch of the Hwasong-14, its first long-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), North Korea analysts have been looking for signs the isolated country has developed precise guidance systems, reliable and powerful rocket engines, and a re-entry vehicle capable of protecting a nuclear warhead as it speeds toward its target.

North Korea is continuing to pursue its ICBM in a methodical and pragmatic manner, making progress in incremental steps, said Joseph Bermudez from 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project.

US officials noted, however, that North Korea has not proved it has an accurate guidance system for an ICBM or a capable re-entry vehicle.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Roh Jae-cheon cautioned that more analysis is needed to determine the Hwasong-15s full performance, but said North Korea had clearly made significant changes since the Hwasong-14.

Our initial analysis of the photos showed that there were clear differences between the Hwasong-15 and Hwasong-14 in terms of the looks of the warhead, the joint of the first and second stages of the missile, and overall size, Roh told a briefing on Thursday.

North Korea said the new missile soared to an altitude of about 4,475 km, more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station, and flew 950 km during its 53-minute flight - higher and longer than any North Korean missile, before landing in the sea near Japan.

The missiles large size was immediately apparent in the photos, which analysts said could provide for a more powerful propulsion system.

This is a very big missile, Michael Duitsman, a research associate at the Centre for Nonproliferation Studies, said in an analysis posted to Twitter. And I dont mean Big for North Korea. Only a few countries can produce missiles of this size, and North Korea just joined the club.

One US intelligence official told Reuters the Hwasong-15 test appears to demonstrate a more powerful North Korean solid-fuel propulsion system, especially in its second-stage rocket.

A solid-fuel system for an ICBM would be a significant development and could allow the North Koreans to transport and launch a missile more quickly, compared to a liquid-fuel system that requires lengthy preparation.

The photos appeared to show the missile with at least two large nozzles on its first stage, instead of the one large and several smaller nozzles on the Hwasong-14.

The first stage seems to use essentially the same case (as the Hwasong-14) but has two engines, said David Wright, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, a US-based nonprofit science advocacy group. The second stage looks like it can carry more than twice as much propellant. The combination of those two things means it really is a new, more capable missile.

The missiles size and design may also make it possible for it to carry a larger warhead and a more robust re-entry vehicle, analysts said.

The nose section of the missile appeared to be blunter than previous versions, which might suggest progress in developing a re-entry vehicle, Bermudez said.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un with the newly developed intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15. (Reuters)

The photos appeared to show a mobile erector vehicle positioning the missile at the launch site, designed to allow it to be fired from a wider number of areas to prevent it from being intercepted.

While the photos show the vehicle being used to position the missile upright, it is not seen in photos of the launch itself. U.S. intelligence analysts have concluded from satellite and other data that the test missile was fired from a fixed position, not a mobile launcher, three U.S. officials said.

A video released later on Wednesday by state media showed the missile standing alone before launch on a small platform, confirming the intelligence assessments.

That the missile is likely longer and heavier than its predecessors is evidenced by the sheer size of the transporter, which had nine axles instead of eight previously seen in North Korean transporters, he said.

The massive vehicle was 100% a domestic product of North Korea, state media quoted Kim Jong Un as saying.

Western analysts said it is more likely the truck was one of about half a dozen vehicles obtained years ago from China, which North Korea has modified since then.

I would need to see a bit more differences to fully believe they made this themselves, Dave Schmerler, a research associate at the James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies, said of the launch transport vehicle.

They can reverse engineer it, so there is always that option, but from what I saw, I am not inclined to believe they made this yet.
Opinion / Columnist

Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo writes in his personal capacity as the Head of Southern Institute of Policy Analysis and Research  SIPAR TRUST, which is responsible for policy Analysis and Research. He is also an academic and researcher. He holds a BA, M.A from Solusi University, and he also holds a Masters of Development Studies from University of Lusaka, Zambia. He is currently enrolled at University of Kwazulu Natal University in South Africa (PHD in Development Studies). He can be contacted at southerninstitutepar@gmail.com

As a research and academic analyst my role is advisory be it the current Government, opposition and civic society, I simply lay facts on the table as they are without fear or favor. In the past, opposition's mantra was "MUGABE MUST GO" now that Mugabe is gone what's next? I for see opposition losing political relevance soon.Look the major obstacle for everyone was Mugabe, and this was the banner the opposition was carrying for the past 18 years or so but now there is a new leader in the currently after the Mugabe mantra so what is your next plan? Opposition never be adamant with facts, this is why MDC T lost in 2013, they don't want facts to be said as they are.Our role is simply to tell you that we have entered a new season and wake up and simply go back to the drawing board and begin to draft a new plan. At the same time I also want to warn those who are rushing to give credit to ED that do it at your own risk as well, because there is too much excitement on the social media and other platforms, we are yet to see the fruits. Remember Mugabe read so many good speeches well drafted but nothing was implemented. Remember the same Zanu PF is still there nothing has changed; the machinery is still the same, same guys, same strategies so we need at least 100 days to give a good evaluation.There are so many people excited by announcements and newspapers, you need to wait and see till we have reached there otherwise you will be disappointed. I've issues that I'm going to raise for the opposition then at the same time issues that I will raise with the current President. Our role as civic society is to give adequate advice to both entities so that we can come up with better plans for our country.I was very disappointed when I heard Obert Gutu a senior member of the MDC and party spokesperson complaining that ED stole their party manifesto. Come on Gutu a Lawyer by profession you were not supposed to behave like that. You see this issue of cry baby won't work, people need serious business, this kind of ignorance and approach won't take you anywhere as a party. You have to go back to the drawing board and discuss and map the way forward.ED is simply implementing what people want. People want food on the table, they want jobs, they want the issue of cabinet to be addressed and ED is simply responding to the public's outcry.Politics is gambl*ng, but if you fail to read between the lines you will be history in 2018. MDC in the past capitalized on Mugabe's mistakes and this is what ED is doing, he is simply correcting what Mugabe messed.So who stole what?We don't want comedy in politics, people want food on the table, go back and start thinking on areas that the Government is not doing well and begin to work on that. So my question is all along MDC as a party what did you use the blueprint for?I suggest MDC should just join the inclusive arrangement and contribute towards national building. I suggest Tsvangirai, Mujuru and other opposition outfits to work on their information departments or how information show disseminate or flow to their recipients.Tsvangirai should reshuffle his team especially the information department is dead and nothing exciting is coming from that department so what really is going to inspire the public or the general people?I've a strong feeling that there could be elements within the opposition working with state agents to destroy the opposition outfits. The opposition is very weak at the moment and this should be addressed. I will then ask why Tsvangirai did and Chamisa attend ED'S inauguration alone yet we have 9 standing committee members in the party?Why did the rest boycott? There have also been conflicting statements regarding the issue of joining the inclusive or transitional arrangements. Some saying lets join, some saying let's not join. Who is really behind this drama? I have also questions on Mujuru, from the time Mugabe resigned we have never heard any statement from her, and word circulating is that she could be on her way back to the ruling party.Madam what about your supporters?What about the coalition?What about those people you started the project with?I've a strong feeling that the opposition should join the Government and people will judge their performance after the inclusive arrangement. Fighting for reforms outside the Government is a battle, and honestly I don't see them winning. Remember the issue is not about winning but the issue is about getting power. It is important to use the transitional arrangement to fight for reforms. We have electoral reforms on the table, judicial reforms, economic reforms and other fundamental challenges such as corruption.I've noted earlier on that there are several debates within the opposition ranks to join the transitional arrangement or not, but I would say please join the transitional arrangement and fight for reforms whilst you are in Government. With the pace ED is moving with, honestly I can see opposition being buried in 2018. ED is already marketing himself with those ideas he is using, opposition is silent and they are busy watching as spectators.There are so many issues to raise such as the issue of 15 billion, human rights issues, those Mdc activists who are still languishing in jail, we have issues of the budget, we have issues of command agriculture, we have corruption of the previous administration, selective application of the law on Chombo and Chipanga whilst Obert Mpofu and Chinamasa are walking scot free in town, and to some extent Chinamasa has already been awarded an acting key post. So why are you not raising these issues?Why are you not making noise? The cabinet is not announced, what are you doing about it? Opposition should open platforms for public engagement and begin to engage the public. So far opposition's behavior is not inspiring and if this continue, burial is likely to take place in 2018. Opposition is supposed to provide checks and balance than to wait and being overshadowed by ED and his team. Remember Zanu PF is covering the ground and they know what they want come 2018 you will get a rude awakening. I suggest Tsvangirai should fire or sack his advisors and bring in a new team and reshuffle his inner circle team.I suggest Gutu can be re-deployed to Legal team, then Chamisa can be re-deployed to information and publicity he has done well before in that area and he knows the language that the general public wants, if you remember very well he can matches with our youths of today, then Mudzuri should go back to organizing, Mudzuri is a good man and he can deliver best and quality results. Mudzuri is a technocrat who understands the nature of our politics. I suggest Khupe can run the administration part, whilst Biti can do the funding and strategy issue. Policies can be tackled by Welshman Ncube.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said India has provided no evidence against Hafiz Saeed, days after the US warned there would be repercussions for bilateral relations if the Pakistan government does not re-arrest and prosecute the Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief.

Noting that Saeed had recently been freed from house arrest by a judicial panel because there were no charges against him, Abbasi told Bloomberg in an interview that Saaed should be prosecuted internationally if the charges against him could be substantiated.

The court, a three-judge bench, has released him (Saeed) saying there are no charges against him, the country has a law you know, said Abbasi, who became premier after PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif was ousted from office by the Supreme Court over graft charges.

Prosecute him internationally if there is substance to these charges -- these are accusations only. No evidence has been provided by India, he said, without giving details.

Saeed, who has been accused by India and the US of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people, was freed after 10 months of house arrest by a panel of judges from the Lahore high court who concluded Pakistan authorities had not provided any evidence against him.

India has repeated said it has provided adequate evidence to Pakistan against Saeed, the founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, which carried out the attacks in Mumbai.

Saeed is considered to be close to the Pakistani military and intelligence set-up, which has for long been accused of using the LeT as a proxy to target India.

Asked if Pakistan would act against Taliban leaders who have allegedly lived for years in the southwestern city of Quetta, Abbasi said, We will act against them if they really exist.

Abbasi also suggested that US President Donald Trumps troop increase and support to Afghanistan will end in failure. He urged the Afghan government and the Taliban to agree to peace talks.

We have assured them of whatever assistance we would be able to offer, but things are quite fragmented on that side, he said. Pakistan has tried twice but the talks have been sabotaged.

Abbasis remarks came against the backdrop of growing American pressure to act against terror groups operating from its soil, including the LeT and Haqaani Network. Gen Joseph Votel, commander of the US Central Command, and secretary of state Rex Tillerson called on Pakistan to take action against militants during recent visits to the country.

There is no room for them to take a tough stance here, because Pakistan is the country which is fighting the war on terror, Abbasi said. Somebody gives us intelligence and we will act upon it. It is our war, not theirs.
The US ambassador to the United Nations said Wednesday that North Koreas launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile  which some observers believe could reach the Eastern US  brings us closer to a war the US isnt seeking.

Nikki Haley, speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, said that if war comes as a result of further acts of aggression like the latest launch, make no mistake the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed.

The dictator of North Korea made a decision yesterday that brings us closer to war, not farther from it, Haley said. We have never sought war with North Korea and still today we do not seek it.

American Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, center, speaks to Chinese Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Wu Haitao after a Security Council meeting on the situation in North Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, at United Nations headquarters. (AP)

The Trump administration threatened new sanctions on North Korea after the reclusive government shattered 2 months of relative quiet with its most powerful weapon test yet.

President Donald Trump tweeted that he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about Pyongyangs provocative actions, and he vowed that additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled! Trumps top diplomat, Rex Tillerson, said the US could target financial institutions doing business with the North.

At the emergency Security Council meeting, Chinas deputy UN ambassador Wu Haitao reiterated the China-Russia proposal for North Korea to suspend all nuclear and missile tests and for the US and South Korea to suspend all military exercises.

Russias UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia also urged North Korea to stop the tests and called on the US and South Korea to cancel large-scale military maneuvers scheduled for December.

The fresh deliberations about new forms of punishment for North Korea came after its government said it successfully fired a significantly more powerful, nuclear-capable ICBM it called the Hwasong-15. Outside governments and analysts concurred the North had made a jump in missile capability.

A resumption of Pyongyangs torrid testing pace in pursuit of a viable arsenal of nuclear-tipped missiles that can hit the US mainland had been widely expected. But the power of the missile and suddenness of the test jolted the Korean Peninsula and Washington. The launch at 3:17 a.m. Wednesday local time  early Tuesday afternoon in the US capital  indicated an effort to perfect the element of surprise and obtain maximum attention in the US.

CORRECTION - This photo taken on November 29, 2017 and released on November 30, 2017 by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un looking at launching of the Hwasong-15 missile which is capable of reaching all parts of the US. (AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS)

In a government statement released through state media, North Korea said the Hwasong-15, the greatest ICBM, could be armed with a super-large heavy nuclear warhead and is capable of striking the whole mainland of the US. The North said the missile reached a height of 4,475 kilometers (2,780 miles) and traveled 950 kilometers (590 miles) before accurately hitting a sea target, similar to the flight data announced by South Koreas military.

After the launch, it said leader Kim Jong Un declared with pride that his country has achieved its goal of becoming a rocket power. State TV said Kim gave the order Tuesday, and it broadcast a photo of Kims signed order where he wrote: Test launch is approved. Taking place at the daybreak of Nov. 29! Fire with courage for the party and country!

Speaking later Wednesday, Trump could not resist taking a dig at Kim. Digressing during a speech in Missouri on tax reform, Trump called Kim Little Rocket Man and described him as a sick puppy.

The North Korean launch was a message of defiance to the Trump administration after it restored North Korea to a US list of terror sponsors. It raises fears of war or a pre-emptive US strike and casts a deeper shadow over the security of the Winter Olympics early next year in South Korea.

A rattled Seoul responded by almost immediately launching three of its own missiles in a show of force. South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed worry that North Koreas missile threat could force the US to attack the North before it masters a nuclear-tipped long-range missile.

The launch was North Koreas first since Sept. 15 and may have broken any efforts at diplomacy. US officials have sporadically floated the idea of direct talks with North Korea if it maintained restraint.

The missile also appeared an improvement on North Koreas past launches.

If flown on a standard trajectory, instead of the lofted angle of the test flight, the missile would have a range of more than 13,000 kilometers (8,100 miles), said US scientist David Wright, a physicist who closely tracks North Koreas missile and nuclear programs. Such a missile would have more than enough range to reach Washington, D.C., and in fact any part of the continental United States, Wright wrote in a blog post for the Union for Concerned Scientists.

Chinese Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Wu Haitao speaks during a Security Council meeting on the situation in North Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, at United Nations headquarters. (AP)

Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said the missile landed inside Japans special economic zone in the Sea of Japan.

A big unknown, however, is the missiles payload. If, as expected, it carried a light mock warhead, then its effective range would have been shorter, analysts said.

In his call with Xi, Trump made clear the determination of the United States to defend ourselves and our allies, according to a White House statement. Trump also emphasized the need for China to use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization.

The Trump administration bolstered US sanctions against North Korea last week and imposed new restrictions on North Korean shipping firms and Chinese companies that deal with the North.

Chinas state-run Xinhua news agency said Xi told Trump that China remained determined to clear the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons, and to preserve peace and stability in Northeast Asia.
Pope Francis wrapped up his visit to Myanmar on Thursday with a Mass for young people before heading to neighbouring Bangladesh where the Muslim Rohingya refugee crisis was expected to take center stage.

Francis has so far refrained from speaking out about Asias worst humanitarian crisis in decades out of diplomatic deference to his hosts in Myanmar, who consider the Rohingya as having illegally migrated from Bangladesh and dont recognize them as their own ethnic group.

The Vatican has defended Francis silence, saying the pope wants to build bridges with the predominantly Buddhist nation. But human rights groups and Rohingya themselves have expressed disappointment that Francis, an advocate for refugees and the worlds most marginal, refrained from condemning what the UN has said is a textbook case of ethnic cleansing.

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said Francis took seriously the advice given to him by the local Catholic Church, which urged him to toe a cautious line and not even refer to the Rohingya by name during his trip.

You can criticize whats said, whats not said, but the pope is not going to lose moral authority on this question here, Burke told reporters on Wednesday.

Pope Francis leads mass at the St. Mary's Cathedral in Yangon on November 30, 2017. (AFP)

Rohingya have faced persecution and discrimination in Myanmar for decades and are denied citizenship, even though many families have lived there for generations. The situation grew worse in August when the army began what it called clearance operations in northern Rakhine state following attacks on security positions by Rohingya militants.

More than 620,000 Rohingya have since poured into refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh, where they have described indiscriminate attacks by Myanmar security forces and Buddhist mobs, including killings, rapes and the torching of entire villages.

Burke stressed that Francis diplomatic stance in public in Myanmar didnt negate what he had said in the past, or what he might be saying in private.

In the past, Francis has strongly condemned the persecution of our Rohingya brothers, denounced their suffering because of their faith and called for them to receive full rights.

While he called in his first major speech on Tuesday for all of Myanmars ethnic groups to have their human rights respected, his failure to specify the Rohingya crisis on Myanmar soil drew criticism from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Rohingya themselves.

On Wednesday, Myanmar Bishop John Hsane Hgyi suggested that reports of atrocities being committed against the Rohingya were not reliable or authoritative, and that those who criticized Myanmars response to a complex situation should go into the field to study the reality and history to obtain true news.

The government has barred independent groups from travelling to northern Rakhine state.

In his final event in Myanmar, Francis celebrated Mass in Yangons St. Marys Cathedral for young Catholics. The young worshippers, many dressed in the traditional clothing of their ethnic groups, leaned out to touch or kiss Francis hand as he slowly walked by.

During the Mass, Francis told them to not be afraid to make their voices heard.

Do not be afraid to make a ruckus, to ask questions that make people think, he told them. Make yourselves heard.
Russia has approved a draft agreement with Egypt for Russian warplanes to use Egyptian military bases, according to a document released Thursday, a deal that would allow Moscow to further increase its military footprint in the Mideast.

The directive, signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and published on the official portal of legal information, endorses the draft prepared by the Russian Defense Ministry and instructs it to sign the deal with Egypt when its ready.

The Russia-Egypt deal, which would allow each countrys warplanes to use air bases of the other, is to last five years and could be extended further if agreed.

For Egypt, the deal is significant as President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissis government has expanded military ties with Russia and signed deals to buy Russian fighter jets, helicopters and other weapons.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Cairo on Wednesday, noting that military cooperation between the two countries has increased recently as Egypt placed new orders for Russian weapons.

We are pleased to note stable positive dynamics in the military-technical sphere, Shoigu was quoted as saying during meeting of an inter-government commission on military-technical cooperation.

He also offered condolences for the massacre at a village mosque in Egypts Sinai Peninsula last week that killed 305 people during Friday prayers  the deadliest attack by Islamic extremists in Egypts modern history.

Shoigu emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation in fighting terrorism.

We believe that its necessary to fight this evil together using all accessible means, he said.

The local affiliate of the extremist Islamic State group has not formally claimed responsibility for the mosque attack, though the gunmen that mowed down the worshippers carried the black banner of the militant group. The IS affiliate has claimed responsibility for the October 2015 downing over Sinai of a Russian passenger jet that killed all 224 people on board, mostly Russian tourists.

IS said it blew up the plane with a bomb smuggled on board, a claim confirmed by Russian investigators. The bombing prompted Russia to cut commercial flights with Egypt, a heavy blow that decimated the countrys vital tourism industry.

Moscow and Cairo have held talks on boosting airport security and resuming the air link, but no agreement has been reached so far.

Egypt was Moscows closest Arab ally in the 1950s and 1960s, when nationalist leader Gamal Abdel-Nasser turned away from the United States and secured Soviet backing. Nassers successor, Anwar Sadat, broke ties with Moscow and evicted Soviet military advisers.

Under el-Sissi, who developed friendly ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Egypt has expanded economic ties with Russia and shown a renewed interest in Russian arms.

Russia has raised its profile in the Middle East region with a military campaign in Syria that has turned the course of war in Syrian President Bashar Assads favor. Russia has an air base and a navy supply facility in Syria, which it plans to expand.

El-Sissi has struggled to subdue the Islamic insurgency in Sinai. On Wednesday, he gave his security forces a three-month deadline to restore security and stability in the troubled northern part of the peninsula and authorized his new chief of staff to use all brute force against the militants.
A suspected US drone strike on Thursday targeted a hideout of the Haqqani militant network along Pakistans mountainous border with Afghanistan, killing four people, officials said.

If confirmed, it would be the fourth such US strike inside Pakistan since President Donald Trump took office in January.

Two Pakistani intelligence officials and a local government officer said an unmanned aerial vehicle dropped two missiles on a compound housing militants under the command of a senior network commander, Abdur Rasheed Haqqani.

Villagers initially reported a blast in the Upper Kurram area to authorities, said one of the officials, adding, We got it from our informant later that it was a US drone strike that targeted Haqqanis.

It was not clear if the commander was among those killed, added the officials, who sought anonymity as the issue is a sensitive one.

Trumps new strategy for the Afghanistan war calls for a tougher stance with Pakistan against militants such as the Haqqani network who have bases inside Pakistan.

Since the Afghan policy review, the US has been pushing Islamabad for decisive action against the Haqqani network militants, who are notorious for using Pakistani soil to launch attacks against American-led NATO troops in Afghanistan.

Islamabad denies the allegations, and, instead, blames Kabul for not taking out militants who use Afghan territory as a base for attacks on targets in Pakistan.

Pakistan has been facing a deadly Islamist militancy for more than a decade. Gunmen attacked a minority Shiite Muslim mosque in Islamabad, the capital, on Wednesday, killing two people.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami, a Sunni sectarian group linked with militant group Islamic State, claimed responsibility for the mosque attack.
A Turkish Airlines flight from Nairobi to Istanbul was diverted after the detection of a wi-fi network called bomb on board that alarmed the passengers, the airline said on Thursday.

In a statement, Turkish Airlines said the flight made an emergency landing at the Khartoum airport in Sudan, but the flight was safely resumed after security inspections on all passengers and the aircraft.

Experts said the wi-fi network in question was created on board. No irregularities were seen after security procedures were carried out, and passengers were brought back on the plane once boarding restarted, Turkish Airlines said.

Individuals can create personal wi-fi networks on devises such as mobile phones and name them what they want.

The airline said all 100 passengers were brought back on board the flight, but did not say whether authorities had identified the passenger who had created the wi-fi network.
The United States warned North Koreas leadership will be utterly destroyed if war breaks out but its call for nations to cut ties with Pyongyang was rejected by Moscow while Beijing sidestepped talk of an oil embargo.

Washington urged tough action at an emergency meeting of the Security Council held Wednesday to respond to North Koreas launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The dictator of North Korea made a choice yesterday that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it, US Ambassador Nikki Haley told the council.

If war comes, make no mistake: The North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed.

But her call for nations to cut off all ties with North Korea was rejected by Moscow, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying Russia saw the proposal negatively.

We have repeatedly stated that the pressure of sanctions has been exhausted, Lavrov told reporters in Minsk on Thursday.

US President Donald Trump derided Kim Jong-Un as a sick puppy and threatened major new sanctions after Pyongyang tested its third ICBM -- which it claimed was capable of striking anywhere in the United States.

The test ended a two-month lull in missile tests that had raised hopes for the opening of diplomatic talks. The North said the weapon could land anywhere in the continental United States, and France said Europe was also in striking distance.

Kim said the test of the Hwasong-15 weapons system had helped his country achieve the goal of becoming a full nuclear power, sparking global condemnation.

Haley said Trump had called Chinese President Xi Jinping and urged him to cut off the oil from North Korea, a move that would deal a crippling blow to North Koreas economy.

That would be a pivotal step in the worlds effort to stop this international pariah, she said, warning that if Beijing does not act, we can take the oil situation into our own hands.

The United States earlier pressed for a full oil embargo on North Korea after it tested its most powerful nuclear bomb to date in September, but dropped that demand in negotiations on a sanctions resolution with China.

- Situation will be handled -

The Security Council met at the request of the United States, Japan and South Korea to consider next steps after three rounds of sanctions adopted in the past year failed to push North Korea to change course.

Trump -- who has traded barbs with Kim for months -- asked Xi to use all available levers to press the hermit state.

Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled! Trump tweeted.

But Chinas foreign ministry sidestepped questions about the US call for an oil embargo, with spokesman Geng Shuang telling reporters that Beijing upholds UN resolutions and backs the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

Beijing has backed a slew of sanctions that include bans on imports of North Korean coal, iron ore and seafood. The UN also barred the hiring of North Korean guest workers and capped exports of refined petroleum products.

But China has refused to turn off its pipeline shipping crude to North Korea.

Beijing fears that taking tougher actions could cause the regime to collapse, triggering a refugee crisis across its border with the North and eliminating a strategic buffer separating China from the US military in South Korea.

China has proposed that the North stop missile and nuclear tests in exchange for a freeze of US military exercises -- a suggestion Washington has repeatedly rejected.

There are also concerns in Seoul -- which is within range of Pyongyangs artillery -- that Trump might be considering military action against the North that could trigger a full-scale war.

Last week, Trump announced new US unilateral sanctions on Pyongyang and returned it to a US list of state sponsors of terror.

Canada said it would host a meeting of foreign ministers to discuss the North Korean threat.
Calendar of Events

Want to know whats happening on campus? Youve come to the right place! From musical performances and thought-provoking lectures to signature events and the Privateers next big game, this new visual calendar gives you an overview of events at the University of New Orleans.
WASHINGTON - A massive GOP tax bill cleared a key procedural hurdle in the Senate on Wednesday, as lawmakers voted 52 to 48 to move the legislation forward toward a showdown vote on final passage by week's end.

The party-line vote was an important victory for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and President Donald Trump, signaling support and momentum for the legislation that overhauls the tax code for the first time in three decades while delivering enormous cuts to corporations and the wealthy.

But it was not a guarantee of ultimate success, as several Republican lawmakers agreed to open debate on the bill so they could pursue amendments and have not yet committed to voting for final passage. Key issues that remained included how to prevent the bill from driving up the federal deficit by too much and whether to shift more of the legislation's rewards from corporations, which are some of the bill's main beneficiaries, to working-class families, who receive more modest benefits.

"Passing tax reform is the single most important thing we can do right now to shift the economy into high gear and deliver much-needed relief to American families," McConnell said on the Senate floor ahead of Wednesday's vote, as he urged fellow Republicans to support the measure to open debate.

Passage of the "motion to proceed" started the clock on 20 hours of debate on the legislation, which will be followed by a "vote-a-rama" in which lawmakers can offer endless amendments into all hours of the night Thursday. Then will come the final vote.

With Democrats unanimously opposed, McConnell can lose only two GOP senators in the closely divided Senate and still prevail on the bill. Despite well-documented disagreements between McConnell and Trump, the tax legislation is the top goal for both men as they pursue a tax cut sought by donors and corporations, as well as a political victory to present to voters ahead of next year's midterm elections.

Numerous issues were being negotiated throughout the day Wednesday, the most problematic being demands from GOP Sen. Bob Corker, Tenn., and others for a "trigger" to kick in and raise taxes if economic growth estimates don't pan out.

Corker's demand for the trigger provision stems from concern over how the bill would affect the federal budget. The total package of tax cuts is projected to add $1.4 trillion to $1.5 trillion over 10 years to the federal budget deficit.

Republicans have promised that the package of tax cuts would spur more economic growth, leading to more investment, hiring and higher wages for workers. But many economists dispute these forecasts, and Corker has sought assurances that some steps would automatically be taken if growth doesn't materialize.

Details of Corker's trigger idea remained in flux Wednesday. Negotiators were looking at a package that would raise taxes by as much as $350 billion if the economy doesn't grow by more than 0.4 percent yearly above a baseline established by the Congressional Budget Office, according to several people briefed on the discussions. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to reveal private negotiations.

Lawmakers were still discussing where the new taxes would come from. One idea being considered would include raising the bill's proposed corporate tax rate of 20 percent up to 21 percent, reinstituting the corporate alternative minimum tax, and reinstituting the alternative minimum tax paid by individuals and families.

"A lot of people hate it, but it may be the only way to get the tax bill passed," said Steve Moore, a top economic adviser to Trump during the 2016 campaign.

But the idea faces sharp opposition within the GOP. Several Republicans said they were strongly opposed to a trigger, worried that the possibility of future tax increases could dampen corporate enthusiasm.

"There's one word: It's certainty," said Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev. "I do not support triggers."

Other GOP senators raised similar concerns but said they were trying to work out a solution that all Republicans could live with. "I don't want to see this bill destroyed because of a pursuit for perfection," said Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga.

One possibility discussed by several senators Wednesday would use a trigger to prompt spending cuts, not tax increases. But GOP aides warned that could cause procedural issues, threatening the party's ability to pass the bill with a simple majority vote.

The trigger issue was being negotiated along with other matters - including demands about additional relief for businesses whose owners pay taxes through the individual code, known as "pass-throughs."

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., who has been working with Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., on the issue, announced that he had secured a deal increasing a tax deduction the owners of such businesses can take on their income from 17.4 percent to 20 percent, which he said would raise $60 billion for them.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said she was pleased with promised changes from Trump that would allow Americans to deduct up to $10,000 in property taxes from their taxable income.

Allowing Americans to deduct $10,000 in property taxes could add more than $100 billion to the cost of the tax package over 10 years. But the House bill included the provision, and numerous GOP lawmakers there have said it must be included in the final bill. Senate leaders are looking at prohibiting corporations from deducting state and local taxes as a way to raise some of the offsetting revenue, although no final decision has been made, the people briefed on the talks said.

Other issues remained outstanding.

Collins, for instance, was seeking assurances that the Senate will vote on a companion health care bill if the tax legislation retains a provision repealing the Affordable Care Act mandate for nearly all Americans to carry health insurance or pay a fine.

"Susan's got a concern,; it's a real legitimate concern. Ron Johnson's got a concern. There's a deficit concern," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said. "It's like making a cocktail. If you've got to add more of this and less of that, I'm fine. Failure's not an option."

Republican leaders were under pressure to make another change that could alter the bill significantly. Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, are pushing an amendment that would expand child tax credits to millions of poor families, particularly those who don't pay income taxes. To offset the cost of this change, they propose lifting the corporate tax rate in the bill from 20 percent to 22 percent.

The change would essentially transfer some of the benefit of the bill away from corporations and toward low-income Americans.

They are unlikely to get enough GOP support in the Senate to pass their amendment, but Democrats could band together and push the amendment into the bill if they receive help from only one or two more Republicans. That could force GOP leaders to make a last-minute decision about whether to back the child tax credit amendment or decide whether to pressure the lawmakers to withdraw it.

Success on the Senate floor can never be assured, as illustrated in July when a dramatic eleventh-hour defection from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., sunk the GOP's efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. But momentum was slowly gathering in leadership's direction, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who opposed a repeal of the Affordable Care Act this year, saying she planned to back the legislation.

Although the legislation would still have to be reconciled with a House version, passage on the Senate floor this week would clear the bill's toughest hurdle and hand a major victory to Trump and GOP leaders.

Republicans are moving at breakneck speed, shutting Democrats out of the process completely as they push a tax code rewrite that few understand and that could have uncertain impacts on the entire economy and every American over decades to come.

Numerous analyses have found the bill disproportionately benefits the wealthy and even hurts poorer Americans over time. Trump, GOP leaders and many businesses nonetheless insist it would be a boon for the economy that would boost growth and help the middle class.

"Our focus is on helping the folks who work in the mail rooms and the machine shops of America," Trump said during a speech Wednesday in St. Charles, Missouri. "The plumbers. The carpenters. The cops. The teachers. The truck drivers . . . The people that like me best."
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Concerns are mounting in Texas and Washington about the state of Citgo Petroleum, its refineries and its 4,000 U.S. employees following the recent arrests of the company's top executives in Venezuela as the nation's political and economic crisis spills over to the Gulf Coast.

Citgo, headquartered in Houston, is the U.S. subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, PDVSA, and increasingly enmeshed in President Nicolas Maduro's efforts to consolidate power in the face of an economic collapse, shortages of basic goods and growing opposition. The arrests of the six Citgo executives, including its acting president, were followed by the installation of Asdrubal Chavez, a cousin of the Maduro's mentor, the late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, as the new Citgo president, as well as the appointment of a new oil minister, Major General Manuel Quevedo.

On Wednesday, Texas senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz said they're deeply troubled about the impact of the turmoil on Citgo's operations and future. The Trump administration, meanwhile, said it is seeking access to the arrested executives, five of whom are U.S. citizens, under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Earlier this year, following Marduro's arrests of opposition leaders, the administration threatened new sanctions against Venezuela.

"The recent detainment by the Venezuelan government of six Citgo employees - five U.S. citizens and one permanent resident who live in Texas - is deeply troubling," Cornyn and Cruz said in a joint statement. "We are glad the administration is taking these actions seriously, and hope that the government of Venezuela allows these Texans their rightful access to consular affairs."

The five U.S. citizens also hold Venezuelan citizenship.

Citgo is more than 100 years old, but was acquired nearly 30 years ago by PDVSA. The company has roughly 160 branded gas stations in the Houston area, and about 5,500 nationwide. Citgo owns oil refineries in Corpus Christi, Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Illinois.

Venezuela, which sits on the world's largest proven oil reserves, is also the third largest exporter of oil to the United States and a key supplier to Gulf Coast refineries which are built to process heavier grades of crude, such as those produced in Venezuela.

The Citgo executives arrested include acting president Jose Angel Pereira, vice presidents Tomeu Vadell, Jorge Toledo, Gustavo Cardenas, Jose Luis Zambrano, and Corpus Christi refinery general manager Alirio Zambrano. Citgo hasn't commented since last week, when a Houston-based spokesman said company is monitoring the situation closely and continuing to operate independently as a U.S. company.

Kurt Barrow, an oil market analyst at IHS Markit, a research and consulting firm, said Citgo should be able to operate normally in the short-term, but long-term is less certain. Among the questions is whether Venezuela, said to be on the brink of bankruptcy, will provide necessary money to maintain and improve its refineries and recruit and retain workers, Barrow said.

It's probably safe to assume that Citgo employees are keeping their resumes updated, he added. "What I'd be concerned about is morale and the ability to backfill for employee departures and retirements," Barrow said.

Despite the charges of corruption, Ethan Bellamy, an energy analyst at Robert W. Baird & Co., said the arrests of Citgo executive appear politically motivated. He said that Maduro's moves could ensure there are no more foreign investments in Venezuela for a generation.

U.S. Rep. Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land, who sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said he's horrified by the actions of the Maduro regime.

"I view this turmoil as a symptom of the current government," he said. "I want nothing more than for the Venezuelan people to find a path to peace, prosperity and democratic freedoms, and I hope that a fair and functional Citgo can be a part of that future."

Laura Murillo, chief executive of Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said the Citgo arrests hit close home. The executives are local residents who have children attending Houston-area schools. The Houston area had a growing Venezuelan population, especially in Katy, and Citgo was seen as a point of pride in the community, Murillo said.

Houston Astros superstar Jose Altuve, a native of Venezuela, is even a prominent Citgo spokesman.

Venezuela and PDVSA are in debt to Russia and Russia's state-owned oil company Rosneft. The Russians and Venezuelans have had talks about Rosneft taking control of Citgo, but the White House opposes any such deal.
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A Houston teen has been missing since Thanksgiving Day, when she disappeared from a local treatment center shortly after calling her family.

India Ford, 16, disappeared from Odyssey House, a local substance abuse and behavioral treatment facility for teens. Her mother said Ford had completed about 60 days of a 90-day residential program, and believes she may have been kidnapped.

On Thanksgiving night, Ford called her mother from the facility - not from the usual number, Atkins said, but from a phone in the facility's front office.

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"She didn't sound the same," Atkins said; that night Ford sounded sad, "like her dog just died." She told Atkins she wanted to come home and asked her mother to come visit on the weekend.

"We thought maybe it was just because Thanksgiving was here and she wasn't here with us," Atkins said.

But that's the last time she talked to Ford. About two hours later, Atkins got a call from Odyssey House: The girl was missing.

When the facility reported Ford missing, the caller told police she might have run away, said John Cannon, a spokesman for the Houston Police Department.

Isidro Garcia, admissions coordinator at Odyssey House, suggested the same.

"Sometimes they want to jump the fence and leave early," said Garcia, who said he was not at the facility the day Ford went missing.

Atkins, however, is convinced that her daughter wouldn't have left voluntarily.

"I don't believe she's on the streets," she said. "I believe that somebody has taken my daughter and they are hiding her."

For a week now, Erica Atkins has been posting her daughter's photos and description on social media, pleading with others to share the information.

"Today makes seven days my daughter has been gone," Atkins said Thursday. "This is critical right now."

Atkins has gotten tips from Houston, Beaumont and even Louisiana, but nothing yet has helped locate her daughter.

Ford is "a bubbly kid," her mother said, who was an 11th-grader at Westbury High School before she entered Odyssey House and enrolled in high school online.

She is 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs 120 pounds.

She was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt, blue jeans and a pair of black-and-gray Jordans. Photos on social media show her wearing long braids, but her mother said Ford's hair was most recently in a ponytail.

She has a dimple in her left cheek.

Anyone who has information about the girl's location should contact the Houston Police Department's missing persons unit at 832-394-1839.
A 69-year-old Liberty, Texas, woman has pleaded guilty to a federal tax violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston.

Maria Lilia Riggs pleaded guilty to an Information charging her with conspiracy to defraud the United States by impeding and obstructing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the Treasury Department in the collection of income taxes. Riggs entered a plea of guilty on Nov. 28, 2017, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn as part of a plea agreement waiving her indictment by a federal grand jury.

According to a factual basis signed by the defendant, joint individual federal tax returns Form 1040 of defendant Maria Lilia Riggs and her spouse for tax years 2007 through 2014 show federal income taxes owed of approximately $359,009.00 with little or no withholding or taxes paid or tendered. Further, for tax years of 1999 through 2006, the joint individual tax returns Form 1040 of the defendant and her spouse show federal income taxes owed of approximately $164,514.00 with little or no withholding or taxes paid or tendered.

According to information presented by prosecutors, beginning in 2006 when Riggs learned that federal tax levies were being served on her financial institution she began to open other accounts at that institution and another financial institution in the names of relatives and corporations in which the personal earned income of Riggs and her spouse were deposited in and withdrawn from in order to evade the lawful collection of taxes owed over the years.

In 2013 when IRS Revenue Officers attempted to collect past due taxes owed from the Riggs, Maria Lilia Riggs completed and signed Form 433-A, Collection Information Statement for Wage Earners and Self-Employed Individuals and failed to disclose her ownership of the various nominee accounts she was utilizing to evade payment of taxes owed.

Under federal statutes, Riggs faces up to five years in federal prison at sentencing as well as restitution to the IRS of approximately $521,166. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service  Criminal Investigation Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert L. Rawls.
Two months after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico remains in a state of disarray.

But 97-year-old Benigna Alers still sees it as her home, and she intends to return.

The Puerto Rico native is visiting family in La Porte and Houston after spending weeks after the hurricane in her damaged little pink house - with no power and limited food resources.

After the hurricane, her family could only watch television news and wait for word through a cousin on social media that Alers and other family members were safe.

With transportation at a halt in the days and weeks following Maria, travel was impossible.

But the wait was worth it.

"My grandmother finally arrived with my cousin, who I have been communicating with since Maria," said Iraida Brown, Alers granddaughter.

Despite the circumstances, The family reunion was a joyful one, and just in time for another celebration, said Brown.

"We decided to throw our grandmother a surprise birthday party (when she arrived)," she said. "As we all were hiding to say surprise, we saw her approaching and we were so overwhelmed with happiness. We were so grateful to see her again."

For Brown, the welcome home was special, although bittersweet.

"It's been three years since I've seen her and even though I was overjoyed I was also saddened by all that had happened in Puerto Rico. In a way you can see it in her eyes," Brown said.

Alers wants to return to Puerto Rico and her little pink house.

"It saddens me to know she wants to go back," Brown said. "I ask my dad if he is he is OK with her going home because I want her to stay.

"But he wants her to go back. To me, it's like 'Why'?

"That's her home, her people and where she feels the proudest. I was surprised how selfless my dad was being with his mom, but he just wants her to be happy and that's in Puerto Rico."

Brown's dad Heriberto Martinez said the family will have to accept his mother's wishes.

"There are mixed emotions, but my mother is strong in her determination about going home to Puerto Rico," he said.

Recovery in Puerto Rico has been slow, complicated by its struggling economy. That uncertainty troubles Brown.

"I know my grandmother will be happier back home, but my only worry is that it's going to take a very long time for Puerto Rico to come back to normal," she said.

"My grandmother may never get to see that.

"So for me it's going to be very hard to see her go back."

Martinez knows his mother's heart is in Puerto Rico, and that, he said, will make her departure from Houston easier.

"I see her happiness and that at 97 years old, she is making her own decision to go back where she is loved by so many people.

"So watching her leave won't be so hard for me," he said.

Two months after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico remains in a state of disarray.

But 97-year-old Benigna Alers still sees it as her home, and she intends to return.

The Puerto Rico native is visiting family in La Porte and Houston after spending weeks after the hurricane in her damaged little pink house - with no power and limited food resources.

After the hurricane, her family could only watch television news and wait for word through a cousin on social media that Alers and other family members were safe.

With transportation at a halt in the days and weeks following Maria, travel was impossible.

But the wait was worth it.

"My grandmother finally arrived with my cousin, who I have been communicating with since Maria," said Iraida Brown, Alers granddaughter.

The family reunion was a joyful one, and just in time for another celebration, said Brown.

"We decided to throw our grandmother a surprise birthday party (when she arrived)," she said. "As we all were hiding to say surprise, we saw her approaching and we were so overwhelmed with happiness. We were so grateful to see her again."

For Brown, the welcome home was special, although bittersweet.

"It's been three years since I've seen her and even though I was overjoyed I was also saddened by all that had happened in Puerto Rico. In a way you can see it in her eyes," Brown said.

Alers wants to return to Puerto Rico and her little pink house.

"It saddens me to know she wants to go back," Brown said. "I ask my dad if he is he is OK with her going home because I want her to stay.

"But he wants her to go back. To me, it's like 'Why'?

"That's her home, her people and where she feels the proudest. I was surprised how selfless my dad was being with his mom, but he just wants her to be happy and that's in Puerto Rico."

Brown's dad Heriberto Martinez said the family will have to accept his mother's wishes.

"There are mixed emotions, but my mother is strong in her determination about going home to Puerto Rico," he said.

Recovery in Puerto Rico has been slow, complicated by its struggling economy. That uncertainty troubles Brown.

"I know my grandmother will be happier back home, but my only worry is that it's going to take a very long time for Puerto Rico to come back to normal," she said.

"My grandmother may never get to see that.

"So for me it's going to be very hard to see her go back."

Martinez knows his mother's heart is in Puerto Rico, and that, he said, will make her departure from Houston easier.

"I see her happiness and that at 97 years old, she is making her own decision to go back where she is loved by so many people.

"So watching her leave won't be so hard for me," he said.
Houston Community College spent at least $175,000 on an investigation into procurement before the two retained attorneys withdrew from the probe  requiring HCC to spend more money on an inquiry resulting from trustee Christopher Olivers guilty bribery plea.

Files released Wednesday by Dolcefino Consulting show that in less than three months, HCC spent $209,264.96 retaining the firms of former Harris County Commissioner Gene Locke and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Vidal Martinez.

An HCC spokeswoman said about $30,000 of those fees were for work that is not related to the investigation.

After Olivers plea was unsealed in July, trustee Dave Wilson retained consultant Wayne Dolcefinos firm to investigate the community colleges procurement, facilities, employment and related financial matters. Wilson accused HCCs attorneys of having conflicts of interest that would prevent a fair probe.

Some of us on the board want to get to the bottom of the problems and straighten out whats going on at HCC, he said Wednesday morning.

Wilson spent more than $10,000 of his own money to receive public records from the college, Dolcefino said.

Wilson and another HCC trustee, Robert Glaser, said Locke and Martinezs close relationships with the school tainted the appearance of impartiality.

Lockes law firm has been retained by HCC often since 2010, according to invoices obtained by Dolcefino. Martinez negotiated the 2014 contract of Chancellor Cesar Maldonado and performed other legal work for the college that year.

Locke withdrew from the engagement in early September, according to a memorandum from Chancellor Maldonado to board chair Eva Loredo which was obtained by Dolcefino. The college administration wanted to spend more money on the work Martinez was doing, but trustees did not approve those expenses in September.

Locke declined to comment Wednesday on why his firm withdrew from the probe but said he did not have a legal conflict of interest.

Martinez could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Bribery fallout

Wilsons inquiry is separate from the colleges internal examination, also stemming from Olivers guilty plea earlier this year.

Oliver said he took about $12,000 in cash and Visa gift cards between June 2015 and February 2016 in exchange for his influence over college contracts.

Loredo said in a statement Thursday that Wilson's investigation is a "distraction" that has "come at considerable expense and distraction to the college."

"There is nothing independent or unbiased about a report commissioned by a single trustee and it would never be appropriate for the college to rely on investigative findings sponsored by a single board member," she said in a statement provided by HCC, adding that the board as a whole is working to improve policies and procedures.

With Locke and Martinez out, HCCs internal investigation is now being conducted by Lawrence Finder, a Baker McKenzie attorney, and Arturo Michel, who is at Thompson and Horton LLP. Finders probe is connected to a personnel matter.

Linda Toyota, spokeswoman for the college, said Thursday that the college expects to receive preliminary recommendations by the end of December. An examination of past procurement will not be complete for several more months, she said.

During a Wednesday press conference, Wilson and Dolcefino said HCC spends too much money on vendors with political ties to the college and its trustees.

There is a swamp at HCC that Washington would be proud of, Dolcefino said.

Wilson said HCC should choose the lowest-cost vendor in a qualified pool.

The community college says its procurement policies are typical of other government agencies.

The board pre-approves a panel of law firms that the chancellor can engage to do legal work for the college, Toyota wrote in an email. By policy, the chancellor can engage lawyers that are not on the panel up to a predetermined dollar amount.

That amount is $100,000.

Repeated claim

Separately in Wednesdays report, Dolcefinos firm raised questions as to whether trustee Adriana Tamez, who represents District III, actually lives in her district, an allegation Wilson has made in the past about the trustee.

The Harris County Attorneys office has no record of a recent complaint regarding Tamez, said Robert Soard, first assistant county attorney. In 2014, the agency looked into Wilsons residency claim against Tamez and found insufficient evidence to take action, he said.

This is an issue that has been regurgitated by Dave Wilson over and over again, Tamez said when reached for comment Thursday.
For the third time in as many months, Houston police are on the hunt for a Snapchat shooter. But unlike the previous on-camera outbursts, last week's gunfire left one man dead after he was brazenly gunned down on a city street with at least two onlookers recording the melee.

On Thursday, Houston police issued a plea for help along with the release of graphic footage showing the Nov. 20 slaying of 47-year-old Oscar Green.

"We're depending on the citizens that live in that area," said Houston police investigator Fil Waters. "We've had really really good luck with the last two Snapchat cases."

The violence broke out just before 2 a.m. outside a Shell gas station at the intersection of Cook and Beechnut.

Unreleased cell phone footage shows the start of a fight between Green and two women, according to investigators. As the dispute continues, the women start assaulting Green, yelling about how he'd hit them.

"There seemed to be some sort of mutual combativeness between these three people," Waters said.

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As the fight moves around the corner of the building and Green tries to leave, another bystander starts filming.

"Then our Snapchat suspect, he comes rolling up," Waters said. "We don't know if he had a relationship with the women or if he just looked at this opportunity as, 'Hey you know, I'm a bad guy, I've got my Schwinn bicycle here, I'm ready to go, I'm armed, here we go.' And he gets in the middle of the deal and - bam! - starts to shoot."

After the first shot, Green continues walking away as the two women and one shooter follow. As they cross the street, three more shots ring out, and Green falls to the ground in front of a Texaco station.

By the time first responders arrived minutes later, Green was already dead in the median.

Metro Video LLC / For Houston Chronicle

Now, police are still looking for two women and the shooter, who all fled.

The gunman is described as 25 to 30 years old and about 6 feet tall with a slender build and dreadlocked hair. He's "very distinguishable" and is often spotted in the area on a blue Schwinn bicycle with blue reflectors on the wheels, police said

"We are told from other people in the area that they know of him," Waters said. "They know who he is, but they don't know his name."

BACKGROUND:Man found dead with gunshot wound in west Houston

Anyone with information in this case or identity of the wanted man can contact HPD Homicide at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

The previous two Snapchat shootings have both netted arrests, though neither resulted in any injuries.

During the first incident, in September, a Houston rapper and a 27-year-old woman were hit with felony criminal mischief and deadly conduct charges after video apparently showed the pair blindly firing into a neighborhood from a moving vehicle.

After the video went viral, Harris County Sheriff's Office used social media to identify the suspects as Sierra Tarbutton and 29-year-old Michael Cuellar - also known as "Money Mike." They were both arrested and have since been released on bond.

In the second incident, in November, Snapchat footage apparently showed 22-year-old Edwin Ospino firing off shots at homes near a Heights-area park. When he appeared in court Monday, Ospino protested the media coverage of his case.

"I'm not who you all are making me out to be," he said before being arraigned. But instead of answering questions from reporters, he said people should follow him on social media. Ospino was arrested as the result of a Crime Stoppers tip. He was released on $20,000 bail.
"Coco", the new film from Pixar studios, has been met with rave reviews and commercial success; it was the biggest box-office hit in the country over Thanksgiving weekend.

That being the case, many of you have already seen it. Those who haven't may prefer to take your film recommendations from the professionals. But I agree with the critics, in this case; I thought "Coco" was terrific. And it's timely, given ongoing political debates.

To be clear, "Coco" has nothing to do with politics. It's not even set in the United States. The story is about a boy named Miguel, growing up in Mexico, whose family has a strict policy against listening to music, much less playing it. This is because his great-great-grandfather was a musician, and also a scoundrel. And it's a problem for Miguel, who nonetheless dreams of being a musician, like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz.

When Miguel learns that de la Cruz might have been his great-great-grandfather, he takes that as a sign, and summons the nerve to enter the talent show his town holds every year as part of its celebrations for Dia de los Muertos.

This is the first Pixar film to be set in Mexico, so for many Americans it has a special resonance.

"Many Americans of Mexican descent, like myself, were overcome with emotion upon seeing a depiction of a family and household that closely resembles their own," wrote Maira Garcia in the New York Times, in a column that highlighted a number of comments from those who had said so, after the paper asked readers for their reactions to the film.

It's easy to understand why. Nearly 20 percent of Americans are Latino, and they are drastically underrepresented in the stories told by Hollywood. According to a 2016 study from the University of Southern California, they made up just 5.8 percent of the 10,000 characters whose race could be identified, across the 400 movies and television shows the researchers analyzed. And many Latino characters aren't defined in relation to their ethnicity, if not by it, per se.

The result is that Mexican-Americans, in particular, are being collectively misrepresented by the film industry, which doesn't seem to realize that if a story is set in Texas, for example, some of the characters should be Latino just - you know, incidentally? As of 2016, according to the Census bureau, 39 percent of people living in Texas are Hispanic, and most of them are of Mexican descent.

The same is true of the state itself, in a sense. That's one of the reasons it can actually be hard to tell the difference between Mexican-American Texans and a person who is Mexican in the technical sense. Many people in both groups are bicultural, but the cultures themselves have a lot of things in common.

"Coco" illustrates that nicely. The characters are all Mexican, although many of them are dead and therefore live in a different place. The Land of the Dead is portrayed, somewhat amusingly, as a place with strong border security; authorities enforce the rules strictly, though not with punitive intent. But all of its inhabitants, or at least all the ones we encounter, are Mexican.

A timely issue

And the filmmakers worked with several cultural consultants in an effort to depict their culture correctly, after Disney attempted to trademark the phrase "Dia de los Muertos," a decision that drew some backlash.

What I'd like to highlight here is that most Texans would have some familiarity with the traditions depicted, even if their own family doesn't closely resemble the one at the heart of the story, or celebrate Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. And although the story has supernatural elements, none of the characters are - for lack of a better word - strange.

Miguel, for example, has some unusual adventures. He travels to the Land of the Dead and starts turning into a skeleton. But the only thing that struck me as potentially odd about his behavior, in comparison to what one might expect from a "typical American kid," is that he has a job, shining shoes in the plaza. And that seemed a lot less odd after I consulted the internet; if anyone else is wondering, Miguel is 12.

In addition to being a good movie, then, "Coco" is a timely one. It depicts its characters as normal people, most of whom are nice. It's no wonder that would resonate with Americans of Mexican descent, who have always been underrepresented in mass culture, and have been misrepresented more than usual lately.

Defining our culture

As we all know, Donald Trump singled out immigrants from Mexico as "criminals" and "rapists" on the day he announced his campaign for the presidency. He is now the president. So Mexican-Americans are at risk of being marginalized, as well as demonized, by his administration.

"We are a nation with a culture and a reason for being," said Steve Bannon in February. That comment continues to trouble me. I agree, in a sense. Bannon didn't specify what defines our culture, or what should; and some of Trump's supporters would answer the question differently than one would hope.

Last week the Times ran a profile of one such supporter, a self-described "white nationalist" from Ohio. Many readers were unhappy with the paper's decision to do that. Some argued that the profile had effectively helped "normalize" an evil ideology by portraying one of the people espousing it as an otherwise well-adjusted young man. Others objected to profiling such a person at all, given that we already know that racists are human, and that we live in a country that has always included a large number of them.

As Texans, we can at least add that "white nationalists" who suddenly feel emboldened to espouse such views are, in addition to everything else, still wrong about the facts.
United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit. UNITED STATES of America, PlaintiffAppellee, v. Gabriel MIRABAL, DefendantAppellant. No. 16-2188 Decided: November 29, 2017

Before KELLY, HOLMES, and BACHARACH, Circuit Judges. Gabriel Mirabal filed a brief pro se. Mark T. Baker (Carter B. Harrison, with him on the briefs), Peifer, Hanson & Mullins, P.A., Albuquerque, New Mexico, for DefendantAppellant. Nicholas J. Ganjei, Assistant United States Attorney (James D. Tierney, Acting United States Attorney, with him on the briefs), Albuquerque, New Mexico, for PlaintiffAppellee.

This appeal is brought by Mr. Gabriel Mirabal. He is a convicted felon, which prevented him from lawfully possessing a gun. 18 U.S.C.  922(g)(1). But authorities thought that they had seen Mr. Mirabal put an assault rifle in the trunk of a car. This sighting led authorities to arrange for a local officer to stop Mr. Mirabal for a traffic violation and to search the trunk. Carrying out these arrangements, Deputy Micah Barker saw Mr. Mirabal speeding and initiated a traffic stop.

After telling Mr. Mirabal that he had been speeding, Deputy Barker looked for an assault rifle. Though he didn't find one, he did find a kilogram of cocaine in the car's interior. The discovery of cocaine in the car became key evidence for one of the eventual charges against Mr. Mirabal. In defending against these charges, Mr. Mirabal argued that the search had violated the Fourth Amendment. This argument did not convince the district court, and the case went to trial.

At the trial, the Government presented testimony by the owner of the car, Mr. Dominic Anaya, who had pleaded guilty to his own drug crimes. Mr. Anaya testified that he and Mr. Mirabal had worked together to sell cocaine. So Mr. Mirabal set out to impeach Mr. Anaya. To do so, Mr. Mirabal tried to question Mr. Anaya about how much he expected his sentence to drop as a result of his plea agreement. Mr. Mirabal was allowed to probe the plea agreement in general terms, but not in detail.

On appeal, Mr. Mirabal raises two primary arguments and three supplemental arguments.

First, Mr. Mirabal challenges the introduction of evidence involving the cocaine found in the car. Deputy Barker had probable cause to believe that there was an assault rifle in the trunk, so he looked there. But Deputy Barker claims that he could not see the back of the trunk because of a long speaker box blocking his view. To see the trunk better, he entered the back seat and pulled an armrest down. It was then that Deputy Barker found the cocaine.

Mr. Mirabal alleges that Deputy Barker violated the Fourth Amendment by going into the interior of the car and pulling the armrest down. We disagree, concluding that the officer complied with the Fourth Amendment by acting reasonably in trying to find a way to see into the back of the trunk.

Second, Mr. Mirabal challenges the restrictions placed on his cross-examination of Mr. Anaya. For the sake of argument, we may assume that the restrictions violated the Confrontation Clause. Even if they did, however, any possible violation would have been harmless in light of the strength of the prosecution's case and Mr. Mirabal's opportunity to thoroughly undermine Mr. Anaya's credibility in cross-examination.

Finally, Mr. Mirabal alleges insufficiency of the evidence, destruction of evidence, and withholding of evidence in violation of Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963). We reject these challenges, concluding that the trial evidence was sufficient to convict, the evidence was not destroyed in bad faith, and Mr. Mirabal did not identify the evidence allegedly withheld in violation of Brady.

In light of these conclusions, we affirm the conviction.

I. Motion to Suppress

We begin with Mr. Mirabal's argument for suppression of evidence involving the cocaine found in the car.

A. Standard of Review

On this issue, we review the district court's factual findings for clear error and view the evidence in the light most favorable to the government. United States v. DeJear, 552 F.3d 1196, 1200 (10th Cir. 2009). A factual finding is clearly erroneous if it lacks evidentiary support or if a review of the evidence leaves us  with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been made.  United States v. Haymond, 869 F.3d 1153, 1157 (10th Cir. 2017) (quoting United States v. Hernandez, 847 F.3d 1257, 1263 (10th Cir. 2017)). The ultimate reasonableness of the search, however, is reviewed de novo. DeJear, 552 F.3d at 1200.

B. The Ruling in District Court

Mr. Mirabal moved to suppress evidence of the cocaine, arguing that Deputy Barker's search had exceeded the scope permitted by the Fourth Amendment. The district court credited Deputy Barker's testimony and ruled that the search had complied with the Fourth Amendment. Mr. Mirabal challenges this ruling.

C. Reasonableness of the Search

In challenging the ruling, Mr. Mirabal does not question the existence of probable cause regarding the presence of an assault rifle in the trunk. He instead asserts that Deputy Barker acted unreasonably by entering the back seat and pulling the armrest down. We disagree.

Law-enforcement officers may search a car without a warrant upon probable cause to believe that contraband is present. United States v. Chavez, 534 F.3d 1338, 1345 (10th Cir. 2008). But a search is permitted only in the parts of the car where the officers could reasonably expect to find the contraband. See United States v. Ross, 456 U.S. 798, 824, 102 S.Ct. 2157, 72 L.Ed.2d 572 (1982) (The scope of a warrantless search of an automobile  is defined by the object of the search and the places in which there is probable cause to believe that it may be found.). For example, [p]robable cause to believe that a container placed in the trunk of a taxi contains contraband or evidence does not justify a search of the entire cab. Id.

The officers are limited not only in the place to search but also in the manner of searching, which must be reasonable under the circumstances. United States v. Mendoza, 817 F.3d 695, 702 (10th Cir. 2016). Thus, an officer can decide how to carry out a search as long as the officer's decision is reasonable. Lawmaster v. Ward, 125 F.3d 1341, 1349 (10th Cir. 1997). For example, the officer may deem it necessary to perform separate acts of entry or opening in order to conduct the search. Ross, 456 U.S. at 82021, 102 S.Ct. 2157.

Mr. Mirabal presents five arguments for why Deputy Barker should not have entered the back seat and pulled down the armrest:

1. The back of the trunk, behind the speaker box, was too small to fit an assault rifle.

2. The package was not immediately recognizable as contraband, preventing seizure under the plain-view doctrine.

3. Deputy Barker could discover whatever lay in the back of the trunk by leaning over the speaker box and searching with his hands.

4. The compartment behind the armrest (where the cocaine was found) was too small to contain an assault rifle.

5. Deputy Barker did not know whether the car had a trunk-access panel.

We reject Mr. Mirabal's first argument. Deputy Barker testified based on his military experience and familiarity with assault rifles. In light of this experience, he testified that a rifle could have fit behind the speaker box. See Ornelas v. United States, 517 U.S. 690, 699, 116 S.Ct. 1657, 134 L.Ed.2d 911 (1996) (recognizing that police officers can draw inferences from prior experience). The district court had little reason to question Deputy Barker's explanation for why he had tried to view the back of the trunk.

Mr. Mirabal criticizes Deputy Barker's explanation, contending that the assault rifle was too big to fit in the part of the trunk hidden from view. For this contention, Mr. Mirabal relies on a 1969 manual describing the length of assault rifles. But Mr. Mirabal failed to present the district court with evidence of this manual. Without such evidence, the district court could reasonably rely on Deputy Barker's explanation for why he had tried to see into the back of the trunk.

We also reject Mr. Mirabal's second argument (that the package was not recognizable as contraband). Mr. Mirabal did not present this argument in district court, and he has not urged plain-error review. Therefore, we decline to consider this argument. See United States v. Lamirand, 669 F.3d 1091, 1099 n.7 (10th Cir. 2012).

Mr. Mirabal's third argument is that Deputy Barker could have looked into the trunk without pulling the armrest down. The only evidence on this issue came from Deputy Barker. He testified that

 he could see only the front part of the trunk because a speaker box ran nearly the entire width of the trunk,

 he could not see the space behind the speaker box,

 the space behind the speaker box was big enough to contain a rifle,

 the speaker box would not move, which prevented Deputy Barker from searching the back of the trunk, and

 he entered the back seat to see if he could gain access to the trunk by folding the seats down.

The district court credited Deputy Barker's testimony, and Mr. Mirabal does not point to any evidence of an ability to see into the back of the trunk without entering the back seat. We therefore reject Mr. Mirabal's third argument.

Mr. Mirabal's fourth argument is that the area behind the armrest was too small to fit an assault rifle. This argument ignores Deputy Barker's reason for looking behind the armrest. He folded the armrest down to gain access to the trunk, not to find another hiding space within the car. And when Deputy Barker pulled the armrest down, he saw a void that appeared to expose the trunk. Moments later, he saw the package containing the cocaine.

The district court again found Deputy Barker's testimony credible. The photographs presented to the court show only an opaque black space behind the armrest; these photographs do not clearly support either side. With these inconclusive photographs, the district court had little else with which to appraise Deputy Barker's account. In these circumstances, the district court's finding was not clearly erroneous.

Finally, Mr. Mirabal contends that pulling the armrest down was unreasonable because Deputy Barker did not know whether the car had a trunk-access panel in the back seat. But Deputy Barker knew that many cars had such panels and that going through the back seat was the only practical way to search the rest of the trunk.

In our view, Deputy Barker's effort to see into the back of the trunk was reasonable.

II. Confrontation Clause

Mr. Mirabal also claims a violation of the Confrontation Clause based on his inability to fully cross-examine Mr. Anaya. Mr. Anaya was a co-conspirator testifying for the Government, and Mr. Mirabal was allowed to question Mr. Anaya on how he expected to benefit from his cooperation. But Mr. Mirabal wanted to go further, cross-examining Mr. Anaya about how much he expected his sentence to drop because of his cooperation with the Government. This line of questioning was disallowed, and we may assume for the sake of argument that the restriction violated the Confrontation Clause. With this assumption, we would regard the violation as harmless.

A. The CrossExamination

The district court permitted Mr. Mirabal to cross-examine Mr. Anaya about his

 plea agreement with the Government and

 expectation of a lighter sentence because of his cooperation.

But the court did not permit Mr. Mirabal to use the plea agreement itself or to ask Mr. Anaya about how much he expected his sentence to drop. The court reasoned that this questioning would entail conjecture and could cause the jury to speculate about Mr. Mirabal's own sentence.

B. The Harmlessness Inquiry

The Government argues that any constitutional violation would have been harmless. On harmlessness, the Government bears the burden to show beyond a reasonable doubt that a rational jury would have found the defendant guilty absent the error. Neder v. United States, 527 U.S. 1, 18, 119 S.Ct. 1827, 144 L.Ed.2d 35 (1999).

To determine whether the Government satisfied this burden, we consider the importance of [Mr. Anaya's] testimony in the prosecution's case, whether the testimony was cumulative, the presence or absence of evidence corroborating or contradicting the testimony of [Mr. Anaya] on material points, the extent of cross-examination otherwise permitted, and, of course, the overall strength of the prosecution's case. Delaware v. Van Arsdall, 475 U.S. 673, 684, 106 S.Ct. 1431, 89 L.Ed.2d 674 (1986).

1. Importance, Cumulativeness, and Corroboration

Three of the factors (importance, cumulativeness, and corroboration) are interrelated here. Considered together, these factors do not weigh heavily in either direction.

Mr. Anaya was used mainly to interpret approximately twenty wiretapped telephone calls, testifying that various code words referred to the sale of crack and powder cocaine, that he and Mr. Mirabal had supplied other conspirators with crack and powder cocaine, that Mr. Mirabal had provided instruction on how to cook crack cocaine, that the two men would sell ten ounces of crack cocaine (the statutory requirement) in only a couple of days, and that Mr. Anaya would not have left $30,000 worth of cocaine in the car that he allowed Mr. Mirabal to drive. This testimony supported the Government's theory that Mr. Anaya and Mr. Mirabal had conspired to sell cocaine.

Mr. Mirabal did not deny a conspiracy. Instead, he argued that the conspiracy was to sell marijuana wax rather than cocaine. Here too Mr. Anaya rebutted Mr. Mirabal's argument, testifying that the two men were not in the business of selling marijuana wax.

Mr. Anaya's testimony was extensive and important. But his testimony was also corroborated by other witnesses. For example, every telephone call discussed by Mr. Anaya was played for the jury and interpreted the same way by law-enforcement witnesses. In interpreting the calls, the law-enforcement witnesses testified that Mr. Mirabal had supplied various individuals with large quantities of crack cocaine, negotiated prices and made arrangements to sell crack cocaine, and aggressively collected debts. Other corroborating evidence involved two undercover drug deals to buy crack cocaine from one of Mr. Mirabal's alleged distributors, observations of Mr. Mirabal meeting with alleged buyers at the times arranged in the telephone calls, telephone calls in which Mr. Mirabal told Mr. Anaya how to cook crack cocaine, and telephone calls indicating Mr. Mirabal's intent to sell the cocaine stashed in the car. The abundance of corroboration weighs in favor of harmlessness.

But the influence of Mr. Anaya remained substantial, for he had been intimately involved in Mr. Mirabal's criminal enterprise. And the law-enforcement witnesses acknowledged that they had relied at least in part on information from Mr. Anaya while he was cooperating with the Government. Thus the factors of importance, cumulativeness, and corroboration are not dispositive; the issue of harmlessness turns instead on the strength of the prosecution's case and the extent of cross-examination.

2. Strength of the Prosecution's Case

The overall strength of the prosecution's case supports harmlessness. The Government presented an enormous array of wiretapped calls that officers interpreted as proof that Mr. Mirabal was setting up drug deals, negotiating sales, and instructing Mr. Anaya on how to cook crack cocaine. This evidence was coupled with officers' observations of Mr. Mirabal meeting with buyers at the arranged times.

The Government also presented strong evidence that the conspiracy had involved cocaine rather than marijuana wax. For example, searches of Mr. Mirabal's home and storage locker did not uncover the materials needed to make marijuana wax, and Mr. Mirabal's pricing matched the price of cocaine. In addition, the terminology used in the telephone calls made it unlikely that the coded references involved marijuana wax because

 Mr. Mirabal did not talk in code when referring to marijuana and marijuana wax,

 the law-enforcement witnesses testified that the code words matched crack and powder cocaine but not marijuana or marijuana wax, and

 the references to cooking made sense for the production of crack cocaine but not for the production of marijuana wax.

In our view, the strength of the prosecution's case weighs in favor of harmlessness.

3. Extent of CrossExamination

But the most critical factor is the extent of cross-examination that was allowed. Even with the restrictions, Mr. Mirabal was able to extensively cross-examine Mr. Anaya on his reliability and motive. By the end, Mr. Anaya's credibility was sullied as much as it would have been with a fuller cross-examination.

For example, Mr. Mirabal questioned Mr. Anaya extensively on the reliability of his testimony, including his history as an abuser and a trafficker of drugs, his prior convictions for drug trafficking and armed robbery, his prior inconsistent statements, his inability to know who was driving his car after he went to prison, the discrepancies between Mr. Anaya's testimony and the testimony of other witnesses, and Mr. Anaya's prior effort to cooperate with the Government only to be told that his information was unreliable.

Mr. Mirabal also questioned Mr. Anaya extensively on his motive to aid the government. For example, Mr. Anaya admitted that he had entered into a plea agreement and had understood that the Government could help him obtain a sentence reduction in exchange for his cooperation, that his sentence would have been substantial without his cooperation, that his previous convictions could lead to a far longer sentence if the Government sought an enhancement as a career offender, and that the Government had chosen not to seek enhancement of Mr. Anaya's sentence. Mr. Mirabal drove the point home when Mr. Anaya admitted that he wanted to return home as soon as he could so that he could see his young children grow up.

The extensive questioning allowed Mr. Mirabal to aggressively attack Mr. Anaya's credibility. For example, in closing argument, Mr. Mirabal pressed the jury to disregard Mr. Anaya's testimony on the ground that his plea deal had provided a motive to say whatever the Government wanted. In addition, Mr. Mirabal effectively used the jury instructions to cast doubt on Mr. Anaya's believability. In these instructions, the district court stated that the jury should weigh Mr. Anaya's testimony with caution because of his prior inconsistent statements, past convictions, status as a drug abuser, and plea agreement. See United States v. Chavez, 481 F.3d 1274, 1278 (10th Cir. 2007) (noting that jury instructions can diminish the impact of an error for purposes of harmlessness). In light of the extensive cross-examination, closing argument, and jury instructions, the jury was amply informed of Mr. Anaya's unreliability and motive to testify against Mr. Mirabal.

* * *

For harmlessness, we ask: If Mr. Mirabal had been permitted to cross-examine Mr. Anaya on the specifics of Mr. Anaya's sentencing exposure, would we conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the jury would still have returned a guilty verdict? See Part II(B), above. Based on the strength of the prosecution's case and Mr. Mirabal's extensive cross-examination of Mr. Anaya, we answer yes. In our view, any violation of the Confrontation Clause would have been harmless.

III. Supplemental Appeal Points

Mr. Mirabal also filed a supplemental brief raising eight additional appeal points. Five of these appeal points are either undeveloped or included within the issues already discussed. But three warrant separate discussion:

1. sufficiency of the evidence,

2. destruction of evidence, and

3. withholding of exculpatory evidence.

We reject Mr. Mirabal's contentions on these issues.

A. Sufficiency of the Evidence

Mr. Mirabal contends that the evidence was insufficient to convict. We review this contention de novo, considering  the evidence and the reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom in the light most favorable to the government.  United States v. Toles, 297 F.3d 959, 968 (10th Cir. 2002) (quoting United States v. Malone, 222 F.3d 1286, 1290 (10th Cir. 2000)). Considering the evidence in this light, we will reverse only if the trier of fact could not rationally have found guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Id.

The first count involved conspiracy to distribute at least ten ounces of crack cocaine. As discussed above, the Government presented evidence that Mr. Mirabal had arranged to manufacture and sell more than ten ounces of crack cocaine. This evidence was sufficient for guilt on the first count.

The second count entailed possession of 500 grams or more of powder cocaine with intent to distribute. Here the Government presented evidence that Mr. Mirabal

 had been caught with one kilogram of cocaine in a car that he was driving and

 had been transporting the cocaine to sell it.

This combination of evidence was sufficient for guilt on the second count.

The third count involved possession of a firearm and ammunition. Here the Government presented evidence that officers had found a firearm and ammunition in Mr. Mirabal's residence, where he lived alone. This evidence sufficed for guilt on the third count.

The final count involved possession of body armor. Here the Government showed that body armor had been found in Mr. Mirabal's storage locker. Again, this showing was sufficient for a finding of guilt.

Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the Government, a rational trier of fact could have found Mr. Mirabal guilty on each count.

B. Destruction of Evidence

Mr. Mirabal also challenges the destruction of drug evidence that had allegedly been obtained from a distributor for Mr. Mirabal. Law-enforcement officers recognized the substance as crack cocaine, and it tested positive in a field test. But authorities later filed a notice announcing the destruction of the drugs based on a governmental policy.

Mr. Mirabal did not present this argument in district court, and he has not urged plain-error review. Thus, we could decline to address this argument. See Part I(C), above.

But this argument would fail even under de novo review. To prevail, Mr. Mirabal needed to show that the Government had acted in bad faith by destroying potentially exculpatory evidence. United States v. Beckstead, 500 F.3d 1154, 1159 (10th Cir. 2007). Generally, however, destroying the evidence according to an established procedure  precludes a finding of bad faith absent other compelling evidence.  Id. (quoting United States v. Gomez, 191 F.3d 1214, 1219 (10th Cir. 1999)).

In our view, the authorities did not act in bad faith. They destroyed the drugs based on an existing policy and filed a notice announcing the destruction of the drugs. In these circumstances, we have no reason to find bad faith. Thus, we would reject Mr. Mirabal's argument even if it had been preserved.

C. Withholding of Exculpatory Evidence

Finally, Mr. Mirabal asserts that evidence was withheld in violation of Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963). But he does not identify the evidence allegedly withheld or say how this evidence would have been pertinent. Instead, Mr. Mirabal asks us to overrule Brady's requirement of materiality. But we cannot overrule a Supreme Court opinion. See Burrell v. Armijo, 456 F.3d 1159, 1171 n.9 (10th Cir. 2006) (Needless to say, we cannot overrule the Supreme Court.).

IV. Conclusion

We reject Mr. Mirabal's challenges to his conviction.

First, we reject his challenge under the Fourth Amendment because Deputy Barker acted reasonably in pulling the armrest down in order to see into the back part of the trunk.

Second, even if the Confrontation Clause had been violated, the violation would have been harmless because the Government presented compelling evidence of guilt and Mr. Mirabal was able to effectively undermine Mr. Anaya's credibility on cross-examination.

Third, the evidence was sufficient to convict Mr. Mirabal on each count.

Fourth, Mr. Mirabal did not preserve his appeal point involving the destruction of evidence, and he presented no evidence of bad faith.

Finally, the Brady claim is invalid because Mr. Mirabal has not identified any withheld evidence or explained why it is material.

Having rejected each appeal point, we affirm the conviction.

FOOTNOTES

. Mr. Mirabal also asserts that Deputy Barker violated the Fourth Amendment by searching the front-seat area. But the cocaine was not located there; as a result, the constitutionality of Deputy Barker's search of the front-seat area does not affect the admissibility of evidence involving the cocaine. See Wong Sun v. United States, 371 U.S. 471, 485, 83 S.Ct. 407, 9 L.Ed.2d 441 (1963) (noting that the exclusionary rule operates to suppress evidence obtained either during or as a direct result of a Fourth Amendment violation).

. The Government also argues that Deputy Barker had probable cause to search for ammunition and narcotics, justifying a search of all compartments within the car. We need not address this argument because the search would have been reasonable even if probable cause had been confined to an assault rifle in the trunk.

. In these appeal points, Mr. Mirabal contends that the Government used speculative interpretations of code words, the Government's case agent did not believe that the car contained drugs, no evidence existed to support Deputy Barker's testimony about speeding or recovery of a folding knife, Deputy Barker's testimony was unreliable, and Mr. Anaya committed perjury.

BACHARACH, Circuit Judge.
A Houston man who allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend in 2006 is in the custody of Mexican law enforcement officials after being a fugitive for more than a decade.

William Joseph Greer, 52, was arrested Tuesday after a joint operation by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Mexican authorities in a remote city in the southern Mexican state of Tabasco, law officials announced Wednesday.

"He's been a chameleon for 11 years," said Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Richard Hunter.

Greer is accused of shooting and killing his 28-year-old girlfriend, Tammy Marie Esquivel, at their home in Spring on Dec. 19, 2006. Three days later, with the crime still undiscovered by law enforcement officials, Cleveland police found Greer wandering in a field half-naked and drunk, his car in a ditch. Dashcam video from the arresting officer's vehicle recorded Greer admitting to accidentally shooting Esquivel in the chest during a domestic argument, according to published reports.

"The gun just went off," Greer allegedly said in the video.

He was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication, but without any evidence to substantiate the confession, officials released him the next morning.

"We had a confession on video, but without evidence to match it, we had to let him go," said Hunter.

Body never found

The confession became evidence when Greer's sons - then 9 and 13 years old - told police Dec. 30 that Greer dragged Esquivel into the master bedroom of the home in north Houston. The boys related how, through the bedroom door, they heard Greer and Esquivel arguing, then a gunshot, a gurgling sound, and Greer asking Esquivel if she was alive. Then silence.

Esquivel's body has never been found.

When officials searched the home in January 2007, they found sheets of industrial-strength plastic and enough blood to conclude a person had been seriously injured, according to a 2016 news release from the U.S. Marshal Service. Greer was indicted in Harris County shortly thereafter, and a warrant for his arrest was issued. By then, however, he'd reportedly skipped town.

At the time of his arrest, Greer was going by an alias in remote Nacajuca, a Mexican town in the Yucatan Peninsula near the Guatemala border. Greer, who was living there with a woman and two children, was detained without a struggle as he left home on a scooter to pick up the children at their school, Hunter said.

In partnership with the Mexican Attorney General's Office, U.S. marshals identified Greer during surveillance several days before his arrest. Greer was conclusively identified when U.S. marshals asked him to removed his shoe, a missing toe on his left foot having been determined to be one of his more identifiable characteristics.

'El Gringo'

Sightings of Greer were reported across the country, with credible leads coming from Louisiana and Kentucky soon after he fled the Houston area. Hunter said officials believe he made his way to Mexico soon after the slaying in early 2007.

Hunter said Greer was deeply embedded in the small community; his level of proficiency in Spanish suggested he had been in the country for years. Locals knew him as "El Gringo" - the American.

"William Greer is a good old country boy," Hunter said. "He didn't speak a ick of Spanish before he went down there."

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said efforts are being made to locate Esquivel's next of kin.

Gonzalez said Greer is in the custody of Mexican officials in Mexico City, where extradition procedures to return him to Texas are underway.

Greer was listed as one of the U.S. Marshals Service's 15 Most Wanted fugitives in January 2016 and was added by Interpol to its international fugitive database last year.

St.John Barned-Smith contributed to this report.
Influential groups representing many of the region's residential and commercial builders have endorsed Harris County's proposed new regulations for developing in floodplains.

Though developers have not gone to war over every recent amendment to Houston or Harris County's stormwater regulations, the support still is a departure from years of opposition or wariness of tighter building rules, which developers have argued would undermine the Houston's competitive edge as a big city with comparatively affordable housing.

The county's proposals, spurred by Hurricane Harvey, could require homes to be built up to 8 feet higher than previously required in some flood-prone areas in unincorporated Harris County. They also would open up wider swaths of the county - 500-year floodplains instead of 100-year floodplains - to some elevation requirements.

"As part of our on-going mutual efforts to make regulations more effective during extreme storm events, we offer our support for the proposed revisions to the regulations for floodplain management in Harris County," state letters from the Greater Houston Builders Association and Houston Real Estate Council, both of which were released this week. "We look forward to our continued participation with Harris County as future changes to development regulations are considered."

The GHBA represents more than 1,600 builders and developers in the Houston region; HREC lists about 50 companies as members. Harris County Engineer John Blount said he also had received a letter from a local architectural trade group and had been told one would arrive Thursday from a local engineering council.

Blount downplayed the groups' letters, saying builders have an incentive to minimize flood risk.

"People need to understand: Everybody thinks the developers just want to flood people - flooding doesn't sell," he said. "If people hear it floods in Houston, they don't buy houses."

The county's regulations were proposed earlier this month and formulated after several meetings with developers, architects and engineers following Hurricane Harvey's devastation.

Harris County Commissioners Court could vote to approve the new rules as early as Dec. 5.

Ed Taravella, chairman of the GHBA's Community Developers Council, said supporting stricter floodplain regulations is not a difficult call for many of his peers.

"I don't believe you should be building a house in a floodplain. I just think it's not very wise," he said. "So, basically what these rules are there for is to protect people from themselves. If they're going to do something stupid, they're at least going to have to follow some rules to make it a less stupid idea."

'Public wants change'

GHBA members occasionally build on lots customers already own in floodplains, and sometimes regrade sites to remove them from existing floodplains before building there, Taravella said.

He noted, however, that of the more than 75,000 homes that have been built in the county since stormwater rules were last tightened in 2009, just 467 flooded during Harvey, meaning much of the flooding occurred in older subdivisions built when regulations were looser or nonexistent.

At City Hall, "flood czar" Steve Costello is guiding a task force examining the city's stormwater regulations.

"The builders have recognized it's not in their best interest to fight everything," he said. "The public wants change. They're saying, 'OK, we had Harvey, we're tired of flooding - what are you going to do about it?'"

The task force, which includes developers, civil engineers and neighborhood leaders, engaged in a detailed discussion Wednesday of how the city's stormwater detention rules should change.

With some exceptions and caveats, the group seemed to reach a nascent consensus to phase out grandfathering - the practice of making builders detain water only if they pave more of a site than had been paved before, even if the original asphalt was laid decades before detention was first mandated in the 1980s. But some builders argued that existing detention criteria on redevelopment are sufficient, which indicates that a consensus may be harder to reach outside of floodplains.

"We're going to compromise with what comes out of here," said Taravella, who observed the task force's discussions but is not a member. "We know change is inevitable, and we're going to work to help make the change effective."

A new direction

The task force has not issued final recommendations to Mayor Sylvester Turner, but the mayor repeatedly has said the city must make itself more resilient in preparation for the next storm.

"We're all trying to find ways of what we can do to be more resilient, to mitigate the risk of flooding, so we're looking at all of our ordinances," he said Wednesday. "Everyone in the area is looking internally at our operations, and I suspect there are going to be stricter requirements."

Apart from the task force's discussions, Costello said the city's Harvey recovery team also plans to discuss next week whether to make changes similar to the those the county has proposed, such as the minimum elevation of new or renovated homes, the rules governing property redevelopment and whether the 500-year storm should be used as the standard for permitting new developments while new regulations are contemplated.

Recent NOAA findings that the baseline regulatory standard - the 100-year storm - may be significantly understated will play a key role in that discussion, Costello said.

"Recognizing the fact that the county is moving in that direction, we are taking a very close look at the draft document that they're considering adopting and to see the difference between our floodplain ordinance and their development ordinance," Costello said. "I would assume engineers and developers would like to see criteria that's consistent across agencies."

Mihir Zaveri contributed to this report.
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AUSTIN - Democratic Party officials confirmed Wednesday that Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez - the state's first Hispanic lesbian sheriff - plans to resign from her current post to run for Texas governor as a Democrat.

If she files as a candidate next week, as Democratic Party officials said she will, Valdez would likely be viewed as the front-runner in a crowded field.

Whoever wins the right to take on Republican Gov. Greg Abbott will face an incumbent who ranks high in popularity polls in a GOP-majority state and has a campaign war chest of more than $50 million.

But Valdez, who publicly locked horns with Abbott two years ago over his insistence that she comply with federal authorities' demands on the deportation of undocumented immigrants who were in jail, would have several pluses with the Democratic Party base in Texas: She is Hispanic, a member of the LGBTQ community and gave a prime-time speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia that nominated Hillary Clinton for president.

She has also widely been reported to be a personal choice of state Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa to be the 2018 standard-bearer for a party that has not won a statewide office since 1995.

In 2014, Abbott the office won over then-Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis by more than 20 percentage points.

For her part, Valdez offered no immediate details on her plans. There were widespread media reports Wednesday that she had already submitted her resignation, but late Wednesday her office released a statement saying it hadn't happened yet.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins released a statement saying he had not gotten Valdez's resignation letter as of Wednesday evening, but party insiders said it's expected to be effective Dec. 8 - three days before the filing period for candidates ends.

"As she has stated in the past, the sheriff is considering the next stage in her career," according to the statement from Valdez's office. "The Sheriff will make a formal announcement when her final decision is made."

The 70-year-old, who won her fourth term as sheriff last year with 58 percent of the vote, had confirmed earlier this month that she was contemplating a run against Abbott.

Wide range of experience

Valdez was born to migrant farmworkers and raised in San Antonio, attained the rank of captain in the U.S. Army and worked stints as a jailer and federal prison guard.

She subsequently served as an investigator in federal agencies, including the U.S. Customs Service, where she led an anti-smuggling campaign, and as a senior agent in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, from which she retired in 2004 to run for sheriff.

As word spread in Dallas on Wednesday that she was resigning, a half-dozen local officials expressed interest in possibly replacing her.

Should the Democratic Party embrace Valdez as their showcase state-office candidate in the 2018 elections, as several have predicted in recent weeks, the move would end months of speculation and apparent angst for party leadership over who they might field - a list that included big-name luminaries such as U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio, actress Eva Longoria and even a second try by Davis.

None signed on.

Already announced as candidates for governor are Democrats Jeffrey Payne, a Dallas businessman; Tom Wakely, a San Antonio businessman; and Andrew White, a Houston entrepreneur and son of former Gov. Mark White.

Wakely, who has characterized himself as "Bernie Sanders in a cowboy hat," has filed. Payne said Wednesday he plans to file on Monday. And White indicated Monday he is poised to become a candidate next week.

Valdez has been Dallas County sheriff since 2005, after she defeated a Republican for the job and led what became a blue wave of Democrats capturing county offices in the Dallas area.

As sheriff, she oversees a budget of more than $132 million and the nation's seventh-largest jail.

She considered challenging Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn's re-election bid in 2014, but backed out.

Uphill battle ahead

While Democrats cheered the news Wednesday that Valdez appeared ready to challenge Abbott, they acknowledged she faces challenges because of her late start and lack of a campaign fund to match Abbott's.

"She's got a sterling record in Dallas as sheriff, but it's going to be an uphill battle for anyone to beat Abbott," said Glenn Smith, a longtime Democratic Party consultant in Austin. "But it can be done ... I think Houston and Houston's fate could determine this election. It's a dire circumstance in Houston (in recovering from Hurricane Harvey) because they have only received a quarter of the money they need for the recovery.

"I think that's going to be an issue in the general election in a year."

For their part, Republican consultants said privately that the Democrats will spend much of their money trying to get elected in the four-way race in March primary, which will make it even tougher for them to finance a competitive campaign against Abbott in the November general election.

Republican consultants said privately they were elated at the possibility that Valdez might run, since she showcases many things that polls show most Texas voters disagree with.

In addition, outside the Dallas area she has little name ID with voters - a key to winning a statewide election, they said. They noted that most of the announced Democratic challengers are obscure, except perhaps for White, who Democratic Party leaders including Davis have criticized in recent weeks as too conservative, with a pro-life stance.

Key issues

Even so, Democrats countered Wednesday that Valdez will be a high-profile candidate with Hispanics in Texas - a voting bloc that Republicans have courted for years with mixed success, and that Democrats have held out as their biggest hope for winning statewide offices again after a drought of more than two decades.

Among the issues Valdez is perhaps best known for statewide is her stance two years ago that the Dallas County Jail would no longer hold immigrants who are in the country illegallyfor more than 48 hours after their release date if federal immigration agents did not pick them up.

While Abbott warned her in a stern letter to comply with federal immigration law, he focused most of his ire on Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez - even cutting off state funds to her agency for refusing to follow Abbott's order.

Valdez revisited that issue last July, when Abbott defended a new state law banning sanctuary cities, in a speech to the Sheriff's Association of Texas. She criticized the new law as unfair.

Abbott's campaign did not respond Wednesday to requests for comment.

For his part, White reiterated Wednesday that he is moving ahead with his plans to run and will have an announcement next week.
AUSTIN - After just over three months on the job, the state's special education director was fired last week after she filed a federal complaint against the Texas Education Agency for awarding a multi-million dollar, no-bid contract to a company that is mining data on disabled students.

A TEA representative said Laurie Kash's firing had nothing to do with her complaint. Rather, said TEA spokeswoman Lauren Callahan, Kash was fired because of allegations that she covered up the sexual abuse of a 6-year-old girl in her previous school district. Two former employees filed a civil lawsuit making the allegations in Oregon days before Kash was fired.

"The existence of allegations of this nature, given her roles and responsibilities, prevent her from carrying out her duties effectively in Texas," said Lauren Callahan, a TEA spokeswoman. "Dr. Kash has no business being in charge of special education policy and programming in Texas."

Kash's dismissal leaves the state's beleaguered special education department without a director at a time when the agency is trying to rebuild confidence in its ability to provide services to all special-needs students across the state.

Kash's lawyer said TEA is using the Oregon lawsuit as a cover, and contends Kash was fired because she raised concerns about a contract awarded to SPEDx, a data company that received a no-bid contract before she was hired.

Kash was hired in August to lead the state's special education department. Previously, she worked as the special education director at a school district serving about 800 students in Oregon.

A few months before she was hired, TEA signed a $2 million contract with SPEDx, a Georgia-based data company, to analyze students' Individualized Education Program, or IEP. An IEP lays out a student's disability, their education needs and how a school intends to meet those needs.

In a presentation to school districts, TEA said SPEDx will analyze IEPs to "detect hidden patterns and insights" that can help the department better serve students. In September, TEA amended SPEDx's contract to $4.4 million dollars. TEA says it did not put the contract out for bid because data project requires specialized software that only SPEDx can provide.

Soon after she was hired, Kash began questioning the company's work, according to her lawyer. Kash was concerned the company was not delivering the information laid out in the contract.

"When she looked at how the contract occurred, the more she found what the company was doing, she saw no basis at all for why they were awarded the contract," Aleshire said.

Kash alleges a contractor for the company is a friend of a TEA employee. SPEDx representatives did not return a request for comment.

In early November, Kash received a written reprimand for accusing the Chief Deputy Commissioner of Academics, Penny Schwinn, of awarding the contract "to a presumed friend." The reprimand letter also noted other instances when Kash objected to the SPEDx project.

"...It is your responsibility to represent the positions of the agency, not your personal preferences or opinions," Justin Porter, Kash's supervisor wrote. Porter then required he be present in all of Kash's meetings, including when taking phone calls.

Porter noted that the reprimand was not intended to prohibit Kash from reporting conduct that she believed to be illegal or unethical.

Aleshire -- Kash's lawyer -- said he was retained soon after Kash received the reprimand. On Nov. 21, Kash responded to the reprimand, and filed a complaint with the Department of Education outlining her concerns with the contract.

Alleged cover-up

But just a few days prior to filing her complaint, two former employees in Oregon lodged their own complaints against Kash in civil court. They claim Kash and her husband, the superintendent of the Rainier School District, barred them from reporting an alleged sexual assault against a 6-year-old girl.

The employees allege Kash had a personal relationship with the caretaker of the high-school student who was accused of abusing the child. The employees say they endured retaliation for reporting the abuse to local authorities.

Kash denies the allegations, according to her lawyer.

"She will aggressively defend herself there," Bill Aleshire said. "Obviously that last minute filing of those spurious allegations hit us like truck in an intersection and gave TEA a cover story."

Aleshire said Kash told TEA staff about the allegations before she was hired, but TEA denies staff were informed.

"If these serious allegations had been disclosed, she would not have been hired," Callahan said.

Fries, the parent advocate, said she and others found Kash to be responsive to their concerns and honest about the improvements needed in the state's special education services.

"At the end of the day, all of this drama that doesn't benefit our kids," said Cheryl Fries, the co-founder of Texans for Special Education Reform.

Special education in Texas remains under fire after a 2016 Houston Chronicle investigation revealed that the state set an arbitrary cap of 8.5 percent on the number of children who could receive help, leaving many students left behind. A federal investigation was launched and the state legislature passed sweeping changes to ban the cap, give parents more rights and increase public input.
At what point do we call it affirmative action for white guys?

Donald Trump has started filling the ranks of the federal judiciary, and a single pattern has emerged: Few women. Few candidates of color.

Not since Ronald Reagan and the 1980s - the era when compact discs, automatic teller machines and personal computers were considered new - has any president nominated such a high percentage of white judges in his first year. It is almost as if he is going out of his way to ignore the women lawyers and lawyers of color who fill legal positions across the nation.

Ninety-one percent of Trump's nominees are white and 81 percent are male, according to an analysis by the Associated Press.

In this day and age where more women than men go to law school, the president's appointments send a disheartening message about professional advancement to female and minority law students. Here in Texas, a state with an estimated 30,000 active women lawyers, the president was unable to find a single woman to nominate for the lifetime position of judge on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Instead, he's nominated four men for this court, which has jurisdiction over district courts in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. One of the nominees is Asian-American. Three are white.

In our majority-minority state, the president nominated five judges to district courts. He was able to locate only one Hispanic nominee and one woman. No blacks or other minorities were nominated. There are still other open seats in the Texas district courts and Trump would be wise to find a diverse slate. He already has a poor track record in other areas. This page lamented in September that the Trump administration had appointed only one woman out of 42 U.S. attorney nominations.

But don't think of this as a partisan issue. Our last Republican president, George W. Bush, went out of his way to identify minority candidates.

Alberto Gonzales, who served as attorney general for George W. Bush, told the Associated Press that when considering nominees, "sometimes President Bush would look at the list we gave him and he would say, 'I want more diversity, I want more women, I want more minorities.'"

Why? Bush recognized that a judiciary that more closely reflects the faces of the population tends to display a broader range of viewpoints. A diverse bench engenders more confidence than a uniformly whitewashed one.

A trustworthy judicial system is the underpinning of a safe and orderly society. By ignoring massive swaths of our republic, Trump and the senators who rubber-stamp these skewed nominations risk a loss of faith in the entire system, and that could mean a heap of trouble for all of us.
Overwhelming evidence

Regarding "Presumption of innocence" letter (Page A18, Wednesday), the letter writer is correct that all are presumed innocent until proven guilty. That is a basic tenet of our system. But Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore will likely never be proven guilty or innocent because his alleged crimes were committed long ago.

What the letter writer is ignoring is another tenet of our system: guilt by preponderance of the evidence. The numerous accusers, their detailed stories and those who back them up and others in the community taken together, add up to a guilty man.

Russell J. Sanders, Houston

Shifting standards

Regarding "Political power trumps feeling of shame" (Page A11, Tuesday), it's surprising that columnist Ruth Marcus was shocked at the lack of shame being shown over the sexual misconduct accusations of late against politicians and others.

Shame has been absent from many segments of our society for quite some time now. In order to have shame you have to have standards of behavior that individuals are supposed to adhere to, and we have done away with most and replaced them with a philosophy of "if it feels good, do it."

Nowadays those who try to maintain past standards are looked upon with disdain and labeled as dinosaurs.

Ralph Tibiletti, Spring

Judicial appointments

Regarding "Trump making mark in courts" (Page A3, Sunday), the article about President Trump's rapid appointment of new federal judges both in Texas and across the nation omits an important fact: It was Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who pushed through a change to Senate rules for overcoming a filibuster for judicial appointments.

Without this rule change the current Senate would be blocked without bipartisan cooperation.

As former President Obama famously told GOP leaders, "Elections have consequences and, at the end of the day, I won."

Royal Lunsford, Spring

Bad behavior

Regarding "Conyers steps aside from work; Franken set to return to work" (Page A8, Monday), it strikes me as odd that their heartfelt apologies come years, sometimes decades, after the alleged incidents.

If an apology from an alleged offender is warranted at all, then it must come on the heels of an honest self-admission that they did, indeed, do something terribly wrong. Therefore, one has to conclude that it either (a) took all those years for the offender to finally come to realization that he did violate these women; and upon reaching this epiphanous moment, immediately and publicly confessed to the act, or (b) simply got caught by these women now coming forward and publicly apologized only to foster sympathy toward restoring some sense of familial dignity and, more important, retain their jobs.

Both Conyers and Franken should give us all a break. We're not stupid.

Clyde Miner, Friendswood
The presence of foreign missionaries is not allowed. Theyre afraid youll proselytize."

Source: CNA

As Pope Francis continues his visit to Burma  also known as Myanmar  this week, he is encountering a country where life for Catholics can be difficult.

Just 1.3 percent of the population in Burma is Catholic, and while freedom of religion exists on paper, evangelizing in the majority Buddhist country is met with obstacles.

In an interview published by the Pontifical Missionary Works, a Spanish missionary who has been in Burma for seven years described life in the country. He spoke anonymously, to avoid jeopardizing his mission.

The presence of foreign missionaries is not allowed. Theyre afraid youll proselytize, he said. In fact, the brothers from native Burmese communities, even though they are recognized as such, officially they cannot evangelize. There are almost no conversions here; the growth of Christianity is mostly from births.

But those who are Catholic are enthusiastic about their faith. The missionary said they expect some 300,000 people to attend the papal events with Pope Francis, out of about 700,000 Catholics in the country.

Since the people are poor and its very expensive to travel to the capital, the Church is making a major effort so the faithful can attend the events, he explained, adding that Bishop Charles Bo of Rangoon wrote to all the parishes, dioceses, congregations and bishops asking them to facilitate getting the people to the events.

We all collaborated financially to be able to support transportation, and even Buddhist monks offered their facilities to take in the pilgrims, he said.

With 87.9% of the population identifying as Buddhist, members of minority religions do not always find equal treatment in their day-to-day lives.

While minority religious services are permitted, non-Buddhists have fewer opportunities to get good jobs, including jobs in government.

However, the missionary said, the situation in the country has improved somewhat. Before December 2016 we had to leave the country every 70 days. Currently theyre giving permits for longer stays.

Still, he is not able to identify himself as a missionary. When he meets people, he tells them that he is a teacher and a translator. He is not registered as a religious, but instead has a business visa.

Currently, there are more than nine different congregations with a missionary presence in Burma, he said.

We have been getting together to share difficulties, experiences, and mutually encourage one another through reflection and formation, especially on inculturation. They also discuss goals, including creativity in evangelizing and how to best reach rural areas.

A few days after the missionary arrived in the country, he was asked by Bishop Bo to live in a poor neighborhood where the majority of people were Indian Muslims or Hindus.

We began visiting poor families, old people living alone. We prayed with them and brought Communion to the Catholics. In addition for a year we had a house to welcome young people who came to the capital thanks to scholarships from the Jesuits, the missionary recalled.

He also said that some of those young men wanted to follow their charism, and so they had to begin an intensive formation program for them.

Its very important that when a new house is opened up and native vocations are coming forth, that they are well trained, so they can be the ones who can work with more freedom of movement and knowledge of their own society, he said.

The missionaries are currently offering English classes to the children in the neighborhood who are all Buddhists. Theyre normal families with few resources. We want to offer them the possibility of their children learning English and Korean, because they all dream of going to South Korea.

The missionary said that the Catholic Church is a witness to peace, unity, and encounter within Burmese society and pointed to their initiative in the city of Mandalay, the cradle of Buddhism, where they have an ecumenical group that brings together Muslims, Buddhists, Protestants and Catholics.

Ultimately, he remains hopeful about the future of the Catholic Church in Burma.

In 1962, the government expropriated all the Churchs schools and centers, leaving only state-run education, he said. But now it looks like they just gave approval to the possibility of setting up kindergartens. I know that some congregations are getting ready to open official kindergartens in different areas of the country.
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urance giant Aviva has confirmed the introduction of an impressive new family perk  16 weeks parental leave for male and female employees, at full pay.We think this is one of the most ground-breaking, family-friendly policies offered by any employer, said Sarah Morris, chief people officer at Aviva.Its time to equalise parental leave and create a level playing field for men and women who want to take time out from their career to spend with their family, she added.The innovative policy is open to all employees regardless of gender, sexual orientation or how they became a parent  for example via birth, surrogacy or adoption  but must be taken within the first 12 months of a childs life.The entitlement also includes an equal amount of unpaid parental leave when the child arrives and is available to both full-time and part-time employees across all levels of the company with no requirement to share the parental leave between parents.Incredibly, if both parents are employees of Aviva, they will each have their own entitlement to leave and pay, which they can take at the same time.Mark Wilson, group CEO at Aviva, said the initiative was not only the right thing to do, but also a savvy business decision.I want to live in a world where the only criteria for success is someones talent, not their gender, he said. Treating parents equally will help make this happen. We want Aviva to be a progressive, inclusive, welcoming place to work. Its good for our people and its also good business sense."While the initiative is undeniably impressive, its currently restricted to workers in Singapore, the UK, Ireland, France or Canada  however, the company has plans to extend the offer across the entire business before the end of 2018.
loyers in Japan are being urged to prepare for an increase in the number of fixed-term employees applying for permanent employment contracts as the Conversion Rule nears its fifth birthday.April 1, 2018, will mark five years since rule on conversion of fixed-term employment to permanent employment was enacted to stabilize the employment of fixed-term employees.Under the legislation, employees can apply for permanent employment if they meet requirements  first, they must have worked for the same employer for at least five years, although this can be under multiple fixed-term employment contracts.Eligible employees must also apply for a permanent employment agreement before the expiration of their fixed-term employment contract with which the combined contract term exceeds five years.In a blog post published on Lexology, international law firm Jones Day offered a brief overview of what Conversion Rule means for employers.If an eligible employee makes a timely application, a permanent employment contract between the eligible employee and the employer will become effective the day following the expiration date of the last contract, the firms lawyers explained.The employment conditions of the permanent contract will be identical to those in the last contract, unless otherwise provided for in a collective agreement, work rules, or employment contract, they continued.While the five-year mark is still some time away, employers are being urged to begin their preparations now.Since it will take some time to prepare for the Conversion Rule, we recommend that all employers promptly begin their preparations, including revising any applicable rules, wrote the Jones Day lawyers.In addition, employers should take into account that an employer may not legally refuse the renewal of an employment contract with an employee before he or she becomes an eligible employee.
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Bayswater Hyundai

Hyundai Mid & South Canterbury

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Masterpet Corporation

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Premier Group International

Russell Gordon Contracting

Traffic Design Group

William Buck

Bay Audiology

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> The list of finalists for IBM s New Zealands Best Workplaces Awards has been announced this morning, with organisations across almost every sector making the cut.While 173 employers took part in this years study, just 43 achieved finalist status  70 per cent of those also reached the finals in 2016 and almost half have been finalists for the last three years.Emma Martin, a talent management solutions consultant with IBM, congratulated the finalists for their success and said it was encouraging to see long-term commitment from Kiwi employers.The ongoing commitment to building a great workplace is shown by the number of repeat finalists and is also evident in the survey results, she said.The full list of finalists for IBMs 18th annual Best Workplaces Awards are as follows:Category and league award winners will be named on January 31, and the overall winner will be announced at an event in Auckland on February 28.
health and safety regulations officially come into force today and one industry expert has warned the rules are likely to impact every workplace across New Zealand.The Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017 are aimed at reducing the harm from work-related activities involving hazardous substances and sets guidelines for the safe production, transport, handling, use and disposal of hazardous materials.Every workplace uses some sort of hazardous substance, said Melodi James, senior workplace advisor at Employsure. Whether it is petrol, diesel, pesticides, fertilisers, and cleaning solutions, there is a real risk to the people working with and around them.According to James, the starting point for all employers should be to identify and assess the risks.Employers should start by making a list of the hazardous substances in the workplace, the quantities and where they are stored, she advises. Then read the safety data sheets to understand the risks they pose, how to use and store them safely and what to do if there is a spill or accident.James also warns that, from today, it will be mandatory to keep both an inventory of hazardous substances as well as their safety data sheets.The advice for all employers is to only store what is needed, ensure correct inventory practices, adequate training, correct labelling, provide safety data sheets, and ensure incompatible substances are not stored together.Even the most safety conscious employer can have an accident, says James. By making sure there is an emergency plan in place, including who to contact, employers can avoid the potential $30,000 fine now available to Worksafe.While all employers are encouraged to re-evaluate their current procedures, James says those in the agricultural industry are most at risk.It's easy to underestimate the risks of using sprays and fertilisers, she says. The harm from these substances can take 25 to 30 years to show, which is usually too late to prevent the serious, sometimes fatal, consequences.
Top 3 Things To Spend Your Marketing Budget On

As independent musician, where you funnel your marketing budget is incredibly critical. According recent polls, the following are what people in marketing departments consider the areas in which they have seen the highest return on investment in for their precious marketing dollars.

_________________________

Guest post by Tim Brown of Symphonic Blog

Recent polls of what people in marketing departments believe they are getting the most ROI from showed three key areas in the lead: Search Engine Optimization, Email Marketing/Automation, and Content Marketing.

How do these translate into actionable strategy for your 2018 marketing budget?

Well for one  content is part of all three. Content in e-mails, content is one of the two biggest parts of SEO, and content in the form of content marketing proper continues to grow in importance!

The top activity for marketing professionals is using resources to target your content, research keywords, and honing in on who your core demographic is and what content would appeal to them the most to help convert them to customers.

How to create targeted content people want to read, and content that compels people to take action

For many marketers, making the content people want to read is easy and it can be for you too:

What content do we want to read?

What subject do we know more than almost anyone?

How can we take a unique and compelling angle on the subject?

These questions start the process, but the guide to the whole strategy is the all-important question: What content will draw people into your companys value proposition and persuade them to work with you? If your content shows them how to do it themselves, asks their most important questions, and prepares them to work with you  but doesnt demonstrate your unique value proposition and ask them to take the next step, it might be time to step up the content strategy.

This doesnt mean putting a sales pitch at the end of every post, but it does mean having some give away and at least showcasing some aspect of what makes your companys offering unique.

Spend money on  Content Marketing: keyword research, content strategy, writers, and designers for images to accompany content.

How to spend money on E-mail marketing and Marketing automation  the right way

Use these questions to help you figure out where your company is on the email marketing and automation journey.

Do you have a solid list of emails you can send out your broader promotions, newsletters, and pitches to?

Do you have segmented lists that you are promoting on specific messaging, for different types of services or angles?

Are you putting resources into writing compelling emails to serve those people and actually move them along in the sales funnel?

Whatever you use for marketing automation software and your email list  you should always look for new ways to fill the marketing funnel. You need prospects to market to. But you also need legitimately compelling emails, so dont neglect on segmenting lists and allocating resources for getting persuasive emails.

Spend money on E-mail Marketing and Marketing Automation: Segmenting your audience, Mailchimp, Infusionsoft or similar, and targeting/persuasive writing.

How to spend money on SEO in a way that will actually give you return on investment

SEO is all about getting you more search engine traffic  and the amount of effectiveness that you can get out of it depends on three questions you can answer by doing some keyword research.

What are your competitors ranking on the first page of Google for that youre not?

What are all of your services and sub services that people might look for on search engines  and how are they referring to them the most often?

Where do you currently get the most traffic and for what subject matter?

Its crucial to make the most of your present advantage and utilize the last question to find ways you can continue to leverage that current advantage with further in-depth content.

Spend money on Search Engine Optimization: analyze competitors, do keyword research, and determine your current search engine advantages to target your site.

Wrapping up

Making use of your present advantages should be the theme of your marketing budget. Use whats working, and use your resources that competitors might not have. Consider using something like this marketing budget calculator as well to see what the benchmarks in your industry might suggest as well.

Tim Brown is the owner of Tim B Design, and is a web designer and SEO Specialist out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. You can check out his recent project The Marketing Budget Calculator to plan your marketing budget for this next year and take a look at his blog to learn cutting-edge methods to get the most out of your digital marketing budget. Tweet him at @timbdesignmpls

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'Justice League': Oh Superman, Where Art Thou?

Prior to becoming one special effects-crammed battle scene after the next, director Zack Snyder's "Justice League" spends an inordinate amount of time detailing the difficulties of putting together the folks necessary to saving the world. Mind you, I'm not talking about the 20 or 30 influential U.S. senators and congresspeople it would take to flip their brethren in the noble pursuit of preserving America's currently endangered democracy, though that'd be a real good idea. Only the autocrats have fun in an autocracy. But no, this is just about superheroes.

All the same, this movie rendition about that gang of DC Comics crusaders who attempt to solve their differences for the greater good plays as a one size fits all metaphor. Pick any time in history when the greedy and megalomaniacal threatened humankind's freedoms and well-being and this will work. There's even a no-holds barred villain. No gray area here, the vile scourge known as Steppenwolf (no relation to either the Hesse novel or the band) is the essence of evil: a blustering, egotistical monster bent on some sort of self-aggrandizing apocalypse.

The difference between this fictional blackguard and our real-life examples is that no one in the movie is nutty enough to support Steppenwolf, y'know, say how he's really maybe a nice guy.

C'mon, let him have his way and he'll kill everyone. Still, our modern, pop culture versions of the Olympian gods known as superheroes have their disagreements of style, purpose and overall zeitgeist, which in itself can toss a monkey wrench into the world saving business. But a little bit of this soap opera stuff goes a long way, and after a while we just wish they'd get on with it.

I mean, there isn't really a choice. Either get together and defeat Steppenwolf or that's the ballgame. Problem is, there isn't much of a script here. So the ceaseless bantering among the potential Justice League members, a repetitious series of chides and tongue-in-cheek allusions to things only diehard aficionados of the culture will grok, is just so much time-filling gobbledygook. In all fairness, though, even if Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg mend fences, there remains a major difficulty. Remember, Superman died last issue.

Now, I don't mean to diminish the other five. But hey, channeling your childhood arguments about who was more indomitable, Superman or Batman (all the others occupied a tacitly acknowledged third place), Superman always won, except in the opinion of that weird kid on the block who was also a Cleveland Indians fan. OK, so the guy from Smallville has that Kryptonite issue. Otherwise, it's a no-brainer. In any case, way too much of the story hinges on whether or not Superman can do the Lazarus thing.

While the group tries to sort these matters out, Steppenwolf, in the mode of tyrants real and imagined, delights in detailing his perceived supremacy almost as much as he enjoys wreaking havoc. And, just as in real life, it gets awfully tiring, not just because braggadocio is unbecoming in civilized society, but owing to the fact that this demented screwball's diatribes are loonier than the self-conscious reasoning of an Ayn Rand character on crack.

OK, we get it, Steppenwolf. Never in the history of the world has there been someone as wicked as you.

Attempting to ameliorate the malnourished plot, a brand-name cast stars as the title superheroes. Ben Affleck remains acceptable as the mouth-breathing, dark-voiced Batman; stately Gal Gadot is forcefully altruistic as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman; Jason Momoa is aggressively iconoclastic as Arthur Curry/Aquaman; Henry Cavill is Clark Kent/Superman, albeit little seen; Ray Fisher is nifty as Victor Stone/Cyborg; and, adding some needed but curiously hokey comic relief, Ezra Miller is the neophytic Barry Allen/The Flash.

While all these champions are good at demonstrating their attributed specialties, the production into which they've been plopped deters them from their primary mission: skating that fine line between fantasy and doing what it takes to earn our suspension of disbelief. Not unlike what's required if one is to enjoy professional wrestling, the performer must, for the moment, convince us that he or she is the real thing. Here, in all due respect, the Justice League members might as well be wearing really expensive Halloween costumes. I suddenly want a Butterfingers.

Pity is, "Justice League" does not waft us away to that vicarious place where truth, justice and the American way prevail. Remember, it was a foreign threat to our democracy in the 1930s that prompted the nascence of comic book superheroes, dime-novel purveyors of hope. Thus it only makes sense that now, as our democracy is trampled by domestic opportunists, arguably abetted by outside malefactors, a reinvigoration of that popular literature should artistically symbolize the heroics we so need. As it stands, both in fiction and reality, we wait for Superman.

"Justice League," rated PG-13, is a Warner Bros. release directed by Zack Snyder and stars Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot and Ray Fisher. Running time: 120 minutes
Mildred Hayes' (Frances McDormand) highly visible frustration over foot-dragging in hunting down the suspect in her daughter's rape and murder upsets the status quo in her small Missouri town.

'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri': Signs of the Times

Director Martin McDonagh's compelling "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" features, among other things, misogyny, police brutality, racism, rape, child molestation, white supremacy, unrestricted gun possession, and anti-gay sentiments.

But no, it's not about Roy Moore's quest to represent Alabama in the U.S. Senate. Rather, equally provocative and similarly chilling, the superbly acted film details a mother's rage over her daughter's unsolved murder to the backdrop of a small town rendered dysfunctional by the above-listed disgraces.

Frances McDormand, playing Mildred Hayes, the infuriated mom, is the beleaguered face of survival in the Missouri town that we suspect considered itself part of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Suffering its prejudicial rationalizations and a barely concealed anger that threads through day-to-day life in Ebbing, she reminds of Ben Johnson's Sam the Lion in "The Last Picture Show" (1971) who, disgusted by all he surveys, declares, "I've been around that trashy behavior my whole life ... ." No saint herself, she nonetheless serves as the tale's moral compass.

She seethes for revenge with an adamancy evocative of a Greek myth. There will be no quarter given, no forgiveness and no acceptance under any terms. Only the capture of her teenaged daughter's killer and rapist will bring closure to this tortured soul. At her wit's end and fed up by the local law enforcement's failure to find the culprit, she launches, via the medium described by the film's title, an ad campaign to shame them into action. The three billboards read, in succession: "Raped while dying," "And still no arrests," and "How come, Chief Willoughby?"

Placed into a misfortunate, adversarial position is Woody Harrelson's excellently depicted Sheriff Bill Willoughby, whose otherwise fine reputation has won him support from a majority of local denizens. They're more miffed by Mildred's move than he is. While seven months have passed since the vile event, Willoughby assures the distraught mom that the investigation has heretofore sent the police up only blind alleys. A nationwide search has unearthed no DNA matches, and all other investigatory methods have proved equally fruitless.

Meanwhile, the townsfolk, who for the most part view Mildred's 1st Amendment strategy as a threatening affront to the status quo, show their displeasure in both word and deed, including, but not limited to, beating up sympathizers and even tossing one innocent guy out a window.

Leading the reactionary outrage and rounding out the film's triptych of nomination-worthy portrayals is Sam Rockwell's severely troubled Jason Dixon, Willoughby's gung-ho, drink-crazed deputy with a mother complex. He is a civil rights activist's worst nightmare personified.

Crime-story buffs should note that while the murder in question is indeed flummoxing, there are few recognizable clues to engage the armchair sleuth. Although we certainly hope that the killer is caught before the closing credits roll, writer/director McDonagh's impetus is not solely the capture of criminals. Out for larger fish, his muckraking script is an indictment of the regressive mores and folkways found in all too many nooks and hollers in America  a bigoted mindset that deters us from becoming the enlightened civilization the Founding Fathers had envisioned.

Shades of "Bad Day at Black Rock" (1955), except that there is no intentional conspiracy afoot, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" is the anti-Rockwellian portrait of small-town America. There is no friendly exchange of niceties as polite citizens stroll the square. It's all suspicion and enmity and the sharing of a grudge about a Southern legacy perceived to have been stolen from them. Never mind that it's all built upon the myth of a so-called glorious past that really existed only for the plantation owners. Better to live a lie than face the stark reality.

Doubtlessly hewed from this inherently maladjusted culture, but too strong a character to let the mass fiction obscure the rugged individualist in her, Mildred harbors no illusions. Life is hard, and you have to make the best of it. Fail, and it's probably your own fault. She praises no one; she thanks no one. Look up Mildred Hayes in the dictionary and it reads: tough cookie. Sure, she cuts a corner and even does a few bad things. But if she doesn't always strive for the straight and narrow, at least she knows what it is. We like the old gal, and sympathize with her plight.

Woody Harrelson's Chief Willoughby as the object of her ire placed in an untenable position proves a worthy adversary/would-be ameliorator. As the onion skins of the saga peel, we learn there's a whole subplot more to him than was thought at first blush. And then there's a big wrinkle of a surprise. While matters don't lead to the traditional conclusion usually expected ofsuch murder mysteries, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" instead advertises and invites for contemplation the idea that justice might be realized in the form of a moral twist.

"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," rated R, is a Fox Searchlight Pictures release directed by Martin McDonagh and stars Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell. Running time: 115 minutes
Terrorists Shell Troops on Gaza Border, IDF Retaliates

The Fellowship | November 30, 2017 Terrorists Shell Troops on Gaza Border

Earlier today, terrorists in Gaza attacked IDF troops across the border with mortar shells. The Times of Israels Judah Ari Gross reports that Israel responded with strikes by tanks and aircraft on four Hamas terrorist positions:

A number of mortar shells were fired from the Gaza Strip at nearby Israeli troops, and in response Israeli tanks and aircraft targeted four Hamas positions in northern Gaza, the army said.

There were no Israeli injuries reported.

The exchange came exactly one month after Israeli forces destroyed an attack tunnel belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, in which at least 14 terrorists were killed, including two of the organizations top commanders.

An army official said the mortar barrage appeared to be a retaliation for the demoltion of the tunnel, which stretched from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory, near Kibbutz Kissufim.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad vowed it would avenge its operatives killed in the Israeli demolition.

The attack apparently set off rocket sirens in the Israeli town of Sderot and other communities surrounding the Gaza Strip
Digital payments and online banking are gaining traction in the Philippines as revealed by the Kaspersky Cybersecurity Index. The research by Kaspersky Lab done during the second half of 2016 revealed a great majority of Filipinos use the internet for online shopping (90%), for accessing online payment systems and digital wallets (89%), and for online banking (74%).

Based on an online survey of thousands of internet users around the world, the index represents the adult online population according to age and gender in every country of the study. During last years second half, the global cybersecurity company surveyed 17,337 internet users from 28 countries around the world including 491 netizens from the Philippines.

A recent study from the digital payment company PayPal also attested that the Philippines is well on its way in achieving a cashless economy as 25% of the surveyed Filipinos are now choosing to transact through the internet. The Alibaba founder and tech giant billionaire Jack Ma even called out for investors to make the country a cashless society during his recent visit to the Philippines.

But aside from infrastructure and internet-related hurdles currently hindering the achievement of a fully cashless economy, are Filipino consumers ready for the cybersecurity risks that will come with the bumpy road of transacting money online?

Citing the same Kaspersky Lab report, Kaspersky Lab Southeast Asias General Manager Sylvia Ng highlighted Filipinos lack of concern towards their online security and the real threats of cyberattacks.

Data from our very own Kaspersky Cybersecurity Index for the second half of 2016 showed that more than half or 52% of Filipinos are still unconcerned about their online security. Filipinos still do not believe that they can become targets of cybercrimes which is completely false. In fact, 52% of the respondents of the same survey also admitted to being hacked or infected with malware last year, says Ng.

Before Filipinos dive headfirst into the convenience of digital financial transactions, they should remember that cybercriminals are almost always after money. Having your cash available online is like placing a bait to entice them more. It is a must to be aware of the risks and to possess the proper protections to combat the dangers that will come along the road towards becoming a cashless society, she continues.

As the country goes full speed towards a cashless economy, Kaspersky Lab would like to suggest the following safety tips that Filipino consumers should consider to prevent hackers from emptying their digital coffers:

 Dont assume links are genuine

When you need to visit an online bank, a retailer or a payment website, you should manually type in the URL  instead of clicking on a link. Do not visit websites by clicking on:



Links in emails

Messages on social network sites

Messages in chat rooms

Banner ads that are on suspicious websites

Links sent to you by people you do not know

 Beware of fake communications

Most financial organisations will never send emails asking customers to:



Send personal data in an email

Visit their site for authorisation

Enter personal data in pop-up windows

 Check the URL

When youre visiting a web page that needs you to enter confidential data, carefully check that the address of the page thats shown on the browser corresponds with the page that you were intending to access. If the URL is made up of a random selection of letters and numbers  or it looks suspicious  do not input any information.

 Use encryption

Make sure that you use an encrypted connection, whenever you need to input any confidential data. If a connection is secure, the URL will start with the letters https  in addition, the address bar or the browsers status bar will display a small icon of a lock.

When you click on the lock icon, look closely at the information about the SSL authentication certificate that has been issued to the site (youll be able to note when the certificate was issued, who issued it and for what period the certificate was issued).

 Use your own computer  and your own Internet connection

Try to avoid using public computers  in Internet cafes, airports, clubs, hotels, libraries or other locations  when you need to access online banking services or online retailers. These public computers may have a variety of spyware programs running on them. If so, these malicious programs could record everything you type on the keyboard  including your passwords  and also intercept Internet traffic.

Even if you use your own computer for online transactions, you need to avoid connecting to the Internet via a public Wi-Fi network. On a public Wi-Fi network, there is a risk that the traffic might be intercepted by the networks administrator or by cybercriminals  and attacks might be launched with network worms. In fact, Kaspersky Lab offers its Secure Connection App for iOS and Android devices for download in the App Store and Play Store.

 Dont use your main credit card or debit card

You might benefit from having a special card that you only use for online purchases. It may be possible to restrict the credit limit for your online credit card or to hold a limited amount of money on your online debit card.

 Learn from other peoples experiences

Before making a purchase online, try to read customer reviews about that specific retailer.

 Be wary of potentially untrustworthy sites

It can be a good idea to avoid buying from retailers that have websites that are registered with free hosting services.

 Get additional information about the website

If you have any doubts or suspicions about a retailers website, use a WhoIs IP service in order to find out more information about the domain  including how long it has been in use and who owns it. Note the period of time for which the domain has been paid.

 Eliminate vulnerabilities  in your operating system and applications

Always ensure that the operating system  and all applications  on your computer and other devices have the latest updates installed. This will help to eliminate operating system and application vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malicious software programs and attacks. Windows OS products are often targets of vulnerabilities so be sure you're secure whether you are running the newest OS , XP, or Windows 7 - security is essential.

 Maintain your firewall

For additional security, instead of just running a standard firewall, you may choose to run application and software-based firewalls.

 Protect against malware and Internet security risks

A rigorous anti-malware solution like Kaspersky Internet Security can protect you against computer viruses, worms, Trojan viruses and more. Some anti-malware products also include special technologies that provide additional layers of security when youre using online shopping and banking websites.
Imperial Valley News Center

Verdict in the Ahmed Abu Khattala Trial for Terrorist Attacks in Benghazi, Libya

Washington, DC - We would like to express our continued gratitude to the U.S. military, law enforcement, and intelligence community for their relentless efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators of the tragic September 11, 2012, terrorist attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya. We continue to mourn the loss of Ambassador Chris Stevens, Glen Doherty, Sean Smith, and Tyrone Woods. The arrest and prosecution of Ahmed Abu Khattala were critical steps to ensure that justice is served for these dedicated Americans and public servants.

Each sacrificed his life promoting American ideals. Their State Department colleagues serving around the world today continue that important work in the same spirit and in their honor.
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U2, Songs Of Experience



Download this: Youre The Best Thing About Me; Get Out Of Your Own Way

If 2014s ill-judged inbox intrusion Songs Of Innocence was titled for its backward glances at U2s more innocent, formative years tackling the problems and ambitions thrown up by adolescence, then this completion of the Blakean duality surely bears out the jaded weariness inherent in the title. Rarely has a band of such stature sounded quite so enervated and bereft of inspiration as U2 do here, gamely struggling to reconnect with the youthful vitality that roused crowds across the globe, but reduced to hackneyed cheap tricks and tired old truisms barely worth the chords theyre strung on  which are themselves the limpest melodies of their career. There is literally nothing to the bass-driven funk-rock chugger The Blackout apart from the bit when Bono sings Blackout, no fear/So glad that we are all still here: its just something cheaply knocked together to facilitate a simple stadium effect, with all house lights turned off for a moment before blazing back on for the second line. (Cue huge acclaim. Or not, given the songs blandness.)

Likewise, can you spot the moment in the lumpy rocker Lights Of Home when the stage lights get turned on the audience: Free yourself to be yourself/If only you could see yourself? Its chronically underpowered, with possibly The Edges dullest guitar break, and Bono blithering on about temptation  such, presumably, being the meaning of the statue of a gold guitar glimpsed in the song.

Not that that is the worst lyric featured on Songs Of Experience. Not by some distance. Even the limp  not to mention debatable  claim that You are rocknroll, you and I are rocknroll, in the suck-up anthem American Soul, is bested in that category by the extraordinary lines from album opener Love Is All We Have Left, where Bonos voice is nakedly exposed, save for the merest shiver of strings, declaiming All we have is immortality/Love is all we have left/A baby cries on a doorstep. Huh? Literally none of these three lines connects with any of the others, so how could it possibly connect with the listener? Then to cap it off, his heavily autotuned voice avers This is no time not to be alive. One begs, on this evidence, to differ. And while theres nothing here quite as maundering as its predecessors sub-Coldplay effort Song For Someone, neither is there anything with the sheer affirmative brio of that albums The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone), which is the more telling shortfall.

The songs were mostly written whilst Bono was recuperating from surgery following a bicycle accident, which seems to have served as the intimation of mortality triggering his creativity. Originally planned as a series of letters written to his nearest and dearest, the albums theme was altered to accommodate comments on political upheavals. But neither bit of grit has produced pearls: instead, routine would-be anthems like Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way and the assonant pairing of Youre The Best Thing About Me and Get Out Of Your Own Way simply piggyback on tired old modes, reflecting their former glories in the way that modern glass-box buildings simply serve as mirrors for the more dynamic and beautiful architecture of previous eras.

Van Morrison, Versatile



Download this: Broken Record; I Get A Kick Out Of You; Affirmation; Skye Boat Song

Having served up a sterling R&B covers album a month or two ago with Roll With The Punches, Van Morrison swiftly turns his attentions to his other great love, jazz, for the aptly-titled Versatile. For the most part, its a masterclass in jazz phrasing: standards like Bye Bye Blackbird and I Get A Kick Out Of You are teased gently into new shapes, with no sharp changes, Vans delivery dancing lightly around the melodies over well-drilled, simpatico arrangements. The only real failure is Unchained Melody, which is literally unrecognisable, so much so you wonder what attracted him to the song. But theres plenty of compensation elsewhere: James Galway lends weightless flute to a version of Jose Felicianos Affirmation which also features Van scatting ring-a-ding like some mystic Frank Sinatra, and the new song Broken Record finds him cutely repeating the title, as if the needles stuck; and isnt that Van himself, taking the sax solo on a jaunty instrumental version of the Skye Boat Song?

Neil Young, The Visitor



Download this: Already Great; Stand Tall; Fly By Night

Having called for George W Bushs impeachment on 2006s Living With War, eleven years (and 17 albums!) later Neil Young turns his attention to a gameshow host who has to brag and has to boast, while tearing down the things that I hold dear. There are references to wall-building in Change Of Heart; fake news over the fuzz chords of Stand Tall; and best of all, a stinging riposte to suggestions of American decline in the affirmative Already Great. But as the album proceeds, it frays apart as Neils gaze shifts to bombs and babies in the plodding anthem Children Of Destiny, and to Mexican fairground fantasy in the ludicrous cod-Santana-style Carnival. Despite similarly sluggish, slouchy manner, young backing band Promise Of The Real fall some way short of the full Crazy Horse, trudging rather than imposing a sense of implacable destiny  which is something that the aptly-titled, overlong atavistic fantasy Forever could have done with, rather than the lazy swirl of strummed acoustic and congas that carry its sun-baked hippie platitudes.

The Rolling Stones, On Air



Download this: Satisfaction; The Last Time; Around And Around; Down The Road Apiece; You Better Move On

Like the Beatles compilation similarly sourced from BBC spots on programmes like Saturday Club, this collection of early 1960s Stones sessions vibrates with youthful revolutionary fervour  though sadly, theres none of the witty, whimsical mini-interviews with which the Fabs performances were punctuated. Instead, On Air relies solely on razor-sharp R&B, with loose-limbed, lean and rangy covers of Chuck and Bo songs interspersed with early band originals like Come On and a chunky Satisfaction, Charlie Watts sounding like a marching army on the latter. A wiry, fluid The Last Time sounds great, a perfect exposition of their chippy sensuality; while their more restrained manner is best captured on a soulful version of Arthur Alexanders You Better Move On. Brian Jones brings spindly slide-guitar charm to Muddy Waters emblematic early classic I Cant Be Satisfied, while Keith Richards sheer rhythmic panache punches along brilliantly swaggering covers of Around And Around and Sown The Road Apiece. Remember them this way.

Michael Chapman & Ehud Banai, EB=MC2



Download this: Soulful Lady; Angel; Plain Old Bob; Guitartar; The Mallard

Beauty knows no barriers, as this collaboration between Israeli guitarist Ehud Banai and his hero Michael Chapman demonstrates. The gap between Yorkshire and Galilee shrinks as they tackle songs from all corners of Chapmans career, from the funky, shuffling version of Soulful Lady which opens the album, to more recent pieces like Sometimes You Just Drive and the steam-age allegory The Mallard, with his weather-beaten voice and tumbling guitar lines further embroidered by Banais electric arabesques and occasional keening Middle-Eastern ululations. Plain Old Bob, given a mild hoedown flavour on 2015s Fish, is a delight here, with the classic Chapman descending arpeggios given subtle body by percussion, and upholstered by Banais interlacing lines; while elsewhere their union takes more curious forms  Angel is Banais lyrical adaptation of Chapmans Kodak Ghosts, a lovelorn plaint in two languages, while for Guitartar, its Chapmans strumming ingeniously setting the Middle-Eastern rhythm for the tingling tones of Banais Tar.

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Alien Stadium, Livin In Elizabethan Times



Download this: This Ones For The Humans; The Visitation; The Moon Is Not Your Friend; Titanic Dance

Alien Stadium combines the talents of Primal Screams Martin Duffy and Beta Band founder Steve Mason, relocating their sense of musical fun through this mini-album sci-fi fantasy, tracing the conflict between humans and aliens following our call for interplanetary help. Alas, it turns out theyre even more drunk and gun-crazy than we are, and sorely unimpressed by our entreaties. This Ones For The Humans sets the droll tone, its alien challenge delivered over an engaging folk-rock stomp streaked with synths like meteor showers; the mood deepens in The Visitation, with percolating synth and slap beat fattened by synth horns as Mason receives with wry surprise the aliens violent response: its not often enough one gets to sing along with a chorus of Die! Die! Die!. The Moon Is Not Your Friend conjures a breeze of harmonies, synths and harpsichord redolent of Beach Boys whimsy, before the bounding, bass-driven Titanic Dance brings full-on acid-house abandon to the theme of dancing to disaster. Great fun, from first to last.

Nitin Sawhney, Live At Ronnie Scotts



Download this: Homelands; Dark Day; Redshift; The Conference

This latest in the Live At Ronnie Scotts series may well have been the most challenging to record, involving a precise balance of subtle instrumental and vocal elements that enables Nitin Sawhneys eclectic, pan-cultural blends to be realised with neither compromise nor disrespect to the various components. Both Homelands and Henrecia Latina, for instance, find Indian and Flamenco influences in perfect equilibrium, the formers rhythmic interplay of vocals and darting guitars creating a dazzling bridge between modes. Elsewhere, Sawhney and Eric Appapoulays guitars and Aref Durveshs tabla are augmented according to needs  a sliding smear of Ian Burdges cello on Dark Day, undulating lines of Ashwin Srinivasans Bansuri flute on the depression reflection Redshift  while Eva Stone and Nicki Wells deliver microtonal vocal shifts with easy grace throughout, except for the extraordinary The Conference, heralded by a dervish whirl of mostly male voices in a complex five-time skein of staccato syllables.
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An ambitious new study has demonstrated the stark differences of opinion about climate change that exist between supporters of the two major US political parties.

The findings also reveal considerable nuance, with many Republicans apparently holding views that contradict those of their party leaders.

Combining state voter files with opinions on climate and energy collected over an eight-year period, a team led by Professor Matto Mildenberger of the University of California, Santa Barbara, was able to estimate the distribution of Republican and Democratic opinions across the US.

The researchers used this information to create an interactive map that reveals opinions at a national, state and congressional district level. They published their results in the journal Climatic Change.

Map showing proportions of Republicans who place the blame for global warming primarily on humans, with darker regions less likely to agree that humans are to blame (Matto Mildenberger, Jennifer Marlon, Peter Howe, Xinran Wang and Anthony Leiserowitz)

Taking a national average, the data reveal that 82 per cent of Democrats believe global warming is happening, compared to only 50 per cent of Republicans.

Similarly, there was a partisan split when it came to taking responsibility for climate change, with 66 per cent of Democrats saying global warming is caused mostly by humans, and only 31 per cent of Republicans agreeing.

Republican opposition to climate science is well established.

Recent stories on this theme include a Republican Congressman claiming that if climate change exists God can take care of it, and Republican islanders refusing to acknowledge the rising sea levels swallowing their homes.

Such attitudes have been cemented by President Donald Trump, who has famously described climate change as a hoax and withdrawn his nation from the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Arguably the Republican party in the US is the most important political actor globally organised against climate reforms, said Professor Mildenberger.

Map showing proportions of Democrats who place the blame for global warming primarily on humans, with darker regions more likely to agree that humans are to blame

However, besides revealing the disparity between Democrats and Republicans surrounding climate issues, this new study also reveals substantial variation in opinions across states and congressional districts.

This is particularly true of Republicans.

While subsets of the Republican voting public do not support climate policies and hold views consistent with party elite, Republican climate and energy opinions are more varied than might be presumed from political discourse, said Professor Mildenberger.

Predictably perhaps, higher proportions of Republicans on the east and west coasts accept that global warming is happening. However, there were more surprising results as well.

10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke  filled with the carbon that is driving climate change  drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

Florida Republicans tended to have stronger climate beliefs than the national average, said Professor Mildenberger.

Thats a place that isnt viewed as being a liberal hotbed but nonetheless has quite strong climate beliefs among Republicans.

Regional variation in climate change opinion has proved crucial since the Trump administrations withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, as local politicians have had to take over the reins of climate action.

In California, where belief in climate change is among the highest for both Democrats and Republicans, Governor Jerry Brown has vowed to host his own climate change conference, declaring that Donald Trump doesnt speak for the rest of America.
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British MPs say that Donald Trump should delete his Twitter account. If he won't get rid of his profile, then Twitter should do it for him, various politicians said in Parliament.

The calls came after the President retweeted posts from Britain First, the far-right extremist group. The decision to share the posts was criticised by Theresa May  and Mr Trump then attacked the prime minister for that move.

The President's various posts have prompted a diplomatic row and condemnation from much of the British establishment. Now politicians say that the President's Twitter account should be deleted, to avoid future belligerence in the future.

Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Britain First: the far-right group in pictures A demonstrator with 'Bring back the rope!' sign during a Britain First Rotherham demonstration in 2015 Rex Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen lead a Britain First demonstration in Rochdale on 22 July, 2017 Rex Britain First: the far-right group in pictures In 2016 they staged a small counter demo at Eros. UN Anti Racism, Refugees Welcome march and rally through central London. Rex Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Here a supporter kisses a badge reading " Speak English or Fuck off " on the jacket of a man at a Britain First demonstration in Telford on 25 February, 2017 Rex Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Britain First lead a demonstration in Dudley with a sign reading 'Britain First. No more Mosques!' in 2015 Alamy Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen, the leader and deputy leader of far-right group Britain First were charged with causing religiously aggravated harassment in 2016 PA Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Following the Westminster terror attack on parliament in March 2017, Britain First and EDL protesters marched through central London. AFP/Getty Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Many of the protesters reacted along the route during the Britain First and EDL demonstration held on 1 April, 2017 PA Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Members of the Britain First group and the English Defence League rallied in central London in on seperate marches entitled a "March Against Terrorism" and "We Are Not Afriad" following the terror attack on Westminster Bridge and the British Parliament AFP/Getty Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Paul Golding reacts whilst he leads the protest PA Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Britain First and EDL protesters both marched on the same day PA Britain First: the far-right group in pictures One protester during the march held a sign reading 'Political correctness + migration = chaos' on 1 April, 2017 PA Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Protesters held placards during the protest calling for Britain First leader, Paul Golding, to be mayor Getty Britain First: the far-right group in pictures At a Birmingham Britain First protest in June 2017, supporters had to be contained by police, where an estimated 250 supporters of the party were escorted. PA Britain First: the far-right group in pictures 'Britain First' held a rally in November in support of their leaders Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen, who had to sign in at Bromley Police Station as part of their bail conditions. Rex

Conservative MP Peter Bone suggested that the President should be persuaded by Ms May  with whom he previously had a close relationship  to remove his account.

Recommended Donald Trump focuses on social media guidelines amid escalating row

"One of the advantages of having such a special relationship with the United States is that when a friend tells us we have done something dreadfully wrong, we tend to listen," he said. "Would not the world be a better place if the Prime Minister could persuade the President of the United States to delete his Twitter account?"

Home secretary Amber Rudd didn't explicitly endorse Mr Bone's view, but suggested that a large number of people may agree with it. "I am sure that many of us share his view," she said, and expressed her hope that the President would heed the words of Theresa May.

Others suggested that if Mr Trump won't delete his own account, then Twitter should do it for him.

"About a month ago, the most popular man in the world was a last-day employee of Twitter who unplugged the account of the President of the United States," said former Conservative minister Tim Loughton. "Was he not right? If Twitter is genuine in its commitment to fight hate crime online, it should have no hesitance in taking down the Twitter account of the first citizen of the US, as it would that of any other citizen of the world who peddled such hate crime."

Amber Rudd called the suggestion "interesting" and said that she is sure the "chief executive of Twitter will have heard" it. "We will leave it to Twitter to decide what action to take," she said.

Twitter has suggested that it won't remove Mr Trump's tweets or the account posting them because they are judged to be newsworthy, even if they break the rules. The tweets are still entirely visible on the President's account, and the account itself appears to be running as normal.

"As appropriate, we take action against content that violates our terms of service, including hiding some content behind sensitive media filters," a Twitter spokesperson said.

"As our Help Center notes: "To help ensure people have an opportunity to see every side of an issue, there may be the rare occasion when we allow controversial content or behavior which may otherwise violate our Rules to remain on our service because we believe there is a legitimate public interest in its availability. Each situation is evaluated on a case by case basis and ultimately decided upon by a cross-functional team."

Much of the rest of the debate focused on Mr Trump's state visit. MPs repeatedly suggested that visit should be cancelled, but Ms Rudd only repeated the Government's line that "the invitation has been extended and accepted, and we have yet to make the arrangements".

At another point, Ms Rudd was asked if she could tell Parliament "how politicians taking to Twitter has led to an improvement in modern civilisation". She said such a question was "beyond my capacity today", but agreed that politicians "could benefit from a little more considered thought and pauseful contemplation before we press reply to Twitter attacks".
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@UnfollowTrump, a Twitter account that reproduces all of Donald Trumps tweets, claims to have received an email from Twitter saying it has posted potentially sensitive content that will now be hidden behind a warning message.

The apparent warning is believed to refer to a disturbing video that the president retweeted this morning, which appears to show a boy being murdered.

@UnfollowTrump posted screenshots of a message with the caption, (Admin message, not Trump) Just got an email from Twitter, threatening this account based on the content posted. Wonder if the real Trump gets these warnings. #TermsOfService

The email @UnfollowTrump claims to have received from Twitter says the company received reports that media tweeted from the account may contain sensitive information, and that it has now been labelled accordingly.

There will now be a click-through warning message over the media for users whose accounts are set so they are informed before viewing media that may be sensitive, it says.

The message continues, If you continue to upload potentially sensitive media that are not labeled as such, we may permanently adjust your account setting.

Twitter has faced repeated calls for Donald Trump to be banned from the platform, not least when he appeared to threaten nuclear war with North Korea.

However, this is unlikely to ever happen because Twitter considers his updates to be of public interest and too newsworthy to block.

As appropriate, we take action against content that violates our terms of service, including hiding some content behind sensitive media filters, a Twitter spokesperson told the Independent.

As our Help Center notes: To help ensure people have an opportunity to see every side of an issue, there may be the rare occasion when we allow controversial content or behavior which may otherwise violate our Rules to remain on our service because we believe there is a legitimate public interest in its availability. Each situation is evaluated on a case by case basis and ultimately decided upon by a cross-functional team.

Still, the US President has been widely condemned for retweeting the videos, which were originally posted by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of far-right group Britain First.

After being retweeted by Mr Trump, Fransen posted an update reading: Thanks for the retweets @realDonaldTrump. I'm facing prison for criticising Islam. Britain is now Sharia compliant. I need your help! God bless.
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Prince Harrys fiancee Meghan Markle is expected to have to take a UK Citizenship Test before becoming an official Briton.

The American actress is from Los Angeles and is due to marry Prince Harry in May 2018.

However she will have to go through the official citizenship process like anyone else.

Recommended Why Meghan Markle will never be Princess Meghan

This includes a Life in the UK test which is then followed by a four-week wait for the results.

It costs 50 to take the test, which covers topics including culture, politics and history.

The Guide for New Residents - which claims to be the only official handbook for the Life in the UK test and is recommended by the Government - features practice questions for those planning on undertaking the test.

Subjects include Shakespeare, EastEnders and, interestingly for Markle, the Royal Family.

Here are some of the questions (the answers are below):

1. Which festival is celebrated on 31 October?

a) Valentines Day

b) Bonfire Night

c) Halloween

d) Hogmanay

2. Is the statement below true or false?

The British constitution is contained in a single written document.

3. Which of the following statements is correct?

a) EastEnders and Coronation Street are popular television programmes.

b) EastEnders and Coronation Street are historical landmarks.

4. In 1999, what happened to hereditary peers in the House of Lords?

a) Their numbers were greatly increased.

b) Their salaries were stopped.

c) Women were allowed to inherit their titles.

d) They lost their automatic right to attend the House of Lords.

5. Which of the following statements is correct?

a) In 1588 the English defeated a Spanish invasion fleet of ships.

b) In 1588 the English defeated a German invasion fleet of bomber planes.

6. What is the name of the UK currency?

a) Dollar

b) Euro

c) Pound sterling

d) Yen

7. Is the statement below true or false?

British scientists were the first to clone a mammal successfully. The animal was a rabbit.

8. Which stories are associated with Geoffrey Chaucer?

a) The Westbury Tales

b) The Ambridge Tales

c) The London Tales

d) The Canterbury Tales

The exam is 24 questions long.

Royal sources say they wish Markles application to be treated as any other persons, and Prince Harrys communication's secretary Jason Knauf says the process will be compliant with immigration requirements at all time, the Mail Online reports.

I can also say she intends to become a UK citizen and will go through the process of that, which some of you may know takes a number of years, Knauf added. She will retain her US citizenship through that process.

Answers

1. C, 2. False, 3. A, 4. D, 5. A, 6. C, 7. False, 8. D
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The latest immigration data from the Office for National Statistics suggests a sizeable fall in net migration into the UK in the year to June 2017, with a fall in net migration from the European Union accounting for most of the drop.

These changes suggest that Brexit is likely to be a factor in peoples decision to move to or from the UK, said Nicola White from the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS said that it is still too early to say whether this fall is the start of a long-term trend of falling immigration.

Yet the Conservatives have an explicit pledge to reduce net migration to the "tens of thousands".

And the end of freedom of movement for EU citizens after Brexit in March 2019 will, ministers claim, enable them to deliver it.

But what would the implications be for the UK economy? What would it mean for our public services and domestic living standards?

What do the numbers show?

In the year to June 2017 around 230,000 more people came to live in the UK than left to live abroad. This is the definition of net migration.

In the year to June 2016 (the month of the Brexit vote) net migration was estimated by the ONS to be in the region of 336,000.

Net migration from the EU between the two periods fell from 189,000 to 107,000.

Immigration by EU citizens to the UK fell to 230,000, down from 284,000 previously.

Emigration by EU citizens from the UK rose to 123,000, up from 95,000.

What could falling EU immigration mean for the economy?

The view among most economists who specialise in immigration studies is that incomers from the EU have boosted the UK economy over the past 15 years or so relative to what otherwise would have happened.

And not just by making national income bigger but with more people to divide it between. They argue that GDP per capita has also increased thanks to immigration.

This is because analysts believe immigrants have filled gaps in the workforce that would otherwise not have been filled by natives and they have helped raise the nations rate of productivity growth.

Lower rates of immigration are likely to work in the opposite direction, meaning a smaller economy than otherwise.

Research by Jonathan Portes and Giuseppe Forte released in January suggested that lower net migration from the EU over the coming years will be negative for GDP per capita, and might even be as economically damaging as the impact of Brexit on UK trade.

What about the public finances?

Again, the expert view is that EU migrants have been beneficial for the public finances.

Fewer immigrants will mean less demand on public services.

Yet most of the EU immigrants have been of working age and they have high employment rates relative to natives. That means they pay more tax.

They are also less likely to claim out-of-work benefits than natives.

Lower inflows of these kind of working immigrants are expected to be a net negative for the UKs public finances.

Thats why the Treasurys official forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility, revised down its tax receipts outlook in response to lower EU net migration forecasts last year.

Weaker public finances mean more pressure for either spending cuts or tax rises.

What about particular industries?

Construction, social care work, the NHS and agriculture are four sectors that have been particularly reliant on EU immigrant labour.

Lower immigration is likely to mean higher prices charged by some of those sectors or disruption in their supply.

This is an alarming prospect for the NHS and social care given they are severely overstretched after having experienced effective cuts in funding since 2010.

And construction industry disruption would be especially unwelcome when the Government is trying to encourage a large increase in housebuilding.

What about wages and housing?

EU immigrants have been widely blamed for holding down wages and pushing up housing costs.

But there is little empirical support for either proposition. One oft-cited study published by the Bank of England did show a negative impact on the wages of the low-skilled, but its author has described the impact to The Independent as infinitesimally small.

On housing, the data on private rents has not pointed to a large increase in costs in most areas over the period of higher EU net migration.

The main drivers of weak wages are more likely to be inadequate skills, underinvestment by firms and generally feeble productivity.

The housing crisis stems from a collapse in the supply of social housing, cuts in housing benefits, a regressive property taxation system and a lack of adequate regulatory protection for private sector renters.

A major fall in net migration will not, in itself, solve any of those long-standing structural problems of the UK economy.
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The UK accounting watchdog said on Thursday it should have been faster in investigating why KPMG gave HBOSs accounts the green light just seven months before the bank had to be rescued by rival Lloyds during the global financial crisis.

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) said in September it was closing its investigation into the audit, saying it had found that KPMGs work for HBOS, did not fall significantly short of the standards reasonably to be expected.

But on Thursday the FRC called on Parliament to make it easier to bring cases against accountants wherever they work. It also promised to be more open about its work, the regulator having been accused of being too weak and opaque.

Recommended Lloyds bank to shut 49 branches and axe almost 100 jobs

A learning point for the FRC is that we should have adopted a more proactive approach to our early enquiry in relation to HBOS rather than a heavy reliance on other regulators, FRC chief executive Stephen Haddrill said in a letter to Nicky Morgan, chair of the Treasury Select Committee.

KPMG said on Thursday it has maintained that its work met the applicable audit standards of the time, and that it had considered the risks facing the bank.

The FRC said it wanted to make it easier to take action against accountants who are members of professional bodies for breaches of relevant rules.

Following a reform last year, the FRC can pursue accountants who work for an audit company for breaches, presenting a lower legal hurdle than the previous test of having to show misconduct.

The old test, however, remains when it comes to investigating professional accountants working for companies like HBOS and who prepare accounts for external auditing.

Mr Haddrill said he wanted the same breaches rule for all accountants, wherever they work.

The backing of professional bodies is needed to make the change but Mr Haddrill said there were other options if this was not forthcoming.

We would appreciate your support for this and, if necessary, legislation, Mr Haddrill said to Ms Morgan.

In a rare move, the FRC also published a report setting out its thinking about why it closed the case against KPMG, saying it could not prove misconduct.

At the time the audit was done there was good evidence that the possibility of HBOS failing was remote, it said.

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled  leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

As the FRCs report notes, the intensification of the financial crisis in late 2008 was not foreseen by market participants, KPMG said.

The Bank of England continued to forecast positive GDP growth until August 2008, KPMG added.

The FRC said it was now taking the lead in responding to and investigating audit matters and has expanded its enforcement division.

It also said it would publish a summary of its reasons for closing an investigation, following criticism that it does not sufficiently explain its actions.
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Coinbase lost a bid to block an Internal Revenue Service investigation into whether some of the companys customers havent reported their cryptocurrency gains.

US Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in San Francisco ruled that the tax agencys demand for information isnt overly intrusive. The price of bitcoin has been soaring and crossed $10,000 Tuesday.

With just 800 to 900 taxpayers reporting bitcoin gains from 2013 through 2015 in a period when more than 14,000 Coinbase users have either bought, sold, sent or received at least $20,000 worth of bitcoin, many Coinbase users may not be reporting their bitcoin gains, she wrote. The IRS has a legitimate interest in investigating these taxpayers.

The company, one of the worlds largest virtual currency exchanges, has been sparring since last year with the IRS over its summons  and continued to resist turning over the information even after the agency scaled back its request in July. Coinbase and industry trade groups contend the governments concerns about tax fraud are unfounded and that its sweeping demand for information is a threat to privacy.

The company said its glad that the government and the court narrowed the scope of the summons.

Coinbase started this process more than 12 months ago, and while todays result is not the complete victory we hoped for, it does represent a substantial and unprecedented victory for the industry and the hundreds of thousands of customers that would have been unfairly targeted if it werent for our action, the company said in a statement posted on its blog.

Last year, analysts said similar demands could be made of other digital-currency companies if the IRS widens its investigation.

The government has sensed a windfall  any company that has a plethora of wealthy users might be in the sights, Charles Hayter, chief executive officer of market tracker CryptoCompare, said in an email. If there is tax to be paid the government is going to go after it if it makes an example or a return on investment.

The IRS persuaded Corley last year to order Coinbase to approve its summons for customer records from a three-year period for an investigation into whether taxpayers failed to report income.

Coinbase resisted, and negotiations between the company and the agency resulted in a narrowed request for information to about 8.9 million transactions and 14,355 account holders. Coinbase argued at a Nov. 9 hearing the inquiry remained unreasonably broad.

Corley ruled that the company must turn over basic identifying information, records of account activity and period statements for accounts with the equivalent of $20,000 in any one transaction type during any single year from 2013 to 2015. The judge said other data need not be disclosed at this time, including public keys for all accounts, wallets and vaults.

Bloomberg
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Homeopathy and herbal remedies are among seven treatments which NHS bosses have told Jeremy Hunt to officially blacklist from prescriptions because of a lack of evidence about their effectiveness.

GPs will be asked not to prescribe them any more and to take patients off these treatments if theyre currently being prescribed on the NHS.

The Health Secretary has previously been forced to defend his position on homeopathy after he signed an early day motion in support of the treatments on the NHS in 2007.

He subsequently clarified he did this on behalf of a constituent while still a young MP, but as Health Secretary he follows the evidence on what works.

In the British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Societys responses to NHS Englands report on low-value treatments, both organisations said homeopathy should be blacklisted. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence also said multiple reviews had showed no evidence of the effectiveness of homeopathy.

The NHS only spends around 100,000 a year on homeopathic remedies, comparatively it spends 6.3m on omega-3 supplements which can be obtained from food.

But the report says despite these marginal costs clinical evidence should take priority over anecdotal reports from patients who say it helps them.

It is joined on the proposed blacklist by herbal remedies, muscle rubs and dietary supplements which also have limited evidence.

While it is suggested painkiller co-proxamol should be blacklisted because of safety concerns.

The NHS England board began a consultation on 18 treatments of low effectiveness in July and concluded its findings today saying blacklisting these treatments and restricting 11 will save up to 141m a year.

 Jeremy Hunt claims mental health provision is improving

The report from the board says: In relation to a number of drugs, the consultation feedback included requests that the particular drug should be formally placed on the blacklist.

This is not a matter for NHS England, but rather one for the Secretary of State to consider.

The treatments proposed for blacklisting are:

Co-proxamol

Joint supplements glucosamine and chondroitin

Herbal treatments

Homeopathy

Lutein and antioxidants, supplements for sight degeneration

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements

Rubefacients used to relieve muscle pain

Recommendations on the other treatments mean they should not be routinely prescribed, but NHS England national medical director Professor Sir Bruce Keogh said that the recommendations are not a ban, as in medicine it is dangerous to say never.

But it will mean treatments should only be prescribed free where they meet stated exemptions, such as for individuals with a learning difficulty or dementia who cannot purchase medications over the counter, or where over-the-counter products have been unsuccessful.

Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Show all 6 1 /6 Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves The elderly We acknowledge that there are pressures on the health service, there are always extra pressures on the NHS in the winter, but we have the added pressures of the ageing population and the growing complex needs of the population, Theresa May has said. Waits of over 12 hours in A&E among elderly people have more than doubled in two years, according to figures from NHS Digital. Getty Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Patients going to A&E instead of seeing their GPs Jeremy Hunt has called for a honest discussion with the public about the purpose of A&E departments, saying that around a third of A&E patients were in hospital unnecessarily. Mr Hunt told Radio 4s Today programme the NHS now had more doctors, nurses and funding than ever, but explained what he called very serious problems at some hospitals by suggesting pressures were increasing in part because people are going to A&Es when they should not. He urged patients to visit their GP for non-emergency illnesses, outlined plans to release time for family doctors to support urgent care work, and said the NHS will soon be able to deliver seven-day access to a GP from 8am to 8pm. But doctors struggling amid a GP recruitment crisis said Mr Hunts plans were unrealistic and demanded the Government commit to investing in all areas of the overstretched health service. Getty Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Simon Stevens, head of NHS England Reports that key members of Ms Mays team used internal meetings to accuse Simon Stevens, head of NHS England, of being unenthusiastic and unresponsive have been rejected by Downing Street. Mr Stevens had allegedly rejected claims made by Ms May that the NHS had been given more funding than required. Getty Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Previous health policy, not funding In an interview with Sky Newss Sophy Ridge, Ms May acknowledged the NHS faced pressures but said it was a problem that had been ducked by government over the years. She refuted the claim that hospitals were tackling a humanitarian crisis and said health funding was at record levels. We asked the NHS a while back to set out what it needed over the next five years in terms of its plan for the future and the funding that it would need, said the Prime Minister. They did that, we gave them that funding, in fact we gave them more funding than they required Funding is now at record levels for the NHS, more money has been going in. But doctors accused Ms May of being in denial about how the lack of additional funding provided for health and social care were behind a spiralling crisis in NHS hospitals. Getty Images Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves Target to treat all A&E patients within four hours Mr Hunt was accused of watering down the flagship target to treat all A&E patients within four hours. The Health Secretary told MPs the promise  introduced by Tony Blairs government in 2000  should only be for those who actually need it. Amid jeers in the Commons, Mr Hunt said only four other countries pledged to treat all patients within a similar timeframe and all had less stringent rules. But Ms May has now said the Government will stand by the four-hour target for A&E, which says 95 per cent of patients must be dealt with within that time frame. Getty Images Everyone the Government blames for the NHS crisis  except themselves No one Mr Hunt was accused of hiding from the public eye following news of the Red Crosss comments and didnt make an official statement for two days. He was also filmed refusing to answer questions from journalists who pursued him down the street yesterday to ask whether he planned to scrap the four-hour A&E waiting time target. Sky News reporter Beth Rigby pressed the Health Secretary on his position on the matter, saying the public will want to know, Mr Hunt. Sorry Beth, Ive answered questions about this already, replied Mr Hunt. But you didnt answer questions on this. You said it was over-interpreted in the House of Commons and you didnt want to water it down. Is that what youre saying? said Ms Rigby. Its very difficult, because how are we going to explain to the public what your intention is, when you change your position and then wont answer the question, Mr Hunt. But the Health Secretary maintained his silence until he reached his car and got in. Getty

GPs issue more than a billion items on prescription each year, which cost 9.2bn in 2015-16, and some of these medicines, such as paracetamol and cough syrups, can be bought much more cheaply over the counter.

NHS England expects to run a further consultation in the new year on 36 conditions with effective over-the-counter treatments which should also not be prescribed, this could save a further 190m each year.

NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said: The NHS is one of the most efficient health services in the world but were determined to make taxpayers money go further. The NHS should not be paying for low-value treatments and its right that we look at reducing prescriptions for medicines that patients can buy for a fraction of the price the NHS pays.

Groups opposed to the NHS funding of homeopathy welcomed the news saying it would save money for patients, and make clear that homeopathy is no more than sugar pills.

Humanists UK director of public affairs and policy, Richy Thompson said: Were delighted that decision-makers at NHS England have looked at the evidence on this issue and made a clear decision. This means that more funds will now be available for patients who need genuine treatment and support from their GPs.

GP leaders said the focus on evidence and self-care was absolutely correct, but GPs still have a duty to fund treatments where they see them as clinically necessary

Dr Andrew Green, GP prescribing lead for the British Medical Association, said: Where drugs are dangerous or shown to be ineffective it is absolutely right that they are blacklisted and shouldnt be recommended for use. Any treatment on the NHS needs to demonstrate it is safe and provides clinical benefits to the patient.

But he added the BMA has concerns about the cost implications for vulnerable people of changes to require more medicines to be bought over the counter.

Dr Helen Beaumont president of the Faculty of Homeopathy, which represents doctors using homeopathic treatments, including some in the NHS, said: NHS Englands decision makes no clinical or economic sense.

Patients currently receiving homeopathic medicine will now be prescribed more costly drugs, which is counter to NHS Englands objective of reducing prescribing costs.
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Patients will have to wait longer for treatment because the additional funding awarded to the NHS in last weeks budget wont cover health service priorities and waiting list reductions, health chiefs have said.

In a meeting today, NHS Englands board set out the principles for which services will be prioritised in the wake of the budget settlement for 2018/19.

The board said that the NHS should do all it can to prevent patients waiting longer than the recommended 18 weeks for non-urgent procedures, including joint operations, cataract surgeries, and fertility treatments.

Having not received the 4bn they asked for, these waiting time targets will not be fully funded and met next year, they said.

Prior to the budget, NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens made the unprecedented step of asking for the 350m a week pledged to the NHS by Brexit campaigners.

Health policy groups had said that a minimum of 4bn extra was needed next year to keep services running, but this was publicly refused by Chancellor Philip Hammond.

The eventual settlement was 1.6bn, with 335m made available for this winter and 900m in 2019/20.

 NHS England boss demands 350m-a-week promised by Leave voters

The Autumn Budget said this funding should enable the NHS to meet the A&E four-hour target next year, make inroads into waiting lists and improve performance against waiting time targets.

But NHS England said the difficult debate about what can be delivered could no longer be avoided.

Its board set out key principles for funding services next year, though the details are likely to be part of upcoming negotiations with the Department of Health.

Priorities include upholding commitments to funding improvements in primary care, cancer and mental health services.

This comes after mental health leaders told The Independent earlier this week that any cuts would be a betrayal of the already underfunded services.

It also sets out that demand for urgent and emergency care services is expected to keep growing.

Realistic plans will therefore be needed to ensure sufficient funds are available for hospital and ambulance services to meet this, the board said.

With funding in these areas non-negotiable, NHS England said it will have to be realistic about what can be expected from the remaining funds.

Likely targets include savings from merging NHS organisations and local clinical commissioning groups.

It will also mean evidence based recommendations for treatments or policies from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) will only be implemented if they are accompanied by a clear and agreed affordability and workforce assessment.

 Budget 2017: Hammond promises NHS 350m patch for winter

But, most significantly, it will mean again abandoning waiting time targets for non-urgent care.

There will be longer waits for elective surgery, and therefore more pain and worse outcomes for many, Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said.

She added that it was an extraordinary state of affairs that best practice guidance from NICE might not be implemented because of cost pressures.

Local NHS chiefs said they were already considering mandatory, three month minimum waits for these procedures to free-up capacity for urgent care.

The Royal College of Surgeons said restrictions on elective procedures were a false economy as some patients would deteriorate further.

RCS president Professor Derek Alderson said: We accept that difficult decisions will need to be made but we believe more of the money released by the Government should be targeted at waiting times in the NHS before they deteriorate further.

Jonathan Ashworth, Labours Shadow Health Secretary, said there were serious legal questions about the NHS effectively abandoning its waiting times targets.

This will mean more and more patients waiting longer and longer in pain, discomfort and distress for elective operations. This is the real debilitating impact on patients quality of life of Tory austerity.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA

As a matter of urgency Jeremy Hunt must now tell us whether he intends to amend the law and the NHS Constitution through legislation and publicly accept his Governments funding squeeze is jeopardising legally guaranteed standards of patient care.

The Liberal Democrat MP and former Health Minister Norman Lamb said that this should have been addressed with a new levy for the NHS which is backed by the majority of the public.

The public very clearly wants to see more investment in the NHS as a national priority.

We need to be honest with the British people that securing the best possible standards of care will mean all chipping in a little.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: We are supporting the NHS with an extra 2.8bn by 2019/20 to make progress on A&E and waiting time performance, including 335m this year to help with winter pressures.

We expect NHS England will use that money to make sure every patient gets the treatment they require in a timely way.
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Visit the galaxy before the galaxy visits you.

This autumn, the galaxy came calling in the form of a small, reddish, cigar-shaped object named Oumuamua by astronomers based in Hawaii. They discovered it in October, careening through the solar system at 40,000mph, an interstellar emissary from points unknown.

Oumuamua (Oh-moo-a-moo-a), Hawaiian for scout or messenger, was not here long.

It was first noticed zooming out of the constellation Lyra on 19 October, about 20 million miles from Earth. By next May, it will already be passing Jupiter on its way out of the solar system.

The asteroid brought shades of Arthur C Clarkes novel Rendezvous With Rama, in which explorers find and board an empty alien spacecraft sailing through the solar system. Or perhaps even reminders of the monoliths that power human evolution in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The discovery set off a worldwide scramble for telescope time to observe the object. Astronomers from the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute even got into the act, swinging into action to look for alien radio signals just in case.

For now, however, those are just science fiction thrills. Our observations are entirely consistent with it being a natural object, says Karen Meech of the University of Hawaiis Institute for Astronomy and leader of the international collaboration that discovered Oumuamua with the Pan-STARRS1 telescope on Haleakala, Maui.

Oumuamua, an interstellar asteroid, passing through our solar system (NASA)

Meechs team has now published the first report of their observations in Nature. The paper describes the interstellar visitor as both reassuringly familiar and utterly alien.

We dont see anything like that in our solar system, Meech says.

In its colour and other imputed properties, Oumuamua resembles the asteroids we already know and fear will one day smash the Earth and human civilisation to smithereens.

But the asteroids shape is weird. It is extremely elongated, at least 10 times as long as it is wide, perhaps 800 yards by 80 yards.

Though the mysterious object is nearly gone, thousands like it probably lurk unsuspected and undetected in our solar system, according to the scientists.

The Pan-STARRS telescope was built to patrol the sky for dangerous asteroids in our own system, not interlopers from beyond. But astronomers got a surprise.

Meech learned in a phone call one night that her colleagues had found one whose path seemed to originate beyond the solar system altogether. Wow, this is exciting, Meech recalls thinking.

Astronomers had long surmised that interstellar debris might invade the solar system from time to time, in the form of icy chunks spit from the rocky disks forming faraway planets.

Such wanderers would manifest themselves as comets when they get close to our sun, vaporising and lighting up; however, they have not been seen. Now astronomers know why.

Oumuamua showed no such cometary brightening. It is so dark and faint that it could only have been detected by a powerful telescope with a wide field of view, like Pan-STARRS.

Many more should be visible to the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, with a diameter of 8m, being built in Chile. We have to get ready for these, Meech says.

Oumuamua brightens and dims dramatically every 7.3 hours, which suggests that it is rotating about its short axis. That is something the little asteroid could endure without flying apart only if it were made of sterner, stronger stuff than the dirty snow that characterises most comets.

Spectral measurements have revealed that Oumuamua is dark red, the colour of many moons in the outer solar system on which icy organic molecules have been stained by radiation in outer space. Iron can also contribute to that colour, Meech says.

How Oumuamua got its shape is a mystery for now. Perhaps, Meech says, it was shot away from its home star by a supernova explosion. Or perhaps it was formed by a pair of objects that collided and stuck together. Stay tuned.

Where did it come from? Meech says the astronomers were initially excited when the orbit appeared to point to the brightest star in Lyra, Vega, which is known to have a debris disk. It would have taken the object about 600,000 years to get here from there, astronomers estimated.

Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427  more commonly known as WR 124  and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead  sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later  having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region

But further refinements in the trajectory have made it less likely that Vega actually was the source.

The fact that Oumuamua was travelling at about the same speed relative to the sun as other nearby stars suggests that this is the asteroids first encounter with a new star system.

Still, the authors write in Nature, The possibility that Oumuamua has been orbiting the galaxy for billions of years cannot be ruled out.

Where its going is equally in the dark. Like the Voyager spacecraft that was slingshot around Jupiter, Oumuamua will leave the sun with more energy and heading in a different direction, Meech says.

The adventures of this asteroid and its ilk paint a very different picture of the galaxy than you might imagine while gazing up at a sky, in which the stars seem separate and sovereign, beaming away in solitude.

The oxygen and iron in our blood were created in a supernova explosion long ago and far away from here, and the gold in our wedding bands was formed in the collision of neutron stars. We now know that meteorites sprung by asteroid impacts on Mars land on Earth all the time.

Otherwise respectable astronomers speculate that one of them might have seeded Earth with life that started on Mars when it was warm and wet long ago.

But we can look even further out and backward in time for our connection to the cosmos. Consider the hundreds of thousands of years that Oumuamua might have taken to get here. While that might sound like a long time, it is a blink of cosmic time.

The Milky Way galaxy is 10 billion years old, which means that over the course of our galaxys lifetime so far, little Oumuamua might have cruised through some 20,000 star systems  a small fraction of the 200 billion stars in the galaxy, but still a goodly number of stamps on its cosmic passport.

Oumuamua would have trailed behind bits of dust and debris, and so the stars and the worlds of the galaxy mix it up. It may be that the universe is a small place after all.

 New York Times
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A mother who lost her leg in a speedboat accident that killed her husband and daughter has had three prosthetic limbs worth 30,000 stolen by an armed moped gang.

Victoria Milligan, 46, told of her utter shock and horror after the thieves smashed their way into her car and snatched the personalised prosthetics as she ate with friends at a nearby restaurant in Fulham, west London.

She told The Independent: It has been really distressing. We are going into the Christmas season when everything should be upbeat and positive but it has taken me back to the accident and everything, and feeling like an amputee again.

I can sort of go through life not feeling too disabled because Ive got these amazing legs that I can wear for different activities, but now I cant and Im back to not being able to run, not being able to exercise very much, not being able to wear heels or dresses or trainers. Its going to be a pretty boring Christmas.

The personal trainer had rebuilt her life with the help of the specially cast limbs following a horrific crash in May 2013, which killed her husband, Nick, a 51-year-old Sky executive, and their eight-year-old daughter, Emily.

The family were on holiday in Padstow, Cornwall, when the boat span out of control and threw them overboard before circling over them at high speed several times.

Ms Milligan, from Wandsworth in south-west London, was so seriously injured that doctors were forced to amputate her left leg below the knee.

Her son, Kit, now nine, required 20 operations to save his leg while her daughter, Amber, 16, suffered thigh and hand injuries. Her other daughter, Olivia, 14, survived unscathed.

Ms Milligan has appealed to get the legs back following the theft. She said a pair of witnesses at the scene had told her the thieves were armed with knives.

Inside the bags that were stolen was a laptop and a running blade that Ms Milligan used for her personal training. They also contained two lifelike limbs, which match her skin tone, have hand-painted freckles and allow her to wear heels.

Each limb cost about 10,000 and will take three months to replace, leaving her unable to do some parts of her job.

Ms Milligan said: I came out and the car lights were flashing. A couple of guys were there in a white van and they said youve just missed them by a couple of minutes  boys on scooters who had grabbed the bags and ran.

I was shocked that the car had been broken into, but then my mind raced to, my God, my prosthetic legs are in there. Just total and utter shock and horror. They are so utterly valuable to me but have no value to anybody else. Nobody else would be able to get them on; they literally have no resale value. I know how time-consuming it is getting them made. Its pretty horrendous.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party 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in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty

Police are investigating but have made no arrests and there is no CCTV footage of the theft.

This is a heinous crime where heartless thieves have stolen the victims personal property, including her prosthetic legs, said Metropolitan Police Inspector Darren Desa, of Hammersmith and Fulham borough. This is extremely distressing for the victim.

He added: I would also appeal to anyone who knows where the prosthetic legs are to do the right thing and hand them in to police or inform police where they are. They are of no use to anyone but the victim.

There has been a surge in thefts carried out by criminals on mopeds and scooters in London. There were more than 19,385 moped-enabled crimes in the capital  an average of 53 a day  in the year to September, including thefts and robberies.

Anyone with information can call police on 101, tweet @MetCC, or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org
Officials of Dallas Bay Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue, Inc.(DBVFD) announced that effective Dec. 1 it will be rated ISO 2 by the Insurance Service Organization.

DBVFD is one of 29 fire departments in Tennessee with a rating of ISO 2 or higher. Dallas Bay is the only volunteer fire department in the state of Tennessee with an ISO 2 rating.

The Insurance Service Organization determines the ISO 2 rating based on water supply, dispatch/communication services, and the organizations staffing, training, equipment, and DBVFD personnel. Because of this lowered ISO rating, area residents and businesses receive a discounted rate on premises insurance, it was noted.

DBVFD originally began servicing the communities of Hixson, Middle Valley, Lakesite, Dallas Bay and Falling Water in May 1975. The current service area includes some 35,000 residents along with 9,700 homes and businesses in a 43-square-mile area.

DBVFD responds on an all call philosophy as dispatched by Hamilton County 911. DBVFD, in contractual agreement with Hamilton County Emergency Services. It provides emergency medical service in response to the Sequoyah Volunteer Fire Department area of approximately six square miles.

It is projected that DBVFD will respond to approximately 2,000 total calls in 2017.

DBVFD partnered with several groups in 2017 in order to provide better protection. FEMA has provided $130,000 in grant funds providing Personal Protective Equipment and LDH fire hose. The city of Lakesite provided $25,000 in funds for equipment needs of the department. Fire House Sub Foundation provided $4,460 to the Department along with Walmart providing $3,000 in grant funds for the purchase of three advanced AEDs which allows the department the opportunity to advance to Advanced Life Saving status. The IronMan Foundation provided $5,800 to the department to assist in the purchase of an additional Swift Water Rescue boat.

In cooperation with Erlanger Health System, the department received a grant of $500 from Bassett Family Dentistry for community CPR education. In addition to these partnerships, the department is provided $67,877 along with the use of two fire stations by Hamilton County government.

Operating as a 501(c)3 corporation, the mission of DBVFD is to protect lives, property and the environment by providing a high quality of service that is prompt, skillful, caring and resourceful. The Department operates under the control and guidance of a nine-person board of directors that includes community citizens and professionals in the industry.

A Summary Accountability Report is available by contacting Mitch McClure, chairman, at 423 667-0353 or at dallasbayvfd@gmail.com.
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Police are deliberately not calling helicopters because they cost too much or take too long to arrive, potentially allowing criminals to escape, according to a damning new report.

In its first independent study of police air support, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) said plummeting numbers of helicopters and bases were providing sub-standard responses to ongoing incidents.

It called for the current strategy to be drastically reformed or scrapped, as figures show more than 40 per cent of calls are cancelled because aircraft will arrive too late.

Criminals in some areas are taking advantage of the lower chances of being chased by air, with prisoners telling one force they believed police no longer had ready access to helicopter support.

HM Inspector of Constabulary, Matt Parr, said the National Police Air Service (NPAS) was being used less, costing more and not serving police as well.

Police are using helicopters less and we dont think its because of a decline in incidents where they are needed, but because its getting more and more expensive, he added.

The response is such that forces dont think they will get a helicopter by the time they need it.

He warned that there was no cohesive national guidance on what helicopters should be used for, despite 66,780 calls for air support last year, nor when other assets or search methods can be used more effectively.

Police helicopters take more than an hour to arrive in Cumbria on average (Alamy)

The inspection also raised concerns over the lack of a central strategy for drones, which regional forces are purchasing and using on an ad-hoc basis, with mixed results.

Police services operated their own helicopters regionally until NPAS was formed five years ago, in a strategy Mr Parr described as a politically-pressured rush job that left problems with where bases were situated, how demand is met and the funding formula.

NPAS aimed to make better and more efficient use of resources but since 2009, the number of helicopters has dropped from 32 to 19, and bases from 31 to 15  with consequences for forces situated the furthest away.

The average response time in 2016 was more than an hour in Cumbria, and around 50 minutes for Dyfed-Powys and Lincolnshire, but only 10 minutes for the Metropolitan Police.

Inspectors said the variations were mostly but not exclusively dictated by geography, with little relation between the amount forces pay and the service they receive.

Funding has fallen by a quarter in real terms over the past decade, HMIC said, and the current model creates huge spending differences between regional forces that pay only for helicopters that arrive, rather than the calls they make.

The arrangement meant that the City of London paid just 2,600 in an entire year for two actioned calls for service, but the neighbouring Met paid more than 7.2m on almost 5,500 incidents.

The cost averaged out at 1,314 for each call where a helicopter was sent, meaning the spending per head of the local population each year varied dramatically in each force area, and the cost per flying hour has doubled.

We suspect that as a result of forces perception of the unfairness of the current model, some forces may be seeking to reduce their use of NPAS even though this may not be operationally appropriate, the report cautioned.

Mr Parr said that although senior officers might aim to save money by not calling helicopters, there was no analysis of how much is spent on using other resources instead.

The warning comes amid repeated calls from senior police officers for increased funding to combat the national terror threat and rising demand, while the Home Office insists further efficiencies can be made.

The fastest helicopter response times are in London (Getty) (Getty Images)

Mr Parr said the number of flying hours had fallen by 45 per cent, but there was no evidence to suggest demand has reduced amid rocketing 999 calls and a rise in reported crime across England and Wales.

They are cutting the cost by providing a substantially less effective service than when forces had their own helicopters, he added.

Its cheaper [for the Government] than it was but theres no evidence that its more efficient  it does less.

The costs arent shared fairly between forces and we dont think NPAS is financially sustainable.

Its model of charging, the way it spends money, the way it has banked money, doesnt look to us like its on solid ground.

Although NPAS is meeting its own targets, Mr Parr said they were not true measures of how it is supporting policing.

He forecast some sort of breakdown with forces trying to pull out of collaboration, telling police leaders: You need to sort this out pronto, because at the moment it is heading for real problems.

Statistics show that helicopters are mainly used for searches and police pursuits or managing crimes in action, making them a crucial tool to track and catch suspects.

The report warned that no new helicopters have been purchased since NPAS was formed and many of those being used have passed their target working life, causing rising maintenance costs to keep them safe.

Mr Parr said that although the body had purchased four fixed-wing aircraft, without a fully developed plan for what theyre for  theyre just cheaper.

Mr Parr said his instinct was that having a blank sheet of paper and starting again would be more successful than trying to reform NPAS, but leaders said work was ongoing to update the service.

Chief Constable Dee Collins, who leads NPAS, admitted the shift to a national police air service had been challenging.

To deliver stretching national efficiencies, we have sought to change the expectations of police forces about the role of air support in policing and to do so has been a difficult process, she added.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty

We look forward to working with NPCC and Home Office colleagues as we continue this journey and we hope to provide others that follow with a blueprint for national delivery.

Mark Burns-Williamson, the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner and chair of NPAS, said drones were a key part of its future strategy and added: Our pilots and staff provide an invaluable service, particularly within the context of national austerity imposed on the police service where running costs have been significantly reduced from 55 to 38m and are significant factors to be borne in mind.

The Home Office said it had provided NPAS with the capital required to meet their operational needs.

This Government has protected overall police spending in real terms since the 2015 Spending Review and,on average, forces contribute less than half a per cent of their funding to air support, a spokesperson added.

Whilst we support the use of drones technology, we expect police to act on the reports recommendations and save money by purchasing expensive items such as drones collectively.

HMICs damning report was released as the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) announced a separate investigation into the use of police helicopters during the Grenfell Tower fire.

An unidentified complainant, who lost several family members in the disaster, argues that their arrival encouraged some residents to remain in the burning block in the mistaken hope of rescue, and that the downdraft may have fanned the flames.

The IPCC has opened an investigation into the complaint, amid a criminal investigation into responsibility for the fire, coroners inquests and a public inquiry.
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The Metropolitan Police has faced a backlash from London mayor Sadiq Khan after it arrested an alleged rape victim over her immigration status.

The unnamed woman, in her 20s, attended a police station in London to report being kidnapped and abused during time she spent in Germany, before arriving in the UK.

While giving a victim statement, she told officers she had entered Britain illegally before being taken to a centre for rape survivors.

Recommended Police arrest woman who reported rape over her immigration status

She was then arrested on suspicion of illegal entry into the UK and taken into custody.

Mr Khan said it was a completely unacceptable way to treat victims.

The woman was issued with a notice giving her temporary leave to remain in the UK on the condition she notifies officials of her whereabouts, but without legal permission to live in Britain she could be detained and deported at any time.

The deputy mayor for policing and crime, Sophie Linden, said the arrest could hinder further operations if victims feel they cannot come forward.

This is an extremely troubling case, which risks discouraging other individuals from coming forward and reporting very serious crimes. We have raised the issue with the Met, and continue to work closely with the police and the Havens to ensure victims have the confidence to come forward and report, Ms Linden said.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Victims of sexual abuse or exploitation have already suffered unimaginable distress at the hands of their perpetrators, and the Havens are an invaluable asset as we strive to improve the support available to all victims to help them cope, recover and find justice.

If victims  whatever their circumstances  dont have the confidence to come forward and report crimes, we cannot catch the perpetrators who can continue to offend, and justice is not done, she added.

The Independent contacted the Met for comment.

The force said on Tuesday that its specialist sexual offences unit had referred the allegations of rape and kidnap to German authorities following the complaint in March.
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The number of asylum seekers who wait longer than the six-month decision target has increased by more than a quarter in the past year, despite asylum applications having fallen by 21 per cent in the same period, figures show.

The latest immigration statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show nearly half (49 per cent) of people waiting for a decision on their asylum claim are waiting longer than six months  up from 39 per cent in the same quarter last year.

A total of 10,552 people were waiting for more than six months in the months from July to September this year  an increase of 27 per cent on the same period in 2016.

The increase in the number of people waiting longer than the six-month customer service target comes despite the new statistics also showing a sharp drop in the number of asylum applications of 21 per cent in the past year.

Campaigners have said the figures are disgraceful and serve as evidence that the Home Office is failing to make prompt and fair asylum decisions, urging that delays have a hugely damaging impact on peoples mental health and chance to properly rebuild their lives in the UK.

It comes after research earlier this year showed asylum seekers were being wrongly denied emergency support they are legally entitled to from the Home Office while they wait for their claims to be processed.

A report by charity Refugee Action revealed individuals and families at risk of homelessness and with no means of supporting themselves are waiting an average of nearly two months for housing and the small amount of money they are entitled to (5.28 a day).

Stephen Hale, chief executive of Refugee Action, said: These figures are appalling evidence of the Home Offices failure to make prompt and fair asylum decisions.

Incredibly, despite a fall in applications, nearly half of people are now waiting longer than the Governments six-month target for a decision on their asylum claim. During this time, people are left unable to work or integrate, struggling to survive on just 5.28 a day.

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Poor decision-making and delays are leaving families facing years of uncertainty, taking a tremendous toll on the wellbeing of people who have fled conflict and persecution. This has to change, and fast.

Judith Dennis, policy manager at the Refugee Council, echoed his concerns, saying: It is disgraceful that the numbers of people having to wait for unbearably long periods for the Home Office to decide their fate has risen so drastically.

This means more and more lives spent in limbo and fear, which can have a hugely damaging impact on peoples mental health and chance to properly rebuild their lives here. These delays are indicative of an asylum system this is inefficient and needs urgent attention.

Mammoth backlogs and overstretched capacity mean that the Home Office seems to lose sight of that fact that they are dealing with the lives of real people. The Home Office must address this issue immediately.

Home Office immigration statistics released today alongside the ONS figures show that grants of asylum to main applicants and dependants have fallen by 9 per cent in the year to September 2017, while the number of people granted permission to stay permanently was down 5 per cent.

The number of people provided with protection and support under a resettlement scheme is meanwhile up 30 per cent. A total of 6,348 refugees have been resettled in Britain over the past year, including 4,980 refugees welcomed through the Governments Syrian resettlement programme.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard 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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 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Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters

Mr Hale added: Its positive news that the Government is on track to meet its target of welcoming 20,000 refugees affected by the Syrian conflict to Britain by 2020.

But all refugees in Britain should have the same opportunity to rebuild their lives  starting with access to a fair and effective asylum system.

A Home Office spokesperson said: The Home Office continues to meet its target to make an initial decision on 98% of straightforward asylum claims.

We are committed to improving efficiency in this area and have plans in place to transform the asylum system. For example, in Spring this year, we opened a new office which will focus on the more complex cases and make sure that they are decided faster.

An asylum case that does not get decided within six months is usually classed as a "non-straightforward" asylum case, which the Home Office says cases not possible to decide within six months for reasons outside of their control.
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Scots celebrate St Andrew's Day on 30 November.

The apostle's memory will be toasted today. But who was the country's patron saint and what are his ties to the homeland of Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Irn-Bru?

Andrew was born in the village of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee in 6 BC and was a fisherman by trade.

He and his brother Peter became two of Jesus Christs Twelve Apostles or fishers of men after they met the Messiah on the shoreline and were called to his side, according to the Gospel of Matthew. John reports that Andrew had previously encountered Jesus as a disciple of John the Baptist, instantly recognising the son of God and vowing to heed the call.

Andrew was present at the Last Supper and went on to preach Christianity in the provinces of Scythia, Achaea and Thrace and along the Black Sea and the Dnieper River, hence his adoption as the patron saint of Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Ukraine and Russia in addition to Scotland.

He was finally crucified by the Romans in the city of Patras, Achaea, on an X-shaped cross, a martyrdom symbolised today on the Saltire - Scotlands national flag.

Andrews remains became holy relics after his death and have been carted across Europe over the centuries. First laid to rest in Constantinople, his skull was eventually exhumed and returned to Patras in the ninth century by Emperor Basil I. The rest of his body was later relocated to Amalfi in Italy for safekeeping by Cardinal Peter of Capua in the aftermath of the sacking of the Ottoman capital in 1208.

Legend has it that the saints bones first arrived on Scottish soil thanks to Regulus (or St Rule), a Greek monk who claimed to have experienced a vision in which an angel guided him to bring the relics to the end of the earth. St Rule set sail from Patras in 345 and was finally shipwrecked in Fife bearing a kneecap, upper arm, three fingers and a tooth all belonging to Andrew.

This version of events has long been questioned, however, and Andrews bones are alternatively said to have reached Britain with an Augustine Mission in 597 before being sent on to Fife by Bishop Acca of Hexham in 732. More recently - relatively speaking - a shoulder blade reputedly belonging to Andrew was gifted to Scotland by the Archbishop of Amalfi in 1879 and Pope Paul VI presented further remains to the nation in 1969.

Andrew was first hailed as Scotlands patron saint in 832, after Oengus II led an army of Picts and Scots to victory in a battle against Aethelstans Angles at East Lothian. Oengus was badly outnumbered and feared defeat until he saw an X-shaped cloud in the sky and interpreted the phenomenon as divine intervention, praying to Andrew and promising to name a day in his honour if his army won the ensuing scrap. They did.

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Oenguss ancient pledge was finally made official in 1320 when Scotland announced its independence from England with the Declaration of Arbroath.

Superstition surrounding Andrew persists to this day and the Saltire is said to prevent witches flying down chimneys when marked next to a fireplace.
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More than one in 10 teenage girls in England have been referred to mental health or learning disability services in the past year, new figures show.

Around 69,000 16- and 17-year-old girls received an open referral to NHS-funded secondary mental health, learning disabilities or autism services during 2016-17  amounting to 11.4 per cent of this group as a whole.

Data from NHS Digital shows that a similar proportion of girls aged 14 and 15 (10 per cent) were also referred, compared with around 8 per cent of boys in either age category. Around one in five (556,790) referrals to the services last year were under the age of 18.

In total, one in 20 (4.8 per cent) people in England were known to have accessed secondary mental health, learning disabilities and autism services last year.

The figures, which are the first statistics to be published on children referred to mental health services, have raised concerns about daily pressures on female teenagers, particularly those that they face online, as well as questions over whether the child mental health funding goes far enough.

Lindsay Percival, a registered psychotherapist with the UK Council of Psychotherapy (UKCP) in London, told The Independent the disproportionately high number of girls presenting with mental health problems was largely due to the internet.

Were living in the age of anxiety and its largely because of the internet, she said. Girls are constantly comparing themselves to other girls, to these ideas or beauty and perfection that we see online. Theyre afraid of missing out  theres a lot of pressure on social lives that didnt used to exist.

There are also other factors, such as the rising divorce rates and the rise in single parent families. Often parents are working longer hours and are under increasing pressures to meet financial budgets.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant 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winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in 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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

Schools are a much more stressful environment than previously. If you look at the schedules and homework, its not something youd think school age children would have so much pressure to deal with.

Ms Percival, who sees far more girls than boys in her practice, with around nine female clients to every one male, described the growing number of young people with mental health problems as a slow epidemic.

She said: Theres a problem in society in the way that we are not supporting young people in the way they need to be supported. With girls in particular, its more likely to be anxiety, depression and self-harm, whereas boys wait until its absolutely a crisis point, and fortunately we know the number of young men taking their own lives is rising.

It is a depressing and dismal picture. People presenting with issues are getting younger and younger. Its like a slow epidemic.

In light of the new figures, campaigners urged the Government to commit to better funding for child mental health and more focus on wellbeing in schools in the upcoming green paper on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

 Sinead O'Connor posts candid video describing her mental health

Tom Madders, director of campaigns at YoungMinds, said the country was facing a mental health crisis, with teenage girls in particular facing pressures around school stress and body image, as well as the pressure that comes with the 24-hour online world.

He said: We are facing a mental health crisis for children and young people. We know that teenage girls face a huge range of pressures, including school stress, body image and early sexualisation.

For girls growing up today, there is also the pressure that comes with the 24-hour online world, like creating a personal brand from a young age and comparing yourself to a constant feed of perfect bodies and lives. It takes a lot of courage for a young person to reach out for help, but too often that help is not available.

Thats why there needs to be sufficient funding for mental health services, as well a focus on wellbeing in schools to prevent problems developing, and we hope to see government commitment to this in the upcoming children and young peoples mental health green paper.

It emerged earlier this year that Childline delivered 5,103 counselling sessions about cyber-bullying in 2016/17  a 12 per cent increase from the previous year. The number of sessions have more than doubled in the past five years.

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Name-calling, spreading rumours, death threats and blackmail posted publicly on social media profiles, blogs and online pictures were some of the ways young people told counsellors they were being tormented.

Responding to the NHS Digital figures, an NSPCC spokesman said: These findings sadly reflect what children have told our Childline service, with one in three counselling sessions last year relating to mental and emotional health and wellbeing issues.

Many children have told us they are struggling to access support, even at crisis point. Without improvements in how services are funded, planned and delivered, thousands of children will continue to struggle.

The Governments forthcoming green paper must set out how early mental health support systems will be improved so that no child is left to suffer in silence.
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Net migration to the UK has plummeted by more than 100,000 in the year since the vote for Brexit as EU citizens leave, new statistics show.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of people moving to live in Britain long-term had fallen to 230,000 in the year to June  the largest drop since records began.

Nicola White, the ONSs head of international migration statistics, said that while net migration was still adding to the UK population, there had been statistically significant decreases.

The decline follows historically high levels of immigration and it is too early to say whether this represents a long-term trend, she added. The number of people immigrating for a definite job has remained stable but there has been a 43 per cent decrease in the number of people immigrating to look for work over the last year, especially for EU citizens.

These changes suggest that Brexit is likely to be a factor in peoples decision to move to or from the UK  but decisions to migrate are complex and other factors are also going to be influencing the figures.

Maike Bohn, a founding member of EU citizens group The 3 Million, said more people would leave until the Government provides certainty over their status over Brexit.

ONS figures show EU citizens have been leaving the UK since the vote for Brexit (ONS)

It takes time for people to relocate their families and lives, its not a decision people take lightly and there will be a delay, she told The Independent. This trend will continue as the hostile environment bites more and more.

Ms Bohn said there needs to be a simple, non-discriminatory process for EU citizens to register, adding: The Government needs to guarantee our current set of rights ... and the current proposal doesnt do that.

She raised concern for EU citizens who want to leave the UK but are trapped by low incomes or other vulnerabilities, claiming that some councils are discriminating against European residents.

Theresa May issued a direct appeal for EU citizens to stay in Britain after it leaves the bloc last month, reassuring them that all those living in the country legally will be able to stay.

We want people to stay and we want families to stay together, the letter said. We hugely value the contributions that EU nationals make to the economic, social and cultural fabric of the UK.

But analysts have warned of a possible brain drain in vital industries with the departure of 123,000 EU citizens since June 2016  a dramatic increase from 28,000 the previous year, alongside a drop in arrivals from the bloc.

Emigration was highest among those from the original group of 15 EU countries including Germany, France and Spain, followed by eight central and eastern European countries including Poland that joined in 2004, and Romania and Bulgaria.

Net long-term migration from outside the EU was estimated at 173,000 in the year to June  a fall of 23,000 on the previous year.

Some of those leaving in the so-called Brexodus have told The Independent they no longer felt welcome in the UK amid a rise in hate crime and violence linked to the EU referendum.

 Priti Patel says Britain is 'ill-equipped' for Brexit talks

Among them is Lukasz, a former London bus driver who has lived in the UK since he was eight years old, felt racism has shot up and has seen members of the public arguing.

Someone sprayed GO HOME on a Polish shop near me, he said.

My mum had an incident where she was on a bus with my two-year-old sister, where a guy said f**k off, go back to your country you b****, if not I will stab you.

Recommended EU citizens explain why they are leaving the UK

Maybe this guy was not mentally stable, and it was reported to the police, but in 20 years of living in the UK I never heard anyone be racist to me or my family. Since the referendum it has all come out.

Around 128,000 British people also left the UK in the year to June, with some saying the EU referendum had driven them to move abroad, or apply for citizenship from other countries including Ireland.

Ian, an IT consultant from south-west England who did not want his full name published, told The Independent he believes many more people will seek to escape the economic bloodbath accompanying Britains departure from the EU.

He was moving to Ireland with his wife and three children because the United Kingdom has a long-term future.

In 2016, the largest inflow of immigrants to the UK was from Romania, with 50,000 arrivals, and the largest outflow of British emigrants was to Australia (25,000) and of non-British citizens was to Poland (20,000).

Analysts at research body the UK in a Changing Europe said the country had become a less attractive place for European migrants even more any curbs to freedom of movement.

Brexit racism and the fightback Show all 9 1 /9 Brexit racism and the fightback Brexit racism and the fightback Demonstrators protest against an increase in post-ref racism at London's March for Europe in July 2016 PA Brexit racism and the fightback These cards were found near a school in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the day after the EU referendum Twitter/@howgilb Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback Romford, Essex, June 25 @diamondgeezer Brexit racism and the fightback A worker at this Romanian food shop was asleep upstairs at the time of this arson attack in Norwich on July 8, but escaped unharmed. Hundreds later participated in a love bombing rally outside the shop to express their opposition to racism and their support of the shop owners. JustGiving/Helen Linehan Brexit racism and the fightback This neo-Nazi sticker was spotted in Glasgow on June 26 Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback But after news emerged of neo-Nazi stickers appearing in Glasgow, some in the city struck back with slogans of their own. Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback More signs began to appear in some parts of the UK, created by people who wanted to show their opposition to post-referendum racism Courtesy of Bernadette Russell

Professor Jonathan Portes said the stark figures were partly because of the slowing economy and falling value of the pound, and partly because of the wider social and political impacts of the Brexit vote.

Whatever your views on the impact of immigration, it cannot be good news that the UK is a less attractive place to live and work, and that we will be poorer as a result, he added. If the Government wants to make Brexit a success, it needs to reverse this.

This means both action now to secure the rights of EU citizens living here, and a clear signal that we will have a liberal and economically sensible immigration policy post-Brexit  not one that is, as now, driven by arbitrary targets, or that seeks to create a hostile environment for those coming here from abroad.

Diane Abbott, the Shadow Home Secretary, said the Conservative Government was failing to meet its own target to reduce annual net migration to 100,000.

This isn't a genuine policy but allows a permanent campaign against migrants and migration, she added.

The Tories chaotic mishandling of the Brexit negotiations has already seen many sectors experiencing severe staff shortages, including the NHS and social care.

It is time to drop this meaningless target.

The Liberal Democrats home affairs spokesperson, Ed Davey, said immigration was falling because of the catastrophic consequences of the Government taking Britain out of the worlds largest single market.

The Conservative pursuit of an extreme Brexit is crashing the economy and making the country a less attractive place to be, he added.

The Home Office pointed to separate figures showing that the number of EU nationals applying to become British citizens nearly doubled in the same period.

Brandon Lewis, the immigration minister, said the Government would continue reforming routes from outside Europe and will negotiate the right deal in Brexit negotiations.

We have been clear we want to attract and retain people who come to our country to work and bring significant benefits to the UK. With more Europeans continuing to arrive than leave, these figures show that claims of a Brexodus are misguided, he added.

At the same time, there is no consent for uncontrolled immigration. We welcome the ongoing decrease in net migration levels and remain committed to bringing them down to sustainable levels, the tens of thousands."

If you are leaving the UK because of Brexit, please contact lizzie.dearden@independent.co.uk
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British and the European Union negotiators are close to a breakthrough on the deadlocked issue of the Irish border, according to reports.

The Times newspaper cites sources in Dublin saying there had been movement ahead of the deadline 14 December European Council meeting, where the future of talks will be decided.

British officials are said to have suggested further devolution of power to the Northern Ireland power-sharing executive in order to prevent regulatory divergence between the north and the Republic.

Recommended Britain to be kicked out of Europol against its will after Brexit

The proposed solution is complicated by the fact that the Northern Ireland executive does not currently have a government to consult on the deal because of the breakdown of power-sharing talks following recent elections.

The European Parliament and Commission have suggested that NI could stay in the customs union and that customs checks could instead of carried out at Irish sea ports when travelling to Britain.

The new proposal appears to meet this idea half way  in contrast to a previous UK plan based on an open border policed by spot checks.

The Irish border question has provoked a number of responses from across the political spectrum. Earlier this week Conservative MEP Charles Tannock suggested in the European Parliament that the province could be given a second referendum on whether it should stay in the customs union or not.

Prior to that, Ukip's Brexit spokesperson Gerard Batten had suggested that Britain should threaten a "subservient" and "weak" Ireland with new border controls if it did not give in to the UK's demands. He was quick disowned by his European Parliament group leader, who wrote off the policy suggestion as a series of "late-night tweets".

Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA

The Irish issue has eclipsed the financial settlement in recent weeks as the main barrier to sufficient progress in the European Council. Irish PM Leo Varadkar has demanded a written assurance from the UK had there will be no return to a hard border, which both sides have said they want to avoid.

Reports out of Brussels earlier this week suggested that progress had been made on the financial settlement, with a roughly 50 billion euros payment apparently agreed in principle.

The lack of progress on the issue of citizens rights has however angered the European Parliament, whose Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt yesterday said MEPs from across the house remained deeply concerned at the lack of assurances.
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Vince Cable has called Donald Trump an evil racist and demanded the Government cancel the US Presidents planned state visit to the UK.

The Liberal Democrat leader was responding to Mr Trump criticising Theresa May after she condemned his retweeting of three anti-Muslim videos posted by far-right group Britain First.

Mr Cable said Brexit was making the UK more reliant on the support of Mr Trump and claimed the row over the Republicans tweets meant Ms May had lost her last remaining friend on the world stage.

Writing on Twitter, Mr Cable said: New Donald Trump insult to Theresa May. She must end humiliating dependence of Brexit Britain on goodwill of evil racist. Cancel visit.

He later added: Many of us warned when Theresa May walked hand in hand with Donald Trump that any relationship with such a racist was bound to end badly, but the prime minister, desperate for a trade deal, ignored the advice from across the political spectrum.

Theresa Mays extreme Brexit has alienated our European allies and now she has lost her last remaining friend on the world stage, leaving Britain isolated and alone. The solution is clear: an exit from Brexit and a divorce from Trump.

It comes amid an escalating row over Mr Trumps decision to retweet three videos posted by Britain Firsts deputy leader Jayda Frensen, which triggered widespread condemnation and placed his relationship with Ms May under strain.

After the Prime Ministers spokesman said the Republican had been wrong to retweet the videos, Mr Trump wrote on Twitter: Theresa May, don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!

MPs of all parties used an urgent question in the House of Commons to express their anger at Mr Trumps posts and the Governments decision to offer the Republican a state visit.

Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Britain First: the far-right group in pictures A demonstrator with 'Bring back the rope!' sign during a Britain First Rotherham demonstration in 2015 Rex Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen lead a Britain First demonstration in Rochdale on 22 July, 2017 Rex Britain First: the far-right group in pictures In 2016 they staged a small counter demo at Eros. UN Anti Racism, Refugees Welcome march and rally through central London. Rex Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Here a supporter kisses a badge reading " Speak English or Fuck off " on the jacket of a man at a Britain First demonstration in Telford on 25 February, 2017 Rex Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Britain First lead a demonstration in Dudley with a sign reading 'Britain First. No more Mosques!' in 2015 Alamy Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen, the leader and deputy leader of far-right group Britain First were charged with causing religiously aggravated harassment in 2016 PA Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Following the Westminster terror attack on parliament in March 2017, Britain First and EDL protesters marched through central London. AFP/Getty Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Many of the protesters reacted along the route during the Britain First and EDL demonstration held on 1 April, 2017 PA Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Members of the Britain First group and the English Defence League rallied in central London in on seperate marches entitled a "March Against Terrorism" and "We Are Not Afriad" following the terror attack on Westminster Bridge and the British Parliament AFP/Getty Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Paul Golding reacts whilst he leads the protest PA Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Britain First and EDL protesters both marched on the same day PA Britain First: the far-right group in pictures One protester during the march held a sign reading 'Political correctness + migration = chaos' on 1 April, 2017 PA Britain First: the far-right group in pictures Protesters held placards during the protest calling for Britain First leader, Paul Golding, to be mayor Getty Britain First: the far-right group in pictures At a Birmingham Britain First protest in June 2017, supporters had to be contained by police, where an estimated 250 supporters of the party were escorted. PA Britain First: the far-right group in pictures 'Britain First' held a rally in November in support of their leaders Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen, who had to sign in at Bromley Police Station as part of their bail conditions. Rex

Labours Yvette Cooper said: The President of the United States has just given it a rocket boost in provoking hate in our communities. We cannot simply roll out a red carpet and give a platform to the US president to sow discord in our communities.

Tory MP Peter Bone called on the Prime Minister to try to persuade the President to delete his Twitter account.

Speaking during a visit to Jordan, Ms May reiterated her condemnation of Mr Trump, saying: I am very clear that retweeting Britain First was the wrong thing to do.

 Donald Trump criticised for Britain First retweets

In a statement, Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, added his voice to the mounting criticism. He said: President Trump yesterday used Twitter to promote a vile, extremist group that exists solely to sow division and hatred in our country.

As the Mayor of this great diverse city, I have previously called on Theresa May to cancel her ill-judged offer of a state visit to President Trump. After this latest incident, it is increasingly clear that any official visit at all from President Trump to Britain would not be welcomed.

The White House has defended the tweets, even after one of them was categorically debunked by Dutch officials.

Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said: "Whether it is a real video, the threat is real. That is what the President is talking about, that is what the President is focused on is dealing with those real threats, and those are real no matter how you look at it.

She added: "The threat needs to be addressed. The threat has to be talked about and that is what the President is doing in bringing that up."
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Donald Trump is trying to humiliate and belittle Theresa May, Labours Shadow Foreign Secretary has warned  blaming her bad judgement for the crisis.

Emily Thornberry said the Prime Minister had made the error of trying to be friends with the US President, in her desperate search for a post-Brexit trade deal.

Yet, overnight, Mr Trump had taken to Twitter to tell Ms May to keep quiet, after she described his re-tweeting of Britain First as wrong.

Ms Thornberry said that  while the UK should always have good working relations with the US - Ms May should have recognised that we dont share values with this man.

How did we ever get into this situation? Because of bad judgement exercised by the Prime Minister, she told BBC Radio 4s Today programme.

And she added: Despite all the political capital she has expended - and she tried to get a good relationship with this man - he is trying to humiliate and belittle in the way that he is and has been overnight.

Ms Thornberry added that Mr Trump's tweets had put the Queen in a very difficult and invidious position because she would be his host for the planned state visit.

The invitation wasn't Theresa May's invitation to make. The invitation technically comes from the Queen.

If he comes next year, a year which is supposed to be a really happy year for the royal family, what on earth are people supposed to make of it?

Of course, the whole thing will be a total security nightmare if Donald Trump comes over.

The Shadow Foreign Secretary said she was very pleased to see Ms May stand up to him at last, adding: The Prime Minister was absolutely right to criticise.

But she pointed out other issues where the US was pursuing a different approach, including Mr Trumps constantly shifting position on Nato, trying to undermine climate change agreements, threatening the deal with Iran.

From Syria to North Korea, his only response to difficult situations is increasing belligerence, Ms Thornberry said.
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The Democratic Unionist Party has threatened to rethink its deal to prop up Theresa May in power if she compromises over the Irish border after Brexit.

Sammy Wilson, one of the DUPs 10 MPs, said the party would not accept any moves that would see Northern Ireland treated differently than the rest of the UK.

The warning follows reports that further powers could be devolved to Belfast allowing rules in areas such as agriculture and energy to be aligned with the EU, rather than London.

The move is an attempt to meet the Irish governments demand for a cast-iron guarantee there will be no return to a hard border with Northern Ireland, which it fears would be made inevitable by new trade barriers.

If there is any hint that, in order to placate Dublin and the EU, theyre prepared to have Northern Ireland treated differently than the rest of the United Kingdom, then they cant rely on our vote, Mr Wilson said.

They have to recognise that, if this is about treating Northern Ireland differently, or leaving us half in the EU, dragging along behind regulations which change in Dublin, its not on.

He added: If their support for the Union diminishes, then our support will not be there.

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

It is understood that DUP MPs had met with senior government ministers to warn that any move to allow Northern Ireland to retain EU regulations would be deeply destabilising to the parties agreement.

The threat appeared to present Theresa May with the dilemma of how to do enough to prevent the Irish government blocking progress in the Brexit talks  but without losing DUP support.

The stakes could not be higher, because an Irish veto would prevent the UK moving the talks on to future trade and a two-year transitional deal at an EU summit next month

Under the controversial 1bn cash for votes deal, the DUP has agreed to back the Conservatives on financial matters and to deliver Brexit.

But the confidence and supply agreement does not cover the precise terms of the EU divorce deal  and the DUP has repeatedly insisted there can be no separate deal for Northern Ireland.

Dublin  with Brussels backing  has said the only way to avoid a hard land border is for Northern Ireland to remain in the EU single market and customs union.

 Priti Patel says Britain is 'ill-equipped' for Brexit talks

Failing that, the Irish Government is demanding that the UK makes a written commitment to convergence on regulations, to avoid border checks.

Downing Street attempted to play down the row, saying: We have been absolutely clear, on many occasions, about the need to protect the economic integrity of the whole of the United Kingdom.

Earlier in the week Irish agriculture minister Michael Creed said his countrys government had yet to see a workable solution from the UK.

He said that having ruled out an Irish proposal for Northern Ireland to remain part of the single market and the customs union, it was up to the British to say how they could get round the need for border checks.

 Net migration falls by more than 100,000 after Brexit vote

If the UK has clearly said no to a single market and customs union, it is clearly incumbent on the British Government to articulate a way forward that enables us to have an invisible, seamless border which they have said they want, he said.

We need political solutions now and we are not getting them from the UK Government.

But DUP MP Ian Paisley urged the Republic of Ireland to take a more mature approach to Brexit, adding: If the Republic of Ireland is going to keep shouting at our border and telling us that it is all doom and gloom and we are not going to get a proper relationship, that interferes in the negotiation process.

All of us, every constituent part, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, are leaving the EU.

Dont undermine our position and our sovereign integrity.

The DUP will be extremely reluctant to jeopardise the deal, because  aside from the 1bn  it is desperate to prevent Jeremy Corbyn reaching No 10.

Nevertheless, the party has been spooked by the reports that British officials have suggested regulatory convergence between the North and the Republic as a way forward.

Earlier this week, the Conservative MEP Charles Tannock suggested in the European Parliament that the province could be given a second referendum on whether it should stay in the customs union or not.

UK and EU officials are expected to try to hammer out an agreement on the Irish border over the weekend, as the Prime Minister prepares for a crucial meeting with Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission President, on Monday.

Before that, European Council President Donald Tusk is expected to meet Irish leader Leo Varadkar in Dublin.
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Theresa May is reportedly planning to rebrand the Conservative party after the inconclusive general election result and internal polling indicating the party is not seen as caring enough.

According to reports, Tory MPs were invited to Number 10 by the Prime Ministers chief of staff, Gavin Barwell, and told about seven priorities for Building a Britain fit for the future.

With a focus on the environment and animal welfare, the principles will also include housing, schools, a balanced approach to public spending and tackling injustices  something Ms May pledged to combat when first becoming Prime Minister.

In the Downing Street briefing backbench MPs were also told that internal polling indicated the party came across as not caring enough, according to the Daily Mail.

The new message also has echoes of Ms Mays denunciation of the partys image to the 2002 Conservative party conference in Bournemouth.

Then the chairwoman of the party, she told a stunned audience: Theres a lot we need to do in this party of ours. Our base is too narrow and so, occasionally, are our sympathies, you know what some people call us: the nasty party.

The Guardian added that the briefing document provided to Tory MP stated:Underpinning all of this is our commitment to protect our environment so we leave our planet in a better state than we found it.

By delivering on all of this, we can create a country with a stronger economy and a fairer society, one that will guarantee a better future for the next generation.

During the general election the party also caused considerable outrage on animal welfare issues after the Prime Minister pledged to hold a free vote on repealing the fox hunting ban  a policy the party dropped after the inconclusive general election.

The Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn capitalised on the proposal and described fox hunting as a barbarity, pledging to keep blood sports banned on animal welfare grounds.

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 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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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A poll on the policy  released during the election campaign  found that 67 per cent of voters believed fox hunting should remain banned. Half of all voters added that they would feel so strongly about fox hunting that a candidates stance backing the policy would put them off voting for them.

And since then Ms Mays party has been forced into a U-turn over its flagship welfare policy  universal credit  after claims it was having damaging effects on some of the most disadvantaged people in Britain.
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Now theres an opportunity for some questions from the err... from the media, said the Prime Minister, the words as happy in her mouth as what the comedian Tim Allen used to call a vomit burp.

Usually you can tell when Theresa May is terrified, because shes standing behind a lectern talking, but this was on a different order of magnitude.

Having just finished a lengthy speech about online extremism, she looked out in to the waiting crowd in certain knowledge of what was coming.

Her eyes widened. Her lower lip wobbled as if unexpectedly Tasered in a police cock-up.

Poor Theresa May. This was meant to be a quiet, uncontroversial visit to one Middle Eastern country bombed out by Britain, and another currently using British bombs to bomb out a third. Nothing to see here.

How was she to know that, far far away in the White House, the Leader of the Free World would be sitting on the bog, taking in his morning fill of proto-Nazi snuff vids and, perhaps through sheer boredom, depress his thumb against the retweet button and everything would change?

Damning statements would have to be issued. A debate would be granted in the House of Commons to allow dozens of MPs mercilessly to lay in to the President of the United States. (This required minimal effort. Most simply re-jigged the ones from last year, when they debated banning him from entering the country at all.)

So severe was the blast radius of this most magnificent Twitterstorm, half of Right Said Fred had been forced to delete its account.

Media attendees on said trip had, by the way, been compelled to attend a three-day-long hostile environment training course, in which ex-SAS men jump out the bushes and mock-kidnap them. If any of them were disappointed that the trip to the military encampment in Iraq had passed without incident, they were to get their moneys worth in the Q&A with the Jordanian Prime Minister.

If you, like me, havent been able to make it far enough into One Hundred Years of Solitude to the bit that must be in there where that guy explains what its like to face a firing squad and somehow survive, well, you can always watch the footage of this press conference instead.

Theresa May condemned Donald Trump again and again but it wasnt enough. Donald Trumps tweets were wrong! she said, but things have changed now.

Shed already condemned him once, on Wednesday, but since then hed responded by having a pop at her on the Twitters at 1am UK time. (Well, eventually he did. His first assault he inadvertently levelled at a woman from Bognor called Theresa Scrivener who, in these wondrous times we live in, is now demanding an apology from the US).

She condemned him again and again.

Britain First is a hateful organisation who are against everything we stand for.

Will you cancel the state visit Prime Minister?

A invitation for state visit has been extended and, um, arr, um.

How did you feel when the President attacked you on Twitter Prime Minister?

Umm, arr, um, were not afraid to say when we think the United States has got it wrong, she continued, with all the conviction of a nine year old child awaiting punishment from Miss Trunchbull.

It wasnt immediately clear how long this was going to go on for. Five more minutes and a request to Just call Donald Trump a complete w*****! could not have been ruled out.

Its most unfortunate, all this. When your own infinitesimally short premiership is going to coincide in its entirety with the occupation of the White House by a not particularly enlightened baboon, you have reason to curse your luck. But her singular utter desperation for a trade deal, she must accept some responsibility for.

How she must have bristled with excitement on that Tuesday night last November, on the imminence of Hillary victory  the new sisterhood bestriding the narrow, kitten heeled world. It wasnt meant to be like this.

That a president of the United States, by the way, can cause a major international incident merely through the inadvertent lowering of a thumb of a button is hardly new. That jokes been doing the rounds since not long after Hiroshima.

The sense that the Britain First retweet is merely a foretaste of what those diminutive orange digits might be capable of grows ever harder to ignore. Sleep easy now.
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Theresa May has responded to Donald Trumps online post suggesting she has been distracted from tackling terrorism, by hitting back that she is "fully focussed dealing with extremism".

Downing Street said the Prime Minister would tackle Islamist extremism "head on" after the US President said she should concentrate on sorting out "Radical Islamic Terrorism" in the UK.

It was the latest incident in the growing furore around Mr Trump's promotion of a string of online messages from the far-right extremist group Britain First.

After Ms May said on Wednesday that Mr Trump was "wrong" for promoting the group, Mr Trump tweeted that she should be focussing on terrorism in the UK, adding: "We are doing just fine!"

Ms May's spokesman said: "The overwhelming majority of Muslims in this country are law abiding people who abhor extremism in all its forms.

"The Prime Minister has been clear over a number of years that where Islamist extremism does exist it should be tackled head on.

"We are working hard to do that both at home and internationally including with our US partners. The Prime Minister is fully focused on dealing with extremism."

Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice  which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters

The spokesman noted that the US is one of the UK's oldest and closest allies and said that an invitation for a state visit to Mr Trump would stand, saying it "has been extended and accepted".

The rift between Ms May and Mr Trump widened when the President took to Twitter after criticism from Downing Street to tell her how she should be doing her job.

He said: ".@Theresa_May, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!"

The furore around the row rippled through the Commons again on Thursday with MP after MP from all parties attacking the President's actions.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said President Trump was "wrong to retweet videos from the far-right group", but she added that intelligence-sharing with the US has "undoubtedly saved British lives".

When fellow Tory Peter Bone MP suggested Mr Trump should stop tweeting altogether, Ms Rudd replied that "many will share his view".

 Amber Rudd asks people to 'look at the bigger picture' over Trump tweets

After former Conservative minister Tim Loughton said Twitter should delete the Presidents account "as it would any other criticism of the world who peddles such hate crime", said the companys bosses "would be listening".

Yvette Cooper, the Labour chairwoman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said the Prime Minister must take the same tough approach to the President as she had to Vladimir Putins "fake news".

Pointing out Britain First thrived on hate, Ms Cooper said: "The President of the United States has just given it a rocket boost in provoking hate in our communities.

"We cannot simply roll out a red carpet and give a platform to the US president to sow discord in our communities."
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Sir Kim Darroch, the British Ambassador to the US, has raised concerns with the White House following Donald Trumps decision to share a British far-right organisations Islamophobic videos.

The unprecedented move comes after Theresa May told a news conference in Jordan that the US President was wrong to retweet videos produced by the hateful Britain First organisation.

On his Twitter account Sir Kim, who has been Britains representative in Washington since 2016, said: British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right, which seek to divide communities and erode decency, tolerance and respect.

British Muslims are peaceful and law abiding citizens. And I raised these concerns with the White House yesterday, he added.

On Wednesday the US President retweeted three posts by the far-right organisations deputy leader Jayda Fransen to his 43.6m followers, including discredited footage from the Netherlands claiming to show a Muslim migrant attacking a man on crutches.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid made the strongest attack on Mr Trump so far, posting on his account that Mr Trump had endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filed racist organisation that hates me and people like me.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Mrs May should withdraw the invitation and demand an apology on behalf of the British people, while Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable branded Mr Trump an evil racist who should not be given the honour of a state visit.

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said Mr Trump's tweets were designed to humiliate and belittle the Prime Minister and had put the Queen in a very difficult and invidious position as his host for the planned state visit.

But during the news conference in the Middle East, Ms May refused to bow to growing pressure to axe the state visit, telling reporters: An invitation for a state visit has been extended and accepted. We have yet to set a date.

Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice  which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters

The Prime Minister described Britain First as a hateful organisation that seeks to spread division and mistrust within our communities.

She continued: The fact that we work together doesnt mean we are afraid to say when we think the United States is getting it wrong and be very clear with them.

Asked if Mr Trump telling her to stay out of the affair was acceptable behaviour from a supposed ally, she made clear the so-called special relationship would continue.

This is a long-term special relationship that we have and its an enduring relationship that is there because it is in both out nation interests for that relationship to be there, the Prime Minister said. As Prime Minister, Im clear that that relationship should continue.
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Argentina's navy says it has called off a rescue mission for the crew of missing submarine ARA San Juan that went missing two weeks ago a few hundred kilometres off the coast of Argentina.

The search for the vessel itself will continue.

Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said that the rescue mission for the 44 crew members "extended for more than twice what is estimated for a rescue."

Recommended Argentina submarine hunt intensifies after noise gives location clue

At least 18 countries had joined the search and rescue efforts in the 15,444-square-mile (40,000 sq km) search area. The vessel had been travelling from the southern tip of the country near Ushaia to Mar del Plata on the northern coast.

The San Juan, a German-built diesel-electric TR-1700 class submarine, was commissioned in the 1980s and was most recently refitted in 2014.

In the wake of the disappearance, however, family members have publicly called for an investigation including asking questions about the age and condition of the vessel.

The Argentine Navy had said the vessel's captain reported water entered the snorkel - or the tube that reaches above refresh the vessel's air and batteries - and caused one of the submarine's batteries to short circuit.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

He also reported fire and smoke as a result.

However, he later communicated via satellite phone that the problem had been contained and the fire extinguished.

It was not until approximately 10 hours later that an explosion occurred near the time and place of last communication from the ARA San Juan. The US and an international organisation had discovered the acoustic data - the sound of the explosion - just last week.

The crew only had about 10 days of oxygen to survive and that was only if the submarine had remained intact.

A Navy spokesman has said one possible explanation is that the reported blast was caused by hydrogen built up as a result of the earlier battery problem.

No contact has been made from the vessel since 15 November.
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Donald Trump has mimicked the body language of Asian leaders by hunching his shoulders and nodding his head during a speech on tax reform.

The US president went off-piste while delivering a speech in Missouri on sweeping US tax changes as senators prepare to vote on the Trump administrations chief legislative priority.

President Trump used the address to launch into a rant about how the US was protecting wealthy Asian countries who could not manage their accumulated wealth.

"When I was in Asia, I spoke to a couple of the countries about it and they looked like this, the billionaire property developer said.

President Trump then placed his hands in front of his chest, hunched his shoulders and moved his head from side to side in an apparent attempt to mimic Asian political leaders.

The world leader also murmured mmm sounds - appearing to imply that Asian heads of states do not speak English.

He said: You know what this is? Hmm, hmm. That means they know theyre getting away with murder and they got to start helping us out. Okay?"

Before his apparent impersonation, President Trump vented his frustrations about defending Asian countries but failed to name any specific leaders or provide any concrete details.

Flanked by Christmas trees, President Trump said: "We're going to work on trade but we're also going to work on military when we defend nations that are very wealthy. And we do it for almost nothing."

He continued: I say, why are we defending them? We love them. I won't mention names but there are a lot of them. We love them. They're wealthy. One of them has a cash flow that they say is unsustainable; it's so large. Think of that. How would you like to have an unsustainable cash flow? They don't know what to do with their money. And we defend them.

Its going to change folks, were going to defend them but they are going to treat us fairly and they are going to pay for their defence.

Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Show all 14 1 /14 Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Riot police block protesters during a rally near the US embassy AFP/Getty Images Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters shout slogans while displaying portraits of U.S. President Donald Trump and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte AP Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Activists clash with riot police EPA Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters burn a banner of Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters against Donald Trump's visit AP Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters deface portraits of Donald Trump and Rodrigo Duterte AP Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters clash with anti-riot police officers as they try to march towards the U.S. embassy REUTERS Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines A mural bearing the image of Donald Trump and Rodrigo Duterte is burnt REUTERS Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Activists march on a road leading to the US embassy during a protest in Manila EPA Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters scuffle with riot police AFP/Getty Images Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters shout anti-US slogans as they burn a banner featuring the image of US President Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Activists clash with riot police EPA Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Protesters display placards as they shout anti-US slogans AFP/Getty Images Protest in Manila against Donald Trump's visit to the Philippines Anti-riot police officers block protesters REUTERS

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump took a 12-day five-nation tour of Asia earlier this month, meeting leaders from across the region. President Trump branded his trip a tremendous success and claimed America is back as a global leader.

The US president's mimicking of Asian leaders comes after he was roundly condemned for mocking a disabled reporter during a campaign speech back in November 2015.

Mr Trump imitated Serge Kovaleski, The New York Times culture and investigative reporter, during a rally for supporters in South Carolina. Mr Kovaleski suffers from arthrogryposis, a congenital condition affecting how his joints move.

Mr Trump made several offensive gestures while defending a claim he made a few days earlier in which he said he had witnessed thousands of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating on the day of the 9/11 attacks. This claim has reportedly since been discredited by government and law officials who were in New Jersey in the days following the terrorist attack.

Recommended Trump attacks Theresa May over criticism of his Britain First tweets

A 2001 article written by Mr Kovaleski for the Washington Post had claimed that authorities detained and questioned a number of people who were allegedly seen celebrating the attacks and holding tailgate-style parties on rooftops while they watched the devastation on the other side of the river in Jersey city, within hours of the planes crashing into the World Trade Centre.

But Mr Kovaleski later told CNN: We did a lot of shoe leather reporting in and around Jersey City and talked to a lot of residents and officials for the broader story. Much of that has, indeed, faded from memory. But I do not recall anyone saying there were thousands, or even hundreds, of people celebrating. That was not the case, as best as I can remember it.

Mr Trump was referencing these comments during his speech when he impersonated Mr Kovaleski.

He said: The poor guy. Youve got to see this guy. Ah, I dont remember what I said! I dont remember!, while jerking his arms and hands in a manner mocking the reporters condition.

The Republican's campaign spokeswoman declined to comment on the incident, but another campaign official said he was not aware of any condition and was not mocking his physical appearance in any way.
 Close Amber Rudd asks people to 'look at the bigger picture' over Trump tweets

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Donald Trump has sparked an unprecedented diplomatic spat after telling Theresa May to mind her own business following criticism of the US President's latest tweets.

Mr Trump shared three Islamophobic videos posted by the deputy leader of far-right organisation Britain First on Wednesday to widespread condemnation.

The Prime Minister's office earlier said the billionaire was wrong to have retweeted the messages featuring the misleading videos.

Live updates below...

Please allow a moment for the blog to load.

Her spokesperson added: British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents  decency, tolerance and respect.

The US President responded Theresa @theresamay, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!

Mr Trump appeared to have tagged the wrong user in his message, however. He later re-posted the tweet, tagging @theresa_may instead.
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The co-author of Donald Trumps memoir The Art of the Deal has claimed White House aides are terrified over the Presidents mental health.

Tony Schwartz, who shadowed and interviewed Mr Trump over an 18 month period in the 1980s, has been a fierce critic of the 71-year-old since he took office in January.

Speaking to MSNBC, Mr Schwartz suggested Mr Trump was deeply mentally ill and no longer connected to reality following reports the billionaire has been peddling a series of conspiracy theories during private conversations.

This is a guy in deep trouble and one of the problems we have right now is that were not very sympathetic to the psychological and to the psychiatric community, but thats who we need to be talking to right now, Mr Shwartz said to host Ari Melber.

He added: This is a man who is deeply mentally ill.

Mr Schwartz said two different people claiming to be from the White House had called an acquaintance over concerns about the Presidents mental health.

 Donald Trump brags about his record 'in a non-braggadocious' way

Describing White House staff as hostages to a cult leader, Mr Schwartz insisted there were aides who recognise what is going on.

All of America needs to understand that this is a person who is now exceptionally dangerous because he is losing his grip, he added.

Asked if White House aides were afraid about the Presidents mental health, Mr Schwartz said: Oh absolutely, terrified.

Mr Schwartz, who is not a doctor, made his comments in response to reports that Mr Trump has begun to suggest the infamous Access Hollywood tape, in which he is recorded saying he can grab women by the p****, is fake.

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

Despite apologising for the comments in the run-up to the election last year, the President has told allies the voice was not actually his, according to The New York Times.

The Presidents apparent conspiracy theorising has also affected international relations with Britain - one of Americas closest allies  in recent days.

On Wednesday, Mr Trump took to Twitter to share three misleading, Islamophobic videos posted by the deputy leader of a far-right British organisation.

Following criticism from Theresa May, Mr Trump caused a fresh storm by telling the Prime Minister to stop focusing on him and focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom.
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A lobster with the Pepsi logo imprinted on its claw has been discovered, sparking concern over the amount of debris littering the oceans.

The creature was found by a lobster fishing crew off the coast of Grand Manan in New Brunswick, Canada.

Karissa Lindstrand, who reportedly drinks 12 cans of Pepsi a day, spotted the lobster as it was loaded into crate to be banded.

I cant say how he got it on, she told Canadas CBC news.

It seemed more like a tattoo or a drawing on the lobster rather than something growing into it.

Ms Lindstrand said she had never seen debris branded onto a sea creature in her four years of fishing off the Grand Manan coast.

This tells me there is a lot of garbage in the ocean, if that's what's happening to the lobsters we get out from the water, she said.

Nobody knows how the animal came to be imprinted with the logo, but Ms Lindstrand said some locals had suggested the lobster grew around the can as it was developing into an adult.

Others believe part of a Pepsi box may have stuck to the lobster when it was growing and printed onto its claw.

The volume of debris in our seas continues to grow, with an estimated 12m tonnes of plastic waste entering the oceans each year.

In the UK, litter on beaches increased by 10% this year, with a fifth of the rubbish made up of on-the-go food and drink items such as bottles, sandwich packaging, wrappers and cups.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The Marine Conservation Society said an average of 138 pieces of food and drink debris were found for every 100 metres of beach, highlighting the extent of the pollution.

Calls to address the rising tide of debris in the ocean are on the increase, most recently prompted by the BBCs Blue Planet 2 series, which highlighted the extremely detrimental impact of rubbish on marine wildlife.

The UK government has pledged to look into how taxes or charges for single-use plastics could reduce waste.

The move comes after the introduction of a 5p charge on plastic carrier bags in 2015, which has led to an 80% drop in the number of bags handed out by retailers.
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The tears Barry Robert Baker Jr shed in court as he begged for mercy on Wednesday did nothing to change what the judge thought of him.

"You are a bully. You are a predator," said Judge William P Mahon, of the Court of Common Pleas in Chester County, Pennsylvania, according to the Daily Local News. "You are a coward. In 18 years on the bench I have never had such tangible evidence of someone's moral compass being so askew."

For his crimes - assault and fleeing authorities - the state generally recommends between three and 14 months in prison, with six months probation. But Baker, 29, of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to a total of three to six years behind bars.

If you ask the prosecutors or law enforcement in this county, Baker had it coming.

Recommended Teacher accused of taping mouth of pupil with cerebral palsy

It all began in the early morning hours of May 10, in a brutal scene that spurred rage across the internet.

Baker and his friends were outside a 7-Eleven convenience store in West Chester at about 2:30 a.m. when a 22-year-old man with cerebral palsy parked his SUV. As the SUV-driver walked into the store, Baker started making fun of his disability, stumbling around to mock the way he walked, according to a news release from the Chester County District Attorney's Office. When the man came back out of the store, Baker continued to imitate the way he moved. Then, as the 22-year-old stood in front of his white SUV, Baker hit him with a sucker-punch.

Baker immediately fled, running around the corner of the store. Meanwhile, the man he punched put his hands to his nose, appearing stunned as his looked down at the blood dripping onto his hands.

The assault was captured on security cameras and the footage was uploaded to YouTube by the district attorney's office. It soon went viral, drawing national headlines and even prompting two state legislators to propose legislation making it a hate crime to assault a person with a recognised disability.

Baker's actions were "appalling", West Chester Police Chief Scott Bohn said in a statement. "You wonder what would make an individual treat somebody like that."

The sucker-punch and mocking of a disabled man was bad enough. But what played out in the days ahead only worsened Baker's case.

After authorities issued warrants for Baker's arrest, and after his story was published widely on the news, Baker fled his home, becoming a fugitive. He led authorities on a two-week manhunt across multiple states. There were rumours he had fled as far as Florida.

Under Baker's instruction, his fiancee purchased a hotel room for him under a friend's name, hiding the room key at a prearranged spot where Baker could find it. She bought a prepaid cellphone for Baker to use while evading authorities, according to the district attorney's office.

In June 5, US Marshals found him hiding in the bathroom of the rented hotel room. In his phone records, investigators found evidence of Baker's flight law enforcement - searches for "how do cops ping a cellphone" and "how to change my personal name," searches for Greyhound bus services and Amtrak train schedules to locations as far away as Mexico and Canada.

On June 27, authorities arrested Baker's fiancee, Denise Schmidt, for hindering apprehension. And on the same day, the Chester County District Attorney, Tom Hogan, announced that Baker's father, Barry Baker Sr., was one of 46 people charged in "Operation Wildfire," a massive drug bust. He was charged with selling morphine.

"So while his son was beating up a man with a disability, Barry Baker Sr. was selling us morphine," Hogan said. "It's a heck of a family."

Hogan summed it all up in one statement:

"Since that unprovoked attack, the defendant has been arrested for assault, had his parole revoked, went on the run, was captured, and now has been charged with flight. The defendant's fiancee has been arrested for helping the defendant flee. The defendant's father has been arrested for dealing drugs. This is how Chester County law enforcement deals with bullies who pick on disabled people."

Baker pleaded guilty in September to charges of simple assault and flight to avoid apprehension.

In an extensive interview with the Daily Local News reporter Michael Rellahan at the Chester County Prison, Baker depicted the sucker punch scenario differently that prosecutors. He said he had been out at West Chester bars before the assault, and met the 22-year-old man he would later punch. He said the man was acting inappropriately around a woman. Baker told him, "Don't do that. It's disrespectful," he told Rellahan.

The man retorted: "Who do you think you are, Dr. Phil?"

Baker said he would later run into the man outside the 7-Eleven. "He was running his mouth, and said, 'Oh, look, it's Dr. Phil again.' I imitated how he walked," Baker said, "which was wrong of course."

"That's when I let my anger get the best of me," Baker told the Daily Local News. He was apologetic, and said he was mad at himself for the way he behaved. But he said "this has all been blown all the way out of proportion."

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

In court on Wednesday, Baker told the judge: "I want my life back. This will affect me for the rest of my life. I just want a chance to rebuild it."

Baker's lawyer defended him by saying he was remorseful and grew up in a dysfunctional home, the Daily Local News reported. His mother died of a drug overdose and his father abused substances, he said. The lawyer said Baker was drunk on the night of the assault, and had mistaken the disabled man for someone with whom he had an altercation earlier.

Mahon, the judge, sentenced Baker to terms of one to two years in a state prison for the charges. In addition, he sentenced Baker to another term of one to two years for violating his probation from a 2009 case of theft from a motor vehicle, for a total sentence of three to six years behind bars, according to the Daily Local News.

"I've been on the bench for 18 years, and I've never had someone misrepresent to me, and be caught doing it, as you," Mahon told Baker, according to the Daily Local News. "You have extreme difficulty with the truth."

The Washington Post
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled the states theft statute applies to real property. In the case, the defendant challenged whether Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-14-103 encompassed theft of real property, in this case a house. The Supreme Court affirmed the defendants convictions of Class A felony theft and aggravated burglary.

In early March 2013, the defendant, Tabitha Gentry, entered and seized a foreclosed, bank-owned East Memphis house valued at over $2 million. Ms. Gentry padlocked the front gate to the property, changed the locks on the doors, posted signs around the property advising others to keep out, and filed paperwork with the Shelby County Register of Deeds Office claiming to take ownership of the house based on her rights as a Moorish National. A few days after the home was seized, the Shelby County Sheriffs Office entered and took back control of the house and pulled over and arrested Ms. Gentry as she was driving away from the house.

Ms. Gentry was found guilty by a jury in April 2015 of theft of property valued at over $250,000, a Class A felony, and aggravated burglary, a Class C felony, and given a 20-year sentence. Ms. Gentry appealed her conviction, arguing laws in Tennessee do not recognize the crime of theft of real property. The Court of Criminal Appeals rejected this argument and affirmed her conviction.

The Supreme Court accepted Ms. Gentrys appeal and ruled that theft of real property is a criminal offense under Tennessee law. The Supreme Court emphasized while squatting in an unoccupied house may not typically rise to the level of theft of real property, the proof offered at the defendants trial was sufficient to support the jurys verdict finding her guilty of the offense. The Court stressed the defendant not only occupied the real property, but also completely locked and barred others access to the property, posted signs around the property advising others to keep out, and filed paperwork purporting to take legal title to the property.

To read the opinion in State of Tennessee v. Tabitha Gentry (AKA Abka Re Bay), authored by Justice Cornelia A. Clark, go to the opinions section of TNCourts.gov.


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After women came forward to accuse former NBC Today show host Matt Lauer of sexual misconduct, the backlash has been mighty and swift.

He lost his $20m position as anchor on the flagship morning show, his squeaky clean reputation, and now - perhaps - his farm.

Lauer could be forced to sell the 27,180-acre-sheep-and-cattle farm he and his wife purchased in New Zealand in February because of the country's strict laws on foreign investors having good character.

Recommended Matt Lauer apologises after sacking over sexual misconduct allegations

According to Page Six, New Zealands overseas investment regulator is looking into the allegations made against Lauer, as part of a review of his purchase of a large South Island farm.

That's because foreign investors need to be of "good character", according to the country's Overseas Investment Office, which confirmed it was seeking further information on Lauer.

Lisa Barrett, deputy chief executive of policy and overseas Investment, confirmed the good character investigation following Lauers removal from NBC News, saying: A condition of the consent granted to Orange Lakes Ltd to purchase the lease for Hunter Valley Station is that the individuals with control of that company must continue to be of good character.

The key word being continue.

Although the purchase was approved by the investment office in February, the regulator has the power to enforce the sale of property if it determines that the good character requirement is not met.

This means that if Lauers recent behaviour does not meet the good character standards he will be required to sell his farm.

And his chances arent looking good - earlier this week, the New Zealand government announced tougher standards for sales of farmland to foreigners.

Associate finance minister David Parker, defending the tougher rules, said, We believe its a privilege to own New Zealand land and that we shouldnt just be selling it willy-nilly to overseas buyers.

Matt Lauer said there is "enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed"

Lauer, who issued an apology on Wednesday for his actions, said, Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterised, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed.

As for the damage he has caused, Lauer insists that although repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul-searching, he is committed to the effort, and now views it as his full-time job.

Which, if he no longer owns a demanding farm on the other side of the world, he'll have more free time to dedicate to his new gig - rectifying the damage he has caused.
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Tony Hovater, the white nationalist and Nazi sympathiser featured in a controversial New York Times story this weekend, said he lost his job and would soon lose his home following a swift backlash over the article.

Hovater, a 29-year-old Ohio resident, told The Washington Post on Wednesday that he has been fired from his job and that he and his wife, Maria, are in the process of moving out of their home in New Carlisle, Ohio, for financial and safety reasons. They could no longer afford to pay the rent, he said, and somebody had published their home address online.

It's not for the best to stay in a place that is now public information, he said, adding later: We live alone. No one else is there to watch the house while I'm away.

 White supremacist saved by black protester after being punched at anti-Nazi march

The lengthy Times profile that was published Saturday portrayed the daily and seemingly normal life of Hovater, whom writer Richard Fausset described as the Nazi sympathiser next door and a committed foot soldier of the far-right movement. The story also described Hovater as a Seinfeld fan whose Midwestern manners would place anyone's mother.

Hovater said that he, his wife and his brother-in-law were fired on Monday. All three worked at 571 Grill & Draft House, a restaurant in New Carlisle.

Hovater said the restaurant, where he worked as a kitchen manager for about a year and a half, received harassing calls Monday morning demanding that he be fired. One of the owners later became concerned about employees' safety and told him to leave, he said. His wife and brother-in-law were fired shortly after.

Hovater said that before the owners fired his brother-in-law, they asked him if he has the same beliefs as Hovater.

A marketing firm that represents 571 Grill said Wednesday that the restaurant is preparing to release a statement.

Hovater, who also contracts as a welder, said he wasn't surprised at his former employer's decision to fire him, though he thought it was a little hasty.

Businesses will do what they have to do to protect their businesses, he said.

After Hovater was fired, his supporters launched a crowdfunding campaign through a website called Goyfundme.com to raise money for him and his wife.

Tony was fired from his job for his political beliefs. His wife and family all fired all at once to avoid the political pressure, Matt Parrott, who runs the site, said, adding that the nationalist community has rallied behind the Hovaters.

The campaign has raised more than $6,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

 Neo-Nazi leader quits movement and reveals he is gay with Jewish heritage

According to the website, the Times article resulted in a smear campaign against Hovater and his wife. It claimed that communists, antifa, and general basement-dwelling ne'er-do-wells set to work immediately, identifying their place of employment and harassing their management into terminating them.

Goyfundme.com, which relies on bitcoin and credit and debit card payments, is an alternative crowdfunding site created earlier this year after mainstream fundraising sites like GoFundMe and PayPal removed campaigns and accounts associated with far-right ideologies. Parrott condemned active censorship and what he sees as the lack of net neutrality among the sites.

Hovater and Parrott are both co-founders of the Traditionalist Worker Party, one of the extreme right-wing groups that rallied in August in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a car allegedly driven by a Nazi sympathiser ploughed into a group of counter-protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer.

The aftermath of the Charlottesville rally was the genesis of the Times profile story on Hovater, national editor Marc Lacey said in a column responding to widespread criticisms of the story. Many have accused the Times of normalising a man who unabashedly supports Adolf Hitler.

We described Mr Hovater as a bigot, a Nazi sympathiser who posted images on Facebook of a Nazi-like America full of happy white people and swastikas everywhere, Lacey wrote.

Later, he added that the Times regrets the story offended so many.

We recognise that people can disagree on how best to tell a disagreeable story, Lacey wrote. What we think is indisputable, though, is the need to shed more light, not less, on the most extreme corners of American life and the people who inhabit them. That's what the story, however imperfectly, tried to do.

Fausset, the writer, also responded.

He wrote that he and his editors had hoped to understand why someone like Hovater, who's intelligent, socially adroit and raised middle class amid the relatively well-integrated environments of United States military bases, drifted toward an extreme political ideology. Fausset acknowledged that his story, after multiple revisions and despite hours of conversation with Hovater, never really answered that question.

Mr Hovater was exceedingly candid to me - often shockingly so - but it seems as though his world view was largely formed by the same recombinant stuff that influences our mainstream politics... But even if I had called Mr Hovater yet again - even if we had discussed Blavatsky at length, the way we did his ideas about the Federal Reserve Bank - I'm not sure it would have answered the question.

Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Show all 9 1 /9 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Protesters clash and several are injured White nationalist demonstrators clash with counter demonstrators at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Virginia. A state of emergency is declared, August 12 2017 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Trump supporters at the protest A white nationalist demonstrator walks into Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Hundreds of people chanted, threw punches, hurled water bottles and unleashed chemical sprays on each other Saturday after violence erupted at a white nationalist rally in Virginia. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville State police stand ready in riot gear Virginia State Police cordon off an area around the site where a car ran into a group of protesters after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Militia armed with assault rifles White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' with body armor and combat weapons evacuate comrades who were pepper sprayed after the 'Unite the Right' rally was declared a unlawful gathering by Virginia State Police. Militia members marched through the city earlier in the day, armed with assault rifles. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee stands behind a crowd of hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' during the 'Unite the Right' rally 12 August 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. They are protesting the removal of the statue from Emancipation Park in the city. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Racial tensions sparked the violence White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' exchange insults with counter-protesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Lee Park during the 'Unite the Right' rally Getty Violence on the streets of Charlottesville A car plows through protesters A vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The incident resulted in multiple injuries, some life-threatening, and one death. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Rescue personnel help injured people after a car ran into a large group of protesters after an white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville President Donald Trump speaks about the ongoing situation in Charlottesville, Virginia from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He spoke about "loyalty" and "healing wounds" left by decades of racism.

Hovater said he thought Fausset would editorialise the story, but he said the article was immensely fair.

A lot of people were confused with what he was trying to do with that story. He's not trying to set out and spook people, Hovater said. He wrote the article, he wrote the story that was given, and it was an accurate portrayal of me.

Hovater said he and his wife are now staying with a friend. He also said he still expects some income from his contractual job as a welder.

The Washington Post
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Officials at the State Department reportedly told the White House they were concerned Donald Trump's inflammatory tweeting could trigger protests at US embassies around the world.

This week, Mr Trump sparked controversy when he tweeted videos purporting to show Muslims attacking non-Muslims, which had originally tweeted by a far right British organisation.

Officials at the State Department were fearful the tweets, which many believed were Islamophobic, could result in protests or demonstrations at US diplomatic premises, particularly those located in Muslim-majority countries, CNN said.

 Theresa May refuses to tell Trump to stop tweeting

Embassies were placed on alert throughout the day of the tweets, although no incidents have been reported thus far, one State Department official said.

It didnt manifest in anything actionable, but it was a big concern, an official told the network. We saw in Cairo and other places that simply posting something on the internet, even if nothing was intended by it, could have real consequences.

Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice  which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters

The White House declined to say whether it had in any vetted the unverified videos before they were tweeted.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders defended the Presidents decision to tweet them regardless, he was highlighting a real threat.

Whether it is a real video, the threat is real, Ms Sanders told reporters.

That is what the President is talking about, that is what the President is focused on is dealing with those real threats, and those are real no matter how you look at it.
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Donald Trump has hit back at Theresa Mays criticism of his decision to retweet far-right group Britain First.

The US President tweeted: Theresa @theresamay, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!

Mr Trump appeared to have tagged the wrong user in his message, however. He later re-posted the tweet, tagging @theresa_may instead.

 Donald Trump criticised for Britain First retweets

The Prime Minister earlier said the billionaire was wrong to have retweeted messages by Britain Firsts deputy leader that featured misleading, Islamophobic videos.

Her spokesman added: British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents  decency, tolerance and respect.

Ms May has since faced pressure to cancel his state visit over the incident.

Mr Trump caused international upset and confusion on Wednesday when he retweeted three unverified videos that had been posted by Jayda Fransen, of Britain First.

One carried the caption, Muslim migrants beating up a Dutch boy on crutches, while another claimed to show an Islamist mob pushing a teenager off a roof and beating him to death and a third allegedly showed a Muslim man destroying a Virgin Mary statue.

The first was swiftly debunked by Dutch officials, but all three had been designed to stir up anti-Muslim sentiment online.

UK Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said Mr Trump had endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me, and was wrong to have done so.

Ms Fransen quickly moved to capitalise on the attention Mr Trump had brought her, saying she was delighted.

The spat is embarrassing for Ms May, who has pursued a close relationship with the Trump White House.

She has courted the new President and hopes to strike a trade deal with the US following Brexit  a key feature of her visit to Washington earlier this year.

The PM was the first world leader to visit Mr Trump after his inauguration and had hoped to shore up the so-called special relationship.

Following Mr Trumps attack Carrie Symonds, director of communications for the Conservative Party, tweeted: Wrong twitter handle. And thats just the start.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Ms May was far from alone in having condemned Mr Trumps retweets, with faith groups on both sides of the Atlantic weighing in.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations said the President was clearly telling members of his base that they should hate Islam and Muslims, while the Muslim Council of Britain called it the clearest endorsement yet from the US President of the far-right.

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said Mr Trumps decision to retweet the videos was deeply disturbing.

The White House Press Secretary attempted to defend the President by saying journalists were focusing on the wrong thing.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders said: Whether its a real video, the threat is real. His goal is to promote strong border security and strong national security.
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Donald Trump is suffering from psychopathy and has a mental state that poses an enormous present danger, a clinical psychiatrist has said.

The US President has psychosis and is a very sick man, said Dr Lance Dodes, a former assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Harvard Medical School who now works for the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute.

It comes after Mr Trump provoked fury by retweeting three Islamophobic videos posted by the deputy leader of far-right group Britain First.

Dr Dodes told US cable channel MSNBC: Its another example of his being close to psychosis when hes stressed.

The simple explanation for it, which people dont want to hear, is that hes not in control of himself. This is what we mean when we say that somebody is becoming psychotic or is briefly psychotic."

He added: All of his delusional ideas come up when he is stressed in some way, and then he loses track of reality because it doesnt fit what he needs to believe.

Dr Dodes said it was an extremely dangerous thing for a position of power to be held by someone who appears so wantonly unconcerned about the welfare of others and willing to do anything to promote himself.

He added that Mr Trump was "an enormous present danger to us from the standpoint of creating a nuclear war and even from the standpoint of doing what he can to destroy democracy as well as attacking ethnic groups in the way hes done.

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

This is a very sick man. He is truly very sick.

Mr Trump was "villainous because of his sociopathy and psychopathy but with a tremendous veneer that hes extremely good at, he said.

Nothing that Mr Trump might do would now be surprising to him, including dissolving the US constitution, firing the Supreme Court or starting a nuclear war with North Korea, because such actions would be consistent with his previous behaviour, he added.

The US Congress and allies of Mr Trump need to accept that the President is an extremely incapable, disordered, sick individual, he added.

The President was also widely condemned this week for retweeting three anti-Muslim videos posted by Britain Firsts deputy leader, Jayda Fransen.

 Emily Thornberry: Donald Trump is 'trying to humiliate and belittle' Theresa May

The tweets prompted a rebuke from Theresa May, whose official spokesman said: "British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents - decency, tolerance and respect."

"It is wrong for the president to have done this."

Mr Trump hit back, writing on Twitter: Theresa May, don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!

The row led to fresh calls for the Republicans planned state visit to the UK to be cancelled.
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Attorney General Jeff Sessions has refused to say whether Donald Trump asked him to hinder the Russian investigation, a member of the House Intelligence Committee has claimed.

Representative Adam Schiff updated reporters after a closed-door meeting between Mr Sessions and the Intelligence Committee, of which Mr Schiff is a ranking member. The committee is one of several investigating possible Russian meddling in the US presidential election.

"I asked the attorney general whether he was ever instructed by the president to take any action that he believed would hinder the Russia investigation, and he declined to answer the question," Mr Schiff told reporters after the meeting.

Recommended Sessions admits there is not enough evidence to investigate Clinton

Mr Sessions was an early supporter of Mr Trump, and a close adviser to his campaign. He was one of two people the President said he consulted about firing James Comey, the former FBI Director charged with overseeing the Russian investigation at the time.

In March, Mr Sessions recused himself from running the Justice Department's Russia investigation. He had recently come under scrutiny for failing to disclose several meetings with Russian officials during the campaign. Mr Sessions maintains that nothing nefarious occurred during the meetings.

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 Sessions came under fire again this month, when it was revealed that he had attended a meeting in which a campaign staffer discussed his interactions with Russian sources. The staffer, George Papadopolous, has since pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about the interactions.

The Attorney General said he had "no recollection" of the meeting until news reports jogged his memory.

"My story has never changed," he said during questioning by the House Judiciary Committee. "Ive always told the truth.

 Trump-Russia investigation: who has been charged in the Mueller probe

Democrats were expected to question the credibility of these public testimonies in Thursday's closed-door meeting. Republicans, meanwhile, were expected to question Mr Sessions over subpoenas they sent in August relating to the Russian investigation. Some Republican representatives feel their requests were stonewalled by the Attorney General.

Mr Trump tweeted about the tensions the day before, writing: "The House of Representatives seeks contempt citations(?) against the Justice Department and the FBI for withholding key documents and an FBI witness which could shed light on surveillance of associates of Donald Trump."

"Big stuff," he added. "Deep State. Give this information NOW!"

Mr Trump has previously expressed displeasure with his Attorney General, telling reporters he would not have nominated him if he knew Mr Sessions would recuse himself from the Russia investigation.

Asked in July if he would fire his Attorney General, Mr Trump replied simply: "Time will tell."
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Senate candidate Roy Moore has blamed the numerous sexual misconduct allegations against him on socialists and LGBTQ people.

Mr Moore, who is running for the US Senate seat from Alabama, has been accused by multiple women of pursuing them when they were teenagers and he was in his thirties. One woman said she was only 14 years old when he initiated sexual contact with her.

Mr Moore has repeatedly denied these allegations and refused to step down from the race, despite the urging of fellow Republicans in Washington.

At a campaign rally at Magnolia Springs Baptist Church in Alabama, Mr Moore boasted he was still leading in the race, despite the fact that they had pulled out all the stops to thwart him.

"When I say they, who are 'they?'" he asked the congregation. "Theyre liberals. They dont hold conservative values. They are the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender who want to change our culture. They are socialists who want to change our way of life and put man above God, and the government is our God.

 Roy Moore accuser Leigh Corfman says he 'seduced me'

Mr Moore also extended his criticism to the Republicans in Congress, claiming that they simply [want] to keep their jobs do the same thing, keep everything the same so they dont lose their position, their power, their prestige.

Recent polling shows Mr Moore maintaining a narrow lead against his challenger, Democrat Doug Jones. But more than 20 Republicans have called on Mr Moore to step down from the race, and some have suggested he be expelled from the Senate even if he wins. The Republican National Convention has cut off funding to his campaign.

The Republican rebuke came shortly after the Washington Post published claims by three women who said Mr Moore pursued relationships with them when they were between the ages of 14 and 18. Three other women later came to the Post with similar allegations.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

On Wednesday, Mr Moore chalked the false, numerous, and malicious allegations up to dirt politics.

"Let me state once again I do not know any of these women, did not date any of these women, and have not engaged in any sexual misconduct with anyone," he said. "This is not only odd that things like this occur. It's simply dirty politics."

The Post recently uncovered evidence suggesting that a conservative activist group had attempted to trick them into publishing false claims against Mr Moore. The newspaper investigated the claims, discovered inconsistencies, and confronted the woman about them. She failed to explain them adequately, and the story was killed.
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David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan leader, had nothing but praise for US President Donald Trumps recent tweets featuring anti-Muslim videos from a far-right group in the UK.

Mr Duke has long been a supporter of the President and tweeted that Mr Trump was showing what the fake media wont and saying "thank God" the president was willing to do so.

The three videos shared through retweets came from Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of Britain First.

None of the videos have been verified at this time.

It remains unclear why Mr Trump decided to retweet the videos but one features a man purporting to be Muslim destroying a statue of the Virgin Mary.

Another shows a man, allegedly beating up a boy using crutches.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The third shows a mob of people pushing one person off the roof of a building. The tweet claims it is an Islamist mob but that has not been proven.

Mr Trump retweeted these without comment and in succession.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in response: Whether it's a real video, the threat is real. [Mr Trumps] goal is to promote strong border security and strong national security."

In relation to the video showing two young men fighting near a river bank, above which Ms Fransen wrote, VIDEO: Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!, Dutch officials have issued a statement correcting the tweet.

The public prosecution service Noord-Holland has studied the file submitted by the police, a spokesman for the Dutch public prosecution service said.

The suspect... was born and raised in the Netherlands

The boy's religion was not included in any reports.

"I'm not talking about the nature of the video," Ms Sanders said, adding that the threat is real...the need for national security and military spending  those are very real things, theres nothing fake about that."

Mr Duke supported Mr Trumps bid during the 2016 campaign, but there were several people calling the real estate tycoon to disavow him given the history of violent racism of the KKK.

Mr Trump said several times he did not know or meet Mr Duke but in a 28 February 2016 interview on CNN said about the KKK: You wouldnt want me to condemn a group that I know nothing about. I would have to look.you may have groups in there that are totally fine, and it would be very unfair.
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The organizers of the Womens March on Washington earlier this year are launching a new campaign to impeach the president who inspired their protest in the first place.

With the holiday season well underway, organizers with the new organization March On have begun airing advertisements advocating for flipping Congress so that President Donald Trump can be impeached. At the same time, theyre offering up red sweaters with the word impeach on them as their idea of a fun way to raise cash for their cause.

This holiday season, a new wish tops letters to Santa across the land: Impeachment, the narrator of the advert, which began airing in America on shows popular among liberals, says. This year, instead of fruitcakes and poinsettias, let's flip Congress for the gift of impeachment.

Recommended Former KKK leader praises Trump for sharing Islamophobic tweets

Donors other options if red Christmas sweaters adorned with legal terms arent their bag, too. Those who want to become involved can also pay for little Christmas cards that will be sent to Mr Trumps New York City home, wishing Mr Trump a merciful end to your presidency.

The effort isnt the first time that a liberal group has tried to take a stand against Mr Trump, or the first time that one has encouraged impeachment. But it does add a bit of levity when compared to the serious advert campaign launched by billionaire Tom Steyer to warn of the perceived dangers of the President.

Its a fun Christmas gag. It's really about fundraising, we're trying to make money, Andi Pringle, the executive director of March On told NBC News.

Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Show all 18 1 /18 Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters gather outside the White House at the finish of the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Large crowds attended the anti-Trump rally a day after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. president. Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters hold up signage near the Washington Monument during the Women's March on Washington January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Large crowds are attending the anti-Trump rally a day after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. president. Drew Angerer/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters gather during the Women's March on Washington January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. The march is expected to draw thousands from across the country to protest newly inaugurated President Donald Trump. Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters arrive at the Capital South Metro station for the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Following the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, the Women's March has 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. Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters arrive on the platform at the Capital South Metro station for the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Following the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, the Women's March has 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. Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Demonstrators protest during the Women's March along Pennsylvania Avenue January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Hundreds of thousands of protesters spearheaded by women's rights groups demonstrated across the US to send a defiant message to US President Donald Trump. Joshua Lott/AFP/Getty Images Thousands attend Women's March on Washington WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: Protesters attend the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Following the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, the Women's March has 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. Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington A marcher holds a sign during the Women's March on Washington January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. The march is expected to draw thousands from across the country to protest newly inaugurated President Donald Trump. Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington A woman chants while attending the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Large crowds are attending the anti-Trump rally a day after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. president. Mario Tama/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters attend the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Large crowds are attending the anti-Trump rally a day after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. president. Mario Tama/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters march in Washington, DC, during the Women's March on January 21, 2017. Hundreds of thousands of people flooded US cities Saturday in a day of women's rights protests to mark President Donald Trump's first full day in office. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images Thousands attend Women's March on Washington A protester gestures toward the White House on the Ellipse near the South Lawn of the White House during the Women's March on Washington January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Large crowds are attending the anti-Trump rally a day after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. president. Drew Angerer/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington A protester, holding a Donald Trump doll wearing a pink cap, marches in Washington, DC, during the Womens March on January 21, 2017. Hundreds of thousands of people flooded US cities Saturday in a day of women's rights protests to mark President Donald Trump's first full day in office. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters take to the National Mall to demonstrate against the presidency of Donald Trump Washington, DC on January 21, 2017. Hundreds of thousands of protesters spearheaded by women's rights groups demonstrated across the US to send a defiant message to US President Donald Trump. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters march during the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Large crowds are attending the anti-Trump rally a day after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. president. Mario Tama/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Demonstrators gather on The Ellipse during the Women's March on Washington January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Hundreds of thousands of protesters spearheaded by women's rights groups demonstrated across the US to send a defiant message to US President Donald Trump. Zach Gibson/AFP/Getty Images Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Demonstrators march down Pennsylvania Avenue during the Women's March on Washington January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Hundreds of thousands of protesters spearheaded by women's rights groups demonstrated across the US to send a defiant message to US President Donald Trump. Zach Gibson/AFP/Getty Images Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protester's signs are left near the White House during the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Large crowds are attending the anti-Trump rally a day after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. president. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) Mario Tama/Getty

Ms Pringle said that their voice is particularly relevant, given the onslaught of sexual assault or harassment allegations that have plagued powerful men in the public and private spheres in recent months.

Because we are the organizers of the Womens Marches across the country, we are singularly placed to speak to the womens vote and issue, including the #MeToo movement, Ms Pringle said, referencing an online movement in which women and some men confided to one another that they had also been assaulted or harassed in their lives.

Hundreds of womens marches were held just after Mr Trumps inauguration, including in major cities like Washington, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Researchers have called that demonstration the largest single-day protest in American history.
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The White House has signalled that President Donald Trump may recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a distinction that would likely cause controversy in the region and would reverse the precedent established by his predecessors.

Mr Trump is reportedly considering recognizing Jerusalem as the Jewish nation's capital at the same time has he considers moving the US embassy to Israel there as well. That embassy is currently in Tel Aviv.

If Mr Trump decides to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's undivided capital, it is widely believed that it could imperil current relationships in the region and damage the President's chances at brokering a peace deal between Israel and Palestine. Instead, the recognition could trigger Palestinian protests, while shelving the long-stalled peace process there.

As Mr Trump and the White House prepares for a potential announcement on the subject, US embassies overseas have reportedly been informing envoys of the potential plan, so that host governments to those embassies might prepare for possible protests. Even so, officials have indicated recently that the plans weren't yet finalised.

The international community has long disagreed over what Jerusalem's legal and diplomatic status should be, and a fix to that has been further debated by legal scholars who have provided different ideas on how to resolve that dispute. The United Nations and the European Union have both proposed or recognized Jerusalem as something of an international site, given its deep history that includes several religious legacies. The United States has historically supported establishing an international regime for the city as well.

The primary dispute over Jerusalem's status revolves around East Jerusalem, which has been disputed since the the 1967 Six-Day War when Israel drove Jordan out of the area. Palestinians have argued that East Jerusalem should stand as their capital for a future independent state. Israel says that all of Jerusalem belongs to them.

Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Show all 22 1 /22 Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump talk as they leave the Army Museum at Les Invalides in Paris AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump arrive for the group photo at the G7 Taormina summit on the island of Sicily in May 2017 Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Mr Trump was pressed on the subject at the G7 summit in Italy Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump gives a speeech at the Warsaw Uprising Monument on Krasinski Square Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May during a ceremony at the NATO headquarters before the start of a summit in Brussels, Belgium Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Montenegro's Prime Minister Dusko Markovic is seen to the right of Donald Trump at a Nato summit in Brussels REUTERS Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis meeting with US President Donald J. Trump EPA Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis poses with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump arrives at Palazzo del Quirinale ahead of the meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella Ufficio Stampa Presidenza della via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is seen during a joint press conference with the Palestinian leader at the presidential palace in the West Bank city of Bethlehem AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas meets US President Donald Trump PPO via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with US President Donald Trump prior to the President's departure GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering a speech at the Israel Museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump lay a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance as White House senior advisor Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump watch on during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem accompanied by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump look at a display of Saudi modern art at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud take part in a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips King Salman presents Donald Trump with The Collar of Abdulaziz al-Saud Medal at the Royal Court Palace on 20 May AP Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is welcomed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk on the South Lawn prior to their first foreign trip Getty Images

There are currently about 200,000 Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem, and 370,000 Palestinians there as well. All told, more than 600,000 Jews live in nearly 140 settlements in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. Those settlements are considered illegal under international law, a consideration that Israel disputes.

The status of Jerusalem has been so contentious, and so consequential to the region, that efforts to establish peace treaties between Israel and Palestine have been derailed in large part over disagreements over the city. That includes a 2000 attempt in America's Camp David, in which former Israeli Prime MInister Ehud Barak, and then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat were unable to reconcile their differences on territory and Jerusalem as well.

More follows
Organized by high school students for their peers, the Southeastern High School Model United Nations Conference is a unique model: teenagers run the conference by writing topic papers and chairing their own committees. Known for its well-developed topics and comprehensive debate platform, SHSMUN features delegates who participate in debates in more than 10 committees, ranging from Disarmament to SHSMUNs own General Committee.

SHSMUN is held annually during the weekend before Thanksgiving, this year at the Marriott and Convention Center. This years conference hosted over 20 schools from Chattanooga and the surrounding area, including teams from Memphis, Murfreesboro, and Alabama. Over 70 countries (delegations) were represented by 640 delegates during the three-day conference, held Nov. 18-20.

SHSMUNs delegates are expected to bring their best game by researching their countries positions, delivering speeches, and writing thorough resolutions that deliver solutions to their committees issues," according to SHMUN.org.

GPS sent 32 delegates representing three nations: Kazakhstan, Senegal, and Djibouti. Seventeen of the 175 (10 percent) draft resolutions submitted before the conference and put on the docket were from GPS, even though the school represented only five percent of the delegations participating.

Winning the Best Delegate Award for her committee from the Kazakhstan delegation was senior Ritika Modi (Social and Humanitarian Committee). As a result of her Best Delegate designations, Modi is eligible to attend the National High School Model UN (NHSMUN) conference in New York City in March.

Awarded Honorable Mentions from the Kazakhstan delegation were juniors Olivia Combs (Special Political Committee) and Amal Ali (Legal Committee) and sophomore Kamal Patri (UNESCO). Advisor Glen Vey was especially enthusiastic about the number of freshmen who participated in the conference, as this bodes well for future conferences.

Senior Meher Memon served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Digital Press Corps (DPC), the journalism arm of the conference. Komal Patri will serve at next years conference as the Chair of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) committee.

Several Middle School students from GPS assisted as pages during the weekend, delivering notes between delegates and committees to assist in the business of the conference. Many of these students will go on to join Model UN in their high school years.

McCallies Model United Nations team had an outstanding showing at the Southeast High School Model United Nations conference.

McCallie senior Gavin LaPlace had the distinguished honor of serving as Secretary General for the conference. The job of secretary general is huge responsibility that extends for nearly an entire year. It was a daunting challenge that Gavin handled in spectacular fashion, said officials.

McCallie represented the Egypt delegation in the competition, and was named Best Delegation of the conference. In addition to the overall award, several McCallie delegates won individual awards for their work at SHSMUN.



McCallies team representing Egypt were:

Sultan Minhas, General Committee

Ahmad Nisar, Security Council

Huck Bagby, Honorable Mention (2nd/3rd best delegate) in Disarmament and International Security (DISEC) Committee

Jack Wu, Economic and Financial Committee

Noah Risley, Honorable Mention (2nd/3rd best delegate) in Social, Humanitarian and Cultural (SOCHUM) Committee

Sawyer Lyons, Honorable Mention (see above) in Special Political and Decolonization (SPECPOL) Committee

Chris Yin, Legal Committee

Parth Virani, Honorable Mention (see above) in United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Committee

Bobby Pettit, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Committee

Sam Bennett, Best Delegate (1st) in World Health Organization (WHO) Committee

Louis Onoratini, Best Delegate (1st) in Introductory Committee

Sam Bennett and Louis Onoratini were also named to the "All-Star Delegation" from the SHSMUN, which qualifies them to participate in the National High School Model United Nations conference, held at the United Nations Headquarters in March in New York.

Dewayne Bingham won Best Delegate in the Digital Press Corps, the journalistic group that covered the conference.

Frankie Zahrobsky won Honorable Mention in the Introductory Committee, representing Qatar working with Jack Curtis and Robbie Watkins.
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President Donald Trump has dismissed Chinas efforts to try and rein in the North Korean regime of Kim Jong-un, saying that a recent visit seemed to have no impact on the nuclear ambitions of Pyongyang.

The barbs come on the heels of North Koreas latest missile launch, and a day after speaking with Chinas President Xi Jinping and reiterating the need for China to use its leverage of North Koreas largest trading partner to increase pressure on the regime.

The Chinese envoy, who just returned from North Korea, seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man, Mr Trump tweeted, referring to this nickname for Mr Kim. The insulting rhetoric, with Mr Trump having also called the North Korean leader a sick puppy, perhaps reflects the Presidents frustration that Pyongyang was able to test-fire its most advanced ballistic missile earlier this week.

State media proclaimed the launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as a breakthrough that put it on track to be able to hit the US mainland  as it also looks to perfect its nuclear warhead technology. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a briefing later in the day that the US is focused on one big thing in relation to North Korea and that is denuclearisation.

A number of rounds of sanctions from the UN has done little to stop Pyongyang pushing on with its nuclear and missile programmes, with the latest launch also pushing US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, to suggest that the regime of Mr Kim would be utterly destroyed if Washington was pushed into war.

Ms Haley told a meeting of the UN Security Council: We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it ... If war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed.

While Mr Trump has repeatedly suggested he could resort to military action if North Korea does not bend to international will, administration officials have said that diplomatic recourse is the preferred option. Mr Trump has repeatedly called on China to do more about North Korea and Beijing had dispatched the envoy mentioned in the tweet earlier this month  after Mr Trump travelled to China as part of a recent tour of Asia.

A sign of that push for diplomacy was given by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who welcomed Chinese efforts on North Korea on Thursday, but said Beijing could do more to limit its oil exports to the country.

The Chinese are doing a lot. We do think they could do more with the oil. Were really asking them to please restrain more of the oil, not cut it off completely, Mr Tillerson said at the State Department.

The launch was the first test the hermit kingdom has conducted in two months, the last coming on 15 September when an ICBM was sent over northern Japan.

 North Korea announces test of new long-range missile

South Koreas military says the latest missile was fired from an area north of Pyongyang early on Wednesday morning local time.

The Pentagon tracked the trajectory of the weapon and spokesman Colonel Rob Manning said the missile was launched from Sain Ni, North Korea, and travelled about 620 miles (1,000 km) before landing in the Sea of Japan.

It also reportedly went approximately 2,800 miles (4,000 km) up into the atmosphere, according to South Korean and Japanese authorities. US Defence Secretary James Mattis said the latest missile did fly higher than previous ones.

He warned that North Korea continues to strengthen its nuclear weapons programme with weapons that threaten everywhere in the world.

Mr Mattis added on Thursday that US diplomats are in a strong position as we do have military options and that those diplomats would be unrelenting in their work through the UN.

North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Show all 13 1 /13 North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Pyongyang residents react after the news of the successful launch of the new intercontinental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Images North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un signing an order to test-fire the newly developed inter-continental ballistic missile KRT via AP Video North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch A news broadcast displays Kim Jong Un's signed document AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch People cheer as they watch the news broadcast announcing Kim Jong Un's order to test-fire the new inter-continental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Images North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Residents react after the document signing AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Pyongyang residents celebrate Kim Jong Un's announcement AFP/Getty North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Cheering Pyongyang residents react AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch To counter North Korea's missile test, South Korea fired missiles into the East Sea The Defence Ministry/Yonhap via REUTERS North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The Hyunmu-2 missiles firing during the drill South Korean Defense Ministry vi North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The exercise was carried out in an attempt to counter Kim Jong Un's order South Korea Defense Ministry via AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The South Korean army continue to carry out military exercises AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Where K-9 self-propelled howitzers were taking part in a drill Rex Features North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch US soldiers are also present in the border city of Paju AFP/Getty Images

The US had recently put North Korea back on the list of nations that sponsor terrorism. Mr Tillerson said at the time that the move was very symbolic ... Practical effects may be limited but hopefully clos[es] off loopholes in existing sanctions for dual use product exports that can be used by civilians and the military.

North Korea was last on the state-sponsored terror list in 2008, under the George W Bush administration. It was removed that year in a bid to salvage a deal halting its nuclear development programme.

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Washingtons approach dangerously provocative and said that joint US-South Korean military exercises planned for December could provoke Mr Kim into flying off the handle.

He also flatly rejected a US call for all nations to cut ties with Pyongyang, which Ms Haley had made at the UN, calling US policy toward North Korea deeply flawed.

In a call with Mr Trump in the afternoon, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the missile launched this week was North Koreas most advanced so far, but it was unclear whether Pyongyang had the technology to miniaturise a nuclear warhead and it still needed to prove other things, such as its re-entry technology.

A White House statement said Mr Trump and Mr Moon reiterated their strong commitment to enhancing the deterrence and defense capabilities of both nations.

Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said after meeting Mr Tillerson that he had offered support for taking a tough line towards North Korea and that Germany was withdrawing a third diplomat from its embassy there.

Naturally we are discussing with our European colleagues whether its necessary to further increase the diplomatic pressure, Mr Gabriel said.
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It was Thanksgiving day when Chris Johnson, the chief political and White House reporter for the Washington Blade, learned he hadnt been invited to the annual White House holiday party for the press.

Mr Johnson, a reporter for the nations oldest LGBTQ paper, had attended every such party for the last seven years. He assumed this years invitation hadnt gone out yet, until he heard other reporters discussing them over the Thanksgiving holiday.

My first reaction was I assumed it must have been an oversight, Mr Johnson told The Independent.

Recommended CNN to boycott the White House press Christmas party

He emailed the White House to enquire about his invitation, but was bounced between spokespeople. He never received an invitation, and never got an explanation as to why.

Mr Johnson is one of at least two long-time White House correspondents who were not invited to this years event  a casual, off-the-record gathering for members of the administration and the press.

The other is April D Ryan, the White House correspondent and DC bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks. She has been invited to the party for the last 20 years.

 Melania Trump receives White House Christmas tree

I dont think I was overlooked, Ms Ryan told the Washington Post of this year's party. I think they dont like me. For whatever reason, they have disdain for me.

Mr Johnson, too, suspects the slight may have been purposeful.

It is consistent with the White House press secretary not calling on me during the on-camera press briefings, he said, noting that he had been called on just twice in the last six months.

He believes that the issue over the invite is just kind of consistent with the policy of the administration to exclude LGBTQ people".

Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade Show all 8 1 /8 Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AFP/Getty Images Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AFP/Getty Images Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP

Ms Ryan, who is black, did not claim she was passed over because of her identity. But she has previously claimed that reporters of colour are treated like the opposition in the Trump White House.

"Now if you question [the administration], you're considered someone from the opposing party, versus just [a journalist] trying to get the facts," she told CNNs Don Lemon. "And God forbid, you are someone of a different race, I was speaking of myself, you're considered an opposition.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

 Donald Trump says it's 'frankly disgusting the press is able to write whatever it wants'

Reporters from the Washington Post, New York Times, and Politico have all received invitations to this years party. Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha told The Independent that the paper had received fewer invitations this year than last, but said the number was consistent with previous administrations prior to Obama.

Representatives from the Washington Blade and American Urban Radio Networks told The Independent that no one from their organisations had been invited.

CNN, meanwhile, has decided to boycott the event entirely. In a statement on Tuesday, a CNN spokesperson said it would be inappropriate for the networks reporters to attend, in light of the Presidents continued attacks on freedom of the press and CNN.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded by tweeting: Christmas comes early! Finally, good news from @CNN.

This years party will be held on a weekday, and will start earlier than past events. The first couple will not pose for pictures with reporters, as previous administrations have done. The administration will, however, stick to one tradition: keeping the event off the record.

As with Christmas parties in past administrations, this is off the record, Melania Trumps spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham told Politico. This is not meant to be a news event, rather, it is an opportunity for the media and their guests to enjoy a reception at the White House this Christmas season.
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Even as the Donald Trump administration tries to think up ways to keep talented foreigners out of the US, Japan is trying to lure them in. But its having trouble getting them to come.

A lot of people think of Japan as an insular country, but that isnt actually true. The number of foreigners living in Japan has risen a lot in recent years:

Most of these foreign folks are temporary residents, such as either guest workers brought in on technical intern visas and overseas students working while they complete their degrees. Some will rotate back out to their countries of origin while new temporary workers rotate in. Others will stay, especially those who marry locals and settle down in Japan. But the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe isnt satisfied with letting in convenience-store clerks and fry cooks to alleviate the labour shortage created by an ageing population. It wants more skilled immigration - engineers, entrepreneurs, researchers, managers and professionals.

Recommended Japan refuses to relax immigration rules despite shrinking population

In order to attract global talent, Japans government has followed the example of countries such as Canada, and introduced a points-based immigration system. Advanced degrees, language skills, work experience and other qualifications are tallied up and a high score can help foreign workers earn permanent residency - the equivalent of a US green card - in as little as one year. The administration has thus taken to boasting that it has the quickest permanent residency system in the world. After that, it takes five years of residency and another year or so of paperwork to become a citizen of Japan.

So for skilled workers, Japan is now among the easier rich countries to move to. Theres just one problem - skilled workers arent coming. According to the IMD World Competitiveness Center, Japan is the Asian country least appealing for foreign talent:

Its a bit embarrassing to be beaten out as a work destination by countries where millions die from air pollution every year, or where mad leaders carry out thousands of extrajudicial killings. Japan is a wonderful place to live - its clean, safe and friendly, it has great infrastructure and excellent food, there are a million fun things to do, and the average home is actually bigger than in Germany or the U.K. Why wouldnt talented people be looking to move to Japan?

One reason is language. When I spoke with Tim Eustace, the founder of Next Step, a Tokyo-based recruiting firm, this was the first issue he brought up. Although Japan has plenty of English signs in streets and train stations, business and schooling are both conducted exclusively in Japanese. Eustace believes that many top international workers in fields such as finance and technology expect to be able to send their children to English-language schools, and to speak English in the workplace at least some of the time.

That probably isnt happening soon - Japans English proficiency has never been great, and the countrys leaders are understandably reluctant to see their own language relegated to a secondary role. But Eustace mentioned a second important factor - work-life balance.

Japanese companies are famous for making employees work long, often unproductive hours. Things are improving under Abe, but more needs to be done. Systems to let employees take their work home with them - especially important for engineers and professionals who may do some of their best work alone - need to be strengthened. Beyond that, a corporate culture that values output and results instead of input and visible effort is essential to work-life balance. Some Japanese companies, like snack-maker Calbee, have already shifted to this more effective corporate culture, but such transformations are hard, and many businesses are sticking to the old inefficient ways.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Japanese salaries are also probably unattractive for talented foreign workers. Since many Japanese companies still hire workers right out of college and retain them for the rest of their careers, starting salaries tend to be quite low. The reason is that workers can expect their pay to rise smoothly over the course of their careers. But skilled foreign workers are probably not that interested in sticking around at one company for three or four decades - theyre used to the international system of career advancement via job-hopping. In Japan, though, mid-career hiring is relatively rare, and seniority-based pay makes it harder to get a big raise by switching companies.

In other words, the real reason Japan is so unappealing to skilled immigrants is just the same thing thats at the root of so many of its other problems - an inflexible, hidebound corporate system. That culture is changing slowly, and the country should probably do a better job of advertising the companies that use modern management techniques. But until the changes reach a larger percentage of the Japanese system, the country is going to have trouble attracting the best and brightest.

Bloomberg
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Holocaust survivors have voiced anger over a video artwork that showed naked people playing a game of tag in a Nazi gas chamber.

Several Jewish organisations have written jointly to Poland's president Andrzej Duda, demanding to know if authorities gave permission for the footage to be filmed at the Stutthof concentration camp, where 65,000 people were murdered during World War Two.

Artur Zmijewski's film, entitled Game of Tag, was displayed at Krakow's Museum of Contemporary Art in 2015 as part of an exhibition about Auschwitz.

No details about where it was recorded were divulged at the time, but the work was denounced as "revolting and a total insult to the victims" by some Jewish leaders.

Researchers have now discovered film's location was Stutthof, about 20 miles east of Gdansk, the Times of Israel reported.

The Organisation of Holocaust Survivors in Israel and the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, a Jewish research and human rights group, are among those demanding answers from the Polish government and the management at the concentration camp site, which now houses a museum.

Their letter to President Andrzej Duda asked whether artists did obtain permission from the Stutthof administrators to make this video, what rules exist for proper conduct at the site, how these are enforced.

The film was displayed at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow (Zygmunt Put/Creative Commons)

It notes that "no comment or word of critique was heard from Polish official sources regarding the video, neither from the Prime Ministers office, nor from any official or government representative".

The video was filmed in 1999 and displayed in 2015 in an exhibition titled Poland  Israel  Germany. The experience of Auschwitz, which examined the Nazi death camp's impact on public discourse.

The exhibition was endorsed and sponsored by the Israeli Embassy in Poland. But after an outcry from Jewish groups, the embassy called for the video be removed.

It is the most disgusting thing Ive seen in a long time, Efraim Zuroff, the Wiesenthal Centres chief Nazi hunter, said in 2015. It is just revolting and a total insult to the victims and anyone with any sense of morality or integrity.

The museum withdrew the work in response to criticism but later reinstated it, defending freedom of artistic expression.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. 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Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

To read this film as an insult to the victims of the concentration camps, we feel is to misinterpret it," said the museum's director Maria Anna Potocka.

The film is still hosted on the museum's website, with a warning: "This page contains content intended for adults only."

A description states: "The film Berek (Game of Tag) was made in 1999. In it a group of people play a kids game. They are naked, they run around, they laugh a lot. But they are also very serious. They know where they are  in the gas chamber of a former Nazi extermination camp."

The Independent has contacted the Polish Embassy in London for comment, but none had arrived at the time of publication.
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Emmanuel Macron has pledged to make French the most spoken language in the world.

Speaking to students in Burkina Fasos capital Ouagadougou, the French president said his native tongue would "be the first language of Africa" and "perhaps of the world."

Mr Macron, who is currently on a tour of west African nations added that it should not be viewed as a relic of a colonial power.

He said: It is not just a heritage to be protected. It has a future and this future is playing out in. The radiance, the attractiveness of French does not just belong to France.

French is spoken by 274 million people worldwide, making it the fifth most-spoken language.

Mr Macron embarked on the three-day regional tour to boost relations with his country's former colonies and boost co-operation on issues including migration, terrorism and human rights.

 Emmanuel Macron claims Africa held back by 'civilisational' problems and women having 'seven or eight children'

He told the students in Ouagadougou that slavery and human trafficking in Libya was crime against humanity.

He said he wanted a European-African initiative to end the terrorists and human traffickers' strategy and proposed a crackdown on smuggler networks between the Africa and Europe.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Paris would not attempt to meddle in local politics, to end a history of Francafrique - a term often used to criticise Frances relations with its former colonies - he added.

I havent come here to tell you what is Frances African policy because there no longer is one, there is only a continent that we need to look straight in the face, Mr Macron said. "The crimes of European colonisation are unquestionable . . . Its a past that needs to pass.

Shortly before his arrival in Burkina Faso, authorities said several people were wounded by a hand grenade aimed at French soldiers, the Associated Press reported.

Eyewitnesses said two people on a motorcycle threw the grenade late in a neighbourhood of the Ouagadougou, but the assailants missed their target - a bus carrying members of the French military.

Police said several others were hurt.
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Italian authorities are using a Mussolini-era law to put an entire town under lockdown while they force through a gas pipeline against the wishes of the local community, activists have said.

A so-called red zone was declared around Melendugno by the central governments military police force this month, after months of protests against the effect of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) on the local area.

Activists on the ground who contacted The Independent say the police swooped in the middle of the night and barred people from leaving their homes, blockaded streets, and fenced off olive farms.

Recommended Nebraska approves final stage of controversial Keystone XL oil route

Some locals have been expelled and cannot access Melendugno... for the next three years, Sabina Giese, one resident of the town said.

We need a pass to use the roads and go home, in the evening there is only police in the roads and everything else is closed and abandoned. People are scared to come to the sea and go in the restaurant. Economy and tourism are affected.

The town, situated in the region of Puglia, in the heel of Italys boot, has been a centre of protests against the uprooting of thousands of centuries-old olive trees to make way for the pipeline.

The project is opposed by local residents and officials, who have been in a tense stand-off with the central government in Rome over the plans.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

On the night of 12 November, a local official in Lecce enacted ordinance Decreto Regio (Royal Decree) No 773, which dates back to 1931, to put the territory surrounding TAP construction site at the availability of the police.

Now a new barbed-wire fence and concrete barriers, as well as security patrols, are making it harder for local residents to move around the area. People who own land inside the so-called red zone need special permits to enter, but everyone else is barred  making it difficult to bring labour in to harvest olives inside the zone.

Locals have also complained of alleged property damage from the movement of vehicles. Local police could be reached for comment.

After progress was slowed by protesters in the spring, the consortium behind the pipeline was forced to wait until the start of November to again begin uprooting the trees  prompting the action of the police a week ago. The pipelines proponents say the trees can be re-planted after construction work on the project is finished.

TAP is being built to transport natural gas from Greece via Albania to Italy and onto the rest of western Europe. It would connect to another pipeline bringing gas from Azerbaijan.

The projects proponents say it would increase Europes energy security and reduce reliance on coal; it is on course to receive funding from the European Investment Bank.
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Two people have been killed after the father of a murder victim detonated two grenades in a courtroom in Ukraine.

The father was killed instantly and seven others were injured in the blast, police in Nikipol said.

The three defendants were among those wounded.

Seven others were injured in the blast, including the three defendants (Police handout)

Pictures from the scene showed blood on the floor of the wrecked courtroom.

In a statement, police said: "Today, on November 30, at 11.20, in the Nikopol court, during a hearing of the case on murder, the victim's father pulled out two grenades and blew them up.

The man died on the spot from the explosion.

"Three defendants, two convoy officers, a court officer and one civilian were injured.

All victims were taken to the hospital.

The grenades caused devastation and blew out the courtroom's windows (Police handout)

The Council of Judges of Ukraine confirmed two explosions had taken place.

In a statement on Facebook, they said: In the Nikopol City Court of the Dnipropetrovsk region, after the announcement of a break in the criminal case, there were two explosions.

There are dead and injured. Investigations are underway."

The trial was for a 2016 murder in which two people were shot and killed with a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
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Dutch authorities are investigating an apparent security breach that allowed a Bosnian Croat war criminal to take his own life in a courtroom.

Slobodan Praljak, 72, died in a hospital in The Hague on Wednesday within hours of drinking a vial of poison during the reading of his appeals judgment at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Prosecutors said the inquiry will focus on assisted suicide and will try to determine how the liquid was smuggled into a high-security building.

Praljak, who was convicted of war crimes in 2013 and sentenced to 20 years in prison, drank the liquid when a judge said his sentence would not be reduced.

He told the court: I am not a war criminal, I oppose this conviction.

The court appeared keen to carry on with proceedings, before Praljak told his translators: I have taken poison.

He was rushed to hospital but later died.

Vincent Veenman, spokesperson for the public prosecutors office in The Hague said preliminary testing confirmed the cause of death was drinking a liquid that can kill.

We cannot yet say what that substance was, he said, adding further testing was needed.

Police will look at what the deadly substance was and who provided it, as well as how Praljak managed to get it into the courtroom.

The investigation will also focus on the violation of the Medicines Act.

Speaking to CNN, Croatian lawyer Goran Mikulicic said anyone could have brought him a bottle of poison easily, but only lawyers were allowed to bring bags into the detention facility.

Praljak was convicted of crimes against humanity over the persecution, murders and deportation of Bosnian Muslims from territory captured by nationalist Bosnian Croats, who sought to create a mini-state in the country in the early 1990s.

An investigation was launched immediately after Praljak announced he had taken poison and the courtroom was sealed off.

Praljak is not the first war criminal or suspect to take their life while being detained in ICTY detention facilities.

In 1998, Slavko Dokmanovic, a Croatian Serb indicted by the ICTY on charges of participating in the deaths of more than 200 civilians in the Croatian city of Vukovar in November 1991, hung himself in his prison cell.

Milan Babic, the first President of the self-proclaimed Republic of Serbian Krajina, was found dead in his cell after an apparent suicide in 2006 while serving a 13-year prison sentence for crimes against humanity and war crimes against Croat civilians during the conflict in Croatia.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic died in custody suddenly at the age of 64 in 2006, several months before his trial on war crimes charges for his role in the Balkan conflicts was due to end.

An official report by the ICTY said Milosevic died of natural causes and no evidence of poisoning or suicide was found.

In a televised address the day after Praljak took his own life, Croatias President, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, said citizens had to admit that crimes were carried out by fellow Croats in Bosnia.

We Croats need to have the strength to admit that some of our fellow compatriots in Bosnia committed crimes and they have to be held responsible for them, she said.
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You can often chart the story of an HIV denialist live on social media. From dismissing the scientific truth about the virus to the development of Aids symptoms and ultimately to death, the progression is as predictable as it is heartbreaking.

They said that if I dont give my son the therapy, hed die over the New Year holidays. Of course, I didnt give him anything, wrote Sofia Kuzmina on 20 March 2013. Seven months pass, and she writes again. Now he isnt smiling, he isnt sitting in his buggy. They killed my son. Hes like a phoenix. Damned you Aids! The boy died just before his fourth birthday.

This year, Russia recorded the third highest number of new HIV cases anywhere in the world. But trust in doctors remains low, and a joined-up public health policy lacking. Within the cracks, a cult of pseudoscience has taken root. Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of Russians now deny the basic facts about HIV. In the last three years alone, there have been at least 70 deaths attributable to HIV denialism, many of them young children.

 UK's longest-surviving HIV patient speaks out

Two weeks ago, authorities were finally moved to action. A regional court in Perm, western Siberia, took up the case of a woman who had ignored the protestations of doctors, and over three years withheld treatment from her dying eight-year-old son. The mother was sentenced to 18 months home arrest, the first ever punishment of its kind.

Meanwhile, a trial is ongoing in neighbouring Tyumen, over the death of a two-year-old girl denied treatment by HIV-sceptic parents.

Anya Shevchenko, who died aged five due to Aids denialism (Vkontakte)

For Kirill Vorobyev, a doctor specialising in infectious diseases, it is a case of too little and  quite evidently  too late. Why, he asks, did social services do nothing in the case of a 10-year-old girl who died in August in St Petersburg? Activists, after all, had repeatedly raised the alarm several times during the childs excruciating final months. For whatever reason, those in charge chose not to take her away from her foster father, a local priest.

And what is 18 month home arrest in any case? says Vorobyev. That is a very lenient sentence for murder.

Since 2014, Vorobyov has managed a social media group on Vkontakte, Russias Facebook, designed to counteract bogus online information about HIV. His group monitors Russias denial communities for clues about people, especially children, who might be at risk. When possible, they alert the authorities and try to pull people away. Sometimes they are successful, but more often than not they are not.

HIV denialism can be a closed group, says Vorobyov, and the ties that bind leaders to new victims are strong: Sometimes, theres nothing you can do.

Denialism is usually a coping mechanism for people in crisis, says former HIV denialist Julia Vereshchagina. Vereshchagina found out her positive diagnosis in 2007, after being tested without her consent during a routine appendicitis operation. She found out the news after doctors paid a visit to her parents house. They incorrectly told her mother that she had not just HIV, but full-blown Aids.

Thats when my denialism began  I understand the way I was told had a colossal effect on how I accepted things later, she says.

A positive diagnosis handled badly is often the main trigger for HIV denialism, agrees Kirill Barsky, programme director of Steps, an HIV patient group in Moscow. Vereschaginas case is an extreme example of how not to inform patients, but it isnt unique. Typically, Russians will discover their fate from an A4 envelope, he says. They wont even have to open it; the diagnosis will already be written on the doctors white face.

A test-tube with HIV positive blood in an infectious diseases hospital in Moscow (AFP/Getty ) (AFP/Getty)

Proper psychological support is unusual. If they are lucky, patients will be told about antiretroviral therapy, and about the possibility of extending their life expectancy to near-normal levels. Or they might not. Just as likely, they will come away with the impression they have contracted the modern-day plague, with no more than a couple of years of life left.

So desperate patients turn to alcohol, drugs, and then they turn to the internet. Here they make a discovery that HIV doesnt have to exist. That HIV doesnt cause Aids. That it's the toxic medicine and anal sex that cause Aids. Change the lifestyle, bathe yourself in hot springs, give yourself a silver enema, and everything will be just fine. Perhaps youd like to buy this miracle cure for cancer too? These are, after all, very fertile grounds for all kinds of swindlers.

Russias army of HIV conspiracists include prominent TV personalities like Alexander Gordon, but perhaps its most influential is a woman called Olga Kovekh. A former military doctor, Kovekh was, at least until recently, a regular expert on federal TV. She has dished out advice about the widest spectrum of medical conditions  doubting the existence of pneumonia, the benefit of vaccinations, and even suggesting TB could be cured with the proper administration of ham sandwiches. But it was on HIV where her wisdom was most pernicious. Her shadowy role advising the parents of young HIV denial victims has been so well documented that a local publication took to calling her Dr Death.

Conspiracy theorists include prominent TV presenter Alexander Gordon (  )

The Independent tried on several occasions to speak with Kovekh, but unsuccessfully. In a series of aggressive messages, it was told by an anonymous administrator on the doctors Vkontakte group  likely by Kovekh herself  to mind its own f***ing business.

Its like a sect: youre either with them, and thats OK, or you doubt things  and that means youre not praying properly, says ex-denialist Vereschagina. If youre not getting better, it means you arent following the recommendations, or youre depressed. I remember one denialist asked me if I had contracted HIV from stress.

For the quietly spoken head of the Federal Aids Centre, Vadim Pokrovsky, dealing with demagoguery is part of the job. It has accompanied his lifes work at every step, he says  right from the moment he began looking for HIV-positive patients in what was then the Soviet Union.

People used to dismiss the disease as a disease of capitalism, saying that Russia couldnt possibly have it because there was no prostitution here, he says. Incidentally, that was also untrue.

It took a little while, but Pokrovsky and his team eventually documented the first HIV case in 1985, involving a migrant from South Africa, and the first case involving a Russian two years later. Only when the top officials came and saw them did they believe such people existed, he says.

In the mid-1980s, not all of the scientific arguments had been settled. It wasnt yet proven that HIV caused Aids, whether this happened in all patients, or whether HIV was a co-morbid condition.

Famously, the American scientist Peter Duesberg wrote a paper in the Cancer Research journal claiming the Aids virus is not sufficient to cause Aids and there is no evidence ... that it is necessary for Aids. Duesbergs arguments are the basis of the ideas of Russias HIV denialists today. But they have been debunked conclusively, and Duesberg has been disowned by the scientific community.

 Hundreds protest at Russian embassy over 'gay concentration camps' in Chechnya

Three decades after the discovery of the virus, it all looks frankly absurd, says Pokrovsky.

When it appeared in 1996, so-called combination antiretroviral therapy transformed HIV outcomes. It is now not only effective at reducing viral loads to undetectable levels, but is also well-tolerated in patients. The UN has called for it to be at the centre of a push to curb the epidemic worldwide. It calls its model 90-90-90: if you catch 90 per cent of infections, treat 90 per cent of them immediately, and achieve undetectable viral loads in 90 per cent of the treated cases, youll be in a good place.

Russia might be a world leader in testing, with 25 million tests administered last year. But on the treatment front, it is sorely lacking. Owing to shortages and the problems with the financing of drugs, perhaps only 30 per cent of affected Russians are treated.

In effect, there are several hundred thousand people waiting in line for the drugs, says Vinay Saldanha, UNAids Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Those are several hundred people who could be transmitting the virus.

This is most definitely a problem for all Russians, says Vadim Pokrovsky, head of the Federal Aids Centre (AFP/Getty)

Treatment has already made inroads into the epidemic in traditional hotspots such as Africa, says Saldanha. But Russia remains far from a breakthrough. What is worse, the epidemic looks to be moving to a new phase, making a definitive transition from vulnerable groups to the main population. Already half of new cases in Russia are now from heterosexual contact.

That is enough to raise concerns that the country is heading the same route as Africa, where heterosexual sexual contact is now the main transmission, says Pokrovsky. HIV is most definitely a problem for all Russians.

After a long time in relative denial, there are signs the Russian government is beginning to treat the problem with the seriousness it deserves. Last year, a new state strategy was drawn up, one that would commit Russia to a 75 per cent reduction in new cases by 2020, and to achieving proper treatment rates of 60 per cent in the same timeframe.

Buried in the second half of the strategy is also a promise to criminalise HIV denialism by the end of 2018.

Its is a positive turn, no doubt, but so far it is also only words and promises, says Pokrovsky. Until they deliver on it, and on money, the problem isnt going to go away.
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The founder of private military company Blackwater, infamous for causing the deaths of civilians in Iraq, has suggested that his company could step in to help solve the current migrant crisis in Libya.

I imagine that Europe wants to block the flow of migrants in the most humane and professional way possible. I do not think that paying militias is a solution in the long run, Erik Prince said in a Wednesday interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

Mr Prince said his new China-based company, Frontier Services Group, would be able to intercept smugglers trucks and the thousands of sub-Saharan Africans who make their way to a better life in Europe through Libya with relative ease, repatriating migrants back to their home countries.

 Smugglers in Libya sell migrants as slaves

Frontier Services Group could do so for a fraction of the price the EU currently spends on coastguard and other operations intercepting boats in the Mediterranean and running detention centres in Italy and Greece, he claimed.

The traffic of human beings from Sudan, Chad, Niger is an industrial process, the mercenary went on.

To stop it, you have to create a Libyan border police along the southern border.

Mr Prince said his company would deploy 750 staff to train Libyan police forces and set up three bases around the country.

Giles Duley  capturing moments of hope in the refugee crisis Show all 13 1 /13 Giles Duley  capturing moments of hope in the refugee crisis Giles Duley  capturing moments of hope in the refugee crisis Giles Duley Giles Duley  capturing moments of hope in the refugee crisis Giles Duley Giles Duley  capturing moments of hope in the refugee crisis Giles Duley Giles Duley  capturing moments of hope in the refugee crisis Giles Duley Giles Duley  capturing moments of hope in the refugee crisis Giles Duley Giles Duley  capturing moments of hope in the refugee crisis Giles Duley Giles Duley  capturing moments of hope in the refugee crisis Giles Duley Giles Duley  capturing moments of hope in the refugee crisis Giles Duley Giles Duley  capturing moments of hope in the refugee crisis Giles Duley Giles Duley  capturing moments of hope in the refugee crisis Giles Duley Giles Duley  capturing moments of hope in the refugee crisis Giles Duley Giles Duley  capturing moments of hope in the refugee crisis Giles Duley Giles Duley  capturing moments of hope in the refugee crisis Giles Duley

The international communitys attention has refocused on Libya in the wake of a video obtained by CNN earlier this month which showed two men being sold as big strong boys for farm work at a militia-run slave auction for $200 (149) each.

Reports of detention in squalid conditions, rapes, beatings and other horrors are common.

Protest movements are growing around the world and the UN has condemned the practices as constituting possible crimes against humanity.

It is believed the situation has worsened this year since the Italian government allegedly began paying militant groups and smugglers to stem the flow of migrants over the sea.

The Guardian reported that Mr Prince is meeting Libyan prime minister Fayez Serraj at the White House on Friday in an apparent attempt to drum up both Trump administration and EU support for his plans in Libya.

Frontier Services Group made no comment on the issue.

Mr Prince donated thousands of dollars to Mr Trumps election campaign and his sister Betsy DeVos is education secretary.

It is believed Mr Prince will run for a seat in the US Senate as a Republican candidate in Wyoming in 2018.

His pitch to the White House earlier this year to send 5,500 private contractors to aid US troops in Afghanistan was rejected by the Pentagon.

 Libyan Coast Guard puts refugees and rescuers in danger during rescue operation at sea

In 2007 employees of Blackwater, the company Mr Prince sold in 2010, were accused of killing 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians after opening fire on a Baghdad crowd.

Four men were convicted of manslaughter. Mr Prince himself testified in Congress but was not charged with any wrongdoing.

It is believed Blackwater won around $1bn in contracts from the US government during the Iraq war.
The Bible, the best-selling book ever, has been translated in entirety into more than 635 languages. The New Testament has been translated into more than 1,440 languages. The Bible is comprised of 66 separate books  39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament  with nearly 3,000 languages having at least one of those books. But these statistics pale in comparison to the astonishing array of facts, truths, teachings and principles presented in the Bible, all believed to have been written and compiled under the inspiration of God.

With that in mind, if someone were to ask, Whats the most amazing fact in the Bible? how would you respond?

One might be tempted to reply, Where do I start? There are so many things that we could cite. But recently, reading a book about the early history of CBMC  a ministry to business and professional men  I came across a statement that caused me to nod in agreement, Yes, that is the most amazing fact in the Bible. What is it? I wont keep you in suspense for long.

In the book was the story of Waldo Yeager of Toledo, Ohio, one of CBMCs early leaders. He had written a gospel tract called Lifes Most Amazing Fact, and was explaining to another leader in his city what that fact was.

Yeager proceeded to acknowledge that in their community he would have been widely considered a good sort of fellow, an average businessman at least, a good husband and father. But people dont really know me. My wife and my two boys know me a little better than you do, and they are quite charitable with me. But you know, even they dont really know me.

Then he concluded, Theres only one Person who really does know me, and thats God Himself. He knows all about me, my weaknesses, the myriad things I would not dare to expose, even to my own family. Yes, He knows all about me, and heres the amazing fact  He still loves me!

That, in the proverbial nutshell, is the most amazing fact in the Bible. God, the holy, all-knowing, omnipresent deity that many of us worship, knows each one of us  faults, imperfections, sins and all  and still loves us. Thats truly justifies the adjective, amazing.

Most of us do reasonably well at maintaining a good front. We like people to think highly of us, and have become skilled at showing our most favorable side  unless, of course, someone really ticks us off, in which case our facades come down. We want folks to say of us, Hes a good guy, or Shes a nice woman. But in the presence of God  which is all the time  He knows us as we really are on the inside.

As King David wrote, Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:7-24).

Elsewhere in the Scriptures, were reminded, There is no one righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10). From childhood, we begin cultivating the skill of acting as if we have it all together, even when we dont. No sense letting people see us at our worst, right? As Abraham Lincoln once said, we can fool all the people some of the time.

But God isnt deceived. He knows who we truly are, on the inside as well as out. And He still loves us! That, as Waldo Yeager said many years ago, is the most amazing fact in the Bible.

----





Robert J. Tamasy is a veteran journalist, former newspaper editor and magazine editor. Bob has written hundreds of magazine articles, and authored, co-authored and edited more than 15 books. These include the newly re-published, Business At Its Best, Tufting Legacies, The Heart of Mentoring, and Pursuing Life With a Shepherds Heart. He edits a weekly business meditation, Monday Manna, which is translated into more than 20 languages and distributed via email around the world by CBMC International. To read more of Bob Tamasys writings, you can visit his blog, www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com, or his website (now being completed), www.bobtamasy-readywriterink.com. He can be emailed at btamasy@comcast.net.
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Saudi Arabia doesnt give a damn about the Palestinian cause, a former Israeli security advisor has said, as long as it can cement a deal with Israel against Iran.

The Kingdom is willing to accept almost any kind of Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus former defence minister Yaacov Nagal said in an interview with The Telegraph.

They just have to say there is an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, they dont care, they dont give a damn about what will be in the agreement, Mr Nagel said.

 Trump: Israelis and Palestinians are 'reaching for peace'

They need to say there is an agreement in order to go for next steps.

In recent months, relations between Riyadh and Tehran have deteriorated - while Saudi Arabia and Israels relationship, united by their common foe of Iran, appears to be warming.

Establishing diplomatic relations would please US President Donald Trump, who counts the two countries as among his strongest allies against the perceived threat from Tehran.

Brokering a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is one of the Trump administrations only clear foreign policy goals to date.

While the US seeks to unite Saudi Arabia and other Arab states with Israel against Iran, many Middle Eastern countries are reluctant to get too close to the Israelis without progress on the Palestinian issue.

Palestinians protest the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration Show all 8 1 /8 Palestinians protest the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration Palestinians protest the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration Protesters wave Palestinian flags and carry a defaced photo of Theresa May and Arthur Balfour AP Palestinians protest the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration A young protester holds a sign reading 'UK government should hang it's head in shame...' REUTERS Palestinians protest the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration Palestinians participate in a march to protest the 100th anniversary of Britain's Balfour Declaration AFP/Getty Images Palestinians protest the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration Protesters participate in the march AFP/Getty Images Palestinians protest the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration Protesters gather in the centre of the West Bank city of Ramallah AFP/Getty Images Palestinians protest the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration Palestinians protest against the Balfour Declaration on its 100th anniversary EPA Palestinians protest the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration Palestinians protest EPA Palestinians protest the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration Palestinian protesters burn a mock of Prime Minister Theresa May and Arthur James Balfour EPA

Saudi leaders themselves have to date not committed to formally normalising relations with the Jewish state.

Publicly, Riyadhs position is that Israel must abide by the 1967 Green Line for any such negotiations to take place.
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The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been forced to purchase emergency stopgap fuel in order to stop two cities in war-torn Yemen from completely running out of drinking water.

Last week, Saudi Arabia lifted a blockade on Houthi rebel-controlled parts of the country, allowing some aid to resume. Riyadh leads an Arab coalition in the civil war fighting on behalf of Yemens exiled government.

However, the UN and various aid organisations have warned that more than 7 million people in Yemen are living on the brink of famine, and, without access to commercial imports such as fuel, millions more lives are in danger.

 Yemen: More than 50,000 children expected to die of starvation and disease by end of year

Without unfettered access to goods such as fuel generators, which power hospitals, and treated drinking water, the country is still on track for a large-scale famine.

The fuel shortage is now critical, with water systems in nine cities left without fuel to run pumps, ICRC spokesperson Iolanda Jaquemet said on Wednesday.

More than a dozen health facilities have already been forced to close for lack of water.

As a last resort and in light of the large and urgent needs we are purchasing fuel to supply the urban water corporations in Hodeida and Taiz with fuel, enough to operate their water pumps for one month, she told Reuters.

The situation in Yemen Show all 14 1 /14 The situation in Yemen The situation in Yemen Houthi supporters trample on a US flag during a gathering mobilizing more fighters into several Yemeni battlefronts, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen People carry the coffins of men, who were killed in the recent Saudi-led airstrikes during their funeral, in the Old City of Sanaa, Yemen AP The situation in Yemen Pro-government fighters give food to Yemeni children on the road leading to the southwestern port city of Mokha. Yemeni rebels are putting up fierce resistance in a key Red Sea port city where they are encircled by pro-government force Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni stands in front of a graffiti protesting US military operations in war-affected Yemen, in Sana'a, Yemen. According to reports, US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen A Yemeni female fighter supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, takes part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen Yemeni female fighters supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, take part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A boy shouts slogans next to pro-Houthi fighters, who have been injured during recent fighting, during a rally held to honour those injured or maimed while fighting in Houthi ranks in Sanaa, Yemen Reuters The situation in Yemen Balls of fire and smoke rise from a Houthi-held military camp following alleged Saudi-led airstrikes, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy looks on as Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy sits amidst the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa AFP/Getty The situation in Yemen Marine One with US President Donald Trump flies with a decoy and support helicopters to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, for the dignified transfer of Navy Seal Chief Petty Officer William 'Ryan' Owens who was killed in Yemen Getty Images The situation in Yemen US President Donald Trump aboard the Marine One to greet the remains of a US military commando killed during a raid on the al Qaeda militant group in southern Yemen on Sunday, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, US Reuters

The lack of fuel has a cascading impact on several vital sectors, Ms Jaquemet added.

Prices of food as well as fuel have risen sharply as a result of the recent three-week long blockade, the World Food Programme said last week.

It is estimated an additional 3.2 million people have been pushed into hunger as a result.

More than 20 million Yemenis  two-thirds of the population  have become reliant on humanitarian help since the civil war erupted in March 2015.

More than 10,000 people have died in the conflict to date as a result of violence, the worlds largest cholera epidemic, starvation and other diseases. Aid agencies warn the true statistics are likely to be much higher.

The Saudi blockade was put in place as a retaliation to a rebel Houthi missile that was intercepted near the Saudi capital of Riyadh on 4 November.

Iran has denied supplying the Houthis with weapons.

Saudi Arabia and its regional partners have justified an extensive bombing campaign on the Shia Houthi rebels, who are backed by the Kingdoms regional rival, Iran.

The intense air strikes have, in some cases, targeted hospitals and funeral gatherings.

Western governments, including the UK, have been heavily criticised for selling weapons export licences to Saudi Arabia, which rights groups say are destined for use in Yemens war
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North Koreas state news agency has released photos showing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspecting military hardware following the isolated nations latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

A global chorus of condemnations greeted the launch, which propelled a missile roughly 1,000 km into the sea near Japan.

While advocating a peaceful resolution to North Korean belligerence and urging other countries to sever all ties to North Korea, Americas ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley warned that the firing made conflict more likely, in which case the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed.

In this undated photo provided on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects an intercontinental ballistic missile test in North Korea on Wednesday, Nov. 29 ((Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP))

But North Korea celebrated the test as the latest sign of its evolving military prowess.

According to state media, Mr Kim described the act as a breakthrough and said it demonstrated North Koreas expanded military capabilities.

Kim Jong Un declared with pride that now we have finally realised the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power, a statement read by a television presenter said.

In this undated photo provided on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects an intercontinental ballistic missile test in North Korea on Wednesday, Nov. 29 (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

The missile flew higher than any before it, leading to fears that Washington DC was now theoretically within range of a North Korean strike.

State programming said the missile was significantly more powerful than past iterations, capable of holding a super-large heavy nuclear warhead and reaching the whole mainland of the United States.

This Nov. 29, 2017, image provided by the North Korean government on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, third from left, and what the North Korean government calls the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, in North Korea (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

The launch prompted global outrage, as has become normal after such events.

US President Donald Trump tweeted that he would impose additional major sanctions on top of the already-onerous restrictions put in place by the UN this year.

Japans UN Ambassador Koro Bessho said the international community must keep the pressure up so that North Koreans will understand that they need to change their course.

However, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he was not giving up on the diplomatic route.

In this photo provided on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects an intercontinental ballistic missile test in North Korea on Wednesday, Nov. 29 (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

State media said the missile was significantly more powerful than past iterations, capable of holding a super-large heavy nuclear warhead and reaching the whole mainland of the United States.

The launch was presented inside the reclusive state as a victory against the US imperialists nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat, and North Korea was described as a responsible nuclear power.
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Donald Trump has labelled North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un a sick puppy, as his ambassador to the UN said that the regime in Pyongyang would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out in the wake of the latest ballistic missile test by Pyongyang.

The intercontinental ballistic missile travelled around 1,000 km and remained airborne for just under an hour before plunging into the sea near Japan, with North Korea claiming it as a breakthrough that will allow it to strike the mainland United States.

Thee US has taken the lead among world powers in calling for tougher action against North Korea and has repeatedly made clear the threat Pyongyang poses, often using bellicose rhetoric. UN ambassador Nikki Haley was no different, telling an emergency session of the UN Security Council that there would only be one winner if military force was required.

We have never sought war with North Korea, and still... we do not seek it, Ms Haley said. "If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed ... And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed.

Recommended North Korea holds wild celebrations after firing ICBM towards Japan

Ms Haley also called on all nations to "cut ties" with North Korea.

Earlier, President Trump used a rally in Missouri  where he was discussing tax reform  to revive his little rocket man taunt against Mr Kim - and having urged for restraint in rhetoric, regional allies such as South Korea may view the latest insults by Mr Trump with trepidation. North Korean state media has repeatedly called Mr Trump an old lunatic  with the US presidents added jibe of Mr Kim being a sick puppy being in a similar vein that many will not find helpful.

He seemingly could not help responding to the way North Korea trumpeted launch, with a state media lauding the greatest ICBM as a significantly more powerful weapon capable of being armed with a super-large heavy nuclear warhead that could attack the whole mainland of the United States. The country has repeatedly threatened the United States and its Asian allies with military action.

After watching the successful launch of the new type ICBM Hwasong-15, Kim Jong-un declared with pride that now we have finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power, a statement read on state television said.

It the third time in recent months North Korea has displayed its advancing military prowess by hurling a projectile towards Japan. It has also tested what was almost certainly its first hydrogen bomb.

In the morning Mr Trump tweeted that "major" sanctions would be imposed as the UN and world powers seek a more effective way forcing North Korea to go no further down its current path towards the nuclear weapons it believes it needs to defend itself. Assessing the impact of the latest missile launch, US Secretary of Defence James Mattis said it had flown higher than any previous launch and advanced North Koreas goal of being able to threaten everywhere in the world. An expert with the Union of Concerned Scientists calculated that the missiles trajectory could theoretically allow it to hit Washington, DC.

World leaders from Germany to China to Russia condemned the launch and urged North Korea to abandon its military ambitions. Mr Trump, who has persistently warned that America is willing to punish North Korea with military force, with multiple rounds of United Nations sanctions and Mr Trumps recent move to declare North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, achieving little.

North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Show all 13 1 /13 North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Pyongyang residents react after the news of the successful launch of the new intercontinental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Images North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un signing an order to test-fire the newly developed inter-continental ballistic missile KRT via AP Video North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch A news broadcast displays Kim Jong Un's signed document AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch People cheer as they watch the news broadcast announcing Kim Jong Un's order to test-fire the new inter-continental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Images North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Residents react after the document signing AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Pyongyang residents celebrate Kim Jong Un's announcement AFP/Getty North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Cheering Pyongyang residents react AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch To counter North Korea's missile test, South Korea fired missiles into the East Sea The Defence Ministry/Yonhap via REUTERS North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The Hyunmu-2 missiles firing during the drill South Korean Defense Ministry vi North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The exercise was carried out in an attempt to counter Kim Jong Un's order South Korea Defense Ministry via AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The South Korean army continue to carry out military exercises AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Where K-9 self-propelled howitzers were taking part in a drill Rex Features North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch US soldiers are also present in the border city of Paju AFP/Getty Images

A day after saying his administration would take care of it, Mr Trump also tweeted he had spoken to Chinese President Xi Jingping about the crisis. Mr Trump has pushed for China  North Koreas largest trading partner and the nation able to exert the most pressure economically and politically  to do more to rein in Pyongyang. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters that financial institutions could be among the targets for a long list of additional potential sanctions at the global communitys disposal, building on his previous comment that diplomatic options remain viable and open, for now.

According to a readout of Mr Trumps call with the Chinese President, Mr Trump emphasized the need for China to use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization.

Chinas Foreign Ministry expressed grave concern and opposition to the launch by its neighbour and economic partner and urged all parties to act cautiously to preserve peace and stability.

The country has broken with Mr Trumps approach in rejecting the use of military force to resolve tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and it has reprimanded both North Korea and the United States for fuelling a cycle of aggression. It has urged the United States to halt joint military exercise with South Korea that North Korea considers a prelude to war.

Mr Trump has matched North Koreas violent rhetoric, warning America would rain down fire and fury on the nation. While seeking to temper such rhetoric, a number of other nations have made clear that action must be taken now to avert potential catastrophe.

Frances UN. Ambassador Francois Delattre said ahead of the Security Council meeting that the threat from North Korea has changed dramatically over a few months to being global and immediate and France wants tougher sanctions to maximize pressure on Mr Kims regime.

Mr Delattre said that the scope and scale of the Norths nuclear threat has moved from being regional and potential, arguing that now weakness or ambiguity are simply not an option.

He added: Maximum firmness... is our best antidote to the risk of war and our best tool to promote a political solution.
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The US Ambassador to the United Nations has warned that North Koreas ruling regime would be utterly destroyed if the countrys continued aggression sparks a military conflict.

If war comes make no mistake: the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed, Nikki Haley said during a UN Security Council meeting that followed North Koreas latest launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, an action Ms Haley warned brings us closer to war.

We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday, Ms Haley said.

Calling on the international community to deepen the nuclear-armed states isolation, Ms Haley urged every country in the world to cut off all ties with North Korea, including a total cessation of diplomatic relations. She exhorted other countries to expel North Korean labourers and to unravel their scientific and diplomatic connections.

While the top American diplomat noted that multiple countries have recalled their ambassadors or suspended diplomatic ties in reaction to Pyongyangs continued aggression, she said North Koreas third launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile launch in recent months forced a critical choice for the rest of the world.

No one can doubt that this threat is growing, Ms Haley said of a missile that soared higher than previous tests before crashing into the sea near Japan and prompted North Korea to boast it was now capable of striking the mainland United States.

North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Show all 13 1 /13 North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Pyongyang residents react after the news of the successful launch of the new intercontinental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Images North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un signing an order to test-fire the newly developed inter-continental ballistic missile KRT via AP Video North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch A news broadcast displays Kim Jong Un's signed document AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch People cheer as they watch the news broadcast announcing Kim Jong Un's order to test-fire the new inter-continental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Images North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Residents react after the document signing AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Pyongyang residents celebrate Kim Jong Un's announcement AFP/Getty North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Cheering Pyongyang residents react AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch To counter North Korea's missile test, South Korea fired missiles into the East Sea The Defence Ministry/Yonhap via REUTERS North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The Hyunmu-2 missiles firing during the drill South Korean Defense Ministry vi North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The exercise was carried out in an attempt to counter Kim Jong Un's order South Korea Defense Ministry via AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch The South Korean army continue to carry out military exercises AP North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch Where K-9 self-propelled howitzers were taking part in a drill Rex Features North Korea announces intercontinental missile launch US soldiers are also present in the border city of Paju AFP/Getty Images

Yesterday the North Korean regime made a choice. It chose to feed its nuclear aggression and to thumb its nose at the world, she said.

While the UN has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions in an effort to stymie North Koreas nuclear program, the nation has proceeded with tests of evermore sophisticated weapons, including intercontinental ballistic missiles and a likely hydrogen bomb. Ms Haley echoed other Security Council members in noting the nation was in clear violation of multiple sanctions.

Ms Halley lauded the UN penalties as the most impactful sanctions that any country has experienced in a generation, but she warned that North Korea was thwarting new restrictions with the aid of other nations. She noted reports that the North Korean regime continued to smuggle coal into other Asian countries, flouting a ban on exports, and said the country was still illegally obtaining refined petroleum.

There are countries that are continuing to fund the North Korean nuclear program, Ms Haley warned.

Donald Trump urged a diplomatic solution to North Korean belligerence, saying on Twitter that he and Chinese President Xi Jingping had spoken about additional major sanctions in a call during which Mr Trump emphasized the need for China to use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations, according to a White House readout of the call. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson suggested that new sanctions could target financial institutions.

While Mr Trump and administration officials like Ms Haley have refused to rule out a military strike on North Korea, China has rejected that option and said only diplomacy can quell the crisis on the Korean peninsula. A military clash on the Korean Peninsula would bring armed conflict near China's border.

China's UN representative stressed that line after Ms Haley spoke, calling on all parties involved to keep restraint and promoting dialogue and negotiations over conflict and chaos.

China has rebuked both North Korea and America for escalating tensions. After the latest launch Mr Trump renewed a war of words that has seen him regularly taunt North Korean leadership, calling North Korean leader Kim Jong-un a sick puppy.
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This must be what its like to walk around inside the Death Star, I said to my friend as we strolled around the Louvre Abu Dhabi, a landmark for both art and architecture which opened to the public on 11 November.

Imagined as a museum city by architect Jean Nouvel  a collection of more than 50 buildings, including 23 galleries holding 600 works of art  its stark, white walls are bordered by lagoons, with most structures housed beneath a vast domed roof.

A deal between Abu Dhabi and France will see the Louvre name leased for a period of 30 years (this isnt an official Louvre franchise), with loans of high profile artworks from Frances major museums filling many of the walls as the new sibling fills its own collection. The works on display for its opening come from Paris greats as well as the Louvre itself: the Musee dOrsay, Centre Pompidou, Chateau de Versailles, Musee Rodin, Musee Guimet and Musee du quai Branly. Works have also been sourced from galleries outside France  the National Museum of Oman, for example.

So what are the highlights? Well, the most photographed artwork (photography without flash is allowed) appears to be Jacques-Louis Davids large painting of Napoleon crossing the Alps, on loan from Versailles. Its a bizarre top pick, though The New York Timess theory is that works that qualify as classics to a Western viewer feel surreally exotic at the multiculturalist Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Inside the Louvre Abu Dhabi Show all 9 1 /9 Inside the Louvre Abu Dhabi Inside the Louvre Abu Dhabi Visitors sit on steps looking out to the lagoons of the museum Cynthia Drescher Inside the Louvre Abu Dhabi Jenny Holzers specially commissioned artwork sees an ancient Sumerian script engraved into the museums wall Cynthia Drescher Inside the Louvre Abu Dhabi Ai Weiweis Fountain of Light Cynthia Drescher Inside the Louvre Abu Dhabi The views at dusk are fantastic Cynthia Drescher Inside the Louvre Abu Dhabi Go now before the place is overrun with visitors Cynthia Drescher Inside the Louvre Abu Dhabi Maintenance workers board rubber boats to clean the lagoons Cynthia Drescher Inside the Louvre Abu Dhabi A maintenance worker fishes rubbish out of the lagoons Cynthia Drescher Inside the Louvre Abu Dhabi The Rain of Light dome roof by Jean Nouvel is a popular selfie spot Cynthia Drescher Inside the Louvre Abu Dhabi The Louvre is a collection of 60 buildings housing 23 galleries Cynthia Drescher

If Napoleon isnt your thing, theres Leonardo da Vincis La Belle Ferroniere, on loan from the Louvre Paris  a female portrait almost as enigmatic as its more famous cousin the Mona Lisa, only with a fraction of the crowds perusing it.

Other works include Monets La Gare Saint-Lazare, Picassos Portrait of a Lady, a Van Gogh self-portrait, and works by Magritte, Pollock, Warhol and Cy Twombly. Ai Weiweis illuminated crystal tower structure forms the grand finale for the enclosed galleries, leading visitors out to an outdoor piazza beneath the dome of the museum. Even the roof  called Rain of Light by Nouvel  is a work of art in itself, with sunlight piercing its eight layers and 400,000 aluminum and stainless steel components, projecting geometric shapes on the floor below.

Unlike the Paris Louvre, which is a daunting undertaking even for a day-long visit, the new branch is doable in only a few hours, and travellers on an Abu Dhabi stopover can easily fit it in between flights. Be aware, though, that it still appears to be in a soft opening period, with viewing terraces unfinished, some signs marked off with masking tape as they wait for paint, and the gift shop so far lacking any Louvre-branded merchandise.

Wayfinding in general is an issue, with signage either lacking or confusing, and paths leading to locked glass doors. The situation is especially dire for artworks in the outdoor spaces, such as a granite and slate fountain from 18th century Damascus and, a few turns away, Jenny Holzers specially commissioned work, which sees an ancient Sumerian script chiselled across an entire stone wall. These see few visitors, as no clear routes to visit them are marked on the paper maps or on the walls.

Also, prepare for a strict routing system  I tried to double back into the galleries having been to the cafe, but was forced out to rescan my ticket at the main entrance. (Talking of the cafe, it has a terrace with to-die-for views but the lack of rubbish bins combined with breeze means that the remains of meals are constantly blown into the museums lagoons, with workers rushing to retrieve them with fishing nets in small inflatable boats.)

Ai Weiweis Fountain of Light (Cynthia Drescher)

The Louvre is on Saadiyat Island, a 20-minute taxi ride from Abu Dhabis Corniche beach front (of which there are spectacular views from the museum) or a 30-minute taxi ride from the airport. Authorities have marked the area as a cultural district, with plans for a Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry, a performing arts centre by Zaha Hadid Architects, and a national museum of the United Arab Emirates in partnership with the British Museum, to be designed by Foster + Partners. None of the these have begun construction yet, however, and, seeing how the Louvre was originally scheduled for a 2012 opening, dont bet on museum-hopping on Saadiyat for perhaps another decade.

So is it worth a visit? Absolutely, and the sooner the better. As word spreads of the treasures on show inside, and the snaps taken of its photogenic angles rack up Instagram likes, crowds will grow, and fast. It is a masterpiece of contemporary architecture stocked with some of the most important and renowned artworks on Earth, and it isnt yet troubled by the round-the-block, day-ruining queues of the Paris Louvre.

Travel essentials

Getting there

Etihad flies to Abu Dhabi from Heathrow from 369 return.

Staying there

Saadiyat Island is home to two beach-front, five-star resorts. The Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi has doubles from from 220, room only, and the St. Regis Saadiyat Island has doubles from 240, room only.

More information

The Louvre Abu Dhabi is closed Mondays, and open 10am-8pm every day except Thursday and Friday when it closes at 10pm. Entrance is 60 AED (12); buying advance tickets online is highly recommended.

louvreabudhabi.ae
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For the past half-century in villages, towns and cities the length and breadth of Britain, Dr Richard Beeching has been blamed for dismantling the nations railways. With The Reshaping of British Railways, the doctor ordered thousands of miles of track to be ripped up and hundreds of stations to be closed, leaving todays network a skeleton of its former self.

Recommended Rail lines axed by Beeching in the 1960s could be reopened

While the chairman of the British Railways Board used some very narrow cost-benefit analysis to deem lines uneconomic, it was governments of both main parties that wielded the Beeching axe. Since then, communities across the UK have advanced some convincing arguments for reopening sections closed in the countrywide cull. So for the Department for Transport suddenly to appeal for nominations for railway rescue rings hollow. But in the hope that money and momentum may soon be found to re-connect the nation, six lines look ripe for reincarnation.

Carlisle-Tweedbank

The line between Carlisle and Edinburgh along the Waverley Route cuts through some spectacular countryside and remote settlements. Its closure in 1969 left the Borders as the only region of Britain without a rail service.

In the single most successful reverse of Beeching so far, two years ago the line from the Scottish capital as far as Tweedbank  about 35 miles away  reopened on 6 September 2015 as the Borders Railway.

Poor planning of the 300m project, in particular underestimating passenger demand, cutting back on double tracking and inadequate rolling stock, led to widespread delays and cancellations in the first year. But the line is now an essential part of the regions infrastructure, and the case for extending it south to Carlisle looks solid. It would reopen the most direct route between London and Edinburgh, remove the absurd need for England-bound passengers from Galashiels to head north before they go south, and spur more tourism to a scenic and historic part of Scotland that welcomes far fewer visitors than it should.

Likelihood: 7/10

Carmarthen-Aberystwyth

Wales has a sad claim to fame: the highest concentration of heritage railways in the world. Some of these enthusiast-run lines fulfil an important role in connecting the nation, such as the Ffestiniog Mountain Railway through Snowdonia. But elsewhere the Beeching cuts have made journeys between locations in west Wales extremely protracted: if you miss the 1.55pm departure from Swansea to Pwllheli, for example, you cannot reach the resort on the same day. A restored line would better than halve the seven-hour journey time. And, from an aesthetic perspective, this restored line would be a valuable addition to the countrys portfolio of great railway journeys.

Likelihood: 3/10

Malton-Pickering

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is arguably the most successful in England, connecting Pickering with the fine port of Whitby. Pickering is a hub for rail enthusiasts, yet many arrive by car or bus. There has been no link to the rest of the rail network for half a century. A short stretch of re-laid track would reach the York-Scarborough line at Rillington, close to Malton, and make the coast and national park much more accessible.

Likelihood: 4/10

Rugby-Leicester

Dr Beeching cannot be blamed for the closure of this link, which happened in 1961. At present the West Coast main line between London Euston and Rugby would be hard-pressed to find room for any more trains, so changing what has now become a hike-and-bike trail back to a railway has little virtue right now. But HS2 will take most of the burden between the capital, Birmingham and the North-west. So when the high-speed line opens, there should be plenty of slack in the system to connect places such as Milton Keynes with Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield.

Likelihood: 3/10

Okehampton-Tavistock-Bere Alston

Only last week, Cornwall was again temporarily cut off from the rest of the nation when the stretch of shoreline railway between the Exe Estuary and Dawlish was closed at high tide. Brunels Exeter-Teignmouth-Plymouth line is a magnificent piece of engineering, impressively augmented by Network Rail after a 2014 storm of apocalyptic proportions took a gouge out of the sea wall that defends Dawlish. But even after the two-month rescue it is susceptible to closure. The old London and South Western Railway line through the centre of Devon is a much-needed alternative. The line from Exeter to Okehampton has been reopened, and the Bere Alston to Plymouth fragment never closed, but the current lines are unsuitable for inter-city operations. So the price of resilience would run into hundreds of millions of pounds.

Likelihood: 3/10

Lostwithiel-Fowey

The fishing-village-turned-upmarket-resort of Fowey has a huge summertime problem with visitors cars, which could be eased if daytrippers and longer-stay holidaymakers arrived by train. But while other Cornish resorts  Looe, Newquay and St Ives  still have rail links from the main line between London and Penzance, Fowey was disconnected from the ancient market town of Lostwithiel in 1965.

Or was it? In fact, freight trains still rumble along the line from Lostwithiel, stopping short of the old station buildings. Creating a new terminus and bringing the line up to passenger-train standards would be the easiest of wins for the DfT.

Likelihood: 6/10
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Randi Zuckerberg, American businesswoman and sister of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, said she felt "disgusted and degraded" after being sexually harassed by a fellow passenger aboard an Alaska Airlines flight.

The best-selling author of DotComplicated tweeted a copy of the letter she sent to the airline after the incident, in which she claims the passenger next to her made repeated lewd sexual remarks.

She tweeted: "The flight attendants told me he was a frequent flier, brushed off his behaviour and kept giving him drinks. I guess his money means more than our safety?"

In the attached letter, Zuckerberg writes that before her flight from LA to Mazatlan, Mexico, had even taken off, the passenger next to her in first class "began making explicit, lewd, and highly offensive sexual comments" to her, talked about " touching himself" and asked her if she fantasised about her female colleague. Zuckerberg also claims he "rated and commented on the women's bodies boarding the aircraft as they walked by us."

What angered Zuckerberg more than the man's behaviour was the way in which airline staff dealt with the situation, she said.

"When I brought it to the flight attendants' attention, their response was that this guy was a frequent Alaska Airlines traveller on this exact route, and they have had to talk to him about his behaviour in the past, but oh well, don't take it personally, this guy doesn't have a filter."

Zuckerberg said the flight attendants came by a few times and "sweetly asked the passenger, 'Are you behaving today?' with a smile and a giggle."

When she complained of feeling uncomfortable, the former Facebook spokesperson said the cabin crew offered to move her to a seat at the back of the plane, but she declined.

"Why should I have to move?" she said. "I am the one that is being harassed!"

She added: "Why is it the woman that needs to switch seats in this situation? Shouldn't he have been thrown off the plane?!"

Zuckerberg said she was furious at the passenger for making her uncomfortable and furious at herself for not causing more of a scene at the time.

"But I am even more furious with Alaska Airlines for knowingly and willingly providing this man with a platform to harass women," she said. "For knowing about this behaviour and being more concerned with taking his money than for the safety and security of the other passengers around him."

Since sharing the letter on twitter it has been retweeted over 3,000 times.

However, the airline has since responded to Zuckerberg's complaint. Earlier today she tweeted: "UPDATE: I just got off the phone with two executives from @AlaskaAir who informed me that they are conducting an investigation and have temporarily suspended this passengers travel privileges. Thank you for taking this seriously."
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Shock, horror, disbelief: those are the words being used across social media to describe the fact that Donald Trump has been retweeting the far-right deputy leader of Britain First, Jayda Fransen. Specifically, he retweeted three anti-Muslim videos which had been previously shared by Fransen, who has been sharing news stories about the American Presidents sudden interest in her all day.

How could it be that the President could associate himself a person who has been convicted of religiously aggravated harassment after hurling abuse at a Muslim woman wearing a hijab and who has a track record of spreading hatred and fear?

The answer is because these are very similar to the values that Donald Trump himself embodies, in spite of all those who have sought to normalise what he says and play down his far-right beliefs.

When youve witnessed Britain First march through your hometown  as I have in Luton  shouting abuse at Muslim communities, telling them that they dont belong, and intimidating and surrounding women with headscarves, then it doesnt at all come as a surprise that the current occupant of the White House would sympathise with such a group.

For me, Trumps rhetoric is merely an extension of what far-right groups had been saying years earlier. As far as Im concerned, he and the far right are one and the same. A group with such an ideology has in Trump an ally with his finger on the nuclear button.

When Trump began targeting Muslim communities with his Muslim ban policy, some of us who had to live through the constant street marches of the EDL and Britain First had heard it all before. Thats why it was so difficult for people like myself to differentiate between what Trumps policies towards Muslims were  surrounded as he was by people like Steve Bannon, whose worldview included an impending end-of-times battle between the West and Islam  and what far right groups like Britain First believe.

Treat Muslim communities as the other, deny that they belong, seek to smear an entire community and claim that all are guilty by association: these are the same tactics that Trump and Britain First employ.

 Trump's far-right Islamophobic retweets raised in parliament

Watching Trumps campaign to be President was like watching the same groups who had held intimidating marches through our town run for the most powerful office in the world; Trump, therefore, is their natural bedfellow. The main difference between Trump and Britain First, of course, is that people associated with Britain First  most notably Fransen herself  have been arrested and convicted of hate crimes. Thats why it sends out such a powerful message when the current resident of the White House seemingly endorses Fransen on Twitter.

Both Trump and Britain First also share a penchant for fake news; President Trump, of course, claims to rally against it, even when the objective facts prove that he is wrong. At least one of the videos that Trump has retweeted from Jayda Fransen which purportedly shows a Muslim migrant beating up a Dutch boy on crutches has proven to be fake. Authorities tracked down the Muslim migrant only to find that he is neither Muslim nor a migrant.

Those who sought to deny then Trump was anything like the far right, or those who claimed he would amend his views and behaviour and be influenced by the more moderate forces around him in the Republican Party, have been proven wrong once again. How long will we placate ourselves with these evidently false narrative before we take serious action against such a hateful president?

I was saddened to see Trump retweet a far-right group which relies on fake news stories to spread hatred and fear of migrant and Muslim communities, but I wasnt surprised. Given that the President of the United States has aped their very rhetoric and tactics to propel him into the White House, how on earth could I be?
Many organizations made this Veterans Day special, including the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. One way in which the society remembered Viet Nam veterans was to pin them, by giving them a lapel pin to commemorate their service.

The pin is Americas way of thanking Vietnam veterans for their service and sacrifice as they commemorate the 50th anniversary of the conflict. The Congressional Commemoration recognizes all men and women who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces from Nov 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975.

This year the Chickamauga Chapter joined with other area chapters at the Sunday Market to honor all veterans. As part of that celebratory event, Chickamauga alone pinned over 30 Viet Nam vets. Susan Harris, Chickamauga chair of Service to Veterans, estimates that in the last year and a half the chapter has pinned over 300 of these veterans.

"Sometimes there are those rare bits of time in life that translate like a scene in a movie script: everything begins and ends properly, neatly bound and wound together and ending as it should," said Ms. Harris. "I was casually invited and encouraged to attend this random monument re-dedication ceremony in Dalton. So Im out the door before 8:30 a.m., on the way to somewhere in downtown Dalton. At the first exit off 75, we see a veteran license plate on a car, a gentleman in military dress and cap, [so I] rightly guess that hes headed to the same place and follow him. After parking nearby, we notice [another] veteran passing by and ask about the dedication. Then I notice the Marine Corps Vietnam Veteran cap.

"I had to ask, 'Do you know about the 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemoration? Do you have an Eagle pin?' 'No,' he sadly replied.

"Channeling another life as Cub Scout master and (mostly) prepared, I pull out my handy dandy traveling commemorative bag, and told him about our nations commemoration for him. I 'pinned' my tearing up veteran (keep it together, Susan) as I thanked him for his srvice, promising to place a Black Dot on Da Nang, his place on the [chapter] map."

The DAR is a society of women who are direct descendants of Revolutionary War patriots. Its mission is to support Historic Preservation, Education, and Patriotism. So far in 2017, DAR members have volunteered almost 2 million hours in service to America.






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This morning, after the news broke that NBC News has fired veteran anchor Matt Lauer for inappropriate sexual behaviour, President Donald Trump mused that NBC executives should be fired for putting out Fake News, and unleashed this broadside: Check out Andy Lack's past!

This call for a look into vague allegations against NBC News' chairman prompted some to marvel at how brazen Trump is being, given the sexual charges levelled at him, too. Similar surprise greeted Trump's willingness to endorse Roy Moore while shrugging that Moore totally denies the believable charges against him, as that reminded everyone just how lacking in credibility were his own dismissals of so many equally believable accounts about himself.

But such incredulity misses the deeper significance of this stuff. The brazenness of it is the whole point - his utter shamelessness itself is meant to achieve his goal. In any given case, Trump is not trying to persuade anyone of anything as much as he is trying to render reality irrelevant, and reduce the pursuit of agreement on it to just another part of the circus. He's asserting a species of power - the power to evade constraints normally imposed by empirically verifiable facts, by expectations of consistency, and even by what reasoned inquiry deems merely credible. The more brazen or shameless, the more potent is the assertion of power.

Recommended Trump attacks Theresa May over criticism of his Britain First tweets

The Post reports today that Trump has taken to privately questioning the authenticity of the Access Hollywood tape of him repeatedly boasting about his affection for sexual assault. The Post also reports that when things are going particularly badly, he calls confidantes to boast about his successes.

Meanwhile, The New York Times reports that Trump regularly brags to people about winning a majority of women - he didn't - and has even reverted to questioning the authenticity of Barack Obama's birth certificate. Trump's advisers sometimes even steer him away from areas where he is prone to dabbling in manufactured facts.

To date, Trump has made more than 1,600 false or misleading claims as President. Routinely, the lies are demonstrably false, often laughably so. But this actually serves his ends. It is impossible to disentangle this from his constant effort to undermine the news media, seen again in today's NBC tweet. In many cases the attacks on the media are outlandishly ridiculous, dating back to the tone-setting assertion that the media deliberately diminished his inaugural crowd sizes, even though the evidence was decisive to the contrary. Here again, the absurdity is the whole point: In both the volume and outsize defiance of his lies, Trump is asserting the power to declare the irrelevance of verifiable, contradictory facts, and with them, the legitimate institutional role of the free press, which at its best brings us within striking distance of the truth.

Press critic Jay Rosen has surmised that Trump represents something broader, an organised campaign to discredit the mainstream press in this country, which takes many forms. To wit: When conservative activist James O'Keefe was busted trying to bait The Post with a false accuser of Moore, to discredit the believable charges against him, O'Keefe skipped over questions about whether he had employed the woman, instead citing laughably meaningless video evidence to cast further doubt on The Post's commitment to reporting the truth. Those who claim O'Keefe is now on the defensive miss the point. He isn't trying to win an argument. The goal is to render fact- and evidence-based inquiry itself a cause for suspicion.

Trump is not responsible for O'Keefe's antics, but they are fellow travellers. The Post's Margaret Sullivan, summing up the mindset they are both trying to achieve in their followers, quotes Hannah Arendt: If everybody always lies to you, the consequence is not that you believe the lies, but rather that nobody believes anything any longer. Others with similar missions have gravitated to Trump. Brian Beutler points to former Trump adviser Stephen Bannon's deep admiration for history's most successful wielders of the power of disinformation as agitprop.

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

I don't claim to know whether this is merely instinctual on Trump's part, or part of a strategy. As Trump biographer Tim O'Brien puts it, Trump constantly tells fables to himself and about himself, and has long self-consciously regarded this as one of his great skills. Trump has been doing it for so long that the separation between instinct and conscious technique has probably disappeared. But one thing is clear: Terms like lying or delusional don't do justice to what we're seeing here, and we have not yet seriously reckoned with its true nature and what it really means.

The Washington Post
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Having promised that fire and fury would rain down on North Korea if it dared to fire another missile at its neighbours, Donald Trump has instead rained nothing more lethal than a mild tweet on his tormentors in Pyongyang, as well as retweeting some videos from the far-right group Britain First, offensive and bizarre even by the Presidents standards.

For his relative restraint on North Korea today  promising only that he would take care of the issue, the world should be grateful. It may well be a sign that, at last, Mr Trump is taking some notice of his generals and diplomats, who have long urged him to avoid making a dangerous situation worse by making ill-advised threats and throwing insults at Kim Jong-un, not a man renowned for his easygoing sense of humour. Moreover, those involved know all too well that the first and biggest victims of an American military intervention on the Korean Peninsula would be Americas friends and allies in Japan and South Korea, as well as China, which Mr Trump is at pains to keep on good terms with.

The North Koreans too, have showed some signs of yielding to pressure and good sense. They did not, as they had threatened, launch this missile at the US naval base in Guam, nor did the Hwasong-15 fly low over Japan, and nor was any nuclear device ignited in the atmosphere. It was, as ever, a provocative and frightening act, but it stopped short of war and crossing the red lines that Mr Trump has laid down. Indeed there is some faint hope that, having declared that the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea has achieved its objective of becoming a full nuclear power with the same status as the United States, Pyongyang will declare victory and move on to other, safer, matters, its test programme complete. Pyongyang claims that it now has the capacity to hit Washington DC, and Mr Trump would be wise not to ask them to prove it.

Even if Mr Kim does so, the US still needs to be able to contain, if not disarm, this rogue state. As well as ensuring that South Korea and Japan have the defensive capabilities they need, and the forces they require to deter North Korea, Mr Trump should renew the diplomatic initiatives that his predecessors took in order to ease the tensions with Pyongyang. Perhaps jokingly, Mr Trump has indicated that he wishes to be Mr Kims friend, and, more important, that America has no wish for regime change. In doing so President Trump has tacitly recognised the fundamental reason for the North Korean nuclear weapons programme  fear that the US will somehow try to replicate what it did in Iraq and Libya, and send the Mr Kim dynasty into exile, or worse.

As former Secretary of State John Kerry has said it is simply not true that diplomacy has failed with North Korea, but even if it had in the past  and admittedly it never succeeded in ending the DPRKs weapons programme  it remains the only method that the West can sensibly deploy to curb Mr Kims reckless and belligerent activities. Mr Kerrys successor, Rex Tillerson has reiterated that diplomatic channels remain open, offering some reassurance. Mr Trump entered office boasting of his abilities as a dealmaker, and has sometimes hinted at a grand bargain with Mr Kim. Now, with North Korea having more or less completed its programme, may be the moment for Mr Trump to deliver his first diplomatic achievement.
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After two months of silence, North Korea launched a ballistic missile in the middle of the night. Yesterdays missile flew longer and higher than any other previous test, raising concern that the country is reaching nuclear missile capability faster than anticipated. But while the 23rd missile of 2017 is an all-consuming worry for the international community, there is no doubt that constant push notifications, news and Twitter coverage about defections and missiles makes the country an intriguing destination for curious travellers.

Although North Korea is known as the hermit kingdom, it only takes a few minutes to book a seven day all-inclusive trip there. Fuelled by a desire to see the country behind the headlines, tourists ignore the obvious  the millions of North Koreans trying to get out. Men and women spend years concocting escape plans, collecting enough cash, food and cigarettes to bribe border guards and brokers. Meanwhile tourists fly in and out at the touch of a button, simply because they consider themselves intrepid travellers.

But choosing to visit North Korea is not like deciding between a long weekend away in Nice or Edinburgh. It is a moral, financial and political decision with far-reaching implications.

 North Korea announces test of new long-range missile

Proponents of travelling to North Korea argue that tourists act as a grassroots means for its people to meet foreigners which may influence them to question the propaganda they are forced to imbibe. But all interactions are carefully stage-managed. Tour guides are PR experts, supplied from the Ministry of State Security and trained to leave a good impression on visitors while guiding them around a pre-determined list of Potemkin-style sites. Spontaneous meetings with street vendors, students in libraries or women in maternity wards who all speak perfect English, have been expertly organised for tourists to accidentally bump into. If the actors in this grotesque play stray from their scripts they put their lives at risk and that of their families to.

As the chances of meeting and engaging with ordinary North Koreans are practically nil, tourists do nothing to change their perceptions. The end result is naive visitors or do-gooders returning home with false observations of the propaganda state, believing life inside North Korea isnt that bad after all. But North Korea wants tourists to tell their friends they had a great time riding on the Pyongyang metro or that they ate the best kimchi of their life at Chongryu Hot Pot.

But there is no excuse for ignorance. North Korea is a totalitarian regime with human rights abuses the United Nations have described as being without parallel in the contemporary world. From the 5,000 odd tourists who visit North Korea annually, it is estimated the regime earns up to $40m (30m) which, due to it being a state-run industry, helps fund Kim Jong-uns nuclear arsenal and supports his prolific network of labour camps.

Tourism of this kind is a luxury, but when a tour costs around 1,000 and the countrys GDP per capita sits at $583 this is simply voyeurism, lending legitimacy to the regime and treating North Korea like a zoo. Tourists wanting to find out more should turn to the harrowing accounts of defectors. One woman described to me in intimate detail what it was like to want to eat the maggots off her dying fathers face because she was so weak from starvation.

By visiting North Korea, simply to be able to trump someone else at a dinner party when the topic of UN sanctions or missile tests comes up, or even just to be able to have an unusual passport stamp, tourists are becoming useful idiots playing into and upholding Pyongyangs policies. North Korea should never be a trendy destination, but if you are considering visiting, ask yourself this  would you have visited Nazi Germany?
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A year ago I wrote that immigration to the UK might, after the Brexit referendum  but even before Brexit actually happens  fall much faster than anyone expected. As I said then, migration is not just a matter of the UK choosing migrants; migrants have to choose us. Even if we wish to remain open to skilled migrants from elsewhere in the EU post-Brexit, they may not choose to come here (or remain here).

So it has proved. Not only has Brexit not happened yet, but the Government has made it clear that free movement will continue, for all intents and purposes, until 2021. But the latest ONS migration statistics show that the UK has become a less attractive place for European migrants.

More Europeans are leaving while fewer are arriving, meaning net migration from the EU has already dropped by more than 80,000  a fall of more than 40 per cent, comparing the year before the Brexit referendum to the year after it.

ONS figures show EU citizens have been leaving the UK since the vote for Brexit (ONS)

Confirming this, we have also seen a significant drop in new registrations for National Insurance numbers by EU nationals  a better and more timely measure of those arriving here specifically to work. These are down 13 per cent in the year to September, led by a fall of almost a quarter in registrations from the EU8 countries who joined the EU in 2004.

What explains this fall? The causes are both economic and psychological. Since Brexit, the UK economy has slowed significantly, and the pound has fallen; both factors make the UK less attractive. At the same time, the rest of Europe is doing much better.

But its not just economics. It is hardly irrational for European citizens  whether they are here already, or contemplating a move  to feel less positive about the long-term attractiveness of the UK.

 Boris Johnson dodges question on student migration figures

In research published last year, I projected that the impact of Brexit might be to reduce net migration to the UK by 90,000 to 150,000 over the next few years. While such projections are highly uncertain, todays figures are broadly consistent with that.

I also concluded that such decreases would have a significant negative impact on both GDP and more importantly, GDP per capita. This will also, as the independent Office for Budget Responsibility has pointed out, worsen the fiscal position, meaning less money for public services.

Whatever your views on the impact of immigration, it cannot be good news that the UK is a less attractive place to live and work, and that we will be poorer as a result. But this need not continue.

While some damage has been done, it is far from irreparable. Talk of a Brexodus is overstated; indeed, while some EU citizens have left, many others have applied for British citizenship or residency status, with applications for the latter up more than four-fold.

Moreover, while it is certainly true that immigration concerns played a major part in the vote to leave, concerns have fallen back sharply since. Theresa Mays emphasis on reducing immigration, no matter what the economic cost, was hardly an electoral triumph. It may well be that, as British voters realise that reducing immigration is not just an abstract issue, but has large and visible costs  to the economy, to the public finances, to the NHS  there is a window of opportunity to reshape the political and policy debate in a more positive direction.

So what should the Government do? The first priority should be action to secure the rights of EU citizens living here  as Theresa May promised in Florence but failed to deliver.

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

More important, however, would be to clearly signal that we will have a liberal, humane and economically sensible immigration policy post-Brexit  not one that is, as now, driven by arbitrary and irrational targets, that seeks to stop British citizens from living with their spouses or families, or that seeks to create a hostile environment for those coming here from abroad. Nor one that relies on central planning from Whitehall and Westminster, or excessive bureaucracy over who employers can hire or who immigrants can work for.

If, after Brexit, we really want to make a success of global Britain, that will mean being more, not less, open to immigration.

Jonathan Portes is a senior fellow at The UK in a Changing Europe research group and professor of economics and public policy at Kings College London
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CONCORD- Third graders at Carl A. Furr Elementary School were treated to a history lesson with a special guest.

Dr. Carl A. Furr, Jr., son of the former superintendent that the elementary school is named for, recently visited the school to share some anecdotes about his father with students.

Furr Jr. and his wife, Sharon, showed students pictures of the Furr family through the years and talked about how life was different for students in the past.

Sharon began by sharing things that Carl A. Furr, Sr. didnt have when he was the superintendent. Students gasped as she told them that there was no Internet, smart boards, YouTube, computers or fidget spinners.

Most of the students did not have a TV and there were no cafeterias in his schools, Sharon said to the shocked students. Everybody walked to school. All of your neighbors went to the same school. You went home for lunch and then you came back.

Carl A. Furr, Sr. was the superintendent of Cabarrus County Schools, which Furr, Jr. said was about three times larger than the other district, Concord City Schools, which existed at the time.

We lived in the City of Concord and we went to Concord City Schools. I graduated from Concord High School, Furr Jr. said. We would kid him and say he wouldnt let us go (to Cabarrus County Schools) because he was afraid we would reflect badly on him.

While Furr Jr. said he was a great dad, he also told students that Carl A. Furr, Sr. was very much a disciplinarian. Sharon added that her father-in-law only had two rules in his schools when he was a principal.

The girls must act like ladies at all times and the boys must act like gentlemen at all times, she said.

One of the last things that Carl A. Furr, Sr. did as superintendent was help design Central Cabarrus High School and Northwest Cabarrus High School. Furr Jr. said that when his father retired in 1965, both schools were under construction.

At that time, he wouldnt let the district name any schools after him. The planetarium inside of Central Cabarrus was the one exception.

He was responsible for the planetarium at Central Cabarrus. At the time it was the ony planetarium between Washington and Miami. At the time it was a big deal, Sharon said. That was named for him, so he didnt mind that.

When the elementary school was named for him after he passed away, Furr Jr. said the family couldnt believe it, but they were pleased.

I think its great, Furr Jr. said.

And the couple, who happened to be celebrating their wedding anniversary on the day they visited the school, said interacting with the students was a great experience.

I feel like a celebrity, Sharon said. They were so good.
Imagine if a government bureaucrat told you the way youve been doing your job for years was now illegal  despite no new laws being put in place. Until last week when my bill, the Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications (H.R. 304), was signed into law, that was the reality for EMS providers who faced a crisis in how they were able to administer life-saving medicine. The problem arose when the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) ruled the Controlled Substances Act didnt technically allow EMS providers to carry controlled substances.

As you can imagine, this was a big problem. Everyone can picture what happens when EMS responds to a traumatic accident: the ambulance pulls up and EMTs and paramedics jump out to care for injured people. These talented professionals have mere seconds to make life or death decisions. According to many trauma surgeons, care provided within the first hour  commonly referred to the as the golden hour  is the most critical time in determining outcomes for patients in traumatic accidents.

One of the most pivotal parts of responding to traumatic accidents like car crashes is managing pain and ensuring the patient does not go into shock. These often go hand in hand, as pain caused by a traumatic accident can be excruciating and is one of the top reasons a patient will go into shock. And EMS providers have to work quickly to administer pain medication  often in the form of controlled substances like morphine.

However, by the letter of the law, EMS providers would no longer be able to administer such medicines due to bureaucratic red tape and regulations that didnt keep up with advances in medicine. This would cost first responders valuable time at the scene of accidents and possibly risk lives. As soon as I found out about this problem from a paramedic in the district, I went to work with Congressman G. K. Butterfield, a Democrat from eastern North Carolina who serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee with me. We wrote a bill that clarifies the law to ensure EMS providers can administer the medicines victims need at the scene of serious accidents, and I was proud President Donald Trump signed this critical piece of legislation into law last week.

This bipartisan legislation is a great example of what can happen outside of the spotlight in Congress  two representatives working together to solve a problem that has a big impact back home. Its exactly how Ive operated since my first days in office. I may be known as a strong conservative, but Ive made it a priority to build relationships across the aisle and find bipartisan solutions to the problems facing our country. Ive always said you could put me in a room with nearly any Democrat and give us a problem, and Id work with her or him to find common ground and solve it  without compromising my conservative principles. While this bill was one small step in that direction, you can count on me to continue being a voice for common sense in Congress.

Rep. Hudson serves North Carolinas 8th District, which includes Cabarrus and other counties.
By Dezan Shira & Associates

Indias automatic exchange of information pact (AEOI) with Switzerland will take force in 2018, and the first exchange of information will take place in 2019.

How does it work?

The AEOI will allow for disclosure of Swiss financial and bank account data to Swiss government authorities, who can then forward the information to their peer agencies in other countries. This means any Indian with a bank account in Switzerland may have their financial information disclosed to the Indian government by Swiss authorities  on an automatic basis.

Nearly 100 countries have so far committed to adopt the global standard for AEOI to curb cross-border tax evasion. The pact will also boost the Indian governments crusade against black money, and facilitate recovery of undisclosed wealth.

Legislative safeguards inserted in Switzerland AEOI

Switzerlands upper house of parliament recently approved to implement the automatic information exchange pact with 41 countries, including India. The AEOI framework was previously approved by Switzerlands lower house of parliament, the National Council, in September.

In response to security concerns, the upper house panel has asked that the Swiss government amend the proposed pact to introduce safeguards to strengthen legal protections for individuals. This is primarily to ensure that individuals banking in Switzerland are not subject to persecution by foreign countries due to political or other reasons.

Switzerland has also sought strict adherence to confidentiality and data security from all countries party to the AEOI.

Indias fight to curb tax evasion

Prime Minister Modis government came to power on the promise of ending the scourge of black money. Progress on this front has so far been a mixed bag  with multiple strategies ranging from legislative reforms to overnight currency withdrawal.

Below are some of the measures led by government, legislative, and regulatory mechanisms to track black money and fight tax evasion:
When I first met three students from Wabash College who had driven to Washington, D.C., to attend the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, I admit to being surprised when told that they were members of the colleges Malcolm X Society. I had heard of Malcolm X Societies at several larger institutions but didnt expect to hear about one at a private, predominately white college in Crawfordsville, Indiana, population 15,000. One percent of those residents are Black.

The students arranged for me to lecture on Brother Malcolm in the fall 2017. Shortly after my arrival on campus, society member David Segovia took me to a building in the center of the campus. That facility had a sign up front announcing that it was The Malcolm X Institute of Black Studies (MXIBS). I had never seen a building with that name on any of the 40 colleges and universities at which I had lectured since the 1970s.

The following excerpt is from MXIBS mission statement right inside the entrance: The Malcolm X Institute of Black Studies functions as a center for the academic, cultural and social involvement of all students at Wabash College but most specifically for men of African descent. The Institute provides opportunities for students to explore knowledge and opinions in a critical fashion, develop essential leadership skills to elevate the presence of men of African descent in the life of the college.

The Institute also educates the entire Wabash and Crawfordsville communities about the African American experience. It does this by maintaining an African American Studies library and hosting lectures, films, forums and community service projects.

Among those who have lectured at the institution are Amiri Baraka, Maya Angelou, Hoyt Fuller, Gwendolyn Brooks, Dick Gregory, Rep. Ron Dellums and Stokely Carmichael (later Kwame Ture).

The Institutes theme is Humility, Wisdom, Knowledge, Excellence. In my lecture I explained why Brother Malcolm had all those qualities plus many more. I told them about a statement on the front of the Madison Building of the Library of Congress which declares, Knowledge will forever govern ignorance. And a people who mean to (be) their own governors must arm themselves with the power that knowledge gives. I should have included an African proverb cited by Carter G. Woodson in his book The History of the Negro Retold that insists, Whoever works without knowledge works uselessly  not to know is bad, not to wish to know is worse.

Brother Malcolm understood and acted on those sentiments better than anyone else I have ever met, I told the students, faculty and Wabash College President Gregory D. Hess, who were in attendance. He was all about the gaining and distribution of knowledge as a weapon in the campaign against the physical and psychological attacks of proponents of white supremacy and racism. Even if one disagreed with his position, his wisdom, knowledge and communicating skills forced one to increase the knowledge of their own beliefs. He was both a persistent and passionate warrior against white supremacy and a master teacher, I told them, and there is no more important member of any community than a master teacher.

One important lesson we learned from Brother Malcolm was to be very careful of words as we wrote and spoke. For instance, the correct word is not slave master but slave owner or enslaver. Its not mainstream press, but majority press. Its not white nationalist, but white supremacist.

I showed members of The Malcolm X Society DVDs about his burial service, testimonials about his impact on the lives of charter members of the Organization of Afro-American Unity recorded at a 2006 reunion and of choreographer Louis Johnsons compelling Forces of Rhythm, performed by The Dance Theatre of Harlem as Donny Hathaway sang He Aint Heavy, Hes My Brother.

I thank the 36 members of The Malcolm X Society, especially David Segovia and its director, Dean Steven Jones, for providing me with a memorable experience and for having enough wisdom to recognize Brother Malcolms enormous legacy.

For more information about MXIBS, check out wabash.edu/mxibs.

A. Peter Bailey, whose latest book is Witnessing Brother Malcolm X, the Master Teacher, can be reached at apeterb@verizon.net.
The UT Board of Trustees has passed a resolution that allows UTC to become a smoke-free campus by January 2019.

Chancellor Steven Angle released the following statement about how it is to be implemented.

"Tobacco use is the leading cause of premature and preventable death, responsible for 480,000 deaths a year in the United States. The 2014 Surgeon Generals Report found that cigarette smoking alone is responsible for more deaths than HIV/AIDS, alcohol, motor vehicle crashes, homicide, suicide, illegal drugs, and firescombined.



"We know that tobacco addiction begins almost exclusively among youth and young adults. In fact, 99 percent of smokers begin smoking and using other forms of tobacco by age 26, making college and university campuses a critical target for tobacco use prevention and cessation efforts.

"Over the past few years, faculty, staff, students, and community leaders have engaged in discussions on how to approach this effort. The UT Board of Trustees recently passed a resolution that allows UTC to become a smoke-free campus. After consulting with faculty, student, and staff groups the Executive Leadership Team has unanimously agreed that UTC should become a smoke-free campus.

"UTC will begin a year-long process in January 2018 toward the goal of becoming a smoke-free campus in January 2019. In accordance with Tennessee state law, the definition of smoke-free includes prohibition of both lighted tobacco productscigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.and electronic cigarettes and similar devices. The implementation plan will include a comprehensive communication effort focused on cessation support as well as enforcement and policy management.

"I will be appointing members to serve on a critical implementation taskforce to undertake this effort. Marisa Colston, interim head of Health and Human Performance, and Carol Oglesby, health educator in Student Development, will serve as co-chairs of this group. The group will be seeking input and ideas from the campus as an implementation plan takes shape. I hope you will take the time to participate when given the opportunities."
The United States trails behind some of its worldwide counterparts who are thriving in the educational realm.

Countries like South Korea, Finland and the United Kingdom have made education a top priority with diverse curriculum and affordable options. The United States  well, not so much.

In America, the cost of education has continuously risen over the years. This sad reality is not only true at the collegiate level, but also for primary education.

In Indiana, school districts are squeezed for funds  there simply isnt enough money available to sustain many school districts. One way districts are tackling this problem is through referenda; school districts throughout Indiana are directly asking the electorate for assistance.

In this weeks Recorder, Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) Superintendent Lewis Ferebee gave the Recorder an exclusive interview detailing the districts plans to pursue a referendum this coming spring. IPS is the states largest district, and it has had its share of controversy over the years, including the boards recent decision to do away with four popular high schools.

The referendum will be asking residents for approval to increase taxes to fund $90 million for annual expenses for the 2018-19 school year, as well as $200 million for capital improvements.

However, before IPS makes its case to voters, it must first get approval from the IPS board of commissioners this month to put the referendum on the ballot. If IPS commissioners say yes, the next step will be for the general public to weigh in by voting yes or no in Mays election.

In his interview with the Recorder, Ferebee said IPS would probably form a political action committee (PAC) to reach out to residents. Its efforts would probably be similar to the 2011 capital campaign used by Wishard Hospital to raise funds for a new facility that led to the current Eskenazi Hospital.

Although the district has made some progress academically by thinking outside of the educational box, IPS officials have a lot of work ahead of them as they seek to explain to the board and local voters why more funds are needed for a district that has lost students and closed schools.

While Indianapolis residents havent seen a school referendum in recent years, those in other counties have during the past few election cycles. This shows us that education funding is one of the critical issues of our time. As our state legislature convenes next month, hopefully our lawmakers will take the lead in prioritizing an overhaul to our education funding mechanisms.

No doubt, stakeholders in our community will have strong opinions on the referendum issue and may disagree as to how IPS can reach its full potential. However, regardless of where we may stand individually, it is important that we all get involved, make our voices heard and do what we can to help IPS reach its goal of becoming a world-class school corporation for a world-class city.
The 2016 film Birth of a Nation was released in a storm of controversy unrelated to the film itself. Whatever your opinion of the film or its maker, one cannot deny the relevance of the film as a medium of historical instruction and a study of human behavior.

Although I was aware of the systemic mistreatment of slaves, I found it interesting to revisit that system which forced slaves to become the instruments of their own oppression. The Nat Turner character was a compelling, charismatic and persuasive speaker. He was perfect as the slave-yard preacher who, through his words, personality and approved biblical message, evoked from other slaves passive compliance to their masters will and acceptance of their own inferior humanity.

When I was young, I thought that only Black slaves and some of their ancestors were conditioned by that system of biblical brainwashing. With the enlightenment of maturity and experience, I realized that while not necessarily victims, many whites, whether slaveholder or not, have willingly become captive to that same biblically based myth of white-male superiority. As with slavery, they vigorously and viciously defend this myth and use biblical interpretations as justification for the situational ethics and intolerance that has become their basis for claiming rightness in all matters.

Currently, central to this issue is the Alabama U.S. Senate race and allegations of sexual abuse of juvenile females by GOP candidate Roy Moore. While many believe the allegations  or wont declare them false  roughly 50 percent of Alabama voters still support Moore. Some base their support on his Christian values. Others claim partisan loyalty for Republicans/against Democrats. Under conventional norms, no reasoning could justify elevating an alleged pedophile to one of the most prestigious elected positions in the nation, but these are not conventional times.

If true to their professed Christian beliefs, those supporting Moore would condemn him as a pedophile. If true to principled, ethical governance, those supporting Moore would choose his opponent or coalesce around a more suitable write-in candidate. So we must ask, WHY? What quality does Moore possess that commands loyalty in the face of such disrepute?

Some say hes being unjustly persecuted or that his contributions to Alabama supersede any of his minor perversions. Others claim him victim to a double standard of treatment without considering the criminal nature of the alleged offense for which he or any other criminal sex offender should/could be punished.

Like my fellow activist and cleric Rev. Dr. William Barber, I believe that Moore supporters embrace a distorted religiosity that sacrifices, if you will, principled, Christian behavior to the altar of racial superiority. All this for the purpose of perpetuating racial dominance to whatever extent and/or for however long possible.

There is a sense of urgency for those using their Republican Christianity as justification for their situational ethics, as well as for those who are simply racist without the veil of Christianity. They demonstrate a fear of the impending demographic shift that will ultimately eliminate their numerical superiority. Consciously or subconsciously, they recognize that the white privilege they currently enjoy will dwindle into nothingness and their greatest fear  meritorious competition  will become a reality. This has been proven to my satisfaction with the recent news report that, because they must now compete with minorities for jobs, whites think they have become victims of discrimination.

The current political climate is conducive to their interests. No. 45 recognized and appealed to the fears that shape their concerns. Even he has been given a pass to violate established norms and customs of courtesy and decorum for the purpose of slowing the progress of justice and equity.

Their mistake is to believe that we will accept an inferior status and continue to turn a blind eye to injustice!

Dr. E. Faye Williams is national president of the National Congress of Black Women. Inc. Learn more at nationalcongressbw.org.
In Indiana, the number of children in the foster care system is nearly double the number of foster homes available to take them in. To support young people in need, the Indiana House of Representatives is partnering with the Indiana Association of Resources and Child Advocacy (IARCA) during the 2018 legislative session to raise awareness of the growing problem.

House legislators and IARCA are launching a social media campaign using the hash tag #FosterHopeIndiana and introducing a new website, FosterHopeIndiana.org, that connects Hoosiers with opportunities to learn about foster care. Cathleen Graham, executive director of IARCA, says the partnership is all about hopefulness.

Between our agencies and (Department of Child Services) efforts, we were able to license 500 more foster families last year, but there are thousands of children coming into care. We made a great effort, but it doesnt meet the need, and we are concerned when small children are living in an emergency shelter and not a family-based setting, Graham said. So often people hear about abuse and neglect and all the negative things that have happened to these children. We want to show that with the right foster or adoptive family, there is hope for these childrens future.

Many foster agencies attempt to match children with families that match their cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds. In Indianapolis, that has been challenging.

We need families who can work with children from all ages, abilities and cultures, because its always more comfortable to be with a family that is closer to the birth familys culture, said Graham. Indianapolis community is more challenging because there are so, so many children in need that they are looking for the first family with a bed for the child at night.

More than half of the children in the foster care system have a parent with substance abuse issues. Rep. Vanessa Summers, DDistrict 99, said she would like to see equal emphasis on treatment for all of the addictions Hoosier families face.

The opioid issues roots are in prescription drugs. Your doctor gives you a prescription drug, then he takes you off of it, then you are dependent and go down a rabbit hole. You need to have community workers on the ground who are equipped to recognize addiction in a family and how it can affect them, said Summers. At a town hall meeting, somebody in the audience pointed out that the opioid situation is bad, but African-Americans are still on crack or meth. I want people to look at all of these addictions equally, because no one addiction is greater than the next, and they all devastate families.

Summers said she would like to see more families willing to stand in the gaps as relatives try to get themselves back together after addiction.

Graham said the new partnership is a call to action for the community to support young people in need.

We are hoping for even more families to come forward, and we are asking communities, including faith-based communities, to see the value in and support foster and adoptive families, said Graham. At the press conference, a former foster child named AJ shared how his adoptive family provided him with educational opportunities, and a place to live, and how they were important to his success in life. We want that for more children.

House Speaker Brian C. Bosma, R-Indianapolis, stands with 11-year-old AJ Young, adopted son of Karen and Weston Young of Indianapolis, as he talks about the importance of all children having a family to call their own. (Photo/Submitted)
Its been one of the epic culture-war battles of the last decade. It spawned the entire religious liberty meme that animates the rapidly rotting corpse of the GOP. When the Obama administration said that health insurance should include no-cost contraceptives as a basic preventive health benefit, the Catholic bishops declared it an insult to Catholics and a violation of religious liberty. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who was head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops at the time, charged it was part of a drive to neuter religion.

The bishops declared that the exemption for churches  and directly related entities like diocesan offices  was far too narrow, even though that framework had been codified in two widely watched state Supreme Court decisions in New York and California. In those cases, the courts sanctioned exemptions only for entities that were directly involved in the inculcation of religion and that primarily employ and serve people of their own faith  who presumably share their religious beliefs.

Nonetheless, spooked by the specter of a Catholic electoral backlash and Dolans foot-stomping at the White House, the Obama administration backed down and gave church-adjacent entities like Catholic hospitals and universities a special accommodation to the law. Under that accommodation, hospitals and universities merely had to inform the Department of Health and Human Services, via a form, that they did not wish to provide contraceptive coverage in their health plans. HHS would then inform the insurer, who would arrange for seamless coverage of contraceptives via their own administrative mechanism without involvement of the university.

But this wasnt good enough for the bishops. They claimed that filling out a form would be a gross violation of religious liberty because it would trigger contraceptive coverage, shamelessly collapsing nuanced degrees of moral cooperation with evil under Catholic theology into one big bucket.

Again the Obama administration gave in and agreed that they wouldnt have to fill out the offending form  they just had to send a letter to HHS stating their intention to not participate in contraceptive coverage. But still this wasnt good enough for the bishops, who at this point had been joined by evangelicals in pronouncing the mandate a symptom of a secular mindset looking to cow religious believers.

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty got involved and made the brilliant strategic move of recruiting the self-sacrificing Little Sisters of the Poor as the poster children of opposition to the mandate. Forcing nuns to provide abortion-inducing drugs because the mandate would cover emergency contraceptives became the rallying cry of everyone from Dolan to Donald Trump, who immediately realized the culture war potency of the issue and promised to roll back the mandate.

And, finally, in mid-October, thats what opponents of the mandate got from Trump, what the bishops had wanted all along: a get-out-of-jail-free card that essentially allows any nonprofit or business entity to opt out of the mandate for any religious or moral objection they cared to cook up without any mechanism in place to ensure that women in the plans receive contraception.

Just days later, the University of Notre Dame announced that it would end contraceptive coverage for students and employees as soon as possible  in January for employees and next summer for students. It wasnt a surprising move. Despite its relatively liberal reputation, Notre Dame was one of several Catholic universities that sued HHS over the mandate but lost its case and was required to continue the coverage. As Judge Richard Posner noted at the time:

We have trouble understanding how signing the form that declares Notre Dames authorized refusal to pay for contraceptives for its students or staff, and mailing the authorization document to those companies, which under federal law are obligated to pick up the tab, could be thought to trigger the provision of female contraceptives.

But then, in one of the more head-spinning moves of the entire convoluted contraception debate, Notre Dame announced that it was restoring contraception coverage because its insurers, Meritain Health and OptumRx, advised that they will now continue to provide contraceptives and, therefore, the university will not interfere with the provision of contraceptives that will be administered and funded independently of the University.

So basically Notre Dame just signed on to what the accommodation would have done in the first place  their insurer will administer and fund contraceptive coverage after being informed by the university that it no longer planned to do so. And presumably this information was transmitted to their insurers by some administrative means, be it a phone call, email or letter. So after years of fighting the mandate, and accusing womens health advocates and public health officials of not understanding why it was a violation of their faith for their insurer to provide birth control that they neither arranged nor paid for, Notre Dame basically turned around and said never mind.

What happened to cause this astounding turn-about? In The Atlantic, Emma Green reports that some suspect bad PR:

 several professors speculated that negative press attention scared the administration. Bad publicity is about the only thing that forces Notre Dame to change, said Shrader-Frechette. The faculty dont have much power, she said.

That may be so, but the whole situation seems parallel to what happened with sentiment over the ACA as a whole, where Republican efforts to dismantle the law resulted in a public thats much better educated about what the law actually does and is therefore much more supportive of it.

Notre Dame and other Catholic organizations were herded into this pointless culture-war battle by the Catholic bishops and were largely powerless to avoid it given the weight the bishops put on the issue. But much like conservative objections to the ACA, the battle against the contraceptive mandate dealt more in falsehoods and hysteria than facts or the nuances of Catholic moral theology. Ironically, it took freeing Notre Dame from the mandate for it to realize it had been free all along.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyones chains came loose.

 Acts 16:25-26

Have you ever heard of the American Prayer?

It goes like this: Lord, give me patience, and I want it right now! Patience is not a virtue our society seems to favor. We live in a world of frozen dinners, instant coffee, powdered orange juice, instant cameras, cliff notes, freeway express lanes, cellphones, pagers and beepers.

Our motto is: Give it to me quick or forget about it!

I have never met anybody who loved to wait. So, what do you do when all you can do is wait?

Think about it  nobody schedules a doctor appointment to read the AARP magazines in the waiting room. You dont really want to listen to the piped-in music while you are waiting on hold, and you certainly dont go to a restaurant for the fun of holding a buzzer in your hand.

Embracing the concept of waiting challenges our sense of logic. Waiting is what we put up with to reach a goal. We endure it. Deal with it. Grumble our way through it. But, we dont often embrace it!

Paul and Silas knew about waiting  and they waited well! The story of how they were attacked by a crowd, beaten and thrown in jail is found in the book of Acts. The jailer put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet so they would not escape. But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, suddenly there came a great earthquake. The foundations of the prison were shaken; and at once all the doors were opened and everyones shackles were unfastened. God answered them suddenly!

What are you waiting for?

Whatever it is  expect it to happen.

Once you have asked God to answer a question or solve a problem, then eagerly wait for the answer. In addition to waiting, remember to serve actively, aggressively and expectantly, for our waiting serves Gods purposes in ways we dont understand. When all you can do is wait  stay strong and let your heart be filled with good courage. Wait, I say  on God!

Rev. Marion J. Miller is senior pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church, 1201 Thomas V. Bryant Drive, Jeffersonville, Indiana. She may be contacted at 812-283-3747 or via email at wesley1201@sbcglobal.net.
A record number of Tennesseans this year worked off their Thanksgiving feasts at Tennessee State Parks on the day after Thanksgiving. Nearly 1,500 hikers  a 15 percent increase over the same event in 2017  attended a hike at one of Tennessees 56 state parks.

This hike is growing in popularity because it showcases our public lands and offers a fun activity that everyone can enjoy, said Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Deputy Commissioner Brock Hill.

The hike is one of five annual hiking events the state park system hosts and proved to be the most popular hike in 2017.

The parks that saw the most hikers on Nov. 24, included Henry Horton State Park in Chapel Hill, Cumberland Mountain State Park in Crossville and Tims Ford State Park in Winchester.

The next statewide hike will be First Day Hikes on Jan. 1, 2018. To view a list of all planned events, visit www.tnstateparks.com.
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The creation of 10 additional Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) centres in each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT has been approved by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

These bring to 672 additional centres being created across Nigeria since the commencement of the exercise in April this year, stated the commissions daily bulletin dated November 29.

The Commission said it decided to increase the number of registration centres to enable every eligible citizen register in the on-going CVR exercise ahead of the 2019 general elections.

INEC began the CVR exercise on April 27 in line with the Electoral Act (2010 as amended).

In the same bulletin, the chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, commended the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, ICMC, for its partnership in the deployment of Electoral Alternative Dispute Resolution, EADR, in resolving electoral disputes and called for greater partnership going forward.

The Chairman, who was represented by the national commissioner, Adekunle Ogunmola, at the Annual Conference and Induction Ceremony of ICMC, held in Abuja, Wednesday gave this commendation.

He noted that the introduction of EADR through several interventions such as training, mediation exercise and sensitization of electoral/political stakeholders had greatly helped in reducing litigation in the electoral cycle.

Mr. Yakubu expressed optimism that with greater partnership with the ICMC, there would be more awareness on the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR, in resolving electoral disputes.

In appreciation of his believe and deployment of ADR, the INEC Chairman was conferred with Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators.

The Commission said it had in the past, through its ADR Directorate, deployed the EADR tool in resolving electoral disputes in different states.

Source: (Premium Times )
The Federal Government is targeting a revenue of $1bn from its tax amnesty programme, according to the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, she also added that the target might be exceeded as two companies had already paid $110m (N33.6bn at the official exchange rate of N305 per dollar).

On the amount expected, we projected $1bn and we have already got $110m and that is just from two companies. So, we feel we might exceed that target, the minister told State House correspondents at the end of the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Adeosun said she presented a memorandum on the Voluntary Asset Declaration Bill to the council.

She disclosed that N1.5bn would be spent on advertising campaign for the Voluntary Asset Declaration Scheme for nine months.

The minister stated that the sum would cover advertisements on radio, television, online and in newspapers.

On the tax amnesty programme, she said the government had sent out over 500 letters in the first batch, and that there were thousands of Nigerians being targeted.

The minister said many people had reached out to the government, pleading for more time to pay.

Adeosun stated, Most of the governors have agreed to give more time for people to make arrangements for payments.

This is indeed a very good news for Nigeria as it will help reduce over-reliance on oil. It will improve our tax revenue so that whether oil prices are high or low, we will be able to provide basic services for our people.

Very high net worth people are now being brought into the tax revenue profile. We hope to exceed the target that has been set.

As part of the criteria used to get the first 500 who had received their letters, Adeosun said the government got information on land registry details from state governments and the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

She stated that information was also obtained from the Bank Verification Number and registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission.

The minister added, If someone lives in Lagos and has properties in Kaduna, London etc., but only declares part, with these information, we will get them. We also looked at people who had come out in the Panama and Paradise papers. We looked at people who have companies being paid by the government but are not paying the right taxes.

Even if you have not got a letter yet, do not think we have forgotten you. These are just the first 500, others will soon follow. It does not mean that we do not have you on our radar.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
A New York Police Department (NYDP) officer has described the Nigeria Police Force as one of the best in the world.

According to Nollywood actress, Shan George, the officer said that Nigerian police officers works so effectively though they are less equipped and underpaid.

This is coming days after a report by the 2016 World Internal Security and Police (WISPI) and the International Police Science Association (IPSA) ranked the Nigeria Police Force the worst in the world.

Source: Linda Ikejis blog
The Spanish Club at Chattanooga State Community College is thankful for their entire campus community. A total of 2,485 items were donated to help the Spanish Club make a contribution to the immigrant community through La Paz. 46 boxes were delivered to the Latino community organization on Friday, Nov. 17. Eighteen more boxes were delivered on Monday, Nov. 27.

Through a pre-determined agreement with La Paz, the Spanish Club will donate the remainder of the cans to the Community Market on campus, that was created for Chattanooga State students who do not have enough food.



The response was truly amazing. We had the best year. So many families will be helped by this, says Dr. Katheryn Thompson, professor of Spanish at Chattanooga State.



This year the Spanish Club offered prizes to the classes that donated the most. The winner of this years La Paz Pinata Prize is Josh Tucker and his students with 642 total items donated. The first runner-up was the 2016 winner, Rachael Falu and her students with a donation totaling 384 items.

The Honorable Mention was Houston Graham and the HVAC-R program of TCAT 2 with a total donation of 355 items.

This is the first year that TCAT has participated in this special program and their efforts were phenomenal. We are also grateful that they joined us, says Dr. Thompson.



Dr. Thompson also expresses her sincere gratitude to the Chattanooga State Print Shop, the Chattanooga State Humanities Department Support Staff, as well as the other various offices on campus that provided the boxes needed for the donations.



Many, many families had a Happy Thanksgiving because of what the Chattanooga State campus did for the Spanish Club as well as La Paz Chattanooga, says Dr. Thompson.






Ace comedian, Ali Baba has taken to his IG page to speak on the reason why Nigerians travel to the abroad in search of greener pastures.

Read what he wrote below:

Why did they leave? Dont answer. I will help you. They left because Osahon who made it abroad, in less that 2 years, has gotten a job (albeit illegal) that allows him live well, while arranging his permanent stay. If he who does not have formal education, has become a nurse in 3yrs and he is earning more than a banker. Uche don marry one foreign passport. Bola who was a hair dresser here, now works in a hairsaloon and sends money home. Not to mention Monday, an ordinary boy at a car wash in Lugbe, Abuja, who made it across and now works at the back of a restaurant and lives better than he used to here in Nigeria. Much as we should discourage these Nigerians from travelling, if we want to be honest with ourselves, the lure is too tempting. Dont forget that those who traveled will lie through their teeth to I justify why they left. Then you have the matter of prostitution and organised crime. The people who survive on these illicit businesses, will continue to require fresh hands. The 16 year old girl that was fetching the idiot 50 euros every other night, from wear and tear, may not provide the same amount of cash haul after a year. So, they will need new call girls. People are shouting slavery! Slavery!!. Is this new? Nooop. ONCE YOU FAIL TO EMPOWER YOUR POPULACE, THEY ARE BOUND TO USE THAT STATE OF IGNORANCE AND LACK OF EMPOWERMENT to survive anyhow they can. Illegal or otherwise. Ok so we bring them back from Libya. So What? We will manufacture jobs before the chartered flight lands? Or would we have done anything to engage those who had not made the trip just still could? What do I know Sef? Shebi I am just a comedian?

source: Instagram
At least five persons were confirmed dead in an attack on Wednesday night after, Boko Haram insurgents attacked Wuna village in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

The attack came days after about 50 persons were killed in a similar attack on a Mosque in Mubi town during morning prayer.

Sources said scores of fighters stormed the village, a few kilometres from Gulak, the administrative headquarters of Madagali.

They came in numbers and just started shooting sporadically into the air with their guns; and there was pandemonium as people started fleeing for their lives, a resident said.

They held sway for almost an hour during which they killed over five people, burning houses, food stuff and carted away domestic animals. Presently, we are hiding somewhere in a nearby village, the resident stated.

Another resident said: They were on the rampage to steal food and medical supplies. Even last two days, they raided a nearby village, Humbli, and many others. There is tension everywhere and people have started fleeing.

Confirming the attack, the Chairman of Madagali Local Government Council, Yusuf Muhammad, said the attack lasted for about an hour on Wednesday night.

The chairman who could not give the casualty figures however said that the insurgents burnt many houses and looted foodstuff.

They looted foodstuff, killed livestock and burnt the village completely,though for now I am yet to ascertain the number of those killed.

The Nigerian Army is yet to react to the attack. Akintoye Badare, a major and spokesperson of the 28 Task-Force Battalion, Mubi, could not be reached as at the time of filing this report.

Confirming the attack, a member of the House of Representatives, Adamu Kamale, said: President Muhammadu Buhari is being fed with false information on the capacity of Boko Haram in our area as they still carry out deadly strikes.

They have attacked Wuna last night and the recent attacks indicate the group is still able to carry out major attacks and has not been defeated despite the successes achieved by Nigerian soldiers in the war.

The communities in the local governments are a stones throw from the boundary of Sambisa Forest, the insurgents safe haven from where they launch attacks on us, he noted.

Mr. Kamale, who spoke with newsmen on Thursday,said while the military continued to make claims of decimating the insurgents, the situation in Madagali had been grossly under-reported in a series of security reports filed by the military to Mr. Buhari.

The truth remains that the group is still very active in our areas. According to the lawmaker, no week or day passes without one ugly incident taking place in the border communities.

We want Mr. President to match words with actions because the insurgents are truly killing more people than he is even aware of, particularly in Michika/Madagali local government areas of Adamawa State.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
A local elder has confirmed that two persons, were killed in the latest Boko Haram attack on a remote village in the in Adamawa state.

The attack happened in Wanu village, some three kilometres (just under two miles) from the town of Gulak, at about 7:30 pm (1830 GMT) on Wednesday.

They killed two people and injured one other. They went about burning homes, crops and livestock, said Maina Ularamu, a former head of the Madagali local government area.

Boko Haram has repeatedly targeted Madagali and the surrounding area in recent weeks as part of an increase in activity in Adamawa state.

Adamawa was declared cleared of the jihadists in late 2014 but there have still been raids and suicide attacks in the far north of the state, where it borders neighbouring Borno.

Ularamu said the attackers came on foot  an indication they did not intend to loot  via the Waga Chakawa forest, which leads to the Sambisa Forest in Borno.

Boko Haram fighters used the former national park as a base until it was driven out after a months-long military counter-insurgency.

At least 50 people were killed when a teenage detonated his explosives at a mosque in Adamawas commercial hub of Mubi earlier this month.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said in December 2015 that Boko Haram was technically defeated as a result of military operations.

He likened its continued use of suicide bombing and sporadic raids to the last kicks of a dying horse.

A dying horse manages to engage in some kicks. These kicks may be dangerous but they dont last long, he was reported as saying on a visit last Sunday to Adamawas capital, Yola.

Progressively they become weaker and weaker until the horse finally gives up.

Source : ( AFP )
President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that Nigerians stranded in Libya and other parts of the world would be brought home and rehabilitated.

He spoke against the backdrop of recent reports that hundreds of African refugees and migrants in Libya were being sold into slavery.

The reports indicated merchants were preying on vulnerable individuals attempting to reach Europe via the Mediterranean Sea, a route described as the worlds deadliest.

In an interactive session with members of the Nigerian community in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, on the margins of the 5th AU-EU Summit, Buhari said steps would be taken to stem the tide of illegal migration by Nigerians. he committed to reducing the number of citizens heading for Europe illegally through the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea by improving education, healthcare, food security and other necessities in the homeland.

His spokesman, Garba Shehu, yesterday quoted the President as noting the difficulty in identifying the origin of the people who died attempting the perilous journey, given lack of documentation.

Shehu said that, It was announced that 26 Nigerians died recently in the Mediterranean and hurriedly buried without autopsy to establish the cause of death before they proved that they were all Nigerians, they buried them.

But the evidence I have from the Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs (Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa) is that only three of them were identified as Nigerians. But Ill not be surprised if the majority of them were Nigerians.

For people to cross the Sahara, and the Mediterranean in shanty boats We will try and keep them at home. But anybody who died in the desert and the Mediterranean without documents, to prove that such is a Nigerian, there is absolutely nothing we can do.

Reacting to recent footage on the sale of Africans in Libya, Buhari said it was appalling that some Nigerians (in the footage) were being sold like goats for few dollars in Libya. After 43 years of Gaddafi, why are they recruiting so many people from the Sahel including Nigerians? All they learned was how to shoot and kill. They didnt learn to be electricians, plumbers or any other trade.

Buhari told Nigerians in the Diaspora that there was good news from home. We are not doing too badly in trying to secure the country, improve the economy and deal with corruption.

We are doing our best at all levels including security. It is absolute madness for people to blow others up in markets, churches and mosques. No religion advocates violence. Justice is the basic thing all religions demand and you cant go wrong if you do it.

The president added that with his vision of repositioning Nigeria as a food basket, the country is on the threshold of attaining food security.

He advised Nigerians in Cote dIvoire to be good ambassadors, warning that those who tarnish the image of their country would be repatriated.

Also, the Senate yesterday tasked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with finding ways to end the shocking sale of Africans.

This was contained in a motion: Urgent Need to Protect Nigerian Citizens from Libyas Slavery Auctions, sponsored by Baba Kaka Bashir Garbai (APC, Borno Central).

It also urged Buhari to use the summit as an opportunity to table the matter before the Libyan delegation.

President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, said, As a country, it is a slap in the face if Nigerians can be treated in this manner. Other countries are taking necessary actions to bring back their citizens from that troubled country. We need to be doing similar things. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must immediately summon the Libyan ambassador here in Nigeria to explain what is happening, so that we can bring an end to this situation.

The deputy president of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, advised governments in Africa to curb the economic hardship fueling migration.

Source  Greennews
The deadly ISIS terror sect has allegedly blown a Russian helicopter away to pieces in a dramatic footage which has left viewers stunned.

This is the shocking footage which has emerged showing alleged ISIS jihadists blowing up a Russian helicopter in Syria.

The footage appears to show Russian forces attempting to land in northern Syria. But terrorist group ISIS, otherwise known as Daesh, had other ideas.

A man can be seen laying down on the ground preparing a potentially fatal rocket launcher shot.

Alarming screams of Allahu Akbar can he heard as the man fires a shoulder-fired missile towards the military aircraft.

And after impact, the helicopter is completely destroyed in a ball of fire and smoke.

This clip comes just days after the Russian military declared victory over ISIS forces in Syria.

But, in doing so there have been ongoing morality issues over its military tactics.

Russian forces dropped copious amounts of unguided bombs and missiles which in turn led to the death of many Syrian civilians.

There have also been strong allegations of the use of banned sarin gas and other chemical weapons.

The US and its allies have used precision-guided weapons in its operations in Iraq and Syria, which cause far less collateral damage.

Watch the video below:
Trae T. Cotton, Ph.D. was named today as the new vice chancellor for Student Development at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.Dr. Cotton will join the UTC executive leadership team Feb. 1, 2018, from Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he has served as vice chancellor for Student Affairs since 2011. While at Winston-Salem, he also was as an adjunct faculty member. Prior to his roles there, he spent three and one-half years at Radford University (Va.), where he was associate vice president and dean of students.We are looking forward to having Dr.Cotton join our leadership team, said UTC Chancellor Steven R. Angle. His background and experience are exactly what UTC needs to provide the best possible learning and living environment for our students. He has been active in service to his community, and we look forward to the contributions he will make to the greater Chattanooga area as well as our campus.I want to express my gratitude to Dr. Dee Dee Anderson, who has served UTC admirably as interim vice chancellor for Student Development for more than a year, Dr. Angle added. Dr. Anderson has led many important efforts, including the leadership role in the development of our newest and largest housing unit, West Campus Housing, that is scheduled to open in August.Dr. Cottons career includes leadership positions in student life at California State University Channel Islands, where he was the founding director of its Office of Student Development in 2002, and also at Walden University, Florida Gulf Coast University and Edison Community College. He has distinguished service as a faculty presenter at the NASPA African-American Male Summit annual conference seven times since 2009.Dr. Cotton holds a doctor of philosophy from Walden University in Minneapolis. He earned his bachelor of arts at the University of North Texas and his masters degree from Eastern New Mexico University.He and his wife, Silvia Ramos, will be relocating to Chattanooga in the near future. They are the parents of two daughters, Ebony, 15, and Aaliyah, 13.
Six airplanes from China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines returned over 2,000 Chinese passengers home on Thursday after they were stranded in Bali, Indonesia due to a volcano eruption last weekend, thepaper.cn reported.

213 tourists trapped in Bali due to a volcano arrived at Baoan International Airport in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province on November 30, 2017. [Photo: Chinanews.com] Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport was closed on Monday. Some 445 flights were canceled, and nearly 60,000 passengers were left stranded.

The airport reopened on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Chinese Consulate General in Denpasar. Future closures will depend on wind direction and the influence of volcanic ash.

Mount Agung is expected to continue to erupt for two more days. Around 15,000 Chinese tourists are still trapped on the island.

The Chinese Consulate General will continue to coordinate with travel agencies and airlines to accommodate and transport the trapped Chinese passengers.

The erupting Gunung Agung volcano in Bali, pictured on November 28, 2017 [Photo: Xinhua]




The United States Government has donated seven vehicles and other tactical equipment to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

According to a statement on Wednesday by the US Consulate General in Lagos, the gesture was a continuation of the US governments support for the counter-narcotics agency.

Presenting the items to the Director of Training and Manpower Development, NDLEA, Dr. Linus Opara, the US Consulate General, John Bray, emphasised the importance of law enforcement cooperation between the US and Nigeria in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.

We are pleased to support the NDLEA in its efforts to fight drug trafficking. We share the same objective of ridding our societies of the harmful effects of narcotics trafficking and illicit drug use, he said.

According to the statement, items and equipment donated to the NDLEA are three Honda Accord vehicles, three Toyota Hilux trucks, one Toyota Hiace van, one Smith Detection Body Scan Unit, 16 laptop computers and 16 Analyst Notebook Software.

Others are 20 digital cameras, five electric bill counters and 25 battery power supply backup.

Bray said the items were funded through the US Africa Command Counter-narcotics and Transnational Threats Programme.

The statement added that since the establishment of the NDLEA in 1990, the US Mission to Nigeria had collaborated with the agency and had increased US bilateral assistance for combating narcotics trafficking in Nigeria.
Ayo  Wizkid  Balogun, Mary Njoku, Amaka Osakwe and Iyin Aboyeji are nominees for The Future Awards Africa, the continents highly-coveted Young Person of the Year Award, the organisers announced on Wednesday.

The award, at which Silas Adekunle, Chief Executive Officer of Reach Robotics will be recognised, has the theme, Nigerias New Tribe, and will hold on Dec. 9 at the Federal Place Hotel, Lagos.

Bukunyi Olateru-Olagbegi, Chairman, Central Working Committee, The Future Awards Africa ( TFAA ), said it was to celebrate and accelerate innovation among Nigerians aged 18 to 31.

She said that the TFAA acknowledges inspiring young people making a difference through social enterprise, social good and creativity.

Olateru-Olagbegi noted that the award was presented in conjunction with The Future Project which has a mandate to build and empower citizens across Africa, through inclusive enterprise and active citizenship.

TFAA is regarded as the Nobel Prize for Young Africans, and the most important youth awards by Forbes.

It has produced over 150 winners and over 1,550 nominees since its first edition in 2006.

Olateru-Olagbegi, anlaysing how the nominees emerged, said that arguably, Nigerias most influential artiste this year, Wizkid released one of the biggest albums of the year, Sounds from the other Side.

He recorded One Dance with Canadian superstar, Drake and also signed a major publishing deal with international music giant, Sony RCA records, while grabbing three awards at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards and a Grammy nomination.

On Mary Remmy Njoku, an actress and movie producer, she said that she was also the Chief Executive Officer of ROK Studios.

Launching her production company in 2013 with 25,000 dollars seed money, it has consistently grown  producing television series and films on a platform that has successfully launched two cable channels in Europe and Africa.

Amaka Osakwe, the creator of Africa-focused fashion label, Maki Oh, has established a reputation as one of the leading designers on the continent.

Her outfits are worn by international superstars like Beyonce, Rihanna, Kerry Washington and the former U.S. First Lady, Michelle Obama.

With the launch of Andela, Iyin Aboyeji committed himself to the task of nation building through personal innovation.

He left the highly successful tech incubator to start Flutterwave, the tech startup has become a global sensation and winning the Fintech Award at the 2017 Apps Africa digital innovation awards.

Another nominee, Silas Adekunle, is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Reach Robotics, a company developing the worlds first gaming robots.

Silas, in partnership with the University of West England, Bristol, managed the Princes Trust Robotics in schools programme in Bristol.

He led a team of engineering students into schools to develop the interest of young students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) through robotics.

Expatiating on the award, Bukola Adebakin, Team Lead of TFAA, said the focus on Human Capital Development was informed by its value proposition: Africas growth needs a generation of young people who are gainfully employed and able to demand and secure better leadership.

She said that TFAAs projects include Aiki.ng, an employability portal presented with Microsoft; Nigeria Symposium for Young & Emerging Leaders, StartupsAfrica, Intern4Jobs, YMonitor.org presented with National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and The Future Enterprise Support Scheme.

Adebakin disclosed that The Future Project was founded by the Chude Jideonwo and Adebola Williams, and supervised by a Global Board of Advisors drawn from Africa, Europe, North America and the Middle East.

source: Thenation
Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that people with disabilities are "equal members of the global family," and the world needs to pay special attention to taking care of the disabled.

Chinese President Xi Jinping pays a visit to disabled people in Hebei Province on July 28, 2016. [File photo: Xinhua]

He made the remarks in a congratulatory letter to the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Midpoint Review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities (2013-2022), which opened Monday in Beijing.

The president hailed progress made in the welfare of disabled people in China since the reform and opening-up drive was launched about 40 years ago.

Xi said China was committed to a people-centered approach and ensuring and improving people's living standards through development, stated in the report delivered at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held in October.

"China will continue to promote comprehensive development and common prosperity of disabled people," Xi said.

He also noted that the country would always promote common development in the international cause of the disabled, including within the Asia-Pacific region.

With the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the protection of equal rights and the improvement of integrative development for disabled people have been acknowledged and encouraged by the international community.

Advocated by China, the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities was initiated in Beijing to help Asian and Pacific countries and regions to communicate and learn from each other.

It is considered a strong model of regional cooperation in protecting disabled people.




Allstate Insurance Company of Canada has received the GoodLife Fitness Health & Wellness Leadership Award for its employee health and wellness program.Fitness company GoodLife gives the award to organizations that demonstrate continuous improvements in areas related to fitness, activity, nutrition, education, and employee behavioral changes, a release said.We make every effort to take care of our employees and provide support for their overall wellbeing as part of our Healthy Workplace Strategy, said Allstate Canada vice-president of human resources Adrianne Sullivan-Campeau. This strategy is made up of a four-pronged approach that focuses on our employees physical, nutritional, financial and mental wellbeing. And whether its fostering resilience, leading seminars on financial wellness, or offering a Dress For Your Day program, the goal is to create a healthy, balanced work environment that enables team members to thrive.Recipients of the award have fostered cultures of workplace wellness through four key areas: leadership and innovation, culture and engagement, rewards and recognition, and personal growth.
The rapid expansion of the H.W. Kaufman Group continues with the firm revealing today that it is opening a new office in downtown Los Angeles, California.



The office will house both Burns & Wilcox, the wholesale insurance broker and underwriting manager, and Burns & Wilcox Brokerage, the distinct business unit that focuses on large, complex wholesale brokerage. It will be located at 515 S. Flower St, Los Angeles, and becomes the firms second location in the area and seventh across the golden state outside of San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento and San Diego.



For more than 30 years Burns & Wilcox has steadily grown in one of the largest E&S markets in the country  California, said Alan Jay Kaufman, Chairman, president, and CEO, H.W. Kaufman Group, parent company of Burns & Wilcox. An expanded presence in Los Angeles will strengthen our relationships and deliver unmatched service and expertise to our brokers, agents, and partners.



According to a release announcing the opening of the new office, Timothy D. Burnett, corporate vice president and current managing director of Woodland Hills, will serve as managing director of Los Angeles  spearheading Burns & Wilcox operations in the new office  reporting directly to Harvey Goldenberg, executive vice president, Burns & Wilcox, who oversees California, based in San Francisco. Dennis Fox will be associate managing director of Los Angeles  spearheading Burns & Wilcox Brokerage operations  reporting directly to Denis Brady, president, Burns & Wilcox Brokerage in San Francisco.



Our goal is to deliver a seamless experience to retail brokers and agents in the area, said Goldenberg. Through a united working environment, we are able to provide coverage for any and all unique risks that exist in the state.


The insurance industry is evolving rapidly. Insurtech, big data and artificial intelligence are changing the way the industry approaches business, and the demands of the modern workforce are re-shaping our offices.Dan Negron, senior underwriter at TT Club , is celebrating 30 years in the insurance industry. Hes witnessed three decades of industry evolution and has shared his reflections with Insurance Business.If you think about it, the entire world was a very different place 30 years ago. Ronald Reagan was President of the United States, Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister of the UK, the Berlin Wall still separated Germany and there was little sign of the bull market collapse of 1987 which came to be known as Black Monday.The business world was also a very different place in 1987. A business suit was the norm, unlike the business casual atmosphere that has become popular since the dot.com craze of the 1990s. The internet was just in its infancy, and the World Wide Web did not even exist. Aside from personal contact, business communications were conducted primarily by mail, while land-line phone, telex, and telefax were the primary means of communicationOver the years, the business world evolved . The advent of the internet increased the speed of communications. Private offices gave way to workstations. Typewriters gave way to desktop computers, which in turn gave way to the laptop computers, tablets and cell phones we have today. While this appears to have lessened the number of personal interactions with brokers, it has widened our ability to communicate with a greater number of people over longer distances.In 1987, New York City was an important center for the insurance industry, where most significant insurance brokers and underwriters maintained their offices. Insurance submissions were once delivered in person by brokers or were mailed in hard copy through the regular mail.The shipping industry also had a significant presence in New York City, although today, that presence is virtually gone. At the time, TT Club insured many steamship lines that no longer exist, and, over time, the Club has adapted to the changes in the industry by broadening its offering to a new breed of logistics operators. While there had been a number of courier companies operating at the time, the fact is that the various sectors of the logistics industry tended to operate independently of each other. The closest thing to the logistics industry we know today was multimodal transport. This, of course, has changed over time, and the logistics industry now offers a variety of services, packaged to meet the demands of shippers. TT Club has also tailored its products to meet the needs of these operators.Absolutely, your first piece of business is not something you easily forget. When I first arrived, I underwent a three-month training program at the TT Clubs offices in London. The purpose was to introduce me to the insurance forms underwritten by the Club and to learn the principles of underwriting. Just before leaving for London, I received a submission from a broker in Houston to insure a stevedoring company located in the US Gulf Coast named Port Stevedoring. During my time in London, I analyzed the file, calculated a premium and forwarded a proposal to the broker, which was accepted. This experience proved to be very enlightening, in that I came to understand the interdisciplinary nature of the underwriting process. I learned that I needed to understand the services being provided by the operator, the operators exposure to potential legal liabilities, and the need to structure an insurance program in line with those exposures.Today, we see the logistics industry, with its high-tech approach to business, as a significant player in economic activity. Logistics operators provide a multitude of services under special contracts that the standard insurance market finds difficult to insure. Their services incorporate all modes of national and international transport and can involve virtually any service in the supply chain process . Rather than rely on a patchwork of boilerplate policies, we view the TT Clubs program as a solution to the complex exposures that logistics operators face. TT Clubs bespoke approach to insuring these operators has placed us in a very favorable position, particularly in the US over the past seven to eight years.We are cautious about the forecast for growth in this sector. At this point in time, we have considered many of the major operators for cover, and there are still many target operators to be considered. But the industry is undergoing some rationalization through mergers and acquisitions, and we are monitoring these developments closely. We are therefore focusing our efforts on maximizing our offering to our existing members by offering TT Clubs cargo or shippers-interest insurance to them. This will give their customers the added benefit of direct-damage insurance for their cargo while it is in the custody of the logistics operator.We view brokers as critical players in placing and renewing business with the Club. Interestingly, while the advent of modern communication has actually lessened our personal contacts, it has allowed for a significant increase in our overall communications with them and to the exchange of documents quickly over greater distances. Today, our business contacts in the Americas stretch from as far north as Canada, down to the southern cone of South America. We believe that if we support brokers in their marketing and servicing efforts throughout the region, TT Club will benefit from their support as well. This strategy has proven very successful in our growth efforts here in the Americas over the past five to eight years.I find it very rewarding interacting with members and their brokers. I believe that part of my function is finding solutions to their insurance and risk management concerns.Embrace your most difficult challenges, for they are the source for your greatest personal growth.
Vancouver, British Columbia - November 30, 2017 (Investorideas.com Newswire) SilverCrest Metals Inc. (TSXV: SIL.V; OTCQX: SVCMF) has released further surface and underground drill results from its ongoing Phase II Exploration Program at its Las Chispas Property. The company anticipates completing the program at its Sonora, Mexico-based Las Chispas Property by mid-January, which will include drilling a further 4,000 to 6,000 metres, primarily on the Babicanora extension.

InvestmentPitch.com has produced a " video " which discusses this news. If this link is not enabled, please visit www.InvestmentPitch.com and enter "SilverCrest" in the search box.

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The surface and underground drill program is designed to define readily accessible high-grade areas in the historic underground workings in the Las Chispas Vein and further define the Giovanni Vein.

The company is currently exploring nine of the 19 known epithermal veins on the Property with efforts focused on four of these veins, with the results to be incorporated into SilverCrest's maiden resource estimate anticipated in Q1 2018.

The most significant results for this release are in Hole LC17-72, which returned 4.0 metres grading 18.61 grams per tonne gold and 696.2 grams per tonne silver, or 2,092 grams per tonne silver equivalent, including 0.8 metres grading 92.60 grams per tonne gold and 2,890.0 grams per tonne silver, or 9,835 grams per tonne silver equivalent.

Other significant results include Hole LC17-68 at 2.0 metres grading 5.85 gpt gold and 1,191.5 gpt silver, or 1,630 gpt silver equivalent, Hole LCU17-02 at 2.2 metres grading 9.42 gpt gold and 1,369.3 gpt silver, or 2,076 gpt silver equivalent, and Hole LCU17-04 at 6.3 metres grading 1.97 gpt gold and 241.4 gpt silver, or 389 gpt silver equivalent.

The table summarizes the most significant drill results for this release in the Las Chispas Area only.

Historic Las Chispas Mine underground workings have been open for over 80 years with minor backfill and no ground support. Several prominent high-grade historic pillars remain intact in the mine and are readily accessible via a historic haulage route.

With further detailed underground channel sampling, the company will be assessing the optimal way to incorporate these pillars and intact mineralization into the upcoming resource estimate. These pillars could potentially be incorporated into plans for extraction of a permitted bulk sample for offsite processing in 2018.

N. Eric Fier, CPG, P.Eng, President and CEO, stated: "These results are building on our previous drilling and underground sampling program, which has demonstrated intact semi-continuous high-grade mineralization for the Las Chispas and Giovanni veins. As part of our expanded Phase II Exploration Program, we intend to continue with underground drilling and channel sampling on the Las Chispas and Giovanni veins through Q1 2018. We remain on track to deliver a maiden resource estimate in Q1 2018 which will include the Las Chispas, Giovanni, William Tell and Babicanora veins."

For more information, please visit the company's website www.SilverCrestMetals.com, contact Fred Cooper, Investor Relations, at 604-694-1730 or 1-866-691-1730, or email info@SilverCrestMetals.com.

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Breaking EV Stock News: Mullen's (NASDAQ: MULN) 'Strikingly Different' EV Crossover Tour Heads to Texas After Completing a Successful Sold Out Stop in Las Vegas

BREA, Calif. - November 15, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), an emerging electric vehicle ("EV") manufacturer, announces today that it has successfully completed the third stop of the Mullen FIVE Strikingly Different EV Crossover Tour in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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EV Companies on the Rise: (NASDAQ: MULN) (NASDAQ: TSLA) (NYSE: NIO) (NASDAQ: RIVN)

Vancouver, Kelowna, Delta, BC - November 16, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Investor Ideas Investorideas.com, a leading investor news resource covering EV stocks releases a special report on the continued growth within the sector

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Breaking AI Stock News: FatBrain (OTCQB: LZGI) Acquires UK-based Forecasting Innovator Predictive Black To Help SMEs Optimize Cash Management

NEW YORK, NY - November 15, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.) (OTCQB: LZGI), the leader in powerful and easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for star enterprises of tomorrow (some call SMEs), has acquired Predictive Black Ltd, a UK-based innovator of real-time cash management, financial insights and business wellness for SMEs.

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New Fashion Designer Launches this Holiday Season in Kelowna and Online; Sweet Dees Creations  Fun, Flirty and Affordable

Kelowna B.C. - November 14, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) A local fashion designer is launching a new women's line at Kelowna markets and online this Holiday Season that will make heads turn with her whimsical and colourful choices

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Chinese President Xi Jinping told his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, in a telephone conversation late Wednesday that denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, maintaining international nuclear-nonproliferation regime, and preserving peace and stability in Northeast Asia are China's unswerving goal.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump.[Photo: CGTN]

He said China would like to keep up communications with the United States and all other related parties, and jointly push the nuclear issue towards the direction of peaceful settlement via dialogues and negotiations.

In response, Trump said the United States has serious concerns over the launch of a ballistic missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects the long-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 (Mars-12) in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 15, 2017. [File Photo: VCG]

The DPRK's Korean Central Television reported that the country successfully test-fired a newly developed Intercontinental Ballistic Missile early Wednesday morning, a move that has drawn condemnation from the international community.Pyongyang said "The development and advancement of the strategic weapon of DPRK are to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country from the U.S. imperialists' nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat, and to ensure the peaceful life of the people."

It is the first launch since Sept. 15, when the DPRK fired a ballistic missile over northern Japan into the Pacific Ocean.

Trump said Washington highly values China's important role in solving the nuclear issue, and is willing to enhance communications and coordinations with China in search for solutions to the issue.

Also in their phone talks, the Chinese leader said that during Trump's visit to China earlier this month the two heads of state have exchanged in-depth views on key issues of common concerns and reached important consensuses on multiple fronts, which bears important significance for maintaining sound and stable bilateral ties.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, and U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump pose for a photo in front of Taihedian, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, during their visit to the Palace Museum, or the Forbidden City, in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 8, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua]

Xi called on the two sides to carry out these consensuses, make good plans for high-level bilateral exchanges, as well as at other levels, ensure the second round talks under all four high-level China-U.S. dialogue mechanisms a success, and implement cooperation agreements and projects between the two countries.

He also urged the two sides to maintain close communications and coordination on important international and regional affairs.

To help soothe the Korean Peninsula situation, China has proposed a dual-track approach, seeking to advance denuclearization and establish a peace mechanism in parallel. Beijing, in its "suspension for suspension" initiative, calls on Pyongyang to pause its missile and nuclear activities, and calls on Washington to put its joint military drills with South Korea on hold.

In response to the DPRK's missile launch, the United Nations Security Council will hold an urgent meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

Since November last year, the Security Council has imposed export bans on coal, iron, lead, textiles and seafood, restricted joint ventures and blacklisted a number of DPRK's entities in response to the country's missile and nuclear tests.

It has also banned the hiring of DPRK's guest workers and capped oil exports.

Under UN resolutions, DPRK is barred from developing missiles and a nuclear weapons capability, but Pyongyang argues that the arsenal is needed for self-defense against the "hostile" United States.




With Asia predicted to become the export destination for half of the worlds beef in the next three to four years, it was no surprise that our beef industry was well represented on the recent Department of Agriculture/Bord Bia food trade mission to Japan and South Korea, writes Stephen Cadogan.

Rising incomes and changing cultures are dramatically increasing beef demand in Asia. Already this year, the Philippines has come to the rescue of Irish beef exporters. In the year up to August, compared to 2016, Ireland exported over 4,000 extra tonnes of beef to the Philippines, which has emerged as an important buyer for the estimated 5% increase in Irish beef production this year.

Elsewhere in Asia, Chinas growing appetite for beef is expected to generate demand for 2.5 million additional tonnes between the years 2010 and 2025.

India is also experiencing exploding demand for beef.

Securing a foothold in this booming Asian beef market is one of the long term aims behind the recent Irish trade mission to Japan and South Korea. Japan already has the worlds fifth highest number of McDonalds outlets per capita, built around the beefburger, and grilled meat restaurants are becoming very popular among young people.

Beef consumption makes up around 18% of total meat consumption in Japan.

Compared to the traditionally more fatty beef from domestic breeds like the ultra-expensive Wagyu cattle, Japanese consumers are open to imported beef, because it is cheaper, and they have health concerns about fat.

Japan and South Korea combined is one of top five markets Bord Bia is aiming at, as Brexit makes the task of finding new markets for our food ever more urgent.

The stated aim is to more than double Irelands current food and drink exports to Japan and South Korea, from about 100m to 250m, by 2025, and in the longer term to use these countries as launching pads for increased Irish exports across Asia.

At Bord Bias EU beef and lamb promotional event in Tokyo during the recent Irish food trade mission, Declan Fennell, Bord Bia, helping to serve up Irish beef to Japanese chefs. Earlier this year, Bord Bia won the contract to promote EU beef and lamb across China, Japan and Hong Kong in a campaign valued at 3.75 million.

Leading the trade mission, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed said if you can make it in Japans fiercely competitive food market, you can make it anywhere in Asia.

How realistic is the implied aim of Ireland becoming a bigger player in the Asia beef market, which Brazil-based beef processor Minerva SA has predicted will become the destination for 50% of the worlds beef in the next three to four years, up from just under 46% in 2017.

And why is Japan a good place to start (Ireland has beef access to the Japanese market since 2013, and the recent trade mission took us to the fourth of six stages in getting access to the South Korea market for beef).

Interestingly, Minerva and other Brazilian beef exporters will have to advance in Asia without a toehold in Japan, because their beef is banned by the worlds third largest beef importer. It is beef from New Zealand and Australia thats on the menu in the 25 or so Brazilian steak houses in Tokyo, a city famous for its 160,000 restaurants.

Brazilian beef has been out of Japan since 2012, due to a mad cow and foot and mouth disease risks, and theres little sign of it getting back in.

Only some processed Brazilian beef is allowed.

Banning beef from the second biggest producer in the world shows how exacting import standards are in Japan. It is still well served with competitively priced beef imports, mostly from Australia, and the US, the worlds No 1 beef producer.

Ireland became an approved beef supplier to Japan in 2013, and remarkably, Japan now takes a portion of most of the carcases of cattle aged under 30 months which are slaughtered in Ireland. This unusual situation arises because Japan is a particularly strong market for offals such as tongue and skirts, and the portion Japan takes from so many Irish carcases is the tongue. Offal (also known as the fifth quarter) is the highest-priced beef commodity imported in Japan, at about $10,000 per tonne.

What are Irelands other selling points for beef in Japan (which imports more beef than Ireland produces, and imports 60% of all its food in terms of calories)? In 2016, beef imports totalled 610,000 tonnes, compared to Irish production of 550,000 tonnes.

One of the selling points is the free trade agreement between the EU and Japan, scheduled to start in 2019, which will eliminate import taxes in Japan for about 90% of food and drink imports from the EU, over 15 years.

It will start with zero tariffs on EU wines, so EU exporters can hope for Japanese consumers turning to wine and steak dinners, or wine and cheese parties.

As it stands, EU cheese and beef in Japan have to carry import duties of 30-40%.

Tariffs on beef will be cut from 38.5% to 27.5%, in the first year and then gradually to 9%. By year 11 of the agreement, the 12.8% import duty on offal such as beef tongues will have fallen to zero.

Japan imported over $51 billion of food and drink in 2016. They want to diversify their import sources, and we are a good fit, says Agriculture Minister Michael Creed.

He spent much of the trade mission spelling out how high standards of safety, traceability, and sustainability make Ireland the food island where a population of 5m produces enough food for 25m.

Its also a good time for Ireland to sell its wares in this part of the world because it was Irelands Bord Bia that won the three-year contract to promote EU beef and lamb in Asia (beef only in Japan).

The 3.75m contract came at an opportune time, as Ireland moves closer to being the first major EU country to secure beef market access in China.

Commenting on the Japan leg of the trade mission, Cormac Healy of Meat Industry Ireland said, The Japanese market remains a key target for the Irish meat industry, reflected by the strong meat industry participation in the trade mission, with 10 companies that account for over 75% of our export business.

However, all on the mission agreed that making further progress into the Japanese beef market will be a slow process.

The next big step will be Bord Bias Marketplace International event in Dublin next April for invited foreign buyers interested in sustainable sourcing, which will include an expected 30 Japanese buyers coming to Ireland to meet Origin Green affiliated companies.

Bord Bia will expect export business to flow from the Marketplace International event within 12-18 months.
By Ann O'Loughlin

The President of the High Court has made orders directing that a website involved in a practice known as 'claims harvesting' be shut down.

Mr Justice Peter Kelly made orders that a website called www.personalinjurysolicitorsdublin.info be removed.

The Judge said he was satisfied to make orders after finding that any person who read the contents of the website would believe that they were dealing with a service that could only be offered by solicitors.

The orders were made against businessman Mr David Smyth and a firm he is a director of called Agenda Computers, both with an address at Eldon, St Johns Hill, Waterford, who the Law Society of Ireland said had operated the website.

The Society sought the orders against Mr Smyth, who is not a qualified solicitor, and the company on the grounds the website contained statements that are in breach of the advertising provisions of Solicitors Acts, in particular soliciting and encouraging the making of PI claims.

It claimed Mr Smyth appeared to be providing legal advice and was pretending he was a solicitor and that there was a firm called Personal Injury Solicitors Dublin, when he was not a solicitor and there was no such firm.

'Claims Harvesting' is a practise where information on potential litigants in personal injuries claims is passed on to third-party legal firms by someone connected to the website operator.

These sites encourage and appear to solicit people making personal injuries claims.

Represented by Paul Anthony McDermott SC the Society said investigators, on its behalf while looking into the practice of claims harvesting, called a number on the website.

The investigators got calls back from a person asking for personal details. Some time later the investigators received another call this time from solicitors who got referrals from the website.

It was this investigation that lead the Law Society to Mr Smyth and his company.

Mr Smyth and Agenda had opposed some of orders being made against him, including one directing that the website to be removed, and had consented to others. Mr Smyth gave evidence that he had sold the website to a solicitor a few days before the hearing.

In his ruling, Mr Justice Kelly said he was satisfied to grant the orders sought by the Law Society.

He noted the website contained many statements including "You should choose well-trained and fully experienced associate solicitors of Personal Injury Solicitors, Dublin because simply we get you what you deserve," or "No Win No Fee talk to us without obligation" and "Let our associate Personal Injuries Solicitors help you keep 100% of your compensation".

The Judge said while the website did include a disclaimer "in small print" which "appeared to be written by somebody whose first language was not English", any person who read the website would believe they "were getting in contact with a solicitor."

"No other inference could be drawn," Mr Justice Kelly said adding that the website would also lead people to believe that, not only was it offering the services of expert personal injury lawyers, but also lawyers who specialised in certain types of injuries such as whiplash.

The Judge said the sale of the website by Mr Smyth for 6000 was also "curious", as initially he did not wish to identify the buyer, who it was learned was a solicitor who practises in both Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The sale concerning the website was also to be governed not by Irish but by UK law, the Judge also noted.

Following the court's decision, Mr Smyth gave an undertaking to comply with the court's order within 14 days and to provide the Law Society with information within his possession relating to the website.
A child aged eleven who was unhappy with her physical appearance posted on her Instagram account of her intention to die, writes Louise Roseingrave.

A coroner returned a verdict of suicide at the inquest into the death of Milly Tuomey from Templeogue in Dublin 6. The child died on January 4 2016.

Milly was loving and greatly loved, fit, healthy, connected, engaged and talented, the childs devastated parents Fiona and Tim Tuomey said in a statement after the inquest.

When we discovered out of the blue that our child had told her friends on Instagram that she had chosen the day she would die, we couldnt believe it. We did not know what to do, they said.

Dublin Coroners Court heard that on November 3 2015 Milly posted on Instagram to hundreds of friends of her intention to die on a certain date.

Her parents were alerted by her elder sister and her school. They took Milly to see their GP and during this visit Milly expressed a death wish. She spoke about thoughts of self harm and said she had been unhappy with her physical appearance for a number of years.

Her GP recommended she see a clinical psychologist at An Cuan, a private counselling and psychotherapy clinic. The Tuomeys made an appointment but the psychologist was no longer taking patients. Milly was assigned to an art therapist, who was not qualified to make clinical assessments, the inquest heard.

The child began a series of weekly appointments on November 24 2015 where she was encouraged to explore her emotions through verbal and visual means.

After Millys first visit, the therapist advised Mrs Tuomey to make an appointment with the HSEs Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). An appointment was made for January 30 2016 but this was brought forward after Mrs Twomey found a suicide diary along with medication indicating an attempt at self harm under her daughters bed.

Shed cut herself and written in biro on herself, beautiful girls dont eat, Mrs Tuomey told the court.

We were terrified. We had no experience of this and no idea what to do, she said.

The family was advised to go to their local emergency department if any concerns arose over Christmas or out of hours.

The court heard that on January 1 2016 the family ate dinner together and watched a film. That evening, Milly declared she was bored and left the room. She was found moments later in a critical condition and emergency services were called. She was rushed to Our Ladys Childrens Hospital where she died on January 4.

Irish children as young as seven have expressed suicidal ideation, Psychiatrist Dr Antoinette DAlton told the court.

Years ago this would have been unimaginable. Now suicidal ideation is increasing in children as young as seven. There is a care pathway but it is under resourced, Dr DAlton said.

Ireland currently ranks fifth in Europe in cases of suicide in the ten to 14 age group and the past decade has seen a step by step increase in instances of non-fatal self-harm among ten to 14 year olds, according to Director of Research at the National Suicide Research Foundation Professor Ella Arensman.

Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane commended the Twomeys for their decision to donate their little girls organs. The coroner noted comments from experts who stated further resources were required for child and adolescent mental health services and recommended the provision of information to support parents and families while they wait to be seen by services.

In their statement, the family said that they discovered there are no clinical protocols for when a child has a mental health crisis. In 21 century Ireland this is simply not acceptable.

They had hopes and dreams for their daughter, and Milly had hopes and dreams for herself, they said. In excerpt from her diary, Milly told how she hoped to be a famous doctor, get married and have children.

When I am 23 I would like to have my first baby and when Im 24 my second baby. If I have two girls I want to call them Vanessa and Grace Tuomey, she wrote.

If you have been affected by this issues raised in this article, help and support is available from the Samaritans on freephone 116123, or email jo@samaritans.org or Freecall Pieta House at 1800 247 247.
Update 1.16pm:UFC fighter Conor McGregor has been fined 400 for being clocked driving at 158kph on the N7 Naas Road in Dublin.

The multimillionaire sportsman, who claimed he earned 140m for one fight, has been given two months to pay the bill.

McGregor was ordered before a brief hearing at Blanchardstown District Court in the outskirts of the Irish capital, or to face the threat of arrest after his solicitor attempted to explain issues in the case.

After pleading guilty, apologising and offering no mitigation for the high speed in a 100kph zone, Judge Miriam Walsh told the fighter he could pay the fine by instalments if he wished.

"I would warn, however, despite your fortune in life, that you take cognisance of other people on the roads," the judge said.

McGregor was recorded by gardai driving at 158kph on the N7 Naas Road at Rathcoole, Co Dublin, on March 31.

He did not make any comment on the offence or other recent reports about a pub brawl as he was chaperoned from court and sped away in a black BMW i8.

Conor McGregor @TheNotoriousMMA drives away from court, saying Come and get me pic.twitter.com/ee41k2WYwK  RTE News (@rtenews) November 30, 2017

Earlier:UFC fighter Conor McGregor has been ordered to appear in court or face arrest over a speeding offence.

At a hearing in Blanchardstown District Court in Dublin, Judge Miriam Walsh told the star's solicitor he would have to attend in person if he wanted evidence given in the case.

Conor McGregor leaving Blanchardstown District Court in Dublin

Lawyer Graham Kenny told the court McGregor wanted to plead guilty after being clocked driving at more than 100kph on the N7 Naas Road at Rathcoole, Co Dublin, on March 31.

He said McGregor had filled in his name incorrectly when he returned a fixed charge penalty notice over the incident. The fighter left his middle name Anthony off the form, the court was told.

Judge Walsh said the case had been mentioned on two previous occasions and she was annoyed that he was not in court to give evidence in person.

"Like everybody else, if he's putting in a plea of mitigation he has to be here," she said.

Mr Kenny said he would contact the UFC lightweight champion.

Conor McGregor (left) leaving Blanchardstown District Court in Dublin, where he was facing a speeding charge.

Judge Walsh added: "I'm giving him one more opportunity. If he's not here the next time I'm going to seek a bench warrant. This is like a broken record."

She said she had already dealt with McGregor's business associate and business manager at previous court hearings and was now dealing with the case through his solicitor.

"This is absolute disrespect to the court," she said. "I'm very annoyed with Mr McGregor in the same way I'm annoyed with any other defendant."

She told Mr Kenny: "You can tell him there'll be a bench warrant coming his direction if he's not here."
A man has been jailed for his part in a scam involving the theft of bank cards with military precision at cash machines, writes Declan Brennan

Costel Tudor (43) was one of three people who distracted a bank customer at an outdoor cash machine before switching his bank card with another card.

The victim only realised his card had been taken when he went to use it the following day.

He went to gardai who retrieved CCTV footage from around the Bank of Ireland ATM at Ranelagh, Dublin.

Garda Joseph O'Callaghan told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that the footage showed Tudor and two women together in a group. He said while the victim was using the cash machine one woman placed a 20 banknote on the ground below him.

This woman then tapped him on the shoulder and asked him if the money was his. While he was momentarily distracted, the other woman switched his bank card with a card she had in her hand.

Garda O'Callaghan told Judge Cormac Quinn that the whole thing was extremely organised and carried out in split-second time.

It was done with military precision, he said.

He said the footage showed Tudor walking up to the bank machine minutes later and trying out the bank card although he was unable to withdraw cash.

Tudor, from Bucharest, Romania pleaded guilty to dishonestly taking the bank card and to attempting to take cash from the ATM at Ranelagh on October 17, 2015.

He also admitted taking cash amounts from a bank account at locations in Dublin city centre on three occasions on May 21, 2017.

The court heard that in these later cases a woman had her bank card stolen from her purse while she was out socialising in a pub on Dublin's Harcourt street.

She cancelled the card when she realised it was gone but discovered the next day that a total of 845 had already been fraudulently withdrawn.

The cash was taken in three transactions around four o'clock in the morning.

The court heard the bank had since reimbursed her fully.

Judge Quinn imposed concurrent sentences of two and a half years for all the offences. He noted that that Tudor was a married father-of-one from outside this jurisdiction and that he has received no visitors since he was remanded in custody last June.

The court heard none of Tudor's 29 previous convictions for theft offences were committed in this country.

He has convictions from the Netherlands, Finland, Germany and the UK.

Judge Quinn said it was good police work that led to Garda O'Callaghan recognising Tudor from the 2015 CCTV footage, when Tudor was brought into the garda station for a different offence.

Judge Quinn backdated the prison sentence to last June when he went into custody.
By Ann O'Loughlin

A man who slipped on tiles on the front porch of his local authority home has been awarded 105,000 by the High Court.

Thomas Keegan had sued Sligo County Council after he slipped on the porch which had a mosaic tile floor, fracturing his left ankle.

Mr Keegan (aged 49) had told the court he was on his way home from a funeral and had consumed five pints on the day of the accident on November 18, 2013.

He was going in his front door at McNeill Drive, Cranmore, Sligo, when he said his left foot slipped on the porch tiles and he fell forward, landing in the hall. He later had to have an operation on the ankle.

Sligo County Council had claimed Mr Keegan had consumed five pints of beer on the day of the accident in November 2013 and he failed to take reasonable care for his own safety when entering the property.

Mr Justice Anthony Barr said he accepted Mr Keegans evidence he continues to experience pain in the ankle joint in particular when standing for long periods, when walking on uneven ground and when ascending steps and stairs.

The judge granted a stay on the award in the event of an appeal providing 30,000 is paid out immediately to Mr Keegan.

Mr Keegan, the judge said, had candidly admitted he had five pints of beer before returning home on the day of the accident .

"Having regard to the fact this is a man who has worked in manual labouring jobs all his life, I decline to make any adverse finding against him having regard to the level of alcohol consumed by him that day," Mr Justice Barr said.

The judge said the essential issue in the case was whether the porch tiles were appropriate for use in an exposed exterior porch. He said engineers on both sides agreed after tests that the tiles presented a low risk of slipping when dry and a moderate risk of slipping when wet.

The engineers, the judge said, disagreed that these findings made the tiles inappropriate for use in the porch area.

Mr Justice Barr said he was satisfied that in all the circumstances the tiles were inappropriate for use in an exterior porch and that the use of the tiles rendered the house unfit for human habitation.

The judge accepted Mr Keegans evidence that on leaving his house on the way to the funeral he noticed the porch mat was wet and he put it on the side gate to dry.

When he returned home Mr Keegan said the mat had been removed from the gate and for that reason, he stepped on to the tiles in the porch. The judge said Mr Keegan could not be held guilty of contributory negligence in those circumstances.
Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday pledged to strengthen cooperation with Hungary while meeting with Hungarian President Janos Ader in Budapest.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Hungarian President Janos Ader in Budapest on Nov. 29, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua]

Since the two countries established diplomatic relations in October, 1949, China and Hungary have always been committed to mutual respect and treating each other on equal footing, Li said, adding that political mutual trust has continued to strengthen while exchanges and cooperation in various areas have kept deepening.

China is willing to work with Hungary to dock their development strategies, identify converging points of interests to facilitate mutually beneficial cooperation, open up new areas of practical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, and jointly push for achieving new outcomes of 16+1 cooperation, he said.

For his part, Ader said Hungary and China have always kept close contact and are deepening their friendly cooperation.

The current visit of the Chinese premier has produced new and important consensus on developing bilateral ties and cooperation, and achieved positive outcomes, he said.

Hungary is willing to work with China to further boost mutually beneficial cooperation, keep close communication and coordination on international affairs, and promote bilateral ties and 16+1 cooperation, said the president.

The two leaders also exchanged views on climate change.

The Chinese government has been actively engaged in promoting and signing the Paris Agreement, Li said, noting that Beijing is the first to formulate and submit its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions document to tackle global warming.

China will continue to carry out its commitment made in the Paris Agreement on the basis of the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities", and stands ready to work with related parties, including Hungary, to expand cooperation in environmental protection and promote international cooperation to jointly tackle challenges brought by climate change, Li said.

Ader spoke highly of China's positive measures to conserve energy, reduce emissions and construct ecological environment, saying Hungary is willing to learn from China's experience and promote cooperation with China in environmental protection.

Hungary is the first leg of Li's week-long visit starting Sunday. He arrived in Moscow on Wednesday afternoon and is expected to attend the 16th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to be held in Sochi, Russia from Thursday to Friday.
A special commemoration has taken place on the 50th anniversary of the death of Patrick Kavanagh.

Patrick Kavanagh's family, fellow poets and authors gathered at his graveside in Inniskeen to remember the acclaimed Monaghan poet 50 years after his passing.
US President Donald Trump has once again singled out Ireland in a speech about tax reform.

Speaking in Missouri, Mr Trump said America's current tax code had incentivised companies to leave the US in search of lower tax rates.

"They're going to Ireland. They're going all over. They're going all over Asia but they're stopping because they now want to take advantage of whats happening and what were about to pass hopefully," he said, referring to his administration's new tax plan.

The US Senate is expected to vote on the tax reforms on Thursday.

Elsewhere in the speech, Trump branded North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un "a sick puppy".

After calling the Republican tax plan "rocket fuel" for the American economy, Mr Trump digressed with an aside on "Little Rocket Man", calling Mr Kim "a sick puppy".

Mr Trump drew hoots from the crowd during a tax reform speech in St Charles, Missouri, with the impromptu shot at Mr Kim a day after the North launched its most powerful missile yet.

Earlier Wednesday, Mr Trump threatened additional sanctions against the North over its continued nuclear missile development.

Additional reporting by AP.
The Taoiseach didnt just misread the room  he wasnt even in the same neighbourhood as people of political experience, says Alison OConnor.

It is quite the achievement to have, in one fell swoop, annoyed the hell out of, and utterly bewildered, your Cabinet, your TDs and senators, your party faithful, the party on whom you rely on for your survival in government, and the public.

Not to mention blasting your political judgement and capital right out of the water.

If there is one thing this young man in a hurry has not lacked to date, it is confidence; but surely even his robust ego has suffered a significant dent. It has to be hoped that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar does reflection well, because right now there is much for him to reflect on. He has just overseen a political car crash.

The whole sorry episode has shown up serious shortcomings in his leadership approach. Senior colleagues speak of him being surrounded by yes men in his kitchen cabinet and that even the singular voice telling him that Minister Frances Fitzgerald simply had to go was ignored.

Apparently Cabinet colleagues did not pick up the phone over the weekend to tell him that she had to go, even though that is exactly what they thought. The last Fine Gael TDs remembered after their parliamentary party meeting on Thursday night, was the unanimous vote of support for the then Tanaiste, led by the Taoiseach.

After that they all disappeared back to their constituencies to go on local radio stations and support her.

This continued right up to late Monday night when Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney appeared on RTEs Claire Byrne Show continuing the charade, and doing his bosss bidding.

The image of him staring down the camera from the Cork studio defending the, by then, long past politically indefensible, will linger.

Frances Fitzgerald sat at Cabinet yesterday with her colleagues, while other, far more mundane matters were dealt with; after around 40 minutes, as the last item on the agenda, the Taoiseach called on her to speak.

According to estimates, she spoke for around 10 minutes. Her initially spirited self-defence, as she outlined the facts,

including letters she had received from Maurice McCabe, meant colleagues were unsure whether she was actually going to resign or not.

There wasnt much sympathy around the table for Frances Fitzgerald but even she, one or two say, had taken at face value Leos assurances that he backed her and did not wish her to stand down.

Others were less charitable and would talk about how calculating the former tanaiste is. Youd never really know where you stand with Frances. She should have known it was time to go over the weekend.

The political reality is, of course, that she should have gone last Friday and, in retrospect, there are none of those colleagues that will tell you differently. She did Fine Gael and her Taoiseach great damage, but he stands shoulder

to shoulder with her in terms of culpability.

It was all so devoid of a sane explanation that people began to wonder yesterday morning what hold did Frances possibly have over Leo. On the day of his election as Fine Gael leader, I had heard he had a particular fondness for her as he had done a work placement with her years ago, beginning his time in politics.

In fact, the same source said that at the key meeting before his leadership bid, when Frances Fitzgerald might have been expected to tell him she would back him provided he made her tanaiste again, she never even had to make that request. He told her he would reappoint her without being asked.

His colleagues, to put it mildly, remained perplexed yesterday. We dont understand why he was expressing absolute confidence in her. You either back someone to the hilt or you give them the signal. He didnt give her the signal, said one senior FG source.

Youd have to wonder did Frances Fitzgerald have her fingers crossed when she dictated this particular paragraph in her resignation statement: I would like to thank the Taoiseach for showing the same courage and determination to protect my good name that he displayed three years ago when he stood-up and defended the reputation of Maurice McCabe.

"What I admire most about the Taoiseach is that he has always believed in doing what was right  not what was popular or politically expedient.

This sorry episode gets right to the heart of what might be Leos fatal political flaw. There is no doubting his brightness, or his ability to frame a vision. One supporter insisted yesterday: He has a great vision for Ireland and hes the only one that can make it happen.

But Mensa membership will only get you so far in politics. Perhaps more important is your ability to read a room. Leo so misread the room this time, that he wasnt even in the same neighbourhood as people of political experience.

I think Leo had started to believe his own hype, reflected another experience party member. Despite what he said about not wanting an election he did seem to think that having one now would actually favour him, that it was his best chance, which frankly seems delusional. It may be no bad thing that his confidence is dented, although that takes some doing!

So Leo Varadkar is six months in and has already lost a tanaiste, and in the process given himself a virtually self-administered political scalping. None of the senior colleagues who voted for him in June would have begun

to imagine such an epic cock-up like this occurring.

However, what has happened does go to the heart of the reservations they would have had about his personality and leadership skills. In the event, they decided that his intelligence and rock star quality eclipsed those reservations.

Thats what they will be mulling over now, and hoping there has been learning, not to mention humility, in all of this for Leo.

Once the immediate crisis had passed yesterday, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said on the News at One

that as a government we need to move forward.

Indeed. But this is a very different Government to the one it was this day last week. It is now older, wiser and seriously damaged. Fianna Fail, looking over at them, has the smug satisfaction of being on the high moral ground.

He had to steer a very tricky course on this, but leader Micheal Martin managed to pull it off with panache. Despite all the stilted pleasantries exchanged between them yesterday in the Dail the general election preparations will continue apace.
Twitter has come under renewed pressure over extremist content after Donald Trump shared videos posted by a far-right figurehead.

MPs have raised the issue in the British Parliament after the US President retweeted Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen, who has a verified account on the social network.

Twitter has halted its process of verifying accounts, saying it was perceived as an endorsement, and said it was reviewing accounts with a blue tick, a symbol to mark accounts as genuine.

The network removed blue ticks from the accounts of far-right figures including English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson and American white nationalist Richard Spencer after a backlash over the verification of Jason Kessler, the US far-right figure who organised the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville at which counter-protester Heather Heyer was killed in August.

A Twitter spokesman said it would remove verification from accounts that did not meet its guidelines but declined to comment on the verification of Ms Fransen's account, which has seen a jump in followers of nearly 25,000 since Wednesday afternoon.

Labour MP Stephen Doughty, in raising the issue of online extremism in Parliament on Thursday, called on the British government to tackle extreme content online and criticised the network.

He said: "Can the Home Secretary confirm when she and the government will take tough action, which I support her in her efforts on, on the social media companies. We have had no response from Twitter - a typically irresponsible attitude."

Home Secretary Amber Rudd responded that the British government had taken the issue "extremely seriously" and acted to ban right-wing terror group National Action.

She added: "He asks particularly what else we are doing with online companies to ensure the internet is free of dangerous material and he will no doubt know the UK has been leading in this area.

"The internet companies are taking action - Twitter now takes down 95% of the illegal material through using artificial intelligence.

"The fact that they are now engaging in machine learning to get this hate taken down is an incredibly important investment and breakthrough to ensure that more is taken down. But we are not complacent - there's more that needs to be done."

Tory former minister Tim Loughton even suggested Donald Trump's account could lose its blue tick, saying that Twitter should "have no hesitance in taking down the Twitter account of the First Citizen of the US, as it would any other citizen of the world who peddles such hate crime".

Mr Trump's ally, conservative commentator Ann Coulter, dismissed the significance of the retweets, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "People retweeting videos are not researching the bios of the people who sent the video."

A Twitter spokesman said: "We are continuing a comprehensive review of our verification policies, including an initial review of verified accounts.

"We will remove verification from accounts whose behaviour does not fall within these new guidelines. We will continue to review and take action as we work towards a new programme we are proud of."

"We take action against content that violates our terms of service, as appropriate.

"As our Help Centre notes: 'To help ensure people have an opportunity to see every side of an issue, there may be the rare occasion when we allow controversial content or behaviour which may otherwise violate our rules to remain on our service because we believe there is a legitimate public interest in its availability.

"Each situation is evaluated on a case-by-case basis and ultimately decided upon by a cross-functional team."
Despite economic improvements over the last several years, we are still not secure.

We are not in a good place. There is the immediate danger of a hard Brexit, a volatile US president, a Russian leader telling his military and industry to prepare for war, China in an expansive mood and a Middle East that is tottering on the brink. And we have a Government here which is far from stable.

It would take very little to totally up scuttle our fragile economy. An election right now would lead to our politicians making promises to everyone in sight and in no way contributing to our economic well being.

It would be hard to disagree with anyone looking in from the outside who holds the opinion that the Government and the so-called permanent government were dysfunctional. The cost to the economy of this dysfunctionality is huge.

Take our national health service, the HSE. Reportedly, the Irish taxpayer pays more than most other countries for health.

The inputs are enormous for inadequate outcomes. Failure abound in correcting specific faults, some resulting in deaths.

Reports are placed in cramped shelves never to be seen again. Compensation is the order of the day.

Much has been written about the problems with the health service and it is clear that the problems start at the top and go right through the system damaging the entire service.

In so many ways, we are fortunate that there so many dedicated professionals working hard to keep the service afloat.

The saga of the Garda and a maligned whistleblower again brought to the fore the total and utter dysfunctionality of the Department of Justice.

Before Ms Fitzgeralds resignation, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, was reported to be going to offer Fianna Fail a plan to carve the department in two in an effort to fend off the confidence motion.

As the Irish Examiner pointed out the Toland Review in July 2014 painted a picture of a secretive and closed department, so much so that secrecy was part of its DNA. Toland recommended the department be broken up. That was three years ago.
The temporary ban was brought in so the force can keep within both an initial overtime budget of 88.5m and a supplementary estimate of 42m, announced yesterday.

It followed reports that Assistant Commissioner for Dublin, Pat Leahy, had told his divisional commanders there would be a ban on overtime for the rest of the year.

However, both the department and Garda HQ said that overtime was available for the month of December as it came from the 2018 overtime budget, which amounts to just under 100m.

Senior sources did concede that the overtime budget for 2018 would be tighter than 2017 and that regional commissioners would have to decide how they could stay within it.

As reported by the Irish Examiner last week, the Garda overtime spend was 53% over its allocation by September, hitting 97.9m, some 33.7m over budget.

In a statement yesterday, the Department of Justice pointed out that any overtime worked next month is paid out of the 2018 budget, not the 2017 budget.

Budget 2018 provides for just under 100m in overtime next year, a spokesman said.

He said the minister was due to present a supplementary estimate before the Oireachtas justice select committee today.

This provision includes an additional 50.489m to pay for the pay subhead including over 42m for overtime, the spokesman said. This will bring the overtime budget to over 130m for 2017. He said this compared to an overtime budget of 37.7m in 2014, 56m in 2015, and 91m in 2016.

Garda sources said there was a Budget 2017 allocation of 88.5m, which was spent by August. Official Garda figures show the spend reached 98m by the end of September and has increased since then. The 42m is being allocated to pay for the overtime already performed by gardai.

Gardai said the ban for this week had to be brought in as the supplementary budget did not cover any more funding.

If we didnt bring in the national overtime ban from Tuesday to Sunday, we risked blowing the supplementary budget and that would be a disaster, said one source. However, some sources stressed the 100m overtime allocation for 2018 would be tighter than this year, which has an overall budget of 130m.

In a statement, Garda HQ said: An Garda Siochanas budget for 2018 starts on Monday, December 4, 2017 and from that day overtime will then be available to regional, division and district officers for policing delivery within the overtime budget allocated to them. All officers will be reminded of the clear need for them to stay within allocated budgets.

Policing services will continue, including tackling organised crime (Op Hybrid in the DMR), Operation Thor the nationwide anti-burglary initiative, as well as routine road safety.
The airline sacked the devastated and embarrassed woman for gross misconduct after she turned up for work three times over the companys alcohol limit.

The worker sued for unfair dismissal but the Labour Court has upheld the decision to sack the worker.

In the case, the woman crewed an flight from Dublin to Amsterdam on September 24, 2016. On touching down at Amsterdam, a colleague noticed that the worker appeared disorientated and distracted and reported her concerns to the captain.

The captain consulted HQ in Dublin and a decision was made to stand the worker down from duty and she returned to Dublin as a passenger. On arriving at Dublin, the worker was brought to Shamrock House as part Aer Linguss intoxicant policy, where she was breathalysed.

The result of the first breathalyser test was 30ug/100ml of breath and the result of the second was 28ug/100ml. The maximum permitted under the companys intoxicant policy is 9ug/100ml of breath. The airline then mounted an investigation and disciplinary proceedings.

The day after a disciplinary hearing in October 2016, the worker wrote an email to the chair of the hearing, saying: I can only blame myself for the outcome of the breathalyser and am devastated and embarrassed by this. In my defence, I did what a lot of people do by going out the evening before. I was naive. I truly thought I was okay, as I was not due into work until 4.20pm.

On November 23, 2016, the company wrote to the worker to confirm she was being summarily dismissed for gross misconduct.

In its determination, the Labour Court found that Aer Lingus appropriately applied its intoxication policy in all the circumstances.
Meanwhile, Fianna Fail managed to deliver a 500,000 surplus off the back of state funding totalling 5.3m.

Fine Gaels dire general election performance last year saw its deficit grow three-fold last year to 1.2m, despite receiving funding from the taxpayer of more than 5m, it can be revealed.

On foot of the disappointing election result, the party was forced to implement a swift and significant cost restructuring, according to its annual financial accounts which included details of the 141,000 salary of general secretary Tom Curran.

While the report highlights the partys historic return to Government, it said that the election result was disappointing.

A drop in Oireachtas seats was expected based on the reduced Dail size and number of resignations during the 2011-2016 parliament. However, the final number of members returned fell well below the partys targets, the report said.

The reduced number of Fine Gael Oireachtas members has meant a significant reduction in party funding and as a consequence a swift and significant cost restructuring programme was prepared and implemented.

The stark figures are captured in the annual financial statements released by the Standards in Public Office.

In response, a Fine Gael spokesman told the Irish Examiner the 1.2m deficit included 1.46m of election expenses.

Excluding that expense, the party ran a surplus. The party also undertook a significant cost-restructuring programme, which was prepared and completed in 2016. This all has returned Fine Gael to a very strong surplus position in 2017, the spokesman said.

Fine Gael also took out a loan to cover its general election expenses which it says it is fully and quickly reducing that loan in line with the loans terms and conditions.

Fine Gael also has a strong fundraising function, raising 1.4m gross in 2016. The party had 1.2m of cash in the bank at the end of 2016, the second strongest cash position of all parties, the party spokesman said.

As such, Fine Gael is well resourced not only to make any loan repayments required but is also well prepared for any situations that might occur.

The Labour Party received 2.3m in State funding in 2016 and its total income was 2.5m, yet it managed to spend over 4.2m, resulting in a deficit of 1,644,823.

Yet, according to the accounts, the party is sitting on a cash pile of 1.8m.

In terms of Fianna Fail, the accounts reveal its total spending was 6,619,285 and it spent 6,155,883, giving it a surplus of 463,402. The documents also reveal that the partys secretary general Sean Dorgan was paid a salary of 138,915.

Sinn Feins accounts show it received 3,045,439 in funding from taxpayers, while its total income amounted to 3,410,004 in relation to its activities in the Republic. The party spent 3,218,233, leaving it in surplus to the tune of 191,771. The party paid benefits of what it called key management personnel to the tune of 183,739.

The accounts also show that Renua Ireland leader John Leahy is paid a salary of 65,000 a year since October. The party receives State funding amounting to 218,744 a year.

The Anti Austerity Alliance/People Before Profit got state funding of 717,917 and total income amounting to 736,116 while it spent 530,309, leaving a surplus of 205,807.

Sipo published the accounts of 14 registered political parties with three of those  The Communist Party of Ireland, Direct Democracy Ireland and the Workers & Unemployed Action Group  deemed to have filed incomplete documentation.
A group of University of Wisconsin-Stout students recently showcased their nearly yearlong research projects, which uncovered valuable information for consumers about toxic metals in common foods.

Five of seven students who conducted the research presented their studies in Minneapolis at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Regional Food Safety Seminar and the National Environmental Health Region 4 Conference, hosted by the Minnesota Environmental Health Association.

The first of two projects was titled Lead and Cadmium Content of Imported and American Food Products. The second project was the Effect of Zinc Application on Cadmium Absorption in Kale and Snow Peas. The following students worked on one or both projects:

Brent Deaver, of Viroqua, recent graduate, majoring in environmental science (projects 1 and 2)

Lillie Kuss, of Cold Spring, Minn., junior, food science (projects 1 and 2)

Alexandra Ciak, of New Richmond, senior, environmental science (project 2)

Tyler Jerkovich, of Hibbing, Minn., senior, environmental science (project 1)

Lilia Theisen, of Forest Lake, Minn., junior, environmental science (project 2)

Christina Hang, of Eau Claire, sophomore, applied science (project 2)

MaiHer Xiong, of Walnut Grove, Minn., junior, environmental science (project 2)

The groups conducted their studies in the research lab of Ana M.Q. Vande Linde, professor and chair of the chemistry and physics department.

Only undergrads

After months of research, the findings were presented as posters to public health and environmental health professionals from across Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. The students from UW-Stout were the only undergraduate presenters.

One group of students set out to find the amounts of cadmium and lead in imported and domestic food products. The students collected their samples from local grocery stores.

Imported food samples originated from various countries, including Guatemala, Philippines, Mexico and Korea. Cabbage, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, mushrooms, potatoes, numerous kinds of beans and rice and canned products including sardines, chili peppers, water chestnuts and oysters were some of the products analyzed. The project ran from fall 2016 to summer of 2017.

Kuss explained the process of determining the toxic metal content involved in drying the food samples, digesting in concentrated acid and determining the toxic metal content using the atomic absorption spectrometer.

We did find lead in a lot of food products. Very small amounts, but there was definitely lead in almost every sample, said Deaver. A majority of the food samples contained either lead, cadmium or both.

Warning label

One of the groups surprising findings was the label from a can of mandarin oranges. It had a warning label that said, This product contains lead, a chemical known to the state of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. Kuss said she was surprised that the can was the only one with the warning label.

Vande Linde said that both lead and cadmium can be absorbed by plants from the soil. Accumulation of lead in the soil comes from mining operations, gasoline, pipes and solder. Cadmium is present in the soil from mining and from phosphorus-containing fertilizers. Traces of lead and cadmium can be transferred from food containers glazed with these metals.

Exposure to lead can cause profound adverse health effects, especially for young children. Chronic intake of cadmium has been linked to kidney failure and severe osteoporosis.

Minimizing absorption of cadmium by plants

We tried to find out if there is a way to minimize the absorption of cadmium by plants, Vande Linde said.

The objectives of the second project were to determine the effect of zinc on the absorption of cadmium and to find differences in cadmium absorption by plants treated with zinc in the soil and by foliar spray. The group tested snow peas and kale plants.

The students grew the plants from seeds, waiting two weeks or until the plants started to germinate before starting the treatments. A solution containing cadmium ions was added into the soil. A solution containing zinc ions also was applied to the soil in one treatment group and on the leaves of the plants  the other treatment group  three times a week for eight weeks.

There were nine pots per types of plant, each pot contained five plants  three pots served as control group and six pots for the two treatment groups. The project lasted from November 2016 to August 2017. After eight weeks, the plants were harvested, cleaned and the shoots, roots and beans were processed to determine the cadmium content.

We thought there was going to be a significant difference in the cadmium content of the shoots, roots and beans in the control versus the two treatment groups, Ciak said. We observed a decrease in the amount of cadmium absorbed by the treatment groups. However, it was not statistically significant.

The zinc project was only done in three trials. Vande Linde is looking to recruit more students to perform additional trials.

Benefits of research

One reason why we encouraged students to present their research in professional meetings is for networking, Vande Linde said. This provides students opportunities to connect and interact with potential employers. This is also a great opportunity for students to improve their communication and public speaking skills.

It just opened my eyes to how important research is, Kuss said. Being able to use skills that I learned in classes on a real live situation  that was exciting.

Deaver also said working on the project was valuable. Without doing it, I wouldnt have found out that I like chemistry so much.

Ciak said the research definitely helped me develop my skills in a lab setting. I think it also has made me realize some opportunities that I could get with a career working in a lab and studying these kinds of things.

Vande Linde said she will continue to encourage students to take advantage of research opportunities.
The three men and one woman had been arrested at a property near Bantry, Co Cork, last Sunday, with gardai telling Bandon District Court that bleached cocaine worth an estimated 70,000 was recovered at Seascape, Dromleigh during a search conducted by officers from the West Cork and Cork City Drug Units and the Garda Regional Support Unit.

Dean Gilsenan, of 2, Kilmahuddrick Green, Clondalkin in Dublin 22; his father, William Gilsenan, of the same address; Sean McManus of 32, Burrowfield Road in Baldoyle, Dublin 13; and Molly Sloyan, of 4B Buenosaires, Benidorm in Alicante in Spain, each face two charges, under Section 3 and Section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

All four had sought bail, having been formally arrested and charged on Tuesday night in Bandon and Bantry garda stations.

Molly-Kate Sloyan from Kinsale, Co Cork. Garda evidence claims she organised flights for herself and her co-accused. Picture: Provision

Addressing the court at yesterdays bail hearing Det Garda Andrew Manning of Bandon Garda Station said that on November 26 members of the West Cork Divisional Drugs Unit, the Cork City Drugs Unit and the Garda Regional Support Unit had executed a search warrant at Seascape in Dromleigh, Bantry.

Det Garda Manning said officers found a cocaine extraction laboratory at the property, with 1kg of bleached cocaine worth an estimated 70,000, pending analysis, found there.

The court also heard that isopropanol, a chemical used in the extraction process, was also found. Judge Mary Dorgan was told that four people at the property at the time of the search were detained for questioning.

Dean Gilsenan, 26, was arrested and shortly afterwards charged at Bandon Garda Station on Tuesday night and made no reply to the charges.

Sean McManus, 36, was arrested at Bantry Garda Station and charged shortly after, also on Tuesday night, and also made no reply to the charges.

William Gilsenan, 51, was arrested at Bantry Garda Station and charged shortly afterwards, also on Tuesday night, and made no reply to the charges.

William Gilsenan arriving at the Courthouse in Bandon, Co Cork. Bail refused in his case. Picture: Dan Linehan

Molly Sloyan, 25, was arrested at Bandon Garda Station and charged shortly afterwards on Tuesday night and made no reply to the charges.

Gardai objected to bail regarding all four individuals under Section 2 of the Bail Act and under the OCallaghan Rules, citing the seriousness of the charges, among other factors. Insp Brian Murphy said it was a complicated case and said it was a case with international links.

Objecting to bail with respect to Dean Gilsenan, Det Garda Manning said he believed Mr Gilsenan, who he said lived in Spain but who gave an address in Dublin, was a flight risk, with gardai checking as to whether an outbound flight had been purchased.

Det Garda Manning also said gardai believe packages were sent from South America and the cocaine then extracted from the fabric using isopropanol and processed. He agreed with Insp Murphys assertion that there was an international element to the case.

Dean Gilsenans solicitor, Patrick Horan, said his client was reserving his position on bail until next Tuesday when he is due to appear before Clonakilty District Court.

Det Garda Padraig Sleator said Sean McManus lived in Spain but had given an Irish address when he was arrested. Det Garda Slater told Judge Dorgan he believed Mr McManus was a flight risk.

Mr McManuss junior council, Hannah Cahill, said he was a single parent to three children of school-going age and was willing to stay at his parents address in Baldoyle. She said Mr McManuss children had already travelled to Ireland from Spain, but Det Garda Slater said he had no confirmation of that. Ms Cahill also said her client was willing to observe a curfew.

Sean McManus arriving at the Courthouse in Bandon, Co Cork. Made no reply to the charges. Picture: Dan Linehan

I dont think there are any conditions that can be met that would satisfy me, Det Garda Sleator said.

He also told the court that gardai believed that Mr McManus was responsible for instructing his co-accused on how to accumulate the cocaine compound and for sending a how to or explanatory video of the extraction process to his co-accused. I believe him to be a flight risk, Det Garda Sleator said.

Insp Murphy said there are indications of a strong illicit network and access to that network could facilitate escape from the State.

Judge Dorgan refused bail and Mr McManus is due before court in Clonakilty next Tuesday.

Bail was also refused for William Gilsenan. His solicitor, Flor Murphy, said Mr Gilsenans passport had already been surrendered in the course of a search of his home in Dublin. Mr Murphy said his client was 51, long settled in Dublin and a permanent resident in his home, with no record of international travel. However, gardai objected to bail and Judge Dorgan remanded him in custody until next Tuesday in Clonakilty.

As part of their objections to bail Det Garda Colin OMahony said a phone had been seized at Mr Gilsenans Dublin home which had a picture in it showing William Gilsenan at the Bantry property on November 13. The court heard gardai believe he was left in charge of Seascape between that date and execution of the search warrant last Sunday.

Det Garda OMahony said: Our evidence is that he was intricately involved in the process at the house.

It was also claimed by gardai that a package, addressed to a third named individual, had been delivered to the Clondalkin house from South America and had travelled to the house in Bantry.

The court heard Molly Sloyan gave an address in Spain, where she worked on a seasonal basis, and was now effectively homeless.

Her solicitor, Patrick Horan, said Ms Sloyan was proposing to stay at the Simon Community on Andersons Quay in Cork City and could sign on twice daily at Anglesea St Garda Station. The court heard Ms Sloyans mother lives in Kinsale but staying there was not an option.

Det Garda Shannon Ryan said Simon was a temporary accommodation and was not easily accessible by gardai without disrupting other residents. Insp Murphy said there was no guarantee of a bed at the facility every night and that it was unacceptable for gardai in light of the serious nature of the charges faced by Ms Sloyan.

Det Garda Ryan said Garda evidence is that Ms Sloyan organised flights for herself and her co-accused, organised a house in Kinsale for them and organised Seascape in Bantry. He also said gardai believe she ordered the isopropanol, the key component in the extraction process, with phone records and financial transactions also linking her to the operation.

Earlier, in objecting to Dean Gilsenans bail application, Det Garda Manning had said the isopropanol had been posted to an address in Kinsale and had been paid for using a credit card with his name. In the witness box Ms Sloyan said: I know exactly how serious this is.

Regarding any address in Ireland she said she had lived with her mother in a house in Kinsale for 10 or 12 years.

She is absolutely terrified by everything that has happened, Ms Sloyan said. When told by gardai that her mother had told them she wanted nothing more to do with her, Ms Sloyan replied: Obviously it is every mothers worst nightmare. She said she never once accepted that she had any involvement in taking drugs or selling drugs.

Her solicitor said his client now found herself homeless and claimed it was not an undue burden on the State were she to stay with Cork Simon, but Judge Dorgan refused bail and Ms Sloyan will appear next before court in Clonakilty next Tuesday.
Sinn Fein has called for the terms of reference to be broadened following the controversy that led to the resignation of the Tanaiste earlier this week.

The motion asked that the Disclosures Tribunal be able to take account of the recent revelations regarding the Department of Justice, Ministers of Justice past and present, the Attorney Generals office, and An Garda Siochana.

However, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said he had been legally advised the extremely broad nature of the Sinn Fein motion meant it was unclear whether the extra terms of reference would achieve anything in the public interest.

I believe, no-one in this house wishes to further delay a tribunal which is undertaking vital work and which, indeed, has brought forward its work in recognition of definite matters of urgent public importance, and I think all of us in this house agrees they are now urgent, Mr Flanagan said.

He added that any amendments to the terms of reference would have to go through both the Dail and Seanad which would clearly impact the timeframe for the tribunal.

Sinn Fein Justice spokesman Donnchadh O Laoghaire claimed his party had tried to bring forward a motion which outlined very specific changes, but this was unfairly ruled out of order due to time constraints.

Our motion today is very simple; we are calling on the Government to amend the current terms to explicitly include the Minister for Justice and department officials, he said.

Fianna Fail agreed that the current terms of reference are wide enough to include the latest revelations.

Meanwhile, Labours Alan Kelly is seeking answers over a special Garda unit set up to handle allegations being investigated by the Charleton Tribunal.

Over half a dozen gardai and staff are assigned to liaise between the force and the inquiry but Labour is concerned about value for money and internal disagreement in the gardai over the unit.

Mr Kelly, the TD whose questions sparked the current Garda whistleblower controversy, wants to know if proper approval was given by the Government or departments for the tribunal watch unit.

The Charleton Liaison Committee is a unit that works for An Garda Siochana in managing documentation supply and other matters with the Charleton Tribunal. It is funded by the taxpayer. It has had significant resources attached to it; two full-time retired senior members of the force and one officer seconded, a solicitor as well as a number of other full time personnel and regional liaison personnel.

Among the fresh questions asked by Mr Kelly, include how much the unit is costing and who signed off on it within the Department of Justice. Crucially, the Labour TD wants to know if the unit is available for and being used by all serving and former personnel in An Garda Siochana who are witnesses at the tribunal.

Given the fact the tribunal is investigating concerns of a number of whistleblowers still in the force, Mr Kelly also asked: Is the minister satisfied that the unit is seen to be fair to all Garda parties at the tribunal?
Sean Heelan, aged 31, and Amanda Kenny, aged 39, both of Simon, Andersons Quay, Cork, pleaded guilty to the burglary where it was claimed that they were looking for a place to sleep rather than to steal.

Judge Olann Kelleher imposed the four-month sentence on them yesterday at Cork District Court. That sentence also took account of several shoplifting offences by the two accused.
Leo Varadkar has told the Dail that Ireland will not have to use its veto to block any return to a hard border with Northern Ireland, claiming the country has the full support of our European partners.

I am very confident that the European Council will operate by consensus and there will be no need to use or threaten to use a veto because we have and will continue to have the support of our European colleagues on the issue of the Border.

European heads are due to meet in Brussels next month, where it is hoped enough progress will be made in Brexit negotiations to allow them to press ahead with the second phase of talks.

The EU Council was unable to sign off on this when they met in October as little progress had been made around the border, the UKs divorce settlement and citizens rights.

However, a request by Labour leader Brendan Howlin that Mr Varadkar meet the heads of political parties to decide on a collective, joined-up and manifestly united effort on this vital issue for Ireland was shot down.

Mr Howlin said: At this juncture, there is a need for collective political effort. For months, I have asked that the Taoiseach brief opposition leaders in detail in advance of EU Council meetings and I reiterate that request today.

When approaching a meeting as crucial as this one, deputies of all parties and none should come together to show Britain and the EU 27 that we stand united together in the interests of our nation.

However, the Taoiseach said such a meeting would be a major distraction from the job and would not be practical. He said there would be statements in the the Dail prior to the European Council meeting as is the usual protocol.

However, Mr Howlin protested that this is not the way to do it as this is not a normal situation.

The Taoiseach said he had committed to meeting party leaders when we get to a decision point.

The situation changes on a daily basis and it is not practical to have a meeting every day or two on the issue. That would be a major distraction from the job we are doing on behalf of Ireland regarding Brexit and dealing with other governments, Mr Varadkar said.

However, I will meet with party leaders when we get to the point where a decision has to be made and I have a specific request to make of them regarding their political groupings, he said.
Revenue chairman Niall Cody will confirm the situation to the Dails public accounts committee during a meeting which is set to be heavily dominated by the Paradise Papers fallout, Brexit, budget tax changes and the TV licence fee.

In his opening statement to the group this morning, Mr Cody is expected to say that, due in part to ongoing concerns about corporation tax rates in Ireland, Revenue is conducting an analysis of the money firms pay.

The move, which is similar to previous years, is focused on corporation tax returns from 2016 and this year, and is due to be completed in April 2018.

The Revenue chairman is also due to tell the PAC there has been a significant increase in corporation tax receipts in recent years, with levels rising by 49% between 2015 and 2016.

He will also say that the net receipts for January to October this year reaching 5.42bn which is 4% ahead of previously set targets.

However, despite the positive news, the corporation tax debate is expected to be dominated by PAC concerns over widely accepted loopholes in the system which are repeatedly benefiting large multinationals.

The PAC has written to Apple, LinkedIn, GSK, JP Morgan and other multi-national companies with bases in Ireland in recent days to demand they attend committee grillings in January over their tax strategies.

The move was in response to last months Paradise Papers revelations, but has raised concerns within government that such a public rebuke could impact on jobs.

Meanwhile, the PAC meeting with Mr Cody is also likely to touch on the ongoing Brexit fallout and its impact on Irish businesses and import- export markets, in addition to other matters such as the TV licence fee.

The committee is also expected to hear calls for it to examine the pay revelations of hospital consultants highlighted last week on RTEs Prime Time programme, among other concerns raised by committee members.
Sources close to the Taoiseach have said Leo Varadkar recognised the loyalty and support given by Mr Coveney in recent days and weeks as the McCabe emails controversy threatened to bring down the Government. Mr Varadkar also believes Mr Coveney has been particularity strong on Brexit as Foreign Affairs Minister.

Mr Varadkar last night confirmed to a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party that he would be appointing a Tanaiste and Business Minister today, after the resignation of Frances Fitzgerald.

But Mr Varadkar is expected to make minimal changes to Cabinet today. He will announce the appointments in the Dail this afternoon before travelling to the Aras where those appointed will receive their seals of office.

However, Fine Gael members did not rule out Heather Humphreys last night, with both Richard Bruton and Paschal Donohoe also being tipped as having an outside chance of securing the tanaistes role.

Sources cited the the fact that Ms Humphreys is based along the border, her religious background and her gender as playing in her favour.

But a number of Fine Gael members warned that denying Mr Coveney the role could lead to splintering and deep discontent within the party, especially among those who had supported the Cork South Central TD during the leadership race.

Many TDs said it would be shocking if Simon Coveney was not named tanaiste. The logic is his appointment would help heal any wounds from the summer Fine Gael leadership race and further strengthen Coveneys and therefor Irelands position when it comes to negotiating over Brexit.

Mr Coveneys appointment would also please the ordinary membership, whose members plumbed for the Cork man over Leo Varadkar during the Fine Gael contest.

Moreover, Coveney is seen as a safe pair of hands who could easily take Leaders Questions on a Thursday, which traditionally has fallen to a Tanaiste.

Talk of an immediate wider reshuffle though was being played down last night. While Mr Varadkars spokesman said this week that there was a possibility of a wider Cabinet reshuffle, it is thought Mr Varadkar may leave this, if at all, until the New Year.

Many Fine Gael politicians were tipping Ms Humphreys to take over Ms Fitzgeralds vacant portfolio of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.

But the departure of Ms Fitzgerald also leaves the Taoiseach open to making some changes and the possibility of elevating a first-time TD to the rank of Minister of State or perhaps straight to a cabinet position was being discussed around Leinster House.

However, he will have to consider a number of issues, including gender, geography and loyalty when making his choices.

A number of backbenchers and junior TDs are among those being talked up as getting promotion. These include European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee and Dublin-Rathdown TD Josepha Madigan.
The event, entitled It Takes a Village, will take place at the Trabolgan holiday centre near Midleton, Co Cork, on April 13-15, with the 1,000 attendees staying at the facility for the weekend.

We think that will create a really special atmosphere on the site, said co-organiser Joe Kelly. There are about 170 self-catering houses at Trabolgan, and there will also be space for some camper vans.

The beauty of this setup is that, no matter what gig youre at, youre never more than a few minutes stroll from where youre staying, with its bed and hot shower.

No camping will be available for the event.

Organisers have scored quite a coup in getting Scottish group Young Fathers to headline the event. Winners of the Mercury prize in 2014 for their debut album Dead, the Edinburgh-based trio have a follow-up record on the way in 2018, and their reputation as an impressive live act was recently burnished with an incredible performance at Electric Picnic.

English DJ/producer Andrew Weatherall is also on the bill, as is Brighton electronic outfit Fujiya & Miyagi. Irish acts appearing across the three stages at the 120-acre site include the Altered Hours, Le Boom and Brian Deady.

The literary strand will be headed up by Kevin Barry, who has also collaborated with the organisers on their previous events at Live at St Lukes in Cork city, and the Crosstown Drift strand of Cork Midsummer Festival.

Its a really lovely area around Trabolgan, near the mouth of Cork Harbour, said Kelly, so well also be hosting some walks and talks at such areas as Roches Point for anybody who wants to partake in a little bit of local culture and history. We really want to create a bit of a cultural community in East Cork for the weekend.

Trabolgans other facilities, such as climbing walls, go-karting, archery, etc, will also be open, while the wave-making swimming pool and surrounding lounge area will be kitted out with a sound system for daytime music parties.

Tickets go on sale on December 7 at noon, and organisers say all-inclusive prices (accommodation, gigs, etc) for the three nights will be in the region of 200-255 per head, depending on the accommodation booked.

www.ittakesavillage.fm
The opening line is the longest in the poem and the final line is the shortest, representing the reductionist impact our old educational system had on a young developing mind.

And whenever I teach the poem in my classroom, the students generally have a very strong reaction to it because for the most part, they strongly argue that the same can be said of todays educational system.

I have to say, in my own experience working in the school system for the last fifteen years, I have come to agree with the students.

I see them when they first come into the secondary system; Wide-eyed and full of curiosity, full of questions. The same kids six years down the educational conveyor belt; reticent, afraid to ask a question for fear of getting the answer wrong.

For years I really couldnt understand what had happened to them.

Why had they lost that sense of wonder, where were all the questions? Maybe it was just the awkwardness of adolescence that I was encountering, but this fear of getting a question wrong or asking what might be perceived as a stupid question seemed too entrenched to be a part of some developmental nuance.

When I commenced my training for Systemic Psychotherapy there was a particular way of looking at things that I found difficult. Anderson & Goolishan had an approach to therapy that they called the not - knowing position.

This meant that the therapist should always be in a state of not - knowing, in this position you are always open to receiving and understanding something new about your client.

Something significant so that you do not get caught in the dangerous mind-set of thinking you know your client fully.

The not - knowing position prevents the therapist from becoming comfortable in the belief that they have gathered all the information required to understand what the client is experiencing or worse still, they know the correct solution to the issue.

It leaves you in a constant state of curiosity. And when I started studying Family Therapy I found this lens particularly difficult to embrace.

The more I analysed it the more I realised that my own personal experience of the educational system both as a student and indeed as a teacher working in the system had left an indelible mark on the way I thought about knowledge and learning.

I felt I had to know all the answers to the questions the students were asking me, there was no place for not - knowing in my lexicon. I had to know, after all thats what I get paid for!

Im not suggesting for a second that teachers shouldnt have a level of expertise on their subject, that goes without saying, but I see the excitement in the students eyes when I respond to a difficult question with; Thats a great question, Im not sure I have the solution youre looking for, lets figure this one out together.

In Finland they are beginning to approach subjects in a different way. Rather than learning, Geography, History, Maths etc. separately as individual subjects theyre applying the subjects to the problem.

I imagine that would be an exciting way to solve a problem, rather than the near rote approach we have here in Ireland. And why is it that we are stuck in this myopic approach?

POINTS. Nearly all of us have experienced the terror of the points system. Could it be we dont all learn the same way?

And we all dont have the same ability to retain vast quantities of information that our brains really have no interest in holding on to in the first place.

The Leaving suits the type of student that finds learning off easy and is very focused and methodical in their approach. What about the student that doesnt think this way?

We have students that are wound up, stressed and disillusioned. Is it any great mystery as to why theyve lost their sense of wonder?

Why they dont ask questions? Why, at the end of the process they are reticent and beaten.

They dont ask questions because they already know the answer or theyve been told the answer.

I often look at the students in front of me in the various schools I work in and I question where is the joy in these kids, where is the sense of fun gone?

I have recently returned from working with the Badjao tribe in the Philippines.

It really is hard to find the language to describe these children.

They may not have much in terms of materialism, in fact they have nothing, they live in little huts above the shoreline without any sanitation, with no real opportunity to earn money except for selling pearls but they have so much more. My tour guide, who is a wonderful Filipina woman, said to me rubbing my arm: You have goosebumps working with these children.

Watching the Badjao children interact with each other is one of the great experiences of my life.

When Im working with these beautiful children I often think about the pressure we are putting on our own kids here in Ireland and how we might possibly be stifling that sense of wonder, fun and joy within our children because of our pathological commitment to the points system.

We have to look at the points system and question the impact it is having on our children and how it orients us as teachers in the classroom, we must not forget that fun and joy should be a very important part of learning.
The 2021-22 Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District (CFAUSD) and schools report cards were released publicly by Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) on Tuesday.

Out of nine schools, one school received the designation of Significantly Exceeding Expectations, three schools received Exceeds Expectations, and four schools received Meets Expectations.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has appointed an attorney with conservative political credentials but no experience working within the state Department of Natural Resources as the agencys new chief legal counsel.

Walkers spokesman wouldnt discuss the governors appointment of Jake Curtis, but Curtis last employer described him as a skilled lawyer who has been a key adviser in partisan election campaigns. And he has advocated for relaxed pollution rules.

Curtis will be the first DNR legal counsel without a strong grounding in the areas of law that underlie department regulations on fish and wildlife, forestry and environmental quality, said George Meyer, a former department secretary and lawyer who now directs the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation.

He does not have good background in all those areas, Meyer said. His major experience had been a philosophical, political bent on legislative matters. You are going to tend to get a lot more political decisions.

In 2011, the DNRs legal counsel post was among the positions Walker and the Republican-controlled Legislature changed from civil service jobs to political appointees. Meyer said it extended the political control gained by Wisconsin governors under a 1995 law that took hiring of the DNR secretary away from the Natural Resources Board.

Curtis has served as a Wisconsin adviser to Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz and was an aide to a GOP state legislator.

He excelled in his last job working for the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Libertys Center for Competitive Federalism and may bring a fresh viewpoint to the DNR, said WILL president Rick Esenberg.

He also is sort of astute and mature and has enough judgment to know how to come in from the outside and manage to change directions without causing the type of consternation that could get in the way of doing that, Esenberg said.

Under Walker, DNR enforcement actions have decreased, but businesses have continued to express frustration.

In July, the Wisconsin Dairy Business Association sued the DNR to end regulations aimed at preventing water pollution from millions of gallons of manure produced by large animal feedlots. The suit was settled last month with the dairy group dropping its demand in exchange for the DNRs promise to end efforts to reduce water pollution from vast feed storage areas.

WMC general counsel Lucas Vebber said Curtis was very capable.

We look forward to continuing to work with the professionals at DNR to ensure compliance with all regulations while growing our states economy, Vebber said.

Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters executive director Kerry Schumann said Walkers appointment of Curtis would speed the rollback of environmental protections Republicans have undertaken since gaining control of state government in 2011.

Jake Curtis has no place in an agency that requires scientific objectivity and experience in conservation law, Schumann said. This is another sad chapter in the Walker era. From acid mining to air pollution to dirtier lakes and rivers, the damage Walker and his administration are perpetrating against the people of Wisconsin is brutal, morally reprehensible, and endangers generations of Wisconsinites.

Seeking few air pollution laws

Curtis has been a frequent contributor to the Right Wisconsin blog, which includes conservative talk show hosts among its writers. In his most recent article, Curtis supported proposed regulatory changes including a bill co-authored by his former boss, state Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, to remove limits on more than 300 air pollutants.

In July, Curtis wrote a 21-page report for WILL arguing that an air pollution monitor in Sheboygan County threatens to create a no growth zone there. It is part of a network used to gauge regional air quality, including hazardous pollution that drifts from larger industrial areas such as Chicago.

Curtis recommended steps he said would represent aggressive revisions to the Clean Air Act to prevent costly emission reductions for businesses, and he expressed optimism based on President Donald Trumps moves to relax pollution regulation.

In Right Wisconsin, Curtis argued for a bill Stroebel co-sponsored to direct the DNR to seek federal approval to stop collecting pollution data from the monitor near Lake Michigan.

The WILL website said Curtis has also been published in the National Review Online, and worked as Stroebels policy director.

In addition to his role as an attorney, Jake has been actively involved in Wisconsin politics since 2004, the website says. He previously served in key advisory roles to Assembly, State Senate, Judicial, and U.S. Senate campaigns. Most recently, he served as a Wisconsin advisor to the Ted Cruz presidential campaign.

Walker spokesman Tom Evenson said the DNR could answer questions about Walkers appointment of Curtis. DNR spokesman Jim Dick didnt respond when asked if Walker wanted changes in the DNR legal department. Curtis didnt respond to requests for comment emailed to him or through Dick.

Curtis replaces Quinn Williams, a longtime DNR attorney who recently took a job at the state Department of Administration.

Curtis earned a political science degree from UW-Eau Claire and a law degree from UW-Madison Law School. He was admitted to the state bar in 2009. Curtis lives in Grafton with his wife and children, WILL said.

Curtis worked in litigation and government affairs at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren in Milwaukee.

He served as outside counsel for county governments while working at Phillips Borowski of Mequon, which specialized in advising local officials after the state eliminated most public sector union rights in 2011. Curtis also was an Ozaukee County Board member and an assistant district attorney in Milwaukee County.
City-wide Movements to Reverse the 70% College Faith Dropout



AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 30, 2017 /



"Campus Ministry Link seeks to ensure that no student is lost in the transition to college. Now city leaders are starting to use Campus Renewal's 'No Student Left Behind' approach to ensure that all college-bound Christian students in their city are prepared and connected long before they arrive on campus." said John Decker, partnership director for Campus Renewal.



Twelve of the largest college ministries, including Cru, Intervarsity, Navigators, Chi Alpha, RUF, Young Life College, and more, have joined together for this project plus a growing number of denominations and high school ministries are committed to make this normal in America.



Studies show that around 70% of college students leave the church. One major reason is that churches had no way of connecting students to Christian communities before beginning college, leaving hundreds of thousands of students' faith up in the air during the most important transition of their lives. The Navigators found that the bonds students make during the first 72 hours on campus often determines the outcome.



Campus Ministry Link aims to at least double the yearly average of students who continue to pursue their faith in their freshman year. Furthermore, Campus Ministry Link will help Christian freshmen to be immediately involved in reaching out to non-Christian students at the start of the school year when they are most open to the Gospel.



"The Christian business community wants to see cultural change in our cities, and substantially increasing the number of world-changing Christian college grads is the best way to do that according to Bill Keith, President of Business Men's Fellowship who is helping launch the San Diego No Student Left Behind movement."



Daryl Nuss, CEO of the National Network of Youth Ministries, also in San Diego says: "It is critical that we help our precious Christian high school seniors transition well toward meaningful relationships, discipleship and outreach opportunities when they arrive on campus. Working together in this effort is a vital investment in the future of our future leaders, churches, and our society."



The parent organization behind Campus Ministry Link is Campus Renewal, founded in 1997 with a mission to create and catalyze united movements that transform universities. "The commitment and enthusiasm of national college ministries has been exciting and humbling," says President and Founder of Campus Renewal, Jeremy Story. "Sending out more college graduates throughout society as influencers for Christ is critical. Campus Ministry Link will be a significant part of this."



Josh McDowell, of Josh McDowell Ministry noted: "When Christian college freshmen are alone, their faith rarely survives in today's college environment. The good news is that when they're connected in advance to campus ministries, churches, and Christian friends, they not only survive, but thrive and impact their classmates. Campus Ministry Link will help parents, churches, and ministries to turn the tide so this generation can now become the leaders of tomorrow."



Local ministries and churches who serve universities can list their information on the site. "The harvest is plentiful at universities, but the laborers have been too few," added Decker. "Closing the college transition gap and enabling students to lead other freshmen to Christ will eventually supply every church and ministry with more believers to transform our nation. We can show you how to launch a city-wide movement."



See information about City Movements at



To learn more about Campus Ministry Link, or discuss your city, visit



Share Tweet Contact: John Decker, Campus Renewal , 315-480-1232AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 30, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- Campus Renewal announced recently that its Campus Ministry Link is spreading nationally as a way to connect students with campus ministries and churches on college campuses around the country."Campus Ministry Link seeks to ensure that no student is lost in the transition to college. Now city leaders are starting to use Campus Renewal's 'No Student Left Behind' approach to ensure that all college-bound Christian students in their city are prepared and connected long before they arrive on campus." said John Decker, partnership director for Campus Renewal.Twelve of the largest college ministries, including Cru, Intervarsity, Navigators, Chi Alpha, RUF, Young Life College, and more, have joined together for this project plus a growing number of denominations and high school ministries are committed to make this normal in America.Studies show that around 70% of college students leave the church. One major reason is that churches had no way of connecting students to Christian communities before beginning college, leaving hundreds of thousands of students' faith up in the air during the most important transition of their lives. The Navigators found that the bonds students make during the first 72 hours on campus often determines the outcome.Campus Ministry Link aims to at least double the yearly average of students who continue to pursue their faith in their freshman year. Furthermore, Campus Ministry Link will help Christian freshmen to be immediately involved in reaching out to non-Christian students at the start of the school year when they are most open to the Gospel."The Christian business community wants to see cultural change in our cities, and substantially increasing the number of world-changing Christian college grads is the best way to do that according to Bill Keith, President of Business Men's Fellowship who is helping launch the San Diego No Student Left Behind movement."Daryl Nuss, CEO of the National Network of Youth Ministries, also in San Diego says: "It is critical that we help our precious Christian high school seniors transition well toward meaningful relationships, discipleship and outreach opportunities when they arrive on campus. Working together in this effort is a vital investment in the future of our future leaders, churches, and our society."The parent organization behind Campus Ministry Link is Campus Renewal, founded in 1997 with a mission to create and catalyze united movements that transform universities. "The commitment and enthusiasm of national college ministries has been exciting and humbling," says President and Founder of Campus Renewal, Jeremy Story. "Sending out more college graduates throughout society as influencers for Christ is critical. Campus Ministry Link will be a significant part of this."Josh McDowell, of Josh McDowell Ministry noted: "When Christian college freshmen are alone, their faith rarely survives in today's college environment. The good news is that when they're connected in advance to campus ministries, churches, and Christian friends, they not only survive, but thrive and impact their classmates. Campus Ministry Link will help parents, churches, and ministries to turn the tide so this generation can now become the leaders of tomorrow."Local ministries and churches who serve universities can list their information on the site. "The harvest is plentiful at universities, but the laborers have been too few," added Decker. "Closing the college transition gap and enabling students to lead other freshmen to Christ will eventually supply every church and ministry with more believers to transform our nation. We can show you how to launch a city-wide movement."See information about City Movements at bit.ly/cmlcitymovementsk To learn more about Campus Ministry Link, or discuss your city, visit www.CampusMinistryLink.org or email. info@campusrenewal.org
Ecuadorian Greenhouse Project Provides a Sweet Way of Sharing the Gospel With an evangelistic message embedded, a cacao tree-raising initiative offers a welcome economic boost to rural communities





Contact: Darin Campbell,

512-785-8350,

dcampbell@inchristcommunications.com



COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Nov. 30, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Missionaries in South America have come up with a novel way of encouraging people to respond to the Bible's invitation to "taste and see that the Lord is good."



Photo: Reach Beyond's community development director in Shell, Ecuador, Wim de Groen (right) and project coordinator Eric Fogg in the greenhouse growing cacao and orange trees to help provide income for local communities and reach them with a picture of the gospel.



They have started a project growing cacao treesthe source of chocolatethat aims to help improve income and also present a picture of the gospel as it is expressed in Psalm 34:8, "Taste and see that the Lord is good."



The initiative is taking place in Shell, Ecuador, where Reach Beyond (www.reachbeyond.org) has been involved in broadcast and medical ministry for nearly 86 years. An 8,600-square-foot greenhouse has been constructed on land adjacent to Reach Beyond's former hospital there under the leadership of Dutch missionary Wim de Groen, the organization's community development director.



Since 20,000 cacao trees (plus 2,000 orange trees) were planted earlier this year, several hundred people from surrounding communities have expressed interest in learning from the Reach Beyond team how to raise the plants successfully.



The cacao growing project will provide ongoing contact for Reach Beyond workers with villagers where they have previously worked on clean water projects, giving them an opportunity to share their faith. And it also has a gospel message at the heart of itthe careful grafting required that ensures a good harvest.



"It's a wonderful example of how we need to be grafted in to Jesus to bear good fruit," said de Groen. "And as people walk around their trees and tend them, they will have this lesson constantly in front of them."



The Reach Beyond cacao project, officially dedicated recently with a ceremony at the greenhouse that included sampling some roasted cacao beans, picks up on a previous government effort to encourage cacao growing as a source of income. Ecuador has become a leading producer of cacao in recent years, but the attempt to extend the industry to the eastern Amazon region has failed because of inadequate training.



Now locals are being invited to the Reach Beyond greenhouse to learn how to grow cacao well, with de Groen and other Reach Beyond workers planning to visit surrounding communities to check on progress. A local processor has already expressed interest in buying whatever is harvested, promising an economic boom to communities where day laboring and artisanal craft-making have been main sources of income.



"People are very excited about it, and they all want to know how to get involved," said de Groen, with local officials also expressing appreciation. "We have been surprised how little it has cost," he said$12,000 to build and equip the greenhouse and $2,000 for the plants.



There has been a side benefit to the cacao project, too. The expert who helped de Groen and his team learn about cacao farming also showed them how some of the surplus produce bags could be recycled as miniature plots for vegetables. Now people are using them to grow carrots, cucumbers, lettuces, radishes and tomatoes next to their homes.



"It has been really neat to see something else that we could not have imagined come out of this," said de Groen.



Founded in 1931 as broadcasting ministry, Reach Beyond has since expanded into healthcare and leadership development, continuing its work in Ecuador and also partnering with other agencies around the world.



Reach Beyond (reachbeyond.org) is a media- and medical-based evangelical ministry with operations on five continents. It spreads the message of Jesus in places that are primarily unreached or unengaged in the gospel. Reach Beyond uses media, including radio broadcasts, webcasts, social media and the distribution of solar-powered radios. It also reaches out to the needy throughout its growing network of healthcare services.



To schedule an interview with a Reach Beyond representative, contact:

Darin Campbell at (512) 785-8350 or dcampbell@inchristcommunications.com



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In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome!
THE Isle of Wight Foodbank is appealing for supplies ahead of the busy Christmas period.

Volunteers said they expected to feed record numbers of Island families in need this December.

The foodbank is taking part in Tesco's National Neighbourhood Food Collection at Tesco Extra, Brading Road, Ryde, which ends on Saturday, December 2.

Volunteers will be offering customers a foodbank shopping list as they enter the store and asking them to consider buying an extra item or two from the list to donate to the foodbank.

Tesco is supporting the event by donating a generous 20 per cent top up on the value of the food items donated. The money will go towards providing further emergency food supplies for the foodbank.

Hannah King, manager of the Isle of Wight Foodbank, said: "The winter months, and Christmas in particular, can be a very difficult time for families who are already managing on extremely low incomes and tight budgets.

"Over the last few years we have seen a significant increase in the number of local people we have helped.

"In December 2015 this totalled 136 local people in need via the school holiday scheme, last year this number increased by over 300 more, so this Christmas we are expecting an even higher demand on our stock levels and this will be in addition to the 700 to 800 people we expect to help in December with our usual emergency food vouchers.

"We are so grateful to the Island community for their generosity and support, without which we could not deliver the essential service that we do to support local families in crisis. We are asking again for that support during this very difficult time of year."

Food can also be donated via special 'bins' in most of the Island's major supermarkets or at the Foodbank Centre in Love Lane, Cowes. Find out more here.

There will also be a new and pre-loved clothing sale at the foodbank on Saturday, December 2 from 10am to 1pm. Brands include Zara, Ralph Lauren, Fred Perry, Ted Baker, Monsoon, Laura Ashley, and TopShop.
Newly enacted rental ordinance back on agenda The town council is considering the formation of a working group to potentially amend the ordinance that governs short-term rentals, which was passed unanimously in August. Ron Ratcliffe, serving as...

LITTLE WOMEN, BIG STAGE The Jamestown Community Theatre will perform a five-show production of the Broadway musical Little Women, a coming-of-age-story based on the classic 1868 novel by Louisa May Alcott. The story follows...

Fire chiefs want to boost tax breaks for volunteers In an effort to attract new volunteers and preserve its current membership, the fire department is proposing to increase tax abatements for its membership. Volunteerism is a dying breed right...
Wells Fargo names

3 board members

The board of directors for Wells Fargo & Co. said Wednesday it has elected three independent members as part of its succession initiatives. They will join the board Jan. 1.

Celeste Clark is the former chief sustainability officer for Kellogg Co. and is principal of Abraham Clark Consulting LLC, a health and regulatory policy consulting firm.

Theodore Craver Jr. is former chairman, president and chief executive of utility Edison International of Rosemead, Calif. He spent 23 years in banking, serving as treasurer of First Interstate Bancorp. He also serves on Duke Energy Corp.s board.

Maria Morris most recently served as interim head of the U.S. business division of MetLife Inc., as well as head of its global employee benefits business.

The board previously announced the retirement of Chairman Stephen Sanger, Cynthia Milligan and Susan Swenson at years end.

Richard Craver

Tennessee company buys 2 Winston-Salem sites

Montecito Medical, a Nashville, Tenn.-based owner of medical office buildings, said Wednesday it has acquired two Class-A Winston-Salem properties as part of a nine-building acquisition in North Carolina.

All of the properties are anchored by OrthoCarolina, which will assume long-term leases from Montecito.

The Winston-Salem properties are at 170 and 180 Kimel Park Drive. The transactions are not listed on the Forsyth County Register of Deeds website.

OrthoCarolina will continue to manage the properties, and the group will be able to participate with Montecito in the continued ownership of the buildings.

Richard Craver

Wells Fargo exits personal insurance business

Wells Fargo & Co. said Tuesday it is exiting its personal insurance business, with immediate plans to wind down marketing and product promotion activity. It expects to complete the process in the first quarter.

The bank said the decision comes as part of a strategic assessment of the business that began in October.

The personal insurance business is the last remaining insurance brokerage agency in Wells Fargos portfolio. The bank said the business financial contribution was not material to the company.

In 2016, Wells Fargo sold its crop insurance business, Rural Community Insurance Services and subsidiary Rural Community Insurance Co., to Zurich American Insurance Co.

In June, the bank sold Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA to USI Insurance Services, a leading local and national insurance brokerage and consulting firm.

On Nov. 9, Wells Fargo Insurance Inc. said it had signed a purchase agreement with Hub International Limited, a leading global insurance brokerage, to sell its crop insurance broker business.
Someone fired two shots Wednesday at a Parkland High School student after headphones were stolen from him, authorities said.

The incident began about 4 p.m. when the 16-year-old student was standing outside near the schools auditorium, Winston-Salem police said.

Another teen, who was standing in the same area, grabbed the headphones off the students head and ran toward a city pool next to the school.

The student then chased the robber, who was joined by a second suspect as all three ran through into a wooded area beside the school, police said.

The student reported one of the robbers fired two shots at him.

The student wasnt injured and ran back to the school, police said. The student told school administrators, who called police and his mother.

Detectives are investigating the incident.

Anyone with information about this incident can call Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800.
JACKSONVILLE  Officials searching for a missing 3-year-old girl are asking residents in the areas surrounding Jacksonville to search their own properties.

The Onslow County Sheriffs Office and the FBI asked residents in Verona and the southwest area of Jacksonville to search their properties  especially outdoor structures such as sheds or barns  for anything out of the ordinary.

They asked residents to call the sheriffs office if they find anything unusual.

Mariah Kay Woods, 3, of Jacksonville was reported abducted, according to an Amber Alert issued on Monday.

More than 14 local, state and federal agencies had assisted in Woods search by Wednesday afternoon, Sheriff Hans J. Miller said at a news conference.

Officials conducted more than 100 interviews and have followed more than 140 leads, mostly generated by the community, Miller said.

One of those led to the circulation of surveillance photos released by the FBI on Wednesday morning of a woman holding a child in a Morehead City Walmart on Monday.

The FBI later in the day confirmed that the woman and child in the photo were not connected in the investigation.

When asked if Woods disappearance was an isolated incident, or if there may be a danger to other area children, Miller said officials think this is a focused incident.

By the third day of the investigation, officials had searched under Woods mobile home, a nearby creek, pond and wooded area, Miller said.

The FBI has joined the search, including the Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team.

Woods was last seen when her mother put her to bed at about 11 p.m. Sunday, according to the Charlotte Division of the FBI. She was missing the next morning.

Officials have interviewed Woods mother and her boyfriend.

Woods is a 3-year-old white female, about 2 feet 9 inches tall, weighing about 30 pounds. She has brown hair and blue eyes.

She was reported missing from a home on the 2400 block of Dawson Cabin Road in Jacksonville, according to the FBI.

No piece of information is too small, the sheriffs office said, adding that anyone who has had any contact with the family since her disappearance is asked to call the sheriffs office or the FBI.

The FBI also released a missing poster that will be featured on all FBI social media sites.

Anyone with information about the abduction is asked to call the Onslow County Sheriff at 910-455-3113, the FBIs Charlotte field office at 704-672-6100 or call 911.
Most of North Carolinas representatives voted in favor of the tax bill put before the House on Nov. 16, including our own Virginia Foxx. I dreaded the news, since this tax bill would ruin my fledgling career.

I grew up in Clemmons West and graduated from West Forsyth High School in 2011. I attended our excellent state school in Chapel Hill, where I graduated summa cum laude in 2015. After tutoring UNC athletes in math for a year, I was accepted to Princeton University for a PhD pro-gram in philosophy. I cried on the steps of Caldwell Hall when I told my (now) fiance that I had gotten into my dream school.

Now I am earning a stipend in exchange for teaching undergraduates at Princeton University. As part of my contract, the university waives a $48,000-annual tuition bill. About 145,000 other graduate students across the country have similar relationships with their institutions.

Virginia Foxx wants me and my fellow graduate students to pay taxes on waived tuition. I would have to foot more than $10,000 in taxes for the next fiscal year -- about a third of my stipend. I would be in the same effective tax bracket as people who make $900,000 a year. Since rent would take most of whats left, Id have to discontinue my studies at Princeton.

Meanwhile, the bill does nothing to close numerous loopholes exploited by millionaires and corporations around the country. Has the bill been crafted by critical thinking and the general inter-est, or has it been shaped by wealthy interest groups and a perverted political agenda?

Consider another change in the tax code proposed by this same bill: low and middle-range earners, who are now able to deduct the interest paid on their student loans, would no longer be able to do so.

The hundreds and even thousands of dollars that are at stake for low and middle-range earners in these lines of the tax code are an investment in our future. More and more, higher education is required to succeed in the modern world. More and more, an expensive graduate degree and many years of study are required before someone can carry out innovative research. More and more, highly trained educators are necessary to prepare the next generation.

And yet, less and less do our politicians seem to care about these facts. Less and less does it seem like they even hear our voices.

Please, call Virginia Foxx and demand that she withdraw her support of this bill. Call Sen. Richard Burr and demand that he do everything in his power to keep these provisions out of the Sen-ate version of the bill, which is expected to come to the floor soon.

Perhaps, if we are successful, we can keep marching into the future.

After I receive my doctorate, I hope to return to North Carolina so that I can teach other North Carolinians what Ive learned. If we cant stop this bill, I (and many like me) will be sent home empty-handed.

Chris Register grew up in Clemmons and graduated from West Forsyth High School in 2011.
Burke/Triolo Productions/ThinkstockOld Dominion guests Thursday on LIVE with Kelly and Ryan. You can catch the show after Good Morning America on most ABC stations.

Walker Hayes top 20 single, You Broke Up with Me, has been certified gold, ahead of the release of his debut album, boom., on December 8.

Charlie Worshams first book, Follow Your Heart: A Guitar, A Tattoo, and One Mans Country Music Journey, is available now. Proceeds go to Worshams scholarship fund, which helps teens in his hometown of Grenada, Mississippi.

You can get to know two of Brantley Gilberts biggest fans in the premiere episode of the Oprys new YouTube series, Fandom: Fully Committed.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Capsule reviews of movies in local theaters

A Bad Moms Christmas H

The Moms rebel against the expectations of Christmas. Rated R.

Showing: AMC Hanes 12, Grand 18, RED Cinemas

American Made HH

A commercial pilot (Tom Cruise), bored with his job, is recruited by the CIA to take surveillance photos in some Latin American countries. On the side, he also works as a drug courier in Central America. Based on a true story. Rated R.

Showing: Marketplace

Coco HHH

Miguel wants to be a musician but his family has a ban on music, so he must go to land of the dead to figure out why. Rated PG.

Showing: AMC Hanes 12, Grand 18, Starmount, Two Rivers Cinema, Liberty Theatre, Lexington Cinema

Daddys Home 2 HH

Brad and Dusty (Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg) must deal with their fathers (John Lithgow and Mel Gibson) during the holidays. Rated PG-13.

Showing: AMC Hanes 12, Grand 18, RED Cinemas, Two Rivers Cinema, Lexington Cinema

The Florida Project HHH

A summer in the life of Moonee, a 6-year-old girl who lives in the shadow of Disney World. Her mother is a drug-addicted prostitute. Among Moonees friends is the manager of the sleazy hotel where they live and his son. Starring Willem Dafoe, Brooklyn Prince and Valeria Cotto. Rated R.

Showing: RED Cinemas

It HH

A group of kids work together to stop Pennywise, an evil shapeshifting clown that has been stalking the children in the town of Derry, Maine, for centuries. Based on a Stephen King novel. Rated R.

Showing: Marketplace

Jigsaw HH

People are being gruesomely murdered and the evidence points to John Kramer aka Jigsaw who has been dead for 10 years. Rated R.

Showing: RED Cinemas

Justice League HH

Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince enlist the help of Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg to save Earth. Rated PG.

Showing: Grand 18, AMC Hanes 12, Liberty Theatre, Starmount, Two Rivers Cinema, Lexington Cinema

The Killing of a Sacred Deer HHH

A surgeons life begins to fall apart after the behavior of a teenage boy hes mentoring becomes malevolent. Starring Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Alicia Silverstone and Barry Keoghan. Rated R.

Showing: RED Cinemas

Kingsman: The Golden Circle HH

The Kingsman must track down The Golden Circle, an international spy organization that is threatening the world. Rated R.

Showing: Marketplace

Lady Bird HHH

Christine Lady Bird McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) spends a year having adventures in Northern California. Lucas Hedges, who attended UNCSA, plays Danny. Rated R.

Showing: Aperture, Grand 18, AMC Hanes 12

The LEGO Ninjago Movie HH

Six teenage ninjas must save their island home, Ninjago. Rated PG.

Showing: Marketplace

Loving Vincent HH

An animated biography of Vincent van Gogh using oil paint for the animation. Rated PG-13.

Showing: Aperture, RED Cinemas

Lucky HHH

Harry Dean Stantons final film focuses on a 90-year-old atheists spiritual journey. Not rated.

Showing: RED Cinemas

The Man Who Invented Christmas HH

The story of how Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol. Christopher Plummer is Ebenezer Scrooge. Rated PG.

Showing: Grand 18, RED Cinemas

Marshall HHH

The story of Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman), the civil rights lawyer and first black man appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The film looks at one of his first cases, a black chauffeur accused of raping his white employer. Rated PG-13.

Showing: Marketplace

Murder on the Orient Express HH

A man is murdered on the Orient Express train while it is trapped by a blizzard. Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) must find the killer before another murder happens. Based on the Agatha Christie novel. Also starring Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Derek Jacobi, Michelle Pfeiffer, Johnny Depp and Leslie Odom Jr. Rated PG-13.

Showing: Grand 18, RED Cinemas, Starmount, Lexington Cinema

Novitiate HHH

In the early 1960s a young woman who is training to be a nun begins to have troubling questions about God, the church and her sexuality. Rated R.

Showing: Aperture, RED Cinemas

Nutjob 2: Nutty by Nature H

Surly and his friends discover that the mayor is going to destroy the park to build an amusement park. With some help, they set out to stop him. Rated PG-13.

Showing: Marketplace

Roman J. Israel, Esq. HHH

Roman Israel (Denzel Washington) is an idealistic lawyer who has a crisis when defending a client. Rated PG-13.

Showing: Grand 18, AMC Hanes 12, RED Cinemas

The Star HH

A donkey and other animals are the unlikely heroes of the first Christmas. Rated PG.

Showing: Grand 18, AMC Hanes 12, Starmount, Two Rivers Cinema, Lexington Cinema

Thor: Ragnarok HH

Thor is imprisoned across the galaxy and must get back to stop Hela from taking over. Rated PG13.

Showing: Grand 18, AMC Hanes 12, RED Cinemas, Two Rivers Cinema, Lexington Cinema

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri HHHH

The mother (Frances McDermond) of a murder victim challenges the police department to find her daughters killer by placing hand painted signs around town. Woody Harrelson plays the police chief, and Lucas Hedges, who attended UNCSA, plays Robbie. Filmed in Asheville. Rated R.

Showing: Aperture, Grand 18, RED Cinemas

Victoria & Abdul HH

The story of Queen Victoria and Abdul Karim, a servant from India who is Muslim, and the friendship they developed. Starring Judy Dench and Ali Fazal. Rated PG-13.

Showing: RED Cinemas

White Christmas HHHH

After World War II, a song and dance team (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) team up with a sister act (Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen) to help save the Vermont inn of the mens former commanding officer. A Christmas classic. Not rated.

Showing: Grand 18, Sunday and Wednesday only

Wonder HHH

Based on a New York Times bestseller, Wonder is about Auggie, a fifth-grader who has a disfigured face because of Treacher Collins syndrome. He is going to a mainstream school for the first time, after being home-schooled, and his classmates and the larger community learn acceptance and empathy. Starring Jacob Tremblay, Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson. Rated PG.

Showing: Grand 18, AMC Hanes 12, RED Cinemas, Starmount, Two Rivers Cinema, Lexington Cinema
HALLIE EPHRON: Kate Clark Flora was probably the first mystery writer I met when I was publishing my first crime novel. An attorney turned novelist who wrote the wonderful Thea Kozak series, she generously welcomed me to the fold. Her FINDING AMY, a true crime, was an Edgar Award finalist.





Kate has found a special niche for herself, helping cops tell their stories, both as true crime and in novel form with her Joe Burgess series.





Her new book, Shots Fired: The Misunderstandings, Misconceptions and myths about Police Shootings, written with Joseph K. Loughlin, is a journey behind the shield which highlights the experiences of the real human beings in the line of fire.





I'm in awe of the authenticity in her work. Today she shares with us where that authenticity comes from.





KATE FLORA: Because I write police procedurals and about real crime, some of my research tends to be quite dark. The reading community we write for is an informed and demanding one, so we all have to do research for our books.





I was looking for a reference book on my shelf recently, and scanning the contents reminded me that a stranger, knowing little about me and what I do, might be taken aback by my collection. Im the person who goes to a library book sale and is delighted to score a criminalistics textbook. I read an article in a recent New Yorker and immediately ordered a book about geographic profiling , only to find that I already have David Canters Mapping Murder on my shelf. Every book I write has research files, and I have a file of old New Yorker articles on fascinating subjects like using soil to track where a killer has been .





Sometimes these books are things I read out of curiosity; sometimes, they related to the actual work Im doing. For example, when I was working with retired Portland, Maine deputy chief Joe Loughlin on a book about Amy St. Laurents murder, Finding Amy, there was trial testimony from a forensic entomologist about the fly larvae found with the buried body. I had recently read M. Lee Goffs A Fly for the Prosecution, so I had a great reference for helping me illuminate the experts testimony.





Also very helpful in writing the scenes about the forensic exhumation was an entire notebook about the process put together for me by a police detective down in Delaware. He created it for a fictional mystery thats never been published, but it was waiting for me when I needed it for a real crime.







Other books on the shelves have come to me through conversations while Im doing research. Sometimes I have a conversation with a detective, and order up a book he suggests. That happened when a detective in the Miramichi, New Brunswick police department was walking me through the slides he uses to teach interviewing technique at the police academy. Our conversation led me to Mark McClishs book, I Know You Are Lying: Detecting Deception Through Statement Analysis. Listening to small language choices the interviewee makes can be very illuminating, as in the moment when the suspected killer in my true crime, Death Dealer, speaks about his missing wife in the past tense.

Once, after a conversation with a Portland detective about interviewing technique, I ran into my local police chief. He asked what I was working on, and I told him about the detective and some of the things hed told me.





We Get Confessions. Its all flavor of the month, he said. Ill send you a book. A few hours later, a patrol car stopped and the officer handed me a wonderfully informal, and informative self-published book by a Rochester, NY detective, Lt. Albert Joseph, Jr, called





The Gift of Fear, I found myself late one night sitting in a jail up in New Brunswick, waiting to do a ride-along, and discussing the book with another officer. It, and the companion book, Fearless, are great books about trusting instinct and learning to be safe and resilient . After reading Gavin DeBeckers, I found myself late one night sitting in a jail up in New Brunswick, waiting to do a ride-along, and discussing the book with another officer. It, and the companion book,, are great books about





Because I write with, and about cops, in my Joe Burgess police procedural series and in my nonfiction, I have an entire shelf about cops. One of the great books is Mark Bakers Cops, another Adam Plantingas 400 Things Cops Know. Another, not for the faint of heart but worth getting from the library, is Practical Homicide Investigation.





For anyone interested in police shootings in the cops own words, I just finished co-writing, with retired Deputy Chief Joseph Loughlin the book Shots Fired: The misunderstandings, misconceptions, and myths about police shootings.

criminal mind, crime scene investigation, and methods of murder . Sometimes, I carry my enthusiasm too far. Once, while I was cooking for a dinner party, my husband suggested that having a book about plant poisons open on the counter when the guests arrived might not be a good idea. Another time, invited by a library in New Hampshire to talk about The Dark Side of Crime Writing, I had happily embarked on a talk about dissection of the liver before I realized that readers might not really to need to know all that goes into making the sausage to enjoy it. There are books about the. Sometimes, I carry my enthusiasm too far. Once, while I was cooking for a dinner party, my husband suggested that having a book about plantopen on the counter when the guests arrived might not be a good idea. Another time, invited by a library in New Hampshire to talk about The Dark Side of Crime Writing, I had happily embarked on a talk aboutbefore I realized that readers might not really to need to know all that goes into making the sausage to enjoy it.





I wonderare your bookshelves as dark as mine? What are your go-to books for crime writing?





Led Astray is her latest Joe Burgess police procedural; Death Warmed Over is her latest Thea Kozak mystery. Her fascination with peoples bad behavior began in the Maine attorney generals office chasing deadbeat dads and protecting battered children. In addition to her crime fiction, shes written two true crimes and a memoir with public safety personnel, and most recently Shots Fired: The Misconceptions, Misunderstandings and Myths About Police-Involved Shootings, co-written with former Portland assistant chief Joseph Loughlin, and a story in a collection entitled, The Obama Inheritance. Flora has been an Edgar, Derringer, Agatha and Anthony finalist and twice won the Maine literary award for crime fiction. Maine native and recovering attorney Kate Clark Flora writes true crime, strong women, and police procedurals.is her latest Joe Burgess police procedural;isher latest Thea Kozak mystery. Her fascination with peoples bad behavior began in the Maine attorney generals office chasing deadbeat dads and protecting battered children. In addition to her crime fiction, shes written two true crimes and a memoir with public safety personnel, and most recentlyco-written with former Portland assistant chief Joseph Loughlin, and a story in a collection entitled,Flora has been an Edgar, Derringer, Agatha and Anthony finalist and twice won the Maine literary award for crime fiction.





HALLIE: This sent me scurrying to my office bookshelf where I keep my reference books...

Magic and Showmanship: A Handbook for Conjurers by Henning Nelms

An Actor Prepares by Stanislavski

Whistlin' Dixie: A Dictionary of Southern Expressions by Robert Hendrickson

The Handbook of Doll Repair & Restoration by Marty Westfall

Kate will be here today to answer your questions and chat about her passion for telling it like it is when it comes to police and the challenges they face.




JURIST Guest Columnist Corinne Maupin of Valparaiso University School of Law discusses advances in facial recognition technology and the corresponding ripeness for matching regulations 

A recent article in the ABA Journal noted that law enforcement agencies have proposed the use of facial recognition software within departments to aid in the capture of criminals. This software obtains photographs and catalogs them for later use. This could be mug-shots, drivers license photos, or photographs captured while someone is walking down the street. For example, there are already studies implemented in airports to replace the drivers license and passport.

The widespread implementation of this type of software requires an analysis of the benefit and risks. Once the benefits and risks are understood, citizens will be able to make an informed decision about how and when this software should be utilized.

The potential benefits of facial recognition may be endless. Importantly, the software provides law enforcement with ways to manage records of people of interest. Facial recognition software in the criminal justice system utilizes two different biometric techniques to increase the efficiency and accuracy of the verification process. This software identifies individuals when it is not legally or physically possible to obtain fingerprint or DNA evidence. As a demonstration, the Pierce County Sheriff in Washington State has been able to demonstrate 94% accuracy in the first candidate spot when using mug shot photographs for facial identification during booking. Although the quality of the facial images varies, such as those frequently obtained from surveillance footage, it is still possible to compare photograph stored in the database and make a possible identification.

This technology, however, does not come without the attendant risks. Facial recognition software is currently an un-regulated algorithm that uses facial features to identify people from previously stored photographs. This means that each individual State or department is controlling their own facial recognition software. Facial recognition software is not as accurate in its identification methods as other, more established methods such as fingerprinting or DNA testing.

For instance, Georgetown Law Center on Privacy and Technology did a study [PDF] regarding the accuracy and risks of the unregulated use of facial recognition software by law enforcement in America. In this study, Georgetown Law Center noted several flaws with facial recognition software. Most notably, that facial recognition software is least accurate when it comes to people with dark skin. In a poll done at the Seattle Police Department, the department states their system does not see race. However, a co-study done by the Federal Bureau of Investigation suggested that facial recognition software may be less accurate on black people. This is troubling because, as the study suggests, mug shot databases are likely to include a disproportionate number of African Americans. However, there is no testing method to discover racially biased errors. The potential for racial bias in the facial recognition may be a sore spot for many police departments. Transparency is going to be important in communities when the facial recognition software becomes more popular.

With the inherent risk of racial bias, law enforcement agencies may be less likely to be transparent with their communities. A report written by Kimberly Del Greco, Deputy Assistant Director, Criminal Justice Information Services Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, states the facial recognition software used for identifying criminals is only accurate 85% of the time in a controlled environment. Compared to the accuracy of fingerprinting, which is roughly 92.5%, there is still work to be done on facial recognition software before it becomes a reliable method of capturing criminals.

Additionally, facial recognition software raises some important constitutional questions. A pertinent example involves the First Amendment, and the specific right of freedom of assembly. Citizens are granted the right to protest anonymously. However, the use of facial recognition software to identify anyone on the street potentially halts the freedoms of citizens. If this software is used at political protests citizens lose their right to protest anonymously. To protect the right to protest and freedom of speech there should be some form of regulations on the use of facial recognition software. There are a wide array of benefits and risks associated with the use of facial recognition software in police departments. When this use is unregulated it allows criminal justice systems to use it how they see fit. Regulations on facial recognition software in law enforcement agencies will standardize the use of facial imaging and protect citizens First Amendment rights.

To see how the technology has fared without regulation, it is helpful to examine recent implementations of it, such as with the iPhone X. This phone allows a person to simply show their face near the camera of the phone to unlock their device. This device software also authenticates Apple Pay, and some applications on the device. Your face is now the key to opening and securing your phone.

Having the facial recognition software in the iPhone means easy accessibility for the owners. There are added security features for the facial recognition software. Reviewers of the iPhone software recognize that unlocking the iPhone is not automatic. The Face ID readies the phone for unlock, then an additional icon appears to unlock the phone. One user has noted that Face ID also works in an almost completely dark room by using only the light on the iPhones screen. The features of the iPhone X make using a smartphone easy. Forgotten passwords seem to be a thing of the past with this new technology.

However, as with any new technology, there are risks associated with having a device that uses a face as a key. The iPhone X has been tested on identical twins, and it cannot tell the difference. In 2012, it was suggested that about one in 30 babies born is a twin. The article also suggested that the rate of twins born in the United States has been increasing since 1980. With there being such a small population of twins, one would think this risk does not apply to them. The risk, in fact, may be more widespread than many think: the Twin Stranger Project is an example of a group showcasing two people looking almost exactly alike, while sharing little to no relation to one another.

In fact, an article written for Womens Health Magazine explores the reasons we may look like complete strangers. The article explains that any two people at random may share about 99.5% of their gene sequence. This is a relatively small risk considering the Twin Strangers is global, and not limited to the United States.

A Vietnamese cybersecurity firm has also taken steps to show how the device can be hacked. Ngo Tuan Anh has demonstrated how to hack the device by using a 3D mask, paper tape skin, silicone nose, and paper eyes, he can unlock the iPhone X. In the same article it is noted, however, that the process could take up to five hours. Apples own technical support page notes the probability of a random person unlocking a phone that does not belong to them is approximately one -in-a-million. Although the risk exists, it is relatively small and would take in-depth consideration from a person trying to hack into a phone.

The potential for the future of facial recognition in smart devices is endless. The iPhone X seems to be user-friendly. The device uses facial features to secure the smartphone. The increased security is appealing. However, with benefits come inherent risks. Like all technology, facial recognition software can be hacked. The device cannot differentiate identical twins, yet, and as noted, there is a convenient website for strangers to find people who match them almost identically. This opens the door to hacking and potential theft of devices.

Facial recognition software is set to take America by storm. New technology is often utilized in a variety of ways and incorporated into everyday lives. Fingerprinting and password locks on phones are soon to be a thing of the past. With all new technology, there are risks. The government has not yet caught up to the speed of the dissemination of the facial recognition devices. There are no regulations on how the software is being used. Law enforcement agencies are deciding when and where to use the software. We may soon see a future where facial recognition technology in government agencies and phones connect.

New technology that has the aforementioned risks should be regulated. There should be a standardized use of the technology. The regulations will protect citizens from the infringement on their rights, while also protecting law enforcement and government agencies from outrage by citizens. The goal of the technology should not just be ease of use for phones or catching criminals. The technology should also be utilized to protect the rights of all citizens.

Corinne Maupin is a second-year law student at Valparaiso University School of Law, and is also obtaining her Masters in Health Administration.

She earned her Bachelors Degree in Healthcare Leadership from Valparaiso University and plans to use her studies to change the way people look at healthcare.

Suggested citation:Corinne Maupin, Face the Facts: Facial Recognition Software Should be Strictly Monitored , JURIST  Student Commentary, Nov. 30, 2017, http://jurist.org/dateline/2017/07/Corinne Maupin-facial_recognition.php

This article was prepared for publication by Sean Merritt, an Assistant Editor for JURIST Commentary. Please direct any questions or comments to him at commentary@jurist.org
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) [official website] extradited [press release] 75-year-old Inocente Orlando Montano, a former El Salvador colonel, to Spain to face charges for his alleged involvement in the 1989 murder of eight individuals [CJA backgrounder] that included six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper, and the housekeepers 16-year-old daughter during the countrys decade-long civil war strife.

The murders occurred in the early morning hours of November 16, 1989, at the Universidad Centroamericana at the behest of the El Salvador military. At the time, Montano had risen to a position of colonel after 30 years of service in the military. Five of the Jesuit priests were Spanish nationals while all remaining individuals including the sixth priest were citizens of El Salvador.

Following Montanos indictment in Spain, together with those of 19 other former El Salvador military officials, a Spanish magistrate judge issued an arrest warrant for the individuals in 2011.

This extradition followed ICEs own extensive criminal investigation, which resulted in Montanos conviction for immigration fraud and perjury [JURIST report]. Essentially, Montano was convicted for making false statements to immigration authorities to obtain Temporary Protected Status (TPS) [USCIS backgrounder] in the US. Montanos federal trial in the US documented more than 1,150 human rights violations, that include 65 extrajudicial killings, 51 disappearances, and 520 cases of torture, under his purview as military colonel.

Pursuant to the US-Spain extradition treaty [PDF], the US Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] filed a complaint in the US District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina [official website] in 2015 seeking Montanos extradition to Spain.

ICE Deputy Director Thomas D. Homan [official profile] stated of the extradition:

This extradition, and the investigation and prosecution that preceded it, marks the culmination of longstanding and significant collaboration among HSI Boston, ICEs Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center, the US Attorneys Offices in Boston and Raleigh, and DOJs Office of International Affairs.  We are grateful for the support of our law enforcement partners, DOJ, and our Department of State colleagues to ensure that Montano will face justice in Spain for his crimes and will not find safe haven in the United States.

Acting Assistant Attorney General John Cronan of the DOJs Criminal Division [official website] chimed in adding: Criminals and those lawfully charged with criminal offenses overseas should not be able to find safe haven in the United States  Todays extradition demonstrates our firm commitment to honoring our obligations under extradition treaties. As a result, an alleged human-rights violator will now face justice in Spain.
International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda [official websites] confirmed Thursday that her office will not investigate [press release] a 2010 Israeli attack against a Gaza bound Turkish flotilla.

After a presentation of new facts and information, Bensouda concluded that there was not sufficient gravity to support a legal action under the Rome statute [text].

Bensouda stated:

In particular, on the basis of the information available, there was no reasonable basis to believe that the identified crimes were committed on a large-scale or as part of a plan or policy. Nor did my Office err in assessing the nature or impact of the identified crimes, or in its approach to allegations of other misconduct on Israeli territory, beyond the jurisdiction of this Court.

Bensouda said that while she understands the emotional toll these crimes had on victims and their families, her conclusion is based solely on a legal analysis of the Rome statute.

These issues stem from an attack on pro-Palestinian Turkish groups by Israeli forces in 2010. Merely 80 miles from the Israeli coast, six ships were boarded by activists to deliver aid to Palestine. This required the ships to break the Israeli naval blockade, which became effective due to fears of terrorist attacks and other threats. Israel believed that the activists proceeding towards Palestine were associated with terrorist groups posing a threat to their country. As a result, an Israeli commandos landed on one ship causing open fire and eventual death to nine Turkish Activists. An Israeli inquiry found that these actions were legal and Bensouda previously found under the grounded principles of the ICC that no action could be taken against Israel in 2014 [text, PDF].
Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Penal Forum [advocacy websites released a joint-report [text] on Wednesday that revealed human rights and humanitarian crises in Venezuela, as the government continues to arbitrarily arrest, prosecute, and, in some cases, torture critics of the government.

Since early April 2017, more than 5,400 people have reportedly been detained after participating in anti-government protests. According to the rights groups, detainees are often exposed to excessive force, torture and inhuman treatment. The report revealed 88 documented cases that described at least 314 people that were subjected to serious human rights violations in Caracas and 13 states between April and September 2017.

Security forces have allegedly subjected detainees to electric shocks, severe beating, sleep deprivation, sexual abuse, tear gas, starvation, and more in an attempt to either punish detainees or incriminate themselves. On the streets, security forces have used excessive force to suppress anti-government protests. In some cases, forces have used modified rubber-pellet shotgun shells that instead shot marbles, broken glass, or metal bolts.

The joint report called on the the Lima Group, the European Union and other UN Member States [official websites] to put international pressure on the Venezuelan government to release those who are unlawfully detained and to impose targeted sanctions against specific Venezuelan officials implicated the abuses. States party to the Convention Against Torture [text, PDF] were asked to invoke Article 5 of the Convention to exercise criminal jurisdiction over any Venezuelan authority responsible for torture. Finally, the report called on the UN Human Rights Council [official website] to request the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to open an international investigation into human rights violations in Venezuela.

Venezuela has experienced a significant amount of political unrest since the opposition gained control of the National Assembly in December 2015.
Saudi Arabian authorities released Prince Miteb bin Abdullah from custody on Tuesday after reaching an estimated $1 billion settlement agreement concerning corruption allegations, according to a Saudi official [Reuters report].

Miteb, along with 200 other royals, ministers and business tycoons, was arrested and detained in the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh earlier this month for alleged participation in the so-called anti-graft campaign. Accusations against him include embezzlement, hiring ghost employees and awarding contracts to his own firms, including a deal for walkie talkies and bulletproof military gear.

The Saudi official who detailed Mitebs release, told Reuters that the prosecutor is negotiating many other settlements in the case, but at least five will face trial. The estimated total amount involved in the corruption case is USD $100 billion.

Miteb is the son of the late King Abdullah and before he was detained, he was head of the elite national guard [Independent, report] and thought of as a strong contender for the throne. The detail of Mitebs settlement have not yet to be officially released and it is unclear whether he will remain under freedom restraints post-release.
An Argentine judicial panel [official site] on Wednesday sentenced [ruling, PDF, in Spanish] 29 former officials to life in prison, and 19 to between 8-25 years for murder and torture during the juntas 1976-1983 Dirty War [GlobalSecurity backgrounder; JURIST news archive].

The sentencing concluded a five-year trial and represented Argentinas largest verdict to date [La Nacion report, in Spanish] for crimes against humanity. Collectively, the 48 defendants were charged with the deaths of 789 victims. The prosecution called more than 800 witnesses to make their case. Additionally, the court acquitted six former officials.

The crimes were committed at the Higher School of Mechanics of the Navy (ESMA), which was used by the junta to illegally detain, torture and kill roughly 5,000 people. During the Dirty War an estimated 30,000 people were forcibly kidnapped or disappeared in a government-sponsored campaign against suspected dissidents. ESMA is now a Human Rights museum and memorial [official website] to the atrocities of the junta.

The ability of the court to sentence former officials is the result of a 2005 Argentina Supreme Court [official website, in Spanish] ruling that denied amnesty to military figures [JURIST report] who committed crimes during the military dictatorship.
Croatia's president said Thursday that citizens had to admit crimes were committed by fellow Croats in Bosnia, a day after a Bosnian Croat war criminal took his own life at a court in The Hague.

"We Croats need to have the strength to admit that some of our fellow compatriots in Bosnia committed crimes and they have to be held responsible for them," Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said in a televised address, referring to the bloody 1990s war in Bosnia.

Her statement was more conciliatory in tone than that of Croatian Prime minister Andrej Plenkovic, who on Wednesday slammed the "deep moral injustice" of the UN judges' verdict.

Slobodan Praljak, 72, was one of six Bosnian Croat wartime leaders who had their jail terms upheld by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), in the court's final judgement before shutting down.

The former military commander swigged liquid from a brown bottle, which he told his lawyer was poison, just seconds after UN judges upheld his 20-year sentence. He later died in hospital.

He and his five co-defendants were found to be key participants in a "joint criminal enterprise" to ethnically cleanse Bosnian Muslims in order to unify Croats in the region.

But the ruling and Praljak's death sparked anger among many Croats in the Balkans, who consider the men to be heroes and defenders of their people.

Grabar-Kitarovic said the tribunal had "failed to fulfil its role of bringing justice", with crimes against Bosnian Croats "not punished in the same way".

The president gave her condolences to the family of Praljak, whom she described as a "man who preferred to take his own life rather then live as a convict for acts he strongly believed he did not commit".

She said his death "deeply struck the hearts of the Croatian people".

- Minute's silence -

Croatian lawmakers observed a minute's silence on Thursday for "all victims" of the early 1990s Balkan wars.

"All victims have to remain forever in our collective consciousness and yesterday's death of General Praljak should remain the last act of the tragic events of war," said parliamentary speaker Gordan Jandrokovic.

PM Plenkovic repeated his conviction that the verdict was "unjust".

But he stressed that the UN court had tried "individuals and not states, and it does not speak about responsibility of a state".

Significantly however, the appeal judges upheld the original trial's finding that the "ultimate purpose" of the criminal enterprise in Bosnia was shared by late Croatian president Franjo Tudjman, seen as the "father" of his country.

The court's ruling is at odds with the view from Zagreb, where Croatia's own 1990s war is seen as one of liberation and self-defence against Belgrade aggression as Yugoslavia fell apart.

The verdict "is a serious burden for Croatia as a state," political analyst Zarko Puhovski told AFP.

Allies against Orthodox Serbs for most of Bosnia's 1992-1995 war, Catholic Croats and Bosniak Muslims also fought against each other for almost a year during the conflict.

Tudjman died in 1999, but the UN court said he would have been indicted if he had lived.
An autopsy will be carried out soon on a Bosnian Croat war criminal who took his own life apparently by drinking poison in front of UN judges, Dutch prosecutors said Thursday.

"The autopsy is our priority... it will be carried out very shortly," Frans Zonneveld, spokesman for the Dutch prosecution in The Hague, told AFP.

He also revealed that a "chemical product which can cause death" had been found in the container which Slobodan Praljak, 72, had tipped into his mouth during his appeals hearing at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

The unprecedented gesture came on Wednesday as Praljak angrily denied being a criminal, moments after judges rejected his appeal, upholding his 20-year jail term for atrocities committed in a breakaway Bosnian Croat statelet during the 1990s Balkans wars.

Dutch prosecutors said in a statement late Wednesday that the investigation into his death "for the time being ... will focus on assisted suicide and violation of the Medicines Act."
Dutch prosecutors were investigating Thursday how a Bosnian Croat war criminal managed to commit suicide in front of shocked UN judges, in scenes set to cast a shadow over the court's two-decade legacy.

Staff at the imposing buildings of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague had been expecting to spend the next few weeks quietly winding down the court which closes on December 31, after the judges delivered their final ruling on Wednesday.

But courtroom one is now an active crime scene after the dramatic events when former Bosnian Croat military leader Slobodan Praljak tipped the contents of a small brown bottle into his mouth and died shortly afterwards in hospital.

An autopsy will be carried out shortly as a matter of the "highest priority," Frans Zonneveld, spokesman for the Dutch prosecution in The Hague, told AFP.

He revealed that tests had found that the bottle contained a "chemical product which can cause death".

The unprecedented gesture came as Praljak, 72, angrily denied being a criminal, after judges rejected his appeal and upheld his 20-year jail term for atrocities committed in a breakaway Bosnian Croat statelet during the 1990s wars.

Dutch prosecutors said in a statement late Wednesday that the investigation into his death "for the time being the inquiry will focus on assisted suicide and violation of the Medicines Act."

- Multiple questions -

It remains a mystery exactly what Praljak drank and how he managed to evade tight security to smuggle the bottle into the tribunal.

There are also questions about how he acquired the substance and if it was in the fortress-like UN detention centre in The Hague where he was being held.

Under court rules, everyone entering the detention centre is subjected to tight security "irrespective of his or her status, nationality, function or age".

Everyone must pass through security scanners, and there may also be "a search of clothing."

Defendants are allowed to have access to their medications in the detention centre, to be administered under the supervision of the chief medical officer.

And they are also allowed approved visits from personal doctors.

The drama came as seasoned judges, many of whom have worked for a long time at the court set up in 1993, handed down their very last verdict in the appeal case of six Bosnian Croat political and military leaders.

They upheld all the five other jail terms ranging from 25 to 10 years sentences.

Praljak's death caused shockwaves in Croatia, where for some he had been considered a hero.

But Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said Thursday that citizens had to admit crimes had been committed by fellow Croats in Bosnia.

"We Croats need to have the strength to admit that some of our fellow compatriots in Bosnia committed crimes and they have to be held responsible for them," she added.

After candles were lit overnight for the former general in Mostar, once the capital of the breakaway Herzog-Bosna, Croatian lawmakers held a minute's silence Thursday to remember all victims of the 1990s conflicts.

- Unprecedented protest -

"All victims have to remain forever in our collective consciousness and yesterday's death of General Praljak should remain the last act of the tragic events of war," said parliamentary speaker Gordan Jandrokovic.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic repeated his conviction that the verdict -- which found all six men to be key participants in a scheme to ethnically cleanse Bosnian Muslims from the area -- was "unjust".

But he said the UN court had tried "individuals and not states, and it does not speak about responsibility of a state".

"These men knew how manipulate power and to ensure everyone is watching," said Frederiek de Vlaming, an expert in international law at the University of Amsterdam.

"It's a kind of protest which we haven't seen before," she told the De Volkskrant newspaper, adding that it "illustrates how the suspects in the region view the court".
The final verdict of the UN war crimes court for former Yugoslavia was its most dramatic, with a Bosnian Croat commander committing suicide in front of judges who had just upheld his sentence.

Here is a snapshot of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which will formally close on December 31 after 24 years in operation.

- Mission: war crimes -

The United Nations established the ICTY in 1993 to try perpetrators of war crimes committed in the ethnic violence that followed the break-up of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

It is the first international war crimes tribunal since the Nuremberg and Tokyo tribunals on World War II.

Based in The Hague, the court at its height employed about 1,200 staff representing 69 nationalities. That has now dwindled to about 200.

Its purpose is to "try those individuals most responsible for appalling acts such as murder, torture, rape, enslavement, destruction of property and other crimes," according to its website.

- Judgements -

The tribunal has indicted 161 people, with its last fugitive -- one-time Croatian Serb rebel leader Goran Hadzic -- being captured in July 2011.

Those charged included heads of state, prime ministers, army chiefs-of-staff, ministers and other high- and mid-level leaders from various parties to the Yugoslav conflicts.

Nineteen were acquitted and 90 have been sentenced, one of them a woman. In the outstanding cases, the indictments have either been withdrawn or halted, or the cases are in retrial or have been referred to courts in countries in the former Yugoslavia.

Fifty-six of those found guilty have already served their sentences. The court's maximum sentence is life in jail, which has been issued 11 times.

The court says it has called 4,650 witnesses.

- Highlights -

- Former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic: The highest-profile prisoner of the court, he was accused of fuelling ethnic conflict and mass murder during his 13 years of iron rule.

Milosevic died in his cell from natural causes in 2006, aged 64, while awaiting a verdict on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

- Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic: He was found guilty in 2016 of genocide and nine other charges including extermination, deportations and hostage-taking.

Karadzic, 72, was sentenced to 40 years in jail but has appealed.

- Bosnian Serbian commander Ratko Mladic: Dubbed the "Butcher of Bosnia", Mladic's was the last trial before the court.

Aged 74, he was sentenced to life in prison on November 22 on 10 counts including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity such as murder and deportation.

- Bosnian Croat military commander Slobodan Praljak: The 72-year-old took his own life, apparently drinking poison in court on Wednesday, in full glare of the cameras, just after judges upheld his 20-year jail term in their final verdict.

There have been two other suicides at the tribunal: Croatian Serbs Slavko Dokmanovic and Milan Babic hanged themselves in their cells.

The tribunal says that while the most significant number of cases it has heard dealt with Serbs and Bosnian Serbs, it has investigated and brought charges against people from every ethnic background including Croats, Bosnian Muslims and Kosovo Albanians.

- The follow-up -

The Mechanism for International Tribunals (MICT) has been set up to wrap up the outstanding work of the ICTY and a separate UN court trying those behind the Rwandan genocide.

The so-called residual mechanism will have the power to prosecute and review proceedings, and will supervise the enforcement of sentences, but will not issue new indictments.
Leaders at an EU-Africa summit called Thursday for the immediate evacuation of nearly 4,000 distressed African migrants in Libya under a new drive to fight slave traders and traffickers.

Wrapping up a two-day summit in Ivory Coast's economic capital, a top African Union (AU) official said there could be as many as 700,000 Africans stranded in Libya, where many have suffered atrocities and even been sold into slavery.

He said a fact-finding mission had seen one camp in Tripoli where all the residents, numbering several thousand, were "living in inhumane conditions" and were desperate to return home.

"We have agreed, along with the EU and the UN, to set up a task force for repatriating at least 3,800 people," Moussa Faki Mahamat, head of the AU Commission, told reporters.

"But it's just one camp... the Libyan government tells us that there are 42 in all. There are definitely more than that. There are estimates of 400,000 to 700,000 African migrants in Libya."

The summit, gathering more than 80 nations of the African Union and European Union (EU), had been showcased as a bid to boost development in Africa as it faces a population crunch.

But it was largely overshadowed by shock TV footage of black Africans sold as slaves in Libya, prompting protests in many countries and demands for action.

Closing the summit, Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara said the "inhumane treatment of migrants" required responses that "match our condemnation."

He called on humanitarian aid, new efforts to fight human trafficking, and solutions for the poverty that prompted so many young Africans to risk the trek to Europe in search of a better life.

- 'Step in right direction' -

In a meeting late Wednesday, the leaders of Libya, France, Germany, Chad, Niger and four other countries agreed on a plan to allow migrants facing abuse in Libyan detention camps to be evacuated within days or weeks, mostly to their home countries.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who called the slave trading a crime against humanity, said Libya agreed to allow access to the camps "where scenes of barbarism" had occurred and have them repatriated.

They also offered increased support for the International Organization of Migration (IOM) to help those who want to return to their home countries, said Macron, who called the emergency meeting.

In some cases they could be given asylum in Europe, he added.

IOM Europe Director Eugenio Ambrosi told AFP that the new campaign was a "step in the right direction," although he said slave trading and other abuses also happened outside government control.

The agency, he said, could repatriate all 15,000 economic migrants in the Libyan government-controlled camps within two months if their home governments swiftly provided proper documents enabling them to travel.

EU sources earlier said UN humanitarian agencies like the IOM had arranged for some 13,000 migrants to return voluntarily to their home countries mainly in sub-Saharan Africa in the last year after a deal with Libya.

The group also decided to work with a task force, involving the sharing of police and intelligence services, to "dismantle the networks and their financing and detain traffickers," Macron said.

The AU, EU and UN officials also pledged to freeze the assets of identified traffickers while the AU will set up an investigative panel and the UN could take cases before the International Court of Justice, he added.

Faki said money was stored away in banks in Europe and the Middle East, including Dubai.

- Migration crisis -

The uproar over slavery came after US network CNN two weeks earlier aired footage from Libya of black Africans being sold.

AU and other critics have accused the EU of creating conditions for the slave trade as well as rape and torture of migrants by encouraging Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA), which is UN-backed, to detain migrants and stop them from coming to Europe.

The EU, which said migrant abuses existed before its cooperation with Libya, has been desperate to ease the worst migration crisis since World War II, with more than 1.5 million migrants entering the bloc since 2015.

In his speech to the summit on Wednesday, European Council President Donald Tusk acknowledged the "horrifying" treatment of young Africans.

But he also warned against starting "a blame game" and called for cooperation to fight criminals.

EU officials said the migrant influx, which has deepened political divisions across the EU, as well as frequent Islamist attacks in Europe have been a wake-up call to tackle the root causes of why people leave their homes.

The EU has already set up multi-billion-euro funds to promote Africa's economic development while deepening counter-terrorism cooperation with African countries where Islamist militant groups are spreading.

The summit worked on ways to promote stability and long-term economic growth for a continent likely to have 2.4 billion people by 2050, more than double what it is now.

Without fast-tracked development, millions could flee to Europe or turn to radical Islamist groups, EU and African leaders warn.
As the harvest season winds down, it appears 2017 will be a good year on the states crop production.

I think its not as good as last year, which was a record year, but it should be better than many thought it would be, Dustin Vande Hoef, communications director for Iowas Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey, told The Nonpareil on Wednesday. We had some dry stretches, especially in southern Iowa, but much of the state got timely rains that helped with the yields.

Mike Naig, the states deputy secretary of agriculture, also seemed to be upbeat about this years crop production.

Overall, many farmers have reported better than expected yields, despite the challenges of the growing season, he said in a release through his office.

Vande Hoef said 96 percent of the states corn crop is in the bin.

In the final weekly report of the year, the states ag department reported that many farmers wrapped up their fall fieldwork from 6.6 suitable days during the week ending Nov. 26. Activities for the week included harvesting, baling corn stalks, tiling, terracing, hauling and spreading manure, and applying fertilizers.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 80 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 72 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus. These figures were supplied by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service.

Livestock conditions were reported as good with little stress. Cattle continued to graze in harvested corn and soybean fields with some hay starting to be fed.

The states corn and soybean production totals probably wont be known until January, Vande Hoef said.
Researchers in Calgary say employees should be aware they could fail workplace drug tests due to second-hand smoke from marijuana. Dried medicinal marijuana flowers are shown in Toronto, Nov. 5, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy
A verdict is handed out to media at Uppsala District Court, Uppsala, Sweden Thursday Nov. 30, 2017. A court in Sweden has sentenced a Swedish man to 10 years in prison for coercing teenagers in Canada, Britain and the United States to perform sexual acts in front of webcams by threatening them or their families. The Uppsala City Court said Thursday that Bjorn Samstrom was guilty of online sexual offenses against 27 children between 2015 and early 2017.(Akvelina Smed/TT via AP)
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FILE - In this March 17, 2003, file photo, an Israeli border policemen guards the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv as other Israelis line up for U.S. visas. U.S. officials say President Donald Trump is poised to again delay his campaign promise to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. But they say he'll likely temper the blow to his supporters by declaring the holy city as Israel's capital. (AP Photo/Eitan Hess-Ashkenazi, File)
All the Kings Women tells the story of Elvis Presley, aka The King.

But hes not in it.

Instead, Presleys story is told through the eyes of some of the women he met.

And that was part of the attraction for Alan Williams, who is directing the show at Bradford High School.

Ive worked with a lot of male casts as a guest director for Kenosha Unified Schools, Williams said. But this year, we had a lot of great young women who auditioned for plays. This showcases them.

The all-female cast includes Megan Balli, Caitlyn Feldpausch, Mya Feltner, Kira Moses, Layonna Ward and Hannah Zimmerman. Courtney Van Hoof is the stage manager.

Though Presley  a rock n roll icon  is at the center of the action, this is not a musical. The play is structured as a fast-paced series of five short comedic plays and three monologues.

The stories range from Presleys childhood in Tupelo, Miss. (where he wanted a BB gun instead of a guitar for Christmas) to Presleys visit to President Nixons office.

The action starts in the 1940s and moves through the decades to the present day.

Williams laughs when asked if hes an Elvis fan, saying, not at all. And the cast members are so young, they have no conception on how big Elvis was.

Williams and the cast did a lot of background research on Elvis, he said, which was made much easier because so much of Elvis life was chronicled on film and can be found on YouTube. For example, the play features a scene about Elvis appearing on a 1956 episode of the Steve Allen Show, where he will sing to a hound dog. Yes, you can find that clip on YouTube.

Other scenes in the play include:

A women who runs into Elvis in a supermarket at 3 a.m.  and how it changes her life.

Three secretaries at the White House gushing out of their minds over a special visitor.

Two saleswomen dueling over who will (or will not) sell Elvis his next Cadillac.

A security guard inside Presleys Graceland mansion, talking about his kindness.

A young woman, who has quit the Graceland souvenir shop, contemplating souvenirs, Elvis and life.

Recorded radio addresses are played between the scenes to reflect the time period and what was going on in the world beyond Presleys music.

Williams is in his third year as a guest director but is celebrating his 40th year in theater. He started as an 8-year-old, playing Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol. His wife, Jodi Williams, is a theater teacher at Bradford and is the technical director for this show.

All The Kings Women is being stage in the schools Studio Theater, which seats 64 people for each performance, Jodi Williams said.

We can do a lot of different things in this theater, she said, adding that the play is about how Elvis affected people. He was a phenomenon.

The show runs about two hours with one intermission.
For the third time now, the Science Night students group has organized the public lectures series. (Photo: Ingo Reuter)

What has a nappy to do with the desalination of seawater? Why do fungi cause famines, but also create jobs? How do players communities contribute to AIDS research? And what does an atomic nucleus have to do with a bee?  These and other questions will be answered at the third Science Night that will present about 20 lectures from various areas on November 24, 2017, 8 pm, at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

[...]

For the program and further information, click http://www.ndw-ka.de (in German only).



Contact: info does-not-exist.ndw-ka de

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SYDNEY, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Chinese steel futures jumped for a fourth straight session on Thursday, hitting fresh six-week highs, amid falling inventories, sweeping raw materials futures higher.

Stocks of rebar, a construction steel product, among Chinese traders reached 3.35 million tonnes on Nov. 24, the lowest since at least 2011, according to data tracked by SteelHome consultancy. The most-active May rebar contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange was up 3.10 percent at 4,020 yuan ($608.52) a tonne by 0227 GMT.

Iron ore for May delivery on the Dalian Commodity Exchange rose nearly 2 percent to 515 yuan per tonne, the highest price since Sept. 20.

Dalian coking coal followed steel and iron ore higher, gaining 3.14 percent, its strongest showing since Sept. 15.

While Chinese traders have been active in recent weeks, Indian steel mills have now emerged as keen buyers as inventories hit low levels, according to ANZ Bank.

"The tightness in the seaborne market continues to be driven by production issues in Australia, however, demand in China has also been strong," it said.

Coke was up just under 3 percent at 2,136 yuan a tonne. ($1 = 6.6062 Chinese yuan)

(Reporting by James Regan; Editing by Amrutha Gayathri)
KUWAIT, Nov 29 (Reuters) - An annual summit of Gulf Arab heads of state will convene in Kuwait on Dec. 5 and 6, Gulf officials said on Wednesday, despite an ongoing dispute between some members of group.

A rift between the Gulf Cooperation Council members Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on one side, and Qatar on the other has put this year's annual meeting in doubt.

A senior Kuwaiti official confirmed on Wednesday that the meeting would take place on Dec. 5 and 6, but said the level of representation was not clear yet.

Two Gulf diplomats also said Kuwait, which had led unsuccessful mediation efforts between the two sides, would try again to use the meeting to resolve the rift.

The crisis, which began in June, revolve around allegations by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt that Qatar supports terrorism, a charge Doha denies. Qatar says the four countries are trying to force Doha to fall in line with their own foreign policy views.

The U.S.-allied council was founded in 1980 as a bulwark against bigger neighbours Iran and Iraq.

Bahrain said last month it will not attend the summit if Qatar does not change its policies and Qatar should have its membership in the six-nation group suspended.

(Reporting By Ahmaed Hagagy and Rania El Gamal)
HANOI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates at 0409 GMT.

November 30 USD/VND mid-point 22,433 USD/VND interbank 22,718/22,719 USD/VND unofficial 22,750/22,760 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.35/36.57

Interbank offered rates Overnight 0.5-1.1

1 week 0.5-1.4

1 month 1.9-2.5

3 months 4.2-5.0

NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016, the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank offered rates are the latest indicative bid/ask prices, quoted from market sources.

One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co.

For more interbank rate fixings released at 0400 GMT, click on .

For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom)
ISTANBUL, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Here are news, reports and events that may affect Turkish financial markets on Thursday.

The lira stood at 3.9585 against the U.S. dollar at 0457 GMT, little changed from a close of 3.9601 on Wednesday.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year bond was at 12.66 percent in spot trade on Wednesday and rose to 12.67 percent in Thursday-dated trade.

The main BIST 100 share index rose 0.27 percent to 102,341.83 points on Thursday.

GLOBAL MARKETS

Asian shares fell on Thursday, weighed down by a plunge in high-flying technology shares, a move that some see as a healthy correction after a strong rally but others believe may herald the peak of a "super cycle" that has been boosting the sector. ATILLA TRIAL

A Turkish-Iranian gold trader has pleaded guilty and described in a U.S. court on Wednesday how he ran a sprawling international money laundering scheme aimed at helping Iran get around U.S. sanctions and spend its oil and gas revenues abroad. Reza Zarrab testified against a Turkish bank official, Mehmet Hakan Atilla, who is charged with arranging illegal transactions involving American banks. Zarrab, who is cooperating with U.S. prosecutors in the criminal trial, told jurors in federal court in Manhattan that he helped Iran use funds deposited in the bank to buy gold, which was smuggled to Dubai and sold for cash. ERDOGAN

President Tayyip Erdogan will meet with his ruling AK Party lawmakers in Ankara (0800 GMT).

FOREIGN MINISTER CAVUSOGLU

The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Pakistan hold a trilateral meeting in Baku. They will also hold the seventh ministerial conference of the Istanbul Process, which aims to reinforce regional cooperation and solidarity with Afghanistan.

TURKISH BANKS

Turkey's deteriorating finances are hurting the country's banks whose reliance on dollar funding makes them vulnerable to the worst-case scenario: a sudden halt or reversal of foreign investment flows. TRADE BALANCE The Turkish Statistics Institute will announce foreign trade data for August (0700 GMT).

TURKEY - GERMANY

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier discussed the need to improve ties between their countries and take mutual steps to that end during a phone call on Wednesday, Turkish presidential sources said. For other related news, double click on:

Turkish politics Turkish equities Turkish money Turkish debt Turkish hot stocks Forex news All emerging market news All Turkish news For real-time quotes, double click on:

Istanbul National-100 stock index , interbank lira trading , lira bond trading (Writing by Ezgi Erkoyun)
Michelle Nichols, Christine Kim

UNITED NATIONS/SEOUL (Reuters) - The United States warned the North Korean leadership that it would be utterly destroyed if war were to break out, after Pyongyang test fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, putting the U.S. mainland within range.

The Trump administration has repeatedly said all options were on the table in dealing with North Koreas ballistic and nuclear weapons program, including military ones, but that it still prefers a diplomatic option.

Still, speaking at an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting, U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley warned:

We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday ... And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed.

Haley said the United States has asked China to cut off oil supply to North Korea, a drastic step that Beijing - the Norths sole major trading partner - has so far refrained from doing. Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier on Wednesday and said more sanctions on Pyongyang would be enforced.

Just spoke to President Xi Jinping of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled! Trump wrote on Twitter.

Previous U.S. administrations have failed to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and a sophisticated missile program. Trump has also struggled to contain Pyongyang since he came to office in January.

Urging China to use its leverage on Pyongyang and promising more sanctions against North Korea are two strategies that have borne little fruit so far.

In a speech in Missouri about taxes, Trump, who has traded insults with the North in the past, referred to Kim with a derisive nickname. Little Rocket Man. He is a sick puppy, Trump said.

The latest missile was fired a week after Trump put North Korea back on a U.S. list of countries it says support terrorism, allowing it to impose more sanctions.

United Nations political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman met with North Koreas Ambassador Ja Song Nam on Wednesday to tell him Pyongyang must desist from taking any further destabilizing steps after the country launched another ballistic missile.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday he was counting on U.N. Security Council members China and Russia to step up sanctions on North Korea.

I am counting a lot in particular on China and Russia in order to take the most difficult and effective sanctions, Macron told France 24 television.

North Korea, which conducted its sixth and largest nuclear bomb test in September, has tested dozens of ballistic missiles under Kims leadership in defiance of international sanctions.

North Korea said the new missile soared to an altitude of about 4,475 km (2,780 miles) - more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station - and flew 950 km (590 miles) during its 53-minute flight.

It flew higher and longer than any North Korean missile before, landing in the sea near Japan. Experts said the new Hwasong-15 missile theoretically gave North Korea the ability to hit the United States, including the East Coast, although it was not clear whether it could carry a nuclear weapon.

North Korean state media said the missile was launched from a newly developed vehicle and that the warhead could withstand the pressure of re-entering the atmosphere, which if confirmed would be an important technical advance.

Kim personally guided the test and said the new launcher was impeccable, state media said. He described the new vehicle as a breakthrough.

North Korea also described itself as a responsible nuclear power, saying its strategic weapons were developed to defend itself from the U.S. imperialists nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat.

Many nuclear experts say the North has yet to prove it has mastered all technical hurdles, including the ability to deliver a heavy nuclear warhead reliably atop an ICBM, but it was likely that it soon would.

THREATEN EVERYWHERE

U.S., Japanese and South Korean officials all agreed the missile, which landed within Japans exclusive economic zone, was likely an ICBM.

It went higher, frankly, than any previous shot theyve taken, a research and development effort on their part to continue building ballistic missiles that can threaten everywhere in the world, basically, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters at the White House.

An international meeting in Canada in January is designed to produce better ideas to ease tensions over Pyongyangs nuclear and ballistic missile tests, Canadian officials said on Wednesday, although North Korea itself will not be invited.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States has a long list of additional potential sanctions, some of which involve potential financial institutions, and the Treasury Department will be announcing those when theyre ready to roll those out.

U.S. EAST COAST IN RANGE?



The new Hwasong-15, named after the planet Mars, was a more advanced version of an ICBM tested twice in July, North Korea said. It was designed to carry a super-large heavy warhead.

Based on its trajectory and distance, the missile would have a range of more than 13,000 km (8,100 miles) - more than enough to reach Washington D.C. and the rest of the United States, the U.S.-based Union of Concerned Scientists said.

However, it was unclear how heavy a payload the missile was carrying, and it was uncertain if it could carry a large nuclear warhead that far, the nonprofit science advocacy group added.

In just three months time, South Korea hosts the Winter Olympics at a resort just 80 km (50 miles) from the heavily fortified border with North Korea.

Pyongyang has said its weapons programs are a necessary defense against U.S. plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, denies any such intention.

(For a graphic on Nuclear North Korea click tmsnrt.rs/2n0gd92)

Reporting by Christine Kim and Soyoung Kim in Seoul, Linda Sieg, William Mallard, Timothy Kelly in Tokyo, Mark Hosenball, John Walcott, Steve Holland, Susan Heavey and Tim Ahmann, Makini Brice in Washington, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations and Michael Martina in Beijing; Writing by Yara Bayoumy, Lincoln Feast and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Alistair Bell and Grant McCool
* Vietnam's discount at $50-$65 to London's March contract

* Vietnam's Nov coffee exports expected at 85,000 tonnes

* Indonesia's premiums rise to $80-$90 a tonne vs January

By Mai Nguyen

HANOI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The continuing harvest kept coffee bean supply steady in Vietnam, the world's second biggest producer, while trading in Indonesia remained subdued on low stockpiles, traders said on Thursday.

Vietnamese farmers have been ramping up their harvest of coffee beans in the Central Highlands, the country's coffee belt. Traders said the weather had been supportive.

Farmers in Daklak, Vietnam's main coffee growing province, were offering coffee beans at a price range of 37,100-37,700 dong ($1.63-$1.66) per kg, widening from a range of 37,300-37,500 dong a week earlier, traders said.

Vietnam's 5 percent black and broken grade 2 robusta was traded at a discount of $50-$65 per tonne to the ICE March futures contract , expanding from a $40 discount a week earlier, traders said.

Falling London prices kept farmers from releasing too many beans into the market but supply was still enough for buyers, said Phan Hung Anh, a deputy director of Anh Minh Co based in Daklak, adding demand had been quite good.

But another trader based in Ho Chi Minh City said demand from roasters, the main buyers of the more bitter robusta beans, were not as high as usual at this time of year when buyers boost purchases before the Christmas holiday.

January robusta coffee slid as low as $1,699 a tonne this week, the weakest for the second position since June 2016, on expectations of a large crop in Vietnam and an improving outlook for next year's Brazilian crop. Coffee exports from Vietnam this month are expected to reach 85,000 tonnes, down 26 percent from the same time last year but up from October's 79,000 tonnes. January-November exports of the bean fell an estimated 22.4 percent annually to 1.27 million tonnes, the government said. In Indonesia, the grade 4 defect 80 robusta beans traded at a premium of $80-$90 a tonne to the January contract, expanding from a $50 premium a week earlier, a trader said.

Premiums in Lampung were set higher to balance a big drop in London prices, although trade activity was still thin due to depleted stock, a trader said.

($1 = 22,719 dong)

(Reporting by Mai Nguyen; Additional reporting by Mas Alina Arifin in Bandar Lampung; Editing by Edmund Blair)
SINGAPORE, Nov 30 (IFR) - Asian credits were broadly stable in quiet trading, despite weak equity markets in the region.

The iTraxx Asia ex-Japan investment-grade index narrowed over 1bp to 73bp/74bp. China's 5-year CDS was flat at 56bp/57bp although the Shanghai Composite was down 0.6%.

Chinese stocks fell mainly because of profit-taking activity in the real estate and financial sectors.

Alibaba's US$7bn bonds dominated the secondary market, just like they did in the Asian primary markets yesterday. The bonds gained on strong demand from under-allocated investors that put in orders of close to US$40bn.

The 40-year tranche, the longest of dated notes for a Chinese company, rallied to 148bp/145bp against reoffer spread of 158bp over US Treasuries.

The 2.8% 2023s were also firmer at 63bp/62bp after pricing at 73bp, while the 3.4% 2027s were 108bp/106bp, or around reoffer spread of 108bp.

Power Finance Corp's rare notes were not widely traded after the US$400m 10-year Green bonds priced at 157.5bp on Tuesday. One quote at 162bp/156bp was heard, but the wide range reflected the illiquidity in the paper.

Traders said North Korea's firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile yesterday had not affected the markets.

"There is still a geopolitical risk that the markets should be worried about, but, for the moment, everyone seems rather complacent about it," said one trader.

(Reporting by Kit Yin Boey; Editing by Dharsan Singh)

Keywords: MARKETS ASIA DEBT/
* Rates set to breach $10 a tonne from Australia-China - broker

* Broker says $20 a tonne from Brazil also possible

* These levels last seen in 2014

* Pan Ocean wins $1.8 bln 27-year contract from Vale

By Keith Wallis

SINGAPORE, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Freight rates for large dry cargo ships on key Asian routes, which hit three-year highs this week, are likely to rise further on a shortage of ships available for immediate charter, brokers said.

Rates for 180,000 deadweight tonne (DWT) capesize ships are set to break $10 a tonne from Australia to China in the next few days, while rates could also surpass $20 a tonne from Brazil to China.

"There are more chances of rates breaking $10 than $20 because the Australian market is more active among miners and vessel operators," a Singapore-based capesize broker said on Thursday.

The $10-a-tonne level was last breached in April 2014, and would be equivalent to earnings of $28,500 a day, while rates of $20 a tonne were last seen in November 2014, according to ship brokers and data on the Reuters Eikon terminal.

"Fortescue Metals was offering $9.50-$9.55 a tonne on Thursday. Roy Hill is likely to fix north of $10 a tonne," the broker said.

"It doesn't look like there will be any slowdown, particularly from Australia," the broker added.

Rio Tinto and FMG have both been active charterers this week, brokers said.

In the Brazilian market, vessel operators have been active while Vale has largely stayed away from spot charters this week.

"Weather delays in China and also significantly increased Brazil activity (are) adding fuel to a market segment on fire," Norwegian ship broker Fearnley said in a note.

Vale has focused on developing chartering relationships with a core group of shipowners through long-term charters.

South Korea owner Pan Ocean said on Thursday that it had won a 1.98 trillion won ($1.82 billion) contract from Vale to haul iron ore from Brazil to China for 27 years starting in 2020. Pan Ocean said Vale will sign long-term contracts for 30 ships from seven South Korean and foreign ship owners.

"Happy days for the big ships with high and improving iron ore demand and prices in particular. Coal transaction volumes also higher than foreseen," Fearnley said in its note on Wednesday.

Capesize charter rates on the Western Australia-China route rose to $9.44 a tonne on Wednesday from $8.35 per tonne last week. Rates hit $9.51 a tonne on Tuesday, the highest since Nov. 11, 2014.

Freight rates from Brazil to China soared to $19.79 a tonne on Wednesday, the highest since Nov. 21, 2014, from $18.50 per tonne the same day last week.

Panamax rates for a north Pacific round trip voyage rose to $9,750 per day on Wednesday, the highest since Nov. 10 from $9,029 per day last week.

Rates in Asia for smaller supramax ships continued to rise with rates of $10,000-$11,000 per day from India to southeast Asia, and Singapore to Japan.

($1 = 1,086.0000 won)

(Reporting by Keith Wallis; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
NAIROBI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Rwanda's Bank of Kigali plans to raise between $80 million and $100 million next year by issuing new shares to existing shareholders, its Chief Operating Officer said on Thursday.

The bank, founded 51 years ago, operates 79 outlets and an insurance business. Its shares were listed on the Rwandan stock exchange in 2011.

"Through the shareholders meeting next week, we are trying to open (the issue) for the current shareholders," Desire Rumanyika, chief operating officer, told Reuters after the bank announced nine month earnings results.

"If we can't get the money we are expecting then we shall go out for new shareholders."

The COO said the aim was to expand the bank by making more loans and investing in online facilities.

The bank said it planned to raise the money by issuing an additional 350 million shares.

In August, Bank of Kigali had estimated the amount it wanted to raise at $60 to $100 million. It also said at the time other options included selling a stake to a strategic investor.

Rumanyika said the bank had ended talks with Morocco's Banque Centrale Populaire SA on a possible acquisition deal. Banque Centrale Populaire has been linked with taking a stake in the Rwandan bank, according to Moroccan press reports.

Bank of Kigali said in a separate statement its pretax profit rose 5 percent to 26.1 billion francs ($30.50 million) in the first nine months of the year, while net interest income rose 8 percent to 46.1 billion francs compared with the first nine months in 2016.

Total assets rose 28 percent to 761.3 billion francs, the bank said. ($1 = 855.8000 Rwandan francs)

(Reporting by Clement Uwiringiyimana; Editing by George Obulutsa and Jane Merriman)
SAO PAULO, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Brazil's Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA disclosed on Thursday it had been notified by the energy ministry that the government's sale of shares in the privatization of the state-controlled power company may be accompanied by a capital increase if necessary.

(Reporting by Jake Spring Editing by Greg Mahlich)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
SAO PAULO, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Brazil's benchmark equities index and currency lost ground on Thursday as markets remained jittery about the uneven progress of a pension reform bill seen as key to shoring up the nation's fiscal health.

Worldwide, emerging markets came under heavy selling pressure even as U.S. equity markets rallied, with the MSCI International EM price index posting a 1.8 percent loss for its steepest drop in six months.

Brazilian President Michel Temer is looking to gain solid support for the pension bill from the centrist Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB). In order to get the 308 votes needed for passage in Brazil's lower chamber, he will also need to win the support of a number of smaller parties.

"The only chance now is a definitive understanding between (the PSDB and Temer's Brazilian Democratic Movement Party) to pressure smaller actors into entering the accord with the risk of losing more if they remain outside," analysts at Lerosa Investimentos wrote in a note to clients.

The Bovespa fell 1.0 percent, while the real slid 0.56 percent .

Among the poor performers on the Bovespa was energy holding company CPFL Energia SA , which plummeted more than 9 percent.

Chile's blue-chip IPSA index also lost ground, falling 0.58 percent, as investors remained wary about a tight Dec. 19 presidential election. Mexico's stocks and currency weakened as investors hesitated ahead of the U.S. Senate's vote on Republicans' tax proposal. Analysts said a tax cut could ultimately drive investments from Mexico to the United States.

Mexico's stock index fell 1.11 percent, with telecommunications firm America Movil and retailer Wal-Mart de Mexico falling 2.50 percent and 4.13 percent, respectively.

The Mexican peso weakened 0.37 percent to the dollar.

($1 = 3.26 reais)

Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies at 1956 GMT:

Stock indexes daily % YTD %

Latest change change MSCI Emerging Markets 1120.24 -1.85 32.37 MSCI LatAm 2716.17 -2.33 18.81 Brazil Bovespa 71573.24 -1.55 18.84 Mexico IPC 47167.38 -0.96 3.34 Chile IPSA 5005.27 -0.15 20.57 Chile IGPA 25177.22 -0.16 21.43 Argentina MerVal 26864.71 -0.14 58.79 Colombia IGBC 10827.12 -0.2 6.90 Venezuela IBC 1319.87 13.08 -95.84 Currencies daily % YTD %

change change

Latest Brazil real 3.2681 0.08 -0.58 Mexico peso 18.6340 -0.37 11.32 Chile peso 647 -0.45 3.66 Colombia peso 3015.9 -0.43 -0.48

Peru sol 3.233 0.03 5.60 Argentina peso 17.3000 0.78 -8.24 (interbank) Argentina peso 17.91 1.17 -6.09 (parallel) (Reporting by Gram Slattery and Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Dan Grebler)
LUXEMBOURG, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The outgoing chairman of euro zone finance ministers warned on Thursday against complacency among politicians on pending reforms as the euro zone economy gathers speed.

Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who will step down in mid-January, said that as growth accelerated and unemployment fell, politicians found it increasingly difficult to "fix the roof" when the sun was shining and to prepare for the next storm.

Asked what advice he would give his successor, who is to be chosen on Dec 4 from candidates of Latvia, Portugal, Slovakia and Luxembourg, Dijsselbloem said: "Be very careful about complacency. You know the politicians always say 'there is no time for complacency'. Well, I am very worried that we are coming into complacency territory," he said.

"Things are going so well, the banks are better, the economy is better, I see too many politicians relaxing and really we need to do more work," he said.

He noted that all 19 euro zone countries were growing at a rate between 1.5 and 6 percent, and the outlook for the single currency area was good, with investment picking up and exports on the rise.

But he warned that "we are not there yet."

"Member states should really use the current time to strengthen their growth potential improve productivity and become more resilient. Now is the time to fix the roof -- become resilient to possible future shocks," he said.

(Reporting by Jan Strupczewski, editing by Robin Emmott)
TBILISI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Georgia's economy expanded by 4.9 percent year-on-year in the first 10 months of 2017, official data showed on Thursday, up from 2.5 percent in the same period of 2016.

Economic growth accelerated thanks to higher exports and remittances from abroad.

In October alone, gross domestic product grew by 5.7 percent after expanding 5 percent in September. In October a year ago, GDP grew by 1.3 percent.

The former Soviet republic, through which pipelines carry Caspian oil and gas to Europe, is recovering from a decline in exports and a plunge in the currencies of its main trading partners, which have depressed economic growth in recent years.

Georgia's economy expanded by 2.2 percent last year and the government in Tbilisi expects it to grow 4.5 percent this year, helped by private-sector development and government spending on infrastructure projects.

The International Monetary Funds said in October that it now expected Georgia's economy to grow 4.3 percent this year, up from a previous forecast of 3.5 percent.

(Reporting by Margarita Antidze, editing by Larry King)
WILBER  Two people identifying themselves as the "persons of interest" in the case of Sydney Loofe have posted a video denying their involvement in her disappearance.

Lincoln police have said they are looking for Aubrey Trail, 51, and Bailey Boswell, 23, in connection with the search for Loofe, who was reported missing Nov. 16.

"They're chasing us around like dogs," a man who identified himself as Trail says in the video, which was shared on the "Finding Sydney Loofe" Facebook page Wednesday morning.

The video was removed after about two hours but has since been posted on YouTube. It shows the man and woman, who identifies herself as Boswell, wearing dark clothing, her in sunglasses, sitting inside a vehicle. It wasn't immediately clear when or where the video was taken.

A Lincoln police spokeswoman said investigators are "analyzing the video and it's too early for us to provide a statement."

"We are still looking for both of them and they have not turned themselves in," Officer Angela Sands said.

In the video, the man says he and Boswell tried reaching out to police in the days following Loofe's disappearance, but that police didn't return their calls.

"As far as I know, I'm not wanted for anything. I'm a person of interest and I'm not really running from anything," the man says. "This has pretty much cost me my life.

"I pray for Sydney. I hope she's found soon. I wish the family the best. I'm sorry that she wasn't with you on Thanksgiving."

The woman says she went on dates with Loofe in the days before her disappearance but last saw her after dropping her off at a friend's house.

"I haven't heard from her since."

Loofe, 24, missed work Nov. 16 at the Menards in north Lincoln after apparently going on a date the night before with someone she met online, her parents have said. Police confirmed she was last seen in Wilber, 40 miles southwest of Lincoln, on Nov. 15.

Police have called the disappearance "concerning."

Loofe has a yin-yang tattoo on one of her forearms, the word "Believe" with a cross on the inside of her left wrist, and the phrase "Everything will be wonderful someday" on her right bicep.

She is 5-foot-7 and weighs 135 pounds. She was last seen wearing a white Columbia jacket and a cream-colored shirt.

Trail is 6 feet tall and weighs about 284 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes, according to the police news release. Boswell is 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes.

Trail's basement apartment in Wilber is just across a chain-link fence from Wilber-Clatonia Public Schools. Superintendent Ray Collins said law enforcement has had a heavy presence in the area since soon after Loofe's disappearance.

Investigators searched the apartment Tuesday, Collins said.

Scott Havel, owner of Frank's Smokehouse in Wilber, said Trail and Boswell don't have many ties in town other than living there.

This is a developing story. Stay with JournalStar.com for updates.
ATHENS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Greece's fourth-largest lender by assets Alpha Bank reported lower profit in July-to-September compared to the previous quarter as provisions for impaired loans rose.

Alpha, 11 percent owned by the country's bank rescue fund HFSF, on Thursday reported net profit from continuing operations of 35.6 million euros ($42.40 million), down from 70.7 million in the second quarter.

The bank's non-performing loans ratio edged lower to 37.3 percent of its book from 37.6 percent at the end of June.

Provisions for bad debt rose 38 percent quarter-on-quarter to 298 million euros from 217 million in the second quarter.

(Reporting by George Georgiopoulos and Lefteris Papadimas)
BUDAPEST, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The Budapest Stock Exchange and the National Bank of Hungary will launch three mortgage note indexes from December to help the development of the domestic mortgage note market, the central bank said on Thursday.

The central bank said an increase in the mortgage funding adequacy ratio for commercial banks to 20 percent from 15 percent as of October 1, 2018 would contribute to a further deepening of the market.

It said local banks have issued mortgage notes worth nearly 400 billion forints ($1.51 billion) since it launched new funding rules in October 2016 to reduce the maturity mismatch between the banking sector's forint assets and liabilities. ($1 = 264.46 forints)

(Reporting by Gergely Szakacs and Sandor Peto)
WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund will send a staff mission to Zimbabwe in coming days to meet with officials of the new government and assess the country's fiscal and economic situation, IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said on Thursday.

Rice told a news briefing that the regular staff visit in early December "will update our assessment of Zimbabwe's fiscal position, foreign exchange developments and inquire about the new administration's economic plans."

Rice said that the IMF stands ready to assist Zimbabwe's new government in designing policies that can restore stability and growth. He added that while an international effort to "revive and reintegrate Zimbabwe's economy will be needed, a financial assistance package from the IMF can only be possible once there is progress on clearing arrears with other international institutions.

(Reporting by David Lawder Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Nov 30 (Reuters) - The board of HDFC Asset Management Co Ltd on Thursday gave its approval to begin the process for launching an initial public offering (IPO) of India's second-biggest mutual fund manager by assets, according to a stock exchange filing.

Standard Life Aberdeen Plc and mortgage lender Housing Development Finance Corp Ltd will own a minimum 24.99 percent and 50.01 percent, respectively, in HDFC AMC post IPO, subject to regulatory approvals. HDFC AMC's IPO follows that of smaller rival Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management Ltd, which was the first mutual fund house in the country to go public. Indian mutual fund managers have seen their assets under management surging to record levels this year on the back of stronger stock markets and as more people opt for financial instruments over physical savings.

HDFC AMC had about 2.7 trillion rupees ($42 billion) in average assets under management for the quarter ended September. ($1 = 64.4700 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Vishal Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Vyas Mohan)
MUMBAI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - India's tea exports in the first ten months of 2017 jumped 6.6 percent from a year ago to 189.68 million kg as Iran and China purchased more, the state-run Tea Board said in a statement on Thursday. Iran bought 20.98 million kg tea during the period, up from 18.67 million kg a year ago, the Board said. India, the world's second-biggest tea producer, exports CTC (crush-tear-curl) grade mainly to Egypt, Pakistan and the UK, and the orthodox variety to Iraq, Iran and Russia.

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Vyas Mohan)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
JAKARTA, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Indonesia collected 78 percent of this year's tax target through the end of November, the outgoing head of tax office said on Thursday.

The government's state budget targetted 1,472.7 trillion rupiah ($108.93 billion) in tax revenue this year, up from 1,285 trillion rupiah in 2016.

Yustinus Prastowo, executive director of the Center for Indonesia's Taxation Analysis, a private consultancy, estimated that Indonesia can collect 90 percent of this year's target, an improvement on 83 percent a year earlier.

But this year's target "has been too high for the weak economic condition," he said.

Indonesia has struggled to lift its economic growth rate above 5 percent, in spite of rate cuts by the central bank and deregulation moves by the government.

Any shortfall in tax collection could mean a widening of the fiscal deficit, which by law cannot exceed 3 percent. The official target for the 2017 deficit is 2.92 percent, though government officials earlier said it might only be 2.6 percent.

Ken Dwijugiasteadi, who retires as head of the tax office on Thursday, declined to comment on the deficit.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati told Reuters earlier this month that the challenge for the government is to achieve its tax targets, while avoiding any disruption of economic growth momentum. The government launched a tax amnesty program last year to broaden the taxpayer base, and nearly $360 billion of assets were declared before it ended in March this year.

Prastowo said the amnesty "has improved compliance by individual taxpayers" but did not have a significant impact on collections yet.

($1 = 13,520 rupiah)

(Reporting by Cindy Silviana; Writing by Fransiska Nangoy)
NAIROBI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Kenya has asked a number of commercial banks to present proposals for five and 10-year Eurobonds for about $2 billion to be issued in the first quarter of next year, two banking sources told Reuters on Thursday.

The East African nation, which issued its debut dollar bonds in 2014, wants to use the funds to pay off a $750 million syndicated loan whose maturity was last month extended by six months.

The extension followed a prolonged presidential election which curbed economic growth and the government's finances.

The proposals from the banks on the issue will be followed by a road show, where government officials will meet potential investors. The road show will be followed by book-building and the eventual listing of the bonds.

Some investors have expressed concerns about the increased borrowing by President Uhuru Kenyatta's government to fund construction of infrastructure like roads. Total debt shot to 55 percent of GDP in Kenyatta's first term.

One banking source however said investors were likely to show interest in the Eurobonds after Kenyatta was sworn into office for a final five year term on Tuesday, ending months of the political uncertainty.

Kenyatta is due to name his new government in the coming days. For its part, the opposition is still pledging its own rival inauguration next month after an election it boycotted.

(Reporting by Duncan Miriri, Editing by William Maclean)
* Growth in China's manufacturing picks up in November

* Copper set to end November down nearly 1 pct

* Nickel this month's biggest faller, down 8 pct

* LME/ShFE arb: (Updates prices)

By Jan Harvey

LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Copper rose on Thursday on the back of upbeat manufacturing data from China, though it was still on track to fall this month on concerns over slowing demand from the world's largest metals consumer.

Growth in China's manufacturing sector unexpectedly picked up in November despite a crackdown on air pollution and a cooling property market, the official Purchasing Managers' Index showed. "We've had some slightly more encouraging data out of China," Danske Bank analyst Jens Pedersen said. "The official PMIs came out overnight slightly higher than consensus, so the market has taken that very well."

"There has been some uncertainty over whether growth in China would hold up or not, so that is why the market is trading on these key figures," he said.

Nickel has been the biggest faller among industrial metals so far this month, slipping nearly 8 percent to retrace some of October's hefty gains as traders bet that a rally based on hopes for rising electric vehicle demand had become overstretched.

* COPPER: Three-month London Metal Exchange copper was up 0.5 percent at $6,790 a tonne at 1530 GMT, but has fallen 0.8 percent so far in November.

* LME STOCKS: Copper stocks held in LME warehouses fell another 3,200 tonnes, data showed on Thursday, taking them to their lowest since July 2016 at 188,525 tonnes.

* COPPER TECHNICALS: LME copper is testing resistance at $6,792 after stabilising around a support zone of $6,713-$6,737 a tonne, Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao said. A break above here could spark a rise to $6,847. * STRIKES: Workers at Southern Copper Corp in Peru said they completed a ninth day of a strike on Wednesday. A union at Teck Resources' Quebrada Blanca copper mine rejected a contract offer from the Canadian miner, increasing the likelihood of a strike. * NICKEL: LME nickel was down 1.7 percent at $11,330 a tonne, having earlier touched a seven-week low of $11,165.

* ALUMINIUM: LME aluminium was down 0.4 percent at $2,060 a tonne, off an earlier 3-1/2 month low of $2,039. It has fallen nearly 5 percent so far in November, its biggest monthly loss since May last year, but is still on track for its biggest annual rally since 2009.

* OTHER METALS: LME zinc was up 1 percent at $3,187 a tonne, while lead was up 2 percent at $2,483. In November, zinc has fallen 2.5 percent while lead is 2.9 percent higher. LME tin is up 0.2 percent at $19,570, and has risen 1 percent so far this month.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Top Base and Precious Metals Analysis - GFMS GRAPHIC-2017 asset returns: LME/ShFE arb ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Additional reporting by Melanie Burton in Melbourne, editing by Elaine Hardcastle and David Evans)
ISLAMABAD, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Pakistan raised $2.5 billion from the sale of two U.S. dollar-denominated sukuk and Eurobond issues in New York, a senior official said on Thursday.

The issues had attracted total offers of $8 billion.

However, Pakistani authorities decided to sell only $2.5 billion at "affordable rates", one official who was part of official delegation for launching the bonds told Reuters.

"We have raised $1 billion through five-year sukuk at rate of 5.625 percent and $1.5 billion from a 10-year Eurobond maturity at a rate of 6.875 percent," Federal Secretary Finance Shahid Mehmood said.

The deals were the largest in the country's history, and the 10-year bond was the cheapest bond ever launched by Pakistan, said Mifta Ismail, the economic advisor to the prime minister who is leading Pakistan's delegation for launching bonds.

Pakistan last year borrowed $1 billion in the global sukuk market at 5.5 percent. It also floated a 10-year, $500 million Eurobond at 8.25 percent in 2015.

The government had arranged road shows at Dubai, London, Boston and New York this week.

The government appointed a consortium of Standard Chartered Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Citibank, Deutsche Bank, Dubai Islamic Bank and Noor Bank as lead managers for conducting the sukuk transactions.

It delegated Noor Bank to manage the sukuk bond in the Middle East.

The bond issuance will offer some respite to an alarming balance of payment situation due to a widening current account deficit.

The current account deficit swelled to $12.439 billion, equivalent to 4 percent of GDP, in fiscla year 2017, much above the 1.7 percent in fiscal 2016.

The state bank has projected a current account deficit of 4-5 percent of GDP for the current fiscal year.

Pakistan's total foreign currency reserves stood at $19.7 billion, with the State Bank of Pakistan holding $13.5 billion and commercial banks $6.169 billion as of Nov. 17.

(Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Kim Coghill)
BRUSSELS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Slovak finance minister Peter Kazimir applied on Thursday for post of the chairman of euro zone finance ministers, officials said. Euro zone finance ministers, the powerful Eurogroup body that sets economic policy in the euro zone, will choose a successor to the current chairman, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, on Monday. In the election each of the 19 ministers has one vote and the winner must get a simple majority. Latvian and Portuguese finance ministers have also applied, sources have told Reuters.

(Reporting By Jan Strupczewski)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
COLUMBUS  A Monroe man pleaded guilty in Platte County District Court to assaulting his live-in girlfriend in August and stealing a car in late 2016.

Eleazar Oceguera Jr., 37, entered his pleas to third-degree domestic assault of a pregnant woman, theft by unlawful taking $1,500 to $5,000 and resisting arrest.

Judge Robert Steinke set sentencing for Jan. 19. Oceguera has been held in the Platte County Detention Facility since his Aug. 17 arrest.

The assault charge is a Class 3A felony, punishable by up to three years in prison, 18 months of post-release supervision and a $10,000 fine. The theft charge is a Class IV felony that carries a maximum sentence of up to two years in prison.

In exchange for his pleas, the county attorneys office dismissed a burglary charge stemming from an Aug. 12 residential break-in and a separate theft charge.

An investigation by the Platte County Sheriffs Office and Columbus Police Department got underway Aug. 17 when Ocegueras estranged girlfriend came forward with information about stolen property involving her boyfriend.

The woman alleged Oceguera assaulted her earlier that day as she was ready to leave him, Columbus Police Investigator Heath Haynes wrote in his probable cause arrest statement.

The woman reported Oceguera was upset the night of Aug. 11-12, wanted to break into a house and took her with him.

When the couple arrived at the 35th Avenue residence, the woman said Oceguera first broke out a basement window and, when he realized he couldnt get in the window, he went around to the back of the residence and kicked in a door.

The woman said both she and Oceguera entered the home, the investigator wrote. Oceguera then showered, and they both carried stolen property out of the home, she reported.

A search of the couples Monroe home revealed several items reported stolen in the Columbus break-in, Haynes wrote.

The woman also reported being at their Monroe home on Nov. 11 when Oceguera arrived with a 1987 El Camino stolen from a construction site at the new Columbus High School, Haynes wrote. She said he later dropped off the vehicle north of Monroe near the Loup Public Power District powerhouse, according to the investigator.

During the search of the couples residence, items reportedly inside the stolen vehicle were found in the garage.
JOHANNESBURG, Nov 30 (Reuters) - South Africa's trade surplus in October widened slightly to 4.56 billion rand ($335 million) from a revised 4.48 billion rand surplus in September as exports and imports grew at a similar pace, data from the revenue agency showed on Thursday.

Exports rose by 2.2 percent to 104.5 billion rand on a month-on-month basis in October, while imports were up 2.3 percent to 99.9 billion rand, the South African Revenue Service said in a statement.

On a cumulative basis the trade balance between January and October was at a 51.6 billion rand surplus compared to a 9.9 billion rand shortfall over the same period in 2016. ($1 = 13.5999 rand)

(Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by Tiisetso Motsoeneng)
By Tuomas Forsell

HELSINKI, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Venture Capital firm Northzone, one of the largest stakeholders in Spotify, would like to see the music streaming company's flotation in the spring, depending on market sentiment, one of its partners said on Thursday.

Par-Jorgen Parson, who is also a former board member at Spotify, said he did not know about the exact plans but believed that the company had cleared a major hurdle this year by signing new content deals.

"I think some time during the spring would probably be a good (flotation) time for us... (but) it's all about market sentiment now," Parson told Reuters on the sidelines of the Slush tech start-up conference in Helsinki.

Sources told Reuters in September that the company was aiming to file its intention to float with U.S. regulators in order to list in the first half of 2018. They said private trades suggested a valuation at around $16 billion and that it could be worth at least $20 billion when listed. Asked about such a valuation, Parson said: "I don't think it's too far off to be speculating around those numbers."

Spotify, Europe's biggest technology venture, is pursuing a so-called direct listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), allowing existing investors to sell shares without raising money from new ones, sources have told Reuters.

Parson said he would keep the company's focus on growth going forward.

"There's massive headroom in the markets they are in, from a growth standpoint," he added.

Northzone first invested in Spotify in 2008 and remains one of the biggest shareholders, he added.

(Writing by Jussi Rosendahl; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
COLOMBO, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan shares ended slightly firmer on Thursday ahead of a long weekend, edging up from a more than two-month closing low hit early in the week in thin trade as investors awaited direction on political and economic fronts.

The Colombo Stock Index ended 0.1 percent up at 6,411.84, edging up from its lowest close since Sept. 15, on Tuesday. The index fell 0.3 percent during the week recording its fourth straight weekly fall, but is up 3 percent in the year.

Currency, bond, and stock markets will be closed on Friday for a public holiday. Normal trading will resume on Monday.

Analysts said political worries over a delay in local government polls and a lack of clarity over the budget and two other key policy measures weighed on sentiment.

Shares in Ceylon Cold Stores Plc rose 2.2 percent while Commercial Leasing and Finance Plc ended 7.4 percent up.

"The market is stagnant with the year coming to an end. We expect the market to remain stagnant during the month with most funds and investors closing their books," said Dimantha Mathew, head of research at First Capital Holdings.

Turnover was 451.1 million Sri Lankan rupees ($2.94 million) on Thursday, about half of this year's daily average of 944.4 million rupees.

Foreign investors were net sellers of equities worth 4.1 million rupees on Thursday. They have been net buyers of 18.2 billion rupees worth of shares this year.

Analysts said domestic investors were concerned about political stability as coalition partners in President Maithripala Sirisena government had decided to contest separately in delayed local council polls, which have yet to be scheduled.

Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera imposed new taxes on motor vehicles, telecoms, banks and liquor in the 2018 budget presented this month, with a final budget vote scheduled for Dec. 9. Analysts said market participants were seeking more clarity on those taxes and that there could be some amendments before the final vote.

The government also released gazette notifications on the Inland Revenue Act and the Exchange Control Act, with investors waiting for clarification on the new legislation. ($1 = 153.4500 Sri Lankan rupees)

(Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez)
STOCKHOLM, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Sweden's central bank bought 1.375 billion Swedish crowns ($164.11 million) worth of government bonds in a reverse auction as part of its quantitative easing programme, it said on Thursday. It bought 750 million crowns of 2020 bonds at an average yield of -0.510 percent and 625 million crowns of 2026 bonds at 0.479 percent. Investors offered to sell the Riksbank 2.229 billion crowns and 1.600 billion crowns in the two bonds respectively. ($1 = 8.3787 Swedish crowns)

(Reporting by Johan Sennero)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Britain's Debt Management Office (DMO) said on Thursday it planned to sell the 0.125 percent index-linked 2048 gilt via syndication in late January or early February. Primary dealers had recommended this gilt for sale via syndication during a consultation meeting with the DMO on Monday. The DMO also said it intends to hold ten gilt auctions in the January-March period: AUCTION DATE GILT Jan 9 1.25 pct 2027 conventional Jan 11 1.75 pct 2037 conventional Jan 18 0.75 pct 2023 conventional Jan 23 0.125 pct 2057 index-linked Feb 15 1.75 pct 2057 conventional Feb 22 0.125 pct 2036 index-linked Mar 1 0.75 pct 2023 conventional Mar 6 1.5 pct 2047 conventional Mar 15 New 2028 conventional gilt Mar 27 0.125 pct 2056 index-linked (Reporting by Andy Bruce)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
* Canada's Kirkland Lake Gold lists on ASX

* Sees growth in far west Australia

* Gold rush underway

(Adds Kirkland ceo, analyst comments)

By James Regan

SYDNEY, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Canada-based Kirkland Lake Gold listed its shares on the Australia bourse on Thursday after investing millions of dollars and joining dozens of other prospectors in a modern-day gold rush.

Kirkland Lake expects to produce a quarter-million ounces of gold in 2017 from a mine it bought a year ago in eastern Australia and is also dipping a toe into a tantalizing new gold region on the other side of the continent.

More than 25 publicly-listed companies and legions of small prospectors are exploring for gold on the western fringe of Australia in an area known as the Pilbara, better regarded for iron ore.

The target is gold occurring in clusters of pebbles and which investors such as Kirkland are betting will compare in size with South Africa's massive Witwatersrand Basin, where more than a third of the world's gold has been mined.

"It's an exploration story right now," Kirkland Chief Executive Tony Makuch told Reuters.

"But I've been there and picked up pieces of gold myself," he said. "We've just got to figure out how big it is and how much it's worth."

People have made fortunes mining iron ore in the Pilbara, including Gina Rinehart, the world's richest woman, according to Forbes. But until now no-one's much looked for gold.

However, in the past year a record 1,896 gold prospecting licenses were granted by the Western Australia Department of Mines, many for individual prospectors known as "detectorists" trying their luck.

"The Pilbara will be the next big thing or we'll be looking back in 12 months saying, 'oh, that was interesting and that's all'," said Joe Treacy, managing director of explorer Marindi Metals .

This month, Marindi found 63 separate pieces of gold, the biggest a 6mm nugget (1/4 inch), sending its stock up 42 percent.

The excitement stems from the discovery of gold in July by another Canadian company, Novo Resources , at the Purdey's Reward prospect with joint venture partner Artemis Resources .

Novo's samplings uncovered watermelon seed-shaped nuggets.

Then in September De Grey Mining discovered more nuggets at a spot named Louden's Patch, 100 kms (62 miles) to the east of Purdey's Reward.

Novo shares have leapt more than six-fold since January, while De Grey's shares are up nearly five-fold.

A month ago, Kirkland Lake's chairman, Canadian billionaire Eric Sprott, invested A$5 million ($3.8 million) through Sprott Capital Partners in Kairos Minerals , another explorer in the region.

Kirkland Lake already holds 18.2 percent of Novo via a A$56 million investment, and earlier this month subscribed to A$5 million of De Grey Mining shares, pending shareholder approval.

Out in the Pilbara, prospecting is proving particularly popular among so-called "grey nomads," retirees with a bent for traveling around the country in caravans and motor homes.

It took retired carpenter Pete Caudwell just three days to find two dozen gold nuggets - almost enough to pay for his A$6,000 metal detector.

With overhead costs now covered, Caudwell, who still speaks with a thick British accent half a century after migrating to Australia from Nottinghamshire, is looking to turn a profit.

"I'll be back again after the summer passes to try my luck again," Caudwell said. "It's too hot to prospect on my own there now."

But for mining companies it could take years to determine if enough gold exists to start mining on a commercial scale.

"It is very early days and despite the publicity, there is a great difference between an exploration play and a successful mining venture," said Sandra Close, a director of gold consultancy Surbiton Associates. "Exploration is a risky and expensive business."

$1 = 1.3177 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by James Regan; editing by Richard Pullin)
* China finmin completes ninth annual issuance

* Prices 2-yr bonds at 3.9 pct, 5-yr at 4.10 pct, and 10-yr bonds at 4.15 pct

* Additional 0.5 billion yuan bonds sold to central banks

(Adds details)

HONG KONG, Nov 30 (Reuters) - China's Ministry of Finance has issued an aggregate 7 billion yuan ($1.06 billion) sovereign bonds in Hong Kong, the second batch of its ninth annual issuance, Hong Kong Monetary Authority said on Thursday.

This batch of yuan bonds includes 4 billion yuan 2-year bonds, 2 billion yuan of 5-year bonds and 0.5 billion yuan 10-year bonds. An additional batch of 0.5 billion yuan bonds was sold to central banks.

The 2-year tenor was priced at 3.9 percent, the 5-year bonds at 4.1 percent, and the 10-year bonds at 4.15 percent.

The finance ministry has annually issued dim sum bonds in Hong Kong since 2009 to boost development of the offshore market. It sold the first batch of this year's offshore yuan bonds, worth 7 billion yuan, in June. The offshore yuan market is facing headwinds as the volatile foreign exchange rate and China's sluggish economy dampened foreign investors' interest in using or holding the currency.

The yuan dropped one position in October to be the seventh most-used currency for international payments by value, global transaction service provider SWIFT said on Thursday. ($1 = 6.6064 Chinese yuan)

(Reporting by Donny Kwok and Michelle Chen; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
(Includes additional comments from Quarles, context)

By Pete Schroeder

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Governor Randal Quarles, the U.S. central bank's regulation chief, said on Thursday that digital currencies like bitcoin could pose "more serious financial stability issues" if adopted widely.

In a speech, Quarles also said central banks should be cautious in issuing their own digital currencies, and that the matter requires extensive review. He said he was "particularly concerned" potential central bank digital currencies could face issues related to money laundering, terrorism financing, and cyber attacks.

Quarles said he worried that bitcoin and other comparable digital currencies could come under significant stress at times of adversity, particularly since they cannot rely on the backing of a centralized asset. They could pose a risk to the stability of the broader financial system if they became widely held.

"It is not clear how a private digital currency at the center of a large-scale payment system would behave, or whether the payment system would be able to function, in times of stress," he said at a Washington conference, according to prepared remarks.

"While these digital currencies may not pose major concerns at their current levels of use, more serious financial stability issues may result if they achieve wide-scale usage."

While supportive of continued research into digital currency issues, he argued near-term efforts should focus on improving the way payments are processed in the existing banking system.

Quarles was speaking one day after William Dudley, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, said the Fed was in the early stages of considering the implications of issuing a digital currency in the future. Bitcoin slid to as low as $9,000 in volatile trade on Thursday, having lost more than a fifth of its value since hitting an all-time high of $11,395 on Wednesday. (Reporting by Pete Schroeder; Editing by Frances Kerry)
(Adds comments from IMF's Christine Lagarde, Mexico's Foreign Exchange Commission)

MEXICO CITY, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund on Thursday said it approved for Mexico a two-year flexible credit line worth about $88 billion that will replace a previous line.

The IMF said in a statement that the line had been approved as a precaution in case of a crisis. Mexico was first extended such a credit line from the IMF in 2009 but Latin America's No. 2 economy has never tapped the funds.

"The new arrangement under the Flexible Credit Line (FCL), with an unchanged level of access, will continue to play an important role in supporting the authorities' macroeconomic strategy by providing insurance against external risks and bolstering market confidence," said IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde.

Due to Mexico's close ties with the global economy, in particular the United States, its economy remains exposed to external risks through both trade and financial channels, Lagarde added in a statement.

Mexico's peso has been battered this year by concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump could end a decades-old free trade agreement with Mexico and Canada.

"Considering that external risks remain high, the FCL will play a critical role in supporting authorities' macroeconomic strategy, maintaining investor confidence and supporting the strength of Mexico's economy in case of extreme adverse events," said Mexico's Foreign Exchange Commission.

The commission said it intended to gradually phase out its use of the facility, conditional on a reduction in external risks.

(Reporting by Michael O'Boyle & Anthony Esposito; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Marguerita Choy)
* Non-performing loans ease to 37.3 pct of book

* Higher loan-loss provisions lead to lower net profit

(Adds CEO comment, details)

By George Georgiopoulos

ATHENS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Alpha Bank on Thursday reported lower third-quarter profit compared to the previous quarter after booking higher provisions for impaired loans.

Alpha's net profit from continuing operations was 35.6 million euros ($42.39 million), down from 70.7 million in the second quarter.

The results were above market expectations as analysts had expected net earnings from continuing operations of about 23 million euros. In the second quarter, the bank, Greece's fourth-largest lender by assets, had a one-off loss of 69.4 million euros on the sale of its Serbian subsidiary.

Greek banks are still struggling with problem loan portfolios after a long recession pushed unemployment to record highs, making it hard for borrowers to service debts.

They entered the 2008 global financial crisis with bad loans, or non-performing exposures (NPEs), of 14.5 billion euros, or about 5.5 percent of their loan books. But bad debts climbed to 106.9 billion euros, or 51 percent, last year.

Banks have agreed with regulators to cut the level to 66.7 billion euros by 2019, bringing the ratio down to 34 percent.

"We continue to perform in line with our targets and strategic objectives, delivering a profitable performance for a fifth consecutive quarter despite asset deleveraging," CEO Dimitris Mantzounis said in a statement.

He said the bank was shrinking its bad loans in line with plans with the reduction set to accelerate in the coming quarters.

Alpha's ratio of non-performing loans (NPLs), credit past due for more than 90 days, edged lower to 37.3 percent of its book from 37.6 percent at the end of June. Loan write-offs at home reached 500 million euros in the quarter.

Provisions for bad debt rose 38 percent quarter-on-quarter to 298 million euros from 217 million in the second quarter.

Weaker net interest income due to lower loan balances was partially offset by lower central bank funding costs.

Alpha, 11 percent owned by Greece's bank rescue fund HFSF, decreased its central bank borrowing by 3.4 billion euros during the third quarter to 11.6 billion, helped by increased repo and interbank transactions and a rise in deposit inflows.

($1 = 0.8398 euros)

(Reporting by George Georgiopoulos. Editing by Jane Merriman)
(Adds details, quote)

By Chijioke Ohuocha

LAGOS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Nigeria's Seven-Up bottling company has received an offer from its majority shareholder Affelka to buy out minorities for 19.33 billion naira ($60 million), vice chairman Sunil Sawhney told Reuters.

Affelka has offered to acquire 171.5 million shares from minorities at 112.70 naira per share, an 18 percent premium to Thursday's share price of 95.50 naira.

Shares in the soft drinks maker, which opened for trade at 92.50 naira, rose 5 percent on the news.

"As of now we have received an offer from the majority shareholder of the company. It's a financial restructuring," Sawhney told Reuters by phone.

He said the company has been making losses for some time and that the deal was aimed at restructuring the company, which distributes PepsiCo's 7up, Pepsi and Mirinda brands of drinks.

Sawhney said delisting Seven-Up from the stock exchange after the takeover would be "logical". The takeover is subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals, he said.

Earlier Seven-Up said its board has received an offer from Affelka to acquire all outstanding shares that it does not currently own. ($1 = 320.0000 naira)

(Reporting by Chijioke Ohuocha Editing by Adrian Croft, Greg Mahlich)
* Expects faster EPS growth; raises dividend payout target

* To have more cash to deploy than previously thought

* Debt repayment, M&A to use up some of the excess cash

* Shares up 2.5 pct, among top blue-chip gainers

(Adds further details, comments by CEO)

By Carolyn Cohn

LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Aviva expects to generate an extra 3 billion pounds ($4 billion) in cash over the next two years and will make acquisitions as well as giving money back to shareholders, it said on Thursday, sending its share price to three-month highs.

Insurers and reinsurers, among them Allianz and Swiss Re , have been returning cash to shareholders as strong competition cuts opportunities for expansion. Aviva has made a number of disposals in the past year, including in France, Spain, Italy and Taiwan, and says its Indian joint venture is under "strategic review".

"The franchises we have left have a pretty decent track record," Chief Executive Mark Wilson told an investor day in Warsaw.

"We are moving into a new phase and we have the capital to be able to do it."

Aviva expects to deploy 2 billion pounds of cash in 2018 by spending 900 million pounds on repaying expensive debt and using the remaining 1.1 billion pounds for "bolt-on" acquisitions and returning cash, it said in a statement ahead of the investor day.

Some analysts had anticipated Aviva would announce a share buyback of 1 billion pounds on Thursday, but Wilson said the firm had an "appetite for M&A".

Aviva has said it is only looking at small purchases following its 5.6 billion-pound ($7.5 billion) takeover of Friends Life in 2015, and is interested in expanding in "insurtech" and artificial intelligence. Aviva's cash promise helped send its shares to three-month highs. They were up 2.17 percent at 520 pence at 1035 GMT, the second-biggest gainer on the FTSE 100 index .

Morgan Stanley analyst Jon Hocking reiterated his 'overweight' rating on the stock in a note to clients. "Taken as a package, we think this is a bullish set of goals from Aviva and, if achieved, the current multiple on the shares looks too low," he said, giving the shares a 649p price target.

Aviva said it was raising its expectations for earnings growth to more than 5 percent annually from 2019 onwards, from a previous target of mid-single-digit growth.

It also said it would increase its dividend pay-out ratio to 55-60 percent of earnings per share by 2020, from 50 percent.

The new targets are "achievable", JP Morgan analysts said in a note, reiterating their "overweight" investment rating on the shares. ($1 = 0.7424 pounds) ($1 = 0.8428 euros)

(Additional reporting by Simon Jessop Editing by Jason Neely, Greg Mahlich)
(Adds testimony regarding Erdogan)

By Brendan Pierson

Nov 30 (Reuters) - A Turkish-Iranian gold trader on Thursday told jurors in a federal court in New York that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan personally authorized a transaction on behalf of Iran.

Reza Zarrab is cooperating with U.S. prosecutors in the criminal trial of a Turkish bank executive accused of conspiring to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran. At the time of the alleged conspiracy, Erdogan was Turkey's prime minister.

The testimony came on the third day of the trial of Mehmet Hakan Atilla, an executive at Turkey's state-owned Halkbank , who has pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court.

U.S. prosecutors have charged nine people in the case, although only Zarrab, 34, and Atilla, 47, have been arrested by U.S. authorities. Prosecutors have said the defendants took part in a scheme from 2010 to 2015 that involved gold trades and fake purchases of food to give Iran access to international markets, violating U.S. sanctions.

The case has fueled tensions between the United States and Turkey, which are NATO allies. Erdogan's government has said the case was fabricated for political reasons.

Zarrab, who began testifying on Wednesday morning, has told jurors that he ran a massive international money laundering scheme to help Iran get around U.S. sanctions and spend its oil and gas revenues abroad. He said he helped Iran use funds deposited at Halkbank to buy gold, which was smuggled to Dubai and sold for cash.

Zarrab has said that Atilla helped develop and carry out the transactions, along with Halkbank's former general manager, Suleyman Aslan.

Zarrab also said that he paid bribes worth more than $50 million to Zafer Caglayan, who was Turkey's economy minister, to further the scheme.

Both Caglayan and Aslan were charged in the case. Turkey's government has previously said that Caglayan acted within Turkish and international law, and Halkbank has said all of its transactions fully complied with national and international regulations.

(Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Dan Grebler)
(Adds testimony regarding Ziraat Bank and VakifBank, Indian companies, China)

By Brendan Pierson

Nov 30 (Reuters) - A Turkish-Iranian gold trader on Thursday told jurors in a New York federal court that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan personally authorized a transaction in a scheme to help Iran evade U.S. sanctions.

Reza Zarrab is cooperating with U.S. prosecutors in the criminal trial of a Turkish bank executive accused of helping to launder money for Iran. At the time of the alleged conspiracy, Erdogan was Turkey's prime minister.

Zarrab also said for the first time on Thursday that Turkey's Ziraat Bank and VakifBank were involved in the scheme. The two banks could not immediately be reached for comment after business hours in Turkey.

The testimony came on the third day of the trial of Mehmet Hakan Atilla, an executive at Turkey's state-owned Halkbank , who has pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court.

U.S. prosecutors have charged nine people in the case, although only Zarrab, 34, and Atilla, 47, have been arrested by U.S. authorities. Prosecutors have said the defendants took part in a scheme from 2010 to 2015 that involved gold trades and fake purchases of food to give Iran access to international markets, violating U.S. sanctions.

The case has fueled tensions between the United States and Turkey, which are NATO allies. Erdogan's government has said the case was fabricated for political reasons.

Zarrab, who began testifying on Wednesday morning, has told jurors that he ran an international money laundering scheme to help Iran get around U.S. sanctions and spend its oil and gas revenues abroad. He said he helped Iran use funds deposited at Halkbank to buy gold, which was smuggled to Dubai and sold for cash.

Zarrab has said that Atilla helped design the transactions, along with Halkbank's former general manager, Suleyman Aslan.

Zarrab said that he paid bribes worth more than $50 million to Zafer Caglayan, who was Turkey's economy minister, to further the scheme. He said he bribed Aslan as well.

Both Caglayan and Aslan were charged in the case. Turkey's government has previously said that Caglayan acted within Turkish and international law, and Halkbank has said all of its transactions complied with national and international regulations.

Zarrab's testimony has focused on Halkbank and Turkey, but on Thursday, he said that he had tried to duplicate his scheme in China before Chinese banks shut him down.

"The banks that realized this had something to do with Iran, they immediately stopped it," he said.

(Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Dan Grebler)
CARACAS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Venezuelan authorities detained former Oil Minister Eulogio del Pino and former state oil company PDVSA president Nelson Martinez overnight as a part of a broad anti-corruption probe, two sources told Reuters on Thursday. It was not immediately clear why the two men were detained. One source said it appeared they had been held for questioning. State prosecutor Tarek Saab was due to hold a press conference to announce new arrests later on Thursday.

(Reporting by Alexandra Ulmer)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 33F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low 12F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.
Page Content

As the preparations for the 2019 European elections get under way, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) offered its full support and welcomed the European Parliament's commitment for the two EU institutions to work together and align resources in a shared effort to increase citizens' engagement. The roadmap towards the elections and the partnership between the two political EU institutions were discussed today at the CoR's Bureau with the European Parliament's Vice-President for Communication - and former CoR President - Ramon Luis Valcarcel Siso. The debate was followed by the adoption of the CoR Communication Plan for 2018 , which puts the European elections at the centre of its strategy.

The European Parliament is developing a communication strategy to ensure voters are aware that results of the 2019 elections will contribute to shaping the EU's future. MEPs have made it clear that the campaign will not merely be a European Parliament-led campaign, but a "European Union campaign" that builds on inter-institutional cooperation and makes use of synergies across all levels of government. As the level of government enjoying the higher level of trust among citizens, local and regional authorities will be crucial in mobilising voters and raising awareness about what is at stake in the 2019 elections.

"We warmly welcome the European Parliament's commitment to making 2019 a "European Union" election. The results will shape the future of our Union. It is our collective duty to ensure all voters are aware of what is at stake and what role Europe plays in their daily life. Building on our cooperation agreement, we are delighted to be a partner in the campaign and will encourage our members to ensure their citizens have their say ", said CoR President Karl-Heinz Lambertz " All our members can mobilise voters and increase turn-out in the European elections. As elected politicians, they can draw connections between what happens in their constituencies and what is at stake for the Europe, significantly contributing to reconnecting citizens to Europe in the debates ahead of the elections ", he added.

The European Parliament's communication strategy recognises the importance of "going local" through a "decentralised and localised campaign". The Parliament is planning to select communication priorities that "most resonate in the local environment", to help communicate localised messages, based on the origins and interests of the citizens.

The European Parliament's Vice-President, Ramon Luis Valcarcel Siso, said: " The way Europe works and the way it communicates needs to change. Europe can only look forward by pulling its resources and working in partnership, which is why I am pleased that the Committee will be a partner in supporting the European election campaign by listening and talking local. We all need to work to explain what the EU is, what it does and why it matters: w ho can do this better than mayors, regional presidents or councillors in their communities? The aligning of our communication efforts is a significant step towards maximising the potential of our outreach which must continue into the future . "

CoR adopts its 2018 Communication Plan: "Working in partnership for a local Europe"

The CoR Bureau adopted its Communication Plan for 2018, which puts forward a number of actions aimed at joining forces with the European Parliament and other EU institutions, which includes the adoption of the CoR's opinion on the Future of Europe in October 2018, and the preparation of the 8th CoR "Summit of Regions and Cities" to be held in spring 2019. These two events will frame the CoR's efforts to contribute to the campaign, while a number of member-centered activities will focus on joining forces at local level to reach out to citizens during the European election campaign.

The CoR will implement its communication activities through three campaigns built against the backdrop of the debate on the future of Europe, the post-Brexit EU budget and the 2019 European elections:

Campaign #1: Regions, cities and local authorities working for the future of Europe

This campaign builds on the ongoing " Reflecting on Europe " initiative and will aim to present regional and local interests in the debate on the future of Europe, in particular contribute to the CoR's opinion due to be adopted in 2018. More than 150 Citizens' Dialogues are to be held by the end of 2017 across European regions and cities and will continue into 2018 contributing to the awareness campaign for the European elections. An online survey and a dedicated App that include a set of questions related to the future of EU policies are also being used to collect citizens' feedback during local events and citizens' dialogues. More than 11.000 respondents have been registered so far.

In parallel, the CoR has commissioned a pan-European study from the London School of Economics seeking the views of local and regional authorities on the future of Europe and the role they wish to play in a renewed Union. According to preliminary results, a vast majority of respondents agree that the number one priority should be to put the citizens at the heart of EU integration.

Campaign #2: Investing in sustainable growth and jobs in all regions, cities and local authorities

The aim is to ensure the active involvement of regional and local authorities in the negotiations on the EU's future budget and the debate related to the uncertainties resulting from the UK leaving the EU by March 2019. A reduced EU budget and the delayed adoption of the EU funding post-2020 would have severe consequences for public investment at regional and local level.

The most important communication activities will involve building coalitions with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure a timely adoption of strong, effective and simplified EU funding post-2020. The # 'Cohesion Alliance , a coalition of those who believe that EU cohesion policy must continue to be a pillar of the EU's future, will be continued in 2018 and will serve as a basis for these activities. To date 80 organisations and more than 700 individual supporters, including CoR members, leading European associations of cities and regions, MEPs and government Ministers, call for the post-2020 EU budget to make cohesion policy stronger, more effective and available for every region in the EU.

Campaign #3: EU regions, cities and local authorities as change agents

Europe's regions and cities are places of change and innovation. Citizens expect their local and regional representatives to provide solutions to todays' challenges, such as those raised by globalisation, integration of migrants, climate change, energy transition, youth unemployment and demographic change. This campaign will focus on enhancing EU policy-making based on local evidence in areas such as climate action , sustainable development and inclusive societies.

Contact:

Nathalie Vandelle

Tel. +32 (0)2 282 2499
Page Content



"A hard border will have hard consequences"

Karl Heinz-Lambertz , President of the European Committee of the Regions  the EU's political assembly of local and regional governments - was speaking in the plenary session debate on 30 November where regional presidents, mayors and councillors identified specific challenges raised by the prospect of Brexit. On the issue of UK-Irish relations, a topic to be central to the debate between national leaders when they meet in Brussels on 14-15 December, President Lambertz said: "Introducing a hard border will have hard consequences for regions, cities and their citizens in both the UK and the EU-27. From trade to tourism to agriculture to the lives of thousands of daily border commuters, such possible upheaval will be costly to regions and cities on both sides of this regrettable divorce. There needs to be an innovative solution to maintain the flow of goods and people that works for everyone after the UK leaves the European Union"

"Brexit must not diminish EU cohesion policy"

President Lambertz spoke of the economic implications of Brexit on the future EU budget, "Brexit should not be used as the pretext to diminish the role of EU cohesion policy which creates jobs, offers training, invests in infrastructure and reinforces public services for all Europeans. Europe needs to continue to invest in people, in its territories, in its regions and in its cities which is why it must remain the same percentage of the EU budget as it is today. This is why we launched the #CohesionAlliance  a growing coalition of local and regional politicians, territorial associations, businesses, civil society organisations, MEPs and government ministers who demand a strong, more visible and effective EU cohesion policy in the future of Europe"

Local and regional governments will continue to cooperate long after the UK leaves the EU

The UK's planned departure also throws into question the future relationship of the cities and regions of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland with their counterparts in the rest of the European Union. The Committee's First Vice-President, Markku Markkula, added, "English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish authorities have worked closely together within the EU for over 40 years. The European Committee of the Regions regrets that, after Brexit, the relationship will need to change. As an EU institution, we are determined to maintain cooperation  through, perhaps, macro-regional strategies, a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation. Together, we need to try to ease the difficulties of separation and respond to the shared global challenges faced by regions and cities of the 21st century such as economical, ecological, social and cultural dimensions of sustainable growth - together we are stronger."

Other speakers who took part in the debate with the Committee's members included Madrid's Regional President, Cristina Cifuentes , who discussed the socio-economic impact of Brexit for regions and cities; Brian Hayes MEP (IE/EPP) who led discussions on the challenge of external borders; and two local politicians elected outside their home country: Guilherme Rosa, a Portuguese citizen who is now deputy mayor of Lambeth Council in London, and Derek Monks, a British citizen who is a local councillor in Rojales in the Spanish province of Alicante, who commented on the complexities Brexit will have on European citizenship.

More info: The European Committee of the Regions & the likely impact of the United Kingdoms intention to withdraw from the European Union for local and regional authorities

Contact:

Andrew Gardner

Tel. +32 473 843 981

andrew.gardner@cor.europa.eu
Sharing hope through music



By Yun Suh-young



His music was as soft and serene as his character, flowing gently and smoothly.





Daniel Lindemann / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-young
Seong Dong-ill, left, and Baek Yoon-sik in a scene from "The Chase" / Courtesy of NEW





Actor Baek Yoon-sik poses during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, Thursday. /Courtesy of NEW

Baek Yoon-sik goes for fight scenes in The Chase'

By Kim Jae-heun

Seventy-year-old veteran actor Baek Yoon-sik has appeared in more than 26 films and 37 TV dramas since his debut in 1970, but he still has plenty more to show.

There are no young star actors in the upcoming movie "The Chase" and veteran actors such as Baek and Seong Dong-ill take the leads.

In the film, based on the webtoon "Aridong Last Cowboy," Baek plays the role of old stubborn landowner Shim Duk-soo, who has lived for a long time in the poor town Ari-dong.

One day, murders start to happen in the town, similar to an unsolved crime that took place 30 years ago. Senior citizens living alone are found dead and a female college student living in Shim's apartment goes missing. Shim and former detective Park Pyeong-dal, played by Seong, cooperate to search for the killer. In the movie, Baek rides the scooter to every suspicious crime scene and fights in the rain _ all without a body double.

"My role in the upcoming film contains action scenes that required a strong mentality from me," said Baek during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, Thursday. "I've done some action scenes before that required a high level of stunt skills. But here, it is just about working it off and showing your willpower. Shim is not a good fighter and he is old but he resists and keeps getting up."

Baek decided to appear in the film after reading the original book that the story is based on.

Realistic features of his character and the context of the story attracted Baek to playing the lead role in the film.

Shim looks like a cold-hearted man in the movie, but Baek sees him differently.

"In the original story, Shim accidently kills his younger brother while covering his mouth to keep him silent when North Koreans attacked their house during the Korean War. So he has this trauma about death. Shim is not a normal person. He is a self-made man and he is very strict in his self-discipline," said Baek.

"The Chase" will hit local theaters, Nov. 29.

Q. Your character is similar to Hollywood actor Liam Neeson's role in the film "Taken," where Neeson goes after criminals to save his daughter.



A. I disagree. Liam Neeson was a former spy and he was an expert in the field of searching and eliminating his targets. I appear as a landowner and a key repairman. Of course, we both show a strong mentality in tracking down the target.

Q. Which scene was most physically demanding for you in the movie?



A. We shot an action scene in the mud on three rainy winter days. It was very cold and I lost all the heat in my body. Apart from that I did not get hurt.

Q. You are well known for your roles in films like "Inside Men" and "Tazza." This is another role that could leave a strong impression on the audience. Was there something different when you played the character Shim?



A. Not particularly. It is all about flow. I like the suffix ing' of the present continuous tense. My career is still in progress and I want it to flow naturally.

Q. You have taken on many fatherly roles. Is there any specific reason?



A. Not particularly. There is a process for me to choose a piece but I believe it is more important to look at the will of casting directors who chose me to play certain roles. I just happen to meet my characters naturally and I am still in the field.

Q. Is there certain role that you want to play in the future?



A. Acting is about taking part naturally. There is a saying that life is short but art is long. There is no end in our job. We have to keep thinking and creating new characters. When I finish one character, I will meet a new one and I will do my best to portray him. I am only grateful for it.
By Kang Seung-woo



Korea's antitrust regulator ordered Maersk Line to withdraw Hamburg Sud from the latter's sharing agreements with other major operators on some trade routes, Tuesday, citing possible unfair competition.



Maersk, the world's largest container shipper based in Denmark, announced last year its plan to acquire its German rival, the seventh-largest container shipper, for $4 billion (4.35 trillion won). The deal is set to close by the end of the year.



In April, the two companies sought a review of their merger from the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), as foreign-based firms are required to get approval for a proposed merger if their annual sales here top 20 billion won ($18.4 million).



"The FTC has issued an order for Maersk Line to withdraw Hamburg Sud from the Far East- Central America and Caribbean Sea trade routes and not to extend the German firm's alliance with others on the Far East Asia-West Coast of South America route," the watchdog said in a press statement.



The sharing agreement on the Far East-Central America and Caribbean Sea services is poised to be renewed automatically in August 2018, while that of the Far East Asia-West Coast of South America route expires next March.



"If Maersk's acquisition of Hamburg takes place without addressing those issues, it could restrict competition on the routes."



The German shipping firm has formed alliances with five shippers on such routes, the FTC added.



"The merger will form connections between Maersk and three shipping firms from Hamburg's consortium on both routes, which will make Maersk's four competitors, including Hamburg, disappear," it said.



"As a result, it is likely to cause adverse effects, including a fare hike."



According to the FTC, the combined share of the two companies on the Far East-Central America and Caribbean Sea trade route accounted for 33.3 percent in 2016, but it increases to 54.1 percent if the shares of the consortium members are added.



On the Far East Asia-West Coast of South America route, the share soars from 37.6 percent to 65.9 percent, the regulator added.



Also, the FTC ordered Maersk and Hamburg Sud not to join the alliance or reach a sharing agreement with other shipping firms for five years following expiration of the agreement.



"It is the FTC's first corrective actions to a horizontal merger in the container shipping industry. We carried out analyses, based on market shares by each consortium, in order to prevent restraint on competition," an FTC official said.






Page Content

The future of the EMU will have a direct impact on local and regional authorities' investment capacity and subsequent ability to deliver public services. This is why the CoR, in an opinion led by Christophe Rouillon (FR/PES), Vice-President of the Association of French Mayors and Mayor of Coulaines, calls for shoring up the Eurozone's resilience by ensuring it is sufficiently financed.

Speaking during the debate in Brussels, the Committee's President, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, remarked, "The story of the Economic and Monetary Union cannot be a story of austerity. It must boost convergence upwards, reduce economic and social disparities in the Eurozone, strengthen social rights and help our local economies grow. This is why EU regions and cities support Commissioner Moscovici's work to give Euro countries new stabilisation and investment tools, supported by a sufficient budget. If local and regional governments are to provide quality public services and citizens are to feel the added value of the EU, we need to boost their capacity to deliver ".

Discussing with EU local leaders the building blocks of the reform proposals on the future EMU, to be presented on 6 December, Commissioner Moscovici said, " The euro area is now enjoying strong growth, but it still suffers from persistent economic and social divergences. These are unsustainable and risk fuelling political divisions. Our goal is not to build a transfer union, but a convergence union  one which more effectively marries responsibility and solidarity, risk sharing and risk reduction. I am convinced that these are two sides of the same coin ".

The Committee backs the transformation of the current European Stabilisation Mechanism (ESM) into a proper fund with sufficient resources to support member states hit by shocks and crisis. But regions and cities insist the new fund must accelerate convergence and complement EU cohesion policy to boost local and regional investment. In this perspective, the Stability and Growth Pact should be more flexible to allow the relaunching of investment at all levels. Local and regional authorities' investment should not be counted in the structural deficit for medium term objective (MTO) whilst national and regional co-financing of EU structural and investment funds should be excluded when calculating structural expenditure.

The future EMU, then, should not trigger the centralisation of EU investment: " We have to make sure convergence is not confined to national macro-economic interpretations and is compatible with the vision of cohesion promoted by regional policy funds. In other words: a euro area budget should not be funded by cutting resources for cohesion policy ", argued the rapporteur, adding that: " Local and regional authorities share citizens' call for reforms aimed at increasing democracy and transparency of EU's economic and monetary policy. For this reason the EMU needs a genuine system of democratic governance, with the European Parliament playing a more prominent role ".

The opinion adopted today represents EU regions' and cities' contribution to the strategic elaboration started by the European Commission's reflection paper on the deepening of the EMU, presented last May.

Contact:

Pierluigi Boda

Tel. +32 (0) 473 851 743
By Yoon Ja-young



The Korea Federation of Banks (KFB) has appointed a former Nonghyup vice chairman as its new head.



The KFB held a general meeting, Wednesday, with representatives of its member banks, and appointed Kim Tae-young, former chief of the credit business at Nonghyup, or the farmers' cooperative, as the 13th chairman and CEO of the KFB. He will succeed Ha Yung-ku whose term ends today. Kim was recommended as the sole candidate at the KFB board of directors' meeting held Nov. 27. Current chief Ha as well as representatives from member banks, the KDB, Kookmin, Shinhan, KEB Hana, Nonghyup, IBK, Citibank, SC and BNK Busan participated in the meeting.



"We thoroughly examined the quality and capability of the seven candidates. Since Kim has much experience and know-how in the overall financial industry including banking, we expect he will make a sizeable contribution to the development of the industry," an official at the KFB said.



The KFB board also excluded former government officials among its key candidates, amid criticism that the connection between the private industry and former government officials should be severed.



Born in Busan in 1953, Kim joined Nonghyup in 1971 after graduating from Yeongnam Commercial High School which was popular among bright students back then. He later graduated from Myongji University in 1975, successfully handling both work and study. He is known for a strong passion for work, which saw him labeled a workaholic. He also has wide network in the financial industry.



He took key posts at the farmers' cooperative, rising to head the credit business in 2008. After retiring from Nonghyup, he served as the head of the Gyeonggi Credit Guarantee Foundation. He returned to Nonghyup, serving as vice chairman from 2013 to 2014. Currently, he is working as a non-standing research fellow at the Korea Institute of Finance.



Kim will start his three-year-term Dec. 1.






BitPoint Japan President Genki Oda, right, speaks during a press conference for BitPoint Korea's launch at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, Wednesday. On the left is BitPoint Korea CEO Kim Young-man / Yonhap
The Sky Promenade observation deck offers breathtaking views of Nagoya. / Korea Times photos by Jung Min-ho



The large yet relatively unknown city gives visitors much to explore

By Jung Min-ho

NAGOYA, Japan  Nagoya is not necessarily a popular city for tourists. World War II (1939-45) left the city with few historic landmarks and other interesting traces of the past, putting the city at a major disadvantage in terms of attracting visitors.

Over decades, the city developed a reputation for its soullessness, with one local paper even calling it "the most boring city in Japan."

But once you get to the city, you'll find that the title is somewhat of an exaggeration. In fact, the city's exciting aspects is under-promoted, and the lack of foreign visitors gives it a distinct local vibe, in contrast to the country's other big cities.



Sky Promenade

The Sky Promenade observation deck atop the 247-meter-tall Midland Square offers one of the best, if not the best, night city views in Japan.

The deck features big glass walls all around, letting you enjoy breathtaking views of the city.

Further, the open roof lets you feel the rush of wind around you.

Up there, the first thing you may notice is the hugeness of the city, which feels much smaller when you're on the ground. At night, with the magnificent mountains at the back, the beautiful city is lit up by all the lights from buildings.

But perhaps the best part of the place is that it is rarely crowded on weekdays, unlike those in many other cities around the world. That means you neither have to wait in a queue for a long time nor fight other visitors for a better view.

Moreover, the huge deck can give you a special, semi-private feeling.

You can conclude your visit by having dinner at any of the fancy restaurants just below the deck, which also gives visitors a view of the city through big glass windows.





Inside the Toyota Tecno Museum



Toyota Techno Museum

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of what cars are made of?

For many people, it is obviously steel. But another important part is textile, which makes up much of a car's interiors.

Textile is where Toyota, now the world's largest automaker, started its business 80 years ago. The Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology, also known as Toyota Techno Museum, tells the story of the firm's tumultuous history and the people behind its global success.

From the demonstration of the company's textile looms to the exhibition of its automobiles models, the museum lets you experience the whole world of Toyota.

Not all museum staff are fluent in foreign languages, but they are no less passionate about explaining what visitors through gestures and humor.

One of the most interesting places in the museum is the section dedicated to Sakichi Toyoda (1867-1930), the founder of the Toyota empire. The businessman also invented numerous weaving devices and the principle of "jidoka," which enables a machine to stop automatically when a problem occurs. The concept later became a key part of the Toyota Production System and is used today beyond the automobile industry to solve production problems, improve quality and reduce costs.

A wide range of visitors, from car engineers to fun-seeking tourists, will find the museum one of Nagoya's most interesting places to visit for education and inspiration.





Beer tanks at Asahi Brewery



Asahi and Kirin breweries

Japanese beer brands have many fans around the world. Two of their best  Asahi and Kirin  offer visitors free tours to their breweries and free samples of their freshest possible beer.

Asahi provides visitors with audio devices that offer language services  Korean, English and Chinese. The tour focuses on explaining the general beer production process rather than what sets Asahi apart from its competitors.

The tour at Kirin does a better job of explaining its history with interesting graphics and special effects. However, it does not offer audio devices with language services; those who do not understand Japanese only gets English language brochures.





A perfect day for ninja training at Nagoya Castle



Nagoya Castle

Nagoya Castle, the city's most famous landmark, is definitely worth visiting. You can enjoy the historical atmosphere as you stroll around the place.

In addition to an enjoyable stroll in the castle's historic atmosphere, you can receive ninja training on weekends and public holidays from Hattori Hanzo and the Ninjas, a group of skilled acrobats.

When they are not teaching, they walk around the area and gladly take photos with visitors.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday more "major sanctions" will be imposed on North Korea in response to its latest ballistic missile launch.

"Just spoke to President XI JINPING of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!"

North Korea on Tuesday launched what it claimed was a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of carrying a "super-large heavy warhead" to all parts of the U.S. mainland.

It was Pyongyang's first missile launch since Sept. 15, when it fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan. That followed a series of other provocations, including the regime's first ICBM tests in July and its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September.

Last week the U.S. put North Korea back on its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a largely symbolic move that was meant to heighten pressure on the regime to give up its nuclear weapons program.

The redesignation prompted a new wave of U.S. sanctions targeting North Korea's economic lifelines, and Trump said there would be more coming over a two-week period to place the country under "the highest level" of sanctions.

Speaking to reporters shortly after the tweet, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. has "a long list" of additional potential sanctions, including some that target financial institutions.












North Korea released photos of its new Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, which it fired toward the East Sea on Wednesday. / Yonhap

North Korea released photos of its new Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, which it fired toward the East Sea on Wednesday. / Yonhap



North Korea released photos of its new long-range ballistic missile Thursday, which features a different shape from the previous version.

The front part of the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is round shaped and relatively blunt, while that of the Hwasong-14 ICBM is sharp, according to a photograph published by the Rodong Sinmun, a newspaper of the Workers' Party of Korea, and monitored online here.

It was shown on a transporter erector launcher (TEL) with nine wheels on each side, indicating the new one is longer than the Hwasong-14 that's carried by a 16-wheel TEL.

The newspaper also made public more than a dozen other photos of the new ICBM launch early Wednesday morning, including those of leader Kim Jong-un giving a "field guidance" at the launch site north of Pyongyang.

He pumped his fist, monitoring flight data on a screen and celebrating the successful launch, along with his aides. The missile reportedly flew 950 kilometers at an apogee of 4,475 km to splash into the East Sea.
In this May 8, 2016, file photo, a North Korean solder stands guard near barrels stacked up near the river bank of the North Korean town of Sinuiju, opposite the Chinese border city of Dandong. / AP-Yonhap



The United States on Wednesday urged China to cut off crude oil shipments to North Korea and pressed all countries to isolate Kim Jong-Un's regime by cutting off all diplomatic and trade ties.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that North Korea's latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) "demands that countries further isolate the Kim regime."

During a phone conversation earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump asked President Xi Jinping to cut off China's crude oil supplies to North Korea, a move that would deal a crippling blow to North Korea's economy.

Trump told the Chinese leader "that we have come to the point that China must cut off the oil from North Korea," Haley said.

"That would be a pivotal step in the world's effort to stop this international pariah," she said.
The photos released Thursday by the North Korea's Rodong Sinmun show a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile being launched Wednesday and a new 18-wheel transporter erector launcher. / Yonhap



By Jun Ji-hye



North Korea released 40 photos Thursday of what it claimed was a new, more powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that it tested the previous day, showing a new 18-wheel transporter erector launcher (TEL).



The new TEL indicated the Hwasong-15 ICBM is longer than the Hwasong-14 ICBM that was carried on a 16-wheel TEL, and was tested twice in July.



The photos also showed a different warhead shape from the Hwasong-14 -- the Hwasong-15's looked round and blunt, while that of the Hwasong-14 was pointed.



The Kim Jong-un regime released the photos through the Rodong Sinmun, a newspaper of the Workers' Party of Korea, a day after it launched a Hwasong-15, saying that the missile test was successful and that its new missile is capable of reaching all parts of the U.S. mainland.



Other photos showed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observing the test and cheering the successful launch with scientists and party officials.






By You Soo-sun



Korean flights have been sent to Bali, Thursday, to bring back hundreds of Korean tourists stranded on the Indonesian island in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption.



More than 700 Korean tourists have been stranded there after Mount Agung spewed smoke and ash resulting in hundreds of flights having to be grounded and airports to be shut down for more than two days. Korean Air announced it sent a

plane to the island capable of carrying 276 passengers. It took off from Incheon International Airport for Bali at 5:51 a.m. It will bring some of the stranded tourists back to Incheon Thursday night.



Asiana Airlines also scheduled an extra flight, which departed from Incheon International Airport at 3 p.m. The plane is scheduled to arrive at Juanda International Airport in the nearby city of Surabaya at 8:40 p.m. and is expected to return here early Friday morning.



It will bring back 273 Korean passengers who have been moved to the airport in Surabaya via a bus operated by the Korean Embassy in Indonesia, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.



The flight is to be only used to evacuate South Korean nationals in cases of natural disasters, as part of a previous agreement between the airline and the foreign affairs ministry.



Bali's airport was closed from early Monday until Wednesday afternoon, stranding 120,000 tourists and causing residents to flee to evacuation centers.



But a change in wind direction blew the ash and smoke away from the airport, allowing it to reopen partially on Thursday for travelers to fly out.




By Choi Ha-young



Opposition parties and some experts criticized President Moon Jae-in, Thursday, over what they called his dubious stance on North Korea's provocations.



One issue in contention is a pledge he made to prevent a pre-emptive attack on North Korea in the wake of the North's latest missile test, Wednesday, apparently referring to military options being considered by the United States. Hardliners claim such remarks will discomfort Washington while making Pyongyang misunderstand the situation.



In the National Security Council meeting held in response to the missile launch, Moon said, "The country should prevent the situation in which North Korea poses a nuclear threat based on misjudgment or if the United States considers a preemptive attack against Pyongyang."



Until now, the President had avoided using the words "pre-emptive attack." Instead of using the term, he called for "peace" and "opposition to war."



"That wording could undermine international society's diplomatic leverage in dealing with missile threats," said Rep. Kim Young-woo of the conservative Liberty Korea Party, chairman of the National Assembly National Defense Committee. "The government keeps showing its hand to Pyongyang and the North is gaining time to advance its missile and nuclear capacity."



Rep. Yoo Seong-min, chairman of the Bareun Party, echoed the point. "We can attract the North to the dialogue table by showing the military option is valid," Yoo said in a party meeting Thursday.



Rep. Kim Joong-ro of the liberal People's Party, also a member of the committee, said the remark was a strategic blunder that may increase unnecessary tension.



"Of course, the leading members of the government should prepare a possible pre-emptive attack low-key, even though both Washington and Pyongyang are unlikely to make such an error," Kim Joong-ro said. "According to the remark, the government doesn't need to rush to complete a Kill Chain pre-emptive strike system."



Experts view the wording shows a hawkish stance within the U.S. that spilled over into Seoul, following the North's escalating missile development as seen by its launch of a Hwasong-15. North Korea proved its capacity to hit any target in the U.S. through its latest test.



U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley's remark reflects America's growing concern. "The dictator of North Korea made a decision yesterday that brings us closer to war," Haley said at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council. "We have never sought war with North Korea and still today we do not seek it."



Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said the President's unprecedented message intended to warn the North not to worsen the circumstances.



He dismissed the possibility of a U.S.'s pre-emptive attack against Pyongyang without informing Seoul about it.



"The military option is one of many various options, but President Donald Trump reaffirmed he would discuss this with South Korea beforehand," Lee told reporters Wednesday.



The liberal administration's clear-cut opposition to redeploying tactical nuclear weapons narrows its range of options, Rep. Yoo said Wednesday. "President Moon seems to have abandoned all nuclear options that could be very effective in dealing with the North."



Rep. Kim Joong-ro, who has been vocal about South Korea's nuclear roadmap, reiterated the point. "South Korea can exert influence on the U.S., North Korea and China, by floating nuclear options  tactical nuclear weapons redeployment and its own nuclear armament," he said. "Cheong Wa Dae doesn't need to flatly turn down everything about nuclear weapons."


By You Soo-sun



Images of Seoul will be advertised in the most populous parts of New York City, including Times Square, Soho and Fifth Avenue.



The Seoul city government, Asiana Airlines and New York City's tourism bureau will sign an agreement Friday to promote exchanges between the two cities.



Seoul has produced three images showing Gyeongbok Palace, Gwanghwamun Square and Dongdaemun Design Plaza, to be displayed in New York from Dec. 18 to Jan. 14.



The city government announced it will be running 1 million ads via New York City's new digital advertising platform, LinkNYC, and at 155 bus stops.



New York City will also be running ads in Seoul throughout December. They will be displayed at Gangnam-daero, Seoul Station, Yeouido and bus transit centers across the city.



Asiana Airlines will also take part in the project by providing discounts on tickets for flights between Seoul and New York.

It will be selling tickets to New York beginning at 880,000 won ($809.2) and to Seoul starting at 800,400 won.



The promotion will begin in December and will be available until Jan. 14 on Asiana Airline's website and the Seoul city government's tourism website.



According to Seoul, 15.4 million people visited Korea last year. Of them, 8.1 million came from the United States.

And of the 60.5 million who visited New York, 3.9 million were from Korea.



The promotion is expected to further increase the exchanges between the two cities. The two cities previously collaborated on a similar project in 2011.


Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier

"When you shake a veteran's hand today, look them in the eye and give them a heartfelt thank you," said USAF Ret. Col. Jen Fullmer, parade grand marshal, who spoke at the event.
Rep. Choo to meet Xi Jinping Friday



By Kim Hyo-jin





Rep. Choo Mi-ae
By Kim Bo-eun



A civic group commemorating the May 18 democratic uprising plans to file an injunction against the sales of former President Chun Doo-hwan's memoir.



Chun was behind the brutal suppression of the Gwangju Uprising in 1980.



Controversy erupted after the former president's memoir was published in April. The group filed its first injunction following the publication.



A court in August endorsed the injunction and banned the publication and distribution of the book, judging that it distorted historical facts about the uprising.



It said the book could not be published, sold, distributed and advertised without making corrections to the 33 parts incorporating false information. The false information included alleged North Korean participation, and the denial of the killing of unarmed civilians and Chun's involvement in the suppression.



The publisher last month republished the book, making a note on the cover that the new version reflected the court's decision.



It blacked out the 33 parts in ink, inserting a phrase that these were deleted based on the decision.



Apart from these, the book remains the same.



The May 18 Memorial Foundation said it plans to apply for a second injunction banning the publication and sale of the book with the Gwangju District Court as early as Dec. 5



This injunction outlines faults in the book that were not addressed earlier, including that it denies the secret burial of victims.



The book also states that protestors had been armed and attacked Gwangju Prison multiple times.



The foundation claims this promotes the idea of "violent Gwangju residents," providing grounds for the authorities to use force against them.



It added this contradicts records of the uprising, as well as testimony from those involved. Moreover, many unarmed citizens suffered injuries or were killed.



The North Jeolla Province Police Agency said last month that claims that armed citizens had attacked Gwangju Prison were false.



The book also refers to allegations that the military buried the civilians they killed as "groundless rumors."



Government-backed efforts have begun this month around Gwangju Prison to find the remains of residents who went missing during the uprising.



The ongoing search is taking place based on records and testimony that 28 civilians who had been held at the prison were killed and buried secretly.



Right after the uprising, 11 bodies of civilians were found nearby the prison.




By Kim Hyo-jin



A reform plan of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) faced strong backlash by opposition parties, Thursday, showing little possibility of winning endorsement in the National Assembly.



The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) denounced the plan, saying the spy agency is backpedaling on its tasks for protecting national security.



"The liberal administration is taking a path to incapacitate the spy agency and give up national security," LKP floor leader Rep. Chung Woo-taik said during a party meeting, likening the plan to an "announcement of disbanding the spy agency."



"We will come up with an appropriate revision bill for the NIS at the legislative level."



Minor Bareun Party leader Yoo Seong-min agreed, expressing concerns about limiting the agency's investigative rights.



"Who will catch spies or terrorists if we abolish its investigative rights?" Yoo asked. "It came up with a wrong solution when it was supposed to deal with the issue of political maneuvering."



The NIS announced its own reform plan, Wednesday, which includes renaming the agency and relinquishing all of its investigative rights including counterespionage.



Under the plan, the agency seeks to change its name to one tentatively translated as "External Security Intelligence Service."



It also limited the extent of its intelligence-collection activities to only include cases regarding overseas and North Korean intelligence, counterespionage, counterterrorism, international criminal organizations, the defense industry and economic security.



It pledged to ban any prying into the government and public organizations, civic groups, media and businesses.



The spy agency submitted a revision bill regarding the agency's operations to the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee based on its reform scheme, saying it will push for its passage within the provisional session of the Assembly which lasts until Dec. 9.



The suggestions were made amid brewing allegations on the agency's political maneuvering activities in previous conservative governments.



The move came as part of its efforts to discolor its tarnished reputation and restore public trust, according to its officials.



The NIS is suspected of being involved in an online smear campaign against opposition candidates in the 2012 presidential election.



Three of its former directors are accused of having provided about 4 billion won of its budget allocated for its confidential activities to the presidential office and politicians during the Park Geun-hye administration.


By Yi Whan-woo



North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test Wednesday has triggered calls for China to take harsher action against the Kim Jong-un regime, including cutting off its oil supply.



The ICBM launch apparently embarrassed China that, despite joining the U.N. Security Council's sanctions on North Korea, still needs to step up efforts and impose an oil embargo in line with the United States and its allies' demands.



China has long opposed playing the oil embargo card, as it could lead to the collapse of the impoverished regime, which Beijing relies on as a buffer zone between itself and U.S. military forces in South Korea.



But insisting on its opposition toward an oil embargo is unlikely to guarantee its buffer zone anymore, as the U.S. is now becoming more serious about using military options and destroying North Korea.



The new Hwasong-15 ICBM is believed be Pyongyang's most powerful missile and it puts the entire U.S. mainland at risk.



Against this backdrop, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un also has been uncooperative with Chinese President Xi Jinping's gesture to improve bilateral ties. Days before the ICBM launch, the young tyrant deliberately snubbed Xi's special envoy to Pyongyang, Song Tao. Kim's move was believed to be an action showing his discontent with Xi for failing to support his regime amid ever-growing UNSC sanctions.



"I don't think China can continue to be tight-lipped when it comes to issues on cutting of the North's oil supply," a security expert said on condition of anonymity.



Kwak Jin-o, a senior researcher at the Northeast Asian History Foundation, claimed that China must be embarrassed by the ICBM test, although he speculated that Beijing learned in advance about missile's capabilities including its range.



During an emergency meeting of the UNSC, Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley called on China to impose an oil embargo.



She pointed out that, despite the UNSC sanctions that cut 30 percent of North Korea's oil imports, supplies of crude oil are still being provided and the major supplier is China.



Haley also denounced the missile provocation as a decision that "brings us closer to war," although she said, "We have never sought war with North Korea and still today we do not seek it."



Citing Trump who urged Xi to cut off all oil deliveries to North Korea, Haley said cutting off the supply will be a "pivotal step in the world's efforts to stop this international pariah."



According to a White House statement, Trump emphasized the need for China to use "all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization," during a phone call with Xi.



Xi reiterated China's long-held view of clearing the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons and preserving peace and stability in Northeast Asia.



Meanwhile, experts remained pessimistic that China will vote for imposing an oil embargo on the North, should the UNSC decide to do so in response to the ICBM test.



"It would deal a blow to Xi's leadership because it will be as if he i is being submissive to Trump. Xi will never want that," Kwak said.



Park Won-gon, a professor of international relations at Handong Global University, said the U.S. may convince the UNSC to go for a maritime blockade of ships entering and leaving North Korea, although Beijing is likely to oppose this as well.






By Lee Kyung-min



A new roadmap for human rights policy unveiled by the Seoul city government, Thursday, is drawing criticism. Critics say it is a step back from fully supporting "equal rights protection for sexual minorities" in a suspected move to avoid conflict with ultra-right-wing Christians.



The religious extremists fiercely oppose gay rights, saying homosexuality is a sin that deserves condemnation and punishment, not protection, much less social recognition and legitimate rights.



According to a draft of the city's plan for the next five years (2018-2022) unveiled at a public hearing held Wednesday, many clauses used "minorities" instead of "sexual minorities."

The draft said the city would "come up with measures that would bring positive change to the status quo where minorities are subject to discrimination, hatred and bias."



This is a revision to an earlier version that stated discrimination violating equal rights protections includes doing so based on gender, religion, family background, appearance including physical attributes, marital status, academic background, sexual orientation and illness."



The measure, according to rights groups representing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, fails to address the issue squarely, a mere attempt to bypass the well-expected barrage of fierce opposition from Christians.

"Equal rights protection begins only when we clearly recognize the existence of sexual minorities by identifying them by who they are," said an official from a rights group representing women and the disabled who attended the hearing.

"Given the continued harsh treatment and social atmosphere that legitimizes discrimination against sexual minorities, we should shed light on the problem by recognizing we subject them to such an undeserving environment."



The city will finalize the draft after its human rights committee reviews it. The final version will be unveiled in January.

The latest draft came three years after the city dropped its plan to finalize the Charter of Human Rights for Seoul Citizens by the end of November 2014 due to anti-gay protests.




By Kim Bo-eun



McKinsey Global Institute, a think tank of the multinational consulting firm, predicts that up to 800 million workers could lose their jobs by 2030 to robots.



In a report titled "Jobs lost, jobs gained: workforce transitions in a time of automation," over 800 occupations in 46 countries were analyzed.



The 800 million workers predicted to be displaced is a fifth of the global labor force. In particular, the think tank said a third of jobs held by workers in their 20s and 30s in the U.S. and Germany will likely disappear.



Even if robot substitution is slower, at least 400 million will lose their jobs in the time frame, the report said.

"Seventy-five million to 375 million may need to switch occupational categories and learn new skills," it said.



By country, China faces the greatest number of workers who need to change occupations, in absolute terms.



The sectors hardest hit by automation were cited as those in office support, such as clerks, financial workers performing procurement and payroll, as well as those in predictable and unpredictable physical work such as installation and repair and food preparation. Also included were positions in customer interaction, such as food service and sales.



At the same time, the report said jobs could increase, backed by productivity growth enabled by technological progress.

The figures have been estimated at 50 million to 90 million jobs globally.



Jobs would likely be created in the sectors of healthcare for aging societies and investment in infrastructure and energy.

"We will all need creative visions for how our lives are organized and valued in the future, in a world where the role and meaning of work has started to shift," the report said.


Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow for Northeast Asia at The Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the foundation in Washington, D.C., Nov. 16. / Courtesy of Global Peace Foundation



By Kim Hyo-jin



WASHINGTON, D.C.  The U.S. government still has room to impose tougher unilateral sanctions against North Korea, says a U.S. North Korea specialist.
By Park Si-soo



North Korea fired what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), ending its 75-day pause of weapons testing and shattering expectations that the hiatus might lead to dialogue over the North's nuclear and missile programs.



The missile traveled about 960 kilometers and flew for 53 minutes before landing in the waters within 370 nautical kilometers of Japan's coast, according to officials from South Korea and U.S. governments.



It is North Korea's first provocation since it fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan on Sept. 15.



It flew as high as 4,500 kilometers at the maximum altitude, higher than past launches. It suggests progress by Pyongyang in developing a weapon of mass destruction that could strike the U.S. mainland.



The data suggest the North might have tested an ICBM, officials from both South Korea and U.S. officials said. If it were fired at a standard one, it could have gone over 10,000 km, given its maximum altitude.



"Initial assessment indicates that this missile was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)," Pentagon spokesman Col. Robert Manning said in a statement.



In response, President Moon Jae-in vowed to take the strongest measures possible against the North, condemning the its latest missile launch.



At an emergency meeting of the National Security Council held hours after the launch, Moon said, "I strongly condemn North Korea for staging such reckless provocations."



At the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump said that: "I will only tell you that we will take care of it," adding that: "It is a situation that we will handle." He did not elaborate further.






By Jun Ji-hye



North Korea launched an apparent new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) early Wednesday that reached an altitude of about 4,500 kilometers and traveled 960 kilometers before falling into the East Sea inside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.



The missile launch, which broke a 75-day lull in the North's provocations, drew strong condemnation from South Korea as well as the international community.





President Moon Jae-in speaks with U.S. President Donald Trump via phone from Cheong Wa Dae, Wednesday, after North Korea launched what it claimed was a new intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching all parts of the U.S. mainland. The two heads of state agreed to maintain maximum pressure and sanctions on Pyongyang. / Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae

The provocation is likely to escalate tension on the Korean Peninsula further and dash hopes for a negotiated solution to the North's nuclear and missile development programs. The international community is expected to impose harsher sanctions against Pyongyang.



Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the missile was launched at 3:17 a.m. from Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province, 30 kilometers north of Pyongyang.



Hours after the launch, the North issued a statement, saying a test of the new "Hwasong-15" ICBM was successfully carried out.



The statement, carried by the state-run Korea Central News Agency (KCNA), said the missile reached a maximum altitude of 4,475 kilometers, while flying 960 kilometers in 53 minutes along a preset trajectory.



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who observed the test, declared that the North has "finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power," according to the KCNA.



"The ICBM Hwasong-15 type weaponry system is an intercontinental ballistic rocket tipped with super-large heavy warhead which is capable of striking the entire mainland of the U.S.," the statement said.



It added the new system has much greater advantages in its tactical and technological characteristics than the Hwasong-14 missile tested in July.



The repressive state launched Hwasong-14s twice, July 4 and 28. The first one flew 933 kilometers in 39 minutes and reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers, while the second one flew 998 kilometers in 47 minutes after reaching an altitude of 3,724 kilometers.



Defense analysts said the North's latest test appeared to be its longest yet, noting that if the missile had been fired on a standard trajectory, rather than a lofted one, it could have flown more than 10,000 kilometers, which is, in theory, enough to reach the U.S. mainland.



"If flown on a standard trajectory rather than this lofted trajectory, this missile would have a range of more than 13,000 kilometers," said David Wright, a co-director of the Union of Concerned Scientists. "This is significantly longer than North Korea's previous long-range tests."



Soon after the test, President Moon Jae-in presided over a National Security Council meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, during which he strongly denounced the North for its "military brinkmanship."




Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon speaks during a forum hosted by the Kwanhun Club, an association of senior journalists, at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap



By Kim Hyo-jin



The Moon Jae-in government thinks it is unrealistic to hold talks with North Korea, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Wednesday.



It is more likely to impose additional unilateral sanctions against the reclusive state, he said.



The comments came after the North fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that flew almost 1,000 kilometers before falling into the East Sea earlier in the day.



"The prospect of dialogue with the North is getting slimmer. It is unrealistic to do so while the country is accelerating its missile development," Lee said at a debate session hosted by the Kwanhun Club, an association of senior journalists.



"The government will continue to pressure the country in close coordination with the international community to the maximum level. Seoul may need to consider further unilateral sanctions against Pyongyang."



Seoul could expand its options by adopting some of sanctions the U.S. unilaterally implemented, Lee said.



The foreign ministry unveiled a list of 18 North Korean individuals subject to the unilateral sanctions that freeze their property within South Korean jurisdiction, and banned any transactions with South Korean banks earlier this month. But this was viewed as only symbolic because the two Koreas have already cut almost all exchanges.



During the session held after a National Security Council meeting, high attention was paid to the background of Moon's comment on a possible "preemptive attack" by the U.S.



Moon rarely mentioned it during the meeting with his security aides, saying, "We should prevent a situation where the U.S. considers a preemptive attack against North Korea."



Lee interpreted this to mean Moon was "sending a warning" to the Kim Jong-un regime about it advancing its missile capabilities.



"Moon intended to warn North Korea that it should be aware of the risk of its action," he said.



But he dismissed the feasibility of military options by the U.S., saying "It is a clear fact that it is one of many options but the U.S. has considerations to make before it commits itself to action."



He assured the Koreans the U.S. will consult with South Korea first even if it decided to go for it. "That's what Trump reaffirmed on his visit to Seoul," he said.



Lee assessed the latest missile launch as Kim's "tactful" choice as it lengthened the flight of the projectile yet it did not fire it toward Guam or Hawaii.



"Kim must have intended to sufficiently show its force yet refrain from provoking the international community," he said.



Over the recent controversy of Seoul's alleged expression of the "three nos" to Beijing, Lee said it was needed to thaw the strained bilateral relations.



"It was nothing new. The position has been presented for months. The government just reaffirmed it is in need of rebuilding the fractured relations between South Korea and China," he said.



Dismissing concerns about "submissive" diplomacy, he said it was a pragmatic approach.



"The U.S. and China have different strategic interests and North Korea is seeking nuclear weapons. Any government would have little option under such circumstances," he said. "It was not a submissive but necessary move."



Beijing earlier said it values Seoul's stance of three nos _ no more deployment of a THAAD battery, no more U.S.-led missile defense systems in South Korea and no tripartite defense alliance with the U.S and Japan _ while Seoul downplayed it as a mere expression of its position, not a promise.



Asked how Moon's reluctance of a trilateral defense alliance with the U.S. and Japan should be interpreted, Lee replied the stance is "nothing different from that of the previous governments."



"So far, the cooperation on our security issues has revolved around two pillars _ the ROK-U.S. alliance and the U.S.-Japan alliance. The current government's stance is that it will keep it that way," Lee said.



Reassuring the coordination between Seoul and Tokyo has been smooth, Lee added, "I hope Tokyo takes into account the fact that the people here are still cautious (of the trilateral alliance)."


Annual assessment shows more students falling behind in math and Korean, fewer in English



By You Soo-sun



Korea's middle and high school students are increasingly struggling in math and the Korean language, according to this year's nationwide achievement test results released Wednesday.



In this year's assessment, more students failed to meet basic academic levels in Korean and math compared to the previous year. On the contrary, a smaller share was falling behind in English as a subject.



In 2016, two and five percent of middle school students were struggling to meet basic academic levels in Korean and math; these numbers rose to 2.5 and 6.9 this year.



A similar trend was seen among high school students; year by year, more of them are struggling with Korean _ from 2.6 in 2015 to 3.2 in 2016, and 4.7 this year.



In math, 9.2 fell below the basic standard, up over four percentage points from last year's 5.3.



On the other hand, a smaller percentage of students were estimated to be falling behind in English; 3.1 percent of middle school students and 3.8 percent of high school students performed below basic levels, down from 4.0 and 5.1 the previous year.



According to the Ministry of Education, the tests were taken by 28,131 students in the ninth and 11th grades, who account for three percent of the student population in those grades across the nation.




South Korea's Defense Minister Song Young-moo speaks in a mess hall before a lunch with soldiers at the Joint Security Area in the Panmunjeom truce village, Nov. 27. Arriving at the hall late, he promised the soldiers that his speech before the lunch will be short, saying, "the shorter skirts are the better." / Yonhap



By Ko Dong-hwan



Of all the remarks to boost the morale of South Korean soldiers protecting the inter-Korean border, he picks the wrong one.



Making a sexual remark may boost male soldiers' morale, but Defense Minister Song Young-moo chose the wrong place at the wrong time when he visited the Joint Security Area (JSA) Monday.



Two weeks after a North Korean soldier was shot five times when he dramatically escaped to the South through the JSA in the Panmunjeom truce village, Song visited the scene.



Besides checking out the scene, he met and encouraged South Korean soldiers for managing the incident well.



Song met the soldiers at a lunch in a mess hall, where he arrived late. Being apologetic, he cut short his talk so the soldiers would not have to wait long before eating.



"It's not fun to listen to someone haranguing on and on before a food table," Song said. "People say that the shorter speeches and miniskirts are the better, right?"



The soldiers replied with a thunderous "Yes, sir." Song finished his speech by saying he had come to the JSA to deliver the public's praise for them for saving the badly wounded North Korean.



But Song's "miniskirt" comment made headlines that suggested his choice of words was sexually offensive.



News of the comment spread quickly, and the ministry's public relations team realized that to quell the outcry, the sooner the chief apologized, the better.



"We apologize that the minister's speech was unintentionally mixed with his apology for being late for lunch and that he used an inappropriate expression to explain why he would only make a short speech," the ministry said Monday.



Sexual remarks like Song's are traditionally popular in army jargon, but considering the edgy atmosphere at the JSA since the shooting, he picked the wrong place to make such a joke, said a JTBC news anchorman.


By Rha Hae-sung





Misdiagnosis: The prostate removal operation in October left scars on the man's abdomen. / Yonhap




A plastic surgery ad at Sinsa Station in Seoul encourages passers-by to have breast enhancement. The state company will root out ads for clinics and hospitals providing plastic surgery from Seoul metro stations by 2022. / Korea Times file
By Kim Bo-eun





Over 200,000 foreign patients received medical services in Seoul last year, many of whom underwent cosmetic procedures at clinics concentrated in southern Seoul.



Data from the city government shows Seoul had 216,646 foreign patients in 2016, surpassing 200,000 for the first time. In 2014 it had 154,816 patients and in 2015 165,689.



By district, Gangnam-gu had the largest number of patients at 76,385, three times the figure for patients in Seocho-gu with the second-highest number. Gangnam-gu also topped the list in 2014 and 2015.



This is because clinics are concentrated in the affluent district  according to 2015 data from the National Tax Service, 462 of 1,301 cosmetic surgery clinics nationwide were located in Gangnam-gu.



The district office, along with individual clinics, has been campaigning to attract foreign patients.



Gangnam-gu Office reportedly set 78,000 patients as its target for this year. However, the number of foreigners coming to Korea for cosmetic surgery was adversely affected by Korea's deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery this year.



This is because the Chinese, whose government retaliated against the THAAD installation, account for the largest number of patients according to nationality.



The office is reported to have plans to attract 200,000 patients a year within the next five years.



Following Seocho-gu is Seodaemun-gu, which had 14,505 patients last year. The large number is attributed to the universities located in the district, which have many foreign students.



According to nationality, following Chinese patients were Americans, Japanese, Russians and Kazaks.



The city is working together with local medical institutions to attract foreign patients by providing services such as airport pickups and translation.



It also runs a call center that provides information on medical services in English, Chinese and Japanese.



In addition, the Seoul government is hosting overseas fairs and information sessions, with recent ones being hosted in Moscow, Russia and Kazakhstan this year. The events aim to promote medical services in Seoul, together with tourism programs.



Concerns have been growing that promotion efforts are focused on cosmetic procedures.



In response a city official said "The government is holistically promoting medical services offered in Seoul, and not a specific area."



Data shows foreign patients sought the most services in the areas of internal medicine, followed by cosmetic surgery, dermatology and medical checkups.












By Sarvar Babakhodjaev





Uzbekistan and South Korea, marking their 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations, are successfully cooperating in many directions. Education is one of the key spheres of collaboration between the two nations.



Inha University in Tashkent is the symbol of cooperation between Uzbekistan and South Korea in education and the only fully fledged educational program of the South Korean university in the world.



The university in Tashkent was established on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to develop educational programs for the IT industry, based on the valuable experience of South Korea in IT.



The decision to open Inha University in Tashkent was made in March 2014 and after six months, it accepted its first students. Currently, Inha University in Tashkent provides high-quality educational services to about 1,100 students in such majors as "Computer and Information Engineering" and "Logistics."



Inha University in Tashkent has become one of the top universities of Uzbekistan in just three years. Each year, the number of young people who want to study at Inha University in Tashkent is growing.

In line with the bilateral agreement, Inha University in South Korea ensures control over the organization of entrance exams and academic processes in the educational programs of Inha University in Tashkent.



Inha University in Tashkent pays great attention to entrance exams, which are one of the most transparent and open in Uzbekistan. To ensure transparency and openness, the university invites local mass media experts to observe the examination process and organize live streaming of the exams, so parents and other people can witness the whole exam process.



Another important issue is that Inha University in South Korea prepares all exam questions and delivers them to Uzbekistan, along with exam specialists a day before the exams. After the entrance exams, Korean professors at Inha University in South Korea mark all exam papers. This ensures that only the best applicants can enroll in the university.



The quality of education is one of the key factors for the success of Inha University in Tashkent. Korean professors manage the faculty recruitment and academic life of the university. Currently, about 60 percent of the faculty are foreign specialists. However, Inha University in Tashkent, in cooperation with its South Korean partners, launched a joint project training local faculty.



This year, Inha University in Tashkent, in cooperation with its South Korean partners, successfully launched the 3+1 program. With this program, 99 senior students of Inha University in Tashkent are studying on the campus in Incheon. The program combines various trips and cultural events aimed at encouraging better understanding between the two nations and strengthening relations.



Inha University in Tashkent and Inha University in South Korea are working on the expansion of educational programs offered to young people in Uzbekistan. Currently, there are plans to introduce new Bachelor and Master's programs.



Since the student population in Korea is decreasing, South Korean universities are considering opening branches in other countries to maintain and even expand their operations. The experience of Inha University could serve as a good case for study.





Sarvar Babakhodjaev (s.babakhodjaev@inha.uz) is rector of Inha University in Tashkent


By Park Moo-jong





The "they" of this headline, "They are going too far," are prosecutors in the Republic of Korea today.



The duty of a prosecutor is to seek justice, not simply to convict, and his or her responsibility is to see that the defendant is accorded procedural justice and that guilt is decided upon on the basis of sufficient evidence.



A prosecutor in this country is an undisputed elite member of society, who has passed a difficult state-run judicial examination and became an object of social envy and, conversely, respect. They are usually and traditionally on the list of best marriage partners together with doctors.



Such prosecutors have become the target of public criticism of late due to their abuse of power in detaining suspects.

They are clearly going against the constitutional rights of a criminal suspect to be investigated and tried without being physically detained under the principle of being presumed innocent until proven guilty.



Many people, especially former high-ranking officials of previous governments, have been arrested in the course of being investigated before the opening of their trial in the Moon Jae-in government's "ambitious" campaign to annihilate the much touted "deep-rooted evils of the past."



Prosecutors used to cite the "chances of the suspect fleeing the country and destroying evidence" as a reason for their request for an arrest warrant.



It is an irony that President Moon previous blamed the physical detention of a suspect as an abuse of prosecutorial power by making them hostages.



Prosecutors appear to be so clever that they can make a suspect  once put behind bars  be seen by the public as being guilty and helpless easy to submit to their pressure.



A typical case was the Nov. 11 arrest of former Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, 68, suspected of being involved in the alleged political use of the military cyber warfare unit for the interests of the previous conservative government of Lee Myung-bak.



Not only Kim, but also all three former chiefs of the spy agency, the National Intelligence Agency, under the governments of Park Geun-hye and Lee, were arrested on similar suspicions.



But Kim, who has a reputation as being the No. 1 enemy of North Korea's rogue leader Kim Jong-un, was released Nov. 23 together with his arrested deputy defense minister through a habeas corpus petition as the court rejected the prosecution's plea to keep him detained because there was a room for legal dispute over what he had allegedly done and the need to protect his right to a defense.



The court also found that there was little chance of Kim fleeing or destroying evidence, meaning the prosecution had failed to secure sufficient evidence and abused its power to seek the arrest of suspects.



The prosecutor's abuse of power was also proved by the court's rejection of the request for an arrest warrant for Jun Byung-hun, who resigned as Moon's first senior presidential secretary for political affairs for his alleged involvement in a graft case involving a home shopping company and the Korea e-Sports Association he founded when he was a lawmaker.



Of course, supporters of the Moon administration are protesting the court's judgment for Kim and Jun. But the court's ruling is just normalizing what had been abnormal, namely living up to the principle of investigation without physical detention.



In particular, the prosecutors have to pay attention to the view of many people, excluding progressives backing the Moon administration that the resigned top political advisor's case hints that the prosecution is making him a scapegoat for the ongoing campaign to root out the so-called accumulated wrongdoings of the previous two governments  suspected as a political revenge.



Against this backdrop, what is more deplorable is the surprising complaints by ruling Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers, including its leader Choo Mi-ae, who was herself a judge, on the court's decision to set the arrested suspects free.



The outspoken representative of the party claimed that the judicial branch should know that the decision is worsening public distrust in the court, demanding that it "restore judiciary justice."

The judge-turned-lawmaker must have forgotten Article 103 of the Constitution that she must have memorized for the state-run judicial exam: "Judges shall rule independently according to their conscience and in conformity with the Constitution and law."



The Platform of Judges' Ethics calls for in its prelude: "The protection of judiciary independence from outside influence."

It is an unconstitutional action threatening the trial and judicial independence for ruling party lawmakers to press the court plainly as a group.



It has not been rare, so far, for political forces to criticize the judiciary for judgments they do not agree with. However, it is rare for the ruling party to attack the court so openly as it has done now.



The ruling party earlier insisted that the court should be reformed because the trial of former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook who was released in August after serving a two-year sentence for bribery, confirmed by the Supreme Court, was wrong.



Both the prosecution and the court are in a crisis, increasingly losing public confidence. President Moon should do "something necessary" before it is too late.





Park Moo-jong (moojong@ktimes.com or emjei29@gmail.com) is a standing advisor of The Korea Times. He served as the president-publisher of the nation's first English newspaper founded in1951 from 2004 to 2014 after working as a reporter for the daily since 1974.


By Hannah Ryder



BEIJING  Ask anyone with a basic knowledge of Africa which country is more poised for success  Zimbabwe or Kenya  and he or she will undoubtedly answer "Kenya." Events of the last week would seem to confirm that verdict.



On Monday, after Kenya's Supreme Court upheld the reelection of President Uhuru Kenyatta in the country's contested presidential election, the rule of law seemed to trump political violence for the first time in years. Zimbabwe, on the other hand, is without President Robert Mugabe for the first time in 37 years. And, although the country may be ecstatic now, its political future is far from certain.



But as a Kenyan living in China, one of the African continent's most important development partners, I see one metric that tips the scale in Zimbabwe's favor: its relationship with my adopted home. In fact, Zimbabwe's economic and political ties to China could prove decisive for Africa's perpetual underdog.



On paper, Kenya clearly has the edge. Although Zimbabwe has more natural resources and mineral wealth, it has far less land and extreme poverty is much more widespread. More than 70% of the country's 16 million people live on less than $1.90 a day, compared to 46% of Kenya's 48 million people. Moreover, as many as 90% of Zimbabweans are unemployed or underemployed, compared to 39% of Kenyans.



Even Kenya's economic links to China might seem more impressive at first glance. Kenya and China have long cooperated on large infrastructure projects. A Chinese-funded railway between Nairobi and Mombasa, which opened earlier this year, is the latest example. Since 2000, China has offered Kenya $6.8 billion in loans for infrastructure projects, compared to $1.7 billion for Zimbabwe. And, because loan conditions often include a requirement to hire Chinese employees, Kenya had more than 7,400 at the end of 2015, while Zimbabwe had just over 950.



But in the competition for Chinese largesse, Kenya's advantage over Zimbabwe ends there. Cumulative Chinese foreign direct investment since 2003 has reached nearly $7 billion in Zimbabwe, compared to $3.9 billion for Kenya. Year on year, more Chinese money is flowing to Zimbabwe as well.



Moreover, Zimbabwe's trade balance with China is far superior to Kenya's. In 2015, Kenya's exports to China totaled $99 million, while it imported from China a staggering 60 times that amount. Even taking into account imports of materials tied to Chinese-built infrastructure, this is an exceptionally wide bilateral deficit.



Zimbabwe, on the other hand, despite its slow growth rate, exported $766 million worth of goods to China in 2015, and imported $546 million. Most surprisingly, Zimbabwe's exports were not restricted to minerals and metals, as one might assume, but also included tobacco and cotton, products that are relatively more labor-intensive, meaning more job creation at home. And, while Zimbabwe has around 50 fewer registered Chinese companies than Kenya, Kenya's economy is around 4.5 times the size of Zimbabwe's, clearly implying that those firms that are operating there contribute more to the country's economy.



How has Zimbabwe achieved what looks like, at least from a numerical perspective, a more productive relationship with China than Kenya has?



Few beyond Mugabe and his close colleagues, including the country's new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, know for sure. But one way to make an educated guess is to compare both countries' history of bilateral engagement with China.



Both Kenya and Zimbabwe have had two visits from Chinese heads of state during their post-colonial histories. Chinese President Jiang Zemin visited each country in 1996, while President Hu Jintao visited Kenya in 2006. China's current president, Xi Jinping, visited Zimbabwe in 2015.



State visits in the other direction have been more uneven. Mugabe's first visit to China was in 1980, just six months after independence; he made 13 more during his tenure, and high-level visits by other Zimbabwean officials were even more frequent, occurring roughly once every two years during Mugabe's reign. Kenyan presidents, by contrast, traveled to China just six times during the same period, most recently in May 2017.



Zimbabwe's leaders made the most of their visits to press for trade and military cooperation, and likely engaged directly with private Chinese companies. This has nurtured a culture of reciprocity. Just a few months ago, for example, a Chinese company approached my firm asking for advice about how to enter Zimbabwe's health-care market. I have not yet fielded similar questions about gaining access to markets in Kenya.



China's role in African economies has been criticized; but, as I have argued before, Chinese investment has also been a lifeline to many on the continent. From creating employment opportunities to providing direct investment in infrastructure, China has been a partner to Africa when many Western investors preferred to stay away.



How Kenya and Zimbabwe navigate their future relationships with China remains to be seen. Both countries have supported Xi's signature Belt and Road Initiative, which, in theory, should increase their strategic value to China. Kenya's return to political stability should also sustain, if not deepen, the country's economic engagement with China.



Zimbabwe's historic ties to China will be no less important. Following Mugabe's resignation, China's foreign ministry went out of its way to praise the "friendship between China and Zimbabwe," and Mnangagwa can be expected to continue that relationship. The new president received military training in China, and paid an official visit as speaker of the parliament in 2001. There is even speculation that China was warned of the looming coup in Zimbabwe, if not consulted beforehand.



As Kenya and Zimbabwe navigate their political futures, much in both countries will no doubt change  one hopes for the better. Their ties with China will be a key metric in assessing their trajectory.





Hannah Ryder, a former head of policy and partnerships for the United Nations Development Program in China, is founder and CEO of Development Reimagined. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate.


Defense Minister Song Young-moo made a highly inappropriate remark about women during a recent visit to the Joint Security Area at the truce village of Panmunjeom in the Demilitarized Zone, Monday.



The visit came two weeks after a North Korean soldier ran across the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) to defect to South Korea. Song was briefed about the investigation of the incident by the United Nations Command (UNC) and had lunch with Korean and U.S. troops.



The problematic remark was made during the lunch when he said "the shorter conversations are before eating, and miniskirts, the better." This has triggered huge controversy on the internet. "Song Young-moo miniskirt" emerged as a hot search topic on Naver.



Even though the defense ministry later explained that Song only meant that he would deliver a short speech since he had arrived late, the remark shows that he subconsciously thinks it is okay to deride women. An association of 28 women's organizations issued a statement Wednesday, denouncing his "disregard for women's dignity." Given that he is a retired Navy admiral, such a derogatory remark gives another black eye to the military that has been notorious for neglecting harassment of women. In May, a female Navy lieutenant committed suicide after she was reportedly raped by a superior. It's one of many incidents involving females in the military.



This kind of vulgar perception of women often leads to sexual abuse and harassment in the workplace.



Song's remark came only a week after President Moon Jae-in expressed his utmost resolve to get rid of workplacesexual harassment. A person like Song is not fitted to serve in an administration that has placed a high priority on promoting gender equality.



The renowned news anchor Matt Lauer of NBC's "Today" was abruptly fired by the network Wednesday after accusations of inappropriate sexual behavior. This is the kind of stern action that many Korean companies and government agencies need to take against sexual offenders.




Pyongyang should come unconditionally to negotiating table



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is mistaken if he believes that the world will accept his pariah nation as a nuclear state hands down.



The young dictator obviously thinks nuclear weapons and missiles are his trump card for survival but the likelihood is that they are his death warrant.



The only way out is to come, without conditions and in haste, to the negotiating table to discuss the dismantling of his programs for weapons of mass destruction.



The North declared Wednesday that it has perfected its missile and nuclear program after test-firing a long-range missile that could strike anywhere in the entire United States and much of the world. There is, however, no way of knowing whether the North has made progress in payload miniaturization and re-entry technology.



The United States asked China to cut off oil supplies to the North. Beijing has already reduced fuel supplies by one third to Pyongyang. Without Chinese oil, it is a matter of time before the North becomes energy-starved and rendered dysfunctional.



Although some Chinese media outlets accused the United States of causing the North to test by relisting it as a state sponsoring terrorism, China is left with few excuses to resist Washington's drive to toughen sanctions on Pyongyang.



Chinese leader Xi Jinping was humiliated when Kim recently refused to meet his special envoy. Xi, who wants China to become a world leader, can't afford to be seen as a backer of the rogue state.



The U.S. could go after companies and banks that have dealings with the North more vigorously. This would deal a fatal blow that even the North, a state that is accustomed to living in hardship, couldn't bear for long.



President Moon Jae-in, the progressive leader who is "friendly" to Pyongyang, has been left with no choice but to stand with the U.S. to put maximum pressure on the North. Moon already disclosed his intentions Wednesday.



The North may press on with an even more outrageous test of a missile that is fired on a more "normal" angle to fly the actual distance of over 10,000 kilometers perhaps with a nuclear payload.



With that test, Kim may hope the world will become scared of a nuclear-armed North and bullied to pay protection money to guarantee his regime's security and boost its economic viability.



A more likely scenario is that other countries in the region will arm themselves with nuclear weapons, while strengthening their collective effort to end the North. Pyongyang's young dictator should know that nuclear weapons may raise his notoriety but won't get it cash or food. The instant it threatens to use these doomsday devices against others, the North risks complete annihilation.




By Donald Kirk





WASHINGTON  He had to do it, didn't he? Just when the optimists were saying, well, it's been a few weeks since the last one, maybe he's learned his lesson.



What lesson?



Kim Jong-un sails on, oblivious to the fuming and fussing in capitals from Beijing to Washington and points in between. He thinks the solution is to fire those long-range missiles, the higher and further the better, sending world leaders scurrying for cover, wringing their hands, calling for talks and, oh yes, condemnation by the United Nations.



Now that Kim has shown he can fire an ICBM anytime he pleases, again and yet again, we can be sure he'll also order a seventh nuclear test. Never mind if it blows up a mountain, covers a few peasants with rocks and sends tremors up and down the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has plenty of mountains. He'll find another one.



But how long will this story go on? No, a "peace treaty" will solve nothing. He'll keep testing anyway. No, Chinese pressure only annoys the North Koreans. They know Xi Jinping is not going to cut off the flow of oil from the Chinese side of the Yalu or Amnok River near Dandong into North Korea near Sinuiju.



What are the odds that President Donald Trump will snap his fingers and tell Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, OK, let's go ahead with The Plan? The Plan would be one of those detailed schemes they draft in the Pentagon for doing just about anything they please. We may be sure the people at the Pentagon have one ready to go.



Actually, from the vantage of Trump and Mattis and their retinues, Kim Jong-un did them a favor. Officially, Washington, as the weeks drifted by, had pretty well forgotten Korea. That's hard for Koreans to believe. I don't blame them for never quite getting over the depth of non-concern among Americans about their country. Wrong, sad, but true.



By firing a missile for the first time in more than two months, Kim Jong-un had everyone rubbing their eyes and remembering, oh yes, this guy is serious, he wants to annihilate us. What more could Mattis wish for than to make the great unwashed American public aware of the urgency of a non-crisis? If he is going to order U.S. forces in Asia to wake up and "fight tonight" if ordered, he needs a missile test to remind everyone that Korea is still there.



The test was a break for Trump too. It got him away from having to waste time talking recalcitrant senators into supporting a new tax bill that everyone hates. Everyone. No one, Republic or Democrat, conservative or liberal, sees any reason for a "reform" bill that's going to ease the burden on all those poor billionaires and hundred-millionaires and impoverished mere millionaires while raising taxes on the rest of us.



For weeks we've been reading op eds and listening to statements and debates in which Trump's people explain, again and again, how everybody will benefit from tax reform. Republican senators pretend, for the most part, to go along but really nobody believes a word of it. Then along comes Kim Jong-un ordering another missile test, and everyone looks up suddenly  attention restored.



But wait a second. Who would believe, outside the U.S., that taxes were not exactly Topic A in the American consciousness. Nope. They definitely ranked second, on the networks, in the headlines, to the ultimate question: Who was groping whom?



That's right. While multi-millions starve, and millions more get killed or wounded or lose their homes in war, Americans were obsessing over a very different matter. Day after day came the revelation that so-and-so had done something terribly bad to somebody and had to be fired, or voted out of office, or forced to resign.



Nobody in high places was immune. Republicans, Democrats, liberal and conservative icons, movie stars and directors, editors and commentators  people fitting all these categories were accused and forced to apologize. Many lost their jobs, reputations and careers.



For readers and viewers, tales of the fall from grace of the high and mighty were rich. Oh, these stories were reported in tones of righteous indignation, but for plain people the news of who had done what to whom, and now was paying the price, was old-fashioned fun.



One reporter, on the air, let it be known that so-and-so had gotten "handsy" with so-and-so. An interesting choice of adjective, "handsy." The stuff of fantasy.



Then along came another North Korean missile test. Definitely an interruption in the news cycle. A change of pace, a distraction. Most such stories go away in 24 to 48 hours. Let's hope this one is no different.





Donald Kirk, www.donaldkirk.com, has been covering war and peace in Asia for decades.


Korea's falling competitiveness raises concerns



A recent report showed Korea has been continuously slipping in global talent competitiveness. Korea ranked 39th out of 63 countries in the 2017 Word Talent Report by the Swiss-based International Institute for Management Development (IMD), down from 38th the previous year.



The report measured countries' performance in various areas, such as worker motivation, education and workplace training.



In 2015, Korea placed 32nd, showing that Korea's competitiveness has been dwindling swiftly in the last few years. The country lags behind smaller Asian economies, such as Hong Kong (12th), Singapore (13th), Taiwan (23rd) and Malaysia (28th). Japan was ahead at 31st while China climbed two places from last year to 40th.



One of the biggest reasons for Korea's loss of talent competitiveness is a brain drain, particularly in the areas of science and technology. A study by the U.S. National Science Foundation showed more than 60 percent of Korean nationals who had acquired a Ph.D. in the U.S. wished to remain there. In contrast, about 70 percent of Chinese nationals chose to return to their home country after getting their Ph.D.



Korea has been unable to retain and attract talented people, mainly due to the rigid work culture that hampers innovation and creativity, and notorious working conditions marked by long hours and substandard pay. It was near the bottom of the index measuring worker motivation, ranking 59th out of 63 countries.



The most concerning aspect of the IMD report is that Korea was near the bottom of the index measuring the competitiveness of university education.



This means Korean university education is failing to meet the needs of the economy, particularly in the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. China has emerged as a leader in the new technology war, outdoing other Asian rivals in drones and other new tech items. That was made possible due to its advanced ICT research.



The IMD report underlines the need for reform of not just universities but the entire education system which is focused solely on achieving good grades and getting into prestigious universities.



It is worrisome that the Moon Jae-in administration's education policy is focused on promoting fair education rather than nurturing global talent. Moon's first education minister Kim Sang-gon has aroused controversy with his plans to abolish elite high schools. This kind of ill-conceived policy decision will only weaken the country's talent competitiveness.




Koh Dong-jin, president at Samsung Electronics' mobile unit, speaks during the Samsung Developer Conference 2017 in San Francisco last month. He shared the company's corporate vision of connecting devices via its intelligent voice assistant, Bixby. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics



By Lee Min-hyung



Samsung Electronics is speeding up its plan to connect everything via its artificial intelligence (AI) voice assistant, Bixby, by taking over a local chatbot startup, Fluenty.



Starting this year, the tech titan has identified "connectivity" as its new catchword, seeking to connect all of the firm's internet of things (IoT) devices via AI software.



This is part of the company's efforts to catch up with the AI-driven new paradigm shift in the global tech industry. The company also understands the importance of the connected platform to reduce its heavy reliance on its hardware businesses, such as chips and refrigerators.



On Tuesday, the company announced its acquisition of the Seoul-based startup which holds expertise in natural language learning and big data technologies. The company, established in 2015, consists of a group of nine software developers from the nation's leading tech companies, including Naver, LG Electronics and KT.



This marked the first time that the company acquired a local startup. Samsung Electronics did not unveil the exact value of the deal.



"The acquisition came as part of our group-wide efforts to connect everything via Bixby," a Samsung Electronics spokeswoman said. "Toward that end, we need to make a more accurate and natural AI service for which the startup is expected to contribute a lot."



In October last year, Samsung also took over a U.S.-based AI startup, Viv Labs, seeking to take advantage of its data management and language understanding technology.



At that time, the company unveiled its long-term vision of building an open AI ecosystem under which users will be able to control all their home appliances - including TVs, refrigerators and washing machines - simply by talking to Bixby.





Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 8 is the latest flagship smartphone equipped with the firm's Bixby voice assistant. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
POSCO Daewoo CEO Kim Young-sang, left, shakes hands with his CPBM counterpart Iqbal Ali Lakhani at CPBM's headquarters in Karachi on Nov. 29. / Courtesy of POSCO Daewoo



By Park Si-soo



POSCO Daewoo signed a deal to supply papermaking equipment worth $60 million to Pakistan's largest papermaker Century Paper & Board Mills Ltd. (CPBM), the company said Thursday.



The two companies signed the deal at CPBM's headquarters in Karachi on Nov. 29, with POSCO Daewoo CEO Kim Young-sang and his CPBM counterpart Iqbal Ali Lakhani attending.



Under the contract, the South Korean trading company will install equipment including a 195-meter machine capable of producing 130,000 tons of white board paper a year at the CPBM plant in Lahore. White board is a key material to produce high-quality wrapping paper. The deal is expected to help enhance CPBM's leadership in the market.



"POSCO Daewoo is South Korea's only trading company with first-hand experience in the papermaking business," Kim said. "We have expanded our presence in the business with deals and projects, building ties with paper companies. We are also trying to help other Korean companies enter Pakistan."



POSCO Daewoo has positioned itself as a major supplier of papermaking equipment with projects in China, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia. It is working to make progress in India's paper market.


Seen above is Korea Post's delivery drone with a package of mail and parcels weighing 8 kilograms at a landing site in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, Tuesday. The postal agency flew the drone to deliver packages to Deukryang Island, 4 kilometers offshore, in about 10 minutes. / Courtesy of Korea Post



By Yoon Sung-won



Korea Post has succeeded in delivering mail and parcels to an island using a drone for the first time in Korea, the agency said Tuesday.



With global e-commerce and logistics giants such as Amazon, Alibaba and DHL aggressively pushing for drone delivery systems, expectations are high on the benefits that the introduction of drone technology to postal services will bring for those in remote areas. Korea has more than 3,400 islands and islets, and mountains cover about 70 percent of its land area.



The postal service agency, under the Ministry of Science and ICT, said it has sent the drone from a site in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, to the town center on Deukryang Island, traveling about 4 kilometers over water.



The drone carried a package of mail and parcels weighing 8 kilograms while flying at an altitude of about 50 meters. Under a preset program, the entire process from landing, flight and delivery to return was conducted automatically without a human pilot.



Korea Post plans to launch a full-fledged drone delivery system by 2022. To this end, the agency will start establishing drone flight and control systems, and train maintenance workers next year. It will also test-run the project in 10 mountainous areas and islands nationwide between 2019 and 2021.



"Based on today's successful demonstration, we will establish a system not just to deliver mail to towns on mountains and islands but also to effectively distribute relief supplies in areas hit by natural disasters such as heavy snow using drones," Korea Post President Kang Seong-ju said.



"The agency expects the drone delivery service, which would be a successful combination of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and our postal business, will help people in remote areas receive better postal services.



Mail carriers on Deukryang Island have had to take a ship early in the morning to load mail and return to the island to deliver it. With the drone delivery system, the process between Goheung and the island was completed in 10 minutes, the agency said.



Korea Post started manufacturing drones specifically designed for postal services in cooperation with the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute. The two agencies have jointly tested the system by delivering mock-up parcels using drones in Goheung and Yeongwol in Gangwon Province between April and August to check its feasibility.



Private sector enterprises are also eager to introduce drone delivery systems to improve distribution efficiency.



Amazon, the world's top e-commerce enterprise, succeeded in delivering a 2.3kg parcel in Britain at the end of last year for the first time in the world and has since been working on the development of its own drone traffic control system. DHL in Germany is also testing a fully automated drone delivery system, in which the unmanned vehicles can fly even in bad weather.



Among Korean firms, CJ Korea Express is testing the safety of its drone system with the goal of providing drones for emergencies. Lotte Global Logistics is also developing its own drone parcel delivery system.


By Park Hyong-ki





Jeff Dean, senior fellow of Google's AI research / Google

TOKYO, Japan  Early this year, a Thai man only identified as Aum tried to find his family years after running away from home when he was 10 years old.



He did not know how to read or write, and he could not convince the local police that he was a runaway so they could help him find his parents.



But he knew how to use computers. So, he used Google's artificial intelligence (AI) audio search, in which he said his name in Thai.



The rest of the story unfolds in a happy ending or a fresh beginning for Aum, who was able to find his parents as the AI search via speech and language recognition matched his name with an organization devoted to finding missing children.



Like this life changing experience, Google wants to provide opportunities for anyone and any businesses not only to use its applications easily but also tackle and solve problems  or innovate  both personally and in business.



This will all be possible through continuous development of machine learning, enabling applications to work like a human brain and become smarter.



It can protect animals facing extinction such as sea cows and help reduce energy consumption.



"Machine learning is a new way of creating problem solving," said Jeff Dean, senior fellow and computer scientist from Google's headquarters at Mountain View, California.



Google held a forum under the theme of "Made With AI" here Tuesday.



Thanks to Moore's law, Dean said the neural networks of computing such as pattern recognition and learning from observation have significantly been enhanced.



"This is bringing in the new age of computing. Computers can see, and understand what people say via speech recognition. These are major changes in computing."



Google said it made a breakthrough in 2012 when its AI researchers and engineers were able to develop an artificial network model connecting 1 billion neurons.



The standard was 1 to 10 million neural connections. A human brain has about 100 billion neurons. Individual neurons recognize patterns and connect those experiences with other neurons.



With seven applications including Google Assistant, a robotic messenger, and Google Photo, an auto photo search, and Google Translate, an auto language translator via smartphone camera viewfinders, the U.S. tech giant is fully zeroing in on machine learning-based AI.



Dean reiterated that Google is an AI-first company, noting Google CEO Sundar Pichai's forecast that AI computing will become universally available in 10 years.



"It is important we increase (educational) access to machine learning," Dean said.



But he added the tech world needs to be more ethically and socially responsible as AI becomes universal.
Tivoli DKR will represent South Korean auto manufacturer Ssangyong Motor in Dakar 2018 in January next year. / Courtesy of YouTube



By Ko Dong-hwan



Ssangyong Motor is joining the world's most dangerous off-road challenge rally in Dakar for the first time in nine years next January with its Tivoli model.



The Tivoli DKR will travel a 9,000 kilometer course through deserts, sand dunes and wild terrain, starting in Lima, Peru, passing La Paz, Bolivia, and finishing in Cordoba, Argentina.









The Tivoli-based rig customized for the rally has 405 horsepower six-liter V8 engine, that reaches 96 k/ph in 4.4 seconds.



Driver Oscar Fuertes, a two-time Spanish Gravel Rally Champion, won the ticket to Dakar 2018 by winning the Baja Aragon in Teruel, Spain, with Tivoli Rally Raid 4WD in July.





The Dakar 2018 rally runs across tough off-road terrain in Peru, Bolivia and Argentina from Jan. 6 through 20. / dakar.com
Kumho Asiana Group Chairman Park Sam-koo

By Lee Hyo-sik



The Korea Development Bank (KDB) and other Kumho Tire creditors are expressing frustration with the head of Kumho Asiana Group, accusing him of not living up to his promises on the use of the Kumho trademark.



The creditors claim that Kumho Chairman Park Sam-koo promised to allow whoever acquires the struggling tire maker to use the Kumho brand for free when he met KDB Chairman Lee Dong-geol, Sept. 25. This was a day before KDB and other banks announced a plan to place Kumho Tire under a creditor-managed workout program.



However, Kumho Group officials dispute the creditors' account, insisting Park never promised the use of the Kumho brand for free. They say the chairman meant that he would let the buyer use the brand for a reasonable price.



The state-run bank said Friday it has written twice to Kumho Industrial, which owns the Kumho trademark, asking it to provide documents guaranteeing the free use of the brand. But it has not received any reply from the company, which Chairman Park controls.



"In order to complete due diligence on Kumho Tire and draw up its rescue plan in December, we need to straighten up all the issues concerning use of the Kumho brand," a KDB official said.



"As the Kumho chief promised in September, Kumho Group must allow the free use of the trademark for an entity that acquires the tire maker. If he doesn't keep his promise, we will have no choice but to take drastic measures," he said.



KDB recently decided not to give 2.2 billion won ($2 million) in severance pay to the Kumho chief, who served as Kumho Tire CEO for 13 years and six months.



"He has failed to turn the company around and should be held responsible for its trouble. So we decided to suspend the severance pay," the official said.



Kumho officials insist Park never promised the free use of the Kumho brand.



"The chairman never promised to allow anyone to use the trademark for free. This simply doesn't make any sense," one official said. "Kumho Tire has to pay 0.2 percent of its revenue in brand royalties like any other Kumho unit. Letting someone use the brand for free would be tantamount to committing breach of trust."



Kumho Tire creditors view Park as the main culprit behind the botched deal with Double Star, signed in March, because he made it difficult for the mid-tier Chinese tire maker to use the Kumho trademark after acquiring the firm.



After the deal fell through, KDB and other creditors, which hold a combined 42 percent stake in the cash-strapped tire maker, stripped Park of managerial control and subjected the firm to a stringent workout program to normalize operations.






POSCO Chairman Kwon Oh-joon, left, poses with Kosei Shindo, president of Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. and chairman of the World Steel Association, at the organization's general meeting in Brussels in this file photo taken on Oct. 17. Kwon will serve as the association's chairman next year. / Courtesy of POSCO
By Kim Hyo-jin





Sisun Lee

Sisun Lee, a 27-year-old Canadian based in the U.S., has experienced a life gone wild in the past couple of months.



The former engineer at Tesla quit what many would call a dream job in June and launched his own startup 82 Labs, Inc., to sell a hangover cure drink he created.



His venture hit $2 million in revenue through an e-commerce store in less than five months.



It all happened from what he called a "fun side project."



"I enjoyed doing it, and it naturally became a full-time job," Lee told The Korea Times in a recent email interview. "Once the project built momentum, I had to be bold and move fast to seize a special opportunity in front of me."



Lee only discovered the efficacy of the hangover cure drink during a rare trip to Seoul last year. Though heavily drunk over night, after trying one of the local products he woke up fine the next day. Ever since that experience, he could not shake off the feeling he should do more with it.



"I needed to understand what had just happened to my body and bring this to the world," he said.



Despite his hope to buy the product from Korean company, none of them welcomed a stranger with no background in consumer goods as a linkman representing them in the U.S.



He decided to create one himself and dug deeper into the core ingredient of anti-hangover drinks, which turned out to be a herbal compound called dihydromyricetin (DHM).



With the help of Dr. Jing Liang, a leading USC researcher on herbal remedies for hangovers, he came up with the product specifications and made samples through Korean manufacturers.



There was no direct overlap with his technological experience when it came to the science of producing a hangover cure beverage. Lee studied systems design engineering at the University of Waterloo and worked as a product manager at Facebook and Uber. He was working for Tesla as staff product manager.



But Lee said, "The experience still helped me with the framework of starting with understanding the goal, identifying the highest-impact solution, and executing it in an iterative way." He was able to bring the product to market fast.



The public response was overwhelming after he put his creation on Product Hunt, a website that helps launch new products. Tens of thousands of people requested samples. Meanwhile, he was able to raise funds from Slow Ventures, 500 startups, a Korean Venture Capital called Strong VC, and other angel investors.



Lee had to quit his full-time job at Tesla to take it to the next level. He earned FDA compliance and presented the drink branded as "Morning Recovery" to paying customers in July.



Lee puts his expectation high on how far the sales of his product can go in the U.S. market. About 60 percent of the entire orders came from American consumers while the remaining 40 percent were from Europe and Canada.



He noted South Korea's alcohol industry is $9 billion in size and its hangover drink industry is $200 million. Applying the same ratio to the $200 billion U.S. alcohol market, its hangover drink industry could be worth up to $5 billion in America alone, he said.



"Of course there are cultural differences and we can't apply 1:1 mapping but I think this is an illustration for massive potential in the States."



The entrepreneur has an extended goal in running the business  fundamentally curing hangovers. He sees the path he is taking now as a unique opportunity to solve a common problem the right way.
Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer Foxconn employs about a million workers across China.



By He Huifeng

Foxconn Technology Group, which assembles Apple's iPhone and other gadgets, on Wednesday said overtime by interns at its factory in Zhengzhou was "voluntary and compensated appropriately".

The manufacturer was responding to a Financial Times report accusing the plant of using students working illegal overtime to cope with iPhone X production.

According to the report, about 3,000 local vocational school students aged 17 to 19 were being compelled to routinely work 11-hour days assembling the iPhone X at the factory in Henan province.

Under Chinese labour law, it is illegal to compel or force people to work overtime, or not provide sufficient compensation for overtime. But it is legal if an employee, including an intern, is willing to work overtime, provided it is within the set limits and is compensated accordingly.

Foxconn said in a statement that its internal policy was that interns could not work more than 40 hours per week, but that policy had been breached.

"Unfortunately, there have been a number of cases where parts of our campuses have not adhered to this policy," it said. "We have investigated all of these cases and confirmed that while all work was voluntary and compensated appropriately, the interns did work overtime in violation of our policy."

Foxconn added that it had taken action to ensure "this will not be repeated", without giving details.

It did not name the factory or vocational schools involved, nor did it name any individuals or divisions that had violated the company policy.

Apple meanwhile said on Wednesday that it had taken "prompt action" to put a stop to the overtime by students when it found out about it.

"We've confirmed the students worked voluntarily, were compensated and provided benefits, but they should not have been allowed to work overtime," Apple said in a statement.

"When we found that some students were allowed to work overtime, we took prompt action. A team of specialists is on site at the facility working with the management on systems to ensure the appropriate standards are adhered to."

It is not the first time that Foxconn has been in the spotlight for alleged mistreatment of workers and labour violations. The Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer, which employs about a million workers across China, is known for hiring students from vocational schools as temporary workers to help meet its production schedule. The company said such internship programmes provided students with "the opportunity to gain practical work experience and on-the-job training in a number of areas of our operations".

In 2012, the company was found to have hired 56 teenagers  aged between 14 and 16  at its factory in Shandong province. The labour law stipulates that such workers must be aged over 16. The underage workers were students at local technical training colleges and had been taken on as interns.

It came after a research report was released in 2009 claiming Foxconn forced its assembly-line workers to do overtime that was double or triple the legal limit and frequently employed teenage students. The report was put together by 20 universities from Hong Kong, Taiwan and the mainland.

The maximum for overtime per day under the labour law is three hours  meaning the total working day should not exceed 11 hours. The total for a month is limited to 36 hours, and overtime pay should be at least 150 per cent of the normal wage.
Warships have measures in place to combat the jellyfish threat, but large numbers of the invertebrates can still cause problems.



By Stephen Chen





China is testing a new weapon to counter a major threat to aircraft carriers: jellyfish.



Dubbed the "jellyfish shredder", the instrument can clear a passage in water infested by jellyfish to give the carrier crew "peace of mind", according to a scientist involved in recent field tests.



The researcher, from the Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute based in Dalian, northeast China, requested not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.



Tan Yehui, a researcher with the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Guangzhou, said jellyfish posed a serious threat to aircraft carriers given the size and complexity of the warships.



A large number of the invertebrates can get sucked into a ship's water intake mouth and clog up the cooling system. This in turn can cause the carrier's engines to overheat, bringing them to a halt.



It can take hours, or even days, to remove the sticky remains of the jellyfish from filters and pipes.



China's first aircraft carrier the Liaoning ? originally a Soviet vessel ? was rebuilt in Dalian.



It is believed three more carriers are under construction at the strategic port in Bohai Bay, as China rapidly expands its naval power to protect its business and political interests around the globe.



Although warships already have measures in place to combat the jellyfish threat, encountering large numbers of them at once can still cause problems.



In 2006, America's nuclear-powered supercarrier USS Ronald Reagan was temporarily disabled after running into a swarm of jellyfish in the waters outside the Australian port of Brisbane.



"What happened to the American aircraft carrier can also happen to Chinese aircraft carriers," said Tan, who was not directly involved in the Liaoning tests.



The jellyfish shredder takes the form of a large net several hundred metres long with a cluster of sharp steel blades in the middle.



The net is towed by a boat travelling at high speeds, using the force of the rapid currents to suck the jellyfish into the blades.




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Winter an ideal time to beef up lawns, plant new additions The recent week-long visit of late-summer warmth may have been a distraction from the seasonal change on the horizon, but the piling up pin oak and maple droppings  combined...
PRESS RELEASE

NATO Getting Increasingly Hysterical Advice About Russia

Nov. 29, 2017 (EIRNS)Two reports have been released this week that might legitimately raise questions about the sanity of some of the institutions advising the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The famous quote, "Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad," comes to mind.

The first report comes from a Slovakia-based think tank called GlobSec, lead by retired Marine Gen. John Allen, which claims that NATO will be defeated in a war with Russia unless NATO can convince China to join the war on the side of NATO.

"NATO risks falling behind the pace of political change and technological developments that could alter the character of warfare, the structure of international relations and the role of the Alliance itself,"

the report, termed the NATO Adaptation Initiative, says, reports Newsweek.

"NATO must ensure it has the capacity to fight a future war if it is to deter and prevent such a war. And it must have the political tools and partnerships to reinforce its military capabilities,"

it added. Part of this strategy included reaching out to non-NATO states such as Australia, China, India, Japan, and South Korea.

The report urges NATOfacing historic challenges to its worldwide goals, Newsweek intonesto reach out to the next leading military power after the United States and Russia. Not only has China established the worlds largest standing army; Chinese President Xi Jinping has set out to revamp and revolutionize his armed forces into a world-class military "built to fight."

The second report comes from the Atlantic Council, calling for a permanent military presence in the Balkans for the purpose of countering Russian influence in the region by way of Belgrade. Turning Camp Bondsteel, the U.S. base and headquarters in Kosovo for the NATO peacekeeping mission there, into a permanent deployment

"would demonstrate an enduring U.S. commitment to security in the region and anchor the United States long-term ability to influence developments,"

reports the Voice of America. What the Atlantic Council is proposing has nothing to do with the wellbeing of Serbs or other peoples of the Balkans. Last month, Voice of America notes, Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin criticized remarks by Hoyt Brian Yee, the top U.S. diplomat in the region, who had called on Belgrade to choose between aligning itself with either Washington and Brussels or Moscow. The "statement was not made by a friend or a person respecting Serbia, respecting our right to decide independently," Vulin said.
PRESS RELEASE

North Korea Says It Has Completed Its Nuclear Force

Nov. 29, 2017 (EIRNS)Within a couple of hours of the launch, yesterday, assessments from the United States and South Korea were that North Korea had tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Yesterdays test, the first since Sept. 15, was the longest-and highest-flying test carried out by North Korea so far. North Korea said the new missile reached an altitude of around 4,475 kilometers (2,780 miles) and flew 950 km (590 miles) during its 53-minute flight, reported Reuters.

"After watching the successful launch of the new type ICBM Hwasong-15, Kim Jong Un declared with pride that now we have finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power,"

according to a statement read by a North Korean television presenter. North Korea described itself as a "responsible nuclear power", saying its strategic weapons were developed to defend itself from "the U.S. imperialists nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat." The Defense Department statement, issued about two hours after the launch, agreed that it was, indeed, an ICBM.

"Initial assessment indicates that this missile was an intercontinental ballistic missile," said Pentagon spokesman Col. Rob Manning.

While the expected condemnations of this latest North Korean test were made, there was no flight forward reaction from the Trump Administration. President Trump, himself, reportedly said after the launch, that it does not change the U.S. approach to North Korea.

"I will only tell you that we will take care of it," he said, adding, "It is a situation that we will handle."

Today, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that additional U.S. sanctions would come very soon and would add "maximum pressure" on North Korea. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that "Diplomatic options remain viable and open, for now." In Tokyo, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered an emergency meeting of Cabinet ministers following the launch, while the South Korean military responded by delivering a "precision strike" on practice targets. The difference between this and earlier such exercises, is that the South Koreans appeared to have been primed and ready to go before the North Korean launch. The UN Security Council was to have met today to discuss the launch.
PRESS RELEASE

Perry: Diplomacy the Only Alternative to a Disastrous Military Operation Against North Korea

Nov. 29, 2017 (EIRNS)The Japanese Asahi Shimbun newspaper yesterday published a lengthy interview with former Secretary of Defense William Perry, in which he says that the situation regarding North Korea is much more dangerous now than it was when he was dealing directly with Pyongyang in the 1990s. He partially attributes this to the George W. Bush Administration (2001-2009), which repudiated the agreements that the Clinton Administration had reached with North Korea.

"Discussions and negotiations with North Korea are the only reasonable alternative to what could turn into a disastrous military operation,"

he said. Kim Jong-uns objective, Perry said, "is preserving the Kim dynasty, sustaining the regime. Thats what hes all about. And he has succeeded in doing that."

Their second objective, he went on, "is to earn international respect and recognition." He said that this is what he had in mind when he was negotiating directly with Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-uns father, in 1999-2000i.e., how North Korea could get that respect and recognition without nuclear weapons. Today, Perry said, that negotiation would be much more difficult because now the regime has nuclear weapons whereas it didnt in 1999.

"So, we have to have very powerful incentives, to even get them to talk about doing it, to talk about freezing it, stopping it at some level, and then start working back,"

he said. "Thats a very tough negotiation."
PRESS RELEASE

Russians Say Intercept of U.S. Plane Prevented an International Incident

Nov. 29, 2017 (EIRNS)By intercepting a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft over the Black Sea on Nov. 25, the way it did, the Russian air force prevented an international "scandal" near the Russian border. This assertion was made by Lt. Gen. Viktor Sevastyanov this morning, according to Sputnik. According to Sevastyanov, the interception was carried out only after the U.S. reconnaissance plane flew to within 10 kilometers of the state border of Russia. The U.S. aircraft was forced to change its trajectory and move away from Russias airspace.

"Our pilots, in actual fact, helped U.S. colleagues avoid an international scandal that would have broken if they [had] violated Russias state border,"

Sevastyanov said.

Vladimir Kozin, a professor at the Russian Academy of Military Sciences, dismissed the Pentagons claims about "unsafe" Russian "behavior" as just "noise."

"There were no dangerous interceptions, and will not be any. Our pilots are responsible people, and understand that any dangerous interception can end badly for both sides. Therefore, instead of raising all this noise, the U.S. military should just stop its provocative flights near our territory,"

he told Sputnik.

Sputnik also reports that the Russian Defense Ministry has noted an uptick in U.S. spy flights along Russias periphery in recent months. In the seven-day period, twelve spy planes were caught approaching Russian airspace, including six on the western borders, three in the Russian Arctic, one on the southwestern flank, and two from the east. A week before that, 17 foreign aircraft were reported to be patrolling the border, with Russian planes scrambled twice to intercept.
Manhattan Beach

Jennifer Egan; read by Norbert Leo Butz, Heather Lind and Vincent Piazza

Actors Butz, Lind and Piazza read Pulitzer Prize winner Egans fifth novel, about a young woman who works as a diver at the Brooklyn Navy Yard during World War II, and the man who might know the secret behind her father's disappearance. (Simon & Schuster Audio)
Spinning

Tillie Walden

In her graphic memoir, Walden remembers her days as a young, talented figure skater who falls in love with a girl and realizes that the sport shes given a decade of her life to might not be what she wants to do with her life. (First Second)
Maserati global head Reid Bigland, who also runs the FCA sister division Alfa Romeo, is enjoying the best sales year in the Italian car companys 100-year history.

Thats largely on the back of the newly introduced Levante, Maseratis first and only SUV. The performance-oriented people mover has helped drive unit sales to record highs, Bigland said during a chat at the AutoMobility LA portion of the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Levante will account for more than 50% of Maserati global sales, which this year will probably top 50,000 cars  up from about 42,000 last year.

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So its only natural to wonder whether, or when, Levante might be joined by another SUV in the Maserati family.

Bigland said he does not foresee any larger Levante on the horizon, but he did not rule out the possibility of something smaller than the current version, something that might join the Alfa Romeo Stelvio in the smaller-SUV stable.

I dont think there will be a Levante Sr., Bigland said. As for Levante Jr., I think we have that space covered by Alfa Romeo. But is there room in the market for a premium midsize Levante? Were kicking it around.

Bigland said the Levante, in addition to adding sales, is also proving a conquest vehicle for the company. Car buyers who are cross-shopping Porsches Cayenne or Jaguar Land Rovers Range Rover are becoming Maserati customers, most of them coming to the brand for the first time.

But that does not encourage Bigland to imagine a lower-priced, entry-level Maserati to broaden market share, or at least not much below the $72,000 starting MSRP for the Levante.

We have not recklessly chased volume, Bigland said. We dont need to take Maserati down to the $30,000 price point to chase customers. We can do that with products made by Dodge or Chrysler.

charles.fleming@latimes.com

@misterfleming
In the nearly 66-year history of NBCs Today, the program that invented morning television, all of its stars have been considered part of an extended family.

Every few years, regardless of whether they were fired or unceremoniously replaced, the hosts reappear to help celebrate a show milestone. Even J. Fred Muggs, the chimp who was removed for biting guests on the program in the 1950s, was invited back. They were part of the Today legacy  a carefully molded, yet intimate, group of personalities welcomed into the homes of millions of Americans each morning.

But Matt Lauer may never show up in the programs Rockefeller Plaza studio again after the network announced Wednesday that he was fired for inappropriate sexual behavior, making him the latest TV news star to be brought down by such allegations.

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Lauers departure could have far-reaching reverberations  not just for NBC and Today, but for morning television, which has started to see its audience and influence erode after decades of dominance. As audiences become more fragmented and news consumers, especially younger ones, turn to new technology, personalities known to viewers on a first-name basis are increasingly hard to come by.

One veteran news producer who worked with Lauer predicted his departure would likely cut into the ratings for Today by 10% to 15%. But along with the decline in viewers, the loss of Lauer means morning TV will be without one of its most recognizable faces.

He was pivotal to the success of the Today show  an important part of a crown jewel of the NBCUniversal empire, said Stephen Hahn-Griffiths, chief research officer of the Reputation Institute in Boston. His demeanor and his general disposition clearly was palatable across the gender spectrum. He also has journalistic credibility.

The prominence of the broadcast television news anchor has ebbed in recent years with the retirement of longtime standard-bearers such as Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw, the death of Peter Jennings, the demotion of Brian Williams  and the rise of cable news networks CNN, MSNBC and Fox News.

Morning anchor jobs have become higher-profile than their evening news counterparts, as they are major profit centers for their companies and can set the agenda for the rest of the day even in the age of the internet.

One reason Lauer stayed at Today for so long is that the morning anchor job has maintained its high profile in the culture while broadcast TV ratings have faded. Even as the audience for Today has declined in recent years, with 4.2 million viewers in the 2016-17 season, compared with 4.6 million for ABCs Good Morning America and 3.56 million for CBS This Morning, Lauer was still the best-known  and one of the most liked  personalities in all of television.

Lauer, who had been with the show for 23 years, also wielded tremendous power at Today as he became its biggest star after Katie Couric departed in 2006. His influence over the program grew in recent years to the point that no male successor has emerged on the program. Its likely that co-anchor Savannah Guthrie will be paired with Hoda Kotb in at least the short term.

His popularity in the shows storied history was rivaled only by that of founding host Dave Garroway; its first female star, Barbara Walters; and Couric.

Lauers outsized power was not necessarily healthy for the show, according to Michael Socolow, a media historian and associate professor at the University of Maine. It may have even allowed the harassment allegations that have been raised against him to fester.

The $20-million-plus network television news anchor is done, Socolow said. The Matt Lauer issue is a corporate management problem. And with Lauer gone, so will be the kind of control over personnel and broadcasts that set up these problems.

Since Meredith Vieira left the program in 2011, Today has lost about 1 million viewers and relinquished its 16-consecutive-year streak of success in the ratings to ABCs Good Morning America in 2012. But NBC News has re-upped Lauers contract twice since then, fearing his departure would lead to further erosion. Now the division will learn whether that is the case.

Neal Shapiro, a former president of NBC News, believes Today can weather the change even though Lauer loomed large over the franchise in recent years.

I dont think its the end of an era  morning shows are ensembles and people come and go, Shapiro said. Im sure it will be a challenging time for Today going forward. But peoples relationships with those shows are not just with a single anchor. They are often with a whole network. They are long-running shows for a reason because of the time period they are in and the substance they have.

The Today audience who watched Lauers steady rise to stardom developed a strong connection to him over time. He wasnt an overnight sensation, but persevered for years before he became the highest-paid anchor in television, earning in excess of $20 million annually in recent years.

Lauer spent the first 10 years of his broadcasting career as a journeyman host in local television and was ready to quit and take a job as a tree-cutter in 1992. His luck turned after he received a call from an executive at WNBC in New York who offered him a job reading the early-morning news on the local station. Lauer soon found himself filling in as the newsreader on Today, and by 1994 he had the job full time.

Lauer became a co-anchor alongside Couric in 1997, and their on-air interactions, in which they would playfully zing each other like siblings, made them an immediate sensation.

As a team, Lauer, Couric, news reader Ann Curry and weather anchor Al Roker became the morning TV equivalent of the Beatles, attracting excited crowds outside the street-level studio in the concrete canyon of Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan.

Today became so popular that it enabled NBC to expand the morning franchise into the 9 a.m. hour in 2000, and to 10 a.m. in 2008 with other hosts.

Over time, Lauer emerged as the star of the program. Morning show producers say he was better than any other male host at alternating between serious, hard-news interviews and the soft features and stunts required by morning TV.

I think of Matt as the James Bond of the broadcast, Curry said in a 2011 interview. He is so good at everything.

But Lauer had some bumps along the road, starting with Curry. A beloved Today cast member, Curry did not succeed when promoted to be Lauers co-anchor in 2011. Their lack of on-air rapport was apparent and ratings dropped. Curry was ultimately pulled from the co-anchor chair, and many female fans blamed Lauer, saying he had a condescending attitude toward her and hastened her exit.

Lauer also faced criticism last year for his handling of a town hall forum between presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in which he cut off Clinton repeatedly, but allowed a false claim by Trump to go unchallenged.

stephen.battaglio@latimes.com

Twitter: @SteveBattaglio

Times staff writer Meg James contributed to this report.
Fired Today co-anchor Matt Lauer issued an apology Thursday in response to allegations of sexual misbehavior that cost him his job at NBC News.

There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions, Lauer said in a statement. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry. As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC. Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly. Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and Im committed to beginning that effort. It is now my full-time job. The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws. Its been humbling. I am blessed to be surrounded by the people I love. I thank them for their patience and grace.

Lauer, 59, lost his job on Tuesday night, a day after NBC executives heard a formal complaint from a female network employee who said Lauer engaged in inappropriate behavior throughout 2014, including while Today was broadcasting from Sochi, Russia, to cover the Winter Olympics.

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Since NBC announced Lauers firing, the New York Times and Variety have published detailed accounts of other women who complained of inappropriate behavior by the co-anchor.

Variety reported allegations that Lauer once gave a colleague a sex toy with an explicit note, showed his penis to another co-worker, and questioned producers about their sex lives.

According to the New York Times, one complaint came from a former NBC employee who said Lauer had summoned her to his office in 2001, locked the door and sexually assaulted her.

An NBC News spokesperson said Wednesday that two more accusers have come forward with harassment complaints about Lauer since the news broke earlier that day. The company said current NBC News management was not aware of any complaints about Lauers conduct before the employee who came forward Monday night.

With Lauers departure, Today 10 a.m. co-host Hoda Kotb is filling in next to co-anchor Savannah Guthrie during the 7-to-9 a.m. hours of the NBC program, which led with a report on the allegations on Thursday.

Lauer, 59, is the second morning news anchor to be fired this month in connection with allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior. Last week, Charlie Rose was dismissed from his co-host job at CBS This Morning after a report that eight women complained about his behavior at his long-running nightly talk show at PBS, which has now been dropped.

stephen.battaglio@latimes.com

Twitter: @SteveBattaglio
LA Weekly was sold Wednesday, with all of its top editors and all but one of its writers laid off as the deal closed. A day later, the alternative newsweeklys buyers are still shrouded in secrecy.

That secrecy is appalling and offensive, the president of the Society for Professional Journalists said Thursday, demanding public disclosure of the owners names.

Semanal Media Group  a company that a group of investors created six weeks ago for the purpose of buying LA Weekly  is the publications official new owner.

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According to documents filed with the California secretary of states office, Semanal is helmed by David Welch, a Los Angeles attorney known for representing members of the cannabis industry. Brian Calle, who was hired to manage LA Weeklys operations, has said Welch also invested in Semanal.

None of Semanals other investors has disclosed their identities to the public.

Welch has repeatedly declined to speak to the Los Angeles Times or not returned calls.

Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of UC Berkeleys law school, said Thursday that he has agreed to invest in Semanal, in part because he has enormous admiration and respect for Calle. For years, Chemerinsky  then the dean of UC Irvines law school  wrote a weekly column for the Orange County Registers opinion pages, which Calle oversaw.

Chemerinsky said that he has not yet made the investment and that he does not know who the current investors are.

The Society for Professional Journalists rebuked the Semanal investors for their secrecy.

In an era of rampant misinformation and distrust, its especially important that we do not allow the owners and backers of news organizations to remain a mystery, Andrew Seaman, SPJs ethics committee chairperson, said in a statement. We cannot allow this to become the norm.

There is no excuse for the owners of the LA Weekly to hide their identities, and they should be revealed immediately, SPJ President Rebecca Baker said in the statement. To not reveal yourselves is to treat your readers with less dignity than humans deserve and with less respect than democracy should demand. It is appalling and offensive.

The national journalists group was not alone in advocating for answers.

On Wednesday night  after nine of the publications 13 editorial staffers were laid off and the Semanal deal closed  a post appeared on LA Weeklys website with the headline Who Owns L.A. Weekly?

A story just posted on the website of the now-gutted @laweekly asks: Who owns LA Weekly? Screen grabs of the piece by @kplo for when it gets taken down: pic.twitter.com/YBiobGn0U4  Daniel Miller (@DanielNMiller) November 30, 2017

Its a good idea to know who is profiting in any situation. Why? So you can make educated decisions, says the post by Keith Plocek, who teaches journalism at USC. From 2011 to 2014, Plocek worked at LA Weekly and its former parent company, Voice Media Group, and he has written some freelance articles for the publication.

The new owners of L.A. Weekly dont want you to know who they are, the post says. They are hiding from you.

Plocek said in an email that he wrote the post because everyone deserves to know who now owns the publication. Its a question of transparency.

He did not respond to an email asking how the post came to be published on the website.

lauren.raab@latimes.com

UPDATES:

6:05 p.m.: This article was updated with comment from Erwin Chemerinsky.

This article was originally published at 2:10 p.m.
California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra sued an Orange County janitorial company, alleging the firm engaged in a conspiracy to defraud its workers who clean the stores of major retailers throughout the state.

Becerra, in a suit filed Thursday in Orange County Superior Court, alleged One Source Facility Solution paid below minimum wage, underreported payroll taxes and gave false information to its workers compensation insurance carrier.

The Anaheim company is a subcontractor for facility management company USM and provides workers to clean the stores of Toys R Us, Ross Dress for Less and Burlington Coat Factory, among others, the attorney generals office said.

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Working men and women, especially those who are paid close to the minimum wage, depend on every penny theyve earned to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads, Becerra said in a statement. One Source exploited these hardworking, modest-earning Californians who clean the very stores we shop in.

Dilip Joshi, whom the attorney general identified as the companys chief executive, was also named in the lawsuit.

Neither One Source nor Joshi could immediately be reached for comment. No one answered the phone at a number listed online for One Source or at a number listed for a Dilip Joshi of Orange County.

A website for the company could also not be found. A spokeswoman for USM did not respond to a voice message seeking comment.

The lawsuit does not cite a specific number of One Source workers alleged to have been paid under minimum wage, but says that since 2013, One Source has hired no fewer than 150 employees to work in at least 80 locations.

The attorney generals office is asking that at least $1 million in restitution be paid to workers and any other affected parties.

andrew.khouri@latimes.com

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Angelina Jolie discusses directing First They Killed My Father Director Angelina Jolie explains how she was mindful of the emotions that could be evoked by the scenes she was re-creating to film First They Killed My Father in Cambodia.
Fresh off the success of his first Broadway hit, British playwright Martin McDonagh got on a Greyhound bus 20 years ago headed for Texas on a getting-to-know-America road trip. Looking out the window somewhere in the Deep South, he spotted a couple of billboards in the middle of a field.

It was this raging, painful message calling out the cops about a crime, says McDonagh, lounging in the screening room off the lobby of a West Hollywood hotel, dressed all in black, taupe boots with a frosted head of buzz-cut hair. Now a filmmaker with three movies to his name, his latest draws on that experience, casting Frances McDormand as a woman seeking justice for her daughter, who was raped and murdered, in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

McDonagh says, The title came from the concept and the concept came from that image, which stayed in my mind for years: What kind of pain would lead somebody to do that? It takes a lot of guts  and a lot of anger. Once I decided it was a mother who put up the billboards, the character of Mildred just sprang forth and the story kind of wrote itself, McDonagh says and laughs. I just sat there and listened.

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 Actor Sam Rockwell and writer-director Martin McDonagh sat down with the L.A. Times to discuss Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri at the Toronto International Film Festival. The quirky drama, which takes a look at contemporary life in Ameri

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Born in London to Irish parents, he obsessed over Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese films as a 12-year-old, quit school at 16 and eventually found his voice as a playwright, authoring The Beauty Queen of Leenane and five other acclaimed stage works. He became enamored with McDormand through her performances in the Coen brothers Blood Simple and the 2011 Broadway tragicomedy Good People.

Frances was the only woman in my head because I knew she wouldnt sentimentalize Mildred or patronize the working-class aspects of her character, McDonagh says. I also needed someone who has dexterity with humor. She knows how to play it deadpan and let the comedy take care of itself. Also, Frances has this steely determination, both as a person and as an actress.

While the avenging mother drives the story, Three Billboards gains dimension through Woody Harrelsons non-villainous portrayal of Sheriff Willoughby, shamed by name in Mildreds billboard. But the films most surprising character arc comes courtesy of Sam Rockwell as bad cop Dixon. Homophobic, racist and misogynistic, Dixon pivots toward some measure of redemption after throwing a local man from a second-story window. McDonagh says, I wanted to show all of the characters ignorance and hatred, but it was important to not judge Sams character. I wanted to say there can be room for change and hope if you look at the humanity rather than the ism.

In lesser hands, Dixon might feel unconvincing, but McDonagh had complete confidence in Rockwell. I think Sam is the best actor of his generation and thats why I keep writing for him, he says. I didnt worry about Sam making the behavior any less ugly. It was more about leaving room for the audience to not hate him completely.

I think Sam [Rockwell] is the best actor of his generation and thats why I keep writing for him.  Martin McDonagh

The movies site-specific title notwithstanding, there is no such place as Ebbing. When McDonagh wrote the script eight years ago, he invented the name. I just liked those two syllables, he says. Filmmakers found a small town in North Carolina to serve as the fictional setting and when McDormand showed up on set in May 2016, she didnt require much in the way of actor-whispering from McDonagh to get into Molotov cocktail-throwing mode.

Both Frances and I were determined to not make Mildred more palatable to an audience, despite some of her behavior. We figured male antiheroes are allowed to get away with that, so why not female ones?

In a nod to Hollywoods golden age of female-driven drama, McDonagh named McDormands character after Joan Crawfords 1945 movie Mildred Pierce. He says, The names old school, but in some ways the whole film feels like it could be set 20, 30 years ago. As timing would have it, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri hit theaters Nov. 10 amid unprecedented outrage over sexual violence against women.

Honestly, this film would have been the same if we had made it eight years ago or eight years hence, McDonough notes. But putting out a film right now with a strong, smart, determined and outraged woman character in the lead role  that feels right to me.

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Remember the scene that sticks with you as the films credits roll? The one youre probably able to remember most readily an hour, a day, a week after seeing a great film? Thats a key scene, and as these award season directors remind us, what makes a key scene crackle can be any number of elements  but mostly, theyre the unexpected, emotional events that make the film worth watching over and over again.

Darren Aronofsky

Mother! (September release)

Its a very strange film because it is so linear. Normally, when you make most movies you can move scenes around and they create other meanings, and you can do a lot in the edit room. The most important part of the film, and the part I like the most is the fever dream. Reel five of this movie is a 25-minute-long sequence of escalating intensity where the world becomes more of a nightmare. Every department had to work together to create this sequence where the world is escalating and falling apart, yet the audience hopefully remains grounded because of Jennifer Lawrence and the truthfulness of her emotions.

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Bong Joon Ho

Okja (on Netflix)

The essence of this film is contained in the three scenes where one character whispers into the ear of another character. Out of these three scenes, the absolute key scene is the third and final moment where Okja whispers into Mijas ear. It is a moment where the animal whispers into the little girls ear. That, to me, feels like the key scene. Youll understand why after you watch the film!

Scott Cooper

Hostiles (Dec. 22)

Spoiler alert! The key scene comes toward the end of the film, when Capt. Blocker [Christian Bale] approaches a near-death Chief Yellow Hawk [Wes Studi], and these two men come together over their shared loss. They are former bitter rivals who illustrate the strength and humanity to come together as one, understanding that death touches us all. In the film, Christian says in Cheyenne, A part of me dies with you. These are two people who have fought one another for years, but in this moment they demonstrate healing and inclusion and an understanding of the others way of life.

Stephen Frears

Victoria & Abdul (October release)

Theres a very good scene where Victoria realizes shes made a mistake. Its all to do with the Indian mutiny; she thought the Indians were responsible [and blamed Abdul, who is Muslim], and she realizes shes made a mistake. And in making that mistake, she is embarrassed. There is always a moment where you try to get [actress] Judi Dench in a mess, and she makes a fool of herself and then she has to get out of it. I remember being very conscious of it in Philomena, where she had to dig herself out of a hole she created.

Craig Gillespie

I, Tonya (Dec. 8)

Its a scene with Margot [Robbie] right before Tonya [Harding] goes on the ice at Lillehammer. I didnt want to condone what she did, but I wanted to put a human face on it, and it comes down to this moment  which ended up being a spontaneous take that completely grounds the film. Its the shot where shes in front of the mirror and trying to put on her makeup. We did it in one take, and shes so dialed in on that moment, its moving.

Aaron Sorkin

Mollys Game (Dec. 25)

Theres a scene toward the end where Molly (Jessica Chastain) and Larry (Kevin Costner) are on a bench in Central Park near the skating rink. This is a moment all protagonists are required to have: a moment of self-reflection, where they realize something about themselves they hadnt realized before, and that moment is generally catalyzed by another person. In this case, its her father, who has been a strong force in her life  not always for good. Aside from being beautifully performed by those actors, you get this moment of release. We dont see much of Kevin in the movie  but we feel him because of something that happens in the beginning. So this scene is not the conclusion of the movie, but of this one story.

Joe Wright

Darkest Hour (In theaters)

The big war cabinet meeting, which comes about 45 minutes into the movie. It was a 10-page dialogue scene, with 17 men sitting around a table, and its in that scene that we set out the central dilemma for Churchill [Gary Oldman], whether to choose appeasement or continue his policy of resistance. Ten pages of dialogue doesnt scream cinematically, so I had to find a way of creating a kind of kinetic, dramatic tension, and that was a great challenge. I wanted to see if I could shape something out of clay, something that had a geography that the audience could see play like a thriller.

Kenneth Branagh

Murder on the Orient Express (In theaters)

Finding the body is a key scene. I found myself inspired by Alfred Hitchcock  in a sequence of his Dial M for Murder, for an extended period we jump to an angle above the action  a birds-eye view. That perspective establishes that we cant see how the characters are reacting, and its an unsettling experience. So as an audience, we have to lean in and it becomes clinical, with an implacable quality. From above, we understand that Poirot understands something else is going on  yet we do not go in and see the body. We put the audience in the same position as the murder suspects, denying them information at this time and surprising them with it later. This forbidden quality is quite forensic, and unsettling.

James Gray

The Lost City of Z (April release)

Fawcett [Charlie Hunnam] had these journals hed take with him on the raft, and theres a scene where he walks across the river and an arrow goes into his journal. Hes holding it out in front of his face, and he makes contact with the tribe across the river. Its the scene in which a common humanity has begun to enter the discussion. Its when I felt the film would try to uproot the notion that the jungle is full of savages and makes everyone crazy who goes there.

James Mangold

Logan (March release)

Its Patrick Stewarts first scene in the film. Hes in the dome and speaking with Hugh Jackman. Its a scene that was allowed to breathe  and we learned about character. We leaned into the character in this eight-minute, two-person scene. A lot of people ask me about the rating of the movie  why it had to be R  and I say theres a frankness and sexuality you can explore with an R rating, but another thing happens with an R: the movie is no longer under requirement to be sold to kids. That means you dont have to up-cut it so it feels like a commercial, and you can live with the characters a little more. Patrick and Hugh are phenomenal in it  it spelled out for me that we were on the right track and on the hunt for something interesting. The emotional fragility of their characters was provocative to watch, given the strength and power wed seen from these characters in the past.

Marti Noxon

To the Bone (July release)

Its the scene where Ellen [Lily Collins] is with her mother Judy [Lili Taylor], and mom is trying to repair some of the damage shes done in the past by feeding her. Its one of those scenes that actually happened in my life, so I knew the tone of it. It needed to be incredibly awkward and almost funny, then turn and become incredibly emotional and sad. Its the moment where we turned from naturalism to almost surrealism, and the DP and I looked at each other and said, We need a crane. In the language of the film we didnt use cranes at all until this sequence, and it worked beautifully. It takes you to a whole other place.

Andy Serkis

Breathe (October release)

It comes in the first act of the movie, where Robin Cavendish [Andrew Garfield] has contracted polio and wishes to die, and hes incarcerated in a hospital thats a waiting room for death. His wife says to him, how can I make life better for you? And Robins response is: Get me out of here. Get me out of hospital. Thats the beginning of them breaking the shackles of what it meant to be disabled. They become pioneers and mavericks, because they are always two minutes from his death. The enormity of what they are trying to achieve is stepping out into the unknown  and thats the real journey of the movie for me.

Danny Strong

Rebel in the Rye (September release)

The film climaxes with a scene with Whit [Kevin Spacey] and J.D. [Nicholas Hoult] in the woods. Its the final scene between the two of them, and Whit walks away while J.D. tries to speak  but he cant, and in that moment we know hes not going to be able to go back to who he was before. Its the moment where Salinger knows he can never go back again, and he cant speak. Its very impactful.

Richard Linklater

Last Flag Flying (In theaters)

The movie kind of builds. Theres a big scene later in the movie where they hunt down the mother of the buddy of theirs who died in Vietnam. A lot has come to a head between them, and its still bugging them all these years later. So they knock on her door  and its Cicely Tyson whos the mom. She answers and you can feel her loss from all the way back there. Sals [Bryan Cranston] on a mission to tell her what happened. He realizes her interpretation of how her son died is not what he knows  and he has to make a choice. The movie is largely about truth: what it is, how its used and what its used for. In that case, he backs off of absolute truth and allows her to keep believing what she wants to believe.

Martin McDonagh

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (In theaters)

Probably the deer scene, with Mildred (Frances McDormand) and the deer. Because thats one of the only times we see her when shes not raging, when shes alone and has to deal with the pain and the memory of the daughter and the tragedy. Its almost the only time that were let inside of that rage. So it has to be as truthful and as sad as it could be. It was dusk. We got it probably around take four or five. Id give a couple of notes, try little variations and modulations. I could usually use everything from take three, four and five. My work with Frances, most of it is done before shooting. She was so on the money about who she was, there wasnt a lot of micro-management on the day. It was just about letting the camera run.

Dee Rees

Mudbound (In theaters)

Theres a moment where Ronsel (Jason Mitchell) and Jamie (Garrett Hedlund) have this trust fall  Ronsel takes Jamie to this place where he likes to think, and asks, Why are you being so nice to me? and Jamie reveals that he was saved by [an African American fighter pilot in WWII], and its a moment between these characters where they see each other differently. They have already had this connection of being soldiers, but in that moment you can see the regard they have for each other change.

Matt Reeves

War for the Planet of the Apes (July release)

The scene in the last section of the movie where Andy and Woody confront each other. Caesar [Andy Serkis] has come there to kill the Colonel [Woody Harrelson] and discovers that the Colonel is starting to devolve. The war of emotions in that scene is epic, for both of them. The idea of Caesar not letting that [need for revenge] go until hes confronted with the fact that the Colonel is succumbing to the virus and is now in the most vulnerable position -- and understanding that the Colonel also lost his son in a much darker way. You see Caesar, whos so filled with rage. Hes relishing the moment hes finally going to sate that revenge and suddenly he sees something he didnt expect and then everything changes. So that was a pivotal scene for sure.

Dan Gilroy

Roman J. Israel, Esq. (In theaters)

Theres a scene where Roman (Denzel Washington), who has spent his life as a civil rights attorney and activist, is invited to speak to a group of young activists. What starts out gloriously for him as a kind of reconnecting with his roots [becomes a realization] theres a generational divide between him and the kids he is speaking to. Its pivotal, because Roman realizes that his connection to the activism is not as strong as he thought it was and its a contributing theme that leads him on a path to a different place and pushes him away from some of his beliefs.

Envelope writer Hugh Hart contributed to this report.

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Its not true that I always wanted to direct, says Aaron Sorkin, who audiences know best for his balletic verbosity in such screenplays as A Few Good Men and The Social Network, and from the TV series The West Wing. Ive never felt that screenwriting was a stepping stone to another job  it was the job I wanted.

Yet Sorkin is now a debut helmer with Mollys Game -- a Christmas release starring Jessica Chastain and featuring Idris Elba and Kevin Costner -- despite his admission: I cant pick a long lens out of a police lineup. Jumping into the deep end of a big pool is true on a lot of levels.

Some notable film directors have started their careers in different disciplines of the business, actors, writers, etc. (Anthony Russo / For The Times )

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Making that leap into the virtual unknown didnt stop Sorkin or other Hollywood vets best known for expertise in other areas of filmmaking. This year, writers-turned-first-time-directors include Danny Strong (Rebel in the Rye), Marti Noxon (To the Bone) and Sorkin. Actors too are changing chairs. Greta Gerwig made her directorial debut with Lady Bird, Jordan Peele with Get Out, Andy Serkis with Breathe and actor Kumail Nanjiani wrote and starred in The Big Sick.

For some, this has been a long-planned move. Strong says he wanted to direct once he watched his first screenplay, Recount, being produced in 2008. It turned it from a one day Ill do this to an actual goal, he says. I saw [director] Jay Roach up close making decisions and realized I wanted to be in charge of the company.

Serkis first turn as a director is the upcoming Jungle Book, but its his second film, Breathe, that hit theaters last month. For him, wanting to direct goes all the way back to before even becoming an actor, he says, when he studied visual arts in college and then got bit by the acting bug. Spending years working on Peter Jacksons Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films was an extraordinary film education, he says.

Actor Andy Serkis, who portrayed lead ape Caesar with motion capture in War for the Planet of the Apes, " is photographed in his debut as a director for the film, Breathe, " at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times )

See the most read stories this hour 

Being an actor, says Serkis, gave him a leg up in understanding just how to approach both scenes and actors alike. Actors can make great directors, says Serkis. They know what its like not to be prescribed to. As a director, its your prerogative to shift the performance to shape the narrative and tone, but the skill is to do that without in any way fettering what the actors want to do.

For Nanjiani, sculpting those scenes on the page was made easier thanks to his acting experiences. As an actor youre always breaking down the emotional journey, or arc of the scene, and how it affects the cast or relationship to the character, he says.

He was also prepared by producer Judd Apatow for all the rewrites that would be necessary to get a script that would work: Each rewrite, even if we got just a little bit better, we knew we were heading in the right direction.

Intriguingly, most of the filmmakers making their transitions did so while being relatively unconcerned that their technical knowledge might be lacking. Most had experience watching from the sets of films (Sorkin says hes not done working with great directors like David Fincher; Strong had Lee Daniels pulling a few strings at Fox to get him practice directing Empire episodes).

Director Dan Gilroy (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times )

And they didnt flinch at the idea of learning either on the job or after the job, as Dan Gilroy notes. Gilroys second film, Roman J. Israel, Esq. is just entering the awards season conversation, but his 2014 Nightcrawler led him to spend the in-between years really educating myself; I studied lenses and digital versus film for two to three years.

Noxon, on the other hand, hesitated before directing her own script. Like Sorkin, shed been a showrunner on TV series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Private Practice, but says, Theres a real machismo in the film business thats not conscious  but they tell you in every way possible way that youre not able to direct. That youre not smart enough, or you dont know cameras, and as a woman raised in a certain era I certainly bought into that.

Fortunately, she notes, The miraculous thing was discovering with To the Bone that I didnt have to know everything, and just had to surround myself with people who knew more than I did, and wed help each other.

Which is ultimately what every director has to do, whether its a first or a 40th film  since, after all, a directors education never wraps.

I know I still need to learn everything, says Strong. Its endless. I feel like I went to grad school and got a PhD making the film. You really are thrown into the deep end  and its just an incredible learning experience.

Television and film writer Marti Noxon is photographed at her home in Studio City on January 13, 2017. Noxon is making her feature film debut as a writer-director at Sundance with , To the Bone, " a story of a young womans battle with an eating disorder. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times )

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Dee Rees may be a relatively new director, but shes unafraid to tackle the big stories  like an adaptation (written by Virgil Williams) of the award-winning book by Hillary Jordan, Mudbound. Telling the story of two families in Mississippi  one white, one black  during the tumultuous Jim Crow years before and after WWII, it finds love and warmth amid the daily oppressive horrors of systemic racism. The cast and Rees sat down with The Envelope to explore how the films story of the past is also the prologue for modern America.

This is a big sprawling tale with a lot of characters stories. What drew you to it initially?

Dee Rees (director): I wanted to tell the story because of the multiplicity of voices, because I could give it depth and nuance and make it nuanced and interesting. The risk with this kind of material is it could be nobodys story  it could be schmaltzy and presentational. I knew I could make it layered.

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Jason Mitchell (Ronsel): This is my story; this is a lot of peoples in the South story. Im from New Orleans and Ive watched so many guys have to put their head down and keep their opinions to themselves and Ronsel was so much more than that.

Mary J. Blige (Florence): Florence is a woman that I know and Im sure everyone knows. That woman is my grandmother, shes my aunt, and I related to that  I believed I would be able to give something to that character and make her live.

Garrett Hedlund (Jamie): Id seen [Dees film] Pariah and theres this scene where the gals on the bus coming back after the party and she held this shot of the girl forever, working through her internal dilemma. I thought, if I can work with a director that lets you explore the mentality and crisis that characters are going through for an extended period of time, thats something I want to be a part of.

Jason Clarke (Henry): It just felt like a great big huge American film and as a foreigner [Clarke is Australian] I was really excited about that. It lacked sentimentality, it didnt let anybody off the hook. Playing a nice, kind, gentle white racist  [laughter in the room]  was also different.

Rees: A sneering racist.

Films about the black experience in U.S history seem to bounce between slavery/Civil War, and the Civil Rights era. Why do we skip over this pre- and post-WWII era?

Rees: Because its still going on. They want to go straight to the win  and even then we didnt win. When a certain person says make America great again, I think this period is the again hes referring to. And Im trying to get behind this mythology of the greatest generation, who we were, what we really did and what did it cost. The American educational system has a reductive, simplified view of history. But things didnt end with [the abolishment of] slavery. This period is our link between our then and our now.

Rob Morgan (Hap): When I was in Germany  at this convention with 50,000 Germans  I was like the only black person there, and I didnt come nowhere near the racial tension I feel just walking in front of this hotel [in New York City]. Three or four of them told me that in their school system theyre taught to atone for the atrocities of their forefathers. America doesnt do that.

Carey Mulligan (Laura): I had never seen a picture of a black man in the Second World War. I knew intellectually [that] black men were found in the war, but I dont think it was part of my understanding. Thats crazy, because the amount of famous iconic imagery there is from the war  and I couldnt think of one. That was so strange to me.

Mitchell: As a country, we have blood on our hands and we have to stop overlooking the fact that its just white privilege. Its something thats taught. A lot of people teach their kids this racially bigoted mind frame.

Rees: I was born in 1977 and I was still getting bused to school because Nashville was still segregated in some ways. When you dont acknowledge that legacy, you dont have to take responsibility for what to do next.

When you decided to make this film, did you speak with your relatives about how much of this rang true for them? Or was it not talked about?

Rees: I have my grandmothers journals to draw on. She talks about her parents picking cotton; she said she was never going to pick cotton, she was going to be a stenographer. World War II opened up opportunities for her she wouldnt ordinarily have gotten. But my grandfather  he went to war and his big comeuppance was you get to be a postal carrier now. He didnt get the GI Bill, the house. He got youre allowed to stick around. Despite contributions, he was kept on the outside.

The person who owns the pen is the one who writes the history  so were glad were working with Dee Rees, because shes got a pen in her hand!  Rob Morgan

Morgan: The person who owns the pen is the one who writes the history  so were glad were working with Dee Rees, because shes got a pen in her hand!

The title Mudbound is the title of Jordans book; what other significance does it convey?

Rees: You can think of the mud as an allegory for race; the muck were all stuck in. We bring it in, we take it out with us, we dont take it off. Its a fiction we created for ourselves.

Blige: For me, the mud is the constant negative energy were living in. Were living in mud right now, we are mudbound, the hatred and who our leader is, and all this  is the mud. Theres nothing clean about it. But there are pieces of life in there  the water, that cleanses us. You see how Florence loves her son, and the relationship between Laura and Florence. This movie is relevant, right now  because all of this has really gone down, and the mud is really where we all go to die.

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Here are the 2018 SAG Awards nominees reactions to their nods

The on-camera talent recognized during the 24th Screen Actors Guild Award nominations on Wednesday shared their excitement and gratitude for the special honor bestowed upon them by the acting community.

The SAG Awards serve up laurels for actors and ensemble casts working in television and film as voted by their peers. The awards show, hosted by The Good Place star Kristen Bell, will take place on Jan. 21.

LIST: The 2018 SAG Award nominees

In statements to the Los Angeles Times, several nominees repeatedly thanked their drama families, particularly the casts and crews of their respective projects. Heres what some of them had to say about the recognition:

Alison Brie. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Alison Brie, GLOW

It is such a great honor to be recognized by my fellow actors with this nomination. I am so proud to be part of a show that celebrates the craft of acting, with all its pitfalls and glories, and to be able to work with such a diverse group of insanely talented women. GLOW has meant the world to me and Im deeply thankful for this recognition for me and the cast. Thank you SAG-AFTRA!!

Millie Bobby Brown. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things

Screen Actors Guild! Thank you SO much for recognizing me and our cast for the second year in a row! This means the world coming from you, our peers. I am so lucky and honored to have the privilege of playing Eleven  a strong, powerful, badass, strange, wonderful character! Cant wait to celebrate with my Stranger Things family!

Timothee Chalamet. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Timothee Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name

What an incredible morning! This nomination is very close to my heart because its from the actor. When we made Call Me By Your Name, we had no idea what it would turn into. The experience in making the film with Armie [Hammer] was so special, and yet, we just didnt know. Simply put, Ive been blown away by the response this film has received. And, to be included in ensemble along with my Lady Bird family (congrats, Saoirse [Ronan]!) makes this recognition that much more special.

David Harbour. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

David Harbour, Stranger Things

If it isnt wildly apparent by now, Ill say it directly  I love actors! To be recognized by my peers in such distinguished company gives me a special joy. And Millie [Bobby Brown] and the show! Beyond.

When I act, when I create, I feel alive, full to bursting, and I feel of service to the mysterious goodness that firmly exists in this world. I have been rewarded with a life that indulges in the primacy of self, but at its core and at its purest and its best, it is a life of service. A service to audiences. To prod and poke when necessary, to comfort and entertain when times seem dark, to ever expand the human experience, to offer a reason to live, to celebrate to the gods the great gift and scourge that is consciousness. Sometimes it means expressing iron intellect and rigorous truth that bonds us all in the achingly profound wisdom of no escape. Sometimes it means revealing the intimate moments of endurance, of unexpected kindness, unasked for love. And sometimes it simply means making a fierce and joyful noise, to spin, to twirl, to throw your hands up with the relentless dips and climb aboard this roller coaster of life. Ya know, to dance. *insert Hopper dancing gif*

Thank you for recognizing me, as it might mean itll be easier to get more jobs doing it.

Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water

I am beyond thrilled to have received the honor of this nomination. And to receive it from fellow colleagues is huge to me. Guillermo [del Toro], this film and the entire cast and crew hold a very special place in my heart and always will. Each and every one of them made me better. I am truly delighted more than I can really express in words but my heart is fit to burst with pride for us all. Thank you dearest SAG members. Thank you for your embrace.

Sean Hayes. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Sean Hayes, Will & Grace

I am so honored to be recognized in this category with these extraordinary actors. I love acting because I love actors. I also like to bake sometimes.

Richard Jenkins. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water

I am thrilled and humbled to be nominated by my peers for a SAG Award. This union is very close to my heart. Well, the SAG card is in my wallet, so its a little further south.

Zoe Kazan. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Zoe Kazan, The Big Sick

Thank you to SAG for honoring The Big Sick ensemble with a nomination. It means so much to us, especially from our acting peers. I am deeply proud to be a part of this film and to have brought Kumail [Nanjiani] and Emily [V. Gordon]s story into the world, especially at this time. We are particularly moved to have been recognized as an ensemble, as this was such an extraordinary collaborative experience Im excited to be reunited once more with my movie family, and to share this with Kumail, Holly [Hunter], Ray [Romano], Zenobia [Shroff], Anupam [Kher], and Adeel [Akhtar] and everyone else who helped bring The Big Sick to life.

Nicole Kidman. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies

What an amazing morning! Thank you to SAG-AFTRA for recognizing Big Little Lies in such a significant way. Ive been acting since I was 14 and have dedicated an enormous amount of my life to my craft so to be acknowledged by my acting family is the most incredible honor.

Jason Bateman and Laura Linney. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Laura Linney, Ozark

I am so proud to be included in a list of such wonderful actresses who have raised the bar so high. What an amazing year for women in television. And I am especially proud to be representing Ozark with my TV spouse, the ever deserving Jason Bateman! Thank you SAG-AFTRA!

Marc Maron. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Marc Maron, GLOW

I am stunned and excited to be recognized by other actors in this way. I really never thought this was possible in my life. It helps to be surrounded by amazing actors and to have such a defined and well written character as Sam Sylvia and to be on a show as unique as GLOW. I am just a small part. So, thanks SAG for recognizing me and the mind-blowing ensemble that is GLOW.

Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, The Big Sick

We are so lucky to have been graced with the enormous talents of every single member of our cast. They each put a piece of themselves into our story and we are thrilled at being recognized. Thank you. And a special shout out to Holly Hunters individual nomination!

Now we have to go tell our real parents that they arent actually nominated.

Bob Odenkirk. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul

I am thrilled to get this nomination from my fellow actors! At Better Call Saul I am surrounded by an ensemble of excellence  Michael McKean, Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, everybody raises my game. Thank you to SAG-AFTRA.

Gary Oldman. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Gary Oldman, The Darkest Hour

No actor could ever deny the special satisfaction that comes from being recognized by your fellow artists  we all share the same challenges, insecurities, and uncertainties, chief among them, the question am I any good? this nomination, and in the wonderful company of the other nominees, is so very satisfying.

Margot Robbie. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

Im so incredibly moved and excited to be nominated by my fellow actors. I feel very fortunate to be able to have had the opportunity to bring Tonyas story to the big screen. Thank you to Steven [Rogers] for his brilliant and unique script, to Allison [Janney] and Sebastian [Stan] for being such incredible screen partners and to Craig [Gillespie] for his amazing direction and perfectly capturing the tone and essence of the film. Im so honored to be recognized among the truly powerful and wonderful women in the category. I cant wait to celebrate with everyone.

Sam Rockwell. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

It is such an honor to be nominated by your fellow actors, I have been a proud member of the Screen Actors Guild for as long as I can remember. To share it with this wonderful ensemble whom I have had the pleasure to work with over the years and others I got to collaborate with for the first time is truly special. I want to thank Martin McDonagh, our director and writer, for crafting these characters, as well as Woody [Harrelson], Fran [McDormand] and the rest of the cast who brought the town of Ebbing to life on screen. I am thrilled.

Ray Romano. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Ray Romano, The Big Sick

This is awesome but I wont believe it till the recount.
Set up as a prequel to the 2014 original, Chinas Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battlefield trots out the standard mix of historical martial arts intrigue without managing to be particularly intriguing.

Following a brief prologue that takes place in the midst of the Battle of Sarhu between the Ming and Later Jin dynasties, the story advances eight years to 1627, finding Imperial Guard captain Shen Lian (Chang Chen, reprising his role) determined to get to the heart of a conspiracy that had framed him and his partners.

In the process he has been instructed to track down the elusive Bei Zhai (Yang Mi), a gifted artist who has been sentenced to death for her paintings, found to be unflattering to royalty.

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Although the ensuing investigation, with its settling of old, entangled scores with a cast of non-descript characters, can be admittedly tricky to track from an audience perspective, thats not the only issue preventing the film from making an engaging mark.

While returning director Lu Yang has dutifully checked off many seemingly obligatory wuxia touches, from the wire work-heavy visceral fight sequences to a tense bamboo forest face-off, theres scant connective tissue to be found buried beneath the overwrought soundtrack.

The blades of the brotherhood may be sharp, but the execution is exceedingly dull.

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Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battlefield

In Mandarin with English subtitles

Not rated

Running time: 2 hours

Playing: AMC Atlantic Times Square, Monterey Park

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Writer-director Stephen Cones latest feature, Princess Cyd, is a film that defies expectation and easy categorization. As comfortable to slip into as an afternoon in the sun, as satisfying as a late-night piece of cake, Princess Cyd is a jewel of a film that plumbs thematic depths far below its surface.

The film takes place during a Chicago summer, when teenage Cyd (Jessie Pinnick) spends a few weeks at the home of her novelist aunt, Miranda (Rebecca Spence), a fleeting moment in time that is ultimately transformative for both women.

Both Pinnick and Spence project powerful, naturalistic charisma, which Cone smartly showcases with an airy tone and style. Cyd and Miranda are very much opposites in the way they experience the world. Cyd is a sensualist, inhabiting her body fully, bursting with youthful vigor and energy, ready to try anything and everything. Miranda is intellectual, spiritual, and set in her ways and rituals. Neither approach is privileged, and as Miranda says in a stunning late-night kitchen-cleaning monologue, our happiness is unique.

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Male violence intrudes on this world  Cyd and Miranda are bonded by the murder of Cyds mother many years ago. That very real threat somehow never upends their bubble, and the film is a subtle argument for the necessity of female mentors and protectors.

Princess Cyd is many things: a queer coming-of-age story (Malic White is fantastic as Cyds summer fling Katie), a tribute to intergenerational friendship, a redemption tale. But it also captures one deeply significant thing, that moment when family members transform from strangers to loved ones.

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Princess Cyd

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 36 minutes

Playing: Laemmle Music Hall, Beverly Hills

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Boris and Zhenya loathe each other, and chances are you will loathe them too. She spends every moment in his presence lashing him verbally; he absorbs every blow with a sluggards indifference. They have a young son that neither wants or cares about.

Their ruin of a marriage (to call it unhappy would be optimistic) is on cruel, unvarnished display in Loveless, the fifth feature directed by the gifted Russian auteur Andrey Zvyagintsev, who examines their household in the manner of a pathologist performing an autopsy.

Pathologies of every sort abound in this corrosive and hypnotic movie, a story of domestic collapse that slowly develops into a withering snapshot of contemporary Russian malaise. That makes it of a piece with Zvyagintsevs earlier work, especially his Oscar-nominated 2014 film, Leviathan, an intimate family drama that expanded into a seething, sweeping indictment of Vladimir Putins regime, full of liquored outbursts, biblical allusions and satirical jabs at the unholy alliance of church and state.

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Loveless, which will represent Russia in this years foreign-language film Oscar race, is a smaller, more self-contained picture, and both its human drama and its social critique feel more glancing, more thinly dispersed. If the proud, fallible characters in Leviathan largely held our sympathies, Zvyagintsev keeps Boris (Aleksey Rozin) and Zhenya (Maryana Spivak) at a glassy remove, not inviting our commiseration so much as our contempt.

The two have already called it quits before the story opens, sometime in 2012. Zhenya, a beauty who runs a salon, is already dating a wealthy older businessman, Anton (Andris Keiss). Boris, bearded and brawny, has a desk job at an anonymous firm and a pregnant young girlfriend, Masha (Marina Vasilyeva). All that remains is for the soon-to-be-exes to rid themselves of their suburban Moscow apartment and their 12-year-old son, Alyosha (Matvey Novikov), whom they plan to ship off to boarding school until his inevitable military training.

Novikov is on screen for only a few minutes and has little dialogue, but thats all this young actor needs to make a devastating impression. Whether Alyosha is trudging home from school in the snow or glaring as his mother shows their apartment to potential tenants, his every glance and gesture bespeaks years of emotional damage. Few shots in any movie this year are more brutalizing than the one in Alyosha stands listening to every word of his parents argument, his face frozen in the silent scream of the desperately unloved.

The next day Alyosha vanishes, though his parents are so busy and self-absorbed that another day passes before they even realize the boy is missing. There is a measure of satisfaction in seeing Boris and Zhenya shocked at having their wish  that their son would, in effect, disappear  granted so swiftly. Did Alyosha run away, or was he kidnapped? Loveless poses a still more troubling question: Is this a world that, in any meaningful sense, deserves its children?

The answer may be no, but the movie, written by Zvyagintsev and his regular collaborator Oleg Negin, finds about a hundred different ways of saying it. A visit to Alyoshas estranged grandmother (a terrifying Natalya Potapova) suggests that Zhenya, for all her failures as a mother, has made the best of a grim legacy.

Boris office chatter reminds us that, in an ostensibly Christian culture that frowns on divorce, people often hold onto their spouses and children just to save face. Grim headlines about looming disasters in Ukraine and elsewhere blare from every radio and TV screen, drowned out by the vapid allure of Instagram feeds and other technological distractions.

Meanwhile, the police are too bogged down to do much more than cough up encouraging statistics about child runaways. Boris and Zhenya, their mutual hatred exacerbated rather than assuaged by this tragic turn, have no choice but to call on a dedicated volunteer squad to lead a search-and-rescue mission. The shots of the volunteers quietly at work yield some of the pictures most haunting and crystalline images, the camera slowly moving across gloomy wooded terrain and into squalid derelict buildings, tracing an arc from natural beauty to man-made entropy.

There is a grave majesty in these cold environs, brilliantly captured by Zvyagintsevs regular cinematographer, Mikhail Krichman. Since the directors arrival on the international scene with his remarkable first feature, The Return (2003), his feel for the metaphysical power of landscape  distilled in compositions and camera movements that can take your breath away  has earned him frequent comparisons to his countryman Andrei Tarkovsky, the auteur behind such cinematic monuments as Solaris and Andrei Rublev.

Again and again, Zvyagintsev shoots his characters through car windshields, rain-flecked windows and other glass surfaces, as if he were trying not only to see through to their souls, but also to view them as projections  living representations of a society mired in cruelty, selfishness and apathy. Boris and Zhenyas marriage is both a symptom and a symbol of this problem, and their efforts to start their lives anew, casting off the child that binds them together, suggests a desire to plead ignorance of a bitter past and rush foolishly forward into an uncertain future.

Is Alyosha an emblem of lost promise, of a new generation doomed to be far worse off than the one before it? These questions may be rooted in Russian soil, but Zvyagintsev knows they are hardly unique to his country alone. Toward the end of this searing, finally overwhelming film, its unclear which is the more disturbing realization: that Alyosha was lost long before he went missing, or that you dont really want him to be found.

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Loveless

(In Russian with English subtitles)

Rating: R, for strong sexuality, graphic nudity, language and a brief disturbing image

Running time: 2 hours, 7 minutes

Playing: Laemmles Royal Theatre, West Los Angeles

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justin.chang@latimes.com

@JustinCChang
Magic flows freely if not infinitely in Mary and the Witchs Flower, an effortless animated charmer from the gifted Japanese director and Studio Ghibli veteran Hiromasa Yonebayashi.

Adapted by Yonebayashi and Riko Sakaguchi from Mary Stewarts 1971 childrens novel, The Little Broomstick, the movie ushers us into an enchanted realm where water can dance, brooms and carpets take flight, and woodland critters transform into fantastical beings.

The greatest source of all this magic is the flower of the title, a glowing violet weed called a fly-by-night, which blooms only once every seven years and is coveted by witches and wizards for its extraordinary powers. As luck would have it, the flower falls into the hands of Mary Smith (voiced by Ruby Barnhill in the English-dubbed version opening in North American theaters), who is no witch at all but rather a rosy-cheeked young girl with an unruly mop of red hair and an appealing blend of spunk and sweetness.

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That makes her a natural choice of heroine for Yonebayashi, who previously directed The Secret World of Arrietty (2012) and When Marnie Was There (2015) for Studio Ghibli, the venerable Japanese animation house where plucky female protagonists have long ruled the roost. That sensibility holds true in Mary and the Witchs Flower, even if it isnt technically a Ghibli production. Rather, its the first feature from the fledgling Studio Ponoc, which was founded in 2015 by several Ghibli alumni amid (happily premature) speculation that the company would be shutting down its feature-film production.

If Yonebayashis movie doesnt have the visual richness and imaginative depth of Ghibli masterpieces like Hayao Miyazakis Spirited Away, its emotional warmth and wondrously inviting hand-drawn imagery carry on that companys proud tradition. In the opening minutes you feel immediately transported and borne aloft, even if the meaning of the images proves elusive: A fire rages, a chase ensues and a young witch flies off into the night with some very precious cargo.

Sometime later, we catch up with Mary after shes moved into the cottage of her kind great-aunt Charlotte (Lynda Baron). Her parents are due to join them eventually, but until then, Mary is free to explore the surrounding countryside, where she befriends a small black cat named Tib and, after a fashion, a local boy named Peter (Louis Ashbourne Serkis). Those magical flowers come into play, as does a long-dormant broomstick that suddenly sends Mary soaring into the heavens and deposits her on a landscape somewhere in the clouds.

If the stunning ethereal vistas bring Avatars Pandora briefly to mind, then Endor College, the elite school of witchcraft that Mary stumbles upon, is surely meant to remind you of Hogwarts. But while Harry Potter and friends would thrill to some of the state-of-the-art campus perks (the gym is especially to die for), the schools imperious headmistress, Madam Mumblechook (Kate Winslet), is decidedly no Albus Dumbledore. Along with her high-handed colleague Doctor Dee (unmistakably voiced by Jim Broadbent), the headmistress welcomes the new girl at first, convinced that Mary could be the most talented witch of her generation.

That early misunderstanding gives rise to several intricately nestled intrigues involving a purloined spellbook, a sudden kidnapping and some sinister experiments involving caged animals. (Frankly, the cruelest such experiments are the ones taking place in Endors dining hall, as we see in one deliciously grotesque throwaway detail.) The narrative twists, absorbing but far from surprising, fit comfortably in the palm of your hand, as do the inevitable lessons Mary must learn about friendship, loyalty and courage.

All this might have seemed relatively pro forma in the hands of less skilled animators. But even in the movies most straightforward moments  some gentle comedy involving Mary and her great-aunts housekeeper, or a visual joke in which a cat seems to change color  the delicate interplay of soft textures and painterly hues pulls you deeply into this storys world. With grace, wit and unforced wisdom, Yonebayashis movie sweeps you up and then gently sets you down, back into a world that seems more capable of magic than it did before.

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Mary and the Witchs Flower

Rating: PG, for some action and thematic elements

Running time: 1 hour, 43 minutes

Playing: AMC, Cinemark, Regal and other theaters, Jan. 18 only; Aero Theatre, Santa Monica, Jan. 19-21

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justin.chang@latimes.com

@JustinCChang
In the same way that not every novel should be made into a movie, not every true-life story warrants the big-screen treatment. Witness Drawing Home, a creaky recount of the relationship between affluent, New England-born painter Catharine Robb (Julie Lynn Mortensen) and her rural-Canadian artist husband, Peter Whyte (Juan Riedinger).

This sprawling biopic, directed by Markus Rupprecht, who co-wrote with Donna Logan, ticks off the highlights  and lowlights  of Catharine and Peters story, from their meeting in art school to their warm courtship and loving, if up-and-down marriage.

Unfortunately, the film, set from the 1920s to the 60s, covers too long a stretch. The result: a sluggish and diffused portrait, one not helped by its frequent toggling between Catharine and Peters points of view and a timeline that turns a bit muddy. Catharines pre-Peter romance with John D. Rockefeller III (Jeff Gladstone) also feels cursory.

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In addition, the Whytes work as artists gets lost in the shuffle as the movies second half veers into melodrama.

The filmmakers capably recreate a wide range of period detail on a limited budget, yet succeed best at capturing the gorgeous vistas of its Banff, Canada setting. (The movie was shot in 2011-12 in Alberta and Quebec.)

The dutiful cast includes Kate Mulgrew and Peter Strauss as Catharines parents, Rutger Hauer playing wildlife artist Carl Rungius, Kristin Griffith as the Robb family housekeeper, and Christian Campbell as Peters brother.

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Drawing Home

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 52 minutes

Playing: Laemmle Playhouse 7, Pasadena

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When Saoirse Ronan found out shed be spending a couple of weeks in Los Angeles to promote her new film, Lady Bird, she asked to stay in an apartment instead of a hotel. She wanted to be able to light her Diptyque candles, do her own laundry and drink herbal tea before bed.

I think its good for me to go back at the end of the night and look after myself, says Ronan, 23.

But when she arrived at her temporary L.A. home, she found bags of groceries from Whole Foods awaiting her. Her mother, more than 5,000 miles away in Ireland, had ordered the provisions online.

She bought vegetables for me to cook with, the actress says. I have such a great mam. She makes sure Im getting a good dinner from across the pond.

Ronan is exceptionally close to her mother, Monica. Growing up as an only child in Carlow, Irelands second-smallest county, she relished her relationship with her homemaker mother and actor father. Theyd all watch Seinfeld together, and Ronan was such a rule-follower that she willingly did the dishes, because she wanted her parents to be happy.

We know its gold dust, what we have, Ronan says of her mother. We kind of hit the jackpot with each other.

If youve seen Lady Bird, which is an early awards favorite  on Thursday, the New York Film Critics Circle named it best film and gave Ronan the best actress award, and on Monday she picked up a Gotham Award  it might come as somewhat of a surprise that shes had such an idyllic relationship with her own mother. In the movie, written and directed by Greta Gerwig, Ronan stars as a high school senior who is constantly at odds with her mom, played by Laurie Metcalf. The angsty teenager refuses the name her mother has given her, Christine, instead branding herself Lady Bird. She wants to apply to a liberal arts college in New York; her mother thinks a public university near her hometown of Sacramento will suffice. When Lady Bird finally settles on a prom dress that she thinks complements her figure, her mother deems it too pink.

As Lady Bird, Ronan tries on prom dresses with her mom, played by Laurie Metcalf. (Merie Wallace / Associated Press)

So many friends of mine had relationships like that with their moms, Ronan says. This is the person you come from. They birthed you. Have you ever read [Simone de Beauvoirs] The Second Sex? You know the way she talks about how, as babies, a mother and a womans body is comfort for all of us? But then you get older and start to rebel against that. You need your independence, but you also still want your comfort. Its so complicated.

Gerwig first met with Ronan about the movie in 2015, when the actress was at the Toronto International Film Festival for a premiere of her movie Brooklyn. (Ronans role in the coming-of-age drama, about a young Irish woman who immigrates to New York, earned her a second Academy Award nomination. Her first, for 2007s Atonement, came when she was just 13.)

Ronan as Eilis in Brooklyn. (Kerry Brown / Fox Searchlight Pictures)

After their meeting in Canada, Gerwig felt so certain that Ronan was right for the role that she agreed to push production on Lady Bird six months to accommodate the actress, who was in the midst of rehearsing for The Crucible on Broadway.

I cant speak about her without becoming emotional, Gerwig says when asked about her leading lady. She transformed herself so fully that you almost dont see the transformation. You cant see the seams. Suddenly, you cant imagine her as someone whos British or Irish or anything else  all you see is this girl. In a way, it almost feels like the quality of finding an unknown, even though shes Saoirse and shes been nominated for an Oscar twice and everybody knows who she is. It feels like that same sense of discovery of Holy ..., she can do this too?

Saoirse Ronan, left, on set for Lady Bird with director Greta Gerwig. (A24)

Meanwhile, after years of being identified as a preternaturally gifted kid actress, Ronan felt that Brooklyn had finally allowed Hollywood to see her as an adult. Previously, she said, shed been in an odd spot  too young to play the authoritative woman working on Wall Street, but too old to tell most teenage stories.

Now, she felt more grown up  both on-screen and off. At 19, shed finally moved away from Ireland to London, where she lived in a flat for the first time by herself. It was hard and scary, she says, learning how to shop and cook and clean for herself.

You do have a lot of stuff done for you when youre young as an actor, Ronan admits. People tell you where to go, where to stand. People steam your dress and make you cups of tea. I remember on Atonement, an AD [assistant director] came over to me and asked me if I wanted anything, and I asked for a cup of tea. My mom called them back and said, No, shell go and make her own tea. Little, gentle reminders like that helped me separate real life from on-set life.

Ronan at the Oscars in 2016, when she was nominated for her lead performance in Brooklyn. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Because she was working so much as a teenager on films like The Lovely Bones and Hanna, Ronan began homeschooling when she was 14. Unlike Lady Bird, she didnt have any rich, popular classmates to size herself up to. Instead, she compared herself to actresses on the covers of magazines, and her idea of high school came from the American television programs she adored, like Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Thats So Raven.

I loved Lizzie McGuire too  I loved all of the Disney Channel girls, Ronan recalls. I dont know if you guys realize how much an influence American pop culture has on us.

She was so open to diving into authentic teenage life in Lady Bird that she didnt even cover up her acne with makeup during filming.

The other day, someone mentioned that acne they put on your face in the movie to me. That was my acne! Ronan says. If I had been 17 and someone had said that, I would have cried.

In fact, Ronan says, she never really struggled with bad skin as a teenager. But after months of walking red carpets on behalf of Brooklyn and then baking under stage lights for The Crucible, she says she had spots.

When we sat down to do the camera tests, the makeup artist said, How do you feel about maybe leaving the spots and the blemishes and not covering them up so much? she says. I was totally game to do it, because you never see that. Not in a way of, Oh, my God, Im going to be super raw about it. Just, this is my face right now, this is the way it looks, and its being a teenager, so lets go for it.

One of Ronans favorite moments making Lady Bird came while shooting the prom scene, because in Ireland prom doesnt exist  there are only debutante balls, she says. And she became especially close to co-star Beanie Feldstein, who plays Lady Birds theater-loving best friend in the film.

We had so much fun together quoting Broad City and Bridesmaids to each other and rolling around on the floor laughing, Feldstein remembers. We clicked instantly. I feel like we fell in love making the movie, so its so easy to believe our characters are in love.

Ronan, left, and Beanie Feldstein grew exceptionally close while filming Lady Bird. (A24)

Ronan has long had a yearning for community and people my own age. At one point, she considered college, but unlike Lady Bird, she didnt see it as essential.

I didnt know who my people were yet, and I thought university could be the answer, she says. If I was to go now, it would be to learn about something new.

Even though she began acting as a child, Ronan says shes never wavered on whether or not the profession is right for her. For a while, she acknowledges, [I] had it figured that it was the only string to my bow  that I had nothing else to offer. I hadnt read in awhile. I hadnt traveled. I needed to learn about other things. Recently, Ive definitely had more of a yearning to try to new things  learn a new language, or even what Daniel Day-Lewis does  learn to make shoes.

Recently, shes gotten into meditation. She tries to use the app Headspace for at least 10 minutes a day, acknowledging her feelings instead of pushing against them.

I get anxious. Im a big worrier, Ronan says. I worry about work. Whether Ive upset someone. Not being able to do a good job. You get onto set sometimes and youre like, Im worried Ive forgotten how to act!

At 23, Irish native Ronan is trying to find her new home base. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

She also worries about where to live, and that its hard to find a place thats actually safe. Just moments before arriving to the rooftop of a hotel for this interview, shed checked her phone and learned of the latest mass shooting in San Antonio, Texas.

I get nervous about that sort of stuff, says Ronan, who has given up her apartment in London. Where is it going to happen next? Everyone always says if you live your life like that, youll never leave your house. Its become so relentless that you need to find your base, and for me, its Ireland that makes me feel safe.

Her mom makes her feel safe too, which is why they continue to stay in constant contact, no matter where she is in the world.

We talk more than once a day, Ronan says. The only reason were not talking now is because shes probably asleep. I want to know what she had for dinner.

Times staff writer Josh Rottenberg contributed to this report.

Writer-director Greta Gerwig and co-stars Laurie Metcalf and Tracy Letts discuss the film "Lady Bird."

Directors Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), Jordan Peele (Get Out) and Kathryn Bigelow (Detroit) discuss the particular power stories wield to humanize the "other."

amy.kaufman@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @AmyKinLA

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Hailey Poland, attacked months ago by Rancho Tehama gunman knew this was going to end bad Hailey Poland was attacked by the gunman months before he killed her boyfriend and her mother. (Video by Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Michel Azarian, a 41-year-old electrical engineer described as a brilliant problem solver, died Sunday of injuries suffered in Octobers wine country fires, according to media reports and Azarians close friend.

Azarian, an immigrant from Lebanon of Armenian descent, is the 44th victim to die as a result of the wildfires that ravaged Northern California.

His close friend Khachik Papanyan said Azarian was extremely intelligent, endured Lebanons bloody civil war in the 1980s and managed to attend the American University of Beirut, Lebanons most prestigious school.

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After the Tubbs fire, neighbors found him still alive but trapped in a small clearing outside his home in Santa Rosa, Papanyan said. He was treated at UC Davis Medical Center, but succumbed to severe burns that covered more than half his body.

He loved traveling, photography and hiking the many trails in Silicon Valley, Papanyan said. He also liked being around people and was a member of his local Toastmasters International club, which helps members sharpen their public speaking skills.

Azarians colleagues at Keysight Technologies and his friends were at his bedside as he fought for survival. Papanyan said one of Azarians friends, Vatche Souvalian, flew to Lebanon just to escort Azarians elderly mother to the United States.

Papanyan said he still hasnt come to terms with the loss of his dear friend.

I dont think Ive even quite ascertained what has happened, Papanyan said. I think it will take some time to settle that I will never see him again.

Adam.Elmahrek@latimes.com

@adamelmahrek
Police requested the publics help Thursday in identifying an armed man who stole more than $800 in cash and cigarettes from a gas station in Canoga Park.

The robbery occurred just before midnight Saturday, when a man walked into the store wearing a black Monster brand hoodie, said LAPD Det. Fernando Avila. The suspect took out money and pretended to buy cigarettes to distract the clerk, then pulled out a gun, Avila said.

We noticed the guy stole one thing, even before he pulled the gun, Avila said. You can see him reach into the take-a-penny-leave-a-penny tray when the clerk turns to retrieve the packs of cigarettes the robber feigned to buy.

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Authorities described the suspect as a man in his 40s with a shaved head and a goatee. His left ear is pierced and he was wearing an earring.

When we catch this guy, Im going to let him know how unlucky those pennies were, Avila said.

Avila said that in a video of the robbery, the suspect seems to point a black semi-automatic handgun, which he kept in his waistband.

The penny pincher demands all the money in the cash register and he is not satisfied until the clerk gathers several wads of money, he said. The robber does not forget to take the cigarettes he ordered either.

Police urged anyone with information about the robbery to call Avila at (818) 756-3520.

sarah.parvini@latimes.com

For more California news follow me on Twitter: @sarahparvini
She was 500 miles away when a wild-eyed gunman killed her boyfriend, his mother and three other people in a dusty mountain hamlet in Northern California.

Now, just two weeks after Kevin Janson Neals bloody rampage ended in a hail of police gunfire, Hailey Poland said she cant help feeling that she should have been with the victims of Rancho Tehama.

I just wish I couldve been there for them, Poland said from her parents home in Lancaster. Kevins dead, he got the easy way out. The world is rid of one less psychopath with a gun targeting innocent people.

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Poland knew the killer all too well. She once lived next door to Neal and carries a short scar on her torso where he stabbed her with a kitchen knife during a confrontation in January.

Poland said shes still jittery from the sound of gunfire that echoed frequently from the killers property next door, as well as the sound of violent confrontations between him and his wife.

We all knew this was going to end bad, said Poland, 34. We just didnt know how exactly and when.

::

Initially, Tehama County sheriffs officials said Neals violent binge was random, and therefore couldnt have been predicted. Later, when they discovered that Neals wife, Barbara Glisan, 38, had been shot to death and hidden beneath the floor of their trailer home, sheriffs officials said her slaying precipitated the rampage.

But Poland argues that sheriffs officials ignored countless warning signs in the weeks and months leading up to the killings  including the escalating harassment Neal visited on her late boyfriend, Danny Elliott, 38, and his late mother, Diana Steele, 68.

Along Bobcat Lane, where the nights are pitch black and every voice and heavy thud carries through the air, the sounds of commotion at Neals residence came with disturbing regularity, Poland said.

I cant tell you how many times Id hear them fight and Id hear her yell, I didnt do anything, stop! And then furniture getting flung, her screaming, Poland said.

The Tehama County Sheriffs Office said theres no record of complaints between Neal and his wife, although deputies did take a misdemeanor battery report after he allegedly punched a woman in the face near his property in 2016.

After that, Neal began shouting insults and epithets at Elliott when hed arrive home in his mothers yellow Corvette, Poland said. Eventually, Neal began to harass Poland, her boyfriends son and the rest of the household as well.

The conflict seemed to reach a head in January, when Poland and Elliotts mother went for a walk.

Neal fired a rifle toward the pair and splintered a wooden fence post behind the women, according to Poland and sheriffs reports.

How are your ladies day? Poland remembered Neal saying a moment before he hopped a fence and waved a 10-inch kitchen knife at them.

Neal told them they were on private property, and Poland countered they were not. Neal accused the neighbors of cooking methamphetamine and said the fumes turned him into what he is today, Poland recalled.

Then he attacked.

Literally with the snap of a finger, it was like nothing but darkness in his eyes. Its like it wasnt him anymore, Poland said, her voice cracking with emotion.

He rushed at Poland, but Steele reached out with her arm and slowed him down. Neal and the 68-year-old woman rolled around on the ground as Neal pummeled her face.

At one point, Poland pulled Neal off of Steele. After he grabbed Poland by the hair, she twisted around and he plunged the knife into her belly.

Neal moved to attack Steele again when Poland bellowed, Kevin! Stop!

He literally stopped in his tracks, she said.

Everyone was exhausted.

This fight went on for 15 minutes. Fifteen long minutes, Poland said tearfully.

Poland and Steele stumbled home bloody. Neal retreated home and waited for authorities to show up.

Neal was arrested that day on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, among other felonies, and was jailed. He posted $160,000 bail and was back home before Poland was released from the hospital for her stab wound, which didnt prove to be life-threatening.

Acting on both a criminal complaint and a civil harassment restraining order filed by Poland after the attack, a judge ordered Neal to turn over his guns and banned him from possessing any others.

In February, court records show that Neal reported handing over a single pistol. He checked off a box on a form attesting that he had no other guns.

Snapshots of Danny Elliott and Hailey Poland. Elliott was one of five people shot to death during Kevin Janson Neals rampage this month in Rancho Tehama. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times )

::

But after his release, Neal stepped up his terror campaign against his neighbors even further, Poland recalled.

He set up a camera in the trees and sat on his porch with binoculars.

Records of calls to sheriffs deputies by both households showed that Neal frequently filmed his neighbors. He accused Elliott of pointing a gun at him, but deputies said footage did not support the claim.

Then there was the incessant gunfire  day or night.

Between November 2016 and this months killings, Tehama County sheriffs officials said they responded to 21 complaints in Neals neighborhood.

Many of them involved Steele and other neighbors complaining that Neal was shooting. Other reports came from Neal and his wife, accusing Elliott of yelling at them, followed by claims that the Steele home doubled as a meth lab. Searches by sheriffs deputies and firefighters turned up nothing of the sort.

Phil Johnston, the Tehama County assistant sheriff, said that  despite his and deputies belief that Neal had guns in violation of a court order  they were unable to take any action because they never received an eyewitness account that explicitly put a firearm in Neals hands.

If they had, they could have sought to rearrest him and increase his bail or seek a misdemeanor charge that he violated a court order, officials said.

We all knew this was going to end bad, said Hailey Poland, 34. We just didnt know how exactly and when. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times )

In August, Neals wife filed a civil harassment complaint against Elliott, accusing him of threatening them verbally and with a gun. Elliott would flip them the middle finger when hed drive by, but he never threatened them, Poland said.

But the dispute took a toll on the couples relationship. They began to argue constantly.

In September, Polands maternal grandfather died. Poland and Elliott agreed it was a good time to take a break and see where they were when she came back.

But when Poland returned with her mother and sister in mid-October to see whether she should stay or go, the situation wasnt what she expected.

Elliott was angry, she said. He wouldnt look her in the eye. He said he didnt want to be with her anymore, then punched and kicked the walls.

Elliotts mother said things had gotten worse between Neal and their family in the month Poland had been gone.

We think he was just pushing her away so that she wouldnt be there, because it was escalating, said Kathy Poland, Hailey Polands mother. If it wasnt for Danny, wed be planning her funeral right now too.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.
A Compton woman who was struck by a car on the 5 Freeway last year during a political protest that spilled onto the freeway is suing UC San Diego, among others, alleging failure to contain the demonstration and prevent a dangerous situation.

Maria Ana Carrola Flores, 19, filed the lawsuit this month in San Diego County Superior Court against defendants, including the university, the driver of the car that struck her, the state and the city of San Diego. The lawsuits allegations include negligence and a dangerous condition on public property.

A university spokeswoman declined to comment because litigation was ongoing. The city of San Diego did not respond to requests for comment.

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Flores, then 18, was part of a protest that started on the UCSD campus in La Jolla after Donald Trump gave his presidential victory speech in New York in the early morning hours of Nov. 9, 2016, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported at the time. The protest eventually moved onto the southbound 5 Freeway north of Nobel Drive, where a car struck Flores about 1:40 a.m.

California Highway Patrol officers told the San Diego Union-Tribune that the driver stopped after the car struck Flores, and he was not suspected to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Flores attorney, Jerold Gene Sullivan of Manhattan Beach, said by telephone Tuesday that his client suffered multiple broken bones and has permanent disabilities.

He said Flores accepts some responsibility for her injuries  but not all of it.

We think its a case of shared responsibility of the school, Maria and the driver, and were not saying that anybody is without fault or fault-free, Sullivan said. We think other people bear some responsibility as well.

Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that UCSD or the UC Board of Regents bears some responsibility for the protest. The lawsuit says the school and other defendants did not contain the protest and allowed it to spill onto the freeway, where security was inadequate to keep protesters safe.

An emergency vehicle was driving back and forth across lanes to block traffic so authorities could shut down the freeway, the lawsuit said. The car that struck Flores had been able to get around the emergency vehicle.

The lawsuit seeks attorneys fees, court costs and unspecified damages, according to proof at trial.

morgan.cook@sduniontribune.com

Cook writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
A federal judge says Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher whose standoff with federal officials made him a darling of the anti-government movement, can now remain free on bond as his trial on felony weapons and conspiracy charges continues.

Bundy says no thanks.

After U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro granted the order to release him Wednesday, The 71-year-old rancher promptly refused it.

Hed rather stay in jail, said John Lamb, a Bundy supporter, until he and his fellow defendants are exonerated and free men.

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It was the latest odd twist in the 3-week-old trial of Bundy, two of his sons  Ammon and Ryan Bundy  and Ryan Payne in federal court in Las Vegas. The request to allow the men to post bail came from Bundy attorneys. Last month Navarro agree to let Ryan Bundy, who is representing himself in court, out of jail on pretrial release.

Cliven Bundys stay in jail could last for months, however, as jurors have been told to expect the trial to extend into early next year. Lamb called the judges decision exciting news.

It was a victory in the right direction, he said.

Ammon Bundy will be released Thursday at about 9 a.m. Paynes release will be within the next few days.

One of Ammon Bundys attorneys, Morgan Philpot, said his client was a little shocked at the judges ruling.

The trial is a big test for federal officials as they are laying out a case to prove the Bundy family and militia leader Payne tried to stop the government from seizing cattle grazing on public land by threatening a federal officer, carrying and using a firearm and engaging in a conspiracy.

Opening statements began Nov. 14 and Cliven and Ammon Bundy had been showing up in their jailhouse red jumpsuits with the word Detainee stenciled in black on the back. Ryan Bundy and Payne wear civilian clothing.

It is a trial that has been closely watched by those who question the role of the federal government owning and operating land in the West and the case is seen as proof that the federal government overstepped its authority by requiring grazing fees of cattle on Bureau of Land Management property.

The case centers on an armed standoff between the Bundys and their supporters and federal agents and contractors attempting to remove the cattle from federal land near the familys ranch in Bunkerville, east of Las Vegas, in 2014.

The trial is scheduled to continue Dec. 11.

david.montero@latimes.com

Twitter: @davemontero
These are difficult times for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Not only must he contend with a new spate of reports that his fickle, mercurial boss in the Oval Office is thinking of dumping him, he is being accused  credibly  by former State Department officials and members of Congress of gutting the department and demoralizing the diplomatic corps.

On Tuesday, Tillerson denied that there had been a hollowing out of the agency and accused critics of throwing around false numbers about personnel cutbacks. Earlier, he told a reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek: I walk the halls, people smile. If its as bad as it seems to be described, Im not seeing it.

The facts tell a different and more disturbing story of an agency with vacancies in crucial posts and dwindling allure to future generations of diplomats. As The Times Tracy Wilkinson recently reported, Tillerson, who is pursuing an 8% cut in the State Departments staff, has left several top-level posts unfilled, including the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, the official who would be responsible for dealing with North Koreas nuclear threat. Kim Jong Uns latest intercontinental ballistic missile test on Wednesday reminded the United States again that no region in the world is more in need of skillful American diplomacy.

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The department has frozen most hiring, and senior officials with a wealth of experience have been dismissed or prodded to retire.

Meanwhile, the department has frozen most hiring, and senior officials with a wealth of experience have been dismissed or prodded to retire. Writing in the New York Times this week, Nicholas Burns and Ryan C. Crocker, who served as ambassadors in both Republican and Democratic administrations, complained that because of misguided decisions by the Trump administration, we are witnessing the most significant departure of diplomatic talent in generations, along with a drop in morale among those who remain behind.

Members of Congress from both parties have expressed similar concerns. In a letter to Tillerson earlier this month, Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) warned that Americas diplomatic power is being weakened internally as complex, global crises are growing externally. A letter from Democrats in the House Foreign Affairs Committee, citing the exodus of more than 100 senior Foreign Service officers, expressed concern about what appears to be the intentional hollowing-out of our senior diplomatic ranks. (That was the accusation to which Tillerson was replying on Tuesday.)

The attrition also has a ripple effect on recruitment to what historically has been one of the most prestigious forms of government service. The number of candidates taking the famously competitive Foreign Service Officer Test is expected to drop by half this year, according to the president of the American Foreign Service Assn. That will undermine promising efforts by the department to diversify what in the past has been a disproportionately white and male work force.

Any federal department can be made more efficient  at State, for example, by eliminating dozens of special envoys and consolidating duplicative positions. But that is different from the deep cuts the Trump administration has proposed and the policy of malign neglect that has driven away talented professionals and left important positions unfilled.

President Trump doesnt appear to be worried about the departments staffing or morale. Instead, hes unhappy with Tillerson on a number of foreign policy issues, including his defense of the Iran nuclear deal and his efforts to step up diplomacy with North Korea. Tillerson didnt help matters by reportedly calling Trump a moron.

Tillerson wasnt our first choice to lead State. But even if he is failing to keep the department as strong as it should be, that doesnt mean he should be canned. For all his flaws, and he has plenty, Tillerson has been one of Trumps better appointments  one of the adults in the room in this irresponsible, inexperienced administration. To the extent that he has clashed with Trump it has tended to be over Trumps nuttier positions, including his incendiary rhetoric about North Korea and his disparagement of the Iran nuclear deal.

Tillersons defenders argue that, like any entrenched bureaucracy, the State Department should be scrutinized for potential improvements and efficiencies and that Tillerson, a former oil company executive, is ideally suited to introduce modern management methods to a department that employs 70,000 people around the world. Tillerson also disputes some of the statistics offered by its critics and notes that he has made exceptions to the hiring freeze. The trend, however, is unmistakable.

McCain and Shaheen have urged Tillerson to consult with Congress before implementing any additional measures that could have long-term impacts on State Department staffing. Theyve also urged him to lift the hiring freeze on Foreign Service and Civil Service officers in the department, and to resume promotions for the best and the brightest to avoid losing our top officers. These are reasonable requests, and entirely compatible with Tillersons interest in making the department more efficient. He should honor them, assuming hes around long enough to do so.

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Stanford University is in a bind between political correctness and historical fact. Two dorms; an academic building; a street (Serra Mall) that fronts Stanfords historic Main Quad and is the universitys official address; and a major road running through the 8,000-acre campus are all named after Junipero Serra, the 18th century Spanish-born Franciscan friar who founded the first nine of the 21 California missions. Now Native American and other campus activists are pressuring Stanford to erase from the campus all traces of the padre. Serra, the activists say, brutalized Indians at the missions, covered for Spanish colonization and squelched indigenous culture by converting the Indians to Catholicism.

Stanford administrators have been wringing their hands over all this since March 2016, when the student assembly passed a resolution calling for the renaming of three buildings and a change of the universitys official address. (Stanford doesnt have the power to rename the Mall, its campus extension, Serra Street, or the bigger public thoroughfare Junipero Serra Boulevard.) The Stanford Graduate Council and the Faculty Senate quickly joined in. The university set up a committee to recommend new names, but after a year and a half of inability to come to a consensus, the committee announced in October that it was giving up and would instead issue guidelines for future deliberations.

That decision didnt sit well with some students and alumni. One Native American activist called it a slap in the face. And indeed Stanford does seem to be missing out on a growing trend of altering campus infrastructure whose original namesakes are no longer in compliance with current notions of political acceptability.

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If the Stanford activists aim to obliterate Serras presence from their campus, theyve got their work cut out for them.

Earlier this year, Yale changed the name of its Calhoun College because John C. Calhoun, in addition to being a Yale alumnus and a former U.S. vice president, was a leading pre-Civil War advocate of slavery. Duke University took down a statue of Robert E. Lee. Just a few days ago, the regents of the University of New Mexico agreed to a redesign of the university seal, which includes images of a frontiersman and a conquistador that Indian activists consider offensive. Meanwhile, at Princeton, the trustees decided not to bend to student protesters demanding the removal of the name of famous alumni (and segregationist) Woodrow Wilson from dozens of campus buildings and institutions. Instead, the university sponsored an exhibition on campus exploring the former presidents flawed nature.

Serras nature is open to debate. Once revered in history books as a protector of California Indians against the brutalities of the invading Spanish military  and canonized as a saint by Pope Francis in 2015  Serras reputation has been tarnished by leftist thinking that regards all things Spanish and Catholic in the New World as colonialist oppression.

But that ought to be beside the point. Serra is inextricably intertwined with the history of Stanford University, and the history of California itself. He cannot be easily purged.

Indeed, Serra could be said to have invented the Golden State. The missions that he and his successors founded were the vertebrae that formed the spine of El Camino Real (pretty much coterminous with U.S. 101), the path that connected the missions, most of them separated by just a days horseback ride. Every major city in California  San Diego, Los Angeles (thanks to its proximity to San Gabriel), San Jose, San Francisco  lies on the mission trail.

Serra was, if nothing else, a gifted administrator, introducing cattle and wine grapes as staples of California agriculture. (His successor, Father Fermin Lasuen, brought in the first olive trees.) He engaged in constant, well-documented and often fractious turf battles with secular Spanish authorities. And as a matter of aesthetics and lifestyle, California Mission architecture, in a massive revival starting in the 1880s, became the states signature building mode, dotting the landscape with thousands of tile-roofed, colonnaded and court-yarded churches, civic buildings, hotels, shopping malls and residences.

Among those caught up in the Mission Revival craze were railroad tycoon Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane, the universitys founders, in 1885. The pair werent Catholics or even especially religious, but they considered Serra a towering California figure.

El Camino Real runs just outside the front portals of the campus, the couples former horse farm in Palo Alto. The Main Quad, part of a master plan designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead, imitates Serras missions (with some Romanesque touches). Besides the Mall and the boulevard, other campus streets are named after his friar-disciples (Lasuen and Francisco Palou), as well as Jose de Galvez, the inspector general for New Spain who facilitated Serras missionary work in Alta California. If the Stanford activists aim to obliterate Serras presence from their campus, theyve got their work cut out for them.

The ancient Romans invented the practice of damnatio memoriae (condemnation of memory), in which all traces of those who had fallen from political favor were systematically removed after their deaths from public squares, coins and documents. Todays version turns human beings of complex mores and motivations into cardboard villains for leftists to stomp on. But it tells a lie in the name of reinvention. Stanford is free, of course, to rename parts of itself and to pretend that a man revered by its founders never existed. But it cant make the very foundations of California history go away  and thats what winning the war against Junipero Serra would require.

Charlotte Allen graduated from Stanford in 1965.
Pick a tree at random anywhere in Southern California and examine it closely. Chances are good that you will find small wet stains on its trunk. Those wet stains are most likely signs of a fatal tree disease that is spreading throughout the region at an alarming rate, and which has the potential to significantly change the way Southern California looks.

The disease is called Fusarium dieback, and it is transmitted by one type of fungus-farming beetle: the invasive shot hole borer.

Thought to have arrived in Southern California in packing materials from Southeast Asia, this beetle burrows into trees and grows fungal pathogens for food. The pathogens then interrupt the transport of water and nutrients within the tree from roots to leaves, eventually causing branch dieback and possibly death.

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Report heavily infested street trees in public areas to local and county officials as soon as possible.

What sets this invasive ambrosia beetle apart from similar pests is the wide variety of tree species it threatens. Whereas many bark and ambrosia beetles can target a handful of species, the shot hole borer can drill, grow its fungi and reproduce in 58 tree species.

Moreover, while many of these pests attack weakened trees that are already under some type of stress, such as drought, pollution, dense planting or other tree diseases, the shot hole borer requires healthy trees so that it can grow its fungus, which needs moisture and nutrients.

What exactly might this mean? According to a U.S. Forest Service survey conducted earlier this year, this single insect could kill as many as 27 million trees in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties  roughly 38% of all trees in the urban region.

The first shot hole borer on record in California was found in L.A. in 2003, caught in a California Department of Food and Agriculture trap. The beetle went largely unnoticed until 2012, when we found that it was damaging backyard avocado trees and urban-forest trees in the L.A. Basin. Although researchers quickly began to monitor the beetle at that point, its ability to affect street trees and native vegetation was only gradually recognized.

Because such an unusually wide variety of tree species are susceptible to this pest-disease, it has spread quickly throughout urban forests, wildlands and avocado groves across Southern California. Among the 58 tree species it can target are willows, palo verdes, sycamores, cottonwoods, oaks and maples. Preliminary results from our surveys of urban forests in L.A. suggest that its movement through the landscape is strongly correlated with the location of sycamores, but more monitoring over time will better determine the strength of this association.

Epidemiologically, rare tree hosts are less important, but their vulnerability suggests the pest could cause a loss in overall biodiversity. Whats more, many of the native plant communities it targets are critical breeding habitats for endangered animals, such as the least Bells vireo, the southwestern willow flycatcher and the arroyo toad. As it kills off willows and cottonwoods, the beetle could also make riparian habitats more susceptible to invasive plant species.

To manage the invasion effectively, we need to predict where it will spread and cause damage. We have therefore begun a systematic survey of urban-wildland forests and agricultural lands throughout the region. We are measuring vegetation and landscape characteristics, microclimate and microorganisms. By comparing these data with what we know about the beetles host range, we will be able to identify areas where it is most likely to spread.

The public can help in a number of ways. This winter, purchase firewood locally and avoid moving wood or green waste out of infested areas. Do remove heavily infested trees, however, to help reduce populations of the beetle. Chip the infested wood onsite, to a size of one inch or smaller. If branches are too large to chip, you can solarize them by covering them with a clear tarp and allowing them to sit for several weeks. Be sure to cover and contain the wood during transport. Sterilize pruning tools with household bleach or another cleaning solution.

Finally, please report heavily infested street trees in public areas to local and county officials as soon as possible.

Akif Eskalen is an associate specialist in plant pathology and microbiology at UC Riverside. Shannon Lynch is a forest pathologist and doctoral candidate in environmental studies at UC Santa Cruz.

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There have been an overwhelming number of news stories of late focused on the behavior of men, from boorish and crass to criminal. Not coincidentally, the wave of sexual-harassment and assault charges has crested a year after we elected president an individual who, in his own words, takes pleasure in grabbing women without their permission. Together the accounts are validating long-held assumptions about the real cost of doing business in a male-dominated society.

I have contributed to this problem, and I have also searched for a remedy. For 24 years, I was a resident of various prisons run by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, most recently New Folsom Prison. I was serving a life sentence for a laundry list of offenses, committed as part of my once-chosen vocation of gangster.

As a gang member, I immersed myself into a world of toxic masculinity. I saw victimizing others as not merely a choice but a right. If I wanted something, I took it. If someone was in my way, I knocked them down.

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It is easy for me to identify with the mindset of the men who are being unmasked in this ongoing flood of stories, even though they have led their lives in a very different kind of context. I see the air of entitlement that comes from having power over others, the rush and euphoria of invincibility.

I dont know if mens group work is a model that can bring healing to everyone, but I do know that it works for some of the most damaged of men.

I embraced this way of being at a young age. I joined a gang when I was 14 years old, and at each phase of the descent into that lifestyle, I was instructed by other hypermasculine males on how to spew my specific brand of poison into the world.

While sitting in solitary confinement  not for the first time  for stabbing another prisoner nearly 30 times, I began to wonder how I had spiraled so far into the abyss. I didnt have answers to the questions that began to crop up in my mind, but I knew that the questioning was due.

This inquiry led me to doing my work.

Doing work is vernacular I learned at New Folsom Prison. When I was released from solitary, I was invited to join a mens group called the Inside Circle. Unsure what to expect from sitting around a candle with a bunch of dudes, I halfheartedly agreed to give it a try, knowing that I could walk away at anytime.

I quickly realized that I had entered a realm that would change my life. Sitting in circle, each man in the room takes a turn delving into his darkest emotions  or resisting doing so. In the process, each man is challenged, confronted and supported by other men.

The Inside Circle is made up of men who have been confined to a maximum-security prison, often for decades. They are men who learned early on to meet feelings of vulnerability with violence and force. It is not unusual for confrontations in circle to become physical in some respect. But together these men manage to redefine vulnerability as a sign of strength rather than weakness.

The circle allows men to examine the most vile and horrendous deeds a human can perpetrate on another  without condemnation, judgment or justification. Instead, they are permitted to be curious so that they might locate the origins of their frame of mind.

In circle, I got to see others struggle through the truth of their actions and support them through the process. I also got the benefit of men supporting me as I investigated my dark corners and figured out where I am damaged as a human being. The work took me back to my early childhood, when I began to bury pain that I then crafted into a justification for hurting others  a way to disguise my fear, insecurity and shame. The circle graced me with awareness of the damage I am responsible for, and with it came something entirely new: accountability.

The circle takes it to the next level, challenging men to change what does not work. Harming others does not work. Harming oneself does not work. Manipulation does not work. Control and dominance do not work.

I have often wondered if and how we as a society can put an end to our legacy of aggression and violence, in which men use their position to prey on others. The trickle-down effect is so pernicious that sometimes women even blame women.

Our collective groupthink reminds me a lot of the prison mentality  people just going along with something we all recognize is wrong so as not to stand out. I dont know if mens group work is a model that can bring healing to everyone, but I do know that it works for some of the most damaged of men.

I have witnessed transformation in the deepest, darkest bowels of society, among people deemed the most despicable of humanity. If change can occur under those circumstances, isnt it possible outside?

Eldra Jackson III served 24 years in the California prison system, was released in 2014 and now works in the traffic-control business. He appears in a new documentary about group therapy in New Folsom Prison, The Work.

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Nuclear holocaust is the least likely outcome of North Koreas latest leap forward in offensive capabilities. And if it were it to occur, it would probably be the result of shoot-from-the-lip bluster from President Trump rather than a calculated U.S. or North Korea strategy. Our biggest worry isnt the future toll of a dubious war, but the toll bad leadership is already taking on our standing in the world.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in indirectly captured this point when, in response to this weeks successful test of a long-range missile by North Korea, he said, We must stop a situation where North Korea miscalculates and threatens us with nuclear weapons or where the United States considers a pre-emptive strike. Precisely at the moment South Korea would be expected to be most dependent on, and solicitous of, the United States, its president is instead considering how to counter an American move. That speaks volumes, as does Trumps primary response to the launch: seeking the intervention of the Chinese in putting pressure on Pyongyang.

As great as the risk of nuclear war seems, common sense and self-interest are likely to prevail because that is what most often happens in international affairs. But it is shocking to realize that we are looking not to Washington but other actors in the drama  including the North Koreans and China  to be the source of reason in this crisis.

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There are three possible outcomes to the Pyongyang-Washington duel.

To understand what will happen next, we need to consider the comparatively rational reasons behind the North Koreans nuclear program. It is not about global aggression. Kim Jong Un and his generals know that using such weapons would result in the end of North Korea. Rather, their drive to join the nuclear club is designed to make an outside attack on the country, or a foreign effort to depose the Kim regime, less likely. Perversely, for North Korea, gaining weapons of mass destruction is an existential choice.

Kim recognizes that no nation, not even one breathing fire and fury, has the power to take his weapons away. Military force is not a realistic option. There are no scenarios for an attack on North Korea that do not produce horrific casualties in the South. And now, with the possible destruction of one or more U.S. cities on the table, it is even more certain we wouldnt undertake the risk.

Economic pressure also wont work  the North Korean state has shown complete indifference to its peoples suffering. Besides, China, North Koreas main trading partner, has no interest in pushing its neighbor into complete collapse. It would trigger unrest on its border and weaken a useful ally.

Realistically, there are three possible outcomes to the Pyongyang-Washington duel. One is accidental war, the consequences of which would be so grave that it must be avoided at all costs. Another is that the North Koreans will continue to grow their nuclear weapons program indefinitely, Or, if the regime can be persuaded to freeze the program, the threat can be contained and, as we did with the Soviets, we can patiently seek collapse of the system from within.

Containment and patience is where this will end. Its what China and Russia will lobby for; not, as Trump thinks, because they want to help us, but because they believe we will give up power to make it happen. China, although central to a deal, is not our partner; its interests diverge from ours. Along with the North Koreans, the Chinese have the most leverage in this situation, and they will likely get the best of the negotiations unless the U.S. is very skillful.

That. of course, would require a functioning, well-staffed State Department. But we dont have one of those. Its ranks have been decimated by the Trump administration. In the end, even if the flawed temperament and deficient skills of Americas president do not get us all killed, the actions of his administration will lead to the long-term weakening of the U.S. position in Asia and beyond. Already, our allies trust us less.

We may one day look back on 2017 and note not just the nightmarish fears sparked by the words of an unhinged American president, but a disruption in world order, the first big international crises since 1945 in which the United States was no longer the most influential actor.

David Rothkopf is a senior fellow at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University and a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His latest book is The Great Questions of Tomorrow.

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Petition drive to repeal California gas tax increase temporarily slows down By Patrick McGreevy A motorist prepares to gas up her vehicle in San Rafael, Calif., in 2015. ( (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)) Paid signature-gatherers for a ballot measure that would repeal gas tax increases may be hard to find on the streets of California this week. Organizers say its not a money issue, adding that they needed to briefly halt paid signature-gathering to catch up on collecting petitions from volunteers. The petition drive has so far collected more than 327,800 verified signatures of the 587,407 needed to qualify the measure for the November ballot, according to Dave Gilliard, the political strategist behind the drive. We knew it was popular but the incredible pace is even faster than we expected so we outran the capacity of our verification operation over the Christmas holiday and told our crew managers to slow down so we could catch up, Gilliard said. We will be back up to speed by the end of this week. The gas tax and vehicle fee increases signed by Gov. Jerry Brown are expected to raise $5.2 billion annually for road and bridge repairs and expanded mass transit. The gas tax jumped from 18 cents to 30 cents per gallon on Nov. 1, and vehicle fees of at least $25 kicked in Jan. 1. The gas tax repeal petition is breaking records for both paid and volunteer signatures and were using the next two weeks to catch up on validation of signatures already received, said Carl DeMaio, a former San Diego City Councilman and conservative radio talk-show host. As a grass-roots-funded effort we are also continuously raising funds and volunteer support. We are highly confident well qualify this Initiative for the November 2018 ballot. Facebook

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State pot bureau ready to enforce Californias new marijuana laws as license applications flood in By Patrick McGreevy The state has issued 104 licenses for retail stores to sell marijuana for recreational use in California and 239 other applications for those permits are pending, officials said Tuesday. An official with the state Bureau of Cannabis Control added that the agency is prepared to begin taking enforcement action against pot shops that are not properly licensed. The bureaus enforcement team is ready to respond to any complaints it receives and start doing compliance checks and site visits at any time, said Alex Traverso, a spokesman for the bureau. Selling marijuana without a license is a crime punishable by up to six months in county jail and a fine of up to $500. Those convicted of engaging in any marijuana business activity without a license will also be subject to a civil penalty of up to three times the amount of the license fee for each violation. A new report issued Tuesday indicated the bureau has issued 478 temporary licenses to firms to test, distribute and sell medical and recreational marijuana, which began Jan. 1 after voters approved a legalization initiative, Proposition 64, in 2016. Businesses have received 153 licenses to sell marijuana for medical use. Another 1,458 firms have applied for licenses that are still being processed. The state Department of Food and Agriculture has separately issued 207 licenses to marijuana growers. Facebook

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Two possible instances of discrimination reported after California issues drivers licenses to immigrants here illegally By Jazmine Ulloa The California Research Bureau on Tuesday released its first report on incidents of discrimination under a 2015 state law that has provided drivers licenses for hundreds of thousands of immigrants here illegally. Researchers found no complaints have been made against government agencies tasked with enforcing anti-discrimination laws. But two possible instances of discrimination were reported in focus group interviews conducted by Drive California, a coalition of advocates studying the impact of the new law. In one case, a woman in Fresno was told her license was not a valid form of identification at a retail store, though it was unclear whether the incident reflected intentional discrimination or simple ignorance of the license marking, the report states. A MoneyGram clerk in another case denied a license holder the ability to cash a check. The same person was later rejected again at a bank. The state Department of Motor Vehicles has issued 960,000 AB 60 drivers licenses as of Nov. 30. The state research bureau produced the report for the Legislature as part of the new law, which declares discrimination against an AB 60 license holder a violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act. Facebook

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California lawmaker proposes requiring panic buttons for hotel workers in response to widespread sexual harassment By Patrick McGreevy More than half of hotel workers surveyed report being sexually harassed at some point. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times) Alarmed by a survey indicating sexual harassment of hotel housekeepers is widespread, a California state lawmaker on Tuesday proposed requiring employers to provide panic button devices to their employees so they can summon help if abused by a guest. The bill to be introduced Wednesday by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) would also require individual hotels to impose a three-year ban on guests who engage in harassment on the property. We want to protect our most vulnerable women workers, hotel maids who are going into rooms alone, from sexual harassment, said Muratsuchi, who co-authored the bill with Assemblyman Bill Quirk (D-Hayward). The legislation signals that concerns over sexual harassment that dominated the state Legislature last year will continue to be an issue for lawmakers as they begin the new legislative year Wednesday. Harassment allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, comedian Louis C.K. and other high-profile men have involved sexual misconduct in hotel rooms. A survey in July by Unite Here Local 1 found that 49% of female hotel workers in Chicago had experienced a guest answering the door naked or exposing himself. The report titled Hands Off, Pants On, found 58% of hotel workers said they had been sexually harassed by a guest. Californias Unite Here Local 11 has been calling for the action proposed in the legislation. It is the intent of this measure to protect hotel employees from violent assault, including sexual assault, and sexual harassment, and to enable those employees to speak out when they experience harassment on the job, said the introduction to the legislation introduced by Muratsuchi. In addition to requiring hotels to provide panic buttons to employees who work alone in rooms, the bill requires hotels to take written complaints from employees and keep them for five years. Any complaint backed by evidence including a statement given under penalty of perjury would result in a guest being banned from a hotel for three years. Hotels would also be required to post a notice on the inside of hotel room doors warning guests about the consequences of sexual harassment. Updated at 4:10 pm to include comment from Assemblyman Muratsuchi. Facebook

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Money, Republican malaise and Tom Steyer: These are the things to watch for in Californias 2018 statewide elections By Seema Mehta Get ready, California. What had been a behind-the-scenes dash for cash closely watched by few other than political observers is about to burst into public view. Voters this year will decide who will succeed Democrat Jerry Brown as the next governor and whether they will send Sen. Dianne Feinstein back to Washington. Before the June 5 primary, candidates will ramp up their campaigns with messages on television and stuffed into mailboxes. Heres a primer on the states two marquee races. Read More Facebook

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Fickle L.A. County is pivotal in the race for California governor By Phil Willon Home to a quarter of Californias 5.2 million registered voters, Los Angeles County is the biggest prize in Californias 2018 race for governor. For two hometown Democratic candidates especially  former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Treasurer John Chiang of Torrance  doing well in L.A. County is essential if they hope to best the front-runner, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. Yet this overwhelmingly Democratic stronghold continually bedevils even the most adept campaigns. Read More Facebook

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A renewed brawl over single-payer healthcare in California is on deck for 2018 By Melanie Mason Carolyn Angela Chen, a registered nurse, gives a free hepatitis A vaccination to Glenn Gardner, 52, at Joshua House Clinic (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) California officials are bracing for healthcare battles in Washington to have a major impact on the states budget and programs. Activists and politicians are planning a showdown over whether or not to establish a single-payer healthcare system in the state. And prescription drug manufacturers are the target of a number of bills meant to target the rising costs of medication. Sound familiar? Turns out the brewing healthcare battles in California in 2018 arent all that different from those from 2017. Heres a primer on the upcoming healthcare agenda in California: Read More Facebook

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How California lawmakers plan to protect the online privacy of consumers in 2018 By Jazmine Ulloa (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) With federal regulation rollbacks and a rise in data breaches, California lawmakers this year are looking for ways to protect consumers and their personal information. Some legislation under consideration could give people more notice and control over what data is collected, without having to pay for privacy or better services. Other bills could provide free credit freezes for consumers and require new privacy features for products that connect to the internet. Read More Facebook

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2018 will see California motorists pay more to the state to repair roads and bridges By Patrick McGreevy The new year brings with it new vehicle fees in California ranging from $25 to $175 depending on the value of your car, but Republican lawmakers are hoping to qualify a ballot measure in November to repeal the higher charges. The fees and a 12-cent increase in Californias gas tax last year are part of a plan by Democrats to raise more than $5.2 billion annually to deal with a backlog of road and bridge repairs. Petitions to qualify a repeal initiative are circulating now. Read More Facebook

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A rent control battle tops the list of California housing issues to watch in 2018 By Liam Dillon A new-home community in Anaheim in 2016 (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times) California lawmakers arent wasting any time in tackling one of the most contentious issues in state housing politics this year. On Jan. 11, the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee is set to hold a hearing on legislation that could lead to a dramatic expansion of rent control policies across the state. The debate over rent control could spill over onto the 2018 ballot, where Californians also could see proposals to expand or curtail the property tax restrictions ushered in 40 years ago by Proposition 13. Lawmakers will have to wrestle with how to follow up a package of housing bills that passed last year. The measures provided new funding and regulations designed to encourage homebuilding, but are unlikely to make an appreciable difference in housing costs. Read More Facebook

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Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas is resigning By John Myers Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas abruptly announced his resignation from the California Legislature on Wednesday, citing health reasons. Ridley-Thomas, a Democrat from Los Angeles, informed Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) Tuesday night. The reason for this difficult decision is that I am facing persistent health issues, Ridley-Thomas, 30, said in a written statement on Wednesday. On December 18th, I underwent surgery for the fifth time this year. Although I expect a full recovery, my physicians advise that I will need an extended period of time to recuperate. Earlier this year, Ridley-Thomas was absent from work for more than two weeks. Staff members initially said the absence was a personal leave, then said the time off was due to unspecified medical reasons. His resignation letter on Wednesday offered no additional details. When I resume public life, I intend to remain active in civic affairs, where my passion lies, he said in the statement released by his office. Ridley-Thomas was first elected to the Assembly in a 2013 special election. He is the son of Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. Before winning elected office at age 26, the younger Ridley-Thomas worked as an aide for Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price and managed a 2012 Assembly campaign in San Bernardino County. In a statement about his sons decision, Mark Ridley-Thomas said he and his wife more than anyone, have seen him struggle with health challenges this year, and we fully support his decision to step down from the state Legislature so that he can recuperate with complete rest, in accordance with his doctors orders. His solidly Democratic district includes the west Los Angeles neighborhoods of Westwood, Culver City, Crenshaw and Baldwin Hills. He is chairman of the influential Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee, which oversees all tax-related legislation. Ridley-Thomas is a proponent of changes in the operation of the state Board of Equalization, though his plan would have allowed the agency to ultimately retain many of its duties. A more substantial shake-up was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in June. Ridley-Thomas was the author of a bill signed into law in October giving the Los Angeles Unified School District the power to preserve some of its existing single-gender schools. He was unsuccessful, though, in an effort to stop local governments from imposing taxes on streaming video services like Netflix and Hulu. Ridley-Thomas departure will require a special election in 2018. He is the fourth Southern California legislator to leave office this year. The election of Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles) to Congress also required a special election. The other two lawmakers Assemblymen Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) and Matt Dababneh (D-Woodland Hills)  stepped down in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct, which both men have denied. A special election to fill Bocanegras seat will be held on April 3, with a potential runoff on June 5. A special election date has not yet been set for Dababnehs seat. My colleagues and I wish Assemblymember Sebastian Ridley-Thomas all the best going forward as he deals with his health challenges, Rendon said in a statement. The Assembly will continue to assist the residents of the 54th Assembly District until a new assemblymember is seated. This post was updated with comment from Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, as well as more information about special elections. It was originally published at 11:10 a.m. Facebook

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California Senate Democrats are considering some ideas to counter the GOP tax plan By Liam Dillon Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Democrats in the California Senate are planning to write legislation to lessen the effects of the elimination of popular tax breaks in the GOPs overhaul of the federal tax system. To finance broad-based corporate tax cuts and reductions in individual tax rates, the GOP plan caps the deductibility of state and local income and property taxes  a benefit used often in suburban areas of California. The Republican tax scam disproportionately harms California taxpayers, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) said in a statement. Our hard-earned tax dollars should not be subject to double-taxation, especially not to line the pockets of the Trump family, hedge fund managers and private jet owners. De Leon, who also is running for U.S. Senate, said the state Senate is working with law professors at UCLA, UC Davis and the University of Chicago to develop the legislation. Ideas being considered, according to a de Leon spokesman, include: Reducing state personal income taxes through a tax credit program and offsetting that amount through payroll taxes.

Allowing individuals to make voluntary gifts to the state of California, which would be deductible as a charitable donation under federal law. The deduction for the donated amount would replace the state and local tax deduction. Lawmakers return to Sacramento in January.

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L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti admits considering a 2020 bid: I am thinking about this By Seema Mehta Eric Garcetti (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Its no secret Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is interested in running for president. When reporters ask about his intentions, he has used all sorts of ways to deflect, typically by saying hes focused on his day job  for the moment. But speaking in Spanish to a Univision reporter this week, Garcetti edged ever closer to the telltale admission hes actually considering it. I am thinking about this, said Garcetti, who is partly of Mexican heritage but learned Spanish attending private school. The majority of time goes to my work as mayor of Los Angeles, but every [citizen] should think about what our role is in these difficult times, in these dangerous times. Garcetti added that he expects many mayors to run for president, and noted New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recently visited Iowa, which holds the first presidential nominating contest. Garcetti has long been rumored to be flirting with a White House bid, and he has fueled such speculation by traveling out of state to places such as the early presidential primary state of New Hampshire to campaign for a mayoral candidate. Facebook

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Gov. Brown makes judicial appointments, including attorney who helps train Legislature on anti-sexual-harassment policies .@JerryBrownGov makes two court of appeal and 33 superior court appointments including Lauri Damrell in Sacramento. Damrell, an attorney at Orrick, testified at the Assemblys recent hearing on sexual harassment, outlining the assemblys current prevention efforts.  Liam Dillon (@dillonliam) December 22, 2017 Facebook

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Californias former top cop forms marijuana distribution firm in new age of legalization By Patrick McGreevy Former California Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer is going from enforcing laws against marijuana to legally distributing the drug under the states new rules that allow the sale and possession of pot for recreational use. With state-licensed sales of marijuana starting Jan. 1, Lockyer has co-founded a firm, C4 Distro, that will distribute packaged marijuana concentrates and edibles to stores in Los Angeles. He says Californias new regulated system has a chance to be a model for the rest of the country. For me as somebody who was on the law enforcement side for so many years, I saw the inadequacies of the effort to regulate something just by calling it illegal, Lockyer said. I think legalizing will help stabilize and help legitimize this industry and result in better consumer protection and other public benefits. Lockyer, a Democrat who served in the state Assembly and was leader of the state Senate, has co-founded the firm with Eric Spitz, who was chairman and president of the former parent company of the Orange County Register. The businessmen aim to get their products to pot shops in L.A. in late January or early February, Spitz said. Asked if he uses marijuana himself, Lockyer, 76, said, Not in any recent times, but there were college years. He said he sees his involvement in the marijuana industry as a mixture of helping to pay for his kids college tuition and public service to help the new regulations work. This whole industry has to come from the dark side to the light, he said. By focusing on delivery to as many as 700 stores that might open in Los Angeles, C4 Distro hopes to capture a targeted market while other firms distribute statewide. The business has a warehouse in southeast Los Angeles County and is close to applying for a distributors license from the state, Lockyer said. Lockyer served a quarter century in the state Legislature before he was elected as state attorney general in 1999. He left that office in 2007 when he was elected as state treasurer, serving until his retirement from politics in 2015. Before co-leading a group that bought the Register newspaper in 2012, Spitz served as chief financial officer at Narragansett Brewing Company. Spitz left the Registers Freedom Communications in 2016. 2 p.m.: An earlier version of this article mistakenly said Spitz left Freedom Communications in 2015. Facebook

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House passes disaster aid bill with wildfire funding, 18 Californians vote no By Sarah D. Wire (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Eighteen of Californias 53 House members voted no on an $81-billion disaster aid package Thursday, which includes funds for Californias recent wildfires. The 17 Democrats and one Republican voted no on the bill, which passed the House by a 251 to 169 vote. The Senate is not expected to take up the bill until January, when Congress returns from its holiday break. The entire California delegation had recently signed onto a letter asking for the disaster aid. In a speech on the House floor before the vote, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) pleaded with colleagues not to take a political stance on a disaster aid bill. Dont play politics on a vote to give aid to the people of Texas, to the people of Puerto Rico and to the Virgin Islands, to the people of Florida, and to the people of California that are still fighting the fires. Dont play politics on a bill where you hope to maybe stop another. That would be the worst of any politics Ive seen played here, McCarthy said. Here and now, right before Christmas, dont vote against aid for Americans who just lost everything. Several of the Democrats who voted no also voted against the spending bill Thursday, and said that they felt they could not support either because the bills did not include Democratic priorities for the end of the year, including protections for people brought to the country illegally as children. Others said the aid bill doesnt provide enough money for California and doesnt treat Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands fairly in terms of competing for the funds. The 18 representatives voting no were: Nanette Barragan (D-San Pedro)

Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles)

Tony Cardenas (D-Los Angeles)

Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park)

Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana)

Anna Eshoo (D-Menlo Park)

Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles)

Ro Khanna (D-Fremont)

Barbara Lee (D-Oakland)

Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove)

Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco)

Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Downey)

Linda Sanchez (D-Whittier)

Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough)

Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin)

Norma Torres (D-Pomona)

Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) Facebook

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Three California House members cross party lines on spending bill to keep government open By Sarah D. Wire Three California House members crossed party lines Thursday on a vote to pass a spending bill that will keep the government open until mid-January. Democratic Reps. Jim Costa of Fresno and Raul Ruiz of Palm Desert joined the majority of Republicans to vote for the bill. Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter of Alpine joined Democrats to vote against it. The bill, which funds the government through Jan. 19, passed the House 231 to 188, right before representatives left for the holidays. Costa said in a statement that he voted yes because keeping the government open is Congress job, but he called the vote a continuation of the dysfunction in Washington. It further illustrates the damage that results from partisan politics and irresponsible leadership. It is unacceptable that we have to resort to funding the government for weeks at a time because we cannot sit down together  Democrats and Republicans  and negotiate a real budget bill, Costa said. Hunters staff said the congressman was concerned that military spending in the bill was extended for only a short period. He had wanted the spending to be extended until September. Facebook

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Poll points to all-Democrat runoffs in California races for governor and senator By Seema Mehta Californians could see two Democrat-on-Democrat contests in the states premier races in 2018, according to a new poll released Thursday. In the gubernatorial race, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom remains the front-runner with the support of 26% of likely voters in a Berkeley IGS poll. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa came in second with the backing of 17%. The poll found notable demographic differences in the two mens bases of support. Newsom had strong leads in the Bay Area, where he once served as the mayor of San Francisco, as well as among white voters, liberals and the wealthy. Villaraigosa saw strong backing in Los Angeles County, among Latino voters and among those who earned less than $40,000. Republicans splintered in the race, placing businessman John Cox and Assemblyman Travis Allen in a tie for third place with 9% each. Two other Democrats, state Treasurer John Chiang and former state schools chief Delaine Eastin, each won the support of 5% of likely voters. If Republicans fail to consolidate behind a candidate in the June primary, voters will for the first time see no GOP candidate on the November ballot for governor. Its a repeat of what occurred in the 2016 U.S. Senate race, and what is likely to occur again in the 2018 U.S. Senate race if the field does not grow. Sen. Dianne Feinstein has the support of 41% of likely voters in her reelection bid, but her rival, fellow Democrat Kevin de Leon, won the support of 27%, according to the poll. There is no GOP candidate in the race. Feinstein, who has served in the Senate for a quarter-century, has enormous advantages in fundraising, name recognition and support among powerful political groups. However, the poll found that nearly one-third of likely voters said they are undecided or would like to support another candidate. Facebook

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California legislator wants to curb sexual harassment in Hollywood and eating disorders for models By Melanie Mason Fashion models show off the BCBG MAX AZRIA Spring 2016 collection during New York Fashion Week. (Richard Drew / AP) A new proposal by a California assemblyman is taking aim at two of the more criticized phenomena in the entertainment industry: sexual harassment and unhealthy body standards for fashion models. The legislation, by Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael), would require the states Occupational Safety and Health Standards to adopt guidelines for fashion models in an attempt to combat the prevalence of eating disorders and excessive thinness in the industry. This is the second time Levine has tried to take on the fashion industry. His similar bill to impose standards on models sputtered in 2016. This time, Levine also is trying to address the prevalence of sexual harassment in the entertainment industry by requiring that talent agencies  which represent actors, performers and other artists  provide training on sexual harassment and how to identify and prevent inappropriate behavior. I believed women who told me their stories of abuse when I introduced legislation to provide workplace protections in the fashion industry in 2016 just like I believe them now, Levine said in a statement. Its time that law reflects societys rejection of sexual harassment in all workplaces, including Hollywood. My bill aims to address the problem before it starts, but also empowers survivors with the tools to report these cases. Facebook

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Local Indivisible group picks Democrat to endorse against Rep. Duncan Hunter By Christine Mai-Duc Ammar Campa-Najjar, 28, is running against Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine). (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) With an already crowded field of contenders hoping to unseat Rep. Duncan Hunter and months to go before the candidate filing deadline, one local activist group has made an early endorsement in the race. Indivisible CA50, made up of activists mostly in San Diego County, announced Thursday that its endorsing Ammar Campa-Najjar, a Democrat and public affairs consultant whos challenging Hunter. The endorsement comes as liberal activists and interest groups all over the state are grappling with whether  and how  to winnow down the dozens of candidates vying for 10 GOP-held seats in California. The group held more than half a dozen endorsement meetings to allow members throughout Hunters district to vote on their preferred candidate. One of the candidates, Pierre Beauregard, dropped out of the race recently and endorsed Campa-Najjar. In a statement Campa-Najjar said in a statement that the nod represents the enthusiasm of hundreds of progressive grassroots activists. Indivisibles national political director Maria Urbina said the endorsement was the first made by any California chapter in the 2018 midterms. Aside from Campa-Najjar, two other Democrats are running for Hunters seat: Josh Butner, a school board trustee and former Navy SEAL, and realtor Patrick Malloy, who ran last year and lost to Hunter by nearly 27 percentage points. Hunter will also face at least two GOP challengers: Shamus Sayed and Andrew Zelt. Hunter is not considered to be particularly vulnerable in next years election, but an investigation into his alleged misuse of campaign funds has caused at least one election handicapper to move his race from solid Republican to the likely Republican column. Facebook

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San Francisco is getting a new mayor and creating a political star. Who will it be? By Mark Z. Barabak San Francisco is the city everyone loves, even if they hate it. The stately Victorians, like a gingerbread dream come to life. The majestic Golden Gate Bridge, standing like heavens portal above the fog. The plucky cable cars, scrabbling up its impossible hillsides. It can almost make you forget the bands of ravaged homeless, the paralyzing traffic, the scent of human waste wafting from sidewalks outside the citys posh eateries and palatial tech headquarters. San Francisco is getting a new mayor, owing to the sudden death of incumbent Ed Lee. All of the grandeur, and all of the grit, accompany the position. To say the race is wide open  Lee having died just about a week ago  is an understatement. Read More Facebook

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein is under pressure over a fix for Dreamers By Sarah D. Wire California Sen. Dianne Feinstein is under pressure from activists and fellow Democrats to withhold support for a spending bill that would avert a government shutdown in exchange for protections for people brought to the country illegally as children. Feinstein said in October that protections for so-called Dreamers are the most important thing we can get done, but the senator known for her moderate bent said this week that she wont try to block the end-of-the-year spending bill over it, and has not offered an explanation. Dreamers this week flooded Feinsteins five California offices and her office on Capitol Hill. Two UCLA students refused to leave her Capitol Hill office after three hours Tuesday and were briefly detained by police. On Wednesday, about a dozen students and parents returned and were asked to leave after about 30 minutes of shouting in her office lobby. Read More Facebook

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The GOP tax plan passed. Now Democrats have another big issue to use in the midterms By Sarah D. Wire As GOP leaders in Congress met behind closed doors to hash out the details of their massive tax overhaul, a group of UC Irvine graduate students met in Rep. Mimi Walters district, fretting about how the plan could cost them money. About 20 miles north, dozens of activists in top hats stood outside Rep. Ed Royces Brea office as they chanted, Shame on you! And up in the Central Valley, protesters gathered outside Rep. Jeff Denhams Modesto office to sing Protest ye dreary congressman  Remember that he voted to take healthcare away. To save himself from taxes now, so you will have to pay. Read More Facebook

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Kevin de Leon to Feinstein: Dont come back to California without forcing a government shutdown over Dream Act By Jazmine Ulloa State Senate leader Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles), left, and Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), right. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press) Taking direct criticism to the woman he is attempting to unseat in next years U.S. Senate race, California Senate leader Kevin de Leon on Wednesday urged Democrats to block a year-end spending bill as leverage to pass a Dream Act  clean of GOP demands for increased border security. At a news conference in downtown Los Angeles, De Leon commended Sen. Kamala Harris for pledging to block the measure, saying he could not understand why her colleague Sen. Dianne Feinstein had failed to take a similar stance in pushing for legislation to protect the so-called Dreamers, immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. Dreamers make up hundreds of thousands of Sen. Feinsteins constituents, and while talking a good game on Dreamers, when it comes to standing up and supporting them, she is AWOL, said De Leon (D-Los Angeles), who has attempted to position himself to Feinsteins left as he campaigns for her seat. His statements follow days of demonstrations by young protesters at legislators offices in Washington and California. The coalitions of activists have been calling on Democrats to hold up the spending bill, a move that could force a government shutdown. They want to pass Dream Act legislation that would provide protections and a path to citizenship to young people without legal residency in the U.S. At least two young protesters were arrested Tuesday outside of Feinsteins Capitol Hill office, and more demonstrations took place at her offices in Washington and San Francisco on Wednesday. Feinstein, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) have sponsored Dream Act legislation but have not pledged to hold up the spending deal. A separate bipartisan group of senators is advocating punting the issue to January. President Trump has asked Congress to come up with a solution by March. Standing next to De Leon and immigrant rights advocates on Wednesday, state Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) said advocates had to double down the shame on any Democrat who thinks its time to wait on the issue. De Leon said they had made that message clear to Schumer, saying, It is time to find your spine, sir. To Pelosi and Feinstein, he said: Dont come back to California if you havent demonstrated your leadership and your courage to stand up for these young men and women. I can tell you this, De Leon said. If the Republicans were on the other side, they wouldnt hesitate for a nanosecond to shut down the government to move forward what they believe in. Facebook

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12 California Republicans vote to support tax overhaul for a second time; Rohrabacher and Issa say no By Sarah D. Wire The House gave final approval for the GOP tax bill Wednesday, with 12 Republicans in the state delegation again voting in favor of the bill. Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Darrell Issa of Vista voted no. The House and Senate both passed the bill Tuesday, but, because Democrats raised procedural objections that forced the bill to be changed in the Senate, the House had to vote on the bill again Wednesday before sending it to President Trump for his signature. Though many California taxpayers are expected to see an initial income tax cut under the plan, a significant number probably will have higher taxes because of the lost deductions. Analysts also expect the biggest cuts to flow to corporations and the states wealthiest residents. Republicans are expected to head to the White House later Wednesday for a celebration with Trump. No House Democrats, including the 39 from California, supported the bill. Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Norwalk) was not present for the second vote, but she voted no on Tuesday. See the Republican votes here: Facebook

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Californias Democratic senators vote no on GOP tax bill Californias @SenKamalaHarris and @SenFeinstein join rest of Democrats in the Senate in voting no on the GOP tax bill, which passed 51-48 along party lines. Sanders, who is an Independent, voted with Democrats.  Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) December 20, 2017 "At a time when wages have stagnated and working Americans are trying to do more with less, this tax plan pulls the rug out from the middle class to give billions to those who already have so much. This is an attack on our values, and Americans deserve better," Harris said.  Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) December 20, 2017 "Californians will be hit especially hard by the cap on the state and local tax deduction, making it more difficult for communities to pay for services that our families rely on, Its no wonder a bill that primarily benefits the wealthy is so unpopular..." Feinstein said  Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) December 20, 2017 Facebook

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GOP tax overhaul passes House with help from a dozen California Republicans By Sarah D. Wire Despite weeks of consternation from some California House Republicans, a dozen of them joined their colleagues to pass an overhaul of the U.S. tax code Tuesday. Two  Reps. Darrell Issa and Dana Rohrabacher  voted against the plan. In the weeks before the vote, Republican Reps. Mimi Walters of Irvine and Steve Knight of Palmdale cited new caps on popular deductions as reasons they were uncertain about whether to vote for the bill. Both worked behind the scenes on changes and ultimately supported the bill, which passed the House on a near party line vote 227-203. Knight said hes satisfied the changes are enough to to turn what would have been a tax increase into a tax cut for his constituents. Read More Facebook

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More than half of Californians oppose GOP tax bill, according to new poll By Sarah D. Wire House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) arrives for a news conference about the tax plan. (Win McNamee / Getty Images) More than half of Californians oppose the GOP tax bill expected to be approved by Congress today, and just 20% believe it will have a positive affect on their families, according to a poll released Monday. Just over half of California voters, 51%, oppose the tax bill, and 30% support it, according to the newest IGS Poll, a survey by the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley. And the belief falls largely along party lines, with Democrats opposing the bill by a more than 4-to-1 (67% to 15%) margin and Republicans supporting it 3 to 1 (60% to 21%). The House and Senate are expected to vote on the tax bill Tuesday. Californias Republican members of Congress largely support the bill despite some concerns about how cuts to the state and local tax deduction and mortgage interest deduction might affect Californians. Democrats in the delegation oppose it and have said they will use the vote against vulnerable Republicans in the 2018 midterm elections. When asked about the impact they think the bill will have on themselves and their families, just 20% of the polls respondents said they think it will benefit them directly, while 40% foresee a negative impact. About 27% do not expect much of an impact, and 13% said they dont know if theyll be affected. The poll of a random sample of 1,000 registered voters was completed by telephone in English and Spanish from Dec. 7 to 16. Facebook

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A quick look at some of the biggest tax changes for Californians By Sarah D. Wire (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) Congressional Republicans are framing their tax cut bill as a Christmas gift that will give Americans an average tax cut of $2,059. For Californians, especially in the wealthier areas along the coast, the situation isnt as clear-cut. When the measure comes up for a vote in the House on Tuesday morning, its expected to pass along party lines. At least two Republicans say they will join Democrats in the California delegation to oppose the plan because they fear it will hurt their constituents bottom line. Take a quick look at what some of the biggest changes in the tax bill might mean for average Californians. Read More Facebook

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Lawmakers, pot growers say Californias marijuana cultivation rules favor big corporate farms By Patrick McGreevy Californias new rules allowing marijuana cultivation favor large corporate farms despite a promise in Proposition 64 that small growers would be protected, according to a group of state lawmakers and marijuana industry leaders who called Monday for the policy to be changed. The California Department of Food and Agriculture issued emergency rules last month that allow for small and medium-sized farms of up to a quarter acre and one acre, respectively, to get licenses for the first five years. That five-year head start for small farms was promised in Proposition 64, the initiative approved last year by voters that legalized growing and selling marijuana for recreational use. Individuals and businesses can get only one license for a medium-sized farm, but the new rules do not set a limit on how many small-farm licenses can be obtained by one person or business. That could allow a corporation to assemble a 20-acre farm by obtaining 80 licenses for a quarter-acre each, opponents worry. Democratic state Sens. Scott Wiener of San Francisco and Mike McGuire of Healdsburg, Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) and the California Growers Assn. asked for swift action by the state agricultural department to change the rule. This is clearly a broken promise, McGuire said. For two years, every discussion has included a cap on cannabis grows and the Department of Food and Agriculture needs to fix this massive loophole they have created. This last-minute revision rolls out the red carpet for large corporations to crush the livelihood of small family farmers. With cultivation licenses set to take effect next month, the lawmakers also promised legislative hearings on why the rules were drafted to disadvantage small, mom-and-pop farms. California only has one chance to get this right, and it is already on the wrong path with this last-minute change that flies in the face of what the backers of Prop. 64 promised, said Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Assn. This single decision will hand over the California marketplace to multinational corporations and a wealthy few at the expense of thousands of growers who are ready to play by the rules and provide economic opportunity in communities that until recently were criminalized or  at the very least  marginalized. The industry estimates there are about 3,500 independent growers on track to get a state license in the first half of 2018. Allens group estimates that number could grow to as many as 10,000 or 15,000 by the end of 2020, but not if large corporate farms are allowed in early. The agricultural agency issued a response later: A one-acre canopy limit has not been in proposed regulations at any point and was not included in the emergency regulations due to the fact that Proposition 64, the law guiding the process, did not provide authority to include it. However, local jurisdictions may impose that limitation on their own if it meets the needs of their constituents. Updated at 5:10 pm to include comment from agricultural agency. Facebook

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Final tax bill dramatically softens blow to mortgage interest deductions in California By Christine Mai-Duc Last-minute changes to the Republican-led tax overhaul seem to be tailor-made to entice support from California GOP lawmakers, several of whom voted against a previous version passed in the House last month. The House version, passed with the support of all but three California Republicans, had proposed capping the mortgage interest deduction at loans of $500,000 or less. Republicans in high-tax, expensive states had voiced concerns the bill would have major effects in their districts. But the final version of the bill dramatically slashed the percentage of new mortgages that would be affected if the package becomes law. *New mortgages over $500,000 include data through Sept. 2017. New mortgages over $750,000 include data through Oct. 2017. Source: Times analysis of data provided by CoreLogic The particulars of the mortgage interest provision and other popular deductions were major sticking points as House and Senate negotiators hammered out a compromise between the two versions. A previous Times analysis showed that more than half of new mortgages this year in Rep. Dana Rohrabachers coastal Orange County district exceeded the $500,000 cap laid out in the House version. Text of the new bill released Friday outlined a cap of $750,000, which would apply to just under a quarter of new mortgages there through October 2017. Rohrabacher was one of three California Republicans, along with Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) and Tom McClintock (R-Elk Grove) who previously voted against the measure. Rep. Mimi Walters (R-Irvine) said she supported the House version after receiving assurances from leaders that the bill would be changed to account for the loss of deductions, The percentage of new mortgages over the cap dropped from 48% to 14%. Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), whose district had 1% of mortgages exceeding the $500,000 cap proposed previously, saw that share drop almost to zero; 27 of 7,515 mortgages in his congressional district this year have been for more than $750,000. The House is expected to vote on the final tax bill Tuesday. Facebook

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A major change to Proposition 13 takes its first step toward the 2018 ballot By Liam Dillon A commercial property in San Bernardino County that could face higher property taxes under a proposed ballot measure (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times) Proponents of making a dramatic change to Californias landmark Proposition 13 property tax restrictions took their first step to getting a measure on the November 2018 statewide ballot Friday. The change would allow the state to receive more tax dollars from commercial and industrial properties by assessing them at their current market value, an effort known as split roll because existing tax protections on homes would remain in place. Advocates of the measure, including the League of Women Voters of California and community organizing nonprofits California Calls and PICO Network said the change could raise billions of dollars that could be spent on public schools and community colleges. I think the cumulative effects of the unfair tax system have gotten to the point where its created crippling economic impacts on the state, said Melissa Breach, executive director of the League of Women Voters of California. Backers filed their proposed initiative Friday. The attorney generals office will prepare an official title and summary for the measure and it will receive a financial analysis. From there, advocates will decide if they will collect signatures to put the measure on the ballot. Proposition 13 passed in 1978 amid concerns that rising property taxes could force people out of their homes. The ballot measure limited property taxes to 1% of a propertys value at the time of purchase and ensures that the assessed value on which taxes are based can only increase by a maximum of 2% a year  no matter how much a propertys market value goes up. Split-roll measures have been long debated in state politics, but business groups and anti-tax groups have expressed substantial opposition to the idea, arguing that it would cause major harm to the states business climate. Breach said she expected an avalanche of big money against the measure should it go forward, but said that her organization wouldnt get involved without believing it could raise sufficient funding.S For the record 1 p.m., Dec. 18: An earlier version of this post said the split roll ballot measure would allow California to charge higher tax rates on commercial and industrial properties. It would allow the state to assess those properties at current market value, not charge higher rates. Facebook

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Three more women accuse California assemblyman of sexual misconduct By Melanie Mason Assemblyman Matt Dababneh (D-Woodland Hills) (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) A Los Angeles woman has filed a police report alleging Democratic Assemblyman Matt Dababneh had sex with her without consent four years ago, adding new allegations of sexual misconduct to those that led the politician to announce his resignation last week. He says her claims are false. Nancy Miret, 26, told The Times that when she was 22 and a recent college graduate, she spent time with Dababneh over two months in late 2013, primarily at his Encino apartment. At the time, Dababneh was running for Assembly to represent the western San Fernando Valley. They had consensual sex on one occasion, but after that, Miret said she had multiple nonconsensual sexual encounters with Dababneh that left her traumatized. Miret, who now works in commercial real estate, is one of three women interviewed by The Times who have made new allegations concerning Dababnehs behavior. These allegations are false and Im confident that when all the facts are in, it will clearly show that these claims are not true, Dababneh told The Times. Read More Facebook

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San Diego business is first in California to be issued license to sell marijuana for recreational use By Patrick McGreevy A San Diego medical marijuana business is the first firm to be issued a license by the state of California to sell marijuana for recreational use, officials said Thursday. Torrey Holistics received two of the first 20 licenses granted by the state Bureau of Cannabis Control this week to sell or distribute marijuana, although the licenses do not take effect until Jan. 1, according to bureau chief Lori Ajax. An additional 180 firms have applied for licenses but they are being processed. Last week, we officially launched our online licensing system, and today were pleased to issue the first group of temporary licenses to cannabis businesses that fall under the Bureaus jurisdiction, Ajax said in a statement. We plan to issue many more before January 1. The bureau is issuing temporary, four-month licenses to firms initially, but will eventually require firms to undergo background checks and pay a $1,000 application fee for yearlong permits. Tony Hall left a chemical distribution business two years ago to start Torrey Holistics with a friend and classmate at San Diego State. He said he was ecstatic to have the first recreational permit in California. He also obtained a new license to continue selling marijuana for medical uses. We feel fricking great about it, he said Thursday. Its just exciting. This is a once in a multi-generational event, he added, likening it to the end of prohibition. Added Ruthie Edelson, the firms marketing director, We will be open at 7 a.m. on Jan. 1. Last year, voters approved Proposition 64, which makes California one of eight states that allow the growing and sale of marijuana for recreational uses. Facebook

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Conservative activist group files a lawsuit over Los Angeles County inactive voter list By John Myers A Washington-based conservative-leaning activist group filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday alleging Los Angeles County officials are refusing to cancel the registrations of voters who are ineligible to cast a ballot. The legal action by Judicial Watch comes four months after the organization first accused elections officials across the state of maintaining registration lists that are larger than their voting-age population. The lawsuit also names Secretary of State Alex Padilla as a defendant and alleges the voter lists violate the National Voter Registration Act, or NVRA. They dont care about removing ineligible registration, said Robert Popper of Judicial Watch. I think we have a very strong lawsuit. The lawsuit names four Los Angeles County voters as co-plaintiffs and asserts that a countys two lists of voters  the file of active voters and those whose registration has been placed on inactive status  should be combined into a single total. The inactive list includes people who havent cast ballots in recent elections and havent responded to inquiries from elections officials. Though the names on that list are considered voters, they are not counted in official registration reports and are not mailed election material. Popper led an effort earlier this year to estimate the size of each countys voting-age population using the Census Bureaus American Community Survey. He said the surveys five-year average of county populations was then adjusted by focusing just on the estimate of those over the age of 18, and then comparing that with the combined active and inactive voter lists. Popper dismissed any concern that the resulting number might be skewed by the different standards used by counties for the inactive list, which could include names of voters who moved or died and thus be an imperfect guide. I believe that a court is going to accept our numbers, he said. Dean Logan, the registrar of voters in Los Angeles County, said his staffs practices are consistent with federal law. This lawsuit appears to fundamentally interpret the requirements of the NVRA in a manner inconsistent with ensuring voter enfranchisement and appropriate list maintenance, he said. The lawsuit also alleges that Los Angeles elections officials failed to provide Judicial Watch with requested data about the size of the inactive list, and accuses Padilla of failing to address the groups concerns about California not following NVRA rules. In a statement on Thursday, Padilla said county inactive-voter files are not out of compliance with the law. He criticized Judicial Watch for its baseless assertions, bad math, and flawed methodology. Local elections officials have said very few inactive voters show up on election day, and that any who do would be asked to cast a provisional ballot  one that isnt counted unless the voters eligibility is confirmed through additional review. Popper insisted that if the list is never used, theres no reason to keep it. Judicial Watch, which sued for access to Hillary Clintons emails in 2016, alleged that its calculations show 11 California counties with questionable voter registration totals. Facebook

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Voters in California GOP districts may get calls asking them to thank their member of Congress for tax plan By Sarah D. Wire Voters in four key Republican-held congressional districts could get a robocall starting Friday urging them to call and thank their member of Congress for supporting the tax bill. Its a last minute effort by American Action Network, a politically active nonprofit connected with House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) that has spent millions to shore up Republican support for the bill. The robocalls include the members office number. The four California members being targeted are Reps. Jeff Denham of Turlock, David Valadao of Hanford, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Mimi Walters of Irvine. All four represent districts that backed Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 and are Democratic targets in 2018. Knight and Walters had been particularly vocal about their concerns with the plan, saying it might raise taxes for their constituents. The final text of the bill is set to be released Friday, with a vote expected early next week. In total, American Action Network plans to place 1 million robocalls in 29 districts nationwide. Facebook

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Merry Christmas Republicans in Congress: Funny or Die video goes after California lawmakers over DACA By Christine Mai-Duc As members of Congress try to pass a controversial tax bill and a measure to keep the federal government funded, the political arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is hitting Republicans hard over another unresolved issue: the legal status of hundreds of thousands of people brought to the country illegally as children who could face deportation if lawmakers dont act. Amid negotiations over a long-term spending bill, Democratic leaders have been pushing their GOP colleagues to include a fix for those who were granted temporary protection under President Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA. President Trump announced an end to the program earlier this year and gave Congress a March deadline to address it. Funny or Die and BOLD PAC released a video Friday featuring comedians skewering GOP members, including two in California, for their inaction. In the video, Oscar Nunez, best known for his role on The Office, calls out Reps. Steve Knight (Palmdale), Ed Royce (Fullerton), Carlos Curbelo (Florida) and John Culberson (Texas), who get to go ahead and celebrate as thousands of Dreamers are banished from the only country theyve ever called home. How many broken promises can fit in a stocking? Nunez asks later. Im asking for a congressman. The political action committee says its spending six figures on the weeklong buy, which will go out nationwide across Funny Or Dies social media channels. They are known for blasting out irreverent, often viral parodies that play to young audiences. The video will also be targeted to constituents in each of the four congressional districts. A separate video released by the ACLU last week also urged members of Congress to strike a deal on DACA. Many California Republicans have remained mum on the issue, particularly those facing tough races in 2018. So far, only Reps. David Valadao (Hanford), Jeff Denham (Turlock) and Mimi Walters (Irvine) have pressured fellow Republicans to come up with a solution before Congress breaks for Christmas. Following Trumps decision, Knight said the issue should receive attention by Congress. Royce, who has taken hard-line stances on immigration in the past, urged his colleagues to provide a permanent, legislative solution that gives certainty to these kids. Neither elaborated on what that solution should be. Facebook

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For a prominent California consumer group and savvy political consultants, documents reveal a close financial relationship By John Myers If theres a clear mantra for Consumer Watchdog, one of Californias most visible and vocal advocacy groups, its that hidden financial relationships shouldnt shape politics and public policy. The Santa Monica-based nonprofit has spent more than three decades reprimanding politicians and interest groups for doing the bidding of those who give them money. Its official motto is expose, confront, change. We are loud, and we speak more of a populist truth than the way people usually talk to each other in Sacramento, said Jamie Court, Consumer Watchdogs president. Read More Facebook

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Regional director resigns from California Democratic Party amid sexual misconduct claims By Jazmine Ulloa A regional director with the California Democratic Party submitted his resignation on Thursday, nearly two weeks after a 23-year-old woman reported that he sexually assaulted her last year, spurring party leaders to seek his ouster. Craig Cheslog served as Region 2 director spanning the East Bay, Napa, Sonoma and the Clearlake areas. In a statement, his lawyer, Mary P. Carey, said she and her client were confident that a full and fair exploration of this matter, undertaken in an appropriate, fact-governed venue, would exonerate Mr. Cheslog. We are prepared, if necessary, to put forward the facts of this matter in just such a venue, she said. Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman and other officials initially called for Cheslogs removal in a Nov. 29 letter to state party secretary Jenny Bach. They said he was seen acting in an inappropriate and sexually aggressive manner toward a member of the party in a public area of the Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel, following a Nov. 18 executive board meeting. The level to which this activity advanced made a number of those in attendance uncomfortable, the letter stated. It added that another member reported that Mr. Cheslog raped her at a CDP executive board meeting the previous year. Party officers said the incident occurred during a weekend where the prevention of sexual harassment of women in politics was a dominant theme in the wake of the #metoo movement. Before the meetings conclusion on Sunday, the California Womens Caucus approved a resolution making clear that sexual harassment, bullying and other forms of abuse are grounds to lose endorsements and be stripped of party membership. Maddy Dean, who was not named in the letter, spoke at the meeting about her experiences of sexual harassment in the movie industry, and told the Times that she reported Cheslog. She said she could not provide further details about her allegation as she explores possible legal paths moving forward. This was about protecting other women and in particular other young women, she said of reporting the assault. In his own letter to Bach on Thursday, Cheslog did not acknowledge any wrongdoing. He said he was stepping down to prevent any personal misconduct allegations from creating a distraction with the party at a critical moment in national and state politics. I am confident of the results that would be forthcoming in a fair, fact-based exploration of this matter, he said. Since the report, Cheslog has been fired from his job at Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that helps families navigate media and technology. He also has stepped down from his position on the Acalanes Union High School District Board of Trustees. The conduct represented a serious violation of both company policy and the way in which our employees are expected to conduct themselves in the community at large, Common Sense spokeswoman Corbie Kiernan said in a statement. We immediately suspended Mr. Cheslog and conducted an investigation. As a result of the investigation, Mr. Cheslogs employment with Common Sense was terminated. 4:05 p.m.: This post was updated with Cheslogs resignation from the school board. Facebook

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Sen. Bob Hertzberg will cooperate with investigation into unwanted hugs By Patrick McGreevy State Sen. Bob Hertzberg works at his Senate Chambers desk. He faces an investigation into unwanted hugging (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) State Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Los Angeles) said Thursday he will cooperate with a state investigation into complaints from a former legislator that she was uncomfortable with his repeated hugs after she asked him not to touch her. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon said Thursday that a team of outside attorneys will investigate a complaint by former Assemblywoman Linda Halderman that Hertzberg has made her uncomfortable with hugs that were too close and lasted too long. Hertzberg, well-known for hugging other lawmakers, said he supports having any allegations investigated by the two outside law firms. I just learned of the investigation, and will fully cooperate, he said. The use of an independent third party investigator is essential to improving transparency and trust in the system. Halderman said Thursday she was encouraged that her concerns will be investigated, but said it was disturbing  that attorneys for one of the law firms selected, Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher, contributed more than $90,000 in campaign funds to sitting legislators including Hertzberg. Halderman, a surgeon, served in the state Assembly from 2010 through 2012 and said Hertzberg hugged her multiple times even after she asked him to stop because she was uncomfortable. The last incident occurred in a hallway of the Capitol, she claimed. I told him I dont care to be hugged. Dont touch me,  Halderman recalled. He then grabbed me and pinned my arms to my side and used his hands to press my lower back into his groin and he essentially pinned me so I couldnt push off of him to get away the way I ended previous hugs. It was certainly so over the line, she added. Halderman said a current female senator and assemblywoman also have complained about inappropriate hugs from Hertzberg. However, Sen. Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton) defended Hertzberg, saying she has known him for many years and he has always acted as a gentleman. I have never felt uncomfortable with him, and have always felt his hugs were a display of affection - which I appreciate, she said. I consider him a dear friend. Updated at 5:30 pm to include comment from Sen. Galgiani. Facebook

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Rep. Maxine Waters asks Justice Department to investigate fake letter tweeted by Republican opponent By Sarah D. Wire (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Rep. Maxine Waters is asking the Justice Department to look into a fake letter posted to Twitter by her Republican challenger that falsely indicated the congresswoman wants to resettle tens of thousand of refugees in her Los Angeles district. The GOP candidate, Omar Navarro, posted the letter on what looks like official House of Representatives letterhead to Twitter on Monday. The letter, which purports to be from the congresswoman, says the congresswoman wants to bring refugees to her congressional district after the 2018 election and perhaps even once I have secured the Speaker of the House position. Navarro accompanied the tweeted letter with a message: According to this document, Maxine Waters wants more terrorists, like the one who bombed NYC, in Californias 43rd District. As Congressman of CAs 43rd District, I will oppose such policies. Its been retweeted more than 680 times. But the letter is a forgery and a fake, her chief of staff, Twaun Samuel, said in a news release. The letter, dated June of this year, also contains several inaccuracies. It references multiple committees and subcommittees Waters does not serve on, and lists an address for a district office that has been closed for nearly a decade. Waters filed a complaint about the tweeted letter with the House general counsel, who forwarded the complaint to the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California and the fraud section of the Criminal Division for the United States Department of Justice. The complaint states that Waters has not communicated with the letters purported addressee  Teri Williams, who is president and chief operating officer of the Los Angeles-based OneUnited Bank, about any refugee resettlement program. Impersonating a federal official and misusing a federal seal are federal crimes. Navarro, who is backed by big name far-right conservatives, said Thursday that the letter was sent to his campaign through Facebook by a person he didnt know. He said neither the Justice Department or Waters staff has asked him about the letter. I dont know if its real or not, so I put it out there, Navarro said, adding that he believed his followers would help him determine if it is real. It doesnt say that I know. Its according to this document  what, am I supposed to send it to her and get an email back from Maxine? According to this document, Maxine Waters wants more terrorists, like the one who bombed NYC, in Californias 43rd District.

As Congressman of CAs 43rd District, I will oppose such policies. #VoteNavarro2018https://t.co/vO8YUsyPp3 pic.twitter.com/k7ef0H20if  Omar Navarro (@RealOmarNavarro) December 11, 2017 Facebook

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Sen. Tony Mendoza refuses to take a leave of absence amid harassment probe By Patrick McGreevy Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia), left, talks earlier this year about a pending bill with Sen. Ted Gaines (R-El Dorado Hills). (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Defying pressure from legislative leadership, state Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) refused Thursday to take a leave of absence until an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against him is concluded early next year. Mendoza has denied allegations by former employees that he treated three female aides inappropriately, inviting them to hotel stays and asking one to visit his home to work on her resume. I am very disappointed that certain Senate Rules Committee members are apparently asking me to take a leave of absence or resign before any investigation has even begun and without giving me an opportunity to defend myself, Mendoza said in a statement. This is contrary to the very concept of due process, which is a pillar of our American system of fairness and judicial prudence. These actions bypass any process in a rush to judgment. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) earlier Thursday called on Mendoza to take a leave of absence. Mendoza had previously been stripped of his leadership positions, including chairmanship of the Senates committee on banking and insurance. Mendoza questioned statements urging him to step down, saying they leave him concerned about the fairness of the investigation. He also said he has been disappointed that he has been told he cannot publicly address allegations. I was not appointed to the position I hold, but was elected by the voters in my district, he said. I am grateful to the voters in my district and thank them for their trust and their continued support. The Senate owes them an opportunity to hear the truth. I assure them that I will vigorously defend myself to clear my name. Facebook

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State Senate leader asks Sen. Tony Mendoza to take leave of absence amid sexual harassment investigation By Patrick McGreevy (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) State Senate leader Kevin de Leon said Thursday he has strongly suggested that Sen. Tony Mendoza take a leave of absence until the completion of an investigation by outside attorneys into allegations that Mendoza sexually harassed three former aides. Given the severity of the allegations against Senator Mendoza I do not believe he can perform the duties in Sacramento right now while the investigation is being conducted, De Leon told a packed news conference in his Capitol office. I believe Its the right thing to do, its the fair thing to do, to take a leave, he said. The Senate leader also said the outside attorneys have been asked to investigate complaints by former Assemblywoman Linda Halderman that Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Los Angeles) inappropriately hugged her on multiple occasions in a way that made her uncomfortable, even after she asked him to stop. De Leon also announced the hiring of two law firms to handle the Mendoza and Hertzberg investigations, and all future probes of harassment and abuse involving Senate employees. Mendoza, a Democrat from Artesia, did not immediately respond to the request to step aside. De Leon, a Democrat from Los Angeles who had been Mendozas roommate before the allegations were made public, said he made the suggestion to Mendoza in a meeting Thursday morning. If Mendoza refuses to take a leave, the Senate has the power to suspend him without pay, but De Leon said that is not currently under discussion. There is an effort underway to force his expulsion in January when the Legislature returns to Sacramento. Former Mendoza employees have claimed that he gave inappropriate attention to a female fellow and intern, inviting one to his home and hotel and giving the other alcohol in a hotel even though she was underage. Another former female aide told the Sacramento Bee that Mendoza invited her to one-on-one dinners and a weekend at Pebble Beach. Mendoza has denied the allegations. The Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher and Van Dermyden Maddux law firms have been retained for two years, according to Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), who participated in their selection. Have you experienced sexual harassment in government or politics? Tell us your story   In addition, the state is contracting with Weave, a Sacramento crisis-intervention organization for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, to provide counseling and to establish a hotline for Senate employees who are victims of sexual assault. The hotline number is 1-800-729-1443. America is finally reckoning with entrenched inequities in our personal and professional relationships and in workplaces of every type, De Leon said. Nowhere is this reckoning more important than in the halls of power  our political institutions. Facebook

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Watch live: California Senate leader addresses sexual misconduct at state Capitol Facebook

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California state senator pledges to bring back net neutrality rules just as FCC votes to repeal them By Jazmine Ulloa Demonstrators rally in support of net neutrality outside a Verizon store in New York on Dec. 7. (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press) Moments after the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted to roll back net neutrality regulations, a state senator pledged to introduce legislation that would preserve open internet protections for consumers in California. Net neutrality is essential to our 21st century democracy, and we need to be sure that people can access websites and information freely and fairly, Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) said in a statement. If the FCC is going to destroy net neutrality and create a system that favors certain websites just because they can pay more money, California must step in and ensure open internet access. The announcement of the proposal came shortly after the FCC voted to repeal net neutrality in an expected 3-2 party-line vote, with Republicans calling for an end to the utility-like oversight of internet service providers. The Obama-era rules put in February 2015 barred broadband and wireless companies, such at AT&T Inc., Charter Communications Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. from selling faster delivery of certain data, slowing speeds for certain video streams and other content, and discriminating against legal material online. Before the vote, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai argued loosening the regulations would allow the online economy to flourish. FCC commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, one of the the two Democrats on the commission, said the rollback would inhibit the openness that has made the U.S. internet the envy of the world. Supporters of net neutrality are expected to file suit to try to halt the repeal plan. Weiners attempt to institute net neutrality rules in California could have challenges. The FCC order states that allowing state and local governments to adopt their own separate requirements, which could impose a heavier burden on companies, could disrupt the balance between state and federal regulations. The preemption of state and local net neutrality measures is something that could be challenged in court. Amid such legal battles state legislation could face heavy lobbying efforts from internet providers arguing against uneven regulations. A bill by Assemblyman Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park) was shelved last legislative session over similar disputes. It would have enshrined in state law other FCC regulations that were rolled back this year by President Trump and Congress. The Internet privacy rules limited what broadband providers can do with their customers data. The bills defeat capped a behind-the-scenes battle that pitted telecom companies against state internet service providers and brought other bills to a halt in the state Senate as negotiations unfolded over legislation that would have had national significance. UPDATES 7:57 a.m.: This post was updated with additional information about the potential legal case. LA Times reporter Jim Puzzanghera contributed to this report. Facebook

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L.A. County sheriffs office failed to follow policy for issuing concealed weapon permits, audit says By Patrick McGreevy Handguns are displayed at the Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas in 2016. ( (John Locher / Associated Press)) The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department has repeatedly failed to follow its own rules for issuing concealed weapon permits, the state auditor concluded in a report released Thursday. L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell disputed some of the key findings of the audit, saying state officials misinterpreted the policy. The department policy requires applicants to provide convincing evidence of a clear and present danger to life or of great bodily harm to get a license, but the audit found the department issued 24 licenses during the last few years without sufficient evidence. Most of the 197 active licenses in L.A. County as of August went to current or former law enforcement officers, judges and prosecutors, the audit found. The lieutenant in charge of reviewing applications told auditors that people in law enforcement satisfy the departments requirements by the nature of their jobs. However, making that decision based solely on the applicants profession both directly contradicts Los Angeless written policy  which specifically states that no position or job classification in itself shall constitute good cause for issuance  and has led the department to treat applicants inequitably based on their occupations, the audit says. McDonnell said the audit identified some legitimate issues, and the department has added a checklist to the application process in order to show requirements have been met. But he disagreed on the reports sweeping conclusion that the department consistently failed to follow its own policies. The LASD policy simply requires that the applicant provide convincing evidence that his or her life or physical safety is threatened, the sheriff said. He said the policy does not require additional documentation of that evidence if sufficient information is provided in the application. Auditors also concluded that Sacramento County issued some licenses without proper documentation and that San Diego Countys renewal process led it to inappropriately renew some licenses. Facebook

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Anti-Issa effort discloses donors: Leo DiCaprio, Jane Fonda, Ted Danson and more By Joshua Stewart A political group that has brought professional political organizers into the campaign against Rep. Darrell Issa has received its most significant contributions to date  from actress Jane Fonda and other celebrities. Fonda gave $100,000 to Flip the 49th! Neighbors in Action, which recently registered as a political committee to get Issa, R-Vista, out of office. Comedian Bill Maher gave $15,000 to the group, a rebuke of a politician who has twice appeared on his talk show. Former California Sen. Barbara Boxer gave $2,500, as did Academy Award recipient Leonardo DiCaprio. Actor Ted Danson gave $1,500. Flip the 49th gave the The San Diego Union-Tribune a list of donors more than a month before its required to disclose them to the Federal Election Commission. Read More Facebook

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California Senate GOP leader: Release Capitol whistleblowers from non-disclosure agreements By Melanie Mason California Senate Republican leader Patricia Bates is wading into the sexual harassment debate that has swept up the Capitol and is calling on her Democratic colleagues to allow whistleblowers to speak out by releasing them from non-disclosure agreements. Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) wrote in a letter to the Democratic legislative leaders  Senate Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount)  that Senate Republicans are calling for the Legislature to allow victims or witnesses who may have signed such agreements to share their experiences publicly. This release from NDAs would empower victims of sexual harassment, create a new atmosphere for resolving sexual harassment or discrimination concerns, increase public awareness and transparency, and ensure that both the Senate and the Assembly fulfill their obligations to the public and their employees for providing a safe and welcoming workplace environment, Bates wrote in the letter, dated Dec. 12. The Republican senator also laid out suggestions to improve the Legislatures handling of sexual harassment complaints, such as jointly convening both houses rules committees  which act as the chambers human resources departments  to have a comprehensive, bicameral and bipartisan review. Bates wrote that the Joint Rules Committee should consider the assigning of an outside entity for assuming responsibility for all issues regarding sexual harassment. She said the California Highway Patrol or an inspector general could serve that function. Bates is currently serving on a panel designated by the Senate Rules Committee to select an outside law firm to investigate sexual harassment complaints. De Leon, in a statement, said he agreed with Bates that sexual harassment is a bipartisan, bicameral problem that requires bipartisan, bicameral solutions. Many of these recommendations we are already pursuing and evaluating in some form and we look forward to working in collaboration with Senator Bates  as we did with the independent selection panel  on additional reforms in the weeks to come, De Leon said. With regard to non-disclosure agreements, De Leon spokesman Jonathan Underland said the Senate is discussing with attorneys and anti-harassment experts about what options are available without violating the privacy rights of past victims. John Casey, a spokesman for Rendon, said the Assembly does not ask for NDAs in settlement agreements. The Speaker agrees with both the Legislative Womens Caucus and the Rules Committee chair that any sexual harassment policy should be both bicameral and bipartisan, Casey said. Facebook

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California plans to send out licenses for pot sales this month  but they wont be effective until Jan. 1 By Patrick McGreevy Patrons shop at Bud and Bloom, a Santa Ana marijuana dispensary, last year. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) California officials said Wednesday they plan to use email before the new year to send out some licenses to sell marijuana to speed up the transition to a regulated market. The licenses will not go into effect until Jan. 1. Proposition 64, which legalized the sale of marijuana for recreational use, required the state to begin issuing licenses by Jan. 1. Because that date is a state holiday, the bureau originally planned to begin sending them out on Jan. 2. That has changed. Much of the date discussion  Jan. 1 versus Jan. 2  was based on whether or not wed be able to be open on a state holiday, said Alex Traverso, a bureau spokesman. The solution to that issue was to issue licenses with an effective date of Jan. 1 since licenses will be issued electronically. That eliminates the need to have the office open on Jan. 1. He said that, as of Wednesday, the bureau has not yet sent out any emails with licenses approved to begin operating Jan. 1. Facebook

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Californias budget director makes last ditch effort to urge GOP members to vote against tax plan By Sarah D. Wire House Republicans hold a news conference after the House passed the GOP tax bill. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) As closed-door negotiations over the final tax bill come to an end, the head of the California Department of Finance is making a last-ditch effort to convince Republicans in the states congressional delegation to vote against the plan. In a letter to the entire delegation Wednesday, Finance Department Director Michael Cohen detailed 10 issues in the current tax proposals about which the state is worried. Some of Cohens concerns may be addressed in the deal that House and Senate leaders said they reached Wednesday morning. Details of the agreement are not yet public. Cohens concerns range from potentially billions less in federal funding available to California to offset the $1.4 trillion the plan is expected to add to the federal deficit, to the environmental effect of ending green energy tax credits. Californias 39 Democratic representatives are expected to oppose the final tax bill, which could come before both chambers of Congress by early next week. Three California Republicans  Reps. Darrell Issa of Vista, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Tom McClintock of Elk Grove  voted against the original House version, and several other California Republicans have indicated they might be willing to vote against the final plan. Cohen specifically pointed to issues that have been raised by the uncertain House members, including the proposal to lower the cap on the mortgage interest deduction, the plan to limit state and local tax deductions and the elimination of a deduction for uninsured personal property damaged in natural disasters such as fires. Facebook

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California lawmakers have fought sexual misconduct on military bases, farms and college campuses. Will they police their own house? By Jazmine Ulloa Over the past decade, California lawmakers have worked to help curb sexual violence in the workplace and other spheres of public life. They have pushed college campuses to keep better track of incident reports, created whistleblower protections for military officers who file claims and established sexual harassment training for farmworkers and janitors. Now, as more than 140 women have come forward in an open letter to denounce a pervasive culture of sexual harassment in the California Legislature, activists and employment lawyers say lawmakers have not held colleagues and staffers to the same standards demanded of those in other fields. Members [of the state Assembly and Senate] are quick at pointing the finger at other folks, said Fiona Ma, a former Democratic assemblywoman from San Francisco who is now running for state treasurer. But they dont want to look inside and fix their own house, air their own dark, dirty laundry. Read More Facebook

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Californias cap-and-trade climate program could generate more than $8 billion by 2027, report says By John Myers Gov. Jerry Brown signs an extension of Californias cap-and-trade program in July. (Eric Risberg / Associated Press) Although Californias cap-and-trade program was designed to combat climate change, a new analysis predicts it could also provide significant cash  as much as $8 billion in a decades time  for state and regional programs. The report issued Tuesday by the independent Legislative Analysts Office projects a wide range of revenue generated by the sale of permits for companies to emit greenhouse gases beyond a state-ordered emissions cap. The most recent auction of those emission permits brought in more than $800 million. The analysis warns that annual cap-and-trade revenue beyond 2020 is highly uncertain, and offers a possible range from $2 billion in 2018 to almost $7 billion in 2030  the final year of the program under legislation Gov. Jerry Brown signed in July. The estimate of $8.3 billion in 2027 is the high-water mark for any year in the report. Researchers cite a number of factors that make a specific prediction impossible, including future technology that allows industries to cut greenhouse gas emissions easily and thus pass on purchasing emission allowances. While it is clear that there will be additional revenues to the state beyond 2020, the amount that will be generated annually is highly uncertain, the report reads. Money collected from the sale of pollution permits is required to be spent on programs combating climate change. A portion of the money also is earmarked for the states high-speed rail program. The report urges lawmakers to provide oversight for future decisions made by the California Air Resources Board, the agency that has taken the lead on climate change efforts. In particular, the analysts warn that allowing businesses to stockpile too many permits  ones bought at current low prices  could lead to excessive greenhouse gas emissions in future years, potentially even causing the state to miss its annual benchmark as soon as 2024. Facebook

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Vice President Pence meets with California lawmakers about massive fires By Sarah D. Wire Briefed bipartisan group of California reps on the fed response to #CAwildfires. @POTUS approved an emergency declaration last Friday & @forestservice is providing air & ground assets including 1,000 personnel. Together, we will help the people of CA restore, rebuild & recover. pic.twitter.com/zn7QdbCZOQ  Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) December 12, 2017 A handful of California representatives discussed the federal response to their states wildfires Tuesday with Vice President Mike Pence. Attending the West Wing meeting were House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) and Reps. Ken Calvert (R-Corona), Darrell Issa (R-Vista), Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village), Steve Knight (R-Palmdale) and Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara). It was a very bipartisan-spirited meeting. He clearly understood the significance of the fires and the impacts, Brownley said after the meeting. She said Pence offered federal assistance and recognized that recovery was going to be very important and that we want to work together to make sure that we can get the resources needed. President Trump signed an emergency declaration for the Southern California fires last week. Pence visited California this fall to view fire damage in Northern California. He stayed engaged and specifically wanted to make sure that FEMA and the other organizations were continuing to meet or exceed all expectations, Issa said after the meeting. We mostly thanked him for the fact that hes taken a personal interest and his team has been at the heart of the domestic coordination. There was no discussion about reinstating a federal tax deduction for uninsured damage repairs that would end up in the House and Senate tax bills, Brownley said. If you cant deduct uninsured property loss, its devastating. It would be devastating, Brownley said. Facebook

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We must talk about the health aspects of climate change, Schwarzenegger says in Paris By Kim Willsher (Thibault Camus / Associated Press) He showed up at Paris City Hall on Monday on a green bicycle and wearing a green tie to talk climate change with the mayor. But Arnold Schwarzenegger almost didnt make the trip from Los Angeles. One of the wildfires scorching Southern California was threatening his home. Luckily we have extraordinary firefighters, he told a group of officials and journalists. The actor and former governor of California was speaking in Paris as the founder of R20, a nonprofit based in Geneva that aims to help regional, state and local governments reduce their carbon emissions by developing clean energy sources. Read More Facebook

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A special recall election for state Sen. Josh Newman would cost a lot more than waiting for the June primary, state says By Patrick McGreevy State Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) faces a recall campaign (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) State finance officials said Monday it would cost about $2.67 million for a special election on the recall of state Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton), but only $931,000 to put his potential recall on the regular June primary ballot, which will also feature races for governor and congressional seats. The savings  and the time it took to complete the financial assessment  could give ammunition to Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown to put the recall measure on the primary ballot, possibly improving Newmans chance of staying in office. The higher turnout expected in the primary might benefit Newman as he tries to fend off the Republican recall drive. The financial analysis was a new requirement of a law approved this year by the Democrat-controlled Legislature that has slowed the Newman recall. Brown and legislators now have 30 days to review the election cost report. The deadline for calling a special election was last week, 180 days before the June 5 primary, although state officials have been known to extend such deadlines. In this case, that is unlikely. Carl Demaio, a former San Diego City councilman who is leading the Republican-funded recall, denounced the lengthy new process Monday, but said it will not save Newmans political career. This is about a shameful tactic by Sacramento politicians to keep politicians who break public trust and engage in misconduct in office for as long as possible, he said. Republicans launched the recall after Newman voted with the majority of le
House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that the longest-serving member of Congress, Democratic Rep. John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, should resign due to serious, disappointing and very credible accusations of sexual harassment leveled against him.

Pelosis announcement signaled a remarkable reversal after a public outcry and was quickly followed by similar statements by other prominent Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, who, like Conyers, is a longtime leader of the Congressional Black Caucus.

As recently as Wednesday, Clyburn had questioned the veracity of Conyers accusers. Clyburns change of position was first reported by Politico.

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House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), speaking to reporters after Pelosi, also called for Conyers departure on Thursday, but it was the apparent collapse of Democratic support for the congressman, who has served in the House since 1965, that suggested most strongly the shift in sentiment against him.

The moves occurred as a former aide, Marion Brown, went public on NBCs Today show to detail the congressmans alleged inappropriate behavior. Brown received a $27,000 settlement in 2015 after being fired. She said she was dismissed in retaliation for refusing his advances.

Conyers, who is 88, was hospitalized Thursday in the Detroit area, local reports indicated.

The brave women who came forward are owed justice, Pelosi said. I pray for Congressman Conyers and his family; I wish them well. However, Congressman Conyers should resign.

Reading from a statement, Pelosi added that Conyers had served for more than half a century and shaped some of the most consequential legislation of the last half-century.

However, zero tolerance means consequences for everyone. No matter how great the legacy, its no license to harass or discriminate; in fact it makes it more disappointing.

In addition to prompting the settlement paid to Brown, Conyers has been accused by several other former aides of sexual misconduct. He has denied guilt and has said through a spokesman that he had no immediate plans to resign.

But pressure to do just that has increased markedly over the last several days. Congressional Black Caucus members met with Conyers on Tuesday night and afterward issued a statement defending his right to due process but calling on Conyers to fully cooperate with ethics investigations into his behavior.

Any decision to resign from office before the ethics investigation is complete is Johns decision to make, caucus chairman Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana said at the time.

Behind the scenes, however, the shifting view on what Conyers should do was typified by Pelosis turn from reflexively defending the congressman to calling for his departure.

In a Sunday appearance on NBCs Meet the Press, Pelosi seemed to minimize the complaints against Conyers by referring to him as an icon in our country who had worked to secure rights for women and was confronting unverified accusations.

I dont know who they are. Do you? she said of the women. They have not really come forward. Thats for the Ethics Committee to review.

In that interview, Pelosi also said several times said she expected Conyers would do the right thing. He stepped down from his leadership position on the Judiciary Committee a few hours later.

Later, however, Pelosi called one of the public accusers, Washington attorney Melanie Sloan, to apologize and issued a statement insisting that harassment victims should be able to talk openly about their experiences, regardless of nondisclosure agreements often required in settlements.

I find the behavior Ms. Sloan described unacceptable and disappointing, Pelosi said. I believe what Ms. Sloan has told me.

Another accuser, Brown, did precisely what Pelosi had suggested, appearing Thursday on the Today show to counter Conyers statements that he was innocent. Brown said that she was speaking out despite signing a nondisclosure agreement because of Conyers response to the controversy.

Im here to say Im not a liar, she said.

During her 11 years in his employ, Brown said, Conyers just violated my body, hes touched me in different ways. It was very uncomfortable and very unprofessional.

In a Chicago hotel room in 2005, she said, he undressed and asked me to satisfy him sexually. He pointed to genital areas of his body and asked me to touch him.

Nine years later, she said, she was fired for refusing his advances.

Both houses of Congress have been caught up in a national repudiation of men accused of sexual harassment, a groundswell that has hit the movie industry, the media and, most recently, government.

Democrats initially hoped to take political advantage of the issue after Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore, running in Alabamas Dec. 12 election, was accused by several women of sexual advances  in one case an assault  when they were teenagers and he was a local prosecutor in his 30s.

But since then the party has been convulsed by the wave of allegations against Conyers and Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota, who has been accused of groping by several women and, in a separate case, of forcibly kissing and mock-groping another woman as she slept.

The partys reluctance to swiftly demand the same consequences for its members, even as Democrats denounce Moore drew a caustic rebuke on Thursday from Guy Cecil, the chairman of the influential Democratic advocacy group Priorities USA.

This is not complicated, he said in a tweet. Conyers should resign. Franken should resign. Moore should drop out or be defeated. Hypocrisy on the other side doesnt justify hypocrisy on our side. Period.

For more on politics from Cathleen Decker 

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

Twitter: @cathleendecker

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In a case that defense lawyers warned could create a constitutional black hole, a federal judge expressed exasperation Thursday at the U.S. governments secret detention of an American citizen in Iraq for more than two months.

The American, who has not been publicly identified, allegedly fought for Islamic State in Syria and surrendered to a U.S.-backed militia on Sept. 14. He has not been charged or given access to a lawyer while in custody, as U.S. law normally requires.

For now, U.S. officials have designated the man as an unlawful enemy combatant, the status used for foreign suspects held for years at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, while the Trump administration tries to figure out how to handle his case.

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This is the nightmare scenario, where the government has locked up an American citizen in secret, Jonathan Hafetz, a senior lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, said in court Thursday. The group has filed a habeas corpus petition, saying that holding an American without access to a lawyer is a violation of his constitutional rights as a U.S. citizen.

Since the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, he argued, federal courts have consistently ruled that terrorist detainees should have access to courts to argue for their freedom. Hafetz said the only choice in this case is to allow the detainee access to a lawyer or to create a constitutional black hole for American citizens.

U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan called the case unique in the legal challenges that have emerged in the U.S. war on terrorism.

No new prisoner has been sent to the controversial facility at Guantanamo Bay since 2008, and only 41 alleged terrorists remain of the hundreds once held at the site. Their military trials have been delayed for more than a decade. More than 600 people have been successfully prosecuted on terrorism-related charges in federal courts, however.

In this case, the American stopped talking to investigators after he was informed of his right to keep silent, the government said Thursday. And absent a confession, the FBI apparently has struggled to collect enough evidence to charge him with a crime.

That leaves the administration with unhappy options  letting the man go, keeping him in military detention at Guantanamo Bay or elsewhere, or seeing whether another country wants to prosecute him. A Justice Department lawyer, Kathryn Wyer, said officials hadnt decided what to do.

Wyer urged Chutkan to dismiss the ACLU petition, arguing that theres no evidence the American wants to see a lawyer or that he wants the ACLU to handle his defense.

But Chutkan grew impatient with what she described as the governments circular reasoning, noting that the American has been held in secret so theres no way to obtain that evidence.

Saying she didnt want to rely on news reports, Chutkan repeatedly pressed Wyer to declare whether the American has been advised of his rights to keep silent and see a lawyer and whether he wants a lawyer to challenge his detention in Iraq.

Wyer said she would have to ask the Pentagon before she could give an answer. She acknowledged that the man had constitutional rights, but said U.S. law gave the government a reasonable period of time to detain him without charges.

Hes a U.S. citizen, and its been two and a half months, and you cant tell me whether hes been advised of his rights? asked Chutkan, who was named to the bench by President Obama. I would like to know how long you think you get to do this to an American citizen.

She ordered the administration to say by 5 p.m. Thursday whether the man had been advised of his rights and whether he had asserted his right to see an attorney.

In a subsequent filing, the government said the American stated he understood his rights, and said he was willing to talk to the agents but also stated that since he was in a new phase, he felt he should have an attorney present. The agents explained that due to his current situation, it was unknown when he would be able to have an attorney, and the individual stated that it was OK and that he is a patient man.

The individual then asked whether when he saw the agents next with his attorney, would it be at his current location or somewhere else. The agents told him they were uncertain when they would see him again. No further questioning of the individual for law enforcement purposes has taken place.

In accordance with international rules of war, the prisoner has twice been visited by the International Committee of the Red Cross, on Sept. 29 and Oct. 23. But the group has declined to provide any details of what the man said, citing a policy of strict confidentiality.

President Trump and Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions have endorsed the idea of sending terrorist suspects to the prison at Guantanamo Bay. But detaining a U.S. citizen there would present a steep legal challenge for the administration.

The lone U.S. citizen who had been detained there, Yaser Esam Hamdi, was sent to Guantanamo Bay because U.S. officials didnt know at first that he was an American. His court appeals established that the detainees had legal rights under U.S. law. Hamdi eventually was sent to Saudi Arabia after he renounced his U.S. citizenship.

joseph.tanfani@latimes.com

Twitter: @jtanfani

UPDATES:

3:30 p.m.: The story was updated with the governments response to the judges order.

The story was originally published at 11:55 a.m.
By: Erin Shea, @BH_EShea

The 64 organizations accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance are as diverse as the aftercare landscape itself. Many adopt out former runners for second careers, others are sanctuaries, and some are organizations that help both horses and humans.

In addition to helping Thoroughbreds, there is one similarity among all of the nonprofitsthey've all passed the rigorous test that is the TAA accreditation process. This means that not only do they receive grant money, but their standards of equine care, facility management, and business practices are all up to the TAA's standards.

"The accreditation process is incredibly detailed. It's really soul-searching," said Kim Smith of Second Stride, a Crestwood, Ky. nonprofit that focuses on rehabilitation, retraining, and placement of off-track Thoroughbreds.

"For us, it really upped our level of sustainability for the hopes of when this current founding board diminishes, that the program will continue to thrive and grow and be here to help horses transition off the track in our area."

Like many organizations adopting out horses, much of Second Stride's time and effort goes to retraining. But due to their proximity to Churchill Downs and nearby training facilities, the organization has a number of racing professional volunteers and offers services that aren't typically expected of an aftercare organization, such as castrating, herd acclimation, and breaking. Smith said Second Stride also occasionally works with local equestrians who were mismatched with a Thoroughbred.

Another accredited organization with a slightly different goal is War Horses at Rose Bower. Founded by Barbara Luna in 2013, the organization near Appomattox, Va. aims to take in retiring racehorses (mostly geldings) who are at least 7-year-olds or have made at least 70 starts.

Luna, who was previously the program administrator for Turning for Home and the editor of the Pennsylvania Horsemen's Association News, became especially connected to the older "war horses" and felt compelled to create an organization to help them.

"I set myself up to make it a little more difficult because I really felt for these older horses because they make money for so many people," Luna said, adding that her organization has received some horses with recognizable names, such as New Jersey-bred Horse of the Year Hermosillo, who is one of two pensioners at her farm.

While War Horses at Rose Bower does adopt out horses, most of the horses Luna gets are 9 or older. With their long on-track careers, soundness for competitive second careers can be an issue, so Luna is looking into expanding her nonprofit to offer human-horse therapy programs in the future.

For Luna, the TAA accreditation represented the hard work she's put into her entire career in the racing industry.

"That was the main thing for mebeing acknowledged for what I was doing and that I was doing a good job," she said of earning the accreditation. "... It just made me feel like, 'Yes, somebody thinks I'm doing something right.' "



Centripital, a graduate of War Horses at Rose Bower, competed at the 2016 Thoroughbred Makeover with rider Stacey Fitzgerald. Photo courtesy of Barbara Luna.



Helen Meredith also has a soft spot for older war horses. In 1994, after learning about Thoroughbreds ending up at slaughter, Meredith started the United Pegasus Foundation, which now has 75-100 horses at any given time at its farm near San Jacinto, Calif.

"It is (a large herd) but they're all out in paddocks. Anything that comes off the track that can't go out with a herd that has to be cooped upthat's no life," Meredith said, adding that she's also had a few notable runners at her facilityincluding Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner Cardmania, who was trained by her husband Derek Meredith, and $1.5 million-earner Music Merci.

Since more than half of her herd is older than 20, Meredith said the facility operates as a permanent home but does adopt our horses too.

"We are a permanent sanctuary home. Even in our adoption contract, anything that's adopted from us, we'll always take back," she said.

Although United Pegasus Foundation receives grant money, from the TAA and other sources, Meredith, like many nonprofit leaders, still sees funding as the biggest concern her organization faces.

"We're very committed to what we do, we try to help as many Thoroughbreds as possible," she said. "Because they live a long time, often we have limited space, but obviously the more money you have, the more you can dothat's what it's all based on."
The Republican tax plan inched closer to Senate passage Thursday, but encountered new challenges after some dramatic, last-minute negotiations to win over GOP holdouts concerned about a new congressional analysis that estimated the package would add $1 trillion to the nations deficit.

Republicans and the White House sorely need a legislative victory to reflect their first year of control in Washington, and a landmark tax bill  which would dramatically lower the corporate rate and double the standard deduction for individuals  would provide that win.

If passed during a vote planned for Friday, the sweeping Senate tax bill would next need to be reconciled with a House version, a process leaders hope to expedite in a matter of days. Then both the House and Senate would need to pass the revised measure before sending it to President Trumps desk.

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Yet even many Republicans who support the $1.5-trillion package expressed resignation ahead of the vote, concerned about the cost and details of a package that experts say benefits corporations and the wealthy, and the way the legislation is being rushed through Congress without a broad range of hearings and the usual debate.

At one point Thursday evening, it appeared three Republicans  Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee, Jeff Flake of Arizona and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin  were considering joining Democrats in a motion to send the bill back to committee, a move that would have almost certainly dashed GOP hopes of passing a bill this year.

The three are worried the tax cuts will pile onto the national debt.

Proponents of the bill promise that the costs, estimated to increase the deficit by $1.5 trillion over 10 years, will be offset by the economic growth spurred by the tax cuts. But even after accounting for such growth, a report released Thursday by the Joint Committee on Taxation estimated that the GOP bill would still increase the deficit by $1 trillion.

Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, who pushed for the report to be released before the vote, said it ends the fantasy about magical growth and claims [that] the tax cuts pay for themselves.

Corker had been pushing to include a trigger that would reverse some tax breaks if the economy doesnt grow enough. But many senators and outside conservative groups opposed the trigger, and under Senate rules, it was determined such a provision could not be included in the bill.

After tense, hurried and at times acrimonious negotiations on the Senate floor Thursday, the three men relented, putting the vote back on track. In return, Senate leaders agreed to include a provision, still under debate late Thursday, that would require as much as $350 billion in new taxes at a certain point in the future to offset any increase in the deficit. Senators said the tax hikes could come in phases. But the details remained unclear ahead of the final vote.

For much of Thursday, momentum for the bill had been rising. An endorsement from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) ended speculation that the independent-minded Republican could upend his partys hopes for a year-end accomplishment, much the way his opposition helped kill the GOPs Obamacare repeal earlier this year.

Similarly, support from Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and encouraging words from Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), both of whom had also opposed the healthcare repeal, gave the bill a boost ahead of voting.

This is not a perfect bill, but it is one that would deliver much-needed reform to our tax code, grow the economy and help Americans keep more of their hard-earned money, McCain said.

Just hours before the Senate vote, GOP leaders were still revising the plan, without support from Democrats and behind closed doors. Senators were preparing to offer numerous amendments Thursday evening, though few were expected to be approved.

Republicans can only lose two votes from their 52-seat majority and still pass the bill with Vice President Mike Pence breaking a tie.

Murkowski came on board after an agreement was reached to include a provision she sought to allow oil and gas drilling in part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for the first time in years.

Others continued trying to shape the bill as the Senate debated.

I am not committed to vote for this bill, Collins said at a breakfast meeting with reporters. Because who knows whats going to happen on the Senate floor.... But I am encouraged.

The package would slash corporate rates to 20%, a level not seen since the Great Depression, and initially reduce individual brackets, though studies show the benefits would flow mainly to wealthier Americans rather than lower- and middle-income households.

The corporate rates would become permanent, while the individual rate cuts would expire in 2025.

One amendment sought by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) would increase the bills proposed 20% corporate tax rate to 22% to provide $180billion over the decade to make a proposed $2,000 child tax credit fully refundable for low-income Americans.

But lifting the proposed 20% corporate rate  the foundation of the GOP plan  has been strongly opposed by the White House and groups backed by the billionaire Koch brothers.

Reducing Americas high corporate tax rate from 35% to 20% is key to driving the economic growth, leaders of Americans for Prosperity, Freedom Partners and other Koch-aligned groups wrote in a letter to senators. The proposed Rubio-Lee amendment would deviate from that framework.

Johnson also planned to offer an amendment to eliminate the ability of corporations to continue deducting state and local income and sales taxes  a write-off that individual filers will have to forgo. Elimination of that write-off would hit residents of California and other high-tax states the hardest.

Democrats were resigned that the bill appeared headed toward passage, despite their efforts to halt it.

My new rule is: The faster a bill goes through, the worse it is, said Sen. Angus King, the Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats and had offered the amendment to send the bill back to committee to come up with the money to fully pay for the cuts.

The process is preposterous. The bill is terrible, he said. Thats exactly the problem of not having hearings  theres no real analysis of [what] the consequences, particularly the unintended consequences, are going to be.

After King intervened to talk with Corker and other Republicans during the standoff on the Senate floor, the Republican whip, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, could be overheard arguing that Kings move was designed to kill the bill.

Meanwhile, the Treasury Departments inspector general said it had launched an inquiry into whether the department hid an analysis of the Republican tax bill  or even did one at all.

Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin had indicated his department would produce an analysis proving that the economic growth stimulated by the bills large tax cuts would offset lost revenue.

But no analysis has been released. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote to Treasury Inspector General Eric M. Thorson on Thursday asking for an inquiry after a New York Times article said members of the Treasurys Office of Tax Policy, which would do such an analysis, said they were not working on one.

Either the Treasury Department has used extensive taxpayer funds to conduct economic analyses that it refuses to release because those analyses would contradict the Treasury Secretarys claims, or Secretary Mnuchin has grossly misled the public about the extent of the Treasury Departments analysis, Warren wrote. I am deeply concerned about either possibility.

Rich Delmar, counsel to the inspector general, said Thursday that the office had launched an inquiry and that it was a top priority.

A spokeswoman for Mnuchin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Times staff writers Jim Puzzanghera and Sarah D. Wire in Washington contributed to this report.

lisa.mascaro@latimes.com

Twitter: @LisaMascaro

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UPDATES:

4:40 p.m.: This article was updated after a vote was scheduled for Friday, following a flurry of last-minute negotiations.

1:25 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details and endorsements of the tax bill.

This article was originally published at 8:50 a.m.
American corporations in recent weeks have scythed through the ranks of alleged sexual harassers, dispatching personalities as powerful as movie producer Harvey Weinstein and television anchor Matt Lauer, who was swiftly fired on Wednesday after a credible accusation of sexual misbehavior.

But in Washington, the growing public intolerance for harassment has tied politicians in partisan pretzels, and left them grappling for a way to assess guilt and mete out consequences.

Several factors have slowed the political response.

In the sharply divided Capitol, partisanship inevitably affects how cases are viewed. So does a reluctance to sit in judgment of peers who are longtime friends and allies. Congress also has more than a whiff of entitlement, accustomed to operating by its own rules while other organizations rush to protect themselves from liability.

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Beyond that, some lawmakers argue that voters, not colleagues, should serve as the ultimate judges of those under scrutiny.

When Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) was asked Wednesday about the difference between quick actions taken against non-politicians and lagging moves against members of Congress like Rep. John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, he blurted out one line:

Who elected them? he said, referring to the private-sector figures.

But the slow response also reflects a political system struggling to sort out the nuances of wrongdoing on a topic that until recently was kept mostly under wraps.

Melanie Sloan, a Washington ethics lawyer who accused Conyers of gender discrimination when she worked for him decades ago, said, for example, that she saw his case and that of Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota, accused of grabbing several womens buttocks during photo sessions, as distinct.

With Conyers, Roy Moore, the Alabama Senate candidate who is accused of inappropriate contact with teenaged girls, and President Trump, you have to tar everyone with the same brush, she said.

Conyers has been accused of harassing several women who worked for him and, in at least one case, agreed to a $27,000 wrongful firing settlement for a woman aide who said she spurned his advances. Trump has been accused by numerous women of multiple acts of misconduct, which he denies.

As for Franken? I just dont know. Im not OK with what Franken has done. Why am I more OK with Conyers resignation? The numbers, the settlement and maybe I also happen to know what Conyers is like, she said.

Jackie Speier, the Bay Area House Democrat who has tried for years to improve Congress mechanism for protecting accusers, is one of the authors of a bipartisan measure that would, among other things, require members found to have sexually harassed others to repay the Treasury for settlements and make those agreements public.

Speier said the punishment options were questions thatwe need to sort out over the next couple of months.

I do think there are gradations in terms of sexual harassment, she said. A sexual innuendo versus grabbing someones breasts are two different things. Is there a pattern? Thats what needs to be discussed.

Speier has said that Moore should not be allowed to serve as a senator if he wins Alabamas Dec. 12 election  a position that several leading Republicans have also taken. But asked if Conyers should resign, she declined to answer.

She was hardly the only one trying to step around such judgments. On Wednesday, both parties dodged questions regarding a fellow partisans culpability.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), waffled when asked whether leading by example  which he had just said the House should do when it came to sexual harassment  meant believing more than a dozen women who last year accused Trump of misbehavior.

Im just making sure this place works the right way, Ryan said.

Democrats offered similar dodges when asked about Conyers, who has been debating whether to resign. In part that is because he was one of the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus, an influential element of the party,

Rep. Linda Sanchez of suburban Los Angeles said it was a good first step that members voted Wednesday to require sexual harassment training, but said that in the case of Conyers I dont know all the facts.

Democratic caucus chairman Joseph Crowley of New York said that Congress should be not the gold standard, but the platinum standard. But he, too, declined to say whether Conyers should resign.

Part of the jumbled Washington response rests on the fact that the incidents brought to light so far affect both parties.

Democrats once expected to gain political advantage from the Moore controversy, much as they did in 2012 after Todd Akin, a Republican senate candidate from Missouri, said in an interview that rape victims did not need a right to abortion because in legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down and prevent pregnancy.

That could yet happen if Moore wins, but for now, theres no obvious winner or loser in terms of partisanship here, said Peter Brown of the Quinnipiac Poll. Its both Republicans and Democrats.The question may not be which party has how many incidents; it may be which incident sticks in peoples minds.

The audience potentially looking at the parties response is immense: A Quinnipiac Poll last week found that 60% of women voters said they had been sexually harassed; of those about 7 in 10 said the harassment occurred at their workplace.

But there were partisan schisms: Overall, 60% of voters said Moore should be expelled from the Senate if he wins. Republicans said he should not be expelled, by a ratio of 49% to 33%.

Republicans appear to be more skeptical regardless of who is accused. In a recent Morning Consult poll, 39% of Democrats said they found the Conyers claims credible, a view shared by 32% of Republicans.

Since the Washington Post reported in early November that four women had accused Moore of making advances on teenagers decades ago when he was in his 30s and a local prosecutor, the partys response has been split. Senior Republicans in Washington, including Ryan and Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, have called on Moore to leave the race, seeing him as an anvil around the partys neck in 2018.

But others say the partys need to retain the Senate seat should override concerns about Moore. A victory by Democrat Doug Jones, who is narrowly trailing in the most recent polls, would cut the GOP majority from 52-48 to 51-49.

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who has come out against Moore, explained the logic Wednesday in an interview with Politico.

It is a complicated, difficult situation. Because on the one hand, as a Republican, you want the Republican Party to keep the seat. On the other hand, I personally find the accusations against him to be credible, and I dont think he has done or said anything in the last month that has helped himself or in any way made me feel better about it, Rubio said. But hes staying in the race, the people of Alabama will have their vote and well move on from there.

For more on politics from Cathleen Decker 

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

Twitter: @cathleendecker

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The energy companies and industry groups that successfully pushed the Trump administration to scrap Obama-era action on climate change have a new message for the fossil fuel enthusiasts now calling the shots: Dont go too far.

It is not clear the administration is listening.

An intensifying debate between the climate change skeptics looking to strike a death blow to federal greenhouse gas restrictions and a growing chorus of electricity and manufacturing companies warning that such a move would backfire could ultimately test who has the most White House clout in setting energy policy  industry or the ideologues.

The firms involved fought Obamas rules. But no rules at all, they worry, would open them to all manner of legal and financial risk.

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The tension was on display this week in Charleston, W.Va., where the Environmental Protection Agency boasted that it was traveling to the heart of coal country to hear from the public on its proposal to erase the greenhouse gas restrictions and replace them either with new ones or with nothing at all. It was contentious. And even among administration allies, the message was far from uniform.

Power companies and manufacturers want the previous administrations Clean Power Plan replaced with a watered-down climate policy that gives them a regulatory road map, keeps the U.S. at least slightly in step with the rest of the world on energy policy and helps buffer them from lawsuits threatening to revive the Obama rules.

Influential Trump allies are pressuring the administration against leaving any rules in place that restrict greenhouse gas emissions at power plants. One of the star speakers in Charleston was coal magnate Robert Murray, a major supporter of the president who demanded a repeal of the Clean Power Plan in its entirety, and laid out how the feds should go about ending all greenhouse gas emission regulation.

We respectfully remind the U.S. EPA that much more needs to be done to follow through on promises relative to coal-fired generation, coal production and coal mining jobs, Murray said.

The comments were delivered as a longtime lobbyist for Murrays company, Andrew Wheeler, is on a path to confirmation as the EPAs deputy administrator, the second-most powerful post at the agency. Wheelers history of working for climate change deniers was a point of contention at his hearings, as was Murrays role in guiding President Trumps thinking on climate policy.

Murray is joined by several other activists close to the administration  some have worked inside it  in urging repeal of the EPAs endangerment finding, which obligates the agency to regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act. The finding has already been upheld several times in court, including against a challenge by Scott Pruitt when he was attorney general of Oklahoma. Pruitt is now Trumps EPA administrator.

Yet the endangerment finding remains the target of climate change skeptics who have the ear of the White House, such as activists at the Cato Institute, the Heartland Institute and the Koch brothers-backed American Energy Alliance and Competitive Enterprise Institute.

At this weeks hearing, industry groups cautioned against following those activists advice. Michael Burger, executive director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, said the companies that fought the Clean Power Plan have reason to be anxious about the prospect of nothing taking its place.

They are seeing a perceived opportunity to weaken regulations slip away, Burger said in an email. Repeal without replacement will almost certainly fail in court. He said the Supreme Court has already affirmed that the EPA is required to regulate greenhouse gases from power plants. Richard Revesz, director of the Institute for Policy Integrity at the New York University School of Law, warns that repeal without replacement could open the floodgates for litigation and expose power companies that were to be regulated under the Clean Power Plan to significant and highly uncertain liabilities

The Electric Reliability Coordinating Council, a coalition that includes some of the countrys biggest utilities and fossil fuel companies, encouraged the EPA at this weeks hearing to replace the Clean Power Plan with new rules. Scott Segal, the groups director, said new, less stringent rules can provide regulatory certainty, diminish frivolous litigation, and can aide in planning.

After pillorying the Clean Power Plan in its testimony, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce also signaled it wants new emissions rules in place, calling for a more reasonable path forward that protects American jobs and the economy while fostering continued environmental progress. The National Assn. of Manufacturers, which bitterly fought the Obama plan, wants it replaced with something new.

The positioning reflects legal challenges confronting corporate America on global warming, and also the political realities. Climate action remains popular among customers and many corporate executives.The rest of the world is moving ahead with it, and a future administration is very likely to put back in place aggressive emissions rules. Companies are trying to plan for all that.

A repeal without replacement creates uncertainty even if its a short-term help, said Eli Lehrer, president of R Street, a conservative think tank and opponent of the Clean Power Plan. Nobody  not stockholders, not managers, not major customers  likes uncertainty when it comes to something as vital as electrical power.

evan.halper@latimes.com

Follow me: @evanhalper
From its very founding, California has been a land of reinvention. The creed is practically written in the state Constitution: If you dont like who you are, or your place in life, start over.

Gold was the first lure. Since then, countless have sought fame. Others, acceptance.

Tom Steyer has no end of wealth, a measure of fame and a seeming appetite for political office.

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That requires his own bit of reinvention.

The state has a long history of rejecting wealthy political climbers, from shipping magnate William Matson Roth in the 1970s to tech mogul Meg Whitman in 2010.

Over the last several years, Steyer has underwritten his own transformation, from hedge fund billionaire to environmental crusader, Democratic Party bankroller, philanthropist and political champion of Latinos and young people. Its hard to fit all that on a ballot designation, but any combination is definitely better than rich guy.

It is entirely possible that Steyer is pure of heart and wants nothing more than to save the world from baking to death, while simultaneously sowing opportunity and equality from sea to shining sea. He laughed, long and hard, at the notion his actions may be anything less than altruistic.

Throughout American history people have chosen to do the right thing cause they felt like it was important, he said. It doesnt have to be about ... my resume.

But his conspicuous eyeing of elected office, be it California governor, the U.S. Senate or, some murmur, a White House bid, has long infused Steyers exertions with a strong whiff of personal ambition.

So it is with his latest campaign, a petition drive to impeach President Trump.

The effort  including a $20-million ad blitz that prominently features himself  certainly has its supporters, not least the 5 million, and counting, who have signed the petition.

I think its important to millions of hard-core Democratic activists to see someone hitting Trump, said Bob Mulholland, a longtime strategist for the state party, who enthusiastically praised the signature-gathering campaign. Those people who every day think, My God, Trump is terrible, they feel someone powerful is listening to them, and thats good.

Q&A: Tom Steyer on his impeachment drive 

But the fact the petition drive has precisely zero chance of success  a Republican-led House will impeach Trump the day it elects Hillary Clinton queen of England  has led others to question Steyers crusade.

And its not just Trump defenders.

A vanity project, said David Axelrod, President Obamas chief political impresario.

Not someplace that I think we should go, said Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi, Steyers fellow San Franciscan.

[Expletive] stupid, Tommy Vietor, another Obama White House alum, said of the IMPEACH! billboard Steyer raised in New Yorks Times Square.

Not someplace that I think we should go.  House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, on efforts to impeach President Trump.

Of course, its his money to spend as he pleases. If Steyer wants to shred millions of dollar bills and toss them confetti-style from Coit Tower, he could certainly do so  provided, one assumes, he paid for the cleanup.

Its just, as Vietor and other Democrats see it, there are so many better ways to invest $20 million.

Getting people to sign a petition doesnt actually do anything, said Vietor, Obamas former national security spokesman and co-founder of the liberal soapbox Crooked Media. If he really wants to impeach Donald Trump, he should spend every dollar ensuring Democrats win back the House and maybe even the Senate in 2018.

The danger, some Democrats fear, is that inciteful talk of impeachment drowns out the more substantive, and to their mind effective, message the party needs to appeal beyond its core supporters.

Every second that we spend talking about impeachment is a second were not talking about jobs or how we lift peoples wages or reduce healthcare costs, said Lis Smith, who helped run Martin OMalleys 2016 Democratic presidential campaign. We have a much better chance of winning that argument than playing to some liberal Trump derangement syndrome fantasy about impeachment.

Steyer calls that a false choice, noting that in addition to his impeachment efforts he also spent millions on ads opposing the GOP tax bill and helping Democrats this month win the governorship and gain a significant number of legislative seats in Virginia. Its not an either/or, he said.

Americans can hold two ideas in their head at the same time, he added.

Its possible, too, that Steyer wants both to save the world and position himself for elected office.

The 2018 filing deadline is March 9.

mark.barabak@latimes.com

@markzbarabak on Twitter

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Tom Steyer, the San Francisco billionaire leading a petition drive to impeach President Trump, spoke this week by telephone after an appearance at Stanfords business school. The interview has been excerpted and edited for clarity and concision.

So how exactly is this supposed to work? You gather all these signatures and then what happens?

If we gather enough signatures and we give voice to enough Americans, then people have to listen to the will of the American people. And then people decide whether or not theyre with the American people.

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I think if you went to the people in the Congress of the United States of America and asked whether this president was fit, you wouldnt get a single Democrat who would say yes. I dont think there are a lot of Republicans whod say yes. I think if you asked them is he a threat to the safety and health of the American people, theyd say he is.

So I think what were doing is giving the American people a voice on something that all of these people know is true that is, in fact, of grave importance to the American people and that for whatever political reason they dont feel they can say.

I dont doubt there are a great many people in places like California who feel that way. But what about places like Alabama or Mississippi represented by Republican lawmakers?

If you go and poll  not just get signatures from but poll  Democrats and independents, youll see shockingly high numbers that agree with us. But it turns out I did graduate from third grade and I did pass arithmetic so I know that in order to get an impeachment to happen or a conviction [in the Senate] that of course we need to get Republican votes. So I think the fact of the matter is what were doing is were making the point about where the American people stand.

The facts are going to mount on the ground cause we actually do think this is an urgent matter. And there will be elections in 2018 where a lot of things will change. And in the meantime, were making the point about where Americans are.

Tom Steyer is leading a campaign to impeach Trump. Why does that annoy so many Democrats? 

When you think about doing two things, changing the conversation in America and giving voice to the American people, which are the two things were really trying to do  we think that people are going to have to react to the fact, react to the voice of the American people.

I want to ask about some of the criticisms, coming not just from Republicans, as youd expect, but from some Democrats like David Axelrod who suggested this is a vanity project.

It doesnt surprise me that the political establishment from Washington, D.C., cant imagine the idea of the American people having an independent voice and therefore they cant imagine that we could be better served than were already being served by our dysfunctional government in our national capital.

Before we ever started this process we knew for sure that the political insiders and the political establishment would absolutely hate the threat to their control and, lo and behold, its played out exactly as we would have supposed. Since when has an elite given up any of its power willingly?

Is this an effort in some way to lay the groundwork for a future run for office?

One of the things that is now true in American politics  it is reflected in that question  is there is no sense that people might try and do something for its own purpose. People need to find the hidden agenda and the secret thing. No, actually the people in the United States are threatened and in danger because of this president.

We have the ability for the American people to raise their voice and change the conversation, and if I can be part of the process of putting us back on a prosperous and just path, I will consider that, in a selfish basis, to be something incredibly meaningful for me that I will very much enjoy and be proud of.

You know, throughout American history people have chosen to do the right thing cause they felt like it was important. It doesnt have to be about  my resume.

mark.barabak@latimes.com

@markzbarabak on Twitter
Wait  did the president really say, Mission Accomplished? By Marc Olson Some are recalling the last time a president declared Mission accomplished, in May 2003 when George W. Bush was talking about Iraq. (Stephen Jaffe / AFP/Getty Images) President Trump on Saturday morning thanked his allies in a tweet that declared the airstrikes on Syria perfectly executed, but he might have wished hed stopped there. Instead, he ended his message with the phrase, Mission Accomplished! Thats a line that might have a previous president shaking his head. On May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush declared an end to major combat in Iraq under a Mission Accomplished banner aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. That war, which began in March 2003, grew into a prolonged conflict that didnt end until 2011. In 2008, the White House said it had paid a price for the backdrop. A perfectly executed strike last night. Thank you to France and the United Kingdom for their wisdom and the power of their fine Military. Could not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2018 Facebook

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Auditor says Pentagon is censoring key data on the war in Afghanistan By Shashank Bengali The Pentagon is blocking the release of data showing how much of Afghanistans territory lies outside government control, censoring a key metric used to gauge progress in the 16-year war, a watchdog agency said Tuesday. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, an auditing agency established by Congress, said in its latest report that the Pentagon instructed it not to release unclassified data on how many districts and people are controlled or influenced by insurgent groups. This is the first time SIGAR has been specifically instructed not to release information marked unclassified to the American taxpayer, the head of the agency, John F. Sopko, wrote in a letter. Sopko also said the U.S.-led military coalition, for the first time since 2009, classified information about the size and attrition rates of the Afghan security forces, important indicators of progress in building up army and police forces on which the U.S. already has spent $70 billion since 2002. The decision to withhold more information from congressional oversight and the public comes amid growing violence in Afghanistan and an intensifying combat mission involving a greater number of American troops. Following a series of bombings in Kabul that left at least 136 people dead in 10 days, President Trump signaled on Monday that he was focused on trying to win the conflict militarily, saying, We dont want to talk with the Taliban. But data released by SIGAR since 2015 have shown how the insurgents have gained ground against Afghan security forces. In its previous quarterly report, the watchdog said that only 57% of Afghanistans 407 districts were under Afghan government control or influence as of August 2017, the lowest level of control since it began tracking the statistic in December 2015. The steady decline in government control should cause even more concern about its disappearance from public disclosure and discussion, Sopko wrote. The watchdog also accused the Pentagon of overstating the impact of its efforts to combat drug cultivation and trafficking, among the Talibans main sources of revenue. The Pentagon touted airstrikes that destroyed 25 drug labs in November and December, saying it eliminated nearly $100 million of Taliban revenue. The labs being destroyed are cheap and easy to replace, SIGAR said. According to some estimates, they only take three or four days to replace. Facebook

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Women journalists shunted to rear for Pences visit to Western Wall By Noga Tarnopolsky The view from the womens section. (Noga Tarnopolsky / Los Angeles Times) Vice-President Mike Pences 48-hour visit to Israel stumbled into a public storm Tuesday when female reporters covering his final stop at Jerusalems Western Wall were penned behind four rows of their male colleagues. White House officials told stunned journalists that the arrangement emanated from a request made by the Western Wall rabbi, Shmuel Rabinowitz, and followed Western Wall rules. Some women journalists said they could not recall such treatment in the past. In a statement to Israels Channel 10 news, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation said it was exactly as it was during the visit of the U.S. president to the Western Wall last May. Later in the day, in a statement to the newspaper Haaretz, the foundation blamed the United States embassy in Tel Aviv and Israeli security officials for the segregation, and announced they would reexamine the way they handle such events. Women who covered previous VIP visits said the Pence arrangements were significantly more onerous than previous visits, when male and female journalists were separated but not offered substantially different work conditions. LIVE coverage of our male colleagues granted access to cover VP at Western Wall as we are penned into #PenceFence pic.twitter.com/k3svkxfQsa  Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) January 23, 2018 The arrangement reflected procedures at the Western Wall, Judaisms holiest site, where on regular days, men have access to two thirds of the area available for prayer. Tal Schneider, the diplomatic analyst for Globes, a financial newspaper, protested that the separation of men and women may be valid for the requirements of Orthodox prayer, but no one is praying here. We are here to work. I dont appreciate being restricted in my ability to work because I am a woman, she said. The discriminatory attitude towards women is infuriating and is unbefitting of a modern country. Yael Freidson, the Jerusalem affairs correspondent for Yediot Ahronot, Israels widest circulation newspaper, said she worried that her editors could choose male colleagues for the next assignment, knowing they would have better access. Before Pence arrived, journalists were herded onto a specially constructed platform in the middle of the Western Walls esplanade, with women guided to the right behind a white fence, and men, many carrying cameras, directed to the left, where they had more than double the space. Towards the end of the vice presidents 10-minute visit, male journalists were permitted into the VIP tent where he received a gift from Rabinowitz, while the women remained in their enclosure. None of the men publicly protested the treatment of their female colleagues. Israels Association of Women Journalists filed a formal complaint with Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, herself a woman. Facebook

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Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, after his pardon from Trump, says hell run for Senate in Arizona By Kurtis Lee (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press) (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press) Former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who last year was pardoned by President Trump in a case stemming from his enforcement tactics aimed at immigrants, announced Tuesday he will run for the open Senate seat in his home state. I am running for the U.S. Senate from the Great State of Arizona, for one unwavering reason: to support the agenda and policies of President Donald Trump in his mission to Make America Great Again, Arpaio, 85, said on Twitter. Hell enter a Republican primary for the seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Jeff Flake. Last summer, Trump pardoned Arpaio, who was convicted in July of criminal contempt for violating a federal court order to stop racially profiling Latinos. It was Arpaios roughly quarter-century as sheriff that gave him a national reputation for his tough treatment of people suspected of being in the country illegally. Repeated court rulings against his office for civil rights violations cost local taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. In the early 1990s, Arpaio directed construction of a tent city for immigration detainees, a measure he said was intended both to alleviate overcrowding and to underscore his aggressive enforcement measures. But it was open to the burning Arizona sun, and drew widespread criticism. After Trump entered the presidential race in July 2015, Arpaio invited him to Phoenix to talk about a crackdown on illegal immigration. He endorsed Trump just before the first votes in the Iowa caucuses in 2016 and frequently spoke out on behalf of Trumps campaign. Facebook

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President Trump ends controversial voter fraud commission By Kurtis Lee President Trump signed an executive order late Wednesday ending the voter fraud commission he launched last year as the panel faces a flurry of lawsuits and criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike. Trump signed the order disbanding the commission rather than engage in endless legal battles at taxpayer expense, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, created by executive order in May with the stated goal of restoring confidence and integrity in the electoral process, has faced a barrage of lawsuits in recent months over privacy concerns, as the commission sought personal data on voters across the country. Read More Facebook

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Congress returns to work with slimmer GOP majority to accomplish Trumps agenda By Lisa Mascaro Congress returns to work this week with unfinished business on spending, immigration and other crucial issues, but with an even narrower GOP majority that will make it tougher to move on President Trumps agenda. The House and Senate will convene Wednesday, swearing in the newly elected Democratic senator from Alabama, Doug Jones, and Minnesotas Tina Smith to replace a fellow Democrat, Sen. Al Franken, who is resigning as the latest high-profile public figure sidelined by allegations of sexual misconduct. The change gives Republicans only a one-seat margin in the Senate. Trump, fresh off passage of the GOP tax cuts bill, is pushing lawmakers to pivot quickly on his new year priorities of infrastructure investment and immigration, as well as his foreign policy agenda. But another legislative victory seems far off. Republicans have struggled to hold their majority together and Congress first must tackle critical stalled agenda items that leaders punted to 2018. Read More Facebook

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Trump threatens to cut off U.S. aid to Palestinians By Tracy Wilkinson President Trump on Tuesday angrily threatened to cut off U.S. aid to Palestinians as punishment for what he called their failure to show appreciation or respect to the United States. Writing on Twitter, the president compared the Palestinians to Pakistan, a nuclear-armed ally that abruptly drew his ire this week and a similar threat to drastically curtail aid. He accused the Palestinians of recalcitrance in what he described as their refusal to negotiate a peace deal with Israel. Palestinian officials have said they can no longer use Washington as a broker to restart peace talks with Israel following Trumps Dec. 6 decision to overturn decades of U.S. policy and recognize the disputed city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and ultimately to move the U.S. Embassy there. The Palestinians also claim part of Jerusalem as the capital of an eventual independent state. Until now, the United States and most of the world agreed the citys political status was a matter to settle in final peace talks. The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly condemned any effort to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital, and the Palestinian leadership said it would not meet with Vice President Mike Pence, who had planned a trip to the region. That trip is on hold. [W]e pay the Palestinians HUNDRED [sic] OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect, Trump wrote on Twitter. [W]ith the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them? In response to Trumps tweet, Hanan Ashrawi, a senior Palestinian official, issued a statement saying: Palestinian rights are not for sale. By recognizing Occupied Jerusalem as Israels capital Donald Trump has not only violated international law, but he has also singlehandedly destroyed the very foundations of peace and condoned Israels illegal annexation of the city. We will not be blackmailed, she said. President Trump has sabotaged our search for peace, freedom and justice. Now he dares to blame the Palestinians for the consequences of his own irresponsible actions! The United States does not pay large amounts of money directly to the Palestinian Authority, the government that rules over parts of the Palestinian West Bank. Instead, most money goes to the U.N., refugee or aid agencies and even Israel to pay for roads, welfare, schools, security and other Palestinian projects. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, said Tuesday that the administration was planning to cut off one of those organizations, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, until the Palestinians return to the negotiating table. UNRWA, which receives around $300 million annually from the U.S., for years has been the lifeline to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees living in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It was not clear if Haley was threatening to cut all U.S. support for the agency. Special correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky in Jerusalem contributed to this report. Facebook

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The White House stops short of calling for government overthrow in Iran By Brian Bennett President Trump wants Iran to give its citizens basic human rights and stop being a state sponsor of terror, his top spokeswoman said, but the White House stopped short of calling for a change of government in Tehran. If they want to do that through current leadership, if thats possible, OK, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters. Sanders praised the organic popular uprising, which she said the widespread protests in Iran represented. The protests grew out of years of years of mismanagement, corruption, and foreign adventurism have eroded the Iranian peoples trust in their leaders, she said. Earlier Tuesday, Trump called Irans government brutal and corrupt and wrote in a tweet: The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching! Trump also blamed President Obama for foolishly giving Iran money that he said went to fund terrorism. The money he referred to were funds belonging to Iran that had been frozen by the U.S. and were released as part of the deal in 2015, which blocked Irans development of nuclear weapons. The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their pockets. The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Facebook

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Retirement of Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch clears the way for a Mitt Romney revival By David Lauter The retirement of Utahs senior senator, Orrin G. Hatch, opens the way for a widely expected Senate bid by Mitt Romney, the Republicans 2012 presidential nominee and a frequent critic of President Trump. Although Romney previously served for two terms as governor of Massachusetts (and was raised in Michigan, where his father was governor and his mother ran for the Senate), he comes from a prominent Mormon family with strong ties to Utah. He also served as chief executive of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Hes viewed as a strong candidate for the Senate seat. Romneys criticisms of Trump, however, could prompt a challenge in a Republican primary. Trump was widely reported to have tried to convince Hatch to run for a seventh term, in part to head off a Romney candidacy. Last month, Romney and Trump were on opposite sides of one of the biggest political fights of the fall  the battle over the Senate seat from Alabama. The president strongly supported Roy Moore, the Republican candidate who had been accused of sexual misconduct by several women. Romney called Moore a stain on the GOP. Roy Moore in the US Senate would be a stain on the GOP and on the nation. Leigh Corfman and other victims are courageous heroes. No vote, no majority is worth losing our honor, our integrity.  Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) December 4, 2017 On Tuesday, Romney tweeted praise for Hatch, but did not immediately reveal his own plans. I join the people of Utah in thanking my friend, Senator Orrin Hatch for his more than forty years of service to our great state and nation. Read my full statement: https://t.co/YwjUpjez5y  Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) January 2, 2018 Facebook

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U.S. calls on Iran to unblock social media sites amid protests By The Associated Press The Trump administration is calling on Irans government to stop blocking Instagram and other popular social media sites as Iranians are demonstrating in the streets. Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein says the U.S. wants Iran to open these sites. He says Instagram, Telegram and other platforms are legitimate avenues for communication. The United States is encouraging Iranians to use virtual private networks, known as VPNs. Those services create encrypted links between computers and can be used to access blocked websites. Goldstein says the U.S. is still communicating with Iranians in Persian through State Department accounts on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. He says the U.S. wants to encourage the protesters to continue to fight for whats right. Goldstein says the U.S. has an obligation not to stand by. Read More Facebook

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Trump blasts Democrats in advance of immigration meeting By Brian Bennett The day before a meeting of administration officials and congressional leaders on outstanding legislative business, President Trump accused Democrats of doing nothing to hammer out an immigration deal to protect from deportation people brought to the country illegally as children. Democrats are doing nothing for DACA  just interested in politics, Trump wrote in a Tweet on Tuesday morning, referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program by its acronym. Democrats are doing nothing for DACA - just interested in politics. DACA activists and Hispanics will go hard against Dems, will start falling in love with Republicans and their President! We are about RESULTS.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer along with the Republican leaders, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, are scheduled to meet on Wednesday at the Capitol with Trumps legislative director, Marc Short, and budget director, Mick Mulvaney. The White House on Tuesday said the meeting is to discuss separate spending caps on military and domestic programs. Yet the Democrats insist the discussion also must include a variety of legislative issues that Trump and Congress punted into the new year  on immigration, the budget, healthcare and more. That stance reflects Democrats leverage: Republicans need Democratic votes to pass a government-funding bill and avert a federal shutdown when the current funding expires Jan. 19. Democrats especially want separate legislation replacing the Obama-era DACA program; Trump in September ordered a phase-out of the program, beginning March 6, and called on Congress to act before then on an alternative way to address the plight of the group. However, Trump has demanded that any alternative must be part of a package including both money for a border wall and immigration limits. Democrats are opposed. Facebook

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Pakistan hits back after Trump accuses its leaders of lies and deceit By Aoun Sahi Pakistan lashed out Monday after President Trump accused its leaders of lies and deceit and suggested the United States would withdraw financial assistance to the nuclear-armed nation it once saw as a key ally against terrorism. U.S. Ambassador David Hale was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to discuss the presidents statement, U.S. Embassy spokesman Richard Snelsire said. Pakistan lodged a strongly worded protest, according to two foreign office officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Pakistans prime minister, Shahid Abbasi, called a Cabinet meeting for Tuesday and a meeting of the National Security Committee on Wednesday to discuss Trumps New Years Day tweet. It was the presidents latest broadside against Pakistan after a speech in August in which he demanded its leaders crack down on the safe havens enjoyed by Taliban militants fighting U.S.-backed forces in neighboring Afghanistan. Read More Facebook

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Trump again cheers on Iran protests By Laura King President Trump expressed renewed support Sunday for protesters in Iran, declaring that people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. In a tweet from his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, the president said the nationwide economic protests that began on Thursday  and have taken on wider political overtones as they have grown in size --- were a signal that Iranians will not take it any longer. Big protests in Iran. The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 The presidents earlier hailing of the protests drew condemnation from Irans government. A Foreign Ministry spokesman called his comments deceitful and opportunistic. Following an overnight report of the first two fatalities stemming from the protests, Trump raised some eyebrows by expressing concern over human rights violations as authorities move to crack down on the demonstrations. During his first year in office, the president has shown scant inclination to press foreign governments to respect the fundamental rights of their citizens. The USA is watching closely for human rights violations! Trump said in his tweet Sunday. Some domestic critics have pointed to the presidents inclusion of Iranian nationals in his travel ban, suggesting he was more interested in bashing the Tehran government than in supporting freedom of speech in Iran. Even some of the presidents allies said that supporting the protesters on social media did not amount to making policy. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he had urged Trump to give a national address laying out his Iran strategy. President Trump is tweeting very sympathetically to the Iranian people, Graham said on CBS Face the Nation. But you just cant tweet here. You have to lay out a plan. Facebook

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Australian diplomats tip a factor in FBIs Russia inquiry By Associated Press Australian High Commissioner Alexander Downer. (Alastair Grant / Associated Press) An Australian diplomats tip appears to have helped persuade the FBI to investigate Russian meddling in the U.S. election and possible coordination with the Trump campaign, the New York Times reported Saturday. Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos told the diplomat, Alexander Downer, during a meeting in London in May 2016 that Russia had thousands of emails that would embarrass Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, the report said. Downer, a former foreign minister, is Australias top diplomat in Britain. Australia passed the information on to the FBI after the Democratic emails were leaked, according to the Times, which cited four current and former U.S. and foreign officials with direct knowledge of the Australians role. The hacking and the revelation that a member of the Trump campaign may have had inside information about it were driving factors that led the FBI to open an investigation in July 2016, the newspaper said. White House lawyer Ty Cobb declined to comment, saying in a statement that the administration is continuing to cooperate with the investigation now led by special counsel Robert Mueller to help complete their inquiry expeditiously. Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and is a cooperating witness. Court documents unsealed two months ago show he met in April 2016 with Joseph Mifsud, a professor in London who told him about Russias cache of emails. This was before the Democratic National Committee became aware of the scope of the intrusion into its email systems by hackers later linked to the Russian government. The Times said Papadopoulos shared this information with Downer, but it was unclear whether he also shared it with anyone in the Trump campaign. Facebook

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Trump offers fresh support for protesters in Iran as demonstrations continue By Lisa Mascaro Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching! pic.twitter.com/kvv1uAqcZ9  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2017 President Trump again offered support Saturday for anti-government protesters in Iran, where a third day of demonstrations, the largest in years, spilled across the country amid fears of a crackdown. Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching! Trump wrote on Twitter. Trump took a break from playing golf near his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to tweet clips from his speech to the United Nations General Assembly in September when he called for Iranian democratic reforms. Iranian authorities warned of potential violence as the street demonstrations, which began over economic conditions, swelled into frustrations with the theocratic rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Trump has maintained a hawkish stance toward Iran, sharply criticizing the landmark nuclear disarmament accord that Tehran reached with then-President Obama and five other nations in 2015. In October, Trump declined to certify the accord to Congress although the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency says Iran is complying with it. Several conservative GOP senators signaled their support for Trumps position and backed the protesters in Iran. Others in Congress did not immediately respond, however, amid conflicting reports over who had organized the demonstrations. Even after the billions in sanctions relief they secured through the nuclear deal, the ayatollahs still cant provide for the basic needs of their own people, said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a Trump ally and opponent of the nuclear deal. We should support the Iranian people who are willing to risk their lives to speak out against it, he added. Trump initially tweeted his support on Friday night. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement at that time as protests spread. There are many reports of peaceful protests by Iranian citizens fed up with the regimes corruption and its squandering of the nations wealth to fund terrorism abroad, Sanders said. The Iranian government should respect their peoples rights, including their right to express themselves. The world is watching. Facebook

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When it comes to U.S.-Russia relations, it takes two to tango, Kremlin says By Sabra Ayres The deteriorating relationship between the United States and Russia is one of the biggest disappointments of 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman told reporters today. Russia would like to rebuild relations between the two adversaries, but it takes two to tango, Dmitry Peskov said today during a conference call with the press. We want and are looking for good mutually beneficial relations based on mutual respect, mutual trust with all countries, primarily with European ones, including the United States, but it is necessary to dance tango, as they say. Peskov blamed the ongoing anti-Russian Russophobia in Washington for playing a major role in blocking the two countries from moving forward in their relationship. U.S. investigations into the Trump presidential campaigns alleged collusion with the Kremlin during the 2016 U.S. election and accusations that the Kremlin tried to interfere with the electoral process continue to cast a dark shadow over the relationship, he said. Peskov told reporters that Moscow was perplexed by the investigations. The Kremlin has continued to deny having any involvement with the Trump campaign or doing anything to interfere with the American election. This is definitely a U.S. domestic affair, but in this case it naturally hurts our bilateral relations, which is regrettable, Peskov said. Relations between the U.S. and Russia have been categorized as the worst theyve been since the end of the Cold War. This year, Washington and Moscow have engaged in a diplomatic tit-for-tat in which both sides have been forced to reduce diplomatic staff, embassy properties have been repossessed by the hosting countries and visa services have been interrupted. The U.S. diplomatic mission to Russia shrank from 1,200 personnel, including some Russian local staff, to just over 450 across all its three consulates and embassy in Moscow. In the U.S., Russia was forced to vacate its San Francisco consulate. Moscow has also blamed anti-Russian sentiments on the recent decision by the International Olympic Committee to ban Russian teams from wearing their tricolor uniforms or flags during the upcoming games in South Korea. The international body accused some of the Russian national teams of doping. Facebook

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U.S. and Turkey resume reciprocal issuing of visas but frictions remain By Tracy Wilkinson The United States and Turkey began issuing reciprocal visas again on Thursday, more than two months after normal visa service was suspended in a dispute over the arrest of two U.S. diplomatic staffers in Istanbul  the latest friction between the two nominal allies. The State Department said it was lifting the visa restrictions after it was assured by the Turkish government that U.S. Embassy employees would not be arrested when performing their official duties. But the Turkish Embassy in Washington denied assurances were offered concerning the ongoing judicial processes, and suggested that the arrests were legal and justified. It is inappropriate to misinform the Turkish and American public that such assurances were provided, the embassy said in a statement. The dispute has aggravated the already tense relationship between the United States and Turkey, which is a member of the NATO military alliance. The two countries have clashed over U.S. support for Kurdish rebels in Syria and over Turkeys demands that the U.S. extradite a Turkish cleric who lives in rural Pennsylvania. After a failed coup attempt killed more than 250 people in July 2016, Turkeys autocratic president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, launched a harsh crackdown on his political opponents, arresting or firing tens of thousands of teachers, police, journalists, military officers and others. Erdogan accused Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic educator and former political ally, of orchestrating the coup. Gulen, who has lived in a compound in the Pocono Mountains, has denied any involvement. The Justice Department has so far denied Turkeys repeated demands to extradite Gulen. Erdogan raised the issue again at the White House in May, but his visit ended in a public relations disaster when his security guards brutally beat peaceful protesters outside the Turkish ambassadors residence. Two Turkish employees of the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul were arrested this fall for alleged ties to the 2016 coup attempt. The U.S. responded by suspending most visa services at its missions in Turkey in October. The Turkish government reciprocated in November. State Department officials said they have repeatedly demanded more information about any formal charges against the two employees. They reiterated on Thursday that serious concerns about the allegations remained. Facebook

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Trump: China caught RED HANDED allowing oil to reach North Korea By Brian Bennett (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) President Trump isnt taking a holiday vacation from Twitter. In one of three tweets early on Thursday from his West Palm Beach golf club, he charged that China was caught RED HANDED allowing oil shipments to reach North Korean ports. Pronouncing himself very disappointed, Trump in effect was acknowledging the failure of his months-long effort to convince China to clamp down further on energy shipments going to the isolated country, which relies heavily on Beijing, as a way to pressure North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program. Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2017 Trumps tweet came after a South Korean newspaper published what it said were U.S. spy satellite images of Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean ships. The United Nations Security Council, which includes China, has voted repeatedly to restrict fuel shipments to North Korea. Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping in November to cut off North Koreas oil supply entirely, the American ambassador to the U.N., Nikki R. Haley, said at the time. It is unclear if Trumps admonishment of China was based on news reports or classified information he received from U.S. intelligence officials. There was no daily intelligence briefing on Trumps public schedule Thursday. He is expected to return to Washington next week after spending the Christmas holiday and New Years Eve at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. Facebook

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President Trump again falsely claims hes signed more bills than any president By Brian Bennett President Trump visits a firehouse in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Wednesday. (Nicholas Kamm / AFP) After another morning at his Florida golf club, President Trump visited firefighters and paramedics at a West Palm Beach firehouse and praised his own performance as president, including with a false boast. Trump touted his administrations work to roll back government regulations and cut taxes and claimed credit for the stock market hitting record highs. He also said hes signed more bills into law than any other president, which isnt true. We have signed more legislation than anybody, Trump said, standing in front of a rescue vehicle inside the fire station. We have more legislation passed, including  the record was Harry Truman a long time ago, and we broke that record, so we got a lot done, Trump said. An analysis by GovTrack, a website that tracks bills in Congress, shows that Trump has signed the fewest bills into law at this point than any president in more than 60 years, back to Dwight D. Eisenhower. Facebook

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Trump administration urges Russia to reinstate monitors in Ukraine, lower violence By Tracy Wilkinson Sergei Lavrov (AFP/Getty Images) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asked Russia on Wednesday to reinstate its military personnel at a monitoring station in eastern Ukraine intended to quell escalating bloodshed. In a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, Tillerson also urged Russia to lower the level of violence and underscored the Trump administrations concern over increased fighting in Ukraine, the State Department said in a statement. Russia last week withdrew its monitors from the Joint Center on Coordination and Control, which is tasked with verifying a much-violated ceasefire between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists. Moscow cited what it called restrictions and provocations from Ukrainian authorities that made it impossible for the observers to do their jobs. Washington has accused the pro-Russia forces of being responsible for many of the truce violations. Late last week, the State Department also announced plans to provide Ukraine with lethal defensive weapons, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, a decision that angered Moscow. The State Department statement did not say whether the weapons deal came up in Tillersons conversation with Lavrov. The two also discussed North Korea, its destabilizing nuclear program and the need for a diplomatic solution to achieve a denuclearized Korean peninsula, the statement said. Russia has offered to serve as a mediator between Washington and Pyongyang, but direct talks do not seem likely at this point. Facebook

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U.S. sanctions two more North Korean officials for ballistic missile program By Tracy Wilkinson The Trump administration announced sanctions Tuesday against two more North Korean officials for their alleged role in Pyongyangs expanding ballistic missiles program. The Treasury Department is targeting leaders of North Koreas ballistic missile programs, as part of our maximum pressure campaign to isolate [North Korea] and achieve a fully denuclearized Korean Peninsula, Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said in a statement. The nuclear-armed country tested an intercontinental ballistic missile last month that U.S. officials said appeared capable of reaching New York or Washington, a significant milestone in the countrys growing arsenal. The Treasury Department identified the two North Korean officials as Kim Jong Sik, who reportedly is a key figure in the ballistic missile program and led efforts to switch missiles from liquid to solid fuel (which makes them easier to hide before launch), and Ri Pyong Chol, who was reported to be a key official in the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The sanctions block banks, companies and individuals from doing any business with the targeted officials. It also allows the U.S. government to freeze any American assets owned by the officials. On Friday, the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted to add more sanctions on North Korea, its third round this year. The new measures order North Koreans working abroad to return home within two years, and ban nearly 90% of refined petroleum exports to the country. In a statement published Sunday by North Koreas state-run KCNA news agency, the foreign ministry denounced the new U.N. sanctions as an act of war. We define this sanctions resolution rigged up by the US and its followers as a grave infringement upon the sovereignty of our Republic, as an act of war violating peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and the region and categorically reject the resolution, it said. Facebook

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Salt Lake Tribune calls on Sen. Orrin Hatch to not seek reelection in scathing editorial Perhaps the most significant move of Hatchs career is the one that should, if there is any justice, end it. The last time the senator was up for reelection, in 2012, he promised that it would be his last campaign. That was enough for many likely successors, of both parties, to stand down, to let the elder statesman have his victory tour and to prepare to run for an open seat in 2018. Clearly, it was a lie. Read the editorial>> Facebook

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Christmas Eve, Trump on Twitter: New attacks on FBI official, decrying Fake News By Laura King President Trump launched a Christmas Eve attack on FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, whom he accuses of favoritism toward his former opponent, Hillary Clinton, and also returned to a longtime favored theme, excoriating the news media for failing to sufficiently extol his accomplishments. .@FoxNews-FBIs Andrew McCabe, in addition to his wife getting all of this money from M (Clinton Puppet), he was using, allegedly, his FBI Official Email Account to promote her campaign. You obviously cannot do this. These were the people who were investigating Hillary Clinton.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2017 Thank you President TRUMP!! pic.twitter.com/LKdkT0FL99  oregon4TRUMP (@shawgerald4) December 23, 2017 The Fake News refuses to talk about how Big and how Strong our BASE is. They show Fake Polls just like they report Fake News. Despite only negative reporting, we are doing well - nobody is going to beat us. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2017 Trump, who is spending the holidays at his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, also sent Christmas greetings to deployed military personnel, praising them for success in the fight against terrorism. The early-morning swipe at McCabe followed a flurry of tweets attacking the deputy FBI chief on Saturday. McCabe, who has been a lightning rod for Republican attacks on the FBI, is expected to retire early in the new year. How can FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, the man in charge, along with leakin James Comey, of the Phony Hillary Clinton investigation (including her 33,000 illegally deleted emails) be given $700,000 for wifes campaign by Clinton Puppets during investigation?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2017 FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2017 Critics say the president and his allies are in the midst of a systematic campaign to denigrate the FBI and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is looking into potential collusion by the Trump campaign in Russias attempts to sway the 2016 presidential election. In a pair of statements on Twitter, Trump again expressed scorn regarding news coverage of his administration. For months, the president has been particularly critical of reports regarding the Russia investigation and more recently has repeatedly complained he does not receive enough credit for a booming stock market. In his video conference message to troops overseas, the president made apparent reference to the fight against the militants of Islamic State, who over the last year have lost most of the territory they previously controlled in Iraq and Syria, including former strongholds in Mosul and Raqqah. Were winning, Trump told military personnel deployed in Qatar, Kuwait, Guantanamo Bay and aboard the guided missile destroyer Sampson. Reporters traveling with the president heard his address, but were ushered from the room before he took questions from the troops. The president often breaks with longtime custom and makes politically charged statements at events in which he addresses military personnel. Facebook

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Trumps Wells Fargo tweet cited in court hearing as reason to remove Mulvaney as CFPB acting chief By Jim Puzzanghera A recent tweet by President Trump about possible penalties against Wells Fargo & Co. was cited during a court hearing Friday as a reason for removing White House official Mick Mulvaney as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The attorney for Leandra English  the bureaus deputy director who has said she is the rightful acting head  said Trumps tweet showed he was trying to exercise improper influence over the independent consumer watchdog. I think that [tweet] shows you this isnt just some hypothetical concern, the attorney, Deepak Gupta, told Judge Timothy J. Kelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia during a nearly two-hour hearing. Read More Facebook

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Trump administration recognizes Honduran presidents reelection By Tracy Wilkinson The Trump administration on Friday formally recognized the incumbent president of Honduras, conservative Juan Orlando Hernandez, as the winner of a bitterly contested presidential election held last month. In a statement, the State Department congratulated Hernandez while also acknowledging widespread irregularities in the Nov. 26 vote and calling for a robust national dialogue to overcome political discord in the Central American country, a close ally of the administration. The Organization of American States, which monitored the election, said it was so flawed that only a new round of voting could establish a fair and transparent outcome. But the U.S. rejected that determination. Uproar over the contest led to demonstrations in Honduras that left numerous civilians dead after state security forces opened fire on the protests. Activists and others voiced criticism Friday of the administrations decision. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), a leading Democratic voice on Central American issues, said he was angry and deeply disturbed by the State Department decision. The recent elections in Honduras were deeply flawed, chaotic and marred by numerous irregularities, McGovern said. U.S.-Honduran cooperation on matters such as drug-trafficking, violence and immigration requires a credible, legitimate government that has the support of its people, in Honduras, McGovern said. Hernandezs victory also was controversial because it was the first time a sitting president was allowed to run for re-election, barred until now by the Honduran Constitution. Facebook

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Senate Leader Mitch McConnell says fixing DACA is no emergency until March By Lisa Mascaro Amanda Bayer, left with banner, and Marisol Maqueda, right, join a rally in support of so-called Dreamers outside the White House. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday hes committed to allowing a vote on a bill for so-called Dreamers in January, but sees no rush to resolve the deportation threat posed by President Trumps decision to end a program protecting immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. There isnt that much of an emergency there, he said. There is no emergency until March. Well keep talking about it. Trump called for phasing out by March the Obama-era program that allows the young immigrants, many of them longtime residents, to get two-year deferrals of any deportation threat so they can legally attend school or work. Beneficiaries must be vetted for security purposes. Trump told Congress to come up with a legislative alternative for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which President Obama created by executive order, to protect those currently eligible. A bipartisan Senate group has been working with the White House, but talks stalled this week amid administration demands for curbs on legal immigration flows in exchange for protecting the DACA recipients. Meanwhile, Dreamers and immigrant advocates stormed the Capitol in recent days pressing for the help promised by Trump and Democratic congressional leaders that failed to materialize in the years final legislation. Advocacy groups say more than 120 immigrants each day are falling out of compliance without DACA renewals, putting them at risk of deportation. The number that is projected to swell to more than 1,000 a day in March. Weve been gridlocked on this issue for years, McConnell said. We want to have a signature. We dont just want to spin our wheels and have nothing to show for it. Facebook

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President Trump signs tax bill By Noah Bierman (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump on Friday morning signed a sweeping tax-cut measure  his first major legislative achievement  before heading off for a Christmas vacation at his Mar-a-Lago property in Palm Beach, Fla. The president also privately signed a short-term spending bill to fund government operations through Jan. 19. Congress approved it Thursday, after Republican leaders were unable to bridge differences in their own party as well as with Democrats to get agreement on funding for the full fiscal year. The stopgap bill punts fights on immigration and other issues to January. The tax bill, approved earlier this week in Congress in largely party-line votes, slashes corporate tax rates from 35% to 21% and also includes a host of other provisions for individuals, all intended to boost the economy. Critics point to nonpartisan analyses showing that the package, including changes greatly reducing the number of estates subject to taxes, steers the bulk of tax benefits to top earners and the wealthy, including Trump, despite his repeated claims that hell take a hit. Trump signed the bill quietly Friday, but held a public ceremony with Republican lawmakers on Wednesday after the bills passage; he also tweeted about the measure extensively. He is expected to hold another public ceremony after the New Years holiday. Facebook

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Pelosi urges Ryan to prevent Republicans from curtailing Houses Russia probe By Chris Megerian House Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin greets House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Friday urging him to ensure the Houses investigation into Russian interference with last years presidential campaign is not cut short. The American people deserve a comprehensive and fair investigation into Russias attacks, wrote Pelosi, of San Francisco, in her letter. Political haste must not cut short valid investigatory threads. The House Intelligence Committee has been probing the issue since March 1, and Democrats have repeatedly warned that Republicans are trying to wrap up its work prematurely. Pelosi said Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, should take urgent action to ensure this investigation can continue. AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Ryan, said Pelosi simply wants to see this investigation go on forever in order to suit her political agenda. Whether it concludes next month, next year, or in three years, she will say it is too soon, Strong said in a statement. She added, The investigation will conclude when the committee has reached a conclusion. The committees work is led by Rep. K. Michael Conaway (R-Texas). His spokeswoman, Emily Hytha, said he remains committed to conducting this investigation as thoroughly and expeditiously as possible. With more interviews scheduled, the investigation shows signs of extending into next year, Bloomberg reported Friday. BREAKING: Steve Bannon and former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski have been sent letters requesting they testify to House Intel panel in early January, per @HouseInSession  Laura Litvan (@LauraLitvan) December 22, 2017 Facebook

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Congress votes to avert government shutdown, but Senate fails to pass disaster aid package By Lisa Mascaro ( (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)) Congress approved a temporary spending bill to prevent a government shutdown, but failed to complete work on an $81-billion disaster aid package to help California, Gulf Coast states and Puerto Rico recover from wildfires and hurricanes, as lawmakers scrambled Thursday to wrap up business before a Christmas break. The stopgap measure continues federal operations for a few more weeks, setting up another deadline for Jan. 19. But it left undone a long list of priorities that members of both parties had hoped to finish this year. Read More Facebook

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Wells Fargo says raises were not linked to tax bill passage  then backtracks By James Rufus Koren Wells Fargo & Co.s move to raise its minimum pay to $15 an hour was part of a long-term plan and not related to the passage of the Republican tax overhaul as the company implied, said a bank spokesman, who later backtracked and stated the hikes were a result of the bills approval. The bank was among several large corporations to publicly announce pay raises or new investments immediately following the final House vote in an apparent public relations offensive to boost the popularity of the tax bill The San Francisco bank had implied the direct linkage to the tax legislation in a news release Wednesday, shortly after Congress passed the tax overhaul, which slashes the corporate tax rate to 21% from 35% starting Jan. 1. Read More Facebook

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Obamacare signups beat expectations, despite Trump administrations opposition By Noam N. Levey President Trump with Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Despite Trump administration efforts to discourage people from signing up, the number of people enrolling for Affordable Care Act coverage nearly hit last years level, the government revealed Thursday. Exchange open enrollment for 2018 coverage ended w/ approx 8.8M people enrolling in coverage. Great job to the @CMSGov team for the work you did to make this the smoothest experience for consumers to date. We take pride in providing great customer service.  Administrator Seema Verma (@SeemaCMS) December 21, 2017 The 8.8 million people who enrolled in the 36 states that use the federal governments healthcare.gov system significantly exceeded most forecasts. The Trump administration stopped most outreach and other efforts this year aimed at getting people to sign up. The president also repeatedly said publicly that Obamacare was dead. Open enrollment continues in California and several other states that run their own healthcare marketplaces. The figures from the federal government indicate that when those states wrap up for the year, the number of people covered by Obamacare will be nearly the same as in 2017. Read More Facebook

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U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly condemns U.S. policy change on Jerusalem despite Trumps threats By Tracy Wilkinson The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted Thursday to condemn President Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, despite Trumps threats to punish countries that voted against the U.S. position. The resolution passed in an emergency session at U.N. headquarters in New York with 128 in favor, nine opposed and 35 abstentions. The nonbinding resolution demands that Washington rescind its declaration, which included a plan to transfer the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in coming years. The resolution value is mostly symbolic, showing how isolated the U.S. is in the move. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., warned this week that she would be taking names of countries that opposed the U.S., and Trump on Wednesday suggested he might cut U.S. aid to governments that voted in favor of the resolution. Let them vote against us, Trump said. Well save a lot. We dont care. The U.S. recognition of Jerusalem reversed decades of international consensus on the political status of the divided city. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as their capital in a future independent state. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said the U.N. was facing an unprecedented test and that history would remember those who stand by what is right. Facebook

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Democrats defend Robert Mueller, saying Russia investigation must be allowed to continue By Chris Megerian Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) speaking during a committee hearing earlier this year. (Molly Riley / Associated Press) House Democrats said they will fight Republican attempts to discredit and undermine the work of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is investigating whether President Trumps associates helped Russian meddling in last years election. There is an organized effort by Republicans, in concert with Fox News, to spin a false narrative and conjure up outrageous scenarios to accuse special counsel Mueller of being biased, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) said. Trump has said he has no plan to fire Mueller, but Democrats are alarmed by escalating criticism of the special counsels work. Why is the president afraid of the facts and the truth? Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) said. He added, No matter what the facts are, were satisfied if the investigation is complete. A letter of support signed by 171 Democratic members of Congress will be sent to Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller, a former FBI director, and oversees his investigation. Rosenstein has defended Mueller in the face of Republican criticisms. Facebook

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U.S. blacklists Myanmar army general who it says oversaw atrocities against Rohingya Muslims By Shashank Bengali The Trump administration on Thursday blacklisted a Myanmar army general who it said oversaw human rights abuses committed by security forces against Rohingya Muslims. Imposing economic sanctions against the general, Maung Maung Soe, was the toughest action the United States has taken in response to a brutal army offensive that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has described as ethnic cleansing. In a statement, the Treasury Department said it had examined credible evidence of Maung Maung Soes activities, including allegations against Burmese security forces of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and arbitrary arrest as well as the widespread burning of villages. The Rohingya are an ethnic and religious minority of about 1 million people in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, also known as Burma. The United Nations says that more than 640,000 Rohingya have fled the country since August, after the army launched clearance operations in response to attacks carried out by a Rohingya insurgent group against security forces. Rohingya refugees in crowded camps in neighboring Bangladesh have described horrific violence by Myanmar forces, including mass rapes, summary executions and children being burned alive. The aid group Doctors Without Borders estimates that 6,700 people were killed in the first month of the operation. Myanmar authorities deny committing atrocities and say that only a few hundred fighters were killed. Maung Maung Soe was chief of the armys Western Command, which carried out the offensive. He was transferred from his position last month, according to news reports. He was one of 13 individuals worldwide who were blacklisted Thursday under a new U.S. law that gives the Treasury Department authority to target officials for human rights abuses and corruption. Others included former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh; Gulnara Karimova, daughter of the late Uzbekistan dictator Islam Karimov; and Artem Chaika, son of Russias prosecutor-general. Today, the United States is taking a strong stand against human rights abuse and corruption globally by shutting these bad actors out of the U.S. financial system, said Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. The sanctions freeze any assets Maung Maung Soe holds in the United States and bars Americans from doing business with him. It is also a sign of how quickly U.S. relations with Myanmar have soured. Under the Obama administration, the United States forged closer ties with the former military dictatorship and eased economic and political sanctions as the country began implementing democratic reforms. But Myanmar, which does not regard the Rohingya as citizens, has lashed out at the international community over the current crisis. It has jailed journalists, blocked access to affected areas in the western state of Rakhine and this week barred a U.N. human rights investigator from entering the country. Rohingya activists said the U.S. action would not have much effect on a country that survived under economic sanctions for years. It is the whole military institution that has a policy to persecute these people, said Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya activist and blogger in Germany. According to the U.S.s own definition, the army is carrying out ethnic cleansing. They have a responsibility to protect these people. Sanctions on one person are really not enough. Facebook

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Dreamers will have to wait until next year for Congress long-promised protections By Lisa Mascaro Amanda Bayer, left with banner, and Marisol Maqueda, right, join a rally in support of so-called Dreamers outside the White House. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press)) A promised year-end deal to protect the young immigrants known as Dreamers from deportation collapsed Wednesday as Republicans in Congress  fresh off passage of their tax plan  prepared to punt nearly all remaining must-do agenda items into the new year. Congressional leaders still hope that before leaving town this week they can pass an $81-billion disaster relief package with recovery funds for California wildfires and Gulf Coast states hit during the devastating hurricane season. But passage even of that relatively popular measure remained in doubt as conservatives balked at the price tag. Rather than finish the year wrapping up the legislative agenda, the GOP majorities in the House and Senate struggled over their next steps. Read More Facebook

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Chants of protest drown out any caroling this holiday season at the Capitol By Lisa Mascaro U.S. Capitol Police arrest a man wearing a Santa Claus hat during a protest against the Republican tax bill. (Alex Edelman / AFP/Getty Image) Outside the U.S. Capitol, the lights on a towering Christmas tree are flipped on each evening, giving the Engelmann spruce a festive twinkle; inside the marble halls, wreaths and garlands decorate doorways and alcoves ahead of the holidays. But the spirit of the season has been punctuated by other sights: a Jumbotron parked across from the Capitol reflecting pool broadcasts images of young immigrants who face deportation; Little Lobbyists, children with complex medical needs, were featured in a recent news conference; protesters filed into the visitor galleries to shout against the Republican tax plan. While its beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Capitol, its also shaping up to be a holiday season of protest. Read More Facebook

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Tax bill simplifies filing for some but complicates it for others  and dont count on that postcard By Jim Puzzanghera A priority of the Republicans tax overhaul was simplification, and they drove home the point this fall with an omnipresent prop: a red-white-and-blue postcard. Were making things so simple that you can do your taxes on a form the size of a postcard, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) said last month, pulling one from his jacket pocket as he and Republican leaders unveiled their bill. They gave a couple of the cards to President Trump at a White House meeting a few hours later and flashed them often during news conferences and TV interviews in the coming days. Read More Facebook

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Top U.N. human rights official reportedly wont seek reelection The top United Nations official for human rights, who has frequently criticized the Trump administration, has reportedly decided not to seek a second term, saying his work had become untenable. Zeid Raad Hussein, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, notified his staff in an email that was obtained by several news outlets, including Agence France-Presse. Staying when his four-year term is up for renewal at the end of August might involve bending a knee in supplication, AFP quoted Husseins email as saying. Hussein is a Jordanian prince who has criticized, among other things, President Trumps attempts to ban visitors or refugees from six predominantly Muslim countries. The news comes a day before the U.N. General Assembly is expected to vote on a nonbinding resolution condemning the Trump administrations formal declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a decision that went against international consensus. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., has warned she will be taking names of those who vote against the United States on Thursday. Trump echoed that sentiment Wednesday, voiced support for Haley and implying to reporters that he would consider cutting off U.S. aid to countries that vote against the U.S. Well, were watching those votes, Trump said. Let them vote against us. Well save a lot. We dont care. On Monday, the United States lost a Security Council vote 14-1 on a binding resolution that would have required Washington to rescind its declaration. Haley then vetoed the resolution. Facebook

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Top Democrat warns Trump not to fire Mueller or interfere with his investigation By Chris Megerian Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, one of the top Democrats involved in the congressional inquiries into Russian interference in last years election, said Wednesday that any attempt by President Trump to interfere with the separate criminal investigation would be a gross abuse of power. Warner, who is vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, delivered his warning from the Senate floor as Republicans escalate their criticism of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and his team of prosecutors and FBI agents. Some Democrats believe Trump is laying the groundwork to fire Mueller even though the president has publicly denied it. Mueller was appointed in May after Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey. In the United States of America, no one, no one is above the law, not even the president, Warner said. Congress must make clear to the president that firing the special counsel or interfering with his investigation by issuing pardons of essential witnesses is unacceptable and would have immediate and significant consequences. Some Democrats say the White House may try to in effect short-circuit the Mueller investigation by replacing Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein, who is the only official empowered to fire Mueller. Rosenstein recently told Congress that the special counsel is acting appropriately and that he would not dismiss Mueller without just cause. Facebook

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We have essentially repealed Obamacare, Trump says after tax bill passes By Brian Bennett President Trump at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday at the White House. (Chris Kleponis / Getty Images) President Trump is celebrating Republicans passage of the tax overhaul bill as a two-fer: On Wednesday, in addition to tax cuts, he checked off his promise to repeal Obamacare, pointing to a provision in the bill to end the penalty on Americans who dont get health insurance. We have essentially repealed Obamacare, Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. Other provisions of the 2010 Affordable Care Act are still in place, and Trump and congressional Republicans failed completely on the replace half of their vow to repeal and replace the program. In Trumps view, however, stripping away the laws individual mandate to get insurance or else pay a tax penalty amounts to repeal of the whole law. Congressional analysts have said that millions of people would lose insurance as a result, either by choice or because they cannot afford it without subsidies, and that premiums would increase for others as younger, healthy people drop coverage. We will come up with something much better, Trump said, adding that block grants to states could be one approach. By his comments, Trump tacitly acknowledged that repeal of the mandate is likely the best he can do following Republicans failure this year to agree on a repeal-and-replace bill. Looking back on his first year, Trump also boasted of his administrations efforts against the Islamic State and increased immigration enforcement. He said he had not given up on funding a border wall or tightening immigration law to limit citizens ability to resettle foreign relatives in the country. He said he would very shortly visit the border with Mexico near San Diego to see wall prototypes that have been built. He didnt answer a reporters shouted question about how he would personally benefit from the tax bill. Facebook

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House gives final OK to GOP tax plan, sending it to Trump By Lisa Mascaro Congress gave final approval to the GOP tax plan Wednesday, 224-201, after the House took an unusual do-over vote to clear up differences with the Senate-passed bill. The $1.5-trillion package now heads to President Trump, who plans to sign it into law. The House had approved the tax bill on Tuesday but was forced to take another vote Wednesday because a couple of provisions in the version it approved were found to be in violation of Senate procedures. Those provisions were dropped before the Senate gave its approval early Wednesday. Critics complained the Republicans rushed to pass the sweeping tax plan to deliver Trump a year-end legislative victory, but supporters shrugged off the problems as minor. The tax plan dramatically cuts corporate rates and provides some individual rate reductions, overhauling the tax code for the first time in 30 years. Facebook

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Trump administration effort to block immigrant from having an abortion fails By David Savage Scott Lloyd is director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) President Trumps lawyers rushed to the Supreme Court and U.S. appeals court in Washington on Monday evening to file emergency appeals seeking to prevent an immigrant in detention, dubbed Jane Roe in court, from having an abortion. That set the stage for a legal showdown on whether the administration can block pregnant minors in custody from choosing to have an abortion. But the legal clash, which the administration has seemed eager to have, fizzled out Tuesday when the governments lawyers admitted the 17-year-old unaccompanied minor in their custody was actually 19. They said they had obtained her birth certificate and realized she was not a minor after all. As a result, Roe, who is 10 weeks pregnant, will no longer be held in a detention center for immigrant minors, and will not be subject to an administration policy that tries to prevent minors in immigration detention from having abortions. Administration lawyers told appeals court judges Tuesday night that Roe was being sent to a facility for adults and likely would be released until her immigration status can be resolved. In a brief order, the D.C. Circuit Court agreed to put the case on hold, but told government attorneys to confirm that she will be permitted to obtain an abortion. The administration had earlier tried to delay another young woman, referred to in court as Jane Poe, from having an abortion, but officials relented on Monday because she was 22 weeks pregnant and nearing the time limit for a legal abortion. Facebook

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Senate panel rejects Trumps pick to lead Export-Import Bank, a leader in the effort to shut it down By Jim Puzzanghera A Senate committee on Tuesday rejected President Trumps nominee to lead the Export-Import Bank, extending the chaos at the embattled agency whose job is to help U.S. companies sell their goods abroad. Two Republicans joined all Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee in voting against former Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) to be the banks president. Garrett had been a vocal critic of the Ex-Im Bank and a leader of a conservative effort that shut the bank down for five months in 2015 by blocking its congressional authorization. He and other bank opponents branded the banks aid as crony capitalism. Read More Facebook

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Congress proposes $81-billion disaster aid package, including funds for California wildfires By Lisa Mascaro Congress is set to consider an $81-billion disaster aid package that includes wildfire recovery money for California and other Western states as well as hurricane relief with a price tag reflecting a year of record-setting natural calamities. The legislation, the text of which was released late Monday, would provide almost twice as much as the $44 billion the White House sought last month to cover relief efforts along the Gulf Coast and in the Caribbean. Republican congressional leaders added more money after California lawmakers objected that the administration had failed to include help for areas damaged by wildfires and Democrats protested that the overall amount President Trump asked for was insufficient. Read More Facebook

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White House blames North Korea for worldwide WannaCry cyber attack By Noah Bierman The Royal London Hospital, a victim of the unprecedented global cyberattack in May. (Niklas Hallen / AFP/Getty Images) The White House officially blamed North Korea on Tuesday for the cyberattack in May known as WannaCry that infected hundreds of thousands of computers in 150 countries, affecting healthcare, financial services and vital infrastructure. Thomas P. Bossert, assistant to the president for homeland security and counter-terrorism, noted in a briefing with reporters that the consequences were beyond economic. He warned that North Koreas malicious behavior is growing more egregious. Bossert did not specify what evidence American officials have to blame North Korea, citing security issues, but he cited the countrys prior attacks as revealing hallmarks of how Pyongyang and its network of hackers operates. He said other allied countries had joined the United States in making the determination. The administration did not announce any penalties on the regime, which is already subject to severe sanctions over its nuclear program. They want to hold the entire world at risk, Bossert said of North Koreas rulers, referring to the nations nuclear and missile provocations as well as its alleged cyberattack. Given its isolation and international sanctions, North Korea is desperate for funds. Bossert said the country did not appear to make much money on the ransom attack, as word spread that paying a ransom did not result in getting computers unlocked. Its primary goal, he said, was spreading chaos. Bossert and Jeanette Manfra, assistant secretary of homeland security for cybersecurity and communication, said the United States, through a combination of preparation and luck, escaped the worst of the attack, as a patch to the malware was found before U.S. companies and other interests were severely crippled. However, Manfra said, We cannot be complacent. Bossert added, Next time were not going to get so lucky. Manfra praised Microsoft and Facebook for their efforts to combat WannaCry and to block more recent attempts to hack U.S. systems. She and Bossert urged more cooperation and information-sharing from American and multinational companies, arguing a united front is vital to protecting against bad actors who do not differentiate between government and business. Bossert rejected criticism that the the Trump administration has more aggressively called out North Korean cyberattacks than it has Russias meddling in the 2016 election. He said the administration has continued the national emergency initiated by President Obama. Facebook

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GOP lures some mountain bike groups in its push to roll back protections for public land By Evan Halper When their vision of creating a scenic cycling trail through a protected alpine backcountry hit a snag, San Diego area mountain bikers turned to an unlikely ally: congressional Republicans aiming to dilute conservation laws. The frustrations of the San Diego cycling group and a handful of similar organizations are providing tailwind to the GOP movement to lift restrictions on the countrys most ecologically fragile and pristine landscapes, officially designated wilderness. Resentment of these cyclists over the longstanding ban on mechanized transportation in that fraction of the nations public lands presents a political opportunity for Republicans eager to drill fissures in the broad coalition of conservation-minded groups united against the GOP environmental agenda. Read More Facebook

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Vice president postpones Israel trip a second time in case his vote is needed to pass tax cut bill By Noah Bierman (Ethan Miller / Getty Images) Vice President Mike Pence is delaying his trip to Egypt and Israel for a second time in case he is needed to break a tie in the Senate for the tax bill that is expected to pass narrowly this week. Two White House officials confirmed the changed schedule, which they say is unrelated to to protests in the region over the administrations decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital. Pence had initially been scheduled to leave last Saturday. Late last week, the White House moved the trip back a few days to Tuesday night, in case Pence was needed to break a Senate tie. But Monday, they decided to postpone the trip further, to January, given the possibility of a late Senate vote and the coming holidays. He wants to see it through the finish line, said a White House official, referring to the tax measure that is a centerpiece of the Republican legislative agenda. We dont want to leave anything to chance. The mid-January dates will allow Pence more breathing room to merge schedules with embassies and hotels, the official said. Trump still plans to address the Israeli Knesset, a high-profile venue to discuss the Jerusalem decision where it is most popular. Facebook

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Trump judicial pick who drew ridicule at hearing withdraws By Associated Press A White House official says the Trump judicial nominee whose qualifications were questioned by a Republican senator has withdrawn his nomination. Matthew Petersen, who was nominated by President Trump to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, has been the subject of widespread ridicule since he was unable to define basic legal terms during his confirmation hearing Wednesday. A White House official says Petersen has withdrawn his nomination and that Trump has accepted the withdrawal. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the development publicly. Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy pressed Petersen, a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, who testified he had never tried a case, on his qualifications to the bench. Facebook

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Trump says McCain will return to Washington if needed for tax vote By Laura King President Trump said Sunday that Sen. John McCain, who is battling an aggressive form of brain cancer, was returning home to Arizona for the holidays but would come back to Washington if needed to cast a vote on the Republicans tax overhaul bill. The Arizona Republicans office announced last week that McCain was receiving treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington for complications from his cancer treatment. McCains daughter Meghan tweeted earlier Sunday that her 81-year-old father would be spending Christmas in Arizona. The Senate is expected to vote early this week on the tax cut legislation, but the GOP appeared to have secured sufficient support without McCains vote. John will come back if we need his vote, Trump told reporters as he returned from a weekend at the presidential retreat at Camp David. Hes going through a very tough time. Facebook

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Putin calls Trump to thank him for U.S. help foiling terrorist strike By Laura King Vladimir Putin phoned President Trump to thank him for what the Russian president said was CIA help in foiling a terrorist attack, the Kremlin said on Sunday. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed the two leaders conversation to reporters. It was the second time that the two leaders had talked in four days; Trump called Putin on Thursday to thank the Russian leader for lauding the U.S. economy. Putin, in his annual year-end news conference, had praised Trump for a strong performance by the U.S. stock market. Perhaps ironically, given his credit to the CIAs recent help, Putin at that news event dismissed as hysteria the consensus among American intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign. In reporting Putins call to Trump on Sunday, the official Russian news agency Tass said Putin thanked his American counterpart for information shared by the US Central Intelligence Agency that had helped break up a plot to set off explosives in St. Petersburgs landmark Kazan Cathedral and elsewhere in the city, which is Russias second-largest. Russian authorities last week had credited their countrys counter-intelligence service, the FSB, for foiling the attacks. They reported that seven people affiliated with Islamic State had been detained in St. Petersburg in connection with the plot. The FSB, the successor organization to the KGB, announced Friday that the group had planned to carry out the attacks on Saturday, and that one of those in custody had confessed to the cathedral bomb plot. Facebook

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Mnuchin: Government shutdown unlikely but could happen By Laura King Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said on Sunday that a government shutdown this week was unlikely but possible. A two-week stopgap spending bill passed by Congress earlier this month provided enough funding to keep the government running through Friday. A deadlock on another temporary funding measure would open the door to a possible shutdown. I cant rule it out, but I cant imagine it occurring, Mnuchin said on Fox News Sunday, suggesting everyone had an interest in avoiding the government grinding to a halt and federal workers going unpaid, especially in the holiday season. I would expect that both the House and Senate, Republicans and Democrats, understand if they cant agree on this, they need to have another short-term extension to move this to January, the Treasury secretary said. We cant have a government shutdown in front of Christmas. In May, irate over concessions made to Democrats in hammering out a spending measure, President Trump tweeted that a good shutdown might help matters. While both parties agree that a government shutdown involves a degree of disruption that is not beneficial to either side, shutdowns in 1995-96 and in 2013 mainly caused a backlash against Republicans. The latest funding measure is to be taken up after a vote on a massive GOP tax overhaul, expected by midweek. Facebook

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Trump transition team says sensitive emails should not have been shared with Robert Mueller By Chris Megerian (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) President Trumps transition team is crying foul over how special counsel Robert S. Mueller III obtained emails for his investigation into Russian meddling in last years campaign and possible Trump campaign complicity. Kory Langhofer, a lawyer for the transition team, sent a letter to Congress on Saturday saying there was an unauthorized disclosure of emails. While the Trump transition is long over, the transition team remains a nonprofit organization. Its emails were hosted by the General Services Administration, a federal agency. Mueller reportedly obtained the emails directly from the agency. There are attorney-client communications, Langhofer said in an interview. There are executive-privileged communications. He added, What were asking Congress to do is to take some legislative action to make sure this never happens again. Peter Carr, a spokesman for the special counsels office, defended the process for obtaining emails. When we have obtained emails in the course of our ongoing criminal investigation, we have secured either the account owners consent or appropriate criminal process, he said. The letter was first reported by Fox News. A request for comment from the General Services Administration was not immediately answered. This story has been updated with a comment from the special counsels office. Facebook

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Virginia house arrest is ending for Paul Manafort By Chris Megerian (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) A federal judge agreed Friday to end Paul Manaforts house arrest in Virginia, allowing President Trumps former campaign manager to return to Florida while awaiting trial. The decision followed a dispute between Manaforts legal team and prosecutors working for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who accused Manafort of violating a court order restricting public statements about the case. Under the terms of the judges order, Manafort will be allowed to live at his home in Florida as long as he stays within Palm Beach and Broward counties and obeys a curfew from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. If he misses a court appearance, he would forfeit four properties valued at $10 million total. The deal, which includes GPS monitoring, is not as permissive as Manafort originally sought. He had asked to be able to travel freely among Florida, New York, Virginia and Washington. Manafort faces criminal charges of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering. He has pleaded not guilty. Facebook

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GOP negotiators enhance child tax credit to win over Sen. Rubio By Lisa Mascaro Republican negotiators slightly increased the refundable portion of the expanded child tax credit in their tax plan, raising it to $1,400 in hopes of winning back Sen. Marco Rubios (R-Fla.) support ahead of next weeks vote. Rubio announced Thursday he was withholding support after negotiators ignored his push to make the expanded tax credit, which increases from the current $1,000 to $2,000 in the proposed bill, fully refundable for lower- and moderate-income filers. The refundable portion in the original bill was $1,100. The Florida senator argued that was not enough to help working-class Americans, many of whom already view the GOP plan as tilted toward the wealthy. Rubios office was waiting to see the final text before commenting on whether the change was enough to win him over. We have not seen the bill text, and until we see if the percentage of the refundable credit is significantly higher, then our position remains the same, Rubios spokeswoman said. Negotiators meeting Friday before unveiling the bill said they thought they had the support they needed from Rubio and other holdouts. Im confident both chambers will pass it next week, said Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). Facebook

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Sen. Marco Rubio opposes GOP tax bill, depriving leaders of crucial support By Lisa Mascaro 20.94% Corp. rate to pay for tax cut for working family making $40k was anti-growth but 21% to cut tax for couples making $1million is fine?  Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 12, 2017 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) says he is currently opposed to the GOP tax plan because it fails to include his proposed enhancements to the child tax credit, leaving leaders without crucial support ahead of next weeks expected vote. Republicans can only lose two GOP senators from their slim 52-48 majority as they push the plan forward under special budget rules to prevent a Democratic filibuster. Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday altered his planned Israel trip so he could be on hand, if needed, to cast a tie-breaking vote. Rubio, and GOP Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, have fought to increase the child tax credit, doubling it to $2,000 in the GOP plan, but they also want to increase its refundability. They argue it will lower taxes on middle-income families at a time when the tax plan is being criticized as tilted to the wealthy. Sen. Rubio has consistently communicated to the Senate tax negotiators that his vote on final passage would depend on whether the refundability of the Child Tax Credit was increased in a meaningful way, Rubios spokeswoman said. Lee stopped short of opposing the bill, but his spokesman said Wednesday he is undecided. GOP leaders, though, have said they believe they have the support for passage. Facebook

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White House gives Roy Moore a unsubtle shove: Time to concede By David Lauter (Alex Wong / Getty Images) The White House sent a clear signal Thursday to the defeated Republican candidate for Senate in Alabama: Its time to concede. Roy Moore refused to concede the race on Tuesday night when Doug Jones, the Democrat, was declared the winner. Election night results show Jones winning by about 1.5 percentage points, three times more than the states standard for a recount. Although a few absentee and provisional ballots remain to be counted, theres no indication they would change the result. On Wednesday, Moore notably did not call to congratulate Jones  even as President Trump and other leading Republicans did. Instead, he released a video declaring the battle rages on. Asked at the daily news briefing whether the White House thinks Moore should concede today, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, It probably sounds like it maybe should have already taken place. Sanders also dismissed the idea, pushed by some Moore supporters, that Jones victory was tainted in some fashion. Asked if the Democrat had won fair and square, she said, I think the numbers reflect that. The states Republican senator, Richard Shelby, offered a similar comment in an interview with MSNBC in which he said he was willing to work with Jones. If I was 25,000 votes behind, its not going to change much, Shelby said. Facebook

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House Speaker Paul Ryan says hes not leaving anytime soon By Lisa Mascaro House Speaker Paul D. Ryan shot down suggestions Thursday that he might soon be retiring. Stories often circulate that party leaders, especially the House speaker, are stepping aside. Ryans tenure has been as rocky as that of his predecessor, Rep. John Boehner, who abruptly resigned in 2015 amid GOP infighting. Asked Thursday if he would be leaving, Ryan answered a simple no, as he left his weekly press conference in the Capitol. Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who reluctantly took over the speakers gavel after Boehners departure, had just finished talking up the GOP tax plan, which leaders hope to pass next week. He also outlined his sweeping agenda for his longtime goal of entitlement reform of welfare benefits next year. Two stories published Thursday suggested Ryan may soon be out. This is pure speculation, said spokeswoman AshLee Strong. As the speaker himself said today, hes not going anywhere anytime soon. Facebook

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GOP leaders reach tax deal, cutting corporate rate to 21% and top individual rate to 37% By Lisa Mascaro Republican leaders on Wednesday agreed on a revised plan to cut taxes that would lower the corporate rate from 35% to 21% and drop the top individual rate for the richest Americans to 37%, according to GOP senators and others briefed on the deal. The tentative accord marked a significant step in the Republican push to have a tax bill on President Trumps desk by Christmas. Leaders did not release details of the compromise or the text of a final bill as negotiations continued. Its critically important for Congress to quickly pass these historic tax cuts, Trump said Wednesday, promising that Americans could begin to reap the benefits of the plan as early as February, if passed. Critics, however, said the latest changes  particularly the lowering of the top individual rate from the current 39.6%  only reaffirmed several independent analyses that show the bulk of the savings from the Republican plan would go to businesses and the wealthy. Read More Facebook

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Farenthold to retire from House amid harassment accusations By Associated Press Texas Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold wont seek reelection next year, two Republicans said Thursday, adding his name to the list of lawmakers leaving Congress amid sexual harassment allegations that have cost powerful men their jobs in politics, the arts and other fields. The accusations against Farenthold surfaced in 2014, when a former aide sued him alleging sexually suggestive comments and behavior and said shed been fired after she complained. The lawmaker said he engaged in no wrongdoing and the case was settled in 2015. But the House Ethics Committee said last week that it would investigate Farenthold after congressional sources said hed paid an $84,000 settlement using taxpayers money. Though Farenthold said hed reimburse the Treasury Department, such payments have drawn public criticism from people saying lawmakers should use their own money for such settlements. A House official said Farenthold spoke twice Wednesday to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), while another official said the congressman spoke once with Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) who heads the GOPs House campaign committee. Those discussions suggested that Farenthold may have come under pressure from leaders to step aside. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. Last week, three lawmakers facing accusations of sexual harassment announced their resignations. Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) have already left Congress while Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) has said he will step aside soon. Mike Bergsma, Republican county chairman in Farentholds home county of Nueces, Texas, said Fare
The flu season is just getting underway in North America, but if Australias experience with influenza is any guide, were in for a miserable winter.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned Wednesday that the United States could experience a relatively severe influenza season. If so, it would extend a run of bad luck that began in 2014, when the available flu vaccines proved to be a poor match for the most common viruses in circulation.

In the land down under, where the 2017 flu season is now a wrap, public health officials reported record-high rates of flu, as well as above-average numbers of hospitalizations and deaths. The most common flu strain there was the influenza A virus known as H3N2, and the vaccine given to Australians had an effectiveness of only 10%, according to preliminary estimates.

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The vaccine now being administered to Americans uses the same formulation. Even worse, nearly three-quarters of the 1,544 laboratory-confirmed cases of flu seen in the U.S. since Oct. 1 were of the H3N2 variety, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Last flu seasons vaccines were found to be 34% effective against H3N2 in the U.S., leading to widespread misery. The situation in Australia suggests this flu season could be even worse.

Thats not a reason for Americans to skip the flu shot this year, Fauci said. Even a vaccine with limited effectiveness will protect some people from getting the flu. And many of those who do get it will have a shorter course of illness, he said.

But a string of bad flu seasons is a reason for the worlds scientific establishment to step up efforts to develop a universal flu vaccine, Fauci wrote Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Between 2005 and 2014, flu vaccines averted 40,000 deaths in the United States alone.

Yet, we can do better, Fauci wrote, along with his Australian counterpart and two World Health Organization officials.

Universal flu vaccines could make the yearly flu shot  not to mention the yearly guessing game about which viral strains to match  a thing of the past. While still in development, the candidate vaccines would train the human immune system to recognize components of the virus that are common to all influenza strains and dont change from year to year as they crisscross the globe.

As we prepare for a potentially severe influenza season, we must consider whether our current vaccines can be improved, Fauci and his coauthors wrote.

The high prevalence of influenza A viruses in recent years is a particular problem for the current generation of vaccines, Fauci and his colleagues wrote. A pair of studies published this year has turned up strong evidence that when vaccine makers use eggs as a medium for the propagation of viruses  the dominant production method, and one that has changed little in decades  mutations are introduced that reduce the vaccines effectiveness.

In Australia this past flu season, the problem did not appear to be a mismatch between the flu strains that were circulating and those that the available vaccine protected against, Fauci said. Instead, it seemed to be the mutant proteins introduced as the vaccines were being produced in eggs.

The very process of how we make the vaccine creates an unanticipated, almost accidental mismatch, which is what happened in Australia this year, Fauci said in an interview.

The production of universal vaccines entails no such risk. The viral pieces used in these vaccines are not living organisms but genetically engineered proteins that can be grown and propagated in bacteria, making the use of eggs unnecessary.

The most advanced universal flu vaccine candidate is only in the earliest stages of human clinical trials, and others are still being tested in animals. They could be several flu seasons off, but Fauci said he has made this a high priority in a budget that the Trump administration has targeted for 21% budget cut.

melissa.healy@latimes.com

@LATMelissaHealy

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Burbank police are searching for a suspected armed robber who allegedly struck a pair of businesses early Monday morning.

The first robbery occurred just after midnight when a man entered the Subway at 531 N. Hollywood Way. According to Sgt. Derek Green, a spokesman for the Burbank Police Department, the man pulled a gun from his waistband, pointed it at a store employee and demanded money.

The clerk complied and handed the man an unknown amount of cash.

About 10 minutes later, the same man crossed the street to the 7-Eleven at 600 N. Hollywood Way and proceeded to rob the store at gunpoint, Green said.

The man fled from the area with cash from both businesses. A perimeter was subsequently set up by police, who were unable to find him.

According to Green, the suspect is described as being in his 30s and having a short beard.

Anyone with information on the robberies can contact Burbank police at (818) 238-3210.

andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_Truc
Laguna Beach resident Paul Merritt, who ran for a U.S. Senate seat last year, is not through battling California Secretary of State Alex Padilla over language that state voters saw in their information guides for the June 2016 primary.

Attorney Gautam Dutta filed a challenge Monday in U.S. federal court in Santa Ana to Padillas motion to dismiss Merritts third complaint related to a lawsuit originally filed in April 2016.

A hearing on Padillas motion is scheduled for Dec. 18.

Merritt alleges Padilla illegally censored the heading of his candidate statement by changing it from registered independent voter to no party preference in the voter information guide, according to court records.

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The edit deprived California voters of critical information necessary to evaluate a candidate for U.S. Senate, according to Duttas filing.

Were seeking vindication of my clients rights to make sure other candidates do not have to go through what he went through, Dutta said in an interview.

Merritt, a self-employed trust administrator focused on real estate and stocks, has alleged that Padilla violated his due process rights under the Constitution by changing the heading of his candidate statement.

According to Padillas motion to dismiss, filed Aug. 17, the heading of each candidate statement is not part of the statement but is a label created by the secretary of states office to identify the candidate to voters.

Under state election law, a candidate who has not disclosed a preference for a qualified political party on his or her voter registration affidavit is identified as having no party preference, Padillas motion stated.

The June 2016 primary had six qualified parties: Green, Republican, Democratic, American Independent, Peace and Freedom and Libertarian, according to the states election website.

According to Padillas motion, Merritt had no constitutionally protected right to choose his own party preference label or make any other political statements in the candidate statement heading.

Dutta disagreed, arguing in court documents that the heading was part of Merritts candidate statement.

Dutta cited state election law that bars any part of the voter guide from being amended unless a voter or the secretary of state files a lawsuit during a period when the public can review the unofficial guide before it goes to print.

The public examination period lasted from Feb. 23 through March 14, 2016, according to court records. According to Padillas motion, Padilla did not file a lawsuit challenging Merritts candidate information before changing Merritts party preference in the voter guide.

Merritt, who ran for Laguna Beach City Council in 2014, said he called the Orange County registrar of voters office in late March 2016 asking whether there had been any objections to his personal statement.

He said he was told there werent any but he discovered the change after reading a copy of the state voter guide.

No politician in their right mind would put no next to their name, Merritt said at the time. I find it offensive. No party preference signals, Gee, this guy is wishy-washy, this guy cant pick a party.

Its not that we didnt pick a party. We dont want to be a part of any party.

Merritt did not immediately return a call seeking comment Wednesday.

Sam Mahood, Padillas press secretary, declined comment Tuesday.

Merritt finished 29th out of 34 candidates in the primary, receiving 24,031 votes, according to the secretary of states office. The top two vote-getters in the primary advanced to the general election in November 2016. Voters eventually elected Kamala Harris to the Senate post vacated by Barbara Boxer, who opted not to run for another term.

bryce.alderton@latimes.com

Twitter: @AldertonBryce
Claude Monets palette of blues, Vincent van Goghs bright yellows, the city of Oaxacas vibrant red and a Chicago-style hot dog.

Theyre all forms of inspiration in artist Chip Feskos watercolor paintings on display till Jan. 5 at Newport Beach Central Library.

The Abstract Pixel Geometric Patterns in Watercolors exhibit features 14 watercolor pieces using up to 10,000 quarter-inch squares per painting, mimicking pixel-like squares of color. Each painting took Fesko weeks and sometimes months to finish and the series took five years to complete.

He also has three abstract geometric paintings based on math lines on display at the library.

Its a gallery of work that exemplifies the act of never giving up, Fesko, 61, said.

When youre painting, you get a sense of accomplishment when you finish one square, Fesko said, equating the process to a mediative experience. Theres no pattern at all and thats the uniqueness about it.

Chip Feskos Twenty Three and Me watercolor based on the human genome is on display at the Newport Beach Central Library. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer )

Fesko, a Newport Beach resident, husband and father to one son, has worked on a variety of creative projects.

His piece Fire placed second in the watercolor category at the 53rd annual Newport Beach Art Exhibition in 2017.

His botanical wildflower watercolor cards are carried at Lassen Volcanic National Park; he co-produced Everest: A Climb for Peace, a documentary endorsed by the Dalai Lama and narrated by actor Orlando Bloom; and his last exhibit at the Newport Beach Central Library was four years ago when he shared his childrens book and poetry, FireFlies and Honey Bees published on iTunes Books.

He currently is the senior director of advertising for education website TeachingChannel.org, an educational service that received a $3.5-million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Art always interested him when he was growing up on a dairy farm in the Finger Lakes region of New York.

After studying art at Fredonia State University and finishing graduate school at Syracuse University, Fesko moved to California in 1991 and continued to paint in his spare time.

He puts color to paper in his homes downstairs studio and uses a yardstick, paints and a pencil.

Fesko said his variety of combinations comes from many directions.

He conceptualized Iowa Corn, a painting of vivid green squares, after seeing fields while flying back east to visit family.

The Power of Gold was inspired by the accomplishments of athletes from the Summer Olympics.

He has received letters of praise from color specialist Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute; Caroline Kennedy; and Sister Wendy Beckett, a British nun, art historian and critic who has presented a series of documentaries for the BBC on art history.

One of Chip Feskos abstract geometric paintings, Orthogonal lines to nowhere, is on display at the Newport Beach Central Library. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer )

Fesko said his next step will be to take his work to the textile and fashion industry because he thinks the colors and designs would make high-end scarves and wraps.

Now, his limited editions of Giclee prints are $1,500 per custom print on watercolor paper.

Tim Hetherton, Newport Beach Library Services Director, said Feskos paintings have generated many positive comments from the public.

Newport Beach City Arts Commission Vice Chair Arlene Greer, who served on the committee that approved Feskos exhibition, said she was delighted to showcase the artwork to more than 3,000 library visitors a day.

Chip is a man of many artistic talents and hes a gentleman of the past, Greer said. His work is timely and interesting and I was drawn to it because his watercolors have such great detail. I love the fact that I have the opportunity to see it again and were thrilled to have him.

Greer added that Feskos abstract geometric paintings, based on mathematical formulas, are all the more appreciated as his creations are finished by the human hand during an age of great technology.

I love sharing my artwork, Fesko said. My goal has always been to be a renaissance man.

Newport Beach Central Library is at 1000 Avocado Ave. The exhibition is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call (949) 717-3800 or visit newportbeachlibrary.org.

kathleen.luppi@latimes.com

Twitter: @KathleenLuppi
When she was in middle school, Sandra Tsing Loh desperately wanted to play Clara or the Sugar Plum Fairy in the local ballet schools annual production of The Nutcracker. In fact, she longed to have a part in every play.

Loh didnt nab that cherished role in The Nutcracker. Instead, she says, I wound up in the bottom row of a pyramid of rats, with some boys from judo. I was at the bottom of the totem pole. Actually, I wasnt even part of the totem pole. I was below it.

It didnt help that her older sister was the prime candidate for the role she so desired.

Starting Sunday, Loh is reliving and re-presenting the past in her revised and reimagined production of Sugar Plum Fairy. The three-person, coming-of-age play, written by Loh and adapted from her solo comedy show of the same name, will be performed through Dec. 24 on South Coast Repertorys Julianne Argyros Stage.

Its an homage to the perfect older sibling, said Loh, 55, who has become known in Southern California and beyond for her plays, articles, books and witty segments on local and National Public Radio. Its a love letter to anyone who loves theater.

Sugar Plum Fairy is a comic exploration of the iconic Christmastime ballet, as well as a remembrance of a childhood fraught with trauma, pre-teen angst and sibling rivalry.

Its based on what actually did happen in Southern California in the 1970s, said Loh, the youngest of three children. Not all of us get to be a ballerina or a star. Most of us are neither. But we love theater, we love the form, and we love singing in the shower.

Loh originally workshopped and debuted a one-woman version of Sugar Plum Fairy at Seattle Repertory Theatre, then performed it in 2003 at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. At the time, The Los Angeles Times praised it as a ferocious, yet ultimately soulful holiday show.

This production at South Coast Repertory has been tweaked and expanded, and co-stars actors Shannon Holt and Tony Abatemarco.

Loh previously worked with Holt in The Madwoman in the Volvo, a theatrical version of her critically acclaimed 2014 memoir. Madwoman premiered at SCR in 2015.

Making the personal public

In Madwoman, Loh discussed the unenviable plight of going through menopause, middle age and a divorce with two young kids in the picture.

Indeed, in much of her work, Loh mines her own personal life and makes it the material for her plays, books and radio sketches.

All of life is material, she said. My family, my daughters, theyre so used to having a mother whos writing constantly about whats going on.

Its interesting, life out there. It can be a burden. When people  strangers even  run into me, they invariable tell me all kinds of things. They spill their guts. They tell me stuff theyve never told anyone, when Im sitting next to them on a plane. Im guessing theyre empathizing with my work.

A multimedia talent

Loh has written six books, a number of plays and stand-up monologues, several piano compositions for National Public Radio, and the score for the 1998 Oscar-winning documentary, Breathing Lessons.

She has penned dozens of articles for LA Weekly and The Atlantic Monthly, where she continues to serve as a contributing editor. She is a Pushcart Prize winner, a MacDowell Fellow and a three-time National Magazine Award nominee.

Lohs radio experience includes stories on This American Life, National Public Radio, American Public Medias Marketplace, The Loh Life on KCRW-FM and KPCC-FM and The Loh Down on Science, which can be heard locally on KPCC (89.3 FM).

She also is an adjunct professor of visual art and science communication at UC Irvine, teaching drama to undergraduates and writing and radio to science graduate students.

Its rewarding to teach science students, because theyre great at following directions, she said. For scientists, its as important now to communicate clearly as ever.

The most talented students help write The Loh Down on Science and get paid for their work.

They break down research into stories and clear language, she said. They get how important that is.

As for Sugar Plum Fairy and her other theatrical work, Loh relies on her experience  plus audience reactions during previews  to tell if things are working well or not.

Ive put a few decades into this, Loh said. Thats what previews are for. I have sort of a performance style thats evolved over the years. In this show, the touch points are: Christmas is tough. Parking is terrible. The commercialism is crass. But the whole universal theme is that, while we are disappointed in lifes outcomes  i.e., usually that big Christmas present is not a bike for you, it may be just a Weber grill for dad  humans still have the ability to hope, again and again.

If You Go

What: Sugar Plum Fairy

When: Sunday through Dec. 24; previews run Dec. 3-7; regular performances run Dec. 9-24

Where: South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa

Cost: Tickets start at $23

Information: (714) 708-5555 or scr.org.

Richard Chang is a contributor to Times Community News.
If you tune in to Thursdays episode of TVs The Big Bang Theory and look closely, youll see scientific equations and notes from UC Irvine researchers.

The CBS sitcom, about a group of socially awkward physicists, features various whiteboards throughout the characters living areas in case they have an idea they want to write down.

On Thursday, those boards will include notes from two research papers written by Jonathan Feng, a UCI professor of physics and astronomy, and UCI post-doctoral scholars Iftah Galon, Felix Kling and Sebastian Trojanowski.

We consider it an honor, said Feng, a fan of the show.

Though the episode may have little to do with their papers, Feng said the researchers notes propose a new experiment that could help them understand dark matter.

One thing scientists figure out is what the universe is made out of, he said. We know about certain things like protons, electrons. Turns out theres this stuff called dark matter, which is more prevalent, but we dont know what that is.

UCLA physics professor David Saltzberg, the shows science consultant, invited Feng to be the Geek of the Week, sitting in on the live recording of the show. He also got to talk with the cast, crew and writers.

Its remarkable how its able to capture some aspects of life as a physicist and academic, Feng said. Some of it is, of course, overblown in Hollywood, but its still funny and there is some ring of truth to it. Among scientists, I think we all think David is amazing because he manages to get all science right on the show, even with Hollywood restrictions.

The Big Bang Theory airs at 8 p.m. on KCBS-TV/2.

Priscella.Vega@latimes.com

Twitter: @vegapriscella
An encounter with Syrian refugees during a family trip to Turkey in 2014 inspired a UC Irvine senior to create the University of Californias first student-funded scholarship program for refugees and asylum seekers.

Iman Siddiqi, 20, raised a little over $93,000 for the program this month during a banquet at UCI.

The best way for us to invest in the post-conflict development of war-torn countries and prevent a lost generation is by providing higher-education opportunities for displaced people, said Siddiqi, a political science and global Middle East studies major.

Its the first scholarship of its kind in the country, according to Karina Hamilton, who mentored Siddiqi through the fundraising project.

Hamilton is the director of the UCI Dalai Lama Scholarship, which Siddiqi was awarded in May. The scholarship is granted to students who propose a project related to peace, passion or ethics. Winners receive $10,000 for themselves and an additional $6,000 for their project.

Siddiqis project was the banquet for the refugee scholarship program. Her goal was to raise $100,000.

This is the first time a student has proposed such an ambitious fundraising project, Hamilton said. When she first talked about it, we were wondering if she would be able to achieve the goal, which was extraordinary.

Siddiqi said the next step is to create a committee to determine eligibility requirements and oversee the distribution of money to eligible students. Scholarships will be available by the 2019-20 academic year, she said.

Siddiqi said that upon returning from Turkey, she knew she wanted to help displaced students. To start, she enrolled in Arabic-language courses and practiced through online language learning apps, where she connected with Syrian students.

With support from Books Not Bombs, a nonprofit that encourages students to campaign for their universities to offer scholarships to Syrian students, Siddiqi authored a resolution in 2016 calling on UCI to create scholarship opportunities for students displaced by armed conflict.

The student government passed the resolution. But when Siddiqi asked the UC Board of Regents this year to join a network for such scholarships for Syrian students, board members were hesitant because of financial and political concerns, she said.

She then turned to the Dalai Lama Scholarship as a way to make the refugee scholarship happen.

My initiative has shown me the impact of grassroots fundraising, she said. It was all family, friends, no crazy corporations or anything.

Yama Ahmadi, an Afghan refugee attending Fullerton College, heard about the scholarship program through the Anaheim-based nonprofit Access California Services and is now a prospective applicant.

Ahmadi, 26, left his home country in 2014 after working with the U.S. Army for four years as a cultural advisor and interpreter. Because he worked with U.S. forces, it wasnt safe for him to remain in his village, he said.

As a refugee, it is not easy to find a scholarship program and get financial help, Ahmadi said. Most of the refugee students dont have family support and they work for minimum wage, so with all the expenses of renting, clothing, food, it is impossible to pay for school. Iman made it so easy for us.

Priscella.Vega@latimes.com

Twitter: @vegapriscella
Lately, theres been a concerted attempt to remake Laguna Beach, progressed by a very vocal minority. First, they wanted to close off Forest Avenue to traffic, disregarding one obvious fact: Downtown parking and vehicular circulation would become an even bigger nightmare than it already is. Ideas are easy, implementation and adverse impacts entirely different beasts.

Although Park Plaza isnt as disruptive, its a reflection of a mindset, of a discomfort being pushed by a few unhappy campers, none of them longterm residents: They want to change us into the image of what they think that we should be.

As a retired general contractor (Im now an enviro-analyst), its typical of people with what we as builders called Remodeling Syndrome. New residents from out of town bought their dream home, then within a year or two decided it needed revamping.

Humorously, they often remodeled many times subsequently, never quite satisfied, as if there was still something not quite right. The people who lobbied heavily for the Plaza seem to be of the same ilk: Theres something wrong, something missing in our lives that their tweaking could fix. They know what would be best for us.

Theyve unfortunately called those who dont want what they do as Flat Earth types, xenophobic, afraid of change. It apparently never occurred to them that we understand what they cannot: Community isnt just things, its also a place in the heart, a sense of time and place, the guts of a towns character. We like where we live, warts and all, natives whove stayed along with those of us who moved here primarily because of its non-urban feel.

Community cant be manufactured by putting up some chairs and tables in whats basically an alley, sequestered in an asphalt and concrete compound. So near to Coast Highway that the noise and air pollution hardly stand a chance of becoming social change drivers. Coughing and yelling dont equal Laguna in my opinion. Creating such simulated environs isnt a field of dreams, unless your dreams are urban in nature.

Laguna Beach is not irreparably broken. No, its not perfect, but it still has some of the same funky coastal surf vibe that drew me here from northern Orange County and my native Long Beach. Ironically, not one of the proponents is a professional land use analyst or planner. Just people with an itch to change, an itch to fix whats not even broken.

Roger E. Butow

Laguna Beach

Future votes will reveal Genis intentions

Bewildered Costa Mesa citizens are upset that former Mayor Katrina Foley was stripped of her title by a 3-2 City Council vote. They are demanding an explanation from former Mayor Pro Tem Sandy Genis, who is now mayor, also by a 3-2 vote.

No one is demanding an explanation from Councilmen Allan Mansoor and Jim Righeimer for their votes to remove Katrina Foley from her position. Why not? Shall we just assume Mansoor did it for political advantage or because Righeimer told him to? Shall we merely assume Righeimer did it because of his dislike of Foley?

I think its not OK. The public should demand of Mansoor and Righeimer that they justify their conduct. Of the three people who voted to oust Foley as mayor, Genis is the only one who I believe probably did so because she thought it necessary  correctly or incorrectly  for the well-being of Costa Mesa. Genis future votes will tell us where her heart and mind are. I, for one, will wait and see what Genis and the other four council members do next.

Eleanor Egan

Costa Mesa

How to get published: Email us at dailypilot@latimes.com. All correspondence must include full name, hometown and phone number (for verification purposes). The Pilot reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity and length.
Thank you for publishing the article, Armenia Fund to host 20th annual Thanksgiving Day telethon, for it brings awareness to the strength of the Armenian spirit.

The annual telethon is a way for the Armenian community to come together in support of one another. It is amazing how spread out, yet connected the Armenian community is. By hosting this telethon for now 20 years, the Armenian community is once again reminded that all around the world there are those who are willing to support the community. That is something to be thankful for.

Gareen Simone Puglia

Austin, Texas

The Glendale Unified School District Governing Board votes on the next two proposed calendars on Dec. 12.

Unless people speak up, our summer recess will shorten to nine full weeks with partial days on either end and advanced placement students and teachers will lose four more days of instruction.

It is so ironic that, in 2009, the board convinced parents and teachers to end our long tradition of starting school after Labor Day so that AP students and teachers would have 10 extra days of instruction before they took their AP exams in May. However, the board approved the addition of new holidays and that decision hurt AP. Instead of 10 extra days, AP will get only four extra days in 2018-19 and only three extra days in 2019-20.

Eliminating three or more holidays would help both situations, making 10 full weeks of summer and seven extra AP days. Also, starting Monday instead of Wednesday would bring the AP total to nine.

Let your school board know that you expect them to keep the promise to the AP students and parents and to also honor the recent community vote by increasing the length of our summer. You can email the superintendent or any board member by simply putting their first initial followed by their entire last name @gusd.net. Do it right away.

Marilyn Bayles

La Crescenta
Firefighters with Los Angeles County Fire Departments Station No. 19 in La Canada battled a small blaze that broke out Saturday night in the detached garage of a home on the 4500 block of Castle Road, officials reported Monday.

Capt. Heather Hogelund said the station received the call at around 7:05 p.m. Saturday, indicating smoke and fire were seen coming from the garage, situated to the north of the residence. Hogelund said initial reports indicate the fire may have started externally, although the exact cause is unknown.

There was nothing there that looked electrical, she said of the possible causes. Unfortunately, they had motorcycles inside, and a lot of that stuff melts from the heat.

An exact estimate of the property and contents loss had not yet been determined, Hogelund added, saying the figure depends, in part, on an assessment of the value of the garages contents. The structure itself remained largely intact, due to the fires origin.

If it had started from the inside, it would have brought [the structure] down. But it started in an outside corner, so it was more about the heat, the fire captain reported.

sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine
This summer marked a milestone for the city of La Canada Flintridge  for the first time ever, two local youths hosted international exchange students from Villanueva de La Canada, Spain, and traveled abroad, staying as guest in those students home.

The exchange program is one of several opportunities offered to students through the La Canada Flintridge Sister Cities Assn. It was a life-changing experience for La Canada High School now-senior Jack Applebaum and Catherine Condit, a senior at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy.

A friend and I really want to go back there next summer, after senior year, said Condit, who hosted Spanish student Eva Prieto Perez in her familys Pasadena home for two weeks in July then traveled to Spain to stay with Evas family. Its fun knowing I have global friends.

Now, the local nonprofit is looking for students currently attending La Canada schools in grades 9 through 11 who may be interested in participating in next years summer exchange program or representing La Canada at a Sister Cities International Youth Leadership Summit in Colorado in August.

Applications, along with details and requirements, are available online at lcfsistercities.org. Completed applications must be turned into the city clerks office or received by mail at the La Canada Flintridge Sister Cities Assn. by Jan. 8. Need-based scholarships may be available to help cover travel costs.

Interested students can learn more about the programs and pick up applications this Sunday at 2 p.m., when the LCF Sister Cities Youth Group holds its quarterly meeting at the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge, 4469 Chevy Chase Drive.

There, guest Nia Lyte  a TED Talk speaker and former exchange student whose nonprofit Koyamada International Foundation works to empower underprivileged women and children and aids in foreign disaster relief  will talk about the importance of maintaining a global perspective.

Vicki Schwartz, president and founder of the La Canada Flintridge Sister Cities Assn., said participating in international events and exchange programs is a great way to broaden students thinking and experience.

Its a first step at looking at a bigger world, Schwartz said.

Recalling her trip abroad, Condit said she enjoyed making friends with students from another culture, testing her three years of high school Spanish and pushing herself outside her comfort zone.

The best advice I could give somebody would be to be fearless, she said. Youve just got to go for it  just take the leap.

For more information, visit lcfsistercities.org.

sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine
There is no need to wait for the spring wedding to toast Britains newest royal couple. In Las Vegas, you can already say cheers to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with cocktails made for the occasion.

The couple announced plans to marry at Windsor Castle next May.

The Bellagio is celebrating the royal engagement announcement with the Royal Soiree, a cocktail that includes a California gin and a rare offering from Frances Grand Marnier. Its now available at the Picasso restaurant. (MGM Resorts)

Picasso at Bellagio has introduced its Royal Soiree cocktail, carrying on the something old, something new theme of Markles engagement ring (two of the diamonds are from Princess Dianas collection).

The drink features Hangar 1 Mandarin Blossom vodka from Alameda, Calif., as the new ingredient along with Grand Marniers 150th anniversary liqueur as the old.

The concoction is infused with English breakfast tea and topped with Taittinger Comtes de Champagne. $75 a glass.

Champagne, gin and hibiscus liqueur are blended together to create the New Royale cocktail, available at Arias Bardot Brasserie. (MGM Resorts)

Just down Las Vegas Boulevard at Aria, Bardot Brasserie has launched the New Royale to welcome Markles approaching entry into the royal family.

The Champagne cocktail blends London Dry gin with Fruitlab hibiscus liqueur. Lemon juice and a splash of sparkling rose complete the ingredients. The yellow gold rim on the glass is a nod to Harrys choice of ring for his bride-to-be. $16 a glass.

Gin+Gin Royale is the name of the newest cocktail at Libertine Social at Mandalay Bay. The drink fittingly marries equal parts Bombay Sapphire gin from Laverstoke Mill, England, and Junipero gin from San Francisco.

Mint is added to the concoction, as is ginger beer and ginger simple syrup, possible references to the princes hair color. $16 a glass.

Prince Harry made headlines before in Vegas. In August 2012, he was caught on camera naked during a wild party at Encore.
Thai authorities arrested two American tourists this week for baring their rear ends at a Bangkok Buddhist temple and posting pictures online. They could theoretically spend up to seven years in prison.

The men have been identified as Joseph Dasilva, 38, and Travis Dasilva, 36  minor Instagram celebrities from San Diego, whose account, called Traveling Butts, had racked up 14,000 followers. The account, which has been deleted, showed the married couple exposing their derrieres at several international tourist sites. They were detained Tuesday evening while preparing to leave the country at Don Mueang International Airport, and charged with public indecency.

The two American citizens have admitted taking the picture, district Police Chief Jaruphat Thongkomol told reporters. A photo released by Thai immigration police showed the couple holding hands, apparently at the airport, flanked by stern-faced agents.

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Authorities reportedly brought the couple to the Bangkok Yai police station, and they have paid a fine of about $150 for public indecency.

The temple, Wat Arun, is one of Bangkoks most recognizable landmarks  several stupa-like pagodas surrounding a high central tower. Signs outside ask visitors to wear modest clothing; shorts and shoulder-baring tops are prohibited.

The couple will likely be deported, Col. Choengron Rimpadee, deputy spokesman for the Thai immigration police, told the BBC on Thursday.

Once they are through with the charges, the Thai immigration police will revoke their visas and push for deportation, he said. They will also be blacklisted from coming back to Thailand.

Yet other Thai officials have suggested tougher penalties, and the couples fate remains unclear.

Jarupat, the district police chief, told the Bangkok Post that authorities were preparing charges of violating the countrys computer crimes law, since the pictures were posted online. Jarupat also said they could be charged under Section 206 of Thailands criminal law, which prohibits insulting or defaming a religion. Possible punishments include two to seven years in jail.

This is a reminder that everyone should have respect for Thai religion and culture, the Thai government said in a statement.

Neither the Bangkok Yai police station or immigration authorities could be reached for comment on Thursday.

San Diego Human Relations Commissioner Nicole Murray-Ramirez said the couple had contacted him for assistance, the San Diego Gay & Lesbian News reported Tuesday. Though I am very disappointed in their actions, I am talking to U.S. government officials to see what assistance we can give them, he told the news website.

Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist nation, run by a military government that took power in a 2014 coup. Authorities are highly sensitive about religious matters. Strict lese majeste laws also prohibit even open discussion of the countrys monarchy; in 2015, a man earned a 37-year jail term for posting a joke about the kings dog online.

The Thai junta introduced the computer crimes law in late 2016, sparking an outcry by activists and civil society groups. Human Rights Watch said the law gave overly broad powers to the government to restrict free speech, enforce surveillance and censorship, and retaliate against activists.

The Dasilvas join the ranks of several Western tourists who have been detained for inappropriate behavior at sacred Southeast Asian sites in recent years. In 2015, Cambodian authorities arrested, fined and deported two American women for taking partially nude photos at Angkor Wat, the famous temple complex.

In June 2015, Malaysian authorities detained four Canadian, Dutch and German tourists for posing naked atop the countrys sacred Mt. Kinabalu. They were sentenced to three days in jail and fined.

jonathan.kaiman@latimes.com

For more news from Asia, follow @JRKaiman on Twitter
A former assistant fire chief with Union Fire Company faces charges after police say he stole money from both Union and Shiremanstown fire companies this year.

Jeremiah C. Whistler, 31, of Pearland, Texas, was charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, criminal use of communication facility and unlawful use of a computer.

Carlisle Police said they issued a warrant for Whistler, who surrendered to police Wednesday. He was released on unsecured bail, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for at 1 p.m. Jan. 10 in front of Magisterial District Judge Jonathan Birbeck.

The charges stem from an investigation that started on June 28 when police were contacted by Union Fire Company regarding a co-raffle they were having with Washington Fire Company in Mechanicsburg. Union officials were prompted to do an audit of their raffle after trustees discovered that the camera system with view to a locked closet with the raffle money was turned off between May 7 and May 15, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Court documents said Union officials discovered that while they should have had $44,650 from the 893 tickets sold up to June 28, the department was missing $8,633.89.

The raffle money could be accessed by the Union president and treasurer, as well as the 15 drivers (two full-time and 13 part-time) for Union who share a key. The affidavit said that only line officers, including the captain, chief and assistant chief, have access to the camera room.

Police interviewed everyone with access to the drivers closet with the raffle money, and among them was Whistler, who, at the time, worked part-time for Union as a driver. He was employed with Union since 2012 or 2013 and was the assistant fire chief.

According to the affidavit, Whistler claimed he deposited personal checks for the raffle and wrote checks from his bank account in the same amount of Union.

In late September, police served a search warrant on Whistlers bank records at Belco Community Credit Union for the time period covering the raffle event, from March 1 to July 29, and found several anomalies, according to court documents. Police found several deposits of varying amounts that were made at Members 1st ATMs within Carlisle.

A search warrant served to Members 1st discovered that the deposits were cash. There was a total of $3,880 in cash deposits, according to court documents.

Police contacted those who purchased tickets from Whistler, and of the 50 tickets reportedly sold, 10 were paid via check and the rest with cash. Police said Whistler should have turned in $2,500 for the raffle, but only turned in $1,500.

During the investigation, police also discovered two check deposits from Shiremanstown Firemans Relief Association.

The Shiremanstown president and chief confirmed they gave Whistler permission to deposit a $3,500 check in March from the association account for the purchase of new fire gear, but they did not receive an invoice for it, according to the affidavit. The two had contacted Whistler on Oct. 31 about the check, and Whistler told them he intended to return the money when he returned to the area.

Neither the president nor the chief had any knowledge of a second check worth $2,500 that had been deposited into Whistlers account on April 20. Police said the total loss for Shiremanstown was $5,800.

The total loss for both fire companies was $14,433.89, according to court documents.

Whistler previously pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of theft by unlawful taking for a December 2007 incident that involved Empire Friendship Fire Company. The matter was closed in district court and Whistler paid court costs and restitution of about $90.

<&rdpStrong>Posted earlier on Cumberlink:</&rdpStrong>

A former Union Fire Department assistant fire chief with a Texas address is accused of stealing $14,000 from the Carlisle fire company and other sources.

Carlisle Police said Jeremiah C. Whistler, 31, of Pearland, Texas, has been charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received, criminal use of communication facility and unlawful use of computer and other computer crimes.

Police said the Union Fire Department, 35 W. Louther St., Carlisle, reported on June 28 that money was missing from raffle ticket funds for an event scheduled for July. An audit of the raffle event funds revealed that over $8,600 was missing.

An investigation led to the discovery of thefts totaling $14,000, police said.

A warrant was issued for Whistler, who surrendered to police on Wednesday. He was released on unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 10 at 1 p.m. with Magisterial District Justice Jonathan R. Birbeck.

Whistler previously pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of theft by unlawful taking for a December 2007 incident that involved Empire Friendship Fire Co. The matter was closed in district court and Whistler paid court costs and restitution of about $90.
The tiny but virulent anti-Muslim group Britain First was virtually unknown in the United States until Wednesday, when President Trump retweeted a trio of inflammatory videos posted by one of its leaders.

Trumps online sharing prompted criticism on both sides of the Atlantic, including an unusual rebuke from British Prime Minister Theresa May, who said through a spokesman that he was wrong to pass along the videos. In a rare show of unity in a fractious political environment, the presidential retweets were also condemned by British lawmakers from across the spectrum.

Even some of Trumps backers publicly expressed unease at his use of a Twitter account with nearly 43.6 million followers to forward the British groups far-right views, but the retweets were defended by the White House as reflecting Trumps stance on national security issues.

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Britain First, for its part, rejoiced at what it saw as a huge boost in its profile.

Here is some background about this group and its leaders:

What does Britain First stand for?

The group, an offshoot of the far-right British National Party, calls itself a patriotic movement, but critics say its central concern is promoting hard-line anti-Islam and anti-immigrant views. Its website says it is dedicated to defending British culture against militant Islam and adds: We want our people to come first, before foreigners, asylum seekers or migrants.

How big is Britain Firsts following?

Longtime watchers of the group, which was founded in 2011, say it exists more as an online presence than a real-life political entity. Its demonstrations usually draw only a few dozen participants, and Britains Guardian newspaper calls it a minor political movement with an estimated 1,000 supporters.

Determining its genuine base of domestic support is difficult; it has nearly 2 million likes on Facebook, but the British Broadcasting Corp. said an analysis carried out over the summer showed that fewer than half of those came from within the United Kingdom, and critics say it inflates its totals with paid advertising and postings devoted to less contentious subjects, such as support for the troops.

Although it describes itself as a political party, no one representing Britain First has won or even seriously contested any elected office, and it is currently barred by the countrys Electoral Commission from fielding candidates under its own name. That is due to a technicality, not an outlawing of its views; British news reports say it failed to provide required paperwork and pay a small fee to get candidates on the ballot.

Who are the groups leaders?

Founder Jim Dowson, who made a name as an antiabortion campaigner, left the group in 2014. A British anti-fascist group, Hope Not Hate, has described Dowsons animating ideology as religious bigotry and doomsday prophecies. The organization is now led by co-founder Paul Golding, 35, but its main public face is Jayda Fransen, 31, who originally posted the videos retweeted by Trump.

Both Fransen and Golding have had run-ins with the law. Golding was jailed last year for violating a ban on Britain First leaders entering mosques after a series of organized provocations by the group, including barging into mosques with shoes on and marching with crosses as Muslim worshipers convened.

Fransen was charged with religiously aggravated harassment for behavior including berating a Muslim mother in the city of Luton during a Christian patrol, a demonstration promoting Britain as a Christian country. British news reports say Fransen has another court date this month in Belfast, on charges of threatening, abusive or insulting speech during a visit to Northern Ireland.

Fransen reacted with delight Wednesday to the presidents retweet of the videos she had posted, tweeting in all-caps: GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP!

What are the groups tactics?

Britain First routinely stages sparsely attended protests with demands such as the banning of the sale of meat butchered and prepared in accordance with Muslim law, but its stock-in-trade is widely circulated videos of confrontations staged by its members outside mosques and in predominantly Muslim neighborhoods. On its social media feeds, its leaders and followers post dozens of videos similar to the ones retweeted by Trump, usually of unidentified provenance, but purporting to depict Muslims engaging in violent acts.

As well as echoing Trumps America first rallying cry, Britain First as a slogan has chilling overtones for many Britons. In June 2016, shortly before the Brexit referendum, witnesses said the phrase was shouted repeatedly by assailant Thomas Mair, who fatally stabbed lawmaker Jo Cox, an opponent of the push for Britain to exit the European Union. The group said it had no ties to Mair, but Coxs widower, Brendan Cox, said he was repelled and heartbroken by Trumps retweets. Spreading hate has consequences, he wrote on Twitter.

What was the provenance of the retweeted videos?

News organizations and online sleuths reported that Britain Firsts characterizations of the three clips in question were distorted, incompletely described or outright false.

One of the scenes, which surfaced this year on a Dutch website, was labeled as a migrant Muslim beating up a Dutch victim; the assailant was in fact born and raised in Holland, and punished for his action, as the Embassy of the Netherlands noted in a tweet. A second video, which appeared online in 2013, shows an Islamic militant in Syria smashing a statue of the Virgin Mary; scholars cited by the Associated Press noted that other faiths and other Muslim sects were also targeted by the same extremists. A third showed a widely distributed clip of a rooftop confrontation in 2013 in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, apparently between protesters and suspected government supporters amid violent street protests. The attackers were arrested, tried and sentenced to death.

What are the potential political repercussions?

The episode comes against a backdrop of broader concern about the increasing clout of far-right political parties in Europe. British commentary mainly revolved around concern Trump was giving hate groups an effective endorsement.

British leaders rarely offer overt criticism of a sitting U.S. president, but Mays spokesman, James Slack, said Trumps sharing of the videos was wrong, and that Britain First uses hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions.

Some British lawmakers say public expressions of anti-Muslim sentiments by a Western leader can put British and U.S. troops in danger.

Nadhim Zahawi, a Conservative member of Britains Parliament, said videos like the ones retweeted by Trump are a prime recruiting tool for foreign armed groups. Its completely wrong, he told the BBC.

Others expressed worries that the president had helped normalize the views of a heretofore obscure extremist group. Londons Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has been the target of online gibes from Trump, called Britain First a vile, hate-fueled organization whose views should be condemned, not amplified.

A planned state visit by Trump to Britain, whose date has not yet been set, was still on as of late Wednesday, but he is unpopular in the United Kingdom, and May is expected to face renewed pressure to cancel the visit.

A Labor lawmaker, Chuka Umunna, made a Facebook appeal for the invitation, which was issued early in Trumps tenure, to be withdrawn.

laura.king@latimes.com

@laurakingLAT
If President Trump thought a transatlantic outcry over his online sharing of far-right anti-Muslim Twitter posts might begin subsiding Thursday, that seems to have been a political miscalculation.

In London, the furor that first stirred Wednesday with the presidents retweeting of videos promoted by the anti-Muslim group Britain First gained stridency and volume  and moved to the floor of the venerable House of Commons, where one British lawmaker after another denounced the U.S. leaders action and demanded the rescinding of an invitation for him to pay a state visit to the United Kingdom.

Action is needed now, not a slap on the wrist, said Labor lawmaker Dennis Skinner. Cancel the state visit!

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Prime Minister Theresa May, caught between the domestic uproar and a clear wish to preserve ties with Britains closest ally, declared that the retweets were wrong, but also said the invitation stood, emphasizing the historic friendship between the two countries.

To many, it was the latest example of an unnecessary diplomatic contretemps initiated by Trump with one of Washingtons staunchest friends in the world.

May has been ridiculed by some domestic opponents over her unremitting attempts to win over the U.S. president, hurrying to pay the first visit by a foreign leader to Trumps White House shortly after his inauguration. She caught further flak when she quickly invited Trump to make a state visit, a ceremony-laden event that would be hosted by Queen Elizabeth II. It is unusual for such an accolade to be extended so early in a foreign leaders tenure.

In Britain, it was already well into the day on Wednesday when Britain First expressed delight and amazement that Trump, across the pond, had begun his day by sharing a trio of videos posted by the group. The retweets included the far-right groups incendiary commentary, some of it incomplete or inaccurate, about violence committed by Muslims.

Britains ambassador to the United States disclosed Thursday that he had already expressed displeasure over the episode. The envoy, Kim Darroch, said Britons overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right and defended British Muslims as peaceful and law abiding citizens.

Darroch said he had raised his concerns with the White House on Wednesday, even as White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was defending the online sharing as a show of the presidents concerns about national security issues, whether or not the videos were authentic.

On Thursday, Sanders said I dont believe so when asked by reporters whether Trump was aware he was retweeting Jayda Fransen, one of the leaders of Britain First. But Sanders praised the president for having elevated the debate over how to confront terrorism.

Trump remained unapologetic. May and her government woke up Thursday to the unwelcome news that overnight in Britain, the president had taken an unusual public jab at the prime minister  albeit one aimed initially at the wrong woman, this one a private citizen whose first and middle names are Theresa May.

In a tweet readdressed to Mays correct Twitter handle, Trump called on the British leader to direct her attention to the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom, not at him  wording seen by some Britons as a less-than-sympathetic response to recent terrorist strikes in the country.

May, traveling in Jordan on Thursday, sought to downplay the episode as a disagreement between good friends. The fact that we work together does not mean that were afraid to say when we think the United States have got it wrong, she told reporters.

The prime minister has already come under strong pressure to call off Trumps state visit, the date for which has not been set. May said the invitation stood, but back home, lawmakers were joining in a chorus of calls to call the whole thing off.

On the floor of the House of Commons, Parliament members from often-clashing political factions were uniform in their condemnation of Trumps sharing of the Britain First-distributed videos. The head of a major parliamentary committee, Yvette Cooper, called on Trump to take the retweets down.

Speaking for Mays government, Home Secretary Amber Rudd told lawmakers that Britain needed to remember the bigger picture. While declaring that groups that spread hate by demonizing those of other faiths or ethnicities would not be tolerated, she pointed to ongoing close cooperation with Washington that must not be jeopardized by the incident.

The importance of the relationship between our two countries, the unparalleled sharing of intelligence between our countries, is vital, she said. But Rudd noted that no arrangements had yet been made for Trumps state visit, raising speculation that the event might be quietly placed on long-term hold.

Even some British supporters of Trump have expressed unease over his seemingly open support for a group regarded as being on the distant margins of British political discourse. Right-wing ex-politician and broadcaster Nigel Farage, who campaigned for Trump, said that he considered the videos to be in bad taste and that Trump had showed poor judgment in retweeting them.

The three videos, which purported to show Muslims committing violent acts, were presented on Britain Firsts Twitter feed without context but with inflammatory commentary.

The groups characterization of one of them, which originally appeared this year on a Dutch website, was false, according to the Netherlands Embassy in Washington. The video retweeted by Trump was accompanied by a claim that an assailant who attacked another person who was on crutches was a Muslim migrant. The embassy said the attacker was a native-born Dutch citizen who had been punished for his action.

Some who had criticized Trump initially stepped up their condemnation Thursday. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the U.S. president had used Twitter to promote a vile, extremist group that exists solely to sow division and hatred in our country.

Khan, a Muslim who has previously been accused by Trump of downplaying the danger of terrorist attacks, added that it beggars belief that the president of our closest ally doesnt see that his support of this extremist group actively undermines the values of tolerance and diversity that makes Britain so great.

As unpopular as May might be, many lawmakers took offense at Trumps personal criticism of her, particularly as the prime minister had initially expressed her disapproval of the Wednesday retweets through a spokesman rather than what would have been perceived as the stronger measure of speaking directly.

Some Parliament members also pointedly noted that May, in her former job as home secretary, had banned extremists from entering Britain, suggesting that the same standard should apply to the U.S. leader.

No modern American president has promoted inflammatory content of this sort from an extremist organization, said Labor lawmaker Naz Shah. Putting aside the question of a state visit, should he even be allowed to enter our country?

Special correspondent Boyle reported from London and Times staff writer King from Washington.

laura.king@latimes.com

Follow @LauraKingLAT

UPDATES:

3:10 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with comments by British lawmakers and the dateline changed to London.

This article was originally published at 9:20 a.m.
Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez has pulled ahead of challenger Salvador Nasralla in a new partial vote count, amplifying claims by Nasrallas supporters that Sundays presidential election is being stolen and edging Honduras toward a political crisis.

Nasralla, a television personality with little political experience, said in a post on Facebook that he will not recognize the official vote count because he believes the results have been manipulated.

Nasralla says he would not abide the results of the cheating system of the electoral court, which counts the ballots.

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David Matamoros, who heads the court, said the final vote would not be released Wednesday as planned because of a computer failure. We apologize to the people of Honduras for the situation that has been presented today, he said in a tweet. In almost all elections there are faults in the system, but never at a critical time.

He estimated the final results would be released early Thursday.

Supporters of presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla kneel in prayer during a protest outside the National Institute of Professional Training, where election ballots are stored. (Rodrigo Abd / Associated Press )

Many Hondurans have already concluded that fraud has been committed, and there was a sense of inevitability that Hernandez would be declared the winner.

That was a dramatic shift from Monday morning, when it appeared that Nasralla had pulled off a stunning victory over Hernandez, who is running for a second term. With 58% of the votes counted, Nasralla was beating Hernandez by 5 percentage points, or 93,975 votes.

On Tuesday, after more than 24 hours of unexplained silence from the electoral court and cries for more transparency from international election monitors, new vote tallies were released that showed a sudden and sharp shift in favor of the president. Nasrallas lead had shrunk to 48,388 votes.

On Wednesday, that lead dwindled to 24,282 votes, then to 16,679.

By evening, with 83% of ballots counted, Hernandez was leading by 2,911.

Whatever the outcome, Honduras appeared to be heading for a political crisis. Both Hernandez and Nasralla have declared victory, and on Wednesday, supporters of both took to the streets.

The election tribunal is appointed by Congress, which is controlled by Hernandezs National Party. Hernandez also controls the army  which is charged with transporting ballots  as well as all appeals processes.

Backers of Nasralla and his Alliance Against Dictatorship say members of the tribunal manipulated results in favor of Hernandez, which the tribunal denies. Leaders of the coalition, along with representatives of a political party whose candidate was in third place, say vote tallies provided to the parties at each polling place after the vote show Nasralla is the clear victor.

Representatives of the National Party say their analysis of those tallies shows Hernandez winning.

Outside of the tribunals headquarters in the capital, Tegucigalpa, on Wednesday, supporters of Nasralla waved red flags and burned banners bearing the face of the president, whose supporters staged a counter-protest.

Supporters of presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla chant slogans as they protest what they call electoral fraud in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. (Rodrigo Abd / AP )

The only one that can defend these votes is the Honduran people, Nasralla told reporters, urging his backers across the country to descend on the capital.

The contested election has sparked fears of violence and has drawn calls for greater transparency from around the globe.

The European Parliament, the Organization of American States and the local evangelical and Catholic churches have all urged calm.

A coalition of U.S.-based faith, labor and immigrant-rights groups signed a letter calling on the U.S. government and the Organization of American States to insist upon full transparency in the vote count and a review of the electoral process to ensure that the elections were free and fair and represent the will of the Honduran people.

The coalition also urged Honduran authorities to respect the rights of citizens to exercise their right to freedom of association and peaceful protest.

Rosemary Joyce, an anthropology professor at UC Berkeley who has spent three decades studying Honduras, said one fear is that Hernandez could call in the army to suppress protesters supporting Hernandez.

He could militarize, Joyce said.

She said it was unclear whether election officials had actually tampered with the vote. After Nasrallas strong showing in the initial results, it appeared election officials had shifted to counting votes in the districts likely to favor Hernandez, she said, which could explain his improved showing.

Elections in Honduras are frequently fraught with problems, she said. In the past, election officials have declared winners well before all of the votes have actually been counted, instead predicting who will win based on early returns.

The 2013 presidential election that brought Hernandez to power was plagued with allegations of fraud, vote-buying and other irregularities.

This months election was steeped in controversy even before voters went to the polls.

It dates back to 2009, when Hernandez backed a military coup against former President Manuel Zelaya in part because Zelaya had proposed running for a second term, which at the time was barred by the constitution.

After Hernandez was elected president in 2013, several Supreme Court judges appointed by Congress voted to overturn the constitutional ban on term limits, and Hernandez announced his campaign for reelection.

Hernandez is liked by U.S. officials for his cooperation in efforts to reduce northward migration and violence in Honduras, where the homicide rate  among the highest in the world  has fallen in recent years. But he and his party have been dogged by allegations of corruption and ties to criminal groups.

Hernandez has been accused of being involved in the diversion of public funds to his election campaign, and many believe he could be prosecuted.

Nasralla, a 64-year-old ex-game show host, is an ally of Zeyala. He ran a populist campaign, pledging to lower taxes and fight corruption.

kate.linthicum@latimes.com

Twitter: @katelinthicum

UPDATES:

7:30 p.m.: This story was updated with news that Hernandez is now in leading the vote count.

This story was originally published at 5:05 p.m.
Tension was building in the Honduran capital as residents awaited the final results of vote counting that has dragged on for days, and supporters of a political newcomer who challenged the incumbent president clashed with security forces.

The election pitted Salvador Nasralla, a television personality with no prior political experience, against President Juan Orlando Hernandez. On Monday, Nasralla appeared to have pulled off a stunning victory, but as the days dragged on, his initial 5-percentage-point advantage melted away.

As his supporters took to the streets, Nasralla said that he believes the election is being stolen and that he wont respect official results.

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Street protests had formed across the capital, Tegucigalpa, on Thursday and thick clouds of smoke drifted across the sky as demonstrators set fires and torched tires to block roads. Young men with picks, poles and rocks stood ready to confront any law enforcement effort to put down the protests.

This is fraud, pure and simple, and we plan to confront it, said Alfredo Ramirez, 24, a student who, like others blocking a major street, Suyapa Boulevard, wore a handkerchief that covered his face.

We wont allow the fraud to go forward, he said. If the president is declared the winner, there will be a civil war.

As dusk fell, thousands of protesters headed up a main thoroughfare, Boulevard Centroamerica, toward the institute where the votes were being counted. Soldiers in riot gear and brandishing plexiglass shields chased opposition activists away from the institute. The protesters scattered into side streets and regrouped for another thrust toward the ballot-counting site.

It appeared that the cat-and-mouse exercise between demonstrators and authorities would continue through the evening.

The acrid scent of tear gas permeated the air. Detonations from tear gas launchers provided a constant audio backdrop. The protesters were upbeat and defiant, pressing their case for fraud and chanting slogans disparaging Hernandez.

Police run away from supporters of opposition presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla after firing their last tear gas canisters at the demonstrators in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. (Fernando Antonio / AP )

The countrys electoral tribunal, which administers elections and is allied with the president, has denied that it is manipulating the vote in favor of Hernandez. The electoral court had initially pledged to release the final results by Wednesday evening. Later, it promised to release them by 3 a.m. Thursday.

By 4:30 p.m. Thursday, the courts website reported that 8% of ballots still needed to be counted, and Hernandez was beating Nasralla by 41,593 votes.

Tweets posted by court President David Matamoros blamed the delay on a technical failure. Disturbances last night delayed count, he wrote Thursday, promising that results would be released by the end of the day.

Uncertainty over the vote has fueled tensions in Honduras, where both candidates have declared victory and urged their supporters into the streets. After Nasralla told reporters that the only one that can defend these votes is the Honduran people, thousands of his backers massed outside the location where the votes were being counted Wednesday night.

They remained there Thursday.

Overrunning highways and bridges, protesters marched with banners that said no more electoral fraud. Soldiers in riot gear responded by firing tear gas into the crowd.

Many believe it is inevitable that Hernandez will be declared the winner.

That is a dramatic reversal from Monday morning, the day after Hondurans went to the polls. With 58% of the votes counted, Nasralla was beating Hernandez by 5 percentage points, or 93,975 votes.

After that, the court went inexplicably silent for more than 24 hours, eliciting calls for more transparency from international election monitors. When it resumed releasing new vote tallies Tuesday, the results showed a dramatic shift in favor of the president. Nasrallas lead shrank to 48,388 votes and then to 16,679 before he was eclipsed by Hernandez.

Nasrallas Alliance Against Dictatorship coalition, as well as another political party whose candidate was in third place, says ballot tallies provided to the parties at each polling place after the vote show Nasralla won by a margin of about 200,000 votes. Representatives of the ruling National Party say their analysis of those tallies shows Hernandez winning.

In Tegucigalpa, a column of police in riot shields and helmets was deployed outside the offices of Televicentro on Thursday afternoon. The network is generally seen as pro-government.

The police are protecting corporations, but not the people, said Juan Garcia, 45, a university professor who was among those protesting nearby.

Like others here, Garcia said he does not believe the official story that the vote count shifted dramatically in a matter of few days in favor of Hernandez. And, like others, he was suspicious about the pause in the count earlier in the week.

It just isnt logical the way the count developed, said Garcia. It went from an opposition victory to exactly the opposite in a day or so. I just dont believe it.

Former President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted in a 2009 coup supported by Hernandez, and whose Libre party is part of Nasrallas coalition, called for observers from the Organization of American States and European Union to organize a public count of ballots.

The coup against Zelaya was orchestrated by Hernandezs National Party in part because he was accused of plotting to violate the constitution by seeking reelection. Hernandez, who was elected president in 2013, announced his own campaign for reelection after several Supreme Court judges allied with his party voted to overturn the constitutional ban limiting presidents to one term.

Despite being dogged by accusations of corruption, Hernandez has been popular with U.S. officials for his cooperation with their efforts to reduce northward migration and violence in Honduras.

A supporter of opposition presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla is assisted by fellow protesters after being injured during clashes with security forces in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. (Rodrigo Abd / AP )

In a statement released Wednesday, the U.S. State Department said that it is critical that Honduran election authorities be able to work in a free and transparent manner, without interference. The statement also urged all candidates to respect the results once they are announced.

President Trump has not named a U.S. envoy to Honduras since Ambassador James D. Nealon left his post in July to join the Department of Homeland Security.

The contested race has drawn calls for greater transparency from around the globe.

A coalition of U.S.-based faith, labor and immigrant-rights groups signed a letter Wednesday calling on the U.S. government and the Organization of American States to insist upon full transparency in the vote count and a review of the electoral process to ensure that the elections were free and fair and represent the will of the Honduran people.

An election monitoring team from the European Union that on Tuesday called on the electoral tribunal for more transparency said it would give an update on the vote at a news conference Thursday evening in Tegucigalpa.

Elections in Honduras are frequently fraught with problems, said Rosemary Joyce, an anthropology professor at UC Berkeley who writes a blog called Honduras Culture and Politics. In the past, election officials have declared winners well before all of the votes have been counted, instead predicting who will win based on early returns.

The 2013 presidential election that brought Hernandez to power was beset by allegations of fraud, vote-buying and other irregularities, she said.

kate.linthicum@latimes.com

Twitter: @katelinthicum

patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com

Twitter: @PmcdonnellLAT

Linthicum reported from Mexico City and McDonnell from Tegucigalpa.

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UPDATES:

5:40 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details on protests.

3:25 p.m.: This article was updated with reporting from Tegucigalpa and comments from Alfredo Ramirez and Juan Garcia.

1:45 pm.: This article was updated with details on the protests and comments from David Matamoros.

This article was originally published at 11:15 a.m.
UPMC Pinnacle has agreed to make voluntary contributions in lieu of property tax payments to the South Middleton School District at least through the year 2022-23.

The school board Nov. 20 approved a five-year education contribution agreement with the health care system regarding the tax-exempt status of its Pinnacle Health Carlisle Regional Medical Center property at 361 Alexander Spring Road, South Middleton Township.

Under the agreement, UPMC will pay the district $500,000 on or before July 1 for the 2018-19 year. The annual contribution will decrease to $400,000 on or before July 1, 2019, for 2019-20. Following that, the contribution will decrease to and stay at $225,000 for the years 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23.

The five-year term runs from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2023. From that point, the annual contribution will remain at $225,000 and the agreement will automatically renew for successive one-year terms unless the school district or UPMC Pinnacle provides a notice of their intention not to renew six months prior to the latest expiration date.

In recent years the district received about $700,000 in tax revenue from the hospital, which was the single largest taxpayer in South Middleton Township. The township and school district share a common geography.

The district was advised this year of the pending merger between Pinnacle Health and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In October, UPMC Pinnacle made its case before a tax appeals board for nonprofit status for the hospital, which would make it exempt from having to pay property taxes to Cumberland County and the district.

Rather than wait for this outcome, South Middleton school officials reached out to Pinnacle to negotiate a PILOT or payment in lieu of taxes agreement.

We were the first school district of those affected to step up and proactively meet with Pinnacle, said Michael Berk, South Middleton School Board president. We wanted them to understand the concerns of the school district and what impact the loss of tax revenue was going to have on students and the educational program.

It has been the consistent practice of the health care system to negotiate with school districts impacted by efforts to seek tax exempt status for its hospitals and other buildings, Berk said. We knew they would be at least willing to sit and discuss terms with us.

We have a strong history of entering into community contribution agreements with local municipalities and school districts to support education, needed infrastructure and safety improvements in the community, said Kelly McCall, public relations director for UPMC Pinnacle. This agreement with South Middleton School District supports those important services and reflects our ongoing investment in building healthier communities through our support of community wellness and preventive programs, public health education, charitable care and other outreach programs.

Talks began this summer between the senior vice president of administration for UPMC Pinnacle and the school district solicitor and top administrators. Negotiations ended in October and the school board approved the agreement on Nov. 20.

None of us were happy by the loss of the revenue, Berk said. I think the agreement was probably the best we could have hoped for. Everybody was resigned to that fact.

At the very least, the negotiations resulted in a gradual reduction in revenue from the Carlisle Regional Medical Center rather than a rapid reduction in just a year or two, he said.

We were able to spread it out over a five-year period, Berk said. Its going to have an impact on the district. That is something the board is really going to have to study and work with the administration to deal with the loss of revenue.

The agreement calls for each voluntary contribution to be paid in one payment directly to the district business manager. The district has the right to accrue a late charge on any unpaid balance.

Under the terms, the district agrees the Carlisle Regional Medical Center should be exempt from the property tax. By signing it, school officials affirm the district will not contest the determination that the hospital is entitled to an exemption under the state constitution and the Pennsylvania Institutions of Purely Public Charity Act.

As of Wednesday, Nov. 29, UPMC Pinnacle officials have approved the agreement, but have yet to sign the pact. It should be in the coming weeks, McCall said.
COLUMBIA, Mo. - University of Missouri Chancellor Alexander Cartwright and Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Pelema Morrice recently signed the Missouri Land Grant Compact, which will expand higher education access and affordability at MU for Missouri residents for generations to come.

As part of the compact, MU will offer the Missouri Land Grant and Missouri Land Grant Honors for Missouri residents. The Missouri Land Grant will cover all tuition and fees for all Pell-eligible Missouri residents who qualify for admission to MU. Missouri Land Grant Honors will meet 100 percent of unmet financial need, including tuition, fees, books and room and board, for Pell-eligible students enrolled in the Honors College.

The compact means that thousands of Mizzou students will be able to attend the university tuition-free. Based on current enrollment, it is expected that more than 3,500 MU students from Missouri will qualify for the grants annually.

As the founders of this university did nearly 180 years ago, today we are reaffirming our pledge to provide access to higher education with the belief that an educated citizenry is the key to advancing the state of Missouri, our nation and world, said Cartwright, who began his role as chancellor earlier this month. It is a tremendous honor as chancellor to sign this historic compact and invest in attracting the states best and brightest.

The grants are an homage to MUs status as a land-grant university. The first public university west of the Mississippi River, MU was awarded land-grant status in 1870 through the Morrill Act. The act was intended to provide a broad segment of the population with practical education that has direct relevance to their daily lives.

Morrice said the grants will play an important role in attracting Missouris top talent who are heavily recruited by universities outside the state.

We already know that the Pell Grant program is transformational for our students and opens pathways for many to attend MU who couldnt otherwise, Morrice said. These grants are intended to build on the Pell program and create competitive financial awards for all Missouri residents who qualify.

Most federal Pell Grants are awarded to students whose families make less than $30,000 annually. Pell Grants usually provide a maximum of $6,000 in higher education assistance annually, leaving significant gaps for some individuals and their families.

Mizzou invests about $12 million per year on need-based financial aid to promote access and affordability in higher education. MU students graduate, on average, with $8,000 less in student debt than the national average.

Keeping higher education affordable and addressing student debt has been a focus at Mizzou for many years, said Nick Prewett, executive director of the Office of Student Financial Aid. We have a strong commitment to help students identify the financial resources necessary to fund a Mizzou education, resulting in students graduating with the least amount of debt. This helps put them on a great path as they begin their careers.

The Missouri Land Grants will be available to students beginning in fall 2018. They are open to incoming freshmen as well as continuing and transfer students.
Shoppers in Laois, Leinster and across the country are being urged to support local jobs and small businesses in their communities on Small Business Saturday on December.

The Small Firms Association Director, Sven Spollen-Behrens, said Christmas is a crucial time for retail businesses, but much of the Christmas spend will go to large stores or online retailers. He said online purchases for 2017 are expected to reach 16 billion by year end.

While this is hitting local business and jobs, the SFA believe local people can play their part.

"If each adult spent just 20 extra in small businesses this Christmas, this would amount to an injection of almost 75 million for small Irish firms and would have a huge, positive impact on local jobs and the vibrancy of town and village centres.

The first Saturday of December is traditionally a busy shopping day and consumers should use this weekend as an opportunity to focus on buying Irish and supporting their local businesses, as the Christmas celebrations can add a major economic impetus to the country, to small businesses and help maintain jobs, he said.

PREPARING CHRISTMAS DINNER

He said small business must take every opportunity to offer the widest possible range of goods at the most competitive prices if they are to attract as many Christmas shoppers as possible.

"Todays shoppers are very value-conscious and, with prices down 8.4% in the last 36 months, there are great deals to be had in small businesses around the country, Spollen-Behrens.

ISME say people should remember that retail employs more people in Ireland than any other sector of the economy.

"Consumers should think about this when making their Christmas shopping decisions, as this time of year is make or break for many small retailers. We are calling on consumers to shop locally in small businesses and buy Irish products. This way, shoppers, businesses and communities can all feel the Christmas cheer,

Commenting on on recent retail figures release ISME CEO, Neil McDonnell called on people to shop local right through the Christmas as it supports towns and business.

"Buying local goods supports our towns and villages and keeps our butchers, jewellers, pharmacies, brewers, distillers, confectioners, post offices, fashion, electronics and hardware stores, and all our local shopkeepers in business.

"The impact of Brexit and sterling depreciation are reasons why we must ensure money is spent in the local Irish economy."

"Supporting local businesses means you are supporting the 'home-grown' team and helping to keep the local economy moving. Buying locally means you will gift something unique, special, and more valued this Christmas," he said.
A new phonecall phishing scam is doing the rounds, involving the payment of speeding fines.

Laois Gardai have issued a warning to the public over the latest scam, which involves people being called on their phones, and asked for their credit or debit card details to pay speeding fines.

The calls come from a number that looks like a mobile number, but has an extra digit, and are actually from another country.

"Be aware that you should not accept phonecalls asking for credit card details to pay speeding fines," Sergeant Graham Kavanagh, Crime Prevention Officer has said.

The subject of scam calls changes when warnings are issued he said.

"The callers are using various guises, and will alter the scam. The main message is that no-one cold calls to look for credit or debit cards for any speeding fines," he said.

People who have received Fixed Charge Penalty notices for speeding fines are advised to check on the notice how to make payments.

Sgt Kavanagh has also warned about a second phonecall scam, proporting to be from Bank of Ireland.

A man this morning got a call which he realised was a scam, and reported details to Gardai.

"A male received a phone call from Cambodia this morning claiming to be from Bank of Ireland College Green. The caller claims that 1100 has been scammed from his account in Cambodia and requested that he transfoer 900 through Western Union and they would transfer him back 2,000. Caller was aware it was a scam and hung up. Unfortunately every now and then people get caught out," Sgt Kavanagh said.

Thieves snatch digger and dumper in Laois
Portarlington's Kieran Leavy will contest the election for Laois GAA chairman, after informing local media of his intentions last night.

Leavy, the current Assistant Treasurer and a former Leinster Council delegate, had been nominated by his club for the role, along with Vice-Chairman, Assistant Treasurer and Central Council Delegate.

He had not state publicly whether he intended to contest the election for the top job prior to last night (Wednesday), with the pressure on him to do so increasing after both Brian Allen and Sean Mortimer withdrew last week. Had Leavy also opted out, then it would have meant Peter O'Neill was elected unopposed.

Leavy has previously held a variety of roles with his club, Portarlington, including chairman, and most recently has been working as Assistant Treasurer to Martin Byrne on the county board. He has raised funds through the Punchestown Race Day and was also instrumental in securing sponsorship from the Magni Group, as Laois became the first county in Ireland to feature two sponsors on their jerseys.

With the county convention taking place next Monday night, Leavy has left himself a very short window to canvass clubs and secure votes, with O'Neill having declared his intention to run back at the start of October.

READ ALSO - Allen and Mortimer withdraw from race to be next Laois GAA Chairman
Help is continuing for flood victims in Mountmellick, from both official and community sources.

Laois County Council has issued a new update on supports for the over 100 houses and businesses who were flooded across Laois last week, particularly for the worst affected area in Mountmellick.

The Humanitarian Aid Centre has now moved from Wolfe Tone Court to the Civic Offices and Library on O Moore Street, Mountmellick.

Opening hours are as follows: Friday, December 1 10am to 3pm. Saturday December 2 10am to 12pm and then from Monday to Friday December 4 to 8 from 10am to 3pm.

The centre is for anyone who requires support including emergency housing, dealing with the aftermath at their properties or any other humanitarian need. Call in or ring 057-8664000.

The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme, administered by the Department of Social Protection, is available to assist people whose homes are damaged by flooding and who are not in a position to meet costs for essential needs, household items and in some instances structural repair. See details here.

There is also a 2 million assistance fund, for small businesses (up to 20 employees), community, voluntary and sporting bodies, unable to get flood insurance, who were affected. It is administered by the Irish Red Cross. Get details here.

Flooding.ie has information on how to deal with the aftermath of flooding in relation to Loss Assessment, Cleaning up your house, Drying out, Repairs & Restoration of services. See more here.

Meanwhile the local Mountmellick community has arranged several fundraisers to support victims.

The Little Black Dress night organised for the Ben & Jake Connolly Trust on December 9 is now in aid of Mountmellick Community Flood Relief. See more here.

Turley's Pub has an open Jam session this Friday December 1, and public donations will be matched by the pub owners.

A Mountmellick Flood Relief Fund is open in Mountmellick Credit Union, while offers of diy, furniture etc are being accepted on the Mountmellick Flood Relief Household Items facebook page.

Sonas community creche which was badly flooded is accepting clean replacement toys at the MDA .

A fun run/walk takes place this Sunday from O'Moore Street at 11am, adults 10, families 20, while the Mountmellick Christmas Fair this Sunday from 1pm to 6pm is also holding a collection for Mountmellick Flood Community Support, as well as collecting items for the PATH homeless charity.

Mountmellick St Vincent de Paul is also offering support. See more here.

See more on the fair and the Christmas tree here.
The Portlaoise Hospital Action Committee has demanded that Laois TD Charlie Flanagan call publicly on his Ministerial colleague in the Department of Health to reject the plan to downgrade the Laois hospital

Minister Flanagan reportedly called for the plan to be 'binned' at the Fine Gael General Election selection meeting in the Abbeyleix Manor. He was repeating opposition voiced on his previous occasions.

In a statement, the committee said it appreciated and agreed with this. However, they called on him to go a step further. The plan recommends the withdrawal of paediatrics, maternity, A&E, ICU and most surgery from Portlaoise.

Thomas Timmons is the committee's chairman.

We are very aware that Susan OReilly does not have the power to bin or accept this report. It is not for her to reject the report. It is for the Minister for Health, Simon Harris to reject this report in its entirety. We respectfully ask Minister Flanagan to publicly direct his request to the Minister for Health, he said.

PROTEST MARCH DETAILS

The committee secretary, John Hanniffy added that the committee, the staff of Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise and the public in Laois and neighbouring counties, will not accept the same report with amendments.

"We worry that a resolution which is merely different, will fail to definitively address the issues pertaining to the

future development and funding of MRHP, he said.

The committee believes that altering the report when they say the methodological process to prepare was flawed is not the appropriate resolution.

The action group says the process was significantly "top-down, failing to consult with local stakeholders, as per HIQUA standards."

They say the only acceptable resolution for the 'debacle', which has caused significant stress and anxiety to both hospital staff and the public, is for the process to be reset.

The committee warned the Minister that the feeling on the ground is that, what support Fine Gael had in the last election will be lost unless the above appropriate resolution is reached.

CASH FOR DOWNGRADE PLAN IS JUST CATCHUP
RTE's Prime Time is making new programme on Portlaoise hospital.

A production team with the current affairs series has been in Laois over recent weeks. A Portlaoise Hospital Action Committee was covered and at least one family have also been interviewed.

The programme's focus is likely to be the HSE Dublin Midlands Hospital Group's plan to reconfigure hospital services in Dublin, Laois, Offaly, Kildare.

It is not clear when the programme will be broadcast but the Prime Time office confirmed that production is underway.

It is expected that they will be in Portlaoise to cover the protest march against downgrade.

The lead author of the plan, Dr Susan O'Reilly, DMHG CEO, has recently referenced the Fatal Failures programme broadcast in early 2014. The programme exposed avoidable deaths of babies at the hospital.

Dr O'Reilly says the Prime Time investigation was one of the reports and investigations which has led to a new plan for the hospital.

The health service watchdog HIQA also carried out a statutory investigation in the Portlaoise.

Its subsequent report made many recommendations including that a plan be drawn up for the future. Dr O'Reilly says the plan she has produced delivers on this mandate and it is now up to the Minister for Health Simon Harris to adopt as policy so that it can be implemented.

Doctors in the hospital and the local action group believe there is an alternative to the removal of maternity, emergency, paediatrics, most surgery and ICU from the service.

PLAN SECURES PORTLAOISE FOR GENERATIONS
A resident of Bellingham Estate in Portlaoise has to walk almost 4km just to get the bus to Dublin, prompting calls for a new bus stop to be installed on the Mountrath Road.

At the recent meeting of the Portlaoise Municipal District, Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley asked the council to contact the National Transport Authority to request a bus stop at Bellingham Estate, Mountrath Road, Portlaoise.

She said she had been contacted by a resident of Bellingham who travels to Dublin three or four days a week and has to walk to Laois Shopping Centre to get the bus. On his return journey, he cant get the bus to drop him at his estate and has to get off at the shopping centre and walk home.

It doesnt make sense, thats a big built up area and it makes no sense for someone using public transport, she said, adding that this must be almost a 4km walk.

Seconding the motion, Cllr Noel Tuohy said there were satellite areas in Portlaoise, such as Kilminchy Village, and it is right to involve these communities.

Farhan Nasiem, council engineer, gave a written reply, saying that Laois County Council has brought a policy on bus shelters through the relevant strategic policy committee and this will be brought to full council for adoption shortly.

This policy will ensure that a review of the bus stop locations in Portlaoise is carried out. The proposal for a bus stop at Bellingham can be considered as part of this review.

SHOCKING FOOTAGE OF CAR THEFT
Doctors and nurses in Portlaoise have once again come to the aid of little girl whose life has been repeatedly saved in the Laois hospital.

Earlier this week, for the 30th time in the last six months, little Mary Claire Knowles, aged 19 months, had to be rushed by ambulance to Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise.

Mary has the rare condition Dravats Syndrome, which causes prolonged epilepsy seizures.

Last Tuesday morning November 28, at 8.55am, without warning Mary had another seizure while at the family's home in Ballyroan, 12 miles from Portlaoise.

Her mother Rose was getting her other children, boys Daniel and Anthony jnr ready for school.

"She was playing away and then it happened. I was there by myself with them because their dad had already left for work," Rose told the Leinster Express.

Having been trained to help Mary during seizures, she knew to give her rescue meds, and oxygen, and immediately rang for an ambulance.

"They came in ten minutes. In twenty minutes we were in Portlaoise, by 9.25am. It was such a relief they were so quick because I was home by myself," said Rose.

She is full of praise for the rapid response, with the hospital waiting with doors wide open, and even someone standing at the lift to keep it open for Mary Claire.

"It was amazing. A team of 13 or 15 were standing there waiting for Mary, two anaesthetists, two doctors and four or five nurses. They had her stable within minutes, they were just fantastic," Rose said.

It wasn't the worst seizure the baby has had in her short life so far.

"It wasn't as bad as normal. Her condition is characterised by prolonged siezures. One could last 20 minutes but if it stops she is not out of danger, it could start again and last for an hour. She has gone into respiratory arrest and been saved by doctors in Portlaoise several times," her mother said.

Mary Claire spent Tuesday night in Portlaoise paediatrics department under constant monitoring, and treatment for an ear infection which was enough to cause the latest seizure. She came home on Wednesday.

"She is still drained and tired, not herself. It takes a few days for her to recover," her mother said.

She thanks Portlaoise hospital staff for again rescuing her little girl from harm.

"To see them there, all set up, you just know she is in safe hands. You just don't know what way Mary can go, some nurses who are working for thirty years, you can see they are scared for Mary when she comes in, they are just fantastic," Rose Maher said.

She said travelling to Tallaght hospital could not work for Mary Claire.

"I don't know what we would do without Portlaoise, we would actually have to move," she said.

The family will be taking part in the hospital march in Portlaoise this Saturday December 2, which will see crowds from all corners of the town walking to gather outside the old Shaws on Main Street at 5pm. See details here.

"Absolutely, we will be on that march," Rose said.

Watch: Rose Maher's emotional plea to retain Portlaoise A&E at a hospital meeting

The Save Portlaoise Hospital AGAIN committee has commented on Mary Claire's latest emergency on the day she was admitted.

"Beautiful little Mary Claire has been admitted for the 30th time today to Portlaoise Hospital. 15 minutes by ambulance and she was seen straight away by the paediatric team and her life threatening seizure was brought under control. HOW can O'Reilly and HSE management expect this little girl and her family to travel to DUBLIN in standstill traffic to get to the nearest alternative hospital? ABSOLUTELY SCANDALOUS!!!! They should be ashamed of themselves" the group posted online.

Below Mary Claire with her parents Anthony and Rose, and her brothers Daniel and Anthony jnr.
The annual prayer service for missing Naas man Trevor Deely will take place this year on Friday December 8, in Ballycane Church at 8.15pm.

Trevors sister Pamela told the Leader this year has been one of the hardest for the Deely family as a six week search for Trevors remains in Dublin was called off last September.

We are still not over what happened in August, said Pamela.

It has been a very difficult year for us as a family. Gardai were leading the search but we didnt go to the search site  we couldnt handle it.

A cold-case review was begun by gardai in December 2015, which included swathes of evidence being gathered and witnesses re-interviewed.

A fresh appeal was issued last April, with gardai releasing digitally enhanced VHS footage taken on the night of Trevors disappearance. Gardai began the search of a three acre woodland in Chapelizod in Dulbin on 12 August last as a result of new information they obtained. A large area of the woodland was cleared with a team of gardai searching the area but nothing was found to link to Trevors disappearance.

There was hope that what this person said was true but in the end nothing was found, she added.

It went on for six weeks and you think there might be news  its not that you want something to be found but yourre waiting by the phone at the same time. It was a living hell. The case is still open and there are people who are still coming forward and gardai are still working away on it. We are very pleased with the gardais efforts and both my parents are delighted that they are working so hard to find Trevor. We dont want the public to give up  it is never too late to come forward with information. We would like to have Trevor home especially at Christmas time.

READ MORE: Three acre woodland search for Trevor Deely

Trevor disappeared while walking home from a Christmas party in Dublin in the early hours of December 8, 2000. His movements in the hours before he disappeared have been well documented. When last seen at 4:15 am, he was walking down Haddington Road, close to Baggot street Bridge. Earlier that night, he had been socialising with colleagues from the Asset Management Department of Bank of Ireland.

CCTV details emerged in April about a man who was seen speaking to Trevor shortly before he went missing on December 8 2000. CCTV footage of the 22 year-old Naas man was sent to the UK to be forensically enhanced. When it was returned, the footage showed Trevor talking briefly to man as he arrived at the Bank of Ireland office at Leeson Street Bridge at 3.30am. After he went inside, the man, who was standing outside in the rain, then walked across the road. The footage revealed a man, possibly the same individual, waiting outside as Trevor emerged at 4am. He was seen following him as the bank worker made his way down Haddington Road.

A reward of 100,000 has been offered for anyone with information that may lead to Trevor.
At 8.15pm on a Wednesday in June 2015, a Naas man brought The Little Shadow Theatre Company to the stage for the first time. Within the Civic Theatre Tallaght, an audience sat expectantly, waiting to lose themselves in another world.

Although it must have been a challenge to step out on stage with this new company, those involved had come prepared. The cast put on a memorable performance of an original play, Goodbye to Marie, written and co-directed by company founder and local artist, Joe ONeill.

Two years later, the organisation has toured around Ireland and performed in London with a few of their productions. They have already accomplished a lot in their short existence, such as creating a new festival, titled The New Irish Playbook, which was held for the first time in 2016 by The Sean OCasey Theatre, Dublin. Its a week-long production, showcasing the next generation of Irish writers, directors and actors.

Everything began with one person, named Joe ONeill. The Naas local says he originally founded the company as a way of promoting his own work and hes happy to see it grow into something much larger, a company that gives aspiring writers a chance to have their work produced.

Even though the initial idea for the company was to promote my own writing it has grown to a company that produces original plays by up and coming Irish writers, he said.

Joe is an up and coming writer himself and has had a number of scripts produced by different theatres across Ireland, receiving a lot of positive feedback for his work. He writes mainly shorter pieces and with so many scripts containing such originality, its difficult to see where Joe gets his many ideas from.

My plays are based on different life experiences and just general ideas that I have or something that Ive seen going on. I like to think that Im taking things in society and tweaking them to have different quirks and show more of my writing style.

As with all artists and creators, Joe has his ways of finding inspiration. When he finds hes a bit stuck for ideas or having a bit of a writers block, he says that he likes to put his Spotify account to good use.

Every time Im looking for inspiration, I listen to a specific album that I found on Spotify by Van Morrison. Something about the way he sings always helps me with my writing.

A series of short plays written and directed by Joe ONeill will be performed by the Little Shadow Theatre in Naas this week.

The production will be hosted by McAuley Place tomorrow, Friday, December 1. Similarly to the festival mentioned previously, the upcoming production in Naas has been given the title The New Irish Playbook by Joe ONeill.

The New Irish Playbook is the name of the festival that I started in 2016. Four of my plays were performed as part of the festivals and so I decided to keep the name for the production in Naas. Its a series of short plays that Ive written myself and I guess Im using the name almost as a spin-off of the festival.

Recently, Joe has been producing short films which are published on YouTube.

Coming Out, is the title of his first short, consisting of a comedic script which has raked up over 52,000 views on the channel alone.

He also wrote a piece, named Our Child, which is classed as a dramatic comedy.

These two short films together have had over 200,000 views on Facebook and YouTube combined. Both of these will be performed on the performance night in McAuley place.

As with all writers and directors, Joe would like to make his audiences feel something.

The company doesnt seem to have that many specific aims, but the production is a way of getting themselves out there and promoting their original work. I have to say that my aim is to entertain above all. You need to write about a topic that will engage the audience.

If you write something to purposely offend anyone, then you dont really have any talent, youre just a bad person. Even if you dont completely agree with the point youre making in the script, you can still do it in a way which includes a view that maybe the audience hadnt really understood before. Other than that I suppose the aim would be to be able to make a living out of it.

Most of those involved in the theatre company have graduated university with a performing arts degree and so are already well on their way in their careers. As leader and founder of the company, Joe has high hopes for all the people he has worked with.

I believe everyone will go on to have a successful career as theyre all extremely talented. I get the opportunity to work with amazing actors and if I can help them in any way and play a part in their success, it would be great.

Tickets to the event at the McAuley place are available online at eventbrite.ie and the company will only be here for one night only so dont miss your chance to see them.
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A Co Leitrim student will be taking part in Dublin City University's Media Production Society's annual 24-Hour Broadcast in aid of charity.

Eoin Lyons, a second-year Communications student will be joining other students for this broadcast where students commit to staying on campus in the School of Communications building, for 24 hours, producing a live-streamed broadcast all in aid of charity.

For Christmas 2017, the Media Production Society has decided to hold the event in aid of SOSAD, an Irish suicide prevention, and bereavement support charity.

The charity was suggested by committee member Carmel Kenny who like many others has been directly affected by suicide.

"I lost my Dad to suicide when I was two years old and I've grown up without him in my life. I've seen first hand how it affects everyone left behind. SOSAD is close to my heart because I want everyone to know that they have someone to talk too and can turn to in a time of need" she said.

Last year the broadcast was in aid of the Peter McVerry Trust, a charity set up to reduce homelessness and the harm caused by drug misuse and social disadvantage. Although the target was 5000, the society succeeded in raising over 15,300 through fundraising and donations on the night. This year the target is 7000 and the society hopes to reach, if not exceed the amount for this years chosen charity.

For 24 hours our members get the chance to produce their own shows and make the wackiest memories theyll have in college. The best part about it is that we get to do all of this for an amazing cause and raise some much needed funds for charities like SOSAD said Aine Lawless, head of DCUtv.

The broadcast is supported by a huge variety of sponsors, including Bank of Ireland who sponsor the event each year. Bank of Ireland DCU staff look forward to supporting and creating awareness for SOSAD throughout the 24 Hour Broadcast with DCU Media Production Society.

DCUtv and Bank of Ireland 24 Hour Broadcast in aid of SOSAD runs from 9pm on Friday, December 1 through Saturday, December 2. To watch the broadcast or to make a donation to this very worthy cause click here.

You can get involved with the broadcast on social media using the hashtag #DCUtv24.
The Leitrim Sculpture Centre presents the ninth annual North West Christmas Open Exhibition with works in all mediums that celebrate the diverse talent and energy of artists from across the North West of Ireland.

The opening reception will be held this Friday, December 1 from 12pm-5.30pm at the Leitrim Sculpture Centre, Manorhamilton.

There is something for everyone in this exhibition, with works that are unique, striking and beautiful. All works are for sale at reasonable prices.

Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

The gallery is also open for a special viewing on Sunday, December 3 to coincide with the Bee Park Community Centre Christmas Market.

In addition, the exhibition includes a special guest showing of works from pupils at the Gaelscoil Chluainin on Friday, December 15, for one day only. The exhibition continues until January 11.

Gallery opening times: Tuesday to Saturday - 11am to 4pm. Friday and Saturday - Doors open at front of house. Tuesday to Thursday - Go first to central reception at the side of the building.
A man who appeared before Carrick-on-Shannon District Court last week for the seventh time in relation to a speeding offence at Townspark, Carrick-on-Shannon on October 4, 2015 saw the case struck out, with the facts found to be proven by Judge Kevin P Kilrane.



Gda McGovern gave evidence of operating a checkpoint on the morning in question when the defendant was detected travelling at 65kph in a 50kph zone at 9.57am.



Gda McGovern said a fixed charge notice was issued but was not paid.



Under questioning from the defendant, Gerry Burns, Drumcase, Killeshandra, Co Cavan, Gda McGovern explained the defendant was travelling on the N4 from the Dublin direction and was detected before the turn that would take motorists off the N4 and towards the Bush Hotel and Courthouse. Mr Burns said he was turning right at this junction and would not have been able to do so at that speed.



Gda McGovern added it was from the rear of his vehicle that the front of the defendants car was detected.

Gda McGovern was asked by Mr Burns, who represented himself, if he was asked by his superiors if he had to obtain a certain amount of convictions to which he replied, No, Judge.



On his previous visits to court Mr Burns had submitted a number of questions regarding the technical aspects of the camera and observed last week, There is no information about the angle of the camera on that particular speed van.

In reply Gda McGovern stated, I operate the van, I am not an expert in the science behind it.



Continuing his questioning Mr Burns asked, Where is the evidence the camera is fixed and not moving? In reply, Gda McGovern answered, We do not move the camera. The camera is calibrated on a 12 monthly basis.



Mr Burns referred to other questions he earlier submitted which were answered not applicable saying, If I was to carry out my business that way it wouldnt work out too well.



Continuing his defence Mr Burns noted, I would consciously know my speed would reduce coming into the town boundaries. I know I would have reduced it to 50 or below.



I dont believe the camera has given a true reading. I believe it would take someone like Schumacher to go around that exit at 65kph.



Cross-examining Mr Burns, Superintendent Kevin English observed, You cannot conclude from the photograph that you were turning. Most people would turn for The Landmark at the main entrance or the archway.

In reply Mr Burns said, I prefer that entrance as there is more room for parking at the rear.



When asked if he accepted it was his car that was photographed and that he was the driver Mr Burns replied, Of course, but I could give a 15-year-old a phone and they could take a picture of a car but it wouldnt tell the speed.



Mr Burns added, I can say to you categorically I was not travelling at 50kph or more.



Having heard the evidence Judge Kilrane remarked, I am satisfied the speed as detected is correct.



It is the seventh time here in court and Mr Burns has put a lot of work into his defence.



Judge Kilrane found the facts to be proven and struck out the case.
TWO well-known local members of An Garda Siochana will both reach the milestone of 40 years service this Thursday.

Sergeant Denis Woods, who has been attached to Newcastle West garda station for 27 years, and Garda Pat Minihan, who is attached to Mayorstone garda station in the city, both entered the Garda Training College in Templemore on November 30, 1977.

Of those who were in their class, just a handful remain in the Force.

There are very very few guards who can now do forty years service because the vast majority of those who joined the Force over the past 15 to 20 years have all gone to college so they were all 22 or 23 and obviously you have to retire on your 60th birthday, said Sgt Woods who is originally from Glin.

There have been huge changes in the job especially over the past ten years. Its all computers now whereas in the past it was a pen and a notebook and that sort of stuff so that has all changed dramatically, said Sgt Woods who recalls that one of his first assignments after joining the force was during visit of Pope John Paul II to Ireland.

Garda Minihan, who is attached to the Juvenile Liaison Office, says policing in general has changed an awful lot over the past four decades.

There is so much more investigating after the event now. When I came to Limerick first it was all preventative policing but now its kind of investigating and you have more technology available to you with regard to solving crime and society has changed massively too over the past 40 years, said the Tipperary native who says he still enjoys what he does.

I enjoy the job Im at, I enjoy trying to divert young fellas from committing crime and I think there is a massive road for it. Its very easy to criminalise a child and often its not the right thing to do, he said

While Sgt Woods will retire early next year, garda Minihan says he has no immediate retirement plans.

Acknowleding the long service of Sgt Woods and Garda Minihan Chief Superintenent David Sheahan noted that both have settled down in County Limerick and have also made contributions in the communities in which they live.

"It is a fantastic achievement to reach 40 years' service and they have both made a great contribution during their respective careers," he said.
A LIMERICK man accused of dangerous driving while wearing a balaclava on a motorbike has had his case at Limerick District Court adjourned for further submissions.

Thomas ONeill, 29, of Beechgrove Avenue, Ballinacurra Avenue, faces one charge of dangerous driving following an alleged incident on March 27 last.

Giving evidence, Garda Fiona OConnell said that she and Garda John Keane observed two motorbikes travelling towards the unmarked patrol car in the Synge Drive area at 10.08pm.

She said that it is the States case that they were forced to stop to avoid a collision as the second bike was travelling on the incorrect side of the road. She alleged that this bike was driven by Thomas ONeill.

She stated in court that they followed the bike riders through Collins Avenue, Markievicz Drive, and Donoughmore Crescent, but could not observe the accused after he allegedly drove past bollards.

Gda OConnell presented CCTV footage to the court, showing two people riding motorbikes in the area at the time. When she described his clothing, solicitor Sarah Ryan argued that she was not notified of this evidence.

Gda OConnell said that Mr ONeill was allegedly wearing a ski mask or balaclava with his eyes and nose showing and wouldnt be like what you would see in the films. Ms Ryan said that she wasnt notified of this evidence.

Gda OConnell said that they visited his house, where his wife April Collins was present at 10.15pm, and that she allegedly said that ONeill was at his mothers house in Lenihan Avenue.

Ms Ryan said: You say that you went searching for the vehicle, but that is not in your statement. She added that it was also not in the States statement that they were forced to stop.

ONeills solicitor asked if the gardai had checked the additional cameras around the address at Beechgrove Avenue.

Those cameras are easily-accessible by the State, Ms Ryan argued, to which Gda OConnell replied: My understanding was that they were not working.

Gda OConnell told the court that they drove to the house on Lenihan Avenue and passed it.

Ms Ryan stated: You were told that he might be there. You went to Lenihan Avenue but you didnt bother knocking on the door.

Ms Ryan said that her client says that he was not the person on the bike. She added that he didnt have any direct involvement with you until this matter.

Gda OConnell said: I would see him regularly. I am 100% satisfied [that it was him]. I dont socialise with the guy. I dont know him in that sense. I know his family well. I am very familiar with his family.

Gda John Keane said that he was 100% satisfied that he saw Thomas ONeill on the night, and that he would have a couple of dealings with the accused.

He said that April Collins allegedly told him that the accused had left 15 minutes earlier. Ms Ryan then said: I suspect that the State doesnt have a strong case, and that they are just adding little bits of information.

She asked Gda Keane why were the details of the visit left out of the statement. She said that they didnt go to Ms Collins house for a cup of tea and that it was part of their investigation. He replied that it was left out in error.

Ms Ryan argued that their passing Lenihan Avenue was to either confirm your suspicion or take him out of the frame. He replied: There was no suspicion.

The defending solicitor stated ONeill also had no dealings with the garda. He said that he would know ONeill from other instances.

Ms Ryan asked for the case to be dismissed and that there is not enough evidence. Judge OLeary adjourned the matter for further submissions, on December 14.
GAME of Thrones author George RR Martin has said he would love to visit the set of Nightflyers, which is gearing up to shoot at Limericks Troy Studios.

The author, who wrote the novella that the big budget sci-fi show is based on, has also hinted at news of a casting for the Syfy/Netflix bound series, which he said has been given a substantial budget.

The Limerick Leader revealed last week that the Troy-based Nightflyers had skipped past pilot stage and moved straight to series, and Mr Martin has confirmed it has been picked up for ten episodes, which it is understood will start shooting early in the new year.

Construction on a huge set on one of the three soundstages at Troy is underway, with 50 construction craftsmen and women from Limerick and the wider region currently working there.

It is believed that the Limerick production will be the largest ever seen in the Republic of Ireland.

In a lengthy blog post, Mr Martin discussed Nightflyers and shared some concept art for the ship of the same name at the heart of the plot for the series and said it is to be shot in the Republic of Ireland, I'm told, on sound stages in Limerick... which will give them access to the same great pool of Irish and British actors that Game of Thrones has tapped in Belfast (and considering how many characters we've killed, a lot of them should be available.

If by some miracles I actually complete enough of my other projects to create some free time, I've love to go over there and kill two birds with one flight by visiting both the GOT and Nightflyers sets... but that remains a long shot, given my current word load, he wrote.

If all goes according to schedule, the series should debut this summer, in late July. It will be broadcast on SyFy in the USA, and on Netflix around the world, he wrote of Nightflyers.

The series is set in the future on the eve of Earths destruction and follows a crew of explorers who journey on the most advanced ship in the galaxy, the Nightflyer. It is being executive produced by Doug Liman, who was previously behind box-office films including The Bourne Identity and Mr & Mrs Smith, who has said its a big ambitious series and I think well be in Ireland for many years.

In his blog post, Mr Martin reveals that he met with writer/creator Jeff Buhler, who scripted the pilot, and showrunner Daniel Cerone, who will helm the series, and was impressed by their enthusiasm and their plans.

I read a draft of his pilot back in May, when I first heard of the Nightflyers television project. While it departs considerably from my novella in certain details, the essence of the story remains the same  and I thought the teleplay was quite strong on its own terms, and a good launching point for a series.

I was delighted to have the chance to sit down and talk with Jeff and Daniel, and learn more of their plans. Nightflyers was only a pilot script in May, but subsequently it has been picked up for a full ten-episode season order, with a substantial budget, one that should allow them to create a show that looks as good as modern audiences expect.

"They showed me drawings of some of the set designs, some very cool sets. They even showed me the Nightflyer herself:

Presently Cerone and Buhler and their team are deep in the throes of pre-production and casting... and I have some news on the casting front as well, a casting that has pleased me more than I can possibly say, which I will save for another post, he added.

There are currently six workshops in use at Troy, formerly the old Dell building in Castletroy, now a 350,000 square foot facility with three massive soundstages, one running to 30,800 sq ft and two at 18,000 sq ft.

Crucially, the height of the high bay area in facility rises to about 60 feet, an almost unique element in this country - which is well covered with generous tax breaks to attract the eye of film and TV producers.

As well as the craftspeople working on the production, it is also sourcing a huge amount of raw material locally, from local suppliers, while about 14 engineering businesses in the Mid-West are also working directly with the production company.
The Washington County Sheriffs Department recently received a report on their county jail from a special appointed board.

Sheriff Zach Jacobsen said the Board of County Visitors was appointed by Presiding 24th Circuit Judge Wendy Wexler Horn.

They were appointed under authority of Missouri State Statute 221.320, which says the presiding circuit judge after being presented with a petition signed by 15 reputable citizens of the county can order this board to be appointed, Jacobsen explained. Or all of the judges en banc, which means all of the judges in the 24th Judicial Circuit can request this to be done. They have to agree to make it happen.

Jacobsen said that is how they got the board appointed, all of the judges agreed there was a need to have the board appointed.

We asked for this to be done because when the sales tax failed we felt like the community really needed to be aware, said Jacobsen. We felt like they didnt truly understand what the deficiencies of the county jail were. So we asked the independent board be appointed by the judge to inspect the jail and sheriffs office.

He added based on that statute they have to meet four times a year and send reports to the circuit judge, sheriffs office and the county commission outlining what the problems are and what their recommendations are to remedy the problem.

The main reason for the release is because we were contacted by members of the community to release the information, Jacobsen said. It is a public report, the information is completely public. This was their first inspection of the county jail they did on Oct. 25.

The Washington County Jail is a 28-bed facility that had 42 inmates on the day the Board of County Visitors toured the jail. Once regular bunks are full, inmates get a thin bed pad and sleep on a concrete floor.

The report states cells are very small and the common areas outside the cells are tiny. It also states there is no exercise area inside or outside the jail for the inmates. The jail is understaffed and underpaid. Currently there is a nine-person staff, but 15 are needed. New jailers, not including deputies, get $9.64 an hour with very basic benefits. The board found there is a high turnover rate and new staff members are hard to attract.

The board questioned if the pay is competitive with other nearby jails. According to St. Francois County Sheriff Dan Bullock, his county jail only employs commissioned officers and they start at $29,000 a year with two retirement plans and paid days off including sick leave, vacation time and holiday pay.

Under safety issues, the board's report indicated that many locks in the jail dont work, requiring manually applied chains to secure areas.

There is note that says it is a known but unavoidable violation by the sheriff. The Washington County Commission had instructed the sheriff to do this rather than fixing the locks. Jacobsen said at the time of their visit this was true, but since then the commission authorized him to enter into a contract with Integrity Steels.

The contract is to have them replace all of the locks and that was done after this report was completed, said Jacobsen. But that work is slated to begin in March of 2018. All the other issues still remain the same.

Jacobsen said the staff levels are the same and they need to be increased. The pay is the same and that needs to be increased also. The inmate count at the time was 42, but since then they have 60 inmates being housed.

They are recommending that the jail is closed and that we house our inmates out, Jacobsen said. All I can say is the county commission is fully aware of the report and I am awaiting their response to the report. I have yet to hear a response.

Other concerns listed in the report include that fact there are only two working smoke alarms in the building, there is mold visible in a number of areas, and plumbing issues. Also the cell walls sweat and water runs into the lower room.

The report says the board is doubtful that in the event of a fire the inmates could be evacuated in a timely and safe manner. They also voice concerns if the facility is up to code on requirements such as the Americans With Disabilities Act.

The control panels that show whether or not the cells are secured or open have not worked for year and the evidence room in the basement has been permanently locked due to mold issues and it being unsafe to enter.

The report says the jail is not just in need of paint and moderate repairs. The facility has a decent exterior, but a deplorable interior. Fixing or expanding the current facility is not recommended.

The boards unanimous recommendation is to build a new facility or to shut the Washington County Jail down and pay to house the inmates elsewhere, which they feel would be a step back in time. They also stress in the report that the jail is not fit to house human beings.

Jacobsen said it is his decision to make on whether to shut the jail down, but per his attorney, if they do that the county commission is responsible to pay another county to house the inmates.

I am not authorized to enter into a contract with another jail to house my inmates because I dont have the money to pay for it, Jacobsen said. The county commission will have to give me more money to pay for it, but as of right now I dont have the money to do that in my budget. I am waiting on some guidance of what they are wanting to do here.

Jacobsen said fortunately they are in a position where their budget is getting ready to start over, but they need more deputies and more civilian jail staff. He stressed he needs the repairs completed at the jail and a bigger jail.

We have to come to a general consensus of what to do to move forward, Jacobsen said. The safety and security of this jail is just as equally important to me as the safety and security of the county residents. Its a juggling act to get a report like this that finally outlines to the community what truly is the problem here and the possibility of receiving another budget cut next year. Its a hard pill to swallow at this point.

The board also recommends that every single Washington County commissioner, officeholder and employee should be required to tour the existing jail. Since the Potosi City Jail has long since been shut down and the county houses Potosi's inmates, the board recommends the city of Potosi should pay the full cost of housing their inmates.

The board indicated in the report the city council members and elected officials should also be required to tour the county jail since they are sending their inmates there and contributing to the overcrowding.

Jacobsen said there is a statute that says if a city does not have a suitable jail to house their inmates, then the sheriff of that county, after a warrant is issued, shall incarcerate that person in their jail to keep them safe.

The city shall pay the same fee that is charged to other people, according to the law, said Jacobsen, which is changing on Jan. 1. Our prisoner per diem rate will be $45 per day and that is set by the county commission.

Jacobsen said the city of Potosi does have a suitable jail, but they chose to close it a few years ago so they could save money in their budget and hire more police officers. He added their inmates dont necessarily cause the overcrowding.

The city has been very good to us. If we need to remove a city inmate because of extreme overcrowding, they do so, said Jacobsen. There are no issues there, but at the end of the day we are mandated by law to accept these inmates. At the same time we are opening ourselves up to civil liability and we can and have been sued for it.

Jacobsen said they have to find a solution because there is no option of repairing the building. There will never be enough space and its not feasible. Currently there are two tanks with eight beds and two tanks with four beds in them. There are also other holding areas with beds.

For the vast majority, 28 people get to lay in beds and the rest get to lay on floors, said Jacobsen. This board recommended the same thing we did and it doesnt really hit home until you see it.

The board also recommended putting the issue back on the ballot as a bond issue as soon as possible, but only after another extensive public education program on the issue is provided.

Attempts were made by the Daily Journal to reach Washington County Presiding Commissioner Marvin Wright but he was unavailable for comment as of press time.
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Some advice for the angry mob Sometimes, I get embarrassed for people who show up to speak at city council or township board meetings. Im talking...

Preparing teens for their futures with soft skills Businesses of every size and industry continue to identify labor shortages as a top challenge  across the country and...
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A former aid in an after-school program at a San Carlos elementary school was arrested on charges of committing lewd acts on children after two girls, ages 6 and 7, told their parents and investigators that he inappropriately touched them, officials said Wednesday.

Hoang Tran, 19, was arrested Tuesday when he went to the Hall of Justice in Redwood City to speak with investigators about the complaints made against him, said Detective Sal Zuno of the San Mateo County Sheriffs Office.

Tran, a resident of the Emerald Hills neighborhood of Redwood City, was a former aid at an after-school program at Brittan Acres Elementary School in San Carlos.

He was charged Wednesday with three counts of lewd acts with children, authorities said.

Zuno said the investigation of Tran began in September, after the parents of a 6-year-old girl reported he had inappropriately touched her at the after-school program.

A second victim, the 7-year-old girl, came forward during the investigation and told authorities that Tran had inappropriately touched her as well, Zuno said.

Tran was released from custody after posting $300,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 3.

Mary Jude Doerpinghaus, interim superintendent of the San Carlos School District, informed staff and parents of the case in an email sent Tuesday night.

Doerpinghaus wrote that Tran had been employed by the school district for one month, and had passed a background check required for employment, which included fingerprinting. She also wrote that when notified of the criminal investigation against Tran, the district put him on administrative leave and he was not permitted to return to campus.

No public announcement was made at the time. Doerpinghaus wrote that Trans employment was terminated prior to his arrest.

Our district counselors are available to support all children and their families, Doerpinghaus told The Chronicle.

She said that beginning Thursday morning, the school district will offer parents training on how to speak with their children about sensitive topics.

Since they are young children, Doerpinghaus said, we are not doing a formal announcement but rather we are working with our staff and parents to talk with our children.

Sophie Haigney is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophie.haigney@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophieHaigney
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As San Antonio schools rolled out new menu items to comply with a 2012 federal directive for healthier lunches, they noticed some things were ending up right in the trash.

Nonfat milk? Fine, especially when students could get it flavored with chocolate. But whole-grain tortillas netted a giant meh. Menu planners whod managed to reduce sodium content about as far as they could fretted over requirements to cut it even further.

Thats why Sharon Glosson, the North East Independent School Districts executive director of nutrition, is celebrating Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdues announcement Wednesday that some of the Obama administrations restrictions were being eased.

Last year, the NEISD got a waiver from the Texas Department of Agriculture to allow it to serve some products that werent whole-grain.

We saw an increase in participation with our tortillas because we were able to go back to a flour tortilla, our biscuits, our spaghetti, Glosson said. There are certain key items that after several years the students were still not accepting.

The district had complied so far with sodium regulations, but didnt think it could take them much further, she said.

We feel like thats really the lowest we can go and still have a variety of food products that our students accept, she said. Even naturally occurring sodium such as in milk and a lot of bread products (count). You dont think of these products as having sodium, but they do.

Perdue in May made easing Obama administration restrictions on school lunch and breakfasts one of his first priorities, noting kids in his home state of Georgia werent wild about the black flakes in whole grain grits.

Schools need flexibility in menu planning so they can serve nutritious and appealing meals, Perdue said in a news release Wednesday. It doesnt do any good to serve nutritious meals if they wind up in the trash can. These flexibilities give schools the local control they need to provide nutritious meals that schoolchildren find appetizing.

The USDA said the interim rule is a key part of a regulatory reform agenda developed in response to the President Donald Trumps executive order to do away with unnecessary regulatory burdens. It takes effect with the start of the 2018-2019 school year. Public comments are being accepted for a final rule.

For more on this article, click here on ExpressNews.com or read Thursdays front page of the San Antonio Express-News.

lbrezosky@express-news.net
A Petaluma couple believed to be selling narcotics in shopping center parking lots while their two small children sat in the car were arrested in the middle of a suspected drug deal, police said.

Santa Rosa police began investigating 20-year-old Pedro Lopez in July for allegedly selling heroin in the area, when they learned that he was part of a large drug trafficking operation that worked throughout Santa Rosa and the surrounding area, police said.
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Denzel Washington, 62 years-old and a seven-time Oscar nominee, is still trying to get better.

In Dan Gilroy's "Roman J. Israel, Esq.," Washington has challenged himself with one of his most complicated and singular roles. The title character (played by Washington) is a veteran activist attorney. After decades spent as a brilliant behind-the-scenes legal mind, the death of his more renowned partner brings Israel out into the open.

For an actor whose most powerful performances ("Malcolm X," "Glory," "Training Day") have been monuments of power and strength, Israel is an oddity - a loping, rumpled, anti-social loner who Gilroy and Washington say has Asperger's Syndrome. But he's also of a part with many of Washington's more recent roles (the tragic Troy Maxson in "Fences," the alcoholic pilot of "Flight") that have stretched the actor in new directions.

"I'm looking at the guy in the mirror," Washington says. "That's who I'm challenging."

Washington met for an interview in midtown Manhattan during a day's break from shooting the thriller sequel "The Equalizer 2" in Boston. His affection for Israel was obvious. It's the only movie, Washington says, where he's found himself quietly pleading to his character to make better choices.

But the moves made by Washington remain fascinating, too.

Q: You've compared Roman to "Cornel West on the spectrum."

A: Cornel is brilliant and different. I don't know if he's on the spectrum but who cares. He's just bright and articulate and down for the cause, and there's a lot of that in Roman.

Q: Where did Roman's walk come from?

A: I did a lot of research on the spectrum. In some people, it talked about a lack of coordination - in some people, not everyone. I was attracted to that. It was something I could physicalize. I forget how I actually got to it, but I decided to wear shoes a couple of sizes too big. It changed everything. It changed the way I walked, just trying to keep them on.

Q: Do you often start with something like that?

A: I like to get the shoes sooner than later. It gets the ball rolling.

Q: You had a close brush with Dan Gilroy's brother, Tony, whose "Michael Clayton" you passed on.

A: Yeah, made a mistake there! It worked out all right, though, for Tony. And for George (Clooney).

Q: Did you have a feeling of starting a new chapter after "Fences"? You spent years performing that on Broadway and directing the film adaptation.

A: Increasingly, I'm only going to do what I want to do, professionally. So I don't know what I'm going to do next. Film-wise, I don't. I do on the stage. (Washington will headline a revival of Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh" on Broadway.) And that's OK. Take my time. The time I have left and the opportunities that I have left, I understand that that's finite. How can I be the best that I can be? And what interests me? Where's the new territory?

Q: Troy from "Fences" and Israel both share a disconnect with younger generations. Has that been on your mind at all?

A: It's a fact. Whether it's on your mind or not. It may be on my mind, but I don't remember! (Laughs) There's 365 days in a year, so 10 years is about 3,600 days. Twenty years is about 7,200 days. I'm 62 so 20 years, 7,200 days, that's not a lot of time - if you get 7,200. You don't know how many you're going to get. You just try to do the best you can with what you have and enjoy it.

Q: This year marks the 25th anniversary of Spike Lee's "Malcolm X. " Like X, you're the son of a preacher. Do you feel as though you've followed in your father's footsteps at all?

A: For a time, it sent me in another direction. That can be a pattern for preacher's son. I had to go to church, so it wasn't fun. I didn't know anything different. Being a minister's son, having grown up in the church and learned the cadence, it was probably easier to play that part. I had some idea of different rhythms.

Q: I suspect you'd be good at the pulpit.

A: Well, it's not performance-based if you mean what you say. And you better mean what you say. My father did. He believed it with every fiber of his being. He was a man of God and we share that. For him, the pulpit was wherever he was. My father was a minister and my mother owned a beauty shop. So that seems like perfect breeding ground for an actor. That covers a lot!

Q: Many expected you to win your third Oscar in February, not Casey Affleck. Were you surprised?

A: I've been around a long time. I've been around a while. Not to say you don't have feelings or you're not hurt or you're not happy. But I've seen it all, I think. No, I haven't - not the way that show ended! I haven't seen that before!

Q: Is there a film you saw at a young age that changed your life?

A: "Super Fly"! And "Shaft." When I was 14, 15, "Shaft" especially.

Here was a guy - I didn't know who he was - but he walked around and he had his own theme music. He had a leather jacket on. He seemed to be in control, and he was sticking it to the man. I remember seeing those movies and you were picking who you wanted to be: Super Fly or Shaft. I wanted to be Shaft.
The Free Press Summer Festival has died, yet it resists both praise and burial. Praise is withheld because it was such a difficult, sweaty creature to embrace. Each year the fest felt as though it were set on the surface of the sun, a hot box environment that made the act of listening to music a stress test. Also, it often rained.

But burial is withheld, too, because sprouting from the soil of Eleanor Tinsley Park next year will be the In Bloom Music Festival.

In Bloom isn't simply a rebranded FPSF - "reborn" is the term organizers used. The name change bears mention, as Free Press Houston sold its share of FPSF in December 2015.

But the event has also moved from its late-May/early-June station for the past eight years (the inaugural Free Press Summer Fest sweated it out in August). In Bloom will take place March 24-25 at FPSF's typical site in Eleanor Tinsley Park. Organizers hope weather will be more agreeable in March, which traditionally has the lowest rainfall of any month in Houston. Rain has caused significant problems with FPSF the past three years - including a washout of the Sunday headliners at last summer's fest. March temperatures also typically range from the mid-50s to the low-70s.

The new event promises "more than 50 music performances on four stages," which puts it in line more with last year's FPSF than the 2015 version where nearly 80 acts played. That number is also a modest figure compared to the larger festivals: Austin City Limits - a two-weekend event - had more than 120 acts; Bonnaroo hosts more than 100. In other words, the festivals with national name recognition are built on volume.

In this sense In Bloom may end up closer in spirit to the Hangout Music Fest in Gulf Shores, Ala., which next year will have about 60 bands play, though they're spread over three days rather than two.

Some may view the performer attrition as a net loss. I'd consider a scaled back fest a better fit for Eleanor Tinsley Park. The park's rolling and winding contours added character, but complicated crowd flow.

But, a more modestly-sized festival leads to the issue of curation, which is key for any such event. In Bloom is being produced by Houston-based Pegstar Concerts, which is smart about bookings, along with Starr Hill Presents and C3 Presents. No lineup has been announced, so no fest personality can be discerned, beyond the fan-friendly move from June to March and the name change, which isn't much to go on since it references a song by a band, Nirvana, nearly 25 years gone. But the name also fits the annual appearance of Texas Paintbrush wildflowers Bluebonnets, which lends it a hopeful vibe. And blind presale two-day passes go for $75. A two-day pass at FPSF 2017 was nearly $150.

Music festivals once came across as licenses to print money. But warning signs have brought about a rash of speculative stories this year about whether the music festival phenomenon is waning. Bonnaroo's 2016 attendance was sharply down over the year before. Austin's Sound on Sound was recently cancelled, as was the Pemberton Music Festival in British Columbia, which went bankrupt this year.

For a time FPSF was this city's one major music festival, but as it scaled back others emerged.

C3 brought Middlelands to the Texas Renaissance Festival Fair Grounds in early May. The electronic dance music-centric event claimed 66,000 attendees, a crowd that didn't make the neighbors happy. Less than two weeks later Middlelands announced the Ren Fest officials told them to find new grounds for 2018. "Middlelands shall return!" read an announcement. No further word has eked out regarding that return.

Swap out the English renaissance motif for Halloween and Something Wicked out at Sam Houston Race Park offers a comparable experience, musically at least. So the raver kids aren't left entirely in the dark.

The Houston Whatever Fest - which mixes music and comedy - moved from its fall spot to early April this year. But the HWF site has not been updated for 2018. Trying to maintain a festival one week after In Bloom could be a shaky proposition.

The wintery Day for Night, occupying the former Barbara Jordan Post Officer Dec. 15-17, doesn't aspire to boast one of those something-for-everybody posters where Kanye West, Phish, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney nestle together uncomfortably. Instead it has proven a model for establishing an identity. The careful curation of niche bands, populist by "cool" headliners and interactive art displays has drawn out-of-town goers and international press coverage as its third production approaches.

So the slow fade of FPSF left Houston without a single music festival that pulls nearly six-figure attendance. Maybe that's for the best. Perhaps the city's unforgiving climate and lack of a flat wide open festival grounds forced it to unbundle the something-for-everybody approach into something more interesting and varied. Whether that approach is a viable alternative to the too-big-to-fail festivals remains to be seen.

But better to bloom in March than wilt in June.
Judging by her by now voluminous work with arthouse treasure Hong Sang-soo and her outrageous turn in last years The Handmaiden, Kim Min-hee might be the best actress working in South Korea.

Certainly, she is getting the better parts. In Hongs latest leisurely character study, On the Beach at Night Alone, she is Young-hee, a noted actress who is trying to pick up the pieces after the end of an affair with a film director.

The film opens Friday, Dec. 1, exclusively at the 4-Star in San Francisco.

Young-hee escapes to Hamburg for a spell, leaving a trail of emotional wreckage, then returns to the South Korean beach town of Gangneung to try to reconnect with friends.

In Hongs world, friendships are tested and reaffirmed, and problems hashed out across the tables of coffeehouses, restaurants and the dinner tables at home, with soju the path to drunken confessions and bitter truths.

Hong fans will lap it up, and those who are new to the director of such art-house classics as Virgin Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors (2000), Woman on the Beach (2006) and Right Now, Wrong Then (2015, also with Kim) should prepare themselves for the kind of rich, improvisational dialogue that is rarely attempted in cinema, and rarely accomplished with such natural ease (a comparison might be Richard Linklaters Before trilogy).

Adding spice is that Hong and Kim admitted to having an affair during the filming of Right Now, Wrong Then, which eventually led to the breakup of Hongs marriage, so it appears that On the Beach at Night Alone is a way for both to work out the emotional aftermath of their transgressions.

I guess I am hard to deal with, Young-hee says to a friend. I am too direct. Men have a problem with that.

Im a monster. I need to cast off my regrets, says the director, who appears late in the film. Do you think I want this?

Films that are personal can resonate, whether its Tommy Wiseaus The Room or Steven Spielbergs childhood fantasy films. Hongs work can frustrate, but his observant cinema can also be revelatory, a reason he has such a strong international following.

But On the Beach at Night Alone is really Kims film. Her performance won her the best actress award at this years Berlin Film Festival, and she is in every scene, warts and all.

G. Allen Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ajohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BRfilmsAllen

On the Beach

at Night Alone

Drama. Starring Kim Min-hee, Seo Young-hwa. Directed by Hong Sang-soo. In Korean with subtitles. (Not rated. 101 minutes.)
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WASHINGTON  The first congressional action on guns since a rash of recent mass shootings had a distinctly pro-firearms flavor Wednesday, as a House committee approved a bill to allow nearly anyone with a permit to carry concealed weapons across state lines  even into states such as California that tightly restrict them.

Passed by Republicans on a party-line vote, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, HR38, would require every state to recognize concealed-carry permits from every other state. It would also allow people from more than a dozen states that require no permits at all to carry hidden weapons to bring them into California and other states with stringent restrictions.

Republicans billed the legislation as a response to gun mayhem, including the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history  the killings of 58 people at a country music concert in Las Vegas on Oct. 1  and a church massacre in Sutherland Springs, Texas, three weeks ago that left 26 dead.

Republican lawmakers argued that law-abiding people carrying firearms could disable mass shooters before law enforcement arrives. They advanced the bill over the protests of law enforcement officials who called the logic misguided.

We want good people carrying guns, said Rep. John Rutherford, a Republican and former sheriff from Florida, where more than 1.7 million people are allowed to carry concealed weapons.

Using the 2012 massacre of 20 schoolchildren and six adults in Newtown, Conn., as an example, Rutherford said there is usually a lag time between when a shooter begins a massacre and police arrive. If a staffer at Sandy Hook Elementary School had had a gun, Rutherford said, lives could have been saved.

The National Rifle Association runs magazine stories every single month of people with firearms saving lives, Rutherford said. I do not believe my right to protect myself should end at a state line.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., called the legislation incredibly dangerous.

Under this bill, someone with a concealed-carry permit from Nevada or Arizona would be able to carry a concealed weapon in California, no questions asked, Feinstein said, citing two states with few or no restrictions on carrying weapons. Its particularly shocking that House Republicans decided to advance this bill in the wake of two of the deadliest shootings in U.S. history.

Feinstein assembled more than two dozen local prosecutors and law enforcement officials who warned that the legislation would endanger the public and police.

If you have 12 other states that in essence issue gun permits to anybody for no reason at all, they can come into California with that permit and usurp what we have in California, said Eddie Rivero, assistant sheriff of Los Angeles County. This would just multiply the folks that we encounter every day that are going to be armed.

The law enforcement officials instead urged passage of Feinsteins legislation to ban bump stocks, used by the Las Vegas gunman, that can turn a semiautomatic weapon into a machine gun. It stands no chance of passage in the GOP-controlled Congress.

All but one of Californias 14 Republicans have signed on to the concealed-carry bill as co-sponsors. The exception is Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, who as House majority leader does not customarily co-sponsor legislation. The bill by Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., has 213 co-sponsors, including four Democrats. None of the four is from California.

Rep. Mike Thompson, a St. Helena Democrat and gun owner who has led his partys efforts to strengthen firearms laws, said the bill could pass the House as early as next week. Democrats could block the bill in the Senate through a filibuster, but Thompson said with several Democrats from conservative states facing re-election next year, the bills opponents may not be able to muster even the 41 senators needed to keep the measure from coming to a vote.

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming and Vermont are all permitless states that put almost no restrictions on gun ownership. Several other states such as Montana and New Mexico have only loose concealed-carry laws.

California issues concealed-carry permits, but only if approved by local police. Gun owners typically have to submit to background checks and other restrictions. Sheriffs offices in rural areas generally grant licenses to those claiming a need to pack a gun for self-defense, but law enforcement officials in cities are far more restrictive. Most of those able to secure such permits in places like San Francisco and Oakland are police officers and security guards.

Californias law survived a legal challenge by gun groups, as the U.S. Supreme Court refused to take it up in June.

Calling the House legislation crazy, Thompson said some state gun laws are so permissive that under the legislation you could find a gun on the street and carry it concealed into California. Some states have no age limits, so if youre a 16-year-old you can come into California with a concealed weapon.

Other states allow people convicted of violent misdemeanors to carry guns. A domestic abuser in some state could come to every other state with a concealed gun, Thompson said.

Law enforcement officers who testified before the Judiciary Committee argued in vain that the legislation violates the rights of local jurisdictions to determine their own gun laws.

Ben Tucker, deputy New York City police commissioner, said his city sees 60 million visitors each year. It would be impossible to safely police the city under circumstances where people arrive with concealed weapons, Tucker said. He called the legislation just ludicrous. It makes police officers unsafe. It makes the public unsafe.

Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., the committee chairman, said states would still be able to enforce laws that ban felons from owning guns.

The way to combat gun violence is not to infringe the rights of law-abiding citizens, but to enforce the laws against criminals, Goodlatte said. This bill is about the simple proposition that law-abiding Americans should be able to exercise their right to self-defense even when they cross out of their states borders.

Carolyn Lochhead is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carolynlochhead
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According to Coronado band director Mark Franklin, this is another record-breaking year for the Coronado Middle School band with 23 students selected for the All-Region Band.

Additionally, four students qualified for the All-Region Orchestra, a rare honor reserved for only the top few in select instruments.
WASHINGTON - Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, one of the longest-serving Republicans in the House, announced Thursday that he will not seek another term representing his suburban Dallas-Fort Worth district.

The announcement came after news reports revealing that Barton had carried on multiple extramarital relationships before his 2015 divorce. A lewd photo he sent to one of those women circulated online last week, prompting Barton to apologize.

One woman who spoke to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity last week described a five-year relationship with Barton that began with an innocent Facebook message from the congressman that eventually led to explicit phone calls, text messages, photos and videos, as well as a pair of meetings. Both Barton and the woman said the interactions were consensual, but the woman said she felt deceived and betrayed after she learned about other women Barton was having similar relationships with.

Barton confirmed his retirement, which was first reported by the Dallas Morning News, in a statement issued Thursday.

"I am very proud of my public record and the many accomplishments of my office," he said. "It has been a tremendous honor to represent the 6th District of Texas for over three decades, but now it is time to step aside and let there be a new voice."

Barton told the Dallas Morning News that he believes he could still win reelection. "But it would be a nasty campaign, a difficult campaign for my family," he told the paper. He faced increasing pressure from local Republican power brokers, and a GOP challenger filed papers to run against him on Wednesday.

The woman who spoke to The Post last week shared a recording of a 2015 phone call where Barton confronted her over her communications with other women he had propositioned. In that context, Barton mentioned the Capitol Police - a comment the woman interpreted as an attempt to intimidate her.

"I want your word that this ends," he said, according to the recording. "I will be completely straight with you. I am ready if I have to, I don't want to, but I should take all this crap to the Capitol Hill Police and have them launch an investigation. And if I do that, that hurts me potentially big time."

"Why would you even say that to me?" the woman responded. "The Capitol Hill police? And what would you tell them, sir?"

Said Barton: "I would tell them that I had a three-year undercover relationship with you over the Internet that was heavily sexual and that I had met you twice while married and had sex with you on two different occasions and that I exchanged inappropriate photographs and videos with you that I wouldn't like to be seen made public, that you still apparently had all of those and were in position to use them in a way that would negatively affect my career. That's the truth."

Barton called the recording "evidence" of a potential crime, citing a Texas "revenge porn" statute, and said the Capitol Police were now investigating. The woman denies any wrongdoing, including threatening Barton or posting the lewd photo publicly, and the Capitol Police have not commented on whether they intend to investigate.

Another woman, Kelly Canon, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in a story published Wednesday that Barton had sent her inappropriate, sexually suggestive messages on Facebook in 2012 and 2013. "men are men . . . and u r definitely a sexy woman," he wrote to Canon, who is active in Republican politics in Arlington, Texas.

Texas's 6th Congressional District stretches from the suburbs south of Dallas and Fort Worth into rural areas southeast of the metroplex. The district has a nine-point Republican lean according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, and supported Donald Trump by 12 points over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in last year's presidential election.

Barton was first elected to the House in 1984, making him fifth in overall seniority among Republicans. He is a former chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee who is known on Capitol Hill as a fierce advocate for the oil and gas industry and a foe of environmentalists. He serves as vice chairman of that panel.
NAVARRE, Fla. - As his Monday night town hall meeting wrapped up, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., called on a veteran who had a question about benefits and praise for the congressman's work.

"I'd like to congratulate you and Rep. [Jim] Jordan on bringing the Clinton Foundation up for possible prosecution or investigation," Dan Smith said.

Gaetz smiled as constituents, gathered on the porch of a gulfside barbecue joint, cheered and booed. He and Jordan, R-Ohio, he promised, would keep working to expose Hillary Clinton.

"I enjoy being the Robin to his Batman," Gaetz said of the Ohio congressman - a veteran of the Benghazi committee beloved by staunch conservatives.

The 35-year old Gaetz, a freshman congressman who has held more public town hall meetings this year than almost any of his Republican peers, has become one of Clinton's most visible antagonists. On Nov. 3, Gaetz introduced a resolution demanding that former FBI Director Robert Mueller resign as the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. Since then, he's appeared on cable news 20 times to discuss that effort or the need to investigate Clinton.

While Republican leaders have made passing a tax bill their top priority, arguing it is crucial to the party's electoral future, voters, particularly President Donald Trump's most ardent supporters, have been somewhat disengaged and have exhibited only some of the enthusiasm for the effort that they did for the long Affordable Care Act battle this summer.

Driving more interest, from town halls to prime-time cable news, are familiar political battles with a partisan edge. The push for another Clinton investigation has been the most reliable, resurfacing in meetings of the House Judiciary Committee and dominating Fox News.

Gaetz, more nimbly than many Republicans, has kept his focus on the stories that excite the base. Like the president, who has continued his feud with "crooked Hillary" more than a year after the 2016 election, Gaetz is in a permanent campaign against what Clinton represents. He represents the view among many Republicans that attacks on Clinton are a way to personalize "the swamp," or the establishment, in a way that connects with their votes more powerfully than anything on the GOP's legislative agenda.

Just six months into his House career, Gaetz joined Jordan and every other Republican on the Judiciary Committee to pass a bill asking for a new probe of how the FBI handled its investigation of Clinton's email. They did so by replacing a Democratic bill - one that would have asked for a fresh investigation into the firing of James Comey - with a surprise amendment.

Since then, the president has occasionally thrown the Clinton story back into headlines with a tweet asking why she was not being investigated. The tweets were part of a feedback loop, which included congressional investigations and reports on Fox News that the president watches regularly.

In one example, on Nov. 15, the FBI released emails from deputy director Andrew McCabe, who became a flash point in the investigation because his wife ran for office with the support of Clinton allies. On Fox, Gaetz highlighted one email in which McCabe explained to the FBI's press team that he had not been involved with the Clinton probe, as "it was referred to as a 'special' and I was not given any details about it." That word - "special" - fit right into Republican questions about whether Clinton got off easily.

"I don't think there's a Democrat or Republican on Capitol Hill who'd hold up the Clinton investigation as a model for future generations to follow," Gaetz said in an interview. "It was sort of a three-ring circus. These McCabe emails are really damn troubling; they highlight a process for Hillary Clinton that was different than anyone else in Washington."

A day in Gaetz's district, which covers the Florida panhandle from Alabama's border halfway to Tallahassee, hinted at what was resonating and what fell flat. Asked about the tax bill, voters confessed that they had heard about it but hadn't dug into the details. Just 28.2 percent of the district's vote had gone to Hillary Clinton, and Gaetz, a former state legislator whose father represented much of the district in the state senate, won easily. But voters were unimpressed with Washington's work.

"There is a distrust that the GOP Congress can deliver on the promises it's made," Gaetz said. "That distrust is born of the health care failure. It's not going to be real to people until they see the president signing it into law. Nobody's waving pompoms yet, and I wouldn't expect them to."

Conservative voters were much more ready to talk about the fate of Hillary Clinton. Like Gaetz, they asked whether she received a velvet-gloved treatment from federal investigators looking into her use of a private email server while serving as secretary of State. Clinton, they said, had gotten away with something. A political establishment with no interest in accountability let it happen.

"It's the law," said Ron Williams, a retired agent at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. "Are you above the law, or not? Do we have a political class that's above the law? That's what it comes down to. I don't care. Give her probation. Give her a frickin' felony count. That stuff should not just be swept under the rug."

For Carmen Reynolds, an Air Force veteran and former journalist, a question about Clinton got her irritated all over again about the possibility that the Obama administration let a Russian company make off with American uranium. The saga of Uranium One, a company whose resources were sold after nine federal agencies - not just Clinton's state department - signed off in 2010, had penetrated deeply.

The Uranium One story, which began with research from a Breitbart News affiliate and briefly dogged Clinton's 2016 campaign, resurfaced on conservative media as soon as Mueller's probe issued its first indictments in late October. In conversations, northwest Florida voters were familiar with a broad brush version of the story - one in which Clinton had clearly acted wrongly and gotten away with it.

"How could we sell our uranium - I believe, conservatively, 20 percent - to another country?" asked Reynolds. "What does that do to our national security? These are our national resources. Who else was involved? Who turned a blind eye? Who conveniently looked the other way who's still in power now? That's what I want to know."

Even if the Uranium One investigation was messy with no evidence of wrongdoing by Clinton, it was laid out clearly, with heroes and villains - something lacking in the rest of Congress's work.

Like many in his district, Gaetz sounds unenthusiastic, if supportive, about the tax bill party leaders are pushing amid their anxiety that if it fails - there goes the party's control of Congress.

Gaetz did not predict the tax package would pay for itself with surging revenue. He supported the bill but wanted to cut spending and means-test programs like Medicare.

"I am not confident that the growth projected will overwhelm the deprivations of the federal budget," said Gaetz. "I wanted to cut spending this year. I lost that fight. Now the sole question is whether to hold taxpayers hostage to Washington's failure to cut spending."

Many of the conservatives at the town hall encouraged Gaetz to keep backing Trump and ignore the criticism aimed at the president by the media and his detractors.

"People need to support our president," said Jeffrey Repke, a retiree in Navarre. "I look at ABC News, and I consider them treasonous, for God's sake."

The town hall ended amicably, with Gaetz sticking around to take more personal questions as other constituents polished off barbecued pork sandwiches. When Gaetz returned to Washington, the tax fight and the normal funding of the government were the biggest issues facing the House.

But he isn't letting go of Clinton.

On Thursday afternoon, as Senate Republicans began pushing the tax bill to a final vote, Gaetz and two colleagues sent a letter to the FBI, asking Director Christopher Wray to answer six questions about the bureau's handling of investigations involving Clinton and Trump - four them were about whether Clinton got special treatment and the other two concerned whether the FBI unfairly surveil the Trump campaign.

"Oftentimes, conservatives are cast as tinfoil hat people just for wanting answers on how the Clintons have evaded real scrutiny for decades," said Gaetz. "And now that we have the evidence, that normal procedures were departed from, we need reforms so that this doesn't happen again."
In an effort to address charges that sexual harassment runs rampant in the Capitol, Congress will require members and staff to undergo sexual harassment training. Three states have taken a similar approach, and the track record is not encouraging.

California and Connecticut have made sexual harassment training mandatory for supervisors in companies with more than 50 employees. In Maine, firms with 15 or more workers must provide training. All three require information to be posted in the workplace that details the complaint process for employees who have been subject to harassment.

None of the states have seen a meaningful or consistent decrease in reports of sexual harassment since training became mandatory. In California, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing is planning to survey business owners in order to determine why the training, mandated since 2005, isn't working, and what it should do instead.

"The social science is not in on whether training overall is helpful," said Kevin Kish, director of the California agency. "Sometimes, training can be counterproductive and actually increase the likelihood of harassment taking place."

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has been preparing new recommendations for harassment enforcement and training that's expected to be released in the next four months. The agency was critical of the current state of prevention training, writing in a report that three-quarters of harassment incidents probably go unreported.

Starting this year, California businesses that provide janitorial services of any size will be required to provide training, because it's a job where men often supervise women working in empty buildings after regular business hours, Kish said. New York is considering mandatory training for companies that employ maids.

Connecticut, which first required training in 1992, has offered free classes the last half dozen years to get better information to smaller employers, said Cheryl Sharp, deputy director of the state's Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, which enforces harassment laws. Complaints remain steady at more than 100 a year, she said.

Maine, which in 1991 became the first state to require training, beefed up enforcement last year to ensure it actually gets delivered, said Amy Sneirson, executive director of the Maine Human Rights Commission. The state hadn't had anyone checking for 25 years, she said, adding that she had no reason to think firms weren't in compliance.

Total complaints have fluctuated in Maine. They are down from their all-time highs, but in the last five to six years have risen as often as not.

"[Sexual harassment] is pretty resistant to any training, because the people who are going to do it, don't care," she said. "Generally speaking, the sexual harassment complaints that we get tend to be based on situations where there's a power differential between the harasser and the person who is being harassed. That hasn't changed as much as you'd like to think."
WASHINGTON - Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., has no immediate plans to resign and intends to fight allegations of sexual harassment and mistreatment from former female aides, his attorney said Wednesday.

"The congressman is a very deliberate person and doesn't want to make a hasty decision," Michigan-based attorney Arnold Reed said in a phone interview. "These allegations are untrue, and Mr. Conyers wants the public to know they are untrue. We will weigh and continue to assess his options."

The statement came as members of the Congressional Black Caucus declined to call for Conyers to step down, complicating efforts by Democratic leaders to ease the veteran lawmaker toward an exit.

"We are not urging John Conyers to resign," CBC chairman Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., said Wednesday afternoon. "We're not. We think that is a decision for him and his family and his constituents to make."

Conyers's remained at home in Detroit as his colleagues in Washington grappled with how to address a growing public outcry about sexual harassment in Congress, which some female lawmakers have described as rampant. In a small step, the House approved legislation Wednesday mandating workplace harassment training for all members and staff.

But the political future of Conyers, 88, dominated discussions on Capitol Hill after a fourth woman accused the congressman of unwanted sexual advances when she worked for him. Conyers flew home abruptly Tuesday night after stepping aside as ranking Democrat of the House Judiciary Committee at the urging of House leaders.

Detroit station WDIV-TV, citing two unnamed sources, reported late Wednesday that Conyers intends to announce his decision not to run for reelection in January. Reached at his office, Reed said the report was based on rumor, not fact. "That is not true. That is not true," he said.

Reed said he and Conyers did not discuss plans for the congressman to return to Washington during a Wednesday meeting.

"It's been an ugly scene around their home," Reed said. "When I went over there, [reporters] were out there like vultures. Mr. Conyers is awfully concerned about that. This does not involve his family."

Only a few Democratic lawmakers have explicitly called for Conyers to step aside, and some allies urged caution as the House Ethics Committee examines the charges.

"I've seen cases where the allegations don't have merit. We need a fair process," said Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., vice chair of the Democratic conference. "You don't want character assassinations."

Conyers and Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., who has been accused of inappropriately touching several women, are now subjects of ethics investigations.

Franken, 66, returned to Washington on Monday from Thanksgiving break and apologized for his behavior.

Conyers's decision to step aside from his committee post was seen as a concession to critics who said he should no longer occupy such a powerful perch as allegations of misconduct mount.

Asked Wednesday whether Conyers should resign, Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., declined to say.

"Look, I know what I would do if this happened to me," Ryan said at a news conference. "I will leave it up to him to decide what he wants to do. I think he made the right decision in stepping down from his leadership position."

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., addressed the situation indirectly on Wednesday afternoon, before the House voted to mandate anti-harassment training.

"Zero tolerance means consequences for everyone," Pelosi said in a floor speech. "No matter your contribution to our country, you do not get a pass to harass or discriminate. No matter how great the legacy, it is not a license to harass or abuse."

Conyers' legacy is a complicating factor for colleagues as they weigh how to respond to the misconduct allegations. His legislative seniority, influence on past policy debates and ties to the civil rights movement have made him a revered figure among House Democrats.

Confronted Wednesday by reporters, Richmond and Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., responded abruptly when one journalist noted that other prominent men accused of harassment - such as NBC's Matt Lauer and CBS' Charlie Rose - were fired or stepped down from their positions quickly after facing similar accusations.

"Who elected them?" said Clyburn, the third-ranking House Democrat, as he boarded an elevator.

Members of the CBC refused to answer questions about Conyers as they exited a meeting. Inside the room, Conyers, Franken and other members who have dealt with harassment allegations were discussed.

"There was talk about how the system was probably created by men and not by a table that had diversity around it," Richmond said.

Sexual harassment also consumed discussion at the House Democrats' weekly closed-door caucus meeting, according to people who were present. Lawmakers discussed workplace issues facing Capitol Hill, including how congressional offices field, investigate and settle harassment and discrimination complaints.

Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y., one of the few Democrats who has publicly called for Conyers to step down, joined Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., and Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., on Wednesday to introduce legislation to revamp the process for handling sexual harassment claims in Congress.

She left the Democrats' meeting saying that leaders were focused on a proposal to require sexual harassment training but did not grapple with the Conyers issue.

"Let's talk about the big elephant in the room," Rice said. "I don't have time for conversations that are not real, that are not going to advance the ball."

Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., have also said Conyers should resign. "Obviously that's his decision, but I would think he should," Blumenauer said in an interview with C-SPAN on Wednesday morning.

Rice suggested that Ryan could advance the debate if he allowed a Conyers accuser bound by a confidentiality agreement to go public. "I'm calling on the speaker, who clearly has the power, to release her from her nondisclosure agreement," Rice said. "We can't say we stand for victims as a body if we hold her to a confidentiality agreement that allows her accuser - her abuser - to talk about her but leaves her in the lurch."

The bill she unveiled with DeSantis and Blackburn, who is running for Senate, would eliminate the fund used to pay out harassment settlements, retroactively reveal who had settled and require those politicians to pay back the money with interest.

---

The Washington Post's Mike DeBonis and Kimberly Kindy contributed to this report.
Federal prosecutors have agreed that former congressman William Jefferson should not serve any more prison time now that parts of his corruption conviction have been overturned.

Jefferson, 70, a Democrat from Louisiana, was convicted on 11 fraud and bribery charges in 2009. But seven of 10 remaining convictions were overturned by a judge earlier this year in light of the Supreme Court's ruling in the case of former Virginia governor Robert McDonnell. One conviction was overturned by an appeals court in 2012.
How Kratom works



First lets take a quick look at how kratom works. Kratom contains a number of active components, so-called alkaloids, of which mitragynine is believed to be responsible for most of its effects. Mitragynine is an opioid agonist, meaning that it has an affinity for the opioid receptors in your brain. These receptors influence ones mood and anxiety. Mitragynine binds to these receptors and improves your mood and gives a euphoric-like feeling, just like opiates such as heroin and opium. The big difference between kratom and opiates is that mitragynine prefers so-called delta opioid receptors, while opiates bind to mu opioid receptors. At higher doses, mitragynine increasingly stimulates mu receptors. This is believed to be the reason that kratom has a stimulating effect at lower doses and narcotic effects at higher doses, and that it is not (strongly) addictive.
DALLAS - James O'Keefe, the self-described "guerrilla journalist" who runs Project Veritas, spoke to students at Southern Methodist University here on Wednesday night, highlighting his organization's undercover efforts to expose what it says is liberal bias in the media and defending the deceptive tactics that are its trademark.

O'Keefe spoke just days after it was revealed that one of his organization's undercover operatives was attempting to plant a fake story with The Washington Post, and he made mention of the sting operation just briefly, portraying himself as a David battling the Goliath of the mainstream media and vowing to push ahead with his efforts. In that case, a woman named Jaime Phillips claimed to have had a sexual relationship with U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore when she was a teenager and tried to lure reporters into covering the false story; The Post instead revealed the ploy.

"The Washington Post seems to want a Nobel Prize for vetting a source correctly," he said.

O'Keefe was invited by a campus organization, SMU Young Americans For Freedom, and about 100 people attended the speech in a student center theater as video and TV cameras lined the rear of the hall. There were no protests or disruptions.

"It's been quite a week and I have a lot to say. So this should be very fun," O'Keefe said. "We live in unbelievable times and investigative reporting doesn't really happen very often anymore. Yes, we use disguise, yes, we go undercover, but sometimes it's the only way to ferret out what people really believe - when nobody's looking."

He also acknowledged that his tactics are controversial and sometimes draw scorn: "I think in many ways being hated is a sign of respect," he said.

O'Keefe gave the greatest hits of his undercover career, starting when, as a student at Rutgers, he pretended to be offended by the green-clad Irish-looking figure depicted on Lucky Charms cereal boxes. He showed a video of his visit to a university official in which he complained about the depiction, which he claimed was offensive to Irish Americans, and said Rutgers agreed to ban Lucky Charms from the dining hall.

He showed his much-discussed sting operation against an ACORN office in Baltimore, during which he pretended to be a pimp, accompanied by a prostitute, looking for government assistance in opening a house of prostitution. That preceded federal defunding of ACORN.

Other stings targeted Planned Parenthood, NPR, an educational publishing house and the leaders of a teacher's union in Yonkers, New York. Acknowledging that Project Veritas has been criticized for selective editing of its undercover videos, O'Keefe said: "We stand by our reporting, and we stand by every edit we have ever made at Project Veritas."

He lamented that Project Veritas is not widely viewed as a legitimate journalistic enterprise. Describing an attempt by New Hampshire prosecutors to obtain his raw unpublished footage, he said, "Would you ask '60 Minutes' to cooperate with the U.S. government, to hand over hard drives?"

"At Veritas, we believe that we're all journalists now," he said. "The establishment desperately needs to narrow the definition of who is a journalist, in order to protect their power."

Project Veritas in recent months targeted The Post and other news organizations in Washington and New York. It apparently attempted to plant a false story about Moore, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in an Alabama special election. Phillips contacted The Post claiming that Moore had impregnated her as a teenager and then paid for an abortion. The woman's story did not stand up to further reporting and fact-checking, and The Post discovered that she had connections to Project Veritas.

O'Keefe's organization has since posted surreptitious videos of Post reporters and other staff members discussing President Donald Trump, the Russia investigation and news operations.

On Wednesday, Project Veritas posted a video message from O'Keefe on social media: "The entire media establishment is against Project Veritas for good reason. We're challenging their credibility, their veracity and their monopoly. We are an existential threat to them . . . Project Veritas has a stone lodged between Goliath's eyes. The media wants me to kneel down and apologize. I will not."

After the Post exposed the false story, the SMU student group posted a statement on its Facebook page saying it had invited O'Keefe to campus "because his experience in investigative journalism and holding organizations and media outlets accountable makes him noteworthy" and invited attendees of the speech to ask O'Keefe "challenging questions during the Q&A session."

Only a few of the questions were challenging, though. O'Keefe twice declined to address whether the failed sting operation at The Post made The Post's earlier reporting on Moore, involving alleged sexual predation of teenagers, more credible.

He made clear that Project Veritas is continuing to push forward.

"We have many, many, many people across the country as I speak having meetings undercover at varying levels of access," O'Keefe said. "They'll have to deal with me for many years."
Stop us if youve heard this before: Theres a new place opening on 24th Street (called Junior) and its filling the space formerly held by the neighborhood dive (Jacks Club), which closed a few years ago.

The details are mostly out at this point but the team behind it  Anthony Healy-London, Matty Conway, David Ruiz and Josh McAdam  is the same crew behind behind Brass Tacks in Hayes Valley.

With yet another food/drink destination opening its shiny new doors on 24th Street, maybe its time to take a second, breathe and look at what has happened on this stretch of the Mission in the last quarter.

Remember Foxsister, Brandon Kirkseys soju bar that cause a bit of a stir in the neighborhood when it was originally announced? Well it opened in October. Later that same month and only two blocks away came Sons Addition, the neighborhood restaurant from husband and wife duo chef Nick Cobarruvias and Anna Sager Cobarruvias.

Though we havent talked about it in a while, Thad Vogler still has Obispo in the works, the rum bar thatll be less than a half-mile from Sons Addition, a block from Foxsister and and less than a full mile from the new bar Junior. Its the only project that has Latin American influences, which Vogler said a long time ago was an ode to the historically Latin American neighborhood its in.

Theres been an ongoing conversation for a while now about how the cultural heritage of this historically Latin American swath of San Francisco can be preserved. Its a complicated endeavor, especially as as more and more new, trendy concepts flock to 24th Street, ones that from the outside dont seem to exactly fit any cultural preservation initiative. As the crowds flock to the new spots, its nearby legacy businesses, like La Victoria Bakery, are left feeling the pinch.

(Read more about our coverage of the changing business climate on 24th Street here.)

All in all, its three new destinations there that have opened since September. Odds are high by the time this post is uploaded, well be adding another new place to this list.

Junior: 2545 24th St.; Opens today Monday to Friday, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday 12 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips
A Maryland physician was arrested Thursday on federal drug charges, accused of illegally writing Adderall prescriptions for waitresses at Hooters restaurants.

William Samuel Vaughn III, 62, of Largo, has been charged with 66 counts of distribution and dispensation, and of causing and attempting to cause the distribution and dispensation, of controlled dangerous substances, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney's office in Maryland.

Vaughn, a physician at an urgent-care center in Potomac, was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday and arrested Thursday.

Vaughn wrote prescriptions without having legitimate medical reasons between January 2014 and June, the government said. Some of those illegal prescriptions were for four Hooters waitresses at locations in Rockville and Laurel, federal prosecutors said during his initial appearance in federal district court in Greenbelt on Thursday afternoon.

Vaughn allowed his medical license to lapse in September, and the urgent care he worked for is no longer in business, federal prosecutors said.

He wrote some prescriptions without the proper licensing authority and in some cases posing as another physician to get the prescriptions filled, federal prosecutors said.

The federal public defender representing Vaughn declined to comment after his court hearing.

Adderall, the amphetamine Vaughn prescribed, is a stimulant. Vaughn also illegally prescribed other drugs, federal prosecutors said. It is unclear if he prescribed the drugs to people other than the waitresses.

"Vaughn violated his privilege and authority to prescribe controlled drugs lawfully by putting his own personal gain ahead of his patients' health and well-being," Gordon B. Johnson, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Baltimore field office, said in a statement announcing the indictment.

The FBI asks anyone with information about Vaughn's prescribing to call 410-265-8080.

Vaughn faces up to 20 years in prison.
Project Veritas, the conservative charity that uses deceptive techniques to make undercover video recordings to embarrass its targets, is at risk of losing its ability to raise money in New York because it did not disclose that its founder had a criminal record, New York regulators said Thursday.

The organization has until Dec. 14 to explain why it failed to disclose James O'Keefe's 2010 criminal conviction and had other omissions on records submitted to the state, according to a letter the New York Attorney General sent to the charity on Wednesday.

If it does not provide an explanation, the letter states, Project Veritas could lose its ability to raise money in New York, a hotbed for charitable giving and the state where the group has its offices. It was not immediately clear how much of the group's fundraising would be impacted.

Stephen Gordon, a spokesman for Project Veritas, said Thursday that he could not comment because he had not seen the letter.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais /Associated Press

The letter came days after a Washington Post story revealed that an operative tied to Project Veritas falsely claimed to two Post reporters that U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore impregnated her as a teenager. The Post did not publish a story based on her account, which collapsed under scrutiny from reporters.

On Wednesday, The Post reported that the effort by Jaime Phillips to plant a false story about Moore was part of a monthslong campaign to infiltrate The Post and other media outlets in Washington and New York.

New York becomes the latest state to raise concerns about the 2010 criminal conviction of the group's president, James O'Keefe. In late 2014 and early 2015, Utah and Mississippi stripped the charity of its ability to raise money in those states after learning that it had failed to disclose O'Keefe's conviction to regulators there.

A spokeswoman for New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the range of possible repercussions.

O'Keefe pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of entering a federal building under false pretenses in May 2010 after posing as a telephone repairman to gain entry to the office of Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. He paid a fine and was sentenced to three years of probation.

Project Veritas was created in June of that year, and O'Keefe is listed as the founder on documents the charity submitted to the IRS that same month.

But when the group applied for a license to raise money in New York that December, records show, it certified that none of its officers, directors or principal executives had been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, records show.

The letter sent Thursday, signed by the chief of the charity's bureau in New York, demands that Project Veritas explain why that certification is not a violation of a state law prohibiting making false statements on an application for registration in the state. State officials also flagged two other problems with the group's paperwork.

The group did not disclose that it was "enjoined" from fundraising in Mississippi and Utah, according to the letter. Charities are required to report any such changes to its status in other states.

Project Veritas tried to explain similar problems to North Carolina regulators earlier this year, records in that state show. It said it had not intentionally misled officials in Mississippi. But Mississippi declined to give the charity a license because "O'Keefe held a position with the authority to write checks," according to documents the charity submitted to North Carolina.

Utah refused to issue Project Veritas a license because it made the same mistake, documents show.
A U.S. ship assigned to protect an American aircraft carrier off the Korean Peninsula collided with a commercial fishing boat after losing track of it on radar and attempting "improper and untimely maneuvers" in an attempt to avoid a wreck, the Navy said in report released Thursday.

The May 9 collision of the USS Lake Champlain, a guided-missile cruiser, was one of four major mishaps for Navy ships in the Pacific this year, including two that left 17 sailors dead. The incidents have prompted broad scrutiny of the Navy's seamanship, training, deployment schedules and oversight by senior officials.

The Champlain, a 567-foot long cruiser, collided with the 60-foot South Korean fishing ship Nam Yang 502 in the Sea of Japan at 11:51 a.m., 16 minutes after the Champlain lost track of the smaller boat. The cruiser's crew ordered a hard turn of 30 degrees first to the right, and then to the left, ultimately striking the Nam Yang 502. The South Korean vessel's bow, or front, struck the Champlain's port, or left, side.

The collision created a 3-foot by 5-foot dent on Lake Champlain, before the South Korean ship pivoted to its right and scraped the ship's side. U.S. sailors inside reported a bulge on an inside wall, or bulkhead, of the ship, but the vessel did not take on water and no one was injured, the report said.

At the time of the mishap, the Lake Champlain was operating in formation with the USS Carl Vinson, an aircraft carrier, and the ROKS Yangmanchun, a South Korean destroyer. The Lake Champlain and Yangmanchun provided security for the carrier, with the Champlain posted to the southwest and the Yangmanchun to the northeast.

The report cited "numerous failures" by Navy personnel standing watch on the Lake Champlain, including an inability to adhere to "sound navigation practices," use available tools at their disposal, such as radar, and respond effectively when in danger of a collision.

The Navy released brief description of the collision in a report Nov. 1 that detailed a broad review of Navy operations in the Pacific. It was called for this summer by Adm. John Richardson, the service's top officer, after the destroyers USS Fitzgerald and the USS John S. McCain suffered catastrophic collisions June 17 and Aug. 21, respectively. The Fitzgerald accident killed seven sailors off the southern coast of Japan, while the McCain collision killed 10 sailors near Singapore.

The Navy had declined numerous Freedom of Information Act requests to release a report detailing the Lake Champlain investigation, citing open litigation. Richardson, when asked at a Nov. 2 news conference, committed to releasing a more detailed report about the Champlain.
Jimgorn said: Here's the rational.....people are judging a President while he is in office....That's like reading a part of a book and then saying you know all about it...That makes you look foolish...It is fine to question what a President is doing to a rational and unbiased degree....But once it crosses into the area of actively undermining the duly seated President, the people doing that should be under suspicion....



Example...while Obama was President....Yep...there was Limbaugh, Hannity and Glen Beck along with FOX News constantly questioning Obama, which was more or less equal to the scrutiny given to Bush II, by the other side....but, Clinton got scrutinized more thoroughly... Trump on the other hand, has not only the Scarboroughs, Cumos and Now this Billionaire spending $20 million advertising to impeach Trump, but there is Hollywood (Calif.)...Two major "news" Networks....the New York Times and The Washington Post and BOTH Political Parties out trying to actively scuttle a sitting President....If you ain't concerned about that ...then you must be nuts.. Click to expand...

For a while, I agreed with your position regarding Trump. But it's been going on a year now, and off the top of my head I can't give you one thing he's done of which I approve.It's standing room only in my head for the actions he's taken of which I disapprove. Daily "alternative facts." His narcissism, thus the twittering Rumplethinskin.His dismantling of environmental protections. His threatened evisceration of our national monuments, and one of my favorites the Grand Staircase Escalante in Utah. I took my wife on Highway 12, which runs through this amazing area. She literally could not believe her eyes. "How can there be a highway through land like this?"Pics really don't do justice to the enormity of the Grand Staircase Escalante but here are a few pics.Our glorious leader wants to open up more than half of the area to coal mining, in a time in which we have tons of natural gas. Moreover, the average BTU content of this coal is only 2/3's of the average BTU content of US coal in general. It's mainly sub-bituminous coal if that means anything to ya.I'm just supposed to shut up and support "my president" in his intentions for one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen? Can you imagine "reclamation" in semi-arid terrain that's mostly beautiful rock strata?Impossible.Now, he's set to "declare" Jerusalem to be Israel's capital?He's ruining our country for our children and grandchildren, he's moved us closer to nuclear war than we've been in 30-40 years, and every single day he does something truly stupid or worse, and some days more than one stupid thing.Sorry Jim, as I said elsewhere I never thought we'd see a president worse than GW, but that's what we've got.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump in a tweet Thursday morning said that North Korea's recent missile launch showed that the Chinese envoy who just returned from the country "seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man."

On Wednesday, North Korea launched its third and most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, which experts now believe could reach the mainland United States.
Superintendent Orlando Riddick on Wednesday said Midland ISD can develop ways to address readiness and keep students engaged throughout their K-12 education. He also told parents of gifted and talented students that the work doesnt have to be done in isolation.

I want to be sure that they feel that their kids are getting the best, Riddick said after the GT Parents Association meeting at the Midland County Public Library downtown branch. I want every parent to know that thats what I want for their kids, whether theyre in a GT program or theyre just in our regular program.

Riddick spoke for more than one hour to a group of about 40 people, which included parents and MISD personnel. Some parents expressed concern about the lack of technology and rigor in secondary classrooms and asked questions related to students who are ready to work at higher levels.

The superintendent said some school structures have long existed and that theres a gap for advancing learners. He said the district can examine ways to address student readiness based on giftedness or interest in specific areas.

Riddick said MISD has a strong GT program at the elementary level and doesnt know what the future could look like for junior high and high schools.

I think those are things that we have to consider, Riddick said. I think that we have to have some kind of hybrid of a method in how we look at things, whether it be a building, a classroom or a portion of an academy of some type.

For Rooney Mestas, president of GTPA, the topic of readiness stood out. She said some GT students had been kept at certain levels even though they were prepared to work ahead.

I really like that he is willing to get outside of the box and open things up and allow more accelerated learning for those kids who are ready for it, Mestas said. I do think thats something that we as a group will readdress.

Mestas said the GTPA wanted to hear Riddicks perspective about topics related to GT students and hoped the meeting would help the association formulate its agenda.

The GTPA discussed a 2017-18 mission of improving test scores for Advanced Placement exams, according to minutes from last months meeting.

Riddick on Wednesday addressed student scores when he presented a question related to students who have high grades in AP classes but fail the exams.

Mestas said the topic is an indication that the curriculum or teachers arent preparing students for exams. The GTPA recently gathered Midland and Lee high school AP test results for the past five years and found they were sometimes below the global and Texas mean scores.

It tells me were not where we need to be, Mestas said. Our students have the potential to have passing scores on these AP exams, and theyre not being adequately prepared for these exams. Thats what it tells me on the whole.

Mestas said there are now plans for AP preparation to start this spring during the student advisory period.

Also during Wednesdays meeting, Riddick spoke about his personal connection to GT programs as a parent and a former educator in secondary schools.

I want to let them know that their superintendent, as well, is not disengaged from what they have gone through as a parent, Riddick said. As a parent, when I put my parent hat on, Ive had my students who had their experiences as well.
Nearly nine years after the city won a landmark case in which jurors found online travel booking companies pocketed hotel occupancy taxes, a federal appeals court has blocked the multimillion-dollar payout San Antonio expected.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday reversed a lower court ruling that affirmed the $20 million jury verdict from 2009 for San Antonio and more than 170 other Texas cities. Because of added penalties and accumulated interest, the total award has grown to $84 million. By leading the court charge, San Antonio stood to collect the largest chunk.

The ruling says the online travel companies, or OTCs, already have been paying their share of the occupancy taxes on the discounted rate they negotiate with customers who book hotel rooms.

Cities concede OTCs have been collecting taxes on the discounted room rate paid to the hotel, and the hotels have been remitting them, the 11-page ruling states. Because the only monetary amounts at issue in this class action are those not included in the scope of the hotel occupancy tax base  OTCs are not liable.

The ruling is the latest chapter in a case that began in 2006, when then-City Attorney Michael Bernard sued the companies, accusing them of collecting the hotel tax from consumers at the retail rate but only paying taxes on the bulk wholesale rate that they are charged by the hotel owners.

The underpaid taxes, the city claimed, went back to about 1994, although most were after 2001. More than 170 Texas cities signed onto the class-action case. Houston was not among them.

At trial, the cadre of private lawyers argued that the companies hid their practices from the city and customers under headings titled tax recovery charges and service fees during hotel bookings.

The federal jury deliberated over two days before finding that online travel companies control hotels and that the companies had been shorting the cities on the hotel occupancy tax.

In the meantime, a similar lawsuit filed by Houston against the companies wound its way in state court. Houston argued in that case that its ordinance levied a tax upon the cost of occupancy of any room furnished by any hotel.

Houston argued that the retail room rate, rather than the lesser discounted rate the online companies pay the hotel, is subject to the hotel occupancy tax. But Houston lost that argument in a summary judgment before trial, and it was upheld on appeal in the Texas state court system in October 2011.

That same year, 2011, Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ruled on a pending question that lingered in the San Antonio federal case: He found that the retail rate, rather then the lesser discounted room rate the online companies pay the hotel, is subject to the hotel occupancy tax.

More legal wrangling followed, and the city plaintiffs sought penalties and interest. Garcia raised the award to $55 million in April 2013. In 2015, after more legal arguments, Garcia tacked on more penalties and interest, raising it to $84 million.

The companies appealed to the 5th Circuit, resulting in this weeks ruling, which cites findings in the Houston case and others.

The companies included the operators of Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Hotwire.com, Lodging.com, Priceline.com, Travelocity.com, Orbitz.com and Site59.com. In the 2009 jury verdict, the Expedia family of companies  Expedia.com, Hotels.com and Hotwire.com  were found responsible for roughly 70 percent of the jury award.

gcontreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland
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A former government contractor at San Antonio Military Medical Center was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for stealing more than $260,000 in donations meant to help wounded warriors.

Opal Jewel Charles, 67, of Cibolo pleaded guilty in June to federal charges of wire fraud and structuring bank deposits to evade detection.

At sentencing Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez gave her 60 months in prison on each count, then ran the terms concurrently. He also ordered Charles to pay $260,000 in restitution, which was bilked from donations meant for the Warrior Transition Battalion at SAMMC, where Charles worked from 2004 to Dec. 7.

Most of the donations came from the Air Warrior Courage Foundation, according to prosecutors and her court file.

A federal affidavit filed by Army criminal investigators said she used the money to pay personal living expenses and accessed much of it from an ATM at the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass.

A grand jury indicted Charles on Dec. 21 on charges involving lying to donors and using confidential information to make false requests for donations as part of a scheme from 2004 to 2016.

Investigators said Charles lied to donors by asking for donations on behalf of soldiers who had never asked for help.

The essence of the scheme was for defendant Charles to lie to and steal from donors trying to help Warrior Transition Battalion soldiers and soldier families, the indictment states.

The indictment also said Charles tried to evade federal reporting requirements when she split up a $18,256 deposit into two smaller sums, each below $10,000. Any transaction more than $10,000 is required to be reported by a bank.

Gary Barber, director of the San Antonio chapter of the the Air Warrior Courage Foundation, has said he personally delivered checks to wounded soldiers for years but began approving emailed requests for financial assistance a few years ago.

Investigators said at least some of those emails came from Charles work email account.

gcontreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland
San Antonio police announced Wednesday that they have found the suspect wanted in connection with the discovery of a dead man stuffed in a barrel off the side of a highway.

Jesse Ray Castilla, 36, was arrested on a warrant. Police believe he killed Joseph Camarena, 26, in the 300 block of Lovett Avenue, in Southwest San Antonio, on Nov. 17.
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Tony Hovater, the white nationalist and Nazi sympathizer featured in a controversial New York Times story this weekend, said he lost his job and would soon lose his home following a swift backlash over the article.

Hovater, a 29-year-old Ohio resident, told The Washington Post on Wednesday that he has been fired from his job and that he and his wife, Maria, are in the process of moving out of their home in New Carlisle, Ohio, for financial and safety reasons. They could no longer afford to pay the rent, he said, and somebody had published their home address online.

"It's not for the best to stay in a place that is now public information," he said, adding later: "We live alone. No one else is there to watch the house while I'm away."

The lengthy Times profile that was published Saturday portrayed the daily and seemingly normal life of Hovater, whom writer Richard Fausset described as the "Nazi sympathizer next door" and a "committed foot soldier" of the far-right movement. The story also described Hovater as a "Seinfeld" fan whose "Midwestern manners would place anyone's mother."

Hovater said that he, his wife and his brother-in-law were fired on Monday. All three worked at 571 Grill & Draft House, a restaurant in New Carlisle.

Hovater said the restaurant, where he worked as a kitchen manager for about a year and a half, received harassing calls Monday morning demanding that he be fired. One of the owners later became concerned about employees' safety and told him to leave, he said. His wife and brother-in-law were fired shortly after.

Hovater said that before the owners fired his brother-in-law, they asked him if he has the same beliefs as Hovater.

A marketing firm that represents 571 Grill said Wednesday that the restaurant is preparing to release a statement.

Hovater, who also contracts as a welder, said he wasn't surprised at his former employer's decision to fire him, though he thought it was "a little hasty."

"Businesses will do what they have to do to protect their businesses," he said.

After Hovater was fired, his supporters launched a crowdfunding campaign through a website called Goyfundme.com to raise money for him and his wife.

"Tony was fired from his job for his political beliefs. His wife and family all fired all at once to avoid the political pressure," Matt Parrott, who runs the site, said, adding that the "nationalist community" has rallied behind the Hovaters.

The campaign has raised more than $6,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

According to the website, the Times article "resulted in a smear campaign" against Hovater and his wife. It claimed that "communists, antifa, and general basement-dwelling ne'er-do-wells set to work immediately, identifying their place of employment and harassing their management into terminating them."

Goyfundme.com, which relies on bitcoin and credit and debit card payments, is an alternative crowdfunding site created earlier this year after mainstream fundraising sites like GoFundMe and PayPal removed campaigns and accounts associated with far-right ideologies. Parrott condemned "active censorship" and what he sees as the lack of net neutrality among the sites.

Hovater and Parrott are both co-founders of the Traditionalist Worker Party, one of the extreme right-wing groups that rallied in August in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a car allegedly driven by a Nazi sympathizer plowed into a group of counterprotesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer.

The aftermath of the Charlottesville rally was the genesis of the Times profile story on Hovater, national editor Marc Lacey said in a column responding to widespread criticisms of the story. Many have accused the Times of normalizing a man who unabashedly supports Adolf Hitler.

"We described Mr. Hovater as a bigot, a Nazi sympathizer who posted images on Facebook of a Nazi-like America full of happy white people and swastikas everywhere," Lacey wrote.

Later, he added that the Times regrets the story offended so many.

"We recognize that people can disagree on how best to tell a disagreeable story," Lacey wrote. "What we think is indisputable, though, is the need to shed more light, not less, on the most extreme corners of American life and the people who inhabit them. That's what the story, however imperfectly, tried to do."

Fausset, the writer, also responded.

He wrote that he and his editors had hoped to understand why someone like Hovater, who's "intelligent, socially adroit and raised middle class amid the relatively well-integrated environments of United States military bases," drifted toward an extreme political ideology. Fausset acknowledged that his story, after multiple revisions and despite hours of conversation with Hovater, never really answered that question.

"Mr. Hovater was exceedingly candid to me - often shockingly so - but it seems as though his worldview was largely formed by the same recombinant stuff that influences our mainstream politics. But even if I had called Mr. Hovater yet again - even if we had discussed Blavatsky at length, the way we did his ideas about the Federal Reserve Bank - I'm not sure it would have answered the question."

Hovater said he thought Fausset would "editorialize" the story, but he said the article "was immensely fair."

"A lot of people were confused with what he was trying to do with that story. He's not trying to set out and spook people," Hovater said. "He wrote the article, he wrote the story that was given, and it was an accurate portrayal of me."

Hovater said he and his wife are now staying with a friend. He also said he still expects some income from his contractual job as a welder.
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WASHINGTON  New Republican voices aired Wednesday calling on U.S. Rep. Joe Barton to step aside amid reports of a second woman who shared sexually-suggestive social media messages from the embattled congressman.

GOP State Sen. Konni Burton, whose Dallas area district overlaps with Barton's, issued a statement calling on Barton not to seek re-election "so that Tarrant County can move forward in making sure we send a strong conservative to Congress from District 6."

Her statement followed that of Ellis County Republican Party Chairman Randy Bellomy, who said Republicans in the county "are deeply grieved and embarrassed by the conduct of Congressman Joe Barton."

Now Playing: Fox 4's Allison Harris reports Video: Fox4

Bellomy stopped short of calling on Barton to resign, but had harsh words for him nonetheless: "His lifestyle is inconsistent with Republican ideals, and he has brought disgrace not only to Ellis County and the 6th Congressional District, but also to the people of Texas and this great nation," Bellomy said.

He said he would have no further comments on Barton until the Ellis County Republican Party Executive Committee meets in December.

Those statements came a day after Tarrant County GOP Chairman Tim O'Brien called on Barton to resign over revelations last week of a nude "sexting" photo that has spread on the Internet.

"All elected officials should be role models," O'Hare said. "They should be held to a very high standard. Joe Barton's conduct falls well below that standard."

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Wednesday that an Arlington woman has shared a series of private messages  some with sexual overtones  she exchanged with Barton. That report came a week after he apologized for texting a nude photo of himself to another woman.

The messages to the Arlington woman, identified as GOP activist Kelly Canon, included a mix of politics and questions about whether she was "wearing a tank top only ... and no panties."

Barton confirmed to the newspaper that the exchanges took place.

Canon also posted a message to Barton on Facebook, saying, "Joe, DO NOT RUN FOR RE-ELECTION. Serve out your term. Retire."

Neither Barton nor any of his representatives have responded to numerous calls and emails from the Chronicle since news of the nude photo broke a week ago.

But in a brief encounter with reporters on Capitol Hill Wednesday Barton declined any comment, saying, "I'm really in a bind here because I'm not supposed to say anything."

Asked what reception he got from colleagues at a closed-door House GOP meeting, Barton said, "Just understanding," according to an Associated Press report.

So far, all the calls for Barton to quit or retire have come from Texas. None of his colleagues in Washington have commented publicly.

O'Hare and other GOP sources say Barton's political organization has been polling the district to assess the damage and determine whether he should try to hold on to the House seat he has held since 1985.

Barton, 68, is the longest-serving Texan in Congress, entitling him to the moniker of "dean" of the Lone Star State's delegation to Washington.

With the filing deadline for the March, 2018, primary coming up on Dec. 11, speculation is rampant about Barton's next move. Some Republicans in the district are considering primary challenges, and at least one has already jumped in.

Jake Ellzey, a retired Naval combat pilot and a member of the Texas Veterans Commission, filed paperwork Tuesday with the Republican Party of Texas.

Burton also said Wednesday that "many" Republicans are discussing Tarrant County Tax Assessor Collector Ron Wright. "Ron is a man of great character and integrity and I want to make it clear that I am one hundred percent behind him if he decides to do so," she said.

Barton announced his re-election campaign last month, before the nude photo appeared on social media.

The Washington Post reported that Barton told a woman that he would contact U.S. Capitol Police if explicit photographs of him from their relationship were made public.

The District of Columbia, like Texas and many other states, has a "revenge porn" law against posting sexual explicit pictures of people without their consent.

But it is not known how the photo turned up on the Internet. In a statement after the photo first surfaced last week, Barton admitted he had "sexual relationships with other mature adult women" while he was separated from his second wife.
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WASHINGTON - Pressured to respond to burgeoning sexual misconduct allegations, the House easily approved a bipartisan measure Wednesday requiring annual anti-harassment training for lawmakers and aides.

Voice vote passage came as members of Congress have addressed allegations against some of their colleagues. The accused include liberal heroes Rep. John Conyers and Sen. Al Franken and far-right GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore of Alabama.

With Conyers being pressed to resign from Congress by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and others, Pelosi seemed to suggest it was time for the long-serving liberal and civil rights hero to step down.

"No matter how great the legacy, it is not a license to harass and abuse," Pelosi, D-Calif., said without mentioning the 88-year-old Michigan Democrat's name. She said Congress must tolerate no abuse, "no matter your contribution to our country."

Conyers' attorney, Arnold Reed, said Wednesday that the lawmaker has no plans to leave Congress and will fight the accusations against him "tooth and nail."

The House debate also saw Rep. Robert Brady, D-Pa., describe conversing with a female colleague in the chamber as a congressman he didn't identify "walked by and groped her from behind." Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, D-N.H., recounted a story she's told before about being sexually assaulted while a congressional aide four decades ago by "a distinguished guest of the United States Congress."

Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., a sponsor of the training measure, said a woman told her of being on the House floor when a man "grinded up against her and then stuck his tongue in her ear." Speier, who offered no names and has described the incident previously, has said she herself was sexually assaulted by her office's chief of staff when she was an aide years ago.

Earlier, House Speaker Paul Ryan said there should be no room for sexual harassment "in any workplace, let alone in the United States Congress." Ryan, R-Wis., told reporters that having a hostile environment on Capitol Hill is "a disgrace."

Ryan and others said one upcoming target for examination is the secretive practice lawmakers use to settle complaints using federally financed payments. No information is publicly released and recipients must promise silence.

Many such settlements go through Congress' obscure Office of Compliance, which has said it's paid more than $17 million over the last 20 years to resolve claims of sexual harassment, pay disputes and other disagreements. It's provided no detail.

Lawmakers say the House training measure, similar to a plan the Senate already approved, is merely a first step.

Conyers surrendered his post as the House Judiciary Committee's top Democrat after a report that he'd quietly settled a complaint by a former aide who said he'd harassed her.

Other accusers have also emerged. Conyers has denied the allegations and returned to Detroit.

Franken was accused by one woman of forcibly kissing her and by three others of grabbing their buttocks while taking pictures. He's apologized.

In Alabama, Moore faces allegations he's denied of preying on teenage girls decades ago. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, has apologized after a nude photo of him was leaked on social media.
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WASHINGTON - U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said Wednesday that North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile that some observers believe could reach Washington and the entire U.S. Eastern Seaboard "brings us closer" to a war the U.S. doesn't seek.

Haley, speaking at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, said that if war comes as a result of further acts of "aggression" like Tuesday's launch, "make no mistake the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."

"The dictator of North Korea made a decision yesterday that brings us closer to war, not farther from it," Haley said. "We have never sought war with North Korea and still today we do not seek it."

The Trump administration threatened new sanctions on North Korea after the reclusive government shattered 2 months of relative quiet with its most powerful weapon test yet.

President Donald Trump tweeted that he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about Pyongyang's "provocative actions," and he vowed that "additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!" Trump's top diplomat, Rex Tillerson, said the U.S. could target financial institutions doing business with the North.

At the emergency Security Council meeting, China's deputy U.N. ambassador Wu Haitao reiterated the China-Russia proposal for North Korea to suspend all nuclear and missile tests and for the U.S. and South Korea to suspend all military exercises.

The deliberations about new forms of punishment for North Korea came after its government said it successfully fired a "significantly more" powerful, nuclear-capable ICBM it called the Hwasong-15. Outside governments and analysts concurred the North had made a jump in missile capability.

A resumption of Pyongyang's torrid testing pace in pursuit of a viable arsenal of nuclear-tipped missiles that can hit the U.S. mainland had been widely expected. But the power of the missile and suddenness of the test jolted the Korean Peninsula and Washington. The launch at 3:17 a.m. Wednesday local time - early Tuesday afternoon in the U.S. capital - indicated an effort to perfect the element of surprise and obtain maximum attention in the U.S.

In a government statement released through state media, North Korea said the Hwasong-15, the "greatest ICBM," could be armed with a "super-large heavy nuclear warhead" and is capable of striking the "whole mainland" of the U.S. The North said the missile reached a height of 2,780 miles and traveled 590 miles before accurately hitting a sea target, similar to the flight data announced by South Korea's military.

After the launch, it said leader Kim Jong Un "declared with pride" that his country has achieved its goal of becoming a "rocket power." State TV said Kim gave the order Tuesday, and it broadcast a photo of Kim's signed order where he wrote: "Test launch is approved. Taking place at the daybreak of Nov. 29! Fire with courage for the party and country!"

Speaking later Wednesday, Trump could not resist taking a dig at Kim. Digressing during a speech in Missouri on tax reform, Trump called Kim "Little Rocket Man" and described him as "a sick puppy."
BROWNSVILLE  More than two dozen Douglas fir trees are being decorated this week for the annual Festival of Trees silent auction fundraiser this weekend.

Money raised will benefit the Moyer House restoration project.

The theme is Trees for the Tea Parlour. Last years event raised more than $2,000.

Kathy Rogers, Kathy Otis, Sharon McCoy, Linda Morrison and Cyndi Anderson  members of the Brownsville Womens Study Club, which has sponsored the event for the last three years  were busy Tuesday afternoon putting final touches on the project, which will feature decorated trees in 18 locations, including the historic Moyer House.

The event was sponsored for many years by the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce.

According to Anderson, the trees come in two sizes: 6 feet and 4 feet.

Minimum bid on the 6-foot trees is $45, with increments of $10, she said. The minimum bid on the 4-foot trees, which we call table toppers, is $30, with increments of $5.

Bid sheets will be available with each tree from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Winning bids will be announced after 4 p.m. Saturday at the Art Center. Winners will be notified and can pay for their trees by cash or check.

Members of the Brownsville City Hall staff will judge the trees Friday morning. Awards will include most whimsical, elegant, kid-friendly, creative and traditional.

Anderson said Central Linn High School music students will be on hand to help load trees.

If people dont have room for a tree, or already have one, we encourage them to buy one for a neighbor, their church or for a nursing home resident, she said.

Proceeds from this years event will be used to purchase wallpaper for the ladies parlor in the Moyer House.

Anderson said volunteers have a few pieces of the original wallpaper and an specialist in California will reproduce it.

As you can imagine, it is rather expensive, she said.

The Brownsville Womens Study Club was founded in 1910 and established the city library in 1911.

Its purpose is to benefit the library and Moyer House.
Though fascinated by medicine from an early age, Dr. Paul Howard Ratner became even more determined to become a doctor after losing his mother to leukemia as a teenager.

One of her hopes for him is that he would continue on and be a doctor, said his oldest son, Marc Benjamin Ratner.

Treating adults and children with allergies through his private practice, Ratner also opened Sylvana Research to conduct clinical drug trials to help develop new medications and shared his knowledge and research through articles and speaking engagements throughout the world.

He really wanted to make a contribution on all levels of the patient/healing process, said his son while sharing the familys memories. He wanted to make more information available to the public.

More Information Paul Howard Ratner Born: April 7, 1949, Brooklyn, New York Died: Nov. 27, 2017, Boerne Preceded by: Parents Seymour and Sylvia Ratner Survived by: Wife Tamra Leigh Ratner; sons Marc Benjamin Ratner, Ethan Samuel Ratner and Brandon Brooks Ratner; daughters Sybil Kate Ratner Webb and Rela Brynne Ratner; three grandchildren; a brother Services: Celebration of life 10 a.m. Friday at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 8500 Cross Mountain Trail See More Collapse

Ratner, 68, died at home Nov. 27. Hed been battling pancreatic cancer for nine months.

Raised in a working-class family in the Bronx, New York, at a time when doctors still made house calls, Ratner was especially interested in the contents of their medical bags.

Attending Stony Brook University, Ratner graduated with a degree in biology in 1971 before enrolling at Albany Medical College.

Joining the Army Medical Corps after graduating in 1975, Ratner did his pediatric residency at Brooke Army Medical Center. He also completed a fellowship in clinical allergy and immunology at what was then the University of Texas Health Science Center.

Though he considered other cities in which to practice, Ratner ultimately choose San Antonio because he saw so many people suffering with allergies throughout the year.

Opening his practice in 1984, Ratner also served as assistant professor of pediatrics at the health science center and started Sylvana Research, which he named after his mother, Sylvia.

There were not many research facilities like it in the early 1980s, his son said. He was ahead of his time.

As busy as he was, Ratner always made time for his four children, teaching them to be of service to others, his son said. We did volunteer work; it was part of what brought us and kept us together as a family.

Known for his regular recording of mold and pollen counts, Ratner was quoted frequently by the San Antonio Express-News and other news outlets.

It was really a source of pride for him to be a person that people depended on and trusted, his family said. He loved helping others in any way that he could.

mheidbrink@express-news.net
Technology alone isnt going to be enough to save the world from the very real dangers of climate change, Gov. Jerry Brown told an audience of environmentalists in San Francisco on Wednesday night.

People need to live lean and lightly on the planet, he said. They need to think how they live and whats important, and that will be a profound shift in the world.

Brown was speaking at the annual ClimateTech conference, a two-day event at the Metreon center, sponsored by the New York Times. The governor spent nearly an hour talking about climate issues with columnist Thomas Friedman and answering questions from the more than 150 people at the dinner.

Its not always an easy topic to deal with, especially when it comes to persuading people and politicians just how important it is, the governor said.

I like to say that the end of the world isnt news, since its not something that lawmakers political lives depend on, Brown said. But the changes that must be made are dramatic.

The change is like converting from pagan Rome to Christian Europe but we dont have 400 or 500 years, the governor said. Instead, we have 20.

While Brown has long been an evangelist for the need to deal with climate change and the environment, he has taken an even more visible leadership role in the past year, as President Trump has moved to make good on his campaign promises to roll back many long-standing environmental regulations.

This month, Brown spent time in Europe, speaking at environmental conferences and attending the U.N. climate change conference in Bonn, Germany. He also plans to host a similar conference in September in San Francisco.

The key at the conference, which will have representatives from cities, counties, states and countries from across the world, is to get people to make a commitment to do more to slow and turn back the ravages of climate change, the governor said.

But to do that often takes tough regulations on what can and cant be done, which can make Republicans turn their backs on the efforts, Brown said.

You cant sit back and hope the market will make it all turn out, he added. You need rules ... but the market is God or a closet dictator for many Republicans.

Talking to Republicans about climate change is like talking about abortion in the Vatican, Brown said. It might be easier to remove them from office than convert them.

Those regulations, especially in California, have been the key to many of the technical advances that have helped cut the level of greenhouse gases. Automakers that 20 or 30 years ago complained that it was impossible to meet emission requirements are now producing cars that are cleaner than those early rules ever contemplated, Brown said. And when the state required electric utilities to provide massive storage for renewable energy in 2013, it pushed the industry into overdrive.

We are driving innovation by regulation, he said.

But theres still plenty to do, and for Brown, who is termed out of his office in 2019, theres not much time for him to do it.

We need to do all the things were now doing, but push harder, he said.

The recent Wine Country fires also exposed a danger from climate change.

This is the new normal, Brown said. Fire season is not a couple of months a year anymore.

The carbon dioxide from a growing rash of fires can undo all the greenhouse gas reduction efforts the state makes.

We need a more intelligent way to manage forests, he said. We have to find a way to take out a lot of that kindling, the fuel for the fires.

Brown admitted that he paints a grim picture of the worlds future.

Were making progress, but were running out of time, the governor said. There are a lot of grounds for despair.

Its no time for people to throw up their hands and surrender, though.

People need pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will and dont be dismayed by what you see, Brown said.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
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Nicholas Earle Russell, 67, the owner of Albany Coins and Jewelry, will spend three years on probation and pay a $400 fine  he also had his license revoked  after willingly selling guns to a known felon, according to the United States Attorney's Office.

He was sentenced Nov. 20.

Russell pleaded guilty Aug. 9 in the U.S. District Court in Eugene to four counts of illegal firearms sales. Each count carried a potential of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

At least nine ATF agents served a warrant Feb. 23 at Russell's store, then called Albany Guns, Coins & Jewelry, at 1225 Pacific Blvd. SE, and removed records and guns.

"When you make a mistake with the ATF, they take it very serious," Russell told the Democrat-Herald on March 3.

Russell pleaded guilty to selling guns to a known felon. The guns included a .50-caliber handgun and .223-caliber and .308-caliber rifles.
The Lincoln-Boone Conference awards were voted on by coaches within the conference. Here are
It is the end of an era in Longford town as Tom Kelly calls time on his career in the rag trade.

Tom has been running Kelly Menswear on the Athlone Road since 1991 but he has been synonymous with the fashion trade in Longford and beyond since the late1960s.

Tom grew up in Dublin and, while there were many on his mothers side who worked as seamstresses, he was the first of the men to venture into a then vibrant tailoring trade in the Irish capital.

An early influence on his chosen career would have been his sister, Marie, who worked with the celebrated milliners Vards, and was also a successful model.

Tom was 17 when he began his apprenticeship with a Dublin tailor and over the next few years worked in the bespoke suit and garment sector with tailors in Dame St., William St., Henry St. and Capel St. - the real heart of the fashion trade in the capital at that time.

The city was full of tailors and the ready made suits were really only starting to come on stream in Dublin at that stage, he said. Tom was quickly singled out as a top class tailor, but more importantly, as a solid worker with a good business eye.

Dubtex was one of the biggest manufacturers of suits and overcoats in the capital at the time, and run by the White family. They made an approach to recruit Tom as one of their production managers.

This took his career in a whole new direction and soon he was one of only 12 people selected nationwide for a two year ANCO scholarship course for specialists in the fashion trade.

Really it was about giving me the technical know-how for the practical skills I had, and it was a huge breakthrough for me, continued Tom, before pointing out that he finished the course with the second highest marks in Ireland.

Suddenly many of the big firms were knocking on his door, and his first assignment was the redevelopment of a ladies manufacturing company, Cater Platt, in Abbey Street in Dublin.

He successfully doubled their production inside the first year, and from that position moved on to Manford Clothing, in Ballymahon, owned by Longford business man Noel Hanlon.

It was 1981 and Tom had been living happily in Skerries but the call to Longford was simply too big to turn down.

It was one of the biggest jobs in the business in Ireland at that time, he recalled. The only equivalent would have been Magees in Donegal.

Manford were producing overcoats, suits, and in addition, were the biggest corporate manufacturers in Ireland, producing for the Garda, FCA, CIE, Aer Lingus, the regional Health Boards and many more.

Their export markets included the UK, USA, Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Tom said, it was not unusual to produce orders for 10 to 15,000 suits at a time, as Noel Hanlon was exceptional at sourcing and getting contracts over the line.

When Tom arrived at Manford in the early eighties he wasnt to know that they were the final years for the fashion production sector in Ireland.

Facilities were producing the same garments far cheaper in Bulgaria, Romania, and subsequently the Far East and China, who simply priced them out of the market.

The closure of Manford, and the loss of 200 jobs, was a huge loss to Ballymahon as it had been a major employer, and it signalled the end really for the fashion production businesses in the country. The handful of remaining manufacturers all closed in the intervening years.

Tom reinvented himself in 1991 with Kelly Menswear on the Athlone Road in Longford.

He set up initially to cater for the one-off bespoke suit and explained: When we were in Ballymahon and especially on mart days we would have had men come in looking for tailor made suits but we werent set up to cater for single items, as we were a full scale manufacturing plant.

So that was the market he went after initially and the business quickly grew.

At the height of boom, Kelly Menswear employed 14 people in the tailoring division and in tandem with this Tom also developed the retail shop with a full range of ready made and off the rail products.

But much like the Eastern European producers sounding the death knell for Irish manufacturers, the winds of changes were soon to blow through the retail sector once again.

It was two dimensional, said Tom. On the one hand, you have the growth of online shopping, and really, young people have little value on quality - everything is based on price and they see clothes as disposable.

Retailers like myself are simply being blown out of the water by the big outlets and online sites, who are sourcing big volumes for low money in the Far East and it simply isnt a level playing field anymore.

Tom says he enjoyed his time in the trade and never wanted to do anything else.

The business was good to me and I met great people and enjoyed every minute of it. I wouldnt change it for the world but now it is time to wind down and try something different.
WASHINGTON  America is currently cursed, not only with tribal politics, but with tribal morality. Some liberals tend to minimize or excuse offenses against a few women in the broader cause of women's rights. What is a politician's wandering hand in comparison to maintaining legal abortion? Some conservatives tend to minimize or excuse offenses against women in the cause of conservative governance. What are a few old accusations compared to cementing a conservative Supreme Court or passing tax reform?

Both sides give personal failings less weight than a compelling public good. It is not always an unserious argument, but in this case, it is a cruel and dangerous one.

This description may sound like a columnist's caricature. But, on occasion, a caricature becomes incarnate. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has admitted she has "no reason to disbelieve" any of Republican senate candidate Roy Moore's accusers. Yet Ivey has announced she will vote for Moore anyway. "We need to have a Republican in the United States Senate," she explained, "to vote on the things like Supreme Court justices."

This is worth a pause. One of the accusers in this case says that in the late 1970s Moore, then a county prosecutor, offered to drive her home. Instead, she alleges, he parked behind the restaurant where she worked, touched her breasts, tried to pull off her shirt, grabbed her neck and pushed her head toward his crotch, leaving nasty bruises and a lifetime of trauma. The victim was 16 years old at the time. If Ivey truly believes this accusation, she is voting for someone who committed sexual assault on a teenage girl, in order to help secure one Senate vote on a prospective Supreme Court nominee.

This has the virtue, at least, of philosophic clarity. It is utilitarianism, unadorned. Ivey believes she is pursuing Jeremy Bentham's imperative, achieving the greatest good for the greatest number of people. It is a simple, easily stated moral rule.

There are many varieties of utilitarianism, but they share some weaknesses. While the principle is easy to state, it is not easy to apply. It always involves speculative judgments about the future. What if, as a senator, Moore becomes a rolling scandal of misogyny and intolerance? What if this deepens the image of the GOP as the party of prejudice and male dominance? And what if this costs Republicans control of the House of Representatives and a few other Senate seats? How would this affect Ivey's utilitarian calculation?

This scenario is not unlikely. During his recent defeat in the Virginia governor's race, Ed Gillespie  a comparatively good GOP candidate  lost women voters by 22 points. Is the three-ring spectacle of Roy Moore in the Senate going to improve Republican electoral performance with women?

But the main problem with utilitarian calculation in politics reaches deeper. By definition, it means that the rights of the few can be sacrificed to the interests of the many. It is a theory that has always been plagued by hypothetical questions: What if punishing a few innocent people would, on balance, have a good social result? What if keeping a few people in slavery clearly benefited the many? What if a politician who is currently abusing teenagers demonstrably served a greater public good? At what point does the "but he'll vote right on Supreme Court nominees" argument end? Three rapes? Four murders? Wouldn't utilitarian calculations still apply?

In the cases before us  if you believe the credible testimony of the accusers  the rights and dignity of women have already been violated. Ignoring or downplaying those violations in the pursuit of other social goals  conservative or liberal  is an additional form of victimization, this time by the broader society. By politicians such as Ivey. By voters willing to downplay the abuses on their own ideological team. All are making the statement that some lives, when weighed in the balance, really don't matter.

None of this is to downplay the difficult task of applying appropriate punishments for differing degrees of guilt. But various traditions of ethics rooted in religion  as well as the Enlightenment theories that informed America's founding  place a primary emphasis on the rights and dignity of individuals, protected against the shifting interests of the majority.

This is the firm moral ground upon which our debate on sexual harassment should be conducted. Political figures guilty of coercion, exploitation, dehumanization, cruelty and the abuse of power should not be trusted with power. Even on our own side.
On Tuesday the November 14, Longford Young Investors presented cheques to the total of 2,000 to various youth groups in Co Longford.

Longford Young Investors are supported by Youth Bank and the Irish Youth Foundation and is run from the Foroige LEAP Garda Youth Diversion Project.

Longford Young Investors is an innovative grant-giving group operated 'by young people for young people.

They are a group of nine young people who come together every week on a voluntary basis to operate their youth bank.

Their aim as a committee is to make funds available to other young people/youth groups who want to take action to improve their lives and community in Longford Town and County.

This particular group of Longford Young Investors began in November 2016 where they participated in training to become effective and efficient grant makers.

They completed some research and debated issues that mean something to them and decided on three themes of homelessness, mental health and bridging the generational gap.

They invited youth groups throughout the county to apply for funding to carry out activities / events to highlight and address the three themes set out by the committee.

On November 14, Longford Young Investors presented cheques to Mostrim Youth Group, The Attic Art Group, Longford Comhairle na nOg, Foroiges Longford Autism Group, LEAP Girls Group and the Attic TY Group.

All of these groups will be carrying out various activities or events within their community over the next six months.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the groups who applied for funding and wish all the successful groups the very best in rolling out their activities.
Edgeworthstown will be filled with Christmas cheer this Sunday, December 3, as the traders and community of the town prepare for the annual switching-on of the Christmas lights.

The festivities will kick off at 1pm with the opening of the Edgeworthstown Christmas Craft Fair at the Community Centre.

Entry to the fair is free and it will be a joyful day out for all the family, filled with festive cheer - not to mention the opportunity to get the Christmas shopping started.

A number of unique stalls will be on display, offering a range of beautiful hand-crafted gifts that will suit all the family.

These stalls include: Freya's Bows, Krafty Little Fingers, Sew Unique Creations and Flutter hop Fairy Crafts to name a few.

Gifts for sale will include beautiful handbags, handmade keepsakes, hand knits, and so much more.

Santa will also make an appearance at the fair, arriving at 2pm.

He'll spend a couple of hours taking down present lists and giving gifts to all the children who pay him a visit between 2pm and 5pm when the craft fair will close.

But the closure of the fair certainly doesn't mean the celebrations are over, as the town will prepare to switch on the lights.

Bells will be jingling as Santa Clause arrives in a one-horse open sleigh at 6pm, bringing the spirit of Christmas well and truly to life for the local children who will greet him on the night.

His arrival will be shortly followed by the official switching on of the town's Christmas lights, marking the start of the festive season in Edgeworthstown.

There will be mulled wine, hot chocolate and delicious Christmas cookies to enjoy.

The community and traders of Edgeworthstown are very excited for the day.

This event has been going for a couple of years. We started off five or six years ago with maybe 30 people and its been growing and growing ever since, said Gerry Lynn, Chairperson of the Edgeworthstown Trader's Association, adding that the craft fair has been growing every year too.

Theres a right bit of a buzz around on that particular day. Its a coming together of the community.

So if you're looking for a great way to get into the Christmas spirit, take a stroll through the craft fair, buy a few presents, visit Santa and join in with the cheer as the Edgeworthstown Christmas lights twinkle this Sunday.
Over 130 students exhibited 34 projects in SciFest@School in Lanesboro Community College. This was the schools third SciFest@School and it was the biggest one yet!

Students demonstrated their knowledge of science, technology, engineering and maths through their creative and innovative projects.

Some of the projects on display included a large farm display and lighthouses.

The overall prize went to Brian Lyons 5th year with his project The cure for poor health literacy: An investigation into the readability of public health resources.

This project investigated if the readability of public health information was acting as a barrier to people understanding their own health care.

The winner in the Junior Category was Adam Kingi 2nd year with his project Smartphones  can they affect the neuroplasticity of babies and young children. Adam wished to investigate the effects of smartphone usage in babies and young children and how aware parents were of it.

The primary school prize went to Lanesboro Primary School where the students had entered 2 very interesting and well researched projects.

Lanesboro CC Principal, Bernice Martin said: We are delighted to host SciFest@School in our school because the SciFest competition allows students to develop their study of science, technology, engineering and maths, outside of the classroom and apply it to everyday life.

"All of the students have worked very hard on their projects and should be very proud of their achievements. We all wish the best of luck to the students going on to the next stage of the SciFest competition which will see them compete in SciFest@College in Athlone next year.

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Longford's Abbott Discovery Day strikes chord with science buffs
The Government's announcement this evening to give the green light to extend the national gas pipeline to Co Longford will "revolutionise" its local economy for generations to come.

They were the sentiments espoused by Independent Alliance TD and OPW Minister Kevin 'Boxer' Moran on foot of confirmation a 5m deal had been agreed.

It comes after the Leader broke news in June which detailed how Center Parcs chiefs had invested 3m of their own funds to bring about an extension to Ballymahon.

This evening's agreement, which was signed off on by Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe almost two weeks ago, allows for sufficient capacity to bring about a further extension of the pipeline from Athlone to Longford town.

Longford-Westmeath TD Mr Moran, said the move was hugely significant in terms of transforming Longford's economic potential going forward.

"This is huge, massive," he beamed when speaking to the Leader this evening.

"This will put Longford on a par with Athlone and Mullingar. It will be a major economic driver in helping to attract companies to set up and locate here.

"It's a great day for Ballymahon, the business people of Longford and its people."

As he underlined the significance of the gas announcement, Mr Moran opted to take a thinly veiled swipe at his detractors, some of whom claimed the former Westmeath councillor had been attempting to score political brownie points when the issue first came to light earlier in the year.

"You know some politicians said I was jumping the gun. The thing is I was right. I never jump the gun. When I say something is going to happen it does," he blasted.

Local Independent Councillor Gerry Warnock and long time political ally of Mr Moran's, took to social media to give his approval to the announcement.

"Great credit to Kevin Boxer Moran and Denis Naughton who have been working tirelessly to bring this to fruition," he wrote.

"I have to say credit where credit is due and that Boxer is a man of his word and has worked very hard on this since being elected to the Dail in 2016."

Longford Fine Gael general election candidate Cllr Micheal Carrigy was another to convey his satisfaction on his own Facebook page.

In a post which carried a picture of Cllr Carrigy standing alongside Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe, the Ballinalee postmaster said: "This is a significant investment and a further sign of the Governments commitment to Longford.

"It will safeguard future investment in the county promising short term and long term job creation."

Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council Cllr Martin Mulleady said the contract signing was just the infrastructural boost the county needed.

"It's hugely positive news," he said.

"Getting the gas pipeline to extend into Ballymahon and beyond will have huge knock on effects for the county as a whole."

ALSO READ:

BREAKING: Center Parcs signs deal to extend gas pipeline to 233m Longford Forest
A 762,000 extension of Longford Fire Station has been given the go-ahead, it has emerged this evening.

Minister of State and Longford/Westmeath TD, Kevin Boxer Moran confirmed a tender amounting to approximately 762,227 has been approved.

Mr Moran also revealed that the work is to be carried out by a local contractor from Kenagh.

This is wonderful news for the people of Longford and I am delighted that the tender has been approved with a local contractor obtaining the work, said Minister Moran.

I now look forward to seeing the work progress as soon as possible.

"I want to thank everyone who contacted me about this project, including Cllr Mae Sexton and Cllr Gerry Warnock, who have been in touch with me on a constant basis on the issue.

Cllr Warnock commented, "The preferred tendered is Doyle Construction. Great news for Longford and thanks again to Minister Kevin Boxer Moran, who I and my Independent colleague on Longford MD Mae Sexton, have been in constant contact with regarding this application for essential funding for our emergency services!"

For more on this story, follow www.longfordleader.ie
Fianna Fail Spokesperson on Transport, Tourism and Sport Robert Troy TD says he is shocked to learn of extensive funding cutbacks for roads maintenance in 2018.

Deputy Troy made the comments after Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) took the extraordinary step of writing to Local Authorities to warn them that the Ordinary Maintenance Allocation for roads will plummet by 30% in 2018.

The overall national road current expenditure budget for 2018 is set to fall by 15% when compared to 2017.

Deputy Troy said, This revelation is truly shocking. Minister Ross has spent much of his energy in recent weeks exclaiming loudly that he secured an increase in funding for his Department in Budget 2018. Now it transpires that officials in TII are writing to Local Authorities to warn them that funding for roads maintenance next year will be dramatically lower than what was allocated in 2017.

I raised this issue with Minister Ross earlier today at the Oireachtas Transport Committee and he said he wasnt even aware of the cutbacks and would have to get back to me on it with further information. Its an astonishing situation.

TII has acknowledged the significant impact that the scale of the reduction in Ordinary Maintenance Allocation will have on the delivery of services. There is no doubt about it, this cutback will have a damaging impact on our roads. Road users can expect to see more potholes and increased damage to their cars and higher repair costs in 2018.

Road maintenance budgets have already suffered from significant cutbacks in recent years and this has had a detrimental impact on transport infrastructure. Minister Ross should be dramatically increasing the funding allocated for roads maintenance, but instead he is overseeing the implementation of damaging cutbacks.

Minister Ross needs to review this issue as a matter of urgency. Where exactly is the additional money he secured in Budget 2018 actually going towards? Its perfectly clear from the TII that it is not going towards roads maintenance budgets, concluded Deputy Troy.
Cars

Nov 30, 2017 | By Yacht Style

WORDS Bruce Maxwell PHOTOS As Credited

Could old money Europe, world #1 economy America, Middle East oil sheiks and Russian oligarchs really be overtaken by Asians, particularly Chinese, plus a few resurfacing Japanese, and the financial elite of Australia and New Zealand?

As Feadship alone had six vessels at various stages of construction and delivery for Asia-Pacific owners, it was hard to find fault with his statement. One order, perhaps two, have been the extent of concurrent Asia-Pacific builds by superyacht yards in the past. Six was simply staggering.

Lurssens recently announced 120m Project Thunder, an Espen ino design, is clearly Asian. The name is derived from Leigong, a mythical god in Asian culture, said a Lurssen lady. The vessel will be delivered toward the end of 2018, and is expected to cruise mostly in Asian waters.

Benetti, which like Feadship established a presence in Asia several decades ago, has a whole fleet of superyachts in Asia-Pacific seas and oceans, most of which qualify for Top 100 in the following pages. The largest vessel in the yards history, at 107m, is presently under construction at Livorno for a well-known Australian, reports local media, with delivery in 2019.

Sheds at picture-postcard Royal Huisman are taken up with construction of an 81m schooner for another Asian buyer, after the yard delivered a 43m sloop, Sea Eagle, to Taiwans Dr Samuel Lin, who has founded the Tang Prize, a biennial award aimed at matching Norways Nobel Prize, to encourage more research that is beneficial to the world and humankind, promote Chinese culture, and make the world a better place.

There are many other examples, including strong custom and limited edition sales for Amels in Australia and Asia, and for increasingly larger SanLorenzos, which like Sunseekers have inbuilt Chinese equity, but perhaps it is the philanthropic Dr Lin who provides subliminal clues about new-breed Chinese superyacht buyers.

They are certainly nationalists, despite the current Taiwan Straits divide. This applies equally to the wealthy Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia, and to those in most major cities around the world. Confucianism and Taoism may have bowed to the semi-socialist dictates of governing 1.5 billion people, but capitalism flourishes too, and sophisticated customs and cultures still pervade. Chinese invented the compass, the stern-post rudder, gunpowder, paper making, and the printing press.

Farouk Nefzi says flatly that Asia-Pacific billionaires are almost on a par with those of Europe and America, and increasing at a far faster rate. He warns that the superyacht industry isnt keeping pace. Essential marketing in the region is far too low. As a result, only the core yards are benefitting. Others are contracting. Prior to his marketing and branding role at Feadship, incidentally, Nefzi ran Holland Yachting Industry for many years, and is regarded as a forward-looking guru of the superyacht scene.

The 73m Feadship Hasna has just been delivered to a prominent Australian home loans entrepreneur, and a 69m sold and still managed by Thailand-based Australian dealer Joshua Lee, the son of a former Cathay Pacific pilot, was being officially named in early September.

But the others revolve around a group of like-minded colleagues in Hong Kong, and the 44m Moon Sand, which was #100 in Yacht Styles Top 100 Superyachts of Asia-Pacific last year.

We cant go into detail, but suffice to say they wanted vessels that were slightly smaller, allowing better options and berth availability at marinas in Scandinavia, Europe, the Indian Ocean and Asia, while still retaining the Feadship pedigree and performance. Feadship didnt build smaller vessels, but when it came to four such orders, the directors said okay, and a new 34m class was born. They keep turning up on the China Coast, Letani being last to arrive.

Hong Kong business people have always had a penchant for buying by the brace. Sai Kung boaters will recall a pair of throaty offshore powerboats suddenly appearing at Club Marina Cove in the 1980s, and the trend continues.

Originally-named Family Day and Lady Lau were much-used Codecasa 65ms for Hong Kong owners. Built with the same hull and complex systems, they achieved considerable cost savings, yet in profile look nothing like each other.

A fine line is trodden between look-alike or completely custom vessels, however, and colours also enter the equation. Luxury car buyers, for example, will often only order a model if it comes in a colour that nobody else has, making it distinctively theirs. When the first Porsche 911s appeared, this was a serious problem that prominent Hong Kong dealer Herb Adamczyk ran into.

Sales agents have much-reported opinions about what sort of boat Chinese would really prefer. In earlier days, plenty of shade was a prerequisite, because lighter-coloured skin was more distinguished than the dark brown hues of sun-exposed farmers and indeed seafarers. Ensuring mahjong tables and karaoke sets were aboard was regarded as essential. More entertaining space was preferable to elaborate bedroom suites, as smaller motor yacht owners often limited their voyages to day trips.

Fung shui and geomancers still play a part. Nowadays these stereotypes are fading somewhat, although the quest for better stability in a seaway and at anchor, to allay seasickness, is an ongoing concern. Solutions include buying bigger boats, fitting better stabilisers, and multihull configurations such as the White Rabbits in Singapore.

The bottom line is that if Arabs are more conservative in their use of superyachts, and the Russians and Indians are known to throw a wild party or three, then the Chinese are probably more like the Europeans and Americans, and the Japanese seem to be making a comeback too.

Those who have accumulated the significant wealth required to own and run a superyacht doubtless have traits in common anyway, and that is definitely true of the IT billionaires, of which China now has a significant number.

Another factor in the Asia-Pacific market is an underlying hankering to do-it-yourself. Early superyachts like Van Triumph in Hong Kong and Evergreen in Taiwan were built at Asian commercial shipyards. Asean Lady came from Yantai Raffles on the Bohai Gulf, and lately New Zealander Graeme Hart has come up with his 107m Ulysses and 116m built at Kleven shipyard in Norway.

Like Hart the Singapore owner of White Rabbit E, kept at Marina at Keppel Bay, has previously owned Feadships. But WRE was built at North West Bay Ships in Hobart, Tasmania, and the next 84m WRG, styled and design by Oceanco luminary Sam Sorgiovanni, is nearing completion at Echo Yachts south of Perth, only a short flight from the city state.

Echo Yachts has already built a composite 46m tender and toys vessel for WRG, called Charley, which was shown at this years Singapore Yacht Show. Such confident orders indicate, says Echo MD Mark Stothard, that yards like his are capable of very high-quality one-offs and custom series at attractive prices, but only astute Asian owners have so far realised what can be done. Next door to Echo is German-owned SilverYachts, which has built four vessels to 77m, and Austal, supplying many of Asias fast ferries.

The system works in reverse too. Back in the 1980s Pekka Koskenkyla, the founder of Nautors Swan, built a series of Mirabella super sailboats near Pattaya on the Gulf of Thailand, flying in specialists in each related trade. The same technique was used for the classic Nero, largest vessel shown at Monaco only a few years back. Corsair Yachts of Britain was in charge of that project, but the build took place at Yantai Raffles, now Pride MegaYachts, in China.

In fact many of the medium-to-large motor yachts and sailboats sold in the West today, including some very well-known brands, are actually built at yards in Taiwan and China, under careful supervision, but that is another story.

Cheoy Lee, launched in Shanghai in 1885 and based in Hong Kong from 1949 until a recent move back to Doumen near Macau, was Chinas first superyacht yard, and still builds on demand between commercial orders. Shaw Vee Kings Sea Shaw in Singapore, for example, had her hull built at Yantai Raffles, and she was completed at Cheoy Lee, overseen by Dutch designer Frank Mulder. Heysea Yachts is the latest mainland up-and-coming 40m+ builder.

Last but by no means least, Horizon in Kaohsiung, Taiwans second city, is Asias largest boat builder, and it hovers around the top 10 in the world. It too is gradually building bigger superyachts in both composites and steel, and vessels like Sunone, which commutes between Kaohsiung and Shanghai, made Yacht Styles Top 100 list last year.

The list itself includes superyachts kept at Asia-Pacific marinas, some of those built here and others that are Asia-Pacific owned but are cruising elsewhere. Visitors that have spent a reasonable time in Asia-Pacific waters during calendar 2017 or are expected early 2018 also qualify, and a few new builds nearing delivery are mentioned too.

As with all such lists, some subjective decisions have to be made, and a few vessels may be missed, but a wide spectrum of reliable sources contribute to this annual Yacht Style compilation, so we hope it reflects the latest state of play as accurately as possible.

Remember some of these vessels are available for charter, and doing so for a week or two is a good way to get an initial feel for the superyacht lifestyle, in which experienced captains and crews try to give owners and guests truly unique cruises. Asia-Pacific waters are in general the most pristine in the world, and our cities are among the most fascinating.

Finally, this year we have added a page to list some superb superyachts that fall just outside the latest Top 100 cut-off, and a new aft section of selected stories, in which aspects of the Asia-Pacific superyacht scene are discussed in more detail.

For any suggested future additions, or comments on the list, please contact Yacht Style Associate Editor Bruce Maxwell at bmax8888@bigpond.com and copy Publisher Gael Burlot at gael@lux-inc.com.
The action by the Linn County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday took only about 15 minutes, but it represents a big step forward in a story that's been percolating for years now.

The commissioners this week voted to approve the transfer of the former Knife River quarry property to the city of Sweet Home. The 220-acre parcel was acquired by Linn County in December 2010, when the county foreclosed on more than 400 acres owned by the Western States Land Reliance Trust; the trust owed more than $500,000 in property taxes.

Since then, progress on this matter has been sluggish at times  to the point at which the commissioners occasionally had to prod Sweet Home officials into action.

But the commissioners wasted little time on Tuesday morning after a public hearing on the question attracted no opposition.

Now, community leaders in Sweet Home have a golden opportunity to develop something that could serve their city (and all of Linn County) for many years to come.

The 220-acre parcel is a piece of prime real estate, sitting on the banks of the Santiam River. For years, the site provided rock for Morse Bros. operations before it was acquired by Knife River and then by the trust, which had plans to build high-end homes. When those plans collapsed, the county ended up owning the property.

The remaining 180-acre parcel, on the western side of the Knife River property, was not part of this week's transaction. It's the location of the former Willamette Industries mill; environmental studies continue on that site.

By contrast, the Knife River property had relatively few environmental issues that required remediation, and those have been dealt with.

Originally, the plan was to donate the 220-acre site to the Sweet Home Economic Development Group to be developed as the new home of the Oregon Jamboree country music festival. But such a move carried with it the possibility that the Economic Development Group would have been saddled with a hefty property tax bill, so it made more sense to transfer ownership to the city.

State regulations require the city to develop at least some of the property as a park, which seems wise. A quick look across the mid-valley offers plenty of examples of how a properly developed riverfront park can become the heart of a community. Commissioner Will Tucker liked the sound of that at Tuesday's meeting, when he talked about how a city park would best serve the community.

The city is kicking around some additional plans as well for the property: Plans are to develop a mix of recreational opportunities, commercial businesses and residential housing on the site. While we like the sound of that, the trick will be to find the right balance between parkland and those other uses.

And who knows what else could fit into the mix? This is a time to dream big  and to invite the rest of the community to dream along as well.

This parcel represents a golden opportunity for the community  and, despite our earlier grousing about the occasionally sluggish pace of the story to date  Sweet Home community leaders and citizens need to take their time now to make sure they're making smart decisions about the future of the property.

City leaders also need to ensure that the process of deciding what to do with this valuable property is as open and inclusive as possible.

Done properly, this could give a needed economic boost to Sweet Home and could end creating a location that becomes a community treasure. This is a chance to help create something that could make a difference in the life of Sweet Home and Linn County for generations to come. Opportunities like this don't come around every day, and that's all the more reason to be sure we don't waste this one. (mm)
On November 29, a meeting was held in Vitoria-Gasteiz to mark the centenary of the Russian Revolution and to launch the Spanish edition of Stalin, by Leon Trotsky, which has been published by Lucha de Clases. The meeting was addressed by Alan Woods from the International Marxist Tendency.

The meeting was held at the Alava campus of the Basque Country University (UPV) with the presence of of about 70 people, mainly students but also with the presence of worker activists from some of the most important local factories, like Arabuto, Aernnova and Mercedes Benz.

In his introduction, Alan Woods, sharply rebutted the lies of the ruling class about the Russian revolution. Linking this with the Stalin book, he also explained how a genuine revolutionary process like that of 1917 suffered a bureaucratic degeneration which eventually led to its collapse. Many rich lessons can be drawn from these processes, as Alan explains in the video below:
At the recent 19th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, held on 18-24 October in Beijing, Xi Jinping took the opportunity to let the world know that China is a mighty force soon to reclaim its rightful position as the Middle Kingdom, i.e. the centre of humanity. Behind all the bluster, however, one could detect unease at the prospect of growing internal instability that flows from the impending crisis of capitalism.

The Congress was a rare occasion for the worlds media and politicians to get a glimpse of the Chinese states perspectives and priorities. The two main features of the Congress were Xi Jinpings opening speech and the announcement of the new Politburo Standing Committee, the leading body in the Chinese state.

Both of these have been perceived in the Western media exclusively through the prism of their liberal preoccupation with Xis increasing concentration of power, which they also fear is leading China away from capitalism and back towards Maoism. But for those of us not blinded by liberal prejudices, it is clear that the centralisation of power serves the very opposite purpose: the further strengthening of capitalism throughout China.

Since taking office in 2012, Xi Jinpings administration has been characterized by his marked elevation as preeminent leader of China; his high-profile anti-corruption campaign against powerful Party bosses; his gratuitous quotation of Mao; and his halting of the privatization of state owned companies. Many of these traits have led some in the West to believe that Xi has a program of returning to the Mao era of a nationalized planned economy under a Stalinist party dictatorship.

Embed from Getty Images

In its balancing act of transforming China into a capitalist economy whilst maintaining its old state power, the Party has occasionally had to strike against individual capitalists, corporations, and rival bureaucrats that are acting out of line and threatening the systems stability. Such is the case of Guo Wengui, a maverick real estate tycoon who escaped from corruption investigations in China and regularly recounts and exposes corrupt Chinese officials on Youtube, particularly Wang Qishan, from his penthouse apartment in the US.

Xis anti-corruption crusade may be intended to weed out loose cannons or other threats to stability. However, in and of itself it too contains the risk of adding to the growing instability. For this reason it represents a dramatic departure from the more behind closed doors policy taken by the Party bureaucracy in the aftermath of the chaos of the Cultural Revolution. However, beneath all the high-sounding rhetoric, it is clear from the perspectives outlined at the Party Congress by Xi Jinping himself, that increasing liberalization and deepening of the market is at the top of its agenda.

The Standing Committee

With bated breath the worlds capitalist media and politicians awaited the appointment of the new Politburo Standing Committee. This is a rare chance for the rest of the world to peak behind the curtain; its composition would reveal just how strong Xi is and what line he is likely to take.

This year, as the western liberals fearfully anticipated, the new Standing Committee is a break from Party tradition in several ways. Rather than being a result of factional horse-trading and collective rule, the new roster is clearly dominated by those who are subordinate to Xi. It has been noted that none of the new Standing Committee members can be seen as a potential future successor to Xi, yet another break from the unspoken Party tradition that a future leader should be a part of the SC before taking over. This thus lays the basis for Xi to pursue an unprecedented third term in power. This break with tradition may also permanently alter the way the SC is formed, as Xis personal influence in deciding its composition has undermined the traditional use of straw polling of Politburo members to decide.

Xi Jinping is consolidating his grip on the CCP / Image: kremlin.ru

In his first term Xi had to share a SC slate with senior leaders of different factions such as Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng and Zhang Gaoli, which required him to lean heavily on Wang Qishan for his anti-corruption campaign against rival bureaucrats. The new Standing Committee slate now sees 5 new members (out of 6 who are not Xi Jinping) who were promoted by Xi or in complete agreement with his views.

Li Zhanshu, who has been close to Xi since the two were both county officials in Hebei Province in the 1980s, is viewed as one of Xis strongest lieutenants in the Party Secretariat in the recent period. Wang Huning had been the Secretary General for the Office of Deepening Reforms, one of the new central organs created by Xi to push his economic reforms. He has often been viewed as the chief pro-market theoretician in the recent period. Zhao Leji, who will succeed the outgoing Wang Qishan as the new anti-corruption tsar, impressed Xi with his strong support for Wangs anti-corruption campaign as the head of the Partys Organization Department, especially in his prominent role in tackling the rampant failure to pay dues by Party members. He will be entrusted with the founding of the National Control Committee as the new organ to combat corruption, as laid out by Xi and Wang Qishan. Wang Yang is a vocal reformer who enforced the marketization of the key province of Guandgong and has worked closely with Li Keqiang (the current Prime Minister). The odd man out is clearly Han Zheng, the Party Secretary for Shanghai and widely viewed as a member of Jiang Zemins faction, the Shanghai Clique.

Li Zhanshu / Image: Kremlin.ru

We should also note that Liu He, the Harvard educated economist and one of Xis closest advisers on economic liberalization, has also been promoted to the Politburo, yet another strong voice for liberalization and a Xi ally.

But Xis political consolidation is not so much a display of superhuman statecraft, but more as the lack of alternative that the CCP bureaucracy as a whole faces. After decades of breakneck growth, Chinese society is strained to its limits. Rampant inequality and injustice, pollution, stress, and enormous economic contradictions and indebtedness are pulling society in dozens of different directions and threaten the entire system. The bureaucracy is striving to establish a monolithic and supremely powerful political control with which to quash any dissent or strike wave whilst implementing tricky pro-market reforms. To this end, a team of technocrats and enforcers completely subordinated to Xis agenda of orderly marketization has been ruthlessly imposed by Xi against all other factions.

The bourgeoisification of the CCP

Given that the Chinese capitalist class has emerged through nurturing by the Stalinist state apparatus, it has no choice but to adapt the Communist Party to its own needs, a task which the CCP leadership has encouraged and participated in. With each passing year, the CCPs class composition becomes more and more bourgeois.

The congresses of the CCP, taking place once every five years, provide a good way of measuring these changes. Besides the hundreds of delegates that are businessmen, there were 27 delegates formally representing private enterprises. Among them are not only CEOs or presidents of massive Chinese companies, but also representatives from multinational corporations such as Samsung and KPMG. People.com.cn itself acknowledges that private enterprises make up more than 60 percent of Chinas GDP and create 90 percent of all new jobs, in order to justify their representation and to conclude that the views of these 27 delegates are gaining more and more weight.

At the same time the wealthiest 100 members of the National Peoples Congress (Chinas parliament that meets annually in the Spring) saw their wealth increase by 64 percent during Xis first term, having a combined fortune of $507 billion US dollars, similar to the GDP of Belgium and dwarfing the wealth of the US Congress (itself hardly known for its spartan or anti-capitalist qualities). The recent embrace of party organizations by large private enterprises is further proof that the Chinese bourgeoisie has thoroughly penetrated and adapted the CCP for its purposes. The 2017 CCP congress indicated that the party is to be further opened up to capitalist elements as marketization deepens.

ITU Samsung and China Mobile booth / Image: bfsh

Official media openly and repeatedly stress the fact that the delegates at this years congress were from more professional and higher educated backgrounds, which is a euphemistic way of saying they are richer and, inevitably, more pro-capitalist. The entrance of private capitalists into the Party and State structures is hardly a new and surprising phenomenon, but one that stretches back to the late 1990s when capitalisms restoration was approaching completion, as the 2010 study Sources of social support for Chinas current political order: The thick embeddedness of private capital holders by Christopher McNally and Teresa Wright already proved:

In fact, a nationwide study conducted in 2000 found that 20 percent of all private entrepreneurs were CCP members (Li, 2001, p.26), while by 2003 Party membership had climbed to nearly 34 percent (Tsai, 2005, p.1140). Party membership appears to be particularly prevalent among medium and large private enterprise owners: in surveys from the late 1990s, 40 percent were already Party members, and more than 25 percent of the remainder had been targeted by the CCP and wanted to join (Dickson, 2003, p.111). By way of comparison, as of 2007, only 5.5 percent of the entire population was a CCP member (Xinhua, 2007).

Private entrepreneurs thus are widely believed to comprise the highest percentage of CCP members per capita of any social sector.

The growing weight of the capitalist class within the Party that we see today under Xi is an established and indisputable fact. It is part and parcel of what the party and the state has become. The CCP is not only unable to resist this, but embraces it as the markets influence over society becomes all-embracing.

For now the bureaucracy, especially those at the top, can maintain a degree of independence from the bourgeoisie, who nevertheless are accentuating their influence within the party. But just as capitalist power and influence swells, the crisis of capitalism is creating the conditions for the also increasingly powerful working-class to move into more militant struggle against capitalism. It is for these reasons that Xi is being compelled to take bonapartist measures to balance the Party between the working-class and the capitalist class in attempt to manage the contradictions.

What does Xis strongman regime mean? Bonapartism

As has been widely reported, the closing ceremony of the Congress saw Xi Jinpings theory of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era, nicknamed Xi Jinping Thought, being voted into the Party Constitution. This makes him only the second Party leader to have his own thoughts written into the Constitution while still alive and serving as President, the first one being Mao himself. This, combined with the high profile elimination of prominent CCP bureaucrats (catching tigers), indicates that something is afoot in China.

What do these dramatic changes and maneuverings mean? Many Stalinists in the West are drawing hopeful conclusions that Xi is Mao reincarnated, and that he will completely reverse Chinas capitalist backsliding and return to the glory days of the nationalized planned economy, yet this is obviously fanciful, as the above figures on party composition show. So what is behind the scheming and why is Xis thought written into the constitution?

It is nothing short of a strengthening and concentration of the bonapartism of the Chinese state. Bonapartism is when the state gains a large degree of autonomy from even the ruling economic class. This is commonly referred to as a dictatorship, but the meaning is more scientific and exact than that, because it specifies that this dictatorship is achieved by balancing and playing off the two main classes against each other. Although this deprives the bourgeoisie of direct political power, the greater repressive powers of the state are used to defend, in the final analysis, the capitalist economic system. Bonapartism saves capitalism from the capitalists themselves.

This is exactly what is going on in China. In the past period we have seen many massive Chinese companies setting up Communist Party cells under pressure from the state, which led many to believe that this represents a growth of state interference in, and even hostility to, the functioning of capitalism. Some have speculated that this is evidence of a plan for re-nationalization. Indeed, in 2016 alone, the proportion of private enterprises with a party cell grew by 16.1 percent.

While company party cells do indeed place the management under some sort of political leash, they are to a much greater degree organs of direct control over the companys trade union (should there be one), as by law all company unions are placed under the leadership of the companys party cells. The proliferation of party cells also offer the management themselves a channel to participate in the Partys political life, which affords them both influence and a degree of political protection against, say, a trial for corruption. Workers who are party members also automatically enjoy perks and are prioritized for promotions, thus creating a layer of privileged workers to set against their colleagues. Such cells are therefore used to politically control both classes, but much more so the working-class, to the benefit of the capitalist class.

Members of the comunist party of China / Image: AlexaHR

The party does respond to grievances from the working-class, but very strongly clamps down on any attempt at resolving labour disputes outside of the allowable framework. What it can tolerate least of all is independent and coordinated militant activity from the working-class. The system of Shang Fang or grievance reporting to the government has been expanded and monitored by the State Bureau of Letters and Calls. In the last 5 years Sichuan province alone claims to have processed 3.8 million filings, which could result in sackings of reported local officials or pressure on private companies to pay their workers.

On the other hand, independent labour activists such as those active in the Guangdong factory strikes at the end of 2015 are immediately arrested. The national Walmart workers strike in 2016 also received tacit approval from the official company union, who simultaneously accused the leadership of the strike of being under foreign influence. The state leans on working-class anger in an attempt to manage the contradictions of capitalism, especially as it wants to see workers getting higher wages in order to boost domestic demand in the economy. It also needs to show that it responds to their grievances, since its claim to legitimacy in building capitalism is that it is raising the living standards and improving the lives of the masses. But it will tolerate no independent activity of the working-class.

The Party has been able to maintain its dominant position within society chiefly because Chinese capitalism is completely unable to develop itself without the nurturing of a strong state, a state which in fact is responsible for the very existence of capitalism in China. This is why in the absence of a severe economic crisis, the CCP can still balance itself between the classes while at the same time developing Chinese capitalism.

A severe economic crisis, however, is just what is in store for China after decades of growth. Xi Jinping and the Chinese ruling class know this is coming. Try as they may to put off the evil day, deep down they know it is inescapable. They are well aware of the sharp increase in debt. It is primarily these deep-seated economic problems, and the exacerbation of the class struggle they will bring, that have inspired Xis concentration of power: the elimination of rival factions through the anti-corruption campaign, the intensification of so-called Marxist propaganda painting Xi and the CCP as champions of the working masses, and the enormous expansion of the security apparatus to unprecedented levels.

The real meaning of the anti-corruption campaign

In the past four years Xi has shaken to the core the entire party bureaucracy with his anti-corruption campaign, which created an impression that no one within the Party, no matter how powerful, is exempt from Party discipline. The high profile anti-corruption campaign indeed removed some very powerful party and military leaders, most notably ex-Standing Committee member Zhou Yongkang who had enormous control over the state-owned oil enterprises, and high ranking general Xu Caihou. Ahead of the 19th Congress we also saw the largest amount of Central Committee members being expelled, the most prominent of which was Standing Committee hopeful Sun Zhengcai. The Armys Chief of Staff Fang Fenghui was also reportedly placed under investigation.

We must understand that the purging of certain bureaucrats does not represent a fundamental change in the policy of the state so much as the elimination of those that may impede Xis ability to enforce his policies. Xi fears that in the coming crisis, the existence of any factions in the bureaucracy may lead to splits or undermine the partys central authority in a situation in which it will already be strained. An economic or social crisis will test the old regime to the limits, so it can ill afford any unreliable elements.

Sun Zhengcai, as the previous governor of Chongqing, was a telling example of a prominent bureaucrat whose corruption was so rampant and widespread that it threatened the Party and its capitalist programme. Shortly before being placed under investigation ahead of the Party Congress, it was revealed that Sun had provided an obscure IT company with the capital and connections to represent themselves in the name of the One Belt One Road initiative to Lithuania and Kazakhstans Central Bank chiefs, hoping to reap immense profit by doing so.

Xu, a leading general in the army, was found guilty of trading promotions for cash. Fang Fenghui, army chief of staff, was accused of maintaining close relations with US military figures. Most prominent of all, Zhou Yongkang, who was on the Standing Committee, was found to have used his position at the top of the China National Petroleum Corporation to extract billions in bribes and enrich family members, Prior to his investigation, Xi met with prominent party leaders and ex-leaders, most notably Jiang Zemin, to sound them out and make the case that his corruption and decadence threatened the stability of the whole system.

Zhou Yongkang / Image: Barry Bahler

Rampant corruption is an inherent weakness in totalitarian state bureaucracies such as Chinas. There are also no democratic safety valves for societys enormous contradictions to let off steam. Competing capitalist interests need to gain influence within any state, not least one as powerful as Chinas. The fiction of unanimity and harmony in the state apparatus is constantly threatened by these factors. Xi has identified this and is attempting to stamp it out in a giant and ultimately unwinnable game of whack-a-mole.

This extends not just to the top of the bureaucracy but throughout the party. The CCP, being the only party and fused with the state, concentrates within itself a variety of social forces. Anyone wishing to climb the career ladder joins the party, and thus one function of the party is to serve as an elaborate networking organisation. It is for this reason that in the last year or so, the CCP has begun to set stricter criteria for membership in an attempt to stop the rot.

Research suggests that many of these youngsters see membership not as a vocation but as a shortcut to stable employment (many jobs in public service and government-linked companies are reserved for party members), or simply as one more way of proving their superiority over classmates. In 2015 a survey at one middling university found that only one-sixth of those applying to the party were doing so to serve the people, and that only a quarter could say that they had a very strong desire to be accepted. (The Economist, 23.11.17).

The central bureaucracy is more representative of the parts of China where capitalism is more developed, against other regional bureaucrats that are more reliant on propagating and controlling regional state enterprises. The states authority constantly tends to fray at the edges. The party leadership fears that rampant corruption, especially in regional provinces, could expose cracks in the regime that the masses could use to their advantage, igniting a mass movement that could quickly threaten the whole regime. This is why they have preemptively made examples of a large number of corrupt officials both to discipline the wider apparatus and to create the illusion that not all of the bureaucracy is a parasite on the working-class, but only the corrupt few. Simultaneously, the anti-corruption scandal also eliminates Xis political rivals.

Market economy with CCP characteristics

Xis highly-anticipated speech was three and a half hours long, and its sheer length became a point of focus for many in the international media. However at least three hours of it was filled with empty platitudes such as our party must fight for peoples livelihood; we must realize the Chinese Dream and the great revival of the Chinese nation; we must be strict on ourselves and fight corruption; as well as bare faced lies such as, in our country, the ruling class is the coalition of workers and peasants; we worked hard to study and develop Marxist theory.

Only about half hour of the speech actually had any substance, and within which he spent the majority of the time talking about deepening the marketization and liberalization of the economy (with occasional points on the need to also have strong regulatory mechanisms especially in the housing market), while bolstering welfare spending. He also outlined plans to strengthen the central governments power in implementing policies nationally as a way of affirming the partys political leadership over the country, as well as a halt to privatization of large state owned industries, preferring to manage them in a way that is competitive in the market. Carefully chosen sound bites such as We must increase globalization, improve on liberalization and opening up and Deepen commercial reform, smashing administrative monopoly, prevent market monopoly, perfect market monitoring system sum up the direction in which Xi wants to take China.

Despite the CCPs utopian promise of building a market economy without systemic risks, Chinas capitalist economy cannot escape from the fundamental crisis of overproduction inherent in capitalism. This is manifested in the slowdown of growth since around 2014, the sharp increase in debt, as well as occasional stock market shocks. The party, unable to ignore these facts, is forced to admit via Xinhua news that it is aware of the problems and will find ways to stimulate more private investment.

The CCP is seeking to accomplish this by first abandoning the restrictions it previously placed on foreign enterprises to operate in China. As Xinhua promised, Any enterprises that are registered within the border of our country will be viewed in the same way and treated the same. We will insist on a new mode of managing foreign investments based on the new record-keeping based system, further elevating the convenience in investment. Record-keeping system in this case refers to an overhaul of the legal steps foreign enterprises have had to go through in order to legally operate, which typically takes one to three months.

China is well known for placing a lot of restrictions and requirements on foreign companies, such as that they must enter into joint ventures with Chinese companies and share their technology with them. The new proposed system will drastically simplify the process of registration for foreign enterprises and allow them to come into Chinas market faster. It also promises the state will not interfere with individual corporations decisions in how they allocate their investments. This indicates the CCP now has sufficient confidence in the larger Chinese enterprises to compete with foreign companies without the assistance the state previously provided, but also that they feel an urgency to attract foreign investors back into China to keep the growth rate afloat.

Xi Jinping shakes hands with Putin / Image: kremlin.ru

Alongside this internal strategy, the Congress outlined plans for an external strategy to try and delay the crisis of overproduction in the Chinese economy : a more aggressive imperialist policy of investment in other countries by and for Chinese companies. The One Belt One Road policy (which we have analysed previously in Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte leaning towards China - why? and Pakistan: The ever growing power of China) is the biggest act of economic diplomacy since WWII and an unmistakable sign of burgeoning Chinese imperialist aspirations as a means to temporarily overcome the brewing crisis of Chinese capitalism.

China now produces half of all the worlds steel and aluminium. Shenzhen is rapidly becoming a worldwide centre for the tech industry. In every way, the vast expansion of Chinas productive forces has laid the foundations for an enormous crisis of overproduction (China and the World Economy in 2016: "Sell Everything").

Rodrigo Duterte has moved closer to China / Image: fair use

In reality, the Chinese economy is long overdue a crisis, which should have arrived with the 2008 world crisis. As we know, China rescued world capitalism in that fateful year with a vast fiscal stimulus: the biggest in world history. But that was achieved by capitalist means, i.e. with debt, and as Marx and Engels explained in the Communist Manifesto, such methods only create bigger crises in the future. The total debt in the Chinese economy has quadrupled to 22tn since 2008!

In a statement, the IMF has pointed out that debt as a proportion of gross domestic product would rise from 235 percent to almost 300 percent by 2022. Previously, the Washington-based IMF  which publishes annual reports on its member countries  had said debt would peak at 270 percent of GDPChina needed three times as much credit in 2016 to achieve the same amount of growth as in 2008Since 2008, private sector debt relative to GDP has risen by 80 percentage points to about 175 percent  such large increases have internationally been associated with sharp growth slowdowns and often financial crises....China now has one of the largest banking sectors in the world. At 310 percent GDP, Chinas banking sector is above the advanced economy average and nearly three times the emerging market average. (The Guardian, 15.8.17).

After decades of staggering growth, China has changed profoundly. All of the contradictions of capitalism have embedded themselves into the fabric of China, and in turn China is embedded at the centre of a crisis-ridden world economy. The slowdown in the economy, the growing discontent and militancy of the working-class, the explosion of debt to totally unsustainable levels, and the embarking onto imperialist ventures, all these express the complexity of Chinese society and the inevitability of an immense crisis. Running China on this basis has become like spinning plates, and Xi needs all hands on deck to make sure those plates stay spinning in the interests of capitalism. That is the lesson of the 19th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party and the subordination of the Party to Xis will.
TV journalist Ann Curry, who was unceremoniously forced out as co-host of "Today" in 2012, said she is "still really processing" the firing of her former colleague Matt Lauer, but spoke out about sexual harassment in the workplace.

Curry has not discussed her departure from "Today" or NBC in great detail, though there have been reports she faced sexism from her superiors and her relationship with Lauer was strained in her final days.

She sat down with People magazine on Wednesday as part a previously scheduled interview to discuss her upcoming PBS documentary series "We'll Meet Again," which airs in early 2018.

Curry declined to comment specifically about Lauer's dismissal amid allegations of sexual misconduct, saying "I'm still really processing it." However, she did share her thoughts about the recent wave of women coming forward to report sexual harassment in the workplace.

"The women's movement got us into the workplace, but it didn't make us safe once we got there," Curry told the magazine. "And the battle lines are now clear. We need to move this revolution forward and make our workplaces safe. Corporate America is quite clearly failing to do so, and unless it does something to change that, we need to keep doing more ourselves."

Lauer's dismissal on Wednesday was attributed to an incident at the 2014 Winter Olympics the network learned of on Monday.

However, NBC was reportedly aware that two media outlets were ready to publish articles exposing allegations of sexual misconduct by the longtime "Today" show co-host.

Variety has since reported Lauer had exposed himself to an NBC employee and gave another colleague a sex toy with an explicit note about how he wanted to use it on her.

NBC confirmed on Thursday morning that two women have come forward following the initial complaint it had received on Monday.

Lauer had hosted "Today" since 1997 and been with NBC News for 25 years.
It's not a good idea to make your own bike lane, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said the same day city workers scrubbed away someone's attempt to create one on Congress Street, near the Seaport District.

"You can't just paint in the street," Walsh told reporters after an unrelated event on Boston Common.

The person who painted the bike lane onto the Congress Street Bridge should get in touch with his office, the mayor added.

"We're working on, we're putting hundreds of millions of dollars into infrastructure in our city over the next five years and bike lanes are a big part of that," Walsh said. "So I suggest that you reach out to us so we can talk about it and how we get that done quicker."

Congress Street is a major thoroughfare, running past Boston City Hall, the old Massachusetts State House, through the Financial District and over a bridge to where the Boston Children's Museum is located. The street ends near the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion in the Seaport.

Pictures of the painted bike lane surfaced on Twitter earlier this week when a bike rider came upon it and hailed the anonymous painter as a "hero."

To whoever hand painted a bike lane on Congress St over Ft Point Channel - Brilliant! Youre my hero! #SafeStreets @bostonbikeunion @MassBike pic.twitter.com/fHSHpGHyvT  Mike Blackwell (@mkblackwell) November 28, 2017

"I certainly know that people who bike, their numbers are growing and we have to make sure that they're safe," Walsh said Thursday. "We have to make sure they're riding in very safe, protected areas, and we're going to continue to work with them."

The mayor acknowledged that the painted bike lane might have been an act of frustration by a bike rider.

Asked whether he foresees a bike lane on Congress Street in the future, Walsh said, "People use bikes Congress Street today and we want to make sure that, as best we can, make sure people are safe. And again, you can't do it by painting a line in the street. You can't do that."

Shortly after Walsh spoke with reporters, the same bike rider who originally discovered the painted bike lane tweeted out a picture of the Congress Street Bridge, showing the bike lane had been removed.
Luke's Lobster has formally landed in the Seaport, serving those who want a dose of lobster roll with their luxury retail and living experience.

The popular seafood chain opened its third Boston location on Wednesday on Northern Avenue, across from the Moakley Courthouse. It sits among two luxury condo towers and an array of restaurants and retailers at One Seaport, the city's largest mixed-use project in decades.

"It's humbling to be a brand that gets selected," said the chain's founder Luke Holden. The Maine native is a third-generation lobsterman from the Portland area, who has shared his family-born passion to eight states across the country.

Holden hatched the idea with his father eight years ago: a small lobster-shack in the East Village in New York City. But he didn't have the time or money to do it on his own. A Craigslist ad would lead him to Ben Conniff, of Eastern Connecticut, now the co-founder Luke's Lobster and close friend of Holden (he was in his wedding party just a few months back).

"We looked at Boston and we said, 'You know what? There's still plenty of room here in this booming city for some more great lobster, and we have a lot to offer,'" Conniff said, describing the "refined palettes" and "well-educated" coastal consumers that live in the Massachusetts capital. Essentially - we know good seafood.

Holden remembers feeling nervous about the move to Boston. "How's it going to be perceived?"

But two years ago, Luke's Lobster opened in Back Bay. One year later, the founders opened a location in Downtown Crossing. And, despite stiff seafood competition, the two say the "shacks" have seen tremendous success.

Between the offerings of fresh lobster, crab and shrimp rolls, lobster mac and cheese, soups and seasonal bisques, the business-heavy neighborhoods have embraced the ocean fare brought in by their fellow New Englanders. The small "shacks" are consistent in their rustic ocean feel and to-the-point menus.

The founders said sustainable fishing practices are at the heart of the chain's operations. Holden helped create the "Tenants Harbor Fisherman's Co-op in Maine," the first fisherman co-op to directly link those catching the fare to the establishments selling them.

He says brands like Luke's Lobster and Whole Foods participate in the co-op because they truly care where their food comes from.

To stay true to their mission in supporting sustainability and the fishing industry, Luke's began their first calendar campaign this year.

This 2018 theme is "Lobster Ladies," with each month featuring 12 women who are part of Maine's lobster industry -- captains, cooks, wives, scientists. Proceeds from the calendars go toward the Maine Lobstermen's Community Alliance, an organization that provides scholarships, aid and sustainability trainings to those in the state's fishing industry.

The new Seaport location hosted some of the lobster experts Wednesday, including the calendar's cover person Krista Tripp, who works as a lobster boat captain and sternperson. She admitted the daily task of hauling gear can be strenuous.

"Everyone asks me like, 'How do you do this job?' And I just say, I've always done it, so it's like second nature," Tripp said.

For Ben Conniff, the presence of a Luke's Lobster at One Seaport is emblematic of the chain's quality.

"I think it's a nice balance of old and new, but everyone being focused on being the best at what they do and offering an amazing product," Conniff said of the other retailers. For example, he contrasted the new barber shop "Seaport Barbers" standing alongside L.L. Bean, a company he associates with quality and durability.

"I like to think we fit right into that mold. That we offer the best lobster roll that you can buy."

Luke's Lobster has no plans to stop at three Boston spots, Conniff said. As for whether the chain could expand outside the city and into other Massachusetts hotspots, he said that's a definite possibility "in the long run."
Within an hour of her arrest, a State Police captain notified a superior that a trooper had just arrested Alli Bibaud, the daughter of Judge Timothy Bibaud, who is at the center of a scandal currently rocking the department.

On Oct. 16, state police troopers discovered Bibaud's vehicle on Interstate 190 in Worcester after she collided with a guardrail near exit 2.

According to documents released to the Boston Herald, the captain texted Major Susan Anderson 36 minutes after Alli Bibaud's crash had been reported, alerting her that a "C-6 Trooper just locked up Judge Bibaud's daughter for OUI."

While in custody, Bibaud allegedly admitted to drinking and using heroin that day, and made several salacious comments to the arresting trooper. She was released on personal recognizance and picked up from the barracks by her father, according to her arrest report.

The text, sent from Capt. Robert Johnson, was received at 8:11 p.m., the Boston Herald reported.

The texts were included with dozens of other communications sent to and from former State Police Col. Richard McKeon, which the Herald made a public records request for.

MassLive also requested communications from McKeon, Anderson and Lt. Col. Francis Hughes during the time of the arrest. When asked about the status of the requests Thursday, a state police spokesman said the requests have been forwarded to legal counsel.

According to the Herald, State Police did not release any texts sent from McKeon's cellphone because those communications are part of an ongoing investigation being conducted by Attorney General Maura Healey.

Bibaud's arrest came under scrutiny after troopers Ryan Scevoir and Ali Rei filed lawsuits against Massachusetts State Police, claiming they were punished for including salacious comments allegedly made by Bibaud during her arrest and forced to remove them from their report.

Amid the allegations, McKeon and his second in command, Francis Hughes resigned. A State Police spokesman said Hughes resigned so the new head of the State Police can assemble their own command staff.

Investigations into the matter have been launched by Healey, the state Ethics Commission, and the new head of State Police, Col. Kerry Gilpin.

McKeon admitted to ordering the revising of the arrest report, and Gov. Charlie Baker confirmed that the Worcester County District Attorney's office communicated with State Police about the report.

Bibaud was sentenced to 14 months of probation after pleading guilty to operating under the influence of liquor and other motor vehicle violations. According to her attorney, Bibaud is currently attending a 32-day treatment at the Plymouth House rehabilitation facility.
One person was killed and three others injured, one critically, in a two-vehicle crash in Falmouth on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

In a written statement, Falmouth police said a Ford F350 owned by the Town of Falmouth and a 2001 BMW collided near the intersection of Route 151 and Sam Turner Road at about 12:10 p.m.

Police said they found two critically injured people and two with non-life-threatening injuries at the scene. All the injured were transported to Falmouth Hospital, where one of the critically injured victims died.

The pickup truck was being operated by the Town of Falmouth Marine and Environmental Services Department, police said.

The Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section is assisting Falmouth Police in the investigation.
SPRINGFIELD -- Jane Mulqueen, the governor's latest judicial nominee, is a prosecutor handling some of the most complex child abuse and child death cases in Hampden Superior Court.

Mulqueen, of South Hadley, has been chief of the Special Victims Unit for the Hampden district attorney's office since 2011. She previously handled similar cases for the Northwestern district attorney's office in Northampton.

Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday nominated Mulqueen as an associate justice of the superior court.

"Jane is a phenomenal prosecutor, fierce advocate for children, and a great person," said District Attorney Anthony Gulluni. "The loss to my office is significant, but the benefit to the justice system is enormous. Jane will be a reasoned, fair, and thoughtful judge, who will continue a career of exemplary public service, albeit in a different position."

"Replacing her friendship and daily presence will not be possible and I will miss her," Gulluni said. "All of her colleagues and I are very proud and wish her luck as she goes before the Governor's Council."

The council, which vets judicial nominees, will interview Mulqueen and vote whether to confirm her on dates to be determined.

Asked how his office will handle the cases currently being prosecuted by Mulqueen, Gulluni said, "The office is well positioned and appropriately staffed for the transition."

Among the cases that Mulqueen was slated to prosecute -- for a second time -- was the killing of a 5-month-old in Springfield in 2010. In March a mistrial was declared after jurors deadlocked on the murder charge against Raymond Collazo, the child's father.

Mulqueen argued Collazo shook Davian Collazo violently, then left him alone for hours with a fatal brain injury.

Defense lawyer Jeffrey Brown argued Davian died of natural causes, specifically pneumonia. Even if jurors believed Davian died of inflicted trauma, Collazo did nothing to him, according to the defense.

A status conference on the case will be held Thursday.

Another pending case Mulqueen is prosecuting involves a murder charge against Miguel Fonseca-Colon, accused in the death of a 5-month-old child in Springfield in January 2013.

Mulqueen is also prosecutor in two indecent assault cases against lawyer James Martin.

She has prosecuted many child pornography cases and cases involving injury to children.

The cases involving death or injury of a child are usually labor-intensive, involving medical and expert opinions. In the Collazo trial, jurors heard 12 days of testimony, much of it medical and scientific.

Mulqueen graduated from Russell Sage College with a bachelor's degree in criminal science and earned her law degree from the Albany Law School of Union University in 1991.

Baker also nominated David Griffin, of Boston, a former social worker who has his own law practice, as an associate justice of the juvenile court.

"Attorneys Mulqueen and Griffin are accomplished lawyers whose careers demonstrate exceptional levels of compassion and care," Baker said in a statement. "I commend their dedication to working with some of the most vulnerable members of our community."
ELKO  Join the Great Basin College Industrial Millwright Program and RAM Enterprise Inc. from 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 6 to explore degree programs and careers available to those interested in becoming part of Nevadas industrial millwright technology field.

The tour will begin at 9 a.m. at the GBC industrial millwright lab in the Diekhans Centers for Industrial Technology, room 111. Millwright faculty will host an open house and answer questions about the millwright program, including scholarships and local internship opportunities. Participants will also learn about the skills a millwright needs to diagnose and repair stationary industrial equipment.

At 10:30 a.m., RAM Enterprise leads the tour where participants will get up close and personal with daily operations, meet with RAM employees and learn about the career opportunities available.

Millwright graduates often obtain careers immediately following graduation due to the high demand in the millwright field.

Interested high school students who want to participate will have first priority. GBC students and community members who are interested in attending GBC are also encouraged to RSVP by Dec. 4.

RSVP to Thomas Bruns at 753-2010 or email thomas.Bruns@gbcnv.edu, or Jonica Gonzalez at 753- 2303 or email jonica.gonzalez@gbcnv.edu.
Although G.M. has been reluctant to show off the cars it has developed through a subsidiary, Cruise Automation, the company now wants to prove that self-driving models are getting closer to general use.

By BILL VLASIC
As a first application of fifth-generation  or 5G  wireless, these services will use radio signals, rather than copper or fiber cables, to provide customers with unprecedented wireless speeds for Internet access.

As 5G continues to evolve, customers will benefit from a wide array of services  including broadband, mobile and IoT (Internet of things)  and the necessary bandwidth and low latency for 3D and virtual reality applications.

Bob Varettoni

http://www.verizon.com/about/news/verizon-launch-5g-residential-broadband-services-5-markets-2018
ELKO  Willow Creek Reservoir drained completely as of Nov. 21 with a total loss of the reservoir storage and associated warm-water fishery, the Nevada Department of Wildlife reported Wednesday.

Gate actuators and valves on the dam gate broke and stuck open, resulting in rapid reservoir drawdown and no repair options available without complete draining of the reservoir to access broken equipment.

Employees of Barrick Gold Corp., owner of Willow Creek Reservoir and the surrounding land about 75 miles northwest of Elko, contacted NDOW fisheries personnel and informed them of the malfunction and decreasing water levels in mid-November.

In early November, during routine maintenance on the dam, there was a mechanical malfunction, wrote Leslie Maple, Barrick communications and corporate affairs manager, in an email. An actuator and valve on the gate broke causing the gate to be stuck open.

NDOW fisheries personnel were unable to salvage game fish because of the wet weather this past week and unfavorable shoreline conditions associated with dropping water levels.

Barrick attempted to fix the broken valve but the equipment could not be accessed for repair without full drainage of the reservoir, Maple wrote. Barrick reported the issue to NDOW on November 9, with hopes of being able to salvage the fishery. Wet weather and unfavorable shoreline conditions limited vehicle access to the reservoir and the salvage operation was unsuccessful.

Willow Creek Reservoir was constructed in 1884, reconstructed in 1921, and restored twice  in 1999 and 2005  and repaired in 2007, according to NDOW. Maximum total capacity is 640 surface acres at a depth of up to 40 feet.

The last state water resources department inspection of Willow Creek was in 2014, said JoAnn Kittrell, public information manager for the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, when the dam earned a fair rating on a scale of poor, fair and satisfactory. Barrick has since performed annual inspections and is up to date on its emergency action plan, Kittrell said.

The reservoir is used as an agricultural irrigation impoundment, primarily for ranch and livestock use, and had become a popular recreation destination for Elko, Humboldt and Lander county residents. Known for good catch rates and quality size white crappie, the fishery was rebounding nicely from the extended drought of 2012-2015, according to NDOW.

Restocking efforts of white crappie, channel catfish and black bass species had occurred, and the popularity of the fishery became prominent in the summer of 2017, with noticeable increases in angling and camping presence throughout the summer and fall.

Beginning in spring 2018, in coordination with Barrick, NDOW will begin the rebuilding and restocking efforts of Willow Creek Reservoir if habitat conditions and equipment infrastructure allow. It is estimated that it will take three to five years under ideal conditions to return warm-water game fish populations to sustainable levels.

Barrick is eager to see the ranch reservoir restored for community use, said Nigel Bain, executive director of Barrick U.S.A. We will continue to coordinate with NDOW to repair the failed valve and restock the fishery as soon as infrastructure and weather conditions permit.
SPRING CREEK  Great Basin Water Co. is meeting some of the compliances ordered by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, but is considering another appeal of the decision that told them to refund water customers for a meter reading issue last year.

GBWC filed a 137-page compliance report Nov. 15 detailing the companys plans for improvement in several areas including staffing in Spring Creek, meter reading, training field technicians and installing smart meters. It also included a copy of the companys field technician training manual for 2017.

The company also was ordered to reprice Spring Creek customers water bills between the months of January and October 2016 at the rate of $3.47 per 1,000 gallons by Nov. 21, which was 60 days from the issuance of the order.

The repricing under the order has been completed and has been submitted to the commission staff, GBWC said on Nov. 27.

The company will provide an explanatory letter to customers, GBWC said.

A filing has not yet been received by Business Process Services for processing, said the PUCN in a Nov. 29 email.

Spring Creek resident Greg Brorby, who submitted three letters to the PUCN documenting his issues with the water company, said on Wednesday he had not received any notice from GBWC.

In the compliance report, GBWC explained changes to analyze customer bills by volunteering as a pilot group for new software that allows for better reporting capabilities.

The company also outlined eight steps to reach out to Spring Creek customers. Among those tasks, GBWC discussed attending Spring Creek Association board meetings and water committee meetings, participating in community events and hosting an annual GBWC career day at their water/wastewater treatment plant.

The report also described implementing a survey link to evaluate customer satisfaction twice a year for three years starting in 2018, efforts to provide education about water consumption, expand promotion through the media, and schedule meetings once or twice a year in Spring Creek.

The repricing and additional compliances were ordered by the PUCN Sept. 21 when the agency denied GBWCs petition stating that their resolution of the meter reading issues in Spring Creek was consistent with its tariff.

The order issued by the PUNC came after months of debate between Spring Creek water customers who questioned high water bills and incorrect meter readings at a consumer sessions attended by PUCN and the Attorney Generals Bureau of Consumer Protection in April and September.

In October, the GBWC filed an appeal with the PUCN, asking the agency to rehear and/or reconsider the Sept. 21 order. On Nov. 8, the PUCN denied their request for a rehearing.

However, GBWC is considering further judicial review, of the decision, GBWC said.

According to the PUCNs processes, the company can take that avenue if it chooses and the party may appeal a denial to the district court.
The Nevada Department of Education postponed adopting a gender-diverse regulation Tuesday after community members flooded a public meeting mostly to testify against it.

The proposed regulation is an outgrowth of Senate Bill 225, which requires the state to provide a policy that ensures a safe and respectful learning environment for students with diverse gender identities or expressions. State officials first held a public workshop July 31 to begin crafting the language.

State Superintendent Steve Canavero delayed the regulations adoption because the Clark County School District is in the midst of creating its own gender-diverse policy. The school districts gender diverse working group is hosting a series of public meetings starting Friday before issuing a recommendation to Clark County Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky.

Canavero said he wants to ensure that the two policies are congruent before moving forward with the regulation, which will serve as the statewide model.

It has to fit for all of our state and all of the children in our schools, he said.

The decision came after nearly three hours of public testimony from dozens of community members. Opponents decried the proposed regulation, describing it as an infringement on their rights rather than an anti-bullying measure. Most of the concerns boiled down to whether the policy change would silence parents and force their children to comply with rules counter to their beliefs.

Audrey Taylor, whos expecting her sixth child in February, said implementing such a regulation could cause more pain and confusion for children. She described all students, including those with different gender identities, as children of God.

It is going to corrupt our society in the future, she said.

Erick Ruiz, a ninth-grader at a charter school, put his objections to the regulation more bluntly: To make it short, a boy is a boy and a girl is a girl.

Despite the large contingent of opponents  mostly parents  who mobilized to attend the meeting and speak out against it, a number of supporters showed up as well. Among them: 15-year-old Kristina Hernandez, who identifies as femme nonbinary, and urged opponents to acknowledge the existence of children with different gender identities.

My experience in school forced me to leave because of the violence I endured as a queer individual, Hernandez said. I hope that by seeing me today, it has helped you to understand that trans youth are no different than your kids.

Later, a mother, Jennifer Robertson, described how her transgender daughter hit the principal jackpot in her second elementary school after having a bad experience at her first school. The new principal was supportive and understanding of her daughters needs, she said.

Had there been a policy in place for transgender students that was districtwide, none of the fears our family had would have been an issue, Robertson said, adding that the proposed regulation shouldnt be in question. It should be in place.

During the meeting, state education officials also cleared up some misconceptions about the regulation. It would be used on a case-by-case basis to ensure a safe learning environment for gender-diverse students  not as broad reform at public schools, Canavero said.

Theres no requirement that has to do with locker rooms or bathrooms in here, he said. Theres also no requirement to discipline students  and that was a concern we heard  for use of a pronoun other than a students preferred pronoun. But my suggestion is that would only carry so far as it crosses the line to bullying.

Most of the concerns boiled down to whether the policy change would silence parents and force their children to comply with rules counter to their beliefs.
In 2013, Nevada expanded Medicaid eligibility, a move promoted by the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA or ObamaCare) to improve health care to people allegedly then under-served by our health care systems.

In return, the federal government fully funded Nevadas increased costs through 2016. However, the federal reimbursements slowly decline beginning this year. With the over-spending problems faced by the federal government, there is serious question whether reimbursements will continue after 2020, and if so at what level.

Federal government failure to continue its support could cause Nevada problems with its own budget. However, whatever Medicaids cost to Nevada taxpayers, its advocates always asserted it would provide significant benefits of access to care that was lacking. They didnt even attempt to support their benefit claims  they just asserted them.

Now, research findings by scholars at Stanford and Pennsylvanias Wharton School and elsewhere are calling into question even the alleged benefits.

Wharton professor Atul Gupta said, we always knew that the ACA is a massive redistribution exercise  redistributing from the healthy to the sick, redistributing from the rich to the poor. But what were finding here is that its also a redistribution in terms of who is paying for these costs. Were finding that local tax dollars are now being replaced by federal tax dollars.

He explained that some people who gained Medicaid coverage were earlier covered by other insurance and county indigent programs. About 40 percent of the Medicaid expansion is going towards replacing county indigent insurance, according to Gupta.

We tried to look at whether this has resulted in improvement in health care outcomes for patients. In many ways, that is the bottom line were interested in. He continued, On this front, we dont find robust evidence of improvement in the quality of health.

He added: when you read the popular media, its almost taken as a given that expanding insurance coverage is good. However, it hasnt really shown up in the data in very carefully designed studies. Were not finding robust evidence in our study as well.  This is known as crowding out of insurance coverage.

The Stanford/Wharton study analyzed data from 2008 to 2015 gathered from hospitals and emergency rooms in California. It focused on the behaviors of young people whose coverage provisions were increased by the Medicaid expansion. So, it doesnt address all experience with the expansion and it cant yet cover long-term effects. Nonetheless, it agrees with other carefully designed studies that the actual benefits are much less than assumed by ObamaCare and Medicaid advocates.

Gupta does sound some hopeful notes. In particular, he says the study shows Medicaid has allowed some poor people who previously had coverage now have more choice of providers, leading them to move from public to private hospitals and better physicians.

I think its reasonable to at least examine the evidence and see what kind of bang were getting for this buck, he notes.

We think so, too, especially in Nevada. As reported in our 2016 Popular Annual Financial Report, Medicaid is the largest single state expenditure at $3.2-billion, or 29 percent of total state spending. And health and social services spending, driven mainly by Medicaid expansion, has been the fastest growing part of state spending by far, now topping $5.111-billion, or 47 percent of the total.

As we also noted, expansion of publicly funded health care has been accompanied by a decline in rates of private insurance coverage. We also observed that expanded Medicaid coverage does not improve objective health care outcomes and only further endangers the most vulnerable populations.

ObamaCare, Medicaid expansion, single-payer systems and other progressive schemes are all driven by simplistic narratives, not tough-minded analysis of experience and costs, risks and benefits.

In this case there were two false narratives. First, all people subsidized by ObamaCare dont have access to care and thus suffer greatly. Second, screwing up the whole health insurance system to provide such access will have no unanticipated negative consequences  and will likely milk the well off and prudent people to subsidize recipients of public largess, allowing progressives to take credit because they forced others to pay for it.

So, expensive progressive politics are now blowing up in taxpayers faces.
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"Before this study, we knew that these HIV prevention measures worked at an individual level, yet it was not clear that they would substantially reduce HIV incidence in a population--or even if it would be possible to get large numbers of people to adopt them," said Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of NIH. "This new analysis demonstrates that scaling up combination HIV prevention is possible and can turn the tide of the epidemic."NIAID co-funded the research, and NIAID investigators oversaw all laboratory operations. The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funded the provision of combination HIV prevention, including ART and circumcision services, during the period observed in the study.The newly reported research involved nearly 34,000 people ages 15 to 49 years residing in 30 communities that participate in the Rakai Community Cohort Study (RCCS) conducted by the Rakai Health Sciences Program in Uganda. With funding from NIH and others, this program promoted HIV testing, ART and voluntary medical male circumcision to study participants. Every one or two years from April 1999 until September 2016, participants were tested for HIV and surveyed about their sexual behavior, use of HIV treatment, and male circumcision status. The authors of the new paper analyzed these survey data under the leadership of M. Kate Grabowski, Ph.D., an assistant professor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and an epidemiologist with the Rakai Health Sciences Program.The investigators found that the proportion of study participants living with HIV who reported taking ART climbed from zero in 2003 to 69 percent in 2016. The proportion of male study participants who were voluntarily circumcised grew from 15 percent in 1999 to 59 percent in 2016.While levels of condom use with casual partners and the proportion of people reporting multiple sexual partners remained largely unchanged, the proportion of adolescents ages 15 to 19 who reported never having sex rose from 30 percent in 1999 to 55 percent in 2016.As an apparent consequence of these increases, particularly in ART use and voluntary male circumcision, the annual number of new HIV infections in the cohort fell from 1.17 per 100 person-years in 2009 to 0.66 per 100 person-years in 2016, a 42 percent decrease.In addition, the proportion of cohort members living with HIV whose treatment suppressed the virus increased from 42 percent in 2009 to 75 percent in 2016, showing the feasibility of meeting the goal of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 initiative to achieve 73 percent viral suppression."These findings are extremely encouraging and suggest that with sustained commitment to increase the number of people who use combination HIV prevention, it may be possible to achieve epidemic control and eventual elimination of HIV," said David Serwadda, M.B.Ch.B., M.Med., M.P.H., co-founder of the Rakai Health Science Program and Professor at Makerere University School of Public Health in Kampala, Uganda.HIV incidence dropped the most--by 57 percent--among circumcised men, likely because both their own circumcision and ART taken by their female sexual partners living with HIV protected these men from the virus. HIV incidence declined by 54 percent among all men but by only 32 percent among all women.According to the investigators, this difference probably occurred because a greater percentage of women living with HIV than men living with HIV took ART, and because nearly two-thirds of men chose the extra preventive benefit of circumcision.The researchers suggest addressing this gender imbalance by influencing more men living with HIV to take ART and by giving HIV-uninfected women HIV prevention tools that they can control unilaterally, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The scientists anticipate that the RCCS will add PrEP to its combination HIV prevention package as the study continues."We expect that this multifaceted approach to HIV prevention will work as well in other populations as it has in rural Uganda," said Dr. Grabowski. "Our results make a strong case for further expanding ART and male circumcision for HIV prevention in Rakai District and beyond. Additional proven HIV prevention interventions, such as PrEP, should be added to the mix to reduce HIV infections in women and other high-risk groups."Source: Eurekalert
Health is a Human Right. The affordability and accessibility of health insurance have to be ensured. Higher incomed population can access and afford medical care, however, for the below poverty population medical care is neither accessible nor affordable. The Central Government launched the national health insurance schemes to provide healthcare support to all Indian citizens from private sectors, to government staff and specifically for the below poverty line people such as cobblers, fisheries and such occupations.

The list of national health insurance schemes by the central government are as follows:

Rashtriya Swasthiya Bima Yojana (RSBY)

Employment State Insurance Scheme (ESIS)

Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)

Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana (AABY)

Janashree Bima Yojana (JBY)

Universal Health Insurance Scheme (UHIS)

Ministry of Labour and Employment launched the RSBY to provide health insurance for the below poverty line (BPL) population. BPL families under RSBY will be benefited with hospitalization coverage of Rs.30,000/- for most diseases that require hospital admission. The benefits of RSBY are: no age limit and no pre-existing conditions which are covered from day one. This scheme covers five members of a family, which include the head of the family, spouse and three dependents. There is a registration fee of Rs.30/- and the payment to the insurers will be paid by the central and state government.

Comparing RSBY with other schemes, RSBY is unique and provides some unique features mentioned below:

Empowers the beneficiaries by giving a choice between public and private hospitals.

Inclusion of intermediaries such as Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Micro Financial Institutions (MFIs) to assist BPL households.

Each family pays a maximum of Rs.750/-, per year to access quality healthcare to the BPL.

Biometric enabled smart cards and key management systems make RSBY a safe and foolproof scheme.

The smart card can be used by the beneficiary at any of the RSBY enlisted hospitals across India.

Cashless and paperless transactions with the beneficiarys smart card and fingerprint verification are used to approve cashless transactions.

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Employment State Insurance Scheme (ESIS) provides socio-economic protection to the working population and their dependents. It is regarded as a multidimensional social security system. This scheme covers various cash benefits like physical distress, temporary or permanent disablement. Monthly pension called dependents benefit is also available for beneficiaries who die due to injuries or accidental deaths during their employment term time. The available coverage limit is Rs.15,000/- per month.

There is also a coverage applicability for this scheme. It covers non-seasonal factories with 10 or more employees. It also includes shops, hotels, cinemas, newspaper establishments and road-motor transport establishments hiring 20 or more employees. Private medical and educational establishments in specific states/union territories recruiting 20 or more employees are covered under this scheme. ESIS is available in all states except Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Mizoram. It is only available in the Union Territories of Delhi and Chandigarh. The government has plans to implement this scheme in other Union Territories and states, where ESIS is unavailable.

The central government first initiated the Central Government Health Insurance Scheme (CGHS) in 1954 at New Delhi. This scheme is precisely tailored to provide comprehensive health care support to central government employees and pensioners including their dependents living in cities that cover CGHS. This central government scheme is now active in the cities of Allahabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhubhaneshwar, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Dehradun, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jabalpur, Kanpur, Kolkatta, Lucknow, Meerut, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, Pune, Ranchi, Shillong, Trivandrum and Jammu. Wellness centers/polyclinics offer medical facilities under Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathic (AYUSH) systems. This scheme also consists of components like dispensary services-domiciliary care, hospitalization and health education to beneficiaries.

Aam aadmi bima yojana launched on 2nd October 2017 is a social security scheme for people living in rural households. This scheme either covers the head or the earning member of the family within the age group of 18 to 59 years. The central and state government shares a premium of Rs.200/- annually. A premium of Rs.30,000/- is paid for natural deaths, Rs.75,000/- for death due to accidents and Rs.35,000 for partial permanent disability due to accidents.

The central government has set a separate fund called Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana Premium Fund to pay its contribution, and LIC maintains the fund resources.

This scheme was introduced on 10th August 2000 to yield protection to below poverty or marginally above poverty line people. JBY replaced two insurance schemes such as Social Security Group Insurance Scheme (SSGIS) and Rural Group Life Insurance Scheme (RGLIS).

NO OCCUPATION NO OCCUPATION 1 Beedi workers 24 Hilly area woman 2 Brick kiln workers 25 Foodstuffs products like khandsari/sugar 3 Carpenters 26 Textile 4 Cobblers 27 Manufacture of food products 5 Fisherman 28 Manufacture of paper products 6 Hamals 29 Manufacture of leather products 7 Handicraft artisans 30 Printing 8 Handloom weavers 31 Rubber and coal products 9 Handloom and Khadi workers 32 Chemical products like candle manufacture 10 Lady Tailors 33 Mineral products like earthen clay toys 11 Leather tannery workers 34 Agriculturists 12 Pappad workers attached to SEWA 35 Transport drivers association 13 Physically handicapped self employed persons 36 Transport karmacharis 14 Primary milk producers 37 Rural poor 15 Rickshaw pullers/ Auto drivers 38 Construction workers 16 Safai karmacharis 39 Fire crackers workers 17 Salt growers 40 Coconut processors 18 Tendu leaf collectors 41 Anganwadi workers/ Helpers 19 Scheme for urban poor 42 Kotwal 20 Forest workers 43 Plantation workers 21 Sericulture 44 Woman associated with SHG 22 Toddy tappers 45 Sheep breeders 23 Power loom workers

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People between the age group of 18 to 59 years and members of the above mentioned occupational groups are eligible for this scheme. Since 2013, Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana and Janashree Bima Yojana are incorporated into one scheme as Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana"

Universal health insurance scheme is implemented by four public general health insurance companies like LIC, etc,. UHIS aims to focus on improving healthcare access for low-income families. This scheme has been revamped to meet the needs of below poverty line (BPL) families. It includes individuals, families and groups. The scheme price ranges from Rs.100/- to Rs.200/- for an individual, Rs.300/- for a family of five and Rs.400/- for a family of seven. Regardless of the premium, there are no reductions in benefits.

The UHIS covers a reimbursement of Rs.30,000 for medical expenses during hospitalization floated among the entire family and Rs.25,000/- death cover due to an accident of the earning family head. A compensation of Rs.50/- per day is paid to a person with job loss for maximum up to 15 days.
It was my privilege to attend the celebration of life and legacy for our friend and community member, Dr. Thomas Gallagher. While I knew Dr. Tom on a personal level, I am first submitting this as your regent on behalf of the Board of Regents for the Nevada System of Higher Education.

In addition to Toms accomplishments and service to the community, the Board of Regents would like to recognize his steadfast support of higher education in Nevada. On this subject, its almost impossible not to mention his beloved Dorothy, because together, they were a great team.

As you may know, Dorothy served on the Board of Regents for nearly 30 years, providing stewardship for all higher education institutions in Nevada, and both she and Tom were dedicated supporters of Great Basin College. But, while Dorothy may have been the regent in the family, Tom was a true friend of higher education in his own right  sometimes obvious, and sometimes serving as that quiet source of support in the background.

In fact, it was Tom who would often fly Dorothy across Nevada to make sure she was able to attend regent meetings and events. For his exemplary service to higher education, to his community, and to the state, the Board of Regents recognized Tom in 2003 with their highest honor, the Distinguished Nevadan Award. He truly was a most distinguished Nevadan.

On behalf of the entire Board of Regents, I offer our thoughts, prayers, and sincerest condolences to Toms family, and with this heartfelt reminder  that Toms selfless life of service will positively impact the lives of Nevadans for generations to come. For that, we are all grateful.

On a personal level, Dr. Tom Gallagher was one of the Greats of the Greatest Generation. As a veteran of World War II, we are all indebted to him for the American freedoms we enjoy. We also owe a debt of gratitude for his boundless energy and generosity to Elko  the place so many of us call Home. He was a champion of community service, business, and education. In fact, I was the recipient of his education (some may call it his advice) on several levels including dentistry, the Chamber of Commerce board, business in Elko and aviation.

How appropriate it is during this season of Thanksgiving to be able to celebrate the life of Dr. Thomas Gallagher and all that he has meant in each of our lives. As you recall your own memories of this gentleman, I know you can say along with me, Yes, Dr. Tom was indeed a Great of the Greatest Generation and I was blessed to know him.
In response to the recent articles written by Toni R. Milano, we feel that we have an obligation to respond to some of the misinformation communicated by Mr. Felix Ike to the Elko Daily Free Press.

First and foremost, you need to be aware that Mr. lke was removed from not one (1) but two (2) separate court systems as a Court Advocate: 1) Shoshone-Paiute Tribal Court of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation Idaho and Nevada and 2) the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada CFR Court.

 On Wednesday, 10 June 2015, Chief Judge Calvin Michael Hatch wrote a letter to Mr. Felix Ike regarding his Advocate Suspension In the Shoshone-Paiute Tribal Court of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation Idaho and Nevada, for several violations of his duties as a Tribal Court Advocate and Officer of this Court. (See Attachment #1)

 On Thursday, 09 March 2017, Felix Ike was denied his request for Advocacy Renewal Application to the CFR Court by Magistrate O. Ronald McGee. (See Attachment #2)

On 28 November 2000, Local Rules of Procedure for Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone was ordered and adopted by Te-Moak Tribes CFR Magistrate F. Woodside Wright. (See Attachment 3)

On Monday, 23 January 2017, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Eastern Nevada Agency, Superintendent Joseph G. McDade wrote a letter to Chairman [sic] Lydia Johnson regarding a CFR Court Confirmation in response to a Memorandum addressed to All Court Staff and Associates by the Administrator in consultation with the Te-Moak Chairman [sic]. There was a misconception by some that the CFR Court was not in legal standing as a result of a recent decision rendered by the ITCN Court of Appeals on 10 January 2017 (ITCN/AC-CF-14-016). In closing Superintendent McDade states ... the decision to validate the current Te-Moak Court of Indian Offenses is hereby confirmed. (See Attachment #4)

Incidentally, the CFR Court of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada has subject matter jurisdiction over Tribal members.

On Wednesday, 26 April 2017, as Owner of Court House Building, Elko Band Council held a meeting wherein they voted 7-0 in favor for BIA to pay past due rent of $170,000+. Subsequently, on Thursday, 27 April 2017, Te-Moak Tribal Chairman [sic] Lydia Johnson signed a BIA IS DELINQUENT IN RENT, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: COURTROOM CLOSED, JUDGES [sic] CHAMBERS CLOSED notice which was then posted on the Te-Moak Judicial Building located at 1523 Shoshone Circle, Elko, NV. (See Attachment #5)

On Thursday, 19 May 2017, a Temporary Order for Protection Against Harassment in Phaline Conklin, Applicant vs. Lydia Johnson, Adverse Party was ordered by CFR Court Magistrate O. Ronald McGee. This order was extended on Wednesday, 28 June 2017 and again on Tuesday, 29 August 2017, and remains in effect until the next court hearing.

 This court order specifically states YOU ARE PROHIBITED, either directly or through an agent, from contacting, intimidating, using, attempting to use, or threatening the use of physical force, or otherwise interfering in any way with the Applicant and/or the following persons: You are hereby ordered to not issue any memos, letters, and documents or give any directive in any manner in your official capacity or unofficial capacity as to reprimanding, laying off of, placing on admin leave or firing of the Applicant and or any Te-Moak Employee including but not limited to, Te-Moak housing authority, WSDPS, Te-Moak diabetes program, Te-Moak administration employees and the Te-Moak Court Staff. (See Attachment #6)

On Wednesday, 04 October 2017, Te-Moak Tribal Administrator Phaline Conklin wrote a letter to Elko Band Council regarding vacating the Te-Moak Judicial Building located at 1523 Shoshone Circle, Elko, NV, by Wednesday, 18 October 2017. This was due to the re-assumption by the BIA of the Te-Moak Tribes Judicial Services Contract resulting in the lay off of employees. (See Attachment #7)

On Friday, 03 November 2017, Te-Moak Tribal Chairwoman Lydia Johnson called a Special, Open meeting for 2:00 pm. This meeting was attended by Ms. Johnson and three (3) other persons purporting to be members of the Tribal Council, making a total of four (4) people in attendance at the meeting. There is a Constitutional requirement to commence a meeting of the Tribal Council with five (5) members being physically present to constitute a quorum.

Further, the three (3) other persons have not been legally seated as Te-Moak Tribal Council Members. In other words, they are not yet recognized as Te-Moak Tribal Council Members and do not have the ability to serve as Te-Moak Tribal Council Members.

On Monday, 06 November 2017, an ORDER OF CONTEMPT AND INCARCERATION was issued by CFR Magistrate 0. Ronald McGee stemming from several actions taken and approved by the purported Tribal Council including serious infractions of existing TROs on Friday, 03 November 2017. (See Attachment #8)

On Tuesday, 07 November 2017, a NOTICE OF IMMEDIATE TERMINATION was written to Jeff Nothelphim, the Director of the Western Shoshone Department of Public Safety (WSDPS) for the Termination of Philip lacob, the WSDPS Chief of Police. This letter was signed off on by Te-Moak Tribal Chairman Lydia Johnson and two (2) persons purporting to be Te-Moak Tribal Council Members  Felix Ike and Penny Stevens. They also ordered the WSDPS not to follow any CFR Court orders. (See Attachment #9)

On Tuesday, 14 November 2017, a Special, Open meeting was scheduled by Te-Moak Tribal Chairwoman Lydia Johnson at the Northeastern Nevada Museum. Again, this meeting was illegally held due to no quorum. At that meeting it was discussed that a posse would be gathered to physically remove Te-Moak Tribal Administrator Phaline Conklin at 8:00 am. the following morning, Wednesday, 15 November 2017, in order to take over the office.

On Wednesday, 15 November 2017, Mr. Felix Ike was arrested at the Te-Moak Tribal Administration Building at 525 Sunset Street, Elko, NV, for violation of the Temporary Order for Protection Against Harassment in Phaline Conklin, Applicant vs. Lydia Johnson, Adverse Party. A video of the arrest was taken and is available upon request. It is our understanding that criminal charges have been filed against Mr. Felix Ike in this matter and that a court date is currently pending. (See Attachment #6)

By no means are we attempting to run a smear campaign against any individual. Rather, we are bringing to light pertinent information which may or may not be swept under the rug.

It is with certainty we can comment that Mr. Felix Ikes continual disregard for the law is well documented.
Ucoms mobile customers will benefit from the best internet roaming rate of 8 AMD/MB when travelling to Georgia, Egypt or the UAE

Ameriabank Launches Google Pay and Google Wallet Support for Card Users in Armenia

Karen Vardanyan donated 112 million drams for the medical equipment for National Center for Infectious Diseases.

UCOM HAS INTRODUCED FUTURE NETWORK WI-FI 6E ROUTERS

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Statement by the Spokesperson on the conflict resolution and reconciliation efforts

Foreign Minister of Armenia to participate in the Fifth Paris Peace Forum

Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights

Todays Shushi, Occupied and Cleared of Armenians, is a Real Example of Turkish-Azerbaijani Policy of Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh

Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom

Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

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Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces
Ucoms mobile customers will benefit from the best internet roaming rate of 8 AMD/MB when travelling to Georgia, Egypt or the UAE

Ameriabank Launches Google Pay and Google Wallet Support for Card Users in Armenia

Karen Vardanyan donated 112 million drams for the medical equipment for National Center for Infectious Diseases.

UCOM HAS INTRODUCED FUTURE NETWORK WI-FI 6E ROUTERS

Statement by the Spokesperson on the conflict resolution and reconciliation efforts

Foreign Minister of Armenia to participate in the Fifth Paris Peace Forum

Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights

Todays Shushi, Occupied and Cleared of Armenians, is a Real Example of Turkish-Azerbaijani Policy of Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh

Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom

Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

Google Ad

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces
President attends CSTO Collective Security Council session

Serzh Sargsyan, who is in Belarus on a working visit, is attending the scheduled session of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which was first held in a narrow format and then in the format of a plenary session with the participation of official delegations. The meeting of the heads of CSTO-member States has already started in Minsk, attended by CSTO Secretary-General Yuri Khachaturov. The Presidents will discuss the whole complex of measures aimed at the further development of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The session agenda also features discussions on international development trends, topical issues of international security, development and strengthening of the CSTO military component, as well as issues related to the composition of the Secretariat and the CSTO joint staff, distribution of military positions in the General Headquarters and the CSTO budget adoption. The Heads of State will adopt a declaration on the 25th anniversary of the Collective Security Treaty and the 15th anniversary of establishment of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. They will sign relevant documents on improving information security and counteracting illegal migration. The Presidents will also discuss and approve the draft CSTO Collective Security Strategy Implementation Action Plan till 2025. The President of Kazakhstan, which is assuming the CSTO Collective Security Council chairmanship, will present the priorities during Kazakhstans chairmanship. The Presidents will also hear the CSTO Secretary-Generals annual report on the activities carried out in 2016-2017 and the implementation of the decisions made at the CSTO Collective Security Councils previous session.
KINDE -- The 5th grade class at North Huron Elementary were treated to a special field trip recently.

The students made their way to Splash Village. The students worked hard to win this trip.

Once a week for five weeks, someone from Sheurer Hospital came in to talk with students for about a hour. They taught the students about how to live healthy lives. On the first day, the students took a pre-test and took a post-test on the last day.

The 5th graders from North Huron improved the most from the pre- to post-test in Huron County and won the trip to Splash Village.
SEBEWAING  The Sebewaing Village Council continues to study ways to reduce expenses in the village's police budget.

Operating the police department takes about 51 percent of the village's budget. The village is required to have at least two officers.

The process started in August when council opted to not renew the employment contract for police Chief William "Bill" Owens, and also for Department of Public Works Supervisor Duane Dressler.

At the last village meeting, council approved advertising for a part-time police chief even though there currently is a full-time chief.

Owens, whose contract expires at the end of the year, has been with the Sebewaing Police Department for 17 years. He oversees two full-time officers and some part-timers that work on an as-needed basis for special events. In addition, under a mutual agreement, Owens is chief of the Unionville Police Department, which consists of three steady officers and several part-time ones.

Voting to look for a part-time chief was approved by President Alexander Khoury and Trustees Matthew Cummings, Marcus Deering, Brandy Slocum and Marcus Sting. Trustees Julie Epperson and Larry Heider were absent.

Applications for the position are due in the village office by 4 p.m. Dec. 8.

Owens declined to comment.

Also, the council approved adding another part-time officer to the departments roster. Larry Verga was hired pending the successful completion of a background check.

In addition, council approved inviting Huron County Sheriff Kelly J. Hanson to a future meeting.

Communities can contract with a sheriffs department for police coverage.

So far, no other action has been taken regarding Dressler after making him an at-will employee in August. He has been with the department for 31 years. His contract expires in March.

In other news, during the annual appointment of the president pro-tem, Marcus Sting was selected to replace Heider in that position.

There will be a "Coffee with a Cop" event 9 to 11 a.m.. Thursday, Dec. 7, at the McDonald's restaurant in Cass City.

Members from the Cass City Police Department, the Tuscola County Sheriff's Office, and Michigan State Police will be on hand.

The event is opportunity to ask questions, voice concerns, and an opportunity to get to know those who protect and service.
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The controversial phrase "Rope. Tree. Journalist. Some assembly required," has been around since at least 2007, and printed on shirts since around 2009.

However, the shirt design has recently resurfaced after one of the world's largest retailers began selling shirts with the phrase printed on them online.

TEXAS ICON: Walmart family's 1,460- acre Rocking W. Ranch near Fort Worth sold

The "custom Hanes tagless tees" are listed on Walmart's website for $18.99, and "guarantees the highest level of print quality on the market."

Now Playing: Hot-ticketed products across the South and beyond. Video: Southern Living

They are being sold on the website by thirdparty seller, Teespring, a company that specializes in custom apparel.

People can also buy the shirt directly on the Teespring website for $22.99, along with hoodies, mugs and other products that also have the phrase printed on them.

As of 12:21 p.m. central time Nov. 21, the shirt was no longer available on Walmart's or Teespring's website.

The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) sent a letter to Walmart's top executives asking for the product to be removed.

"We are grateful for Walmart's swift action, but dismayed that it, and anyone else selling the shirt, would offer such an offensive and inflammatory product. We live in an environment in which political and ideological discourse has deteriorated to the level where some find it appropriate to advocate violence targeting journalists merely for performing their Constitutionally-guaranteed duty to seek and report the truth," said Dan Shelley, RTDNA's Executive Director.

When Chron.com reached out to Walmart for comment, they could not be immediately reached, however a representative issued a statement to our sister site SFGate.com that the "item was sold by a third-party seller on our marketplace and clearly violates our policy. We removed it as soon as it was brought to our attention, and are conducting a thorough review of the seller's assortment."

A Teespring reached out to Chron.com and issued a statement saying that "Teespring employs software filters specifically to ensure that this type of content is not published on our site. In addition to violating our terms of services, we do not promote user-generated content of this nature and find it unacceptable. The content was removed as soon as the company was made aware of the situation."

Take a look through the gallery above to see other mistakes, blunders businesses have committed.

Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli is a digital producer at Chron.com. You can read more of her stories here and follow her on twitter at @Dani_DiNapoli.

Alyssa Pereira and Brandon Mercer contributed to this story.
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BRIDGEPORT -- Housatonic Community College is one of 13 Connecticut schools to receive a state grant of $11,000 to help address a growing opioid problem in the state.

The grant will run through April 2018 and will be used to increase awareness and reduce stigma of opioid abuse. The funds will also be used to broaden expertise of the issue and increase access to support networks for treatment and recovery.
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Gov. Dannel Malloys administration has filed a federal lawsuit along with the Mohegans and Mashantucket Pequots to allow the Indian tribes to move ahead with their joint East Windsor casino.

The lawsuit, if successful, will put to rest uncertainty over the project caused by the U.S. Department of Interior. That agency is required to review and sign off on the changes to the tribes existing gambling compact with the state.

The problem is that the Department of Interior has failed to issue a ruling  something MGM Resorts International, which wants instead to build a casino in Bridgeport, has argued constitutes a denial of the tribes plans.

Approval will allow the tribes to team up on the third casino without jeopardizing the slots revenue each pays Connecticut from their respective Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods gambling destinations, built in the 1990s in the southeastern section of the state.

State lawmakers earlier this year approved the East Windsor casino in an effort to compete with MGMs new development just over the border in Springfield, Mass.

The joint state and tribal lawsuit, which Malloy announced Wednesday, maintains that since the Department of Interior took no action on the East Windsor proposal within 45 days of submission, it should be deemed approved and that decision published in the Federal Register.

The state of Connecticut over the years has maintained a long-standing partnership and compact with the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribal nations, and they employ thousands of Connecticut residents at their casinos, Malloy, a Democrat, said in a statement Wednesday. State law requires that these compact amendments are in fact approved. Thats why I have asked the Attorney General to file this action. We need clarity and certainty with respect to this issue.

The states legal action comes just a few weeks after U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, all Democrats, wrote Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke asking for his agencys sign off of the East Windsor project.

Mohegan and Mashantucket chairmen Kevin Brown and Rodney Butler in statements accompanying Malloys each expressed frustration with Zinkes agency.

The Department of the Interior has a responsibility to Native American tribes, and their failure to act on this issue sets a very dangerous precedent for Indian Country across the United States, Brown said.

Despite (a) good faith effort and repeated assurances by the department, their failure to publish our approval letter has forced us to take this action, said Butler.

Meanwhile MGM continues trying amass support for its Bridgeport plans, which the company unveiled in mid-September. MGM Chairman and CEO James Murren is the keynote speaker at the Bridgeport Regional Business Councils annual holiday dinner Tuesday at the Trumbull Marriott.

Uri Clinton, senior vice president and legal counsel for MGM, said precedent shows that an amendment is not deemed approved when Interior returns it, plain and simple. And no lawsuit, not even one backed by the Governor, changes those basic facts.

Clinton added We stand by the Bridgeport project and our analysis of where we are in the casino discussion in Connecticut.

MGMs interest in Bridgeport has been embraced by Democratic Mayor Joe Ganim, who is has been touting the proposal as he explores a run for governor.

Ganim had tried to bring a casino to town when he was first mayor in the 1990s. Now Republican President Donald Trump at the time was one contender. Zinke is a Trump appointee.

Ganims liaison with the legislature, Av Harris, said Wednesday he is not surprised that Malloy got involved in the lawsuit.

I think that instead of focusing on trying to sue in order to create a facility that isnt really going to attract a lot of people  thats designed to disrupt business for MGM Springfield  a more productive use of taxpayer resources and time and energy would be to enter into a negotiation with MGM and the tribes, Harris said. Everybody sit down in a room and figure out a business environment within which everybody can compete and succeed.

Blumenthal has backed the lawsuit.

The court should act promptly to require the Department of Interior to fulfill its crystal-clear legal responsibility and approve this legal agreement between the tribes and the state, the Senator said in an interview. A lot of investment hinges on it. Our economy and job creation will be directly affected by it.

Staff Writer Ken Dixon contributed to this report
Middletown police report arrests on the following charges:

FORGERY: Melissa Mishler, 30, of Carriage Crossing, was arrested Nov. 20 on a warrant and charged with third-degree larceny and third-degree forgery. She was released on $5,000 bail and issued a court date of Dec. 4.

ASSAULT: Shirley Morgan, 21, of Hicksville Road, Cromwell, was arrested Nov. 20 on an outstanding warrant and charged with assault of a public safety officer and breach of peace. She was released on $10,000 bail and issued a court date of Dec. 4.

POSSESSION: Matthew Adcock, 45, was arrested Nov. 22 on an outstanding warrant and charged with obtaining a controlled drug with a fraudulent prescription, obtaining a controlled drug through fraud, illegally possessing narcotics, second-degree forgery and failure to respond.

OUI: Eric Obrien, 26, of Timber Trail, Coventry, was arrested Nov. 20 and issued a misdemeanor summons for failure to illuminate headlights and operating under the influence. He was released on $500 bail and issued a court date of Dec. 8.

INTERFERING: Lashawnda Hall, 44, of Silver Street, was arrested Nov. 20 and charged with interfering with an officer. She is accused of repeatedly yelling, cursing and refusing to listen to several police officers despite their repeated attempts to calm her down. She was released on $5,000 bail and issued a court date of Dec. 4.

FAILURE: Touria Perkins, 27, of Allison Street, was arrested Nov. 14 and charged with failure to keep narcotics in the original container. She was released on $25,000 bail and issued a court date of Nov. 28.

POSSESSION: Shannon OConnell, 25, of Monnes Road, Cromwell, was arrested Nov. 14 and charged with possession of over half an ounce of marijuana, possession of narcotics, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana with intent to sell. She was released on $75,000 bail and issued a court date of Nov. 28.

OUI: Kylie Mckeller, 21, of South Main Street, East Hampton, was arrested Nov. 26 and issued a misdemeanor summons for operating under the influence and failure to illuminate headlamps. She was released on $500 bail and issued a court date of Dec. 6.

POSSESSION: Drew Hill, 18, of Ryan Road, Royalton, New York, was arrested Nov. 25 and issued a misdemeanor summons for possession of less than four ounces of marijuana. He was issued a court date of Dec. 1.

ILLEGAL: Shalynea Mickens, 19, of College Street, was arrested Nov. 23 on an active warrant and charged with two counts of illegal use of a credit card. She was released on $1,000 bail and issued a court date of Dec. 7.

ASSAULT: David Garcia Jr., 27, of Benham Street, Torrington, was arrested Nov. 27 and charged with third-degree assault. He is accused of swatting a box fan which then struck a woman he knew, causing cuts to her nose and forehead. He was held in lieu of $10,000 bail and issued a court date for the following day.

POSSESSION: Kenisha Lowe, 24, of Simon Road, Enfield, was arrested Nov. 15 and charged with two counts of possession of narcotics and possession of drug paraphernalia. She is accused of having 0.82 grams of cocaine, 0.33 grams of heroin, several cut straws, copper shavings and a glass pipe. She was released on $5,000 bail and issued a court date of Nov. 29.

FAILURE TO APPEAR: Amanda Roy, 31, of Washington Street, was arrested Nov. 29 on an active warrant and charged with failure to appear. She was held in lieu of $5,000 bail and issued a court date for the same day.

CRUELTY: Gregory Swift, 44, of Prospect Street, was arrested Nov. 28 and issued a misdemeanor summons for animal cruelty. He is accused of leaving his 16-year-old arthritic dog tied up in his backyard on a rainy day. He reportedly admitted he didnt want his pet to remain inside the house as the dog is incontinent and he didnt want to clean up any accidents. He was issued a court date for Dec. 7.

LARCENY: Eugene Trudeau, 55, of High Street, was arrested Nov. 25 and issued a misdemeanor summons for sixth-degree larceny for reportedly stealing $80 worth of items. He was issued a court date of Dec. 7.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT: Rena Mooring, 57, and Glendo Burch, 52, both of Woodbury Circle, were each arrested Nov. 29 and charged with disorderly conduct. Mooring claimed Burch sat on top her and grabbed her neck, while Burch alleged Mooring ripped off his necklaces, so he pushed her off and pinned her to the bed. Police discovered Mooring had an active warrant so she was charged with first-degree forgery and sixth-degree larceny. Burch was held in lieu of $5,000, and Mooring was held in lieu of $8,500 bail. Both were issued a court date for the same day.
MIDDLETOWN  The Vascular Experts, which practices at Middlesex Hospitals Center for Vascular Surgery, recently expanded and is now a team of seven vascular surgeons with offices in Middletown and Old Saybrook.

Led by Dr. Bart Muhs, The Vascular Experts team is comprised of capable, board certified surgeons. This team includes newcomer Dr. Megan Shue.

The surgeons utilize Middlesex Hospitals state-of-the-art diagnostic and interventional suite, which gives them access to the latest technology and allows them to perform a number of minimally invasive procedures. As a result, patients experience fewer risks when having surgery, and Hospital stays are dramatically reduced.

Vascular surgeons at Middlesex Hospital work with physicians from other specialties to ensure that patients are cared for appropriately. They treat several different vascular diseases, and common procedures include leg angioplasty and stenting, peripheral bypass surgery, carotid endarterectomy and abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. For more information, or to make an appointment, call 1-800-548-2394.

Pelletier Construction designs marina storage in Chester

CHESTER - While most marinas cater to small boats and recreational boaters, Chester Point Marina is taking it one step further. The marina is now providing heated storage for larger yachts with their newly completed 15,000-sq. ft. boat storage facility. The largest of its kind on the Connecticut River, this impressive storage facility, being 150 deep, makes even 50 boats appear small.

Pelletier Construction Management, joined by Butler Manufacturing, designed the facility that met the needs of the Marina and their customers. The new facility is designed to enable boat travel lifts to enter and store full sized yachts within the new structure. The innovative pile supported new design was engineered to withstand hurricane force wind loads and associated potential storm surge. The demand for boat storage has increased due to rising disposable income, recreational expenditures and the number of boat owners. Its a trend that is expected to continue to rise well into 2020.

Donate Life Connecticut launches awareness campaign

The Connecticut Coalition for Organ and Tissue Donation, dba, Donate Life Connecticut, recently launched a series of public awareness campaign ads on cable television aimed at educating residents about the importance of organ donation, both living and deceased, clarifying misleading myths, and increasing the number of registered organ donors who can potentially give the gift of life to someone in need. Donate Life Connecticut is dedicated to increasing the number of registered organ and tissue donors in Connecticut and beyond through public education and awareness.

It takes just two minutes to register to be a donor and during this season of giving, the gift of an organ or tissue transplant may truly mean the gift of renewed health, the promise of more time with loved ones, and the miracle of tragedy turned into hope. There are now more than 116,000 people waiting for organ transplantation in the United States and every day, 22 patients die due to lack of available organs. Visit www.donatelifect.org for more information.

Carpino to hold office hours

PORTLAND  State Rep. Christie Carpino, R-Cromwell, will appear Monday, Dec. 4 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Portland Library VanBeynum Room, 20 Freestone Avenue, to talk about the 2017 Legislative session and answer questions taxpayers may have about state government.

Carpino and state Sen. Paul Doyle, D-Wethersfield, will also host a coffee and conversation session Dec. 7 from 8 to 9 a.m. at Mitchell's On Main, 317 Main St., Cromwell.

For information, see repcarpino.com or sentedems.ct.gov/doyle.

Habitat seeks project volunteers

MIDDLETOWN  Middlesex Habitat for Humanity needs some help in their ReStore, with three projects open to groups of up to 15 people.

Complete Reorg: Building Material Department; Consolidation and Inventory Assessment: Bedroom & Plumbing Departments; and Complete refresh of the store and dumpster therapy

The hope is to schedule the work for a Tuesday when the store is closed (staff would be in to work with the volunteer group). They have a flexible schedule in terms of the start time, 9 or 10 a.m.; a good portion of the day would be needed. The ReStore staff are hoping for the week of Dec. 11, however based on interest that date can be flexible. If a group is interested, email Sheryl Dougherty at sheryl.dougherty@middlesexunitedway.org as soon as possible.

World Mission Society Church of God cleans up park

MIDDLETOWN  On Sunday, Nov. 19 more than 70 volunteers from the World Mission Society Church of God, Middletown, in partnership with the town of Manchesters Parks and Recreation Department, cleaned up Center Springs Park. The environmental cleanup is part of the worldwide movement entitled, Mothers Street, which the Church of God is carrying out from November 19 to December 3 in more than 6,000 regions in 175 countries, and is covering a distance equivalent to the circumference of the earthnearly 25,000 miles. Cleanups also took place today in California, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Mexico and Nevada with more than 540 volunteers participating. The goal of Mothers Street cleanup movement is to promote health and happiness among the global family of nations.

Were carrying out this cleanup to share the love of a mother with our neighbors, said Carly Adames, a church volunteer. Our church believes in Heavenly Mother and just as a mother would do anything for her children, Heavenly Mother has taught us the importance of maintaining a clean and bright environment. Church of God volunteers devote with all their heart and mind to volunteer activities such as todays cleanup to practice the love of God who created the environment for mankind.

About 70 volunteers in Connecticut collected trash and removed debris from the park and local trails. The Town of Manchesters Parks and Recreation Department provided the group with gloves, trash bags and water. In three hours, the group covered 3 miles and collected 58 bags of trash. The worldwide movement is taking place in countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Ghana, India, Mexico, Mongolia, and South Africa. Locally, the World Mission Society Church of God is at 24 Old Church St, Middletown.
Honorably discharged veterans of all eras can now apply for a new veterans ID card, officials with the Department of Veterans Affairs said Wednesday.

To receive the card veterans must log in to Vets.gov using either the ID.me verification system or a DS log-in. Users will then be able to apply for the hard-copy card by verifying their personal details through the website and by submitting a copy of a valid government issued-ID as well as a shoulders-up photo to the site.

Once the application is complete, users can expect to receive their new ID card within 60 days,officials said in a release. Officials said users will also be able to receive a digital copy of the card by mid-December.

The link for the application is found at the bottom of the Vets.gov homepage under the words "Apply for Printed Veteran ID Card."

After multiple failed attempts and error messages, reporters with Military.com were able to fully test the new application system and request an ID card using their own VA log-ins and military service credentials.

Among those errors was a message that said the VA was unable to confirm that the reporter served in the military, despite the fact that the reporter actively receives VA benefits. A separate error incident blocked the reporter from submitting his uploaded government-issued ID card or ID card photo.

The ID cards are meant to offer a way for veterans to prove their service without carrying a copy of their DD-214 form, which contains sensitive personal information, such as veterans' Social Security numbers. The new IDs will not, however, qualify as official government-issued identification for air travel or other uses. The ID card program is voluntary.

The VA was ordered to provide the cards in a law passed by Congress in 2015. Some veterans, such as those who receive health benefits from the VA and military retirees, already have IDs that can provide proof of service.

An early prototype of the card provided to the veteran service organization AMVETS by the VA shows the VA logo on the front and an Office Depot logo and advertising message on the back. Although VA officials said the design of the card is still being finalized, the Military.com reporter who successfully tested the system was shown a copy of an ID card. That ID card example did not include an Office Depot logo.

VA officials told Task & Purpose last month that Office Depot is printing and providing the cards to veterans for the VA free of charge, but a spokesperson with Office Depot was not aware of the arrangement at the time, according to Task & Purpose.

-- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @amybushatz.
All set for 34th Tajdar e Khatm-e-Nubuwwat  Conference at Minar-e-Pakistan

Tajdar e Khatm-e-Nubuwwat  Conference will take place tonight on the sprawling lawns of historic Minar-e-Pakistan to mark the birth anniversary of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri will deliver his keynote address on the occasion. The Conference, which has acquired the status of an international mega event, will be attended by hundreds of thousands of the faithful from across the country. The message to be put across to the wider world is that love of the beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the pivot of believers faith and nothing is greater than this valued treasure. The grandson of iconic anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela will be the guest of honour along with his family members.

The permission has been sought from the district administration of Lahore for the organized conduct of the Conference where cleanliness as well as prestige of the historic place will be fully guarded. The passionate association with the belief in the finality of the prophethood is a basic requirement of the believers faith and a foundation of the teachings of Islam. 70 administrative committees were set up to make arrangements for the mega event and the preparations have been completed.

Secretary General MQI Khurram Nawaz Gandapur expressed these views while addressing the press conference at the Minar-e-Pakistan along with the central, provincial, district leaders of MQI and the heads of the administrative committees. Brig. (r ) Iqbal Ahmad Khan, Jawad Hamid, Noorullah Saddiqi, Syed Amjad Ali Shah, Naeem-ud-Din Ch Advocate and others were also present on the occasion.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur said that separate seating arrangements have been made for male and female participations. He said that renowned religious scholars, Mashaykh, leaders of different religious and political parties and notables will attend the Conference. He said that huge LED screens have been installed to enable the people to watch the proceedings. He said that the youths belonging to MYL, MSM and MWL will perform the security duties inside as well as outside the venue of the event. He said that Durood, greetings and salutations recited at Gosha-e-Durood located at MQI Secretariat will be presented in the court of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He said that celebrating the birth anniversary of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is requirement of our faith, adding that MQI has been playing a central role in spreading the love of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the world.

Jawad Hamid, Secretary of the administrative committee, assured the journalists that natural beauty and prestige of the Minar-e-Pakistan laws will be kept intact and no harm will be done. He said that the workers of MQI are mature and responsible in their thinking and conduct and they will take extra care to guard the sanctity of the place. He said that out of 33 editions of Milad Conference held so far, 31 were organized at the Minar-e-Pakistan and no complaint was ever made.
The Anil Ambani-led Reliance group said it will file a Rs 5,000-crore defamation suit against Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi for making "false and defamatory statements". A Reliance group spokesperson said: "Abhishek Singhvi has made false, defamatory and libellous statements against the group. We will be filing a Rs 5,000-crore suit for damages against Singhvi for making these false and defamatory statements."

Earlier in the day, Singhvi had accused Finance Minister Arun Jaitley of "fooling" people with his statement that no loans of big defaulters have been waived and claimed that the government had written off Rs 1.88 lakh crore debt of those who had wilfully defaulted.

"We all know that top 50 corporates owe Rs 8.35 lakh crore to banks and out of those, three top Gujarat-based companies -- Reliance (Anil Ambani Group), Adani and Essar -- owe Rs 3 lakh crore.

"One of them had last month publicly declared that they are shutting their telecom business with a liability of Rs 45,000 crore due to banks.

"We would like to ask Finance Minister Arun Jaitley that far from declaring it as NPAs, you are trying to help the defaulter with further defence contracts like the Rafale deal. Why?" Singhvi asked.
Sudarshan Sukhani of s2analytics.com told CNBC-TV18, "This is a messy market. A market that was supposed to go up, actually fell down, and that creates confusion. So, the story in midcaps which kept on coming, buy this midcap and it goes up, that story has also dissipated at least for the next few days."

"Balkrishna Industries continues to be a buying opportunity. The stock had a handsome rally, a trading range development, and then an imminent breakout on the upside from the range; that is a buy."

"The other two are short sells. Both short sells are only for the day. Bharat Forge is a short sell, it is clearly facing resistance at higher levels and Tata Motors is a short. Tata Motors did not go to any higher levels. It is at low levels and willing to go lower. So this is not a good market to be long in, not a good market to be short in, best avoided."

"Sell Hindalco Industries. Metals are going through a mild correction and metals are a very volatile sector. That correction can easily be enhanced or be more on the downside. There will be many opportunities to re-enter."

"Hold Hero MotoCorp at the current level. The stock is an outperformer and even outperformers go through some patches when they are doing nothing. That patch is probably over for Hero MotoCorp. In the next few years it should do even better, just hold on to it," he added.
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India's Power Finance Corporations (PFC) has listed its first international bond in almost two decades on the London Stock Exchange to finance renewable energy projects in the UK.

The 10-year dated green bond raised USD 400 million, paying a 3.75 per cent semi-annual coupon and listed on London Stock Exchange's new International Securities Market (ISM) this week.

"The funds raised will help promote renewable energy projects across the country and aid in achieving the government's target of 175GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2022," said PFC chairman Rajeev Sharma.

"The bond issuance allows PFC to access a new offshore investor base and also diversify its funding sources," he said.

The PFC said that projects eligible for the funds will be identified within its Green Bond Framework, which was drafted in accordance with the Green Bond Principles, a global set of guidelines framing the issuance of green bonds.

The latest Climate Bonds Initiative certified bond is the seventh green bond listed on London Stock Exchange in November 2017, and the fifth green bond by an Indian issuer in London. "PFC is unlocking and promoting green finance across India, enabling the country to achieve its ambitious climate change targets set out under the COP21 agreement," said Nikhil Rathi, CEO of London Stock Exchange Plc.

"London Stock Exchange is a recognised world leader in green, sustainable and debt financing, highlighted by this years exceptional green fixed income activity. London supports issuers from Abu Dhabi to China, Finland to India in accessing international investment capital," he said.

He added that there has been an "undeniable shift" in momentum in green and sustainable financing across the world which has triggered a "green funding revolution".

According to the LSE, green bonds in London have raised over USD 3.2 billion in November 2017 alone.

In total, there are 59 green bonds listed in London that have raised over USD 19.5 billion in aggregate terms across seven currencies.

The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) said it has been supporting investors and issuers in the transition to a low- carbon and sustainable economy for over a decade, developing innovative products and services in close collaboration with the market.

"The comprehensive sustainable finance offering is focused on green financing for issuers (both debt and equity), indexing and analytics," LSEG said.

LSEG had joined the UN's Sustainable Stock Exchanges initiative as a Partner Exchange in 2014 and has also signed The Paris Pledge for Action.
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has ordered a probe against Bharti Airtel for alleged violation of the Aadhaar Act, following the government's direction to link Aadhaar to mobile numbers, Times of India reported.

In addition, the regulator is said to have slapped a penalty on the company for discreetly opening Payments Bank accounts of customers while carrying out Aadhaar verification of their mobile numbers.

The probe was ordered after complaints of prima facie violations were found to be valid, said the report.

"The lapses are serious in nature. Prima facie, it is a criminal breach of trust and contract, and there are violations of provisions of the Aadhaar Act," a person aware of the matter told the paper on conditions of anonymity.

The issue came to light when some customers complained about receiving their cooking gas subsidy  sent under the central government's Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme  in the Airtel Payments Bank account instead of their designated savings bank accounts with other banks.

UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey told the paper the authority has received complaints of wrongdoing against "certain telecom companies" during the Aadhaar verification process.

"We have ordered an investigation into the matter. If the allegations are found to be true, after a thorough investigation, then they are of a very serious nature," Pandey said without naming any operator.

"An inquiry is on, and we expect to take a decision on the matter soon," Pandey added.

Airtel spokesperson denied any wrongdoing by the company, however, added that the company is working towards strengthening processes with retail partners to ensure transparency.

They alleged these accounts were opened without their authorisation or knowledge. Following which, the UIDAI sent a showcause notice to Airtel."Airtel Payments Bank is fully compliant with all guidelines and follows a stringent customer on-boarding process. Airtel Payments Bank accounts are opened only after explicit consent from the customer. A separate consent for DBT is taken from all customers," the company said in a response to a query regarding the same.
Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.

The Enforcement Directorate today conducted multiple searches in Delhi in connection with a Rs 5,000 crore money laundering probe against the directors and associates of Gujarat-based pharma firm Sterling Biotech.

Official sources said the raiding teams seized documents and computer hardware like hard drives and CDs from the associates of the owners of the firm.

Seven residential and business premises are being covered under the action, they said.

The Enforcement Directorate had registered a case against the firm and the Sandesara family under sections of the Prevention of the Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The case is based on a CBI FIR against the same entities.

The CBI had booked Sterling Biotech, its directors Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara, Dipti Chetan Sandesara, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara and Vilas Joshi as well as chartered accountant Hemant Hathi, former Andhra Bank director Anup Garg and other unidentified persons in connection with the alleged bank fraud case.

The CBI alleged that the company took loans of over Rs 5,000 crore from a consortium led by Andhra Bank which have turned into non-performing assets.

According to the FIR, the total pending dues of the group companies were Rs 5,383 crore as on December 31, 2016.

The ED took cognisance of this FIR to file a money laundering case against them.

The central probe agency also arrested Delhi-based businessman Gagan Dhawan in its case on October 31.
India has been ranked at the 100th position among 149 nations in the global prosperity index, showing a four-rank improvement from last year, according to 2017 Legatum Prosperity Index released on Wednesday.

India's improvement stems from gains in three  Business Environment, Economic Quality and Governance  of the nine pillars of prosperity. Last month, the country jumped 30 places to rank 100th in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business rankings, owing to the string of reforms implemented by the Narendra Modi government.

The improvement in Economic Quality is reported to be due to the proportion of the population with bank accounts, which increased to 53 percent in 2014 from 35 percent in 2011. While gains in Business Environment is said to be driven by improved intellectual property rights.

India recorded the second largest increase in the business environment after South Africa that saw the largest jump due to reduced electricity connection costs and an improved Logistics Performance Index.

In Governance, where every region shows an improvement, India's legislation recorded also an increase in the ability to challenge regulation in the legal system.

The percentage of Indians who reported to not have enough food to eat rose to 35 percent from 26 percent in 2016, owing to the largest falls reported the availability of adequate food since last year.

India is catching up with China, which ranks 90th in the prosperity index.

"India has narrowed the gap on China to a quarter of what it was in 2012," said the report.

More Indians reported being satisfied with their standard of living and household incomes as India shows significant improvement in Economic Quality and Education.

In contrast, China, saw a decline in the same pillars as economically people perceived greater barriers to trade and less encouragement of competition; and educationally through a falling primary school completion rate.

"Our hope is that our Index can continue to help governments and policy-makers to identify and promote policies that create pathways from poverty to prosperity, the Legatum Institutes CEO, Philippa Stroud said.

India's neighbour, Pakistan ranks 137th in the prosperity index. It performs poorly in Natural Environment, Safety and Security and Personal Freedom.

The Legatum Prosperity Index is the worlds leading global measure of economic and social wellbeing that studies 104 indicators under these categories: Economic Quality, Business Environment, Governance, Personal Freedom, Social Capital, Safety and Security, Education, Health and Natural Environment.

Norway tops the prosperity index by regaining the first spot from New Zealand. The country shows consistent improvement in business environment and governance in the past twelve months, with Norwegians more optimistic about starting a business and more confident in their government than last year.

Europe ranks fifth in the index, while the UK maintains its 10th place driven by the best Business Environment in Europe. Economic Quality in the UK has also begun to recover and now sits ahead of both Canada and the US.

The key findings show that global prosperity now sits at its highest level  2.6 percent up since 2007, in spite of significant international turbulence, an alarming deterioration in global security and a widening gap between the most and least 30 nations prosperous nations.

Nearly two-thirds of nations show a decline in Safety and Security pillar, five times more than any of the Indexs other pillars. The Middle East and North African (MENA) records the highest decline as a result of Syrias civil war.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today arrived in the Russian city of Sochi to attend the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

The summit will be held on November 30 and December 1 and is likely to discuss issues relating to the regional security scenario, including situations in the Gulf and Afghanistan

In June, India and Pakistan had become full-fledged members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a China-dominated security grouping increasingly seen as a counterweight to NATO.

"EAM @SushmaSwaraj arrives in the picturesque town of #Sochi to attend the SCO Council Heads of Government Meeting on 30 November & 1 December. #EAMatSCO," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

In the summit, India is likely to press for concerted regional and global efforts to contain terrorism.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attended the SCO summit in June in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan.

Last week, Kumar had said Swaraj will have bilateral meetings with several leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

Asked whether she will have bilateral meetings with the Pakistan Foreign Minister or call on Chinese premier Li Keqiang, Kumar had said her schedule was still being finalised.

"At this stage we cannot say anything," he had said.

Swaraj will return on December 2.

As an SCO member, India is expected to have a bigger say in pressing for concerted action in dealing with terrorism as well as on issues relating to security and defence in the region.

India's membership was strongly pushed by Russia while Pakistan's entry into the grouping was backed by China.

India had been an observer at the SCO since 2005. It has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.

The SCO had set the ball rolling to make India a member of the bloc during its summit in Ufa, Russia, in July 2015.
Industry body Assocham has urged the Centre to fix Goods and Services Tax (GST)rate for hydropower at par with wind and solar so that value added cost and tax commensurate for all renewable power projects.

"Hydro projects attract 18 per cent GST for equipment and 28 per cent for cement while the same for solar is made five per cent Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) which has a glaring additional cost impact on power produced from hydro projects," noted an Assocham paper titled 'Need for Hydropower in India  Industry Submission.' It also said EPC contracts for hydro should be categorised under five per cent GST.

Currently, electricity at the consumer end or at discom end does not attract any GST and therefore the last leg of consumption of GST is with the generator. The paper was released by Power Minister R K Singh at an 'Assocham Round Table Discussion on Hydro Power in India', here last evening.

Assuring the hydro industry players of looking into the demands of the sector, Singh informed that the Centres hydro policy was in final stage which would be sent for Cabinet approval within a fortnight. The paper suggested that transmission charges for hydro projects should be energy based. It said solar and wind get freewheeling for approximately 20 per cent plant load factor (PLF) while hydro projects have to pay transmission charges based on capacity. It also recommended that states should waive free power requirement as that would reduce hydro tariff in initial years and make it more viable and competitive.

Besides, the note said hydro projects should be awarded on build, operate and own (BOO) basis for private sector instead on the basis of build own operate and transfer (BOOT).

Further, the paper suggested for payment security as given to solar projects to be extended to hydro which also requires firm power purchase agreement (PPA).

Though the hydro projects lead to development of remote locations and build a lot of social/enabling infrastructure around them, it burdens the project while same is not with other renewable generation, the paper noted.

"Thus social/enabling infrastructure cost should be funded by Hydro Development Fund or National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) as defined in proposal to Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) thereby limiting it to indicative list of projects in that proposal," the paper said.

The paper also stressed that an online, time-bound single window approval and clearance should be the mandate for developing hydro power sector and the same may be recommended to all states.

"This will facilitate transparency, accountability, efficiency and significantly improve ease of doing business," it said.
Rajiv Kumar, Niti Aayog

NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar said that development should be inclusive in nature and not an "elite" and urban-centric activity.

"Development should not be an elite and urban areas-centred activity," a release from Dr MCR HRD Institute, Telangana government, quoted him as saying while addressing the All India Services officers attending a Foundation Course on 'New India@ 2022'.

Kumar also called upon all the stake-holders to ensure that development turns out to be inclusive in nature and becomes a vibrant mass movement.

The government has launched a number of innovative measures to provide a greater momentum to achieve "New India by 2022" when the country would be free from poverty, corruption and terrorism, he said.

The country would be celebrating 75 years of Independence in 2022.

"He underlined the importance of more allocation for R & D, greater use of science and technology in agriculture, broad-based involvement of community in developmental initiatives, and availability of public services to poorer sections of society for meeting the aspirations of people, especially the youth," the release said.
Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan today dedicated 1,073-km long Paradip-Raipur-Ranchi petroleum products pipeline to the nation during an event held in Chhattisgarh's Korba district today.

On the occasion, Pradhan and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh also dedicated the newly set-up oil terminals of Indian Oil Corp (IOCL) in Korba and Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Ranchi (Jharkhand) and Jharsuguda and Jatni (Odisha) and also laid the foundation stone of a LPG bottling plant in Korba, an official here said.

The event was held in Gopalpur village of Korba, located around 200 kms away from here.

Speaking on the occasion, the Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister hailed the pipeline project, while referring to its contribution to the success of the economic development plans of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.

He also said the new facility will further strengthen storage and distribution of petroleum products in Chhattisgarh.

The Paradip-Raipur-Ranchi petroleum products pipeline will feed five terminals at Jatni, Jharsuguda, Korba, Raipur and Ranchi, covering 57 districts across three states.

"This pipeline will trigger industrial and economic growth in the region," the Union minister said.

The underground pipeline has been laid for the supply of petrol and diesel.

"In this line, the underground pipeline network is being laid for the supply of petroleum products to different states," Pradhan said, adding that "this will be the safest, reliable and eco-friendly mode of transportation of petroleum products".

The government's priority is to ensure the availability of petroleum products to people in an easy way, he added.

An ultra-modern oil refinery was inaugurated in Paradip of Odisha two years back.

"Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh are mineral rich states and the underground pipeline project will give a new direction to the development of this region," Pradhan said.

As per an official statement, the Rs 219 crore Korba Terminal, developed on 244 acres of land at Gopalpur village, with a storage capacity of 55,600 kilo litre, is the biggest oil terminal in Chhattisgarh.

"It will cater to the supply of petroleum products to 240 retail outlets and 50 bulk consumers in 10 districts of Chhattisgarh. The terminal will receive round the year supplies through Paradip-Ranchi-Raipur Pipeline," it added.

On the occasion, Raman Singh thanked Petroleum and Gas Ministry for its continued support in making petroleum products reach the people of the state.

He also stated the Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana is a big success in making kitchens smoke free.

Korba Lok Sabha MP Banshilal Mahato, state minister and various officials were present during the programme.
India's tea exports in the first ten months of 2017 jumped 6.6 percent from a year ago to 189.68 million kg as Iran and China purchased more, the state-run Tea Board said in a statement on Thursday.

Iran bought 20.98 million kg tea during the period, up from 18.67 million kg a year ago, the Board said.

India, the world's second-biggest tea producer, exports CTC (crush-tear-curl) grade mainly to Egypt, Pakistan and the UK, and the orthodox variety to Iraq, Iran and Russia.
Men make munitions for World War I on the factory floor of Oakley Chemical Company. (Photo by Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)

The Labour Ministry has removed the proposal allowing units with more than 300 employees to lay off workers or close down without government approval from the Industrial Relations Code (IR Code).

A Financial Express report stated that the ministry is also mulling over other proposals including the barring of outsiders from becoming office-bearers of unions in the organized sector and reducing their influence in the unorganized sector. And proposals aimed at making unions with negotiating powers more representative, like a stipulation that at least 10 percent of workers are needed to form a union.

Sources told the paper that no decision has been taken towards barring of outsiders from becoming office-bearers of unions; however, the mandatory 14-day notice period for strikes is retained in the final draft. The IR Code also proposes to enhance the severance pay to 45 days wages for every completed year of service from 15 days wages.

Some of these proposals are implemented in about eight states including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh.

The ministry has also posted another draft code on social security on its website for public comments. These proposals were a part of the government's major labour reform involving all the stakeholders  trade unions, employers and the government.

These reforms aim at drafting four labour codes on wages, industrial relations, social security and welfare and safety and working conditions by simplifying and rationalising the existing central labour laws.

The code, which is likely to be tabled in the budget session of the Parliament, will soon be sent to a group of ministers headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for consideration, said the report.

The move proposing a simplification of 44 existing labour Acts received stiff opposition from trade unions, including the RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, resulted in the slowdown of the reforms pace, said the report.

Job creation needs a bold state. And, given the growing dissatisfaction around the same, sending the rights signals is crucial. Hence, this roll-back is disappointing and is contrary to the central theme of the present government, said Rituparna Chakraborty, Executive Vice-President and Co-Founder, Teamlease.

Moodys 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. It stressed that a strong and durable recovery of the investment cycle as well as long-delayed land and labour market reforms could put upward pressure on its India rating.

Earlier, the government introduced the code on wages subsuming four existing laws  the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976  that proposed a universal minimum wage for the entire working population, including unorganised sector workers.

The IR Code which simplifies four  the Trade Unions Act, 1926, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, and the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947  Acts includes a proposal to introduce fixed-term employment across all sectors. The proposals is expected to encouraged businessmen to hire workers for seasonal and other jobs.

The labour reforms often regarded as industry-friendly also proposes codes to enhance the workers privileges such as the code on wages proposal that aims at making the minimum wage a statutory right and extending it to all employees  currently the relevant Act applies to 51 scheduled employments only.

The proposal could remove the disparity in minimum wages across states as the central government will notify a national minimum wage below which no state can fix its minimum wages. The code proposes to revise this minimum wage every two years and every five years if dearness allowance becomes part of the minimum wages.
Representative Image

The Indian Railways' ambitious project of reducing travel time by interconnecting four major metros - Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata - with high-speed network of trains running at 160 kmph is looking at an August 2022 launch, sources said.

The current average speed of trains on this network is around 88-90 kmph.

Christened Golden Quadrilateral, the project envisages creation of a 10,000 km network of semi-high speed routes connecting the four major cities is likely to be launched on August 15, 2022 to coincide with 75 years of India's Independence.

In a meeting on November 28, the railway board started the process of drawing up a blueprint to interconnect the four metros - Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Howrah, Delhi-Chennai, Chennai- Howrah, Chennai-Mumbai and Howrah -Mumbai.

The project has been appraised by NITI Aayog and is awaiting Cabinet sanction which is under process.

"We are still finalising the blueprint and efforts are on to officially launch the project by August 2022 to coincide with the celebrations around India's 75th year of Independence. However, everything depends on how we manage to meet every deadline set for the project", a railway official said.

While the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah routes were included in Budget 2017-2018 at a cost of Rs 11,189 crore and Rs 6,975 crore respectively, the estimates for the other four routes are under process for inclusion in the works programme 2018-2019.

The board is likely to finalise a detailed cost estimate for the remaining routes by December 31 this year, officials said.

Sources in the ministry say that an extra budgetary allocation of around Rs 36,000 crore will be required for the project.
Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk said The Boring Company will compete to fund, build and operate a high-speed Loop connecting O'Hare Airport to downtown Chicago.

Musk, the chief executive of electric car maker Tesla Inc and rocket company SpaceX, recently started the Boring Company to build transport tunnels for the system, which he says would be far faster than current high-speed trains and use electromagnetic propulsion.

Earlier on Wednesday, Chicago's Mayor Rahm Emanuel asked respondents to present proposals to develop, design, equip, finance, operate and maintain an O'Hare Express operating system through a public-private agreement with Chicago.

"Although cost estimates for the project are not yet known, the RFQ (Request for Qualifications) stipulates that the O'Hare Express Service will be funded solely by project-specific revenues (like fares or advertising) and financed entirely by the concessionaire," Mayor Emanuel's office said in a statement.

"There will be no taxpayer funding for the project."

Musk is seeking to revolutionize transportation by sending passengers and cargo packed into pods through an intercity system of giant vacuum tubes known as the "hyperloop."

When asked on Twitter to elaborate on his "high-speed loop" proposal that would link O'Hare Airport to downtown Chicago, Musk tweeted, "A Loop is like a Hyperloop, but without drawing a vacuum inside the tube."

"Don't need to get rid of air friction for short routes," Musk added.

Passengers will travel in "electric pods for sure. Rails maybe, maybe not," Musk said in another reply.
Twitter

A German man has come forward as the former Twitter Inc employee who shut down the account of U.S. President Donald Trump for 11 minutes this month on his last day of work at the social network.

The technology news website TechCrunch published an interview on Wednesday with Bahtiyar Duysak, whom it called a 20-something with Turkish roots who was born and raised in Germany. He was a temporary contract worker in San Francisco for Twitter, the website said.

Duysak, who had not previously been identified as the person behind the takedown, told TechCrunch that he considered Trump's temporary silencing a "mistake" and never thought the account would get deactivated.

It was not a planned act, he said. Rather, he said, the chance to shutter the account fell into his lap near the end of his scheduled final shift, and he decided to take it.

"There are millions of people who would take actions against him if they had the possibility. In my case, it was just random," Duysak said in a video of the interview posted online. He wore a gray sweater emblazoned with the American flag.

Twitter on Wednesday would not confirm whether Duysak was the ex-employee in question or answer other questions. Reuters could not immediately reach Duysak.

BuzzFeed News, citing two anonymous sources, reported separately that Duysak was the ex-employee responsible.

Duysak is a former volunteer security guard at a Muslim community center in California, BuzzFeed reported. Trump has been critical of Muslims, calling during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign for a "total and complete shutdown" of Muslims entering the United States.

The takedown of Trump's account on Nov. 2 sparked concerns among Twitter users over how much power employees have over sensitive accounts and whether abuse of their power could lead to international incidents.

Twitter said in a statement on Wednesday: "We have taken a number of steps to keep an incident like this from happening again."

Duysak did not shed much light on the incident. Near the end of his last day at the San Francisco-based company, an alert came to him that someone had reported Trump's account for an unspecified violation, he said.

Duysak put the wheels in motion to deactivate it, TechCrunch said, although the account did not go offline until hours later. Neither Duysak nor TechCrunch explained the delay.

"I didn't hack anyone. I didn't do anything which I wasn't authorized to do," he said.
By Satish Gupta of astrostocktips.in

Todays planetary position: Moon will be transiting in Pisces. Jupiter in Libra. Mars in Virgo. Sun & Venus in Scorpio. Lord Saturn & Mercury in Sagittarius.Lord Rahu in Cancer. Ketu in Capricorn. Pluto in Sagittarius. Neptune in Aquarius & Uranus in Pisces.

RAHUKAL TIME: - 13.30  15.00

FOLLOWING SECTORS WILL BE RECEIVING ASTROLOGICAL SUPPORT:

Food processing: Britannia, Nestle, ADF Food,Jubilant Food, Apex Frozen, etc.

To identify and buy such stocks at right time and exit at right time. Timing is most crucial element in investing or trading. This timing can be known through Financial Astrology. Astrology is only science which can predict future correctly & guide us about sectors which have to outperform.

Every year with commencement of new Samvat (Hindu New Year), astrologically, based on planetary position, certain new sectors start getting strong astrological support & start outperforming, while some others sectors which were performing earlier start underperforming. Some sectors/stock remains laggards. Based on our experience of over 18

years as Financial Astrologer, stocks of astrological supported sectors outperform resulting in exorbitant gains irrespective of market behavior, either bull market or bear market.

PREDICTING BULLISH SECTORS OF NEXT SAMVAT 2074

Every year we release sectors of new Samvat in the month of March/April when new Samvat starts. But this year, we shall prepone release of next Samvat sectors, which are going to get strong astrological support & stocks from those sector outperform markets. Purpose of releasing sectors of next Samvat earlier is that investors & traders should get maximum advantage of down trend of markets by good timing.

We firmly believe that these special astrological positions present very unique opportunities to investors and traders both. This opportunity, if utilized properly, can safeguard your existing portfolio and simultaneously optimize your future investments and trading also. So we request you not to wait till march 2017 but contact us early and subscribe or renew the Sectors of Samvat 2074. After all Successful investing and trading is all about good timing only.

Needless to mention our innumerable past predictions, where most stocks from the SECTORS of SAMVAT gave exorbitant returns & certain stocks appreciated by over 500 percent.

During current Samavat 2073 among other sectors  DES/CHEMICAL/SUGAR sector was predicted by us, received strong astrological support & out performed and gave exorbitant return. Many stocks from DYES/ CHEMICAL sector appreciated by over 500 percent.

: 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.
OPEC

OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers will agree at a meeting on Thursday to extend an output-cutting deal until the end of 2018, four sources familiar with the matter said.

The producers' current deal, under which they are cutting supply by about 1.8 million barrels per day in an effort to boost oil prices, expires in March.

"They will agree on the nine months," an OPEC delegate said, adding that the meeting, due to start around 0900 GMT, was expected to be smooth.

A second source said: "No surprises ... all are for nine months."

Two other sources made similar remarks.

The 14-member Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia have signalled that they may review any extension of the deal when they meet again in June if the market overheats.

With oil prices rallying above $60 per barrel, some are concerned that such an extension could prompt a spike in crude production in the United States, which is not participating in the deal.

Russia needs much lower oil prices to balance its budget than OPEC's leader Saudi Arabia, which is preparing a stock market listing for national energy champion Aramco next year and would hence benefit from pricier crude.

Six ministers from OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers including Saudi Arabia and Russia met in Vienna on Wednesday and recommended extending the cuts to the end of 2018.
Recently the government directed that all mutual fund investments must be linked to Aadhaar numbers by December 31. Failing which, you may not be able to transact in your fund folios. To avoid such a situation ensure that you link Aadhaar with your mutual fund investments.

As you are aware that permanent account number (PAN) was mandatory for all investments in mutual funds, excluding the micro investments. That makes linking Aadhaar to your mutual fund investments easy. Typically an investor spreads his investments across schemes and across fund houses. But you need not have to approach all mutual funds to update your Aadhaar number. The process is much simple if you approach the registrar and transfer agents (RTA)  record keepers for the mutual funds. The RTAs in turn update your details with all the mutual fund they service.

There are four RTAs and here is how to update your Aadhaar details:

CAMS

CAMS caters to 15 mutual funds. You can click here to update your Aadhaar number in the records of mutual funds serviced by CAMS. Keep your PAN, Aadhaar and other details such as date of birth, mobile numbers (registered with Aadhaar and MF) ready. Once you key in your details and the details are verified online, within seconds you are allowed to key in your Aadhaar. An OTP is generated and sent to your registered mobile. After you insert the OTP on CAMS you are done.

You get a confirmation screen and subsequently CAMS confirms Aadhaar-updation of Aadhaar on SMS and E-mail.

Karvy

Karvy caters to 19 mutual funds . Karvy allows you to update your Aadhaar details in the records of mutual funds serviced by it by clicking here

You can also update your Aadhaar by sending:

(ADRLNK <space> <PAN> <space> <AADHAAR NUMBER> <space><Y>)

to 9212993399 from your registered mobile number with Karvy.

Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund maintains its records on its own. And hence you need to update your Aadhaar details with them too, if you are invested in Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund. Here is the link to do so.

If you have invested in schemes of Sundaram Mutual Fund or BNP Paribas Mutual Fund, you can upload your Aadhaar details here.

If for any reason you fail to upload your Aadhaar online, you can do so offline. You can download the form from the websites of RTA and submit it to the office of RTA or to the mutual funds office spread across India.
rahul gandhi narendra modi

Beginning his two-day tour of poll-bound Gujarat with a visit to the famous Somnath temple, Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his emotional exhortations, calling him an "excellent actor better than Amitabh Bachchan".

Addressing three rallies at Visavadar, Savarkundla and Amreli in the Saurashtra region, Gandhi also reached out to Patidars and attacked Modi over his "silence" on Rafale deal and "proximity" to select industrialists.

Before setting out on the campaign trail, Gandhi offered prayers at the famous shrine of Lord Shiva at Somnath.

"Narnedra Modi is a 'zabardast' (excellent) actor, even better than Amitabh Bachchan. Generally, an actor has to put contact lens when he has to weep...His eyes burns and tears roll down. But Narendra Modiji does not need any contact lens for tears to roll down his eyes," Gandhi told a rally at Savarkundla.

At Visavadar, Gandhi referred to the 2015 quota stir in which 14 members of the Patidar community were killed in police firing and said if anyone raises his voice he either gets beaten up or has to face bullets in Gujarat.

"All the communities are raising their voice here against the government. But what do you get if you raise your voice in Gujarat? You are beaten up, you have to face bullets," Gandhi said.

Visavdar is a Patidar-dominated constituency in politically crucial Saurashtra region.

"I asked Modiji three questions (on the Rafale deal). First, is there a difference in the cost of the planes in the first and the second contract (signed with a French firm), please give the reply in yes or no.

"Why was the contract given to a private industrialist friend instead of Hindustan Aeronautics limited (HAL)? And did you seek the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security for the deal?" Gandhi asked, referring to the deal between French firm Dassault Aviation and a company headed by Anil Ambani.

The Congress vice president also sought to know if due procedure was followed before formalising the deal with France last year for procuring the fighter jets.

Gandhi alleged that the prime minister was "avoiding" answering his questions "out to fear" that the "truth" would come out before the crucial polls in his home state.

"Narendra Modiji is not replying to these questions because he wants that the truth of Rafale and Jay Shah (son of BJP chief Amit Shah) should not come out before the people ahead of the Gujarat elections," he said.

A web portal had claimed that the turnover of Jay Shah's firm had seen exponential growth after the BJP came to power at Centre in 2014.

Targeting Modi, Gandhi said, "You will see how tears again flow from the eyes of this actor 2-3 days before the elections. He will talk about everything but will not utter a word regarding how much price farmers receive for their produce in Gujarat, loan waiver, or how to convert black money into white".

In an emotional speech post demonetisation, Modi had said that people can hang him if he cannot bring black money back.

In an emotional outreach during canvassing, Modi had recently said that Gujarat is his mother and he her son.

Gandhi said the Gujarat government is run by Amit Shah and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is just the "rubber stamp".

He claimed the NDA government delayed the winter session of Parliament as Modi was not ready to discuss the Rafale deal and Jay Shah issue here before the Gujarat polls.

"Generally, Parliament's (winter) session is held every year in November and discussions take place in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. But, due to two reasons, Parliament is opening after the Gujarat polls this time," Gandhi said.

He also criticised the Modi government on the issues of farmers and unemployment in the BJP-ruled Gujarat.

The Congress vice-president alleged that entire land was given to "5-10 industrialist friends of Modi" in Gujarat but farmers were left high and dry.

He even read out names of the villages during his speech.

"Narendra Modiji will not talk about these things in his speeches. He will only talk about development, but how much farm loan he has waived and how much money he has gifted to 5-10 industrialists...Modiji will not talk about these things," Gandhi said.

He alleged that Modi has reneged on his promise to offer higher MSP to farmers on cotton and groundnut.

"Modi no longer speaks about these things in his speeches," he said.

Gandhi will visit various towns and villages in Amreli, Bhavnagar and Botad districts tomorrow and address a rally on the outskirts of Bhavnagar city in evening.
Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for calling the GST 'Gabbar Singh Tax', and said those who looted the country could only think of dacoits.

As the Congress vice president visited the Somnath temple, Modi told his audience that Jawaharlal Nehru, Rahul Gandhi's great grand father, was "unhappy" when Sardar Patel took up the temple's reconstruction in 1950s.

Modi addressed four rallies -- three in Saurashtra and one in Navsari in South Gujarat. He stopped his speech for about two minutes when 'aazan', the call for Muslims to offer Namaz, was recited during his Navsari rally.

In a stinging rebuttal of Gandhi's repeated criticism of the Goods and Services Tax, a key economic reform implemented by the NDA government, Modi said a recently emerged "economist" was propagating a "grand stupid thought" by suggesting that GST rate be capped at 18 per cent. Modi also accused the Congress of blocking the bill giving OBC Commission a constitutional status.

Campaigning in his home state where the BJP is in power for close to two decades, Modi listed various development works by the state government for water conservation, agriculture and development of the Saurashtra region.

Addressing a huge rally in Morbi town in the region, which goes to polls in the first phase on December 9, he accused the Congress of taking credit for minor schemes like providing hand-pumps, while the BJP government got executed major works like the Narmada project.

Making a strong appeal to people to vote for the BJP in the Patidar community stronghold, Modi said his party should not be voted out for 100 years.

"Today, some so-called smart people, some new economists have emerged who are misleading people," he said in his speech in Gujarati.

"Those who have looted people throughout their life, they can only remember dacoits," Modi said, in a reply to Gandhi's ''Gabbar Singh Tax' jibe which referred to the iconic villain of the Bollywood blockbuster "Sholay".

Gandhi was propagating a "grand stupid thought" in the name of GST, telling people that Congress will scrap all tax rates and bring a uniform 18 per cent rate, the PM said.

This meant 18 per cent tax on salt and the same 18 per cent tax on luxury cars costing Rs 5 crore, Modi stated.

"What kind of smartness is this... how has such an economist emerged here. You want to make the goods used by the poor like clothes, footwear and food costlier, and you want to make cigarettes and liquor cheaper," he said, ripping into the "anti-poor" Congress over its criticism of the tax reform.

The prime minister went on to say that making cigarettes cheaper means bringing cancer to every home, and asked which rich businessmen the opposition leader sought to extend benefit to by making liquor cheaper.

He also brought up a visit by Rahul Gandhi's grandmother, the late Indira Gandhi, in 1979.

Recalling the Macchu dam flood tragedy of 1979 in Morbi, the prime minister said he had spent one month working in the town after the disaster as an RSS and Jan Sangh worker.

"I remember Indira Gandhi had come here and Chitralekha (a local magazine) had printed her photo with a handkerchief over her nose, trying to avoid the stench, while another photo on the same front page had RSS workers carrying bodies," Modi said.

"Those who have helped us in times of difficulties should be remembered," he added.

Speaking at Pranchi in Gir Somanth district, Modi said that Jawaharlal Nehru had opposed the re-construction of the Somnath temple. Rahul Gandhi today visited the Somnath temple before starting his two-day campaign tour.

"When Sardar Patel took up the work of re-construction of Somnath temple, Nehru was unhappy. Your great grand father Nehru wrote a letter to President Rajendra Prasad when he was to come for the opening ceremony of the temple," Modi said.

"This land of brave people will not forgive those who have acted against the Somnath temple," he said.

He said the family that ruled the country for 70 years, but cannot give account of what it did for the nation, should not seek account of the performance of the BJP government.

Gandhi said OBC communities were demanding constitutional status for the OBC commission for the last 25 years but the Gandhi family was unyielding.

"You are trying to spread the poison of casteism and trying to get votes on the basis of caste and gaining sympathy of OBC communities," Modi said.

"When we brought the bill, you opposed it in the Rajya Sabha. But we will not stop, we will bring it in next session. We will bring it 50 times," he said.

Modi noted how his government worked to bring the water of the Narmada to the parched regions of Saurashtra and Kutch.

"The Congress's development model was giving hand-pumps. For the BJP it is the SAUNI scheme (the Narmada water project for Saurashtra region), where we will fill dams of Saurashtra through huge pipelines."

The culture of this parched land, Modi said, was to give respect to those who have tried to do something to provide water.

"The BJP has done many things and it should not be thrown out of power in the state for the next 100 years," Modi said.
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) appointed resolution professional (IRP) Anuj Jain has received 21 bids from investors willing to pump in at least Rs 2,000 crore to complete the projects floated by Jaypee Infratech that involves nearly 32,000 apartments, plots and villas.

The new entrants post the ordinance promulgated last week that bars promoters of companies that have been non-performing assets (NPAs) for over a year from submitting their bids for the resolution process include the high profile companies such as Adani Group, Hindujas and Sajjan Jindals JSW Group.

Among the parties that had expressed interest earlier included Vedanta Group, Essel Highways, IDFC, Lodha Group, Puravankara, SARE Homes, L&T Infra, Cube Highways from Singapore, Kotak Infra, SARE Group, Deutsche Bank, Asset Reconstruction Company (India) Limited, Suraksha Realty, Tata Realty, National Infrastructure Investment Fund (NIIF) and JSW among others, sources told Moneycontrol.

Sajjan Jindal-promoted JSW had earlier evinced interest to acquire a 30 percent stake in Jaypee Associates, the parent company and jointly bid to invest in the embattled Jaypee Infratech that is facing insolvency proceedings. It should be noted that JSW Energy had acquired two hydel power plans from Jaypee Group in 2015.

Sources said both the Adani Group and the Hindujas have now submitted their expression of interest. Last week, the government had promulgated an Ordinance amending the Insolvency and Banking Code that bars promoters of companies which have defaulted for over a year from bidding for the assets being sold by the banks to reclaim their dues. What this means is that Jaypee Group, the promoter, in this case, is out of the race as it has now been made ineligible to submit bids under the 180-day resolution process.

The fresh bids come at a time when the resolution professional is preparing an information memorandum in the run-up to the bidding process. Credentials of all bidders are also being checked to ensure that they do not attract provisions of the ordinance, which will make them ineligible.

The next steps include the IRP entering into a dialogue with each of these companies and begin the process of negotiations followed by receipt of non-binding bids and binding bids etc. The process may take at least six to eight weeks, sources said.

Hereon, the resolution professional will be asking all interested parties who are eligible as per the Ordinance to declare and certify that they are eligible to submit a plan for resolution of the Jaypee Infratech Limited, sources said.

Once the declaration comes in, the resolution professional will get back to the eligible companies in the next four to five days and share the final process notes with them. That will indicate the process to be followed or articulated going forward and the timelines to be met, they said.

These companies will then be called upon to submit their detailed resolution plan, how they propose to restructure the company, etc., sources said.

We are aiming the first week of January to have an indication of how many companies will finally stay on through the entire process and get clarity on how many will fall out. We will also know by then as to how many companies are interested in all assets of the company facing insolvency proceedings or only part of it, they said.

It has been reported that while several of the companies are looking at all the assets of Jaypee Infratech, there are some which are interested either in the real estate project or the Taj Expressway.

The names of 18 bidders were formally announced at a committee of creditors meeting held last month. The IRP had invited expression of interest (EOI) from parties interested in submitting a plan for resolution of Jaypee Infratech Limited (JIL) in accordance with the provisions of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 by November 7, 2017.

Experts say that the entire process is a win-win for homebuyers as sooner an investor is finalised, the faster money can be infused to accelerate construction.

While inviting the bids a few weeks ago (October 28), the IRP had set the following criteria for applicants - companies, investment firms and fund houses with a net worth of over Rs 1,000 crore to complete the developers delayed projects, including Noidas Wish Town, by infusing Rs 2,000 crore or more.

# The party to be shortlisted for submitting a plan should be a body corporate with a minimum net worth of Rs 1,000 crore (share capital and free reserves) as on March 31, 2017 (at Group level).

# For investment companies/fund houses, minimum assets under management (or committed funds available) should be Rs 1,000 crore or more.

# The party must have the commitment to satisfy the mandatory requirements of resolution plan and its regulations, the timelines, the process for resolution provided under the IBC, it said.

# The body corporate should also have the ability to execute real estate projects either directly or through joint ventures, contractors etc through a resolution plan to be sanctioned under IBC and it should have the ability to invest Rs 2000 crore or more to complete the construction of the flats.

It should have good financial health and repute and should protect the interests of homebuyers generally, and in particular by timely construction and possession of flats, it said.

# It should also declare if the party is related to JIL.

On November 22, in what seems to be a temporary relief to the troubled promoters of Jaiprakash Associates (JAL), the Supreme Court allowed the parent company of Jaypee Infratech Ltd to deposit Rs 275 crore immediately and another Rs 275 crore by December 31. This is against the earlier order asking the promoters to deposit Rs 2000 crore by November 13 which the promoters were unable to meet even though four deadlines had expired. No specific timeline was given to deposit the remaining Rs 1450 crore.

The court also restrained the companys independent directors, promoters and immediate family from selling their assets to raise money before the said amount had been deposited, saying that such a move "will not only be liable for criminal prosecution but contempt of the court", the order said.It also directed that the matter be heard on January 10 and that none of the promoter directors and the independent directors should alienate their personal assets.

The court appointed advocate Pavanshree Agrawal as amicus curiae and asked him to prepare a portal carrying all the details of the flat buyers, those seeking a refund of their money and other details of Jaypee Infratech.

The process going forward:

# Bidders will now sign confidentiality agreements with the resolution professional

# IRP will share basic information about JP Infra accounts and business

# Based on that info  these bidders will submit non-binding bids

# Based on the bid values, IRP will invite a select few to submit binding detailed bids

# These binding bids will be then presented to the creditors

# Creditors will negotiate with them, individually and together

# Creditors will have to agree to a plan which is in the best interest of all stakeholders including buyers

# Bids can be received together and separately for three main assets in the portfolio  hospitals and hospitality, Yamuna Expressway, and real estate

# If the sum of parts is greater than whole, assets can be sold separately as well.

# All final bids have to be before the creditors by February 10, 2018.

vandana.ramnani@nw18.com
Moneycontrol News

As many as 81,000 houses are currently under various stages of construction by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) out of which 20,000 will be offered as part of the 2018 housing scheme that will be launched anytime between March and June next year, DDA officials said at the draw for the 2017 scheme held on Thursday.

The responsibility for providing affordable housing has been given to DDA and 81,000 houses are currently under various stages of construction out of which 20,000 will be ready until March. We will launching the next scheme anytime between March and June next year, said JP Agarwal, DDA's Principal Commissioner (Housing).

These will be a mix of lower income group (LIG), middle income group (MIG) and high income group (HIG) flats and will be located in areas such as Narela, Dwarka, Rohini, Vasant Kunj, Jasola among others. The price range of these flats is not yet finalised.

Eligible allottees will be able to avail interest subsidy of Rs 1.40 lakh to Rs.2.67 lakh under the Credit-Linked Subsidy component of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), which has now been extended for 15 more months beyond December this year.

Agarwal also said that over the next four years, DDA will try and allot as many as 81,000 units as part of the Housing for All Mission 2022.

The draw for the DDA's 2017 housing scheme was held on Thursday in the Capitals Vikas Sadan's Auction Hall from 11 am. The entire procedure was web-streamed live. Independent judges  retired justice S N Agrawal, Professor Kolin Paul of IIT Delhi and Vishnu Chandra of National Informatics Centre monitored the lottery.

"The scheme was launched in June 2017 and the deadline for receiving the forms ended on September 11. A total of 46,675 applications were received and after scrutiny of applications 46,080 were eligible for the draw for 12,617 units. The last date for applying for any rectification in forms ended on November 10," he said, adding the demand-cum-allotment letters will be send within a month.

The 12,000-odd flats includ HIG  85; MIG  403 ; LIG  11,757 and Janta  372. These were priced anything between Rs 7 lakh to over Rs 1.26 crore. DDA had incentivised this years offer by removing the five year lock-in period for resale besides retaining the prices at the 2014 levels.

Of the total number of flats, around 10,000 unoccupied ones are from the 2014 housing scheme, while 2,000 have been lying vacant.

While launching its 2017 housing scheme in June, former Minister of Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu had announced that DDA would be offering a total of one lakh houses, as many as 20,000 per year till 2022 to further the mission of Housing for All.

Benefits of PMAY scheme can be availed by successful applicants as per their income category. Under the CLSS, MIG beneficiaries with annual income of above Rs 6 lakh and up to Rs 12 lakh would get an interest subsidy of 4 percent on a 20-year loan component of Rs 9 lakh. Those with annual income exceeding Rs 12 lakh and up to Rs 18 lakh would get interest subsidy of 3 percent.

Stating that the DDA has so far allotted about 4 lakh houses to the denizens of Delhi, Agarwal, said that even with respect to the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY), DDA is working shoulder to shoulder with the government. We are creating EWS housing and the in-situ slum redevelopment process has also started under which houses are being constructed.
IRB Infrastructure Developers | In 2020 so far, the share price has moved up 76 percent to Rs 131.20. It's trailing twelve months (TTM) P/E was 6.40 multiple while 5-year average P/E was 8.30 multiple.

Ministry of housing and urban affairs has approved the construction of 1.12 lakh more affordable houses for the benefit of urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) with an investment of Rs 8,105 crore with central assistance of Rs1,681 crore.

The approval was given at the 28th meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee on Wednesday, ministry sources said.

Madhya Pradesh has been sanctioned 34,680 houses in 25 cities and towns with an investment of Rs 3,080 crore with a central assistance of Rs 520 crore. Haryana got 24,221 houses in 28 cities and towns with an investment of Rs 1,721 crore and central assistance of Rs 363 crore. Maharashtra has been sanctioned 11,523 affordable houses with an investment of Rs 860 crore and central assistance of Rs 173 crore. Jharkhand has been sanctioned 28,477 houses in 5 cities and towns with an investment of Rs 2,080 crore with central assistance of Rs.427 crore. Kerala has been sanctioned 9836 houses in 49 cities and towns with an investment of Rs 295 crore with central assistance of Rs 147 crore. Mizoram has been sanctioned 3,270 houses in 7 cities and towns with an investment of Rs 65 crore with central assistance of Rs 49 crore.

The approval accorded is for construction of 44,692 new houses under the Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC) component of PMAY (Urban), enhancement of 1,857 houses in Haryana under BLC and building 28,477 new houses in Jharkhand, 13,946 in Haryana, 6,392 in Maharashtra under the Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) component.

In Madhya Pradesh, another 16,104 new houses, in Kerala - 9,836 houses, in Maharashtra - 5,131, in Mizoram - 3,270 will be built under BLC component under which an eligible beneficiary is assisted to build a house on the land owned by him/her.

With the above proposed houses, cumulative houses under PMAY(U) would be around 30 lakh (30,52,828) after final approval from CSMC. Further after subsuming projects of RAY scheme the total number of houses being funded under PMAY(Urban) would be about 32 lakh (31,94,676) houses.
India has entered into a techno-commercial agreement with Spains Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias (ADIF) for receiving specific technical advice on track, signalling, rolling stock safety, station design etc for construction of the three Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors  Delhi-Meerut, Delhi-Panipat and Delhi-Alwar, official sources said.

An Indo-Spanish technical cooperation agreement was signed by Vinay Kumar Singh, managing director, National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) and Miguel Nieto Menor, Director General, ADIF of Spain, in the presence of Hardeep Singh Puri, minister of housing and urban affairs and Durga Shanker Mishra, secretary in the ministry.

The ceremony was attended by Fernando Nocolos Puiggari, director International/ADIF, senior ministry officials, representatives from ministry of external affairs and Spanish Embassy in India.

Addressing the occasion, Puri informed that the agreement will enable availability of technical advice on specific issues, besides providing training and collaboration in the technical areas of track, signalling, rolling stock, safety, multi-modal integration, station design etc. Stressing on the importance of the project, Mishra said that this agreement will provide institutional mechanism for mutual cooperation in the field of urban transport and especially in implementation of RRTS project.

National Capital Region Transport Corporation, a joint venture between the government of India and state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi, is mandated to design, construct, operate and maintain rail based Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) in the National Capital Region.

Three RRTS corridors: Delhi-Meerut Smart Line, Delhi  Panipat Smart Line and Delhi  Alwar Smart Line have been prioritised for implementation in the first phase. Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor will be the first corridor to be implemented for which pre-construction activities including geo-technical investigations, detailed design, utility shifting planning and traffic diversion planning are in progress.

RRTS, first of its kind project in India, with design speed of 180 kmph will use state-of-the-art technologies for track structure, rolling stock and signalling system. Expertise and experience in India on these technologies for higher speeds being limited, international expertise will be tapped for efficient implementation of project, operation of system and developing capacity in the country.

Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias (ADIF), Spain, the state-owned railway infrastructure company has experience in planning, developing, constructing, operating and maintaining high-speed railway and regional rail systems like Cercanias in Madrid.

SNCF, the state-owned railway company of France, has also expressed willingness to support RRTS projects. Possibility of similar agreement between NCRTC and SNCF was explored during the recent visit of SNCF delegations earlier this week.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today invoked late President APJ Abdul Kalam to urge the media to give up negativity and focus on positive developments to help give direction to the country.

Modi made the remarks while addressing the inaugural session of the 'Hindustan Times Leadership Summit - 2017' here.

The prime minister also said that each institution involved in nation building should identify challenges before the country and resolve to solve these at their respective levels by 2022, when the country completes 75 years of independence.

"He (Kalam) had few years ago asked why our media is so negative? These are not my words, (he had said) why is that in India, we are embarrassed of our capabilities and achievements?

"We are a great country, we have unprecedented stories of success. Still, we refuse to accept them. Why it is so? These were Kalam's words," Modi said.

The prime minister suggested that the media can discuss the issue in seminars and their newsrooms to bring about an "irreversible change".

"I urge the media to be resolute and also inspire others. Be part of this journey of resolution the way you played an active role in turning the Clean India mission into a public campaign...increase your partnership...cooperate in giving direction to the country," he urged.
Bull's Eye, CNBC-TV18's popular game show, where market experts come together to dish out trading strategies for you to make your week more exciting and compete with each other to see whose portfolio is the strongest.

Remember these are midcap ideas not just for the day, but stocks that look attractive in the medium-term as well.

This week, Vishal Malkan, Pankaj Jain and Ruchit Jain battle it out for top honours.

Below their top stock picks and analysis:

Vishal Malkan of malkansview.com

Buy Motherson Sumi with a stoploss at Rs 355 and target of Rs 380

Buy Bharat Electronics with a stoploss at Rs 182 and target of Rs 198

Buy Hexaware Technologies with a stoploss at Rs 332 and target of Rs 365

Buy Bharat Financial Inclusion with a stoploss at Rs 980 and target of Rs 1050

Pankaj Jain of SW Capital

Buy 8K Miles Software Services with a stoploss at Rs 975 and target of Rs 1065

Buy HCL Infosystems with a stoploss at Rs 50.50 and target of Rs 56

Buy Tourism Finance Corp of India with a stoploss at Rs 161 and target of Rs 179

Buy ADF Foods with a stoploss at Rs 325 and target of Rs 360

Ruchit Jain of Angel Broking

Buy HCL Infosystems with a stoploss at Rs 49 and target of Rs 56

Buy Cholamandalam Finance with a stoploss at Rs 1250 and target of Rs 1333

Buy Engineers India with a stoploss at Rs 179 and target of Rs 194

Sell Glenmark Pharma with a stoploss at Rs 578 and target of Rs 557
live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

Shares of drug major Lupin tumbled 1 percent intraday Thursday as the company is recalling its drug from the US markets.

The company is recalling a single lot of Pravastatin Sodium USP tablets in the US, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).

As per the information on the USFDA site, Lupin is voluntarily recalling the product due to "a pharmacy complaint where one Duloxetine delayed-release capsule, 30mg was found in a Pravastatin Sodium Tablets USP, 40mg bottle".

The US health regulator, however, did not give details on the number of bottles being recalled.

Earlier in this month, the USFDA has issued a warning letter to the company for violation of current good manufacturing practice norms at two of its manufacturing facilities in Goa and Indore.

At 09:54 hrs Lupin was quoting at Rs 829.70, down Rs 4.65, or 0.56 percent on the BSE.

The share touched its 52-week high Rs 1,572.25 and 52-week low Rs 818.55 on 06 February, 2017 and 15 November, 2017, respectively.

Currently, it is trading 47.23 percent below its 52-week high and 1.36 percent above its 52-week low.

With inputs from PTI
Xiaomi has finally taken the wraps off its much-promoted Desh ka Smartphone, which it turns out is the budget Redmi 5A.

Manufactured at the companys factory in Sricity in Andhra Pradesh, the phone comes in two price, RAM and storage variants: Rs 5,999 for 2GB/16GB phone and Rs 6,999 for 3GB/32GB phone. However, Redmi is offering a discount of Rs 1,000 to the first five million customers of the 2GB/16GB variant which effectively means the phone will come at a price of Rs 4,999.

As reported earlier, Redmi 5A will be sold on Flipkart, mi.com and via Xiaomis offline partners. It will go on sale from December 7 across all platforms.

It will compete directly with Samsungs J2 and Moto C. According to a recent report from IDC, Xiaomi has surpassed Samsung as the leader in market share of top 50 cities in India. But from the looks of it, Xiaomi is looking to capture small-town India with its new offering. Redmi 5A - successor of the extremely successful Redmi 4A - has been designed keeping in mind the usage habits of people from this segment, as Xiaomi earlier talked about the phone supporting various regional languages.

Specifications

As mentioned earlier, Redmi 5A will compete directly against the likes of Samsung J2 and Moto C and boasts of a configuration that leaves its competitors far behind.

Redmi 5A is a dual SIM 4G VoLTE smartphone. The phone comes with a 5 inch HD display with a resolution of 1280*720 pixel and pixel density of 295 ppi. The phone runs on a snappy Snapdragon 425 quad core processor clocked at 1.4 GHz. An Adreno 308 powers the phones graphic requirements.

The Redmi 5A runs on MIUI 8.5 which is based on Android 7.1.2 Nougat. It has a dedicated microSD slot and supports expandable memory of up to 128 GB.

Redmi 5A sports a 13 megapixel camera with an aperture rate of f/2.2 and an LED flash. The camera has built-in features such as HDR, real-time filters, panorama mode etc. However, the highlight of the camera is the phase detection autofocus or PDAF feature which allows the camera to focus on a subject at ultra-fast speed. For selfie lovers, the phone features a 5 megapixel front camera with an aperture rate of f/2.0.

Connectivity features such as latest versions of Wi-Fi, Infrared, 3.5 mm audio jack, Bluetooth 4.1 are also present on the device. Apart from these, the phone also features an IR blaster, which can be used to control a wide variety of television sets, set-top boxes, air conditioners, speakers etc.

The phone comes in three colours  Gold, Dark Grey and Rose Gold and features a 3,000 mAh battery which the company claims has a standby time of up to eight days.
The Union government may be rethinking on its plan to implement the principle of 'one manufacturer, one salt, one brand name and one price effectively ending the practice of loan licensing or third-party manufacturing.

A person who provided inputs to the government on preparing the Draft Pharmaceutical Policy - 2017 on condition of anonymity said that the government is aware of industry concerns over the proposal.

The proposal was met with strong resistance from the industry as ban on third-party manufacturing or loan licensing is feared to hit small and medium enterprises (SMEs), disrupt supplies, and make installed capacities redundant.

"Such policy is not new - the government decided to discontinue loan licensing in 1986, but today that proposal doesn't make much sense as companies strong in manufacturing may not necessarily be good at marketing, and vice-versa and a lot of plants will be shut down if this is implemented," the person above said.

The government in the Draft Pharmaceutical Policy - 2017 prepared by Department of Pharmaceuticals under Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers called for phasing out loan licensing in three years for all other drugs excluding biopharmaceuticals. While loan licensing will be allowed only for WHO GMP approved facility, but limited only 10 percent of the total production of the company.

When India is saturated with formulation manufacturing, loan licensing is not of overwhelming benefit, the government said in draft policy.

Instead, it raises many quality maintenance and assurance issues, the government added.

Typically, in pharmaceutical industry, one company gets the approval for manufacturing one drug and manufacturing it under different brand names and then gives it under exclusive brand names to other companies to market it. Thus, the other company without getting approval for manufacturing the drug starts marketing it in a brand name at a different price.

The practice of loan licensing and contract licensing also undermines the veracity of drug manufacturing and pricing practice, the draft policy reasoned.

In the pharmaceutical industry, about 2500 pharmacopeial salts are manufactured but there are more than 60,000 brand names with varying prices.

One of the provisions of pharma policy was to do away with contract manufacturing, said Dinesh Dua, Vice Chairman of Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) and CEO of Nectar Lifesciences to Moneycontrol.

The government says there is enough capacity, no need for contract manufacturing; you manufacture your own stuff and sell, its completely ill-conceived, Dua said.

Even the big boys of pharma outsource 40 to 80 percent of their manufacturing to third party plants, Dua added.

Dua said the Niti Aayog and Prime Minister Office (PMO) were apprised of the consequences of the proposed ban.
A little while ago, after reports of a 1,000-km tunnel to divert waters of Brahmaputra came up, China quickly climbed to reject such claims and said that it has no such plans.

A new development in Arunachal Pradesh has brought the border issue between the two countries to the fore once again. A river running through Arunachal Pradesh has suddenly turned black.

According to reports in The Times of India, the Siang river that runs through northern Arunachal Pradesh has suddenly turned black. The river water is now filled with slag and is not fit for use.

"The water can't be used for any purpose because it contains a cement-like thick material. A lot of fish died one-and-half months ago," East Siang district deputy commissioner Tamyo Tatak was quoted saying in the report.

Also Read: China for more dams on Tibetan rivers instead of Brahmaputra: Report

However, what makes the issue a concern is the alleged Chinese role in the polluting of the river water. Officials point fingers towards construction work by Chinese authorities in Tibet which is behind the deterioration in the water from where the river originates.

Some major cement work is on in the upper reaches of the river in China ... maybe China is carrying out some deep water boring work. What else could be the reason for such a big river, which becomes the Brahmaputra, remaining black in colour for nearly two months, Tatak was quoted saying in the report.

Siang, also known as Yarlung Tsangpo is a main constituent river of the Brahmaputra river. The river was recently in the news after a rumour emerged that the Chinese are planning to build world's longest water tunnel to divert the water in the river to its arid Xinjiang province. While the Chinese have denied this, the recent change in the water's condition has raised concerns about Chinese intentions.
Amid the mounting pressure from international communities, Pakistan has put Hafiz Saeed under house arrest once again, reported CNN News18, citing sources. The Lashkar-e-Taiba chief was released from house arrest last week on the orders of a Pakistani court.

He has been put in detention under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, the Pakistan Foreign Office said.

The government of Pakistans Punjab province had sought a three-month extension in Saeeds detention but the request was turned down by judicial review board just days before the ninth anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks.

Hours after Hafiz Saeed's release from his house arrest by Pakistani authorities, the Lashkar-e-Taiba co-founder Hafiz Saeed had promised that he and his followers will work towards Kashmirs independence.



            . #HafizSaeedWon #Jud pic.twitter.com/dJel3FjfOR     (@JamatUdDawaPak) November 22, 2017

Saeed is the main accused in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Indian authorities had claimed that Hafiz Saeed coordinated the attacks sitting in Pakistan. Many countries including India, France and US had expressed their unhappiness on the decision to release him.

After release, the Mumbai attack mastermind had filed a petition in the UN seeking removal of his name from the list of designated terrorists on the ground that none of the allegations against him  either related to terrorism or otherwise  has been proved in the Pakistani courts.
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National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) will provide training to 20,000 youth till 2020 under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) in collaboration with Arvind Limited, the company said.

The first batch commenced training in the city today. Under the collaboration, Arvind Limited, an exporter, supplier and manufacturer of ready-made garments, will offer its infrastructure, space, training facilities and machinery for the skill training.

The admissions would be open to all skill seekers, especially the unemployed youth in the age group of 18 to 35 years, Arvind Limited said in a statement here. An integrated skill development programme under PMKVY, the association entails skill training and further placements being facilitated by Arvind Limited through its nine training centres in Karnataka.

The skill training is to be provided in Apparel, Made-ups and Home Furnishing sector include six job roles, namely Specialised Sewing Machine Operator, Sewing Machine Operator, Quality Check Executive Sewing Line, Packer, Pressman and Washing Machine Operator.
Anna Hazare

Social activist Anna Hazare, who will launch his agitation over Jan Lokpal and farmers' issues in Delhi from March 23 next year, has on Thursday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to select a venue for it.

"You tell people that you want to create a corruption-free India. But you weaken the Lokpal legislation which will help curb corruption," Hazare said in a letter to Modi.

"There is a difference between what you say and what you do. That is why I asked activists in many states about the agitation. They said that March 23 being Shahid Diwas, we should launch the agitation in Delhi on that date," Hazare wrote.

"So we have decided to launch the agitation on March 23. Please let us know the venue (in Delhi) for the agitation," the social activist wrote to Modi.

"Please let us know the difficulty in appointing Lokayukt in states where your party (BJP) is in power," Hazare said.

"Lokpal legislation takes five years but the legislation to weaken it is passed in just three days. This shows that it is not the intention of your government to curb corruption," he said.

Hazare, who has been the face of the Lokpal movement, had said while addressing a meeting of his supporters at Ralegan Siddhi village in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district on Tuesday that this agitation will be a satyagrah for Jan Lokpal, farmers' issues and poll reforms.

The veteran activist had said he has been writing to the prime minister on these issues but hasn't received a response.

"At least 12 lakh farmers have committed suicide in the last 22 years. I want to know the number of industrialists committing suicide during this period," he had said.

Hazare has been demanding Jan Lokpal to keep a check on corruption.

He went on a 12-day hunger strike in 2011 after which the then UPA government accepted the demand in principle.

Hazare later launched a fast, which enjoyed a huge popular support across the country. The UPA government subsequently passed the Lokpal bill.
Supporters of Congress party are framed by the party's symbols installed at the venue where Rahul Gandhi is addressing a rally at Bardoli

Maharashtra Congress Secretary Shehzad Poonawalla has attacked Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and the party's senior leadership for 'rigging' the partys presidential poll process.

Poonawalla criticised dynasty politics and said that he too would contest the polls for the position of party president if Rahul Gandhi agrees to elect delegates and resigns from his current position to participate as an ordinary member of the party.

The Maharashtra Congress leader said, I cannot contest a rigged election, adding that, If the system is genuine, then I will contest. It is a rigged election...it is a selection. Delegates who are going to vote for this election have not been elected as per the constitutional requirements...They have been handpicked.

Elections to elect the party president will be held on December 16 and the result will be declared on December 19. However, if Gandhi is the sole candidate, his elevation would be announced as early as December 5.

Poonawalla asked, Will you allow yourself to be judged on merit rather than your surname? He also asked if Rahul Gandhi would be willing to be part of a televised debate which would outline their vision for the party and the country.

Shehzad Poonawalla's letter to Rahul Gandhi



A rigged election? Where one starts as VP, gets selected by hand picked delegates selected by a bunch of selected state Presidents? Where 48pc candidates are dynasts? You serve the family - i will serve Mahatma Gandhi's party & India . Love u too. But not more than my country.. https://t.co/BVnbkr2MQ4

 Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) November 29, 2017

According to media reports, the state-level leader wrote a letter to Gandhi on Tuesday and said that he had been elevated to the position of a state-level secretary after working for the party since 2008-2009.

In the letter, Poonawalla questioned Gandhi, how and why (other than your surname) did you, in the same time span, start off with an MP (Member of Parliament) seat in 2004 itself, get general secretaryship in 2007, and then graduate to vice presidentship of the national unit while your mother was the president?

Did you win us more elections, were you genuinely elected to these posts, did you give better speeches than other leaders? he asked.



Anyone in the @INCIndia can contest against @OfficeOfRG . If @Shehzad_Ind wants he should contest ..This is simply unacceptable to Mona n me. To say I am hurt today is an understatement ..  Tehseen Poonawalla (@tehseenp) November 29, 2017

While urging Gandhi to resign from his current position, Poonawalla said, How can it be a fair contest if a common worker has to contest against the vice president (who was selected and not elected as the VP or the number two in the party)?

Shehzad's brother Tehseen Poonawalla tweeted, "Anyone in the @INCIndia can contest against @OfficeOfRG . If @Shehzad_Ind wants he should contest ..This is simply unacceptable to Mona n me. To say I am hurt today is an understatement ..".
The popular notion that great civilisations develop around great rivers has been existing for a long time. However, new findings regarding the emergence of Indus valley civilisation could well change this notion at least for the South Asia based ancient civilisation.

New findings indicate that the many urban centres of Indus valley civilisation emerged not on the vicinity of river banks, but years after the drying up of rivers. According to the report on science blog Phys, the new study was led by researchers from Imperial College London and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.

It was popularly believed that the civilisation thrived on the banks of Indus and Ghaggar-Hakra river, also believed to be as River Saraswati. And according to this theory, the civilisation declined once the Ghaggar-Hakra dried up.

However, when the team studied the layers of sediments built beneath the now dried up river they made a fascinating discovery. The dating of the mineral grains that were extracted from the sediments at the DTU-Aarhus Riso laboratory in Denmark revealed that the civilisation emerged after the river become extinct.

The study revealed that the river that originally flowed through the region was indeed River Sutlej that later changed its course to the north around 8000 years ago, over 3000 years before the Indus valley civilisation started to emerge.

The settlements, however, were able to access water as the depression left by the river left a topographic low that was able to capture monsoon water and operate as a seasonal river.

"We now know that, given the right conditions, valleys that have lost their rivers can still serve as a water source. The civilisation would also not have been threatened by the risk of devastating floods that living next to a big river brings," Professor Rajiv Sinha, of Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, was quoted saying in the report.

The findings, though at present limited only to the Indus valley civilisation, could well be an eyeopener that can prove many pre-conceived notions regarding civilisations to be wrong. Many historic civilisations could now come under the scrutiny regarding the role that great rivers and other natural sources played in their development.
Traditional thinking says, the closer a car is to a traffic light, the more likely that car will be to pass through the intersection before the light turns red again, however, this may not be true. Tailgating at a traffic light may not be as helpful to pass the traffic light, before it turns red again, as you think.

A research conducted by students of Virginia Tech Engineering showed that it does not matter how much space you keep between your car and the vehicle next to you, the chances of crossing the traffic light remain the same.

The researchers conducted experiments with a bunch of volunteer drivers and asked them to gradually increase space between the cars, initially from 1.25 feet to 50 feet and recorded the time taken to cross using drone camera.

Analysis showed that the time required for all cars to pass through remained relatively fixed, give or take about one second, for spacing distances up to 25 feet.

Drone footage revealed that cars take more time to accelerate when they stop closer together than when they stop farther apart. The researchers conceptualised this aspect of the Smart Road experiment as the latent heat of transitioning from a solid, or stopped, phase to a liquid, or moving, phase. Source: Virginia Tech

We varied the bumper-to-bumper spacing between cars by a factor of 20 and saw virtually no change in how much time it took for the cars to pass through the intersection when the light turned green, said Jonathan Boreyko, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics.

The results mean theres no point in getting closer to the car in front of you when traffic comes to a stop.

The inspiration to conduct the research came when Boreyko was sitting in a car on a traffic intersection and noticed that cars had to wait for the car in front of them to regain a safe spacing before they could start moving again. This led to a hypothesis, that, contrary to popular opinion it might actually be better for cars to stop farther apart from each other when idling at a traffic light.

He later teamed up with other students of the institute to investigate his hypotheses.

The research team, however, found that the same does not hold valid in case of human crowds. The closer people got to each other, the faster they could empty the line. We realised that people move very slowly, but can accelerate very quickly, which minimises the lag effect we saw with the cars at the traffic light, said Boreyko.

Jonathan Boreyko (left) and graduate student Farzad Ahmadi monitor pedestrian spacing as a line 'empties' at The Cube in Virginia Techs Moss Arts Center. The team found that people move slowly but accelerate quickly, meaning packing tightly in lines increases pedestrians chances of moving through faster. Source: Virginia Tech

When my father was teaching me how to drive, he told me that to prevent an accident, you should stop so you can easily see the rear bumper of the car in front of you at a traffic light, said Ahmadi, the lead writer of the research paper. Ive never done that until I analysed the data of this experiment.
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...
Community Life  as seen on social media
State officials announce $2.85M for new police station in Upper Moreland
November 30, 2017

North Korea: "The Missile Program Is Now Complete"

Last night the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched another nuclear capable missile. It was a new type never shown before. Its name is Hwasong-15 and it is a beauty.

The new missile is huge. Note Kim Jong Il in his black coat on the left. He is 5'7 or 1.70 meters. The transporter-erector vehicle with the missile must be nearly 20' or 6 meters high and the missile must have a diameter of 2+ meters.

The vehicle is a modified copy of a Chinese WS51200. North Korea once bought 5 or 6 of these to "haul lumber from the mountains". All were of course used as missile transporters. A ninth axle has been added to the original design to carry the additional load of the huge missile and its firing table. The vehicle is not a TEL, a transporter, erector and launcher, but a TE. The missile is erected and set vertical on the firing table. The vehicle is removed for the launch.

The first guestimates for the total weight of the missile currently vary between 45 and 60 metric tons. I believe it is a bit more. My thumb-rule says that a heavy military truck can haul 10 metric tons of cargo per axle. Nine axles times 10 minus the weight of the firing table and the erector system could leave some 70 tons for the missile. They did not add the ninth axle for nothing.

The missile looks like a Titan II missile shrunken by 30%. The Titan II was U.S. intercontinental nuclear missile developed in the 1960s. It is not the most modern concept but solid.

The new missile has two engines of unknown type in the first stage. These are fed their fuel by one common turbo-pump. The missile steers by moving its nozzles. The reentry vehicle (RV) in the front which carries the payload is also huge. North Korea can surely fit one of its peanut shaped hydrogen bombs inside of it.

North Korea claims that the vehicle and missile were completely locally build. It is possible that this true. North Korea also claims a maximum reach for the missile of 13,000 kilometer. That is likely the absolute maximum with no payload. With a significant payload of about 600 kilogram for a hydrogen bomb the missile might be able to reach the mid-west of the U.S. but likely not the east coast. But these are guestimates. For risk evaluation one needs to look at the worst case. One has to anticipate that this type, with maybe slight modifications, will have enough reach to flatten Manhattan.

The launch happened on 3:00 am local time after the missile was transported from the factory hall seen above (March 16th Factory, Pyongsong 3916'52.71"N 12552'12.89"E) to its launch place. North Korea thus demonstrated the capability for surprise launches independent of the "weather". (In military doctrine nighttime darkness is a "weather" condition.) The U.S. has no means to preempt a launch of such a missile as place and time of the launch are not discernible.

Some pictures of the launch are below. A 14 minute video of the official TV announcement of the launch shows additional details of the preparations and flight.

One hopes that it will have finally sunk in with U.S. decision makers that North Korea is a nuclear power. The U.S. has claimed for some 75 years that it needs nukes for its security. It is constantly threatening North Korea. It does not stick to its deals (just ask Ghaddafi). There is no way the the DPRK will give up on its nukes or its intercontinental missile force.

In its government statement the DPRK said that its missile development is now "complete":

.. it is the most powerful ICBM which meets the goal of the completion of the rocket weaponry system development set by the DPRK.

...

Kim Jong Un declared with pride that now we have finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power.

It has achieved its aim of holding the whole continental U.S. at risk of a nuclear attack should it try to attack (or decapitate) North Korea. This likely also means that it will not build any new types of missile. It will continue to develop the existing ones.

A good agreement between the U.S. and North Korea would stop such further development of missiles and nukes in exchange for the stop of U.S. maneuvers near the country. North Korea has made such a "double suspension" offer. It is for the U.S. to accept it. But with Tillerson leaving as Secretary of State and Pompeo taking over his job the chances for negotiations and any deal are currently next to zero.

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Tickets are available for Community Solutions annual playHistoria de Mi Madre XI: Un Mundo Raro (A Strange World)which will take place at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 2 inside the Gavilan College Theater (5055 Santa Teresa Blvd.) in Gilroy.

The bilingual play focuses on how topics of domestic violence, sexual assault, gender roles and LGBTQ were addressed from the 1950s to the present day, according to organizers.

We are very excited to present Un Mundo Raro (A Strange World) to the South County Community, said Perla Flores, author and director of the Historia de Mi Madre series. Through this play, we want to begin a multi-generational dialogue on healthy relationships, gender equality and respect.

The play follows the lives of characters Jorge, Lucha and Manuel, three elderly individuals living in a nursing home and reflecting on how issues of domestic violence, sexual assault, gender roles and LGBTQ were handled during their youth. Several members of the elderly community residing throughout Santa Clara County were interviewed for this production to ensure an adequate portrayal of their experiences as Latino men and women growing up during a time of deeply entrenched social norms and gender stereotypes, according to organizers.

Angelica Leon, a social worker for the elderly who has participated in nearly all of the Community Solutions plays over the years, will play the role of Lucha.

I am excited to be part of this production because I believe the arts are a great way to bridge the communications gap between the older and younger generations, Leon said. Luchas character reminds me of many of the elderly women I have worked withstrong, determined, sassyand, sadly, as in Luchas case, many of them have been victims of sexual assault or domestic violence. Sometimes both.

The play is intended for a mature audience. Due to mature content, the play may not be appropriate for children. There is a suggested $10 donation, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds, according to organizers.

Proceeds from the evening will support Community Solutions programs and services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking within the local community.

Its time to shed light on these critical social issues in a way thats educational and also entertaining, Leon added. I hope the community will come out and be part of this experience with us.

For domestic violence/sexual assault services, call Community Solutions free 24-hour bilingual crisis line at 1-877-363-7238.

Community Solutions offers a broad spectrum of services for mental health, substance abuse, family dysfunction, sexual assault, juvenile delinquency, domestic violence and youth development. Staff works in partnership with community-based organizations, law enforcement, local schools and county health and human service providers.

For more information on Community Solutions, visit communitysolutions.org or call (408) 842-7138.

What: Historia de Mi Madre XI: Un Mundo by Community Solutions

Where: Gavilan College Theater, 5055 Santa Teresa Blvd. in Gilroy

When: 6:30 p.m. Dec. 2

How: $10 suggested donation at door
Gavilan College President Kathleen Rose talked about new buildings and new programs for the 2017-2018 academic year at Gavilan College.

Q: Whats new and exciting this year at Gavilan?

A: Weve made a lot of upgrades to our facilities in the last couple of years. Weve made improvements to our student center, the business office and our administration building.

To get new students acclimated quickly this year, when students go to the Welcome Center, they were met with an open space with laptops, peer mentors and a welcome committee that was there to answer questions. When they asked a question about school, they were assisted as to where to go for financial aid, classes, counseling and everything else.

Instead of just standing in a line, you can be dispatched to where you need to go, or you can go online or access your myGav portal. We didnt have any lines and that was pretty amazing. Now at the Student Center students can get to where they need to go much quicker.

The Student Center also has brand new furniture that was purchased by the Associated Students of Gavilan College. Its very contemporary that can be reconfigured in some different ways. There are mobile whiteboards, with good wifi and numerous outlets for charging. Its a space where students can do work, eat their lunch and hang out with couches that are pretty easy to move around.

My office, the vice-presidents office, our assistants offices and parts of the Administration Office where students need to go is new. Its more open, wider and brighter. The public can come in and have meetings with us.

My door is always open and the space where my office and the vice-presidents office isnt a stuffy place but where you can come in, sit down and have a sandwich with me or chat. Its not a formal area.

Q: What are some of the new classes at Gavilan this year?

A: Our Coyote Valley Facility is all new. We have our Public Safety Training programs out there along with classes including yoga, which was very popular last year. Were offering more programs, especially in our Administration of Justice department. A lot of our students are interested in going to the fire or police academies so getting an Associate Degree from Gavilan is a great way to get started.

The San Martin Gavilan Airport Facility opened this year for the Aviation Technology Department. These programs include classes in Aviation Maintenance for both Airframe and Powerplant. Weve had some of the largest classes since we started the program.

Q: How many students are enrolled in AMD programs?

A: We have students up there that are your traditional college students up to students in their 50s, Rose said. Weve had a great partnership with American Airlines. They say they cant wait for our students to graduate so because theyd like to hire a lot of them. We have several aircraft out there that our students can take apart and put back together. One of the first things I had to do as president was to buy an airplane. It had an inaugural flight from Palo Alto to San Martin, then the students took it apart.

Q: How do you connect with the community?

A: During our opening week, I was very happy to have been accompanied by Gilroy Unified School District Superintendent Deborah Flores at our Gilroy campus. She was particularly excited to go into our Allied Health Building. She has never been in that building before and she was excited to see the beginning of Certified Nursing Assistant classes and our Registered Nursing classes.

Im working this year to engage the public to remind them of the jewel we have here at Gavilan College. I will continue hosting the Coffee and Conversation meetings on Saturdays with the public this year throughout the district this semester. We also offer classes that the public can take which includes work training courses. It has been a hallmark of mine to remind and reintroduce what Gavilan offers for the community. I also invite input as to what we should be adding to our school.

Q: Can you tell me more about what is happening at Coyote Valley?

A: The main thing we have there is our South Bay Regional Training Consortium, or, The Academy. There are nine colleges that are involved in that, but Gavilan is the host, so we are the main college. They offer fire and police training for the whole region. Gavilan also offers general education classes there like math and some social sciences classes.

We are also working to expand our Administration of Justice program. Gavilan offers 10 sections there this semester and so far we have about 150 of our students up there. Its only our second semester, so we hope to continue growing.

Q: Will Gavilan support any new bond issues in the near future?

A: The Gavilan Board of Trustees has moved forward a feasibility study for a new general obligation bond. That means that we are exploring if the communities that we serve will be willing to support a bond measure in November 2018.

Q: What is a general obligation bond?

A: A general obligation bond is when members of the community agree to have a portion of their tax dollars based on their property, allocated to the community college. The last general obligation bond was back in 2004 which was for $108 million.

Q: How much money does Gavilan want to raise in 2018?

A: We have not yet determined the valuation of property in the community, so we are not yet sure what we can ask for. There are a lot of different projects we would like to look going forward. We have over 50 acres at Coyote Valley and about 77 acres at Fairview Corners in Hollister.

Q: How was the money from the last bond measure spent?

A: You can go on our website to find our Citizens Oversight Committee report. Mainly those dollars went to purchase land in San Benito County and at Coyote Valley. The money also went to a lot of projects at our Gilroy campus which included water towers, electrical work, better wireless internet and other upgrades to our buildings. We have also set up the groundwork for the next phase of projects, which will begin now.

We need to be ready to accommodate the growth that is happening in our area and our educational master plan has been designed to meet those demands. There will be a lot more college aged students coming in the next few decades and we want to make sure we can serve that community.
More than 400 revelers enjoyed cultural dances, stage performances and authentic cuisine at the Indian Association of South Countys celebration of Diwali Nov. 18.

The associations 23rd annual celebration of the Indian holiday took place at Oakwood School in south Morgan Hill. IASC President Poonam Chabra said the 450 people in attendance was a record-breaking crowd.

Among the attendees were special guests Ranu Sinha, an award winning filmmaker, writer and director, and Morgan Hill City Councilman Rene Spring.

In her comments to the audience, Sinha addressed the youth.

Let no one else stop you, but be yourself, Sinha said. Do other things in life that make you happy. Its not just about becoming doctors or engineers, but support your community and those who are less fortunate.

Spring noted that the City of Morgan Hill has actively strived to embrace and celebrate its cultural diversity in recent years, and the Nov. 18 Diwali celebration is an example.

Chabra listed the increasing involvement of IASC within the broader South County community in recent years, with an annual Indian Independence Day flag ceremony and other events. But she said they can do more, and implored IASC members to help the association implement more programs such as a senior resources fair, a youth skills development program and a community focused social media site.

Diwali is celebrated in October in India and among Indian-Americans. The IASC held its annual celebration about a month later due to the timing of acquiring a large enough venue.

The holiday is Indias biggest and most important holiday of the year. The festival acquired its name from rows of clay lamps that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects them from spiritual darkness.

The IASC represents more than 400 families in Morgan Hill, Gilroy, San Martin, Hollister and south San Jose. Their website is iascinfo.com.
The Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office charged Morgan Hill City Councilman Larry Carr with misdemeanor domestic violence following a Nov. 25 incident at the home he shares with his girlfriend.

Morgan Hill Police reported they responded to Carrs home in the citys downtown 6:20pm Nov. 25 in response to a call from his partner. The woman told a dispatcher on the phone that Carr, 48, threatened her, pulled her hair and broke her glasses, according to police reports.

Carr was arrested at the home, according to police.

Morgan Hill Police Sgt. Troy Hoefling confirmed the arrest on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic battery, and referred further questions to the D.A.s office.

Prosecutors filed one count of misdemeanor battery on a cohabitant against Carr, South County Deputy Supervising D.A. Vishal Bathija said Nov. 29. Carrs next court date, scheduled for an arraignment, is Jan. 26, 2018.

Bathija added that Carr was released on $10,000 bail shortly after his Nov. 25 arrest.

A lifelong Morgan Hill resident, Carr was re-elected to his fifth and current term as a city councilman in November 2016. For 2017, the council has also assigned him the title of Mayor Pro Tem.

Before joining the council, Carr was an elected Morgan Hill Unified School District trustee. He has a teenage son and daughter.

In response to the questions from the Times regarding the Nov. 25 incident, Carr declined to address the specific accusations because he had not seen the D.A.s complaint or evidence against him.

But Carr said he is terribly sorry for placing himself and his family in the situation, and said he is not a violent person.

I realize I am not perfectfar from it, Carr said. I know I have let a lot of people down, most notably my partner, a person I care deeply about, (and) my family and many people in Morgan Hill who trust in meI dont act out in a violent way. Violence does not exist in my home.

The California Penal Code section in which Carr is charged states the maximum punishment for misdemeanor battery on a cohabitant is a $2,000 fine and/or one year in county jail.

Authorities declined to comment on any potential injuries to the victim in Carrs case. But the penal code notes that a charge of battery does not require physical injury.
A Patton High School students senior project is going to the dogs. Literally.

Hunter Butler has a passion to make others in his life happy and he found a way to do that with his senior project this year.

He has organized, with the help of multiple other local agencies, a Christmas party for dogs called the Christmas sPAWtacular. The event is set for Saturday from 1-2 p.m. at Catawba Meadows Pavilion Area in Morganton.

We are going to have three different types of costume contests for the participants who come, Butler said.

The costume categories include Santas Helper ( or elves), Santa or Mrs. Claus and owner and pet look-alikes.

We will also have an obstacle course set up which will be in a fenced in area where we will hide a treat and then each dog can go through to try and find it in the best time, Butler said. It is not competitive  just for fun.

The top three or four dogs in each contest will be given a dog toy or treat. Tractor Supply in Morganton is donating dog treats and toys, he said.

Butler initially wanted to have a dog wash day as his fundraiser, but time limits and the cold weather cancelled those plans.

He was connected with Megan Sacchetti, a woman who helped organize a dog show at Liberty Middle School, and she helped him create the Christmas sPAWtacular.

All proceeds from the event will go to the Morganton Animal Clinic to help seniors in need pay for veterinary bills.

We are not just benefiting dogs, but also their owners, he said. I just really like to see people happy. (Making) sure other people are well off is a goal of mine.

Butler shared how he lost his mother when he was 11-years-old to cervical cancer and how that has inspired him to make sure that others are able to provide in different ways including taking care of their pets.

"After losing my mom, I found a way to escape my sadness and anger through spending time with my dog that our family had at the time and I have had a connection with dogs ever since," Butler said.

Butler has been sponsored by Fonta Flora Brewery to help make the event possible and received many donations from other local businesses and community members. He also is partnering with the Morganton Humanist Alliance, a local nonprofit, which is helping him with the project.

Even after my senior project I would like to try to hold (another) event in the future or continue to work with the Morganton Humanist Alliance to help this cause, Butler said.

All dogs attending the party must stay on leashes and it is asked that no aggressive dogs be brought.

For more information about the event , visit Christmas SpawTacular Party on Facebook.

Staff Writer Jonelle Bobak can be reached at jbobak@morganton.com or 828-432-8907.
A Catawba man was given an active prison term of six to nine years following his conviction of multiple criminal offenses and admission of his habitual felon status during Catawba County Superior Court on Monday.

Shane Lee Huffman, 39, was given his prison sentence by Superior Court Judge Andrew T. Heath from Wake County, after pleading guilty to common law robbery, second-degree kidnapping, larceny of a motor vehicle, assault on a female and flee/elude arrest with a motor vehicle.

He will serve his sentence in custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections.

Huffmans prison term was enhanced by prior felony convictions for larceny (January 2000), larceny after breaking/entering (August 2006) and larceny of a motor vehicle (October 2013). All those convictions were in Catawba County.

In July 2016, the defendant was in a vehicle with two other subjects when an argument broke out. One of the occupants got out of the vehicle when he was threatened by Huffman, who drove away with the car with the other subject still in it. When the car stopped, the second subject managed to get away.

In April 2015, Huffman grabbed a female victim and dragged her to a vehicle that he then took. The vehicle belonged to the female the defendant assaulted. On the same day, deputies attempted to stop the vehicle driven by Huffman, who attempted to elude the stop, traveling at speeds in excess of 75 mph before being apprehended.

The cases were investigated by Dustin Ladd, Maxwell Priest and Tyler Hefner of the Catawba County Sheriffs Office, and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Melanie Earles.
A Hickory woman had more time tacked on her to her active sentence after being found guilty of drug offenses.

Marijo Rudisill, 49, of Hickory, will spend at least an additional 14 years in prison after being found guilty of drug offenses by a Catawba County jury, then pleading guilty to other drug-related charges and admitting her status as a habitual felon.

Rudisill was found guilty by a Catawba County jury of selling methamphetamine and possession with intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine. After the jury returned the guilty verdict, Rudisill then pleaded guilty to another set of the same charges during Catawba County Superior Court on Tuesday.

Superior Court Judge Andrew T. Heath from Wake County sentenced Rudisill to serve an active sentence of 14 to 19 years in custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections. She will serve that term at the end of the current sentence of six to eight years she is serving for a conviction of possession of a stolen motor vehicle and habitual felon status in Burke County in July 2017.

The defendants sentence for her Catawba County offenses was enhanced by prior felony convictions for possession of a Schedule VI Controlled Substance (May 2003) and uttering a forged instrument (August 2005) in Burke County, and larceny of a firearm (January 2011) in Catawba County.

Rudisill has 50 prior misdemeanor convictions, six prior DWIs and 22 prior felony convictions. She is expected to remain in prison until sometime between 2037 and 2044.

Rudisills drug charges in Catawba County both came as a result of undercover buys made by officers with the Catawba County Sheriffs Office on Sept. 18, 2015, and Sept. 28, 2015, at two different locations in the county.

Sgt. Dennis Smith investigated the cases for the Catawba County Sheriffs Office. Assistant District Attorneys Sean Baetjer and Lance Sigmon handled prosecution for the State.
Investors in Asia-Pacific ex-Japan equities have been well rewarded during 2017 with a gain of just over 32% for the index. The region has outperformed compares favourably to global equity markets, with the MSCI AC World Index showing growth of 19.7%.

Looking more deeply into the Asia Pacific excluding Japan Index returns shows a significant part of the growth  more than a third  being derived from just one sector, information technology. Taking this a stage further to the stock level again shows significant concentration of returns.

Four stocks are responsible for 9.2 percentage points of the 13.3% performance shown by the sector: those being Tencent, Alibaba, Samsung Electronics and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. All of these names have performed strongly, and all were within the top five largest index constituents at the start of 2017. With the largest index holdings performing so well, it should come as no surprise that the average active manager underperformed the benchmark in 2017.

Looking forward, the region remains attractive from a relative growth perspective, with GDP estimates running ahead of developed markets, and the consensus view with regard to the key market of China appearing to be more widely held and showing only a small reduction in the rate of growth.

In the short to medium term there is likely to be some differentiation between countries in terms of monetary policy as the easing cycle unwinds and there are also elections due in a number of countries. All of this should provide opportunities for talented active managers.

Top Performing Funds

The top performers over the past three years include funds with a variety of different investment styles.

The Invesco Perpetual Asian fund has a strong track record versus peers and the benchmark, but it has seen a change of lead manager. William Lam took over in May 2017 having been co-manager since 2015, working alongside the team head and long-term manager of the fund Stuart Parks. Despite the manager change the overall approach of the fund remains intact, with Lam still conducting the stock research and drawing on other members of the team.

This includes Parks who is still able to provide top down views which may guide the stock research effort. Company research focuses on quality growth stocks, but there is a greater awareness of valuations compared to some peers and this can be evident at the total portfolio level where a slight value bias can sometimes be seen. The fund holds a Morningstar Analyst Rating of Bronze.

Veritas Asian has a Morningstar Analyst Rating of Silver and is managed by the highly experienced Ezra Sun. He joined the group in 2004 having previously worked with its founders at Newton. He is supported by a team of three analysts based in Hong Kong and all have worked together for a number of years. Sun looks to identify long-term themes and the companies that reflect these form the core of the fund. Shorter-term ideas make up the rest of the portfolio and reflect cyclical opportunities or more stock-specific special situations. Although the long-term focus can result in shorter-term periods of relative weakness, investors have been well-rewarded over the longer term.

Largest Funds

The largest funds in the sector include a number with strong performance track records.

Stewart Investors Asia Pacific Leaders has seen its share of change over recent years, but the investment philosophy remains unaltered and the broad portfolio biases and relative performance patterns are expected to continue. Since July 2016 the fund has been managed by David Gait who is an experienced investor in the region and has produced a long and successful track record on his all-cap Asia mandate.

This fund has a larger-cap bias and therefore includes some names Gait wouldnt have held in the past, however his focus on sustainable growth stocks with strong management remains in place and the portfolio has clear biases to areas such as consumer staples. More recently markets have not favoured the approach, but long-term returns from the strategy are strong and the fund holds a Morningstar Analyst Rating of Silver.

A Morningstar Analyst Rating of Gold is held by the Schroder ISF Asian Total Return fund. It is managed with a benchmark-unconstrained approach that looks to invest in high return on capital stocks for their upside potential, but also shorts less attractive names. Index shorts may also be taken to protect the fund in weak market conditions. The fund is managed by the highly experienced team of King Fuei Lee and Robin Parbrook. They have worked together for over 15 years and are supported by a very well-resourced team of over 30 individuals. Returns relative to the index have been strong over time.

A version of this article appeared in International Adviser magazine
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Home Capital Group Inc. said earlier this week that it has received a draft statement of claim from a partnership managed by West Face Capital Inc. containing allegations of misrepresentation.The alternative mortgage lender said the draft, which has not yet been filed in court, is claiming damages of $70 million.The company believes it has valid defences and, if West Face commences the claim, the company intends to fully defend its conduct, as well as to investigate the conduct of the various short sellers and the propriety of their actions whether acting alone or in concert with others, Home Capital said in a statement, as quoted by The Canadian Press.The company said the claim was prepared on behalf of West Face Long Term Opportunities Global Master LP, a Caymans Island limited partnership which opted out of a global settlement in connection with a class-action lawsuit earlier this year.Read more: New loans volume at Home Capital declines further In June, Home Capital agreed to pay $30.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit and a matter before the Ontario Securities Commission concerning allegations of misleading disclosure.Raymond James analyst Brenna Phelan noted that Home Capital currently trades at a discount to its closest peer, Equitable Bank.While the penalty itself is manageable, we believe this statement, as well as any future court case, will serve as a reminder of skeletons in the closet, Phelan wrote regarding the potential lawsuit from West Face.Home Capital said the West Face claim describes building a significant short position in Home Capital in the spring and summer of 2013 before covering its short position between the fall of 2013 and the spring of 2015.West Face said it covered its short position during a period in which it now believes that market prices of Home Capital shares were inflated due to incomplete public disclosures.West Face acted alone in its short position and did not act in concert with any other short sellers, the Toronto-based investment manager said in a statement.The firm said it has not traded Home Capital shares since April 2015.
The Canadian economys most significant vulnerabilities remain to be inflamed housing prices and unprecedented household debt levels, according to the latest report from the Bank of Canada.This is despite several signs that financial risks have begun to ease, the Banks study noted.Better economic conditions and several new policy measures support prospects for additional progress, BoC noted in the report, as quoted by the Financial Post.Our financial system continues to be resilient, and is being bolstered by stronger growth and job creation, but we need to continue to watch financial vulnerabilities closely, Governor Stephen Poloz said in a written statement released alongside the Banks November Financial System Review.Read more: Why B20 is a blessing, not a curse Canadas economy saw the fastest growth rate among G7 countries with its 4% growth in the first half of 2017. The surge was driven in part by some fiscal stimulus measures introduced by Ottawa, along with higher business investment, improved exports, and consumption spending. However, this trend is expected to wind down by the end of the year and through to 2019.Meanwhile, the rate of borrowing has increased by around 5% per cent compared to a year ago, significantly outstripping wage growth. Household debt levels have ballooned in response to outsized growth of real estate prices, especially in markets like Vancouver and Toronto.However, the BoC report noted that recent developments might suggest that policy changes like mortgage stress tests have started to reduce Canadas financial risks. The bank said that the tightened rules introduced by the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) will restrict as much as 10% of prospective Canadian homebuyers, representing approximately $15 billion in loans every year.The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) agreed with the assessments in its November economic outlook, which warned that the red-hot housing market and burgeoning household debt levels remain key risks to the economy.The OECD added that the impact of Vancouvers foreign buyers tax has diminished, suggesting that Torontos tax could have a similarly limited effect on prices.Provincial government measures have also temporarily slowed house price growth, but some  notably Ontarios expanded rent controls  risk discouraging the supply of new housing. Macro-prudential policies will need to be tightened further if rapid increases in house prices and debt resume.
In a male-dominated industry, advancement can be difficult for the growing ranks of female agents, brokers and lenders, but one woman who broke through is endeavouring to change that.Vancouver-based Kyra Wong, Manulife Financials district vice president, has started The Magical Unicorn Project in a bid to change the corporate landscape for women by reversing the persistent trend of underrepresentation in senior roles.Through The Magical Unicorn Project, women leaders will emergeand as Wong told Mortgagebrokernews.ca, shes far from the only one in the mortgage industry. Citing this years Mortgage Professionals Canada conference in Niagara Falls, Wong noticed only Hali Strandlund-Noble among the past chairs who were honoured.You notice it the most when you go to conferences, said Wong. At Manulife, they are sensitive to it. They do a better job of raising awareness about it. If youre a woman and a minority, statistically the odds are even more stacked against you in a profound way. I was having a lot of conversations during the conference. Some will say that this is a problem that needs changing, but then youll hear, There arent any women who apply for senior roles, or There arent women who have the experience for these senior roles.Having said that, Wong noted that there are many men trying to help women break through the glass ceiling in the mortgage industry, like Boris Bozic of Merix Financial . She also lauded MCAP s likeminded approach, noting Elaine Taylor and Megan McDonald have ascended the ranks and excelled at their jobs.I have received tons of support from men along the way, and I wouldnt be where I am today without them, said Wong, but I work very hard. There are really wonderful, great men out there in the industry at large who are super supportive of women and helping us advance. We just need more of them and to get them to recognize that women have a lot to give.Wong mentioned the emotional glass ceiling, which is the set of limitations that women sometimes place upon themselves.I want to help women recognize their glass ceilings and be real with them, she said. We can smash through glass ceilings. Ive had them myself and Ive smashed through them, and other women can do the same, but they need to be in supportive environments.The Magical Unicorn Project launches through WIMI on January 1st, 2018.
Rising rents are making renting less and less affordable, while mortgage payments are accounting for a smaller share of income than they have historically, according to new data.Currently, the median US rental eats up 29.1% of the median monthly income, according to a new study by Zillow. Thats a sharp increase from the years before the housing collapse, when renters spend an average of 25.8% of their income on housing. According to Zillow, renters are spending an average of $1,957 more on rent in 2017 than they did before the crash.Homeowners, on the other hand, are spending less of their income on house payments than they did before the crash  an average of about $3,300 per year less. Mortgage payments in the third quarter of 2017 took up about 15.4% of the median income, down from 21% previously.Rent affordability is even worse in expensive markets. In San Jose, renters are spending an average of close to 39% of their rents on income  about $13,525 more this year that the historic level of 26%, Zillow found. Renters in San Francisco are spending an average of $11,236 more this year than they would have if rents had remained proportional to income.In most markets, current renters are at a disadvantage compared to years past because paying the rent takes up a much larger share of their income than it did before, said Dr. Svenja Gudell, Zillows chief economist. For many people, that can mean less cash to put toward paying off student debt, building an emergency fund, or saving for retirement. For those hoping to buy a home, it could be a significant part of their down payment. For parents, it could mean additional childcare or a family vacation. This is another example of how much worse rent affordability has gotten.
What do you actually do?

It is the duty of the District Attorney to represent the State of Texas in all criminal cases in the district court and any appeals therefrom. Most District Attorneys Offices only handle felony cases. Midland is unique in that the legislature has permitted for the Midland County District Attorneys Office to also handle misdemeanor and juvenile cases in addition to the felony cases. While I still maintain an active trial docket, I cannot be in all 5 District Courts and 2 County Courts at the same time. Therefore, I am permitted to appoint assistants to appear on behalf of the State. My job is to ensure that the twenty-two prosecuting attorneys seek justice in all cases and not merely convictions.

The Investigation Division, the Protective Order Division, the Hot Check Division, and the Pretrial Intervention Program also fall under the supervision of the District Attorney. The twenty-six members of these divisions work closely with prosecutors and the community to achieve our goal of seeking justice. Additionally, I routinely work with law enforcement by answering questions or assisting anyway that I can during the course of an investigation.

Years in your current job?

I was sworn in as the District Attorney in January of 2017. I began my employment with the Midland County District Attorneys Office in 2003 and have served as a misdemeanor and felony prosecutor and the First Assistant District Attorney for Trial and Administration

Years living/working in Midland?

14 years

Education:

I graduated from S.H. Rider High School in Wichita Falls, Tx, in 1997, Schreiner

College in 2000 and Texas Tech School of Law in 2003.

Family:

I have been married to my husband Kurtis for 17 years and have 9 year old twins, Addie and Cooper.

What sets you apart from other professionals in your industry/field?

The District Attorney has a very different set of clients than most attorneys. The clients I represent are the citizens of Midland County and the State of Texas. Every District Attorney I know takes this responsibility seriously. However, many District Attorneys across the State simply want to maintain the status quo, ignore trends in criminal justice, and be reactionary when legislative changes are enacted.

As the District Attorney, I believe I have the duty to examine trends in criminal justice and to attempt to be as proactive as possible Examining trends in criminal justice is similar to examining the business process of any company. Company leaders in the private sector have to be willing to proactive look at their business process to determine if the business is running as efficiently and effectively as possible based on industry trends. The same applies to criminal justice trends and how they affect the District Attorneys Office. For instance, lets say the trend shows that Texas is in the process of closing prisons. It would be a disservice to this community for me to wait for the prison to close and offenders released back to Midland. Instead, I need to proactively figure out what to do with offenders to make sure our community is safe.

The examples of changing trends in criminal justice are endless. However, as the District Attorney, the mantra of thats how we have always done things is not always what is in the best interest of the community. I am fortunate to have had a mentor who did not accept that moto. I believe it takes a collaborative effort between law enforcement, community supervision departments, judicial partners and the community to evaluate trends and make adjustments as needed and to plan for the future. By taking this approach, Midland has the opportunity to be the safest community in Texas.

What goals have you set for the next five to 10 years?

As the elected District Attorney, I hope that I maintain the trust and support of the citizens of Midland for years to come. I sincerely believe that Midland has the opportunity to be at the forefront of the criminal justice system. To accomplish this, I believe we need to have an ongoing conversation about criminal justice. I look forward to working with law enforcement, the judiciary, the community and the legislature to make this happen.

At the end of the day, justice is a community wide effort and the District Attorneys Office is proud and eager to serve that effort as effectively and efficiently as possible We aim to see that non-violent offenders have a path to personal responsibility, seek restoration and healing for crime victims, and will do all that we can to see that we reserve ample resources to ensure those who truly endanger our city are off the streets.

What is your biggest accomplishment?

My biggest accomplishment is being elected by the citizens of Midland to serve as the District Attorney for Midland County. Campaigning for public office is a humbling and time consuming process. However, it is truly an honor to serve in this position and I hope to do so for many years.

How are you involved in the community? Describe your volunteerism and charitable involvement.

I am a member of First United Methodist Church and have been involved with many different functions including the Ladies Luncheon, One Night in Bethlehem and the Altar Flower Delivery Ministry. Additionally, I am completing my seventh active year as a member of The Junior League of Midland, Inc. where I have served as a chairman for Suits with Skills, Board Member at Large, Public Relations Vice President and then president, and Community Vice President. I also volunteer with Midland Teen Court and PTA programs at Carver Center and Washington STEM Academy. Further, I routinely give presentations to organization on a variety of criminal justice topics.

What are you most passionate about?

I am the most passionate about making Midland the absolute safest place in Texas. Midland is where my husband and I have chosen to live. Midland is where we have chosen to raise our family. Midland is home. I wish that we could go back to a time when it was normal for kids to ride their bikes around neighborhoods and play outdoors all day long without parents worrying. Unfortunately, that is not the normal these days. In light of that, I want to do absolutely everything that I can to reduce crime, create community involvement, trust in law enforcement, and an efficient and effective judicial process to keep our streets and families safe.
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A Michigan Tech Marine Corps veteran explains why the proposed plan could spell disaster.

Honor. Courage. Commitment. Theyre the core values of a Marine, the values Jeff Brookins lived by during his years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and the values he continues to live by today.

Brookins is pursuing a master of science within the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. His research group focuses on biodegradable metals for medical devices that could save lives, like cardiovascular stents that open up blocked arteries and safely absorb into the body once their work is done.

Because Brookins is a veteran, his undergraduate degreeearned at Michigan Technological Universitywas paid for by the GI Bill, but his graduate degree is funded differently.

My groups research is primarily funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As a research assistant, theres a small monthly stipend, and tuition is paid for under an educational allotment.

Michigan Tech's Graduate Student Government participated in a nationwide walkout on Nov. 29 to support higher education and show how vital graduate students are to society.

When a graduate student works as a research assistant, the University covers the cost of the students tuition and that money is not counted as taxable income; in exchange, the student performs research relevant to their work. Under the new Republican-backed tax plan thats making its way through Congress, tuition waivers would be taxed as regular income and put graduate school out of reach for many, if not most, graduate students on Michigan Techs campus.

Were an easy target, Brookins says. The general thought is that graduate students are young people in their 20s who spend all day in a lab and arent going to mount a protest or campaign. Were an easy group to pick on. Unfortunately, its like closing down a library; everyone can see that something is being done but, at the end of the day, it doesnt save much money in the budget.

Brookins partner, Jennifer Dunn, is also a graduate student. Shes earning her PhD through Michigan Techs Department of Social Sciences, and is funded through the National Science Foundation (NSF). If the proposed tax bill becomes law, it will hit their household doubly hard.

Dunn says the tax bill discourages students from pursuing a graduate level education and devalues it. By enacting this bill, higher education institutions are likely to see a decrease in graduate enrollment and consequently tuition dollars, an impact that these institutions cant afford when they are already experiencing budgetary cuts from the state and federal governments.

Brookins has voiced his concerns about funding for education before. Earlier this year, he traveled with his department to Washington, D.C., to speak with federal lawmakers about preserving the budgets for NIH and NSF.

I have friends on NSF grantstheyre here solely because of that funding. If their tax burden increases, theyll be out of options. Theres a lot of good work taking place on this campus that would be halted by this bill."

It brings back to mind the values Brookins has lived by for most of his adult life.

Honor. Courage. Commitment. If Congress lived by those values, he says, we wouldnt be having this conversation.

GI Bill is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigans flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
As homeless advocates launch an initiative to house a substantial number of chronically homeless individuals, theyre up against a bigger problem: An affordable housing crisis in Central Florida.

Welcome Home project trying to house 129 homeless people

Non-profit says they need "hero landlords" to step up

Homeless folks also need help with moving costs

Weve got the money, weve got the services. We just dont have the units," said Martha Are. Theres a big difference between having the stock and having it affordable and accessible.

Are, the executive director of the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, said that it's frustrating.

The non-profit, local leaders and community partners launched their Welcome Home project, assigning case managers and securing millions in subsides from the federal government to house 129 homeless people by March.

But they need hero landlords to step up and open their doors.

I think theres some fears, stereotypes and people are afraid this is a greater risk," she said. Theyre absolutely worthy of being home, like you or I are."

Staying out in the streets is the worst thing. People will look at you like, youre not a human. Its just real hard," Timothy said, tears welling in his eyes.

For the last five years, Timothy was homeless.

An injury and subsequent surgeries left him unable to do the only job he knew how to do, construction. He had no degree and no training. He said interviews took him nowhere.

Id go for an interview, and theyd tell me you dont have the experience or criteria that meets," he recalled.

Never wanting to burden his family, he slept in the streets, in abandoned buildings and even in his car.

Eventually, Timothy linked up with homeless advocates and began staying at the Coalition for the Homeless. After applying for housing, a case worker at Pathway Homes of Florida shared the good news.

He was like, youre in, you got into the housing," he said, smiling.

In October, Timothy moved into a small apartment on Walden Circle, tucked away off I-4 south west of Orlando.

The hardest part was finding an apartment, places that would accept it, take the housing vouchers," he explained.

Now, as he goes to school for computer programming at Seminole State College and works his part-time job, he hopes landlords open up their hearts and afford others the same opportunity in which he received: a place to call home.

Its a place where I can (come) home, after school, work. I have a piece of mind, dont have to worry about where am I going to sleep," he said. The landlords gotta give these people opportunities. Everybody has a past, you cant fault them for that."

The Homeless Services Network said that their biggest demand is for one bedrooms and efficiencies.

In addition to assistance from landlords, they need help with moving costs. The non-profit said that at rethinkhomelessness.org, you can donate to support moving individuals into units.
The 12-year-old girl who was the subject of a missing child alert and the teenager she was thought to be with have both been found.

Missing girl, teenager found safe in Orange County

Investigators said Naomy Ojeda may have been with boy, 14

Statewide missing child alert canceled Thursday

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a missing child alert for Naomy Ojeda on Wednesday. It has been canceled.

On Thursday morning, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said both teens have been located in Orange County and were safe in custody.

No further details were released.

Ojeda had last been seen leaving a friends apartment at the Park Apartments on Far View Circle. The Sheriffs Office said she went to school that day and never came back home.

Detectives think Ojeda went missing with Peter Kucker, 14. Kucker was reported missing by his mother Tuesday.

More details will be released as they become available.
William Carroll/Plainview Herald

Tuesday marked the second year that the Plainview Area Endowment has participated in the worldwide #GivingTuesday event as PAE board members and affiliated organizations donated their time to man booths at United Supermarket on Olton Road and Amigos United Supermarket at 2403 N. Columbia from noon to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

According to the PAE, over $26,000 was raised last year for various groups in and around Plainview. The endowment, which was founded in 2010 and is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of West Texas, has as its motto to provide a base of continued financial support to community organizations and encourage a legacy of charitable giving. Its goal is to create stability and sustainability for the community as economic and demographic landscapes continue to change. Grants from the endowment are awarded from funds based on the interest of the donor or through an open competitive process that is responsible to the changing needs of the Plainview area.
MERIDEN  Around the turn of the 20th century, The Handel Company of Meriden produced lamps renowned for the pristine quality of their glass shades. Today, the hand-painted glass lamps sell for thousands of dollars and are on display at multiple museums.

Founded in 1884 by Philip Julius P.J. Handel and his partner, Adolph Eydam, the factory stood at 381 E. Main St. until the company closed in 1941.

Handel sold handmade table and floor lamps with shades made from mostly glass, but also parchment and silk. The company also made electric fixtures for large institutions, including banks, schools, libraries, churches, and office buildings. Most notably, the company made fixtures for the Elks Lodge in Meriden and State Office Building on Capitol Avenue in Hartford.

Handels glass shades are known for their hand-painted scenes of landscapes, flowers, and other earthy scenes. The designs were painted on the inside of the glass, often backwards and even sometimes upside down for added dimensions. The shades would then be fired in a kiln at 800 degrees to cause the colors to fuse into the glass and become permanent and unfading.

At the companys peak, it employed about 20 artists and averaged 25,000 pieces annually.

Prior to the Great Depression, The Handel Company was considered one of Meridens most prosperous industries. Its products were sold from coast to coast in the United States, and its reach expanded into Canada and other countries.

Meriden was once considered by some the lamp capital of the world with Bradley & Hubbard, the Miller Co., and Charles Parker Co. also manufacturing in the town.

The average price for a Handel lamp in the 1930s was between $40 and $80. Handel lamps were carried by prestigious department stores, including Tiffany & Co. in New York City.

Now the lamps are sold at auction and online, sometimes going for thousands of dollars. Sobethys, one of the worlds largest international auction houses, sold a landscape Handel lamp for $8,750 in the mid 2000s.

The lamps are also part of art collections in museums, including the Brooklyn Museum, Corning Museum of Glass, and Virginia Museum of Fine Art.

P.J. Handel founded the company when he was 19 years old and bought out his partner 10 years later, in 1893. Handel served as president and treasurer until he died in 1914, at 48. His widow Fannie succeeded him, while his cousin, William Handel, joined the company, first as general manager before becoming vice president.

The company prospered until the mid-1930s, when the Great Depression made it hard for consumers to spend money on luxury items. The Handel Company closed and sold its equipment and furnishings in a public auction in 1936, and officially dissolved as a company in 1941.

In 1963, the Meriden Auction Rooms took over the building and now the space is occupied by a Stop & Shop Supermarket.

bwright@record-journal.com

203-317-2316

Twitter: @baileyfaywright
Credit: Architect of the Capitol(SYRACUSE, N.Y.) -- A Syracuse man has been charged with threatening to kill a U.S. congressman in an ominous call to the offices of Republican Rep. John Katko in upstate New York.



"Listen, Mr. Katko ... If you dont support net neutrality, I will find you and your family and I will kill . . . you . . . all. Do you understand?" Patrick Angelo, 28, allegedly said in a voicemail left at Katko's office last month, according to a criminal complaint against him. "I will literally find all of you and your progeny and just wipe you from the face of the earth."



"Net neutrality is literally the basis of the new... free... society. So if you don't support it, I am willing to lay down my li--" he continued, before the recording was cut off.



Although he at first denied making the calls, the FBI says Angelo later admitted that he contacted the lawmaker because, according to the complaint, he was "upset" about the potential repeal of net neutrality rules, enacted under President Obama, that prohibit internet service providers like Comcast, AT&T and Verizon from slowing or blocking certain websites while prioritizing sites that pay for fast lanes.



If convicted, Angelo faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the Justice Department. An attorney from the public defender's office told ABC News Mr. Angelo declined comment.



Katko's staff reported the voicemail to U.S. Capitol Police, who increased the lawmaker's security inside the beltway, the Justice Department said. FBI agents also notified the New York State Police and local law enforcement, who protect Katko's events in his home district, according to court documents.



"The Congressman and his family appreciate the diligent work of our local, state and federal law enforcement in monitoring these threats and taking appropriate action," Katko's communications director said in a statement.



"I condemn in the strongest possible terms any attempts to intimidate government officials with violent threats, and in particular, efforts to target their families," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement, adding that he, too, has been harassed over his efforts to repeal a 2015 net neutrality rule.



A former Verizon attorney, Pai has called net neutrality regulations "heavy-handed" and says repeal could allow internet providers to raise the funds to meet consumer demand for faster, cheaper internet.



But critics of a repeal say it could hamper equal access to all content on the internet while clearing the way for internet service companies to charge users more to see certain content and to curb access to some websites.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
MERIDEN  A former longtime principal at Thomas Hooker School will be remembered for dedicating much of his life to teaching children in the community and giving back through various civic and church organizations.

Thomas Hall, 82, of Cheshire, died on Nov. 22.

Born in Brockton, Massachusetts, in 1935, Hall attended Boston University, Bridgewater State College, and the University of Hartford before starting a 34-year career in education at Meriden Public Schools. Hall taught elementary and middle school before becoming principal of Thomas Hooker School, a position he held for 23 years until his retirement in 1992.

I think of my profession  which I think is the most honorable profession in the world  as an extension of my whole commitment to life, Hall told the Record-Journal in 1992.

Halls son, Mark, recalled being a student at Thomas Hooker while his father was principal and being held to a higher standard along with his siblings. His father never hesitated to pull his brother out of the lunch line or put an end to hallway shenanigans with a stern look. At his fathers wake, Mark Hall said a former student shared that Hall had taught him the importance of learning and respect, which was key to his success later in life.

For his children, Halls lessons extended outside the classroom.

Everything he did, there was a lesson involved, Mark Hall said. He was always teaching us. There were always reasons behind all of his decisions that made a lot of sense and were practical.

Halls wife of 52 years, Margaret Hall, said the call to service was ingrained in her husband, who also volunteered with a variety of church and civic organizations, including the Meriden Kiwanis Club and the Meriden Record-Journal Scholarship Programs selection committee.

He was a giving guy, Margaret Hall said. He liked to be active and he liked to feel he was contributing toward his community and he did all the year.

Mayor Kevin Scarpati gave his condolences to Halls family, saying an educators impact on children in the community is immeasurable.

Anybody who dedicates a great deal of time in their life to our youth, our education, is certainly someone who has given back time and time again to our community and will be missed, Scarpati said. Meriden has lost an educator who gave so much to this community and that shouldn't be forgotten.

Halls family will be looking to establish a scholarship in his name to benefit a Meriden student.

ltauss@record-journal.com

203-317-2231

Twitter: @LeighTaussRJ
SOUTHINGTON  A Glastonbury man faces charges after police say he broke a window at a downtown bar while he was intoxicated.

Finn Gordon, 21, of 17 Stony Brook Dr., Glastonbury, was charged last week with second-degree breach of peace, second-degree criminal mischief and interfering with an officer. He was released on $5,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Bristol Superior Court on Monday.

On Nov. 23 about 1 a.m., police responded to 75 Center St., after an intoxicated patron reportedly punched and broke a window at the bar. Sgt. Jeffrey Dobratz said Gordon tried to flee but was caught and detained by bar employees until authorities arrived.

Dobratz said Gordon resisted when officers took him into custody. Gordon was also treated by emergency personnel for a cut he suffered when he broke the window.

The damage was estimated at $2,000.
Local nonprofits are calling on Congress to reject aspects of the proposed tax reform bill that address changes in charitable giving deductions, and non-profit status, saying they hurt their ability to operate at a time when many are losing state and federal funding.

The Senate is expected to vote on the tax reform bill Thursday.

The bill, as written, would change long-time tax policies that have helped support charitable nonprofits through tax incentives. Local and national non-profits fear the changes will lead to decreased revenues.

Although the bills retain existing deductions for charitable donations, both House and Senate versions make changes to the standard deductions that would drastically reduce the number of people who will itemize.

With the tax benefit of charitable giving no longer available to 95 percent of taxpayers, nonprofits in Connecticut and across the country believe that private donations will plummet and their work in communities will suffer, said CT Community Nonprofit Alliance President Gian-Carl Casa.

The Senate bill would roughly double the standard deduction to $12,000 for an individual or $24,000 for married couples. As a result, most middle-class households that take the standard deduction now would get a tax cut under the bill in 2018, and almost none would get a tax increase.

The story is very different for the roughly one-quarter of middle-class families that itemize deductions. The Senate bill would eliminate some popular tax breaks, including deductions for state and local taxes, and higher education costs. As a result, households that take those deductions now could lose out. In total, about 40 percent of households that itemize their deductions would pay more in 2018 under the Senate bill  in some cases a lot more, according to the New York Times.

The House legislation includes language to nullify the Johnson Amendment, that for 60 plus years has protected nonprofits with 501-C3 tax status from demands by candidates for public office and their operatives for endorsements, contributions, and other support.

The nonprofits believe, and a congressional agency confirms, that the change would result in billions of dollars of dark money being diverted to newly political charitable organizations because the donors could now receive a charitable tax deduction, Casa said.

The impact of these proposed changes, coupled with overall reductions in state and federal funding that will likely result from adding $1.5 trillion to the federal deficit, would devastate nonprofits, Casa said.

James Ieronimo, executive director of the United Way of Meriden and Wallingford, estimates that 150,000 individuals used the charitable deduction for charities in the greater New Haven area.

Those are considerable figures,Ieronimo said. Its a real concern to us on the larger scale.

Ieronimo wont say that taking the charitable deduction drives donations, however it is a consideration for many individuals and businesses.

Ieronimo explained his concerns at a recent United Way board meeting. The board agreed to sign a letter to Senators Christopher Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, both Democrats, opposing the changes.

Organizations such as the Community Health Center Inc. on State Street in Meriden recently started a charitable foundation to help offset costs in the wake of Medicaid cutbacks. CHC has 14 other locations in the state.

We are watching it very closely, said Lisa Gianelli, spokeswoman for the Community Health Center Inc. This is something that could be very problematic.

Unlike hospitals who receive funding from state, federal and private payers, the Community Health Centers provide services to many low-income patients and receive most of their funding from Medicaid. While its programs are available to all, the CHC is committed to the uninsured, underinsured, and key populations such as patients with HIV/AIDS.

The charitable giving foundation is another revenue stream to help cover cuts in state reimbursements.

The Nonprofit Alliance represents 400 health, social service, arts and culture non-profits in the state.

Repealing the Johnson Amendment would make non-profits vulnerable to pressure from political parties to make endorsements or contributions, something many existing non-profits are opposed to.

Its a foolish endeavor that we dont want to take, Ieronimo said. Sounds like they want us to start taking sides.

The nullification could also pave the way for the creation of partisan non-profits who can channel donations into a tax-free structure, and pressure non-partisan non-profits to pick a party.

mgodin@record-journal.com

203-317-2255

Twitter: @Cconnbiz
WALLINGFORD  Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. has asked the legal department to look into the towns handling of a bid process in 2012 after Town Councilor Craig Fishbein raised concerns about the process at a meeting Tuesday, claiming the town may have violated purchasing ordinances.

Fishbein raised concerns over a project the town awarded to a company in 2012 to clean and restore the walls at Center Street Cemetery, saying the town didnt follow the process as required by ordinance. The town put the project out to bid, Fishbein said, and received proposals from three vendors. Fishbein claimed the town ultimately did not choose any of the three vendors and instead chose a different vendor, Perfection Construction Management, a company in the Bronx.

Perfection Construction Management did not submit a bid for the Center Street Cemetery project, according to Fishbein. The company previously submitted a bid to the Board of Education for a masonry services contract that lasted from July 2011 to June 2014, according to bid documents.

The company couldnt be reached for comment late Wednesday afternoon.

It appears to me the town went out to bid for the work with certain specifications and requirements and, for whatever reason, the job was given to a company that did not bid on this project, Fishbein said Wednesday. The whole bid process is supposed to foster legitimacy and credibility in the utilization of taxpayer dollars. We have a system of ordinances that was put in place to try to maintain transparency in the awarding of contracts. and if that wasnt followed, its troubling.

Dickinson said the meeting Tuesday was the first he had heard about any issues with the bid process in 2012. On Wednesday, he asked corporation counsel Janis Small to look into the issue.

Dickinson didnt want to go into detail about how the contract was awarded in 2012 because I dont have all the facts.

This goes back five years, Dickinson said. Last night was the first I heard anything about it, so I need to be made aware of what the whole story is.

"Theres very possibly a very good explanation for how the project was awarded, Dickinson added. Well take a look at it and find out what the answer is.

Fishbein said he reached out to several law enforcement agencies this week to investigate the matter, including the FBIs municipal fraud unit, the Attorney Generals Office and the Office of the Chief States Attorney, but none of those offices have jurisdiction over the matter.

The FBIs municipal fraud unit only deals with misappropriation and diversion of funds. The Attorney Generals Office doesnt have jurisdiction over municipal matters. And the Office of the Chief States Attorney only investigates when criminal activity is involved.

Fishbein first raised the issue publicly at the Town Councils regular meeting Tuesday. Fishbein said he wasnt aware of the matter until this week, when he reviewed town bid documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests.

The town ultimately paid $60,000 to Perfection Construction Management to do the work, Fishbein said. Among the three vendors who submitted a proposal, the lowest-bidder had a cost figure of $62,000, according to bid documents, and the other two had costs of $97,979 and $235,200.

Town purchasing agent Sal Amadeo and Small could not be reached for comment.

mzabierek@record-journal.com

203-317-2279

Twitter: @MatthewZabierek
Hundreds of UC Berkeley graduate students gathered at Sproul Plaza on Wednesday to loudly protest a piece of the Congressional Republican tax bill that they say would push many of them into higher tax brackets and jeopardize their education.

The students joined a coordinated walkout at college campuses across the country to oppose the GOP proposal that, for the first time, would consider waived tuition as taxable income. Universities often grant tuition waivers to attract doctoral students, mainly in the sciences, and allow them to pursue research while working as teaching or research assistants.

This tax bill will be catastrophic, Vetri Velan, a Ph.D. student in physics, told the crowd. If youre a teaching assistant, your taxes will go up $1,400, said Velan, who analyzed how the bill would affect students. Many of you might decide to end your education.

The provision  which critics have labeled the ghost tax because students never actually see the tuition that would be taxed  is part of the House version of the $1.5 trillion tax overhaul bill, not the Senate version.

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The tax bill is moving through Congress along party lines. On Tuesday, the Republican chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, told the New York Times that he believed the Senate and the House would align their versions and that the tax overhaul would pass.

There are some areas where we are taking different approaches that will be worked, and can only be worked out, in a conference, Brady said.

At UC Berkeley, Velan warned the students that even though the Senate version doesnt have the tuition tax, anything goes when both chambers negotiate.

Student Fiona Ruddy took the microphone and urged everyone to make sure you call, tweet and shame your representatives  especially if youre from Michigan and purple states.

Sam Kohn, a Ph.D. student in physics, told the crowd that just because California is represented by Democrats who oppose the GOP tax plan doesnt mean there isnt something the states senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris can do.

Calling out the senators local phone numbers, Kohn told the students to phone them that afternoon and urge them to get the senators to slow down Senate business. Kohn got them to repeat en masse what they should say when someone picks up the phone:

I want the senator to withhold consent on everything in the Senate until this bill is dead!

The crowd repeated the message three times.

One of the students attending the rally was Randi Evans, a doctoral student in performance studies who is a parent and the first in her family to pursue a graduate degree.

She said that instead of being taxed on her current annual income of $20,000, shed be taxed on an income of $60,000.

This bill would make my husband and me go into a higher tax bracket, Evans said. I feel upset because Im from a working-class background, and it would make it prohibitive to pursue my education.

I dont know if Id have to drop out.

UC President Janet Napolitano and student Regent Paul Monge, also a graduate student at UC Berkeley, issued a joint statement this week opposing the proposal to tax tuition waivers.

Tax reform should not be borne on the backs of our hardworking graduate students, the statement said, noting that graduate students further groundbreaking research, mentor the next generation and contribute to the economy.

Such students deserve congressional support, they said. Not a tax hike.

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov
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A Santa Rosa man who was trapped outside his home and severely burned by the Tubbs Fire in October has died of his injuries after seven weeks of hospitalization, becoming the 44th fatality from the Wine Country firestorm.

Michel Azarian, 41, died Sunday at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

It is with a very heavy heart that we are coming to grips with the untimely loss of our good friend Michel, said a statement from the Armenian Church of Austin in Texas, where Azarian was a member before moving to Santa Rosa two years ago.

Azarian was an engineer with Keysight Technologies, a Santa Rosa company that makes precision electronic measurement devices.

A native of Lebanon, Azarian came to the U.S. in 2002 to study at the University of Texas and to work for National Instruments in Austin, designing radio circuitry.

A longtime friend, San Jose lawyer Khachik Papanyan, remembered Azarian as a smart guy, a fun-loving (and) extremely gifted when it came to problem solving. Puzzles it would take me a day to solve, he could solve them in the blink of an eye.

Azarian was also a world traveler, a devoted hiker and a skilled photographer. His social media pages are filled with his images of mountains, seascapes, ladybugs and lavender plants.

Papanyan said Azarian was found badly burned in a small clearing near his home on Mark West Springs Road in north Santa Rosa on Oct. 9, the day after the Tubbs Fire broke out. A text he sent the night of the fire indicated he was unaware of the impending danger, Papanyan said. By the time Azarian realized what was happening, it was too late.

Azarian is survived by his mother, Berjouhy Toukhtarian, of Lebanon, and by longtime friend Annie Dinh of Dallas.

A memorial service will be held Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. at St. Andrew Armenian Church, 11370 S. Stelling Road, Cupertino.

Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com
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WASHINGTON - Calling it the opportunity of his lifetime, President Donald Trump's pick for health secretary pledged Wednesday to help lower drug prices and said he would carry out the Obama-era health law his boss has been unable to erase.

Alex Azar's assurances to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee were met with doubt by lawmakers of both parties, especially Democrats concerned about his ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Nonetheless, the 50-year-old former drug company and government executive deflected Democratic attempts to paint him as a political partisan beholden to a powerful industry. Some Democrats, including Sens. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, focused their questions on practical policy issues not tinged by ideological conflict.

"I don't have pharma's policy agenda," Azar said at one point. "This is the most important job I will have in a lifetime, and my commitment is to the American people."

Committee chair Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., told Azar at the conclusion of the hearing that he believes the Senate will vote to confirm him.

Known as a brainy policy expert with a conservative political pedigree, Azar said his main priorities would be lowering drug prices, making health insurance more affordable, continuing Medicare's efforts to pay for value, not just volume, and confronting the opioid epidemic.

On prescription drug costs, he said his combination of industry and government experience makes him uniquely suited to find solutions. Azar spent a decade as a top executive of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and served in senior positions during a previous stint at the Department of Health and Human Services, which he'd now lead.

That was insufficient for Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

"You've got some convincing to make me believe you're going to represent the American people, not big pharma," Paul said.

Paul demanded a written explanation from Azar on why it wouldn't be safe for U.S. patients to import lower-cost prescription drugs from other advanced countries. Drug companies have succeeded in staving off the imports challenge through successive administration of both parties.

Pressed on drug pricing, Azar said all players in the system - drug manufacturers, insurers, pharmacy benefit managers and government - share some of the blame.

One of his top priorities would be to increase generic and brand drug competition, he said, and he vowed to crack downon drug company "gaming" to extend patents that ward off generic competition.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., delivered a blunt appraisal.

"Your resume reads like a how-to manual for profiting from government service," she told Azar, noting the millions he earned at Lilly.

Azar was also quizzed about the Trump administration's "conscience exemption," which allows employers to opt out of providing free birth control to women. He said few employers have invoked it, and signaled that he supported their ability to do so.

The Senate Finance Committee will hold another hearing on Azar soon and formally decide whether to send the nomination to the full Senate.
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Oil producing countries have agreed to extend through 2018 production cuts that were set to expire in March  a move designed to prop up global crude prices.

At a Thursday meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in Vienna, Austria, OPEC producers and other nations agreed to continue cutting 1.8 million barrels of daily oil production in an effort to keep prices stable amid a glut of fresh U.S. shale.

We are united, shoulder to shoulder, Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said sitting next to his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak at a press conference after the meeting. We are completely aligned.

Russia, a major oil producer, is not a member of OPEC. The current deal between the oil producing countries, a nine-month extension to the cuts that was agreed upon in May, was set to expire in March. West Texas Intermediate oil prices, the benchmark for U.S. crude, were little changed Thursday at $57.34 a barrel.

By keeping production artificially low through next year, the oil producers aim to return stockpiles to their five-year average without overheating the market and eliciting a new flood of shale oil. U.S. shale oil fields in Texas and North Dakota have been a major source of investment, particularly in West Texas Permian Basin, which has seen production continue to rise despite lower oil prices.

Oil prices for Brent, the global benchmark, have been above $60 a barrel since the end of October while West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, has hovered in the mid- to high-$50s a barrel.

Oil prices peaked at $107 a barrel in June 2014 before plummeting to $26 a barrel in February 2016. The oil downturn caused dozens of U.S. oil companies to shut down while oil dependent economies like Saudi Arabia suffered its worse budget deficits since the late-1980s, according to data from Trading Economics.

Fundamentally, the cuts have worked well, Patrick Pouyanne, chief executive officer of French oil major Total SA, said at a press briefing in Antwerp. Im not surprised they decided to extend.

Speaking at the Hart Energy DUG Eagle Ford Conference in San Antonio on Nov. 16 Jeff Quigley, director of energy markets for the consulting and research firm Stratas Advisors, said the outlook for the U.S. oil industry is upbeat. He noted that OPEC members are well positioned for 2018, too  as long as they can keep shale drillers in the U.S. a little off balance. Quigley expects some volatility on the horizon.

OPEC has really been emboldened by what has happened up to this point, Quigley said. A lot of the conditions were seeing now, they really couldnt have written the script any better.

Staff writer Jennifer Hiller and The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Rye Druzin is an energy reporter for the San Antonio Express-News. Read more of his stories here. | rdruzin@express-news.net | Twitter: @druz_journo
Houston-based Citgo Petroleum formally announced that its new president and CEO is Asdrubal Chavez, a cousin of the late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

Although the change in leadership was known last week, Citgo hadn't comment since the arrest of its previous executive team last week in Venezuela on embezzlement and corruption charges.

The moves are widely seen as an effort by current Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Chavez's successor, to further consolidate power in a country deteriorating amid growing poverty and political unrest.

Citgo is a U.S. company with a more than 100-year history that was acquired by Venezuela's state-run oil company nearly 30 years ago. Citgo now acts as the U.S. refining and gasoline marketing arm of Venezuela.

Citgo's announcement for the new chief executive did not mention last week's six arrests, including five U.S. citizens who lived in Texas, nor did it note Asdrubal Chavez's relationship to the late president.

Instead, the announcement highlighted Asdrubal Chavez's more than 30 years of industry experience.

Asdrubal Chavez is a politician and former Venezuelan oil minister. It's unclear if he will attempt to reside in Houston or lead the company from Venezuela.

He's a 1979 chemical engineering graduate from the Universidad de los Andes who started his career at the El Palito Refinery in Venezuela. He eventually worked his way up to vice president of refining at the state-owned oil company, PDVSA, and then to oil minister from 2014 to the beginning of 2016.

Citgo employs about 4,000 people in the U.S., including more than 800 in Houston. The company has roughly 160 branded gas stations in the Houston area, and about 5,500 nationwide. Citgo owns oil refineries in Corpus Christi, Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Illinois.

RELATED: Concerns mount over Citgo's future in face of Venezuelan crisis

On Wednesday, Texas senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz said they're deeply troubled about the impact of the turmoil on Citgo's operations and future. The Trump administration, meanwhile, said it is seeking access to the arrested executives, five of whom are U.S. citizens, under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Earlier this year, following Maduro's arrests of opposition leaders, the administration threatened new sanctions against Venezuela.

Venezuela, which sits on the world's largest proven oil reserves, is also the third largest exporter of oil to the United States and a key supplier to Gulf Coast refineries which are built to process heavier grades of crude, such as those produced in Venezuela.
Ronald Zak/STR

Saudi Arabia, Russia and other major oil producers on Thursday said they will cap oil production at current levels through the end of next year, extending a year-old agreement aimed at shrinking an oil glut that has dogged global markets and Houston's economy since 2014.

At a gathering in Vienna, OPEC officials said two key oil producers  Nigeria and Libya  will keep output at current levels next year, joining the coalition of countries trying to whittle down bloated stockpiles. Production from those countries  originally exempt from the agreement  shot up unexpectedly earlier this year, and oil prices tumbled.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would leave the Trump administration "within weeks" under a plan developed by White House officials, the New York Times and other outlets reported Thursday.

Tillerson, a native Texan and former CEO of oil giant Exxon Mobil, has clashed with President Donald Trump since taking over the State Department earlier this year. Trump has publicly questioned Tillerson's efforts to negotiate with North Korea, while Tillerson reportedly called Trump a "moron" following a national security meeting at the Pentagon.
A federal judge delivered another blow Wednesday to Californias bail system, overturning the $330,000 bail for a San Francisco man with a long criminal record who has been held since July on charges of home burglary and auto theft.

The case of James Reem is one of several current challenges to a system that has recently come under fire for basing the amount of bail on the charges and a defendants past criminal record without considering his or her ability to pay.

The bail-bond industry argues that requiring defendants to post bail before release makes them more likely to show up in court, but opponents say the system penalizes the poor while failing to protect the public.

Prosecutors say Reem, 53, has 19 previous criminal convictions and faces up to 22 years in prison if convicted of the current charges. A Superior Court judge set his bail July 28 using San Franciscos bail schedule, and Reem has been unable to come up with the amount or the nonrefundable 10 percent fee he would need to pay for a bail bond.

Lawyers in the office of Attorney General Xavier Becerra  who has called the states bail system unfair to the poor  did not defend the amount of Reems bail when Reem unsuccessfully challenged it in state courts, or in his renewed challenge in federal court. But they did argue that federal courts could not intervene because of a 1971 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that bars federal judges from interfering with ongoing state criminal prosecutions.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer of San Francisco disagreed Wednesday and said Reem was being held unconstitutionally because his bail was so high that it amounted to detention without trial. He delayed enforcement of his order for 48 hours to allow a Superior Court judge to decide whether Reem must be kept in jail to protect the public, or to come up with a release plan with conditions to assure his appearance at trial.

Rejecting excessive bail will have no direct effect on Reems prosecution and thus is not prohibited by the Supreme Court ruling, Breyer said.

Reems lawyers said he has lived in San Francisco since 1979, formerly worked as a painter and has recently struggled with homelessness and unemployment.

The ruling is an indictment of the cash bail system that imprisons thousands of people simply because theyre unable to afford monetary bail, said attorney Katherine Hubbard of the nonprofit Civil Rights Corps who helped to represent Reem.

Reem is being prosecuted by the office of District Attorney George Gascon, who has also questioned the bail system. In response to the ruling, spokesman Maxwell Szabo said Gascon recognizes that financial status is not a proxy for risk, and thats why he was one of the first to advocate for an approach that leans on science to make difficult predictions based on human behavior.

Gascon also firmly believes that some defendants, rich or poor, pose too great a risk to the community to be released from custody pending trial, Szabo said.

Another federal judge, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of Oakland, is scheduled to hear a broader challenge to the constitutionality of the bail system Dec. 12, filed by two Bay Area women who were held in jail because they were unable to afford bail, and who were ultimately released without charges. The bail-bond industry stepped in to defend the system after Becerras office and San Francisco Sheriff Vicki Hennessy declined to do so.

The state Supreme Courts chief justice, Tani Cantil-Sakauye, has criticized cash bail and appointed a task force that recommended a pretrial release system based on assessment and monitoring of individual defendants. Legislation along those lines failed to clear either house of the Legislature this year, but supporters hope to revive it next year after negotiations with Gov. Jerry Brown.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
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Chef Johnny Hernandez paced the room with a huge grin on his face. Burgerteca, the latest entry in his portfolio of restaurants that includes La Gloria, The Fruteria and others, hosted a preview party at the new venue Wednesday evening.

Burgerteca officially opens Monday, but customers can enjoy a limited selection of menu items during regular hours through Sunday.

Hernandez made his name exploring the cuisine of the Mexican interior, but the new project marks his first stab at that most traditional of American staples: the burger.

Ive always wanted to enter that chef-driven burger concept arena, Hernandez said while welcoming guests into Burgertecas vibrantly decorated dining room. Weve taken something very American and, in a creative way, made it our own.

Click through the slideshow above to get a first look at the food and the new space.

RELATED: Rosella Coffee Co. to open location at San Antonio Botanical Garden

In this case, making it his own means topping beef patties with ingredients such as mole negro, pickled red onions, black beans, tomatillo ketchup and other flavors of Mexico. Sides include fries dressed with chile con carne and mole among other toppings. The new shop also features a selection of raspas, paletas and other frozen treats.

Hernandez has a second restaurant planned for the same location. Villa Rica will focus on Mexican seafood with a bar program built around mojitos, pisco sours and wines from Mexico and South America. The second project, scheduled for a spring 2018 open, will share a kitchen with Burgerteca.

Burgerteca is located at 403 Blue Star, Suite 105, and is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen
MONROE - A convicted felon has been arrested after police said he tried to purchase a hunting rifle at a store here.

Michael Burgos, 57, of East Main Street, Bridgeport, was charged with criminal attempt to possess a firearm by a felon and making a false statement.
1 CNN boycott: CNN says it is boycotting the White House media Christmas party this year. The news network says in a statement that In light of the Presidents continued attacks on freedom of the press and CNN, we do not feel it is appropriate to celebrate with him as his invited guests. The network adds that it will be sending a reporting team to Fridays event to cover any news that develops from it. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded on Twitter: Christmas comes early! Finally, good news from @CNN.

2 Shooting settlement: The Minnesota city that employed a police officer who fatally shot a black motorist during a traffic stop has reached a settlement with Philando Castiles girlfriend and her daughter, who were in the car with him when he was killed. The St. Anthony City Council voted this week to pay $675,000 to Diamond Reynolds and her daughter, who was 4 when Castile was shot. Reynolds will also receive $125,000 from the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust and the city of Roseville, where Reynolds was detained by police. Castile was driving in Falcon Heights in July 2016 when Officer Jeronimo Yanez pulled him over and shot him after he said he was armed. Reynolds streamed the shootings aftermath live on Facebook. Yanez was acquitted of manslaughter and other charges.
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has criticized Pearland's move to annex parcels ahead of a new law taking effect Dec. 1 that requires consent from voters living in targeted areas.

In a friend-of-the-court document dated Nov. 28, Paxton said that Senate Bill 6 "makes annexation more democratic. As a result, cities throughout Texas are rushing to annex land before December 1 when SB 6 will require them to obtain voter approval. The City of Pearland is one of these cities."

The letter came the day after Pearland City Council voted to annex three parcels totaling almost 2,000 acres at a meeting in which residents from those areas pleaded with the council to reconsider."I'm tired of being told I'm too stupid to know what's best for me," said Bill Trahan, a property owner who was annexed. "Because that's what they'll tell you."

But property owners in a fourth area totaling 300 acres at Pearland's northwest edge celebrated when the city was forced to remove their parcel from consideration due to an opinion from the First District Court of Appeals that prohibits annexation of the area under the current plan. The move effectively saved the parcel, dubbed Area I, from involuntary annexation by running out the clock on the Dec. 1 deadline.

Property owners in another parcel the council voted to annex have filed a lawsuit to stop the city. At the request of owners in Area L, which includes about 1,000 acres and Pearland Regional Airport, a judge had issued a temporary restraining order on annexation of that land, but the order was lifted a couple of hours before the council's vote.

The vote for Area L came down to a 3-3 split, requiring Mayor Tom Reid to cast the tie-breaking vote, joining Keith Ordeneaux, Derrick Reed and Trent Perez in supporting annexation. Voting no were council members Woody Owens, Tony Carbone and Gary Moore. Another member, J. David Little, was absent.

Area L is northeast of Texas 35 between Dixie Farm Road and County Road 129.

The other tracts annexed by the city were Area A, on the southwest side of Pearland composed of around 900 acres and 20-acre Area C on the city's north end.

Area C's annexation was approved through a 6-0 vote, and the council voted 4-2 to annex Area A, with Carbone and Owens casting the no votes.

City Councilman Trent Perez disagreed with residents who have accused the city of rushing the process.

"I would strongly disagree that we rushed to anything," Perez said. "We adhered to the current law. The state allowed the 90 days to allow cities to do this. We utilized the window we were given by the Legislature. To say it was rushed is a mischaracterization."Michele Falzon, who lives in Pearland and owns business property in one area spared from annexation and another that wasn't, said the issue has been stressful.

"I think that it's really a shame that Area I had to go to this extent to get the city of Pearland to do that right thing," said Falzon, who is a plaintiff in the lawsuit. "It's a shame we had to bring litigation into the situation because the city of Pearland did not listen to the citizens. As a Pearland citizen, it irritates me to no end that the city continues to spend taxpayer dollars to fight their own citizens."

Lawyers for residents have argued that the city failed to serve Houston Independent School District, which has jurisdiction in one parcel, with proper notice of the annexation effort as required by state law. Falzon claimed the initial letter sent to residents notifying them of the annexation plan was not sufficiently specific regarding which homes and property would be affected. She also said that language in subsequent notices were misleading.

In neighboring Manvel, the city voted Nov. 20 to annex 400 acres that are uninhabited but dropped plans to annex 700 other acres after residents on those properties protested fiercely.

One resident at the Pearland meeting, Scott Arndt, admonished the council for what he said was a false claim that the city would begin providing services within five to 15 years.

"Private enterprise would have us living on Mars before Pearland brings us services," he said.
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Tomball is getting into the swing of the holiday season by hosting free events in downtown that will begin on Dec. 8.

The German Christmas Market will open at 6 p.m. on Dec. 8 at the Tomball Depot, located at 201 S. Elm St..

The entrance will be free and the market will feature live bands, dancers and over 150 vendors selling food, and gifts.

Tomball spokesman Mike Baxter said the festivities brought approximately 6,000 visitors. This year, the city anticipates about 7,500 visitors.

"It has just gotten bigger and bigger every year," he said.

The market will also be hosted on Saturday and end on Sunday. Shuttle services will be available for visitors who park at the Tomball Regional Medical Center. For more information, visit www.tomballgermanchristmasmarket.com.

On Saturday and Sunday night, the Tomball Museum Center will host a candlelight tour at 510 N. Pine St. from 6 to 9 p.m.

The tour will take visitors through restored historical buildings. Carolers will be singing at the farm museum and church.

Baxter said that while the tour is free, the museum would accept donations. For more information, call 281-255-2148.

Tomball will also host Christmas on Commerce Dec. 9 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The event will feature vendors, a kids' zone and photos with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. There is no entrance fee for the event, which will sprawl along the four blocks of Commerce St. in downtown Tomball.

For more information, call 281-351-5484.
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NORWALK  The two men accused of illegal bear hunting in September on Thursday passed a gauntlet of protesters outside state Superior Court in Norwalk on the way to their arraignment.

Daniel Moran, 34, of Norwalk, who was charged with conspiracy to illegally taking a bear, pleaded guilty after the state laid out the allegations of the case.

Antonio Lio, 28, of Wilton, was charged with fourth-degree illegal hunting and two counts of illegally taking a bear. He asked for accelerated rehabilitation.

Mr. Moran received texts from his co-defendant and helped Lio move the bears and skin them. They had blood on their hands, Assistant States Attorney Justina Moore told the court.

Judge Alex Hernandez asked Moran if the facts laid out by the prosecution were essentially correct, and he said yes.

Hernandez assessed Moran a $500 fine and said his hunting license would be suspended.

Hes a family man and a hardworking kid, Stamford-based attorney Christian Bujdud said after the hearing. The community speaking out drove the point home and he understands the consequences of this.

Lio was represented by Wilton attorney Kevin Black, and applied for the Accelerated Pretrial Rehabilitation program during his brief court appearance. He is to return to court Jan. 10.

Accelerated rehabilitation is available to those charged with certain crimes or motor vehicle violations, if the court believes those defendants will probably not commit more crimes in the future. If Lio is granted the

program and follows all of the courts conditions successfully, the court will dismiss the charges against him.

At the protest outside, more than a dozen called for the maximum penalty for the two men and for greater protection of Connecticut black bears. While trophy hunting of bears is illegal in Connecticut, there have been recent efforts for legalization, said Annie Hornish, Connecticut state director of the Humane Society of the United States.

Hornish sat in the arraignment and notified the group of the results afterwards, saying she was pleased Moran received the maximum sentence but was disappointed Lios charges could be dismissed.

We will be working next legislative session to increase penalties for poaching and to make sure they dont get off the hook that easily, Hornish said. Well be back again. Were not letting this go, and were going to be mobilizing animal advocates across the state to help make sure bears are protected here in Connecticut and that poachers get the maximum penalty.

Thursday was the second time Hornish and others gathered for a protest, which was started by a few Wilton residents after the initial hearing in October. They plan on returning Jan. 10 and hope to draw more people by then.

The only way to make a difference is to be on the street, right? said Michael DeMartino, of Branford, who joined the protest Thursday. I dont agree with trophy hunting. If youre looking for sport, shoot at something that will shoot back.

Lio and Moran were arrested after an initial investigation on Sept. 16. The two are accused of skinning one bear for a trophy mount and cutting off its head and paws, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Lio shot and killed the second bear when it approached him while he was checking on the first one, a DEEP official said. Both animals were killed by bow and arrow.

skim@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2568; @stephaniehnkim
African and European leaders concluded a summit in the Ivory Coast on Wednesday that was meant to focus on economic cooperation but was largely overshadowed by furor over the ongoing exploitation of African migrants en route to Europe in Libya.

A recent CNN report provided video evidence of what human rights organizations and aid agencies have been warning for years: In addition to facing utterly dismal conditions in Libyan detention camps, migrants are being bought and sold as slaves.

Late on Wednesday, the leaders of Libya, France, Germany, Chad, Niger and four other countries agreed to attempt a massive and imminent evacuation of migrants who are trapped in the camps. Most would be taken back to their home countries, according to the agreement. A night earlier, Libyan authorities in conjunction with the United Nations' refugee agency flew 240 Nigerians back to their country of origin.

One of the African Union's top officials, Moussa Faki Mahamat, told the gathered leaders that by his organization's estimates, there could be anywhere between 400,000 to 700,000 African migrants stuck in Libya against their will. The plans drafted Wednesday indicate that the first evacuation push will target 3,800 migrants.

Migrants, mostly from West African countries, transit through Libya in hopes of embarking from its shores on often flimsy boats intended to deliver them to Europe, but they often capsize or are turned back by the Libyan coast guard. Thousands drown each year. They are mostly escaping conflict and grinding poverty in their home countries.

Libya, which has not had a unified national government since its longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi was deposed in 2011, has been accused of abetting a growing slave trade by refusing outside access to the camps and for not cracking down on the trade's operatives. But recent changes in the European Union's migration policies have also attracted withering criticism for their role in trapping migrants in lawless Libya.

In an effort to stop migrants before they ever reach Europe, the European Union has begun paying African authorities, especially in Niger and Libya, to detain migrants. Instead of stemming their flow, it has forced migrants to travel along more dangerous smuggling routes and has swollen the number of people stuck in Libya, one leg away from their journey's hoped-for end. After the CNN report, demonstrators took to the streets in Paris, Stockholm and New York shouting slogans such as "Free our brothers!"

Still, much of the anger from African leaders was directed at Libya.

"Some Nigerians [in the footage] were being sold like goats for few dollars in Libya," said Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday at the summit. ''After 43 years of Gadhafi . . . all [Libyans] learned was how to shoot and kill. They didn't learn to be electricians, plumbers or any other trade."

Burkina Faso's foreign affairs minister recalled his ambassador from Libya last week, calling it "unacceptable to have slaves in this 21st century."

French President Emmanuel Macron said Libya was intent on cooperating. "Libya restated its agreement to identify the camps where scenes of barbarism have been identified," he said.

Before Gadhafi's fall, Libya drew West African migrants who intended to stay there and work in its lucrative oil and agricultural industries. But the civil war that followed his overthrow has destroyed those opportunities and created a power vacuum in which militias are vying for power. Many have taken to the smuggling and slavery trades as ways to make money.

Part of Wednesday's agreement, according to Macron, is that the African Union, European Union and United Nations will work together to freeze the assets of human traffickers, some of whom may be referable to the International Criminal Court.

Ultimately, only the summit's original focus - the boosting of economic development in Africa - will result in reduced migration. Stopgap measures like evacuations have little to do with the crisis's underlying causes. Many who are returned to their home countries will likely be relieved to have escaped slavery or rotten conditions in detention camps, but returning to a life of squalor may not prevent them from trying to migrate again.
A Hamden resident and former Yale University professor was charged with embezzling tens of thousands of dollars of federal grants and funds from a New York City medical school for his personal use, according to a federal press release.

Alexander Neumeister, 51, is charged with theft of government funds and wire fraud as well as civil claims under the False Claims Act, through which the government may recover damages and civil penalties arising from his alleged conduct, the release said. He was arrested on Nov. 21 and appeared in federal court Tuesday. Contacted Thursday by the New Haven Register, he said it was too early to comment.

Neumeister, a prominent researcher into neurological disorders, was an associate professor of psychiatry and director of the Molecular Imagine Program of the Clinical Neuroscience Division at Yale until 2010. During this time period, he received more than $3 million in grants and awards for his research and work at the university, according to past issues of the Yale School of Medicines newsletters.

When asked if Yale University would review the funds Neumeister received while employed at the university, Tom Conroy, the schools director of public affairs and communications, declined comment.

Neumeister worked as a professor of psychology at a New York City medical school until he was dismissed due to the discovery of multiple alleged instances of misconduct in his studies, according to The New York Times . His LinkedIn profile indicates he worked at New York University from 2011 to 2015.

While employed by the New York City medical school, he served as the principal investigator at the school for a variety of research studies, many of which were funded by grants. The school provided him with a credit card, authorized for study-related expenses, and required him to identify to which specific funding source each such expense should be allocated, the federal complaint states.

From 2012 through 2014, Neumeister allegedly used this credit card to charge tens of thousands of dollars for personal and unrelated expenses. He reportedly falsely classified these expenses as related to his research or for business purposes related to his position at the school, resulting in the school paying for these expenditures with funds received from grants or with its own funds, according to the federal complaint.

As alleged, Alexander Neumeister, fraudulently charged tens of thousands of dollars in personal expenses as research or school-related expenses. For allegedly betraying the trust of the medical school that employed him and the government institute that funded his research, Neumeister now faces serious federal charges, said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Joon H. Kim in a statement.

Records show Neumeister allegedly used the credit card to purchase more than $2,300 worth of airline tickets for a social friend to travel from Salt Lake City to New York City, and used more than $4,300 of the schools funds to pay for that friend to take a nine-day, all-expense paid trip to a resort hotel in Miami Beach. In addition, he allegedly falsely claimed that the friend was a research study participant in the studies he oversaw for school, having them pay more than $10,000 of their own funds directly to his friend, the complaint alleged.

He also allegedly spent approximately $9,200 in government funds to pay for eight round trip flights from New York City to Salt Lake City to visit the friend, additionally using the credit card to pay for lodging, bar tabs and meals. Upon being questioned by the university about his many trips to Salt Lake City, he reportedly said he had traveled there to determine the suitability of a site for a future clinical trial funded by the Department of Defense.

Neumeister is also accused of spending thousands of dollars for domestic and international travel for members of his family, allegedly paying for these trips with funds from grants and the school but falsely identifying them as research related. For example, he reportedly spent more than $2,000 on round trip airplane tickets for his wife to travel to Washington, D.C., and Vienna, Austria, and more than $1,100 in round trip tickets for his wife and children to travel to Stowe, Vermont.

According to records obtained from the school and notedin the complaint, Neumeister allegedly admitted the expenses were for his family and unrelated to his work, acknowledging these expenses should not have been charged on his credit card.

When one of Neumeisters supervisors at the school questioned him about an audit of the credit card charges, he allegedly asked for the findings not be disclosed to others as it would jeopardize his job and his childrens ability to attend the school without having to pay tuition and offered to repay some of the expenses. However, Neumeister reportedly never repaid any of the misappropriated funds and later denied much of the improper conduct, the complaint alleged.

Special Agent in Charge of the New York Office of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General Scott J. Lampert in a statement, [t]he defendant allegedly stole thousands of dollars from grants that were meant for important mental health research. We will continue to hold individuals accountable for blatant misuse of federal funds.

jessica.lerner@hearstmediact.com; @jesslerner on Twitter
NEW HAVEN  The landlord of a city apartment testified in Superior Court Wednesday that he did not draw up a written lead abatement plan as required, but allegedly was not pushed by the citys Health Department to complete one.

The New Haven Legal Assistance Association is suing the department for alleged unlawful actions and omissions in the enforcement of lead abatement rules going back to 2008.

City officials from the Health Department did not testify by the end of the day, but the case will pick up again on Friday.

The NHLAA is looking for a preliminary and permanent injunction requiring the Health Department to conduct another inspection of 1323 Whalley Ave., complete any abatement necessary and relocate the families in the two-family home as the work is being done.

To cover the cost, the suit said the city can lien the property.

The city is claiming that the lack of abatement at different points since 2008 is the landlords fault and it is seeking an arrest warrant. The request has been pending for a while and none reportedly had been signed by Wednesday.

The central figure in the suit is Jacob Guaman, now five years old, whose blood lead level was 36 micrograms per deciliter (ug/dl) when he was two years old while living at 1323 Whalley Ave.

Blood lead levels over 5 ug/dl are associated with adverse, life-long health effects in children under six years of age, according to guidelines put out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Superior Court Judge Sheila Ozalis, near the end of a day of testimony that mainly consisted of submission of exhibits, pressed landlord Jong Hee Heo on whether he submitted the written plan in 2017.

No, Heo said.

She asked him whether Jomika Bogan, a lead inspector for the Health Department, asked for such a plan.

I think yes, he said.

Ozalis asked when he failed to submit one, did Bogan follow up and ask him where it was?

I think she just told me I had to write a plan. ... She didnt check, Heo said.

When you did not write a plan, what was her response? Ozalis said.

Nothing, Heo said.

What did she tell you to do? the judge asked.

I think she didnt tell me anything, Heo said.

Ozalis asked whether the Health Department asked him what methods he was going to use to abate the lead.

Heo said when they inspected and found an issue, they told him to fix it.

Ozalis asked whether Bogan or Paul Kowalski, director of environmental health, ever went over the ways to abate all the areas in the second-floor apartment that required it.

I think no, Heo said.

The judge pressed him further as to what precautionary steps Heo took when he did the abatement himself in fall 2017. He testified that he had brought in a company to do it in 2008 and in December 2015, but he was not satisfied with its work.

Heo said Kowalski told him he had to take a class to learn what to do if he was going to abate the apartment of lead himself. He said he took the 8-hour class in September 2017.

The landlord said he tried to work in the apartment when the three children in that second-floor unit were not home. Other children lived on the first floor.

He said he put plastic on the floor to catch the paint chips and then encapsulated the paint surface. When he was finished, he said he put the chips in a dumpster. Heo said he vacuumed the floor with a regular vacuum the first time, but then brought in a HEPA vacuum to go over the floors.

Most vacuums exhaust dust back into the air, but a HEPA filter traps it and is used in abatement.

He said he didnt tell the Health Department that he first had used a regular vacuum.

Ozalis asked Heo whether he had covered the Guamans possessions while he was abating the apartment. Heo said he had not done that.

Heo said he scraped some of the outside and collected the paint chips in a container. He said he also put down plastic sheeting and picked up random chips with Bogan.

He told the judge that Bogan was going to show him what to do.

Do you know if she had any certification in lead abatement? Ozalis asked.

The landlord said he did not know whether that was the case, but he felt she had knowledge.

He told the judge that the exterior lead abatement is not finished, nor is work on the window sills. Heo said he had never hired someone to do the exterior work.

Heo said he comes daily from New York to New Haven around 10:30 a.m. and can work until the children come home from school around 2:30 p.m.

He thought it was more important to get the work done, rather than spending time on the paperwork, such as the required administrative plan.

The judge asked him who came to inspect the apartment in 2015 when Jacob Guamans blood lead level was found to be 36 ug/dl.

Heo didnt think anyone came.

Corporation Counsel John Rose Jr. asked Heo why he hired the same company twice when he was not happy with its work. He said it was because they knew the back story of the recurring lead problems at the property.

As for reading the instructions on what was required by the city, he said he did not always read the documents all the way through.

His attorney, Kevin Casini, after the court session, said Heos English has been getting better now that Casini is explaining the documents to him.

Heo answered some questions that were asked in English, but had others first translated into Korean.

Heo implied during testimony that there allegedly may have been collusion among three abatement contractors as to which would submit the lowest bid when abatement work first was ordered in 2008 before the Guamans moved in.

The contractor told me about some tricky things. ... I was shocked in America there are these kind of tricky things around, Heo said. They had some deal.

That work was in conjunction with a loan from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help with abatement that year when a cousin of Jacob Guaman was found to have a blood lead level of 27 ug/dl.

Ozalis asked who chose the three companies to submit bids for the HUD work. Heo said he thought one company picked the two others to bid, but the testimony was unclear with city officials not yet testifying.

Heo now is looking for a second loan, but he needs both the first- and second-floor families to sign off on it. All the tenants will have to leave during any further abatement, he said.

The original list of abatement companies available was given to Heo by the Health Department, the landlord said.

Ozalis asked Heo whether the Health Department told him that the tenants had to move out of the house when he was doing the abatement work himself.

His answer was not clear.

Casini said he attended the court session to give emotional support to his client.

I thought it went very well, Casini said.

He said the testimony on the bidders was the first time he had heard anything about that.

Heo also said his taxes had gone up after the work was done in 2008. I dont know if he thinks that is related, the attorney said. I think it was the end of a long day.

Casini said the law mandates that you submit a plan on paper before you get started.

He is really just trying to figure this out. He gets a document, he doesnt really know what it reads. So he just calls the office or goes to the office and says, I got another letter from you, what am I supposed to do? Casini said.

I think at this point he probably feels like he is doing everything that has been asked of him, complete with going through that course he took. ... He is still not really sure why the city is fighting him because he thought he was working with the city to fix it. Now it seems to him that the city is trying to pull him into this to make him what he thinks is the bad guy, Casini said.
The yeti, or abominable snowman, is one of the most sought-after animals that does not exist. A long line of explorers, including mountaineers Sir Edmund Hillary and Reinhold Messner, reported seeing strange figures and footprints in the Himalayas. Said to walk on two legs through the Tibetan Plateau, the yeti is described as a hairy and humanoid primate, partway between gorilla and David Letterman's beard.

If you wish to hunt a yeti, there are just three rules to follow. If you find one, no talking to the press, not without permission from Nepali government officials. You can take the animal alive, but you cannot harm it: Shooting is to be done with cameras only, per a 1959 State Department memo (an exception is carved out for self-defense). And you must pay Nepal 5,000 rupees ($48.50) for a yeti permit.

We would encourage you to spend those 5,000 rupees elsewhere. You won't find a yeti in yeti habitat. But, if you're lucky, you might stumble upon a bear.

In a new genetic analysis, yeti bones, fur and other biological material turned out to be bear parts. "All the samples that were supposed to be yetis matched brown and black bears that are living in the region," said Charlotte Lindqvist, who studies bear evolution at the University at Buffalo in New York and Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.

Godofredo A. Vasquez/Staff

(There was just one exception. A yeti tooth kept at the Reinhold Messner Mountain Museum was a dog's.)

Lindqvist and her colleagues, the authors of a report published Tuesday in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, extracted DNA from nine yeti samples and more than a dozen known bear specimens, collected in zoos and a national park in Pakistan.

The connection between yeti and bear is an old one. Messner and Hillary eventually concluded what they had seen were bears. Biologists have made the link, too. In 2013, Oxford University issued a worldwide call for yeti samples. Oxford geneticist Bryan Sykes said that DNA from hairs revealed the yeti was similar to an ancient, extinct polar bear. For a moment, this biological curiosity revived hopes that an undiscovered animal loped through Tibetan snow.

"I think this bear, which nobody has seen alive . . . may still be there and may have quite a lot of polar bear in it," Skyes told the BBC in 2013.

But other genetics experts, notably Ross Barnett at the University of Copenhagen, contested that finding. Sykes had made an error, partly due to degraded DNA, according to a re-analysis of the research by Barnett and University of Huddersfield biomolecular archaeologist Ceiridwen Edwards.

It was as if "Sykes had the letters Y-E-T and, searching for matches, he thought he found YETI," Barnett said. Sykes acknowledged the error but maintained that the yeti hair could have come from a polar bear or ursine hybrid.

The new work is more robust, Barnett said, probably "the most rigorous in terms of samples and sequence lengths." Where snippets of DNA revealed YET, Lindqvist's deep genetic dive produced "ALL THE SAMPLES ARE BROWN BEARS YET PEOPLE STILL BELIEVE," Barnett said. "Very little chance of matching that string to something else by chance."

Though Himalayan brown bears are neither abominable nor snowmen, they are still pretty unusual animals, the DNA analysis revealed.

Brown bears have conquered the Northern Hemisphere's forests, in Canada, Russia, the United States - grizzlies are a brown bear subspecies - and 42 other countries. (In the United States, sightings of bears on two legs have left observers wondering about the true nature of Bigfoot and Sasquatch, too.) Despite their wide spread across the globe, many brown bears have run into danger. "There has been a lot of extinction of brown bears around the world," Lindqvist said.

Himalayan brown bears are not exempt from bad news. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists the subspecies as critically endangered.

That loss of life makes it tough for experts to unravel a tangled bear ancestry. But the DNA sequences produced by Lindqvist and her colleagues were sufficient to create a family tree for the Himalayan and Tibetan brown bears. Though it is unclear where brown bears first evolved, Lindqvist said, their evolutionary history "certainly does suggest that they may come from an area in Asia."

The new genetics research indicates that the isolated bears are a "relict population." Put another way, these were the first brown bears, Lindqvist said, to split off from all the other subspecies, 600,000 years ago.

Both researchers predicted that the yeti myth will survive this latest study. The yeti "is very important to the local culture and folklore," Lindqvist said. "Perhaps the Western hype about the yeti, we can put that to rest."
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After months of tragedy and grief, Silsbee residents stood hand-in-hand on the field at Kirby Memorial Stadium on Wednesday night to mourn and heal.

Since August, it's felt like one blow after the other, according to some.

"The whole atmosphere was just saddened," said resident Joyce Square. "Everywhere you looked, it was just people walking around with their heads down."

Tropical Storm Harvey destroyed 49 homes in Silsbee, according to City Manager DeeAnn Zimmerman.

But, it was the unexpected and horrifying human losses this fall that caused the most heartache, she said.

"The hurricane was just one of many problems," said Donita Banks, organizer of Wednesday's Silsbee Strong gathering.

The first loss came in August when Assistant Fire Chief Jay Hinkie, 61, was killed when he was struck by a car while working an accident site.

In September, 48-year-old Deborah Dee Sanford Smith died after a battle with cancer. She was a popular substitute teacher in the school district and was a guiding light for students as they prepped for college, Banks said.

Early the next month, Tristan Dilley, a 14-year-old high school freshman and junior varsity cheerleader, was fatally shot in her bedroom. Police said Dilley's killer was a 19-year-old Vidor man the girl was seeing in secret.

On Oct. 18, Ashley Pickering, 31, and her five children, Cristian Mattox, 11; Serenity Mattox, 7; twins Cavence and Cash Mattox, 4; and Camden Mattox, 3, were killed in a fire.

The family was living in a converted building in Pickering's father's backyard.

Dennis Allen, a criminal investigator for the Hardin County Sheriff's Office, said authorities are still investigating a cause. The fire was ruled accidental.

In neighboring Kountze, 12-year-old Trintin Glenn was killed earlier this month in an accidental shooting while

playing with a hunting rifle with a friend.

And the day after Thanksgiving, local businesswoman Ann Alvarado Gonzalez, owner of The Grindhouse, passed away suddenly.

Banks, who described herself as "hardcore," said that if the strong adults like herself were sensitive to these events, it must be terrible for the city's youngsters.

"Parents are having to struggle, trying to explain death to their kids," Banks said. "There's a lot of hurt."

While the Silsbee Strong event was to remember those who had passed away, it was also a time for the community to come together and enjoy time with their friends and neighbors.

The event offered face painting, a photo booth and fireworks, among other activities.

Kathy and Mike Merritt, Silsbee High School graduates and owners of the Younger Years day care centers in Lumberton and Silsbee, set up a paper lantern station. The couple distributed white paper bags that were decorated and included messages and memorials to those lost in 2017.

"Sometimes kids just need to put their feelings into a pictures," Kathy Merritt said. "You'd be surprised what they'll draw with a crayon."

Mike Merritt said the gathering gave kids a chance to get out of the house and to be exposed to a positive, social atmosphere where they could just be kids.

The Silsbee Chamber of Commerce acted as the muscle behind the event, Banks said. They were able to pull together local businesses to offer all the food and activities for free.

Residents dined on donated Dominoes pizza while listening to music from the Silsbee fine arts programs.

Organizers only had about two weeks to plan the event but "the program put a lot of pep in people's step," Banks said. They wanted to host it before the Christmas holidays, an especially difficult time for those in mourning, she said.

"Children are gone from school for two weeks around the holidays," Square said. "And we wanted to make sure that before they were gone from their teachers and their friends, they were reminded that it's going to be alright."

MGstalter@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/morgGstalt
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HARTFORD  Connecticut homeowners with crumbling foundations will be watching the U.S. Senates debate on tax policy very closely because it could impact their ability to seek relief.

The tax bill passed by the U.S. House completely eliminated prospectively the casualty loss deduction for any homeowner whose home was damaged by a natural disaster. The Senate version of the bill would require an emergency declaration from the president of the United States in order to qualify for a property loss deduction.
WASHINGTON - White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday that President Donald Trump's retweeting of three inflammatory anti-Muslim videos had served to "elevate the conversation" about the issues of "extreme violence and terrorism."

Sanders' comments at a White House briefing marked the second day of defense from aides of Trump's decision Wednesday to share Twitter postings of a far-right British activist - an action that British Prime Minister Theresa May rebuked again Thursday.

Sanders said she did not think Trump knew who the activist was who originally posted the videos: Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First, which bills itself as a political party but has been widely condemned as an extremist group that targets mosques and Muslims.

Asked by a reporter whether Trump understood that his retweets could lead to violence against Muslims and that he had "elevated" a fringe group, Sanders did not answer directly.

"I think what he's done is elevate the conversation to talk about a real issue and a real threat," she said." That's extreme violence and extreme terrorism, something that we know to be very real and something the president feels strongly about talking about and bringing up."

The three videos Trump shared were provocatively titled "Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!", "Muslim destroys a statue of Virgin Mary!" and "Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!"

The videos provided no context, and the Netherlands Embassy said Wednesday that the one about a "Muslim migrant" actually featured a perpetrator born and raised in the Netherlands.

Asked at the briefing if the president has an obligation to ensure the accuracy of the material his disseminates on Twitter, Sanders said the president "feels that bringing up important issues of our time" is important.

"That's what he was doing in that process, and I think he's going to continue to do that in a number of venues, whether it's through speeches, whether it's through Twitter or other social media platforms," Sanders said.
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Brian Brooks is a love-hate phenomenon in the dance world, dismissed by certain New York critics as unoriginal and tedious, yet beloved by many viewers of First Fall, the gently devastating duet Brooks created for retired New York City Ballet star Wendy Whelan and danced in San Francisco as part of her touring vehicle Restless Creature in 2015. Whelan herself  still angular and creaturely indeed at nearly 50, existentially driven to keep dancing  is so comfortable with Brooks that she jettisoned the other three choreographers commissioned for Restless Creature to work with Brooks alone for Some of a Thousand Words, which San Francisco Performances presented Wednesday exactly as it should be seen, in the intimacy of the Herbst Theatre, with live music from the Brooklyn Rider quartet.

Ill confess up front that Ive long counted myself in the Brooks love camp. And there was a moment in the hour-long show when I realized I was enthralled by Whelan repeatedly dropping her elbow into Brooks waiting palm, which suggests I have a high threshold of patience for postmodern, minimalist dance, true. But it doesnt take the attention of a Zen master to fall for Brooks work, as the standing ovation proved.
DeRay McKesson wants to focus on the "quiet traumas" -- those insidious injustices that are rarely discussed; the small inequalities which he said are the bedrock of systemic oppression.

"We often organize around what I call 'loud trauma,'" the activist and Black Lives Matter leader told University of Houston students Wednesday. "The louder the trauma, the larger the organizing."

"People too often only think about racism and systemic oppression as overt," he said. "About lynching or slavery."

"But there are so many quiet traumas that affect people's lives on a daily basis," he said at a speech held by the UH Graduate College of Social Work. "How do we start to brings those things to the forefront?"

Among a few of the ones on his mind Wednesday: Financial illiteracy. How states define felony theft. The rarity of non-white main characters in pop culture and art. Local reading programs.

McKesson, a Baltimore, Maryland native, was working as a school reached in Minnesota at the time Michael Brown, a black teenager, was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., near St. Louis.

Days later, on Aug. 16, 2014, he made the nine-hour drive from Minneapolis to St. Louis, later becoming a leading voice in national conversations about social equity and racial justice.

"That was the moment I went from being a witness to protester," he said of his late-night decision to trek to Missouri.

Not that such labels matter much to him.

"I don't care what you call yourself, as long as you do the work," he said.

He only wants people to get involved -- to "start where you are," and "to remember that the arc of justice doesn't
By late summer 2018, a $3.2 million fire and rescue station will give Emergency Services District No. 11 expanded coverage in the rapidly growing northeast Bexar County area.

The ESD broke ground on the facility Thursday at its location on the corner of Binz-Engleman Road and Texas Palm Drive, near the districts eastern border with ESD No. 1.

Today really is a testament to what happens when people power stands up and does the common-sense thing, Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert said. We all know that this fire station was needed five years ago with the growth that we have in the northeast area.

The ESD contracts with the City of Kirby, located west of the district, to provide firefighting and emergency response to the roughly 8,000 homes and businesses in the district. Housing subdivisions have sprung up in recent years around the ESD, including Escondido North across the street from the new station.

The facility will open in August or September, ESD President John True said.

The 7,800-square-foot facility will include two bays for fire and emergency vehicles, which can hold four fire-ambulance units. Also part of the construction plans are a living area, dormitory rooms, office space and an area for all necessary emergency operations support items.

True said he hopes that the new station will lead to lower insurance rates for local households.

We feel that if we can decrease the response time, then the ISO rating drops, True said, referring to the New Jersey-based Insurance Service Office that rates communities by how well they are protected from fires. Among the criteria, True said, is emergency response time.

The ESD bought the property in 2011, three years after the district was formed. It has contracted with the Kirby Fire Department since then, while taxing its residents at a rate of 10 cents per $100 valuation.

jscherer@express-news.net | Twitter: @jaspscherer
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EDINBURG  A deal struck between the Hidalgo County district attorney and Catholic Church allowed a priest who was a suspect in the 1960 murder of a South Texas beauty queen to walk free, former reporter Darrell Davis testified Thursday.

It was the first day of the trial of John Feit, now 85, accused of murder in the death Irene Garza, a 25-year-old second-grade teacher who had gone to him for the sacrament of confession.

Robert Lattimore, then Hidalgo County district attorney, agreed to steer investigators away from Feit, and in return the 27-year old priest would be sent to a monastery to live out the remainder of his days, Davis told the jury. He was a television reporter at the time, assigned to cover the case.

Lattimore knew that John Feit had killed Irene Garza and the church knew it, said Davis, 77. Lattimore had reached an agreement with the church that John Feit would be placed in a monastery for disturbed priests and remain there for the rest of his life.

It was April 16, 1960, the evening before Easter Sunday and Garza had gone to confession at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen. Her lifeless body was pulled from a canal five days later. An autopsy found that she had been beaten, raped while unconscious and then asphyxiated.

Two weeks before, Feit had attacked America Guerra at a church in Edinburg. It wasnt long before Feit became a suspect in Garzas murder.

Davis was covering the Guerra case and the Garza death for a local television station.

Testifying in the 92nd district court Thursday, the same courtroom where Feit faced charges of assault and attempted rape of Guerra, Davis recalled his off-the-record meeting with Lattimore.

Feit would plead no contest to assaulting Guerra, then be sent to a monastery, Lattimore told Davis in 1962, Davis testified. In return for his plea, the young priest would cease to be a suspect in the Garza murder investigation.

Feit did plead no contest to aggravated assault and was fined $500, then transferred to Assumption Abbey, a Trappist monastery in southwestern Missouri.

An institution who is in the business of seeking salvation for others was complicit in covering up this murder, said Michael Garza, assistant district attorney for Hidalgo County. Because what happened, the evidence is going to show, is they made a deal.

Even as prosecutors alleged public corruption and a Catholic Church coverup, Feits attorney, O. Rene Flores, assured jurors there would be no witnesses to the murder or evidence that directly implicate his client.

You wont hear evidence of corruption, Flores said in his opening statement. What you will hear is lack of probable cause.

Flores and Garza sparred over the admissibility of Davis testimony about the alleged plea bargain deal between the district attorney and Catholic Church.

Judge Luis Singleterry allowed Davis testimony to stand.

Feit was transferred to Missouri, where he was supposed to remain, Davis testified. Eventually, Feit left the priesthood and married. He retired in 2004 in Arizona, where he lived for decades before his arrest last year.

Throughout the first day of trial in a sensational cold case that has been the subject of national media attention, much of it focused on Feit, witnesses who knew Garza personally, many of them now in their 70s and 80s, recalled that Easter weekend 57 years ago.

Garza had been Miss All South Texas Sweetheart in 1958 and a former prom and homecoming queen at what then was Pan American College. She was a devout Catholic who was admired by friends and family.

McAllen was a small town back then, surrounded by orange groves and fields of cotton. Everybody knew one another, testified Sylvia Acevedo-Stern, 76, Garzas neighbor. Her murder shocked this South Texas community.

Publicly, Feit has maintained his innocence. In 2002, Texas Rangers, with testimony from two former priests who told investigators that Feit had confessed to the killing, reopened the case. Still, a grand jury investigation in 2004 found insufficient evidence to charge him.

Ricardo Rodriguez, the Hidalgo County district attorney, charged Feit in February 2016. Feit was arrested at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, in February 2016, then extradited to Texas. He remains in Hidalgo County Jail under 24-hour medical watch because of various ailments.

This cover up has existed too long, Judge, Garza said. John Feit has lived 50 years a free man.

anelsen@express-news.net
A program that allows misdemeanor offenders, including those caught with small amounts of marijuana, to avoid jail time will be executed before the year is up, officials with the district attorney's office told mySA.com.

Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood announced in September that a cite-and-release program would be implemented in the county. Officials will evaluate the program after six months to a year and work out any kinks that may arise.
Downtown San Antonio businesses are strutting their stuff in the mayor's "Light Up Downtown" holiday contest, using lights to decorate storefronts.

The contest began just after Thanksgiving and will run through Dec. 20, according to a city press release.
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Robert Stovall, chairman of the Bexar County Republican Party, kicked off his campaign for the 21st Congressional District on Wednesday and announced he will step down from his position next week.

The announcement comes almost a month after Rep. Lamar Smith said hes retiring from Congress after holding the seat, which covers parts of San Antonio, Austin and the Hill Country, since 1987.

Stovall said he made up his mind to run about a week after Smiths announcement, though he was prepared to decide if the time ever came.

I made my decision based on the announcement that Lamar Smith was not going to run for re-election, Stovall told a small crowd at the GOPs North Side headquarters. Obviously, right? Because if he was running Id be crazy to run against him.

On Wednesday, Stovall established himself as an anti-abortion, small-government candidate while touting his record as a small-business owner, seventh-generation Texan and longtime resident of the 21st District.

I believe that the American people and small businesses are the backbone of this country, not the overreaching government that delegates power to our non-elected bureaucrats, he said.

He added that hes a firm believer in the Constitution and believes its as relevant as it was when it was written over 200 years ago."

Smith, chair of the U.S. House Science Committee, has maintained a firm grasp on his seat for the past three decades, routinely winning upward of 60 percent of the vote.

Stovall said hes had an open dialogue with Smith since taking over as party chair and that Smith is excited about the campaign.

Smith does not expect to issue an endorsement in the primary, spokeswoman Jennifer Pett said, but he certainly thinks that Robert is among the qualified candidates seeking to succeed him.

Bexar County Democratic Party Chair Manuel Medina took a positive note when asked about Stovalls candidacy, saying he was glad to see a local figure put his name forward.

I believe individuals  whether theyre Democrats or Republicans  that care enough about their local parties to participate, to represent their values, I think it's a good thing when they're given the opportunity to seek public office, Medina said. So I congratulate Robert for taking that next step.

Managing Stovalls campaign is Justin Hollis, whos also running Rep. Will Hurds re-election campaign for the 23rd District. Former Donald Trump campaign digital director Brad Parscale will help with Stovalls digital media operation.

Stovall recently appointed Parscales father, Dwight, as vice chairman of the Bexar County GOP. The party will hold a special election after Stovall files his candidacy, and Stovall said he is throwing his weight behind Dwight Parscale as his potential successor.

I think he would be the best choice, theres no doubt, Stovall said. Imagine everything that comes with, hes got 40 years of political experience and a son whos helped win a national campaign.

Stovall adds his name to a list of GOP candidates that includes Eric Burkhart, a retired CIA officer, and state Rep. Jason Isaac, R-Dripping Springs. No Democrat has filed for the seat.

jscherer@express-news.net | Twitter:@jaspscherer
Nearly one month after 26 churchgoers were killed at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, community members are continuing to raise funds for the victims families.

Its hard getting donations, let me tell you. Everybody has given already for all these other benefits, said Robert Kunz, the organizer for an upcoming benefit at the Stockdale City Park Arena.

It starts at noon Saturday and ends at midnight . A bull riding contest is set for 3 p.m. and live band performances start at 6 p.m. There will also be a silent auction of belt buckles, painted bull skulls and metal art, among other items. It costs $10 for adults and $5 for children.

All funds go toward the victims families and First Baptist Church, by way of a bank account the Sutherland Springs Community Association set up after the mass shooting. The association and the Senior Bull Riding Association are hosting the fundraiser.

Kunz, who owns the Sutherland Springs Tire and Battery shop, said the healing process for the community has gone very slow, but he hopes any money they raise will help in some small way.

They were all my customers or my friends. We knew a lot of people in (the church), he said.

The plan is to make this an annual fundraiser, with next years event going toward college funds for the kids still recovering from the shooting.

These kids need a break in life, and this is a good way to stary, he said.

Those interested in donating or attending can contact Brandi Flores at 210-417-5580 for more information.

sfosterfrau@express-news.net
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Police on Wednesday arrested a 27-year-old man after he allegedly admitted to forcing a sex act upon his 4-year-old relative.

Terrence R. Taylor of San Antonio, was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, a first-degree felony. He was booked into the Bexar County Jail on a $75,000 bond.
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On Nov. 17, a friend of Joseph Camarena drove him to Jesse Castilla's home in southwest San Antonio and waited in his car, police said.

Camarena and Castilla went into the garage of the home in the 300 block of Lovett Street. The friend heard what sounded like two gunshots, according to San Antonio police.

Camarena was never seen alive again, authorities said.

A day after Castilla was arrested on suspicion of murder in Camarena's death, court documents showed what police say happened that night.

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Camarena's friend, who is also his wife's cousin, told police the noises scared him, but he wasn't sure they were gunshots at the time. Castilla allegedly approached the friend and told him Camarena was having a seizure and needed his help in the garage.

Instead, the cousin drove off, coming back with Camarena's wife, who asked Castilla where her husband was, police said.

Castilla, armed with a gun during this exchange, told her Camarena had a seizure and that he took him to Methodist Hospital, according to the affidavit.

Camarena's wife drove to the hospital but he wasn't there, according to the affidavit. She called Castilla, who told her Camarena was at a different hospital.

The wife called every hospital in San Antonio but Camarena was not at any of them, police said.

That same night, Castilla allegedly reached out to a couple he knew, giving them a bag of a meth to drop off a black barrel at a river.

As the couple went to remove the barrel from the truck, the barrel hit the ground, dislodging the lid and exposing a pair of human legs. The body in the barrel was later identified as Camarena, police said.

RELATED: $5,000 reward offered for info on driver who hit 64-year-old man, moved his body and fled

Police obtained a search warrant for Castilla's home, where they found evidence of blood and two spent shell casings inside the detached garage.

Shortly after that discovery, Castilla showed up to police headquarters with his lawyer, according to the affidavit. He denied killing Camarena, but said Camarena had come to his home to get money that he was owed, according to the affidavit.

A warrant for Castilla's arrest was signed on Nov. 18. Police found him Wednesday after asking for the public's help locating him. His bail is set at $100,000.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com | Twitter: @FaresInSA
New Braunfels police arrested a man Tuesday after an 11-year-old girl said someone took a photo of her underneath a bathroom stall.

The case stems from an incident at a New Braunfels Wal-Mart on Aug. 12, according to police. Officers were called to the store after the girl told her parents what happened, authorities said.
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ST. ANTHONY, Minn. - The Minnesota city that employed a police officer who fatally shot black motorist Philando Castile during a traffic stop last year has reached a settlement with Castile's girlfriend and her daughter, who were in the car with him when he was killed.

The St. Anthony City Council voted Tuesday night to pay $675,000 to Diamond Reynolds and her daughter, who was 4 years old when her father was killed.

Reynolds also will receive $125,000 from the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust and the city of Roseville, where Reynolds was detained by police and questioned by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension after the shooting.

St. Anthony Mayor Jerry Faust said the settlement resolves any civil litigation against the city and current and former employees and "opens the door to healing."

A statement on the city's website says the settlement resolves Reynolds' claims of "emotional distress and false arrest."

Castile was driving in Falcon Heights when officer Jeronimo Yanez pulled him over and shot him after he said he was armed. Reynolds streamed the shooting's aftermath live on Facebook.

Yanez was acquitted of manslaughter and other charges and left the police department.

Reynolds released a statement Tuesday night, saying, "The settlement symbolizes that what happened to my daughter and I on July 6, 2016 was wrong. While no amount of money can change what happened, bring Philando back, or erase the pain that my daughter and I continue to suffer, I do hope that closing this chapter will allow us to get our lives back and move forward."

Castile's death and the officer's acquittal sparked weeks of protests. His mother, Valerie, received a $3 million settlement from the city of St. Anthony in June.
WASHINGTON - The Senate moved closer to approving a sweeping overhaul of the tax code Wednesday, voting to begin debate on the tax rewrite as Republican leaders continue trying to secure the votes for final passage.

The procedural vote, which passed 52-48, put the Senate on track for a final vote later this week.

The push by Senate Republicans to pass an ambitious tax rewrite now enters a critical and politically delicate phase. Republican leaders still lack firm commitments from enough of their members to ensure passage later in the week, and major provisions of the bill were still being debated Wednesday.

Among the biggest potential changes under discussion would involve nudging the corporate tax rate from the proposed 20 percent rate to 22 percent. Such a move would still result in a large cut from the current top rate of 35 percent but would give lawmakers some additional money to use for other concessions necessary to win over reticent lawmakers.

The higher rate was floated Wednesday by Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah, both of whom want to use the money from a higher corporate rate to pay for an expanded child tax credit.

"It makes us just as competitive, but it allows us to do the pro-worker reform that we desperately need," Rubio said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., expressed openness to a slightly higher corporate rate than the Senate had proposed.

"Failure is not an option," Graham said when asked about raising the corporate tax rate to pay for other changes. "If you've got to go up a point or two to make it work, I'm fine with it."

But the White House was not receptive.

"We do support the child tax credit," said Raj Shah, a White House spokesman. "We also think it's important to make businesses more competitive. We would not support raising the corporate rate as outlined in that amendment."

Lawmakers were nearing agreement on other concessions, including sweetening the tax treatment for pass-through businesses by boosting a tax deduction for owners of those businesses.

But an additional sticking point emerged in the form of how to guard against ballooning budget deficits, with some lawmakers pushing for automatic spending cuts.

As Republicans negotiate, they are encumbered by parliamentary rules that limit what provisions can be included in the bill. Another restriction: The final bill cannot cost more than $1.5 trillion over 10 years.

To pass a tax bill in the Senate, Republicans will need the support of 50 of their 52 members, assuming no Democrats vote for the bill and Vice President Mike Pence breaks a 50-50 tie. The House already passed a tax package that differs substantially from the Senate's version, so if the Senate can succeed in passing its bill, the two chambers would then need to reconcile the two plans.
Someone told me recently that Americans are information rich and knowledge poor. One reason for this is that journalism is broken. We just cant agree on how to fix it.

Consider the contrasting views of former New York Times reporter Linda Greenhouse and Emmy Award-winning former CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson. Each has written a book detailing her experience as a journalist and offering thoughts on where the profession is headed.

In Greenhouses book, Just a Journalist: On the Press, Life and the Spaces Between, she writes: The opposite of objectivity isnt partisanship, or neednt be. Rather, it is judgment, the hard work of sorting out the false claims from the true and discarding or at least labeling the false. As Greenhouse sees it, a journalist doesnt just have the right to express opinions but the obligation to do so  if it is in the pursuit of truth. And, she insists, journalists have every right to be voters and activists because they dont stop being citizens when they enter the profession. She also thinks the jobs standards can be too rigid.

Attkisson sees things differently. As she spells out in The Smear: How Shady Political Operatives and Fake News Control What You See, What You Think, and How You Vote, she thinks the media are in a mess of their own making. The public doesnt trust the media anymore, she says, because journalists have violated their own standards. As Attkisson said in a recent video for the digital media organization PragerU: We in the business of journalism have exempted ourselves from the normal rules that used to govern us, and so the most egregious kinds of reporting errors are becoming more common.

Here are 10 mistakes that my colleagues and I have made in just the last year that hurt our credibility:

Weve broken our own rules. Reporters are supposed to keep their opinions to themselves. Anchors are supposed to tell you the news, not tell you what to think.

Weve divided up into teams. In the age of Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites that encourage direct interaction, journalists who work for different companies are free to snipe at one another.

Were surrounded by the like-minded. The industry is not diverse. Many journalists are white, come from the same socioeconomic backgrounds, went to the same schools, and live in cities.

We take criticism personally. Despite belonging to a profession that thrives on criticizing others  especially elected officials  many journalists have thin skin.

Weve become too comfortable with hypocrisy. The recent wave of sexual harassment scandals involving media figures  Charlie Rose, formerly of PBS and CBS News; Mark Halperin, formerly of ABC News and NBC News; and Michael Oreskes, formerly of NPR and The New York Times, Matt Lauer of NBC, etc.  shows that journalists dont do a good enough job of policing their own backyard.

We try to be social workers and social engineers. Our job is to constantly try to tell better stories. Thats it. Instead, weve gotten sidetracked into the totally different mission of making better people and building a better society.

We take our cues from Washington and New York. These big cities have been given free rein in shaping the national discussion, while paying too little attention to what matters in small towns and rural areas.

We let our bias show. Many of us are anti-Trump and pro-Democrat. We dont even bother to hide it anymore. In fact, many of us seem proud of our activism and partisanship.

We tell ourselves that the ends justify the means. This is especially true in our battles against deplorables, including the one in the White House.

We havent done a good job of telling our own story. Readers dont know the difference among editorials, columns and news articles. Television viewers confuse reporters, anchors and commentators. Weve mixed it all together.

So how does the media get back on track  and rebuild the publics trust? We have to stop being defensive, be more introspective, and admit we have a problem. We need to look in the mirror and confront what weve done wrong. Then, every day, on the job, we have to make it our mission to improve our craft and win back our audience.

ruben@rubennavarrette.com
America is currently cursed, not only with tribal politics, but with tribal morality. Some liberals tend to minimize or excuse offenses against a few women in the broader cause of womens rights. What is a politicians wandering hand in comparison to maintaining legal abortion? Some conservatives tend to minimize or excuse offenses against women in the cause of conservative governance. What are a few old accusations compared to cementing a conservative Supreme Court or passing tax reform?

Both sides give personal failings less weight than a compelling public good. It is not always an unserious argument, but in this case, it is a cruel and dangerous one.

This description may sound like a columnists caricature. But, on occasion, a caricature becomes incarnate. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has admitted she has no reason to disbelieve any of Republican senate candidate Roy Moores accusers. Yet Ivey has announced she will vote for Moore anyway. We need to have a Republican in the United States Senate, she explained, to vote on the things like Supreme Court justices.

This is worth a pause. One of the accusers in this case says that in the late 1970s Moore, then a county prosecutor, offered to drive her home. Instead, she alleges, he parked behind the restaurant where she worked, touched her breasts, tried to pull off her shirt, grabbed her neck and pushed her head toward his crotch, leaving nasty bruises and a lifetime of trauma. The victim was 16 years old at the time. If Ivey truly believes this accusation, she is voting for someone who committed sexual assault on a teenage girl, in order to help secure one Senate vote on a prospective Supreme Court nominee.

This is utilitarianism, unadorned. Ivey believes she is pursuing Jeremy Benthams imperative, achieving the greatest good for the greatest number of people. It is a simple, easily stated moral rule.

There are many varieties of utilitarianism, but they share some weaknesses. It always involves speculative judgments about the future. What if, as a senator, Moore becomes a rolling scandal of misogyny and intolerance? What if this deepens the image of the GOP as the party of prejudice and male dominance? And what if this costs Republicans control of the House of Representatives and a few other Senate seats? How would this affect Iveys utilitarian calculation?

This scenario is not unlikely. During his recent defeat in the Virginia governors race, Ed Gillespie  a comparatively good GOP candidate  lost women voters by 22 points.

But the main problem with utilitarian calculation in politics reaches deeper. By definition, it means that the rights of the few can be sacrificed to the interests of the many. It is a theory that has always been plagued by hypothetical questions: What if punishing a few innocent people would, on balance, have a good social result? What if keeping a few people in slavery clearly benefited the many? At what point does the but hell vote right on Supreme Court nominees argument end? Three rapes? Four murders? Wouldnt utilitarian calculations still apply?

In the cases before us  if you believe the credible testimony of the accusers  the rights and dignity of women have already been violated. Ignoring or downplaying those violations in the pursuit of other social goals  conservative or liberal  is an additional form of victimization, this time by the broader society.

None of this is to downplay the difficult task of applying appropriate punishments for differing degrees of guilt. But various traditions of ethics rooted in religion  as well as the Enlightenment theories that informed Americas founding  place a primary emphasis on the rights and dignity of individuals, protected against the shifting interests of the majority.

This is the firm moral ground upon which our debate on sexual harassment should be conducted. Political figures guilty of coercion, exploitation, dehumanization, cruelty and the abuse of power should not be trusted with power. Even on our own side.

michaelgerson@washpost.com
The growing tension and confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Iran present the U.S. administration with multiple and contradictory challenges to U.S. security interests in the Persian Gulf.

The Saudis, who have been Americas friends and wealthy oil partners since 1944, are experiencing domestic changes and foreign adventures unique in their history. They have a young, new and untested leader who is planning a dramatically new political economy for the kingdom in the face of an anticipated long term decline in Saudi wealth and influence.

Iran is a powerful American adversary several times larger than its neighbors with a significant military ground force plus an expanding network of pro-Iranian militant groups operating outside of Iran, particularly Hezbollah. Iran has a growing economy, greater international support, particularly from Europe, Russia and China, and the potential for being even more influential in the region.

Many have accepted the conclusion that there is no contest about where the United States has and should continue to place its support between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Yet there are components of this regional competition that require acute understanding and astute management to enhance U.S. long-term interests.

First, no regional conflict can be resolved militarily. A political outcome will require Saudi Arabia and Iran to reach some modus vivendi. By throwing its full weight behind the Saudis against Iran, the U.S. assures that no regional agreements will be reached without the unlikely capitulation of Iran.

Second, by encouraging a more aggressive and militarized Saudi stance against Iran, the U.S. undermines the important plans of the new Saudi leader to build a more constructive and modern political economy for the kingdom. With Yemen already a quagmire, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman does not need the burden of an additional costly foreign adventure. Should war occur, the United States will face the Hobsons choice of a highly unpopular third on-going war in the region or abandoning a critical ally with all that means for reduced U.S. influence in the Gulf and globally.

U.S. support for the Saudis against Iran would almost certainly destroy the nuclear agreement with Tehran. A nuclear armed Iran would be far more threatening and dangerous for Israel and the region and for nuclear proliferation generally.

Despite these realities, the administration has joined Saudi Arabia in defining Iran as a common enemy. Israel is apparently a willing participant in that unofficial but clear mission to push back Iran.

This polarizing American policy sets the U.S. on a flawed and dangerous path in the Middle East. U.S. armed forces and allies will now have to recalibrate their roles in Iraq and Syria with the elimination and dispersal of ISIS forces. The major challenges for the United States will be to strengthen and stabilize Iraq and reach a political solution in Syria. These strategic goals cannot be achieved if combined with a conflict with Iran. While a more assertive military approach to Iran might offer opportunities for Israel to move against Hezbollah, the opportunities for an unwanted, unforeseen escalation are legion in that chaotic part of the world.

The administration, after careful analysis of U.S. interests, seems to have quietly recognized the value of preserving the nuclear agreement with Iran. It should now give similar careful and critical thought to selecting wise options to protect Americas traditional friends, enhance Americas constructive political role, and assure that Iran is without a nuclear weapon, while avoiding actions that will lead to a third, concurrent, unwinnable and costly war in the Middle East.

Thomas Pickering is a former under secretary of state and ambassador to Israel, Russia and the U.N. William Luers, a former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela and Czechoslovakia, is the director of the Iran Project. Pickering will speak at an event on The Future of the Iran Deal hosted by the World Affairs Council of San Antonio at the San Antonio Country Club at 6 p.m. Dec. 6, wacofsa.org/event/distinguished-speaker-series-iran-project/. He also will be the guest speaker at a World Affairs Council of Austin luncheon at the ACC Eastview Campus at 11:30 a.m. Dec. 7.
Its a horrifying story. One that could happen in many parts of rural Texas.

A natural gas pipeline explodes in a rural area, raining chemicals onto a young familys home.

The family races away, but the parents and their young children are exposed to hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide and other volatile organic compounds. The familys dream home is ruined. In the aftermath of the explosion, the family is financially stressed and tied up in litigation with the pipelines owners and associated contractors.

Thats the story Express-News reporter Brendan Gibbons recently told of Meghan Arnold and Steve Woytasczyk, whose lives were turned upside down after a natural gas pipeline, at least 70 years old, ruptured on their property in Charlotte about an hour south of San Antonio.

Energy Transfer Partners did not grant an interview to Gibbons, but in an email, a company spokeswoman disputed the facts the family has presented.

The familys description is horrifying. Awakening to a deafening roar in the early morning. A sulfur smell so powerful it hits the nostrils like a ton of bricks. A strange mist raining down from the sky.

Even more horrifying is the possibility this could happen elsewhere in Texas. As Gibbons highlighted, regulations for such rural gathering lines are few and far between. In populated areas, all work on oil and gas pipelines must meet certain federal safety standards. These include pipe materials, welding practices, and the qualifications of workers.

But those regulations dont apply to Class 1 rural gathering lines, which have 10 or fewer homes within 220 yards of the pipelines center. This is a big part of the pipeline network in Texas. As Gibbons reported, of the roughly 449,000 miles of pipeline in the Lone Star State, about 173,000 miles are class 1 gathering lines.

And many of these lines are old and due for massive repairs. That was the case for the pipeline on Arnolds and Woytasczyks property. The pipeline is at least 70 years old, and the couple alleges it needed extensive work. Google Earth photos from December 2015 show construction equipment and pipeline excavators near Arnolds and Woytasczyks house, Gibbons reported.

Since federal standards exist for work on pipelines in populated areas, those same standards should apply to rural areas. An explosion still has the potential to kill or injure people  this family is proof of that  and it could still damage private property. Its hard to see a benefit to not having uniform standards, except as a way to limit costs to businesses. But how does that outweigh health and safety concerns for the public?
The cleanup effort is in full-effect for San Antonios upcoming Tricentennial celebration.

Its an effort that appears to be going in the right direction under Assistant City Manager Carlos Contreras, who has taken charge of the struggling Tricentennial Commission. Hes replaced Edward Benavides, who resigned as the nonprofit commissions chief executive officer after some high-profile stumbles. Benavides remains a city employee.

Under Benavides tenure, fundraising for the Tricentennial floundered. The city chose KSAT-TV as its English language broadcast media partner in a deal that smacks of favoritism. The marketing and messaging about the Tricentennial has been nonexistent and confusing. Beyond this, the New Years Eve kickoff is underwhelming. REO Speedwagon and Pat Benatar were big in the 1980s, but they fall flat as headliners in 2018.

In a recent public meeting with some City Council members, Contreras outlined the plan to make things better. Here are the highlights:

An overhauled website that will launch in mid-December and will very clearly direct San Antonio residents to a calendar of events.

A financial audit of the Tricentennial and a review of contracts. This is a necessary step to ensure public trust.

A clear focus on whats been dubbed Commemorative Week, with daily events held from May 1-6. This is crucial. At best, people in the community have only a vague sense of what the tricentennial is and how they can participate and celebrate. Commemorative Week is a tangible big event.

Contreras also sought to smooth over fundraising concerns, saying 87 percent of the Tricentennials $21.7 million budget has been funded. He expects the balance to be covered in 2018, meaning no events will be canceled.

District 6 City Councilman Greg Brockhouse has emerged as the loudest critic of the Tricentennials handling. We share his broader concern about accountability, or lack thereof. It makes no sense that the commissions volunteer board, the city managers office or the City Council did not intervene much sooner. But there are nuances to Brockhouses criticisms that are off target.

The biggest example is his desire to repeal the media partnership with KSAT. This would make a bad situation worse. Repealing the agreement would invite a potential lawsuit.

The Tricentennial still has the potential to be a rich and dynamic celebration of San Antonio. This is a moment worthy of widespread community support. But should the Tricentennial fall short of community expectations, then those responsible for that failure must be held accountable.
North Korea on Tuesday fired a missile that traveled about 1,000 kilometers before crashing into the Sea of Japan, the Pentagon said in a statement.

The Department of Defense said that initial assessments indicated the missile was an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM. In a news conference, Japans Defense minister also said it seemed to be an ICBM.

The missile went higher than any shot North Korea had previously taken, according to Defense Secretary James Mattis.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered an emergency meeting of Cabinet ministers following the launch, North Koreas first since Sept. 15, when one flew over northern Japan and into the Pacific Ocean.

A missile was launched from North Korea which appears to have landed within Japans exclusive economic zone, Abes office tweeted. As soon as new information comes in, we will let you know.

The exclusive economic zone is a legal designation established by the United Nations Law of the Sea.

The South Korean military conducted a precision missile-firing drill as a response to the launch, a South Korean military official told NBC.

The North Korean flag is seen at mast past the barbed wire fencing of the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur

President Donald Trump was briefed on the situation while the missile was in the air, the White House said in a statement.

It is a situation that we will handle, he said to reporters Tuesday.

We are working with our interagency partners on a more detailed assessment of the launch, a Pentagon spokesman said. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America, our territories or our allies.

Our commitment to the defense of our allies, including the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, remains ironclad, he added. We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies from any attack or provocation.

U.N. Security Council President Sebastiano Cardi said he has been in contact with key UN members, but no request has been made yet for a meeting. He said he is scheduled to brief the Security Council on Wednesday.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg strongly condemned the missile test.

North Korea needs to re-engage in a credible and meaningful dialogue with the international community, he said.

The missile was fired from Sain Ni, North Korea, the Pentagon said.

South Korea and the United States are analyzing the details of the launch, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff told the South Korean news agency Yonhap.

Earlier on Tuesday Reuters reported that U.S. government experts believed the regime was likely to launch a missile within days.

The launch comes on the heels of Trumps Nov. 20 announcement that the U.S. is designating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Trump said on Tuesday that the launch does not change the U.S. approach to North Korea.

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President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been told controversial former Education Minister Lazarus Dokora allegedly stole millions of dollars.

During his tenure Dokora was of a truth put to task by parliament concerning millions of of dollars of public money he directed into an account he would personally manage.

The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has welcomed the move by new President Emmerson Mnangagwa to streamline ministry and cut on the size of cabinet. The union has consistently called for the creation of one ministry of education with a number of departments for primary, secondary and tertiary education.

Their statement continues:

Further, cabinet had become a feeding trough which Mugabe used to reward loyalists, relatives and factions as and when it suited him. By cutting on the ministries and having competent personnel at the top millions of dollars will be saved which can be channeled towards provision of basic social services such as education.

In addition to a lean cabinet, the union proposes that the perks of Ministers be cut so as to save money which was often blown purchasing top of the range vehicles at the expense of service delivery.

The union further appreciates the anti-corruption stance taken by the new President. Corruption is a serious scourge which has undermined the attainment of crucial socio-economic rights provided for in the constitution. The union has consistently called for an end to corruption which has seen millions being siphoned out of the education system by greedy elements like former ministers Lazarus Dokora and Jonathan Moyo.

ARTUZ recommends that part of the funds recovered from looters be set aside and form the basis of an Education Equalisation Fund which will be utilized to fund free basic education, infrastructure development in schools, schools computerization programmes and electrification of all schools in rural areas.

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THE British government has expressed optimism that the countrys new dispensation will usher positive changes that are desirable for Zimbabweans and the world.

In a statement, Britains Minister for Africa Mr Rory Stewart who last week met President Emmerson Mnangagwa among other political leaders, said his country should be patient with Zimbabwe under its new political leadership.

The country last week marked the dawn of a new era following the resignation of Cde Mugabe as the countrys President.

President Mnangagwa who was inaugurated last week has impressed different sectors with his clear policy on the way forward. He promised to normalise relations with other countries that have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe.

Mr Stewart who has since returned to Britain said although Zimbabwe has suffered economic setbacks, hope was not lost due to the level of education among the countrys citizens.

He said the country has a chance to rebuild itself with the assistance of friendly nations.

Were now at a situation in Zimbabwe where there could be an opportunity for progress so I went to listen and to learn. This was one of the wealthiest countries in Africa. It has incredible human potential, a very educated population and fantastic natural resources. But it is a country which has suffered terribly. If were patient and if were careful, this can be a moment of change where Zimbabwe becomes the country that its people and its many international friends want it to be, said Mr Stewart.

President Mnangagwas rise to power has seen friendly nations committing to assist in the rebuilding of Zimbabwe.

Cde Mnangagwas inauguration message has impacted positively on the international community with several countries promising to help the country grow its economy.

US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Harry K Thomas Jnr on Sunday said his country was prepared to help Zimbabwe achieve the much needed economic stability.

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Father Fidelis Mukonori, a Catholic priest who mediated talks between Zimbabwes former President Robert Mugabe and the military generals who toppled him, says former First Lady Grace Mugabe participated in some discussions leading to the stepping down of Mr. Mugabe after a military intervention.

In an exclusive interview with VOA Zimbabwe Service, Father Mukonori, for the first time, revealed that Mrs. Mugabe attended some of the meetings between Mr. Mugabe and the generals. The generals were not happy that Mrs. Mugabe was allegedly attacking them, war veterans and senior party members like then Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, now president, at ruling Zanu-PF party rallies.

Asked if Mrs. Mugabe participated in the discussions, Mukonori responded, She came in when she had to.

Mukonori though was quick to add, But she was not the major focus. We were zeroing in on the commander-in-chief of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces, and the Head of State and government and first secretary of Zanu-PF, President Robert Mugabe. For us that was the center of focus. We didnt want to lose focus.

Father Mukonori says as far as the generals were concerned Mr. Mugabe was answerable to the (former) first lady. The first lady was the secretary for Womens Affairs and that in my view was part and parcel of the responsibility of the president. So we did not have to deal with that issue.

ELIMINATION OF GENERAL CHIWENGA

There were unconfirmed reports that as the plot to oust Mnangagwa thickened, there were also plans by the former first lady or her backers to cause an arrest or elimination of army General Chiwenga  deemed to be too close to Mnangagwa.

Asked about the reports, Father Mukonori said, It was denied (by the former first lady). He added, I brought up the issue personally during the discussion period with the commanders.

There were also allegations that a statement read by now detained former Zanu-PF Youth League leader, Kudzi Chipanga, had been authored by the former first lady or her office.

Father Mukonori told VOA Zimbabwe Service that when this issue was raised, Mr. Mugabe personally called the first lady to explain to the generals the source of the statement.

Mrs. Mugabe denied the allegation that she had authored it. In the press statement, Chipanga said youths were prepared to defend Mugabe to the last man.

Said Chipanga:  We are, therefore, taking a stand against those who are bent on sowing division among our people and also those taking advantage of the privilege of their appointment by our president to extort guarantees and immunity for fugitives, boarder (sic) jumpers from the same appointing authority.

These people should be warned that we the youth are watching in our millions and those who wish to ride on the back of the tiger will end up inside. As a revolutionary party, Zanu-PF is evolving and placing itself at the forefront of the constitutional dispensation we fought the oppressor for and obtained.

The remarks were a direct response to warnings given by General Chiwenga that the ruling Zanu-PF should not purge war veterans from its ranks. But after being allegedly abducted and beaten up by the army, Chipanga offered an apology.

He said, I was ill-advised to read a document that was handed over to me by one Rodney Dangarembizi (Dangarembizi is a close associate of former First Lady Grace Mugabes who organized her 50th Birthday Dinner in 2015) yesterday.

As a leader of the Zanu PF Youth League, I have since reflected and I personally admit that I erred together with my entire executive to denigrate your highest office. We are still young and make mistakes and we have learnt a lot from this mistake. I have not been persuaded to offer myself to the state media but I have personally reflected and realized my mistake, thank you, said Chipanga.

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PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday met Chinas assistant foreign affairs minister, Chen Xiaodong, dispatched as a special envoy by Beijing days after Zimbabwes new leader assumed office.

Although details of the meeting were not immediately available, multiple government sources this week indicated that China had expressed its willingness to support Zimbabwes reconstruction under Mnangagwa, an avowed admirer of the Chinese economic system.

Beijing has emerged as one of Zimbabwes most important economic partners, but ties had grown a little frosty during former president Robert Mugabes last years, with China growing frustrated by Harares inability to service its debts.

Zimbabwes relations with Britain, meanwhile, have been fraught since 2000, when Whitehall spearheaded sanctions against the Mugabe government over allegations of election violence and fraud as well as violent land seizures.

Mnangagwa has undertaken to mend Zimbabwes relations with the international community.

The Chinese envoys visit follows last weeks trip to Harare by the United Kingdoms Africa Minister, Rory Stewart.

The UK minister met Mnangagwa after his inauguration as president last Friday. Stewart also met several opposition and civil society figures.

Upon his return to the UK, Stewart expressed hope for the mending of relations between Britain and her former colony.

Were now at a situation in Zimbabwe where there could be an opportunity for progress, so I went to listen and to learn, Stewart said in a statement issued by the FCO.

If were patient and if were careful, this can be a moment of change where Zimbabwe becomes the country its people and its many international friends want it to be.

Stewarts visit followed last weeks statement by Theresa May, saying Mugabes exit presents an opportunity for Zimbabwe to forge a new path.

May also offered Zimbabwe unspecified support.

Yesterday, British foreign secretary Boris Jsohnson weighed in, tweeting along with a picture with Zimbabwean diplomat Tadeous Chifamba: Encouraging discussion with Zimbabwean delegation at the #AUEUSummit. They are committed to building on the positive momentum of (the) last few weeks and to take the democratic path to prosperity and stability.

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WASHINGTON  Yesterday, Senate Republicans indicated that the proposed deduction for pass-through businesses has been increased, Politico reports. The deduction is part of the tax rewrite measure.

After lawmakers complained that the bill wouldnt slash taxes enough for small businesses, two senators agreed to up the deduction to 20%, from the previously proposed maximum of 17.4%. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), one of the complaining lawmakers, now said he would approve the tax plan.

Meanwhile, Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) said the additional percentage would be found within the tax plan because we had some room. Republicans have $600 billion in play to address colleague concerns before hitting the budgets $1.5 trillion limit on the total amount of a tax cut. Having a higher pass-through deduction will probably push the plan more towards wealthier Americans because pass-through income generally impacts the well off more than any other income bracket.
Find the newest releases to watch from National Geographic on Disney+, including acclaimed documentary series and films Fire of Love, The Rescue, Limitless with Chris Hemsworth and We Feed People.
By Online Desk

Things just got serious and dark in the Marvel Universe as Thanos, a supervillain, enters the scene. With the trailer of Avengers: Infinity Wars just being released, here are some things that fans went crazy about after watching it.

Watch | Trailer of Avengers: Infinity Wars

The Heroes

YouTube screengrab from the trailer

This is the third movie in the Avengers series and a continuation of Captain America: Civil War, where the team split up. The new trailer cleverly shows who regroups with whom. While Captain America's team, consisting of Black widow and Black Panther amongst others, unites at Wakanda (a fictional nation in the Marvel Universe), Ironman joins forces with Dr. Strange and his team in New York. A third team is set in outer space where Thor meets the Guardians of the Galaxy.

The Villain

YouTube screengrab from the Watch Mojo video

If you blinked, you might have missed a new character that was not shown in Marvel movies before. In one scene, she is seen throwing a spear at Captain America. She is none other than Proxima Midnight. Proxima is said to be a member of supervillain Thanos' 'Black Order'.

Who will die?

YouTube screengrab from the trailer

Thanos is looking for what are known as 'the infinity stones' and it is known that the 'Vision' has got the 'mind stone' on his forehead. The trailer shows a scene where Thanos takes the stone away from him. Another superhero who is in trouble is Dr. strange who is seen wearing the 'time stone' on his chest.

Spiderman and his spider-sense

YouTube screengrab from the trailer

Spiderman is definitely a beloved character from Marvel and it is exciting to see his spider-sense in the trailer. He also seems to have changed into a new suit. The suit is assumed to have been gifted to him by Ironman at the end of the movie 'Spider-Man: Homecoming'.

Loki working with Thanos?

YouTube screengrab from the trailer

At the end of 'Thor: Ragnarok', Thor's cunning brother Loki is seen eyeing the Tesseract (a vessel containing the 'space stone') in Thor's kingdom, Asgard. The Infinity War trailer shows that Loki has the Tesseract and is handing it to someone, possibly Thanos himself.





Things just got serious and dark in the Marvel Universe as Thanos, a supervillain, enters the scene. With the trailer of Avengers: Infinity Wars just being released, here are some things that fans went crazy about after watching it. Watch | Trailer of Avengers: Infinity Wars The Heroes YouTube screengrab from the trailer This is the third movie in the Avengers series and a continuation of Captain America: Civil War, where the team split up. The new trailer cleverly shows who regroups with whom. While Captain America's team, consisting of Black widow and Black Panther amongst others, unites at Wakanda (a fictional nation in the Marvel Universe), Ironman joins forces with Dr. Strange and his team in New York. A third team is set in outer space where Thor meets the Guardians of the Galaxy. The Villain YouTube screengrab from the Watch Mojo video If you blinked, you might have missed a new character that was not shown in Marvel movies before. In one scene, she is seen throwing a spear at Captain America. She is none other than Proxima Midnight. Proxima is said to be a member of supervillain Thanos' 'Black Order'. Who will die? YouTube screengrab from the trailer Thanos is looking for what are known as 'the infinity stones' and it is known that the 'Vision' has got the 'mind stone' on his forehead. The trailer shows a scene where Thanos takes the stone away from him. Another superhero who is in trouble is Dr. strange who is seen wearing the 'time stone' on his chest. Spiderman and his spider-sense YouTube screengrab from the trailer Spiderman is definitely a beloved character from Marvel and it is exciting to see his spider-sense in the trailer. He also seems to have changed into a new suit. The suit is assumed to have been gifted to him by Ironman at the end of the movie 'Spider-Man: Homecoming'. Loki working with Thanos? YouTube screengrab from the trailer At the end of 'Thor: Ragnarok', Thor's cunning brother Loki is seen eyeing the Tesseract (a vessel containing the 'space stone') in Thor's kingdom, Asgard. The Infinity War trailer shows that Loki has the Tesseract and is handing it to someone, possibly Thanos himself.
By Online Desk

Faced with backlash from cattle traders and farmers against the ban on sale of cattle for slaughter, the Centre is planning a rollback of its controversial notification.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has decided to withdraw the ban following feedback it received from the states on its May 23 notification on the revision of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Market) Rules, 2017. But the government is yet to decide the time-frame for the process, the Indian Express reported.

The notification on cattle slaughter had sparked severe controversy with people criticising the BJP-led NDA government for trying to impose a ban on food habits based on religious grounds. Cow vigilantes emboldened by the ban have lynched at least two people in Alwar, Rajasthan, for transporting cattle, and have attacked several others in the name of the cow. The governments of Kerala, West Bengal and Meghalaya have protested against the Centre's ban.

Farmers, hit badly by the ban, also raised questions as they couldn't sell cattles past their prime in markets due to the ban.

Earlier in September, Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan had said that the rules were a regulatory regime for preventing cruelty to animals and the government did not intend to directly or indirectly affect slaughterhouses or harm farmers or influence the food habits of people. Following this, the Ministry had asked the states to provide their opinion on the notification.

Two sets of letters were being sent to the states by the Ministry seeking their feedback on the notification. It had also ensured that new draft would be framed based on the response, reported the Indian Express.

The Supreme court in July had extended the stay on the ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter to the whole country which was earlier put on hold by the Madras High Court. The interim stay was on the implementation of rules, specifically Rule 22(b)(iii), that required a person bringing cattle for sale to the market to furnish a written declaration that it would not be sold for slaughter.

Faced with backlash from cattle traders and farmers against the ban on sale of cattle for slaughter, the Centre is planning a rollback of its controversial notification. The Ministry of Environment and Forests has decided to withdraw the ban following feedback it received from the states on its May 23 notification on the revision of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Market) Rules, 2017. But the government is yet to decide the time-frame for the process, the Indian Express reported. The notification on cattle slaughter had sparked severe controversy with people criticising the BJP-led NDA government for trying to impose a ban on food habits based on religious grounds. Cow vigilantes emboldened by the ban have lynched at least two people in Alwar, Rajasthan, for transporting cattle, and have attacked several others in the name of the cow. The governments of Kerala, West Bengal and Meghalaya have protested against the Centre's ban. Farmers, hit badly by the ban, also raised questions as they couldn't sell cattles past their prime in markets due to the ban. Earlier in September, Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan had said that the rules were a regulatory regime for preventing cruelty to animals and the government did not intend to directly or indirectly affect slaughterhouses or harm farmers or influence the food habits of people. Following this, the Ministry had asked the states to provide their opinion on the notification. Two sets of letters were being sent to the states by the Ministry seeking their feedback on the notification. It had also ensured that new draft would be framed based on the response, reported the Indian Express. The Supreme court in July had extended the stay on the ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter to the whole country which was earlier put on hold by the Madras High Court. The interim stay was on the implementation of rules, specifically Rule 22(b)(iii), that required a person bringing cattle for sale to the market to furnish a written declaration that it would not be sold for slaughter.
By Online Desk

Debunking rumours that Cyclone Ockhi could trigger a tsunami formation in the Bay of Bengal region bordering Kanyakumari and Nagapattinam districts in Tamil Nadu and adjoining Kerala, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) told the media that there was no likelihood of a tsunami. Adding to the chaos surrounding the fake messages, some media outlets too have put out false tsunami alerts.

READ | Cyclone Ockhi brings heavy rains, winds to Kerala, Kanyakumari: All you need to know

The IMD today said that the deep depression which had formed in the Bay of Bengal region on Wednesday had now intensified into a cyclonic storm named Ockhi. Heavy rains have been lashing districts in Kerala and coastal Tamil Nadu since yesterday. Kanyakumari reported four deaths today while one person died in Kerala's Kollam. More rainfall is expected in the next 24 hours as the cyclone is likely to get become severe. Chennai will get intermittent spells of rain. [SEE HERE: Cyclone Ockhi in pictures]

A fake message in Malayalam that was doing the rounds of Whatsapp groups translates thus: "Tsunami Warning: Neyyar dam to be opened; heavy winds gush through Idukki In the southern regions; heavy rains and cold weather with winds in the surrounding areas of Kochi; everyone advised to stay indoors; fishermen return from sea. Try and avoid going out for work and if in a vehicle, try to keep moving; Listen to news and news channels"

Another of the fake messages in Malayalam said news alerts had been received that sea had moved back by 8 km at Velankanni in Nagapattinam district. Nagapattinam, located almost at the mid point of the Tamil Nadu coast and juts out like a nose into the Bay of Bengal, was the worst affected district in India with over 600 confirmed deaths during the devastating tsunami which hit southern India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on December 26, 2004.

The hoax messages on WhatsApp and other social media platforms, therefore spread panic by referring to the same places in these so-called alerts.

Thirumullaivasal, Nagapattinam, Velankanni and Thopputhurai are important small ports in the region.

Can a tsunami be caused by a Cyclone? Myths debunked

A tsunami is a series of large waves generated by an abrupt movement on the ocean floor that can result from an earthquake, an underwater landslide, a volcanic eruption or - very rarely - a large meteorite strike. Powerful undersea earthquakes are responsible for most tsunamis.

On the other hand, a system of winds rotating inwards to an area of low atmospheric pressure or a violent tropical storm is what we call a cyclone. A cyclone is formed over water and develops by the wind whereas a tsunami is formed over the water and develops if there is an earthquake under the surface, that is below the water.

Cyclones can cause rainfall, strong winds and thunderstorms whereas tsunamis can cause an abnormal rise in sea level. To put it simply, a wave caused by an earthquake is a tsunami and a violent tropical storm is a cyclone.

Debunking rumours that Cyclone Ockhi could trigger a tsunami formation in the Bay of Bengal region bordering Kanyakumari and Nagapattinam districts in Tamil Nadu and adjoining Kerala, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) told the media that there was no likelihood of a tsunami. Adding to the chaos surrounding the fake messages, some media outlets too have put out false tsunami alerts. READ | Cyclone Ockhi brings heavy rains, winds to Kerala, Kanyakumari: All you need to know The IMD today said that the deep depression which had formed in the Bay of Bengal region on Wednesday had now intensified into a cyclonic storm named Ockhi. Heavy rains have been lashing districts in Kerala and coastal Tamil Nadu since yesterday. Kanyakumari reported four deaths today while one person died in Kerala's Kollam. More rainfall is expected in the next 24 hours as the cyclone is likely to get become severe. Chennai will get intermittent spells of rain. [SEE HERE: Cyclone Ockhi in pictures] A fake message in Malayalam that was doing the rounds of Whatsapp groups translates thus: "Tsunami Warning: Neyyar dam to be opened; heavy winds gush through Idukki In the southern regions; heavy rains and cold weather with winds in the surrounding areas of Kochi; everyone advised to stay indoors; fishermen return from sea. Try and avoid going out for work and if in a vehicle, try to keep moving; Listen to news and news channels" Another of the fake messages in Malayalam said news alerts had been received that sea had moved back by 8 km at Velankanni in Nagapattinam district. Nagapattinam, located almost at the mid point of the Tamil Nadu coast and juts out like a nose into the Bay of Bengal, was the worst affected district in India with over 600 confirmed deaths during the devastating tsunami which hit southern India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on December 26, 2004. The hoax messages on WhatsApp and other social media platforms, therefore spread panic by referring to the same places in these so-called alerts. Thirumullaivasal, Nagapattinam, Velankanni and Thopputhurai are important small ports in the region. Can a tsunami be caused by a Cyclone? Myths debunked A tsunami is a series of large waves generated by an abrupt movement on the ocean floor that can result from an earthquake, an underwater landslide, a volcanic eruption or - very rarely - a large meteorite strike. Powerful undersea earthquakes are responsible for most tsunamis. On the other hand, a system of winds rotating inwards to an area of low atmospheric pressure or a violent tropical storm is what we call a cyclone. A cyclone is formed over water and develops by the wind whereas a tsunami is formed over the water and develops if there is an earthquake under the surface, that is below the water. Cyclones can cause rainfall, strong winds and thunderstorms whereas tsunamis can cause an abnormal rise in sea level. To put it simply, a wave caused by an earthquake is a tsunami and a violent tropical storm is a cyclone.
Biden: Deadly missile that hit Poland 'unlikely' to have come from Russia
Columnist

Tom Kacich is a columnist and the author of Tom's Mailbag at The News-Gazette. His column appears Sundays. His email is tkacich@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@tkacich).
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Tim Mitchell is a reporter at The News-Gazette. His email is tmitchel@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@mitchell6).
Mumbai: Social activist Anna Hazare will launch his agitation over Jan Lokpal and farmers' issues in Delhi from March 23 next year and on Thursday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to select a venue for it.

"You tell people that you want to create a corruption-free India. But you weaken the Lokpal legislation which will help curb corruption," Hazare said in a letter to Modi.

"There is a difference between what you say and what you do. That is why I asked activists in many states about the agitation. They said that March 23 being Shahid Diwas, we should launch the agitation in Delhi on that date," Hazare wrote.

"So we have decided to launch the agitation on March 23. Please let us know the venue (in Delhi) for the agitation," the social activist wrote to Modi.

"Please let us know the difficulty in appointing Lokayukta in states where your party (BJP) is in power," Hazare said.

"Lokpal legislation takes five years but the legislation to weaken it is passed in just three days. This shows that it is not the intention of your government to curb corruption," he said.

Hazare, who has been the face of the Lokpal movement, had said while addressing a meeting of his supporters at Ralegan Siddhi village in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district on Tuesday that this agitation will be a satyagrah for Jan Lokpal, farmers' issues and poll reforms.

The veteran activist had said he has been writing to the prime minister on these issues but hasn't received a response.

"At least 12 lakh farmers have committed suicide in the last 22 years. I want to know the number of industrialists committing suicide during this period," he had said.

Hazare has been demanding Jan Lokpal to keep a check on corruption.

He went on a 12-day hunger strike in 2011 after which the then UPA government accepted the demand in principle.

Hazare later launched a fast, which enjoyed a huge popular support across the country. The UPA government subsequently passed the Lokpal bill.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday delivered the inaugural address at the HT Leadership Summit which is being partnered by CNN-News18. Kicking off the two-day event in the national capital, PM Modi touched upon the reforms undertaken by the government and gave a glimpse of Indias development roadmap. He also invoked former president APJ Abdul Kalams words to urge the media to shun negativity.

Here are the PMs top quotes from the summit:

 The government will now start a drive against benami properties using Aadhaar as a tool to track down suspicious financial transactions. We are moving towards a system through which black money is constantly reducing and integrating in our formal economy.

 Irreversible changes have been brought through Aadhaar number. It is a power through which the government is helping secure rights, subsidies for the poor. Such a system has been created which could not have been even dreamt about a few years ago.

 After demonetisation, a behavioural change has come to India. You can feel it for yourself. For the first time after Independence, the corrupt are feeling the heat.

 I know through all these steps I've taken, the path I've started walking on, there is a political price I will have to pay, but I'm ready to pay it.

 Gita says shun negativity. The confidence we see in people today is irreversible. Two years ago at this forum, we were discussing Towards a Bright India. Today, we are talking about Irreversible Rise India.

 The question is raised, though, as to why our media is so negative. Why are we doubting our own potential and achievements? We have such a vibrant history but we deny ourselves the pride. I am quoting President APJ Abdul Kalam, who said that 'if you scholars find it right, then you should discuss it in your seminars'

 Indians abroad are holding their heads high and claiming to be from here. Slogans like 'Ab ki Baar Cameron Sarkaar', 'Ab ki Baar Trump Sarkaar' shows how Indian politics has become global. In 2022, we would be celebrating 75 years of our independence and we should all have achieved a lot of what we wanted to, together

 Our diplomacy has changed the world for better. When Bhutan suffered due to an earthquake, Sri Lanka with floods, Maldives was hit by water shortage, India rushed to help. When Yemen was in trouble, India not only saved 400 of its citizens, it also helped around 2000 people from other nationalities

 Earlier, headlines would be about out 'policy paralysis' and the world would call us part of the 'fragile five'. Now, look where we are. Countries, big and small, want to walk with us shoulder-to-shoulder. When a country stands with confidence, then words like reversible and irreversible are kept aside. These classifications don't matter.
Hyderabad: As the high profile Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) ended after three days, the US Secret Service lauded the efforts of Telangana Police for managing the security arrangements of hundreds of VIP guests and dignitaries from across the world.

The Telangana Police was appreciated not just by the US agency, but also the Union Home Ministry, Niti Aayog and delegates from abroad, who attended the event.

It was a tough task to look after the security arrangements for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Advisor to US President, Ivanka Trump, former UK PMs wife Cherry Blair and delegates from 150 countries, all at the same time.

The police had successfully managed to keep Ivankas movements a secret, owing to the security threats. The US Secret Service would share the details of her movement with the local police at the last moment and they made arrangements accordingly.

Following the guidelines of the US agency, the police had prepared for two simultaneous plans. Like earlier it was said that Ivanka Trump would be flying in a special jet, whereas she had taken a regular passenger flight. It was said that she will stay at the Westin, while she actually stayed at the Trident. Her entire Golconda Fort visit was kept a secret. The entire police force was on its toes and took swift steps to go by the last minute changes in the programme.

The Centre, too, appreciated the efforts put in by Hyderabad Police in managing big events like the GES, Metro Rail inauguration and eight other programmes across Hyderabad, along with providing security to the VVIPs.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao expressed happiness and satisfaction over the success of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and inauguration of the Hyderabad Metro Rail on the same day.

KCR said, "After the success of GES, the prestige of Hyderabad has grown across the world."

The Police department organised the events without a hiccup and the slightest of discomfort to the visiting dignitaries, he added.
Srinagar: A gunfight started on Thursday between the security forces and the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Badgam district.

Police said following specific information about the presence of militants, the security forces surrounded Futlipora village in Pakherpora area.

According to sources, 2-3 JeM terrorists have been trapped in Pakherpora. Army, CRPF and Budgam police are conducting search operations to nab the terrorists.

"As they closed in on the hiding militants, the security forces were fired upon triggering the encounter, which is now going on," a police officer said.

Authorities have also suspended Internet services in the district to prevent spread of rumours, he said.

- With inputs from IANS
Fielding questions at the 15th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in partnership with CNN-News18, actor Salman Khan said whenever he speaks he creates a lot of employment for people. I have the most boring life, media makes it interesting," said Salman.

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Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here.
New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday indicated that the number of slabs of Goods and Services Tax (GST) could be pruned to just three.

The finance minister further added that the GST Council could consider merging the current slabs of 12% and 18% into one rate apart from reducing the number of items that are taxed at 28%.

We started the rationalization (of GST rates) ahead of schedule. Future rationalization will depend on how the revenue moves. We have thinned down the 28% slab. Moving ahead, we will rationalize it further to probably keep only luxury items in the highest bracket, Jaitley said.

The new tax regime has been a mainstay of the current government in its economic policies and Jaitley believes that there can never be one single GST rate in the country considering the social setup of the nation.

We need to consider if we have the scope of merging the 12% and 18% slabs and have an interim rate. We have the lowest rate at 5%, then this new merged rate and the very thin slab of 28%. Eventually, that will be the direction, Jaitley said.

Jaitley further went on to add that banks with their left-over cash post-demonetisation will fund the medium and small-scale enterprises.

"Banks will fund SMEs and the informal sector from the leftover cash it received during demonetisation, said the finance minister, while speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.

The Union minister also said that the government is looking to focus on the informal as well as small-scale enterprises in the future.

The move gains significance as not only the business sectors, but also RSS ideological mentor of the ruling BJP  has expressed concern over the newly implemented Goods and Services Tax harming enterprises in terms of revenue.

During his speech, Jaitley also identified that "the bulk of job creation in India comes from the informal sector".

Keeping in mind this concern, the GST Council, in its 23rd meeting held in Guwahati, brought down the tax rates on a number of items.

At present, GST has five tax slabs  0%, 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%. Besides these, a cess is also levied on some sin and luxury goods over and above the tax rate of 28%.

Among other developments, the minister also said that Indians need to be nudged to comply to economic norms and that the 5% income tax rate is a ploy to get people to start paying taxes.
Washington: History was in making on Wednesday when Raj Shah, who holds a key position in the White House, gaggled with reporters on board presidential aircraft Air Force One, becoming the first Indian-American to enjoy the privilege.

Shah, 33, did so in the capacity of Principal Deputy Press Secretary, a position to which he was promoted by US President Donald Trump in September as he restructured his press office by making Hope Hicks Director of Communications.

Shah was accompanying Trump as he flew to Missouri to deliver a major speech on middle-class tax relief and business tax relief.

Mid-way to St Louis, Shah, the highest ranking Indian-American ever in the White House press office, gaggled with the travelling press corp. Gaggle is the term used for informal briefing by the White House Press Secretary, which is on the record but bars reporters from videographing.

"We're looking forward to the President's remarks later today. It will be in St. Charles, talking about the need for middle-class tax relief and business tax relief," Shah said in his opening remarks.

"The focus of today's remarks are going to be on small businesses. He's going to feature two specific small businesses. One is a local small business incubator, and the other is a jewelry business  they're a retail business that also wholesales to about two and a half dozen different retailers throughout the country," he said.

"So we're very excited about these remarks, and we're excited about the developments on pushing tax reform and tax cuts. And the President is going to make a push for 'Yea' votes," Shah said after which he took question from the White House travelling press. The questions ranged from the president's controversial tweets, to North Korea, and tax cuts. The gaggle lasted for about 12 minutes.

Shah was born in 1984 to Indian parents of Gujarati origin. Shah's parents moved to Chicago in 1970s and then moved to Connecticut where he was born and raised.

His father was a mechanical engineer, but later moved in the business and owned retail stores. His mother was a dentist. Both are now leading a retired life. After his schooling in Connecticut, Shah went to the Cornell University.

It is during the college life that he became politically active. Not as a Republican though.

"I actually interned for a Democrat when I was in college," he says. He became a Republican as he learned more and more into issues. He in fact interned in the Bush White House in the Summer of 2005.

And just out of college, he got a job in the research wing of the Republican National Committee and since there has been no looking back for him. At 33, there are only a very few in his generation who have accomplished so much.

Shah joined the White House right from the day the Trump administration took charge. He was made the Deputy Communications Director and Research Director at the White House. Previously, he was director of Opposition Research in the Republican National Committee.

"It's awesome. This is a lot of fun to represent the president, to represent his views not just to a domestic and international audience. What I did in earlier was a little bit about developing our message. This is about delivering the message," he told a group of Indian journalists recently.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, had listed Shah among the top Indian-American performers working under the Trump administration.

"We are seeing more political activity by Indian- Americans on both sides of the aisle. We are proud to watch the work of Raj Shah, Manisha Singh, Neil Chatterjee, Naomi Rao, Vishal Amin among others that are all part of the Trump administration," said Haley, the first Indian-American woman appointed to a cabinet-level position in the US.
New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh topped the crime stats for 2016, accounting for 9.5% of the total crimes committed in the country, showed data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on Thursday. Uttar Pradesh was followed by Madhya Pradesh (8.9%), Maharashtra (8.8%) and Kerala (8.7%).

Heres a look at the 2016 crime statistics:

Rise in Crimes Against Women

Crimes against women saw a jump of 2.9% in 2016 over the previous year, with Uttar Pradesh accounting for 14.5% (49,262) of total cases reported in the country. UP was followed by West Bengal at 9.6% (32,513 cases).

Delhi reported the highest crime rate against women at 160.4% against the national average rate of 55.2%.

The country also reported a rise in rape cases, with an increase of 12.4% from 34,651 cases in 2015 to 38,947 in 2016. Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh reported the highest incidence of rape with 4,882 cases (12.5%) and 4,816 (12.4%), respectively, followed by Maharashtra with 4,189 cases (10.7%) during 2016.

Rise in crime against children

The NCRB data also pointed to a rise in crimes against children, with Uttar Pradesh topping this list too, followed by Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

The number of cases of kidnapping and abduction reported during 2016 stood at 54,723, out of which 9,657 were in UP, 7,956 from Maharashtra and 6,106 from Madhya Pradesh.

Cases under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) in 2016 were 36,022, of which UP reported 4,954 cases, followed by Maharashtra (4,815) and Madhya Pradesh (4,717).

According to data released by the NCRB, crime against children has seen a rising trend over the past three years. The biggest jump was recorded in 2016 at 13.6%  1,06,958 cases against 94,172 reported in 2015.

Cases of kidnapping and abduction of children accounted for 52.3% of the total cases, followed by cases reported under POCSO (34.4%). The crime rate in 2014 stood at 20.1%, which increased to 21.1. Shockingly, the figure in 2015 shot up to 24% in 2016.

Delhi tops metropolitan cities in crime

Delhi topped the crime list among metropolitan cities, accounting for 38.8% of total crimes reported under the Indian Penal Code, followed by Bengaluru (8.9%) and Mumbai (7.7%).

The national capital also reported the highest number of cases of kidnapping and abduction at 5,453, followed by Mumbai with 1,876 cases. Delhi also reported the highest number of murder cases among metros, followed by Bengaluru.

The data further showed Delhi topping the list among metros in terms of crime against women, with 13,803 out of 41,761 cases and the highest crime rate (182.1%) compared to the national average rate of 77.2%. The city reported nearly 40% of rape cases and nearly 29% each of cruelty by husband and his relatives, and dowry deaths.

Seizure of arms, ammunitions and currency

For the first time ever, the NCRB has recorded the seizure of arms, drugs and fake currency by Assam Rifles, CISF, BSF, CRPF, ITBP, NIA and SSB.

Uttar Pradesh (27,189 arms) reported the maximum number of seizures, followed by Madhya Pradesh (8,019 arms) and Rajasthan (5,757 arms) during 2016.

At 1,14,751 notes worth Rs 5,65,21,460, Delhi reported the maximum number of seizure of fake Indian currency notes, followed by Gujarat with 39,725 notes (worth Rs 2,37,24,050) and West Bengal with 32,869 notes (worth Rs. 2,32,95,800) during 2016.

A total 3,50,862 kg drugs were seized by various agencies last year.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reinforced the governments sustained fight against black money, warning that strong action will be taken against benami properties drawing on the power of Aadhaar, and said he is ready to pay the political price for these measures.

Delivering the inaugural address at the 15th edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in partnership with CNN-News18, Modi sketched out his vision for a robust financial system in which the possibilities of generating black money are being constantly reduced.

Modi offered the packed conference hall a strikingly comprehensive definition of his governments reform agenda, affirming that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has ushered in a new financial era while the Aadhaar number has brought irreversible change in the country.

Our biggest priority is to bring transparency based on sound policies that leaves little scope for error and leakages. Through these reforms, the government is helping secure rights and subsidies to the poor, he declared to a big round of applause from the audience that included ministers, diplomats, bureaucrats, sportspersons and businessmen, among others.

Some of the governments actions, such as GST and demonetisation, have been attacked by the Opposition parties. The Congress has actually made GST and demonetisation the central planks of its campaign in the approaching elections in Gujarat.

But Modi struck a defiant note in his speech, asserting that Indians voted (in 2014) to bring changes that were irreversible, permanent and far reaching.

This change, new thinking, for many is inconceivable. After demonetisation, the behavioural change that has come in India. you can feel it for yourself and black money that was (earlier) part of a parallel economy has become part of formal economy, he declared, adding that for the first time after independence the corrupt are feeling the heat.

Modi repeatedly invoked examples of the results of the actions to drive home their success. On demonetisation, he said intentionally or otherwise, a treasure trove data has emerged, mining of which has unearthed information that more than 400-500 companies are being run from a single address. Each company had opened up more than 2,000 bank accounts, he said.

In all, Modi said, 1.25 lakh companies have been deregistered and their directors have been held responsible. There are some big names in that list and they have been prevented from becoming directors in some other companies.

The Prime Ministers hour-long address was rooted in the governments reform agenda, peppered with examples of changes the actions have ushered.

On Jan Dhan Yojana: Earlier the poor person who was shooed away from banks now have their own bank accounts.

On Ujjwala Yojana: Women have only secured a free gas connection but also have health and time with their families.

On Swach Bharat Mission: The government not only created toilets, it has also relieved the pain of millions of daughters of the country who after dusk used to be under tremendous stress.

He said these changes will continue to go on. The whole system has to be changed, only then country gets from ease of doing business from 142 to 100, referring to India's recent jump in World Bank rankings.

Modi also compared his governments efforts with those of the previous government by reeling out statistics. LED bulbs during the previous governments regime sold for Rs 300-350 while now it sells for Rs 50 for a middle class household, he said.

National Highway construction has doubled to 22 km a day now while 1.2 lakh km of roads have been constructed in the first three years of his government compared with 80,000 km during the last three years of the previous government, he added.

Modi who has been the driving force in Indias diplomatic push with several high-profile visits to countries such as the US, UK, Russia and Germany, also touched on the results of those efforts. Indias recent victory over the UK in securing a seat at the International Court of Justice has changed the world's outlook about India.

Big or small, more countries in the world now want to stand and walk shoulder to shoulder with India.
Australia's tourism minister has made a shameless pitch to entice Prince Harry Down Under for his stag night or honeymoon, offering a James Bond-style "helicopter crawl" or seclusion in the Outback. The prince will marry Meghan Markle next May, and Steve Ciobo said he had written to Clarence House with a list of adrenaline-packed suggestions for a buck's party, as well as "slower, contemplative" honeymoon options.

"Australia can provide the perfect pre-wedding party and an amazing romantic honeymoon after the wedding," he said in a statement. The minister said the prince and his friends could replace the traditional Aussie pub crawl with a helicopter crawl of Outback drinking venues, or go fishing for barramundi in the Northern Territory.

"We also have suggested they could come to the Gold Coast and go dune buggying," he told Channel Nine television. "Then for the honeymoon something a little bit more slower and contemplative. They could visit some of the magnificent parts of Australia." He suggested the Longitude 131 Lodge near giant red monolith Uluru -- also known as Ayers Rock -- where his brother Prince William and wife Kate previously stayed, or the Great Barrier Reef.

"I told Prince Harry Tourism Australia stands ready to work with him and Ms Markle to design an itinerary to their tastes," Ciobo said in the statement. It is not known whether Markle has visited Australia, but Harry was in the country in June this year to promote the Invictus Games. The next version of the event for injured and sick service personnel is in Sydney in 2018, with local reports saying it could be the newly married couple's first official overseas engagement.
The film Em Chua 18 (Jailbait), directed by Le Thanh Son, won the Golden Lotus

prize for best feature film at the 20th Vietnamese Film Festival (Photo: VNA)



Two films, The House Maid and Father and Son, took two Silver Lotus awards at the ceremony, held at the citys Trung Vuong Theatre.



Kathy Uyen, who acted in the Vietnamese movie Jailbait, was named best actress, while Quy Binh from the film Ill Wait, took the best actor award.



In the documentary category, the film Live and Tell, directed by Nguyen Hoang Lam, won the Golden Lotus prize.



Two Silver Lotus awards went to films Home Coming and Vietnam Under Subsidy.

A Solution for Coastal Erosion, by director Phung Ngoc Tu, won the Golden prize for the best scientific film division, while the film Growing Sperm for Infertility in Males took Silver prize.

The Mannequin was awarded the Golden Lotus prize for best animated film, while Fugitive took the Silver Lotus.



Actress Ha My was named best supporting actress for her work on The Girl from Yesterday, while Nhan Phuc Vinh took best supporting actor for the film The Way Station.



The organising committee also presented prizes for the best sound and music, the best artist, the best cameraman, the best film script in categories of documentary, science, feature and animation, the jurys award and the best film voted by audiences.



More than 4,000 viewers in the central region enjoyed a week-long film festival screening Vietnams 129 best new and old films spanning genres of feature, documentary, scientific and animated categories.



The southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau will host the 21st Vietnamese Film Festival next year.



ASEAN Awards



The film, A Yellow Bird, from Singapore won the Best Film Award at the first ASEAN Film Awards, while main actor Sivakumar Palakrishnan was named Best Actor at the ceremony.



The film, directed by K. Rajagopal, features Silva (actor Sivakumar), a Singaporean Indian man released after years in prison for smuggling. Unable to find forgiveness from his mother, he searches for his ex-wife and daughter.



I would like to thanks Vietnam for creating the opportunity in the ASEAN Film Awards, Sivakumar Palakrishnan said at the awards ceremony.



Mary Joy Apostol from the Philippines, who starred in the film Birdshot, bagged the Best Actress prize.



Wicaksono Wisnu Legowo of Indonesia was named Best Director for the film Turah.



The three members of the ASEAN Awards jury were Jonathan Hyong-joon Kim, a director from the Republic of Korea; Roger Garcia, director of the International Film Festival Hong Kong; and Polish director Karolina Bielawska.



The first ASEAN Film Awards, an initiative of Vietnam, drew the participation of the films Adrift (Malaysia), Birdshot (the Philippines), Angel of Eden (Myanmar), Descendant (Brunei) and Yellow Bird (Singapore), Benevolence of the Contemporary Mother (Cambodia), Swan Lifts Turtle (Laos), Turah (Indonesia), By the Time It Gets Dark (Thailand) and Da Co Hoai Lang (Hello Vietnam).



The event also marks the 50th founding anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, strengthening friendship and solidarity among different nationalities./.
Heard this one before? The chef-owner of one of the worlds best restaurants, a Michelin-starred chef and author of 29 books, and the doyenne of Italian cuisine in India as well as abroad walk into a summit. At the ongoing Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, chefs Gaggan Anand and Vikas Khanna shared a slice of their lives with the audience in a session moderated by chef Ritu Dalmia.

While Anand runs the eponymous Gaggan in Bangkok, which has been voted Asias Best Restaurant three years in a row now, Khannas Junoon, located in New York, is one of the few Michelin-starred Indian restaurants in the world. Dalmia is, of course, revered for her Diva brand of restaurants, which dish up the best Italian cuisine in Delhi, if not the whole of India. The three culinary heavyweights spoke on a smorgasbord of topics covering their pursuits both in and out of the kitchen, the state of Indian culinary affairs at home as well as abroad, the dishes they love and the ones they hate, and a whole lot more.

Perhaps the most revealing part of the session was a rapid fire round wherein Dalmia asked both her peers a series of questions about their likes and dislikes and other more intimate details like what one would find in their fridge.

During the round, Anand revealed that he and his Thai wife eat instant noodles at home and that his favorite holiday destination in the world is India. Continuing on that theme, Anand also said that hed like to spend his last week on earth in his childhood home of Kolkata and revisit his favorite street food joints. Anands love for rock music is well documented so perhaps it was no surprise that the one person hed love to have been able to cook for is Kurt Cobain, who was Nirvanas front-man when alive. The chefs most hated ingredient is caviar, by the way.

During his round, Khanna said if he hadnt gone to the US hed still be cooking in his hometown of Amritsar and that his favorite ingredient is Mulethi (licorice). The author of 29 books, Khanna said that the last book he read was his own recently published A Tree Named Ganga and that his favorite song is Rojas title track by AR Rahman, in the original Tamil. If you open the chefs fridge youd find eggs and soy yogurt.

The one common question that both the chefs were asked was to name a dish that described them best. Khanna said a Duck Tellicherry from Kerala is what hed like to be described as. This is because his home in Punjab has a Kadipatta (curry leaf) tree and no one would pick the leaves because Punjabis had no idea what to do with the ingredient whereas in Kerala, its essential to almost every dish. As this showed the incredible diversity in the cuisines of India, hed like to be associated with it. Anand had a far earthier reply, saying that he was just like Charcoal (a dish from his tasting menu that actually resembles a piece of coal) because its black, ugly and tastes good.

The two chefs also answered questions from the audience which were read out by Dalmia. Among the questions were why Indian food in premium restaurants outside the country cant be more affordable and whether the government of India helped in promoting the countrys food abroad. Addressing the first, Anand replied by first showing a three-minute video that captured the complex intricacies in preparing dishes from his menu, after which he explained that at his restaurant he has a 97% food cost and that he makes more money from the sale of a bottle of water than from the food prepared by him and a team of 38 chefs.

While speaking on the India governments role in the promotion of our food globally, the chefs had slightly different takes. Indias food is an integral part of our countrys soft power, along with yoga and our music. The government has realized this and has now become tremendously supportive of showcasing our culinary heritage outside the country, said Khanna. Anand countered this by noting, France recently asked the United Nations to grant a protected status to its traditional cuisine so as to preserve it, whereas Indian ingredients and dishes are not protected or even as widely available around the world as compared to foods from other countries. And in a country where so many people starve every day even as there is so much food wastage, clearly the government needs to work harder on these issues. Given the presence of several high-ranking members of the government present at the event, including the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister, one can only hope they took note.
Hyderabad/Amaravati: Four days ago, YSR Congress MLA Giddi Eswari defected to the ruling Telugu Desam Party headed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh.

She was the 23rd MLA from Y S Jaganmohan Reddys party to walk over to the ruling party in the last three years.

A month ago, another MLA, V Rajeshwari, had quit the YSRCP to join the TDP.

In the 2014 Assembly polls, the YSRCP won 67 seats in the 175-member Andhra Pradesh assembly. The defection started a few months after Naidu settled down in office.

In just 36 months, Reddy has lost 1/3 of his MLAs to TDP. He is now left with just 44 MLAs and not sure about how many of them will really stay with him till the next elections in April/May 2019.

Most of the defecting MLAs who left the YSRCP claim that they left to save their honour and pride. They even call Reddy a dictator. He hit back, calling them opportunists who have switched sides for money.

Reddy, who is currently on padayatra across Andhra Pradesh to galvanize the party cadre, has boycotted the ongoing Assembly session over mass defections, alleging they were engineered by Naidu.

Meanwhile, in newly-created state of Telangana, the TDP has been at the receiving end of defections with Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao accused of engineering large scale defections from opposition parties to Telangana Rashtra Samithi.

Out of total 15 MLAs of TDP, 12 have deserted in just three years. With them, village level leaders to state level leaders of the TDP have also joining the TRS. KCR who won just 63 seats in 2014 has now taken the party strength to 90 in the 119-member Assembly through defections.

The MLAs who have defected have even been made ministers in both the states. Four YSRCP MLAs have made it to Naidus Cabinet in AP while still being members of YSRCP in official record. In Telangana, KCR has made one TDP MLA a minister.

Telangana Assembly Speaker S Madhusudhanachari has acknowledged the defectors as members of TRS, claiming that 80% of TDP MLAs have merged with the TRS. But the anti-defection law makes it clear that 1/3 of the MLAs or MPs have to defect at one go to escape from the disqualification. If they leave one by one over a period of time, their membership has to be cancelled.

In AP, Speaker Kodela Shivaprasada Rao has also ignored the demands made by Reddy to disqualify the defectors. Reddy even met the President of India demanding strict action, saying this was a subversion of Constitution.

Speaking to News18, he said, Chandrababu Naidu is the mastermind. He is using unconstitutional and corrupt methods to weaken the opposition. He has offered huge money and ministerial berths to defectors. The shocking thing is entire country is quietly watching this day light murder of democracy.

TDP dismisses his charges calling him a frustrated soul. The TRS also defended the defections, claiming that opposition MLAs are switching sides on their own to serve their voters better.

Reddy, who has already completed over 300 km of his total 3000 km padayatra, warns that the voters will teach a lesson to defectors and TDP in the next election.
New Delhi: Congress leader and Maharashtra Congress Secretary Shehzad Poonawalla on Wednesday questioned the process to elect party President, calling it "rigged" and said Vice President Rahul Gandhi must first resign from his post.

Poonawalla said he would also contest the election if it was conducted in a "genuine" manner. On Tuesday, he has also wrote a letter to Rahul Gandhi in this regard.

"I cannot contest a rigged election. If the system is genuine, then I will contest. It is a rigged election...it is a selection. Delegates who are going to vote for this election have not been elected as per the constitutional requirements. They have been handpicked," he told IANS.

Poonawalla furhter said: "I will contest if Rahul Gandhiji agrees to first have genuinely-elected delegates and not handpicked delegates. Second, he must give up his post because he has an unfair advantage by being the Vice President. He has been selected and not elected as VP. He will leave his post, I will leave my post... Then we can contest.

"Third, will he be ready for a televised debate where we both as contestants can have a debate on what is our vision for the Congress party? We can be judged on merit, not on the surname," he said.

"And finally, I want him to accept that our party must have a rule of one family-one ticket. I will be happy to contest in a genuine election, not in a rigged election," the party leader added.

In his letter to Gandhi, Poonawalla asked several questions.

"Firstly, a common party worker like me joined the party in 2008-09. I spent time, energy and money working voluntarily for the party at all levels and finally got elevated after eight years to the position of a Secretary in a state unit in 2016.

"But how and why (other than your surname) did you in the same time span start off with an MP seat in 2004 itself, get general secretaryship in 2007 and then graduate to vice presidentship of the national unit while your mother was the President?" he wrote.

"Did you win us more elections, were you genuinely elected to these posts, did you give better speeches than other leaders? You must therefore resign from the VP post and contest as an ordinary member for the election of the president. How can it be a fair contest if a common worker has to contest against the VP (who was selected and not elected as the VP or the number two in the party)?" he said.

"Since the delegate system is completely rigged and manipulated, for a fair fight for the presidentship, will you allow real delegates to get appointed and vote rather than a bunch of handpicked 'yes' men?

"If not, will you at least face your rival in a televised debate to see who articulates a better vision for the Congress party and India? Will you allow yourself to be judged on merit rather than your surname? If yes, let's have that contest. I am ready."

Poonawalla further said: "You failed to deliver on the promise that IYC, NSUI won't end up electing children of 'netas'. Will you at least now curb the innumerable dynasts who are given tickets and posts in the party by implementing the rule - one ticket/post to only one member in any family?

"So if I have a party ticket or post - my brother, sister, mother, brother-in-law, etc., cannot be eligible for a ticket or post. We are not into some family business, are we?" his letter read.
New Delhi: Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi a question every day in the run-up to the Gujarat assembly elections, the party has said.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday said Gandhi would ask a question to the Prime Minister every day.

"Rahul Gandhi is asking a question every day, why did mis-governance of 22 years create such a situation," he tweeted.

Gandhi wrote on Twitter on Wednesday "22 salon ka hisaab, Gujarat mange jawaab. (Gujarat demands answers for 22 years of BJP)".

He said he would demand answers for 22 years of Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) rule in the state and the promises made to the people.

"First question to the Prime Minister on the state of affairs in Gujarat -- In 2012, promises were made to provide 50 lakh new houses but built 4.72 lakh in five years. Will the Prime Minister tell, whether it will take another 45 years to fulfil the promise?" Gandhi posted on Twitter.

22   ,         :2012     50     5    4.72            45   ? Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 29, 2017

22   ,#__       :1995    -9,183 2017    -2,41,000      37,000            ? Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 30, 2017

Congress spokesperson Deepender Singh Hooda said he hoped Modi and the BJP would answer Gandhi's queries on "22 years of mis-governance" in Gujarat.

"We expect that the Prime Minister and the BJP to find time and answer the questions asked to them by Rahul Gandhi," he said.

"The BJP is working for the super rich and middlemen. The party's (BJP) economic policy was at the cost of the poor," he added.
Chennai: After a delay, the EPS-OPS faction of the AIADMK has finally come to a consensus and announced its candidate for the upcoming RK Nagar bypoll. E Madhusudhanan, presidium chairman of the AIADMK, is being fielded as the candidate.

Madhusudhan, a senior member and an O Panneerselvam loyalist had contested in April as the candidate for RK Nagar representing the OPS camp. Madhusudhanan had won the RK Nagar constituency in 1991.

The candidate was chosen after disagreement in the EPS-OPS camp on the candidate. However, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar maintained that there was no rift in the party. "We have unanimously decided that Madhusudhanan is our candidate. We are confident of winning. We will make sure our enemies lose their deposits."

So far, the ruling party has won a by-poll in Tamil Nadu. This time around, it may not be a cake walk for the EPS-OPS combine. TTV Dinakaran of the Sasikala camp is a candidate in the RK Nagar bypolls and he claims the support of the AIADMK cadres and the people of Tamil Nadu.

This by-poll is going to be an acid test for the warring factions. Not to forget the DMK that is also hoping to win this time. DMKs candidate is N Marudhu Ganesh who was chosen for the RK Nagar last time too. Deepa Jayakumar, niece of late J Jayalalithaa, will also contest from RK Nagar.

RK Radhakrishnan, Associate Editor, Frontline, said: "DMK undoubtedly has an advantage this time because the party is united. The merged factions of AIADMK have been behaving more like an alliance than a united party. This has led to confusion among cadre. The real competition is for the number 2 position between the new combined AIADMK (EPS-OPS faction) and TTV. If TTV wins, he can claim that he is the real AIADMK and if EPS-OPS faction wins, then they they will lay claim."

The Election Commission is trying to beef up the security and installing CCTVs to ensure cash is not distributed to voters. Now, all eyes are on December 24 when the results will be declared for the RK Nagar bypolls.
Fake news is one of the most common phrase that the world has heard in the last one year. The recent political events that have kicked up a storm over how social media is being usedby individuals, companies, and even governmentsto spread misinformation and to manipulate public opinion and behaviour is a matter of concern.

So, what is Facebook doing to control misinformation on its platform? A lot, it seems. Thats the idea you get from the companys News Products Director Alex Hardimans conversation with Shereen Bhan at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.

Any article that doesnt pass our filters is immediately downlinked and faces an 80% decrease in traffic, Hardiman said.

Hardiman pointed out that Facebook is not a traditional media company, but a social media company and their main goal is to bring people together. However, Hardiman said that Facebook is a big part of the news ecosystem as it brings people together.

Amount of misinformation on Facebook is quite small but we are getting rid of it, she said.

Talking about the measures that have been taken to control this misinformation, Hardiman said that they have radically increased their investment to root out misinformation.

We have started third-party fact checking to check misinformation and fake news, she added.

Facebook, she said, is trying to identify and eliminate anyways to monetize bad, fake content.

We are trying to reduce polarization; we want to make sure high-quality news becomes a part of the larger ecosystem, she said.

When asked if Facebook has any competition, Hardiman said, there should be a basic humility. She said Snapchat is doing pretty interesting work and Twitter is doing well in terms of news. However, she said that Facebook is less about completion and more about collaboration.

Facebook has taken other measures too. The social media company is supporting a public service advertising (PSA) campaign by the News Literacy Project (NLP) that will provide Facebook users with the tools to become informed consumers of news and information and to know which sources to trust. We are working with publishers directly on this. We want to arm readers on how to spot fake news, Hardiman said.

Hardiman also said that there are new innovations being done only for India. Last month we created a product to help blood donation matches find each other, she said. Four million people have already signed up for this.

The Director of News Product also spoke about the project that Facebook is planning to launch with the Election Commission. The product will remind people on their 18th birthday to register to vote.

Hardiman said that they are aware of the huge responsibility they have. We inform 2 billion people every day. Its a huge task, and we are not walking away from it, she assured.

Hardiman said that a world without news on Facebook is a scary world and they are putting in all resources to eradicate fake news from Facebook.
Riyadh: British Prime Minister Theresa May has implored Saudi leaders to ease a blockade on Yemen to "avert a humanitarian catastrophe", her office said today, echoing urgent appeals from the United Nations.

May met both King Salman and powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on a brief visit to Riyadh late on Wednesday, with a worsening crisis in Yemen topping her agenda.

May had promised to raise concerns over Yemen where a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia has only partially lifted a crippling aid blockade.

"The prime minister made clear that the flow of commercial supplies... must be resumed if we are to avert a humanitarian catastrophe," May's office said.

"They agreed that steps needed to be taken as a matter of urgency to address this."

Saudi Arabia is Britain's largest trading partner in the Middle East, and London has signed off on more than 3.3 billion (USD 4.4 billion/3.7 billion euros) worth of arms sales to Riyadh since March 2015.

That was the month that Riyadh launched its intervention against Yemeni rebels who still control the capital Sanaa and much of the north of the country.

The war has since killed some 8,600 people, while a further 2,000 have died of cholera.

The United Nations on Monday urged the Saudi-led coalition to do "much more" to ease the blockade impeding shipments of aid and fully reopen the key rebel-held port of Hodeida.

UN officials have warned that Yemen faces the risk of the "world's worst famine in many decades".
Ankara: The European Union does not share Turkey's view that the network of US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen is a terrorist organisation and would need to see "substantive" evidence to change its stance, the EU's counter-terrorism coordinator said.

The comments by Gilles de Kerchove are likely to infuriate Ankara, which accuses Gulen of masterminding a failed military coup last year, in which more than 250 people were killed. Gulen has denied the charge and condemned the coup.

Turkey has long accused its NATO allies, including the United States and Germany, of failing to condemn the abortive putsch strongly enough, saying they appeared more concerned by Ankara's ensuing crackdown on suspected supporters of the coup.

"As for FETO, we don't see it as a terrorist organisation, and I don't believe the EU is likely to change its position soon," Kerchove said, using the Turkish government's acronym for Gulen's network.

"You need not only circumstantial evidence - like just downloading an app - but concrete substantive data which shows that they were involved...," he told Reuters in an interview cleared for publication on Thursday.

Turkish authorities have detained some 50,000 people, including teachers, police officers, journalists and US consular staff for alleged links to Gulen's network. Some 150,000 people have been sacked or suspended from their jobs.

Some have been detained for having downloaded ByLock, a messaging app the government says was used by the coup plotters.

Others have been detained for having had telephone calls with ByLock users.

EXTRADITION SOUGHT

Human rights groups and some EU officials accuse Erdogan of using the crackdown to muzzle dissent in Turkey, a charge Ankara denies. It says the scale of the clampdown is justified because the Gulen network threatens national security.

Gulen was once an ally of Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted AK Party and his movement ran schools, banks and media outlets in Turkey until the two men had a public falling-out in 2013.

Germany's BND spy agency has said it is not convinced that Gulen was behind the failed coup, in which rogue soldiers used tanks and helicopters to attack Turkey's parliament and other key targets.

Turkey has also sought, so far unsuccessfully, Gulen's extradition from the United States, where the cleric has lived in self-imposed exile since 1999.

US officials say their courts require sufficient evidence to order his extradition.

As of July, Turkey had supplied 84 boxes of documents to the United States for evidence, Ankara's envoy to Washington has said, although he has acknowledged that more concrete evidence of Gulen's direct involvement has remained elusive.

Germany, which has sharply criticised the mass arrests in Turkey, has refused to extradite people Ankara says were involved in the plot or linked to Gulen's network.

"The decision on extradition is in the hands of all member states, and most of the time the judiciary, the independent judiciary, and they need hard evidence," Kerchove said.
Jerusalem/Gaza: Israeli tanks and aircraft struck militant positions in the Gaza Strip on Thursday soon after Palestinian militants fired mortar shells at an Israeli military post close to the territory, the Israeli army said.

A Reuters witness in Gaza said he saw smoke rising from at least two targets struck by Israel, one belonging to Hamas and another to Islamic Jihad militants. Witnesses in the southern Gaza Strip said two Islamic Jihad posts was hit there.

No casualties were reported initially on either side.

Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus said the militants' mortar barrage was aimed the Israeli army post and at construction crews working close by on the Israeli side of the Gaza border.

Israel has been constructing a sensor-equipped underground wall along the 60-km (36-mile) Gaza border, aiming to complete the $1.1 billion project by mid-2019.

Conricus said Israel was not looking to escalate the situation but any further Israeli action would depend on what Gaza militants did. At least three rounds of airstrikes had taken place by dusk, the Reuters witness said.

"We remain ready with the tools necessary and the capabilities at hand should Hamas or the Islamic Jihad act aggressively again... We are not looking to escalate the situation or to initiate hostilities," Conricus said.

The train service between the Israeli town of Sderot close the Gaza border and Ashkelon to the north was briefly suspended but resumed later in the evening.

The mortars were fired exactly a month after Israel blew up an attack tunnel that led from Gaza into Israeli in which 14 militants were killed.

Following the tunnel demolition, Islamic Jihad vowed to retaliate but Thursday's action was their first significant reaction.

During the last Gaza war, in 2014, Hamas fighters used dozens of tunnels to blindside Israel's superior forces and threaten civilian communities near the frontier, a counterpoint to the Iron Dome anti-missile system that largely protected the country's heartland from militant rocket barrages.

Israel and the United States have called for Hamas to be disarmed as part of the pact between it and the Palestinian Authority, so Israeli peace efforts with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which collapsed in 2014, could proceed. Hamas has rejected the demand.

On Wednesday, Abbas's Fatah and Hamas agreed to delay the final transfer of power of Gaza from Hamas to the Western-backed Palestinian government by 10 days to Dec. 10 to allow time to complete arrangements, officials said.
Washington: Jared Kushner met earlier this month with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team as part of the investigation into Russia's meddling in the election, according to two people familiar with the meeting.

Mueller's team specifically asked Kushner about former national security advisor Michael Flynn, who is under investigation by the special counsel, two sources said. Flynn was the dominant topic of the conversation, one of the sources said.

"Mr. Kushner has voluntarily cooperated with all relevant inquiries and will continue to do so," Abbe Lowell, Kushner's lawyer, told CNN.

The conversation lasted less than 90 minutes, one person familiar with the meeting said, adding that Mueller's team asked Kushner to clear up some questions he was asked by lawmakers and details that emerged through media reports. One source said the nature of this conversation was principally to make sure Kushner doesn't have information that exonerates Flynn.

The meeting took place around the same time the special counsel asked witnesses about Kushner's role in the firing of former FBI Director James Comey and his relationship with Flynn, these people said.

It's not clear that this is the only time that Kushner will meet with the special counsel's team.

There are growing indications that the special counsel is having discussions with Flynn about a possible plea deal. Flynn's attorney told Trump's legal team last week that he would no longer share information about the investigation.

The White House declined to comment for this story. The special counsel's office did not comment.

Mueller's investigators have expressed interest in Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a White House senior adviser, as part of its probe into Russian meddling, including potential obstruction of justice in Comey's firing, sources familiar with the matter said.

Even before Mueller took over the Russia investigation, the FBI had been looking at Kushner's multiple roles on both the Trump campaign and the Trump transition team. The 2016 Trump Tower meeting, in addition to meetings with Russia's ambassador and a Russian government banker, were left off Kushner's security clearance forms, which had to be revised multiple times.

Other points of focus that pertain to Kushner include the Trump campaign's 2016 data analytics operation, his relationship with Flynn and Kushner's own contacts with Russians, according to sources briefed on the probe.

Kushner voluntarily turned over documents he had from the campaign and the transition, and these related to any contacts with Russia, according to a source familiar with the matter. The documents are similar to the ones Kushner gave to congressional investigators.

Their questions about Kushner signal that Mueller's investigators are reaching the President's inner circle and have extended beyond the 2016 campaign to actions taken at the White House by high-level officials. It is not clear how Kushner's advice to the President might relate to the overall Russia investigation or potential obstruction of justice.
Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh city Peoples Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong and Italian Deputy Minister for Economic Development Ivan Scalfarotto. (Photo: VNA)

He pledged to create a stable political and social environment for Italian businesses long-term and stable operation, and ensure their legitimate rights and interests in the city, Vietnams special urban area that needs foreign investment, especially in food processing, chemical - rubber, mechanics, electronics - information and technology sectors, to become an economic, financial, commercial, scientific and technological centre of the region.

According to Italian Deputy Minister Ivan Scalfarotto, businesses coming to the city include leading ones who are experienced in working in Ho Chi Minh citys priority areas, including technology, mechanics, energy and agricultural products.

Impressed by the citys dynamic development as well as the role of the city within Vietnams economic development, Italian businesses are willing to cooperate with Ho Chi minh city in mechanics, green energy, infrastructure and mechanics, said Deputy Minister Ivan Scalfarotto.

He stressed that Italian businesses are strong in producing hi-tech products and trade products of high value. The Government of Italy is willing to support its businesses in cooperating with Ho Chi Minh city in developing small- and medium-sized businesses, increasing the quality of products in textile and garment, leather footwear and wooden products, he added.

In 2016, the two-way trade turnover between Ho Chi Minh city and Italy reached USD600 million, while the figure was valued at USD510 million in the first 10 months of this year. As of October 31st, there were 28 Italian projects capitalized at some USD70 million in Ho Chi Minh city./.
Moscow: Russia accused the United States on Thursday of trying to provoke North Korean leader Kim Jong Un into "flying off the handle" over his missile programme to hand Washington a pretext to destroy his country.

In some of his most robust comments on the subject to date, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also flatly rejected a U.S. call to cut ties with Pyongyang over its nuclear and ballistic missile programme and said U.S. policy towards North Korea was deeply flawed.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have flared after North Korea said it had successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday in a "breakthrough" that put the U.S. mainland within range of its nuclear weapons.

Russia has condemned the test, like others before it, as "a provocation," but Lavrov said the way the United States was handling the situation was dangerously provocative.

"The latest U.S. actions look designed to deliberately provoke Pyongyang into taking new extreme action," Lavrov told reporters in Belarus, according to a Russian Foreign Ministry transcript.

Lavrov said he was referring to joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises planned for December, which he said U.S. officials had intimated to Russia would not take place until spring to open a window for tensions to be defused.

"We were encouraged by that approach. And then suddenly ... they announced large-scale exercises in December. We have the impression that it was all done specially to get Kim Jong Un to "fly off the handle" and take another reckless step."

The air forces of the United States and South Korea are scheduled to hold a regular joint drill early next month with six U.S. F-22 Raptor stealth fighters taking part.

"The Americans need to explain to us all if they want to find a pretext to destroy North Korea. Let them say it directly ... then we can take a decision about how to react," said Lavrov.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Wednesday called for other countries to sever all ties with Pyongyang, including cutting trade links and expelling North Korean workers.

Moscow sells oil products to North Korea and thousands of North Korean workers toil in Russia, sending remittances back to the authorities in Pyongyang.

Lavrov said Haley's call for the world to isolate North Korea was wrong.

"We regard this negatively," Lavrov said. "We have already said many times that sanctions pressure has exhausted itself."

He also complained that the United States was "totally ignoring" a U.N. demand for talks with North Korea.

"I think it's a big mistake," said Lavrov.
Washington: The White House on Thursday came out in defence of US President Donald Trump who retweeted anti-Muslim videos from a far-right British account, arguing that he has been talking about national security issues for long.

Trump on Wednesday took the social media by storm when he retweeted inflammatory anti-Muslim videos by Britain First, a group founded in 2011 by former members of the far-right British National Party (BNP).

"The President has been talking about these security issues for years now, from the campaign trail to the White House. He talked about them yesterday (Wednesday) at the pool spray. He's going to continue to talk about them on Twitter, he's going to talk about them in speeches, he's going to talk about them in policy ," White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Shah was accompanying Trump en route to St Louis, Missouri, where the US president was scheduled to deliver a major speech on middle-class tax relief and business tax relief.

Shah underscored that safety and security were priorities of the Trump administration.

"Look, we are now looking at the possibility of a difficulty in passing government funding legislation because of disagreements on immigration policy. The Democrats' priority is amnesty. Our priority is safety and security," he said.

Trump's move drew criticsm from The Downing Street which said the US president was "wrong" to retweet the controversial videos.

Responding to a question on the British Prime Minister's office condemning Trump's retweets, Shah said, "The president has greatest respect for both the people of Britain and Prime Minister Theresa May."

"We are going to be focusing on ... safety and security for the American people. We're talking about extreme vetting policies, ensuring that individuals who come to the United States do not pose either a public safety or a terrorism threat, and the other measures that we want to take," Shah said.

To butteress his contention, Shah reiterated the need to end the visa lottery system, that allows individuals to come to the US, and replace it with a merit-based system. He noted that the terrorist who killed eight individuals in New York City last month came to the US through the visa lottery system.

"So the President is going to continue talking about these issues because they're important for the safety and security of this county," he said.

Shah strongly refuted allegations that Trump is anti- Muslim.

"The president has addressed these issues with the travel order that he issued earlier this year and the companion proclamation," he said.

"There are plenty of Muslim-majority nations whose citizens can come to the US without travel restrictions. But those that pose public safety or terrorism threats through our worldwide security review that was overseen by the Department of Homeland Security is why there were certain travel restrictions put in place," Shah said.
Ann van de Graaf says its time to move on.

The Lynchburg artist recently announced that her Africa House gallery, which she started nearly 10 years ago, will be transitioning away from its physical location on Garfield Avenue, by Virginia University of Lynchburg, to establish a presence at Riverviews Artspace during First Friday each month.

Its been a wonderful ride, says van de Graaf, who wants to spend more time with her husband, Hans.

The move comes on the heels of Africa Houses merger, last spring, with the nonprofit Pharoahs Marketplace, which sells a variety of fair trade African artifacts imported from West and South Africa in addition to also promoting the cultural exchange between America and Africa.

Since April, Africa House has included a retail space, run by Pharoahs Marketplace president and founder Cynthia Merchant and featuring items made in Africa, including hand-carved wooden statues, masks, woven baskets and fabric.

Starting this week, Africa House and Pharoahs Marketplace will become a monthly pop-up art market at Riverviews during First Friday.

Hopefully thats what the future is going to hold, van de Graaf says. Were going to be like a satellite.  The spirit will live on.

Merchant will sell the artifacts and arrange art exhibits, continuing her and van de Graafs shared mission to promote cross-cultural understanding through things like art, music and dance.

The items Merchant sells through Pharoahs Marketplace are all purchased at fair trade markets, she says, primarily in Ghana but also the Congo, Kenya and Nigeria.

I travel to Africa quite a bit, and I go back and forth, says Merchant, who would eventually like Pharoahs Marketplace to adopt a village there.  When something is purchased through the fair trade market, you are ensured the money goes back to the village it came from or to the artist.

Shopping in the marketplaces is a lot of fun, she adds. You get to meet the artists themselves. You get to watch them while they work.

Pharoahs Marketplace, she says, is a way for people to  take home a piece of Africa.

During First Friday, Merchant will be selling the artifacts and highlighting the work of van de Graaf from 5 to 8 p.m.

Ann has a lot of work of her own at Africa House, Merchant says. So were going to bring those out and showcase those and sell those to [have proceeds] go back to Africa House for the first one.

Theyll continue to be open monthly after that, highlighting different artists and items each time.

Were providing them with a space, because theres a lot of traffic here and we want to honor the Africa House and their legacy, says Kim Soerensen, executive director of both Riverviews and the James River Council for the Arts & Humanities.

[Ann] has done a lot for Riverviews as well, so thats the least we can do. She was one of the [founders] of Riverviews, so its coming back full circle.

Interestingly enough, van de Graaf has never formally exhibited her work at Africa House, though she notes my work is always around.

Africa House opened to the public in September 2008, nearly two years after van de Graaf bought the house from Virginia University of Lynchburg and began renovating it.

The vision was always to have it as a gallery to show African-American artists, to encourage poetry readings and cultural events, van de Graaf says.

The purchase and renovations coincided with the arrival of Dibinga wa Said, who came to Lynchburg in 2007 from the Democratic Republic of Congo to search for the grave of Ota Benga, an African pygmy who had lived nearby at the Virginia Seminary in the early 1900s.

According to Africa Houses website, Dibinga wa Said convinced van de Graaf to organize a conference on Ota Benga and later suggested the name Africa House when he visited her new studio with pygmies participating in the conference.

It also was fitting to illustrate van de Graafs passion for the continent. She grew up in the East African town of Mbeya, where her British father was an elephant hunter and later ran a coffee farm, and spent her childhood going back and forth between Africa and England, where she lived with her grandmother during World War II.

Van de Graaf moved to the United States for good in 1956 and Lynchburg in 1959, when her husband got a job with General Electric.

It wasnt long before van de Graaf became involved in the civil rights movement here. Shes among the founders of the Legacy Museum of African American History and one of her most well-known works of art is Lord Plant My Feet on Higher Ground, a panoramic, three-panel painting depicting Lynchburgs black civil rights leaders.

Van de Graaf also studied sociology and art at what was then Randolph-Macon Womans College and was a Virginia Center for the Creative Arts fellow in 1982.

Since Africa House opened, van de Graaf has shown the work of both nationally-known visual artists  including James Phillips, who currently has a painting on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, D.C.  and up-and-coming local ones.

Its also served as a venue for poetry readings, musical performances and other gatherings.

Merchant  who describes herself and van de Graaf as two peas in a pod says their next step is simply an evolution. Its growing. We want to keep it growing. And I think [Riverviews] Artspace is a wonderful place.

Van de Graaf wont be officially out of Africa Houses physical location until the end of December. Last week, the space was largely intact. Pieces from the latest exhibit, focusing on Ota Benga, still hung on the walls, and Pharoahs Marketplace items were displayed in the retail area.

Van de Graaf had a stack of old photos with her in the main gallery, including a black-and-white image of her as a small child in Africa, sitting on a donkey in front of a hut. She lovingly tapped the glass frame, recalling his name, Joseph, and her time spent there as a child.

She also had pictures of early events at Africa House in a small album and talked about people like Violet Mitchell, who has served as one of the gallerys curators over the years, and the late Barry Donald Jones, a Rustburg native who also helped her book artists there. He died in March, and van de Graaf says that also factored into her decision to move on.

I think that did something, she says. I cant explain it in words.

Upstairs, in a sitting room that leads into her studio, hangs a painting she created to commemorate the gallerys opening, which included African, Cherokee and Episcopal blessings. Her painting depicts each of the clergy who gave those blessings as well as audience members, including her husband.

Van de Graaf sees a certain poetry in ending with an exhibit focused on Ota Benga: I thought that was a nice rounding of it.

While shes leaving the physical Africa House behind, van de Graaf says shell eventually find a new studio space to create her own work.

I think artists never stop painting, she says. I wont ever stop painting.
The deadline for a Chinese companys proposed acquisition of Henrico County-based Genworth Financial Inc. has been extended yet again  this time to April 1 as the companies continue to seek regulatory clearance for the deal.

Genworth, a seller of mortgage and long-term care insurance that employs hundreds of people in Lynchburg, announced late Wednesday that it has reached an agreement with the acquiring company, China Oceanwide Holdings Group Co. Ltd., to extend the deadline from the previous date of Nov. 30. The extension, Genworth said, allows additional time for regulatory reviews of the transaction.

The proposed $2.7 billion acquisition was first announced in October 2016, and it was approved by Genworth shareholders in March. The original deadline to complete the deal was Aug. 31.

The deal has since been delayed under a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in United States, or CFIUS, a multi-agency committee that scrutinizes acquisitions of U.S. businesses by foreign entities. Genworth has received clearance from some state insurance regulators, including in Virginia.

Genworth, a major Richmond-area employer, has said it will take mitigation approaches to satisfy regulatory demands, but it has not detailed those steps. The company again warned investors that there are no assurances that CFIUS will ultimately clear the transaction, but it assured investors that both companies remain committed to the deal.

We are making good progress in our discussions with a U.S. third-party service provider about proposed mitigation approaches, which justified the merger agreement extension, and we expect to refile our joint voluntary notice with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United Stated in the near term, said Thomas McInerney, president and CEO of Genworth. Our board continues to strongly believe that the transaction with Oceanwide is the best option for our shareholders, policyholders and other stakeholders.

Lu Zhiqiang, chairman of Oceanwide added, I believe the merger will strengthen Genworths financial position in the U.S. as well as address the increasing need for long-term care insurance in China, which is why we remain committed to the transaction and look forward to continuing to work closely with Genworth and the regulators reviewing our transaction to close the transaction as soon as possible.
Update: A single-vehicle wreck left hundreds of people without power in Lynchburg on Wednesday, according to the Appalachian Power website.

The outage was caused by a pickup truck that crashed into a light pole near the intersection of Miller and Page streets Wednesday afternoon, Lynchburg Police Department LT. D. Couch said.

The driver didnt suffer any injuries, and it is unclear if charges will be filed at this time. The cause of the wreck also is unclear.

The area lost power at 5:31 p.m., according to APCos website.

The outage, which is expected to be repaired by 1 a.m. Thursday, initially affected almost 700 residents, with boundaries running southwest from Fifth and Federal streets to Campbell Avenue and southeast to 12th and Wise streets, according to APCos outage map.

As for press time, more than 150 people still were without power.

Earlier: More than 670 people are without power in Lynchburg due to a wreck, according to the Appalachian Power website.

The outage runs southwest from Fifth and Federal streets to Campbell Avenue and southeast to 12th and Wise streets, according to APCos outage map.

Power, which went out at about 5:31 p.m., is expected to be restored at midnight, according to the APCo site.
Foreign tourists visiting Hoi An ancient town

The rise in foreign tourist arrivals is due to the effective organization of regular activities, and the successful hosting of the APEC 2017 Summit Week in the central coastal city of Da Nang.

November marked the 8th month in this year in which Vietnam greeted more than 1 million travellers.

Compared to the same month last year, the foreign tourists soared 25.2%, in which those from Asia rose 30.6%, Europe 9.6%, America 15.7%, Australia 18.2% and Africa 14%.

Totalling the 11 months, Vietnam received nearly 11.65 million foreign arrivals, a year-on-year rise of 27.8%. Of this, foreigners coming by air reached 9.88 million, up 31%, while those arriving by road and sea were 1.53 million (up 16.2%) and 230,500 (down 7.7%), respectively.

Markets sending the most tourists to Vietnam were China (3.6 million), the Republic of Korea (2.16 million), Russia (517,200), Taiwan-China (562,300), and the US (560,300).

Aiming to fulfill the target of welcoming 13 million foreigners in 2017, Vietnam needs to attract more than 1.3 million arrivals in December./.
A warm, generous spirit of affection and insurrection washes over Guillermo del Toro's "The Shape of Water," a Cold War-era fairytale that submerges you in the fantastical realm of the director's Technicolor imagination only to swell into a watery allegory for today.

It is, one suspects, the monster movie Del Toro was born to make. Lushly composed, vividly realized, "The Shape of Water" is lovingly designed to send you floating out to sea on a carnal bed of enchantment and acceptance. If that sounds a little much, that's true, too, of "The Shape of Water." It's an exceedingly dreamy movie so intoxicated with itself that it's sometimes easier to admire Del Toro's classically composed film than to genuinely swoon for it.

With shades of "Beauty and the Beast," ''The Shape of Water" is about a love between a mute cleaning lady, Eliza (Sally Hawkins), and a merman (Doug Jones) who has been captured from the Amazon and hauled back to 1962 Baltimore by a cattle prod-wielding military man named Strickland (Michael Shannon).

At a secret government laboratory where Eliza and her talkative friend Zelda (Octavia Spencer) mop up blood, the amphibious man is studied and tortured but mostly kept chained in a murky pool so he can't be taken by the Russians.

Eliza lives  and this is one of those touches a little too on-the-nose  above a grand movie palace where business is drying up. Her friend and neighbor is a gay, out-of-work artist named Giles (Richard Jenkins), who draws wholesome pictures of nuclear American families for an advertising company he used to work for. It's his voice, in the movie's glowing opening, that introduces the tale of "the princess without voice." The camera drifts through a flooded apartment where Eliza sleeps on a floating divan while Alexandre Desplat's romantic score thrums.

We later learn that Eliza is an orphan whose throat was thrashed as a baby, and who was found in a river. So she has a kind of affinity for water, and, after setting an egg timer for precision, masturbates in an overflowing tub. Her courtship with the merman begins with an egg, too, only with the crackle of an opened hardboiled, which she sets out for the creature.

Del Toro's fables may be sweet, but they aren't tame. (His latest is most connected in spirit with his wartime fantasy "Pan's Labyrinth," set in Franco-era Spain.) One of the best things about "The Shape of Water" is that it's a fairy tale that not only doesn't hide from sexuality, but fully embraces it. The movie's lustful soul is written across Hawkins' face as it lights up in mischievous delight.

A love story between two voiceless creatures  one finned, the other not  "The Shape of Water" is a fable to counter the one America long told itself and that some still cling to: of the supremacy of the straight, white, male Bible-thumper. "We're created in the Lord's image," says the married, Cadillac-driving Strickland. He's talking to Eliza and Zelda and quickly corrects himself that it's more him who appears godlike.

Eliza, Giles and Zelda are all second-class citizens, at best, in the world of "The Shape of Water," but they  along with a rogue Russian spy (Michael Stuhlbarg)  will plot what amounts to an uprising. Del Toro's movie dream is one where outsiders of any kind struggle to free themselves from the chains of supposed "decency." The film's rousing call-to-action is a silent one, signed by Eliza but with her words captioned across the center of the screen: "If we do nothing, neither are we."

Nothing is out of place in "The Shape of Water," especially its heart. The cast is universally flawless, as is the lavish production design of Paul. D. Austerberry and the sumptuous cinematography of Dan Laustsen. The film, which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, won't ever surprise you; and you'll have no doubt of its message. It simply swims along exactly as you'd expect, through currents both whimsical and ominous, as if striving for light from the bottom of the ocean.
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
China has pledged to broaden its cooperation with Zimbabwes new administration led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to quicken economic development in the country, which is expected to improve peoples livelihoods.



This was said by Chinas Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Mr Chen Xiadong  who was acting as a special envoy of the Chinese government  when he paid a courtesy call on President Mnangagwa at his Munhumutapa offices yesterday.



Mr Chen also delivered a special invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping to President Mnangagwa to visit the Asian country at a convenient time in the future.





In our talk, President Mnangagwa and I agreed that, going forward, our two sides will continue to maintain high-level exchanges, deepen communication, enhance mutual political trust and carry our traditional friendship forward, he said.





The second point is: we are going to enhance the development strategy alignment between our two countries to ensure our practical cooperation will go deeper and broader, so as to inject more impetus to economic development and the people of Zimbabwes livelihood improvement. Thirdly, we will enhance solidarity and coordination in dealing with international affairs and jointly uphold the common interest of developing countries. We both have confidence in the future development of our bilateral relations.





Mr Chen said his visit was meant to show his countrys support for Zimbabwes new administration.

My mission is to convey the message of Chinese President Xi Jinping to His Excellency President Mnangagwa to demonstrate Chinas support for the people and the new administration of Zimbabwe; to exchange views on deepening our traditional friendship and enhancing our cooperation in various fields, he said.

Mr Chen said President Xi emphasised that Zimbabwe and China enjoyed strong bilateral relations.

President Xi Jinping congratulates President Mnangagwa on assumption of office in his message, he said. The President emphasises that China and Zimbabwe are good friends, good partners and good brothers who have understood and supported each other over the years, and our relations have withstood the test of time, as well as changes in international situations.

Mr Chen said China believed that Zimbabweans had the capacity to manage their own internal affairs.





China firmly supports Zimbabwe in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions and believes that the Government and people of Zimbabwe have the wisdom and capability to manage their internal affairs well, he said.





Mr Chen said President Mnangagwa would visit China at a time convenient to both countries.

President Xi Jinping also extends his invitation to President Mnangagwa to visit China at a time convenient to both sides, Mr Chen said.





He noted that President Mnangagwa had thanked President Xi for his congratulatory message on behalf of the Government and people of Zimbabwe, adding that Mr Chen was the first foreign official envoy visiting him after he took office.





President Mnangagwa said the Government and people of Zimbabwe will not forget Chinas support of Zimbabwe over the years, and that the Government and people of Zimbabwe will not forget the precious support of China to Zimbabwe in critical moments in the development of the country, and fully appreciated the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides, said Mr Chen.





President Mnangagwa also emphasises that the Zimbabwe side attaches high importance to the development of our bilateral ties and that China will become his first stop outside of Africa. Herald
THE British government has expressed optimism that the countrys new dispensation will usher positive changes that are desirable for Zimbabweans and the world.



In a statement, Britains Minister for Africa Mr Rory Stewart who last week met President Emmerson Mnangagwa among other political leaders, said his country should be patient with Zimbabwe under its new political leadership.



The country last week marked the dawn of a new era following the resignation of Cde Mugabe as the countrys President.





President Mnangagwa who was inaugurated last week has impressed different sectors with his clear policy on th way forward. He promised to normalise relations with other countries that have imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe.





Mr Steward who has since returned to Britain said although Zimbabwe has suffered economic setbacks, hope was not lost due to the level of education among the countrys citizens.





He said the country has a chance to rebuild itself with the assistance of friendly nations.

Were now at a situation in Zimbabwe where there could be an opportunity for progress so I went to listen and to learn. This was one of the wealthiest countries in Africa. It has incredible human potential, a very educated population and fantastic natural resources. But it is a country which has suffered terribly. If were patient and if were careful, this can be a moment of change where Zimbabwe becomes the country that its people and its many international friends want it to be, said Mr Steward.





President Mnangagwas rise to power has seen friendly nations committing to assist in the rebuilding of Zimbabwe.

Cde Mnangagwas inauguration message has impacted positively on the international community with several countries promising to help the country grow its economy.





US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Harry K Thomas Jnr on Sunday said his country was prepared to help Zimbabwe achieve the much needed economic stability. herald
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Americans celebrated #GivingTuesday the day after Cyber Monday (and several days of other discounted holiday shopping), reminding us to keep in mind those in need. That effort can come in the form of both money and time spent volunteering, both of which WalletHub tracked to see which US states have the most charitable residents. The site looked at more than a dozen key indicators of giving behavior, including everything from one's share of income offered to those less fortunate, to the share of a state's population that spent time fundraising or gathering up clothing or food. Here, the results:



Most Charitable States

Utah (No. 1 in charitable giving) Maryland Minnesota Wyoming Wisconsin

Read on for the states with residents who don't open their wallets or schedules as much:

Least Charitable States

Hawaii Rhode Island (last in volunteering and service) Nevada Louisiana Arizona (last in charitable giving)

Check out the entire list here , or see which states have residents with more money to offer in the first place. (Read more US states stories.)
US Ambassador Nikki Haley said Wednesday that North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile that some observers believe could reach Washington and the entire US Eastern Seaboard "brings us closer" to a war the US doesn't seek, the AP reports. Haley, speaking at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, said that if war comes as a result of further acts of "aggression" like Tuesday's launch, "make no mistake the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed." "The dictator of North Korea made a decision yesterday that brings us closer to war, not farther from it," Haley said. "We have never sought war with North Korea and still today we do not seek it."

The Trump administration threatened new sanctions on North Korea after the reclusive government shattered 2 months of relative quiet with its most powerful weapon test yet. President Trump tweeted that he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about Pyongyang's "provocative actions," and he vowed that "additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!" Trump's top diplomat, Rex Tillerson, said the US could target financial institutions doing business with the North. The fresh deliberations about new forms of punishment for North Korea came after its government said it successfully fired a "significantly more" powerful, nuclear-capable ICBM it called the Hwasong-15. Outside governments and analysts concurred the North had made a jump in missile capability.

(Read more North Korea stories.)
Turkish-Iranian businessman Reza Zarrab was supposed to go on trial this week for conspiring to dodge American sanctions on Iranbut in a turn of events that has made the legal drama grip his homeland, it emerged that he has already pleaded guilty and is now the star witness for the prosecution. In a Manhattan courtroom Wednesday, Zarrab described a web of bribery and corruption reaching to the highest levels of the Turkish government. Here's what you need to know:

The witness. Zarrab, a gold-trading tycoon who owned a private jet and 20 homes, was first detained by Turkish authorities as part of a corruption probe in 2013, but was released after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke out against a "judicial coup" and prosecutors were pulled from the case, the BBC reports. But after deciding to visit Disney World with his wife and daughter in March last year, he was arrested by US authorities and accused of money laundering and sanction-busting. He was released from custody Nov. 8, though he could still face prison time.

The defendant . Zarrab testified this week in the federal trial of Mehmet Hakan Atilla, who is accused of facilitating illegal transactions worth hundreds of millions of dollars for the government of Iran, the Wall Street Journal reports. Other defendants charged in absentia, including former Turkish economy minister Mehmet Zafer Caglayan, are still in Turkey. Zarrab told the court Wednesday that he paid Caglayan around $60 million in bribes.

. Zarrab testified this week in the federal trial of Mehmet Hakan Atilla, who is accused of facilitating illegal transactions worth hundreds of millions of dollars for the government of Iran, the Wall Street Journal reports. Other defendants charged in absentia, including former Turkish economy minister Mehmet Zafer Caglayan, are still in Turkey. Zarrab told the court Wednesday that he paid Caglayan around $60 million in bribes. The scheme . Zarrab said Wednesday that he helped Iran use funds deposited in Halkbank, a state-owned Turkish bank, to buy gold that was sold for cash after being smuggled to Dubai, Reuters reports. The bank and a private bank also implicated say they followed all the relevant regulations.

. Zarrab said Wednesday that he helped Iran use funds deposited in Halkbank, a state-owned Turkish bank, to buy gold that was sold for cash after being smuggled to Dubai, Reuters reports. The bank and a private bank also implicated say they followed all the relevant regulations. The defense. Prosecutors say Attila was the architect of the scheme, though Victor Rocco, one of his lawyers, argues that Zarrab was the real mastermind who made hundreds of millions of dollars, NBC reports. "The evidence will show he waged economic jihad against the US," Rocco said of Zarrab in his opening statement.

The Turkish reaction . The Erdogan government, which has senior minister implicated in the scheme, lobbied both the Obama and Trump administrations to drop the case, calling it a plot against Turkey. On Thursday, a government spokesman accused prosecutors of pressuring Zarrab to slander Turkey as part of a conspiracy orchestrated by US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is also accused by Turkey of planning last year's coup attempt, the AP reports.

. The Erdogan government, which has senior minister implicated in the scheme, lobbied both the Obama and Trump administrations to drop the case, calling it a plot against Turkey. On Thursday, a government spokesman accused prosecutors of pressuring Zarrab to slander Turkey as part of a conspiracy orchestrated by US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is also accused by Turkey of planning last year's coup attempt, the AP reports. The Flynn connection. Sources told NBC earlier this month that special counsel Robert Mueller was looking into allegations that former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn met with Turkish operatives weeks before Trump's inauguration to discuss secretly carrying out orders from Ankaraincluding securing Gulen's return to Turkey and having Zarrab's case dropped in return for millions in bribes.

(Read more Reza Zarrab stories.)
A Vietnamese appeals court has upheld a blogger's 10-year prison sentence for Facebook posts alleged to be anti-state propaganda, her lawyer says. It was the second tough sentence imposed on dissidents in a week to draw a rebuke from the US government, the AP reports. The blogger, Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, was convicted in June of spreading propaganda by distorting government policies and defaming the Communist regime. Lawyer Nguyen Ha Luan said the Supreme People's Court determined after a half-day hearing Thursday in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa that the conviction was justified. Quynh maintained she was innocent throughout the trial, Luan said, adding she admitted writing the articles, but saying they didn't constitute a crime.

The popular 37-year-old blogger, known by her pen name Me Nam, or "Mother Mushroom," has written about human rights and the release of toxic chemicals by a Taiwanese-owned factory that killed thousands of fish in one of Vietnam's worst environmental disasters. US Charge d'Affaires Caryn McClelland said in a statement Thursday that she was "deeply troubled" by the court's decision. The US "calls on Vietnam to release Ms. Quynh and all prisoners of conscience immediately, and to allow all individuals in Vietnam to express their views freely and assemble peacefully without fear of retribution," she said. On Monday, a court sentenced activist Nguyen Van Hoa to seven years in prison after finding him guilty of producing online videos and interviews related to the fish kill.

(Read more Vietnam stories.)
Matt Lauer has broken his silence over the sexual misconduct scandal engulfing him. "There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions," he says in a statement, per CNBC. "To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry." He adds that "some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed." Meanwhile, after a damning Variety report that outlined a litany of accusations against the 59-year-old Lauerincluding that he had a button under his desk that allowed him to lock his office doorNBC fielded two new complaints other than the one that led to his firing, a source tells the New York Times.

An ex-NBC employee behind one of the complaints, who spoke to the Times on condition of anonymity, says she endured inappropriate comments from Lauer starting soon after she joined the network in the late '90s. She documents a 2001 incident in which Lauer asked her to his office, locked the door, and sexually assaulted her. She says she fainted while it was happening and that Lauer's assistant took her to a nurse. She says she didn't report the incident due to shame she hadn't done more to stop him, as well as fear of being fired. In further bad news for Lauer, Bloomberg reports that the $9 million, 27,000-acre ranch on New Zealand's South Island that Lauer scooped up earlier this year is now at risk, due to a clause in the purchase approval by the Overseas Investment Office that says the purchaser "must continue to be in good character." An OIO rep says "we are ... seeking further information." (Read more Matt Lauer stories.)
It's not just Hawaii that's prepared for a nuclear attack by North Korea. America's neighbor to the north has set aside two classified bunkers, including one to be used by members of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Cabinet, in case Canadian officials get an evacuation order or otherwise find Ottawa to be "unviable," according to documents obtained by CBC News. The sites aren't identified in the August 2016 documents, which make up part of the government's emergency contingency plans, but they're described as being on military bases. Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan says he's "very mindful" of North Korea's nuclear program and takes such threats "extremely seriously," particularly as experts suggest Canada could be hit by a missile aimed at the US. But Sajjan maintains a diplomatic solution is possible.

Canada could play a key role in that regard: Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland says Vancouver will host an international meeting on North Korea in January, reports Reuters, noting Japan, China, and South Korea will be invited. As many as two dozen countries may attend, reports Global News, citing a government source who describes the location as neutral, given that Canada is a non-nuclear power. "These are the kinds of things where Canada can, I think, play a role that the United States has chosen not to play this past year," Trudeau said last week when asked about Canada's push for international cooperation to address the crisis. The US, however, will co-host the meeting, designed to show "the unity of the international community in applying pressure on North Korea," Freeland says. (Read more Canada stories.)
It's believed that Australia has only twice opened a third coroner's inquest into someone's death: with the infamous case of Azaria Chamberlain, the baby taken by a dingo, and with the 1988 death of a 27-year-old American mathematician. On Thursday, a coroner gave the ruling his brother had been seeking for years: that Scott Johnson's death at the bottom of a Sydney cliff was not an act of suicide but a hate crime. The New York Times quotes the state coroner, Magistrate Michael Barnes, as saying he was "persuaded to the requisite standard Scott Johnson died as a result of a gay hate attack"; he added there was insufficient evidence to establish who killed Johnson, however. Steve Johnson in 2005 learned "there were three other cases of gay men that died at cliff sides that had probably been attacked by marauding teen gangs [and] collapsed" at the news, he said late last year.

His lobbying helped secure a second inquest, which in 2012 overturned the suicide ruling. The Guardian reports that Barnes found Johnson's behavior was free of characteristics often linked with suicide, like mental health or drug issues, and that "naked suicide"his clothes were left folded atop the North Head cliffsis "exceptionally rare." Barnes referenced the "inadequacy" of the original investigation, in which investigators "quickly jumped to conclusions" and failed to identify the location where Johnson fell as a known "gay beat," where gay men would meet up. Australia's ABC reports Barnes found many reports of teens and young men assaulting gay men in the area. For Steve Johnson, the case hasn't been put to bed. "The inquest produced many leads toward possible perpetrators," he said, per the Guardian. "Now it's time for a homicide investigation." (Read more on the case here.)
A deadly chemical was in the container from which a Croat war criminal drank shortly before dying, a Dutch prosecutor said Thursday, as an independent investigation into the dramatic death of Slobodan Praljak continued. "There was a preliminary test of the substance in the container and all I can say for now is that there was a chemical substance in that container that can cause death," Prosecutor Marilyn Fikenscher told the AP in a telephone interview. She declined to elaborate on the exact nature of the substance. Praljak, 72, stunned the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia on Wednesday when he gulped down liquid from a small bottle seconds after a UN appeals judge had confirmed a 20-year sentence against him.

He was rushed to a Hague hospital but died there, tribunal spokesman Nenad Golcevski said. Praljak's lawyer, Nina Pinter, was quoted by Croatia's HINA news agency Thursday as saying "it has never occurred to me that he could do something like that." Pinter described Praljak as "an honorable man who could not live with the war crimes conviction and leave that courtroom handcuffed." Fikenscher said that an autopsy, including toxicological tests, will be carried out soon on Praljak's body, and that the Dutch investigation will look into how Praljak managed to take the small bottle of poison into the tribunal's tightly guarded courtroom.

(Read more war crimes stories.)
Amid a flurry of sexual misconduct allegations, Rep. John Conyers' office confirms that the 88-year-old was hospitalized overnight in Detroit, per WDIV. A political consultant who noted he spoke with Conyers' wife, Monica, early Thursday said the Michigan congressman is being treated for stress-related issues. "We want you to know that the congressman is resting comfortably in an area hospital," Sam Riddle told reporters. "He's doing OK, as well as he can be expected for a gentleman that's approaching 90 years of age." "The congressman's health is not what it should be, and [a] lot of that is directly attributable to this media assault," Riddle added. Both WDIV and the Detroit Free Press note the news of his medical woes came right after an interview with one of his accusers aired on the Today show.

In that appearance, Marion Brown told Savannah Guthrie that Conyers "just violated my body, he's touched me in different ways. It was very uncomfortable and very unprofessional." She describes in detail a 2005 incident in a Chicago hotel room in which she says he appeared in his underwear and asked Brown to touch his genitals. Brown says she was fired in 2014 after refusing his advances; she reached a settlement with him but decided to break the nondisclosure to "be a voice" against "sexism and gender inequality." Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi gave her weekly presser Thursday morning, and she said it's time for Conyers to step down, per Axios. "The allegations against [Conyers]as we have learned more since Sundayare serious, disappointing, and very credible," she said. "The brave women who came forward are owed justice. ... Congressman Conyers should resign." (Read more John Conyers stories.)
"I've been listening to a lot of people the last week in Texas," Rep. Joe Barton says. "There are enough people who lost faith in me that its time to step aside." The longtime Republican congressman told the Dallas Morning News on Thursday that he won't seek re-election after more than 30 years in Congress. Barton made headlines recently when a nude photo he sent to a woman he was in an extramarital relationship with was leaked on Twitter . Barton later admitted to having multiple sexual relationships with women while he was married to his second wife; they divorced in 2015. Barton says he still believes he could win an 18th term, "but it would be a nasty campaign, a difficult campaign for my family." He says his 12-year-old son asked him not to run for re-election.
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New Delhi:

A juvenile was apprehended on Thursday for allegedly firing at a toll tax employee in a case of mistaken identity last month in southwest Delhias Jaffarpur Kalan, the police said.

On October 20, Amar Singh (24) an employee at the Daurala Toll Tax was shot at by three motorcycle-borne persons.

The investigation focused on members of the Nandoo, Manjit Mahal, Neeraj Bawania and Rajesh Bawania gangs as these were active in the border areas, said Shibesh Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest).

During investigation, 50 to 75 people were interrogated and details of motorcycles similar to the one driven by the accused were obtained from the Transport Authority, the officer said.

ALSO READ | Bihar: 1 killed, 6 injured after police open fire at protestors in Samastipur

It emerged that Rajesh Bawania, who is currently in jail, had asked his henchmen to recruit teenagers and kill Vikram alias Katia, an alleged associate of a rival gang, he said.

In the process, the accused fired on the toll tax employee in a case of mistaken identity, the officer said.

Subsequently, the three accused, including two juveniles were identified, the police said.

One of the juveniles was apprehended on Thursday from the Delhi-Sonipat border and a country-made pistol used in the incident was seized from him.

The other accused, a juvenile, is already lodged in a childrenas home in connection with an attempt to murder case.

During interrogation, it emerged that the gangsters lodged in different jails are recruiting youngsters, preferably minors, to carry out their operations, said the DCP.

ALSO READ | Delhi: Firing reported in Rohini; one injured
New Delhi:

BJP MP Kirron Kher on Wednesday stirred a controversy by her bizarre statement over the Chandigarh rape case in which a 22-year-old girl was brutally gang-raped by three men in a moving auto-rickshaw.

While speaking to reporters in her home constituency Chandigarh, the BJP MPA said, aThe victim should have not boarded the auto rickshaw when she saw three men sitting in it.a

Kheras statement didnat go down well with the Opposition and other sections of the society. The Congress party accused the ruling party MP of taking a aserious issuea of women safety, lightly.

aI am amazed how she gave such a statement, It seems like a light take on a serious matter. She instead needed to tell how she is going to make Chandigarh a safer place for women,a Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal said.

Kirron Kheras statement also offended a large section of women who took to twitter to criticize her for acensuring a woman rape victim.a

See the attitude of the Lutyens elite of #BJP. A suit-boot ki sarkar will never understand what it feels like to be a woman stranded on a street & getting increasingly desperate with each passing minute because no public transport is in sight https://t.co/heYKEbmhNa #KirronKher a Anna MM Vetticad (@annavetticad) November 30, 2017

One Sleeja Raut, a twitter user said, going by Kirron Kheras logic, the women should not leave their house. Another user Reema Roy said, aTthese are our ministers, Instead of making the cities safe, they lecture women!! a

Wow! wise words by @KirronKherBJP . So going by this logic what this woman is trying to say is women should not leave their house Y #chandigarhgangrape #kirronkher https://t.co/f6DOh3TeDm a Sleeja Raut (@DrSleejaRaut) November 30, 2017

However, Kher defended her statement and said that she has aonly asked women to stay alert as the society now a days is not good and Politics should not be played here.a

On November 27, a 22-year-old woman, hailing from Dehradun, was allegedly gang-raped by three men in a moving auto rickshaw.

The Chandigarh police have arrested all the three accused including the driver of the auto-rickshaw.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Delhi is the most unsafe place for foreigners in the country, while West Bengal witnessed highest number of crimes committed by them last year, according to a report released by National Crime Record Bureau on Thursday.

NCRB data reveals around 40 per cent of the crimes were reported against foreigners in 2016 in Delhi and 42 per cent of crimes were committed by them in West Bengal.

The report says, 12 foreigners were murdered, 19 women foreign nationals were raped and around 38 cases were reported under the section 'assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty'.

The NCRB breakdown reveals that total of 382 cases of crime against foreign nationals were reported in the country. Out of the total cases reported, 154 cases were lodged in the national capital, followed by 38 in Maharashtra, 33 in Puducherry and 22 in Goa.

The NCRB data also reveals that Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Uttarakhand are safest for foreign visitors.

According to the NCRB report, total of 1226 cases were reported against foreign nationals in various police stations in India.

In West Bengal alone, 520 cases were reported against foreign nationals, followed by 91 in Karnataka, 80 in Goa, 64 in Tamil Nadu and 56 in Maharashtra. The data reveals that no crime cases were committed by foreigners in Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, A&N Islands and D&N Haveli.

The data breakdown reveals that 66 foreigners were booked for cases related to narcotics, 59 in cheating cases, seven for murder and six on rape charges.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Hyderabad Metro Rail received an enormous response on the opening day of its commercial operations on Wednesday. The Metro service authorities said over two lakh passengers travelled on day one.

The turnout was beyond our expectations. On day one, over two lakh passengers travelled on the Metro, Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd (HMRL) managing director NVS Reddy said.

Hyderabad Metro commenced its first commercial operations on Wednesday between Miyapur and Nagole. The distance between the two stations is around 30 kilometers, covering 24 stations.

The HMRL managing director added that 80 per cent passengers travelled for work purposes. For 20 per cent passengers, it was a joy-ride, said Reddy.

Further talking to the media he said, We expect 1.5 passengers will travel by the metro every month.

The Hyderabad Metro charges Rs 10 for a distance up to two kilometers and the maximum fare is Rs 60 for a distance more than 26 kilometers. The trains run from 6 am to 10 pm.

Also read: PM Modi flags off Hyderabad Metro Rail



The Metro authorities, Hyderabad Police and L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) have been instructed to be on high alert to manage the crowd.

In a series of tweets, Telangana Municipal Administration and Urban Minister KT Rama Rao wrote, Delighted that Hyderabadis have welcomed Hyderabad Metro in a big way. More than 2 lakh people took the train on Day 1.

He also wrote, I am told while day 1 of Hyd Metro broke all records, on day 2 also we are noticing a surge. Appeal to fellow Hyderabadis to be considerable to kids, elderly & other passengers. Its our metro, our pride.

According to HMRL officials, 546 security personnel from private security service agencies are manning the Metro stations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Tuesday inaugurated the first phase of the 72-km elevated Hyderabad Metro Rail project at the Miyapur station.

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New Delhi:

Father of Kerala woman Hadiya nee Akhila has threatened to move the Supreme Court against Salem's Sivaraj Homeopathy Medical College after it allowed her to speak to her husband, Shafin Jahan.

Twenty-five-year-old Hadiya, who converted to Islam to marry a Muslim man, on Tuesday was re-admitted to the college to complete her homeopathy course on Supreme Courts directions.

As per media reports, dean of Hadiyas college, G Kannan had allowed her to speak to husband Jahan from his own mobile phone.

"Hadiya talked to Jahan for a while from my mobile phone, after I, as the local guardian, asked her whether she was interested in talking or meeting anybody," NDTV quoted Kannan as saying.

The move infuriated Hadiya's father, who said, "The highest court of the country has sent her to the college to complete her education in a safe environment. If Jahan who has got an extremist link meets her it will compromise my daughter's safety."

"I would immediately move the Supreme Court seeking an order restraining Jehan from meeting her. Besides, the college authorities should be directed not to allow her to address the media. Jahan has no right to meet her, he added.

Also Read: Hadiya returns to college in Salem, will resume classes as Akhila; Hopes to meet husband

Earlier on Wednesday, Hadiya had complained that she was not completely free even after the SC allowed her to complete her studies and expressed a strong desire to meet husband.

Hadiya was confined to her parents home for the last seven months after the Kerala High Court annulled her marriage on her familys petition.

Her family had alleged that she was heavily indoctrinated by the terrorist groups like ISIS and will be taken to Syria.

Hadiyas husband Shafin Jahan had challenged the annulment order of Kerala High Court in the Supreme Court saying that she was an adult and had the right to decide her future.

The apex court had said that being an adult her consent was prime and called her to testify if she married and converted of her own will.

Before leaving for Delhi for the hearing in Supreme Court, Hadiya screamed that she was not forcefully converted and wanted to live with her husband.

After the hearing on Monday, the Supreme Court had freed Hadiya from her parents unlawful custody and allowed her to complete her college course in homeopathy.

On the apex courts direction, she was sent to Tamil Nadu and re-admitted to Salem's Sivaraj Homeopathy Medical College.

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New Delhi:

Five militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Pakherpora area of central Kashmir's Budgam district, the Army said on Thursday.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Futlipora in Pakherpora area, 45 kms from here, following information about presence of militants in the area, an Army official said.

He said the militants opened fire on security forces, who retaliated, triggering a fierce gunbattle.

Police sources said a security force personnel sustained injuries during the operation while two civilian youth were hurt in security forces action against protestors who were trying to disrupt the anti-militancy operation.

As it happened:

# Another terrorist gunned down by the security forces.

# 4 terrorists have been killed in the ongoing gun-battles in Sopore and Budgam.

#JammuAndKashmir: One terrorist has also been gunned down in Sopore by security forces, encounter continues  ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

# One terrorist has also been gunned down in Sopore by security forces. The encounters are still underway.

#JammuAndKashmir: One terrorist has also been gunned down in Sopore by security forces, encounter continues  ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

# One soldier has been injured in the encounters.

#UPDATE: 1 jawan injured, encounter underway in Sopore  ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

# Three to four terrorists are believed to be hiding in the area.

Encounter underway in Budgam between Security forces and terrorists.More details awaited #JammuAndKashmir (visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/tMmVRoTWoU  ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

# Mobile internet services snapped in Budgam district.

J&K: Mobile internet services snapped in Budgam district where an encounter is underway.  ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

# Security forces are engaged in encounters with terrorists in Budgam and Sopore.

ALSO READ: MHA directs Armed Forces to remove Truecaller, WeChat, 40 other Chinese developed Apps; declares them spyware

Earlier on Friday, joint security forces had nabbed a Pakistani terrorist having links with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) from Jammu and Kashmirs Kupwara district.

Encounter underway in Budgam between Security forces and terrorists.More details awaited #JammuAndKashmir  ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

Further, on November 21, a soldier was martyred and three others suffered bullet injuries in a fierce gunbattle between terrorists and joint security forces in Kupwara district.

READ: Territorial Army jawan's bullet-riddled body found in J&K's Shopian district

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New Delhi:

After facing severe criticism from the various state governments, the Narendra Modi government has finally decided to roll back its controversial order to ban the sale of cattle including cows from animal markets for slaughter.

According to the sources, the move to roll back the controversial ban was made after the Environment Ministry sought feedback from several states on the notification.

In their response, the states have informed the government that the ban has severely dented the dairy farming, leather production and beef export, sources said.

Although, the government has reportedly aggreed to lift the ban in principle but hasn't yet decided on its timming.

Earlier in May this year, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change had ordered a ban on the sale and purchase of cattle in the animal market for slaughter.

Also Read | BJP MP Kirron Kher holds Chandigarh victim responsible for her rape, Congress hits out

The move sparked a massive row with the Opposition accusing the Modi government of forcefully imposing their own ideology on the people of the country.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee had termed the ban as undemocratic and unconstitutional.

Other states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka also opposed the governments decision and even knocked the doors of courts.

On Karnataka governments petition, the Madras High Court stayed the implementation of the governments ban order.

In July, The Supreme Court also ruled that the stay order of the Madras HC against the ban was operational and extended the stay to the entire country.

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Srinagar:

For the first time in seven years, the number of militants killed in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir has crossed 200, according to the state police.

Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid on Thursday said that the collective effort of J&K Police, Indian Army, CRPF, CAPF and people of Kashmir have led to neutralisation of more than 200 terrorists in the year of 2017 alone.

The DGPs statement came on a day five militants were killed in two separate encounters by the security forces in Kashmirs Budgam and Baramulla districts, officials said.

This is a huge achievement for establishing peace and stability in the state of J&K and the country, the DGP added.

ALSO READ: Terrorists sneak into Kashmir's Budgam, Sopore; encounter underway, soldier injured, 5 terrorists gunned down

According to official figures, 200 militants have been killed by the security forces during counter-insurgency operations from 1 January till date this year, which is the highest since 2010.

In 2010, 270 militants were killed. However, the number dropped to around 100 per year by the end of 2015.

In 2016, 165 militants were killed by the security forces along the Line of Control (LoC) and in the hinterland.

There has been an increase in civilian killings in militancy-related violence as well with 54 civilians getting killed this year compared to 14 last year.

The number of security forces killed in militancy-related incidents this year was 77, lower than the 88 fatalities witnessed last year.

ALSO READ: India reacts strongly to Hafiz Saeed's release; says Pakistan wants to mainstream terrorists

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New Delhi:

Questioning the process to elect party president, Shehzad Poonawalla, Congress secretary of Maharashtra unit, on Wednesday dubbed it "rigged", saying that the elections are fixed.

While talking to ANI, Poonawalla said that the upcoming Congress president election is a selection and not an election. He said it is a sham election process.

The grand old party secretary said Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi must first resign from his post. Poonawalla said he would also contest the election if it was conducted in a "genuine" manner.

aI think there should be only one ticket in one family, be it Shehzad Poonawalla or Rahul Gandhi,a he said.

I think there should be only one ticket in one family, be it Shehzad Poonawalla or Rahul Gandhi: Shehzad Poonawalla,Maharashtra Congress Secretary pic.twitter.com/wZebbU7S8T a ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

Poonawalla further said: aI have information that the people who are going to vote for party president are fixed, itas rigged.a A A

He said he took courage to speak out and would face criticism for it.

I have got info that the delegates who are going to vote for the party president elections are fixed, its rigged. They have been appointed for their loyalty. Yes It takes courage to speak out, there will be all kinds of attacks against me,but I have facts: Shehzad Poonawalla pic.twitter.com/On13hqIteP a ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

aYes It takes courage to speak out, there will be all kinds of attacks against me, but I have facts,a Poonawalla said.A

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New Delhi:

Truecaller on Thursday responded to media reports on Home Ministry directing the Armed Forces to delete around 40 Apps made by Chinese developers to avoid a possible cyber attack. The company on Thursday denied any foul play and said, We are Sweden-based company.

In response to certain reports, we would like to clarify that we are a Sweden-based company. We are not sure why the app is on this list, but were investigating, said Truecaller.

The company further said in a statement, Truecaller is not a malware, and all our features are permission based and are disabled by default.

The company added, For additional clarity, when you download Truecaller from the app store, Truecaller needs access to certain capabilities to provide you with a richer experience.

After media reports, the company on its official Twitter handle also tweeted about its origin. Did you know #Truecaller is made in Sweden?, wrote the company.

Also read: MHA directs Armed Forces to remove Truecaller, WeChat, 40 other Chinese developed Apps; declares them spyware



The Home Ministry issued an official communique on November 24 after the Intelligence Directorate General (DTE GEN) raised concern over the usage of Chinese Apps. The intelligence agencies had alerted the MHA regarding usage of Chinese Applications can lead to data breach.

Did you know #Truecaller is made in Sweden? Learn more about our company and app developers! https://t.co/b7S5GChFvI pic.twitter.com/VHAEyW1AZA  Truecaller (@Truecaller) November 30, 2017

The advisory given to the Indian Armed Force and Central Armed Police Personnel (CAPF) warns of a possible cyber attack through mobile Apps.

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Kanpur:

A journalist was shot dead by unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants in Kanpurs Bilahaur area on Thursday evening.

The deceased journalist has been identified as Naveen Srivastava.

According to police, Srivastava was sitting at his hosiery shop when the assailants shot him from a close range. The criminals fled the spot after shooting him. Criminals pumped in at least four bullets into Srivastavas body, said a senior police officer.

Police in their initial investigation have learnt that three to four armed criminals were involved in the attack, he added.

Uttar Pradesh Police assistant deputy general (ADGP) Law and Order said, Special teams have been formed to nab the criminals at the earliest.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Kanpur has been sent to the incident site, he added.

Also read: Noted journalist shot dead in Tripura



A senior police officer said, The motive behind the murder will be clear once we nab the murderers.

Also read: Gauri Lankesh murder: Perpetrators soon to be booked, says K'taka HM Ramalinga Reddy



Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the state's top cop to follow up the investigation.

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New Delhi:

US President Donald Trump threatened to impose major sanctions on North Korea for its latest test of a ballistic missile, which appeared capable of reaching the US mainland. Further, he also spoke to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to press Pyongyang to halt its provocative actions.

During the phone call, Trump underscored the determination of the US to defend itself and its allies from the growing threat posed by the North Korean regime, the White House said.

The two leaders discussed North Koreas latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch, it said. The missile was launched from Sain Ni, North Korea on Tuesday and travelled about 1000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japans Economic Exclusion Zone.

ALSO READ: US makes push for China to cut off oil to North Korea

Just spoke to President Xi Jinping of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled! Trump tweeted.

Just spoke to President XI JINPING of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017

He did not elaborate on the nature of the additional major sanctions on Pyongyang which is already facing severe UN-imposed punitive measure for its frequent missile and nuclear tests.

The White House said that President Trump emphasised the need for China to use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization.

READ: China expresses grave concern over North Korea missile test, reiterates dialogue

Within hours of North Korean missile launch, Trump spoke to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss their collective response to the latest provocative behaviour by Pyongyang.

We will take care of it. It is a situation we will handle, Trump told reporters in the Roosevelt Room of the White House soon after North Koreas ballistic missile test. China is North Koreas only major ally and biggest trading partner.

In response to Trumps demands, Beijing has backed increasingly tough UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea to convince it to return to talks.

In Beijing, Chinas Foreign Ministry on Wednesday expressed grave concern over North Koreas ICBM test and asked its ally to stop actions that heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Beijing also asked North Korea to strictly abide by United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions on the use of the ballistic missile technology.

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, told reporters that the missile this time went higher than any previous time. Their Research and Development effort on their part they seem to be developing missiles that can reach anywhere in the world, he said.

During his phone calls with Abe and Moon, the leaders underscored the grave threat that North Koreas latest provocation poses not only to the US, South Korea, Japan but also to the entire world.

They reaffirmed their strong condemnation of North Koreas reckless campaign to advance its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, noting that these weapons only serve to undermine North Koreas security and deepen its diplomatic and economic isolation, the White House said.

In New York, US Vice President Mike Pence said that all options were on table. The Kim regime in North Korea would do well not to test the resolve of this President or the capabilities of the Armed Forces of the United States of America, Pence said in his speech at the Hudson Institute 2017 Herman Kahn Award Dinner.

As President Trump said today, we will take care of the situation. All options are on the table, and we will continue to marshal the full resources of the US to bring economic and diplomatic pressure to bear until North Korea abandons its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes once and for all, he said.

The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold a meeting on North Korea at the request of US Envoy to the UN Nikki Haley along with her counterparts from Japan and South Korea.

Strongly condemning the missile launch, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said North Koreas relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them must be reversed.

Together the international community must continue to send a unified message to North Korea that the DPRK must abandon its Weapons of Mass Destruction programmes. All nations must continue strong economic and diplomatic measures, he said.

In addition to implementing all existing UN sanctions, the international community must take additional measures to enhance maritime security, including the right to interdict maritime traffic transporting goods to and from the DPRK, he added.

Tillerson said the US, in partnership with Canada, will convene a meeting of the United Nations Command Sending States to include the Republic of Korea and Japan and other key affected countries to discuss how the global community can counter North Koreas threat to international peace.

Diplomatic options remain viable and open, for now. The United States remains committed to finding a peaceful path to denuclearisation and to ending belligerent actions by North Korea, he said.

Earlier, North Koreas state television said the country had achieved its mission of becoming a nuclear state. The official Korean Central News Agency added that top leader Kim Jong-Un, who personally signed off on the launch, declared with pride that now we have finally realised the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power.

With PTI inputs

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Kathmandu:

A bus onA Wednesday collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction and fell into the Trishuli River in Chitwan district in Nepal, killing at least eight passengers and injuring 25 others.

Seven passengers died on the spot when the ill-fated bus en route to Arghakhanchi from Kathmandu fell into the river, police said.

Twenty-five others including a three-month-old infant were rescued alive from the river, they said. One passenger died on his way to hospital.

Five of the injured, whose condition is serious, have been brought to Kathmandu for medical treatment, police said.

7 dead after a bus fell 25 feet into a river in Nepal's Kathmandu yesterday pic.twitter.com/wxtK5CGrnj a ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

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Washington:

President Donald Trump plans to hold talks this week with leaders from Bahrain and Libya.

The White House says Trump will meet Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa on Thursday. The crown prince is visiting Washington this week and has already met with Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson.

Trump plans to meet Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Serraj on Friday. The White House says the leaders will discuss reaffirming US support for Libya's unity government and help stabilizing the country.

Libya fell into chaos after the ouster and killing of its longtime leader Muammar Gadhafi in 2011.

Also Read: Egypt launches airstrikes in Libya in response to terrorist attack that killed 28 Coptic Christians

The country's divisions and power and security vacuum have empowered hundreds of militias to become the real power on the ground. Human trafficking and fuel smuggling have also thrived.

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Washington:

History was made on Thursday when Raj Shah, who holds a key position in the White House, gaggled with reporters on board presidential chopper Air Force One, becoming the first Indian-American to enjoy the privilege.

Shah, 33, did so in the capacity of Principal Deputy Press Secretary, a position to which he was promoted by US President Donald Trump in September as he restructured his press office by making Hope Hicks Director of Communications.

Shah was accompanying Trump as he flew to Missouri to deliver a major speech on middle-class tax relief and business tax relief.

Mid-way to St Louis, Shah, the highest ranking Indian-American ever in the White House press office, gaggled with the travelling press corp. Gaggle is the term used for informal briefing by the White House Press Secretary, which is on the record but bars reporters from video graphing.

Were looking forward to the Presidents remarks later today. It will be in St. Charles, talking about the need for middle-class tax relief and business tax relief, Shah said in his opening remarks.

The focus of todays remarks are going to be on small businesses. Hes going to feature two specific small businesses. One is a local small business incubator, and the other is a jewelry businesstheyre a retail business that also wholesales to about two and a half dozen different retailers throughout the country, he said.

So were very excited about these remarks, and were excited about the developments on pushing tax reform and tax cuts. And the President is going to make a push for Yea votes, Shah said after which he took question from the White House travelling press. The questions ranged from the presidents controversial tweets, to North Korea, and tax cuts. The gaggle lasted for about 12 minutes.

Shah was born in 1984 to Indian parents of Gujarati origin. Shahs parents moved to Chicago in 1970s and then moved to Connecticut where he was born and raised.

His father was a mechanical engineer, but later moved in the business and owned retail stores. His mother was a dentist. Both are now leading a retired life. After his schooling in Connecticut, Shah went to the Cornell University. It is during the college life that he became politically active. Not as a Republican though.

I actually interned for a Democrat when I was in college, he says. He became a Republican as he learned more and more into issues. He in fact interned in the Bush White House in the summer of 2005.

And just out of college, he got a job in the research wing of the Republican National Committee and since there has been no looking back for him. At 33, there are only a very few in his generation who have accomplished so much.

Shah joined the White House right from the day the Trump administration took charge. He was made the Deputy Communications Director and Research Director at the White House. Previously, he was director of Opposition Research in the Republican National Committee.

Its awesome. This is a lot of fun to represent the president, to represent his views not just to a domestic and international audience. What I did in earlier was a little bit about developing our message. This is about delivering the message, he told a group of Indian journalists recently.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, had listed Shah among the top Indian-American performers working under the Trump administration.

We are seeing more political activity by Indian- Americans on both sides of the aisle. We are proud to watch the work of Raj Shah, Manisha Singh, Neil Chatterjee, Naomi Rao, Vishal Amin among others that are all part of the Trump administration, said Haley, the first Indian-American woman appointed to a cabinet-level position in the US.

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United Nations:

The United States on Thursday urged China to cut off crude oil shipments to North Korea and pressed all countries to isolate Kim Jong-Un's regime by cutting off all diplomatic and trade ties.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that North Korea's latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) "demands that countries further isolate the Kim regime."

During a phone conversation earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump asked President Xi Jinping to cut off China's crude oil supplies to North Korea, a move that would deal a crippling blow to North Korea's economy.

Trump told the Chinese leader "that we have come to the point that China must cut off the oil from North Korea," Haley said.

"That would be a pivotal step in the world's effort to stop this international pariah," she said.

Haley also called "on all nations to cut off all ties with North Korea" and said the Security Council should take away North Korea's voting rights at the United Nations.

The council was meeting at the request of the United States, Japan and South Korea to consider next steps after three rounds of sanctions adopted in the past year failed to push North Korea to change course.

Haley said the ICBM launch had raised the threat of war.

Also Read| World will not tolerate North Korea's 'nuclear blackmail': Donald Trump

"The dictator of North Korea made a choice yesterday that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it. If war comes, make no mistake: The North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed," she warned.

Also Read: North Korea test fires another ballistic missile, Trump says we will take care of it

Pyongyang, on Wednesday, tested its third ICBM, which it claimed was capable of striking anywhere in the United States, snapping a two-month pause in missile launches.

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A high court on Wednesday upheld a lower court decision to retry an 84-year-old man who served prison time for fatally stabbing an acquaintance in Kumamoto Prefecture in 1985.

Rejecting an appeal by prosecutors, the Fukuoka High Court, presided over by Judge Masataka Yamaguchi, said that new evidence presented by the defense team "greatly eroded the credibility of confessions in the investigation process and raised reasonable doubts" over the conviction of Koki Miyata.

The high court ruling followed the Kumamoto District Court's decision in June last year that granted Miyata a retrial due to doubts over the credibility of his confessions.

Miyata initially confessed to investigators that he killed the 59-year-old Matao Okamura, a fellow shogi player, but later denied the charge during court proceedings, saying earlier confessions were not true.

But the district court sentenced him to 13 years in prison in 1986 and the ruling was finalized by the Supreme Court four years later. After being released on parole in 1999, he is now living in a nursing facility.

A lawyer serving as his guardian filed a petition for a retrial with the district court in March 2012 as Miyata has shown symptoms of dementia.
Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Monday announced the arrest of a 70-year-old man for allegedly assaulting two female cabin attendants on a Japan Airlines (JAL) flight earlier this year, reports NHK

At around 9:30 p.m. on August 2, Yoshitoshi Aida, a resident of Konosu City, Saitama Prefecture, stood up immediately after JAL flight 150, which originated at Aomori Airport, landed on the runway at Haneda Airport.

After he was told to buckle his seat belt by a 31-year-old flight attendant, he started screaming and allegedly kicked her in the leg, causing an injury that required three weeks to heal.

After another flight attendant, 24, arrived at his seat to tie down his arms and legs, he kicked her in the back. She suffered injuries that required three weeks to heal.

According to police, Aida had consumed alcohol during the flight. He was subsequently arrested for violating the Civil Aeronautics Act and inflicting injury. "I've got no response until I see a lawyer," the suspect was quoted by police.
Prosecutors in Yokohama have decided not to prosecute six male students of Tokyo's Keio University, who were accused of sexual assault after coercing a female student to consume alcohol last year.

Although the prosecutors office gave no reason for their decision, Japanese media reported Wednesday that an out-of-court settlement had been reached between the victim and the defendants.

The six students - aged 18-21 - are former members of Keio University's Advertisement Society, a group that organizes the annual Miss Keio University beauty contest each November. On Sept 2, 2016, the suspects allegedly coerced their then 18-year-old victim to become intoxicated before gang-raping her at a beach house located in Hayama, Kanagawa Prefecture.

The girl filed a criminal complaint, saying she was forced to drink large amounts of alcohol, including tequila, by the group, and then sexually assaulted. Prosecutors said the group gave alcohol to other girls as well on the same night at the Hayama facility.

In October 2016, after the victim filed the criminal complaint, the university cancelled the Miss Keio beauty contest, and the Keio Advertisement Society, which had a 90-year history, was disbanded. Three of the students were suspended.
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STORRS  The aim was civil discourse.

What the University of Connecticut got instead was the Its OK to be white speaker shouted down and then arrested during a chaotic address on Tuesday.

As UConn President Susan Herbst put it in an campuswide statement, This was a very disappointing evening.

The incident  which quickly went viral  was the latest in a string of contentious campus speaking engagements that have college officials across the state and the country weighing free speech against cost, safety and student sensibilities.

Its a universitys job to provide opportunities for students to hear from people from all walks of life, said Edina Oestreicher, dean of students at the University of Bridgeport.

That said, anyone who wants to appear at UB has to go through a vetting process, be it a band, a magician or a controversial speaker, according to Oestreicher.

Same goes for Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University, officials there said.

At UConn, conservative commentator Lucian Wintrich was charged with breach of peace Tuesday night. He was released on a $1,000 bond, as was Sean Miller, a UConn student from Glastonbury, who is charged with breaking a window as people left the event. UConn officials are reviewing videos of the event to determine if any additional arrests are warranted.

A national debate

This year at the University of California, Berkeley, conservative commentator Ann Coulters planned appearance on campus was canceled because of safety concerns. At Middlebury College in Vermont, students turned their backs on Charles Murray, a writer many accuse of espousing racist ideas. At Auburn University in Alabama, white nationalist leader Richard Spencer spoke after a federal judge ruled the university could not stop him. The list goes on.

We live in a tense and angry time of deep political division, Herbst said in her take on what happened at UConn. Our hope as educators is that creative leadership and intellectual energy can be an antidote to that sickness, especially on university campuses.

Stephanie Reitz, a UConn spokeswoman, said the policy at the states flagship university is to let any student group reserve on-campus space for a speaker or program as long as university rules are followed.

Free speech, like academic freedom, is one of the universitys bedrock principles, Reitz said.

Wintrich, a White House correspondent for the right-wing Gateway Pundit website, was hosted by UConn College Republicans, a student organization. Representatives of the group did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.

Reitz said the UConn event did not involve tuition money, and she did not have figures on what security cost.

Dimitrius Raphael, a senior biology major at UConn who went to hear Wintrich at the Andre Schenker Lecture Hall on campus, said officials definitely seemed to up the security, with officers at each door in a lecture hall filled to capacity.

Wintrich was to give a speech and then answer questions. Instead, he was booed from the get-go and peppered with chants of Go home, Nazi.

At one point, when a woman ran up and grabbed papers from his lectern, Wintrich chased her up into the audience, and according to police reports grabbed her, pulling her back in a violent manner.

Wintrich was taken into UConn police custody shortly before 9 p.m. No injuries were reported.

He later tweeted: Its really unfortunate that some of the kids at @UConn felt the need to be violent and disruptive during a speech that focused on how the leftist media is turning Americans against each other. Tonight proved my point.

Raphael said it seemed unreal, just to witness an incident of this sort with my own eyes.

Learning experience

Anthony DAndrea, a UConn freshman from Norwalk, wasnt there, but said he doesnt think UConn should stop welcoming controversial speakers.

I think its worth hearing everyones opinion, said DAndrea. Whoever the university invites, I am willing to hear them out.

Herbst said the night was a learning experience.

Something similar will arise here again at some point in the near future, she said. We will need to learn from this experience and rise to that occasion. Thoughtful civil discourse should be a hallmark of democratic societies and American universities, and this evening fell well short of that.

On other campuses in the area, the tightrope between free speech and safety is also traversed when it comes to controversial speakers.

At Yale University, the campus is open to any speaker whom students or members of the faculty have invited and for whom official arrangements to speak have been made with the university, spokesman Tom Conroy said, referencing the Ivy League universitys website.

Yale has rules against disrupting speech, lectures or public events.

At Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, the student handbook allows student groups to invite speakers as long as there is an equal opportunity for opposing views.

The reality of that policy is that we take our role as guardians of academic freedom very seriously, Deborah Noack, a Sacred Heart spokeswoman, said. Our goal is to present different opinions and to expose our students to the world around us, even if these windows sometimes open on individuals who are contro versial.

At Fairfield University, Jenn Anderson, vice president of marketing and communications, said the campus is committed to the Jesuit culture that celebrates diversity, open dialogue, the free exchange of ideas and the pursuit of truth.

The university sponsors many different lectures and events, which include controversial speakers, she said. Speakers who would incite violence, she added, would not be welcome on campus.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are officially engaged! After long months of frenzied speculation, the rumors of impending nuptials have finally been verified in a royal statement: "His Royal Highness and Ms. Markle became engaged in London earlier this month."

After the wedding takes place in spring 2018, "the couple will live in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace." Lucky couple!

Granted, Prince Harry has been bopping around Kensington since he was in diapers, so it's just more of the same for him. But talk about a huge transition for Markle!

For the past seven years, this actress and native of Los Angeles has been living in Toronto to star in the legal drama "Suits." Not surprisingly, she's quit the show to move onto far fancier living quarters.

Still, we have to say, her bungalow-style Toronto home is quite nice in its own right.

Markle has never been shy about sharing photos of her pad on Instagram, and it's clear that her Southern California roots influenced her design aesthetic. Every corner of her home, from the living room to the guest room, reflects a warm, coastal-chic style: an abundance of white and beige linens, reclaimed wood furniture, a banana leaf plant, and enough freshly cut peonies to keep a florist in business. (Seriously, there's a vase of peonies in nearly every photo of her home!)

Below are some of our favorite home pics that give us a sense of her design sensibility. Who knows? Maybe she'll carry that same style across the pond to her future home in Kensington Palace.

Bright and airy living room

Markle shares her Toronto home with her adorable rescue pups Bogart and Guy. These two dogs sure are lucky their mom lets them chill on her white sofa. Other elements that scream beach chic are the striped linen throws, the reclaimed wood tray, and the photograph of the seashore in the background.

Marble dining table

I bought these peonies for myself yesterday because they make me so endlessly happy. Do something sweet for yourself today too. #treatyourself #simplepleasures #favoriteflowers  @_thetig A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on May 9, 2016 at 7:18am PDT

A cozy sheepskin throw adorns a white Eames chair that pairs well with Markle's crisp Carrara marble dining table. Note the vase overflowing with peonies, Markle's official favorite flower.

Side table vignette

Always buy yourself flowers. Especially if they're #peonies #sickinbedphotoseries A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Jun 13, 2016 at 3:12pm PDT

Markle styles a reclaimed wood side table with fashion-focused coffee table books and a more modern black tray to hold trinkets and (gasp!) another vase of peonies.

Cozy sitting room

#Easter A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Mar 27, 2016 at 2:54pm PDT

The shearling throws on these twin rattan chairs in the entryway probably make them all the more comfortable to lounge on. To open things up, Markle placed a mirror on the wall opposite a window to make the room look more spacious. No peonies here, but check out that bison skull hanging on the wall.

Inviting entryway

Well, hello to you too, Bogart. What a greeting  #rescue #adoptdontshop #Bogart #homesweethome A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Jun 19, 2015 at 3:12pm PDT

Markle's striped woven rug at the foot of her front door provides the perfect place for family and friends to wipe off their shoes. This, of course, includes pups who need to wipe off their paws, too.

Guest bedroom

When your piece of art by @inslee finally makes her appearance in the guest room. Welcome home, beauty. A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Apr 14, 2016 at 10:06pm PDT

Hopefully her guests are cool with the beige color scheme she chose for the second bedroom. It's a bit of a snooze compared with the other rooms in the house, but the neutral palette ties into the natural decor theme Markle has cultivated throughout the house.

Bedside table

Bedtime stories. A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Jun 18, 2016 at 6:57pm PDT

Another picture-perfect vignette arranged on Markle's bedside table shows that the future royal is consistent in her design loves: expensive candles, books about fashion, and colorful flower arrangements likeyesmore peonies.

Bedroom

Laundry day. He's allowed. #adoptdontshop #snowday #laymedowninsheetsoflinen A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Jan 13, 2016 at 12:30pm PST

We're actually surprised by how minimally decorated her bedroom looks compared with the rest of the house. Who knows, maybe her pooches are enough to snuggle withwhat more could anyone want?

The post An Inside Tour of Meghan Markle's Pre-Prince Harry Home appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
SANYA, China, Nov. 30, 2017 /CNW/ -- Themed on "Green Energy and Low Carbon Economy", the 2017 Sanya Energy International Forum (SEIF) will be held in Sanya, Hainan, China on December 7th and 8th, 2017. By then, about 200 pundits and academics from the energy sector from China and abroad will congregate at the forum to exchange views on the current global energy utilization, and integration and co-construction of green energy and smart city.

This forum will center on clean energy topics such as "New Opportunities of International Energy Cooperation Under the Belt & Road Initiative", "Future Development of Hydrogen Energy" and "Direction that the Electronic Vehicle Industry Is Heading Toward". Representatives from China and foreign leading energy enterprises, including BP, Shell, BASF and Dow, will gather at the forum to put their heads together, share visionary perspectives on energy and delve into the development prospects and latest advances of clean energy. Meanwhile, the forum will also hold the 2017 MNC General Assembly Meeting and Sustainable Development Seminar.

The National Energy Administration, Hainan Development and Reform Commission, and Sanya Municipal People's Government have given their full support in materializing SEIF. The grand event is co-organized by China Association of Policy Science, China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, and Changfeng Energy Inc., and undertaken by Sanya Changfeng International Energy Forum Co., Ltd., the Going Global Confederation and CPCIF Committee of Multinationals.

SOURCE Changfeng Energy Inc.

For further information: Mr. Fu, Tel: +86-10-63074558
Axion Ventures also completes transition from a Reverse Acquisition Accounting company to an Investment Company



VANCOUVER, Nov. 30, 2017 /CNW/ - Axion Ventures Inc. ("Axion Ventures" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: AXV) today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2017. All amounts are denoted in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated.

Q3 2017 Financial Highlights

Total revenue of $121.5 million

Game Operation Revenue of $1.8 million

Net income of $117.2 million

Cash totaled $1.3 million at September 30, 2017

"Our third quarter results reflect our continued dedication to efficiently allocate our resources as we translate Rising Fire's immense potential into long-term commercial success," said Todd Bonner, CEO of Axion Ventures. "As we progress through these final development stages, we are focused on securing additional strategic partners to extend the global distribution of Rising Fire and our strong pipeline of new game products. This includes potential translation to mobile, console and virtual reality through the sale of global rights."

Mr. Bonner added: "With the public launch of Rising Fire in China expected to occur in 2018, our investment in focused effort and capital is set to convert into a growing, multi-year revenue stream. We look forward to leveraging Tencent's marketing and distribution capabilities through their vast and proven network to deliver Rising Fire to a growing customer base and to drive strong returns for our shareholders.



Q3 2017 Operational Highlights

Rising Fire, a massively multiplayer PC-online game developed by Axion Games, completed its closed beta one trial with Tencent Holdings Limited (" Tencent "). Rising Fire is expected to commence a closed beta two trial in December 2017 in advance of its 2018 public launch.





Holdings Limited (" "). Rising Fire is expected to commence a closed beta two trial in in advance of its 2018 public launch. Wil Mozell joined the board of Axion Games, bringing over 20 years of video game expertise with some of the world's leading companies. Mr. Mozell most recently served as General Manager of Microsoft Studios Canada and Executive Director of Microsoft Canada Excellence Centre.





joined the board of Axion Games, bringing over 20 years of video game expertise with some of the world's leading companies. Mr. Mozell most recently served as General Manager of Microsoft Studios Canada and Executive Director of Microsoft Canada Excellence Centre. Announced additional investment loans of US$885,000 to Axion Games Limited ("Axion Games"). The loans bear interest at 8% and the maturity date is the earlier of one year or demand from the Company. Axion Ventures intends to convert the loans provided to Axion Games into additional shares in Axion Games, which will increase its overall ownership in Axion Games.

Q3 2017 Financial Review

Total revenue was $121.5 million for the third quarter of 2017 ("Q3 2017"), an increase of 118.7 million over the prior year period. The increase compared to the prior year period was the result of an accounting change from a reverse acquisition company to an investment company effective September 30, 2017. Additional details regarding the change are noted in this press release and the Company's Q3 2017 MD&A.

Game operation revenues in Q3 2017 were $1.8 million, compared to $2.8 million for the prior year period. The change in game operation revenues relates to the transition in sales of MARS 1 & 2 as the product ages in China in to MARS 3 following its June 16, 2017 public launch.

Cost of revenue was $1.5 million, or 1% of revenue, in Q3 2017 compared to $1.5 million, or 54% of revenue, in the prior year period. Cost of revenue decreased by $27,000 in the current period as a result of a decline in development costs associated with MARS 1 & 2 as the Company transitioned to MARS 3.

Research, development and distribution expenses decreased 28% to $1.0 million in Q3 2017, from $1.3 million in the prior year period. The decline was due to decrease in marketing for MARS 1& 2 in favour of MARS 3.

Operating income in Q3 2017 was $117.2 million, compared to an operating loss of $0.8 million in the prior year period. Income was $117.2 million, or a net income of $79.22 cents per basic and diluted share in Q3 2017, compared to a net loss of $0.9 million, or negative $1.57 cents per basic and diluted share, in the prior year period.

Cash and cash equivalents totalled $1.3 million as at September 30, 2017, compared to $6.0 million as at December 31, 2016. Working capital as at September 30, 2017 was $5.3 million, compared to $1.3 million as at December 31, 2016. The increase in working capital relates mainly to the change in accounting treatment which occurred on September 30, 2017.



Accounting Change Effective September 30, 2017



Effective September 30, 2017, the Board of Directors of the Company approved the accounting change from a reverse acquisition accounting company to an investment company to comply with the International Financial Reporting Standards 10  Consolidated Financial Statements ("IFRS 10") issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB"). In October 2012, the IASB issued an amendment to IFRS 10 to provide an exception to the consolidation requirement for entities that meet the definition of an investment entity. The exception to consolidation requires investment entities to account for subsidiaries at fair value through profit or loss, in accordance with IFRS 9 Financial Instruments (an investment entity is prohibited from consolidating its subsidiaries or applying IFRS 3 Business Combinations when it obtains control of another entity1).

The investment entity amendments to IFRS 10 provide an exception from the requirements of consolidation, and instead require investment entities to present their investments in subsidiaries as a net investment that is measured at fair value. The exception means that investment entities will be able to measure all of their investments at fair value, using the requirements in IFRS. Additional details on the impact of the accounting change are available in the Company's Q3 2017 MD&A.

Financial Statements and MD&A

To access the Company's SEDAR Filing please click here.

About Axion Ventures

Axion Ventures is an Investment Issuer with majority ownership in Axion Games, an online video game development and publishing company headquartered in Shanghai, China as well as in True Axion Interactive Ltd., a video game development company headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand and cofounded with True Corporation. Axion Ventures also maintains holdings in other innovative technology companies.



www.axionventures.com

Axion Ventures Inc. is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol (TSXV: AXV).

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated", "proposed" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on Axion Venture's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to: (i) securing additional strategic partners to extend the global distribution of Rising Fire and other new game products; (ii) potential translation to mobile, console and virtual reality through the sale of global rights; (iii) timing of the public launch of Rising Fire in China and related revenue; and (iv) the conversion of loans provided to Axion Games into additional shares of Axion Games. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to Axion Ventures. Risk factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by forward-looking information include, among other things: general economic and business conditions; and changes in international regulatory regimes. Axion Ventures cautions the reader that the above list of risk factors is not exhaustive. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and Axion Ventures is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

___________________________________

1 IFRS 10 Consolidated Financial Statements

SOURCE Axion Ventures Inc.

For further information: Axion Ventures Inc.: John Todd Bonner, Chief Executive Officer, (604) 687-7767; Investor Relations: Robert Kelly, LodeRock Advisors Inc., (416) 992-4539, [email protected]
TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2017 /CNW/ - As we head into the holiday season, small business optimism in Canada is showing signs of improvement, according to the latest Business Barometer survey, released today by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

Following a small gain in October, the monthly index measuring small business optimism edged up another 2.0 points this month to 59.3 (out of 100).

"After a summer of discontent, it looks like we're seeing a turnaround in confidence," said Ted Mallett, Chief Economist at CFIB. "And, while we're still very far off from the confidence levels we saw earlier in the year, there are some positive signs heading into the final month of the calendar year. In particular, there are improvements in both wage and capital spending plans."

Provincial results were mixed: increasing confidence in Ontario (58.3), Alberta (56.2), Prince Edward Island (55.8) and Newfoundland and Labrador (49.0) were enough to offset lower optimism in the other provinces.

Quebec (65.4) businesses remain the most optimistic in the country, despite its index losing points for the third month in a row. British Columbia (60.8) and Nova Scotia (59.9) lost ground as well, but indexes there remain just above the national average.

Sentiment in Manitoba (55.3) and Saskatchewan (52.3) shows only a minor downgrade from October results, while New Brunswick (51.4) experienced a more dramatic drop.

As far as optimism by industry sector, sentiment dropped in the professional services and retail industries but we continue to see increased confidence among small business owners in both the natural resource and agriculture sectors.

"Most industry sectors continue to show lackluster confidence," added Mallett. "Across all industries, businesses remain most concerned by rising taxes, energy and wage costs."

On a scale between 0 and 100, an index above 50 means owners expecting their business' performance to be stronger in the next year outnumber those expecting weaker performance. One normally sees an index level of between 65 and 70 when the economy is growing at its potential.

Read the November Business Barometer.

November 2017 findings are based on 698 responses, collected from a stratified random sample of CFIB members, to a controlled-access web survey. Data reflect responses received through November 20. Findings are statistically accurate to +/- 3.7 per cent, 19 times in 20.

CFIB is Canada's largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 109,000 members across every sector and region.

SOURCE Canadian Federation of Independent Business (Toronto)

For further information: For media enquiries or interviews, please contact: Andy Radia, Media Relations Specialist, CFIB, 647-464-2814, [email protected]

Related Links

www.cfib.ca


BGI and Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, part of Sinai Health System,

Awarded Investment from Genome Canada and Ontario Genomics

SHENZHEN, China and TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2017 /CNW/ - BGI and the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, part of Sinai Health System, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining their intention to collaborate on the development a genomics-based diagnostic test for the early identification of women at risk for pre-term birth and other pregnancy complications. The non-invasive test will be based on genomic information from easy to obtain blood samples.

Preterm birth complications are the leading cause of death among children under 5 years of age. Of the 200 million women worldwide who become pregnant annually, 15 million will deliver preterm, and this number is rising. Each year, 1 million preterm babies die and millions more will experience serious, life-long medical and developmental disorders as a result. In Canada alone, the annual costs associated with preterm births are estimated to be $600 million.

BGI, one of the largest genomic organizations in the world, is committed to reducing the rate of major disease by offering accurate and affordable genetic tests and molecular diagnostics services. Dr. Stephen Lye, Senior Investigator at the Toronto-based Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and research lead on this project, has identified gene expression signatures in maternal white blood cells that can predict which women who experience too-early symptoms of labor, will go on to experience preterm birth of their infants.

The first phase of this international partnership was recently awarded a $4.6 CAD million Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP) investment from Genome Canada and Ontario Genomics. It will focus on enhancing the diagnostic potential of these gene expression signatures with the goal of developing a simple genomic test to identify women in threatened preterm labour who will deliver preterm. Approximately 2 million women are hospitalized annually in North America for Threatened Pre-Term Labour. However, less than 20% of these women will deliver preterm, exposing 80% to unnecessary interventions and hospitalization. The second phase of this collaboration will focus on developing a screening test early in pregnancy to identify women at risk of a preterm birth with the potential of saving the Canadian healthcare system $200 CAD million per year, and of reducing the burden on neonatal ICUs.

BGI intends to continue its research collaboration with the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and expand its R&D and business activities in Canada, which will generate downstream investment and create jobs for highly qualified personnel. As part of the collaboration, BGI will provide its BGISEQ-500 next generation sequencing system and will eventually expand the sequencing capacity with its newly introduced MGISEQ-2000 sequencing system. This will accommodate future joint research and Laboratory Developed Test (LDT) projects.

Quotes

"This collaboration promises to be a major step forward for the health of women and children worldwide. Agreements like this one show how much we can accomplish when we connect Ontario's innovative researchers with leading global partners through international business missions to share ideas that can make a real impact in people's lives," said Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario.

We are pleased to support this international collaboration that will deliver multiple benefits for Canada, China and beyond  chief among them, helping to improve maternal and newborn health worldwide through a simple genomic test," said Marc LePage, President and CEO, Genome Canada.

"Through this collaborative investment, we are enabling the development of diagnostics that will have a positive global impact on the personal, social and economic burden associated with preterm births," said Bettina Hamelin, President and CEO, Ontario Genomics.

Ning Li, Chief Development Officer at BGI said in a statement that "The results from the joint venture with Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute will produce an important addition to our existing reproductive testing portfolio and contribute to the reduction of birth defects, improvement in maternal health in Canada, China and around the world."

"This investment has the potential to transform prenatal care for women at risk of pre-term birth. I am very grateful for this investment, and for this important collaboration with partners who are equally committed to providing exceptional care for this patient population," says Dr. Stephen Lye, Senior Investigator, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute.

About Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute

The Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, part of Sinai Health System, is a leading biomedical research centre, ranking amongst the top biomedical research institutes in the world. Established in 1985, the institute is profoundly advancing understanding of human biology in health and disease. Many of the breakthroughs that began as fundamental research have resulted in new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat prevalent conditions. The institute is affiliated with the University of Toronto and is focused on women's and infants' health, cancer biology, stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, neurobiology, diabetes, arthritis, health systems research, population health services and solutions, and systems biology. www.lunenfeld.ca.

About BGI

BGI Group was established in 1999 with participation in the original Human Genome Project. Since then, BGI Group has grown in to one of the world's largest genomics organizations, experienced in genomic research, commercial NGS services and sequencer manufacturing. One of the company objectives is reducing the rate of birth defects and maternal health by offering accurate and affordable genetic tests. www.bgi.com

About Genome Canada

Genome Canada is a not-for-profit organization that aims to harness the transformative power of genomics for the benefit of all Canadians. We connect ideas and people across public and private sectors to find new uses for genomics, invest in large-scale science and technology to fuel innovation, and translate discoveries into solutions across key sectors of national importance, including health, agriculture, forestry, fisheries & aquaculture, energy, mining, and the environment. www.genomecanada.ca.

About Ontario Genomics

Ontario Genomics is a not-for-profit organization funded by the Ontario government and the federal research funding agency, Genome Canada. Established in 2000, it is the only entity focused solely on stimulating, enabling and nurturing genomics innovation in the province of Ontario across all sectors of the bio-economy. Ontario Genomics connects ideas, people and organizations to invest in genomics-based solutions aimed at improving quality of life and driving economic growth. www.OntarioGenomics.ca.

SOURCE Ontario Genomics

For further information: Donna Takacs, Communications, Ontario Genomics, 416-275-4180; Sally Szuster, Senior Manager, Communications and Public Affairs, Sinai Health System, 416-586-4800 x 8713.

Related Links

http://www.ontariogenomics.ca


OTTAWA, Nov. 29, 2017 /CNW/ - The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments under the new judicial application process announced on October 20, 2016. The new process emphasizes transparency, merit, and diversity, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

The Honourable Suzanne Gagne, a judge of the Superior Court for the district of Quebec, in and for the Province of Quebec, is appointed a judge of the Court of Appeal in and for the Province of Quebec. She replaces Madam Justice J. Dutil, who elected supernumerary status effective September 1, 2017.

The Honourable Carl Thibault, a judge of the Court of Quebec, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court for the district of Quebec, in and for the Province of Quebec. He replaces Mr. Justice B. Moulin, who elected supernumerary status effective August 17, 2017.

Isabelle Breton, a partner at Cain Lamarre in Amos, is appointed a judge of the Superior Court for the districts of Abitibi, Rouyn-Noranda and Temiscamingue, in and for the Province of Quebec. She replaces Madam Justice A.U.K. Quach, who was transferred to the district of Montreal upon request of the Chief Justice on September 29, 2017.

Biographies

Madam Justice Suzanne Gagne received an LL.B. from Universite Laval in 1994 and was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 1995. She practised in several different areas of law, first with the firm of Guy Bertrand & Associates from 1995 to 2002, and then with the firm of Letourneau Gagne from 2002 to 2015, where she focused her practice on civil and commercial litigation. In 2012, the Barreau du Quebec awarded her the distinction of "Lawyer Emeritus" in recognition of her excellence in professional practice and her standing within the legal profession.

Alongside her professional activities, Justice Gagne has also contributed to several organizations, including serving on the Grand Jury of Forces Avenir and chairing the board of the Societe du Grand Theatre de Quebec from 2010 to 2015.

She was appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec in June 2015. Since then, she has presided in all of the Court's divisions, including the Criminal and Penal Division. As a lawyer and now as a judge, she has been particularly committed to issues of access to justice and case management.

Called to the Bar in 1996, Mr. Justice Carl Thibault began his legal career in Rimouski, with the firm of Casgrain Desrosiers Levesque Bujold. In 1999, he moved to Quebec City and joined the Bureau d'aide juridique de Quebec, in the criminal and penal law section. Beginning in 2003, he was privileged to pursue his career alongside two exceptionally skilled jurists: Me Claude C. Gagnon, today a judge of the Quebec Court of Appeal, and Me Francois Huot, today a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec. He took up the challenge of leading their firm, which had earned a solid and enviable reputation in criminal and penal law, under the name of Thibault Roy Avocats until October 5, 2016, when he was appointed a judge of the Court of Quebec, Criminal and Penal Division.

Justice Thibault taught criminal law at the Ecole du Barreau de Quebec from 2007 to 2016. He was also involved with the Conseil du Barreau de Quebec and served on numerous Barreau committees. From 2000 to 2002, he was an executive member of the Young Bar Association of Quebec City.

From 1996 to 1999, outside of his professional activities, he served on the board of the Mont-Comi ski hill in Rimouski; was a member of the board of the Foyer de Rimouski and vice-president of the Fondation du Foyer de Rimouski; and was a director of the Rimouski Young Chamber of Commerce.

Excerpts from Justice Thibault's judicial application will be available shortly.

Madam Justice Isabelle Breton obtained her law degree from the Universite de Montreal in 1993. Since being called to the Quebec Bar in 1994, she has worked in private practice in Amos. In 2005, she joined the firm of Cain Lamarre, where she practised in the fields of municipal, banking, civil and family law. Throughout her legal career, Justice Breton has lectured extensively on municipal law.

Alongside her professional activities, Justice Breton has been active within the Barreau de l'Abitibi-Temiscamingue since 1999. She has served as secretary, first counselor and batonniere (president). In recognition of her contributions over the years, she received the Award of Merit of the Barreau de l'Abitibi-Temiscamingue in 2017.

The mother of two children, Justice Breton has always been actively involved in her community. She is a founding member and a past president of the organization Femmes en affaires d'Amos-region (Women in Business in the Amos Region). She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie du Centre-Abitibi for several years. In addition, she has served on the Board of Directors of the Cegep de l'Abitibi-Temiscamingue since 2013.

Excerpts from Justice Breton's judicial application will be available shortly.

Quick Facts

Budget 2017 includes additional funding of $55 million over five years beginning in 2017-2018 and $15.5 million per year thereafter for 28 new federally appointed judges. Of these new positions, 12 have been allotted to Alberta and one to the Yukon , with the remaining 15 being assigned to a pool for needs in other jurisdictions.

over five years beginning in 2017-2018 and per year thereafter for 28 new federally appointed judges. Of these new positions, 12 have been allotted to and one to the , with the remaining 15 being assigned to a pool for needs in other jurisdictions. To ensure a judiciary that is responsive, ethical and sensitive to the evolving needs of Canadian society, the Canadian Judicial Council will receive $2 .7 million over five years and $0.5 million ongoing thereafter. This will support programming on judicial education, ethics and conduct, including in relation to gender and cultural sensitivity.

.7 million over five years and ongoing thereafter. This will support programming on judicial education, ethics and conduct, including in relation to gender and cultural sensitivity. Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.

The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.

play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented. Significant reforms to the role and structure of the Judicial Advisory Committees, aimed at enhancing the independence and transparency of the process, were announced on October 20, 2016 . Sixteen Judicial Advisory Committees have been reconstituted to date.

. Sixteen Judicial Advisory Committees have been reconstituted to date. This process is separate from the Supreme Court of Canada judicial appointment process currently under way. Nominees to the Supreme Court of Canada are selected by the Prime Minister from a thoroughly vetted list of candidates.

SOURCE Department of Justice Canada

For further information: media may contact: Kathleen Davis, Communications and Parliamentary Affairs Advisor, Office of the Minister of Justice, 613-992-4621; Media Relations, Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.justice.gc.ca/


TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2017 /CNW/ - Grant Thornton LLP welcomes F. Kent Williams CA, Inc, a well-respected accounting firm in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, as the firm continues to broaden its footprint in eastern Canada.

Kent Williams and his associate will relocate to the Grant Thornton, New Glasgow office on December 4, 2017. Having built deep relationships with small and mid-size businesses in the local community, they will continue to provide clients with a personalized, high-quality experience that they've come to expect.

"Kent's addition to the team fits with our commitment to providing assurance, tax and business advisory services for communities in Atlantic Canada and beyond," says Wade Taylor, Managing Partner, Nova Scotia, Grant Thornton LLP. "With a robust, full-service platform we look forward to growing together and building on each other's strengths.

With over 40 years of experience, Kent Williams is familiar with the Grant Thornton family, having been part of HR Doane, a predecessor of the firm. He established his own practice in 1985 in New Glasgow.

"We're very excited to join Grant Thornton. With like-minded values and an entrepreneurial spirit, I know joining the firm is the right fit for our clients," says Kent Williams, CPA, CA. "We will now have access to a global network of resources to serve the needs of clients in Pictou and Antigonish counties."

This addition aligns with Grant Thornton's vision to be recognized in local markets nationally, as a team of business advisors driven by a collective passion to help clients succeed in a changing, dynamic world.

About Grant Thornton LLP in Canada

Grant Thornton LLP is a leading Canadian accounting and advisory firm providing audit, tax and advisory services to private and public organizations. We help dynamic organizations unlock their potential for growth by providing meaningful, actionable advice through a broad range of services. Together with the Quebec firm Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton LLP, Grant Thornton in Canada has approximately 4,000 people in offices across Canada. Grant Thornton LLP is a Canadian member of Grant Thornton International Ltd, whose member and correspondent firms operate in over 100 countries worldwide. A listing of Grant Thornton offices and contact information can be found at: www.GrantThornton.ca.

SOURCE Grant Thornton LLP

For further information: Victoria Rivers, Media Relations Manager, T +1 416 254 3150, E [email protected]; Valerie Eddy, Regional Marketing Manager - Atlantic, T +1 902 420 1383, E [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.grantthornton.ca


 Homeownership is still an issue for young Quebecers 

L'ILE-DES-SURS, QC, Nov. 30, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - The Quebec Federation of Real Estate Boards (QFREB) published a study today that examines the reasons that could explain Quebec's significant lag in its homeownership rate compared to other Canadian provinces. According to the latest 2016 census data released by Statistics Canada last October, 61.3 per cent of Quebec households owned their home in 2016, compared to an average of 67.8 per cent in Canada.

"Although the gap has narrowed since 1971, Quebec still remains well below the national average," said Paul Cardinal, Manager of the QFREB's Market Analysis Department. "The homeownership rates in the province's six census metropolitan areas (CMAs) are no exception, particularly those of Montreal and Sherbrooke which, in 2016, had the lowest proportion of homeowners among all CMAs in Canada," he added.

The homeownership rate has been decreasing among young Quebecers since 2011

It is also clear that homeownership remains an issue for young Quebecers. According to the latest census data, between 2011 and 2016, the homeownership rate among those under 25 years of age fell by 2.5 percentage points (pp). The rate fell by 2.8 pp for the 25 to 34 age group, by 2 pp for the 35 to 44 age group and by 0.4 pp for the 45 to 54 age group.

Homeownership rate by age group of the primary household maintainer in Quebec Age group 2011 2016 Difference (pp) Under 25 years 19.0% 16.5% -2.5 25 to 34 years 47.0% 44.2% -2.8 35 to 44 years 63.6% 61.6% -2.0 45 to 54 years 68.6% 68.2% -0.4 55 to 64 years 69.1% 69.5% 0.4 65 to 74 years 66.0% 67.2% 1.2 75 years and more 55.7% 59.9% 4.2

Source: Statistics Canada, Census and National Household Survey (NHS) 2016, CREA, CMHC

Thus, in order for young Quebec households to benefit from improved access to homeownership, the QFREB has been advocating for several years now for an exemption of the welcome tax for first-time buyers. This measure would take the form of a refundable tax credit for the purchase of a first home and would help the province catch up in its homeownership rate. Like the Canadian Real Estate Association, the QFREB is also proposing a reform of the Home Buyers' Plan (HBP).

How can Quebec's lag in homeownership be explained?

Among the factors that explain this difference, two in particular caught the attention of QFREB economists: the composition of households as well as the opportunity cost of ownership.

Household composition could partly explain Quebec's lag in homeownership. Single-person households are more prevalent in Quebec (33 per cent) than elsewhere in Canada (28 per cent). "Since it is more difficult for a single person to save the down payment required for the purchase of a home than it is for a couple, it is not surprising that Quebec's homeownership rate is lower than Canada's," added Mr. Cardinal.

The opportunity cost of homeownership  meaning the additional monthly amount that a tenant household can expect to pay to become an owner household  also appears to have an influence on the homeownership rate. According to the QFREB's analyses, generally speaking, the higher the opportunity cost of ownership, the lower the homeownership rate. In fact, the difference between the costs associated with ownership and those associated with renting is often greater in Quebec than elsewhere in Canada.

About the Quebec Federation of Real Estate Boards

The Quebec Federation of Real Estate Boards is a non-profit organization composed of Quebec's 12 real estate boards and the close to 13,000 real estate brokers who are their members. Its mission is to support Quebec's real estate boards in order to defend, protect and promote the interests of real estate brokers through the provision of services in the areas of professional practices, public affairs and market analysis. The QFREB is guided by an approach that is centred on collaboration and resource sharing.

For more information, please read the Word From the Economist.

SOURCE Quebec Federation of Real Estate Boards

For further information: Jacynthe Alain, Assistant Manager, Communications and Public Relations, Quebec Federation of Real Estate Boards, 514-647-8249, [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.fciq.ca


The death of a species

The demise of these birds was not down to habitat loss but human exploitation. The last living bird was seen in 1852, after the rest of its species had been killed for feathers, meat, fat and oil.

Great auks waddled awkwardly on land, making them easy prey for hunters. They were slaughtered in huge numbers when they came ashore to breed.

European fishermen and whalers devastated the largest colony, in Newfoundland, despite a petition in 1775 to stop the massacre.

In the early 1800s, the birds were even more prized as they became steadily rarer, and collectors paid huge sums for just a single egg or skin. Demand from museums and collectors dealt a final, deadly blow in 1844, when the last unfortunate breeding pair fled in vain from hunters, who also crushed their single egg.

The great auk has now become a powerful symbol of the damage humans can cause.

Douglas Russell, Senior Curator of Birds at the Museum, says, 'The threats facing our flora and fauna are as great, if not greater, than they were when we lost the great auk. Their demise, just a few generations ago, was ultimately down to centuries of relentless human exploitation.'
The Belridge oil field near Bakersfield, California, is one of the largest in the country. It has been producing oil for more than a century and last year produced around 76,000 barrels a day, according to operator Aera Energy.

Now the oil field is about to become even more remarkable. Its future production will be powered partly by a massive solar-energy project to make the extraction process more environmentally friendly, according to Aera and GlassPoint Solar, the firm that will create the solar project.

The Belridge field was discovered in 1911. Oil from the field flowed out of the ground because of natural pressure in the geologic reservoirs. Later, as the pressure declined, many companies said the field was exhausted. The field gained new life in the 1960s through a process known as enhanced oil recovery. But squeezing more crude oil from the Belridge requires large amounts of steam to loosen the heavy crude, which in turn requires energy.

Traditionally, Aera used natural gas to heat water to create steam. Now Aera and GlassPoint will use a large, 850-megawatt solar thermal array to evaporate the water that's pumped into the ground to liberate more oil. The companies say this will offset 4.87 billion cubic feet of natural gas per year and avoid the emission of 376,000 tons of carbon. The water used emerges from the process of oil extraction itself and will be recycled and pumped back into the ground.

The project was made possible by the recent extension of California's cap-and-trade system for carbon-dioxide emissions to 2030, said Christina Sistrunk, chief executive of Aera Energy, a company jointly controlled by Shell and ExxonMobil.

"We need some level of what I would call regulatory and legislative stability to be able to fund projects that really need a couple of decades worth of certainty to be economic," Sistrunk said. "The extension of that program really underpinned our ability to make this long-term commitment."

The solar thermal array will capture the sun's energy using curving mirrors that are enclosed in a greenhouse, then use that energy to heat water. A smaller, 26.5-megawatt solar photovoltaic installation will help power oil-field operations. The project should start operations by 2020, the participating companies said.

This is the second such megascale solar-oil project for GlassPoint, which is building the massive, 1-gigawatt Miraah project in Oman, on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula. (A gigawatt refers to the capacity to instantaneously generate 1 billion watts of electricity; a megawatt refers to the capacity to generate 1 million watts.) The Belridge project will be California's largest solar project, the company said.

"From the day we start operating, Aera will see an enormous reduction in the amount of gas they consume in a given day," said Ben Bierman, chief operating officer and acting CEO of GlassPoint Solar.

The combination of massive solar and massive oil is not what comes to mind when it comes to the global expansion of renewables, which generally has been led by wind and solar installations. But joint projects of various types between major oil producers and renewable energy players are growing, too. The Norwegian oil giant Statoil has announced plans to build solar arrays in Brazil with a clean-energy industry partner and made a major push into offshore wind energy; Shell is exploring a large solar project in Australia.

What's different about the Belridge project is the use of renewables, which don't emit greenhouse gases, to produce more fuel that will emit those gases. That could leave environmentalists feeling rather ambiguous. But this, too, has parallels -- a recent major carbon-capture and storage project in Texas will capture most of the carbon dioxide emitted by a major coal facility, then pipe the gas in a liquid form to an oil field where it will, once again, be used in enhanced oil recovery.

What these examples show perhaps most of all is that as renewable energy becomes more and more a part of our lives, it will also become increasingly integrated into more traditional energy systems.

From an environmental perspective, Aera-GlassPoint project is a "good step," said Simon Mui, director of California vehicles and fuels for the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy nonprofit. But Mui, who said his group had not yet fully evaluated that project, noted a distinction between reducing emissions from "fossil fuel infrastructure," which the current project would do, and a more long-term project of reducing the emissions from transportation as a whole by substituting battery-powered vehicles or other technologies for cars that run on oil.

"I think it's a false solution to think you can only do one or the other," Mui said. "And I think the state policies are looking to do two things: one is accelerate the transition to electric-drive technologies and other alternative sources, as well as to clean up the existing fossil-fuel infrastructure. You kind of have to do both to meet both state and global air-quality and greenhouse-gas targets."
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Christmas cheer can be a dangerous and backbreaking endeavor, especially in Philomath, Oregon.

Philomath is home to Holiday Tree Farms, the largest grower of holiday trees in the U.S.

Photos from the tree farm reveal a carefully choreographed harvesting process that results in more than 1 million trees shipped around the country, according to Justin Sullivan in captions appended to a series of photos he took from the farm.

GET IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT: Nostalgic photos show the evolution of Texas' Santa's Wonderland

In 2016, more than 27 million real Christmas trees were purchased in the U.S. totaling more than $2 billion, the National Christmas Tree association reported. The average real tree costs $74.

Now Playing: Photos from an Oregon tree farm reveal a carefully choreographed harvesting process that results in more than one million Christmas trees shipped around the country. Video: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Swipe through the gallery above to see the men and women of Holiday Tree Farms at work.

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.


NEW HAVEN  A former Parent-Teacher Organization treasurer for East Havens Ferrara Elementary School had a first-degree larceny charge dismissed Wednesday when a prosecutor and judge agreed she had not made any unauthorized store purchases.

The purchases made by Jodi Trudden, which totaled more than $11,000, were for legitimate student activities, said Truddens attorney, Thomas Farver.

Trudden, 41, of Dora Drive, was arrested in March 2016. She has been free on $5,000 bail.

But Farver said Wednesday after the charge was dismissed, Shes very pleased. Its been a big weight on her.

East Haven police, who had issued a search warrant of the schools PTO bank account, said at the time of her arrest that their investigation had shown she used more than $11,000 for unauthorized purchases.

The merchants listed included Aldi supermarket, Amazon.com, Bath & Body Works, eBay, BJs Wholesale, Walmart and Yankee Candle as well as many others.

But Farver said, I think it was a rush-job investigation. Nobody analyzed what these purchases were for. Many of them were for water bottles!

Farver added, The problem was the initial investigation was very lax.

Lt. Joseph Murgo, the public information officer for the East Haven Police Department, said he was not familiar with the case and would need another 24 hours to look into it.

Farver said that when he and Trudden came to Superior Court in New Haven Wednesday, Assistant States Attorney Michael Denison entered a nolle on the charge. Farver then asked Superior Court Judge Philip Scarpellino to dismiss the charge and the judge did so.

Farver told the Register, Ive developed substantial evidence that there was no improper use of funds. It took a while to put this together.

He said he had studied Truddens store receipts and school records, including emails. Farver said he learned the allegedly unauthorized purchases were the same type that had routinely been made by the previous PTO treasurer.

According to Farver, the purchases were for such items as calendars, gift cards for raffles, water bottles and snacks. It was all legit. She didnt do anything wrong.

Farver noted the treasurers job is a volunteer position and Trudden had resigned before the charge was lodged because her child had graduated from the elementary school and moved on to middle school.

randall.beach@hearstmediact.com
The states Bond Commission on Wednesday approved $4.01 million in funding the Connecticut Port Authority had requested for harbor improvements.

A little more than $550,000 of that bond money will go to five New Haven-area municipalities: Clinton, Essex, Madison, Milford and West Haven. Some of the funding is being matched by the towns that will receive the bond money, according to officials with the Old Saybrook-based Port Authority.

The money is being made available through the Authoritys Small Harbor Improvement Projects Program, which is designed to support economic development in Connecticuts waterfront communities.

These projects will create jobs and opportunity for working families across Connecticut, Scott Bates, the authoritys chairman, said in a statement. By partnering with local officials to identify and fund projects, we have developed a new road map for investing in Connecticut's small harbor infrastructure and the long term growth of our maritime economy."

Among area towns, the largest amount of funding is going toward redecking the docks at Milfords Lisman Landing Marina. The docks were installed in 1985 and no improvements have been made since then, according to authority officials.

The marina, located on Helwig Street in the city, has docking space for 35 vessels. Ray Swift, operations director at Lisman Landing, said the redecking of the marina is an aesthetic thing.

Its not lke the marina is falling apart or anything, but after 20 years the decking and floats could use an upgrade, Swift said. This was a good opportunity for us to get that done. Im looking forward to seeing what the next step is in the process.

Madison will get $90,000 to conduct a study on whether the town should expand its recreational boatig area at Garvin Point into a full fledged marina with room for 4o to 50 boats as well as a boat launching ramp and a mooring for the municipal fire boat.

West Haven will get $9,800 to complete a conceptual design for a new boat launch ramp on state-owned property on Kimberly Avenue adjacent to Interstate 95. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection already has approved the use of the property for that purpose, according to authority officials

Clinton will receive $110, 000 to undertake engineering design for a project that will replace the boat ramp at the towns marina. Essex will get $42,500 from the state and use $30,000 of its own money to update the towns harbor management plan.

The authority made a request for applications to the competitive grant program in March.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
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TORRINGTON  Garrison Keillor, the former host of A Prairie Home Companion was dropped from Minnesota Public Radio Wednesday  just before his scheduled public appearance at the Warner Theatre Thursday night.

Keillor, who is accused of improper conduct is to appear on stage for a night of conversation and music, joined by Robin and Linda Williams, who play bluegrass, folk, old-time and acoustic country and appeared on the Home Companion show in its early years.

The show had not been cancelled as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Lynn Gelormino, executive director at the Warner Theatre.

Its an outside promoter, and as far as we know, the show is on, Gelormino said. If anything changes, we will post something on our website, warnertheatre.org, and on our Facebook page. And when this happens, we call all the patrons with tickets, or at least we try to, to let them know.

But its on, she added. Hes coming.

Keillor told The Associated Press he was dropped over a story that I think is more interesting and more complicated than the version MPR heard. Keillor didnt detail the allegation to AP, but he told the Minneapolis Star Tribune he had put his hand on a womans bare back when trying to console her.

I meant to pat her back after she told me about her unhappiness, and her shirt was open and my hand went up it about six inches. She recoiled. I apologized, the news organization reported Keillor said in an email. I sent her an email of apology later, and she replied that she had forgiven me and not to think about it. We were friends. We continued to be friendly right up until her lawyer called.

Minnesota Public Radio confirmed it had terminated contracts with Keillor after receiving a single allegation against him last month of inappropriate behavior. MPR said the allegation stemmed from Keillors conduct when he was producing and hosting A Prairie Home Companion.

MPR said it knew of no other allegations but had retained an outside law firm that continues to investigate. Keillor didnt say when the alleged incident occurred.

In his statement to AP, Keillor said it was poetic irony to be knocked off the air by a story, having told so many of them myself. But Im 75 and dont have any interest in arguing about this. And I cannot in conscience bring danger to a great organization Ive worked hard for since 1969.

Keillor retired as host of the long-running public radio variety show in 2016. He hand-picked his successor, mandolinist and frequent musical guest Chris Thile, who is now in his second season as Prairie Home host. After Keillor retired, he continued to work with MPR on other projects.

Thile tweeted Wednesday that he was in shock. He said he knew nothing about the allegation, adding: I trust that the proper steps are being taken.

Sue Scott, a longtime voice actor on the radio show until Keillor stepped down, told the AP she was stunned. She said she saw no evidence of inappropriate behavior by him when she was on the show.

Fans also were shocked by the news. Cindy Dina, of the Minneapolis suburb of Forest Lake, said she frequently listened when Keillor hosted the show and admired Keillor, calling him iconic.

The MPR action Wednesday came shortly after Keillor, an avowed Democrat, wrote a syndicated column that ridiculed the idea that Minnesota Sen. Al Franken should resign over allegations of sexual harassment.

MPR said the name of the show, produced and distributed nationwide by American Public Media, would be changed. The show has been named A Prairie Home Companion for more than 40 years.

MPR also said it would end distribution of The Writers Almanac, Keillors daily reading of a poem and telling of literary events, and end rebroadcasts of The Best of A Prairie Home Companion hosted by Keillor.

Keillor started A Prairie Home Companion as a Saturday evening show in 1974, featuring tales of his fictional Minnesota hometown of Lake Wobegon where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
HARTFORD  A new report on Connecticuts housing market shows an increase in rental households, and a decrease in chronic homelessness.

The report from The Partnership for Stronger Communities found the number of Connecticut residents experiencing homelessness dropped 8 percent from 2015 to 2016, a five-year low.

Between January 2015 and July 2017, providers housed 1,756 people experiencing chronic homelessness. As of November 2017, 227 adults remain chronically homeless, three-fifths of whom have been matched to a housing resource.

The report credits Gov. Dannel P. Malloys administration and the legislature for its aggressive funding of affordable housing. There have been 10,000 affordable units created since 2011 and 3,300 more units under development, according to the report.

The report also found the number of renters is increasing and homeownership is down slightly.

The number of renter households rose to 478,196 in 2016 from 454,668 in 2015, representing 35.2 percent of all households. This is a marked increase from 30 percent in 2007, when the real estate market and single-family home sales began their steep decline.

The number of households owning homes fell to 879,073 or just 64.8 percent of all households, down nearly 5 percent since 2007, according to the report.

While the report doesnt pinpoint a reason for the decline in homeownership, Sean Ghio, policy director at the partnership, said there are likely several reasons based on the data.

Millennials are owning homes at much lower rates, and many of them are still living with a parent, Ghio said. He said new U.S. Census data shows Connecticut has the second highest rate of Millennials, defined as someone up to the age of 34 years old, living with a parent.

Part of a reason Millennials are making that choice might be that the continuing high demand for rental housing drove the gross rent up to $1,115 per month in 2016. Thats up from $1,108 in 2015.

The increase in rents really conspires against younger people trying to accumulate a down payment, Ghio said.

Millennials in Connecticut are also burdened by the nations fourth highest average education debt ($32,326), and may avoid buying homes, which could weaken the housing market, the report found.

Homeownership has become more affordable, but is still burdensome, according to the report.

Connecticut households burdened by housing costs exceeding 30 percent of their income fell nearly 27 percent from 30 percent in 2015.

The percent of renters paying 30 percent of their income toward rent dropped 1 percent to 48 percent.

The states housing wage  the hourly pay required to afford a typical two-bedroom apartment in Connecticut  remained at $24.72, the nations 8th highest, according to the report.

Ghio said Connecticut is really going to need to focus on a mix of housing options in order to maintain a healthy economy.

Because a large majority of the states municipalities are dominated by single-family housing stock (70 percent or more), 152 of the 169 have seen their real property grand lists (the total value of taxable real property) flatten or fall between 2008 and 2016.

On the bright side, homeowners enjoyed a slight increase in median home values  up 1 percent to $247,000 from $246,000 in 2015  as home sales increased 8 percent to 32,235 in 2016. But residential building permits remain far below levels seen prior to the Great Recession.

Single-family building permits were down from a peak of 9,263 in 2004 to just 2,461 in 2016. Multi-family residential building permits have surpassed pre-recession levels to 3,043 in 2016 compared to 2,574 in 2004

What worries housing advocates is a widening income gap.

In 2016, Connecticuts income disparity worsened, threatening higher costs for housing and other necessities as increasingly wealthy residents could potentially drive up prices.

Median household income rose to $73,433 from $71,346, up 3 percent from 2015. Homeowners enjoyed most of the increase and had the 4th highest household income in the nation ($98,163) while renting households had the 13th highest median income ($40,029).

According to U.S. Census data, Connecticut residents in the top 20 percent and top 5 percent of the income brackets saw their share of the states income rise while it fell for those in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quintiles. The 20 percent in the lowest quintile saw their share of income rise slightly.

Connecticut is one of the most unequal states when it comes to income inequality. Only New York and Louisiana have a larger disparity in income between wealthy and poor residents.

This story has been modified from its original version. To view the original, visit ctnewsjunkie.com.
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NEW HAVEN  The latest era of commercial regional jets flying in and out of Tweed New Haven Regional Airport began Wednesday, as a fully booked , 50-seat American Eagle flight landed  a few minutes early  amid a fair amount of hoopla.

A few minutes later, the same plane, a Canadair CRJ-200 regional jet, took off  on time and fully booked  on a flight to Philadelphia, an American Airlines hub that provides connections to destinations around the world.

All in all, it was a seamless beginning, unusual only in the sight  reminiscent of an earlier era when jets were something new  of a fire cannon salute to the plane as it arrived and took off, and city and airport officials personally greeting arriving and departing passengers and giving each a goodie bag of Tweed promotional swag.

The route until Wednesday had been served for many years by 37-seat Bombardier Dash 8 turboprops, flown first by US Airways Express and now American Eagle. American is phasing out the Dash 8s .

Tweed, which uses the booking code HVN, has not been served by commercial jets since Delta Connections short-lived service between Tweed and Cincinnati ended in early 2006 after less than two years in operation.

The jets will offer New Haven passengers a smoother and quieter traveling experience while also offering an additional 78 seats a day to and from Philadelphia, officials said.

Mayor Toni Harp called the return of commercial jet service to Tweed a milestone for New Haven and its airport, a milestone for the residents of the entire region and a milestone for American Airlines, as well.

New Haven has a national and even global presence in many fields certainly in higher education and health care and pharmaceutical research and technology and in culture and the arts, Harp said. To provide those who work in and seek to advance these fields, my administration has been working toward expanded airline service here at Tweed.

Were eager for a city with ... great people doing great things to have greater access to other major cities and their airports, Harp said.

She said she was very pleased by this development and we welcome Americans confidence about New Haven in this regard.

Earlier this year, we followed through on a $5 million noise mitigation project to address the concerns of nearby homeowners, Harp said. These soundproofing efforts, coupled with new technology to produce much quieter jet engines, have paved the runway for this new service from American with modern jets.

Tweed New Haven Airport Authority Chairman John Picard said the reason I got involved in Tweed is because New Haven and New Haven County needs Tweed  and Connecticut needs New Haven County and Tweed to continue to grow.

He said he hopes that this is just the first of many new milestones ... with more flights headed to different destinations. ... Lets hope that this is just the first step of many steps, Picard said.

We are thrilled that American will be introducing jet service at Tweed-New Haven, said Tweed Executive Director Tim Larson in a news release. This upgraded service represents an improved and more seamless passenger experience for our customers and is a demonstration of Americans commitment to our growing market.

Really, its wonderful, he said as he stood down on the tarmac after most of the passengers on the first arriving flight had disembarked. Tweed is hoping to use the upgraded service to try to attract additional service to other destinations, he said.

Tweed could pick up (service to) DCA right now and fly four flights a day, he said, referring to the market demand for flights to Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.

Arriving and departing passengers gave good reviews to the jet upgrade.

Claire Chase of Minneapolis, who arrived on the initial flight that touched down about 12:25 p.m., gave the Philadelphia-to-New Haven leg of her trip the ultimate compliment by saying, This was just like regular flying.

Whenever shes had to fly on a turbprop, I know it, Chase said. But her flight to New Haven was very smooth, very nice.

John Trasocco of West Haven, who flies frequently between New Haven and Los Angeles as part of his work in the film industry, said he personally had no problem with the turboprops.

But he said of the regional jet he flew in on Wednesday, Its nice. It feels much safer.

Bob Boeke, who had just finished visiting his daughter in Orange and was waiting for a flight that would take him to Chicago via Philadelphia, said he was looking forward for what he expected to be greater comfort in the new planes American is using.

Americans jet service connects New Haven passengers to more than 21 countries and 115 destinations with one-stop connection in Philadelphia, the airport said in the release. Additional connections can be made from Philadelphia via Americans other hubs to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries.

Tweed is located about 15 minutes from downtown New Haven and offers free Wi-Fi, no waiting, no lines, no hassle and a matter of minutes between parking in front of the terminal and reaching the gate, the airport said in the release.

The airports goal is to eventually pave a 1,000-foot runway safety area  originally constructed with the understanding that it would not be paved  in order to extend the usable length of the runway to 6,600 feet.

That effort was stymied by a recent loss in federal court in a lawsuit that aimed to overturn a state statute limiting Tweeds runway length to the current 5,600 feet. Tweed is appealing the decision.

American recently announced new summer seasonal service from Philadelphia to Prague, Czech Republic and Budapest, Hungary, as well as resumed service to Zurich, Switzerland. New Haven passengers can also fly to four new American domestic markets via Philadelphia, including Des Moines, Iowa; Madison, Wisconsin; Omaha, Nebraska; and San Antonio, Texas.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com
Legal justice is exactly the inept phrasing Id expect from a fake intellectual like Lucian Wintrich. He gave a talk Tuesday at the University of Connecticut called Its OK to Be White. He was arrested after grabbing a woman who had grabbed his speech. The right-wing propagandist says now he will peruse legal justice.

Thats what Id expect from a huckster who wants you to think hes smart. I think he meant to say pursue, not peruse, as in to read through. And I think he meant to say legal action, because justice would suffice for anyone billing himself as a deep-thinking smarty.

That said, Wintrich does have a point. I have watched the videos online and its clear his talk was not a talk but barely contained bedlam. Security officers do not intervene when two audience members come within feet of Wintrich while he is trying to speak. One uses his phone to record Wintrich, violating his personal space.

Everything stops when the woman standing next to the guy recording Wintrich grabs his speech, and flees. Wintrich runs after her, into the audience, snatches the pages, and appears to rough her up. The security officers seize Wintrich, pushing him out the back. He is charged with breach of peace and is free on a $1,000 bond.

In subsequent interviews, Wintrich portrays himself as the sole victim. He is not. He bears some blame. But he has a point about UConns responsibility to protect him. Students should never have gotten that close. Personally, I dont mind the booing or chanting or calling him a Nazi. But getting that close, amid tensions that thick, an altercation was inevitable, and security should have known better.

There is something to say about free speech, but before I do, a word about college students and right-wing media. Wintrich says hes the White House correspondent for the Gateway Pundit, but as its name implies, that website does not care about fact-finding standards practiced without fear or favor. Its mission is serving the Republican Party, and to annoy. It fails often at both. Seriously. Its embarrassing.

As for college students, the UConn College Republicans invited Wintrich to discuss identity politics, liberal victimhood, anti-conservative bias, and other hot-button issues. The club evidently could not find a worthy conservative intellectual to speak at their forum, say from the Yankee Institute for Public Policy or the Cato Institute or American Enterprise Institute. So it settled on Wintrich. This suggests something about UConn Republicans. They seem to care little about ideas, policies or politics. No, demagoguerys the thing.

Im serious. Gateway Pundit is the bottom-feeder of conservative media. Wintrich is best known for the day he tweeted an image of Islamic terrorists flying a jetliner into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. But instead of the Twin Towers, they were CNN. Instead of a jetliner, it was the head of President Donald Trump.

The message? No one is sure, but it had something to do with the battle between a president and the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of the press. Do UConns young Republicans understand what they invited? I hope they dont. For their sake, and ours.

As for freedom of speech, UConn students should have let Wintrich have his say, and offered counterarguments, or their own debate forum, because now Wintrich is exactly where he wants to be.

People like him believe they are victims. Equality doesnt mean equality. It means taking something from white people, and giving it to non-white people, and in the taking, white people are victims. This is entirely fictional, but Wintrich now has a credible claim to being what he always imagined being but never was: a real victim.

Its better to meet speech with speech.

John Stoehr is a fellow at the Yale Journalism Initiative and a New Haven resident.
Muammar Gaddafi

Gaddafi is back, and is ruling the world as he received encomiums and praises for his good deeds and respect for people of Africa descend. As Africans and concerned world citizens express rage with the slavery blacks have been subjected to in Libya, late Col. Muammar Gaddafi, assassinated former leader of the North African country, is having a laugh in his grave.

Thursday is his day as more than 350,000 tweets eulogised Gaddafi as Africas greatest leader, who needed good life for his people and Africans. The once prosperous Libya, has since the death of Gaddaffi in 2011, been transformed to a den of criminals nurtured by the West.

The country is now a theatre of war. The man, Gaddafi, known as the lion of the desert, is today being remembered for providing the best for his people.

He provided free houses, free healthcare, free electricity, interest free loan, $50,000 to newly-wed and mothers received $5,000 for each birth and made the country comfortable for blacks and other Africans.

Today these welfare packages have been replaced by war, hate, destruction, criminality, squalor and slavery and criminalities.

The desert turned green Libya, is today, a dark country in Africa continent and a weapons experimental zone of the west.

Gaddafi is back, and is ruling the world as he received encomiums and praises for his good deeds and respect for people of Africa descend.

LLCOOLJ tweet said: The slave trade in Libya must be stopped. The West used Military force to help the rebels remove Gaddafi. I believe that gives the West the moral obligation to get this country back on a healthy footing. Remove the slave holders by force and help establish a stable leadership.

RT, said also that torture, human trafficking and abuse have become appalling reality of fractured Libya ever since NATO intervention and fall of Gaddafi in 2011.

JAJ @Jajdgenius expressed: Imagine how Gaddafi spoilt Libyans to the extent that they felt they could do without him, Im sure Libyans will give anything to go back to 10 years ago but guess what, its too late.

Under Gaddafi, Libya had the highest life expectancy in Africa. Now, thanks to Western military intervention, Libya is one of the most dangerous nations in the world. A haven for modern slavery, Garikai Chengu @ChenguGold , tweeted.

The Ghanas former military ruler, Jerry Rawlings, is bitter over the situation.

Office of JJRawlings @officeofJJR tweeted, How sad that events should turn out this way and the black man is being subjected to this kind of treatment in Libya of all places. I say so with emphasis because whatever faults Gaddafi had, blacks were treated as equals in Libya than in most Arab countries.

Gitz @iGitz_ said: With the help of their media houses like CNN, they plotted the fall of Gaddafi. They chose to give rebels in Libya the voice to criticize the Gaddafi regime. Remember these rebels included terrorist groups like Al Qaeda but the USA chose that the fall of Gadaffi was a priority.





I can still remember the joy in the western medias headlines when Colonel Gaddafi was killed. They put his bloody face on their front papers celebrating what they called the Fall of the Tyrant. That was there goal, to make sure the world knows that their influence is intact, Gitz said.

Atanas @Atanasi prayed that Muammar Gaddafi soul rest in peace and will remain as the best African President of all time.

Atanas explained that during Gaddafis time, there were cases of human trafficking; Libya was peaceful and citizens enjoyed high standards of living.

His dream was to make Africa 1 united continent. Fuck White Supremacists.

Njeri Gitau @njeri5gitau said that @prophetahuva says that He will raise another gaddafi to protect the Libya oil from greedy Americans.





They have hurt His children. They killed gaddafi to steal from Libya. Thats why America is under curses because of what they are doing in Africa.

He told the Americans that they must begin to pack their bags from Libya.

They killed gaddafi to exploit Libyans of their oil. The issue of Libya oil has angered God. They have stolen the oil that belonged to Gods children in Libya. They must go by all means.
VIDEO: Vice President @ProfOsinbajo's remarks at today's Meeting on the migrant situation involving Nigerian citizens in Libya and elsewhere pic.twitter.com/YWZ076G4PA  Govt of Nigeria (@AsoRock) November 29, 2017

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday spoke on the migrant situation involving Nigerian citizens in Libya and other countries.In a video posted on his official twitter handle, Osinbajo promised that agencies have been put on their heels to ensure that migration is stoppedAccording to him, the pursuit of greener pastures and misinformation led many young men on this futile journeyHe said: The @MBuhari administration recognizes the seriousness of the situation, and we are taking steps to decisively address it.Ministry of foreign affairs,NEMA,NAPTIP, NCFRMI, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders are collaborating.We would also take step to ensure that circumstances surrounding migration are not repeated.Most Nigerians try to cross dangerous water bodies and exposed to inhumane condition due to lack of information.Most of them are misinformed that life out there is rosy, they offer money to people who use them for illegal purposeWe have to sensitize young Nigerians to ensure young people dont go on ill advised escapadesWe will be working with agencies on more to be done that would be effective and last for a period of longtime.VIDEO




Ex-Croatian General Slobodan Praljak drank from a bottle he claimed contained poison

Upon hearing that his appeal was rejected by the UN war crimes court in the Hague, ex-Croatian General Slobodan Praljak drank from a bottle he claimed contained poison. The court proceedings at the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) were promptly adjourned.

Praljak, who commanded ethnic Croat troops in the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia, yelled: "Judges, Slobodan Praljak is not a war criminal. I reject the verdict with contempt." He then drank from a small glass bottle in the courtroom. Moments later, as the court moved on to the next defendant, Praljak loudly announced "What I drank was poison."

The presiding judge called for medical assistance and ordered the session to be closed to the public. While the content of the bottle was not immediately clear, Praljak was hospitalized after the incident.

Later on Wednesday, Croatian state broadcaster HRT reported that Praljak had died. This was echoed by Croatia's Jutarnji List newspaper, citing "unofficial" information.

Spokesman for the tribunal Nenad Golcevski, when asked by the AP news agency if he could confirm the death, said: "I have no information to share at this point."

Ex-Bosnian Croat leader Slobodan Praljak has died after drinking poison at a UN war crimes court in The Hague: Croatias state TV pic.twitter.com/ShQIb1nPUy November 29, 2017

Dutch police have declared the Hague courtroom a crime scene, the presiding judge Carmel Agius said. The hearing reportedly continued in a different courtroom later on Wednesday.

Before the interruption, the appeal ruling on Wednesday confirmed lengthy prison terms for three of the six defendants, all Bosnian Croats. The 25-year prison sentence for the best-known defendant, Croat wartime political leader Jadranko Prlic, was also upheld. The judges also reaffirmed prison sentences for the remaining three defendants after the session was resumed.

The 72-year-old Praljak was specifically charged with ordering the destruction of the renowned 16th-century Ottoman bridge in Mostar, which was rebuilt in 2004, years after the war ended. The court's ruling confirmed the 20-year prison term he received for his role in the war.

Journalists waiting in front of the Hague courtroom were told to clear the area in order to allow access to emergency services. A police vehicle, a fire truck, and an ambulance were deployed to the scene.

The Hague incident prompted Croatia's right-wing president, Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, to cut short her visit to Iceland and return to Zagreb, local media outlets reported. The government was reportedly due to hold an emergency session, with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic due to address the public in the afternoon.

The Wednesday ruling was to be the last in the 24-year history of the UN-founded war crimes tribunal, which is set to close its doors at the end of 2017. The court indicted 161 suspects, 90 of whom were convicted of committing war crimes in the former Yugoslavia, including Kosovo, Bosnia, and Croatia.

Last week, the UN judges passed a life sentence against ex-Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic, also known as "the Butcher of Bosnia" over his role in the genocide against Muslim Bosniaks.

-AP
A coaltion of civil society organisations comprising Our Mumu Don Do led by musician turned activist, Charles Oputa, (a.k.a Charley Boy), Concerned Nigerians and Campaign for Democracy (CD) among others, will Thursday occupy the Libyan Embassy in Abuja.

A statement issued Wednesday night by the group said We are horrified by the reports and footage of hundreds of Africans, including Nigerians, being sold into slavery by slave dealers in Libya as published by CNN and several other international media houses.

These videos show men, women and children being sold for as little as $400. They also show the dehumanizing conditions in which these victims are kept, beaten, starved and killed.

It is shocking to find that slave trade, a horrible part of African history which is best confined to our collective past and best studied to avoid a repeat, is being conducted so brazenly in these modern times.

As part of efforts to condemn these acts of inhumanity, we shall be holding peaceful sit outs in front of the Libyan Embassy in Nigeria.

The statement signed by Oputa, Deji Adeyanju, Bako Usman of CD and others urged the public to join forces with them to promote humanity and the dignity of the African person.
File photo: Nigerian returnees from Libya

According to a report by The Nation, some Nigerians who were recently deported from Libya have said they would hunt for one Charles and others who collected money from them for the ill-fated journey to Europe.

Those who spoke in Benin City were among the 168 Libya deportees that were on Tuesday received by the Edo State Government.

Governor Godwin Obaseki had promised to train deportees from Libya with adequate skills required to reintegrate them back to the society.

Many of the deportees looked skinny and exhausted while some woman had babies.

Some of the deportees said it was one Charles that collected money from them to take them to Europe but abandoned them in Libya.

They claimed that the said Charles had several bank accounts with different names through which he collect money from victims as well as operate a camp base in Libya where Nigerians are kept for days without food.

A deportee who gave his name Alex Otoide said he witnessed the sale of 20 Nigeria girls in the prison where he was kept.





They sold like 20 girls in the night. It was God that save me. More than seven people died from hunger and thirst inside the prison.





Cant you see how I look lean and hungry. I need to go for treatment. I left Nigeria with N500,000 but I spent six months in Libya jail after the man that took my money ran away.





We were 55 that left for Libya, 25 people died in the desert.

Osas Blessing said Charles was one of those they call burgers or connection man in the Libya route.





I gave Charles N450,000 but when I got to Libya he increased it to N600,000. He is very wicked. He does not care for human live. He is a Benin man. He will say if you die you die. He pushed us into the sea at the wrong time. I heard he just left Nigeria with new passengers to Libya. He has frustrated many Nigerians.

Another deportee who refused to give his name said another Nigerian only known as Biafra was responsible for the many atrocities committed against migrants in Libya.
A former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has reportedly asked his supporters in the state to dump the All Progressive...

A former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has reportedly asked his supporters in the state to dump the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to his nephew, Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso, who is also the Commissioner for Special Duties in Kano State, the former governor had asked his supporters to join the PDP ahead of the forthcoming local council election in the state.





He was reacting to the report that pressure was being mounted on Kwankwaso to decamp to the former ruling party.





He told newsmen in Kano yesterday that, Already, he has given the go-ahead to his supporters to join the PDP in Kano State so that they can contest in the forthcoming local government election in the state. But what I can assure him is that the APC will win all the 44 local governments because of the growing supporters base of Governor Ganduje.





It was because of Kwankwaso that the chairman of the PDP was thrown out of office because they wanted to hand over the party structures to him ahead of his defection, he also claimed.





They want to use red caps to cause confusion during President Muhammadu Buharis visit next month. We will not allow that because Kano people are for Buhari all the time, he said.





I think we should think positive. We are taking the negative side now. It is just like me asking you: If your employers do this or that, would you leave your place of work?




The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics has suspended the nationwide strike it embarked upon over failure of the government to meet its ...

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics has suspended the nationwide strike it embarked upon over failure of the government to meet its demands.The National chairman of ASUP, Usman Dutse, at a Press Conference in Bauchi on Wednesday said that the union decided to suspend the strike after reaching an agreement and signing a Memorandum of Settlement and Action with the federal government.ASUP had on 13th November 2017 embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike to press home their demands.He said that the union had met several times with the Minister of Education, and officials of the Federal Ministry of Education as well as the Ministry of Labour.Other stakeholders involved in the negotiations, according to him are the National Salaries and Wages Commission, Budget office of the federation, the office of Head of Civil service and office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.Dutse said: Following these meetings, a Memorandum of Settlements and action (MoS) was agreed to by the government and the union on each of the issues in dispute.Dutse further informed that the MoS was signed by both government and the union to resolve the issues at stake.While we are not unaware of the government over the years to willfully renege on agreements of this nature with labour unions including ours, it is the considered view of our union that the contents of this MoS be given a chance of implementation particularly as there is a mechanism for monitoring and evaluation embedded in the MoS,he added.
The group of good governance activists led by veteran musician, Charles Oputa, also known as Charly Boy, has vowed to occupy the Libyan E...

The group of good governance activists led by veteran musician, Charles Oputa, also known as Charly Boy, has vowed to occupy the Libyan Embassy in Abuja in protest against alleged crime of slave auctioning of Nigerians and other Africans in Libya.In a statement jointly signed by Charly Boy, Deji Adeyanju, Ariyo Dare Atoye, and Bako Abdul Usman, on Wednesday night, the activists said the peaceful sit-out in the premises of the Libyan Embassy would provide opportunity to convey their condemnation of the acts of inhumanity against fellow African in the North African nation.The group said the sit-out will also serve as an avenue to promote value of humanity and the dignity of the African person. The statement reads in part: We are horrified by the reports and footage of hundreds of Africans, including Nigerians, being sold into slavery by slave dealers in Libya as published by CNN and several other international media houses. These videos show men, women and children being sold for as little as $400.They also show the dehumanizing conditions in which these victims are kept, beaten, starved and killed. It is shocking to find that slave trade, a horrible part of African history which is best confined to our collective past and best studied to avoid a repeat, is being conducted so brazenly in these modern times.As part of efforts to condemns these acts of inhumanity, we shall be holding peaceful sit outs in front of the Libyan Embassy in Abuja, on Thursday November 30th, 2017 We urge all members of the public and the media to join us as we seek to promote humanity and the dignity of the African person.
Nigerian gay rights activist, Bisi Alimi, has described Christianity in Nigeria as nothing but fraud.

Nigerian gay rights activist, Bisi Alimi, has described Christianity in Nigeria as nothing but fraud.

In what seemed like preaching against tithe and offerings in the House of God, Alimi advised Nigerians to change and seek the truth, stressing thatGod does not need money.





According to him, God only needed you to take care of yourself and not otherwise





On his Instagram page on Thursday, he wrote Christianity in Nigeria is nothing but fraud.





God does not need your money he needs you to take care of yourself.





Because most of the time, the truth is the best gift you can give humanity.








Ex-Minister of Foreign affairs, Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji is dead.

Ex-Minister of Foreign affairs, Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji is dead.

He died in London at the weekend at the age of 83.





National President of the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria (ARCAN) Amb. Dapo Fafowora, who broke the news, said : I have received with sadness, the news of the death of Amb. Olu Adeniji in London last Sunday.





Amb. Adeniji was an iconic figure in the foreign service rising to the position of a permanent secretary and later foreign minister.





Adeniji was a great diplomat before his death, he was the United Nations Secretary-Generals Special Representative for the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA) and Nigerian Ambassador to France for five years.




President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said former President Goodluck Jonathan was never desperate for power, but got there by provi...

President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said former President Goodluck Jonathan was never desperate for power, but got there by providence.He stated this on Thursday in Abuja at the unveiling of a book titled On a Platter of Gold written by Mallam Bolaji Abudullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC).Saraki, who was the chief host of the occasion, said a country produces the kind of leadership it gets.I think it is us Nigerians, that produce the kind of leaders we get; no matter what you say about Jonathan, I dont think he was someone who was desperate for power, he said.He added that Jonathan was not someone that was prepared for leadership but became the president of the country either by misfortune or fortune.The president of the senate added that it was unfortunate that Nigerians knew the right things to do, but would not do it but would keep playing the blame game.He expressed optimism that the book would be cherished by Nigerians going by its quality.In his remarks, Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno, said that there was need for the political class to place national interest above other considerations to ensure the country`s development.The governor, who was the chairman of the occasion, also tasked politicians to work assiduously towards building the country in the interest of all.He spoke extensively on the Peoples` Democratic Party and President Goodluck Jonathan`s administration, saying that though Jonathan was a decent person, he was surrounded by wrong people.Sadly, Borno was the epicentre of the crisis that engulfed the Jonathan administration; I think President Jonathan is essentially a decent person, an unsophisticated country politician caught up in the vortex of power politics in Nigeria.When the Chibok girls saga started, they made the president to believe that there was no abduction, that the Chibok girls were kidnapped by the governor of Borno, he said.Shettima said that Jonathan believed the story, which was meant to embarrass his administration.I was in Chibok, my wife was in Chibok and there was a global outcry on the issue, but Jonathan was in a world of his own created by the clowns and also the misfits around him, he said.He added that in spite of the situation, Jonathan was an honest man.READ: ICAO, Air Transport agencies releases new runway safety planAccording to the governor, sheer display of bad governance, lack of political sagacity and will-power squandered the enormous goodwill the Jonathan administration commanded.He said that such situation consequently got him voted out of office in 2015.Shettima disclosed that because of Jonathan`s honesty, he recently confided in Sen. Ben Bruce that his major undoing was his poor relationship with the Borno governor.He wished Jonathan luck in his retirement, saying  he can redeem himself by serving God, humanity and Africa.The governor insisted that rather than emphasising issues of restructuring the country, efforts should be made to improve governance.Let us work for the people, invest in education and create jobs for our people, he said.On his part, Kwara Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, said that the book would serve Nigerians and help review the country`s political history.He also said that the book would be important to politicians and history students across the country.Mr Dele Momodu, while presenting the book to the public, said that the intrigues and the behind-the-scenes in the Jonathan`s administration captured in it, were mind-bugling.He added that the book was bound to stir lots of debate and controversies, saying that it was a painstaking piece that must be read by all.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the occasion was attended by APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and members of the partys National Working Committee.Also in attendance were some ministers, representative of Emir of Ilorin and members of Kwara House of Assembly.The book chronicled the ascension of Jonathan, the power play, and the intrigues that led to his loss of power in the 2015 presidential election.
The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere has said that its rapprochement with a leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Aswiaju Bola Tinubu, would be structured on an irreducible minimum that he would adopt the call for restructuring as adopted by the body.Afeniferes National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yinka Odumakin, in an interview with Vanguard, affirmed that Tinubu was not a stranger to Afenifere saying that he only departed at a time.Odumakin spoke against the background of the celebrated rapprochement between Tinubu and the body last Wednesday when he paid a courtesy call on Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti.Tinubu parted ways with Afenifere shortly before the 2003 general elections partly because of his refusal to go with the groups decision to back a pact to return President Olusegun Obasanjo to power in that years election. The breach subsequently extended to the formation of the Afenifere Renewal Group, supposedly backed by Tinubu which constituted itself as a rival to Afenifere.Responding to the development in an interview, Odumakin said: It was a courtesy call, he (Tinubu) is not a stranger to Afenifere, Afenifere made him governor in 1999, so he is a member to the family. He moved at a time, and we hope that the visit will bring a better understanding in terms of the irreducible minimums of areas of cooperation in the interest of the Yoruba outside of party politics.So, even if there are disagreements, you must not hire small children to abuse your fathers.
Femi Fani-Kayode, former Aviation Minister, on Wednesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to warn Libyans in very strong terms agains...

Femi Fani-Kayode, former Aviation Minister, on Wednesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to warn Libyans in very strong terms against enslaving and killing Nigerians.





Fani-Kayode, a fierce critic of the current administration, made the call while commending the president for his reaction to the plight of Nigerians in Libya.





Buhari had on Tuesday night promised to ensure that Nigerians in Libya are airlifted back to the country.





In a tweet via his social media, the two-time Minister said Buharis declaration was the right step in the direction.





The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chieftain wrote: The however commended Glad that @MBuhari has finally acknowledged the suffering of our people in evil Libya and has pledged to airlift them back home.





That is a step in the right direction. Now he must WARN the Libyans in very strong terms and tell them to stop killing and enslaving our people!





He also commended Prophet T.B. Joshua for airlifting Nigerians back into the country and rehabilitating them, in the past two years.




In a bid to halt a brewing crisis in the Niger Delta region arising from an alleged tenure elongation of the current members of the board of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, the House of Representatives has asked the Federal Government to adhere to the provisions of the Act establishing the body.The House also called on the federal government to liaise with the Libyan government to find solution to the menace of modern day slavery which involved Nigerians in the country.The resolutions followed two separate motions titled Violation of the Niger Delta Development Commission Act and its Attendant Consequences, sponsored by Hon. Daniel Ofongo (Bayelsa) and Need to Investigate the Inhuman and Barbaric Act of Slave Trade Involving the Auctioning of Black Africans in Libya, sponsored by Hon. Saheed Akinade-Fijabi (Oyo State).While moving the motion, the stated that against the practice of rotational chairmanship and the office of the Managing Director of NDDC amongst the relevant States, the former acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr (Mrs) Habila M. Lawal purportedly granted the Board members fresh tenure of four years.He said that if the situation was not reversed, it would likely create crisis in the region as there were also agitations by the youths in the region.He said: The House notes that the tenure of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was cut short in 2015 following the dissolution of the Board;Also notes that the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engineer Babachir David Lawal issued letters to the current members of the Board that was inaugurated by the present administration requiring them to serve for the unexpired tenure of the Board that was dissolved in 2015;Further notes the recent statement by the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation regarding the letters of appointments issued to the Board members by the former acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr (Mrs) Habila M. Lawal was said to have granted the Board members fresh tenure of four years, rather than them serving out the unexpired tenure of the dissolved Board;Equally notes that the pronouncement was in clear violation of section 5 (2) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Act, 2000 which provides that where a vacancy occurs in the membership of the Board, it shall be filled by the appointment of a successor to hold office for the remainder of the term of office of his predecessor, so however, that the successor shall represent the same interest and shall be appointed by the President, subject to the confirmation of the Senate, in consultation with the House of representatives;Aware that there is a nexus between the violation of the NDDC Act and youth restiveness in the Niger Delta region, which has such grave consequences of impacting adversely on oil production and consequently, the nations revenues from the resource;Cognizant of the provision of Section 88 (1) (b) (i) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 which empowers the National Assembly, by Resolution, to cause an investigation into the execution or administration of laws enacted by the National Assembly.Ruling on the matter after members had given their nod, the presiding officer and deputy speaker, Hon. Yusuf Lasun adhered to the prayers of the motion which included urging the Federal Executive Arms of Government to adhere strictly to the provisions of the NDDC Act of 2000 with respect to the tenure of the current Board; and mandating the Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to investigate the matter with a view to ensuring compliance with Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Act, 2000.The Committee was given two weeks within which to conclude its assignment and report back to the House for further legislative action.In a similar note, the House also urged the Federal Government to liaise with the Government of Libya to find a solution to the menace of migration and modern day slavery in Libya.It also mandated its Committees on Human Rights, and Foreign Affairs to interface with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant stakeholders to identify the factors that encourage migrants to embark on the perilous journey, proffer solutions that would discourage same and provide for how the Nigerian youths caught in the web of legal immigration procedures would return to the country.Moving the motion, Fijabi said that a certain Nigerian was sold for $400 (144,000) to North African buyers as potential farm hands.The motion which also has a reflection to another one moved by Hon. Omosede Igbinedion noted that Nigerians who migrate abroad in search of greener pastures ended up either dead or permanently injured.Fajabi said: The House notes that African migrants from nations including Nigeria, Guinea, Senegal, Mali, Niger and Gambia make the dangerous crossing through the Sahara Desert to Libya with hopes of making it over the Mediterranean Sea to Italy and other European countries in search of greener pastures;Also notes that on November 14, 2017, the US Television Network, CNN broke the news of auctioning of human beings in Libya with a live footage of the auctioning process in which young men were being sold to North African buyers as potential farm hands and one of the unidentified young men sold off for as little as $400 (144,000) is said to be a Nigerian in his twenties;Further notes that the footage of the auctioning of black Africans in the conflict-torn nation sparked outrage across the world with thousands of people taking to the streets of Paris , France to protest against the modern day slavery, and in reaction, the African Union, on November 17, 2017 called on the Libyan Authorities to investigate the matter.Contributing to the debate on the motion, some members of the House said that Nigerian government needed to adopt proactive measures to discourage the youth from embarking on needless journeys.They equally harped on the urgent need to create jobs and the enabling environment for the youths to be gainfully employed at home.For instance, Hon Nnenna Ukaje (Abia State) advised the youth to stay at home instead of dying abroad.She said: We need a lot of information and education to let our children know that life outside Nigeria is not necessary better than life in Nigeria.We need to also get the ECOWAS parliament in this.Also speaking, Hon. Emma Ogene (Lagos State) said that it was a sad moment for the country.He however said that the unhealthy development was a wake up call for all levels of government to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths.This is a very sad event. We should be ashamed of ourselves. We need to find out if parent are involved in the matterWe need to call the Libaya Ambassador in Nigeria and ask him why they are selling our people.The solutions lies in the various levels of government in providing employment to our youths.Also contributing, Hon. Henry Ofongo (Bayelsa State) emphasized the need for enlightenment of the youth on the adventures.Some of them feel that Nigeria is too hard, too tough. What is the going doing about enlightenment?, he said.On his part, the Leader of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila advised Nigerian parents against subjecting their house helps to inhuman treatments, saying it was also slavery.We are practicing the slavery here on our soil, he said.The committees on Human Rights, and Foreign Affairs were also given 4 weeks within which to work and report back to the House for further legislative action.
Sacked Chairman of Presidential Task Team on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, Thursday, has been reported to have three international passports and he is an American citizen.Mohammed Babandede, the Nigerian Immigration boss speaking at the ongoing House of Representatives adhoc committee investigating on Mainas reinstatement into the public service on Thursday said that Maina has 3 Passports, and that he an American citizen too since he has an American passport.Also the Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun speaking told the Committee members that Mainas name was not in the FGs pay roll.The investigative hearing which started at precisely 10.25am after the opening prayer by the Chairman, Rep Ali Madaki, APC, Kano took a twist when the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior in his submissions declared that he got instructions to reinstate Maina from the Office of the Head of Service to the Federation.This declaration did not go down well with the HOS, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita as she immediately countered his position saying:This is not quite correct to put it mildlyAt this point, the Chairman ordered that she should be placed on oath.Also, the Accountant General to the Federation, AGF, Ahmed Idris told the Committee that the last salary Maina earned was in February, 2013.The minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun also corroborated the position of her AGF, saying:Maina is not in FGs pay roll and his biometric was not even captured.
It was a swath of counter-accusations at the continued investigative hearing by the ad-hoc Committee on the Disappearance,re-appearance and reinstatement of embattled former boss of Presidential Task Force on Pension Reform Team Abdulrasheed Maina on Monday.The Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun told a bewildered Committee members that Mainas name was not in the FGs pay roll.The investigative hearing which started at precisely 10.25am after the opening prayer by the Chairman, Rep Ali Madaki, APC, Kano took a twist when the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior in his submissions declared that he got instructions to reinstate Maina from the Office of the Head of Service to the Federation.This declaration did not go down well with the HOS, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita as she immediately countered his position saying:This is not quite correct to put it mildlyAt this point, the Chairman ordered that she should be placed on oath.Also, the Accountant General to the Federation, AGF, Ahmed Idris told the Committee that the last salary Maina earned was in February, 2013.The minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun also corroborated the position of her AGF, saying:Maina is not in FGs pay roll and his biometric was not even captured.
Nigeria and Libya will expect to face growing pressure from their counterparts in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries to end their exemption from production cuts and accept an output quota, when ministers meet on Thursday (today) for a closely watched summit.The production cuts deal, which began on January 1 and called on OPEC countries and 10 non-OPEC producers led by Russia to cut a combined 1.8 million barrels per day in supplies, was in May extended by nine months to March 2018.Nigeria and Libya, which were exempt from the cuts as they dealt with internal unrest that had targeted their oil infrastructure, have ramped up oil production in recent months as their security situations have improved.While the production outlooks for both countries remain hazy due to political, security and technical challenges, voices had been growing louder within OPEC that their output has recovered sufficiently to join in their market rebalancing efforts, sources told S&P Global Platts.I think both countries will be discussed, an OPEC source told Platts, but he declined to say whether members would insist on imposing quotas.One option being discussed is a loose quota that would be triggered if production in either country rises to a certain level, while another option would be to place a quota right at or above each countrys production target, to at least symbolise that they were willing to accept a cap, other sources and analysts said.But it would be entirely possible that both countries exemptions would be maintained, as they had been vehemently opposed to any output restrictions while recovering from militancy, the sources said.Nigeria declared in late September that it had agreed to a production cap of 1.8 million bpd, a level the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, said would not be achieved until early 2018.Other OPEC ministers and delegates appeared caught off guard by that announcement, as it contradicted Kachikwus previous statements that Nigeria would not join the output agreement until its production stabilised at 1.8 million bpd, from which it would cut.Kachikwu had told reporters then that he wanted to change the narrative and that his country was already contributing to the deal by producing below that level, albeit involuntarily.The nations oil production from January to October this year was close to 1.74 million bpd, according to the Platts OPEC survey, a rise of 300,000 bpd from December last year, but still much below the 1.8 million bpd cap.Output hit a 16-month high of 1.86 million bpd in August, but has fallen since due to operational and loading delays.It could face further challenges, with the growing threat of attacks in the oil-rich Niger Delta next year, as the country heads into its presidential campaign season, analysts said.Counting Nigerian oil production has also been a difficult exercise, with divided opinions on what constitutes crude and what should be counted as condensates.Nigeria has long said its oil production capacity is at around 2.2 million bpd, with condensate production accounting for between 350,000 and 400,000 bpd. The remaining 1.8 million bpd or so, which coincidentally is its self-declared cap for the agreement, consists of crude oil.Nigeria this year began counting its Agbami grade, output of which is about 250,000 b/d, as part of its condensate production, which market watchers say makes it easier for the country to keep its crude output below 1.8 million bpd.But some independent secondary sources used by OPEC to monitor crude output under the deal still count Agbami as crude.Platts, one of the secondary sources, includes Agbami in Nigerias crude oil figure as it is marketed as a crude export blend and not a condensate by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and international oil companies.In its latest monthly oil market report, OPEC said its six secondary sources pegged Nigerian crude production at an average of 1.68 million bpd for the first 10 months of the year.Nigerias directly reported figures to OPEC showed that crude output from January to October averaged 1.58 million bpd.
Trial of a cousin to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Azibaola Robert and his wife, Stella, took a new dimension on Thursday, ...

Trial of a cousin to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Azibaola Robert and his wife, Stella, took a new dimension on Thursday, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, told the Federal High Court in Abuja that payment for $40million contract that was awarded to the defendants firm, Oneplus Holdings Limited, was duly authorised by the Presidency.Azibola and his wife, Stella, are answering to a seven-count criminal charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against them.At the resumed hearing, the 10th Prosecution witness, PW-10, in the case, Mr. David Mkpe, who is an EFCC operative that investigated the deal between the company and the Office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, told trial Justice Nnamdi Dimgba that he was aware of a Presidential memo approving both the contract and payment for the job. Mkpe, who was cross examined by the defence counsel, Mr. Chris Uche, SAN, told the court that his investigative team case across the memo from the ONSA, which he said okayed the payment of $40 million to Oneplus Holdings Ltd.Mkpe also admitted that the $40 million paid to Oneplus was not the only payment for security assignment from accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, through the Office of the NSA under Col. Sambo Dasuki, rtd. Asked if he saw the memo from ONSA through which the payment of $40m was made to Oneplus account, Mkpe replied, Yes, my lord. The payment was duly authorised by the NSA. He said: My lord funds from which the $40m was paid to Oneplus came from NNPC funds.In March 2014, Lt-Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd) wrote a memo to the President entitled Intervention in Urgent National Security Project through which he sought the approval of Mr. President for the sum of $1bn for subheads and surveillance of pipelines and additional request for $250m. The President gave approval to his request. The President approved the release of the sum of $1.2bn. In May the sum of $1.2bn was then released from NNPC accounts.  It was this fund that was disbursed to various recipients.The $40m was part of the $1.2bn statutorily approved and released for urgent national security intervention. I can confirm. EFCC is prosecuting the defendants for allegedly diverting $40 million purportedly meant for the supply of tactical communication kits for Nigerias Special Forces.The funds were alleged to have been transferred from the account of the Office of the NSA with the Central Bank of Nigeria to the domiciliary account of their company, OnePlus Holdings. The offence, according to the EFCC, contravenes Section 8(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act. Justice Nnamd Dimgba has adjourned the trial to 22 and 23 January 2018 to enable the defence to cross examine more of the prosecution witnesses.
Members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday condemned the increasing cases of public auctioning of black Africans in Libya.Also, the Senate has begun the investigation of the alleged sale of illegal African migrants mostly Nigerians as slaves in Libya, which it described as a slap on the face of Nigeria.The Senate probe was based on a motion moved by Senator Baba Kaka Garbai (Borno-Central) at the plenary on Wednesday.Describing the development as slavery, members of the House of Representatives asked the Federal Government to intervene with the aim of stopping it.Two members, Mr. Saheed Akinade-Fijabi and Ms. Omosede Igbinedion, had moved a joint motion on the Inhuman and barbaric act of slave trade involving the auctioning of black Africans in Libya to ignite a lengthy debate on the floor in Abuja.The session was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Yussuff Lasun.The members had observed that African migrants, desperately in search of greener pastures embarked on dangerous journeys to Europe from their home countries, only to get trapped in Libya.The House called on the Nigerian Government to liaise with the government of Libya to find a solution to the menace of migration and modern-day slavery in Libya.Leading the debate, Akinade-Fijabi, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress from Oyo State, said the migrants were mainly from Nigeria, Guinea, Senegal, Mali, Niger and Gambia.His motion read partly, The House also notes that on November 14, 2017, the US television network, CNN, broke the news of the auctioning of human beings in Libya with a live footage of the auctioning process in which young men were being sold to North African buyers as potential farm hands.One of the unidentified young men sold off for as little as $400 (N144,000) is said to be a Nigerian in his twenties.(The House) further notes that the footage of the auctioning of black Africans in the conflict-torn nation sparked outrage across the world with thousands of people taking to the streets of Paris, France, to protest against the modern-day slavery.In reaction, the African Union, on November 17, 2017, called on the Libyan authorities to investigate the matter.In her contribution to the debate, Igbinedion said the fate of the migrants was pathetic and required urgent actions by the Nigerian government to halt the dangerous journeys.On her part, the Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations, Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje, told the House that the situation was almost a hopeless case, as it would be difficult to identify which of the various groups in Libya seeking legitimacy, to discuss with.But, the Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, argued that Nigerians were already slaves in their own country.Gbajabiamila, who is from Lagos State, cited cases of young girls and boys, who were sent to the cities to serve the elite.He noted, That in itself, is slavery. These young children should be in school. What we see is that someone brings them to the city to serve as home helps in exchange for money.They come to collect the money either every month or whatever period is the agreed term. That is slavery. It is here with us.Meanwhile, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said there was the need for Nigeria to do more to protect its citizens.He said, As a country, truly, it is a slap on the face of all of us if Nigerians can be treated in this manner. Like somebody said, Ivory Coast that is not as big as us is taking action to see how they can bring their own citizens back. We need to be doing similar things.The senators unanimously granted prayers of Garbais motion, including to condemn in totality the current depravity and sheer animalism being exhibited by these Libyans selling fellow Africans as slaves.They also urged the Federal Government to urgently investigate how many Nigerians were affected by the slave sales.The lawmakers also urged the Federal Government to urgently commence the process of repatriation and rehabilitation of Nigerian citizens caught up in these despicable treatment and human rights abuses.The Senate further urged the Federal Government to take all diplomatic steps, including summoning the Libyan ambassador in Abuja to brief the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to ensure that everyone involved is held accountable to face the full weight of international law and justice.The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, made an additional prayer to urge the governments at all levels in Africa to take steps to ameliorate the economic hardships feeding this migration crisis.
There was a broad day robbery today at the UBA and First Bank branches in Lapai, Niger State.





There was a broad day robbery today at the UBA and First Bank branches in Lapai, Niger State.

Gunmen suspected to be armed robbers on Wednesday evening attacked UBA and First Bank branches in Lapai town, Lapai local government area of Niger state, killing two policemen and undisclosed number of civilians.Witnesses said the robbers stormed the town in large numbers and initially attacked UBA along Suleja road beside Kobo Campus of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBB) before turning on First Bank along Minna road.They were said to have entered the town through Lapai-Gulu road in a convoy of two vehicles.NE learnt that the robbers abducted the manager of First Bank whose name could not be immediately ascertained.They were said to have launched the attacks at about 5pm, even as witnesses said the operation lasted for over an hour.The robbers were said to have carted away undisclosed amount of cash in Ghana-must-go bags through Lapai-Paiko road.Reinforced joint team of Military and police were seen chasing after the fleeing robbers but it was not clear whether they were able to apprehend them.Our correspondent learnt that those who sustained injuries during the operation were rushed to hospitals for medical attention.The Public Relations Officer of the states Police Command, SP Abigail Onaeze, could not be immediately reached for comment.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said the Federal Government was hoping to evacuate identified stranded Nigerians in Libya back to Nigeria and rehabilitate them.This came on the heels of reports that hundreds of African refugees and migrants passing through Libya were being bought and sold into slavery.Meanwhile, no fewer than 11,600 migrants of Nigeria origin are facing repatriation from different parts of the world, Hajia Sadia Umar Faruk, Chief Executive Officer of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, has said.Speaking while interacting with the Nigerian community in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, on Tuesday night, Buhari, who is in Abidjan for the 5th European Union-African Union (EU-AU) Summit, said those still there would be evacuated.He assured Nigerians that his administration would do everything humanly possible to make the country conducive to discourage youths from embarking on the journey and risking their lives.To make the country conducive, President Buhari promised that fixing security as well as providing other critical infrastructure would also reduce the chances of people taking the risk and ending up in the Mediterranean Sea, adding that efforts had been made in that direction which had started yielding positive results in agriculture.He said: Whenever Nigerians are identified, especially in Libya and so on, we hope to evacuate them back home and then rehabilitate them because the indoctrination is what is happening with the Boko Haram where girls, mainly from the ages of 15 downwards, will strap themselves and go to the market, blow themselves up and anybody around in motor parks, mosques, churches and so on.I am telling you all these because I know that those of you who are making it here Im sure send contributions home for feeding and for school fees and healthcare.These are the basic things that the government should do and we are to make sure that the people challenging the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean to perish will be less of Nigerians.It was announced that 26 Nigerians died but before they could prove that they were all Nigerians, they were buried. But the evidence I got from the Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs now is that only three were identified as Nigerians.But I wont be surprised if majority of them were really Nigerians. And for people to cross the Sahara Desert to go into shanty boats across the Mediterranean Sea, I think we will try and keep them at home.But for anyone who dared the desert and the Mediterranean without documents to prove that he/she is a Nigerian, there is nothing we can do, absolutely nothing.In the interview some of you saw, some of the Nigerians said they were being sold like goats for a few dollars for years in Libya. Now after 43 years of Gaddafi where he recruited so many people from the Sahel, including Nigeria and so on, all they learned was how to shoot and kill.They didnt learn to become electricians, plumbers or any other trade. So, when the Libyans stood against their leader, those who are not their people, they chased out."A lot of them came back home with their workers, some of them became part of Boko Haram.So, Im telling you that our major problem as we have identified, is still the security of the country. We have done much better, everybody is saying it. And then we are talking very regularly with the Niger Delta and the leadership because they know they are holding the throat of the country economically.Buhari, who stressed the need for Nigerians in Cote dIvoire to be good ambassadors by obeying the law of their host country, urged them to also report those portraying the image of the country in bad light to the embassy so that the bad eggs will be flushed out.He said: For you to be good ambassadors of our dear country, it is to live by the law of the country and as much as possible, the bad eggs here among you, you should report quietly to the embassy so that we can get them and repatriate them home as the ambassador has said.We, being the biggest country in Africa, at least 180 million people, the requirement for infrastructure is especially education because if you educate people, they can look after themselves and then, of course, healthcare.But Im telling you there is a lot of work to be done back home. We are doing our best and the leadership at all levels are doing their best and the problem we are having is with those being indoctrinated and are hurting our people, blowing up people in mosques, churches, marketplaces, motor parks, which is absolute madness.No religion advocates violence; all religions advocate justice from your home, town, household to whatever you become, Justice is the basic thing all religion demand.Also speaking, the Nigerian Ambassador to Cote dIvoire, Ibrahim Isah, noted that the largest number of Nigerians in Sub-Sahara Africa, second only to Sudan, were in Cote dIvoire, adding that they were as many as 1.5 million.Ambassador Isah, who is just about three months old in his post, said the greatest challenge facing the embassy was the issue of child trafficking and prostitution, disclosing that 50 persons had been repatriated since he resumed.He said: We are facing the challenge of child trafficking and prostitution. Over 50 persons have been repatriated since I came three months ago. We put them across to Lagos through the Young Shall Grow Motors and give them stipends.We have succeeded in getting three traffickers jailed here in Cote dIvoire but we need National Agency for the Prohibition Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, and the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to continue doing what they are doing until we stop this illicit trade.On her part, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said a total of 5,000 Nigerians stranded in Libya had been brought back to the country under the present administration.She regretted, however, that some of them have sadly found their way back, despite warnings, expressing hope that with President Buharis directive on massive evacuation, all of them would be back to Nigeria.Meanwhile, the Senate, yesterday, charged the Federal Government to save Nigerians from slave auctions in Libya.Senate President, Bukola Saraki, described the Libya slave trade reports as a slap in the face of Nigerians.Saraki said this after Kaka Baba Bashir (Borno Central), had sponsored a motion on the urgent need to protect Nigerian citizens from being sold into slavery.The Senate President wondered why the country had not done anything about the situation.He said: Libya slave trade is a slap on us all if a state like Cote DIvoire is taking step to address this act while we have not done so.While moving the motion, Bashir had described the slave trade as a sickening crime against humanity, wondering why Nigeria was indifferent, despite being one of the most affected countries.He said: This is a humiliation not just to Nigeria and Africa as a whole but also to human civilization and the fundamental principles of human rights under the United Nations Charter.Libyan government does not have the means nor the commitment to crack down on the perpetrators as their hands are full, hence these smuggling networks are killing, torturing, extorting and detaining migrants at will.Other African countries such as Ivory Coast, have taken active steps to protect their people from these despicable acts and bring them back to their home country.
President Muhammadu Buhari and his Ivorian counterpart, Alassane Ouattara, on Wednesday expressed concern that political instability in Togo, if not averted, could have regional consequences.According to a statement on Thursday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, both leaders expressed the view during a bilateral meeting in Abidjan on the margins of the 5th AU-EU Summit.We must have a solution in Togo. The friends of the opposition and authorities must talk to them on the steps to jointly take to achieve stability. They must work towards gaining the trust of each other.There will be regional consequences for instability in Togo and this will surely come at a cost to development, Buhari was quoted as saying.The President also had a separate bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel where the issue of stemming the tide of illegal migration of Nigerians to Europe took the front burner.The two leaders agreed to strengthen legal migration and made a commitment to expand discussions on how to stem the tide of illegal migration.On security, Buhari told the German Chancellor that his governments commitment to the security of lives and property in Nigeria remains absolute.Reaffirming the nexus between security and job creation in Nigeria, President Buhari said prompt attention is being given to the gainful employment of youths in Nigeria through education and the acquisition of skills and vocational training.He said Nigeria and Germany can draw from the experiences to cooperate effectively in the area of investing in youths for a sustainable future.In her remarks, the German Chancellor appreciated the strides made by the Buhari administration in revamping the economy and promised to increase support for Nigeria in dealing with terrorism.Merkel said 58 German companies are operating in Nigeria, adding that more companies have indicated interest to invest in the energy, manufacturing, agriculture and construction sectors.Buhari also had fruitful bilateral discussions with Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo and the Vice President of the Gambia Fatoumata Tambajang.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the Federal Government is considering urgent and permanent solutions to the plight of Nigerians refugee...

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the Federal Government is considering urgent and permanent solutions to the plight of Nigerians refugees in Libya and other European countries.Osinbajo frowned at the situation where young Nigerians were deceived by their unsuspecting customers and engaged in a dangerous journey that in some cases cause them their lives.The vice president spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at a meeting with heads of agencies in-charge of migration following a directive by President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently look into the situation of Nigerian refugees held in Libya.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Buhari had directed the vice-president to coordinate relevant agencies to put an end to the reoccurring migration problems affecting Nigerians in Diaspora, especially the recent happenings in Libya.The meeting was attended by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khadija Abba-Ibrahim, Director-General, National Commission for Refugees, Migration and Internally Displaced Persons, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouk.The meeting was also attended by the Director-General, National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking of Persons (NAPTIP), Julie Okah-Donli.NAN recalls that the president had through his Media Aide, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement issued earlier on Wednesday, vowed to reduce the number of Nigerians heading for Europe illegally through the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea.According to the president, this will be done by providing basic social amenities such as education, healthcare, food and security at home. (NAN)
The General Overseer, King of King Deliverance Church, Konum Olekpa, Ntezi in Ishielu local Government Area of Ebonyi state, Prophet Emmanu...

The General Overseer, King of King Deliverance Church, Konum Olekpa, Ntezi in Ishielu local Government Area of Ebonyi state, Prophet Emmanuel Chukwudi, who earlier predicted that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would win the Anambra governorship election, has explained why his prophecies did not come to fruition.





Speaking, Prophet Chukwudi, said that Governor Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, won the November 18 election because he made huge sacrifice while the PDP in their own case failed to do enough campaign that would have led the partys candidate, Osaeloka Obaze, to victory.





According to the prophet, Obaze who came third in the election was supposed to be the winner of the election.





His words, That was what the Lord said; I am not the one who said it. But in the spirit realm the battle turned and that was the reason why the PDP could not succeed. Again the PDP did not do what was right, that is the reason why they could not claim the power.





In the Bible, according to the Book of 11 Kings chapter 3 from verse 17, if you read it down, you would see where Elijah gave a prophecy concerning how the children of Israel were going to take over the King of Noab and posses his possession, eventually when the King of Noab saw that battle was against him, he offered a sacrifice of his first son that was supposed to succeed him and the battle turned against the Israelites and the Israelites ran back.





If you look at the prophecy, you will say that Elijah did not prophecies well but there were some sacrifices that some men did that turned maters around in the spirit realm and the lord is telling me that Obiano went beyond imagination to do a huge sacrifice. That was the reason why the battle turned in the spirit realm, Chukwudi said.





Asked what the sacrifice was, Chukwudi said No its a sacrifice; its not something I can mention in the media. But the PDP did not do what it was supposed to do.





He dismissed the claim that it was because Obaze was imposed as a candidate of the PDP that led to his failure, saying Obaze was the right one chosen by God. It was not imposition. The reason why he failed was because the PDP did not do what they were supposed to do. When God prophesies, you have to play your own card well.




A teacher at the prestigious Bergen County Academies high school should be fired for disparaging comments she allegedly made against Koreans, according to a coalition of Korean-American organizations.

The firing of the world languages teacher is among a list of demands the 10-organization coalition made Wednesday in a published statement. Their demands also include sensitivity training for all staff, a formal public apology from the administration and the Bergen County executive, a written explanation of the incident and Bergen Academies' handling of it, a disciplinary committee's review of the principal's handling of the situation, and documentation of the incident in the teacher's personnel folder.

Coalition members met with school officials two weeks ago when the news broke that the teacher had told students on the first day of school that she 'hated Korean' culture.

"We were under the impression at the first meeting they were willing to work with us," said Sungkwan Jang, program director for Korean American Civic Empowerment and a spokesman for the coalition.

Then, last week, the school sent home a letter to parents that "made it seem like the issue had been resolved," further angering the Korean-American community, Jang said.

Since the Sept. 7 incident came to light, Jang said, more complaints have been made about the teacher by current and former students and parents.

"This wasn't an isolated incident," Jang said, "its a years-long pattern of unevenly applying the rules and harassing remarks against groups ethnic and otherwise, not limited to Koreans."

"It's just not a safe learning environment," he said. "What she said, whether it was a joke or not, was deeply offensive."

Superintendent for Bergen County Technical Schools, Howard Lerner, said in an email Thursday that district administrators are "reviewing and evaluating" the coalition's statement and intend to respond by the Dec. 13 deadline the group set.

"I want to reiterate that the Bergen County Technical Schools remains committed to working with the Korean American Community in order to resolve concerns as reasonably, fairly and promptly as possible," Lerner said.

The superintendent said confidentiality laws bar him from discussing whether disciplinary action or any changes were made at the school in response to the incident.

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.

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.

Bergen County Executive James Tedesco said his office is working to set up a meeting with members of the Korean community after he was named in the statement this week.

"Bergen County is a place where everyone is welcome," Tedesco said in an email. "All Bergen County schools should reflect that inclusive and tolerant spirit and ensure that every student feels supported and respected. I look forward to meeting with representatives of Bergen County's Korean community for a productive discussion."

The incident at Bergen Academies follows a flap at Cliffside Park High School, in October, where 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.
Those who were scammed once are ripe to be scammed again.

Or at least that's what some con artists are betting on.

Don't fall for it.

We've written about all kinds of scams in this space. Lottery and sweepstakes scams. Job scams. The Grandma scam. Jury duty scams. Online dating scams.

They all have one thing in common. In order to win your prize, help your loved one or get out of legal trouble, you have to pay.

Many of the scammers tell would-be victims to load money onto gift cards or other kinds of pre-paid debit cards, and the scammers abscond with the funds.

Others have instructed their prey to wire money via Western Union.

Those who fell for the wire scams now have a chance to get some of their money back.

As part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Western Union agreed to pay $586 million, admitting to "criminal violations including willfully failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and aiding and abetting wire fraud," FTC said.

Those millions of dollars, at least in part, will be used for consumer refunds.

If you used Western Union to send money to a scammer between Jan. 1, 2004 and Jan. 19, 2017, you can file a claim to get a refund.

But this is where you have to make sure you don't get scammed a second time. Watch out for those who say they can help you file your claim.

To make sure you don't get taken by an impersonator, you should learn about the real process to get a refund.

For starters, DOJ is handling the claims, but it's using a company called Gilardi & Co. to reach out to consumers.

If you filed a complaint with a government agency -- including the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs -- you may have already received a pre-filled claim form from Gilardi & Co. The claim form has a "Claim ID" and a "PIN Code." When you go to the FTC's website -- FTC.gov/WU -- you can enter the numbers and go through the claims process. (You will eventually be transferred to a third party site, but this is real, too.)

If you never filed a complaint or you didn't receive a pre-filled claim form, you can still apply for a refund at the same site. When you complete the online form, you'll have an opportunity to upload any supporting documentation about your loss.

Even if you don't have proof of your loss, the FTC said you can still file a claim.

You can also file the claim by regular mail.

Whether you received a claim form or not, know that scammers are looking for ways to capitalize on the settlement.

Consumers have reported that they've received fake claim forms, on which the bad guys say you have to pay a fee to make a claim. Other consumers have received phone calls from someone claiming they can help you file a claim. Again, for a fee.

No, no, no.

There are no fees here. You don't have to pay anything to file a claim. And the government isn't having its employees contact potential victims to offer assistance on the telephone or any other method.

And they certainly won't ask for your bank account or credit card number.

Here are some more details from the FTC to help consumers through the process.

You must submit a claim by Feb. 12, 2018.

The claim form asks for your Social Security number, and this isn't part of any scam. The feds have to make sure you don't owe any money to the federal government -- think back taxes -- before it pays anything out to you. If you do owe anything, your refund would be reduced by that amount.

Not everyone will get money back, and you may not get your entire loss. "If your claim is verified, the amount you get will depend on how much you lost and the number of people who submit valid claims," FTC said.

Be patient. It could take a year to verify all the claims that come in before any refunds are processed, the feds said.

Filing your claim online is probably the quickest way to get in line for a review, but you can also call the administrator at (844) 319-2124 to ask about your specific situation.

The takeaway? Filing a claim won't cost you any money. If someone offers to help for a fee, just say no. And report it to the FTC.

Have you been Bamboozled? Reach Karin Price Mueller at Bamboozled@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KPMueller. Find Bamboozled on Facebook. Mueller is also the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com.

Stay informed and sign up for NJMoneyHelp.com's weekly e-newsletter.
A Rahway man has been charged in the stabbing and robbery of a University Hospital nurse, who was attacked in a nearby parking lot as she walked to her car after working a 12-hour shift at the Newark hospital, officials said Thursday.

Newark police spotted Brian K. Anglin, 56, Wednesday evening near Raymond Boulevard and Route 21 in the city, and detained him before he was turned over to Rutgers University police, according to authorities.

Anglin was being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility on charges including aggravated assault, robbery and weapons offenses, according to jail records.

The nurse, a 25-year veteran of the hospital, was attacked in Parking Lot 1, at 185 South Orange Ave. on Sunday night, officials said. She was headed to her car after a shift in the hospital's labor and delivery unit.

A union representative on Wednesday said the nurse, who is in her 60s, was in stable condition. She staggered to the hospital's nearby emergency room for treatment after the attack.

Following the attack, the nursing union called for increased security and Rutgers officials said they would boost patrols.

"This is a nurse with 25 years of experience at the hospital, who has dedicated her career to caring for mothers and babies, yet became a victim who was senselessly attacked," Bernie Gerard, vice president of the Health Professionals and Allied Employees, said in a statement.

"Going forward, HPAE will once again bring the concerns of nurses and healthcare workers to the administration calling on them to improve security protocols for the safety of workers, patients and their loved ones," Gerard said.

Rutgers University police, which has jurisdiction over University Hospital property, were working with hospital officials to "enhance security for the hospital's staff and visitors," school spokesman John Cramer said Tuesday.

"Security escorts continue to be available during evening and night shifts, and the RUPD will increase patrols in the area," Cramer said.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc and on Facebook.

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us: nj.com/tips
A man who matches the description of the person who stabbed a nurse as she was heading to her car at University Hospital Sunday has been detained, a Newark police spokesman said.

The man was spotted near Raymond Boulevard and Rt. 21 by city police Wednesday. Newark officers made a U-turn and stopped him at Mulberry Street and Raymond. He was then turned over to Rutgers University police, who have jurisdiction over University Hospital property.

The nurse, a woman in her 60s, was attacked and wounded around 7:30 p.m. She staggered to the emergency room and was rushed into surgery. She was recovering from her injuries this week.

Information on the person or what charges he may be facing was not immediately available Wednesday night.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY -- An appellate court panel has upheld the conviction and lengthy prison sentence of a man convicted of killing his infant son and attempting to murder both the child's mother and her roommate in Jersey City in 2012.

Frederico Bruno, now 27, was convicted on May 28, 2015 of the felony murder of his 3-month-old son, Damien Bruno, and the attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend, Saydee Lee Figueroa, as well as her roommate, Madelyn Calderon.

The baby died after he and his mother plunged from a third-story window of her Rutgers Avenue apartment during Bruno's brutal attack on Calderon and Figueroa with a meat cleaver and kitchen knife on July 27, 2012, authorities said.

Bruno was found not guilty of murder. He was convicted of charges including aggravated manslaughter, felony murder, burglary, attempted murder, aggravated assault, weapons offenses, witness tampering, injured victim endangerment, and child endangerment.

He was sentenced to 113 years in prison. Bruno, who was 19 when when he committed the crimes, will not be eligible for parole until he is 93.

The incident started when the victims arrived at the apartment at 6:30 a.m. that morning. Bruno stabbed Calderon in the face and body with the meat cleaver until it broke. He then grabbed a knife and continued attacking, before turning his rage on Figueroa, stabbing her in the neck.

Bruno then shoved the mother and child with such force that an air conditioner, the woman and baby were propelled through a third-floor window. He then descended to the backyard and beat her with a metal stool.

Security video shown at trial showed Figueroa's body jerking each time he struck her with the stool. The baby died in the emergency room. A tip led to Bruno's arrest in a Belleville apartment, where he was hiding in a refrigerator.

Figueroa testified that she blacked out during the attack. At trial, the jury heard testimony that Bruno either pushed her, or she fell from the window while fleeing his onslaught.

In the appeal, the defense argued that the jury should have received a special instruction before deliberations began because the prosecution had presented differing scenarios.

The versions of events that day were "not conceptually similar, but rather contradictory, relying on different acts and different evidence," the defense claimed in the appeal.

A "unanimity instruction" is required if there is a real possibility that a verdict may be rendered while different jurors have concluded that the defendant committed different acts.

But the appellate court found that whether pushed or falling while fleeing, it was still a direct result of Bruno's actions.

The defense also argued that Bruno did not get a fair trial because a juror who saw him in handcuffs was not removed from the jury.

The appellate judges found that the trial judge made proper inquiries regarding the potentially tainted juror and agreed with the judge's "sound discretion" that there was no prejudice, the ruling says.

The appellate court also ruled that Bruno's sentence was not cruel, unusual or excessive.

The state Department of Corrections list Bruno's maximum release date as 2089.
Every year on Dec. 1 since 1988, people come together to remember and celebrate. They remember the lives of those who died from AIDS, and to celebrate those who are still fighting the disease.

During World AIDS Day tomorrow people all over the world will unite to bring more awareness to the disease. According to the state Department of Health, there are more than 5,000 people living with AIDS in Hudson County as of Dec. 31, 2016.

To celebrate those who are still with us and to remember those who lost their fight, groups in Hudson County are hosting events for World AIDS Day.

Jersey City's AIDS Task Force is hosting an AIDS Walk tomorrow at at 12:15 p.m. with registration beginning at 11 a.m. The walk will start at the Jersey City Medical Center at 355 Grand St. and end at City Hall at 280 Grove St. Following the walk, there will be a program and reception at City Hall.

Hackensack University Medical Center will also host a World AIDS Day event at the Clinton Inn Hotel at 145 Dean Dr. in Tenafly. The hospital will host the Youth World AIDS Day Conference for high school students from Bergen, Passaic and Hudson counties, beginning at 8:30 a.m. The conference will focus of ways to end the AIDS epidemic.

Imago Beauty Group and Honey Bakery will host "Live Music, Art and Dancing for World AIDS Day." The event, from 8 to 11 p.m. at 673 Bergen Ave. in Jersey City, is part of JC Fridays and will feature local artists and live music.

To learn more about World AIDS Day, visit hiv.gov.
The NOPD is asking for help in locating the woman seen in this photograph. Authorities say she robbed a man while holding a knife early Thursday (Nov. 30) morning. (New Orleans Police Department)
Maurice Rice organizes cases of water at the Joy Tabernacle Church on Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, in Flint, Mich. (Conor Ralph/The Flint Journal-MLive.com via AP)
William Harvey Watson pleaded guilty in St. Tammany Parish on Monday (Nov. 27, 2017) to charges of sexual battery of a child and possession and production of child pornography. (22nd Judicial District Attorney's Office)
Former President Donald Trump is preparing to launch his third campaign for the White House with an announcement Tuesday night. Trump is looking to move on from disappointing midterm defeats and defy history amid signs that his grip on the Republican Party may be waning. The former president had hoped to use the GOP's expected gains in last week's elections as a springboard to win his party's nomination by locking in early support and keeping potential challengers at bay. Instead, Trump now finds himself being blamed for backing a series of losing candidates in last week's midterm elections.
A top Omaha economic development official resigned his post Tuesday to take a similar position with a downtown Denver development group.

The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce will immediately begin a search to replace him.

Randy Thelen, senior vice president of economic development, served in the role for nearly four years.

He made a lasting, positive impact on our organization and our region, said chamber President and Chief Executive Officer David Brown in a Wednesday letter to the groups board of directors.

Brown said it was a combination of personal and professional reasons that led Thelen to resign. Brown said he made every effort to retain Thelen.

Thelen called the decision brutally tough and emotional, and declined in an interview to discuss any personal factors that led to the move. He said he has a passion for downtown development and looks forward to building on downtown Denvers momentum at the Downtown Denver Partnership.

I love this place. I love Omaha, he said. I love the team we have at the chamber. Its second-to-none.

The Greater Omaha Chamber during his time has met or exceeded most of the economic development goals in its five-year plan, Thelen said, including attracting $4.2 billion in private investment  more than a goal of $3 billion  and seeing more than 13,000 new jobs created in Omaha  beating a goal of 12,000.

Thelens tenure in Omaha saw the departure of a Fortune 500 headquarters, when ConAgra Foods in 2016 relocated its longtime Omaha corporate office to Chicago while retaining support offices in Omaha. Chamber officials lobbied to keep ConAgra, while ConAgra officials said the move had to do with the food industry talent available in Chicago.

Thelens work has also contributed to big announcements from diverse firms, such as a new Omaha office for Boston restaurant technology firm Toast, a new poultry processing plant in Fremont for retailer Costco, a new data center in Papillion for Facebook and new Omaha headquarters for architecture and engineering firm HDR and construction industry tech firm Buildertrend.

Thats the strength of Omaha, right? he said. Weve got a great, diverse mix of employers, and we continue to add to that economic diversity.

Thelen said the role hes vacating would be hyper attractive to economic development leaders and will attract someone equal or better.

His successor will have a new five-year plan to work from, one that focuses on developing and attracting talent, building Omahas tech economy, expanding the regions diversity and strengthening Omahas urban core.

He said challenges for developing the workforce include Omahas relatively slow rate of population growth, compared to some other metro areas; its relatively low wages; the need to enhance the downtown core; and the relatively small pool of top technology talent here.

Weve got to keep growing and probably pick up the pace of growth, Thelen said.

Advantages include a chamber board and business community that is united behind common objectives and a strong team in place working on economic development.

This is a place where everybody wants to see greater Omaha get better each and every day, he said. That I think is the secret sauce to this market.
In Oct. 2017, the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawaii picked up a faint point of light moving across the sky. At first it appeared to be an ordinary asteroid  but astronomers quickly realized it was something very different.

This particular hurtling asteroid with the unusual name Oumuamua, came from interstellar space and at the time of its discovery had just swung around the sun. It didnt take long for telescopes around the world to swivel to observe it before it could leave the solar system.

Data from those rapid observations were published in the issue of Nature magazine on Nov. 20, and they reveal a very strange object indeed:

According to a European Southern Observatory (ESO) press release, Oumuamua is like nothing seen before. It is red, made of dense rock or metal and is shaped roughly like a giant cigar at least 1,300 feet in length.

These are the findings of a team of astronomers led by Karen Meech of the Institute for Astronomy in Hawaii. She combined images from the ESOs Very Large Telescope (VLT) located in Chile with other large telescopes.

Oumuamua varies dramatically in brightness sometimes by a factor of 10 as it spins on its axis every 7.3 hours.

According to Meech, This unusually large variation in brightness means that the object is highly elongated about 10 times as long as it is wide, with a complex, convoluted shape.

Using a process known as extrapolation, Oumuamuas trajectory has been calculated to have originated in the direction of the very bright star Vega.

Because of Vegas proper motion, it is quite possible it was not in the area when Oumuamua was last there 300,000 years ago, so it is possible that Oumuamua may well have been wandering through the Milky Way, unattached to any star system for hundreds of millions of years before its chance encounter with our solar system.

At the present time, there are 1,853 Potentially Hazardous Objects (PHO) meandering around Earth, but Oumuamua is not expected to be a significant threat to Earths well being.

Researchers do, however, expect asteroids similar to Oumuamua to pass through the inner solar system about once per year, but they are faint and have been missed until now. It is only through the use of survey telescopes, such as Pan-STARRS, that have been powerful enough to detect them.

Perhaps Olivier Hainaut from the ESO in Garching, Germany, said it best when he was quoted, And now that we have found the first interstellar rock, we are getting ready for the next one! Stay tuned.

As a reminder to my readers: Clear skies permitting, next Sundays full moon would be worth going out and looking for as it rises over the eastern horizon.

It will be the largest full moon of 2017 and should be very impressive.
Dr. Lydia Kang, an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, will discuss the history of medical quackery at the next Omaha Science Cafe at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at the Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St.

Kang graduated from Columbia University and New York University School of Medicine. She is the author of historical, young adult and non-fiction books including: Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything, co-authored with Nate Pedersen; A Beautiful Poison; and The November Girl.

Staff members from The Bookworm of Omaha will be on hand for anyone who wishes to purchase a copy of Kangs book for signing.

Science cafes involve a face-to-face conversation with a scientist about current science topics. They are open to everyone 21 and older and take place in casual settings like pubs and coffeehouses.

Each meeting is organized around an interesting topic of conversation. A scientist gives a brief presentation followed by a question and answer period.

Pizza will be provided for the first 50 people. For more information, go to unmc.edu/sciencecafe.
Six local organizations have received money for various projects, while a group of high school students experienced training in some life skills.

They all gathered Wednesday afternoon at the Council Bluffs Public Library for the annual check presentations by the Pottawattamie Youth Council, a program of Promise Partners  Pottawattamie Countys Alliance for Youth.

This year, the council awarded $6,000 in grants to six organizations for projects and activities aimed at bringing people closer together, said Jessica Rayment, youth development director and council advisor.

The projects are estimated to bring together over 3,000 people in the community and provide over 450 people the opportunity to volunteer their time helping others, she added.

These grants empower and help organizations to make our community more safe and supportive for children and families, Rayment said.

The six organizations that received grants are:

 New Visions Homeless Services: $1,000 to help fund an annual city-wide Christmas celebration for families in need. Its anticipated that this years event will attract 2,000 people, who will enjoy dinner and receive gifts.

 Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa: $1,000 toward a project where Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa and the Micah House are collaborating to offer a troop for girls residing at the emergency family shelter. Every girl, kindergarten to 12th grade, living at the Micah House will have the opportunity to participate in an educational and enriching program, regardless of socioeconomic status.

 Charles E. Lakin Human Services Campus: $1,000 to help fund spring activities for some of the most vulnerable families and children that live on or participate in programming on the Lakin Campus. These activities include the annual Easter egg hunt and an outdoor learning oasis.

 Stars Scholarship Program of the Council Bluffs Community Education Foundation: $1,000 toward a partnership with the Council Bluffs Public Library to offer an opportunity to learn about and experience the performing arts. Teens will learn life skills, event planning and team work while learning to use a green screen and special effects. Following the week of learning, students and their families will have the opportunity to see a live performance.

 Pottawattamie County Conservation: $1,000 to help fund education and positive outdoor experiences arranged by the conservation agency. The Natural Connections project will support children at Edison, Bloomer and AHSTW elementary schools with a clothing drive and outdoor adventures at Botna Bend Park in Hancock.

 Share My Smile: $1,000 to benefit Project Birthday Joy, the Share My Smile organization that gives foster and adoptive children the opportunity to blow out candles and make a birthday wish on their special day. Birthday cards, gift certificates and party packs will be given to create a moment of connection between the child and a loving adult.

These organizations and their projects were chosen by the youth council that currently numbers more than two dozen students from high schools all over the county, Rayment said.

Members study all the grant applications  individually and in groups  which can bring on stirring debates before they decide on their preferences, she said.

It helps our young people with decision-making, along with the practice of healthy debating, she said.

Whats more, they learn more about this areas organizations and their purposes, leading many to volunteer their time with many of these, Rayment said.
Two years after Iowa and Nebraska raised their gas taxes, both states are seeing a flurry of new roadway projects at a time when national infrastructure efforts have stalled.

The extra revenue has allowed state and local officials to move forward quickly on overdue bridge repairs and plans for major highway projects.

It has had a tremendous impact on the investment in Iowas public roads, said Stuart Anderson, director of planning, programming and modal division for the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Anderson said he has seen definitely much more movement to address road needs at the state level than from the federal government. Congress approved a five-year surface transportation law in 2015, but the massive infrastructure investment President Donald Trump promised hasnt materialized yet.

Last week, the president promised to unveil the package as soon as Congress passes its tax code overhaul.

Iowa and Nebraska raised their gas taxes in 2015 with support from a surprising coalition that included farm groups, truckers and even some anti-tax conservative Republicans.

Iowa passed its 10-cent-per-gallon increase in February 2015 with backing from then-Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican. The current rate is 30.5 cents per gallon. A recent analysis shows the tax has generated an extra $515 million for projects in all 99 counties.

That May, Nebraska approved a 6-cent, phased-in increase that will fully go into effect in 2019, when the tax tops out at 31.6 cents per gallon. Once fully implemented, the tax will generate an additional $25 million annually for the state and $51 million for cities and counties.

Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts opposed the increase, forcing lawmakers to override his veto. But the following year, Ricketts led a push to use $400 million of the new gas tax revenue for highway and bridge projects, and a transportation grant program.

In Pottawattamie County, Engineer John Rasmussen said the increase has paid dividends, with the change bringing about an extra $1 million to the coffers for road work.

All the money were getting is going into construction  not wages or other areas, he said. Were pretty happy with that. We want to be responsible and make sure people are seeing the benefit.

Based on size and population, Pottawattamie County is one of the top recipients of gas tax funds in the state.

It all goes into a formula for how its distributed, Rasmussen said.

Rasmussen said in fiscal year 2017  which ended on June 30  the county resurfaced 10 percent of its paved roadways.

Weve never gotten that much done in a year, since Ive been here, said Rasmussen, whos been on the job for 13 years. Thats all the roads being new in 10 years. Thats a pace wed love to keep  I dont know if we can, but were trying to pursue that.

Council Bluffs Public Works Director Greg Reeder said the city also receives an extra $1 million from the gas tax thanks to the increase, with the money spent on improvements to Gifford Road. The city has converted the road to city standards  concrete with curbs, along with an improved sewer system, Reeder said.

Its an area prioritized for industrial development, Reeder said. We invested in an area we felt could show some economic development growth.

Statewide, Anderson said some of Iowas new revenue will help pay for expanding highways from two lanes to four, including the heavily traveled U.S. Highways 20, 30 and 61.

In eastern Iowa, Washington County officials used their share of state gas-tax revenue to reshape and restore gravel roads that had taken a beating from six decades of traffic. Some of the money helped cover daily maintenance and replace out-of-date bridges with culverts, said County Engineer Jacob Thorius. He said the county receives an extra $600,000 to $700,000 a year.

Thorius said the projects helped some farmers operate more efficiently by allowing them to haul larger and heavier loads. Because of weight limits on one of the old bridges, some had to make multiple trips to transport all of their grain and livestock.

They had to take more time and burn more fuel to get their grain and livestock out, he said.

For Boone County, the additional $500,000 a year helps officials tap into federal matching funds to increase the number of bridge repairs and replacements, said County Engineer Scott Kruse. With more up-front cash on hand, the county can start work sooner and get federal reimbursement later. The state money also comes with fewer time-consuming regulations, he said.

Its benefited us a lot, Kruse said. Without the tax, the backlog of projects would have just kept piling up. Theres never a shortage.

 Schulte of The Associated Press

reported from Lincoln, Neb.
WASHINGTON  Iowas two Republican senators have signaled theyre likely to support their partys tax overhaul.

Both joined a party-line 52-48 vote to begin debate on the Senates tax bill Wednesday, too.

The push to pass a tax bill in the U.S. Senate continued its advance following approval by a key committee on Tuesday. Republicans have said they hope to have the bill signed by the end of the year.

Democrats, however, have continued to denounce the package as too weighted in favor of corporate interests and wealthy individuals. The plan would also add $1.4 trillion or more to federal budget deficits over the next decade.

With Democrats united in opposition, Republican leaders have been scrambling to satisfy concerns within their own ranks. A few GOP senators have questioned whether the bill really does enough for small businesses while others have balked at the potential increase in budget deficits.

Providing more tax relief only adds to the deficit hit, of course, so its a tricky needle to thread. But the effort seemed to be picking up steam as the Senate Budget Committee voted 12-11 to advance the bill. All 11 Democrats were opposed.

Two committee Republicans who had said they were considering voting against the measure  Bob Corker of Tennessee and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin  backed the legislation Tuesday. They also voted Wednesday to begin debate.

President Donald Trump personally lobbied GOP senators at the Capitol on Tuesday.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, described the presidents visit as inspirational and said she likes the bills direction.

I am optimistic, she said. I think this is going to do such great things for our economy and for our Iowa families and small businesses. I see it as a great opportunity.

Corker and other deficit hawks want the package to include a trigger that would automatically increase taxes if the legislation fails to generate as much revenue as Republicans say it will.

An estimate by congressional analysts says the Senate tax bill would add $1.4 trillion to the budget deficit over the next decade. GOP leaders dispute the projection, saying tax cuts will spur economic growth, reducing the hit on the deficit.

While Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, reiterated his confidence that the bill would produce economic growth, he objected to including the kind of trigger that Corker is talking about if it would only raise taxes in the event of revenue shortfalls.

But if it also had a trigger that if we had greater growth than what we predicted we got a trigger on further tax cuts, sounds to me like a good idea, Grassley said.

 Roseanne Moring of the BH News Service contributed to this report, which contains material from The Associated Press.
A mild weather pattern should continue through the weekend in the Council Bluffs-Omaha area, with temperatures averaging 10 degrees or more above average for late November and early December.

Forecasters said plenty of sunshine and dry conditions are also forecast through Sunday.

Ryan McPike, a KMTV meteorologist, said the jet stream has tracked well north of the region over the past 14 days or so, resulting in the mild weather in the Midwest.

Its been a quiet weather pattern for some time now, McPike said Wednesday. And I dont see anything changing in the next seven days.

Today through the weekend in the metro area, look for sunshine and highs in the lower and mid-50s to near 60 on Sunday. The National Weather Service office in Valley, Nebraska, said overnight lows are forecast to be in the upper 20s to near 40.

Sunday night and Monday, there is a slight chance of rain, with a high in the lower 50s.

McPike said metro-area residents could start feeling colder conditions next week.

The average daytime high for the metro area in late November and early December is around 45 degrees.
Memorial fund set up for 4-year-old who died in farm accident

DENSION (BHNS)  A memorial fund has been established for four-year-old Jason Segebart, who died in a farm accident on Sunday.

Donations are being accepted at all United Bank of Iowa offices, The Denison Bulletin & Review reported.

The tragedy hit a Crawford County family the four-year-old run over by a wagon and pronounced dead at the scene at 1115 180th St., northwest of Schleswig.

According to the incident report filed at the Crawford County Law Enforcement Center, Cody Segebart called 911 at 3:11 p.m. to report the accident.

Supervisor asks if Page County ought to write strategic plan in future

CLARINDA (BHNS)  A Page County supervisor discussed the possibility of creating a strategic plan for the county at a meeting Tuesday with several projects potentially in the works.

Supervisor Chuck Morris cited the installation of a new digital 911 system, which is being tested and installed by Motorola, The Shenandoah Valley News reported.

He said the county ought to research the needs and timing for building a new jail.

Page County is also a location by the National Park Service to consider to have recreational trails. Although no trails have yet been planned for the county, Morris asked how that could impact the county.

Marion schools settles 3 sex abuse lawsuits

MARION (AP)  The Marion school district has settled lawsuits filed by three of four families who alleged their children had been sexually abused by a 15-year-old classroom volunteer.

TV station KCRG reported that district documents say each family received $600,000 for dropping their lawsuits against the district and the classroom teacher. Court documents said the families filed their dismissal actions in Linn County District Court on Nov. 10.

The teacher, Diane Graham, has pleaded not guilty to failure to report child abuse.

Court records state Graham was a teacher at Starry Elementary when two students told her in August 2016 that they were being abused by the volunteer. Prosecutors said Graham didnt report the abuse, allowing it to continue for two more months.

The boy has been convicted of sexual abuse.

Man must pay back store, lottery for scratch ticket theft

FORT DODGE (AP)  A Fort Dodge man has been ordered to pay back his former employer and the Iowa Lottery for stolen scratch tickets.

The Messenger reported that 31-year-old Christopher Breyfogle pleaded guilty Monday to theft and lottery theft. Hell be on probation for three years and must pay back nearly $11,500 to the lottery and more than $12,400 to Yesway. Another theft count was dismissed in exchange for Breyfogles pleas.

Authorities have said an Iowa Lottery employee saw Breyfogle scanning and redeeming scratch tickets at another retail location in Fort Dodge. The lottery contacted the convenience store where Breyfogle worked, and it was determined that scratch tickets were missing from the stores inventory.

Trial set for M.C. man accused of stabbing to death grandparents

MASON CITY (AP)  A man accused of stabbing to death his grandparents in the Mason City home he shared with them has pleaded not guilty.

Court records show 25-year-old Codie Matz entered the plea Tuesday to two counts of first-degree murder. His trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 23. He remains in Cerro Gordo County Jail, pending $1 million bail.

Authorities said he killed Kenneth Hackbart, 61, and Kathleen Hackbart, 64. Officers found their bodies Nov. 7.
The Trump administration, rebuffing oil industry demands for broad changes to the U.S. biofuel mandate, largely maintained the status quo in setting final quotas for how much refiners must blend into gasoline and diesel.

But the Environmental Protection Agencys decision drew only tepid applause from Iowa politicians, Midwest corn farmers and producers of soy-based biodiesel, who say the targets lowball the industrys potential production and threaten to discourage new investment.

The final rule shows EPA is listening to our concerns and taking them into consideration, but it also shows that we have more work to do, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a statement.

The agency is discouraging investment and discouraging growth by keeping biodiesel volumes flat, she added. But she said the decision is so important for our farmers and our economy in Iowa.

The EPA mandated refiners use 15 billion gallons of conventional renewable fuels  primarily ethanol  next year, in its final rule issued Thursday. But, rejecting pleas from biodiesel producers, the agency also maintained a 2.1 billion gallon quota for that soy-based fuel in 2019.

The EPAs decision illustrates how the administration is trying to balance the needs of two competing constituencies for President Donald Trump and failing to garner the full support of either. Midwest farmers and Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley said the mandate is needed to guarantee sufficient ethanol demand; oil refiners insist the program is broken and complain a full overhaul is needed.

Unfortunately it appears that EPA did exactly what Senator Grassley demanded, bowing the knee to King Corn, Chet Thompson, president of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, said in an emailed statement. We think this action is bad for U.S. manufacturing and American consumers and encourage Congress to finally fix the RFS.

For more than a decade, federal law has compelled refiners to use renewable fuel  up to 36 billion gallons in 2022  but tasked the EPA with setting the precise annual quotas.

Many lawmakers supported the Renewable Fuel Standard with the expectation that first-generation corn-based ethanol would be replaced by alternatives made from corn stalks, algae or other materials such as switchgrass.

The EPA is requiring 4.29 billion gallons of advanced biofuel in 2018, a slight uptick from the current 4.28 billion gallon quota and a 4.24 billion gallon proposal the agency outlined in July.

At least 288 million gallons of that would have to be the cellulosic biofuel from non-edible plant materials, below the current 311 million gallon quota. Thats a modest increase from the EPAs initial 238 million gallon proposal. Production of cellulosic ethanol has lagged far behind what the measures supporters envisioned a decade ago.

Brooke Coleman, head of the Advanced Biofuels Business Council, said the EPAs targets miss a valuable opportunity to accelerate growth in cellulosic ethanol production by keeping levels below the 2017 quota.

Unwarranted cuts to cellulosic biofuel targets send the wrong signal to global investors in this emerging industry, Coleman said by email.

Compliance with the program is tracked by credits known as renewable identification numbers. RINs tracking ethanol consumption declined 0.6 percent to 90 cents, while biodiesel RINs climbed 2.5 percent to $1.03 apiece, according to broker data compiled by Bloomberg.

The crack spread, a measure of profit margins from refining crude oil into fuel, declined, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Biodiesel production also has grown, and EPA is disappointing those producers in keeping the mandate steady at 2.1 billion gallons.

Biodiesel advocates argued that number fell far short of potential production, with the industrys leading trade group pushing for a 2.5 billion gallon target in a Nov. 16 letter to Trump.

These flat volumes will harm Americans across several job-creating sectors-be they farmers, grease collectors, crushers, biodiesel producers or truckers-as well as consumers, the National Biodiesel Board said in an emailed statement.

Grassley said he was disappointed by the lack of an increase in biodiesel levels and the cut in the quota for cellulosic ethanol, especially when increases are justified.

This final rule does little to encourage investment and growth in advanced biofuels, Grassley said in a statement. By contrast, Congress intended for the RFS to drive growth in biofuels across all categories.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, also expressed disappointment and pledged to continue to press for the EPA to bolster the biodiesel and cellulosic requirements in the RFS.

I am glad to see my efforts, and those of my colleagues, to hold the EPA accountable to the letter and spirit of the RFS as intended by Congress have been successful thus far, and I will continue working tirelessly to protect and defend the RFS, Ernst said in a statement.

The 15 billion gallon quota for conventional renewable fuel mirrors the current target and sets up a disappointment for oil refiners that had argued that amount would exceed a 10 percent blend wall, or the amount that can be easily blended into the fuel supply.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt previously committed to set final quotas at levels equal to or greater than the proposed amounts. That concession came in an October letter to farm-state senators after they agreed to stop blocking the confirmation of a top EPA official over possible changes that could undermine the biofuel mandate.

The final plan shows Pruitt sticking by that pledge  but not making aggressive moves to go beyond it.

Maintaining the renewable fuel standard at current levels ensures stability in the marketplace and follows through with my commitment to meet the statutory deadlines and lead the agency by upholding the rule of law, Pruitt said Thursday.

Trump visited ethanol plants while campaigning for president and promised Iowas voters he would protect the mandate if they elected him. Pruitt is scheduled to meet with farmers and biofuel groups in Nevada, Iowa, on Friday, according to people familiar with the meeting, who asked not to be named because the details havent been made public.

This program is trying to solve a problem that no longer exists while creating real problems for consumers, said Frank Macchiarola, a group director with the American Petroleum Institute. Pruitt faces the daunting task of implementing a broken program that was based on incorrect assumptions made over a decade ago.

 Bloombergs Ari Natter and Mario Parker contributed to this report, as did Nonpareil Assistant Managing Editor Scott Stewart.
In 2015, lawmakers in both Iowa and Nebraska raised gas taxes, a move that is paying dividends.

The extra revenue has allowed state and local officials to move forward quickly on overdue bridge repairs and plans for major highway projects, The Associated Press reported this week.

It has had a tremendous impact on the investment in Iowas public roads, said Stuart Anderson, director of planning, programming and modal division for the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Iowa and Nebraska raised their gas taxes in 2015 with support from a surprising coalition that included farm groups, truckers and even some anti-tax conservative Republicans.

Iowa passed its 10-cent-per-gallon increase in February 2015 with backing from then-Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican. The current rate is 30.5 cents per gallon. A recent analysis shows the tax has generated an extra $515 million for projects in all 99 counties.

That May, Nebraska approved a 6-cent, phased-in increase that will fully go into effect in 2019, when the tax tops out at 31.6 cents per gallon. Once fully implemented, the tax will generate an additional $25 million annually for the state and $51 million for cities and counties.

Having the two states pass similar increases at the same time helped avoid an overwhelming discrepancy in prices between Council Bluffs and Omaha, another benefit.

Pottawattamie County Engineer John Rasmussen told The Nonpareil on Wednesday that the increase has helped, with the change bringing about an extra $1 million to the county coffers for road work.

All the money were getting is going into construction  not wages or other areas, he said. Were pretty happy with that. We want to be responsible and make sure people are seeing the benefit.

Rasmussen said in fiscal year 2017  which ended on June 30  the county resurfaced 10 percent of its paved roadways, the best effort its managed in the past 13 years.

Council Bluffs Public Works Director Greg Reeder said the city also receives an extra $1 million from the gas tax as a result of the increase, with the money spent on improvements to Gifford Road.

While road work can sometimes be an inconvenience, the improvements are necessary and often times long overdue.

And, while a tax increase is nothing to be cavalier about, the 2015 move appears to have been a prudent way to help improve the states roadways.
STEM  short for science, technology, engineering and math  education is not a new concept for Iowa.

Hearing the acronym is a reminder of our states goal to connect economic development and education so that students can be prepared to become members of the future Iowa workforce.

Outstanding educational activities, including business partnerships, are taking place in every corner of Iowa and now the focus is in keeping this mindset sustainable for coming generations.

One of the main reasons that the emphasis on STEM education has grown is the efforts of the Iowa Governors STEM Advisory Council and the six regional hubs. The Council helps build and support the creation of hands-on opportunities in STEM fields, while leveraging business and community partnerships.

My role as the Southwest Regional STEM Manager involves staying connected to educators in all types of settings, while also being aware of economic development support in our regions communities through business partnerships with educational programing. In the Southwest STEM Region there is increasing STEM awareness and participation, with a target of sustainability in the programs being developed and implemented. An ever-increasing part of the manager position is to ensure that businesses and educators are equipped with the proper tools to yield positive outcomes from the connections.

One forward-thinking community that comes to mind when I think of STEM sustainability in our region is the IKM-Manning Community School District. They were just recently awarded as a STEM BEST (Businesses Engaging Students and Teachers) school for their work in developing a new middle school STEM program and repurposing a classroom as a makerspace environment.

This is the second BEST Award for the district and offers additional opportunities to broaden the types of activities which educators can use in their arsenal of educational offerings. The IKM-Manning Foundation Gala brings in investment partners each year in the community, having raised over $200,000 in the last three years. These funds support a wide range of requests from the district to sustain and grow opportunity for educators and students.

When schools in the Southwest STEM region receive funding or grants for STEM enhancements in their programs, the track record has been great. The Scale-Up program awards reflect a strong need and a successful implementation. Awarded programs partake in these Scale-Up programs that range from building robots and coding activities to conducting agricultural filed experiences.

One way that the Southwest region has efficiently used these Scale-Up programs is applying and advocating for early childhood programs in our preschools and kindergarten classrooms.

Introducing the importance of STEM learning at an early age is yet another way to sustain interest and engagement throughout formal education and make connection to careers and the world of work.

Looking at the future of Southwest STEM, I am eager for the role that pre-apprenticeship programs will take in our high schools and business partners. These opportunities allow students to dive into a specific trade, provide local businesses with eager workers, increase economic development, and encourage our great minds to work and live in Iowa post-education.

Next year will be an exciting one for our region, and I encourage you to stay connected with us and our events by signing up for our newsletter at swcciowa.edu/stem. Remember, Im always here to serve.

 Deb Frazee is the Southwest Regional STEM Manager of the Iowa Governors STEM Advisory Council and is based at Southwestern Community College in Creston. She can be reached at 712-623-2541 or frazee@swcciowa.edu.
Syringe programs would help state, Pottawattamie County

As a student at Iowas College of Medicine, we are regularly shown various statistics of disease in the state. Out of hometown pride, my eyes often drift to the southwest corner, but I am always disappointed to see Pottawattamie County in bright red, as one of the worst counties per capita in various health indicators.

As the chair of the Opioid Epidemic Evaluation Study Committee, Sen. Dan Dawson has the ability to have a huge impact on the health of our county and make a great difference in the state of Iowa. With his support of legislation legalizing syringe service programs (SSPs), we can improve safety, reduce the tax burden, help save lives and take a big step in fighting the opioid epidemic. Pottawattamie County currently has the highest rate of Hepatitis C in Iowa.

As the opioid epidemic has expanded, so has the reported number of Hepatitis C cases. Syringe service programs have been proven to diminish the spread of Hepatitis C and other infectious diseases. Hepatitis C has no vaccine, and its treatment is costing Iowa millions of dollars. More than half of the Hepatitis C related hospitalizations in 2014 were paid by state funds.

Since 2010, Iowa has also spent nearly $35 million in Hepatitis C-related liver transplants. People may think syringe exchanges promote drug use  however, there is no evidence to support that opinion. SSPs are community-based programs providing a number of services, including free sterile syringes and syringe disposal.

For people who use drugs, access to syringes and avoiding infectious diseases is lifesaving. These programs also provide a critical opportunity to engage people who are experiencing addiction and support them in navigating the complex process of accessing treatment. People who participate in syringe service programs are five times more likely to enter treatment programs. Sen. Dawson, along with southwest Iowa Sens. Jason Schultz and Tom Shipley, sit on the Judiciary committee, where there is currently a bill that would legalize SSPs. Please join me in reaching out to them to gain their support of syringe service programs so that we can take action against the opioid epidemic and help make our city, our county, and our state healthier places to live.

By passing syringe service programs in Iowa and improving the health of Pottawattamie County, we can fight back against our citys negative stereotypes and truly transform western Iowa into Iowas leading edge.

Chris Paff, Council Bluffs

Nate Boulton right choice for governor

Let me tell you why I support Nate Boulton for governor of Iowa.

I have seen the majority party in Iowa drunk with power this last legislative session. This is not the Republican party of the past  passing ideology-driven, special-interest funded legislation that doesnt represent our Iowa values and hurts the citizens of Iowa. In the middle of all this, and against steep odds, Ive seen Nate Boulton, fighting every day for the citizens of Iowa.

Nates focus is on Iowas future, like Ive heard him say Planning for the next 20 years, not the next 20 months. Nate believes in raising the states minimum wage to $15 and hour, strong support for education, funding for mental health and womens health and protecting our environment. His fighting for the rights of middle-class working people in Iowa is unmatched.

Nate has visited all 99 counties since his candidacy was announced last May. His rural upbringing in Columbus Junction, his work ethic and personal drive defines who he is. Im 56 years old and this is not the Iowa that I grew up in. I truly believe that as Nate Boulton says that this election is fight for the soul of our state and believe Nate Boulton has both the leadership and vision to take Iowa forward into the future.

Join me in supporting Nate Boulton for Governor in 2018. Run With Nate!

Jerry Jones, Newton
A former North Platte resident was sentenced in federal court Wednesday for possession of child pornography.

The U.S. Attorneys Office announced in a press release that Gale Robert Gibbs, 67, will spend 37 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. Gibbs also must register as a sex offender and pay $1,000 in restitution to the victims.

The case stems from a 2016 incident in which North Platte police were contacted by Computer Troubleshooters, 1320 S. Cottonwood. Employees there told police that Gibbs, then 66, had brought in a laptop for repairs. According to reports, technicians working on the laptop found images that appeared to be child pornography.

Police obtained a search warrant for the laptop and discovered about 67 images. Twenty-seven of the images were identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as known victims from outside Nebraska, the press release said.

Gibbs was sentenced in Lincoln by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Kopf.
Donors can help the Lincoln County Community Development Corp. provide education for homebuyers or even help build a new home in North Platte.

The LCCDC is hosting a fundraiser that will benefit its monthly homebuyer education courses as well as the new Build-A-House fund.

The classes are hosted free at Mid-Plains Community College, which has donated the space for LCCDC use. Speakers volunteer to teach attendees about mortgages, loans, budgeting and more. Because LCCDC is a nonprofit organization, fundraising is essential to provide services such as homebuyer education.

Executive Director Nancy Striebel and Deputy Director Carol Bodeen said they have already mailed forms to prospective donors. The LCCDC board will also make phone calls to people and businesses that have supported their work in the past.

They hope to raise $4,000 by the end of the year to go toward next years classes, Striebel said. The Nebraska Housing Developers Association will match whatever funds they raise,

she added.

We use all the funds we get, no matter what, Bodeen said.

Donors also have the option to give funds that will go toward the Build-A-House fund. This is an ongoing project, Bodeen said. They hope to raise $115,000.

Donors of $1,000 or more will earn the title house-builders. The finished house will go to a first-time homebuyer in the community.

Striebel and Bodeen are trying to think of a creative way to display the fundraisers progress. Planning events such as the fundraiser is one of the more fun things I get to do here, Striebel said.

For more information on the LCCDC and how to donate, contact Striebel or Bodeen at the office, 220 N. Dewey St., or call 308-534-5095.
Representative of Sarpy County visits NP as he campaigns for state treasurer

With experience in both the state Legislature and a multigenerational pizza shop, one state treasurer candidate says hes ready to help Nebraskans.

Sen. John Murante, who represents Sarpy County, stopped by the North Platte Telegraph office Wednesday, on a tour to towns as far east as Hastings and as far west as Chadron.

Now living in Gretna, Murante grew up around his grandfathers Omaha restaurant, Big Freds Pizza. In 2013, Murante became CEO of the business. He stepped down about a year ago after his daughter was born, he said. Next month, he and his wife will celebrate their 10th anniversary.

Although Murante was born and raised in the states metro area, his wife has family in southwest and northwest Nebraska, including Mullen, Tryon, Cambridge and Arapahoe, he said.

With small-business experience and in-laws out west, it gives me a complete understanding of Nebraskans, he said.

Murante said he has spent the months since late July, when he announced his candidacy, listening to Nebraskans wants and challenges, both on the campaign trail and at holiday dinners, where they say not to talk about politics, but we do anyway.

Murante said he hears concerns about high taxes and about excessive government oversight in small and local businesses.

In the 1960s, his grandparents, who opened the family pizzeria, were working-class folks, he said. They risked everything they had to start their dream.

But later Murantes grandfather would say that had he started his business in the 21st century, he wouldnt have succeeded.

Murante chose politics over business to ensure that another generation could succeed as his grandparents did, he said.

In July, Murante was named to a task force begun by Gov. Pete Ricketts. The task force reviews state business regulations, and aims to cut back on unnecessary red tape, according to a memo from the governors office at the time. In effect until Dec. 31, the review was begun in conjunction with an executive order from Ricketts to suspend most rules set by state agencies, with the exception of those deemed critical or mandated by state statute.

As Murante travels, Id be happy to take any input from business owners, he said, calling them the best source of feedback.

While Ricketts executive order takes regulations into account that exist purely for public safety and welfare, Murante said, other regulations hinder job growth and return on investment, he said.

Murante also backs a voter identification law, requiring voters to provide photo identification to prevent fraud. He cited a case in which two Dawson County men were fined after being convicted of voting twice during the 2016 presidential election; their lawyer said they may not have realized they had voted at the time they registered, according to Channel 48 News in Columbus. The cases were reported as the only cases of voter fraud in Nebraska in the last year.
North Plattes Wastewater Treatment Facility recently received top honors that recognized both its staff and facility.

The North Platte Wastewater Treatment Plan received the 2017 Scott Wilber Outstanding Facility Award, as well as best-in-class and bronze safety awards, according to a press release from the Nebraska Water Environment Association. The awards were presented at a joint conference, hosted by that association and Nebraskas chapter of the American Waterworks Association.

The Scott Wilber Awards are named for a former wastewater facility operator from Omaha who routinely exceeded operations and maintenance expectations, according to the press release. The Scott Wilber Awards Committee recognizes wastewater facilities across Nebraska that provide excellence in operations and maintenance, according to the release.

Marc Rosso, a spokesperson for Nebraska Water Environment Association, said North Platte competed in the awards against 10-12 other facilities across the state, from Scottsbluff to Omaha. Each applicants facility is reviewed, and day-to-day operations are discussed, according to the release.

For the Outstanding Facility Award, a facility must earn a score of 75 or higher. Facilities of about the same size are compared for the best-in-class award, according to the release.

In addition to winning the Outstanding Facility Award, North Platte won best in class for medium-sized facilities treating 2 million to 5 million gallons per day, according to the release.

Staff at the North Platte plant showed knowledge and pride in the wastewater facility, by the work that the employees perform on a day to day basis, according to the release.

Doug Meyer, North Plattes wastewater superintendent, said the exemplary work was a result of day to day maintenance and overall upkeep of the plant.

Meyer recognized other workers in the city wastewater facility, including Tom Carson, Eric Farritor, Tyson Geisler, Sam Trent and Adam Anderson.

Meyer said the citys wastewater plant had been recognized by the Scott Wilber Awards committee since 2008, but this was the first year it was named best in class.

Shocking would make it sound like we dont deserve it, he said. I think we do.

Still, Meyer described himself as very appreciative.

It was very nice, actually, to win the best, he said.
Another Thanksgiving Day is history; a lot of turkeys have been eaten. Disabled American Veterans Chapter 3 was successful in their activity, delivering food boxes to 22 area veterans. As I am the chapters commander, I had the awesome job of delegating the delivery responsibility to other drivers. I thank the drivers, the youngsters from the Key Club, Garys Super Foods and everyone else who helped the DAV Chapter 3 with this project. Thank you, and I wish everyone happy holidays in 2017.
Hospitality and tourism help drive economic development throughout the world. Analyzing actual data from one of those markets led to a first place win for six Purdue Northwest graduate students at a recent competition in New York City.

This was the third year a PNW team entered the internationally-recognized 2017 Smith Travel Research (STR) Market Study Competition, which gives leading hospitality and tourism schools from around the word the opportunity to analyze actual market research and data and interpret the story of a specific market, said Wendy Kasche, interim assistant dean in the College of Business.

"The opportunity to work with real data and present before industry professionals has provided a rare and invaluable experience for our students," she said.

Kasche said she chose Denver, Colorado as the specific market for students in the PNW White Lodging School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) to analyze for this years competition.

"The teams gave a 30-minute presentation to industry professionals. There were 11 graduate teams that started. Five teams were in the finalist round," said Kasche.

The winning PNW graduate student team included David Arredondo of Munster; Hammond residents Yeonju Bae and Richard Chambers; Paul Money of Porter; Dyer resident Carolyn Sandrick and Madison Carpenter-Walker of Crown Point.

All the team members are pursuing their MBA degrees and several will receive their degrees at the Dec. 9 commencement ceremonies.

Sandrick said the schools previous performances at STR competitions led to our redemption goal. We would accept nothing short of first place.

The team worked on the project for three months, putting in collectively 50 hours, Sandrick said, adding that each team member had a specific part of the presentation to research.

This was a huge success for the school, she said. We were the only regional campus of a university to be in the top five. Michigan State, Kansas State, Texas Tech and the University of Missouri were the other finalists.

Denver outpaces most U.S. markets, said Carpenter-Walker about what the group learned. We looked at supply and demand  how many rooms were actually filled. Our judges were a marketing executive and a financial analyst.

Chambers said his portion of the research focused on the reasons people visit Denver, including the attractions during different times of the year.

Four of the six of us had a hospitality background, he said. I took the class as an elective. It is a great way to be introduced to the area of study.

Our students worked extremely hard analyzing the Denver hotel market, said Mike Flannery, director of the White Lodging School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Their insightful presentation demonstrated their excellent research and analytical skills in a very competitive industrial environment.

Winning first place in the competition netted PNW a commemorative plaque and a $1,000 cash prize, Kasche said.

That money will be used in the hospitality program for students, she said.

The first-place recognition includes a commemorative plaque and a cash prize. Additionally, the participating students names will be added into the STR national database for future internship and mentorship opportunities.
Jim Peterik's latest project finds him a "pin-up boy with his new 2018 full color calendar.

"Ha, I can't keep up with myself," laughed Peterik of The Ides of March. "I thought at the age 67, I was supposed to be slowing down, but I seem to be speeding up."

Such is clearly not the case for the Chicago musician who won a Grammy Award for his song "Eye of the Tiger," and who has written well over 18 Top 10 radio hits for a variety of artists.

Peterik released two album projects of his own last year, produced and wrote for other artists' projects, and recently published his career memoir, "Through The Eye of the Tiger."

The new calendar is titled "The Guitars That Followed Me Home" (published by Baker & Taylor).

Fear not readers, there are no swimsuit shots of the musician appearing in the monthly presentations, only beautiful images of guitars, guitars, and more guitars.

"This calendar represents some of my favorite guitars and basses that I have acquired during my 56 years as a performing musician," said Peterik. "This is a case of where passion meets commerce. I didn't know I was on my way to becoming a guitar 'collector' when I was 11-years-old. I just knew that when I bought the next one, I could never sell the one before it. I just couldn't bear to get rid of any of them. By the time 'Eye of the Tiger' came out, I probably had about 40 guitars, which has now expanded to about 200. They're only guitars that I love and I still play them all, some more than others, but I do play them all."

Many are valuable in the monetary sense, and some are valuable in the emotional sense.. They all represent the passion and inspiration I feel when I play each of them," he said. "There's the Les Paul that played those first bars of the song I co-wrote for Rocky III called Eye of the Tiger; the 69 Goldtop that accompanied me around the world as a founding member of The Ides of March with our chart-topping Vehicle, and dozens of others. Each guitar was photographed at my home."

"Jimbo" as his friends call him, said that he enjoyed the "ooh and ahhh" reactions to his "babies" when friends would drop by his home studio, so he decided to share his collection with a broader base via this new calendar.

"I know there are a lot of guitar fanatics out there, even if one isn't a player, there are a lot of people who just love guitars, so I thought -- 'This might be crazy, but I think a calendar of guitars would be fun to do'." Each month features a slew of different guitars and each has a description and sometimes a little story about that month's selections. Each month also notes the birthdays of the world's greatest string benders. Jimi Hendrix, Mark Farner, Scotty Moore, B.B. King, Duane Eddy, Chuck Berry, Les Paul and dozens of other notable guitarists all get birthday props.

When the year is over, the calendar's final pages feature collage-style color posters of Peterik's group The Ides Of March and also his all-star World Stage Project. "The Guitars That Followed Me Home" is now available via most online music retailers and through the artist's own web site jimpeterik.com.
VALPARAISO  When a local judge threw out the bulk of a police interrogation in a Chesterton murder case earlier this month, he did not go far enough, according to a motion filed Thursday.

The accused, Christopher Dillard, is asking the same local court to allow the state appellate court to consider a request to throw out all of the April 19 and 20 interrogation by Chesterton Police Chief David Cincoski, according to the motion filed by defense attorney Bob Harper.

The balance of the interview targeted by the motion reportedly contains a confession and/or self-incriminating statements.

Harper continues to argue that Cincoski violated Dillard's rights by not stopping the 12- to 14-hour interrogation after any of the three or more times Dillard requested an attorney.

Police are also accused of violating Dillard's rights by keeping him in an interrogation room at the police station for so long that he slept on the floor.

"Much of the state's case is based on evidence that Christopher Dillard believes should be suppressed," the motion reads.

Dillard claims his Miranda rights and due process were violated.

Senior Judge Thomas Webber threw out the bulk of the interrogation based on Cincoski's failure to stop the interview when Dillard requested an attorney.

But the judge said prosecutors can use a later part of the conversation that included a confession tendered by Dillard after Cincoski reminded him of his Miranda rights, according to the ruling.

Self-incriminating comments made by Dillard to his girlfriend in the recorded police interview room can also be used, according to Webber.

Dillard, 51, of Hobart, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Nicole Gland, 23, of Portage, on April 19 by stabbing her in her vehicle in a parking area behind the former Upper Deck Lounge, 139 S. Calumet Road, in Chesterton where they both had worked.

Dillard, who was picked up by police the same day, told his girlfriend while at the Chesterton Police Department, "I killed that girl. I didn't mean to," according to the charging information.

"He indicated to her that the drugs had a hold of him," police have said.

Webber, who had a temporary assignment in the courtroom, has since been replaced by newly appointed Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer.

The interlocutory appeal sought by Harper is used to challenge contentious issues while the overall criminal case is still pending. It is up to the local judge to approve the request to refer the issue to the state appellate court and then it is up to the appellate court to agree to hear the matter, Harper said.

A trial is scheduled for May 21, with preliminary hearings March 9 and April 13.
HAMMOND  Public corruption undermines the fabric of American society and is among the FBI's highest priorities, said W. Jay Abbott, the FBI's special agent in charge for Indiana.

Abbott made the comments during a forum Thursday about the FBI's role in Northwest Indiana.

Nearly 50 local politicians have been sent to prison in the past decade, according to a slide presented by Bill Rowell, supervisory special agent for the white collar crime and public corruption unit at the FBI's Merrillville office.

As he stood before a slide showing news stories and photographs of public officials, Rowell said the Region's history shocked him when he arrived here six years ago.

"The extent of the public corruption, how long it had been going on, how in-depth it was," Rowell said. "And how it seemed like over a 40-, 50-, 60-year period, as I look back over the history of things, the same things were being done over and over and over again."

Under his watch, a public corruption task force that includes other federal agencies, state agencies and the federal prosecutor's office was established, he said.

'Nothing was accidental'

"Every single one of these people  none of them just slightly stepped over a line. None of them were in a gray area, none of them made a mistake, nothing was accidental," Rowell said.

Each convicted official "did everything they could ... to put money in their pocket," he said.

Rowell said residents should do more to hold other politicians who support their convicted colleagues accountable.

"I've noticed in some of these cases that happened before I got here, after there was a grand jury that indicted the politician, and after they went through a trial in the courthouse up in Hammond and different juries convicted them, and after they were sentenced by a judge  no question at all about what they did  there were still other politicians in the area who were bold enough to support the convicted politicians in spite of the wrong that had been done, in spite of the broken public trust," he said.

Sitting politicians may try to argue that everyone does it, that it's always been done or that it's just how it is, Rowell said.

"There's thousands of excuses. None of them fly, and the more that the citizens of Lake County  or whatever county this happens in  the more those citizens hold those politicians' feet to the fire, whether they've already been convicted or there are other sitting politicians who are supporting these guys, the more their feet are held to the fire, I think the more it's going to push things in the direction that all the citizens want this community to go."

When asked about payments to an informant who testified against former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich, agents said they were worth it.

"Any amount of money could almost be justified if there is a citizen that is willing to work with us to expose that type of corruption," Abbot said. "Public corruption is the highest criminal priority that the FBI has, and there's a reason for that."

Rowell said the informant  a police-officer-turned-tow-truck driver  came forward because he couldn't believe the blatant public corruption he was seeing.

Evidence at trial is that the FBI paid Scott Jurgensen $130,000 over a five-year period, and his testimony has resulted in multiple indictments.

"What you hear at trial is the tip of the iceberg," Rowell said.

Prosecutors decide before trial which charges to press, but they typically have much more information they can present at sentencing, he said.

"It's called relevant conduct," he said.

FBI has many roles in the Region

The FBI investigates about 350 types of crimes in Indiana, Abbott said.

Chris Ormerod, supervisory special agent for the Merrillville office's new counter-terrorism unit, was on the job just two weeks when a pipe bomb exploded Sept. 6 at the East Chicago post office, injuring a pregnant postal worker.

"Most people don't know that this is domestic terrorism," Ormerod said. "It is."

The bomb likely caused others to fear what might be in their mail, he said.

Bob Ramsey, special supervisory agent for the Merrillville office's violent crimes unit, offered an overview of four racketeering and gang cases his unit has investigated in recent years.

More than 100 indictments have been handed down in four separate cases against the Latin Kings, Imperial Gangsters and Two Six Nation street gangs, Ramsey said.

When asked if breaking up gangs could cause more violence, as smaller groups vie for power, Abbott said the FBI has taken notice of the issue and is working to develop strategies to address it.

Ramsey said Gary city officials have seen some success with the Gary for Life initiative, which integrates law enforcement efforts with a range of other programs to offer assistance and address community issues.
CROWN POINT  A 30-year-old Gary man will face prison for shooting at police officers last year as they were attempting to arrest another man in Gary.

Kevin Brown Jr. pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of attempted aggravated battery, both level 3 felonies. Each offense carries a penalty of three to 16 years in prison.

The state agreed in the plea bargain to dismiss charges of attempted murder, escape from lawful detention, resisting law enforcement and theft.

Brown is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 8.

Brown shot at police officers attempting to arrest Damond Gregory, 27, of Chicago, on felony warrants April 26, 2016, in the 5800 block of Kennedy Terrace.

No one was injured in the shooting. Both men were taken into custody, but Brown escaped from a police vehicle. He was arrested two weeks later in Madison, Wisconsin.
CROWN POINT  The state was granted a trial delay Wednesday while prosecutors track down new information on the summer killing of Cody Klotz in Cedar Creek Township.

Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Joshua Malher said at a court hearing Wednesday his office was made aware of a new witness with information regarding the 27-year-old man's shooting death.

Charles E. Bayne, 21, of Lowell, is charged with murder and voluntary manslaughter on allegations he fatally shot Klotz during a confrontation July 15 outside Bayne's home in the 17000 block of Mount Street.

The men had allegedly quarreled on social media over Bayne's girlfriend before the shooting. The girlfriend is Klotz's former fiancee.

The state claimed in a motion filed Monday that a credible witness had heard from Bayne's friend that the defendant had spoken about assaulting or killing Klotz before Klotz's death.

The friend also provided specific details to the witness about Bayne's "method of attack" and the anticipated use of a self-defense argument at trial based on a medical issue, the motion states.

The friend allegedly agreed to provide a statement to detectives, but did not attend a meeting last week, according to the motion.

Defense attorney Kevin Milner said at Wednesday's court hearing Bayne had a kidney problem, which is why he armed himself with a gun before meeting Klotz outside his home.

Milner said he objected to a delay of the trial, which was scheduled to begin Monday. He said the prosecutor's office had months to learn about the friend's alleged statements, but dithered in deposing witnesses.

He also accused the state of requesting the delay due to an error by Lake County police detective Rex Ibarra, who investigated the shooting. Milner said Ibarra forgot to submit the phones of the victim and defendant to the state forensic laboratory so their contents could be preserved.

It's very poor police work  why should the defendant be penalized? Milner asked.

Judge Salvador Vasquez granted the state's request. A new trial was scheduled for Jan. 16.

The judge said he would consider allowing Bayne to be released on bond if the state requests a second delay.
MERRILLVILLE  Two Wisconsin men have been arrested after allegedly trying to rob a nail salon Tuesday afternoon and leading police on a pursuit on Interstate 65, police said Wednesday.

Merrillville Police Cmdr. Jeff Rice said police are looking into possible connections between this case and Friday's robbery of the Aldi store in Merrillville.

Christopher John Brengel, 34, and Sedric Anthony Smith Jr., 31, both of Wisconsin, face felony charges of attempted armed robbery and intimidation in connection with Tuesday's attempted robbery of Gina's Nails, 6130 Broadway in Merrillville, according to a probable cause affidavit filed Wednesday.

Smith allegedly entered the store at 4:24 p.m. wearing a gray hoodie, gray sweatpants and a mask, the affidavit states. Armed, he said, "Where's the money? I want the money," records show, so one of the employees began walking toward the rear of he business as Smith followed her.

A second employee activated the panic button, and other employees left the business out the front door, police said. A second person, later identified as Brengel, could be seen pacing near a vehicle, witnesses told police.

When the employee reached the back of the store, Smith allegedly continued walking while the employee turned around and fled the store.

According to the affidavit, salon employees then informed a nearby Gary police officer that someone was robbing the store. The officer saw the person with a gun exit the store, enter a black Honda with Wisconsin plates, and drive off at a high rate of speed toward I-65, court records state.

Merrillville police initiated, but eventually terminated, a pursuit.

An off-duty Lake Station police officer who was driving northbound I-65 followed the vehicle and relayed information to dispatch until a traffic stop and arrests could be made by Lake Station police, according to Rice.

Possible ties to Aldi robbery

Rice said the two are considered "persons of interest" and are being questioned about Friday's robbery of the Aldi food store at 10 W. 81st Ave. in Merrillville.

In that case, a man hid in a cooler before emerging at about 8:30 p.m. after Aldi closed Friday night, holding the employees at gunpoint and robbing the store of more than $7,600, police said.

Police are investigating all leads, including whether the robbery could be linked to several cases in Wisconsin, where Aldi stores were robbed in a similar way, police said.

The FBI field office in Milwaukee offered a $5,000 reward earlier this month for information leading to the arrest of a man suspected of robbing four Aldi stores in the Milwaukee area and a fifth store in Madison, Wisconsin, according to an FBI news release.

Anyone with information about Friday's robbery is asked to call Merrillville Detective Nate Dillahunty at 219-769-3531, ext. 364.
EAST CHICAGO  Homelessness programs, tax credits, the creation of a scratch-off lottery ticket to fund veterans programs, and the ability to pay their bingo volunteers were among the top priorities discussed at a veterans town hall meeting Tuesday night.

About 120 people, mostly veterans and their families, were drawn to Tuesday's town hall meeting at the American Legion Allied Post 369 in East Chicago and hosted by the Hammond Disabled American Veterans Indiana Chapter 17.

The town hall centered on proposed legislation potentially impacting local veterans in the upcoming legislative session.

Lisa Wilken, legislative chair for Indiana AMVETS and an Air Force veteran, said Tuesdays event was a chance for veterans to speak up about priorities they want to see highlighted in the state capitol and served as a nice lead-in to the upcoming Indiana Military Veterans Legislative Day on Jan. 9 in the state capitol.

This is an opportunity to have a face-to-face with their legislators, let them know what you like, dont like about these proposals, she told veterans in attendance. Send an email, call them. Tell them I expect to meet with you.

Wilken was among the representatives who spoke from various veterans groups, including the Indiana departments of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans and American Veterans.

Several lawmakers in attendance said they would support the veterans' groups legislative and sign on as bill sponsors.

Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, said he has pushed over the last four or five years for a bill that would allow service organizations to pay $50 to its members who assist with Bingo events. Veterans halls membership is on the decline, but Randolph said the incentive could attract new volunteers.

Others talked about the need to push for free tuition for children of honorable discharged veterans, a lottery scratch-off ticket that would pay for veterans programs, and a well-funded veterans court that would provided drug or alcohol treatment for low-level felons or those treated with misdemeanor crimes.

Local efforts

North Township Trustee Frank Mrvan said he continues to work closely with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the East Chicago Housing Authority to create a transitional housing program for homeless veterans in the city.

He said officials have selected a property in the citys Harbor section, but rehab of the property is ongoing to make the housing livable, he said. Mrvan said the goal is to have the East Chicago Housing Authority provide the housing, while his office will assist the veterans with sustainable employment, credit counseling and mental health services over a 12-15 month period.

The program Mrvan is pushing would allow veterans to remain housed with their families instead of being separated.

Steve Spisak, an Air Force and National Guard veteran, said hes thankful for the housing thats been made available to he and other homeless and disabled veterans at NWI Veterans Village in Gary.

All we needed was our clothes. The apartments (are completely furnished), he said.

Several Region politicians, including state Sens. Frank Mrvan, D-Hammond and Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, Rep. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, and North Township Manager Frank Mrvan Jr. were in attendance.

Representatives from the offices of U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville, U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Indiana, and U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, were also there, along with Lake County Council Members Christine Cid, D-5th District, and Dan Dernulc, R-4th District.
VALPARAISO  After serving nearly three years as a deputy in the Porter County coroner's office, Dale Bagnall said he is ready to take over the reins.

Bagnall announced Wednesday his intention to run next year as a Democrat for coroner.

Incumbent Coroner Chuck Harris, a Republican, is serving his second term and is ineligible to run again because of term limitations.

Bagnall, who works at Moeller Funeral Home in Valparaiso, said he is running for coroner because he enjoys the work. He said he is a certified death investigator.

He had owned Indiana Furniture in Valparaiso from 1980 to 2010, and this is his first shot at elective office.

Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Thode, a Republican, has announced plans to seek a fifth term next year, and Democratic Porter County Sheriff Dave Reynolds announced his intention to seek a second consecutive term.

The list of candidates will not officially be known until filing begins Jan. 10, according to the state election calendar. The filing period ends Feb. 9, and will be followed by the primary election May 8 and general election Nov. 6.
VALPARAISO  John Bowker has announced plans to resign from his 5th District seat on the City Council at the end of the year, according to Porter County Republican Party Chairman Michael Simpson.

Bowker cited work responsibilities, and the addition of a grandchild, as preventing him from fulling committing to the council, Simpson said.

"He's enjoyed his time on the council, working with the citizens in his district and throughout the City and is proud of all that has been accomplished to make Valparaiso a destination for all," Simpson said in a prepared statement.

Bowker has been on the council for 13 years and has served on the Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission since 1995.

A replacement for Bowker will chosen during a caucus of precinct committee people from the 5th District at 7 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Porter County Administration Center, 155 Indiana Ave. in Valparaiso.

Anyone interested in seeking the seat can pick up an application at the Voter Registration office in the county administration center.
VALPARAISO  David Muniz says his kids at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School are some of the most giving youngsters he's worked with in his more than 20 years in education.

Their giving, positive attitude, hard work and continued exceptional student performance earned the school the state Title I Distinguished School Award for their exceptional student performance by the Indiana Department of Education. The announcement came Wednesday afternoon.

The recognition, said Muniz, principal at the school for six years, is based on two or more years of improved performance based on test scores and other data. Schools recognized are part of the Title I program. Half of TJ's students receive free or reduced-price lunches.

"They are the most giving students," said Muniz, adding his youngsters and staff are tops when it comes to helping others from fundraising to singing for seniors at nursing homes. "They have a real sense of wanting to help others.

"We make every kid feel important. We take it seriously that every kid matters, and we go the extra mile for every kid," said Muniz, adding the school operates on a philosophy of individualized instruction and positive school culture.

Muniz said he received word Nov. 8 that the school was nominated for the award. That was followed by a telephone interview and site visit on Nov. 14.

"This reconfirms that our teaching practices, our students, our parents are the best," Muniz said. "It shows that no matter the circumstance, every kid can succeed if given the chance."

Muniz said they are planning to hold a celebration on Dec. 8.
Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn in for a second term as Kenya's President on Tuesday and pledged to work for national unity.

"I will devote my time and energy to build bridges, to unite and bring prosperity," Kenyatta told the huge crowd gathered for his inauguration at Nairobi's Kasarani stadium.

The opposition, however, rejects his election outright.

The leadership contest has been rife with controversy amid allegations of vote tampering, an unprecedented high court ruling that nullified the initial vote and sporadic bouts of violence in opposition strongholds.

"The election that we just concluded was probably one of the longest ever held in our continent's history," Kenyatta told the crowd.

"Today, the 123rd day since we began on August 8, today's inauguration therefore marks the end, and I repeat the end, of our electoral process."

Kenyatta also vowed to open up the country's job market to nationals of other East African countries and move toward a system of universal health care.

Kenya's Supreme Court ruled last week that the October 26 presidential do-over met all constitutional requirements, paving the way for Kenyatta to take the presidential oath of office again. The opposition rejected the ruling, saying it was made "under duress."

Odinga had boycotted the October rerun, saying it would be unfair because the election commission had failed to implement reforms. Kenyatta won with 98% of the vote.

Kenyatta's first task: Unify the country

As the largest economy in East Africa, Kenya is a crucial trade route to the continent and has provided an important buffer of stability in the region.

The presidential race -- and subsequent election-related violence -- has thrown East Africa's wealthiest country into political chaos, reopening ethnic divisions that Kenyatta will need to address quickly.

Kenyatta is a member of the country's largest community, the Kikuyu, originating in the country's central highlands. The Kikuyu have long been accused of wielding strong economic and political power in the country. Odinga is part of the Luo community, which some say has become increasingly marginalized in recent years.

Kenyan police have confirmed at least 14 deaths leading up to last week's Supreme Court ruling, though the opposition disputes this figure.

According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International in October, up to 67 people could have been killed nationwide in election-related violence between the initial vote in August and mid-September.

CNN's Briana Duggan and Jennifer Hauser contributed to this report.
The hour finally appears to be at hand when Hoosier government leaders will be able to come to their commercial senses regarding Sunday alcohol sales.

The Indiana Alcohol Code Revision Commission is slated for a possible final vote Friday to send recommendations to the Legislature for making Sunday retail alcohol sales legal.

The commission should forward this recommendation without haste and add to it a nod for cold beer sales at retail establishments other than liquor stores.

And of course, the Indiana General Assembly should heed these calls during the upcoming 2018 legislative session.

We've argued repeatedly that Indiana law is outmoded and impeding commerce in the matters of Sunday package alcohol and cold beer retail sales.

Indiana is the only state that prohibits all retail alcohol sales on Sundays. The Hoosier state is sorely behind the times of competitive commerce and customer convenience on this matter.

Overwhelming public support prompted the commission earlier this month to endorse preliminary legislation for permitting retailers to sell alcohol between noon and 8 p.m. Sundays.

For years, the Hoosier state has been subject to an antiquated law, prohibiting Sunday sales of package liquor.

The commission's support for Sunday alcohol sales now is slated to be put into a final report to the General Assembly. That report is due for a Dec. 8 commission vote.

However, the commission could cast that vote as early as its meeting slated for this Friday.

There's no need to waste further time reviewing or debating this common-sense recommendation. Approve it now.
Ret. Army General Barry McCaffrey spoke at Auburn University on Wednesday afternoon, sharing thoughts on leadership with the students and community members in attendance.

I believe you have a responsibility as a leader to sell yourself to the people who work for you, he said. You have to sell yourself to make sure that when youre on a message that people dont feel comfortable with, they dont tune you out. We tend to do that. We watch Fox or NBC. We read New York Times or Washington Examiner. We dont like information thats in dissonance to what we believe.

The four-star general and former White House cabinet member visited the university as part of a series of events commemorating the Harbert College of Business 50th anniversary. He used expertise he gleaned from his 32-year Army career, as well as his experience in the civilian world as founder and CEO of a consulting firm, to guide the audience on how to become effective leaders.

Factors of effective leadership include taking charge, developing a plan and not ever being satisfied or complacent, he explained.

After giving advice to students, McCaffrey ended his speech by saying he gets advice of his own from his daughters.

Look, you people have already paid more attention to me than my own family, McCaffrey said as he closed his leadership address and prepared to answer audience questions. Im periodically on NBC News, and my substantive feedback comes from my two grown daughters. Theyll watch me on TV, call me on their cellphones and give me feedback such as, Dad, good makeup, good lighting, good tie, that sort of thing.

One topic he discussed during the question-and-answer session is the role universities such as Auburn play in cyber research, and the importance of cyber security.

I think a university adds credibility and stability to research, he said. Theyre also such a trusted partner. The feds are happy to give money to universities. When you have any major policy issue, youre going to need federal dollars to study it, to understand it, do pilot programsa vital partner in any effort is a big, famous university with a faculty with expertise.

McCaffrey said while he is not an expert in cybersecurity, he has spent a lot of time watching cyber operations. In the business hes associated with, he said, hes highly concerned about it.

I was in a giant healthcare organization, he shared. We were having our annual clinical directors conference. I got up there and the CEO said that ransomware had just locked down the conference site. I said, Well, what did you do? He said, I paid them the $25,000 they asked for. Otherwise, it would have been a disaster.

There are a half-million hits a day on some institutions. Weve got to protect the banking systems and the high-speed metro, you name it. And were not there yet. Cyber is a great one to get involved in."
Firing up engines and putting out fires are two things that offer enjoyment to Capt. Ashley Harmon of the Opelika Fire Department.

Both of these fascinations arose in him around the age of 11, during which his delight in tinkering with vehicles was spurred by the happiness he felt in owning a go-kart.

The latter ignited as Harmon watched his father, Con, dash in and out of a burning house to rescue his uncle Franks belongings, doing so because the closest fire department was about 30 minutes away from their rural home in Union Hill.

I watched my dad go in and out of that house, bringing stuff out, and realized what a hardship it can put on people, Harmon said. And so that kind of was my first experience as far as firefighting. I mean, I was just a kid, but that instilled something in me that made me want to try and help people.

Acknowledged for his 23 years of service with the Opelika Fire Department - where he is also deemed as the go-to guy for all vehicle and equipment repairs - Harmon was recently recognized as the city's 2017 Firefighter of the Year.

It was quite an honor to get it, he said. Especially since, in my view, theres a lot of people here every bit of deserving as I am to have it.

Nerve-racking

Serving as second in command on B shifts, Harmon has responded to numerous emergencies. These include fires that ultimately devoured two abandoned, local textile mills  the Leshner Mills on Nov. 15, 2016, as well as the West Point Stephens Pepperell Mill on March 12, 2013, regarded as one of the largest fires to have ever come ablaze in Opelika.

Its kind of nerve-racking to realize that you have such a large structure thats involved in fire, Harmon remarked while discussing his memories of the mill fires. You know that theres a lot of decisions that have to be made, and youre hoping that you always make the right decisions.

Reflecting specifically on the Pepperell Mill, during which he was one of the first on the scene and served as the incident commander of the fire, Harmon said flames were visible as he and other firefighters arrived on the scene.

Initially, he ordered an offensive attack on the situation, hoping the fire could be extinguished from the inside. Within minutes, however, a hellacious inferno spread across the oil-soaked floors and rapidly engulfed the mill.

They used to oil the floors in the mill just to preserve them, Harmon explained. And so that kind of soaks in the wood, and highly flammable.

As firefighters pulled back, Harmon then decided to launch a defensive attack from the outside.

We were starting to see flames in other openings, Harmon said, and also because we knew that the mill was under demolition or renovation, or whatever, we had no idea what the inside might be like, what might be cut or whatnot. So we werent willing to take any chances on anybody getting hurt.

Shortly after water supply was established, the front wall of the mill  and soon afterward the roof  collapsed, Harmon recalled, and mutual aid was received from the Auburn and the East Alabama fire departments.

And once the wall fell and the roof kind of fell in, it just went up, and more or less we were just trying to keep it in check by keeping water on it from that point, Harmon said.

Except for a small, two-story section and a smokestack, the mill was a total loss, Harmon said. For a long while, the fire burned and smoldered, requiring supervision.

We had somebody down there 24/7 for over a week, he said.

The Pepperell Mill and later the Leshner Mills, formerly located on First Avenue, were abandoned and under demolition when fires started at the locations, Harmon also recalled. However, the difference in the former and the latter mills was firefighters attempted an offensive attack at the West Point Stevens Mill, whereas rescuers immediately combatted flames from the outside at the other because too much demolition had been completed prior to the fire.

Both mills succumbed to the heat and suffered the same fate, Harmon said.

And its sad to see that, he added. That was part of the main employment for the people in the city of Opelika in times past. And then youre sitting there watching them crumble. Its a sad sight.

Asset to the city

Fellow firefighters are proud of Harmon, whom they regard as the departments unofficial mechanic. Among those crewmembers include the two runnersup for the same recognition Harmon received  apparatus operator Blake Stone, and firefighter Phillip Bell, who has battled cancer for about two years and is now delighted that it went into remission right before Thanksgiving.

Its just a great honor to be recognized anyway, and to be able to stand up there with Capt. Harmon, that was an honor itself, Stone said, referring to how he, Bell and Harmon were recognized during the most recent Opelika City Council meeting. Captain Harmon is a member of leadership of our department, and he sets a great example of how firefighters should go about their duties.

Bell, too, is proud to have stood alongside Harmon at the meeting.

I felt very happy and honored to have been nominated and to have been there, especially with all the medical stuff that has happened to me this year, he said. Captain Harmon is very knowledgeable and deserving of it. And I guess Im just happy to work with people of that caliber.

Chief Byron Prather is pleased with Harmon as well, remarking, Capt. Ashley Harmon has been a dedicated and loyal employee for the fire department, and he plays a vital role with his knowledge and experience. Hes an asset to the city.

Emphasizing how others at the department are also deserving of the same honor bestowed upon him this year, Harmon looks forward to continuing to serve with those he regards as family.

Theres so many good people I work with, he said. Thats really what keeps you going is the guys you work with, and its all kind of like a family. We all work good together. Makes the job a little easier when you have a lot of good people to work for and with.
On Sunday, the Archbishop of York put his dog collar back on a decade after he cut it up live on television in protest at Robert Mugabes rule in Zimbabwe.

Dr John Sentamu stunned BBC viewers when in 2007 he took his clerical collar off live on air in a powerful protest at the countrys misrule. And a decade on, he was handed the chopped up remains back, and vowed to return to wearing a dog collar in celebration of the fall of the tyrant.

The Archbishop also revealed he had a premonition the tyrant would be ousted after 37 years in charge of the country.

He said he had a dream that moved him to light a candle shortly before a coup was launched against the aged leader.

Archbishop Sentamu wears his dog collar again after almost 10 years

He told the show: When I wake up or dress up and I am getting out of the house normally, I tie the top button and put on my collar. But for nearly 10 years I havent been able to put on my collar, and it has meant I remember Zimbabwe every day.

The moving scenes on television came just days after Mugabe was finally forced from office and was replaced with Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Dr Sentamu, who was born in Uganda and is brother to Miracle Centre Cathedrals Pastor Robert Kayanja, made his powerful protest on the BBCs Andrew Marr show in 2007, telling viewers: From now on, Im not going to wear a dog collar until Mugabe is gone.

The protest was so unexpected the presenter was left speechless at the highly symbolic gesture. And on Sunday, he returned to the same show to put his collar back on to celebrate the fall of the tyrant, who had ruled the country with an iron fist and overseen its near total economic collapse.

On Dec 9, 2007 Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu cut his dog collar into pieces on BBC's Andrew Marr Show promising never to wear one again until #RobertMugabe left office. 10 years later, he got his wish #Zimbabwe pic.twitter.com/Ichu46xUzj  The Observer (@observerug) November 27, 2017

Sentamu was handed the chopped up pieces of his old collar, but said that just as it is time for a fresh start in Zimbabwe, he will wear a fresh collar.

He said: I could attempt to put this one back. I could try to put them all together using superglue.

When the presenter said it would be a ropey collar, he replied: I think the lesson for Zimbabwe is the same - they cant just try and stitch it up. Something radical, something new needs to happen. I need a new collar.

And he reveled that he had a premonition Mugabe would be ousted from office after decades of misrule. The Archbishop said he heard a little voice telling him to light a candle - and when it burned out, Mugabe would be gone.

And he said he heard the little voice in his head just before November 14 - the day the Army launched their coup.

He said the same voice returned and told him to light another candle a few days later to signal that Mugabe would finally be ousted.

He said this burnt out on November 21 - the day the leader finally accepted his fate and went.



- Internet
As medical workers in government hospitals and health centres elsewhere continued to strike, the situation at Moroto regional referral hospital was different.

When The Observer visited the facility at the height of the national strike, all departments were busy with medical workers attending to patients. In the maternity ward, Maria Katende, who was delivered through caesarean section two days earlier, said she was not even aware of the medical workers strike countrywide.

When I reached here on Monday night, I found midwives who called the doctor for my operation. I am hearing about this [strike] from you, she told me. For this hospital, we see all medical workers working normally.

Mothers wait for their turns to see the doctor at Moroto hospital

The ward was, indeed, busy with mothers in labour, some being delivered and others being discharged. Among those was 30-year-old Ruth Liko, who had had a normal delivery the previous day.

Constansia Alela, the senior nursing officer in charge of the maternity ward, said she was aware of the strike, but could not join colleagues, because that would potentially lead to the loss of innocent lives.

You cant leave mothers to deliver alone; that would lead to the increase of maternal and neonatal deaths, she said.

Even if in future they increase your salary and yet you have lost lives, you will feel it for the rest of your life. We have to continue working as we claim for our rights.

Alela said her striking colleagues should have a heart for human beings, because the industrial action can affect even their relatives.

The strike started on November 7 countrywide with health workers protesting low remuneration and poor working conditions, among other grievances. The senior hospital administrator, James Otim, declined to talk to The Observer, but referred me to the acting director, Dr Alfred Francis Ogwang, who was, however, in the operation theatre when I visited the hospital.

Cissy Kagaba, the executive director of the Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda (Accu), who was in Moroto for the launch of Karamoja Anti-Corruption Coalition, said there are evident salary discrepancies among public servants, which need to be addressed.

When you look at the salaries our MPs earn, you find it ironical when parliament tells medical workers to be patriotic, she said. The government might not be having the money to pay all the striking workers, but the issue of harmonizing salaries is paramount.



matsiko@observer.ug
Although Mbuya is located in one of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) divisions where one would expect good sanitation and hygiene, residents are so desperate for toilets that they have resorted to what is commonly known in slums as flying toilets.

Slum dwellers are known to use polythene bags (kaveera) as toilets and then dispose of their flying toilets in either garbage collection sites or on random rooftops!

The flying toilets are attributed to a lack of toilets and proper sewerage system. When journalists visited Mbuya, courtesy of Makerere University students under the MasterCard Foundation programme, they saw the other side of Mbuya  away from affluent residences and paved roads; a community languishing in poverty and in dire need of toilets and other sanitation facilities.

These toilets were owned by individual residents but were abandoned after they filled up

In Mbuya II Zone Six, heaps of uncollected garbage lay unattended next to water channels; nearby, more garbage burnt in a community effort to reduce the filth, even as childrens faecal matter littered all over.

A lady who only identified herself as Mama Rita said access to toilets in the area is a challenge and that during the rush hours it is very difficult to get a toilet that is not occupied, hence the human waste in water channels and every dark alley.

She said those with young children openly dispose of the childrens waste at dumpsites.

The toilet we have here is around 500 metres from my house; you cannot expect one to take a childs waste that far for disposal, but thats what we have been doing ever since [we moved here], she said.

We also dont have a special place to throw [used diapers] since we have flashing toilets and not pit latrines; we dont want to block our only toilet because its us who pay for maintenance costs.

Children playing near the toilets

Babirye, 49, who has spent most of her life in Mbuya II said: We have people here who are very poor and cant afford the Shs 1,000 needed for the maintenance of the community toilet, so where do you think they go? They mostly use kaveera or basins and then pour their waste in the water channels.

Area leaders admitted that residents throw their waste everywhere, because of the shortage of toilet facilities. Geoffrey Ojowomoko, an administrator in the area, said that lack of toilets and bathrooms in the area has forced people to improvise. His biggest fear is the increasing cases of waterborne diseases due to general poor hygiene.

As you have seen us collecting garbage, most of those buveera are full of human waste and even if you burn them, they dont completely burn. That smoke you see there has been there for weeks because human waste does not easily burn, he said.

Strange that a community is okay with inhaling smoke from its burning faeces, for weeks!

Ojowomoko added: Even the toilet we have is old and has only two cubicles so, if one is badly off, they may resort to other means, especially at night.



Leaders take

Aston Karatunga, the area LC-I chairman, said the situation is so bad that people believe KCCA and the government have neglected them.

The only toilet here was built by the community and even then, we dont have any assistance; we make tenants to pay Shs 1,000 per month but still its hard to raise. This toilet also needs to be emptied every three months, but we depend on well-wishers, he said.

What do you expect from a community where 90 per cent are unemployed? They cant even raise the monthly contribution. The cheaper option is to collect used polythene bags and use as toilets.

He said there are many diseases affecting people due to poor hygiene but people are left without a choice but to treat rather than prevent; he highlighted cholera, typhoid, dysentery and malaria as some of the diseases endemic to the community.

Moses Mugisha Okwera, the LC-V chairman Nakawa division, said the ratio of toilet:person stands at about 1:300 making flying toilets an acceptable threat to their lives.

We need more public toilets in Giza Giza (Mbuya II zone six); there is also a challenge with garbage management. People dont have where to put waste, he said.

KCCA withdrew its public garbage skips years ago and contracted companies that charge communities a token fee to pick their waste. However, in communities like these where majority residents have no jobs, paying for garbage disposal feels like an unnecessary luxury. Under the cover of darkness, they throw their garbage in the roads, by neighbours fences, in drainage channels and bushes.

Okwera advised that as the community waits for KCCA to build more toilets, local leaders should sensitize the public about good hygiene practices.

Our roads are narrow; sometimes the garbage tracks come but fail to reach the dumpsites. As we sort out the issues of toilets, we need to deal with garbage as a community, he said.

Alice Amony, the division chairperson in charge of public health, blamed negligence for the residents plight.

[Ideally] each home should have a toilet and be able to manage their garbage, but it seems people are very poor; also, KCCA has left the burden to Kampala Consortium [garbage collectors] who also seems overwhelmed, she said.

Amony said KCCA has, however, identified two areas where two toilets will be built soon.



MasterCard support

According to Isma Kayiza, the speaker of MasterCard Students Association, it is the plight of the residents that pushed students to visit and offer support.

We are here to sensitize the public about hygiene and sanitation. Before we came, we did a survey and realized that people here dont have latrines and also dont know the implication of poor hygiene, he said.

We have over 250 students helping the community here; this is a form of giving back to the community as people who have been supported by MasterCard Foundation.



justuslyatuu08@gmail.com
36-year-old Prossy Nangobi was diagnosed with HIV in 2000. At the time, people living with HIV and Aids positive patients were started on anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy after their CD4 count was below 500.



CD4 are T-cells, a type of white blood cells that move through the body to find and destroy bacteria, viruses and other invading germs. In 2008, Nangobi was started on ARVs at Kawempe hospital. Once a month, on a Thursday, Nangobi has been waking up at 5:00am to make her way to Kawempe and queue up to receive ARVs, a task that she describes as tiring.

"I take my pills at night which makes it hard for me to wake up very early in the morning. But since I need my pills to live, I have been making an effort to wake up early on the days that I need to go hospital for refills."



Since July this year, however, Nangobi has been forced to endure the tiring journey of getting ARV refills at least four times a month.

"I was told in June that they would be giving me pills for a week as opposed to a month as they have been doing in the past," she says



One year after the introduction of the 'Test and Treat' program, government is currently unable to adequately provide ARV drugs for the one million Ugandans that need them.



Last year, Uganda launched the Test and Treat policy that starts all HIV positive Ugandans on treatment the moment they find out that they have the virus. This is the country's chosen policy to meet its 90:90:90 goals by the end of 2030.



The policy is part of the campaign by the World Health Organisation (WHO) targeting to make sure that 90 per cent of the people living with HIV in the world will know their HIV status, 90 per cent of people diagnosed with HIV infection will receive sustained anti-retroviral therapy and 90 per cent will have a suppressed viral load.



Dr Carol Nakkazzi, head of HIV Prevention at Uganda Aids Commission (UAC), says the country is currently facing a shortage of ARVs because more people were enrolled on the drugs following the introduction of the test and treat policy and yet the budget for the drugs has remained the same.



"We had projected ARVs for the other guidelines but now we have shortages. The other guidelines we used to say that the people we put on drugs should have a CD4 below 500 but the new guidelines Test and Treat say give ARVs to whoever tests positive irrespective of their CD4 count. It is like preparing for 500 guests and then all of a sudden you get 2,000. So the food will not be enough. That is the problem we are having with ARVs", she said.

Dr Nakkazzi says the country has been suffering from low drug supplies of mainly abacavir/lamuvidine, atanazavir, nevirapine and lopinavir that are used by both adults and children.



The minister for Presidency Esther Mbayo this week told the media that government is doing whatever is possible to address the situation.



"There is inadequate supply for example somebody who has been getting the ARVs for one month he is encouraged to receive only one week. Now that inconvenience of going back four times in a month is what is causing all that problem. But we are working as government around the clock to ensure that there is immediate restocking", Mbayo said.



Mbayo attributes the stock-outs to the small financial envelope that is aimed towards procuring ARVs in the country. The government of Uganda only contributes seven per cent to AIDS financing, with 93 percent of the budget coming from donations. The President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) contributes 65 per cent, Global Fund 28 per cent and other development partner programmes make three per cent.



A 2016 Auditor General's report on the 'Management of Procurement and Distribution of Essential Medicines and Health Supplies by National Medical Stores (NMS)' observed that the price at which NMS procure ARVs from local manufacturers is higher than that of donated drug prices. The report says that this could lead to fewer quantities of drugs procured for distribution to health facilities.



Dr Nelson Musoba, acting director general Uganda Aids Commission says the decrease in the amount of ARVs should be expected with the implementation of a large policy transition.

"When youre implementing a policy transition, it is not usually without things like what were seeing. We knew that we would have a higher requirement for ARVs than before", he said.

According to the Commission, 1.3 million Ugandans are currently estimated to be living with HIV. By June 2017, an estimated one million Ugandans are currently receiving antiretroviral therapy following the implementation of the test and treat policy. This shows an increase of 330,000 people currently on HIV treatment from 728,000 in n 2015.



Dr Musoba says that so far the policy has been a success and more effective in leading Uganda towards its 90:90:90 goal of 2030.



"This policy has been a success because we now have more than 60% of the population living with HIV on treatment. This is a very big improvement for us."
In the previous weeks, media was awash with a bribery story which involved top government officials.

This came nearly after President Museveni had declared war against all corrupt bureaucrats in his government. It was during the same occasion that the president applauded his Tanzanian counterpart John Pombe Magufulis methods of fighting corruption and promised to do the same.

However, many have regarded the presidents promise as purely cosmetic since he has always handled the corrupt with soft gloves. Corruption remains an obstacle to Ugandas development gains. The country scored 25 per cent and ranked 151st out of 179 countries in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) annual report conducted by Transparency International in 2016.

Uganda is experiencing a new wave of organized, grand and syndicated corruption tendencies at the expense of taxpayers. Although Uganda has strong laws and policies against corruption, application of such is selective and tends to target the small fish.

By implication, the poor, vulnerable and marginalized continue to be disproportionately affected by corruption in almost every sector.

For instance, there is a child who fails to attain an education because of corruption in the education sector; a patient in a rural health centre may die because of embezzlement of medicine money in the health sector; and passengers lives are at risk because a driver paid a bribe to a traffic officer, etc.

Additionally, corruption in Uganda has become an acceptable norm, where the public thinks without it, things cannot get done. The growing culture of corruption in Uganda has not spared the youth either.

The Uganda Youth Survey Report (2016) revealed that a significant proportion of youths believe corruption is profitable, would take or give a bribe and would not pay taxes on earned income. More importantly, these are the future leaders.

President Museveni has often decried government officials who take bribes from investors. However, he has equally not shown willingness to deal with those found culpable of such acts. Therefore, the top leadership must exhibit willingness in the fight against corruption if we are to uproot the vice.

The government needs to empower anti-corruption state and non-state actors. Selective application of laws should be dealt away with to overcome the issue of small fish Vs big fish.

The public needs to be reminded that since corruption affects everyone, fighting it is a national priority.



Badru Walusansa

Kampala.



Some opposition parties may go with Museveni



I recently listened to a local radio political show where the moderator hosted Yusuf Nsibambi from FDC to talk about the rise of Patrick Amuriat and the fall of Gen Mugisha Muntu in the recent FDC presidential elections.

When he was asked why he supported Amuriat, Nsibambi said Amuriat believes in Kizza Besigyes defiance campaign and strategy aimed at fighting President Museveni.

Nsibambi trashed Muntus strategy of building party structures nationally and internationally, saying that the opposition does not need to build structures when President Museveni is still leading Uganda.

He said that after overthrowing Museveni, then they will think of building party structures. Such reasoning is one of the factors that are killing most of the opposition political parties because they have forgotten to build their roots from village levels to the national.

You cant get power by concentrating on fighting an individual. That is why NRM wins almost all elective positions at local council levels. What will happen to people with Nsibambis thinking if Museveni leaves power? Wont they also fade away?

Even if they get power, they are likely to lose it immediately because they wont have built strong foundations.



David Serumaga,

Kampala.



letters@observer.ug
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Curtis Sparrer

What would you tell Matt Lauer or Garrison Keillor if you were advising them?

Both media personalities have been accused of sexual impropriety, and both have been fired. These men are the latest additions to the me too year in which women  and men  came forward to expose unwanted advances, abuse and sexual misconduct endured at the hands of powerful men. Many giants have fallen in the fray, Harvey Weinstein, Louis C.K., Bill OReilly, Terry Richardson, Kevin Spacey, Brett Ratner and Charlie Rose among them.

Right now the million-dollar question, from a PR standpoint, is this: whats their next best move?

Sex scandals and other PR disasters

Our PR agency teamed up with Propeller Insights in November to determine how Americans felt about these scandals and what would be the best way to handle them. We surveyed more than a thousand Americans and discovered that the sexual assault scandals of Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey were considered to be among the worst PR disasters of the year.

Nearly half (46 percent) anticipate more sex scandals in 2018.

Act swiftly, speak clearly

So, if you find yourself on the publics chopping block, whats the right response? When it comes to U.S. companies, the advice is to respond quickly and plainly.

A majority of Americans (54 percent) want companies to respond to a crisis within 24 hours. They also want to be promised an independent investigation and to be told the mistake wont be repeated. More than a third of Americans want an apology, and they want that apology to be stated simply without a lot of obfuscation.

This is solid advice for individuals as well.

Avoid red flag phrases

As it turns out, Americans are cynical of most responses when it comes to a person accused of sexual misconduct.

The response that will cast the most doubt on a persons sincerity is an inability to remember what happened, according 43 percent of Americans.

Theres also terminology that engenders doubt, including, in order of dubiousness:

 Fake news

 I swear

 Media conspiracy

 The accusations are untrue

 Conspiracy

 From the bottom of my heart

Putin or the Post?

Its worth noting that when the Roy Moore scandal broke, the Republican National Committeeman from Alabama, Paul Reynolds, said he trusted Vladimir Putin more than the Washington Post.

Bospar and Propeller Research put the same question to Americans and discovered that more than three-quarters (78 percent) were not of his same mind. But just over one-in-five (22 percent) said they did indeed trust Putin more than the Washington Post.

On the day-to-day, more than a quarter of Americans (26 percent) say they most trust journalists. Another 14 percent put more credence in their Twitter or Facebook feed, while a minority most trust athletes (10 percent), politicians (8 percent) and  at the bottom of the list  actors (8 percent).

So, back to Lauer and Keillor. For his part, Keillor didnt use any of the expressions Americans find distasteful in this statement on his website:

I am deeply grateful for all the years I had doing A Prairie Home Companion and The Writers Almanac, the summer tours, the outdoor shows at Tanglewood and Wolf Trap, the friendships of musicians and actors, the saga of Lake Wobegon, the songs and sketches, Guy Noir, Dusty & Lefty, the sheer pleasure of standing in the warmth of that audience. A person could not hope for more than what I was given. Ive been fired over a story that I think is more interesting and more complicated than the version MPR heard. Most stories are. Its some sort of poetic irony to be knocked off the air by a story, having told so many of them myself, but Im 75 and dont have any interest in arguing about this. And I cannot in conscience bring danger to a great organization Ive worked hard for since 1969. I am sorry for all the poets whose work I wont be reading on the radio and sorry for the people who will lose work on account of this. But my profound feeling is that of gratitude, especially to my wife Jenny, and for this painful experience that has brought us even closer together.

Meanwhile the coming days and weeks will be a pivotal moment for Lauer, and how he behaves will likely determine the fate of his career.

Will he, like Weinstein, accept some of the blame, but also hedge and make excuses and deny? Will he, like Louis C.K., be self-aware, accept responsibility and express remorse? Time will tell.

But if hes wise, hell act swiftly, apologize plainly and make amends to the women in question and to his millions of fans.

***

Curtis Sparrer is co-founder and principal at Bospar.


Evan Kraus

Communications technology does a terrific job in connecting individuals, but it also divides people into tribes, APCO Worldwides Evan Kraus said at the Institute for Public Relations research symposium in New York on Nov. 29.

Tribes, of course, have existed throughout time. While they once were groupings of native peoples, todays tribes could be team t-shirt wearing softball players heading for a game on the National Mall, noted Kraus.

He said technology cuts both ways, making it easier for people to find/join tribes and for PR people to reach them.

During a smart and crisp 20-minute presentation, Building Brands in an Influencer Dominated World, Kraus focused on the importance of targeting super-influencers, who represent 12 to 15 percent of the overall population.

Kraus, who is APCOs president and managing director, said savvy communicators reach out to super-influencers as they are the tribal leaders. Who are they?, asked Kraus. Get to know them and find out how they feel about you.

The super-influencers can pull together their tribes to either carry the water or go after a PR firms client.

Kraus views todays technology-driven tribes as mobs carrying cellphones rather than pitchforks.

These people are not barbarians at the gate, he joked, rather they could be developed as allies to help spread a clients message.

Kraus said technology and the rise of social networks have made the traditional way that companies communicate (e.g., create and push out their own messages) obsolete.

Similarly, the old brand promise of offering the best price/quality/reliability doesnt resonate with todays consumers who want to identify and engage with brands.

Kraus cited APCO research that found consumers want companies to take a stand on social issues, believe the private sector will assume duties once performed by the central government and feel solutions to societys major problems will come from businesses.

He pointed to the Trump Administrations decision to walk away from the Paris global warming accord as an example of local mayors and businesses stepping into the void left by Washington and committing to reduce pollution.
The City Of Flint Now Has A Permanent Water Source For The Next 30 Years Elijah C. Watson Elijah Watson serves as Okayplayer's News & Culture Editor. When

The city of Flint now has a permanent water source.

READ: Black-Owned Business To Help Replace 18,000 Contaminated Water Pipes In Flint

The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) out of Detroit will now be providing water to Flint after a contract between the two was unanimously approved by the six-member GLWA board on Wednesday, MLive-Flint Journal reports. The 30-year water contract was also approved by the Flint City Council after a federal judge forced them to make a decision on it.

The contract included a number of amendments made by the Flint City Council such as:

guaranteeing Flint a seat and representation on the GLWAs board for at least the next four-year term, a $750,000 grant to the city for estimated water bill relief, easier access for Flint to $100 million funds earmarked for lead service line replacement, and a request from Gov. Rick Snyder for the General Motors engine plant to resume using Flints water supply.

Also included in the amendments is the council removing language that made Flint responsible for paying the legal fees of the water authority in the event of a lawsuit.

Not only is there an economic benefit by having a lower wholesale charge, but the offset credit (via payment of the citys $7 million Karengnondi Water Authority debt), as noted, GLWA CEO Sue F. McCormick said.

Flints current short-term contract with GLWA ends on Thursday, November 30. A couple of months ago came a report that women who were exposed to the high levels of led in the citys drinking water suffered from fertility issues. Fertility rates dropped by 12 percent among women in Flint, while fetal death rates rose by 58 percent after April 2014, according to research conducted by assistant professors and health economists David Slusky (Kansas University) and Daniel Grossman (West Virginia University).

The post-2014 percentage is important considering it was around that time that the city switched from water supplied by the city of Detroit to using the Flint River as a drinking water source, without adding needed anti-corrosives to the water, to save money. In the Kansas study, Flints birth and fetal death data was compared to similar data from 15 other large Michigan cities, including Detroit, with Slusky concluding that Flints numbers fell off a cliff, and the rest of the cities stayed pretty much constant after 2014.

Research from both Slusky and Grossman also revealed that the sex ratio of babies born in Flint skewed slightly more female following the water change, and Babies born in Flint were also nearly 150 grams lighter than in other areas, were born a half-week earlier and gained 5 grams per week less than babies in other areas examined over the time period.

Source: mlive.com
The loss of quorum at meetings by the National Commission for Energy, Housing and Utilities Services Regulation (NCER) jeopardizes stable operation of energy companies, NCER Head Dmytro Vovk has told Interfax-Ukraine.

"The absence of one member of the commission since November 13 has made it impossible to make a significant number of both strategic and operational decisions that were prepared in good faith by the commission during the last three or four months. As a result, there are obvious delays in the introduction of a new bill on the electricity market, daily balancing for the natural gas market, the development of renewable power sources and the risks of stable operation of generating and distribution companies related to the non-approval of tariffs and the distribution of funds for 2018," he said.

Vovk said that due to the specifics of the legislation, regional electricity supply companies will be left without funds as early as December 1, 2017.

"One of the ways out of this situation is to make changes in the legislation that would ensure continuity of the commission's activities. The amendments are worthy of consideration by the Verkhovna Rada, if only because they would allow raising more than $500 million to green energy together with OPIC," he said.

As reported, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko earlier dismissed Borys Tsyhanenko as a member of the NCER, reducing the number of members of the commission along with its head to three, below a quorum.

Tsyhanenko has been on a sick leave since November 13, thus the NCER could not make any decisions.
Leni Rauschenberg recalls the challenges her parents faced during World War II.

We were Germans living in a Polish neighborhood (in Winona, Minnesota), said Rauschenberg, who is 91. Her mother and father had immigrated in 1926, before Adolf Hitlers rise to power, but some of the Polish people thought we were Nazis. My parents had to work through that and did so in a very proud way of becoming citizens of the United States.

When Rauschenberg gives to Goodfellows, her parents are on her mind.

I just think of my father often and know how hard he had worked during his lifetime, Rauschenberg said.

Her father, Arno Rauschenberg, worked at The World-Herald as a proofreader in the early 1960s. He died in 1963. Previously, he had worked at German-language papers  the Omaha Tribune and a newspaper in Minnesota  as a Linotype operator.

Rauschenberg herself is a hard worker. In January, she retired after many years in the health industry.

In the 1960s, she worked in a medical lab in Saudi Arabia. For 40 years, off and on, she worked for the Nebraska Medical Center. She spent the last 17 years doing part-time clerical work for the Olson Center for Womens Health.

Her work ethic is unmatched, said Lana Molczyk, director of the womens health resource center at the Olson Center. Ive never had anybody (else) that has been able to contribute such valuable work later in life.

Rauschenberg said she was proud of her parents for all they went through as immigrants. I think they did very well as citizens and were proud to be citizens of the United States, she said.

All money donated to Goodfellows, The World-Heralds charity, goes directly to help those in need. None of the money is used for administrative costs.
Companies that lose lawsuits over workplace sexual harassment can find themselves facing monumental jury awards  the record so far is $185 million against retailer AutoZone.

But how does a complaint from an aggrieved employee become part of a lawsuit against an employer in the first place?

The anatomy of most workplace sexual harassment lawsuits starts with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That federal law was passed by Congress and placed workplace conditions under the jurisdiction of federal courts, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of religion, race, color and gender.

What it all adds up to is that just as motels, restaurants and stores cant refuse to serve people based on certain characteristics, neither can employers discriminate in hiring, or in treating people the same once hired.

The law doesnt mention sexual harassment  only discrimination. But if someone is required to provide sexual favors as part of their employment  or subjected to unwanted behavior or comments of a sexual nature  regulators, judges and juries over the years have decided it all adds up to the same thing.

The EEOC and courts have taken the view that harassment is a form of employment discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, said Ken Wentz, a labor and employment lawyer with the Omaha office of the Jackson Lewis law firm.

Sexual harassment over the years has come to be well-defined by the courts. It can be unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature to include touching; words written or spoken about looks, clothing and the like; spreading of rumors about a person; suggestive glares or glances upon a person; and the display of images on posters or screen savers.

Also, sexual discrimination doesnt have to be sexual in nature. If a person is being treated differently at work in any material fashion because of gender, that, too, is discrimination and grounds for sexual harassment complaints.

Finally, the unwelcome conduct must be pervasive or severe and create a hostile working environment. Attorneys practicing in the field say one unwelcome comment, even if crude, typically doesnt meet the test. One unwanted case of touching or other physical contact, however, can.

In any case, if someone has been subject to such behavior, he or she should notify the employers human resources department, if the company has one and the employee has been made aware of the procedure for handling sexual harassment claims. Attorneys practicing in the field say failing to do so could get a civil lawsuit thrown out not long after it is filed.

(There is an exception if the harasser is the victims supervisor. Labor and employment attorneys recommend contacting a lawyer first thing to determine if the harassment qualifies as a tangible employment action. If so, the harassed person could be entitled to pursue a lawsuit straightaway to recover lost wages and compensation for psychological harm.)

Some people might wonder what the company has to do with it in the first place  why not keep the dispute between the people involved? The simple answer: Congress said so.

Paula Brantner, a labor and employment attorney with the Maryland-based advocacy group Workplace Fairness, said there is no individual liability for violations of the law under Title VII, although it does exist in some states and cities under local law.

There may be individual civil liability, or even criminal liability, if you have an assault or touching, but absent that, the liability belongs to the employer, Brantner said. The theory is that the employer is responsible for facilitating the behavior by failing to provide a harassment-free workplace, giving power or authority to the harasser and, in certain cases, not adopting or enforcing policies that sufficiently prevent the unwanted behavior.

Simply put, the way workplace law has developed  a pattern of how judges and regulators have interpreted the law over the years  has concluded that the intent of the legislation is to hold employers responsible for workplace conduct.

Once an employee files a complaint with the HR department, a number of things can happen:

 The company can investigate the complaint and take immediate corrective action by firing, moving, reprimanding, suspending or otherwise discipling the offender. That usually amounts to what attorneys call an affirmative defense, or enough to typically immunize a company from losing a lawsuit over the harassment, provided the corrective action was effective in stopping the misconduct.

 If a lawsuit is contemplated, a complaint must first be filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the state employment commission. Attorneys say it is best to consult with a lawyer first, as the information contained in the complaint could affect a prospective lawsuit, and how an attorney would go about representing the aggrieved person. There are also deadlines, statutes of limitations, that can limit the ability to file suit if too much time passes.

 If the aggrieved employee hasnt been satisfied by the companys response and no comprehensive affirmative defense is evident, some workers sue on the basis of Title VII discrimination. For small employers not covered by Title VII, there are sometimes local laws such as those in Omaha and Lincoln that also prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender.

After all that, sexual harassment lawsuits go through the typical pretrial and trial procedures, sometimes concluding with a settlement offer extended by the employer, other times ending in victory for one party or the other.
As sexual harassment allegations pile up around the world  and powerful men are knocked from their perches  some employers are reviewing their policies meant to combat such behavior.

Local labor attorneys and human resources experts say there is room for improvement in how some employers handle claims of sexual harassment. And its important for employers to be paying attention not just to create a good environment for workers: Employers themselves can be legally liable if their employees engage in harassing behavior.

Theres a growing sense that theres a paradigm shift going on right now, that theres going to be much more scrutiny and attention to these kind of issues on the part of employers, said John Challenger, president and chief executive of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a Chicago personnel consulting firm who has done work in the region.

For companies looking to combat harassment, it usually comes down to the sometimes ambiguous notion of company culture, said Kelli Lieurance, a partner at Omahas Baird Holm law firm who focuses on labor and employment issues.

What that means: First, creating a culture in which harassment doesnt happen at all. Then, if harassment does happen, its a culture in which victims feel their claims will be taken seriously.

Companies can start by having a clear policy on sexual harassment and making clear who victims should report the behavior to, she said. Oftentimes, thats multiple people, usually including the employees direct supervisor, someone in human resources and even the CEO. That way, employees can feel comfortable reporting their own boss or someone up the chain.

Some local companies, including Union Pacific and First National Bank, offer anonymous hotlines to which employees can report alleged incidents of harassment  helping to maintain confidentiality and prevent conflicts of interest. The Nebraska State Patrol also recently announced an anonymous 24-hour hotline for the reporting of harassment among its employees after a female trooper alleged inappropriate behavior.

Lieurance, the Omaha attorney, said such hotlines arent a bad idea. One issue can come up, though: Anonymously reported allegations can sometimes be difficult to investigate, she said. Some companies hire independent investigative bodies to look into claims of harassment, especially in smaller companies where a victim might feel like he or she will not get an unbiased view.

So how can companies effectively handle such claims internally  or stop them before they happen? Lieurance said mandatory training about sexual harassment for every employee  every year or every other year  is a good start.

It promotes a dialogue at the very least and that helps start to shift culture, Lieurance said.

Ken Wentz, an attorney at the Omaha office of the national Jackson & Lewis law firm who specializes in advising employers on labor and workplace law, agreed.

Wentz said that when he conducts training classes for rank-and-file workers, he is always buttonholed afterward with a story of a friend or relative confronting such trouble at work.

Second, the human resources department should be empowered to handle such claims  even if the alleged harasser is the president or CEO of the company, experts said.

Giving them the authority to suspend the highest-level person if theres a pending investigation shows the victim that we are taking this really seriously, and theres no free pass here, Lieurance said.

Managers, too, should feel empowered to tell someone to cut it out if they are making offensive jokes or comments.

HR departments also should take clear action when a claim is brought forth, and there needs to be some communication about what was done. That doesnt mean making the discipline public, but there should be some acknowledgment to victims of harassment that their complaint was valued and handled, Lieurance said.

Broad statements from company leaders that sexual harassment will not be tolerated also can encourage people to come forward.

Its those little things that add up to a culture in which people do feel valued and protected and safe, Lieurance said.

World-Herald staff writer Russell Hubbard contributed to this report.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) would additionally finance the Ukraine Residential Energy Efficiency Financing Facility (IQ energy) by providing EUR 18 million, EBRD Director for Ukraine Sevki Acuner has said.

Today the bank signs additional limits for financing with existing and a new partner, he said at a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday, adding that the EBRD is providing over EUR 18 million.

Sub-loans of EUR 10 million and EUR 7 million will be provided to existing partners of IQ Energy facility  UkrSibbank and OTP Bank respectively. A credit limit of up to EUR 1 million will be opened for new partner-bank Credit Agricole. These banks will be able to finance over 18,000 projects of individual borrowers, he said.

"It will be a cash credit of up to UAH 300,000 per person for us," Member of the Board of Credit Agricole Halyna Zhukova said.

IQ Energy Head Oksana Bulhakova said that 12,000 Ukrainian households have taken the credits and received around UAH 320 million for energy efficiency.

"The volumes of the facility have been expanded 10-fold, which pushed us to the signing of the agreement on additional financing," Deputy Board Chairman of UkrSibbank Volodymyr Radin said.

As reported, earlier the EBRD doubled compensations under IQ Energy facility to EUR 3,000 per individual. The total financing reached EUR 15 million.

The IG Energy facility was designed by the EBRD to increase residential energy efficiency in Ukraine.
The trial must go on.

A judge in Douglas County on Thursday refused a defense attorneys motion to declare a mistrial after the defendant shot himself in the head Wednesday.

Omaha attorney Michael Bianchi had argued that defendant Thomas M. McLaughlins presence in court was essential to the defenses case because he had planned to testify on his own behalf.

But Douglas County District Judge Leigh Ann Retelsdorf ruled Thursday that McLaughlin, by shooting himself outside his Ashland home, had essentially waived his right to testify or be present in court.

Under previous court rulings, a defendant cannot force a mistrial through his behavior. In one case, a federal appellate court upheld the continuation of a trial after a defendant drank a cocktail of alcohol and meth and had to miss the rest of his trial.

McLaughlin, who turned 70 on Wednesday, had sat in court Tuesday and listened as two girls testified that McLaughlin had sexually assaulted them.

McLaughlin also was served with divorce papers this week.

When he didnt show up for court Wednesday, Saunders County Sheriffs Deputy Jeff Morris went to check on him.

Morris testified Thursday that he pulled into McLaughlins driveway and saw him on the ground outside the home. A revolver was next to him, his eyes were closed and blood pooled near his head. Morris thought he was dead.

As Morris returned to his cruiser, he heard mumbling and movement. He turned to find McLaughlin moving his hands near his chest.

Morris called for a rescue squad to hurry. McLaughlin was able to squeeze a paramedics hand in response to questions, Morris said.

McLaughlin, a retired architect, now is in extremely critical condition at Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy. Bianchi said doctors plan to reduce some of the drugs he has been given to gauge his brain activity.

The trial wrapped up Thursday. Jurors deliberated a little more than an hour before recessing for the evening. Deliberations are expected to resume this morning.

Douglas County prosecutors Molly Keane and Sean Lavery allege that McLaughlin sexually assaulted a 7-year-old girl multiple times over several months. He also is awaiting trial on five counts of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in Saunders County.
LINCOLN  Two persons of interest in the disappearance of a 24-year-old Lincoln woman have been located, but authorities say more public assistance is needed before the case can be solved.

The process of talking to them and bringing them back is in motion, said William Iverson, supervisory deputy U.S. marshal for Nebraska, who did not specify where the pair were found. A lot of things in this case are changing by the hour.

Sydney Loofe has been missing for two weeks, and Loofes last known activity was going on a date with 23-year-old Bailey Boswell, whom she had met online.

Boswell has confirmed via a social media post that she went on a date with Loofe before Loofe disappeared.

Online jail records indicated Boswell and the other person of interest, 51-year-old Aubrey Trail, were being held early Friday in the Taney County Jail, which is in the Branson area of Missouri. Federal holds had been placed on both of them.

Later in the morning, however, they no longer were listed on the Taney County's jail census.

Boswell and Trail are from Wilber, Nebraska, authorities say. Loofe last was seen in Wilber about 40 miles south of Lincoln in Saline County, and police say the circumstances surrounding her disappearance are concerning.

With a photo button of his missing daughter pinned to his chest, Loofes father, George Loofe, stood before a half-dozen TV cameras Thursday and asked the public to do the right thing.

Law enforcement officials echoed that request in asking for the publics help in obtaining information about Loofe.

Randy Thysse, special agent in charge of the Omaha FBI office, said anyone with information should call 402-493-8688 and select option 1.

When asked if there was hope for Loofe to be found alive, Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister responded immediately.

Yes, he said. Absolutely.

An FBI spokesman emphasized the value of help from the public.

That is something that we are really trying to push, said Huston Pullen. We are still hopeful that we will be able to recover Sydney and bring her home to her family.

Trail and Boswell have posted at least three videos online talking about Loofe. Wednesday, Trail and Boswell posted a video to the Finding Sydney Loofe Facebook page offering to tell our side.

In a video posted to Facebook overnight, Trail said, Weve pretty much decided to turn ourselves in and see where this goes. Trail also said he didnt kill Loofe.

Im a crook, Im a thief, have been all my life, he said. But Im not what youre trying to make me out to be.

In the Thursday video, Trail said, We dont want to go to jail ... but god damned if Im gonna stand here and be accused of doing something to someone.

He also said, Ive never hurt a female in my life, so take that for whatever the hell its worth.

Bliemeister said that several law enforcement agencies have been working diligently on the case and that Lincoln police have been working around the clock to find Loofe.

A warrant has been issued for Trail in Saline County charging him with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The warrant was filed and withdrawn, but officials said Thursday that it had been refiled.

Boswell is being sought on a warrant out of Lincoln charging her with failure to appear in court related to possession of an ounce or less of marijuana and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.

Wednesday, authorities said they were searching for Loofe in Saline and Gage Counties. One place being searched was a pond a couple of blocks north of Wilber-Clatonia High School.

Bliemeister said that at one point, more than 50 law enforcement personnel were involved in the searches but that they did not discover any new evidence to lead authorities to where Loofe might be.

Late Thursday morning, that pond was still. The only evidence of the previous nights search were fire hoses used to drain some water from the pond and tire tracks in dried mud.

Loofes picture and a plea for information has been circulating online for days. Its on billboards in Lincoln and Omaha and on the door of a gas station in Wilber.

A woman who worked with Loofe at the Menards store in north Lincoln described her as a very responsible employee who would fill in for others. It would not be like her to miss a day of work, she said.

Loofe has worked at the store for six years, said the woman, who spoke on condition that she not be named.

She was a very nice person. Sweet, the woman said.

World-Herald staff writers Andrew J. Nelson and Paul Hammel contributed to this report.
NEW YORK (AP) - Former "Today" show host Matt Lauer, fired for sexual misconduct, said Thursday that repairing the damage that he has caused is now his full-time job.

Lauer's first public response to his firing was read by his former co-host, Savannah Guthrie, on the show where he had worked since 1994 before being fired Tuesday night. His downfall was the broadcast's lead story.

"I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly," Lauer said in the statement. "Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and I'm committed to beginning that effort. It is now my full-time job."

Lauer was fired after an NBC employee came forward Monday to detail what NBC News chief Andrew Lack described as Lauer's "inappropriate sexual behavior" that began at the Sochi Olympics in 2014. Since then, NBC said two other women have come forward with complaints, with one telling The New York Times that Lauer had sexually assaulted her in his office in 2001. An investigation by Variety magazine revealed a pattern of alleged salacious behavior, including three women who said they had been sexually harassed by Lauer. All made their complaints anonymously.

Lauer said that some of what has been said about him is untrue or mischaracterized, "but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed." He did not specify which allegations were true or untrue.

"The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws," he said. "It's been humbling."

For the second day in a row, he was replaced by Hoda Kotb on "Today," giving the show an all-female lead anchor team. NBC is faced with the task of suddenly replacing the man who has been the most visible figure in morning television news, the most lucrative part of the network news business. CBS has the same task, since "CBS This Morning" host Charlie Rose was fired last week for after several women he worked with detailed sexual misconduct charges.

The list of prominent men felled by misconduct allegations has seemed to grow by the day, especially since a pattern of sexual assault by Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was revealed this fall. In the media alone, Lauer joins a list that also includes his former NBC News colleague Mark Halperin, the late Fox News chief Roger Ailes, Fox News prime-time host Bill O'Reilly and National Public Radio newsroom chief Michael Oreskes. On Wednesday, former "Prairie Home Companion" host Garrison Keillor was cut loose by Minnesota Public Radio over an allegation of "inappropriate behavior."

In the wave of accusations sweeping through the media, Hollywood and politics, the stature and wealth that once served as protection have turned into flimsy shields. Lauer's downfall was stunningly swift.

Lack said it was the first complaint lodged against Lauer in his 20 years at NBC, but "we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident." After the new reports came forward, NBC emphasized it was the first time that its current news management had heard of the complaints.

Hours after the firing, the trade publication Variety posted what it said was a two-month investigation that included dozens of interviews with current and former staffers who asked to remain anonymous.

Among other things, Variety reported allegations that Lauer once gave a colleague a sex toy with an explicit note about how he wanted to use it on her; that he exposed himself to another female co-worker; that he would question female producers about their sex lives; and that he would talk about which co-hosts he would like to sleep with.

Messages to Lauer and his agent were not immediately returned, and NBC would not say whether he denied or admitted to any wrongdoing.

Lauer is married with three children. His statement on Thursday mentioned the damage he had left behind "at NBC and at home."

Lauer's "Where in the world is Matt Lauer?" segments were popular for years, and he regularly played a lead role at the Olympics and other major news events. He had been assigned as one of the hosts for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony from Rockefeller Center that NBC televised on Wednesday night.

For many years, "Today" was the unquestioned ratings leader, until it was eclipsed by ABC's "Good Morning America" following the ugly 2012 firing of Lauer's co-host Ann Curry. The show had stabilized in recent years with Lauer's pairing with Guthrie.

Regarding Keillor, Minnesota Public Radio gave no details about his firing, but the 75-year-old Keillor said he put his hand on a woman's back to console her and he inadvertently touched her bare skin through an opening in her shirt.

In an email to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Keillor said he apologized to the woman, she told him she forgave him and the two remained friends "right up until her lawyer called."

Minnesota Public Radio said it will end distribution of the radio program "The Writer's Almanac," Keillor's daily reading of a poem and telling of literary events, and end rebroadcasts of old "Prairie Home Companion" episodes.

Copyright 2017, the Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Ukraine's forex reserves as of November 30, 2017 grew to $19 billion compared with $18.7 billion as of early November, thanks to the successful placement of currency-pegged government domestic loan bonds by the Finance Ministry this week, Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Oleh Churiy has said.

"Banks have extra currency liquidity," he told reporters in Kyiv on Thursday, commenting on the raising of some $1.5 billion by the Finance Ministry.

Churiy said that in contrast to the previous auction to sell currency-pegged bonds this time these are new investments, and not reinvestment of funds from payment for the bonds.

He recalled that free currency liquidity of Ukrainian banks exceeded $4 billion, which creates conditions for cheap placement of government domestic loan bonds by the Finance Ministry.

Churiy said that in the second half of December the Finance Ministry will have a rollover for earlier issued currency-pegged bonds.
In the mid-1980s, Eugene Goodman was measuring ground working part-time for the United States Department of Agriculture in Marshalltown, Iowa, when he spotted a broken balloon caught in a fence.

He walked over to it and noticed a note was attached. On one side it said the sender was Andrea Russo from Wake Robin Elementary School, and she sent the note for a reading project. On the other it asked the finder to return the message after writing information about him- or herself.

The balloon had traveled nearly 200 miles.

Planning to do as it asked, Eugene put the tag in his truck for later and went back to work. When he went to bring it inside, it was nowhere to be found.

I knew I had it but I could never find out where, Eugene said.

It escaped his mind for a few weeks. Once he found it, the paper made its way into his home. However, he misplaced it and eventually forgot about it completely. His wife Jean knew nothing about this.

You must have really forgotten, because I dont think you ever mentioned it to me, Jean told him.

In the summer of 2015, Eugene sold his family farm and packed up to move to Ankeny, Iowa. In the move, he found the tag, but then lost it and forgot about it for the third time.

Then, this October, Eugene was looking for something else when he stumbled across the note. Immediately, he wrote a letter to the school explaining the situation and asking Andrea to contact him.

There were a few problems with his request. First, Andrea was in the fourth grade when the balloon was released, so she was long gone from Wake Robin; second, Eugene forgot to leave his phone number.

Still, those at the school did what they could to help. They contacted retired teachers who might have known Andrea. One remembered her and knew her parents, as they were also retired Bellevue teachers.

Andrea, whose last name was changed to Ericksen after getting married, read the letter in disbelief.

I was actually really surprised, shocked that he did save it, Ericksen said. I was more in awe that somebody found it and then kept it for 32 years.

She searched online for Eugene Goodmans in Iowa, and found the right one.

After 32 years, Eugene, now 85, came to Bellevue Nov. 18 to return the tag in the home Ericksen grew up. His wife Jean made the road trip with him.

The families talked about common interests, such as farming, and how the letter survived so many years.

Ericksen said she remembers a few students in her class receiving responses, and she wanted one at that time as well. But, good things come to those who wait.

When youre a little kid you want somebody to find it instantly and have that instant gratification, but, obviously I had to have a lot of patience to get it back, Ericksen said.

She said shes glad it took 32 years. Its a much better story to tell.

After chatting, Eugene and Ericksen drove to Wake Robin and released balloons with a new note. It documented their experience and asked the finder to contact them.

They hope to hear back soon this time.
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The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has pointed out the importance of starting the privatization of state-owned enterprises (SOE) to support further economic recovery of Ukraine, EBRD Director for Ukraine Sevki Acuner has said.

He said that the Ukrainian economy has finally stabilized. A stable growth of 2-2.5% a year is seen. Some reforms important for the public are being implemented, for example, health, educational and pension reforms. Active movement and active growth is outlined in some sectors: IT and renewable energy, and investment are growing there, Acuner told reporters in Kyiv on Thursday.

However, the public sector, SOE reform should be resumed and the privatization should be launched. This is will be one of the important reforms next year, he said.

Acuner said that EBRD's plans regarding state-owned banks do not change: they are to be fully commercialized.

The Ukrainian government, namely the Finance Ministry, is now designing a strategy for developing state-owned banks and it envisages the privatization, in particular the majority privatization of Oschadbank, he said. Now they are to determine the strategic direction and the bank will work with these banks until they are fully commercialized, Acuner said.
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The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine has not yet decided on the privatization of Ukreximbank (Kyiv), board member at the financial institution Oleksandr Schur has said.

"I would not like to talk about the privatization of our bank because we have mixed signals from our shareholder ... First there were statements about sale, then other signals. So I will avoid an answer on this issue," he said at a conference of the Fitch Ratings international rating agency in Kyiv.

The director of the financial stability department at the National Bank of Ukraine, Vitaliy Vavryschuk, in turn, said that the central bank, the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Finance had reached consensus on the need for the government to reduce its participation in the country's banking sector.

"The share of state-owned banks should decrease in the coming years. We expect the finalization of the bank's strategy. As far as I know, this should happen in the near future. We expect that we will receive a very clear and detailed roadmap for the coming years as the government intends to reduce its presence in the banking sector," he said.
In only his third week on the job, Portland Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero publicly apologized.

The new leader of Oregon's largest school district admitted to families he'd botched the rollout of a plan to break up an alternative program for Portland's highly gifted students.

The move was perceived as a de facto school closure by families and staff at Access Academy. They made clear they felt Guerrero did not understand their program, which serves highly gifted students who have a need that can't be met at their neighborhood school.

Parents organized, students spoke up, and Guerrero changed course.

Guerrero admitted he hadn't done enough to understand Access and said he was moved by their stories.

"I owe the school community an apology and I have to own it because I'm the new superintendent," he told Access families. "We needed all stakeholders at the table as we imagined that (plan)," Guerrero said. "Even though there were never any final decisions made, we're talking about you and you're not there and that doesn't feel right upon reflection."

Now the district says it's identified a building to house that program, but it involves ousting another program for students whose extensive educational needs could not be met at their neighborhood schools.

The Pioneer program serves the district's highest need special education students. Read more about that announcement here (link) and watch Guerrero's apology above.





 Bethany Barnes
Animal rights activists lashed out Wednesday at Oregon Health & Science University about an experiment that tested the effect alcohol has on prairie vole couples.

The animals are monogamous and will consume alcohol, a rarity among rodents.

The experiment aimed to mimic human relationships and determine whether the effect of alcohol on the brain caused a breakdown in relationships.

The researchers found that when both male and female prairie voles had alcohol, the males stuck to their mates. But male prairie voles who drank while their partner did not were more likely to wander.

The research was conducted at the Portland VA Health Care System, which is next to OHSU's main campus in Southwest Portland. It was led by a behavioral neuroscientist who has dual appointments at OHSU and the VA.

The experiment angered PETA, an animal rights group, which sent a letter Wednesday to OHSU asking why "these bizarre, pointless and deadly experiments were given institutional approval."

OHSU responded with a statement, saying in part that its animal experiments help develop "new ways to identify, prevent, treat or eradicate disease and to improve human and animal health. OHSU's views on this topic reflect those of other academic health centers, universities, physicians and scientists throughout the world."

The statement said the findings could lead to treatments to "prevent or possibly reverse the negative effects of alcohol in humans." It said that would help improve human relationships shattered by drinking.

The research, published this month in the journal Frontiers of Psychiatry, involved 150 prairie voles that were mated for a week. They were then separated with a mesh that allowed them to smell each other and interact. The pairs were divided into three groups. One was only offered water to drink. The second had both water and alcohol. In the third group of pairs, only the male had a choice of water and alcohol while the female only had water.

The males in that last group spent much less time with their partners than their peers in the other two groups.

PETA called the experiment "arbitrarily created" and not one that models human partnerships.

"Vole biology doesn't mirror human biology and these experiments are nothing more than a curiosity driven boondoggle with a serious body count," PETA science adviser Frances Cheng said in a statement.

PETA complained that the voles were kept in cramped, plastic housing then killed after the experiment. The study said the pairs were placed in "standard plastic housing" cages.

The female voles were euthanized after the study and analyzed along with their embryos.

OHSU said its animals are well cared for by a licensed veterinarian and overseen by a special committee as required under U.S. law.

The study was funded by two grants from the National Institutes of Health.

-- Lynne Terry
A unanimous U.S. Senate vote this week has given new hope to backers of promised housing for Native Americans along the Columbia River east of Portland.

In the wake of a White House decision to halt development of promised houses for Columbia River tribal members, a smaller initiative to maintain and upgrade 31 existing fishing sites where sometimes dozens of Native fishing crews live at least six months of the year is again gaining traction.

Oregon and Washington legislators again have asked for money to improve deplorable safety and sanitation conditions at small riverside camp sites, where tribal member launch boats, clean salmon and camp in tents and makeshift shacks.

The bill, which was introduced in March and approved by the Senate on Wednesday, calls on the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs to visit the sites and study what is needed to improve them, then bring the infrastructure in line with the amount of use they get. That would include improved sewer connections, electrical grids and adequate water, among other needs. Officials have not attached a dollar figure to the bill, nor has any money been allocated.

An amendment from Sen. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota, also passed unanimously. He asked that the federal comptroller assess whether the proposed work at the fishing sites was effective.

Last year, The Oregonian/OregonLive visited 31 sites that the federal government built to enable members of four tribes to maintain their U.S. treaty rights to catch salmon. Many were overcrowded, with 40 families crammed into a space meant for 20 people at one location. Almost all had bathrooms that backed up and not enough toilets and shower stalls. Trash overflowed at most sites, and people who stay jacked into the few solar panels at each spot for electricity. Other people used generators and propane heaters that occasionally caused fires. Only one had fire safety equipment.

The Oregon and Washington congressional delegations introduced a bill last year that called for cleanup money, but it died. They reintroduced the bill in both houses of Congress, where it needed to go through the committees in both before it could be voted on by the full chambers.

It stalled for much of 2017, but it passed the full Senate Wednesday. Oregon Reps. Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici, both Democrats, filed the same bill in the House. It has not moved since being introduced in March.

"Today, the Senate made a strong statement that the current conditions at Columbia River fishing sites are unacceptable, unjust, and must be fixed," said U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat. "I've personally seen the shocking conditions at Lone Pine. We owe better to the Northwest's tribal communities, and the very least we can do is ensure basic sanitation and safety. I'm going to keep pushing until this bill is at the President's desk and signed into law."

Bipartisan momentum was quashed, however, on the drive to create a new village for those who historically fished the Columbia River. That would do even more than the site upgrades to help members of the Warm Springs, Yakama, Umatilla and Nez Perce tribes.

"This is a positive step on our long road to properly honor our obligations to the Columbia River Treaty Tribes," said Washington Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat who co-sponsored the bill. "It's so important that we continue to make progress to provide safe, sanitary housing and infrastructure at these fishing access sites, so tribal members can exercise their protected rights."

The Office of Management and Budget has decided not to grant a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers request for almost $1.6 million to finish planning a village for tribal members near The Dalles. Those people or their ancestors were displaced when the federal government erected a series of Columbia River Dams that flooded their riverside villages.

Members of the four tribes lived along the river for centuries and lost their homes as well as their center of social and economic life when the Army Corps built three dams: Bonneville, then the Dalles and finally John Day.

In the 80 years since, tribal members instead moved onto the fishing sites, which were built to accommodate no more than 20 people apiece to camp temporarily during fishing season.

The subsequent decision to withhold the money "is an outrageous, unjust decision by the Trump White House," Merkley said in an October report by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Former Assistant Secretary of the Army Jo-Ellen Darcy allocated about $3 million in fiscal year 2017 to start planning a village at The Dalles Dam. But only half the money was immediately available under a continuing resolution that set budget priorities.

With that money, the Army Corps started conversations with tribal members and the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission about what they would want from a village, conducted cultural surveys and reports, took soil samples and did other testing.

The bulk of the work remains, though. In a letter from Kevin Brice, the deputy district engineer for project management, he says that Army Corps staff won't be able to draw designs for the village, evaluate various sites for their feasibility and socioeconomic impacts or identify the best one without the rest of the funds.

The money allocated to maintaining the sites is also running out quickly, due to the high level of use. The Bureau of Indian Affairs contracts with the Inter-Tribal Fish Commission to care for the sites. Once the money runs out, it is unclear how the sites would be cleaned or repaired.

"The bipartisan support for the Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites Improvement Act highlights the commitment of the Pacific Northwest, and its leadership from both sides of the aisle, to address the conditions at tribal fishing sites along the Columbia River," said Jaime A. Pinkham, executive director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. "We are grateful for their work and join the other voices from around Indian Country that are calling upon the House to act."

-- Molly Harbarger

mharbarger@oregonian.com

503-294-5923

@MollyHarbarger
Legislative officials responsible for choosing a firm to investigate accusations of sexual harassment against Sen. Jeff Kruse, R-Roseburg, will not say if a firm has been retained, even though the deadline to pick an investigator has already passed.

Sen. Jeff Kruse, R-Roseburg.

Legislative human resources director Lore Christopher is the person responsible for selecting an investigator to look into the allegations against Kruse, Betsy Imholt, chief of staff for Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, said last week. On Monday, Christopher referred questions about hiring of the investigator to Dexter Johnson, head attorney for the Legislature. Johnson did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

The investigation is called for under the legislature's anti-harassment rules. Its results are to be delivered to a special conduct committee of four senators -- two Democrats and two Republicans -- who will review the findings in public and vote what consequences, if any, Kruse should face. The full Senate can censure or expel its members on a two-thirds vote.

Sen. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis, submitted a formal sexual harassment complaint against Kruse on Nov. 15. She alleged he groped and improperly touched her over several years and also said Kruse harassed as many as 15 other women. Sen. Elizabeth Steiner-Hayward, D-Portland, went public with her own complaint on Nov. 21, alleging inappropriate touching. Kruse has denied wrongdoing.

According to the Legislature's anti-harassment rule, the official who fields a formal complaint -- in this case, Christopher -- must appoint an investigator within 10 days. That would put the deadline to pick an investigator for Gelser's complaint at Nov. 25, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The anti-harassment rule also says that when a formal complaint is filed against a lawmaker, the investigator cannot be a legislative branch employee and must "have experience conducting investigations of harassment."

Gelser said Wednesday that Lore told her the firm Peck Rubanoff & Hatfield PC had been hired Tuesday. The firm's website says it specializes "exclusively in management labor and employment law." Its attorneys generally represent employers, according to testimonials on the firm's website.

Sen. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis.

Prior to filing her formal complaint, Gelser submitted two informal complaints about Kruse's alleged misconduct. After filing the second informal complaint, in October, Johnson told The Oregonian/OregonLive he had launched a fact-finding inquiry and would interview all female state senators. A person familiar with the inquiry said Johnson asked senators questions about Kruse and his conduct and about how women are treated at the Capitol. Johnson did not respond to questions about the inquiry emailed Nov. 20.

The Oregonian/OregonLive filed a public records requests for documents pertaining to Johnson's inquiry, which concluded this month. His office denied the request, citing a law that lets the Legislature's legal office keep its records secret.

The Oregonian/OregonLive also filed a public records request Wednesday for the contract with the outside investigator. The state has not yet responded to that request.

-- Gordon R. Friedman

503-221-8209; @GordonRFriedman
Ron Wyden will receive an award Sunday for holding the most town halls of any U.S. senator this year.

Once Wyden holds planned town halls in Portland and Molalla this weekend, he will have had 80 such gatherings this year and 860 since he was elected to the Senate in 1996, according to his spokesman. While campaigning for the Senate, Wyden pledged to hold a town hall in every Oregon county every year, where constituents may ask any question they choose.

Wyden's 80 town halls this year far outpaces other members of the Senate, according to Town Hall Project, an organization that encourages face-to-face meetings between members of Congress and constituents and tracks town halls. The group plans to give Wyden its MVP Award during his town hall at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3, at the Cleveland High School auditorium.

Nathan Williams, managing director of Town Hall Project, said that "Wyden sets the standard every year for accessibility and responsiveness to his constituents."

"With his 80th town hall of 2017, he has clearly earned our MVP award by holding more town halls by far than any other U.S. senator," Williams said.

Wyden said he is honored to receive the award "on behalf of all Oregonians who have shown the rest of the country how participatory democracy is alive and well in our state."

"It was clear from the start of 2017 there was unprecedented interest in events in Washington, D.C., and I am proud to ensure Oregonians in every part of the state had unprecedented access to voice both their concerns and ideas," Wyden said.

Along with his town hall on Sunday at Cleveland High School, located at 3400 S.E. 26th Ave. in Portland, Wyden will hold a town hall in Clackamas County at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Molalla High School auditorium, 357 E. Francis Street, in Molalla.

-- Gordon R. Friedman

503-221-8209; @GordonRFriedman
A federal judge Wednesday ordered Nevada cattleman Cliven Bundy, his son Ammon Bundy and co-defendant Ryan Payne be released to house arrest as their federal conspiracy trial is underway in Las Vegas.

But the senior Bundy said he wouldn't accept the release conditions and objected to being let out of custody while other co-defendants in the Bunkerville standoff case still remain behind bars, according to his lawyer Bret Whipple.

"Cliven Bundy is a man of principle and the conditions of his release violated his principles,'' Whipple said. "His position is he never did anything wrong so he felt accepting the conditions of his release would be acknowledging wrongdoing.''

The sudden reversal by U.S. District Judge Gloria M. Navarro came at the end of the day, following a sealed court hearing Wednesday morning in which the judge and lawyers from both sides addressed multiple pending defense motions seeking dismissal of the case due to alleged delays or alleged withholding of discovery evidence by the federal government of information that could help in the defendants' case.

"Judge Navarro reevaluated the weight of the evidence and found her concerns were mitigated,'' said Daniel Hill, one of Ammon Bundy's lawyers.

Ammon Bundy is expected to be released between 8 and 9 a.m. Thursday, said attorney J. Morgan Philpot, Ammon Bundy's Utah lawyer. He will stay at a friend's or relative's home in the north Las Vegas area, and won't be allowed to leave Clark County without approval from a pretrial services officer, Philpot said.

Navarro told lawyers she planned to send to Oregon's U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown her proposed conditions for Payne's release before Payne could be released from custody, according to defense lawyers. That's because Payne has pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the 2016 armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and awaits sentencing in the Oregon case.

On Wednesday, Navarro ordered Cliven Bundy, son Ammon Bundy and Payne to be released to a third-party custodian, who pretrial service officers have to vet before releasing the defendants. They're expected to be placed under house arrest with electronic monitoring. If Cliven Bundy, 71, doesn't sign a form that he accepts the release conditions, he likely will remain in custody, Whipple said.

Whipple said he's never had a client before object to a judge's release order. "He said I'd prefer to be detained,'' Whipple said. "He's the boss, and I accept his position.''

Ammon Bundy didn't expect a release decision Wednesday, "but we were pleasantly surprised,'' Philpot said.

Cliven Bundy, his two sons and Payne face federal conspiracy, assault and extortion charges, accused of amassing armed supporters to thwart federal rangers and contractors from carrying out court orders to round up Bundy cattle illegally grazing on public land near Bunkerville. A jury trial began Nov. 14 and is expected to last four months.

In the days leading up to the trial, defense lawyers learned for the first time of federal officers on surveillance outside the Bundy Ranch, a camera overlooking the ranch providing live-feed footage to the cattle impound command center and federal threat assessments made of the Bundys prior to the April 2014 standoff.

The defendants have been in custody for almost two years since their arrests in Oregon.

Authorities arrested Cliven Bundy on Feb. 10, 2016, as he got off a plane in Portland to visit his sons. Two weeks earlier, Ammon and Ryan Bundy and Payne had been arrested in the 2016 armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Oregon. Even though Ammon Bundy and Ryan Bundy were acquitted at trial in federal court in Portland last year, they were then transferred to custody in Nevada to face the federal charges in the 2014 Bunkerville standoff. Payne pleaded guilty in the Oregon conspiracy case and was then transferred to Nevada to face the federal indictment there.

Cliven Bundy's son Ryan Bundy, who is representing himself, was released on the eve of trial, Nov. 13. Trial testimony is scheduled to resume Dec. 11.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian
Of the 7,500 licensed massage therapists in Oregon, for every six women there's one man.

Yet the vast majority who have lost their license due to misconduct, voluntarily surrendered their license or had their license suspended in the past five years are overwhelmingly men, according to Oregon Board of Massage Therapists data.

The Oregonian/OregonLive sought data and disciplinary records about licensed massage therapists in Oregon after a BuzzFeed News story this week reported more than 180 customers of nationwide chain Massage Envy have reported sexual assaults by their massage therapist.

Oregon records show four licensed massage therapists who worked at Massage Envy have faced complaints of inappropriate sexual touching since 2012.

As the number of licensed massage therapists in Oregon has increased nearly 44 percent since 2008, Oregon officials say they have taken steps to heighten the requirements to enter the profession. At the same time, they say demand is outpacing the supply of qualified LMTs. (Nationally, there are approximately 350,000 massage therapists in the U.S. and 11 percent are male, according to American Massage Therapy Association.)

BuzzFeed's story closely examined the policies and oversight at Massage Envy franchise outlets, of which there are 15 the Portland area. But ultimately, says the former chairman of the Oregon Board of Massage Therapists, the profession and its clients rely on the experience and ethics of individual massage therapists.

"This is an issue of power, control and opportunity," said David Fredrickson of Medford, who served as the board's chairman until this January.

Since 2012, 51 massage therapist licenses have been revoked, surrendered or suspended, Oregon records show. Of that, 37 involved men and 33 were for sexual-related offenses. Of the 14 women who surrendered their license, none were sexually related.

The sex-related cases included Benjamin Thomas Collura, 33, of Portland who in January was sentenced to two years in jail for sexual abuse of female clients. Seven women accused Collura, who once worked at a Massage Envy location, of making them touch his penis, or he touched their breasts or genitals over a three-year span.

The cases also included Sean Elder, 35, who in June was sentenced to 60 days in jail for sexually abusing a female customer in 2015. The customer accused Elder of touching her genitals during a session at Massage Envy in Clackamas.

Two years ago, the state board overseeing licensed massage therapists approved rules intended increase the minimum education standards to enter the profession but also beef up its ethical education, said Fredrickson, who served as chairman when the board approved new standards. Oregon joined more than 40 states that have worked to improve industry standards, he said.

Starting in July 2016, Oregon increased the minimum number of hours of certified education needed to obtain a license from 500 to 625. Also last year, in revising its continuing education requirements needed for license renewal every two years, the state board approved a new rule requiring four hours of ongoing education in "professional ethics, boundaries and/or communication." A total of 25 hours of continuing education are needed for license renewal.

The ethics requirement, Fredrickson said, was "a response to a perceived need...ethics is an issue of putting values into action on a moment to moment basis."

The potential for sexual abuse within the industry among men serving women clients "is something we're acutely aware of," said Robert Bike, who was licensed massage therapist more than 20 years in Eugene and teaches a massage ethics course at Lane Community College.

"We are put alone in a room with a woman who is largely unclothed and covered just with a sheet," Bike said. "I always worried about false accusation but that's never happened to me in my career, but it's something I always worried about."

Bike said he often brings up real-world stories from the massage industry as discussion topics in his ethics classes. The BuzzFeed article about Massage Envy undoubtedly would come up at his next class sessions in December, he said.

Bike and Fredrickson said people should get referrals for a qualified massage therapist in the same manner as they would find a doctor  through recommendations of friends or peers or through professional referral.

"I wish there was an easy solution to this," Bike said. "Teaching ethics, we reach people. But sometimes I'm teaching people who already have a good set of ethics."

--Allan Brettman

503-294-5900

@allanbrettman
Sheriff's deputies on Thursday took Tony Dreu Schneider Jr. into custody after he was sentenced to two months in jail and five years' probation for running a stolen-car crushing criminal-racketeering scheme through two North Portland auto yards he operated with his father.

Under heavily negotiated plea deals, both father and son will do limited prison time but were ordered to pay a total of $500,000 in restitution and fines to cover the costs of more than 100 victims who had their vehicles stolen and crushed.

"What was critical here was the criminal enterprise was shut down,'' said Kevin Demer, a Multnomah County deputy district attorney. "In this case, we're going to pay the victims 100 percent of their claims.''

The Schneiders paid cash to buy stolen cars from across the metro area then crushed them for metal, often before victims even discovered their cars were missing, according to police and prosecutors.

A network of illegal tow-truck drivers hauled the cars off area streets and delivered them to the family's auto yards, A-1 Light Truck & Auto Parts and West Coast Car Crushing on North Columbia Boulveard. The car dismantlers would destroy the cars without titles or ownership documents as required by state law, prosecutors said.

A 2014 investigation by The Oregonian/OregonLive found the state DMV and Portland police had evidence dating back at least eight years that the two car crushers were a dumping ground for stolen cars. But neither did anything to stop them. In fact, the operation was such an open secret that police would send people to the two auto yards to check for themselves if their stolen cars had ended up there.

The father and son have so far liquidated about $207,000 in property, and the government previously seized $100,000 from their accounts.

Defense lawyer Tony Schwartz said Schneider Jr., the oldest son, grew up in the family business, describing it as "all he knows.''

"This event has been eye-opening for him. It's been an awakening, and he plans to do things differently,'' Schwartz said, as his client stood beside him. "He accepts responsibility and apologizes to all the victims.''

While Schwartz said no direct evidence showed the younger Schneider stole any cars, he acknowledged the 36-year-old managed and supervised the auto yards. He now recognizes "more diligent'' controls and tracking of paperwork should have been maintained on the cars accepted and crushed for metal sales, Schwartz said.

In late October 2016, Schneider Jr. pleaded no contest to one count of racketeering and one count of operating a vehicle dismantling business without certification.

During the past year, he and his father have been required to liquidate their assets to help cover the restitution. They have had their state-issued vehicle dismantler and towing licenses revoked, dissolved their auto businesses, and were ordered to provide monthly financial information and other account information to state officials during a 10-year period, under the negotiated deals. Equipment seized by law enforcement during the investigation -- including a car crusher, tow trucks and flatbed trucks -- also was expected to be liquidated.

Tony Schneider Sr.'s sentencing was set over until Jan 18. He is expected to serve one year and three months in prison under the negotiated plea agreement. Additional time in custody will be possible if they violate any conditions of their probation.

Their negotiated time in custody is significantly below the maximum sentence of 20 years allowed for racketeering, or the maximum five-year sentence for tampering with a witness.

Key portions of the state's case against the Schneiders fell apart last year after an Oregon Court of Appeals ruling prompted a judge to dismiss one of the two racketeering charges that both father and son faced. The state also moved late last month to dismiss all charges of illegal salvage procedures against the defendants due to legal challenges.

Another factor that hampered the state's prosecution was the failure of the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles to properly monitor the two businesses.

When the Schneiders entered their pleas, lawyers for the father and son said their clients were alarmed a massive police investigation was launched before any serious attempt was made by state motor vehicle inspectors to enforce their regulations. They also argued that a small percentage of the many thousands of cars taken and processed by their clients were stolen.

The father and son have agreed not to re-enter the dismantling industry without permission from the court. Schneider Jr. may apply in 2 years to get back into the business, his lawyer said.

As part of the negotiated deal, the prosecutor agreed to drop the pending cases against Schneider Jr.'s wife, Katrina Schneider. Charges against Schneider's Sr.'s wife, Kimberly Schneider, will be dropped after her husband is sentenced. Both spouses were in the courtroom Thursday.

Multnomah County Judge Eric J. Bergstrom mostly listened to the lawyers and just warned Schneider Jr. that if he violates his probation, he could face up to four years in prison. After the sentencing, the judge directed his clerk to call for sheriff's deputies to take Schneider Jr. into custody.

"Mr. Schneider, now's the time to say goodbye to your family,'' Bergstrom said

Schneider Jr. hugged his wife before two sheriff's deputies placed his wrists in handcuffs behind his back and led him from the courtroom as his father looked on.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian
The Pechersky District Court of Kyiv on Wednesday at a meeting on the "Maidan case" considered 15 volumes of pre-trial investigation materials attached to an application for permission for a special pre-trial investigation against former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, the next meeting was scheduled for December 4.

"To date, the court has examined 90 volumes (out of the total of 92 volumes) of the materials attached to the application. The proceedings are ongoing, the next meeting will be held at 09:00 on December 4, 2017," the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine reported on its Facebook page.

On Wednesday, the court heard testimony of witnesses  Yanukovych's former advisers and MP Oleksandr Yefremov and MP Viktor Medvedchuk. According to their testimony, Yanukovych's circle of close associates included Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Vitaliy Zakharchenko and Chief of the Security Service of Ukraine Oleksandr Yakymenko. At the same time, they had no major influence on Yanukovych and he made all the decisions independently.

Ukrainian MP Sergiy Tigipko also gave the evidence. He reported the embezzlement of the state funds by Yanukovych and his immediate entourage through corruption schemes. "According to Tigipko, the path of reforming the country turned out to be unprofitable for Yanukovych, that's why he opted for the forceful clamp down on public protest actions," the Prosecutor General's Office said.

Ukraine's second president (1994-2005) Leonid Kuchma confirmed repeated conversations with Viktor Yanukovych about protests and the inadmissibility of using force against the protesters. Yanukovych was also offered to dismiss Zakharchenko to end the political crisis and disband the Cabinet of Ministers, but the then president did not accept such proposals.

Servicemen of the president's security service under the State Guard Administration confirmed in their testimonies the circumstances of Viktor Yanukovych's move from Kyiv to Kharkiv and then to Donetsk on February 21-22, 2014, and also said that on February 23 he left the territory of Ukraine on Russian military helicopters.

The protocols of the viewing of video-appeals, interviews in online publications and press conferences by Yanukovych in Russian media after February 23, 2014, were also considered.

The court also examined in full the written materials attached to the appeal about the terrorist attack committed by employees of the Berkut riot police unit on Instytutska Street in Kyiv on February 20, 2014. The testimony of witnesses - ex-employees of the Main Directorate of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine in Kyiv confirmed the issuance of 7.62 mm AKM assault rifles and Dragunov sniper rifles and cartridges to them to the Berkut officers on the orders of regiment commander Serhiy Kusiuk on February 18, and their further use against the protesters on February 20, non-return to storage facilities and the disappearance of the documents for their issuance.

As reported, in these proceedings, Yanukovych is suspected of organizing abuse of power and authority by law enforcement officers in order to prevent the holding of assemblies, rallies, marches and demonstrations, which led to casualties among protesters, organizing premeditated murders of and attempts on participants in mass rallies in the central part of Kyiv on February 18-20, 2014, and a terrorist attack on Instytutska Street in Kyiv on February 20, 2014.
NABU employees will not be detained after incident with State Migration Service official

Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) Artem Sytnyk has said that no NABU employees will be detained after the incident with First Deputy Head of the State Migration Service Dina Pimakhova.

"Regarding the further fate of these proceedings and employees of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the prosecutor general said that no one would be detained, no NABU employees would be taken into custody," Sytnyk said at a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday after a meeting with Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko.

According to him, yesterday's actions of a NABU employee, an officer working under cover, were part of a respective operation, which has been conducted since this spring.
Germany will provide an additional EUR 750,000 for humanitarian projects of the Malteser Relief Service in Ukraine in 2018-2019, the German Embassy in Ukraine has reported.

"The government of the Federal Republic of Germany will continue to provide support to the Malteser Relief Service to continue its humanitarian assistance project with the aim of psychosocial care of persons affected by the conflict in eastern Ukraine. For this purpose, Germany will allocate about EUR 750,000 in 2018-2019," the embassy said in a statement on Thursday.

The project provides for the development of skills of representatives of local authorities, humanitarian agencies and support services in the form of training events, as well as providing direct services to support those affected by the conflict in Donbas.

The embassy said that earlier this project received EUR 1.2 million in support from the German government.

The diplomats said that target areas of the measures are Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where mobile teams are deployed to help people in remote areas.
Friday 1 December 2017 10:11am



Yellow-eyed penguin that died as bycatch in a net set for school shark and rig attached. Photo: supplied.

A new review whose authors include University of Otago scientists highlights the serious risk fishing nets pose to the survival of New Zealands iconic hoiho/yellow-eyed penguin, and calls for urgent Government action to improve the species chances of survival.

In findings published in the scientific journal Endangered Species Research, the international team of researchers has produced the first global review of penguin bycatch, which identifies the endangered yellow-eyed penguin as one of three penguin species of significant concern.

University of Otago PhD graduate and New Zealand penguin scientist Dr Ursula Ellenberg, who initiated the global review, says the research identifies set nets (known in other countries as gillnets) as the fishing gear causing most penguin deaths.

Set nets - walls of fine nylon mesh used to catch fish by the gills  are used by around 330 commercial boats in New Zealand waters, and they are also used by recreational fishers.

Diving birds like penguins are unable to see the fine mesh underwater, and become entangled and drown, says Dr Ellenberg.

She adds: In the past 20 years, yellow-eyed penguins have declined by 76 per cent at previous population strongholds. We have reached the point where every bird counts.

Yellow-eyed penguin numbers have dramatically declined in recent years, with only 246 breeding pairs left on the South Island. Local community groups, tourist operators, and researchers collaborate with governmental agencies to control predators, restore breeding habitat, and manage visitors around breeding colonies. However, the threats the penguins face at sea remain unmanaged.

Penguins are seabirds, conservation measures on land alone will not save them from extinction, says Dr Ellenberg.

Its the threats at sea we are most concerned about.

Whereas there is no quick fix for climate change or marine habitat degradation, there is one thing we can do immediately to improve their chances of survival. We can stop drowning them in set nets.

Researchers link the low numbers of reported yellow-eyed penguin deaths to the low observer coverage (less than 3 per cent of boats). Based on the limited observer data, one recent study estimates that set nets kill an average of 35 yellow-eyed penguins each year.

Given the yellow-eyed penguins precarious situation, this level of bycatch warrants urgent attention, says Forest & Birds seabird advocate Karen Baird.

Preventing their deaths in set net fisheries is a major priority in saving this species from extinction.

The Ministry for Primary Industries have previously assessed the risk from fisheries bycatch to mainland yellow-eyed penguins as high. Yet so far they have failed to act to protect penguins, or threatened marine mammals from commercial fishing, says Ms Baird.

The review recommends a number of actions to tackle the problem, including the presence of fisheries observers or video monitoring on vessels to monitor bycatch, and managing set net fisheries in important penguin foraging areas to reduce bycatch deaths.

We welcome the proposed introduction of video surveillance on fishing boats as an important step in monitoring and reducing bycatch. But for the yellow-eyed penguin, the situation is so urgent that we also need to immediately establish set net closures in important yellow-eyed penguin foraging areas, says Ms Baird.

Dr Ellenberg says temporal/spatial management of set netting would benefit other penguin species and marine mammals such as Hectors dolphins.

"The aim of such management is to make sure that nets are not set in areas that are important foraging hotspots for threatened species. Setting the nets at night can considerably reduce the bycatch of penguins since these are visual hunters and mostly forage during daylight hours.

"We are losing yellow-eyed penguins across their entire breeding range. Breeding areas which I remember as buzzing and noisy with penguin life during my PhD research 10 years ago have now become silent and overgrown with only the odd pair hanging on.

"In recent years you observe more and more loners on empty nest bowls, penguins that wait and call for their partners which have been lost at sea and will never return. It's really disheartening.

MPI needs to act urgently and work with the fishing industry to tackle this problem, before we lose yellow-eyed penguins from the mainland altogether, she says.

The article 'Tangled and drowned: A global review of penguin bycatch in fisheries' has just been published in the scientific journal Endangered Species Research. http://www.int-res.com/prepress/n00869.html

Director of Wildlife Management at the University of Otago, Professor Phil Seddon, and Otago Department of Zoology honorary research fellow Dr Thomas Mattern, also contributed to the article.

Contact:

Dr Ursula Ellenberg

Mob: 027 66 111 33

Email: ursula.ellenberg@otago.ac.nz

Notes for journalists

The review shows the level of bycatch is of greatest concern for three species: Yellow-eyed penguins, and Humboldt and Magellanic Penguins, both found in South America.

The review has been coordinated by BirdLife International, of which Forest & Bird is a partner.

The review represents the collaborative work of 29 co-authors from across the globe. Dr Ursula Ellenberg initiated and contributed to the review, Dr Thomas Mattern, University of Otago, and Forest & Birds seabird advocate Karen Baird are also an important contributors.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/g28kz7h0hvk89ef/AAA-h8DwflgAMeYwHUpGz0CLa?dl=0

(Please credit Natural History New Zealand for this video footage, if using).
Independent Bank Corp., the holding company of Independent Bank announced that it has promoted Russ Daniel as executive vice president - operations and digital banking, and Patrick Ervin as executive vice president - mortgage banking.

Daniel has held numerous roles with the company, including most recently senior vice president of retail and mortgage lending at Independent Bank. In his new role, he will be responsible for loan servicing, deposit operations, IB insurance services, as well as Independent's digital banking strategy.

Daniel joined Independent Bank over 19 years ago as a commercial lender, after nine years of commercial and retail bank management experience in both Baltimore, Maryland and West Michigan. He has a BBA from William and Mary and an MBA from Western Michigan University. He is currently board chair of the State of Michigan Habitat for Humanity and a board member of the Habitat Michigan Fund.

Ervin joined Independent Bank in September 2016, as senior vice president mortgage banking. He has been instrumental in leading the organization's growth into additional markets in Southeast Michigan and Ohio, more than doubling Independent's mortgage volume in one year.

Ervin brings 25 years of experience in the mortgage arena with a resume that includes first vice president Standard Federal Bank and vice president TCF Bank. Most recently, he was executive managing director mortgage banking and servicing at Talmer Bank and Trust, where he grew retail originations to over $1.4 billion annually and managed over $6 billion of mortgage loan servicing.

"We are pleased to welcome both Russ and Pat to the Executive Team of Independent Bank. The vast experience and success that Russ brings, along with Pat's record of dramatic growth through sustainable sales and operations, are highly valuable assets to our Company," said President and CEO, Brad Kessel.
Michigan State University's the Axia Institute recently welcomed industry experts, researchers, educators and students to its 2017 Value Chain Summit: Adding Value to the Supply Chain, hosted at the Midland Country Club.

The day-long summit featured a keynote address by Dan Futter, commercial vice president, Dow Consumer Solutions; a presentation by David Frayer, assistant dean for Executive Development and Professional Programs at MSU's Eli Broad College of Business; and an expert panel that shared insights about the competitive advantage of integrated value chains.

The summit also featured presentations of Axia-sponsored research projects by six principal investigators who shared their results and demonstrated the projects' ability to address world challenges.

"This year's summit provided an opportunity to look at cutting-edge research projects that identify new ways to add value from end-to-end, throughout the supply chain," said Katherine A. Franz, executive director, the Axia Institute. "The summit was an excellent forum for bringing companies together with MSU to share ideas and learn about the ways we can partner together to address some of our world's grand challenges."

Located in downtown Midland, MSU's the Axia Institute sees value chains through an integrative lens, conducting applied research that companies can use to revolutionize their businesses.
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During his active duty with the 460th Service and Supply unit of the Midland National Guard in Saudi Arabia in 1990, Ted Lehman sent a video home to his wife Lisa showing what the camp looked like. On the video he said, "Don't worry. We're safe. We're safe." Lisa began crying while watching the video and their 2-year-old son, Nathan, went to her and patting her knee said, "Don't cry, Mommy. Don't cry."

Ted Lehman joined the Midland unit of the Michigan Army National Guard when he was a junior at Dow High School. He attended boot camp for eight weeks at Fort Leonard Woods the summer between his junior and senior years.. He went back to school to finish his senior year and after graduation in 1987 he spent 12 weeks at Fort Dix in New Jersey in Advanced Individual Training to become a light wheel vehicle mechanic.

In July 1989, Lehman and Lisa Bauer were married.

In August 1990, the 460th Service and Supply Unit of the Midland National Guards was activated and Lehman found himself along with 160 National Guardsmen sent to Fort Knox in Kentucky.

In October 1990, the Midland unit was sent to Saudi Arabia. Iraq had invaded Kuwait.

Throughout the years of the Cold War, the Soviet Union had been an ally of Iraq. The United States was concerned with Iraq's position on Israeli-Palestinian politics and disliked the support that the Iraqi government showed for Arab and Palestinian militant groups. By 1979, the United States had put Iraq on its list of terrorists.

President George H. W. Bush deployed U.S. forces into Saudi Arabia and urged other countries to do the same. The coalition was made up of other nations providing soldiers, aircraft and ships. The United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and Egypt contributed the most, but many countries joined in.

The war that ensued marked the first time that live news broadcasts from the front lines of the battle were available on television.

Operation Desert Shield was the name for the buildup of forces from Aug. 2, 1990 to Jan. 16, 1991. Operation Desert Storm was the name for the air and land conflict that went on from Jan. 17, 1991 to Feb. 28, 1991. Some 35 nations led by the U.S. formed the coalition against Iraq when it invaded and annexed Kuwait.

On Jan. 17, 1991, an aerial and naval bombardment began and continued for five weeks. A ground assault on Feb. 24 followed. The coalition was victorious, liberated Kuwait and advanced into Iraqi territory. A ceasefire was declared 100 hours after the ground campaign started.

The "Scud" missiles made television news when Iraq launched them against military targets in Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Lehman remembers the tents that they lived in during their time in Saudi Arabia. He said there was just one night that he slept in a building, not a tent, and that was the night before he flew home.

Food was Meals Ready to Eat. Once in a while they had tins containing ravioli for a change. Mail was regular with a two week lapse between letters. When he wrote back home to Lisa and when she wrote back to him there would be a two weeks gap.

Each platoon had a certain job. The laundry detail also handled the shower facilities for the men. There was the food platoon, the fuel platoon, the grave registration platoon. The trucks for combat were shipped over to Saudi Arabia after being painted a desert tan color.

The Guards were usually two days behind the ground troops. Lehman remembers vividly seeing the highway that threaded through the desert where Iraqi troops had been hit by air strikes.

Before the ground war started, Lehman and several of their unit would drive a truck into town and eat in a restaurant. There were enough people in Saudi Arabia who spoke a little English so buying things or paying for something wasn't a big problem. He remembers buying a bottle of Mountain Dew and he handed the man a $1 bill. The man didn't have quite enough change so he added a stick of gum to the change. When he went to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia he saw a McDonald's restaurant there. When asked what he ate when he went to a restaurant, he said, "Chicken."

He noticed that in Kuwait he seldom saw one working. All the manual labor was done by Filipinos.

The men were able to shop on their days off. Lisa has an exquisite pair of earrings made of Kuwait gold. A tiny gold pyramid sits on top of gold fringe on the earrings. She also has a necklace made from Kuwait gold. They are prized possessions. She also has a daisy pressed in an album, faded after a quarter century and minus two petals but infinitely precious because it was thrown to her by Ted as he drove by in a truck headed for Fort Knox.

In April 1991, the Guards flew back to Fort Knox from Saudi Arabia for a week and were then bused to Midland where a parade in their honor was given. After the parade, they went to the Armory and then home.

While Ted was in Saudi Arabia, Lisa attended college and took care of Nathan, their first son. In 1992 they welcomed a daughter, naming her Theresa after Ted's grandmother.

Both are still working. Their son Nathan, after graduating from Central Michigan University, is co-manager of a Kroger store in St. Johns. Lisa smiled and said, "He's working his way up." Next summer Nathan will be married.

Their daughter, Theresa, is expecting her second baby, a little boy. That will make two grandchildren for Ted and Lisa. Theresa's first child was a little girl she named Arianna Rose,

In spite of being a grandfather, Ted said, laughing, "I still feel up here (pointing to his head) like I'm 18 or 20 years old."

Ted and Lisa attend the annual reunions of the Michigan Army National Guards each summer. The name has been changed from the 460th Midland National Guard Service and Supply to the 1460th Transportation Company. Still the camaraderie remains strong. Friendships forged in war remain part of a veteran the rest of his life.
The appointment of members of Ukraine's Central Election Commission (CEC) must not be delayed, Head of the European Union's Delegation to Ukraine Hugues Mingarelli has said.

"I almost every week over the course of a year have said it is necessary to confirm the appointments of 13 new CEC members. I hope political leaders of the country understand that these new 13 CEC members must be appointed without delay," Mingarelli said during a conference, titled "Freedom of Expression and Election Process in Ukraine," on Thursday in Kyiv.

Mingarelli said the EU would closely monitor the draft Election Code.

"Inasmuch as there are already some victories for society at large, it is very important that the second reading of the bill reflects them. Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada must facilitate adoption of the new code, of the election system," the diplomat said.

Mingarelli said new transparent election rules should be adopted on time, and not immediately before conducting the elections.

As earlier reported, during the summer of 2016 Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko submitted his quota of candidates (11) to fill CEC positions.

The 7-year term of 12 of 15 CEC members expired on June 1, 2014, but they continue to fulfill their duties based on changes to the Law on the Central Election Commission adopted in March 2014 with the aim of ensuring the continuity of the election process during the presidential election campaign.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Kelly Dame.

Tuesday, Nov. 28

1:28 p.m. -- A deputy issued a trespassing notice to an 18-year-old woman at a Homer Township school after the woman did not complete assignments and became aggressive with a teacher.

1:29 p.m. -- A Larkin Township woman, 52, reported her daughter had been assaulted in the city of Midland.

3:31 p.m. -- A deputy investigated a referral from the Department of Health and Human Services regarding the mistreatment of a vulnerable adult in the form of misuse of bank accounts. The investigation found no crime had been committed.

6:31 p.m. -- A Midland Township resident reported teenage neighbors rang his doorbell then ran off. The man had already spoken with the parents of the teens and wanted deputies to be aware in case there were future incidents.

Monday, Nov. 27

10:38 a.m. -- Police made arrests for driving without a valid license and on a warrant in the 6900 block of Eastman Avenue.

11:50 a.m. -- A Lee Township man, 22, was taken to the emergency room for a mental health evaluation after a neighbor asked that the man, who was behaving oddly, be issued a trespassing notice.

5:09 p.m. -- Police investigated a hit and run traffic crash in the 4000 block of Wellness Drive.

8:18 p.m. -- A window was broken from a 2000 Saturn while it was parked for sale at an Ingersoll Township home. Damage is set at $150.

9:09 p.m. -- Officers were sent to a domestic assault at a Lilac Street address.

11:59 p.m. -- Police responded to a domestic assault at a Swede Avenue address.
To the editor:

I am writing in response to the letter in the Nov. 22 edition titled Its time to do more about guns written by Aria Segura. While everyone is entitled to their opinions, it would be nice if they were to use a little more logic in forming those opinions and make sure that they have sufficient data.

Obviously, we need to do more to reduce violence, particularly terrorism, in our country. I dont have any real answers, but lets look at the facts. According to the FBI, the murder rate in the U.S. in 2014 (most recent data available) was the lowest since before 1960.

Looking at suicides, data from the OEDC show the U.S. to have a rate similar to Norway, Sweden and New Zealand while being significantly below Switzerland and only about one half that of Japan (Good grief! Private gun ownership in Japan is almost non-existent.). If people really want to kill themselves, they will find a way (I believe that jumping in front of trains is a favorite in Japan.).

Terrorism, whether radical Muslim or otherwise, is a real problem. However, for the three worst mass killings in U.S history, the weapons of choice were airplanes, gasoline and fertilizer/fuel oil. Just a few weeks ago, we had a mass killing using a truck.

Again, I dont have concrete answers; however, we need to concentrate on identifying the people who might commit these crimes and worry less about the specific method they might use.

JON A. OXLEY

Midland
The number of wounded from the explosion of two grenades in the city court of Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk region has increased to ten people, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Regional Police Department Hanna Starchevska has said.

"Unfortunately, the number of people who were injured as a result of the explosion of grenades, has increased to ten," Starchevska said in a comment to Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday.

She later reported that two of the victims were in the operating room for the moment.

As reported, on Thursday at 11:20, in Nikopol during a court hearing of the murder case, the father of the deceased pulled out two grenades and blew them up. He himself died in the explosion. Early reports put the number of people injured with shrapnel at seven: three defendants, two members of the escort service, court staff and several civilians, their identities are being established. All the injured were taken to hospitals.

A criminal case qualified under Part 2 of Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (premeditated murder) has been opened.

According to media reports, in February 2016, unidentified persons started shooting at the Geely car, killing two passengers. One of them was the son of the man who blew himself up in court. The man blew up the grenades after the court again postponed the meeting, having repeatedly done so in the past.
ONGOING

A Bad Moms Christmas

104 min.; R (crude sexual content/language throughout, drug use)

The over-burdened mom trio returns this time rebelling against the expectations of Christmas.

Coco

109 min.; 2-D/3-D; PG (thematic elements)

An aspiring musician enters the Land of the Dead to work out the mystery of his family's ban on music.

Daddy's Home 2

98 min.; PG-13 (suggestive material, language)

Brad and Dusty must deal with their intrusive fathers during the holidays.

Geostorm

109 min.; 2-D/3-D; PG-13 (destruction, action, violence)

A network of satellites designed to control the global climate start to attack Earth.

Jigsaw

91 min.; R (grisly bloody violence/torture, language)

A new string of grisly murders suggests that the late John Kramer, aka Jigsaw, isn't dead after all.

Justice League

121 min.; 2-D/3-; PG-13 (sci-fi violence/action)

Fueled by his restored faith in humanity, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince.

Lady Bird

94 min.; R (language, sexual content, brief graphic nudity, teen partying)

A look at a year in the life of a young woman living in Northern California.

Murder on the Orient Express

114 min.; PG-13 (violence, thematic elements)

Detective Hercule Poirot investigates a murder on the famed train, with 13 passengers as suspects.

Roman J. Israel, Esq.

129 min.; PG-13 (language, violence)

An idealistic defense attorney finds himself in a crisis that leads to extreme action.

The Star

86 min.; PG (thematic elements)

A donkey and his animal friends become the unsung heroes of the first Christmas.

Thor: Ragnarok

130 min.; 2-D/3-D; PG-13 (intense sci-fi violence/action, suggestive material)

Thor finds himself in a lethal gladiatorial contest against the Hulk, his former ally.

Wonder

113 min.; PG (thematic elements, bullying, language)

A boy with facial differences enters a mainstream elementary school for the first time.

AT THE NORMAL THEATER

Loving Vincent

94 min.; PG-13 (mature thematic elements, violence, sexual material, smoking)

A young man investigates the final days in the life of artist Vincent Van Gogh. (8 p.m. Nov. 30 and Dec. 2)

Scrooged

101 min.; PG-13 (language)

A selfish, cynical TV executive is haunted by three spirits bearing lessons on Christmas Eve. (8 p.m. Dec. 1, 10:30 p.m. Dec. 2)

Elf

97 min; PG (mild rude humor, language)

A man raised as an elf at the North Pole goes in search of his true identity. (10:30 p.m. Dec. 1, 7 p.m. Dec. 3)

We're No Angels

106 min.; unrated

Three Devil's Island escapees hide out in the home of a kindly merchant over the Christmas holiday. (11 a.m. Dec. 2)

The Bells of St. Mary's

126 min.; unrated

At a big city Catholic school, a priest and nun indulge in friendly rivalry. (7 p.m. Dec. 5)
Coming soon

Just Getting Started: Latest in the "seniors gone wild" genre of giving veteran actors like Morgan Freeman and Tommy Lee Jones the right to headline a big Christmas season release, just like Lemmon and Matthau back in their "Grumpy Old Men" heyday. Freeman plays the freewheeling, high-living manager of a luxury Palm Springs retirement resort. His big man on campus status is challenged by the arrival of a retired military man, played by Jones, who checks in, leading to a showdown of the AARP-ready alpha males. Rene Russo, now playing mature woman roles herself, is the romantic interest caught betwixt. Oh, it's a Christmas movie because it all takes place during same, including the kidnapping caper that follows. Joe Pantoliano, (the, alas, late) Glenne Headly, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Elizabeth Ashley and George Wallace co-star.
NORMAL  A steeple topped by a cross now graces the Wittenberg Lutheran Center on South Main Street near College Avenue, giving greater visibility to the campus ministry near Illinois State University.

But it might not have been there if not for an accident in April that could have been tragic.

When Wittenberg's pastor, the Rev. Bill Jensen, saw the extensive damage caused when a car crashed into the building, his first concern was for the driver  who, police said, was going more than 90 mph.

He was thankful to learn the motorist was not badly hurt and that no students were in the kitchen when the car plowed through the brick wall and through a brick storage shed at 3 a.m.

The motorist, who was charged with multiple criminal and traffic offenses, just missed hitting a utility pole, which Jensen said might have saved the building but probably would have killed the driver.

His next concern was how to repair the building and, if possible, have some good come out of the incident.

Leave it to God to be able to put something back together better than it was before, said Jensen. We have a lot to be thankful for.

Almost immediately, people contacted him asking how they could help.

The combination of insurance money and donations allowed Jensen to not only repair the damage to the building and replace the contents of the kitchen but also add a long-desired steeple and cross.

On Dec. 10, the center will have a dedication ceremony celebrating completion of renovations and the tower project. The 30-foot-tall tower with the steeple and cross will be dedicated in remembrance of the Rev. Robert Lange, campus pastor at Wittenberg from 1977 to 1991, who died in July.

Members of Lange's family are expected to attend along with former students and Lange's former secretary.

It's kind of a reunion of sorts, Jensen said.

He hopes the addition will make us more visible and more identified as a chapel than before. So does ISU senior Samuel Bishop, who attends services at Wittenberg.

Bishop said people sometimes thought the center was a campus building or a bank.

There's no better way to say you're a religious building than having a steeple and cross, said the chemistry major from Marquette Heights.

About 70 students are served by the campus ministry, attending Sunday services, midweek chapel services or Bible study classes or just hanging out, said Jensen.

The whole purpose of our being here is to be a home away from home, he said.

The accident occurred shortly before finals week at ISU and Jensen said students often studied there late at night, knowing they could make hot chocolate or throw a pizza in the oven.

ISU sophomore Hannah Einfeldt of Bourbonnais, an early childhood education major, often studies there.

Pastor Bill and (his wife) Cindy are amazing people and will help you in any way possible, she said.

Bishop said, When I'm not in class, I'm usually here. It's quiet here and you can get a lot of homework done.

He said, "Having a church home is important. It's a blessing that this building is here."

Serving as a general contractor on such a major project might be a daunting task for most ministers. It's not a skill usually taught in seminaries.

But before becoming a minister, Jensen worked for nearly 20 years as a project manager for a Springfield construction company.
Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin has said that the Ukrainian side does not accept any ultimatums on the implementation of the law "On Education", and is confident that the Venice Commission will confirm the importance of knowledge of the Ukrainian language, the local newspaper Galka has reported.

"We do not accept any ultimatums and statements either. I am sure that the Venice Commission, which is meant to check the law, will confirm the importance of knowledge of the Ukrainian language," Klimkin said.

The minister also added that the Ukrainian side will discuss the implementation of the law with the Hungarian and Romanian communities. "This is Ukraine's business, as regards what we want to do and the way we will do it. We will discuss this with the communities  with both the Hungarian and Romanian ones," he said.

"Zakarpattia region is a European interaction of the society for us. We can not take away the chance from those people who, due to the fact that they do not know Ukrainian language enough and sometimes do not understand what country they live in, be able to enter the civil service or politics," Klimkin said.
Armed robbery  A 17-year-old boy was arrested after allegedly using a gun to rob someone selling him a cellphone Wednesday in the 3000 block of East Washington Street.

Police said the victim and suspect arranged the sale online. Police said the suspect approached the victim about 1:24 p.m. at the designated meeting spot, displayed a gun, took the cellphone and ran.

There were no injuries.

Police located a suspect matching the robber's description nearby a short time later. The boy was arrested and taken to the to the McLean County Juvenile Detention Center on an initial charge of armed robbery, and the phone was recovered.

The U.S. Marshals Task Force and McLean County Sheriff's Department assisted with the investigation.

The BPD has offered the use of its front parking lot to people buying and selling goods through online marketplaces to help ensure safe transactions.

Fatal crash  A 23-year-old Urbana man died in a single-vehicle crash near Paxton on Tuesday afternoon.

Illinois State Police said Angel L. Paiz, 23, was driving a 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix west on Illinois 9 at 2380 East Road about 12:17 p.m. when the car left the roadway and overturned several times, ejecting him.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Ford County Coroner Doug Wallace.

The crash was about a mile east of Paxton.

The investigation into the crash continues, police said.
The McLean County Health Department is in charge of food inspection in the county. Restaurant inspection scores provide a snapshot of how successfully a business meets food handling, storage, processing and service standards on a given day. Inspections are conducted one to four times each year.

Each routine inspection starts out with 100 points. There are 45 items or categories under which violations can be written. Each item has a weight assigned to it that contributes to the score.

Critical items are those violations that are more likely to contribute to food contamination, illness or other food safety hazards; they are worth 4 to 5 points. Critical violations include, but are not limited to: improper food temperatures, contaminated foods, cross-contamination and poor personal hygiene.

Non-critical violations are worth 1 to 2 points and are unlikely to directly contribute to food-borne illness; however, they do affect the overall sanitation level of the food service establishment. Non-critical violations include, but are not limited to unclean floors, soiled surfaces, and general maintenance and cleanliness of the facility.

If a food establishment is found to pose an imminent threat to public health, it is asked to discontinue operation until violations have been corrected.

The inspection scores and number of violations found during each inspection are posted on the McLean County website at: http://health.mcleancountyil.gov/582/Food-Establishment-Inspection-Scores.

The following are McLean County restaurant inspection scores from Oct. 26 through Nov. 8.

American Legion Post #79, 100 N. Main, LeRoy; Re-inspection, Nov. 6; score, 100.

Bloomington Country Club, 605 Towanda Ave., Bloomington; Oct. 31; score, 93; six violations reported. Comments: Lobster meat and sausage in bottom of prep cooler with no label. Food items removed from original container held over 24 hours must be labeled.

Boba For Life, 502 Prospect Rd., Bloomington; Nov. 2; score, 100.

Buffalo Wild Wings, 603 Main St., Normal; Nov. 8; score, 93; five violations reported. Comments: Two-door Cabinet Beverage Air and one-door Traulsen cooler are broken and need repaired or removed from kitchen if not planned for future use.

Burger King, 1617 N. Main St., Normal; Nov. 1; score, 99; one violation reported. Comments: Floor tile under leg of ice bin at drive-thru area is damaged and collects water, around floor drain in that area as well. Some areas of baseboard coving are showing age/wear. Some hard to reach areas of floor are soiled/visible greasy accumulation.

Cardinal Place Pizza, 1608 Northbrook Drive, Normal; Nov. 8; score, 98; one violation reported. Comments: Old food debris present on prep table in kitchen. Clean and sanitize all food contact surfaces and utensils.

Carls Ice Cream II, 1700 W. College Ave., Normal; Re-inspection; Oct. 31; score, 95; three violations reported. Comments: List of ingredients on label of prepackaged ice cream is missing  continue working on labeling all containers.

Caseys General Store, 911 Morrissey Drive, Bloomington; Nov. 7; score, 95; five violations reported. Comments: Ice cream stored on soda crates in walk-in ice freezer off of back room. Store all food on approved shelving. Ice build-up present in walk-in cooler off of kitchen.

Caseys General Store, 710 W. Cleveland Ave., Heyworth; Nov. 1; score 90; seven violations reported. Comments: Two date labels/stickers are present on cheese sauce in pizza prep cooler. One label was dated 10/29 and the other label was dated 11/1. No ingredient label present for dessert bar at main cash register.

Cold Stone Creamery, 301 Veterans Parkway, Normal; Nov. 1; score, 95; three violations reported. Comments: Silver King two-door cooler at front is empty/not in use. Replace or remove. To be removed. Igloo one-door cooler is in use at front; not NSF/commercial per Mclean County ordinance. Some heavy frost buildup on doors inside Master Bilt blast freezer.

Cookies by Design, 1520 E. College Ave., Normal; Oct. 27; score, 87; seven violations reported. Comments: Air temperature in True cooler is temping 47 F to 50 F. Sweet Cream butter is temping 39 F. Unit may be in defrost or temperature may be high due to the high volume of going in and out of cooler. Coca-Cola cooler has an ambient air temperature of 39 F. Sweet Cream butter was moved to freezer and shell eggs were move to Coca-Cola cooler in back area.

Cookies by Design, 1520 E. College Ave., Normal; Re-inspection; Nov. 6; score, 87; seven violations reported. Comments: Air temperature in True cooler is at 44 to 48 F. Per Person-in-charge, cooler had an air temperature of 41 F this morning. Cream cheese was temping 45 F and was discarded in trash. Do not store any potentially hazardous foods in this unit. Contact repair person to service cooler.

Copper Top Lounge, 1107 W. Locust St., Bloomington; Nov. 8; score, 84; 10 violations reported. Comments: Beef mac in walk in cooler - no date - corrected by discarding.

Danvers Fast Stop, 100 E. Exchange St., Danvers; Nov. 8; score, 92; four violations reported. Comments: Pizza prep cooler unit is holding TCS food items at around 53 degrees F. TCS food / drink items need to be held at 41 degrees and below. TCS food items in prep cooler was discarded. (Bacon, pepperoni, sausage, shredded cheese, pre-made sandwiches).

Destihl Restaurant and Brew Works, 318 S. Towanda Ave., Normal; Re-inspection; Nov. 6; score, 97; two violations reported. Comments: Coolers along cookline - some have torn gaskets.

Double Quik, 212 W. Gridley Road, Gridley; Oct. 27; score, 91; six violations reported. Comments: Keep one-pound bag of sugar and any other condiments covered and protected when not in use.

Elroys, 102 W. Washington St., Bloomington; Re-inspection; Oct. 31; score, 90; nine violations reported. Comments: Several shelves where clean pans are stored and where bread is stored are in poor condition.

Epiphany Farm Restaurant, 220 E. Front St., Bloomington; Oct. 31; score, 87; 10 violations reported. Comments: Torn gasket at bottom of two-door cooler (Anju Above). Replace. Shelving inside two-door reach-in cooler, across from 12 burners, is rusting. Replace. Coating of shelving unit in walk-in cooler is deteriorating. Replace or have repaired. Torn gasket of right door of two- door cooler in back of kitchen. Cooler is currently holding large amount of shell eggs.

Famous Daves, 1603 B. Morrissey Drive, Bloomington; Nov. 8; score, 89; six violations reported. Comments: Fruit fly presence noted in sink (located next to fountain soda) and drain of sink. Clean drains, apply the drain cleaner and contact pest control.

Fat Alberts, 106 E. Gridley Road, Gridley; Oct. 27; score, 85; 12 violations reported. Comments: Properly label all foods/soups to be reused and or reheated for next day use. This label should include first day and time product to be reheated is placed in cooler.

Fiesta Ranchera, 1500 E. Empire, Bloomington; Nov. 1; score, 77; 12 violations reported. Comments: Shredded cheese in top of 1 door prep cooler is reading 50 F  cheese is being stored above cold holding line of cooler. Discarded in garbage.

Fiesta Ranchera, 1500 E. Empire St., Bloomington; Re-inspection; Nov. 8; score, 90; eight violations reported. Comments: Packaged food and boxes of peppers stored below condensation line in walk-in cooler and several containers of food stored uncovered in walk-in cooler and on steam table.

First Wok  kiosk at Afni, 1415 N. Main St., Bloomington; Nov. 7; score, 100.

First Wok, 1415 N. Main St., Bloomington; Oct. 30; score, 86; nine violations reported. Comments: Cooked chicken in reach-in cooler is not covered. Cover all containers of food in storage.

Flat Top Grill, 307 Veterans Parkway, Normal; Nov. 7; score, 84; nine violations reported. Comments: Cut tomatoes on the fresh food line measured 44 to 48F. Discarded.

Game Day Grill, 2 River Run, Downs; Oct. 30; score, 81; 10 violations reported. Comments: Raw shell eggs stored above ready-to-eat items in walk-in cooler. Store raw food product below ready-to-eat products to avoid possible cross contamination. Corrected.

Giordanos, 1505 N. Veterans Parkway, Bloomington; Re-inspection; Oct. 31; score, 97; two violations reported. Comments: Several cartons of food items found stored directly on floor of walk-in cooler.

Golden House, 2203 E. Washington St., Bloomington; Re-inspection; Nov. 1; score, 100.

Great Steak & Potato Company, 1615 E. Empire St., Bloomington; Nov. 7; score, 89; six violations reported. Comments: Baked potatoes, dated 10/25 , are past seven-day hold time -Discarded in garbage.

Happy Hour, 716 S. Eldorado Road, Bloomington; Re-inspection; Nov. 7; score, 90; six violations reported. Comments: Live roaches observed on monitoring boards and live roaches observed in various areas.

Hyatt Place, 200 Broadway Ave., Normal; Nov. 27; score, 95; two violations reported. Comments: Cottage cheese on breakfast cold plate on breakfast buffet temperature was 51 degrees. TCS cold food items need to be held at 41 degrees and below. Plate put between bottom of cottage cheese container and cold plate keeps cottage cheese container from direct contact with cold plate.

Hy-Vee (meat, seafood, bakery), 1403 N. Veterans Parkway, Bloomington; Nov. 6; score, 92; six violations reported. Comments: Bakery microwave is missing door handle. Carbon build-up visible on bakery metal food racks, baking containers. Shelving in donut frying area is lined with cardboard. Use non absorbable cleanable material instead. Corrected by removing.

Imperial Buffet, 1950 E. College Ave., Normal; Re-inspection; Oct. 31; score, 93; five violations reported. Comments: Using upside-down milk crates as shelving in walk-in freezer unit. Per McLean County Food Ordinance requires commercial NSF approved or equivalent shelving/dunnage racks.

Janets Cakes, 504 Guido Circle, Bloomington; Nov. 7; score, 100.

Jewel Osco, 901 S. Cottage Ave., Normal; Nov. 6; score, 89; six violations reported. Comments: Section of deli cooler is holding foods at 48 to 60F. Product discarded. Do not use this section of the cooler until product maintains a temperature of 41F and below.

Jewel Osco, 901 S. Cottage Ave., Normal; Re-inspection; Nov. 14; score, 93; three violations reported. Comments: Section of deli cooler is holding food front few sections of food product at 50F. Product was discarded. Do not use this section of the cooler until unit can hold foods at 41F and below.

Jims Steak House, 2307 E. Washington, Bloomington; Oct., 31; score, 82; 14 violations reported. Comments: Label with date and time is needed on baked potatoes designated for re-service or reuse.

Kellys Bakery & Cafe, 113 N. Center St., Bloomington; Nov. 7; score, 85; 10 violations reported. Comments: Cake and frosting containing cream cheese were left out at room temperature. Product discarded.

Kobe BBQ, 1615 E. Empire St., Bloomington; Nov. 7; score, 78; 13 violations reported. Comments: Four eggrolls sitting on ledge of fryer reading 122 F. Discarded in garbage.

Krispe Kreme, 201 N. Veterans Parkway, Bloomington; Nov. 6; score, 95; four violations reported. Comments: Build up on large bulk food storage containers for frosting, sugar bulk storage.

Longbranch Again, 102 W. Garfield, Cooksville; Nov. 8; score, 84; 10 violations reported. Comments: Sliced ham and turkey in reach in cooler dated 11/1- past 7 day hold-corrected by discarding into trash.

Loves Travel Stop/Arbys, 505 S. Persimmon Drive, LeRoy; Re-inspection; Nov. 6; score, 97; two violations reported. Comments: Shelving in two-door freezer is starting to deteriorate. Replace as needed.

Lucca Grill, 116 E. Market St., Bloomington; Nov. 8; score, 91; seven violations reported. Comments: Slime buildup present on interior of ice machine in corners.

Maguires, 218 N. Center St., Bloomington; Re-inspection; Nov. 1; score, 91; eight violations reported. Comments: Homestyle freezer in basement storage room.

McDonalds, 1607 N. Main St., Normal; Nov. 1; score, 96; three violations reported. Comments: Both ice machines are in poor repair. Damage present at both doors of ice machines. Door has been ordered for left ice machine. Repair or replace.

McDonalds, 525 Brock Drive, Bloomington; Oct. 26; score, 88; seven violations reported. Comments: Raw shell eggs stored atop ready-to-eat fold eggs. Separate raw and ready-to-eat foods to avoid cross-contamination. Corrected by moving shell eggs.

Mikeys Kitchen, 109 S. Veterans Parkway, Bloomington; Nov. 6; score, 81; 11 violations reported. Comments: Sausage in steam table measured 110 to 120F. Person in charge states they were placed in less than hour ago. Moved to burner to re-heat to 165F. Steam tables shall only be used for hot holding, not heat and hold. Corrected.

Old Bank Restaurant & Bar, 201 E. Center, LeRoy; Oct. 26; score, 92; five violations reported. Comments: Food product stored on floor in walk-in freezer. Move to NSF shelving.

Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt, 115 Krispy Kreme Drive, Bloomington; Oct. 26; score, 96; two violations reported. Comments: Chest freezers (Insignia and Frigidaire) in back room are Household. Units shall be NSF approved or equivalent.

Orient Gourmet, 2103 N. Veterans Parkway, Bloomington; Oct. 30; score, 88; 10 violations reported. Comments: Keep boxes of soda bag in box and other items stored up off floor on shelves.

Ozark House, 704 S. McGregor, Bloomington; Oct. 26; score, 77; 13 violations reported. Comments: Adult roaches present on main cook line and various other areas of kitchen. Facility is working with pest control company to control roaches. Last treatment at facility was 48 hours prior to inspection.

Ozark House, 704 S. McGregor, Bloomington; Re-inspection; Nov. 2; score, 89; nine violations reported. No cockroaches observed at time of inspection. Facility will continue to be treated.

Poblano Burritos, 108 W. Washington St., Bloomington; Oct. 26; score, 94; five violations reported. Comments: Raw beef is being stored above vegetables in walk-in cooler. Store all uncooked meats below ready-to-eat foods.

Popeyes Chicken, 2005 E. Empire St., Bloomington; Nov. 6; score, 89; nine violations reported. Comments: Floor drain is clogged under three-compartment sink and is draining into floor drain in front of sink. Manager was able to unclog sink, but slow draining, improper repair or maintenance of any portion of the plumbing system may result in potential health hazards such as cross-connections, backflow, or leakage.

Popeyes Chicken, 2005 E. Empire St., Bloomington; Re-inspection; Nov. 7; score 90; eight violations reported. Comments: Floor drains at sink have been unclogged by plumber and are draining properly.

Potbelly Sandwich Works, 101 N. Veterans Parkway, Bloomington; Nov. 8; score, 84; nine violations reported. Comments: Employee did not use a barrier to turn off handsink handles after handwashing. Sanitarian went over proper handwashing procedures with employee. Corrected.

PTs BBQ, 606 N. Clinton, Bloomington; Nov. 1; score, 85; eight violations reported. Comments: Beans in the reach-in refrigerator did not cool down correctly. Product was discarded. Cooldown from 140F to 70F within two hours and from 70F to 41F within four hours. Cooldown procedures were discussed for meats that are coming off of the grill.

Pub II, 102 N. Linden St., Normal; Oct. 30; score, 83; 13 violations reported. Comments: Label food items which have been placed in unoriginal containers or have been opened for use (i.e. chicken breast and cooked opened bag of chicken strips).

Quenchers Smoothies, 1615 E. Empire St. Bloomington; Nov. 2; score, 88; six violations reported. Comments: Yogurt mix in walk-in cooler is reading 48 F. Discarded in sink.

Subway, 11 Uptown Circle, Normal; Nov. 7; score, 95; three violations reported. Comments: Do not thaw bags of foods (soup) in hand sink at room temperature.

Subway, 1005 N. Main St., Bloomington; Nov. 7; score, 96; four violations reported. Comments: Provide easily readable thermometer for milk display by soda dispenser.

Subway, 2310 E. Oakland Ave., Bloomington; Nov. 6; score, 92; six violations reported. Comments: Shelving in two-door prep cooler front line are rusty and need recoated.

Subway, 399 N. Greenbriar Drive, Normal; Nov. 6; score, 91; five violations reported. Comments: Meatballs in steamer were stored at below 140F for less than an hour. Manager reheated these items to 165 in microwave and placed back in steamer.

Sugar Mama Bakery, 116 W. North St., Normal; Nov. 3; score, 95; four violations reported. Comments: Deep chest freezer is not NSF approved and is not in good condition. Ice build-up present in counter top cooler. Defrost.

Super Gyros, 115 Susan Drive, Normal; Nov. 7; score, 96; four violations reported. Comments: Cutting board at prep cooler is scored. Provide a new cutting board or have current cutting board smoothed down. Haier chest freezer is household. Unit shall be NSF approved or equivalent.

Swingers Grille, 1304 Cross Creek Drive, Normal; Re-inspection; Nov. 1; score, 93; five violations reported. Comments: Grill on main line is not located six inches from exhaust hood side. Re-arrange cooking equipment.

Taco Bell, 1702 W. Market St., Bloomington; Nov. 6; score, 98; two violations reported. Comments: Build up in storage cabinet below handsink across from POS station. Caulk around handsink lay-in to cabinet to keep from water getting into handsink seam and running into cabinet below. Clean and sanitize inside of storage cabinet below handsink.

Taquiria La Mexicana, 1414 S. Main St., Bloomington; Oct. 27; score, 85; 11 violations reported. Comments: Rodent droppings noted in back of kitchen, in corner near walk-in cooler. Clean areas and monitor daily to see if level of activity changes. Continue to work with pest control.

Target, 301 S. Veterans Parkway, Normal; Nov. 7; score, 93; three violations reported. Comments: "Y" connection present at mop sink in concessions area. This type of connection is not allowed with a chemical hook up and water supply.

Wendys, 1600 E. College, Normal; Nov. 6; score, 91; five violations reported. Comments: Top of prep cooler is holding potentially hazardous food product at 48 to 49F. Blue cheese, shreaded cheese, mayo, etc. discarded. Cooler will only be used for lunch rush until it is fixed.

Wendys, 1600 E. College, Normal; Re-inspection, Nov. 13; score, 97; three violations reported. Comments: Grease buildup preseent behind fryers.

Wing Stop, 2109 N. Veterans Parkway, Bloomington; Nov. 7; score, 99; one violations reported. Comments: Turbo fan should be completely under the ventilation hood.

Winners Lounge, 801 S. Main, Bloomington; Oct. 26; score, 90; eight violations reported. Comments: Ice cooler unit behind bar filled with bottles of beer in ice. Ice has melted away and cannot drain away. Food and drink products stored in ice must allow water to drain away as ice melts. Beer bottles are submerged in ice water in ice cooler behind bar.

Yankee Doodle, 1407 Morrissey Drive, Bloomington; Nov. 8; score, 97; two violations reported. Comments: Dial stem thermometer during calibration check showed 26 degree F in ice water. Properly calibrated thermometer should read around 32 degrees F in ice water. Dial stem thermometer was recalibrated using "ice water method."
BLOOMINGTON  Mayor Tari Renner will seek public input at three town hall meetings in December on a variety of topics.

While there will be no formal agenda, I will give a brief, high-level update from the mayors perspective on a range of recent and upcoming items of note, such as the citys budget, said the mayor in a news release.

However, my primary goal is to hear from and engage with Bloomington constituents, whose ideas and feedback are so vital to the citys operation," he added.

The meetings will be Dec. 5 at the YWCA McLean County; Dec. 12 at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts; and Dec. 20 at Miller Park Pavilion. Each meeting will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

"We take transparency seriously in Bloomington, having received a 100 percent transparency score from the Illinois Policy Institute, and Im very proud of that, Renner said. However, as far as Im concerned, we can always do even more to reach out to our residents and get them engaged.

Renner already hosts an hourlong open house with residents on each Friday before City Council voting sessions, which are on the second and fourth Mondays.

But Renner changed the format, effective Oct. 6, saying he wanted to give residents more individual attention in addressing their issues. Instead of meeting as a group in the fishbowl conference room in front of the council chambers at City Hall, anyone wanting to meet with the mayor has to sign up for a five- or 10-minute individual appointment.
The Normal Town Council on Monday will consider an ordinance for the 2022 property tax levy estimated to be $13,381,652, which is the same as last year's levy.
BLOOMINGTON  McLean County residents may welcome the holiday season on Friday while remembering people whose lives have been touched by HIV/AIDS.

A tree-lighting ceremony to commemorate Worlds AIDS Day will be at 4 p.m. Friday outside Hy-Vee, 1403 N. Veterans Parkway, Bloomington.

The ceremony, sponsored by the McLean County Health Department with Central Illinois Friends and Prairie Pride Coalition, will include speakers impacted by HIV. Red ribbons, an international symbol of AIDS awareness and support for people with HIV, will be available for people to place on the tree or to wear, said Lisa Slater, health department public health communications specialist.

Following the ceremony, attendees will be invited to The Bistro, 316 N. Main St., Bloomington, where information will be available about local health resources and testing options, Slater said.

While World AIDS Day has been observed on Dec. 1 for several years, the health department decided to mark the day this year at a high-traffic location to send the message that the story of HIV and AIDS isn't over, Slater said.

More responsible behavior and better medicines are contributing to fewer people dying of HIV complications and more people living with HIV as a chronic disease.

But HIV prevalence is increasing among people ages 20 through 25 who didn't come of age when more Americans were dying of HIV/AIDS and who are more likely to engage in risky sexual activity that puts them at greater risk of disease, said Melissa Graven, health department communicable disease supervisor.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, as of June 30, 89 McLean County residents were living with HIV and 86 were living with AIDS. Statewide, 19,058 people were living with HIV and 19,481 were living with AIDS.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) attacks white blood cells that protect against illness and can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), a disease that weakens the immune system so the body can't fight off potentially fatal infections.

HIV is found in the bodily fluids of infected people and may be spread by having sex with an HIV-infected person or by sharing needles or injection equipment with an infectious person. An HIV-infected woman may transmit it to her baby during pregnancy or when breastfeeding.

"When people say they don't know someone with HIV/AIDS, I tell them 'You don't know whether you know someone with HIV/AIDS. People don't want to talk about it.'"

Slater said "I believe, in this day and age, there is little that is truly 'someone else's problem.' We all are so interconnected. This event is an opportunity for the community to come together."
BLOOMINGTON  The Bloomington City Council will meet in December to discuss the idea of drafting a resolution or an ordinance that declares the city is a welcoming and safe place for immigrants, regardless of their immigration status.

"As I have said before many times, I do strongly support a welcoming city ordinance, as the mayor," said Mayor Tari Renner, drawing cheers and applause from an overflow crowd at the council's Monday night meeting. "Everyone should be welcomed and feel safe."

While the council did not discuss the issue Monday, Renner said the council plans to hold a special meeting in December.

Normal Mayor Chris Koos said the town council also will discuss the matter, but did not have a specific time frame.

"We want to be a community that guarantees everyone has access to services and a safe place to live, and is treated equally and fairly," said Koos. "But the legal, social and intergovernmental implications of any welcoming city ordinance has to be considered very carefully, and not be done quickly and have unintended outcomes."

Since January, several community groups have formed the Keep Families Together campaign and its goal is to establish Bloomington and Normal as welcoming cities, said Jenn Carrillo, YWCA McLean County mission impact director.

Along with the YWCA, the campaign membership includes The Immigration Project, Illinois Peoples Action, Illinois American Civil Liberties Union, Not in Our Town, Unitarian Universalists, League of Women Voters, Black Lives Matter and New Convenant Community.

"We've been in communication with several members of the (Bloomington) City Council over the past few months, and we are just here to remind them how important the issue is and how much we need this to happen in Bloomington," Carrillo said Monday night.

A welcoming city ordinance would prohibit local police from cooperating with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said Carrillo.

The council had planned in July to consider a resolution welcoming immigrants, but pulled the item to wait for Gov. Bruce Rauner to sign the Trust Act into law.

In September, Rauner signed the law that prohibits police from searching, arresting or detaining someone solely because of immigration status, or because of so-called federal immigration detainers. But local authorities are able to communicate with immigration agents and hold someone for federal authorities if there's a valid criminal warrant, according to the new law.

"Every day individuals in this community are deciding whether to avoid police or cooperate with them" said Charlotte Alvarez, executive director of the Immigration Project's Twin Cities office, while speaking during the council meeting. "We know individuals are much less likely to report crimes if there is any chance that will put them or their relatives in danger of deportation."
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday called on Rep. John Conyers to resign following allegations of sexual harassment against the Michigan Democrat.

"The allegations against Congressman Conyers, as we have learned more since Sunday are serious, disappointing and very credible," Pelosi said at her weekly news conference. "It's very sad and the brave women who came forward are owed justice. I will pray for Congressman Conyers and his family, and wish them well. However Congressman Conyers should resign."

The California Democrat added, "No matter how great a legacy there's no license to harass or discriminate. In fact it makes it even more disappointing."

Conyers, 88, is the longest currently serving member of the US House of Representatives.

Conyers' attorney, Arnold Reed, responded to Pelosi's comments by comparing the accusations against Conyers with those against Democratic Sen. Al Fraken of Minnesota, who has been accused by five women in the past two weeks of inappropriate touching.

"She's gotta explain what the discernible difference between Congressman Conyers and Sen. Al Franken is," he said, noting that Franken has multiple accusers and photos.

"That's certainly her right," he added. "But she doesn't elect the Congressman and it won't be up to her."

Conyers is facing several allegations of sexual harassment. The House Ethics Committee announced last week it has opened an investigation into allegations against Conyers after BuzzFeed reported that he settled a wrongful dismissal complaint in 2015 after allegedly sexually harassing a staffer. Conyers denied wrongdoing in that case, but acknowledged that there had been a financial settlement to that complaint. Another former staffer, Deanna Maher, told CNN that Conyers made three sexual advances toward her when she worked for him in his district office in Detroit from 1997 to 2005. Through his lawyer, Conyers also denied wrongdoing in that case.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, also called on Conyers to resign.

Conyers stepped down from his post as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee on Sunday. Aides told reporters that Conyers was hospitalized for stress earlier Thursday.

CNN's Sara Ganim, Sarah Jorgensen and Sophie Tatum contributed to this report.
International corruption experts say they are alarmed by the situation involving a detained agent from the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and believe the action is "a step back" for Ukraine in its efforts to fight corruption.

"As regards yesterday's events, we are concerned that it may harm the work done over the course of the last year regarding fighting corruption in Ukraine," Spanish prosecutor Carlos Castresana said during a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday.

In turn, chairman of the working group on bribery and international commercial operations at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Drago Kos said, "They [Ukraine's SBU Security Service and Prosecutor General's Office (PGO)] arrested a NABU detective and ruined the investigation They damaged the credibility of NABU to conduct anti-corruption activities."

According to Kos, the incident may have "serious consequences" for NABU's future work. "This may be the beginning of more serious infringements on NABU, which had just started to produce results."

Ukraine's State Migration Service (SMS) earlier reported the arrest of a NABU agent during an attempt to give a bribe SMS deputy head Dina Pimakhova.

"For several months the NABU agent, the son of an ex-Verkhovna Rada deputy from the Party of Regions Yuriy Boyarsky, fulfilling the illegal directives of some NABU officials, attempted to provoke Pimakhova, offering her large sums of money in return for illegal decisions on legalizing citizens of Vietnam and Iran in Ukraine who didn't even exist," SMS' press service said.

PGO chief Yuriy Lutsenko on Thursday said the NABU agent would be served a notice of suspicion, adding that no one would be arrested. Prosecutors are expected to interrogate a minimum of two high-ranking NABU officers on Monday.
DELAVAN  While still disappointed the National Guard has left Delavan, the mayor said she's thrilled a Mahomet businessman has bought the local armory for use as a distribution center.

We are certainly happy that it is sold, but we are still in mourning that the Guard has left, Liz Skinner said. But a new business is coming in and the buildings integrity will be maintained. Thats great news for Delavan.

Matt Underwood of Mahomet said he plans to use the armory as a distribution center for his industrial equipment dealership. He has already switched the name from Swarm 3D to Armory Industrial.

Illinois Army National Guard officials said the bid of $27,351 was accepted in August, and court documents indicate the sale is being finalized. The building remains vacant.

We buy and sell used industrial equipment, Underwood said. We do well enough and do most of our business on eBay, Craigslist and Amazon. We were looking for a bigger place and this just seemed ideal because it is in a good location and its got enough space.

Underwood said the 28,000-square-foot armory, which was built in 1938, is perfect for his needs, although he may want to add a truck dock at some point.

We get a lot of things in on huge semi trucks and everything goes out piecemeal, he said. But, we love the building because there is a lot of office space and a lot of restrooms.

"It gives us some flexibility and in the future, we may want to lease some of it out," he added. "It is also centrally located with good access to (Interstate) 155, which gets you onto Interstate 55. From there, you can head toward St. Louis or Chicago.

Underwood describes his company as a mom and pop operation.

We dont have any full-time employees yet, but the key to growing is to have space where you can do business, and this is a big step toward that, he said. We hire temporary workers when we need extra help.

In February 2016, Guard officials announced they were considering closing the facility that housed the 1144th Transportation Motor Transport Battalion. The announcement came as part of the Armys 202 Redesign Plan intended to modernize facilities across the country, and officials said the armory would need $3 million to $5 million in updates to continue in military use.

Col. Craig Holan previously told local officials the armory annually cost the National Guard about $20,000 in utilities and $15,000 in general maintenance.

In December 2016, the unit was deactivated during a closing ceremony, and Skinner and a handful of Delavan officials worked to find a tenant for the building.

Both Skinner and Underwood say the building remains in good shape.

It has been taken care of and is in good shape for its age, Skinner said. We are just happy to have someone who will be as concerned about the building as we were.
CHICAGO  Democratic state lawmakers announced a plan Thursday to halt Illinois' participation in a controversial multi-state voter registration database after efforts to persuade the State Board of Elections failed.

The legislation would remove Illinois from the Kansas-run Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program, a free and voluntary program that helps states determine if voters are registered in more than one state.

However, advocacy groups in Illinois and elsewhere argue Crosscheck isn't secure and could contribute to voter suppression. They've also raised questions about the partisan ties of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. He oversees Crosscheck and is a chairman of President Donald Trump's election fraud commission, which is investigating unsubstantiated claims that millions voted illegally in 2016.

Advocacy groups including Indivisible Chicago and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois pushed for a recent legislative hearing where an expert pointed to security flaws with emailed passwords and unsecured servers storing voters' names and dates of birth.

"It's clear that a novice computer hacker can find their way into the voter files of Illinois voters because of the Crosscheck system," said state Sen. Bill Cunningham, a Chicago Democrat. "That needs to end."

However, it's unclear if the bill could immediately affect Illinois' participation. Legislators don't meet until January when Illinois typically submits Crosscheck data.

Also, there isn't yet bipartisan support. A message left for Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's spokeswoman wasn't immediately returned Thursday. The State Board of Elections was split 4-4 on party lines to exit the program.

State election officials have acknowledged limitations with the database, which has prompted lawsuits and led to voters wrongly being kicked off the rolls in other states. But Illinois officials also say the information isn't easily available elsewhere.

Kansas election officials have said they're working on new security guidelines with the roughly two dozen participating states.
100 years ago

Nov. 30, 1917: One of the local boys from the September draft is on his way to France after training at Camp Dodge in Iowa and then as a clerk in Washington, D.C. Edwin Murphy of 109 E. Kelsey is thought to be the first draftee from Bloomington to be sent to France.

75 years ago

Nov. 30, 1942: A weekend snow left an 8-inch blanket of white in town. The fire department had plow through the snow to battle a house fire at 1503 N. Calhoun. In another fire at the same time, the death toll is now 479 in the Coconut Grove night club blaze in Boston.

50 years ago

Nov. 30, 1967: Judge David Davis legal legacy continued in Bloomington when his great-great-grandson, David Davis V, was sworn in to the state bar association by his father, David Davis IV. Others admitted to the bar were Arthur Laudeman, Aaron Kramer and David Mitzner.

25 years ago

Nov. 30, 1992: Hairdresser Naomi Vogel has invented a device to keep her customers dryer while she shampoos them. Customers rest their shoulders on the Shampoo-Aide and the water channels into a nearby sink. She uses it for her shut-in and wheelchair customers.
MATTOON  Teacher Angela McQueen said she was focused on saving students lives when she subdued a student shooter inside the Mattoon High School cafeteria on Sept. 20.

In her first interview since the incident, McQueen told the Illinois Education Association (IEA) it was her strong faith in God and natural instincts that compelled her to take action when she saw a student raise a gun in the middle of the crowded cafeteria.

The IEA honored her at school reception on Thursday, the same day the IEA video interview was released.

Because of her response, only one student was injured. The student was hospitalized, but has since been released and is now back at school. The student who fired the shots has been charged with one count of aggravated battery with a firearm.

"I sprang into action because I looked over and I saw a student pulling a gun out and he was aiming it at students to his right," McQueen said during the interview. "I thought, 'Oh crap, he is going to start shooting,' so I immediately lunged at the gun and got the gun up in the air as quickly as I could, as fast as I could because I didn't want him to hit the students."

McQueen said the youth fired a couple of rounds before she was able to force him to point the gun toward the ceiling.

In that moment, you dont really think. You just react. To me its almost like the mama bear instinct. I dont have kids of my own right now, but its the instinct of youre not going to do this to my kids, said McQueen, an IEA member and math/physical education teacher at the school.

These are still my kids  even though I dont know every single kid in there. Youre not going to do this to my kids. Youre not going to do this at my school.

Officials with the Mattoon Police Department and the school district have said that school resource officer Kasey Alexander arrived in the cafeteria and took the shooter into custody shortly after McQueens actions.

We are forever grateful to Angela for her courageous actions that saved the lives of our kids. She was a ray of light in our darkest hour, Mattoon district Superintendent Larry Lilly said in a statement.

McQueen said she always has taken the active shooter training at the high school seriously, but thought a school shooting would never happen in Mattoon because it is such a nice, quiet small town.

Still, McQueen said she always has been mindful of the message in one of her favorite Bible verses, John 15:13: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down ones life for ones friends."

"It was always in the back of my mind, 'Would I do this for just anybody?'" McQueen said, adding, "Everybody, I think, would like to think they would do that for just anybody, and now I know I would."

She also was honored by the Illinois State Police, the Illinois branch of the FBI, Society of Former Special Agents, City of Mattoon, Mattoon Police Department, Senator Dale Righter and the school district.
In a new Instagram post, Azealia Banks has detailed an account of abuse by Coldplay manager Dave Holmes.

In the third person, Banks writes that when she was an 18-year-old rising rapper "still signed to XL Recordings," she began dating the then 43-year-old Holmes, who managed Coldplay, Interpol, Santigold and My Chemical Romance (not to be confused with former MTV VJ Dave Holmes).

She wrote: "He was at the time a very handsome, very charming man who she admired intensely. He was 43, rich , white and very fatherly to her. Dating him made her feel like Naomi Campbell!" Banks then adds that though Holmes was married, he told her he was separated and that she didn't care. She describes her relationship with Holmes as "the first time she'd ever been in love" and that "she was so happy to have him in her life," until things took a turn for the worse when she was dropped from her record label.

"He breaks up with her and abruptly stops paying the rent on the apartment he had been renting for her," she continued. "She haphazardly moves out of her apartment on dyckman street and heads to Montreal where She spends a lonely, depressed summer. Upon the success of 212 , Dave reappears in her life. She's happy to have him back as she considers him her Dad and felt close to him like family."

Banks then describes an argument between the two the night before her shoot for "1991" that turned violent. She says that after she pushed his espresso machine to the floor, he put her in a choking headlock and dragging her by the hair into a freezing shower.

"Her friend comes to pick her up and take her home where she cries for hours and doesn't sleep a wink. Her world was shattered. She had plans to marry this man. She imagined the entire rest of her life with him and could never have seen this coming. She gets to set the next morning tired , confused and emotionally drained . Her hairstylist Brianna meets her with a beaming smile and is excited to tell her about all of the fly outfits the stylist pulled. She turns to Brianna and says "Dave hit me last night" ... Brianna gasps... the new rising star begins to cry , yet somehow is able to hold it together enough to get her make-up done."

This is not the first time Banks has referenced abuse by Holmes. On Christmas Day in 2012, she reportedly tweeted and then deleted statements that he had repeatedly abused her. "Coldplay's manager Dave Holmes is a piece of s---. Second time he has put his f----ing hands on me," BET reports she wrote and then deleted.
Donatella Versace, our queen, lord and savior will receive the honor of a lifetime next month at the British Fashion Council's annual awards ceremony for her work as artistic director of Versace  a fashion house that has become one of the most sought-after labels on the planet.

The house was founded by Donatella and her brother Gianni in 1978, during which time she also served as a mentor to upcoming designers and models, and had an immense impact on fashion. Donatella was made artistic director in 1997 after Gianni's death (now the subject of Ryan Murphy's anthology series American Crime Story), and she will have held the role for 20 years come December.

"For 40 years my brother and I have done what we love and that is a legacy I am honored to continue and uphold," Donatella said. "We have celebrated empowerment, joy and, of course, glamour. We have championed a community of people who share our values and together with them have created truly iconic images in the world of fashion."

She continued: "I am truly humbled by how Versace has been embraced across the decades, across the world and across the generations. Thank you to the industry for your support of us, thank you to my team for their loyalty and incredibly hard work, thank you to my family and friends who have supported me more than they can know and thank you to the genius that was my brother Gianni. His incredible spirit is in everything we do and everything we stand for."

BFC council chairman Natalie Massenet claimed Versace was the best, if not only, choice to receive the award.

"She has shown incredible strength and dedication to the industry and has continued her brother's legacy through her remarkable work," said Massenet. "What I admire the most about her is her ability to make women look and feel powerful. I could not imagine a better recipient of this award, especially as this year marks such an important date for Versace."

The ceremony will take place on December 4th at Royal Albert Hall in London, hosted by Karlie Kloss and Jack Whitehall. Check out the trailer for Penelope Cruz's interpretation of Donatella, below.



Icons only.



Image via Getty


This is extremely cool:

For a little over a year, Preachingfriars.org, the preaching apostolate of the Dominican Studium in St. Louis, Missouri (for the Provinces of St. Albert the Great, USA and St. Martin de Porres, USA) have been developing a smart phone application called Dominican Compline.

The app allows users to listen as the friars chant compline, and it presents the text and music so that they may follow along and pray with us. It features a setting of Compline in English that was produced by Frs. David Wright, O.P. and James-Peter Trares, O.P.

This setting presents Compline in English as envisaged by the Liturgia horarum (1971) and as enriched by the proper Dominican elements proposed in the Supplement of 1982. These elements are not simply additional texts; often the plainsong melody is the proper Dominican element.

The app is now available on both the App Store (for iOS devices) and the Google Play Store (for android devices), and it can be downloaded for free. I invite you to download it by visiting our website . I would also encourage you to share this link with members of the Dominican Family, as well as anyone else whom you think may benefit from it. Our hope in producing the app is to enrich peoples prayer lives by giving them a taste of Dominicans praying.

The app is far from complete. The new Compline setting includes many proper elements depending upon the liturgical season. It also includes proper elements for various feasts and solemnities that are unique to the Dominicans. We anticipate rolling these out as soon as the student brothers are able to record them.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has instructed the Foreign Intelligence Service (FIS) to draw up a strategy for optimizing the FIS in accordance with NATO standards by the end of this year.

"I instruct you to provide me by the end of the December with a strategy for optimizing the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine in accordance with the standards of the North Atlantic Alliance. You have good experience in line with NATO standards. I demand its implementation in normative documents," Poroshenko said at an event marking the 26th anniversary of the FIS in Kyiv on Thursday.

According to the website of the head of state, Poroshenko said that the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine should become "a full-fledged participant in the European and Euro-Atlantic intelligence community."

According to him, the road to the European and Euro-Atlantic community lies through the development of mutual trust and the strengthening of practical cooperation, including through joint operations with partners in the European Union and NATO.

"This is absolutely logical, since we have common enemies," Poroshenko said.

He said that in the conditions of a hybrid war the state, its Armed Forces and special services acquire a unique experience.

"The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine is one of the few world intelligence services capable, and this ability has been proved, of conducting active operations," he said.
Patna: Bihar Governor/University Chancellor Satya Pal Malik, while addressing the fourth graduation of the Aryabhatta Knowledge University (AKU) in Patna on Wednesday, praised the university saying it was doing very well and he was willing to do everything possible in his power to continue to support it for further development.

"Whatever you need to make it a world class university, I will be there to help you. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also takes keen interest in the development of this university and with his help, we will make sure all modern facilities and amenities are made available to you," the Chancellor said in his keynote speech to the graduating students at a function held at the newly-built Bapu Sabhagar near Gandhi Maidan.

Encouraging students to study hard, the Governor said that while the Harvard University has produced 135 Nobel Prize winners, MIT 85, and Oxford (England) 50, India has produced only five Nobel Prize winners so far.

"You can change this number through your hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence," the Governor told the students.

On the occasion, the Governor handed out gold medals to 14 toppers in different faculties. He also handed out degrees to 4508 graduating students.

Bihar Education Minister Krishna Nandan Verma and Health Minister Mangal Pandey were also present at the function.
Patna: In what appears to be the result of an ongoing war of attrition, motorcycle-borne criminals in Patna on Wednesday pulled over a car carrying notorious criminal Ajay Verma and fired several shots at him injuring him grievously.

{gallery}newsimages2017/nov/112917{/gallery}As reported, Verma, who faces dozens of cases of murder and robbery including the 2012 murder of Ashok Gupta, a liquor trader in Patna, was going to the Civil Court where he had to be present on Wednesday afternoon. The Safari SUV was driven by his driver Pankaj while Verma himself sat on the front passenger seat and yet another person on the back seat of the car.

Around 12:30 pm when the car reached Gulbi Ghat under Sultanganj Police Station, four young men on two motorcycles forced the car to pull over to the side. After that, a man approached the Verma's side of the window and after saying 'Pranam' to him, pulled a gun and shot him from a close range.

The bikers then fled the crime scene.

The 40-something Verma was struck in his neck and was rushed to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH). He was then referred to a private nursing home where he is said to be out of any danger.

Sources in police said Verma, who spent a large portion of his life in various jails, was responsible for the killing of liquor trader Ashok Gupta who was gunned down in Kadam Kuan in Patna in 2012.

To avoid arrest, Verma moved to West Bengal where tried to keep a low profile but soon he was caught and brought to Patna.

He has been out on parole for a while and was said to be trying to give up the life of crime for some time. He even tried his luck in politics in the last Assembly elections from Kumharar constituency against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Arun Sinha but failed to garner much support.
Bulgaria Says Iran Denied Prime Minister's Plane Access To Airspace

11/30/17

Source: RFE/RL

Iran on November 29 forced a jet carrying Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov to leave its airspace, prompting protests from Sofia, in an incident Tehran later blamed on a technical glitch. Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva told reporters the plane had all necessary permits to fly over Iran en route to Saudi Arabia late on November 28, but once it entered Iranian airspace, it was asked by Iranian authorities to leave.



Boyko Borissov, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria

Zaharieva said the aircraft had to return to Turkey after what she called an "inexplicable last-moment refusal" by Iran. She said the plane had to get permission to fly through Iraqi airspace, to the west of Iran, before it could reach its final destination, Riyadh.



"The government aircraft had secured all the necessary diplomatic permissions to fly over Iranian airspace," Zaharieva said.



Zaharieva was part of a delegation on board the plane that also included former Bulgarian king Simeon Saxe-Coburg and four other cabinet ministers.



She said Tehran told Sofia the air access refusal was due to a slight deviation of the plane from its planned route. But Bulgarian authorities disagreed and summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires in Bulgaria for an explanation.



The Iranian envoy, Hassan Dotagi, said afterwards he deeply regretted the incident and described it as a "technical misconception."



"The Bulgarian embassy provided the coordinates of the flight and we gave authorization, but the coordinates transmitted by the pilot to the control tower did not correspond with those which had been provided, so they refused the overflight," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told AFP.



"There was no political intention. We have even given permission for the return flight," he said.



Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
Iran urges immediate probe into US police killing of young Iranian-American man

11/30/17

Source: Press TV

Iran's Interests Section in Washington has called for an immediate investigation into the recent suspicious killing of a young Iranian man by US police, who have failed to provide justifiable reason for the fatal shooting.



Bijan C. Ghaisar

(source; facebook)

The United States Park Police officers shot Iranian-American man Bijan C. Ghaisar three times in the head in the state of Virginia on the evening of November 17. The police alleged that the 25-year-old man had been involved in a hit-and-run accident. He died Monday night after 10 days on life support.



Bijan's family said in a statement that he had no weapons in his vehicle when shot. Moreover, a witness told The Washington Post last week that she saw two officers approach the young man's vehicle and open fire at close range. It is unclear whether the shooting was justifiable.



In a letter of protest handed to the Embassy of Pakistan, which represents Iran's interests in the US, the Iranian mission called for an immediate investigation into the incident.



"The police declares that he escaped after an accident, but the evidence and his automobile do not indicate any sign of accident. So far, the police has not provided any reason for shooting the victim in the head for three times, which according to one of the witnesses was conducted at a close range," read the note.



"If the police in a Muslim country had committed such a murderous act, the US State Department would have considered it as an act of terror and condemned it immediately. But now that their own police have targeted a foreign national, they keep silent about it," the letter said.



On Wednesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the "brutal" murder of Ghaisar and noted that Tehran is seriously pursuing the issue to immediately restore the rights of Iranian citizens through existing official channels.



Meanwhile, Iran's High Council for Human Rights has condemned the violent act, saying, "The US government should be held accountable for the murder and answer to the world's public opinion."



The council added that via an official letter, it would call on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to follow up on the killing and provide a report.



The Iranian rights council also noted that according to the principles of international law, especially Article I of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, "Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life."



The council also called on the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, which represents US interests, to convey Iran's concerns over the issue to the US government.



Fatal police shootings and other forms of such violence have sparked massive protests across the US in recent years.



US police killed 1,166 people in 2015, more than three a day, but an official US government count mis-classified over half of the deaths, according to a study released last month by Harvard University.
BTA FM, a radio station located in the city of Labe, 450 km north of the Guinean capital Conakry, has been shut down for violating a presidential order to all radio stations not to interview a leading member of a striking teachers' union.



Gendarmes reportedly stormed the premises on November 27, 2017, shortly after the forbidden interview and carried out the orders of the governor of Labe to close down the station. The action of the governor, Mamadou Saidou Diallo, came just two days after President Alpha Conde threatened to shut down any radio station which will give coverage to Aboubacar Soumah, Deputy Secretary General of the Free Union of Teachers and Researchers of Guinea (SLECG). Soumah is the coordinator of a general strike by members of the SLECG which in its second week and which President Conde has described as a rebellion.



The presenter of the Coup de Geule programme, Alpha Oumar Fogo Diallo, who interviewed Soumah, was taken to the department of national security, together with his colleague on the show, Mamadou Saidou Diallo, for interrogation. They were released after three hours.



The MFWA correspondent has reported that a day after the closure of BTA FM, 40 leading radio stations in Guinea ceased broadcasting for 24 hours.



The MFWA condemns the closure of BTA FM as a serious act of censorship and views the harassment of the stations presenters as brazen violation of their human rights. We reiterate our stands that the instruction to radio stations not to entertain Soumah on their platforms is untenable in a democratic dispensation and call on President Conde to withdraw the order.





Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, yesterday told parliament that the current Akufo-Addo administration has engaged a team of consultants to draft a foreign policy for Ghana that would help accelerate the economic development of the country.



He said a team of experienced local and foreign diplomats would come up with the policy which is expected to be a lasting blueprint on the way forward in terms of Ghanas foreign affairs agenda.



The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, who was contributing to the debate on the 2018 budget in parliament, said since independence, Ghana has not had recognizable foreign affairs policy and that the new government would prioritize that.



According to Hon Annoh-Dompreh, who is also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Nsawam/Adoagyiri, in view of the vision of this government to have a permanent foreign policy, the government has rightly budgeted $50 million in the 2018 budget for the rehabilitation and proper equipping of Ghanas foreign missions to be able to effectively implement the objectives of the new foreign policy.



The Nsawam/Adoagyiri explained that under the good policies of the present government, records at the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) showed that there has been GH4 billion Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as a result of good economic diplomacy.



He further said that the country has expanded its foreign mission frontier by opening new missions in Doha, Qatar, Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates (UAE), Libya and Serbia.



The Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman also indicated that the NPP, as part of its vision, will quickly establish a new Foreign Affairs Institute to help train more manpower for the sector.



The MP also spoke about government plans to institute an insurance scheme for cocoa farmers.

According to him, it would help secure the future of cocoa farmers and enable them enjoy the fruits of their labour even in old age.

Source: Daily Guide









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The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, has defended her decision to appoint her brother Joseph Botchwey, as the acting Administrator of the National Premix Committee.



Fishermen along the coasts of Ghana have complained of the irregular supply of premix fuel throughout the year, a situation that is affecting their livelihood.



Citi News this week laid hands on a scandal where Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) diverted 249 consignments of premix fuel meant for fisher-folk across the country, to be sold to industries, mostly within the Tema metropolis.



Some have blamed the appointment of Joseph Botchwey as interim administrator of the Committee as a likely cause.



But speaking to Richard Dela Sky on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye laughed off the matter, saying will you not appoint a competent brother of yours to hold a position in your office? Would you not? Because you hate your relations, even when they are competent enough to hold positions, you will not give it to them?



Still directing her comment at Richard Dela Sky, Ms Quaye said: I have not put myself in any conflict of interest. Maybe you have to go back yourself, and find out who is the substantive administrator of the premix committee. His or her government has ended and a new era is in place. He or she is not at the premix secretariat, please!



Even though the Ministry by a legislative instrument is mandated to police the sector, the Minister told Citi News that she expected the NPA to effect the arrest of the perpetrators.



We have not had a tracking system so when they find people culpable, why are they not arrested? They should be arrested because we do not have a tracking system and the NPA is also a statutory institution  a state institution that works together with the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, their duty is to do the monitoring and find out who are perpetrating what crime so they find these people out. All I expect is that these people will be prosecutedAs the Fisheries Minister, all I do is to ensure that the premix fuel gets to the Fishermen. If the NCA tells me that they have found some OMCs perpetrating this crime, I expect the NCA to take an action.



I dont have tracking system; NPA must arrest



The Minister clearly appeared indifferent about her role in addressing the problem of pre-mix fuel diversion as alleged by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).



According to her, the ministry does not have a tracking system to identify culprits hence the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), which has a system to track such happenings must take action.



The NPA in series of letters dated between January and October 2017, informed the National Pre-mix fuel Committee and the Fisheries Ministry to take action against some Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) that are involved in the diversion of the product meant for fisher-folk in the countrys coastal communities.



The OMCs, according to the letter, took supply of the pre-mix fuel at the Tema Oil Refinery supposedly to be supplied to fishing communities outside Accra, however, they ended up supplying them within Accra often to industries.



The development, which has persisted for several months, appear to be a major factor for the collapsing fishing industry, with a decline in local fish production and increase in fish imports.



But in a rather combative interview, Madam Afoley Quaye said she was informed that the supposed diverted pre-mix fuels were duly received.





Source: citifmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Several traditional rulers from the seven districts of Gonjaland in the Northern Region, with support from politicians across the political divide, are leading the clarion call for a new region to be carved out of the Northern Region.



President of the Gonja Traditional Council, Yagbonwura Sulemana Tuntumba Boresa I, and his vice, Buipewura Abdulai Jinapor II, are leading the chiefs, youth and politicians from the Gonjaland to prosecute the agenda.



Unlike other petitioners from the other regions, those from Gonjaland are yet to settle on which name the new region should be given, in the event that it is created by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).



The team, including the Yagbonwura, Buipewura, members of parliament and district and municipal chief executives from Gonjaland, appeared before the Justice Stephen Alan Brobbeys nine-member Commission of Enquiry for the creation of new regions out of some existing ones, on Wednesday, November 29, to make their case on why they think a new region should be created out of the Northern Region.



Their argument for the new region as contained in a document they circulated to members of the Commission and the media, lies in the fact that Gonjaland is endowed with mineral and tourism potential with abundance of arable land, and deserves to be carved out of the Northern Region and made a new region.



The main reason for the request for the creation of a new region out of the present Northern Region is to accelerate economic development and enhance administrative efficiency.



The new region, with Damongo as the proposed capital, DAILY GUIDE gathered, would be made up of Gonjas, Vaglas, Salfabas, Lobis, Brifors, Mivors, Mos, Pantras, Dargarbas, Normes, Hangas, Mmras, Tamplumas, Konkombas, Nchumurus, Nawuris, Basaris, Kotokolis, Nchalas, Bators, among others.



The Justice Brobbey Commission was formed by President Akufo-Addo under Constitutional Instrument (CI) 105 to among other things, inquire, pursuant to petitions, into the need and substantial demand for the creation of new regions and, thereby, the alteration of the Western, Brong-Ahafo, Northern and Volta Regions. About six new regions are on the table for consideration.



It is the same CI 105 that mandates the commission to make recommendations to the president, based on its findings, and to specify the issues to be determined by referendum and the places where the referendum should be held, where it makes recommendation for the creation and alteration of regions.



Gonjaland reportedly occupies an area of 37,582 square kilometers, constitutes 53.45 percent of the land area of the Northern Region and the seven districts are Bole, Sawla-Tuna-Kalba, West Gonja, North Gonja, Central Gonja, East Gonja, Kpandai.



Former Presidential candidate of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) and one of the spokespersons for the Gonjaland petitioners, Dr. Abu Sakara, speaking to the media on the sidelines of the meeting, said Gonjaland, especially Buipe, has the potential of becoming a logistics hub for the development of the entire Northern Region.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former President John Mahama seem to be smarting from the humiliating defeat he suffered in the hands of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate Nana Addo Dankwa almost one year after his exist as president of the country.



This time, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) 2016 presidential candidate believes he lost the presidential bid to Nana Addo because he failed to make juicy promises to the electorates.



According to him, he had all the opportunities to compete with the NPP for the wildest promises during the 2016 polls but declined the temptation and turned down suggestions to follow that trajectory.



Nana Addo was declared Ghanas 5th President of the Fourth Republic after an impressive performance in the 2016 presidential poll.



The three-time lucky NPP leader polled 5,716,026 to beat incumbent President John Mahama who had 4,713, 277.



The declaration of Nana Akufo-Addo as winner of the election brought to an end the era of the John presidency which saw John Rawlings, John Kufuor, John Mills and John Mahama all taking their turn as president from 1992 to 2016.



But Former President Mahama speaking at the NDCs Unity Walk in Tarkwa in the Western Region over the weekend attributed his defeat to his inability to make empty promises.



He claimed that several people came to tell him to make promises as was done by the NPP insisting he was not trained to make empty promises.



Mr. Mahama had taken on the then NPP presidential candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over his many campaign promises, describing him as desperate man.



Mr Akufo-Addo had promised to provide free senior high school (SHS) education, make available $1million to each of the 275 constituencies, construct one factory in each of the 216 districts and abolish some nuisance taxes.



Ex-president Mahama said he cringed when that promise was made because as president then, he knew the state coffers was not healthy to support that ambitious plan.



We were in government and we said it is not possible, he said of the $1million-to-each-constituency promise.



He said his values in life are similarly shared by all NDC members and that prevents them from making promises they will not be able to fulfill.



NDC is a party that doesnt lie [and] what we cant do, we wont say we will do and what we say we will, we do them, he said, adding Ghanaians are now disappointed with the government.

Source: The Publisher









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Extra Delegates Conference of the New Patriotic Party has been slated for the 17th of December, 2017.



The decision was taken at a National Executive Council meeting of the New Patriotic Party.



A Constitutional Amendment committee was outdoored at a short ceremony by the governing New Patriotic Party(NPP) at the partys headquarters on Thursday, September 14, 2017 to oversee the partys constitutional amendments process.



The 11-member committee which was chaired by 1st Vice Chairman of the party, Mr. F.F Anto yesterday submitted their report to the National Executive Council of the party.



Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, Acting General Secretary and National Organizer of the Party, John Boadu added that it was also concluded that the conference should be held in the Ashanti Region.



He added that the conference will afford party members and executives to make certain amendments in the party's constitution as they prepare for their general elections to elect party executives.



"In this regard the National Executive Council has extended the term of office of all current executives for the region to National level to three (3) months until new elections are made to elect new executives for the party," he added.



He also mentioned a resolution taken at the meeting states that any Party Executive whether at the regional or constituency level and MMDCE's who decides to contest as a Member of Parliament for any constituency should resign 3 years to the elections.



"We realized that the issue of party officials and their members of parliament fighting to become MPs have affected various political parties including our own political party the NPP, and we will not allow that to happen again," he disclosed.



Mr.Boadu also mentioned that they have put everything in place to ensure a successful conference.



According to him a number of activities have been lined up for party members and officials, adding that we have asked party members and officials to cooperate fully with executives to ensure that all activities are carried out successfully.



Read Full Statement Below:



PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY JOHN BOADU, THE ACTING GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE NPP ON RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE PARTYS NATIONAL COUNCIL AND RELATED MATTERS



Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen of the media



We have invited you here primarily to officially communicate the decisions taken by the partys National Council at its 5th general meeting held on Tuesday, November 8, 2017 at the M-Plaza hotel. But before that, the party has learnt with shock the demise of our Volta Regional communication director, Efo Philipo, who passed on to glory this morning and accordingly wish to extend our deepest condolence to the bereaved family, friends and the party in the region. We shall provide them with the needed support in this trying moment.



This meeting of the national council had in attendance, His Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo, H.E. Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, H.E. former President John Agyekum Kufour, the Speaker of Parliament, the Chief of Staff, Members of the partys Council of Elders, National Executive Officers, former national executives, representatives of the parliamentary group, all regional chairperson and secretaries and other members of the council as provided for under Article 9(b) of our party constitution.



The National Council, which is the partys Second Highest decision making body pursuant to Article 9(b) of the party constitution has unanimously resolved that all persons serving as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) who wish to contest as Parliamentary Candidates in constituencies where the party has sitting MPs, are NOT ELIGIBLE to contest unless they resign from their current positions at least three years before the ensuing NATIONAL GENERAL ELECTIONS.



The Council also resolved that regional chairpersons, regional secretaries, regional treasurers, constituency chairpersons, constituency secretaries and constituency treasurers are NOT ELIGIBLE to contest as Parliamentary Candidates in constituencies where the party has sitting MPs unless they resign at least three years before the NATIONAL GENERAL ELECTIONS. The Council adopted these resolutions upon conviction that these decisions are in the best interest of the party and government.



For emphasis, these decisions ONLY APPLY to constituencies where the party has sitting Members of Parliament and DOES NOT APPLY to orphan constituencies (i.e. constituencies where the party does not have sitting Members of Parliament).

As part of this resolution, council has directed all the 10 regional executive committees to organize an expanded regional executive committee meetings comprising constituency executives to brief them on key amendment proposals that would be considered for adoption at the extraordinary conference.



Also, National Council passed a resolution to EXTEND THE MANDATE OF ALL SERVING OFFICERS of the party at each level by three months following the expiration of their four year mandate to allow for primaries to be conducted.



National Council at this meeting, also adopted the report of the ad-hoc committee set up to review and streamline the proposals for amendments to the party constitution subject to approval and final adoption by national conference.



The NPP would hold an extraordinary national delegates conference pursuant to Article 9 (A)(5) of the party constitution, on Sunday, 17th December, 2017 in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, as communicated in a notice issued by the general secretary on November 28. This conference is being held primarily to consider and adopt the proposed amendments to the party constitution.



The Council also approved the calendar for programmes and activities of the party presented by the National Secretariat between November 2017 and June 2018, which has been spelt out as follows:



7th December, 2017  Interdenominational Service for peaceful elections and to mark the 1st Anniversary of NPP victory



17th December, 2017  Extraordinary National Delegates Conference



31st December, 2017  Deadline for updating membership register in preparations towards the upcoming primaries (This includes that of External Branches)



3rd January, 2018  National Steering Committee meeting and submission of rules and regulations for all internal primaries to National Steering Committee



9th January, 2018  National Council meeting to affirm the rules governing party primaries



17th to 21st January, 2018  Polling Station Elections in all the 29,000+ Polling Stations across the country



26th to 29th January, 2018  Elections of Electoral Area Coordinators



7th February, 2018  National Steering Committee meeting



8th to 10th February, 2018  Completion of the compilation of Polling Station and Electoral Area Registers of all Elected Officers



21st to 24th February, 2018  Constituency Annual Delegates Conference to elect Constituency Executives



5th to 25th February, 2018  Chapter Elections for all External Branches



18th to 30th March, 2018  Elections of External Branch Executives



24th March, 2018  Completion of the compilation of the Registers for all Constituency Officers (Elected and Appointed) including Disciplinary Committee members, Finance Committee members, 5 members each from Council of Elders and Council of Patrons



4th April, 2018  National Steering Committee meeting



6th April, 2018  National Council meeting



21st to 24th April, 2018  Regional Annual Delegates Conference to elect Regional Executives



19th May, 2018  Completion of all Delegates Album (Register) in preparation for national primaries



5th to 17th June, 2018  National Annual Delegates Conference to elect National Officers [Venue to be determined by National Council at a later date]



In conclusion, the party fervently anticipates the full cooperation of all members in order to make the upcoming extraordinary national delegates conference and the internal primaries, a success.



Thank you.



...Signed...



JOHN BOADU

General Secretary (Ag)

Source: Isaac kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The High Commercial Court of Ukraine has returned the Mezhyhirya residence to state ownership under a petition filed by the Ukrainian Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry, but the ministry plans to demand that the residence be granted the status of an object of the nature reserve fund, Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Ostap Semerak has said.

"The final decision has been made in the Mezhyhirya case. The High Commercial Court of Ukraine adopted a decision transferring the said residence to state ownership. I will recall that the Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry itself initiated the trial and the return of this property from [former Ukrainian President Viktor] Yanukovych to the state," he wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday.

Then, according to him, there will be an inventory of this state property and the definition of its governing body.

"The Natural Resources Ministry will initiate the granting of Mezhyhirya with the status of an object of the nature reserve fund that will forever open this territory for people, will help provide care for rare animals and plants and make this territory an educational and scientific center," Semerak added.

As reported, on March 16, 2017, Semerak said that the Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry had initiated the submission of appeals against court rulings recognizing the legality of the sale of land plots comprising Mezhyhirya by Medinvesttrade private firm to national joint-stock company Nadra Ukrainy in 2007.

"There were several political rulings to nationalize this complex. However, legally, the facilities of Mezhyhirya prior to that time belonged to the companies affiliated with the Yanukovych family. The team at the ministry knows the legal way to return the complex to the people of Ukraine. It has launched legal action to achieve this," he said.

According to the minister, at the request of the ministry and Nadra Ukrainy an appeal has been made against the decision of the Kyiv Economic Court of Appeals and of the decision of the Economic Court of Kyiv involving case No. 6/655 on recognizing as void the agreement dated September 25, 2007.

Semerak said the legality of the deal for a long time has not been disputed and the term of limitations for appeal has expired. In 2007, Medinvesttrade sold Mezhyhirya to a little-known firm called Tantalit, which continues to be the owner to this day. The company figures prominent in many criminal investigations connected with disgraced ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych. Later Medinvesttrade was liquidated.
The National Christmas Tree will be lit during a ceremony that starts at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30, at the White House.

You can watch President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump take part in their first lighting ceremony live on the White House's YouTube channel, starting at 5 p.m.

Click here to watch the live ceremony of the National Christmas Tree Lighting.

This is the 95th year for the White House holiday tradition.

Performers will include: The Beach Boys and Wynonna and will be hosted by Kathie Lee Gifford and Dean Cain.

This year's National Christmas Tree is a Colorado blue spruce from Virginia, ad it was planted on the Ellipse on October 27, 2012, according to Shelby Galvin, public affairs specialist Public Affairs Specialist with the National Parks Service.

The tree is about 32 years old and 30 feet tall, Galvin said, and it replaced a Colorado blue spruce from New Jersey that succumbed to transplant shock in May 2012.

"Living trees have been used as the National Christmas Tree since 1973, and before that from 1924-1953. Cut trees were used in 1923, and from 1954-1972," Galvin said in an email.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, a Norway spruce that came from State College, was lit on Wednesday night in New York City.
Emmy Award-winner CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg will deliver the keynote address at the 15th annual York County tourism industry event at Wyndridge Farm.

"The Travel Detective" host has been to central Pennsylvania before, filming York County earlier this year for an upcoming episode. York County is the self-proclaimed Factory Tour Capital of the World. Greenberg also broadcast from York during his visit. As keynote, he will talk about trends in travel as well as "how York County attractions can credibly reach storytellers and journalists like him," according to a news release.

The event will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. on Thursday, December 7.

"Visitors spend more than $943 million a year in York County, but the true value of tourism extends beyond dollars and cents," said York County Convention & Visitors Bureau President Anne Druc in a news release. "In addition to supporting thousands of jobs, tourism raises our overall quality of life and gives us the opportunity to celebrate everything that makes York County a wonderful place to live, work and play. We look forward to joining our industry stakeholders to celebrate our past successes, with an eager eye on building an even greater future together."

For more on the event, call the visitors bureau at 1-888-858-9675 or visit www.yorkpa.org.

For more on Pennsylvania life & culture:
Russell Simmons is stepping away from his companies amid allegations he forced screenwriter Jenny Lumet into an unwanted sexual encounter.

The Def Jam co-founder was the subject of a guest column in The Hollywood Reporter by Lumet, who claimed the music producer made her go to his apartment and allegedly had an unwanted sexual encounter with her.

Lumet, who penned the films "Rachel Getting Married" and "The Mummy," said Simmons was an acquaintance since 1987 after having met him through fellow Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin.

The music business pro reportedly offered Lumet a ride home, but refused to go to her address and instead ordered his driver to take her to his apartment, despite her repeatedly saying "no."

"I couldn't open the doors. I couldn't open the windows. The car was moving. The driver did not stop ... He took me to your apartment," Lumet, daughter of the famous director Sidney Lumet wrote in her account.

"I simply did what I was told," she recalled. "There was penetration."

Lumet explained that she hurried, got her clothes and left after Simmons ejaculated and never shared the story until Oct. 27 after allegations started coming out about Harvey Weinstein.

Hours after the story emerged, Simmons announced he would step away from all of his businesses.

"I have been informed with great anguish of Jenny Lumet's recollection about our night together in 1991," Simmons said in a statement released by his representatives.

"I know Jenny and her family and have seen her several times over the years since the evening she described. While her memory of that evening is very different from mine, it is now clear to me that her feelings of fear and intimidation are real. While I have never been violent, I have been thoughtless and insensitive in some of my relationships over many decades and I sincerely and humbly apologize."

Lumet's account comes after former model Keri Claussen Khalighi claimed Simmons assaulted her that same year while Brett Ratner was in the room.

She told the Los Angeles Times that she was 17 at the time of the alleged encounter and that Simmons sexually assaulted her in the shower after forcinig her to perform oral sex while Ratner watched. Khalighi said Simmons first tried to force her to have sex as he violently pulled off her clothes.

"I fought wildly," she recalled.

Simmons denied that his encounter with Khalighi was non-consensual.

The 60-year-old founded his empire Rush Communications in 1991 and created the clothing line Phat Farm the following year. Under the Rush umbrella are his All Def Digital company, his Def Pictures film company, a jewelry company, the Simmons Design Group, GlobalGrind.com and his yoga studio Tantris, along with several other philanthropic efforts like the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation and the Diamond Empowerment Fund.

His Def Jam Recording company, which he runs with Rubin, features artists like Nas, Big Sean, Ludacris, Vince Staples, Iggy Azalea and countless others.

Simmons said he would be handing over his companies to a "diverse generation of extraordinary executives."

He was married to Kimora Lee Simmons from 1998 to 2009. The pair share three children.

By Nicole Bitette and Ariel Scotti, New York Daily News (TNS)
The White House is discussing a plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA director Mike Pompeo, according to an administration official who sought anonymity to discuss internal thinking.

Tillerson has been in President Donald Trump's administration since February.

From the Washington Post:

The plan, hatched by White House chief of staff John F. Kelly, is expected to be set in motion over the next few weeks, and has broad support within Trump's inner circle, the officials said. But it was unclear whether Trump had signed off on the plan yet, and the president has been known to change his mind about personnel and other matters before finalizing decisions with public announcements.

Under the plan, Pompeo would likely be replaced at the CIA by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), one of Trump's most steadfast defenders and a confidant to some leading members of the foreign policy team, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the White House has not publicly announced the moves.

The Associated Press reports:

U.S. officials and individuals familiar with White House plans have spoken about the possibility of a broad shakeup in President Donald Trump's national security team. But the timing of such a change is unclear.

Also unclear is whether Pompeo has been approached about the Cabinet reshuffle, but another administration official said he is open to taking the job.

Last month, Tillerson denied plans to resign after NBC News had reported he'd been close to quitting over the summer amid policy disputes with the White House. NBC said the tensions came to a head around the time Trump gave a politicized speech in July to the Boy Scouts of America, an organization Tillerson once led.

NBC also said Tillerson referred to Trump as a "moron" after a July 20 meeting at the Pentagon with members of Trump's national security team and Cabinet officials. NBC cited three anonymous officials familiar with the incident.
If PennDOT rocked the boat when it began building roundabouts, expect things to get even stranger when diverging diamond interchanges start appearing in the midstate over the next few years.

Two such interchanges -- one at the Shrewsbury exit of I-83 in York County and a second one near Ephrata in Lancaster County -- are slated to begin construction in 2019. The first diverging diamond interchange in Pennsylvania, on I-70 in Washington County, was completed earlier this year.

Diverging diamonds are a departure from standard diamond or clover leaf designs -- instead of making left turns across oncoming traffic to enter highway on-ramps, they are designed to weave traffic through the interchanges, eliminating cross-traffic left-hand turns, as the following image illustrates:

This diagram shows how traffic flows through the diverging diamond interchange in Washington County. The design 'weaves' traffic, eliminating left-hand turns across oncoming traffic.

Diverging diamond Interchanges have become somewhat popular in the Midwest. Missouri, which constructed the first diverging diamond interchange in 2009 near Springfield, has built 19 over the last eight years.

"They really do work," said Bob Brendel, with the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Brendel said that while a diverging diamond interchange isn't the best option for every situation, "if it's an intersection without a heavy number of turning events, then they work really well," he said.

"They have a lot of advantages and are very adaptable . . . and they are a lot cheaper than a normal interchange," he concluded.

In York County, rapid growth in the Shrewbury area has caused congestion at the I-83 interchange to become a fact of life. A few years ago PennDOT began examining possible changes and upgrades to the intersection designed to eliminate the backups.

Compared to a traditional interchange, PennDOT's analysis showed that using a diverging diamond at that location would significantly reduce the number of potential crash points as well as result in a more continuous flow for traffic.

In Lancaster County, PennDOT is holding a public meeting this evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ephrata Pioneer Fire Company to show the design to the public.

That interchange would link routes 322 and 222 and could begin as early as fall of 2019, depending on funding availability.

The following video, created for PennDOT, shows how a diverging diamond interchange works:

Admittedly, diverging diamond Interchanges can be a bit of a tough sell at first to the public.

"Peoples first reaction is: 'What are you smoking?,' " Brendel laughed. "But once they see it in operation people change their minds very quickly."
A school in central Pennsylvania say they're seeing an uptick in students "juuling," according to ABC27.

But what exactly does "juuling" entail?

Michael Weibley, manager at Smokers Express in Enola, told ABC27 the device is one solid piece with a cap on the end where the USB charging port is.

Users then put a nicotine pack called a "Juul pod" into the device. Each pod is approximately equivalent to one pack of cigarettes, or 200 puffs, according to the company's website.

The website also refers to the product as "a genuinely satisfying vapor alternative for adult smokers."

Cumberland Valley assistant principal David Gilbert told ABC27 that students are able to buy the devices online and from other places.

He also said the devices might be hard for parents to discern from something like a flash drive.

"These devices are so tiny, so small, so innocuous looking that they could pass as a flash drive" Gilbert said in the report. "Many parents, many adults, many people, in general, don't know what they're looking at when they see them."

Weibley said his store has stopped selling the devices after complaints from customers that the devices leak into their mouths.

Juul Labs told ABC27 they strongly condemn the use of the product by minors, and that it is illegal to sell the product to minors.
On Friday, December 1, at 12.00, the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency's press center will host a press conference, entitled "26th Anniversary of Independence Referendum. Current Challenges." The participants include director of the Institute of Global Strategies Vadym Karasiov, expert of the Gardarica Strategic Consulting Corporation Kostiantyn Matviyenko, and Director of the Ukrainian Barometer Sociological Service Viktor Nebozhenko (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration requires press accreditation.
As banks work to fortify their cybersecurity defences amidst a growing number of data breaches, they are also exploring the promise of so-called "open banking," a concept that could finally disrupt the staid financial services industry. A mobile bank app splash screen is shown against a backdrop of lights from bank headquarters in Torontos Financial District Thursday, Nov.29, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy
Kelly Ellard and her father Lawrence leave the Vancouver courthouse, March 30, 2000. A British Columbia woman who killed 14-year-old Reena Virk near a Victoria-area bridge two decades ago is asking a parole board to release her from prison. Kelly Ellard, who was 15 at the time of the death, is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder and will appear before a board today to request her release on day parole.THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Adrian Wyld
Photos show fruit growers in Gongcheng County, south Chinas Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, drying persimmons in the sun on Nov. 27.

Over 12,000 hectares of land in the county are planted with the fruit, producing some 400,000 tons of fruit. Apart from being sold across the country, the persimmons are also exported to Southeast Asia, South Korea, Japan, and Russia.
Conservative leader Andrew Scheer speaks with the media in the Foyer of the House of Commons Wednesday, Nov. 29, 217. Scheer is calling for embattled Finance Minister Bill Morneau to resign. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
In this May 21, 2016 photo, Garrison Keillor appears during a live broadcast for "A Prairie Home Companion" at the State Theatre in Minneapolis. Keillor said Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, he has been fired by Minnesota Public Radio over allegations of improper behavior. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP)
(Xinhua) 07:25, November 30, 2017

BEIJING, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping told his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, in a telephone conversation late Wednesday that denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, maintaining international nuclear-nonproliferation regime, and preserving peace and stability in Northeast Asia are China's unswerving goal.

He said China would like to keep up communications with the United States and all other related parties, and jointly push the nuclear issue towards the direction of peaceful settlement via dialogues and negotiations.

In response, Trump said the United States has serious concerns over the launch of a ballistic missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The DPRK's Korean Central Television reported that the country successfully test-fired a newly developed Intercontinental Ballistic Missile early Wednesday morning, a move that has drawn condemnation from the international community.

Pyongyang said "The development and advancement of the strategic weapon of DPRK are to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country from the U.S. imperialists' nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat, and to ensure the peaceful life of the people."

It is the first launch since Sept. 15, when the DPRK fired a ballistic missile over northern Japanin to the Pacific Ocean.

Trump said Washington highly values China's important role in solving the nuclear issue, and is willing to enhance communications and coordinations with China in search for solutions to the issue.

Also in their phone talks, the Chinese leader said that during Trump's visit to China earlier this month the two heads of state have exchanged in-depth views on key issues of common concerns and reached important consensuses on multiple fronts, which bears important significance for maintaining sound and stable bilateral ties.

Xi called on the two sides to carry out these consensuses, make good plans for high-level bilateral exchanges, as well as at other levels, ensure the second round talks under all four high-level China-U.S. dialogue mechanisms a success, and implement cooperation agreements and projects between the two countries.

He also urged the two sides to maintain close communications and coordination on important international and regional affairs.

To help soothe the Korean Peninsula situation, China has proposed a dual-track approach, seeking to advance denuclearization and establish a peace mechanism in parallel. Beijing, in its "suspension for suspension" initiative, calls on Pyongyang to pause its missile and nuclear activities, and calls on Washington to put its joint military drills with South Koreaon hold.

In response to the DPRK's missile launch, the United Nations Security Council will hold an urgent meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

Since November last year, the Security Council has imposed export bans on coal, iron, lead, textiles and seafood, restricted joint ventures and blacklisted a number of DPRK's entities in response to the country's missile and nuclear tests.

It has also banned the hiring of DPRK's guest workers and capped oil exports.

Under UN resolutions, DPRK is barred from developing missiles and a nuclear weapons capability, but Pyongyang argues that the arsenal is needed for self-defense against the "hostile" United States.
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP)  An Alaska couple is looking to change a law that requires people to pay taxes on damaged property.

Ron and Jane Hunt lost a house in a fire Jan. 8. Ron Hunt says he went to the Fairbanks North Star Borough to report the fire.

I was expecting to get a property tax adjustment, he said.

Ron Hunt learned he would be required to pay his full tax bill $6,977.92 on the North Pole property, even though the house, a rental, and an attached shop were reduced to rubble. The Hunts live next door to the rental property but continued to use the shop.

I was stunned,...
Jean Ellis was honored last Friday for all her achievements, state and local, by lighting the community Christmas tree this year.

A crowd gathered outside the municipal building to watch the annual tree lighting ceremony on Friday evening, where onlookers listened and cheered for Jean Ellis, the honored guest and storied Petersburg native.

Ellis, a 71-year-old with a background in the local newspaper, state legislature, education advocacy, the church and cancer, was chosen to light the community tree on Friday.

Tom Abbott introduced Ellis, where he listed her varied career paths and history of community engagement.

Ellis was the daughter of logging parents and grew up washing dishes and cleaning bunk houses at the...
OPEC and Russia are ready to extend their oil production cuts until the end of next year to ensure global stockpiles keep falling and prices maintain recent gains.

All OPEC members and Russia, the biggest producer outside the group to join the deal, agree the cuts should last until the end of 2018, according to delegates in Vienna to attend Thursday's meeting. On Wednesday, a committee charged with overseeing the agreement on behalf of the whole group also recommended extending until the end of next year, two delegates said.

"Everybody's working toward that nine-month extension, Nigerian Petroleum Minister Emmanuel Kachikwu said in a television interview.

A year after OPEC and its allies banded together in a dramatic bid to wrest back control of the oil market from U.S. shale producers, there's a consensus that the job's not finished. Nonetheless, the details of Thursday's final agreement will matter to traders ready to scour the communique to gauge the strength of the group's continued commitment.

Even though an extension through the whole of 2018 is all but certain, the cartel plans to hold a regular ministerial meeting next June, giving it the flexibility to alter the policy mid-game. For some oil investors, that potential review is a cause for concern. For others, it's just the natural course of the cycle of twice-yearly OPEC meetings.

Follow Thursday's TOPLive blog of the OPEC meeting in Vienna here.

Brent crude, the global benchmark, traded 0.6 percent higher at $63.46 a barrel in London early on Thursday morning. Prices have rallied since the start of September to the highest in more than two years on speculation the producers will extend their deal.

Prior to Wednesday's talks, banks including Citigroup Inc. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. had warned investors to prepare for disappointment due to Russia's hesitance to prolong the cuts. There was no indication that Moscow had received the assurances it was said to be seeking on how and when the agreement could be phased out, yet Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak offered a positive impression of the discussions.

We had a very good constructive talk, Novak told reporters after Wednesday's committee meeting. The market is still not rebalanced, needs further joint actions after April 1. Everybody recommended to extend the agreement.

Russian Concerns

Novak's comments echoed the view of his Saudi Arabian counterpart Khalid Al-Falih, who praised the solid results achieved by the cuts before the committee meeting.

"It has now been nearly a year since we reached the production agreement and the results have been indeed very gratifying, he said. In order to continue reaching our shared goals a good deal more hard work and commitment is essential."

One possible outcome for Thursday's meeting is that the existing deal, currently scheduled to expire in March, is "reset" to run for 12 months from the start of January, one delegate said. That could allow the group to tweak the terms of the agreement.

For Russia, reassurance about how the cuts would eventually be wound down seemed to be as important as the duration of the extension, according to people involved in the closed-door negotiations. Its need for clarity is greater than most OPEC members because its economic policy making is more complex, including a floating exchange rate that fluctuates with the oil price.

Moscow also wants a schedule of how the cuts will end so it can guide privately-owned Russian oil companies and their foreign partners about future output, the people said, asking not to be named because the talks are private.

Igor Sechin, chief executive officer of state-run Rosneft PJSC, and Lukoil PJSC 's billionaire boss Vagit Alekperov have questioned the wisdom of prolonging the deal when oil prices are already above $60 a barrel.

The issue of how to eventually ramp production back up was raised in Vienna on Wednesday, Novak said, without elaborating. All details will be announced on Thursday, he said.
(Xinhua) 07:28, November 30, 2017

BEIJING, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- The world has come to a better understanding of the "Chinese Dream" over the past five years since Chinese President Xi Jinpingput it forward to lay out an inspiring vision for realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

It is not confined to national boundaries but aligns with aspirations of the whole world for peace, sustained development and common prosperity.

PARADIGM FOR GLOBAL POVERTY ERADICATION

While speaking of his tour to a mountainous area in southwestern China's Yunnan Province in April, Javier Miranda, president of Uruguay's Broad Front party, could not but express amazement at the poverty alleviation efforts he saw there.

"A 60-year-old man has transformed his home into a minshuku (a kind of affordable Japanese hotel) with a dining hall," he said. "He told me that his house used to have leaking roofs and blackouts a couple of years ago."

Over the years, the emergence of vocational schools, e-commerce and alternative planting has brought dramatic changes to the Lisus living there, an ethnic minority.

Similar success stories are pouring in from China's countryside. The past five years saw more than 60 million people lifted out of poverty, marking an epic chapter in the global battle against poverty.

China is set to complete building a moderately prosperous society by 2020, which requires the eradication of poverty. It means more than 10 million people have to be lifted out of poverty every year. That is nearly 1 million people per month, or 20 people per minute.

During his visit to China earlier this month, UN World Food Programme Executive Director David Beasley said China can play a significant role in ending hunger around the world because it has proved its commitment and capability in the last few decades.

"China doesn't just talk about it. It acts. It gets it done," he said.

COMMITMENT TO COMMON DEVELOPMENT

Over the past five years, China has maintained its position as the world's second largest economy and contributed more than one third of the global economic growth. It has also become a major international investor and leading global trader.

An example of China's commitment to common development is the Belt and Road Initiative, which was proposed by Xi in 2013.

The initiative, comprising the overland Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, aims to build a trade, investment and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes.

It has been implemented in cooperation and alignment with participating countries' respective development strategies, making its projects beneficial to all involved.

The under-construction China-Laos railway will help turn land-locked Laos into a land-linked country; the 472-km Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway built with Chinese assistance and expertise becomes Kenya's single largest infrastructure project since its independence in 1963, among others.

In a message sent to a Belt and Road forum in New Zealand on Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said "clear synergies" exist between the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Belt and Road Initiative.

Both strive to "stitch countries together in networks of trade and mutual gain," and both aim to "deepen global connectivity," Guterres said.

ADVOCATE OF COMMUNITY OF SHARED FUTURE

The Belt and Road Initiative embodies Xi's concept of building a community of shared future for mankind, which connects the "Chinese Dream" with the aspirations of the whole world for peace and development.

Guided by the concept, which has gained worldwide recognition and been inscribed into multiple UN resolutions, China is playing an increasingly important role in global affairs.

Amid rising trade protectionism and anti-globalization sentiment in Western countries, it has remained a steadfast champion of free trade, open economy and inclusive globalization.

Against headwinds in fighting climate change, China has become an important participant, contributor and torchbearer in the global endeavor for an ecological civilization.

China is also the largest troop contributor and the second largest funding source for UN peacekeeping missions around the world, and a staunch supporter of peaceful settlement of disputes and conflicts.

"The dream of us Chinese is closely connected with the dreams of people of other countries," Xi reiterated at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit in Vietnam earlier this month.

"Our world is full of challenges and the road ahead will not be smooth. But we will not give up our dream. We will double our efforts and work with all others to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys durable peace, universal security, and common prosperity."
U.S. crude may owe supply from Mexico for helping it capture a share of the world's biggest oil market this year.

The total volume of U.S. and Mexican crude that were loaded into a single ship for export has surged more than fivefold to 11.8 million barrels so far this year, from 2.1 million barrels in 2016, data from vessel-tracking and intelligence company Kpler show. All the cargoes sailed to Asia, according to shipping information on Bloomberg.

While some Asian buyers prefer purchasing crude from the Americas on very large crude carriers with capacity of about 2 million barrels, most export terminals in the U.S. don't boast infrastructure that can accommodate a fully-laden big tanker. To circumvent the problem, a VLCC is partially loaded in a Gulf Coast port after which it goes to Mexico to fill up before sailing east.

Alternatively, smaller vessels can pick up supplies and transfer them at open seas into a VLCC.

By utilizing larger vessels and co-loading, shippers can garner economies of scale and lower unit costs per per barrel but they will need to factor in all costs including multiple port loading, demurrage, port fees and timing, said John Driscoll, chief strategist at JTD Energy Services Pte. A mix of U.S. light crude and Mexican oil such as Maya can provide an optimal mix of light and heavy crude that mirrors the feedstock and product yield objectives in a complex refinery.

American exports are surging as production booms and complicates OPEC's strategy as it gathers in Vienna Thursday to consider output curbs . About 350,000 barrels per day of oil flowed from the U.S. to Asia from January to September this year, an 800 percent increase year-on-year, according to Chen Bo, the president of Unipec.

Asia was the top destination for U.S. oil during the period, taking 37 percent of exports, said Chen, who heads the trading arm of refiner China Petrochemical Corp. , also known as Sinopec.
In general, men are twice as likely to cheat on a spouse than women are. That frequency increases over the lifespan, peaking among the elderly. Among men 18 to 29 who have ever been married, about 1 in 10 is
Bob Brady is peeved about weed.

Philadelphia was shut out in June when 12 permits were awarded to cultivate cannabis in Pennsylvania. Now, the Democratic congressman, arguably the region's most powerful politician, is demanding to know why medical marijuana won't be grown on his home turf.

Brady specifically wants an explanation why a property in one of the city's most distressed neighborhoods wasn't considered for a marijuana site. That property, at Second Street and Erie Avenue in North Philadelphia, happens to be controlled by a group of investors represented by Brady's longtime spokesman and aide, Ken Smukler.

"It's a $15 million to $20 million investment with jobs, 40 to 50 jobs, in a blighted area, a minority area, where it's desperately needed," Brady said in an interview. Instead, the grow appears to be headed to Lancaster County.

Smukler, a political operative who is currently under federal indictment on conspiracy charges, represents a group that holds an option on the former distribution warehouse that sits on a 14-acre parcel. Part of a group of investors that includes Chicago-based Illinois Grown Medicine and former Philadelphia mayoral candidate Ken Trujillo, Smukler is unapologetic about his stake.

"The fact I might be able to benefit is no different from any other developer with political support trying to do good for the community," he said, adding that his company, 1776 Ventures, would have donated $1 million a year to a local nonprofit. "I'm not ashamed of it. More people should be doing this."

The kerfuffle is shedding light on one of the more obscure, and potentially lucrative, parts of the commonwealth's medical marijuana program. Under Pennsylvania's law, in addition to the dozen commercial marijuana growers, the state's eight university health systems can partner with aspiring cannabis cultivators. The health systems will not handle any part of the marijuana plants or its derivatives, but they will lend their names to the partnerships and ostensibly conduct research into the benefits of the drug.

The program is referred to as "Chapter 20," after a portion of the law signed last year by Gov. Wolf. The state has yet to publish regulations governing the provision. Health Department spokeswoman April Hutcheson said it was premature to discuss business winners and losers until those rules are released.

"Our primary focus right now is getting the program up and running and getting medicine to sick patients," Hutcheson said.

Temple University is one of four health systems in the city that stand to benefit from Chapter 20. Jefferson, Drexel, and the University of Pennsylvania also may enter into noncompetitive arrangements with growers. Most are rumored to have struck deals with out-of-state cannabis-industry powerhouses.

Temple has paired up with Laurel Harvest Labs. The company is headed by Nick Karalis, CEO and president of Delaware County-based Elwyn Specialty Pharmacy Group.

Laurel Harvest Labs sought approval earlier this month from the town of Mount Joy in Lancaster County to build on what is now a cornfield a facility "for the manufacturing and processing of pharmaceuticals and medicines." A decision by the Mount Joy Planning Commission is pending, according to Borough Manager Samuel Sulkosky.

Brady and other politicians want the Laurel Harvest Labs facility in Philadelphia. Brady bristles at the idea of Temple's partner growing marijuana outside the city. He's angry the university did not open the process to a competitive bid or even listen to a pitch for the neighborhood option.

Calling the rejection of a North Philadelphia site "insufficient, indefensible and insulting," Brady  along with State Sen. Sharif Street and Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez  fired off a letter to the chairman of Temple's board of trustees on Nov. 22. They insisted that the university explain itself and reconsider its decision.

In the letter, the three said they were told the decision was not made by the university's health system but "at the institutional level" because the former warehouse was "too close to a school." The trio say they didn't buy the explanation. Though state law requires dispensaries to be set back 1,000 feet from a school, neither the state nor the Philadelphia zoning code requires any setback for a marijuana growing facility.

The chairman of Temple's board of trustees, Patrick J. O'Connor, did not respond to requests for comment. O'Connor is the cofounder and former president of Cozen O'Connor, one of the city's most powerful law firms. Cozen O'Connor attorney Mark Alderman represents Temple's grower, Laurel Harvest Labs.

"I can't get an answer from them," Brady said in an interview. "You talk about casinos being wired up, this is totally wired up."

Alderman declined to comment for this article. Temple's president, Richard Englert, also declined comment.

Street said he, too, was mystified how Temple decided to work with Laurel Harvest Labs. "As a state senator representing most of the institution's footprint, I don't have any information," he said in an interview.

Brady said he personally was disappointed by Temple and warned of future legal action.

"They took out the Northeastern Hospital and promised to give something back for community development," he said. "They've come to me whenever they needed a fix. They're turning their backs on the city and turning down $20 million in revenues.

"Unfortunately," Brady said, "this might be for the courts to figure out."

nnnnn
While Comcast much prefers piling on new content and tricks for its X1 set top box, a legal ruling this week has forced a temporary (at least) disabling of one feature set: The ability to remotely schedule, modify or cancel a recording to be made on an X1 system . Customers used to be able to accomplish this anywhere they were, using a mobile device fitted with the Xfinity Stream or Xfinity TV remote app.

Only now you can't. This week the International Trade Commission agreed on Nov. 28 with a complaint filed by Rovi that this Xfinity X1 feature set infringes on a patent issued initially to TiVo, now a Rovi company. While rejecting several other Rovi patent objections, ITC Judge David Shaw ruled that violations occurred with two patents related to the "interactive program guide with remote access."

As retribution, the ITC has issued a limited exclusion order and a cease and desist order, which could effectively bar the import of X1 set top boxes made by vendors Arris and Technicolor. But first Comcast gets to hit the "pause" button by triggering a 60-day review and appeal process that could engage the Trump Administration and the U.S Patent Office in the conflict resolution.

"We respectfully disagree with the ITC's decision in this matter," said a Comcast statement. "In fact, Rovi has never disputed that Comcast or its predecessors independently developed our X1 platform and our cloud- and app-based technology. While we believe the ITC reached the wrong decision, we have removed this feature from those offered to our subscribers while we pursue an appeal."

And if all else fails? Comcast could just pay up. "This ruling reinforces the need for Comcast to take the necessary license to our intellectual property," TiVo told Law360.
Orinoko Civic House is a former industrial building on Ruth Street that was retrofitted as affordable housing by the New Kensington Community Development Corp. There are 51 units for families and individuals earning less than $41,000 a year. Read more

When it was first presented in City Council last summer, Philadelphia's affordable housing bill was touted as the antidote that would help neutralize gentrification.

Because developers would be required to reserve 10 percent of their units for low-wage workers, the bill promised a steady supply of good-quality housing for low-income residents. As compensation, developers would get to put up significantly larger buildings than the zoning code normally allows. Because the new, subsidized housing would be scattered throughout the city, the bill offered hope that Philadelphia could preserve a modicum of income diversity, no matter how upscale its once-blighted neighborhoods become. Best of all, the program wouldn't cost the city a dime.

It turns out that solving Philadelphia's housing needs is way more complicated than anticipated.

Opposition to the bill has come from all corners, including some nonprofits that specialize in affordable housing. Though it was always expected that market-rate developers would resist the proposal, known as inclusionary housing, the most intense push-back has actually been from neighborhood groups, such as the Crosstown Coalition, who worry  not unreasonably  that the density trade-off would undermine the zoning code. Even Planning Commission director Anne Fadullon, ordinarily a strong supporter of affordable housing, cautioned that the bill could backfire, stifling development for everyone.

Facing a possible defeat, the bill's main sponsor, Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez, called off a planned vote this week in order to try to work out a deal with the bill's opponents. She scheduled a new vote for Tuesday.

That doesn't leave much time to come up with a compromise that works for Philadelphia, where many neighborhoods still struggle with blight and depopulation. At this point, the bill is so mangled it is unlikely to achieve its original economic diversity goal or succeed in salting affordable units into high-priced areas. And, even if a few low-price units do get built in the fancier neighborhoods, they will probably be too expensive for really poor people, who constantly teeter on the precipice of homelessness.

Whatever happens at Monday's vote, Quinones-Sanchez's effort already has produced one significant result: It has put affordable housing on Philadelphia's radar. Virtually every witness who testified at this week's hearing  developers included  agreed that Philadelphia needs to produce more housing for the kind of workers who keep the city humming: waitresses, janitors, schoolteachers, bus drivers. Maybe because wages have been stagnant for so long, both in Philadelphia and nationally, it seems affordable housing has become a middle-class issue.

So, if people think Quinones-Sanchez has the right idea but the wrong approach, then what would make affordable housing work in Philadelphia? To answer that question, I surveyed a range of housing specialists for alternatives to inclusionary zoning. Here are their best suggestions.

1) Revise the 10-year property tax abatement. What was most astonishing about this week's five-hour hearing on Quinones-Sanchez's bill was how infrequently people acknowledged the elephant in the room: the property tax abatement. The lucrative incentive has fueled the current housing boom and is a key reason low-income people are being displaced from gentrifying neighborhoods like Point Breeze and South Kensington. While they struggle, the abatement is subsidizing more and more luxury units. Just recently, the city approved abatements for multimillion-dollar condos at One Riverside and 500 Walnut, not to mention developer Bart Blatstein's new Rittenhouse Square mansion.

One way the city could create a fund for affordable housing is to impose a cap on the abatement, let's say $500,000 for discussion's sake. The additional taxes collected on the more expensive homes would be set aside for programs that help low-income homeowners pay for costly repairs to keep their homes livable. As Fadullon noted at this week's hearing, "the most affordable house is one people are already living in."

Advantage: It makes the abatement fairer for everyone.

Disadvantage: The city would be tempted to spend the extra revenue on other pressing needs.

2) Impact fees. Because the affordable housing bill compensates developers by allowing more density, some fear the proposal would lead to massively scaled buildings that would ruin the character of rowhouse neighborhoods. The city could take zoning out of the conversation by levying a small impact fee on all new construction, both residential and commercial. If the fee were a modest $2 per square foot, the Philadelphia Coalition for Affordable Communities estimates the city could raise $6.8 million annually for subsidized housing and repair programs. Some advocates jokingly refer to it as a tax on the tax abatement.

Advantage: Unlike the "in lieu" fees that developers can pay to get out of their inclusionary housing obligations, these would be decoupled from zoning and have no effect on neighborhoods. It's not a zoning change, it's a tax.

Disadvantage: It's a tax.

3) Eliminate parking requirements for affordable housing. Given that many low-income people can barely afford housing, it's frustrating that the city still requires parking in subsidized housing projects (or any housing project, for that matter). By getting rid of the parking requirement, affordable housing developers could reduce costs by 10 percent to 15 percent and build more units. Ironically, Council President Darrell Clarke is pushing a bill right now to double parking requirements in some areas, a move that runs counter to the stated goal of creating more low-priced housing.

Advantage: Fewer garage-fronted rowhouses. Less wasted land.

Disadvantage: Old-school Philadelphia will complain about the competition for on-street parking.

4) Increase the transfer tax. Unlike some other cities, Philadelphia is a city of homeowners. Yet it also suffers from a high poverty rate, especially among the elderly. A sudden emergency, like a bad heater or a leaky roof, can be disastrous. To help keep poor homeowners in their homes, Clarke introduced a measure last year to beef up the city's fund for critical home repairs. It raised the realty transfer tax by 0.1 percent.

John Landis, who teaches city planning at the University of Pennsylvania, said the city could easily increase the transfer tax another notch to raise money for affordable housing.

Advantage: Because the city would collect the payment at settlement, when sellers are reaping big gains, Landis argues the pain would be minimal. Although Philadelphia's transfer tax is high in comparison to other cities, he argues the actual sale prices are low.

Disadvantage: It's a tax. A mechanism would be needed to keep the city from diverting the money to other purposes.

5) Make inclusionary housing a requirement for any residential project built on property sold by the city. This sounds like a no-brainer, as the city can set the price to account for the extra cost of building subsidized units. Yet when city unloaded several dozen shuttered schools in 2014, it imposed no conditions on buyers, even though many planned to turn the old schools into apartment buildings. Given that vast sums of public money had been invested in those schools  like the 14-acre site where University City High School stood  it seems reasonable to require affordable units in such cases.

Advantages: More units would be produced.

Disadvantages: The requirement would reduce the sale price. It would also be hard to attract tenants in some neighborhoods.

Maybe the best solution, however, would be to delay a decision for now. The Planning Commission is about to hire a consultant to study the city's housing needs. Once that work is done, we should have a lot more ideas about how to ensure that Philadelphia remains an economically diverse city as its old neighborhoods change and gentrify.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, left, takes the stage with former Today show co-anchor Matt Lauer, right, at the NBC Commander-In-Chief Forum in 2016. Read more

I was a 23-year-old intern at a now-defunct newspaper publishing company in the Washington area when an older, more established colleague invited me out to lunch.

I had just started, so I happily accepted. I assumed he had taken an interest in my career and wanted to mentor me. Instead, while we were sitting at a table inside a darkened restaurant, he suddenly lunged across the table to kiss me, knocking the silverware to the floor, and spilling the water glasses. I was stunned.

He went on tell me the usual blah-blah-blah that his wife didn't understand him and he wanted to date me. I let him know that I wasn't interested. We ate, and I assumed it was over. Silly me. After I got back inside his car, my colleague refused to drive me to the office unless I kissed him first. I refused. He persisted, but eventually gave up and drove me to the newsroom.

I buried this incident for many years, even in recent months amid all the sordid sexual abuse allegations against Bill Cosby, President Trump, Harvey Weinstein, Sen. Al Franken, Rep. John Conyers, and Alabama's Roy Moore. As much as I felt for the female accusers, those were their stories  not mine.

But as I watch powerful men such as Today's Matt Lauer, CBS This Morning's Charlie Rose, MSNBC's Mark Halperin, and Minnesota Public Radio's Garrison Keillor of A Prairie Home Companion fame, get accused of similar abuses of power, it really brings the issue home for me.

Eight women have claimed that Rose made unwanted sexual advances toward them that included lewd phone calls, groping, and  get this  walking around naked in front of them. NBC officials haven't detailed exactly what sexual improprieties Lauer is accused of, but they had to be bad for him to be fired so quickly. According to Variety, they involved allegations from multiple women, including one to whom he reportedly gave a sex toy as a present.

I can relate to why the accusers didn't speak up earlier. They were worried about their careers, as I had been. Then there's the fear of condemnation from people like the actress Angela Lansbury, who had the nerve to tell an interviewer recently that women are responsible to some degree for sexual harassment.

"There are two sides to this coin," Lansbury, 92, told Radio Times. "We have to own up to the fact that women, since time immemorial, have gone out of their way to make themselves attractive. And unfortunately it has backfired on us  and this is where we are today."

Shame on Lansbury for victim-blaming and for raising the old "What were you wearing?" argument. Insulting assumptions like that are why too many of us remain quiet. When we report something as humiliating and possibly professionally harmful as sexual harassment, the last thing we should be told is that we are the problem.

Looking back, I wish I'd had the guts to have cursed out my colleague then and there. But I wasn't that strong or professionally secure. I felt ashamed for having accepted his invitation to lunch, even though it is commonplace for more established journalists to welcome newsroom newbies by taking them out for lunch or drinks.

I unwittingly participated in a culture in which female journalists whisper about which men are to be avoided. It doesn't happen to me here. But at industry conventions, women would warn about certain "recruiters," especially those who invite aspiring female broadcasters to their hotel rooms "to view their tapes." Discussing potential employment over drinks is common, and aspiring journalists knew we paid a price if we refused to play along.

"It was so commonplace," one of my journalism buddies reminded me on Wednesday. "You just knew: 'Here he comes. Run.' "

We laugh about it now. Back then, not so much. We were scared. We were vulnerable. We were silent.

That's why I applaud every female accuser who has had the courage to come forward and stand in her own truth. I wish I had been brave enough to have done that back when my colleague tried to kiss me.
(Xinhua) 07:29, November 30, 2017

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang(2nd L, front) and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (2nd R, front) talk with entrepreneurs after attending the opening ceremony of the seventh China and the Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) Economic and Trade Forum in Budapest, Hungary, Nov. 27, 2017. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BUDAPEST, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiangon Wednesday wrapped up his four-day visit to Hungary with enhanced bilateral ties and China-Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) cooperation.

During his talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Tuesday, Li said China is committed to further advancing bilateral cooperation so as to lift bilateral relationship to a new high.

Speaking of the traditional friendship and solid foundation of bilateral ties between China and Hungary, Li said China views Hungary as an important partner in CEE, a good friend in the European Union, and a friend that can have close communication and coordination in international affairs.

"We are willing to further deepen ties with Hungary on the basis of mutual respect and equal treatment so as to lift the traditional friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation to a new high," Li told Orban during the talks held at the National Assembly building of Hungary.

China and Hungary lifted their relationship to comprehensive strategic partnership during Orban's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinpingin Beijing in May.

Hungary is among the first batch of countries that recognized the People's Republic of China and established diplomatic ties with it on Oct. 6, 1949, days after its founding.

Relations between China and Hungary have entered the best period in history with frequent high-level visits and mutual trust in practical cooperation.

Hungary signed the memorandum of understanding over China's Belt and Road Initiative in June 2015, becoming the first European country that has established and started the Belt and Road working group mechanism with China, which signified a successful docking of the China-proposed initiative with Hungary's "opening to the East" policy.

China is willing to better dovetail the Belt and Road Initiative with Hungarian development strategies, expand bilateral trade and investment scale, and enhance cooperation on key areas including infrastructure construction in the hope of promoting connectivity in the region, Li said during the talks.

Proposed by President Xi in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. It comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Li said China encourages more Chinese enterprises to invest in Hungary and expects more facilitation from the Hungarian side, adding that China is willing to import more Hungarian products that are competitive on the market.

China is Hungary's most important trading partner outside Europe, while Hungary remains China's third largest trading partner in CEE.

Last year, bilateral trade volume reached 8.89 billion U.S. dollars with a 10.1 percent year-on-year growth. In the first half of this year, two-way trade volume reached 4.85 billion dollars, a 17.3 percent increase over the same period of last year.

The Chinese premier also called on the two countries to strengthen financial cooperation so as to make the country a major base for China-CEE financial cooperation.

Currently, Hungary has the first Chinese yuan clearing bank in CEE.

Li said China supports the two countries in expanding cooperation on tourism, civil aviation and education.

Orban, for his part, said Hungary and China enjoy very good political ties and have had fruitful cooperation, which could be called a success story in Hungary's foreign relations.

Hungary stands ready to accelerate the construction of such flagship projects as the Hungary-Serbia railway, enhance cooperation on economy and trade, finance, education and tourism, he said, adding that Hungary welcomes Chinese firms to invest in the country.

The two countries signed 11 agreements covering areas of agriculture, e-commerce, finance, telecommunication, tourism and education.

"These deals mean that China will further increase its investment in Hungary and help to make more job opportunities in the country," said Li when he and Orban jointly met with the press after their talks.

"Such cooperation is also a good opportunity for Chinese companies to learn advanced technology and managing experience from the Hungarian side," he said.

Accounting for one-third of China's total investment in CEE, China's current investment in Hungary has reached 4.1 billion dollars, creating about 10,000 local jobs, making the country the biggest investment destination of China in CEE.

Orban said the two sides have had talks in a good and pragmatic atmosphere and reached a series of important consensus on deepening bilateral cooperation.

Hungary and China enjoy solid ground for their relations and possess huge potential for cooperation, he said, expressing his hope that the current visit by the Chinese premier would open up new prospects for bilateral ties.

Hungary is ready to seize the opportunities offered by China's development, and strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China in all areas, he said.

During his stay in Budapest, Li also met with Hungarian President Janos Ader and Parliament Speaker Laszlo Kover.

He also received the Hungarian-Chinese dictionary edited and presented by Hungarian sinologists.

16+1 COOPERATION BENEFITS ALL

Li's Budapest visit also witnessed stronger cooperation between China and 16 CEE countries, dubbed as the 16+1 cooperation, as he attended the sixth meeting of heads of government of China and 16 Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) and seventh China-CEEC economic and trade cooperation forum.

The 17 countries issued the Budapest Guidelines for the China-CEEC cooperation and signed deals on the Belt and Road Initiative, production capacity, infrastructure construction, finance and people-to-people exchanges.

"My current visit is not only aimed at China-Hungary friendship, but also China-CEEC cooperation," said Li when met with the press on Tuesday.

During Li's stay, Serbia launched the construction of the Serbian part of the Hungary-Serbia railway, while Hungary announced the open tendering for the Hungarian part of the high-speed railway.

The Hungary-Serbia railway will connect Budapest with Belgrade, with a total length of 350 km, reducing traveling time between the two capitals from eight hours to three hours.

Initiated in December 2015, the railway project will be built by Chinese companies led by China Railway Corporation.

The origin of the so-called 16+1 cooperation could be traced back to the first China-CEEC Economic and Trade Forum held in Budapest six years ago, Li said.

"Now that this cooperation mechanism has been running for five years, it is a perfect place and time to review the past and plan the future. The results in the past five years show that 16+1 cooperation benefits both sides as well as the world," Li said.

Chinese investment in CEEC is now over 9 billion dollars, up from 3 billion in 2012, while CEEC invested 1.4 billion dollars in China.

In the first three quarters this year, their trade exceeded 49 billion dollars, marking an increase of 14.5 percent year-on-year. China's imports of agricultural products from CEEC have seen an annual increase of 13.7 percent.

The two sides have also expanded infrastructure and industrial partnerships, with a number of flagship projects underway, including the Hungary-Serbia high-speed railway, the China-Serbia Friendship Bridge across the Danube in Belgrade, and highway projects in Macedonia and Montenegro.

Li said this trans-regional cooperation mechanism has shortened the psychological distance between peoples of both ends of the Eurasia continent and reduced development imbalance arising from the process of globalization.

It has contributed to the healthy development of globalization, the comprehensive development and integration of Europe, as well as regional stability and world peace, he said.

Orban said his country will step up bilateral cooperation under the 16+1 cooperation framework and continue to promote fruitful cooperation between CEEC and China in order to make contributions to regional and global development.

Hungary is the first leg of Li's week-long visit starting Sunday. He is heading for Russiafor the 16th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to be held in Sochi, Russia from Thursday to Friday.
Thomas Eakins Shoreline of the Delaware River with Fishing Nets circa 1881-82, oil on tan cardboard, in The Loaded Brush: The Oil Sketch and the Philadelphia School of Painting, at PAFA. Read more

The oil sketch originated in 16th-century Italy as a preparatory study for a painting and gradually acquired its own distinct stature. To contemporary eyes, these sketches are often more appealing than a finished work. Typically deft and fluid, their brushwork doesn't aim for perfection. Thomas Eakins was a master of the form, and a fan.

Introduced to the practice during his four years of study in Europe, he made oil sketches an integral part of his own artistic output, and he used them as a teaching tool in his classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Spontaneous, painterly oil sketching continues to inform the works of PAFA graduates  whether they follow his habit of seizing the moment in a sketch or take a slower approach to a subject.

"The Loaded Brush: The Oil Sketch and the Philadelphia School of Painting," now at PAFA, showcases works by 20 Philadelphia artists who have studied or taught at the school (or both) between the 1800s and today  including several sketches by Eakins. It was organized by Philadelphia painter and PAFA alum Patrick Connors.

Not surprisingly, Eakins' influence is strongest in his students' sketches. Thomas Anshutz's sketch of a female torso (from a plaster cast) and Susan Macdowell Eakins' Sketch of a Woman, both from the 1890s, were clearly rendered on the spot; they're dark in mood but free of any agonizing. (Macdowell didn't merely learn from Eakins. She married him.) Several sketches by Cecilia Beaux also display that directness, including her charmingly odd Study for Harold and Mildred Colton, from 1886. Beaux attended PAFA while Eakins was there and admired his paintings, but she avoided studying with him. "A curious instinct of self-preservation kept me outside the magic circle," she later wrote.

Eakins was forced to resign from PAFA in 1886 after he scandalously removed a loincloth from a male figure model in class as female students looked on. Arthur B. Carles, who studied under Anshutz and Beaux at PAFA between 1900 and 1907, is the only artist in this show represented by a sketch and its "finished" version. Study for Helen Taylor, painted circa 1931, is a colorful but thinly painted outline of Taylor, while Helen Taylor, from the same year, is a completely realized work, except for Taylor's facial features, rendered vague and pale, as though an afterthought. You wonder whether Carles originally intended a more modern painting using color and line in the style of Matisse, as his study suggests. Eakins' direct aesthetic influences are nowhere to be seen.

But they're back in an undated painting by Louis B. Sloan of a leafless tree against a vivid sunset, with its thinly painted and actively worked surface, and in a plein-air painting of a distant Delaware River industrial scene by Stuart Shils. Sloan studied at PAFA in the 1950s and taught there for more than three decades. Shils is a PAFA graduate and current faculty member.

Both Elizabeth Osborne (former PAFA student and teacher) and Bill Scott (PAFA grad and current teacher) paint with an ecstasy and freedom that seems antithetical to Eakins' aesthetic, but the oil sketch's blithe spirit is alive and well in their work.

"The Loaded Brush" also features paintings by Brian Boutwell, Faye Swengel Badura, Stanley Bielen, Patrick Connors, Arthur DeCosta, Vincent Desiderio, Renee Foulks, Ben Kamihira, Peter Lister, Violet Oakley, Seymour Remenick, and Alice Barber Stephens.

Through Feb. 4 at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Hamilton Building, 118-128 N. Broad St., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets: $15; $12 seniors and students. Information: 215-972-7600 or pafa.org.

Mindfulness, in color and monochrome

The title of Tim Schwartz's first solo show with Larry Becker Contemporary Art, "Thin Air," is apt for his thinly painted monochromatic paintings.

Schwartz's 18 paintings from 2016 and 2017, shown here in two separate rooms, are effectively three related bodies of work loosely based on Buddhist prayer flags and the practice of meditation.

The oil-on-linen paintings that occupy the front of the gallery investigate densities of blue, green, red, and yellow, with three paintings executed in each color. Each painting's color is more thinly applied, in horizontal strokes, than the painting before it. Blue represents sky and space, green is water, red is fire, and yellow is earth. They make the most articulate expression here of a particular dedication, possibly because there are more of them than paintings from the two other series.

In the back room, three works in graphite on linen  one huge, one medium-size, one tiny  suggest the process of meditation, while three predominantly white paintings seem to be a nod to Robert Ryman. Separating these colorless works from Schwartz's color-forward works in the front room makes good sense, but I suspect most people will respond more strongly to his investigations of color.

Through Dec. 30 at Larry Becker Contemporary Art, 43 N. Second St., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and by appointment. Information: 215-925-5389 or artnet.com/galleries/larry-becker-contemporary-art.

Talia Greene at Glen Foerd

Having seen a few artists' installations at Glen Foerd, a wonderfully preserved 19th-century Italianate mansion in Northeast Philadelphia, I'm always interested to see how artists will muse on the historic estate and house in their own work.

Talia Greene has done site-specific installations at the Morris-Jumel Mansion in New York's Washington Heights, among other history-laden places. Here, she addresses the social ambitions of Gilded Age grandees by covering the walls of a small room with a gilded wallpaper pattern that peels off to reveal a texture of mud, alluding to poorer living accommodations of the era.

Green's installation also includes her ironic cut-paper silhouettes of the entitled types who inhabited such mansions. Her transformation of the room is so subtly accomplished you may not notice it. I think that's her point.

Through July 2018 at Glen Foerd on the Delaware, Grant Avenue and Milnor Street; tours at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Admission $5, children under 12 free. Admission to mansion's ground floor, where the installation is housed, is free on Saturdays from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Information: 215-632-5330 or www.glenfoerd.org.
Christopher "Quest" Rainey (left) and PJ Rainey (center) of North Philadelphia star in Jon Olshefsky's (right) documentary film "Quest" which premieres in Philadelphia on Dec. 1. Read more

A decadelong project that follows the life of one close-knit North Philadelphia family, Jonathan Olshefski's first feature film, Quest, started out simply.

In 2006, Olshefski, now 36, was two years out of Temple University and pursuing photography projects in North Philly. In one, he focused on Christopher "Quest" Rainey, 49, and his in-home rap studio, Everquest Recordings. A fixture near 23rd and Norris Streets, the studio has served as a safe space for the area's youth and hosts an open-house "Freestyle Friday" every week.

But as Olshefski got to know Quest and his family  wife Christine'a "Ma Quest" Rainey, 42; daughter Patricia "PJ" Rainey, 18; and several children from previous relationships  he began to see a universal story about connection and community..

So in fall 2007, he expanded the project into a documentary and started filming the family with cinema verite intimacy. He didn't stop until late last year, after accumulating nearly 400 hours of footage  moments that included everything from the start of Barack Obama's presidency in 2008 to PJ's losing an eye to gun violence in her neighborhood at 13 in 2013, as well as her recovery.

Now, with the Raineys' past 10 years condensed into the film's tight one-hour, 40-minute running time, the world is about to get its first look at the family through a theatrical release via First Run Features. Quest has its premiere in Philly on Friday at the Ritz at the Bourse, with Q&As with the Raineys and Olshefski at screenings through the weekend. Openings in New York and Los Angeles, as well as a wider national release, are scheduled to follow. The film had its debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and has already received critical acclaim. It's been shown at film festivals around the country and was nominated for best documentary at the 2018 Indie Spirit Awards.

Read more: The remarkable 'Quest' tracks several years in the life of a resilient North Philly family

Olshefski, a Pittsburgh native, said in a recent interview alongside Quest and PJ that the real work is only just beginning.

"I see the film as a spark," Olshefski, an associate professor of radio, TV, and film at Rowan University, said. "It's a specific family and specific place, but it really focuses in on those universal human emotions so that people from anywhere can see this film and see themselves in it. We need those opportunities to connect beyond the perceived barriers we put between ourselves and other folks. With the film, there's a potential for that."

In 2006, Olshefksi was working in construction by day while teaching a photography class for adults in North Philly and making art on the side. It was at his photography class that one student, Quest's brother James, asked Olshefksi if he wanted to see a music studio run out of a basement just a couple of blocks away.

Olshefski showed up on Quest's front steps and was understandably met with suspicion.

"When he knocked on the door, the first thing I thought was cops or something," Quest said. "He had a camera in his hands  what's the deal? The guys had been kind of skeptical when he first started coming around, but they warmed up to him pretty fast. It was pretty much what we needed at the time: We needed a photographer. We had the music already."

Olshefksi started by just taking pictures but eventually came to see himself in Quest, who worked an early-morning store circular route in addition to running the recording studio. The pair were both artists with day jobs trying to make ends meet. Olshefski decided to follow Quest to work. Living in Kensington at the time, he stayed on Quest's studio couch to make the early-morning call for the paper route.

"I'd spend the whole day with them on the paper route and got to know that whole crew," Olshefski said. "Through sleeping over, I got to know the family. PJ was probably 6 or 7 when I first met her."

He transitioned to filming the Raineys in 2007. An early version of the documentary was finished in December that year, but Olshefski decided he needed more footage.

No one expected that to mean almost a decade more of filming, least of all Quest's wife, who can be seen working at a homeless women's shelter and taking care of her family throughout the film. It was a busy time for her, and, as she said in a recent phone interview, Olshefski made it easy. But had she known it would be a 10-year endeavor, we might be seeing a different film.

"If I thought he would have been doing this for 10 years, I don't think I probably would have been doing it," Christine'a Rainey said. "But it was like a pot of water boiling slowly. It developed into a beautiful baby."

The Raineys and Olshefski credit that development to how ingrained the filmmaker became in the community over the course of shooting; Christine'a said he became like family. He ate dinners with the Raineys and witnessed their most personal moments, such as PJ's early trips to specialists after she was shot, and the couple caring for grandson Isaiah as Christine'a's son William Withers received chemotherapy for brain cancer.

In the neighborhood, the Raineys said Olshefski is known only as "Peter Parker," a nickname bestowed upon him by Everquest-affiliated rapper Price because of his penchant for climbing around on furniture like Spider-Man in the studio to get properly angled shots  and because he's "a white guy with a camera," as Christine'a said.

"When he walks down the street, everybody's like, 'Yo, Peter Parker!," she said. "They have no idea his name is Jon."

The care that earned Olshefski his nickname also resulted in a markedly nonexploitative film, which Quest and Olshefski say they both worked to avoid. Rather than a gawking piece that sees its subjects as victims, Quest takes a more personal, respectful approach  an aspect the film's eponymous star said is rooted in the relationship between the director and his subjects.

"The one thing I always hear is, 'Is this a white guy telling a black guy's story?' It's actually two friends helping to tell the same story," Quest said. "It's simple: He's my friend, and I'm his friend. I don't think anybody would be able to shoot a film like this without becoming friends with who they're shooting."

Olshefski said he could have worked on the film much longer, but the fact that the Quest crew got some funding to finish the project helped move things along. He received a $100,000 grant from the MacArthur Foundation, as well as a sponsorship from the Independent Filmmaker Project, among other sources of funding.

The Raineys and Olshefski have continued to focus on the North Philly community where Quest was filmed, holding screenings of the film for residents throughout the film's development. Though the Raineys are the core of the film, North Philly provides the backdrop.

Other neighbors are "very, very up right now" over the film, Christine'a said. Some Everquest recording artists, like rapper Ron Geez, have enjoyed more popularity since Quest started making the rounds, which Christine'a said had helped boost egos in the area because the film "made them feel a lot more important."

"I see the pride it has put into a lot of kids" in the neighborhood, she said.

Ditto for PJ, whose emotional recovery was aided by film. Not only did her neighbors watch her recover in real time, they've now seen it on film. "It forced people to talk about the subject," Quest said.

PJ graduated from Constitution High School in June and is pursuing a career in music alongside her father while working a day job cleaning Lincoln Financial Field, like her half-brother William before her. She also hopes to continue her education, at Rowan University, and has been considering motivational speaking opportunities.

Olshefski is now working on another multiyear project that began in Philadelphia, focusing on a Native American family that spans three generations. It's now about where Quest was a few years ago: "A pile of footage and a lot of love and passion," Olshefski said.

With Quest's theatrical release, the Raineys and Olshefski said they hope it can have a lasting effect on North Philadelphia by creating a connection between that neighborhood and society at large. As Olshefski said, he was able to connect with and relate to an area that he ostensibly had no connection with before filming, and "that beauty doesn't always get conveyed" due to sensationalized news stories and apathy.

"Where we live at, people go through a lot of stuff, just like we do," PJ said. "I hope people gain empathy because, before I got shot, I used to laugh at people who had disabilities when I saw it. When it happened to me, it was like, 'It's not funny at all.' Now, I hope everybody gains that."
Fred Oster, who owns Vintage Instruments with his wife, Catherine Jacobs, sits for a portrait at the store with an early Martin guitar. The store will host an exhibition of 35 early Martin guitars Dec. 1-2. Read more

Fred Oster is a man of an earlier time. As proprietor of Vintage Instruments  sellers of high-end classical string instruments as well as vintage and new guitars, banjos, mandolins, and ukuleles  Oster has always taken a traditional approach.

"He's very old-school," said George Gruhn, owner of the legendary Gruhn Guitars in Nashville, which has sold guitars to such notable musicians as Eric Clapton, Lyle Lovett, and Vince Gill. "He has a big, old, fancy house that's converted to a shop, and he's using the old-style violin shop business model for dealing guitars."

That "fancy house" is a renovated Victorian at Pine and Broad Streets. From the vibrant stained glass ceiling to its lush interior woodwork, Oster has created a space that is both grand and intimate.

He'll open that space to curious guitar aficionados when he hosts a rare public exhibition of 35 early Martin guitars on Friday and Saturday. This collection represents the largest group of pre-1867 guitars outside the Martin Guitars Museum.

"I think his place is a national treasure. It's a museum of guitars you can actually play. I don't think there's anything like it in the United States," said Dick Boak, director of museum, archives and special projects at Martin Guitars, the Nazareth, Pa., company that's been family owned since 1833. "The combination of an incredible piece of Philadelphia architecture mixed with the violins, cellos, guitars, mandolins, and banjos  I think that any lover of music would have a field day walking through those doors."

An interest that started with a small collection of Philadelphia-made S.S. Stewart banjos blossomed into a career as Oster finished his bachelor's degree in history at Fairleigh Dickinson University in North Jersey and pondered his next step.

"I played guitar. I liked instruments and was looking for something to do in the interim between college and grad school, and it just stuck," said Oster. "I had some Martin guitars, and they were plentiful and inexpensive at the time, but I could see them moving up in value with the folk boom in full force."

In the late 1960s, you could still acquire a 1930s Martin dreadnought guitar for about the same price as a new guitar. Current values, however, frequently surpass $100,000.

Oster opened his first shop in Chestnut Hill in 1974 and by 1978, he was able to move into a bigger space on Walnut Street in Center City. Behind this ambition for growth was a man driven by the devil in the details.

"As people in my business know, we're constantly involved in deciphering," he said of studying the fine details of an instrument to divine its history. "It's easy to decipher a Martin guitar, but to demystify a violin that was made 300 years ago takes a lot more effort and is a lot more fun."

In 1981, this passion to decode historical instruments led Oster to Christie's Auction House, where he ran the musical instruments department. As his own business grew, Oster moved his shop again, in 1983, to an antebellum brownstone in the Pine Street Antiques Row district. Thirteen years later, Vintage Instruments expanded to a second building a block away.

It was at that time that Oster came to the attention of Martin's Boak.

"I met him 20 years ago, when he had one building for violins and another building for guitars. It was amazing. I would go down to see what was going on because everybody was always talking about him," said Boak. "He's the closest thing to a quintessential musicologist that you could ever find."

Boak touches on what is so unique about Oster. A folkie at heart, he is equally devoted to the vastly different world of classical music. But how does a guitar aficionado transition to the more exclusive sphere of art music?

"He has a good eye for detail and he was in the right place at the right time to learn," said Gruhn. "Philadelphia has an active symphony and classical music scene and he had an advantage in having exposure to the right ones  from genuine Stradivari and Guarneri violins on down to guitars."

And with Martin Guitars nearby in Nazareth, Oster has access to more old Martins than most dealers would see. "Plus the fact is that Philadelphia was an area of considerable wealth, which means that some better instruments were sold in that area rather than south of the Mason-Dixon Line," Gruhn said.

That immersion has led Oster to host this public exhibition, composed of approximately 35 guitars. A number were featured in an exhibit of early American guitars at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2014, and one is on the cover of the book Inventing the American Guitar: The Pre-Civil War Innovations of C.F. Martin and His Contemporaries.

"Some of them have extensive provenance," said Oster. "One was owned by Col. John Wilkins, the Union officer who took it with him on his campaigns during the Civil War."

"Our intention is to show how interesting and historically important these early American guitars are," said Oster. "This will be a very intimate exhibition. While we won't be inviting people to handle the guitars, visitors will be able to see them in a close-up and personal way. Once we're done, we will put about a dozen of them on our website for sale."

With a cozy leather sofa and old Oriental rugs in the guitar room, Oster offers the perfect spot to try out a host of powerful instruments. And players may even spot a famous musician like Gillian Welsh or Nils Lofgren of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band in their midst. But Oster would never tell.

"You won't come in and find a million signed photographs from all these different clients. I think that part of what we're about is providing a safe atmosphere for well-known people to come and enjoy the instruments without fear that there are going to be people hanging all over them trying to get an autograph," said Oster.

Beyond this exhibit, Oster travels extensively as a professional appraiser, whether it's for the last 20 seasons of Antiques Roadshow or to violin shows in Paris. What keeps him excited about working in Philadelphia?

"I would say the large influx of young people. I look out on the street and I find there's a lot more vitality," said Oster. "It's a food town, it's a culture town, it's a museum town, it's a music town."
The AspireAssist helps obese patients lose weight by draining a portion of the stomach contents after meals. Read more

A locally produced weight-loss device that started out as the butt of late-night TV jokes appears to be growing in popularity and credibility.

AspireAssist, manufactured by Aspire Bariatrics of King of Prussia, was described as "machine-assisted abdominal vomiting" by TV host Stephen Colbert before it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2016. It had already been in use in Europe for several years.

But early jokes aside, European research presented at the Obesity Week conference in Maryland in October showed weight-loss results that were better than those in the product's FDA clinical trial.

The device is a surgically implanted stomach tube that allows patients to drain about 30 percent of the calories of a given meal through a port valve into an attachable bag located outside their body. The contents can be disposed of in a toilet.

The European study  which was conducted with 160 patients in Sweden, Spain, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Italy  found a mean weight loss of about 19 percent in the first year, compared to 12 percent in the device's U.S. clinical trial. The patients continued to lose weight in subsequent years, but at a considerably lower rate. In AspireAssist's U.S. trial, the control group patients who used more traditional weight-loss methods had an average 3.5 percent weight loss.

Company president Katherine D. Crothall believes the new research findings will encourage more people to try the device. She said it is appealing to patients who want an alternative to other bariatric procedures, some of which are not reversible, and who want to be able to decide when they use the device.

The product's manufacturer says it is now being used by about 1,000 patients in the U.S. and abroad, with more health providers joining those who already have made it available to their patients.

"We have patients writing that, 'For the first time in my life, I feel like I have control,'" said Crothall.

An early concern in the U.S. was that the device could be seen as a form of sanctioned bulimia. The FDA and the manufacturer have said the tool is intended for adults ages 22 or older who are obese and should not be used by people with eating disorders. In addition, for the device to work properly, the patient needs to chew food thoroughly, Crothall said.

"What we're seeing is patients are developing better eating habits," she said. "They learn to chew very slowly."

One drawback is the device is not generally covered by health insurers, though Crothall said the company and providers have had success advocating for patients. The first year cost ranges from $8,000 to $13,000, which includes the device, the surgical procedure and follow-up care.

The limited number of devices in use reflect some of those insurance coverage issues, as well as reluctance about the device on the part of some providers.

Caitlin A. Halbert, a bariatric surgeon at Christiana Care's Wilmington Hospital, is not using the AspireAssist on patients.

"Bariatric surgeons have an obligation to carefully evaluate both the safety and effectiveness of any new weight-loss treatment that they considering using. To date, this procedure lacks any long-term data regarding its safety and efficacy," Halbert said.

David Tichansky, director of bariatric surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, expressed bulimia concerns after the device got FDA approval. He said that he doesn't currently use it for patients and does not intend to.

David E. Loren, associate director of gastrointestinal endoscopy at Jefferson, said he plans to start offering the device to patients.

Regarding eating disorder concerns, Loren said, "bulimia is a defined disorder with emotionally driven binging and purging that fundamentally differs from a physician-guided and medically sound approach to obesity management."

Penn Medicine is working on a program to make the device available to its patients in the next couple years, said Anastassia Amaro, medical director of Penn Metabolic Medicine. Difficulty in getting the procedure covered by insurance is the main reason they haven't offered it sooner, she said.

Penn Medicine was one of the sites of the U.S. clinical trial, and Amaro is still overseeing two study participants who use the device.

The individuals, she said, have commented that the device has helped them learn to make healthier food choices and proper eating behavior. Their weight has fluctuated at times since the first year's loss, but they've been able to keep most of the weight off, she said.

"It is not for everybody, but select patients would benefit from it," Amaro said.
A computer glitch has left American scrambling to find pilots to operate flights over the busy Christmas holiday period. American said Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, it expects to avoid canceling flights by paying overtime and using reserve pilots. Read more

American Airlines said Thursday that pilots have come forward and agreed to staff all but "a few hundred" flights scheduled during the December holidays, as it sought to ease concerns of widespread disruptions during one of the busiest travel times.

The union representing American's pilots, however, responded that "thousands of flights" still remained without full pilot crews.

Just ahead of the year-end travel crush, a glitch in American's computer scheduling system  the one on which pilots bid for time off based on seniority  left more than 15,000 flights without pilot crews between Dec. 17 and Dec. 31, the pilots' union said Wednesday.

After an airline update Thursday saying that "only a few hundred flights" still do not have pilots assigned, the Allied Pilots Association said in an emailed statement that it "is able to view in real time December flight-crew assignments" in the scheduling system. "That data does not support management's statement," the union said. "In fact, thousands of flights are still listed as unassigned.

"We remain seriously concerned about the potential for significant schedule disruption for our passengers, pilots, and fellow employees during the critical holiday travel season," the pilots group said.

American, which operates a hub and 390 daily flights in Philadelphia, became aware of the malfunction Nov. 24 and has been scrambling to resolve the problem.

On Thursday, American issued an update saying that the "number of open flights continues to decrease thanks to our pilots, who are stepping up to the plate and picking up trips to ensure customers are taken care of."

"In addition," airline spokeswoman Victoria Lupica said, "we have more reserve pilots on hand in December than normal months, and they provide us with the ability to fly many of the trips that are currently uncovered. We have not canceled any scheduled flights in December and will continue to work to ensure both our pilots and our customers are cared for."

American, the world's largest airline, said it would pay pilots 150 percent of their normal hourly wage to cover the flights. The union has filed a grievance, saying the company's offer of premium pay was conditional on "certain circumstances" and did not conform with the labor contract.

"We certainly don't want to see a bunch of passengers sitting around terminals, rather than on their merry way," Gregg Overman, spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, said Wednesday. "I think it's one of those 'stay tuned' and hopefully we can come up with a solution."

Affected by the computer glitch were flights originating in Philadelphia, Dallas-Fort Worth, Boston, Miami, New York, Salt Lake City, and Charlotte, N.C., according to a company memo to the union reported by Bloomberg News on Wednesday. American will operate 200,000 flights in December.

"We will work with the APA to take care of our pilots and ensure we get our customers to where they need to go over the holidays," Lupica said Wednesday. "We expect to be able to avoid any cancellations."
CNNs Jake Tapper said the network acted swiftly to dismiss a State of the Union producer accused of harassment. Read more

A senior producer for Jake Tapper's weekend news show State of the Union has been fired by CNN due to complaints about his workplace behavior.

Teddy Davis, who had been with the show for more than two years, was let go after what CNN called "a comprehensive investigation," according to Politico.

"The behavior attributed to Mr. Davis does not align with the standards and values of CNN," a CNN statement said.

Davis has not been accused of physical assault. According to TVNewser, the producer formerly worked for ABC. He's a graduate of Georgetown University, a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and a lawyer.

"My client was not accused of sexual harassment. Nor was he ever accused of any physical contact, language of a sexual nature or any other sort of lewd conduct," Michael Weinsten, an attorney for Davis, said in a statement.

Tapper, a Philadelphia native, confirmed reports that Davis had been fired because of his behavior in a response to a tweet from Washington Post media reporter Paul Farhi.

Tapper responded:

With fitting irony, Politico reported that the news broke at CNN as Tapper was preparing to interview former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson for The Lead, his weekday program. In 2016, Carlson brought suit against former Fox News chairman Roger Ailes for sexual harassment. Ailes later left the network, and Fox News reached a settlement with Carlson. She is author of the book, Be Fierce: Stop Harassment and Take Your Power Back.

"We are watching empowerment at its best," Carlson said in the CNN interview. "And I don't think it's going to end any time soon."

The news of Davis' firing comes a day after Matt Lauer was dismissed from the Today show amid allegations of sexual misconduct that have been rocking the media landscape.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the nature of the complaints against Davis.
Federal authorities have accused karate teacher Evan Scott Burgess, 26, of Blue Bell, of molesting three of his students during out-of-town trips and sleepovers at his parents house between 2014 and 2016. Read more

Federal authorities on Thursday accused a Montgomery County karate instructor of sexually assaulting teenage students during sleepovers in the basement of his home and on trips to martial arts tournaments in Maryland and New York.

Prosecutors say three minors have alleged that Evan Burgess, 26, of Blue Bell, groomed them through interactions during lessons and pursued them on social media and during overnight hotel stays between 2014 and 2016.

All three reported waking up while sleeping in the same room with the instructor to find him performing sexual acts upon them.

Burgess was fired in May from DeStolfo's Premier Martial Arts Studio  the Plymouth Meeting karate training facility where he worked  after the boys' parents reported the alleged abuse to the business, according to court filings.

Yet, it was not until nearly four months later that Whitpain Township Police and Montgomery County Children and Youth Services began investigating the allegations after receiving an anonymous tip, the documents state. By that time he had moved from his parents' house in Blue Bell to Auburn, Mass. and found a karate teaching job there.

According to its website, the Plymouth Meeting studio offers instruction for students as young as 3 years old up to adulthood. Burgess, authorities said, had been involved there for nearly two decades, first as a student who enrolled in karate lessons at the age of eight and later as a paid instructor.

Andrew Kasmen, a lawyer representing business, said Thursday that owners, Fred and Dena DeStolfo, first learned of the accusations against Burgess in May and immediately met with parents for the three students.

Each made only vague claims that Burgess had had inappropriate contact with their sons, Kasmen said. Still, the lawyer said, the DeStolfos immediately reported it to Children and Youth investigators and Plymouth Township Police. Kasmen did not know whether either office pursued the investigation from there.

"It's not their fault," Kasmen said of the DeStolfos. "Nothing occurred at their studio at all. It was all out-of-state things." He added: "God forbid, if these [allegations] are proven to be true, the DeStolfos are as shocked about this as anyone."

Burgess' lawyer, Ron Greenblatt, described the allegations as unsubstantiated and his client as wrongly accused.

"This young man maintains a sterling reputation by all those who know him best," he said. "He adamantly denies any inappropriate contact with anyone and looks forward to addressing this matter in court.  We are confident that once all the facts are revealed he will be fully exonerated."

Court records indicate that when approached by Whitpain investigators earlier this month, Burgess admitted to sharing beds with minors from the karate studio on several occasions but denied abusing anyone.

His accusers, however, say otherwise.

The complaint filed in federal court in Philadelphia sketched out a classic scenario of predatory grooming.

His accusers described Burgess  whose Facebook page is plastered with photo galleries of his students, some posing shirtless  as an unusually attentive teacher. He often asked his underage students for their cell phone numbers and social media accounts so he could text or contact them through platforms such as Snapchat, they said.

"Burgess was closer to the younger students than any other karate instructor at the studio had ever been," the complaint says one accuser told investigators. "He would hang out with the students, go to the movies with them and have them sleep over at his parents' house," where he was living at the time.

And during frequent out-of-town trips to karate tournaments, it was common for Burgess to ask to share hotel rooms with his students and their parents, claiming he could not afford a room of his own.

It was on one of those trips to a 2016 tournament in National Harbor, Md., that one accuser says he woke up to find Burgess grinding against him in bed, grabbing at his penis and attempting to initiate sex.

The boy, who was 16 at the time, told investigators he immediately jumped out of bed, left the hotel and spent the rest of the night wandering the streets of the unfamiliar city.

Another student said that when he was 15, he woke up while staying in a hotel with Burgess during a 2014 tournament in Long Island, N.Y., to find his teacher groping his genitals through his clothing, according to the complaint.

Burgess' third accuser, the affidavit states, said his abuse occurred during a sleepover at the karate teacher's parents' house. He woke up in the middle of the night to find Burgess performing oral sex on him, he said.

Whitpain investigators arrested Burgess Friday as he returned home to Montgomery County to visit his parents over Thanksgiving weekend.

He posted a $75,000 bail the same day and had returned to Auburn to resume teaching by the time federal prosecutors adopted the case and re-arrested him in Massachusetts on Tuesday.

As of Thursday, he remained in federal custody in route to Philadelphia, where he is expected to stand trial on charges of transporting minors across state lines for the purposes of illicit sexual activity.
Nina Ahmad is leaving her job as Philadelphias deputy mayor for public engagement to challenge U.S. Rep. Bob Brady in the May 2018 Democratic primary election. Read more

Nina Ahmad, Mayor Kenney's deputy mayor for public engagement, quit her City Hall job Thursday to challenge U.S. Rep. Bob Brady in the May 2018 Democratic primary.

That marks another dip in a roller-coaster year for Brady, chairman of the city's Democratic Party, who had been under federal scrutiny in a case that snared his two top political aides.

Ahmad, 58, said she told Kenney she was resigning but they did not discuss her pending candidacy or Brady, whom she has met a few times.

"I don't even know if he knows who I am," she said.

Turns out, he doesn't.

"I don't know her," Brady said while traveling to Washington Thursday morning. "All I know is Mayor Kenney has told me time and time again he's supporting me." A spokesman for the mayor's political operation confirmed that backing.

Even with the lingering federal probe, Brady, 72, remains a formidable foe. He has been chairman of the local party for three decades and has served in the U.S. House since 1998.

Brady's most recent campaign finance report listed $597,083 in the bank as of Sept. 30.

Ahmad said she and her husband, real estate developer Ahsan Nasratullah, are talking about sinking into her campaign an amount close to what Brady has now to become immediately competitive.

"I'm going to put my money where my mouth is," she said. "If I'm going to do this, it's going to hurt me."

Ahmad, who said she will make diversity and inclusion the focus of her campaign, does not see Brady as particularly vulnerable as a politician.

"Regardless of where he is in his political life, I just feel we haven't had a progressive voice here from this region," she said. "People are ready for a change."

A federal grand jury on Oct. 24 indicted Ken Smukler and Don "D.A." Jones, Brady's longtime political team, accusing them of using their businesses to shield a $90,000 payment to a 2012 primary challenger, former Municipal Court Judge Jimmie Moore, to retire his campaign debt.

Moore, Brady's last real primary challenger, and his campaign manager have pleaded guilty to filing false campaign reports and are cooperating with prosecutors.

Brady has insisted that the $90,000 paid for a poll Moore had commissioned and for Jones to hire Moore's former campaign manager. An agreement Brady had signed to extend the deadline for prosecutors to file charges on possible violations expired Sunday.

Ahmad and her husband were born in the country that became Bangladesh in 1971, in a violent cultural clash that helped shape her worldview. She moved to the U.S. in 1980, came to Philadelphia three years later to attend the University of Pennsylvania and became a citizen in 1989.

The new candidate lives in East Mount Airy with her husband and two daughters, in the Second District represented by freshman U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans. Her home sits about four and a half miles outside Brady's First District.

Candidates for the U.S. House must live in the state they hope to represent and be a U.S. citizen for at least seven years. Ahmad said she would "absolutely" move into the district if she is elected.

The First Congressional District, mostly hugs the Delaware River from Chester in Delaware County to Northeast Philadelphia. Seventy-three percent of its registered voters are Democrats, with 15 percent registered as Republicans, and 12 percent listed as unaffiliated or members of minor parties.

Its demographics are far more diverse. Whites account for 46.5 percent of the residents while African Americans are 35.5 percent and Asians are 7 percent. Latinos, who can be of different races, make up 18 percent of the district's population.

A molecular biologist who earned a doctorate in chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania, Ahmad worked for 10 years as a researcher at Wills Eye Hospital.

While this is Ahmad's first campaign, she has spent several years in the public eye.

As chairwoman of the Mayor's Commission on Asian American Affairs, appointed by then-Mayor Michael Nutter in 2009, Ahmad called for monthly reports on immigrant education after 30 Asian students were beaten in 2010 by a large group of mostly African American students at South Philadelphia High School.

She was also appointed by President Obama in 2014 to serve on the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders.

In 2015 she served as an adviser for Kenney's campaign on issues in Asian-immigrant neighborhoods.

She also served as president of the Philadelphia chapter of the National Organization for Women and helped lead protests in 2015 against then-District Attorney Seth Williams for not firing three top prosecutors who sent or received pornographic, sexist or racist emails while previously working for the state Attorney General's Office.

Kenney, while announcing after his 2015 election that Ahmad would serve as a deputy mayor, said, "She'll actually make you do things you don't want to do" to explain why she was suited for the job.
Meghan Markle is engaged to Prince Harry and will marry in the spring of 2018. Read more

As soon as word came of the engagement of Meghan Markle to Prince Harry, news reports practically bubbled that Markle, who is biracial, would be a "new kind of royal."

Best known for her role in the television drama "Suits," the daughter of an African-American mother and white father was a "surprising addition" to the British monarchy, wrote the Associated Press.

In The Guardian, a blaring headline: "When Meghan weds Harry, Britain's relationship with race will change forever."

But is Markle really the first mixed-race addition to the royal family?

Historians aren't so sure.

There has been much speculation that Queen Charlotte may have African ancestry.

Charlotte, born in 1744, was the wife of England's King George III, who reigned from 1760 to 1820 at the time those pesky American colonies decided to break away from England's rule.

The work of Mario de Valdes y Cocom, a historian of the African diaspora and one of the most well-known advocates of the theory that there is a long history of mixed-race spouses in the royal family, is cited in a 2009 Guardian article about Charlotte's African ancestry.

He said the queen, though German, descended from a black branch of the Portuguese royal family  he traces her roots all the way to 13th-century ruler Alfonso III and his lover Madragana, whom Valdes believes was Moor and therefore a black African.

But Ania Loomba, who teaches history of race and colonialism at the University of Pennsylvania, said that it can't be assumed that a person is black if they were once described as Moor, or "blackamoor."

"The word 'blackamoor' in Shakespeare's time meant Muslim. It didn't mean black necessarily," Loomba said. "Moors could be white from North Africa."

Nonetheless, it was once common in England to think of Spain and Portugal as being racially inferior because of the Moors who ruled Spain starting in 711 A.D., said Loomba, who earned her doctorate from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom.

In an article written for PBS.org about the Frontline program "The Blurred Racial Lines of Famous Families," Valdes writes that early portraits of Charlotte show physical features similar to those of Africans.

"The Negroid characteristics of the Queen's portraits certainly had political significance since artists of that period were expected to play down, soften or even obliterate undesirable features in a subject's face," Valdes wrote.

(As people question the past, we might also rethink the present: If Charlotte were in fact black, would that mean Queen Elizabeth II, Harry's grandmother and Charlotte's great-great-great-great-granddaughter, would be mixed race, too?)

Others report that Philippa of Hainault, the wife of Edward III, also may have had mixed-race heritage.

Philippa, who died in 1369, was the daughter of the Count of Hainault in an area, now considered Belgium, that was once ruled by Moors.

In a blog post by author Erin Lawless about England's black queens, she writes about a messenger sent to interview the Count's daughters as possible wives for Edward III. His description of Philippa:

"The lady whom we saw has not uncomely hair, betwixt blue-black and brown. Her head is cleaned shaped; her forehead high and broad, and standing somewhat forward. Her face narrows between the eyes, and the lower part of her face is still more narrow and slender than the forehead. Her eyes are dark. Her nose is fairly smooth and even, save that is somewhat broad at the tip and flattened, yet it is no snub nose. Her nostrils are also broad, her mouth fairly wide. Her lips somewhat full and especially the lower lipall her limbs are well set and unmaimed, and nought is amiss so far as a man may see.

"Moreover, she is brown of skin all over, and much like her father, and in all things she is pleasant enough, as it seems to us."
(Xinhua) 07:32, November 30, 2017

Photo taken on Nov. 2, 2017 shows Chang Jin, chief scientist of Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) and vice director of the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), introducing the science achievement of DAMPE Satellite, "Wukong", at the PMO in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province. China's DAMPE has detected unexpected and mysterious signals in its measurement of high-energy cosmic rays, which might bring scientists a step closer to shedding light on invisible dark matter. The satellite, also called Wukong, or Monkey King, has measured more than 3.5 billion cosmic ray particles with the highest energy up to 100 tera-electron-volts (TeV for short, corresponding to 1 trillion times the energy of visible light), including 20 million electrons and positrons, with unprecedentedly high energy resolution. The initial detection results were published in the latest issue of the academic journal, Nature. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) has detected unexpected and mysterious signals in its measurement of high-energy cosmic rays, which might bring scientists a step closer to shedding light on invisible dark matter.

The satellite, also called Wukong, or Monkey King, has measured more than 3.5 billion cosmic ray particles with the highest energy up to 100 tera-electron-volts (TeV for short, corresponding to 1 trillion times the energy of visible light), including 20 million electrons and positrons, with unprecedentedly high energy resolution.

"DAMPE has opened a new window for observing the high-energy universe, unveiling new physical phenomena beyond our current understanding," said Chang Jin, chief scientist of DAMPE and vice director of the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The initial detection results were published in the latest issue of the academic journal, Nature.

"This is the first time a space experiment has reported a detailed and precise electron and positron spectrum up to about 5 TeV. In this energy range, we found some unexpected and interesting features. We have detected a spectral break at 0.9 TeV and a possible spike at 1.4 TeV," said Chang.

Precise measurement of cosmic rays, especially at the very high energy range, is important for scientists to look for traces of dark matter annihilation or decay, as well as to understand the most energetic astrophysical phenomena in the universe, such as pulsars, active galaxy nuclei and supernova explosions. "Our data may inspire some new ideas in particle physics and astrophysics," said Chang.

Dark matter, which cannot be seen or touched, is one of the great mysteries of science. Scientists calculate that normal matter, such as galaxies, stars, trees, rocks and atoms, accounts for only about 5 percent of the universe. However, about 26.8 percent of the universe is dark matter and 68.3 percent dark energy.

China sent DAMPE into an orbit of about 500 kilometers above the earth on December 17, 2015, to look for evidence of the annihilation or decay of dark matter particles in space.

DAMPE has the widest energy range coverage and the highest energy resolution of all the dark matter probes currently in space. Based on the satellite's data, scientists drew the cosmic ray electron and positron spectrum.

To their surprise, scientists found a break at around 0.9 TeV and a strange spike at around 1.4 TeV on the spectrum. "We never expected such signals," Chang said.

"The spike might indicate that there exists a kind of unknown particle with a mass of about 1.4 TeV," said Chang.

"All the 61 elementary particles predicted by the standard model of particle physics have been found. Dark matter particles are beyond the list. So if we find a new elementary particle, it will be a breakthrough in physics," he added.

"The spike is very unusual," said Fan Yizhong, deputy chief designer of the scientific application system of DAMPE. "The signals might have originated from either dark matter or pulsars. Even if they were from pulsars, it would be quite a strange astrophysical phenomenon that nobody had known before."

"However, the data of the strange signal are still not enough. We need to collect more data to make sure it's real," Chang said.

More than 100 Chinese scientists and engineers, together with those from Switzerland and Italy, took part in the development of DAMPE and the analysis of its data.

Researchers have ruled out the possibility that the unusual signals are caused by a malfunction of the satellite's detectors. Independent analyses from five different teams all came to the same conclusion, said Chang.

DAMPE's design life is three years, but as it is performing so well, scientists expect it to work much longer. "DAMPE will continue to collect data to help us better understand the anomaly and might bring dark matter out of the shadows," said Chang.

Nobel Laureate Samuel Chao Chung Ting, leader of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) experiment on the International Space Station, said of DAMPE, "It's a very good experiment."

Bi Xiaojun, a particle physicist at the Institute of High Energy Physics of the CAS, said DAMPE's observations are important to help scientists better understand the origin of cosmic rays.

"The satellite's data on the spike at 1.4 TeV are still not enough to declare a physical discovery. If the signal can be confirmed with the accumulation of data, it would be of great significance," Bi said.

"That could be explained by either dark matter or an astrophysical source. If we use dark matter to explain it, dark matter would be different from what we thought before. It conforms to the popular dark matter model of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMP), but has some special features," Bi said.

Chen Hesheng, a CAS academician, said that even if a candidate dark matter particle is found, it still needs other experiments such as underground detection or collider experiments to confirm it, which would be difficult.
Newly elected Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner speaks during an interview at his law office on South Camac Street on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. Read more

Larry Krasner, Philadelphia's district attorney-elect, has drawn skepticism and even scorn from some corners of law enforcement for his promises to bring radical change to the office.

One member of his newly announced transition team is bound to add to the concern.

Michael Coard, an outspoken defense attorney, activist, and media pundit, will join at least 15 other elected officials, city power brokers, and attorneys in helping Krasner refine his goals and shape his priorities before he assumes office in January.

Coard  a vocal Krasner supporter during the campaign  has compared police departments to slave patrols, represented people accused of killing cops, and, the day after the election, posted an expletive-laden meme on his Facebook and Twitter accounts, directing it at groups including the police union and disgruntled assistant district attorneys.

"F all of you!" it said, layered over a picture of Oprah Winfrey during a famous stunt in which she gave her audience members new cars.

Coard wrote that he was posting the message on his own behalf  and "not from newly elected DA Larry Krasner." He could not be reached for further comment Thursday.

Still, Coard's appointment is unlikely to soothe those in law enforcement who have expressed worry over  and even contempt for  Krasner's impending term as DA.

Earlier this month, some police officers said on their Facebook profiles that Krasner, a former civil rights attorney, was #notmyDA. John McNesby, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, said Thursday that he was well aware of Coard's posts, which he called "not very professional, especially when we have to work together."

Krasner, shown a screenshot of the post during an interview at his law office Thursday, said he had not seen it before, but was not concerned with Coard expressing himself in "nonviolent, nonthreatening" ways.

The transition team, Krasner said, was designed to include a variety of perspectives. He pointed to the inclusion of Ronald Castille  former Philadelphia district attorney and chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court  as an example of a member whose views are not in lockstep with his.

Other notable team members include Marian B. Tasco, the former longtime city councilwoman; Michael DeBerardinis, managing director; Sylvester Johnson, former police commissioner; Maria Quinones-Sanchez, city councilwoman; and Chris Woods, a labor leader with District 1199C.

It does not include any current police, prosecutors, or public defenders  omissions Krasner said were intended to avoid sending signals of favoritism.

He said he thought the team consisted of people "who are all modern in their thinking in looking for creative solutions where traditional tactics have been less successful." He hopes they can help him identify ways to implement his goals, which include reducing incarceration, not seeking the death penalty, and ending civil asset forfeiture.

Staff writer Chris Brennan contributed to this article.
Tony Hovater, the white nationalist and Nazi sympathizer featured in a controversial New York Times story last weekend, said he lost his job and would soon lose his home following a swift backlash over the article.

Hovater, a 29-year-old Ohio resident, told the Washington Post on Wednesday that he has been fired from his job and that he and his wife, Maria, are in the process of moving out of their home in New Carlisle, Ohio, for financial and safety reasons. They could no longer afford to pay the rent, he said, and somebody had published their home address online.

"It's not for the best to stay in a place that is now public information," he said, adding later: "We live alone. No one else is there to watch the house while I'm away."

The lengthy Times profile that was published Saturday portrayed the daily and seemingly normal life of Hovater, whom writer Richard Fausset described as the "Nazi sympathizer next door" and a "committed foot soldier" of the far-right movement. The story also described Hovater as a Seinfeld fan whose "Midwestern manners would place anyone's mother."

Hovater said that he, his wife and his brother-in-law were fired on Monday. All three worked at 571 Grill & Draft House, a restaurant in New Carlisle.

Hovater said the restaurant, where he worked as a kitchen manager for about a year and a half, received harassing calls Monday morning demanding that he be fired. One of the owners later became concerned about employees' safety and told him to leave, he said. His wife and brother-in-law were fired shortly afterward.

Hovater said that before the owners fired his brother-in-law, they asked him if he has the same beliefs as Hovater.

A marketing firm that represents 571 Grill said Wednesday that the restaurant is preparing to release a statement.

Hovater, who also contracts as a welder, said he wasn't surprised at his former employer's decision to fire him, though he thought it was "a little hasty."

"Businesses will do what they have to do to protect their businesses," he said.

After Hovater was fired, his supporters launched a crowdfunding campaign through a website called Goyfundme.com to raise money for him and his wife.

"Tony was fired from his job for his political beliefs. His wife and family all fired all at once to avoid the political pressure," Matt Parrott, who runs the site, said, adding that the "nationalist community" has rallied behind the Hovaters.

The campaign has raised more than $6,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

According to the website, the Times article "resulted in a smear campaign" against Hovater and his wife. It claimed that "communists, antifa, and general basement-dwelling ne'er-do-wells set to work immediately, identifying their place of employment and harassing their management into terminating them."

Goyfundme.com, which relies on bitcoin and credit and debit card payments, is an alternative crowdfunding site created earlier this year after mainstream fund-raising sites like GoFundMe and PayPal removed campaigns and accounts associated with far-right ideologies. Parrott condemned "active censorship" and what he sees as the lack of net neutrality among the sites.

Hovater and Parrott are both co-founders of the Traditionalist Worker Party, one of the extreme right-wing groups that rallied in August in Charlottesville, Va., where a car allegedly driven by a Nazi sympathizer plowed into a group of counterprotesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer.

The aftermath of the Charlottesville rally was the genesis of the Times profile story on Hovater, national editor Marc Lacey said in a column responding to widespread criticisms of the story. Many have accused the Times of normalizing a man who unabashedly supports Adolf Hitler.

"We described Mr. Hovater as a bigot, a Nazi sympathizer who posted images on Facebook of a Nazi-like America full of happy white people and swastikas everywhere," Lacey wrote.

Later, he added that the Times regrets the story offended so many.

"We recognize that people can disagree on how best to tell a disagreeable story," Lacey wrote. "What we think is indisputable, though, is the need to shed more light, not less, on the most extreme corners of American life and the people who inhabit them. That's what the story, however imperfectly, tried to do."

Fausset, the writer, also responded.

He wrote that he and his editors had hoped to understand why someone like Hovater, who's "intelligent, socially adroit and raised middle class amid the relatively well-integrated environments of United States military bases," drifted toward an extreme political ideology. Fausset acknowledged that his story, after multiple revisions and despite hours of conversation with Hovater, never really answered that question.

"Mr. Hovater was exceedingly candid to me  often shockingly so  but it seems as though his worldview was largely formed by the same recombinant stuff that influences our mainstream politics. . . . But even if I had called Mr. Hovater yet again  even if we had discussed Blavatsky at length, the way we did his ideas about the Federal Reserve Bank  I'm not sure it would have answered the question."

Hovater said he thought Fausset would "editorialize" the story, but he said the article "was immensely fair."

"A lot of people were confused with what he was trying to do with that story. He's not trying to set out and spook people," Hovater said. "He wrote the article, he wrote the story that was given, and it was an accurate portrayal of me."

Hovater said he and his wife are now staying with a friend. He also said he still expects some income from his contractual job as a welder.
A man watches a TV screen showing what the North Korean government calls the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Nov. 30, 2017. Read more

TOKYO  A day after its latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch, North Korea released photos of what it's calling the "Hwasong-15." And the collective response from missile experts was  not to get too technical  whoa.

The missile and its launcher truck do, at first blush, appear to support North Korea's claim that this missile is much more technologically advanced than previous iterations.

Although there is still much that can't be gleaned from the photos and North Korea does have an inglorious record of exaggeration, analysts generally agree that the Hwasong-15 marks a significant leap forward in North Korea's missile development.

"This is a really big missile, much larger than I expected," said Scott LaFoy, an imagery analyst for the specialist website NK News. "I believe one of my professors would have referred to it as a big honking missile."

Several analysts noted that the missile looked like the American Titan II, which was initially an ICBM but was then later used by the U.S. Air Force and NASA as a space launch vehicle.

The truck: The transporter erector launcher, or TEL, has nine axles, making it one axle longer than the TEL used to launch the previous iteration of the intercontinental ballistic missile. North Korea claims to have made these trucks itself but analysts believe they are modified versions or based on the Chinese lumber truck, the WS51200.

"We've seen heavy vehicle extensions before but this would this would be a very large step forward for their heavy vehicles industry," said LaFoy, estimating that the truck was about twice as long as an American school bus. "We know that this is pretty difficult. It took China a while to figure this out."

The nose cone: The nose cone of the Hwasong-15 is much blunter than of the previous iteration, the Hwasong-14. This is likely an effort to slow down the missile slightly as it screams through the atmosphere, which lowers the heat inside the missile and means that the warhead doesn't have to withstand quite as much variation in temperature during flight.

This might be an effort to overcome issues with the re-entry vehicle  the part of the missile that protects the warhead during launch and brings it back into the Earth's atmosphere. This is one of the parts of the missile that North Korea has not yet proven it has mastered.

The size of the nose cone and re-entry vehicle on the Hwasong-15 supports North Korea's claim that the missile can carry a "super large heavy warhead." But experts think the missile tested this week was carrying a light, mock warhead.

The Hwasong-14 and 15 missiles are likely to have carried only very small payloads, which exaggerate the range that a North Korean missile can fly, said Michael Elleman, senior fellow for missile defense at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Basically, the heavier the warhead, the shorter the distance it can travel.

If the Hwasong-15 was fitted with a half-ton payload and flown on a standard trajectory, it could probably fly about 5,300 miles, Elleman wrote for 38 North, a website devoted to North Korea, meaning that a 600 kilogram (1,320 pound) payload "barely reaches Seattle."

Still, with its publication of this huge re-entry vehicle, Kim's regime is clearly signaling that this is their ultimate goal.

Engines: The first stage of the Hwasong-15  the bottom part that propels it off the launcher, sometimes called the "booster"  has two engines. "We're trying to figure out what those may be and how powerful they are," said David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

But the second stage looks like it can carry more than twice as much propellant as the Hwasong-14, since it is longer and has a larger diameter, Wright said. "The combination of those two things means it really is a new, more capable missile."

The addition of two engines doubled the second stage thrust and allows the missile to reach a higher peak altitude, Elleman said. This missile reached a height of about 2,800 miles  or ten times as high as the International Space Station.

Steering: The Hwasong-14 had only one nozzle and it used four vernier engines to steer the missile. But the newly unveiled Hwasong-15 has two nozzles and no verniers. That suggests the missile is steered by gimbaling, a more advanced way to control the missile.

"This is a sort of maneuvering which is pretty fancy. You lose the least thrust that way," said LaFoy. "We knew they'd get there eventually but we didn't think the North Koreans were there yet."
Delaware County is about to begin a court-ordered reassessment of all its properties. It will affect homeowners and how much they pay in property taxes. Read more

For the first time in more than 20 years, every property in Delaware County will have a new assessment  and tax bill  by 2021, under a contract approved Wednesday by county council members.

The $6 million contract launches a court-ordered reassessment of all 200,000 parcels; state law forbids spot assessments and requires that reassessments occur countywide. The last mass appraisal in the county occurred in the late 1990s.

Property assessments are legal values established by counties, and they determine tax bills. A reassessment will distribute the tax burden more fairly, but it will also create winners and losers. Local governments cannot use reassessments to raise more money through taxes, but tax bills for some property owners could change drastically if their assigned values are currently too low or too high.

Tyler Technologies will begin working to compile data about properties in the county and communicate with property owners, said Marianne Grace, Delaware County's executive director. But it will be months before residents hear from assessors, she said.

The process could also set off reassessments in other counties. Delaware County last reassessed under court order, after a similar suit in Chester County led to a reassessment there. Montgomery County then voluntarily reassessed properties. Bucks County, however, hasn't done so since 1972.

The Delaware County court order came last year in response to a lawsuit by two county homeowners. Their lawyers proved that the taxes property owners pay compared to the fair market value of their homes varied widely across the county. Owners of new homes, for example, often pay more than some of their neighbors because their assessments were set at the time of construction while those on older homes have not changed since 2000.

An analysis of the most recently available state tax data showed that roughly 37 percent of properties in Delaware County are overassessed.

Delaware County Council also approved a contract Wednesday for a company to take aerial photographs to use in the reassessment, at a cost of $91,000. Grace said the process will include comparing aerial photographs to building permits and other existing information about properties. In some cases, she said, assessors will go door-to-door.

Property owners will receive letters from the county "saying to the homeowner, 'This is what we believe we have in your house and if you don't agree with this, this is what we have to address that,'" Grace said.

They will learn of their new assessments in 2020, and can file appeals before they are taxed on the new amount in 2021.

"It's a big process, and we want it to be open and to have communication so we come up with fair assessed values," Grace said.
(Xinhua) 07:35, November 30, 2017

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Russian President Vladimir Putinat the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Nov. 29, 2017. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

MOSCOW, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Russian President Vladimir Putinat the Kremlin on Wednesday, pledging to work with Moscow to promote regional cooperation for steady progress.

China is willing to work with Russia to strengthen communication and coordination on international affairs, and cement cooperation within multilateral frameworks including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Li said, adding that the two countries will work to inject constructive force into the world's peaceful development.

During the meeting, Li conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping's greetings to Putin and recalled the successful meeting between the two leaders earlier in November on the sidelines of the 25th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in Vietnam's Da Nang city.

Noting that the development of economic cooperation has scored stable progress, Li said the two countries have continued to push forward their cooperation in such traditional fields as economy and trade, energy, aviation, transport infrastructure, production capacity equipment and agriculture, while making achievement in cooperation in such new fields as digital economy, technological innovation and small and medium-sized enterprises.

This shows that China-Russia cooperation has great potential and broad prospects, said Li.

China is ready to enhance the alignment of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the development programs of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), he said.

China would like to play well the leading role in cooperation in traditional areas, while focusing on effect of new growth drivers in emerging areas, he said.

Li also vowed to work with Russia to tap the development potential in the Far East and expand the cross-border trade, so as to benefit the two peoples.

For his part, Putin said that the frequent high-level exchanges and communication between China and Russia fully demonstrates the stability and high level of the development of the bilateral ties.

The two governments and relevant cooperation mechanisms have played an important guiding role in the pragmatic cooperation, he added.

He said that the trade between Russia and China has enjoyed a good growth momentum and the cooperation in energy, transportation infrastructure, agriculture and local areas has been actively promoted.

Putin expected the two countries to well align respective development strategies to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, as the Belt and Road Initiative and development programs of the EEU are complementary.

They also exchanged views on global and regional issues of common concerns.

Li arrived in Russia on Wednesday after wrapping up a visit to Hungary. He is expected to attend the 16th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the SCO to be held in Sochi, Russia from Thursday to Friday.
(China Daily) 07:48, November 30, 2017

Illustration of the Wukong space telescope.[Photo provided to China Daily]

A Chinese space telescope has found a strange peak in high-energy cosmic ray electrons and positrons, which are highly energetic particles blazing across the universe at close to the speed of light. Scientists say they think such an anomaly can help crack the secrets of dark matter, the strangest ingredient in the universe.

The strange peak was picked up by the Dark Matter Particle Explorer, nicknamed Wukong, at around 1.4 trillion electronvolts, when the flux of cosmic ray electrons and positrons suddenly rose before collapsing.

"This phenomena is unexpected because no other stellar events behave like this at such high energy," said Fan Yizhong, deputy chief designer of Wukong's scientific application system.

"Our best guess is it could be due to a special astrophysical event, or some weird new particles," Fan said. "We will collect more data in this energy range to make sure this is not a fluke, so it is still too early say we found something groundbreaking."

The discovery was part of the first published scientific results of Wukong, which was named after the Monkey King in the classic novelJourney to the West. The results were published in the science journal Nature on Thursday.

Launched in December 2015, Wukong is China's first astronomical satellite and is tasked with finding dark matter, an invisible ingredient that makes up around 25 percent of the universe yet cannot interact with any known matter other than through gravity, said Chang Jin, the Wukong project's chief scientist.

"Many countries have spent billions of dollars over decades to find dark matter, yet we still know very little about it because we cannot observe it directly," he said. "However, we can observe the particles and energy released when dark matter particles interact and destroy each other."

Previously, there were three space detectors dedicated to finding dark matter - the AMS-02 spectrometer, and the Fermi and CALET space telescopes. Wukong is the newest and most advanced member of the family, and has superior precision in the trillion electronvolt energy range, Chang said.

Since its launch, Wukong has recorded over 3.5 billion cosmic ray events, with the highest energy levels exceeding 100 trillion electronvolts, more than 10 times the highest recorded energy level created by the Large Hadron Collider, the world's most powerful particle accelerator.

Wukong is expected to record more than 10 billion cosmic ray events during its lifetime, and it is likely to be operating well beyond its designed life span of three years, Chang said.

"In the Chinese novel, Wukong has a pair of magical eyes that can see through the devil's disguise," he said. "Similarly, we hope the Wukong satellite can open a new window in science discovery, and grant us the ability to see through the disguise of dark matter."

Bai Chunli, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the discovery of dark matter is the most cutting-edge of science projects and will fundamentally change how we view the universe, such as understanding how galaxies evolve.

A galaxy is a gravitationally bound system of billions of stars rotating around its center. But the strength of gravity becomes weaker as the distance between objects grows, hence stars at the edge of the galaxy should be flying off, like raindrops flinging off a spinning umbrella.

"But this is not the case, and galaxies continue to spin like a spiral disk without disintegrating," Bai said. "So there has to be something we cannot see that is holding the galaxy together. Dark matter is the prime suspect."

Ed Gerstner, Nature's scientific director for Chinese research, said the discovery is exciting despite all the uncertainties, and he will be looking forward to more results and collaboration with Chinese scientists.

"The most exciting phrase to hear in scientific discovery is not 'Eureka, I have found it', but rather 'Hmm that's weird'," Gerstner said. This is especially true for cutting-edge physics, such as the case of the discovery of the Higgs-boson elementary particle in 2013, he added.

"Chinese scientists have a long and proud history of groundbreaking contributions to high energy particle physics  and changing the way we see the universe," he said.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) holds talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest, Hungary, Nov. 28, 2017. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

China and Hungary signed 11 agreements to promote cooperation in fields such as e-commerce, tourism, education and smart cities as Premier Li Keqiang made his first visit to the European country as premier on Tuesday.

The signing was witnessed by Li and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban following the premier's participation in the sixth Meeting of Heads of Government of China-Central and Eastern European Countries in Budapest, Hungary's capital.

On Tuesday afternoon, the premier's state visit started with a 30-minute welcoming ceremony, during which a cavalry unit passed before the two leaders on a square in front of the Hungarian National Assembly building.

The two leaders have maintained frequent exchanges, as Orban was received by Li in Beijing in May during his visit to China and participation in the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Hungary also is one of the three countries with a comprehensive strategic partnership with China, following Serbia and Poland.

"Hungary is one of the most beautiful countries I've ever visited and has achieved 4 percent economic growth, which is an extraordinary accomplishment for a country with about $20,000 of GDP per capita," Li said when meeting the media with Orban.

Li said China has a huge market and is a new generator of economic growth, and the two countries should view each other's development as an opportunity.

Their bilateral trade maintained double-digit growth last year amid a sluggish global economy and China's imports from Hungary increased by 20 percent, the premier said. The first three quarters of this year saw China import more from Hungary than it exported to the country.

Hungary attracts about one-third of the Chinese investments in CEE nations and China will continue investing in its partner to create more jobs and bring it advanced technologies and management experience, Li said.

Last year, bilateral trade increased by 10.1 percent year-on-year to $8.89 billion, making Hungary the third-largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe for China, according to the Economic and Commercial Counselor's Office at the Chinese embassy in Budapest.

Hungary was China's largest source of imports last year among CEE countries. The EU member's exports to China were up by 20 percent to $3.46 billion in 2016, the office said. China's exports to Hungary were up by 4.4 percent last year.

"We want balanced trade and hope Chinese consumers will enjoy more diverse products," the premier said. "Hungary and China have had long-term connections in history. We are willing to establish higher-education institutions together and encourage each of the peoples to travel to the other country."

The Hungarian prime minister said China's 6 percent to 7 percent economic growth means it has enormous production capacity and will import more goods from other countries.

"Chinese enterprises have made investments all over the world, and many countries want to participate in China's economic growth. Hungary is the largest destination for Chinese investments in Central and Eastern Europe, and we will provide an inviting environment for investors," Orban said.
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Just ahead of Ladies Night Out last Thursday, and the upcoming annual Christmas Parade Nov. 25 and Shop Small Saturday Nov. 26, the City of Manistique and Manistique Downtown Development...

Short-Term Rentals Ordinance discussed during City Council

MANISTIQUE - During Mondays meeting of the Manistique City Council, a Short-Term Rental Ordinance was introduced by the Manistique Planning and Zoning commission. At our last [planning and zoning] meeting...
The line of the first ascent of Phungi Peak (6538 m), Himalaya, Nepal, climbed alpine style over five days by the Russians Yury Koshelenko and Aleksei Lonchinskii in autumn 2017 Photo by Yury Koshelenko, Aleksei Lonchinskii

Aleksei Lonchinskii on the ridge during the first ascent of Phungi Peak (6538 m), Himalaya, Nepal, carried out with Yury Koshelenko Photo by Yury Koshelenko, Aleksei Lonchinskii

Phungi Peak, big Himalayan first ascent by Koshelenko and Lonchinskii

30.11.2017 by by Planetmountain

On 28 October 2017 Russian mountaineers Yury Koshelenko and Aleksei Lonchinskii completed the first ascent of Phungi Peak (6538 m) in the Nepalese Himalaya. Climbing in alpine style, the two required five days to forge their route up the mountains SW Face.

Towards the end of October the Russian mountaineers Yury Koshelenko and Aleksei Lonchinskii hit it big in the Himalaya where they successfully made the first ascent of Phungi Peak, the beautiful and hitherto unclimbed 6538 m mountain situated to the west of Manaslu in Nepal.

Setting off on 26 October, the duo climbed a fairly direct line up the 1500 m high SW Face in alpine style, requiring three days to reach the summit. During their clim the Russians breached up ice up to 80 and after the second bivy, a mere five pitches below the summit, the weather reportedly worsened, becoming extremely cold and windy. The summit was reached not without difficulties via the exposed ridge at 16:30 on 28 October and after spending a night just below the highest point Koshelenko and Lonchinskii needed another two days to descend not via the ascent route, but down the unknown West Ridge.

As German journalist Stefan Nestler rightly points out, 54-year-old Koshelenko and 35-year-old Lonchinskiy belong to the elite of Russian alpinism and in the past both mountaineers have been awarded with the Piolet dOr for their exceptional ascents. Koshelenko received the prize in 2004 for the first ascent of the South Pillar of Nuptse East (7804 m) climbed in November 2003 with Valeri Babanov, while a golden ice axe was awarded to Lonchinskii for the first ascent of the SW Face of Thamserku (6623 m), carried out in spring 2014 with Alexander Gukov.



Link: FB Yury Koshelenko, FB Aleksei Lonchinskii



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A Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy wounded in a Tuesday night gunfight in Santa Clarita is released from the hospital. (Photo: LASD/Twitter)

A Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputy and a suspect were wounded during a shootout in Santa Clarita, CA, Tuesday night. The deputy has been treated for a neck wound at a local hospital and released.

Deputies responded to an assault with a deadly weapon call at an apartment complex just after 10 p.m., the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department stated in a news release.

As they were searching the area, the deputies encountered one of the two suspects in the parking area near the pool.

The man began to shoot at the deputies and they returned fire, Lt. Joe Mendoza said.

Both the suspect and one of the four deputies who responded to the call were struck by the gunfire, the news release stated.

The suspect, identified only as a 29-year-old Hispanic man, was struck in the torso. His condition was unknown, Mendoza told KTLA TV.
Washoe County Sheriff's deputies outside the Montage Condominiums in downtown Reno. A gunman reportedly took a hostage and fired into the street from the high-rise Tuesday night before he was killed by law enforcement. (Photo: KOLO TV Screen Shot)

A man suspected of taking a hostage and firing shots into the street in downtown Reno, NV, from a high-rise condominium complex was shot and killed by law enforcement Tuesday night. No name has been released; he is described only as a man in his twenties.

Police say the shooter was barricaded inside the Montage condominiums with a hostage, whom police say is now safe with no injuries. Police believe the suspect and hostage had a domestic relationship.

Police say shots were fired by the suspect within the condo and onto Sierra Street from the east side of an 8th floor unit. Police evacuated the downtown area and closed several streets, which have since been reopened.

The suspect was shot by police and died on the way to a hospital; police initially believed the injuries were not life-threatening, KOLO TV reports
What can be done when disaster strikes and the unforgiving sea claims expensive or invaluable objects? JW Fishers has assisted in the recovery of countless ships, anchors, aircraft, indispensable equipment, and, in the most devastating of cases, loved ones. One of the most effective tools for underwater search and recovery is a Side Scan Sonar (SSS) system. The JW Fishers' line of SSS systems are able to search a large area quickly and to produce a detailed image of the ocean floor, regardless of water clarity, says the company.

The Fulton County (NY) Sheriff's Department purchased a JW Fishers dual frequency side scan system and has found some interesting things in a short amount of time. One fascinating discovery was the foundation and well of an old house in Sacandaga Lake. The history surrounding this valley is remarkable.

While using a JW Fishers dual frequency side scan system, the Fulton County (NY) Sheriff's Department discovered the foundation and well of an old house in Sacandaga Lake.(Photo: JW Fishers)

In 1907, after decades of debate, the State Water Supply Commission conducted a study on water storage for flood prevention and power development in New York State. The commission gave their report to legislators in 1908, requesting the construction of a reservoir in the Sacandaga Valley. 1902 served as case-in-point of the commission's request as New York faced severe flooding on the Hudson. This pushed New York State to appoint a Water Storage Commission to study the causes of flooding. The year 1913 proved to be the most disastrous in history for down-river communities including Albany, Green Island, Rensselaer, Troy, and Watervliet, who saw the flooding of entire valleys. The Hudson River Regulating District (HRRD) was formed "To regulate the flow of the Hudson and Sacandaga Rivers as required by the public welfare including health and safety." (http://www.edinburgny.com/reservoirhistory.html)

A plan was developed that included 16 new reservoirs, one of which was in the Sacandaga river valley. Over 1,000 citizens were required to leave their land. Dams were built to store the water and in the early 1930's the area was flooded and still remains a large body of water to this day. The reservoir was named "Sacandaga" after the river it was formed from, an Indian name meaning "the drowned land." In the 1960s, the name was changed to "The Great Sacandaga Lake." (http://www.edinburgny.com/reservoirhistory.html)

The New York State Police is another organization that uses JW Fisher's "right tools for the job" to serve their community. They utilize their JWF Side Scan Sonar quite often and are constantly training to become masters of the system. They are frequently called to search for missing evidence or drowning victims. One of their newest resources is a 27-foot vessel equipped with the latest technology to help make searching safer and easier. Lt. Scott Sheehan has been to JW Fishers' facility several times for training on both his department's Side Scan Sonar and SCAN-650 systems. His team has developed an impressive competence with the equipment in a variety of situations, even being called upon by surrounding counties when needed.

Alldive Ltd., based in Malta, specializes in propeller polishing, in-water surveys, underwater video and photography, hull and underwater cleaning, and underwater welding and cutting, both inside and outside of Maltese harbors. They use their JW Fishers Side Scan Sonar system for bottom surveys to include fish farms, jetties, and for the recovery of lost anchors. JW Fishers' equipment is just some of the various tools they utilize to search the open waters. They are an experienced commercial diving company that relies upon a trusted manufacturer to provide the right tools for the job; JW Fishers Mfg. These sonar tools include:

The SSS-1200 kHz is well suited for law enforcement agencies and dive rescue groups that are searching for small, soft targets such as drowning victims. This frequency produces very high-resolution images, but has a max scan range of only 30 meters per side (maximum swath covered is 60 meters / 200 feet).

The SSS-600 kHz has very good resolution and scans up to 75 meters on each side of the towfish (maximum swath covered is 150 meters / 500 feet). This system is good for locating a variety of targets from drowning victims to submerged vehicles and structures.

The SSS-100 kHz has good resolution and scans up to 600 meters on each side of the towfish (maximum swath covered is 1200 meters / 4000 feet). This system is good for searching large areas to look for large targets such as sunken ships and downed aircraft.

A few of the many other search teams using Fishers' side scan systems are South Survey and Mapping Company in China, the Beadle County Office of Emergency Management in South Dakota, the Fall River Police in Massachusetts, the Suffolk County Sheriffs Marine Unit in New York, Union Fire Company in Pennsylvania, North Carolina Department of Transportation, the US Navy's Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Technology Division, The Oil Services Company FEM Associates in Nigeria, and Guangdong Construction Engineering in China.

For more information about JW Fishers' complete line of underwater search equipment, visit www.jwfishers.com.
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By Amanda Becker and Chris Kahn

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters)  Opposition has grown among Americans to a Republican tax plan before the U.S. Congress, with 49 percent of people who were aware of the measure saying they opposed it, up from 41 percent in October, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday.

Congressional Republicans are trying to rush their tax legislation to a vote on the Senate floor before the end of the week. President Donald Trump strongly backs the bill and wants to sign it into law before the end of the year.

In addition to the 49 percent who said they opposed the Republican tax bill, 29 percent said they supported it and 22 percent said they dont know, according to the Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll of 1,257 adults conducted from Thursday to Monday.

When asked who stands to benefit most from the plan, more than half of all American adults surveyed selected either the wealthy or large U.S. corporations. Fourteen percent chose all Americans, 6 percent picked the middle class and 2 percent chose lower-income Americans.

The tax bill being crafted in the Senate would slash the corporate tax rate, eliminate some taxes paid only by rich Americans and offer a mixed bag or temporary tax cuts for other individuals and families.

As congressional discussion on the bill has unfolded, public opposition to it has risen, on average, following Trumps unveiling of a nine-page framework on Sept. 27 that started the debate in earnest, Reuters/Ipsos polling showed.

On Oct. 24, for example, among adults who said they had heard of the tax reform plan recently proposed by congressional Republicans, 41 percent said they opposed it, while 31 percent said they dont know and just 28 percent said they supported it.

Trump and his fellow Republicans are determined to make a tax code overhaul their first major legislative win since taking control of the White House and Congress in January.

The House of Representatives on Nov. 16 approved its own tax bill. The Senate is expected to decide on Wednesday whether to begin debating its proposal, as the measure moves toward a decisive floor vote later this week.

The two chambers would need to reconcile differences between their plans before legislation could be sent to the White House for Trumps signature.

In the Nov. 23-27 poll, 59 percent of Republicans supported the tax bill, 26 percent said they did not know and 15 percent opposed it. Among Democrats, 82 percent opposed it, 11 percent said they did not know and 8 percent supported it.

The online poll has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 3 percentage points.

(Reporting by Amanda Becker in Washington and Chris Kahn in New York; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Peter Cooney)
By ANGUS MCNEICE in London (China Daily) 08:11, November 30, 2017

An artist's impression of what Orthrozanclus elongata might have looked like in life. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Archaeologists in China have discovered a fossilized sea creature that they describe as "strange beyond measure", with long spines along its wormlike body and a shell that covers its head like a helmet.

The 515-million-year-old specimen was unearthed last year by a fossil collector in the hills of the Maotianshan Shales, an archaeological hot spot in Yunnan province.

The collector gave the fossil to Zhao Fangchen, a paleobiologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who studied it with researchers from Durham University in the United Kingdom.

"The creature is like a mythical beast," Martin Smith, an assistant professor at Durham, told science news website Live Science.

He said researchers were surprised by the creature's unusual anatomy, which had spines like cocktail sticks "that emerge from its sides" and a "head covered by a small shell, almost as if it's wearing a bike helmet".

"We don't know much about the animal underneath these mineralized plateswhether it had legs or a sluglike foot, or whether it had teeth or tentacles," Smith added.

He said the fossil is "incredibly rare", with only two specimens having been found among the tens of thousands of creatures seen in the same deposits.

The 2-centimeter-long creature, whose scientific name is Orthrozanclus elongata, lived during the Cambrian period, a time before life had colonized dry land. Microscopic plants, microbial mats and invertebrates with exoskeletons, including trilobites and arthropods, were the dominant forms of marine life.

In the study of the creature published in the journal Scientific Reports, the authors said Orthrozanclus elongata may provide clues about the evolution of mollusks. The creature, which appeared to be mobile, could be an ancestor of some of today's brachiopods, which live in shells and are largely sedentary, it said.

"Whereas many linages show evolutionary trends toward greater activity and complexity, brachiopods seem to have settled down to a sedentary existence, like a retiree settling down in a favorite armchair," Smith said.
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MSNBCs Nicolle Wallace reported that her sources inside the White House tell her that Trump is increasingly delusional.

Video:

Wallace said that what she is hearing from inside the White House, is that he increasingly projects a delusional version of himself to himself and his Twitter followers. This is someone staring in the mirror of his own most rabid fans, and feeding them only what he thinks they will believe without acknowledging that its moving further and further away from reality.

Eli Stokols of The Wall Street Journal added, Ive heard the word delusional from some folks as well. Stokols added that there is no one in the administration to give the President a reality check, which means that the delusional president is running wild in the White House.

It cant be stressed enough that Trumps behavior is not a part of some grand political strategy. There is no rationality to Trumps actions. The man is delusional. Since there is no version of a presidential recall vote in the United States, the only option that the American people have is to vote for a Democratic Congressional majority in 2018 that will act as a check on Trump.

Trump is increasingly making delusional statements about himself and his presidency in public. The President is not well, and it is past time for many in the media and the government to stop avoiding the discussion about Trumps mental state and competency. If Trump really is delusional, he should not be allowed to continue as President Of The United States.
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A church that will be hosting alleged pedophile Roy Moore is placing restrictions on how cameras can film because they are worried that Al-Qaeda will attack them.

Kaitlan Collins of CNN reported:

The church where the Roy Moore campaign event tonight is will only allow the camera to shoot a close, head-on shot of the candidate because the pastor fears a possible Al-Qaeda attack, he told CNN.  Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) November 29, 2017

"We have a security concern and some times Al-Qaeda pulls it off the internet to get pictures from inside," Dr. David E Gonnella said. https://t.co/AcLybgNqM3  Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) November 29, 2017

He was concerned that broadcasting inside the church would allow Al-Qaeda or others to gain knowledge of the layout and entry points, thus causing a security threat.  Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) November 30, 2017

The church is hosting a man who is accused of sexually assaulting underage girls, and they are worried about Al-Qaeda coming to blow them up. Did ever occur to these Christians that maybe their biggest problem is that they are hosting a man who sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl?

The lack of morality and values on the right goes much deeper than Donald Trump. It even goes deeper than Roy Moore. Trump and Moore are the byproducts of a hypocritical movement that throws out its morals and values for partisan politics.

Al-Qaeda isnt coming to blow up your Alabama church. Your bigger problem is that you are hosting a pedophile, and you could care less.
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When asked by the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) if Trump ever directed him to hinder the Russia investigation, Attorney General Jeff Sessions refused to answer the question.

Manu Raju of CNN reported:

Schiff says he asked Sessions directly if Trump ever directed him to "hinder" the Russia investigation. He declined to answer, citing private conversations with Trump  Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 30, 2017

Schiffs question is easy to answer if the answer is no. The only reason for Attorney General Session to decline to answer is that any answer that he could provide would damage Trump. Anyone who has watched Jeff Sessions testify since he became Attorney General knows that the refusal to answer due to the privacy of the conversation is one of his favorite go-to moves when he is trying to avoid providing damaging information to the Russia investigation.

If the answer was no, all Sessions had to do was say no, and it would help boost the Presidents claims that he did not obstruct justice. The Attorney Generals refusal to answer was an answer itself. There have been media reports for months that Trump wanted to fire Sessions because he wouldnt interfere and make the Russia investigation go away.

This is as big of a jaw-dropper non-answer as one can get.

Jeff Sessions admitted by saying nothing that he cant clear the President of trying to interfere in the Russia investigation.

That is obstruction of justice, and obstruction of justice puts Trump on the path to impeachment.
Questions about the use of taxpayer dollars, youth memberships and programming opportunities at 125 Live dominated at the Post Bulletin Dialogues event Wednesday night that focused on the first year of the new senior center.

The $26 million senior-focused community center opened its doors in November 2016 in an addition to the city's existing Recreation Center. The center previously was in the downtown Armory building. Wednesday's event was at the new center.

The first year had its challenges, 125 Live Executive Director Sally Gallagher told an audience of nearly 70. That included unforeseen costs during construction on a former landfill site and expressions of frustration over membership costs by some longtime members. But, Gallagher said, in order to keep a senior center in Rochester, changes had to be made.

"The old center was not sustainable," she said. "We couldn't have gone another year because people weren't joining. It wasn't accessible by any means; the parking was horrible. I mean, it couldn't have stayed open. So it was either move forward and adopt a vision that our aging community wanted us to move forward with, or close the doors."

Joining Gallagher on the panel were Rochester City Council President Randy Staver and Rochester Park and Recreation Director Paul Widman. Post Bulletin Executive Editor Jay Furst moderated the discussion.

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Some in the audience questioned 125 Live's decision to allow nonseniors to join the facility.

Myrna Reinartz said she does not want to see the facility become overrun with teenagers.

"I spent 29 years here in Rochester working with teenagers. I have no desire to spend another 29 years with teenagers. I love this facility. I like the cleanliness. I like the neatness. I like the lack of profanity. Let's not turn it into a high school," Reinartz said.

Nonseniors are limited on when they can use the fitness facility or attend classes, Gallagher said, guaranteeing periods of time for seniors only. But, she said, allowing younger people to have limited access to the facility is important to 125 Live's business model.

"The more the younger population can understand the challenges of aging, their support to these organizations will increase," Gallagher said.

Use of tax dollars was a hot topic. Furst asked if taxpayers should expect any "red flags" when 125 Live presents its budget request to the city council next week.

Gallagher said the nonprofit anticipated it would operate in deficit for the first two years, relying on its reserves and support from the city. The city of Rochester pays for the center's utilities, which cost about $300,000 per year. There have been unanticipated energy cost savings, which have been reinvested into the facility.

"In terms of what we understand from our finance perspective, we're on track; our membership is growing. We need to work on fundraising," Gallagher said. "That is going to be a very big part of meeting our budget deadline."

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The center still is trying to raise enough money to cover $2.3 million for furniture, fixtures and equipment.

The city gave the center a boost by purchasing land from the organization. Years ago, the senior center bought land north of 125 Live that used to be the headquarters of Podein Freightways. The purchase price was $525,000. The city recently bought it for $250,000. While the city now owns the land, 125 Live sees potential use as a woodworking shop.

The city bought the property to help the center with revenues, Staver said.

"We knew that there would be a deficit, if you will, the first couple of years  as with any new business. We're being very attentive to that," he said.

Construction of 125 Live was funded primarily through $20 million from a 2013 voter-approved extension of Rochester's sales tax. Former Rochester Public Schools Superintendent Jerry Williams, who led the sales tax campaign, told the audience that 125 Live leaders have been unfairly criticized for asking for additional funds from the city council for the project. That's because Minnesota lawmakers required the city to reduce the project budget from the $23 million originally set by the city council.

"People 75 or 80 miles from here  and maybe many of them have never been to Rochester  decided arbitrarily to cut that back," Williams said.

Former Rochester Tea Party Patriots leader Cindy Maves pushed back, saying prior to the vote on the sales tax extensions, Williams and Gallagher had pledged 125 Live could be built for $20 million, and any cost overruns would be covered via fundraising.

"I can't tell you how many times they said that because that was a concern of the voters before they voted for it," Maves said. "You cannot just blame it on the Legislature. You made promises that you could do it for that budget."

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A member of 125 Live in the audience told the panel she wants to see the city invest more in the project to help it in its first few years. She said there are complaints about a shortage of equipment in the fitness area.

"I would think that you'd have to maybe be a little bit more generous in the beginnings of some kind of undertaking like this than we are currently experiencing here," she said.

One audience member asked Gallagher what her priorities would be if funding was not an issue. She told the crowd she'd love to increase the amount of fitness equipment. She also would like to add a hot tub for members and a fireplace in the lounge area. A woodworking and fix-it shop also is the wish list.

She added, "Our membership is increasing, and that's really exciting. We know that these programs are reaching people."
A quest to modify direction for commercial development near 55th Street and Villa Road Northwest hit a bump Wednesday night.

The Rochester Planning and Zoning Commission recommended denial of requested changes for the Chateau Circle Special District , which sits north of Walmart's north Rochester store.

While development has started in a portion of the district, developers are seeking tweaks to guidelines for future construction at the site. Among proposed changes were details on permitted uses, which would include up to five restaurants; changes to potential drive-through guidelines; and adoption of an updated traffic study, which would increase the allowed peak morning traffic from 172 vehicles to 422.

Leslie McGillivray-Rivas, a planner with WSB and Associates, said the requests are designed to recruit additional businesses to the site. She mentioned interest from a Starbucks franchise and a STEM school in her presentation, both of which would require more traffic in morning hours than previously allowed.

"There have been many changes in the neighborhood in regard to traffic," she said, noting roadway changes now allow larger numbers.

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Neighbors, however, objected to the additional changes after the district's guidelines were amended earlier this year.

"This one has come back about every six months because something wasn't meeting the needs of the developer," neighbor Barbara Virnig told the commission.

Another neighbor, Bob Nordman, raised specific concerns about the proposed traffic increases, which would allow more restaurants than originally expected.

"The developers are actually asking for large increases, not limitations," said Nordman, noting multiple restaurants would impose on the neighborhood.

McGillivray-Rivas noted some of the changes proposed Wednesday were in response to neighbors' concerns about fast-food drive-throughs, but in the end, planning and zoning commission members said they didn't think the proposed changes met with the intent for the special district.

"We're judging the amendment as presented to us, and I don't think it meets the special district zone standards," commission member Wade Goodenberger said.

Thomas Hill, another commission member, however, said he doesn't think the requested changes go too far.

"I didn't see the changes as that egregious," he said. "I understand that when you live right there, they feel a lot more significant than when you are sitting here and just reading through text. I get that."

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Commission member Michael Walters said concern about traffic intensity and the fact that the developer agreed to past restrictions would make it difficult to support the requested changes.

In the end, the commission voted 5-2 to recommend the Rochester City Council deny the requested changes. Hill and commission member Peter Castro voted against the recommendation.

In other business, the commission:

 Approved a conditional-use permit for the Heartland Gun Range , an indoor range planned for the west side of Commercial Drive Southwest, about 2,000 feet south of 48th Street Southwest.
Someone's idea of a joke isn't producing any laughter among Minnesota's wildlife managers. Quite the opposite, in fact.

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources released photographs of a 10-point buck that was killed by a hunter near Lanesboro. The deer was shot legally on Sunday, the last day of the firearms deer season in southeastern Minnesota.

What makes the buck unusual is that it had two ear tags  saying "Don't" and "Miss."

The discovery of a free-ranging deer that clearly had spent some time in captivity would raise questions under any circumstances, as it is illegal to capture a deer or release a tame or farm-raised deer into the wild.

Making matters far more complicated and worrisome is that this deer was shot in the so-called "CWD Zone" where 16 wild deer have tested positive for the always-fatal neurological disease.

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Many deer hunters have long believed that deer which escape from deer farms may be spreading the disease to the wild deer herd, and in the past year, tensions have grown between the Minnesota DNR, which regulates the state's wild deer herd, and the Board of Animal Health, which regulates deer and elk farms,

The CWD Zone, which includes the towns of Lanesboro and Preston, is home to nearly a dozen deer farms, including one near Spring Valley where the entire herd escaped in June when a storm damaged a fence. That escape went unreported for weeks.

Deer farms are required to have identifying tags on all animals, but the "Don't Miss" buck's tags are not proper farm tags and don't include any information about where the deer came from. The buck had been seen on trail cameras in the area for more than a year, but the ear tags were not readable in any of the photographs.

The buck appeared to be in good condition and will be tested for CWD.

The DNR is interested in information that may aid in finding the animal's owner. Individuals with information should call the Minnesota Turn in Poachers (TIP) line at 1-800-652-9093. That information will be anonymously relayed to the appropriate staff.
A new report has highlighted an old concern for residents of Southeast Minnesota  and riled Mayo Clinic officials.

Minnesota Community Measurement's new study on health-care cost and utilization has once again found that the Southeast Region pays significantly more than anywhere else in the state. That fact is driven by higher-than-average costs at Olmsted Medical Center and Mayo Clinic, which the report says continues to charge the most in the state on a risk-adjusted basis.

Residents of the Southeast Region pay an average of $601 per month, which is 22 percent higher than the Metro Region and 19 percent higher than the state average of $490, according to MNCM's 2017 Cost & Utilization Report that analyzed every patient who was billed through private insurance at 122 medical groups across the state.

The report says Mayo Clinic and its regional facilities account for eight of Minnesota's nine most expensive sites. The most expensive health care facility in the state is Mayo's Rochester campus, which cost patients a risk-adjusted monthly average of $977  almost exactly twice the state average.

Emergency room utilization had the highest correlation to total cost, according to the report. Outstate utilization of the ER was 20 percent higher than the metro region, led by Mayo's Rochester campus that had a 61 percent higher observed rate than expected.

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"I like to think about it as the whole region rather than one provider, but in the southeast part of the state, the resource use is the same as the state average and the price is higher," said MNCM President Julie Sonier.

"It is an affordability issue for people living in that part of the state."

The study suggests a typical resident of Rochester will pay nearly $1,600 more each year in health-care costs than someone living in Minneapolis. Looking closer, a patient at Mayo would, on average, pay $6,554 more annually than a patient at North Clinic in Minneapolis, which is on the other end of the cost spectrum in MNCM's new report.

As one specific example of the wide cost variance, MNCM reports that Mayo charges $534 for a cardiac stress test. That's more than twice the state average of $201 and three times higher than Essentia Health West charges at $145. Many other examples in the 58-page report show similar cost variations.

Mayo, which has been the nation's top-ranked hospital by U.S. News & World in three of the last four years, pushed back on the numbers listed in the new report while noting that it often delivers complex care that others do not. Dr. Paula Santrach, Mayo's chief quality officer, also questioned MNCM's methodology  which Mayo has also done in previous years  while arguing that Mayo's numbers are "artificially high."

"Mayo Clinic supports transparent, total cost of care measures that provide meaningful cost information," Dr. Santrach said in a written response. "Cost of care is an important element when considering the overall value patients receive when seeing a health care provider. However, cost of care reports are much more complicated for destination centers such as Mayo Clinic.

"Mayo Clinic has worked with Minnesota Community Measurement to help resolve methodological issues so the measures truly allow patients to 'compare apples to apples' when evaluating both cost and value of care. However, MCM continues to include destination patients from across Minnesota who seek complex care at Mayo. By including complex care patients, total cost of care at Mayo looks artificially high."

"Understanding the cost of care and its components is very important as we continue our journey toward value based care. With some modifications to the measurement approach, the cost of care delivered to our regional population would be more accurate, allowing patients to make well-informed choices about their health care."

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In tax forms filed earlier this month, Mayo reported a net income of $257 million in 2016 across all sites, down from $271 million in 2015. Mayo Clinic cared for 1.3 million patients last year, from all 50 U.S. states and 136 foreign countries, according to Mayo Clinic's website.

Sonier said the study involved collecting data from Minnesota's four largest insurance companies to aggregate results, do quality checks, and provide preliminary data for medical groups to review. That standardized methodology is aimed at making the numbers more easily comparable, she said.

For example, the "risk-adjusted cost of care" attempts to examine the numbers as if each site had the same mix of patients, according to MNCM spokesperson Brian Strub.

"We certainly are committed to being transparent about our methodology, but we are open to hearing concerns that individual providers might raise and are open to how we might adjust our methods," Sonier said.

Additionally, OMC's costs are classified as "high" by MNCM's HealthScore, based on the fact that the risk-adjusted monthly average is $660. That's more than one standard deviation about the mean, according to MNCM.

Winona Health's HealthScore is listed as "average" based on a cost of $604 per month.

Julie Harrington, OMC's director of quality improvement and patient safety, says that the higher costs are a regional issue that providers have started discussing among themselves. However, she says ongoing uncertainty at the state and federal level makes it difficult to affect change at the local level.

"What we're trying to do is make sure we get the right care to the right person at the right time," Harrington said. "I'm actually looking at those numbers as a way to improve our performance. It's showing us we have some work to do."

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According to the new report, Mayo's cost index in Rochester hit 99 percent last year, up from 92 percent in 2015. OMC's cost index was 34 percent in 2016 and Winona Health's was 23 percent.

Additionally, Mayo's costs increased by 6.5 percent and the Southeast Region's costs rose 4 percent. Those figures both outpaced the statewide increase of 3.4 percent.

"(The state's increase) is lower than the historical average for annual per person growth, so that's good news in a sense," Sonier said. "But it's also still true that that's faster than the growth in income  so costs in healthcare poses a problem for people.

"(Local increases mean) that the challenge of affordability in health care may be even greater for people in that part of the state."

-----

Most expensive MN hospitals in 2016

Average monthly cost per patient

1. Mayo Clinic, Rochester $977

2. MCHS, Cannon Falls, $765

3. MCHS Eau Claire, (Eau Claire, Wis.) $755

4. Children's Hospital, $741

5. MCHS Franciscan Medical Center (La Crosse, Wis.), $731

6. MCHS Northland, $716

7. MCHS Red Cedar, $706

8. MCHS Chippewa Valley, $698

9. MCHS Lake City, $674

10. Gunderson Health, (La Crosse, Wis.) $673

11 Scenic Rivers, $671

12. Olmsted Medical Center, $660

13. Northpoint Health, $653

14. Prairie Ridge, $631

15. Riverwood Aitkin, $625

16. Sleepy Eye Medical Center, $624

17. MCHS Austin & Albert Lea, $624

18. MCHS Red Wing, $621

19. Pipestone Family Clinic, $618

20. Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, $607

21. Winona Health, $604
(Global Times) 08:19, November 30, 2017

Education officials investigated for negligence in kindergarten needle case

A Beijing district's education officials are being investigated for negligence after police detained a kindergarten teacher for allegedly disciplining children by piercing them with needles, reports said Wednesday.

Chaoyang district discipline inspection commission approved an investigation into the district education commission chief Xiao Wen, deputy Fu Lin and private-school overseer Han Bin for their failure to monitor private educational organizations, according to qianlong.com, a news portal affiliated with the municipality's Communist Party committee.

The US-listed company accused of operating the kindergarten issued, then withdrew, a public apology on Wednesday after a 22-year-old teacher was detained by district police.

"We feel sad and ashamed," RYB Education group posted in Chinese on the Chinese mainland social media Sina Weibo on Wednesday. "Sorry! Our deepest apologies go out to the children and everyone. We have no right to beg for your forgiveness, and we will take meaningful action."

The post was still deleted as of press time.

The apology came as police announced two parents were also detained and reprimanded for circulating false rumors that children were sexually abused at the RYB Education New World kindergarten in Beijing's Chaoyang district.

Other RYB kindergartens are also under investigation, according to the deleted RYB apology. Police are also investigating reports of teachers hurting children with needles at an RYB kindergarten in the Hebei Province city of Cangzhou, The Beijing News reported.

Hao Junbo, a lawyer at Beijing-based Hao Law Firm told the Global Times that his law firm's US partner Pomerantz LLP has filed suit against RYB Education at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. The court accepted the case Tuesday.

"We represent shareholders purchasing RYB securities resulting in losses of over $100,000 and so far we have two Beijing-based shareholders as plaintiffs," Hao said. Hao is looking for more shareholders for a class action, he said.

The suit would probably be settled out of court based on previous cases, Hai believed.

The State Council on November 24 called for nationwide inspections of kindergartens.

The RYB statement listed five promises: to take full responsibility for the case, adopt zero tolerance for child abuse, cooperate with the government, parents and society to protect the safety and legal interests of children and faculty members, upgrade its surveillance system and establish a joint education system with parents so as to increase transparency.
After years of declining use, the Rochester International Airport is seeing its passenger numbers rocket up with the addition of more flights plus Mayo Clinic's endorsement.

Even without November and December, the airport has already tallied more passengers in 2017 than all of 2016.

"The airport is making huge strides  in passenger numbers," said Airport Director John Reed this week.

Mayo Clinic founded Rochester's first airport in 1928. While the city of Rochester owns the current airport, Mayo Clinic is contracted to manage it via its Rochester Airport Co. firm.

So far this year, 231,212 passengers have used the Rochester airport compared to 229,062 for the entire year of 2016. In 2015, the total number was 231,966. The airport's peak year was in 2014, when 237,341 passengers used it.

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Passenger numbers were down in 2015 and 2016. The decline continued this year with less passengers for the first five months of the year compared to the same months in 2010.

That all turned around in June with a dramatic spike in passengers. The numbers have continued upward with 66 percent more passengers flying Rochester in October this year than did in the same in 2016.

The turnaround came right after Mayo Clinic changed its travel policy to require employees traveling for work to use the Rochester airport instead of flying out of the nearby MinneapolisSt. Paul International Airport.

Mayo Clinic estimated in May that four out of five its employees chose to use the Twin Cities airport over Rochester in the past. The policy change has flipped that trend.

"Administrative and allied health staff use of Rochester International Airport is at approximately 95 percent and the use by physicians and scientists has voluntarily grown to 50 percent," said Steven McNeill, Mayo Clinic's chief planning officer and chair of the Rochester Airport Co. Board.

In addition to Mayo Clinic's policy change, United Airlines started serving Rochester for the first time in June with three daily flights to United's hub at Chicago O'Hare Airport. Delta Air Lines also added additional daily flights to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in July.

"With the additional capacity, you're north of 260 new seats a day into and out of the market. That in itself leads to the ability of more people to be able to get on a plane," Reed said.

This all marks a significant turn for the RST airport, which long has struggled to compete with the nearby Twin Cities. Community officials say Rochester needs the local airport for domestic and international patients flying into Mayo Clinic, particularly to support the predicted growth driven by the Destination Medical Center initiative.

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Passengers choosing MinneapolisSt. Paul option often cite lower-cost flights than Rochester offers. However, that the price difference seems to improving some.

Wade Beavers, Newscycle Solution's president of mobile, said in 2014 that he preferred to fly out of Rochester, but price difference in most flights had him usually traveling to the Twin Cities.

He said this week that is starting to change.

"Depending on where you go, sometimes it is actually more financially beneficial to fly out of Rochester," he said. "But the majority of the time, it is not."

However, factoring in other costs, like long-term parking in Twin Cities, can make choosing between the two airports "a wash," Beavers added.

RST's Marketing and Communications Manager Tiana Rossow says the airport is getting good feedback from travelers about the cost to fly Rochester.

"People are just telling us that it has gotten a lot more competitiveThe new competition in the market is shaking up the airfare a bit," she said.

While things are improving, Rochester's size means it offers less options than its larger counterpart.

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"The biggest challenge still is getting flight times that make sense," Beavers said.

This boost in traffic comes as the Rochester airport is undergoing a a $12 million renovation project.

Rep. Nels Pierson, R-Rochester, was one of the local lawmakers who helped line up some of that funding from the state. He's happy that the airport is seeing a burst of growth.

"It's wonderful news  In some ways, it's a chicken-and-an-egg thing. We got this bonding bill in and we're doing these improvements to the airport, so now the airlines have added these additional direct flights to the airport," he said. "The bottom line is without those additional connecting flights nothing happens. Having those things happening at the same time doesn't seem like coincidence to me."
Emerging today from the crowded and chaotic situations in Al Frankens past is Stephanie Kemplins story, related by CNNs MJ Lee. It involves another grope by Franken while he and Kemplin posed for a photograph on a USO tour in December 2003. The photograph itself is innocent. Kemplin says the grope took place just before the photograph was snapped.

Lee reached out to Frankens spokesman for comment. I think I could have phoned this response in on Frankens behalf myself: Sen. Franken made clear this week, he takes thousands of photos and has met tens of thousands of people and he has never intentionally engaged in this kind of conduct. He remains fully committed to cooperating with the ethics investigation.

The first link above is to my reading of Frankens interview with CBS Minnesotas Esme Murphy in Washington this past Sunday. Crowded and chaotic situations is a phrase that functions in Frankens case something like lithe and fierce, like a tiger used by the conspirators portrayed in the film Z. Its getting awfully crowded and chaotic in here.

Like the investigating magistrate in Z, Murphy pierced the verbal fog. Anyone seeking to understand the reality of Frankens situation may want to to check out the video along with the quotes and comments in my post Just very, very sorry.

UPDATE: As I say, its getting awfully crowded and chaotic in here.
You cant make this stuff up: Vogue, a reliable Democratic Party outlet, has gone crazy over First Lady Melania Trumps White House Christmas decorations:

Melania Trump unveiled the White House holiday decorations on Monday, which are, as some people on the internet have noticed, very, very white.

White decorations at Christmas? The horror!

No, wait, that was the Obamas in 2015. Never mind

This is truly beyond the pale:

In a year during which many have speculated that Melania hates her husband and does not want to be First Lady at all (a claim that has recently resurfaced), Melanias White House Christmas could be interpreted as a snowy and desolate manifestation of her own isolation, which begs the question: Is she trying to tell us something?

This isnt just over-the-top partisan, it is borderline insane. The craziness continues:

Indeed, some of the decorations brought to life an apocalyptic, barren landscape similar to what some of us imagine lies in Americas future, or the calming white walls of a mental institution.

You have to see it for yourself, or you would never believe how nuttyspeaking of mental institutionstodays Democrats have become.

Vogue goes on to assemble some of the best reactions to Melanias White House creations. All of which are sick. Here is just one example:

melania makes a lot more sense as a person if you just imagine she's a sim trapped in the real world https://t.co/vwJYQtTxlr  hannah (@hannahsmothers_) November 27, 2017

When I read this sort of thing, I always wonder: did anyone say anything like this about Michelle Obama? I lived through those long eight years, and I can tell you the answer is No. As an antidote to the Democrats hatefulness, lets close with some photos of this years White House decorations:

Imagine how far gone in hate a liberal must be to attack Mrs. Trump for her efforts to decorate the White House. There is simply no bottom to left-wing depravity, as manifested in the Democratic Party press.
Kyle Duncan, President Trumps nominee for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday (along with Justice David Stras, a nominee for the Eighth Circuit about whom more in another post). I watched a portion of the proceedings and found both nominees to be excellent. You can watch here and judge for yourself.

Sen. John Kennedy of Duncans home state of Louisiana has been critical of Duncans nomination, though not of Duncan himself. As I discussed here, Kennedys concern is that Duncan practices law in Washington, D.C., not in Louisiana. Duncan is from Louisiana and has strong ties to the state, but is not as strongly connected to the states legal community as others the president could have nominated (e.g., a Louisiana judge).

At the hearing, Sen. Kennedy expressed this concern candidly and reasonably. He asked (at around the 1:22 mark) what he should say to well qualified candidates for the court of appeals who call him and ask why, instead of picking them, the president picked someone in Washington, D.C.

Duncans answer was strong and, I hope, satisfies the Senator (even if not the candidates who called him). After citing his connections to Louisiana, Duncan explained to Kennedy (and to Sen. Jeff Flake in a follow up) that he spent a prime part of his legal career, and staked his reputation as a lawyer, defending Louisianas interests and its laws in tough cases where they were challenged. He mentioned Connick v. Thompson, 563 U.S. 51 (2011). Duncan was referring to his service as appellate chief of the Louisiana Department of Justice.

Duncan could not complete his answer because Kennedy was running out of time under the five minute rule, and I couldnt tell what Kennedy thought of the response. I hope it satisfies the Senator. Duncan showed that he has experience defending Louisianas interests that makes him an outstanding candidate, from a Louisiana perspective, to serve on the Fifth Circuit.

UPDATE: Duncan has, indeed, satisfied Kennedy. The Senator says he will vote to confirm. He stated:

After hearing his testimony and watching him gracefully handle the scrutiny of a public hearing, I am confident that Kyle Duncan will be a welcome addition to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. I plan to vote in favor of him and look forward to welcoming him home to Louisiana.

I think this means that Kyle Duncan will be confirmed.

Congratulations to Duncan for persuading Sen. Kennedy, and credit to the Senator for keeping an open mind and making the right call.
Im not easily shocked these days, but what the New York Times did today was stunning. It lobbied against the Republican tax bill via Twitter. These are some of the Times editorial boards tweets from earlier today:

This morning, the Times editorial board is tweeting here to urge the Senate to reject a tax bill that hurts the middle class & the nation's fiscal health. #thetaxbillhurts  NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) November 29, 2017

Contact @SenatorCollins, (202) 224-2523, particularly if you live in Maine, and ask her to oppose the Senate tax bill because it would repeal Obamacare's individual mandate, driving up the cost of health insurance. #thetaxbillhurts pic.twitter.com/id69OJ4CPC  NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) November 29, 2017

This is known as grass roots lobbying. The Times urged readers to contact a number of senators who, it presumably thought, are likely to waver:

Call Kansas Senator @JerryMoran at (202) 224-6521 and remind him that the Senate tax bill would add more than $1.4 trillion to the deficit over 10 years without helping the middle class. #thetaxbillhurts pic.twitter.com/2UNbX9LUQE  NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) November 29, 2017

Contact @SenJohnMcCain and @JeffFlake, particularly if you live in Arizona, and tell them to oppose the tax bill: It would add more than $1.4 trillion to the deficit over 10 years without helping the middle class. #thetaxbillhurts

Flake: (202) 224-4521

McCain: (202) 224-2235 pic.twitter.com/PvXI1b3Xd4  NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) November 29, 2017

It goes on and on. Im not sure I have ever seen a newspaper engage in grass roots lobbying. Everyone has long known that the Times is a Democratic Party paper, but this is ridiculous. The Times has abandoned any pretense of doing journalism, and has nakedly joined the political fray on behalf of its party. Grass roots lobbying is regulated by the federal government and by most states; it would be interesting to know what the Times has done by way of legal compliance.

Via Twitchy.
President Trump has nominated Joseph McManus to be the U.S. ambassador to Colombia. McManus is an experienced diplomat, having spent 30 years in the foreign service. I dont doubt that hes a capable man.

However, critics point out that McManus was one of Hillary Clintons top aides at the State Department and was deeply involved in the State Departments initial response to the Benghazi attack. In addition, he became entangled in the scandal over Clintons use of a private email server.

At the time of the Benghazi attacks, McManus was Hillarys executive assistant. Documents obtained by Judicial Watch show that he, along with Cheryl Mills, Hillarys chief of staff, was promptly advised that this was a terrorist attack and that an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group had claimed credit for it. Secretary Clinton nonetheless issued an official statement claiming the assault may have been in response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet. Gregory Hicks, our number two man in Libya who was in communication with Clintons team, insists that the video was a non-event in Libya.

Documents also show that McManus forwarded news of Ambassador Stevens death to officials in the State Department Legislative Affairs office with instructions not to forward to anyone at this point. It seems clear, in sum, that McManus was heavily involved in Team Clintons efforts to conceal the facts from the American people.

As for the email server scandal, it was McManus who had to testify before a federal judge that Hillary was not issued a blackberry or similar device by the Department but that Huma Abedin and Cheryl Mills were. His testimony suggested that the State Department acquiesced to Clintons communications practices by failing to even issue her the standard devices. The fact that McManus was the witness suggested that he was involved in the acquiescence.

Even if McManus had played no role in Benghazi and the email scandal, its not clear why one of Hillary Clintons top aides should be our ambassador to Colombia. Her foreign policy is certainly not President Trumps foreign policy. Nor does McManuss bio indicate a strong background in Latin American affairs.

Thus, I agree with Sen. Mike Lee who says:

At a time when we should be cleaning up the State Department and realigning our foreign-policy priorities to reflect those of the current administration, an Obama-era diplomat is not the right person to head our embassy in Colombia, a critical U.S. ally in the region.

When one factors in McManus involvement in Benghazi and the email scandal, the case against him becomes even stronger, it seems to me.

And there is one more element to that case. Susan Crabtree of the Washington Free Beacon reports that McManus recently rebuffed Sen. Lee, Sen. Ted Cruz, and four other conservative GOP senators who asked for an investigation into whether the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development were using taxpayer dollars to support liberal causes funded by George Soros. The senators cited several Soros-funded projects, including one in Colombia in which USAID funds support a Soros-owned media portal that has criticized Trump, capitalism, and patriarchal society.

According to Crabtree, MacManus response to the senators defended USAIDs work without addressing the their concerns. If this reporting is accurate  if McManus blew off the issue of USAID funds being used to advance Soross left-wing agenda  then his nomination is not just misguided, but scandalous.

How did it come about? Apparently, McManus was the choice of Thomas Shannon, another career State Department man who was the acting Secretary of State until Rex Tillerson took over. A source told the Free Beacon that the McManus nomination shows the State Department bureaucrats are running roughshod over the White House political team who frankly ought to be embarrassed for allowing the nomination to be made.

This seems like a fair assessment. Perhaps its not too late to derail this nomination.
(Xinhua) 08:32, November 30, 2017

TRIPOLI, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Libya's Joint Security Chamber of the city of Zliten, some 150 km east of the capital Tripoli, on Wednesday arrested 125 illegal African immigrants before they crossed the sea to Europe, Libyan news agency reported.

"The arrested migrants include 104 men and 21 women from Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and Comoros," the agency quoted a source as saying.

"The arrested migrants were fully ready to depart. The location where they were staying was raided on Tuesday evening. We transferred all of them to the Zliten illegal immigration center to take necessary legal measures," the source added.

Due to the insecurity and chaos that followed the 2011 uprising, Libya became a hotspot for migrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean towards European shores, many of whom drown on the way.

Libyan navy announced earlier this week that 31 migrants drowned off western Libyan coast while attempting to reach Europe. Enditem
A group of Brighton Township residents have sued General Motors claiming water contamination near the companys Milford proving grounds has caused property damage and adverse health effects such as hypertension and kidney stones.

The lawsuit, filed in Livingston County Circuit Court late Thursday afternoon, claims that GM has concealed and denied any claims resulting from water contamination even though in 2014, the company issued a Notice of Migration to nearby residents stating the proving grounds did contribute to groundwater contamination.

DIG DEEPER: Read the full lawsuit here.

Residents allege that GM has committed fraud, violated the Michigan Environmental Protection Act, was negligent, trespassed and have been a public and private nuisance. Plaintiffs are asking the court to award each affected resident an amount exceeding $25,000 and to force GM to no longer pollute their neighborhood and pay for cleanup and repair costs.

The Chicago-based Memmen Law Firm is representing the plaintiffs.

GM released the following statement after the suit was filed: GM does not believe this suit has merit. Salt deposits naturally occur in this area, and salt is also used on the many nearby public roads during winter. Nonetheless, acting as a good neighbor, salt usage at the Milford Proving Ground has been reduced by 60% over the last two decades and GM submits regular reports on the groundwater quality at the Milford Proving Ground to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality..

TIMELINE

The lawsuit provides a detailed timeline that it says shows GM has known about chloride contamination since 1985. The lawsuit states this is when McNamee, Porter and Seeley, a Michigan engineering firm, conducted a water study for GM that included evaluation of the source and extent of chloride contamination, existing water consumption and future demands, and possible locations for new water supply wells.

The engineering firm recommended that GM monitor chloride levels in wells and surface waters, examine salt usage, and check any new wells drilled at the site for contamination. The study found that salt appeared to be a source of chloride at the proving grounds where approximately 10,000 tons of salt was used each year on the 120 miles of paved roads and parking lots.

The lawsuit states that after receiving the study results, GM did not disclose the contamination to regulatory authorities or local residents, reduce salt usage, or monitor the groundwater and surface water contamination.

In 1997, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), according to the lawsuit, learned of the contamination after a developer reportedly found high chloride levels when it started drilling wells for homes to be built to the southwest of the proving grounds. The MDEQ immediately advised GM that it was evaluating the source of this contamination and requested that GM release information relating to its salt usage.

The lawsuit says that In May and June of 1997, the Livingston County Health Department conducted a series of samplings from portions of Mann Creek located within the proving grounds. The test results showed elevated levels of chloride exceeding 300 mg/l. The required level is no more than 250mg/l.

On Oct. 2, 1997, the MDEQ provided GM with the results of groundwater sampling taken at The Oaks, a residential neighborhood built to the southwest of the proving grounds. The MDEQ advised GM that a source of sodium and chlorides may have originated from the proving grounds facility due to a southwest groundwater flow.

In May 1998, according to the suit, the MDEQ sent the subdivision developer a letter stating that chloride and sodium levels were above the drinking water requirement and that the reason was due to a source northeast of the subdivision. Later that month, GM would deny liability and demand that the state retract the letters.

Beginning in 1998, according to the lawsuit, GM commissioned a series of reports from Conestoga-Rovers & Associates designed to refute MDEQs hypothesis that GMs use of salt at the proving grounds was the source of the contamination.

In September 2000, according to the suit, the state advised GM of the MDEQs final decision to classify the proving grounds as a contaminated facility and to reject GMs request that the department not take action regarding the sodium and chloride contamination until the state had reviewed GMs Salt Use Reduction Monitoring Plan.

On Oct. 13, 2000, GM initiated a civil action against the MDEQ.

According to the residents lawsuit, GM and the MDEQ entered into a Pollution Minimization Agreement in April 2001. The agreement stated that GM would dismiss its complaint without prejudice, MDEQ would withdraw its September 2000 facility contamination letters, MDEQ would not issue another determination that the MPG is a facility without providing GM 30 days notice, and GM would implement new best management practices in regards to the use, management, and storage of road salt and monitor the effects of such measures.

In May 2007, as required by that agreement, GM provided to the MDEQ a Five Year Summary Report that stated that GM could not document a significant trend of decreasing ionic sodium and chloride concentrations in groundwater at the proving grounds. In addition, according to the lawsuit, Conestoga-Rovers Associates, on behalf of GM, denied that GM was responsible for the contamination at The Oaks subdivision.

On March 7, 2014, according to the lawsuit, Conestoga-Rovers Associates submitted to the MDEQ, GMs 2013 Annual Salt Usage and Monitoring Report which acknowledged 18,414 tons of salt was used at the proving grounds from 2007 through 2013.

That same year, the lawsuit states that nearby water sources showed levels of sodium and chloride concentrations at 630 mg/l and 1,300 mg/l, which exceeded residential groundwater criteria of 160 mg/l for sodium and 250 mg/l for total chloride. According to the lawsuit, this is due to the release of hundreds of thousands of tons of salt.

The suit alleges that until October 2014, when GM issued the migration notices to residents admitting contamination, and despite reports citing sodium chloride contamination for more than 30 years, GM actively concealed and ignored the level of pollutants leaching into neighboring groundwater and drinking water sources.

According to the lawsuit, pollution stemmed from as much as 7,430 tons of salt, concentrated in a six-square-mile area, used by the proving grounds to maintain roads and other testing areas at the facility. Livingston County, as a whole, used 13,800 tons of salt for a 576-square mile area during that same timeframe, one-third the amount per square mile used at the proving grounds.

A substantial amount of hazardous materials are being used or have been used at the proving grounds, according to the lawsuit, including: fuel oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid, chlorine, diesel fuel, gasoline, salt, sulfuric acid, sodium chloride and hydrochloric acid among other materials.

The 4,011-acre vehicle testing and development facility, 330 General Motors Road, has been owned and operated by GMs since 1924 and contains over 100 miles of paved roads and 115 commercial and industrial buildings.

General Motors Lawsuit by Anonymous 5DZE7gzUn on Scribd
Stanley Jensen is leaving Henry Ford College to take a job out of state.

The outgoing president had announced last April that he would be retiring at the end of the school year, in June of 2018, but hes changed his mind with a new opportunity arising, said Rhonda DeLong, director of communications for Henry Ford, in a statement.

Henry Ford College President Stanley E. Jensen announced today that he will leave HFC on Dec. 15, 2017, to take a position as Executive Vice President of College Operations at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) in Ankeny, Iowa, DeLong said in her statement.

He had already planned to retire to his home state of Iowa and this worked out in his behalf.

I have deeply appreciated the HFC team, our students, and our community. Together we have accomplished many outstanding and positive results. I will miss all of you, Jensen said. I hope you will understand and appreciate how much my wife Teresa and I look forward to being within 30 minutes of all our kids and grandkids, with an opportunity to continue serving community college students.

During his time at Henry Ford College, DeLong said, Jensen helped guide the College to a strong financial footing and added new academic and student-focused programs, including Guided Pathways, which provides a streamlined method for students to meet their career goals. He also instituted Continuous Process Improvement (CPI), which has been used to revise dozens of processes and practices at the College. During Jensens tenure, the College offered its first bachelors degree program in Culinary Arts, and changed its name to Henry Ford College in 2014.

The Board is grateful to Stan for his steady leadership these past four years, said Mary Lane, Chair of the HFC Board of Trustees. We have made great progress with enrollment, finances, and academic and co-curricular programs that prepare our graduates for professional and personal success. We are confident in the future of the College, and we wish Stan well as he returns to his home state.

Lane said in the statement that the HFC presidential search is in the active recruitment stage, and the Board expects to appoint a new president in the spring.

The boards plan is to appoint an interim president to serve until the new president arrives on campus.
Three other members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan spoke out Thursday against Rep. John Conyers (D-13th District) as the allegations of sexual misconduct against him continue.

Earlier in the week Conyers, 88. stepped down as the ranking Democrat from the House Judiciary Committee, but vowed to keep his seat in the House pending an investigation into him.

Thursday morning it was reported that Conyers, the current longest serving member of Congress, was hospitalized due to stress. Shortly after three of his colleagues called for him to resign.

The first to speak out was Rep. Dan Kildee (D-5th District) followed shortly thereafter by Debbie Dingell (D-12th District) and Sander Levin (D-9th District) also called for Conyers to step down.

I think Congressman Conyers should resign, Kildee said, speaking to CNN shortly after 1:30 p.m. No person  should have to tolerate what has been alleged.

Conyers, having been first elected in 1965, is one of the five longest serving Congressmen in history, and the second longest serving from Michigan behind John Dingell, who retired in 2014. He was the first African-American to lead the Judiciary Committee, which oversees civil rights, impeachments of federal officials and sexual misconduct complaints, before he stepped down.

He was also a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, which has also called for his resignation.

No formal charges or allegations have been levied against Conyers, but there have been payouts from his office to former staffers who alleged he touched them inappropriately.

Earlier this month, Buzzfeed published a report that included affidavits showing that a former Conyers staffer was paid $27,000 after she alleged she was fired for refusing his sexual advances. She was reportedly held to a confidentiality agreement and couldnt talk about it after the 2015 complaint was settled. Three other former staffers had notarized statements in the files saying that Conyers has repeatedly requested sexual favors or otherwise been inappropriate by rubbing their backs and legs without consent.

Conyers attorney, Arnold Reed, told CNN recently that while the allegations are being taken very seriously his client had no intention of resigning his elected position.

Mr. Conyers is not going to resign, Reed said. If everybody that was facing allegations  including the president, members of the House and Senate  resigned, wed have a lot of unemployed people walking around.

Reed has not returned calls to his office this week for comment.

On Monday Dingell spoke about the investigation against Conyers needing to be conducted, but didnt mention asking him to resign.

These allegations are deeply disturbing, she said. Sexual harassment of any kind is unacceptable, and everyone deserves to work in an environment that is free from harassment and hostility. Congressman Conyers took the appropriate action by stepping aside as Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee while the Ethics Committee investigation is underway. This investigation should be conducted in a manner that is thorough, fair and swift. Most importantly, it is critical that before the end of the year, the House takes up Congresswoman Jackie Speiers legislation to bring more transparency to how claims are handled in Congress, prohibit non-disclosure agreements and taxpayer funded settlements, and give more rights and support to survivors.

Dingell is the only other member of the House that represents parts of Downriver and Dearborn besides Conyers.
Six songs into his opening night set, Jim Nabors' show went straight into the toilet.

And the audience loved it. Of course, they loved just about everything Nabors did on and off the stage as he opened a two-week stand Monday in Trump Plaza's "In Concert" series.

They embraced him with open ears and rewarded him with a spontaneous "standing O" after he sang his mixed bag of popular songs and golden oldies. And they laughed heartily at his "toilet humor, " which consisted of several true stories about embarrassing incidents he either witnessed or heard about involving restrooms aboard airliners.

Many in the audience obviously came to see Nabors hoping he'd reward them with a taste of his beloved television alter ego, Gomer Pyle, and the 59-year-old entertainer didn't disappoint.

Disciplined voice

But just as many were there to hear him sing in that magnificient God-given voice that straddles the border between baritone and tenor.

Nabors, of course, is the owner and operator of one of the great dichotomies in show business. His speaking voice - a hillbilly drawl lovingly nurtured in his hometown of Sylacauga, Alabama - is the one he exaggerated to fashion himself a character for his nightclub act. Later, that character led him to a long and financially rewarding television career.

But his singing voice couldn't be more disciplined had he studied under the great Enrico Caruso.

His opening number, Dan Hill's pop ballad "Sometimes When We Touch, " could have served as a master class for lyrical phrasing, breath control and enunciation.

A country medley that included chestnuts like "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain" and the country-pop classic "Lady, " was delivered in an almost carefree fashion, but it lacked the hard and almost bitter edge that one song, "Whiskey River, " cried out for. Yet the audience didn't seem to mind that Nabors wasn't living the lyrics but only singing them.

He carried the show out into the house for an extended period, singing table to table, ad-libbing with the customers and even choosing one woman as a dance partner.

Comedy via video

His show also included one of the most imaginative uses of video seen in a long time.

Unlike other nightclub entertainers who use film and video clips as electronic ego-stroking monuments to their careers and personal lives, Nabors used this segment as a pure comedy spot. The footage he showed was out-takes from "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." There was a scene in which guest star Carol Burnett kept flubbing her lines, another in which Pvt. Pyle's nemesis, Sgt. Vince Carter (played by the late Frank Sutton), couldn't keep a straight face during a hospital scene and one in which a stunt bird used Nabors' uniform as a latrine - several times.

Nabors was backed by an eight-piece band occasionally augmented by taped strings and voices, but the real dazzlers of the show were the lighting effects of Scott Schecter and the scenic designs of Peter Tupitza.

Together, their combined talents employed Intellibeam lighting patterns with lacy net-like curtains and plain drapes to create a series of different looks during the show.

The Horn, once the place for young artists to be discovered in Santa Monica, is a long way - in terms of miles and years - from Nabor's several homes: A sprawling macadamia nut farm in Maui, Hawaii; a luxurious beachfront home near Diamond Head on Oahu; and a summer ranch in Montana.

It was at The Horn in the late 1950s where comedian and writer Bill Dana and television variety show pioneer Steve Allen first discovered Nabors and his unusual act that was, in a manner of speaking, not much different from the one today, except that it lacked polish.

They offered him a chance to perform on Allen's old variety show, and that ultimately brought Andy Griffith in to see Nabors' act at The Horn.

"But it was (Steve Allen's show) that got me over the hump and helped me realize I was a professional."

But a professional what?

"That's the thing, I really didn't know, " Nabors laughed. "The first time Andy (Griffith) saw me, he said, 'I don't know what you do, but you do it very well.'"

The old days

He was invited, in 1962, to audition for the part of Gomer Pyle, the bumbling gas station attendant on "The Andy Griffith Show." He lasted only two years on the show and left because CBS "drafted" him into the Marine Corps by giving him his own series.

"Gomer Pyle" ran on the network for seven years and didn't end until Nabors walked away from the show while it was still in second place in the ratings.

"I was just tired of the schedule, tired of working 15 and 16 hour days filming and then going home and having to learn 15 pages (of dialogue) for the next day, " he said.

He was still considered a hot property to the network when he decided to quit, so CBS offered him his own variety show as a replacement for the sitcom, and that ran for several years.

Although his Gomer character has become virtually synonymous with his face - some folks really don't know he has another name - Nabors said he never complains that the success and visibility of the character ever worked against his career.

"Shoot, I was just happy that I had a job, " he said. "To me, it's always a compliment when someone recognizes me."

Although "Gomer" did sing several times during the run of his series, Nabors insisted it wasn't an effort on his part to expand the character to showcase his other talent and avoid being typed.

"(The producers) didn't want (Gomer) to sing because it didn't fit in with the character, " he said. "But then I started going on variety shows and I was singing, so they felt it would be better to let me sing once in a while (on his own show). But no, I wasn't trying to make a statement or anything like that."

Twice in the past few years, Nabors has resurrected his "shazams" and "g-o-l-l-lies" for the television camera and has re-created his role for reunions of the old "Andy Griffith Show."

But he's never been asked to do an updated version of "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." and said he wouldn't even consider it.

"It wouldn't make any sense, because Frank (Sutton) is dead and it just wouldn't be the same, " he said.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account.
A group of volunteers banded a snowy owl at Island Beach State Park on Wednesday, as part of Project SNOWstorm.

Its an effort to learn more about the birds, which are rare visitors to New Jersey, by putting electronic transmitters on them and following their movements.

Snowy owls spend most of their lives in the Arctic, only rarely flying as far south as New Jersey. But New Jersey Audubon, which had volunteers at the banding, predicts 2017 will be a big year for snowy owls in New Jersey.

A strong Arctic breeding season will force more birds to head south for food, an organization spokesman said.

Project SNOWstorm partners had heard about the snowy owl at Island Beach State Park in Berkeley Township, north across the inlet from Barnegat Light.

They headed there early Wednesday. They trapped the bird in a net, quickly banded and fitted it with a transmitter, then released it back into the wild by 7:55 a.m., a New Jersey Audubon spokesman said.

The bird has been nicknamed Island Beach.

Project SNOWstorm is a national, all-volunteer snowy owl research and conservation organization, of which New Jersey Audubon is a partner. The group was founded in 2013, when an unusually high number of snowy owls spent part of the winter in the United States. Some birds traveled as far as Florida and Bermuda, according to New Jersey Audubon.

These birds are like little gifts from nature, and no matter whether its your first or your 50th, you always get goosebumps when youre fortunate enough to encounter a snowy owl, said David La Puma, director of New Jersey Audubons Cape May Bird Observatory, who was there for the banding.

The bird was caught by Mike Lanzone, president and CEO of Cellular Tracking Technologies, which is donating the transmitter, New Jersey Audubon said.

This bird was large enough to handle the transmitter, which weighs about 40 grams  as much as seven U.S. quarters. It must be less than 3 percent of the birds weight or it could adversely affect the animal, New Jersey Audubon said.

La Puma said people must keep their distance from the owls, to avoid stressing them. He suggested they remain in their cars, use a spotting scope and a telephoto lens, and watch from a safe distance.

A good rule of thumb is an owl at rest is an unstressed owl, he said. Alert eyes and/or an upright posture are signs that you are too close.

Transmitters cost about $3,000 each and New Jersey Audubon is raising money to purchase one. The goal of Project SNOWstorm is to install 15 transmitters nationally, and two in New Jersey. Learn more at njaudubon.org and ProjectSNOWstorm.org.
(Xinhua) 08:33, November 30, 2017

CHENGDU, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- A freight train service linking Milan of Italy with Chengdu of China has been launched.

A train left Italy's second largest city Tuesday morning local time and is scheduled to arrive in Chengdu after a 10,694-kilometer journey over 14 days, the Qingbaijiang district government in Chengdu said Wednesday.

The train service will import machineries, high-end furniture and ceramic tiles from Italy.

Freight trains now connect Chengdu with 11 major cities in Europe.

The train is part of the China-Europe freight train service. In 2016, 460 cargo trains left Chengdu bound for Europe, 26 percent of all freight trains leaving China for Europe.

In 2017, the number of Europe-bound freight trains from Chengdu will exceed 1,000, according to the city's port and logistics office.

The number of China-Europe freight trains reached a new high this year since starting operations in 2011, according to China Railway Corporation.

So far this year, more than 3,000 cargo trains have traveled on 57 lines between cities on the two continents, surpassing the past six years combined, and pushing the aggregate to over 6,000.
(Xinhua) 08:41, November 30, 2017

BEIJING, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- As of Wednesday, around 200 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas has been piped from Central Asia to China through a major energy project, according to China National Petroleum Corporation.

As China's first overland cross-border gas project, the China-Central Asia pipelines went into operation in December 2009, and are made up of three routes with a combined annual capacity of 55 bcm. The pipelines pass through countries such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

The project creates a win-win situation: while benefiting over 300 million Chinese, it has also created nearly 10,000 jobs in Central Asia.

Line D is currently under construction and once completed is projected to deliver 30 bcm of natural gas each year.

Estimates show that the 200 bcm of natural gas could replace about 266 million tonnes of coal, and cut 284 million tonnes of carbon dioxide and 4.4 million tonnes of sulfur dioxide.
Croatian state TV reported that a commander of Bosnian Croat forces during the Balkan war died after drinking poison during a hearing at the UN war crimes tribunal on Wednesday, at which his 20-year prison sentence was upheld.

Slobodan Praljak, 72, tilted back his head and took a swing from a flask or glass as the judge read out the verdict.

"My client says he drank poison this morning," his defense attorney Natasa Faveau-Ivanovic said.

After drinking, Praljak told the court: "I am not a war criminal, I oppose this conviction."

The presiding judge suspended the hearing and called for a doctor.

Dutch police has declared the courtroom a crime scene.

It was the last judgment by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), established by the United Nations in 1993, before it closes next month.

The last judgement

Six former Bosnian Croat political and military leaders, including Praljak, appeared in court on Wednesday to learn their fate as UN judges handed down their final verdict for war crimes committed during the bloody break-up of Yugoslavia.

The appeals judgment in the case of Jadranko Prlic and five others will draw the curtain on two decades of work by the International Criminal Court of the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), set up in 1993 at the height of the Balkans wars to prosecute Europe's worst atrocities since World War II.

It comes a week after the judges imposed a life sentence on former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic, whose ruthlessness in the conflict earned him the title the "Butcher of Bosnia".

Prlic, the former "prime minister" of a breakaway statelet, and his five co-defendants were found guilty in 2013 on 26 charges of taking part in a scheme to remove Bosnian Muslims "permanently and create a Croatian territory", which included the southern city of Mostar besieged for nine months.

Prlic, 58, who led the "Croatian Republic of Herceg-Bosna", has appealed his 25-year term imposed by the court in The Hague.

While the five others are also appealing long prison sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years.

The bloody 1992-1995 war in Bosnia, in which 100,000 people died, and 2.2 million were displaced, mainly pitted Bosnian Muslims against Bosnian Serbs but also saw some brutal fighting between Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats after an initial alliance fell apart.

Massive crimes

The bald and bespectacled Prlic, who vehemently denied the charges, told the court in March his trial represented "a dark side of international justice".

He said he "was not part of the chain of command" of the main Bosnian-Croat army in Bosnia, the HVO.

But Croatian communities needed to organize themselves, militarily as well, as the Bosnian Republic had not defended them.

The prosecution has also appealed the sentences, urging judges to impose 40-year terms on Prlic and three of his co-defendants, saying the "crimes were massive in scale".

"Tens of thousands of Muslims were evicted from their homes... thousands were arrested and detained in awful conditions," said prosecutor Barbara Goy. "Muslims were killed during attacks or when forced to work on the front-lines. They were raped, they were sexually assaulted. Muslim houses and mosques were destroyed," she said.

Mostar Bridge

Prlic's co-defendants are former defense minister Bruno Stojic, 62, and four other military officials: Slobodan Praljak, 72, Milivoj Petkovic, 68, Valentin Coric, 61, and Berislav Pusic, 65.

Praljak was specifically charged with ordering the destruction of Mostar's 16th-century bridge in November 1993, which judges said "caused disproportionate damage to the Muslim civilian population".

The bridge was rebuilt in 2004. The statelet, backed by government of Croatian nationalist leader Franjo Tudjman, was formally dismantled in 1996 as part of the peace deal that ended the war.

But the "president" of Herceg-Bosna, Mate Boban, died in 1997 and Tudjman in 1999, leaving Prlic the highest-ranking Bosnian Croat official to face judgment for the crimes.

After the war, Prlic went on to become Bosnia's foreign minister from 1996 to 2001 and tried to present himself as a moderate, founding an unsuccessful pro-European party.

The ICTY charged him and his co-defendants in 2004. As Croatia came under pressure to comply with the court as part of the conditions for joining the European Union, the six surrendered, and their trial opened two years later.

Wednesday's verdict marks the last time the ICTY judges will hand down a judgment with the court to close on December 31, having indicted and dealt with 161 people.

Appeals, such as for former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, sentenced last year to 40 years, will be dealt with a new tribunal known as the MICT in the same building in The Hague.
(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613279/Founding_of_the_Joint_Venture_AAE_Management_LLC.jpg )

Under leadership of Rashed Al Mazroui two important meetings on the highest level took place in the first two weeks of November. A delegation of AAE and the Embassy of UAE in Brazil met on Nov 07 with the President of Eletrobras (Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA), Dr. Wilson Ferreira Jr, and on Nov 09 with the Brazilian Minister of Mines and Energy of Brazil, Dr. Fernando Coelho Filho. Both meetings were first negotiations, aiming for an agreement between Eletrobras and the AAE Management LLC, UAE.

AAE Management LLC is a recently formed joint venture of the German AHG GmbH, US-American Eagle Fund LLC and the Al Mazroui Group from Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The purpose is to hit the billion-dollar debt payment of Eletrobras, whose previous omission is under investigation in Brazil and in SEC. Without an agreement, the current privatization process of Eletrobras and the sale of the controlling interest of the company will possibly be interfered or interrupted by an international lawsuit at court in New York. The new controlling shareholders would be involved in an US-lawsuit with worse consequences than the negative result of the "Lava Jato" corruption case.

Press Contact AAE Management LLC

Hoh PR, Clemens Hoh

Phone: +49(0)61724998133

ch@hoh-pr.de

SOURCE AAE Management LLC
Edge computing has become an indispensable element for industry digital transformation. It focuses on intelligent connectivity of everything and meets the key requirements of industry digitalization in terms of connectivity, real-time performance, intelligence, data optimization, security, and privacy protection. The ECC, a platform co-founded by government, vendor, academic, research institute, and customer sectors, aims to promote the openness and collaboration of the OT and ICT industries; strengthen their collaboration, openness, and innovation; and showcase the promotion and prosperous development of the edge computing industry.

Setting Up the ECC-TIAA Joint Work Team to Promote Openness and Collaboration of the IoV Industry

The ECC and TIAA signed a strategic cooperation agreement to set up the ECC-TIAA joint work team to carry out cooperative ventures in edge computing technologies, products, applications, standards, and patents in the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) field. Both parties will exert their respective advantages in the IoV to jointly promote the openness and collaboration of the IoV industry and nurture the best practices in the smart in-vehicle industry, while driving the sound and sustainable development of the edge computing industry.

Strengthening Strategic Cooperation and Promoting Evolution of the Lighting IoT into City IoT

The ECC and ISA signed a strategic cooperation agreement to carry out further cooperation by fully leveraging their advantages in smart street lamps using edge computing, advanced sensing, network, computing, control, and intelligence technologies. The smart lighting solution will collect all useful data from street lamps to provide remote, real-time, and self-adaptive street lamp control, automatic fault diagnosis, and predictive maintenance to connect terminals such as trash can monitors and parking sensors deployed near street lamp poles - which can be considered as wireless network access nodes - providing the basis for building an extendable city IoT framework and promoting evolution of the lighting IoT into city IoT.

SEC-China 2018 Will Promote the Prosperity of Academic Research in Edge Computing

At the Edge Computing Industry Summit 2017, the ECC also announced that it will jointly hold Symposium on Edge Computing-China (SEC-China) 2018 together with Xidian University and Edge Computing Committee of the Chinese Association of Automation. SEC-China 2018 will provide a platform for academia and related industries to communicate with each other and release cutting-edge scientific research achievements, in order to strengthen edge computing technology and industry in China. The forum will be held in May 2018 in Xi'an and cover edge computing-related topics and cutting-edge fields that include edge computing theory, security, and privacy protection; edge computing-oriented microprocessor architecture, system software, algorithm and program design, power consumption analysis and optimization; system reliability; an edge storage system; edge computing-based Big Data processing; and technologies for optimizing the collaboration between edge computing and cloud computing, edge computing visualization, and edge computing application research.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613119/Walter_Fang__left___ECC_Vice_Chairman__and_Qiu_Xiangdong__right___TIAA_Vice_Pres.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613118/Walter_Fang__left___ECC_Vice_Chairman__and_Yang_He__right___ISA_Executive_Secret.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613117/Walter_Fang__left___ECC_Vice_Chairman__and_Shen_Bazhong__right___Dean_of_School.jpg

SOURCE Edge Computing Consortium (ECC)
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Hash: SHA1



=====================================================================

Red Hat Security Advisory



Synopsis: Low: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.2 AMC One-Month Notice

Advisory ID: RHSA-2017:3335-01

Product: Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Advisory URL: https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:3335

Issue date: 2017-11-30

=====================================================================



1. Summary:



This is the one-month notification for the retirement of Red Hat Enterprise

Linux 6.2 Advanced Mission Critical (AMC). This notification applies only

to those customers subscribed to the Advanced Mission Critical (AMC)

channel for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.2.



2. Relevant releases/architectures:



Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server AUS (v. 6.2) - x86_64



3. Description:



In accordance with the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Errata Support Policy,

Advanced Mission Critical for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.2 will be retired

as of December 31, 2017, and active support will no longer be provided.

Accordingly, Red Hat will no longer provide updated packages, including

Critical Impact security patches or Urgent Priority bug fixes, for Red Hat

Enterprise Linux 6.2 AMC after December 31, 2017. In addition, on-going

technical support through Red Hat's Customer Experience and Engagement will

be limited as described under "non-current minor releases" in the

Knowledge

Base article located here https://access.redhat.com/articles/64664 after

this date.



We encourage customers to migrate from Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.2 to a

more recent version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. As a benefit of the Red

Hat subscription model, customers can use their active subscriptions to

entitle any system on any currently supported Red Hat Enterprise Linux

release.



Details of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux life cycle can be found here:

https://access.redhat.com/support/policy/updates/errata/



4. Solution:



This erratum contains an updated redhat-release package that provides a

copy of this retirement notice in the "/usr/share/doc/" directory.



5. Package List:



Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server AUS (v. 6.2):



Source:

redhat-release-server-6Server-6.2.0.8.el6_2.1.src.rpm



x86_64:

redhat-release-server-6Server-6.2.0.8.el6_2.1.x86_64.rpm



These packages are GPG signed by Red Hat for security. Our key and

details on how to verify the signature are available from

https://access.redhat.com/security/team/key/



6. References:



https://access.redhat.com/security/updates/classification/#low



7. Contact:



The Red Hat security contact is <secalert@redhat.com>. More contact

details at https://access.redhat.com/security/team/contact/



Copyright 2017 Red Hat, Inc.

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=tWGk

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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Fedora Update Notification

FEDORA-2017-654136ee16

2017-11-30 14:40:17.065858

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Name : python-werkzeug

Product : Fedora 27

Version : 0.12.2

Release : 1.fc27

URL : http://werkzeug.pocoo.org/

Summary : The Swiss Army knife of Python web development

Description :

Werkzeug

========



Werkzeug started as simple collection of various utilities for WSGI

applications and has become one of the most advanced WSGI utility

modules. It includes a powerful debugger, full featured request and

response objects, HTTP utilities to handle entity tags, cache control

headers, HTTP dates, cookie handling, file uploads, a powerful URL

routing system and a bunch of community contributed addon modules.



Werkzeug is unicode aware and doesn't enforce a specific template

engine, database adapter or anything else. It doesn't even enforce

a specific way of handling requests and leaves all that up to the

developer. It's most useful for end user applications which should work

on as many server environments as possible (such as blogs, wikis,

bulletin boards, etc.).



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Update Information:



Update to 0.12.2 which also fixes CVE-2016-10516

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-

References:



[ 1 ] Bug #1512103 - CVE-2016-10516 python-werkzeug: Cross-site scripting in

render_full function in debug/tbtools.py [fedora-all]

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1512103

[ 2 ] Bug #1291370 - python-werkzeug - Missing

"python2-<module>" provide

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1291370

[ 3 ] Bug #1372119 - python-werkzeug-0.12.2 is available

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1372119

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-



This update can be installed with the "dnf" update program. Use

su -c 'dnf upgrade python-werkzeug' at the command line.

For more information, refer to the dnf documentation available at

http://dnf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/command_ref.html#upgrade-command-label



All packages are signed with the Fedora Project GPG key. More details on the

GPG keys used by the Fedora Project can be found at

https://fedoraproject.org/keys

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Doctors have discovered China's first HIV-negative AIDS patient, reports said Wednesday.

Peking Union Medical College Hospital physicians published their rare case study in November's Clinical Respiratory Journal, revealing how a patient who tested negative for the HIV antibody later tested positive for AIDS.

When a 46-year-old Chinese man entered hospital with AIDS symptoms including a sore throat, labored breathing, blood-stained mucus, a high fever and lung nodules, doctors discounted AIDS after repeated HIV-negative antibody tests, The Beijing News reported.

After receiving treatment at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the patient was confirmed to have AIDS with a nucleic acid test. He died two weeks after the diagnosis as his condition was too late to cure, the paper said.

Similar cases are rare but the case should alert doctors to the exception, Wu Zunyou, head of AIDS and HIV prevention in China's Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The death showed that HIV antibody testing is not always fully reliable and that plasma HIV RNA testing can confirm HIV/AIDS, Wu Zunyou, head of AIDS and HIV prevention in China's CDC, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

But plasma HIV RNA testing should not be used regularly to screen AIDS patients because of technical barriers and costs, according to Li Taisheng, a co-author of the study and a doctor at the Beijing hospital's department of infectious diseases.

The test is recommended for those suspected of suffering an advanced HIV infection but still exhibiting HIV negative results, Xinhua quoted Li as saying.

The paper was completed by Peking Union Medical College Hospital including Li, Zhang Hong, Wang Huanling and Zhong Dingrong.

The discovery comes ahead of 30th World AIDS Day on Friday.

Close to 420,000 people were infected with HIV with 300,000 suffering AIDS in China as of June. More than 221,000 Chinese people have died of the virus since records were kept, Xinhua reported.

The case was the world's first HIV-negative AIDS patient to also suffer from Kaposi sarcoma, a cancer that sometimes develops in the advanced stages of the deadly disease.
(Xinhua) 10:53, November 30, 2017

GUANGZHOU, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Two major Chinese state-owned carriers on Wednesday night sent flights to fetch more than 2,700 Chinese tourists stranded in Bali, Indonesia, after a volcano eruption.

China Southern Airlines flew two planes from Guangzhou and Shenzhen while China Eastern Airlines sent four from Beijing and Shanghai.

China Southern said 1,297 passengers have booked seats on its flights flying out of Bali between Nov. 30 and Dec. 7. China Eastern, on the other hand, has 1,480 reservations on outbound flights from Bali.

The International Ngurah Rai airport in Bali was closed on Monday due to the eruption of Mount Agung volcano. The airport only re-opened Wednesday afternoon and was subject to further closures depending on the weather and the movement of volcanic ash.
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London, Nov 25 : Actress Gwendoline Christie says she wanted to be involved in the "Star Wars" franchise since the time she first saw late actress Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia.

Christie,39, felt "unbelievable joy" when she was cast as Captain Phasma in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" because she dreamed of being a part of the sci-fi universe after being captivated by the character of Princess Leia in the original movies when she was a child, reports aceshowbiz.com.

"I can remember the precise moment I was cast as Captain Phasma in 'Star Wars'. It was an explosion of unbelievable joy. For a long time, I had campaigned to be in the franchise to anyone who would listen," said Christie.

"It was an ambition motivated by one of my earliest memories, of when, aged six, I was placed in front of the flamboyant space opera. I marvelled at this fantasy world in a way I couldn't yet articulate, with its misfits and droids and a woman who fought the enemy with intelligence, who was funny and refused to be shackled - the inimitable Princess Leia," she added.

Christie felt "truly electrified" when she saw her costume for the first time because it hadn't been made sexy just because of her gender.

"When I was taken to the top-secret wardrobe department to see my Captain Phasma costume - a shiny, full-body suit of armour - I was truly electrified. Kathleen Kennedy, president of LucasFilm, had asked me if I'd ever Googled 'female superheroes' and proceeded to show me the results; a plethora of scantily clad, cartoon-like women and not a whole lot else," she said.
Kolkata, Nov 25 : BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi on Wednesday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of practising a dangerous form of appeasement politics and harming the cause of national security by providing shelter to members of fundamentalist groups in the state.

"The Chief Minister does not realise that she is harming the cause of national security, not just law and order in her state. As per a particular report, 720 criminals of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (Bangladesh), an Islamic fundamentalist organisation, who do not find place in Bangladesh, are crossing over to this state and they are given space here. Bangladesh government is saying this," Lekhi, the party's national spokesperson, said at the India Today conclave East here.

She also held Banerjee and her government responsible for a number of riot like situations in the Bengal during the Trinamool Congress rule.

"The riots need to be controlked by the state government as law and order situation is a state subject. On the contrary, there is Muslim vote bank appeasement in the state and the state government including the chief minister is responsible," she claimed.

Supporting Lekhi, Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh, who was also present at the discussion, said the state government is trying to resist central agency probes into the cases of communal violence or terrorism by forcefully handing the investigation to state CID.

"The state government is trying to prevent the cases or riots from being probed by a central agency. Starting from communal clashes in Kaliachak and Basirhat to the Khagragarh blast, they are putting forward the state CID and resisting a CBI inquiry. If they want the truth to come out why are they making this attempt?" he asked.

Lekhi, BJP's Lok Sabha MP from New Delhi, said the Bengal government has a tendency of baselesly blaming the BJP in case of any law and order situation in the state.

"In the Ranaghat nun rape case, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee started blaming the BJP from the beginning but when the perpetrators were arrestd it was found they were all Bangladeshi residents. This is a dangerous brand of politics practised by the Bengal government," she alleged.

Lekhi also took on Banerjee over her statement that the BJP-led Central government was scaring away industrialists from the state, saying that the extortion tax that industrialists have to pay in Bengal is public knowledge.

About the issue of delay in the winter session of parliament due to the upcoming elections, Lekhi claimed the whole issue was being blown out of proportion by the opposition parties and said this has happened even during the reign of other parties at the centre.
New Delhi, Nov 28 : The Congress on Tuesday urged Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to move the court against the increase in Delhi Metro fare hike.

"The Delhi government should approach the court against the (decision) to increase Metro fares," Delhi Congress unit chief Ajay Maken told reporters here.

He said the Congress will move the court if the Aam Aadmi Party government failed to do so.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corp (DMRC) hiked the fares from October 10, the second this year after the May hike, despite opposition from the Delhi government and other quarters.

Taking a dig at Kejriwal, Maken said: "Kejriwal has enough money to pay lawyers and on advertisements but why can't he spend some money for the benefit of Metro commuters?"

The Congress leader suggested subsidy by the Delhi government to DMRC to maintain fares within the reach of the common man.
Washington, Nov 30 : US President Donald Trump has said "additional major sanctions" will be imposed on North Korea, after Pyongyang on Wednesday carried out an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test.

The US President said on Twitter on Wednesday that he had spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping about "the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!"

Trump offered no further details, Efe news reported.

The announcement comes a few hours before an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to analyse the situation, a session requested by the US, South Korea and Japan.

However, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson suggested shortly after that that the sanctions could be unilaterally imposed by the US.

Tillerson said that the US has "a long list of additional potential sanctions, some of which involve potential financial institutions, and the Treasury Department will be announcing those when they're ready to roll those out."

The White House said in a statement about Trump's phone conversation with Xi that the US leader made clear "the determination of the United States to defend ourselves and our allies... (and) emphasized the need for China to use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization."

On early Wednesday, Pyongyang test-fired an ICBM that travelled around 1,000 km before plunging into the Sea of Japan.

The North Korean regime said that its new ICBM -- the Hwasong-15 -- was successfully tested and that it is capable of carrying a large nuclear warhead and reaching any target within the continental US.

Before speaking with Xi, Trump spoke on phone with Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss Pyongyang's latest missile test.
Harare, Nov 30 : Leading Zimbabwean opposition activist Pastor Evan Mawarire has been acquitted on charges of trying to overthrow Robert Mugabe's former government.

The organiser of last year's #ThisFlag protests faced 20 years in prison had he been convicted.

A Harare high court judge ruled there was no evidence that he had "urged a violent removal of government", BBC reported on Wednesday.

The case was seen as a test of judicial independence after the forced resignation of Mugabe last week.

The former president, who stepped down after soldiers placed him under house arrest, was long accused of using the courts to hound his political opponents.

Tweeting a selfie taken in the courtroom, the smiling pastor called on his fellow citizens to join in "building a better Zimbabwe".

Pastor Mawarire galvanised people outside and inside Zimbabwe, encouraging them to protest about perceived corruption and economic mismanagement under Mugabe.

Some Zimbabweans will see his acquittal as a symbolic victory, coming just after Mr Mugabe's resignation and the inauguration of his former deputy.

However, Amnesty International's regional director for Southern Africa, Deprose Muchena, warned there was still work to do.

"Hopefully the ruling signals a new beginning for the country, where the political repression which characterised Mugabe's rule will no longer be tolerated," he said.

"The task for President Mnangagwa now is to ensure that a culture exists in Zimbabwe in which voices from outside his government are free to air their opinions on an equal platform, without fear of facing criminal charges."

The acquittal had been expected because when the pastor was granted bail, a judge had hinted that the case against him was weak.
Washington, Nov 30 : The US has urged "all nations" to cut diplomatic and trade ties with North Korea after the country's latest ballistic missile test.

Speaking at the UN Security Council, US envoy Nikki Haley said President Donald Trump had asked his Chinese counterpart to cut off oil supplies to Pyongyang, BBC reported on Wednesday.

She said the US did not seek conflict but that North Korea's regime would be "utterly destroyed" if war broke out.

The warning came after Pyongyang tested its first missile in two months.

North Korea said the missile fired on Wednesday, which it said reached an altitude of about 4,475 km -- more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station -- held a warhead capable of re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.

The claim was not proven and experts have cast doubt on the country's ability to master such technology.

However North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un called the launch "impeccable" and a "breakthrough".

The test -- one of several this year -- has been condemned by the international community and the UN Security Council called an emergency meeting.

Haley warned that "continued acts of aggression" were only serving to further destabilise the region.

"We need China to do more," she said. "President Trump called President Xi this morning and told him that we've come to the point where China must cut off the oil for North Korea."

Earlier on Wednesday, the White House said that Trump spoke to Xi Jinping by telephone, urging him to "use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearisation".

Speaking in Missouri about tax reform, the US leader derided Kim, describing him as a "sick puppy" and "little rocket man".

Xi responded by telling Trump it was Beijing's "unswerving goal to maintain peace and stability in north-east Asia and denuclearise the Korean peninsula".

China is North Korea's biggest ally and most important trading partner, and the two share a land border.

Experts say the height reached by the inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) indicates Washington could be within range, although North Korea is yet to prove it has reached its aim of miniaturising a nuclear warhead.

The Hwasong-15 missile, described as North Korea's "most powerful", was launched in darkness early on Wednesday.

It landed in Japanese waters but flew higher than any other missile the North Korea had previously tested.
Washington, Nov 30 : US President Donald Trump has told British Prime Minister Theresa May to focus on "terrorism" in the UK after she criticised his sharing of far-right videos.

"Don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom," Trump wrote on Twitter, BBC reported on Thursday.

The US President earlier retweeted three inflammatory videos posted online by a British far-right group.

May's spokesman said it was "wrong for the president to have done this".

The US and the UK are close allies and often described as having a "special relationship".

The videos shared by Trump, who has more than 40 million followers, were initially posted by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First, a group founded by former members of the far-right British National Party (BNP).

Fransen has been charged in the UK with using "threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour".

The first tweet from Fransen claims to show a Muslim migrant attacking a man on crutches. This was followed by two more videos of people Fransen claims to be Muslim.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said May and other world leaders knew that "these are real threats that we have to talk about".
Nearly 20 years after Zhou Yuan, who would be 47 today, received the death penalty for murder and rape, Zhou finally received his long-expected court judgment to clear his name.

The high court of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on Thursday ruled against previous trials and announced that Zhou is innocent. The earlier judgments were found to be based on a lack of evidence and facts, as they were mainly based on Zhous unproven confessions, the court ruled.

Zhou was first arrested in 1997 after a string of sexual assaults and attacks on females in Yining City, Xinjiang, since 1991. Zhou later confessed during interrogation that he had committed 38 cases even though there was no evidence to prove that Zhou was the offender. During his first trail in 1998, he was sentenced to death with parole for two years.

Meanwhile, another arrested suspect, Huo Yong, confessed that he had committed 34 thefts and sexual assault cases, with detailed descriptions that matched many cases in Zhous case. Huo was then executed after the court ruled that he had committed six sexual assault cases against women.

Afterward, Zhou asked for a second trial at the intermediate court of Yining, which converted his death penalty in 1999 into life imprisonment. The term was shortened to 15 years in 2011 with the decrease in the number of cases pinned on Zhou.

In 2013, the Supreme Peoples Court of China instructed the Xinjiang high court to review the case after numerous appeals by Zhou and his mother. In 2016, the Supreme Court announced that the case should be retried, because even the 15-year sentence was based on insufficient evidence.

(Zhou Yuan Photo/Thecover.cn)

Many people began to follow Zhous case in 2016 and a fair judgment has been widely expected. Some net users called it a repeat of Nie Shubins case, a Chinese man who was exonerated 21 years after his execution for rape and murder.
Pyongyang, Nov 30 : North Korea on Thursday published photographs of its new model of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that was launched a day earlier under the supervision of its leader Kim Jong-un.

A large gallery of 42 photos published by the state newspaper Rodong Sinmun, unveiled the ICBM Hwasong-15 that has a rounded tip sitting on a transporter erector launcher (TEL) that has nine wheels on each side.

Kim has described the vehicle as "impeccable," according to the North Korean newspaper.

On Wednesday North Korea announced that its latest missile was capable of carrying a large nuclear warhead and reaching the entire US mainland, Efe news reported.

It also said that with this latest test it has managed to complete its "nuclear force", the Efe news reported.

The images released on Thursday showed the preparation for the launch and the missile during its ascent, in addition to a smiling face of Kim, who observed the preparations and the flight of the missile both outdoors and from a control room.

Very "excited" and "satisfied" with the successful development of the new Hwasong-15 ("Mars-15" in English), the North Korean leader "warmly congratulated" the scientists, technicians and other workers involved in the process, Rodong Sinmun detailed.

After two and a half months without any weapons test, Pyongyang on Wednesday returned to launch the missile, the 20th so far in 2017, amid escalating tensions with Washington.

Fired on Wednesday at 2.48 a.m., the missile reached a height of 4,475 km before falling into the Sea of Japan some 950 km from where it was launched, according to data released by Pyongyang and corroborated by Seoul, Washington and Tokyo.

Given that the missile was fired at a steep angle, some experts believe that it could have travelled over 13,000 km in a normal flight, sufficient to reach any part of the continental US.

North Korea has also claimed that the missile held a warhead capable of re-entering the Earth's atmosphere. The claim was not proven and experts have cast doubt on the country's ability to master such technology.

The international community has been condemned the test.
Mumbai, Nov 30 : Acclaimed Indian talent Irrfan Khan, who has dabbled in Bollywood and Hollywood, says the key difference between performing in the two industries lies in how the audience perceives an actor -- for one, the parameter is engagement and charisma, while for the other, it is the nuance and subtlety.

"I think the most interesting part of exploring both the worlds of cinema -- Bollywood and Hollywood -- is how the audience perceives an actor. In our (Indian) cinema, actors are like a magician who come on screen and do something to engage and mesmerise. On the other hand, in the West, actors are performers, and the audience looks for a certain amount of nuance, subtleness.

"It is really an interesting area to explore for an actor like me," Irrfan told IANS.

Iconic film directors like Mira Nair, Colin Trevorrow and Danny Boyle have worked with Irrfan in international projects. Some of the titles he has worked in include "The Warrior", "A Mighty Heart", "The Namesake", "Slumdog Millionaire", "Life of Pi" and "Jurassic World".

Irrfan may not be among the blockbuster Khans of Bollywood, but he has made his mark as a critically acclaimed performer who has strengthened Indian presence in films internationally.

Critics praise his performance for intangible elements and for how he can convey a situation or a reaction with mere silence sometimes.

He says there's a thought behind it.

Explaining how he adds "soul" to any written character, Irrfan said: "In the National School of Drama, we learned how to perform, deliver a dialogue or monologue, and how to carry a certain body language for a character that we are playing. But the thought that always played in my mind is how a character establishes its relevance in silence, without uttering a dialogue.

"In film acting especially, it works -- a small expression, a small silence and then amalgamate it with the subtext of the situation."

However, he believes, one has to be very careful about improvisation as it might just spoil a character at times. Irrfan stressed that having this understanding is important in the character-building process for an actor.

"For instance, in 'Maqbool', after improvising certain parts in two scenes, I just realised that what I am trying to add is taking away the essence of the character," said Irrfan, whose Indian filmography is decorated with projects like "Paan Singh Tomar" and "Piku".

Pointing out how actors at times create their own comfort zone by improvisation, he said: "I have seen actors taking an unnecessary pause between lines because he did not learn the lines properly and is trying to find his own ease in between. For me, that is not the right thing to do.

"For a performer in a film, how the director is setting our frame of mind also matters," said the actor, who has enjoyed working with Vishal Bhardwaj, Shoojit Sircar and Tigmanshu Dhulia.

The year 2017 has been eventful for Irrfan.

He got commercial success with "Hindi Medium", acclaimed movies like "Doob: No Bed of Roses" and "The Song of Scorpions" and had another commercial release "Qarib Qarib Singlle".

Asked if he is saying "yes" to more scripts these days instead of being too choosy like earlier, Irrfan said: "My criterion of a good script as the deciding factor has not changed. But scriptwriters are coming up with some brilliant stories and that is bringing all the changes in our cinema."

(Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in)
United Nations, Nov 30 : Warning that if it comes to war, North Korea will be "totally destroyed", the US has called on China to show leadership and cut off oil supplies to pressure Pyongyang following its latest missile test.

US Permanent Representative Nikki Haley told the Council on Wednesday that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un was bringing "the world closer to war" through his missile and nuclear provocations.

"We have never sought war with North Korea," she said. "And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."

Haley said that many countries have made economic sacrifices to enforce strict sanctions against North Korea and put the main task of containing Pyongyang on China's shoulders.

"We now turn to (China's) President Xi (Jinping) to also take that stand," she said. "China must show leadership and follow through."

Haley said that President Donald Trump had called Xi and asked him cut off oil supplies to North Korea. "China can do this on its own or we can take the oil situation into our own hands," she added.

Explaining the importance of an oil embargo, she said that when China cut off oil supplies that country in 2003, Pyongyang came to the negotiating table.

Meanwhile, Trump's Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah told reporters: "We'll see future actions by the US and others and we're looking forward to applying as much pressure as we can to get to our ultimate goal, which is a denuclearised Korean Peninsula."

At the Council meeting convened at the request of the US, Japan and South Korea, Under Secretary-General Jeffrey Feltman said the missile launched on Wednesday had travelled about 950 kilometres before falling into the sea in Japan's exclusive economic zone.

"The parameters indicate that if flown on a standard trajectory, the missile as configured would have had a range in excess of 13,000 kilometres," he added.

There was unanimity at the Council in condemning the missile test, but not on the actions to be taken against Pyongyang.

"Japan will never tolerate a nuclear-armed North Korea," the country's Permanent Representative Koro Bessho said.

China's Deputy Permanent Representative Wu Haitao in effect rejected any new sanctions suggested by Haley, saying that Beijing was committed to finding a diplomatic solution that would not impact the North Korean people.

He urged the acceptance of a proposal made jointly by China and Russia that would require North Korea to suspend nuclear activity and the US and South Korea to halt joint military exercises in order to pave the way for talks.

Russia's Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia said the latest missile test was cause for "deep disappointment" but accused the US and its allies of provoking Pyongyang with unplanned military manoeuvres and unilateral sanctions.

Trump kept the war of words going while speaking at a meeting in Missouri ridiculing Kim as a "sick puppy" and "little rocket man".

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)
New Delhi, Nov 30 : Defending his party's stand demanding capping of GST at 18 per cent, senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for calling it a "grand stupid thought" and asked if the government considered its Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian also stupid for voicing the same argument.

"If it is grand stupid thought to argue for a cap of the tax rate at 18 per cent, then CEA Arvind Subramanian and many other economists are stupid. Is that what the PM is saying," Chidambaram tweeted.

The Congress leader asked if the Prime Minister had read the economic advisor's report on Revenue Neutral Rate in which he had recommended an RNR of 15-15.5 per cent.

"Why can't the normal GST rate be 15 per cent and RNR plus rate on luxury goods be 18 per cent? Tax and spend is the credo of the BJP government. Example: when crude oil prices fell by 50 per cent, prices of petrol and diesel remained the same."

Modi at a rally in Gujarat's Morbi had mocked at "some intellectuals and economists" for misleading the country.

"The Congress wants the same 18 per cent tax on something as essential as salt and something as expensive as Rs 5 crore worth car. They want 28 per cent tax on alcohol and costly cigarettes to be reduced to 18 per cent.

"Do you want to sell cheap alcohol and spread cancer by selling cheap cigarettes. This is nothing but a grand stupid thought. There can't be any bigger anti-poor and anti-middle class thought," Modi said.
New York, Nov 30 : Thousands of revellers gathered in the Rockefeller Centre here to watch the annual lighting of the world's most famous Christmas tree, the media reported.

Mayor Bill de Blasio flipped the switch at around 9 p.m. on Wednesday to illuminate the 75-foot-tall, 12-tonne Norway spruce with 50,000 multi-coloured lights and the iconic Swarovski star, more than two weeks after the tree arrived in Rockefeller Plaza from State College, Pennsylvania, reports NBC News New York.

This year's lighting ceremony featured performances by popstars Gwen Stefani, Seal, Jennifer Nettles, Train and the Pentatonix.

The tree will be lit every day from 5.30 a.m. to 11.30 p.m. until January 7, 2018, except for Christmas Day, when it will stay lit for 24 hours.

Additional security measure were deployed in the wake of last month's truck attack in Tribeca.

The annual holiday tradition started in 1931.

This year's tree is the 86th to sit over the Rockefeller Centre rink.

After the holiday, the tree will be donated to Habitat for Humanity, an international non-profit working on poverty housing. It will be made into lumber and used for home building.
Lahore, Nov 30 : A woman was murdered by her husband following a petty argument after she apparently served him cold food, the police said.

After an exchange of hot words, Feroz Khan, a resident of Sargodha, murdered his wife Roshan Bibi and fled the spot, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

The body was handed over to the family after legal formalities. The police have registered a case against the accused.
Los Angeles, Nov 30 : Leaders of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) West have denounced US President Donald Trump for retweeting violent anti-Muslim videos by leaders of a British hate group.

The WGA West leaders said that "the vile display of naked prejudice reached another low" as part of a letter sent to the 10,000 members of the Los Angeles-based guild, reports variety.com.

The letter, which said "First Amendment Under Attack" in the subject line, was signed by WGA West president David A. Goodman, vice president Marjorie David, secretary-treasurer Aaron Mendelsohn, and executive director David Young.

"As the officers and executive director of a union devoted to the well-being of writers, we have watched, appalled, as our current administration tramples on every principle of justice and truth we hold dear," the letter began.

"The question for us, always, is when to speak out. What is the 'right time' when lies are paraded as truth; when racists are praised for their decency; when the press is derided as 'fake'; when a child molester is endorsed to smooth the way for an unfair tax cut? If we made a statement each time, we'd be writing to you every day."

The WGA West leaders last blasted Trump by issuing a stinging condemnation of the President for failing to sufficiently condemn white nationalism and neo-Nazis following Trump blaming "both sides" for the violence at a Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, where a woman was killed when a car drove into the crowd and 30 people were injured.

"President Trump legitimises hate speech and violence, and disgraces our nation" the guild leaders said at the time.
The Hague, Nov 30 : Dutch authorities on Thursday launched an investigation into how a Bosnian Croat war criminal managed to smuggle poison into a Hague courtroom to kill himself during a televised appeal hearing.

Slobodan Praljak, 72, died in hospital on Wednesday shortly after downing a small vial of liquid, which he drank after declaring he was innocent, reports the BBC.

His 20-year sentence for war crimes in Bosnia had just been re-affirmed.

In a brief statement, Dutch prosecutors said the inquiry would look at "assisted suicide and violation of the Medicines Act".

The confirmation rulings against Praljak and five other defendants were meant to bring an end to more than 20 years of work by the tribunal.

Seconds after hearing his appeal had been lost, the former general declared: "Slobodan Praljak is not a war criminal. I am rejecting the court ruling."

He then drank from a small brown glass bottle and announced, "I have taken poison."

The presiding judge cut short the trial and Praljak was taken to hospital, the BBC reported.

The content of the vial is yet to be verified.

Praljak was convicted in 2013 of crimes against humanity committed while commanding Bosnian Croat forces. Before the civil war he was a TV and film producer.
New Delhi, Nov 30 : Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien says that Gujarat assembly elections should not be seen as a referendum on the impelementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

O'Brien, the national spokesperson of Trinamool Congress and its leader in the Rajya Sabha, also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was playing to "Gujarati pride" in next month's Gujarat assembly poll and not focusing on development.

"Why should any election be a referendum? This is the home player playing in his home state. `I am one of you, how can you insult me' - so now you are playing to Gujarati pride. Come and play on development, come and answer question on jobs, under-performance, demonetisation, GST and economy, O'Brien told IANS in an interview.

He was asked if the assembly poll in Gujarat, the first assembly election being held after the GST was rolled out on July 1, should be seen as a referendum on the way it had been implemented.

The opposition has been accusing the government of flawed implementation of GST. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has consistently raked up the issue in his campaign in Gujarat, referring to it as "Gabbar Singh Tax."

Following perception about unease among small traders over some of stipulations concerning GST, the Modi government has eased filing norms. Decisions have also been taken to reduce the rate on 50 items of mass consumption from 28 per cent to 18 per cent besides providing relief to exporters.

O'Brien's first political book `Inside Parliament: Views From The Front Row', which was released last week, has a chapter on GST titled 'Far From a good and simple tax."

The book says that in countries like Germany and Japan, businesses were given at least one year of trial and adjustments before transitioning to a new tax system.

"In India, the prime minister and his BJP ministers learn on the job and they want the rest of the country to learn as they go along," it says.

On the GST roll-back, the book says : "We noted with great amusement the 'khakra special' GST rollback announced weeks before the Gujarat elections."

Asked about the outcome of Gujarat elections, O'Brien said it has to be as to be seen in the context of results of 2014 Lok Sabha polls in the state where BJP secured about 60 percent votes and Congress about 33 percent.

"The 2017 election has to be judged on that," he said.
Lucknow, Nov 30 : With the three-phase urban body polls over, political leaders from Uttar Pradesh, including Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav, are now headed to poll-bound Gujarat.

Akhilesh Yadav will be touring the state between December 4 and 7, party state spokesman Rajendra Choudhary said on Thursday.

The SP, which fought the February-March assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in alliance with the Congress, is fighting the Gujarat polls alone.

However, for the "sake of secularism", it has extended support to Congress candidates in Gujarat and has fielded his candidates in five seats only.

The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister will start his election campaign from Jamnagar, which has a sizable population of people from eastern UP.

Congress leaders from Uttar Pradesh, including its state chief Raj Babbar, P.L. Punia, former Union Minister R.P.N. Singh, Manoj Tyagi and Nadeem Javed are also visiting Gujarat soon to woo the minorities, the scheduled castes and Poorvanchalis.
Posters were released at a press briefing held by the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee for the dialogue between the CPC and other political parties from across the globe, in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 24, 2017. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

A four-day dialogue between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and representatives from some 300 foreign political parties and organizations kicked off in Beijing on Nov. 30, with the aim of deepening cooperation and communication among different party entities, as well as tackling challenges that hinder the development of human society together.

The CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting, which is the Partys first ever high-level meeting with various parties across the world, has attracted a large number of attendees. According to statistics sent to Peoples Daily Online by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, over 600 representatives from nearly 300 political parties and organizations of 120 countries will attend the meeting.

A poster was released at a press briefing held by the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee for the dialogue between the CPC and other political parties from across the globe, in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 24, 2017. (Xinhua)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, will deliver a keynote speech at the dialogues opening ceremony on Dec. 1, according to the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.

This is the first major multilateral diplomacy event hosted by Beijing after the recently concluded 19th CPC National Congress.

According to Guo Yezhou, Chinas ruling party intended to build a platform for global political dialogue. The CPC is expected to brief participants on the outcomes of the 19th CPC National Congress and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the official said, adding that through exchange and dialogue, the CPC and other political parties will jointly explore effective ways to promote the building of a community of shared future for mankind and the building of a better world.

This is the logo for the dialogue between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and other political parties from across the globe. (Xinhua)

The CPC is open and inclusive. It not only introduces its experience and methods to the world, but also learns from the world, added Guo.

The dialogue has received a positive reaction from leaders of various political parties worldwide. According to Xinhua News Agency, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, and other leaders have spoken highly of the meeting, hoping to deepen the communication between their parties and the CPC.
New Delhi, Nov 30 : A cleric was beaten by three unknown bike-borne youths in a road rage incident here, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place around 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday in west Delhi's Bawana area, when Irshad Rehmani, who is in his 40s, and works in a Madarsa, was walking to his home in Bawana J.J colony.

"Three youths were riding the bike in a reckless manner. When the bike touched Rehmani, who was walking near the madarsa, he protested and asked them to drive slow in the crowded street," Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Gupta told IANS.

"The accused then slapped him multiple times and fled when Rehmani informed the police control room. It was a minor injury and there is no communal angle to it."

However, Rehmani alleged that the accused hurled religious slurs at him.

Gupta said that a case has been registered against the accused for voluntarily causing hurt and a probe is on to ascertain their identities.
Washington, Nov 30 : Sherin Mathews, a three-year-old Indian girl who was found dead in a ditch last month in the US state of Texas, had a series of broken bones and injuries in various stages of healing that could not have happened prior to her adoption, a doctor has said in a testimony before a court.

The girl's body was found in the culvert under a road about one kilometre from her home in suburban Dallas on October 22. She was reported missing by her foster father Wesley Mathews on October 7.

Wesley Mathews and his wife Sini adopted the girl in June 2016 from Bihar.

Dr Suzanne Dakil, a paediatrician and child abuse expert, testified on Wednesday that Sherin Mathews was hospitalised in February 2017 and also had an elbow fracture in September 2016. Her injuries were visible in various X-ray scans taken last year and earlier this year, reported WFAA, an ABC-affiliated television station.

Dakil's testimony came during a hearing in which the girl's foster parents sought to recover from the state custody of their 4-year- old biological child. They lost her custody after Sherin Mathews went missing.

She said the X-ray scans suggested that the injuries were inflicted after the girl was adopted. The X-rays this year showed that fractures in Sherin Mathews' tibia and femur were in different stages of healing.

The doctor said that the pattern of injuries led her to believe that Sherin Mathews was abused on separate occasions. She then filed a report with Child Protective Services after seeing the X-rays.

The couple, facing criminal charges, repeatedly took their Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination when asked about what happened to Sherin Mathews.

The hearing will resume on Tuesday and two more witnesses are scheduled to take the stand.

Wesley Mathews had initially told police that the girl disappeared when he made her stand in a lane behind their house in Richardson city at 3 a.m. on October 7 as punishment for not drinking milk.

But after the girl's body was discovered, the father admitted that the child choked while he was making her drink milk and died in their home.

Sini Mathews, who is behind bars on child endangerment charges, had her bond reduced from $250,000 to $100,000 on Monday. Wesley Mathews had been charged with felony injury to a child. He is in the Dallas County jail on a $1 million bond.
Gandhinagar, Nov 30 : The Gandhinagar police has filed charges against Patidar leader Hardik Patel and six others for disturbing peace and breaking the law by holding a rally at Mansa despite not being given permission.

Gandhinagar Superintendent of Police (DSP), Virendra Singh Yadav told the media: "We have filed charges against Hardik Patel, Dharmesh Patel, the proprietor of Umiya decorators who was the organizer of the rally at Mansa, and five others for holding the rally despite the district administration not giving them permission."

"We will be acting against the persons involved in the violation of law," the Gandhinagar SP added.

The police has filed charges against Hardik Patel and the others under the Indian Penal Code clause 188, for disobeying the administrative order.

The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader has been holding protest rallies across the state since the past two years, including at many places without the government or the local authorities granting permission. Till date neither Hardik Patel nor his aides or other members have been charged on that account.

The PAAS group had convened a mega rally on Saturday at Mansa, the native village of BJP national president Amit Shah, as part of a series of protest rallies against the state's ruling BJP. Before the rally Hardik Patel had indicated he would "drop a big bomb" in the form of some revealing news that would shake the BJP, but he failed to do so.

Ignoring the police warning, he and his supporters carried out a massive rally in the chilly wintry night on Saturday.

"The police action will only come after the elections are over. The state government cannot dare to lay their hands on Hardik, as it would adversely affect them in the elections. As soon as the elections are over, they will carry out the necessary action," said a political observer.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is also keeping a close watch on the speeches of Hardik Patel and also video recording his public meetings. The EC will initiate action if they find it violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Gujarat, B.B. Swain said, "We will also be monitoring the money spent on Hardik's rallies where he is joined by any political party candidate."
Hyderabad, Nov 30 : It can zip past on city roads or traverse through narrow roads in countryside to rush a patient to hospital, and when idle can convert into a mobile clinic with all out-patient facilities.

It's not an ambulance on four wheels but can be pulled by a motorbike so that it can move quickly through heavy traffic on city roads or on narrow roads in villages. The three-in-one invention called AmbuPod is one of the few products on display that caught attention at Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES).

"It has oxygen and all that an ambulance will have. When idle it can be converted into a mobile or makeshift clinic with all out-patient and diagnostic facilities," Yamini Lavanian, co-founder and Director, AmbuPod, told IANS.

The Pune-based firm has filed the patent for the "amicro-ambulance and mobile clinic".

AmbuPod has a bed and other medical equipment. When deployed in a remote area or village, it can also be used as a telemedicine facility.

"The medical attendant in AmbuPod feed all the symptoms of patient and results of diagnostic tests in the app. The same is accessed by the doctor sitting in the city who then suggests medicines," she said.

The facility can treat 30 to 60 patients every day. "As soon as there is an emergency, it can be connected to a bike for use as ambulance," she explained.

A concept of Dr Lavanian, it was designed and assembled by a team of engineers. The AmbuPod, which costs Rs 4 lakh, focuses on mother and child care. It is equipped with ECG machine, and a medical attendant sitting in the pod can give medical resuscitation while on the way. Like any ambulance, it has oxygen, nebulizer and suction equipment.

"We have tested in cities and villages and in all terrains and it works perfectly," said Lavanian.

The company is looking for partners and investors to help scale the product and develop saleable model. Initially, it plans to deploy this in at least 50 villages.

Though yet to get orders, the company is in talks with various hospitals and NGOs.

"We also plan to export it to African countries because they also have similar healthcare problems," she said.

"Our company representatives say they were overwhelmed by the response at GES as many participants from various countries saw the product and evinced interest," she added.

(Mohammed Shafeeq can be reached at m.shafeeq@ians.in)
Mumbai, Nov 30 : A day after Congress' Maharashtra activist Shehzad Poonawalla asked the party's national Vice President Rahul Gandhi to resign before contesting the elections for party President, the state unit and his family members virtually "disowned" him on Thursday.

State Congress President Ashok Chavan said Poonawalla's remarks were aimed at getting "cheap publicity", to which the party gives no importance.

Questioning Poonawalla's locus standi, he said there is no truth in his allegations nor is Poonawalla a representative or leader of the party, has remained inactive since the past couple of years and done nothing for the party.

"Moreover, the newly-elected Pradesh Congress Committee representatives (delegates) have unanimously adopted a resolution asking Rahul Gandhi to contest the Congress President's election," Chavan pointed out.

He condemned Poonawalla for his reckless utterances when the election process is underway in a free and transparent manner, and said it was aimed at deriving media attention.

Shahzad's brother Tehseen Poonawalla, who is also with the state Congress, quickly declared that he "officially ended all relationship with (Shehzad)".

"I have never been this hurt. We needed to defeat the BJP. This is unacceptable. I'm very, very hurt today. Been stabbed in the backa and how," Tehseen said in a tweet.

Tehseen's wife - Monicka Vadera-Poonawalla followed suit and also expressed full support to her husband and all his statements in the matter which has snowballed into a raging controversy.

"My family and I neither have any relation, association, nor wish to comment on the issue or the said individual Shehzad Poonawalla. Please refrain from tweeting/contacting me for the same," Monicka declared in her tweet.

State Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said Poonawalla was not even a primary member of the party, so where was the question of him being a leader or a PCC representative.

"In reality, he is a self-proclaimed person, using the name of Rahulji for drawing public attention," he said.

Maharashtra Youth Congress Vice President Satyajeet Tambe said everytime he saw Shehzad Poonawalla representing the party on television debates, "I feel ashamed of myself".

"I am working in the Congress party since 17 years and loyal. Only because (such) people can speak few words in English better, doesn't make them great leaders... Congress should learn and keep such people away," he said.

Late on Wednesday night, Shehzad Poonawalla created a ruckus when he questioned the process to elect the Congress Party President, terming it "rigged" and calling upon Rahul Gandhi to first quit his post before contesting for the top post.

He also indicated his desire to contest for the top post, if the election was conducted in a "genuine" manner and wrote a letter to Rahul Gandhi in this connection.
New Delhi, Nov 30 : Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Thursday questioned how many times Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gone to temples, and said Modi has given up Hindu religion for the sake of Hindutva.

"How many times does the Prime Minister go to a temple? Does he go to temple every morning?" Sibal questioned.

"The people who go to temples are those who respect the sentiments of Hindu religion. He (Modi) has given up Hindu religion and adopted Hindutva," Sibal told reporters.

The comments came a day after a major controversy broke out over Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's visit to Somnath temple in Gujarat with the BJP questioning his faith.

"A true Hindu is one who considers every Indian as brother, sister or mother... does not say anything that hurts the sentiment of others... reacts immediately against violence... does not do politics on everything and goes amidst the farmers and understand their problems," Sibal added.

The controversy arose over Rahul Gandhi's media coordinator Manoj Tyagi signing the register meant for non-Hindus, which the Congress claimed was manipulated later by adding the names of Rahul Gandhi and Ahmed Patel.
New Delhi, Nov 30 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said opposition criticism won't deter him from his government's war against corruption and black money as he was willing to pay any political price for the steps he had taken to weed out graft.

Addressing the opening session of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here, Modi said his government was committed to developing a development-centric eco system which is free of graft and is people-centric.

"I am aware of the political price I will have to pay for the steps taken by the government but I am ready for it," he said, referring to demonetisation and the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax as measures to tackle graft and black money.

He said post demonetisation, black money, which was part of a parallel economy, has now become part of the formal system as data mining after the note ban has helped the government crack down against those hoarding unaccounted wealth and involved in corruption.

He said there has been a "positive change" in the mindset and self-confidence of people "like never before", ever since his government came to power in 2014.

"If we see the country as a living entity then the positive attitude that has come to India, was never before," Modi said.

Earlier the youth, women, farmers and the poor had minimal faith in the country's resources, the Prime Minister said.

Emphasising that the citizens of India in 2014 not just voted to change the government, Modi said people also wanted and, therefore, voted for a "change in system that will be permanent, stable and irreversible".

"Everywhere in the country, someone had to fight with the system day and night. I am trying and have committed that there will be irreversible change -- ease of living will improve."

Describing Aadhaar as a major "power" to bring about an "irreversible change" in the common man's life, the Prime Minister said the Unique Identification Number would now be used in cases involving benami properties.

"By linking Aadhaar to mobile (phones) and bank accounts, we have created such a system that could not have been imagined few years back.

"In last three years, with the help of Aadhaar, crores of fake names have been removed from the system. Now it is going to be a big weapon against benami properties," Modi said.

He said that the country saw a "behavioural change" after demonetisation, which helped in converting to a "clean and healthy economy".

"For the first time after Independence, the corrupt people are scared of transacting in black money. They are scared of being caught. The black money, which was earlier the base of the parallel economy, has now become part of the formal economy.

"Such an irreversible change is getting boost from Aadhaar. Aadhaar is such a power through which this government wants to ensure rights of poor. It is also playing a big role in providing subsidised ration, scholarships, medicines, pensions and other government subsidies," he said.

He said the day the country would adopt maximum transactions via digital addresses, "organised crime would come to an end to some extent".

Modi said "big transformations" do not come easily and for it "hauling up of the entire system was needed".

"We can increase our ease of doing business ranking from 142 to 100 only when we take initiatives for big transformation," Modi said.

The Prime Minister said India's influence on the international stage was also increasing "because of the growing reputation and trust" for the country.

"Indians living abroad feel proud. When slogans like 'abki baar Trump sarkar' (Trump government this time) and 'abki baar Cameron sarkar' (Cameron government this time) echo, India's might is being accepted," Modi said.

He was referring to the campaigns of former UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who used the slogan "phir ek baar Cameron sarkar" (Cameron government once again) to woo Indian origin voters in the 2015 elections, and US President Donald Trump's election campaign in 2016, inspired by the 2014 Lok Sabha election slogan "Abki baar Modi Sarkar".

"Where is India standing today, you know it well. Big or small, all countries are walking along with India, our influence on the international stage is increasing. We don't have to stop now, we have to keep moving forward," Modi said.
Sagar (Madhya Pradesh), Nov 30 : In a tragic incident, a Class XI student of a Madhya Pradesh school committed suicide due to the fear of being arrested for stealing the mobile phone of his teacher, police said on Thursday.

According to the police, a woman teacher of a school in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh lodged a police complaint about her mobile phone being stolen. Scared of being caught for the theft, deceased student Ajay Lodhi of Magardha village of the district ended his life by hanging himself on Tuesday night.

Virendera Lodhi, the father of Ajay, told reporters: "Our son was looking very restless for the past one week. When asked, he told us that his teacher's mobile phone was missing, so she lodged a complaint with the police.

"But since it was with him, he returned the phone and requested her to take back the complaint. But the teacher declined to oblige."

According to Virendra, on his son's request, he also met the teacher, apologised and pleaded with her that a police case could spoil Ajay's future, but she did not budge. The teacher asked him to go to the police and speak with them.

"I'll not take back the complaint, she said and out of fear, my son committed suicide," Virendra said.

Police Station incharge Ravi Upadhyay said: "Post-mortem examination of student Ravi Lodhi's body has been performed which confirms that he hanged himself. The body has been handed over to the family of the deceased."

Teacher Mandakini Thakur had filed a complaint regarding the theft of her mobile phone and the police were looking into it, Upadhyay added.
San Francisco, Nov 30 : Evan Spiegel, co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc which is the parent company of popular photo-sharing platform Snapchat, has announced redesigning the app while taking a dig at rival platforms Facebook and Twitter.

The company is redesigning its app to separate media and social communications, making it easier to use and understand, Spiegel wrote in an opinion piece in Axios late on Wednesday.

"We think this helps guard against fake news and mindless scrambles for friends or unworthy distractions," Spiegel said, taking a dig at Facebook and Twitter.

"The separation takes 'an important step forward towards strengthening our relationships with our friends and our relationships with the media'," he added.

The design overhaul will be focused around the separation of a "Discover" page on the right which displays vetted publisher stories, stories from around the world or stories from influencers or people you chose to follow.

The "Friends" page on the left features updates from close friends and family.

Snapchat redesign will begin to roll out to a small percentage of users later this week and will be available to all users on iOS and and Android devices globally in the coming weeks, reports said.

The entire redesign was done in-house, a Snap spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Social media giant Facebook has been accused of copying Snapchat in the past.

Earlier, this week, it started working on a feature similar to Snapchat's "Streaks" which is an addictive game that encourages friends to send messages back and forth for consecutive days.

Meanwhile, in New Delhi, Facebook Head of News Product Alex Hardiman said on Thursday that Snapchat is doing some interesting work for teenagers.

"Snapchat has a different, interesting model where it targets teenagers and is not much into news. Facebook is both and has an altogether different approach where it brings people around news and information," she told the gathering at the HT Leadership Summit.
New Delhi, Nov 30 : The T.T.V. Dinakaran faction of AIADMK on Thursday approached the Delhi High Court challenging the Election Commission's order allotting the "two leaves" symbol to the faction led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam.

The plea was mentioned before the court for urgent hearing, which posted it for Friday.

On November 23, the Commission had said that the Panneerselvam-Palaniswami faction "enjoys support of majority of members, both in the organisational and legislature wings" of the AIADMK, and was entitled to use the party name and its 'two leaves' symbol.

After the death of former Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa in December last year, the AIADMK split into two factions -- one led by Panneerselvam and the other by her aide, now jailed V.K. Sasikala.

Subsequently, the Sasikala faction broke up again, with Chief Minister Palaniswami branching away and forming a government with the backing of Panneerselvam. The two factions also started sidelining the AIADMK group led by Sasikala and her nephew Dinakaran.

Later, the Panneerselvam and Palaniswami factions merged, annulled the appointment of Sasikala as the General Secretary and struck down the appointments made by her before she went to jail for corruption.
Egypt's former President Hosni Mubarak denied in a statement on Wednesday a BBC Arabic report claiming that he agreed in the 1980s to resettle Palestinians in Egypt.

"I completely deny accepting any resettlement of any part of the Palestinian population in Egypt, particularly the Palestinian population in Lebanon in 1983," Mubarak said, adding that he rejected all subsequent attempts and suggestions about resettlement as well.

The former president's statement was released on the pro-Mubarak and anti-January 2011 revolution Facebook page "I am sorry President Mubarak."

Earlier on Wednesday the BBC published a report on its Arabic news website alleging that the former Egyptian president accepted an offer made during a 1983 meeting with British PM Margret Thatcher to resettle Palestinians from Lebanon to Egypt following the Israeli invasion of Beirut in 1982.

The report is based on documents recently revealed by the UK's National Archives about a meeting between Mubarak and British officials upon his return from Washington in February 1983.

In his statement, ousted President Mubarak listed what he had done as the president of Egypt during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and how he withdrew the Egyptian ambassador from Tel Aviv to object to that invasion.

He also mentioned how Egypt secured the exit of the Palestinian fighters of Palestinian Liberation Organization "PLO" in Beirut, including Yasser Arafat.

"During that time, some parties wanted to convince me to resettle the Palestinians in Lebanon in Egypt which I had rejected completely," Mubarak said in his statement, adding that in 2010 the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanhyu had also proposed a resettlement of Palestinians in Sinai, which he also rejected.

"I have been holding to a principle all my life which is never to give up any inch of Egypt's territory, the occupied parts of which my generation fought to restore in 1967 until the complete return of Taba to Egyptian sovereignty," he concluded in the statement.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was ousted during the January revolution 2011 after ruling Egypt for three decades.

On Tuesday, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry criticized Israeli Minister of Social Equality Gila Gamliel for issuing a statement calling for an alternative Palestinian state to be established in the Sinai Peninsula, saying that Egypt firmly rejects any kind of "talk or thoughts" that undermine Egypt's territorial sovereignty.

Egypt has consistently maintained its support for a two-state solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict along the 1967 borders.

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New Delhi, Nov 30 : Countering Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's claim that the government has not waived off bank loans of big capitalists, Congress on Thursday charged him with "fooling people" as the regime had only sought to benefit "a select group of cronies" by waiving off their dues.

The Congress also said the "banking saga" of the government has all the ingredients of a full-fledged Shakespearean tragedy.

"Out of the three protagonists, the government as the majority shareholder and the corporate borrower are wearing their victimhood as a badge of honour. Whereas, the real victim, the customer, is the unsung hero coerced into parting with his money.

"In this saga, the crony friends of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi are strong and the common people of India are weak," said Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

"Modi's government has continuously and constantly benefitted a select group of cronies by waiving off their loans, even though the NPAs in the banks are piling up, thus putting the bank deposits and the state exchequer at risk."

Jaitley on Tuesday denied that the government had waived off bank loans of big capitalists and asserted that proceedings had been initiated against 12 largest defaulters for time-bound recovery of dues totalling Rs 175,000 crore.

Singhvi also said top 50 corporates owe Rs 8.35 lakh crore to the banks and out of those, three are top Gujarat-based companies.

"The BJP government has already waived loans of wilful defaulters worth Rs 1,88,287 crore in the past three years. Why is Jaitley fooling the intelligence of 125 crore Indians by saying that there is no loan waiver?.

"The Modi government provides certificates of just one paisa to farmers of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, as 'farm loan waiver', but waived Rs 1.88 crore of bank loans of its rogue crony friends."

Singhvi also hit out at the government for not giving any roadmap or time frame for bank recapitalisation.
Rabat, Nov 30 : Morocco's King Mohammed VI has met South African President Jacob Zuma for the first time in CAte dIvoire's city Abidjan on the sidelines of the 5th African Union-European Union Summit.

The meeting between the two leaders took place on Wednesday. Mohammed VI and Zuma agreed to work together for a "promising future as Morocco and South Africa are two important poles of political stability and economic development, respectively in the extreme north and the south of the continent", the report said.

The leaders agreed to maintain direct contact and launch a fruitful economic as well as political partnership in order to build strong, lasting and stable relations.

They also decided to raise the level of diplomatic representation through the appointment of high-level ambassadors in Rabat and in Pretoria.
Hyderabad, Nov 30 : The US Agency for International Development (USAID) on Thursday announced $1 million to create awareness about Tuberculosis (TB) to help India in its fight against the disease.

Announcing this here on the sidelines of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), USAID Director Mark Green said the move would support Prime Minister Modi's ultimate goal of securing a TB-free India by 2025.

India has the world's highest incidence of TB, with 2.8 million cases annually, and accounts for more than a quarter of the global TB burden.

India also has the largest burden of multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) among all countries, with almost 150,000 cases every year.

TB claims over 435,000 Indian lives each year, which places TB among the top ten causes of death in the country.

USAID feels the TB stigma disproportionately affects women.

In India, as in many countries around the world, people often fear how others will treat them if they are diagnosed with TB. Women diagnosed with TB report that their families, employers and communities shun and discriminate against them, said a statement.

USAID has supported the TB programme of India since 1998, and has invested more than $140 million to strengthen the capacity of national, state, and district-level TB programmes. USAID has also introduced new tools and approaches to reach, cure and prevent TB in India successfully.

The current objectives of the USAID/India TB portfolio are to strengthen the detection and treatment of TB, including a focus on drug-resistant strains; assist the government to plan and implement evidence-based interventions to reach a TB-Free India; and improve patient-centred TB services in private provider settings.

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Srinagar, Nov 30 : Five militants, including four Pakistani nationals, were killed and a para commando of the army was injured in two separate gunfights between security forces and militants in Kashmir valley on Thursday. Five civilians protesting a security forces operation were also injured in firing.

Defence Ministry spokesman, Colonel Rajesh Kalia said four militants were killed in Futlipora village of Pakherpora area of central Badgam district, while one militant was killed in Sagipora village of Sopore area in Baramulla district.

A senior police officer said three of the bodies of the killed militants have been recovered from the gunfight site in Futlipora village. Searches is on to trace the body of the fourth militant.

"Of the four slain militants, three were Pakistani nationals, while the fourth was Shabir Ahmad Thokar, a local militant. All the four militants belonged to Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) outfit," the officer said.

Five civilians were injured in Pakherpora Chowk when a mob attacked an army convoy carrying reinforcements to Futlipora village where the gunfight was going on.

Police said the army fired in the air to disperse the protesters. However, doctors said three of the injured civilians, including a 15-year-old boy, had gunshot wounds.

The mob also torched a private vehicle in Futlipora which was allegedly used by the security forces during the operation and later left behind near the gunfight site.

The injured civilians have been shifted to hospital for treatment.

In another gunfight that erupted in Sagipora village of Sopore area in Baramulla district, one militant was killed and a para commando of the army was injured.

Police said the killed militant was a Pakistani national belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit.

Giving details of the Badgam operation, Colonel Rajesh Kalia said following specific information about the presence of militants, the security forces had surrounded Futlipora village in the morning.

"As the security forces closed in on the hiding militants, the security forces were fired upon, triggering the encounter."

Authorities suspended Internet services in the district to prevent spread of rumours, police said.
Mumbai, Nov 30 : Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, known for movies like "Chandni Bar", "Traffic Signal" and "Fashion" which attempt to reflect reality, says he would love to make a film on a soldier's life provided it is on a big canvas.

Bhandarkar along with actress-politician Hema Malini attended the launch of 'One for All - All For One', an initiative to pay tribute to Indian soldiers here on Wednesday by the Atharva Foundation.

The organisation will honour soldiers for their contribution to the country on January 31 next year, and stories of different soldiers will be presented.

Asked if he would like to make a film out of any of the stories, Bhandarkar said: "I feel the idea is superb. It deals with a heart-wrenching subject, but definitely, tomorrow (in future) if I feel like making a film on that, I will definitely make it. But it has to be a big canvas film.

"It has to have that kind of infrastructure to it. I heard four stories of these soldiers and each of them is beautiful. So I would love to make a film based on one of those stories."

Bhandarkar was also asked if India can improve its relationship with Pakistan through cultural exchanges.

He said: "I've always said it; Art has no boundaries. Whether people in Pakistan listen to our songs or vice-versa, we always connect with the song or the film. So I don't think the culture is not connecting. But sometimes situations are like that and they turn serious. So, suddenly we are forced to think and go into pause mode.

"I've been to Lahore, people have seen my movies, there is a fan following and I got a warm reception in the country. Here also we listen to their songs, those people listen to Lata Mangeshkar's songs, watch Hema Malini's movies, they are fans of Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, so it feels good."

Actress and BJP MP Hema Malini, who praised the Atharva Foundation's initiative, was asked if she will visit soldiers at the border.

She said: "We are organising this event on January 31, 2018 at NSCI Dome where we will showcase stories of soldiers. But before that, we are planning to meet soldiers at Sikkim border because I feel going and meeting them itself is very big thing. We can give some encouraging talk to them and maybe we can meet their families as well, to tell them we have met your family member on border."
New Delhi, Nov 30 : Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday said small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can play a crucial role in checking climate degrading practices in the industrial sector and ensuring a "greener future".

Addressing the 21st International Conference on Small and Medium Enterprises organised by the World Association for Small and Medium Enterprises, Naidu said that people are now waking up to the reality of climate change, which was not the case till a few decades back.

"Few decades ago, discussions on these topics remained confined to scientific conferences as the general public either remained blissfully indifferent or were not fully aware about the disastrous consequences," he said.

"But gradually people have started to realize the dangers of indiscriminate depletion of natural resources and that it cannot be business as usual. In sustaining this planet and ensuring a greener future for posterity, the SMEs can play a crucial role by adopting practices that will not impact the environment and harm the present and future generations," he added.

Terming them as the "backbone" of the country's economy, Naidu informed the people that SMEs contribute up to 45 per cent in the country's GDP and the sector employs nearly 46 crore people, becoming "the second largest workforce in the country after the agricultural sector".

He said the sector was growing at 11.5 per cent annually.

Citing the numbers from World Bank, he said: "600 million jobs will be needed in the next 15 years to absorb the growing global workforce, mainly in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa."

He also conceded the problems ailing the sector which is "handicapped by skill gaps, poor technology, regulatory complexities and trade barriers", and said these challenges needed to be assailed for SMEs to realise their full potential.
New Delhi, Nov 30 : Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Thursday questioned how many times Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gone to temples, and said Modi has given up Hindu religion for the sake of Hindutva. The BJP hit back, saying that Sibal has lost his mental balance.

Speaking to reporters here, a day after a controversy broke out over Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's visit to the Somnath temple in Gujarat, Sibal asked: "How many times does the Prime Minister go to a temple? Does he go to temple every morning?"

"The people who go to temples are those who respect the sentiments of Hindu religion. He (Modi) has given up Hindu religion and adopted Hindutva which has nothing to do with the Hindu religion," Sibal said.

"A true Hindu is one who considers every Indian as brother, sister or mother... does not say anything that hurts the sentiment of others... reacts immediately against violence... does not do politics on everything and goes amidst the farmers and understand their problems," Sibal added.

On Wednesday, the BJP questioned the faith of Gandhi after his media coordinator Manoj Tyagi signed the register meant for non-Hindus in Somnath temple, which the Congress claimed was manipulated later by adding the names of Rahul Gandhi and Ahmed Patel.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back at Sibal.

"Kapil Sibalji may have lost his mental balance so he is making such statements. Maybe he needs to get his brain examined," BJP National General Secretary of Kailash Vijayvargiya said.

Party spokesperson Nalin Kohli called it a "zero argument".

"What a strange comment from Kapil Sibalji, his fame is zero loss theory, this is zero argument. His zero loss theory was actually rejected by the honourable Supreme Court... just like that today he has come with a zero argument," said Kohli.

He said the question arose as Rahul Gandhi's associate wrote his name in the register meant for non-Hindus, and denied any role of the BJP in the incident.

"This has to be explained by the Congress party, it is not a conspiracy by BJP," Kohli said.

He added that Rahul Gandhi is free under the Constitution of India to be of any religion.

"Why pretend what you are not?" he added.

Party spokesperson G.V.L. Narasimha Rao alleged there was "secrecy and deceit" about the Nehru-Gandhi family.

"RahulG, Why is there so much secrecy and deceit about your and family's religion, foreign travels, educational qualifications, passports/citizenship? Questions are never answered. Even British monarchy is more transparent. Is RTI only for government and not for politicians?" he tweeted.
Kolkata, Nov 30 : The BJP on Thursday accused the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) of supplying geographical maps of India to the state-run schools that exclude Arunachal Pradesh and Pakistan-administered Kashmir from Indian territory.

The maps were allegedly circulated by the state government-administered autonomous examination authority for the test examination in schools ahead of the Standard X board examination.

"The question papers given to schools by the WBBSE for Class X board test examination include a map of India that has Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh separated from the Indian territory. The map has a watermark of the state-run board," state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary Raju Banerjee alleged.

"How could this have happened without the state government's consent? While we are trying to protect Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh in India, the Trinamool Congress government is speaking the language of Pakistan and China. What can be more shameful than this?" he questioned.

The BJP leader said they were writing to the central government urging them to initiate immediate action against the Bengal government.

Refuting the allegation, the state government said the board could not be held responsible for the flaws in the question papers of schools' internal examination, as it did not set the question paper.

"These are baseless allegations. The secondary board sets question papers for the final examinations. It has no role in the test examinations held in schools. The respective school authorities set those question papers," state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee claimed.

"Also, there is a watermark of WBBSE on the map. However, there are generally no watermarks on the question papers printed by the board. It would have a code instead," he clarified.

He also accused the BJP of conspiring to malign the West Bengal government and confuse the people of the state, as they (BJP) were unable to score politically here.

"The BJP is constantly conspiring to confuse people and create unrest in the state as they are unable to derive any political mileage in Bengal. I would ask the secondary board to move the police against these allegations," Chatterjee said.

The BJP leader, who made these allegations, should be brought under the scanner, he demanded.
New Delhi, Nov 30 : The Narendra Modi government on Thursday cited its policies for the acceleration of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) to 6.3 per cent during the second quarter (Q2) of 2017-18.

"Government's reforms to push economic growth are working (and it) can be seen from that manufacturing has shown robust growth of 7 per cent in Q2 and services at 7.1 per cent," tweeted Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Arun Jaitley.

"Gross fixed capital formation has increased from 1.6 per cent in Q1 to 4.7 per cent in Q2."

Official data revealed that a rise in the manufacturing sector's output pushed India's growth rate higher to 6.3 per cent during the second quarter of 2017-18 breaking a five-quarter slump.

On a sequential basis, India's GDP growth for Q2 of the current fiscal went up to 6.3 per cent, from 5.7 per cent reported during the first quarter of 2017-18.

Railways Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted: "Transformational reforms under PM Narendra Modi is bearing fruit through faster growth and prosperity for all. Quarterly GDP growth accelerates to 6.3 per cent versus 5.7 per cent in the previous quarter."

Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said the fundamentals of Indian economy are getting stronger. "Benefits of structural reforms by Narendra Modi will boost GDP in future," he said.

Echoing Prabhu's sentiment, Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "India's GDP growth rate shows upward trend in 2nd quarter of 2017-18 and registers a growth rate of 6.3 per cent.

"This coupled with strong fundamentals hold promise for a great future of Indian economy under the leadership of Narendra Modi. India unstoppable."

Praising Modi for the growth, Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah tweeted: "Today's GDP numbers reiterate the India unstoppable story under PM Modi.

"The strong rebound in growth is a reflection of solid economic management by the Modi Government. The significant uptick in the manufacturing sector is a very positive sign for our economy and will further boost Make In India and generate more employment.

"India's rise in World Bank's Ease of Doing Business rankings, upgrade by Moody's, praise by Standard & Poor's and the strong growth in Q2 show that India's rise is inevitable," he said, adding that Modi government's efforts are ensuring better prospects for every Indian.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted: "A big blow to all those who were criticising GST's historic decision! Great news that quarterly GDP growth accelerates to 6.3 per cent against 5.7 per cent from the previous quarter. Thanks to the continuous reforms by Narendra Modi that our nation is conquering peaks of success!"

Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram tweeted that he was "happy that the July-Sep quarter has registered a growth rate of 6.3 per cent" but said this was below expectations.

"This a 'pause' in the declining trend of the last five quarters. But we cannot say now whether this will mark an upward trend in the growth rate. We should wait for the growth rates over the next 3-4 quarters before we can reach a definite conclusion."

In another tweet, he said that "6.3 per cent is far below the 'promise' of the Modi government and far below the 'potential' of a well-managed Indian economy".
Thiruvananthapuram, November 30 : Senior leaders of the CPI in Kerala has paid rich tributes to veteran CPI leader and former minister E Chandrasekharan Nair, who passed away on Wednesday.

CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran described Mr. Chandrasekharan Nair as a communist whose political activism was founded on principles.

Writing in mathrubhumi daily, Kanam opined that Kerala would remember Chandrasekharan Nair as an efficient administrator.

As minister for food and civil supplies, he made the public distribution system in Kerala the best in the country, Kanam noted.

Chandrasekharan Nair started Onam festival markets in 1980, the success of which paved the way for the setting up of Maveli stores (aimed at selling essential items at subsidised rates to drive down market prices), the CPI state secretary added.

Senior leader and former state secretary of the CPI Pannyan Raveendran, in an article in Kerala Kaumudy daily, paid tribute to Mr. Nair by describing him as the best textbook for political students.

Nair was an ideal communist who proved to be equally successful both as a political activist and as an administrator, Mr. Raveendran wrote.

Noting that Chandrasekharan Nair never hankered after positions, Pannyan Raveendran remembered that the departed communist stalwart stepped down as legislator from Kottarakkara constituency in 1969 so that C Achutha Menon (former chief minister and CPI leader) could contest from there.

When the question of who would step down as MLA to make way for Achutha Menon came up in the party then, no one was willing to forsake their seats. However, an unfazed Raveendran Nair came forward saying I will step aside, notes Pannyan Raveendran, adding that its testament to Nairs greatness that he was willing to forsake positions he had won,

Former minister and CPI leader C Divakaran said in an article that Chandrasekharan Nairs commitment towards the poor came to the fore during his time as minister for food and civil supplies.

Nairs amazing work in streamlining the public distribution system and setting up of Maveli stores earned him the moniker Maveli minister, Divakaran wrote, adding that Maveli stores in Kerala were memorials to Chandrsekharan Nair.
Egypt's former prime minister and presidential hopeful Ahmed Shafiq said on Wednesday that Emirati authorities have barred him from leaving the country hours after he announced he would run for the Egyptian presidency in the upcoming 2018 elections.

"I was surprised that I was banned from leaving the brotherly nation of the United Arab Emirates, for reasons I do not understand," Shafiq said in a brief video message late on Wednesday.

"I was intending to carry out a tour among members of the Egyptian community abroad before returning to my homeland in the next few days," he added.

He thanked the UAE for its hospitality but said he rejects "interfering in [his] country's affairs" by hindering him from running in the elections, which are scheduled to be held between March and April 2018.

The UAE, Shafiq's current country of residence and a close ally of Egypts, was quick to dismiss the claims.

"The UAE affirms there is no obstacle to Shafiq's departure from the country," Anwar Gargash, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said on his official Twitter account.

Gargash said his country regrets Shafiq's claims especially after it "offered him all facilitation and generous hospitality," granting him refuge in the Emirates despite strong reservations over some of his positions" after he fled Egypt in 2012.

Shafiq's party, the Egyptian Patriotic Movement, said in a statement that the video, which was first broadcast by the Al-Jazeera channel, was leaked with the aim of "incitement against him" after he announced his candidacy, describing the channel as "hostile towards Egypt" and serving a special agenda.

Shafiq said in a video statement on his Twitter account Wednesday that his decision to run in the election comes as "the country is currently facing many problems in all aspects of life," while highlighting his experience in the Egyptian air force.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who was elected president by a landslide in 2014, has not confirmed whether he will run for a second term in the upcoming elections. He has stated, however, that he respects the country's constitutional limit of two four-year terms on the presidency.

Shafiq is the second person to announce intentions to run for president in 2018. His announcement follows that of human rights lawyer and former 2012 presidential candidate Khaled Ali who declared his own intended candidacy earlier this month.

The 76-year-old Shafiq served as aviation minister under former President Hosni Mubarak and briefly as prime minister during the 2011 uprising before being replaced in February 2012.

Shafiq narrowly lost the 2012 presidential elections to the Muslim Brotherhoods Mohamed Morsi, who held the office for one year before he was ousted following nationwide protests against his rule.

Shortly after the election, Shafiq claimed that the vote was rigged and travelled to the UAE, citing "safety concerns."

While in the UAE, Shafiq was tried in absentia on a number of corruption charges, but was either acquitted or had charges against him dropped.

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Abidjan, Nov 30 : Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, termed the return of Morocco to the African Union as "delightful" and added that with it Africa has regained its unity.

"With the delightful return of the Kingdom of Morocco, embodied today by the presence of King Mohammed VI, Africa has regained its unity," he said at the opening ceremony on Wednesday of the 5th African Union-European Union Summit, which was attended by the King.

"With this return, the AU-EU couple has regained its balance, its strengths and an exceptional bi-continental status," he added, MAP news agency reported.

Since the last summit held in Brussels in 2014, the AU has undergone significant changes that are part of a restructuring dynamic driven by its leaders in order to make it an effective instrument of development and integration and achieve the aspirations of the African peoples, he added.

The theme of this 5th AU-EU Summit, which dovetails with that of the AU for the year 2017, namely 'Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in Youth', "is far from being mere coincidence", he noted, adding that this thematic convergence confirms that Africa and Europe share the same concerns regarding today's demands.

"This invites us to build up a strategic alliance and not just a partnership in pursuit of mercantile interests, through a deeper dialogue between our cultures and our civilizations and through the

building of a bridge of friendship between our two continents," Faki said.

The 5th AU-EU Summit is themed 'Investing in Youth for a Sustainable Future'.

In addition to the main theme of youth, the Summit will also discuss an array of issues as peace and security, governance, democracy, human rights, migration and mobility, investment and trade,

competence building and job creation.
Lucknow, Nov 30 : A journalist of a leading Hindi daily died after unidentified bike-borne assailants pumped several bullets into him in a market in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur Rural district, police said.

The incident took place in the Bilhaur area where the assailants approached Naveen Gupta, opened indiscriminate fire at him and fled before anyone could react.

The journalist was rushed to a nearby medical facility but declared dead by doctors there.

Gupta worked for Hindustan as its local reporter from Bilhaur, a suburb of Kanpur.

Police said they were trying to ascertain the reasons behind the killing.

Scribes have aired their anger and anguish at the murder.

This is the second killing of a journalist in the state in just over a month. In October, RSS activist and Dainik Jagran stringer Rajesh Mishra was shot dead in the state's Ghazipur district.
Chandigarh, Nov 30 : Elections to Punjab's three Municipal Corporations of Amritsar, Jalandhar and Patiala and 32 Nagar Councils and Nagar Panchayats will be held on December 17, State Election Commissioner Jagpal Singh Sandhu announced on Thursday.

With the announcement of the schedule, the model code of conduct has come into force immediately in the areas falling within the jurisdiction of corporations, nagar councils and nagar panchayats concerned.

The results would be declared on the same day, Sandhu said.

He said that 50 per cent seats will be reserved for the women in corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats.

The municipal elections are crucial for Punjab as these are being held nearly nine months after the Congress won the assembly polls in March, securing 77 seats in the 117-member assembly.
Lyttelton (New Zealand), Nov 30 : The Indian Navy's sailboat INSV Tarini -- carrying an all-women crew of six on an around-the-world expedition -- arrived here in New Zealand, their second port of call during the world odyssey.

Lack of wind has been the biggest challenge for the crew on the sailboat, its skipper Lt Commander Vertika Joshi said after the vessel arrived at Lyttelton on Wednesday.

The boat arrived a day later than expected, with Vertika Joshi mentioning unusually calm seas, with little wind, as they crossed the Tasman Sea, an official statement said on Thursday.

"We were told to expect rough seas, but somehow that didn't happen," Joshi was quoted as saying in a statement released by New Zealand's High Commission in India.

"Lack of wind has been the most challenging aspect of the journey so far. It can get really frustrating when the sails start flapping and you don't make good headway," she said.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had flagged off INSV Tarini from Goa on September 10.

The vessel has covered 7,800 nautical miles from Goa, crossing the Equator on September 25 and Cape Leeuwin on November 9. It reached Fremantle on October 23 in the first leg of its journey, departing again on November 5 for Lyttelton.

Welcoming INSV Tarini to New Zealand on behalf of the Royal New Zealand Navy, Captain Corina Bruce admired the crew.

"These women are not only outstanding representatives of their country and their service but also a high-performing team of ocean sailors," Captain Bruce said.

"This round-the-world voyage is definitely not for the fainthearted but these sailors have clearly shown that they have what it takes."

"As a sailor myself, I am incredibly impressed by these sailors who have set an example for women around the world with their courage and determination," added Joanna Kempkers, New Zealand's High Commissioner to India.

"It's indeed a special occasion for New Zealand to welcome these pioneers and be part of this historic effort."

Ahead of the sailboat crew will be the challenge of the longest and probably roughest leg, from Lyttelton to the Falkland Islands, which involves passing Cape Horn.

The crew of Lieutenant Commanders Joshi, Pratibha Jamwal and P. Swathi and Lieutenants S. Vijaya Devi, B. Aishwarya and Payal Gupta will spend about two weeks in New Zealand.

"Our main focus will be to get the sailboat ready for the next leg. We would like to look around. This is a beautiful place," Lieutenant Commander Joshi said.

The vessel is expected to return to Goa in April 2018.

The expedition will be covered in five legs, with stopovers at four ports: Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falklands), and Cape Town (South Africa).

Presently, the vessel has covered two of the five legs, with the first port halt at Fremantle in October.

The crew has also been collating and updating meteorological, ocean and wave data on a regular basis for accurate weather forecasts by the India Meteorological Department, as also monitoring marine pollution on the high seas.

It would interact extensively with locals, especially children, during the port halt to promote ocean sailing and a spirit of adventure.

The vessel is likely to depart from Lyttelton on December 12.
New Delhi, Nov 30 : The government is planning to amend an earlier order on banning cattle trade for slaughter that had hurt the livestock economy and threatened the meat industry in the country, informed sources said on Thursday.

The Union Environment Ministry is said to have approached the Law Ministry seeking suggestions on amending the notification issued in May this year.

Ministry officials, however, denied that the government was proposing to roll back the order that made it mandatory to ensure that cattle are not bought or sold for slaughtering in the animal market.

"The matter is before the Law Ministry and it's under process," Environment Secretary C.K. Mishra told IANS.

The process "will take some time", he added.

The Environment Ministry on May 26 this year modified the rules to prevent cruelty to animals, making it mandatory to ensure that cattle are not bought or sold for slaughtering in the animal market.

The list of animals that cannot be bought or sold for slaughter through cattle markets includes cows, bulls, buffaloes, heifers, calves and camels.

However, a day after notifying the modifications, the ministry said the animals for the purpose of slaughtering could be procured directly from the farmers at their respective farms.

After notifying the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules-2017, the ministry clarified that the aim was to regulate the animal market and prevent cruelty to animals.

To ensure the rules are implemented, undertakings would have to be taken in the market by the "District Animal Market Monitoring Committee" at the district level and the "Animal Market Committee" at the local level.

Since the notification, there have been widespread protests against the new norms in various states, especially Kerala. Youth Congress activists took to the streets in the state but caused outrage by publicly slashing the head of an ox during one such protest in May.

The state's ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist held over 300 "beef festivals" across Kerala where cooked beef was freely served.

Kerala is one of the states in the country where cow slaughter is not banned.
Rome, Nov 30 : Italy's Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano on Thursday held "cordial" talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif on the sidelines of a Mediterranean summit here and described dialogue between the two countries as "excellent".

Topics covered during Alfano's meeting with Zarif included Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, and bilateral ties between Italy and Iran, said a Italian Foreign Ministry statement.

"The level of bilateral dialogue between Iran and Italy is excellent," Alfano said.

Italy and the European Union are determined that the Vienna accord should remain the cornerstone of international nuclear non-proliferation, Alfano told Zarif during their meeting, the Foreign Ministry said.

"The lifting of European sanctions against Iran has lead to a surge in interest shown by Italian companies in the Iranian market," Alfano said, telling Zarif that the Italian government is taking action to support Italian firms interested in Iran.
Bengaluru, Nov 30 : About 20,000 youth across the country would be skilled by 2020 in apparel, made-ups and home furnishing sectors in collaboration with textile major Arvind Ltd, said Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Ananthkumar Hegde on Thursday.

"We have started skill training of about 1,000 youth as the first batch in Bengaluru and will soon extend it in other cities through the National Skill Development Corporation under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana," he said.

Arvind Ltd (formerly Arvind Mills) is the flagship company of the Ahmedabad-based Lalbhai Group and manufactures cotton shirting, denim, knits and fabrics.

As the second largest employment generator in the country, the textile sector has huge demand for skilled candidates.

The job roles, aligned to the National Skills Qualifications Framework, encompass training of candidates for three to six months. The skills are being provided at Arvind's nine training centres across the state.

"The youth will be trained to become specialised sewing machine operator, quality check executive in sewing line, packer, pressman and washing machine operator," said Hegde.

The training is open to all skill seekers, especially the unemployed youth in 18-35 years age group.

"Corporate India can be a major contributor to this nation-building exercise. The industry can utilise its expertise and provide relevant training to the youth in accordance with the demands," he said.

The training will enhance productivity and employability opportunities for the youth and provide ready talent pool to the industry.

"As inclusive approach is key to sustainable skill development,Acorporates can play pivotal role in bridging the demand-supply gap of skilled workforce," said NSDC Chief Executive Manish Kumar.
Rome, Nov 30 : Italian Foreign Minster Angelino Alfano on Monday urged the international community to rapidly act to defeat terrorism, which he said shared similarities with the mafia or organised crime syndicates.

Like the mafia, terrorism "is a human phenomenon that like all human phenomena is based on a principle, evolves and has an end. It is up to us to hasten this end," he said, urging countries in the Mediterranean region to act together.

Alfano was speaking at the Mediterranean Dialogues summit in Rome which is being attended by 45 heads of state and government from Thursday to Saturday.

"Vile" terror attacks like last week's assault on a Sufi mosque in Egypt in which over 300 people were killed must be prevented in future, he said.

"We must act soon - immediately - in a medium-to-long-term perspective," Alfano said, recalling that Italy is a member of the international coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group.
Hyderabad, Nov 30 : The eighth Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) concluded here Thursday with the speakers at the closing plenary calling for more action to help women entrepreneurs and later, NITI Ayog and Telangana government announcing series of initiatives.

The speakers stressed the need to ensure that women entrepreneurs have access to funding and get mentorship and all support not just from the government but also from men.

The session was themed 'When women win, we all win' with NITI Ayog CEO Amitabh Kant serving as the moderator.

The speakers included USAID Administrator Mark Green, Welspun India CEO Dipali Goenka, iEurope Capital LLC Co-Founder and Managing Director Kristina Davison, Petrolink Founder and CEO Lerato Motsami and TeamLease Chairman Manish Sabharwal.

The speakers also called for bridging the digital divide and providing women entrepreneurs access to Information Technology and Internet.

For the second consecutive day, several parallel sessions were held to discuss various issues relating to women entrepreneurs.

The three-event with the theme 'women first priority for all' was co-hosted by the US and India.

It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while US President Donald Trump's daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump led the US delegation.

About 1,500 delegates including entrepreneurs, investors and eco-system supporters from 150 nations had two-days of networking, mentoring and investment matchmaking.

Amitabh Kant described as a very successful and an outstanding event. He said it was the 8th GES and the first to be held in South Asia.

The women participation was 53 per cent, the highest in GES. The women from 127 countries participated and 10 countries had all-women delegations.

He said Ivanka Trump brought formidable delegation of 35 business leaders and state officials with her while Modi attended the event with cabinet colleagues Sushma Swaraj and Nirmala Sitaraman.

He said 2,200 participants including guests attended the event. It also saw participants sharing 70,000 contacts including over 40,000 through GOQii band. He described this as "phenomenal" and "mind-boggling".

Amitabh Kant said the event witnessed amazing energy and vibrancy by women entrepreneurs. It discussed various issues and the common feeling was that women entrepreneurs make better entrepreneurs.

He thanked the Telangana government for making all the arrangements for successful conduct of GES, which had 53 sessions and 200 speakers.

Telangana Information Technology, Industry and Commerce Minister K.T. Rama Rao said the delegates were of the opinion that logistically, in terms of content, quality of speakers, networking opportunities and in terms of venture capital deal flow, it was the most successful GES.

Immediately after the event concluded, both NITI Ayog and Telangana government announced series of initiatives to help women entrepreneurs.

Amitabh Kant declared that a women's cell will be set up in NITI Ayog for handholding. He also assured all support to women entrepreneurs in terms of funding and mentorship.

The Telangana government announced setting up WE-Hub, an incubator exclusively for women entrepreneurs. It also announced Rs 15 crore fund to help them.
Rome, Nov 30 : Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano on Thursday welcomed Italy's appointment to the International Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

"Italy's election as a member of the International Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict - and its appointment to its governing board - is a further significant recognition of the activity that our Country carries out with Unesco for the defence of cultural heritage," Alfano said in a statement.

"This achievement consolidates our foreign policy action in a sector where Italy has conquered an undisputed leadership, a sector which is also of major interest for both the European Union and the United Nations," he added.

The Committee, composed of 12 states that hold office for four years, monitors compliance with the 1954 Convention, the first of Unesco's cultural conventions on the protection of cultural heritage, born from the ashes of the Second World War.

It receives and examines the requests for international assistance to protect cultural heritage and assigns reinforced protection to the cultural property deemed to be of great importance for mankind.

Despite its approval date (1954) the agreement "is still dramatically topical in light of the recent systematic and deliberate attacks against cultural heritage in various parts of the world," Alfano said.

The work that Italy has promoted within UNESCO on the so-called 'Blue Helmets of culture' unfolded within the context of this important Convention", Alfano stated, referring to a specialised unit of the Italian paramilitary Carabinieri police.
The Egyptian military has destroyed three hideouts and seized a weapons depot used by militants in the central part of the border Sinai Peninsula, a spokesman said Thursday.

Tamer El-Refaie said in a statement that the military's third field forces seized a weapons cache housing "anti-tank projectiles, large amounts of highly explosive TNT material used by the militants to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IEDs), explosive belts and mortar shells."

Egypts army has been battling an Islamist insurgency mainly based in North Sinai, which has killed hundreds of army and police personnel.

Last week, over 300 civilians were killed when militants opened fire on worshippers at a mosque in the town of Bir Al-Abed in North Sinai.

The Egyptian armed forces and air force have launched several strikes against terror hideouts in North Sinai since the attack.

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What Did the CIA Really Know About the JFK Assassination?

The release of secret documents fuels the research passions of history buffs, scholars and conspiracy theorists.

The release of secret documents fuels the research passions of

history buffs, scholars and conspiracy theorists

By Kristen Taynor, Content Editor, Special Contributor to the ProQuest Blog

More than 10,000 previously classified records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy were released to the public by the National Archive in mid-November  many of them said to be focused on the connection between the CIA and JFKs accused killer, Lee Harvey Oswald.

For author and former Washington Post reporter Jeff Morley, the decades-long secrecy that has surrounded these documents raises suspicions. To me, its almost self-evident the government is hiding something thats highly embarrassing to them about all of this, he told host Bob McKeown on CBC Televisions Fifth Estate.

Morley explained that the newly-released documents contradict the official CIA cover story that their interest in Oswald was merely routine. Well, it wasnt routine, he said. It was intensive and it was at a very high level.

This is the fifth batch of confidential records tied to the Kennedy assassination released by the government this year. These highly-anticipated papers include letters, memos, diplomatic cables and more  archival primary sources that are invaluable to historians, political scientists, and other researchers.

These documents can be studied in conjunction with previously released documents and other government records, opening unexplored research pathways and new discoveries.

And with History Vaults expertly curated, easily searched digitized collections of such documents, investigating alternative theories has never been easier.

Fodder for researchers and conspiracy theorists

Millions of items relating to the JFK assassination have already been released to the public, including text files and audiovisual materials. ProQuest's History Vault has three collections of textual documents available within two of its modules, totaling more than 70,000 pages.

The first module, "Vietnam War and American Foreign Policy, 1960-1975, encompasses documents that do not relate directly to JFK's assassination. However, these materials were classified as "assassination records" because they chronicle U.S. policy with Cuba, one of the critical paths investigated in the aftermath of the assassination.

Another module, "American Politics and Society from Kennedy to Watergate," contains two collections dealing directly with the assassination. During 1975-76, the Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities conducted exhaustive hearings and review of U.S. intelligence operations, specifically the FBI and CIA. As part of this examination, the Church Committee (named after its chairman, Democratic Senator Frank Church) investigated the role of intelligence agencies relating to the JFK assassination.

Part of these documents focus on the identification of possible connections among the assassination, its perpetrator, Lee Harvey Oswald, and CIA operations or U.S. plots to remove Cuban leader Fidel Castro from power. Another section of these materials takes these connections a step further with testimony that explores the possible links between JFK's assassination and secret plots against Castro.

Resources for further research

The National Archives has an entire website devoted to the JFK records with details on the process of releasing material to the public.

Learn more and sign up for free trials of ProQuest History Vault and other ProQuest resources.

Take a look at the brochures for more information on History Vault modules, American Politics and Society from Kennedy to Watergate and Vietnam War and American Foreign Policy, 1960-1975. Both brochures also detail other History Vault modules relating to U.S. domestic and international policy and conflicts.

ProQuest Legislative Insight has a legislative history of the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 along with the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Extension Act of 1994.

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Georgia SoftWorks celebrates 10 years of partnership with CSI Ltd. Since 2007, CSI Ltd has been an Authorized Reseller of the Georgia SoftWorks Telnet Server for Windows and SSH Server for Windows. Located in the United Kingdom with offices in Leeds, Nottingham and Oxford, CSI is one of the UKs leading business system integrators.

Established in 1983, CSI has the in-house technical skills to develop, design and manage all aspects of networks, systems, applications and e-business solutions to help businesses reach their IT goals. They work closely with SAP, delivering SAP services from full SAP R/3 implementation, upgrades and templates for MBE for more specialized solutions for RF, RFID, Voice and Mobile Solutions.

We are proud to have CSI Ltd on our reseller list, said Matt Kittrell of Georgia SoftWorks. They have a diverse portfolio of customers and they specialize in SAP, making them a great match for the Georgia SoftWorks products. We look forward to many years of partnership with them in the future.

The Georgia SoftWorks UTS is the most reliable, full-featured and highest-performing Telnet Server and SSH Server available for SAPConsole. Working out of the box with SAP, the GSW Telnet and SSH has been time tested and proven in mission critical SAP environments around the world.

Georgia SoftWorks is a software development company located in Dawsonville, Georgia USA who has gained worldwide recognition for their development of the GSW Telnet Server for Windows and SSH Server for Windows. The GSW Telnet and SSH Server for Windows are industrial quality software designed for superior operation in the most demanding mobile RF Terminal environments. GSW has end-users and resellers in every continent (except Antarctica). Their software is used in a variety of industries, including government, automobile manufacturing, schools, oil companies, airlines, pharmaceutical, medical, food and beverage and more.

About Georgia SoftWorks:

Established in 1991, Georgia SoftWorks is a privately held software development company recognized for creating high performance data communications, system and telecommunications applications. Georgia SoftWorks has obtained a worldwide presence with its industrial SSH/Telnet Server for Microsoft Windows. GSW's long-term commitment to SSH/Telnet has led to the pioneering of major features such as Session Shadowing, Session Monitoring, Graceful Termination, Automatic Logon, Logon Scripting and more recently Team Services technology which allows mobile device users to transfer, swap, share and recover mobile device sessions. GSW has also provided the very first SSH Server to provide Digital Certificate Authentication with an Internet Information Server (IIS) like certificate-to-user account mapping. This includes One-to-one and Many-to-one mapping methods and also supports certificate trust lists (CTL).
Town of Georgetown joins Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System Because we arent the only agency posting and distributing bids, the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System provides the Town of Georgetown more vendor competition, which we hope will help cut costs.

The Town of Georgetown has officially joined the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System, one of BidNets regional e-procurement solutions, providing vendors throughout Colorado and Wyoming easy online access to its upcoming solicitations. The Town of Georgetown invites all vendors to register online at http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado.

The regional purchasing group connects local governments with vendors looking to do business with public agencies. On the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System, vendors seeking business with over 200 participating agencies can register online to gain access to a single point of entry for opportunities throughout Colorado and Wyoming. By posting upcoming bids and RFPs on the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System, the Town of Georgetown ensures an entire community of vendors can view their solicitations, download documents, and receive notification of addenda. The vendors self-register and ensure that their contact information is up to date.

Because we arent the only agency posting and distributing bids, the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System provides the Town of Georgetown more vendor competition, which we hope will help cut costs. said Alisha Reis, Interim Town Administrator of the Town of Georgetown when asked why their department decided to join the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System. We also like that it can help our current vendors expand their business opportunities.

The Town of Georgetown invites all local vendors to visit http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado and register to receive access to its upcoming solicitations as well as the upcoming bids and RFPs from 201 other public agencies participating on the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System. Registered vendors have the option to upgrade their service to receive customized bid alerts, notification of term contract expiration, and notification of a real-time addendum.

About the Town of Georgetown:

The historic Town of Georgetown is the Territorial Charter Municipality that is the county seat of Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States. The former silver mining camp along Clear Creek in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains was established in 1859 during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush.

About the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System:

The Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System is a part of BidNets regional purchasing groups available at no cost to local government agencies. With years of input from procurement professionals, BidNet specifically developed the bid system to fill the need for a robust bid and supplier management solution for local government agencies. BidNet runs regional purchasing groups throughout the country used by nearly 1,200 local government agencies. To learn more about the features and modules available to government agencies, please visit http://www.SourceSuite.com
212 Gives Back The 212 Gives Back campaign facilitates an opportunity for all of us to make a difference!

Each December, employees at 212 Media Studios receive a second Christmas bonusbut not for their personal benefit. Instead, they are encouraged to donate the extra money to local nonprofits of their choice.

Our team is very diverse, and with that comes passion for different causes and people, says Chief Marketing Officer David Phelps. The 212 Gives Back campaign facilitates an opportunity for all of us to make a difference for causes were passionate about. Rather than 212 Media Studios donating to one place in the community, multiple nonprofits will benefit from this Christmas campaign.

The idea for 212 Gives Back was born in 2014 and has served to make generosity a priority for the 212 team. Phelps continues, By giving employees the freedom to choose where to donate, 212 opens the door for employees to explain their decisions and increase awareness for nonprofits in the community.

Throughout December, each employees choice will be featured on the 212 Media Studios blog, with an explanation of the nonprofits mission and work. Follow 212 Media Studios on Facebook to learn more about the recipients of this years 212 Gives Back campaign as they are announced.
The latest features of Repsly make it even easier to use for emerging brands looking to get on the map.

Repsly, Inc., a SaaS company changing the way sales and marketing teams do work in the field, today announced it will be participating as a Silver Sponsor of the upcoming BevNET Live Conference on December 4 and 5 at the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica, California. A leading beverage industry event that brings together beverage entrepreneurs, suppliers, distributors, retailers and investors to gather and exchange ideas, BevNET Live Winter is also where Repsly annually meets up with its many customers and partners on the west coast, including Hint and LA Libations who will be speaking at the conference.

Each year the Repsly team looks forward to BevNET LIVE, which is a great place to get some sun, visit with our local accounts, and connect with new and old friends, said Allen Bonde, Repslys VP of Marketing. We are also eager to showcase the latest features of Repsly that make it even easier to use for emerging brands looking to get on the map, or growth brands who want to gain a competitive edge by simplifying how they collect data and standardizing what their reps do in the field.

Come see Repsly in action at BevNET LIVE - and book your appointment now!

Repsly will be exhibiting in the Silver Sponsor section of BevNET Live, sharing insider tips for how leading beverage brands are winning more accounts, building their brand, standing out on the shelf - and socializing insights to grow the business, by deploying a tool that teams actually want to use. Repslys exhibit booth will also feature:

A live demo station to see our mobile CRM in action - learn how Repslys manager console makes it easy to see where and when your reps are working, and assign tasks and due dates through our advanced scheduling capabilities.

Our live content street team, ready to hear your brand story and capture it on video to be featured in our award-winning blog and syndicated via our content sponsorships with BevNET, Project NOSH, Brewbound, and other industry publications.

To book an appointment with a Repsly specialist before, during, or after the show, just visit: https://www.repsly.com/schedule-an-appointment.

About Repsly

Repsly, Inc. is a software as a service company that helps brands grow from where they are today to where they want to be tomorrow, in a human, enjoyable way. With a super-easy-to-use mobile CRM, Repsly is helping brands like Altra Running, Health-Ade Kombucha, Heretic Brewing, UNREAL Candy and Zevia get closer to their customers by simplifying how their field teams collect data, work together, and drive sales. Headquartered in Boston, with an R&D team in Zagreb, Croatia, Repsly works with 1,000 brands and partners around the globe. Learn more at http://www.repsly.com.
Technology is ever changing and we are always looking for ways to stay out front. WRGs Symmetry eBanking Online gives us a platform that truly expands the self-service functionality for our members.

Wescom Resources Group, LLC (WRG), a technology CUSO, announced that UNCLE Credit Union has successfully launched a new online banking platform using WRGs Symmetry eBanking online product suite. UNCLE CU, based in Livermore, California, holds $394 million dollars in assets and serves over 23,000 members.

The credit union first started using WRGs digital banking products in 2012. After five years, UNCLE CU inked a deal to migrate their online banking services from WRGs MemberEdge platform to its next-generation solution, Symmetry eBanking Online, in conjunction with Symmetry Mobile Banking and Symmetry Bill Pay.

Technology is ever changing and we are always looking for ways to stay out front, said Aimee Hensley, Business Analyst at UNCLE CU. WRGs Symmetry eBanking Online gives us a platform that truly expands the self-service functionality for our members.

Symmetry eBanking Online went live to the credit unions members on November 7, 2017. The implementation process was very thorough, and enabled a smooth and seamless launch to our membership, Hensley stated. Our management team, board and staff are excited about the upgrade and the opportunity to bring new self-service options to members. To date, weve received favorable feedback from members about the new functionality.

About Wescom Resources Group

Backed by Wescom Credit Union, one of the nations largest credit unions, with nearly $3.7 billion in assets and serving 192,000 members, Wescom Resources Group provides credit unions with advanced technology solutions that increase their competitive edge. With over 130 clients, WRG is a leader in innovative technologies for the credit union industry. Through its Symmetry eBanking suite, WRG offers an integrated digital channel solution that includes Online and Mobile Banking, Bill Pay, eAlerts, Multi-Factor Authentication, Member-Directed ACH, online account opening and more. WRG also offers one of the most robust Service Bureau solutions in the credit union industry. WRGs Tellergy solution provides branch automation for todays modern credit union. For more information, visit http://www.wescomresources.com.
We are excited to welcome Tim as part of our growth-oriented executive team, as we continue to find more ways of serving our partners and customers

AireSpring, a leading provider of cloud communications and managed connectivity solutions, announced today that Tim Chenoweth has joined its team in the role of Director, Voice Vendor Management. He will have responsibility for driving AireSprings wholesale voice business, leveraging his deep experience and industry standing in vendor bilateral buy/sell relationships, expense optimization, contract negotiation and more.

Mr. Chenoweth is well-known in the telecom industry with a reputation for building trust and an industry-wide network of strong vendor relationships. His 23-plus years of background experience, almost all on the wholesale side of the business, include a history of success in business development, product management and development, strategic pricing, contract management, reducing company operating expenses, as well as carrier relations and vendor management.

Most recently, Mr. Chenoweth served as Director of Product Management and Network Routing, Wholesale, for Windstream, where he worked since 2015. Before that, he held the role of Director of Carrier Relations at ANPI and ANI Networks. He began his career in telecommunications working with Verizon, MCI and WilTel in various roles.

Daniel Lonstein, COO of AireSpring, stated, Tim comes to us with an unmatched track record in voice vendor management and in building strong vendor relationships across our industry. We are excited to welcome him as part of our growth-oriented executive team, as we continue to find more ways of serving our partners and customers.

Mr. Chenoweths role at AireSpring as Director of Voice Vendor Management, will build on his industry relationships and professional experience in controlling network operating expenses. He will advance the companys position among wholesale vendors, leveraging wholesale buying and selling opportunities in one strategically designed shop.

Mr. Chenoweth is a graduate of Langston University and received his M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Tulsa. He currently resides in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area and serves on the Board of the Associated Communications Companies of America (ACCA).

About AireSpring

Founded in 2001, AireSpring is an award-winning provider of cloud communications and Managed Connectivity solutions, serving thousands of businesses nationwide. AireSpring provides fully managed and connected end-to-end, next-generation solutions for multi-location enterprise customers. Services include SD-WAN, AirePBX Cloud Business Phone Systems, AireContact Cloud Contact Center, SIP Trunking, MPLS, Disaster Recovery, Managed Security and Business Internet. AireSprings solutions are offered through a diversified network of channel partners that includes distributors, master agents, managed service providers (MSPs), and value added resellers (VARs). AireSprings services are delivered over its revolutionary nationwide MPLS Mesh network, providing customers a fully integrated, end-to-end solution from a single vendor.

AireSpring has received numerous industry awards for Next-Gen Solution Provider, Top Midmarket Vendor Executive, Product of the Year, Best Telecom Deal, Best in Show, and Top Channel Program. AireSpring is privately held, diversified, debt-free, and renowned in the industry for delivering a broad range of innovative cloud communications and connectivity solutions at competitive rates. To find product information or to become an AireSpring partner or agent, please visit http://www.airespring.com or contact us at (888) 389-2899.
Our goal is to let consumers know that when they purchase Avery labels, theyre getting the outstanding product quality to which they have become accustomed.

Avery Products Corporation has filed a lawsuit (Case # CV 17 889577) against sellers of alleged counterfeit Avery labels in the United States in an effort to protect consumers from substandard merchandise and ensure the world-leading reputation of its brand.

We simply will not tolerate such activity, said Jim Sellors, President of Avery North America. Our goal is to let consumers know that when they purchase Avery labels, theyre getting the outstanding product quality to which they have become accustomed.

The company was able to identify the alleged counterfeit Avery products after receiving consumer complaints about defective labels purchased online. The products came boxed in what appeared to be Avery packaging, but didnt perform like genuine Avery labels.

Avery has dedicated more than 50 years to the research and development of the highest-quality labels for use in desktop printers available in the world, said Allison Phillips, Vice President and General Manager Printable Media, Avery North America. Our company spends millions of dollars developing matched software, jam-free quality and perfect printability, while engineering substrates and adhesives to make sure our consumers and trade customers receive only the best.

Consumers who suspect they might have purchased counterfeit Avery products should contact the Avery Consumer Care Center at (800) 462-8379. Counterfeit products may be returned to Avery and once verified will be immediately replaced free of charge.

To learn more about Avery Products, visit avery.com.

About Avery Products Corporation

Avery Products Corporation is the worlds largest supplier of labels, specialty converted media and software solutions to enable short-run digital printing in businesses and homes alongside complementary products sold through distributors and mass market retailers under the Avery brand. Avery Products Corporation, a division of CCL Industries, is based in Brea, California. For more information about Avery products, visit avery.com.

Avery and all other Avery brands, product names and codes are trademarks of CCL Industries, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.

About CCL Industries

CCL Industries employs more than 20,000 people operating 154 production facilities in 36 countries on 6 continents with corporate offices in Toronto, Canada, and Framingham, Massachusetts. CCL is the worlds largest converter of pressure sensitive and extruded film materials for a wide range of decorative, instructional, functional & security applications for government institutions and large global customers in the consumer packaging, healthcare & chemicals, consumer electronic device and automotive markets. Extruded and laminated plastic tubes, folded instructional leaflets, precision decorated and die cut components, electronic displays, polymer bank note substrate and other complementary products and services are sold in parallel to specific end-use markets.

Media Contact

Avery Products Corporation

714-674-8500

press(at)avery(dot)com
Negotiators for Syria's combatants arrived at a U.N. complex for peace talks on Thursday amid expectations the rival teams will be encouraged to hold face-to-face discussions, in what would be a small breakthrough in efforts to end the six-year-old war.

One diplomat said U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura was expected to try to bring the two sides together, but it was not clear whether he would succeed.

Previous rounds of talks have gone almost nowhere, with de Mistura shuttling between hotels and meeting different groups separately. But for the first time Syria's opposition has sent a unified delegation, raising the possibility of direct talks across one table.

After arriving separately at the United Nations complex in Geneva, the two sides were installed in waiting rooms with little risk of meeting by accident, before being called in turn to meet de Mistura. He meets them in two meeting rooms separated by a corridor.

Syrian state TV said the government delegation had arrived at the U.N. "for bilateral talks with de Mistura", suggesting that chief government negotiator Bashar al-Ja'afari was not ready to look his opponents in the eye.

But opposition negotiator Nasr Hariri told Reuters on Wednesday that he was ready for direct talks and was prepared to negotiate with no preconditions.

He said his first words to Ja'afari would be: "I hope despite all of the crimes which have been done in Syria, I hope that the regime can come ready to put the people of Syria first."

If the two sides do meet, it will not be their first time in the same room. In February, de Mistura infuriated Ja'afari by inviting both sides to a ceremony to inaugurate the talks.

On that occasion, as de Mistura warmly embraced the opposition delegates, whom the government of President Bashar al-Assad regards as terrorists, Ja'afari and his team walked out of the room without turning back.

One Western diplomat predicted fireworks if the two sides sat down to talk at last, almost seven years into Syria's war, but he said the "sponsor" countries backing the talks - including Russia and the United States - would then force them back to the table, and the pressure would gradually be released.

A European diplomat expected the opposition to be "pragmatic and flexible" but there was little chance of a big breakthrough.

"I think we need baby steps, and weve made such little progress in the years gone by, largely because of the regimes reluctance to engage in this, so to make some small steps now and develop some momentum would be very helpful indeed.

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SunaRomania offer Special offer on National Day

On December 1, all Romanians worldwide are invited to celebrate Romanias National Day in the same way, no matter the country they are currently living in: together, united, just like the symbol of this special day, which is unification. To make things easier, SunaRomania.com offers free calls to any landline in Romania, on December 1.

Romanians are also invited on SunaRomania.com Facebook page to share what Romanian ethos means for them. It might be food-related, as Romanian cuisine is exquisitely tasty, or somethings that sets Romanians apart. There is no good or bad answer. The 3 winners will be chosen randomly on December 4.

Besides calling, Romanian expats may send a useful Easter gift to their loved ones back home in Romania and not only: a mobile recharge. The international mobile recharge service SunaRomania.com offers allows customers to top up prepaid mobiles in Romania. Orange, Vodafone, and Telekom operators are available.

Customers can also use the Virtual Number service, a monthly subscription allowing all Romanian expats living abroad to feel closer to home and receive calls from Romania on their own phone for only $9.99/month.

So, SunaRomania.com offers its customers various services they can use to stay connected to all the great people they left back in Romania and whom they still miss: I found out about SunaRomania.com from a friend about 7-8 years ago and never used a single calling card to call home since! I rarely have any dropped calls or problems with the connection. Great experience all around. Plus, the fact that my parents can call me anytime on my cell and they pay only a local rate gives me and them great peace of mind that they can always reach me quickly in case of an emergency. [...] - SunaRomania.com customer, on Trustpilot.com.

About SunaRomania.com

SunaRomania.com is an interactive website designed by KeepCalling, a global telecommunications company registered in 2002 in USA. Presently, KeepCalling provides its services to hundreds of thousands of consumers , with a focus on customer satisfaction. KeepCalling has been listed by Inc 5000 as one of the fastest growing companies in the USA for 5 consecutive years. In 2015 the company registered a revenue increase of over 200% from 2011 to 2014.
[there is a] need for reputable, diligent tutoring firms in a market that is saturated with super tutors who are more akin to celebrities than educators.

Tutors International founder, Adam Caller, announced this week that the firm has appointed new Business Development Manager (Asia) Muying Shi to aid its expanding Hong Kong office in providing expert private tuition to a growing number of Chinese families, from full-time home education, to preparation for a move to the UK education system. The firm reported that the swell in demand for its services, coming from Asia, was largely down to the need for reputable, diligent tutoring firms in a market that is saturated with super tutors who are more akin to celebrities than educators.

Adam Caller, founder of Tutors International, commented: We are thrilled to have Muying on board in Hong Kong. The tutoring market in China, and Asia in general, is often more about the marketing than the substance, and that is not how we  or the families that come to us  like to do business. Tutors International has built its reputation on our rigorous approach to due diligence and our thorough matching process, and our clients are assured that we will deliver what we promise, because we have testimony from happy clients all over the world. We established our offices in Hong Kong to better service Chinese families who wish to prioritise substance over style.

Muying is a superb fit for this position. She is fluent in Mandarin, Korean, and English and has an excellent grasp of Japanese. She began her professional life in administrative work before moving into a very successful career in education. Muying has worked as a teacher in some of Beijings most prestigious schools since 2010, and since 2015 has been involved with the recruitment and training of new teachers. She also has experience working in British schools, and so has a compete understanding of the differences in education systems between China and England. Her new role with Tutors International will bring together her language, business and teaching skills, and her cultural awareness will be of great importance to Tutors International as they work to increase their presence in Asia. With her linguistic abilities and education experience, Muying has already opened up new client possibilities and has demonstrated a clear commitment to helping Tutors International successfully expand into the Asian market. She brings expertise to the team which adds significant value to the services that Tutors International offer, and her ability to communicate effortlessly to native Mandarin speakers will make her invaluable to the company.

Mr Caller added: I have no doubt that this new addition to our Hong Kong team will enable Tutors International to further our reach into Asia, and play a vital role in helping us connect more talented, individually matched, British private tutors with Chinese families who desire their services. Despite disappointing numbers of Chinese students in UK institutions, we can certainly attest that demand for bespoke British education in Asia is showing no signs of waning.

To find out more about the services offered by Tutors International, wherever you are in the world, visit tutors-international.com.

Reference

[1] UK: Chinese student recruitment weaker than expected https://thepienews.com/news/uks-chinese-student-recruitment-poorer-than-expected/?utm_content=bufferf41b2&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer Viggo Stacey. The Pie News. October 2017.

END

About Tutors International

Tutors International is a worldwide organization providing experienced private tutors to work with children of all ages and nationalities. Tutors are available for full-time tutoring positions, for major support and tutoring outside school hours, or for home-schooling. Tutors International provide a bespoke service to find the right tutor that suits the child's needs and aspirations, and if a live-in tutor is required, it is essential that the assigned tutor is the right match for the family and fits in the environment.

Tutors International was founded by Adam Caller who has tutored students of all ages. He has received specialist training in dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder and is very sensitive to children's educational difficulties. He has now turned this expertise to recruiting, training and placing other tutors to help families.
Led2Serve, in partnership with NewFed Mortgage, announced today the successful completion of its 1st Annual Thanksgiving food outreach effort to local organizations. Over 100 families in need were delivered tailor-made food baskets on Friday November 17th.

This international effort was created by Tony Robbins and was built on a simple option: one small act of generosity on the part of one caring person can transform the lives of hundreds. NewFed Mortgage has nearly 55 employees and several locations that participated in the creation and delivery of food baskets to throughout their local area. Employees also donated funds for the purchase of food items for this meaningful service event.

NewFed Mortgage is leading the way in making a meaningful community impact. Its encouraging to see a company so committed to service and the well-being of others, stated Vanessa Puleo, Executive Director & Founder of Led2Serve.

Brian DAmico, President of NewFed Mortgage Corp. commented, I was proud to see the generosity of donations from our employees and the team work that went into this outreach event to help feed over 100 families at Thanksgiving.

About NewFed Mortgage:

NewFed Mortgage Corp. based in Danvers, Massachusetts has specialized in residential retail mortgage lending since 2001 and is licensed in seven states. NewFed offers Conventional, Jumbo, FHA, VA, USDA, Portfolio lending, and state housing programs. Products include 1st time home buyer programs with little or 0 down, pick your term traditional fixed rate products, ARM programs, rehab loans, and 203K renovation loans.

The advantage of being a locally based lender unlike most big banks, NewFed s focus is solely on mortgage lending and maintaining a family style work atmosphere. NewFed takes an all-in team approach from the beginning of the process with personalized, open communication through loan processing to closing.

About Led2Serve:

Founded in 2009 by Vanessa Puleo, Led2Serve was created to equip, inspire, and mobilize individuals and teams to serve others locally, nationally, and in regions of Costa Rica. Led2Serves customized Journeys provide the opportunity for team members to give of their time and talents by taking part in meaningful community projects such as building a ramp for the disabled, painting a school, or participating in an environmental cleanup effort. Led2Serve coordinates all aspects of travel, from food and lodging to project materials and transportation. Led2Serve also helps to create, implement, and oversee the logistical parts of one day service projects in communities across the USA.

For more information contact:

Brian DAmico, Owner

New Fed Mortgage Corp. 877-639-3331 or visit http://newfed.com

Vanessa Puleo - Founder Executive Director of Led2Serve

407-227-2695 or visit http://www.led2serve.org

NewFed Mortgage Corp. was founded in 2001 as a residential mortgage lender. NMLS#1881 MA License No. MC1881, CT License ML-1881, NH License No. 9474-MB, RI License No. 20041817LL, NJ Residential Mortgage Lender License, FL License No. MLD652, Maine Lender License#SLM8185.NewFED Mortgage is an Equal Housing Lender. Member of the MA Mortgage Bankers Association and Better Business Bureau of Eastern MA.
Trideum Corporation today announced the hiring of Matt Spruill as an Operations Manager. He will have primary responsibility for project management and business development in the Orlando market area.

Matt is a great addition to our team, and we are thrilled to have him lead our focused future growth in Orlando, said Favio Lopez, COO.

Matt retired from the U.S. Army in 2008 after 20 years of service, 10 of which involved providing Live, Virtual and Constructive training solutions at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. He has 29 years of success in leading complex, diverse organizations with programs and resources of increasing scope and responsibility. Matt has significant accomplishments in all aspects of live, virtual, constructive modeling & simulation, and has been providing simulations for training in government and industry since 1998. He is a recognized leader in the M&S community serving as a previous Conference Chair at the Modeling and Simulation World Conference and Exposition, a member of the Modeling and Simulation Task Force for Senator Warner, a member of the Advisory Board for ECPI Database/Simulation and Game Programming, Chairman of the Board for the Virginia Modeling & Simulation Partnership, a delegate to the I/ITSEC Simulation and Emerging Concepts Subcommittees, and most recently as a Special Events Coordinator for I/ITSEC for the last two years. He is also co-author on two books with a third to be published in 2018.

Matt holds a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems (1997) from Colorado State University and a B.B.A. degree in Management Information Systems (1988) from the University of Kentucky.

About Trideum Corporation

Trideum Corporation, a small business provider of Modeling and Simulation (M&S), Test & Evaluation (T&E), Live Virtual and Constructive Interoperability solutions, capabilities analysis, and training systems development is pleased to be named to INC5000 for the 5th time. Trideum consistently provides services that exceed customer expectations.

Founded in 2005, Trideum is dedicated to meeting the highest standard of quality. Trideum offers the combination of skilled manpower with the tools essential to provide engineering services to Government and Commercial organizations.

Trideum has considerable experience managing programs for the DoD that developed, delivered, and operated models and simulations to meet requirements for force development, experimentation, analysis, testing, and training. Trideum applies an adaptive and responsive User Experience (UX) approach to develop and validate requirements, develop systems and technical architectures, and develop and integrate software and applications.
DATABASICS Time + Expense https://www.data-basics.com We are forever mindful of and grateful for the trust our customers place in us." -- DATABASICS CTO Marcel Syriani.

DATABASICS has been named a gold winner in Most Customer Friendly Small Business in the Best in Biz Awards, the only independent business awards program judged each year by prominent editors and reporters from top-tier publications in North America.

DATABASICS makes highly efficient employee reporting easy for any organization, from established global enterprises, to nonprofits or disruptive start-ups. From its beginnings as accounting consultants in 1993 to its web-based emergence into the Time & Expense market in 1997, the company has always held innovation to a very high standard and will not release product changes unless they offer clear, material benefits.

Each year, Best in Biz Awards entrants span the spectrum, from some of the most innovative local start-ups to the most recognizable global brands. The seventh annual program was particularly hotly contested, with more than 650 entries from an impressive array of public and private companies of all sizes and from a variety of industries and geographic regions in the U.S. and Canada. Best in Biz Awards 2017 honors were presented in 65 categories, including Company of the Year, Fastest-Growing Company, Most Innovative Company, Best Place to Work, Support Department, Executive of the Year, Most Innovative Product, Best New Product, App, Event and Website of the Year.

We are forever mindful of and grateful for the trust our customers place in us, said DATABASICS CTO Marcel Syriani.

Since 2011, winners of Best in Biz Awards have been determined based on scoring from independent judging panels composed of prominent editors and reporters from some of the most respected newspapers, TV outlets, and business, consumer, technology and trade publications in North America. Best in Biz Awards uniqueness stems, in part, from this distinct composition of its judging panels, allowing it to best leverage the judges unparalleled expertise, experience and objectivity to determine award winners. The 2017 judging panel included: Accounting Today, AdWeek, Associated Press, Atlanta Tribune, Business News Daily, Consumer Affairs, Entrepreneur, eWeek, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Healthcare Innovation News, Inc., Investment Advisor Magazine, Laptop, MediaPost, Pittsburgh Business Times, Security Products Magazine, Wired, WLRN and Yahoo Tech.

Amazing variety in the finalists in Best in Biz Awards this year, said Christopher Null, Wired, returning to judge the awards for the sixth year. It was incredibly difficult to pick a winner!

For a full list of gold, silver and bronze winners in Best in Biz Awards 2017, visit: http://www.bestinbizawards.com/2017-winners.

About DATABASICS

DATABASICS provides cloud-based Expense Reporting, Timesheet Management, P-Card Management, Leave Management, and Invoice Processing automation. Delivering global solutions in more than 120 countries for more than 20 years, DATABASICS' web-based and mobile business solutions are used over a broad spectrum of industries by leading organizations around the world.

About Best in Biz Awards

Since 2011, Best in Biz Awards, Inc. has made its mark as the only independent business awards program judged each year by a whos who of prominent reporters and editors from top-tier publications from North America and around the world. Best in Biz Awards honors are conferred in two separate programs: North America and International, and in 65 categories, including company, team, executive, product, and PR and media. For more information, visit: http://www.bestinbizawards.com.
Safety Summit 2018 | An EHS Daily Advisor Event "Keeping workers safe and businesses efficient means avoiding OSHA fines, preventing lost workdays, and improving the morale of fellow employees by keeping their peers safe and successful at work." Amanda Czepiel, JD, senior managing editor of EHS

Business & Legal Resources, the leading provider of employment, environment, health, and safety compliance information and technology, is pleased to announce that the fifth annual Safety Summit 2018 will return April 1618 in Orlando, Florida. This years event will feature two distinguished tracks for personalized learning and a distinguished keynote session on safety in unique and challenging working conditions.

Safety Summit 2018 is the nations leading conference on improving workplace safety, increasing Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance and employee engagement, and reducing work-related injuries. During the 2-day conference, top EHS experts will outline best practices to address top issues in safety, including:



The latest OSHA enforcement initiatives and trends affecting your organization in 2018

New legal considerations and compliance tactics for drug and alcohol testing

Timesaving and money-saving ways to apply alternative protective measures to your lockout/tagout process

New technologies you should consider integrating into your safety program to drive productivity

Important workplace violence prevention policies you need to implement right now

Key incident investigation steps that could help you slash risk and prevent future accidents

Proven management and leadership strategies to promote safety engagement

The most effective tools and metrics for tracking and improving safety performance

Insights for connecting with Generation Z employees and effectively transitioning them into safety leaders

With the rise on OSHA fines since 2016, proper safety compliance has never been more important to an organizations bottom line, said Amanda Czepiel, JD, senior managing editor of EHS for BLR. Keeping workers safe and businesses efficient means avoiding OSHA fines, preventing lost workdays, and improving the morale of fellow employees by keeping their peers safe and successful at work. Safety Summit 2018 arms safety managers with the regulatory and compliance knowledge, management strategies, and safety culture insights to improve their safety adherence from the bottom up and make a continued positive impact on their organizations safety procedures.

One of the most anticipated sessions of the event will be from Former Astronaut and Space Shuttle Commander Rick Searfoss, who will present a highly-anticipated keynote session on the importance of safety in one of the most extreme work environments experienced. Colonel Searfoss has commanded the most complex science research space mission ever, the STS-90 Neurolab flight on Columbia. He also piloted two other space flights, including a joint Russian-American mission to the Mir space station. His extensive leadership experience and work with some of the most innovative companies of the new millennium enable him to fulfill his mission of sharing the teamwork, leadership, and innovation lessons of human space flight with business leaders worldwide. His insights will help attendees understand the importance safety plays in every aspect of a successful work mission.

The event will take place at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida. For more information, please visit http://live.blr.com/event/safety-summit.

About BLR

BLRBusiness & Legal Resources helps U.S. businesses simplify compliance with state and federal legal requirements and helps them become more successful. They do this by offering authoritative content and practical, easy-to-use tools. Through their expert in-house editors and exclusive attorney network, they provide the most comprehensive, reliable state-specific information availableand do it in all 50 states. Their award-winning information productsincluding training programs, events, Web portals, reports and subscription servicesgive businesses of all sizes and industries the best tools available at affordable prices. Connect with the organization at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2174166/profile.

Contact

Kimberly St. Lawrence

Marketing Director | Events

BLRBusiness & Legal Resources

35 Village Road, Middleton, MA 01949

978-624-4571

kstlawrence@blr.com

http://www.BLR.com
New World Angels (NWA), Floridas premier structured angel investor group, announced today a $555,000 investment in Orlando-based Switchboard Lives $1.5 million Series Seed Preferred Stock offering. Together with Mosley Ventures, a current investor funding an additional $500,000, NWA is investing to help Switchboard Live develop and grow their live video and social media management platform.

Switchboard is a live video, social media management platform that helps Creators, Producers and Brands manage their live streams and create workflows that extend reach to online audiences and social connections. Switchboard develops technologies that facilitate the sharing of live activations to social video platforms and broadcast destinations.

New World Angels is delighted to join Mosley Ventures in funding the expansion of Switchboard Live stated Carl Treleaven, who co-led NWAs due diligence team with Matt Lorentzen and will join Switchboard Lives board of directors. We are very excited to be working with an exceptionally strong team led by CEO Rudy J. Ellis.

As a start-up CEO, I am thrilled to have proven venture investors like Mosley Ventures and New World Angels express their belief in our technology and potential growth by investing in our success, explains Rudy J. Ellis CEO of Switchboard Live. Throughout the due diligence process, the professionalism demonstrated and the insightful questions asked by the diligence team convinced me that we were choosing the right partners."

NWA President and CEO Steve OHara noted, Switchboard is our fourth new company funded in 2017 and eighth investment overall in 2017. Year-to-date we have invested over $4MM into Florida start-ups and we expect one to two more deals in 2017.

About New World Angels:

New World Angels (NWA) is a group of 63 accredited, private investors, operators and entrepreneurs dedicated to providing equity capital to early-stage entrepreneurial companies with a strong presence in Florida. Members of NWA have extensive experience in founding, building, and managing companies in a wide variety of industries. NWA members are involved in the entrepreneurial communities from Miami to Jupiter on Floridas east coast and from Naples to Tampa on Floridas west coast, with a growing membership in Orlando. Since 2014, NWA has invested $13MM in growing US and international companies that are either based in Florida or have a strong presence in the state. In addition to providing funding, NWA members make their expertise and resource networks available to portfolio companies to facilitate a companys growth.

About Switchboard Live:

Switchboard Live is a B2B SaaS-based platform empowering live content creators and publishers with a simplified workflow to build audiences across multiple social media platforms. Switchboard Lives vision is to be the globally recognized way to do live video streaming whether it be a sporting event, political rally, musical concert or company meeting. Founded by Rudy J. Ellis, Josh Sachs and Jason Kotte in Orlando, Switchboard Live already has a whos who of blue chip live content publishers using its cloud platform.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Sandra Arber

Director of Investor Relations

New World Angels

(561) 372-6309

info(at)NewWorldAngels.com

Rudy J. Ellis

CEO

Switchboard Live

(407) 588-0080

pr(at)switchboard.live
Weltachs Wines Finally a quality and affordable range of German Craft Wines.

Liquid Projects, LLC, NYC, brand agents of quality German wines and craft beers, announces the introduction of four wines from the Weltachs Winery of Grosskarlbach, Germany, in the United States effective immediately.

Weltachs initial offering consists of a dry Riesling, a Late Harvest white cuvee (Gewuerztraminer-Pinot blanc), a 100% Portugieser Rose, and a hearty, off-dry Dornfelder. All four wines feature fruit-forward flavors which are generally preferred by many American consumers.

Weltachs Dornfelder and Rose go well with grilled meats, pasta, pizza, burgers, ribs, and spicier preparations ranging from barbeque to Asian, Indian and Cajun cuisines. The Riesling and Late Harvest pair effectively with poultry, many fish and seafood creations calling for full-bodied flavor.

Appropriately, all four wines are excellent matches with turkey, duck, chicken, goose, and ham as well as other holiday traditional treats where full-flavored, easy-drinking wines are welcome. These four Weltachs wines have lower alcohol levels under 12% ABV which are in keeping with German wine tradition. All wines reveal supple flavors that permit diners to enjoy wine during the entire meal and afterwards.

Weltachs Kellerei is located in the Pfalz, Germanys warmest wine-growing appellation. For almost 100 years, this large, family-owned and operated winery has worked closely with some 400 small regional growers whose small acreage permits close, personal supervision of vines. Most Weltachs wines are consumed within Germany. However under the aegis of Weltachs owner-vintner Dirk Maeurer, a large export program within Europe and increasingly Asia has evolved. With the rising demand for well-made German wines globally, Weltachs reorganized its structure and business plan 30 years ago. Since then, the Weltachs brand has become known world-wide. This first offering in the United States is Weltachs initial presentation in America. http://www.Weltachs.de

Weltachs Wines are currently available in the greater New York City Metropolitan area through MHW Ltd, Manhasset, NY, with storage and shipping facilities at Western Carriers in North Bergen, New Jersey. Interbald Distributing in Gaithersbrug, MD offers Weltachs wines in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

Special Orders placed with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board will enable Pennsylvanians to enjoy Weltachs wines in the Keystone State.

To place wholesale orders in the Greater New York Metro Area, contact:

Fanny Cuevas, FCuevas(at)mhwltd.com (516) 869-9170 Ext. 202 (516) 869-9171 2220

or Lars Dahlhaus, Lars(at)LiquidProjects.us (646) 479-7269

or MHW Order Desk, Orders(at)mhwltd.com (516) 869-9170 (516) 869-9171

For orders in Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and C and Virginia:

contact, Konstantin Khizder, President(at)Interbaltproducts.com Interbalt Products Corp., 8548 Dakota Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4138, (301) 793-1818, Fax: (301) 869-2422, e-mail: info(at)interbaltproducts.com

Liquid Projects Seeks Additional Partners

Liquid Projects, LLC,Weltachs Wines National Brand Agents, is actively seeking new distribution opportunities and sales outlets in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. Likewise new outlets are being sought in Florida, Illinois, Colorado, California, Oregon and Washington.
BSI Financial Services, a mortgage-centric financial services company that is digitally transforming loan servicing throughout the loan life cycle, was named to SMU's Cox Dallas 100TM for the fourth consecutive year.

The Cox School's Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship ranks the top 100 Dallas entrepreneurial companies annually based on percentage growth and absolute dollar growth over the previous three years.

"The market continues to reward us for innovation in the application of technology to improve regulatory compliance and create greater transparency in loan servicing," said Gagan Sharma, BSI Financial President and CEO. "Innovation is a part of our culture, and we challenge ourselves daily to look for a better way."

Dallas 100, co-founded by the Caruth Institute, honors the ingenuity, commitment and perseverance of the fastest-growing privately held entrepreneurial businesses in the Dallas area. According to Caruth Institute data, this years winning companies collectively generated billions of dollars in sales over the past three years.

According to Jerry White, the Linda A. and Kenneth R. Morris Endowed Director of the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship, The entrepreneurial spirit that drives these companies helps make Dallas a dynamic city for business. We feel its only right to shine the spotlight on their hard work and the contributions they make to our economy.

BSI Financial also ranked 1756 in this year's "Inc. 5000," which is Inc. magazine's ranking of the fastest growing companies in the U.S.

About BSI Financial Services

Led by a seasoned team of financial industry professionals, BSI Financial provides mortgage servicing and special servicing, loan quality control, REO and asset management services, and life-of-loan performance reporting using advanced data analytics tools. Leveraging a 30-year performance track record, BSI Financial offers clients customized solutions using proprietary digital technology such as BSI ASSET360, an advanced form of RegTech. BSI ASSET360 provides daily reporting on loan condition using exception processing that applies 600 business rules across 10,000 loan-level data elements that are updated daily. With BSI ASSET360, clients have real-time visibility into loan status and performance, affording them choice and control.

BSI Financial is approved as a servicer by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA, the Federal Home Loan Banks and several private investors, and is approved as an issuer by Ginnie Mae. It is ranked 1,756 on Inc. Magazine's list of the fastest growing private companies in the U.S.

BSI Financials business operations are located in Titusville, PA; Irvine, CA; and Irving, TX, where it also maintains its corporate headquarters. For more information, visit http://www.bsifinancial.com.
We share a passion for helping patients remain safe, healthy, and independent at home through innovative technology and high-touch connected monitoring services.

Tunstall Healthcare, a world leader in connected healthcare, and TELUS Health, an organization committed to driving healthcare efficiencies and enhanced patient experiences through the use of advanced technology, have today announced to work together to provide Canadians with better access to healthcare through the Tunstall world-leading ICP Integrated Care Platform. By leveraging remote monitoring and videoconferencing telehealth software solutions, together the companies will improve the lives of patients living with chronic disease and help prevent unnecessary hospital admissions.

Today, patients managing chronic conditions do so for about 5,800 waking hours each year while typically spending fewer than 10 hours with a healthcare professional. Through the use of this technology, clinicians can support these patients even if in remote areas of the country, while empowering them to stay active in the effective management of their own health and chronic conditions. By enabling them to track and upload their own vital signs from the comfort of their own home, the TELUS Home Health Monitoring solution powered by ICP, will allow virtual care teams to maintain a close watch on biometrics in real-time and intervene before a health issue arises, regardless of where they are located.

We are proud that TELUS Health has chosen the Tunstall Integrated Care Platform to be the core of its managed service model for remote patient monitoring, said Oscar Meyer, President and CEO, Tunstall Americas. We share a passion for helping patients remain safe, healthy, and independent at home through innovative technology and high-touch connected monitoring services.

A report from the Public Health Agency of Canada also states that 16 percent of the Canadian population report having been diagnosed with at least 2 of the 10 common chronic diseases. Furthermore, it is estimated that Canadians over 60 years of age generally have three or more chronic diseases.

Gordon Sutherland, Chief Executive Officer of Tunstall Healthcare Group, added: With the growing numbers of citizens living with long term conditions and increased expectations of care delivery, healthcare providers are under continued pressure to deliver new models of care and improve patient outcomes through the adoption of technology-enabled care systems such as ICP. Tunstalls leadership and sustained innovation in this area continues to enable us to provide the best solutions to meet this growing global market demand.

Since its launch in Europe, Australasia and China, this technology has proven its benefit to thousands of patients with chronic conditions by enhancing their quality of life, improving their healthcare experience and reducing unnecessary hospital admissions.

Creating tools that allow patients to partner with their caregivers to manage their own health is a foundational step in our pursuit of a fully integrated healthcare ecosystem, said Dr. Michael Guerriere, Chief Medical Officer, TELUS Health. Our home health monitoring projects have resulted in significant cost savings and reduced patient emergency room visits and hospital re-admissions. Patients using this technology reported being highly engaged in their health and enjoying an improved quality of life. Our relationship with Tunstall will advance the capabilities of our current solution to provide more Canadians with the opportunity to stay at home while closely managing their health.

About TELUS Health:

TELUS Health is a leader in telehomecare, electronic medical and health records, consumer health, benefits management and pharmacy management. TELUS Health solutions give health authorities, providers, physicians, patients and consumers the power to turn information into better health outcomes. For more information about TELUS Health, please visit telushealth.com.

About Tunstall:

Tunstall Healthcare Group, founded in 1957 in England, is a world leader and supplier of Connected Health and Connected Care products and services. Tunstall helps people during emergencies and crisis situations 24/7/365 from dozens of company-owned and operated monitoring centers around the globe. Tunstall connects, talks with, and informs people with in-home technology and services that enhance their independence, freedom, social engagement, health, and wellbeing. Tunstall serves more than 3.5 million people every day in 51 countries.

Tunstall Americas provides nationwide 24/7 connected healthcare monitoring solutions from HIPAA compliant call centers in New York and Rhode Island. Tunstall also manufactures, sells and distributes a wide variety of FDA registered connected health products such as medical alert, telehealth, and medication management solutions to meet the needs of all people. These solutions enable home based connected health services through traditional telephone lines, cellular connectivity, and the internet. Collectively, these products and services deliver a seamless connected care experience to help people remain independent in their own home by being connected to high-touch healthcare monitoring services
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri charged that the Syrian regime which he blames for his father's assassination also wants him killed, in an interview published Thursday in French magazine Paris Match.

Hariri assessed that the regime's military successes against rebels in the Syrian conflict were victories for presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Iran's Hassan Rouhani rather than their allied Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad.

"I have a lot of enemies, extremists and the Syrian regime. The latter has issued a death sentence against me. They accuse me of interference in their country," said Hariri, who was interviewed at his Beirut residence.

Hariri, who has made the same accusation in the past, says the regime in Syria was behind the 2005 assassination of his father, former premier Rafiq Hariri, in a car bombing on the Beirut seafront, a charge denied by Damascus.

At Lebanese President Michel Aoun's request, Hariri has suspended his shock resignation announced from Riyadh on November 4 and returned to Beirut after a three-week absence.

He cited Iran's "grip" on his country through Lebanon's powerful Shia movement Hezbollah and threats to his life as causes of his resignation which he has suspended pending political negotiations in Beirut.

On the military victories of Bashar's regime, Hariri told Paris Match: "He has not won. It's president Putin and Rouhani who have won" with the military forces they had committed to the conflict in Syria.

The premier, who has called for Hezbollah to "disassociate" itself from conflicts such as Syria where it has fought alongside Assad's forces, said: "It is in Lebanon's interest that these (Hezbollah's) arms not be used elsewhere."

Hariri flew Wednesday night to Paris for a family visit, a source close to the prime minister said.

After a lengthy stay in the Saudi capital, Hariri already stopped over in Paris at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron on his way back to Beirut last week.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

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Over 100 professionals from across North America and the Middle East gathered at the American Security Today 2017 ASTORS Homeland Awards Presentation Luncheon at ISC East to be honored within the different fields of the Security industry. Distinguished guests from National, State, and Local Governments, and industry-leading corporate executives were in attendance.

Acoustic Technology, Inc. (ATI Systems), was selected as the Platinum ASTORS Award Winner for Best Mass Notification/Siren System by American Security Today for their MassAlert software. ATI was also honored with the prestigious award for Leadership & Innovation in Homeland Security.

ATI Systems offers MassAlert, a net-centric software that utilizes state-of-the-art technology to provide the most advanced, reliable and secure Mass Notification System (MNS) with a host of notification options.

With its unparalleled user-friendly graphical interface, MassAlert enables system operators to instantly alert and inform personnel of what to do before, during and after an emergency or disaster, and also to broadcast daily announcements and signals.

MassAlert is customized for each clients specific system and utilizes field unit icons layered onto location maps and building diagrams of the system to provide system overview and real-time status.

When selecting a Mass Notification System, the size and shape of the outdoor space or indoor area as well as background noise levels are very important considerations in MNS design. To achieve maximum intelligibility in an outdoor area, conditions to analyze include topography, atmospheric conditions and ground cover. For indoor systems, reverberation is a more important factor. ATIs proprietary acoustic modeling utilizes innovative methodology to predict MNS coverage and provide data needed to design the best system for the client.

About ATI Systems

Acoustic Technology, Inc. (ATI Systems) is a world leader in the design, manufacturing, and installation of reliable emergency warning and notification systems for the campus, community, industrial, and military markets. ATI has developed innovative wireless systems that provide intelligible voice and visual warnings via a simple and compact hardware design, user-friendly software, and the latest communication methods, including radio frequency, IP Ethernet, and satellite technology. ATI's Mass Notification Systems easily integrate with other warning systems to provide more complete solutions. ATI is an ISO 9001 certified company.

For more information about ATI, visit http://www.atisystem.com.
Pefin was built to make sure anyone could access true fiduciary advice, from planning and saving to investing, in a way that only acts in their best interest.

Pefin, the worlds first Artificial Intelligence (AI) financial advisor, announced its launch today. The platform provides intelligent, unbiased and personalized financial planning and advice. Pefins mission is to look after the financial best interests of its customers in a way that embraces the unique individuality of their lives.

The platform offers:

1. Long-term Financial Planning services, including a complete Financial Plan

2. Financial Advice, including savings and debt management strategies

3. Investment Advice and Portfolio Management Services

4. Real-time monitoring, updates, and curated financial literacy content for each user

Pefin takes into account each users current financial situation and future plans, incorporating their financial behavior to offer comprehensive advice. Individuals and families link financial information such as their credit card and checking accounts, debt, investments, and retirement plans to the platform.

An interactive chat experience helps customers plan for life events that matter to them  from kids, to college, to a new home, to changing jobs, all the way through retirement. Pefins AI uses this information to craft a detailed financial plan, showing customers if their plans are affordable. It then provides advice on how they can save to achieve their goals, when they should repay debt, whether investing is appropriate and if it is, how they should invest. Over time, Pefin learns from the users unique spending behavior and personal preferences and automatically adapts, updating the users financial plans and advice based on their actual behavior.

Pefins AI is capable of making 80-year financial projections and keeping up with 2-5 million data points per user, 24/7, including changing rules, markets, and lives to provide accurate, real-time advice. Unlike other services, Pefin does not insist customers invest through its platform, but if chosen, it tailors each portfolio to help them achieve their plans. In todays data-driven environment, security is a natural concern and Pefin utilizes military-grade encryption and multi-factor authentication, all geared towards securing users personal and financial data.

Financial planning and advice is available to the first 100,000 customers for the subscription price of $10/month; a 33% discount to the regular subscription price of $15/month. Investment advice and portfolio management services are offered by Pefin Advisors, an SEC regulated subsidiary of Pefin. There is no required minimum investment size, and fees are 0.25% of assets under management, with the first $5,000 managed for free.

Pefins Founder Ramya Joseph, is a former Wall Street executive and one of the few female founders in FinTech. Pefin was born out of a recognition that something had to change in the way financial advice was being delivered to people. My Wall Street career helped millionaires and yet I saw my own parents and close friends of modest income, being sold investment products or services they didnt need when seeking advice. Pefin was built to make sure anyone could access true fiduciary advice  from planning and saving to investing, in a way that only acts in their best interest. Pefin being fiduciary by design is a milestone  it is the start of how we believe AI will democratize access to financial advice Joseph said.

Pefins CEO, Catherine Flax has more than two decades of experience from the old and new worlds of financial services. Her former roles include Managing Director and Head of Commodity Derivatives and Foreign Exchange, Americas at BNP Paribas, Chief Marketing Officer of J. P. Morgan and board member of leading blockchain company, Digital Asset Holdings. Technology is transforming every aspect of our lives, and it was long overdue that it be applied to personal finance. Pefin plays a pivotal role in this shift  offering affordable, fiduciary advice that encompasses all areas of a users personal finances. Flax said.

Pefins goal is to help everyone live their best financial life regardless of age, gender, income, wealth, financial expertise, or even past mistakes. At Pefin, were being the change wed like to see in financial services by improving their delivery, where the customer is always put first and trust is truly earned Joseph said.

About Pefin

Established in 2011, Pefin, is a financial technology company based in New York City. Pefin, which stands for PErsonal Financial INtelligence, uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide fiduciary financial advice at the fraction of the cost of a traditional financial advisor. Pefins proprietary, patent-pending AI technology factors over 2-5 million data points, including a users unique financial situation, future plans, markets, government rules and regulations, and regional demographics to craft highly tailored financial plans and advice on how to achieve their plans. Through its SEC Regulated Investment Advisor, Pefin Advisors, the platform also provides Investment Advice and Portfolio Management Services, which are optional for the user. For more information, please visit http://www.pefin.com.
iDimension has extensive knowledge of the Google Analytics platform and mastered all the ins-and-outs of Google Tag Manager. These skills, combined with KickFires IP address intelligence, bring a whole new level of insight and sophistication to the Google Analytics platform.

KickFire, the leader in IP address intelligence and company identification technology, announced today that it will partner with Google Analytics Certified Partner, iDimension, to host a live webinar titled, How to Teach Your Google Analytics New Tricks," on Thursday, December 7, 2017 at 10:00am PST/1:00pm EST. This informative webinar, hosted by KickFires Tina Bean and Maggie Taylor Aherne and iDimensions John Babb, will discuss how to enhance Google Analytics with B2B company firmographics and business intelligence to deploy, segment, enrich and retarget audiences.

During this webinar, attendees will learn:

 How to easily connect powerful B2B data with Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager

 The ability to bridge data with your other technologies, such as Salesforce, prior to sending to Google Analytics

 How to identify the companies and target accounts visiting your website, clicking on your AdWords campaigns, and more

 How to leverage B2B data within Google Analytics 360 Suite, such as Tag Manager, Optimize and Data Studio

 How to implement dynamic personalization with Google Tag Manager and Google Optimize powered by KickFires robust company firmographic data

 How to drive remarketing audiences for use with Google Optimize and AdWords Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA) campaigns

Register for the live webinar at: http://bit.ly/2AGcGGW

iDimension, a Google Analytics Certified Partner since 2010, built an easy-to-deploy Google Tag Manager container that enables their clients utilizing Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google Optimize and Google Data Studio to deploy KickFires data across the entire Google Analytics suite. During our evaluation, we were pleased to discover KickFire is a cost-effective source of highly accurate data that allows our clients the flexibility of being able to process account-based intelligence data client-side via Google Tag Manager without needing server-side access, said John Babb, Founder of iDimension.

We are especially excited to partner with John Babb and the iDimension team. Having the distinction of being one of 21 US-based Google Analytics 360 Suite Certified Service & Sales Partners ensures iDimension has extensive knowledge of the Google Analytics platform and mastered all the ins-and-outs of Google Tag Manager, said Tina Bean, KickFire Co-Founder and Vice President of Strategic Business Development. These skills, combined with KickFires IP address intelligence, bring a whole new level of insight and sophistication to the Google Analytics platform  all of which was apparent to John the moment he saw KickFires integration capabilities.

To learn more about KickFire, visit KickFire.com, call 408-493-0456 or email sales(at)kickfire.com. For more information about iDimension, visit iDimension.com.

About iDimension

iDimension was incorporated by John Babb in 1998, and serves customers worldwide from its Tampa Bay headquarters, as well as offices in Atlanta & Durham. We are focused on helping clients formally define success for their digital properties, deploy technology to accurately measure success, and then initiate an optimization cycle. Defining & measuring success are the foundation on top of which we help our clients improve.

A Google Analytics Certified Partner since 2010, iDimension is 1 of only 21 partners in the US authorized to both service & sell Google Analytics 360 Suite products, and 1 of only 11 in this group that has achieved simultaneous Google product certifications for Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google Optimize & Google Data Studio. For more information, please visit iDimension.com.

About KickFire

KickFire is the leader in cloud-based B2B sales automation and IP address intelligence. The KickFire solutions are powered by TWIN Caching, an advanced, proprietary IP-to-company identification technology. TWIN Caching systematically caches and analyzes over four billion IP addresses, going beyond traditional IP association to uncover last-mile connectivity ownership. KickFires complete suite of solutions enables companies to tap into their websites invisible pipeline and transform anonymous visitors into actionable sales opportunities. VisiStat, Inc., doing business as KickFire, is a privately held company founded in 2005 and based in San Jose, CA.
From the beginning, the RBMA was dedicated to helping its members become more informed and better educated in the growing radiology business management field,

The Radiology Business Management Association will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2018 with as special gala to be held in conjunction with its annual PaRADigm conference. The conference is scheduled for April 5 to 8, 2018, in San Diego, and the anniversary gala will be held at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel from 6:30 to 10 p.m. on April 7, 2018.

Preparing for the annual conference is always exciting and this year is extra special as we will be celebrating the past while inspiring the future, said RBMA Board of Directors President Thomas C. Dickerson, Ed.D., FACHE. It has been an honor to lead the RBMAs Board of Directors in the year leading up to our 50th anniversary. Together with the RBMA staff and the RBMA Programs Committee, we have planned a wonderful event worthy of our association's long history in radiology business management education and advocacy.

The RBMA was founded in 1968 with the support and direction of the American College of Radiology (ACR). The president of the ACR that year, Joseph D. Calhoun, M.D., guided the first the first RBMA steering committee meeting in Chicago, and Dr. Calhouns business manager, Maxine Williams, became the first director of the organization. The first president of the RBMA, Ben Stephens, Jr., was selected in 1970.

From the beginning, the RBMA was dedicated to helping its members become more informed and better educated in the growing radiology business management field, Dr. Dickerson said. PaRADigm, which launched in 2017, represents the best of our half century of experience in radiology business education, and holding the anniversary gala at the conference truly brings the past and present together in a very special way.

This years PaRADigm conference will include eight educational tracks representing the eight areas of the RBMAs Common Body of Knowledge curriculum. It will also have a full-day Coding Education Pre-Conference on April 4. Nationally renowned experts and leading speakers will present on a variety of topics, including:



Patrick Combs, a best-selling author and thought leader on passion, possibility, and heart-centered customer care, who will give the first of two keynote presentations.

Shannon Miller, the most decorated Olympic gymnast in American history, as well as a book author, company founder, speaker and cancer survivor, who will give the second of two keynote presentations.

The anniversary gala itself will feature a dinner, a look back at the organizations history, special recognitions, live music and dancing.

Registration for both the conference and tickets for the gala are now available at RBMA.org/paradigm. Special discounts apply for RBMA members, and a competitive scholarship is available to first-time attendees and aspiring practice managers to allow them a chance to attend. Learn more about the scholarship at the Bob Luther Emerging Leader Travel Scholarship web page. To see a full timeline of the RBMAs 50 years, visit RBMA.org/RBMAMembers/About/History/RBMAMembers/About/History.aspx.

About RBMA

The Radiology Business Management Association is a national not-for-profit association providing members with applied business information and intelligence applicable in any radiology setting. The RBMA has approximately 2,300 members involved in various management capacities in private practices, academic radiology groups, imaging centers and hospitals. The RBMA continues to be recognized as the leader for radiology-specific educational programs, products and services, publications and data.
DocuCopies.com supports the Eric Marsh Foundation for Wildland Firefighters. Service can mean responding to tragedies to help families. It can mean giving financial support to help ease the burden of the complex situations after a fatality.

This month the online printing company DocuCopies.com followed up on their recent support of local firefighters with another $1,000 donation to a broader spectrum of that community, including firefighters and their families, through the Eric Marsh Foundation..

This coincided with #GivingTuesday, during which the Gates Foundation and Facebook match donations to non-profits through online contributions, effectively doubling the donation amount.

As the organization's website states, "Our roots are in Wildland fire because we have been on the line and married to hotshots. We understand the community and we believe in and support the job!"

Eric Marsh was a 23-year veteran and Superintendent of Arizona's Granite Mountain Hotshots. He and 18 other crew members perished while bravely holding back the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013.

"Service can mean responding to tragedies to help families," the website states. "It can mean giving financial support to help ease the burden of the complex situations after a fatality. If you need to talk to someone who understands what youre going through, we are here for that, too."

"We offer emotional support for Wildland firefighters affected by tragedy or the normal stresses of the job. Working in stride with your insurance, we can help cover grief/trauma therapy sessions ... Donations to the Eric Marsh Foundation for Wildland Firefighters help to aid Wildland firefighters and their next of kin."

For more information on the organization, please visit their website, linked above. For information on DocuCopies.com and their online printing and book-making services, visit them at http://www.DocuCopies.com.
Clutch.co Awards Abby Connect for Best Answering Service and Best Virtual Receptionist Service We take our mission and our employees happiness very seriously, and thats what keeps our clients and their customers happy.

B2B research firm Clutch ranked Las Vegas-based Abby Connect number one in its list of top global inbound voice and call center service providers. Clutch conducted a series of in-depth surveys and ranked Abby Connect the top answering and virtual receptionist service provider. Clutch also ranked Abby Connect number ten in its list of top customer support services. Abby Connect has consistently ranked among the top customer service providers in the world, and Clutchs survey reinforces Abby's premium spot globally.

"It is an honor for us to be listed number #1 under the categories of answering services and virtual receptionist services. We take great pride in providing top-notch infrastructure and call handling services to our clients," says Nathan Strum, CEO of Abby Connect. "As we hurtle towards a more digital economy, more businesses seek 24/7 customer support, and that is what we specialize in," explains Mr. Strum. The same survey ranked Abby Connect number 10 globally in the category of customer support.

Clutch identified several companies that specialized in five inbound call center categories, which included order processing, customer support, virtual receptionist, answering services, and inbound appointment setting. Clutch's methodology involved studying in-depth client reviews, ability to deliver, and industry recognition. Clutch focuses more on in-depth client reviews to identify top players in various categories. Abby Connect won the top spot in two categories: virtual receptionist and answering services.

Our approach is to focus on growth and simultaneously innovate. Innovation is a key driver of industry success and growth, and customer support and answering services depend on innovative methods to bring the solutions that clients want, says Mr. Strum. We are increasingly focusing on adopting newer technologies to remain ahead of our competitors and bring the best virtual receptionist services to our clients. We take our mission and our employees happiness very seriously, and thats what keeps our clients and their customers happy, Mr. Strum added.

Customer support and call center industries have changed drastically in the last few years, with a focus on innovation and R&D. Answering service companies and virtual receptionist firms which haven't innovated have found it difficult to keep pace with firms such as Abby Connect, which continue to invest in premium technology and manpower to deliver non-stop customer care. Abby Connect's explosive growth resulted in the firm recently opening a second office in Las Vegas.

About Clutch

Clutch specializes in pooling data related to firms that offer B2B solutions. With market insight and research that are valued by companies across the world, Clutch has focused on helping businesses to make the right B2B purchase decisions. It regularly conducts exhaustive reviews and surveys, which are closely followed by companies globally.

About Abby Connect

Abby Connect is a customer care firm that offers virtual receptionist and answering services. Abby is well known for its flexible pricing and premium customer support services that are used by individuals, small businesses, and medium-sized enterprises. The Las Vegas-based business has been featured in many surveys and news articles, and continues to bring innovative customer support to its clients.

# # #

MEDIA CONTACT:

Samantha Schwartz  Abby Connect

877-303-5757

Sam.schwartz(at)abbyconnect.com

Source: Abby Connect Virtual Receptionists

Related Links

https://www.abbyconnect.com

Copyright  2017 Abby Connect
Meera Chitlur, MD Professor of Pediatrics, Hematology & Oncology, Wayne State University School of Medicine

Coagulation testing methodologies are often challenging for new users to understand. Terminology may be confusing and the methodologies are sensitive to many variables. Consideration of biological, preanalytical, and analytical conditions is critical to reporting accurate results.

Presented at the Stago EdVantage Virtual University Virtual Event, this webinar will be focused on explaining methodologies, including tests used to screen for bleeding and thrombotic disease states, determining coagulation factor levels, confirming the presence of lupus anticoagulants, and tests utilized to diagnose von Willebrand Disease. In addition, platelet function testing and global hemostasis assays will be briefly covered.

Through this webinar, participants will review hemostasis-related laboratory studies, including coagulation testing, von Willebrand factor assays, and platelet studies. They will also learn from a discussion of laboratory testing to evaluate a range of bleeding disorders and all relevant terminology, methodologies, test selection, test performance sequence, and interpretation.

Dr. Meera Chitlur, a hematology and oncology professor of pediatrics at Wayne State University School of Medicine, will be the speaker for this event.

Chitlur is Professor of Pediatrics and Barnhart-Lusher Hemostasis Research Endowed Chair at Wayne State University School of Medicine and practices in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the Children's Hospital of Michigan. She earned her MBBS degree at Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences in Bangalore, India and completed her postgraduate training as a pediatric resident at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Her research interest is in global hemostasis assays, particularly Thromboelastography and Thrombin Generation.

LabRoots will host the webinar December 13, 2017, beginning at 8 a.m. PST. To read more about this event, learn of the continuing education credits offered, or to register for free, click here.

About Diagnostica Stago

Diagnostica Stago, Inc. is the exclusive provider of the Diagnostica Stago Hemostasis product lines in the United States and offers a complete system of coagulation instruments and optimized reagent kits for research as well as for routine analysis. Diagnostica Stago, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of Diagnostica Stago, S.A.S. France, a leader in the development and manufacture of Hemostasis products. For more information about any Stago product or service, please call 800-222-COAG or visit our website at http://www.stago-us.com.

About LabRoots

LabRoots is the leading scientific social networking website, which provides daily scientific trending news and science-themed apparel, as well as produces educational virtual events and webinars, on the latest discoveries and advancements in science. Contributing to the advancement of science through content sharing capabilities, LabRoots is a powerful advocate in amplifying global networks and communities. Founded in 2008, LabRoots emphasizes digital innovation in scientific collaboration and learning, and is a primary source for current scientific news, webinars, virtual conferences, and more. LabRoots has grown into the worlds largest series of virtual events within the Life Sciences and Clinical Diagnostics community.
Denim Marketing Wins Three OBIEs at 2017 Awards Gala These awards are confirmation that Denim is quickly distinguishing itself as an award-winning marketing agency

Denim Marketing is proud to announce it won three OBIEs, two gold and one silver, at the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Associations 37th annual OBIE Awards. Presented by the Atlanta Sales and Marketing Council, the OBIE Awards are the premier awards given in the Atlanta new home construction industry.

The newly rebranded firm found its fit within the marketing category by winning Gold OBIEs for Best Social Media Campaign  Associate and Best Logo  Associate. Additionally, Denim Marketing earned recognition in the Best Newspaper Ad category with a Silver OBIE.

These awards are confirmation that Denim is quickly distinguishing itself as an award-winning marketing agency, said Denim Marketing Founder and Owner Carol Morgan. It is always nice to bring home a little bling. We are proud of our work, and when you try us on for size, you will find Denim to be genuine, trusted and versatile.

When it came time to rebrand, the Denim Marketing team wanted a logo that represented its brand assets of being authentic, trusted, reliable and dependable, while also incorporating the agencys tagline, A comfortable fit. Denim collaborated with Dina Gunderson, owner of Creative Thunder Design, to develop the logo.

Dina absolutely understood what we wanted to convey and created our denim-blue colored, textured logo, comments Morgan. The combination of font types used for the logo and the tagline, A comfortable fit, communicates a strong, sturdy and reliable presence that is easily recognized as such by clients, especially in the home building industry.

By launching a two-week social media campaign, Denim Marketing introduced the rebranded agency to the Atlanta market. The campaigns focus was on the agencys strengths: marketing strategy, public relations, blogging, social media and reputation management. In addition, Denim developed a series of blog posts focusing on each individual staff member to ensure that the market knew the composition of the Denim Marketing team. Graphics were posted daily and alternated between company and staff information. A denim theme was threaded throughout the campaign with the use of denim graphic elements and stock denim photos, while keeping the font styles and colors uniform. Denim utilized social media to reintroduce itself.

Denim Marketing also received a Silver OBIE for Best Print Communication  Newspaper Ad. Created in conjunction with Marketing RELEVANCE, the ad was designed for a local Atlanta home builders spring promotion, which was targeted toward prospective buyers in the Atlanta metro area looking for new homes.

The Greater Atlanta Home Builders Associations OBIE Awards began in 1980 and have grown throughout the years to include more than 100 building, remodeling, marketing and personal achievement categories. The OBIE Awards are named after the obelisk shape of the actual award given.

Visit http://www.DenimMarketing.com to sign up for the Denim newsletter, view the full portfolio and more. For information on packages and finding the perfect fit with Denim Marketing, call 770-383-3360.

About Denim Marketing:

Whether stonewashed, faded or indigo blue, marketing strategies from Denim Marketing are tailored to meet each clients needs and niche. Established in 1999 as Flammer Relations, Denim Marketing began with the basics, providing public relations services to clients. The company has expanded its services over the years to become a full-service strategic marketing agency specializing in media relations, blogging, social media, promotions, advertising and much more. Denim Marketing aims to be a go-to source for companies looking for a comfortable fit, strong relationships and results. Stay in touch with Denim Marketing by signing up for the newsletter at http://www.DenimMarketing.com and following @DenimMarketing on social media. For more information, call 770-383-3360 or email Carol(at)DenimMarketing(dot)com.
The University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service (IPS) has earned the Commitment Award in the annual Excellence in Tennessee recognition program administered by the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCPE). IPS serves businesses and government to improve the lives of Tennesseans.

We are excited to hear that we received the Commitment award, said IPS Vice President Herb Byrd. Im really looking forward to reading the feedback that we receive from the examiners. We will use this feedback to continue to improve our organization so that we offer the best services to our customers across the state.

TNCPE is Tennessees only statewide quality program and is patterned on the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, the national standard for recognizing role model performance through innovation, improvement, and visionary leadership. IPS will accept the award at the 25th Annual Excellence in Tennessee Awards Banquet on February 21, 2018, at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs.

Through an annual evaluation and assessment process, TNCPE recognizes high-performing organizations that demonstrate continuous improvement and role model processes. This year, TNCPE has named 31 organizations as 2017 award winners that represent outstanding achievement in the following industry sectors: health care, manufacturing, service, education, government, and nonprofit.

Organizations that pursue a TNCPE award have a special drive, Gov. Bill Haslam said. The University of Tennessee Institute for Public Services commitment to improvement will reach deep into our community, making a significant contribution to the states economy, and the wellbeing of its citizens.

Organizations apply to the TNCPE program at one of four levels. As the levels increase, so does the depth and complexity of the application, which is based on the Baldrige Excellence Framework. Since the program was founded in 1993, only 24 organizations have attained the excellence designation. One will receive the Excellence Award this year; five organizations will be honored with the Achievement Award; 24 organizations will receive a Commitment Award; and one will receive Interest Recognition.

Commitment Awards are presented to organizations that are beginning to demonstrate serious commitment to, and implementation of, performance improvement principles. They have demonstrated progress by identifying and putting in place a measurement system to capture data and analyze results, and some key process improvements, which are directly attributable to a fact-based improvement process.

The TNCPE Awards program helps organizations look at the big picture and continuously strive to implement the best practices in their industry or sector, said TNCPE president Katie Rawls. But its not easy  if it were, every organization in the state would be participating. Our 2017 award winners are truly passionate about performance excellence and have chosen TNCPE and the Baldrige framework to help them become the best they can be.

A full list of winners can be found on the TNCPE website http://www.tncpe.org

Established in 1993 as a public-private partnership, the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence strives to promote economic development and drive organizational excellence by helping companies and organizations grow more competitive in todays global marketplace through affordable, in-depth assessments.

A statewide nonprofit, TNCPE is grounded in the Baldrige Excellence Frameworka holistic framework used by organizations across multiple industries to improve their performance and achieve sustainable results. More than 1,400 organizations have participated in and benefited from the TNCPE program. Five Tennessee businessesBristol Tennessee Essential Services, Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation, Pals Sudden Service, Eastman Chemical Company, and Federal Expresshave been honored with both the prestigious Baldrige National Quality Award and the TNCPE Excellence Award.

For more information about the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (http://www.tncpe.org), contact Katie Rawls, president and CEO at katie.rawls(at)tncpe(dot)org.

For more information on the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, visit http://www.nist.gov/baldrige.

For more information on The University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service, contact Susan Robertson at susan.robertson(at)tennessee(dot)edu.
The calculus is simpleinvest in your people, give them autonomy and a creative environment in which they are encouraged to be their authentic selves, and the result will be a workplace that is truly great.

BGZ brands, the parent company of mobile accessory brands BodyGuardz, Lander and MOXYO, was named one of Utahs top workplaces (#11), according to The Salt Lake Tribunes annual employee survey.

With so many incredible companies throughout the state, it is truly an honor to be recognized for the environment and workplace culture we have created, said Kirk Feller, CEO and President at BGZ brands. For us the calculus is simpleinvest in your people, give them autonomy and a creative environment in which they are encouraged to be their authentic selves, and the result will be a workplace that is truly great.

At more than 8,000 employers in Utah, BGZ brands was honored as #11 among the top small business workplaces. Additionally, the company ranked among the states overall Top 70 companies, making it a top 1-percent workplace and culture.

The Salt Lake Tribune partnered with Pennsylvania-based Energage, an employee research firm, in order to determine Utahs Top Workplaces. Using an in-depth employee survey, organizations were judged upon a series of organizational health factors, including: alignment, effectiveness, connection, management, engagement, executive leadership and benefits.

About Parent Company BGZ brands  BGZ brands mission is to enhance our customers lifestyles through branded products and services of elevated value and quality. Formerly known as BodyGuardz, BGZ brands has become the powerhouse parent company of three distinct consumer electronic accessory brandsBodyGuardz, a leading device protection company; Lander, expedition-inspired accessories for the explorer in all of us; and MOXYO, modern accessories for you. For more information, visit BGZ brands.

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Over 400 US Marines involved in battling the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Syria are being withdrawn as part of a cut in forces after the capture of Islamist militant "capital" Raqa, the US-led coalition said Thursday.

"The Marines supported Coalition partner forces with precise artillery strikes in the fight against ISIS," the coalition said in a statement.

"With the city liberated and ISIS on the run, the unit has been ordered home. Its replacements have been called off."

The coalition's director of operations Brigadier General Jonathan Braga called the move "a real sign of progress" as the Islamist militants have seen the vast swathes of ground they seized across Syria and Iraq in 2014 reduced to just a few remaining pockets.

"We're drawing down combat forces where it makes sense, but still continuing our efforts to help Syrian and Iraqi partners maintain security," he said in the statement.

A recent report from the Pentagon's Defense Manpower Data Center said that as of September 30 the US military had 1,720 troops in Syria and 8,892 in Iraq.

Those numbers were far above the officially released figure of 503 in Syria and 5,262 in Iraq.

An alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), retook Raqa from Islamist militants in October after a brutal onslaught supported by artillery and air power from the US-led coalition.

The international coalition -- which began targeting Islamist militants in 2014 -- is still supporting the militia in an operation in neighbouring Deir Ezzor province.

The Syrian regime backed by Russian fire power is currently conducting a separate offensive in the same region.

Since Raqa's capture, coalition strikes have dropped off drastically and, under pressure from Turkey, Washington has promised "adjustments to the military support" for the SDF.

Kurdish officials have, however, insisted that cooperation will continue between the two sides, while the US has said coalition forces do not expect to end their mission until a peace deal is negotiated in Syria.

In a separate statement released Thursday the coalition said that 801 civilians had been killed unintentionally in the more than 28,000 air strikes it has conducted, and that it is still probing 695 reported incidents.

Monitoring group Airwars insists that number is well below the true civilian toll of the bombing campaign, estimating that almost 6,000 innocent lives have been lost.

As the "caliphate" the Islamist militants declared now looks set to be wiped off the map, there are major questions over what comes next in Syria's complex war that has claimed over 340,000 lives since 2011.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad -- and his main backers Iran and Russia -- now have clear military superiority in the country and international players led by Moscow are making their most concerted push to halt hostilities.

But any progress towards an overall political settlement remains fraught with obstacles and UN-backed talks involving the regime and opposition currently taking place in Geneva have been clouded by major disagreements.

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This webinar will help you learn some of the tricks of the trade and provides other valuable advice for both innovators, inventors and the IP attorneys who represent them.

In today's economic environment, intellectual property (IP) rights are increasingly important assets for both individuals and corporate entities. More and more, both individuals and corporations are recognizing the economic importance of IP rights--whether those rights consist of a single patent--or whether they consist of an entire portfolio also including trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. The information-packed Financial Poise webinar series, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ISSUES FOR THE NEWISH BUSINESS 2017, focuses on the intricacies of IP rights as they relate to the specific areas of brand protection, IP transactions, internet marketing, and other IP issues that are critical for innovators and inventors. Join some of the leading attorneys in the World, as they discussin plain English for the non-expertsome specific IP challenges that individuals, businesses, and those who represent them are likely to face.

The fourth and final episode of the INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ISSUES FOR THE NEWISH BUSINESS 2017 webinar series is Legal Issues for Innovators & Inventors, airing on December 5th at 2pm CST (REGISTER HERE), and features host William C. Spence of SpencePC. He is joined by David Donoghue of Holland & Knight, Adam Gill of Covariant Capital LLC, and James Medek of Jump Trading.

Effective legal representation of innovators and inventors requires careful thought and consideration. Among other things, care must be taken to properly initiate communications, prepare assignments and handle subsequent legal disputes. This webinar discusses common legal issues that often arise during the representation of innovators and inventors. It also includes many tricks of the trade and other valuable advice for both innovators/inventors and the IP attorneys who represent them.

The Intellectual Property Issues for the Newish Business 2017 webinar series is sponsored by Signal Funding and EisnerAmper. All episodes premiere live through West LegalEdCenter and then are made available on-demand.

Each episode is delivered in Plain English understandable to business owners and executives without much background in these areas. Yet, each episode is proven to be valuable to seasoned professionals. As with all Financial Poise Webinars, each episode in the series brings you into engaging, sometimes humorous, conversations designed to entertain as it teaches. And, as with all Financial Poise Webinars, each episode in the series is designed to be viewed independently of the other episodes, so that participants will enhance their knowledge of this area whether they attend one, some, or all of the episodes.

ABOUT FINANCIAL POISE:

Financial Poise (http://www.financialpoise.com) provides unbiased news, continuing education, and intelligence to private business owners, executives, investors, and their trusted advisors. For more information contact Emily Goldin at egoldin(at)financialpoise(dot)com or 312-469-0135.

ABOUT EISNERAMPER: EisnerAmper is a leading full-service advisory and accounting firm with offices coast to coast and internationally. Visit http://www.eisneramper.com.

ABOUT SIGNAL FUNDING: Signal Funding is the premier provider of litigation financing for both large and small law firms, individual attorneys seeking an alternative financing resource to help capitalize their practice, and of pre-settlement legal funding for personal injury plaintiffs needing financial aid before their case settles. Visit them at https://signallegal.com.
Michael Mackenzie Communications (MMC), a marketing and public relations agency for technology and professional service providers in Atlanta, today announced the grand opening of its new office location. The firm will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 8 at 12:30 p.m. with appearances from Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. The offices of MMC are located at 1101 Bombay Lane in Roswell, Georgia.

The event will also include an open house from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Clients, vendors and members of the media are invited to celebrate the office launch and meet the entire MMC team. Refreshments will be served throughout the event.

"Our agency has experienced significant growth over our more than 15 years in business; something we could not have accomplished without our loyal clientele and dynamic team of marketing professionals," says founder Jennifer Koon. This move will give us the space to hire staff required to continue delivering effective marketing strategies and campaigns while meeting the needs of our growing client base."

The full-service marketing agency provides campaign development, support and management for small to mid-sized companies in the Atlanta area and nationwide. A portfolio of past and present clients includes companies such as InterDev, Morgan & DiSalvo, Atlanta Financial Associates and Metcam.

About Michael Mackenzie Communications

Michael Mackenzie Communications (MMC) is a full-service marketing and public relations agency located in North Atlanta. The firm offers strategic planning, branding, content marketing, public relations and digital marketing services for technology, financial and professional service firms as well as manufacturing businesses. MMC was founded in 2003 by Jennifer Koon, a marketing veteran with more than 25 years of experience developing strategic marketing communications programs for firms of all sizes. For more information, please visit http://www.michaelmackenzie.com.
Kari Strenfel I am excited to join the AcuRite family as we prepare to launch a new line of innovative weather monitoring tools. Im looking forward to working closely with the product development & marketing teams to further develop and deliver on AcuRites extensive product and service lines.

AcuRite, a leader in personal weather and environmental monitoring solutions, today announced the addition of Kari Strenfel as AcuRite Meteorologist. In this role, Strenfel will be working closely with the product development and marketing teams to further develop and expand AcuRites growing portfolio of environmental monitoring solutions.

"Adding a meteorologist to our staff is a natural evolution of AcuRites commitment to deliver industry leading solutions for environmental monitoring, said Jon Balicki, President and COO of AcuRite. With her extensive industry knowledge Kari will play a key role on our product and marketing teams as we continue delivering industry-leading solutions for our current and future customers."

Kari comes to AcuRite with nearly ten years experience within the weather industry, most recently at Weather Underground where she helped manage their worldwide network of personal weather stations.

I am excited to join the AcuRite family as we prepare to launch a new line of innovative weather monitoring tools, Strenfel said. Im looking forward to working closely with the product development and marketing teams, as well as AcuRite customers, to further develop and deliver on AcuRites extensive product and service lines.

Meet Kari-

ABOUT ACURITE:

AcuRite is owned by the Chaney Instrument Co., a leader in-time, temperature and personal weather reporting and forecasting instruments since 1943. AcuRite products are known for ease of use and delivering accurate, reliable information, allowing you to plan your day with confidence. Chaney Instrument Co. is a family-owned business based in idyllic Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

For additional information

Contact: Paula Wray  MarCom Manager

Chaney Instrument Co. - AcuRite

262-249-2350

pr(at)acurite(dot)com
Case Management Boot Camp

Led by industry experts Toni Cesta and Bev Cunningham, ComplianceOnlines popular Bootcamp on Case Management comes to San Francisco, CA and Orlando, FL. The one day program will provide best practices on utilization management and transitional planning under the new CMS rules. Attendees will learn models for RN case managers and social workers, HINNs, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and NOTICE Act.

For more information on this seminar visit the event website here.

Dates:

Friday, December 8, 2017 (8.00 AM- 5.00 PM)

Friday, February 16, 2018 (8.00 AM- 5.00 PM)

Location 1: DoubleTree by Hilton San Francisco, CA

Location 2: Orlando, FL

Registration Cost: $649.00 per registration

Early bird discounts: For discounts on early registrations, please click here.

Register by phone: Please call our customer service specialists at +1-888-717-2436 or email to customercare(at)complianceonline.com

For more information on ComplianceOnline or to browse through our trainings, please visit our website.

About ComplianceOnline

ComplianceOnline is a leading provider of regulatory compliance trainings for companies and professionals in regulated industries. ComplianceOnline has successfully trained over 55,000 professionals from 15,000 companies to comply with the requirements of regulatory agencies. ComplianceOnline is headquartered in Palo Alto, California and can be reached at http://www.complianceonline.com. ComplianceOnline is a MetricStream portal. MetricStream (http://www.metricstream.com) is a market leader in Enterprise-wide Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) and Quality Management Solutions for global corporations.

For more information please contact:

A Reuben Bernard

Associate Director - ComplianceOnline

2600 E Bayshore Rd

Palo Alto CA USA 94303

Phone - +1-650-238-9656 | +1-888-717-2436

Fax - 650-362-2367

Mail: reuben(at)complianceonline.com

Website: http://www.complianceonline.com
Jim Henderson This is a very special honor to service with an outstanding Board of Trustees. The knowledge I was exposed to at Florida State enabled accomplishments beyond my imagination said Jim Henderson.

AssuredPartners, Inc. is pleased to announce Chairman and CEO Jim Henderson has joined the Board of Trustees at Florida State University. Mr. Henderson is a Florida State University graduate with a B.A. B.S. in accounting and economics.

The FSU Board of Trustees was created in 2001 setting policies for the institution and serving as the institutions governing board. The thirteen member Board of Trustees is composed of six members appointed by the Governor, five members appointed by the Florida Board of Governors, the Chair of Faculty Senate and the President of the Student Body. FSU has risen another five (5) spots in the US News & World Report Best Colleges 2018 ranking bringing us even closer to the goal of being in the top 25 best public universities in the country.

This is a very special honor to service with an outstanding Board of Trustees. The knowledge I was exposed to at Florida State enabled accomplishments beyond my imagination said Jim Henderson.

ABOUT ASSUREDPARTNERS, INC

Headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida, AssuredPartners, Inc. acquires and invests in insurance brokerage businesses (property and casualty, employee benefits, surety and MGUs) across the United States and in London. From its founding in March of 2011, AssuredPartners now approaches $1 billion in annualized revenue and continues to be one of the fastest growing insurance brokerage firms in the United States* with over 200 offices in 30 states and London. Since 2011, AssuredPartners has acquired more than 190 insurance agencies. For more information, please contact Dean Curtis, CFO, at 407.708.0031 or dean.curtis(at)assuredpartners(dot)com, or visit http://www.assuredpartners.com.

Business Insurance in the July 2017 edition, featuring the 100 largest brokers of U.S. business.
Lucas Group At Lucas Group, were lucky to have an incredible roster of dynamic, talented and driven professionals who are truly passionate about their work.

Lucas Group, the leader in North American executive search, announced the recipients of its 2017 Top Performers awards during the companys Annual Sales Meeting in Dallas.

The six Associates named Top Performers have been instrumental in the success of their teams and Lucas Group.

At Lucas Group, were lucky to have an incredible roster of dynamic, talented and driven professionals who are truly passionate about their work, said Lucas Group CEO Andi Jennings. These six star performers went above and beyond this year, demonstrating excellence in leadership, business acumen and client relations that empowered their clients and teams to even greater success.

The award recipients are:

Managing Partner of the Year - Jeff Bloom, Houston, Legal

Branch of the Year - Jamie Hersh, Atlanta, Accounting & Finance

Rookie of the Year - Robert Perssons, Chicago, Human Resources

Recruiter of the Year - Claire Fleigel, Dallas, Accounting & Finance

2017 Special Contributor - Erica Frost, Atlanta, Human Resources

Presidential Award - Scott Smith, Atlanta, Corporate

We thank each of these individuals for their hard work and contributions to Lucas Group, and we look forward to continued success in years to come, said Jennings.

Lucas Group specializes in Accounting & Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Legal, Manufacturing, Military Transition and Sales & Marketing recruitment. Taking pride in the professional growth and career advancement of its associates, Lucas Group provides clear career path trajectories together with the industrys most sophisticated onboarding and ongoing educational programming.

About Lucas Group

Lucas Group is North Americas premier executive search firm. Since 1970, our culture and methodologies have driven superior results. We assist clients ranging in size from small to medium-sized businesses to Fortune 500 companies find transcendent, executive talent; candidates fully realize their ambitions; and associates find professional success. To learn more, please visit Lucas Group at http://www.lucasgroup.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
Now, were taking business incubation to the next level as we shift our focus away from operating physical spaces for startups and reinvest our efforts into the people and ideas that make up those companies - the innovators and innovations who are changing our collective future.

The University City Science Center, CIC and Venture Cafe announced further details about their partnership to catalyze and accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship in Greater Philadelphia on Wednesday, November 29, 2017 at a reception at uCity Square.

When 3675 Market Street opens in 2018, it will be the new home for the Science Centers headquarters, an expanded Quorum and FirstHand Lab  and the first Philadelphia location for anchor tenant CIC, a globally recognized company that combines world-class office and lab facilities with intense, productive innovation communities.

CIC will manage the shared lab and office facilities in the new building. The Science Center will amplify its current technology commercialization and business acceleration programming, as well as develop new opportunities to support the science and tech communities of Greater Philadelphia.

Throughout our history, weve built a place dedicated to innovation, pioneered the concept of business incubation, and supported companies as theyve moved technologies from the lab to the marketplace, says Science Center President & CEO Stephen S. Tang, Ph.D., MBA. Now, were taking business incubation to the next level as we shift our focus away from operating physical spaces for startups and reinvest our efforts into the people and ideas that make up those companies - the innovators and innovations who are changing our collective future.

We've been working toward establishing CIC Philly for several years and thanks to the partnership and guidance of Steve Tang and the Science Center, it's a thrill to see it all coming together, says CIC Managing Director, Dougan Sherwood. The Philly innovation community is something very special and we feel fortunate to be a part of it. Thanks to Wexford and Ventas, our real estate partners, 3675 Market Street is set to be a world-class facility. We can't wait for 2018!

The Science Center will also strengthen and enhance the offerings of its Quorum program by joining the Venture Cafe Network, a global network founded by CIC, with partner organizations in Boston/Cambridge, Massachusetts; St. Louis, Missouri; Miami, Florida; Winston-Salem, N.C., and Rotterdam, Netherlands. The Science Center and Venture Cafe will offer Venture Cafe @ Quorum programming every Thursday beginning in Fall 2018, giving the Greater Philadelphia regions innovation ecosystem an additional opportunity to convene, connect and spark new ideas. Venture Cafe membership will give the Science Center and its constituents access to Venture Cafes global network of entrepreneurs and resources. CIC clients will be invited to participate in Quorum and Venture Cafe programs -- all making for a more vibrant ecosystem in uCity Square.

It is a great time to play an active role in building the Philadelphia innovation community. More importantly, making sure Philadelphia startups have access to a global network will accelerate innovation and economic growth, said Travis Sheridan, president of the CIC Venture Cafe Global Institute. We believe innovation is a process to improve the human condition and solve some of the worlds biggest challenges. Facilitating a weekly opportunity for hundreds of smart people to connect, learn and serendipitously collide will strengthen the Philadelphia community.

Combining CIC's successful model of highly-serviced shared office and lab spaces with the dynamic programming and resources of the Science Center and Venture Cafe at 3675 Market will create a strategic anchor within Philadelphias innovation ecosystem. We are excited to host all three organizations under one roof and look forward to watching this partnership grow, says Jim Berens, President & CEO of Wexford.

3675 Market Street is a 14-story, 345,000 square foot lab/office building and the latest development project at uCity Square. The building, which is being developed by Wexford, Ventas, Inc. (NYSE: VTR), a leading S&P 500 real estate investment trust, and the Science Center, is scheduled to deliver in 3Q 2018. 3675 builds upon Wexfords experience in developing knowledge communities by combining the strengths of the Science Center, CIC and Venture Cafe under one roof. 3675 is currently 50% pre-leasing with approximately 150,000 square feet of available space.

About the Science Center

Located in the heart of uCity Square, the Science Center is a mission-driven nonprofit organization that catalyzes and connects innovation to entrepreneurship and technology commercialization. For 50+ years, the Science Center has supported startups, research, and economic development in the life sciences, healthcare, physical sciences, and emerging technology sectors. As a result, graduate firms and current residents of the Science Centers incubator support one out of every 100 jobs in the Greater Philadelphia region and drive $13 billion in economic activity in the region annually. By providing resources and programming for any stage of a businesss lifecycle, the Science Center helps scientists, entrepreneurs and innovators take their concepts from idea to IPO  and beyond.

For more information about the Science Center, go to http://www.sciencecenter.org

About CIC

CICs mission is to change the world through innovation by developing ecosystems that allow exceptional entrepreneurs to create new products and companies better and faster. Founded in 1999 in Cambridge, Massachusetts Kendall Square and today the largest cluster of startups in the world, CIC houses 1,300 companies in 500,000 square feet of premium office and coworking space across seven facilities worldwide. CIC companies come from a wide variety of industries, and while its community is composed primarily of startups, it also includes larger companies, capital providers and service providers.

About Venture Cafe Global Institute

Venture Cafe is a fast-growing, global network of independent organizations with a shared global mission: connecting innovators to make things happen. Venture Cafe is a building a global movement to create stronger and more inclusive innovation ecosystems and accelerate and enhance the innovation process, in cities around the world. The Venture Cafe Global Institute (VCGI) is a public benefit corporation, operating as a nonprofit and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC). VCGI also operates the Captains of Innovation program, our corporate-startup connections program. More information can be found at venturecafeglobal.org.

About Wexford Science & Technology

Wexford Science + Technology is a real estate company exclusively focused on partnering with universities, academic medical centers and research companies to develop vibrant, mixed-use communities. Wexfords communities are built on a foundation of discovery, innovation and entrepreneurial activity that creates visible outcomes in the form of substantial economic growth, new and diverse jobs and community transformation. Wexford targets strategic opportunities with top-tier research universities that are directly on or contiguous to dense, urban campuses. Presently Wexford has developed twelve Knowledge Communities across the United States. For more information about Wexford, visit http://www.wexfordscitech.com.

About Ventas

Ventas, Inc., an S&P 500 company, is a leading real estate investment trust. Its diverse portfolio of more than 1,200 assets in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom consists of seniors housing communities, medical office buildings, life science and innovation centers, inpatient rehabilitation and long-term acute care facilities, health systems and skilled nursing facilities. Through its Lillibridge subsidiary, Ventas provides management, leasing, marketing, facility development and advisory services to highly rated hospitals and health systems throughout the United States. References to Ventas or the Company mean Ventas, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Ventas and Lillibridge can be found at http://www.ventasreit.com and http://www.lillibridge.com.
The Dreams Behind the Music: Learn Creative Dreaming As 100+ Top Artists Reveal Their Breakthrough Inspirations Any artist who ignores their dreams is ignoring half of their creative potential. Sting

In addition to hundreds of dream-inspired hits that lifted scores of music icons to stardom, this groundbreaking work also unveils spontaneous, monumental collaborations sparked by dreams, powerful warning dreams where the lives of famous artists and others were at stake, 20+ intriguing cases where the deceased appeared in dreams of living musicians to instruct them or offer important creative and career guidance, the 2 dreams that led to the top-grossing film of all time, stars who experience the gift of seeing music and hearing images, dream visions that called artists to their career path, as well as ways shamans from many cultures worldwide call in music from dreamland and share it for healing, teaching, protection, and powerful rituals.

The book also explains how anyone can recall more dreams and tap them for creative inspiration, as well as use them to improve mental, emotional and even physical skills such as live performance or musical instrument mastery as did virtuoso guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, 25-time Grammy-winning pianist Vladimir Horowitz, and various other top artists. The book also details techniques to transform nightmares into the gifts they are meant to be, as well as proven methods to invoke lucid dreams in which amazing adventures and insights are plentiful, since Webb was involved in the pioneering research at Stanford University that was instrumental in bringing lucid dreaming to public attention over the last few decades.

The Dreams Behind the Music: Learn Creative Dreaming As 100+ Top Artists Reveal Their Breakthrough Inspirations combines over 3,000 hours of writing, interviews, and research with the author's 25+ years of experience studying and teaching about dreams, and working with many thousands of dreamers around the world. The result is an entertaining, unique, and insight-filled collection of mostly unknown yet meticulously-documented accounts of over 200 artists, showing how dreams inspired some of their biggest hit songs, as well as offered them crucial career and life guidance that steered them towards tremendous success.

This avant-garde work reveals how dreams have played a monumental role in shaping the music we know, if not the entire fabric of our culture. It also highlights numerous universal principles about creativity and consciousness that can benefit anyone in order to streamline the journey toward the forthcoming future where nightly dreams will play an increasingly important role to help us all live significantly more fulfilling daily lives.

To learn more, visit: http://DreamsBehindTheMusic.com

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About: Craig Webb is a dream analyst/author/researcher, as well as a widely-traveled speaker, inventor, and dream-inspired musical artist. A McGill University graduate with pioneering lucid dream research at Stanford University and Montreals Sacre-Coeur Hospital, Webb has had the honor to consult for Fortune 500 corporations, major motion pictures, world-class athletes, top celebrities, and make well over 1,000 media appearances. He has also designed personal development, educational, and optimal health devices distributed worldwide, helped found/produce the acclaimed radio show Making Contact (that has aired weekly on 150-250 international stations for over two decades), and has volunteered for many humanitarian and environmental causes, including benefit concert performances and fundraising events.
Danny, Mona, and Geoffrey all bring many years of highly skilled and relevant legal experience to the firm.

Dunlap, Bennett & Ludwig, PLLC announces the addition of new attorneys to their Atlanta (GA), Tulsa (OK), and Vienna (VA) offices, marking continued growth for the Firm. The addition of a new Partner, Senior Counsel, and Senior Associate brings diversified subject matter expertise to the Firms broad Litigation, Corporate, Intellectual Property, and Government Contract practices, expanding current capabilities to accommodate increasing numbers of local and national clients.

Partner Danny Littlefield (Tulsa, OK) is an experienced attorney that has been practicing law in Oklahoma for over fifteen years. A local graduate from Tulsa College of Law, Attorney Littlefield has served as a City Attorney for several municipalities in Oklahoma. His primary areas of expertise include White Collar Defense, Licensing and Transactions, Government Contracts, and Corporate Litigation. Attorney Littlefield embraces the trust his clients place in him, and brings with him a grounded philosophy committed to doing what you say you will do, and treating others how you want to be treated.

Senior Counsel Geoffrey Dureska (Atlanta, GA) is a graduate from Case Western University School of Law, and brings with him eight years of Corporate, Intellectual Property, Estate Planning, and Business Start-Up experience. His current practice consists primarily of Corporate and Intellectual Property Litigation. His client-centric perspective aligns well with the Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig philosophy of fierce client advocacy.

Senior Associate Mona Wilcox (Vienna, VA) is a graduate of George Mason University School of Law, and joins Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig from the United States Department of Justice (US DOJ), where she previously served in a variety of legal capacities, including providing legal counsel to senior leadership and litigating before numerous bodies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Federal Courts. Her current practice specializes in Corporate, Employment, and Real Estate law. Attorney Wilcox brings with her a passion for gaining new expertise and making a difference in her clients lives.

On the recent additions, Founding Partner Thomas Dunlap Stated, "Danny, Mona, and Geoffrey all bring many years of highly skilled and relevant legal experience to the firm. Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig is both honored and excited to be working with our new team members."

Dunlap, Bennett & Ludwig is recognized as one of the fastest growing Firms in the United States (https://lawfirm500.com/2017-award-honorees/), and specializes in Litigation, Insurance Provider Representation, Corporate Representation, Government Contracts, Real Estate, and Estate Planning. The addition of these newest team members furthers Dunlap Bennett & Ludwigs commitment and capacity to provide world-class legal service.
Attorney Steve Sumner "I am honored to have been selected yet again for the "Best Law Firms in America."

Attorney Steve W. Sumner has been named a Best Law Firm 2017 by U.S. News & World Report. Sumner is a DUI and criminal defense attorney serving Upstate South Carolina.

The U.S.News  Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process.

Clients were asked to provide feedback on firm practice groups, addressing expertise, responsiveness, understanding of a business and its needs, cost-effectiveness, civility, and whether they would refer another client to the firm.

Lawyers also voted on expertise, responsiveness, integrity, cost-effectiveness, whether they would refer a matter to a firm, and whether they consider a firm a worthy competitor.

In addition to lawyer and client feedback, law firms were asked to provide us with general demographic and background information on the law firm and attorneys, and other data that speaks to the strengths of a law firms practice areas.

Sumner currently represents clients in over 25 courts in Upstate South Carolina. These courts include Greenville, Anderson, Spartanburg, Pickens and Laurens counties; as well as the city/municipal courts of Greenville, Anderson, Spartanburg, Simpsonville, Mauldin, Greer, Fountain Inn, Easley, Clemson, Central, and Laurens.

In 1997, Sumner opened his own practice as a criminal defense attorney, with a special focus on defending clients accused of DUI, Felony DUI, all driving offenses and drug cases. He graduated from the USC School of Law in 1992 and served as a state court prosecutor from 1992 to 1994. His primary case load consisted of prosecuting DUI, Felony DUI, Reckless Homicide and Traffic offenses.
S President Donald Trump publicly upbraided British Prime Minister and ostensible ally Theresa May late Wednesday, rebutting her criticism of anti-Muslim propaganda in a diplomatic row between the two leaders.

Plunging headlong into a high-profile spat with one of America's closest international partners, Trump suggested May focus on defending the United Kingdom rather than criticizing him.

"@theresa_may, don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!" he tweeted, after an earlier tweet with the same message used the wrong Twitter handle for May.

Trump had drawn fierce condemnation at home and abroad earlier in the day for retweeting three incendiary anti-Muslim videos posted by the deputy head of a British far-right group who has been convicted of a hate crime.

May said through a spokesperson that Trump was "wrong" to promote the "hateful narratives" of the group, British First.

Trump's interventions in British politics have strained the so-called "special relationship."

He has infuriated British authorities with his tweets on terrorism in Britain, including highly publicized run-ins with London's Muslim mayor Sadiq Khan.

Khan on Wednesday described Britain First as "a vile, hate-fuelled organisation whose views should be condemned, not amplified."

Before Trump's latest missive, the White House had scrambled to limit the fallout, saying that even if the anti-Muslim videos were misleading, the president was pointing out a real problem.

"The threat is real, and that's what the president is talking about," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.

Deputy spokesman Raj Shah also defended Trump's actions: "It's never the wrong time to talk about the security and safety of the American people. Those are the issues he was raising in his tweets this morning."

One of the videos falsely claims to show a Muslim beating up a Dutch boy on crutches.

The Dutch embassy in Washington took the unusual step of publicly criticizing a sitting US president on Twitter.

"@realDonaldTrump Facts do matter. The perpetrator of the violent act in this video was born and raised in the Netherlands. He received and completed his sentence under Dutch law."

Another video is described as showing an Islamist mob pushing a teenager off a rooftop, without any context -- it appears to be footage filmed during unrest in Egypt in 2013. A man was executed for his role in the teen's death.

The third video allegedly depicts a Muslim smashing a statue of the Virgin Mary.

All three videos were originally posted by Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of the far-right group Britain First, which hailed Trump for his support.

"THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSEN'S TWITTER VIDEOS!" the group tweeted in triumph.

"DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA!"

Fransen was found guilty last year of a hate crime after hurling abuse at a Muslim woman wearing a hijab.

Britain First, which was formed in 2011 and is known for picketing outside mosques, has run and lost in several British and European parliament elections.

Brendan Cox, widower of MP Jo Cox who was murdered by a right-wing extremist last year, said: "Trump has legitimized the far right in his own country, now he's trying to do it in ours.

"Spreading hatred has consequences & the president should be ashamed of himself," he said.

Trump's behavior renewed calls for May to revoke an invitation for the American president to make a state visit.

David Lammy, a lawmaker for Britain's opposition Labour Party, said: "The president of the United States is promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group whose leaders have been arrested and convicted.

"He is no ally or friend of ours," he said.

Conservative Minister Sajid Javid said Trump had "endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me. He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing."

Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said the retweets were "abhorrent, dangerous and a threat."

Added Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson: "UK has a proud history as an open, tolerant society & hate speech has no place here."

Trump's Twitter posts Wednesday were part of an early morning burst in which he again dismissed CNN as "Fake News" and insisted the US economy was in "record territory" by many measures.

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Dr. Farhad Sigari of Del Rey Sinus & Allergy Institute We offer the most advanced sinus and allergy treatments available, close to home for residents of the Kern Valley.

With a practice that quickly adopts the most advanced technologies for successful patient treatment, Del Rey MD, a leading ear, nose and throat healthcare provider is opening a new location in Bakersfield, Calif. to serve patients in the Central Valley. The Del Rey Sinus & Allergy Institute, located at 4927 Calloway Drive, joins the flagship Marina Del Rey location in Los Angeles to offer expert, minimally invasive techniques to resolve sinus, allergy and other head and neck medical issues. The announcement was made today by Dr. Farhad Sigari, MD, FACS, founder of Del Rey MD and a board-certified otolaryngologist.

Our mission has always been to provide world-class care to our patients, with exceptional service, said Dr. Sigari. With our new Bakersfield location, we offer the latest head and neck treatments available, close to home for the residents of the Kern Valley.

The regional office is the second location for Del Rey MD, which was founded in Marina Del Rey in Los Angeles in 2007. Such advanced features as an in-house computer tomography scanner (CT scan), otolaryngological catheter balloon for non-invasive sinus and ear procedures and image-guided surgery systems enable Dr. Sigari to offer an unsurpassed level of precision in diagnosis and treatment.

Over the past decade, Dr. Sigari has been selected numerous times as one of the only physicians outside of a university for the first-phase use of new technology and techniques for patients. He has pioneered the use of such breakthrough developments as balloon sinus dilation, balloon eustachian tube dilation and sublingual immunotherapy for allergies.

Among the primary conditions treated by Dr. Sigari and the Del Rey group of clinics are sinusitis, rhinitis, sinus headache, sleep apnea and sleep disorders, deviated septum, enlarged turbinates, allergies and many other head and neck disorders. Many of the advanced techniques used by Dr. Sigari are minimally invasive or non-invasive, so they can be performed right in the office setting, with minimal anesthesia, and patients can resume their lives the next day.

Dr. Sigari is a nationally recognized expert in the field of otolaryngology. He trains other doctors from around the country in the best use of the latest technology, such as balloon sinus dilation. He graduated from the University of California, San Diego before attending Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine Science at The Chicago Medical School. He completed residency and internship in Otolaryngology and Head/Neck Surgery at the University of Chicago Hospitals, where he perfected his skills as an allergy doctor, ENT doctor and sinus doctor. Practicing since 1996, Dr. Sigari is board-certified in otolaryngology by the American Board of Otolaryngology, a Fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngology in Head and Neck Surgery, and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

For more information or to make an appointment, visit delreysinus.com/kern.

4927 Calloway Drive, Suite 101

Bakersfield, CA 93312

(661) 695-8627

About Del Rey MD

Comprised of Del Rey ENT Associates, Del Rey Sinus & Allergy Institute, and Del Rey Aesthetics Center, Del Rey MD is an advanced otolaryngology medical practice. Del Rey MD offers a full range of advanced medical services to treat conditions of the head, neck and skin. The medical group offers the latest techniques and technology to deliver patients an unparalleled level of care, with exceptional service. The physicians of Del Rey MD are board-certified surgeons and Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. The practice was founded by Farhad Sigari, MD, FACS, a graduate of University of San Diego and Chicago Medical School, where he also completed surgical internship and residency. The clinics areas of expertise include: sinusitis and sinus surgery including balloon sinus dilation; head and neck plastic surgery; snoring and sleep apnea; ear and hearing disorders including aviation and dive medicine; allergy and immunotherapy; head, neck and throat oncology; facial feminization surgery, microdermabrasion, facial masks and contouring and many other surgical and non-surgical treatments. Known for its adoption of the most innovative and advanced techniques, Del Rey MD draws patients from California, across the United States and foreign countries. For more information, visit http://www.delreymd.com.
Mojio is on a mission to give every vehicle a voice The Alexa Fund is pleased to make a follow-on investment in Mojio and continue our support of their vision to make the connected car accessible on the vehicles we drive today, said Paul Bernard, Director of the Alexa Fund, Amazon.

Today, connected car cloud platform company, Mojio, announced it has secured $30M CAD in Series B funding to accelerate its roll-outs with network operators across the globe. The funding will also fuel product innovation and patent development, including the advancement of machine learning initiatives, ensuring that Mojios growing team of engineers, designers, and developers continue to preempt the needs of drivers worldwide.

Since closing its Series A round in late 2016, Mojio has launched their open connected car solution with seven wireless carriers across five countries and two continents, including T-Mobile in the United States (see SyncUP DRIVE), Deutsche Telekom in Austria, Czech Republic and Germany (see CarConnect), plus all three major wireless carriers in Canada (TELUS, Rogers and Bell).

The connected car movement is accelerating as consumers demand more from their cars. While some new vehicles roll off the assembly line with built-in connected car technology, a huge gap remains for the drivers of the over one billion unconnected cars, who are eager for a user-friendly and affordable upgrade.

People dont want to wait for their next vehicle to access valuable safety and security features, let alone another 10 to 15 years for the promise of self-driving cars, explains Mojio CEO Kenny Hawk. But they are willing to spend $10 to $15 per month to access actionable, real-world data that empowers smarter decision making around family safety, driving behavior, vehicle maintenance, and that offers a hassle free Wi-Fi hotspot that doesnt drain your smartphone.

Mojios Series B round was led by Kensington Capital ($1.2 Billion in assets under management) and attracted new investment from Trend Forward Capital (focused on security technology) and innogy Ventures (focused on distributed energy innovation). All current investors participated again, including the Amazon Alexa Fund, BDC IT Venture Fund, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners and Relay Ventures.

"Mojio is exactly the kind of company that we want to partner with  a world class team with an innovative technology platform gaining rapid customer traction, said Rick Nathan, Managing Director of Kensington Capital, After building our relationship with them for nearly two years, it was a natural fit for us to lead their Series B financing round.

Renewed participation from the Amazon Alexa Fund shows its commitment to supporting and innovating with Mojio, and growing traction for voice experiences designed around the car. The Alexa Fund is pleased to make a follow-on investment in Mojio and continue our support of their vision to make the connected car accessible on the vehicles we drive today, said Paul Bernard, Director of the Alexa Fund, Amazon. The Mojio skill for Alexa lets customers simply use voice to track vehicle location, trip distance and fuel levels. By unlocking data insights from the car, we see opportunity for Mojio to continue innovating with Alexa to bring customers more delightful voice-powered experiences.

Mojio has already connected over 500,000 vehicles around the world, ranging from an almost ancient 1996 Audi A4 to a brand new 2018 Volvo V60. Drivers, families and small businesses use Mojios apps to keep their vehicles safe, stay coordinated, and cut down on costly, time-consuming issues associated with car ownership. Common use cases include:

-Getting notified about engine issues to make informed decisions on service and repairs

-Monitoring car location and status to help with ride coordination and cut down on distractions

-Receiving critical recall notices to ensure remedial action is taken to improve safety

-Locating a stolen vehicle to inform the authorities and have it recovered

-Logging business trips to maximize mileage expensing and tax returns

-Using on-demand roadside assistance to get help fast

In addition to delivering valuable experiences for drivers, Mojio has already collected over 5 billion miles of driving data. Mojio uses machine learning to generate insights that will shape the future of mobility, making the driving experience smarter, safer and less expensive.

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About Mojio

Open, scalable and hardware agnostic, Mojio is the cloud platform of choice for the deployment of secure connected car apps and services. Mojios platform delivers a smarter, safer and more convenient driving and vehicle ownership experience to subscribers of major network operators, including Bell Canada, Deutsche Telekom, Rogers Communications, T-Mobile and TELUS.

With real-world data gathered from more than 5 billion miles of driving, Mojio provides a big data analytics framework that uses machine learning to generate actionable insights and unlock new revenue streams for companies throughout the automotive value chain.

Founded in 2012, Mojio is on a mission to give every vehicle a voice. With growing teams in Vancouver, Palo Alto and Sofia, and some of the worlds biggest brands as customers, partners and investors, Mojio is a career-accelerator for driven tech professionals looking to shape the future of mobility. Visit Mojios careers page.

About Kensington Capital Partners

Kensington Capital Partners is a leading Canadian investment firm in alternative assets, with over $1.1 billion invested to date in venture capital, private equity, hedge funds, and infrastructure. Founded in 1996, the firm is employee owned and fiercely independent. Based in Toronto, with additional offices in Vancouver and Calgary, Kensingtons active management approach and relationship based business has generated top quartile returns for investors, consisting of institutional investors such as pension and endowment funds, foundations, corporations, wealth managers and individuals. For more information, visit http://www.kcpl.ca
Shaun ONeill: the panel discussion will focus on the critical importance of third-party servicing

Shaun ONeill, President and COO of Concord Servicing Corporation, a leading force in the portfolio servicing and financial technology industry, has been invited to serve as moderator of a finance-related panel during the upcoming Information Management Networks 3rd Annual Investors Conference on Marketplace Lending. ONeills panel will focus on the highly topical Trends and Best Practices for Loan Servicing during the conference, to be held December 1st at the Marriott New York Downtown, in New York City.

Now in its third year, the Investors' Conference on Marketplace Lending hosts leading online lending platforms, asset managers, institutional investors and others to discuss the latest developments in this dynamic sector.

Shaun ONeill says that the panel discussion he will moderate will focus attention on the critical importance of third-party servicing, and how companies like Concord work to help their clients reduce their risk exposure in structured financial transactions. As he explains: In addition to the large portfolio of assets for which we provide primary servicing, we also support approximately 150,000 loans with combined balances of approximately $1.9 billion as a master/backup servicer. Our ability to provide confidence in the capital markets for our clients has been our companys bellwether strength for nearly 30 years.

ONeills and Concords emphasis on the importance and vitality of the role of third-party servicing in the capital markets is echoed by many in the loan servicing industry. Paul Humphrey, Senior VP of Financial and Capital Markets for Bluegreen Vacations (a longtime Concord Servicing client), in Boca Raton, Florida, explains that, for organizations that access capital markets, Consistency is the key in backup servicing, which Concord has provided us over many years. That, and an impressive grasp of industry knowledge, which they also have continuously demonstrated.

Another Concord client, Welk Resorts, is equally focused on improving their access to capital markets. Welk CFO Carisa J. Azzi notes: As a company that needs access to capital markets, were always interested in increasing our level of creditability from a third-party perspective. Knowing Concord has been the leader in that space, theres comfort knowing that theyre our warm back-up with respect to third-party servicing.

ONeill adds, Whether in the role of a back-up servicer or loss mitigation collections agent, the structured finance market relies on third-party servicers to reduce risk and increase investor confidence in the marketplace. The panel Im moderating will attempt to bring further insight into this important substratum of financial markets, with actual examples of how it works in the market today.

About Concord:

Founded in 1988, Concord Servicing Corporation is a leading force in the portfolio servicing and financial technology industries. Presently servicing nearly two million unsecured consumer obligations, Concord manages a portfolio of approximately $4.8 billion. The company has grown to encompass nearly 200 dedicated professionals located at its headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, as well as in Mexico City and Cancun, Mexico. For more information on Concord, contact Allison Friedson at Afriedson(at)concordservicing(dot)com or visit ConcordServicing.com.

About IMN:

IMN, founded in 1994, is a global organizer of institutional finance & investment conferences. In 2004 the business was acquired by Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC, a UK company listed on the London Stock Exchange. Visit https://www.imn.org/.
Alley Cat Rescue traveled down to Houston, Texas after Hurricane Harvey hit the area to help with rescue efforts. Shelters in the area were in desperate need of help and ACR was there to assist. ACR rescued 40 cats that were in local shelters to free up space for cats displaced by the hurricane, donated supplies to the shelters and sorted through mountains of donated supplies. ACR was also involved in on-the-ground rescues. A team paddle-boarded through the devastation to rescue people and pets left behind. Although this situation was tragic, the team met many inspirational people and animals.

In total, 17 cats were brought back to ACR headquarters in Brentwood, Maryland while others were brought to the Los Angeles office. The cats were named after towns in Texas such as Austin, Amarillo and Idalou. The work didnt end when the team returned to Maryland though. Some of the cats needed extra care, such as Amarillo, who staff members nursed back to health. He went from a weak kitten to an outgoing and rambunctious personality.

Since then, all but one Harvey cat have been adopted. Autumn is still looking for a home and would love to be adopted in time for the holidays! Autumn is ACRs energetic and adventurous tortie girl. She loves to play but will come up for pets and cuddles when she is tired and wants some love. She loves to climb on ACRs newly installed cat bridge and show off her skills. If you are interested in adopting Autumn fill out an online inquiry form here: http://www.saveacat.org/adoptions.html

About Alley Cat Rescue: ACR is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of all cats: domestic, stray, abandoned, and feral. ACR advocates for humane nonlethal control of feral cats. ACR has been awarded the Independent Charities of Americas Best in America Seal of Approval, and our newsletter has won several awards from the Cat Writers Association. For more information, please visit our website http://www.saveacat.org or facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/alleycatrescueinc/.
Patients as Partners is the only conference where the research is led equally by patients alongside industry, government and academia, says Jennifer Moran, Program Manager, The conference is devoted to understanding not only the patient perspective on the design of a clinical trial, but also the

The Conference Forum is pleased to announce the 2nd annual Patients as Partners Europe (Patients EU) event in London on January 23-24, 2018. Shaped by patients involved in clinical trials, the conference takes a comprehensive view of the patient experience and how to engage with them across the entire clinical trial continuum. Participants will continue the conversation on how increased patient involvement can drive the development of innovative medicines that deliver more relevant and impactful patient outcomes and make medicine development faster, more efficient and more productive.

Patients as Partners is the only conference where the research is led equally by patients alongside industry, government and academia, says Jennifer Moran, Program Manager, The conference is devoted to understanding not only the patient perspective on the design of a clinical trial, but also the patient experience in the clinical trial to ultimately figure out how to drive greater efficiencies.

Program leadership for 2018 includes our two Co-Chairs Dr Tony Hoos, Head of Medical at Amgen Europe and Andrew Garvey, Global Patient Advocacy Lead at GlaxoSmithKline; Dr Claire Nolan, Research Involvement Manager at Parkinsons UK; Irmi Gallmeier, Senior International Health Policy Leader, Patient Relations at F. Hoffman La Roche; Richard Stephens, Patient/ Consumer Lead at National Cancer Research Institute; and Guy Yeoman, VP, Patient Centricity and Global Medical Affairs at AstraZeneca.

Featured sessions include:



Multi-stakeholder panel on What Good Patient Involvement Looks Like

Town hall style discussion on Patient Engagement Metrics and Value

Industry case studies on incorporating patient involvement with Bristol-Myers Squibb, Santhera Pharmaceuticals and UCB

Demonstration on How Advocacy is Working with Pharma in a Meaningful Way to Involve Patients in Medicines Development led by Parkinsons UK and Arthritis Research UK

Results shared on CISCRPs Global Assessment of Patient Perceptions of Clinical Research - A Stakeholders Call to Action

Patients EU will once again host an Ask the Patient program in which attendees can meet face-to-face with patients, who have experienced at least one clinical trial. These patients provide a unique opportunity to learn about the realities of a clinical trial directly from the patients point of view. The meetings with patients will be both assigned and adhoc throughout the program.

Patients EU is accredited by Patients Included to help address what matters most to patients, enabling them to support clinical research. Patients Included provides a blueprint for:

Understanding and incorporating the patients voice in designing clinical trials and developing a clinical endpoint

Vastly improving the patients entire experience in a clinical trial

Empowering the patient in the new medicines development process

About Patients as Partners

Patients EU is co-produced with patients, industry, academia, government and nonprofit organizations to establish a well-rounded program that addresses the needs of all stakeholders seeking to implement and advance patient involvement across the entire clinical development continuum. The Patients EU program will be located at the Radisson Blu Portman Hotel London on January 23-24, 2018. For more information, visit Patient as Partners Europe.

About the Conference Forum

The Conference Forum is a life science industry research firm that develops conferences primarily around how to get therapeutics to patients faster. The company examines and challenges the complex ecosystem of drug development and delivery, bringing ideas together from a variety of sources to help advance clinical research with common goals that are patient-focused. The company also presents PharmaTalkRadio with free podcasts for the life science industry and patient advocacy.
Two leading energy lawyers from global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, were named to the Denver Business Journals prestigious Whos Who in Energy list. Recognized for their breadth of experience in the energy sector, Troy A. Eid (Litigation) and Paul M. Seby (Environmental) will be recognized on Dec. 5, 2017, at a VIP reception in Denver.

Who's Who in Energy recognizes individuals whose position, knowledge, or expertise helps guide the energy sector. Nominees come from many fields, including exploration, production, engineering, renewables, law, well services, finance, manufacturing, education, training, public policy, and environmental, among others.

Both Troy and Paul are exceptional attorneys who bring deep experience analyzing a myriad of environmental issues to the firms energy clients, said David G. Palmer, managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurigs Denver office. They elevate our position as the go-to firm for energy counsel on complex, high-stakes issues.

Asked by the Denver Business Journal to describe the areas where both Eid and Seby are considered top in their field, both attorneys point to well-publicized energy and environmental matters where they played a major role, including successfully challenging major U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM)and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, representing one of the largest coal mines in the country, and coordinating the representation of a large publicly traded oil and gas midstream company in relation to the Clean Water Act and/or Safe Drinking Water Act.

Eid, a former United States Attorney for the District of Colorado, co-chairs the firms American Indian Law Practice and first joined Greenberg Traurig in 2003. He is often retained by energy companies and Indian tribes to mediate disputes between them. Troy is currently mediating Davilla et al. and Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma v. Enable Midstream Partners, LP in the Western District of Oklahoma, in which a federal judge ordered the removal of Enables natural gas pipeline after its right-of-way easement crossing Indian lands expired.

Seby is a leading energy and environmental law practitioner with experience helping diverse clients achieve success on complex matters involving energy and natural resource development. He counsels clients in the energy, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors on how to navigate and successfully operate within the complex framework of state and federal environmental regulations and policies. Under Sebys leadership, several landmark energy and environmental cases have come before the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Courts of Appeal for review. Among other significant victories, Seby and his team have led successful efforts involving EPAs Clean Power Plan and Waters of the United States Rule, BLMs Hydraulic Fracturing Rule, and other leading natural resource-related issues.

Eid is listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Native American, Environmental, and Natural Resources Law; The Legal 500 United States for Environmental Litigation; and was named to Indian Country Todays 2016 Hot List of Indian Law Practitioners. He has been included on the Denver Business Journals Whos Who in Energy list since 2014.

Seby was named Law Week Colorados Lawyer of the Year in 2014 and 2016, and was recognized in 2016 as an Environmental Trailblazer by the National Law Journal. He was listed on the Denver Business Journals Whos Who in Energy list for the first time in 2016.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GTLaw) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East and is celebrating its 50th anniversary. One firm worldwide, GTLaw has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and among the Top 20 on the 2016 Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.
Col. Mike Sweeney, USMC (Ret.) Todays business leaders must be well-versed and practiced in sustaining critical command and control functions when the network is compromised.

REDCOM Laboratories, Inc., the leading supplier of mission critical secure communications solutions, is pleased to announce that the companys Director of Strategy, Col. Mike Sweeney, USMC (Ret.), will be presenting at the OilComm conference in Houston, TX. Col. Sweeneys presentation, entitled Operational Continuity in a Communications Denied Environment, will explore real-world interoperability challenges and cyber threats facing the oil & gas industry today, with actionable insights on how to command, control, and communicate when IP communications have been compromised. The presentation will be held on Wednesday, December 6 from 2:002:30 pm in Briarpark 1.

How will you sustain critical communications in a crisis? Todays business leaders must be well-versed and practiced in sustaining critical command and control functions when the network is compromised, said Col. Sweeney. REDCOMs products are designed to provide businesses with unmatched security, connectivity, and interoperability in the IP environment while enabling the mechanisms to communicate securely when that environment has been rendered inoperable.

Mike Sweeney brings with him first-hand experience confronting and solving voice security issues in rugged and denied environments. He trained in one of the greatest laboratories for strategic thinking in the world: the US Marine Corps. His insights from the military world are directly applicable to the challenges oil and gas companies are facing today, said REDCOM Chief Operating Officer Chris Hasenauer. Mike and I are really looking forward to having some in-depth discussions with industry leaders and innovators at the OilComm conference.

About REDCOM

REDCOM Laboratories, Inc. specializes in the design and manufacture of advanced communications solutions with a focus on interoperability, reliability, and security. REDCOM's MIL-spec products are optimized for low size, weight, and power (SWaP), making them the ideal communications core for denied environments or deployments to rugged environments. The companys latest innovation, Sigma Core, is a software platform that delivers robust call control, media handling, and encrypted communications. REDCOMs customers include energy companies, enterprises, all branches of the military, government agencies, emergency responders, and integrators. For additional information, please visit the REDCOM website at http://www.redcom.com.

About Col. Mike Sweeney

Col. Mike Sweeney, USMC (Ret.) is Director of Strategy for REDCOM Laboratories, Inc. Col. Sweeneys last duty assignment was at Marine Forces Pacific where he served as the Chief of Staff. Mike has commanded units at all levels to include a multi-national Task Force in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He has completed numerous deployments throughout his career and holds a Masters Degree in Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, a Masters in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, and a Masters in Business Administration from National University.
Autoscribe Corporation, provider of PaymentVision and Lyons Commercial Data, has been named a silver winner in the 7th annual Best in Biz Awards, the only independent business awards program judged by members of the press and industry analysts.

Autoscribe Corporation  also a winner in the Stevie Awards, Inc. 5000 List, Jacksonville Business Journal BizTech Awards, Horizon Interactive Awards, and more  received a silver honor in the Marketing Executive of the Year category of the 7th Annual Best in Biz Awards. With nearly three decades of innovation and leadership in the financial technology industry, Autoscribe offers a full suite of tools through PaymentVision and Lyons Commercial Data to help their customers grow their business, simplify payment processing, mitigate risk, and ensure compliance.

Each year, Best in Biz Awards entrants span the spectrum, from some of the most innovative local start-ups to the most recognizable global brands. The seventh annual program was particularly hotly contested, with more than 650 entries from an impressive array of public and private companies of all sizes and from a variety of industries and geographic regions in the U.S. and Canada. Best in Biz Awards 2017 honors were presented in 65 categories, including Company of the Year, Fastest-Growing Company, Most Innovative Company, Best Place to Work, Support Department, Executive of the Year, Most Innovative Product, Best New Product, App, Event and Website of the Year.

We are very excited to be recognized in this years Best in Biz Awards for marketing executive of the year, said Eugene ORourke, Vice President of Marketing at Autoscribe Corporation. We work very hard to create integrated interactive experiences across multiple platforms and devices  continuously pushing the envelope in marketing. Receiving this award underscores our teams commitment to creativity, expertise, and leadership within our space.

Since 2011, winners of Best in Biz Awards have been determined based on scoring from independent judging panels composed of prominent editors and reporters from some of the most respected newspapers, TV outlets, and business, consumer, technology and trade publications in North America. Best in Biz Awards uniqueness stems, in part, from this distinct composition of its judging panels, allowing it to best leverage the judges unparalleled expertise, experience and objectivity to determine award winners. Among others, the 2017 judging panel included: Accounting Today, AdWeek, Associated Press, Atlanta Tribune, Business News Daily, Consumer Affairs, Entrepreneur, eWeek, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Healthcare Innovation News, Inc., Investment Advisor Magazine, Laptop, MediaPost, Pittsburgh Business Times, Security Products Magazine, Wired, WLRN and Yahoo Tech.

The participants in this years Executive of the Year category made the judging nearly impossible, said Jack M. Germain, ECT News Network, judging his sixth Best in Biz Awards competition. Each one has an impressive record of achievements and a unique approach to deliver his or her companys goals. They all have embraced their employees needs and the benefits of making technology work for them.

For a full list of gold, silver and bronze winners in Best in Biz Awards 2017, visit: http://www.bestinbizawards.com/2017-winners.

About Autoscribe Corporation

Autoscribe Corporation is a leading financial services company and payment processor. With more than two decades of innovation and leadership in the financial technology industry, Autoscribe offers a full suite of tools through PaymentVision and Lyons Commercial Data to help their customers grow their business, simplify payment processing, mitigate risk, and ensure compliance. Recently named to the Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest growing private companies in the nation, Autoscribe has thousands of customers and processes more than $2 billion in transactions annually. For more information, please visit http://www.autoscribe.com; follow Autoscribe on Twitter @AutoscribeCorp or on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/company/autoscribe; or call 800-345-7243.

About PaymentVision

PaymentVision is a biller-direct, PCI-certified, electronic payment gateway provider. PaymentVision offers clients the unified ability to accept ACH, check, and credit or debit card payments, by phone, or through Internet channels. PaymentVision solutions handle billions of dollars for thousands of financial institutions, large and small nationwide including, credit unions, banks, consumer finance, and collection agencies. For more information, please visit http://www.paymentvision.com; follow PaymentVision on Twitter @PaymentVision or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/paymentvision; or call 800-345-7243.

About Lyons Commercial Data

Lyons Commercial Data is a leading provider of quality U.S. financial institution data, including all current ABA routing numbers and other information critical to transaction processing. Lyons Commercial Data also offers proven solutions to financial institutions, payment processors, and other businesses, to assist them in optimizing their ACH processes, managing risk, and fraud mitigation. For more information, please visit http://www.lyonslive.com or call 800-684-0388.

About Best in Biz Awards

Since 2011, Best in Biz Awards, Inc. has made its mark as the only independent business awards program judged each year by a whos who of prominent reporters and editors from top-tier publications from North America and around the world. Best in Biz Awards honors are conferred in two separate programs: North America and International, and in 65 categories, including company, team, executive, product, and PR and media. For more information, visit: http://www.bestinbizawards.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements regarding future events and Autoscribe Corporations business, strategy and results that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts. These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are sometimes identified by words such as will, may, could, should, would, project, believe, anticipate, expect, plan, estimate, forecast, potential, intend, continue, target, opportunities and variations of these words or comparable words. As a result of the ultimate outcome of such risks and uncertainties, Autoscribe Corporations actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on Autoscribe Corporations current beliefs or expectations, and there are a number of important factors that could cause the actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, risks related to the successful offering of the products and services of Autoscribe Corporation; and other risks that may impact Autoscribe Corporations business. Autoscribe Corporation expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Due to rounding, numbers presented throughout this and other documents may not add up precisely to the totals provided and percentages may not precisely reflect the absolute figures.

Note to Editors: Autoscribe, PaymentVision, and Lyons Commercial Data are registered trademarks of Autoscribe Corporation. All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
Award-winning safari guide, entrepreneur and conservationist Michael Lorentz If we inspire our guests to connect directly with the wonders of Africa, respect its incredible natural beauty, and inspire them to protect the continents elephants and other wildlife, we will have served a greater purpose.

Michael Lorentz, renowned safari guide and environmentalist, has been honored as one of the worlds Top Travel Specialists 2017 for the second year in a row by Conde Nast Traveler. Lorentz, recognized as one of the worlds best safari experts and professionals, is an avid naturalist and enlightened conservationist who is frequently recognized for his work in his native Africa.

In the influential travel magazines December 2017 issue, Conde Nast Travelers editorial team said, Amid the difficult times that our world has experienced this year, our readers have intrepidly continued to discover new places. We are proud to present this list because you, along with your colleagues on our list, have never stopped serving travelers with the highest standards and the most unique experiences.

Lorentz provides guests with insight into the intricacies of Africas wilderness as depicted on Safarious.com, the wilderness travel website that he co-founded as a platform for people who are both curious about journeying to the wild and serious about honest journalism on the latest wildlife and conservation issues.

Its an extraordinary honor to be recognized by Conde Nast Traveler and the independent opinions of the guests themselves, Lorentz says. If we inspire our guests to connect directly with the wonders of Africa, respect its incredible natural beauty, and inspire them to protect the continents elephants and other wildlife, we will have served a greater purpose.

The rigorous award selection process involved in-depth interviews with clients who share experiences and opinions on how specialists craft extraordinary journeys. After a few decades of going on African safaris, I can testify that Michael belongs to a rare breed, in the sense that the trips he designs and guides are never conventional, and always bring a different dimension to the guest experience, combining exclusivity and authenticity, one Lorentz guest told the magazine.

A native of South Africa, Lorentz started his bush career in 1985 at the Timbavati Game Reserve in South Africa, where he trained under the legendary tracker Jack Matabula. Lorentz became Managing Director of the renowned Elephant Back Safaris and Abu Camp where he was instrumental in creating and managing the lodge, its resident elephant herd and half a million acres of pristine Okavango delta.

In early 2000, Lorentz co-founded Passage to Africa, a leading safari design company. He is heavily involved in ecotourism consulting and has managed numerous developments across the continent. He remains instrumental in developing the private guiding industry, perpetually striving to establish strong industry standards; whilst forging access into remote and unspoilt areas, providing his guests with rare private wilderness experiences.

In addition to his world-class expertise as a guide, Lorentz is an accomplished photographer and enlightened conservationist whose work has been published and featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Having guided for 32 years, safaris remain his first professional love, and he personally conducts privately guided journeys across Africa from Chad and Ethiopia through the Congo, East Africa and into Southern Africa. Whilst Michael is a Pan-African specialist, he works closely with expert guides in other wilderness areas worldwide, and arranges trips beyond Africa's shores.

In the words of a guest, "Michael does not take you for a walk in the African bush; rather he takes you for a walk with it.

About Royal African Safaris

Michael Lorentz, founder of Passage to Africa and Safarious, has more recently joined forces with Royal African Safaris as Partner. Royal African focus on custom designed, guide led safaris and expeditions with a strong emphasis on experiential travel that is both highly personalized and immersive. Many safaris include a blend of private canvas and some of the regions most unique and interesting small lodges and private homes. Safaris are designed on an exclusive basis for groups of families and friends.

About Passage to Africa

Michael Lorentz co-founded Passage to Africa, a safari design company that draws on an un-paralleled knowledge of Safari Africa. It also is a travel company with a difference; partner guides and independent travel experts include professional Pan-African safari guides whose knowledge and experience contribute to the design of every safari and enhance those that are privately guided. Safaris are created with authenticity as a priority and every journey is designed individually for solo travelers, honeymooners, a family adventure or a safari designed to suit the pages of National Geographic.

Links:

A year on safari with Michael - https://vimeo.com/242925539

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/travel-specialists-we-trust

http://www.royalafricansafaris.com/

http://www.passagetoafrica.com/
We have always focused our business on hiring and training the best technicians and transparent practices in our community.

Bill Howe started his local San Diego plumbing company in 1980 at 974 Thomas Street in Pacific Beach. He began with a mission to cultivate a company culture of healthy and happy employees, providing honest and affordable services, and giving back to his local community. The mission and philosophy has made Bill Howe a success, and a household name in San Diego. One of the largest family-owned and operated service companies, Bill Howe has grown from one plumber (Bill Howe) to 180 employees across three divisions in 37 years.

The 2017 Better Business Bureau Torch Awards for Marketplace Ethics is in its 20th year. The Torch Award recognizes business in San Diego and Orange County that adhere to the highest standards in their business practices. It is open to all businesses and submissions are judged based on 6 areas of criteria that demonstrate the company, or organizations, commitment to high standards in the community and integrity for customers. Bill Howe Plumbing, Heating & Air, Restoration & Flood has been a member of the BBB since 2009 and has maintained an A+ rating. This is the sixth year they have been recognized at the ceremony.

We have always focused our business on hiring and training the best technicians in our service divisions, providing transparent pricing and service for our customers, and giving back to the community and we invite our community to discover the Bill Howe difference, said Tina Howe, Vice President. We enjoy submitting for the BBB Torch Awards each year as it allows us to reflect on all areas of our company and make changes where necessary and continue to achieve our mission.

The company has been chosen as a finalist in the BBB Torch Awards each year, as well as being named as the Best San Diego Plumbing, Heating, and Contracting company by multiple local communities.

Bill Howe once again submitted a nomination exploring their company in-depth on areas of TRUST, from the top of the company, how they reinforce their ethics and values, unite their team, steer performance, treasure their employees, customers, and community, as well as reinvest in the community.

For more information about Bill Howe Plumbing, Heating & Air, Restoration & Flood, visit http://www.billhowe.com, or to speak with Bill or Tina Howe regarding this announcement, contact Bill Howe Marketing Director, Julie Riddle at Julie(at)billhowe(dot)com.

About Bill Howe Family of Companies

Bill Howe Family of Companies is comprised of Bill Howe Plumbing, Inc.; Bill Howe Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.; Bill Howe Restoration & Flood Services, Inc. The family-owned and operated company began in 1980 with the plumbing division and has grown into San Diego Countys largest low-cost one-stop-shop for service, repairs and installation, offering both residential and commercial services. 9085 Aero Drive, Suite B, San Diego CA 92123. Call 1-800-BILL-HOWE because We Know Howe!

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Pope Francis on Thursday arrived in Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya refugees have sought sanctuary after fleeing a crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar, in the second stage of a tour dominated by the plight of the persecuted minority.

Francis -- the first pope to visit Bangladesh in 31 years -- will spend three days in the mainly-Muslim country, which is grappling with a rise in Islamist extremism that has seen Catholics attacked for their faith.

He flew to Dhaka from Myanmar, where he walked a diplomatic tightrope, staying away from allegations that the army is waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims, despite pressure to publicly confront the incendiary issue.

He also refrained from using the word "Rohingya" during his four-day trip in which he held two masses and private meetings with civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and powerful army chief Min Aung Hlaing.

In Dhaka he will meet some of the refugees from the Rohingya community, whom he has described as his "brothers and sisters", and lead a mass for Bangladesh's tiny Catholic minority.

Nearly one million refugees from the Muslim minority now languish in camps on the border and the Daily Star, a Bangladeshi newspaper, said in an editorial Thursday it hoped he could change their fate.

"Thanks to the large body of evidence documenting severe rights abuses of the Rohingya minority of Myanmar, the extent of the atrocities carried out by Myanmar's security forces is known to all," it said.

"We remain hopeful that given Pope Francis' legacy of standing up for the oppressed, he will speak out against the ongoing persecution of the Rohingya during this very important visit."

Myanmar's government denies the Rohingya are an ethnic group, insisting they are "Bengali" migrants who are not entitled to full citizenship.

The Vatican has rejected suggestions that the pope's reticence to tackle the Rohingya crisis head-on represented a failure of moral leadership.

A spokesman said the pope's presence alone drew attention to Myanmar's myriad troubles and his "moral authority" remained undimmed.

"He's not afraid of minefields," Vatican spokesman Greg Burke told a press conference, hinting the pope's private discussions may have been more strident.

Francis had been urged not to use the Rohingyas' name in Myanmar to avoid provoking hardline Buddhists and making the country's Catholic community a target.

"He seemed to comprehend the dilemma he faced," David Mathieson, a Yangon-based analyst, told AFP, applauding his diplomatic dexterity in a country where the army retains great power.

"He is the Pope, not a pugilist... he was here to help the country work through this horrific humanitarian crisis and listen to both the civilian and military leadership."

The pontiff was warmly embraced by Myanmar's Catholics, who make up just over one percent of the population.

On Friday he will lead a mass in central Dhaka that is expected to be attended by around 100,000 people.

Bangladesh's Catholic community accounts for less than 0.5 percent of the population of 160 million and have for centuries lived in relative harmony with their Muslim neighbours.

But there has been a rise in Islamist attacks in recent years targeting religious minorities, foreigners and secular figures.

The papal visit comes days after the disappearance of a Catholic priest in the same village where suspected Islamist extremists hacked a Catholic grocer to death last year.

Walter William Rosario, 40, had been making arrangements for some 300 Catholics to travel to Dhaka for the pope's mass.

Since 2015 at least three Christians, including two converts from Islam, have been hacked to death in attacks blamed on the militant Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

Tens of thousands of Catholics have travelled to the capital hoping to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis, who is to travel to the park for Friday's mass on a traditional cycle rickshaw.

The 80-year-old Argentine pontiff has established a reputation for his down-to-earth manner, vowing to stamp out extravagance among the clergy and bring the Catholic Church closer to the poor.

He was greeted at Dhaka airport by two Bangladeshi children who presented him with a large bouquet of flowers and by the Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid.

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Jai Brooks, CRS and co-owner of Superior Home Source With our unique window display for our clients listings, it provides additional exposure to potential buyers as they pass by. Also, folks are more inclined to walk in looking for a Realtor to help them with their next real estate transaction.

Superior Home Source of RE/MAX Alliance, which is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2017, recently moved locations to 7425 Grandview Avenue in Olde Town Arvada.

The Olde Town Arvada location offers an abundance of foot traffic not readily accessible to most real estate offices that reside off the beaten path, said Jai Brooks, who co-owns Superior Home Source with her husband Brad. With our unique window display for our clients listings, it provides additional exposure to potential buyers as they pass by. Also, folks are more inclined to walk in looking for a Realtor to help them with their next real estate transaction.

Superior Home Source moved to this new hot spot to be in the heart of the re-gentrification of Olde Town Arvada and to be located across the street from the new light rail transit station that provides easy access to the revitalized Union Station in Lower Downtown Denver (LODO) as well as The Highlands area. Additionally, Olde Town Arvada is changing fast with new bistros, breweries, coffee shops and various other retail shops opening up daily due to this new high-growth energy.

This location cannot be beat for real estate along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, noted Brad. Our new office is more like an exclusive boutique with all high-production agents. With the exceptional professionals that work within these walls, clients will experience the best of the best when it comes to real estate as well as being exposed to a superior network of property sharing. Stepping into this office is so warm and cozy, especially when we sit down with our clients in the quaint front lounge and enjoy a delicious on-demand coffee as we discuss their needs.

Jai is a Certified Residential Specialist, 90% of whoms business comes from repeat clients, referrals from clients, and friends and family who have put their trust in her negotiating skills and professional reputation. Brad, who has been a real estate broker for twenty-five years as a member of the Denver Metropolitan Commercial Association of Realtors (DMCAR), is a Certified General Commercial and Residential Real Estate Appraiser. He also holds the SRA designation through the Appraisal Institute and is a member of the Northern Colorado Association of Real Estate Appraisers (NCREA). RE/MAX Alliance also has offices in Westminster, Broomfield, Denver and Boulder.

About Superior Home Source, RE/MAX Alliance

Superior Home Source consists of a team of specialists committed to putting clients needs first. Its mission is to consistently deliver superior results. Superior Home Source specializes in full-service residential and commercial real estate throughout the Front Range. For more information, please call (303) 403-2656, or visit http://www.superiorhomesource.com.

About the NALA

The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALAs mission is to promote a business relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. The information and content in this article are not in conjunction with the views of the NALA. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361.
Wisdom Teeth Extraction in San Francisco I frequently meet with patients around the ages of thirty to forty who still have their wisdom teeth.

San Francisco oral surgeon, Dr. Alex Rabinovich, is proud to announce a new informative post for wisdom teeth extraction for San Francisco residents. Removing wisdom teeth can happen around any age, yet the best time for removal could around the early twenties. Bay Area residents older than twenty-five may still have wisdom teeth and be overdue for an extraction.

I frequently meet with patients around the ages of thirty to forty who still have their wisdom teeth, explained Dr. Alex Rabinovich. The pain has gotten so noticeable, they finally agree its time to get them removed. We want to remind the community not to wait until wisdom teeth cause major problems in the mouth.

To review the new informative post about scheduling oral surgery for wisdom teeth extraction in San Francisco at the best time, please visit http://www.oralsurgery-sf.com/2017/11/wisdom-wisdom-teeth-checked. Helpful details regarding the importance of removing a wisdom tooth for the overall health of a mouth can be found. Bay Area locals facing other types of tooth removal and requiring dental implants can review the website specifically focused on dental implants at http://www.sfdentalimplants.com/. The beauty of working with Dr. Rabinovich is that he can make "whole mouth" recommendations, whether those are wisdom teeth extractions, dental implants, or other oral surgery options.

SAN FRANCISCO FINDS A DUE DATE FOR WISDOM TEETH EXTRACTION

Here is background on this release. Creating a timeline for personal events can be a popular method for planning a successful life. Bay Area residents may have an idea about the right time to finish college, start a business, or get married. Flexibility in the timing of a specific accomplishment may be helpful for certain goals, yet others could have a due date. A person graduating from a Masters program may expect graduate during a particular month. Expectant parents could be ready for a baby to arrive on a specific due date. Other life choices could be left on the back burner if one doesnt have a clear end date in mind. If a San Francisco local has begun to feel pain in the mouth, it may be smart to meet an oral surgeon for wisdom teeth extraction before more time passes.

For this reason, Dr. Alex Rabinovich, a highly-rated oral surgeon, has announced a new post for wisdom teeth extraction in San Francisco. The exact time to remove wisdom teeth may not be apparent to Bay Area locals. If a person still has wisdom teeth past the age of twenty-five, it could cause oral disease and impaction. If the time is overdue to pull wisdom teeth, serious health issues including infections and decay could begin to appear. Residents are encouraged to schedule a date with a top oral surgeon for wisdom teeth extraction in San Francisco. Pulling a wisdom tooth may not have an exact due date, yet the result could help solve dental problems and return a mouth back to health.

ABOUT ORAL SURGERY SAN FRANCISCO

Oral Surgery San Francisco is located in the Financial District of the City. Under the direction of Dr. Alex Rabinovich, a Board Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon specializing in the field of oral surgery. This additional training, along with his years of experience, sets Alex Rabinovich MD DDS apart from the growing number of general dentists offering oral surgery and other dental procedures. Procedures include wisdom teeth extraction, jaw surgery and dental implants. Oral Surgery San Francisco serves all neighborhoods in the city of San Francisco including Pacific Heights, Russian Hill and Noe Valley.

Contact

Tel. (415) 817-9991
When we were searching for a property management system, we quickly realized that we needed software that could move with us and our guests throughout the properties.

StayNTouch, an innovator in mobile technology and Property Management Systems (PMS) for hotels, is pleased to announce its partnership with AutoCamp of San Francisco, California where it plans to deploy its Rover PMS and Zest products at its locations in Santa Barbara, California and Russian River, California.

AutoCamp is more than a hotel. Its an outdoor design experience featuring Airstream trailers, luxury tents and mid-century modern design, said Ryan Miller, co-founder at AutoCamp. Each location encompasses indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, walking trails, and experiential spaces. So when we were searching for a property management system, we quickly realized that we needed software that could move with us and our guests throughout the properties.

Although the centerpiece of each location is the great outdoors, our success is based on our ability to deliver our guests luxurious and innovative amenities, Ryan continued, StayNTouch fits the bill perfectly. We are able to bring our services to our guests with the PMS in our hand. And our target demographic really appreciates that they can check in and out via their mobile devices.

StayNTouch offers hotels the opportunity to integrate multiple cloud-solutions on one platform:



Rover PMS: Next generation Hotel PMS, fully cloud, fits on every device, optimizes hotel operations from front desk, to groups, to housekeeping to revenue management. Simple monthly pricing that includes training, integrations and configuration.

Zest: Enables guest pre-engagement and guest services via mobile web. Guest-enabled mobile check-in & out via smart phone or desktop. Private labeled, PMS-integrated mobile check-in &/or checkout. Bill review, preference collection, upsell opportunities, and remote key fulfillment. Promote and monetize late checkouts.

We are delighted to be partnering with a creative company like AutoCamp, said Jos Schaap, CEO-Founder of StayNTouch, The AutoCamp team has created a new kind of lodging experience by assembling the components, whether it be Airstream trailers or the StayNTouch PMS, that combine to appeal to todays vacation consumer.

About StayNTouch Inc.

StayNTouch is a Software as a Service hotel property management systems (PMS) company focused on developing solutions that help hotels raise service levels, drive revenues, reduce costs, and ultimately change the way hotels can captivate their guests. Developed with mobility in mind, the pioneering platform enables hotels to create long lasting relationships with their guests by delivering personalized service levels that todays guests require. StayNTouch operates on tablets and smartphones, empowering hotel employees to go above and beyond in exceeding guest expectations at every touch point.

Powering over 75,000 rooms globally, our game-changing solution frees hotels from the constraints of legacy or premise systems, dramatically streamlines operations, increases margins, and revolutionizes how front-line staff connect with guests. StayNTouch is a trusted partner to many of the most forward thinking hotels, resorts, casinos and chains in the industry, including Yotel, Zoku Amsterdam, Valencia Hotels, The Freehand Hotels, Modus hotels and the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.

To learn more watch our video "The New Way...To Hotel!"

Twitter: @StayNTouchInc

Facebook: facebook.com/stayntouch

LinkedIn: LinkedIn/stayntouch

About AutoCamp

Created by California natives Neil Dipaola, Ryan Miller and their team at Mesa Lane Partners, AutoCamp is an outdoor, design, and community experience for people who love nature while still addressing their need for proper amenities and the luxury of a no-fuss hospitality experience: a term coined glamping by Millennials. As an easy, clean, and stylish escape, this is camping anyone can do. Luxury linens, down bedding, bathrobes, top tier bath products, and spa-inspired bathrooms welcome guests after their active outings.Project General Contractor: S. Pratt ConstructionLandscape Contractor: Hart Horticulture. For more information and booking visit: http://www.autocamp.com.
The study  Using Swarm AI to Detect Deceit in Human Faces  engaged 168 randomly selected participants and asked them to view short video clips of smiling faces and assess if each video depicted an a This is the first study to demonstrate conclusively that artificial human swarms can also amplify social intelligence, enabling significant accuracy benefits in very human tasks.

Researchers from Unanimous AI and Oxford University today presented a research study at the Future Technologies Conference 2017 demonstrating that groups of networked users, when connected in real-time systems online, can detect deceit in human facial expressions with significantly fewer errors than individuals can detect on their own.

The study  Using Swarm AI to Detect Deceit in Human Faces  engaged 168 randomly selected participants and asked them to view short video clips of smiling faces and assess if each video depicted an authentic smile induced by a true emotional response or a fake smile delivered upon command. Prior research shows that human subjects average a 33% error rate when discriminating smiles this way. Subjects in this new study confirmed the 33% error rate when assessing smiles on their own. But, when working together as AI powered Hive Mind, these same subjects were able to drop their misidentification rate to 18%, reducing errors by nearly half.

This research was performed using Swarm AI technology to assess deceit in the smile videos, a method that employs both human judgement and artificial intelligence algorithms to achieve results that are generally more accurate than either humans or software can do alone. The technology is based on the science of Swarm Intelligence, a biologically inspired process that goes back to the birds and the bees and other social creatures that amplify their group intelligence by forming flocks, schools, colonies, and swarms. Across countless species, nature show us that when working together as closed-loop systems, groups can produce collective insights that greatly exceed the intellectual abilities of individual members. While humans have not evolved this ability naturally, Swarm AI technology enables human groups to combine their knowledge, wisdom, insights, and instinct to generate optimized insights.

The most well-known example of using Swarm AI technology to amplify the intelligence of human groups happened last year when Unanimous AI was challenged by CBS Interactive to predict the Kentucky Derby  not just the winner but the first four finishers in exact order. In horseracing, this longshot wager is called the Superfecta and last year it went off at 542-to-1 odds. Unanimous made the prediction by tapping the intelligence of only 20 horse racing fans, their insights combined in a Swarm AI. The prediction was perfect. As reported by Newsweek, anyone who put $20 on the Superfecta prediction won $11,800. One lucky reader won $50K.

Over the last few years, many studies have shown that Swarm AI technology enables human groups to amplify their intelligence and make more accurate predictions, said Dr. Louis Rosenberg, founder of Unanimous AI. But this is the first study to demonstrate conclusively that artificial human swarms can also amplify social intelligence, enabling significant accuracy benefits in very human tasks.

About Unanimous A.I.

Unanimous A.I. is the Silicon Valley company that pioneered Swarm AI technology, a unique form of AI that amplifies human intelligence by combining real-time human insights with AI algorithms. Modeled after swarms in nature, the AI technology from Unanimous has an impressive track record for making accurate predictions. Unanimous AI is also the provider of Swarm Insight, a business intelligence service for enterprise customers based on Swarm AI technologies that delivers deep insights by turning groups into intelligent systems. Founder and CEO Dr. Louis Rosenberg recently took the TED stage to talk about Swarm AI: New Hope for Humans in an AI World. For more, visit unanimous.ai
Second Knoah Solutions Honduras Location situated in the Palmira neighborhood in Tegucigalpa Our investments in new infrastructure shows Knoahs long-term commitment to our Honduras operation.

Knoah Solutions, Inc., a global business process outsourcing company, today announced they have expanded their operations in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, with the addition of another location. The expansion comes a year after opening their first location in the capital city.

Situated in the Palmira neighborhood, the new location is a five-minute drive from their first nearshore facility in Costa Proceres. The new, 2000 square meter facility with 402 workstations will increase the total capacity in Honduras to approximately 731 seats for Knoahs contact center operations. The state-of-the-art facility has the latest in communications and security technology, including an uninterrupted power supply, a power generator and biometric and proximity reader access security points.

Our client and employee growth in Honduras has exceeded our expectations and we are getting a great return on our investment in facilities and staff. We are enthusiastic about doubling our capacity with this new facility, said Ralph Barletta, executive vice president and co-founder of Knoah Solutions.

Knoah will soon begin hiring more than 300 jobs between Palmira and Costa Proceres to keep up with its increasing client base. The majority of openings are for customer care, technical support, sales and interpretation agent positions; though management and support positions are needed, also.

We are very excited about adding new jobs to the Tegucigalpa community. Our investments in new infrastructure shows Knoahs long-term commitment to our Honduras operation, said Manfred Alvarez, vice president of Latin American operations for Knoah. We are very thankful to all our collaborators for making this a resounding success for all our clients and investors," continued Mr. Alvarez.

About Knoah Solutions:

Whether you are a Fortune 500 company or a small to medium-sized business, our global BPO services create memorable experiences that matter to your brand. RightENGAGE, our customizable and flexible, multichannel customer engagement solution helps you meet the needs and challenges of each of your customers through traditional and digital channels. TotalAssurance, our award-winning performance improvement solution, allows you to uncover factors that are affecting the quality of your customer interactions. And it is all powered by our proprietary workforce optimization tool, KnoahsARK. We have the adaptability that big companies cant provide and a level of competency and scale that smaller companies cant deliver on. Our innovative and consultative approach has repeatedly earned us awards and recognition from independent review bodies such as IAOP, Everest Group, and Gartner. For more information about Knoah Solutions, visit http://www.knoah.com.
Mike Rothberg "As a seasoned and proactive leader, Mike brings a unique set of insights and experiences that will help us to continue serving our clients with excellence, innovation and creativity. Kate Harris, Stanley Consultants' President and CEO

Mike Rothberg, P.E. has joined Stanley Consultants as Vice President, Chief of Practice and Performance. His primary focus is leading the firms risk and commercial management activities, and overseeing performance management and reporting companywide. Stanley Consultants provides engineering, environmental and construction services worldwide.

Rothberg is an accomplished scientist, engineer, water/wastewater process expert, entrepreneur and strategic leader. Co-founder and CEO of a thriving water/wastewater firm, in 2008 he oversaw its acquisition by one of top 10 largest engineering firms in the country. He stayed on for nearly a decade as operating unit president and as a group executive vice president of the Water, Environment, Infrastructure Group before joining Stanley Consultants.

Based in the firms Denver Office, Rothberg reports to Stanley Consultants President and CEO Kate Harris. We are all delighted that Mike has joined our team at such an exciting time for Stanley Consultants, said Harris. As a seasoned and proactive leader, Mike brings a unique set of insights and experiences that will help us to continue serving our clients with excellence, innovation and creativity.

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About Stanley Consultants: Stanley Consultants provides program management, planning, engineering, environmental and construction services worldwide. Recognized for its commitment to client service and a passion to make a difference, Stanley Consultants brings global knowledge, experience and capabilities to serve clients in the energy, water, transportation and Federal markets. Since 1913, Stanley Consultants has successfully completed more than 25,000 engagements in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and in 118 countries. For more information on Stanley Consultants, please visit http://www.stanleyconsultants.com.
AIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, is pleased to announce that it will co-host the SMT Electronics Assembly High Reliability Technology Seminar in Shenzhen China on December 8th, 2017. AIM will present two of its most recent papers at the seminar.

Derek Wang, Technical Support Manager, will present the white paper titled An In-Depth Look at a New Low Cost and High-Reliability Alloy Alternative to SAC305 and Low-/No-Silver Alloys. Dereks presentation will cover the evolution of lead-free soldering and the limitations of SAC305, the current standard for lead-free electronics soldering. It will explore the effects of nickel, bismuth and other micro-alloy dopants on mechanical and soldering performance.

Flopy Feng, Technical Support Engineer, will present AIMs paper The Impact of Reduced Solder Alloy Powder Size on Solder Paste Print Performance, which highlights the benefits and implications of finer mesh solder powder on critical aspects of solder paste performance. In this study, the key input variables included powder size, effect of room temperature storage, pause time and PCB feature types. Output included print transfer efficiency, volume repeatability and performance stability over time.

This free seminar, hosted by AIM, axxon, Mycronic, and Zestron, will be held at the Silicon Valley Power Vehicle Electronic Business Park in Shenzhen, China. For more information, please contact Michelle Peng via email at mpeng(at)aimsolder(dot)com or by phone at 130-6694-5432.

About the Presenters

Derek Wang is a Technical Support Manager for AIM Solder. He is a SMTA Certified Engineer and also serves as a SMT Processes Trainer. With over thirteen years experience in the SMT industry, Derek supports AIM customers in Eastern China.

Flopy Feng is a Technical Support Engineer for AIM Solder. Having worked as a process supervisor for seven years, he is experienced in process evaluation and optimization. With over fourteen years experience in the SMT industry, Flopy supports AIM customers in south China.

About AIM

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, AIM Solder is a leading global manufacturer of assembly materials for the electronics industry with manufacturing, distribution and support facilities located throughout the world. AIM produces advanced solder products such as solder paste, liquid flux, cored wire, bar solder, epoxies, lead-free and halogen-free solder products, preforms, and specialty alloys such as indium and gold for a broad range of industries. A recipient of many prestigious SMT industry awards, AIM is strongly committed to innovative research and development of product and process improvement as well as providing customers with superior technical support, service and training. For more information about AIM, visit http://www.aimsolder.com.
The carriers that succeed with programs are those flexible enough to quickly configure a program, and the system that supports it.

A new publication released by Digital Insurance describes the phenomenal growth of program insurance, with revenues doubling over the past six years. This stellar performance in an otherwise soft market has attracted carriers hungry for growth, but the author cautions that success with programs requires major preparation.

The white paper, sponsored by Instec, a leading provider of systems for program and specialty writers, is titled 3 Reasons to Avoid the Program Business. It explains that merely latching on to this thriving segment of the market is no guarantee that carriers will grow a profitable book of business.

The paper describes three core requirements that carriers should consider before committing to programs: a massive culture shift, new cost management strategies, and a new approach to technology.

Weve had particular success with carriers and MGAs in the program space, because we understand the nuances of that business, said Kevin Mason, Executive Vice President at Instec. Programs are attractive to commercial insurance buyers because they precisely address the specific risk profiles of their businesses. The carriers that succeed with programs are those flexible enough to quickly configure a program, and the system that supports it.

The publication expands on the three core requirements, and explains the specific changes in culture, costs, and systems that carriers need to make to succeed with programs. There are many reasons to invest in program business, the author proposes, and for those prepared to adapt, it promises healthy returns.

The white paper is available now, and can be downloaded from the Digital Insurance website.

About Instec

Instecs unique approach to systems for the insurance industry enables P&C carriers, MGAs and MGUs to launch programs and specialty offerings from start to first quote in as little as four weeks. With built-in bureau content and reusable business rules, Instec systems provide a platform for innovation with reduced risk. In addition, cloud-based deployment and subscription-based pricing enable insurers to test new programs at a low cost of entry and scale up affordably as the business grows. To learn more, visit http://www.instec-corp.com.
United Benefit Advisors (UBA) is hosting an online webinar for HR professionals to learn how to effectively get new employees up to speed and productive quickly. Also included will be techniques for handling employee terminations to avoid lawsuits, win unemployment claims, and ensure a smooth transition. UBA is hosting the free webinar, On-Boarding and Off-Boarding Techniques, in conjunction with HR Service, on Wednesday, December 6, at 2:00 p.m. EST. This webinar has been submitted for 1.25 re-certification credit hours from the Human Resource Certification Institute.

Attendees will learn:



Effective employee orientations and on-boarding techniques

How to Handle terminations for cause and layoffs

How to Avoid costly wrongful termination lawsuits

How to Win unemployment claims keeping your unemployment rate down

Nothing is more impacting to your business culture than how you bring people in and how they leave, says Ken Spencer, President and CEO of HR Service. Employee engagement, retention, morale and productivity will increase or fall based on how you handle these critical times of on-boarding and off-boarding your people. This training will provide you with proven tools to make sure it goes smoothly while managing the risks associated with terminations.

REGISTRATION

To receive complimentary access to the webinar, enter code HRSUBA12617 when registering here: http://bit.ly/2j4PGHh.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Ken Spencer is President and CEO for HR Service, Inc., a national HR solutions & benefit compliance organization that makes HR and employment law compliance simple. HR Service creates high performing organizations, effective HR systems, productive work culture, and engaged employees that comply with the law. Ken has over 25 years of professional human resource management and employment law experience. Mr. Spencer taught for eight years at Westminster College and one year for The University of Phoenix. Ken is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and holds a masters degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Utah. He has undergraduate degrees in finance and marketing, and was certified in change management.

ABOUT HR Service, Inc.

HR Service provides businesses of all sizes with complete human resource services and benefit compliance solutions helping them navigate tricky employment laws, create engaged employees, and a positive, productive culture. As an employer, you need to have a grasp of the ever-changing employment and labor laws. Our job is to make employment compliance and HR management more efficient for your company. For more information, visit http://www.hrserviceinc.com.

ABOUT United Benefit Advisors

United Benefit Advisors (UBA) is the nations leading independent employee benefits advisory organization with more than 200 offices throughout the United States, Canada, England, and Ireland. UBA empowers more than 2,200 Partners to both maintain their individuality and pool their expertise, insight, and market presence to provide best-in-class services and solutions. Employers, advisors and industry-related organizations interested in obtaining powerful results from the shared wisdom of our Partners should visit http://www.UBAbenefits.com.

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Working to become an outstanding business leader, also known as an employer of choice, is a never-ending journey. I do believe that path is the single most motivating reason I go to work each day and this honor feels especially gratifying. - Danny Meyer.

TDn2K has announced that Danny Meyer, Founder and CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, is the recipient of the 2018 Workplace Legacy Award. This prestigious honor will be presented at the Global Best Practices Conference to be held in late January 2018 in Dallas, Texas.

The Workplace Legacy Award, presented for the first time in 2005, recognizes a leader in the restaurant industry who has demonstrated success in balancing superior people practices and best-in-class operational results. In addition, their employees, organizations and communities have benefited from their leadership.

Working to become an outstanding business leader, also known as an employer of choice, is a never-ending journey. I do believe that path is the single most motivating reason I go to work each day and this honor feels especially gratifying, said Danny Meyer.

Danny Meyer is an exceptional leader and a personal hero, said Joni Thomas Doolin, CEO and founder of TDn2K. He is a legend in the industry for his impassioned execution of enlightened hospitality in venues as diverse as Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, The Modern, Shake Shack and the newly launched Martina. He has never wavered from his commitment of putting his employees first, including the implementation of no-tipping policies designed to make compensation fairer for kitchen employees. It is truly a privilege to be able to honor him with this award.

Danny, his restaurants and chefs have earned an unprecedented 28 James Beard Awards, and in 2015, Danny was named to the TIME 100 list of the Most Influential People in the World. Dannys first business book, Setting the Table (HarperCollins, 2006), a New York Times bestseller, examines the power of hospitality in restaurants, business and life. An active national leader in the fight against hunger, Danny serves on the board of Share Our Strength and has long supported hunger relief initiatives including City Harvest and Gods Love We Deliver. In 2017, he became the first restaurateur to receive the Julia Child Award recognizing an individual who has made a profound and significant difference in the way America cooks, eats and drinks.

Previous winners of the Workplace Legacy Award include: Steve Carley of Red Robin, Sally Smith of Buffalo Wild Wings, John Miller of Dennys, Greg Creed of Taco Bell, Jerry Deitchle of BJs Restaurants and Gene Lee of Darden. These leaders clearly demonstrate commitment to leading people-first cultures that also win in the marketplace.

About the Global Best Practices Conference: This exclusive event, now in its 23rd year, is home to hundreds of restaurant industry senior leadership and c-suite executives who gather to share best practices, network, learn, celebrate and honor the winners of the Best Practices Awards, Diamond Catalyst Award, Workplace Legacy Award and the Heart of the Workplace Award. The 2018 event will be hosted January 28th  30th in Dallas, Texas at the Hilton Granite Park. For more information, please visit our website.

About the Workplace Legacy Award: The Workplace Legacy Award recognizes a leader in the restaurant industry who has clearly demonstrated success in balancing superior people practices and best in class operational results. In addition, their employees, organizations and communities have benefited from their leadership. The Workplace Legacy Award was given for the first time in 2005 and has honored incredible industry leaders such as Doug Brooks, Chairman and CEO of Brinker International, Gene Lee, President and CEO of Darden Restaurants, John Miller, President and CEO of Dennys Restaurants and Sally Smith, President & CEO of Buffalo Wild Wings.

About TDn2K: TDn2K (Transforming Data into Knowledge) is the parent company of People Report, Black Box Intelligence and White Box Social Intelligence. People Report provides service-sector human capital and workforce analytics for its members on a monthly basis. Black Box Intelligence provides weekly financial and market level data for the restaurant industry. White Box Social Intelligence delivers consumer insights and reveals online brand health. TDn2K membership represents 43,000 restaurant units, over 2.5 million employees and $68 billion in sales. They are also the producers of leading restaurant industry events including the Global Best Practices Conference held annually each January in Dallas, Texas.
Venezuela's military on Thursday arrested the country's former oil minister and the ex-chief of state oil company PDVSA after both men were sacked last week as part of an anti-corruption crackdown.

Attorney General Tarek William Saab told journalists that an operation by the Military Counterintelligence Unit "led to the arrests of Eulogio del Pino and Nelson Martinez."

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Cameron Herold If done right, your meetings hold the potential to drive alignment within business; give direction; generate energy, focus, and creativity; and inspire your people to elevate the company and their career to the next level.

You hear it all the time. Meetings Suck. Its the one thing everyone in business can agree on. However, in his new book, MEETINGS SUCK, the man Forbes Magazine calls the CEO Whisperer and Founder of the COO Alliance, Cameron Herold proves that meetings dont suck. Instead its that we suck at running meetings.

In MEETINGS SUCK, Herold teaches an easy to implement system to run focused, time effective meetings to help companies and their employees soar. In fact, he says, If done right, your meetings hold the potential to drive alignment within business; give direction; generate energy, focus, and creativity; and inspire your people to elevate the company and their career to the next level.

Here are 5 of the many tips from MEETINGS SUCK for running an effective, efficient meeting:

1. Every Meeting Must Have An Agenda

Herolds motto is No Agenda, No Attenda! He says if he doesnt receive an agenda, he wont go to a meetingand neither should you or your employee. Every meeting must have a clear agenda distributed to attendees in advance, so they have a clear expectation of what to expect. By taking the time to plan, prepare, and distribute an agenda ahead of time, Herold promises youll reap the benefits. It is essential to help people understand the meetings purpose; to help them decide whether its relevant to attend; to give people time to prepare for the meeting and think through ideas; and to keep the meeting on topic and running on time.

2. Every Well-Run Meeting Has These Elements

Herold shares that well-run meetings all share several elements. A meeting must have a clear purpose that is stated right on the agenda. A meeting should have a maximum of three outcomes or the things you want to get done. Any more than that and another secondary meeting should be planned. Every meeting should start exactly on time and stop 5 minutes early. Herold says too often people arrive at meetings late because they overbook their schedule. Everyone in a company, he says, should implement the 5 Minute Buffer rule (stopping meetings or phone meetings 5 minutes early). That way no one should ever be late to meetings. It gives people a chance to debrief after meetings, time to get to their next meeting, a chance to check in with their assistant or to grab a cup of coffee. Herold also suggests booking your meetings for half the time you originally planned to book them for. He calls this compressing time. We all know that in general meetings and obligations tend to fill the space you give them. By limiting the time of the meeting, Herold shares, you increase your productivity, maximize efficiency, and implement a more profitable system of time management. Every meeting should also include five key roles. And lastly, you need to have proper communication styles for your meeting. (More on these last two elements below.)

3. Know Your Role In The Meeting

Every meeting must include five key roles: the Moderator, the Parking Lot, the Timekeeper, the Participants, and the Closer. Each of these five roles is crucial to running successful meetings, and taking the time to assign each of the roles at the beginning of each meeting will make your meetings more productive. The Moderator is the chairperson of the meeting who is tasked with ensuring that everyone stays on track, coverts the agenda items in the allotted time, and facilitates a quality discussion. A meeting is a terrific place to help people grow into leaders, and its the task of the Moderator to accomplish this. A good moderator will look around the room and observe which people need to engage more, and which people need to back off a bitAnd this may sound surprising, but the Moderator doesnt have to be the one who organized the meeting," Herold says. The Parking Lot person is the one who keeps the notepad of promising ideas, but they couldnt be addressed because they werent on the agenda. The Timekeepers role is to ensure each agenda item is covered in the proper order and within the time allotted. Participants are the people who arrive prepared and ready to contribute for the meeting or parts of the meeting theyre attending. The Closer, while often the Moderator, can also be the most senior person or the organizer of the meeting. He or she assigns duties and timelines at the end of the meeting; summarizes everything that was covered; and then goes around the room to make sure everyone understands what they committed to do and the deadline to complete it.

4. Determine A Meeting Style

The meeting organizer should choose from one of three meeting styles: Information Sharing, Creative Discussion or Consensus Decision and include one of these three styles on each bulleted item on the agenda. The Information Style is a one-way flow of information without discussion, debate or decision reached by the group. This style is often used for weekly updates, to share new ideas or to provide feedback. The Creative Discussion style revolves around brainstorming with the goal to place lots of ideas on the table. Herold says, This isnt about making a decision or debating the viability of each idea. Its about embracing possibilities. When you use this style, its important to remind people that you chose them to attend because you believe they have value to provide and that you encourage people to share all their ideas. In the Consensus Decision style, a decision is made by the people in the room. Herold states, Ideally, this unifies people as a team, since everyone feels that they have had a hand in making the decision, even if they disagree with the final result.

5. Foster Useful Communication and Leaders

Everyone needs to participate and be heard at a meeting. Herold suggests you want everyone participating because you need a healthy dose of conflict and differing opinions. Healthy conflict is the result of two people arguing passionately over what they believe is right. As long as the argument is to move an idea or an agenda item forward, and not merely for the sake of being right, conflict is healthy and should be used to advance the company. You want even the silent, reserved people to speak up because they could add tremendous value to the discussion.

Herold advises that the best thing you can do as the leader if you have quieter, reserved people at a meeting is to hold your ideas back until the end. Herold warns, Too often leaders offer their ideas first, but you dont want to sway your employees. You want their voices heard. But people dont become confident or grow as leader by listening to what you have to say. Instead you need to encourage the members of the team to offer their ideas, first, especially those less inclined to speak up.

Herold offers that one way to do this is to implement the Post It Note exercise in meetings. Lets say youre having a brainstorming meeting, Herold recommends handing out a stack of post it notes and ask everyone to write one idea per post it. After everyone has 2-3 minutes to write down his or her idea, ask the newest or most junior team member to stand up and read his/her idea and then post it on the wall first. People can only ask clarifying question. Continue until everyones ideas get posted on the wall. This way everyones ideas are heard. Herold says, By the time the entrepreneur or CEO is posting his/her idea, its already up on the wall. Our job as leaders is to grow people so they have great ideas. Our job is to give them the vision and let them figure out how to implement it.

In MEETINGS SUCK, youll find these and many other important tools to run the most productive and valuable meetings and become a more effective leader, manager, or participant. Ultimately, Herold wants everyone to walk out a meeting smiling, feeling inspired, and thinking: That was awesome! Lets get to work.

Herold says too many people leave the office feeling they provided no value to the organization during the day. I want to flip that. After reading MEETINGS SUCK, you will know the model for running effective powerful, and valuable meetings. And when you use this model, not only will your meetings improve, but you will imbue them with renewed focus, energy, and accountabilityelements that will also help to improve and drive your company culture.

About Cameron Herold

Cameron Herold is the mastermind behind hundreds of companies exponential growth. His current clients include a Big 4 wireless carrier and a monarchy. Cameron has earned his reputation as the CEO Whisperer by guiding his clients to double their profit and double their revenue in just three years or less.

By 35, Cameron helped build his first TWO $100 million-dollar companies. By the age of 42, Cameron engineered 1-800-GOT-JUNK?s spectacular growth from $2 Million to $106 Million in revenue, and 3100 employees in just six years. His companies landed over 5,200 media placements in that same six years, including coverage on Oprah.

Cameron is the author of the global best-selling business book DOUBLE DOUBLE in its 7th printing and in multiple translations around the world. Cameron is a top rated international speaker and has been paid to speak in 26 countries. He is also the top-rated lecturer at EO/MITs Entrepreneurial Masters Program and a powerful and effective speaker at Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer leadership events around the world.
Egypt will participate as an observer in an Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting in Vienna on Thursday, state agency MENA reported.

Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El Molla said that Egypt's participation at the third joint OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial meeting in Vienna came upon invitation from OPEC.

El Molla is set to hold talks with several Arab and foreign petroleum and energy ministers in order to strengthen economic relations and cooperation between Egypt and the top oil producers, MENA reported.

The current OPEC meeting is expected to extend oil supply cuts to the end of next year.



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CEZ switches focus from the Balkans to the West

In terms of new assets, the company is now definitely aiming at renewables in Central and Western Europe

AUTHOR: publics.bg



 CEZ



The largest power producer in Eastern Europe is scaling back its troubled Balkan operations to expand in the west, Bloomberg reported.

After spending hundreds of millions of dollars in Southeastern Europe last decade, CEZ AS is changing tack following too many fights with local lawmakers and regulators. The Prague-based utility is in talks to sell coal plants and a distribution business in Bulgaria. In Western Europe, the company is snapping up wind farms, heating facilities and other assets to compete with giants like EON to Engie.

We are shifting our focus, Chief Financial Officer Martin Novak said this month in an interview. In terms of new assets, the company is now aiming at renewables, and definitely in Central and Western Europe, rather than in Southeastern Europe.

The impending sale of assets in Bulgaria, which the company hopes to complete in the next few months, marks the end of rapid expansion under the previous management in emerging markets from Albania to Romania and Turkey. The Czech utility, which still generates most of its power from coal and nuclear, plans to double profit from new sources by 2020 to catch up with western peers.

CEZs Balkan strategy began to crumble at the turn of the decade as wholesale prices slid and nationalist governments turned on foreign utilities. The company soon ran afoul of local regulators as Albania nationalized its assets, Romania temporarily withheld state compensation for wind power and Bulgaria repeatedly threatened to revoke the utilitys license after accusing CEZ of charging consumers too much.

The utility is still negotiating with potential buyers, including Czech company Energo-Pro AS, which sweetened its bid in September. CEZ may also sell its 50 percent stake in Akcez Enerji Yatirimlari AS, a power supplier to 3.4 million people in northwest Turkey. Though the management isnt officially negotiating, its open to offers, Novak said.

At the same time, the utility has added 35 megawatts of onshore wind capacity in Germany this year. It bought nine wind farms in France, where it plans to develop as much as 100 megawatts in the next five years.

CEZs strategy shift coincides with a push by the European Union to increase the regions renewable energy target to 30 percent of total consumption in the bloc by 2030 from the current goal of at least 27 percent by 2030, European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said last week, Bloomberg reminded.

CEZ is contemplating separating renewable assets from conventional energy in a similar vein to when RWE AG spun off its green power, grid and retail units into Innogy SE, Novak said.
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Tillerson: U.S. Ready to Work with European Allies to Diversify Natural Gas and Oil Supplies

Exxon ex-CEO confirmed U.S. support for the interconnection between Greece and Bulgaria

AUTHOR: publics.bg



 IIP Photo Archive, flickr.com



The United States is eager to work with its European allies to develop natural gas and oil infrastructure to help diversify the continents energy supply, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, quoted by Natural Gas Intelligence.

The former ExxonMobil Corp. chief discussed the shared goals of the United States and Europe and offered recommendations on how to strengthen their alliances -- and their energy security.

Russisas incursion in Ukraine in 2014 made clear how energy supplies can be wielded as a political weapon, Tillerson said. Enhancing European energy security by ensuring access to affordable, reliable, diverse and secure supplies of energy is fundamental to national security objectives.

The United States is liberalizing the rules governing liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil exports, and were eager to work with European allies to ensure the development of needed infrastructure like import terminals and interconnecting pipelines to promote the diversity of supply to Europe.

President Trump said the United States would provide technical support for Croatias Krk Island Project, underway by LNG Croatia LLC, Tillerson noted. The export project is designed to provide a gas supply route for central and southeastern European countries, Natural Gas Intelligence reminded. Expect more partnerships, Tillerson said.

The United States will continue to support European infrastructure projects, such as LNG-receiving facilities in Poland and the Interconnector Greece Bulgaria pipeline, to ensure that no country from outside Europes Energy Union can use its resources or its position in the global energy market to extort other nations, he said.

However, the United States continues to view the development of pipelines like the Nord Stream 2 and the multi-line TurkStream as unwise, as they only increase market dominance from a single supplier to Europe.

Playing politics with energy supplies is not the behaviour of a responsible nation, Tillerson said of Russia.

While the United States wants Russia to be a constructive neighbor of Europe and of the larger transatlantic community, that is Russias choice to make. Russia can continue to isolate itself, or it can become a force that will advance the stability of Eurasia.
Carl Icahn is the latest Wall Street legend to weigh in on bitcoin.

The cryptocurrency has gripped the attention of Main Street and Wall Street as it has zipped to incredible heights, soaring over $11,000 a coin on Wednesday.

Icahn falls among the many Wall Streeters who think the cryptocurrency is in a bubble. The billionaire, who admits to not know much about the technology of bitcoin, told CNBC it reminded him of an obscure bubble involving swampland in Mississippi.

"Where John Law went around selling all this land in Mississippi that was sort of worthless and the French were going crazy giving him all this money, and then one night it all blew up," Icahn said.

What was the Mississippi Bubble?

The Mississippi Bubble was brought on by John Law, a Scottish adventurer and economist, in the early 1700s. Law was granted the authority by the French government to open up a company to oversee the French's territorial claims hugging the Mississippi River in the present day US. In order to fund the venture he issued paper shares to investors.

By way of comparison, bitcoin is up more than 860% year-to-date. That tear has been triggered by new found interest from regulator investors looking to jump on the bandwagon. Coinbase, the largest platform to buy and sell cryptocurrencies in the US, added 100,000 users from Wednesday to Thursday the week of Thanksgiving.

"In the end, many of the new millionaires were financially destroyed. So was France," Moen wrote. "It would be eighty years before France would again introduce paper money into its economy."

UBS warned clients in October that it doesn't think bitcoin's price is supported by fundamentals.

"We think the sharp rise in crypto-currency valuations in recent months is a speculative bubble," the bank wrote.

A note sent from UBS's chief investment office compared the current rush to invest in cryptocurrencies to the Dutch Tulip bulb bubble of the 17th century, the South Sea bubble, and the dot-com bubble.
The award was given by Forbes to top oil and gas personalities who they believe have made a lot of positive contributions to the development of the oil and gas sector. Also part of the criteria is that the person should have helped facilitate stability of the economy in which they function in.

Baru was notified of his nomination for the award by a letter dated October 11, 2017, and signed by Mark Furlong who is the current president of Customs Solutions Media, on behalf of Forbes Media.

"For these and other landmark achievements which you have recorded throughout your enviable career, your nomination for this prestigious Forbes 2017 Award has been approved by Forbes Custom's Award Committee. This Award will be conferred on you by Forbes Mark Furlong", it stated.

The award ceremony would be graced by members of the international oil and gas business community, policy makers, entrepreneurs, politicians, opinion leaders, among others.

Who is Dr. Maikanti Baru?

Dr. Maikanti Baru is the current Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

He has been a chief executive of the Corporation for 18 months and during this duration, he has received many awards further cementing his integral role as a leader who is doing a good job.

He attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in Kaduna State where he obtained a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering Mechanical with a first class honors and later earned Ph.D. in Mechanical engineering.

Before his appointment he had worked in both the Upstream and Downstream Sectors of NNPC including Group General Manager of Greenfield Refinery Projects, Managing Director of Hyson, Executive Director of Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), General Manager  Gas Division of NAPIMS, Manager of Engineering for National Engineering and Technical Company Limited (NETCO).

He was also the NNPCs Chief Technical Negotiator on the West African Gas Pipeline project from July 1999 to April 2004 and been the Chairman of NNPC Anti  Corruption Committee since September 2004 to date.

Dr. Baru is a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and a recipient of the Presidential Merit Award of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers.
Egypt has expressed "grave concern" over a recent ballistic missile firing by North Korea, warning that the move will heighten tensions with neighbouring countries, the foreign ministry said late on Wednesday.

North Korea said it successfully tested a powerful new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Wednesday that put the entire US mainland within range of its nuclear weapons.

Egypt's foreign ministry warned that the development "would escalate the tension in the Korean Peninsula and neighbouring areas in an unprecedented manner."

It urged North Korea to respect the United Nation Security Council's resolutions in this regard, which impose sanctions over the country's ballistic missile and nuclear programmes.

The launch is the latest in a series of missile tests by North Korea defying world pressure to end its nuclear programme.

The United States warned Pyongyang Wednesday it would be utterly destroyed if war were to break out after the missile was fired.

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"Mobilisation will continue, even during talks. We are not going to give up the fight," Fabre told AFP.

A source in Togo's second-largest city of Sokode -- the stronghold of Tikpi Atchadam, the Panafrican National Party leader behind the demonstrations -- said the streets were calm.

Many young people who had fled into the countryside fearing repercussions have not yet returned home, the source said, adding that sporadic arrests were still occurring.

Wednesday's march was the first of three planned for this week to put pressure on Togo's President Faure Gnassingbe to resign.

Gnassingbe has been president of the West African nation since 2005, taking over after the death of his father, General Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled Togo for 38 years.

Fourteen opposition parties want two-term limits for presidents which would be applied retroactively to prevent Gnassingbe from contesting the 2020 and 2025 elections.

At least 16 people have been killed in three months of protests after opposition supporters clashed with police and security forces, especially in the north.

Gnassingbe -- who left for an Africa-Europe summit in Ivory Coast on Wednesday morning -- said last week that preparations were being made for talks with the opposition in the coming weeks.

But demonstrators said they wanted the issue addressed at the summit.

"I would like the heads of state and France in particular to get involved personally and speak face-to-face with Faure Gnassingbe," said Abla, a student in Lome.

No meeting has been scheduled so far between Gnassingbe and President Emmanuel Macron, from Togo's former colonial power, France.

Franck Paris, a spokesman for Macron's office, said last week that "Togo will be an important subject of talks on the ground".

Macron, in an interview Wednesday with France 24 television and Radio France Internationale (RFI), said he hoped Togo's citizens "could express themselves freely".

"I hope there can be an electoral process... which allows either a democratic confirmation or transition of power," Macron said.
The decision comes after video footages, showing young men being sold in in the North African country, were published by CNN.

The President expressed his displeasure about the act in an address to the Nigerian diaspora. "Some Nigerians were being sold like goats for few dollars in Libya," he said in his address''.

The African Union-European Union Summit, being held in Abidjan, is expected to be dominated by discussions on the illegal entry of Africans into Europe and the humanitarian issues involving the slavery case in Libya.

Mr. Buhari also promised some socioeconomic transformations in education and internal security as well fighting corruption to prevent citizens from seeking greener pastures in the West.

About 240 Nigerians have voluntarily been repatriated on Tuesday night.
Rep. John Conyers' attorney said that the 88-year-old congressman has not decided whether to resign after multiple House leaders have called on him to leave office following multiple allegations of sexual harassment.

Conyers' attorney, Arnold Reed, told reporters at a Thursday afternoon press conference that the senior Democrat would not be "pressured" by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to leave the office he's held for 50 years.

"Nancy Pelosi did not elect the congressman and she sure as hell won't be the one to tell the congressman to leave," Reed told reporters during a Thursday afternoon press conference. "He is not going to be pressured by Nancy Pelosi or anyone else to step down."

Reed also suggested that calls for Conyers to step down are hypocritical given that Sen. Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat who has been accused by several women of inappropriate touching, has not been asked by congressional leaders to resign.

"I would suspect that Nancy Pelosi is going to have to explain what is the discernible difference between Al Franken and John Conyers," he said.

Pelosi was criticized after she initially defended Conyers, calling him an "icon" and appearing to question the weight of the accusations. But on Thursday, Pelosi said that the allegations against Conyers are "very credible" and must be met with "consequences."

"The allegations against Congressman Conyers, as we have learned more since Sunday, are serious, disappointing and very credible. It's very sad," she said. "The brave women who came forward are owed justice. I pray for Congressman Conyers and his family and wish them well, however, Congressman Conyers should resign."

Rep. James Clyburn, a close ally of Conyers's and the top-ranking black member of Congress, said that he had encouraged Conyers to step down, saying it would be "in his best interest."

"I have been talking to John ... I thought he was in a good place. I thought he understood what was going on," Clyburn said. "I have come to the conclusion there's a force that I can't handle. I have no idea who or what it is."

House Speaker Paul Ryan called on the Michigan Democrat to "resign immediately" during a Thursday press conference.

The longest-serving member of Congress, Conyers was hospitalized with a stress-related illness on Thursday, CBS Detroit reported. His spokesperson said the congressman is seeking treatment, though he didn't specify the ailment.

Conyers stepped down from his post as the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee last week, and a local Detroit outlet reported Wednesday that he would not seek reelection in 2018.
UK negotiators have reportedly made a proposal to their European Union counterparts, opening the door to a possible transition deal for when Britain leaves the EU being agreed by January 2018.

The report comes hot on the heels of multiple reports that Britain is prepared to offer the EU around 50 billion in a Brexit "divorce bill," to be paid over several decades.

Ireland has been a key subject in early Brexit talks, with fears that in the event of Britain leaving the European Union without a deal, a hard border could be erected between the North and the independent south, dividing communities and exacerbating tensions. A physical border could even make any border guards a "target" for terrorists, an Irish MP has warned Theresa May.

The Times reports that Britain's proposal tries to avoid "regulatory divergence" between Northern Ireland and the European Union by giving more power to the Northern Irish government so it can ensure "convergence" with the Republic of Ireland on issues like agriculture and energy.

It means Northern Ireland could end up following European Union regulations long after Brexit, even as the rest of the United Kingdom moves away from them.
President Donald Trump launched an extraordinary attack on British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday night after she criticized him, further fueling the firestorm caused by his early-morning retweets of extremist anti-Muslim videos.

.@Theresa_May, don#emo#t focus ... @ Donald J. Trump

Earlier in the day, Trump had retweeted inflammatory videos posted by a leader of Britain First, an ultranationalist far-right group that peddles anti-Muslim conspiracy theories. The videos, intending to depict Muslims in a bad light, were given provocative titles. (The White House press secretary refused to acknowledge whether the videos were authentic.)

Following outrage across the political spectrum in Britain, a representative for May condemned Trump's tweets on Wednesday in a rare criticism of an American president by a British prime minister.

"Britain First seeks to divide communities by their use of hateful narratives that peddle lies and stoke tensions," the person said. "British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right which is the antithesis of the values this country represents, decency, tolerance and respect."

Trump fired back with an extraordinary attack on the British prime minister, tweeting: "Theresa @theresamay, don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!"

(Trump's tweet linked to a different Twitter user instead of May's actual handle: @theresa_may. The tweet was later deleted. Nineteen minutes later, Trump tweeted again, this time with May's correct handle.)

Trump's retweeting of the Britain First leader was universally condemned by British leaders, including Sajid Javid, a cabinet minister of Muslim heritage: "So POTUS has endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organization that hates me and people like me. He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called the tweets "abhorrent, dangerous, and a threat to our society."

Trump has attacked British political leaders over Islam before. In the aftermath of the London Bridge terrorist attack in June, he called the response of London's Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan, "pathetic."

Khan criticized Trump over the anti-Muslim retweets, saying "Britain First is a vile, hate-fuelled organisation whose views should be condemned, not amplified."
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One of the passersby who rescued him, Adam Simmons told newsmen that He had his head stuck under the steering wheel with his genitals inside his mouth. I dont understand how he got into that position.

Deputy Sheriff, Robert Kilsh also explained that The driver was heavily intoxicated under several substances and was attempting to perform oral sex on himself while driving, which is by itself a blatantly dangerous maneuver.

According to worldnewsdailyreport.com, doctors at the Trident Medical Center where Anthony was rushed to said the divorcee suffered several broken ribs and deep lacerations to the back of his mouth and throat.

Anthony faces accusations of driving under the influence of alcohol as well as 16 different counts of reckless driving.
This was after the said doctor allegedly aborted a pregnancy for a young lady who died afterwards.

READ ALSO: Another fake doctor jailed

Accra-based Rainbow radio reported that the angry residents wielded clubs and other offensive weapons threatening to kill the doctor for allegedly killing another person.

When they got to the residence of the quack doctor, he had absconded.

READ ALSO: How John Mahama climaxed his birthday

The residents argue that the self-acclaimed doctor has specialized in aborting pregnancies for young ladies in the community.
The African Court on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) in Tanzania, on November 24, ordered Ghana to suspend all efforts to retrieve the GH51.2 million judgement debt paid to businessman, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, until the court determines an appeal filed by the businessman, who argues that his human rights are being abused by Ghanas Supreme Court.

The businessman Alfred Agbesie proceeded to the African Human Rights Court when the government began a valuation of his properties in an attempt to retrieve Ghc51 million wrongfully paid to him in a judgement debt.

But Ghanas Supreme Court on Tuesday ignored the African Court ruling and asked the government to proceed with its attempt to retrieve the sum.

There had been earlier attempts to orally examine Mr. Woyome. Mr. Amidu himself, in 2016, filed an application at the Supreme Court to find out how Woyome was going to pay back the money.

This was after the Attorney Generals office under the previous Mahama administration, led by the former Minister for Justice, Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, discontinued a similar application.

However, in February 2017, Mr. Amidu withdrew his suit seeking an oral examination.

He explained that the change of government and the assurance by the new Attorney General to retrieve all judgment debts wrongfully paid to individuals, had given him renewed confidence in the system.

But, in an article, Mr Amidu said as far as the case he filed against Mr Woyome is concerned, Until execution is completed, I am still the plaintiff and the case continues to be a civil case between two private citizens  Woyome and me; each with fundamental human rights under the 1992 Constitution and the African Charter.The Government of Ghana which was a defendant in the substantive civil case between Woyome and me cannot speak for me in any forum, including any appeal to the African Court on the substantive case. The Government of Ghana purporting to speak for me as a defendant at the African Court will be tantamount to the two defendants in the civil case in the Supreme Court using a stratagem to become opposing parties in the Africa Court to compromise the judgment legally obtained by me in the Supreme Court as a private citizen.

The African Court which is a court of human rights cannot uphold Woyomes human rights without hearing me because both Woyome and I had access to justice under the 1992 Constitution when we both appeared and conducted our cases before the Supreme Court of Ghana. Nothing would be a worse breach of fundamental human rights than the African Court substituting the Attorney General or the Republic of Ghana as the plaintiff in the case in Ghanas Supreme Court and proceeding with a determination of the case without hearing me as the substantive plaintiff in the case in Ghanas Supreme Court. It would be an even further worse breach of fundamental human rights if the substantive plaintiff whose case is allegedly on appeal to the African Court, is not heard.

Below is the full article:

THE AFRICAN COURT AND WOYOME DEAL WITH A PURELY CIVIL CASE AND EXCLUDE THE BENEFICIARY PLAINTIFF: BY MARTIN A. B. K. AMIDUI have read press reports of a case commenced by Alfred Agbesi Woyome at the Africa Court on Human and Peoples Rights alleging violations of his fundamental human rights in the execution of the judgment in the case of Amidu (No. 3) v Attorney-General, Waterville Holding (BVI) Ltd & Woyome (No. 2) [2013-2014] 1 SCGLR 606 and interim orders made by the Africa Court on 24th November 2017 suspending the execution of the judgment.The problem with Woyomes case at the African Court is that substantially, the impression I get is that Woyomes case is in the nature of an appeal against a judgment and orders I obtained in the Supreme Court in that case, in which I was the plaintiff in my capacity as a private citizen of Ghana pursuant to Article 2 of the 1992 Constitution and Woyome was the defendant in his private capacity as a citizen of Ghana. The Government of Ghana represented by the Attorney General was also a nominal defendant in the case.The case between me, as plaintiff, against the Attorney General and Woyome was a purely civil constitutional case and not a criminal case. The fact that the Supreme Court granted leave to the Republic of Ghana represented by the Attorney General to execute my judgment for the benefit of the public does not turn the case into a civil action between the Republic of Ghana against Woyome or a criminal case against Woyome.Until execution is completed I am still the plaintiff and the case continues to be a civil case between two private citizens, Woyome and me, each with fundamental human rights under the 1992 Constitution and the African Charter. The Government of Ghana which was a defendant in the substantive civil case between Woyome and me cannot speak for me in any forum, including any appeal to the African Court on the substantive case. The Government of Ghana purporting to speak for me as a defendant at the Africa Court will be tantamount to the two defendants in the civil case in the Supreme Court using a stratagem to become opposing parties in the Africa Court to compromise the judgment legally obtained by me in the Supreme Court as a private citizen.The African Court which is a court of human rights cannot uphold Woyomes human rights without hearing me because both Woyome and I had access to justice under the 1992 Constitution when we both appeared and conducted our cases before the Supreme Court of Ghana. Nothing would be a worse breach of fundamental human rights than the African Court substituting the Attorney General or the Republic of Ghana as the plaintiff in the case in Ghanas Supreme Court and proceeding with a determination of the case without hearing me as the substantive plaintiff in the case in Ghanas Supreme Court. It would be an even further worse breach of fundamental human rights if the substantive plaintiff whose case is allegedly on appeal to the African Court, is not heard.But the catch is that the African Court does not have the jurisdiction to hear appeals or applications in purely civil cases between a private citizen and another private citizen in which the Republic was also a defendant with the defending private citizen. It is to avoid such lack of jurisdiction by the Africa Court that Woyome chose to bring his application at the Africa Court against the Republic which was his co-defendant in the substantive case in the Supreme Court instead of me, in the hope that the case will not be properly argued by his former co-defendant. Ghana then loses the benefit of the judgment I obtained at the Supreme Court with the excuse that the decision was given at the African Court. It is nobodys fault. Blame the African Court.The African Court has no obligation to independently find out the facts apart from those presented by Woyome and his co-defendant now turned defendant at the Africa Court. Because I am a private citizen and plaintiff in the case and therefore not directly amenable to the jurisdiction of the African Court, the case will be heard and completed without me having the opportunity to defend my hard won judgment, before the African Court.
The returnees in an interview with Joynews spoke about the harsh and inhumane treatment they were subjected to during their stay.

Most of the said they were captured on the sea while trying to get to Italy under the guise that they were assigned by the United Nations (UN).

READ ALSO: How John Mahama climaxed his birthday

They arrested us, beat us up and detained us for several months. I had been in prison for 6 months after which I was told we would be deported only for us to be transported somewhere else. Its been almost a month since I last took my bath, parts of my body are rotten and decaying. They sold us and beat us. Its the job the blacks there do, they can sell us for as low as $3,000, the people who died are much more than those who survived, one migrant revealed.

Another said; "Ive been really tortured, I have been hardened by this experience, before now, all I had seen was a toy gun. In Libya, I saw people shooting some of my colleagues in the foot, others were using knives, I was cut by someone with a knife while trying to flee one time, its left huge scars on my skin."

Another person also narrated that they were only served a loaf of bread every morning leading to starvation.

We were starved, we were each given a loaf of bread every morning, given some salt water in the afternoon to drink and nothing else till the next day, a third detainee recounted.

READ ALSO: Migrant says he was sold into slavery by fellow Ghanaian

A total of 127 Ghanaian detainees returned to Ghana on Wednesday (November 29, 2017) night following revelations of human auctioning and trade by fellow blacks in Libya.

The returnees included a woman, a physically challenged man, and 2 children.
About 127 Ghanaian migrants returned from Libya with one in a critical condition.

They were brought in by two flights, Air Libya and Afrikia Airways after being rescued from detention centres in Libya following reports of slave trade in the country.

In an interview with Accra-based Starr FM, the returnee who was said to be distressed said: What I found myself in Libya, I wouldnt wish for even my worst enemy, we were sold like bread by our own fellow Ghanaians. And it was a very disheartening experience. We went through the desert and some of us disappeared without a trace and others were shot and killed, luckily for some of us, we were able to escape and were arrested and brought to the deportation centre.

Scores of African migrants are being sold in open slave markets in Libya.

READ ALSO: 168 Ghanaian detainees to return home from Libya

In a footage released by CNN from Libya, young men from sub-Saharan Africa are seen being auctioned as farm workers.

Many are concerned that some Ghanaians may have been caught up in the matter.
"The cabinet has resigned in line with the Constitution," said Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, whose Social Democrats formed the cabinet with the populist ANO movement and the centrist Christian Democrats.

President Milos Zeman will name ANO leader and billionaire Andrej Babis prime minister on December 6, following the movement's landslide win in October.

On December 13, Zeman is due to appoint the EU member state's new cabinet.

Josef Mlejnek, a political analyst at Charles University in Prague, praised Sobotka's government for the country's economic boom and for bringing unemployment down to the EU's lowest rate.

Sobotka is only the third prime minister since the Czech Republic became an independent state in 1993 to complete his four-year term.

"The cabinet's record in history will be much worse than it deserves," Mlejnek told AFP.

"Its reputation has been tarnished this past year because of infighting ahead of the election."

Earlier this year, Sobotka announced his cabinet would resign but then thought better of it, making Babis step down as finance minister following allegations of his murky business dealings.

With its an anti-corruption, anti-euro and anti-migrant campaign, ANO won 78 of 200 seats in parliament ahead of the right-wing eurosceptic ODS, the anti-establishment Pirates, the far-right SPD and five other parties.

But, snubbed by most potential partners, Babis has been forced to form a minority government which will find it hard to win a confidence vote in parliament.

Political rivals are suspicious of the 63-year-old Slovak-born chemicals, food and media tycoon because of his communist past and recent police charges.

Babis is facing fraud charges for allegedly pulling his Stork Nest farm out of his sprawling Agrofert holding in 2007 to make it eligible for an EU subsidy granted to small companies, before eventually returning it to the holding.

Police have asked parliament to strip Babis of immunity as a lawmaker for a second time -- the previous parliament stripped him in September but Babis regained his immunity when re-elected in the October vote.
Queen Elizabeth II led the congratulations this week when her grandson was confirmed to be marrying the 36-year-old American actress, an outspoken feminist of mixed race.

Commentators hailed their union as a sign that the monarchy was keeping up with an increasingly multi-national, ethnically diverse Britain, viewing it as a breath of fresh air for an ageing institution.

But many noted that Harry's mother Diana was also feted as a fresh face when she married heir to the throne Prince Charles -- and that relationship did not end well.

"Could Meghan be similarly crushed? Or will she be given the oxygen to thrive? It is a test the institution can little afford to fail," wrote one commentator in the Daily Telegraph.

He suggested that when Charles takes over as king, he should "see her as an invaluable weapon in making the case for a 21st-century monarchy. How much harder now to accuse them of being out of touch".

'Very brave step'

Markle has said she is ready for the "next chapter" after giving up her job in US television series "Suits" to marry Harry and move to Britain.

"I think she's taking a very brave step," royal biographer Penny Junor told AFP.

"She is giving up a fantastic amount that she worked for all these years. I have no idea if she will find royal life restrictive, dull or repetitive -- because it can be.

"I hope that she doesn't feel that she is hemmed in and caged."

But Markle is very different from Diana -- she is older, has already been married once and has had both a professional career and travelled the world as an advocate for the UN women's agency.

Markle will give up her UN work but will likely continue in humanitarian activities, which sits well with the royal family's focus on charity.

Her focus on gender equality has taken her into politics, however, notably when she described US President Donald Trump as "misogynistic" before he was elected.

She will have to be more careful now she is part of the royal family, which royals themselves reportedly refer to as "The Firm".

"If you join The Firm, you have to abide by its rules. That's where Diana started to go a bit wrong -- she was going off piste," Junor said.

"It's fine for her to have strong positions, but expressing them publicly is not risk free," added one commentator in The Sun tabloid.

"She can expect pushback from the public and potentially even politicians if she is seen to be entering sensitive political areas."

'Capable of anything'

The monarchy has also changed since the days of Diana and her sister-in-law Sarah Ferguson, who also struggled once she married Prince Andrew.

Harry and his older brother William have forged a different path to their father Charles, adopting a more informal approach to royal duties while also trying to maintain a semblance of a normal private life.

They both have a strong sense of his mother's difficulties, and Harry has made clear he understands the pressures on his new fiancee.

"It's a big deal. It's not easy for anybody. But at the end of the day she chooses me and I choose her and whatever we have to tackle together or individually, we'll always be together as a team," he said.
Held at the invitation of President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the talks at 8:00 pm (1900 GMT) Thursday will explore if both sides are ready to launch negotiations on forming Germany's next government.

After September's elections left Merkel without a majority, the SPD had stubbornly ruled out renewing an alliance with her as it suffered a humiliating loss at the polls.

But as Merkel's bid at forming a coalition with the ecologist Greens and pro-business FDP fell apart, the SPD came under pressure to relent and avert snap elections.

Spiegel weekly noted that Thursday's meeting, which also ropes in Horst Seehofer -- the leader of Merkel's Bavarian allies -- was crucial for the veteran leader.

"For Merkel, it's a fight for political survival that's starting," said Spiegel weekly.

"Merkel must do everything to forge this alliance -- the only one that would ensure stable power," it added.

But the talks are clouded by a political storm sparked this week by a member of her conservatives, Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt, who flouted the government's line by voting in favour of approving a disputed weedkiller during an EU meeting.

The action, which Schmidt said he took unilaterally, was condemned as a "breach of trust" by the SPD, which has been junior coalition partner in Merkel's cabinet since 2013.

Anything but snap polls

With Merkel now wooing the SPD, Schmidt's action could come at a high price for the conservatives.

"It will weigh on the talks, no question about that," said Carsten Linnemann, who leads the CDU's federation of small and medium-size companies.

SPD chief whip Carsten Schneider told broadcaster ARD that the episode showed "Madame Merkel does not have her shop under control".

And even if Schulz has agreed to sit down with Merkel, he has remained non-committal about the prospects of another grand right-left coalition.

Party rank and file will still discuss "the complete range of possible options" when they hold a congress next week, before deciding whether to open exploratory talks with Merkel's conservatives, said Schulz.

This could include the option of backing a minority government led by Merkel.

"It is possible that the country ends up with a constellation that it has never seen in its (post-war) history," said the SPD leader in a tweet.

Merkel has excluded the minority government option due to its inherent instability.

But some German media quoting unnamed sources have reported that she now prefers the option to holding snap polls, if talks fail with the SPD.

For now, leading Social Democrats are sounding a cautious note on the chances of another grand coalition for Germany.

Schneider said another four years as junior partner in Merkel's government is "a result that I still do not see".

The party's deputy chief Ralf Stegner also told broadcaster Bayerische Rundfunk that "in the end, our members will decide... how it will go, is very, very open".

If the sentiment of the SPD's youth wing is anything to go by, a new partnership with Merkel will be a tough sell.

Kevin Kuehnert, who heads the "young socialists", urged Schulz to reject extending the lease of the grand coalition.
Earlier, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said Zarrab was making defamatory claims because he was under pressure.

Zarrab had initially been due to go on trial but is now the prosecution's star witness.

Deputy chief executive of Turkish lender Halkbank Mehmet Hakan Atilla, accused of violating sanctions against Iran, as well as of bribery and money laundering, is now the lone man in the dock.

Analysts say that Zarrab's revelations could prove embarrassing for the government while economists warn fines on one or more Turkish banks could prove harmful to the economy.

In his first comments since Zarrab's testimony, Erdogan said Turkey had not broken the US embargo on Iran, according to state broadcaster TRT Haber.

"We did the right thing. We did not violate the embargo," he told lawmakers from his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

At any rate, he added, "no such commitment was made to the US."

In an interview with state-run news agency Anadolu, Bozdag said "Zarrab has become a slanderer under pressure".

The deputy prime minister repeated previous claims that US-based Fethullah Gulen, the alleged mastermind of the failed 2016 coup, and his network was behind the case.

Zarrab 'taken hostage'

AKP party spokesman Mahir Unal hit out at the US trial as a move against Turkey, vowing: "We will not allow Turkey to be taken hostage by a man taken hostage."

Zarrab was one of the main figures in a 2013 corruption scandal in Turkey that Erdogan, then prime minister, also saw as a bid by Gulen to bring him down.

Gulen, who lives in the United States, denies Turkey's claims.

The gold trader had spent 70 days in custody in Turkey over the scandal, but all suspects arrested in the probe were subsequently released.

Caglayan resigned from the government at the time along with three other ministers. He has also been named in the US indictment and is being tried in absentia.

Zarrab told the court that he paid 45 to 50 million euros ($53.2 to $59.1 million) plus approximately $7 million in bribes to the minister between March 2012 and March the following year.

He alleged banker Attila helped to doctor the trade so that the Iranian origin of the funds would be undetectable by US banks.

Halkbank denied any suggestion or claim that the bank had violated US sanctions, saying in a statement that it had "not been a party to any transaction that is ... illegal".

Strained ties

The case has further strained ties between the NATO allies, who have many disagreements including over the US failure to extradite Gulen.

Bozdag denounced the Manhattan federal court trial as "theatre" and indicated it was a plot against the government which the main opposition party in Turkey was a part of.

The Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu on Tuesday claimed he had evidence of offshore transfers made to a tax haven by relatives of Erdogan.

The president on Wednesday denounced the claims as "lies" and said he would file a legal complaint along with five others accused by Kilicdaroglu.
Duterte warned last month he is prepared to establish a "revolutionary government" to fend off alleged efforts to oust him. He railed against the press, European lawmakers and other critics of his drug war, which has left thousands dead and led rights groups to warn of a crime against humanity.

Duterte, who has courted Beijing while loosening his nation's alliance with Washington, also alleged the US Central Intelligence Agency was part of a plot to destabilise him, and warned he would jail all of his opponents as well as the communist leaders.

Duterte's critics fear the 72-year-old, who has repeatedly threatened to impose martial law, is intent on dragging the country back into dictatorship and allow himself more freedom in prosecuting his drug war.

Under his centrepiece anti-drug campaign, police have said they have killed almost 4,000 "drug personalities" but human rights activists charge that thousands more have been killed by vigilantes and rogue policemen.

On Thursday Pro-Duterte and anti-Duterte protesters, each rally numbering more than 2,000, gathered in front of the presidential palace in Manila with riot police separating them.

Both groups were largely garbed in red-- the traditional Filipino colour for revolutionary movements.

The Duterte supporters waved banners saying 'We support revolutionary government', while the other side carried signs saying 'Fight the Duterte dictatorship'.

The pro-Duterte crowd was allowed to stage their rally in peace, but riot police used fire hoses to drive back the anti-Duterte protesters as they tried to move closer to the palace.

The rallies were staged on a holiday honouring the 154th birth anniversary of Filipino revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio, with the Philippine leader's critics burning a giant effigy of him while chanting "Down with Duterte!"

Duterte was elected last year largely on an incendiary law-and-order platform in which he promised to eradicate illegal drugs in society by killing 100,000 people.

He has repeatedly expressed impatience with the country's current laws and constitution, saying they impede progress and do not allow him to fully crack down on crime and corruption.
May praised "the bravery and sacrifice of the Iraqi security forces" and pledged British support "for as long as the Iraqis want and need it".

Britain, which took part in the US-led Iraq invasion of 2003 which toppled the regime of dictator Saddam Hussein, has played a key role in the coalition battling IS.

Experts have long argued that its participation in the 2003 invasion made Britain a target for jihadist groups.

May told a press conference in Baghdad that Britain would "work with partners across the region to develop the capabilities that will enable us to deal with the threat posed by foreign fighters."

She said she had visited British troops training Iraqi security forces at the Taji military base, north of Baghdad.

The British premier also reiterated Britain's support for a unified Iraq, two months after Iraqi Kurds overwhelmingly voted for independence in a referendum bitterly contested by Baghdad and ruled unconstitutional by Iraq's top court.

She called for a "stronger, more inclusive, unified Iraqi state" and encouraged the Iraqi government "to respond positively" to calls by the Kurdish leadership for dialogue.

"We (also) encourage the Kurdish regional government to respect the Iraqi federal supreme court ruling on the unconstitutionality" of the vote, she said.

May also pledged funds to continue training Iraqi forces and to support "efforts to return (displaced people) and restore stability".

Abadi added that the leaders had discussed "encouraging British businessmen and businesses to invest... in Iraq, to take part in building Iraq and bringing stability" to the country.

May left London late Tuesday for a three-day visit to the Middle East, where she is also set to meet Saudi and Jordanian leaders in a bid to bolster regional ties.

She will hold talks on issues including Qatar and Yemen with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, before heading to Jordan for meetings with King Abdullah II and Prime Minister Hani Mulki.

Saudi Arabia is Britain's largest trading partner in the Middle East, and London has signed off on more than 3.3 billion ($4.4 billion/3.7 billion euros) worth of arms sales to Riyadh since March 2015.
Vatican spokeswoman Paloma Garcia Ovejero said Thursday that Giulio Mattietti had been given his marching orders at the start of the week, while Francis was out of town on a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh.

She did not give any reason for the dismissal. Italian media reported that he was escorted off the premises.

The axing follows the firing earlier this year of the Holy See's auditor general, Libero Milone, who was accused by the Vatican of spying on senior officials.

Pope Francis was elected in 2013 on a mandate to clean up the scandal-hit Vatican, including its financial house.

But Milone had accused the Vatican of getting rid of him because his investigations into possible illegal activity had hit too close to home.

Francis has streamlined the Vatican bureaucracy and brought 21st-century auditing to the Holy See's tainted banking system. But the centuries-old institution has struggled to shake off the whiff of scandal.

The pope appointed Cardinal George Pell to head up the new economy secretariat, but the Australian ran into fierce resistance to his reform efforts.

The cardinal is also currently on a leave of absence following accusations of multiple historical sexual offences.

The Vatican's bank, known as the Institute of Religious Works (IOR), became notorious after the 1982 death of Italian banker Roberto Calvi, whose corpse was discovered hanging from Blackfriars Bridge in London.

Prosecutors believe it was a mafia killing linked to money laundering via the bank.

Earlier this year two former executives at the bank were handed four-month suspended prison sentences over their role in dubious transactions dating from 2010.
Mr Nsofor, an 82 year-old retired Justice of the Nigerian Court of Appeal, was nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari to replace Mr Adebowale Adefuye. Mr Adebowale Adefuye died in office on Thursday, August 27, 2015 after battling undisclosed ailments.

According to reports in the local media, Mr Nsofor expressed the desire to further deepen the existing cordial relationship between the two countries. The new Ambassador conveyed President Muhammadu Buharis goodwill and wishes to President Trump.

The delegation,which included his wife, embassy officials and representatives of the Nigerian community in the U.S were honored at a reception at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Who is Sylvanus Nsofor?

Mr Nsofor was a Justice of the Court of Appeal and Lecturer in Law at the Holborn College of Law in London. He served as a judge for 28 years and spent 13 of those years in the Court of Appeal before he retired in March 2005 after hitting the official retirement age of 70.
Many wanted a response from Trump, who had just watched President Obama deliver jokes that night about Trump's constant questioning of the legitimacy of Obama's birth certificate.

Over six years later, Trump is still not convinced of the legitimacy of Obama's birth certificate. But this was perhaps the first of numerous debunked or unverified conspiracy theories that Trump has entertained during his time in the political spotlight.

Throughout the 2016 campaign and while in the White House, Trump has floated theories fueled by the conspiratorial-minded corners of supermarket tabloids and the internet, something unprecedented in modern politics. He's often used them as weapons against his opponents.

Here are 18 of the most notable conspiracy theories Trump has entertained:

Questions about Ted Cruz's father's potential ties to President John F. Kennedy's assassin.

On the eve of the Indiana primary, Trump attempted to undermine former Republican presidential rival Ted Cruz's father's legitimacy by parroting an unverified National Enquirer story.

It claimed Rafael Cruz was photographed in the early 1960s handing out pro-Fidel Castro leaflets with President John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald.

The Cruz campaign denounced the piece as "garbage."

Questions about President Obama's birth certificate.

While mulling a potential 2012 presidential bid, Trump became the most high-profile figure to promote the rumors suggesting that President Obama was not born in the US.

Trump claimed he'd deployed private investigators who "could not believe what they're finding" about Obama's place of birth.

He also repeatedly clashed with reporters who pushed him on the issue. During one contentious interview, he told ABC's George Stephanopoulos that he'd been "co-opted" by "Obama and his minions" when the anchor tried to push back on Trump's claims.

When Obama eventually released his long-form birth certificate, Trump questioned the document's authenticity.

Trump has since continued to push the conspiracy theory in recent months during his presidency, according to advisors who spoke with the New York Times. One sitting US senator echoed these reports.

Questions about a former Bill Clinton aide's suicide.

After Vince Foster, a former aide to President Bill Clinton, was found dead in 1993, various law-enforcement agencies and independent counsels determined he committed suicide.

But Foster's death spawned conspiracy theorists who questioned whether the Clintons themselves were involved in Foster's death.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Trump suggested Foster's death was "very fishy."

"He had intimate knowledge of what was going on," Trump said of Foster's role in the White House. "He knew everything that was going on, and then all of a sudden he committed suicide."

He added: "I dont bring [Fosters death] up because I dont know enough to really discuss it. I will say there are people who continue to bring it up because they think it was absolutely a murder. I dont do that because I dont think its fair."

Questions about whether Syrian refugees are ISIS terrorists.

Trump has, in part, justified his plan to temporarily bar Muslim immigrants from entering the US by claiming that refugees coming from Syria "could be a Trojan horse."

"It could be one of the greatest coups of all time," Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity last year. "They could be ISIS. It could be a plot. I mean, I don't want to think in terms of conspiracy, but it could be a plot."

But the process for vetting refugees typically lasts 18 to 24 months, and immigration experts maintain it is one of the most difficult ways for terrorists to attempt to enter the US legally.

"It is extremely unlikely that someone who is a terrorist will be sent through the refugee resettlement program," Greg Chen, the director of advocacy at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, told Business Insider.

He added: "It takes a great deal of time, and it wouldn't make sense for someone who is a terrorist for someone to go through that process. There are going to be easier ways for a terrorist to try to infiltrate, rather than going through the refugee resettlement program."

Questions about whether an ISIS-linked terrorist attempted to charge at Trump on stage.

After an attendee at Trump's March rally in Dayton, Ohio, attempted to charge the stage, Trump claimed a video he retweeted proved the attendee was a terrorist linked to ISIS.

"He was playing Arabic music. He was dragging the flag along the ground, and he had internet chatter with ISIS and about ISIS. So I don't know if he was or not," Trump said. "But all we did was put out what he had on his internet. He's dragging the flag, the American flag, which I respect obviously more than you."

He added: "What do I know about it? All I know is what's on the internet. And I don't like to see a man dragging the American flag along the ground in a mocking fashion."

Multiple news outlets and fact-checkers debunked the video's authenticity. No government agency has said the man was connected to ISIS or other terrorist groups.

Questions about Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's death.

Law enforcement determined there was no evidence of foul play in Justice Antonin Scalia's sudden death this year.

Asked about the circumstances of Scalia's death, Trump said he was unsure about what caused Scalia's death. Trump noted a pillow was found over the justice's face, a claim authorities rebutted.

"I'm hearing it's a big topic," Trump said in a radio interview. "It's a horrible topic but they're saying they found the pillow on his face, which is a pretty unusual place to find a pillow."

He added: "I can't give you an answer. It's just starting to come out now."

Questions about whether childhood vaccines cause autism.

At a Republican presidential debate last year, CNN host Jake Tapper asked Trump about his position that vaccines can cause autism.

"We had so many instances, people that work for me, just the other day, 2 years old, a beautiful child, went to have the vaccine and came back and a week later got a tremendous fever, got very, very sick, now is autistic," Trump said.

Shortly after Trump's assertion, former presidential candidate and neurosurgeon Ben Carson corrected the real-estate mogul, pointing out that overwhelming medical evidence suggests that there's no link between autism and vaccines.

A 2013 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found no connection between vaccines and an increased risk of autism.

Questions about whether Muslims in New Jersey were cheering after 9/11.

For weeks last year, Trump emphatically claimed he saw televised news reports of Muslims cheering in New Jersey after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"There were people that were cheering on the other side of New Jersey, where you have large Arab populations. They were cheering as the World Trade Center came down," Trump said during an ABC interview.

He added: "I know it might be not politically correct for you to talk about it, but there were people cheering as that building came down  as those buildings came down. And that tells you something. It was well-covered at the time."

However, there is no evidence to suggest there were any American celebrations aired on television following the attacks. Some media reports at the time cited rumors of celebrations in New Jersey. But reports were never substantiated, and there's no evidence these protests were broadcast on national television.

Questions about whether wives of 9/11 hijackers fled to Saudi Arabia before the attacks.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee repeatedly stated last year that the terrorists who carried out the September 11, 2001, attacks moved their families out of the US to Saudi Arabia several days before the hijacking.

"When you had the World Trade Center go, people were put into planes that were friends, family, girlfriends, and they were put into planes and they were sent back, for the most part, to Saudi Arabia," Trump said. "They knew what was going on. They went home and they wanted to watch their boyfriends on television."

The 9/11 commission report, the most extensive investigation into the events surrounding the attacks, determined that few of the hijackers kept in contact with their families, and none had family members living in the US.

PolitiFact also called the claim false.

Questions about the legitimacy of climate change.

Though many Republican leaders remain skeptical of climate change, Trump has taken his skepticism a step further. In 2012 he suggested that climate change is a "total, and very expensive hoax" perpetuated by China's government.

"The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive," Trump tweeted in 2012.

Trump backed off the tweet, telling Fox News in January that his comment was a "joke." Still, the real-estate mogul has repeatedly maintained that climate change was a hoax, and said climate-change studies are "done for the benefit of China."

According to NASA, 97% of publishing climate scientists believe that human activities such as burning of fossil fuels have caused climate change.

Questions about whether asbestos is a "great con."

In a 1992 interview with New York magazine, Trump suggested the mob's "strong lobby" in New York may be responsible for asbestos.

"One of the great cons is asbestos," Trump said. "There's nothing wrong except the mob has a strong lobby in Albany because they have the dumps and control the truck."

Trump has more recently embraced the reality.

Last year, the real-estate mogul cited how he increased the valuation of one of his properties by millions after embarking on a massive asbestos-removal operation.

Questions about Marco Rubio's presidential eligibility.

Trump has a long history of speculating whether potential presidential rivals are constitutionally eligible to serve.

In February, the former reality-TV star retweeted a supporter who claimed Rubio was ineligible to run because his parents were not natural-born US citizens, a claim that no major constitutional experts support.

When confronted on ABC's "This Week" about whether he believed Rubio was not constitutionally permitted to occupy the presidency, Trump, whose mother was born in Scotland, refused to disavow the tweet.

"I've never looked at it, George," Trump said of the tweet. "I honestly have never looked at it. As somebody said, he's not. And I retweeted it. I have 14 million people between Twitter and Facebook and Instagram, and I retweet things and we start dialogue and it's very interesting."

He added: "I'm not sure. Let people make their own determination."

Questions about Fox News being owned by a Saudi billionaire.

Trump's war with Fox News' Megyn Kelly recently reached a detente.

But during the peak of Trump's rhetorical battle with Kelly, he perpetuated a prominent outlandish theory from one of his Twitter followers.

In January, the real-estate mogul retweeted a photo purportedly showing Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal with Kelly. The photo claimed the prince was a partial Fox News owner, which multiple outlets found was untrue. Alwaleed's investment company owns a small share of 21st Century Fox.

Questions about the legitimacy of the "Access Hollywood" tape

Toward the tail end of his presidential campaign, the 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape featuring Trump apparently admitting that he likes to grab women "by the p----" received broad coverage, and Trump apologized for his comments shortly afterward.

More recently though, after various allegations of sexual harassment in media and politics have begun to surface, Trump has walked back these comments.

We don't think that was my voice, Trump reportedly told a senator, according to The New York Tiimes.

The Times' sources did not elaborate on why Trump has begun to doubt the authenticity of the tape's audio.

Claims that Joe Scarborough killed one of his interns

In a tweet Trump sent Wednesday morning, he made references to a conspiracy theory that claims MSNBC anchor Joe Scarborough of "Morning Joe" murdered one of his staffers in Florida in 2001.

While Scarborough was serving as a Republican congressman in Florida's 1st district, one of his interns,

Claims that Obama had wiretapped Trump's phone

In March, Trump sent a tweet accusing Obama of wiretapping his phones in Trump Tower.

PolitiFact and other outlets have debunked the claim. An Obama spokesman also issued a response to the allegation, saying:

Claims that voter fraud in the 2016 election cost him the popular vote

In a tweet sent shortly after the November 2016 election, Trump wrote:

This unsubstantiated claim was repeated by Kris Kobach, the chairman of Trump's panel on voter fraud, in July. The fact-checking site Snopes has debunked the claim entirely, citing "zero evidence."

Retweeting anti-Muslim conspiracy videos

On Wednesday morning, Trump caused diplomatic havoc by retweeting three videos posted by Jayda Fransen of the ultra-nationalist, anti-Muslim organization Britain First that purportedly showed Muslims in Europe committing crimes and destroying Christian icons.

Britain First has frequently targeted mosques and Muslims in the UK in order to brand all Muslims as violent extremists, and Trump's retweet of the videos was widely seen as a tacit endorsement of the group's efforts.
LONDON  Theresa May is under pressure after hardline Conservative Brexiteer MPs said they would be prepared to vote against the final Brexit deal over reports of a 50 billion divorce bill are true.

A group of Conservative MPs say they will be prepared to rebel if the UK continues to pay the 50 billion divorce bill after the UK leaves the European Union or if it does not mean talks move onto trade.

They believe leaving in a no-deal scenario would be better for Britain, and think the the planned financial settlement is too high a price to pay for a good deal with the EU after Brexit.

Tory backbench MP and Brexiteer Peter Bone told the Guardian: "I think people in the country will be very, very upset. I dont think paying billions to the EU is what the people voted for.

"Giving billions to the EU is completely the reverse of what people voted for. If the deal is voted down we come out on World Trade Organisation rules. I dont think that is a problem at all. Then all that money  60bn lying around  we could use that to help the NHS and other things and even do tax cuts."

The prime minister was supported by pro-Brexit cabinet ministers including Boris Johnson and Michael Gove when making the decision on the financial settlement, but they also demand movement from the EU on trade.

The foreign secretary said on Wednesday: "Nows the time to get the ship off the rocks," pointing both towards his support for May, as well as making an unfortunate comparison between his government's position on Brexit and a shipwreck.

However, one Tory MP said that the hard Brexit supporting European Research Group of Conservatives were seeking a meeting with the chief whip Julian Smith to discuss their concerns about the divorce bill.

Tory rebellion

Pro-Brexit Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said it was "of course" a possibility that Brexiteers could rebel against the final deal in Parliament if it was not satisfactory.

He said: "I think its fair to say colleagues on the Conservative benches would rather have a clean break than staged payments. But we dont know. If we said wed pay you all in one sum and a bit less, they wouldnt take it? We need to see the whole deal in the round, and the ultimate sanction is no deal is better than a bad deal."

High-profile Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg added that Britain was "dancing to the tune" of the EU and asked for assurances that no payments would be made if there was not a final trade agreement.

Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith made it clear that support for the financial settlement was dependent on successful and positive trade negotiations with the EU.

He told the BBC: "It is also absolutely hinged on a free trade arrangement. If there is no trade deal, then my view  and I would think the whole of the partys view  would be we dont owe them any money at all.

"Because if we dont have that arrangement,then that whole figure that is being bandied around becomes null and void."

Downing Street has not officially confirmed the reported figure, and suggested this week that reports by the BBC and others that May had agreed a figure of around 50bn were "misleading".
Several CIA veterans reacted with alarm on Thursday to news that Republican Sen. Tom Cotton could replace Mike Pompeo as head of the intelligence agency within the next two months.

on serving Arkansans in the Senate.

But Trump's chief of staff John Kelly is reportedly spearheading a national security shake-up that would involve installing Pompeo as secretary of state and Cotton as CIA director. Rex Tillerson, whose leadership of the State Department has been criticized by both career department employees and the president, would be ousted.

"This is an awful appointment," said Paul Pillar, a 28-year veteran of the CIA, of Cotton's potential nomination. "Sen.Cotton is a highly ideological individual who is not well-suited to lead an agency part of whose core mission is objective analysis."

Pillar pointed to a letter Cotton wrote to top Iranian leaders in March 2015 warning them against striking a nuclear deal with then-President Barack Obama. The letter was signed by 47 Senate Republicans and infuriated the White House, which viewed it as an inappropriate congressional intervention in sensitive diplomatic negotiations.

"We will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear weapons program that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei," the letter read.

"It's hard to imagine someone who would do something like that, something so contrary to accepted foreign policy procedure, providing objective leadership on issues related to Iran," Pillar said.

Former CIA analyst Ned Price, who served as a National Security Council spokesman under Obama, shared concerns over the future of the US's relationship with Iran if placed in the hands of Pompeo at the State Department and Cotton at the CIA.

"I certainly think Cotton will continue much of what Pompeo started," Price said, referring to a common perception of Pompeo's CIA leadership as partisan and motivated, at least in part, by loyalty to Trump.

"And with these two at the helm of these institutions, it's much more likely that we'll find ourselves moving towards regime change with Iran," Price added. "The Iran deal is toast  that's a given  but the march to war will become much more viable. It's something they've coordinated on even in their current posts, and it surely will pick up if this comes to pass."

As the New Yorker's Jeffrey Toobin noted in a lengthy profile of Cotton published earlier this month, undermining the Iran nuclear deal in an attempt to wholly dismantle it has been a touchstone of Cotton's young Senate career. (He was elected in 2015.)

"I told the President in July that he shouldn't certify that Iran was complying with the agreement, Cotton told Toobin. "Putting aside the issue of technical compliance or noncompliance, it's clear that the agreement is not in our national interest."

Lack of experience working in intelligence

Beyond Cotton's position on the Iran deal, however, some CIA veterans are nervous about his lack of experience working with the intelligence community.

While serving in the Army in 2006, Cotton wrote a letter to three New York Times reporters who broke a story about a classified program run by the CIA and the Treasury Department that tracked the financing of terror networks. He told the reporters that they should be in jail for publishing the details of the program.

"Having graduated from Harvard Law and practiced with a federal appellate judge and two Washington law firms before becoming an infantry officer, I am well-versed in the espionage laws relevant to this story and others  laws you have plainly violated," Cotton wrote. "By the time we return home, maybe you will be in your rightful place: not at the Pulitzer announcements, but behind bars."

As The Daily Beast's Spencer Ackerman noted, Cotton was "plainly wrong about the law."

"Leaking classified material is criminal; publishing it is not," Ackerman wrote.

Former congressional intelligence staffer Mieke Eoyang, now the vice president for the national security program at the think tank Third Way, said on Twitter that one upside to Cotton running the CIA is that he would be forced to suppress his partisan outbursts.

"He'd stop organizing counterproductive Senate letters. He'd have to shut up about his successes. He'd have to take the hit for any intelligence failures," Eoyang said. She added that "classified information restrictions limit what he can say/do."

Controversial views on torture

Others, like longtime CIA intelligence officer Glenn Carle, are concerned about Cotton's views on torture. Cotton told CNN last November that "waterboarding isn't torture," arguing that "Donald Trump is a pretty tough guy and he's ready to make those tough calls" when it comes to the use of controversial and extreme interrogation methods.

In 2015, Cotton said that "the

"We should be sending more terrorists there," Cotton said in reference to the infamous detention facility. "As far as I'm concerned, every last one of them can rot in hell. But as long as they can't do that, they can rot in Guantanamo Bay."

Carle, who wrote a book about his involvement in the interrogation of a man believed in the early 2000's to be a top Al-Qaeda member, said that Cotton is "wholly unfit" to be CIA director.
In a fiery "Morning Joe" segment on Thursday, the MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski accused President Donald Trump of being "mentally unstable" a day after Trump promoted an unfounded conspiracy theory that Scarborough was involved in the 2001 death of an intern in his congressional office.

The two media personalities, who used to be friendly with Trump and regularly interviewed him during the first months of his 2016 presidential campaign, called on his Cabinet officials to stand up to him.

"I'm just kind of wondering, what's the Cabinet waiting for?" Scarborough said. "What are Republicans in the House and Senate  because it's never going to get more deadly serious than it is now."

Scarborough called the president "completely detached from reality" and later claimed that "everybody around Donald Trump knows he's not stable."

"We are facing a showdown with a nuclear power, and you have somebody inside the White House that the New York Daily News says is mentally unfit, that people close to him say is mentally unfit, that people close to him during the campaign told me had early stages of dementia," Scarborough said.

"When are we supposed to say this?" he continued. "After the first nuclear missile goes? Is that when it's proper to bring this up in polite society?"

During the Thursday segment, Brzezinski read from a New York Daily News editorial published Wednesday that called Trump a "madman."

"Only those completely under his spell can deny what growing numbers of Americans have long suspected: The president of the United States is profoundly unstable," the editorial said. "He is mad. He is, by any honest layman's definition, mentally unwell."

In a Wednesday tweet, Trump called for Scarborough  as well as MSNBC's president, Phil Griffin  to be fired, citing an unfounded conspiracy theory that Scarborough was somehow implicated in the death of an intern in his congressional office in 2001, when he was a US representative from Florida.

A medical examiner at the time determined that the staffer, 28-year-old Lori Klausutis, had an undiagnosed heart condition that caused her to lose consciousness, collapse, and hit her head on a desk in Scarborough's district office, resulting in a fatal blood clot. Her death was ruled an accident.

Scarborough responded to Trump's tweet on Wednesday, saying the president was "not well." Brzezinski called Trump's tweet a violation of "basic moral judgment" in a statement.

"Today the president crossed another deeply disturbing line," Brzezinski's statement said. "With his attack on Joe this morning, the chief law enforcement officer of the United States of America advanced a false conspiracy theory to intimidate the press and cause a chilling effect on the 1st Amendment. Joe and I are not intimidated and his bizarre behavior contravenes both the Constitution and basic moral judgment."

A New York Times report on Tuesday described sources as saying Trump had continued to publicly and privately entertain conspiracy theories, including the long-debunked claim that former President Barack Obama was not born in the US. Trump also continues to falsely claim that undocumented immigrants helped Hillary Clinton win the popular vote in the 2016 presidential election, the report said.
The lengthy process -- where cases can take years, if not decades, to resolve -- often resembles a maddening, judicial Groundhog Day.

But while Nigeria is not alone in having a dysfunctional court system, its ability to cope with a slew of corruption cases is coming under scrutiny as elections approach in 2019.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, judge Walter Onnoghen, said recently there were 1,124 corruption cases before the courts.

For some that is a sign that President Muhammadu Buhari is following through on his election campaign pledge to get tough on those behind the rampant theft of public funds.

Dozens of high-profile figures, many of them part of the previous administration of Goodluck Jonathan or linked to his People's Democratic Party, have since been charged and put on trial.

Buhari has called corruption "Nigeria's number one enemy" and said his government was tackling it "in earnest" by tightening financial procedures and closing loopholes.

But there have so far been more high-profile arrests than convictions -- and that could be problematic should Buhari decide to seek re-election, analysts said.

'Shoddy' investigations

The 74-year-old Buhari recently acknowledged long-standing problems of delays, under-funding and under-staffing in the courts, and the need for institutional reform.

Idayat Hassan, head of the Centre for Democracy and Development in Abuja, said making substantial in-roads into the backlog before 2019 would be a "challenge to the system".

Some corruption cases date back as far as 2003, when Buhari was making his first -- unsuccessful -- bid for the presidency.

But during the 2015 election campaign, Buhari and his All Progressives Congress (APC) party promised to overhaul the police and justice system.

They also pledged to strengthen the main anti-corruption bodies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).

Buhari last month accused "corrupt elements" of using "any weapon to fight back, mainly judicial obstruction and political diversion".

But political analyst Chris Ngwodo said: "There's been a lot of noise and sloganeering... This administration has talked a good game.

"But it hasn't followed up in taking much action."

Hassan said some of the EFCC investigations had been exposed as "shoddy", allowing experienced defence lawyers to seek adjournments to buy time for their wealthy clients.

Clement Nwankwo, executive director at the Policy and Legal Advisory Centre in Abuja, also suggested there had been too much focus on show than substance.

"There's so much effort to claim credit by arresting people and announcing arrests. There's no proper investigation," he said.

Political impact

The APC's 2015 election manifesto promised the creation of special courts to hear corruption cases but it has yet to be implemented.

Should Buhari decide to seek a second term, how he and his party position themselves on the fight against corruption will be revealing.

The former army general has had a no-nonsense reputation for probity since he headed a military government in the 1980s.

Matthew Page, a former US State Department official and a specialist on corruption and Nigeria, said the arrests and charges still gave Buhari a political bounce.

He blamed inexperienced or possibly "compromised" judges for slowing down prosecutions.

But with so many people on trial from the previous government and the now main opposition, Buhari and his administration have been accused of a political witch-hunt.

The perception of settling scores has even been enhanced because of Buhari's delay in taking action against his own political allies accused of corruption.

"In that sense, it will be much more of a struggle to convince people that he's a uniquely incorruptible president... in 2019," said Ngwodo.

Nwankwo said the repeated delays and lack of convictions risked eroding the already flimsy trust of Nigerians in their leaders and institutions.

As time passes without a conviction, the more there is a "trail of concern about the process of the arrest and all the parade of suspects", he added.

"That leads to suspicions that it might just be a political game to hoodwink citizens into believing there's actually a government effort to tackle corruption," he added.
But factors such as rising real-estate prices and stiff job competition have sent millennials searching for other places in the US to call home.

We rounded up the cities and towns that millennials have moved to in droves over the past few years, using data from personal-finance company SmartAsset, real-estate-analytics firm RCLCO, and mortgage-software company Ellie Mae.

Here are the places you'll find booming millennial populations:

Charlotte, North Carolina

The millennial population of Charlotte, the biggest city in North Carolina, grew by nearly 11,000 in 2015, the latest year for which there is data.

Seattle, Washington

Seattle gained more millennials than any other city on the West Coast, adding about 10,000 to its population in 2015.

Oakland, California

About 7,500 more millennials moved to Oakland in 2015 than left the city, according to SmartAsset.

Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Virginia

The Norfolk-Virginia Beach metropolitan area saw the largest uptick as a percentage of its population. The area's metropolitan population grew by 16% from 2010 to 2015, according to RCLCO.

The region has worked hard to attract younger people, revamping city centers, developing new restaurants, and launching a light rail in Norfolk in 2011.

Fargo, North Dakota

Believe it or not, chilly Fargo, North Dakota, saw a surprisingly large boost to its millennial population, adding 5,000 in 2015.

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans' millennial population grew by more than 5,000 people from 2010 to 2015, an increase of 8.5%, according to RCLCO.

Memphis, Tennessee

The population of millennials shot up 9.5% in Memphis between 2010 and 2015, according to RCLCO.

Austin, Texas

Long considered a cultural hub for young people, Austin has millennial population that continues to grow, rising 6.6% in five years, according to RCLCO.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh's millennial population is growing at the same rate as Austin's, at 6.6% from 2010 to 2015.

Athens, Ohio

There are only six towns in America where millennials make up more than half of the homebuyers. Athens, home to Ohio University, is one of them, with millennials closing 59% of mortgages there, according to mortgage-data firm Ellie Mae.

Owensboro, Kentucky
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As Christians, we have been given the power to overcome any and everything including fear.

Hence, we can stand up to it and by reminding ourselves of what God says.

It also does not hurt to repeat the following powerful alternatives from the Bible until we know them by heart.

Psalm 23:4 says,

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us,

For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness, but of power and love and discipline.

ALSO READ: Trust His promises not your fears or doubts

Hebrews 13:6 tells us,

So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can Man do to me?

God, Himself tells us in Isaiah 41:13,

For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

John 14:27 adds,

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Once again, Deuteronomy 31:6 tells us,

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

A final reminder from Exodus 14:13,

Moses answered the people, Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.
Otoide who was one of the recent batches to return to the country narrated how he saw how 20 Nigerian girls were sold off as slaves in Libya at the same time.

The Nation reports that Otoide who expressed his happiness on being back to his country gave a chilling account of how he and others were fleeced and transported to Libya with a promise of better life in Europe, only to end up in jail and untold hardship in the north African country.

Many of the returnees, who are camped in Benin City, the Edo State capital, look skinny and exhausted with some of the women are carrying babies, whose fathers are not known.

Otoide said he witnessed the sale of 20 Nigeria girls in the prison where they were all kept.

They I saw it. It was God that saved me. I left Nigeria with N500, 000. I spent six months in Libya jail after the man that took my money ran away.

We were 55 that traveled from here to Libya; 25 people died in the desert. More than seven people died from hunger and thirst inside the prison. Cant you see how I look lean and hungry? I need to go for treatment.

Swearing that he must hunt down the trafficker who collected his money, Otoide said the fellow named Charles had duped so many unsuspecting victims of various amounts of money all in the name of getting them to Europe.

He added that apart from persuading them to travel, Charles also collected money in addition to running a transit camp in Libya for those traveling illegally across the Mediterranean to Europe.

Some of the deportees corroborated Otoide's assertion, adding that the said Charles collected money for the purpose of taking them to Europe only to abandon them in Libya.

They claimed that Charles had several bank accounts with different names through which he collected money from victims. He is also accused of running the Libyan camp where Nigerians are kept for days without food.

Another returnee, Osas Blessing, said Charles is among those nicknamed 'Burgers' or 'Connection Man' on the Libya route.

Blessing said:

I gave Charles N450, 000 but when I got to Libya, he increased it to N600, 000. He is very wicked. He does not care for human life. He is a Benin man. He will say if you die, you die. He pushed us into the sea at the wrong time.

I heard he just left Nigeria with new passengers to Libya. He has frustrated many Nigerians.
Daddy Freeze who has been on the warpath with Pastors for collecting tithes and offerings from their members, condemned men of God for maintaining sealed lips on the matter while celebrities are the ones speaking out on the inhumane act being perpetrated on Nigerians in their desperation to flee the country for greener pastures in Europe.

Most of these people who try to reach Europe through the deserts and the Miditarenean Sea end up being sold as slaves with some of them dying in the process, and this, according to Daddy Freeze, is what the Pastors should preach about instead of always concentrating on paying of tithes which they use to enrich themselves.

In a tweet video he made on Wednesday, November 29, 2017, Daddy Freeze urged the Pastors who own private jets to use such to evacuate the stranded Nigerians.

Captioning his tweet 'Libya Slave Trade: Celebrities Are Coming Out To Speak, Where Are Our Pastors?', Daddy Freeze said:

"A minor attack on tithing and almost every pastor comes out to defend it. A major attack on humanity and up until now, Im waiting for the first pastor to stand in condemnation, or put their resources together and make that difference.

Could the demeanor of these pastors be attributed to the fact that the refugees dont have tithe cards?

One GO, they say owns four private jets. Imagine how many of our brothers that could help bring home. If they could use church jets to buy ammunition, why cant they use them to bring home our brothers?

Or are they implying that the lives of our brothers are worth much less than the guns that will kill them?

Celebrities are coming out to speak and stand up for our brothers. WHERE ARE OUR PASTORS? Are they too busy advertising their next concert, or are they so preoccupied with this Sunday, that they cant take a few minutes off practicing the speeches that will ginger 10 people to bring out N1 Billion each, to remember the plight of the very brothers Jesus admonished us to keep?

I thank the federal government for rising to the occasion and bringing home our brothers, some returned tonight, as reported by captain @usoroessien.

Its a damn shame to us all if the government proves more caring and compassionate than the so-called house of God.

Let's remember, true Christianity is about love, NOT MONEY!'"
While their husbands rule their countries with an iron fist, these women enjoy the spoils of leadership. They spend a lot of money on shopping in Europe and have access to their nations' treasuries.

There have been many first lady dictators but here are some of the memorable five;

1) Gucci Grace

Grace Mugabe is the wife of former Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe. She was formerly his personal secretary but an affair saw her become the first lady after Robert Mugabe's wife died.

Grace Mugabe is called Gucci Grace because of her extravagant and lavish lifestyle. In a country with serious economic problems, Grace Mugabe was known for spending large sums of money. In 2012, it was claimed that she spent 120,000 in many expensive stories in Europe.

When she was confronted with spending so much, she denied it. "The only thing Ive bought in Harrods is almond nuts because I eat lots of almond nuts. I want to eat healthily I go out and they say shes bought clothes with a million pounds" she said in an interview in 2013. She also has a palace.

2) Asma al-Assad

Asma al-Assad is the wife of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. While her country has been plunged into a war with terrorist group ISIS, Asma still has time to buy expensive chandeliers. She does a lot of online shopping and once bought tables and other furniture from Paris for more than 10,000. She also bought a vase for 2,650.

ALSO READ: The key dates in Grace Mugabe's life

3) Leila Trabelsi

Leila Trabelsi is in the history books as the woman who sparked the Arab Spring. Her extravagant life led to this bad credit in history. She is the wife of former Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Leila was a true mafioso as she allegedly extorted money from shop owners. It was reported that she had a 3.5billion stake in the business empires of Tunisia. When they were kicked out of Tunisia during the Arab Spring, Leila Trabelsi took away 37.5 million worth of gold from the nation's central bank.

4) Safia Gaddafi

Safia Gaddafi - The wife of the late Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi was worth 20 billion even though she tried to appear modest and humble. When she fled the country, she took along 20 tons of gold.

ALSO READ: The amazing women behind Africa's longest serving rulers

5) Michele Duvalier
It is instant, spontaneous and usually occurs when a person attacks (in most cases kills) his/her lover or rival.

Crimes of passion that lead to death are manslaughters and not murders because they are not premeditated.

The most recent crime of passion in Nigeria is the death of Bilyaminu Bello at the hands of his wife Maryam Sanda. Bello was allegedly stabbed to death in his sleep by his wife.

Crimes of passion are common as they happen all the time. Here are 5 famous cases;

1) Jodi Arias

In 2008, Jodi Arias brutally murdered her former boyfriend Travis Alexander. Arias and Alexander had dated for two months before they split although they maintained a sexual relationship. Travis Alexander would later die from a gunshot to his head. His body was found four days after the incident. His body had more than 12 stab wounds. His throat was sliced. Jodi Arias claimed self-defence in court. She was still convicted of murder.

ALSO READ: Banker arrested for allegedly torturing his wife death

2) Lorena Bobbitt

Lorena Bobbitt was found not guilty of cutting off a part of his penis in 1993. Bobbitt claimed that her husband had tried to rape her and he was sexually abusive towards her as well as claims of infidelity.

3) Lisa Nowak

Lisa Nowak who was an astronaut drove from Houston to Orlando to meet with Colleen Shipman who was the other woman in her relationship. Nowak took a drilling hammer, a disguise, latex gloves, a BB pistol, plastic bags and a knife with her for the journey. She got in Orlando just in time to meet Shipman. Nowak went on to attack her but thankfully the police came in time before she could cause permanent damage. Lisa Nowak pleaded guilty to all the charges and got a year's probation. Lucky her.

4) Brynn Hartman

Brynn Hartman was the wife of the popular comedian Phil Hartman who made sketches for Saturday Night Live. In 1998 she killed her husband after she got into an argument with him over her drug problem. Brynn killed Phil in his sleep by shooting him three times. She committed suicide shortly after.

5) Yewande Oyediran
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!
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the renunciation by the cultists followed recent violent clash between rival cult gangs which claimed three lives in the area.Addressing the repented cultists, Lagos State Commissioner of Police (CP), Imohimi Edgar said that their voluntary renouncement would be accompanied by vocational training to enable them acquire new skills.

When I assumed duty as Commissioner of Police in Lagos, I discovered that cultism and drug abuse are the most challenging crimes.

The important thing is that the process whereby youths are now willingly renouncing cultism to take up vocational skills have started.

The vocational job is to be instituted by the council chairman, the lawmaker and other stakeholders in Imota.

We want a 24-hours economic and nightlife in Lagos, Edgar said.

He said that the police would obtain data of all the repented cultists so as to monitor their activities for the safety of lives and property in the area.

The CP urged community leaders to partner with the police and other security agencies to sensitise other cultists to renounce their membership and surrender their arms.

The paramount ruler of Imota, Oba Ajibade Agoro, urged youths in the community to renounce cultism and embrace peace, adding that without peace there can not be development.

The monarch said that he would use traditional ancestral means to make the repented cultists swear an oath not to return to cultism.

People can not be living in fear and contribute immesely to the development of the community, said the royal father.

Mr Nurudeen Solaja, the lawmaker representing Ikorodu 2 Constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly, said that the renouncement was a welcome development.

ALSO READ: Suspected female

Solaja said he would join hands with other stakeholders to ensure that the repented cultists were re-integrated back into the community.

We will train those cultists who willingly renounced their membership to become better individuals.

Most of these cultists are artisans who dont have an idea of how or what cultism is all about; we want to make sure that peace returns to Imota community which is my constituency, Solaja said.
The leader of the "Our Mumu Don Do" group said their protest was against the barbaric selling and buying of Nigerians in Libya who are being reportedly sold for around N145,000 ($400).

Leader of the "Concerned Nigerians" group, Deji Adeyanju, was also present at the protest.

On Tuesday, November 28, 242 deportees returned to Nigeria from Libya after a CNN investigation uncovered the dehumanising abuse migrants are subjected to.

How the modern slave trade works in Libya

Libya has been a hotbed for illegal migrants for years now as it serves as the transit hub to the Mediterranean which connects to Europe. Every year, migrants embark on the perilous journey across the sea to escape the economic and/or political uncertainties in their countries of origin.

According to Missing Migrants, an organization that tracks deaths along migratory routes, at least 2,985 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean from North Africa or the Middle East in 2017 alone.

However, this has not stopped people from trying to make the journey into Europe to seek greener pastures.

A government crackdown on trafficking has resulted in a drastic reduction in boat journeys which means many are trapped in Libya for a long time waiting for their turn to travel. The migrants are mostly held in connecting houses or detention centres that the smugglers control.

This creates a situation where smugglers are able to exploit the migrants, especially as soon as they run out of money to pay which means they're viewed as properties.

Since most smuggling rings are run by local organised gangs, militias and corrupt security officials in Libya, many victims are trapped in unfamiliar surroundings with captors who are not shy to resort to violent means.

Smugglers are known to blackmail migrants into doing free labour or outrightly selling them to other militias involved in human trafficking. Other times, they hold migrants for ransom and call their families to pay while issuing threats to kill them.

Female migrants are in more danger of being used as sex slaves especially if they don't have anything to pay their captors.

Global outrage

UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, described the slave auction footage as "the most egregious abuses of human rights and may amount to crimes against humanity."

It has also been condemned by Libyan Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Metig, Guinean President and African Union (AU) Chairman, Alpha Conde, Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou, and the Senegalese government.

Burkina Faso also recalled its ambassador to Libya with President Roch Marc Christian Kabore demanding information from the Libyan government about the fate of some 30 Burkinabe migrants detained in the camps.

President Muhammadu Buhari's Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa condemned the slave auction in a press statement on Monday, November 20.
The President was reacting to the recent slave trade of Nigerians in Libya.

The President was quoted to have stated this on Tuesday, November 28, 2017, in Abidjan while addressing Nigerians in the Diaspora.

Presidential aide, Garba Shehu said Buhari also vowed to reduce the number of Nigerians heading for Europe illegally through the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea.

The President assured that his administration would provide basic social amenities such as education, healthcare, and food security at home so that Nigerian would have to seek greener pastures abroad.

According to the statement, Buhari had n interactive session with members of the Nigerian Community in Cote D Ivoire on the margins of the 5th AU-EU Summit.

He said all necessary steps will be taken to curb the tide of illegal migration by Nigerians.

Also reacting to the report of the death 26 Nigerians in Mediterranean sea, Buhari reportedly said it is very difficult to know the origin of the people who died.

Buhari, "When it was announced that 26 Nigerians died recently in the Mediterranean before they proved that they were all Nigerians they buried them.

"But the evidence I have from the Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs, (Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa) is that only three of them were identified as Nigerians. But Ill not be surprised if the majority of them were Nigerians."
THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER

Government to bring back stranded Nigerians in Libya

Nigerians stranded in Libya and other parts of the world would be brought home and rehabilitated, President Muhammadu Buhari has stated.

Government suspends SEC boss, others over alleged impropriety

The Ministry of Finance yesterday suspended the director-general of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mounir Gwarzo, over alleged financial impropriety and abuse of office.

Akintola Williams enrolls for national identity number

At 98, Pa Akintola Williams love for Nigeria still burns. The doyen of the Accountancy profession demonstrated it yesterday at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, Lagos where he went to register in the ongoing identity card scheme. It is spearheaded by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

__________________________________________________

VANGUARD NEWSPAPER

FG denies only 15% was released for capital projects

The Federal Government yesterday dismissed National Assemblys claim that only 15 percent of capital vote in the 2017 budget had been released so far.

FG suspends SEC DG, Gwarzo; two others

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has suspended the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr. Mounir H. Gwarzo, to allow for an unhindered investigation of several allegations of financial impropriety leveled against the Director-General.

N421m ready for Whistleblowers  FG

The Federal Government yesterday dismissed National Assemblys claim that only 15 percent of capital vote in the 2017 budget had been released so far.

__________________________________________________

THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER

Finance minister suspends SEC DG, Gwarzo, over corruption allegations

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, on Wednesday announced the suspension of the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Mounir Gwarzo, over allegations of financial impropriety levelled against him.

Tax amnesty: FG gets N33.6bn from two firms

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, on Wednesday said the Federal Government was targeting a revenue of $1bn from its tax amnesty programme, adding that the target might be exceeded as two companies had already paid $110m (N33.6bn at the official exchange rate of N305 per dollar).

Lagos youths renounce cultism, celebrate with hemp smoking

There was a mild drama at Imota, Lagos State, on Wednesday, as some youths smoked a substance suspected to be Indian hemp to celebrate their cultism renunciation.

__________________________________________________

BUSINESSDAY NEWSPAPER

CEO shake-up imminent in insurance industry over 10-year term limit

A CEO shake up has commenced in the insurance industry ahead of release of draft guidelines on corporate governance code for managing directors and executive directors, expected to affect those that have spent 10 years on the job.

NNPC targets $5bn cash-for-crude deal with global commodity traders

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is seeking to raise $3 -$5 billion cash for crude swap deal with some of the worlds top commodity traders to fund new projects and cash call obligations.

FG, States, LGs share N4.55 trillion in 9 months -NEITI
The House also urged the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Tukur Buratai to stop the implementation of the policy.

The House noted that the policy sought to compel all personnel to be proficient in three major Nigerian languages: Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba by December 2018.

The resolution was sequel to the unanimous adoption of a motion, sponsored by Rep. Abiante Dagomie and Rep. Diri Douye.

Moving the motion, Dagomie reiterated the need for the Army to continue with the practice of communicating in English language in a multi-lingual Army.

Dagomie, who said that the policy infringed on the fundamental rights of the minority languages in the country, added that it would serve no purpose beyond fractionalisation and marginalisation in the Army.

He said, Nigeria is home to languages, numbering about 400 and that language gives insight into the personality and culture of a people.

Therefore, such a local language policy proposed by the Nigerian Army infringes on the fundamental rights of the minorities not to be foisted with the linguistic and cultural hegemonies of major languages

This situation, should it continue unabated, will lead to discrimination and exclusion from employment opportunities, promotion and ambush of the legitimate aspirations of overwhelming numbers of non-native speakers of Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa in the Army.

Nigerian society is heterogeneous and as such, in contemplating policies, care must be taken to steer discourse to what is integrating, progressive and amenable.

This is to ensure mass involvement in the national development and democratic processes rather than pandering to primordial or tribal biases

The policy flies in the face of an increasingly globalising world where proficiency in an international language is the current inclination.

When we all use the same language, we have a common understanding of precisely what we mean and what is expected.

The Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun, presided over the plenary, referred the motion to the Committee on Army to interface with the Chief of Army Staff on the policy with a view to ensuring a stop to it.
The call followed a motion by Rep. Saheed Akinade-Fijabi (Oyo-APC) on the need to investigate the inhuman and barbaric act of slave trade involving the auctioning of black Africans in Libya.

Moving the motion, Akinade-Fijabi said that African migrants from nations, including Nigeria, Guinea and Senegal, were making dangerous crossing through the Sahara Desert to

He said that the journey was aimed at taking them through the Mediterranean Sea to Italy and other European countries in search of greener pastures.

The lawmaker also said that on Nov. 14, 2017, the US-based television network, CNN, broke the news of auctioning of human beings in Libya.

He added that auctioning was with footage of the process in which young men were being sold to North Africans.

He said that the victims were considered as potential farm hands and that one of the unidentified young men, sold at little as 400 dollars was said to be a Nigerian in his twenties.

Akinade-Fijabi added that the footage of the auctioning of black Africans in the conflict-torn nation sparked outrage across the world with thousands of people taking to the streets of Paris to protest against modern say slavery.

In her contribution, Rep. Rita Orji (Lagos-PDP), who expressed concern about how Nigerians were being treated abroad, charged the Libyan Government to put a stop to the slave trade.

She accused the of benefiting from the business.

The lawmaker also urged the Federal Government to take care of its citizens as it was done in other countries.

On her part, Rep. Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje (Abia-PDP) said Federal Government was making effort to bring back its citizens frustrated in Libya.

She called for adequate orientation of youths about the danger of travelling out of the country illegally.

On his part, Rep. Edward Pwajok (Plateau-APC) said that time had come to put the full wrath of the law against adults, who traded human beings outside the shores of the country.

This is a crime against humanity. It is good we strengthen NAPTIP, Pwajok said.

Rep. Oghene Egoh (Lagos-PDP) suggested that the Libyan Ambassador to Nigeria should be interrogated.

He also called on the Nigeria Police to carry out investigation on those already repatriated.

ALSO READ:Nigerians end up being slaves or dead in Libya

The House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, blamed the government for inability to provide basics of life for the citizenry.

The motion was unanimously adopted by members when it was put to a voice vote by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Yussuff Lasun, who presided at the plenary.

The motion was referred to the Committees on Human Rights, and Foreign Affairs to interface with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant stakeholders to identify factors that encouraged migrants to embark on such journey.
Ezekwesili stated this at the 2017 Nigerian Stock Exchange Essay Competition Awards Ceremony in Lagos.

We need to offer children financial literacy before they get to senior secondary schools.

It help and guarantees the young ones to grow into adults that can achieve financial security and success, and make informed decisions, she said.

We must handle our youths with tools such as financial literacy because for too long, we have been made the poorest region in the world, she said.

Ezekwesili said Nigeria needs a newer generation that would help in changing the story.

Every country that has managed to do better, every country that has climbed out of poverty, has improved in education.

The basis of improvement is quality education.

We should be more interested in the state of the school system in Nigeria.

Anytime I see these young children excelling, I feel excited because I really dont want their generation to repeat all the failures of my generation and the generation before me.

I am so such optimistic that Africa can claim its place in the 21st century because of our young ones, she said.

Ezekwesili commended the stock exchange for its investment in the education sector and called for more support from the private sector.

We need a collective effort on education.

The more the stock exchange will lead this process, the more the private sector understands that if they will find world class talents in this country, they have to be interested in what goes on in the education; so, it becomes a collective effort, she said.

Mr Oscar Onyema, Chief Executive Officer, the Nigerian Stock Exchange said the NSE would continue to invest in and develop financial education in schools.

Onyema said the NSE was committed to playing its part in building a financially savvy generation, leveraging the essay competition and other initiatives.

According to him, teaching students at a very young age the basics of finance and the capital market is essential to their broad financial literacy education.

Year on year, the participation and interest continues to increase, affirming the appetite of these future leaders for personal development.

The 2017 edition had a 36 per cent increase from the 2016 one, with over 10,100 entries received nationwide.

Through partnerships with Access Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and Prime Atlantic Energy, the competition was a success.

In developing the entries, students are encouraged to consider real-world economic events and trends, conduct research online, develop investment knowledge and in the process gain the skills to prepare for their own financial future, he said.

Onyema said the the 2017 winners emerged from a rigorous and phased assessment process carried out by capital market professionals.

From the process, 10 national winners were selected, who further competed at the final stage to determine the overall best three entries and winners, he said.

According to him, the outstanding performance of the brilliant young is being recognised and rewarded today with equity investments, scholarship and sets of computers.
Not anymore.

The federal government of Nigeria is messing up a good thing once again. As a result, whistle-blowers are now an endangered specie.

The last man who blew a whistle in Ikoyi that led to the recovery of N13B, has been declared a lunatic. You should see him now. He's screaming his lungs out in the press to get paid.

The other day, someone in the presidents anti-corruption advisory committee said the Ikoyi whistle-blower would have the percentage due him reviewed downwards.

It will no longer be the 5 percent he was promised, the government says.

A tale of 'two' whistle-blowers

Now we are being told that they are two whistle-blowers staking claim to the Ikoyi booty. Who cares?

"It is a bit complicated because more than one person is claiming the money and we do not want to disclose the identity of the whistle-blower, said information minister Lai Mohammed.

"We have a very unique situation in our hands at the moment; it is so complex and complicated. One said we should not pay the other and the other one has gone to court.

"Now we have the authentic whistle blower and fake whistle blower, we hope to find out the real person, Mohammed added.

Even though Finance minister Kemi Adeosun has announced that one batch of whistle-blowers (including the Ikoyi chap) will be paid by months end, no one is taking her word for it, no thanks to the annoying double-speak of the last couple of days.

Paying in November

The total amount due to whistle-blowers, which also include Osborne Road, Ikoyi is N421, 330, 595. This is for the November batch and it is ready for payment, Adeosun said.

The only condition necessary is that the money will be paid to the whistle-blower who signed the agreement, not to any company.

If we get the court judgement, we have to wait for three months to ensure that there are no encumbrances.

Never has keeping ones part of a bargain been this complicated. Why is the government making something as simple as paying a bunch of people who worked hard for their money, into rocket science?

The Ikoyi whistle-blower has gone from insane, to confused, to a body double in the space of a month. Now we are deploying calculators to drive him really nuts and put his anonymity in peril.

If you promised to pay someone as part of a deal, for heavens sake, just pay em up!

There was a time I was seriously looking forward to a career in whistle-blowing.
Ortom said the President deserves another term in office because of his resolve to fight corruption, adding that Buhari is a man of integrity.

The Governor also described those calling on the President not to run for a second term because of his health,as enemies of Nigeria, Vanguard reports.

Ortom said If you recall, we in Benue were the first in the country to initiate prayers for President Muhammadu Buhari when he took ill early in the year.

We thank God that he is back on his feet and getting better and stronger by the day.

No automatic ticket for Buhari

Meanwhile, political observers posit that Buhari might have to work hard to secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket.
The leader of delegation from ECUT, Prof. Xu Yuejin, the ECUTs Director of School Board, made the disclosure on Thursday during a visit to ABU main campus, Samaru, Zaria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that, the delegation visit to Nigeria was facilitated by an Education Consultant, Usmaniyya Global Agency.

Due to this situation, our university originally, was a university of Geology, especially Uranium Geology.

Presently, the university has students population of about 30,000 undergoing programmes in 68 Bachelor Degrees, 74 Masters and four PhD programmes.

Our school is specialised in Nuclear Sciences and Geology Science, including the Nuclear Engineering and Nuclear Science.

The main discipline is basically Science and Technology, however, we also cover Management, Economics, Education and Arts, among others, he said.

According to him, the 61-year-old university has graduated about 250,000 people, currently working across China and beyond.

Yuejin expressed satisfaction that ABU had similar disciplines like Engineering, Environmental, Physical and Material Sciences just like the ECUT.

Therefore, I hope we can have some opportunities of collaborating with you in Education, Research and students exchange.

I thereby invite the V-C and your management team for an opportunity to visit China and visit Janshi, our university and our campus is as beautiful as yours, we have small hills, pools and glue-purple, he said.

He said that the ECUT was trying to promote some newly boom sciences including New Energy, Material like Polymer and Electro Mechanic, among others.

NAN reports that other members of entourage were Prof. Liu Yueming, Director of International Office, Prof. Pan Jiayong, Dean of School of Earth Science and Prof. Zhang Weimin, Dean of School of Environment.

Responding, the ABU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibrahim Garba appreciated the team for the visit and promised to strengthen the bond of relationship for the growth of both nations.

The V-C, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics, Prof. Ezra Bako-Amans, said on behalf of the university the collaboration would be perfected, pursued and concluded.

This collaboration is coming at a very good time because we know our President Muhammadu Buhari is pursuing a lot of collaborations and activities with China.

Not only Nigeria, I believe many African countries are pursing collaboration with China. I know putting up these request, government will actually give us full support.

Especially in the fields of Engineering, Geology and Environment, these are key areas the Federal Government is trying to enhance, therefore, we will do our best toward the success of this collaboration, he said.
It said the group was involved in the kidnapping and murder of the deputy head of a construction company, and was also involving in counterfeiting and carrying illegal weapons.

With the fledgling and under-resourced police force fully occupied in fighting the Taliban, Islamic State jihadists and other insurgents, kidnapping and extortion has become a cottage industry.

The criminal gangs often sell abductees, especially foreigners, to insurgent groups for a higher price. The victims are then transferred to lawless areas across the border in Pakistan, according to officials.
The latest stockpile of scales was seized at a port in the southern city of Shenzhen this July and likely taken from between 20,000 to 30,000 slaughtered pangolins, state media reported Wednesday.

The state-run China Daily newspaper said this marked the "largest volume of any single case found by border inspectors."

Police have arrested two suspects, surnamed Li and He, who used fake names to register their packages for import, state-run media said.

The suspects declared the packages empty, but were using charcoal-stuffed bags to cover nearly 250 sacks of pangolin scales.

On Li's mobile phone, police found photos of pangolin scales that were taken in an African country.

He denied taking the photos, claiming to have recently purchased the phone secondhand just prior to being taken in for questioning in September.

But one of the investigators noticed that a mole on Li's left foot matched one that appeared on a foot in one of the photos with the pangolin scales.

Investigators also found transactions totalling more than five million yuan ($758,000) between Li and He, who took the same flight to an unnamed African country.

Pangolins are under state protection in China, where some believe the animal's scales have medicinal qualities, despite no scientific evidence to support the claim. Eating pangolins is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The profit-margin is high for smugglers bringing pangolins into China or Vietnam from Africa, where it can be procured at low prices and then sold in Asia as a delicacy.

A ban on global pangolin trade went into effect at the start of this year.
Ahmadinejad's disqualification by the conservative-run Guardian Council was no surprise -- he had been advised not to run by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who said it would "polarise" the nation.

Ahmadinejad's populist economics and defiant attitude to the establishment had alienated even his hardline backers during his tenure between 2005 and 2013.

"Once the supreme leader had told him not to stand, it became impossible for him to be cleared by the Guardian Council," said Clement Therme, research fellow for Iran at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

"By his second term, (Ahmadinejad) was even challenging the clerics. He was not useful anymore for the system."

The mood in Tehran has been subdued -- many are disillusioned with Rouhani's failure to kick-start the economy despite broad support for his efforts to rebuild ties with the West, notably through a nuclear deal with world powers that ended many sanctions.

The election commission ruled on Thursday that live TV debates would be banned, without giving a reason -- a decision criticised by Rouhani and other candidates.

Campaigning, which the Guardian Council announced could begin immediately, had not been supposed to start for another week, so little activity was expected on Friday.

But experts say the authorities are keen to excite interest in the vote.

"They need that for legitimacy -- the turnout is even more important than the result," said Therme.

Iran's elections are tightly controlled, with the Guardian Council allowing just six people -- and no women -- to stand for the May 19 vote out of 1,636 hopefuls that registered last week.

If no candidate wins more than 50 percent, a run-off between the top two is held a week later.

Rouhani, a politically moderate cleric, squeaked to victory last time with 51 percent in the first round, helped by a divided conservative camp.

The Guardian Council has resisted efforts by Iran's parliament, the Majles, to clarify the criteria by which they choose candidates.

The constitution adopted after the 1979 revolution offers only vague guidelines that candidates should possess "administrative capacity and resourcefulness... trustworthiness and piety".

Hardline competition

The build-up to the vote has injected more interest than many predicted just a couple of months ago, when Rouhani was seen as a shoo-in for a second term if only because the conservative opposition seemed unable to offer a strong candidate.

Since then, the 56-year-old former judge and cleric Ebrahim Raisi has emerged as a front-runner for the conservatives.

Little-known on the political scene, Raisi runs a powerful religious foundation and business empire in the holy city of Mashhad and is seen as a close ally of -- and possible successor to -- supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

But despite emphasising his care for the poor, many say Raisi's hardline judicial background and entourage will turn off voters.

"He seems like a good and calm person himself, but the people around him are scary," said a tour operator in Yazd, echoing a widely heard sentiment.

Some think he may drop out at the last minute in favour of Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who came second to Rouhani in 2013.

Ghalibaf is a war veteran, former Revolutionary Guards commander and police chief -- and could be the preferred choice of powerful backroom hardliners.

The other three candidates have been less prominent so far.

They include two moderate reformists, Mostafa Hashemitaba and vice-president Eshaq Jahangiri, and a veteran hardliner Mostafa Mirsalim -- a selection that appears designed to give an even balance to moderates and hardliners in the upcoming debates.

'Took risks'

There were mixed reactions to Ahmadinejad's disqualification.

Despite controversial rhetoric against Israel that worsened ties with the West, and somewhat reckless financial management, he retained considerable popularity, particularly among the poor.

"I think Ahmadinejad should not have been disqualified," said Mohammad Barkhordar, 20, doing his military service.

"He was the kind of president that took risks, like distributing money among people and giving houses to the poor, and he had big ambitions for Iran's nuclear programme. Rouhani doesn't take any risks."

But many were glad to see the back of him.
The move rattled not only Moscow but nearly all of Kiev's neighbours to the west who saw the legislation as a threat to their national minorities in the ex-Soviet country.

In addition to ethnic Russians, Ukraine has sizeable communities of Romanians, Hungarians, Poles and other groups with roots in neighbouring countries.

Romanian president Klaus Iohannis in September cancelled a visit to Ukraine in protest against the law, while nationalist Hungary went as far as threatening to block Kiev's rapprochement with the European Union.

Kiev and Warsaw have also been involved in a dispute over historical memory after the Polish parliament reopened a dispute over the World War II massacre of tens of thousands of Poles by Ukrainian nationalists, officially recognising it as a genocide last year.

The Polish rightwing government has accused Kiev of insufficiently condemning the massacres.

Warsaw also created a blacklist for what Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski called "people with an anti-Polish stance" under which two Kiev officials were banned from travelling to the country earlier this month.

In response, Ukraine summoned Poland's ambassador.

Ties have also soured with the fellow ex-Soviet nation of Belarus and Kremlin-friendly Serbia.

Last week, Belarus accused a Minsk-based Ukrainian journalist of spying for Kiev and declared a senior Ukrainian diplomat a persona non grata. Ukraine expelled a Belarusian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move.

On top of that, Serbia this month recalled its ambassador to Ukraine for consultations after Kiev expressed concern over Serbian nationals fighting alongside pro-Russian rebels in the east of the country in a conflict that has killed over 10,000 people since 2014.

'Fight for identity'

Ukrainian experts chalked up the disputes to a change of tone in Kiev, which is searching for a new post-Soviet identity and trying to impose its vision of the country's domestic politics on the outside world.

"Ukraine is trying to understand what it is and what its national politics should look like," said Daria Gaidai, an analyst at the Kiev-based New Europe Centre.

"This naturally provokes tensions as Ukraine was until now an amorphous state."

Since gaining independence in 1991, Ukraine has struggled to find its own political path, caught in a tug of war between Russia and Europe over its future direction.

A popular uprising in Kiev in 2014 led to a collapse of a Kremlin-backed regime and brought pro-Western forces to power.

A month later, Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and war erupted in the east of the country between Kiev and Moscow-backed separatist rebels.

These events have galvanised Ukrainians and led to a surge of patriotism and nationalism.

The conflict with Moscow gave rise to "an increased desire to fight for national identity and the right to self-determination", said Oleksander Sushko of Ukraine's International Renaissance Foundation.

'Kremlin plan'

Some say Moscow has had a hand in the worsening relations between Ukraine and its neighbours.

Writing on his personal Twitter account, President of the European Council Donald Tusk accused the government in his native Poland of carrying out a "Kremlin plan" by aggravating relations with Kiev.

The single tweet provoked fury among the Polish ruling party, for whom Tusk is a political enemy.

Senior Ukrainian diplomats, speaking to AFP, sounded a similar note.

"If they are not directly involved, the Russians are playing on these tensions," said one official.

The tensions could not have come at a worse time for Kiev which has already been weakened by the conflict in the east of the Ukraine.

Brussels is unlikely to side with Kiev's European opponents but decisions that require EU unanimity - such as voting to extend sanctions against Russia - may now become more difficult.

Sushko said the chill between Ukraine and its Western neighbours, some of which are seeing a revival of nationalism, could last for a long time.

"This is not some kind of one-off scandal," he said.
"We see this negatively," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists in the Belarusian capital Minsk, Russian news agencies reported.

"We have repeatedly stated that the pressure of sanctions has been exhausted."

He accused the United States of seeking to provoke Kim Jong-Un's regime and demanded to know whether Washington was plotting to destroy the isolated country.

"It's as if the recent actions of the United States are consciously directed to provoke Pyongyang towards other radical actions," Russia's top diplomat said.

"The Americans need to explain what they are aiming for. If they are looking for a reason to destroy North Korea, then they should say it straight and the American leadership should confirm it," Lavrov was quoted as saying.

On Wednesday, Washington warned that North Korea's leadership will be "utterly destroyed" if war breaks out as it called on countries to cut all diplomatic and trade ties with North Korea.

"If war comes, make no mistake: the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said.

US President Donald Trump derided Kim as a "sick puppy" and threatened "major" new sanctions.

The Kremlin on Wednesday called the latest missile test a "provocative action" and appealed for calm on all sides.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has emerged as one of the most strident voices against punishing Pyongyang, insisting that further sanctions and threats are "useless" against a regime that feels cornered.
May flew in to the Saudi capital on the second leg of her Middle East tour, following a surprise visit to Baghdad where she met her Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi and hailed recent military gains against the Islamic State group.

The official Saudi Press Agency confirmed her arrival in Riyadh, where the British leader promised to raise concerns over the Yemen crisis during meetings with King Salman and the powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Saudi Arabia is Britain's largest trading partner in the Middle East, and London has signed off on more than 3.3 billion ($4.4 billion/3.7 billion euros) worth of arms sales to Riyadh since March 2015.

During that time a Saudi-led coalition has embarked on a bombing campaign in Yemen that has been condemned for contributing to a humanitarian disaster.

The war has killed some 8,600 people, while a further 2,000 have died of cholera.

May insisted that she would send a clear message to the Saudi leadership.

"I'm very concerned about the humanitarian crisis that has developed in Yemen, particularly most recently," May said in comments from Iraq to the BBC.

"That's why the strong message I will be giving to Saudi Arabia tonight is that we want to see Hodeida port opened for humanitarian and commercial access.

"That's important. I think the international community is concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen."

Yemen blockade

Earlier this month, the coalition battling Shiite Huthi rebels a blockade on Yemen's ports and airports in response to a missile fired by the Iran-backed rebels that was intercepted near Riyadh airport.

It eased the blockade allowing a UN plane carrying vaccines to land Saturday in rebel-held Sanaa and on Sunday a vessel carrying wheat docked at Saleef Red Sea port, also in the Huthis' hands.

But little aid has entered through the Red Sea port of Hodeida, the main conduit for UN-supervised deliveries of food and medicine.

Separately, during talks in Riyadh, May is expected to express Britain's support for Prince Mohammed's ambitious reform drive, which include a historic decision allowing women to drive from next June.

May left London late Tuesday for a three-day visit to the Middle East in a bid to bolster regional ties.

May's visit to Iraq came as government forces backed by an international coalition have ousted IS from swathes of the country it controlled since 2014 -- and focus in the West now centres on preventing returning jihadists carrying out attacks.

Britain, which took part in the US-led Iraq invasion of 2003 which toppled the regime of dictator Saddam Hussein, has played a key role in the coalition battling IS.

The British leader will be in Jordan on Thursday on the final leg of her tour for meetings with King Abdullah II and Prime Minister Hani Mulki.
My mom likes to tell the story of my first day of kindergarten: When we arrived, she had to restrain me from running off to join the crowd of kids pouring through the front door.

She always caps her story with: "I couldn't stop crying and you didn't even want to say goodbye to me because you were in such a hurry to get into school."

Eeven before kindergarten, I vividly recall driving by the nursery school down the street, hungering to be let into what I was convinced was a magical wonderland of toys and stories a la "The Electric Company."

But when I asked my parents why I couldn't go to preschool, they looked at me like I'd grown an extra head. It wasn't for us -- I had family at home to take care of me. That's just how it was done way back then in the Hispanic community; the babies stayed home with mom or grandma until formal schooling started.

To this day, Hispanic kids continue to be underrepresented in preschools. There are lots of reasons, not the least of which are cultural and language-related. But the biggest and least surmountable is that there simply aren't enough spots in affordable, high-quality preschool centers to go around.

The shortage is so acute for Latino kids that, according to Salud America!, a Latino advocacy organization focusing on families, only 40 percent of Hispanic kids attend preschool, compared to 53 percent of white kids.

The effects of Latinos being more likely to live in child care deserts, and less likely to attend preschool, are chilling because they are coupled with multiple factors that make for a shockingly rough start in life.

According to a new report from Salud America!, " Hispanic kids begin life with birth weights and developmental capacities that are similar to those of white children. But by 24 months, their capacities to reason, remember tasks, communicate verbally and identify letters, numbers, and shapes lessen significantly compared to white children. And these deficits "appear even more prevalent in Mexican-American children than in other nationality subgroups."

The authors cite the usual suspects: lower education levels among Hispanic parents, larger family sizes in which individual children get a smaller slice of available attention, unemployment or underemployment, and the higher incidence of depression among Hispanic mothers. These, combined with the cultural assumptions that teachers are the only experts suited to teach kids literacy and numeracy skills, and low or no English skills create a perfect storm for Hispanic kids' underperformance when they start kindergarten.

The statistics get even more dire when you factor in other hardships.

Salud America! says that 28 percent of Latino youth suffer four or more traumatic experiences such as parental domestic violence, substance abuse, mental illness, criminal justice involvement, child abuse, neglect, poverty/homelessness, or parental death.

It's difficult to write about such harrowing statistics. They reinforce the negative stereotypes that people, especially educators, have about Latino children, feeding the sense that these kids are beyond hope, while ignoring that not all Hispanic kids are disadvantaged.

But the truth is that even though you don't have to look very far to find Hispanic valedictorians, Latino business owners, brain surgeons and astronauts, a great deal of Hispanic children are in crisis. The bright side is that more widely available preschool for Latino kids can help close academic gaps before they become a life sentence of low achievement.

Universal preschool is not a magic bullet. But it can be a much-needed intervention for the most vulnerable of Hispanic students, who are expected to make up about a third of all public-school students by the year 2026.

Only 14 cents of every public education dollar are spent on early childhood education. This gives the edge to parents and families who can afford to put their kids in high-quality, unsubsidized preschool programs, leaving the needy even further behind.

The low funding represents a lack of foresight and an ignorance of well-established research showing that the prekindergarten years are the most important, developmentally.

But ultimately, any money dedicated to preventing Hispanic infants from falling two years behind their peers before kindergarten even starts is peanuts compared to the costs of remedial education, social welfare programs and incarceration.
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Under the two-year supply contract, the Chinese company will also carry out EU certification and wagon registration with the Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT). CRRC subsidiary CRRC Shandong will be responsible for the design, manufacture and certification of the wagons.

The contract, which was signed in Chiasso on November 8, marks CRRCs first move in to the Swiss market after having already exported freight wagons to France, Poland, Germany and Britain. After the signing ceremony, the two companies held talks on cooperation and shaping the future of intermodal transport in the fields of maintenance, leasing of rolling stock, and close cooperation on One Belt and One Road initiatives.

As well as being market leader in Europe, Hupac has been active in the Chinese rail transport market for nearly a decade, with its own subsidiary in Shanghai since 2015. It recently launched the "Xin Ou Di"- Xinjiang China to Europe to Mediterranean - an international freight train for a Chinese chemical producer, which links the European railway network with mainland China.
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Fine, deportation order upheld for newspaper journalist Ali Feruz

MOSCOW, November 30 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court has upheld a 5,000-ruble fine (about $84) and a deportation order given to a reporter of Novaya Gazeta newspaper Ali Feruz (Khudoberdy Nurmatov), the courts press service told RAPSI on Thursday.

The Basmanny District Court of Moscow fined Feruz and ordered his deportation from Russia on November 22.

However, the journalists deportation is suspended over the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The deportation process will remain halted while his case is reviewed by the Strasbourg court.

On August 3, a court in Moscow held that Ali Feruz must be deported to Uzbekistan for violating emigration rules. He was also fined 5,000 rubles and put in a special temporary residence center for foreign citizens. The journalist pleaded not guilty. Feruz said that his life would be in danger if he is deported.

On August 4, the ECHR held that Feruz cant be deported during the hearing of his case in Strasbourg.

Feruz, who applied for refugee status in Russia in 2014, was forced to leave Uzbekistan in 2008 because of refusal to cooperate with the countrys security agencies and tortures.

The Union of Journalists, Amnesty International and Russia's Presidential Council for Human Rights have already asked the authorities not to deport Feruz. The Human Rights Council claimed that the ordered deportation of Feruz to Uzbekistan contravenes Russia's Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Presidents spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in turn that the authorities are aware of this problem. The situation is rather complicated, and several factors do not allow to put aside the occurred violations, he added.
Renova Group managers charged with bribery to stay under house arrest until March

MOSCOW, November 30 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court has extended the house arrest of two managers of the top Russian group of companies Renova, who stand charged with giving about one billion rubles (about $16.5 million) in bribes to the Komi Republics officials, the courts press service has told RAPSI.

Renova Group co-owner Yevgeny Olkhovik and CEO of Renova subsidiary, T Plus Company, Boris Vaynzikher will remain under house arrest until early March.

On August 1, the court released the defendants from detention and placed them under house arrest.

Earlier, a criminal case was opened against some former and acting managers of Kompleksnye Energeticheskiye Sistemy (KES) company, of which T Plus is the legal successor, over alleged corruption. At that time, the offices of the companys parent holding Renova were also raided.

Three men holding CEO posts in the KES at different time, Olkhovik, Vaynzikher and Mikhail Slobodin are involved in the case. Vaynzikher and Olkhovik were initially put detention. Slobodin, ex-head of the telecommunications giant VimpelCom, has been arrested in absentia. In late July, Russias prosecutors turned to Interpol asking it to issue a Red Notice for Slobodin.

According to investigation, between 2007 and 2014, the defendants bribed officials currently involved in the case against ex-head of the Komi Republic Vyacheslav Gaizer. Earlier, investigators claimed that Olkhovik and Vaynzikher had allegedly received 177 and 89 million rubles (about $4.5 million in total) in bribes respectively during their management in the Kompleksnye Energeticheskiye Sistemy and transferred the money to the accounts of affiliated companies.




Russian cadet accused of abetting terrorism prepared terror attack - investigators

ST. PETERSBURG, November 30 (RAPSI, Mikhail Telekhov)  Investigators have brought new charges against the A.F. Mozhaisky's Military-Space Academys cadet Vadim Osipov accused of abetting terrorism, the Unified press service of the St. Petersburg courts told RAPSI on Thursday.

The cadet has been charged with preparing a terrorist attack which could involve loss of peoples life.

The detention of Osipov has been earlier extended until January 8

Investigators believe that the cadet was involved in inducing and recruiting his course mates for terrorist activities and/or provided financial aid to terrorists. A book banned as extremist has been uploaded to his smartphone, according to investigators. Moreover, a copy book paper containing the barracks scheme and capture plan have been seized from him.

Osipov claimed that he had discussed the St. Petersburg metro terror attack that occurred on April 3 and actions of security services. The cadet stated that he had drawn the barracks scheme in order to think the safety system through and discuss shortcomings for self-education.

The A.F. Mozhaisky Military Space Academy is a military educational institution providing training for specialists of the Aerospace Forces and other types of the Armed Forces in 40 different military specialties.
Case against Moscow pensioner charged with violations at public rallies reopened

Context Moscow pensioner tried for repeated participation in protests

MOSCOW, November 30 (RAPSI)  The Preobrazhensky District Court of Moscow has ruled to resume proceedings against Vladimir Ionov, 78, who stands charged with repeated breaches of the established order for organizing and holding public protests, lawyer Olga Dinze has told RAPSI.

The man had been put under travel restrictions, the attorney added.

According to investigators, Ionov has been subjected to administrative liability four times. He allegedly participated in protests in January, March, and May 2015. The pensioner has been fined 320,000 rubles in total (about $5,500).

In January 2016, the court granted a prosecutors motion to shelve the case and put Ionov on the wanted list. The accused has fled Russia and was granted political asylum in Ukraine.




Communications watchdog blocks 59 websites posting addresses of 100 mln Russian citizens

MOSCOW, November 30 (RAPSI)  The communications agency Roskomnadzor has blocked 59 websites which illegally published personal data of more than 100 million Russian nationals including addresses and telephone numbers in two years, the watchdogs statement reads.

Law provisions on the court-ordered restriction of access to websites illegally processing personal data took effect on September 1, 2015. Since then, 437 Internet resources have been added to the registry of violators of the rights of data subjects pursuant to 229 court orders.

According to Roskomnadzor, this registry is an additional instrument of the Russian nationals rights protection. Citizens have a right to apply to the watchdog in cases of illegal processing of their personal data on the Internet. The communications agency is authorized to send a request for information removal to website owners and file a motion with court if illegal data processing continues. Moreover, Russian citizens may address the website owners or turn to court by themselves, the watchdog says.
Chair of Russian Association of Lawyers calls for adopting common terrorism concept

MOSCOW, November 30 (RAPSI) - Sergey Stepashin, Chairman of Russias Association of Lawyers, said on Thursday that the adoption of a universal concept of terrorism is a key condition for successful fight against this crime, RAPSI reported from the 4th BRICS Legal Forum.

According to Stepashin, the lack of a united approach to interpretation of terrorism may result in problems when searching and prosecuting dangerous persons hiding from justice in other countries.

The Associations Chairman said that BRICS states are to facilitate the adoption of a single international convention on combating terrorism. Currently, India is ranked 4th in the global terrorist threats index, Russia is 9th, and China is 24th, he added.

Stepashin also suggested to intensify data exchange between BRICS countries with regard to furnishing information on terrorism suspects. Moreover, he offered to suppress financing of terrorism by adopting an interbank agreement aimed to stop a free flow of cash used to sponsor terrorists, and developing a common platform on money laundering control.

The 4th BRICS Legal Forum is hosted by the Association of Lawyers of Russia and takes place in Moscow from November 30 to December 1, 2017.




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ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- One day after North Korea launched its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile to date, the Trump administration is doubling down on its support for its peaceful pressure campaign and is looking at new ways to strengthen that posture.



There are the new sanctions that President Donald Trump tweeted would be coming Wednesday  although there has not been any indication there will be an announcement. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also indicated the U.S. was considering targeting financial institutions doing business with Pyongyang telling reporters the administration had a long list of additional potential sanctions The Treasury Department will be announcing those when they're ready to roll those out.



U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Trump told Chinese President Xi Jinping during their conversation following the launch to cut off oil supplies to North Korea. Earlier in the day, the White House confirmed in a statement that during the call the president "emphasized the need for China to use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization."



"China can do this on its own, or we can take the oil situation into our own hands," Haley warned at a U.N. Security Council meeting Wednesday after the U.S., South Korea, and Japan called an emergency session to address the launch.



Haley also renewed the administration's call for all nations to sever diplomatic ties with North Korea and drastically limit military, scientific, technical, or commercial cooperation, praising the 20-plus countries around the world that have done so already.



A State Department official told ABC News that the U.S. is also working with partner countries at the U.N. and in one-on-one conversations to increase maritime interdictions  seizing ships traveling to and from North Korea that may be breaking the embargoes on the country. The administration sees it as an important way to tighten existing sanctions, the official said.



The last U.N. Security Council resolution that passed in September requested that all U.N. members inspect ships going in and out of North Korean ports, but stopped short of the U.S. mission's desire to authorize the use of force in those efforts. The push now will be to fill in this gap and stop smuggling in the hopes still that North Korea can be squeezed so tight they are forced to negotiate.



Some critics say this will never happen, given North Koreas relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons, which it sees as necessary for its defense.



The U.S. and Canada are also convening a meeting of the U.N. Command Sending States, along with South Korea and Japan, to better coordinate countering North Korea. These are the 16 nations that provided combat and combat support to the U.N. Command that fought North Korea during the Korean War and promised to return to Korea if the Armistice that ended fighting there ever failed.



This plan was in the works already, but is now being accelerated by North Koreas launch, according to a State Department official.



Secretary Tillerson has spoken to the foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan, as well as Canada, since the launch, and he will join a U.N. Security Council meeting on the North Korea crisis on December 15 at the invitation of Japan, the Security Council president in December.



Ambassador Joe Yun, the Special Envoy for North Korea Policy, also met with his South Korean counterpart Tuesday as well in Washington.



Failing these efforts, the U.S. is prepared to act, Haley said.



"We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday," Haley said. "And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
'India cannot function the Chinese way and the sooner people realise that, the better it will be.'



Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

"In India, if there is a loophole, somebody will figure out how to use that loophole. We understand the need to close loopholes, but if every law was designed in such a way that there was no loophole, all our lives would be miserable," Nasscom President R Chandrashekhar tells Alnoor Peermohamed and Raghu Krishnan.

India added a little over 1,000 start-ups last year. Investments rose 167 per cent in the first six months of the financial year, but most funds went to Paytm and Flipkart, says a study by Nasscom and Zinnov.

Start-ups less than five years old saw funding drop 14 per cent in the first half, and angel funding reduced by over half due to taxation rules.

India sees start-up mortality of 35 per cent, partly due to tougher rules to open or shut one.

Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR and Mumbai were the key hubs even as one in five start-ups emerged from smaller towns.

Funding in early stages dropped. Why?

There are three dimensions to that. One is a shift from B2C (business to customer entities) to B2B (business to business); B2B requires less funding.

If you look at all the start-ups, including the erstwhile ones, funding has gone up.

The fact is that B2Cs are big money guzzlers and we all know why; we've seen that in enough companies in that space.

The second is that the number of start-ups itself has come down.

We had 1,400 or so last year; this year, it's around 1,000.

And, the third and the troublesome part is the seed funding coming down, as that represents the future.

The fourth aspect is that the ease of starting a business is where a lot of work is needed.

All of these, in some way or the other, have a bearing on the funding.

The issues around Angel Tax have been around for a while. Why such a sudden drop?

Investors understand the potential very well, but the issue is around the way taxation is happening. Not a new issue.

We've been pointing it out for two years, there's been an agreement and in fact a consensus on what needs to be done.

But, as we have been pointing out, the challenge has been to find a way that solves this problem without opening the floodgates for people who want to misuse it.

As you may know, it has been used for money laundering, corruption and bribery.

In India, if there is a loophole, somebody will figure out how to use that loophole.

We understand the need to close loopholes, but if every law was designed in such a way that there was no loophole, all our lives would be miserable.

A law which seeks to prevent crime rather than punish crime is always going to create a problem for citizens.

That mindset we have to address. I know it's a deep problem.

Will we lose on critical opportunities in newer areas? Every country is investing in new tech and we have this gap.

Of course, we will lose out. There is no doubt.

Regulation has to be changed and the mindset with which you make that regulation has to change. Two examples:

You look at our map policy. When people were looking at it primarily with the concern of security, the economic opportunity and the value that can come through service through maps; your regulation will never help that.

The second example of one of the good moves is that the government has come out with a belated but much-needed draft policy on drones.

How can drones fit into the country's economic landscape?

Imagine what drones can do in the agriculture sector, with drone-assisted spraying of pesticides or something like that. Imagine how much it'll optimise inputs.

If it can improve productivity by even five per cent, in a country like India, that is huge.

The government has been saying that SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and start-ups will get opportunities in public sector procurement. Are you seeing anything on the ground?

No. It's not visible on the ground.

Take an example of some of these newer technologies that can be implemented in education, agriculture or health care.

These companies are not going to get a chance in Argentina or Chile to prove that it's working there.

The way government procurement is currently done, it does not allow a new or an innovative solution or one that does not have a certain value to come in.

Most start-ups have zero net worth, if not negative.

Unless some of these issues get addressed, the governmental market opportunity will also not be available to them.

Half the spending on technology in this country is in the public sector and government. These are issues which need to be addressed.

Progress will happen to some extent, with or without the government, but if you really want to reach the potential and look at how much we could have grown versus how much we are doing, it's not good.

The argument for a lot of people who want protectionism is, could we replicate the model of China, for the simple reason that you are no more talking about physical goods but data of individuals.

The guys with the most amount of data will win. Isn't that a valid argument?

It sounds valid, but delve a little deeper.

What was the argument that kept us with Ambassadors, Fiat and Standard Herald (cars) for 40 years?

It was that if some other people come in, they will capture the entire market and these Indian companies will be destroyed and the value will go elsewhere.

In that type of a situation, did these people invest in technology, did they invest in improving the product, did they invest in adapting their products to Indian conditions?

We all know what happened.

Here, if you follow this argument to its logical conclusion, then you should say, let us use a domestic search engine.

Whether Google is better or not, that is immaterial.

Then, take social media, whether Facebook has better features or not, you use a domestic player.

That's how China has done it, with a combination of language and government fiat.

But China is a very different country. Their government and industry work as a single entity.

In India, that is not possible.

If there are two companies, how can the government choose one over the other? They will be flayed if they do.

At the end of the day, we have to work within the framework of our Constitution.

India cannot function the Chinese way and the sooner people realise that, the better it will be.
Gadkari, who was on a 3-day visit to London, listed the Hinduja family and Sri Prakash Lohia of the Indorama Corporation among the donors.

Nitin Gadkari, the Union minister responsible for cleaning the Ganga, received in the course of a three-day visit to London a Rs 500-crore commitment for the project from businessmen of Indian origin.

He confirmed this at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon before his return to Delhi.

Gadkari listed the Hinduja family and Sri Prakash Lohia of the Indorama Corporation among the donors.

On Monday, at an Indian Journalists Association dinner, he had mentioned Anil Agarwal of Vedanta Resources and Ravi Mehrotra of Foresight Shipping as contributors.

The four will take up developing and improving ghats and other infrastructure work at Haridwar, Gangasagar, Patna and Kanpur, respectively.

He also announced that Shiv Nadar of HCL had pledged Rs 200 crore for the Varanasi segment of the river.

The Indian government also signed five memorandums of understanding on innovative technologies for river cleaning, according to a press release, with five British companies during Gadkaris trip.

Previously, at the initiative of the Indian high commission in Britain, the universities of Oxford, Southampton and Dundee have been associated in coming up with plans for the project.

Nineteen other unspecific letters of interest were signed by participants at a conference on Wednesday.

The minister, however, admitted: Unfortunately, the present position in the Ganga is not good.

"The water is polluted. And, particularly, regarding the solid waste and liquid waste management, we dont have a good system.

"That is the reason why todays situation is so bad. But he added: Our government has accepted the challenge and decided to make it a clean Ganga mission.

Sitting beside him, the director-general of the National Mission for Clean Ganga, U P Singh, said: I would admit perhaps the things are not as much visible in the last three years as it should have been.

The reason for this he gave as: We did not want to repeat the mistakes we had made earlier. We wanted to do it as an integrated conservation mission, where we look after everything.

Gadkari elaborated there were 97 core projects connected to the mission. Most of these, after three and a half years of the present government, were at a stage of planning and preparing of invitations for tenders - a process that wont be completed before March of next year.

That would leave a little over a year of the term of the current administration.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made cleaning the Ganga, especially since he was standing for election from Varanasi, a top priority during the high voltage campaign in 2014.

The Namami Gange Programme was officially announced as a flagship programme by the Cabinet in May 2015, with a Budget allocation of Rs 20,000 crore.

Yet, modest progress seems to have been made even in the short-term goals of river surface cleaning and modernisation and renovation of ghats and crematoria.

A recent BBC television documentary, to mark 70 years of Indian independence, found revolting the filth and squalor of the river in Varanasi, which showed people taking a dip in the river, even sipping the water only a hundred yards away from others defecating or of half-cremated bodies floating about.

Photograph: Sanish Siddiqui/Reuters
Five terrorists, including four from Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad, were killed on Thursday in two separate encounters with security forces in Kashmir's Budgam and Baramulla districts, officials said.

One of the encounters broke out after security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Futlipora in Pakherpora area, 45 km from Srinagar, following information about presence of terrorists in the area, an army official said.

He said the terrorists opened fire on security forces, who retaliated, triggering a fierce gun battle.

"Four militants were killed in the gun battle," the official, said adding the operation was still in progress.

A police official said three of the gunned down terrorists were foreigners while one was a local, identified as Shabir Ahmad Dar. The official said the ultras belonged to the JeM.

One security force personnel sustained injuries during the operation while eight civilians were injured in the action by the security forces against protesters who were trying to disrupt the anti-militancy operation.

In another encounter at Bomai in Sopore area of Baramulla district, security forces shot dead one terrorist, a police official said.

The gunned down terrorist has been identified as Muzamil, a resident of Pakistan, who was affiliated with Lashkar-e-Tayiba, the official said, adding a cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from him.

Image for representation only.
IMAGE: Chennai has already received up to 6 cm of rain between 8:30 on Wednesday night and 8:30 on Thursday morning. Photograph: ANI/Twitter

Torrential rains pounded southern districts of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Kerala crippling life and claiming eight lives -- four each in the two states -- as a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal intensified into cyclonic storm 'Ockhi' on Thursday.

Both the state governments put the official machinery on high alert as the cyclone, lying 60 kms south of Kanyakumari, was forecast to dump more rains in south Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the next 24 hours.

The storm was expected to move toward the Lakshadweep archipelago and hit the islands on December 2.

IMAGE: Fishermen in coastal regions in southern parts of the two states were advised not to venture into sea for the next 24 hours . Photograph: ANI/Twitter

A bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department said gale wind speed reaching 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph was very likely along and off South Kerala during next 48 hours and along and off south Tamil Nadu during next 24 hours.

Fishermen in coastal regions in southern parts of the two states were advised not to venture into sea for the next 24 hours, it said.

Madhavan Rajeevan, Secretary in the Earth Sciences ministry, said in New Delhi that Lakshadweep in the southern part of the Arabian Sea will start experiencing heavy rainfall and strong winds from on Friday.

"It will hit the islands on December 2," Rajeevan said.

Tamil Nadu government deployed state and national disaster response force teams in Kanyakumari district, which bore the brunt of the rain fury.

It asked officials to shelter people living in low lying areas in the southern districts in multi-purpose evacuation centres.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami, who reviewed the situation, said in Chennai state Ministers and senior IAS officials have been assigned to affected districts to monitor relief work.

IMAGE: Authorities have asked people to remain doors as a cyclone alert has also been sounded.

Photograph: ANI/Twitter

Also, electricity personnel with necessary equipment have been rushed to restore power distribution that was affected due to trees falling over electric poles, Palaniswami said.

Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management R B Udhaya Kumar, deputed to Kanyakumari to take up relief work on a war footing, said people in the affected areas have been shifted to safer places.

He said nearly 3,000 electric poles have been uprooted in the district, affecting power supply.

Besides Kanyakumari, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts were among those battered by the rains.

Educational institutions remained closed in southern districts such as Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Viruthunagar and Thanjavur.

Three men and a woman were killed when trees fell on them in different areas in Kanyakumari district, officials said.

IMAGE: Fire Service personnel removing a huge trunk of a tree that fell during a storm at Nagercoil in Kanyakumari district on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo



In Kerala, the state government put the official machinery on a high alert and ordered evacuation of people living within 100 metres from the coast and also sought help from the Navy, Coast Guard and the Air Force to assist people in distress.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held discussions through video conferencing with the Collectors of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alapuzha, Pathnamthitta, Idukki and Ernakulam districts and gave them necessary directions to take steps by coordinating various government agencies.

The state reported four rain related deaths, including an elderly couple who were electrocuted when they came into contact with a snapped live wire in front of their house at Kattakada near Thiruvananthapuram.

The rains accompanied by gusty winds left a trail of destruction in Kanyakumari district, in the southern most tip of the country, uprooting more than 500 trees, State Disaster Management Agency said.

'Do not come out of homes in Kanyakumari, Tuticorin, and Tirunelveli stay safe indoors and take precautions do not panic,' it said in a tweet.

IMAGE: A car damaged as uprooted trees fall over it due to heavy rain and strong winds, in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo

Southern Railway said it has partially cancelled some trains in Tirunelveli-Kanyakumari-Thiruvananthapuram sector.

Due to bad weather, a scheduled two-day programme of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, which was to begin on Friday in Kerala, has been cancelled, party sources said.

Thiruvananthapuram and its coastal stretch were witnessing heavy rains accompanied by strong winds since Thursday morning. In several places, electric posts got uprooted.

Vizhinjam coastal police said they received information that at least 57 fishermen, who had put out to sea from Thumba to Pozhiyur since yesterday, were yet to return. 29 traditional boats which had set out from Poonthura were also out in the sea, police said.

A Kochi report said Navy deployed four ships and two aircraft to assist in the search and rescue of fishermen on board six boats and a marine Engineering vessel reported to be missing in the sea near Vizhinjam.

The Southern Naval Command was also gearing up for any humanitarian assistance and disaster relief that may be required in view of the cyclone in the southern parts of Kerala, a Defence release said.
A day after a controversy broke out over his religion, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said he and his family members were 'Shiv Bhakts' (devotees of Lord Shiva) but asserted that he did not want to use his religion for political gains.

Addressing traders in a closed-door meeting in Gujarat's Amreli, Gandhi said he did not need anybody's certificate about his religion, nor would he do 'dalali' over religion.

Some BJP workers entered his name in the register meant for non-Hindus at the Somnath temple, leading to the controversy, the Congress leader alleged.

"My grandmother (late Indira Gandhi) and my family are Shiv Bhakts. But we keep such things private. We generally do not speak about them. Because, we think it is a very personal matter and we don't need anyone else's certificate about it," he said.

"We do not want to commercialise this thing. We don't want to do 'dalali' over it. We do not want to use it for political purposes too," he said.

A video of his interaction was shared with the media by local Congress leaders.

"I will tell you what had happened (on Wednesday). I went inside the temple. Then I signed the visitors' book. After that, BJP people wrote my name in the second book," Gandhi alleged.

On the relationship between Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhi said they were friends despite some political and ideological differences.

"Though they were friends and even went to jail together, some people here are spreading lies that they were enemies. Further, there is evidence that Sardar Patel was against the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh). But some people here are spreading a lie that he was RSS sympathiser, which is not true," he said.

Gandhi's visit to the Somnath temple on Wednesday got mired in a controversy after his name, along with that of Ahmed Patel, was found written on the entry register meant for non-Hindus, with the Congress calling it 'fake' and the Bharatiya Janata Party insisting the leader declare his religious faith before people.

Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki hinted that BJP president Amit Shah, who is a trustee of the temple, could be behind it.

"Amit Shah is a trustee of Somnath temple. You know what he is capable of. They have stooped to such a low level that now they want to term us non-Hindus," Solanki said on Thursday.

"Rahul Gandhi had just written in the visitors' book that it is an 'inspiring place'. Ahmed Patel had also not made any entry in the register for non-Hindus. That was a clear conspiracy," Solanki said.

The BJP, however, dismissed the conspiracy charge, saying Gandhi's aide, who signed the register, is from the Congress itself.

The temple administration said Gandhi's name was written in the shrine's register for non-Hindus by his media coordinator, and its staff was not involved in the episode.

Non-Hindus are allowed to visit the temple but have to first get themselves registered at the shrine's office.

A purported photocopy of a page of the register for non-Hindus with the names of Gandhi and Ahmed Patel went viral on social media soon after their visit to the shrine.

The signatures against their names were that of the Congress party's media coordinator, Manoj Tyagi.

IMAGE: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi addressing a gathering in Bhavnagar, Gujarat on Thursday. Photograph: Courtesy @INCIndia/Twitter
The United States on Thursday warned the North Korean regime that it would be utterly destroyed if a standoff over its missile tests leads to a war and asked all countries to sever economic and diplomatic ties with Pyongyang to curb its nuclear programme.

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss North Koreas latest missile launch, US ambassador to the world body Nikki Haley said Pyongyang had brought the world closer to war with its latest test of a ballistic missile capable of striking the US mainland, its most advanced yet.

The missile was launched from Sain Ni, North Korea on Tuesday, and travelled about 1,000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japans Economic Exclusion Zone.

If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday. And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed, Haley said.

The dictator of North Korea made a choice yesterday that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it. We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it, she said.

The US along with Japan and South Korea had called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council after North Koreas missile launch.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday spoke by telephone with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose country is an economic lifeline for North Korea, and asked him to put more pressure on Pyongyang. Trump also asked Xi to cut off Chinas crude oil supplies to North Korea.

In a tweet after the call, Trump said more punitive sanctions were around the corner.

As successful as we have been in levelling multilateral sanctions against it, the North Korean regime continues to test new and more powerful missiles. And as it does, it continues its march toward a functional nuclear arsenal, Haley said.

She said the development of North Koreas missile systems demanded that countries further isolate the regime of Kim Jong Un.

So today, we call on all nations to cut off all ties with North Korea. In addition to fully implementing all UN sanctions, all countries should sever diplomatic relations with North Korea and limit military, scientific, technical, or commercial cooperation. They must also cut off trade with the regime by stopping all imports and exports and expel all North Korean workers, she demanded.

The British Ambassador to the UN, Matthew Rycroft, said that the latest missile launch follows 19 previous launches this year, and North Koreas sixth nuclear test in September.

The latest violation demonstrates, once more, North Koreas disregard for our collective security and the international obligations, that all of us, as law-abiding states, take upon ourselves, he said.

The latest North Korean missile launch is a dangerous provocation, he said.

It demonstrates that all of our Security Council interests are at stake, and this is not just an issue for one region of the world. This affects the whole world now. So the whole world needs to come together in response, said the British ambassador.

Presiding over the meeting, the Italian Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi, who is the Security Council President for the month of November, strongly condemned the North Korean missile test.

Image: United States ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks during a meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the North Korean missile launch at the UN headquarters in New York. Photograph: Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Why did Modi bypass the Cabinet before he committed India to the Rafale deal?

Ajai Shukla untangles the Rafale deal.

IMAGE: The 36 Rafale fighters will cost India 7.8 billion (Rs 58,000 crore/Rs 580 billion). Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Prime Minister Narendra D Modi -- on April 10, 2015, in Paris -- stunned the global military aerospace industry with the announcement that India would buy 36 Rafale fighters in a government-to-government arrangement with France, effectively ending an eight-year global procurement process for 126 fighters.

There is controversy over how the deal was announced -- by the PM himself during a State visit to France -- without clearances from his Cabinet or defence ministry.

That announcement resulted in a 7.8 billion (Rs 58,000 crore/Rs 580 billion) contract for the 36 Rafale fighters, signed in June 2016. It has led to charges of corruption and nepotism, levied by the Congress against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government.

The Congress alleges Dassault, which builds the Rafale, is being paid far more than the price earlier negotiated.

And that largesse, in the form of defence offsets, is flowing to Reliance Defence, headed by Anil D Ambani, a Gujarati industrialist with no experience in aerospace manufacturing but perceived to be close to the PM.

The BJP's riposte by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman accuses the Congress of delaying the Rafale procurement for 10 years during 2004-2014, while heading the United Progressive Alliance government.

Sitharaman says Modi, worried about a precariously under-equipped Indian Air Force, boldly went ahead in the national interest, following all procedures, to buy the Rafale.

Questions still arise

Beyond political mud-slinging, four major questions arise.

First, did the PM follow due procedure in announcing, alongside then French president Francois Hollande, that France would supply 36 fully-built Rafales? Or was this Modis decision alone?

Second, rather than serving the deal on a platter to a single vendor -- French firm Dassault -- could the PM have brought in another vendor, creating a competitive environment for price discovery and cost negotiation?

Third, was the UPA guilty of a full decade of foot-dragging between 2004 and 2014 on the eventually-aborted procurement of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft, leading to such a fighter shortage in the IAF that an emergency purchase of 36 Rafales became essential?

Fourth, does the per-fighter cost in the contract work out lower than what France had offered in its MMRCA bid, which was a key condition of the purchase?

Due diligence done?

Addressing the media, a feisty Sitharaman insisted the PM had followed due process, with the purchase of the Rafales having been cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security.

'In September 2016 the Inter-Governmental Agreement for buying 36 Rafales was signed in the presence of the defence ministers of France and India,' she stated, underlining that one of her predecessors, Manohar Parrikar, was on board.

In fact, Parrikar wasted no time in distancing himself from the decision after the Modi-Hollande announcement.

'Modiji took the decision; I back it up,' he told Doordarshan on April 13, 2015. Elaborating to NDTV, Parrikar described the decision as 'the outcome of discussions between the prime minister and the president of France'.

In fact, Parrikar had learned about Modi's impending announcement precisely a week in advance. Parrikar was driving to the airport on April 3, 2015, to catch a flight to Goa when he received a call summoning him to the PM's office.

There, Modi sprung the bombshell about the proposed announcement and tasked Parrikar to manage the media during Modi's nine-day tour of France, Germany, and Canada.

Both Sitharaman and Parrikar point out the defence procurement procedure permits regular procurement procedures to be bypassed on strategic grounds.

Indeed, Paragraph 71 of the DPP caters for 'occasions when procurements would have to be done from friendly foreign countries which may be necessitated due to geo-strategic advantages that are likely to accrue to our country.'

However, Paragraph 71 also stipulates that this requires prior clearance. It says: 'Such procurements will be done based on an Inter-Governmental Agreement after clearance from competent financial authority' in this case the Cabinet Committee on Security.

Further, Paragraph 73 of the DPP says: 'Decisions on all such (strategic) acquisitions would be taken by the CCS on the recommendations of the Defence Procurement Board.'

No ministry or Cabinet body was consulted before Modi committed India to the Rafale purchase on April 10, 2015.

The CCS sanction was processed and obtained later.

Putting Dassault in the driving seat

IMAGE: The Modi government insists the Rafale purchase is a bold move. Photograph: Regis Duvignau/Reuters

A key criticism of this procurement is that Modi's Paris announcement effectively handed Dassault a single-vendor contract, ignoring the readily available option to bring in one more vendor.

Says a then senior defence ministry official who recently retired and requested anonymity: "The PM chose Rafale based on the IAF's technical evaluation and flight evaluation trials in the MMRCA process. Why did he ignore the second fighter, Eurofighter Typhoon, which had also passed the IAF evaluation?"

"If the government wanted to truncate the MMRCA contract into a 36-fighter buy, India's interest clearly demanded that both Eurofighter and Dassault be asked for new price bids. That would have created a competitive procurement, with two rivals bidding against each other," the official pointed out.

"Instead, the PM inexplicably handed Dassault a walk-over with a single-vendor contract."

Interestingly, Eurofighter had kept its India office open even after India declared Dassault the winner of the MMRCA procurement in 2012.

Asked why, a top Eurofighter official said in 2013: "If India decides, for whatever reason, to re-evaluate its MMRCA decision, it is our duty as the L-2 (second lowest bidder) to provide India an alternative option."

As it turned out, India did re-evaluate that procurement, but inexplicably ignored the opportunity that Eurofighter presented.

The resulting financial loss is hard to assess, but aviation industry analysts assess it was at least in the hundreds of million dollars.

Why did UPA stall Rafale?

Sitharaman cites the UPA's 'inability' to conclude the MMRCA deal as justification for Modi's buy of 36 Rafales.

Repeatedly blaming the Congress for having failed to buy fighters 'for an entire decade between 2004 and 2014', Sitharaman alleged this 'act of omission' led to severe fighter depletion in the IAF.

In fact, Sitharaman's accusation of a decade of neglect is chronologically inaccurate.

The MMRCA tender was issued in 2007. For the next four years, the IAF conducted technical evaluation and flight trials; only in 2011 were the Eurofighter Typhoon and Rafale declared to have met the IAF criteria.

Only on January 30, 2012 was the Rafale declared the L-1 bidder.

If there was Congress foot-dragging on the Rafale, it was for two years and three months till the May 2014 transfer of power, not for a full decade.

Notwithstanding Sitharaman's exaggeration, the question remains: Why did the UPA drag on cost negotiations for over two years with Dassault?

And why did two NDA defence ministers -- Arun Jaitley, then Parrikar -- also fail to conclude the contract for a year?

The incredible answer -- given that Modi bought 36 Rafales based on the logic that Dassault had won the MMRCA tender -- was that the defence ministry had realised as far back as 2012 that Rafale might have been erroneously declared the lowest bidder.

Defence ministry sources in the Cost Negotiating Committee -- a multi-member body that evaluated Dassault's commercial bid -- say the sketchiness of Dassault's bid forced them to make certain costing assumptions in declaring its bid lower than Eurofighter's.

These assumptions related to a new model of bidding based on Life Cycle Costing, which was being tried out for the first time in a tender.

This sharply divided the Cost Negotiating Committee in 2012-2013 when three members wrote a dissenting note demanding the costing assumptions made for Dassault's bid should be officially approved at the competent level, rather than leaving the onus on the CNC.

When Dassault itself presented different costing figures for Rafales built at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd -- a tender stipulation -- it became clear, including to the then defence minister, A K Antony, that Dassault had been incorrectly named the L-1 vendor.

Parrikar himself has substantiated this account.

On April 13, 2015, three days after Modi's Rafale announcement, Parrikar stated on Doordarshan: 'There is another reason why the (tender) for the Rafale is stuck. When the CNC determined the L-1 vendor, many people raised questions on the Life Cycle Costing model that was used to compare bids.'

'In this connection, the last defence minister issued a directive to go ahead with the CNC negotiations, fix a price, and then come back and verify whether L-1 determination was correctly done.'

Asked to confirm this during her press conference, Sitharaman declined to comment.

Says a retired secretary-level defence ministry official about the CNC's assumptions that led to Dassault being declared L-1 in the MMRCA contest: "In my view, a vendor's commercial bid that has serious gaps should be treated as an incomplete bid and the vendor disqualified. Costing assumptions can be made only on minor issues.'

The question of cost

Said Parrikar on Doordarshan on April 13, 2015, explaining the conditions of the 36 Rafale buy: 'Our deal is being finalised on very clear terms: Better terms than those existing.'

'It will be on cheaper terms than those quoted in (Dassault's bid in the MMRCA tender).'

The BJP insists this condition has been met. However, the government has released no figures for Dassault's earlier quote nor did it release a cost breakdown of what Dassault is being paid for 36 Rafales.

Asked for a cost breakdown by the media, Sitharaman promised: 'We will give you the figures that you want.'

She ordered Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra, who was sitting beside her, to provide them. Despite repeated enquiries, no figures have been released so far.
It is not uncommon to see patients in Odisha being carried to hospitals on cots for miles.

Recently, this picture was reversed when a doctor carried a pregnant woman to hospital on a cot for 12 km.

Dillip Satapathy meets Dr Omkar Hota.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

In remote, inaccessible parts of Odisha, it is not uncommon to see patients being carried to hospitals on cots for miles.

Every now and then, this image is used to draw attention to the poor condition of healthcare in the state.

But recently, this picture was reversed, when a doctor trekked 12 km to attend to a pregnant tribal woman in a far-flung village.

The woman's condition was grim, and the doctor, Omkar Hota, realised she needed to be taken to hospital.

There was only one way of doing so -- by ferrying the patient on a cot.

Through the trek back, Dr Hota lent his shoulder to the makeshift stretcher.

The woman made it to the hospital in time, and both she and her newborn survived.

For many, Dr Hota's journey with the patient is proof of how an individual can make a difference when the system fails.

Dr Hota, 33, works at the Papulur public health centre in the Chitrakonda block of Malkangiri district on the southern tip of Odisha. He has been posted here for the last seven months.

Though this health centre has existed for 15 years, 24 hours is the longest any doctor has spent here. Most refuse to work here.

Located on a hilly terrain, 90 km from the district headquarters, the area has little communication or power facilities.

And then, it is infested with mosquitoes and Naxals.

"When I came here, I found that very few patients would come to the hospital," Dr Hota says.

When they fell ill, the locals, who belong to the Konda Reddy and Bonda tribes, turned to traditional medicine.

Soon after he joined, he started visiting the villages, interacting with people, treating them and convincing them to come to the hospital if they fell ill.

This is not the first time Dr Hota has trekked the mountain roads carrying a patient to the health centre. He has done it several times in the past.

"This incident (which a local resident recorded on his mobile phone) has gone viral and drawn a lot of attention," he says.

"It is a 24-hour job for me," says Dr Hota.

Every evening, after winding up his day in the hospital, he goes to the villages carrying medicines for common ailments.

He treats the patients, distributes the medicines and tries to create awareness about maintaining hygiene and the use of mosquito nets to prevent malaria.

The villagers look upon Dr Hota as their messiah. "The initial distrust is gone. People now welcome me into their villages as one of their own," he says.

Even the Naxals, whom he has encountered on a few occasions in the night on the way back from his village visits, request him to carry on with the good work.

Today, on an average, 45 patients visit the health centre every day as opposed to the 10-odd who would make the effort before Dr Hota took over.

Cases of malaria too are down to seven a month from around 90 about six months back.

After doing his MBBS from a private medical college in Bhubaneswar, Dr Hota opted to join government service.

After his last transfer from a hospital in Bolangir, he asked to be posted in a tribal area where no doctor was willing to go.

It's a decision he had made as a Class 10 student while visiting a hospital in Bolangir with his mother.

"There, I found the doctors fleecing the poor," he says. "My mother made me pledge that I would become a doctor and would serve the poor."

In the absence of official quarters, Dr Hota, who is a bachelor, lives in one of the rooms at the hospital.

His efforts have not gone unnoticed. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has felicitated him and the district administration has conferred him with the best medical service award.

"Such recognition motivates you, but I know mine is a profession of sacrifice," he says.

He hopes to specialise in cardiology, and "then return to a tribal area and serve the poor".

MUST READS, FROM THE REDIFF ARCHIVES
If the parliamentary representation of radical Islamic parties goes up dramatically in 2018, what will this do to Pakistan's army?

Aditi Phadnis finds out.



IMAGE: Muhammed Saeed, the Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist, centre. Photograph: Mohsin Raza/Reuters

Two chance encounters with officials from Pakistan -- one serving, the other retired -- led to fascinating insights into the way the ruling classes are evaluating the recent setback to Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) chances in the general elections ahead. What follows is a summary of the conversation.

Does it look as if there may be a coalition government in place in 2018?

Much too early to say, came the answer with a laugh, in itself suggesting doubts about the durability of the current configuration of Pakistan's national assembly (the lower house) where the PML-N has 188 out of 342 seats.

So could Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) step into the breach?

Punjab is not really the PTI's stronghold came the cautious reply. But so much can happen between now and then -- court cases, the healing of the rupture in the family...

The retired official was, for obvious reasons, much more forthcoming. If Nawaz Sharif and (his brother and Punjab chief minister) Shahbaz Sharif did not mend fences, it would be advantage Imran Khan, he said bluntly.

Shahbaz and clan did not attend one election meeting during the campaign -- they left it all to Maryam (Nawaz Sharif's daughter and political heir apparent), he said.

And if it is a coalition government in which the radical right is represented in large numbers, you can kiss the chances of a rapprochement with India goodbye.

The background was, of course, the by-election to Lahore's national assembly 120 constituency in September that saw Kulsoom Nawaz -- Nawaz Sharif's wife -- win the seat by a margin considerably narrower than the 2013 result.

The turnout was also lower despite a surge in the number of registered voters, suggesting a marked lack of enthusiasm for Sharif following corruption charges (which is why he was disqualified as PM).

The Pakistani media has analysed the by-election to within an inch of its life. The election commission is as prompt at releasing election data as it is in India.

According to EC figures, the PML-N lost 11 per cent of the vote while the PTI gained three per cent over the 2013 outcome.

Granted it is just one constituency; and in 2013 it was represented by the man who was going to be (and did become) the country's prime minister (so some attrition was inevitable).

But still, the result cannot be good news for the Sharifs.

The officials were much less concerned about the rise of the right wing than Pakistan's civil society.

There is much concern about the two 'independent' candidates -- one from the Tehreek Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan (TLP), a party yet to be recognised by the election commission, and the other from Hafiz Saeed's Milli Muslim League.

TLP (which organised this weeks' protests that forced Pakistan's law minister Zahid Hamid to resign) was founded by Maulvi Khadim Hussain Rizvi, an Islamic scholar. Maulvi Khadim strongly supported Mumtaz Qadri who assassinated Punjab governor Salman Taseer in 2011 and vowed to get even with the PML-N for hanging Qadri.

His politics consists of vitriol against minorities living in Pakistan including Shias and Ahmediyas.

Saeed was possibly trying to professionalise and leverage the charitable work done by the Falah-e-Insaniyat, a front for the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, by creating a political party.

In the 2013 election, right-wing parties polled 1.8 per cent of the votes cast. In 2017 this figure has gone up to 10.4 per cent. On the face of it, this is a huge increase.

But the two Pakistanis pointed out that even for the purposes of a by-election, the right wing could not sink its differences and come together. Politics will do that to you.

So the Islamist tendency might be growing and deepening, but in terms of getting parliamentary voice, it still has a long path to traverse.

What does that tell us about the Pakistan army and the battles it is fighting?

At Kunar on the Afghanistan border and in Fata, it is trying to counter radical Islam by fighting the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.

In Kashmir, it is supporting it by providing training and logistical support to the Lashkar-e-Tayiba.

If the parliamentary representation of radical Islamic parties goes up as dramatically in 2018 as it has done in the by-election, what will this do to the army? Neither official was able to provide a coherent answer.

It is possible that these parties will remain divided and their influence will be kept in check or even neutralised by the PML-N.

But what if the PML-N itself is weakened? Nawaz Sharif's re-election as party chief suggests that the cadres are as worried about this possibility.

Sharif cannot go on forever and in his scheme of things, a succession plan is in place in which his daughter plays a big role.

But the PML-N seems to have realised that it is time to unite the party, not divide it.

In the months ahead, of all South Asian countries, it is Pakistan that is going to be the most interesting to watch.
UNHCR welcomes Libya's transit facility to expedite third country solutions for vulnerable refugees

Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Publication Date 29 November 2017 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNHCR welcomes Libya's transit facility to expedite third country solutions for vulnerable refugees, 29 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1fa60e4.html [accessed 17 November 2022]

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes the decision by the Libyan authorities to set up a "transit and departure facility" in Tripoli for people in need of international protection.

This initiative, which is supported by the Italian government, will facilitate the transfer of thousands of vulnerable refugees to third countries. "We hope that thousands of the most vulnerable refugees currently in Libya will benefit from this forward-looking initiative," said Roberto Mignone, UNHCR Representative to Libya. He added that the main objective is to speed up the process of securing solutions in third countries, particularly for unaccompanied and separated children and women at risk.

These solutions will include resettlement, family reunification, evacuation to UNHCR-run emergency facilities in other countries, or voluntary return, as appropriate.

At the facility, UNHCR staff and partners will provide registration and live-saving assistance such as accommodation, food, medical care and psychosocial support.

This initiative is one of a range of measures needed to offer viable alternatives to the dangerous journeys undertaken by refugees and migrants along the Central Mediterranean route. In September, UNHCR called for an additional 40,000 resettlement places to be made available for refugees located in 15 countries along this route. So far, only 10,500 pledges have been made.

"This initiative is a decisive step forward, and we are grateful for the strong commitment of the Libyan government in making this possible, as well as for the important role played by the Government of Italy. But we now need EU member states and others to step up with offers of resettlement places and other solutions, including family reunification slots," said Mignone. "Together, these will be an important platform for securing solutions for these vulnerable people, based on shared responsibility."
Kazakhstan: Compulsory re-registration if restrictions become law

Publisher Forum 18 Author Felix Corley Publication Date 29 November 2017 Cite as Forum 18, Kazakhstan: Compulsory re-registration if restrictions become law, 29 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1fa6904.html [accessed 17 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Amending Law imposing new restrictions on freedom of religion or belief is now with Prime Minister. If adopted, it will require re-registration of almost all religious communities, and impose new restrictions on and punishments for religious education, sharing beliefs, censorship of literature and (for state officials) participating in worship.
Disclaimer

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
Egypt: 16 men jailed amidst unprecedented homophobic crackdown

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 29 November 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Egypt: 16 men jailed amidst unprecedented homophobic crackdown, 29 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1fa8614.html [accessed 17 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Responding to the news that a Cairo court convicted 16 men of "debauchery" and sentenced them to three years prison followed by three years' probation, Amnesty International's North Africa campaigns director, Najia Bounaim said :

"These sentences strike at the very heart of being human and are another example of the ongoing persecution against people based on their perceived sexual orientation and a wider crackdown on human rights by Egyptian authorities. This prosecution violates the rights of these men to be treated equally regardless of their perceived sexual orientation.

"In the last two months, the authorities have carried out an unprecedented persecution campaign that saw more than 70 people arrested based on their perceived sexual orientation and more than 40 sentenced for up to six years. The Egyptian authorities must quash the sentences against the 16 men and immediately and unconditionally release them.

"At least five of the men sentenced have been subjected to anal examinations following their arrest in September. Forced anal examinations violate the prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment under international law. We condemn these actions in the strongest terms."

According to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, at least 76 people across Egypt have been arrested based on their perceived sexual orientation following the display of a rainbow flag in a concert by Mashrou' Laila in Cairo on 22 September. Many of those arrested by security forces were entrapped through online dating apps. More than 60 members of Egypt's parliament have proposed a deeply discriminatory law that would explicitly criminalize same-sex sexual activity in the country for the first time.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Former Yugoslavia: UN War Crimes Court delivers its final ruling

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 29 November 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Former Yugoslavia: UN War Crimes Court delivers its final ruling, 29 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1fa8f84.html [accessed 17 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Following the final verdict by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's Europe Director said:

"Today - a week after landmark sentencing of Ratko Mladic - judges at the tribunal have brought down their gavel for the last time ending an historic endeavour in international justice. It is now vital that the national courts take the baton from the ICTY and step up their efforts to bring remaining perpetrators to justice.

"The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia has helped bring a measure of justice to thousands of victims of the armed conflicts in former Yugoslavia and demonstrated what is possible when the international community comes together.

"The court has been a beacon sending out a powerful message around the world that impunity cannot and will not be tolerated."

Background:

Today the tribunal confirmed the sentences against six former Bosnian Croat political and military officials is the final verdict before it shuts down in December. The court was established in 1993 and has prosecuted some of the most important war crimes cases in Europe since the Nuremburg trials. It has indicted 161 people, none of whom remain at large today.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Zimbabwe: Dropping of Pastor Mawarire charges must signal fresh start for Zimbabwe

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 29 November 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Zimbabwe: Dropping of Pastor Mawarire charges must signal fresh start for Zimbabwe, 29 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1fa9424.html [accessed 17 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

In response to the dropping of subversion charges against Zimbabwean Pastor and activist, Evan Mawarire, Amnesty International's Regional Director for Southern Africa, Deprose Muchena, said:

"The dismissal of this case affirms Amnesty's long-held position that Pastor Mawarire was an innocent victim of Mugabe's ruthless campaign to criminalize dissent.

"Hopefully the ruling signals a new beginning for the country, where the political repression which characterized Mugabe's rule will no longer be tolerated.

"The task for President Mnangagwa now is to ensure that a culture exists in Zimbabwe in which voices from outside his government are free to air their opinions on an equal platform, without fear of facing criminal charges."

Background

Pastor Evan Mawarire was arrested and charged with subversion and "insulting the national flag of Zimbabwe" on 31 January 2017. He was later released on USD 300 bail.

Founder of the #Thisflag movement, he led several anti-government protests in 2016 against corruption, human rights violations and the declining economy in the country.

He was previously arrested on 12 July 2016 and charged with incitement to commit public violence after leading a national strike on 6 July. He was then released after a magistrate found his arrest to be unconstitutional and dismissed the charge against him.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people

Publisher Amnesty International Author Salil Shetty Publication Date 29 November 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people, 29 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1fa9af4.html [accessed 17 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Speech from Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International, to the Special Meeting of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People on 29 November 2017

Mr President, Your Excellencies, friends:

I am grateful to have this opportunity to speak on behalf of Amnesty International, a global movement of more than seven million people across the world, and as voice reflecting the views of ordinary people and civil society.

Nobody in this room needs convincing about the urgency of this discussion. The neglect of the serious human rights abuses against the Palestinian people is a scar on the world's conscience.

But as if we needed a reminder of the unique and grave situation facing Palestinians, it came in the convergence of three significant anniversaries this year.

The first: 100 years since the Balfour Declaration. This has become a symbol of the international failure to ensure the human rights of Palestinians, including millions of refugees.

The second: 50 years since Israel's occupation of the Palestinian Territories and Golan Heights - with no end in sight.

I hardly need remind you of the brutal everyday consequences in the Occupied Territories.

There is the destruction of their homes and properties on a vast scale - 50,000 since 1967. The plundering of their land and natural resources for the benefit of 600,000 Israeli settlers.

Israel's policy of constructing and expanding settlements on stolen Palestinian land is illegal, discriminatory and unjust. It is a key driver of the mass human rights violations resulting from the occupation.

Even as we stand here today, tens of Palestinian villages in the West Bank are at risk of destruction, to make way for settlement expansion.

And there are the daily abuses that Palestinians suffer. The hundreds of checkpoints and closures that restrict movement for nearly five million people. The detention of tens of thousands of women, men and children for months, sometimes years, without charge or trial. The beatings. The torture. The 10,200 killings, often unlawful, since 1987. And virtually no accountability.

And the third anniversary: 10 years since the inhumane and illegal blockade on Gaza began.

A decade of collective punishment and complete air, sea and land closure of Gaza devastated the economy and cut off Palestinians from each other and the world.

During that time, three separate wars have killed thousands of civilians, including children, and destroyed essential civilian infrastructure.

The manmade humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has made life barely tolerable. 96% of the water is contaminated and unfit for consumption. 80% of people rely on humanitarian food aid. This is compounding massive inequalities between Israelis and Palestinians. It simply can't be accepted.

I could easily use the whole of my time to detail the devastating realities of life for the Palestinian people.

And of course it is necessary to acknowledge it is not only Palestinians who have suffered. Since 1987 over 1,400 Israelis have been killed by Palestinians - hundreds of them civilians killed by armed groups.

But we must deal with the bald truth which confronts us: 50 years since the occupation began, solidarity alone is not enough. Merely to condemn 50 years of settlements, 50 years of war crimes, is not enough.

And we must confront the double standards of the international community, particularly the United States, in turning a blind eye. The USA has repeatedly and cynically abused its veto power as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

In addition, the US and EU Member States have been transferring arms and munitions to Israel, which pose a significant risk of being used for serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.

Yet, despair is not an option. Amnesty International is based on the belief that when people come together, change is possible. And we believe there is a way forward. We can end mass violations against Palestinians while ensuring the rights of both Palestinians and Israelis to live in dignity.

I want to propose three ways forward.

First, UN Member States took an important step with Security Council Resolution 2334 of 2016.

Its strong language reaffirming the illegality of Israeli settlements was welcome. But strong language has not translated into action. Since the resolution was passed, the settlement project has increased rapidly. Israel introduced laws which approved grabs of private Palestinian land retroactively, and thousands of new settlement units in future.

Implementing Resolution 2334 is imperative for ending mass violations. Amnesty International urges States to ensure its implementation, and to mandate progress reports to this end.

Crucially, States must distinguish between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967. We urge States to take action to ensure they do not recognize or assist settlements and their expansion.

This leads me to my second point. Hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of goods produced in settlements are exported each year. It is time for States to back up condemnation with real action.

Over 50 years, Israel has deprived Palestinians of the use of their own natural resources - fertile land, water, quarries and minerals. Meanwhile it has unlawfully seized control of these resources and diverted them to benefit settlement industries. These produce goods that are often exported.

Amnesty International is calling on States to ban settlement goods from entering their markets. States should also prevent corporations domiciled in their territory from operating in settlements, or trading in settlement products.

Our call is based on States' existing obligations not to recognize or assist in the illegal situation created by Israel's settlements. It is fully in the power of States to do this.

Thirdly, many Palestinian and Israeli human rights defenders are standing up for those who are oppressed. They are calling for justice and an end to the occupation.

And they are suffering toxic consequences: smear campaigns against them and their families, surveillance, threats to their lives and livelihoods. Palestinian defenders are facing charges, judicial attack, and detention. Those in Israel are labelled as foreign agents and traitors.

Human rights defenders from abroad are being denied entry into the country.

Our solidarity with the Palestinian people means solidarity with these human rights defenders also. We can perpetuate their plight with silence and inertia. Or we can choose to support them and call for justice.

Today, Amnesty launches our fifteenth global letter writing campaign, Write for Rights. People across the world will write millions of messages for those whose rights are under attack.

Among the brave people featured in this campaign are Palestinians Issa Amro and Farid al-Atrash. They are facing baseless charges before an Israeli military court for organizing a protest against settlements. We stand in solidarity with Issa and Farid and demand that Israel drops charges against them and stops silencing people who are defending their rights.

We have been speaking about mass violations of Palestinians' rights for 50 years. In a world where the demonization of whole groups of people based on their identity is becoming more mainstream every day, it's time for a fresh resolve.

In the face of these injustices, we are not helpless. Let us stand together to make a real difference in the lives of millions of Palestinians who have endured decades of injustice, indignity and discrimination.

Thank you.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Egypt: Sinai specialist Ismail Alexandrani completes second year in pre-trial detention

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 29 November 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Egypt: Sinai specialist Ismail Alexandrani completes second year in pre-trial detention, 29 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1fabbf4.html [accessed 17 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reiterates its call for the immediate and unconditional release of Ismail Al Sayed Mohamed Omar Toufic, a respected Egyptian journalist and researcher who was arrested by the Egyptian authorities exactly two years ago today.

Better known as Ismail Alexandrani, a pen-name he chose in honour of his home town, the northern city of Alexandria, he is a respected freelance investigative reporter, political scientist and sociologist specializing in the Sinai Peninsula's Jihadi movements.





Arrested at Hurghada airport, in the Red Sea Governorate, on his return from Berlin on 29 November 2015, Alexandrani has been held provisionally ever since. RSF urges the authorities to free him and drop all charges against him. RSF also calls for the release of all journalists who are unjustly detained in Egypt.





"The Egyptian authorities must allow local journalists to investigate subjects of public interest even when the authorities regard these subjects as sensitive," said Alexandra El Khazen, the head of RSF's Middle East desk.

"Detaining a journalist provisionally for two years can only be regarded as an excessive punishment. We call on the authorities to explain the grounds that supposedly justify repeatedly prolonging his pre-trial detention."





Alain Gresh, a French journalist who has met Alexandrani several times and as the editor of the online newspaper Orient XXI and a journalist at the monthly Le Monde Diplomatique, for which Alexandrani wrote, said: "It was undoubtedly his articles about the Sinai for the international media that prompted his arrest."

The editor of Orient XXI said: "He was a rigorous reporter and extremely well informed, especially about the Sinai where he had many contacts, while the Egyptian authorities tried and still try to prevent any serious reporting emerging from the region."





Alexandrani's detention has been systematically renewed every 45 days for the past two years, reaching the legal limit for provisional detention in Egypt. He is held on suspicion of publishing false information and belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood but the charges are not definitive because judicial proceedings have not yet been formally initiated against him.





"Everyone who knows him has been struck by the inanity of these accusations," said Youssef el Chazli, a political scientist and PhD student, who points out that Alexandrani's tens of thousands of Facebook follows are fully aware of "his intellectual and political aversion to Islamist movements, including the Muslim Brotherhood."





Nominated for the RSF Press Freedom Prize in 2016, Alexandrani was an associate researcher at the Arab Reform Initiative in Paris and a guest lecturer at the Wilson Centre in Washington. He also wrote for MadaMasr, Safir Arabi, Al Jazeera English and the Forum for Arab and International Relations.





At least 16 journalists are currently detained in connection with their work in Egypt, which is ranked 161st out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
UN Calls for Concerted National Effort to End Violence against Women

Publisher UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Publication Date 25 November 2017 Cite as UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), UN Calls for Concerted National Effort to End Violence against Women, 25 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1fec964.html [accessed 17 November 2022]

UN calls for concerted national effort to end violence against women

25 Nov 2017



KABUL - A life free from all forms of violence is the right of every Afghan woman and girl. It is time for united action from all in order to achieve this goal, the UN in Afghanistan said today in marking International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the commencement of 16 days of activities aimed at raising awareness about this critical issue.

"Violence against women in Afghanistan must immediately stop," said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). "For Afghan women to achieve their full potential and their immense capacity in development, in peace and in security, the violations of the rights of women and girls, particularly through violence, must cease."

One in every three women around the world has experienced physical or sexual violence. Gender-based violence is a global issue, affecting millions each year, particularly the most vulnerable, including Afghan women and girls. It is now widely recognized that violence against women, including harassment and harmful practices, is major barrier to women and girls enjoying their fundamental human rights, and is a direct challenge to women's inclusion and participation in sustaining peace.

"Violence against women and girls is not inevitable," said Rebecca Tavares, Country Representative ad interim for the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). "There are many ways to prevent violence in the first place, and to stop its recurrence."

The UN family in Afghanistan stressed that alongside the effective legal and institutional mechanisms for access to justice, stopping violence against women requires an effort from all of us, from every individual, to speak out against violence in homes, workplaces and social settings.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, marked every year by the United Nations on 25 November, represents that start of the global campaign on 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. This year's 16 Days theme, 'Leave No One Behind,' reflects the importance of the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, which commits to eliminating all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres.

Through the Ministry of Women's Affairs, supported by United Nations, the Afghan government is initiating advocacy and awareness-raising activities to address issues of violence against women and girls in Afghanistan. The campaign runs until 10 December, International Human Rights Day.

Recalling the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan, the United Nations recommitted itself to support efforts by Afghan institutions and civil society to empower women and girls, and to promote the protection of their right to be free from fear, intimidation and all forms of violence.
Ending Violence against Women the Focus of UN Campaign in Western Afghanistan

Publisher UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Publication Date 5 January 2017 Cite as UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Ending Violence against Women the Focus of UN Campaign in Western Afghanistan, 5 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1fedd74.html [accessed 17 November 2022]

Ending violence against women the focus of UN campaign in western Afghanistan

5 Jan 2017

HERAT - The critical importance of ending gender-based violence was at the centre of a UN-backed information campaign conducted through the end of 2016 in Afghanistan's western provinces of Herat, Ghor, Badghis and Farah.

The campaign, backed by the regional office of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), began in November 2016 and took the format of televised roundtable discussions, radio debates and public gatherings.

"Bringing together several hundred people, including women and girls, men and boys, as well as government officials and civil society activists, the campaign was designed to raise awareness about violence against women and highlight its impact on the socio-economic development of the community," said Sia Mawalla, a UNAMA's Human Rights official working in the western region.

According to the departments of Women's Affairs in Herat, Badghis, Farah and Ghor, more than 600 cases of battery, forced marriage, rape, murder and psychological violence against women were registered by police departments and legal institutions in the region.

The campaign was designed to address violence against women by raising awareness about the women's rights and also by highlighting the community-level impact of violence against women. In addition, the campaign brought together religious scholars to discuss the issue from an Islamic perspective.

In one of the roundtable discussions in the province of Herat, 13 religious scholars declared violence against women inconsistent with Islamic values.

"Islam accepts equality of both men and women in education and other aspects of people's life," said Mawlawi Ghulam Muhammad Najibi, the head of Karukh's Ulema Shura. "Violence against women became rampant in Afghanistan after three decades of war, where there has been lack of action against perpetrators and lack of awareness of women's rights by community members."

UNAMA is mandated to support the Afghan Government and the people of Afghanistan as a political mission that provides 'good offices' among other key services. 'Good offices' are diplomatic steps UN takes publicly and in private, drawing on its independence, impartiality and integrity, to prevent international disputes from arising, escalating or spreading.

UNAMA also promotes coherent development support by the international community; assists the process of peace and reconciliation; monitors and promotes human rights and the protection of civilians in armed conflict; promotes good governance; and encourages regional cooperation.
South Sudan: UN envoy condemns 'horrific' killings of civilians in Jonglei

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 November 2017 Cite as UN News Service, South Sudan: UN envoy condemns 'horrific' killings of civilians in Jonglei, 29 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1ffb864.html [accessed 17 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The most senior United Nations official in South Sudan has condemned the "horrific" killing of some 45 civilians in the Jonglei region on Tuesday when a Murle ethnic group attacked a Dinka village.

"I utterly condemn these killings and the abduction of some 60 women and children which accompanied these attacks," said David Shearer, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and head of the UN Mission in the country, known as UNMISS.

The attack left 19 people wounded.

"I urge the leaders of both communities to reign in the youth, show restraint and to put an end to the cycle of revenge killings. It is crucial that the national and local authorities support the community leaders and work to bring the perpetrators of all attacks to account," he added.

Since 2013, the Murle and Dinka communities in Jonglei, which is in the central part of the country, have been engaged in long-standing inter-ethnic violence that has operated outside the wider political conflict in South Sudan.

"The perpetrators of this violence have undermined the ongoing peace and reconciliation efforts that [UNMISS] has supported in Jonglei," Mr. Shearer said.

"The engagement that UNMISS has had with both communities has shown that the vast majority of people want to end the destructive pattern of revenge attacks," he underscored.

The dead included humanitarian workers who, according to Mr. Shearer, were "working selflessly for the people of Jonglei."

Their deaths, he added, are "pointless and utterly contemptible."
Libya's planned transit centre would keep migrants from risky Mediterranean crossing  UN agency

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 November 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Libya's planned transit centre would keep migrants from risky Mediterranean crossing  UN agency, 29 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1ffbe74.html [accessed 17 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The United Nations refugee agency has welcomed the decision by the Libyan authorities to set up a "transit and departure facility" in Tripoli for refugees and migrants in need of international protection - an initiative that offers viable alternatives to their dangerous journeys along the Central Mediterranean route.

"We hope that thousands of the most vulnerable refugees currently in Libya will benefit from this forward-looking initiative," said Roberto Mignone, Libya Representative of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The initiative, which is supported by the Italian Government, will facilitate the transfer of thousands of vulnerable refugees to third countries.

Mr. Mignone added that the main objective is to speed up the process of securing solutions in third countries, particularly for unaccompanied and separated children and women at risk. These solutions will include resettlement, family reunification, evacuation to UNHCR-run emergency facilities in other countries, or voluntary return.

At the facility, UNHCR staff and partners will provide registration and live-saving assistance such as accommodation, food, medical care and psychosocial support.

In September, UNHCR called for an additional 40,000 resettlement places to be made available for refugees located in 15 countries along this route. So far, only 10,500 pledges have been made.

"We now need EU member States and others to step up with offers of resettlement places and other solutions, including family reunification slots," said Mr. Mignone. "Together, these will be an important platform for securing solutions for these vulnerable people, based on shared responsibility."
UN aid chief spotlights challenges delivering relief inside war-torn Syria, urges continued support

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 November 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN aid chief spotlights challenges delivering relief inside war-torn Syria, urges continued support, 29 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1ffc9e4.html [accessed 17 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The conflict in Syria - now into its seventh year, longer than World War II - continues to ratchet up misery on its people, with millions living in besieged and hard-to-reach areas, a third of the country's children out of school, and over half of its health facilities rendered inoperable, the United Nations top relief official said today.

The situation is most dire in rural Damascus' eastern Ghouta (where 94 per cent of the besieged population is located), where fighting has seen a recent escalation and where, despite efforts of humanitarians, only about 100,000 out of an estimated population of 400,000 have received food assistance this year.

"The available evidence suggests severe acute malnutrition rates among children in eastern Ghouta have increased five-fold in the past ten months," said Mark Lowcock, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, briefing the Security Council.

Deaths of people, especially children, from preventable can be prevented if aid convoys can be increased and made more regular, he expressed, adding: "Against this background, news over the last two days of a ceasefire in eastern Ghouta would be - if true and if sustained - important."

In his briefing, the senior UN relief official also spoke of the recently released 2018 Humanitarian Needs Overview for Syria as well as of increased displacement in north-west Syria, worsening fighting in north-east Syria, threats of explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices and the precarious humanitarian access as a result.

"At the same time, new restrictions on access and aid delivery in the north-east are limiting access to a number of people we had previously been able to reach with help," said Mr. Lowcock, noting that since 9 November, the UN has faced a series of bureaucratic impediments imposed by the parties in the area resulting in the curtailment of humanitarian assistance for much of the past month.

Further, concerning delivery of aid, he also updated the Security Council of the efforts of UN actors to ensure aid reaches those that need it as well as of the challenges they face in the process.

"It is clear that each of the three modes of delivery [to Government-controlled areas, cross-line deliveries, and cross-border assistance] is critical for the people of Syria, and that there is complementarity between them. As needs remain high, it is important to preserve all means of access," said the UN official, stressing that the renewal of the Security Council resolution 2165 (2014), which authorized the UN and relief agencies to use the most direct routes for aid delivery is "essential to save lives."

Concluding his briefing, Mr. Lowcock also told the Security Council that following consultations with the authorities, he plans to visit Syria in early January 2018 to assess the situation and to discuss assistance to those in need can be improved.
In Cote d'Ivoire, UN chief spotlights importance of AU-EU strategic partnership

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 November 2017 Cite as UN News Service, In Cote d'Ivoire, UN chief spotlights importance of AU-EU strategic partnership, 29 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1ffe124.html [accessed 17 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The importance of regional organizations grows with every decade that passes as they are essential to face the difficult challenges that threaten the world, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday at the African Union-European Union Summit in Cote d'Ivoire.

A strong and effective EU and a strong and effective AU are essential pillars of global cooperation for peace and security, development and human rights, Mr. Guterres told the two organizations' fifth summit held in the capital, Abidjan. We must continue to make progress on all simultaneously.

Welcoming the AU-EU strategic partnership, the Secretary-General expressed the UN's commitment to support the efforts of these organizations and described how such cooperation takes place in Africa.

Three obvious examples of the importance of trilateral cooperation between the AU, the EU and the UN, are seen in Somalia, the Central African Republic and the Sahel.

It is exactly ten years since the joint Africa-European Union strategy was adopted and the time has come to strengthen the links between the two continents, Mr. Guterres said, noting that the two regions can enhance their cooperation in tackling some challenges facing migrants.

When migration is done in an orderly and regulated way, migrants contribute positively to host countries and countries of origin. We will not put an end to the tragedies in the Mediterranean if we do not create significant opportunities for legal migration, he said.

These two conditions are essential to effectively combat traffickers and smugglers of migrants.

First is to change the relationship with Africa and establish a new platform of cooperation that recognizes the enormous potential of this continent, and second is to increase joint efforts in conflict prevention and mediation.

Mr. Guterres argued that it is time to provide the appropriate means to regional organizations, including clear and strong mandates, accompanied by an evaluation mechanism and an adequate and predictable funding system.

For instance, the AU and the UN, with EU support, can help the G5-Sahel countries  Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger  deal with transnational threats and terrorism.

We need a force with a mandate that lives up to these threats and sustainable funding, he said, urging the Security Council to be ambitious in its choice on this issue.

Turning to sustainable and inclusive development in Africa, the UN chief stressed the importance of investing in youth and women's empowerment.

EU-AU-UN task force to protect migrants along Mediterranean routes

Earlier in the day, Mr. Guterres attended a trilateral meeting with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and Federica Mogherini, EU High Representative and Vice President of the European Council.

They agreed to put in place a joint EU-AU-UN Task Force to save and protect lives of migrants and refugees along the Mediterranean routes and in particular inside Libya, accelerating the assisted voluntary returns to countries of origin, and the resettlement of those in need of international protection.

The Secretary-General also met with Alassane Dramane Ouattara, President of Cote d'Ivoire to exchange views on the situation in the country and the sub-region. The Secretary-General reaffirmed the UN's commitment to continued support for the country in consolidating peace and inclusive and sustainable development, following the withdrawal of UN peacekeeping force.
Lack of jobs, money for rent, add to woes in conflict-affected eastern Ukraine, says UN agency

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 29 November 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Lack of jobs, money for rent, add to woes in conflict-affected eastern Ukraine, says UN agency, 29 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1ffe544.html [accessed 17 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

As temperatures plummet across eastern Ukraine, many  including the elderly  who fled their homes following hostilities are forced to return to their original place of residence due to lack of jobs and money to pay rent in the places they were sheltering, the United Nations migration agency has reported.

According to a survey conducted by the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), about 70 per cent of the returnees said that they were going back to their homes because they do not have to pay rent there as have to elsewhere.

Over half of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning are over the age of 60, and most are pensioners, said IOM in a news release Tuesday, announcing the findings.

This heightens their vulnerability as the pension is linked to their [displaced] status and residence in the government-controlled area.

Almost two-thirds of those surveyed also reported that their income only covers their food needs. The average monthly income per IDP-household member (about $87) in the non-government-controlled areas is well below the subsistence level (about $113) calculated by the Ministry of Social Policy.

Overall, 16 per cent of respondents surveyed in the latest round, in September, stated they returned to their original place of residence, a three per cent increase on the previous round.

Further complicating the matters is the difficulty for relief actors to reach many parts of the affected region.

Access to deliver humanitarian aid [] remains of paramount importance to ensure that support is provided to the most vulnerable individuals throughout eastern Ukraine, said Thomas Lothar Weiss, the head of IOM operations in Ukraine, on a visit the eastern region last week.

We intend to keep up [the assistance] during the difficult winter months, especially to vulnerable populations near the contact line between the Government and non-government-controlled areas, he added.

Since the outbreak of conflict in 2015, IOM has provided assistance to nearly 200,000 internally displaced persons and conflict-affected people.

The UN agency has also been conducting surveys on the situation of IDPs in Ukraine on a regular basis since March 2016. In the latest round, some 1,025 IDPs were interviewed in person and more than four thousand were interviewed by phone across the country.
Syria: Banned Soviet-made cluster munitions fuel humanitarian catastrophe in Eastern Ghouta

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 30 November 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Syria: Banned Soviet-made cluster munitions fuel humanitarian catastrophe in Eastern Ghouta, 30 November 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a1fffe04.html [accessed 17 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Verified photographs show Soviet-made cluster munitions used over densely populated areas by Syrian government forces

Doctors describe dire humanitarian situation - including widespread malnutrition - amid tightening siege

Witnesses recount indiscriminate attacks killing civilians as Syrian forces commit daily war crimes

Syrian government forces' increasing use of banned Soviet-made cluster munitions to carry out indiscriminate attacks and direct attacks on civilians amid a tightening siege in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta has killed at least 10 civilians and brought the area's humanitarian crisis to breaking point, Amnesty International can reveal today.

The organization interviewed five people currently under siege in Eastern Ghouta, among them activists and medical professionals, who described a severely deteriorating situation as the government has escalated its bombing campaign of this rebel-held enclave, near the capital, Damascus, since 14 November.

"The Syrian government is committing war crimes on an epic scale in Eastern Ghouta. Using its familiar, brutal strategy of siege and bombardment of civilians - already employed to devastating effect in Aleppo, Daraya and other rebel strongholds - the population is being forced to surrender or starve," said Philip Luther, Amnesty International's Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

"Amid a worsening malnutrition epidemic, Syrian forces must immediately end the unlawful siege of Eastern Ghouta and allow unimpeded access to humanitarian organizations before an already catastrophic situation claims yet more civilian lives."

Attacks on civilians and civilian objects

"I clearly saw parachutes strapped to small bombs falling, and 10 seconds later a series of explosions echoed." - Mustafa, civil defence volunteer

Images shared by activists in Eastern Ghouta, which have been verified by Amnesty International's arms expert, show remnants of cluster munitions from attacks that have taken place in the past 10 days, including one on 19 November.

Appearing in the images are Soviet-made ground-launched 240mm 3O8 cluster munitions projectiles containing up to 10 sub-munitions. According to Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, these first appeared in Syria after Russia began missile strikes against anti-government groups in September 2015.

Such weapons are banned by more than 100 countries due to the enormous danger presented to civilians by their indiscriminate nature.

"The Syrian government has shown callous disregard to the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people living in Eastern Ghouta since it laid siege to the area in late 2012. But this recent escalation in attacks - clearly targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure using internationally banned cluster munitions - is horrific," said Philip Luther.

"There are around 400,000 civilians struggling to survive under daily, often hourly, bombardment, without access to food and medical care."

Activists told Amnesty International the Syrian government also attacked residential areas with imprecise, improvised rockets such as "Elephant rockets", named in connection with the distinctive noise they make when launched.

According to the Violations Documentation Center in Syria, a local monitoring group, 97 civilians were killed in ground and air attacks by government forces between 14 and 26 November 2017.

Amnesty International interviewed two people who witnessed an attack by Syrian government forces using cluster munitions projectiles on al-Quawtli, a densely populated residential neighbourhood close to the Grand Mosque in Douma.

Mustafa, a volunteer with the civil defence, which carries out rescue work after military attacks, witnessed an attack on a crowded market on 19 November. He told Amnesty International:

"I heard the launch of the rocket because the government military base is close. Then I clearly saw parachutes strapped to small bombs falling and, 10 seconds later, a series of explosions echoed. After that, the shelling continued but the sound was different.

"I went to the scene of the attack and saw injured people on the floor, including women, children and men. Several people later died of their injuries."

Amnesty International analysed four videos posted online showing what were claimed to be cluster munition explosions by the Grand Mosque and verified that the images of the parachutes used to deliver the sub-munitions of the 240mm 3O8 cluster munitions projectiles used in the attack were taken in Douma.

Muhammad, a media activist, witnessed an attack that hit a residential building. He recalled:

"The missiles struck two residential buildings surrounding a market, which is usually crowded with shops and children playing.

"At the scene of the attack, I saw the civil defence removing the body of a girl around six years old. Her name is Ghina. Her family survived but she didn't. She was in one of the buildings that was hit. Thankfully, the warplane didn't hit the market or else there would have been more casualties."

Humanitarian crisis escalates

"All the children who come to me are skeletons, bones and skin." - Hoda, a doctor in Eastern Ghouta

Since the Syrian government captured the areas of al-Qaboun and Barze, which both border the Harasta neighbourhood of Eastern Ghouta, in February 2017, smuggling tunnels that had for years guaranteed a minimum flow of food, water and medical supplies to the besieged population have been closed.

As a result, the humanitarian situation inside Eastern Ghouta has rapidly deteriorated and food prices have increased exponentially, while hospitals have struggled to treat patients due to depleting stocks. On 3 October 2017, the Syrian government further tightened the siege by closing the last remaining entry point to Douma, the al-Wafideen checkpoint.

Muhammad, a media activist in Eastern Ghouta, described to Amnesty International how medical workers are struggling to provide adequate care to people facing malnutrition and injury, due to lack of supplies. He said:

"Outsiders think we are exaggerating but we are not. We barely have food. My wife and I had to cut down by half the amount of food we are eating. It is impossible to afford to buy food with the current prices, which are four times more than before."

According to the World Health Organization's food security report, published on 22 November, by mid-November 2017 a 700g bundle of bread was 85 times more expensive in Eastern Ghouta than in Damascus, located just 15km away.

Hoda, a doctor working in one of the field hospitals in Eastern Ghouta, described the scale of malnutrition crisis to Amnesty International:

"Hospitals are now relying on humanitarian aid convoys that are rarely allowed to enter. The last humanitarian aid convoy that entered Kaferbatna [a neighbourhood in Eastern Ghouta] was a month ago [October]. It carried a very small amount of medical aid. We need fuel, anesthetics, oxygen, antibiotics We are seriously running out of these supplies.

"The children are suffering the most. I am receiving lots of cases of malnutrition. They need food for energy and their immune systems, but their families can't afford to buy them any food so they end up eating barley, which is affordable, once a day. That's it.

"We don't have cases of children dying from malnutrition but all of the children who come to me are skeletons, bones and flesh. One child I saw is 10 months old and weighs 800g. All of the children are underweight without any exception."

In October, the UN's children's fund, UNICEF, announced that 232 children in Eastern Ghouta were suffering severe acute malnutrition.

"Russia, as a party to this conflict has a particular responsibility to ensure that its ally, the Syrian government, ends this unlawful siege and stops committing war crimes. Other states must use their influence to pressure Syria to allow unfettered impartial humanitarian relief to reach besieged civilians in Eastern Ghouta and elsewhere in Syria," said Philip Luther.

BACKGROUND

In August 2015, Amnesty International published a report documenting the unlawful siege of Eastern Ghouta and attacks on civilian objects. In November 2017, it released a report on mass displacement inside Syria, exposing the government's strategy of prolonged sieges with the aim of forcibly displacing the local population. It has been documenting violations and abuses by all parties in Syria since the onset of the crisis.

Amnesty International has been calling on all states for years to immediately halt the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions and to join the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM).

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Do you have the creative chops and the craft beer know-how to name a new brew?

Plan b is teaming up with Harpoon Brewery this January to concoct an exclusive craft beer that will only be available at the burger joint's nine locations (six of which are in Connecticut). The restaurant group is asking its fans to come up with a name.
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These are not particularly happy times for Connecticut Democrats in King Donalds Court. The GOPs beloved tax bill could pass the Senate, maybe as early as Thursday. A government shutdown looms Dec. 8 but President Trump is tweeting: I dont see a deal (with Democrats).

And Trumps reassurance after a North Korean ICBM missile test that we will take care of it? Dont get them started.

But they still manage to see one bright spot on the horizon. The Fix NICS Act, bipartisan legislation to beef up the FBIs National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), might actually win congressional approval.

Fix NICS was drafted in the wake of the Sutherland Springs, Texas, mass shooting after reports that the Air Force failed to enter disqualifying information about shooter Devin P. Kelley in the FBI database. It would spawn a series of sticks and carrots (as Sen. Chris Murphy put it Wednesday) to encourage submission of records by states and government agencies.

It passes the smell test of Republicans in charge of Capitol Hill because it accords with their mantra of enforce the laws already on the books.

Murphy, the champion of expanded background checks and other pieces of gun legislation in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass-shooting, noted that both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., have endorsed Fix NICS.

There are not many pieces of big transformative legislation in this place that are supported by both Senate leaders, Murphy said at a rally in the bright sun outside the U.S. Capitol.

After years of inaction by Congress, Murphy and co-sponsor Sen. Richard Blumenthal will take what they can get.

This is insufficient but if this passes, we do believe a lot of lives will be saved, Murphy said.

========

Rep. Jim Himes can be forgiven for feeling like hes working two jobs. First, theres the day job: Voting on key legislation, keeping up with pending bills and issues, and perhaps most importantly, ministering to the woes of constituents.

But then there is his membership on the House intelligence committee, which is conducting one of three congressional probes of laffaire Trump-Russia.

Forget the potentially sizzling raw intel he sees that he cant talk about. The job entails hours in the SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) where intelligence reporting can be digested as long as members check their electronics at the door.

Then theres prepping for interviews with witnesses who may not be altogether happy to appear before the committee. Erik Prince, former head of the security contractor Blackwater whose employees killed 17 civilians in Baghdad in 2007, is one.

And, according to CNN, Donald Trump Jr. might be another.

Its a balancing act, Himes said, noting the committee oversees the entire U.S. intelligence community in addition to probing the Trump-Russia connection. Ive got to continue representing my constituents. It is sort of like juggling a few full-time jobs.

================

Himes is not the only Connecticut lawmaker in town with a Russia-probe investigation on his hands. Blumenthal too is knee deep in the Senate Judiciary Committees probe, which is closely aligned with its oversight responsibilities of the Department of Justice and the FBI.

Its main calling card in this investigation is likely to be the question of obstruction of justice. Did the White House, President Trump himself, obstruct the FBI by having then-director James Comey dismissed for what the president later termed this Russia thing?

Any obstruction of justice would be within our jurisdiction, said Blumenthal, ever the former prosecutor who chooses his words carefully. Any violation of law involving collusion between the Trump camp and Russians or obstruction of justice would be serious and relevant.

Special counsel Robert Muellers office would be the one to bring criminal charges but the various congressional committees are charged with an equally challenging task: Telling the entire story to the American people.

Blumenthals main concern is the length of time it is taking the GOP-controlled committee to issue subpoenas for witnesses and documents. Committee staff has already interviewed Donald Trump Jr., with Blumenthal in the room but not asking questions. Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner remains on the to do list.

My preference would be we heighten the pace, Blumenthal said. The pace affects how deeply were able to go. Without issuing subpoenas for documents, we have no assurance that all documents will be provided. The pace affects the depth.

=============

This just in from the wardrobe malfunction department. If you think youre having a bad morning, think of the poor Senate flak (will remain unnamed) who ripped his pants while shepherding his boss away from the press, POLITICO reporter Seung Min Kim tweeted early Wednesday.

That was followed by a tweet from Igor Bobic of the Huffington Post: Oof! Rough day for Chris Harris, who happens to be communications director for Sen. Chris Murphy.

Harris, who can be a wag when he feels like it, replied: Off the record, no comment.

Turns out that if it was anything, it was a case of mistaken identity. Matt Whitlock, communications director for Sen. Orrin Hatch, acknowledged the unfortunate mishap, complete with a picture of safety pins closing the inseam of his right pants leg. Nothing to see here, he tweeted.

Was Harris relieved to be exonerated from the charge of inappropriate skin exposure in button-down Washington?

I dont want to comment on this, he told me, tersely. I think you have more important things to write about.
Donald Blankenship, the former Massey Energy chief executive who went to prison in the wake of a 2010 mine explosion that left 29 dead, plans to run as a Republican candidate for for the U.S. Senate in West Virginia, according to news organizations in the state.

Blankenship filed federal election papers to run as a Republican, Charleston, West Virginia-based television station WCHS and other outlets reported. Blankenship couldn't be reached for comment. The Federal Election Commission said it hadn't received any documents for his candidacy.

In the Republican primary, Blankenship would face off against at least two other candidates, U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. The winner would face incumbent Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in the 2018 election.

Blankenship wrote in an Oct. 3 post on his website that Manchin has failed to "successfully advocate for effective mine safety regulations."

Blankenship served a year in prison after being convicted of a misdemeanor charge for orchestrating a conspiracy to violate mine safety rules before the April 2010 deaths of 29 miners at the Upper Big Branch Mine in Montcoal, West Virginia.

"We have every confidence the people of West Virginia will see through his pathetic attempts to blame others for his actions," Phil Smith, a United Mine Workers of America spokesman said in an email when asked about Blankenship's run. "They will render the same judgment on the criminal Don Blankenship that a West Virginia jury did: guilty as charged, and unworthy of holding any office."

The former coal executive, who has referred to himself as an "American political prisoner," has argued his criticism of President Barack Obama and his support of Republican political candidates made him the target of a politically motivated case over the mine disaster.

Raised in West Virginia's rural back country, Blankenship has been one of the coal industry's loudest boosters, spending millions of dollars over the years backing state politicians and judges who might be friendly to coal and referring to global warming as a hoax. In May, he called on President Donald Trump to split the Labor Department's Mine Safety and Health Administration into two pieces.

"Everyone has a right to run for public office," Morrisey said in a statement. "I welcome anyone into this contest, but I will continue to run on my positive record of obtaining conservative results for coal miners and West Virginia taxpayers, fighting for the unborn, protecting gun rights, and ridding the state of this terrible opioid epidemic."

A spokesman for Manchin, who his race in 2012 with 61 percent of the vote, declined to comment. A former state legislator and governor known as a moderate, Manchin has managed to remain popular in a state that has been tilting toward Republicans.

Jenkins wasn't immediately available for comment.

West Virginia is no stranger to coal bosses in higher office. Last year, Jim Justice, a coal and real estate mogul, was elected governor as a Democrat. In August, at a rally alongside Trump, Justice announced he's switching to become a Republican. A week later, he said that Trump was "really interested" in his idea to create federal payments that would effectively bail out the state's coal industry.
Savannah, GA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 11/30/2017 --In the midst of all the maze, there is but one company that holds its head high and mighty, and it is none other than Lee Hill Rowe Insurance. All commercial entities require Commercial General Liability and Worker's Compensation. To meet these two fundamental purposes, business or commercial insurance is necessary. Lee Hill Rowe Insurance is an old player representing numerous carriers that provide a wide variety of conveniences and meet direct claims round the clock over the phone.



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They are known to provide time and patience whether it is in dealing with potential or existing clients. Agents and in-house staff working with Lee Hill & Rowe Insurors take time to assess the type of business and immediate requirement and act accordingly to protect client assets. While carrying out their work on workers' compensation and general business liability related issues, there are some basic requirements checked here for all business houses such as Business Owner's Program, a Contractor's Package, Commercial Property Coverage, Business Auto, Farm Policies, commercial umbrella and a commercial Insurance product. Having a vast knowledge base and work experience makes this company work in Business Insurances.



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Vancouver, BC -- (ReleaseWire) -- 11/30/2017 --According to a new series of reports on the Brazil market for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) spinal implants by iData Research (www.idataresearch.com), Brazil imports MIS devices, mainly from American and European manufacturers. However, the U.S. dollar has seen strong growth recently, which has made it harder for local suppliers to import these products, which are more expensive compared to standard technologies. As a result, it has been less profitable for companies to import MIS devices and this has stunted market growth in the region. But prices have begun to stabilize and these trends are projected to reverse, stimulating growth across different MIS segments.



By 2030, in many Latin American countries, the number of people aged 60 or over will be 2.5 to 3.5 times larger than in 2000. Barring unexpected major demographic change, for the next three to five decades the increase in this demographic population in the region will continue to grow rapidly. Since both fusion and non-fusion procedures are typically performed in order to treat spinal complications that are much more common in elderly patients. Therefore, the needs of this new patient pool will stimulate growth in both fusion and non-fusion spinal implant markets.



"A number of newer techniques use a lateral approach in order to reach the spine," explains Jeffrey Wong, Strategic Analyst Manager at iData Research. "In 2017, more than ten lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) systems were available on the Brazilian market, including NuVasive's popular eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF)."



Brazil's healthcare market includes both private and public sectors. Due to the more recent emergence of minimally invasive technologies and the slow response of reimbursement policies, most companies are focusing on the private sector. Smaller companies in this market space are generally focusing on the private healthcare sector in Brazil. Meanwhile, the leading competitor in the market, Zimmer Biomet, has been able to establish relationships with the public sector as well. This gives them brand recognition and means that surgeons are familiar with the company when it comes to newer technologies. The company has also benefitted from strong growth in Brazil due to effective use of third-party vendors.



Medtronic has the second-largest overall share in the Brazilian MIS spine market. The company has a strong presence in the relatively small facet fixation market, but gained most of its overall share from MIS pedicle screw devices. Additional competitors in Brazil include NuVasive, Globus Medical, Orthofix as well as a large number of smaller companies. The number companies present in the MIS segments is expected to grow as prices stabilize and the technology becomes more familiar among doctors in the region.



More on the MIS implant market in Brazil can be found in a series of reports published by iData Research entitled the Brazil Market Report Suite for Minimally Invasive Spinal Implants. The full report suite on the Brazilian market for minimally invasive spinal implants includes segments for MIS interbody devices, MIS pedicle screws, spinous process fixation, facet fixation, spine endoscope and MIS spine instrumentation.



The iData report series on MIS spinal implants covers the U.S., Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, South Korea, Japan, Australia, China, Taiwan and 15 countries in Europe including Germany, France, the United Kingdom (U.K.), Italy, Spain, Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg), Scandinavia (Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway), Portugal, Austria and Switzerland. Reports provide a comprehensive analysis including units sold, market value, forecasts, as well as detailed competitive market shares and analysis of major players' success strategies in each market and segment. To find out more about MIS implant market data, register online or email us at info@idataresearch.net for a Brazil Market Report Suite for Minimally Invasive Spinal Implants brochure and synopsis.



About iData Research

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Chinese icebreaker, Xuelong, or "Snow Dragon", sets off from a port in Shanghai bound for Antarctica, where it will establish China's newest base as Beijing strives to become a polar power, Nov. 8, 2017.

Chinas growing presence in Antarctica is causing alarm among some experts in Australia, which has big stakes in the resource-rich continent.

A recent report from the nonpartisan Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) alleges that China has been conducting secret military activities in Antarctica and may be making a grab for land there.

The reports author, Anne-Marie Brady, a highly regarded political science professor at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, says that Chinas aims may be at odds with Australias strategic interests.

China, she says, has conducted undeclared military activities in Antarctica, is building a case for a territorial claim, and is engaging in military exploration there.

Antarctica isnt a country. Its governed through an international treaty which was signed in 1959 by 12 countries whose scientists were working there at the time.

China is a relative newcomer to Antarctica. It joined the Antarctic Treaty in 1983.

According to the ASPI report, China is rapidly expanding its presence in a triangle-shaped area in the Australian Antarctic Territory. Chinese officials have stated in documents Beijings right to make a territorial claim.

Antarctica, roughly the size of the U.S. and Mexico combined, is a mostly uninhabited, ice-covered land mass.

Australia claims 42 per cent of the polar continent, the largest claim by far of any of the nations with a presence there.

United States research program

The United States claim is smaller, but New York Times reporters who visited Antarctica in the summer of 2017 reported that the U.S.-run McMurdo station on the edge of the continent has long been the most ambitious Antarctic research program run by any nation.

On the negative side, the National Science Foundation, which runs U.S. research programs in Antarctica, has decided that aging, inefficient buildings at the McMurdo research station must be replaced.

The cost of replacing those buildings would almost certainly come to hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the New York Times correspondents in a report published by The Times on July 17.

They add, however, that in an era when the Trump administration is seeking to slash federal spending, the fate of Antarctic research is an open question.

A more immediate issue, they say, is whether the U.S. Congress will allocate money for ice-breaking ships that would ensure that American bases in Antarctica can be resupplied every year.

Meanwhile, China is now replacing Russia as the United States main competitor in Antarctica.

China has four research bases, with a fifth planned. According to The Times report, the U.S. has three bases and multiple field camps, with an overall program still far larger than Chinas.

The McMurdo base, originally built by the U.S. Navy in 1957 during the early stages of the Cold War, houses more than 1,200 residents, the largest community in all of Antarctica.

Chinas goals

China hasnt publicly explained its goals in great detail to foreigners, but Brady says that her Chinese contacts and Chinese-language research show that Beijing is looking for resources, including minerals, hydrocarbons, and fish.

Other goals include the promotion of tourism, the opening of new transportation routes, securing sources of water, and bioprospecting.

All of this fits into Chinas strategic goal of achieving great-power status, according to Brady.

As she explains it, China also views access to both Antarctica and the Arctic as essential for the rollout of the countrys BeiDou satellite navigation system, Chinas space science program, and accurate weather forecasting in China.

Concerns about Chinas satellite navigation system go back to at least October 2013, when an ASPI report warned about the possible militarization of Antarctic bases on a continent often called a land of peace and science.

In 2014 Norwegian writer Brad Wormdal, the author of Satellite War, told Fairfax Media that China wanted to use the BeiDou navigation system to create a capability to guide missiles. A BeiDou base in Antarctica, he said, would make the system more reliable and precise.

The BeiDou navigation system is based on dual use technology. This means that it can be used both for scientific research and for the guidance of offensive missiles.

Chinas military involvement

In a new book titled China as a Polar Great Power, Brady says that as far back as five years ago, in 2012, Chinese officials told her that the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) would increasingly participate in Chinas Antarctic expeditions.

The Chinese officials cited the precedent set by Argentina, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, and the United States, all of which use their armed forces and contractors in Antarctica to help staff research stations and provide transportation and cargo handling.

Chinas decision to deploy its military, Brady says, would be legitimate if China were to publicly state that it is involving its military in Antarctic affairs.

But she adds that other than in its first expedition, China has neglected to notify other Antarctic Treaty states of the PLAs ongoing involvement in Antarctic logistics and strategic science.

Increasing the level of involvement of the Chinese military in the Antarctic program will greatly enhance Chinas operating capability and enable PLA personnel to gain experience in operating in polar conditions, says Brady.

Brady says that Australia has underfunded its programs in Antarctica while over the past decade China, as a result of budget increases, has become a major investor, going from being a minor player in the polar region to becoming a major actor.

ASPIs 2013 report said that Australias budget for Antarctic operations has faced crippling restrictions, with the overall budget for 2013-14 facing an eight percent cut from the previous years budget.

A word about Antarctica

Its worth noting that in contrast with the Arctic region, Antarctica is one of the coldest regions on earth.

The BBC has called it the driest, coldest, windiest place in the world.

But the French National Center for Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, or CNRS) explains that Antarctica turns out to be the best location for scientists

According to CNRS, this includes cosmologists, geophysicists, space mission coordinators, and even psychologists pursuing research in their fields.

And for astronomers, CNRS says that Antarctica is the worlds best earth-based observatory.

According to the website World Data, Antarctica has the cleanest air with minimal background radiation. Cloud cover only rarely hides the stars.

Research stations are spread across the continent, with a total of 70 permanent research stations representing 30 countries.

Chinas propaganda at home and abroad

In her book, Brady says that the Chinese government spares no effort to hide its designs on Antarctic mineral resources from possible foreign criticism to the extent of even deliberately mistranslating a speech by Chinas President Xi Jinping.

One of the tasks assigned to Chinas state media, which includes among others China Radio International and CCTV International, now known as China Global News (CGN), is to respond, usually indirectly, to international controversies about China.

Brady says that in November 2014, when President Xi visited Australia, the Australian media were speculating over the implications of Chinas expansion of its BeiDou satellite navigation system to Antarctica.

The China Daily, Chinas official English-language newspaper, avoided commenting on the controversy directly. It instead translated a quote from Xis speech given while he was visiting a Chinese icebreaker in port at Hobart, Australia.

Xi was quoted by China Daily on Nov. 19, 2014 as saying that scientific work in Antarctica is important work that will benefit humankind, and China has contributed to peaceful use of the continent.

According to Brady, the official Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs website carried a more complete version of the speech, in English, that might have aroused greater misgivings if any of the journalists following the story had looked at it.

As Brady notes in her book, Chinas expanding polar presence is consistently explained to the Chinese public, through Chinese-language sources, as being part of Chinas efforts to secure a share of polar resources.

In the more complete version of Xi Jinpings speech, he was reported to have said, The Chinese side stands ready to continuously work with Australia and the international community to better understand, protect, and exploit the Antarctic.

The China Daily version, however, used the word explore instead of the word exploit.

Brady says that China is assuming that foreigners wont know what their leader is saying in the original Chinese and therefore not be aware that Chinas goal is to exploit the continents resources.

Chinas expanding polar presence is explained to the Chinese public in Chinese as being part of Chinas efforts to secure a share of polar resources, Brady says.

This will in turn, she says, underwrite Chinas continued economic growth and serve as an indicator of Chinas improved comprehensive national strength.

In other words, the Chinese people, and not the just the scientists, will see a payoff from Chinas presence in Antarctica.

Meanwhile, environmental experts are focusing on what could go wrong with Chinas many activities in Antarcticaregardless of whether they involve either exploration or exploitation.

Theyre particularly concerned with the potential impact of any mining or fishing on Antarcticas marine life.

Dan Southerland is RFA's founding executive editor.
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a roundtable summit during the Belt and Road Forum at the International Conference Center at Yanqi Lake, north of Beijing, May 15, 2017.

UPDATED at 12:18 P.M. EST on 2018-11-30

The ruling Chinese Communist Party has invited political parties from around the world for a "dialogue," after President Xi Jinping vowed to lead the country to a higher profile in world affairs.

Xi was slated to address the conference, which will "pool wisdom" over the challenges faced by humanity, official media reported.

"It is hoped that parties can learn from each other ... and reach consensus on major issues concerning the future of mankind," organizer Guo Yezhou, head of the ruling party's international department, told journalists at a recent briefing.

Leaders from more than 200 parties and political organizations in more than 120 countries will converge on Beijing for the event, which runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3, Guo said.

The party's international department has previously been a fairly low-profile affair, but appears to be being given more to do following the unveiling of Xi's new brand of political thought.

Guo said the meeting would be expounding, in depth, Xi's "Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" and share the Chinese Communist Party's vision for a "shared future for mankind."

A Chinese historian who asked to be identified only by his surname Li said none of the political parties currently running major world powers would be represented, however.

"These parties basically lack influence in their home countries," Li said. "Some are formed of just a few dozen people, or 100 or so members. They don't necessarily have the same sort of ideas or the same kind of clout as our ruling party."

He said the event says more about changes in domestic Chinese politics than it does about any global leadership role for Beijing.

"It's all about showing off the ideology, and expanding it a bit further using economic muscle," Li said. "There's not very much of interest; they are looking to extend their hegemony."

"I don't think we will be seeing anyone from the Western political elite there," he said.

'The Lady' heads to Beijing

De facto Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi will be among those attending the event in Beijing.

New York-based human rights lawyer Ye Ning said her appearance in Beijing comes against the backdrop of a crackdown by Myanmars military in the country's northern Rakhine state that has forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees over the border into Bangladesh.

"Just as China is trying to paint this rosy picture of the whole world flocking to its door ... Aung San Suu Kyi is heading to Beijing to take part in this so-called international event for political parties," Ye said.

"It's pretty appropriate, actually, because just as Myanmar under Aung San Suu Kyi is getting rid of its unwanted [Rohingya] population, so Beijing is getting rid of its 'low-end population'," he said.

"These are despicable political acts, and devoid of moral compass: She should be stripped of her Nobel Peace Prize," he said,

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last week said the army's action against the Rohingya constitutes ethnic cleansing and said Washington could target individuals who committed atrocities with sanctions.

Raise that banner

A Beijing-based journalist surnamed Lu said China is now the main heir of the internationalist tradition in communism.

"This isn't going to happen in the Western world, and it couldn't happen under Mao [during Soviet times], so the Chinese are the only people who can raise that banner now," Lu said, referring to Mao Zedong, founder of the Peoples Republic of China which he ruled as party chairman from 1949 to 1976.

"There's a bit of carrot and stick involved too," he said. "If we just gave them money, then they'd just take it and run."

But he said he had no idea what it meant for Chinese socialism.

"Who can say where the revolution is headed?" he asked satirically. "Heaven alone knows."

The forum comes after nearly 30 heads of state gathered in Beijing last May for President Xi Jinping's "Belt and Road" global infrastructure initiative, colloquially known as the New Silk Road.

Comparing nations to "swans and geese" that can fly through storms as a team, Xi pledged to pour an extra U.S. $124 billion into the China-bankrolled project, including plans for ports, railways, roads, and industrial parks, on top of some U.S. $890 billion earmarked by the China Development Bank.

However, a number of European Union countries  France, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Portugal, and Britain  refused to sign one of the forum's trade communiques, citing concerns over the transparency of public procurement and social and environmental standards.

Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service and by Ma Lap-hak for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
The new governor of southeastern Laos Attapeu province has assured the public that he will hold responsible people involved in an illegal logging scheme that led to the seizure of 27 trucks filled with Lao timber and the downfall of his predecessor.

In May, Lao authorities seized a convoy of 27 trucks of logs owned by Seng Viyaketh, wife of then-governor Nam Viyaketh, at the Phoukeua International Border Checkpoint, which regulates crossings into western Vietnams Kon Tum province.

Authorities determined that the timber was illegally obtained from Laos, where logging is heavily restricted as a measure to curb widespread deforestation, and where timber exports are prohibited.

Nam and his wife denied any involvement in the incident at the time.

Leth Xaiyaphone, the provinces deputy governor who became governor on Nov. 21, assured Lao citizens that he would pursue the prosecution of those who disregarded state law and a Communist Party directive banning logging in certain areas and exports of timber from Laos.

I guarantee people that we will seek justice against the perpetrators, who must be held responsible for what they have done, he said at the time of his appointment.

Three Lao officials from the provinces finance, forestry, and commerce departments are being investigated for their roles in the scheme and have been ordered to stop working, Leth said.

Now provincial authorities and the Prime Ministers Office have all agreed to appoint a task force committee to conduct the investigation and collect evidence, he said.

The Communist Party of Laos removed Nam Viyaketh as governor of Attapeu province for his involvement in the illegal logging incident, mismanagement, and the embezzlement of state funds, official sources told RFAs Lao Service.

The Politburo issued an order reassigning him to work with the countrys National Social and Scientific Council.

The seized timber has been auctioned in Attapeu province, while its quality was still good, Leth said, but provided no further details about the proceeds.

12 more seized

Another 12 containers of Lao lumber were seized on Nov. 24 in northern Thailands Nan province, according to the chief of the provincial governments cabinet, who did not provide his name.

The timber passed through the Houan-Nam Ngun border checkpoint between Sayaboury province in Laos and Nan province in Thailand, he said.

He said officials believe that the 12 containers were passing through Thailand en route to China, where tropical hardwood is in high demand for furniture and other products.

The timber for producing furniture was deemed illegal, and customs officers estimated its value at 12 million baht [U.S. $368,000], he said.

But the value of the timber would have increased to 30 million baht (U.S. $920,000) had it reached China, the official said.

High-ranking officials in Attapeu are regularly involved in illegal logging and cross-border sales, despite a ban on the export of timber issued by Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith in May 2016 as part of an effort to end rampant smuggling to China and Vietnam, where the wood is used to make high-end furniture.

Sources have told RFA that provincial officials who take bribes to facilitate the smuggling include those from the departments of commerce, forest, public works and transport, customs and tax, and the provincial cabinet office.

Some 10,000 cubic meters (353,150 cubic feet) of illegally harvested timber seized from smugglers in Attapeu province this year has gone missing, likely the result of local authorities looking the other way or actively selling the wood on the black market.

Most of the illegal timber is obtained through conversion forestry  clearing areas marked for the development of infrastructure projects such as hydropower dams, road building, and mining operations  which is used as an excuse for large-scale logging that otherwise would not be permitted under Lao law.

Reported by RFAs Lao Service and translated by Ounkeo Souksavanh for RFAs Lao Service. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Pope Francis lays a wreath during a stop at the National Martyrs Memorial in Dhaka, which honors those who died during the 1971 War of Independence, Nov. 30, 2017.

Updated at 5:40 p.m. ET on 2017-11-30

In a historic visit to Bangladesh, Pope Francis on Thursday praised the South Asian nation for giving shelter to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and he called on the international community to help resolve the humanitarian crisis.

Addressing officials, lawmakers and diplomats in Dhaka during his first day in the Bangladeshi capital, the pontiff underscored the tradition of inter-religious harmony in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. In recent years, the country has seen a major terrorist attack and the emergence of Islamic fundamentalism.

The founders of Bangladesh envisioned a modern, pluralistic and inclusive society in which every person and community could live in freedom, peace and security, with respect for the innate dignity and equal rights of all, the Pope said in a speech delivered in Italian at the Bangladeshi presidential palace.

The future of this young democracy and the health of its political life are essentially linked to fidelity to that founding vision, the 80-year-old Argentinian pontiff said after visiting a museum honoring the countrys founding president and laying a wreath at a memorial honoring those who died in the 1971 war of independence, which birthed Bangladesh.

Francis, the second pontiff to visit the nation of Bangladesh, landed in Dhaka in the mid- afternoon after spending the earlier part of the week in neighboring Myanmar. His was the first visit by a pope to that Buddhist-majority nation.

It is imperative that the international community take decisive measures to address this grave crisis, not only by working to resolve the political issues that have led to the mass displacement of people, but also by offering immediate material assistance to Bangladesh in its effort to respond effectively to urgent human needs, he told his audience at the presidential palace.

He said he looked forward to a meeting with ecumenical and inter-religious leaders at the archbishops house in Dhaka on Friday.

Together we will pray for peace and reaffirm our commitment to work for peace. Bangladesh is known for the harmony that has traditionally existed between the followers of the various religions, the head of the Roman Catholic church said.

In a world where religion is often  scandalously  misused to foment division, such a witness to its reconciling and unifying power is all the more necessary.

Refugees from Rakhine

But as he did during his stay in Myanmar, Francis refrained from using the term Rohingya at the start of his three-day visit to Bangladesh.

During his remarks Thursday, he described them only as refugees from Rakhine state, but he acknowledged the toll of human suffering they had endured.

He refrained, too, from describing violence in Myanmars Rakhine state that had forced more than 620,000 Rohingya to flee to southeastern Bangladesh since late August as ethnic cleansing  as the United Nations and United States had done in recent weeks.

People in Myanmar, whose government has denied Rohingya citizenship, refer to Rohingya Muslims as Bengalis or illegal migrants from Bangladesh. But across the border in Bangladesh, the government also refuses to acknowledge them as Rohingya, referring to them instead as displaced persons from Myanmar.

At the Bangabhaban, the presidents palace in Dhaka, the Pope lauded Bangladesh for displaying the spirit of generosity and solidarity through its humanitarian outreach to the refugees by giving them temporary shelter and basic necessities.

This has been done at no little sacrifice. It has also been done before the eyes of the whole world, he said. None of us can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation, the immense toll of human suffering involved, and the precarious living conditions of so many of our brothers and sisters, a majority of whom are women and children, crowded in the refugee camps.

During his remarks welcoming Pope Francis to his country, Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid accused Myanmars military and security forces of committing ruthless atrocities, which ignited the most recent exodus of Rohingya refugees from their ancestral homes in Rakhine state.

They had fled a military crackdown that followed attacks mounted on police and army posts in Rakhine by Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) insurgents on Aug. 25.

Hamid said Bangladesh had welcomed the Rohingya refugees with an open heart, but now there was a shared responsibility to ensure their safe, sound and dignified return to their homeland in Myanmar.

Growing religious fervor

On Friday, Pope Francis is also scheduled to celebrate mass with about 80,000 Catholic faithful at a local park and meet with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Holy Sees embassy in Dhaka. He is expected to meet with a group of Rohingya refugees as well, before returning to Rome on Saturday afternoon.

It is the first papal visit to Bangladesh  home to about 400,000 Catholics  since Pope John Paul II in 1986, and only the second in the countrys 46-year history. Pope Paul VI visited Bangladesh, when it was known as East Pakistan, a province of Pakistan, in 1970.

Lately, majority Sunni-Muslim Bangladesh has seen growing religious conservatism and a series of deadly attacks by Islamic extremists on secular writers, minorities and foreigners.

We believe that inter-faith dialogue, at all levels of the society, is important to combat such extremist trends, he said. We denounce this extremism, in all its forms and manifestations. Hamid said in his speech.

The countrys Catholic community is tiny, making up about 0.2 percent of the population of about 163 million, but its members have also been targeted by Muslim extremists.

Just days before the Popes arrival, a Catholic priest, Walter William Rosario, went missing in northwestern Natore district, according to a Christian association. The circumstances of the priests disappearance remain mysterious and it is unclear whether he may have fallen victim to extremists.

In July 2016, the nation was rocked by a terrorist attack in which gunmen took over an upscale cafe in Dhaka, leaving 29 people dead, including nine Italians and the five attackers. The extremist group Islamic State claimed responsibility.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
Growing income levels among young Tibetans living in northwestern Chinas Qinghai province have led recently to a widespread addiction to gambling, resulting in social problems and disruptions in family life, Tibetan sources say.



Supported by earnings from the harvesting of caterpillar fungus, Tibetan youth in Qinghais Wulan county now gather in restaurants and hotels, where they bet large sums of money in games of mahjong or dice, a local source told RFAs Tibetan Service.



They gamble as much as 10,000 [U.S. $1,513] or 100,000 yuan [U.S. $15,132] over the course of a single night, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



They are becoming addicted to gambling, the source said.



Those who lose money simply borrow more from their friends, and continue to gamble undeterred, RFAs source said. The gamblers are all young Tibetans. The Chinese themselves arent gambling.



Young Tibetans gambling in Wulan are often joined by youth from Qinghais Yulshul prefecture, the source said, adding that gamblers evade the law by meeting in secret.



This addictive lifestyle and behavior are causing problems in society and in their families, which experience hardship when large amounts of money are lost, the source said.



Those who lose will often sell their livestock so they can continue the vicious cycle of betting, he said.



Tibetan religious teachers always urge young Tibetans to abandon gambling and to better themselves through education, the source said, adding, And this advice has led many to lead better lives.



But still, many young Tibetans are now becoming addicted to gambling, he said.



Difficulties adjusting



Meanwhile, uneducated Tibetan nomad youth now living in Wulan are finding themselves at loose ends after being resettled in government-built housing, another local source told RFA.



They are finding it increasingly hard to adapt to their new lives, as they are illiterate and have no skills to find jobs in the towns.



Instead, they loiter around wasting their time, have no sense of purpose to their lives, and spend whatever money they have buying motorbikes, he said.



Unable to cope with their new circumstances, many get divorced, leaving children behind in broken households where they receive less parental attention and care, he said.



Reported by Kunsang Tenzin for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Chinese authorities in the northwestern region of Xinjiang have handed down a 16-and-a-half-year jail term to an ethnic Kazakh man on ethnic hatred charges, RFA has learned.



Manat Hamit, 45, was handed the sentence in May by a court in Burultokay (in Chinese, Fuhai) county in Xinjiang's Altay prefecture, sources said.



His appeal was rejected by a higher court, which upheld the original verdict and sentence.



Manat's sister Nurisha Manat, who currently lives in neighboring Kazakhstan, said the family has tried to to help him, but that the authorities had refused to give them any information, or to accept a lawyer they hired to help prepare his appeal.



"We didn't receive [any formal notification], but we heard from somebody that he planned to appeal," she said. "But the sentence remained at 16 years, for two charges, I believe, one of which was to do with ethnic separatism."



"He received 16 years ... He was detained at the end of April, and the trial was in July," she said.



"I think he had a lawyer but I could never manage to get through on the lawyer's number from here."



She said anyone who knew Manat in his hometown had also been targeted by police, and daren't speak out about his detention and sentencing.



An unnamed source in Manat's hometown described him as a scholarly civil servant who was detained on April 25 after the authorities found audio files of Quranic recitations on his computer.



He was initially accused of "disseminating terrorism-related audiovisual material," and "incitement to racial hatred and to racial discrimination."



He was sentenced in May at a secret trial, with no access to family visits or a lawyer.



'Extremist acts'



The authorities had quickly located the audio files, which Manat had downloaded two years beforehand, and placed him under criminal detention.



The court indictment said: "Manat used religious extremist acts that amount to disseminating terrorist audiovisual content and incitement to ethnic hatred and discrimination."



A court typically hands down such heavy jail terms based on its view that a person's actions have done "serious harm" to society.



Repeated calls to the Burultokay county court, the Altay Intermediate People's Court and to Manat's former employers, the Burultokay county government personnel department, rang unanswered during office hours on Wednesday.



Local news website Yaxinwang said Manat had won an official award for his government work in 2015.



A Kazakh source living in Altay said the authorities are still waging a crackdown on ethnic minority Kazakhs who have ties with friends and family in neighboring Kazakhstan, including those who return to China after visiting them.



"It's not just in Altay: it's across the whole of Xinjiang," the source said. "If you go to Urumqi, the people there are scared, too, with surveillance cameras watching them, the police can be there in the space of a minute."



"People are afraid to allow friends and relatives from overseas to stay in their homes, because the police won't allow it, and force them to go and stay in a hotel or guesthouse for foreigners," the source said.



Hundreds held



Sources estimate that Chinese authorities in Xinjiang have detained hundreds of ethnic Kazakhs this month, freezing their bank accounts and assets pending "investigation," for extremist behavior that includes normal Islamic practices.



Both Kazakhs and ethnic minority Uyghurs are being detained in political study centers in unprecedented numbers across the region.



Students who traveled to Egypt for Islamic studies have been rounded up by Egyptian authorities at China's behest, with some being taken back to China and most held incommunicado.



There are also moves afoot by authorities in Altay to strengthen Han culture in the border region, by insisting that minority groups learn to speak better Mandarin.



Official figures show that there are around 1.5 million Kazakhs in China, mostly concentrated in and around the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture.



China has previously welcomed Kazakhs who wished to relocate from Kazakhstan, but many Kazakhs with Chinese nationality are now heading back in the other direction, with their numbers peaking at nearly

38,000 in 2006.



Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
A court in south central Vietnam on Thursday rejected jailed blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynhs appeal of her 10-year prison sentence for publishing politically sensitive material online, prompting condemnation from watchdogs who called the hearing a farce and demanded her immediate release.



The Peoples Court of Khanh Hoa province, in Nha Trang city, took three hours to uphold the conviction of Quynhalso known by her blogger handle Me Nam, or Mother Mushroomwho was arrested Oct. 10, 2016 while on her way to visit a fellow rights campaigner in prison and sentenced in June to a decade in jail on charges of spreading propaganda against the state under Article 88 of Vietnams Penal Code.



Nguyen Kha Thanh, a lawyer defending the 37-year-old Quynh, told RFAs Vietnamese Service after the ruling that the closed door proceedings had been hasty and unsatisfactory.



We were allowed to ask questions and debate, Thanh said.



We said that Quynh hadnt committed any crime and that the consequences of what she did were not serious. However, our questions and arguments were ignored by the court.



He noted that the blogger maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings, as she has done since her arrest last year.



Quynh was very braveshe didnt plead guilty, Thanh said. She said that she had the right to do what she did.



Thanh, Nguyen Ha Luan, and Ha Huy Son were the three lawyers representing Quynh on Thursday. A fourth, Vo An Don, was struck from the bar association days before the hearing for posting sensitive material on his Facebook page and conducting interviews with foreign media.



According to the lawyers, three investigators who had worked on Quynhs case had been asked to appear at the hearing Thursday, but none of them attended.



Trinh Kim Tien, an activist from Nha Trang, posted a video to her Facebook page Thursday which showed barriers set up around the court building and Quynhs mother, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Lan, being refused entry and trying to force her way past authorities.



When the court adjourned, Quynhs supporters began shouting slogans opposing the verdict, prompting police to beat and arrest several people, including Lan. Lawyer Vo An Don, and activists Tien and Tran Thu Nguyet had their cellphones confiscated by the authorities.



Attempts by RFA to reach Lan after the hearing went unanswered Thursday.



According to a report by the Associated Press, Vietnam's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang told reporters at a regular press briefing Thursday that Quynh's appeals trial had taken place publicly and in accordance with Vietnamese law.



Communist Vietnam, where all media are state-controlled, does not tolerate dissent, and rights groups identify Article 88 as among a set of vague provisions that authorities have used to detain dozens of writers and bloggers.



Quynhs is one of the more high-profile cases of activists handed heavy sentences as part of an ongoing crackdown by authorities in the Southeast Asian nation.



She had blogged about human rights abuses and corruption for more than a decade, and more recently voiced criticism over Vietnams policy toward Chinas territorial claims in the South China Sea. She has also criticized the governments response to a 2016 toxic waste spill by a Taiwanese firm that destroyed the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Vietnamese living in four coastal provinces.



International reaction



Shortly after news broke of the courts decision on Thursday, U.S. Charge d'Affaires Caryn McClelland issued a statement in which she said she was deeply troubled by the ruling.



The United States calls on Vietnam to release Ms. Quynh and all prisoners of conscience immediately, and to allow all individuals in Vietnam to express their views freely and assemble peacefully without fear of retribution," she said.



The trend of increased arrests, convictions, and harsh sentences of peaceful activists and students since early 2016 is deeply troubling.



New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) rejected the decision and advised Vietnams government to carry out its own investigations on Quynhs reporting, instead of trying to shut her up.



We strongly condemn today's ruling to uphold the 10-year prison sentence given to blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh for doing her job as a reporter, said CPJ senior Southeast Asia representative Shawn Crispin.



Critical reporting on poor governance, official abuses, and environmental disasters should not be considered a crime in Vietnam. Quynh should be released without delay.



Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of New York-based Human Rights Watch, declared the hearing a joke from the start, with Vo An Don disbarred and her mother, relatives and supporters being refused entry to the courtroom.



The proceedings were a farce, with the judge simply going through the motions before issuing the harsh verdict predetermined by the ruling communist party, upholding her long prison sentence, he said.



Robertson slammed U.S. President Donald Trump and other leaders for failing to use the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Danang earlier this month to raise public concerns about Vietnams rights record.



Not raising human rights with Vietnam is like giving leaders in Hanoi a green light to commit more and they have not hesitated for a second, he said.



With many governments and donors having shamelessly fallen silent on human rights, Hanoi is going after the opinion leaders like Mother Mushroom first, with the hope that chopping down her and other prominent dissident heroes will intimidate rank and file activists to halt their activities.



Robertson echoed Crispins suggestion that Vietnams government should be honoring Quynh for her work instead of separating a mother from her young children simply because they don't like her criticism, and packing her off to rot for ten years in a harsh prison cell.



Cost of crackdown



Local activists told RFA that while Vietnams crackdown on dissent has been harsh, they remain committed to standing up for the rights of their fellow citizens and would not be deterred.



Despite knowing that cruelty has taken place, and will certainly increase, we all know in advance where our path will lead, said former prisoner of conscience Bui Thi Minh Hang.



The government's persecutions and repression, and its convictions of democracy activists, will not undermine our will to fight.



Hang said that although some may be frightened by the governments tactics, those who are committed  are unflinching in our resolve, adding that she expected more brutality would needed to push people beyond their tolerance  [and make them] stand up to fight.



Activist Nguyen Lan Thang said that the crackdown had naturally exhausted some of those who speak out against government injustice.



Their strength is limited, while the [governments] attack is endlessthey do anything they can to harm us, including using the courts, tearing down our businesses, and even throwing shrimp sauce and paint into our homes, he said.



However, I think that such strong repression can also create indignation in the minds of the people, and this will cause them to fight in the future.



Vietnam is currently holding at least 84 prisoners of conscience, the highest number in any country in Southeast Asia, according to rights group Amnesty International.



Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked Vietnam 175th out of 180 countries in its 2017 World Press Freedom Index.



Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Emily Peyman. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
A Richmond judge has denied a motion to undo a conviction, and the resulting 125-year sentence, in a rape and murder case that pitted two of the areas top prosecutors against each other.

Circuit Judge C.N. Jenkins Jr. made his ruling without siding with either of the prosecutors, whose memories differed in the case. Jenkins also did not take action on an allegation of ineffective counsel against one of them.

Don Farmer was found guilty during a 2011 jury trial of beating to death a grandmother and raping her 18-year-old granddaughter on Oct. 4, 1987. Farmer, who was linked to the crimes by DNA, was also convicted of robbery and burglary, and sentenced to 125 years.

At trial, Farmer was represented by Shannon L. Taylor, who was elected Henrico Countys commonwealths attorney a month later. Richmond Commonwealths Attorney Michael N. Herring handled the prosecution.

Farmer tried unsuccessfully to appeal the conviction.

In a last-ditch effort to overturn the sentence, Farmers new attorneys, Stephen A. Mutnick and Christopher M. Winslow, filed a civil lawsuit alleging unlawful imprisonment because Taylor failed to inform Farmer of a plea offer that would have reduced his sentence by nearly a century. Taylor admitted at a hearing in September that her counsel fell short of whats guaranteed in the Constitutions Sixth Amendment.

Among other things, the amendment spells out the rights of defendants, including a guarantee to effective counsel and to be fully informed of the facts of the case.

Taylor had no comment Thursday.

Farmers attorneys asked for either a new trial or for Judge Jenkins to change the sentence to the alleged 30-year offer. To do that, Mutnick and Winslow had to prove that an offer was extended and that Farmer and the court would have accepted.

The sticking point during the September hearing was whether an offer was extended. This is where Herring and Taylor disagreed in their recollections of the trial some six years later.

Taylor testified that while the jury was deliberating Farmers sentence, but after it had found him guilty of the four charges, Herring approached her about renewing a 30-year offer that had been on the table prior to trial.

Herring denies making the offer, though he did say he approached her but was rebuffed before saying anything more than, Do you want to talk?

Taken together, it is unclear whether Herring ever offered a 30-year plea deal that would have triggered Taylors obligation to communicate such an offer to the petitioner, Jenkins wrote in his opinion. However, it must be noted that Taylors willingness to testify that her performance was deficient and thereby fell below the Sixth Amendments constitutional guarantee should be given weight.

Jenkins goes on to say that he weighed the rest of the evidence without deciding whether the offer was ever extended or that Taylor was ineffective.

Farmer testified that he would have accepted the alleged 30-year offer. But Jenkins said, This testimony is made with the benefit of hindsight.

Farmer maintains his innocence, according to Katherine Q. Adelfio, the assistant attorney general who responded to the lawsuit for the state. Plus, he demanded to appeal the conviction immediately, Adelfio said, and if he accepted a deal, Farmer would have forfeited that right.

Farmer, who is the petitioner, failed to meet his burden ... that he would have accepted the plea agreement, Jenkins said. Jenkins also disagreed that the court would have accepted the deal given the unsettling facts of the case and the possible presence of other aggravating factors.

Consequently, this court need not make a factual determination regarding the existence of the alleged plea offer and Taylors claimed ineffective assistance, Jenkins said in his order denying any change to Farmers conviction.

Herring said he hadnt seen Jenkins order.
A 57-year-old Richmond man received what his attorneys called a life sentence for murdering his girlfriend, an Amelia Court House woman whose body was discovered outside a South Richmond church in March.

John B. Harvie pleaded not guilty to the murder at his trial in September, even after confessing to police that he shot 47-year-old Katherine A. Wiglesworth twice  once in the chest, and then again in the head. He then took money from her and left her body in the secluded lot in front of Metropolitan African American Baptist Church shortly before 6:30 p.m. on March 4.

Circuit Judge Beverly W. Snukals found him guilty of first-degree murder and a gun charge in September, and sentenced him to 33 years in prison on Wednesday.

Its been really hard, said Blake OKennom about the loss of his mother. His grandmother  Wiglesworths mother who is in her 80s  is distraught, he said. She cant accept that its real. It doesnt feel real.

OKennom called his mother fun-loving. She could bring out the kid in anyone, he said.

Before the judge read the sentence, Harvie apologized to Wiglesworths family.

This is my fault, he said in court. I miss her every day too.

At trial, it came out that Harvie, an addict, was drunk and high at the time of the murder. Wiglesworth tried to leave, and he didnt like that, prosecutor Christine Cestaro said.

Harvies attorney, public defender Barbara Rosenblatt, said Harvie was not in the right state of mind when he shot Wiglesworth, nor when he confessed to police.

Snukals said Harvie just doesnt fit the profile I see every day. He has close family ties  his father and sister sat in the back of the courtroom  and a good job  co-workers at the technology firm where he worked spoke highly of him in court. Despite this, Snukals called the murder particularly gratuitous.

She sentenced him to 50 years with 20 suspended on the murder, and three more years for a gun charge.
Hundreds of animals  including emus, sheep, cats, rabbits and ducks  were rescued from a farm Wednesday in Louisa County.

The Louisa County Sheriffs Office said it was called to West Old Mountain Road for a report of goats in the roadway.

When an animal control officer arrived to corral the goats, the officer found several more animals in distress and some that were dead, the sheriffs office said in a Facebook post.

Additional personnel from the sheriffs office and from the countys Community Animal Response Team (Louisa CART) were called to the location with equipment and cages needed to rescue the animals.

The sheriffs office said goats, emus, sheep, rabbits, chickens, turkeys, peacocks, ducks and cats were among the animals rescued. Guinea pigs and exotic birds also were found.

Maj. Donnie Lowe, the chief deputy at the sheriffs office, said the animals were found in horrible conditions on the roughly 40-acre farm.

It was obvious that water hadnt been changed, Lowe said. A lot of the cages were obviously neglected.

Lowe said possibly up to 500 animals were found at the property.

The sheriffs office also found horses at the property, but Lowe said it appeared they were in good condition.

Lowe declined to identify the owner of the animals. The chief deputy also said it was too early to comment on whether charges will be filed in the case, which he described as an animal abuse and neglect case.

The animals are being housed at the Louisa Firemans Fairgrounds until more suitable arrangements can be found, the sheriffs office said.

In a post on its Facebook page, Louisa CART, a volunteer organization, said none of the animals is available for adoption at this point.

If you would like to help us, the most useful assistance right now is a financial donation, Louisa CART said in its post.
Legislation expanding the list of misdemeanor convictions that trigger the collection of DNA from an offender appears headed for backing by the Virginia State Crime Commission and consideration in the upcoming General Assembly session.

The commission asked its staff Wednesday to draft proposals that could add thousands of additional samples a year to the states databank. It already holds 576,262 profiles collected from people convicted of felonies and 14 misdemeanors.

A staff study presented to the commission Wednesday found a strong association between being initially convicted of additional misdemeanors  including assault and battery, domestic assault, petit larceny, trespassing and destruction of property  and later committing violent felonies and certain burglary crimes.

The commission heard from speakers opposed to further expansion for privacy reasons and concerns about the disproportionate effect expansion would have on minorities. Also heard were pleas from the parents of slain University of Virginia student Hannah Graham.

I support the expansion of DNA collection in Virginia because I believe it will help to ensure that what happened to my wonderful 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, never happens to another young woman in Virginia, Susan Graham said.

It will also save other mothers (from) the burden and anguish that I carry with me every day. Ladies and gentlemen of the commission, Im living every mothers worst nightmare. I urge you to do what you can to stop this from happening to another young woman, she added.

Hannah Graham was abducted in Charlottesville and killed by Jesse L. Matthew Jr. in 2014. Matthew is serving life in prison for crimes including the murders of Graham and Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, who disappeared after a concert in Charlottesville in 2009.

The Grahams say that had Matthews DNA been collected from a 2010 trespassing conviction, it would have generated a hit in 2010 linking him to a 2005 sexual assault in Fairfax, and he would have presumably been in prison in 2014 instead of being free to kill.

Also speaking in favor of the expansion Wednesday were Albemarle County Sheriff J.E. Chip Harding and Commonwealths Attorney Robert Tracci. Harding, a longtime proponent of expanding the list of crimes that call for DNA collection, said Class 1 misdemeanors are serious crimes that can call for up to one year in jail.

Tracci said, DNA protects citizens. It does so in a manner that is consistent with our civil liberties.

The ACLU of Virginia strongly opposes expanding the list. Among other things, the organization cites privacy rights, the disproportionate impact on minorities and the collection of DNA from people convicted of resisting arrest.

Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, executive director of the ACLU of Virginia, told the commission that the databank already holds the DNA profiles of more than 1 in 20 Virginians, yet as the databank expands, the number of hits has been dropping, from 933 in 2010 to 531 thus far this year.

Lets just take everyones DNA at birth, or when they enter school, or when they graduate from high school, or when they get their drivers license. ... That would be the simplest and fastest and, in some respect, fairest way to go about doing this as opposed to selectively choosing some crimes, she said.

DNA profiles recovered from crime scenes are compared with offender DNA profiles looking for matches, or hits. The DNA profiles also can be compared to find matches between crimes and exonerate the innocent.

Virginia was the first state with its own database and had its first hit in 1993, solving a vicious beating, rape and robbery of a 63-year-old Dale City woman.

Most recently in Virginia, in 2015, nine misdemeanors were added to the list of convictions requiring DNA collection. DNA is now collected from adults convicted of 14 misdemeanors. Most of those crimes are sex-related, but the list also includes such misdemeanors as resisting arrest, stalking and the unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

(DNA samples are also required in Virginia from: adults convicted of felonies and adults arrested for any violent felony and certain burglary crimes; juveniles 14 or older at the time of the offense and convicted or adjudicated delinquent of any crime that would be a felony if committed by an adult; people registered with the Virginia Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry; and anyone ordered to provide a sample by a circuit court as part of a plea agreement. Profiles collected at the time of arrest are removed from the database if there is no conviction.)

A commission staff study released Wednesday found that people who commit violent felonies often have first committed other misdemeanor offenses  including trespassing. Roughly 70 percent of 2,753 adults convicted of violent felonies or certain burglaries had at least one prior misdemeanor conviction.

Of 158 criminal histories of people convicted of rape, for example, 49 had at least one prior misdemeanor assault and battery conviction; 33 at least one prior domestic assault conviction; 39 at least one prior petit larceny conviction; 26 at least one prior destruction of property conviction; and 19 at least one prior trespassing conviction.

Over two recent years, there were 25,000 to 30,000 total convictions for those five crimes in Virginia, the staff reported. The staff said the Virginia Department of Forensic Science could handle up to 18,000 additional misdemeanor DNA samples a year without requiring additional equipment and staff.

One policy option suggested by the staff would be to amend state law to add the additional misdemeanors to the list.

State Sens. Thomas K. Norment Jr., R-James City, and Mark D. Obenshain, R-Rockingham  both commission members  said they favored expansion.

Quite frankly, I want to catch a rapist from his or her first offense, not on the second or third, Obenshain said.

State Sen. Janet D. Howell, D-Fairfax, said she recalled looking at DNA issues in the 1990s.

Its one of the things Im proudest of what we have done on the crime commission. We have solved a lot of crimes, weve prevented a lot of crimes and weve exonerated a lot of people, she said.

I think with this study today weve been given a very clear road map of the direction we should go, Howell said.

She said the cost could be as much as $500,000 a year. But when you think about the agony that could be prevented, it seems to me worth every dime and I think we should make every effort to just expand, she said.

Del. Robert B. Bell, R-Albemarle, the commission chairman, said commission members could ask the staff to prepare drafts, amendments or versions of expansion legislation for consideration at its next meeting, set for Monday.
In a dark parking lot earlier this month, Del. Alfonso H. Lopez tried to get to his car under a barrage of questions in English and Spanish.

Do you admit to profiting from immigration detention centers? Yes or no? a woman asks Lopez, a Democrat from Arlington County, in a Nov. 10 Facebook video posted by the Northern Virginia activist group La ColectiVa.

After voicing frustration over the groups confrontational tactics, Lopez tried to explain that immigration policies under then-President Barack Obama were different than the system put in place by President Donald Trump.

You guys dont want any borders, Lopez says to the activists recording him. You dont want any detention.

After a wave election for Virginia Democrats fueled by energetic opposition to Trump, pro-immigrant activists made clear on election night that they werent ready to join in the celebrations, protesting at the victory party for Gov.-elect Ralph Northam over his opposition to sanctuary city policies.

But the pressure from the left has been even more acute for Lopez, the son of a Venezuelan immigrant and former president of the Democratic Latino Organization of Virginia, who describes himself as a champion for immigrant communities.

Activists have targeted Lopez over his financial ties to the privately run Immigration Centers of America detention facility in Farmville, billed as the largest facility of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic when it opened in 2010. The detention center works with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house immigrants facing deportation.

Fear and anger over the Trump administration were a significant factor in the Nov. 7 election that saw Democrats sweep statewide races and flip 15 seats in the House of Delegates, wiping out what had been a 66-34 Republican majority. The protests directed at Lopez underscore the possibility that Democrats also could find themselves in the crosshairs of activist energy in the Trump era, particularly on the touchy issue of immigration enforcement.

The detention center was pitched as an economic boon to Farmville that would help immigration officials handle an uptick in the number of immigrants being detained for criminal charges. Its also a frequent target of protests by those who see the facility as emblematic of an oppressive immigration enforcement system that ensnares upstanding people and criminals alike.

Lopez, a partner in two consulting firms that focus on business and government management, listed ICA-Farmville as an employer on his mandatory financial disclosure forms for 2014, 2015 and 2016. The detention center is not listed as an employer on Lopezs paperwork for 2017.

State lawmakers are required to list any employers that pay them or a member of their immediate family more than $5,000 annually, but the forms dont require a detailed explanation of what type of work lawmakers do or a full accounting of their earnings.

La ColectiVa and other activist groups want Lopez to apologize, redirect the money he earned to a bond fund for detained immigrants, and sever any remaining ties to the Farmville facility.

Everyone knows him as the representative for the Latinx community in Virginia, said Irma Corado, a 27-year-old activist with La ColectiVa. To unveil this and uncover this, it was just like, really?

In a statement, Lopez said he filed all necessary documents and they have always been publicly available, but he did not elaborate on his work for the Farmville facility. Pointing to his legislative record, Lopez said he has fought against legislation to ban sanctuary cities, bills to prevent local law enforcement from releasing undocumented immigrants under ICE detainers, and any other efforts to demonize immigrants.

Let me be clear, I am proud of my heritage and Im proud of my record of achievement at the forefront of the fight for a more inclusive, diverse and welcoming commonwealth, Lopez said. My work on behalf of immigrants and New Americans in the Virginia House of Delegates over the last six years reflects that truth.

Officials at the Farmville detention center did not respond to requests for comment.

In addition to the face-to-face confrontations and a protest at Lopezs own victory party on election night, activists and student groups have launched an email campaign asking the House Democratic Caucus to deny Lopez a leadership role. Since 2015, Lopez has served as minority whip, helping to shape Democratic strategy and voting on the House floor.

With recounts pending in several close races after the election this month, House Democrats have not yet chosen their leaders for the 2018 session. The arrival of 15 Democratic freshmen, some of whom dont feel particularly beholden to party leaders, could make for a bumpier discussion about who should lead the newly invigorated caucus.

How can we trust Delegate Lopez to fight for our community if he has not been transparent with us for so many years? the Mason DREAMers group at George Mason University wrote in a letter to Democratic delegates asking for Lopez to not be included in the new leadership.

Jessica Moreno Caycho, the 22-year-old vice president of the Virginia Commonwealth University chapter of the student group PLUMAS, or Political Latinxs United for Movement in Action and Society, said she and other activists will continue to press Lopez for an explanation and keep fighting for their communities no matter whos in charge.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Four Roanoke County high schools will host panels in the next two months focused on the opioid epidemic.

6 p.m., Dec. 4, William Byrd High School

6 p.m., Dec. 7, Glenvar High School

6 p.m., Jan. 18, Northside High School

6 p.m., Jan. 22, Cave Spring High School.

Topics include an update from local law enforcement, what to ask medical providers and where to get help. The panel will also have a personal story about how families are affected.

Opioid overdoses kill more people in Virginia every year than guns or car crashes and are on pace to kill more people this year than in past years. By the end of 2017, opioid overdoses are expected to claim the lives of nearly 1,200 people in Virginia, according to the states chief medical examiners office.

Potent street drugs such as heroin and fentanyl have overtaken prescription painkillers as the deadliest opioids. Last year, fentanyl killed about 620 people, an increase of 176 percent over the year before. Heroin was responsible for nearly 450 deaths last year. Prescription painkillers have claimed the lives of 400 to 500 people each year for the past 10 years.

In Roanoke County, from January through October this year, 12 fatal opioid overdoses and 43 non-fatal overdoses have been reported. In 2016, there were six fatal and 22 non-fatal overdoses. In 2015, there were five fatal and eight non-fatal overdoses.

Catch up on some coverage in The Roanoke Times of the opioid crisis:
Leslie Saul gave her fifth-grade students sand, rocks and duct tape and told them to try their best.

This is a process, she cautioned. It may not work.

Ten-year-olds Sammy Byers, Brookelyn Hartman and Mary Smith started planning.

For weeks their class at Back Creek Elementary has talked about the water cycle. Theyve partnered with students in Zimbabwe and Bangladesh to talk via the internet about water quality issues in those countries. They toured the Carvins Cove Water Treatment Facility run by the Western Virginia Water Authority.

Wednesday, they tried to remember all that theyve learned in order to design a water filter that would clean the dirty water from Back Creek that sat swirling in a tub on their teachers desk. At the water authority, does water filter through layers of sand and then rock, or rock and then sand?

I think it was sand, then rock, Sammy said. Her group concurred and then they started putting together their filter.

First, they took the top of a 2-liter bottle, cut in half, and duct-taped sheets of cheesecloth to the spout  to keep the sand from falling through. Then they stopped the hole with a cotton ball and laid down another layer of cheesecloth. Then, the rocks, the sand and another layer of activated charcoal. Across the top they taped down more cheesecloth.

Sammy scooped a cup of dirty water from the tub at the front of the classroom and poured. The girls crowded around the bottle to see if it worked, waiting for proof from the drip-drip-drip.

Murky, yellowish water filled the cup, just slightly clearer than what Sammy had poured.

It doesnt look clean, Brooklyn said.

Water filtration is tricky business, classmate Tristan Welly, 11, observed. His group also struggled to create a working filter, layering charcoal, rock and sand from bottom to top.

We thought we had it exactly as they had it [at the water treatment facility] but clearly we did not, because our water was black, Tristan said. His group changed course, and took out the charcoal. After, their water filtered through more clearly.

I think this is the cleanest anyone in the class has gotten, he said. I definitely would drink that.

Wednesdays assignment was one in a series the students will complete, all designed to engage them by doing, Saul said. Next, theyll take their clean water and run tests to see just how clean it is. Then, theyll share with their international partners what they learned and help them make their own filters.

The international component is made possible through Level Up Village. The company designs STEAM projects  science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics  and then connects classrooms in different countries to work together to solve problems collaboratively.

Like other Level Up projects the Roanoke County schools have taken on, this one has exposed students to a different way of life experienced by many around the world, Saul said.

Its been eye-opening to look at what other countries dont have that we do, she said.

Tristan said he took his clean water for granted until he learned how limited its access is in some places.

I just dont think that its fair that we have clean water and they dont, he said.
A spokesman for the University of Virginia on Thursday said professor John Casey will not teach creative writing classes in the spring.

Casey was set to teach two graduate-level courses in the English Department.

He is the subject of three Title IX complaints filed in November. Former Masters of Fine Arts students said he had sexually harassed them and created a hostile environment in the classroom.

Since the complaints were filed and the university opened an investigation on Nov. 20, the university received more complaints against Casey, including allegations involving a faculty member, according to a letter from the universitys Title IX office.

According to the letter, provided by Emma Eisenberg, one of the complainants, Casey was notified Thursday that he would not be allowed to teach spring 2018 classes, he would not participate in the graduate admissions process while he was under investigation and he would not be allowed to contact complainants.

The directive was issued by Emily Babb, the universitys assistant vice president for Title IX compliance.

Eisenberg and other former students at UVa and Sewanee Writers Conference, where Casey also taught, said he would inappropriately touch female students, comment on their clothing, use profanity to refer to women in readings and rank female students based on their attractiveness.

Casey is currently on a previously scheduled sabbatical, according to a university spokesman.

The spokesman, Anthony de Bruyn, said accommodations will be made for students who have already enrolled in Caseys spring classes.
BEDFORD  Bedford County Domestic Violence Services is able to hire a part-time driver again to assist victims, thanks to fundraising by its nonprofit arm and community partner, the Domestic Violence Coalition.

The coalition was created in 2004 specifically to raise funds for and support Bedford County Domestic Violence Services.

Heather Jones, director of Bedford County Domestic Violence Services since August 2015, said the program offers non-judgmental advocacy support and care.

From July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017, the agency fielded 2,223 calls to its hotline, including 1,707 calls related to family violence, 14 calls relating to sexual assaults and 510 calls where it referred callers to another agency or provided information, Jones said. Its safety and crisis shelter housed 77 people during that time, including 37 women and 40 children, Jones said.

The program also offered 844 hours of counseling and support services and assisted 138 people who visited the office. Program staff also accompanied 87 people to court proceedings.

Jones said she currently is seeking to hire a driver part time to provide transportation to assist victims with needs such as getting to and from doctors appointments and taking or picking up children from day care.

The Domestic Violence Coalition received a $5,000 grant from the Bedford Community Health Foundation this month, giving Bedford County Domestic Violence Services enough funding to hire a part-time driver and free up county staff, who in the past gave rides to victims.

The county program hired a part-time driver in 2016 but didnt have funding for a driver this year until the grant.

Domestic violence is a community health issue, the foundations executive director Denny Huff said, explaining why the foundation provided the funding. It impacts not only the victim but their children, co-workers, family and friends.

The coalition supplements what the county department offers and provides survivors assistance with needs such as security deposits for housing or furniture, said Al Brandt, chairman of the coalition who serves on the countys social services board.

Were constantly in touch with [county] staff, Brandt said.

Educating the general public about domestic violence helps survivors know what services are available, Brandt said.

There are people who are victims who dont know theyre victims, Brandt said.

The Bedford County Domestic Violence Services program is under the countys social services department. Andy Crawford, the countys director of social services, said the program is there to support people in their journey.

Jones said Bedford County Domestic Violence Services also has been working to expand prevention, outreach and long-term care for survivors once they leave the shelter.

Its more complicated than a woman running and hiding, Jones said. These people have kids with the abuser, their finances are intertwined and violence is intergenerational.

Bedford County allocates about $369,131 annually to the program, which includes funding to match state grants, Jones said in an email. The grants this year from the Virginia Department of Social Services and the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services total $393,978.

The program also receives smaller grants from the coalition, churches, civic organizations and private industries, Jones said in an email.
BUCHANAN  As a tumultuous year in town hall neared an end, Buchanan dealt Wednesday night with the resignation first of its town manager and then its mayor.

The first departure was expected. Mary Zirkle had already informed members of the Buchanan Town Council that she planned to step down as town manager, less than two months after the council voted to uphold a town charter requirement that called into question her out-of-town residency.

The second was a shock. At the end of a special meeting held to accept Zirkles resignation, Mayor Larry Hall announced that he was calling it quits, too.

It is with sincere regret that I must submit my resignation as Buchanans town mayor as of Dec. 1, 2017, due to a serious medical issue with my family, Hall said, reading from a recently composed letter to the council.

After the meeting, Hall said his decision was at least indirectly related to a series of controversies that have rocked his town of about 1,200, sometimes forcing the council to meet in the Buchanan Theater to accommodate overflow crowds.

In August, an independent investigation found no basis for allegations that Hall spoke disrespectfully to female staffers  charges that he said were unfairly raised at an earlier council meeting by Vice Mayor James Manspile.

At the same time, a controversy was brewing over whether Zirkle, who commutes from a family farm in Bedford County, should be held to a town charter that requires the town manager to live within Buchanan.

All the evil that has been going on in the town  all that has made my wife tremendously sick, said Hall, who has been mayor for the past five and a half years. There is no choice between my wife and me being mayor, he said. Ive got to protect my family.

The four remaining members of council must now elect a new mayor from their ranks and then appoint a new member to fill the vacancy on council  all while starting the process of looking for a new town manager.

Manspile, who is serving his first year on the council, has said that he brought up the question of Halls comments to female staffers only after a concerned citizen asked him to raise the issue.

Its a complete surprise, Manspile said Wednesday night of Halls resignation. Nobody expected it.

Hall has also accused Manspile of raising the issue of Zirkles residency in an effort to force her out. Manspile says he had no intention of forcing her resignation, and that he was following the wishes of a majority of town residents on the charter issue.

Although she owns a house in Buchanan, Zirkle maintained her primary residence in Bedford County during her three years on the job. Rather than live in Buchanan full time to satisfy the residency requirement, Zirkle accepted a new job as economic development coordinator for the town of Bedford, starting Jan. 2.

In some respects this is a homecoming for me, Zirkle said, referring to her previous job as the chief planner for Bedford County.

At the time she was hired, a legal opinion found that Zirkles ownership of a home in Buchanan was sufficient to meet the charters requirement that the town manager shall reside within town limits.

Although she spends some nights in the house, Zirkle has mostly commuted to work from a family farm in Bedford County, which is her husbands primary occupation.

After questions about that arrangement came up earlier this year, the town council held a public hearing on whether the charter should be amended to make it more clear that situations such as Zirkles would be allowed.

At a sometimes contentious meeting in October, there was little criticism of the job that Zirkle has done. But some in the town questioned whether it was effective to have the top official living nearly an hour away.

The council voted 3-2 to keep the current wording of the charter. At the time, officials said Zirkle would have until her employment contract came up for renewal next spring to decide whether to live full time in the town or resign her position.
A CAMPAIGNER battling against the HS2 high-speed rail line coming through her village voiced her concerns to the chief of Sheffield City Council face-to-face.

Sandra Haith of the Stop HS2 Bramley campaign met council leader Julie Dore at a cabinet meeting and said she handed over new information, which she hoped would force a re-think.

Councillors in Sheffield controversially opposed the original proposed rail route through Meadowhall which led to the switch to the so-called M18 route from Aston and Bramley up through Mexborough and the Dearne Valley.

Rotherham and Doncaster Borough Councils also opposed the M18 route, which has caused friction between the three local authorities.

Mrs Haith said: We had a really good debate and she was quite surprised when I presented her with the map showing a comparison of the impacted properties, M18 route versus Meadowhall route. This map proves that there are almost double the amount of properties impacted on the M18 route.

Both Julie Dore and Jack Scott (Sheffields Cabinet member for transport) were not aware of these figures, and they took a copy of the map away with them to investigate. I am awaiting their comments.

Under the current HS2 proposals, there will be a station on a slower spur line from the high-speed route linking it to Midland station in Sheffield, but Mrs Haith said the council leader did not seem keen on that plan.

She said: The leader of the council actually admitted that she still doesnt want the Midland station option for HS2. She said shed always wanted Victoria station.

I pointed out that Victoria station never was a viable option and I asked her why she would now allow Sheffield City Region to be taken off the main HS2 line and come to the Midland station when she is well aware that this significantly reduces the benefits of HS2 in respect of accessibility, speed, capacity, impact.

She confirmed that her main driving force was that a city centre station would create jobs in the city centre. She also said she was worried that businesses would relocate if HS2 didnt come into the city centre.

Mrs Haith said she still hoped that Sheffield City Council would come out against the M18 route.

Mrs Haith said: Although I respect Julie Dores passion for looking after Sheffield city centre, I think she needs to realise that HS2 is supposed to benefit Sheffield region as a whole.

The fact that Julie is not truly happy with what Sheffield is being offered should tell us that it is not the right decision.

I left her with the request that she please give this matter more thought, before its too late, and join the other councils in their fight for a Meadowhall station.

A Sheffield City Council spokeswoman said: Mrs Haith has shared the figures she highlighted (at the meeting) and we will be looking at this information.

The figures published by HS2 Ltd have consistently concluded that the M18 route would result in significantly fewer properties needing to be demolished compared to the Meadowhall route.

In our consultation response we supported a Victoria station location as the best solution for our region but we believe that a spur into Sheffield Midland is a much improved option compared to the previous Meadowhall proposal.

The council has always focused on the economic case for a city centre station, particularly the extra jobs and economic growth it has the potential to create.
Orion secures pre-development funding for Okiep copper project Orion Minerals has entered into definitive agreements that will see the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC) acquire 43.75% of the shares in the New Okiep Mining Company (NOM). This triggered pre-development funding...

Angolas SODIAM realises $28,7mln from fifth international diamond tender Angola's state-owned diamond trading company, SODIAM realised $28,7 million from the sale of 1,819.79 carats at its fifth international rough tender held in the capital, Luanda. The diamonds sold were special productions from Lulo, Catoca, and Luele...

Christies presents Fancy Vivid Pink Diamond of 13.15 carats Christies presents one of the finest fancy vivid pink emerald-cut diamonds ever to be offered at auction which will be part of the Magnificent Jewels sale on 6 December during Luxury Week. The Fancy Vivid Pink Diamond Ring (estimate...

Sama reports high-grade copper-nickel intercepts at Cote divoire project Sama Resources has reported high-grade copper-nickel intercepts following the drilling of 21 holes at its Samapleu deposit, in Cote d'Ivoire. Company chief executive Marc-Antoine Audet said this is an indication of the potential for additional high-grade...
The Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE) has confirmed that Peter Meeus will step down as its Chairman from 31 January 2018, and Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, DMCC, will assume the Chairmanship. Peter Meeus has been nominated Honorary Chairman, says a press release from DMCC.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, DMCC, said: The opportunities and challenges for the Dubai Diamond Exchange are of a different nature going forward. In the past 12 years, we built the foundation of a solid exchange, attracting over 1,000 members operating out of the Almas Tower. Our proximity to Africa, as well as the unique logistical infrastructure which Emirates Airlines provides to hundreds of destinations worldwide, is crucial in the development of Dubai as a leading diamond centre.

Peter Meeus said: I have been extremely privileged to work in such a dynamic environment as Dubai for the last 12 years. With the help of the Dubai government, we have been able to establish a unique facility which today is one of the top three trading centres of diamonds in the world. I am convinced that the Dubai Diamond Exchange has a great future ahead.

According to the press statement, the DDE Membership is compulsory for all DMCC licensed members that are trading in jewellery, pearls & precious stones; manufacturing precious jewellery and cutting & polishing precious stones.



Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished




Asian stock are mostly lower on Friday with investors treading cautiously following the sell-off in Chinese equities on Thursday and in the absence of overnight cues from Wall Street, which was closed for a public holiday. The Chinese market has recovered following the previous session's sell-off and is modestly lower on Friday.

The Australian market is declining following the sell-off in Chinese equities on Thursday.

In late-morning trades, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index is losing 15.80 points or 0.26 percent to 5,970.40, off a low of 5,951.40 earlier. The broader All Ordinaries Index is down 12.20 points or 0.20 percent to 6,055.30.

In the mining space, BHP Billiton is down 0.5 percent and Rio Tinto is lower by 0.2 percent each, while Fortescue Metals is unchanged despite an increase in the price of iron ore overnight.

Rio Tinto has extended an agreement to sell its Pilbara iron ore to Chinese state-owned steel company Sinosteel.

The big four banks are also weak. ANZ Banking, National Australia Bank, Westpac and Commonwealth Bank are lower in a range of 0.1 percent to 0.5 percent.

Oil stocks are also lower. Oil Search is declining 0.2 percent and Woodside Petroleum is edging down less than 0.1 percent, while Santos is adding 0.6 percent.

Gold miners are mixed. Newcrest Mining is adding 0.2 percent, while Evolution Mining is down 0.4 percent.

Crown Resorts said it is in talks over the future of its 62 percent stake in its joint-venture online wagering CrownBet. The casino operator's shares are losing more than 1 percent.

Village Roadshow said that despite visitation numbers continuing to fall, it is confident it can pay a dividend in 2018. However, the theme parks and cinemas operator's shares are declining almost 1 percent.

In the currency market, the Australian dollar is slightly higher against the U.S. dollar on Friday. In early trades, the local unit was quoted at US$0.7623, up from US$0.7619 on Thursday.

The Japanese market, which resumed trading following the Labor Thanksgiving Day holiday on Thursday, is losing with investors cautious following the sell-off in Chinese markets on Thursday. In addition, a stronger yen weighed on exporters' shares.

In late-morning trades, the benchmark Nikkei 225 Index is declining 124.34 points or 0.55 percent to 22,398.81, off a low of 22,381.01 in early trades.

Shares of Mitsubishi Materials are losing more than 8 percent after the company revealed Thursday that inspection data was falsified at three of its subsidiaries.

Among the major exporters, Mitsubishi Electric is down 1 percent, Panasonic is losing almost 1 percent and Canon is down 0.2 percent. Sony is adding almost 1 percent. SoftBank is rising almost 1 percent, while Fast Retailing is declining 0.2 percent.

In the banking sector, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial is lower by 0.2 percent and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial is down 0.3 percent. Among automakers, Toyota is declining more than 1 percent and Honda is down 1 percent.

In the oil space, Inpex and Japan Petroleum are lower by almost 1 percent each.

Among the market's best performers, Konica Minolta is rising almost 3 percent, KDDI Corp. is higher by more than 2 percent and Shin-Etsu Chemical is advancing more than 1 percent. On the flip side, DeNA Co. is down almost 5 percent and JTEKT Corp. is lower by almost 4 percent.

In the currency market, the U.S. dollar is trading in the lower 111 yen-range on Friday.

Elsewhere in Asia, Shanghai, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan are also lower, while South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand and Hong Kong are modestly higher.

U.S. stock markets were closed on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The major European markets closed mixed on Thursday amid thin trading volumes internationally. France's CAC rose 0.5 percent, while the UK's FTSE 100 and Germany's DAX edged down 0.02 and 0.05 percent respectively.

Crude oil prices touched fresh two-year highs on Friday following the shutdown of a major crude pipeline from Canada to the U.S. In Asian trades, WTI crude is adding $0.35 or 0.6 percent to $58.37 a barrel.

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European are likely to open mixed on Friday taking cues from Asian peers. The trading would reflect the absence of overnight cues from Wall Street, which was closed for a public holiday, and Chinese markets, which is in focus following previous day's big sell-off.

Asian stock markets were trading mixed on Friday. The Japanese market, which resumed trading following the Labor Thanksgiving Day holiday on Thursday, was up 0.12 percent.

In Greater China markets, stocks were mixed after Thursday's huge sell off. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was trading up 0.48 percent. On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite was down 0.01 percent.

Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index was losing 0.13 percent, while South Korea's benchmark Kospi index edged up 0.16 percent.

U.S. stock markets were closed on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The major European markets closed mixed on Thursday amid thin trading volumes internationally. France's CAC rose 26.78 points or 0.5 percent to 5,379.54, while the UK's FTSE 100 edged down 1.78 points or 0.02 percent to 7,417.24 and Germany's DAX fell 6.49 points or 0.05 percent to 13,008.55.

In commodities, crude oil prices touched fresh two-year highs on Friday following the shutdown of a major crude pipeline from Canada to the U.S.

On Friday, U.S. West Texas Intermediate or WTI crude was up 0.81 percent to $58.49 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Gold was trading at $1,290.70, down 0.12%.

In corporate news, Specialty chemicals company Clariant AG said Friday that its board approved the Executive Committee's proposal to update the company's strategy in order to further increase value creation. The company also said it has rejected Switzerland-based White Tale's demand for independent strategic review after meeting with the firm in order to identify possible ways to work together.

Rio Tinto And China's Sinosteel have agreed to extend Channar Mining joint venture.

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Business News
(Agencia CMA Latam) - Colombian authorities are investigating the death of 13 people amid a battle allegedly involving dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN) in the Narino department, in southwestern Colombia.

According to reports from the community, FARC dissidents were celebrating a birthday when the ELN attacked them.

The dispute between FARC's dissidents and the ELN aims at controlling the areas where the FARC former guerrilla group once operated. FARC turned into a political party as part of a peace agreement with the Colombian government reached in November last year.

A report released last week by the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation and other social organizations to mark the first anniversary of the peace agreement warned that the Colombian post-conflict "is at risk" for the persistence of violence and delays in the implementation of actions required by the deal between the government and the former guerrilla.

The report also warns that "15 groups of deserters in 43 municipalities are active in the whole country", gathering around 700 guerrillas, or 7 percent of the original contingent.

by Agencia CMA Latam

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Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
(Agencia CMA Latam) - Merval, the main index of the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange, fell slightly (-0.02%) after a volatile session to 26,906.18 points Wednesday, with investors closely monitoring Senate debate about economic reforms promoted by the President Mauricio Macri.

In the streets, unions, and social and political movements marched to the Congress to demonstrate against the labor and pension reforms.

In corporate news, the state-owned oil company YPF fell 0.48% after losing a battle with Vista Oil & Gas, an organization created by the former YPF CEO Miguel Galuccio, to buy the Argentinean assets of China's Sinopec. According to market sources, the offer was around US$ 600 million.

Aluar (+0.76%) and Siderar (+0.37%) were higher on the news that the Industrial Production Index of the Latin American Economic Research Foundation (FIEL) recorded an increase of 2.7% in October - the sixth consecutive increase.

Mirgor (+2.25%) rose after the government, through the Ministry of Production, reported that it intends to apply a gradual lowering of the tax on electronic products and to zero the tax for products manufactured in Tierra del Fuego.

Meanwhile, the locally traded U.S. dollar rose 0.28%, closing at 17.43 Argentinean pesos. In the last two sessions, the greenback recovered just over ten cents compared to the values of last Monday.

by Agencia CMA Latam

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Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
(Agencia CMA Latam) - Colcap, the main index of the Colombian Stock Exchange, trades stable before the end of the session, at 1,446.95 points, supported by the performance of share of Ecopetrol and Avianca.

Erika Baquero, an analyst at Alianza Valores, said that the airline is picking up after its minority partner Kingsland Holding withdrew a lawsuit against the parent company.

Avianca reiterated in a statement that it continues to negotiate a strategic and commercial alliance with the U.S. United Airlines and expects to finalize an agreement to be announced still this year.

The shares of Avianca (+2.82%), Ecopetrol (+2.02%), Nutresa (+0.66%), and Exito (+0.62%) are rising, while ETB (-1.56%), Grupo Aval (-1.19%), and Conconcreto (-0.97%) trade down.

The locally traded U.S. dollar closed at 3,007.00 Colombian pesos, marking a 0.36% rise, on the eve of the meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Wilson Tovar, an analyst at Acciones & Valores, noted that the uncertainty related to the OPEC meeting and the decisions made by the cartel boosts the greenback against emerging currencies.

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.
Daily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT.L) reported Thursday that its fiscal 2017 loss before tax was 112.3 million pounds, including impairment charges compared to last year's profit of 201.7 million pounds.

However, profit for the period attributable to owners of the company climbed to 345.3 million pounds from 204.2 million pounds a year ago. Earnings per share of 97.8 pence grew 69%.

The latest results were benefited by profit from discontinued operations of 519.3 million pounds, related to Euromoney transaction.

On a continuing operations basis, loss was 177 million pounds, compared to profit of 181.8 million pounds a year ago.

Adjusted profit before tax was 226 million pounds, compared to 260 million pounds last year. Adjusted earnings per share were 55.6 pence, compared to 56.0 pence last year.

Revenue increased to 1.564 billion pounds from last year's 1.514 billion pounds. Adjusted revenues fell 13 percent to 1.66 billion pounds, but increased 1 percent on an underlying basis.

Further, the company lifted full-year dividend per share up 3% to 22.7 pence. The Board's decision to recommend increasing the dividend reflects its confidence in DMGT's ability to deliver future long-term earnings growth.

Paul Zwillenberg, Chief Executive, said, "As we move into FY 2018, we proceed with confidence towards my vision for DMGT's future. The Board is confident that the new strategy and strong balance sheet will, over the medium term, generate consistent earnings growth that will underpin DMGT's long-standing commitment to deliver sustainable annual real dividend growth."

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Business News
In the latest sign Senate Republicans will be able to pass their massive tax reform bill, Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., announced his support for the legislation on Thursday.

McCain, one of the last remaining Republican holdouts, acknowledged the bill is far from perfect but argued it would "enhance American competitiveness, boost the , and provide long overdue tax relief for middle class families."

"This is not a perfect bill, but it is one that would deliver much-needed reform to our tax code, grow the economy, and help Americans keep more of their hard-earned money," McCain said.

McCain said he was pleased the bill was considered through the normal legislative processes, with several hearings and a thorough mark-up in the Senate Finance Committee.

The Arizona Senator argued the legislation's reduction in the corporate tax rate to 20 percent would make the U.S. more attractive for investment and said the bill would also encourage American companies to repatriate assets now held overseas.

"Small businesses, which are vitally important to the dynamism of our economy, would also receive essential tax relief," McCain said. "Combined, these commonsense steps would promote economic growth and stimulate job creation here at home."

McCain noted that he shares some of his colleagues' concerns about the impact the tax reform bill will have on the budget deficit but claimed the legislation will clearly have a net positive effect on the economy.

Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, another GOP wild card, also recently signaled her intention to vote for the bill, moving Senate Republicans another step closer to the finish line.

Republicans can only afford to lose two votes and still pass their tax reform bill through the budget reconciliation process.

On Wednesday, the Senate voted 52 to 48 along party lines to begin formal debate on the bill after negotiations convinced Republican holdouts to vote for the legislation.

The approval of the procedural motion sets the stage for a final Senate vote on the tax reform bill late Thursday or early Friday.

(Photo: Gage Skidmore)

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Political News
Longtime Congressman Joe Barton, R-Tex., announced Thursday he will not seek re-election in 2018 after sexual images and messages he shared during extramarital relationships surfaced online.

Barton released a statement confirming the news after initially revealing his decision in an interview with the Dallas Morning News.

"I am announcing today that I will not seek re-election in 2018," Barton said in the statement. "To the people of the 6th District, thank you for your support and friendship."

"I am very proud of my public record and the many accomplishments of my office," he added. "It has been a tremendous honor to represent the 6th District of Texas for over three decades, but now it is time to step aside and let there be a new voice."

Barton told the Dallas Morning News he believes he could win re-election but argued it would be a nasty campaign that would be difficult for his family.

A former Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Barton is well known for his contentious relationship with environmentalists.

Texas's 6th Congressional District that Barton currently represents is heavily Republican and likely to remain in the GOP's hands.

Barton joins several other Texas Republican congressmen that have announced they will not seek re-election, including Reps. Sam Johnson, R-Tex., Jeb Hensarling, R-Tex., and Lamar Smith, R-Tex.

(Photo: Gage Skidmore)

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Political News
President Donald Trump has re-tweeted three inflammatory anti-Muslim videos that had been posted on Twitter by a far-right British politician, triggering condemnation, repudiation and fears of a backlash against Muslim Americans.

It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity or origin of the videos, which first appeared on the Twitter account of Jayda Fransen, deputy head of the anti-immigrant Britain First party.

The re-tweets appeared on Trump's Twitter feed Wednesday morning amid a flurry of presidential posts on a variety of subjects from North Korea, the economy and the firing of a prominent journalist fired for sexual misconduct.

Asked by a reporter whether it mattered whether the videos were fake, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump's intent was to raise the issue of security concerns.

"The threat is real and that's what the president is talking about is the need for national security, the need for military spending, and those are very real things; theres nothing fake about that," she said. "It's important to talk about... national security threats."
Almost 14,000 archeological sites and national monuments in the United States could be lost by the year 2100 as seas rise due to climate change, scientists said on Wednesday.

The findings offer a glimpse into the vast amount of global cultural heritage that could be destroyed, the study said. One in 10 archeological sites that it analysed on nine southeastern coastal states risk inundation.

"The data are sobering: projected sea level rise... will result in the loss of a substantial portion of the record of both pre-Columbian and historic period human habitation," the authors said in the journal PLoS ONE.

"(There are) serious concerns over the threat of global climate change to the archaeological and historic record." Scientists predict sea levels are on track to surge by an average of one meter globally by 2100.


And so the ongoing saga involving two senior members of the ruling Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.) continues to captivate attention in wonderful Samoa today.

This week it took another interesting twist with the Supreme Court dismissing a civil claim brought by Peseta Tevaga Vaifou against Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt and others.

Peseta had taken legal action against Apulu, Schwalger, Laaulialemalietoa and Maota Samoa Convention Complex Limited, Local Partners and Associates Limited and Aldan Civil Engineering Construction Company Limited.

He had accused them of breaching the directors duties by preventing him from participating in the decision making of L.P.A. He also accused Laauli of taking property of the plaintiff, including nonu juice and vehicles.

Lastly, Peseta accused his former business associates of breaching their contract by putting secured land at risk and for the conversion of vehicles that belonged to L.P.A. to another company known as Maota o Samoa.

On Tuesday, Supreme Court Justice Tafaoimalo Leilani Tuala-Warren dismissed the claims from Peseta. Her ruling is being published on pages 11 and 14 of the newspaper you are reading and will continue to be published until it is finished.

As expected, Peseta is not a happy chap. During a press conference called in his government office, he confirmed he is appealing the decision.

But his former business partners are rejoicing. On the front page of the paper you are reading, they are claiming its a decision from God and that it is the truth.

Keep in mind that a separate criminal hearing between the same parties is pending, also in the Supreme Court. Which means this nasty dispute is far from over.

In the meantime, for the uninitiated, Peseta and Laauli are both very senior members of the H.R.P.P. Whereas Peseta is the Associate Minister of the Ministry of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Laauli had held the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries portfolio until he resigned recently over charges of a criminal nature filed against him and others.

It wasnt always this bad between the men. Once upon a time, they were the best of buddies jovially entering into a nonu exporting business hoping to make millions like most business people.

But the business deal turned sour and the men turned on each other so that their scrap has become almost like an epic TV series to follow with twists and turns that are as interesting as the people involved.

Whats even more interesting is how this dynamic is playing out in the halls of power at H.R.P.P., lorded over by the man who is capable of doing anything and everything, Prime Minister Tuilaepa.

Why Tuilaepa has not been able to bring these two senior H.R.P.P. members together given his unquestionable political authority baffles the mind.

After all, arent they his kids too? Are we to assume there is a method in thy madness as to why Tuilaepa is allowing this to drg on?

In any case, whether it was intentional or not, this ongoing feud is not a good look for Prime Minister Tuilaepa and his party.

At another time, none of this would have surfaced.

Somewhere, somehow, the well-oiled H.R.P.P. machinery would have ensured this mess was resolved amicably behind closed doors so that the partys image remains protected.

Not anymore obviously. This time, were seeing a classic example of what we have been referring to when weve talked about factions within the ruling party. They are difficult to ignore, especially when they are so in our faces.

It brings us back to the of whether Prime Minister Tuilaepa has perhaps lost control of a party he once tightly held together?

Is he finding that he is no longer able to please everyone?

And are we seeing a sign of things to come?

Truth be told, who wants to be in Prime Minister Tuilaepas shoes right now?

Which reminds us of former Opposition leader Palusalue Faapo II.

Just before his fall, he pointed to factions within the ruling party, saying these were affecting the ability of Prime Minister Tuilaepa to govern effectively.

I believe there are a lot of factions now within the party and the Prime Minister is trying his best, Palusalue Faapo II said.

He is spending all his time settling all these problems within the party, but he should be concentrating on governing the country.

Well Palusalue is no longer in Parliament. But his words still ring out loud and true.

The fact is Tuilaepa has a full plate. And he is only human.

The simple truth is that regimes come and go, regardless of how powerful they become. History exists to tell us this. And during the past few years, weve witnessed enough powerful regimes being toppled near and far. Mugabes dictatorship reign is the latest one.

The H.R.P.P. has ruled this country for more than 35 years. It is a very long time for one party to rule. But are these divisions within the party a sign of things to come? How much longer can Tuilaepa continue to keep it together?

Stay tuned!
Re: Associate Minister sounds alarm

Never say never minister, who, unfortunately is my districts party jumping opportunistic representative.

Ignorance, hate, and oppressive homophobic thinking has a way of being shut down by tolerant progressive societies that evolve.

Samoa will be this tolerant society because faafafines have always been an accepted part of Samoan society.

Same sex marriage will become accepted in Samoa just like it was in Australia last week and as so many other countries have recently done.

How do you plan to deal with same sex married Samoans from Australia and N.Z. who return to Samoa to live you idiot?

You and the P.M. will have no say in this reality.

They will be legally married whether you like it or not.

Will they just not be married in Samoa even though they are married in Australia and other countries? I think not.

Regardless of what you believe they will be married.

The people will accept them as the married couple they are because they are their families and they love them so your views will just fade away.

Samoan family members will have even attended their weddings. Dinosaurs like you with your narrow-minded values and views will just go extinct like dinosaurs do.

Wendy Wonder
Faafetai tele Gatoaitele

Savea Sano Malifa for your editorial Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesars; and unto God the things that are Gods. Matthew 22:21that was published online on November 18, 2017.

The art of proof-texting in support of ones agenda is not new. One of the most commonly used biblical texts has been Romans 13:1-7. Now at face value, it is easy to see why. The text supposedly suggests obedience to all authorities as all authorities are from God.

Subsequently, the assumption is every citizen of the State are to submit to the rulers, or those with authority or power in government.

Regardless whether it is at the State level, organizational level, or even communal level, the passage underpins obedience without question. In 1985 for example, addressing a million members of the Zion Christian Church near Petersburg which were primarily blacks, P. W. Botha the President of South Africa at the time draws attention to Romans 13:1-7 saying that:

The Bible has a message for the governments and governed of the world. Thus we read in Romans 13 that every person be subject to the governing authorities. There is no authority except from God. Rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad conduct. Do what is good and you will receive the approval of the ruler. He is Gods servant for your good.

As seen in this example, Romans 13 is proof-texted to justify an otherwise oppressive regime. There are other examples throughout history. The point is such proof-texting has rendered a rather reckless and irresponsible theology leading to a hermeneutical viewpoint in which the apostle Paul is seen as either naive or totally out of sync with the political reality of society.

And therein lies the dilemma as posited in the title of this piece. Using a term coined by Victor P. Furnish in his book, The Moral teachings of Paul (1985), the question is whether Romans 13 is to be considered a Sacred Cow or White Elephant.

These are two opposing views of Pauls teachings. The Sacred Cow sees Pauls ethical teachings as directly from God, thus, to be treated as sacred as they are directives from God. White Elephant on the other hand suggests that Pauls teachings are sometimes anachronistic and untenable in modern situation.

Given the context in which Romans 13 has been used in the ongoing debate on taxation of church ministers, it is reasonable to conclude that both sides have merits. The Church on one hand is to obey the civic law and pay taxes as part of its obligation as good moral characters and citizens of Samoa.

On the other hand, there is a sensethat perhaps the government is forcing undue burden on the church members and henceforth the rest of society. Without getting into the merits of taxation, I wish to highlight a third element, much to do with the complexity surrounding the nexus between the Church and State.

For years now, relations between the Church and State in Samoa have always been cordial and respectful. Buoyed by the concept of feagaiga there was also a sense of a clear demarcation between Church and State.

This demarcation is no longer evident with the recent turn of events. First the recent constitutional amendment that defines Christianity within the Samoan Constitution creates a whole different dynamics in the relation between Church and State.

Second and more recent, the taxation of church ministers suggests that perhaps the Church has an even more important role to play in the political, social and economic well-being of the people.

Rather than staying above the fray of politics, it is perhaps warranted that the Church finds its voice in the affairs of government for the sake of the people. How this is played out is up to the powers that be.

Yet, given the fact that the Government of Samoa is a one-party system, there is a greater need to fill the void created by the lack of a democratically viable institution for deliberations. A single-party system undermines the integrity in the legislative process, making it untenable for good policymaking.

Understandably, there are obvious sentiments that it is not the Churchs role to engage in politics, a valid point nevertheless. But perhaps also it is time to consider that Paul was not apolitical contrary to what many believed.

He was a product of a hybrid world - Jewish, Greek, and Roman. As such, his rhetoric is ambiguous as he often navigates the intricacies of his hybrid world. It may very well be that, as some biblical scholars have argued, Paul in Romans 13 is using double-meaning to say one thingwhen he actually means something else.

It is not far reaching therefore to presume that if Paul was living in Samoa, he would have very much taken the position that the political process to determine, using Harold Lasswells words, who gets what,when, and how is largely compromised.

For that reason, submission to authorities is unwarranted.

Fati Fatilua

P.T.C, Suva, Fiji
The two Samoa talks is to iron out issues and provide solutions that will better serve the people of Samoa and American Samoa.

This was the message from Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi yesterday during the official opening of the meeting.

Held at the Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi building, Tuilaepa said these meetings started back in 1983.

Tuilaepa said issues such as health, education, transportation, immigration, agriculture are pertinent to peoples daily lives.

These meetings which were started by our forefathers have paved the way for the countries to work together, he said.

He pointed out that its somewhat difficult to sort outstanding issues because American Samoa is a U.S. territory and they have to gain approval from the Federal Government on certain issues.

However in this day and age, this should not discourage the continued working relationship between the two countries because we are in close proximity, Tuilaepa said.

Countries that are close to one another should be working together.

No matter the issue at hand, it is always beneficial for the two countries to consult and dialogue and work together.

It is so much better to put resources together by working together, than trying to paddle your own canoe.

American Samoa Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga reminded the gathering that the two Samoas are one.

The purpose of these meetings is to afford better service for our people, he said.

In my five years in office looking in, Samoa has its own ways of governance.

God will always provide a leader fit for such a specific time.

God doesnt appoint weak leaders to counter big problems.

God will provide leaders who are strong, adamant and are not afraid to make right decisions and all to better serve our people.

You are leaders appointed by God to find solutions for a smooth and better life, said Lolo.

Samoa is one, one mother, one father, we are brothers and sisters.

Our governments will never succeed with our plans if we dont work together, we need to dialogue and help one another.

Lolo reminded the audience that the Samoa Government is an independent state, unlike American Samoa they are under the leadership of another Government.
The village Council of Iva, Savaii, has joined the list of villages to ban Chinese-owned shops from operating in their village.

This was confirmed by Ivas Village mayor, Seve Luki, during an interview with the Samoa Observer yesterday.

In doing so, Iva joined Salelologa who had banned Chinese shops from operating in their village and setting up their businesses on customary land.

Seve denied that the decision was discriminatory. Rather, he said they want to protect future business prospects for the villagers.

Our village had a meeting and we all agreed that no Chinese shops are allowed to be set up in Iva, Seve said.

Our concern is that if we allow foreign businesses to be established now, our future generations will not be able to have access to the land when they grow up because these foreigners would have taken them all.

Thats why weve decided that this is the best time to put a stop to the setting up of foreign businesses before it becomes a problem in the future and everyone would be affected.

Most importantly, we want to push our own local businesses.

Seve explained that the decision followed an incident where the village found out that a Chinese-owned shop was being set up.

I dont want to go in details of what happened because the family who leased their shop to the Chinese business operator has already been penalized by the village.

And now the village council agreed to operate the Chinese shop but with certain conditions.

That includes the shop being the first and the last Chinese shop to operate in the village.

Another condition is that only people from our village are to work for his business and hes doing monotaga like others (chiefs and orators) as well and he has to follow the village curfews of when to close and open his shop from Monday to Sunday.

As Ive mentioned earlier, its not about any other reasons but we care for our people and local businesses in our own village.

The decision to put a stop to Chinese-owned shops in villages is not new. Salelologa and Moataa in Upolu have recently made headlines for their stance on the issue.

Recently, Salega Easts Member of Parliament, Olo Fiti Vaai, said he supports village councils decision to ban foreign-owned businesses from setting up in their areas.

If we have these wholesalers and supermarkets in the town area, because theyre already all over the place, theyll provide fair competition for our locals to choose which of them has the cheapest goods, Olo said.

Theres nothing wrong with the decision from some of the villages to ban these foreign-owned businesses.

Thats for the villages to decide; I mean its up to them.

Olo denied the move was racist.

No it is not racist and people who are leasing land to foreign-owned businesses should look at the other side.

Some of our people are very greedy when they offer money to lease out their lands to the foreign-owned business in villages.

But they forget the effect it has on 99 percent of the many Samoan people and their businesses.

I strongly agree with the decisions by some of the villages in the country to ban foreign-owned businesses.
Thirty students have been arrested, reprimanded and released in relation to a brawl in the Apia township on Wednesday.

The students come from different colleges.

Police Media Spokesperson, Auapaau Logoitino, confirmed the arrest.

He said the students were brought to the Police station because of a fight between colleges at the Savalalo Flea Market.

Their parents were called in yesterday (Wednesday) and we had a talk, he said.

So we warned both (parents and students) if students get involved in any other fights then there will be no other consultation with the police but well act according to the law thats under Section 4 of Young Offenders Act.

The 30 students were released after.

But Auapaau said the Police is continuing their awareness programmes in various schools in the country.

This is all part of our duty to try and teach what is best for our children; they have to understand the law and the effect of violence in their lives if they continue this kind of behaviour.

We also warned the colleges of what we are doing now to avoid this kind of behaviour.

Last year, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said he was serious about closing down government schools that are involved in school brawls.

He made a bold stand when the government shut Avele for two weeks.

I quite like this, whenever they get into fights well close down the school, Tuilaepa said at the time.

That is the only thing they get because all of these fights are caused by the lack of discipline from the parents. So we close the school, its a lot easier.

While the government cannot close down any missionary schools where students get into fights, Tuilaepa said that wouldnt be a problem.

He said government education funds to the missionary schools would cease.

The government has no business with the missionary schools, said Tuilaepa.

But it has changed the whole process of distributing the funds. They will no longer be handed to the fat people sitting inside the churches to distribute it. The funds will be paid out directly to the schools and once they get into fights, they get nothing.

Tuilaepa said stopping funds to schools that were involved in fights meant they would end up closing them.

If the parents are listening they should think about taking their children to primary schools and colleges in the villages, Tuilaepa said.
The construction of the new Savalalo Market is scheduled to begin in mid-2018.

General Manager of the Samoa Land Corporation, Ulugia Kavesi Petelo, confirmed this.

Hopefully, somewhere in the middle of next year, well see the beginning of the construction of Savalalo Market, said Ulugia.

New Zealand funds this project, meaning they handle everything.

So challenges like the weather can delay the construction.

The design of the market and the total cost is also not yet finalised from New Zealand but we gave them our suggestions about the building to reflect the Samoan house styles.

The Minister of S.L.C., Lautafi Fio Purcell, said there are issues that need to be considered first.

We are still looking at a very sustainable, long-term solution for vendors but the fact of the matter is that we cant go on with the plan because the Waterfront Project is expected to start construction at the end of this year or the beginning of next year, he said.

As Ive mentioned earlier, we dont want to build the market and then end up having to move again after two months of construction.

The budget 2017/2018 states the Apia Waterfront Development project is expected to commence construction next year and the New Zealand government is contributing $3.56m towards the project.

The government has requested the government of New Zealand to start off the project from where the Savalalo Market stood. I believe theyre working on it now because this request needs to go through their Minister.

Looking back, when the flea market in Apia burned down in mid-January last year, more than a few people also had to witness their livelihood go up in smoke.

With the support of the Samoa Land Corporation, a new temporary market was built.

Back then, each vendor was provided with a compensation of $1,000 by the government.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa told the vendors that about $5 million tala had been spent by the government for the vendors through the cash payments and the cost of erecting the temporary market.
The history of Samoa has been retold in a short film called Liliu.

Directed by Jeremiah Tauamiti, a filmmaker from New Zealand, the film was screened at the N.U.S. Fale Samoa as part of the Pacific Arts Association Conference this week.

The film tells the story of the struggles faced by our ancestors under the New Zealand administration.

Liliu was a film that we shot earlier this year in Samoa, said Mr. Taumiti.

It is about a Samoan chief that was charged with trespassing. I guess the biggest story is about our people in the past, around World War II when our people went to jail and when Samoa was ruled by the New Zealand government.

The Director says there are many messages in the film but the one theme that stands out for him is Samoans yearning for freedom and their courage to ensure their voice is heard in their own country.

I wrote it because our people need to know and understand in the sense that today our people again are becoming political prisoners to foreign people coming into our own country, he said.

Liliu is focused on unveiling the mystery behind the Samoan culture and its people. Mr. Tauamiti spoke about the importance of holding onto to our culture.

I think our people need to return to how it used to be. I dont mean it in a bad way but our strength is found within our culture.

Corruption is always caused by money or power but we need to stay true to our traditional power base.

Mr. Tauamiti said the turning point of the story was when one of the characters of the film, Solo, who was the interpreter, was corrected by a person who he normally looked down upon.

Solo was working for the New Zealand government as an interpreter but he ended up betraying his own Samoan people.

The true meaning of culture or being true to his people was actually revealed through someone else that he least expected so much from.

Mr. Tauamiti said the weather and also bringing the crew over to film in Samoa were two challenges he encountered.

The weather here in Samoa damages our equipment, not only that, but looking for funds to bring the crew over to shoot the film.

He added his main concern was whether he deserved to make the film or not because he was born in New Zealand.

My Samoan is not very good which was why I hesitated if I was worthy enough to make the film or not, especially the fact that I was born in New Zealand not here.

Accuracy was another challenge.

Mr. Tauamiti said he also looked for relevant information because a lot of the data he gathered about the colonization of Samoa were mostly written by foreigners.
Former Bosnian Croat military commander Slobodan Praljak died Wednesday after drinking poison in a Hague courtroom shortly after a UN judge confirmed his 20-year sentence for war crimes against Bosnian Muslims, according to Croatia's state-run news agency.

Dutch law enforcement authorities declared the courtroom at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia a crime scene after Praljak drank from a container and yelled, "I am not a war criminal."

After the presiding judge suspended the hearing and called for medical treatment, paramedics who were at the building entered the courtroom. A court guard said Praljak was treated for more than hour after the defendant said he drank poison.

The events occurred as the UN war crimes tribunal upheld the convictions of Praljak and five other Bosnian and Croat political and military leaders who were convicted in 2013 of war crimes during the 1990's.

The rulings were the last to be handed down by the tribunal, which was created by the United Nations in 1993. The court is scheduled to close when its mandate expires at the end of the year.
Business Systems Limited is celebrating a milestone today.

The occasion is its 40th birthday.

The celebration kicked off with a parade this morning.

Leading the parade was Business Systems Limited Manager and Owner, Meilan Meredith and B.S.L. Marketing Manager Leeroy Feaunati.

Today is a milestone for our company that has been in existence for 40 years, says the Marketing Manager.

Participating in the parade was the Avele College Band, who entertained during the parade from the Governments building to their main office in Saleufi.

Other schools who was part include Apia Primary, students from Faleata College, Anoamaa College, Fagalii Primary School and staff of the B.S.L.

The celebration continues this evening at the companys Super Store at Taufusi.
Think a minuteHenri Latour was the greatest detective in France during the 19th century. He was a mastermind at finding evidence and clues, then fitting it all together to find the criminal and bring him to justice. But mysteriously, this living legends career suddenly ended.

Detective Henri Latour was called to the scene of a horrible, violent crime. An old couple had been robbed and brutally murdered.

The police had already arrested a suspect. But shortly after studying the crime scene and evidence, Latours instincts convinced him that the police had arrested the wrong man.

He promised the police and the family that he would find the missing pieces of the puzzle and the murderer.

So began what many have called the most brilliant tracking of a criminal in the history of France.

Henri Latour carefully gathered all the different pieces of evidence, one piece at a time, until he finally found his man and criminal.

The newspapers praised Latours brilliant detective work and spread the news of his fame all over France.

Then suddenly, after solving that case, Latour retired and moved away. In fact, he lived alone for the remaining 25 years of his life.

You see, it was only after he died that the true identity of the last criminal Latour tracked down was made known to the public.

In his last case, Latour had refused to back down from the truth, even when his investigation revealed and proved that the murderer was none other than Latours own son.

Sometimes the truth can be very painful. But sooner or later we each have to face it: weve done some things wrong in our life.

And until we admit this fact to our Maker, well never be free from our guilt. Its then we realize that the price we pay of hurting our pride is nothing compared to losing our relationship with our Maker.

And the only thing we have to do is ask Jesus Christ for His forgiveness and new life. Then with Him in charge, we can start changing and living His way, which is the only way well ever have peace of mind and be free.

Just Think a Minute!
Human waste will now be used to produce bio-gas for cooking purposes.

The initiative was introduced by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources during the celebration of World Toilet Day this year.

Minister of Health, Tuitama Dr. Leao Talalelei Tuitama said such initiative was good for the people.

But he is concerned that some families have not built proper septic tanks.

Contaminated water was an issue that had been raised by some members of Parliament during the Parliament proceedings, he said.

Surveys have found that drinking water has been contaminated from human wastes.

It is not an issue in Apia because there is a Waste Water Treatment Plant located at Sogi, all wastes in Apia is transferred there and then will produce bio gas for cooking.

As for the rural areas, there is no Waste Water Treatment Plant in place.

He said this was a concern because contaminated water could lead to an outbreak of typhoid in Samoa.

Tuitama also advises people to build proper septic tanks to avoid any health risk.

It is good that we now can produce bio-gas from human wastes, but if these wastes are being leaked out and into our water supply, there is a concern.
The Pacific Arts Association conference kicked off its first day of their five-day programme with a keynote speech from former Head of State, Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi on Tuesday.

Pacific artists and academics had the opportunity to take pictures and ask him questions about his most acclaimed writings.

The President of the Samoa Arts Council (S.A.C.), Tuiasau Uelese Petaia, said he was pleased to see the interaction between Tui Atua and young Pacific artists and academics who have been inspired by his writing,

He is a patron of the arts and is widely accepted as an authority on Pacific culture, Samoan culture and traditions, said Tuiasau.

He has been a great leader for the country so theres still that mana that he carries and theres still a lot of respect for his views particularly on culture, tradition, arts and traditional arts.

Before the first presentation by Patricia Wallace was given on A new age Hinemoana participants of the P.A.A. conference mixed and mingled.

Networking is a major part of this conference and S.A.C President Tuiasau hopes that the outcomes of the conference will result in future collaborations between artists and academics,

I hope that whoever comes to this conference will go away inspired as they all were this morning and start holding our own conferences as we prepare for the next Pacific Conference.
A civil claim brought by the Associate Minister of Cabinet and Prime Minister, Peseta Vaifou Tevaga against former Cabinet Minister, Laaulilemalietoa Polataivao Schmidt and others, in relation to a dispute about a nonu company, has been dismissed. The decision was delivered by Supreme Court Justice, Tafaoimalo Leilani Tuala-Warren. Peseta was represented by defence Counsel, Leuluaialii Olinda Woodroffe, while the defendants were represented by Semi Leung Wai. The following is Justice Tafaoimalos ruling:

The Legal Proceedings

1. On 7 October 2015 the Plaintiffs filed:

(a) Statement of Claim (SOC) dated 6 October 2015;

(b) Motion to the Court or a Judge(ex parte) seeking an order granting leave under section 97 of the Companies Act 2001 (the Act) for Peseta Vaifou Tevagaena (Peseta) to bring proceedings in the name of and on behalf of Local Partners and Associates (LPA). The Motion was served on the defendants, Apulu Lance Polu (Polu), Martin Schwalger (Schwalger), Laauli Leuatea Schmidt (Laauli) and Maota o Samoa, all Respondents having opposed the motion heard before Vaai J; and (c) An undertaking as to damages;

2. It is alleged in the SOC that Peseta is a director and a 50% shareholder of LPA. LPA is the Second Plaintiff and Third Defendant. Peseta is also a director and shareholder of Aldan Civil Engineering Construction Company Limited (Aldan).

3. The SOC further pleads that Polu and Schwalger are directors and shareholders of LPA.

4. The causes of action pleaded by the Plaintiffs against the Defendants can be summarised as follows;

 First cause of action - by Peseta against all defendants - leave to bring proceedings in the name of and on behalf of LPA.

 Second cause of action brought by Peseta and LPA against Polu, Schwalger, Laauli and LPA for breach of directors duties owed to Peseta as shareholder pursuant to ss99 and 100 of the Act (as a personal action by a shareholder against a company and directors). It is pleaded that Peseta is a prejudiced shareholder pursuant to s102 of the Act.

 Third cause of action brought by Peseta and LPA against Polu, Schwalger, Laauli and LPA for breach of duties owed by these Defendants to Peseta and LPA by barring or preventing Peseta from any participation in the decisions or activities of the LPA, or from entering LPA premises.

 Fourth cause of action-brought by LPA against Laauli (conversion/detinue) for taking and having in his possession property of the plaintiff, including nonu juice and vehicles.

 Fifth cause of action brought-by Aldan against Polu, Schwalger, Laauli and LPA for breach of contract by putting and continuing to put the secured land at risk.

 Sixth cause of action brought by LPA against Maota o Samoa for conversion of vehicles and funds belonging to LPA.

5. In response, the only material matters admitted by the defendants are that Peseta is a director and shareholder of Aldan, LPA has its registered office at Vaimauga Sisifo, that Polu and Schwalger are directors and shareholders of LPA, LPA was incorporated on 25 October 2012 and LPA adopted the Model Rules for Private Company.

6. The defendants further plead that:

 loan payments are up to date (para 2.18, 2.19, 2.20, 2.21 and 2.22 SOD);

 Aldan had agreed to provide security for the NPF loan (para 2.22);

 Peseta is not a shareholder or a director of LPA;

 There was never a meeting of shareholders and/or directors of 29 May 2013;

 Polu and Schwalger never agreed to any share transfers nor did they execute any shares transfer for the purported transfer of their 15,000 shares in LPA to Peseta

 There are no causes of action disclosed in the Plaintiffs proceedings;

 the legal proceedings brought by the Plaintiffs are not tenable under law because

LPA is the second plaintiff and Third Defendant with the consequence that LPA is suing itself and defending against itself in these proceedings;

 Peseta does not have the requisite legal standing under sections 92 and 93 of the Act to commence these proceedings or to bring any derivative action on behalf of LPA;

 Clause 12 of the Rules of LPA (the Rules) sets out procedures for the transfer of shares and they also were not complied with;

 Clause 43 of the Rules sets out procedures for the appointment of a director and they were not complied with;

 Polu and Schwalger continue to hold 65% of the shares in LPA and they therefore are the majority shareholders; and

 Polu and Schwalger are two of the three directors of LPA and are the majority directors.

7. The defendants case is that Polu and Schwalger have the requisite corporate authority and mandate to discontinue these proceedings and seek that the claim be struck out or dismissed.

8. The Motion to the Court or a Judge (ex parte) seeking an order granting leave under s 97 of the Act for Peseta to bring proceedings in the name of LPA was granted on 21 December 2015 by Justice Lesatele R Vaai. Justice Vaai appointed Tagaloa Faafouina of Sua ma Pauga & Associates as the Court appointed interim manager to be responsible for the daily administration and financial affairs of LPA. He further ordered that Polu, Schwalger, Laauli and Maota o Samoa, their servants and agents were prohibited from;

1. Accepting, receiving, directing or controlling any payments by the customers of LPA;

2. Directing, managing or controlling the bank accounts and financial affairs of LPA;

3. Directing, managing, controlling or influencing the daily running and activities of LPA unless their advice or assistance is requested by the Court appointed interim manager;

4. Retaining, dealing or controlling any assets of LPA and from receiving any payments or benefits due for the hiring and use of the assets of LPA.

9. Vaai J made further orders that:

 the Court appointed interim manager may engage others to assist him and will no doubt seek the assistance of the plaintiff and of the defendants, particularly the defendant Polu who was actively involved in the marketing of the nonu juice overseas;

 The first defendants to supply within 14 days to the interim manager the financial statements of LPA since incorporation in 2013 and supply all other information which the interm manager will request, particularly the information relating to payments of the products sold and hire of property;

 The first and second defendants to return forthwith to the premises of LPA, all property of LPA in their possession or control, and shall also at a time and place determined by the interim manager, deliver all the keys to the premises and property of LPA;

 Neither the plaintiff, nor the first and second defendants were allowed to enter the premises of LPA unless prior permission is given or their assistance is sought by the interim manager.

10. This matter then proceeded to hearing before me.

Brief Factual Background

11. It is common ground that Local Partners Limited (LP) was incorporated on 25 October 2012 following discussions between Peseta and Laauli. The original shareholders in LP were 50% Schwalger and 50% Danny Schwenke (Schwenke). The original directors of LP were Schwalger and Schwenke.

12. Schwalger is Laaulis nephew and Schwenke is Pesetas son. At the time, as they remain now, both Peseta and Laauli were Members of Parliament. For this reason, they made the decision not be shareholders in LP.

13. During a meeting of the Board on 21 January 2013, the name LP was changed to Local Partners and Associates (LPA). Polu became a shareholder and director of LPA. The shareholdings became 32.5% (32,500 shares) held by Polu, 32.5% (32,500 shares) held by Schwalger and 35% (35,000 shares) held by Schwenke. Polu became the third director with Schwalger and Schwenke.

14. LPA was formed to enable the selling and exporting of nonu juice belonging to Pure Pacifika, a group of companies which had been selling nonu juice in Samoa and had gone into receivership. LPA put in a bid for the purchase of the assets of Pure Pacifika and was successful in its bid. LPA needed to secure finance and approached Samoa National Provident Fund (SNPF) for financing. One of the assets used to secure the $1.8 million loan with SNPF was land belonging to Aldan, a company in which Peseta is a shareholder and director. A loan of $1.8 million was approved by SNPF with repayments of SAT$24,000.00 per month. Assets used to secure the loan were the former assets of Pure Pacifika acquired by LPA, which included land at Vaitele, trucks, plant, equipment, nonu juice, and personal guarantees from Polu and Schwalger. LPA took over the Pure Pacifika land at Vaitele.

15. The relationship between Peseta and the defendants Polu, Schwalger and Laauli started to deteriorate shortly after LPA started actual operations in 2013.

16. Key to these proceedings is the assertion by Peseta that at a meeting of shareholders and directors of LPA held on 29 May 2013, it was resolved to change the shareholding in LPA to 50% Peseta and 50% Polu and Schwalger jointly. Peseta says Polu, Schwalger, Schwenke, Laauli and himself were present at the meeting. He further says that it was agreed that Peseta would replace Schwenke as a director of LPA. Peseta then subsequently caused the companies registry records at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour (MCIL) to be amended on 16 September 2015 to 50,000 shares held by Polu and Schwalger, and 50 000 shares held by Schwenke. The MCIL records on 13 October 2015 show the shareholding in LPA as 50,000 shares held by Peseta and 50,000 shares held by Polu and Schwalger.

The Issues

17. Much of these proceedings therefore involve two key issues, namely:

1. (i) whether Peseta is a director and shareholder of LPA; and

2. (ii) The validity and effect (if any) of the purported Notice of Resolution by Board

of Directors dated 13 June 2013 (the Notice).

18. I will deal with these two issues first and then turn to address the various causes of action pleaded by the Plaintiffs.

19. Pesetas various causes of action are largely based on the assertion that he is a director and shareholder in LPA. In addition to his own viva voce evidence, he places significant reliance on the Notice. The Notice is therefore key to determining these proceedings. The Notice states as follows;

We give notice of resolution of a meeting of the Board of Directors held on 29th May 2013 as follows;

1. That the Board accepts the resignation of Leiataua Danny Schwenke Company Director who is replaced by Peseta Vaifou Tevagaena.

2. That the shareholding of the company is to be reallocated as follows; MARTIN SCHWALGER-50% or 500,000 shares

PESETA VAIFOU TEVAGAENA-50% or 500 000 shares

That the said shareholding is noted in the Share Registry of the company.

20. The Notice is purported to be signed by Schwalger and Peseta. The date on the Notice is 13 June 2013. Schwalgers signature has the date 14 June 2013 below it.

21. The Notice is not itself a written resolution of the company but is a record dated 13 June 2013 of resolutions purportedly made at a meeting of directors alleged to have occurred on 29 May 2013.

22. There is a material mistake in the Notice which is worth mentioning before I proceed to address the issues. It reallocates 500,000 shares to Peseta and 500 000 shares to Polu and Schwalger. The total shares in LPA are 100 000 as evidenced by MCIL records of LPA dated 1 October 2015.

23. The Plaintiffs contend that Pesetas appointment as a director and a shareholder has been determined by the granting of leave to Peseta to bring proceedings in the name of LPA as well as the findings in the criminal proceedings brought against Peseta that were dismissed. The defendants submit that these remain live issues in dispute to be determined in these proceedings.

The Relevant Law - Directors and Shareholders

24. The Notice relied on by the Plaintiffs to underpin much of their proceedings therefore purportedly:

1. (a) accepts the resignation of Schwenke as director;

2. (b) appoints Peseta as a company director; and

3. (c) gives effect to a reallocation of shares to 50% or 500,000 shares to Schwalger and

Polu and 50% or 500,000 shares to Peseta, from previously 32.5% (32,500) Polu, 32.5% (32,500) Schwalger and 35% (35,000) Schwenke.

25. The relevant statutory provisions for the appointment and termination of a directorship is set out in sections 86 and 87 of the Act. These relevantly provide:

86. Appointment of directors  (1) A person named as a director in an application for registration, holds office as a director from the date of registration ... until that person ceases to hold office as a director in accordance with this Act. (2) All subsequent directors of a company may, unless the rules of the company provide otherwise, be appointed by ordinary resolution.

(3) The appointment of a person as a director is not effective until that person has consented in writing to act as a director of the company.

87. Director ceasing to hold office  (1) The office of director of a company is vacated if the person holding that office:

(a) resigns in accordance with subsection (2); or

(b) is removed from office in accordance with subsection (4) or the rules of the company; or

(c) becomes disqualified from being a director under section 85(2); or (d) dies; or

(e) otherwise vacates office in accordance with the rules of the company.

(2) A director of a company may resign by signing a written notice of resignation and delivering it to the registered office of the company. (3) Subject to subsections (5) and (6), the notice is effective when it is received at that address or at a later time specified in the notice. (4) Subject to the companys rules, a director may be removed by ordinary resolution.

26. LPA has adopted the Model Rules for Private Company in Schedule 2 of the Act (Model Rules). Pursuant to Rule 3, these Rules have effect and may be enforced as if they constituted a contract between the company and its shareholders and between the company and each director. The shareholders and directors of the Company have the rights, powers, duties and obligations set out in these rules.

27. To pass a resolution of directors, what is required under Rule 58 of the Model Rules is agreement to the resolution by all directors present without dissent, or if a majority of the votes cast on it are in favour of it. Rule 57 provides that a quorum for a meeting of directors is a majority of directors.

28. In relation to the transfer of shares, the Act relevantly provides as follows:

38. Transfer of shares  (1) Subject to any limitation or restriction on the transfer of shares in the rules, a share in a company is transferable. (2) A share is transferred by entry in the share register in accordance with section 40.

40. Company to maintain share register  (1) A company must maintain a share register that records the shares issued by the company and states:

(a) the names, alphabetically arranged, and the last known address of each person who is, or has within the last 7 years been, a shareholder; and

(b) the number of shares of each class held by each shareholder within the last 7 years; and

(c) the date of any issue of shares to, repurchase or redemption of shares from, or transfer of shares by or to, each shareholder within the last 7 years, and in relation to the transfer, the name of the person to or from whom the shares were transferred.

(2) The share register must be kept:

(a) in a form permitted under section 118; and

(b) at the registered office of the company, or any other place or places permitted under section 119. (3) The share register of the company may be maintained by an agent on behalf of the company.

(4) If a company fails to comply with the requirements of this section:

(a) the company commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 50 penalty units; and

(b) every director of the company commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 50 penalty units.

41. Share register as evidence of legal title  (1) Subject to section 42, the entry of the name of a person in the share register as holder of a share is evidence that legal title to

the share vests in that person. (2) A company must treat the registered holder of a share as the only person entitled to:

(a) exercise the right to vote attaching to the share; and

(b) receive notices; and

(c) receive a distribution in respect of the share; and

(d) exercise the other rights and powers attaching to the share.

29. The Model Rules of LPA stipulate how shares are to be transferred. Rule 21 provides:

21. Transfer of shares  (1) If shares are to be transferred, a form of transfer signed by the holder or by his or her agent or attorney must be delivered to the company. (2) The personal representative of a deceased shareholder may transfer a share even though the personal representative is not a shareholder at the time of transfer. (3) Subject to clause 12 and sub-clause (4), the company must immediately on receipt of a properly executed share transfer enter the name of the transferee in the share register as holder of the shares transferred. (4) The directors may resolve to refuse to register a transfer of a share within 30 working days of receipt of the transfer, if any amount payable to the company by the shareholder is due but unpaid. (5) If the directors resolve to refuse to register a transfer for this reason, they must give notice of the refusal to the shareholder within 5 working days of the date of the resolution.

30. The Model Rules adopted by LPA also provides for Pre-Emptive Rights in relation to the sale or otherwise disposal of shares. Rule 12 provides as follows;

12. Restriction on selling shares  (1) A shareholder is not entitled to sell or otherwise dispose of his or her shares in the company without first offering to sell them to the other holders of shares of the same class under the procedure set out in clauses 13 to 20, unless all the other shareholders agree otherwise.

(2) Any share transfer delivered to the company by a shareholder who has not complied with sub-clause (1) is of no effect, and the transfer must not be entered on the share register.

31. Essentially this means that a shareholder is not entitled to sell or otherwise dispose of his or her shares in the company without first offering to sell them to the other holders of shares of the same class under the procedure set out in Rules 12 to 20 of the Model Rules, unless all the other shareholders agree otherwise (Rule 12(1) Model Rules).

32. Fisher J asserted that [that] the purpose underlying pre-emptive rights is to protect existing shareholders from involuntarily having to work with new shareholders of whom they might not approve. He also noted that, for private companies, shareholders have a relationship akin to partnership and that pre-emptive rights allow them to maintain agreeable business relationships. (Ord v Calan Healthcare Properties Ltd [2004]2 NZLR 122).

33. Any share transfer delivered to the company by a shareholder who has not complied with offering shares to other shareholders is of no effect and the transfer must not be entered on the share register (Rule 12(2) Model Rules).

34. Section 42 of the Act gives the Court the power to rectify the share register if the name of a person is wrongly entered in, or omitted from, the share register. Section 42 provides;

42. Power of court to rectify share register  (1) If the name of a person is wrongly entered in, or omitted from, the share register of a company, the person aggrieved, or a shareholder, may apply to the Court for rectification of the share register, or compensation for loss sustained, or both.

35. In Eichelbaum v Joint Action Funding Ltd [2015] NZHC 2163 Thomas J used Paterson Js explanation n Nicholls v Parkview Projects (1999) 8 NZCLC 262,016 (HC) of the Courts discretionary power to rectify, in the context of an application for summary judgment. Paterson J explained that the Court;

has a discretionary power to rectify. The power to rectify should not be exercised in this case unless this Court is satisfied that it is putting right a wrong. In an application for rectification, the Court does take into account all the circumstances of the case and considers what equity the applicant has to support the application. It would, in my view, be very difficult to order rectification in a summary judgment application where there is a dispute between the parties.

Evidence  Directorship and Share Transfer

36. Pesetas evidence is that he is a director and shareholder of LPA by virtue of owning the property used by LPA as security, by the fact he is signing the cheques and because he holds 50% of the shares.

37. In terms of the shares, Peseta said that Schwenke gave his shares to him. He concedes that there were no transfer forms signed and Schwenkes shares were not offered to Polu and Schwalger.

38. According to Peseta, the process followed to change shares to 50% himself and 50% to Polu and Schwalger was that he checked with MCIL and shares had been changed. His evidence is that during a board meeting with Schwenke, Laauli, Polu, Schwalger and himself that took place in May 2013, the shareholding was changed to 50% himself and 50% to the others because he was the only one with a contribution. His evidence is that he said to them that he would be 50% shareholder because he owns the land. He told them he would sign the cheques with one of them.

39. Laauli says there was no meeting held to change the shareholding as alleged by Peseta, or to appoint Peseta as a director. He says that when he was given a copy of the Notice, he asked Schwalger if he signed it. Schwalger denied signing it so they made a complaint to Police about the Notice.

40. Schwalger holds 32.5% of the shareholding in LPA. He is a director of LPA. He is Laaulis nephew. He denies signing the Notice. He says there was no meeting in which Schwenke gave his shares to Peseta. He also said Schwenke was never available to attend any meetings. Polu was in charge of all the paperwork. He also said he was never offered Schwenkes shares nor did he sign any share transfer of his shares.

41. Polu is managing director of LPA and holds 32.5% of the shares in LPA. He says he was not offered any shares belonging to Schwenke nor did he transfer his shares or sign any transfer of shares to Peseta. His evidence is that there was no meeting whereby Peseta was appointed as a director of LPA nor was Peseta given any shares. He found out in October 2015 that MCIL had changed the shareholding in their records to 50% Peseta and 50% Polu and Schwalger. He wrote to the MCIL lawyer to complain and the lawyer responded saying that they would wait for a decision from the Court.

Plaintiffs Submissions

42. The Plaintiffs rely on the judgment of Tuatagaloa J in a criminal case against Peseta in which she found that the Notice of Resolution purporting to change the shareholding to make Peseta a 50% shareholder was not a false document under s193 Crimes Act 2013. Further, the Plaintiffs rely on the order of Vaai J authorising Peseta to sue on behalf of LPA as establishing his directorship and shareholding.

43. The Plaintiffs further submit that Peseta is a director and 50% shareholder on the basis that, amongst others things;

1. the Registrar of Companies was satisfied by the documentation presented by Peseta which proved that he was a director who holds 50% of the shares of LPA;

2. The E-registry still shows Peseta as director and 50% shareholder; and

3. If there was an error, s42 of the Act provides that the company may apply to the Court for an order to rectify the Register. The Defendants claim that Peseta is not a director and not a shareholder, yet in the past 3 years they have not sought such an order.

Defendants Submissions

44. The defendants submit that Peseta is neither a director nor a shareholder of LPA and therefore does not have the requisite legal standing to seek an order under section 97 of the Act for leave to bring proceedings in the name and on behalf of the company.

45. The defendants submissions can be summarised as follows;

1. No written resignation by Schwenke as a director;

2. No ordinary resolution of shareholders to appoint Peseta as a director; and

3. Breach of Rules 12-17 which deal with pre-emptive rights.

46. Several cases are included in the submissions which deal with pre-emptive rights as follows;

a. Curtis v JJ Curtis and Co Ltd [1984] 2 NZLR 267;

b. RJ Nicoholls and Ors v Parkview Projects Limited and Anor (1999) 8 NZCLC

262 016; and

c. Bital Holdings Limited v Middleditch(1993) 6 NZCLC 68 442.

47. Counsel also relies on Company and Securities Law in New Zealand 2nd Edition John Farrar, Susan Watson, General Editors, Thomson Brookers at para 25.5 which provides; Pre-emptive rights in favour of existing shareholders are a common restriction on the transfer of shares. The constitution may provide, for example that no transfer will be valid unless the seller first offers to existing shareholders, and only then (if no member is willing to purchase) to outsiders. If a pre-emptive rights provision is not complied with the transferee will not be entitled to be entered on the share register.

Findings As to Directorship and Shareholding

48. Pesetas appointment as a director purportedly follows the resignation of Schwenke as a director. In order to resign, section 87(2) of the Act provides that a director may resign by signing a written notice of resignation and delivering it to the registered office of the company. A copy of the purported letter of resignation was never tendered into evidence. Secondly, despite his importance to the factual matters at issue in these proceedings on various matters, Schwenke was never called to give evidence. I am simply far from satisfied that Schwenke resigned as alleged.

49. In terms of Pesetas purported appointment as a director of LPA, that appointment must be by way of ordinary resolution of the companys shareholders. In order to be an effective appointment, he must also consent to his appointment in writing.

50. The Notice that Peseta relies on in terms of his appointment as a director clearly states that the resolutions were made at a meeting of directors of LPA on 29 May 2013. That does not constitute an ordinary resolution of the company and therefore any such purported appointment is invalid.

51. Even if such an appointment was validly made by way of ordinary resolution, such an appointment is only effective once he has consented in writing to that appointment. There was no evidence before this Court of Pesetas written consent.

52. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I simply do not accept Pesetas evidence that a meeting occurred on the 29th May 2013 at all credible, nor he as a witness credible or convincing.

Pesetas evidence was that Schwenke, Laauli, Polu, Schwalger and he were present at that meeting yet of the 4 witnesses present at that meeting who gave evidence, three of them (Laauli, Polu, Schwalger) said no such meeting took place. I found their evidence consistent and reliable in contrast to Peseta.

53. I find that Peseta is not a director of LPA.

54. Clear in his own evidence was Pesetas claimed extensive experience in matters of business and commerce. He is a director and shareholder in Aldan, a senior member of the government and would be well familiar in respect of matters of corporate governance, appointments of directors and the transfer of shares.

I find it utterly unbelievable that a person with his extensive business and corporate experience and knowledge would proceed in such a haphazard manner in respect of his appointment as a director to LPA and the transfer of 50% shareholding to him. As he would be well aware, a share transfer is necessary and he gave no credible explanation as to why they did not follow the statutory requirements for the appointment of him as a director or the transfer to him of the shares.

55. In terms of the purported share transfer to Peseta, Peseta claims that the shares were given to him by Schwenke. There is no deed of gift, no transfer and no document to support the so called gift.

Perhaps most strikingly, there was also no Schwenke to confirm that indeed, he did give to Peseta the shares that he claims were given to him. We have only Pesetas word and the purported Notice, a Notice that Schwalger says he did not sign. It is hearsay and in which I place little weight. I am satisfied that no such meeting occurred, as was her Honour Tuatagaloa J in the criminal proceedings in which Peseta places much weight.(see: Police v Peseta Vaifou Tevaga[2016] WSSC 192(28 October 2016)

56. Due to my finding that there was no meeting, it follows that the record of the meeting as purportedly contained in the Notice is false on its face. It does not matter that it has the signatures of Schwalger and Peseta, the fact remains that the meeting that purports to have taken place and during which the resolutions as recorded in the Notice were made, did not take place.

57. Even had a meeting taken place and the shares transferred pursuant to a Share Transfer, the pre-emptive rights of the other shareholders were breached.

58. Under the Model Rules, existing shareholders must first be offered Schwenkes shares. There is no evidence of the shares alleged to be given to Peseta by Schwenke being offered to Polu and Schwalger.

59. The shares should never have been accepted by the Directors for registration in the share register. Peseta cannot be a registered shareholder until the pre-emptive rights have been exercised. If he has been wrongfully entered in the companys share register, the Court has the power to correct the register pursuant to section 42 of the Act.

60. These proceedings have been pre-occupied with the Companies Register and electronic records held at MCIL. In these entire proceedings, none of the parties tendered LPAs share register that is maintained pursuant to section 40 of the Act and held at the registered office of the company or as may otherwise be permitted by section 119 of the Act. As section 41 of the Act provides the entry of the name of a person in the share register as holder of a share is evidence that legal title to the share vests in that person.

61. The record held at MCIL is not evidence that legal title to the share vests in that person recorded at MCIL. The Registrar of Companies must keep a register of companies which records or stores information electronically or by other means and permits the information recorded or stored to be readily inspected or produced in usable form( s325 of the Act). The Companies Register is purely a record which can be inspected by any person on payment of prescribed fees, not evidence of legal title in the shares.

62. It is the entry of the name in the companys share register that is evidence of legal title vesting in that person. In the absence of the share register required to be maintained by the company, this simply further raises serious doubts in my mind that Peseta is even registered as a shareholder in LPA.

63. Thus, a fundamental flaw in the Plaintiffs case is that they did not produce the share register to support their claim that Peseta is a shareholder. This is despite the Notice stating That the said shareholding is noted in the Share Registry of the Company. There is no evidence that his name is on the share register and no evidence of the alleged transfer from Schwenke to Peseta on the share register. Pesetas evidence is that Schwenke gave him all his 35% shares. He gave no evidence as to how he acquired the other 15% of shares to make up his 50% shareholding except to say that he is entitled to 50% by virtue of his land being used a security.

64. There is no evidence whatsoever that the legal process under the Act was followed for the transfer of 50% shares from Schwenke to Peseta despite the record at the Companies Register which may show a transfer of shares.

65. There is no evidence before me in relation to form/forms of transfer of shares duly signed and delivered to the company by any of the shareholders, including Schwenke. Peseta concedes that no transfer form was signed.

66. In the absence of the share register and given the breach of pre-emptive rights which has taken place, the transfer of 50% shares to Peseta as alleged is of no effect. If this transfer was registered in the share register, this purported share transfer has been wrongly entered. The share register must be rectified to reflect the undisputed shareholding at the time of the alleged meeting, which is 35% (35 000 shares) held by Schwenke, 32.5% (32 500 shares) held by Polu and 32.5% (32 500 shares) held by Schwalger.

67. I find that Peseta is not a shareholder of LPA.

68. Accordingly, I find on the evidence before this Court that Peseta is not a director nor shareholder in LPA.

The Leave to Bring Proceedings and Criminal Trial

69. The Plaintiffs say that because of the findings in the criminal trial against Peseta and the leave granted by Vaai J, those proceedings establish that Peseta is a director and shareholder.

70. Leave to bring proceedings in the name of the company is dealt with in sections 92-98 of the Act. Applications for leave to bring proceedings may be brought by a director of a company (s93(a)) or a shareholder or shareholders representing not less than 10% of the voting rights of all shareholders entitled to vote on a resolution to amend the rules of the company (s 93(b)). Matters which the Court must consider in determining whether to grant leave are contained in section 94. Section 95 deals with when leave may be granted. However before those matters are considered, the first hurdle is to satisfy the Court that either a director or a shareholder/s representing not less than 10% of the voting rights is applying for leave.

71. In Vrij v Boyle [199 5] 3 NZLR 763 at p 765, Fisher J in dealing with an application under section 165 (equivalent to our Act ss 92, 94 and 95) said that

it is not for me to conduct an interim trial on the merits. The appropriate test is that which would be exercised by a prudent business person in the conduct of his or her own affairs when deciding whether to bring a claim.

72. Essentially at the stage of the leave application, a definitive determination of the issues is not required (per Wild J in Hedley v Albany Power Centre Ltd (in liquidation) [2005] 2 NZLR 196).

73. After the benefit of detailed and full consideration and assessment of the evidence, I find that leave as granted by the Court (per Vaai J) cannot be sustained, as Peseta is neither a director nor shareholder representing not less than 10% of the voting rights for the reasons that I have outlined above.

74. In relation to the criminal charges that were brought against Peseta, Peseta relies on the Court decision in that case to also support his contention that he is a director and 50% shareholder of LPA. The Plaintiffs submit that the claims by the defendants as to fraud have been considered by the Supreme Court and rejected. They submit the Supreme Court found that the Resolution appointing Peseta as director and 50% shareholder was not a forged document and not a false document under s193 Crimes Act 2013. This, they submit, confirms the resolution that Peseta is a 50% shareholder and director of LPA and there has been no official formal challenge by the defendants.

75. The defendants however submit that Peseta was charged with one count of forgery under section 194(2) and using a forged document under section 195(1)(b) of the Crimes Act 2013. They submit that the issues raised by the defendants (whether Peseta is a shareholder or director, and whether Rules 12 to 17 and Rule 21 had been complied with) were not raised nor determined at the criminal trial. They submit that these are civil proceedings and the Court is not bound by the decision in the criminal case.

76. I find that the evidence and findings in the criminal proceedings relating to charges that were ultimately dismissed against Peseta for forgery have no bearing in these proceedings. These proceedings are not so much concerned with the Notice as it is with the making of those resolutions at an alleged meeting. It follows on from my finding that there was no meeting and no compliance with the Act when removing or appointing directors and changing shareholding, that any appointment as a director or transfer of shares purportedly effected by the Notice has no legal effect and does not effect Pesetas appointment as director or the transfer of the shares.

Effect of These Findings:

77. As I have found that Peseta is neither a director nor a shareholder in LPA and that leave to bring these proceedings on behalf of LPA is unsustainable, I turn to the various causes of action.

First Cause of Action by Peseta against all defendants - leave to bring proceedings in the name of and on behalf of LPA.

78. First, this pleading is not a cause of action but an application for leave to bring proceedings in the name of LPA. Leave was granted by Vaai J.

79. Secondly, I have determined in these substantive proceedings with the benefit of all the evidence, Peseta is not a director or a shareholder. That is patently clear on the evidence. He does not satisfy the requirements of the Act set out in sections 92  98 and accordingly, he has no standing to continue these proceedings on behalf of LPA.

80. The powers of the Court in section 97 specify that the Court may at any time, make any order that it thinks fit in relation to proceedings brought or intervened in with leave of the Court.

81. I make an order which I find appropriate in relation to these proceedings brought with leave of the Court, that all causes of action brought by Peseta in the name of and on behalf of LPA as second plantiff are dismissed.

Second Cause of Action by Peseta and LPA against Polu, Schwalger, Laauli and LPA for breach of directors duties owed to Peseta as shareholder pursuant to ss99 and 100 of the Act (as a personal action by a shareholder against a company and directors). It is pleaded that Peseta is a prejudiced shareholder pursuant to s102 of the Act.

82. The derivative action in this cause of action by Peseta on behalf of LPA fails for the reasons I have set out in the Findings as to Directorship and Shareholding and in the first cause of action.

83. However, Peseta also brings personal actions as a shareholder in this cause of action.

84. Pesetas evidence to support this cause of action is that not long after LPA was formed, Laauli took cars and other assets of LPA to his home and his son Schwenke was not being asked to sign LPA cheques when his son owned the land used as security.

Peseta then requested to sign the cheques as it was his asset securing the loan. This was accepted by the Board of LPA and he and either one of the other two directors of LPA were made signatories. In 2014 and 2015 Peseta says he was forbidden from entering LPA premises and no more company money was being deposited into the company account for which he was a signatory.

This was the Westpac account. Peseta has a Mitsubishi pajero in his possession which is an asset of LPA. He claims that LPA is now doing well and he still has not received any money yet his land is still being used by the company as security. He says one of the reasons why he gave his land as security was because he was confident that a Chinese person had placed orders for nonu juice and he knew there was ample nonu juice to supply this order to China.

85. When it was put to Peseta that he could not be found to sign cheques, and that he kept avoiding Laauli and Polu, he replied that there was no need for cheques to be signed as the company had just started and all they had to do was to wait for orders and supply these from the nonu juice already inside the factory.

86. Personal actions by shareholders against the company and against directors are provided for in sections 99 and 100 of the Act.

87. A shareholder may bring an action against the company for breach of a duty owed by the company to him or her as shareholder ( s 99(1)).

88. A shareholder or former shareholder may bring an action against a director for breach of a duty owed to him or her as a shareholder (s100(1)).

89. As I have found, Peseta is not a shareholder or former shareholder in LPA. He therefore cannot bring a personal action against LPA or any director of LPA pursuant to ss99 and 100.

90. Section 102 of the Act allows a shareholder or former shareholder of a company to apply to the Court for an order under subsection (2) if the shareholder considers that the affairs of a company have been, or are being, or are likely to be, conducted in a manner that is, or any act or acts of the company have been, or are, or are likely to be, oppressive, unfairly discriminatory, or unfairly prejudicial to him or her in that capacity or in any other capacity.

91. In the same token, because Peseta is not a shareholder or former shareholder of LPA, he is not a prejudiced shareholder.

92. This cause of action must fail on the above mentioned basis.

93. In any event, even if Peseta was a shareholder, this action will fail on the basis of the evidence.

94. I accept Laaulis evidence that when LPA started receiving orders, Peseta rang him unhappy that his son Schwenke was not signing the cheques. Peseta also had issues with Polu.

They had a meeting in which Polu prepared a mini financial statement which showed that Eddie Wilson (owner of Wilex), was taking awhile to pay for his order. As time progressed Peseta started to suspect Polu about the payment of this order.

Peseta approached Eddie Wilson asking about the payment. Peseta wanted Polu out of the company but Laauli advised him that Polu is running the company and he and Peseta are not directors or shareholders. Peseta wanted to change the shareholding.

Laauli told him that he could not be involved as he is a Member of Parliament. Peseta wanted to be the primary signatory of the companys bank account. Polu and Schwalger agreed to make him primary signatory to appease his anger and concern about someone misappropriating the company funds.

As primary signatory, Pesetas signature was required to cash cheques. From June to September 2013, operations were stuck as Peseta refused to sign cheques and proved elusive.

95. I also accept Polus evidence that he agreed for Peseta to be the primary signatory for LPAs Westpac account because of Pesetas complaints about his son being left out of the management of LPA.

However, once Peseta became the main signatory, matters became difficult. Pesetas distrust of Polu led to Peseta going to Eddie Wilson and asking for invoices. Eddie Wilson made the first order of nonu juice and it took a while to get the full payment. It was hard to run the company in that environment.

96. Peseta cannot now claim any breach of duty on the part of the directors. The directors allowed him to be primary signatory of the LPA account and he in turn refused to sign the cheques needed to run LPA.

Because of my findings of fact, it follows that I do not find that LPA or Polu and Schwalger breached any duties to Peseta. I do not find that the directors Polu and Schwlager did anything oppressive, unfairly discriminatory or unfairly prejudicial to Peseta. His personal dislike and distrust of Polu led to him being obstructive. Peseta by his own actions refused to be involved in LPA, and was obstructive when it came to signing cheques needed by LPA for its operations.

Third cause of action brought by Peseta and LPA against Polu, Schwalger, Laauli and LPA for breach of duties owed by these Defendants to Peseta and LPA by barring or preventing Peseta from any participation in the decisions or activities of the LPA, or from entering LPA premises.

97. Peseta says he has been denied millions of tala made by LPA when he was the only one with a contribution by way of his land.

98. In respect of LPA, Peseta has no standing to continue these proceedings in the name of LPA as he is neither a director nor shareholder in LPA, nor does he satisfy sections 92-98 of the Act.

99. Peseta is neither a former or current shareholder of LPA and therefore cannot bring a personal action against the company or against directors for any breach of duty as no duty is owed to him by either the directors or the company.

100. In any event, when put to Polu that they forbid Peseta from LPA premises, I accept Polus evidence that Peseta was always free to come and go from LPA premises. The only time that Polu thought it would no longer be appropriate for Peseta to enter LPA premises was after Peseta served them with an injunction.

Peseta asked SNPF for all the keys to the LPA trucks and to the property. Peseta even changed the locks so that Polu was locked out of the premises of the company.

101. I also accept Laaulis evidence that he tried numerous times to call and text Peseta for a chance to talk. Peseta came to the LPA premises on White Sunday holiday in 2015, took photos of the premises and gave the foreman the Notice.

Laauli says that there have been many attempts from their side at reconciliation. Even the Prime Minister requested that they reconcile. However Peseta wanted an apology from Polu and $300,000 to pay his lawyer.

102. I find Peseta acted improperly by bringing LPA to a stage whereby operations could not continue. He did this by refusing to sign cheques needed to operate LPA. He came across as primarily motivated by money. Whilst this is not necessarily a bad motive, it resulted in bringing LPA to a standstill.

His actions in dealing with LPA and its directors were to get the most out of the company and if he was not benefitting from LPA, he would find a way to control LPA. I am not satisfied that he has come to Court with clean hands. This caused the directors Polu and Schwalger to find ways to ensure the survival of LPA. The sales were beginning to increase despite Pesetas obstructive actions.

When LPA first became operational in 2013 the sales were $92, 039. In 2014, the sales were $313,531.48, in 2015 sales were $2,845,218.45 and after the proceedings were filed at the end of 2015, the expected sales dropped according to the progress report of the Court appointed manager dated 4 April 2016 to $87,750.

Despite allegations that there were errors of judgment in the management of LPA or poor business management, the Plaintiffs have not satisfied me that there was an element of underhandedness or bad faith on the part of Polu and Schwalger.

According to the evidence which I accept, Peseta by his own actions refused to participate in LPA despite being asked several times by Laauli. I found Laauli to be credible, forthcoming and genuine in giving his evidence. I found Polu and Schwalger to be the same. It came across very clearly in Polus evidence that he tried very hard to make LPA work despite the challenges posed by Peseta.

103. Pesetas action against Laauli is pursuant to s73. Section 73(1) provides that a person (principal) in accordance with whose directions or instructions a director is required or is accustomed to act is liable under sections 65 to 71 to the same extent as that director, unless the principal shows that the director was not in fact acting in accordance with the principals directions or instructions in acting or failing to act in the manner giving rise to liability on the part of the director.

104. Firstly any action on the basis of s 73 fails on the basis that Peseta is not a shareholder and cannot bring an action against a director, deemed or otherwise, of LPA.

105. Secondly, liability has not been established against directors Polu and Schwalger under ss 65 to 71 in order for liability to attach to Laauli under section 73.

106. Finally, as Laauli made clear, and I accept, he acted in an advisory role once matters with Peseta started to deteriorate. Polu and Schwalger handled all the correspondence. Both Polu and Schwalger did not come across as dependent on Laauli for instuctions or directions. Polu in particular came across as decisive and intelligent. I accept Laaulis evidence that he did not want to compromise his role as a Parliamentarian which was the reason he was not a shareholder or director of LPA. He was the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly when negotiations for nonu started and was Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries at the time of the hearing.

Fourth cause of action-by LPA against Laauli(conversion/detinue) for taking and having in his possession property of the plaintiff, including nonu juice and vehicles.

107. Similarly, Peseta has no standing to continue these proceedings in the name of LPA as he is neither a director nor shareholder in LPA nor does he satisfy sections 92-98 of the Act. Accordingly, this cause of action cannot be sustained.

108. It follows that the action in conversion and detinue against Laauli fails as Peseta has no standing to bring these actions.

109. In any event, I accept the evidence of Polu and Schwalger that the involvement of Laauli and Maota o Samoa in the hireage of trucks, and Heather, Tuitui and others in cashing and collecting cash payments were sanctioned by Polu as managing director and Schwalger as director of LPA, according to what they believed to be in the best interests of LPA. Maota o Samoa is Laaulis family company.

110. In relation to the hireage of trucks, I accept Laauli and Polus evidence. Polus evidence is that they willingly let their trucks be used by Vailima Breweries under Maota o Samoas contract to get some money for the company as the trucks were standing idle.

111. Laaulis evidence is that Maota o Samoa had a contract with Vailima Breweries for the use of one of its trucks to deliver their product. Vailima Breweries wanted to use the trucks at LPA premises so Polu agreed for LPA trucks to be used as an extra source of income for LPA. Money for this use of trucks came under Maota o Samoa as that was the party to the contract. Laauli says he took out expenses like petrol and gave the balance to Polu. This is how LPA survived in 2014 as Peseta was making matters difficult and LPA could not operate as Peseta was refusing to sign cheques. The money paid to LPA for trucks hireage is evidenced in the financial statement. LPA made $214, 000 from the hireage of trucks in 2014. With this income, LPA was able to pay the workers and utilities. By the end of 2014, Vailima Breweries ended the contract saying that there was too much dissent within LPA with Peseta visiting Vailima Breweries numerous times. Laauli says Peseta rang him and expressed his anger at this hireage of trucks. Pesetas former lawyer then wrote to LPA demanding the return of the trucks and the keys to the lawyers office by 4pm that day. Polu wrote to the lawyer that 65% of the shareholders had made that decision. That was the end of that matter.

112. I also accept the evidence of Mrs Ala Lima Meleisea, a chartered accountant who has been working and practising accounting for 10 years. She has been looking after her fathers practice since March 2017. Her father was the late Pala Lima who prepared the financial statements for LPA. She says that revenue from truck hireage to Vailima Breweries is recorded in the 2013 financial statement as $13,200 and in the 2014 financial statement as $204,000. Mrs Ala Meleisea displayed extensive knowledge of accounting matters and came across as forthright and frank. I found her to be credible and her evidence solid.

113. I accept that the options available to Polu and Schwalger in relation to the trucks were either to let LPA trucks stand idly or earn much needed income from them by letting Vailima Breweries use LPA trucks to distribute their products. This was against a background of difficult times with Peseta not signing cheques so that LPA could operate. The directors of LPA had just started operations and yet obstacles were presented by Peseta in the form of approaching those who ordered nonu juice, approaching Vailima Breweries, not signing the cheques and being evasive. Despite those difficulties, the directors Polu and Schwalger continued to make loan repayments and sales increased as reflected in the financial statements from 2013-2015. This was a business which had just started and the potential was huge. The directors Polu and Schwalger to their credit continued to find ways to keep the company operational until the filing of proceedings by Peseta and the appointment of an interim manager by the Court.

114. Pesetas issue is that LPAs bank account with Westpac does not reflect any of the payments made for nonu juice. He went through bank statements and pinpointed people who have no involvement in LPA but were given amounts of cash to handle. They are Heather who is Laaulis wife and Tuitui who works for Maota o Samoa.

115. I accept that the assistance of Laauli, his wife Heather, Polus wife, Laaulis daughter and Laaulis workers such as Tuitui, was sanctioned by Polu and Schwalger as they trusted these people and needed assistance.

116. In relation to people who appear on bank statements to cash cheques from the Bank, Polus evidence is that he trusts these people to cash the cheques, collect cash payments and bring the cash to the office. He says it does not mean the cash is used by those people. The cash is for the operation of the company. These people include Heather and Tuitui. He needed help in particular on Fridays when workers needed to be paid.

117. Heathers evidence is that in 2013 she was called upon by Polu and Schwalger to assist with payroll and overseeing the collecting of the nonu fruit as LPA had few office staff. At the time, Heather had a catering business, supermarket and a petrol station. On one occasion, she was asked by Polu and Schwalger to help count the cash payment from Gary Vui of $345,000. This amount was lodged in Samoa Commercial Bank. On another occasion, she counted a payment from Gary Vui of $348,000 inside the National Bank. She took the money to Polu at LPA office. Polu counted and recorded this cash in the cash sales book and it was locked in the office.

118. Heathers evidence is that she has never used any of this cash she uplifted on behalf of Polu and Schwalger for personal use. She was always instructed by Polu and Schwalger to either count and uplift cash payments or cash cheques which Polu always signed to be cashed at the bank as the workers were paid in cash. She says she merely assisted the company as the company had very few employees when it started out. She did not receive a weekly pay but had been given some money from Laauli which he received from the directors.

119. I accept Heathers evidence. At the time, she was a business woman in her own right, running several businesses. She assisted LPA because of Laaulis closeness to Polu and Schwalger. She came across as sincere and convincing. I found her evidence to be reliable and solid.

120. Again this was a company just starting out. It is not inconceivable that the directors would ask for assistance from close associates and family. Laauli and Polu both spoke about their close friendship.

121. I find that a reasonable person in the position of Polu and Schwalger, given their responsibilities having just secured a substantial loan of $1.8 million and facing the challenges from Peseta would have exercised the same care, diligence and skill. The company was starting out. It had to build its reputation and credibility within both local and overseas markets. The directors made a commercial decision to adopt a trading name for the purposes of marketability. They had to open another bank account as Peseta had control of the companys bank account and would not sign. They accepted cash payments given the requests by clients Gary Vui and Jessie Shi who both gave evidence that they wanted to pay by cash. LPA also needed cash when collecting the nonu fruit. Polu and Schwalger used family and friends initially to collect payments and to cash cheques. Schwalger was a mechanic and maintained the vehicles of LPA. Essentially Polu was running the day to day operations of LPA. His decisions resulted in increasing sales for LPA.

122. I accept that when LPA started out, Polu ocassionally called on Lauulis wife and workers to help him, in particular on a Friday when workers needed to be paid. I accept that Laauli stored barrels of nonu juice in his warehouse instead of the nonu juice being left in the sun.

123. I accept Laaulis evidence that Polu was in charge of all the accounts. When LPA bid for the company in New Zealand, the main person dealing with the bid documents was Polu. Their accountant was Laaulis father-in-law who had been Laaulis fathers accountant for over 30 years, a fact Peseta never took issue with at the time. Laauli says Polu kept all the records which were then used by the accountant to compile financial statements for 2013, 2014 and 2015. Peseta lodged a criminal complaint about stealing LPA money and all the company records at the accountants office were seized by Police. The accountant passed away in early 2017.

124. What is clear is despite Pesetas actions, sales increased for LPA under the management of Polu from 2013-2015 and fell again in 2016 after the commencement of proceedings by Peseta which resulted in the appointment of a court appointed interim manager. The Court appointed manager Tagaloa, to his credit, had to work within the parameters he was given by the Court against a backdrop of bad relations amongst those involved in LPA.

Sixth cause of action brought by LPA against Maota o Samoa for conversion of vehicles and funds belonging to LPA

125. Peseta relies on the same evidence that LPA trucks were being used by Vailima Breweries and the cheques for this use given to Maota o Samoa. I have dealt with the hireage of trucks and funds received from that hireage in the fourth cause of action.

126. This derivative action fails for the aforesaid reasons.

127. The torts of conversion and detinue are concerned primarily with the interference with

the property of another and wrongful retention of possession of a chattel. The property belongs to LPA. This is not an action brought by the shareholders or directors of LPA. Therefore this cause of action fails. Peseta has no standing to continue these proceedings in the name of LPA as he is neither a director nor shareholder in LPA, nor does he satisfy sections 92-98 of the Act. Accordingly, this cause of action cannot be sustained.

Fifth cause of action-by Aldan against Polu, Schwalger, Laauli and LPA for breach of contract by putting and continuing to put the secured land at risk.

128. I have left the fifth cause of action to be dealt with last as it is an action which is brought by the third plaintiff Aldan against the first, second and third defendants for breach of contract by putting and continuing to put the secured land at risk.

129. Aldan is a company in which Peseta is a director and 50% shareholder.

Evidence

130. Pesetas evidence is that to secure the loan of $1.8 million from SNPF, he used Aldan land at Vaitele as one of the securities. LPA land and assets were also used. He does not deny that his companys overdraft of $103,000.00 was paid off from the loan proceeds. The bid for the assets of company Pure Pacifika companies was $1.5 million and the loan was increased to $1.8 million, partly to cover the payment of the overdraft.

131. In relation to Pesetas land, Polu says that Peseta offered the land as security. After 2013, matters got worse. LPA started defaulting on the loan payments. However as of 16 December 2016, there were no arrears to the loan repayments as confirmed by letter from SNPF Manager Legal of same date (ALP1 of Affidavit of Polu dated 19 December 2016).

132. Laauli says that Peseta offered his land as security provided they would pay off his overdraft with National Bank of Samoa as the land was securing his overdraft. Approximately $103,000 of the loan proceeds was paid to clear Pesetas overdraft.

133. Because of the friction with Peseta, Laauli says that the company started to suffer. The Managing Director Polu was in turmoil and this affected his ability to find orders for the juice. Their only concern became paying the loan with SNPF of approximately $24,000 per month. Because of Peseta investigating and questioning the local companies that placed orders with the company, those companies became wary and stopped ordering. Peseta had informed those companies that there was a big lawsuit pending against LPA. Arrears for the SNPF loan were starting to accumulate so the company had to find another way to survive. Laauli wrote to the then General Manager of SNPF that he would guarantee the balance of the arrears because he was worried he had promised his constituency that there would be a nonu farm within their village to supply LPA with nonu fruit. This nonu farm would provide the people of his constituency with a stable income. The idea of the trading name then arose at a meeting between Polu, Schwalger and Laauli in order to keep the company operational. As the company was targeting the Chinese market, where words such as delights were more readily acceptable and marketable than Local Partners and Associates, the name Samoa Nonu Delights was created. LPA was still the legal entity. LPA could not operate as Peseta the primary signatory of the cheque account was being obstructive and uncooperative. The other outcome of the meeting was to open a bank account with Samoa Commercial Bank (SCB). Laauli became the advisor to LPA as a way forward.

134. Laaulis evidence is that SNPF became aware of the deteriorating state of affairs within LPA between Peseta and others, so SNPF called a meeting in which Peseta, Schwenke, Laauli, Polu, Schwalger and General Manager of SNPF were in attendance. Peseta expressed concern about his land. Laauli, Polu and Schwalger agreed to find a replacement asset. Peseta had decided to withdraw from the company. This meeting was held on 3 April 2014.

135. Polu confirms that there was a meeting held at SNPF during which Peseta said that he and his son Schwenke wanted to withdraw from the company. The agreement with SNPF is that the other directors would provide a replacement asset for security and Pesetas land would be released.

136. Pesetas evidence in relation to his land is that it was agreed at a meeting with the former General Manager of SNPF that his land would be released provided another asset was given as substitute. Laauli and Polu were given two weeks to find a replacement asset, however they never came up with one. Peseta says he no longer wishes for his land to be released until Court proceedings are concluded as LPA is now receiving millions and he has not received any of this money.

137. Heathers evidence was that one of the cash payments she uplifted from the bank of $200,000 was the first payment for the nonu farm, which was 27 acres at Aleisa for the growing of nonu fruit to ensure the quality of the fruit which cannot be guaranteed when fruit is picked from different villages around Samoa. The farm was also for ease of pickup. She paid the money into an account called Nonu Farm. The farm is valued at $800,000. The other purpose of the farm was to replace Pesetas land as security. The farm was from the Schmidt family.

138. The 2015 financial statement shows the nonu farm valued at $800,000. The Agreement for Sale and Purchase of leasehold interest in government lease No 613L is the purchase of a leasehold by LPA for the sum of $800,000. The valuation report shows that 27 acres was valued at $820,000 on 18 May 2015. The valuation report shows that 12,000 nonu trees have been planted.

139. Avalisa Viali Fautuaalii is the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ministry of Revenue (MOR). Her evidence is that there are 3 business licences for LPA for 2013. Two of these are signed by the former CEO and one by herself. One of the business licences signed by the former CEO is a scanned copy with the words trading as Samoa Nonu Delights. She does not know who added Samoa Nonu Delights after the words trading as:- to the 2013 business licence as it is a different font from that used on their system. She says the first time the trading name appeared on the business licence was in 2016. She says that trading names are added for companies when they inform MOR. Even with trading names, she says the legal name is the company name. She admits that in the business renewal forms submitted by Polu to MOR in 2014 and 2015, the trading name of Samoa Nonu Delights is on those forms. This is also the evidence of Assistant CEO Tuitui Faasili in relation to the business licence renewal forms for 2014 and 2015 containing the trading name Samoa Nonu Delights. Avalisas evidence is that usually MOR requires minutes of meetings to confirm trading names before they add the trading name to the business licence of a company.

140. Peseta says that one of his issues is with the trading name. He says the trading name is illegal as the directors and shareholders did not agree to use the trading name.

141. Naomi Magasiva works at Samoa Commerical Bank as a new accounts officer and is responsible for opening up new accounts. She opened a cheque account for Samoa Nonu Delights in 2014. The two signatories were Laauli and Polu. To open a new account, a business licence and copies of identification are needed. She says Polu brought in a copy of the business licence that expired in 2014. She confirmed that companies can and have used trading names on their bank accounts.

142. Polu says that on 10 October 2013, he and Schwalger resolved to use the trading name Samoa Nonu Delights to promote nonu before he wrote to SCB to open an account.

143. Mrs Meleisea explains that the compilation of financial statements are done using source records from clients, such as bank statements, receipts, or any forms or records they have where they recorded every transaction carried out by the company or the client. There can be different journals such as cash receipt journals, sales journals, and purchases journals. When receipts are not issued, transactions can be recorded in cash journals. This is common for companies that choose to operate with cash. Accountants use working papers in compiling financial statements and her fathers working papers in relation to LPA were seized by Police.

144. In 2013, it was put to Mrs Meleisea that the amount alleged by the Plaintiffs to be embezzled is $40,905. She explains that the sales in 2013 are $92,000. Therefore $40,905 has been factored into 2013 financial statement. Similarly in 2014, the amount alleged to be embezzled is $65,447. The total sales for 2014 is $313,000 which means that it is way more than the amount claimed to be embezzled of approximately $65,000 and therefore this amount has been accounted for in 2014 accounts. In 2015 the amount claimed to be embezzled is close to $1.3 million. The total sales for 2015 is $2.8 million therefore the amount of $1.3 million has been accounted for in the financial statement.

145. In 2015 when orders were starting to roll in, Laauli says that Peseta then commenced court proceedings. One of these orders was Gary Vui who wanted to pay cash as he was desperate for nonu juice. LPA required cash to pay for the suppliers of the nonu fruit to make more nonu juice. The fruit was collected from planters around Savaii. Some are paid $2, $3, $6 or $12 and it is not feasible to pay them cheques. Once the first two big orders came in 2015, Laauli rang Peseta to come and talk about his land. Peseta did not come. He instead got an injunction and the orders could not be fulfilled and the nonu farmers who supply the nonu fruit could not be paid. Prior to these court proceedings, Samoa had secured a big part of the overseas market for the supply of nonu juice. This is because Laauli and Polu took personal trips overseas to try to find markets for nonu juice to reinvigorate the company.

Plaintiffs submissions

146. The Plaintiffs submit as follows and I have inserted their submissions verbatim below;

a. It is submitted that the offer of Aldans real property as security for SNPF loan (breach of implied contract);

i. It is submitted that the defendants claim that the property of Aldan was freely offered by Peseta as security for the SNPF loan. The defendants claim that Peseta was willing to risk his interest in a property worth over WST$1 million for no return, no fee, no position in the company, no shares and most significantly, no say in the running of LPA. This statement is a lie. This statement is false, misleading and contrary to the evidence before the Court. The evidence before the Court, is that Polu was not involved nor present at the initial discussions between Peseta and Laauli, of how LPA was to be funded. Polus evidence is based on hearsay, and is false. Without the loan from SNPF secured on Aldans property, the LPA nonu business would not have started. No defendant put any money in to start LPA nonu business, except Peseta, a 50% shareholder and director of LPA;

ii. Peseta is an astute businessman who would not put at risk such an asset for no return and without any say in how LPA was run. It is submitted that no businessman would make such an evidently imprudent decision, and that such decision would have been in breach of Pesetas duties owed Aldan. Accordingly it is submitted that the defendants claim that the security was freely offered with nothing in return is implausible and false. It is contrary to proper business contractual and legal arrangements under the Act. Other than the bare statement by Apulu, there is no proof being offered to support this statement.

Defendants submissions

147. The Defendants make the following submissions in reply;

a. The parties to the mortgage are Aldan and SNPF. Aldan had entered freely into the mortgage and therefore bound by the terms of the mortgage contract which includes the term to repay the mortgage. If there is a default by Aldan as mortgagor then the NPF as mortgagee can exercise its remedies as mortgagee which includes the right to exercise power of sale. This is a written contract.

2. Polu, Schwalger, Laauli and LPA are not parties to the Aldan mortgage. Since they are not parties, the doctrine of privity of contract applies and they are not bound accordingly.

3. The defendants submit there must be an agreement by all parties, an intention to be bound contractually, certainty, essentiality and consideration which are all lacking in these circumstances. The first, second and third defendants dispute that there was ever such a contract as alleged by Peseta. The only express and written contract where Aldan is a party is the Aldan mortgage.

4. Terms may be implied in a written contract because of custom, statute or by Judges to reinforce the language of parties. There must be a written contract on which terms may be implied. Peseta is attempting to imply terms from an implied contract. This is not the doctrine of implied terms and goes against the fundamental of requirement of certainty of contracts.

5. Polu deposed that the SNPF loan payments are current and all arrears cleared. Peseta has agreed to his land being released and Laaulis land be substituted.

6. However, Peseta despite stating his concerns and although aware that Polu had requested SNPF to release the land owned by Aldan had still instructed his solicitors to write to NPF not to do so.

7. It is submitted that this cause of action is untenable.

Discussion

148. Firstly what must be made clear is that the land in issue is land belonging to Aldan Company Limited of which Peseta is one of 4 directors and a 50% shareholder. The arguments advanced therefore that the land is his land, is not technically correct.

149. Peseta claims that the defendants breached a contract. There is no contract, written or oral between Aldan and the defendants which is before me and from which I can ascertain its terms with any certainty.

150. There was no evidence that Peseta as director of Aldan unwillingly offered his land as security. The only evidence before me from Peseta himself, Polu and Laauli is that Peseta gave it willingly provided his overdraft was paid. Even when the possibility came up for the security to be replaced, he did not want the land to be released. The defendants on the other hand, took active steps to find a replacement security. The agreement for sale and purchase of the nonu farm and the valuation report shows real progress in finding a replacement security.

151. The leasehold documents and the valuation report add credence to Heathers evidence about the purpose of the leasehold being for a nonu farm to grow the nonu and to replace Pesetas land. Before the acquisition of Nonu Farm, the nonu was collected from around Samoa.

152. In any event, Polu and Schwalger have operated LPA in a way that loan payments have been maintained, despite the challenges of a legal battle and the Court appointment of an interim manager. In December 2016, there were no arrears to the SNPF loan. The arrears have accumulated this year with the management of LPA being out of the hands of its directors.

153. LPA sales were increasing as evident in its financial statements from 2013 to 2015. The noticeable drop was the expected sales for 2016, after these court proceedings commenced. Any attempts by the defendants at reconciliation were thwarted by Peseta. I accept the evidence of Laauli and Polu that Peseta would not consider reconciliation. Peseta cannot now put the blame on the defendants. His part to play in continuing to cause and sustain the division between himself and the defendants is not insignificant. Peseta had derived some benefit from LPA in having his overdraft paid off and in the cash payments which I accept he received from LPA of at least $20,000 according to Polu.

154. It is evident that Pesetas agreement to use Aldan land is conditional on how it benefits him. He used it for the loan initially to clear his overdraft, he then agreed for it to be released for a replacement asset. He is now saying that he does not want it released until Court proceedings have been determined as LPA is receiving millions and he is not receiving any part of that money.

155. The directors Polu and Schwalger are entitled to make decisions that they consider to be in the best interests of the company. Polu and Schwalger sanctioned the use of the trading name Samoa Nonu Delights, the opening of the bank account with Samoa Commercial Bank, the accepting of cash payments and the purchase of the leasehold for a nonu farm, all by way of resolutions passed at meetings of shareholders, (Polu and Schwalger holding 65% of the shares), in an effort to keep LPA operational and to attract revenue to maintain loan repayments.

156. The fact that Polu submitted the trading name in the business licence renewal forms in 2014 and 2015 to MOR shows that Polu and Schwalger were upfront about the use of the trading name Samoa Nonu Delights.

Conclusion

157. I do not find any breach of contract as there was no contract or agreement between Aldan and the defendants with certain terms before me. This cause of action fails.

158. In any event, loan payments were current as of December 2016. This is due largely to the fact that Polu and Schwalger found ways for LPA to continue to operate. They created a trading name, opened another bank account, accepted cash payments and purchased a leasehold for a nonu farm.

Observations

159. I faced real difficulties in deciphering the pleadings by the Plaintiffs and the Plaintiffs submissions in relation to each cause of action.

160. Counsel for the Plaintiffs filed a Memorandum Seeking Delivery of Judgment on 8 November 2017. The delay has been in no small part due to the state of the Plaintiffs pleadings, submissions and conduct of proceedings.

161. Several procedural matters concerned me. Section 83(1) Evidence Act 2015 provides that a party may not offer further evidence after closing that partys case, except with permission of the Judge. Section 83(2) provides that in civil proceedings, a Judge may not grant permission if any unfairness caused to any other party by the granting of permission cannot be remedied by an adjournment or an award of costs, or both. The Plaintiff during closing submissions sought to tender an affidavit by a chartered accountant. The defendants strongly objected to this. I reserved the admissibility of this affidavit until this decision.

162. I have made the decision to not allow this affidavit to be submitted at such a late stage, or to allow the chartered accountant for the Plaintiffs to be called. All the evidence from both sides had been called. This practice should not be encouraged or condoned. The practice I am referring to is the late identification of witnesses by the plaintiff whom they wish to call, after hearing witnesses for the defence, particularly in this case where this could have been avoided by an order for discovery which is provided for in Rule 86 of the Supreme Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 1980. An application to the Court is not necessary. However there was no discovery conducted in this case. This led to applications by the Plaintiff to introduce more evidence and seek disclosure of documents after closing their case and well into the defendants case. I did grant the disclosure of documents pursuant to Rule 92 of the Supreme Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 1980, but I commented on the lack of discovery several times during the hearing.

163. In addition, during closing submissions, a breach of section 50 was alleged by the plaintiffs. Section 50 deals with shareholder approval of major transactions. I will not deal with this matter as it was not pleaded in the SOC. Counsel for the Plaintiffs submitted that this arose out of the evidence and they were taken by surprise. Again discovery would have avoided this situation.

164. Quite separate from the SOC, in the closing submissions, the relief sought by the Plaintiffs was different in some significant respects from the relief sought in the SOC. My orders below cover all prayers for relief.

Court Orders

165. For the avoidance of doubt, my orders are;

1. All causes of action in the SOC are dismissed;

2. Any change therefore to the share register made on the basis of the Notice must be rectified accordingly under section 42 of the Act, if it has been changed, to reflect the directors and shareholders as follows;

The directors of LPA are Leiataua Danny Schwenke of Vaitele, Martin J. Schwalger of Aleisa and Apulu Lance Polu of Saleimoa.

The shareholders are Leiataua Danny Schwenke with 35% (35,000 shares), Martin J. Schwalger with 32.5% (32,500 shares) and Apulu Lance Polu with 32.5% (32 500 shares);

3. All interim orders and injunctions granted by the Court in favour of the Plaintiffs are discharged immediately;

4. The Court appointed manager is discharged and the management and regulation of LPA is put back in the hands of Polu, Schwalger and Schwenke; and

5. Having defended this case successfully, Counsel for the Defendants is invited to file and serve a memorandum as to costs within 21 days of the release of this decision. Counsel for the Plaintiffs may respond to that memorandum within a further 14 days.

Addendum

166. Aldans land is still subject to the mortgage with SNPF. In moving forward, the parties need to either negotiate a replacement asset or agree to work together in this business venture beneficial to Samoa.

__________________

TUALA-WARREN J
The California Public Utilities Commission rejected a request from San Diego Gas & Electric to pass onto ratepayers $379 million in costs related to three deadly wildfires that blazed through the area ten years ago.

In making the decision, the commissioners ruled SDG&E did not reasonably manage and operate its facilities leading up to the Witch, Guejito and Rice fires that killed two people, injured 40 firefighters and forced more than 10,000 to seek shelter at Qualcomm Stadium. The three fires combined to destroy more than 1,300 homes.

SDG&E officials have maintained the wildfires that enveloped Southern California in October 2007 represented an unprecedented event and insist the utility responsibly managed its service territory.

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Even though two commissioners expressed that their votes were close calls, all five members voted Thursday morning in San Francisco to reject the utilitys request.

What the vote means

If SDG&Es request had been approved, it was estimated the average ratepayer would have paid $1.67 more per month over the space of six years.

The decision has been watched closely in relation to the degree California utilities are culpable for financial damages that could run into the billions of dollars for wildfires, particularly in rural and remote regions of their service territories.

Here are some details of the decision

Within moments of the vote, SDG&E officials blasted the decision and promised to continue the fight in court.

The CPUC got it wrong, said Lee Schavrien, the utilitys senior vice president and chief regulatory officer. The 2007 wildfires were a natural disaster fueled by extreme conditions including the worst Santa Ana wind event this region has ever seen, combined with high heat, low humidity and hurricane-force winds.

But CPUC commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen disagreed.

The decision does not hold utilities to a standard of perfection. Thats a straw man and thats not what were doing here, Rechtschaffen said. The burden of proof is on SDG&E to show they acted as a prudent manager and based on a careful review the decision concludes they did not meet that burden.

Groups who aligned against SDG&E during the nearly decade-long legal fight cheered the result.

Hopefully this decision will serve as motivation for all the public utilities to improve their safety practices to prevent such disasters in the future as money seems to speak to these companies in a way that public outrage does not, said April Maurath Sommer, executive director and lead counsel for the Protect Our Communities Foundation, an environmental group based in San Diego County.

Thursday mornings vote affirmed a proposed decision a pair of CPUC administrative law judges recommended in August, arguing SDG&Es request should be denied because the utility did not reasonably manage and operate its facilities leading up to the fires.

But while CPUC president Michael Picker and commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves joined in the 5-0 ruling, they expressed reservations.

Picker went so far as to say that a record could support a finding that SDG&E acted prudently in most decisions, given the information available.

This is a challenge as youre depending on engineers and humans standing there on the ground trying to make the best judgment based on what they can see and what they can do at the time, Picker said.

And while the administrative law judges sided with a scientist who estimated the winds that helped ignite the wildfires were about half the speed that SDG&Es experts claimed, Picker said he and Guzman Aveces believe SDG&Es contention that wind conditions were severe and unprecedented.

That rankled Michael Aguirre, an attorney for ratepayer advocate Ruth Henricks, who said the remarks by Picker and Guzman Aceves were calculated to undermine the viability of the decision should SDG&E decide to appeal.

RELATED: How the 2007 wildfires changed San Diego County

Investigations by Cal Fire and the CPUC determined the Witch and Rice Canyon fires were caused by sparks from downed wires and the Guejito fire was caused when a lashing wire owned by Cox Communications hit an SDG&E power line.

SDG&Es insurance covered approximately $1.1 billion of damages. The utility paid more than $2 billion in settlements and other costs in the aftermath of the wildfires, although it never admitted any liability.

Since 2007, SDG&E said it has invested about $1 billion in fire safety.

The company has created a weather center staffed with three full-time meteorologists, expanded its weather sensor network to 144 weather stations and spent money on firefighting efforts ranging from heli-tankers that can carry 2,650 gallons of water or fire suppressants to replacing 2,100 existing wood poles with steel poles.

Commissioner Liane Randolph said SDG&E has taken innovative steps to become an industry leader in this area but added, this case has nothing to do with the current management of their system.

Instead, Randolph said the decision is a snapshot in time from 2007 and SDG&E did not meet its burden to show it acted as a prudent manager.

In recent months, two other utilities  Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison  jumped into the case, arguing on SDG&Es behalf. The utilities say the case highlights greater risks of wildfires in recent years due to drought conditions, vegetation growth, climate change and home construction in wooded areas.

PG&E and Edison entered the case just prior to the eruption of the Wine Country wildfires that have killed 44 people and scorched 245,000 acres.

We want to encourage and incentivize careful, prudent management, Rechtschaffen said. If we ruled that recovery is possible with something less than prudent management, wed send the wrong signal.

In the past few months, SDG&E attorneys argued that it should be able to recover costs from the wildfires through a legal doctrine called inverse condemnation a California constitutional claim that requires just compensation when property has been taken or damaged for the public use.

The commissioners rejected that argument Thursday but said the notion should be clarified by the Legislature or the court system.

The law of inverse condemnation is unsettled, Guzman Aceves said.

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rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski

ALSO

Why is it taking so long for a decision in the SDG&E 2007 wildfire case?
A recent Make-A-Wish grant awarded to an Oceanside child will have a lasting effect on many children: Alondra Sophia Lara, 5, is sharing her wish with her school, her home away from home.

The school is Vista Unified School Districts California Avenue Elementary, which is the districts primary preschool for children with special needs. About 300 preschool and elementary-school students attend fully integrated classes there.

Sophia, as she is known, has Pallister-Killian syndrome, a chromosomal abnormality that occurs so rarely that fewer than a couple hundred cases were known at the time she was born, said her mother, Veronica Lara.

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PK children have varying physical symptoms that may hinder their physical or mental development. Because they often physically resemble Down syndrome children, the condition is thought to be widely misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed.

Sophia has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, and has two or three seizures daily, said her mom. Last year, she had surgery to remove a tumor in her head.

She has low muscle tone, shes nonverbal. She cant sit or walk. She depends on me 24/7, said Lara of her daughter, now almost 4 feet tall and close to 100 pounds.

Sophia spends nearly eight hours daily, with a nurse, in her classroom. Her teacher (Mike Zeroski) is just awesome, Lara said. Its the best school I could ever have found for Sophia.

It does really awesome things for the kids: occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, all at the site. They have a heated indoor pool, and every Friday, Sophia gets in the pool and she really enjoys that. She also loves music therapy.

When their Make-A-Wish request was granted, the family sat down to consider what Sophias wish would entail.

Various trips near and far were suggested, said Veronica Lara, but the logistics were daunting, even with help from Make-A-Wish. Finally, she and husband Juan Manuel hit upon the solution: Why dont we try to do something with her classroom? Why not do something to benefit other kids, too, instead of just Sophia?

Principal Rachel Schmidt was delighted by the idea. This very generous family felt that because they had everything they needed at home, and school was a second home, they made the decision to donate the wish to the school.

The wish for the room renovation was enabled by two San Diego firms, HoyleCohen and Duane Morris, said Jenna Martin, a Wish Manager (and isnt that a great job title) for Make-A-Wish San Diego.

The employees and some professional organizers went in and looked at the flow of the classroom to help enhance it. They donated the money, and then they came out and volunteered to put everything together over a weekend.

When the room was ready, its upgrades included a new diaper changing table, new equipment for the sensory area, a new storage shed and an outdoor awning, including some waterproof shelving to safely store equipment and make more room indoors for the students.

One item purchased specifically for Sophia was a P Pod (peapod) Postural Support System  a large bean-bag-style chair to support Sophia when she takes a break from her wheelchair. Its purple, Sophias favorite color, said her mom.

The reveal took place earlier this month, and it was a surprise to the children. Sophia enjoyed all the commotion, said Lara: She was clapping on her way in. She was happy. She kinda knew something was going on around her.

What made it extra-special, said Schmidt, was that the VAPA campus (Vista Academy of the Visual and Performing Arts)  which regularly comes over to integrate with our classes  that class came over, and they were just thrilled, too.

Veronica Lara has another wish: that recognition will increase for children with Pallister-Killian syndrome.

Im trying to bring some awareness, she said. PKS Awareness Day is Dec. 4, and red and black are the colors. Well have a celebration at school. Lara is also hoping others will spread the word and donate to research on the syndrome at www.pkskids.net.

In the meantime, Sophias wish will be remembered for a long time at California Avenue Elementary.

This gift was really a legacy for the dozens of children who are going to follow in years to come, said Schmidt. Were very humbled and grateful, not only to Make-A-Wish, but that this family would donate this gift to the school.

laura.groch@sduniontribune.com
A number of civil rights organizations and activists are asking to join the opposition to a federal lawsuit that challenges the constitutionality of the California Voting Rights Act.

The groups, which include the oldest and strongest Hispanic rights organizations in the country, want to side with the California Attorney Generals office in opposition to the lawsuit.

Filed on behalf of former Poway Mayor Don Higginson with representation and funding from the conservative Virginia-based The Project on Fair Representation, the lawsuit claims the voting rights act violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by denying all citizens the right to choose who they want to represent them.

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In recent years, many California cities and other local boards have, in some cases reluctantly, switched from an at-large voting system to district elections. The 2001 voting rights act has been used to address concerns that at-large voting systems too often dilute the voting strength of minority groups. District-based election systems help underrepresented groups elect representatives of their choice from their own communities to city councils, school boards and other local governmental bodies.

Poway recently was forced to establish voting election districts after Malibu attorney Kevin Shenkman threatened to sue the city under the provisions of the voting rights act.

Shenkman has sent similar threatening demand letters to dozens of other cities in the state, including many in San Diegos North County, including Oceanside, Vista, Carlsbad and San Marcos which have all agreed to district elections.

Cities that have tried to fight the switch have lost consistently in court, at times having to pay millions in legal fees. Poways City Council, like many others, decided it would make the switch for financial reasons even though four of its five members said they felt it was unnecessary.

Poway has only a 15 percent Latino population and no matter how the city was divided, there was no way a minority-majority district could have been created. Some in Poway, however, are pleased with the switch because one of the newly created districts is in the southern and less affluent part of the city, which has historically been underrepresented on the city council.

Higginson has sued both the state and Poway, though the Poway portion of the suit was done only as a legal technicality. Its the voting rights act itself that is the target.

Requesting to become legal intervenors in support of the state are such heavyweight civil rights groups as the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), and the Asian Americans Advancing Justice  Los Angeles.

This contrived lawsuit is the courtroom embodiment of Make America Great Again  an attempt to embed white voters longstanding privilege, said Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF president and general counsel, in a news release.

MALDEF has also sent letters to various jurisdictions around the state threatening to sue if at-large voting methods arent changed. Last year, it was lawyers from MALDEF that convinced the Fallbrook Public Utilities District to change the way it elected its board members.

Local Hispanic rights advocates and several Poway residents have also asked to join the Higginson case as intervenors. Usually, courts allow intervenors, deciding later whether they should be full litigants or ones that are only allowed to file briefs in support of a position.

District elections level the playing field for democracy, said Poway resident Judy Ki, in the news release. South Poway has a unique set of problems and needs a City Council member to address them.

The civil rights groups want to join, arguing that the City of Poway may lack the commitment to defend the CVRA. Lawyers for the residents and LULAC go on to argue that while the California attorney generals office might defend the state law, it may not have the same interest in protecting the citys self-imposed changes to its election system, a MALDEF spokesman said.

Lawyers for Higginson are seeking a preliminary injunction that would bar the state from enforcing the voting rights act while the lawsuit is litigated. If successful, the injunction could impact how local officials are elected all over the state.

Oral arguments concerning the injunction request are tentatively scheduled for Jan. 19 before San Diego Magistrate Judge Jill L. Burkhardt. It is unclear what immediate impact the injunction could have if granted and will largely depend on the specifics of the court ruling, experts say.

Edward Blum, the president of The Project for Fair Representation, which sought out Higginson as a plaintiff, said the case could take years to litigate. He predicts it will eventually end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Blum said he was not surprised by the request to intervene from the Latino groups.

This case will probably attract, at some point, two dozen briefs, he said.

jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones
The most wonderful time of the year has arrived and North Park will unwrap some holiday magic to celebrate the 54th annual North Park Toyland Parade. Bundle up and cheer on marching bands, dance groups, floats, vintage cars, beauty queens and dignitaries as they glide down the parade route. Santa Claus, who will close out the parade, will arrive atop a merry red fire engine. All-day parking will be available at the North Park parking garage for $1.

North Park Toyland Parade: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. University Avenue between Utah and Iowa streets. Free admission. toylandparade.com

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carolina.gusman@sduniontribune.com
San Diego-based Cubic announced Kirsten Nielsen as the defense giants new vice president of investor relations.

Nielsen, 32, is tasked with developing Cubics communications strategy to investors. She departs a similar position at metals titan Arconic, the Alcoa spinoff. She will remain in New York while representing Cubic.

We are pleased to welcome Kirsten to the Cubic team, said Anshooman Aga, Cubics executive vice president and chief financial officer, in a news release. Her knowledge and experience (bring) a unique perspective to our business at an exciting time for our company. I am confident that Kirsten will be an invaluable resource as we continue our effort to drive long-term value for shareholders.

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With $1.5 billion in annual revenues, Cubic is one of the globes leading manufacturers of military training simulators.

The Navys Third Fleet uses Cubics computer games to simulate an OPFOR  an opposition force  during war games designed to test how American ships and aircraft respond to potential enemy attacks.

It also has carved out a strong presence in what the armed forces call C4ISR  the command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance required by the Pentagon, spy agencies and large commercial operations.

Cubics transportation division concentrates on high-tech systems to streamline urban commutes, protect data and boost public safety, with a focus on collecting railway and bus tolls.

Before joining Alcoa in 2012, Nielsen served as an analyst in the mergers and acquisition section of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, an Atlanta investment bank.

The Florida native holds a masters degree in business administration from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia in 2012 and a bachelors degree in business administration from the University of Florida in 2007.

Shes a prior board member of The Family Center, a nonprofit that provides social and legal aid to New Yorkers struggling with family crises.

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cprine@sduniontribune.com
President Moon Jae-in welcomed his Sri Lankan counterpart to Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday morning, where they reaffirmed 40 years of friendly ties between the two countries.

Moon commended President Maithripala Sirisena's pursuit of reconciliation of his people after the country's civil war, and said they both share a similar philosophy and a vision of putting people first.
The Marine Corps crackdown on an epidemic of hazing at Camp Pendleton now includes at least one court-martial decision.

Cpl. K.D. Lee of Camp Pendletons 7th Engineer Support Battalion of the 1st Marine Logistic Group pleaded guilty recently at summary court-martial to one of three charges involving the hazing of a subordinate, according to Marine spokesman 1st Lt. Adam B. Miller.

Hazing is contradictory to our core values of honor, courage and commitment and is prejudicial to good order and discipline, Miller said by email. Hazing violates our institutional character and disrespects our most precious asset  our Marines and sailors. Hazing is absolutely not tolerated in the Marine Corps.

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Lee had been accused of inflicting cruel, abusive, humiliating, oppressive, demeaning or harmful treatment on a junior enlisted Marine on April 6, according to a charge sheet obtained under the federal Freedom of Information Act.

She was charged on Aug. 4 with three counts of violating a lawful order designed to prevent hazing and pleaded innocent at an initial hearing on Oct. 13, according to the military court docket.

There are three levels of court-martial proceedings  general, special and summary. General and special court-martial cases threaten harsher punishments and the stigma of federal felony or misdemeanor convictions.

Lee at first faced a special court-martial trial, but her plea agreement shifted her into a summary hearing, which acts as a kind of legal bridge between the harsh penalties of court-martial convictions and the more lax non-judicial punishment.

In her agreement, Lee pleaded guilty to the second charge against her  wrongfully condoning or ignoring hazing that she knew or reasonably should have known occurred  but not hazing or failure to report the crime.

Her summary court-martial was held on Nov. 3. She was reduced in rank to lance corporal, forfeited two-thirds of her pay for a month and received 60 days of restriction to her quarters.

Her military-appointed attorneys did not return calls seeking comment.

Miller said that six other non-commissioned officers were administratively disciplined for their actions through non-judicial punishment.

The corps redacted both Lees first name and the identity of her victim, except to note that he was a male Marine who held the rank of private first class during the April incident.

Lee, a three-year veteran of the corps who has yet to deploy overseas, allegedly threatened to toss the subordinate off a rooftop, questioned his gender, derided him with salty language and told other Marines that she was not (expletive) done with him and well get him, dont worry, or similar phrases, her charge sheet indicated.

Promulgated throughout the Marine Corps on May 20, 2013, and signed by former Marine commandant Gen. James Amos, the anti-hazing order Lee violated was designed to track and eradicate abuse inside the service.

Two years earlier, a lance corporal committed suicide after fellow Marines beat him for falling asleep on watch, an incident authorities concluded was a form of hazing.

On Nov. 11, Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Felix, a Parris Island drill instructor, was convicted of abusing recruits, especially Muslim volunteers. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and will exit the service as a private with a dishonorable discharge.

While the Marines in recent years have rushed to investigate allegations of hazing and prosecute offenders, an early 2016 report by the Government Accountability Office found that Marine efforts do not necessarily cover all aspects of hazing policy implementation, among other problems.

For example, the Marine data tracking system used to monitor hazing in the ranks counted too many cases because of duplicated entries, the federal watchdog agency concluded.

Analyzing command climate surveys filled out by 8,750 Marines in 2014, GAO determined that 11 percent of the troops believed that they were pressured to engage in potentially harmful activities that were not part of the mission and newcomers were humiliated or forced to do potentially dangerous activities before being accepted into a unit.

Analyzing another 11,835 surveys found that 15 percent of Marines also reported serving in toxic units that excessively teased troops to the point where they were unable to defend themselves; frequently belittled others for slight errors and excluded fellow Marines from social work group activities.

The Marines led all the other services in rates of perceived hazing, with the results skewed toward the junior ranks most likely to be violated.

Military Videos  On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France  at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal

cprine@sduniontribune.com
Los Angeles police are looking for a man caught on video last month assaulting a pedestrian in an unprovoked attack.

The incident happened about 8 a.m. on Oct. 20, when the pedestrian and the suspect crossed paths in the 800 block of North La Brea Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

.@LAPDWilshire Area detectives are seeking the publics assistance in identifying a suspect involved in an Assault with a Deadly Weapon incident. Anyone with information about this case is asked to detectives at 213 922-8231. #LAPD pic.twitter.com/Clz6Az26IC  LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) November 29, 2017

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The video shows the suspect getting into a position to strike the man, then backing away. The pedestrian continues walking, with the suspect following closely behind. Moments later, the suspect swings his backpack at the pedestrians face, knocking him to the ground. The suspect walks away.

Police said the pedestrian sustained serious injuries.

The attacker is described as white or Asian and in his 20s with a mustache and goatee. Hes about 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs about 160 pounds. He wore a dark beanie, a gray sweater and dark pants. One of his hands appeared to be gloved.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police at (213) 922-8231.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek
The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department is investigating a shooting in Santa Clarita that left a deputy and a suspect injured.

The gunfire occurred about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 21300 block of Bottletree Lane in Newhall after officers responded to a report of assault with a deadly weapon involving two male suspects.

One of the men had approached a woman who was parking her car and pointed a gun at her, according to the Sheriffs Department. The woman grabbed her cellphone to call police, and the man fled near the pool area of an apartment complex.

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When deputies arrived and began to search the area, one of the suspects shot at them, according to authorities.

Four deputies were involved in the shooting, authorities said, and one was shot in the neck.

Resident Tracy Flores heard the gunshots as she was watching TV with her family in her living room.

It was just scary. You dont know where theyre coming from, Flores, 33, said.

Flores said her husband looked out the window to find deputies standing outside with their guns drawn. He popped his head out the front door when he heard a bunch of police screaming.

They said, Get inside, theres an officer down, Flores recalled.

She grabbed her four children and hid in the bathroom, she said.

Both the wounded deputy and the suspect were taken to a hospital for treatment. The deputy is expected to survive. The 29-year-old suspect is listed in critical condition.

A second suspect was found in one of the apartments and was detained. He is being questioned by investigators, the Sheriffs Department said. He has not yet been arrested.

Authorities said a handgun was recovered at the scene. No other deputies were injured.

sarah.parvini@latimes.com

For more California news follow me on Twitter: @sarahparvini
The last of four defendants charged in connection with illegal campaign contributions in the 2012 San Diego mayors race pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday.

Marco Polo Cortes, a former San Diego City Hall lobbyist, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, making a campaign contribution in the name of another and obstruction of a federal agent.

Cortes was indicted in the illegal campaign funding scheme orchestrated by Mexican businessman Jose Susumo Azano Matsura, which pumped in close to $600,000 in contributions to the race. The money was illegal because Azano is a Mexican citizen with no legal status in the U.S. who is barred under federal law from contributing to domestic campaigns.

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Cortes admitted conspiring with Azano, former San Diego detective Ernie Encinas and La Jolla car dealer Marc Chase in the campaign contribution scheme.

He admitted setting up a meeting on Sept. 17, 2012, at a downtown restaurant between Rep. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, and Azano. After the meeting Azano contributed $30,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on behalf of Vargas, running the money through a company owned by Chase.

The obstruction charge stems from a brief standoff on Jan. 21, 2014, when FBI agents went to arrest Cortes at his home and he refused to open his door. An FBI SWAT team was called and, after an hour, he relented without incident.

Azano was convicted of 36 charges including conspiracy and making illegal contributions and was sentenced to three years in prison. Chase also pleaded guilty, testified for the government at Azanos trial in the summer of 2016 and was put on probation for three years. Encinas is yet to be sentenced after pleading guilty early on and cooperating with the probe.

The jury that convicted Azano and two others acquitted Cortes of four charges, and deadlocked on three others. A retrial was set to begin in December. Cortes instead is to be sentenced on March 5. Each charge, all misdemeanors, carries a maximum sentence of a year in prison.

Vargas told The San Diego Union-Tribune in August 2014 that he did not solicit or encourage the $30,000 donation. He said at the dinner Azano talked mostly about his long-runing feud with Sempra Energy over a land dispute near Ensenada, and said he wanted the company investigated.

Vargas said in the interview he rejected the request, and told Azano to bring his concern to federal prosecutors.

Twitter: @gregmoran

greg.moran@sduniontribune.com
A cellphone aimed at a set of French kitchen doors picks up the sounds on video.

A woman inside is heard screaming  repeatedly  No! Stop! Spike, stop! Is this what you want, a girl who doesnt want you?

Many minutes later, a man steps into camera range on the deck outside the kitchen. I cant do this. I cant do this, he says, before putting the still-recording device into his pocket and leaving.

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The video was shown to San Diego Superior Court jurors Wednesday as a trial got underway for Navy Cmdr. John Michael Neuhart II, whose call sign with his former helicopter squadron in Guam was Spike.

Prosecutors say Neuhart assaulted the woman, a Navy helicopter pilot instructor, with intent to commit rape at her home in the Valencia Park neighborhood of San Diego last year. Neuhart faces three charges involving attempted rape plus burglary and resisting arrest.

He faces life in prison if convicted of the most serious charge.

Neuharts defense attorneys say the video depicts a matter of consensual sex, with aggressive foreplay between two highly intoxicated people.

The case is being tried in state court rather than military court because San Diego police brought the case to the District Attorneys Office, an office spokeswoman said. Neuhart has been relieved of his command and is assigned to the headquarters section of San Diego-based Navy Region Southwest while out on $100,000 bail.

Neuhart has served in the Navy for more than 16 years and is married with five children. He has remained free on $100,000 bail since his arrest.

Attorneys on both sides gave opening statements to a jury of 10 men and two women. The trial is expected to last through next week.

Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Tag said the victim, identified in court only as Kristin B., had served on a helicopter squadron in Guam under Neuharts command in 2016. In September last year, she transferred to Coronado as a helicopter squadron flight instructor.

On Sept. 11, she and a friend went to a concert, where they drank beer. She left early to meet with members of her former squadron from Guam who were in San Diego for training. They had more drinks at the Manchester Grand Hyatt downtown, Tag said.

Neuhart, in town for a separate conference, met with Kristin and the group. By midnight, the others were gone, leaving Neuhart and Kristin in the bar. Hotel security videos played by defense attorney Brian White showed the two hugging and kissing, Kristin walking unsteadily and Neuharts arm around her.

Eventually they took a ride-share to her house. Kristin testified at Neuharts preliminary hearing that he pulled off her jeans and tried to rape her, bruising her arms and legs in a struggle. His cellphone video showed him knocking insistently and rattling her kitchen door handles after shed ordered him out of the house through the front door.

White told jurors Kristin took off her own pants and let Neuhart into her house for about an hour, sometimes crying and yelling at him to stop and leave, but also lying on the couch with him.

Were going to see a whole lot of irrational behavior in this trial, White said.

Her shouts drew the attention of a neighbor, who called San Diego police. Neuhart left the house, running into a canyon with his camera video recording the sound of his heavy breathing and footsteps. Police officers can be heard yelling at him to stop before arresting him.

Staff writer Carl Prine contributed to this report

pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard
Californias attorney general on Wednesday sued San Diego-based Ashford University and its parent company, Bridgepoint Education, alleging that they made false promises to entice students and engaged in unlawful practices to collect overdue debt.

The suit, filed by state Attorney General Xavier Becerra, claims that the online school and Bridgepoint, a for-profit college chain, used illegal business methods to deceive and defraud students.

More specifically, the suit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court, asserts that school representatives lied to prospective students about how much financial aid they could get, the costs of attending the school, and about Ashfords ability to prepare students for careers in such fields as teaching, medical billing and social work.

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Ashfords misrepresentations were not the actions of rogue employees but the consequence of the extreme pressure that Ashford exerted on its Enrollment Advisors, also known as University Advisors or Admissions Counselors, the suit states.

The admissions counselors were more like salespeople who were measured by how many calls they made and how many applications they secured, among other metrics, according to the lawsuit.

It specifically recounts the experience of one supervisor in the admissions department who recalled, I had worked in the sales industry for many years. But Ashford had the most aggressive sales floor I have ever seen  In short, the sales floor had a true boiler-room atmosphere, which reminds me in many ways of the boiler rooms portrayed in the movie The Wolf of Wall Street.

In an emailed statement Wednesday, Anna Davison, Bridgepoints vice president of corporate communications, said the company plans to vigorously defend the case and is confident that it will be vindicated.

Bridgepoints institutions serve as a model for how online education can better the lives of people who did not, or who were unable to, pursue more traditional avenues to degrees, she said. Thousands upon thousands of our current students and graduates can attest to the educational value provided by our undergraduate and graduate programs that have bettered their lives.

The suit counters that many of the schools 43,000 students who were low income were often saddled with unexpected tuition expenses and other debt. Becerra points out that to collect the money owed, Ashford would engage in aggressive and illegal practices like threatening and imposing unlawful debt collection fees.

No school should ever steal the American Dream from its students, but that is exactly what Ashford University did, Becerra said in a statement. In todays economy, college is too pivotal and precious to let a predatory for-profit company swindle our daughters and sons out of the higher education theyll need to get ahead.

Becerra is seeking civil penalties and is asking that the school be prohibited from engaging in further fraudulent practices in violation of the state Business and Professions Code.

According to Becerras complaint, some 68 percent of the students received federal student aid, while most never graduate.

And while Ashford touts the universitys affordability, its online programs can cost much more than other alternatives, including public universities, the lawsuit maintains.

Online bachelors degrees at Ashford are currently expected to cost more than $60,000, including tuition, fees, books and supplies, according to the suit. In contrast, a four-year degree for a California resident attending San Diego State University is under $36,000, the suit says.

The Attorney Generals suit is not the only scrutiny Bridgepoint has faced.

Last year, Bridgepoint was ordered by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to refund and forgive $23.5 million in private loans made to students for allegedly misrepresenting the amount of their monthly installment payments.

Also last year, Bridgepoint disclosed that the Justice Department was investigating whether the company violated the 90/10 rule, " which forbids for-profit colleges from getting more than 90 percent of their revenue from federally backed student loans.

Ashford has seen enrollment drop in recent years as competition has grown from nonprofit schools offering online degrees. Just six years ago, the schools enrollment approached 90,000. It is now half that.
San Diego Countys flu season continues to gain momentum, rapidly outpacing recent years, according to the latest weekly report from the county Health and Human Services Agency.

An additional 107 confirmed cases were recorded last week, pushing the years total to 680, a number three times larger than the same July-through-November period last year and 400 percent greater than the prior three-year average.

So, is this another pandemic flu year like the one that filled emergency rooms across the globe in 2009 and early 2010?

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Definitely not. That health emergency was caused by a novel flu virus that was not included in that years vaccine. No widespread novel virus is in broad circulation this year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, there are indications that influenza infections may flare as 2018 arrives. Epidemiologists have been eyeing Australia, which saw a three-fold increase in its case totals this summer, which was winter down under. Often, what the flu does in the southern hemisphere presages infectious disease patterns north of the equator.

Were all somewhat watchful after what weve heard about whats been going on in the southern hemisphere, especially in Australia, said Dr. Randy Taplitz, clinical director of infectious diseases at UC San Diego Health.

Counting cases only tells part of the story where the flu is concerned. Most cases never get confirmed with a formal test, so the official tally maintained by the county is always thought to be much smaller than the real number of people who have come down with the flu in the community.

To get a better sense of the true level of flu activity, the public health department monitors the amount of flu symptoms coming in to select emergency departments in hospitals across the county. Here San Diego saw a jump last week with 3 percent of emergency room cases exhibiting flu-like symptoms compared to only 1 percent two weeks ago. While it is an increase, its the same number that the county has averaged over the last three years. By comparison, county records show that 11 percent of ER patients had flu symptoms in the 2009 pandemic year.

The severity of a given flu season can also come down to the specific strain of the virus that is dominant in the community. In Australia, the H3N2 variant held sway and, according to the most recent report from the CDC, about more than 70 percent of the cases tested so far have been of a similar type.

H3N2 is known to be more difficult to vaccinate against because modifications made to grow vaccine in chicken eggs is more likely to induce changes in the virus than is the case for other influenza types. And, H3N2 is more likely, according to the CDC, to mutate in the wild during the months it takes to produce enough vaccine to inoculate millions of people across the globe.

While some might use the fact that the flu vaccine is less effective against H3N2 as an excuse to avoid getting vaccinated, Taplitz said thats a mistake.

The data shows that, even if you dont have a perfect match between whats in the vaccine and whats circulating, you still likely to have less severe illness if you do end up getting sick, Taplitz said.

Most think of the flu as something that sends people home to bed with chills, hot flashes and aching bones. But for a minority, the flu means a stay in an intensive-care unit. Often occurring among the very old or very young or those with compromised immune systems, the flu can turn into a deadly case of pneumonia as patients lungs fill up with fluid.

Last week, the county saw the number of local deaths with pneumonia present increase from 7 percent to 9 percent. So far, the flu has killed four people this year, which is one more than the same period last year. The age range for the four deaths was 85 to 100. Three of the four were known to have other underlying medical conditions. Only one of the four was vaccinated. Two were men and two were women.

These grim numbers drive home a point about vaccination, Taplitz added. Higher vaccination rates in the community make it less likely for influenza to move from person to person. Even if vaccination isnt perfect, and it isnt, making it harder for a virus to reach the most vulnerable people in a population can save lives.

Its nice to protect yourself, but by doing so, youre actually protecting a more vulnerable population that you probably have never even met, Taplitz said.

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paul.sisson@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1850

Twitter: @paulsisson
Dave Myers, a commander who is campaigning for the top post in the Sheriffs Department, said he has been unceremoniously transferred to a new assignment in a broom closet and stripped of his usual duties in retaliation for running against incumbent Sheriff Bill Gore.

I was literally moved from my command office on the third floor, from the third floor to the lower floor, through an evidence storage area, into a back room that was literally a closet, Myers said by telephone. Thats literally my office now.

Besides the new work quarters, Myers, who is 56 and has served in the department for 32 years, said he was removed from the chain of command. Hes no longer responsible for investigations, court security or patrols, but reports at 8 a.m. each morning for his assignment of the day. He recently spent his time figuring out office space and furniture needs for a new crime lab in Kearny Mesa. The change in duties had not affected his pay, he said. Public records posted by the group Transparent California show Myers was paid $175,000 in 2016.

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Theres no end in sight. The election is going to be in June. Am I going to be sitting here in June? Am I your interior designer now from your broom closet? I am being punished for speaking out and running against my boss, Myers said.

Besides the new office and assignment, he said he was also ordered to not attend department meetings where budget, strategies and other internal issues are discussed. He used to supervise 417 people but now he doesnt oversee any, he said.

The Sheriffs Department gave a different account of Myers work space, and how he ended up in his new position.

He is currently assigned to the second floor of Sheriffs Headquarters and is in the former office of the commanding officer of the Cyber/Financial Crimes and Elder Abuse Investigations Unit with a window overlooking Murphy Canyon, spokesman Ryan Keim said in a statement.

Keim said that Myers was assigned to help with the transition to the new crime lab in Kearny Mesa because the work needs to get done, not because of retaliation.

Myers said hes working with an attorney provided by the Deputy Sheriffs Association of San Diego County, the labor union that represents deputies. He said hell either need to be formally reprimanded for some sort of currently unknown infraction that would merit the reassignment, or, as hed prefer, be returned to his previous assignment.

I just want to go back to work. And hes got to stop interfering with my right to run for public office, Myers said.

Gore, a career law enforcement officer, was appointed sheriff in 2009 and elected in 2010. The department has some 4,200 employees and a $758 million budget, the largest budget in county government.

Myers was formerly the captain of the departments Imperial Beach Station until Gore promoted him to commander in 2012. He represents public safety employees on the board of the San Diego County Employees Retirement Association.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841
Fourteen people have died in incidents involving trains on the coastal rail corridor between downtown San Diego and the border with Orange County since January.

The deadly encounters on the coastal line over the last year include a woman who was walking her dog in Del Mar when both were struck and killed in November, and a man wearing headphones when he was struck and killed in Del Mar in July.

With just one month left in the year, the number of people killed on the coastal line is more than twice than in all of last year. In 2016, six people died in incidents involving a train strike.

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In 2015, eight people died after they were struck on the coastal tracks. In 2014, train strikes killed 10 people.

The numbers come from the North County Transit District, which manages the tracks that run from downtown San Diego to Orange County. Trains on the line include the Coaster commuter line, Amtrak, Metrolink and freight trains.

The coastal tracks have seen 48 near misses this year, according to the transit district.

Trespassing on the tracks remains a concern on the tracks, especially along stretches where crossings are few and people routinely race across the rails.

The transit district faced pushback last summer when it cracked down on trespassers, ticketing hundreds in just a matter of weeks in August 2016.

Until that time, trespassing on the tracks was primarily addressed as a misdemeanor. But last summer, authorities began using a government code that allowed the tickets to be written as infractions, which is more akin to a traffic ticket.

The idea behind issuing infractions was to bring awareness and change behaviors without levying the more serious criminal charge. Rough cost: about $400 a pop for a first-time offender.

The transit district contracts with the Sheriffs Department to handle enforcement and crash investigations.

Sheriffs Sgt. Jason King, who runs the unit that works with the transit district, said deputies have performed 22 special enforcement operations between November 2016 and last week. That includes increased enforcement during the three-day Kaaboo festival at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Over the last year, the team issued more than 1,000 educational warnings  as opposed to tickets  and more than half of them were handed out during Kaaboo, where some attendees park along the beach and cross the tracks to reach the venue. Deputies also issued 17 citations during the mid-September event.

King said he finds that education efforts have worked, and a lot more people are more aware of the fact that they need to stay off the tracks.

He also said handing out infractions is one of the best enforcement tools officials have found.

Better to give them a jaywalking ticket than to use a misdemeanor crime section, King said. We are just trying to get people to stay off the right of way.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

(760) 529-4945

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT
The South Korean military staged a live-fire drill of short-range missiles only six minutes after North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch on Wednesday.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff here, an Aegis destroyer and KF-16 fighter jets simultaneously fired a Haeseong-2 ship-to-ground missile, a Hyunmu-2 ground-to-ground missile, and a SPICE-2000 air-to-ground missile at a target.

The U.S. also kept B-1B Lancer strategic bombers on standby over the East Sea ahead of the missile launch.

The quick response was possible because Seoul had already detected signs of North Korea's impending launch through close cooperation with Washington and Tokyo.

Cheong Wa Dae said President Moon Jae-in had already authorized the JCS chairman on Monday morning to fire missiles in response.

Moon was briefed on the North Korean missile launch within two minutes in the early hours of Wednesday and called a full meeting of the National Security Council at 6 a.m.
Senate Republicans pushed their tax plan past another key hurdle Wednesday, a show of momentum for President Trumps top priority even as frantic negotiations with GOP holdouts made final passage uncertain.

A procedural vote, which passed 52 to 48, with all Republicans in favor and all Democrats opposed, marked an important milestone as the GOP-led Congress scrambled to deliver a significant accomplishment by the end of Trumps first year in office.

It was the first time the plan had been considered by the full Senate. A final vote is likely by the end of the week.

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Still the $1.5-trillion package remains in flux. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is working behind the scenes to prevent defections from his 52-seat Republican majority. He can afford to lose only two votes, assuming Vice President Mike Pence breaks a tie.

But at least eight Republican senators have voiced concerns. And even though they voted Wednesday in favor of opening debate on the bill, they could still vote against the final package.

Some Republicans, led by Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), want assurances the tax cuts wont add to the deficit. Others, including Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), are pushing for increased benefits to so-called pass-through entities, including small businesses, law firms, real estate partnerships and other wealthy professionals.

Significant revisions to the legislation still may be made ahead of the final vote, and negotiations could continue in a conference committee as the House and Senate reconcile their different bills.

To pay for concessions negotiated in recent days to win over reluctant Republicans, GOP Senate leaders need to find about $160 billion in additional revenue. It remains unclear where that money will come from, but some lawmakers are mulling whether to scale back the proposed corporate tax cut. Under the current plan, the rate would drop substantially, from 35% to 20%, though some senators support increasing that to 22%.

The White House swiftly opposed that option, and Trump reiterated his promise for a 20% corporate rate that has been the centerpiece of the Republican plan.

Thats good for everybody in the room, whether you have a company, or whether you want a job, because were going to bring back jobs, he said, standing before a pair of Christmas trees at a rally in St. Charles, Mo. With Trump as your president, we are going to be celebrating Merry Christmas again and its going to be done with a big beautiful tax cut.

One key change sought by Corker and other senators  inserting a trigger mechanism to roll back the tax breaks if economic growth doesnt cover costs as promised  was met with strong opposition from big business and conservatives, including a group backed by the influential Koch brothers that has been running digital ads and robocalls targeting wavering senators on tax cuts.

Instead, GOP senators began floating an alternative trigger mechanism that would impose automatic spending cuts to prevent deficits. But that idea also ran into resistance from some lawmakers.

The trigger has been a moving target, said Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, who said she had agreed to vote to open debate but was not yet supportive of the tax plan.

Collins won a commitment from McConnell to address healthcare fixes to prevent insurance premium increases if the tax bill includes a repeal of the Affordable Care Act requirement that all Americans have health insurance. Experts say such a repeal could cause market disruptions.

Collins wants votes on two bipartisan healthcare bills that would seek to stabilize markets  one from Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and another from Collins and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.). Leaders agreed those would happen this year, possibly as part of a must-pass spending bill next week.

But Collins is still seeking other changes to the tax bill, including a provision championed by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) that would make the expanded $2,000 child tax credit refundable. That would cost as much as $180 billion over the decade.

Were doing this one step at a time, she said. Im having ongoing negotiations  on a host of issues.

Late Wednesday, leaders reached an agreement with Johnson to increase the 17.4% income deduction for pass-through businesses to 20%, which helped bring him on board for the procedural vote. But he too is seeking further changes.

The Senate GOPs tax package, like one passed by the House, hews to a blueprint that lowers corporate and some individual tax rates but allows fewer deductions. Experts say the approach provides more benefit to big businesses and wealthy individuals than average Americans.

The corporate cuts, for example, would be permanent, while the individual cuts expire after eight years in the Senate plan.

Studies show that while most Americans, on average, would see tax cuts, some taxpayers  especially lower- and middle-income filers  would see tax hikes, especially once the reduced rates expire. The package will add $1.5 trillion to the deficit, and some senators complain there has not been enough analysis to see if economic growth will cover those costs as Republicans argue.

Others senators, though, worried Wednesday that ongoing talks could delay momentum, especially if views hardened among Republicans, who have not won support from Democrats and are trying to pass the legislation on their own.

I dont think anybody in the Milky Way thought this would be easy, said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.). Im ready to saddle up and vote.

Ahead of the vote, McConnell made it clear that time was short and the only way negotiations could continue was to start the voting process.

Republicans are rushing to advance the tax plan as the legislative agenda piles up with other items, including next weeks votes to continue funding the government and avoid a shutdown.

They are eager to close out the year, before facing midterm election voters, having delivered on a Trump priority.

This is our chance to deliver relief for the people who have sent us here, McConnell urged his colleagues. And the way that we can do that is by voting to proceed to the bill.

Times staff writer Noah Bierman in Washington contributed to this report.

lisa.mascaro@latimes.com

@LisaMascaro

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UPDATES:

3:40 p.m.: The story was updated with additional details about the tax plan.

The story was originally published at 2:50 p.m.
The new Secretary of the Navy has censured a retired senior commander tangled up in the Fat Leonard Navy bribery scandal, saying he disgraced the service.

On Wednesday, Secretary Richard V. Spencer issued a letter of censure to retired Rear Adm. Kenneth K.J. Norton following a review that found the former commander of the carrier Ronald Reagan repeatedly and improperly accepted gifts from the now-defunct contractor Glenn Defense Marine Asia between 2008 and 2010.

Spencer reached his decision after receiving a dossier compiled by Adm. Philip Davidson, the sole judge at the Navys Consolidated Disposition Authority, which was created in 2014 by former Navy Secretary Ray Mabus to probe alleged violations of military law, ethics and regulations.

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The Navy has a long tradition of holding leaders accountable and commanding officers are placed in unique positions of trust and responsibility, Spencer said in a written statement. It is incumbent that they be held to the highest standards of both personal and professional behavior.

I decided that Rear Adm. Nortons conduct reflected improper personal behavior and set a wholly unethical tone of leadership. Censure was both necessary and appropriate.

The scandal gets its name from the contractors owner, Malaysian tycoon Leonard Glenn Fat Leonard Francis. Arrested in a San Diego sting operation in 2012, Francis pleaded guilty three years later and awaits sentencing for bribing military officials to steer ships to his port services, defrauding the Navy of at least $35 million in bogus fees and overcharges.

He routinely plied commanders with cash gifts, Thai SEAL team prostitutes, lavish feasts, luxury resort stays, top-shelf booze and other pricey perks. Navy officials declined to specify what Norton received while skippering the Reagan.

Ongoing prosecutions and Consolidated Disposition Authority records have traced the tentacles of Glenn Defense as it reached into the highest levels of Americas military might in Asia, a rogues gallery of disgraced officials that now includes Norton, who retired in 2014.

The Navys Consolidated Disposition Authority handles cases that federal prosecutors decline to try  often because the alleged misconduct violates only military laws or it falls outside of the realm of criminal activity and veers into questions about a sailors ethics or judgment.

In the Norton case, Spencer concluded that he intentionally violated the military Standards of Ethical Conduct, U.S. Navy Regulations, the Joint Ethics Regulation and the Uniform Code of Military Justice and brought ill-repute and disgrace upon the U.S. Navy.

Norton, 59, wasnt returned to active duty to face charges for the alleged violations of military law because the Navy is generally limited by a five-year statute of limitations and the commanders questionable conduct occurred more than eight years ago, according to Navy spokesman Capt. Patrick W. McNally.

Typically, a Secretarial Letter of Censure destroys a commanders career, but in this case Norton has already retired. The Navy has issued similar written reprimands to four other retired senior leaders caught up in the Fat Leonard scandal  Vice Adm. Michael Miller and Rear Adms. Timothy Giardina, Terry Kraft and David Pimpo.

Repeated attempts to reach Norton for comment on Wednesday by telephone and social media were unsuccessful.

Before he exited the Navy, Norton directed the Virginia-based Naval Safety Center and served as the Chief of Staff for Strategy, Resources and Plans for all Navy forces in Europe and Africa.

Homeported in San Diego before moving to Japan in late 2015, the Reagan under Nortons command earned the Navys prestigious Battle E designation for outstanding combat preparedness.

A career aviator with more than 4,500 hours in rotary wing aircraft and nine overseas deployments, Norton also previously commanded the combat support ship Washington-based Camden and the Golden Falcons of San Diegos Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 2, which was renamed Squadron 12 in 2009.

Nortons awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, but Spencer stripped him of a coveted Legion of Merit. It had honored what military leaders once believed was exceptionally meritorious conduct while commanding the Reagan.

A July investigation by The San Diego Union-Tribune found that the Consolidated Disposition Authority often struggles to prosecute or administratively reprimand officers and senior enlisted personnel accused of unethical or illegal conduct tied to the Fat Leonard scandal.

Punishments for 25 individuals with substantiated wrongdoing were relatively light, according to the U-T analysis of a trove of Navy files obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Along with the four previously censured commanders, an unnamed senior sailor was docked half of a months pay after pleading guilty during legal proceedings below the level of court-martial and six unidentified sailors received unspecified administrative action, according to the Navy files.

The rest appeared to have received no sanction of any kind or, in a handful of cases, were verbally counseled about their misconduct.

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cprine@sduniontribune.com
Two additional women have filed claims against the San Diego Sheriffs Department alleging sexual misconduct by a deputy who officials confirmed this week was already under criminal investigation.

The latest allegations raise to five the number of accusers who have filed legal claims involving Deputy Richard Fischer, 31. County officials are conducting both criminal and administrative investigations into Fischers conduct while on patrol.

Sheriffs spokesman Ryan Keim issued a brief statement Wednesday, saying, The investigation is continuing.

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Fischer, who has not responded to multiple interview requests, has been on administrative leave from the Sheriffs Department since early this month.

The latest claims mirror what three other women alleged in recent weeks: Fischer responded to routine law enforcement calls and improperly groped women.

In one, a 61-year-old San Marcos woman said she called 911 in October to report threats from her boyfriend. Fischer answered the call and hugged the woman soon after entering the home. He then began asking if she lived alone, if her window blinds were up and if there was a camera recording in the room, the claim said.

Fischer allegedly hugged her again, more tightly this time, and moved his hands onto her buttocks before taking the womans hand and twice rubbing it up and down on his genitals, the claim states.

Before he left, Dep. Fischer asked the claimant not to tell anyone what happened, the claim states.

The other claim filed Wednesday came from a 58-year-old nurse who said Fischer handcuffed her in Escondido last May, sat her on a curb and pressed his crotch toward her face.

You dont look 58, Fischer allegedly told her. If I was older would you date me?

So far this month, four claims and a lawsuit have been filed against the Sheriffs Department alleging sexual misconduct by Fischer. Five of the alleged incidents occurred after one woman reported the allegations in 2016. Claims submitted by attorney Dan Gilleon on behalf of the women say the county failed by not preventing additional incidents after the 2016 allegations.

Watchdog Videos On Now Sexual misconduct accusers worry deputy is being protected 6:16 On Now City funded $2-million waterfront bathroom 1:26 On Now Public water district charges customer for legal work, response to records request On Now Video: Tiny homes won't be reused amid housing, homeless crisis On Now Attorney General seeks documentation for Miss Middle East On Now Rep. Hunter probe covers possible fraud On Now Video: SDG&E delaying solar credit for some low-income housing tenants On Now Video: Former San Diego Junior Theatre teacher sentenced for sex with teen girl 0:24 On Now Video: Shelter volunteers believe they were fired for finding a dog a home 0:49 On Now McKamey Manor is leaving San Diego 3:35

jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald
Teachers spent nights huddled in a back room, erasing wrong answers on students test sheets and filling in the correct bubbles. At another school, struggling students were seated next to higher-performing classmates so they could copy answers.

Those and other confessions are contained in a new state report that reveals how far some Atlanta public schools went to raise test scores in the nations largest-ever cheating scandal. Investigators concluded that nearly half the citys schools allowed the cheating to go unchecked for as long as a decade, beginning in 2001.

Administrators - pressured to maintain high scores under the federal No Child Left Behind law - punished or fired those who reported anything amiss and created a culture of fear, intimidation and retaliation, according to the report released earlier this month, two years after officials noticed a suspicious spike in some scores.

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The report names 178 teachers and principals, and 82 of those confessed. Tens of thousands of children at the 44 schools, most in the citys poorest neighborhoods, were allowed to advance to higher grades, even though they didnt know basic concepts.

One teacher told investigators the district was run like the mob.

Everybody was in fear, another teacher said in the report. It is not that the teachers are bad people and want to do it. It is that they are scared.

For teachers and their bosses, the stakes were high: Schools that perform poorly and fail to meet certain benchmarks under the federal law can face sharp sanctions. They may be forced to offer extra tutoring, allow parents to transfer children to better schools, or fire teachers and administrators who dont pass muster.

Experts say the cheating scandal - which involved more schools and teachers than any other in U.S. history - has led to soul-searching among other urban districts facing cheating investigations and those that have seen a rapid rise in test scores.

In Georgia, teachers complained to investigators that some students arrived at middle school reading at a first-grade level. But, they said, principals insisted those students had to pass their standardized tests. Teachers were either ordered to cheat or pressured by administrators until they felt they had no choice, authorities said.

One principal forced a teacher to crawl under a desk during a faculty meeting because her test scores were low. Another principal told teachers that Walmart is hiring and the door swings both ways, the report said.

Another principal told a teacher on her first day that the school did whatever was necessary to meet testing benchmarks, even if that meant breaking the rules.

Teachers from the investigation contacted by The Associated Press did not return calls or declined to comment.

Educators named in the investigation could face criminal charges ranging from tampering with state documents to lying to investigators. And many could lose their teaching licenses.

Parents of children enrolled at the 44 schools say they are frustrated and angry.

Shawnna Hayes-Tavares said her sons test scores dropped dramatically after he transferred out of Slater Elementary. She said a testing coordinator at the new school told her the test scores could have been inflated.

The possibility that there could have been cheating gives me and him a false sense of security as to where he is, she said.

Uncertainty about her sons progress has not afforded us the opportunity to do more remediation in those areas of weakness, Hayes-Tavares said. It robbed us of those opportunities. Were going to try to play catch up now.

At Slater, investigators found multiple teachers changed answers on tests or allowed students to look up answers to questions. Teachers would gather in the schools media center to change wrong answers with the blessing of administrators, investigators said.

For Renee Columbus, whose 4-year-old son is starting pre-kindergarten at one of the schools in the state investigation, news of the cheating probe was disheartening.

Right now its our only option, said Columbus, who lives in south Atlanta. Im hoping by the time he gets into kindergarten, well be in a different school district.

The fallout from the state report has only begun.

So far, at least four of the districts top administrators and two principals have been removed and put on paid leave. The head of the districts human resources department resigned after investigators said she destroyed documents and tried to cover up the extent of the cheating.

The schools could owe hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding they received for good test performance - money that would be lost at a time when the states education budget has already been slashed by millions. Districts are being forced to lay off or furlough teachers and cut programs to make ends meet.

And at least one member of the Atlanta school board wants to reclaim tens of thousands of dollars in bonus money that former Superintendent Beverly Hall received for the high test scores.

Investigators said Hall, who retired just days before the investigation was made public, dismissed those who complained about cheating as naysayers trying to discredit the districts progress. The investigators said she either knew or should have known about the cheating.

Dr. Hall and her senior cabinet accepted accolades when those below them performed well, but they wanted none of the burdens of failure, investigators wrote.

Halls attorney has denied the allegations, and Hall has said she did not know about cheating in the district.

She apologized in a statement last week for any shortcomings that might have led to the widespread cheating.

To the extent that I failed to take measures that would have prevented what the investigators have disclosed, I am accountable, as head of the school system, for failing to act accordingly, Hall wrote. If I did anything that gave teachers the impression that I was unapproachable and unresponsive to their concerns, I also apologize for that.

The testing problems first came to light after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that some scores were statistically improbable. The state released audits of test results after the newspaper published its analysis.

Experts say the Atlanta cheating scandal has become the new rallying cry for education advocates and parents in other urban districts like Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., where cheating investigations are ongoing.

Bob Schaeffer of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, which works to end abuses in standardized testing and wants changes made to the federal No Child Left Behind law, said many are wondering where the next Atlanta will be.

Because of Atlanta, the media and policymakers are going back and looking at concerns raised about their states, Schaeffer said. This is the top issue. When you see a story like this and see the incredible impact of the confessions, you start to look and say, `Hey, is there something comparable going on here?
This may be remembered as the year Californias leaders finally grasped that a lack of housing was an enormous problem, driving up the cost of homes and rent to such an extent that the Golden State has become the epicenter of U.S. poverty, with more than one in five households living paycheck to paycheck. The realization spurred state lawmakers to propose dozens of bills meant to promote housing construction.

Yet the most significant measure to make it into law was utterly conventional  Senate Bill 35, which included a payoff to a powerful interest group. The measure, authored by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, makes it easier for some housing projects that meet zoning and affordability standards to win approval  so long as they pay prevailing, or union, wages to construction crews, which add an estimated $90,000 to the construction of a 2,000-square-foot-home in San Diego County. Was that really the best the Legislature could do?

Clearly not  especially since there is an answer to the housing crisis hiding in plain sight. If Californians can get past harsh stereotypes about trailer parks  if theyre as ready to embrace new thinking as officials in Great Britain and Japan  if theyre willing to learn from historys greatest investor  and if theyre willing to take a cue from one of the worlds most successful and disruptive companies.

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Trailer parks have long suffered from a downscale image. While many are perfectly fine communities, some older parks look and feel shabby, and smug putdowns of their residents have been common for many decades. The London Independent newspaper noted that they were ...

... cruelly portrayed, pilloried, as uncouth, unhygienic, slovenly, illiterate, insolvent ... even if trailer moms, trailer dads, toiled 60 hours a week in low-paid, low-prestige, dangerous jobs, they were defined by the fragility of their plywood roofs.

But 2017 is not like 1957. Manufactured homes built entirely at factories  not pre-cut homes with factory-built parts that are assembled at home sites  are far more durable and attractive than the mobile homes of old and remain vastly cheaper than conventional brick-and-mortar homes. The Independent article that brought up trailer trash stereotypes went on to tout the promise of prefab houses and to applaud the British government for making such homes a central part of its plan to build 1 million new housing units by 2020.

In Japan, the embrace of manufactured housing came decades ago. Toyota can build a semi-detached modular house guaranteed to last 60 years for about $90,000. Studios are much cheaper. About one-sixth of new homes are manufactured in Japan  which the London Guardian wrote earlier this year should help inspire a revolution in British housing.

Writing last week in USA Today, rural investment activist Suzanne Anarde described how manufactured homes, which cost about a fifth as much as regular homes, already constitute ...

... the countrys largest source of unsubsidized affordable housing and [are] home to more than 17.5 million low-income Americans.

The potential of manufactured homes was grasped long ago by legendary investor Warren Buffett. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, bought Clayton Homes for $1.7 billion in 2003, and the Berkshire subsidiary now controls about 50 percent of the U.S. market  and 70 percent of under-$150,000 home sales. Lately, it has been on a buying spree, snapping up four small, innovative home builders and setting a goal of dominating the market for homes in the sweet spot of $150,000 to $200,000. The second-richest person in the world, per Forbes, looks to have yet another a gold mine on his hands  at least if manufactured homes take off.

That now seems more likely, thanks to a decision by the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Under a proposed policy change announced in May, the two mortgage-financing agencies under the FHFAs auspices  Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac  are likely to push local banks to make it easier to obtain mortgages for manufactured homes.

But Buffett isnt the only mega-billionaire who appreciates the alternative to conventional home building. Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page have given their blessing to an innovative housing project seen as a small but promising step toward solving a Northern California housing crisis that the San Jose Mercury News reported in June ...

... may help [Google] attract workers to the crushingly expensive Bay Area.

The tech giant plans to buy 300 units of modular housing to serve as temporary employee accommodations on its planned Bay View campus at NASAs Moffett Field, according to a source familiar with the plan. Experts heralded the move as not only good for Google, but as a potential template for others to follow as the high cost of construction combined with expensive real estate make affordable housing hard to come by.

So will Google actually inspire California officials to embrace manufactured housing? That very much depends on whether California officials actually, you know, want to solve the housing crisis by sharply adding stock  or if they just want to send out the message that theyre trying by endorsing affordable housing bonds and approving minor regulatory reforms.

Consider the special interest payoff that had to be made to enact Weiners SB 35  the prevailing wage concession requiring builders to offer union-level wages and benefits. If you think that the building and construction trade unions that demanded and won that concession will accept the Legislature making it easier for state residents to buy high-quality manufactured houses for $70,000, youre not paying attention.

So why dont the Californians who worry loudly about their children moving to states where home ownership is realistic for a young adult  and not a fantasy  unseat the lawmakers who dont take on the housing crisis head on? Because its not just California lawmakers who dont really want to take decisive steps to add housing. Its millions of Californians.

In March, state Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor put out a report about how and why local governments are doing such a poor job with housing. He didnt blame the usual suspects  NIMBYs, unions and environmentalists. He blamed public opinion:

Unless Californians are convinced of the benefits of significantly more home building  targeted at meeting housing demand at every income level  no state intervention is likely to make significant progress on addressing the states housing challenges.

Nationally and globally, its going to be exciting to watch manufactured housing explode, as seems likely to happen, and see if Warren Buffett or his heir beat Amazons Jeff Bezos, the frontrunner, in the race to be the worlds first trillionaire.

Either way, Californians are vastly more likely to be reading about the phenomenon on their phones than witnessing it in their back yards.

Reed, who is much more cheerful than his pessimistic screeds might suggest, can be reached at chris.reed@sduniontribune.com. He will respond  so long as the emails dont have excessive profanity. Suggestions of interesting, offbeat topics are welcome. Twitter: @chrisreed99. To see a collection of his past columns, go to sdut.us/chrisreed.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion
Several months ago, President Donald Trump ended Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals  the unconstitutional program that his predecessor had initiated in 2012 that granted amnesty to those who had been brought to this country illegally as children. President Trump rightly announced that any such relief could only be granted by Congress, which is now considering what action to take, if any.

Rewarding bad behavior only assures that it will continue. Whatever relief Congress grants will encourage future illegal immigration. Parents around the world will understand that if they can get here with their minor children, they will  at some point  be granted the right to remain. Congress has granted a variety of amnesties since 1986, all of which have encouraged the highest levels of illegal immigration in history.

Related: Why protecting Dreamers protects our economy

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Related: Can DACA recipients American Dream be depoliticized?

If we really want to end illegal immigration, we must stop rewarding it, as we do in so many ways. Allowing unauthorized immigrants to work; not punishing employers who hire unauthorized workers; providing billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded benefits in a variety of federal and state programs; sanctuary cities and states (California is the worst) that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration officials, thus making it easier for unauthorized immigrants to hide in plain sight; opposing common-sense border security enhancements; resisting attempts to make our deportation and removal process more effective  these things encourage more illegal immigration by rewarding those who violate our laws.

The task before Congress is to find a way to grant some relief without encouraging more illegal immigration. Under no circumstances should Dreamers be treated the same as legal immigrants. The right to remain and work should be sufficient; any path to citizenship must be longer than that for legal immigrants, and there should be no right to chain family migration currently available to legal immigrants. Chain migration would increase the number of people receiving Dreamer amnesty from 800,00 to more than 3 million.

Finally, any Dreamer amnesty must be combined with other measures designed to reduce future illegal immigration. Two proposals are now pending  the RAISE Act in the Senate and the LAWS Act in the House. While the RAISE Act is more comprehensive, both proposals do three essential things: They require mandatory E-Verify, a computer system that prevents illegal aliens from finding work; they eliminate the Diversity Visa lottery that allows entry of thousands of immigrants with no skills or family; and it ends family chain migration. This may be our last best hope of fixing our immigration system once and for all.

Nunez is former U.S. attorney in San Diego.
While Congress considers many competing, end-of-year priorities, the clock is ticking for nearly 800,000 young Dreamers, the businesses that employ them, and the communities they contribute to every day. The Trump administrations actions to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, have put the future of these young people in jeopardy. The impact this could have on our economy is significant.

DACA recipients are working in nearly every sector of the economy. Research shows that the DACA-eligible population earns almost $19.9 billion in total annual income, and contributes more than $3 billion to federal and state taxes across the country. After taxes, that leaves them with almost $16.8 billion in spending power.

Related: Why rewarding illegal immigration is wrong

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Related: Can DACA recipients American Dream be depoliticized?

Related: Political games threaten Dreamers safety

Some may believe foreign-born individuals take jobs from those born in the U.S. The fact is that in California alone, nearly 1.5 million people are employed at immigrant-owned firms. Immigrants are starting businesses that enhance innovation, create jobs for all Americans and help propel our economy as a whole. This should be celebrated by Congress and reflected in our laws.

Foreign-born workers including the DACA-eligible population are also filling workforce shortages. In San Diego, the dissolution of DACA will shrink our labor force, potentially deporting the 40,000 Dreamers who call our region home. Our competitive industries such as construction, tech and agriculture rely on this pipeline. If we want to create more jobs and continue to compete globally, we must welcome these talented individuals, not turn them away only to see them contributing to our competitors economies.

The bottom line: Taking hardworking immigrants out of our economy and failing to address a solution for Dreamers would negatively impact our regions economy. There would be consequences for everyone in our community, including U.S.-born workers. Small businesses and large corporations alike would experience this, as foreign-born talent plays important roles throughout the spectrum. We cannot close the door on a group of people who have helped sustain and grow both the local and national economy.

We must call on Congress to pass legislation that protects Dreamers and helps our economy. As an important step in addressing immigration reform at large, I urge our federal delegation to act now. To push for a solution for Dreamers, we are joining thousands of others across the country in the iMarch for Immigration campaign. You can show your support for Dreamers by joining our call to action on Dec. 6. Details are available at sdchamber.org/take-action.

Sanders is president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The Japanese press were the first to report Tuesday that North Korea was preparing to launch a ballistic missile.

Kyodo News and the Sankei Shimbun both reported that the Japanese government detected signals from North Korea suggesting it was poised for another missile launch and warned it could take place "within a few days."

But South Korea and the U.S. had also picked up the signals from "telemetry" or remote signals on Monday suggesting an impending launch, according to the Asahi Shimbun.
April 2019.

Thats when my Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status will expire, and when I will lose the privilege of working and moving around the country without fear of being deported. Each day, as their permits expire, more than 120 people like myself are losing their protection against deportation. If Congress doesnt act now and pass a clean and bipartisan Dream Act, I will also become a statistic.

Its frightening to live like this.

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San Diego has been my home since I arrived in the United States when I was 12 years old. I graduated from CSU San Marcos in 2015 with a B.A. in social sciences, and I am currently studying for the LSAT (Law School Admission Test), as I plan to become a human rights attorney.

Related: Why protecting Dreamers protects our economy

Related: Why rewarding illegal immigration is wrong

Related: Can DACA recipients American Dream be depoliticized?

I have entrusted the federal government with personal, identifying information for myself, including where I live. Losing my protection could mean jeopardizing my safety.

When I hear that Congress is considering passing the Dream Act in exchange for more walls or border agents, I cringe. Further militarizing the border undermines our support system and terrorizes and criminalizes our families. My safety should not be tied to political games that only create fear and threaten families like mine.

Deporting people like myself who have been raised here, studied here and are American in every way except on paper undercuts our most basic values as a country of immigrants. Depriving Dreamers of their support system by targeting their parents is just as cruel and immoral. Our country is what it is today because of the contributions of immigrants.

A Dream Act is not only beneficial to me, but also for all taxpayers as it would allow me to continue to work and pay taxes like everybody else.

Its not worth it to spend billions of dollars on a wall that represents hate and only serves to further Trumps inhumane and anti-immigrant agenda that endangers the lives of 15 million border residents and immigrant families, including border Dreamers like myself.

The clock is ticking. Its time for Congress to pass a clean and bipartisan Dream Act without further militarizing my community and threatening my family, friends and neighbors.

Betzaida Merino lives in San Marcos and is the assistant manager at a Sushi restaurant.
Standing in front of several large Christmas trees decked with red, white and blue ornaments on Wednesday, President Donald Trump pledged to bring merry Christmas back during a speech on taxes in St. Charles, Missouri.

He and Republicans in Congress will give the American people a big, beautiful, Christmas present in the form of a tax reform bill, he said, emphasizing the word Christmas. Then he addressed the subject of Christmas.

You go to the department stores and you see, happy new year and you see red, and you see snow and you see all these things. You dont see merry Christmas anymore. With Trump as your president, we are going to be celebrating merry Christmas again and its going to be done with a big, beautiful tax cut.

The line, which was the last line of the speech, was his latest mention of the so-called war on Christmas the president has talked about for months. He even mentioned it on the campaign trail.

You can say again, merry Christmas because Donald Trump is now the president, then campaign manager Cory Lewandowski said just weeks after Trumps election victory in 2016. Its not a pejorative word anymore.

At a campaign speech at Liberty University in January of 2016, Trump echoed a similar line to the one he used on Wednesday, complaining that stores use happy holidays instead of merry Christmas. He also pledged to protect Christianity in the speech.

His complaints often are directed at President Barack Obamas administration as well, with allegations that the former president favored other holidays and saying, happy holidays over Christmas and saying merry Christmas. His targeting of Obama on the issue goes as far back as 2011, when Trump tweeted an article from thegatewaypundit.com claiming Obama released a statement for Kwanzaa, but not for Christmas.

The article shares a screen shot of statements released and posted on whitehouse.gov which includes an official statement on Kwanzaa but not one on Christmas. A quick check showed Obama did release a statement about Kwanzaa every year he was in office. He also cited Christmas in videos, social media and other venues.

Read the one in question by thegatewaypundit.com, from 2011, here: Statement by the President and First Lady on Kwanzaa

There are few, if any, indicators, however, that this had anything to do with exclusion, rather than inclusion.

One of the main examples some conservatives put forth when joining Trump in accusing Obama is that his so called Christmas cards each year said happy holidays instead of Merry Christmas. They were also referred to by the administration as holiday cards.

While that may be true, theres plenty of other evidence of the Obama family discussing and celebrating Christmas. A few examples:

Christmas trees in the White House

An annual Christmas tree lighting event with musical guests singing Christmas songs

On December 4, 2014, President Obama joined Americans in celebrating the holidays at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Attending TNTs Christmas in Washington celebration

On December 14, 2014, President Obama and the First Family attended TNTs Christmas in Washington celebration at the National Building Museum.

Sharing an annual Christmas message on social media

And tweeting about Christmas. A lot.

But that hasnt stopped discussion of the war on Christmas and Trumps part in it, from continuing.

Thank you, Mr. President for being a man of your word  a man who is not ashamed to say, merry Christmas, wrote a Fox News columnist this week.

Columnist Todd Starnes referred to a 2009 New York Times story which reported then White House social secretary Desiree Rogers was considering not displaying a Christmas nativity display from the White House, though Obama did indeed carry on the tradition of having it in the East Room.

First Lady Melania Trump made sure to show the nativity scene in a video of the White Houses 2017 decorations she shared on Twitter this week.

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin
A day after NBC fired veteran newscaster Matt Lauer over his alleged sexual misconduct, the former Today show co-host issued an apology on Thursday that, for some, did little to ease anger aimed at him and the workplace culture inside the network.

CNBC published his statement on Thursday:

There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry. As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC.

Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly.

Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and I'm committed to beginning that effort. It is now my full time job. The last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws. It's been humbling. I am blessed to be surrounded by the people I love. I thank them for their patience and grace.

Lauers apology comes within 24 hours of a number of serious sexual misconduct allegations made against him by a number of women who spoke to reporters for Variety and The New York Times.

His firing  which follows a national reckoning over sexual misconduct in American institutions  stunned audiences and his own colleagues. Lauer, 59, had been a co-host of the Today show since 1997.

Savannah Guthrie, a co-host for the Today show, fought back tears on Wednesday when she read a statement from NBC News chairman Andrew Lack announcing Lauers firing. On Thursday, she read Lauers statement on air.

Variety reported a pattern of misbehavior Lauer allegedly exhibited at NBC  a woman said he once gave her a sex toy as a present, another said he showed her his penis, and others said he would invite women to his hotel room while traveling for work.

According to Variety, Lauers office was rigged with a button that could lock the door remotely from his desk, a feature some have said is strange but not uncommon.

The New York Times reported even more serious allegations. One woman claimed Lauer had intercourse with her and that she passed out in his office before she woke up on the floor of his office and was subsequently taken to see a nurse.

According to sources who spoke to Variety and The Times, Lauers behavior was a known secret at NBC but that he was shielded given his high stature. Lauer was reported to have a $20 million annual salary, one of the highest salaries in the TV business.

After those allegations were publicized, many people expressed anger at Lauer and, ultimately, at NBC. His apology did not do much to ease that anger.

Some people were even unnerved that Guthrie was put in a position to read the statement from her former colleague. One woman compared it to making a grieving spouse  give daily updates on details of the death.

Lauer is only the latest prominent figure to be fired in a reckoning sweeping across industries  from Hollywood to politics  thats triggered a national dialogue on sexual misconduct in the workplace.

Lauers firing came the same day Minnesota Public Radio ended its contract with former A Prairie Home Companion host Garrison Keillor after a woman accused him of inappropriate behavior. But unlike Lauer, Keillors apology appeared less contrite and more defiant.

If I had a dollar for every woman who asked to take a selfie with me and who slipped an arm around me and let it drift down below the belt line, Id have at least a hundred dollars. So this is poetic irony of a high order, Keillor said in a statement.

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Join me in a conversation: Shoot me a private email with your thoughts or ideas on a different approach to this story. As always, you can also send us a tweet.

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

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Get into the spirit of the holiday season with a performance of the Christmas portion of Handels Messiah on Sunday.

The concert, which begins at 7 p.m., will be performed by the Poway Symphonette, accompanied by the Incarnation Lutheran Church Liturgical Choir. Ulli Reiner will direct the Symphonette while Beckie Stellar will direct the choir. It will be held at Incarnation Lutheran Church, 16889 Espola Road in Poway.

The performance will feature several soloists, including Cathy Himlin, Karen Zajac, Dale Feine and Jon Dorn. John Naples will be featured on harpsichord.

Harpist Mary Peterson, who is a member of the Poway Symphonette, will open the program with O Holy Night.

The concert is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted during a free-will offering. A small reception will follow the program, where audience members can enjoy light refreshments and meet the musicians.

Were pretty excited to perform the Messiah. Its a beautiful Christmas piece, said Reiner.

Reiner said that many people think they must travel downtown to hear a performance of Messiah. You dont have to go downtown. You can hear the Messiah right here in your backyard.

George Frideric Handels famous Messiah, composed in 1741, is split into three parts. Part I, often called the Christmas portion, covers the prophecy of the birth of Christ, his birth and reflections on his deeds.

Part II, which contains the famous Hallelujah chorus, covers the Passion, death and resurrection of the Messiah, while Part III focuses on Pauls teachings of the resurrection of the dead and Christs glorification in heaven.

Offered through the Poway Unified School Districts adult education department, the Poway Symphonette is a community chamber orchestra created by Reiner in 2009 as a smaller offshoot of the Poway Symphony Orchestra, also founded by Reiner.

The symphonette, which has about 25 members, performs smaller, Baroque pieces compared to the full orchestral works of the symphony orchestra. Many members belong to and perform with both, said Reiner, as the two groups rehearse on the same night, making it easier for hobbyist and semi-professional musicians to participate.

Reiner said the symphonette is a great way to make friends with others that have musical interests and, as it is open to musicians of high school age, a wonderful opportunity for high school musicians to work with adult musicians.

The symphonette has had several new musicians join this year, including two trumpeters and a bassoonist. Its really grown, Reiner said.

Part of the growth she attributes to the symphonettes plans to travel to Europe in the summer, where the group will perform several concerts. Anyone in the symphonette is eligible to be part of the tour, which has drawn interest from local musicians, she said.

The group will begin its rehearsals for their upcoming European tour in January.

Email: entertainment@pomeradonews.com
When it comes to envisioning a Girl Scout troop leader, a man is probably not the first image that comes to mind.

Yet it is a father  Robin Evans  who is leading not only his daughters troop and has served as cookie dad, but expanding the outdoor high adventures available to girls of all ages in the Blue Sky Service Unit that consists of 55 Rancho Bernardo and Poway troops and serves 520 girls from kindergarten through 12th grade.

I was an Eagle Scout and wanted my daughter to experience the scouting tradition and be part of that experience with her, Evans said about why six years ago he volunteered to help with the troop his oldest daughter, Kalea, joined. She started as a second-year Daisy and now the 11-year-old is a Cadette. He is also helping with younger daughter Makaylas mixed Daisy/Brownie troop. The 6-year-old joined two years ago.

I started as a proud cookie dad in charge of all the cookies for (Kaleas) troop, he said. It was a huge job, but a lot of fun.

After three years in that role, when the members had advanced through Brownies and become Juniors, he became a troop co-leader. There was an opening and I thought I could do a lot of good, Evans said. I have a lot of outdoor experience and the Girl Scouts were missing out in outdoor leadership skills.

A year later he volunteered to be the service unit manager in order to make more impact, Evans said.

The Rancho Bernardo resident said it has been amazing to see the blending of old and new traditions as the Blue Sky Service Unit troops have been expanding their available adventures. To encourage more opportunities for all girls from Daisies to Ambassadors to explore the outdoors, he has made it his mission to train other adult volunteers in outdoor skills so they can lead their troop members in hiking and camping experiences.

My vision as a service unit manager ... is to bring the outdoor traditional experiences to girls, so they will always have an opportunity to go, he said.

Doing this has required a bit of pushing out of their comfort zone for both girls and adults, he said, but after their first experience they usually say they are looking forward to another.

One weekend he trained a group of adults at the Girl Scouts Escondido Program Center, providing them with all the tools they needed, and then last March took 230 girls and adults camping.

I had one troop that came out and said they did not like to camp, but because of you we now want to go camping, Evans recalled.

Outdoor adventures are something that goes back to Girl Scoutings roots, Evans said, recounting that founder Juliette Gordon Low (who started the first troop in 1912) took the girls camping and hiking. Like members of the Boy Scouts, he said girls who participate in outdoor activities not only get in touch with nature, but learn leadership skills.

Becoming the only male leader in the Blue Sky Service Unit took a bit of adjustment on everyones part, Evans said, adding he has been trying to encourage other fathers to follow his example.

Dads assume Girl Scouts is a froufrou organization ... and do not know how to deal with girls and ladies, he said. There was definitely an adjustment period and learning nuances. Teaching what you have learned and learning how to teach is somewhat intimidating. There is an emotional investment ... and I wish more dads would engage (with their daughters troops) because there are so many rewards.

For his leadership, Evans was recently honored by Girl Scouts San Diego at its volunteer celebration by being presented the organizations Appreciation Pin. While honored to be recognized, Evans said being at the ceremony created a bit of sadness in him as well, since while there he heard there are so many girls who want to become Girl Scouts, but due to a lack of adult volunteers are unable to join a troop. Increasing membership opportunities for girls has now become another of his goals, he said.

With Boy Scouts of America recently announcing it will welcome girls into its organization, Evans said he could see a time when his daughters join. His 8-year-old son, Xavier, is a Cub Scout and 3-year-old Ryker will likely join when he is old enough. Evans said his wife, Kimberly, is also involved with both organizations.

But if his daughters join the Boy Scouts, he said they will also remain Girl Scouts.

I think there is a small subset of girls, mine included, who could be part of both programs. Some will chose Boy Scouts over Girl Scouts, but Girl Scouts is very specialized for girls and young women, so (the Boy Scouts decision) will not make that big an impact.

I absolutely, firmly believe in the Girl Scouts for what it gives girls, he said.

Email: rbnews@pomeradonews.com
City Councilman Mark Kersey says he is going to see if tightening city oversight of developer projects would help to speed up endeavors such as the road widening along Rancho Bernardo road.

The project, being paid for by CalAtlantic Homes (a Black Mountain Ranch developer), is part of an agreement with the City of San Diego due to the increase of traffic generated by the development of the Del Sur neighborhood. The city determined which projects are needed in the area and designed them, said a CalAtlantic official during a Rancho Bernardo community meeting last February.

At the time, CalAtlantic officials said the entire four-phase project of widening Rancho Bernardo Road between Bernardo Center Drive and Interstate 15 would take six or seven months. But based on its other work, including a widening of West Bernardo Drive adjacent to Rancho Bernardo Community Park, community leaders said it would realistically take at least a year.

So far, the project is only in its first phase  adding the first section of a third lane next to the Mobil gas station. Kersey said his office has been told that phase should end by the first week of December. The second phase will move the construction project west, along the southern border of The Mercado.

This project has be plagued with issue after issue, Kersey said during his annual meeting with the Rancho Bernardo News Journal. Issues have included San Diego Gas & Electric underground utilities, storm drains and a traffic signal. Its been one thing after another.

This project frustrates me and I have received a lot of complaints from residents, which I totally understand, he said. They assume it is a city project, but it is a developer project with a contractor doing the work.

Kersey said there is another CalAtlantic road widening project planned at Bernardo Center and West Bernardo drives. Aided by the city attorney, Kersey said he is looking to what the city can do to tighten project milestones related to the issuance of permits so such delays do not happen again.

While CalAtlantics RB park project was behind schedule by a couple months, Kersey said he is not aware of any other projects being as behind schedule as the Rancho Bernardo Road one.

If Kersey is to lead the effort to make such a change impacting future projects citywide his time could be limited. During his interview last Tuesday, Kersey said he has launched a campaign for state senator, seeking to succeed the termed-out Joel Anderson, who represents the 38th District. Its constituent area includes Poway, 4S Ranch, Carmel Mountain Ranch and Sabre Springs, but not Rancho Bernardo.

If Kersey, who lives in Black Mountain Ranch and is a Republican (as is Anderson), wins in November 2018 (after competing in the upcoming June primary), a special election would have to be held to find his replacement for the last two years of his term representing the City Councils District 5.

We need good people in Sacramento, Kersey said. The bottom line is that I am results oriented. I like being at the city, but my combination of business and government experience has prepared me well to tackle state (issues).

Kersey was first elected to the San Diego City Council in 2012 and re-elected to his second, and due to term limits final, four-year term in 2016. The council was his first foray into elected office. Prior to that he owned a small business.

As for other city and council endeavors and Kerseys interests:

 He said the fire departments fast response squad pilot program in San Pasqual Valley has recently become permanent, with $789,035 in funds allocated to staff a 24-hour crew for a year. Since the pilot was implemented a year ago, it has decreased the need for the crew at Station No. 33 in Rancho Bernardo to respond to calls in the area that includes the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Until the pilot, RB had the closest city personnel to respond to fires, accidents and medical calls.

It has gone very well, Kersey said of the pilot. We had a situation one month ago when it was hot and dry and there was a brush fire south of (Safari) Park. We had a rig that was first on the scene and contained it, kept it to 12 acres.

If not up there, with it being hot and dry, that could have spread ... very quickly, he said. It has already paid for itself.

 The council is expected to ratify in December proposed pay increases for police officers. The department has had recruitment and retention problems in part due to being among the lowest paid among local law enforcement agencies. Over the next three years salaries will go up 24 to 30 percent, based on rank and experience.

It will not take us up to the highest (paid), but the top one-third. Thats a good place to be, Kersey said. In conjunction with funding for 911 dispatchers and the fire department, he said, to me public safety is my top priority.

 A close second among his stated priorities is infrastructure, and Kersey said progress has been made on this front since he became chairman of the City Councils first Infrastructure Committee five years ago. Accomplishments have included conducting a street condition assessment and seeing 35 percent of streets being in good condition to 60 percent determined good four years later.

Regarding specific streets, those who would like to know if repairs have been done, if they are slated for future or ongoing work and their overall condition index based on 2011 and 2015 surveys, the information is online at streets.sandiego.gov. It includes information on all overlay, concrete and slurry work completed from July 1, 2013 to Sept. 30, 2017 and is updated quarterly.

In addition, the citys first ever comprehensive sidewalk assessment was completed in 2015.

 Other issues he is working on include improving the business climate in terms of regulations and permits within the city since that relates to increasing jobs and unemployment relates to homelessness, another issue the city must find solutions to, especially since the hepatitis A outbreak.

(Homelessness) impacts the whole city, Kersey said. While more evident downtown than in Rancho Bernardo, he said related underlying issues cause impacts on all communities and residents citywide. He said the new and soon-to-open homeless shelters are a temporary fix and long-term housing solutions are needed.

Particularly the women and children I am most worried about because they are vulnerable, Kersey said. No civilized society should have children living on the streets.

Kersey said the city needs to find ways to increase the housing stock available for all economic levels since available affordable housing is a factor in attracting and retaining businesses.

 The council is slated to address the short-term vacation rental situation in December. Kersey and three other councilmen have proposed a plan that allows homeowners up to three rental permits, with fees covering costs associated with code enforcement, such as responding to noise complaints.

Email: rbnews@pomeradonews.com
The Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation has presented $71,821 in grants to several local organizations and projects, officials said.

The 2017-18 grant recipients were announced and money presented during the Rancho Bernardo Community Thanksgiving Luncheon on Nov. 21.

The grant money comes from various fundraisers the foundation conducts each year, including the luncheon, Pathway of Pride plaques and foundation memberships. Of the money raised each year, it is divided among the grants program and Rancho Bernardos endowment, which also funds grants through the interest it earns.

Receiving $6,500 grants were:

 Bernardo Heights Middle School for its Health and Fitness Circuit.

 The Rancho Bernardo Veterans Memorial Association for a permanent storage facility and maintenance of the Rancho Bernardo Veterans Memorial in Webb Park.

The $5,000 grant recipients were:

 The Bernardo Heights Education Foundation, which will put its grant toward science department Chrome Books.

 The Bernardo Heights Middle School Choir Boosters, who will use the money for microphone and audio modernization of the Rancho Bernardo High School Performing Arts Center.

 Poway OnStage, which will use the grant for its Arts in Education initiative.

 Rancho Bernardo Historical Society will use the grant to preserve historical documents.

 Spirit of the Fourth, Inc. will use its grant for Rancho Bernardos Fourth of July celebration.

 Voices for Children will apply the money toward its Court Appointed Special Advocate program.

A $4,000 grant was given to San Diego Zoo Global toward its Safari Express program to benefit Rancho Bernardo seniors.

A $3,000 grant was given to the Rancho Bernardo Historical Society so it can make computer and media upgrades.

The Rancho Bernardo High School Friends of the Library received a $2,500 grant for its Success via Media and 21st Century Technology Learning Center.

Receiving $2,000 grants were:

 Black Mountain Dance-Southern California Ballet for its community outreach initiatives.

 Lets Light the Cross Foundation for enhancement to the Battle Mountain Cross.

 Poway Symphony Orchestra Foundation to support the Poway Symphony Orchestra.

 Rancho Bernardo High School Music Boosters so musical instruments can be purchased.

 Rancho Bernardo High School Parent Teacher Student Association for the annual RB High Grad Nite celebration.

 Write Out Loud for its Rancho Bernardo literary initiative.

 YMCA of San Diego Childcare Resource Service for its Teens in Motion program.

A grant for $1,721 was given to Westwood Elementary School for its Roadrunner TV.

The $1,500 grants were awarded to:

 The Burn Institute for its Fire Safe Kids program.

 Friends of the Rancho Bernardo Library for its library concerts.

A $600 grant was given to Seniors Helping Our Kids so it can provide supplies to the programs volunteer reading tutors who help students in the Poway Unified School District.

Email: rbnews@pomeradonews.com
MINSK, Belarus (AP)  Belarusian authorities on Thursday released the chief executive of Russias largest potash company, who had been jailed on charges of harming the Belarusian economy, his lawyer said.

Uralkali CEO Vladislav Baumgertner was arrested in August and placed under house arrest a month later as a row between his company and its Belarusian trading partner escalated.

His lawyer, Alexei Basistov, said that Baumgertner was taken to the Russian Embassy in Minsk prior to his extradition to Russia. Russian prosecutors have opened a criminal probe against Baumgertner on abuse of office charges.

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Analysts have described Baumgertners arrest as retaliation for Uralkalis decision to pull out of a joint venture.

Uralkali and Belarusian Potash Co., a state-owned business, had been exporting the commodity through a jointly run trading venture since 2005. Together they accounted for about a quarter of the worlds potash trade this year, giving them significant influence over global prices.

Potash is a key ingredient in fertilizer.

Uralkali pulled out of the trading venture in July after accusing the government in Minsk of allowing the state-owned company to export potash independently. Uralkalis withdrawal left Belarusian Potash Co. with virtually no qualified staff and raised fears of a price war. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that Uralkali and Baumgertners actions harmed his countrys economy.

Baumgertner is suspected of abusing his powers, an accusation that his business partners and some Russian officials found absurd because the executive was not an official and therefore had no powers to abuse. Uralkali has denied the charges, describing Minsks actions as blackmail.

Baumgertners release comes days after a former Russian presidential candidate, Mikhail Prokhorov, said he would buy 22 percent of Uralkali from billionaire Suleyman Kerimov, who fell out with Lukashenko.

Lukashenko earlier threatened to bring charges against Kerimov in Belarus, and said that Baumgertner would be allowed to go only if he paid the damages that he allegedly caused, estimated at $100 million. It was not clear Thursday if Baumgertner would have to pay the damages.

__

Vasilyeva reported from Moscow.
VISTA -- A woman who authorities said deliberately mixed draincleaner with her toddlers apple juice pleaded not guilty Tuesdayto aggravated mayhem, a charge that could send her to prison forlife if she is convicted.

Christina Noel Howells son suffered internal damage so severehe risks choking every time he drinks water, according to thechilds doctor, who testified at a key pretrial hearing for Howellon Tuesday.

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The accusations against Howell, 22, have qualities of what iscommonly known as Munchausen by proxy, a form of child abuse inwhich a caregiver, usually the mother, falsely reports that a childis ill or actually causes illness to the child.

That the child drank poison twice in four days was an accident,the childs mother reportedly told authorities. Serving him thepoison was deliberate, Deputy District Attorney Keith Watanabesaid.

The prosecutor contends Howell poisoned her then-22-month-oldson last May, possibly to get attention from the childs father,Christopher Daly, a tow-truck driver who testified that he was atwork when the child fell ill.

This is one of the most appalling cases I have ever seen,"Watanabe said during a break in the hearing. The very person swornto protect and care for (the child) is the person who was poisoninghim.

Howells attorney, Karsten Boone, declined comment.

A week before the child was first poisoned, Howell, her twoyoung sons and their father had moved to Warner Springs fromTemecula. Before that, the couple had lived in Poway and RanchoPenasquitos.

Howell was in a Vista courtroom for her preliminary hearing, atthe end of which Superior Court Judge Timothy Casserly will decideif enough evidence exists to send Howell on to face trial.Testimony is expected to wrap up Wednesday morning.

In addition to the mayhem charge, which prosecutors addedTuesday, Howell has pleaded not guilty to two counts of child abuseand two counts of poisoning.

Three times over the course of four days last spring, Howellcalled 911 to report that her son was sick, according to courttestimony.

And two of those times -- on May 25 and again on May 28 --emergency workers flew him by helicopter to Rady ChildrensHospital from his familys mobile home in remote WarnerSprings.

The first time, Howell said the child had unscrewed a cap on abottle of bathroom cleaner and drank it, consuming as much as 32ounces, according to volunteer firefighter Adam Knight, whoresponded to Howells 911 call.

The toddler had caustic burns on his face, according to hispediatrician, Jennifer Davis. But, she said, an endoscopy revealedno internal damage.

Four days later, the child was back in the hospital. And thistime, testing revealed internal injuries so severe, tissue waspeeling off inside his body, she said.

Watanabe said the mother told authorities that, on thatoccasion, she had poured drain cleaner into the childs sippy cupso she could dip a toothbrush into it and clean a toilet. She saidshe forgot the cleaner was in the cup when she later topped it offwith apple juice and handed it to the child.

Davis said the child may never recover the ability to drink thinliquids. And, she said, he suffered internal damage so severe, hehas a thousand times greater risk for developing cancer.

Davis, who is a member of a team of caregivers at ChildrensHospital specializing in child abuse cases, said she and otherdoctors discussed the possibility that the childs case wasMunchausen by proxy.

However, she testified, that is a dated term that takes intoaccount the caregivers motive, such as seeking attention. She saidshe and her colleagues prefer to use the term pediatric conditionfalsification, which essentially encompasses the same behavior onthe part of the caregiver, but does not take into account thecaregivers motive.

Davis testified she was aware of Howell because, in the monthsleading to the poisoning, Howell had taken another son to thehospital 13 times before he reached 8 months old. Although Howellreportedly claimed the infant had been vomiting and displayingother symptoms, doctors did not observe anything wrong with theyounger child, according to testimony.

Howell has not been charged with wrongdoing against the youngerson.

Both children are in foster care, according to testimony.

Contact staff writer Teri Figueroa at (760) 740-5442 ortfigueroa@nctimes.com.
North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday which it plausibly claims can reach anywhere on the U.S. mainland. Hopes of dialogue had increased during the last 75 days as the North refrained from provocations, but the latest launch dashed them in one fell swoop.

There had even been calls to halt joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises during the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, but all that now appears futile. North Korea is only focused on completing its nuclear weapons development regardless of what the international community says. It has no interest in the South's proposals or offers.

President Moon Jae-in has said that the "red line" will be the North mounting a miniaturized nuclear warhead onto an ICBM. North Korea could face military responses if it crosses that line. And even though the U.S. and Japan both referred to the North's latest test as an ICBM launch, South Korea insisted on describing the projectile as a "long-range" missile for fear of admitting that the North is very close to the red line.

Moon warned of a situation where North Korea makes a "misjudgment" and threatens South Korea with missiles or where the U.S. considers striking the North. This can only be construed as meaning that the U.S. must be stopped from upsetting North Korea and the North left to do as it pleases.

But diplomatic measures have failed, and if South Korea continues to oppose military action against the North there are only two other options. The first is to keep denying the existence of North Korean nuclear weapons and increase economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure on the North. But on present showing that will produce no results.

The other option is to acknowledge North Korea's nuclear arsenal and start with talks on that premise. North Korea said Wednesday that it "finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power." That means the North intends to flex its muscle as a nuclear power when it engages the U.S. in dialogue. All it takes is a change of heart by U.S. President Donald Trump and the two countries could sit down for direct talks that bypass South Korea completely.

The North could then demand the withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Korea in exchange for halting further nuclear tests and ICBM launches. And left-wingers in South Korea will hit the streets pressuring their government to go along with that proposal.

North Korea is getting closer and closer to making a nuclear warhead that can be delivered by missile anywhere in the world. It could only be a matter of months. The government must wake up to this reality and start considering a proper, possibly nuclear, defense.


Fireworks director comes to Shanghai

By:Wu Qiong | From:english.eastday.com | 2017-11-30 18:16

Shunji Iwai arrives in Shanghai on November 27 to promote his new film and book. [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

Shunji Iwai, the famous director who has made spellbinding, beautiful movies such as Love Letter, once again left his fans breathless as he came to Shanghai on Monday, November 27.



The Japanese director came to China to promote his new film and book. The anime film, Fireworks, is the latest work of Shunji Iwai. To be screened on December 1, the film is adapted from his 1993 live-action TV drama of the same name. According to the director, many plots in the film represent his own experience in his youth. He said that he is more like the supporting role in the story, who is shy about love.



Shunji Iwai at a book signing event in Shanghai [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

Shunji Iwai also wants to retell the story in written letters. As a follow-up of Fireworks, his new book The Kids Who Wanted to View Fireworks from Another Perspective reveals many details not included in the film and the 1993 drama. For me, the book is a complete version of Fireworks, said Shunji Iwai at the book signing event in Shanghai.

At the end of the event, Shunji Iwai told the audience his next work is in preparation and will be released next year. He also said, There are many outstanding actors in China and I am looking forward to working with them.


Premier Li Keqiang received a gift - a newly finished Hungarian-Chinese dictionary - from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Nov 28.

Upon receiving the dictionary, he extended greetings to the journalists present with newly learned Hungarian.

One day before, the Premier also received a Latvian-Chinese dictionary from his Latvian counterpart, Maris Kucinskis.

The coincidence emphasized the fever for language learning that has been ignited in countries in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region and China, along with their deepened 16+1 cooperation.

Learning Chinese was a hot topic during the sixth meeting of heads of government of China and CEEC, especially during Premier Lis meeting with Hungarian Parliament Speaker Laszlo Kover, who said he regards learning Chinese as a valuable experience for the younger generation in Hungary. He also said he expects the establishment of a university there providing professional Chinese courses.

On the other hand, languages of CEE countries (CEEC) are gaining popularity in China. Within half a decade, the number of students who chose to specialize in majors related to CEE language learning has doubled and redoubled. In the meantime, an increasing number of colleges and universities opened courses on CEE language learning.

Language is key to communication, which is crucial for strengthening people to people exchanges between China and the CEEC, Premier Li commented after receiving the Hungarian-Chinese dictionary.
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/30/2017 -- 3D Printing & Additive Manufacturing is a layer-by-layer process of producing 3D objects directly from a digital model. 3D Printing & Additive Manufacturing produce functional parts and discussed benefits that have been realized in the medical, aerospace & defense sectors, and aerospace & defence are mainly discussed in this report.



Scope of the Report:



This report focuses on the 3D Printing & Additive in Asia-Pacific market, especially in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, India and Australia. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, countries/Regions, type and application.



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Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers

Stratasys

3D Systems

Arcam Group

Renishaw

ExOne

Optomec

SLM Solutions

EnvisionTEC

VoxelJet AG

Sciaky Inc

EOS e-Manufacturing Solutions



Market Segment by Countries, covering

China

Japan

Korea

Taiwan

Southeast Asia

India

Australia



Market Segment by Type, covers

Plastics Material

Ceramics Material

Metals Material

Other Material



Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into

Commercial Aerospace

Defense

Space

Others



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There are 19 Chapters to deeply display the Asia-Pacific 3D Printing & Additive market.



Chapter 1, to describe 3D Printing & Additive Introduction, product type and application, market overview, market analysis by countries, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;



Chapter 2, to analyze the manufacturers of 3D Printing & Additive, with profile, main business, news, sales, price, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;



Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;



Chapter 4, to show the Asia-Pacific market by countries, covering China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, India and Australia, with sales, price, revenue and market share of 3D Printing & Additive, for each country, from 2012 to 2017;



Chapter 5 and 6, to show the market by type and application, with sales, price, revenue, market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;



Chapter 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 to analyze the key countries by manufacturers, Type and Application,covering China,Japan,Korea,Southeast Asia, Taiwan, India and Australia,with sales,revenue and market share by manufacturers,types and application;



Chapter 14, 3D Printing & Additive market forecast, by countries, type and application, with sales, price, revenue and growth rate forecast, from 2017 to 2022;



Chapter 15, to analyze the manufacturing cost, key raw materials and manufacturing process etc.



Chapter 16, to analyze the industrial chain, sourcing strategy and downstream end users (buyers);



Chapter 17, to describe sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers etc.



Chapter 18 and 19, to describe the research findings and conclusion, appendix, methodology and data source
New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/30/2017 -- "The Cards and Payments Industry in Bulgaria: Emerging trends and opportunities to 2020", report provides detailed analysis of market trends in the Bulgarian cards and payments industry. It provides values and volumes for a number of key performance indicators in the industry, including credit transfers, cash, payment cards and direct debit during the review period (2012-2016).



The report also analyzes various payment card markets operating in the industry, and provides detailed information on the number of cards in circulation, transaction values and volumes during the review period and over the forecast period (2016-2020). It also offers information on the country's competitive landscape, including the market shares of issuers and schemes.



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The report brings together research, modeling, and analysis expertise to allow banks and card issuers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages. The report also covers details of regulatory policy and recent changes in the regulatory structure.



The report provides top-level market analysis, information and insights into the Bulgarian cards and payments industry, including -

- Current and forecast values for each market in the Bulgarian cards and payments industry, including debit and credit cards.

- Detailed insights into payment instruments including credit transfers, cash, direct debit and payment cards. It also, includes an overview of the country's key alternative payment instruments.

- E-commerce market analysis.

- Analysis of various market drivers and regulations governing the Bulgarian cards and payments industry.

- Detailed analysis of strategies adopted by banks and other institutions to market debit and credit cards.



Scope

- Contactless technology is gaining traction in Bulgaria, with leading banks such as UniCredit Bulbank, DSK Bank, UBB, Fibank, and Raiffeisen Bank now offering contactless cards in the country. By the end of 2015, UniCredit Bulbank had issued 500,000 contactless cards. Of the 20,000 POS terminal installations by the bank, 12,000 were enabled with contactless functionality. In 2015, the bank equipped six Sofia Metropolitan stations with 10 unattended ticketing machines, all enabled for contactless payments. The rising adoption of contactless technology is anticipated to drive payment card transaction volumes.

- Banks in Bulgaria are now launching mobile wallets to offer convenient banking services to consumers. Fibank launched its mobile wallet in April 2016, equipped with NFC contactless and Mastercard's certified Host Card Emulation (HCE) technology. Users can add their card details to the wallet for future transactions. In May 2016, Postbank launched the m-Postbank mobile wallet, allowing consumers to perform online transactions.

- Diners Club is expanding its presence in the country. The scheme partnered with DSK Bank in 2016 and Piraeus Bank in 2015. Previously, Fibank was the only bank in Bulgaria to offer Diners Club credit cards. To encourage card use, Diners Club card holders are offered benefits such as discounts, reward points, and cashback at retail outlets, free access to VIP airport lounges, and free medical travel insurance.



Reasons to buy

- Make strategic business decisions, using top-level historic and forecast market data, related to the Bulgarian cards and payments industry and each market within it.

- Understand the key market trends and growth opportunities in the Bulgarian cards and payments industry.

- Assess the competitive dynamics in the Bulgarian cards and payments industry.

- Gain insights into marketing strategies used for various card types in Bulgaria.

- Gain insights into key regulations governing the Bulgarian cards and payments industry.



Table of Content: Key Points

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2

1.1. Market overview 2

1.2. Key facts 3

1.3. Top five industry events 4

2. PAYMENT INSTRUMENTS 10

2.1. Current payment environment 10

3. E-COMMERCE AND ALTERNATIVE PAYMENTS 12

3.1. E-commerce market analysis 12

3.2. Alternative payment solutions 13

3.2.1. PayPal 13

3.2.2. Paysafecard 13

3.2.3. G-Wallet 13

3.2.4. Fibank mobile wallet 13

3.2.5. iCARD multi-currency wallet 14

4. REGULATIONS IN THE CARDS AND PAYMENTS INDUSTRY 15

4.1. Regulatory framework 15

4.1.1. SEPA Cards Framework 15

4.2. Anti-money laundering 16

4.3. Foreign direct investment (FDI) regulations 16

5. ANALYSIS OF CARDS AND PAYMENTS INDUSTRY DRIVERS 17

6. PAYMENT CARDS 19

7. DEBIT CARDS 21

7.1. Debit cards market analysis 21

7.2. Competition in the debit cards market 23

7.3. Debit cards comparison 25

8. PAY-LATER CARDS 26

8.1. Pay-later cards market analysis 26

Continued



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Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/29/2017 -- Filters have become an integral part of automotive engines in the current scenario. Durability, reliability, and ease in operation of the vehicles are the key factors on which the quality of these vehicles depends. Automotive filters helps in maintaining a quality life for a vehicle. It enhances the efficiency as well as help customers breathe cleaner air. The regulations pertaining to environmental safety and emission standards set by the regulatory bodies are likely to become tougher during the forecast period. This in turn will mandate the automobile manufacturers to use automotive filters in the cars produced, thereby encouraging the growth of the market during the forecast period.



Global Automotive Filters Market: Segmentation



Based on filter type, the global automotive filters market has been segmented into air filters, fuel filters, hydraulic filters, oil filters, and others. By vehicle type the global automotive air filters market can be segmented into passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and others. The global automotive filters market, by end-use industry has been classified into OEMs and aftermarket. The OEM segment leads the market in terms of revenue.



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The rising demand for passenger cars across the world has mandated car manufacturers to use various types of filters in their cars in order to adhere to various vehicular norms, which subsequently led to the increase in demand for filters in this segment. Aftermarket segment is expected to grow at a steady rate during the forecast period 2017- 2025. High replacement rate and low cost of aftermarket parts are some of the reasons for the high growth of the segment. Some filters are functionally stronger than OEM filters as well. These factors are likely to boost the growth of aftermarket end-use segment.



View Complete TOC with Tables and Figures at: https://www.researchmoz.us/automotive-filters-market-global-industry-analysis-size-share-growth-trends-and-forecast-2017-2025-report.html/toc



This report on the global automotive filters market highlights the current scenario of the market along with stating the expected growth of the global market during the forecast period. Various political, social, economic and technological factors which are likely to impact the demand of automotive filters have been analyzed to include an exhaustive study of the global market drivers, restraints and opportunities, i.e. the market dynamics under the purview of the report. Further, the key players operating the automotive filters market have been profile thoroughly and competitively across the five geographic regions and their competitive landscape is inclusive of their recent developments related to automated guided vehicles and the distinguishable business strategies adopted by them. To further analyze their market positioning, SWOT analysis has been provided for each of the players. In addition, the report includes the market attractiveness analysis of the segmentation, by filter type for offering a deep insight into the major filter usage area in the vehicles. Thus, the global automotive filters market report provides an extensive study of the market along with offering the forecast of the market in terms of revenue (US$ Billion) and volume (million units) from the period of 2017  2025.



Key Players Mentioned in this Report are:



Some of the major players in the Automotive Filters market are: Sogefi SpA (Italy), MAHLE GmbH (Germany), MANN+HUMMEL GmbH (Germany), A.L. Filter (Israel), Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), Donaldson Company, Inc. (U.S.), North American Filter Corporation (U.S.), Fildex Filters Canada Corporation (Canada), K&N Engineering, Inc. (U.S.), Filtrak BrandT GmbH (Germany), Luman Automotive Systems Pvt. Ltd. (India), ALCO Filters Ltd. (Cyprus), and Siam Filter Products Ltd., Part. (Thailand).



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King of Prussia, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/30/2017 -- ImageFIRST Healthcare Laundry Specialists' San Francisco location donated linen to the victims of the California fires this October.



Northern California experienced devastating wildfires this October, leaving thousands of homes destroyed and taking the lives of dozens of people. When the fires first began to break out, the ImageFIRST San Francisco team donated blankets to the Cypress Outpatient Surgery Center, a local medical facility. The donations of blankets were for the victims of the Sonoma, Napa, and Santa Cruz fires.



The outpatient surgical center gathered all donated supplies and delivered them to the evacuation centers in Napa and the Santa Cruz Mountains.



Upon receiving the donation, Nicole, the administrator at Cypress Outpatient Surgical Center, said, "Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generous donation to the victims of Napa, Sonoma, and Santa Cruz County fires." She added that the staff at Cypress were "very thankful" for the donation.



ImageFIRST provides healthcare linen and laundry products and services across the nation. In keeping with their Purpose of building a great company by making a positive impact on their associates, community, customers, and their patients, ImageFIRST gives back to the community on an ongoing basis.



The team at ImageFIRST in San Francisco was reportedly happy to make a difference and help those affected by the devastating wildfires. Howard Gipson, ImageFIRST Customer Advocate, explained, "It was our pleasure to donate to help these victims. We will always support our local community during hard times like these."



To learn more about ImageFIRST's products and services, as well as their community giving activities, visit their website at www.imagefirst.com or contact them by calling 1-800-932-7472.



About ImageFIRST

Founded in 1967, ImageFIRST is the largest and fastest growing national linen rental and laundry service specializing in the healthcare market. ImageFIRST's 36 locations nationwide serve over 11,000 medical facilities every week providing linen, patient gowns, scrubs and more while managing their clients' linen inventory for cost management. With a customer retention rate of over 95%, ImageFIRST is dedicated to improving patient satisfaction through quality products and remarkable service: their Comfort Care line of gowns are proven to increase patients' favorable perception of a facility by more than 50%. For more information about ImageFIRST, your cost-effective solution for greater patient satisfaction, please visit www.imagefirst.com.
Dallas, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/30/2017 -- ImageFIRST Healthcare Laundry Specialists' San Francisco location donated blankets to one of their customers, a local outpatient medical facility, for the victims of the California fires.



In October, Northern California experienced several severe wildfires, leaving thousands of homes destroyed. ImageFIRST associates from the San Francisco office decided to help the victims of the fires, considering how close the fires occurred to home. The team donated ImageFIRST blankets to the Cypress Outpatient Surgery Center.



The surgery center gathered the donated supplies and delivered them to the Napa and Santa Cruz Mountains evacuation centers. Through donating their linen products to a customer, ImageFIRST was able to help and reach victims of the fire who had to seek shelter in various locations. The donation benefited victims of the Sonoma, Napa, and Santa Cruz fires.



"Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generous donation to the victims of the Napa, Sonoma, and Santa Cruz County fires," stated Nicole, the administrator at Cypress Outpatient Surgical Center, upon receiving the donation. "We are very thankful!"



ImageFIRST, which provides medical linen services in Arlington, TX, and other locations throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, places community at the heart of its company Purpose. ImageFIRST readily takes opportunities to donate products and their time in order to give back to those in need.



To learn more about ImageFIRST's volunteer efforts, services, and nurse scrubs in Dallas, TX, and beyond, visit http://dallas.imagefirst.com/ or call 1-800-932-7472.



About ImageFIRST

Founded in 1967, ImageFIRST is the largest and fastest growing national linen rental and laundry service specializing in the healthcare market. ImageFIRST's 36 locations nationwide serve over 11,000 medical facilities every week providing linen, patient gowns, scrubs and more while managing their clients' linen inventory for cost management. With a customer retention rate of over 95%, ImageFIRST is dedicated to improving patient satisfaction through quality products and remarkable service: their Comfort Care line of gowns are proven to increase patients' favorable perception of a facility by more than 50%. For more information about ImageFIRST, your cost-effective solution for greater patient satisfaction, please visit http://dallas.imagefirst.com/.
Moore School trailblazer honored with Carolina Distinguished Professorship

Distinguished professor Moore School international business professor Tatiana Kostova has been named a Carolina Distinguished Professor.

For 21 years, Tatiana Kostova, Buck Mickel Chair and Professor of International Business at the University of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business, has been an integral part of the Moore School faculty. Her hard work and success with students have culminated this year with a Carolina Distinguished Professorship award.

The Carolina Distinguished Professorship is one of the highest honors awarded by the university to any faculty member, and those honored are among the most outstanding scholars in their fields nationally and internationally. To be considered for the award, the faculty member must demonstrate excellence in scholarship with a commitment to students, have a proven interest in the growth and success of their colleagues and an overall participation in university affairs.

Kostova embodies the spirit of this award and joins an elite group that includes her Moore School colleague Allen Berger who was named a Carolina Distinguished Professor in 2014.

Being named a Carolina Distinguished Professor is one of the highest faculty honors we bestow at the university, Provost Joan Gabel says. Through her high-impact research, innovative teaching and dedication to the profession, Dr. Kostova exemplifies a commitment to excellence that elevates not just the Moore School, but the entire university.

Coming to Carolina

After finishing her Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota, Kostova joined the university in 1996 as a tenure track assistant professor in International Business at the Moore School.

I chose USC because I was interested in an academic career in international business and the Moore School was the best place for research and teaching in this area, Kostova says. It is quite remarkable that our school was so forward-looking and visionary to invest in developing cutting-edge expertise in international business more than 40 years ago.

In the 21 years since she arrived at Carolina, the Moore School has sustained its leadership in international business research and education, something she recognizes and is proud of.

Apart from the academic excellence and the formal rankings though, I really appreciate the collegial and developmental culture in my department, which we too have been able to keep over the years, Kostova says.

Striving for student success

Kostova has made great strides in contributing to student success, including developing short-term study abroad courses to Europe that provide students the opportunity to learn first-hand about business and government in the region. Kostova says her experience with students abroad created lasting memories.

In addition to visiting amazing companies and institutions, such as the European Union Commission in Brussels or the London Stock Exchange, it was always very special to share with the students many unforgettable moments of cultural immersion like seeing the "Phantom of the Opera" in the London West End, "Tosca" and "La Traviata" at Vienna State Opera, or overlooking the Blue Mosque and the Bosphorus from our hotel rooftop in Istanbul, she says.

Additionally, Kostova says it has been a privilege to participate in the design and delivery of the global Executive IMBA programs in Austria, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan and a number of other countries around the world. She has been involved in different capacities in several exchange and cohort programs, including the first international business cohort exchange program with the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

"It all started with a brainstorming session while visiting CUHK with my colleague C. Kwok, Kostova says. Both sides were motivated to provide the best world-class educational experience for students, and we succeeded.

The international business cohort model has been replicated by universities in other countries and is widely recognized as one of the best innovations in international business education. The next initiative of Kostova and her colleagues in the international business department is in the domain of doctoral education  developing a global Ph.D. in international business with several universities from different countries.

I am proud and honored to be part of this international business department and to have contributed to its standing not only in the U.S. but also in the global academic community, Kostova says. This, of course, comes with a sense of tremendous responsibility to continue to strive for research and teaching excellence and develop the next generation of global business leaders and academics.

When it comes time for that next generation to leave the university, watching them graduate holds a special place in Kostovas heart.

The graduation ceremonies on the historic Horseshoe have always been a high point for me, she says. Walking with my Ph.D. graduates on stage is also a very special moment I always cherish.

Honored and humbled

All of her accomplishments and initiatives here at Carolina throughout her tenure played a part in the honors Kostova has received as a Carolina Distinguished Professor.

I am incredibly honored and grateful to my colleagues, school and the university who granted me this high recognition, Kostova says. I am especially humbled knowing the caliber of the many talented and committed faculty at USC. I couldnt be where I am professionally if it was not for the continuous support and encouragement by my department, school and the university, and the inspiration from the many multinational companies and global managers that I have studied and learned from over the years.

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History unveiled

Ceremony dedicates historical markers acknowledging enslaved workers

Two plaques were dedicated on the Horseshoe on Dec. 5 honoring the enslaved men and women who helped build or worked at South Carolina College before the U.S. Civil War.

The names  Amanda, Anna, Henry, Jack  are so ordinary they could have come from any class roster on campus.

But these particular names have an extraordinary provenance. They belong to enslaved workers who helped build or worked at South Carolina College  the precursor of the University of South Carolina  before the Civil War. The enslaved workers names and acknowledgement of their contributions at the institution during its antebellum era are now immortalized on two bronze historic markers that will be unveiled in a ceremony Dec. 5 at Rutledge Chapel on the Horseshoe.

These markers have been in the works for quite some time, says John Dozier, chief diversity officer for the university. "(History professor) Bob Weyeneths students conducted research several years ago that has given us the information we have today about the universitys use of enslaved people.

In addition to a marker that acknowledges the universitys recognition of contributions made on its behalf by enslaved people, a second marker identifies the last remaining kitchen and slave quarters on campus  a brick building located near the southeast corner of the Presidents House.

One purpose of the marker identifying the former slave quarters is to point out an historic building that has not previously been identified like other historic buildings on the Horseshoe, says Elizabeth West, university archivist. These markers are a way to begin representing other communities in the universitys past. We have so much more history to share about this institution than just the white men who had power then.

With Wests assistance, Weyeneths students began searching the universitys archives several years ago for evidence of enslaved people used during the campus construction and beyond. Combing through receipts and financial reports, the students were able to trace the sources of slave labor that made bricks for the Horseshoe wall, helped construct buildings and assisted with feeding and housing the student body. The students assembled their research into the Slavery at South Carolina College website.

The college itself had a few slaves, but much of the enslaved labor force was contracted by South Carolina College from private citizens who owned slaves, West says. Faculty members also had their own house slaves who lived in outbuildings behind the faculty residences on the Horseshoe.

A former kitchen and slave quarters near what is now the President's House is the only remaining such structure on campus.

By the early 20th century, all of those former quarters for slaves had been demolished with the exception of the building behind what is now the Presidents House. The historic marker for that building will be mounted near the Presidents House with this inscription:

"Slave Quarters  This last remaining kitchen and slave quarters on campus stands as a tangible link to the enslaved people who lived and worked here. South Carolina College, forerunner to the modern university, owned a number of slaves and hired countless others between 1801 and 1865. Enslaved people made significant contributions to the construction and maintenance of college buildings and to daily life on campus. Despite limited references to individuals, enslaved workers who appear by name in archival records include Abraham, Amanda, Anna, Anthony, Charles, Henry, Jack, Jim, Joe, Lucy, Mal., Peter, Sancho and his wife, Simon, Toby, and Tom. Naming these individuals is an effort to remember all of those who made significant and substantial contributions to the University of South Carolina.

The second marker will be mounted near the top of the Horseshoe and reads as follows:

Slavery and the South Carolina College  The Horseshoe, the original campus of the University of South Carolina (established in 1801 as the South Carolina College), still appears much as it did in the mid-1800s. Its buildings and historic wall were substantially constructed by slave labor and built of slave-made brick. Enslaved workers were essential to the daily operations of the college, whether they were owned by the faculty or the college itself, or hired from private citizens. Enslaved people lived in outbuildings, one of which still stands behind what is now the Presidents House. The University of South Carolina recognizes the vital contributions made by enslaved people.

Placing the markers on the historic Horseshoe is appropriate, Weyeneth says, because its the part of campus most closely tied to the use of slave labor.

I like to say if you stand on the steps of McKissick and look toward Sumter Street, what you see is a landscape of slavery, Weyeneth says. Every building was made of slave-made brick and built by enslaved workers and maintained by enslaved workers. Its a remarkably intact landscape of slavery, unique among American college campuses today.

The installation of the new markers shouldnt be seen as an end in itself, says Dozier: Its a step toward complete ownership of who we are as a university. We have been inspired by our students to be more thoughtful about how we tell the history of the university and of the state in more complete ways. This is an attempt to do that; the plaques represent the beginning of how we contextualize our past.

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A lucky recipient, who arrived in the Port of Valletta aboard MSC Meraviglia, was selected as the 700,000th passenger and given the opportunity to return to Malta in the near future with a 3-day break inclusive of flights for two persons, courtesy of the Malta Tourism Authority.

The Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Dr Konrad Mizzi said, So far this year 700,000 cruise passengers have experienced entering the Grand Harbour and visited Malta. Government is committed to continue to work with the Valletta Cruise Port to ensure our offering is competitive and that our product continuously improves.

Stephen Xuereb, ceo of Valletta Cruise Port and coo of Global Ports Holding, said, this marks a momentous milestone for Valletta Cruise Port, currently celebrating its 15th anniversary, and Malta.

Carlo Micallef, chief marketing officer of the Malta Tourism Authority, commented: beyond the injection of income that each cruise ship visit generates, there is also the positive contribution of showcasing some of the highlights of our Islands to day trippers and often also to their social media network. Apart from the resultant promotion of our Islands, surveys have shown that many cruise passengers are intrigued to return to Malta and Gozo for a longer holiday soon after.

Valletta is anticipating closing the year 2017 with record passenger movements of approximately 780,000, aboard 340 cruise calls, with 2018 expected to be on the same levels. The cruise industry contributed over 94m to the local economy in 2016.

P&O Cruises and TUI Cruises use Valletta for homeporting, the latter for seven consecutive seasons.

Valletta Cruise Port is hosting MedCruises General Assembly in May 2018, in a year that Valletta will be bestowed the title of European Capital of Culture.
Through the IPO, the company will release 1.74bn shares or equivalent to 30% of its total paid-up capital.

Jasa Armada president director Dawam Atmosudiro said the firm would use 90% of the IPO proceeds for capital expenditure requirements and the remaining 10% as working capital. The company plans to purchase 15 to 16 new vessels over the next two years at an estimated cost of IDR60m to ISR65m per vessel.

The IPO proceeds will be used for capital expenditure for expansion purposes, Dawam said.

Jasa Armada plans to place orders for four ships next week, he added, while also noting that it plans to expand to ship-to-ship operations for oil and gas in Sulawesi and eastern Sumatra next year.
Speaking on the side lines of the launch of their new value-based Essential range of mobile equipment, he noted however that there are still challenges ahead and resistance to change is key among the road blocks to the automation trend.

While the potential range of port operations that can be automated is vast, there has still been a reluctance to accept it from some segments of the industry for various reasons.

We predicted three or four years ago that it would be a quicker uptake than it was and weve been quite surprised how slow its been, but the interest and the meetings are continuing and people are planning and working on it but its a matter of when they actually move, McLean lamented.

But were seeing more and more of it; it will slowly but surely come in, theres no doubt, he added. Every year globally there would have to be 10 or 20 ports doing something in the way of automation at least and half of those are quite big projects, McLean ventured without going into specifics about whether the timeline would change.

Other trends he predicted include cost pressure forcing greater use of automation to optimise operations as well as the use of more hybrid vehicles to promote more sustainable operations in addition to cutting costs.

He predicted however that there will be few, if any, more fully automated port projects being built from scratch such as Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) in Melbourne.

People want to do it but I think there are some misconceptions, he cautioned. Its not a matter of simply contracting somebody to just build an automated terminal and then pushing a button and expecting everything to happen from the get-go, McLean said.

They debate the success of automation so far and want to do bits of it to phase it in, and thats not a silly idea, he said. When you dont have any automation to start with, its not a bad idea to do it in phases a bit at a time and develop your staff along with it, he said.

You need a whole different skill set to run the port, he said, pointing out that integration of software and back-end systems is just as important as getting new equipment.

But this is where some of the issues arise. Many of the larger port operators such as PSA and Hutchison Port Holdings have their own proprietary and legacy terminal operating systems which they are reluctant to give up. The challenge is integrating this with any new systems equipment makers supply.

This is the slow bit because were all risk-averse, he said, pointing out that issues include who will bear the risk if things go wrong and who will ultimately own whatever new IP is created through jointly working on the system.

Another major concern is cyber security and the only way to ease these concerns is to prove your system works, McLean said. As a result, Kalmar is working with several large operators on proof of concept projects precisely to give this reassurance.

Other confidence-building measures include Kalmar announcing that it is willing to work with other makers to integrate systems for port operators. McLean noted that it is the first equipment maker that has declared it will do this.

Its a real game changer, he said, as the model then moves to looking at software integration as much as the actual engineering work.
Founded in Kuwait in the mid-1950s, GAC opened its first office in the UAE capital with a just handful of staff in 1967. Today it has more than 120 employees in Abu Dhabi, as well as a number of yards and warehouses supporting the oil & gas sector, and a shipping team supporting rigs and Offshore Support Vessels in Mina Zayeds Free Port and Mussafah Port.

Throughout the ups and downs of the past 50 years, GAC Abu Dhabi has supported the Emirates oil & gas sector, said Fredrik Nystrom, group vp  Middle East, and he pledged that the company would continue to invest and innovate in solutions to improve efficiency and add value.

GAC Abu Dhabi md Goran Eriksson added that the company had already experienced growth in the warehousing and servicing of oil & gas equipment during the downturn, and now foresees a picking up of pace in other areas as market conditions improve.
ASIA

Afghanistan

Expected Council Action

In December, the Council will hold its quarterly debate on Afghanistan and will consider the latest Secretary-Generals report on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The Special Representative and head of UNAMA, Tadamichi Yamamoto, is expected to brief.

The mandate of UNAMA expires on 17 March 2018.

Key Recent Developments

The security situation in Afghanistan has continued to deteriorate with intensifying clashes between the Taliban and Afghan security forces. In addition, the emergence of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the increasing number of attacks perpetrated by the group have added another layer of complexity to the overall security environment. ISIL has intensified attacks on local Shia Muslim populations and their places of worship, exposing the potential for deepening sectarian tensions in the country.

On 17 October, more than 70 people were killed in Taliban attacks in Paktia and Ghazni provinces. The Taliban employed similar method in both attacks, with suicide bombings followed by armed attacks on the targets. In Paktia province, the Taliban attacked the regional police outpost, killing at least 21 and injuring another 48 police officers; around 130 civilians were injured and 20 killed during the attack. In Ghazni province, 25 police officers died, and ten were injured during the attack. The Council issued a press statement condemning the attacks and calling for accountability.

October and November were two of the deadliest months this year. On 19 October, the Taliban attacked an army base in Kandahar province, killing at least 43 and injuring nine, out of 60 soldiers manning the base. A day later, ISIL claimed responsibility for an attack on a Shia mosque in Kabul during Friday prayers, killing at least 30 and injuring over 40 worshipers. In a separate attack on a Sunni mosque in Ghor province the same day, there were over 30 dead and scores of injured. On 21 October, the Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack on an army base in Kabul that resulted in the death of 15 army recruits. On 16 November, ISIL claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Kabul that left 14 civilians dead and another 18 injured.

On 15 November, the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) published the latest Afghan Opium Survey indicating an 87 percent increase in opium production in Afghanistan in 2017 compared to the same period last year, a 63 percent increase in the area under opium cultivation, and an expansion into regions where cultivation had not occurred previously. In his statement at the launch of the survey, UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov expressed alarm at these developments, noting that the increase in opium production creates manifold challenges for Afghanistan, the region, and the rest of the world.

In other developments, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda requested authorisation from the Courts judges on 3 November to open an investigation into alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan since May 2003. If approved, the investigation would include crimes committed by any party in the conflict, including the Taliban and Afghan and US armed forces. Afghanistan is a state party to the Rome Statute, which established the Court, but the US is not.

Sanctions-Related Developments

From 28 to 31 October, Ambassador Kairat Umarov (Kazakhstan), Chair of the 1988 and 1267/1989/2253 ISIL/Daesh/Al-Qaida Sanctions Committees, visited Kabul, where he met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, and other government officials. The purpose of the visit was to evaluate the effectiveness of the sanctions measures and assess the situation on the ground.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 7 November, UNAMA released a joint special report with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on attacks on civilians in places of worship, covering 1 January 2017 to 30 September. The report documented a sharp increase in such targeted attacks, recording 850 civilian casualties (273 killed and 577 injured) in 51 attacks. This is nearly double the cumulative total of such attacks documented between 2009 and 2015. The report further highlights a pattern of attacks by anti-government elements directed at Shia Muslims and religious scholars and leaders regarded as pro-government.

Key Issues and Options

There are multiple inter-related issues that the Council continues to face concerning Afghanistan. The persistently deteriorating security situation is taking an increasingly heavy toll on the civilian population and undermining the countrys stability. Further complicating the security environment is the increasing presence and activity of ISIL. There also continues to be a strong link between the insurgency and illicit activities related to drug production and trafficking and the exploitation of natural resources. So far, efforts to promote reconciliation have borne few results and are further undermined by the increased hostilities between government forces and the Taliban. In addition, the regional context has been difficult, with recurring cross-border tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, including accusations that Pakistan provides a safe haven for insurgents.

Addressing these issues has been challenging for the Council. An option that has been contemplated by some Council members but has not yet materialised because of security is a visiting mission to Afghanistan. The visiting mission would provide Council members with a better understanding of the situation on the ground and would showcase the Councils support for counter-insurgency, reconciliation, and anti-corruption efforts.

Another option would be for the Council to adopt a resolution or presidential statement that:

deplores the high number of civilian casualties and demands that all sides avoid killing and injuring civilians, stressing that targeting civilians is a war crime;

encourages efforts toward political inclusivity and dialogue within the government;

underscores the need for the international community, and particularly neighbouring countries, to support and cooperate with Afghanistan;

emphasises the importance of development assistance in promoting Afghanistans stability; and

calls for accountability for crimes committed.

Council Dynamics

Council members remain concerned about the worsening security environment in Afghanistan and its impact on the civilian population. The growing prominence of ISIL and its violent tactics have added another dimension to the conflict, with the potential to deepen ethnic and sectarian tensions. Among permanent members, Russia has been particularly vocal in emphasising the urgency of the threat posed by ISIL while expressing disappointment that some members have in its view tried to downplay its significance. Several Council members, most notably France, Egypt, Russia and Kazakhstan, continue to raise concerns regarding the connection between the insurgency and drug production and trafficking.

Kazakhstan and Russia have continued to emphasise the important role of regional organisations, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, in addressing the situation in Afghanistan. Russia has questioned the utility of the US and NATO presence in the country, which it maintains does not help to stabilise the military and political situation. Kazakhstan has been advocating a new approach towards Afghanistan that would stress the security and development nexus. This would include strengthening regional cooperation and trade and the economic integration of Afghanistan with its Central Asian neighbours with the aim of bolstering development.

Japan is the penholder on Afghanistan, and Kazakhstan chairs the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee.

UN DOCUMENTS ON AFGHANISTAN

The Council renewed the mandate of UNAMA until 17 March 2018. The Council adopted this resolution containing language clarifying how the 1988 Afghanistan sanctions regime functions and reflecting changing conflict dynamics in Afghanistan. This was a statement on the review of the implementation of resolution 2255. This was the Secretary-Generals report on UNAMA. This was a report on the strategic review of UNAMA. This was a press statement condemning terrorist attacks that took place in Paktia, Ghazni and Kabul on 17 October.
Counter-Terrorism

Expected Council Action

The Council is expected to adopt a resolution in December renewing the mandate of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), the Secretariat body that assists the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC).

CTEDs mandate expires on 31 December.

In addition, The Council may also adopt a resolution on the issue of foreign terrorist fighters returning home or travelling to other regions.

In accordance with resolution 2368, the Council may consider an update from the Secretariat on its restructuring plans as they relate to the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team.

Background

On 28 September 2001, the Council adopted resolution 1373, in which, acting under Chapter VII, it decided that all states should prevent and criminalise the financing of terrorist acts and the support of entities or persons involved in terrorist acts. The Council called upon member states to intensify cooperation on movements of terrorists and on administrative and judicial matters to prevent the commission of terrorist acts, and it established the CTC to monitor the implementation of the measures. On 26 March 2004, resolution 1535 established CTED as a special political mission to support the work of the CTC. The directorate has also been involved in assessing the implementation of resolutions 1373 and 1624 (the latter called upon member states to criminalise the incitement to commit terrorist acts).

On 17 December 2013, the Council adopted resolution 2129, renewing CTEDs mandate for four years as a special political mission under the policy guidance of the CTC for the period ending 31 December 2017. The resolution underlined CTEDs crucial role in supporting the committee in the fulfilment of its mandate. It encouraged CTED to continue to work with states and regional and subregional organisations to facilitate technical assistance.

Resolution 2129 further underscored the essential role of CTED in assessing issues and trends relating to the implementation of resolution 1373. It directed CTED to identify related emerging issues, trends and developments in consultation with relevant partners, and to advise the CTC on practical ways for states to implement these resolutions.

In addition, the Council has given CTED mandates in six resolutions adopted in recent years to consider specific aspects of terrorism, such as foreign terrorist fighters and countering violent extremism.

In accordance with the recommendation of the Secretary-General, the General Assembly adopted resolution 71/291 on 15 June establishing the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (OCT), headed by a new Under-Secretary-General. It was decided that this official would also serve as chair of the UN Task Force and executive director of the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre. Among other things, the office is to enhance coordination and coherence across the 38 UN entities comprising the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force; strengthen the delivery of UN counter-terrorism capacity-building assistance to member states; and ensure that due priority is given to counter-terrorism across the UN system and that preventing violent extremism is firmly rooted in the UN Global Counter-Terrorism strategy. The office is to maintain a close relationship with the Security Council, strengthening existing links and developing new partnerships.

On 28 September, Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov, the head of the newly created OCT; the Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), Ambassador Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta (Egypt), and David Scharia, deputy head of CTEDs Assessment and Technical Assistance Office, briefed the Council. (The new CTED executive director, Michele Coninsx of Belgium, had yet to assume her position.)

Voronkov conveyed his intention to work closely with the Committee and CTED, among others, to promote implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and all relevant Security Council resolutions. Scharia said that CTED looked forward to discussing ways to strengthen its cooperation with the OCT.

Scharia gave an overview of CTEDs work in assisting the CTC to monitor the implementation of the relevant Council resolutions; identify states technical assistance needs; work with partners to facilitate the delivery of targeted assistance with a view to strengthening states counter-terrorism capacities; and identify emerging issues, trends and developments related to resolutions 1373 and 1624. As part of that process, he noted that CTED had conducted 133 visits to 96 states.

Scharia added that these tasks were stretching CTEDs capacity and resources to the maximum and, therefore, expressed the wish that the Council would provide it with the resources required to fulfil its significantly expanded mandate. He also asked the Council to consider ways to encourage states to implement CTC recommendations, especially in cases where lack of implementation is not the result of lack of capacity.

Key Recent Developments

On 28 November, the Council was briefed by Voronkov, Coninsx and the Chair of the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Daesh) & Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Kairat Umarov (Kazakhstan) Sanctions Committee on the issue of foreign terrorist fighters returning home or travelling to other regions.

At press time, the Council was scheduled to meet on 30 November on the destruction and trafficking of cultural heritage by terrorist groups and in situations of armed conflict. Briefers were expected to be Voronkov, Coninsx, UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Yury Fedotov, and President of the International Criminal Police Organization, INTERPOL, Meng Hongwei.

Key Issues and Options

With respect to CTEDs mandate renewal, the main issue for the Council is to ensure the widespread implementation of resolution 1373, including the criminalisation of terrorism, the freezing of terrorism-related assets, and effective border and arms control. A related issue is ensuring the implementation of resolution 1624 to prevent acts of incitement to commit terrorism. The Council may choose to elaborate on measures and procedures to be followed when CTED reports a failure to implement the resolutions.

Another issue is the relationship between the newly established OCT and CTED. The Council may present its view on the division of labour between the two and how they should best cooperate to ensure effective and coherent counter-terrorism activities, avoiding duplication of efforts.

The scope of CTEDs work with respect to identifying emerging issues, trends and developments, particularly while engaging with non-state actors, may be an issue. The Council may retain this mandate as is or narrow its scope to focus more on assessments of state implementation.

Council and Wider Dynamics

Council members are in general agreement about the importance and usefulness of CTEDs work and about the need for an extension of its mandate. Regarding substance, CTEDs core mandate of assessment of state implementation, gaps in implementation, and needs for assistance is unlikely to change.

The mandate to identify emerging trends in consultation with relevant partners has enabled CTED to engage with NGOs and academia, among others. Some Council members see this interaction as a critical element of CTEDs ability to properly analyse and identify emerging developments and advise the CTC on ways to address these issues and implement the relevant resolutions. Russia, however, takes the view that this mandate is too wide and that CTED should be focused on state implementation through its assessment of and interaction with states, rather than engaging with a wider array of actors.

CTEDs request for more resources to perform the expanding list of Council-mandated tasks comes at a time when Council members are particularly reluctant to expand special political missions and their expenditures. That said, there seems to be common ground among Council members that CTED is overstretched and that some expansion is warranted.

On foreign terrorist fighters, there is general agreement among Council members that there is a need for the Council to address the increasing threat from their return to their home countries or travel to other conflict zones.

The US is the penholder on this issue.

UN DOCUMENTS ON COUNTER-TERRORISM

This resolution renewed the mandate of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate for four years. This resolution called on states to take further measures to combat terrorism. This resolution established the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED). This resolution placed barriers on the movement, organisation and fund-raising activities of terrorist groups and imposed legislative, policy and reporting requirements on member states to assist the global struggle against terrorism. It also established a Counter-Terrorism Committee to monitor state compliance with these provisions. Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov, the head of the newly-created UN Office of Counter-Terrorism; Ambassador Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta (Egypt) and David Scharia, Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate Deputy Head of the Assessment and Technical Assistance Office briefed the Council. This was a press statement condemning the 20 October terrorist attack in El Wahat desert, Egypt, where a large number of policemen were killed and injured. This was a resolution that established the UN Counter-Terrorism Office headed by a new Under-Secretary-General.
ASIA

DPRK (North Korea)

Expected Council Action

In December, the Council is expected to hold a ministerial-level meeting on the threat and challenges posed by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) to international peace and security.

It is also expected to hold a meeting on the human rights situation in the DPRK. As in previous years, China is expected to object to the meeting, thus prompting a procedural vote. At press time it was unclear whether there would be enough votes to proceed with the meeting. The item, The situation in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea was placed on the Council agenda through a procedural vote on 22 December 2014 and discussed also in 2015 and 2016, each time following a procedural vote. (Council decisions of a procedural nature need nine affirmative votes for a decision to be adopted, and the veto does not apply.)

Key Recent Developments

The last meeting on denuclearisation of the DPRK was held during the US presidency in April. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who chaired the meeting, said that the time had come to put new pressure on North Korea to abandon its dangerous path and urged the Council to act. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who briefed during the meeting, said that he was alarmed by the risk of a military escalation in the region, including by a miscalculation or misunderstanding. He said that while the onus was on the DPRK to comply with its international obligations, the international community also needed to step up its efforts to manage and reduce tensions.

There has been an increase this year in the pace of missile tests conducted by the DPRK, with signs of significant technological advances in the development of intermediate-range and submarine-launched missiles. In response, the Council has increased the intensity of its attention on the DPRK, holding briefings shortly after a missile test and agreeing to an outcome in a shorter timeframe than in the past.

On 28 November, the DPRK launched an inter-continental ballistic missile. This was the first ballistic missile test in about two months. According to the DPRK, the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) reached an altitude of about 4,475km (2,780 miles)and flew 950km in 53 minutes, before falling into the Sea of Japan. It has claimed that the missile was a Hwasong-15, which if true, would mark the launch of a new type of missile for the DPRK. The other launches in 2017 have been of older ICBMs. On 29 November, Under-Secretary-General Jeffrey Feltman briefed at a public meeting on the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) following its launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile on 28 November.

Following two ballistic missile launches by the DPRK on 4 and 9 July, on 5 August the Council adopted resolution 2371, which imposed a ban on the export of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore, and seafood from the DPRK, among other measures. After the DPRK launched a ballistic missile over Japan on 28 August, later that day (29 August in New York) the Council adopted a presidential statement condemning the launch and the multiple ballistic missile tests conducted by DPRK on 25 August.

On 4 September, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman briefed the Council on the DPRKs 2 September nuclear test. On 11 September, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2375, expanding sanctions to additional sectors of the North Korean economy. The resolution prohibits the import of textiles produced in North Korea, bans gas exports, and sets a limit on exports of petroleum products and crude oil. It also includes new tools to stop high seas smuggling of prohibited goods. Furthermore, it strengthened prohibitions on employing North Korean workers abroad and demanded that joint ventures with North Korea be closed, with certain exceptions to be determined by the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee. In addition, the resolution froze the assets and imposed a travel ban on one individual and three entities.

Three days after resolution 2375 was adopted, on 14 September, the DPRK launched a ballistic missile that again flew over Japan. The Council held consultations on 15 September, and issued a press statement later that day. The statement summarised the most recent provocative actions by the DPRK and the Councils response in each case. It condemned the recent launches and the DPRKs outrageous actions, and demanded that it immediately cease all such actions and comply with all UN resolutions. It expressed grave concern that by conducting such a launch over Japan, as well as by its other recent actions and public statements, the DPRK was deliberately undermining regional peace and stability, and that these actions were not just a threat to the region but to all UN member states.

At the end of October, the US and the Republic of Korea conducted joint naval exercises, which included US naval submarines and aircraft carriers.

On 20 November, US President Donald Trump designated the DPRK a state sponsor of terrorism. The following day the US imposed new sanctions on the DPRK.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 18 September, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in the DPRK, Tomas Ojea Quintana, submitted his report to the General Assembly (A/72/394). The report found that patterns of grave human rights violations continue in the country and highlighted concerns over the situation of persons in detention and abductees, access to food, corruption, and freedom of information. In presenting the report to the Third Committee on 26 October, Ojea Quintana appealed to members to ensure that human rights were not overlooked amidst the tensions regarding the DPRKs nuclear and ballistic missile programme, and urged a comprehensive review of sanctions imposed on the regime to avoid possible collective punishment of ordinary North Koreans. On 14 November, the Third Committee adopted, without a vote, a resolution on the human rights situation in the DPRK. The resolution condemned the long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights in the country. It said that more than half of North Korean citizens face a shortage of food and medical services, and denounced North Korea for applying its resources to the development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles instead of the welfare of its people. There was a particular emphasis on abuse of non-citizens by the DPRK. American student Otto Warmbiers death earlier this year following more than a year in custody in the DPRK for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster may have sparked particular interest in highlighting the treatment of foreigners in the DPRK. Canada, Argentina, all members of the EU, Japan, South Korea, and the US, among others, sponsored the resolution.

Issues and Options

The Council has adopted nine resolutions on the DPRK since 2006, strengthening sanctions over the years. Despite this, the DPRK has continued to develop its nuclear capabilities and ballistic missiles in violation of the resolutions. A key issue is finding the right combination of pressure and incentives to persuade the DPRK to stop its nuclear activity. The Council could use the meeting in December as an opportunity to explore possible options.

Another significant issue is the humanitarian impact of the sanctions. The Council could request a report from the Secretary-General on the humanitarian situation in the DPRK with an in-depth analysis of the impact of sanctions.

In the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee, ensuring strict implementation of the sanctions continues to be a key issue although there are signs that China is more willing now than before to ensure implementation of Council resolutions.

Regarding a Council meeting on human rights in the DPRK, among the key issues is how to properly assess the threat to international peace and security posed by human rights violations in the DPRK, given the lack of access. Ojea Quintana has had to conduct investigations into the matter from outside the country because North Korean authorities have barred him entry.

A continuing issue is how to balance the two-track approach of promoting dialogue while at the same time pressing for accountability.

Council and Wider Dynamics

There are differences among members on some aspects of this issue, but members have been united in condemning the missile tests. Negotiations on the draft resolutions, while still largely between China and the US, have seen Russia playing an increasingly active role. Elected members are also less willing to be sidelined and have pushed for more and earlier information on the recent drafts.

The main differences continue to be between those who want to combine more punitive actions with dialogue, and those who are focused mainly on increasing sanctions. Those who believe strongly in the sanctions track are optimistic that the effects of the tougher measures are beginning to be felt. The US under the Trump administration has also made clear that it does not rule out a military option, something that most other members do not favour.

China and Russia, as well as a number of other Council members, have stressed the importance of finding a diplomatic solution, and the 11 September resolution included new language urging further work to reduce tensions in order to advance the prospects for a comprehensive settlement and underscoring the imperative of achieving the goal of complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner.

China has continued to advocate its freeze-for-freeze position, by which the DPRK would halt further nuclear and missile development in exchange for a freeze on joint US-Republic of Korea (ROK) military exercises. The recent improvement in bilateral relations between China and ROK, following a strain in the relationship over the deployment of a US Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense System in 2016, may open up the prospect of greater regional cooperation.

Positions on the human rights situation in the DPRK have not changed greatly. China continues to be opposed to the discussion of the human rights situation, holding firmly to its position that the Council is not the place to address this issue. A number of other members, including Bolivia, Egypt and Russia, share this position.

The US is the penholder on the DPRK.

UN DOCUMENTS ON THE DPRK

This resolution expanded sanctions to additional sectors of the North Korean economy in response to the DPRKs nuclear test. This resolution condemned the 3 and 28 July ballistic missile launches. This was a resolution condemning the nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development activities, including missile launches, conducted by the DPRK in flagrant disregard of relevant Council resolutions since 9 September 2016. Condemned the launch of a missile over the territory of Japan and urged the DPRK to comply with previous Council resolutions and presidential statements. The Council was briefed by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman on the DPRKs 2 September nuclear test. This was a meeting on the situation in the DPRK, chaired by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Council members strongly condemned the launches, condemned further the DPRK for its outrageous actions, and demanded that it immediately cease all such actions and comply with all UN resolutions. This letter transmitted the concept note for the 28 April Council meeting on the denuclearisation of the DPRK.
Golan Heights (UNDOF)

Expected Council Action

In December, the Council is expected to extend for six months the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which expires on 31 December. A representative of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations will brief Council members in consultations on the most recent UNDOF report.

UNDOF was established in 1974 to monitor the ceasefire between Israel and Syria.

Key Recent Developments

The situation in the Golan Heights remains tense, and the upcoming Secretary-Generals report due in December is likely to highlight several violent incidents and continued violations of the disengagement agreement. On 3 November, the Al-Nusra Front reportedly carried out a car bombing that killed nine Druze men, several of whom were Israelis, in the village of Hader in the Syrian-controlled Golan Heights. On 11 November, Israel shot down a Syrian reconnaissance drone over the Golan Heights. Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Israel viewed the incident gravely and would respond to any provocation. On 16 November, the Syrian Armys 42nd Brigade accused the Israeli military of launching an airstrike on their positions near the Beit Jinn pocket, killing four of their soldiers.

On 27 September, the Secretary-General transmitted his most recent report on UNDOF. According to the report, the ceasefire between Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic was maintained during the reporting period, albeit in a volatile environment attributable to the ongoing conflict in Syria. The Syrian army and non-state armed opposition groups engaged in exchanges of heavy-weapons fire in the areas of separation and limitation on the Bravo (Syrian) side. The Secretary-General reported that various armed groups that have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have continued to exchange fire in the UNDOF area of operation. Inside the area of separation, the presence of Syrian armed forces or any other armed personnel and military equipment other than that of UNDOF is in violation of the Disengagement of Forces Agreement. The situation in the area of separation, particularly during the month of June, was characterised by medium- to high-intensity fighting, and the report noted that there were five incidents of spillover fire across the ceasefire line during the reporting period.

The military violations on the Alpha (Israeli) side included 95 reports of the presence of unauthorised personnel and military equipment within the 10-kilometre zone of the area of limitation, including M-109 self-propelled guns, Iron Dome anti-missile systems, missile carriers, light armoured vehicles and armoured patrol vehicles. There were three incidents of firing into the area of separation and more than 87 instances of restrictions of movement of UNDOF by the Israel Defense Forces recorded during the reporting period.

The report noted that UNDOF continued to make progress towards the limited return of operations on the Bravo side in line with the phased UNDOF plan. Phase 1 of the plan has continued to progress satisfactorily since 14 November 2016, when UNDOF re-established an initial presence at Camp Faouar, and conditions have steadily improved in line with the mission support plan. Also, in accordance with the provisions of resolution 2361, efforts continued to deploy appropriate technology to ensure the safety and security of UNDOF personnel and equipment. This included initiating the procurement of technology, such as surveillance trailers, to enhance force protection and increase situational awareness.

On 13 October, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of Major General Francis Vib-Sanziri of Ghana as the head of mission and force commander of UNDOF. Vib-Sanziri succeeds Major General Jai Shanker Menon of India, who completed his assignment on 30 September.

Key Issues and Options

Considering the security situation in the Golan, the full return of UNDOF to the Syrian side seems unlikely in the foreseeable future. This is a significant issue inasmuch as it constrains the missions ability to carry out its monitoring tasks.

An ongoing issue for the Council is the violation of the ceasefire on numerous occasions, including the presence of Syrian heavy weapons in the area of separation, Syrian and Israeli airstrikes, and the presence of non-state armed terrorist groups. No military forces other than those of UNDOF are allowed in the area of separation.

The Council is, however, rather limited in its options for UNDOF. It was established as a Syria-based mission, and how it operates is subject to the disengagement agreement that ended the Yom Kippur war in 1974. Any changes in the mandate would require agreement by Israel and Syria, which is unlikely.

Council Dynamics

There is general agreement within the Council that, given the absence of a peace agreement between Israel and Syria, UNDOF contributes to stability in the region. The missions observation role has been limited since its September 2014 relocation to the Israeli side of the ceasefire line. However, the missions liaison function continues to be considered important in avoiding further negative developments in the region.

Israel and Syria value UNDOFs presence and want to see the mission return to the Bravo side, and Council members continue to support its eventual complete return. However, they are mindful that this requires a favourable security environment, which is important for maintaining the confidence of UNDOFs troop-contributing countries, and at the moment, the situation on the Syrian side is still not conducive to the full redeployment.

Council members have expressed concern regarding the fighting in the area of operations as well as the tension between Israel and Syria along the ceasefire line, which has been exacerbated by the presence of Hezbollah militia forces.

Since June 2012, Russia and the US have been the co-penholders on resolutions renewing UNDOF.

UN DOCUMENTS ON UNDOF

This was a resolution renewing UNDOFs mandate for an additional six months. This was the Secretary-Generals report on the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force for the period from 17 May to 9 September 2017. This was a letter from the Secretary-General, expressing his intention to appoint Major General Francis Vib-Sanziri (Ghana) as the Head of Mission and Force Commander of UNDOF.
SECURITY COUNCIL AND WIDER UN STRUCTURE

International Criminal Tribunals

Expected Council Action

In December, the Security Council expects to hold its semi-annual debate on the ad hoc international criminal tribunals. The presidents and prosecutors of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunalsestablished in 2010 to carry out the essential functions of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the ICTY after the completion of their respective mandatesare expected to brief and may meet with the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals prior to the debate.

Key Recent Developments

The ICTY was expected to deliver judgements on its two final cases by 30 November, ahead of the Tribunals closure on 31 December. In its final trial judgement on 22 November, the Tribunal convicted Ratko Mladic of genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war and sentenced him to life imprisonment. At press time, the Tribunals final appeal judgement, Prlic et al., against six accused was expected on 29 November. Aside from the remaining appeal case, the ICTY had concluded proceedings against 155 of the 161 persons indicted, with 84 individuals sentenced, 19 acquitted, 13 referred to a national jurisdiction, 37 whose indictments were withdrawn or who are deceased, and two with retrials to be conducted by the Residual Mechanism.

The Council unanimously adopted resolution 2329 on 19 December 2016, granting a final extension of the terms of ICTY judges and its prosecutor until 30 November. The term of ICTY President Judge Carmel Agius was extended until 31 December. According to its annual report, the Tribunals final chapter will undoubtedly be one of the busiest and most challenging periods in its history. With its core judicial work completed by 30 November, when the mandate of the judges will end, the ICTY will continue to further ramp up its liquidation efforts, including through the implementation of its final downsizing exercises, the disposal or transfer of its remaining records and assets, and the transfer of its remaining functions to the Residual Mechanism.

The Residual Mechanism, with its branches in Arusha, Tanzania and The Hague, continues to focus on the completion of trials and appeals from the ICTY and ICTR, locating and arresting the eight remaining fugitives indicted by the ICTR, and assisting national jurisdictions prosecuting international crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. According to its annual report, the Mechanism and the ICTY continue to work closely to ensure a smooth and efficient transition of the remaining functions of the ICTY to the Mechanism by the end of 2017. The report adds that the Mechanism is seeking to maximise its effectiveness and efficiency while maintaining relatively low staffing levels, conscious of the temporary nature of its mandate.

One of the 25 Residual Mechanism judges, Aydin Sefa Akay (Turkey), arrested by Turkish authorities in September 2016, was convicted on 14 June by a Turkish criminal court on a single charge of being a member of a terrorist organisation and sentenced to a prison term of seven years and six months. This happened despite the UNs formal assertion of his diplomatic immunity in accordance with the Mechanisms statute and the Mechanisms issuing a judicial order to Turkey to cease all legal proceedings against Judge Akay and release him. Upon conviction, Judge Akay was provisionally released and prohibited from departing the country, pending appeal proceedings.

Key Issues and Options

The immediate issue is overseeing the completion of the ICTYs work ahead of its 31 December closure. An option for the Council is to adopt a press statement marking the ICTYs closure, as it did for the ICTR.

Council Dynamics

According to the relevant Council resolutions, the ICTY was expected to complete its caseload in 2010 or, failing that, by the end of 2014. In the few years prior to the adoption of resolution 2329, Russia had routinely abstained on resolutions for extension of judges terms and insisted on granting shorter extensions than those sought, commenting that the situation regarding the Tribunals exit strategy had not improved and that costly trial delays continued. Russia is also critical of the ICTYs jurisprudence, claiming that it has not done justice on behalf of Serbian victims of the Yugoslav conflict. However, as the ICTY is expected to complete its caseload by November, no further extension of judges terms is necessary.

Council members, including Russia, have so far generally assessed the Residual Mechanism positively, with the caveat that it must continue to fulfil its mandate expeditiously and cost-effectively.

Uruguay is the penholder and chair of the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals.

UN Documents on International Criminal Tribunals

This was a resolution to finally extend the ICTY judges and the prosecutors terms until 30 November 2017. This was the Councils semi-annual debate on the ad hoc international criminal tribunals. This was a press statement that marked the ICTRs closure. This was the ICTYs final annual report. This was the Residual Mechanisms annual report.
MIDDLE EAST

Iran

Expected Council Action

In December, the Secretary-General will report on the implementation of resolution 2231, which endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Irans nuclear programme. In addition, reports are expected from the Joint Commission, established by the parties to the JCPOA to oversee its implementation, and from the Councils 2231 facilitator, Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi (Italy). The Council is scheduled to hear briefings by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, Cardi, and a representative of the EU in its capacity as coordinator of the Joint Commission.

Key Recent Developments

The Council was briefed on the implementation of resolution 2231 on 29 June by Feltman; the head of the EU delegation to the UN, Ambassador Joao Vale de Almeida; and Cardi. Feltman said that the JCPOA embodied successful multilateral diplomacy and stressed that its comprehensive implementation would guarantee that Irans nuclear programme remains exclusively peaceful. At the same time, he quoted the Secretary-Generals reference to ballistic missile launches by Iran as hav[ing] the potential to increase tensions. Vale de Almeida said Irans nuclear programme has been rolled back and placed under tight inspections and non-nuclear issues could be more easily addressed because of the JCPOA. Cardi covered IAEA reporting on Irans compliance with the JCPOA. Referring to a 29 January ballistic-missile launch by Iran, he said that there was no consensus in the so-called 2231 format on whether it was inconsistent with resolution 2231.

On 28 June, in a letter to the Council president and the Secretary-General, Israel accused Iran of using a target in the shape of a Star of David, during a test of a medium-range missile in December 2016. Iran denied the accusation in a 17 August letter of response.

On 27 July, Iran launched a rocket capable of carrying a 50-pound satellite. The following day, the P3 (France, the UK and the US) and Germany condemned the test in a joint statement, maintaining it was inconsistent with resolution 2231.

On 4 November, Saudi Arabia shot down a missile over Riyadh launched from Yemen by the Houthis, which it maintained had been obtained from Iran. Saudi Arabia has characterised the supply of missiles by Iran as an act of military aggression. Iran denied supplying missiles to Yemen for the purpose of attacking Saudi Arabia in a letter to the Council and the Secretary-General.

The IAEAs most recent quarterly report on Irans implementation of its nuclear-related obligations under the JCPOA released on 13 September said that Iran is continuing to meet its obligations.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 14 August, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Asma Jahangir, submitted her report to the General Assembly (A/72/322). The report highlights numerous serious human rights concerns, including restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, opinion and information; discrimination against women and religious and ethnic minorities; the use of torture in prisons; and the alarming level of executions, including juveniles.

In a joint statement on 18 October, Jahangir, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Agnes Callamard, and Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child Renate Winter said that Iran was continuing to execute juvenile offenders despite this being strictly prohibited by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to both of which Iran is a state party. According to the statement, Iran has executed at least four juvenile offenders since January, and at least 86 more are known to be on death row, although the actual figure may be higher.

Key Issues and Options

The key issue for the Council is whether any of the parties to the JCPOA or any other member state has failed to comply with resolution 2231 and, if so, what the appropriate response should be.

One option is to use this meeting as an opportunity to express concern about any intentions to undermine the JCPOA, while responding to the US administrations criticism of the agreement.

The Council could adopt a statement expressing concern about Irans missile launches.

A further option is to encourage Iran to participate in the meeting, as it has not to date taken part in the semi-annual briefings on the implementation of resolution 2231.

Council and Wider Dynamics

Most Council members believe that the JCPOA is working. However, the US under the Trump administration has been highly critical of the agreement, and on 13 October, US President Donald Trump announced that he would not certify the JCPOA, as called for every 90 days by the US Congress. He did not decertify the agreement, but requested Congress to establish specific provisions that Iran must adhere to in order to avoid sanctions. On the same day, the leaders of France, Germany and the UK issued a joint declaration expressing concern at the possible implications of Trumps decision and affirming their commitment to the JCPOA.

Council members have been divided over whether or not ballistic missile tests are violations of resolution 2231. China and Russia maintain that the restrictions in resolution 2231 are not legally binding obligations and that a missile must be explicitly designed to deliver nuclear weapons for a test to be a violation. Other membersincluding the P3, Japan and Swedenhave generally taken the position that these tests are destabilising and against the spirit of the resolution.

UN Documents on Iran

This was a resolution that endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran. This was the Secretary-Generals report on implementation of the resolution 2231. This was the Councils semi-annual meeting on resolution 2231. This was a letter from Iran, denying that it had supplied missiles to Yemen that were used to attack Saudi Arabia. This was a letter from Iran, denying that it had targeted a Star of David in a missile test on 15 November 2016. This was a letter from Israel, accusing Iran of targeting a Star of David in a missile test on 15 November 2016.
ASIA

Myanmar

Expected Council Action

The Council is expected to have a briefing and hold consultations on the situation in Rakhine. The presidential statement on the situation adopted on 6 November requested the Secretary-General to brief on developments 30 days after the adoption.

Any further Council action will depend on its assessment of developments over the last month.

Key Recent Developments

On 25 August, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) attacked Myanmar security forces at a number of locations. Government forces responded with violence to these attacks, and more than 600,000 Rohingya subsequently fled across the border into Bangladesh. A report of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released on 11 October and based on interviews conducted with Rohingya refugees in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, in September, concluded that the attacks against Rohingya were well-organised, coordinated, and systematic. It said that these human rights violations were committed against the Rohingya population in northern Rakhine State by the Myanmar security forces often in concert with armed Rakhine Buddhist individuals.

The Council has followed the situation closely since the end of August. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres briefed the Council on 28 September at the request of Egypt, France, Kazakhstan, Sweden, Senegal, the UK and the US. Guterres had written a letter to the president of the Council on 2 September expressing his deep concern about the security, humanitarian and human rights situation in Rakhine State, and warning that the situation could degenerate into a humanitarian catastrophe with implications for peace and security beyond Myanmars borders. During his 28 September briefing, Guterres conveyed three key messages: the need for an end to the violence whether by the military or by radical elements within communities; immediate and safe humanitarian access to affected communities for UN agencies and non-governmental partners; and the safe and voluntary return of those who have fled the country.

Besides the 28 September public briefing, the Council had several other meetings on the situation in Rakhine in September. It held three briefings under any other business as well as meetings on the margins of the General Assembly high-level debate. Following a briefing by Under-Secretary-General Jeffrey Feltman on 13 September, Council members agreed on elements to the press expressing concern over reports of excessive violence by security forces, calling for immediate steps to end the violence in Rakhine, de-escalate the situation, re-establish law and order, ensure the protection of civilians, restore normal socioeconomic conditions and resolve the refugee problem as well as for the government to facilitate humanitarian assistance.

On 13 October, an Arria-formula meeting was held on Myanmar, initiated by France and the UK. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan briefed in his capacity as the Chair of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, which was mandated to make recommendations for improving the situation in the state with regard to conflict prevention, humanitarian assistance, reconciliation, institution-building and development. The Advisory Commission, which published its final report on 23 August, was established at the request of the State Counsellor of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, and comprised both Myanmar and international commissioners.

Following a failed attempt to get agreement on a draft resolution in October, on 6 November the Council adopted a presidential statement on the situation in Myanmar. The statement condemned the 25 August attacks and the widespread violence that followed, called on the government to ensure no further excessive use of military force in Rakhine State, and stressed the importance of full humanitarian access and the voluntary return of all internally displaced persons to their homes. It also called on the government to address the root causes of the crisis in Rakhine State and welcomed the governments commitment to implementing the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on the Rakhine State. It requested the Secretary-General to continue to provide his good offices and encouraged him to consider appointing a special adviser on Myanmar. (For details on the negotiations on the draft, please see our 6 November Whats in Blue story.)

The 31st ASEAN Summit was held from 13-14 November in Manila. The Chairs statement issued following the leaders meeting made reference to ASEANs role in providing humanitarian assistance in Rakhine and urged Myanmar to continue to implement the recommendations of the final report of the Advisory Commission. During the ASEAN-UN Summit, Secretary-General Guterres voiced concern over the worrying escalation of a protracted tragedy and said that it had potential to cause instability and radicalisation in the region. He met State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on the margins of the meeting.

On 23 October, a donor conference co-hosted by the EU and Kuwait in Geneva raised $344 million to fund critical relief programmes for Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh.

Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an arrangement on 23 November for the return of Rohingya who had fled to Bangladesh. UNHCR said that it would welcome a framework that enables refuges to exercise their right to return in line with international standards. It stressed that returns must be voluntary, and take place in safe and dignified conditions that pave the way for lasting solutions. It also said that currently conditions were not in place in Rakhine State for safe and sustainable returns.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 8 September, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, submitted her report to the General Assembly. Presenting her report to the Third Committee of the General Assembly on 26 October, Lee condemned the widespread use of hate speech against the Rohingyas and other communities, stressing that it amounted to incitement to hostility and even violence. The statement also expressed concern about how long it would take the government to establish conditions for the safe and dignified return of the Rohingyas. She expressed the hope that the Council would pass a strong resolution recognising that the crisis in Rakhine State has been decades in the making and has gone beyond Myanmars border. On 27 October, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar established by Human Rights Council (HRC) resolution 34/22 issued a press release at the conclusion of their first fact-finding mission in Bangladesh. The three experts said they were deeply disturbed by accounts of killings, torture, rape, arson and aerial attacks reportedly perpetrated against the Rohingya community in Myanmar. If the Mission concludes that there have been violations, it will seek to ensure full accountability for perpetrators and justice for the victims, the press release said. The Mission has so far not been granted access to Myanmar and is required to submit an interim report to the HRC in March 2018. The Human Rights Council will hold a Special Session on the situation of human rights of the Rohingya and other minorities in Rakhine State in Myanmar on 5 December 2017 at the request of Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia. On 16 November, the Third Committee voted on a resolution on the human rights situation in Myanmar, which had been initiated by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and presented by Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Egypt had also spearheaded the negotiations on the draft text. The resolution passed with 135 states voting for, 10 voting against, and 26 abstaining. Among those that voted against were China and Russia, as well as ASEAN members Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines and Viet Nam. Among those that abstained were Council members Ethiopia and Japan and ASEAN members Singapore and Thailand. The resolution is expected to be voted on in the General Assembly in early December. A key request in the resolution was for the Secretary-General to appoint a special envoy on Myanmar. (There had been either a Special Envoy or Special Adviser on Myanmar from 2000, but at the end of 2016 the General Assembly chose not to renew the position.)

Issues and Options

The main issue is for the Council to be able to monitor progress on its requests for an end to the violence, humanitarian access, and the voluntary return of internally displaced persons. Instituting regular briefings by a Special Envoy, as well as other relevant UN officials such as the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Representatives on Sexual Violence and Children and Armed Conflict, would allow the Council to be kept informed on developments. Informal meetings such as Arria-formula meetings could also be used to hear from a wider range of actors.

A related issue is the timing for further action from the Council, and the options for such action. Any further deterioration in the situation in Rakhine, or signs of violence against Rohingya still within Myanmar, could be a signal for the need for a resolution that might include the possibility of targeted sanctions. If there are signs of genuine progress, the Council could respond with encouragement.

The Council might consider a visiting mission to Myanmar, Bangladesh and the region, coordinating with the intentions of the Secretary-General and his Special Envoy regarding the exercise of his good offices.

Securing agreement to UN involvement in developing a framework for the voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced people in accordance with international standards may require Council pressure.

The Council, having welcomed the Goverment of Myanmars public commitment to implement the recommendations of the Advisory Commission, might consider what it can do to promote this and to pursue its call for the root causes of the crisis to be addressed.

Council Dynamics

While the Council actively followed developments in Myanmar between 2006, when the issue was added to the Councils agenda, and 2010, it began to pay less attention to the situation following positive developments in the political process in 2012. In the last few years Myanmar has been discussed only during informal consultations under any other business. Although the situation in Rakhine has been part of these informal briefings in the last few years, Council members did not appear to feel the need to focus attention on the situation. Until the current crisis, the last formal Council discussion on Myanmar was held on 13 July 2009. The adoption of a presidential statement and agreement on a public briefing marks a shift in the Councils passive approach to this situation in recent years.

It seems that the deteriorating situation in Myanmar, together with the number of Council members pushing for a strong response, may have persuaded China, which from the time the issue came onto the agenda has generally been reluctant to have the Council focus on it, of the need for the Council to act. China made it clear that a resolution would not be acceptable but eventually agreed to a presidential statement based on a modified version of the draft resolution text. Russia, which has been supportive of China on this issue, did not offer any resistance once China was open to a presidential statement.

While the P3 were active in the past in pushing for the release of prisoners and a transparent political process, they have been supportive of the Myanmar government in recent years and less inclined to be critical. However, the developments after the 25 August incident led France and the UK, the penholder on this issue, to press for an outcome. Other members including Sweden and Council members that are also members of the OICEgypt, Kazakhstan and Senegalalso played an active role in getting the Council to focus on the situation in Rakhine.

UN Documents on Myanmar





This was a presidential statement on the situation in the Rakhine. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres briefed the Council on the crisis in Myanmar at the request of Egypt, France, Kazakhstan, Senegal, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. This was the resolution on the situation of human rights in Myanmar adopted by the Third Committee. This was the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar.
Overview

Japan will have the presidency of the Council in December. There will be two non-proliferation meetings. The first is expected to be a ministerial-level meeting on the DPRK, focusing on the threat and challenges posed by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea to international peace and security. The second is on Iran and the implementation of resolution 2231, which endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Irans nuclear programme.

With regard to Syria, there will be the regular briefings on the political and humanitarian situation and on chemical weapons. In addition, Council members are expected to negotiate and put to a vote a draft resolution renewing the authorisation for cross-border and cross-line humanitarian access, which expires on 10 January 2018.

Other Middle East issues that will be considered are:

Golan Heights , the renewal of UNDOF;

, the renewal of UNDOF; Israel/Palestine , the regular monthly briefing; and

, the regular monthly briefing; and Yemen, on the political process and the humanitarian situation.

Council members will continue to follow developments in South Sudan and are expected to renew the mandate of the UN mission and the authorisation of the Regional Protection Force. There will be discussions on several other African issues this month, including:

Liberia , an update on UNMIL by the Special Representative and on the peacebuilding plan by the Chair of the Liberia configuration of the PBC;

, an update on UNMIL by the Special Representative and on the peacebuilding plan by the Chair of the Liberia configuration of the PBC; Sudan , the quarterly briefing by the chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee and the semi-annual briefing on the ICCs work; and

, the quarterly briefing by the chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee and the semi-annual briefing on the ICCs work; and UNOCA/LRA, an update on the activities of the UN Office in Central Africa and the regional strategy to combat the Lords Resistance Army.

Other Asian issues this month include a briefing followed by consultations on developments in Rakhine state in Myanmar since the adoption of a presidential statement in early November and the quarterly debate on Afghanistan.

Other issues on the December programme of work include:

Counter-Terrorism , renewal of the mandate of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate;

, renewal of the mandate of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate; Peace operations , a briefing on the Secretary-Generals report on how to fill gaps in force generation;

a briefing on the Secretary-Generals report on how to fill gaps in force generation; Small arms , a briefing on the Secretary-Generals biennial report; and

, a briefing on the Secretary-Generals biennial report; and Tribunals, the semi-annual debate on the ad hoc international criminal tribunals.

There will also be the annual briefing by outgoing subsidiary body chairs, reviewing their experience and developments during their term as chairs of committees or working groups.

A meeting on the human rights situation in the DPRK is also possible in December.
THEMATIC ISSUES

Small Arms

Expected Council Action

In December, the Council will hold a briefing at the initiative of Japan to consider the Secretary-Generals biennial report on small arms, which is expected by mid-December. At press time, no outcome was planned.

Background and Recent Developments

As a thematic issue, small arms was first deliberated by the Council in September 1999, and since then the item has been maintained on the agenda, though the Councils attention to this issue has been somewhat inconsistent. The Council adopted six presidential statements on small arms between 1999 and 2007, but there were no discussions on this issue from 2008 to 2013, with the exception of a briefing in a closed meeting on the Secretary-Generals 2011 report on small arms. In 2001, the Council adopted a presidential statement that requested the Secretary-General to produce a report on small arms in 2002. Subsequent presidential statements asked for periodic reports until 2006, when the cycle was interrupted due to the Councils difficulty in adopting the relevant decision. A statement adopted in 2007 requested biennial reports starting in 2008. The report due in 2010 was delayed until 2011 thus altering the reporting cycle.

The Council adopted its first thematic resolution on small arms in September 2013 on the initiative of then-Council member Australia. Resolution 2117 was based predominantly on previously agreed language from the presidential statements on the issue. The resolution sought to strengthen the Councils response to small arms-related threats to international peace and security. It reminded member states of their obligation to comply with Council-mandated arms embargoes, expressing the Councils intention to monitor and strengthen their implementation and emphasised the role of UN peacekeeping operations relating to arms embargoes and capacity-building for host governments.

In May 2015, the Council adopted resolution 2220, which was the Councils second resolution specifically on this issue. The resolution urged member states to enhance their cooperation in curtailing illicit arms transfers and the accumulation and misuse of small weapons, while focusing on the effects of these activities on civilian populations. It again emphasised the role of UN peacekeeping operations relating to arms embargoes and capacity-building for host governments, encouraged information-sharing and cooperation among relevant actors, and called on states to support weapons collection, disarmament, demobilisation, reintegration and stockpile management.

Japan has had a longstanding interest in the issue of small arms and was one of the original co-authors of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which was adopted by the General Assembly in 2013.

The treaty entered into force on 24 December 2014. At press time, 130 states had signed and 89 had ratified the treaty. Japan currently serves as the president of the Fourth Conference of States Parties (CSP4) to the ATT, which will be held in Tokyo next year.

Issues and Options

The core issue for the Council is the implementation of previous outcomes on small arms, most notably resolutions 2117 and 2220. A related issue is whether there needs to be further Council action on small arms, such as enhancing implementation of the provisions agreed in the aforementioned resolutions in regard to arms embargoes, the role of UN peace operations in combating the proliferation of illicit small arms, and other measures aimed at preventing diversion of arms into the illicit market, such as stockpile management and security sector reform.

An additional issue will be discussing any new recommendations that might be put forward in the upcoming Secretary-Generals report.

At press time, there was no indication that Japan, which initiated this meeting, would seek an outcome on this issue. However, an option for the Council would be to adopt a resolution or presidential statement that would welcome the Secretary-Generals report and endorse some of its recommendations. Furthermore, the Council could request the Secretary-General to consistently integrate small-arms issues into all planning and review processes for UN operations at the earliest possible stage, address small-arms issues in all relevant reports, and provide recommendations to the Council as appropriate.

Council Dynamics

Council dynamics on small arms tend to be complicated. This was particularly evident during the Councils negotiations on its two most prominent outcomes on this issue, resolutions 2117 and 2220. In the first attempt to pass a resolution on small arms, an initiative of Argentina in 2006, the Council failed to adopt a resolution because of strong objections by the US, which at the time argued that this issue was best dealt with in the General Assembly. When resolution 2117 was adopted in 2013, Russia abstained, citing the omission of an amendment it had proposed aimed at preventing the transfer of small arms to non-state actors.

When resolution 2220 was adopted in 2015, Russia and China abstained, along with then-Council members Angola, Chad, Nigeria and Venezuela. Once again, the core issue during negotiations was the transfer of small arms to non-state actors. Russia also objected to certain provisions of the resolution regarding the expansion of the power of specialised committees and UN missions in controlling the transfers of small arms, which Russia believes should be the sole responsibility of the concerned government. Another issue that tends to be contentious is any suggestion of the Councils calling on states to ratify or accede to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Among the current Council members, seven (Bolivia, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Russia and the US) are not parties to the ATT.

UN DOCUMENTS ON SMALL ARMS

This was a resolution on small arms that contained new provisions aiming to strengthen UN coordination and action on small arms, promote effective implementation of UN arms embargoes and support the Arms Trade Treaty. This was the first thematic resolution on small arms adopted by the Council focusing on the illicit transfer, destabilising accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons. This presidential statement noted with concern that the accumulation and illicit manufacture, trade and circulation of small arms contributed to the prolongation and increase in intensity of armed conflicts and undermined the sustainability of peace; reaffirmed the right to individual or collective self-defence; and requested a Secretary-Generals report on a biennial basis starting in 2008. This was a statement on small arms. It requested the Secretary-General to submit a report by September 2002 containing specific recommendations on ways and means in which the Council could contribute to dealing with the question of illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. This was the report of the Secretary-General on small arms and light weapons. This was the report on small arms. This was the meeting where the Council adopted resolution 2220 on small arms in a split vote of nine in favour and six abstentions.
VIDEO Cum isi pun cenusa in cap soldatii rusi care s-au retras si de pe malul de est al Niprului, controlat de armata lor
AFRICA

South Sudan

Expected Council Action

In December, the Council will renew the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the authorisation for the Regional Protection Force (RPF), before their 15 December expiration. The Council is also expected to receive a briefing, followed by consultations, on the Secretary-Generals 90-day report on UNMISS, together with his monthly assessment of the deployment and future requirements of the RPF and impediments to UNMISS in carrying out its mandate.

Key Recent Developments

Nearly four years since the 13 December 2013 initial outbreak of violence, the security, humanitarian and human rights situations in South Sudan remain a cause for grave concern. Violent clashes between government and opposition forces in several areas of the country continue, including in the greater Upper Nile and Equatorias regions. Fighting, displacement and violations against civilians risk further escalation in the coming months with the onset of the dry season and improved mobility, which traditionally leads to increased levels of violence. Extrajudicial killings of civilians, arbitrary arrests and detentions, hate speech, and the harassment of political opponents are rampant.

According to OCHA, the number of internally displaced South Sudanese is 1.86 million, and an additional 2.1 million people have taken refuge in neighbouring countries. Intense fighting in Central Equatoria in late October forced more than 17,300 already displaced people to flee to new locations, with the majority reportedly crossing into Uganda. Approximately 4.8 million people face severe food insecurity, with the situation projected to deteriorate further at the start of 2018 to an estimated 5.1 million people. On 9 November, President Salva Kiir issued a decree ordering free, unimpeded and unhindered movement for humanitarian aid convoys, including the removal of roadblocks, and declaring that anyone who obstructs aid or imposes taxes on aid convoys shall be held accountable. In a 13 November statement, OCHA urged swift implementation of the order on the ground.

On 12 November, a weeklong stand-off between the government and Paul Malong, former chief of staff of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA)which had raised fears of renewed fighting in Jubawas peacefully resolved after dozens of government tanks and troops, deployed along the road leading to Malongs home in Juba, were withdrawn. They were deployed after Malong initially refused a presidential order to reduce the number of soldiers guarding his home from 35 to three. Malong was subsequently released from house arrest, which he had been under since Kiir dismissed him in May.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) continues its efforts to revitalise the peace process in preparation for its initiative to convene a high-level revitalisation forum in the coming months. A summary of findings of IGAD-led consultations held separately with government, opposition and civil society actors in October was submitted to the IGAD Council of Ministers, which met informally on 28 November, and is expected to discuss its recommendations on the process in a formal meeting on 11 and 12 December. The release of a timeline by IGAD regarding next steps and the convening of the high-level forum is subsequently expected.

Deployment of the RPF, which was initially authorised in August 2016 and is expected eventually to comprise 4,000 troops, is continuing. The main body of the Rwandan infantry battalion is expected to complete its deployment by the end of the year. Deployment of the Ethiopian advance company was completed on 22 October, and transportation of the Ethiopian infantry battalions equipment has commenced through Kenya.

At the initiative of the Secretary-General, a strategic review of UNMISS began in mid-November, as one among several comprehensive reviews of peacekeeping operations. An integrated review team visited South Sudan at the end of November to consider the security and humanitarian situations and to consult with a wide range of actors, including the government, the international and humanitarian communities, and UNMISS, both in Juba and in more remote parts of the country. The team also travelled to Addis Ababa, where it met with other South Sudanese groups, including the opposition, as well as regional actors. The review team will report back to the Secretary-General, who is expected to submit a report early next year to the Security Council.

On 28 November, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Bintou Keita briefed the Council on the situation in South Sudan and expressed concern over the real risk of an escalation in violence with the onset of the dry season, and the governments push to assert military dominance across the country. She also underlined the importance of having unified and unconditional international support to the political process, which will involve very difficult and arduous discussions.

Sanctions-Related Developments

On 6 October, the Coordinator of the South Sudan Panel of Experts briefed members of the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee on the panels 120-day report. The report concluded that the panel continues to view an arms embargo and targeted sanctions as important tools for shifting the focus of key leaders away from military options and towards political solutions. On 10 November, there was a joint meeting of the Sudan (1591), Libya (1970) and South Sudan (2206) Sanctions Committees on the presence and activities of Darfuri rebel groups in South Sudan and Libya. The Panels of Experts for each committee briefed. On 15 November, the South Sudan Sanctions Committee held informal consultations on the interim report of the Panel of Experts. The report states that absent a change in the current conflict dynamics, the coming dry season will see further fighting and civilian suffering, as the government continues to pursue military victory over political compromise.

Key Issues and Options

An immediate issue is the need to renew the mandate of UNMISS ahead of its 15 December expiration. A likely option is for the Council to adopt a technical rollover of the mandate until early 2018. This would allow members to consider the findings of the strategic review, which may inform decisions regarding any possible changes to the mandate. By that time, there may also be progress on IGADs efforts, which could further inform Council action.

Another key issue for the Council is how to support efforts to revitalise the political process in South Sudan. The Council could adopt a resolution or a presidential statement which:

 emphasises the Councils support for regional efforts to pursue a mediated solution to the conflict;

 strongly condemns violence perpetrated by government forces and armed groups and calls for an immediate ceasefire; and

 condemns restrictions on the freedom of movement of UNMISS personnel and obstacles to humanitarian access.

In an effort to reduce the level of violence and exert leverage on the parties, Council members could decide to revisit the proposals for an arms embargo and targeted sanctions.

Another important issue is how much impact the deployment of the RPF, which is mandated to provide a secure environment in and around Juba and in other areas in extremis, will have on improving the security environment in South Sudan. A demarche from the Council President to the South Sudanese ambassador regarding delays in receiving clearances and visas from the South Sudanese government for RPF personnel could help address these issues and expedite the deployment of the force.

Council Dynamics

There is widespread concern about the political and humanitarian situation in South Sudan and general support among Council members for IGADs efforts to revitalise the peace process. However, different views on the way forward continue to hinder the Councils engagement. For example, there has been a longstanding divide on whether to impose an arms embargo and further targeted sanctions in an effort to exert leverage on the parties. All 15 Council members made statements during the 28 November briefing, where differences in this regard were again made apparent.

Although last years resolution renewing UNMISSs mandate was adopted unanimously, following a one-day technical rollover in an effort to obtain broader support, the previous three resolutions were adopted without a consensus. Ahead of the missions mandate renewal in December, the majority of Council members, including the US as penholder on the issue, appear to support adopting a technical rollover in anticipation of receiving the Secretary-Generals report on the strategic review of UNMISS in early 2018.

The US is the penholder on South Sudan.

UN Documents on South Sudan

This extended the mandate of UNMISS for one year and reauthorised the Regional Protection Force. This was the 90-day report on UNMISS. This was a briefing by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Bintou Keita. This was the meeting to adopt the resolution renewing UNMISS mandate. This was the interim report of the Panel of Experts on South Sudan. This was the 120-day report of the Panel of Experts on South Sudan.
Status Update

Refugees

On 2 November, High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi briefed the Council under the agenda item briefing by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, which allows the High Commissioner to deliver a general briefing that is not limited to any particular situation on the Councils agenda (S/PV.8083).

UN Policing

On 6 November, the Council was briefed on the role of UN policing in peacekeeping operations (S/PV.8086). Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix spoke, as did the police commissioners from MINUSMA in Mali, MINUJUSTH in Haiti, and UNAMID in Darfur. The Council adopted resolution 2382, stressing the important contribution that UN policing can provide in peacekeeping and special political missions throughout the conflict cycle across the entire peace continuum. It further welcomed the role that UN police components can play in facilitating the transitions from peacekeeping to development and peacebuilding, and recognised that the improved performance of UN policing can contribute to the success of peacekeeping mission exit strategies.

Central African Republic

On 6 November, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the CAR and head of MINUSCA, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga; the Special Representative of the AU to the CAR, Bedializoun Moussa Nebie (via video teleconference); and the Head of International Relations at the Community of SantEgidio, Mauro Garofalo, briefed the Council (S/PV.8084). The briefing was followed by consultations in which the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, participated. On 15 November, the Council adopted resolution 2387, renewing the mandate of MINUSCA until 15 November 2018 (S/PV.8102). On 27 November, Council members issued a press statement condemning an attack on MINUSCA the day before, which resulted in one Egyptian peacekeeper killed and three others injured (SC/13092).

Bosnia and Herzegovina

On 7 November, the Council held its semi-annual debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina and unanimously adopted resolution 2384, renewing the authorisation of EUFOR ALTHEA for an additional year (S/PV.8089). Valentin Inzko, the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, briefed on developments (S/2017/922).

Democratic Republic of the Congo

On 7 November, the Council adopted a presidential statement (S/PRST/2017/23) that reiterate[d] the need for the Government of the DRC to fully investigate the killing of the two members of the [Sanctions Committee] Group of Experts and bring the perpetrators to justice (S/PV.8087). In the statement, the Council further noted the Secretary-Generals decision, which was agreed with the authorities of the DRC, to deploy a United Nations team to assist the Congolese authorities in their investigations. On 28 November, Council members issued a press statement on the electoral process in the DRC in which they noted that presidential, legislative and provincial elections are now scheduled for 23 December 2018, and emphasised the critical importance of ensuring the elections are not postponed further (SC/13095).

Somalia and Eritrea

On 7 November, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2383, which renewed counter-piracy measures off the coast of Somalia (S/PV.8088). On 14 November, the Council adopted resolution 2385, on Somalia and Eritrea sanctions with 11 affirmative votes and four abstentions (Bolivia, China, Egypt and Russia) (S/PV.8099).

Libya

On 8 November, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda briefed the Council, expressing concerns at the discovery in the town of Al-Abyar, near Benghazi, of the bodies of 36 people who appear to have been tortured and executed (S/PV.8091). On 16 November, the Council received briefings from the Special Representative and head of UNSMIL, Ghassan Salame, and from the chair of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Olof Skoog (Sweden) (S/PV.8104). Salame updated the Council on the implementation of the UN Action Plan for the resumption of an inclusive Libya-owned political process. Before moving to consultations, all 15 Council members made public statements. Council members subsequently issued elements to the press and reiterated their full support to the action plan and for Salames leadership in the process. On 17 November, the Council held a briefing to explore the challenges to peace and security in the Mediterranean region (S/PV.8106). The meeting focused on the root causes of the security problems in the Mediterranean and to consider initiatives to promote regional stability, with many references to the impact of the situation in Libya. On 28 November, the Council held a meeting on slavery and trafficking of sub-Saharan African migrants in Libya, requested by France. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi and Director of the International Organization for Migration William Lacy Swing briefed the Council (S/PV.8114).

International Court of Justice

On 9 November, the Council met twice independently from but concurrently with the General Assembly, to fill five vacant judges seats at the International Court of Justice for nine-year terms, beginning on 6 February 2018 (S/PV.8092 and Resumption 1 and S/PV.8093). After five rounds of voting, the following four candidates were elected: Ronny Abraham (France), the incumbent President of the Court; Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf (Somalia), the incumbent Vice-President; Antonio Augusto Cancado Trindade (Brazil) and Nawaf Salam (Lebanon). Continuing the election process for the fifth vacant seat on 13 November, in five rounds of voting, Christopher Greenwood (UK) acquired the majority in the Council, while Dalveer Bhandari (India) acquired the majority in the General Assembly (S/PV.8094, S/PV.8095, S/PV.8096, S/PV.8097 and S/PV.8098). Meeting again on 20 November, the Council elected Bhandari after being informed that the UK had withdrawn Greenwoods nomination (S/PV.8110).

Venezuela

On 13 November, Council members took part in an Arria-formula meeting on the situation in Venezuela. The meeting was organised by the US in partnership with Italy. Briefers included Luis Almagro, Secretary-General of the Organization of American States; Zeid Raad al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Joseph Donnelly of Caritas Internationalis; and Julio Henriquez of the Venezuelan human rights NGO Foro Penal.

Kosovo

On 14 November, Zahir Tanin, the Special Representative of the SecretaryGeneral and head of UNMIK, briefed the Council on the latest Secretary-Generals report (S/2017/911) and most recent developments (S/PV.8100). In his briefing, Tanin spoke about the 19 October municipal elections in Kosovo, the current state of the implementation of the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. In his statement, the Russian ambassador emphasised that Kosovo still requires the attention of the Council while noting that the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina has ceased to function. Several Council members cited improved political and security situation in Kosovo. The US, reiterated its position that UNMIK has fulfilled its mandate and that it is now time to close the mission.

Sudan and South Sudan

On 15 November, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2386, extending until 15 April 2018 the mandate of UNISFA. It also stated that the Council would consider renewing UNISFAs mandate to support the territorys Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM) only if both parties adhere to the specific measures agreed to in 2017 no later than 15 March 2018 (S/PV.8101). The Council also decided to maintain UNISFAs authorised troop ceiling at 4,791, after which it would decrease to 4,235 unless the Council decided to extend the missions support for the JBVMM.

Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict

The Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict held a formal meeting on 15 November to adopt its conclusions on the first report of the SecretaryGeneral on children and armed conflict in Nigeria (S/2017/304), covering the period from January 2013 to December 2016. The Working Group made a field visit to Sudan from 26-29 November to discuss protection of children and to follow-up on the Working Groups conclusions, which were adopted on 31 July (S/AC.51/2017/3).

Burundi

On 20 November, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Burundi Michel Kafando and the chair of the Peacebuilding Commission Burundi Configuration, Ambassador Jurg Lauber (Switzerland), briefed the Council on the situation in Burundi (S/PV.8109). The briefing was followed by consultations.

Israel/Palestine

On 20 November, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov briefed the Council in the regular monthly meeting under the agenda item the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question (S/PV.8108). The briefing was followed by consultations.

Human Trafficking

On 21 November, the Council held an open debate on trafficking in persons in conflict situations and was briefed by Executive Director of UNODC Yuri Fedotov; the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children, Maria Grazia Giammarinaro; and the AUs Commissioner for Peace and Security, Smail Chergui (S/PV.8111). Secretary-General Antonio Guterres presented the first annual report on trafficking in persons (S/2017/939), and the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2388, expressing its intention to give greater consideration to how peacekeeping and political missions could help host states combatting human trafficking. It also requested that the Secretary-General ensure the inclusion of trafficking in assessments of country situations and in the training of mission personnel, which would help in identifying, confirming, responding and reporting on situations of trafficking.

Western Sahara

On 22 November, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of MINURSO Kim Bolduc and Personal Envoy of the Secretary General Horst Kohler briefed Council members in consultations on the situation in Western Sahara.

Iraq

On 22 November, Jan Kubis, Special Representative and head of UNAMI briefed the Council on the most recent developments regarding the fight against ISIL and ongoing tensions between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and central government in Baghdad (S/PV.8112). In his briefing, Kubis commended the government of Iraq and coalition forces on their victories against ISIL while also calling on return of the internally displaced population, stabilisation, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of the country. Furthermore, he called on the KRG and Iraqi central government to deescalate tensions and resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue and with the respect for the Constitution of Iraq.

Terrorism

On 28 November, Under-Secretary-General and head of the Office of Counter-Terrorism, Vladimir Voronkov, the Executive Director of the Counterterrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), Michele Coninsx, and the Chair of the 1267/1989/2253 ISIL (Daesh) & Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Kairat Umarov (Kazakhstan), briefed the Council on the issue of foreign terrorist fighters (S/PV.8116). At press time, Voronkov, UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Yury Fedotov, and President of the International Criminal Police Organization, INTERPOL, Meng Hongwei, were scheduled to brief the Council on the destruction and trafficking of cultural heritage by terrorist groups and in situations of armed conflict on 30 November. On 24 November, Council members issued a press statement condemning the terrorist attack that took place that day, targeting people attending prayers at a mosque in Sinai, Egypt, during which at least 235 people were killed and over 109 were injured (SC/13086).

Lebanon

On 29 November, Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix briefed members in consultations on the latest report on the implementation of resolution 1701 (S/2017/964). Philippe Lazzarini, Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon and Officer in Charge of UNSCOL also briefed the Council.
AFRICA

Sudan (Darfur)

Expected Council Action

In December, Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko (Ukraine), the chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, is expected to provide the quarterly briefing to Council members on the Committees work. ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda is expected to provide the semi-annual briefing on the courts work on Darfur. The mandate of the AU/UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) expires on 30 June 2018.

Key Recent Developments

The level of armed hostilities in Darfur has continued to be significantly lower than in previous years, with no new large-scale displacements. The governments unilateral ceasefire, most recently extended until 31 December, reportedly continues to be largely observed. Improvements in the overall security situation, however, have not led to the voluntary and sustainable return of internally displaced persons. Nearly one-third of Darfurs population remains displaced, while intercommunal violence and human rights violations persist. Meanwhile, the political process to negotiate a settlement of the conflict with non-signatories of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, adopted in 2011, remains stalled.

In accordance with resolution 2363, which renewed UNAMIDs mandate in June, phase one of the missions reconfiguration, to be completed before 1 January 2018, includes the closure of 11 team sites and a reduction of military personnel from 15,845 to 11,395 and police personnel from 3,403 to 2,888. While all 11 team sites were closed in October, the allocation of land by the Sudanese government for a temporary operating base in Golo, Central Darfur, for the Jebel Marra Task Force is still pending. A written assessment from the Secretary-General and the chairperson of the AU Commission, requested in resolution 2363 by 1 January 2018, is expected to address progress in implementing phase one of UNAMIDs reconfiguration, the impact of the phase one reductions on areas that UNAMID has withdrawn from, the governments cooperation with the mission, the removal of bureaucratic obstacles to the mission, and whether conditions on the ground are conducive to further reductions. With the findings of the assessment, the Council can then decide whether to adjust the scope and pace of UNAMIDs reduction ahead of phase two of the missions reconfiguration, to begin on 1 January 2018.

On 15 November, the Council received a briefing, followed by consultations, on UNAMID from Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Bintou Keita, who said the level of cooperation between UNAMID and the government of Sudan has been positive overall, although access restrictions and customs clearance at Port Sudan remain challenging. The establishment of the Golo team site is essential to UNAMIDs reconfiguration and goes hand-in-hand with the missions withdrawal from more stable parts of Darfur, she said.

On 8 June, Bensouda provided the semi-annual Council briefing on the ICCs work with regard to Darfur. She asked the Council to take action to respond to ongoing instances of non-compliance or non-cooperation relating to the situation in Darfur and outstanding arrest warrants, adding that for manyhope has increasingly been replaced by disappointment, frustration and even anger at the slow progress in the Darfur situation.

On 13 November, Sudans President Omar al-Bashir arrived in Uganda for a two-day official visit. This was Bashirs second time in the country since travelling there in May 2016. Although Uganda was obligated as a state party to the ICC under the Rome Statute to arrest Bashir, who has been indicted by the court on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, it again failed to do so. Amid calls from international civil society and a statement from the EU urging Uganda to arrest Bashir, on 15 November a High Court in Uganda dismissed an application by a local civil society group for an arrest warrant to be issued. According to the judgement, Uganda is awaiting sanctions by the Security Council for failing to arrest President Bashir in May last year. Therefore, it is unnecessary to issue an immediate arrest warrant against President Bashir.

Sanctions-Related Developments

On 10 November, there was a joint meeting of the Sudan (1591), Libya (1970), and South Sudan (2206) Sanctions Committees on the presence and activities of Darfuri rebel groups in South Sudan and Libya. The Panels of Experts for each Committee gave briefings.

Key Issues and Options

An important issue is the continuing impasse in the Council with regard to the ICCs work in Darfur and whether a strategy to overcome this stalemate can be developed. There are several options that the Council could consider in this regard, including formally responding to outstanding communications from the ICC to the Council, threatening appropriate measures against Sudan and relevant state parties for a failure to adhere to their obligations under the Rome Statute, and holding an informal interactive dialogue or an Arria-formula meeting with the Office of the Prosecutor to constructively discuss next steps.

Council Dynamics

There are strong differences of perspective among Council members regarding the work of the ICC in Darfur, which makes it difficult for the Council to take action on this issue. All 15 Council members made statements following Bensoudas briefing in June. Council members that have ratified the Rome StatuteBolivia, France, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Sweden, the UK and Uruguayas well as Ukraine and the US, neither of which is a state party to the ICC, were supportive of the ICCs work on Darfur and generally expressed strong concerns about impunity in the region. Conversely, the remaining Council members that have not ratified the Rome StatuteChina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Russiaexpressed criticism of the courts work and its pursuit of Bashir.

The UK is the penholder on Darfur; Ukraine chairs the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee.

UN Documents on Darfur

This was a resolution renewing the mandate of UNAMID for an additional year. This was the Secretary-Generals 60-day report on UNAMID. This was a briefing on UNAMID. This was a briefing by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, on the situation in Darfur and cooperation with the ICCs work pursuant to resolution 1593.
MIDDLE EAST

Syria

Expected Council Action

In December, the Council expects to receive the monthly briefings on political and humanitarian developments in Syria and on chemical weapons.

Council members are expected to negotiate the renewal of the authorisation, most recently extended through resolution 2332, for cross-border and cross-line humanitarian access, which expires on 10 January 2018.

Key Recent Developments

Council dynamics in November were marked by the failure to renew the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the UN before its expiration on 17 November. On 7 November, Edmond Mulet, head of the JIMs leadership panel, and Izumi Nakamitsu, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, briefed the Council. Mulet shared the conclusions of the JIMs final report, which attributed responsibility for the 15-16 September 2016 attack in Um Hawsh to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and for the 4 April attack in Khan Shaykhun to the Syrian government. Most Council members, including the P3, publicly supported the conclusions of the JIMs final report, but Russia and some others questioned its findings or highlighted areas where they felt the conclusions were not definitive. In a 31 October letter, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia (Russia) raised questions about the JIMs investigations of incidents of alleged chemical use without on-site visits and criticised the non-observance of the chain of custody, the failure to use all available methods and methodologies of investigation, and the questionable credibility of the JIMs sources.

These differences were reflected in the US and Russian draft resolutions circulated on 2 November. The initial US draft characterised the information obtained by the JIM as constituting sufficient, credible and reliable evidence to reach conclusions on those responsible for the use of chemical weapons; the Russian text addressed its methodological concerns. While Russia did not ask for a discussion on its draft, there were several rounds of negotiations on the US draft. (Please refer to our 16 November Whats in Blue story for a detailed account of the negotiation process.)

At a 16 November meeting, Russia called for a procedural vote on the sequence of voting on the two draft resolutions, which by then were already in blue. Russias motion to have its draft voted on after the US draft did not pass since it only received the support of China, Russia and Bolivia (seven Council members voted against and five abstained). Russia then withdrew its draft and vetoed the US draft (Bolivia also voted against; China and Egypt abstained). Following the defeat of the US draft, Bolivia re-tabled the Russian draft as its own and asked for a vote; it only received favourable votes from Russia, Bolivia, China and Kazakhstan (seven Council members voted against and four abstained), so it was not adopted.

After the meeting, Japan circulated a draft that would have extended the JIMs mandate for one month while requesting the UN Secretary-General to, in coordination with the OPCW, submit proposals to the Council for the structure and methodology of the JIM reflecting views of Security Council members. Twelve members voted for the draft resolution, but Russia, which had already signaled that it did not support this draft in a meeting in consultations on 17 November, cast its 11th veto on Syria later that day (Bolivia also voted against, China abstained).

Although Council members met after the veto in an attempt to find a compromise before the expiration of the JIMs mandate by midnight, no further action was taken. In a last-ditch attempt to revive the JIM, Italy circulated a draft letter to the Secretary-General requesting that the organisational and administrative arrangements pertaining to the JIM be maintained until 31 December pending a final decision on the renewal of its mandate. Sweden and Uruguay also circulated a draft to extend the JIMs mandate for a year, aiming to reach a compromise among the competing perspectives in the Council. Russia opposed both initiatives.

On the political track, briefing the Council on 26 October, Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura called upon those with influence on the government to press it to negotiate substantive issues in the upcoming round of the intra-Syrian talks scheduled for 28 November in Geneva. In consultations that day, several Council members reacted to Russias announcement that it intended to hold a general peoples congress of Syrians at the Hmeimim military airbase. They stressed that any initiative must be consistent with the framework of UN-facilitated talks in Geneva. Nebenzia reassured Council members that this was the case, but in subsequent meetings several Council members have further questioned Russias intentions in convening this meeting, which is now expected to be held in early December in Sochi, Russia. Several Syrian opposition groups met in Riyadh on 22 November in a conference aimed at developing common negotiating positions and forming a single delegation.

November has seen a resurgence of government attacks in Eastern Ghouta, one of the de-escalation areas. On 10 November, Jan Egeland, a senior humanitarian advisor to de Mistura, warned that civilians besieged in Eastern Ghouta face complete catastrophe because of continuing attacks, the need for medical evacuations, and the lack of humanitarian access.

In anticipation of the Councils consideration of the re-authorisation of cross-border and cross-line humanitarian access, OCHA has repeatedly stressed the vital role that authorisation plays in the delivery of aid. Regular programming is only able to reach territories held by the Syrian government, and cross-line operations remain limited as a result of the removal of items, bureaucratic impediments imposed by the government and insecurity that hinders access to besieged and hard-to-reach areas. OCHA states that the establishment of de-escalation areas has not improved access. However, through cross-border deliveries from Turkey and Jordan, which only require notifying the Syrian government in advance of each shipment, the UN and its partners have delivered health assistance sufficient for nearly 15 million treatments and, in the last two years, nearly one million people have received food assistance monthly. The 26 October report of the Secretary-General stressed the importance of preserving all possible means of humanitarian access.

Human Rights-Related Developments In a 27 October statement, High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein called the situation of at least 350,000 besieged civilians in Eastern Ghouta an outrage, saying the deliberate starvation of civilians as a method of warfare constitutes a clear violation of international humanitarian law and may amount to a crime against humanity and/or a war crime. The statement also called on all those with involvement or influence in the conflict to facilitate the access of humanitarian aid. In a 10 November joint statement, the Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Dainius Puras, and the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Hilal Elver, called on the Syrian government to allow food and medical supplies to reach civilians trapped in Eastern Ghouta.

Key Issues and Options

More than six and a half years since the start of the war, P5 divisions have limited the options at the disposal of Council members. However, the recent failure to renew the JIMs mandate and anticipated divergences over the re-authorisation for cross-border and cross-line operations may signal a trend toward even deeper polarisation and limitations on the rare initiatives that have been able to elicit the unanimous support of the Council.

In light of recent events in the Council and other initiatives that aim at discussing political matters (such as the congress in Sochi or the Astana process), some Council members may want to reaffirm the agenda for the Geneva process established in resolution 2254 and the centrality of the UN role in facilitating intra-Syrian talks. Council members could ask the sponsors of these initiatives to brief them on their plans and the mechanisms in place to ensure coherence with UN efforts sanctioned by the Council.

Council and Wider Dynamics

Council divisions have been made apparent once again by two Russian vetoes on Syria within 24 hours. China decided to abstain on both votes. It has done so five times on a Syria resolution vetoed by Russia, while it has vetoed six other drafts jointly with Russia.

Regarding the JIM, Council dynamics in the negotiation process were dominated by the two original penholders who created it in 2015: the US and Russia. Even though elected members met regularly on this issue for weeks, divergent views among them prevented them from forming a unified front. While some felt that the E10 were well positioned to break the impasse, others thought that tabling a third draft would undermine the then-ongoing negotiations on the US draft.

In the past few months, Russia has expressed its preference for rolling back the authorisation for UN cross-border delivery of humanitarian aid, highlighting the establishment of de-escalation areas and the need to work with the Syrian government. However, OCHA and most Council members have underlined the vital role that the cross-border authorisation has played in the delivery of humanitarian aid in Syria.

UN DOCUMENTS ON SYRIA

Welcomed efforts by Russia and Turkey to end violence in Syria and jumpstart a political process. This resolution renewed the authorisation for cross-border aid delivery until 10 January 2018. This was the first resolution focused exclusively on a political solution to the Syrian crisis. It was adopted unanimously. This resolution was adopted unanimously by the Council and required the verification and destruction of Syrias chemical weapons stockpiles, called for the convening of the Geneva II peace talks and endorsed the establishment of a transitional governing body in Syria with full executive powers. This was a letter forwarding the OPCWs Fact-Finding Mission report concluding that sarin was more than likely used as a chemical weapon on 30 March in Lataminah. This was a letter transmitting the OPCW report on progress in the elimination of the Syrian chemical weapons programme. This was a letter from the Leadership Panel of the OPCW submitting the seventh report of the Joint Investigative Mechanism. This was a letter that included clarifications from the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission explaining why it did not deploy to Khan Shaykhun. This was the meeting at which Russia vetoed a Japanese draft to renew the JIM. This was the meeting at which Russia cast a veto on a US draft renewing the JIM and a Russian draft failed to secure nine votes. This was a briefing by Mulet and Nakamitsu. This was a Japanese draft extending the JIM that was vetoed by Russia. This was a Russian draft extending the JIM that was put to a vote by Bolivia but did not secure nine votes. This was the US draft to extend the JIM, which was vetoed by Russia.
UNOCA/LRA

Expected Council Action

In December, Francois Lounceny Fall, Special Representative and head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), is expected to brief the Security Council on the Secretary-Generals semi-annual report on UNOCA and the implementation of the UN regional strategy to combat the Lords Resistance Army (LRA).

The mandate of UNOCA expires on 31 August 2018.

Key Recent Developments

The region covered by UNOCA continues to present multiple challenges and security and political hotspots, several of which are independently on the Councils agenda. The most acute current crises include the elections-related political crises in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi and the deteriorating security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR). The CAR situation is marked by fighting among ex-Seleka factions and among anti-Balaka, ex-Seleka and other rebel groups, resulting in attacks against civilians, peacekeepers and humanitarian actors; lawlessness; and lack of state authority.

The LRA remains a threat to civilians in the DRC and the CAR. The most notable development is the US withdrawal in May of its special forces and logistical support from the AU Regional Task Force (AU-RTF), which has been fighting the group. Uganda, which has been the main contributing force to the AU-RTF, subsequently withdrew its 2,500 troops from the CAR in August. South Sudan also ended its participation.

In the CAR, between June and 18 October, 12 incidents were attributed to alleged LRA elements, with four persons killed and some 35 abducted. In addition, the withdrawal of Uganda and US special forces operating in the south-east has allowed an ex-Seleka faction, the Union for Peace in the CAR, to better establish itself in that area.

In the DRC, the Secretary-General reported on 2 October that in Haut-Uele Province, the withdrawal of the AU-RTF and US special forces have made it difficult for the DRC military to repel infiltration by the LRA from the CAR.

UNOCA continues to pay close attention to the situation in Cameroon. Since late 2016, there has been unrest between Cameroons Anglophone regions and the government, which has resulted in widespread protests, numerous clashes with security forces, several protestor deaths, general strikes, arbitrary arrests, and blocking of access to the internet. The unrest is rooted in longstanding political and economic discrimination by the Francophone authorities against the minority Anglophone population.

With an ongoing government crackdown on Anglophone separatists that started in October and the killing of four members of the security forces in November, Fall issued a statement on 16 November, expressing concern over the upsurge in violence, especially against the civilian population and state agents. Fall added that perpetrators of violence should be brought to justice in a court of law. He further stressed the commitment of the UN to the territorial integrity and unity of Cameroon.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue for the Council is to monitor the ramifications of the withdrawal of Ugandan and US troops on the possible regeneration of the LRA, leading to greater insecurity in the region, and to consider how it would address such potential instability. The Council may call on member states to consider support for anti-LRA efforts and to remain focused on the issue until the group is no longer a threat.

Another key issue is the deteriorating security situation in the CAR. The Council recently renewed MINUSCAs mandate on 15 November with support for the peace process and reconciliation and protection of civilians as priority tasks, and will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds. Similarly, the political crises in the DRC and Burundi, and their potential regional implications, will continue to concern the Council. The Council could express its support for the political role UNOCA may take with respect to assisting efforts of other UN actors on these issues, as well as other situations in the region that are not on its agenda, such as the situation in Cameroon.

Council Dynamics

Council members are largely in agreement on LRA-related issues. Council members have also been supportive of UNOCAs continued shift to focus its efforts on the region as a whole, rather than on the LRA as its main objective.

At the same time, some members are concerned about the possible security vacuum that may result from Ugandas departure from the AU-RTF and the withdrawal of US troops supporting the effort, and they will continue to follow the implications. In light of other security and political situations in the region, however, the Council is not likely to focus on exclusively LRA-related action at this point.

The UK is the penholder on this issue.

UN DOCUMENTS ON UNOCA

This was the Secretary-Generals report on MINUSCA. This was the report on MONUSCO. This was the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in the Lake Chad Basin region. This was the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Central Africa and the activities of UNOCA. This was a briefing by the Special Representative and head of UNOCA, Francois Louceny Fall, on the semi-annual report on UNOCA and the implementation of the UN regional strategy to combat the LRA.
MIDDLE EAST

Yemen

Expected Council Action

In December, the Council expects to be briefed on Yemen by Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed on efforts towards a political process. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock is likely to brief on the humanitarian situation.

Key Recent Developments

The war in Yemen rages on, with no progress towards the resumption of political negotiations and against the backdrop of the worlds greatest humanitarian crisis. The fighting pits the Houthis, a Zaydi Shiite rebel group, and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh against the Yemeni government and a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

On 4 November, the Houthis fired a missile towards Riyadh; it was intercepted near the airport of the Saudi capital. The coalition said in a 6 November statement that the incident could rise to be considered as an act of war by Iran, which it claimed had supplied the Houthis with the missile. On the same day it closed all Yemeni ground, air and sea ports, which it said in the same statement was to address weapons smuggling. The coalition said the closures would be temporary.

On 8 November, Council members met in consultations. Sweden had requested the meeting the previous week to be updated on Lowcocks 24 to 28 October visit to Yemen. Because of developments, Lowcock, who briefed the full UN membership on his trip on 6 November, focused his remarks on the consequences of the intensified coalition blockade and communications with authorities to reverse the measures. Speaking to the press afterwards, Lowcock said that he told Council members that unless those measures are liftedthere will be a famine.It will be the largest famine that the world has seen in many decades, with millions of victims.

Lowcock outlined five measures that he said were needed to avoid such a famine:

resumption of air services to Sanaa and Aden for the UN and other humanitarian partners;

a clear and immediate assurance that there would be no further disruption to those air services;

immediate agreement to the pre-positioning of the World Food Programme vessel in the waters off Aden and assurances that there would be no further disruptions of its functions;

immediate resumption of humanitarian and commercial access to all seaports in Yemen, especially for food, fuel, medicines and other essential supplies; and

a scaling back of delays to or blockages of all vessels that have passed inspection by the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) so that they can proceed to port in Yemen as rapidly as possible, which he said is very important because humanitarian access through the ports was inadequate even before the measures that were announced on the 6th of November.

Council members issued press elements, which emphasised the importance of fully implementing the Councils 15 June presidential statement, particularly keeping all of Yemens ports and airports functioning, including Hodeidah port as a critical lifeline for humanitarian support and other essential supplies. Members reiterated full support for the UNVIM and strongly condemned the attempted missile attack on Riyadh.

On 13 November, Saudi Arabian Permanent Representative Abdallah Al-Mouallimi announced that ports and airports under Yemeni government control, including Aden, Mocha and Mukalla ports, would reopen within 24 hours. Regarding the airport in Sanaa and the ports of Hodeidah and others in Houthi-controlled areas, he said that the coalition was requesting the Secretary-General to send a team of experts to the coalition command centre in Riyadh to review and strengthen current UNVIM procedures. Al-Mouallimi further said the coalition was preparing proposals for the operation of Hodeidah port and Sanaa airport, and would engage with Ould Cheikh Ahmed about new management arrangements for the port and airport based on these proposals.

Two days later, the Secretary-Generals Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said, once the blockade of the ports of Hudaydah and Saleef as well as Sanaa airport is lifted, the United Nations stands ready to send a technical team to Riyadh to discuss the UNVIM. Dujarric added, The UN will also then be able to dispatch a senior United Nations team, including humanitarian officials, to discuss arrangements at Hodeidah port and Sanaa airport. On 25 November, UN humanitarian flights to Sanaa resumed, and on 26 November, an aid shipment was received at Hodeidah.

Ould Cheikh Ahmed last briefed the Council on 10 October. Still unable to engage with the Houthis, he had no progress to report on the confidence-building measures that he had been pushing to deal with Hodeidah port, to reopen Sanaa airport, and to resume civil servant salary payments. During consultations, he apparently acknowledged that these measures were unlikely to be adopted.

Sanctions-Related Developments

In a 10 November case study submitted to the 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee, the panel concluded that the arms embargo in resolution 2216 was being used as justification to obstruct humanitarian assistance. The panel also said that it had seen no evidence to support Saudi Arabias claims that short-range ballistic missiles have been transferred to the Houthis, which was first reported by the news organisation The Intercept. It recommended that the committee chair urge Saudi Arabia to provide the panel with access to its evidence. The Panel further suggested that the chair remind coalition states of their obligations under resolution 2216 to allow for unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance and personnel to Yemen, as well as their obligations under the resolution to report inspections carried out in enforcing the arms embargo. The Panel visited Riyadh to investigate the recent missile attack from 18 to 20 November. (The Panel had also sent Saudi Arabia a letter on 9 November seeking more information on the attack and expressing concerns about the coalitions subsequent closure of ports.) It submitted an update report to the Committee on 24 November that apparently concluded that the missile debris from the 4 November attack was consistent with Iranian-designed and manufactured missiles.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 29 September, the Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted, without a vote, a resolution on Yemen requesting the High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish, by the end of 2017, a group of eminent international and regional experts for a period of at least one year (A/HRC/RES/36/31). The mandate includes monitoring and reporting on the situation of human rights; carrying out a comprehensive examination of all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights and other applicable fields of international law committed by all parties to the conflict since September 2014; identifying those responsible, where possible; and making general recommendations on improving human rights, access to justice, and accountability. The resolution requested the group to present a comprehensive written report to the High Commissioner by the HRCs 39th session. In a 7 November press briefing, the spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Rupert Colville, expressed concern over a series of attacks during the first week of November that killed dozens of civilians, including several children. The spokesperson added that a UN human rights team recently visited Yemen to meet with the de facto authorities in Sanaa and government officials in Aden to prepare the ground for the Group of Eminent Experts mandated by the HRC, which he said the High Commissioner for Human Rights will soon be appointing. The total number of individually verified civilian casualties since March 2015 stands at 14,168, including 5,295 people killed and 8,873 injured, with actual numbers likely to be far higher, the spokesperson said.

Key Issues and Options

Addressing the blockade and overall humanitarian situation is an immediate issue. A related issue is getting the parties to comply with international humanitarian and human rights law.

Lack of progress on a political process is a recurring issue. Members are likely to be interested in new initiatives proposed by the Special Envoy.

Another issue of concern is the risk of further state collapse, benefitting Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.

In light of the blocked political process, one option is a Council resolution or presidential statement on the humanitarian situation that includes:

calling on the coalition to carry out the five actions Lowcock outlined should be taken to avoid famine and alleviate the humanitarian crisis;

condemning indiscriminate attacks by the parties, including the 4 November missile fired at Riyadh; and

calling for member states to fully implement the arms embargo on Houthi and Saleh-loyalist forces while recalling that regular denial and delays of shipping access through Red Sea ports and the continued closure of the Sanaa airport meet the criterion of obstruction of humanitarian assistance referred to in resolution 2216 as violating the sanctions regime.

Council and Wider Dynamics

Following Lowcocks 8 November briefing, Egypt circulated a seven-paragraph draft presidential statement condemning the Riyadh missile attack, which did not include any mention of the humanitarian situation. Saudi Arabia is said to have prepared the text, and it seems that the UK declined to circulate it as the Councils penholder on Yemen. After the period to comment on the text was extended until 13 November, Russia shared its view that it would not be appropriate for the Council to adopt such a statement without referring to the humanitarian situation and political efforts. Egypt circulated an updated text with a sentence on the humanitarian situation and access. Five members (Bolivia, France, Italy, Sweden and Uruguay) jointly broke silence on the new draft, expressing the view that any Council product should be balanced and reflect recent discussions. Following this breaking of silence on 13 November, no further action had been taken on the statement by press time.

Overall, Egypt and sometimes Senegal champion positions of the coalition and Yemeni government. Russia has, at times, highlighted Houthi perspectives, arguing that Council outcomes should be more even-handed. Despite frequent misgivings about the coalitions handling of the war, Council members have been reluctant to challenge Saudi and Emirati preferences because of geo-political relations. Sweden has been highlighting the humanitarian crisis, while Uruguay has been vocal in Council meetings about civilian casualties caused by coalition airstrikes and the need for accountability.

Reflecting the stalled political process, the Quint (composed of Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, the UK and the US), which started meeting in 2016 to try to break the political impasse, has been discussing holding a new meeting since October, but that continues to be postponed.

The UK is the penholder on Yemen. Japan chairs the 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee.

UN DOCUMENTS ON YEMEN

This resolution demanded the Houthis to withdraw from all seized areas and to relinquish all seized arms, and established an arms embargo on the Houthis and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. This was on the threat of famine in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and north-east Nigeria. This stressed the importance of keeping all of Yemens ports functioning, including Hodeidah. This resolution called on the High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish a group of international and regional experts to monitor and report on the situation of human rights in Yemen and carry out a comprehensive examination of all alleged violations and abuses since September 2014.
The petition was filed by Joseph Scariah, assistant professor of Malayalam at St. Berchmans College, Changanassery.
Press Release

November 30, 2017 Drilon calls for budget transparency In the spirit of transparency and to ensure a "pork-free" budget, Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon asked the Senate Committee on Finance to justify the substantial additions and reductions that the committee proposed under the P3.767-trillion 2018 national budget. This was after Drilon noticed that the budget of some agencies next year increased substantially in the senate version, while the others suffered a deep budget cut. The Senate passed the proposed budget on Wednesday. The bicameral conference committee is set to meet today do discuss the disagreeing provisions between the House of Representatives and Senate versions. "May I propose that the good sponsor submit in plenary the justifications for the amendments that are over P1 billion?" Drilon asked, to which Senator Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, agreed. Drilon also wanted that the proponents of the amendments to be specified and spread into the record. "We would like the committee to submit to each member of the senate, and for the record, the nature and purpose of these changes in the agencies' budget, particularly those with over P1 billion in addition," he stressed. "We cannot leave our people in the dark as it would only fuel speculations that pork barrel is still thriving despite the Supreme Court's decision declaring it unconstitutional," Drilon said. The minority leader said the people would want to know why the Department of Interior and Local Government, where the Philippine National Police's budget is lodged, is proposed a substantial addition of P1.65 billion in the next year's budget, as well as the Bureau of Customs, whose budget was increased by P1.49 billion. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, which was recently tasked to implement the administration's anti-drug campaign, is proposed to receive additional P1.21 in its budget. In contrast, some of key agencies suffered a deep budget cut including the Department of Public Works and Highway, whose proposed budget for next year decreased by P26.40 billion under the Senate version. The budget of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources was also decreased by P1.84 billion. Drilon also noticed that there are items in the budget whose appropriation decreased by billions of pesos in the Senate version. These include the Pension and Gratuity Fund, whose proposed budget under the Senate version decreased by P17.08 billion, as well as the National Disaster Risk Reduction Fund with P8.1 billion decrease, and the Miscellaneous Personnel Bene?ts Fund with P4.66 billion reduction. Drilon said that some of the amendments may have been requested by the agencies or proposed by the members of the chamber and adopted as committee amendments by the finance. "We would like the committee to submit for the record the additions and deductions made and what programs are affected," he added. He said that in view of the concerns of the public regarding the alleged "pork" in the budget, it is best to shed some light into the budget."
Hundreds of UC Berkeley graduate students gathered at Sproul Plaza on Wednesday to loudly protest a piece of the Congressional Republican tax bill that they say would push many of them into higher tax brackets and jeopardize their education.

The students joined a coordinated walkout at college campuses across the country to oppose the GOP proposal that, for the first time, would consider waived tuition as taxable income. Universities often grant tuition waivers to attract doctoral students, mainly in the sciences, and allow them to pursue research while working as teaching or research assistants.

This tax bill will be catastrophic, Vetri Velan, a Ph.D. student in physics, told the crowd. If youre a teaching assistant, your taxes will go up $1,400, said Velan, who analyzed how the bill would affect students. Many of you might decide to end your education.

The provision  which critics have labeled the ghost tax because students never actually see the tuition that would be taxed  is part of the House version of the $1.5 trillion tax overhaul bill, not the Senate version.

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The tax bill is moving through Congress along party lines. On Tuesday, the Republican chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, told the New York Times that he believed the Senate and the House would align their versions and that the tax overhaul would pass.

There are some areas where we are taking different approaches that will be worked, and can only be worked out, in a conference, Brady said.

At UC Berkeley, Velan warned the students that even though the Senate version doesnt have the tuition tax, anything goes when both chambers negotiate.

Student Fiona Ruddy took the microphone and urged everyone to make sure you call, tweet and shame your representatives  especially if youre from Michigan and purple states.

Sam Kohn, a Ph.D. student in physics, told the crowd that just because California is represented by Democrats who oppose the GOP tax plan doesnt mean there isnt something the states senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris can do.

Calling out the senators local phone numbers, Kohn told the students to phone them that afternoon and urge them to get the senators to slow down Senate business. Kohn got them to repeat en masse what they should say when someone picks up the phone:

I want the senator to withhold consent on everything in the Senate until this bill is dead!

The crowd repeated the message three times.

One of the students attending the rally was Randi Evans, a doctoral student in performance studies who is a parent and the first in her family to pursue a graduate degree.

She said that instead of being taxed on her current annual income of $20,000, shed be taxed on an income of $60,000.

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This bill would make my husband and me go into a higher tax bracket, Evans said. I feel upset because Im from a working-class background, and it would make it prohibitive to pursue my education.

I dont know if Id have to drop out.

UC President Janet Napolitano and student Regent Paul Monge, also a graduate student at UC Berkeley, issued a joint statement this week opposing the proposal to tax tuition waivers.

Tax reform should not be borne on the backs of our hardworking graduate students, the statement said, noting that graduate students further groundbreaking research, mentor the next generation and contribute to the economy.

Such students deserve congressional support, they said. Not a tax hike.

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov
Matthew Coda and his wife were considering adopting a child when, according to prosecutors, the Menlo Park man confessed a dark secret: he had once been convicted in New Jersey on charges related to child pornography.

Coda, 47, told his wife he no longer looked at child pornography, but she wanted to be sure he was telling the truth, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told The Chronicle on Wednesday.

Thats when his wife enlisted the help of a techie friend who searched Codas computer and discovered more than 3,000 images of child pornography.

Wagstaffe said that when the techie friend found the images, Codas wife immediately contacted the San Mateo County Sheriffs Office, kicked her husband out of their house, and filed for divorce. She alerted authorities in September, triggering a months-long investigation that led to Codas arrest Monday night at San Francisco International Airport.

Coda initially came clean to his wife because the conviction seemed likely to surface during the intensive background check required for adoption, Wagstaffe said. He said proescutors did not yet know all the details of Codas prior conviction in New Jersey, but were working to pull up records.

He praised Codas wife for coming forward, calling her an incredibly savvy person.

She didnt just look around herself and leave it at that, Wagstaffe said. She enlisted someone who had real technical skills.

Codas wife did not return phone calls Wednesday seeking comment, and she is not being publicly identified by the sheriffs office or the district attorneys office.

Coda was arraigned Tuesday in San Mateo County Superior Court on one felony count of possession of more than 600 images of child pornography. He is being held at the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City on $200,000 bail. His next court date is scheduled for Dec. 13.

Detective Sal Zuno of the San Mateo County Sheriffs Office said Coda is employed in a technical field in Mountain View, a job that does not involve working with children. He did, however, volunteer at the Half Moon Bay Library from May to July of 2015, tutoring children as part of a reading club program.

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Michelle Durand, a spokeswoman for the San Mateo County Managers Office, said in a statement that the library had received no complaints about Coda during his time as a volunteer. She also pointed to security measures taken for all volunteers.

All library volunteers must submit an application and be fingerprinted prior to starting their volunteer work, Durand said in the statement. Mr. Coda cleared the screening process and volunteered with the Half Moon Bay Librarys reading club program. This program is held in the public area of the library, and volunteers are visually supervised by library staff at all times.

Zuno said no one has contacted police with reports of inappropriate behavior related to Codas work at the library, but that the sheriffs office is looking into his time there as part of its ongoing investigation.

He asked that anyone with information related to the investigation contact Detective Gaby Chaghouri at (650) 259-2314.

Sophie Haigney is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophie.haigney@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophieHaigney
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The new Apple Park Visitor Center is Silicon Valleys counterpart to Vatican City, the physical manifestation of a creed and a magnet for both the curious and devout.

That is, if faithful Catholics were allowed to glimpse Pope Francis dominion only from the rooftop of a refined gift shop across the street.

This is the carefully staged segregation that greets you in Cupertino, where Apple this month debuted the lone public piece of its 175-acre corporate compound. The surface details are dazzling, as often is the case with products from the brand that has made computer technology inseparable from daily life. But its also an oddly hollow temple where despite the air of immaculate perfection, not much is going on.

The visitor center consists of three spacious rooms, one alongside the next, enclosed by a tall rectangular shell of ultra-clear glass. The roof is made of carbon fiber, a lightweight material more often used for airplane parts or artificial limbs, and theres a shaded wood-decked terrace on top of that.

The architect for Apple Park is Englands Foster + Partners, which also designed the flagship Apple Store that opened last year on Union Square in San Francisco. Its the ideal pairing of client and firm: Founder Norman Foster is known for a love of pristine futurism on par with that of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who died in 2011 shortly after unveiling the proposed headquarters to the Cupertino City Council.

In its press release this month, Apple billed the visitor center as a uniquely designed architectural extension of the new campus with similar aesthetics. Foster + Partners emphasized that several elements from the main building are replicated at the visitors center to give people a taste of the precision detailing at Apple Park.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

There was no visitor center in that initial plan, but Im sure Jobs would appreciate such details as the gently curved corners of the glass shell. The roof above seems weightless as it cantilevers beyond the shell on all sides. The quartz that clads the two staircases to the roof is the perfect complement to the limestone that coats the structural walls within which the staircases rise.

The limestone continues downstairs: The corridor that leads to the rest rooms has the solemnity of a catacomb.

Details like these are for architecture buffs. The day I visited, most people were up on the terrace, posing for souvenir photographs with the spaceship-like circular headquarters in the background, shrouded by trees. Or in the eastern third of the shell, waiting in line to gaze upon a model of the campus.

The reason for the line is that employees in red T-shirts hand out Apple Park-branded iPads that allow you to scan the tabletop. You see a lifelike image of how the campus will look when complete  the landscaping is still being installed and not all of the smaller buildings are done  and then any roof you focus on lifts up, revealing a three-dimensional diagram of whats inside.

Its the next best thing to being there!

Except that when you look past the exquisite minimalism of the visitor centers architecture, heres what is left: an Apple Store with a cafe at one end and an 11,000-pound metal slab on the other.

Yes, the model is a thing of beauty. Yes, the stores obligatory phones and tablets are accompanied by such exclusive Apple Park merchandise as $25 tote bags and $40 T-shirts. The cafe keeps things moving with a menu that consists of chocolate, nuts, energy drinks  and nothing else.

But this isnt a visitor center where you can sign up to take a tour of the actual campus, because the public is not allowed inside. Nor are there relics from Apples 41-year history, like prototypes of the Apple II or television ads through the years.

And dont look for information on how Apple Park and its central ring/spaceship/doughnut shape came to be. The campus is just there, an object to be contemplated either in idealized model form or via fragmented views up high.

Now Playing: Apple's problematic Park Video: SFChronicle

Basically, Foster + Partners has produced an exquisite architectural pavilion within a plaza of 114 dusty-green olive trees. Everything about the scene is intended to convey a message of technological and design mastery  to validate the beliefs of devotees and make the skeptics feel desire.

If you really want to experience Apple Park, dont just gape at the visitor center. Take a stroll down North Tantau Avenue.

Youll see berms thickly planted with forest-scale redwoods, as well as smaller trees and shrubs. A gaping concrete portal allows delivery vehicles to descend into the spaceships bowels. Metal security bollards delineate the property line where needed.

Its as plain as day: Apple Park is an enclave for a company that wants us to gape, but not get too close. Were invited to buy its products, or ponder the shimmering aluminum model, but not to set foot within the sacred grounds.

This is Apples right  gated campuses are nothing new. Whats strange is to create a destination thats little more than a tease, a vantage point from which to contemplate a sealed-off landscape for a hermetically sealed HQ.

Even now, the panorama from the visitor centers rooftop offers only partial views of the circular object at Apple Parks core. As the trees fill in, we wont be able to see even those.

But well be able to buy an Apple Park T-shirt  and at a price that says were part of the cult.

Place is a weekly column by John King, The San Francisco Chronicles urban design critic. Email: jking@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @johnkingsfchron

Online extras

John Kings video visit to the Apple Park Visitor Center is at http://bit.ly/appleproblempark

For John Kings 2016 review of the Apple Store at Union Square, go to http://bit.ly/2im2Qmj
Workers at an Amazon shipping center in Sacramento were denied regular breaks, overtime pay and time to travel from the clock-in area to their work station during regular shifts of 10-plus hours, according to a legal complaint filed this week.

The complaint, which is seeking class-action status in Sacramento County Superior Court, was filed against Amazon and Golden State FC, LLC, a joint venture that runs several fulfillment centers for Amazon in Sacramento, the Central Valley and San Bernardino.

Romeo Palma, who filed the complaint, said he was regularly denied overtime wages and compensation for missed meals and rest breaks during long shifts at the Sacramento County shipping center.

We have been learning of sweatshop-like conditions for workers, who work long shifts and have not been able to get the appropriate rest breaks and overtime that is required, Los Angeles attorney Joshua Haffner, who is representing Palma, said in a statement. Providing the short break required by law isnt too much to ask.

Though Amazon has a long-standing reputation for stressful working conditions in its pursuit of speed and market dominance, complaints of workplaces denying employees the requisite break time mandated by California law are common across industries and companies.

Some law firms throughout the state have sought plaintiffs for similar cases against Amazon for years. A similar lawsuit was filed against Amazon this year, in which two former employees accuse the company of shorting them on overtime, meal breaks and other state requirements at fulfillment centers in Patterson (Stanislaus County) and San Bernardino.

State law entitles employees who work for eight hours or more to 10-minute breaks every four hours. Employees who work a five-hour shift or longer are entitled to a 30-minute unpaid meal break.

Workers must be allowed to take the full break time, not including travel time to or from a designated break area. Often, it is this part of the law  travel time  that is at issue in workplace complaints.

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Palmas complaint alleged that due to the size of the fulfillment center where he worked, walk time was a problem that contributed to longer workdays and unpaid time.

If an employer fails to provide an employee with the requisite rest period, according to state law, the business would then be required to pay the employee one additional hour for each workday the person was denied a rest period.

"We follow all state and federal employment regulations, but we have a longstanding practice of not commenting on pending litigation, Amazon said in a statement. Golden State could not be reached for comment.

Marissa Lang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mlang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Marissa_Jae
In a closely watched decision, a California electric utility company sued over wildfires sparked by its equipment lost its bid Thursday to pass some of those legal costs on to its customers in the form of higher rates.

But the decision by the California Public Utilities Commission seemed unlikely to impact any future proceedings related to Pacific Gas and Electric Co.s potential role in the Wine Country fires. Investigators have not identified the cause of the fires but are looking into whether downed power poles or lines could have sparked them.

The commission unanimously rejected a request from San Diego Gas & Electric Co. to let the company pass $379 million of lawsuit settlement costs on to its customers, which would have added about $1.67 to a typical monthly bill. The lawsuits were triggered by a deadly series of fires  during a Santa Ana windstorm in 2007  that state investigators traced to SDG&Es power lines.

Although the issue has dragged on for years, it received new scrutiny after wind-driven fires erupted across the Wine Country this fall, killing 44 people. PG&E lobbied the commission to vote in SDG&Es favor.

So did the states other large, investor-owned utility, Southern California Edison. The utilities fear wildfire lawsuit costs, because under a legal doctrine known as inverse condemnation, they can be held liable for fire damage linked to their equipment even if they followed all applicable safety rules. At least 32 suits have already been filed against PG&E over this years fires, which likely caused more than $3 billion of damage.

But commissioners on Thursday insisted that they were not trying to set a precedent. The question that mattered, they insisted, was whether SDG&E had acted prudently in managing its electrical system before and during the October 2007 windstorm.

Theres no dispute that each of the fires was caused by SDG&Es facilities, said Commissioner Liane Randolph. And in each instance, we find that SDG&E did not meet its burden to show that it acted as a prudent manager.

Two of the commissioners  Martha Guzman Aceves and President Michael Picker  expressed reservations, saying that the causes contributing to the three fires covered in the request were complex. In the end, however, they deferred to the judgment of the commission staff who had spent years delving into the specifics of each fire.

I do want to recognize that these were very close calls, Guzman Aceves said.

SDG&E has spent $2.4 billion to settle lawsuits arising from the fires, with liability insurance covering most but not all of those costs. The companys chief regulatory officer, Lee Schavrien, said in a statement Thursday that the company would seek any available avenue to overturn the commissions decision.

Schavrien called the 2007 fires a natural disaster triggered by the worst Santa Ana wind event this region has ever seen. And he noted that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees long-distance transmission lines, had found in a related proceeding that SDG&E acted reasonably in managing its electricity system.

We find it difficult to understand how federal regulators understood the law and applied it appropriately, while the CPUC adopted a flawed interpretation, Schavrien said.

Thursdays decision, however, cheered critics of the commission who for years have accused it of being too lenient with the companies it regulates. State Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, said the commission made the right decision.

Although it was mentioned at the hearing that the decision was specific to the San Diego fires, and does not have applicability to other disasters, if the commission had sided with the utility companies, it could have set a dangerous precedent for the future of disaster cost recovery, or at the very least, created a perception of a precedent, Hill said.

The utilities argue that if they are held liable for wildfire costs under inverse condemnation, they should be able to spread those costs around by making their customers pay. PG&Es CEO, Geisha Williams, said this month that if her company is held liable for the Wine Country wildfires, it will seek to pass those costs on to its customers.

But several state legislators, including Hill, plan to introduce a bill in January that would prevent utilities from passing on lawsuit costs for any fire caused by their negligence.

Commissioners on Thursday, however, emphasized that their vote would not settle the inverse condemnation issue for the state as a whole, and several urged the Legislature to do so. Inverse condemnation, they said, was irrelevant to SDG&Es request, because the utilitys own mistakes helped cause the fires.

I know that the tragic Northern California fires that happened last month are on many peoples minds, Randolph said. This proposed decision is not about those fires.

David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DavidBakerSF
Electric scooter rental company Scoot Networks is making its first foray out of San Francisco and expanding to Barcelona, Spain, next year.

The company, headquartered in the South of Market area, owns a fleet of red electric scooters that can be rented in half-hour increments for $3 to $5. The distinctive mini-vehicles can be seen all around San Francisco, parked along the street in residential areas or zipping through the citys often-congested streets.

Scoot Networks has a few employees in Barcelona and is hiring several more, said Stephen Rodriguez, vice president of growth.

Rodriguez said the company chose Barcelona as its second city for a number of reasons, including its population density, climate and residents familiarity with scooters as a source of transportation.

A kid there, when theyre 14, wants a scooter, he said. And grandma, at 70, is still riding. Its a different frame of mind.

Rodriguez declined to say exactly when the service will be available in Barcelona, but said it would be sometime early next year.

The company currently has hundreds of scooters throughout San Francisco, catering to those who want to move about the city without having to own a car or take public transportation. Before users can ride a scooter, they must watch a brief training video online, or in person if they are a new driver. No motorcycle experience or motorcycle license is required.

Rodriguez declined to say whether the company  which has about $4.5 million in funding, according to Crunchbase  is profitable. He said Scoot Networks hopes to continue adding cities throughout 2018.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

We are still small, so we basically have a measured approach to this expansion, he said. I would love to do every city right away, but you gotta do whats best.

Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani
WASHINGTON  Leading Democrats support for Rep. John Conyers eroded Thursday, with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi calling on the 88-year-old co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus to resign his seat because of allegations he sexually harassed staffers.

An attorney for Conyers, the longest-serving member of the House, said the Michigan Democrat had no intention of quitting. The congressman was hospitalized in the Detroit area with what a spokesman called stress from a media assault.

Pelosi, D-San Francisco, has tried to navigate a treacherous line between loyalty to a veteran Democrat and the powerful Congressional Black Caucus, and support for female accusers coming forward during an explosion of sexual harassment allegations that have toppled major figures in the media and Hollywood and now threaten members of Congress.

After defending him Sunday as an icon, even after it was revealed that he had settled a 2015 sexual harassment claim with a former staff member, Pelosi has turned up the pressure on Conyers. He denied guilt in the settlement case, but since then other women have emerged with sexual harassment allegations against him.

On Thursday, Pelosi said Conyers should surrender the House seat he has held since Lyndon Johnsons presidency.

Zero tolerance means consequences for everyone, Pelosi said at a news conference. No matter how great the legacy, it is no license to harass or discriminate. In fact, it makes it even more disappointing.

An attorney for Conyers, Arnold Reed, said Pelosi sure as hell wont be the one to tell the congressman to leave. He told the Associated Press that Conyers has no plans at this juncture to quit and that the onus was on his accusers to prove their case.

If there has to be a fight, there will be a fight, Reed said.

In an interview on the Today show Thursday, former Conyers aide Marion Brown said the congressman had propositioned her for sex and violated my body during an incident at a Chicago hotel in 2005. She said that when she refused, Conyers asked her to find others who would accommodate him.

Brown said she was the former staffer quoted anonymously in a Nov. 20 Buzzfeed story as saying she was fired in 2014 for refusing Conyers advances. She said she had decided to come forward after Conyers denied the allegations publicly, despite the 2015 legal settlement.

Im here to say Im not a liar, Brown said.

Pelosi had earlier pressured Conyers to give up his post as top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, which he said he would do temporarily while the House Ethics Committee investigates the allegations against him. But she had stopped short of calling on him to resign.

The Congressional Black Caucus had resisted calling for Conyers resignation. But on Thursday, Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, a member of the caucus and the Houses third-ranking Democrat, also called on Conyers to quit.

Clyburn had earlier cautioned against a rush to judgment and suggested that Conyers accusers might have made up their charges.

Conyers has been in office since 1965 and is one of just seven members of Congress to have served for more than a half century.

The Conyers case is one of several roiling Congress. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., has been the subject of several sex harassment allegations, and Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton said Thursday he would not seek re-election after a nude selfie he had taken was posted to the Internet.

A Bay Area Democratic colleague of Pelosi, Rep. Jackie Speier of Hillsborough, is leading the push to mandate anti-sexual-harassment training for all lawmakers and their staff, which passed Congress on Wednesday, and to overhaul the secretive process by which Congress handles sexual harassment claims.

Another Bay Area Democrat, Rep. Zoe Lofgren of San Jose, is making a bid for Conyers job as ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.

Carolyn Lochhead is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carolynlochhead
My name is Floricel Liborio Ramos. I am 38 years old, indigenous Huichol and a Mexican citizen. I have gone through many difficult things in my life, but the most difficult has been being in this detention center, where I cannot see or hold my children.

I was arrested on March 26 by immigration agents. It was very sad and painful because they arrested me in front of my children. I was locked up with others in a detention center in Richmond and everyone who worked there treated us harshly.

At 3 a.m. on July 17, they told us that we would be moved. They left us in a cold room. At 11 a.m., they gave us a sandwich and a bottle of water. There was a woman who was more than 70 years old. and there were people with diabetes. The officials did not give them their diabetes medicine. They did not give us anything.

From Richmond, they took us to San Francisco, and then, at 4 p.m, they moved us to Gilroy. We were given nothing more than the bottle of water and the sandwich that they had given us at 11 that morning. We arrived in Gilroy at almost 8 p.m. The officials moved us from a bus to a van. It was July, and the temperature was more than 100 degrees. The van did not have air conditioning, and it was dark inside.

We were nine women. We wanted to go to the bathroom, but the officials told us no. From Gilroy, they moved us to Fresno.

As we went, we could barely breathe; we needed air. They did not give us water. Of the women with diabetes, one woman fainted. Other women were vomiting. There was a woman with claustrophobia who was terrified of confinement; she fainted. We were tied at the hands, waists and feet and could not help her.

We desperately tapped on the interior window of the van between the back where we were held and the drivers seat. We wanted the guard driving the van to listen to us so he would stop or give us water. He was on the phone and driving at the same time, and just yelled at us to shut up.

I thought that my life would end there. I felt that I would never see my children again.

We arrived in Fresno at 10 p.m. There we were moved to a different van, and from Fresno they brought us here to Mesa Verde in Bakersfield. We are alive by a miracle. We are receiving psychological help, because this experience is something we have not yet been able to overcome. I have been in Mesa Verde detention center for almost five months.

The hardest part about being detained has been being apart from my children. I have never been separated from them. They are everything to me. They are my world. They do not have the support of their father, because he was deported in 2012, nor do they have mine, because I am detained.

I also have a daughter with special needs, and while all my children need me, my youngest daughter needs my help to resume her therapy. I want to get all my children counseling for the trauma that they have lived through during our separation.

Although we are detained, through the news we know that the outside world is very sad  our children are outside where we cannot hug them and tell them that everything will be OK. I am asking for an opportunity to leave this detention center, to embrace my children and make up for the nine months that we could not be together.

President Trump is separating innocent families. We, the people who are here in immigration detention, are in the governments hands and they put our lives in danger.

We came to this country to give our children better lives. We are people who work in the fields, harvesting fruit and vegetables that we bring to our homes, to our tables.

I have lived in California for almost 20 years, and I have seen members of my community cleaning houses, hotel bathrooms, washing plates in restaurants, or picking grapes, tomatoes, chiles, apples. We do many of these jobs. Theyre hard jobs, because we work many long hours and we are paid the very least. But we work with all our strength from sunrise to sunset to offer our children something better.

We are the people held in immigrant detention, while outside our children suffer immense grief because we are detained, while outside there is work to be done, crops waiting to be harvested.

Stop the raids, stop the deportations, and close all immigrant detention centers. There are thousands of people in detention who are deprived of their freedom. Many of us fear returning to our home countries, and fled life-threatening situations. All of our rights have been violated by immigration agents.

Put yourself in our place  the place of not being able to see your children because you asked for nothing more than an opportunity in to be in this country. We are mothers. Our children are the ones who are suffering, and many are living outside detention with neither their father nor their mother. We ask for our liberty. Let our voices be heard on the outside.

Floricel Liborio Ramos is detained at Mesa Verde Detention Facility in Bakersfield. Wednesday, an immigration judge in San Francisco reviewed her case but is not expected to make a decision until the end of next month. To find out more and support Floricel Ramos, visit: www.facebook.com/freefloricel and www.youcaring.com/floricelliborio-948519.
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Reporters chased Rep. James Clyburn through the halls of Congress on Wednesday, asking how prominent media figures like Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose could be fired so quickly after accusations of sexual harassment surfaced, while Rep. John Conyers remains in office even after three women have accused him of sexual impropriety.

Who elected them? replied Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat and a member of the Congressional Black Caucus  which Conyers founded. Then the third-highest-ranking Democrat in the House stepped into a members-only elevator, and the doors closed.

That scene captures the stark difference between the private sector, which survives on the bottom line, and the political world, keeper of the public trust.

The political world  from Washington to Sacramento  is wired to protect its own, conducting ethics investigations in private and shelling out tax dollars to make harassment complaints go away.

It rides in its own private elevator.

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Meanwhile, while a private company like NBC can act comparatively quickly and dismiss men like Lauer, who allegedly committed inappropriate sexual behavior, voters must wait until Election Day to dismiss the people we elected.

It really comes down to money, said Brad Adgate, who has been a media analyst for four decades. You get next-day results in media. You get ratings the next day. If your ratings tank, that means your audience goes elsewhere.

Whereas in politics, (Minnesota Democratic Sen.) Al Franken has until 2020, Adgate said, until he faces re-election. Franken has been accused of inappropriately touching four women. He can survive for three years, not three days.

But its not just about money. It is about the system. Private companies with human resources departments that field and investigate complaints are light-years ahead of the political world. In politics, its largely incumbent on politicians to investigate one another.

There has been a hesitancy for congressional colleagues to call out and punish their own, said Kelly Dittmar, a professor of political science at Rutgers University-Camden in New Jersey and a scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics. The culture theyve created is sort of all about peer protection. Theyre thinking, Today its you, Al Franken, but tomorrow it could be me.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco was widely criticized for apparently defending Conyers when she called him an icon in our country last Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press. Analysts said it sounded more like a tone-deaf defense from someone in the old boys club rather than a longtime champion of womens rights.

It was disappointing, said Lisa Garcia Bedolla, director of the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley. Sometimes, (politicians) see each other as fellow warriors serving together in the trenches. That makes it harder for them to discipline each other.

Pelosi has since changed her tune, tweeting Wednesday, Zero tolerance means consequences  for everyone. No matter your contribution to our country, you do not get a pass to harass or discriminate.

She is now working behind the scenes to persuade Conyers to leave Congress immediately, according to a senior Democratic strategist with knowledge of the situation.

Californias Legislature is starting to grapple with sexual harassment in much the same way.

What everybody here knows is that we have rapists in this building, Christine Pelosi, chairwoman of the California Democratic Party Womens Caucus and Nancy Pelosis daughter, said Tuesday at an Assembly hearing on sexual misconduct by lawmakers and men who work in and around the Capitol in Sacramento.

Everybody may know its happening, but at Tuesdays hearing Assembly employees couldnt coherently explain how many complaints have been received or for how long.

We do not track complaints, Debra Gravert, the Assemblys chief administrative officer, said at Tuesdays hearing.

Isnt that problematic, that we dont track complaints? asked Assemblyman Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, a member of the rules subcommittee hearing the testimony.

Gravert initially said she had not received any sexual harassment complaints against a lawmaker in her 3 years on the job. But after lawmakers pressed her, she said she has received a handful of complaints against current lawmakers over the past couple of weeks.

Then, at the end of the five-hour hearing, Gravert apologized for testifying that the Assembly does not retain records beyond six years. She clarified that we keep records beyond that time, even though the policy allows for discarding them after six years.

It seems that any woman  or man  would have little confidence that a harassment claim would be adequately addressed under such circumstances.

It really is the fox guarding the henhouse, said Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore. Our institution  we are protecting people who are guilty of a lot of horrible things. It is a system set up to protect the legislators, not the victim.

Patrick T. Fallon/Special to The Chronicle

For four years, Melendez has proposed legislation to toughen up whistle-blower laws to protect people who work in the Capitol. It has passed the Assembly but never made it through the Senate. She was never told why.

This year, in this environment, it has a good chance. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, has said the Senate will pass whistle-blower protections when the Legislature returns in January.

That took four years. The private sector, at the least, has incentives to get rid of alleged sexual predators much more quickly  even if those incentives are not always noble. Lauer and Rose were fired because they were bad for the brand. Variety magazine and the New York Times were both working on exposes of Lauer, so it seems likely that NBC decided to cut its losses.

Thats harder to do in politics, where little moves quickly.

It can be easier for a network head to cut ties with somebody, because theres a distance between them, too. Theyre not friends. Its management and talent, Garcia Bedolla said. Thats not the case in politics. They often see each other as equals.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
The word curry has somehow permeated restaurant menus around the globe as a sort of shorthand for a certain type of soup or stew dish from India, southeast Asia and even China and Africa. But its origin has an interesting and curious history that can be traced right back to India. When the British arrived in the southern part of the country, they encountered a dish that was dressed in a richly spiced sauce that in Tamil was called kari. The name stuck with the new European rulers and quickly grew popular to describe Indian stews in which meat, legumes or vegetables had been cooked to tenderness in a broth seasoned with a concoction of turmeric, cardamom, cumin and other spices. However, this umbrella usage is a little misleading since curries in India can also include dry dishes from which most of the water is removed through evaporation.

Still, currys popularity among the British ensured that it made its way to England, so much so that the first-ever printed curry recipe is found in Hannah Glasses 1747 cookbook, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy. In it, there are instructions on how to make a currey the Indian way that involves stewing chickens in water and then seasoning the meat with finely beaten ginger, turmeric and pepper, followed by a little butter, cream and lemons.

Currys growing popularity in English kitchens led to the birth of commercially available curry powders that would make it convenient for home cooks to make curry. The first advertisement for commercial curry powder in England was in 1787, and it described the powder as a pleasant and healthful elixir of sorts that rendered the stomach active in digestion  the blood naturally free in circulation  the mind vigorous, and contributes most of any food to an increase in the human race.

In America, curry showed up a little later than in England. The earliest mention can be found in 1818 in Priscilla Homespuns A Compendious Repository of Practical Information. It includes a genuine East India method of cooking a curry, using meat or fowl, which was very similar to Hannah Glasses recipe except for the use of garlic and flour. The book also has a recipe for a Genuine India Curry Powder: fennel, cumin, coriander, caraway, turmeric and black pepper.

In all likelihood, the precolonial and original versions of Indian curries were less hot even though they might have been heavily laced with spices. Hot chile peppers didnt make their way to India until the Portuguese brought them from their trips to the Americas, but once they arrived, they grew well and were quickly appreciated by the Indian population.

Within India, curries vary a lot from state to state. The coastal regions will use shredded coconut to create rich and thick stews, while the northern regions tend to use dairy products like yogurt or cream. Then there are other recipes that may simply use a combination of onions, tomatoes or mustard greens to add flavor to the water in which theyre cooked.

Curry powders are great when cooking in a hurry, but grinding the spices in the kitchen as you cook is honestly a more efficient way that gives you much better control when it comes to adjusting the amounts of the individual spices, like most home cooks in India do.

Truly, there is no one curry dish or curry powder that can encompass the breadth and variety of Indian stews; the only way Ive found to appreciate the variety of currys is to explore and learn about them  especially those that are not served in restaurants but, rather, are found in cookbooks and homes.

Nik Sharma lives in Oakland. Follow him on Twitter at @abrowntable Email: food@sfchronicle.com

Yogurt Chicken Curry

Makes 4 to 6 servings

2.2 pounds bone-on chicken breast or a mixture of thighs and drumsticks

1 cups plain yogurt

2 medium onions

6 garlic cloves, peeled

1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled

Seeds from 4 green cardamom pods

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4 whole cloves

1 1-inch piece cinnamon stick

1 teaspoons Kashmiri chile powder

1 teaspoons turmeric

Instructions: Pat the chicken pieces dry and place them in a large bowl or sealable plastic bag.

Add the yogurt to the blender. Peel and quarter one onion and place it in the blender along with 4 garlic cloves, ginger, cardamom seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, Kashmiri chile, turmeric, cumin seeds, black peppercorns and salt. Pulse for a couple of seconds until smooth and combined. Pour this spiced yogurt mixture over the chicken and fold to coat the pieces evenly. Wrap the bowl with plastic film (or seal the bag, if using). Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Once the chicken has marinated, finely chop the second onion and mince the remaining garlic. Heat the ghee or oil in a large saucepan with a heavy lid on medium-high heat. Add the onions to the pan and saute until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

Add the chicken and yogurt marinade and increase the heat to high. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce the heat to low. Cover the saucepan with the lid and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and completely cooked. Stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Garnish with the fresh cilantro and serve with plain rice, pilaf (see previous), bread or flatbread.

Note: You should not need to add any water to the curry, but if you feel like it is drying up, add  cup water.
Transport yourself into some of the most magical books of 2017 this holiday season. From fashion to fantastic places and fabulous people, these luscious, art-loaded volumes are the perfect way to leave everyday life behind and start a journey into the unexpected. Consider them more than just reading material  theyre passports into the spectacular.

Fantasylands

Studio 54 by Ian Schrager, (Rizzoli, 396 pages, $75)

When it comes to the celebrity high life of the 1970s, no lives were higher (in many senses of the word) than those being lived at New York hot spot Studio 54. Liza Minnelli, Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, Halston, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Truman Capote, Elizabeth Taylor: The VIP list on any night read like the pages of Whos Who. The photographs and remembrances by co-owner Ian Schrager capture the hedonistic magic of this quaalude Xanadu of the past.

Ettore Sottsass by Philippe Thome (Phaidon, 492 pages, $53)

Italian architect and designer Ettore Sottsass was one of the masterminds who gave the 20th century its look. From his iconic design for the Olivetti typewriter on the books cover to his role as one of the architects behind the 1980s Memphis Group (a bold, imaginative design philosophy currently getting a second look), Sottsass work continues to look like the future, even if it was created 30 years ago. The book is a companion to an exhibition mounted this summer at the Met Breuer in New York.

Fiorucci edited by David Owen (Rizzoli, 184 pages, $45)

To coincide with the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Milanese fashion label (and its just-announced relaunch), this book takes a look back at how the New York Fiorucci boutique defined the neon style of the post-punk 1980s. More than just a store or a label, Fiorucci was a cultural destination, as filmmaker Sofia Coppola attests in her foreword.

At Home at Highclere: Entertaining at the Real Downton Abbey by Lady Fiona, the Countess of Carnarvon (Rizzoli, 288 pages, $37.50)

For anyone still suffering from the end of British period drama Downton Abbey, this book about the actual estate is the cure. The current lady of the manor house opens up Highcleres archives to let readers see how grand country weekends were held a century ago for guests that included royalty and prime ministers. In addition to sumptuous photos of the familiar drawing rooms, halls and bedrooms the fictional Crawley family occupied, Lady Carnarvon explains the finer points of Edwardian entertaining etiquette, shares examples of historic menus and offers tips for bringing a little Highclere style to your next soiree.

The Faerie Handbook by Carolyn Turgeon (Harper Design, 240 pages, $35)

Its been a big year for mythical creatures, from unicorns and their limited-edition Frappuccinos to mermaids and their trendy hair. Now, the editors of Faerie Magazine invite young and old to explore the world of faeries in this intensely visual volume. Divided into four sections  Flora and Fauna; Fashion and Beauty; Arts and Culture; and Home, Food, and Entertaining  The Faerie Handbook takes readers into an enchanted realm that will make you clap your hands with belief.

Fantastic figures

Maria by Callas by Tom Volf (Assouline, 256 pages, $195)

With a voice as startling as it was gorgeous, Maria Callas remains one of the most enduring opera stars of the last century. The legendary prima donna is remembered in this gorgeously packaged volume covered in scarlet fabric that features remembrances by her favorite conductor, Georges Pretre, and longtime best friend Nadia Stancioff. The photos show the diva in all her onstage glory as well as reveal new images from her turbulent private life (she had a longtime affair with shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis before he married Jacqueline Kennedy), the details of which rival any plot set to music by Puccini or Verdi.

Picturing Prince by Steve Parke (Cassell Illustrated, 240 pages, $24.99)

The Purple One continues to live on in this new book by Princes longtime art director Steve Parke. The photos are stunning, many of them never before seen, and show the musician in performance and in intimate moments behind the scenes. The book is divided according to aspects of the late-performers personality, from playful mischief-maker to introspective artist. A touching foreword by longtime Prince collaborator Sheila E. sets the stage for what comes after.

Claudia Schiffer by Claudia Schiffer, (Rizzoli, 272 pages, $85)

With her flawless cheekbones and sultry pout, supermodel Claudia Schiffer became one of the faces that defined the 1990s after Karl Lagerfeld discovered her at a nightclub in Dusseldorf, Germany, at age 17. The photos, curated by Schiffer, feature some of her most memorable shoots and campaigns for Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Chanel and Guess by photographers including Richard Avedon, Patrick Demarchelier, Steven Meisel, Herb Ritts, Mario Testino and Ellen von Unwerth, who also penned the books foreword.

Joan Rivers Confidential: The Unseen Scrapbooks by Melissa Rivers with Scott Currie (Abrams, 336 pages, $40)

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The late performer Joan Rivers paved the way for women in comedy, from Kathy Griffin and Sarah Silverman to Amy Schumer. This look back at Rivers 50-plus years in show business includes not only red-carpet glam shots and personal photos of the funny lady, but also decades of jokes written in Rivers own hand on note cards for her epic comedy cabinet and on-the-go ideas jotted down on everything from cocktail napkins to boarding passes.

Fantasias of fashion

Dior: The Collections, 1947-2017 by Alexander Fury (632 pages, $75); John Galliano: Unseen, photographs by Robert Fairer and text by Claire Wilcox(352 pages, $60) both Yale University Press

The 70th anniversary of the house of Christian Dior and the designers immortal New Look collection has been celebrated extensively this year, from the blockbuster exhibition at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris to current Dior designer Maria Grazia Chiuris collection celebrating the houses greatest moments. Fans can relive 70 years of glory in Dior: The Collections, 1947-2017, which explores every fashion show, designer (Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferre, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Chiuri) and collection in an exquisitely presented, bible-like tome. John Galliano: Unseen takes you backstage at the designers eponymous house where the work was just as eye-catching and intense as his collections for Dior but even more personal and idiosyncratic.

The World of Anna Sui by Tim Blanks (288 pages, $50)

For over 30 years Anna Suis fashion collections have been an eclectic melange of indie, ultra-cool influences filtered through her own unique lens. Suis interests in subcultures and fashion archetypes from rockers to schoolgirls and Goths to hippies are explored in depth, from the point of initial inspiration on Suis mood boards to the final looks on the runway with expert text and commentary by veteran fashion writer Tim Blanks.

Dresses to Dream About by Christian Siriano (Rizzoli, 224 pages, $60)

Christian Siriano is one of the new kings of fantasy among New York fashion designers: His fairy-tale gowns have graced some of the biggest events in the world from the Academy Awards to the Met Gala and been worn by stars ranging from Gwyneth Paltrow to Oprah Winfrey. While looking back to the romance of the past, Siriano is also extremely future-facing: In recent seasons he has led the charge for greater ethnic and body diversity on the runways. His first book lifts the curtain on his process from sketching to stitching and features gowns that will linger in your subconscious.

Tony Bravo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tbravo@sfchronicle.com
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In remarks alternately restrained and vividly frank, Anatoly Antonov, the new Russian ambassador to the United States, told a San Francisco crowd Wednesday that the two countries must put the past behind them and learn to at least work together again, if not quite embrace friendship, so that the whole world can sleep well.

Antonovs speech at the Fairmont Hotel, which was hosted by the World Affairs Council, marked his first official visit to the Bay Area since taking the ambassadorship on Sept. 1. He was appointed ambassador by President Vladimir Putin amid a whirlwind of political turmoil spinning out of accusations that the Russians meddled in last years U.S. presidential election.

The ambassador is in San Francisco for the next several days. Among his meetings with business leaders and others, he is scheduled to inspect the consulate building in San Francisco that was closed under orders from President Trump.

In his speech Wednesday, Antonov insisted that Russia had not influenced the election, by hacking or by social media infiltration. At one point he suggested that one of several other countries  he declined to name which ones  could have been responsible for hacking. He asked just how secure the election could be, when it can be so easily penetrated.

Its said by your president that the United States is a superpower. Nobody can beat it, Antonov said. Please. What just happened?

His jesting was met with boos and hisses from the crowd of about 350 people.

Antonov, 62, is a career diplomat with more than 30 years with Russias Foreign Ministry  almost a decade of that time under the Soviet flag. Hes particularly knowledgeable in negotiations around nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. And hes known as a tough negotiator with a hardline stance toward relations with the United States.

He was not caught up personally in the election intrigue, but his predecessor was longtime Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, who is a key figure in the controversy. Kislyak met with several members of Donald Trumps campaign team before or shortly after the election.

Antonov stepped straight into the diplomatic squabble on his first day on the new job. In fact, Antonov said Wednesday, hed just boarded a plane for Washington, D.C., when he learned that Trump had demanded the closure of the Russian Consulate in San Francisco.

The closure was the latest move in a long tit-for-tat  it came in response to Putin ejecting hundreds of American diplomats from Russia, which in turn had been a reaction to sanctions approved by Congress to punish Russia for interfering in the U.S. election.

Antonov at the time issued a measured response to the San Francisco consulate closure and urged the two countries to put differences aside. The world is calmer and safer when we act together on the international arena, he said then in a statement.

On Wednesday, he wasnt nearly as conciliatory with regards to the consulate. With lines of communication between the two nations already suffering, closing the consulate was not helpful, Antonov said. Also problematic was that the building was shuttered so abruptly, giving the diplomats who lived and worked there little time to properly shut down the operations.

We have not only been deprived of our property, were not even allowed to check the buildings, Antonov said.

In between jabs at U.S. politics and politicians  at one point he said Russia is concerned about Americans using severe rhetoric with North Korea, a comment that seemed aimed at Trumps occasional remarks on Twitter  Antonov maintained that Russia and the United States must find a way to improve relations.

He said Russian diplomats have suffered under prejudiced American attitudes toward his country, and noted that its been challenging to even start casual conversations with U.S. officials, never mind bring both sides to the table for discussions around shared concerns.

After Antonov gave a 20-minute speech he sat down to answer questions with David Halloway, a Stanford political science and international history professor. Halloway, who has a special interest in Soviet history, acknowledged that there is a great deal of mistrust between the United States and Russia.

Relations are in the worst state they have been since the end of the Cold War, Halloway said, and asked Antonov how the two countries could move forward.

It is very difficult to work here in the United States, frankly, Antonov said. Even during the Cold War we were able to reach agreements.

Earlier in the evening, Antonov opened his speech asking rhetorically what kind of relationship his country has now, and could have, with the United States. Are we partners? Are we enemies? he said.

Before he could answer his own questions, a man stood up and began yelling about antigay government actions in Russian-controlled Chechnya. As the man was escorted out of the room the audience laughed awkwardly.

Welcome to San Francisco, someone called out.

Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com
If youre planning to dazzle your neighbors with laser holiday lighting this month, your friendly overhead airline pilots and the Federal Aviation Administration are kindly asking that you not blind them.

Star Shower and other Christmas laser lights have been booming in the last few years  there are several pages of them available on Amazon  and in recent years the FAA has cautioned residents against shining them at the sky. The Star Shower can project its laser 100 yards into the air, which is ample range to distract or disable a pilot.
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More than 100 Chinatown tenants took to the streets Wednesday to protest what they characterize as the latest attempt by real estate speculators to drive out low-income Chinese immigrants and replace them with more affluent renters willing to pay over $1,100 for an 80-square-foot room with no bathroom or kitchen, roughly double what existing residents pay.

In particular the tenants were targeting Valstock Management, which last spring took over a 100-unit single-room-occupancy hotel at 1350 Stockton St., on the border of Chinatown and North Beach.

Tenants charge that since assuming management of the property, Valstock has aggressively sought to levy fines against tenants for everything from hanging laundry in the buildings light well to forgetting their keys to leaving shoes in the hallway. For hanging laundry outside windows  a long-standing practice in Chinatown  tenants have been fined $200, which they say is taken directly from their rent. Forgetting a key results in a $30 fine, they claim.

Overall they are sending a message to the tenants that they are no longer welcome here, said Gen Fujioka, policy director of the Chinatown Community Development Center.

Valstock, which manages several buildings in North Beach and Chinatown, has initiated eviction proceedings against seven tenants, according to Jessamyn Edra, staff attorney for the Asian Law Caucus.

In addition, the mostly Chinese-speaking tenants have been asked to sign 40-page leases  in English  that include extensive rules. The leases are incomprehensible to the mostly monolingual residents in the building, Edra said.

The new leases trap tenants into an agreement designed for them to fail, Edra said. There are hidden fines and charges that they may not be able to afford, and new rules they didnt agree to.

Huang Wong, a 67-year-old retired construction worker, said tenants live in fear of being fined or evicted.

In the six years Ive lived here, Ive never seen anyone treat us this way, said Wong. They dont even treat us like people. They treat us like dogs.

In an email, Valstock CEO Samantha Seto said: The health, safety and quality of living for all tenants is our top priority. The purpose of house rules is to ensure that all tenants have a clean and safe living environment. When a tenant violates house rules, he or she infringes on the rights of others. Evictions happen because of habitual violations.

The email included before and after photographs of a light well hung with laundry and then completely clean.

The protest Wednesday was the third time Chinatown housing advocates have targeted landlords or management companies for allegedly using heavy-handed tactics to squeeze out the low-income residents who have traditionally occupied the single-room-occupancy buildings.

The owners of the two other buildings, at 2 Emery Lane and 937 Clay St., used similar tactics, such as forbidding the hanging of laundry, according to housing advocates. In all three cases, vacant rooms have been marketed to young professionals and students.

So far, about 10 of the rooms at 1350 Stockton have been leased to young professionals at the higher rate, residents said. Valstock currently lists five vacancies in the building. One 80-square-foot room, listed at $1,395 a month, is described on the Valstock website as spacious and the perfect size for a student or professional who wants to experience the hustle and bustle of real San Francisco living.

Chinatown has about 5,000 SRO hotel rooms, which represent about 45 percent of the housing stock in the neighborhood. Because of the tight spaces, residents have long used fire escapes or railings or windows to dry laundry.

People have to figure out a way of living in these very compact units on very low incomes, Fujioka said. They are saying, Change your way of life; conform to the tenants that we want otherwise, get out.

At the protest, tenants marched around the block with signs that read, Stop landlord bullying. Edra urged tenants not to sign any new leases  which she called a fast track to eviction. Most of the tenants in the buildings have oral agreements.

An oral lease in San Francisco is completely valid, Edra said. There is no reason to have new leases with all these new terms, except we think this is setting the tenants up for failure.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen
Surge pricing could be coming to every parking meter in San Francisco in 2018 under a plan being considered by the Municipal Transportation Agency.

Under the proposal, each of the citys 30,200 meters would be subject to hourly rates that vary depending on demand. The charges would fluctuate block by block and by time of day. For example, a neighborhood with a lot of restaurants might see higher meter rates during evenings than during other times of the day.

MTA officials say the approach is intended to increase the availability of coveted city parking spaces, particularly in areas where demand is high. People unwilling to pay the higher rates might seek parking farther away, remain for a shorter period of time, or leave their car at home.

It means fewer people will be circling the block in search of open meters, said Hank Willson, the MTAs parking policy manager.

If you get into parking faster, it means youre driving less, youre emitting fewer pollutants, youre less likely to just go somewhere else, and theres less distracted driving, he said. And youll come back.

The agencys board of directors is scheduled to vote on the plan on Tuesday.

If it moves ahead, San Francisco would become the first U.S. city to have citywide demand-based parking rates, Willson said.

The practice is already in use at about 7,000 of the citys metered parking spaces, as well as in all of its garages. Demand-based parking rates are the offspring of a three-year federally funded program called SFpark that ended in 2014. The experiment showed that the city could increase the availability of parking by fiddling with meter rates.

Because of its success, the MTA continued it in some of the citys busiest neighborhoods  downtown, South of Market, the Mission, the Embarcadero, Fishermans Wharf, Mission Bay, the Fillmore and the Marina. But the proposal before the board would be the first incursion into the citys western end, and many other largely residential neighborhoods.

Under the program, hourly rates would be reviewed, and possibly raised or lowered in 25-cent increments, every three months depending on how many metered spaces have typically been available on a given block.

Hourly meter rates would be set block by block based on demand within three daily time bands  roughly 9 a.m. to noon, noon to 3 p.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. or even later. MTA will use data from the meters to determine how often they turn over and how many spaces are available on a block. The target, Willson said, is to have one or two spaces per block always available.

In deciding whether to adjust hourly rates on a particular block, the MTA will look at the percentage of spaces filled during the time bands. If 80 percent or more of the spaces are filled, rates will rise by a quarter. When spaces are only 60 to 80 percent full, no rate changes will be made. And when the occupancy rate is lower than 60 percent, rates would drop by 25 cents.

Rates can go as low as 50 cents an hour or as high as $8 an hour, according to MTA policy, but the highest rate now is $7 an hour, charged near AT&T Park during Giants games and other events. The average rate at the existing 7,000 demand-based parking spaces, Willson said, is about $2.50. Since the city started experimenting with the concept, he said, many parking rates have dropped. Of course, that depends on the location and the time of day.

Not all drivers who park where meters charge flat rates said they were convinced that demand-based parking will benefit them.

Thats awful, said Lora Peoples, 57, a loan processor from Daly City, after she was told Wednesday of the plan as she walked through the Laurel Heights business district on California Street around noon. She said she doesnt believe the system will make it easier to find parking.

Michael Windholz, a 70-year-old psychologist raised in San Francisco, agrees with the intent of the program but worries that it could have other effects.

To some extent, its going to benefit people with money, he said. Im not sure I like it.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
At least two big Uber stakeholders have agreed to sell part of their private shares to a group led by Japanese technology conglomerate SoftBank in a deal that lets investors cash out at a discount and could bring management stability to the San Francisco ride-hailing company.

SoftBank said Wednesday that Benchmark Capital, Menlo Ventures and other early investors have confirmed intent to sell shares in the company. SoftBanks offer was expected to be based on a reduced valuation of Uber. The company had been valued at $68.5 billion in a previous stock sale.

SoftBank and Dragoneer Investment Group want to buy at least 13.4 percent of Uber shares.

Under an investment deal, the SoftBank group also is buying about $1 billion worth of new Uber stock, injecting cash into the money-losing company.

Interest by Benchmark and Menlo Ventures is a sign that the deal is moving forward. Investors have 20 days to decide whether to take the offers.

The deal reduces the influence of ousted CEO Travis Kalanick and clears the way for Uber, among the most valuable tech firms in the world, to sell stock to the public. Under the deal, the initial public offering will take place before the end of 2019.

Earnings

Box meets

estimates

Box Inc. on Wednesday reported a loss of $42.9 million in its fiscal third quarter.

The Redwood City company said it lost 32 cents per share. Losses, adjusted for stock option expense and non-recurring costs, came to 13 cents per share.

The results met Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of eight analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was also for a loss of 13 cents per share.

The online storage provider posted revenue of $129.3 million in the period, which beat Street forecasts. Five analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $128.6 million.

Restaurants

Chipotle CEO

is leaving

Chipotle Mexican Grill said Wednesday that it is looking for a new leader with demonstrated turnaround expertise to replace Steve Ells, the current CEO.

Ells, who started the fast casual chain in Denver in 1993 and now oversees more than 2,350 restaurants, will become executive chairman once his successor is found. Montgomery F. Moran stepped down as co-chief executive late last year after several food safety failures at the chain, which caused an exodus of customers and a pummeling on Wall Street.

Computers

Apple issues

security fix

Apple has fixed a security issue that had enabled people to log in to Mac computers without knowing the password.

A software developer publicized the problem Tuesday, saying people could log in to computers running MacOS High Sierra by entering the user name root and no password, then clicking the login button several times. Apples fix was being automatically installed on all systems running the latest version of High Sierra.

Law firms

Sedgwick

workers hired

Philadelphia law firm Duane Morris is hiring a dozen employees who make up the employment and immigration practice at Sedgwick, an 85-year-old law firm in San Francisco that will shutting down soon.

The Sedgwick team will move into Duane Morris San Francisco office. They include former Sedgwick employment co-chairs Robert Eassa and James Brown and partner Delia Isvoranu, along with seven associates, one paralegal and a legal assistant.

Media

BuzzFeed

cutting jobs

BuzzFeed plans to eliminate 100 jobs, or about 8 percent of its workforce, according to a person familiar with the matter, as the online publisher feels the effects of an industrywide slump in advertising.

The company will fire marketing, advertising and creative workers in the U.S. and Britain.

Chronicle News Services
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Jurors deliberated for a third full day Wednesday without reaching a verdict in the trial of the man accused of killing Kate Steinle on a San Francisco pier.

The panel must decide whether Jose Ines Garcia Zarate intentionally fired a gun toward Steinle on Pier 14, as prosecutors allege, or whether Steinles death on July 1, 2015, was an accident, as defense attorneys contend.

Steinle was killed as she strolled with her father toward the end of the pier by a bullet that ricocheted off the concrete ground and flew 78 feet into her back.

Garcia Zarate, 45, a homeless Mexican citizen with a history of nonviolent drug offenses and deportations, was charged with murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm and assault with a semiautomatic weapon in connection with the shooting.

Garcia Zarate has admitted to handling the weapon, a .40-caliber Sig Sauer handgun that had been stolen four days earlier from the nearby parked car of an off-duty federal ranger, in a burglary that remains unsolved. But the government and the defense disagree on his intent.

The case went to the jury last Tuesday afternoon after a monthlong trial in which Assistant District Attorney Diana Garcia presented evidence that she said showed Garcia Zarate brought the gun with him to the pier and deliberately pulled the trigger.

Defense attorney Matt Gonzalez, of the public defenders office, called experts who testified that the shot that killed Steinle was most likely an unintentional discharge. Gonzalez said his client set off the gun shortly after he found it wrapped in a cloth under his seat at the pier.

The jury is considering three potential charges against Garcia Zarate: first-degree or premeditated murder, second-degree murder, and involuntary manslaughter.

The prosecution spent much of the trial laying out a case for second-degree murder, in which the jury would have to find that Garcia Zarate either intended to kill or intentionally committed a dangerous act with conscious disregard for human life.

But in her closing argument, Garcia also presented a scenario in which the defendant sized up targets on the pier in his own secret version of Russian roulette, an act of premeditation.

For the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter, jurors would have to find that Garcia Zarates actions dont rise to the level of murder but that Steinles death was caused by his negligence.

Deliberations were to resume Thursday.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo
If you're a wine drinker that's OK with novelty and not at all concerned about having a vintage brand of vino, SodaStream has an interesting new item that is meant to turn your carbonated water into a fruity Riesling.

The company introduced "Sparkling Gold" this week, an alcohol concentrate that can be added to carbonated water to transform it into what the company deems a drink "resembling the taste of a fruity Riesling wine."

CRIME STOPPERS: A Chick-fil-A is offering free chicken for a year, if you can help unravel a crime

If that's unbelievable, according to the drink brand, an independent market research test in Germany found that 76 people out of 100 of those surveyed enjoyed the taste "as much as or more than" Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot.

The company has previously discouraged anyone from carbonating their alcohol and running it through its machine, although (spoiler alert) plenty of people have tried it. This is reportedly the company's first foray into creating an alcohol concentrate mixer.

The "wine" clocks in at about 10 percent alcohol by volume, and consumers are encouraged to mix the drink at one part concentrate to five parts sparkling water.

Of course, if you don't own a SodaStream, it seems there isn't much to stop one from just mixing the alcohol concentrate into your own Topo Chico or whichever sparkling water you prefer, as FoodBeast points out. The only thing standing in your way? The concentrate is currently only available at SodaStream's Germany online site, selling for about 5 Euros for a 200 ml bottle (which yields about 12 glasses if you're following directions).

SFGATE has reached out to SodaStream to inquire about a possible United States release and will update if we hear back.
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When Sebastiaan de With realized his car was missing from the parking lot he had left it in, his heart sank.

The freelance designer and photographer had just bought the 1991 Land Rover Defender from Texas in September and driven it cross-country back to San Francisco with his wife. On Friday, when the couple wanted to go pick up a Christmas tree, they found the car missing from its space in a North Beach garage.

De With said he filed a police report but didn't want to wait idly as officers investigated. He put a call out on Twitter and Facebook Monday asking San Franciscans to keep an eye out for the rare car.

Late Monday night, he decided to post on Reddit.

"I thought it'd be pointless to post it, but on the other hand, I really wanted to find my car," de With said. "They're extremely hard cars to find in the U.S., and I was waiting on an appraiser to come around to get full coverage, full-value insurance. So it being gone meant I had absolutely nothing, not even a claim payout."

When Pablo Delarosa saw de With's call for help on Reddit, it triggered a memory.

"I immediately recognized it," Delarosa said. He had seen the car Saturday outside of Jake's Steaks on Buchanan Street near Lombard Street. At the time, he said two men appeared to be working on the car.

"You don't usually see them and I noticed that it had Texas plates, so it got my attention a little more since I'm from there," said Delarosa, who's from Houston but now lives in San Francisco's Marina District.

He posted a reply to the Reddit post with specific details about exactly where he had spotted the car Saturday.

Even more help came from Nick Ghirardelli, a real estate developer who also lives in the Marina, and saw de With's Reddit post while eating breakfast Tuesday morning. A few hours later, Ghirardelli spotted the car on his way back from the gym.

He stood next to the Land Rover and called the police to report he had found it. While he was on hold, he messaged de With and told him the good news.

"My heart suddenly started beating in my throat," said de With. "I jumped on the bike and roared down there and met him. Sure enough, that was it."

Police eventually arrived on scene, searched the car and collected fingerprints, de With said. He described the car as "a bit trashed, but recoverable." The ignition and steering column had been damaged, the gas filler cap destroyed, and the rear brakes appeared to be broken.

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De With said he's still awaiting word from the mechanic on the full extent of the damage.

Regardless, he's happy to have his prized possession back and surprised that a post on Reddit is to thank. The two Good Samaritans who helped track down the Land Rover were equally surprised.

"I would have thought it would have been sitting on a container ship somewhere," Delarosa said. "The power of social media is crazy."

Ghirardelli couldn't even believe it while it was happening. As he waited next to the stolen Land Rover, he took pictures and screenshots of his conversations.

"I told my friend, 'I guess I solved a crime today.' He didn't believe it was real."

Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at amartichoux@sfchronicle.com.
WASHINGTON  Pressured to respond to burgeoning sexual misconduct allegations, the House easily approved a bipartisan measure Wednesday requiring annual antiharassment training for lawmakers and aides after a debate that rang with lawmakers own accounts of such episodes.

Voice vote passage came as Congress waged year-end battles over Republican tax cuts and a potential government shutdown but has been diverted to also address allegations against some of its own. The accused include liberal heroes Rep. John Conyers and Sen. Al Franken and far-right GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore of Alabama.

With Conyers being pressed to resign from Congress by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and others, Pelosi seemed to suggest it was time for the long-serving liberal and civil rights hero to step down.

No matter how great the legacy, it is not a license to harass and abuse, Pelosi, D-San Francisco, said without mentioning the 88-year-old Michigan Democrats name. She said Congress must tolerate no abuse, no matter your contribution to our country.

Conyers attorney, Arnold Reed, said on Wednesday that the lawmaker has no plans to leave Congress and will fight the accusations against him tooth and nail.

The House debate also saw Rep. Robert Brady, D-Pa., describe conversing with a female colleague in the chamber as a congressman he didnt identify walked by and groped her from behind. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, D-N.H., recounted a story shes told before about being sexually assaulted while a congressional aide four decades ago by a distinguished guest of the United States Congress.

Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, a sponsor of the training measure, said a woman told her of being on the House floor when a man grinded up against her and then stuck his tongue in her ear. Speier, who offered no names and has described the incident previously, has said she herself was sexually assaulted by her offices chief of staff when she was an aide years ago.

Earlier, House Speaker Paul Ryan said there should be no room for sexual harassment in any workplace, let alone in the United States Congress. Ryan, R-Wis., told reporters that having a hostile environment on Capitol Hill is a disgrace.

Ryan and others said one upcoming target for examination is the secretive practice lawmakers use to settle complaints using federally financed payments. No information is publicly released and recipients must promise silence.

Many such settlements go through Congress obscure Office of Compliance, which has said its paid more than $17 million over the past 20 years to resolve claims of sexual harassment, pay disputes and other disagreements. Its provided no detail. Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss., who chairs a committee that oversees that office, said hes requested figures on settlements involving sexual harassment by lawmakers.

Ryan sidestepped a question on whether lawmakers should more vocally address some womens claims that they were sexually harassed by Donald Trump before he became president. Trump has denied the allegations.

Right now were focused on making sure this place works the right way, Ryan said.

Juliet Linderman is an Associated Press writer.
NEW YORK  Russell Simmons has stepped away from his companies following a second allegation of sexual misconduct, though the Def Jam founder again denied ever being violent.

Rachel Getting Married screenwriter Jenny Lumet  daughter of filmmaker Sidney Lumet  wrote an essay published by The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday in which she recalled a night around 1991 when Simmons took her to his New York apartment and had sex with her, despite her repeated demands that he stop.
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A 28-year-old man in India who suffered from severe abdominal pain had 263 coins and 100 nails removed from his stomach last week.

According to CNN, Maksood Khan was admitted on Nov. 19 to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Satna, where doctors initially believed that Khan suffered from food poisoning.

Doctors at the hospital performed an endoscopy on Khan, and discovered that the man had nearly 12 pounds of metal objects in his stomach.

"After the general examination, we found that he had an infection in the abdomen and low blood pressure, he was in a critical condition," Dr. Priyank Sharma, who led the surgery, told CNN. "We had suspicions that there was something else because his family had expressed doubts that he was consuming unnatural, abnormal things. So, we did an X-ray and ultrasound of the abdomen."

Sure enough, doctors found all sorts of metallic objects in Khan's stomach, including coins, nails, chains and even razor blades. Khan underwent surgery on Nov. 24.

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"We discovered in his stomach nuts, bolts, chains, 263 coins and around 100 nails," Dr. APS Gaharwal, the hospital's head of the general surgery, told CNN. "The surgery took three hours to perform."

Khan was in critical condition for 24 hours following the surgery, but is expected to make a full recovery without any long-term damage to his digestive system.

RELATED: Doctors remove 27 contact lenses from woman during cataract surgery

Doctors believe that Khan suffers from mental health problems.

"This is a mental illness. Our psychiatry department also found that he might be in depression," Sharma told CNN.

Family members told the Independent that Khan fell into depression and may have gotten "hooked onto" eating metal objects.

"Whenever he felt the urge to ingest a coin, he ingested it with water," a family member told the Independent.
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A jury began deciding the fate Wednesday of a 41-year-old man charged in one of San Franciscos worst mass killings  the 2012 hammer attack that left a family of five dead in their blood-soaked Ingleside neighborhood home.

The defendant, Binh Luc, has been in custody since his arrest at a San Mateo hotel shortly after the Lei familys bodies were discovered on March 23, 2012. With two black eyes he apparently sustained in jail, Luc sat silently in court as his defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen, wrapped up closing arguments in the five-week trial.

Goldrosen didnt deny Luc was inside the home where the killings happened at 16 Howth St., near City College of San Francisco, but said his client was not the killer. The real perpetrators, Goldrosen argued, were never caught due to a insufficient investigation by the San Francisco Police Department.

The killers, Goldrosen told the San Francisco Superior Court jury, may have been one of two notorious Chinatown gangsters, or the former boyfriend of one of the victims, known only as Crazy. He added that prosecutors failed to prove only one person was responsible for the crime, and investigators couldnt re-create how the killings unfolded.

The prosecutions theory in this case is uncertain, he said. And that uncertainty by definition says theres a reasonable doubt that Mr. Luc is guilty of these murders.

The defenses closing came after Assistant District Attorney Eric Fleming summed up his case, which included witness testimony, phone and bank records from the defendant, and several pieces of physical evidence from the crime scene. Lucs blood was found around the house, and blood from one of the victims was spattered on 18 places on the defendants jeans and in his car.

Investigators lifted Lucs fingerprint from a bottle of window cleaner discovered among several bottles of bleach, paint and other household items prosecutors said the defendant used in an unsuccessful attempt to cover up the crime scene.

No weapon was ever found, but prosecutors said Luc used a hammer to fatally beat the victims. They were Hua Shun Lei, 65, and his wife, Wan Yi Wu, 62; their children, Ying Xue Lei, 37, and her brother, Vincent Lei, 32; and Vincent Leis girlfriend, Chia Huei Chu, 30.

In his final argument before the jury began deliberating, Fleming played a video from the crime scene, showing the victims bodies in different rooms of the home, their heads and bodies severely beaten and blood everywhere.

The crime scene took four long days to process, Fleming told the jury in response to the defenses closing. There were over 10 tests in this case and all of the physical evidence came back to the victims and this defendant.

He said it was crazy to think Luc was at the scene while someone else committed the murders and wasnt responsible for the deaths.

Theyre trying to bamboozle you. Thats what theyre trying to do, Fleming said. Dont be bamboozled.

Luc has a prior conviction in 1998 from an armed robbery at a Chinese restaurant in San Jose. He served eight years in San Quentin State Prison and was handed over to federal immigration authorities for deportation back to his home country of Vietnam.

Luc, though, was released after Vietnamese officials refused to provide him with travel documents.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twittter @EvanSernoffsky
A man was arrested after he sprayed an Oakland neighborhood with multiple gunshots, police said Wednesday.

The suspected gunman was arrested when police responded to reports of gunfire in the 4400 block of Moraga Avenue about 5:44 p.m. on Tuesday, officials said.
Social media is mocking a photo display of White House holiday decorations that some say look rather haunting.

While most of the decorations appear traditional, one hallway has a more modern, stark display. The First Lady's Director of Communications Stephanie Grisham also sent out a tweet with the image of the hallway decorations that many are deeming eerie and spooky and better suited to Halloween than Christmas. (See Grisham's tweet at the end of the gallery at the top.)
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's impending marriage has the world buzzing about their future plans, including where they'll live after tying the knot: Nottingham Cottage, a property on the grounds of Kensington Palace. Reports abound that the royal couple have already spent some time at "Nott Cott"even that the prince proposed in the kitchen while they were roasting a chicken. Sooo cuuuute!

But make no mistake, Nottingham Cottage isn't as posh as you might think.

Now Playing: The British Royal Family on Monday announced the engagement of Prince Harry, who's fifth in line to the throne, to Los Angeles-born actress Meghan Markle, best known for her role on the legal drama "Suits.'' Video: FoxM9NJ

While details and interior pics of this place remain tightly under royal wrap, there are rumblings that the royal couple's first home together has more than its share of problems. Here are a few flaws that have surfaced.

1. The cottage is tiny

While Nott Cott's exact square footage isn't public knowledge, The Telegraph reports that this "cozy" cottage has two bedrooms and two reception rooms. Cozy, indeedanyone in real estate knows "cozy" is code for "so small you'll want to cry."

2. There's only one bathroom

In addition to those two bedrooms, the Telegraph says the place has a bathroom. A bathroom? As in one? So the prince and his-bride to-be will have to share the loo? That seems downright unroyal.

3. Ceilings are low

The claustrophobia just got worse: no soaring ceiling here. In fact, the previous tenant, Prince William, had to stoop to avoid banging his head. He is 6-foot-3. So, that means the ceilings (or door frames, or something) are only, what, 6 feet high? That's sad.

4. There's no air conditioning

Come on now! Even developing countries have caught onto this modern convenience known as AC. But Nott Cott, not yet. And fine, London may not be quite as sweltering as, say, Markle's hometown of Los Angeles, but according to Vanity Fair, Prince William's wife, Kate Middleton, found Nottingham Cottage so stiflingly hot, they had fans installed in every room to compensate ... somewhat.

5. The yard is also tiny

It turns out Markle's two rescue dogsGuy the beagle and Bogart the Labrador, who are undoubtedly coming with herwon't have much room to roam, either. The yard is so small, it was marked by royal watchers as one of Middleton's biggest disappointments about the place. The only upgrade we've heard of is that soon after moving in, Prince Harry hung up a hammock.

Maybe that's all there's room to do.

Nottingham Cottage location

Google Maps

All we can say is, Markle has her work cut out for her to make the most of her new "royal" digs. This explains why reports also bound that the future newlyweds likely won't stay in this royal "starter home" long, and will move to one of the bigger apartments at Kensington Palace soon enough.

Still, it begs the question: Is this stint at Nottingham Cottage some weird form of royal hazing? That is, "Before we let you into Kensington Palace proper, you've gotta sweat it out at Nott Cott, HAHAHAHA!"

All that said, though, the place has also been dubbed a "love nest" where this couple began their life togethersweating, stooping, and sharing the loo. Who knows? Maybe they will one day look back on Nott Cott as the place where they shared some of their happiest times togethereven without AC.

The post Meghan Markle's New Home a Dump?! 5 Huge Flaws in Nottingham Cottage appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
Antoine Vermette scored twice and John Gibson stopped 37 shots to lead Anaheim to a 3-2 victory over the Blues in St. Louis on Wednesday night.

Kevin Roy also scored for the Ducks, who jumped to a 3-0 lead and held on to snap a four-game losing streak.
I guess we should not be surprised by yesterday's breathless, widespread reporting about how an airline glitch (or shall I say grinch!) was going to ruin everyone's Christmas.

A negative airline story always plays well during peak holiday season when air travel is top of mind. FULL STORY

More Information Chris McGinnis tracks fares and travel news on the TravelSkills.com blog. Sign up for email alerts or follow him on Twitter @cjmcginnis See More Collapse

My pat answer when the media called for an opinion about the American Airlines scheduling mess? "I'm sure this will be worked out. Too much money is at stake during peak holiday season. And money talks!"

And sure enough, American's debacle was worked out. And quickly. This morning the carrier released the following statement.

Out of the 200,000 flights American will operate in December, only a few hundred are currently unassigned to pilots. That number of open flights continues to decrease thanks to our pilots who are stepping up to the plate and picking up trips to ensure customers are taken care of. It's another example of why we are thankful to have such an incredible team. In addition, we have more reserve pilots on hand in December than normal months and they provide us with the ability to fly many of the trips that are currently uncovered. We have not canceled any scheduled flights in December and will continue to work to ensure both our pilots and our customers are cared for.

Glitches happen. Companies fix them. As SNL's Emily Litella says in this video, "Never mind."

Update: American Airlines pilots are now disputing the carrier's claims that only a few hundred flights are unassigned. Their union says that the number is still in the thousands. However, American Airlines says that it does not expect any cancellations in December due to the mix up. This is starting to sound more like a public airing of grievances between the airline and its pilots union than an operational issue travelers need to worry about.

Chris McGinnis is a travel blogger and editor of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.
1 Auschwitz guard: A German court has rejected the appeal of a former Auschwitz guard against serving his sentence on 300,000 counts of accessory to murder. The Celle state court ruled Wednesday that Oskar Groening was in good enough health to serve his four years in prison. But his attorney said hed pursue further action to keep the 96-year-old free, and the court said it wasnt clear when he might be jailed. Groening, an SS sergeant dubbed the accountant of Auschwitz for his role overseeing the collection of prisoners belongings and sending valuables and cash to Berlin, was convicted in 2015.

2 Protesters abused: Venezuelan state security forces systematically abused opposition protesters detained during months of deadly political unrest earlier this year, Human Rights Watch charged Wednesday. Some of the more than 5,000 people detained were beaten, sexually assaulted or given electrical shocks in what the New York-based rights group describes in a report as a level of repression unseen in Venezuela in recent memory. At least 120 people died during the unrest. Protests have died out in recent months following the election of a pro-government constitutional assembly now ruling with virtually unlimited powers.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras  Protests were growing in Honduras Thursday as incumbent President Juan Orlando Hernandez emerged with a growing lead for re-election following a reported computer glitch that shut down vote counting for several hours.

Challenger Salvador Nasralla has alleged fraud and said he wont respect the official results. Hes watched an initial five-point lead diminish in recent days as official results have trickled out.

On Thursday, Hernandez was ahead by more than 35,000 votes, with nearly 91 percent of Sundays votes processed. He had 42.7 percent of the vote to Nasrallas 41.5 percent.

Opposition supporters protested through the night outside the electoral courts facilities, setting up some highway roadblocks and lighting fires in the streets. Street protests continued Thursday with rock throwers facing off against police armed with tear gas and water cannons as calls to maintain calm were increasingly unheeded.

David Matamoros, president of the electoral court, said Thursday that officials had not finished counting in part because overnight they had to evacuate after tear gas drifted into the building.

He said that about 2,000 electoral reports from polling sites contained inconsistencies, including lacking signatures from members of the polling sites or not having seals. Those will most likely require a special count and it was unclear how many votes were at play in those cases, he said.

Representatives of the Organization of American States called for transparency in the count.

Protesters from the countrys interior gathered on the capitals outskirts Thursday, preparing to march in protest. Riot police equipped with batons and tear gas closed two central boulevards. Vehicles with water cannons for crowd control were visible.

Many schools and universities in the capital announced they would be closed through the weekend to keep students out of harms way. The Association of Banking Institutions recommended branches close Thursday afternoon in anticipation of street clashes.

Nasralla via Twitter asked his supporters to continue to protest peacefully and not be provoked into violence.

Freddy Cuevas is an Associated Press writer.
The government is planning "the biggest overhaul of housing policy since the time of the first Labour government" by building 100,000 new houses, re-inventing state housing and reviewing the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants more security, says Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford.

According to notes from a speech in Auckland this morning, Twyford said the government would "put the state back into state housing". It will reinvest Housing New Zealand surpluses into building new homes and upgrading existing ones, stop "the mass sell-off of state housing", and work to build relationships with state housing tenants including allowing them to own pets. The government will also work closely with community housing providers to grow the sector, he said.

Twyford reiterated the government's commitment to build 100,000 affordable homes for first home buyers, with half of those in Auckland. The government will set up a national urban development authority called the Housing Commission which will plan construction of communities with a mix of state housing, Kiwibuild homes and open market homes, he said.

A review of the Residential Tenancies Act will begin next year, "to deliver more security of tenure for renters. Because well over a third of us renting these days we cannot continue with the current outdated law," the minister said.

Twyford said he has been inspired by the first Labour government, which launched the state housing programme and introduced regulation on housing standards and rent increases. The government has recognised the country has a crisis, and will be "bold and broad" in response, he said.

(BusinessDesk)

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The government will cancel the previous administration's tax cuts, slow debt repayment and weed out low-priority spending to fund its policies, with the details to be set out in the Dec. 14 Budget update, says Finance Minister Grant Robertson.

He told an ANZ Breakfast in Auckland that by reversing National's tax cuts, which were to kick in next April, the coalition government will create "$8 billion of fiscal headroom over the forecast period." That would "more-than meet the costs of the 100 Day Plan and provide further resources to invest in Budget 2018 and beyond," he said in speech notes for the address.

The government would also slow debt repayments, aiming to reduce net core Crown debt to 20 percent of gross domestic product within five years. That was among Labour's policy pledges in its election campaign and pushes the target out to 2022 compared with National's target of 2020. Robertson said the government's commitments have yet to be finalised as part of the normal Budget process. He also flagged the use of infrastructure bonds to fund key infrastructure developments.

"We will, however be providing the current estimates of the costs of the policies in the coalition and confidence and supply agreements at the time of the release of the Budget Policy Statement," he said.

The high-level speech is short on detailed costings but Robertson indicated he is taking an all-of-government approach to finding the funding. He had told all ministers "to assess their budgets against the new governments priorities. If programmes are found that do not match these priorities then ministers should consider whether this funding can be re-invested in new, higher priority areas which match our strategy. This work is already underway and will contribute to Budget 2018 planning."

Robertson said he wanted to move away from using GDP alone as a measure of New Zealand's success. While economic growth has been relatively impressive "it tells us only a fraction of the story. Firstly, it is a measure of activity, not the quality of that activity. And secondly, on a per capita basis, our performance has been significantly less impressive than many of our OECD counterparts."

A broader framework was still being developed but would include core elements of lifting living standards and well-being. Those changes wouldn't be made in time for Budget 2018 but he planned to give more details at that time. Goals such as reducing child poverty would require amendment of the Public Finance Act, he said.

"Success for us will mean more than just a strong balance sheet - as important as that is," he said. "It will be marked by how we improve the well-being of all our citizens."

Repealing National's tax cuts would also fund the government's 'Families Package', which aimed "to give low and middle-income workers a much-needed boost in incomes and address inequality and child poverty."

Robertson said economists agree there will be some softening of economic growth over the next year "as the housing market remains flat and as net migration tapers off slightly."

"Then, there is a consensus of a stronger growth track through 2019 and 2020 which is expected to be supported by government policies such as increasing R&D tax credits, increased wages and export growth," he said. "In other words, well be swapping out population growth and the buying and selling of houses to each other as our two main growth drivers for much more sustainable ones. If that means slightly lower growth for a year while the transition to a productive economy occurs, then that will be a price worth paying."

(BusinessDesk)

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Apple Inc was granted Overseas Investment Office approval to buy PowerbyProxi last month for a consideration exceeding $100 million.

The change in ownership of the New Zealand wireless power developer was confirmed by Apple last month, although the world's biggest technology company refused to provide any details or the terms of the agreement. However, a summary of the OIO approval released today shows the deal needed sign-off because it crossed the $100 million threshold to be considered significant business assets. The exact figure has been withheld.

At the time of the sale, 74 percent of the company was owned by New Zealand-based investors. PowerbyProxi was spun out of the University of Auckland. In 2013, it attracted $4 million in funding from Samsung's venture capital arm, along with $5 million from New York-listed TE Connectivity and Wellington-based investment fund Movac.

TE Connectivity held 12.3 percent and Samsung Electronics had 10.8 percent when PowerbyProxi was sold, the OIO approval shows. Two UK-based shareholders were also mentioned: Eric Tracey, who held 1.2 percent, and Mark Jaffray, who had 0.7 percent.

The Oct. 11 approval falls within the time of caretaker government, with NZ First leader Winston Peters signing a coalition agreement with Labour on Oct. 19 and ministers sworn in a week later. The Overseas Investment Act has been targeted by the new government early, with changes flagged to effectively ban the sale of existing residential property to foreign buyers and ministers this week issuing a directive to the OIO over the sale of sensitive and rural land.

PowerbyProxi focuses on two key areas: consumer electronics and industrial applications. Its total portfolio consists of more than 350 patents, patent applications, and pending patents and it claims to "solve mission-critical problems in demanding, hostile industrial environments where the delivery of consistent power is imperative".

Its technology is used in things such as forestry and construction machinery aerospace and industrial sensors as well as wireless charging for mobile devices, something Apple has introduced with its latest glass-backed phones.

(BusinessDesk)

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The kiwi fell toward an 18-month low against the British pound on optimism the UK is overcoming hurdles to its European Union exit and was little changed versus the greenback after stronger US data.

The kiwi traded at 51.29 British pence as at 8am in Wellington from 51.55 pence late yesterday. It reached 51.16 pence on Nov. 17, the lowest since June 2016, when the UK voted to withdraw from the EU. The kiwi traded at 68.87 US cents from 68.88 cents yesterday and the trade-weighted index was at 72.70 from 72.68.

Optimism progress is being made on Brexit was stoked by comments from Irelands EU Commissioner Phil Hogan that he expected "movement" on the issue of the Irish border in the next few days, which has been a sticking point. British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to meet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at the start of the week and is expected to put forward the formal proposal for a 'divorce' ahead of a summit on Dec. 14 and the start of trade talks.

"The market is obviously taking a positive view that a key stumbling block  the Irish border issue  will be resolved early next week that will allow trade talks to finally begin," said Jason Wong, currency strategist at Bank of New Zealand. The "positive vibe around Brexit negotiations" has lifted the pound although "there's still a long, long way to go," he said.

The New Zealand dollar didn't move much against the US dollar after US gross domestic product was revised up to a pace of 3.3 percent in the third quarter while pending home sales jumped 3.5 percent in October, more than three times the pace expected. Meanwhile, departing Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen said economic growth was "increasingly broad-based across sectors as well as across much of the global economy.

In New Zealand today, traders will be watching for October building permits and the ANZ Business Outlook for November for any signs that sentiment is changing with the new government.

The kiwi dollar traded at 90.89 Australian cents from 90.80 cents and at 58.07 euro cents from 58.12 cents. It rose to 4.5523 yuan from 4.5455 yuan and rose to 77.05 yen from 76.78 yen.

(BusinessDesk)

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Is there a difference between big box stores and neighborhood retail stores?

Growing up in the 1980's I remember always going to the local hardware store with my parents when they needed stuff for our house like paint, a toilet seat, piece of lumber and even some nails or screws. There were really no big box home improvement centers on the island, besides Rickels and Pergament, and even those home improvement centers were not nearly as big and stocked with every construction item known to man, like the ones we have today.

National chain stores entice customers with a well-produced brand, and strategically advertised low prices, but the big box shopping experience leaves a lot to be desired. When selecting appliances, windows, doors, flooring and wall finishing products for your home, it is important to weigh the pros and cons of using the big box store's goods and services versus your local retail store.

Today you can walk into any big box home improvement center, seven days a week, some even 24 hours a day, and purchase anything from an entire kitchen with appliances down to a tiny lug nut. It's extremely convenient and you can buy anything you need to repair, or even build a home.

There isn't one person out there that will say they don't like convenience. We all want instant gratification in this day and age, and don't like to wait. And so, big box stores can sometimes provide what you need, when you need it. However, one of the major cons of shopping at a big box home improvement center is that you will never get the same personal service, attention and accessibility as you do when shopping at a local neighborhood business.

Typically when entering a big box store you are left to navigate a maze of thousands of items. You walk up and down the aisles until you find what you are looking for, and then, have a choice of 5 to 10 varieties of the same thing. Which is the right one for your project?

Have you ever tried to find an employee that can help you? It's like finding a needle in a haystack. And, when you finally find someone, they usually don't work in the department you need help in, so you now have to look for someone else. FRUSTRATING! In smaller home improvement centers and "mom and pop" shops, typically the owners are present, and knowledgeable staff are available to help.

What's even more frustrating is when you are having difficulty with a product that you purchased from a big box store. If you found it difficult to get assistance in the store, good luck trying to get someone on the phone to answer a technical question.

When purchasing home appliances, faucets, toilets, thermostats, windows and doors, it is important to know that the product lines in big box stores are not the same as those available at your local retail shops. The products offered in big box stores are typically mass produced, and come from the "builder's line" that the manufacturer offers, rather than their higher end lines offered in specialized home improvement stores.

What is best about going to a local specialized retailer is they employee knowledgeable staff that can explain the differences between the product lines offered by the manufacturers, along with information about efficiency ratings, and options in quality, color and materials. They will also be able to give you the lead times of your materials and the installation process, as the installation services are "in house" as opposed to being provided by a third party.

The biggest con that comes with shopping at big box home centers is they do not install the products they sell. All of their work is sub-contracted to outside vendors, who were required to go through a thorough application process, proving they are licensed and insured. However, these sub-contractors are not required by the big box stores to comply with local building code requirements, when they perform work in their customer's homes. Even worse, big box stores provide consumers a disclaimer on their contracts that they are not responsible for filing or obtaining permits, even if they are required, for the work they are contracted to do.

Furthermore, as the sub-contractor application process is completed on line, the quality of the sub-contractors workmanship is not vetted prior to the on-boarding process. How can a consumer be assured that the contractor that has been selected to provide services in their home will provide quality workmanship?

If you buy windows, doors, lighting, kitchen cabinets or flooring from one of the big retail chains, they only serve as the middle man between you, and another company that provides the installation. If you have a problem with the installation you will have to jump through hoops, like a circus dog, to try and get the right person on the phone to help rectify the issue as the big box store is only responsible for the products they sold you, not the service that was provided.

There are many instances where big box store contractors can wind up costing you more money, effort and time, in the long run. Improperly or illegally installed heating or air conditioning equipment, boilers, generators or hot water heaters, can lead to hefty fines, and may require they be removed to remedy a violation that may have been issued. There are clear electrical, plumbing and zoning specifications that need to be met when installing or replacing this type of equipment.

Whether or not you are using a contractor that has been assigned to you by a big box store, or that you have hired yourself, it is important to check the contractor's quality of work, other consumer reviews, licenses and insurance. Ultimately, you are responsible to maintain your home in compliance with local building code, and when you don't, you are the one that pays to bring it up to code.

When you shop at a local retailer that specifically sells and installs the brands and materials you need, you are in control of the transaction. You can select the grade of materials you want, and know who your contractor will be. You will also be able to directly communicate with the business, should you run into a problem.

It is also great to support your local businesses as their profits stay in the community. They hire local workers, pay for local services and give to local causes. Because they aren't part of a national purchasing plan, local businesses often source products from regional manufacturers and distributors. Consumers can walk out of a local business knowing that they supported American industry and their community.

Before considering your next home improvement purchase in a big box store, ask yourself what you are willing to give up for that experience.

So if you're in the market for windows, doors, flooring, a new kitchen or bath, make sure you do your homework and shop at a store which has a good reputation, and both sells and installs the products you need for your home. Most local businesses treat their customers like family and provide a clear line of communication when providing services to their customers.

John Kolbaska, Owner The Men with Tools Windows, Doors & Hardwood Floors

(347) 815-4151 www.themenwithtools.com

All our experts are licensed, bonded and insured members of the Staten Island Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (The Home Improvement Contractors of Staten Island). Homeowners should always consult with licensed professionals, check a contractor's license through the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs (call 311 for information) and ensure that their project complies with NYC DOB regulations before embarking on any home improvement project.

To ask your home improvement questions contact: questionsfortheexpert@gmail.com.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Tackling Youth Substance Abuse (TYSA) coalition and Friends of Recovery New York will host a public forum this weekend to discuss what is needed to support recovery efforts from opioid abuse.

The event will take place Sunday from 2 and 4 p.m. in New Dorp Moravian Church at 2205 Richmond Rd.

The goal is to engage community members and public officials in a discussion about what can help get/keep opioid addicts clean.

"Hearing the stories of recovery gives others hope that change is possible," said Jacqueline Filis, executive director of YMCA Counseling and chairwoman of the TYSA coalition. "It is time that we heard more stories about the recovery community on Staten Island and the many possibilities for those currently struggling with substance use disorder."

Public comments will be included in a published report which will be disseminated across the state to better educate the public and policy makers on addiction.

"More and more each day we see the dark side of addiction from the arrests to overdoses," said TYSA Executive Committee member Marco Di Donna of Carl's House of Recovery. "What we don't see is that there is a recovery community active and strong right here on Staten Island.

"We need to come together as a community and fight the stigma of addiction to make addiction and recovery socially acceptable."

TYSA is a coalition of people and organizations who have come together with a mission to decrease youth substance abuse on Staten Island. It's a partnership of both private and nonprofit organizations, city and state government agencies, philanthropists, parents, teachers and teens, many of whom have been working to combat alcohol and drug abuse for years.

Friends of Recovery New York is a statewide coalition of people in recovery from addiction. They include people in recovery, as well as families and friends who want to help people struggling with addiction recover and reclaim their life as a member of society.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Dantey Moore, the repeat offender accused of brutally knifing a 63-year-old grandmother to death in West Brighton for no apparent reason, had spent chunks of the past three years in jail for eight criminal convictions, prompting questions of why he was out on the street Monday and not behind bars.

But legal experts interviewed by the Advance pointed to the realities and limitations of the criminal justice system, calling Moore's sentences - all but one for misdemeanors -- "in line" with punishments citywide.

All told, Moore, 27, who is charged with murder for allegedly slaying Geetha Howie, 63, on the corner of Bement Avenue and Bement Court in broad daylight, has 15 criminal convictions, said a law enforcement source.

Fourteen of those convictions are for misdemeanors; one recent conviction was for a felony.

The stiffest jail sentence Moore received in any of his eight most recent convictions was 90 days, the source said.

On three occasions, the West Brighton resident received 45 days in jail, plus three years' probation. Two of those sentences ran concurrently.

On two other occasions, he was sentenced to 60 days and 45 days in jail, respectively.

At least six of the eight convictions dating to February 2015 appear to involve domestic violence issues.

In three instances, Moore violated orders of protection by showing up at his girlfriend's mother's house, the source said.

The defendant pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal contempt in those cases. That charge carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail. The minimum would be a non-jail sentence, which could consist of probation, a conditional discharge or unconditional discharge.

Moore also twice violated orders of protection by appearing at his girlfriend's home, most recently on June 16, when he kicked in a door frame, according to a criminal complaint.

Moore pleaded guilty in Criminal Court to a felony count of criminal contempt for the June 16 incident and was sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years' probation, the source said.

He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal contempt in the other case involving his girlfriend.

On Sept. 24, 2015, the defendant was arrested on a charge of obstruction of breathing. He later pleaded guilty to that charge and was sentenced to 60 days in jail, said the source, who did not have further details.

Previously, on Feb. 1, 2015, Moore was charged with child endangerment for an incident involving a 3 year old, the source said. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 45 days in jail.

The victim was his nephew, whom Moore shoved across the floor, the New York Post reported.

Another conviction, in December of last year, was on a misdemeanor drug charge for smoking PCP in public. Moore was sentenced to time served, said the source.

'Very Common'

Veteran criminal defense lawyer Mark J. Fonte said any public outcry over Moore's sentences isn't unexpected, but maintained the jail terms were appropriate for the types of crimes committed.

"Those sentences are very common for those low-level offenses," said Fonte, a former prosecutor. "Based on what I know, there's nothing unusual about the sentences he received on his cases. Those sentences are in line with what is commonly meted out citywide."

Fonte said he would have been surprised had such sentences been imposed in more serious felony cases.

A legal source with knowledge of both prosecution and defense said he understands the concern that Moore didn't get more jail time.

But, he agreed with Fonte, saying the sentences "don't seem out of the ordinary for the type of cases involved."

The source also pointed to the "historically challenging" nature of prosecuting a domestic violence case.

Complaining witnesses in such matters often grow less cooperative as the case progresses, due to their relationship with the defendant.

Consequently, those cases often result in plea deals, said the source.

The criminal justice system's limitations also come into play, said Fonte and the source.

The vast majority of cases plead out with sentences less than the maximum, often significantly so, because courts aren't equipped to try every case, they said.

"If everyone was offered the maximum sentence, there's no incentive to plead guilty," said Fonte. "Everyone would roll the dice" at trial.

Fonte also said Moore may have needed treatment, based on what's been reported.

Police described him as "emotionally disturbed" at the time of the incident.

"His history cries out, to me, that he seems to have mental-health issues, and if you give him 45 days or more, you're not going to solve the mental-health problem," said Fonte. "It will still be there when he gets out of jail."

Prosecutors declined comment on the case, and Moore's lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The husband of the slain grandmother was clutching a burning white candle close to his heart as he quietly wept.

The bursts of sobs came as David Howie listened to his daughter's touching statement about her mother's tragic death.

"She was a quiet and wonderful woman," he told the Advance during a candlelight vigil in West Brighton Wednesday evening. "My son and daughter are not doing well."

About 100 community members, including politicians and local clergy, attended the vigil to honor and remember Geetha Howie, the 63-year-old woman who was fatally stabbed in West Brighton Monday afternoon.

Howie said his wife had gone to the bank to deposit some jewelry and get some money before they left for their trip to Sri Lanka later that afternoon.

On her way home, she parked the car on Henderson and was attacked while walking home near Bement Avenue and Bement Court, the family said.

Howie began to worry when she didn't come back, and before he knew it the authorities were at his door.

"She didn't show, then maybe five to 10 minutes later, the police came to tell me my wife was in the hospital," said Howie, who was married for 37 years. "When we got there, she had passed away.

"I didn't get to see her."

"I loved her so much," said Howie's son-in-law, Daniel Fazzina.

During the vigil, neighbors and friends shared their fondest memories of Mrs. Howie, who helped people find jobs and offered home-cooked meals.

"She made me my first meal here in the U.S.," said Monica, the victim's friend. "I will never forget that. I call her my sister."

"She was a beautiful person, inside and out," said another neighbor. "We're all devastated."

A Buddhist monk and Catholic priest led the crowd in a group prayer, and Councilwoman Debi Rose expressed her condolences to the family.

A spokesman for Rep. Dan Donovan's office also offered his sympathies on behalf of the congressman who was in Washington, D.C.

Rose said when she heard the news, she immediately began crying because she couldn't comprehend the "inhumanity" of the attack.

"Everyone is friendly with her, the whole neighborhood," Howie said. "The neighborhood has been great, given us so much support. I've been here for 20 years and nothing like this has happened."

District Attorney Michael E. McMahon also reached out to the family and promised them he would do everything in his power to assure they get justice.

The suspect, Dantey Moore, 27, has a lengthy criminal history, and was charged with second-degree murder, several accounts of assault and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.

Moore allegedly stabbed the woman more than 15 times just after 2 p.m. The attack was unprovoked, prosecutors said.

The suspect was seen cradling the woman and heard saying: "She cheated. She cheated with everyone."

He is currently being held without bail.

"I don't how he was allowed to walk on the street with all his arrests," said a West Brighton resident at the vigil. "I don't understand our system."
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - So I'm Polish on my father's side. A little bit of Russian thrown in too, courtesy of my paternal grandmother. There's a Russian surname on that side of the family that's so complicated to spell that some of my father's aunts and uncles re-christened themselves Davis.

The Irish comes from my mom's side. Her maiden name was Courtney. There's also some Scottish in there, I'm told, thanks to my maternal grandfather's family. Rumor has it that we've got a little French blood on that side of the too.

At least, this is what I've been told over the years, mostly by my late mom, who was the genealogist of the family. I was still in junior high school when the "Roots" miniseries was on TV, so I was in that first wave when interest in researching your ancestry swept the country.

And you know what? I'm satisfied with that. I think I've got a pretty good handle on my background, my immigrant story.

Which is one reason why I've never been tempted to get one of those home DNA kits.

You know the ones. You collect your own DNA sample by swabbing inside your mouth or spitting into a vial or by plucking out a hair, then you send it off to some lab for analysis. Then word comes back about your ancestry. Maybe there's some surprises in the bloodline. Maybe you've a Viking. We've all seen those TV commercials.

Excuse me. Just hand my DNA over to some strangers? Are they kidding? What, you've never seen "The X-Files"? Or a movie about shady, evidence-planting spies?

OK, that's being a little hysterical. But all the same, I'm not sharing my vital stuff with anybody.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) was going on about ancestry kits recently. He warned consumers to be aware that those DNA companies could legally sell your vital genetic information out from under you.

With your consent, your information could be used in genetic research projects, for example. It could be used for marketing purposes, or as part of a process to create new commercial products. You continue to own your information, true, but an ancestry company has the licensing rights to sell it as they see fit.

Schumer stressed that he didn't think these companies were being nefarious, but rather that consumers might not be making informed consent decisions regarding the potential future uses of their DNA samples. He wants the Federal Trade Commission to ensure that these ancestry companies clearly spell out to consumers what uses their DNA could be put to once they offer it up.

For their part, the companies have said that they do nothing without the consumer's consent, and that they will delete the DNA information upon request and destroy the genetic sample you supplied to them.

Which is all very well and good, but it's still an awful risk to be taking. So make sure you read the fine print on any agreement that you sign if you make use of one of these kits.

And there are even more concerns. What if your ancestry firm is hacked? What if your sample is stolen? Even under the best of circumstances, your info could be sold again and again and again. You don't know where your info could end up or who could have access to it. And with technology advancing so fast these days, who knows what potential use your info could be put to?

In an age where we so jealousy guard our privacy, our PIN numbers and computer passwords, why would we even take such a chance?

You want to find out where you come from, ask mom and dad.
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Aadita Chaudhury is a Toronto-based university student and writer. A quick review of her Twitter feed reveals that she doesn't like white people very much. Her favourite terminology includes words like: Nazi, white supremacy, fascism, and racism. In summary, she is the perfect archetype of a Social Justice Warrior (SJW).

As Jordan Peterson and PhD student Christine Brophy have discussed in detail before, Radical Leftists like Chaudhury have a strong tendency to have personality disorders.

Recently Ms. Chaudhury penned an attack piece on Lindsay Shepherd:



In the end, it is at the very least clear that Shepherd is no Joan of Arc of free speech as many have modeled her to be. Free speech doesn't excuse for incompetence or passing off falsehoods as "equally valid positions", which was the issue at hand, nor does it give her the right to hold court on whether trans identities are real, as if their lives are up for debate. It's true that Laurier did a rather poor job of handling all of this, but I do think they threw an untenured professor of colour under the bus to avoid media scrutiny. His only mistake was comparing Jordan Peterson to someone who committed genocide, when in reality, he is better compared to someone who denies genocide ever happened.

Throughout her lengthy piece, she repeatedly tosses the usual SJW epitaphs at Shepherd and then mocks her sincerity, using terms like "white tears" and "white fragility".

Aadita Chaudhury clearly seems to fit the dictionary definition of "racism", though undoubtedly she would insist that it's impossible for someone with her pigmentation to be a racist. Uh huh. The most fascinating thing about her screed is that she is using her free speech rights to try to justify squelching the free speech rights of another Canadian. That irony is thicker than molasses on a winter day in Northern Ontario.
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A Canberra court has closed a criminal case against a man who was found dead before he could face trial over an explosion outside the Australian Christian Lobby offices.

Jaden Duong, 36, was set to fight allegations of arson and property damage at trial, arguing he was mentally impaired when he drove a van packed with gas cylinders into Eternity House at Deakin in December 2016.

His case was mentioned briefly in the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday, when lawyer Peter Woodhouse said his client died on September 25. Police said at the time there were no suspicious circumstances.

Prosecutors filed an abatement notice to formally cease its prosecution of the charges. The court heard the matter was finalised.
"Many of you wouldn't know this but I've never known a life without trauma."

An emotional Rosie Batty addressed an unusual audience at the National Gallery of Australia on Thursday morning: a marquee full of firefighters, police officers and school students all busily colouring-in.

Cooma's Taylah Brooks, 14, helped organise the fundraiser as part of her work with Project O. Credit:Karleen Minney

Ms Batty was in Canberra to launch Colourathon, a national day of action that saw close to 1000 Australians pick up a coloured pencil and create a mini artwork to raise awareness and funds for family and domestic violence.

Colourathon focused specifically on the needs of children in family and domestic violence situations.
An ACT Legislative Assembly committee will investigate Labor Senator Katy Gallagher's 2015 declaration stating that she was not a foreign citizen.

The inquiry will investigate the Assembly's two past nominations for Senate casual vacancies, including Senator Gallagher's nomination, as part of a territory response to the widening citizenship crisis engulfing the federal parliament.

Senator Katy Gallagher's citizenship declaration will face an ACT Assembly inquiry. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

It follows an Opposition push for twin inquiries - one into the administrative process and a second "privileges" probe into Senator Gallagher's nomination.

Greens leader Shane Rattenbury, who holds the balance of power in the Assembly, would not back a specific probe into Senator Gallagher's nomination.
Members will generally receive two points per dollar spent (or four for the first six months) at Rockpool's premium and casual dining options, such as Sake Restaurant and Bar and the Argyle, and one point per dollar spent (or two for the first six months) at Rockpool's fast casual options, like Burger Project Fratelli Famous and Sake Jr.

The rewards system is set to launch on Friday and for the first six months until May 31, 2018 members will earn double the usual number of points per dollar.

Under the new arrangement Qantas frequent fliers can also pick up the bill at these restaurants, which include the likes of Rockpool Bar and Grill, Fratelli Fresh and the Burger Project, with their points.

Qantas has struck a deal with Rockpool Dining Group that will allow frequent flyer members to earn points at any of their restaurants.

Redeeming points to cover your meal incurs a rate of $20 per 4000 points, and the minimum redemption increment is 4000 points.

Based on that, it would take over 6000 Burger Project classic burgers to fly economy from Sydney from Paris (based on an estimate of 60,000 points), or 800 to fly to Melbourne (based on an estimate of 8000 points) - or half these amounts if you ate them all in the next six months. And for the same number of points it would take to get a one-way ticket to Melbourne, you could buy four burgers.

The move comes Qantas has been expanding its frequent flyer program significantly over the past few years. Most recently, they secured a partnership with Uber that will allow users to earn points on trips to and from the airport if they book them at the same time as their flights.

Rewards are also available to people using Airbnb, and even for staying fit in partnership with private health insurer NIB. All of these partnerships are leading to the rewards program becoming one of Qantas' most profitable divisions.

While Qantas rewards are already up for grabs for making bookings at partnered restaurants on Qantas' website, this is the first time points have been able to be both earned and spent with any one partner. If people also book their meal through Qantas and pay with a frequent flyer credit card, they could earn three sets of points on their meal while dining at any of the Rockpool brands - one point per dollar on the card and 100 points per diner for booking.
After years of campaigning for victims of fraud and misconduct in the financial services sector, Susan Henry says she was "just stunned, frankly" when she heard a royal commission was finally going ahead.

Henry, one of thousands of people caught up in the collapse of Timbercorp, the managed investment scheme spruiker whose finance arm was substantially bankrolled by ANZ, had just got home after walking her dogs in the morning heat when she turned on the television news.

"It is an inevitable, long overdue, and very welcome development," she says.

Henry's money was ploughed into bad investments by Melbourne-based former financial adviser, Peter Holt, whose company, the Holt Norman group, exposed 460 investors to Timbercorp before its collapse in April 2009 with debts of $750 million.
The Australian Federal Police interviewed billionaire James Packer on Wednesday in connection with the Israeli investigation into its Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israeli investigators listened in on the interview, which is looking into allegations that the Netanyahu family received lavish gifts, including champagne, cigars, fine clothes and jewellery, from wealthy businessmen including Mr Packer.

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by James Packer, who was interviewed in a witness capacity by the AFP. Credit:AAP

Israeli state employees and elected officials are forbidden from accepting gifts, but Mr Netanyahu has characterised the items in question as personal gifts from friends.

This reportedly includes providing luxury holidays and hotels for the PM's family as well as free tickets to concerts given by Mr Packer's then fiancee, pop chanteuse Mariah Carey.
The Chinese company's offer is a 31 per cent premium on AWE's Wednesday closing price of 54 cents a share. The proposal also includes shares issued under AWE's current Share Purchase Plan, which is slated to run until 14 December.

AWE's board has not rejected the offer, but said "its initial reaction is that the indicative proposal is not sufficiently attractive to provide access to due diligence".

The Chinese-owned firm has made an unsolicited, non-binding, indicative and conditional proposal at 71 cents a share.

Whilst above the market price, the offer is well below recent analyst valuations, which have strenghtened recently due to AWE's Waitsia project's 78 per cent increase in proven and probable reserves to 811 petajoules.

RBC Capital Markets has placed a valuation of 91 cents a share for AWE, an upgrade from its previous valuation of 68 cents a share.

Its analyst Ben Wilson concurred with the board's assessment of the offer.

"While any bid from a company associated with [China Energy parent China National Petroleum Corporation] must be taken seriously, we think the bid pricing needs to be higher to engage the board and major shareholders," Mr Wilson said.

"This could be an exercise in price discovery from the bidding party and an attempt to compel the board to engage with major shareholders, particularly if more hedge funds come on the register."
Supermarkets selling home brand milk for $1 a litre is not to blame for Australian dairy farmers being paid low farm-gate prices, the competition watchdog has found.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has instead fingered a power imbalance between farmers and milk processors, and called for a mandatory code of conduct to strengthen farmers' bargaining power and improve their share of profits.

"Processors, often under pressure from supermarkets or export market competition, use their relative bargaining power to shift risks onto dairy farmers," ACCC commissioner Mick Keogh said after releasing the watchdog's interim report into the dairy industry on Thursday.

Mr Keogh said the power imbalance saw farmers enter supply contracts that had unclear pricing terms, and with clauses that discouraged them from switching to a rival processor.
Speaking at a leadership retreat on the Gold Coast, in May this year, the former Chief of the Defence Staff Chris Barrie observed that the world was "sleepwalking" towards a global conflagration, similar to that of 1914. Having spent the better part of four decades in the Australian Defence Force I have a propensity towards realism, manifested as pessimism about the state of global affairs.

To paraphrase the Life of Brian, I always look on the dark side of life. Of course, it is the peculiar vanity of human beings to consider the era through which we are living to be of unprecedented challenges and threats.

Illustration: Simon Letch

Yet, even by my pessimistic standards, I believe that the global situation is extremely parlous, and it is deteriorating. For the first time since the Cold War, there is real risk of nuclear exchanges between major powers. Readers may be surprised that I consider the risk of a nuclear exchange between the United States and North Korea among the least likely threats of nuclear war facing the world currently.

Sure, the North Korean regime is volatile and extreme, but its primary objective is survival and the maintenance of its odious incestuous kleptocracy. However, I regard the risk of a nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan to be far greater than war between the United States and Korea. That risk is compounded by the avowed willingness of the Pakistani military to employ nuclear weapons on their own soil in a crisis.
Ryan Hemsley, Wright Strange proposals The Government's Housing Choices Discussion paper is producing some strange proposals. David Shearer of the Independent Property Group is advocating dual and triple occupancies on blocks larger than 800m2 and 1000m2 respectively, in RZ1 Suburban Zones ("Cap plot ratios at 35 per cent", November 27, p.1). At present this zone comprises housing that is low rise and predominantly single dwelling and low density in character.

He is effectively proposing that all blocks of 800m2 or larger, wherever they are in an RZ1 zone, be zoned as RZ2. These zones are supposed to be close to local shops or group centres, and have easy access to public transport. Random re-zoning to allow higher density developments anywhere in an RZ1 zone should not be encouraged, particularly as it would reduce the area available for trees and increase the dependence on the motor car. Many of the designated blocks would be over 200 metres from local shops or bus routes. Meanwhile, Rob Hendry of the ACT Chapter of Architects Australia (CT 28 November), is proposing intensification along transport corridors and apartments with no off-road car spaces; welcome to increased traffic congestion, more cars parked on the street and Parramatta Road look-alikes in the ACT. There must be better ways to plan the nation's capital.

David Denham, Griffith Build a bridge ... While driving west along Parkes Way from the ANU underpass, many of your readers will have noticed that the bridges over Sullivan's Creek are now called the Sir Mark Oliphant bridges, presumably because of their proximity to the Research School of Physics. There are actually four bridges, two in each direction, all widened to three lanes a few years ago. If you drive westward in the centre lane, you will observe that the first bridge you see one of those actually designated the Sir Mark Oliphant bridge hasn't been finished. The footings are in place but the beams that would carry the roadway aren't. It would cost a minute fraction of the cost of the Great Northern Tram Green Elephant to complete the bridge, probably less than it cost to build the inner city bike path which carries perhaps sixty bikes an hour, compared with the sixty cars every few minutes that go over those bridges.

What an insult to the great man to name a bridge after him that hasn't even been completed. Stan Marks, Hawker Wireless warning Dr Merrilyn Fitzpatrick's letter on the new rule to increase use of smart meters is timely (Letters, November 29). Of the various concerns she raises, the increasing penetration of wireless devices and saturation of the environment with electromagnetic fields is a significant public health concern.

The Oceania Radiofrequency Scientific Advisory Association has assembled a large database of scientific studies in this area, and these confirm the significant risks to public health, and the adverse biological effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (see www.orsaa.org). Of course, it is important to note that many of the so-called "no effect" findings come from industry-sponsored research studies. Getting a smart meter refusal notice into your electricity retailer is important, particularly where utilities/retailers decide to replace functional analogue meters with smart meters under the guise of maintenance, which can occur with little or no notice. Dr Murray May, Member ORSAA, Cook Query over Molan

Kym MacMillan, in support of retired general Jim Molan as a suitable candidate for the Senate, states (Letters, November 25) that Australia's wars are conducted "with full regard to the ... laws of conflict". That being the case, when there are reports of very serious crimes having been committed, such as reports of civilians in Fallujah having their water, electricity and humanitarian aid cut off in November 2004, when Molan was in charge of the assault on the Iraqi city, surely they must be subject to exhaustive, transparent and independent investigation. To my knowledge nothing of the sort has happened and Molan has not denied the reports. Kym MacMillan might not care about this, but plenty of people do. Sue Wareham, Cook

If only elected politicians could be bothered to do the job they're paid to Why are politicians elected? Generally it is to represent their constituents and their views and sometimes their own, as more broadly representative of a community position. Take same-sex marriage as an example. Zed Seselja, only a day after lambasting his own party colleagues as betrayers of both the "yes" and "no" vote if they did not support amendments aimed at allowing the religious to continue to discriminate against gay and lesbian people, abstained in the vote.

He couldn't even find the personal decency to vote the way his supporters expected. Maybe he just changed his mind and no longer holds the views he previously espoused? If so, he should fess up. Another stand out was Pauline Hanson, never lost for words when criticising the major parties in her defence of the supposedly downtrodden. Where was she? Abstaining as well due to not being able to make up her mind. What do we pay these people for, clearly it is to monopolise the media with their personal opinions while avoiding the commitment their elected office demands, while continuing to enjoy the "gravy train".

They are a waste of space and the electorate should punish them for it. Ian Shepherd, Cook The real warmongers US hysteria over North Korea and China should be ignored. So what if the DRK tests, probably unarmed, ICBM's?

They are most likely defensive deterrents. The USA and Russia have thousands of them while the UK, France, Pakistan, India, China and Israel have dozens of them. I am fine with China establishing small bases on rocky islands in the South China Sea to protect their approaches too. The USA established bases on Japanese islands like Guam and Okinawa after World War 2 as well as dozens of bases in countries like Australia and Japan. Its all about the USA trying to create fear and to support the US military-industrial complex which means jobs and profits. The USA always has to have an enemy even warring with themselves twice in 1776 and 1861. The USA has invaded many countries like Cuba and Philippines over 100 years ago and Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, Iraq and Afghanistan more recently.

The USA is truly a war monger nation supported by deranged red necks in the Congress. But it is not the only country run by political loonies. Adrian Jackson, (Infantry Officer 1972-95), Middle Park, Vic More consideration Discrimination laws and exemptions from those laws raise complex issues requiring community debate and mature consideration. Some are now contending that the same sex marriage legislation should enable business owners who oppose same-sex marriage to refuse services such as flowers and cakes to same-sex weddings.

To what extent would the community support exemptions from discrimination laws based on opinion and belief? Should a business owner who disliked Muslims (or Jews or Hindus) be free to refuse services to Muslim (or Jewish or Hindu) weddings? Should a gay business owner upset by the opposition of some Anglican and Catholic bishops to same-sex marriage be free to refuse services to Anglican and Catholic weddings? Surely the nature and scope of discrimination laws and exemptions from those laws require more community consideration than can be given over a few days during the passage of the same sex-marriage legislation. Ernst Willheim, Forrest

Freedoms Now the SSM survey has wasted $120million to produce albeit a worthwhile result that our federal parliamentarians were too gutless to resolve, we are now seeing our incompetent Canberra parliamentarians tearing themselves apart over so called religious freedoms. What more freedoms do the god-botherers want? The following come to mind: sharia law, arranged marriages, reintroduction of the inquisition, the burning of heretics and so on. One hundred years ago the Russians almost got it right when they banned religion. If they had brought it under state control, they may have been more successful in their failed attempt to redesign the world.

J. J. Goold, Mudgeeraba, Qld Existential threats So, a Prime Minister who claims that "we don't do witch hunts in Australia", stands ready to deflect attacks on his leadership from within his own party by accusing Senator Sam Dastyari of undermining national security and being disloyal to our country ("'Whose side is he on?' Malcolm Turnbull says Sam Dastyari should be sacked", canberratimes.com.au, November 30. And in what must be a low point in the absurdity of this carefully confected hysteria, the ABC asked the Attorney-General if Senator Dastyari's behaviour amounted to treason. It would now seem that Australia has become a place where anyone who does not slavishly support the interests of the US and Israel, let alone harbour ambitions that our government might demonstrate independence of thought, must represent an existential threat to our precious pretend democracy. If Senator Dastyari is really deserving of the scorn and derision that has been heaped on him from all quarters, then surely the same must be true for all the self-important, self-serving, hypocritical poseurs who are a plague on our nation's capital.

John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW Trump and Lincoln Trump's critics mock him for comparing himself to Abraham Lincoln. In fact, Lincoln forged a strong bond with Tsar Alexander when he freed 23 million Russian serfs. Lincoln admired the Russians to the extent he proposed to emigrate there in 1855 if the Know-Nothings took power.

Lincoln articulated admiration of Russia to his law partner and friend, Joshua Spzed on August 24, 1855: "As a nation, we begin by declaring that "all men are created equal." We now practically read it "all men are created equal, except negroes." When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read "all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and catholics." When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretence of loving liberty  to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy". President Lincoln would have supported President Trump in a like-minded attempt to befriend an alliance with Russia. Who knows, maybe together with US allies around the world, including our friends in Australia, we can defeat Isis, neutralise nuclear North Korea and curtail China from militarising the South China Sea. Paul Mellen, Duxbury, Massachusetts, US TO THE POINT

BANKING ON INDECISION I am imagining what's going on behind the scenes of Thursday's dramatic announcement by the Prime Minister, Mr Turnbull, of a royal commission into the banking industry: "no but, yes but, no but, yes but ... (exit, pursued by a bear)". Annie Lang, Kambah TWO BOB EACH WAY? Zed abstained from the Senate same-sex marriage vote. Could it be that he lacks the courage of his well-publicised convictions, or that he's just having two bob each way?

Ed Highley, Kambah MISSING IN ACTION Where was Senator Seselja when the SSM vote took place? His FB page reported he attended a Canberra school three hours earlier. Mark Howard, Forde AND THE AWARD GOES TO ...

Zed Seselja abstained from voting on the same-sex legislation. He should be awarded this year's Brendan Smyth Award for Overpaid Irrelevance. John Galvin, Weston DASTYARI'S FRIENDS Sam Dastyari only has himself to blame for the pressure on him for the company he keeps. If I see him at a beach during my Christmas break on the south coast I'll be keeping an eye out for a Chinese submarine. Bill Deane, Chapman

WELCOME SENATOR Welcome to new senator Jordon Steele-John! So let's all get the terminology right now. He's a person with a disability; definitely not a disabled person. Lew Rushbrook, Weston A LITTLE AID PLEASE With Christmas coming could Shanghai Sam please put in a good word with his Chinese mates to help me pay some bills?

Thos Puckett, Ashgrove WRONG DISSIDENT Actually Bill Deane, the character Reg (John Cleese) in Life of Brian complaining about "What have the Romans ever done for us?" was not an Arab dissident. He was a Jewish dissident. Paul Dixon, Fraser A NICE CUPPA

Methinks, Mike Reddy, old chap, (Letters, November 30) you just missed morning tea but you did make it home for elevenses. Mick Richardson, Macgregor PRINCIPAL'S SACKING What the devil? ("Christian school sacks principal", November 30, p1). I thought I caught a whiff of sulphur. Barrie Smillie, Duffy
What do you give a post-materialist for Christmas? To rephrase the question politically: what can the ALP offer inner-city Green voters to buy their support? By all accounts, Labor's brains trust is squaring with the reality that no boutique social policy hampers, no metaphorical Oxfam goats for impoverished villages, will be enough to win over this demographic. The very act of wooing them appears fatal; in politics, as in dating, desperation is a turn-off.

Since the Greens' stunning victory in the Northcote byelection last month I have read commentators' post-mortems on what the party did right and Labor wrong. None ring true. At least in Queensland the Adani coal mine helps explain the Greens' surge in inner-city Brisbane at last weekend's state election.

But not so in Victoria, home to the country's most progressive state government. Pundits variously interpreted the Northcote result as the electorate seizing the chance to elect the first Indigenous woman to State Parliament; punishing the ALP "machine" for standing a candidate from a right-wing sub-faction and stymieing Jane Garrett's bid for upper-house preselection; backing the Greens' proposal for a Great Forest National Park; and all of the above and then some.

I must admit I had to read up on this push for the national park; my ears weren't exactly ringing with protest songs. Turns out it wasn't just me: in October only one in five Victorians had heard about the proposal, according to one of its chief promoters, Sarah Rees, a founding member of the Great Forest National Park working group. If the desire for this national park was a major reason for Northcote's massive swing then the Greens pulled off one breathtakingly swift public education effort.
End-of-year school reports are making their way to parents and carers. For many, it's a major contact with the school. Most look forward to the reports, even if their children don't.

But what's their value? Do they actually tell parents anything useful?

There are no serious studies evaluating Australian school reports. Credit:Virginia Star

Teachers generally hate writing them. They take up a lot of time, and teachers don't believe they are allowed to be as honest as they would like to be. Their reports are censored.

They didn't used to be. Peter Frost (not his real name) teaches in a NSW public high school. "I used to be able to write, for example, that student A had been persistently disruptive, that he didn't follow instructions," he tells me. "Then I was told I couldn't say that. The principal told me not to be negative. But I was trying to be truthful."
The Wentworth report is among the latest in a flurry of recent reports into water management in the basin. Reforms for the 23 river systems that make up the Murray-Darling Basin are largely slowed to a trickle, the Westworth Group says. Credit:Jessica Shapiro These include a compliance review released last week, a scathing assessment by the NSW Ombudsman earlier this month - which disclosed for the first time it had conducted three previous investigations in the sector - and the NSW government's own independent commissioner's report also released on Thursday. The irrigation community had been a "major beneficiary" of water reforms so far, with "windfall gains" made from a large transfer of water entitlements from public to private ownership, the report said. These gains had been boosted by the plan's $2.7 billion investment in acquiring water entitlements from "willing sellers" and $3.6 billion in investments to modernise irrigation infrastructure worth an average of $400,000 per irrigation business, it said. That latter sum could rise to $700,000 by the end of the plan.

'Inconceivable' Despite the largesse, however, metering remains poor with about one-third of overall water use in the basin continuing to be unmetered despite $500 million invested in water accounting. "[I]t is inconceivable that we do not know how much water is being extracted from surface and groundwater systems for consumptive use," the report said. Metering varied, with South Australia monitoring 95 per cent of water use the best, and Queensland the worst, at just 32 per cent. NSW, by far the biggest extractor, metered only about two-thirds of use. Dr Pittock said the implementation of the readily available technology "would go a long way to rebuilding trust in the governance of our water".

Another way to boost support for the plan would be to divert more of the remaining $5.1 billion to diversify industries in towns doing it tough, such as Moree and Deniliquin in NSW and Renmark in SA, Dr Pittock said. Many of the agricultural job losses experienced across the basin were due to the automation of farming, such as round bailing machines, and "have nothing to do with Basin Plan", he said. Total demand for seasonal workers in the irrigation industry had dropped 75 per cent between 1999 and 2013. 'Appalling' environmental progress Environment measures, too, continue to be poor across the basin. Native fish populations in the Murray River have dropped to just 10 per cent of pre-colonial era levels over the past century, the report said. While many of the wetlands had shown some improvement - such as the Gwydir wetlands - "they remain in a degraded condition" and fall short of the ecological standards listed in the plan's treaty, it said.

The plan had aimed to "export" or remove 2 million tonnes of salt a year, but was averaging less than half that goal. "It's appalling that we're only exporting half the salt that we targeted," Dr Pittock said. "It's appalling that the health of the red gum forests continues to decline, and it's appalling the number of water birds has flatlined." The plan to recover 3200 gigalitres of water for the environment from an annual use in 2012 of 13.6 GL, was about two-thirds achieved. Even so, that sum fell well short of the 3.86 to 6.98 GL the Murray Darling Basin Authority gave as its best estimate of water recovery to secure the system's health, the report noted.

One issue was to insure that environment water secured in say, Queensland, did not "become fair game" for extra extraction once it flowed across the border into NSW, Dr Pittock said. "The public's paid a lot of money for that water in Queensland and it should be able to be shepherded all the way down the Darling, and down to the Coorong [in South Australia]," he said. He also singled out Victoria for bowing to farmers - such as between the Eildon Weir and Seymour on the Goulburn River - for blocking pulses of environmental water needed for downstream ecosystems. "They've gone backwards," Dr Pittock said. "It means the floodplain forests of Victoria will die, let alone those further down river." 'Who wears the loss?'

The basin-wide recovery estimates also ignored the potential for the loss of so-called return flows, as irrigation became more efficient and less of the irrigated water leaked back into environment. The issue of climate change also remained largely overlooked. "There is a big risk with climate change that we end up with less water in the basin, particularly in the southern basin," Dr Pittock said. "The governments have said 'it's too hard...that we'll deal with in 2026'" when the plan will be reviewed, he said. "That's not really good enough." "If there's less water in the basin due to climate change, who wears the loss? Is it the farmers, is it environment or is the federal government?" Dr Pittock said.

'Balance' Niall Blair, NSW's water minister, said his government was committed to "balancing the requirements of our food and fibre growers, communities and the environment". "NSW will follow the COAG-agreed implementation plan for the Basin Plan as the most credible way to deliver the Plan on time and in full," he said. COAG ministers are due to meet to discuss progress on the plan on December 19, with a follow-up meeting next year to implement changes. Jeremy Buckingham, the NSW Greens water spokesman, though, said the Wentworth report shows the plan is "on the brink of failure because of recalcitrant states, a tame Murray Darling Basin Authority, a dysfunction water market that is being rorted, a lack of compliance, and National Party water ministers acting to destroy it".

"We have had cascading reports concluding the Murray Darling Basin Plan is failing and billions of taxpayer's dollars are being wasted on projects that are not restoring our rivers and wetlands," he said. Steve Whan, chief executive of the National Irrigators' Council and a former NSW MP, said removal of constraints on flooding was one of the "very challenging issues to be dealt with". "It's easy for someone sitting in Canberra to make statements about needing to speed this up," Mr Whan said. "On the ground though, we are talking about flooding people's properties, and most Australian's would agree that needs to be approached in a cautious and consultative way." Loading The group "strongly disagreed" with some aspects of the Wentworth report, particularly criticism about infrastructure investment and the poor metering in some regions.
Summer is likely to get off to a stormy and sodden start for much of eastern Australia as an unusual weather combination brings tropics-like deluges on inland regions.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for a swathe of NSW from Cooma in the south-east to Wentworth in the west and towards Cobar in the north.

The region can expect heavy rainfall, reaching in excess of 100 millimetres during Friday and Saturday. Some parts closer to the ranges near Victoria could collect double that rainfall.

Damaging winds averaging 90km/h and peaking at more than 110km/h are possible over alpine areas from late on Friday.
A Japanese harpoon strikes the whale with a stomach-turning thud. The exhausted animal is hauled from the water, flesh torn, purple organs spilling from its body.

This is the shocking evidence of a Japanese whaling hunt in an Australian whale sanctuary that the federal government did not want you to see.

After a five-year freedom-of-information battle, marine conservation group Sea Shepherd has obtained unreleased footage, shot by Australian customs officials, which reveals in distressing detail the killing of a minke whale by a so-called Japanese "research" ship.

The federal government fought to have the footage kept secret, arguing that it would harm relations with Japan  prompting accusations it prioritised diplomatic interests over protecting the whales and representing the views of Australians who want the annual killing spree stopped.
The Turnbull government has set itself a week to find a chief commissioner to head the royal commission into banking and financial services after a dramatic policy backflip saw it establish an inquiry far broader in scope than any proposed by rebel MPs.

The result will be the largest investigation of the financial services sector in Australian history, with sweeping powers to examine all cases of misconduct, including breaches of professional standards across the insurance, banking and superannuation industries.

The government had been scrambling to set up a compensation tribunal to be funded by banks to avoid a royal commission, but the forced policy shift means the tribunal is now likely to be delayed by more than a year.

It is understood the most likely scenario will be the commission recommends a redress scheme for victims of misconduct to be set up after it hands down its findings in February 2019.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says he has lost faith in Sam Dastyari and no longer trusts his judgment following a series of damaging revelations, but is resisting Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's calls for the besieged Labor senator to quit Parliament.

Mr Shorten stripped Senator Dastyari of his roles as deputy opposition whip in the Senate and chair of a parliamentary committee after audio emerged that contradicted his defence of a 2016 press conference in which he sympathised with China's position in the South China Sea dispute, contradicting Labor policy.

The recording came after Fairfax Media revealed that Senator Dastyari gave counter-surveillance advice to businessman Huang Xiangmo, a Chinese Communist Party-linked political donor previously paid a legal bill for him and stood beside him at the notorious press conference.

It is the second time Mr Shorten has demoted Senator Dastyari, who was forced off the opposition frontbench in late 2016 following the initial revelations concerning his dealings with Chinese interests in Australia. The senator has since sought to rehabilitate his image and was promoted to the deputy whip position in February.
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro says Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull should quit before Christmas as a gift to the country.

The Nationals leader said he had "lost all hope" in the Prime Minister after the LNP's apparent loss in the Queensland election. While Queensland LNP leader Tim Nicholls is refusing to concede defeat, so far the party has only 36 seats of the required 47 to win a majority.

"What really got my goat on Sunday was to hear the Prime Minister of this nation turn around and say there were no federal issues that affected the state government and the state election," Mr Barilaro told outspoken 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones.

"I mean that's just a joke. If you're completely out of touch like that comment  in my mind it just shows there is no leadership."
What is it with banks? The Coalition began dismantling the rules Labor had put in place to protect the public from them within weeks of taking office.

The task fell to Arthur Sinodinos, a former chief of staff to prime minister John Howard who had come to parliament from the National Australia Bank.

Labor's Future of Financial Advice Act banned conflicted remuneration (bonuses for tellers and other staff who steered customers towards profitable products) and imposed an overarching obligation on financial advisers to act in the "bests interests" of their clients.

Sinodinos said the "best interests" requirement would go. Bonuses would still be allowed under certain circumstances. Also out would be requirements that financial advisers inform existing customers how much they are removing from their accounts in the form of commissions, and to ask them to renew the arrangement every two years. They were "burdensome red tape".
It was either poignant, or poetic justice, that Sam Dastyari announced his resignation from all parliamentary positions on the same day a royal commission into the banks was called. No one in the Labor opposition has done more to agitate against the banks than Dastyari.

His relentless self-promotion, his eye for a media opportunity, his intimacy with journalists, and what one Labor insider calls his "Larry Emdur act", were all weaponised to help bring about a financial sector inquiry.

It must have been galling for Dastyari to announce what many believe is effectively the end of his political career, on the day he should have been celebrating a political victory.

Dodgy banking practices were one of Dastyari's pet issues, along with corporate multinational tax dodging, media ownership and the decline of independent journalism.
Over the past few days, social media gossip has been led entirely by royal-watchers speculating not over what bride-to-be Meghan Markle will wear on her big day, or whether the baby countdown will soon begin, but over a far bigger issue: that of her new sister-in-law by marriage.

One camp is determined that she and Kate Middleton will become best of friends, sharing fashion tips and girls' nights in, while the other half are whipping up rivalry before the engagement outfit has even been returned to the wardrobe. (Meghan's was much more chic than Kate's blue Issa wraparound, is the general consensus.)

Meghan Markle doesn't have the same kind of pressures as Kate Middleton and can be more relaxed. Credit:Canadian Press/AP

But it's not surprising we're fascinated. As sisters-in-law, wives to perhaps the most famous - and famously close - brothers in the world, it's inevitable that the two women will be seeing a lot of one another. And unlike a friendship, a familial relationship with an equally high-profile woman of almost the same age (Meghan is 36, to Kate's 35) is a fait accompli. They'll have to get along - or at least they'll have make it look as though they do.

To date, there has been nothing beyond careful praise on both sides. As Harry explained, "William was longing to meet [Meghan] and so was Catherine."
The tree is up, the holiday house is ready to go and now it's time to buy Christmas presents. Luckily, some well-known brands are going on sale before Christmas so you can snap up some presents. Just don't forget to treat yourself, too.

If you're planning a glam New Year's Eve, then you should pencil in a visit to this weekend's Ellery sample sale. With up to 80 per cent off past season's stock, including some never before seen archival pieces, you're sure to find something special to ring in 2018.

1 Yarra Street, Richmond. Friday 8am-8pm, Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 10am-4pm.

Ellery is holding a sale with never before seen pieces this weekend.

If the beach is on your summer itinerary, then it's worth visiting the Megan Park warehouse sale, which will be chock full of its signature vibrant prints at up to 80 per cent off the original price. There will also be one-off pieces, so no risk of running into someone wearing the same outfit at the Portsea pub.
A Japanese politician has faced backlash from male colleagues after taking her 7 month-old baby into parliament in Tokyo.

In a move that has working mothers applauding, 42 year-old Yuka Ogata wanted to make a point about the challenges that working women face in Japan, and the patriarchy happily obliged.

Kumamoto city council member Yuka Ogata holds her baby at the assembly on Nov. 22, 2017. Credit:AP

It follows comments made by Ivanka Trump in praise of Japan's improvements around retaining women in the workforce.

In the video, Ogata hardly sits down before five of her male colleagues approach her, criticising her for her "visitor", as though the child had wandered in and sat down on his own accord.
Many years ago I did my initiation on a full moon and began practising  pause for orchestral burst  witchcraft in the English tradition. In all honestly, it was mostly a meditation practice coupled with a keen interest in the life of my plants  so no, I can't curse your ex for you (and please, don't call me a "Wiccan").

Let's ignore the part where I accidentally stepped on a snail at the time, and instead focus on the fact that the above makes me uniquely qualified to hoot with derision at the recent employment of the term "witch hunt" by those who wish to defend indefensible men.

Woody Allen, who married his adopted daughter Soon-Yi and was accused of sexually assaulting his daughter Dylan Farrow, said of the allegations against Harvey Weinstein, "You also don't want it to lead to a witch hunt atmosphere, a Salem atmosphere, where every guy in an office who winks at a woman is suddenly having to call a lawyer to defend himself."

This week Don Burke, in between blaming Asperger's for his serial harassment of women, said: "I'm guessing it's the social media, the Twittersphere thing. I guess they've stirred this up, the Harvey Weinstein thing and we've got a witch hunt."
Dozens of people rallied outside a Uniting Church office in Brisbane after more than half the staff at a Townsville Indigenous school criticised by a royal commission were given the sack.

The group of about 50, brought together by the Independent Education Union, stood outside the Milton office on Thursday morning calling for compensation for the 85 staff members let go at Shalom Christian College.

Dozens gather outside Uniting Church schools office at Milton. Credit:Amy Mitchell-Whittington

Earlier this month, the school announced it would be closing its secondary school and no longer taking boarders, following a review.

According to IEU Queensland president Andrew Elphinstone, the teachers and school staff found out their jobs would not be renewed next year from a story published in a Townsville newspaper last Monday.
Vaginal mesh is to be banned in Australia after the medical regulator found the risk posed to patients by the device outweighed any benefits.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration announced the ban this week after an investigation which followed widespread complaints from women who said the implants left them in debilitating pain.

The mesh device implants were used to treat common problems after pregnancy, birth and hysterectomies.

"The TGA is of the belief that the benefits of using transvaginal mesh products in the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse do not outweigh the risks these products pose to patients," a statement read.
Four witnesses who were allegedly told details about the unsolved murder of three Aboriginal children in northern NSW "lack credibility", a court has heard.

Evelyn Greenup, 4, Clinton Speedy-Duroux, 16, and Colleen Walker, 16, disappeared from the town of Bowraville on the state's mid-north coast over a period of five months starting from September 1990.

June Speedy, centre, mother of Clinton Speedy-Duroux, arrives at court on Thursday. Credit:AAP

The bodies of the first two children were later discovered dumped off a dirt road. Colleen has never been found, but a coroner has ruled she is dead.

A man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found not guilty of the murders of Evelyn and Clinton at two separate trials. In 2016, he was charged with the murders again after a police re-investigation.
An extraordinary third coronial inquest into the death of Scott Johnson has found the young mathematician died as a result of a gay hate crime when he fell from a cliff top in December 1988.

Mr Johnson's naked body was found on the rocks near the ocean, just north of Blue Fish Point on North Head. His clothes were found neatly folded on the clifftop.

At the time police swiftly determined death by suicide, with no witnesses to have come forward since.

On Thursday, NSW Coroner Michael Barnes determined the area above the rocks where Mr Johnson's body was found was at the time a "gay beat".
As the gunpowder was still settling over the bullet-riddled body of notorious crime figure Walid "Wally" Ahmad outside a Bankstown cafe, police knew they needed to move.

Three weeks earlier in April 2016, and still the possible motive for Ahmad's execution, was the shooting death of Safwan Charbaji at Condell Park.

Add the drive-by shootings, the kidnappings and other tit-for-tat acts of violence, and a festering feud was quickly spiralling out of control.

So the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad, better known by its acronym MEOCS, kicked off Strike Force Kentgrove.
Sydney University has warned of the "serious impact" on thousands of students, staff and other commuters of a decision for trains on the Blue Mountain Line to no longer stop at Redfern station, making their trips "lengthier and more challenging".

In a swipe at the state's transport agency, vice-chancellor Michael Spence said the decision for trains on the line to bypass Redfern in favour of Central Station had "added greatly to the university's already significant public transport pressures".

"We are disturbed that we were not consulted about such a significant change," he said in a letter to the state opposition.

Dr Spence said Transport Minister Andrew Constance had identified demand for trains "going through the roof", and "yet he had allowed a timetabling change which makes train travel for thousands of our students and staff lengthier and more challenging".
The report by consultancy ARTD was a recommendation of a Legislative Council committee that had been inquiring into the issue. Yet despite the report  which cost taxpayers $300,000 - being handed to the government in December 2015, it wasn't released.

On Monday a tribunal member ruled that the education department must release a single line of information within a document it had fought to keep secret since the middle of last year. The document is a draft consultant's report that reviewed the controversial subject of special religious education and ethics classes in NSW schools.

It's no revelation that the Berejiklian government has to be dragged kicking and screaming to release information the public deserves to have access to, given its documented intransigence on everything from advice on major projects to commissioned reports. But recent decisions in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal raise questions about the record of departments misapplying the law in cases where the government is at risk of embarrassment.

Gladys Berejiklian's administration has developed a reputation for misapplying the law on access to information in cases where the government is at risk of embarrassment. Credit:AAP

Greens MP David Shoebridge sought a copy of the final and draft reports under the Government Information (Public Access) Act in February, having had an earlier GIPA request knocked back in July last year. When it was refused, Shoebridge appealed to NCAT. The education department released the ARTD report in March and decided to give Shoebridge a redacted version of the draft. Since then it has gradually been forced to redact less and less of the draft report.

On Monday NCAT delivered the final blow, ordering the release of a final line of information. The department had argued that it was exempt from release as it contained "personal and business information of a third party". The episode provides an important insight into how government departments are deciding whether or not they need to release information under the GIPA Act. Put bluntly, it is confirmation that they are misapplying the law, which conveniently delays release of documents in cases that have the capacity to embarrass the government.

A similar case emerged in mid-September when NCAT found in favour of an application by Labor's leader in the upper house, Adam Searle. Searle had applied for the release of documents that recorded details of "health checks" done on the progress of the $2.1 billion CBD and South East light rail project. This is the project that got Premier Gladys Berejiklian in hot water after the auditor general's report showed that as transport minister she had given incorrect reasons for a $549 million cost blowout.

The department refused, arguing the documents contained cabinet information and were therefore exempt from release under the GIPA Act. NCAT, however, ordered the release of some of the documents to Searle. In a likely reflection of how sensitive the issue is now that Berejiklian is Premier, the government has appealed the decision to the full bench.
An iPhone, set of keys and library books are among the items police are searching for in relation to the death of a woman whose body was found in Brisbanes south-east in October.

The body of Naima Hassan was found by members of the public at the Sovereign Waters foreshore at Birkdale, days after she was last seen by family members.

Detectives investigating her death, which is being treated as non-suspicious, have asked the public for help in finding a set of keys, a rose-gold coloured Apple iPhone 6, two library books titled The Belle of Belfast and 1Q84, and a pair of light blue trousers that had belonged to the 27-year-old.

Ms Hassan was last seen at a BP at Wellington Point on Saturday, October 28, and her car was found at the Wellington Point Reserve the following day.

Her body was found on October 31. Police were preparing a report for the coroner.
A man accused of helping his 88-year-old father commit suicide had been charged with attempted murder, a Supreme Court jury heard.

Peter John Nixon is accused of giving his Navy veteran father, John Dixon, a mix of Coca-Cola, Valium and oxycodone, with the intent for him to commit suicide by drinking it on April 27, 2015.

Peter John Nixon is seen leaving the Supreme Court in Brisbane. Credit:Darren England

He has pleaded not guilty to a charge of aiding suicide, stemming from his fathers death in hospital 12 days later, and is on trial in the Supreme Court in Brisbane.

Forensic pathologist Philip Storey took the stand in Brisbane's Supreme Court on Thursday afternoon, telling the jury oxycodone was found in the blood at potentially lethal levels on April 27, after he was admitted to hospital.
Ivanka Trump may be dominating the headlines in India, but at age 13, Hamish Finlayson - the youngest entrepreneur at this year's Global Entrepreneurship Summit - is winning their hearts. The summit, now in its eighth year, is for the first time being held in South Asia.

The fast-growing tech city of Hyderabad is hosting more than 1500 entrepreneurs and investors from 150 countries around the world. Finlayson is becoming one of its most famous guests.

"I find the attention a bit overwhelming," he tells Fairfax Media.

This week alone, he has been featured in national Indian publications and television channels, and is now attracting worldwide media attention about his five apps, which are mostly short video games either aimed at saving sea turtles or increasing awareness about autism.
In a 45-year medical career, mostly as an obstetrician, Pieter Mourik has delivered tens of thousands of babies and conducted thousands of operations. It's challenging and satisfying work.

But now that his 70th birthday is looming he has decided to retire, when his employer, Monash IVF in Albury, shuts down for Christmas on December 23.

Dr Pieter Mourik is nearing 70 and has decided it's time to retire. Credit:Border Mail

He is looking forward to mending fences and planting trees on his "paradise"  a 40-hectare property near Beechworth, in Victoria's north-east.

In recent years he has worked just one day a week, conducting IVF embryo transfers and assisting colleagues in surgery.
Imagine seeing a huge portrait of yourself hanging across the front of the State Library of Victoria.

That's life for the next two months for Melbourne lawyer and hobby artist Natasha Sim.

Hey that's me: Lawyer Natasha Sim with Explore, her whimsical portrait of herself aged 10, which will adorn the State Library of Victoria front entrance until the end of January. Credit:Eddie Jim

She said she was excited but also overwhelmed after the 16-metre wide installation was hung across the columned portico on Swanston Street on Thursday.

Ms Sim's piece, called Explore, is the winner from 2000 entries to an international design competition called #createarthistory, asking artists to reimagine historical images from the library's collection.
A business owner hit by Melbourne's last major round of flash flooding has already started sandbagging before the weekend's forecast once-in-a-generation downpour.

In December last year Dr Elizabeth Foo watched her newly-opened business, Laird's Pharmacy on Tennyson Street in Elwood, slowly fill with water as heavy storms lashed the suburb.

This time she is ready. She's already called the SES  although "they said they cannot actually help until the flood happens".

Dr Foo has had staff stockpiling sandbags, towels, and plastic sheets.
Three hundred kilograms of cocaine labelled as coffee and cocoa powder was found at a business in Melbourne's south-west last week, police say.

Two Mexican men  Eduardo Radamez Chavez Gonzalez, 33, and Gabriel Altamirano Galindo, 34  faced the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday charged with importing the drugs, which police claim have a street value of about $105 million.

The cocaine was packaged to look like coffee or cocoa powder. Credit:AFP

Lawyers for both men, Kurt Esser and Jasmine Pisasale, said their clients had never been in jail before.

The arrests came after Mr Gonzalez was allegedly found with a small quantity of cocaine in his possession upon his arrival at the Melbourne International Airport on a flight from Los Angeles earlier this month.
Authorities suspect a fire that burnt 50 hectares of grassland in hot, blustery conditions in Melbourne's west was deliberately lit.

The fire at Sunshine North, that had spread thick smoke across the area, was brought under control by firefighters about 4.30pm on Thursday.

The fire broke out near Bunnett Street at 3.15pm. It spread in a south-easterly direction towards Sunshine.

The Metropolitan Fire Brigade initially released a watch and act message for areas including Braybrook, Maidstone, Sunshine and Sunshine North.
Victorians have been warned to stay indoors and off the roads as the state braces for unprecedented torrential rain and severe flash flooding.

Emergency Management commissioner Craig Lapsley said the brunt of the rain was expected to drench Melbourne from Friday afternoon and through to Saturday with more than 100 millimetres of rainfall predicted in two days.

He urged Victorians to have an emergency evacuation and safety plan and think about where they would be and the conditions around them when the rain hit.

"Stay at home indoors if you can, don't be outside," he said. "Plan Friday, plan Friday afternoon in particular, know where you will be and know what you need to do for your own safety.
Tourism Council of WA chief executive Evan Hall says Tourism WA is failing in its role to market the state's tourism assets, and has pointed to findings in today's Auditor Report on the industry.

The report found that Tourism WA will fall short of achieving $12 billion in visitor spending by 2020 by about $800 million per annum if significant improvements are not made.

WA's tourism industry falls short

The Report highlighted a lack of effective marketing strategies towards interstate and overseas tourists, despite Tourism WA spending $42 million of its $91 million budget on marketing, and having almost half its staff involved in it.

Excessive turnover in executive positions had undermined marketing strategy, according to the report, and the current executives lacked the commercial expertise to compete against other States.
Paul McCartney has brought joy to people through his music for decades, so it's no wonder nine-year-old Harrison Haines, named after another famous Beatles member, wanted advice on how he too could change the world.

"Go to school ... and just be good to people. Learn a lot about the world, and where there's issues that you think need changing, just be very strong and go and change them," McCartney sagely replied.

Paul McCartney meets Perth fans. Credit:9 News Perth

Appearing in Australia for the first time in 24 years, McCartney held an intimate Q&A with 20 lucky fans in Perth on Thursday, shaking their hands as many squealed with delight and held back tears of happiness.

Reminiscing about the Beatles' famous visit to Adelaide in 1964, McCartney said it was a phenomenal experience and the band felt like royalty.
A Fremantle day care has been fined $40,000 after a three-year-old boy nearly hanged himself on a hammock cord.

The incident occurred at a southern suburbs childcare centre on June 14 around 4.30pm, when parents were arriving to collect their children.

The Fremantle day care centre has since reviewed its procedures. Credit:FELC, Facebook

The boy placed his head through the cords of the hammock, effectively hanging himself, and remained unnoticed while hanging by his neck with his feet dangling off the ground for just over five minutes before he was freed by an educator.

According to a State Administrative Tribunal judgement, handed down on November 15, the boy was rushed to Fiona Stanley Hospital and had to be sedated and intubated during a three-day admission.
Answers. All Cathy McDougall and her family want are answers. For 10 years, they've had very little.

It was over a decade ago that Ms McDougall's grand-daughter Leela vanished without a trace, along with her mother Chantelle and two other men.

Pictured are Chantelle McDougall and her daughter Leela (top) and Tony Popic (bottom left) and Simon Kadwell, also known as Gary Felton.

Leela was just five-and-a-half years-old when she and her mother, Tony Popic and Simon Kadwell, disappeared from the picturesque WA town of Nannup in July 2007.

They left behind wallets, credit cards and dirty plates on the table at their Roberts Road property, about 11 kilometres south of the Nannup town-site.
Depending on how the facial hair looks, if you're doing Movember you'll either be relieved or disappointed that Thursday is the last day of the annual event to raise money and awareness for men's health.

With 71,000 men and women participating Australia-wide, the Movember Foundation said 5,409 people registered their support in Western Australia for the 2017 edition.

Men are urged to shave a 'Half-Mast Mo' to support Movember. Credit:Movember Foundation

In a bit of an odd measurement, the foundation estimates that around 533km of hair has been grown in Australia for the event, an amount that would stretch from Perth to the outskirts of Kalbarri.

And to cap off the final day, those who have grown for the cause are being urged to shave half their effort off for a final burst of effort.
South Korea and the United States have always had to expect that in the event of war they would face both Chinese and North Korean forces. But the increased proximity of some Chinese soldiers would not alter the military balance. South Korea and the United States are already amply deterred from invading North Korea; a marginal Chinese military presence would not change that reality.

Yes, it seems counter-intuitive to encourage China to strengthen military capabilities in the north. Some may find the notion antithetical to American interests. Shoring up a state with such vicious human rights abuses is a high price to pay for security. Yet the net effect should be to reduce the actual likelihood of war.

Unwelcome as China's intervention was to America and other nations defending South Korea, those numbers lend credibility to Beijing's security guarantee. That guarantee would be most credible, however, if coupled with actual deployment of Chinese forces on North Korean territory. A symmetrical policy of reassurance could involve possibly 30,000 Chinese military personnel stationed there, a total comparable to U.S. forces south of the 38th parallel.

Perhaps it is time to explore a different initiative: Could China reassure North Korea as the United States reassures South Korea? As Beijing has grown anxious over North Korea's behaviour, it has qualified its 1961 defence agreement with Pyongyang by emphasising that it would assist against attack  but it would not support the Kim regime if it began a war. That is a constructive stance, but it may well be read by Pyongyang as a wobble that justifies the longstanding policy of self-reliance. The young Korean dictator may have little knowledge of China's tremendous sacrifices in the war of 1950 to 1953  almost 3 million soldiers engaged, more than 380,000 were wounded, and 180,000 were killed. Their casualties far exceeded the killed and wounded suffered by the United States; they approach the estimated losses by the North Koreans themselves.

What it could do is shore up a policy of reassurance, removing any doubt that China would be engaged in the case of an attack against North Korea. That reassurance could relieve Pyongyang's expressed fear of American aggression and thus remove the justification for its destabilising nuclear- and missile-test programs. Coupled with offers to relax economic sanctions and political isolation, this initiative should offer maximum incentive for Kim to suspend such tests.

Would China be prepared to move in this direction? To date, it has shown no inclination to occupy North Korea. After the massive intervention of the late 1950s, Chinese forces withdrew. Contrast that with the way in which the Soviets maintained control of their satellites in Eastern Europe for decades by deploying large military contingents in those countries. Yet today's circumstances present totally different issues. To prevent collapse of nonproliferation restraints  and risk of another major war  Beijing might be prepared to consider stationing a minimal military force on the Korean Peninsula.

Even more uncertain: Would North Korea, with its professed dedication to self-reliance, be open to such an arrangement? In 1950, Kim Il Sung's original intention was to unify Korea without Chinese assistance (although several of his leading officers were ethnic Koreans who had served in Mao's liberation army). No matter that the Chinese saved his regime from the United Nations counterattack  Kim and his descendants have harboured mixed emotions regarding their gigantic neighbour. Acknowledging the need for Chinese support has mingled with resentment of dependence on and wariness of the government that came to their rescue. Convincing Pyongyang that active Chinese reassurance of this type should be welcomed will be difficult, if not impossible.

The task of persuading North Korea would fall to the Chinese, just as the United States would have to surmount predictable South Korean apprehension regarding the concept. North Korean leadership might perceive the offer of Chinese troops less as a stabilising arrangement than as a prelude to overthrowing the Kim regime. Overcoming that suspicion would be a diplomatic challenge of historic proportions. Beijing may have little choice, however. Were other options effective in denuclearising the Kim regime, China would surely resist this move; it holds promise only as a main element in complex multinational negotiations.

If Pyongyang rejected such reassurance, it would confirm doubts that its nuclear program has less to do with deterring an implausible invasion than with more hostile purposes. Speculation on those questions is neither necessary nor helpful. They are best answered by active, innovative diplomacy. Otherwise, present trends point toward either war or an unregulated nuclear weapons state in North Korea  a development that would only enhance the risk of a future more catastrophic conflict.
London: Donald Trump has been called a "fascist" and an "evil racist" by British politicians who are furious at his unrepentant promotion of a far-right hate group.

There are growing calls for the May government to rescind its invitation to Trump for an official state visit to Britain, which would involve a possible street parade and visit to meet the Queen.

But Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday the invitation still stands, though a date is yet to be agreed.

Kim Darroch, Britain's ambassador to Washington, said he had "raised concerns" with the White House on Wednesday in response to Trump retweeting three videos posted by Britain First.
Donald Trump's retweeting of a series of racist messages by the leader of the right-wing extremist Britain First party has prompted outrage, though perhaps little surprise, around the world.

On Wednesday morning the US President retweeted three posts from the Twitter feed of Jayda Fransen, who took over as acting leader of Britain First when the incumbent was jailed for religious hate crimes last December.

Fransen herself was convicted of religiously aggravated harassment last November and is facing further charges in Northern Ireland.

One of the posts retweeted by Trump showed video purporting to be of an atrocity by Islamic extremists, a second the destruction of a statue of the Virgin Mary, and the third an attack on a Dutch teenager on crutches, allegedly by Muslim immigrants. The third video has been discredited by Dutch observers.
Harrison Schmitt at work during the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. Fifty years after it was signed to prevent the US and the USSR from carrying their arms race into space, the Outer Space Treaty may now be getting in the way of entrepreneurs. Credit:NASA Robert Richards, Moon Express's chief executive - whose business plan is "to expand Earth's economic sphere to the moon and beyond" - is far from the only entrepreneur looking for business opportunities beyond our planet. Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of SpaceX, boldly proclaims that his company will begin sending colonists to Mars in a decade. Jeffrey Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is using part of his fortune to finance his rocket company Blue Origin, and predicts millions of people will be living and working in space. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk congratulates teams competing on the Hyperloop Pod Competition II at SpaceX's Hyperloop track in Hawthorne, California, in August. Credit:AP As these companies go where no businesses have gone before, they raise questions only fuzzily addressed by the Outer Space Treaty: What are private companies allowed to do in space? Can a company mine the moon or an asteroid and then sell what it has pulled out? How are countries to regulate these businesses?

Internationally, countries have been discussing how to answer these questions. In the United States, Congress has begun tackling regulatory issues. Some warn that if the United States does not set up business-friendly policies, then the startups could move elsewhere - including such seemingly unlikely places as Luxembourg. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is using part of his fortune to finance his rocket company Blue Origin, and predicts millions of people will be living and working in space. Credit:New York Times A quick fix before launch The Outer Space Treaty - officially it is the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space - declares that "the moon and other celestial bodies shall be used by all states parties to the treaty exclusively for peaceful purposes". The treaty also prohibited nations from making any claim of sovereignty over any part of the rest of the solar system.

An artist's rendering of the Moon Express MX-9 return vehicle lifting off from the surface of the moon with rock and soil samples. Credit:New York Times Moon Express ran into a bureaucratic wall because the treaty declares that activities of non-governmental entities - a classification that includes commercial companies - "require authorisation and continuing supervision" of the government. (The United States had insisted on the clause, rejecting the Soviet view that space exploration should be limited to governments.) "We had a mission planned, we had investors invested, but didn't have a way forward at the end of 2015," Richards testified during a Senate committee hearing in May. "There wasn't anybody that didn't want to say yes. There was just no mechanism to do so." Harrison Schmitt working on the moon during the Apollo 17 mission. Credit:NASA The Federal Aviation Administration licenses rocket launches and re-entry of commercial spacecraft from orbit in order to ensure the safety of people on the ground. The Federal Communications Commission regulates communications satellites, and the Department of Commerce regulates commercial remote sensing satellites.

But the United States does not as yet have a process for authorising or supervising novel endeavours like a private company landing on the moon. Robert Richards, co-founder and chief executive of Moon Express, in Cape Canaveral. Behind him is a model of the MX-1 lander that Moon Express hopes to launch in 2018. Credit:New York Times Moon Express spent about a year working with the FAA, the State Department and other agencies to jury-rig what Richards called a "temporary patch", using the FAA's existing authority to review rocket payloads in order to gain the approval Moon Express was seeking. In announcing the decision, however, the FAA said the approval applied only to this one Moon Express launch, and that not even Moon Express could count on a favourable outcome in the future. The moon awaits the arrival of the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Credit:NASA

Moon Express has begun discussions with the FAA for the second trip to the lunar south pole, and Richards is confident that the company could successfully pull off its first three flights via the current regulatory patchwork. But if Congress and the president do not come up with a better solution, Moon Express, SpaceX, Blue Origin and the rest of the emerging industry could run into more bureaucratic walls, and companies might start looking for other places to set up shop. The Apollo 12 lunar module on November 19, 1969. Credit:NASA Richards said he remained optimistic. "Each company is moving forward with some assumption of risk but a presumption of the US government coming through with frameworks that allow that to happen," Richards said in October during a visit at his company's Florida headquarters.

Smoothing a path to space rocks Another space upstart is Planetary Resources, a small company located in an unremarkable office park outside Seattle. Its early investors included Larry Page, co-founder of Google, and Charles Simonyi, a former chief software architect at Microsoft. The company is also taking advantage of an investment from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Planetary Resources' goal is to mine the solar system's asteroids. Luxembourg, a nation smaller than Rhode Island with a long history in mining, has bet 200 million - more than $313 million - on this industry that does not exist. That includes $US28 million invested in Planetary Resources. In return, Luxembourg owns a 10 per cent share of the company, said Etienne Schneider, the country's deputy prime minister. In April, Luxembourg's crown prince, his wife and government officials paid a visit to Planetary Resources, putting on white gowns, gloves, wispy caps and baby blue bootees - a distinctly unroyal outfit sometimes called a "bunny suit" - to take a close look at where the company is assembling small satellites. In June, Schneider returned to the United States to host a symposium with a roomful of bankers and venture capitalists, a vivid demonstration that private space investment has reached a tipping point of credibility.

A Goldman Sachs report about innovative space businesses that came out in the spring seemed to agree. "Space mining could be more realistic than perceived," the report said. "While the psychological barrier to mining asteroids is high, the actual financial and technological barriers are far lower." At the Manhattan presentation, Schneider acknowledged that the notion of asteroid mining sounds like science fiction and that he often gets quizzical questions about why Luxembourg is spending money chasing this. Schneider recalled that during a visit to Silicon Valley in 2012, he met S. Pete Worden, then the director of the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, who suggested that Luxembourg look into asteroid mining. "At the time, I listened to him and wondered what this guy might have smoked," Schneider said. But more discussions and research convinced Schneider this was a promising possibility.

For Planetary Resources, the first wave of development is to culminate in a doughnut-shaped spacecraft heading on a prospecting mission to a near-Earth asteroid in 2020. Sometime after that, the company hopes to mine in earnest - for seemingly mundane water ice. But water, in addition to potentially providing something to drink for astronauts, can be split into hydrogen and oxygen. Both can be used as rocket propellent; the oxygen, of course, can also provide air to breathe. As a business, Planetary Resources is betting that by the time it extracts water from an asteroid, there will be a customer like NASA interested in buying water, hydrogen and oxygen. Eventually, the company aims to extract platinum, currently worth more than $US900 an ounce, and other precious metals. To make these pursuits easier, Luxembourg passed a space law that took effect this summer. Planetary Resources has set up its European office there. Moves like this one are in part motivating policymakers in the United States to devote more attention to laws that govern commercial space activities.

Revising space law Ambiguities in the Outer Space Treaty currently create uncertainty over whether anyone can profit from such business ventures. Article 2 in particular states: "Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means." If the US is prohibited from appropriating a celestial body, is a private company allowed to appropriate a mineral mined out of a celestial body? The Moon Treaty, finalised in 1979, declared that any resources from space should be shared among all nations, but most countries, including the US, never signed or ratified it. Two years ago, Congress passed and US president Barack Obama signed a law that said private companies can own and sell what they extract, although, abiding by the language of the Outer Space Treaty, the companies cannot claim ownership of the celestial body itself.

This year, Congress is revisiting the Outer Space Treaty again, hoping to boost nascent space companies looking to push outward into the solar system. Republicans in Congress have said they want the new space ventures to thrive in "permissionless innovation", similar to the ethos that nourished new enterprises on the internet. This spring, the House science committee packed those ideas into a bill that has been sent to the full House. It would put the regulatory power in an Office of Space Commerce, which would have 60 days to decide whether to approve or deny a company's application. The full House has not yet taken up the bill, and the Senate is still working on its version. Officials at Moon Express and Planetary Resources say they do not want unfettered freedom in space, nor do they seek withdrawal from the Outer Space Treaty. "Our goal is to have a space environment that is populated by people acting responsibly," said Peter Marquez, vice-president for global engagement at Planetary Resources. "If there aren't any adults in the room, it concerns me. If it turns into the wild, wild West of just do whatever you want, then that kind of runs against concepts and precepts of Outer Space Treaty."

These companies do want the regulations to be "light-touch" and hope that the default inclination of the US government will be to say yes. Once the price of transportation comes down, more business opportunities will open up, Richards said. The moon, peppered with the impacts of asteroids over the aeons, should also possess dollops of platinum and other precious metals. Helium-3, embedded in the lunar crust by the solar wind, could be fuel for future fusion power plants. Moon Express' family of spacecraft could be a boon to scientists, sending low-cost probes not just to the moon but to other planets. Its second spacecraft is to carry a shoebox-size experimental telescope for the International Lunar Observatory Association. Some locations near the lunar south pole, offering a continuous view of the universe, could be ideal for an astronomical observatory.
Washington: US Attorney General Jeff Sessions refused to answer questions on Thursday during a closed congressional hearing about whether President Donald Trump ever instructed him to hinder the Justice Department's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, a Democratic congressman said.

Sessions testified behind closed doors for several hours before the US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee.

Representative Adam Schiff, the committee's top Democrat, told reporters he was troubled by Sessions' refusal to answer what he believes are essential questions.

"I asked the Attorney General whether he was ever instructed by the president to take any action that he believed would hinder the Russia investigation and he declined to answer the question," Schiff said after the hearing.
New York: The United States has warned the North Korean leadership that it will be "utterly destroyed" if war breaks out, after Pyongyang test fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, putting the US mainland within range.

The Trump administration has repeatedly said all options are on the table in dealing with North Korea's ballistic and nuclear weapons program, including military ones, but that it still prefers a diplomatic option.

Still, speaking at an emergency UN Security Council meeting, US ambassador Nikki Haley warned:

"We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday ... And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."
The Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, in North Korea. Credit:AP "They wanted [to be able] to hit all of the US and they wanted something big to hit it with. This seems on the surface level to be that missile," David Schmerler, a research associate at the James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies, told CNN. The Hwasong-15 appears to be the longest-range missile ever tested by North Korea, which said it reached an altitude of 4473km and flew a distance of 949km in 53 minutes. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, third from left, and what the North Korean government calls the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, in North Korea. Credit:KCNA/AP It would have had a range of 13,000km had it flown in a flat trajectory, according to calculations by David Wright, an expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists. That would make it capable of reaching Washington, DC.

President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday: "Just spoke to President XI Jinping of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!" Trump later called the North's leader, Kim Jong-un "Little Rocket Man" and "a sick puppy." Members of the UN Security Council condemned the missile launch at an emergency meeting in New York on Wednesday. Analysts have gleaned several details from the photographs: The truck: The transporter erecter launcher, or TEL, has nine axles, making it one axle longer than the TEL used to launch the previous iteration of the intercontinental ballistic missile. North Korea claims to have made these trucks itself but analysts believe they are modified versions or based on the Chinese lumber truck, the WS51200.

"We've seen heavy vehicle extensions before but this would this would be a very large step forward for their heavy vehicles industry," said LaFoy, estimating that the truck was about twice as long as an American school bus. "We know that this is pretty difficult. It took China a while to figure this out." The nose cone: The nose cone of the Hwasong-15 is much blunter than of the previous iteration, the Hwasong-14. This is likely an effort to slow down the missile slightly as it screams through the atmosphere, which lowers the heat inside the missile and means that the warhead doesn't have to withstand quite as much variation in temperature during flight. This might be an effort to overcome issues with the re-entry vehicle - the part of the missile that protects the warhead during launch and brings it back into the Earth's atmosphere. This is one of the parts of the missile that North Korea has not yet proven it has mastered. The size of the nose cone and re-entry vehicle on the Hwasong-15 supports North Korea's claim that the missile can carry a "super large heavy warhead." But experts think the missile tested this week was carrying a light, mock warhead. The Hwasong-14 and 15 are likely to have carried only very small payloads, which may have exaggerated the range they missile can fly, said Michael Elleman, senior fellow for missile defence at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Basically, the heavier the warhead, the shorter the distance it can travel.

If the Hwasong-15 was fitted with a half-tonne payload and flown on a standard trajectory, it could probably fly about 8500km, Elleman wrote for 38 North, a website devoted to North Korea, meaning that a 600-kilogram payload "barely reaches Seattle." Still, with its publication of this huge re-entry vehicle, Kim's regime is clearly signalling that this is their ultimate goal. Engines: The first stage of the Hwasong-15 - the bottom part that propels it off the launcher, sometimes called the "booster" - has two engines. "We're trying to figure out what those may be and how powerful they are," said David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists. But the second stage looks like it can carry more than twice as much propellant as the Hwasong-14, since it is longer and has a larger diameter, Wright said. "The combination of those two things means it really is a new, more capable missile." The addition of two engines doubled the second stage thrust and allows the missile to reach a higher peak altitude, Elleman said. This missile reached a height of about 4500km - or ten times as high as the International Space Station.
Manila: Philippines troops killed 15 communist guerrillas in a clash just south of Manila on the same day that the government closed the door on peace talks with the rebels, the military said.

President Rodrigo Duterte moved to start negotiations with the rebels soon after taking office. The Communist Party's self-exiled founder, Jose Maria Sison, was once Duterte's university professor, and Duterte had hoped to sign a peace deal before his six-year term ends in 2022.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Credit:Bloomberg

But the rebels have demanded more and more concessions, including the release of jailed comrades. Last week, Duterte called off the talks and threatened to put the rebels on a terrorist watch list. The communist New People's Army is already on a US list of wanted terrorist organisations, but Manila has not officially designated it as such. Five soldiers were wounded.

Then heavy fighting erupted on Tuesday night after combined police and military forces caught up with a unit of the communist army near the town of Nasugbu, south of Manila, the military revealed on Wednesday. Brigadier General Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos, commander of the local infantry brigade, said a ranking guerrilla leader was believed to have been killed.
COLE BAY:--- Local martial arts school SXM BJJ was able to make a $500 donation to the New Start Foundation foster home for children.

The donation was made possible by from support from Team Renzo Gracie Black belt professors Kay Stephenson of New York and Girls in Gis Association who held a fundraising seminar for over 100 female practitioners in New York City. Pat Colligan and blackbelt professor Karel SilverFox Pravec also held a fundraising seminar at Ottawa Academy of Martial Arts Academy and made a significant donation towards Hurricane Irma repairs.

SXM BJJ was happy to pass on their generosity to help the foster children of the New Start Foundation. Foster mother Sally Benjamin visited SXM BJJ dojo to collect the donation from head professor Melissa Bardfield. For more information on martial arts training please visit www.sxmbjj or call 721 580-3894.

SXM BJJ Press Release
PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in an urgent plenary public meeting on Thursday, November 30, 2017. The Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor will be present.

The urgent plenary public meeting will be held on Thursday, November 30, 2017 at 14.00 hrs in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point is:

Discussion with the Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor to give information on the aid distribution post hurricane Irma and clarity on the criteria for aid from government

This meeting was requested by MP G.C. Pantophlet, MP drs. R.E. Samuel and MP R.F. Pantophlet.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, SXMGOV Radio 107.9 FM, video live stream via the internet www.pearlfmradio.sx, www.sxmparliament.org and also Parliament FB page: Parliament of Sint Maarten.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Local authors Ralph Cantave, Joseph H. Lake Jr and UK author Jacky Rom, will be guest authors at the Engage in Literature First Annual Read-a-ton Fundraiser. No stranger to St. Martins literary world, author and political scientist Joseph H. Lake Jr. has been known for his work as a journalist, newspaper editor, and publisher for over three decades. In 1976, Lake founded the Windward Islands Newsday and in the early 1990s the tourism magazine Welkom/Bienvenue. His literary contributions to the country are profound and we are elated to have him be part of this event, stated Engage Foundation. Lakes works include The Republic of St. Martin, Friendly AngerThe Rise of the Labor Movement in St. Martin, and Six 4 NineCountry Sint Maarten/Collectivite Saint-Martin. His most recent, the 2017 title Pen on Paper, is a collection of commentaries, news articles, and editorials penned by Lake or attributed to him between 1970 and 2001.

Joining Lake is Jacky Rom, UK Author, Drama Teacher, Producer, and Playwright. At the age of 17, she wrote her first play and has written and directed many others over the years. In 2008, she wrote her first book titled The Missing Extra. This vision turned into a series of five books about The Adventures of Starr, an 11-year-old detective, many of which were written while on St. Martin. Other publications include Momos Adventures Series and the fictional adult crime novels The Sandra Bernstein Chronicles; From Makeup to Murder and From Villany to Vegas.

Completing the trio of guest writers, is Ralph Cantave, a student at the University of St. Martin, radio host, and youth ambassador. He is the author of Words of Change Voices from Soualigan Soil and 21 & Savage. Most of his writings reflect politics, history, culture and social issues. He has done several lectures and speeches at various schools and organizations and represented St. Maarten in various capacities abroad. In 2015 he received the President of Parliament Award for his volunteerism and contributions to the islands social development.

All authors will be available for book signings at the read-a-thon benefiting the Philipsburg Jubilee Library on Saturday, December 9th at the Coffee Lounge on Front Street. To register for the read-a-thon or for more information Engage can be contacted via e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +1 721-554-5294.

ENGAGE Foundation Press Release
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labor (VSA) launched the Voucher program for Basic Necessities on October 2, 2017. Under the auspices of the Department of Labor Affairs & Social Services, a total in excess of 1800 applications have been taken in and are continuously being processed through established eligibility criteria in accordance with a policy framework and guidelines. The execution of the program is being carried out in phases. Phase one (1) of the program will end on Friday, December 1, 2017, and the Ministry will move to Phase two (2) which is a more community-based approach. Phase 2 focuses on increasing and solidifying the reach within the Community, with the help of credible community leaders, volunteer organizations, religious entities, and non-profit, non-governmental organizations, through the collaborative efforts of Community Development, Family and Humanitarian Affairs (CDFHA). As such, no more applications will be distributed via the Government Administration Building. Most of the number to apply at the Government Administration Building has been handed out so there is no need to rush to the building over the next few days. Persons within the communities will be contacted via identified organizations, which will be published in the near future, and persons will be able to submit an application for a voucher through this means.

"Huge thank you to the staff of the Department of Social Services and Labor Affairs, who has been working extremely hard since the passing of Irma to ensure persons reaching out for assistance can register for such. Many of the staff members are also faced with challenging personal situations, but still come to work every day to help others. At times the clients are also facing difficult times and may be agitated, some stressed making it a very difficult working environment under very stressful circumstances, and I think they have been doing a tremendous job," stated Minister Lee at Wednesday's press briefing.

Press Release from the Ministry of VSA
His term also will be concurrent to a two-year term in youth prison to which he was sentenced in August by Judge Diane Druzinski in Macomb County Circuit Court for the assaults. He pleaded guilty to two counts in June...
Georgetown, SC (29440)

Today

Light rain this morning. Breaks of sun this afternoon. High 52F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low 31F. Winds light and variable.
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Although EU diplomats say they are optimistic that the Irish won't allow the situation to become extreme - and want to put pressure on Dublin in case of an emergency -- they cannot be certain, because the government in Dublin is worried about having only one shot. Once Brexit negotiations move to the second phase, Ireland's veto rights are gone. The withdrawal agreement only requires a qualified majority in the European Council to pass. "When Ireland and the EU task force say that we need significantly more progress and reassurance and clarity on the Irish border issue, we mean it," said Coveney. "We are not in the business of building barriers on the island of Ireland ever again."

But nobody knows how that can be avoided. British Prime Minister Theresa May has repeatedly made it clear that her country will be leaving the single market and the customs union when it exits the EU on March 29, 2019. According to the law, new personal and customs inspections will be carried out at the new outer EU border from that point onward.

Unionists Reject Special Status for Northern Ireland

Although the British government also emphasized in its official paper on the Ireland issue that they do not want any new screenings of goods and people, they pointed out that this would require an "unprecedented solution." London did not describe in detail what this would look like and EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier promptly dismissed the British offer.

An obvious solution, which Coveney also suggests, would be to give Northern Ireland special status and allow it to remain in the customs union and the single market. The border would then, in practical terms, be relocated to the Irish Sea. But the Northern Irish unionists reject this outright: They fear a loosening of Northern Island's ties to the UK and a move towards the island's reunification. One problem: The Democratic Unionist Party has been propping up the UK government since Theresa May's disastrous snap election. If they withdraw their support, the prime minister falls.

Based on the current positions, people in diplomatic circles argue, the Irish question is currently unsolvable. On top of this, they argue, it's utterly unclear how a compromise could be found. The Irish government also narrowly avoided a no-confidence vote in parliament this week, after the deputy premier, Frances Fitzgerald, was accused of being aware of a smear campaign against a whistleblower in the Irish police. Fitzgerald stepped down on Tuesday, averting an early election at a crucial time.

Ultimately, said Foreign Minister Coveney, the border question is about much more than trade and barrier-free travel. "It is about peace." A new hard border, people in Dublin government circles are saying, wouldn't just inflict economic damage, and cause a rise in unemployment and dissatisfaction, but also present a new target for old hatreds. People in Ireland rarely talk about peace, instead speaking of a peace process. That process is far from over.
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Nearly three weeks after its new tourist brewery debuted in Maryland, Diageo North Americas president gave an update on the companys breadth of brands, from Guinness to its new Casamigos tequila brand purchased earlier this year from actor George Clooney.

The $200 billion North America adult beverage market represents the biggest and most profitable region for London-based Diageo, with the company having its main regional office in Norwalk. Diageo is in the process of raising its visibility further with the Guinness Open Gate Brewery and Barrel House in Relay, Md., which is already operating a test tap room in advance of a full opening next summer.

We are already seeing really strong customer interest, averaging about 1,000 visitors in the three days a week that the tap room is open, said Deirdre Mahlan, president of Diageo North America, speaking to investment analysts Tuesday.

Mahlan gave an overview of Diageo whose other brands include Baileys liqueur; Bulleit, Crown Royal and Johnnie Walker whiskeys; Don Julio tequila; Ciroc, Ketel One and Smirnoff vodkas; Tanqueray gin; and Captain Morgan rum. The company recently got its rum distillery in the U.S. Virgin Islands operational anew after sustaining damage in Hurricane Maria.

The past two years, Diageo has employed an activation army of people sent into bars, restaurants and other venues frequented by millennials to get its brands featured more prominently on menus. The work has paid off in some instances, with Crown Royal sales up by a double-digit percentage and Captain Morgan gaining market share under Diageos Live like a captain ad campaign.

In the case of vodka, which has not kept pace, Diageo hired actor Ted Danson as its new Smirnoff pitchman.

Vodka ... is so competitive in the U.S. right now; there is no magic bullet, Mahlan said. We need to continue to invest. ... Im confident that well stabilize and improve the performance of these brands, which you can see already happening.

Diageo has begun advertising in conjunction with the NFL, including a campaign to distribute bottled water at games along with the message of drinking responsibly. But the company generated perhaps its biggest splash this past summer in acquiring for as much as $1 billion Casamigos, the tequila brand created by George Clooney and two co-founders.

We will continue to run the business largely as it is today and work with the founders to continue to realize the full potential of the brand, Mahlan said. While still early  the brand continues its strong performance.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
WESTPORT  A New Haven Police detective set to become a Westport police officer this week appears to be reconsidering the move after allegations of misdeeds boiled up.

According to published reports, Daniel Conklin was accused tampering with evidence, and defying department policy in three instances while an officer in New Haven. He reportedly resigned as a detective with New Haven Police department effective Nov. 27. and was set to be sworn-in as an entry-level officer in Westport the same day.

However, Conklin rescinded his resignation from the New Haven Police department and is no longer leaving for Westport, David Hartman, public information officer for the New Haven Police department, confirmed.

In an email Thursday morning, Lt. Jillian Cabana wrote, If you are calling with questions regarding Daniel Conklin, we had a meeting with him and are working on the situation. When I have more answers, I will get back to you.

First Selectman Jim Marpe told the Westport News Thursday afternoon, We have not received anything formal from him (Conklin) saying hes withdrawing. Our expectation is that thats what hes doing.

Marpe added that he does not know Conklins motives for rescinding his resignation from New Haven, but added, We can conjecture that in some way things he was hearing caused him to rethink his decision.

Thursdays developments capped off an up and down week for Conklin and the Westport police.

As public sentiment against Conklin grew stronger, however, town officials postponed Conklins swearing-in. Then on Thursday, it was revealed Conklin rescinded his resignation from New Haven and early Friday morning, members of the Westport Police department met with Jim Marpe to discuss the situation.

A mix of Westport residents and Representative Town Meeting pushed back against Conklins move to Westport on town blogs and news sites.

District 4 RTM Representative Kristan Peters-Hamlin was chief among the online dissidents. In a statement to the Westport News, Hamlin said she was concerned about the choice of Conklin because of the New Haven police departments findings of misconduct against Conklin as reported in the New Haven Independent.

Hamlin, who formerly worked as a US attorney in Washington D.C. and practiced law in Conn. and New York City, explained Conklins prior misconduct would discredit evidence he may collect as an officer in Westport and thus compromise future cases with which he works.

He would be subject to impeachment with the prior findings of mishandling and destroying evidence; making proof beyond a reasonable doubt quite difficult. As a consequence, if he cannot touch evidence in conjunction with his duties, his utility to the police department will be greatly compromised, Hamlin said.

At first, Westport officials stood behind the decision to hire Conklin. In a press release dated Nov. 27, Chief of Police Foti Koskinas said, We want to assure the public that Mr. Conklin has been property thoroughly vetted through an extensive background investigation process. We are confident in our decision to hire him as a Westport police officer.

In the same statement, Marpe, added, During the last 24 hours, I have received a significant numbers of phone calls and e-mails regarding the hiring of Daniel Conklin, and I appreciate the concerns residents have raised. After-in-depth review and discussion with Police Chief Foti Koskinas, I am confident that we have fully vetted Detective Conklins background and that we understand the circumstances surrounding those events that took place early in his career.

Clearly, much has changed since Foti and Marpes initial statements and as of Thursday afternoon, Conklin will likely not be coming to Westport.

In September, according to the New Haven Register, a federal jury concluded Conklin did not violate a mans civil rights during a 2016 arrest, clearing him of one set of allegations.

The civil lawsuit that brought Conklin to federal court stemmed from an incident Jan. 11, 2016, when Conklin was working an extra-duty job.
Stamford police / Contributed

STAMFORD  A therapist and school social worker accused of sexually assaulting a patient in his West Side office has a federal conviction on his record for importing heroin in 1992.

Alexander Pino, 47, of Stamford, did not enter a plea at his arraignment and was released Thursday after a judge reduced his bond to $100,000. Judge John Blawie also signed a protective order, prohibiting Pino from having contact with the victim.
GERING  Gering United Methodist Church is hosting its annual Cookie Walk Dec. 2 from 8-11 a.m.

Jan Scripter, an active church member and coordinator for the cookie walk since its start, shared about the history of the walk.

Thirty years ago there was a lady named Margaret Lockwood who had the idea, Scripter said. She presented the idea of a cookie walk to our United Methodist Womens group and it has been going strong ever since.

Sue Maxcy, a member of the local United Methodist Womens group, explained about the purpose of the event.

Its our main fundraiser. United Methodist Womens goal or emphasis is women and children, Maxcy said. Right now our fundraiser allows us to give two nursing scholarships each fall. In the past we also did camp scholarships, which we havent done for awhile.

The Gering UMW also donates to Doves and a special needs home called Epworth Village.

There are other little things that come along that we see a need for and give to, Maxcy said. But its mainly for women and children. Those are some of the main things we give our fundraising to.

Maxcy described the event and why its considered a walk.

Church members will bring cookies and candies and well set tables up and the walk part of it is people walk around the tables and pick out one or two items of things that they would like, she said. So thats why its called a cookie walk. Its different than a bake sale where you pick up one plate of something. People put whatever they want in their boxes.

Each person who shows up for the cookie walk is given one or more boxes to fill to their hearts content. Weigh stations are provided to show how heavy the boxes get as they are filled with cookies and treats.

We charge it by the pound, $6 a pound, Maxcy said, which is a real bargain.

Another group will also take part in the fundraiser.

We also have a group of ladies in our church called the Sewing Room and they bring a table of their homemade sewing projects, Maxcy said. Their main focus is Epworth Village as well.

Maxcy explained the Sewing Room started out to help the church members for things like alterations and it soon blossomed into another way to raise funds.

So they just kind of jumped on our bandwagon, Maxcy said. Were separate, but were together.

The Cookie Walk will take place in the Gering United Methodist Church, located at 900 O St., from 8-11 a.m. on Dec. 2. For more information, call the church at 308-436-2320.
SCOTTSBLUFF - Kids can have breakfast with Santa Claus on Saturday, Dec. 2, at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Children and parents or grandparents are welcome to come and enjoy breakfast with Santa Claus. After breakfast, Santa will visit with each child to hear their Christmas wish. Parents and grandparents are invited to bring with them to capture photos.
OMAHA  Hunger is as real in farming communities as it is in urban food deserts. Across the Heartland, thousands of children, families and seniors struggle with regularly obtaining the food they need to be healthy. Food Bank for the Heartland is committed to helping those in need in rural communities.

Food Bank for the Heartland is hosting a mobile food pantry in Harrisburg on Friday, Dec. 1, from 5-7 p.m. The mobile pantry will take place at Good Shepard of the Plains Episcopal Church, 125 Maryland Ave., Harrisburg.

The mobile pantry is for people living in Banner County and surrounding communities. Approximately 4,000 to 5,000 pounds of food will be distributed for free. Those in need of the mobile pantry are invited to bring boxes or bags to assist in carrying the food they receive. No identification is required to receive food.

Food Bank for the Heartlands mobile pantry program delivers food directly to communities that have a high need but limited food resources. The one-day distribution is free, and in Banner County will include spaghetti, tomato sauce, soup, cereal, pancake mix and other shelf-stable products along with perishable items, including a variety of fresh produce and bakery items.

Imagine the anxiety of not having the resources to feed your children or yourself, said Susan Ogborn, president and CEO of Food Bank for the Heartland. Our mobile pantry program helps alleviate this stress for food insecure families. This is the food banks second mobile pantry in Banner County.
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U.S. radio broadcaster Cumulus Media Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and said it has entered into a restructuring agreement with certain of its lenders to reduce more than $1 billion in debt.

Cumulus expects all operations, programming and sales to continue as normal throughout the restructuring process, the company said in a statement.

The company said it has "ample cash on hand" and does not intend to seek debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing.

"The debt overhang left by previous years of underperformance remains a significant financial challenge that we must overcome for our operational turnaround to proceed," Chief Executive Mary Berner said.

The company's bigger rival IHeartMedia Inc. is also struggling to find a solution to significantly slash its debt pile outside of bankruptcy court.

IHeartMedia, the largest owner of U.S. radio stations that has more than 250 million monthly listeners in the United States, said in May there was substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern.

Cumulus doesn't have any stations in the St. Louis market; IHeartMedia has seven.

Cumulus filed the petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

Cumulus has 446 owned-and-operated stations broadcasting in 90 U.S. media markets, including the Jefferson City-Columbia market in Missouri, where it has eight stations. In addition, it says about 8,000 broadcast radio stations are affiliated with its Westwood One network and digital channels.
BRUSSELS  The European Commission has accused Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest brewer, of hindering cheaper imports of its Jupiler and Leffe brands into Belgium from neighboring France and the Netherlands.

The Commission, which presides over competition policy in the European Union, said on Thursday it had sent a statement of objections to the brewer and that its preliminary view was that the company had abused its dominant position in Belgium.

"Belgian consumers may have had to pay more for their favorite beers. Our preliminary finding is that A-B InBev may have deliberately prevented cheaper beer imports out of France and the Netherlands from reaching consumers in Belgium," EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.

"Such practices would breach EU competition rules, because they deny consumers the benefits of the EU Single Market  choice and lower prices. A-B InBev now has the opportunity to respond to our concerns."

The Commission said the statement of objections did not pre-judge the case and gave A-B InBev the opportunity to respond in writing and request a hearing.

A-B InBev stressed that the statement of objections was a procedural step and not a final decision. It also said it had been working constructively with the Commission and that integrity and ethics were part of its core values.

The Commission, which opened formal antitrust proceedings in June 2016, said it had identified a number of business practices that prevented Belgian supermarkets and wholesalers from buying in the brands from outside Belgium.

A-B InBev, for example, removed French text from cans in the Netherlands and Dutch from cans sold in France to prevent their sale respectively in French and Dutch-speaking parts of Belgium, the Commission said.

It also said that the brewer did not sell or limited the quantity of products sold to Dutch retailers or restricted the availability of promotions if there was a chance the Dutch retailers could ship beer to Belgium.

French supermarkets operator Carrefour and Dutch group Ahold Delhaize have extensive supermarket networks in Belgium.

St. Louis is home to A-B InBev's North American operations.
Led by former Gov. Jay Nixon, a St. Louis-based legal team representing developers of the Grain Belt Express transmission line have filed a brief challenging the multistate projects recent denial by Missouri regulators.

Clean Line Energy, the Houston-based company behind the project, had signaled after its latest rejection in August that an appeal would be imminent. Briefs outlining the companys arguments were filed Tuesday in the Eastern District of the Missouri Court of Appeals, with Nixon, now a partner at the Clayton law firm Dowd Bennett, spearheading the case.

The stalled infrastructure project would span four states, bringing wind energy from Kansas to Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, and into the grid beyond. Every state along its path has long since granted approval, except Missouri.

Though out of elected office, the states 55th governor sees the proposed 780-mile transmission line as an opportunity to remain involved with an issue of statewide  or even broader  importance.

I do think the policy implications of all of this are real, significant and important, said Nixon, citing the widespread demand for the projects wind energy, which is projected to save certain cities, like Kirkwood, $10 million per year.

When you can lower baseline costs for electricity for everybody  for homes and businesses  that makes us more competitive, he said. I dont want Missouri to be left on the sidelines for these important investments, not just now, but for years to come.

The brief filed in the case lays out several arguments claiming that the PSC erred in denying Grain Belt Express application, focusing criticism on the commissions deference to a controversial court ruling from the Western District of the Missouri Court of Appeals.

That earlier decision surrounding Amerens Mark Twain Project, a 95-mile transmission line proposed for the northeastern part of state, ruled that assent from each individual county along the projects path would first be required before the PSC could grant approval.

Basically the case law and the way that the regulations have properly worked for the last 100 years would be dramatically upset by the policy laid out in that case, Nixon said. You cant take away the PSCs authority to make thoughtful, important decisions about this in a careful and proper way.

Critics have said that the Western Districts reasoning sets a precedent that would make it profoundly challenging for any large-scale infrastructure projects to garner approval in Missouri in the future, if the dissent of a single county along their path could trip them up.

Those critics included several of the PSC commissioners themselves  all of whom were appointed by Nixon.

The courts got this one wrong and its going to have big policy implications, said Commissioner Scott Rupp, when he reluctantly voted to deny the projects latest application.

During the August vote, four commissioners, including PSC Chairman Daniel Hall, voiced support for the project before voting against it, citing the precedent from the Mark Twain ruling.

Though an appeal was expected, some following the Grain Belt Express case initially suggested that its rejection could be challenged at the federal level, on the grounds that it interrupted interstate commerce. But Nixon said he believes it is best that Missouri address this issue within its own borders and court system.

Oral arguments in the case are set to be heard in February. That process could be bypassed, however, if the case is taken up by the state Supreme Court, as Clean Line has requested.
Updated at 1:30 p.m.

VIENNA  The OPEC cartel and a group of allied oil-producing nations agreed Thursday to prolong crude output cuts until the end of next year, extending a policy that has led to a significant rise in the price of oil over the past year.

At the same time, the 24-nation alliance led by OPEC member Saudi Arabia and Russia gave notice that they stand ready to revisit the move, should price increases bring U.S. shale operators  who had suspended operations while crude was cheap  back into the market in force.

"We are going to be agile, depending on how events unfold," Saudi Arabian oil minister Khalid Al-Falih told reporters. Announcing the decision after a day of meetings, he declared, "it's been a great day."

The success of the strategy has been reflected by crude's rise. Benchmark oil prices are now close to $60 a barrel, depending on the grades, up almost 20 percent since a year ago. On Thursday, the U.S. contract was trading at $57.08 a barrel, down 22 cents on the day.

That will partly reflect a rise in global economic growth since last year. But is also attributed to the OPEC-led decision last year to limit production, renewing the cartel's reputation as a major player in controlling the oil market.

After decades of being a dominant force in determining supplies and prices, OPEC's role as a key regulator started fading in recent years, as U.S. shale producers started pumping up their output. That led to oversupply and a steep fall in prices from over $100 to below $40 a barrel by last year, leading to the decision to join key non-OPEC nations and jointly pump less crude.

But the strategy of continued cuts to drive up prices may not be sustainable over the longer run, and OPEC may yet see its influence wane again. With prices now at two-year highs, U.S. producers who mothballed operations when oil was cheap are coming back into the market in force. U.S. oil producers need relatively higher market prices to break even than, say, Saudi Arabia. So the recent rise is encouraging more to start pumping again.

U.S. crude oil production already has grown by 15 percent since last year to nearly 10 million barrels per day, just behind Russia and Saudi Arabia. The International Energy Agency expects the U.S. to become the biggest net exporter by the end of the 2020s.
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A man was arrested near Francis Howell High School on Thursday morning, the day after a teacher was shot on a nearby trail.

The man was spotted in a tunnel that takes a trail under Highway 94 into the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area just south of the school. A Post-Dispatch photojournalist saw the man run about 80 yards before he followed police orders to get down on the ground about 11:30 a.m.

St. Charles County police confirmed they had arrested a person of interest, and said they would be questioning him. A spokeswoman for the department said she did not know whether the man was armed when arrested, or whether a gun had been found.

The teacher, 36, was shot Wednesday afternoon on a trail in the conservation area near the school. The teacher was treated at a hospital and released Wednesday night.

The teacher was running about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday on a trail he knows well when he crossed paths with an unknown man, police said. Immediately after they passed one another, the other man fired multiple rounds from a handgun at the teacher.

The teacher was hit once in the back, St. Charles County police spokeswoman Val Joyner said Wednesday evening.

A third person police described as a good Samaritan brought the teacher to the high school, and an ambulance took him to a hospital from there.

The gunman ran off. He was described as a white man in his 30s or 40s in a black coat and tan pants, armed with a handgun.

The high school had already dismissed early for the day when the shooting happened, so only students participating in after-school activities were still at the school, district spokesman Matt Deichmann said. The school was put on lockdown after the shooting, and students were released to their families under police supervision.

The school was on lockdown again Thursday morning as officers searched for the shooting suspect. No one was being allowed in or out of the school buildings, the district announced.

The man in the tunnel was spotted amid that search, not far from where the teacher was shot. The lockdown was lifted a short time later.

Authorities ask anyone with information about the shooting to call St. Charles County police at 636-949-3000 or their tip line at 636-949-3002.
ST. LOUIS  Premier Parking, of Nashville, Tenn., has taken over the lease on an infamous parking lot near City Museum that has been plagued by break-ins in recent years.

The parking lot at 1435 Delmar Boulevard, and others in the area, attracts out-of-state visitors who are often targeted by thieves because they haul a lot of stuff.

According to a Post-Dispatch analysis of police data in June, the parking lot was in the worst spot in the city for break-ins.

An area stretching from 14th Street west to 17th Street and from Martin Luther King Drive south to Washington Avenue had 390 car break-ins reported between January 2015 and May 2017. Within that area, 78 of those incidents were recorded at 14th and Delmar.

Since then, dead trees have been removed and some of the fencing has been repaired.

Premier Parking said it took over the lease at 1435 Delmar on Oct. 1. Police say theres been one reported break-in at the address since then, but several cases werent reported, said James Baker, Premiers manager in St. Louis.

We cant eradicate all the problems in downtown St. Louis, but the reputation for the lot is not what we want to continue, he said.

We want to do better.

He said he planned to hire parking lot attendants to work during City Museum hours.

Until we have somebody stationed at the location, well continue to see the problem, he said. Weve had to get perpetrators off the lot.

An occupancy permit for the business is pending installation of lighting, according to city records.

Baker said Kaufladen Properties, which owns the property, ordered eight light poles with the goal of having them installed by early 2018.

William Bialiczak, of S and H Parking Services, used to run the same parking lot. He told the Post-Dispatch in June that electricity wasnt hooked up to the property to provide lighting.

Baker said power was going to be added.

Meanwhile, the $3 honor box has been replaced by a solar-powered pay station. The current day rate is $5.

Premier, which entered the St. Louis market in 2016 near Busch Stadium, said the company also had an app that customers can download for free to pay for parking by cellphone.
DELLWOOD  Two men who fled police in a stolen vehicle here have been charged with resisting arrest and other crimes, police say.

Eric O'Neal, 23, of Ferguson and Andre Johnson, 20, of Dellwood had felony convictions at the time of the incident Nov. 9, St. Louis County Police said Wednesday. They and a 19-year-old woman were arrested out of a stolen vehicle that fled police. A fourth person ran off and escaped.

Gunshots had been fired out of the car as it drove near Chambers Road shortly before the pursuit. No one was reported injured after the initial shots fired call.

Police recovered three guns from the car, a red sedan police said had been stolen and was connected to a robbery in Maryland Heights.

O'Neal was driving the sedan during the pursuit, police said Wednesday. When police spotted him and his accomplices getting in the car and tried to arrest them, O'Neal accelerated at an officer, who jumped out of the way to avoid being hit. A loaded gun was later found in the driver's seat, police said.

O'Neal was charged Wednesday with unlawful possession of a firearm, two counts of resisting arrest for a felony, and one count of fourth-degree assault in connection with the incident.

Johnson was charged Nov. 10 with unlawful possession of a firearm. Officers saw him throw a loaded rifle to the ground when he ran out of the car at the end of the pursuit, police said.

The Nov. 9 incident began when officers responded to the first block of South Schlueter Avenue, a short street that runs off Chambers Road, about 1:43 p.m. for a call of shots fired out of a red sedan. Police have not released details about what led to the gunfire.

Officers tried to stop the car but did not pursue when it fled, police said. Investigators learned both the vehicle and its license plates had been reported stolen.

The car was spotted again shortly afterward in the Oak Park Apartment Complex near Bellefontaine Road and Larimore Parkway Drive, police said.

Officers tried to arrest O'Neal, Johnson and the other two suspects when they got into the car about 3:30 p.m. It was then that O'Neal, who had active felony warrants for his arrest, drove at one of the officers, police said Wednesday.

The car fled, driving erratically, and police pursued the car until it came to a stop st Leisurewood Court and Carefree Lane in Florissant, where the suspects got out and ran, police said. Officers arrested O'Neal, Johnson and the female suspect and recovered the vehicle and guns, one of which was loaded and found in the driver's seat, police said. A third male suspect fled on foot.

O'Neal was eventually released from police custody. Officers arrested him again Tuesday, during which he tried to flee on foot and physically resist arrest, police said. He is being held with bail set at $150,000.

O'Neal's criminal record includes guilty pleas to felony theft and felony robbery charges out of St. Louis County in 2011, felony tampering with a vehicle out of Berkeley in 2012, and resisting arrest for a felony out of St. Louis in October, according to court records.

Johnson was being held with bail set at $50,000. He pleaded guilty in 2015 to a second-degree robbery charge out of St. Louis County, according to court records.

A police spokesman said Wednesday night it was unclear whether the 19-year-old woman arrested Nov. 9 will face charges.

Maryland Heights police have said the sedan was stolen around Oct. 16 but have not released further details.
JEFFERSON CITY  A 13-point open records request volleyed into the state auditors office by a GOP-aligned group is an attempt to intimidate and obstruct efforts to review state agencies, Auditor Nicole Galloway, a Democrat, said Thursday.

Galloway said the Missouri Alliance For Freedom last month discontinued requests filed earlier this year for public records  and filed a new, 13-point request. The move came two weeks before Galloways office said it was scheduled to deliver thousands of documents to the group.

The alliance, a 501(c)(4) group not required to disclose its donors, fired back on Thursday  saying Galloway is the obstructionist.

The Auditors attacks on MAF are designed to distract from the substantive issues at hand, said Ben Hurst, an attorney representing the alliance. The Alliance for Freedom sued Galloways office in July, saying she had refused to turn over emails which are public under the states Sunshine Law.

The Alliance for Freedom originally sought emails and documents connected to the auditors probe of the Department of Revenue and its slow processing of tax refunds, among other things, including all communications from Galloway since she took office in 2015.

Hurst said Galloway has not turned over any text messages, which he contends are public record, and has turned over only emails sent after September 2016.

MAF has sued the Auditor to challenge her repeated and brazen refusal to produce public records, Hurst said in a statement. It intends to continue to pursue all available legal remedies to enforce her compliance with the law.

Galloways spokeswoman, Steph Deidrick, said in an email that we have turned over all communications to and from the State Auditor for the period requested that were not protected or closed by law. This includes e-mails to and from the auditor.

She did not immediately respond when asked to confirm Hursts accounting of what the auditor had not turned over, and if the office believed text messages were closed record.

Galloway, in a news release, said her office has so far turned over 24,000 documents, with no cost to the Alliance for Freedom.

The Alliance for Freedom asked Galloways office to suspend processing of its original requests to focus on one made on Nov. 14. Because of that, on Wednesday, Galloways taxpayer-paid legal team moved in Cole County Circuit Court to dismiss the Alliance for Freedoms lawsuit. They also want to indefinitely stop a discovery request by the alliance.

This sudden disinterest in records previously requested strongly suggests this lawsuit is not about obtaining information, Galloway said in a statement. Instead, it appears to be a deliberate effort to intimidate the State Auditor and obstruct a thorough review of state agencies.

We will continue to comply with their additional requests and remain committed to transparency, Galloway added.

The new request seeks a forensic image of each of Galloways state-provided cellphones, all backup files on each phone, billing records for each phone, any correspondence within the office related to the groups original requests, and any correspondence related to the new request.

The Kansas City-based Missouri Alliance for Freedom has said it favors limited government, which means citizens must be able to access public documents to oversee what the government is doing.

State records list Kristen Blanchard Ansley, the former acting executive director of the Missouri Republican Party, as the groups president. The Graves Garrett law firm, which is representing the nonprofit, is run by Todd Graves, chairman of the Missouri GOP and an ally of Gov. Eric Greitens.
Pat Gauen Pat Gauen is a former assistant metro editor, public safety, for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Pat Gauen Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Had Kelvin Ellis eaten lunch at the McDonalds restaurant in Caseyville instead of the nearby Hardees on April 26, he probably would not be going back to prison. Likewise, if he had just waited 2 weeks.

But Ellis, who has been repeatedly convicted of betraying public trust in East St. Louis over almost three decades, got too close to the legal edge of his supervised release. Fate shoved him over.

One of his lunch companions was Oliver W. Hamilton, the former supervisor of East St. Louis Township, who was about to begin his federal prison sentence for looting its treasury.

It was a risky meeting, because conditions of Ellis supervised release prohibited him from associating with other felons. But what were the odds that someone would recognize the two and do something about it?

Well, the same odds, it turns out, as having an FBI agent familiar with Ellis deciding at random to eat at the same Hardees on the same day.

Oops.

If this has a familiar ring, you may be thinking of the fall of another Metro East criminal, Richard Dial Thorpe, who created a massive marijuana smuggling ring called the Company. He was sought for years until one day in 1985 when he unfortunately chose the same Florida restaurant as an FBI retirement party.

Armed with a photo taken by the sharp-eyed G-man in Caseyville, prosecutors filed papers the next day to revoke Ellis probation. It was, by coincidence, the day my column warned that the federal judiciary was demonstrably fed up with East St. Louis corruption.

Chief U.S. District Judge Michael J. Reagan had rejected a plea deal that would have put Hamilton in prison for one year  and instead gave him a relatively stunning five years.

Hamilton, who had pleaded guilty of wire fraud, admitted stealing something like $40,000 in taxpayers money, although prosecutors believed it was much more.

In court documents, Reagan cited 51 defendants convicted of public corruption in the East St. Louis area over 20 years. He was, I suggested then, drawing a line in the sand by hammering Hamilton.

The judge lamented,  the residents of East St. Louis are vulnerable to corruption and are routinely taken advantage of by their elected officials and community leaders.

He was effectively describing Ellis too.

In 1990, Ellis, who had been a top aide to Mayor Carl Officer, was convicted of extortion and conspiracy to defraud a federal agency, and sentenced to 21 months in prison.

After release, Ellis became the citys director of regulatory affairs. He was convicted in federal court in 2005 of tax evasion. In 2006, he was convicted of election fraud, and separately of witness tampering and obstruction of justice.

Prosecutors said he was part of a plan to neutralize a witness in the election fraud case either by killing her or framing her with drugs. Investigators, working with an insider, faked her murder and arranged for Ellis to see a picture of the body. His premature response, according to the indictment: Our problems over.

Ellis was ordered to serve 121 months in prison in those cases, followed by those pesky three years of supervision that began May 14, 2014. Lunch with Hamilton came eight days before the time was up.

Ellis knew that Hamilton, his former boss at the township, was a felon, prosecutors insisted. And Ellis neither obtained permission from his probation officer nor reported the meeting after the fact.

Defense lawyer Joslyn Anthony argued that a U.S. Supreme Court decision found probation terms prohibiting association with felons to be fatally vague. But she lost the point to a prosecution response that said the issue was raised too late, because objections to terms of supervision can be raised only at sentencing or in the initial appeal.

Moreover, Ellis had been associating with other felons too, according to court filings. He worked with Jackie Causey, who as Jacqueline Young was convicted of embezzling $100,000 from a social agency. He lunched with Yvette Johnson, a convicted co-defendant in his election fraud case. And he worked in the failed state House campaign of Robert Romanik, a controversial radio talk show host with past convictions for obstruction of justice and bank fraud.

On Nov. 21, Judge Reagan ordered Ellis back to prison for one year.

Some may think that no harm came from a simple lunch, and that it was just days away from being legal anyway. But federal court plays the hardest hardball in law. Generations have recognized it with the phrase, Dont make a federal case out of it.

It is instructive to consider the thorough frying of little fish like Ellis and Hamilton as you contemplate what might happen to any big fish that the Justice Departments special counsel, Robert Mueller, might hook.
According to a recent poll, the majority of Americans believe Donald Trump is psychologically unfit to be president. Yet, the professionals most qualified to render that judgment have, for the most part, remained silent, as a result of the American Psychiatric Associations Goldwater Rule that it is unethical to diagnose or comment on a public figure you have not personally examined.

Up until now, very few people had ever even heard of this obscure rule, but in the extreme circumstances of today, to follow it is diagnosable madness in itself. As Bandy X. Lee, professor of psychiatry at Yale and editor of the book The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President, wrote: Possibly the oddest experience in my career as a psychiatrist has been to find that the only people not allowed to speak on an issue are those who know the most about it. Hence, truth is suppressed.

Society will always be kept in the dark, even if the evidence is blatant and the potential consequences are catastrophic. Because Trump will never voluntarily consent to a psychiatric interview, blindly following this obscure principle paints us into a logical corner  a reductio absurdum. No matter how grossly impaired Trump is, or becomes, the truth about his mental status can never be validated by experts. No matter how overwhelming the evidence, reality is unknowable, even when the emperor clearly has no sanity. We have eyes, but cannot see. We have voices, but cannot speak, even though silence may result in mass destruction.

How can I, as a medical and mental health professional, remain a bystander in the face of one of the greatest emergencies of our time? asks Lee.

Lets imagine I was an engineer, and I had specialized technical expertise that revealed to me that there was a bomb on an airplane. What ethical principle could compel me to keep that knowledge to myself? What if that bomb was in the White House, its name was Donald Trump, and my lifetime of studying, treating, writing about and teaching psychiatric residents at Johns Hopkins Medical School about mental illness revealed to me the most malignant of character pathologies, delusional thinking, destructive impulsivity and even organic brain deterioration?

See something. Say nothing? That cant be the right answer.

A group of 31 members of Congress, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., have proposed an initiative, House Resolution 1987, that could force Trump to see a doctor, actually a team of them. The Oversight Commission on Presidential Capacity Act would establish a multidisciplinary commission of psychiatrists, medical doctors and retired politicians of both parties that would evaluate a president if the 25th Amendment was invoked for reasons of suspected psychiatric or cognitive impairment. It operationalizes a professional, objective, nonpartisan procedure for assessing the presidents mental health and competence.

Our organization, Duty To Warn, is a grassroots association of mental health professionals who advocate Trumps removal under the 25th Amendment on the grounds that he is psychologically unfit. It began with an online petition in January 2017 for mental health professionals that has garnered over 62,000 signatures. It was mailed to members of Trumps Cabinet, who have the power to remove him under the 25th Amendment.

In April, Lee organized an academic conference at Yale Medical School about our duty to warn, and on Oct. 14 we had 12 similar simultaneous Duty To Warn town halls across the country, from New York to Los Angeles. Our book was released Oct. 3. In that time, this issue has appeared in over 100 newspapers, magazines, TV and radio spots across the world. It would be hard to name a periodical or network that has not covered it.

We are now moving into the next phase of our movement: political action. We have formed a 25th Amendment political action committee to support members of Congress brave and honest enough to sponsor H.R. 1987. Thus far, unfortunately, the 31 co-sponsors are all Democrats. But we earnestly hope Republicans, ready to put country above party, will join us.

Sanity and safety are not partisan issues. If a drunk driver were driving a school bus with your children aboard into oncoming traffic, his political affiliations would be the last thing you would be worrying about.

Lets be clear: A madman has the nuclear button, and hes publicly threatening to use it. On a threat scale of 1 to 10, this is an 11. The dystopian, unthinkable nightmare scenario is our new reality. God help us. Our silence will go down in history as our professions greatest moral failure.

John Gartner, Ph.D., is the founder of Duty To Warn and the head of the 25th Amendment Political Action Committee. He taught in the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University Medical School for 28 years. He is the author of In Search of Bill Clinton: A Psychological Biography and The Hypomanic Edge: The Link Between (a Little) Craziness and (a Lot of) Success in America. He is in practice in Baltimore and New York. Gartners email address is johndgartner@comcast.net.
An unfortunately high number of Americans will allow party loyalty to guide their support or rejection of the GOP tax bill awaiting congressional approval. The 440-page House tax bill, approved Nov. 16, merits skepticism regardless of which party you support.

Tom Barthold, the nonpartisan chief of staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation, briefed the House Ways and Means Committee on Nov. 6, highlighting just a few of the deductions that corporations would retain under the bill while the rest of us would see deductions disappear.

Will a teacher in my district who buys pens, pencils, paper for his students be able to deduct these costs from his tax returns under this plan? Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., asked Barthold.

Barthold responded stiffly that the House tax plan would repeal the above-the line deduction for teacher expenses. What if a corporation spent money on pencils and paper for its workers, DelBene countered. The corporate expense remains deductible, Barthold replied.

Will a firefighter in my district be able to deduct the state and local sales taxes that she pays from her tax returns under this plan? DelBene asked. No, the deduction would be eliminated, Barthold responded. Asked if corporations would retain their deduction for those taxes, Barthold replied yes.

If a worker in my district had to move because his employer is forcing him to relocate his family or potentially lose his job, can he deduct his moving expenses under this plan? DelBene asked. No, moving-expense deductions would be repealed for individuals, Barthold said.

But if a company, a corporation decides to close its facilities in my district, fire its workers and move its operation to China, say, can they deduct associated moving expenses under this plan? DelBene asked.

Outside the United States or within the United States, those would be deductible expenses, Barthold replied.

DelBene noted that an estimated 6 million American jobs are currently unfilled in the fields of manufacturing, education, construction, health and retail. She asked about the deductibility of expenses for education and job-skills training that individuals might incur to qualify for one of those jobs.

The exclusion for employer-provided education assistance is also repealed, Barthold said. Currently, its a major incentive that allows employers to offer up to $5,250 to an employee for educational needs, tax-free. But House GOP members decided to chop that exclusion.

So much for a skilled workforce. Or students with pencils and paper. Or people who need to move in order to keep their jobs.

But all those pencil-less, lesser-educated, non-mobile workers will be comforted to know that when their employer closes shop and moves from, say, St. Louis to China, those moving expenses are covered under this GOP tax plan.

Seems like a good time to ask who, exactly, our members of Congress are fighting for.
Nokia comments on rumors related to Juniper Networks

Nokia Corporation

Stock Exchange Release

November 30, 2017 at 02:20 (CET +1)

Nokia comments on rumors related to Juniper Networks

Espoo, Finland - While Nokia does not typically comment on market rumors, given the specificity of press reports related to a potential acquisition of Juniper Networks, the company issued the following statement: "Nokia is not currently in talks with, nor is it preparing an offer for, Juniper Networks related to an acquisition of that company."



FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

It should be noted that Nokia and its businesses are exposed to various risks and uncertainties and certain statements herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those regarding: A) our ability to integrate acquired businesses into our operations and achieve the targeted business plans and benefits, including targeted benefits, synergies, cost savings and efficiencies; B) expectations, plans or benefits related to our strategies and growth management; C) expectations, plans or benefits related to future performance of our businesses; D) expectations, plans or benefits related to changes in organizational and operational structure; E) expectations regarding market developments, general economic conditions and structural changes; F) expectations and targets regarding financial performance, results, opeRating expenses, taxes, currency exchange rates, hedging, cost savings and competitiveness, as well as results of operations including targeted synergies and those related to market share, prices, net sales, income and margins; G) expectations, plans or benefits related to any future collaboration or to business collaboration agreements or patent license agreements or arbitration awards, including income to be received under any collaboration or partnership, agreement or award; H) timing of the deliveries of our products and services; I) expectations and targets regarding collaboration and partnering arrangements, joint ventures or the creation of joint ventures, and the related administrative, legal, regulatory and other conditions, as well as our expected customer reach; J) outcome of pending and threatened litigation, arbitration, disputes, regulatory proceedings or investigations by authorities; K) expectations regarding restructurings, investments, capital structure optimization efforts, uses of proceeds from transactions, acquisitions and divestments and our ability to achieve the financial and operational targets set in connection with any such restructurings, investments, capital structure optimization efforts, divestments and acquisitions; and L) statements preceded by or including "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "foresee," "sees," "target," "estimate," "designed," "aim," "plans," "intends," "focus," "continue," "project," "should," "is to," "will" or similar expressions. These statements are based on management's best assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it. Because they involve risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from the results that we currently expect. Factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to: 1) our ability to execute our strategy, sustain or improve the operational and financial performance of our business and correctly identify and successfully pursue business opportunities or growth; 2) our ability to achieve the anticipated benefits, synergies, cost savings and efficiencies of acquisitions, including the acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent, and our ability to implement changes to our organizational and operational structure efficiently; 3) general economic and market conditions and other developments in the economies where we operate; 4) competition and our ability to effectively and profitably compete and invest in new competitive high-quality products, services, upgrades and technologies and bring them to market in a timely manner; 5) our dependence on the development of the industries in which we operate, including the cyclicality and variability of the information technology and telecommunications industries; 6) our global business and exposure to regulatory, political or other developments in various countries or regions, including emerging markets and the associated risks in relation to tax matters and exchange controls, among others; 7) our ability to manage and improve our financial and operating performance, cost savings, competitiveness and synergies generally or after the acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent; 8) our dependence on a limited number of customers and large multi-year agreements; 9) exchange rate fluctuations, as well as hedging activities; 10) Nokia Technologies' ability to protect its IPR and to maintain and establish new sources of patent licensing income and IPR-related revenues, particularly in the smartphone market; 11) our ability to successfully realize the expectations, plans or benefits related to any future collaboration or business collaboration agreements and patent license agreements or arbitration awards, including income to be received under any collaboration, partnership, agreement or arbitration award; 12) our dependence on IPR technologies, including those that we have developed and those that are licensed to us, and the risk of associated IPR-related legal claims, licensing costs and restrictions on use; 13) our exposure to direct and indirect regulation, including economic or trade policies, and the reliability of our governance, internal controls and compliance processes to prevent regulatory penalties in our business or in our joint ventures; 14) our ability to identify and remediate material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting; 15) our reliance on third-party solutions for data storage and service distribution, which expose us to risks relating to security, regulation and cybersecurity breaches; 16) inefficiencies, breaches, malfunctions or disruptions of information technology systems; 17) Nokia Technologies' ability to generate net sales and profitability through licensing of the Nokia brand, technology licensing and the development and sales of products and services for instance in digital health, as well as other business ventures, which may not materialize as planned; 18) our exposure to various legislative frameworks and jurisdictions that regulate fraud and enforce economic trade sanctions and policies, and the possibility of proceedings or investigations that result in fines, penalties or sanctions; 19) adverse developments with respect to customer financing or extended payment terms we provide to customers; 20) the potential complex tax issues, tax disputes and tax obligations we may face in various jurisdictions, including the risk of obligations to pay additional taxes; 21) our actual or anticipated performance, among other factors, which could reduce our ability to utilize deferred tax assets; 22) our ability to retain, motivate, develop and recruit appropriately skilled employees; 23) disruptions to our manufacturing, service creation, delivery, logistics and supply chain processes, and the risks related to our geographically-concentrated production sites; 24) the impact of litigation, arbitration, agreement-related disputes or product liability allegations associated with our business; 25) our ability to optimize our capital structure as planned and re-establish our investment grade credit rating or otherwise improve our credit ratings; 26) our ability to achieve targeted benefits from or successfully achieve the required administrative, legal, regulatory and other conditions and implement planned transactions, as well as the liabilities related thereto; 27) our involvement in joint ventures and jointly-managed companies; 28) the carrying amount of our goodwill may not be recoverable; 29) uncertainty related to the amount of dividends and equity return we are able to distribute to shareholders for each financial period; 30) pension costs, employee fund-related costs, and healthcare costs; and 31) risks related to undersea infrastructure, as well as the risk factors specified on pages 67 to 85 of our 2016 annual report on Form 20-F under "Operating and financial review and prospects-Risk factors" and in our other filings or documents furnished with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Other unknown or unpredictable factors or underlying assumptions subsequently proven to be incorrect could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent legally required.

About Nokia

We create the technology to connect the world. Powered by the research and innovation of Nokia Bell Labs, we serve communications service providers, governments, large enterprises and consumers, with the industry's most complete, end-to-end portfolio of products, services and licensing.

From the enabling infrastructure for 5G and the Internet of Things, to emerging applications in digital health, we are shaping the future of technology to transform the human experience. www.nokia.com



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Source: NOKIA via Globenewswire


Stratford MP Nadhim Zahawi has written to Donald Trump urging the American president not to provide a platform for far-right groups on twitter.

The letter follows President Trumps decision to retweet inflammatory videos by far-right group Britain First on his twitter account, which is followed by 43.6million people.

The presidents actions have prompted an international row between the British and American governments after a spokesperson for the Prime Minister said President Trump was wrong to have retweeted the videos.

The president then responding by warning Theresa May to focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom rather than on him.

Mr Zahawis letter to the US president reads:

I am writing to register my strong discontent over your decision to retweet three videos posted on Twitter by Jayda Fransen, a convicted racist and deputy leader of Britain First, an extreme right-wing and hateful political organisation.

The videos you have chosen to distribute to your 43.6 million Twitter followers seek to conflate all Muslims into one skewed and twisted stereotype in the hope of inciting religious hatred towards the Islamic community. Whether the videos are valid or not. The individuals within them do not represent the overwhelming majority of those who adhere to the many forms of the Islamic faith.

Terrorist groups like Daesh work by dehumanising those they seek to destroy, making it possible for their followers to commit the atrocities they do. Both the UK and the USA have worked tirelessly to eradicate such groups in the Middle East, and at home both our countries continue to root out domestic terrorist activity and combat the radicalisation that leads to it. I fear that your actions today have put in jeopardy some of the hard work done by our state bodies, making it easier for terrorist groups to portray our countries as their enemies and stoking the flames of radicalisation further. This is precisely what groups like Daesh want, and this makes it so much more vital that we do not now allow our actions to play into their hands.

You are soon due to visit the United Kingdom. When you are here I believe you would find enlightening the experience of visiting our beautiful cities live Coventry, Birmingham, Manchester and London. In them you would see how our Muslim communities live peaceably alongside others, enrich their local areas and contribute so much to society. They are so far removed from the stereotypes that the videos of Britain first try to portray.

In June 2016 a British Member of Parliament, Jo Cox, was viciously murdered by a right-wing extremist as she arrived for an advice surgery she was holding for her constituents. Among other acclamations, the murderer shouted Britain first as he attacked Jo, words that correspond to the name of the organisation you have given a platform to on Twitter.

I know you take your role as President very seriously. I therefore urge you to delete the retweets and do all you can in future to resist courses of action that play into the hands of those who seek to destroy us and our way of life.
The name of the Bay of Plenty man missing off the coast of Waihi has been released.

Rotorua man Jason Elijah Shane Manuka Lines has been missing since the boat he was in capsized on the Bowentown Bar on Monday night.

Jason was with another man and a 10-year-old boy when the boat flipped, both of whom made it back to shore.

"Despite an extensive Police-led search Jason has not been located," says piolice.

"Search teams, including the Police National Dive Squad and Royal New Zealand Navy are today completing their search of the area.

"Jasons family has been notified of the search progress to date and Polices thoughts are with them at this time.

"Police will continue to assess new information as it comes to hand."
A 61-year-old man is facing a raft of sexual abuse charges following an investigation into alleged sexual abuse of international workers at a Bay of Plenty retreat.

Eastern Bay of Plenty Police arrested the man this week as a part of Operation Mylas - an investigation sexual abuse claime of international workers at the Maraehako Bay Retreat, near Whanarua Bay on the East Coast of Bay of Plenty.

The man was arrested on Tuesday and has been charged with a number of sex offences.

He appeared in Whakatane District Court yesterday and will next appear on December 19.

Police were first made aware of the offending in September this year, and the investigation to date has found at least two former employees were abused at the retreat between 2013 and 2017.

The two women who were in their mid-late 20s, from Japan and Taiwan, were working for the retreat as cleaners in exchange for accommodation and food when the offending occurred.

Detective Ash Clements of the Eastern Bay of Plenty Adult Sexual Assault Team says there is a concerning pattern of behaviour exhibited in the offending against the two victims, who were at the retreat at different times and are not known to each other.

We are seeking anyone who has previously visited the Maraehako Bay Retreat, worked in any capacity at the retreat, or from members of the community who may have information that is relevant to the investigation to make contact with our team.

We would like to hear from anyone who may have had similar experiences at the retreat to come forward to Police.

We can assure any other victims who would like to contact us that they will be treated with respect and we will do everything we can to support them.

Information can be provided to the Whakatane Police Adult Sexual Assault Team on (07) 308 5255, or they can provided information anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Police are renewing an appeal for information to help them locate a missing Bay of Plenty autistic man.

Nigel Peterson went missing in the Rotorua area about two weeks ago.

Police say the 33-year-old man left a caregiver at about 3pm on Friday November 17 and disappeared near Old Taupo Road.

Nigel is autistic and Police and his family are increasingly concerned for his safety.

Despite extensive searches, Nigel is still missing. If youve seen Nigel or know where he is, please call Rotorua Police on 07 348 0099.
Tauranga City Council and The Incubator Creative Hub are bringing a community and arts focus to Christmas in the city centre.

Twelve Trees of Christmas involved 12 trees decorated by over 20 local schools, tertiary organisations and community groups being displayed in Red Square and on the waterfront.

Three local artists have also been commissioned to decorate a tree each.

The installation provides an opportunity to celebrate a uniquely Kiwi Christmas that will captivate locals and visitors in the lead up to the festive season.

On December 2, the same day as the Trustpower Christmas Parade, there will be an opportunity for the community to get involved and take part in a free workshop on the waterfront. People will be able to paint decorations for the public installation. The workshop will be open from 11am at the Edgewater Fan.

Members of the Omokoroa Art Group making decorations.

Twelve Trees of Christmas is an opportunity for the community to contribute to a temporary public art project during the festive season  a time where community connectedness and whanau is encouraged and celebrated, says The Incubator Director Simone Anderson.

The trees themselves take inspiration from New Zealands native Christmas tree, the pohutakawa, incorporating a stylistic kowhaiwhai pattern, designed by local artist Ashlei Luckman-Taupaki, a recent graduate of the Bachelor of Creative Industries course at Toi Ohomai.

Tauranga City Council Mayor Greg Brownless says the Twelve Trees of Christmas was a unique way to bring some festive cheer to the city centre.

We see it as a project for the community, by the community. Its an opportunity for more than 700 people in the community to see their artistic talent on show.

People have had fun painting decorations over the past few weeks, and will soon get to see their work come together for the community. I am really looking forward to seeing the trees when they are completed.

Pillans Point Primary students creating decorations for the Twelve Trees of Christmas display.

Some of the community groups involved include; Toi Ohomai students and staff, Te Wananga o Aotearoa, Maungatapu Primary School, Tauranga Multicultural Society, Tahatai Coast Primary School, Te Tuinga Whanau Trust, Te Aranui Youth Trust, Graham Dingle Foundations Project K, Tauranga Pryde - Rainbow Youth, Bethlehem Primary - Te Ao Huri Huri , YMCA, Pillans Point Primary, Tauranga Society of Artists, Omokoroa Art Group, Welcome Bay Primary, The Te Puke Art Society, and the Tauranga Hospital Childrens Ward

The 12 trees will be on display from December 1, 2017 until mid-January 2018.
Katikati is the latest Kiwi locale to be described as a shit town by the popular satirical Facebook page, Shit Towns of New Zealand.

The page has garnered criticism in the past from people who either cant take a joke, or dont recognise jokes when they encounter them.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, begins the post.

Unfortunately for Katikati, those thousand words are all shit. Katikati bills itself as New Zealands first open-air art gallery, a claim based on the sixty murals dotted around the town depicting events from its history. This would be a great idea if anything of interest had ever happened there, but given Katikatis long and boring history, most murals depict generic scenes of pioneers and livestock better suited to your grandmas placemats. Its not exactly an al fresco Louvre.

If Katikatis murals werent enough to get you screaming down State Highway 2, the town also boasts the Haiku Pathway, a collection of boulders inexplicably inscribed with traditional Japanese poetry.

The post concludes with a contribution to the haiku pathway: I would rather die/Than spend a single second/In Katikati.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the post had received more than 600 reactions and 28 shares on Facebook.

Katch Katikati promotions manager Jacqui Knight hasnt heard of the page, but says she understands the concept as shes from Palmerston North.

She suggests people come down to see the murals  which now number more than 70  and haiku pathway for themselves.

We also have the Katikati Avocado Food and Wine Festival coming up this summer. Its an afternoon of live music and food, including a performance by the Flying Kiwis  Jackie Clarke, Annie Crummer and Rikki Morris  and all for just $20.

In October, the town hosted a competition to find the next additions to their mural collection, with the eventual winners being two modern designs based around the theme of The Future of our Children.
If youre expecting a baby in 2018 and youre still struggling to come up with the perfect name, then heres a list for your perusal.

The team at Babygaga analysed data from the last few years to come up with a prediction of whats hot for the year ahead.

While there are some old and familiar favourites from previous years (Charlotte, Amelia, Oliver and Jack, to name just a few), if youre after something a tad more unique, there are also some surprising new additions such as Sadie, Kai and Corin to choose from, too.

Lets take a closer look at the predictions:

1. Emma - Meaning "universal". Could A-listers Emma Stone and Emma Watson be influencing the use of this classic name?

2. Charlotte - Popular with plenty of parents (including Kate and Wills), this French moniker means "feminine".

3. Sadie - A Hebrew name meaning "princess", Sadie is slowly becoming a hit.

4. Violet - This pretty french moniker has increased in popularity since being given to Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garners daughter in 2005.

5. Kennedy - This unisex Irish name means "chief with helmet". Originally seen as a male name, its now making its way onto the top charts for female given names.

6. Savannah - Currently the 40th most popular girl name in the US, Savannah means "treeless plain".

7. Penelope - Meaning "dream weaver", could this classic name be seeing a revival thanks to Kourtney Kardashians daughter?

8. Victoria - The classic Victoria means "winner, conqueror" and has long stood the test of time.

9. Ellie - Meaning "light", this short name is a sweet alternative to top names Ella, Emily and Eva.

10. Hazel - This is the second time the name Hazel has popped up on a most popular list this year. Meaning "the Hazel tree", this moniker was the 19th most searched name on Nameberry back in July.

11. Natalie - Meaning "to be born", Natalie comes from the Russian name Natalia. Its the 37th most popular female name in the US.

12. Luna - This name may have increased in popularity thanks to Chrissy Teigen and John Legends adorable daughter. It means "the moon".

13. Rylie - A unisex name meaning "valiant", Rylie is an adaptation of the Irish last name Reilly.

14. Aurora - This name, meaning "goddess of the dawn", is at number 47 on the top female baby name charts.

15. Scarlett - Consistently popular, Scarlett, which means "red", is now the 17th most popular female name in America.

16. Nora - Meaning "light", this name was number 30 on Nameberrys most searched list.

17. Zoe - Short and sweet, Zoe has Greek origins and can be translated to mean "life".

18. Amelia - A popular name in the past, Amelia, which means "industrious, admiring", is making a comeback.

19. Harper - Another unisex name meaning "harp player", this moniker was given to David and Victoria Beckhams daughter in 2011 - and has been popular ever since.

20. Stella - Meaning "star", this Italian name is gaining in popularity. Matt Damon and Ellen Pompeo both have daughters with this name.

Top 20 Boys:

1. Finn - A popular and powerful Irish name, Finn means "fair" and is now becoming widely embraced outside of Ireland.

2. Jack - Originating from the name "John", Jack has been popular in England for ages and now sits at number 38 on the US charts.

3. Atticus - Meaning "father like", this literary name came in second place in Nameberrys most searched names this year, indicating that its oh-so trendy right now.

4. Oliver - Its said to be the number one name in England, Australia and New Zealand so we expect it to stick around for at least another year.

5. Theodore - This "divine gift" of a name surged in popularity back in 1901 after US president Theodore Roosevelt. Its now back in a big way - especially with popular the hipster nickname "Theo".

6. Reuban - A Hebrew name meaning "behold a son", Reuban has a rich history.

7. Dylan - Meaning "born from the ocean", this thoughtful name has been in the top 50 baby names for several years.

8. Corin - A unisex name meaning "spear", Corin is one of the more unique names on this list of monikers to watch.

9. Adam - Short and concise, this classic name, which means "mankind", continues to be a winner.

10. Alexander - Meaning "protector of mankind," this classic name was used by George and Amal Clooney earlier this year, so expect its popularity to rise.

11. Daniel - Meaning "God is my judge", the always popular Daniel has been in the top 15 names for boys since 1972, says Babygaga.

12. Christopher - Its fallen slightly out of favour in recent years, but Christopher, which means "Christ bearer", is still a classic.

13. Brandon - Meaning "little Raven", Brandon got a bit of a boost back in the 90210 days, thanks to Jason Priestlys character, and it continues to be a popular choice.

14. Logan - A unisex name meaning "small cove", Logan originates from a Scottish surname. Perhaps Hugh Jackman has something to do with its newfound popularity?

15. Joseph - Meaning "God will increase", this Biblical name is one of the most popular names of all time.

16. Hunter - Hunter, which means "one who hunts", continues to be a popular choice.

17. Lucas - Similar to the popular Luke, Lucas has climbed steadily to reach the top 15 spot in the US. It means "light".

18. Kai - Donald Trump Jr has a daughter called Kai, born in 2007. The unisex name means "ocean".

19. Jasper - Meaning "semi precious stone", the name Jasper was No. 7 on Nameberrys most searched list, so expect to see a few more Jaspers in the playground in years to come.

20. Isaac - Another Biblical name, Isaac, which means "he will laugh", is consistently popular.

- essentialbaby.com.au/ARIANE BEESTON/Stuff.co.nz
The Wytheville Town Council on Monday agreed to discontinue its Restaurant Sign Program, notify all participants of the decision and ask the public works department to remove the signs from local roadways.

For years, signs along Wythevilles roads have pointed drivers to various restaurants like Peking and Skeeters.

However, many of the signs are in disrepair and the town has not accepted additional sings in many years, Councilman Tommy Hundley reported to council members. He said that because of the problems associated with the program, the town stopped collecting fees to maintain the signs more than a year ago.

Since many of the signs are in a bad state of repair, the Public Works Committee recommended that they be removed, said Hundley, a member of the committee.

In addition, because the town is about the begin a significant Wayfinding Program to erect new and attractive signs, many of the old restaurant logo signs would most likely be a detriment to community aesthetics, the councilman said.

After the town notifies restaurant owners, public works employees will begin removing the signs during the winter months and return them to the businesses.

In other business, the council:

 Agreed to increase fines for parking violations, which have remained steady for several years. Most fines will increase by $5, but some will go up as much as $15.

 Heard a report from Hundley regarding making Wytheville a more walkable town. He said that as a component of the Healthy Eating/Active Living Initiative, the Planning Commission has started a study of the towns existing sidewalk system and of other areas what would provide pedestrian connectivity.

The construction of more sidewalks is a priority but no funds have been appropriated in the current years budget, he said.

Community Boulevard is under construction and will provide a new section of sidewalk extending from the Community Center to Lithia Road. At the same time, a sidewalk is being constructed on East Main Street from Malin Drive to Cassell Road. Hundley said the towns first priority would be to provide a section of sidewalk along Lithia Road that would connect these two sections of sidewalks that are under construction.

To reach Millie Rothrock, call 228-6611, ext. 35, or email mrothrock@wythenews.com.
A 23-year-old Wytheville man, already on the Virginia Sexual Offenders Registry for raping and impregnating a 12-year-old girl when he was 19 in 2013, admitted in Circuit Court Tuesday to a sexual relationship with a Floyd County girl, 14, that also left her pregnant late last year.

The mother of the 14-year-old found her in bed with Derek Todd Yates at her home in Floyd County , Commonwealths Attorney Eric Branscom told the court.

A doctors examination found the girl had experienced sexual intercourse and was also pregnant. The family had the pregnancy aborted, and further examination of DNA in the fetus revealed Yates was the father.

Branscom said Yates has fathered another child with a 12-year-old girl in Wythe County in an earlier statutory rape.

Yates entered guilty pleas to indecent liberties and carnal knowledge of a child, and Judge Marc Long ordered a pre-sentencing investigation and set final judgment for February 13, 2018 at 9:30 a.m.

The plea came on the same court day where a Maryland man admitted abducting another 14-year-old and taking her to his home state for sex.

Korbin Roberts of Baltimore began an online conversation with the girl and talked her into meeting up with him near Willis Village Mart earlier this year and took her back to Maryland, where she later ran away from him.

Roberts pled guilty to abduction and was given a 12-month suspended sentence and was sentenced to serve two years of probation back at his home in Maryland.

Branscom said Roberts talked with another underage girl in West Virginia and brought her to his home state.

It was another case of using the Internet to meet and lure these young women away from their homes and families, he said.
At least nine women have come forward accusing playwright Israel Horovitz of sexual misconduct, according to The New York Times.

Horovitz, who wrote more than 70 plays including "Line" and "Park Your Car In Harvard Yard," is accused of inappropriate advances, sexual assault and rape over decades. Some of the alleged victims were teenagers; Frederique Giffard was 16 and an au pair for Horovitz, then 52, when he allegedly groped her breasts and placed her hand on his genitals.

Jocelyn Meinhardt was 19 when she began a summer fellowship in 1989 at the Gloucester Stage Company in Massachusetts, where Horovitz was the artistic director for 28 years. She says he raped her on her first night there.

"He was a good mentor, until he was the worst, probably most nightmarish mentor you could have," Meinhardt told the Times.

According to the newspaper, Meinhardt was previously a high school girlfriend of Horovitz's son, Adam Horovitz, who co-founded the hip-hop group Beastie Boys in the 1980s.

"I believe the allegations against my father are true, and I stand behind the women that made them," Adam Horovitz, also known by his rapper stage name Ad-Rock, told the Times.

Israel Horovitz, now 78, told the publication that he has "a different memory" of some of the alleged encounters, but apologized in a statement.

"To hear that I have caused pain is profoundly upsetting, as is the idea that I might have crossed a line with anyone who considered me a mentor," he said.

His accusers, who spoke on the record, said they were inspired to come forward by recent allegations about film producer Harvey Weinstein, comedian Louis C.K. and others. The New York Daily News reports Horovitz was previously accused of sexual harassment and assault by 10 women in 1993, but the accusations published in The Boston Phoenix newspaper were largely "disregarded."

Horovitz also has several film and TV credits, including writing 2001's "James Dean" starring James Franco and 1991's "Sunshine" starring Ralph Fiennes. Horovitz also wrote and directed the 2014 movie "My Old Lady," starring Kevin Kline, Maggie Smith and Kristin Scott Thomas.
Charles Sykes | AP

by Geoff Herbert | gherbert@syracuse.com

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Megyn Kelly talks 'rumors'

Syracuse native and Syracuse University alumna Megyn Kelly says she heard rumors about Matt Lauer's "inappropriate sexual behavior" before he was fired by NBC this week. The "Megyn Kelly Today" host said Wednesday at a media conference that she didn't know how credible the rumors were: "I hear a lot of rumors about myself that aren't true." The former Fox News host didn't elaborate on which rumors, but reports have repeatedly suggested NBC has concerns about her ratings since joining the "Today" show. "NBC has put zero pressure on me," Kelly said Wednesday, calling her morning show "like a 9-week-old baby" still finding its voice.

>> Read more at Variety.

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Jay-Z, Beyonce joint album

From "Crazy in Love" to "Bonnie and Clyde '03," it's no surprise that Jay-Z is ready to collaborate with his wife Beyonce. However, the rapper revealed in a new interview with T Magazine that they were working on a joint album together before she dropped "Lemonade," her surprise release about his infidelity. "The hardest thing is seeing pain on someone's face that you caused, and then have to deal with yourself," Jay-Z said, adding that they "still have a lot of that music" that could be released. He said he's also made strides through therapy and described his beef with Kanye West as more of a sibling rivalry.

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'West Wing' reboot

Syracuse University alumnus Aaron Sorkin is thinking about a "West Wing" reboot, telling The Hollywood Reporter that he has a standing offer from NBC for a new political series. Sorkin said his dream would be to cast Sterling K. Brown as the president facing a threat and needs consultation from former President Bartlett (Martin Sheen) "in the way that Bill Clinton used to consult with Nixon." Brown, who's won Emmys for "This Is Us" and "American Crime Story," says on Twitter he's in.

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#AaronSorkin if you are serious, sir, I would be honored!  https://t.co/7lZ3aocK95  Sterling K Brown (@SterlingKBrown) November 29, 2017

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Justin Timberlake cheats on Jimmy Fallon

Justin Timberlake appeared on "The Late Show" for the first time with Stephen Colbert Wednesday night, despite being a frequent guest of Jimmy Fallon on "The Tonight Show." Is it a sign that Fallon's ratings are continuing to struggle against Colbert, who has grown in popularity with his political jabs at President Donald Trump? Timberlake did jokingly call Colbert "Jimmy Fallon" at one point -- he also claimed "Sexyback" is a song about a rabbit named Sexy and talked about his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show.

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Kelly Clarkson carpool karaoke

Kelly Clarkson turned "Carpool Karaoke" into a date with her hsuband Brandon Blackstock. The singer and original "American Idol" winner had fun performing hits like "Since U Been Gone," "Love so Soft," and "Because of You," but then enjoyed chocolate-covered strawberries and wine in the backseat for a rare outing without their four kids. "I feel like we're making a porn," Blackstock joked, prompting Corden to slam him for ruining the romantic moment.

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More Buzz

Death of Michelle Rounds, Rosie's ex and Upstate native, ruled suicide ( DN

Britney Spears flaunts cleavage at NBA date with Sam Asghari ( DM

Report: Justin Bieber's bodyguard injures cops in DUI crash ( TMZ

N.E.R.D. recruits Future for thumping new song '1000' ( RS

Jimmy Iovine says streaming music isn't making money ( BB

Angela Lansbury backtracks sex harassment victim comments ( DN

Kim K posts more nude photos from glittery photo shoot ( DM

Matthew McConaughey jams with Jimmy Buffett for film scene ( TMZ

Joan Jett, Robin Williams documentaries coming to Sundance ( RS

DMX releases own version of 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' ( BB

Richie Sambora will rejoin Bon Jovi if inducted in Rock Hall of Fame ( DN

Modest Mouse singer sued for $865K over car accident ( RS

Rick Springfield explores bluesy side on new album ( BB

AM Buzz is a weekday morning feature on syracuse.com where we'll post the latest in viral videos, trending topics, celebrity gossip and entertainment news.
BALDWINSVILLE, N.Y. -- Police have arrested a 19-year-old man they said led officers on a chase that prompted the lockdown of Baldwinsville schools on Tuesday afternoon.

Preston B. Fagan, 19, of Syracuse, was charged with unlawful fleeing of a police officer in a vehicle, marijuana possession, reckless driving and other traffic infractions, Baldwinsville police said.

Police Chief Mike Lefancheck said Fagan and his passenger fled from police after failing to stop at two stop signs along East Oneida Street at Albert Palmer Lane and Spruce Street.

Lefancheck did not identify Fagan's passenger or say whether he was apprehended.

In the pursuit, Fagan nearly struck a Baldwinsville school bus, Lefancheck said.

Fagan and his passenger then fled from police on foot. Fagan was found to have marijuana and was determined not to have a driver's license, police said.

Baldwinsville schools went on a brief lockdown at 2:21 p.m. after police pursued the vehicle onto the campus.

Two occupants got out of the car and fled into the woods, according to a notice posted on the Baldwinsville Central School District website.

The district superintendent ordered all main campus buildings to go on lockdown and instructed buses to leave the campus. Parents were informed their children would arrive home late because of the incident.

The lockdown was lifted at 2:40 p.m. when police informed the district they had both occupants of the car in custody.

Buses then started the afternoon pickup of students. The district told parents elementary school students would arrive home 30 to 45 minutes late.
Mary Yoder

UTICA, N.Y. -- NBC-TV's "Dateline" plans to broadcast a hourlong segment Friday night on the poisoning death of Mary Louise Yoder, a chiropractor from Whitesboro.

Kaitlyn Conley, 24, was found guilty of poisoning and killing Yoder, her boss and the mother of Conley's former boyfriend. A jury found Conley guilty of first-degree manslaughter on Nov. 6 during her second murder trial - the first ended in a hung jury in May.

Yoder, 60, died July 22, 2015. Conley wasn't charged in her death until 11 months later in June 2016. Conley, of Sauquoit, was initially charged with second-degree murder.

Conley worked for Yoder for four years at the Chiropractic Family Care offices on Oriskany Boulevard in Whitesboro. Yoder and her husband, William, had operated the practice for 28 years.

Conley had dated the couple's son, Adam, but the pair were only friends when Yoder died, according to testimony during the trial.

During the second murder trial, the defense pointed the finger at Adam Yoder, blaming him for the murder of his mother. During the first trial, the defense named William Yoder, Mary Yoder's husband, as the alleged killer.

The prosecution has contended in both trials that Conley purchased the colchicine that was used to kill her boss. They also said there is evidence linking her to the vial used in the murder and the gift cards used to buy the substance.

The defense has argued that Conley was a pawn -- a naive girl who was framed for the murder by her controlling, abusive ex-boyfriend.

Defense lawyer Frank Policelli said the evidence was nearly all circumstantial, while prosecutors said the evidence all points at Conley, according to media reports.
CICERO, N.Y. -- Deputies have released the name of the pedestrian who died Wednesday after he was hit by a truck in Cicero.

Devon Coleman, of Tuller Road, North Syracuse, was trying to cross Route 11 when he was hit by a commercial sweeper truck, said Sgt. Jon Seeber, an Onondaga County Sheriff's Office spokesman. He was 20 years old.

Coleman worked at McDonald's, Seeber said. He had just left work when he was hit, he said.

The deadly accident happened at 4:26 a.m.

Coleman was trying to cross Route 11 (Brewerton Road) from McDonald's at Hogan Drive when he was hit by a southbound commercial sweeper truck, Seeber said. The seriously injured man was rushed to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, where he was pronounced dead.

Jeffrey Swartwood Jr., 20, of Cicero, was driving the Tarvia Seal Corp truck, Seeber said. He was not injured.

The crash remains under investigation. No tickets have been issued.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A man stole an SUV on Syracuse's West Side and led officers on a chase in and out of the city Wednesday evening, police said.

John Besaw, 43, of 407 Butternut St., Syracuse, was arrested Wednesday by the Syracuse Police Department. He was arrested after leading police on a traffic pursuit and fleeing on foot, said Sgt. Julie Shulsky, a Syracuse Police Department spokeswoman.

The incident started just before 8 p.m. on the city's West Side.

A man called police at 7:51 p.m. and reported his 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer had been stolen in the 1900 block of West Genesee Street, Shulsky said. Shortly after, Officer Jason Ladd spotted the stolen SUV heading north on North Franklin Street, she said.

Ladd tried to pull over the stolen SUV, Shulsky said. But Besaw, the driver, refused to stop, she said.

The traffic chase started in Syracuse before leaving the city, Shulsky said. Besaw eventually returned to the city, abandoned the SUV in the 200 block of Wall Street and ran away, she said.

Officers searched for Besaw. With the help of a New York State Police canine team and the Onondaga County sheriff's Air 1 helicopter, police tracked Besaw to the 300 block of Richmond Avenue, Shulsky said.

Besaw fought with the officers who arrested him, Shulsky said.

Besaw was charged with fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, third-degree unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, third-degree unlawful fleeing of a police officer, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment, third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and traffic-related infractions.

He is being held in the Onondaga County Justice Center pending arraignment.
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Prominent radio host Garrison Keillor will no longer speak at Ithaca's State Theatre on Dec. 2, amid allegations of inappropriate behavior toward a colleague.

On Thursday morning, the State Theatre's website listed the Keillor show as canceled. Promoter DSP Shows announced Keillor's Buffalo performance on Sunday, Dec. 3 at Asbury Hall is also canceled.

Refunds will be available at point of purchase.

Minnesota Public Radio fired Keillor, the creator and former host of "A Prairie Home Companion," today after the allegations surfaced of improper behavior.

Keillor was scheduled to speak at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, Mass. on Wednesday, Nov. 29, but that show was also canceled.

Keillor told The Associated Press he was fired over "a story that I think is more interesting and more complicated than the version MPR heard." His statement appears on his website.

Keillor is one of the latest in a remarkable string of high-profile firings over allegations of workplace sexual harassment, abuse and improper behavior.

His firing came one day after he penned a Washington Post Op-ed piece defending of U.S. Sen. Al Franken against calls that he resign over allegations he forcibly kissed and groped a model and broadcaster in 2006.

Katrina Tulloch writes music and culture stories for Syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Contact her: Email | Twitter | Facebook
This week, the U.S. Senate will vote on a plan for tax overhaul that would double the standard deduction and phase out the estate tax. The plan, if passed, could leave many charities and nonprofits concerned about their future. They could take a hit if fewer people decide to itemize their taxes to take a deduction for charitable giving. Ending the estate tax would give people less of an incentive to donate their wealth to charity.

Peter Dunn, president and CEO of Central New York Community Foundation, Inc., said that the proposed tax law will play a role in incentivizing the timing and the size of giving. The issue, however, is complex.

"Since this country was created, charitable giving has been an important part of who we are. It's been infinitely connected to how we pursue the common good and make the world a better place, " Dunn said. "The charitable deduction is actually 100 years old this year, and has been a core part of our tax code nearly since the income tax has been created."

Charitable donations are considered tax-deductible. Itemized items are eligible expenses that taxpayers can claim when filling for tax returns to decrease their taxable income. Taxpayers must choose between taking the standard deduction or itemizing their deductions.

The current standard deduction is $6,350 for individuals and $12,700 for married couples. If the amount were to double, taxpayers would avoid paying taxes on more of their income and the overall number of individuals to itemize their deductions would fall drastically.

Dunn said that the doubling of the standard deduction is one of the main focuses of the charities.

Right now, only 30 percent of Americans itemize, and The Tax Policy Center believes the bill could lower that to 5 percent, as the standard deduction will be greater than their itemized deductions.

"People do give irrespective of the charitable deduction, right, so 70 percent of people don't itemize anyway. But certainly larger gifts, where the deduction plays a role, it does create a concern. There is a lot of moving pieces in this legislation," Dunn said.

The future of the estate tax under the House bill also poses threats to charities. The estate tax creates incentive for individuals to donate to charity. The tax currently stands at $5.49 million for individuals and $10.98 million for married couples. Only 2 percent of Americans fall within this category.

If the tax were to be eliminated, there could be less incentive for wealthy individuals to make charitable bequests after they die.

Giving back through estates is a way for civically inclined individuals, or individuals without children, to give back to their communities, Dunn said.

"We are seeing a lot of people thinking about how they can support their community by making gifts," Dunn said. "But there is concern that if there is no estate tax there will be a reduction in giving."

Some researchers at The Tax Policy Center believe that a removal of the estate tax could lead to a loss of roughly $4 billion for charities.

Researchers also believe that changes in the House bill would cost givers an extra 7.7 cents per dollar.

According to National Philanthropic Trust, American individuals gave $281.86 billion last year towards religion, education and health.

People will still give even if they don't write it off their taxes, Dunn said.

"Charitable giving and volunteering are really core to who we are as Americans, and we really believe that charitable organizations are key part of what makes a community a good place to live. If we believe that, then charitable giving is going to happen, and people will make donations irrespective of the tax law."

Last year, the Community Foundation received $20 million in gifts, and distributed more than $14 million in grants, Dunn said. The foundation is on track to take in more donations this year, he said.
Zac Davis is a writer and assistant editor at America magazine, the Jesuit Review.

By Zac Davis | Special to The Washington Post

When Pope Francis stepped off the papal plane in Myanmar, also known as Burma, he walked into a diplomatic minefield -- which is exactly where he belonged.

The quagmire centered on whether he would appease a government and military that is overseeing what the United Nations has called a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing," or do the thing that has established him as the most credible world leader today: side with the marginalized. In this instance, they are the Rohingya Muslims who have been subject to mass slaughter, rape and forced migration.

How Francis would be judged on this question centered around whether he would use one word: "Rohingya."

The R-word holds such importance in Myanmar, also known as Burma, because the government does not recognize the Rohingya as citizens. To the military, extremist monks and most of the country, they are Muslim outsiders from neighboring Bangladesh. Usage of the word signals support for an almost universally hated group and invites severe repercussions from the military.

Many questioned the Bishop of Rome's political calculus in making a trip that appeared to be a no-win scenario. As Rev. Thomas Reese, a member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, put it, Francis risked "either compromising his moral authority or putting in danger the Christians of that country."

Now the trip is finished, and Francis is on his way to Bangladesh. While he gave a speech calling for peace among all faiths and respect for all ethnicities, he did not use the R-word.

Nonetheless, Francis's trip ends in success -- though we may not see the fruits until later.

While Myanmar's military dictatorship ostensibly ended in 2015, the military still controls large, influential swaths of the government. And Francis, the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, is no stranger to military juntas. He was forced to make difficult decisions every day on how to work under a murderous military regime.

Francis broke with tradition when he had a "courtesy visit" first with military generals instead of the host country's political leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in a not-so-subtle acknowledgment of the power dynamics in the country's infant democracy. While the rest of the world may have been surprised in his break in protocol, it was surely the result of Francis's clear calculation and discernment.

And while all popes have had differing levels of involvement with secular leaders, from Constantine to Charlemagne to Napoleon, Francis is the first Jesuit pope -- and that's essential to understanding his diplomatic strategy.

While St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, left behind a life of military and diplomatic service to follow Christ, the men who would follow in his footsteps have always had the ear of world leaders.

Matteo Ricci, a 16th-century Jesuit evangelist to China, won membership in the emperor's imperial court when other religious orders were thrown out of the country. The first Catholic chaplain of the U.S. Congress is Rev. Pat Conroy, a Jesuit. Just last week, the man who finally convinced Robert Mugabe to step down as prime minister of Zimbabwe after 37 years was the Rev. Fidelis Mukonori (you guessed it), a Jesuit.

A diplomatic visit with no discernible political victory is exactly where a Jesuit pope belongs.

Accusations that Francis failed to say the word Rohingya because he cared more about his own flock, Myanmar's 700,000 Catholics, than the Muslim minority group is equal parts disingenuous and absurd.

No world leader has advocated more for the rights of migrants and refugees, regardless of their faith. When he visited a refugee camp in Lesbos, he brought back 12 Muslims from three Syrian families to live under his care at the Vatican. To question his motives is an exercise in virtue signaling and failing to see the fullness of his character.

Additionally, Francis has used "Rohingya" in the past when calling those gathered in St. Peter's Square "to ask the Lord to save them, and to raise up men and women of goodwill to help them, who shall give them their full rights."

The truth is that Francis using the word "Rohingya" would have probably made life worse for them and Christians of Myanmar alike, even if it would have stroked the egos of Western human rights watchers from afar.

There's a quote that gets thrown around a lot in Christianity that is falsely attributed to St. Francis of Assisi (whom Pope Francis took his name from): "Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words." While it's unlikely that St. Francis ever made such a recommendation in exactly those words, it contains an essential truth of Christianity.

While the West watches from afar and critiques Francis' lack of certain words, Francis will travel from Myanmar to Bangladesh, where he is scheduled to meet with some of the 300,000 Rohingya refugees living in camps, to hear their stories of suffering and persecution.

And that act of listening will be worth far more than a single word.
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More than half of the children and teens in the United States will be obese when they reach the age of 35 if current trends continue, findings of a new study have revealed.

Obesity Risk In US Children

Researchers of the new study found that 57 percent of today's kids will be obese by the time they reach their 35th birthday. Obese 5-year-old children have 89 percent increased odds for midlife obesity and normal weight children of the same age face 53 percent increased risk.

19-year-old teens who are severely obese face 94 percent risk of being obese at age 35. About half of those who will be obese at 35 are already obese at 20 years old.

The study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggests that while overweight children have the highest risk to be obese later in life, those who reach the age of 20 in good shape still face threats if obesity becomes the new normal. Researchers said that normal-weight teens still have 30 percent risk of being obese at age 35.

"On the basis of our simulation models, childhood obesity and overweight will continue to be a major health problem in the United States. Early development of obesity predicted obesity in adulthood, especially for children who were severely obese," wrote Zachary Ward, from Harvard University, and colleagues in their study, which was published on Nov. 30.

Contributors Of Childhood Obesity Epidemic

Stephen Daniels, from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study, said that parents and their children now find it easier to choose high calorie but low-nutrient food and drinks. Sugary drinks have particularly raised concern as experts link it to obesity. In France, authorities already banned unlimited soda refills in a bid to combat obesity in the country.

Lifestyle practices in this modern world are also a factor. Daniels said that many kids are glued to their screen and this keeps them immobile for many hours.

Addressing Weight Problems In Kids

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged removing calorie-rich temptations that can get children to eat high calories and high sugar, or high salt snacks.

Health experts also advise parents and guardians to help kids develop healthy eating habits and to engage them in physical activities to prevent childhood overweight problems and obesity.

"In addition to encouraging physical activity, help children avoid too much sedentary time. Although quiet time for reading and homework is fine, limit the time your children watch television, play video games, or surf the web to no more than 2 hours per day," the CDC said.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
For a brief moment on Nov. 2, the most powerful man in America, and perhaps the whole world did not have a Twitter account. A rogue Twitter employee had temporarily deactivated President Donald Trump's often controversial account to the cheers and elation of many users.

Initially, it was reported as the result of an error, but it was later discovered that the Twitter employee committed the action on his last day. Shortly thereafter, the world wanted to find exactly who did it.

Man Who Deactivated Trump's Twitter Revealed

The hunt stops now. The former Twitter employee has just revealed himself to TechCrunch. His name is Bahtiyar Duysak, a German citizen of Turkish descent, and he worked for Twitter through a firm named Pro Unlimited.

Duysak claims the move was simply a mistake and that he never actually thought Trump's account would get deactivated.

"I had a wild time in America," said Duysak. "I was tired sometimes. And everyone can do mistakes. I did a mistake."

What's Up With Trump's Tweets?

The fact is Trump's Twitter account is somewhat of a paradox in itself. Given the president's frequently controversial tweets, he could easily be banned or reprimanded with regard to Twitter's policies. However, because he's the president, everything he does and says is newsworthy.

Therefore, they are in the public's interest and must remain. Were he just a regular person, he would be subject to Twitter's rules and guidelines. But he's a man of great power and influence, and the public has a right to know what the president is up to.

This is a problem. Trump has received staunch criticism for his tweets, which comedians often joke about, saying he composes them late at night without much thought and consideration for repercussions.

An Internet Hero

Upon Trump's Twitter deactivation, many rejoiced and hailed Duysak as an internet hero. He was even not-so-jokingly considered for a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.

But Duysak says he doesn't really feel like he's a hero. He's been pursued by the media ever since, with some journalists aggressively attempting to reach him by contacting his family and friends, disrupting their privacy.

Hero or not, it's fair to say that Duysak's actions brought out some semblance of truth: that a large number of users want to do something about Trump's Twitter behavior.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey addressed the issue shortly after the incident happened. He said that there have been weaknesses and gaps, and its policies around newsworthiness are one of those gaps.

"We have implemented safeguards to prevent this from happening again," Twitter tweeted from its Twitter Government account. "We won't be able to share all details about our internal investigation or updates to our security measures, but we take this seriously and our teams are on it."

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google wants to help users monitor their data usage. Incredibly, there's really no polished way to do so right now on Android.

Sure, there are data usage apps on the Play Store and based on the manufacturer, Android does show just how much data a user has consumed so far.

But wouldn't it be great if there was an app specifically streamlined for data usage monitoring and control? Well, Google thinks so. It's releasing an app called Datally, a portmanteau of "data" and "tally," which pretty much explains what it's all about.

Google Introduces Data-Saving App

Datally helps users understand where their data goes and promptly goes about cutting them. Naturally, it shows apps that consume most of their data, then it recommends users where it needs to slow down a little. It even finds nearby Wi-Fi networks to connect to. Basically, Datally wants users to use up the least mobile data as possible.

Datally features a button at the top that enables users to stop all background data usage, meaning, only the app being displayed can use mobile data. It also gives fine-grained controls for each app, so, users can block data usage on an app-by-app basis.

What's Datally For?

As mentioned earlier, Android already has some of those features built in. Unlike Datally, they're often hidden, finicky, and not clearly laid out. What Datally does is it bundles all those and dresses them up neatly in a straightforward way, simplifying the process significantly.

Datally is part of Google's Next Billion Users initiative, an effort to make Google's products and services more approachable and accessible to countries that don't have high-speed internet connections, and where phones remain largely basic and not as sophisticated as premium flagships. Thus, it's only fitting that Datally takes just a measly 6 MB of space.

New Google App Available Now

Google has been testing the data-saving app in the Philippines since summer. Over 500,000 Android users have been taking advantage of the app and able to save 30 percent of their mobile data on average. Datally is now released worldwide and works on any smartphone running Android 5.0 and above.

Product manager Josh Woodward says the inspiration behind Datally came after seeing what people go through just to save every bit of mobile data they can, especially in places where they're expensive like Buenos Aires. Sometimes, people would even toggle Airplane mode on just to prevent unexpected data charges.

Datally is now available from the Google Play Store.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
WASHINGTON  U.S. Sen. John Kennedy praised some of 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals nominee Kyle Duncans legal credentials at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday but questioned Duncans Louisiana ties and took shots at the White Houses handling of the nomination.

Kennedy has remained undecided on President Donald Trumps nomination of Duncan for a seat on the federal appeals court, even as conservative groups and fellow Louisiana Republicans stepped up pressure on the senator to back the pick.

Duncan, a 45-year-old Baton Rouge native and LSU graduate, worked on appellate cases for the Louisiana Attorney Generals Office but has otherwise built much of his legal career outside the state and has lived and worked in Washington, D.C., for the past several years.

Lanny Keller: Is Kennedy confused, or sly, in bucking Trump? "He's one confused politician." Or John N. Kennedy was so portrayed, in a sharp commercial against him in the 2008 race for U.S. Senate. Kenne

Duncan worked for the Texas solicitor general and taught at the University of Mississippi before moving to Washington, where hes built a prominent reputation as a crusader on conservative social issues.

I have received scores of phone calls from experienced, accomplished, whip-smart, pro-life, pro-religious liberty Louisiana lawyers and judges, Kennedy said at Wednesday mornings hearing, who have asked me why I would support a Washington lawyer for this seat over them.

Kennedys opening remarks echoed comments he made to a reporter with The Advocate on Tuesday, shortly after voting against a Trump nomination for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, Gregory Katsas. Kennedy said Katsas nomination created a conflict of interest because of Katsas current work as an attorney for Trump.

The Senate Judiciary Committee, which vets nominees for the federal judiciary, did not take a vote Wednesday on Duncan. A spokesman for Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said the date for a vote hasnt been set yet.

Democrats on the panel grilled Duncan over his prominent role in a number of controversial legal culture-war battles in recent years, particularly his leading role in Hobby Lobbys fight against covering contraception under employee health insurance plans.

Duncan successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that the religious beliefs of the corporations owners should allow them to break a federal rule requiring health plans to cover birth control.

Duncan also weighed in during controversial court battles over voter ID laws in North Carolina and Texas, defended restrictive Louisiana and Texas abortion laws, and represented opponents of gay marriage.

That record has alarmed liberals and led staunch conservatives on the judiciary committee to praise Duncan. Kennedy said he welcomed those qualifications and called Duncans resume incredible.

But Kennedys doubts about Duncans Louisiana connections appeared to linger throughout the hearing.

Asked how Kennedy should respond to those criticizing his Washington residency, Duncan noted he grew up in Louisiana and attended LSU for both undergrad and law school.

But more to the point, I have spent a significant and  prime part of my legal career defending the laws the people of Louisiana passed, Duncan said, referring to extensive appeals work hes done for the state. Those were not easy cases.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, called Duncan a "Louisiana native son" while heaping praise on his legal record during an introduction to the committee. Cassidy also called Duncans involvement in the Hobby Lobby case a badge of honor.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is already known as possibly the most conservative federal appeals courts in the country, said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor whos studied federal judicial appointments for more than two decades. The confirmation of Duncan  along with fellow Louisiana nominee Kurt Engelhardt and two conservative Texans  would further solidify a very conservative majority on the court, especially on social issues, Tobias said.

The Fifth Circuit deadlocked 7-7 on Tuesday over an effort by Louisiana to strip Planned Parenthood of Medicaid funding. The split let stand a lower court ruling stopping the Gov. Bobby Jindal-era effort to block funds over abortion services.

Among those gathered in the packed hearing room Wednesday were several prominent leaders of the national anti-abortion and conservative legal movements. Several of those groups have come out strongly in favor of Duncans nomination and, in mail campaigns and TV and radio ads, have increasingly singled out Kennedys reluctance to back him.

Like most nominees for federal judgeships, Duncan demurred when pressed by senators Wednesday on his personal and legal views on abortion and other contentious issues.

State Attorney General Jeff Landry called Duncan the Neil Gorsuch of Louisiana  referring to the conservative Supreme Court justice nominated by Trump earlier this year  in an op-ed published in The Hill newspaper Wednesday.

Mass emails and radio advertisements sent out by several groups urged Louisianans to contact Kennedys office in support of Duncans nomination. The importance of this hearing cannot be overstated, the Louisiana Family Forum wrote in an email to supporters. The future of the federal bench is at stake if the Senate committee derails the confirmation of a well-qualified originalist whom we believe is destined for the U.S. Supreme Court."

Kennedy sought to deflect conservative criticism of his reticence during Wednesdays hearing, repeatedly stressing his own pro-life and pro-religious liberty beliefs.

Instead, the senator painted his indecision over Duncans nomination as the result of a White House process that left him largely out of the loop and that potentially passed over Louisiana-based judges and attorneys for the job.

Kennedy criticized White House counsel Don McGahn  whose office handles presidential nominees to the federal bench  and suggested McGahn failed to adequately consult him on the choice of Duncan for a traditionally Louisiana seat on the 5th Circuit, which also has jurisdiction over Texas and Mississippi.

Traditionally, home-state senators  particularly those of the same party as the president  are consulted by the White House on federal judicial nominees and wield significant influence in the process.

I first learned about Mr. Duncans nomination when I received a phone call  actually a series of phone calls  from Mr. Don McGahn, Kennedy said. Mr. McGahn was very firm that Mr. Duncan would be the nominee  to the point that he was on the scarce side, in one conversation, of being polite.

McGahn later apologized for being rude, Kennedy said, but didnt relent on his insistence that Duncan  considered a rising legal star among many on the religious right  would fill the seat.

Cassidy also described Duncans selection process in significantly different terms than Kennedy and said he submitted Duncans name to the White House  along with two or three or four other people  based on the recommendation from a committee Cassidy organized to sift through potential appointees.

Senator Kennedy had a chance to look at those, Cassidy said.

Duncan said in his opening remarks that it sounded like Kennedy had been disrespected in the process and apologized to Kennedy. The senator brushed it off, telling Duncan he had nothing to apologize for.

Dan Fagan: Is John Kennedy actually pro-life? We'll get a real answer this week If youre like me and believe the safest place in the world for a baby should be in a mothers womb, then Judicial nominee Kyle Duncan is a dr
PRAIRIEVILLE  Construction of a $27.5 million expansion of La. 42 in Ascension Parish started Monday and is expected to take more than two years to build as Gov. John Bel Edwards and a host of state and parish officials marked the project's long-awaited beginning in a ceremony Thursday.

Once the project is completed in spring 2020, the widening of nearly four miles of La. 42 through the heart of Ascension's suburbanizing northern swath will have taken more that five years to finish after delays in funding and earlier phases of work primarily related to the lack of a parish sewer system.

The state Department of Transportation and Development plans to convert the two-lane highway in Prairieville into a four-lane divided route between U.S. 61 and Woodhaven Drive, just east of La. 44.

Bids on La. 42 delayed a month; utility, widening projects could take more than five years to finish GONZALES  Ascension Parish officials say contractors are putting the final touches this month on the long-awaited sewer installation project 

The day marked an important moment for local officials and residents who began lobbying to widen La. 42 more than two decades ago. An August 1994 fatal crash on an S-curve in the highway took the lives of three teenagers and prompted an often halting push to fund the expansion through successive parish, highway and gubernatorial administrations.

"I don't think anyone really has a clue what this means to me. My heart is full," said Loretta Templet, 60, whose 18-year-old daughter, Mandy Acosta; nephew, Brett Leggette, and his friend, Brett Frederic, were killed on La. 42 more than 23 years ago.

Brett Leggette's mother, Miriam Leggette LaCroix, stood by Templet, her sister, as she spoke Thursday during the ceremony at Istrouma Baptist Church on La. 42, the same place Templet learned of her daughter's death.

Parish President Kenny Matassa, who inherited the project from former Parish President Tommy Martinez and other past parish leaders, was brought to tears Thursday when he mentioned the children's deaths.

Long-awaited work starts on La. 42 in Ascension; Sisters celebrate efforts to save lives PRAIRIEVILLE  Loretta Templet and Sherri LeBas hugged outside an Ascension Parish library along La. 42 shortly after LeBas, the Louisiana sec

The ceremony Thursday was actually the second one to mark the planned start of La. 42.

The first was held in March 2014, and when land clearing began, DOTD officials expected the La. 42 project, then hailed as a "long day coming," would be built by the summer of 2016.

But before road construction could start, contractors had to deal with the lack of a parish sewer system. They were required by state environmental and federal funding rules to install new sewer lines and find treatment systems to handle partially treated wastewater from businesses and homes along the highway that had previously discharged into open ditches. The work has taken nearly three years to complete.

The new, wider La. 42 will have enclosed pipes for rainfall runoff, which aren't allowed to handle sewer wastewater as the open ditches are.

Department of Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson said Thursday that two-lane La. 42 is used by 24,000 vehicles per day but that number is expected to increase to 37,000 vehicles per day by 2034. The wider highway will improve congestion on La. 42, an important commuter route and pathway to Mississippi River plants and businesses for Livingston and other nearby parishes.

Wilson said the new, wider highway will comply with the state's "Complete Streets" policy, meaning it will have 6-foot-wide sidewalks and 10-foot-wide bike lanes. The highway will also have J-turns and special turnaround areas for large trucks.

Wilson and Edwards pointed to the need for more funding to do more projects like La. 42 that add new lanes or other ways to handle more traffic volume.

"We are so resource constrained that in the program going forward, were going to be looking at operations, preservation and maintenance expenditures. That doesn't mean we don't have capacity issues. We certainly do. We need new lanes, we need new bridges all across the state of Louisiana, especially in the southern part of our state and nowhere more so than right here in Ascension Parish," Edwards said.

As sewer work wraps up, Ascension officials pushing to speed up La. 42 expansion GONZALES  A project to widen part of La. 42 through Prairieville into a four- and five-lane highway is expected to go out for bids in May, a

The state widening of La. 73 in Prairieville a few years earlier ran into lengthy delays over the same sewer issues as La. 42's. State officials tried to time the phases of La. 42 differently to speed it up, but not until mid-May did parish officials announce that the sewer phase of the La. 42 project was just about finished. DOTD opened bids for La. 42's construction the following month.

Wilson said Thursday the time that it has taken to move La. 42 along is simply the "natural process" for a road project, whether land clearing or sewer work, and the length of that process can vary with each project.

"It just takes time," he said.

For LaCroix and Templet, the wait to see La. 42 expanded has been worth it, they said.

"When the old road is broken, I'll be able to look up to the heavens and say, 'Mandy, we did it,'" Templet said, looking up toward the church ceiling. 'You, Brett and Brett's deaths were not in vain.'"
The Radio Bar and the Ogden Market shopping center, seen Thursday, Nov. 29, 2017. Wednesday night, a robbery suspect, 33, was run over outside a bar at 3079 Government St., which is listed as the address for Radio Bar, by a car carrying two people the suspect had allegedly just robbed at gunpoint, police said he began shooting at the car. The suspect later died from his injuries.
A newly released State Police report contains potentially criminal allegations against Mike Edmonson, the agency's former longtime superintendent, including a claim that he deleted text messages on the eve of his retirement as the agency was investigating four troopers who charged taxpayers for overtime and expensive stays at the Grand Canyon and a Las Vegas casino resort as they drove to a law enforcement conference in California.

The report also concludes it was "obvious" that Edmonson knew all along about the scenic detours the troopers took on their cross-country trek to San Diego last year, even though Edmonson insisted publicly that he had not approved of the so-called side trip and condemned it as "irresponsible."

In fact, cellphone records showed Edmonson had been in touch with the troopers throughout the trip, and that he received photos of the troopers sightseeing and posing in front of the Hoover Dam.

But perhaps the most startling allegation in the report involves an interaction in March between Edmonson and Rodney Hyatt, a trooper who was recently demoted for submitting falsified time sheets from the road trip and disregarding other State Police policies.

Two State Police troopers avoid suspension, receive disciplinary letters for Vegas 'side trip' Two Louisiana State Police troopers avoided suspension and received only minor discipline for taking an unauthorized "side trip" last year to 

When Edmonson retired in March, he claimed he had been considering stepping aside for months, seeking to distance himself from the controversial side trip and other scandals that had called his leadership into question. But the new report, obtained by The Advocate in response to a public-records request, shows that Edmonson announced his decision to retire just one day after internal investigators briefed him on "several concerns" they had about the troopers' trip.

On March 14, the same day the investigators briefed Edmonson, the then-superintendent met with Hyatt at a Louisiana Trooper Foundation meeting and told him he had decided to step down.

Edmonson then took Hyatt's cellphone and altered its settings so it would purge any text messages older than 30 days, according to the State Police report, warning the trooper that they would otherwise remain on the device "forever."

Can't see video below? Click here.

Hyatt was under administrative investigation at the time, and records obtained by The Advocate show he had been questioned by his superiors 12 days before Edmonson deleted the messages.

By the time investigators recovered Hyatt's phone records, there were no relevant text messages to speak of, but call logs did show that Edmonson had been in regular contact with Hyatt as the group of troopers made their journey to San Diego.

"Lt. Hyatt explained the settings feature was set to keep text messages forever until Col. Edmonson changed it," Capt. David McClendon wrote in the internal affairs report. "Therefore, he had no texts/Imessages on his phone from 2016."

The new State Police report comes as the state Legislative Auditor's Office is finalizing what is expected to be a scathing assessment of Edmonson's tenure as head of the State Police, a separate investigation that is expected to show Edmonson abused his power and took repeated handouts, according to several people familiar with its findings.

Gov. John Bel Edwards ordered that audit of State Police travel practices following The Advocate's initial report on the Las Vegas trip.

Edmonson did not return calls or text messages seeking comment for this article. The State Police report shows that Edmonson, after retiring, refused on at least two occasions to give a statement or otherwise cooperate with his former colleagues as they investigated the troopers' road trip.

The State Police report contains the first public allegations that Edmonson interfered with the investigation into the excursion that forced him into early retirement. The state statute on obstruction of justice forbids "tampering with evidence with the specific intent of distorting the results of any criminal investigation or proceeding."

Records from 2014 State Police trip raise more questions about lavish travel, 'boys' club' culture When news broke this year that a group of high-ranking state troopers had charged the state for a lavish excursion they took to Las Vegas whil

Rafael Goyeneche, a former prosecutor who is president of the watchdog Metropolitan Crime Commission in New Orleans, said the allegations also could form the basis of a prosecution for malfeasance in office or even "injuring public records," a statute that forbids the destruction of public records. But he noted that authorities, under state law, would not be permitted to use Hyatt's statements to internal investigators in a criminal proceeding against Edmonson.

"This report just seems to confirm the worst-case scenario for Mike Edmonson's tenure as superintendent of the State Police," Goyeneche said in an interview. "This isn't the end, by any stretch. This was the head of the most prestigious law enforcement agency in the state of Louisiana."

It's not clear whether the State Police have referred their findings to any prosecutorial agency. Maj. Doug Cain, a State Police spokesman, said Thursday that the agency "continues to offer our full cooperation, and we are confident that at the appropriate time all of the facts will be made public and the appropriate action will be taken."

"This continues to be an ongoing process," Cain said.

The investigation stemmed from the Las Vegas trip, an excursion that involved four troopers who drove a state SUV to the October 2016 International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in San Diego. The group included Derrell Williams, who was then a major overseeing the State Police's Internal Affairs Division; Senior Trooper Thurman Miller; and Trooper Alexandr Nezgodinsky. Hyatt also rode along and received permission from Edmonson to bring his wife.

The troopers were among about 15 people the State Police sent to the California conference, where Edmonson received a national award. Most of the State Police contingent flew to the conference, but Edmonson authorized the four troopers to drive there, citing a need to have a vehicle to attend events away from the main conference site.

The troopers took several days to make it to San Diego, and, instead of driving directly to the conference, stopped one afternoon and checked into two suites at the Palazzo, a ritzy resort and casino in Las Vegas. The newly released State Police records show Hyatt charged taxpayers for overtime pay that day for hours he spent sightseeing and even seeing a show.

Former State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson begins new career in private sector Mike Edmonson knew one pace during his nine years as superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, a job that kept him constantly on the go. B

In February, when The Advocate first asked Edmonson about the troopers' travel expenses, he insisted he had not authorized the side trips to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.

"These are all people who have respected positions in State Police. I certainly trust them, but I'm disappointed in them claiming overtime hours and I'm disappointed in the side trip to Vegas," he said at the time. "They need to explain to me why they thought that was an important thing to do, and we'll look at it from that perspective. The bottom line is I expect more from these individuals, and I'm not happy about it."

But text messages that investigators recovered from the cellphone of Hyatt's wife showed Edmonson stayed in constant contact with the group as they drove across the country.

"Y'all better get to San Diego!" Edmonson wrote in response to photos of the troopers posing in front of the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. His next message to Hyatt's wife included a smiley-face emoji.

In another message, Edmonson remarked that it appeared the group was "having fun."

According to Hyatt, that had been his directive before the four troopers set out for San Diego. In a recent letter to State Police brass, he said Edmonson "knew our whereabouts the entire trip."

"I have never taken my wife in my entire 20-year career to any work related conference. Had Edmonson not told me to, I would not have brought her," Hyatt wrote. "However, being a paramilitary organization, I took his order to mean that I am going to the conferences in San Diego with my wife, and we were to have a good time and drive there."

Hyatt recently was demoted from lieutenant to sergeant for violating a host of State Police policies in taking the side trip. Williams was demoted from a major to a lieutenant. Miller received a letter of reprimand, while Nezgodinsky received counseling.
Raising the required grade point average for high school students to qualify for TOPS would have a significant impact on the number of students who get the aid, according to figures provided Thursday morning to a legislative committee.

Under current rules, students have to earn at least a 2.50 on their high school core curriculum for the most common form of the aid, called TOPS Opportunity.

Raising that to 2.75 would reduce the number of eligible students by 19 percent, data supplied to the 10-member TOPS Task Force shows.

Boosting the minimum GPA to 3.00 would trim the list of eligible high school students by 44 percent, according to figures from the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance.

TOPS stands for Taylor Opportunity Program for Students. Those who qualify have most of their college tuition financed by the state.

However, the task force is considering a wide range of changes in the program, which is used by about 52,000 students.

Earlier this year the state House approved a bill that would raise the minimum TOPS GPA requirement to 2.75.

That bill, by state Rep. Franklin Foil, R-Baton Rouge, died in the Senate Education Committee, in part because Senate leaders wanted a wide-ranging study of TOPS.

Some lawmakers contend the state should increase the minimum score on the ACT, a test of college readiness.

Widow of TOPS founder says all qualifiers deserve the aid: 'You can't pick and choose' The widow of the founder of TOPS said Thursday her late husband would avoid any rush to make the tuition aid more needs based.

The current requirement is 20 out of a possible 36.

Raising that to 21 would trim the list of students eligible by 27 percent, according to LOSFA figures.

Increasing it to 22 would remove 55 percent of qualified students, based on the high school graduating class of 2016-17.

Raising both the minimum GPA and ACT would have an even bigger impact.

Requiring high school students to earn both a 2.75 GPA and 21 on the ACT would trim the ranks by 42 percent.

Raising the GPA to 3.00 and the ACT to 22 would chop the list of eligible students by 80 percent.

Lawmakers were given detailed breakdowns on what impact the changes would have, including by House and Senate districts.

The meeting Thursday was supposed to be the final information gathering session.

"We know a whole lot more about TOPS than when we started," said Sen. Blade Morrish, R-Jennings and chairman of the task force. "Now we need to prepare a report."

Morrish, who is also chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said he plans to hold one meeting in December and two in January to try to develop a consensus on possible changes.

He said he plans to meet individually with task force members.

The committee's recommendations are due to the Legislature by Feb. 15.

The 2018 regular legislative session begins on March 12.

3 TOPS changes under review as task force winds down, but proposals face big hurdles Despite steep odds, at least three changes are under review by a legislative task force studying the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, 

Other changes under review would extend the little-used TOPS Tech by two years; provide TOPS students with a flat amount rather than one linked to tuition and require students who lose TOPS to repay the money.

TOPS is costing the state about $292 million this year, one of the reasons it is under scrutiny amid state budget problems.
Among the revelations from the tidal wave of recent news on sexual harassment in the American workplace is that, when the accused is a member of Congress, the only recourse available to victims is a punishing process that's stacked to the alleged perpetrator's advantage.

The Louisiana Legislature has a different problem. There don't seem to be any rules at all.

There is a state policy, but it applies only to full-time workers, and legislators are technically part-time. The Senate has a policy stating that harassment of other members is wrong but lays out no repercussions, and the House is basically silent on the matter, according to Democratic state Rep. Helena Moreno of New Orleans, a leader in women's issues in Baton Rouge and incoming New Orleans City Council member.

Nothing specific has come up in the Legislature in recent weeks, although Moreno and others have on occasion called out the chamber's boys' club environment. Not so in the administration, where a fresh accusation recently forced the resignation of Gov. John Bel Edwards' deputy chief of staff Johnny Anderson, who had faced similar allegations back when he worked for Gov. Kathleen Blanco. Those accusations came from two Southern University employees when Anderson was chairman of the Southern's Board of Supervisors.

Edwards acted quickly in response to the new charge, which Anderson denies, but that doesn't explain why the governor hired him in the first place when his past was well known. State Sen. Sharon Hewitt, a Slidell Republican, said the situation prompted her to ask the Legislative Auditor's office to examine the state's policies.

"If the governor really has a zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment, why would he put the women there at risk by hiring someone with past allegations?' she asked.

Good question. And a comprehensive review of policies affecting all branches of government is a good first step toward finally bringing state government into the modern era.
Firefighters were kept busy on Thursday, responding to a number of separate incidents in Canberra.

Students and teachers were forced to evacuate after a fire at St Francis Xavier College in Florey.

The whole school was evacuated after a small fire at St Francis Xavier College on Thursday. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

Fire crews put out the small fire that started in an extraction fan in a woodwork room after students smelt smoke and evacuated.

The whole school gathered on the oval as firefighters arrived at 12.39pm.
Essendon have re-signed 2016 No.1 draft pick and 2017 AFL Rising Star Andrew McGrath for a further two seasons.

McGrath, 19, will remain at the Bombers until the end of the 2020 season following the contract extension.

"My intentions were always to stay at Essendon, and to now announce that officially is something I am proud of," McGrath said.

"I want to help lead the young boys, and show them the ropes first and foremost. I always want to get better every year I play, and that will be no different this season, so hopefully I can build on my game and take it to the next level.
After years of bank cover-ups and scandals and mealy mouthed regulation, the people have been heard and a royal commission called into the banks and financial services.

It's been a long time coming and, contrary to all the rhetoric, the economy won't plunge into a recession, confidence in the banks won't evaporate and it won't hurt our financial system.

After fighting tooth and nail to avoid a royal commission, as soon as the banks wrote a letter to the government pleading for an inquiry, Malcolm Turnbull was announcing a royal commission.

It was a spectacular capitulation by all involved.
Anna Bligh, the chief executive of the Australian Bankers' Association and former Queensland premier, said she expected the big banks would be "pretty much front and centre" of the royal commission announced on Thursday by the government.

Speaking at a superannuation conference in Sydney on Thursday, Ms Bligh said she had initiated inquiries during her time as Queensland premier and "they never go the way that people think they might when [starting out]".

The royal commission, which will report in 12 months' time, has broad terms of reference. It will look at cases of "misconduct" and even breaches of professional standards in addition to the expected "illegal and unethical" practices, across the insurance, banking and super industries.

Superannuation funds, wealth management firms and insurers, not owned by the big banks, may have concerns about what could be revealed by the royal commission.
The James Packer-backed online bookmaker CrownBet has dumped a long-running legal bid to thwart the $11 billion mega-merger of Australia's two biggest gambling companies, Tabcorp and Tatts.

Tabcorp on Thursday revealed it had struck an agreement with CrownBet under which the digital bookmaker would withdraw its opposition to the mega-merger in the Australian Competition Tribunal in exchange for CrownBet customers being able to stream Tabcorp's Sky Racing vision.

CrownBet has dropped its opposition to the $11b Tatts-Tabcorp merger push. Credit:Tamara Voninski

The development clears an important hurdle for the highly anticipated tie-up, which has been dogged by legal setbacks and delays for months. Tatts shareholders are scheduled to vote on the merger proposal in two weeks' time.

CrownBet, 62 per cent owned by the ASX-listed Crown Resorts, and the national consumer watchdog have been challenging the Tabcorp-Tatts merger due to the immense market power that the merged entity would command, and concerns over the subsequent lessening of competition in the wagering industry.
London: A decade ago John Howard's four-term government came to an end. When the Liberal leader was booted out of office in the Kevin 07 Ruddslide, Australia was the envy of other nations, ranking as the world's most prosperous country.

Ten years later, post the financial crisis and the seven years of political instability that began when Julia Gillard ousted Kevin Rudd, Australia just scraped into the top ten of the Legatum Institute's Prosperity Index.

It is the country's worst performance in the annual survey since the London-based think tank began measuring prosperity across the world in 2006. New Zealand, which ranked first last year, also went backwards, losing the top spot to Norway.

But the antipodean nations outranked the United States and the United Kingdom, which came in at eighteenth (down one spot) and tenth, respectively.
William Galton of Hurstville Grove changes the direction of the sliced bread (C8) debate, and ferments trouble with his emphatic statement: "The best thing before sliced bread was bottled beer."

Musings of the Metropole and other lost hotels of Sydney (C8) caused Robyn Hansen of Pennant Hills to remember visiting the Castlereagh Hotel in the city in the 1960s, which she writes, "was like walking into a palace, with a circular bar and marble staircase, with Olga the amazing bartender serving 10 people at once." Pasquale Vartuli of Wahroonga reminisces about the "pub near the ferry terminal at Circular Quay with the name The First and Last. Very evocative, even after all these years." Garth Clarke of North Sydney was reminded of his regular watering hole in the 1950s, the Grand Hotel next to the Herald's old Hunter Street offices: "It was slightly less than grand but patronised by some colourful characters."

Following on from instances of "fatally drowning" (C8) Marc Carter of Florey was suitably shocked by reading "newspaper reports of a person who was 'electrocuted but expected to survive after being taken to hospital.' Talk about rapid reincarnation - by definition electrocution means the person must be dead." Bill Herlihy of Killara has also heard similar tales of electrocution by faulty appliance from those who "looked remarkably alive to me."

We'd better get used to the Americanisation of the Australian vernacular (C8) according to Peter Bridgwood of Leichhardt, who discovered that "the Macquarie Dictionary has succumbed and now allows American spelling, and therefore so does NAPLAN." Meri Will of Dee Why is indignant: "We don't have to latch onto all those bloomin' American expressions. We needn't buy cookies, ketchup, dagwood dogs, popsicles and fries. Neither do we need to use the now ubiquitous 'cheers' as a sign-off." Not sure about the antipathy towards 'cheers' though, it may be many things but American is not one of them.

Brian Collins of Cronulla suggests to Adrienne Gorme (C8) that "either her or the cicadas' clock is 7 minutes slow for an on the hour start."
We are so captivated by stories of sexual harassment and assault in television, so besotted by images of the women who stood up, Tracey Spicer and Susie O'Neill, we forget these terrible episodes happen in every industry. Every single one. It happens to ordinary women in ordinary jobs.

These indecencies are not happening because television workers are in an industry with blurred lines. These indecencies are happening because there has always been a blurred line between predators and women. Those predators, those men, have little hesitation in crossing that line, no matter where and until now, with few repercussions.

Sexual harassment happens in all industries, female- or male-dominated. Credit:Nic Walker

Try working in your local bakery where a customer paws the girl behind the counter (for girl she is, in Year 10 in her first job, and she's being told she has luscious lips). Or a customer waits to rape the woman locking up the shop at night. Try stacking shelves while some arsehole rubs his unzipped pants across your buttocks. Or dealing with a customer whose only request of you is to have "quick sexual intercourse", or with a customer who is buying a Bluetooth speaker for the shower and suggests you have a shower with him. Or the young retail worker approached by two twenty-something guys who said they were doing a bet.

"They needed me to give them a kiss. I felt very awkward and confused as my training instructs me to be polite and acquiesce to customers, but I felt violated. After a few minutes of awkwardness a colleague saw I was distressed and when they spoke to her she awkwardly told them I had other work to do, so they left."
Senator Sam Dastyari has shown, as an ALP official and during his time in the Senate, that he is an accomplished political operator. As just one example: he turned the Senate standing committee inquiry into banking into a populist platform for himself and his party. Coincidentally, and paradoxically in this week of his greatest political blunder, the strength of the platform he helped so assiduously to build has now forced the government into a humiliating backdown over a banking inquiry. It is but one of the senator's coups. Nonetheless it seems all his energy, all his cleverness, all his victories, all the funds he has raised are in vain, because this week has shown that in him those abilities are allied to a serious lack of judgment.

The senator was first found last year to be too close to Huang Xiangmo, a wealthy Chinese businessman with links to the Chinese Communist Party. The government, and Labor, had been warned by ASIO about Mr Huang. He was a generous donor to Labor, and Senator Dastyari cultivated the relationship, particularly during the 2016 election campaign, when Labor's opposition to China's claim over the South China Sea appeared to jeopardise it.

For all his attributes, Senator Sam Dastyari has displayed a serious lack of judgment. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

When his actions and obfuscations first became public in September last year, he lost his parliamentary positions. By February he had been partly reinstated, and was gradually climbing back up the ladder of seniority. His explanation for speaking to Chinese journalists in support of China's claim  a position that contravenes Australia's foreign policy and Labor's stated attitude  was that he had been ambushed, and had spoken in haste.

That was accepted until this week, when it was shown to be a lie. A recording emerged that revealed his remarks were scripted and deliberate. Also this week came this newspaper's revelation that Senator Dastyari had met Mr Huang in October last year at the latter's Mosman mansion, had warned him he might be under surveillance, and to take counter measures. The episode reveals how seriously China is pursuing its strategy of cultivating agents of influence abroad. Mr Huang may have done nothing illegal, but he has done enough to show that his concerns do not promote Australia's independence, its government's foreign policy, or its national interest. For Senator Dastyari, this is the most serious charge: that he has allegedly briefed someone on ways to circumvent measures taken by an Australian security agency.
The Coalition rebels who threatened a parliamentary revolt to force a banking inquiry have claimed credit for dragging Malcolm Turnbull "kicking and screaming" into adopting the policy.

Maverick Queensland backbencher George Christensen  the lower house Nationals MP who has been agitating internally for a royal commission for the past 18 months  was quick to welcome the Prime Minister's Thursday backflip as great news for farmers and small-business owners in regional Australia.

Nationals MP George Christensen says Malcolm Turnbull was dragged "kicking and screaming" into announcing a royal commission. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

But Mr Christensen said he was "annoyed" it took his own government so long to move on what should have been an easy issue.

"Almost two-thirds of Liberal National Party supporters, according to opinion polls time and again, support a royal commission into the banking sector," he said.
There have been plenty of bizarre "firsts" this year, like finding out the deputy prime minister was not a member of Parliament.

Or watching a Prime Minister slam dual citizenship allegations as a disgraceful witch-hunt, right up until he introduced a Parliament-wide citizenship register.

But the spectacle of a government being dragged kicking and screaming to conduct a royal commission it had utterly, repeatedly, indignantly opposed, until two days ago, was almost too much to take in.

Driven by the prospect of a humiliating loss on the floor of the Parliament, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Treasurer Scott Morrison did not mask their contempt in policy terms for a "regrettable" inquiry process to which they had just allocated $75 million and a heap of government attention and resources.
It was the explanation the family of Scott Johnson waited almost 30 years to hear.

That a "gay hate attack" was responsible for the 1988 death of the promising 27-year-old mathematician.

During a third extraordinary coronial inquest into Scott's death, NSW State Coroner Michael Barnes said he was "persuadedthat Scott died as a result of a gay hate attack," concluding that it was "very likely that gay hate crimes were committed at the relevant location around the time Scott died."

It was the morning of December 10, 1988, when a 13-year-old boy discovered the naked body of Mr Johnson on the rocks near Blue Fish Point, on North Head.
Nick Dametto entered politics with a splash, riding in on a jetski to launch his campaign.

And after less than a month of campaigning, it looks like he could secure the Katter's Australian Party its third seat in the Parliament.

Katter's Australian Party candidate for Hinchinbrook Nick Dametto.

It would make KAP the third-largest party in Queensland politics, and a powerful crossbench force, with One Nation only securing one seat.

Fairfax Media and other outlets put Mr Dametto narrowly on track to win the seat of Hinchinbrook, which would result in a loss for sitting LNP member Andrew Cripps, who held the seat for 11 years.
It is five days since the state election and Queensland is yet to have a new government.

LNP leader Tim Nicholls is refusing to concede defeat and Labor has not secured the 47 seats required for a majority.

Tim Nicholls says it's too early to concede the election to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Credit:Bradley Kanaris/AAP

Speaking on the Gold Coast on Thursday, Mr Nicholls said there was no result yet in the election as he sidestepped questions of a change in leadership in the LNP.

"As I've said, this election isn't over yet, there's still a lot of votes to be counted and we are still in this hunt," he said.
A man accused of helping his Navy veteran father commit suicide said he gave the 88-year-old a pre-prepared concoction described as poison, a jury has heard from a doctor with "close to total recall".

Peter John Nixon is accused of giving his frail father the mix of Coca-Cola, Valium and oxycodone, with the intent for him to drink it and commit suicide, on April 27, 2015.

Peter John Nixon outside the Supreme Court in Brisbane. Credit:Darren England

He has pleaded not guilty to the charge of assisting suicide.

A Supreme Court trial in Brisbane on Thursday heard Mr Nixon took his father, John Nixon, to the Prince Charles Hospital that morning, where the older man arrived breathing at only eight breaths per minute.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has been slammed by telecommunications industry insiders over its almost 7-month delay to implement NBN speed test monitoring, as well as the "inadequate" methodology it has chosen for the tests.

The ACCC speed test announcement was first revealed by the regulator in April, with it saying then that after appointing a testing provider, it would "commence the program in May 2017, and will provide comparative information for consumers during the second half of the year".

As of Wednesday, the ACCC had not yet appointed a broadband monitoring program provider, nor had it commenced the program or released comparative provider information for consumers.

It comes as Australian internet service providers come under increasing pressure to meet their NBN download speed promises, and as both Telstra and Optus promise to compensate users who did not get the speeds they were promised after the watchdog took action against them.
If you live or are holidaying in the Harris Lane and Wallace Drive in Buckland in the state's north-east or the surrounding area you should prepare to evacuate now.

An official emergency warning has been issued, with heavy rainfall overnight expected to flood the area making the bridge over the Buckland River impassable.

If you are in this area prepare to evacuate now.

What you should do:

Act now - take immediate action to protect your life and property.

Gather any essential medicines, important documents, mementos, photos and pets to take with you if you evacuate.

Have three days' supply of clothing and medication packed and ready to go.

If possible, contact your neighbours are aware of the situation and check if they need help.

For information on road closures go to traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au.

Options to evacuate to include:

A relief centre has been opened at the Myrtleford Senior Citizens, Smith Street, Myrtleford.

Family or friends homes located in a safe location, away from flooding.

If you require accommodation call the Emergency Relief Centre at Myrtleford on 0448 835 195.

If you are unable to drive or need assistance to evacuate phone the relief centre on 0448 835 195 before 11pm.
Los Angeles: An Australian sailor whose wife disappeared during a honeymoon sailing trip through the Caribbean faces 10 years in jail after pleading guilty to transporting $US38,480 ($54,000) in gold and silver coins.

Lewis Bennett, 40, a mining engineer formerly of Queensland, entered the guilty plea in a court in Miami, Florida, on Thursday.

Lewis Bennett, who pleaded guilty to trying to import gold coins from the Caribbean to the United States, with his missing wife Isabella Hellman. Credit:Facebook

Bennett and his wife, Colombian-born Isabella Hellman, were sailing in international waters between Cuba and Florida in the 12-metre catamaran Surf into Summer in May.

Bennett claimed he first noticed his wife, who had been at the helm, was missing when he was woken by a thud as the boat struck something about 1am on May 15.
Mark Wilson/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Secretary of State Rex Tillerson offered a forceful defense against reports that he is gutting the State Department, saying he was "offended" by them. He challenged the numbers, accused some reporters of sounding "like the sky was falling," and argued the agency was "functioning very well from my perspective."

But his critics -- a chorus that has grown louder and louder during the former ExxonMobil CEO's 10-month tenure as the nation's top diplomat -- dismissed and even ridiculed his comments, with some pointing out that his own numbers were off.

The debate about his management has consumed his time in office and overshadowed any policy initiatives, with Tillerson himself calling his "redesign" of the department "the most important thing I want to do during the time I have."

A week of particularly bad coverage was capped by a New York Times editorial by two retired senior diplomats who blasted President Donald Trump and Tillersons "deliberate effort to deconstruct the State Department and the Foreign Service." The words stung, particularly from Ryan Crocker and Nick Burns, the former ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan and the former Under Secretary of State under George W. Bush and ambassador to NATO, respectively.

Tillerson rejected them after a speech Tuesday at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, saying, "Were keeping the organization fully staffed. ... There is no hollowing out."

But he has also made it no secret that he is making cuts at the organization. He's instituted a department-wide hiring freeze and offered buyouts of up to $25,000 in an effort to thin the ranks through attrition. He announced his intention to eliminate dozens of special envoy positions and their offices in a letter to Congress in August. And he has worked with the Trump administration on a budget that slashes nearly a third of the organization's funding from the previous year.

In particular, Tillerson downplayed staffing losses, blamed Congress for vacancies and defended the department's budget proposal -- all of which are part of his redesign to make the agency more nimble and sustainable for the 21st century, he says. That effort faced another stumbling block this week with the sudden departure of the woman leading it, Counselor of the Department Maliz Beams, just three months after Tillerson brought her on board.

Disputing numbers

One of the central arguments against Tillerson has been the swath of departures of senior Foreign Service officers during his brief time, which Tillerson rejected as "false" and "wrong."

He downplayed the departure of career ambassadors -- the agency's highest rank, equivalent to a four-star general. The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) reported in a letter earlier this month by its president that 60 percent of career ambassadors had departed, which Tillerson said was misleading because, "We went from six to two... It sounded like the sky was falling."

Still, the departures have given people pause. While there have only been 52 career ambassadors since the role was created in 1955, Samantha Power, a former Barack Obama adviser and U.S. ambassador to the U.N., compared it to Tillerson's Exxon days: "If 3 of 5 senior execs leave Exxon in span of few months, investors likely ask CEO whats happening," she tweeted.

Tillerson, in part, cited their ages for the exits, saying, "They reached 65, they retired, they moved on." But of the four, two were not yet 65 -- Victoria Nuland, who departed after Trump was inaugurated, and Kristie Kenney, who was removed from her position as State Department counselor and left after she was not reassigned. A third, Anne Patterson, retired before Trump took office and was expected to be named Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, until the White House and two Senate Republicans reportedly opposed her nomination over Defense Secretary James Mattis's wishes.

But Tillerson also neglected to address the broader point AFSA and others like Crocker and Burns have been making, that all of the senior ranks are being "depleted." Nearly half of career ministers -- the second-highest level and equivalent to the militarys three-star generals -- are gone too, down to 19 from 33, according to AFSA, and the next-level minister counselors have seen their numbers drop by 62 diplomats, to 369.

In contrast to Tillerson's accusation that the numbers are "false," AFSA told ABC News that it received the numbers directly from the State Department's Human Resources Bureau.

The union declined to respond to Tillerson's latest comments, but when the State Department previously disputed that AFSA letter, its spokesperson Asgeir Sigfusson told ABC News, "We do not actually see a rebuttal of AFSAs description of what is happening to the top ranks of the Foreign Service."

Blaming Congress

Tillerson also blamed the vacancies and acting roles on an "excruciatingly slow" confirmation process on Capitol Hill.

But staffers on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which oversee that process, disputed that idea. There are 163 Senate-confirmed positions at the department and its affiliated agency, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), according to staffers, and more than half of those, 85 in total, currently have no named nominee. Of the 78 nominees put forward, 56 have been confirmed -- while 23 are still pending.

One staffer blamed the Trump administration's own delays in filing the proper paperwork or working with the committee to schedule a hearing. But to Tillerson's point, the average wait time for confirmation for a Trump administration nominee, at all agencies, has been 69 days, compared to 50 for Obama and 35 for George W. Bush, according to the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service.

Some of the highest level positions at State are still vacant though, including four of the six undersecretary roles, with a fifth filled by someone in an acting capacity. Of 24 assistant secretary positions, three are vacant, 16 are filled by someone in an acting role, and only four are Trump appointees.

Tillerson defended those in acting roles for "doing extraordinary work" and added, "Im offended on their behalf when people say somehow we dont have a State Department that functions." He cited their travel with him overseas -- for example, by acting Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton, a longtime diplomat who is said to have a close working relationship with the boss.

But the presence of these career diplomats has generated ire on the right, with conservative commentator Laura Ingraham telling Trump in a Fox News interview earlier this month, "There's a concern that the State Department currently is undermining your agenda."

Trump seemed to agree, but reassured her that his vision would be implemented: "I'm the only one that matters because, when it comes to it, that's what the policy is going to be."

Defending the budget

Tillerson took on critics of his cuts to the budget too, arguing both that the department's previous budgets were "unsustainable" in their size and unnecessary because the administration is solving conflicts.

"Were going to have success in some of these conflict areas of getting these conflicts resolved and moving to a different place in terms of the kind of support that we have to give them," he said, arguing then that the State Department's budget can be cut.

Critics seized on this idea as illogical and unrealistic.

"Just when I think my capacity for surprise exhausted (11/28 edition): Rex Tillerson justifying reductions in State Dept $/personnel in part from expectation US is going to succeed in getting some conflicts resolved. Really? Which? N Korea? Ukraine? S China Sea? Yemen? Israel-Pal?" tweeted Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations and a top State Department official in the Bush administration.

If anything, many of those conflicts require more diplomatic manpower than ever before, argued foreign policy experts like retired ambassador Laura Kennedy, who said she was "dumbfounded" by the remark.

"My head's exploding again," longtime Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller tweeted, as Slate foreign affairs columnist Fred Kaplan wrote, "This may rank as the silliest comment ever made by a Cabinet secretary."

Others questioned the notion that the budget was out of control, arguing that an increasingly fraught world requires more diplomatic efforts and more American engagement, especially as the Pentagon continues to see increases in its budget. There may be room to trim inefficiencies or redundancies, including many of the special envoys, but to cut so widely now would be "radical and reckless," as Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who oversees appropriations for the State Department and USAID, said earlier this year.

That budget was summarily dismissed by Republicans on Capitol Hill anyway. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a Tillerson supporter, told him in June that he and his staff "began going through the budget that you're presenting today, and after about five minutes, I said, 'This is a total waste of time.'" Congress passed a higher budget for the department in the fall.

Fighting the "narrative"

Despite his impassioned argument, Tillerson has expressed bewilderment" at how the narrative of a crumbling State Department has taken root -- with the agency's spokesperson Heather Nauert acknowledging, "We have gotten certainly bad press."

While she expressed regret "that that kind of narrative has taken hold," she dismissed it as "based on politics," although many of the retired diplomats are nonpolitical and some of the loudest critics have been Republicans on the Hill.

It was just two weeks ago that Corker expressed frustration with the entire "redesign" process.

"I don't think they're anywhere close to having a plan to present relative to the reforms that they want to make there," he said, calling a recent progress report "very unsatisfactory."

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Washington: The White House has developed a plan to force out Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson, whose relationship with President Donald Trump has been strained, and replace him with Mike Pompeo, the CIA director, perhaps within the next several weeks, senior administration officials said Thursday.

Pompeo would be replaced at the CIA by Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas who has been a key ally of the president on national security matters, according to the White House plan. Cotton has signalled that he would accept the job if offered, said the officials, who insisted on anonymity to discuss sensitive deliberations before decisions are announced.

It was not immediately clear whether Trump has given final approval to the plan, but he has been said to have soured on Tillerson and in general is ready to make a change at the State Department. Tillerson was at the White House on Thursday morning, although he was not listed on the White House public schedule.

Asked by reporters on Thursday if he wanted Tillerson to stay on the job, Trump said only, "He's here. Rex is here."
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NOTICE OF LIEN SALE Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: Store # ...

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Hearts will be full with the holiday spirit starting tonight when the Theatre Arts Program at Blinn College in Bryan presents two one-act plays by Thornton Wilder.

The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden will be paired with The Long Christmas Dinner for four performances in Student Center Room F-120 on the Blinn Bryan campus. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for the general public, available online at www.blinn.edu/vpa/bryan-schedule.html. They also will be available at the door. Seating is on a first-arrive basis.

Blinn-Bryan Theatre Director Greg Wise said "these one-act plays are very well-crafted and personal productions. They have minimal theatrical scenery, so the focus remains on the characters and their relationships with one another."

A Blinn College release said, "The Happy Journey to Trenton and Camden chronicles a family road trip from their Newark home to visit a daughter in Camden. During their journey, the family reminisces, jokes, and sightsees -- otherwise ordinary events that capture the universal joy and sadness of life.

"Wilder's fascination with the passage of time and its effect on people continues in The Long Christmas Dinner, which spans nearly a century with a single family. The dramatic comedy showcases the ever-changing lives of several generations of the Bayard family annually around the dinner table."

Following the Friday performance, the audience is invited to stay for a brief "Friday Night Talkback" during which the director and actors return to the stage to discuss the production and answer questions from the audience.

Wilder is the playwright of the American classic Our Town.
A Del Valle man was sentenced to 50 years in prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to killing his girlfriend in September 2016.

Victor Manuel Garcia-Loyo, 23, shot and killed 21-year-old Maricarmen Quiroz-Octaviano, a senior at Texas A&M University, on Sept. 16, 2016. The couple had been arguing in Quiroz-Octaviano's College Station apartment when Garcia-Loyo shot her several times, ending the college student's life less than a year before her graduation. Authorities found her body just before 8 p.m. that night; police arrested Garcia-Loyo in Fort Worth within 27 hours of the slaying, discovering that he had shot himself in the hand during the couple's struggle.

"Do you have any idea what you have done to this family?" Maria Quiroz-Octaviano, Maricarmen's mother, said through a translator to her daughter's former partner during a part of the hearing in which family members of the victim are allowed to make statements. "There's no life for us without her."

Garcia-Loyo will serve 25 years of his sentence before he is eligible for parole. Once released, he will be in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Garcia-Loyo will get credit for the roughly 14 months he has spent awaiting trial in the county jail, where he has been held since last September on a U.S. Immigration hold.

Responding to 272nd District Court Judge Travis Bryan III in a hearing Monday, Garcia-Loyo said he illegally walked across the border at Tamulipas but wasn't clear on how many years ago he did so.

Brazos County District Attorney Jarvis Parsons said the couple had dated for about four years before their relationship's violent end. He said some may look at the case as one revolving around immigration, but, referring to domestic violence, "this is what we see every day."

"It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from," Parsons said of the nature of domestic violence.

Quiroz-Octaviano wanted a change in the relationship, and Garcia-Loyo responded violently, Parsons said. The district attorney said episodes of intimate partner violence generally will escalate, from emotional to more physical abuse. But this one was different.

"We had no evidence of any prior domestic incidents," Parsons said. Instead, he added, Garcia-Loyo went from "zero to 60," from having a nonviolent relationship to one that ended in death.

Referring generally to the underreported nature of domestic violence, Brazos County Assistant District Attorney Jessica Escue said partners in abusive relationships often are reluctant to report instances of abuse, especially if there could be immigration-related consequences as a result of going to authorities.

Amy Banks, Garcia-Loyo's attorney, said she had no comment on the case out of respect for the families affected by Quiroz-Octaviano's death. Multiple members of the Quiroz-Octaviano and Garcia-Loyo families were in the courtroom for the Wednesday morning sentencing hearing, though only Maria Quiroz-Octaviano delivered a victim impact statement directly to Garcia-Loyo before he was escorted out of the courtroom at the hearing's end.

'An interesting ball of everything'

Quiroz-Octaviano had her whole life ahead of her, according to Alberto Tirado, a radio personality at local station Radio Alegria who hosted a weekly Saturday show with her for about two years.

Joining the station in August 2014 as a promotions assistant, Quiroz-Octaviano quickly became a radio personality, co-hosting on Saturdays and winning listeners over with her infectious personality, friends and co-workers said.

She spoke fluent Chinese and was a wrestler. Switching her major from chemistry to genetics when she was at A&M, Quiroz-Octaviano wanted to work in a laboratory after she graduated.

"Her choices were open to her," Tirado said of Quiroz-Octaviano's wide range of skills and interests. "She was just an interesting ball of everything."

A recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, Quiroz-Octaviano entered the U.S. from Mexico with her parents as a young child, Tirado said. Commonly known as "Dreamers," DACA recipients are legally allowed to work, attend school and get a driver's license for two-year periods, after which they can reapply for the program. President Obama created DACA through executive order in 2012 to protect young undocumented immigrants from deportation while they legally worked or attended school.

A bright, personable, strong young woman who served as a role model for her younger siblings, Tirado said the loss of Quiroz-Octaviano is immeasurable.

"Any loss is unimaginable when someone is taken so young, and right at the cusp of becoming something more," he said, pausing to consider the impact of her loss on her family and friends. "I don't know, man, what can you say?

"She was looking forward to the rest of her life, but she did a lot when she was here."

Radio Alegria held a fundraiser shortly after Quiroz-Octaviano's death, Tirado said, raising around $4,000 for her family.

"It was nice to see the community cared," he said.

The radio station commonly hosts fundraisers to raise money for causes. Recently looking through photos from a past fundraiser, Tirado said he found a picture of Quiroz-Octaviano with Garcia-Loyo, looking like a normal, happy couple. It puzzled Tirado, he said, that two people could go from how they looked in that photo to one killing the other.

"I really don't understand," he said of domestic violence. "People don't talk about it enough."
The remains found in the rubble of a mobile home that burned earlier this month have been identified.

According to Brazos County Sheriff Chris Kirk, the body has been identified as 59-year-old Susan Bee Anthony-Babb.

Anthony-Babb lived in the home in the 100 block of Ridgecrest Drive, just outside the College Station city limits near Rock Prairie Road and Holleman Drive. The mobile home caught fire shortly after 5 p.m. Nov. 9. Firefighters contained the blaze within 30 minutes, but Anthony-Babb was trapped inside.

Kirk said the Texas State Fire Marshal's Office is still investigating the cause of the fire.

Final autopsy results are pending.
The unbridled joy with which Britains Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle publicly announced their engagement was a beautiful reminder that love makes all things possible.

Their backgrounds could not be more different. Markle, the daughter of a white Jewish father and an African-American mother, is a 36-year-old divorcee from Los Angeles. Prince Harry is the 33-year-old son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

Much has been made of the interracial nature of Prince Harrys relationship with the American actress. There has been criticism and outrage, vitriol and hate. But for me, the pending nuptials of two people so clearly enthralled with each another represent loves greatest by-product: hope. If love can propel Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to look beyond the racial hatred that has taken hold in our politics and in our societies, perhaps there is hope for the rest of us. Perhaps, if we are willing to follow their example, love can defeat the scourge of racism.

Ive been told more than once that the idea is far-fetched, and maybe it is. But I am an incurable romantic, with an undying belief that love can defeat the unconquerable. And lets be honest: If there is an enemy that looks impossible to defeat, it is the plague of modern racism.

However, when I look at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, I am reminded that love and hope go hand in hand.

In a world where Donald Trump can rise to the presidency on a tide of racial resentment and a bevy of racist comments, we need hope. In a world where 60,000 far-right Poles can march against brown immigrants, we need hope. In a world where neo-Nazis are normalized, and Confederate slaveholders are memorialized, and anti-racism protesters are vilified, we need hope.

As a member of Britains royal family, Prince Harry must surely understand that truth. He had a front-row seat for the Brexit vote that succeeded thanks to a campaign that demonized black and brown immigrants while convincing Britons to leave the European Union.

But Prince Harry also saw another side of race through the life and loves of his mother, Princess Diana. Divorced by Harrys father, Prince Charles, Diana embarked on a relationship with Pakistani surgeon and cardiologist Hasnat Khan. Soon after, she met Egyptian film producer Dodi Fayed. Fayed and Diana were in a car that was chased through a Paris tunnel by aggressive paparazzi, and Diana Fayed both died in the ensuing accident. But before she died, Diana showed us all the power of love.

Through her various charitable endeavors, she exhibited a compassion for those who did not look like her. In her personal life, she was open to loving beyond the barrier of skin color. Prince Harry shares that quality with his mother, and he has invited his mother into his relationship with Markle by incorporating Dianas diamonds into Markles engagement ring.

In a world where racism and bigotry are making furious inroads at the highest levels of governments from America to Europe and beyond, the love of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could serve as a light shining through darkness. But theirs wouldnt be the first royal relationship to serve as a precursor to racial change.

Britains King George III married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1761. Queen Charlotte, according to sources, including PBS, was directly descended from Margarita de Castro y Sousa, a black branch of the Portuguese royal family. Queen Charlottes African features are most obvious in paintings by Sir Allan Ramsay, an artist who was one of the leading anti-slavery thinkers of his day. Sir Allan married into the family of Lord Mansfield, the British judge whose 1772 ruling was the first in a number of judicial decisions that outlawed slavery in the British Empire.

Its ironic that Charlottesville, the Virginia city named for the woman reputed to be Britains first mixed-race queen, was the scene of a deadly march by torch-bearing white supremacists earlier this year.

But maybe the violence that killed anti-racism protester Heather Heyer is a precursor to change. Maybe Meghan Markle, a mixed-race woman like Queen Charlotte before her, will bring about the racial progress we need. And along with Prince Harry, she is fully equipped to do so.

Call me crazy, but I think they can succeed using only a single word: love.

Solomon Jones is a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News. Email him at sj@solomonjones.com.
Before we lose another moment feeling bad or sad or mad about Matt Lauer, or Charlie Rose, or Bill OReilly, or whomever guy next loses a high-paying job over allegations of conduct unbecoming a decent human being, could we talk about the women?

Not just the women whove come forward to accuse these men, but the ones who worked  and maybe bantered  beside them, and who lately have been left to pick up the pieces.

As Callum Borchers points out in The Washington Post blog The Fix, this has become a familiar scene on TV: A female host tasked with explaining to the audience why a male colleague is suddenly absent. It is a wrenching assignment, cruelly emblematic of the problem. Even after his dismissal, an accused harasser can put a woman in one more uncomfortable position.

It was hard enough watching Gayle King and Norah ODonnell go through this  was it really only last week?  but CBS This Morning isnt the Today show, and Lauer, whos long been considered critical to the fortunes of the lucrative NBC morning show, is a household name and face in far more households than Rose had been.

Savannah Guthrie, reaching out to grab the hand of her Today co-host Hoda Kotb, had to summon up a brief, brave smile before announcing Lauers firing on Wednesday morning. Because smiling, and looking relatable, is as much a part of Guthries job as delivering the news, sad or otherwise.

Declaring herself heartbroken, she needed to maintain the impression that these people whom millions wake up with every morning are truly a family while also showing support for the unnamed colleague whose accusation led to the ouster of a member of that family.

Guthrie went to journalism school and got her law degree from Georgetown, but who signs up for this?

And yet TV newswomen long have had to play by a different set of rules, the ones that dictate that women whove pursued advanced training in, say, meteorology must also look good in cocktail attire, that aging is tolerated only to the point that it becomes obvious, and that lack of on-air chemistry with the apparently indispensable male co-anchor is a firing offense.

Meanwhile, Lauer and Al Roker got to be bald on TV.

What Lauer doesnt get, though, is the presumption of innocence hed be granted in a criminal case. I know it must seem to some men, in and out of the public eye, that the rules have been changed mid-game. But the rules were always there. They just werent enforced.

Those rules that govern the appearance and behavior of women  even on morning shows whose audiences are predominantly female  didnt come about only because some of the men calling the shots are sexist pigs.

Theyre based on a cruel calculation of what viewers will tolerate.

At some point, it was decided that Todays audience likely wouldnt tolerate whatever Lauer is said to have done. Or at least that they might not be able to see Lauer, the brother/dad/annoyingly smug uncle of what NBC once called Americas First Family, in the same way once the story, or stories, NBC reportedly knew to be coming broke.

Getting out ahead of that story was an unusual move for Today, which has a long history of rocky transitions (see Curry, Ann and Pauley, Jane), and theres a lot of money on the line for its Comcast-owned network.

According to U.S. News & World Report, Today earned $509 million in ad revenue last year, more than any other morning show, though ABCs Good Morning America attracts more viewers.

Advertisers had to have been part of NBC News calculations. When Bill OReilly was let go from Fox News seven months ago, it was capitalism at work, his ouster coming only after advertisers started fleeing The OReilly Factor, eager to avoid controversy in the wake of the sexual-harassment allegations against him.

And not standing between the company and the money?

Thats the only rule that applies to everyone.

Ellen Gray is the television critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Email her at graye@phillynews.com.
Victor Manuel Garcia-Loyo, 23, shot and killed his 21-year-old girlfriend Maricarmen Quiroz-Octaviano, a senior at Texas A&M, on Sept. 16, 2016. The couple had been arguing in Quiroz-Octavianos College Station apartment when Garcia-Loyo shot her several times, ending her life less than a year before her graduation.

Authorities found her body just before 8 p.m. that night. Police arrested Garcia-Loyo, who shot himself in the hand during the struggle, in Fort Worth within 27 hours of the shooting during the incident.

Do you have any idea what you have done to this family? Maria Quiroz-Octaviano, Maricarmens mother, said through a translator to her daughters former partner during a part of the hearing in which family members of the victim are allowed to make statements. Theres no life for us without her.

Garcia-Loyo will serve at least 25 years of his sentence before he is eligible for parole. Once released, he will be in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Garcia-Loyo will get credit for the roughly 14 months he has spent in the county jail awaiting trial, where he has been held since last September on a U.S. Immigration Hold.

Responding to 272nd District Court Judge Travis Bryan III in a hearing Monday, Garcia-Loyo said he illegally walked across the border at Tamulipas, but wasn't clear on how many years ago he did so.

Brazos County District Attorney Jarvis Parsons said the couple had dated for about four years before their relationships violent end. He said some may look at the case as one revolving around immigration, but, referring to domestic violence, this is what we see every day.

It doesnt matter who you are or where you come from, Parsons said of the nature of domestic violence.

Quiroz-Octaviano wanted a change in the relationship, and Garcia-Loyo responded violently, Parsons said. Generally, episodes of intimate partner violence will escalate, from emotional to more violent abuse. But this one is different.

We had no evidence of any prior domestic incidents, Parsons said. Instead, he added, Garcia-Loyo went from 0 to 60, from having a nonviolent relationship to one that ended in death.

'An interesting ball of everything'

Quiroz-Octaviano had her whole life ahead of her, according to Alberto Tirado, a radio personality at local radio station Radio Alegria who hosted a weekly Saturday show with her for about two years.

Joining the station in August 2014 as a promotions assistant, Quiroz-Octaviano quickly became a radio personality, co-hosting on Saturdays and winning listeners over with her infectious personality, friends and co-workers said.

She spoke fluent Chinese and was a wrestler. Switching her major from chemistry to genetics when she was at A&M, Quiroz-Octaviano wanted to work in a laboratory after she graduated.

Her choices were open to her, Tirado said of Quiroz-Octavianos wide range of skills and interests. She was just an interesting ball of everything.

A recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, Quiroz-Octaviano entered the U.S. from Mexico with her parents when she was very young, Tirado said. Commonly known as Dreamers, DACA recipients are legally allowed to work, attend school and get a drivers license for two-year periods, after which they can reapply for the program. President Obama created DACA through executive order in 2012 to protect young undocumented immigrants from deportation while they legally worked or attended school.

A bright, personable, strong young woman who served as a role model for her younger siblings, Tirado said the loss of Quiroz-Octaviano is immeasurable.

Any loss is unimaginable when someone is taken so young, and right at the cusp of becoming something more, he said, pausing to consider the impact of her loss on her family and friends. I dont know, man, what can you say?

She was looking forward to the rest of her life, but she did a lot when she was here, Tirado said, noting that Quiroz-Octaviano fit a great deal of life into her 21 years.

Radio Alegria held a fundraiser shortly after Quiroz-Octavianos death, Tirado said, raising around $4,000 for her family.

It was nice to see the community cared, he said.

The radio station commonly hosts fundraisers to raise money for causes. Recently looking through photos from a past fundraiser, Tirado said he found a picture of Quiroz-Octaviano with Garcia-Loyo, looking like a normal, happy couple. It puzzled Tirado, he said, that two people could go from how they looked in that photo to one killing the other.

I really dont understand, he said of domestic violence. People dont talk about it enough.
China and Hungary signed 11 agreements to promote cooperation in fields such as e-commerce, tourism, education and smart cities as Premier Li Keqiang made his first visit to the European country as premier on Tuesday.

The signing was witnessed by Li and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban following the premier's participation in the sixth Meeting of Heads of Government of China-Central and Eastern European Countries in Budapest, Hungary's capital.

On Tuesday afternoon, the premier's state visit started with a 30-minute welcoming ceremony, during which a cavalry unit passed before the two leaders on a square in front of the Hungarian National Assembly building.

The two leaders have maintained frequent exchanges, as Orban was received by Li in Beijing in May during his visit to China and participation in the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Hungary also is one of the three countries with a comprehensive strategic partnership with China, following Serbia and Poland.

"Hungary is one of the most beautiful countries I've ever visited and has achieved 4 percent economic growth, which is an extraordinary accomplishment for a country with about $20,000 of GDP per capita," Li said when meeting the media with Orban.

Li said China has a huge market and is a new generator of economic growth, and the two countries should view each other's development as an opportunity.

Their bilateral trade maintained double-digit growth last year amid a sluggish global economy and China's imports from Hungary increased by 20 percent, the premier said. The first three quarters of this year saw China import more from Hungary than it exported to the country.

Hungary attracts about one-third of the Chinese investments in CEE nations and China will continue investing in its partner to create more jobs and bring it advanced technologies and management experience, Li said.

Last year, bilateral trade increased by 10.1 percent year-on-year to $8.89 billion, making Hungary the third-largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe for China, according to the Economic and Commercial Counselor's Office at the Chinese embassy in Budapest.

Hungary was China's largest source of imports last year among CEE countries. The EU member's exports to China were up by 20 percent to $3.46 billion in 2016, the office said. China's exports to Hungary were up by 4.4 percent last year.

"We want balanced trade and hope Chinese consumers will enjoy more diverse products," the premier said. "Hungary and China have had long-term connections in history. We are willing to establish higher-education institutions together and encourage each of the peoples to travel to the other country."

The Hungarian prime minister said China's 6 percent to 7 percent economic growth means it has enormous production capacity and will import more goods from other countries.

"Chinese enterprises have made investments all over the world, and many countries want to participate in China's economic growth. Hungary is the largest destination for Chinese investments in Central and Eastern Europe, and we will provide an inviting environment for investors," Orban said.

huyongqi@chinadaily.com.cn
Making a return to our two favourite summer locations, Mount Maunganui and Nelson in early January 2023, we've got whiff of the first release lineup and me oh my, yes boy
It's safe to say that Uber's reputation is in the toilet these days, but apparently new revelations can still tarnish the ride-hailing company's name even more.

Just yesterday, San Francisco Federal District Court Judge William Alsup, who is presiding over Waymo's lawsuit against Uber over allegedly stolen trade secrets, delayed the trial after a letter detailing a secret effort by Uber to spy on competitors was uncovered.

Related: 12 Amazing Things We Learned About Susan Fowler, the Woman Who Disrupted Uber

"I can no longer trust the words of the lawyers for Uber in this case," Alsup said. "If even half of what is in that letter is true, it would be an injustice for Waymo to go to trial."

That's a pretty stark thing for a judge to say during a trial, but Uber's alleged behavior gives plenty of cause for these harsh words.

All the while, Uber's recent image bruises have affected its valuation, which may come in at around $48 billion after Japanese giant Softbank offered a lower price to investors for shares of the company's stock.

Here are three diabolical acts allegedly committed by Uber that we've learned about in just the past few weeks.

1. Negligent hiring

Sometimes, bad apples slip through the cracks, but it seems to happen way too often at Uber. On Nov. 16, a California woman sued the company for allegedly not doing its due diligence on a driver who she says sexually assaulted her. The driver apparently had a documented history of violence.

Related: 8 Times Uber Has Tracked People

A class action lawsuit also filed that week accuses Uber of putting female passengers in harm's way by means of sexual assault and harassment. Another case is pending against Uber on behalf of a woman who had been raped in an Uber car in India and then had her medical records allegedly illegally obtained by Uber executives.

2. Paying hush money

Uber admitted on Nov. 21 that more than a year ago it paid a $100,000 ransom to hackers who had stolen phone numbers, email addresses and names belonging to 57 million drivers and riders, then kept the cyberattack secret. The company apparently tracked down the hackers and pushed them to sign nondisclosure agreements, according to The New York Times.

The payoff and subsequent plot was apparently done under the supervision of Uber's now fired chief security officer Joe Sullivan and ex-CEO Travis Kalanick.

Related: 16 Weird Things We've Learned About Uber Co-Founder Travis Kalanick

3. A spying and stealing operation

During a proceeding in the Uber-Waymo case on Nov. 28, two bombshell revelations were revealed: Uber trained employees to "destroy communications that might be considered sensitive" and had a division dedicated to spying on overseas rivals.

A letter spoken about during the trial and testimony of Richard Jacobs, a former manager on a corporate surveillance team at Uber, revealed that some employees at the company used Wickr, a messaging service that automatically deletes communications. The trial also revealed that Uber had a team that scoured coding site Github to find competitors' private code.

Related:

How Low Can Uber Go? Here Are 3 Recent Revelations That Continue to Tarnish the Brand.

Uber Got Hacked a Year Ago and Paid the Hackers to Keep It Secret

Uber sufrio ciberataque que afecto a 57 millones de usuarios (y lo oculto un ano)



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


HYDERABAD, India - US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump kicked off a global business leaders' meeting in southern India on Tuesday, calling for better opportunities for women entrepreneurs battling heavy odds around the world.

Ivanka, also an informal adviser to her father, received a warm welcome in India's high-tech hub of Hyderabad with all the trappings of a state guest.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined her in the opening of the US-backed Global Entrepreneurship Summit which New Delhi is hoping will further boost political and economic ties with the United States under the Trump administration.

Ivanka, wearing a bright green floral dress, said fueling the growth of women-led businesses and closing the gender entrepreneurship gap could help expand global GDP by 2 percent.

"Women still face steep obstacles to starting, owning and growing their businesses. We must ensure women entrepreneurs have access to capital, access to networks and mentors," Ivanka said to loud cheers from a packed audience in a heavily-guarded conference center.

In developing countries, 70 percent of women-owned smaller businesses were being denied access to capital, she said, leading to a near $300 billion annual credit deficit for them.

GES is an event conceived by former US president Barack Obama. It has previously been held in countries such as the US and Turkey, but this year's edition is the first under the Trump administration.

The theme of the conference this year is "Women First, Prosperity for All". More than half the participants at the summit are women, and all-female delegations are representing countries such as Afghanistan, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Ivanka, who ran an eponymous clothing and jewelry business before becoming an adviser in the White House, has made women's issues one of her main policy areas.

Billboards

She cited a Harvard Business Review report that found that in the US, investors ask men questions about their potential for gains, whereas they ask women questions about their potential for loss.

Billboards with pictures of Ivanka dotted many parts of Hyderabad which is also home to major US firms such as Microsoft. In recent days, authorities took beggars off city streets in a cleanup drive before the meeting, media said.

More than 10,000 police officials were deployed in the city and sniffer dogs as well as "spotters", or men trained to detect any suspicious activity or people, were on stand by, a police officer said.

On the sidelines, Ivanka held talks with Modi, as well as Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj. Later she toured the conference center with Modi and met a few entrepreneurs, before watching traditional Indian dance performances in the inaugural session.

India has become a major market for the US, with two-way trade of about $115 billion last year. They aim to raise that to $500 billion by 2022.

Reuters
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When tourists come to Connecticut on vacation, if they opt to stay at an Airbnb, the options are as diverse and colorful as the state itself.

This website will pay you for your leaves

From a converted pontoon boat to a geodesic dome, travelers have a wide variety of accommodations to choose from when planning a trip out of town.

Click through the slideshow above to see some of the quirkiest Airbnb listings in the state.

The San Francisco-based company claims it has more than 3 million listings in 191 countries.

But its emergence as a dominant player in the tourism industry is not without controversy. Many blame the vacation rental service for driving up the cost of housing in cities like San Francisco.

San Francisco tried to regulate the growing vacation rental industry by forcing hosts to register with the city and imposing a 90-day annual limit on short-term rentals. In May, Airbnb struck a deal with San Francisco to ensure more hosts get registered, with the goal of universal registration by January 2018.

Despite the ongoing controversy, Airbnb's business model seems to be working and is particularly popular on the East Coast. Connecticut residents earned an estimated $12.5 million by renting their homes or rooms to guests on Airbnb. The company predicts it will earn $3.5 billion by 2020, Fortune reported.

In Connecticut, 290 Airbnb hosts tallied more than 6,900 guest stays, earning nearly $2 million between November 2016 and the end of last month. During those 12 months, New Haven was the top Airbnb destination in Connecticut, hosting 13,700 stays. Stamford and Greenwich ranked in the top ten with 2,500 and 1,600 Airbnb stays, respectively.
Big government often hurts the very people it purports to helpthe poor, the working class, and the middle class. Actually, the problem is worse than that: Big government frequently props up the rich, the powerful, and the politically connected

Since the New Deal, advocates for a stronger federal government have used poor, working-class, and middle-class Americans to justify their crusade. The argument asserts that government offers the only protection against the predations of the rich and powerful. So to oppose a growing federal government is to oppose helping our most vulnerable citizens improve their lives.

This, anyway, has been the argument for the past eighty years.

Unfortunately, many proponents of limiting government contribute to the myth that they are uncaring. They do so by relying mainly on two arguments against big government: the cost argument and the constitutional argument. The first says that a huge federal apparatus creates wasteful government programs and imposes too great an economic burden on Americans. The second holds that the federal governmentespecially through the unelected administrative statehas broken through the limits on its authority that the U.S. Constitution put in place.

Both of these arguments are correct. Massive government programs are wasteful and impose huge economic costs on Americans, and many of them contradict constitutional provisions. But these arguments have not been sufficient to counter the claims of those clamoring for more and bigger government.

Ultimately, these arguments fall short because they do not go to the heart of the issue. They do not address the fact that the claims at the very core of the case for big government are simply false.

The truth is that big government often hurts the very people it purports to helpthe poor, the working class, and the middle class. Actually, the problem is worse than that: Big government frequently props up the rich, the powerful, and the politically connected.

Progressives common-person justification for big government finds its only legitimacy in the staying power of myth.

The Political Campaign for Big Government

From the Progressive era, through the New Deal and the Great Society, and right up to the present, many influential people have pushed for an expanded governmental role in all areas of social, cultural, and economic life. Calls for bigger government are now the predictable response to any social need or political issue. Big-government promises hold special appeal during times of emergency when the public looks for an immediate savior. This emergency mentality led, for instance, to the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010a law that substantially expanded, in ways that could not even be defined by the law, government regulation of the financial-services industry, from megaWall Street investment firms to small-town banks. Once the emergency passes, a more sober and rational public often reassesses the need for a bigger governmentbut by then, the expanded government has been entrenched in law.

Recent experience bears out the constant growth of government. From 2000 to 2016, federal spending more than doubled, from $1.79 trillion to $3.85 trillion. Nearly 100,000 new federal rules have been issued since 1993, and the tax code is more than four million words long. According to the Competitive Enterprise Institute, federal agencies in 2016 issued 3,853 regulations, while Congress passed 214 new laws. Thats eighteen rules for every law enacted.

These numbers reflect a federal government that has broken free from constraints and that grows less and less accountable every year. The reach of the federal government has become so extensive that it is nearly impossible to define any limits to its power. Laws such as the Dodd-Frank Act and the Affordable Care Act are so complicated that they cannot even be understood without a platoon of lawyers, and the complexity of the tax code masks all the ways it benefits special interests and hurts ordinary Americans.

The Fundamental Argument Against Big Government

In my book The False Promise of Big Government, I do not reiterate the usual arguments against big government. The book does not examine the cost of big government, nor the debt it imposes, nor the taxes it requires, nor the burdens it places on the economy. Nor does the book discuss the constitutional arguments against governmentnamely, the threat to liberty and the violation of the constitutional design of limited government through a system of checks and balances.

Rather, my book addresses the very argument that is used to justify big government: That big government provides vital assistance to the average American. This argument is a myth. Instead of helping the average person at the expense of the wealthy, bigger government helps the politically powerful at the expense of the average person.

A strong and active federal government is necessary for various tasks, but when used as a panacea for societys problems, it often hurts those most in need of help. As government has grown so powerful in such far-reaching ways, it has become more aligned with the centers of power in society. It has fostered cronyism rather than competition. It has treated people more like passive clients than as active citizens. It has replaced opportunity with regulations that reinforce the status quo. It has favored government bureaucracy over individual well-being.

The goal of my book is to correct the myths underlying the explosive growth of modern government. The book does not seek to slash the federal government indiscriminately; it advocates for a federal government that is prudent, more focused, less susceptible to the corruptions of power, better run, more cooperative with all the other institutions of civil society, and more responsive to the real needs of the common person. Most important, no person or group should ever be sacrificed at the altar of government growth

The book lays out six key points about big government that are too rarely heard:

Big government caters to big power Big government breeds cronyism Big government is a tool of the elite Big government becomes its own end Big government backfires Big government crowds out civil society

Good intentions arent good enough. As author William Voegeli suggests in The Pity Party, big-government advocacy stems from a strong preference for political stances that demonstrate ones heart is in the right place and a relative indifference to whether the policies based on those stances, as actually implemented, do or even can achieve their intended results.

But if we really want to help people, paying attention to results is essential. Too often, those who claim to speak for the little guy push for policies that dont helpand often harmthe most vulnerable in our society. This is the fundamental point that proponents of a defined government need to understand and communicate if they ever hope to curtail the seemingly endless growth of government.

This essay is adapted from The False Promise of Big Government: How Washington Helps the Rich and Hurts the Poor by Patrick M. Garry (112 pages, The Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 2017). Republished with gracious permission from the Intercollegiate Review (October 2017). The Imaginative Conservative applies the principle of appreciation to the discussion of culture and politicswe approach dialogue with magnanimity rather than with mere civility. Will you help us remain a refreshing oasis in the increasingly contentious arena of modern discourse? Please consider donating now.
DANNEBROG  Dannebrog will hold a Danish Christmas on Saturday and Sunday, with many activities planned.

Events start at 8 a.m. Saturday, with a Muzzleloaders pancake breakfast at the fire hall until 1 p.m. An art and craft show will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Danske Hall and a festival of trees will be on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Columbia Hall. People are encouraged to vote for their favorite Christmas tree.

Saturdays events will continue with Ralph Brown drumming, song and story at the Pawnee Center at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Children are welcome to gather at the Fire Hall at 1 p.m. to escort Santa to Columbia Hall. Santa will have pictures taken with the children from 1:30 to 3:30 and childrens Danish crafts, hot cider, Kool-Aid and cookies will be available. A visit with the Danish Brotherhood will be from 2 to 5 and a Danish Brotherhood dinner will begin at 6.

Sundays events start at 8 a.m. with Marnas homemade cookies, bread and candy sale in the back room of the American Legion. The sale will continue until 8 p.m.

Also, Dannebrog Delights will serve cookies, hot chocolate, cider, tea and coffee from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Marnas Danish buffet will be at the American Legion from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Our Saviours Lutheran caroling will be from noon to 1 p.m. The Holiday Cake Walk will be at the fire hall from 1:30 to 2:30 and again from 5 to 8.

Our Saviours Lutheran Church will also host an Aebleskiver dinner from 3 to 6 p.m., along with a silent auction.

People will have a chance to write down bids until 6 p.m. Sunday. Holiday movies will also be shown throughout the weekend.

For more information and a full schedule of events, visit the Dannebrog Nebraska Facebook page. or visit www.dannebrognebraska.org.
Jeremy C. Doudney Sr. of Grand Island on Wednesday was placed on 36 months probation for enticing a 12-year-old girl with an electronic communication device.

Doudney, 44, was arrested by the Nebraska State Patrol in August. District Judge Teresa Luther also sentenced Doudney to 90 days in jail, but he has credit for 107 days served.

Enticement by an electronic communication device is a Class 4 felony. Doudney pleaded no contest to the charge. According to court documents, the crime occurred Aug. 14.

Earlier, Doudney was also charged with criminal attempt at sexual assault on a child, first degree, which is a Class 2 felony.

Under the conditions of probation, he must not possess a smartphone or use social media for any purpose.

Doudney also must register under the Nebraska Sex Offender Registration Act and pay a $900 probation fee.

The State Patrol became involved when a family reported that a man had begun a sexual conversation with their daughter through Facebook. After a meeting was set up, Doudney was arrested at Pier Park. The State Patrol was assisted by Grand Island police.
The city of Grand Island Wastewater Division was recognized at the recent fall conference in Kearney, jointly hosted by the American Public Works Association, Nebraska Water Environment Association and American Water Works Association.

At the conference the Grand Island Wastewater Division employees expanded knowledge of the wastewater industry and gained continuing education credits, which are required by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality to maintain a Wastewater Certificate.

The citys Wastewater Treatment Facility received the Scott Wilbur Outstanding Facility Award and the Silver Safety Award for the outstanding work of the facility and its employees.

This is the fourth year in a row the Grand Island Wastewater Division received these awards. The Grand Island staff achieved this exemplary status despite a variety of issues, such as future permit limits and industrial flow variations, that challenge the staff and the community.

The Scott Wilbur Award was first given in 1955 in honor of Scott Wilbur, a wastewater facility operator who worked for the city of Omaha and routinely exceeded operations and maintenance expectations to ensure his facility remained in compliance.

The Safety Award recognizes organizations for excellence in accident prevention and the promotion of safety including meetings, materials, program, and safety updates.

The management staff of the Wastewater Treatment Plant thanks all of the employees for their hard work and attention to safety. Without them, these awards are not possible, said Dallas Powell, wastewater regulatory compliance manager.
Police/Sheriff

Anyone with information about any crime in the state may call the Grand Island-Hall County Crime Stoppers, (308) 381-8822. Callers will remain anonymous.

If you see a crime happening, call the Grand Island-Hall County Emergency Center  911.

Grand Island Police

The following felonies were reported:

- Jonathan Rodriquez Ramirez was arrested for strangulation Thursday night at 1611 W. John. Diana Bueno Ramirez said he placed his hands on her throat and squeezed her, causing her to have difficulty breathing and leaving redness and abrasions on her neck.

- John Boersen was arrested for first-degree false imprisonment, third-degree domestic assault and a protection order violation Thursday morning at 1803 W. First St.

- Jordan Beard was arrested for unauthorized use of a vehicle Thursday at 1321 N. Huston. Adam Egeland said he gave the suspect permission to drive the car to Ruby Tuesday and back with the understanding it would be returned within a short time.

- Aaron Quinones was arrested for intentional child abuse with no injury Thursday at 415 W. Charles. A 14-year-old female said he repeatedly struck her with a belt.

- Austin Adams was arrested Tuesday night at East Fourth Street and North Sycamore for driving during suspension, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.

- Brandon Young was arrested Tuesday at North Locust and West 13th Street for having an active Hall County warrant, possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, first-offense carrying a concealed weapon and failure to appear when on bail for a misdemeanor. Police say he had a knife that was more than 3.5 inches long.

- Jonathan Monteagudo reported a burglary to a garage Tuesday at 915 W. Fifth St.

Hall County Sheriff

Law enforcement arrested four people on warrants in four cases. There were 24 calls for service.

Law enforcement arrested nine people on warrants in 12 cases. There were 21 calls for service on Wednesday.

For more information visit www.hallcountyne.gov and click on the sheriff link.

- Christopher Luby and Katie Wamsley reported that a home was broken into and items stolen from 105 Oasis St. in Cairo between noon Sunday and 6:17 p.m. Monday.

- Trevor Melgaard reported that a washing machine was stolen from outside a residence at 611 Saturn St. in Alda between 11:05 p.m. and 11:50 p.m. Monday. It was later recovered.

- Two males were arrested for assault on a confined person Tuesday night at Hall County Jail. One of the charges is a Class 3 felony, the other a Class 4 felony.

Court report

Hall County Court

- Carlos E. Cabrera-Mendez, 44, Grand Island, committing child abuse negligently/no injury, $100 fine, six months probation, $150 probation fee.

- Scott A. Berndt, 48, Lincoln, attempt of a Class 4 felony, six months in jail.

- Katherine L. Urbauer, 29, Grand Island, was charged with third-degree domestic assault and terroristic threats, both on Monday. Preliminary hearing set for 11 a.m. Jan. 16.

- Americo C. Reyes, 37, Grand Island, was charged with second-degree domestic assault and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, both on Friday. Preliminary hearing set for 3 p.m. Jan. 8.

- Aaron J. Quinones, 40, Grand Island, was charged with committing child abuse intentionally/no injury on Thursday. Preliminary hearing set for 9:30 a.m. Jan. 9.

- Cody R. Clark, 24, Grand Island, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession or use of drug paraphernalia, both on Saturday. Preliminary hearing set for 3:30 p.m. Jan. 2.

- Johnnie D. Janzen Jr., 48, Grand Island, was charged with DUI/fifth or subsequent offense, driving while revoked from DUI/refusal and no proof of insurance, all on Sunday. Preliminary hearing set for 3:30 p.m. Jan. 2.

- John J. Boersen, 37, Grand Island, was charged with third-degree domestic assault, violating a protection order, first-degree false imprisonment and tampering with a witness, informant or juror, all on Thursday. Preliminary hearing set for 3 p.m. Jan. 2.

- Felix Ramirez, 52, Grand Island, was charged with third-degree domestic assault and possession of a controlled substance, both on Saturday. Preliminary hearing set for 9:30 a.m. Dec. 21.

- Kristina M. Schuett, 28, Omaha, was charged with two counts of delivery, dispensing, distribution, manufacture or possession of an exceptionally hazardous drug and one count of possessing or using drug paraphernalia, all on Friday. Preliminary hearing set for 2:30 p.m. Jan. 8.

- Jordan D. Beard, 24, Superior, was charged with operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest for a felony, unauthorized use of propelled vehicle, first offense, and possession of a controlled substance. Preliminary hearing set for 9 a.m. Jan. 10.

- Ramon Gonzalez, 28, was charged with being a fugitive from justice.

- William M. Malone, 41, Grand Island, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession or use of drug paraphernalia, both on Nov. 11. Arraignment set for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 29.

- Eduardo A. Santos, 25, Grand Island, was charged with possession of a controlled substance on Nov. 11.

- Keylea M. Mora, 23, Grand Island, was charged with failure to appear when on bail for a felony and possession or use of drug paraphernalia, both on Oct. 24. Preliminary hearing set for 10:30 a.m. Jan. 8.

- Brandon L. Young, 25, Grand Island, was charged with possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, first-offense carrying a concealed weapon and failure to appear when on bail for a misdemeanor. Preliminary hearing set for 10 a.m. Jan. 10.

- Stacy J. Red Cloud, 38, Grand Island, was charged with violating the Sex Offender Registration Act. Preliminary hearing set for 1:30 p.m. Jan. 5.

- Austin S. Adams, 21, Grand Island, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession or use of drug paraphernalia and driving under suspension before being reinstated by the state, all on Tuesday. Preliminary hearing set for 9 a.m. Jan. 12.

- Brianna E. Conaway, 21, Central City, attempt of a Class 4 felony, 12 months probation, $300 probation fee.
Sunny He Huang (middle) and her son (left). [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

An Edinburgh nurse is believed to have become the first person from China to have climbed all 282 of the highest mountains in Scotland.

The mountains, all more than 914 meters, are known as Munros.

Sunny He Huang, from Liaoning province, started the 70 Munros Challenge two years ago to raise money for the charity Christian Aid. But it turned out to be something she really enjoyed and she was determined to climb all 282.

"When I heard that I was the first person from China to have officially climbed all 282 Munros, I was in tears and so emotional," she said. "It was just so exciting and I couldnt sleep the first night."

Huang climbed more than 100 on her own and others with friends, spending almost all her weekends and days off climbing.

Huang discovered her love for hill walking when her son went to university and, feeling at a loose end, she started walking on the Pentland Hills, south of Edinburgh.

She climbed her first Munro, Ben Narnain in July 2015 and she completed her final one, Meall Chuaich on Nov 18, with a large group of friends, colleagues and family. For many of them, including her 21-year-old son, Zhou Botao, it was their first Munro.

"What I enjoyed the most about these walks is when you reach the summit," she said. "If you get a good view, it feels like you have cleansed your mind, you forget all the worries at work, your life, and just don't think about anything at all. You just enjoy all this nature and mountain fresh air and the view at the top is just breathtaking."

Forty-five-year-old Huang said she wanted to raise money for Christian Aid because she has always wanted to help people living in poverty.

"When we were growing up, we were very poor. I am not rich now, but at least I have enough to feed myself, my family, and have a roof over our heads," she said. "This is why I'm supporting Christian Aid, to make their vision  to help end poverty  become reality."

Huang came to the UK in 2004 and works at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary as a cardiac theater nurse.

She said her next challenge is to walk the length of Hadrian's Wall and climb some of Scotland's small mountains.
Two people described by Lincoln police as persons of interest in the disappearance of a missing 24-year-old woman posted a video to Facebook offering to tell "our side."

Sydney Loofe's family reported her missing Nov. 16. She last was seen Nov. 15 in Wilber, Nebraska, which is about 40 miles south of Lincoln.

The two people in the 9-minute-long video identify themselves as Aubrey Trail and Bailey Boswell. Police have asked the public's help in locating Trail, 51, and Boswell, 23, who both are from Wilber.

The man who identifies himself as Trail says on the video that after looking at news reports and listening to police, he and Boswell thought it was time to share their side of the story.

In the video, Trail says he had been in contact with the Lincoln Police Department to tell them what he knew but they told him to stop calling them.

Boswell said she met Loofe on a Tuesday. The two drove around Lincoln and smoked marijuana and then Boswell dropped Loofe off.

The next day, Boswell said, she picked up Loofe again and the pair drove around and smoked marijuana before going to Boswell's house and smoking some more. Boswell said she then dropped Loofe off at a friend's house and she hasn't heard from her since.

Both Trail and Boswell said they hoped Loofe is found soon.

In the video, only half of Trails face is visible. Boswell is wearing a black hood and sunglasses. It appears that the video was taken inside a vehicle with a sunroof.

The video later was taken off Facebook, but a copy of it was posted to YouTube.

Loofe's father, George Loofe, contacted Wednesday, said he has no comment about the video other than "this is the police's job, not mine."

Officer Angela Sands, a spokeswoman for the Lincoln Police Department, said police are aware of the video and investigators are analyzing it.

A friend of Loofes, Terra Gehrig, said she had gotten a text from Loofe on Nov. 15, saying she had been on a date the night before with a woman she met online. It went well, Loofe told Gehrig, and the pair was planning to go out again that night.

But after Loofe didnt show up for work at a Lincoln Menards on Nov. 16, her family contacted authorities.

Loofe has a spinal disorder and a distinctive walk, Gehrig said. She also has distinctive tattoos  the words Everything will be wonderful someday on her arm, a yin yang sign below her elbow and Believe on her wrist.

World-Herald staff writer Mara Klecker contributed to this report.
Weapon drawn and eyes darting all directions, Omaha Police Sgt. Jeff Baker worked his way into the center of the Von Maur department store and came upon the body of a man killed by gunshots. And something else.

Bakers foot accidentally kicked a shell casing. There were others, too. He recognized them immediately as coming from a high-powered rifle. It confirmed his worst fear about this Dec. 5, 2007, shooting call at the Westroads Mall.

Omaha had just become the latest city to fall victim to a mass shooter intent on indiscriminately killing as many innocent people as possible. This was Omahas own Columbine, its own Virginia Tech. Indeed, police would later find that the gunman had killed eight, seriously wounded three others and turned the rifle on himself before any officer even had a chance to reach the store.

Not everything would go smoothly in the minutes and hours that followed Bakers discovery. But a decade later  Tuesday marks the 10th anniversary of Omahas deadliest shooting  Baker and other police officials say the city is far more prepared if something similar ever happened again.

Officers are better trained, and they have adopted new tactics.

They are also better armed, able to match the firepower of almost any mass shooter, and better protected.

And fire officials are now trained to work with police to more quickly enter shooting zones and speed life-saving aid to victims.

Our active shooter training has gotten exponentially better in the 10 years since, said Baker, who now heads the Police Departments firearms training unit. We serve no one well if were ill-equipped, under-trained and dont have the right mindset to deal with these monstrous events when they happen.

Some of the new strategies have been adopted all over the country, as law enforcement tactics continue to evolve in the face of ever more frequent and deadly mass shootings. Baker said tactics are particularly geared toward getting officers to the active shooter as quickly as possible. Studies of mass shootings around the country have shown that, on average, for every minute that police are delayed, four more people are shot.

But some of the changes also relate to lessons learned specifically from Omahas first mass shooting. A subsequent review revealed that the law enforcement response was marked by numerous problems and mistakes.

Errors in the Douglas County 911 center delayed delivery of key information  including descriptions of the gunman and the fact that there were numerous shooting victims on the stores third floor  to responding officers. Those mistakes were exacerbated when a bad tip about a man in camouflage running toward J.C. Penney diverted the first-responding officers from Von Maur. In reality, the gunman never left the stores third floor, even though two victims on lower floors were killed by shots from the third floor.

Paramedics were also delayed in reaching the victims as fire and police officials debated in the moment whether it was safe enough for firefighters to go to the stores third floor.

We were honest, said Officer Dave Staskiewicz, who helped write the comprehensive police after-incident report and recently briefed The World-Herald on it. Some things went good, some went bad, and this is what we can learn from it.
Classic Christmas movies are coming to the Wildey Theatre all through the month of December.

Kicking off the $2 Tuesday holiday movie series is National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 5.

With Christmas only a few weeks away, this film delves into the classic tale of the Griswold familys holiday plans as it turns into a mischievous, comedic disaster.

The film is rated PG-13 and stars Chevy Chase, Beverly DAngelo and Juliette Lewis.

Wildey Theatre General Manager Al Canal said this is a holiday classic worth seeing on the big screen.

A modern day movie holiday classic. The Griswolds  they show it on TV all during the holiday, but theres nothing like watching it on the 450-square-foot Wildey big screen, Canal said.

Next up is the 1944 classic, Meet Me in St. Louis, taking to the screen at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 12.

The film depicts a story that leads up to the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair and four sisters who learn lessons of life and love as they prepare for a move to New York.

The film, directed by Vincente Minnelli, stars Judy Garland, Margaret OBrien and Mary Astor.

Canal said he chose this film not only for the holiday charm, but also for the local references.

Theres a local tie-in in that movie. Theres Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas, but this is Judy Garland  cant go wrong for the holiday with that, Canal said.

For the third week in December, A Christmas Story, will be showing at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 19.

Set in the 1940s and based on the novel, In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash, by Jean Shepherd, the tale revolves around a young boy named Ralphie as he attempts to convince his parents, Santa and his teacher that his perfect Christmas gift is a Red Ryder B.B. gun.

The film is rated PG and is directed by Bob Clark, starring Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin.

Canal said even with the theatre showing the on-stage production, seeing it on the big screen is also worthwhile.

Another holiday classic and yes, they show it on TV all during the holiday season, but watching in the theatre is a totally different experience. For $2, you cannot go wrong, he said.

To wrap up the months $2 Tuesday movie series, the theatre will be showing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 26.

With this being the last film in the Harry Potter series, viewers are able to see the conclusion of Harry, Ron and Hermiones journey in their battle against Lord Voldemort and his Horcruxes once and for all.

Rated PG-13, the film is directed by David Yates and stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.

Canal said with this showing is a good way to end the Harry Potter series and wrap-up the year.

The day after Christmasduring the year, weve been going through all of the Harry Potter movies. Were down to the very last one, which is number seven, Canal said. Close out the year catching the last Harry Potter film. Well probably pick another movie in the future  another movie that has sequels and well show all the sequels (next year).

Tickets for movies can be purchased at the Wildey Theatre one hour prior to showing for the $2 Tuesday movie series. Cash or checks are accepted and seating is general admission.

Two other movies will also be featured next month at the Wildey, in addition to Tuesday movies.

Premiering at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 20, the Wildey will be showing two viewings of Elf.

The 2003 holiday film follows Buddy, the elf who navigates his way through New York City in search of his true identity while also trying to restore Christmas spirit.

Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Will Ferrell, James Caan and Bob Newhart.

Tickets for both showings will be $4 and is a first come, first serve basis.

Canal said this film tends to be one of the most popular during the holiday season at the Wildey.

Every time we show it, it sells out way in advance, he said.

The theatre is also showing The Polar Express, courtesy of TheBANK of Edwardsville, at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 21.

The 2004 film, based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg, tells the tale of a young boy who embarks on a journey to the North Pole on the Polar Express train in an effort to revive his own Christmas spirit.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film stars Tom Hanks, Chris Coppola and Michael Jeter.

Canal said the showing will be free, thanks to TheBANK of Edwardsville, and is ideal for kids who are looking for something to do on Christmas vacation.

Because school is off, people are looking for something to do, especially the kids, Canal said. Come by, watch Polar Express, and its general admission. Basically first come, first serve.

Reflecting on the the year as a whole with $2 Tuesday movies and shows, Canal said 2017 has been very successful and he hopes to continue that stream of success in 2018.

2017 has been a great year  a lot of great shows. Its going to be hard to beat 2017, but Im hard at work right now, working on beating 2017, he said.

For more information about upcoming shows or movies, visit the Wildeys website at www.wildeytheatre.com.
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Linkedin EDITORIAL (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 08:05 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b68b99 4 Editorial #Editorial,bali,#Bali,Bali-tourism,10-new-bali,Mount-Agung,#MtAgungVolcano Free

The rumblings of Mount Agung have had a huge impact on the lives of people in Bali, with thousands of locals forced to flee their villages and foreign tourists becoming stranded or required to seek alternative modes of transportation to reach home. With no certainty as to how long the ominous situation will last, the effects will be felt not only on the resort island but also beyond.

If the situation persists, or worsens, the government will be unable to achieve the revenue target it set for tourism given that Bali has for decades been the sectors primary source of income.

Indications of such a gloomy outlook are becoming apparent, with more and more foreigners canceling their trips to Bali after seismic activities at the volcano began last month. Worse yet, Ngurah Rai International Airport has been closed since Tuesday for safety reasons. The closure was tentatively extended until Thursday.

Chairman of the Indonesian Tourism Industry Association (GIPI) Didien Djunaedy predicted a 20-30 percent shortfall in the governments tourism target this year given the prolonged scare shrouding Bali. Last year alone, nearly 44 percent of the 11.5 million foreign tourists that came to the country visited the island, which has regularly won international awards as the worlds best tourist destination.

As tourism is the backbone of Balis economy, the harm of an explosive eruption, like the one seen in 1963 that claimed more than 1,000 lives, will not stop at potential loss of human life and destruction property. Balis entire population of 4.25 million people will be affected by severely disrupted tourism.

It took several years for the island to find its feet after the two terrorist bombings in 2002 and 2005. Tourist arrivals nosedived, even in the absence of travel warnings from a number of countries, dealing tourism and related industries a stunning blow. To help revive tourism in Bali and around the country, the government introduced mass leave around certain major holidays like Idul Fitri, Christmas and New Year, a strategy that has remained effective until today as a way of encouraging domestic tourism.

The Bali and central governments may have already prepared plans A, B and C to deal with worst case scenarios that may follow disasters that deal a terrible blow to tourism. Whatever the case may be, however, the possibility of a Mount Agung eruption has exposed Indonesias heavy dependence on Bali as its main contributor to tourism revenue.

For decades, government efforts to develop and promote tourist destinations other than Bali have been sorely lacking. For many foreigners, all they know of Indonesia is Bali. Only recently has the government of President Joko Jokowi Widodo begun a campaign to develop 10 primary tourist destinations, dubbed the new Balis.

While this move deserves credit, it comes late and its realization has been slow as the government must build basic supporting infrastructure, which takes time and saps the state budget. But as they say, its better late than never.
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Linkedin Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 09:53 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b6ca14 1 Art & Culture EKI-update,eki-dance,disability-equality,disability,people-with-disabilities,millennials Free

EKI Dance Companys latest event, EKI Update 3.0, aims to bring audiences to the world of millennials.

In a barrage of hip lingo, imagery and topics, Eksotika Karmawibhangga Indonesia (EKI) Update 3.0 offers a night of variety, showcasing talks, dances, music, short drama and short films depicting the romanticized life of an Indonesian millennial in todays society.



Held at the Jakarta Arts Building at Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta, for three days spanning Nov. 28 to 30, this event is special in that it is a collaboration between the Foundation for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Children (YPAC), members of which join in the performances.



A plethora of millennial memes and trends are used in the events marketing and in some of the actual performances as well. Hashtags such as #itsLIT, #thotand #relatable are the titles of three programs of the evening. Even the ticket categories are even referred to by millennial slang: LIT for the expensive tickets, Amazeballs for the midrange tickets and Dope for the cheap tickets.

In the air: A member of the EKI Dance Company tumbles and sways his way through a performance. (JP/Rifky Dewandaru)

Its no wonder that the hashtag to promote this event is #LyfeKidsJamanNow,which is a spin-off of the popular Kids Jaman Now (Kids These Days) phrase that is being used by many over the age of 25 to show how insecure they feel about being disconnected from the younger generation.



EKI Update 3.0 is as Kids Jaman Now as it gets. The themes of the performances are relevant to issues todays youth is going through, such as unrequited love, losing oneself in video games and the social aspect of Indonesians abroad and at home.



EKIs general manager, Surya Setya Mulya, commented that the point of EKI Update 3.0 is to show that the problems of the youth today are not always centered on love, observing the fact that with the rise of social media, young people have become more sensitive toward what is going on in the world around them.



With social media, kids are no longer kids. The worlds problems are theirs as well. And that is the misconception that many older generation people have about the youth: that they are mainly self-centered, Surya said.

Roll with it: Performers from the Jakarta Disabled Children's Foundation (YPAC) join forces with EKI Dance Company for a powerful performance. (JP/Rifky Dewandaru)

Frankly, the way the event is promoted and arranged is itself cringeworthy  the overuse of tropes just show how desperate the older members of the troupe are to connect with an out-of-reach youth by employing as many stereotypes as possible.



Nonetheless, the actual performances were top-notch and well-rehearsed, and in terms of talent, EKI Dance Company is in no shortage of it.

Guest stars that will round out the three-day event include millennial stalwarts Morgan Oey, Ernest Prakasa and DJ duo KMKZ & David Beatt. All tickets for the three days have sold out.



Aside from all the trope-shoving, a particularly heartwarming number in the program is the collaboration between EKI Sound Machine and children from the YPAC as a show choir singing three traditional Indonesian classics.



As far as the rehearsal goes, the children, most of whom have been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, will put on an amazingly honest performance with their energies projecting a really positive and uplifting atmosphere to the audience.

Partnering with the YPAC, Surya said, was a monumental honor for the troupe as the event could be used as a way to break the perception that the disabled are in essence any different from nondisabled people.

Groove to it: Millennial social topics are interpreted through a modern dance using the soundtrack of notable productions such as Grease and La La Land. (JP/Rifky Dewandaru)

People tend to still see the disabled differently. We want to show that they should be and can be a part of the arts as they are basically normal children like the others. We have choreography based on wheelchairs, for example, and try to integrate every single person into the performance, he said.



EKI Dance Company itself is comprised, as described by EKI Update 3.0 producer and company president director Aiko Senosoenoto, as having two different generations separated by age.



The millennial age group ranges from 25 to 30 years old and while the show might be more relevant to their generation, the older members of the troupe are also actively taking part in the event.



Generational bridging has always been our focus since EKI Update 1, said Aiko.



We try to tailor our performances so that both the old and young generations of this troupe [and the audience] enjoy what theyre doing and also understand it. We havent had a millennial-themed event before with the previous EKI updates.

Whims of dance: The EKI Dance Company's finest mix traditional and current styles of dance into their performance during EKI Update 3.0. (JP/Rifky Dewandaru)
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Linkedin I Wayan Juniarta (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar  Thu, November 30, 2017 09:13 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b6b807 4 Art & Culture Nyoman-Nuarta,statue,Garuda-Wisnu-Kencana,bali,art-and-culture Free

Indonesias tallest statue will be a gift to celebrate the nations Independence Day in 2018.

Despite cloudy skies and brief downpours, the afternoon was hot and humid. Not exactly the perfect conditions to scale the steps leading to the as yet unfinished platform that is marked by rows of bare concrete pillars.



The platform is spacious and could easily accommodate more than 100 cars. It is open on all sides, giving a 360-degree birds eye view of the scenery below.



The sprawling 60-hectare Garuda Wisnu Kencana cultural park with its gigantic limestone columns, the host of numerous world-class concerts, sits below and Benoa Bay, now the most contentious site in Bali because of a controversial reclamation plan, lies in the distance, both clearly visible from the platforms eastern side



A worker cleans the wet floor while groups of wielders are busy working on steel frames and tubes that intersect each other before jutting out into the gloomy sky.



A brightly painted red crane to the platforms western side is the only thing that adds color to the otherwise steely gray scene.



We are now 93.5 meters above the ground, famed sculptor Nyoman Nuarta said as he pointed to a gigantic head of Garuda.



We have just finished installing the torso and the head of the Garuda, one of the most critical stages of the construction process,



His comments referred to Garuda Wisnu Kencana, a gigantic monument he first conceptualized back in 1993.



It was very challenging technically because the bust of the 22-m tall Garuda protrudes 30-m outward from the statues inner core.



As you can imagine, we had to construct a 30-m long cantilever before installing the torso, he said.



The next technically challenging task is to install the wings of the mythical bird. Because of Nuartas insistence on endowing the wings with the illusion of movement, requiring additional reinforcements of the frame, the space available inside the wings tips for fine-tuning the installation can only accommodate one worker.

Myth: A scale model of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana monument. When completed, it will be taller than the Statue of Liberty. (Siluet Nyoman Nuarta/File)

Designed to be the countrys tallest statue, Garuda Wisnu Kencana was inspired by Hindu mythology about the search for Amerta (the elixir of life). According to this myth, Garuda agreed to be ridden by Lord Wisnu in return for the right to use the elixir to liberate his enslaved mother.



The 75-m tall, 65-m wide statue, sits atop a lofty pedestal that will bring the total height of the monument to 121-m, nearly 30-m taller than the Statue of Liberty in the United States. The completed monument will be about as tall as a 21-story building. It will weigh 4,000 tons, thus, making it the heaviest statue in the country.



The statue is made of copper and brass sheeting, with a stainless steel frame and skeleton, as well as a steel and concrete core column. The outer covering alone measures 22,000 square m in size. It was constructed in Nuartas workshop in Sarijadi, Bandung, West Java, before being chopped into more than 700 modules and transported to the construction site in Ungasan, Badung regency.



As many as 120 experienced wielders are currently working at the site to re-assemble the modules before they are lifted up by two cranes and bolted onto the outer steel frame of the statue by workers who specialize in high altitude construction.



By next week we will have completed the installation of the 300th module. The head of Wisnu will be put into place by April next year,



Around 24 years after its inception, there is finally light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel for the construction of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana monument. It has survived many gigantic setbacks, ranging from early opposition from a group of local activists to internal disputes within the company responsible for its development, to political regime change and global financial crisis. The latter forced the project into a 16-year long hiatus before the giant property developer PT Alam Sutera Realty Tbk. took over in 2013 and injected fresh funds.



For Nyoman Nuarta, the construction of the monument has become a life-long obsession.



The difficulty level is incomparable to the other projects because Garuda Wisnu Kencana is colossal in size and also very elaborately decorated, he said, gesturing toward the richly ornamented crown of Garuda.



Wisnus crown will be covered with golden mosaics and the whole statue will have a special lighting arrangement, which is currently being built in Singapore, he said.



Nuarta is also fanatical about the safety of the monument, with the construction materials, steel frames and the statue itself having undergone various scientific integrity tests. This included a wind tunnel test that revealed the statue could withstand winds with speeds of up to 259 nautical miles per hour. In Bali, the highest recorded winds travel at 70 nautical miles per hour.



I want it to last 100 years,



The statue is slated to be completed by August 2018 and Nuarta plans to throw a public party to celebrate the inauguration of the monument.



It will be my gift to the country that I love so much. A cultural gift to celebrate the 73rd anniversary of our independence,



2018 will also be a busy year politically, with regional elections to be held across the country.



Hopefully, Garuda Wisnu Kencana will serve as a reminder throughout that divisive period about our cultural roots as a tolerant and multicultural nation, he said.
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Linkedin Marcel Thee (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 09:47 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b6c3c3 4 Art & Culture music,#music,local-music,local-musician,Gardika-Gigih,concert Free

Like his gentle piano compositions, pianist Gardika Gigihs music has garnered a patient but steady stream of admirers.



This Saturday, those listeners will have the chance to watch the Yogyakarta musicians first solo concert, taking place at IFI Jakarta as part of the Supersonik concert series.



Gardikas music combines elements of traditional Indonesian music and influences from world music, including the nostalgic flourishes of Japanese neo-classical music. Gardika has previously held a duet concert with Japanese composer Makoto Nomura in 2015.



Gardika is a graduate of Institut Seni Indonesia, beginning his music career in 2012, when he worked on Train Music, a series of compositions inspired by the sounds of locomotives, train stations and the history of the railways in Indonesia. This work was performed that year at the Societet Hall in Yogyakarta.



He also made a name for himself as a composer for film soundtracks, having worked with filmmakers Wregas Bhanuteja, Bobby Prasetyo and Yosep Anggi Noen.



His debut album, Nyala, was released earlier this year, with the upcoming concert also meant as a late release party.



Nyala consists of 13 songs and utilizes the talents of his musician-friends, a few of whom will make an appearance at the concert.



The album was recorded live, meaning the musicians played together at the same time instead of one by one.



We chose to record live, because it felt like the most natural way to catch that energy and moment. We wanted to keep that energy from the musicians interactions, he said. Gardika describes his music as flowing, referring to the fluid nature of its composition that often leaves room for spontaneous improvisation, either within his own piano playing or between the other instruments.

These are elements that Gardika promises will be heard during the concert.



We want to explore the atmosphere that comes out during the concert from the communication we build with the audience, Gardika says, explaining that there will be moments when some of his band members will perform between the audience and sections when his piano will coalesce with the other instruments, namely the violin, cello and guitars.

The point is [to create] momentum, so there is an element of performing arts in the concert.



Six songs from Nyala will be performed, many of them alongside guest musicians including Ananda Badudu, Monita Tahalea, Remedy Waloni, Luthfi Kurniadi, Suta Suma and Jeremia Kimosabe.



The level of musicianship assures Gardika that there will more than a hint of spontaneity that he craves for in the concert.



That chemistry has since long formed between [me and the guest musicians], he says. This is a celebration of a moment, made on top of sounds served to the audience. That energy can reach the heart.



Gardika bases his collaborations on admiration.



All those musicians have their own strong musical characteristics, he says, pointing to Remedys work with ethno-alternative band The Trees and The Wild, Luthfis playing with dreamy-pop band Elemental Gaze and Tahaleas very unique voice.



Gardika hopes that the optimism found in Nyala makes it into his live shows. The album title, meaning the lighting of a light, refers to moments when darkness takes hold of a life but eventually brighter things return.



Its hard to summarize because this album expresses a host of emotions. But whats most important is that [the album] is an honest expression of my feelings. Weve all been happy, sad, in love, OK, disappointed and have disappointed others. All those feelings are what makes us human and all these contradictions are at the heart of Nyala.

______________________

Supersonik #22:

Gardika Gigih Live in Concert.

Saturday, Dec. 2,

from 4 p.m.  9 p.m.

IFI Jakarta, Jl. MH. Thamrin No. 20, Central Jakarta
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Linkedin Kiki Siregar (Agence France-Presse) Bekasi, Indonesia  Thu, November 30, 2017 13:38 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b7eee2 2 Lifestyle Niqab-Squad,Bekasi,Indonesia,Islam,archery,horse-riding Free

Riding a horse or nailing an archery target is tough at the best of times -- it's even harder when you're wearing a niqab.

But that isn't about to stop a group of Indonesian women who have banded together to combat prejudice against the face-covering veil, which has been at the centre of a heated global debate over religious freedom and women's rights.

The "Niqab Squad" meets to recite the Koran or, at one recent gathering, mounted horses and tried their gloved hands at archery, activities endorsed by the Prophet Mohammed.

This picture taken on November 12, 2017 shows an Indonesian Muslim woman riding a horse in Bekasi. Riding a horse or nailing an archery target is tough at the best of times -- it's even harder when you're wearing a niqab. But that isn't about to stop a group of Indonesian women who have banded together as they face prejudice against the face-covering veil at the centre of a heated global debate over religious freedom and women's rights. (AFP/Adek Berry)

Janariah, a 19-year-old group member, had never ridden a horse before but she gave it a whirl in her flowing black veil, as other niqab-wearing novices fired off arrows with suction-cup tips.

"It's not really difficult," insisted Janariah, who like many Indonesians goes by name, as she giggled and tried to keep her animal on track in the blazing Jakarta sun.

"Even running is okay. If youre used to it, it's comfortable. The most important thing is that you don't see it (niqab) as a burden and you've got to be patient."

'Weird looks'

Although the body covering garment with narrow slits to see through is common in ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia and some other Gulf states, they're rare in Indonesia, where around 90 percent of its 255 million people have traditionally followed a moderate form of Islam.

Recently, a private Islamic high school on the main island Java was reprimanded by local officials after pictures went viral online that showed a classroom of female students wearing niqab. The veils violated a national regulation on acceptable school uniforms.

Seeking out other women facing discrimination online, Indadari Mindrayanti founded the squad this year after switching from hijab -- a headscarf that leaves the face visible -- to the more restrictive niqab in 2016.

The twice-divorced Mindrayanti - who was once married to an Indonesian soap opera celebrity - saw it was a way to be more pious but the decision hasn't gone over well with her family or people on the street who often give her "weird looks".

Read also: Indonesias first female Muslim clerics congress aims to strengthen women's roles

This picture taken on November 12, 2017 shows Indonesian Muslim women posing for a photograph after participating in archery and horse riding lessons in Bekasi. Riding a horse or nailing an archery target is tough at the best of times -- it's even harder when you're wearing a niqab. But that isn't about to stop a group of Indonesian women who have banded together as they face prejudice against the face-covering veil at the centre of a heated global debate over religious freedom and women's rights. (AFP/Adek Berry)

She saw it was a way to be more pious but the decision hasn't gone over well with her family or people on the street who often give her "weird looks".

"It's hard to expect people to talk to you. They look kind of afraid," the 34-year-old told AFP at a mosque in Indonesia's sprawling capital.

"Walking on the street sometimes I get comments like 'Wow, there's a ninja' or 'uh, very scary,' uncomfortable comments like that."

Some of the group's fast-growing membership of 3,000 women in Indonesia, as well as Malaysia, Taiwan and South Africa, say they've been labelled as extremists and are regularly asked questions such as "why are you dressed like a terrorist?"

Ideological battle

Mindrayanti felt the stares when she went to France seeking treatment for a skin condition this year.

France was the first European country to ban the full-face veil in public spaces and a bitter ideological battle is raging across Europe and in North America over whether the niqab, and more restrictive burqa, are key to religious freedom or an affront to women's rights.

Last month, Canada's Quebec province prohibited government workers and anyone receiving public services from covering their face, which critics said unfairly targets Muslim women who wear a niqab.

"Our goal is that we want to unite differences, even within Islam itself," said Mario, who was involved in organising the squad's horse riding and archery event.

"There are different views even in Islam...and the prophet wants us all to unite."

This picture taken on November 12, 2017 shows Indonesian Muslim women posing for a photograph after participating in archery and horse riding lessons in Bekasi. Riding a horse or nailing an archery target is tough at the best of times -- it's even harder when you're wearing a niqab. But that isn't about to stop a group of Indonesian women who have banded together as they face prejudice against the face-covering veil at the centre of a heated global debate over religious freedom and women's rights. (AFP/Adek Berry)

Still, some critics see the niqab as symbolic of a growing religious conservatism that is being exported to Indonesia via Saudi Arabia and other stricter Islamic countries.

Worries about Indonesia's religious tolerance soared when Jakarta's Christian governor was jailed for two years in May on blasphemy charges.

"We have to respect women who wear niqab but they cannot claim it's the best practice of the religion because it is a product of the Arabs," said Zuhairi Misrawi, head of the Muslim Moderate Society.

Niqab Squad's founder, however, says she will keep trying to win over sceptics by speaking to them in a gentle, friendly voice to let people know her intentions are good, even if they're puzzled by her appearance.

"The niqab doesn't prevent us from socialising with anyone, even if they are not Muslim," Mindrayanti added.

"We can be a good ambassadors of Muslims in front of non-Muslims...(and) those who don't understand Islam and only know it from what they see in the media."
TheJakartaPost

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Linkedin Panca Nugraha (The Jakarta Post) Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara  Thu, November 30, 2017 16:28 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b8608c 1 Business hotels,Lombok,discount,Mount-Agung,eruption Free

Thirty-two star-rated hotels on the resort island of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara are offering discounts of up to 50 percent amid eruptions at Mount Agung.

The policy was taken to facilitate domestic and international tourists who must extend their stays due to flight changes and airport closures.

The discounts are being offered to help tourists, said Mohammad Faozal of the West Nusa Tenggara Tourism Agency at a press conference in Mataram on Thursday.

He added that the discounts had been agreed to by hotel managements and the Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI).

Faozal also said the tourism agency had prepared three buses to offer free transportation. One bus is on standby at the airport, while two buses are provided to tourists who want to move to other parts of the province, he added.

Meanwhile, Lombok International Airport general manager I Gusti Ngurah Ardita announced on Thursday morning that the airport would halt operations from 10:37 a.m. until midnight on account of the spread of volcanic ash from Mt. Agung,

The airport was previously closed on Nov. 26 and 27. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 18:17 1812 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b8ae72 1 City city-budget,Jakarta-council,approval Free

The Jakarta City Council approved the 2018 draft city budget at Rp 77.117 trillion (US$5.7 billion) on Thursday.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said he appreciated the publics attention toward the city budget. We will review the prevailing regulation and mechanism so that the budget can be absorbed within the principles of fairness, he said.

The Jakarta administration has proposed controversial changes to the 2018 draft budget, including scrapping trillions of rupiah of capital investment for six city-owned companies to accommodate key programs initiated by Anies and his deputy Sandiaga Uno, such as the OK OCE entrepreneurship program, zero down-payment housing scheme, Jakarta Smart Card Plus (KJP Plus) and the Jakarta Health Card Plus (KJP Plus).



Other controversial changes include the proposed Governor's Team for Development Acceleration (TGUPP) with 73 members and a budget of Rp 28 billion, from the previous budget of Rp 2.3 billion with 15 members.

Before it was approved, the plenary session saw councillors voice their concerns about the budget.

Following the approval, the draft budget will be submitted to the Home Ministry to be evaluated within 15 days.

Councillor Syarif said he was optimistic that the ministry would approve the budget. Even if there is an evaluation, it will only cover administrative issues, not figures.

Earlier, online platform Kawal Jakarta called on the administration to explain the inflated draft budget. In late October, the budget stood at Rp 74 trillion, only to soar to Rp 77.1 trillion in two weeks. (cal/dis)
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Linkedin Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 14:56 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b81762 1 Business Indonesia,disaster,fund Free

The Finance Ministry has made assurances that the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has enough funds for immediate disbursement to manage the natural disasters that have recently affected several regions across the country.

"We transferred Rp 750 billion (US$52.5 million) in emergency funds to BNPB in October. The BNPB head has said the fund is enough until the year-end," the Finance Ministry's budget director general, Askolani, told reporters on Thursday.

The ministry has disbursed nearly Rp 1.5 trillion in emergency funds to the BNPB this year. The initial amount of Rp 700 billion was transferred earlier this year, which the agency used to manage several disasters, including the Mount Sinabung eruption in North Sumatra.

The government has also allocated Rp 1.5 trillion to Rp 2 trillion in rehabilitation and reconstruction funds for regions that had suffered natural disasters three years ago. The fund would be transferred directly to local administrations to aid in their efforts to rebuild affected infrastructure, Askolani said.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati asserted that the state funds would support affected regions in accordance with prevailing laws.

"As for Bali, we are still monitoring [the disaster] and working with related ministries and institutions and local administration to mitigate and minimize impacts to its economy, communities and tourism," she said.

The ongoing eruption of Bali's Mount Agung has affected thousands of people near the volcano, while Tropical Cyclone Cempaka has hit central, eastern and southern areas of Java. (bbn)

Topics : Indonesia disaster fund
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) The Hague, Netherlands  Thu, November 30, 2017 13:07 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b7e17e 2 World UN,tribunal,genocide,suicide Free

Dutch prosecutors are investigating how a Bosnian Croat war criminal managed to dramatically take his own life Wednesday, apparently after drinking poison he had smuggled into a UN court, in scenes that were broadcast live.

In shocking footage beamed around the world, Slobodan Praljak drank from a small brown glass bottle and exclaimed he had taken poison moments after UN judges upheld his 20-year jail term for atrocities committed during the 1990s Balkans conflict.

The 72-year-old died in hospital after being rushed from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), casting a cloud over what should have been a successful end to the court's tenure.

Prosecutors said their investigation would focus on what killed Praljak and whether he had received any outside help in obtaining the suspected poison.

Suicide de #SlobodanPraljak en pleine audience lors de son proces au tribunal international pour l'ex Yougoslavie



pic.twitter.com/2oRN2PsyTb  Ness (@NDressing) November 29, 2017

"For the time being the inquiry will focus on assisted suicide and violation of the Medicines Act," the Public Prosecution Service said in a statement late Wednesday, adding it would not be commenting further.

The unprecedented drama came as judges handed down their very last verdict at the court in the appeal case of six Bosnian Croat political and military leaders.

Praljak, a former military commander of a breakaway Bosnian Croat statelet, shouted out angrily: "Praljak is not a criminal. I reject your verdict."

Standing tall, with a shock of white hair and beard, he then raised a small brown bottle to his lips, and tipped it into his mouth. The hearing was quickly suspended as Praljak's lawyer interjected: "My client says he has taken poison."

ICTY spokesman Nenad Golcevski told reporters that Praljak "quickly fell ill" and died in hospital. He could not confirm what was in the bottle.

The stunning events caused a shockwave in Croatia and intense embarrassment at a war crimes tribunal that closes next month more than two decades after being set up at the height of the 1992-1995 Bosnian conflict.

Among the questions to be answered will be how he managed to evade tight security to smuggle the bottle into the tribunal.

And if the liquid was indeed poison or noxious, how did he acquire it in the UN detention centre in The Hague where he was being held?

Topics : UN tribunal genocide suicide
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Linkedin (AFP) Paris  Thu, November 30, 2017 06:50 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b67daf 2 World Muslims,Europe,population,immigration Free

Muslims could make up over 11 percent of Europe's population in the coming decades, compared with just under 5 percent currently, if legal migration levels are maintained, a report by a US-based think tank said Thursday.

The Pew Research Center, in a study entitled "Europe's Growing Muslim Population" issued three projections based on different migration scenarios -- zero arrivals, "medium" flows and "high" migration.

It showed that even if all migration into Europe stopped immediately, the Muslim population of the 28-member European Union plus Norway and Switzerland would rise to 7.4 percent from 4.9 percent in 2016.

Europe received more than one million migrants and refugees in 2015, according to figures from the UN's refugee agency.

Most arrived from Muslim-majority nations and some rightwing political parties have upped their anti-Muslim rhetoric in their wake.

Pew, which based its projections on government data and other studies, explained the rise by saying that fertility rates were higher among Muslims, who are on average 13 years younger than non-Muslims.

The "medium" scenario was based on a return to the levels of migration seen before the refugee influx of 2015/2016.

Under that scenario the proportion of people who self-identify as Muslim was projected to more than double to 11.2 percent of the population in 2050.

The third model was based on refugees, most of them Muslim, continuing to arrive in the record numbers seen in 2015 and 2016.

Under that scenario Muslims would account for 14 percent of Europe's population in 2050, which Pew said was "still considerably smaller than the populations of both Christians and people with no religion".

The authors of the report also noted that refugee flows had already begun to decline in line with EU efforts to curb arrivals, suggesting the third outcome was unlikely.

Pew's projections showed Europe being unevenly affected by migration.

If arrivals halted altogether, France -- which was home to an estimated 5.7 million Muslims (8.8 percent) in 2016 according to the report -- would continue to have Europe's largest Muslim community.

Under the "medium" scenario, Britain -- the top destination for non-refugee Muslims migration -- would pass out France while under the "high" scenario the mantle would pass to Germany, which has received over 1.5 million refugees in the past two years.

The report also highlighted the role of migration in stemming population decline in Europe.

In the absence of further migrants the population was projected to shrink from 521 million in 2016 to 482 million in 2050.

Under the "medium" scenario, it would rise to 517 million people, while in the "high" migration scenario would take it to 539 million.

Topics : Muslims Europe population immigration
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 18:49 1812 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b8b585 1 City TGUPP,anies-baswedan,payment Free

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said members of the proposed Governor's Team for Development Acceleration (TGUPP) would be paid according to their qualifications.

"I think it's too simple to mention just one number because there will be different salaries depending on qualifications," Anies said on Thursday.

However, Anies refused to elaborate on the details of the planned TGUPP members salary.

He emphasized that those appointed to the team must be competent in their field. We want them to give direction to the governor and deputy governor, not the other way around, he said.

City councillor from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction, William Yani, was among councillors who questioned the salary of TGUPP members in a plenary session on the deliberation of 2018 draft city budget.

"There is no explanation as to why a TGUPP member should be paid Rp 24 million a month," William said.

The TGUPP was proposed with a budget allocation of Rp 28 billion in the 2018 draft budget to pay 73 members. On the website apbd.jakarta.go.id, 23 people were proposed to be paid Rp 24.9 million for 13 months, bringing the total budget to Rp 7.4 billion. Meanwhile, there is another budget for 37 TGUPP members who will be paid the same salary totaling up to Rp 11.9 billion.

On the website, the proposal showed there would also be 14 chairpersons on the TGUPP who would be paid Rp 27.9 million each, totaling Rp 5 billion.

In addition to the pay, the rest of the funds are to be used for operational purposes. (cal/dis)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 12:59 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b7dc52 4 Business PHRI,Airbnb,travel-agents,online-application Free

The Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI) has said it will launch an online travel agent (OTA) that will be used by hotels and restaurants  both members and non-members  to compete with global hospitality marketplaces like Airbnb.

We are constructing the platform. In fact, it is nearly completed. Whats left is just naming, of course we need an eye-catching name, said PHRI deputy chairman Rainier Daulay in Jakarta on Wednesday as quoted by tempo.co.

Hotels and restaurants would pay less than what they pay for for foreign OTAs, said Rainer, adding that the members would also pay less commission to the PHRI.

Currently, the existing OTAs demand between 15 to 30 percent commission from hotels, while Airbnb charges only about 3 to 5 percent.

He said the PHRIs OTA would facilitate its members in using existing technology to boost their businesses and cut promotion costs.

He cited as an example how online technology had helped emerging tourist destinations like Raja Ampat in Papua to become well-known by both Indonesian and foreign tourists.

If the hospitality business failed to use technology, it would be unable to complete with those who did, Rainer added.

He said the operation of Airbnb in the country had seriously affected the conventional hospitality business, particularly three-star hotels because with the same service Airbnb could offer much lower prices. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 11:58 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b73225 4 Business Jokowi,purchasing-power,indef,comments Free

The Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) has refuted a statement made by President Joko Jokowi Widodo about the increase in peoples purchasing power, indicated by 12.1 percent value-added tax revenue growth.

Indefs economist Bhima Yudhistira said the increase in income tax revenue did not reflect the peoples purchasing power because it was mainly caused by policy improvements by the Finance Ministry.

He said the nine-month tax amnesty that ended in March had improved taxpayer compliance, indicated by an increase in the use of invoices.

Speaking about a decline in peoples purchasing power, he referred to data issued by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), showing reduced earnings by farmers and construction workers.

The wages received by low-income families cannot follow the increasing prices of basic commodities. This causes a decline in their purchasing power, said Bhima in Jakarta on Wednesday as quoted by tempo.co.

He further explained that sales of peoples daily needs, or fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), grew only 2.7 percent from January to September, compared to 11 percent growth in the same period last year.

Bhima denied that e-commerce had taken over the sales of conventional retailers, saying that e-commerce businesses contributed less than 2 percent.

Previously, President Jokowi had rejected a statement made by economists and businesspeople about a decline in peoples purchasing power. He said such a decline was unlikely when the value-added tax revenue received by the government grew by 12.1 percent up to the third quarter. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 19:38 1812 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b8f6a9 1 City tax-amnesty,vehicles-taxes Free

The Jakarta administration is set to hold a vehicle tax penalty amnesty from Nov. 30 to Dec. 23 in a bid to boost tax revenue.

During the period, residents can pay overdue vehicle taxes and vehicle ownership transfer fees (BBNKB) without being charged late fees.

Residents can pay their vehicle taxes at a Vehicle Document Registration Center (Samsat) or through several banks.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said the program was initiated to boost the city's income.

"The taxes will be used to finance the administration's programs," Anies said at City Hall on Wednesday.

There are 3,3 million two-wheeled and three-wheeled vehicles and 694,000 cars in the city with unpaid taxes.

The amount owed stood at Rp 1.7 trillion (US$125.6 million).

Anies added that during the amnesty, the city administration and the traffic police would hold raids to net motorists with unpaid vehicle taxes. (cal)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 15:44 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b83f65 4 Business Inalum,mining-industry-holding,Freeport-Indonesia,acquisition Free

State-owned PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Inalum), which has been appointed to lead a state-owned mining industry holding, has said that it will focus on purchasing 40.64 percent shares of gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI).

With the appointment, Inalum own 65 percent shares in PT Aneka Tambang (Antam), 65.02 percent shares in PT Bukit Asam, 65 percent shares in PT Timah and 9.36 percent shares in PTFI. The holding currently has four members  Inalum, Antam, Bukit Asam and Timah.

Pray for us that there will be five members, said Inalum president director Budi Gunadi Sadikin at a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday as reported by kontan.co.

PT Freeport Indonesia's agreement to divest its 51 percent shares was announced on Aug. 29 by Richard Adkerson, the CEO of US mining giant Freeport McMoRan, its parent company.

State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Rini Soemarno signed a document to establish the holding on Monday.

The four companies held an extraordinary shareholders meeting on Wednesday to officiate the share transfers.

Budi said Inalum would discuss the expansion with shareholders  both the government and the investing public. The progress of the company in Papua is good, he said, adding that apart from acquiring Freeports shares, the holding would strengthen synergy with members of the holding.

He said Inalum would cooperate with Bukit Asam to construct power plants as the holding company would require significant amounts of electricity.

Budi said after the establishment of the holding, the companys assets would stand at Rp 21 trillion (US$1.47 billion). (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 12:38 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b7696e 1 City Geneva,Sunter-Lake Free

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti has challenged Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan in a viral video to restore Lake Sunter in North Jakarta so that it was as clean and well organized as the lakes in Geneva, Switzerland.

"Now that he has the power and authority, I am sure that he can restore Lake Sunter this way, dont you agree? Lets tell this to Pak Anies" Susi said in a video on Wednesday that has gone viral on social media. She was videotaped during her recent working visit to the Annual UN Forum on Business and Human Rights (FBHR), held on Nov. 27-29 in Geneva.

Responding to Susis challenge, Anies said he was committed to cleaning up Jakarta's lakes. "We will work on them one by one, so the lakes and rivers have clear and clean waters," he said on Wednesday.

However, Anies said he also wanted the central government's support in cleaning up the garbage in Jakarta Bay, because the garbage did not come entirely from the city's residents, but was also brought in by the tide from elsewhere.

Jakarta Water Resource Agency head Teguh Hendarwan said the agency had been working since 2016 to restore Lake Sunter by dredging the lake and installing sheet piles along the northern and southern shores of the lake.

He said the remaining work was to clean the water. "We have to filter the water, because the basic problem is waste, including industrial waste that is dumped [into the lake]," Teguh said. (dis)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 14:26 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b7f9d3 1 City city-budget,anies-baswedan,spending,increase Free

The Jakarta administration still owes the public an explanation over the city's inflated 2018 draft budget, online platform Kawal Jakarta said in a statement Thursday.

Kawal Jakarta coordinator Idris Ahmad said the city administration must be able to explain how it had managed to raise the city budget by Rp 5 trillion in two weeks. In Late October, the budget was Rp 74 trillion (US$5.5 billion), but it now stood at Rp 77.1 trillion.

Idris said that the information provided on the official city budget portal, apbd.jakarta.go.id, was not enough on its own to provide transparency. Jakartans need an explanation on the new budgetary additions and how they would benefit the people, he added.

The 2018 draft city budget will be deliberated today (Nov. 30), the deadline for the city administration and the City Council as mandated by Government Regulation No. 12/2017.

Idris cited an allocation for land acquisition as an example of how the administration might not have conducted an appropriate study in such a short timeframe. The land procurement budget has increased by Rp 2 trillion alone. Has the city administration not learned from previous years that most land acquisitions and land utilization remain minimal?

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle politician Bestari Barus said on Wednesday that public scrutiny of the draft budget played a significant role in slashing billions of rupiah in spending for programs that were deemed unnecessary.

The Kawal Jakarta platform was established by the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Solidarity Party, a newly established political party that caters to the so-called millennial generation. (dis)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 11:49 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b7168e 1 City 212Rally,anies-baswedan,permit Free

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has once again said he has not given permission for the 212 reunion rally, which will be held on Saturday this week, despite an official claiming that he had received a letter from the governor notifying him that the event could go ahead.

The 212 Rally, staged on Dec. 2 last year, was held by conservative Muslim groups to demand the prosecution of then Jakarta governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama. It is believed to have contributed to Anies' victory in the gubernatorial election in April.

A number of Muslim groups have expressed their desire to hold a rally to celebrate the anniversary.

"That [permit for the 212 reunion rally] is up to the police, not me," Anies said when asked for confirmation at City Hall, as reported by kompas.com on Wednesday.

Previously the same day, Monas technical management unit head, Munjirin, said Anies had given his permission for the rally.

The organizer [of the rally] sent a letter [seeking a permit] to us last week, he said.

He added that the management unit then forwarded the letter to the Jakarta Tourism Agency.

"From the agency, the letter was sent to the governor and the governor gave his approval today [Wednesday], he added.

Anies also remains undecided as to whether he will attend the event.

The anniversary rally committee has invited Anies to attend the gathering. (dis)
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Linkedin Kharishar Kahfi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 16:13 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b8529e 1 Politics setya-novanto,Golkar,KPK,e-ID,corruption-case,pretrial-motion,pretrial Free

The South Jakarta District Court judge has adjourned a hearing for a pretrial motion filed by embattled House of Representatives Speaker and Golkar Party chairman Setya Novanto to challenge his suspect status in the e-ID graft case.

Sole judge Kusno postponed the hearing on Thursday on account of the absence of representatives from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

"I conclude that the hearing must be adjourned until Dec. 7. The KPK must be summonsed immediately," Kusno said.

The KPK had sent a letter to the court requesting a three-week hearing postponement, citing that its side would need more time to prepare all necessary documents, Kusno added.

The request, however, was met by resistance from Setya's lawyers.

"Latest media reports indicate that the KPK is preparing to hand over our client's case to the corruption court. We see the postponement as their strategy," lawyer Ketut Mulya Arsana said.

Pressure has been mounting for the KPK to complete its investigation into Setya and hand over the case to the Jakarta Corruption Court before the pretrial judge reaches a decision -- a move that would declare the pretrial motion null and void.

The KPK renamed Setya a suspect in the case, which has reportedly caused Rp 2.3 trillion (US$170 million) in state losses.

He was granted his first pretrial motion against the agencys decision to name him a suspect in late September. (rin)
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Linkedin (The Nation/ANN) Bangkok  Thu, November 30, 2017 19:37 1812 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b8e7d8 2 SE Asia Surin-pitsuwan,Thailand,foreign-minister,obituary Free

Surin Pitsuwan served as deputy foreign minister from 1992-1995 and as foreign minister from 1997 to 2001. He was named Secretary General of ASEAN Secretariat on January 1, 2008.

Thailand's former foreign minister and ex- ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan died from heart failure on Thursday in hospital. He was 68 and is survived by his wife and three children.

Surin, a native of Nakhon Si Thammarat province, was a fellow of The Rockefeller Fellowship Programme, The Rockefeller Foundation, Harvard University and American University, Cairo.He earned his Master of Arts degree at Harvard University and did research at the American University in Cairo as a scholar of the Institute of Higher Council for Islamic Affairs of Egypt from 1975 until 1977 before returning to Harvard, where he received his doctorate in 1982.

In Thailand, he was known as a veteran politician and won the vote in his hometown on several occasions. He served as deputy foreign minister from 1992-1995 and as foreign minister from 1997 to 2001. He was named Secretary General of Asean Secretariat on January 1, 2008.
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 16:34 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b877ed 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,civil-servants Free

Indonesian Civil Servants Corp (Korpri) celebrated its 46th birthday in the National Monument (Monas), Central Jakarta, on Nov. 29.

The celebration was themed "Work Together, Faithful Forever."

We want to change the current paradigm; we have three principles: Professional, stay away from politik praktis [practical politics] and prosperity. So the philosophy of Faithful Forever is directed towards the country, Pancasila, Constitution and Unity in Diversity, said National Kopri chairman of the board Zudan Arif Fakrullloh.

Zudan also added that the society demands the best service from the State Civil Apparatus (ASN).

This demand is what motivates ASN to improve their work day by day; the goal is to create professional civil servants that serve the best service for the people, Zidan said.

One of the ways to do that is by maintaining the prosperity of the civil servants.

We are trying hard to maintain the prosperity; some of the things that weve done are establishing an online Korpri store, 10 Korprimart outlets throughout Indonesia and other programs, told Zidan.

Moreover, the 4.5 million members of Korpri have been asked to promote tourism in Indonesia through social media. (kes)
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 09:31 1813 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b6bdbc 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Jokowi,#Jokowi,Bali-tourism,Mount-Agung,#MtAgungVolcano Free

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo delivered a message asking for tourists who were affected by the Mount Agung eruption to be treated well.

Tourists who are affected by the airport closure should be served as good as possible. They should be able to go home or leave Bali, said Jokowi.

He also asked the Transportation Minister, Tourism Minister, Bali governor and regents in Bali to work together in handling the situation.

I'll keep on monitoring the development in Bali, he added.

Moreover, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), National Armed Forces, National Police, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) and related ministries should team up in supporting the Bali provincial administration when it comes to taking care of the evacuees.

I dont want any casualties from the eruption. The Transportation Ministry needs to pay attention to the aviation safety; its important since the volcanic ash from Mount Agung is very dangerous for airplanes and passenger safety, said Jokowi.

Forty percent of the total foreign tourists in Indonesia travel to Bali, while around 30 percent go to Jakarta and 20 percent go to Riau Islands.

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya has already formed a Crisis Centre Team called Bali Tourism Hospitality (BTH). He has also made a plan for pre-, during and post-eruption that is based on the recommendation from UNWTO. (kes)
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 17:36 1812 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b8a75e 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Kraton,sultanate,heritage,Jokowi,#Jokowi Free

At the opening of the 11th Festival Keraton Nusantara (Archipelago Palaces) at Maimun Castle in Medan, North Sumatra, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo asked for the royal kings, sultans and kraton high-ranking officials to develop heritage tourism.

Plenty of countries develop their tourism based on historical sites such as castles in Japan, Europe and United Kingdom. As long as its supported by background stories, tourists will be interested, said Jokowi.

The meeting with royalties will be held in December at the Presidential Palace, Ive told Sultan Kasepuhan Cirebon [that the meeting] will probably be held in early or mid December. I want to invite several people to talk about kraton palaces in the archipelago; maybe 20-30 people will participate, he added.

Im sure all the kings and sultans have been trusted by their predecessors to protect the people and preserve the unity, Jokowi told.

Jokowi also asked for the festival to be developed furthermore, So its not merely an educational and cultural platform but also serves to improve the regional economy, he added. (kes)
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Thu, November 30, 2017 20:34 1812 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a2b9017e 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,blogger,Tourism-Ministry,South-Korea,Central-Java Free

Korean bloggers and media companies have been invited by the Tourism Ministry to join a familiarization trip (famtrip) to Yogyakarta, Magelang and Solo from Nov. 29 to Dec. 4

Up to nine people are joining the trip -- eight of them are bloggers and media people and another one is a representative of Indonesian Embassy in Korea.

Participants will be taken to popular sites such as Prambanan Temple, Borobudur Temple, Kraton Surakarta royal palace and others, told the ministry's deputy assistant for Asia-Pacific tourism promotion Vinsensius Jemadu.

We are taking them to places that have been visited by world figures, added Vinsensius.

Its worth mentioning that Borobudur Temple was once visited by former United States President Barack Obama and actor Richard Gere.

The group will also take on the Lava Tour Merapi, watch Ramayana Dance performance in Prambanan Temple, go to Ulen Sentalu Museum, Malioboro, Kraton Yogakarta, Kraton Mangkunegara, Tamansari and Batik Laweyan Village.

Sixty percent of foreign tourists come to Indonesia to explore the nations diverse cultures, 35 percent come to enjoy the nature and five percent come for MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conference and Exhibition) tourism.

According to Tourism Minster Arief Yahya, famtrip activity is categorized as selling in the ministrys BAS framework that stands for Branding, Advertising and Selling.

Famtrip, inviting tourism endorsers, tourism industry players and media are important and effective in influencing the publics opinion, said Arief. (kes)
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As many as 2.25 lakh shell companies have been struck off by the government in the past three months and action will be taken against more such companies over next few months, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs PP Chaudhary told The Statesman in an exclusive interview on Thursday. In a separate crackdown against erring directors, about 3.10 lakh directors have been disqualified for non-filing of the annual returns by the companies.

The accounts of the disqualified companies have been frozen and the companies have been barred from transferring any property or carry out any financial transactions. The action was taken on basis of the data received from the banks. Shell companies are the ones that are created for the purpose of diverting money and do not carry out actual business. Most of these companies were created after demonetisation on 8 November, 2016, that saw the government invalidating all the high value currency notes from the economy.

These companies have been used by unscrupulous people who misuse the corporate structure. These may have been used for money laundering, drugs and terror funding, the minister said.

On the basis of preliminary investigations launched against 2.91 lakh companies, close to 2.25 lakh companies have been struck off until now. Investigations found about 63,000 companies deposited and withdrew over Rs 21,000 crore after demonetisation. In a particular incident, an account deposited Rs 3,700 crore and withdrew post note ban. Another company deposited Rs 2,384 crore and withdrew it subsequently. Many such cases have been sent to the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) for further investigations.

More investigations are likely to be ordered over next few months against the companies where deposits would be found to be suspicious. A few banks including State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank are yet to submit information, sources said. Rural and cooperative banks will soon be asked to share information of the money deposited after the note ban.

As far as directors are concerned, around 3.10 lakh have been disqualified for non-filing of annual returns by the company for continuous three financial years. Directors, found to have violated section 164 of the Companies Act, have also been disqualified from working in any other company for five years. Interestingly, only 100 directors have approached High Court against their disqualification. The ministry may take action against more such directors. Some cases have been sent to the SFIO for further investigations.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday cautioned some co-operative societies against the use of word Bank in their names.

It has come to the notice of RBI that some Co-operative Societies are using the word  Bank  in their names. This is a violation of Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (As Applicable to Co-operative Societies), the central bank said in a statement.

It also said that it has come to the notice some co-operative societies are accepting deposits from non-members or nominal members or associate members which tantamount to conducting banking business in violation of the provisions of the 1949 law, stressing such societies have neither been issued any licence under the act nor are they authorised by the RBI to undertake banking business.

The RBI also advised the public to exercise caution and carry out due diligence of such co-operative societies before dealing with them.
A day after Chandigarhs BJP MP Kirron Kher stirred a controversy by giving unsolicited advice to a gangrape survivor, that she should have not boarded the auto-rickshaw when two men were already sitting in it, sought to clarify her statement on Thursday saying that it was only in the context of certain precautions

The Bollywood actress and Lok Sabha member said that, it was only in the context of certain precautions that women should take and that it was not intended to blame the victim or shaming her.

Ker further clarified saying, I just said that the world is a bad place. We all, especially ladies, have to take precautions. As a mother, I am saying this that we need to take care.

She said that if the victim had called up the police control room, the police would have taken her and dropped her safely to her home.

If the Congress wants to make an issue out of it, I cannot help, she said.

Kher stirs-up a controversy

On Wednesday, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kher said that the victim should have been more cautious and not boarded the auto-rickshaw in which three men were already sitting.

I want to tell this girl and all other girls that if you see three men sitting in the auto, they should not board it. I am saying this to protect the girls.

We all have to be alert about such things. I am saddened by what has happened with the woman, Kher told media on Wednesday.

Crime timeline

The 21-year-old girl, from Dehradun, had boarded the shared auto-rickshaw after attending her stenography class in Sector 37.

The girl was allegedly gang raped by three men on 17 November, after she hired the shared auto-rickshaw to go back to her paying guest accommodation in Mohali town, adjoining Chandigarh.

The auto-rickshaw allegedly drove her to an isolated place in Sector 53. The three men pulled her into nearby bushes and took turns to rape her.

The police got the CCTV footage of the auto-rickshaw and its driver from a gas station in Sector 42, where the vehicle had stopped to get a CNG refuel, and were later arrested by the Chandigarh police.

The arrested accuseds were identified as auto-rickshaw driver Mohammed Irfan, Garib and Poppu.

On Monday, Irfan the driverthe prime accusedallegedly by stabbing himself with a piece of broken glass, police said.

(With agency inputs)
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday accused Congress government of stooping to the lowest level of politics and making mockery of state Assembly by using it to settle personal scores with their political opponents.

In a joint statement, AAP co-president and Sunam legislator, Aman Arora and four other legislators said the silence of Shiromani Akali Dal on the issue of the Assembly passing a resolution against its own members that too for personal reasons and protecting corrupt Congress leaders shows that the pre-poll alliance between Captain and Badals is still going on.

The leaders said that the government had run away from discussing issues of the public importance in the Assembly and in a bid to divert the focus of people they stooped to the dirty politics.

They said that Amarinder Singh government is not taking action against Akali leaders who were involved in corrupt activities during Akali regime and in return Akalis are helping them in their misdeeds.

AAP leaders said that targeting political opponents is the lowest level of politics but AAP will not bow down with the mischievous and dirty tricks of the government and Akali Dal. They said that people of Punjab have full faith in the policies of AAP and the party will continue to fight for the rights of people.

The Punjab Assembly had Wednesday passed a resolution to condemn the release of an audio clip related to a drugs case against AAP leader Sukhpal Khaira.

The House asked the Chief Justice to take a suo motu notice in the case against AAP ally Lok Insaf Partys legislators and brothers, Simarjit Singh Bains and Balwinder Singh Bains. The House condemned the incident.

Parliamentary affairs minister Brahm Mohindra moved the resolution against the Bains brothers and requested the Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice to take cognizance of it.
Mumbai followed at a distant second with 12.3 per cent (5,128 cases).

The national capital has a population of nearly 19 million.

Nearly 40 per cent (1,996) of the total number of rape cases in the 19 cities occurred in Delhi in 2016. Mumbai was number two with 712 cases and Pune was third with 354 rapes.

Besides, Delhi accounted for nearly 29 per cent of cases of cruelty by husband and his relatives (3,645) and dowry deaths (162), the NCRB data revealed.

Delhi reported 38.8 per cent of the total number of crimes under the Indian Penal Code, followed by Bengaluru (8.9 per cent) and Mumbai 7.7 per cent.

The national capital recorded the highest crime rate at 182.1 compared to the national average of 77.2.

Delhi reported the highest number of kidnapping and abduction cases with 5,453 cases (48.3 per cent) followed by Mumbai with 1,876 cases (16.6 per cent) and Bengaluru 879 cases (7.8 per cent) during 2016.

The city reported the highest number of murders with 479 out of the total 2,194 cases (21.8 per cent) followed by Bengaluru with 229 cases (10.4 per cent) and Patna with 195 cases (8.9 per cent).

Delhi had the highest number of cases of juveniles in conflict with law at 35.6 per cent (2,368 cases out of 6,645).

The city reported the maximum number of cases under economic offences 5,942 cases (19.3 per cent) followed by Jaipur (4,742 cases, 15.4 per cent) and Mumbai (4,191 cases, 13.6 per cent).

Chennai reported the highest number of cases of Special and Local Laws (SLL) crimes, accounting for 32.9 per cent of total reported cases among the 19 cities, followed by Kochi (12.

9 per cent) and Surat (12.6 per cent) during 2016.

In cyber crimes, Mumbai reported the highest number of cases  980 (23.5 per cent) out of 4,172 cases  in the 19 major cities in 2016.

The total number of crimes against women across the country in 2016 was 3,38,954 against 3,29,243 in 2015, an increase of 2.9 per cent.

The total number of rapes reported across India in 2016 was 38,947; cruelty by husband or his relatives was at 1,10,378; assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty was 84,746; kidnapping and abduction of women was 64,519.
Over half-a-dozen temporary shops were fully gutted in a fire that broke out here in a market around midnight on Thursday, police and fire officials said.

The kiosks, comprising of pan shops and small eateries, were situated in the middle of Malviya Nagar market in south Delhi. There was, however, no casualty as most of the kiosks were shut for the night.

Police were informed about the fire by the local residents and 4-5 fire tenders reached the spot and doused the blaze after a half-an-hour battle.

A fire brigade official said the blaze was contained before it could spread beyond the row of kiosks.

The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained.
Haryana government has announced to appoint Miss World Manushi Chhillar as Brand Ambassador for its special campaign to be launched to prevent anaemia among women in the state.

This was disclosed by the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar while addressing a press conference along with Manushi Chhillar during the International Gita Mahotsav in Kurukshetra on Thursday.

He said that nearly 61 per cent women in the state were suffering from the said disease.

Extending support to the Shakti Project campaign being carried out by Manushi Chhillar to spread awareness about menstrual hygiene among girls, the Chief Minister also announced that the state government would make free supply of sanitary napkins in all schools of the state to further promote such projects.

A sum of Rs 18 Crore would be spent on this scheme, he added.

Congratulating Chhillar for her achievement which brought laurels to the state and the nation at the global level, Khattar said it was a matter of pride and happiness that our daughter, after becoming Miss World, had selected International Gita Mahotsav programme for her first visit to Haryana.

Manushis answer to the last question which profession deserves the highest salary and why paved the way for her to secure the Miss World title, he added.

Speaking on this occasion, Manushi Chhillar said Haryana had given her a lot. Being a medical student of Khanpur Medial College, famous for girls education, she had a dream to do something for girls in Haryana.

She also thanked Chairperson of Miss World Organisation, Julia Morley, for giving an opportunity to young girls like her and said this year the award for beauty with purpose had been given to India.

Asked whether she will make her career in medical profession or in Bollywood, Manushi Chhillar said five Indian women had won the Miss World Crown. Out of them, only two had opted to become actresses. It is not necessary to move towards glamour world, she added.

Notably, a political controversy was erupted in Haryana few days ago when former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda advocated cash reward and government job for Chhillar which was sarcastically responded by Khattar.

Subsequently, the duo got engaged in a verbal spat when Hooda took a jibe at Khattars unmarried status saying that those who dont have daughters cant understand how to honour them.

However, it was strongly condemned by Khattar saying that Hooda during his tenure to curb the social evil of female foeticide which was mainly responsible for the imbalanced sex ratio in the state.
While a good education abroad works wonders for an individuals career prospects, it also ends up burning a large hole in your pocket. It is not always easy to ask for money back home from your parents, yet the experience of living with a low supply of funds can be excruciating.

In such a scenario, looking for part time jobs can emerge as the ideal choice, as it reduces the excess burden on parents while inculcating a sense of responsibility and discipline in students and providing them a chance to gather some unique experiences. Here are a few part-time jobs that are suitable for Indian students looking to substantiate their financial resources while simultaneously pursuing their studies:

Canada: According to the Citizenship and Immigration Canada departments latest ruling, an international student is now allowed to work off-campus without a work permit if they are full-time students with a valid study permit and pursuing a course that will continue for at least six months, earning them a degree, diploma or a certificate. Students can work as interns or research scholars in their area of academics or as servers in restaurants, consumer representatives, garage workers etc, up to 20 hours per week.

New Zealand: One of the most beautiful places in the world, New Zealand has consistently ranked in the top 20 in terms of the quality of education provided in the island country. New Zealand was among the first few countries to implement a Code of Practice for institutions admitting foreign students. International students on a hired visa are allowed to work part-time for up to 20 hours a week during classes and full-time on scheduled holidays. Data-entry work, translation assignments, interlocutors, attendants in super-markets, lab helps are some of the popular part-time job options for students in New Zealand.

The United States of America: 20 hours per week is the cap on any on-campus part-time job undertaken by an international student. The visa guidelines specify that international students cannot work off-campus, but that should not be considered a hindrance as the campus offers plenty of options. From library monitors, research assistants, creche handlers for children of the staff to peer tutors or book store assistants, campuses offer a variety of jobs that pay a decent wage while keeping the student near his/her place of residence.

Australia: International students are allowed to work 40 hours per fortnight on their student visa in Australia, while during semester breaks a person is allowed to work unlimited hours. While work is available in a variety of areas such as retail, hospitality, services, industry, it is important for students to open an Australian bank account and apply for a Tax File Number to ensure that they are taxed at the correct rate. This helps and develops a propensity to save.

The United Kingdom: Indian students studying in the UK are allowed to work for up to 20 hours per week during a study term. During vacation period, they are allowed to work full-time. However, students who are pursuing any course less than six months in duration are not allowed to work in most cases. Online portals are a very popular option for securing part-time work and most Indian and international students enlist on a variety of portals to allow them to find a job that matches their field of study.

Being a restaurant staff is also a popular option as London is filled with restaurants serving Indian and a host of cuisine from multiple countries. Working in these establishments guarantees a free meal in the evenings apart from substantial savings.

(The writer is chairman and managing director, ESS Global)
Research degree

UK-based University of Southamptons Centre for Environmental Studies has opened applications for one year MSc degree in environmental pollution control. It bestows training opportunities for careers in research and management relating to air, water and waste pollution control. Students will work closely with the industry and government to address some of the key problems facing the world today including mitigating the effects of, and adapting to climate change, sustainable development, conservation of biodiversity and environmental protection, resource management, and pollution control.

Candidates must have a first class or a second class upper honours degree approved by the university. These entries will be subject to admission only after excelling a university-conducted interview. The course fee is 20,550 and will commence from September 2018. Students applying are eligible for Southampton Merit Scholarships worth 3,000, Chevening Scholarship and Commonwealth Scholarships as tuition fee reduction. Application deadline is by 31 January 2018. For details visit: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/engineering/postgraduate/taught_courses/emp/msc_environmental_pollution_control.page

Digitally updated

University of Michigan India Alumni Association organised its annual event in Mumbai. It was attended by more than 250 alumni from across India. Eminent industry speakers including Chanda Kochhar, managing director and CEO, ICICI Bank; ScottDeRue, dean, University of Michigan; Stephen M. Ross, School of Business Affairs and BVR; Mohan Reddy, founder and executive chairman, Cyient. The panel discussed the importance of creation of new jobs and investing time in learning skill acquisition throughout employees careers in the digital era.

Healthcare conference

IIHMR University, Jaipur held a conference named Imagining sustainable futures from 16 to 17 November. It was part of the universitys annual intellectual offering to the healthcare community called Pradanya. This was Pradanyas 22nd edition which brought together some notable figures from the healthcare sector to ideate, debate, and deliberate on the various challenges like public health and hospital management, development sector and pharmaceutical segments in both public and private sector. It focused on SMART-S for sustainable design and healthcare, M for managing change in disruptive times, A for analytics mobility and the cloud, R For rurban (rural +urban) challenges and opportunities and T for technological innovation and well being.

Going online

FIITJEE has gone online with its All India Test Series for JEE 2018. As a part of its preparatory support to the students, this offers tests for JEE advanced and main in simulated environment from November onwards. The tests were conducted simultaneously across 75+ cities at 140 test centres in India. FIITJEEs academic team will release report card along with predictive All India Rank for the students to analyse and compare their performance, and further fine tune it in their next test under AITS in the online format.
Talent acquisition has seen a surmounting change, in tune with mounting demands of the well educated, trained and knowledgeable employees all over the world. A well- rounded cesspool of talent is now viewed from a perspective of competitive advantage. Of all sectors involved, healthcare employment is on a steady rise, with hospitals and healthcare providers coming up with new jobs in the last tenure and unemployment dipping down to 2.6 per cent, considered to be the lowest in recent years.

A slew of new positions such as data analyst, genetic counsellor and surgical technologist have risen to take up the employment scale by a notch. People are said to be a key asset that any organisation possesses, instrumental to rise in growth and visibility. Proficiency in providing quality care that goes beyond just diagnosis and treatment as it include developing a clear sense of caring, while catering to consumers attitude and needs.

There is a veritable amount of good news as 2017 Healthcare Recruiting Trends Report, a survey of 352 healthcare recruiters and hiring managers released by Health eCareers, reported a dynamic 23 per cent boost in job on recruitment sites. This fares positive when one takes workplace sustainability and security into context, with layoffs becoming unlikely within organisations. Here are a few other key findings that are taking up the recruitment in healthcare sector.

Demand for experienced employees: As hiring in healthcare gains a fervent pace, employers focus on experienced, long-term professionals to augment their operations. The reluctance in use of temporary or contract employees stems from the high acquisition costs tied and difficulties in sourcing qualified candidates. Experience certainly plays an essential role, as 80 per cent of employers want ask for two to five years experience, while recruiting.

Hike in pay package: Its joy for the job seekers as market perspective turns in their favour and employers are willing to dance to their tune. Employers and hiring are warming up to the idea of a hike in pay scale and inclusion of more perks to lure in new hires. In fact, 72 per cent of employers are offering signing bonuses and 60 per cent say theyll pay for relocation. Benefits such as free lunch or snacks and mobile phone or vehicle plans are also thrown in, to sweeten the deal.

Yet if one thinks that these are only to attract new talent, then he/she is mistaken. Around 59 per cent of employers are paying existing staff significantly more than last year to encourage retention. Designing compensation benefits hence needs to continuously evolve with innovative thinking and a deep understanding on the factors that impact performance and productivity. While compensation is one aspect, benefits in terms of flexibility and work life balance also play a key role. Work from home, flexible work hours, conveyance benefits like green earth policy and health and well being are packaged to make the offer attractive.

Importance of branding: Marketing has become an aggregator in the healthcare sector as brand building strategies are brewing up a storm. Employers are realising the importance of veritable brand recognition in order to attract fresh talent, as well as growth in business. For many healthcare employers its their values, mission or groundbreaking care that set towards creating a credible brand.

With fresh talent coming on board, clarity in goals and vision goes a long way in picking up a conscientious approach towards serving mankind. Employee Engagement initiatives, CSR activities, innovation and continuous learning are enablers towards positive branding. With the NextGen hooked on to social media, this platform can be a great leveller and has the ability to positively or adversely impact the brand of the organisation.

A plum demand for nurses: CNBC and Glassdoor rated nurse practitioner the fifth fastest-growing job as the category ripens with offers of high compensation for employees. Sign-on bonuses are also rising for nurses of all levels of experience as organisations are adjusting their budgets accordingly. A spike in demand for advanced practice nurses, licensed practical nurses, and licensed vocational nurses, with additional duties that were previously the domain of physicians, are marking the job market with abundance in scope.

A drive in administration and specialised jobs: Alongside the growth of healthcare staff, a rise in demand for managers, recruiters, human resource personnel, and generalists has been noted. As population health reaches its apogee in providing greater access to care, newer positions need to be filled with highly skilled professionals. This will require more workers who specialise in data analysis and genomics, to navigate the increasingly complex healthcare systems.

As goal of recruitment evolve with the troughs and crests of innovation, organisations need to keep a few viable things in mind. Prioritisation and planning must be proactively addressed for adapting to the dynamic industry landscape. A vigorously staffed healthcare organisation is better positioned to perform more efficiently, while keeping a cost effective approach in mind. As leaders increasingly realise this, a more inclusive attention to human capital strategy needs to be imparted, putting greater emphasis in time and resources into employee mentoring/engagement across the range. With time we would see greater participation in improving employee conditions to push healthcare to newer levels, while keeping the love for mankind in mind.

(The writer is HR and facility manager, Cellworks Research India Private Limited)
The special Task Force of Kolkata police have arrested another member of Bangladesh-based Islamist group Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a front of terror outfit Al Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent, from the India-Nepal border, police said on Wednesday.

We have arrested Omar Farooq alias Mohammed Aftab Khan from a hideout in India-Nepal border. It is found that he was planning to to sneak into Nepal to escape our jurisdiction, said a senior officer of STF.

The officer said that the accused had close association with ABT and stayed in a Kolkata hotel for a few days.

The Kolkata police have so far arrested five people with links to the Bangladeshi terror outfit including Aftab this month and seized a quantity of arms and ammunition from them.

The STF arrested the two members of ABT and a local arms dealer on November 21 from a city railway station followed by a Bangladeshi tout last week.
In a major victory for the security forces, four militants were on Thursday gunned down in an encounter in Badgam while a teenager was injured after locals attacked an army convoy.

The encounter began early Thursday morning as the army received a tip-off that around four militants, believed to be of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) were present in Futlipora village, Badgam.

As the forces launched a cordon-and-search operation, the hiding militants opened fire triggering the encounter, which lasted for over six hours, police said.

While the encounter was on, an army convoy carrying reinforcements to the village was attacked with stones by a mob in Pakherpora Chowk.

As the army resorted to aerial firing to disperse the mob, 15-year-old Sinar Ahmad was injured and shifted to a hospital in Srinagar, police said.

Meanwhile, mobile internet services have been snapped in Budgam as a precautionary measure.

(With inputs from agencies)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday submitted status report in HP High Court regarding custodial death of one of the accused in Gudiagangrape and murder case.

In the status report, the CBI informed the court that they had filed chargesheet against eight cops for the custodial death of one of the accused, who had died in police custody on the intervening night of 18-19 July due to police torture.

While a supplementary chargesheet against the then Superintendent of Police, D W Negi would be filed within four weeks time in the CBI court.

Two police officials, ASP BhajanDevNegi and DSP Traffic, Rattan Singh Negi have recorded their statements in the case and the CBI officials are now ascertaining whether their testimony could lead to unraveling the mystery behind Gudia case.

The CBI counsel AnshulBansal said the investigations in Gudia case has reached at an advanced stage and three teams are camping at Kotkhai to gather evidence.

The CBI would submit status report in Gudia case in the court on 20 December and the officials are confident of cracking the case by that time.

Gudia, a tenth standard girl from Kotkhai, had gone missing while returning home from school on 4 July. Her body was found in the woods on 6 July with multiple injuries on her body. Her autopsy had confirmed that she was gangraped and later, strangulated to death.

Following public outrage over ghastly crime, the government had constituted a SIT which had arrested six persons, AshishChauhan, Rajender Singh alias Raju, Deepak, Subhash Singh Bisht, Suraj (who later killed in police custody) and Lokjan for the ghastly crime on 12 and 13 July.

On 19 July, the HP High Court had directed the CBI to probe into the Gudia case, along with custodial death case and on 29 August, eight members of Special Investigation Team (SIT) were arrested for custodial death.

The CBI had taken five accused in Gudia gangrape and murder case to Ahmedabad lab to conduct narco test to unravel the mystery behind the ghastly crime but no incriminating evidence was found against four accused (Rajender Singh, Deepak, Subhash Singh Bisht, and Lokjan).

The CBI had reportedly got hold of some voice recordings on the basis of which former Shimla SP, D W Negi was arrested.

The CBI is now working on the theory that the HP Police had tried to hush-up the Gudia case and had framed innocents to shield the real culprits. The investigating agency is now trying to track money trail as huge payout (around Rs 3-10 crore) is suspected to have been made to shield accused who, reportedly, belonged to influential families.
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of violating protocol, the Congress on Wednesday raised objections over his hosting a dinner for US President Donald Trumps daughter Ivanka Trump in Hyderabad.

The Prime Minister broke all traditions and violated protocol and hosted a dinner for Ivanka Trump in Hyderabad.

When she is being taken care of more than a head of state, then praise is bound to come, said Congress spokesperson Deepender Singh Hooda.

If the Prime Minister wanted to host her, he could have done it privately in Delhi. She could have flown in. Eager for praise and impatient for a photo opportunity, Modi reached Hyderabad to host a dinner for her, he said, adding that India had dignity and self-respect and Trump should have met the Prime Minister here instead of him going to Hyderbad.

Though India welcomed her, Trump was not a head of state. Therefore, the entire process raises questions, he added.
Hadiya Shafin, a Kerala woman whose marriage and subsequent conversion to Islam has been a controversial subject, spoke to her husband Shafin Jahan after several months on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old Hadiya, who was ordered by the Supreme Court to resume her studies and return to her Salem-based homeopathic college in Tamil Nadu, was offered a phone by her college principal, to talk to her husband.

Hadiya talked to her husband for a while from my mobile phone, after I, as local guardian, asked her whether she was interested in talking or meeting anybody, said G Kannan, dean of the Sivaraj Homeopathy Medical College, told reporters according to media reports

She was brought to Salem under tight security arrangements on Tuesday.

Earlier on 27 November, while hearing the alleged forced conversion case, the SC bench appointed dean of Salem-based homoeopathic college as Hadiyas guardian. Next date of hearing fixed for the third week of January.

ALSO READ: I want to meet my husband, says Hadiya

On SC order, Hadiya had said I had said in the court that I want to meet the people I love. I want freedom. I want the freedom to meet and talk to the people I love.

I dont know whether Im going to a prison again, she said about her stay in the college where she has been allowed to complete her course in 11 months. She was talking to the media a day after reaching the college on Supreme Court orders on Monday.

For six months I only saw and talked to people I didnt like. They harassed me and forced me. They are the ones who tried to convert my religion. Even my parents had at on one point said that I was a lunatic, she said about her stay with her parents.

Hadiyas marriage to her husband was annulled by the Kerala High Court, after her parents approached the court suspecting that their daughter is a victim of love jihad, the court conceded.

Wife not a chattel: SC

On 27 November, A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud interacted with the 25-year old Hadiya for nearly half-an-hour and posed questions on her life, ambition, studies and hobbies.

When the bench asked Hadiya to name any relative or any near acquaintance to be named as her local guardian in college at Salem in Tamil Nadu, she said her husband could be her guardian and she does not want anyone else in that role.

A husband cannot be a guardian of his wife. Wife is not a chattel. She has her own identity in life and society. Even I am not guardian of my wife. Please make her understand, Justice Chandrachud said.

Hadiya Shafin, a 25-year-old homoeopathic trainee, who married a Muslim man after converting to Islam, was produced before the apex court in a case of alleged forced conversion.

ALSO READ: Conversion case: Hadiya Shafin to depose before SC

The SC is hearing a plea by, Hadiyas husband, Shafin Jahan challenging the Kerala High Court order of May nullifying his marriage and seeking recall of its order asking the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate the conversion of Hadiya to Islam and her marriage.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Hadiyas father KM Ashokan have contended that Hadiya had been indoctrinated by radical groups and her consent was not free.

Her father has reportedly told media that Hadiya does not have an independent mind as she has been mentally kidnapped.

(With agency inputs)
Four people were killed in Tamil Nadu due to heavy rains, which lashed on southern parts of India after deep depressions were sighted along the Bay of Bengal turned into cyclone Ockhi.

Tamil Nadu and Kerala are on high alert after incessant rains and strong winds lashed several areas of the states, according to media reports.

Authorities have closed schools and requested people to stay indoors to prevent any further casualties, with Tamil Nadu district declaring holidays for school and colleges.

Authorities have also cautioned fishermen not to venture out in the sea.

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) posted image of cyclone warning for south Kerala, adjoining districts of south Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep Islands.

Cyclonic Storm OCKHI over Comorin area & Cyclone Warning for South Kerala, adjoining districts of south Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep Islands. https://t.co/wRl94BzRXr pic.twitter.com/wxcTWoYyue  India Met. Dept. (@Indiametdept) November 30, 2017

Ockhi is likely to gather strength in the next 24 hours to become a severe cyclonic storm as it moves towards the Lakshadweep Islands, according to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

The cyclone Ockhi is fast moving towards Lakshadweep and its intensity is not weakened yet. Due to this heavy rains are expected in southern districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the IMD said in a statement.
In a major operation, five terrorists were on Thursday killed in two separate encounters in the central and north Kashmir. Among the slain terrorists, one was a Pakistani national. Bodies of other terrorists were being identified.

An Army soldier was injured in the encounter. A 15-year-old boy was also injured when the village youth pelted stones at the security forces to provide opportunity to the terrorists to escape.

According to Army spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia, four terrorists were killed in an encounter in the Futlipura (Budgam) village and a Pakistani terrorist was eliminated in the Sagipura village near Sopore in Baramulla district. The operation in Sagipura was still continuing.

Following intelligence reports, security forces cordoned the Fatlipura village and launched search operation for the terrorists. As the security forces consisting of the Army, CRPF and J&K Police closed in on the hiding terrorists, the security forces were fired upon triggering the encounter.

A civilian, Sinar Ahmad (15) was injured in a clash when a mob indulged in stone pelting at a convoy of the Army. He has been shifted to the hospital. Internet services have been suspended in the district to prevent spread of rumours.

Killing of these terrorists has come a day after Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said that terrorism cannot be controlled by only killing the terrorists. Upbeat on the successful operation, the J&K Police DGP SP Vaid said on Thursday: The collective efforts of JKP, Army, CRPF and people of Kashmir have led to neutralisation of more than 200 terrorists in 2017 alone. This marks a huge landmark for establishing peace and stability in J&K and our country.
Defending demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST) yet again, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said corrupt people were living in fear post noteban while GST has brought in transparency.

Delivering the inaugural address at the 15th edition of HT Leadership Summit on the theme of The Irreversible Rise of India, Modi said both noteban and GST have transformed how business is done in the country.

Post demonetisation, theres a behavioural change in the people. The corrupt are living in fear now. Along with money, demonetisation has also brought large parts of the underground economy into the formal system, Modi said.

Black money which was the basis of parallel economy has become part of formal economy after demonetization, he added.

Highlighting that the government is cracking down on shell companies and corrupt individuals tracked by data mining, Modi said over two lakh companies have been de-registered post noteban.

There were 400-500 companies registered on one single address and they had thousands of bank accounts. Noteban has not only brought black money bank into banks but has also given us proof of the corrupt, he said.

Praising GST, Modi said the financial reform has brought in transparency and more and more people are accepting it.

GST has begun a new chapter of transparency and more and more traders and businessmen are accepting it now. Both GST and noteban have transformed how we do business in the country, he said.

However, Modi further said that he might have to pay a political price for the stringent steps that he had taken but he was ready for it.

Taking on his detractors, Modi said those who believe that the country will wave a magic wand to bring transformation were filled with pessimism.

People who believe that the country will wave a magic wand to bring transformation are filled with pessimism. This approach prevents us from taking risks. Thats why this governments approach is different, he said.

In 2014, people voted for a permanent and irreversible change in the system and this is what we are doing, he added.

The summit is being hosted against the backdrop of a host of reforms such as the Goods and Services Tax, the potential benefits of which have been acknowledged in a sovereign ratings upgrade by Moodys.

In the two-day event, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath too will speak about The Irreversible Rise of India.

Luminaries such as former US President Barack Obama and Afghanistan chief executive Abdullah Abdullah will also give their perspectives on Indias rise on the global stage.
Hyderabad police on Wednesday said it arrested a mentally unstable man who made a hoax call about bomb being planted in Falaknuma Palace when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and US President Donald Trumps daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump were attending a dinner on Tuesday.

The call was made to 108-EMRI, an emergency helpline number and they alerted police.

A police officer said they did not panic and did basic verification.

As the Prime Minister, Ivanka, the Telangana Governor and Chief Minister, several other important personalities and delegates of Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) were attending the dinner at the palace hotel, the city police acted cautiously.

Deputy Commissioner of Police V. Satyanarayana said the man who was speaking in an incoherent manner was traced. He was identified as 60-year-old Bontha Yellaiah, a stone cutter, described as insane by police.

The police officer said Yellaiah, the resident of Moula Ali of Racha Konda Commissionerate on the city outskirts, was suffering from acute mental disorder. He was later sent to mental hospital.

The DCP since entire Falaknuma Palace was meticulously checked for last 3 days and was being watched by police through 150 CC cameras, they did not react in panic.

While police was taking care of the security in and around the palace, the inner layers of security were manned by US security agencies and Special Protection Group (SPG).
The NIA on Wednesday said it had arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Abdul Naeem Sheikh from Uttar Pradesh, who was sent in 10-day NIA custody by a Delhi court later in the day.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) claimed it had arrested Sheikh alias Nomi, 37, on Tuesday morning from Charbagh bus stand in Lucknow in a joint operation with the state polices Anti-Terrorist Squad.

Top government sources, however, confirmed that Sheikh was arrested two weeks ago in a joint operation by various security agencies in tandem with the Uttar Pradesh police from Varanasi after he was tailed by Intelligence Bureau officials for a few months.

Officials said that Sheikh  whom the NIA presented in a Patiala House court on Wednesday  was wanted by security agencies in various cases, including the serial blasts in Mumbai trains in 2006.

Seven blasts had ripped through Mumbais suburban railway network at peak hours on July 11, 2006, leaving 180 dead and scores of others injured.

Sheikh is also an accused in the Aurangabad arms haul case and was arrested by the West Bengal police in 2007 while entering India from Bangladesh along with two Pakistanis and one Kashmiri.

The anti-terror agency said it had filed an FIR in connection with the case on Tuesday before conducting raids, in which it claimed to have seized some incriminating documents, including mobile phone and bank account details.

An NIA statement said that Sheikh, a resident of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, had been brought to Delhi for further questioning.

A number of videos and photographs of vital installations of Army camps and power projects in Jammu and Kashmir have allegedly been seized from Sheikhs possession, which proved that he did reconnaissance of these places, the official said.

Other officials, in the know of the case, claimed that Sheikh had also recced Kasol in Himachal Pradesh as well as some nearby areas which are frequently visited by Israeli nationals and other foreign tourists.

The security agencies have dubbed Sheikh as David Coleman Headley as he had been following in his footprints and did reconnaissance of the same areas.

Pakistani-American Headley is serving a prison sentence of 35 years in the US for his involvement in terror activities and the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks of 2008.

Sheikh was arrested after the Mumbai train blasts and was under trial. In August 2014, he escaped while being taken from Dum Dum Central jail (Kolkata) to Mumbai to appear in court. He fled while the train was passing through forested area in Chhattisgarh, an official said.

Thereafter, Sheikh established a new sleeper cell under instructions from his LeT handler Amjad, the official said.

Sheikh then did a number of reconnaissance operations in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. He targeted high-profile tourist sites, including the Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh.
The BSF on Wednesday said it has not come across any specific case of terror links of Rohingyas whom intelligence agencies claim have a connection with terror groups like the Islamic State and the Lashkar-e-Taiba.

At the same time, it said it cannot rule out such a possibility.

We dont have any specific information about Rohingyas links with terrorists. Sister agencies like IB and RAW have shared information about Rohingyas that they have links with terrorists and Islamic State. But I am not ruling out their inputs, BSF Director General K K Sharma told the media here.

Rohingya is a very complicated issue. Our mandate is very clear that we dont allow any illegal immigration into India whether he is a Rohingya or Bangladeshi. Our policy is to push them back, not arrest. In the last few months, we caught 87 Rohingyas and pushed them back to Bangladesh till October 31, the BSF DG said.

We dont arrest them because it will become a liability and then there has to be a process of identifying them.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi will ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi a question every day in the run-up to the Gujarat assembly elections, the party said.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday said Gandhi would ask a question to the Prime Minister every day.

Rahul Gandhi is asking a question every day, why did mis-governance of 22 years create such a situation, he tweeted.

Gandhi wrote on Twitter on Wednesday 22 salon ka hisaab, Gujarat mange jawaab. (Gujarat demands answers for 22 years of BJP).

He said he would demand answers for 22 years of Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) rule in the state and the promises made to the people.

First question to the Prime Minister on the state of affairs in Gujarat  In 2012, promises were made to provide 50 lakh new houses but built 4.72 lakh in five years. Will the Prime Minister tell, whether it will take another 45 years to fulfil the promise? Gandhi posted on Twitter.

Congress spokesperson Deepender Singh Hooda said he hoped Modi and the BJP would answer Gandhis queries on 22 years of mis-governance in Gujarat.

We expect that the Prime Minister and the BJP to find time and answer the questions asked to them by Rahul Gandhi, he said.

The BJP is working for the super rich and middlemen. The partys (BJP) economic policy was at the cost of the poor, he added.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is likely to file his nomination for the election to the Congerss presidents post on December 4, said party sources.

The last date for filing nominations has been set as December 4, and scrutiny will be done on December 5.

The last date for withdrawing nominations is December 11 and the date of poll, if necessary, would be December 16. Counting of votes will be done on December 19.

According to a party source, he is expected to file the nomination on December 4, the last date for filing nominations.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior leader A. K. Antony may propose his candidature.
Union Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister, Uma Bharti on Thursday urged the parents of girls to spend their resources on their daughters education instead of on dowry.

She said that this would further boost the ambitious Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao programme launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bharti was speaking at the Global Gita Chanting Programme organised as a part of International Gita Mahotsav in Kurukshetra.

Haryana Chief MinisterManohar Lal, who was presiding over the programme, said that the shalokas recited by 18,016 students during the Global Gita Chanting Programme would show a new path to the entire world.

He said that 18 shalokas from 18 chapters of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita were recited simultaneously in 40 countries during the programme. Apart from this, 108 Brahmins also recited the Gita Path at Jyotisar.

The Chief Minister said that 25 lakh people have so far visited the International Gita Mahotsav.
Is there any reason for the hysterical reactions that the film Padmavati has evoked in the past few weeks? The movie is said to be based on the fictionalised poem Padmavat, penned by the Sufi poet Malik Muhhamad Jayasi and is a 16th century literary creation.

Though woven around the historically corroborated siege of Chittor in 1303 CE by Alauddin Khilji, the then Sultan of Delhi, the poem that praises the legendary beauty of Rani Padmavati of Chittor, is believed to be a work of fiction by most historians. The historians, despite repeated endeavors have been unsuccessful in confirming the existence of Rani Padmavati or the widely circulated folklore that her beauty lured Khalji to attack Chittor.

But the fables involving Rani Padmavati or Padmini of Chittor are widespread and have found expression in various literary works like Gora Badal Padmini Chaupai (1589 CE) by Hemratan or Yagneshwar Bandyopadhyays Mewar (1884).

Jayasis Padmavat depicts the love story of the Rajput ruler of Chittor Raja Ratan Sen and the princess of Singhal (Sri Lanka), Padmavati. Raja Ratan Sen attacked Singhal upon hearing about the beauty of Padmavati from a talking bird but was imprisoned by Padmavatis father, Gandharv Sen, the ruler of Singhal. As Ratan Sen was about to be executed, Gandharv Sen was informed about his royal status and the latter decided to unite the king and his daughter in matrimony.

According to the poem, Ratan Sen was already married to Nagmati and upon his return to Chittor, a rivalry ensued between his wives. In the meantime, Alauddin Khilji, the ambitious ruler of Delhi Sultanate learnt about the unparalleled beauty of Rani Padmavati from the banished Chittor courtier Raghav Chetan, who prompted Khalji to attack Chittor. With the dual ambition of acquiring Padmavati for himself and creating a Muslim empire, Khalji decided to attack Chittor which proved to be a herculean task as the fort was impenetrable.

But the repeated threats of attack from Khilji compelled Ratan Sen to agree to a truce and as a term of the truce Khalji demanded a glance at the legendary Padmavati. After initial refusals, Padmavati finally agreed to let Khalji see her reflection in the mirror. As Jayasi tells it, that one glance made Khalji more determined to possess Padmavati and he cunningly imprisoned Raja Ratan Sen.

Though Ratan Sen was later rescued by his trusted aides, Gora and Badal, he died fighting Devpal, the Rajput king of neighboring Kumbhalner as the latter insulted Padmavati by offering to marry her at the time her husband was detained by Khalji. The death of Ratan Sen encouraged Khalji to attack Chittor for the second time and assuming defeat, Padmavati decided to perform Juahar or self-immolation along with all the women of Chittor. The mass suicide of the women was followed by the heroic battle between the Rajputs and the Muslims where the former were defeated. But Alauddin Khiljis dream of possessing Padmavati turned into despondency at the macabre sight that greeted him when he entered the fort.

This literary piece appears to have inspired Sanjay Leela Bhansalis movie. The controversy surrounding Padmavati commenced as soon as Bhansali declared his project and expressions of dissent could be found in Shri Rajput Karni Sena vandalizing the sets and launching protests at various shooting locations. These aggressive protests are based on rumors of an intimate dream sequence between Khalji and Padmavati and also the fact that Padmavati, played by Deepika Padukone has been filmed dancing without a veil (purdah).

The protest has been successful in vilifying the content of the film and the final nail in the coffin came when the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) refused to certify it on the ground of an incomplete application form. The governments of some states have already announced they will not allow screening of the film. The support extended by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has resulted a senior leader from Haryana calling her demonic and demanding that her nose be cut off a la the character Surpanakha in the Ramayana.

The fanaticism went to the extent of declaring bounties for beheading Bhansali and Padukone and a dead body being hung in front of the Jaipur fort instead of an effigy as a sign of protest. Such acts of violence have drawn criticism from all sections of population. The Vice President of India has condemned the act as a shame to a democratic society and urged citizens to protest in a constitutional manner.

It should be noted that period dramas based on the myth of Rani Padmavati are not new. Movies and television series like Chittoor Rani Padmini and Chittod ki Rani Padmini ka Johur, have been aired in the past without much diatribe. So why this hatred and intolerance now?

The answer may be found in the existing social structure and the transformation of Indian society. An empirical study will reveal the rise of this strange pattern of intolerance towards creative expression. Forced censorship like this has been unheard of in other parts of the world, although a fatwa against a Pakistani actress was mentioned in the autobiography of Benazir Bhutto.

From a sociological standpoint, there are varied theoretical paradigms which can be used to describe this state of affairs and one such paradigm is anomie. The transition of society from traditional to modern has created a discrepancy between various sections of the population in terms of education and belief systems. The juxtaposition of the progressive and traditional has created a rift which is getting difficult to bridge. The intolerance can also be explained as part of the cultural hegemony propagated by rulers; deviations are treated as serious acts of crime, thus requiring constant subjugation in the form of threats of violence.

Structural Functionalists will evaluate the situation in terms of manifest and latent functions where the manifest function of such protest is to protect Indian culture and myths, and the latent function assists a political agenda that masquerades as a cultural protest. Another interesting observation is that the threat is meted out only to the leading lady of the movie while discounting male actors which hints at inherent misogyny in the social fabric.

Threats of violence and murder or criminal intimidation are an offence under section 506 of IPC, but police and the government have remained inactive so far. It is also important to bring to notice the role played by the media, visual or otherwise, in sensationalising these protests. It is cause for lament that in a country where a majority of the population is maimed with problems like poverty, low income and seasonal unemployment, politicians and the media choose to weave an issue out of a non-issue.

Creative rights have been granted by the Indian Constitution but sadly some parties and groups are turning into national level Khap Panchayats, dictating their own terms and engaging in a form of disturbing surveillance to curb any form of dissent. Creation and recreation of myths and engaging in creative dialogue have always been the hallmark of a progressive country but the backward moving curve of logic presents a grave problem to the intellectuals of this country.

A closer inspection of the myth surrounding Rani Padmavati will reveal similarities with the epic Ramayana, which reinforces the hypothesis that the poem is a work of fiction. The social setting of Ramayana and Padmavat make reference to Singhal or modern-day Sri Lanka. Both have a female character with jaw-dropping good looks who becomes the main reason of confrontation between two powerful rulers. The death of the leading ladies  by suicide in the case of Sita and self-immolation in the case of Padmavati  mark the conclusion. The internecine wars referred in the two works are contrived by a villainous third person  Raghav Chetan in Padmavat and Surpanakha in Ramayana. With no reference to the existence of Rani Padmavati being made in the works of Amir Khusrau, the Sufi poet who accompanied Alauddin Khilji in his mission to capture Chittor, it is indeed suggestive that modern-day protestors are fighting a phantom.

Dynamism and tolerance that characterise the Indian population are getting replaced with bigotry, intolerance and unbridled fanaticism, manifesting themselves in the form of censorship and stifling of creative expression. It can only be hoped that leaders and intellectuals will come forward to negate this trend and protests of this intensity will be reserved for the major problems our country is facing.

(The writers are, respectively, a Senior Research Fellow of the Indian Statistical Institute and an Associate Professor of the Maulana Azad College, Kolkata.)
The Bolshevik revolution is based more on ideology than actual events. Therefore, at the end of the day, we really dont need to know any more than we know already. Its a revolution against Karl Marxs Das Capital. In Russia, Capital was the book of the bourgeoisie, more than of the proletariat. It was the crucial proof needed to show that, in Russia, there had to be a bourgeoisie, there had to be a capitalist era, and there had to be a Western-style of progress before the proletariat could even think about making a comeback, about their class demands, about revolution. Events overcame ideology. And events have blown out of the water all critical notions which stated that Russia would have to develop according to the laws of historical materialism. The Bolsheviks renounce Karl Marx and they assert, through their clear statement of action, through what they have achieved, that the laws of historical materialism are not as set in stone, as one may think, or one may have thought previously.

This has not been penned by an anti-Communist ideologue but none other than Antonio Gramsci who wrote the same in Avanti ( Forward), newspaper of the Italian Socialist Party on 24 December 1917, when Lenin, Trotsky, Bukharin and other leaders were all active.

Followers of Gramsci ~ not meaning those who admire the great Italian thinker critically and dispassionately ~ seem to lack the courage to state that Gramsci went against Marx, that too his magnum opus, Das Kapital and Kritik der politischen Okonomie and had even trivialised Marx. Subaltern historians, notably Gautam Bhadra, fellow-traveller of Naxalite ideology in his formative years, claim that Naxalism bears resemblance with Gramscian philosophy. Bhadra, replying to a query from this writer, once admitted that Gramsci was closer to Lenin than Marx.

It is no strange coincidence that the official Marxist (OM) parties (read Leninist) like CPI-M, CPI and variants of CPI(ML) or Naxalites are over-enthusiastic in celebrating the centenary of the Great October Socialist Revolution (GOSR), but have inexplicably skipped the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the publication of Das Kapital and Kritik der politischen Okonomie (Capital A Critique of Political Economy; Vol I), first published on 14 September 1867. The official organs of the official Marxist parties did not even publish any article, commemorating Marxs magnum opus which, unlike Lenins works such as Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capital, What is To Be Done and Development of Capitalism, became one of the best-sellers in the West after the sub-prime crisis of 2008 that made even hundreds of apologists of the Chicago school of monetary economists to turn to Das Capital in their quest for the causes of the traumatic crisis.

It is time to consider why one should consider the Great October Socialist Revolution as really a socialist revolution when we have no evidence of the proletariat as a sequel to what Marx had coveted as an autonomous movement of the immense majority in the interest of the immense majority (Manifesto of Communist Party). In fact, the GOSR was neither initiated nor led by the proletariat. Marc Jansen in a well-researched treatise titled A Show Trial Under Lenin ~ The Trial of the Socialist Revolutionaries (Moscow 1922 ; translated from Dutch by Jean Sanders) wrote in the Preface ~ The Bolsheviks seized power in Russia in October 1917 by staging a coup detat, and then established a dictatorship. The new rulers suppressed all armed resistance in a bloody civil war, after which they made every effort to uproot and exterminate even peaceful political opposition of all kinds. Even now it is impossible in the Soviet Union to subject these developments to critical historical study. The political opponents of the Soviet regime of the time are still regarded by official Soviet historiography as counter-revolutionaries and the measures taken against them are seen as completely justified.

As regards the pre-determined trial, Charles Rappoport observed, For my part, I considered this trial to be unnecessary: the socialist revolutionaries had been beaten and represented no visible danger at all. A Jewish intellectual, he was a Russian-born French militant Communist politician, journalist and writer . He was a multilingual scholar who was referred to as a grand man of French radicalism.

GOSR made 170 million people captive of a mere handful of non-proletarian radicalised intelligentsia sans any popular mandate. They were distanced from the locus of the real process of production and exploitation. The Bolsheviks were not elected and were not accountable to the working people. Alexander Rabinowitch, a distinguished historian and author of two authentic narratives, The Bolsheviks Come to Power and The Bolsheviks in Power: The First Year of Soviet Rule in Petrograd revealed that on the eve of the meeting of the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets (October 1917) in Petrograd, an estimated 300 of the 670 delegates ~ in reply to Questionnaire 505 ~ recommended the transfer of all powers to the Soviets. According to Rabinowitch, they supported the Bolsheviks in the overthrow of the Provisional Government, did so not out of any sympathy for strictly Bolshevik rule, but because they believed that the revolution and the congress to be in imminent danger.

Only the creation of a broadly representative, exclusively socialist government by the Congress of Soviets, which they thought the Bolsheviks stood for, appeared to offer the hope of ensuring that there would not be a return to the hated ways of the old regime. (A. Rabinowitch, The Bolsheviks Come to Power, 2004, page 314).

Rabinowitchs extensive research, based on Russian archival and other hitherto unknown records pale into insignificance in comparison to two very popular chronicles of the November Revolution ~ John Reeds Ten Days That Shook The World (1919) and Albert Rhys Williams Through The Russian Revolution (1921). But Leninists like the CPI-M Sitaram Yechury still stick to Reed and the like. They resemble the Orwellian parrot. Stalin banned Reeds book, as it ignored his role in the Bolshevik insurrection. Reed just mentioned that the controversial dictator was chosen a Commissar whose portfolio included nationalities.

(The writer is a veteran journalist and commentator.)
The Australian government has made a pitch to Britains Prince Harry to host his stag party and honeymoon.

Australian Tourism Minister Steven Ciobo confirmed he had written to Clarence House following the princes engagement to American actress Meghan Markle.

The couple, who have been dating since July 2016, will marry next spring. They will live at Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace in London.

Australia would be honoured to welcome Prince Harry and Markle to celebrate some small part of their wedding with us, Ciobo said in a statement on Thursday.

He said tourism officials were prepared to design the ultimate Australian experience for the pair. Ciobos pitch drew a mixed response on social media, the BBC reported.

Recommended activities for Prince Harrys pre-wedding celebrations included a James Bond-style jetpack adventure, dune-buggying and barramundi fishing, according to an itinerary drawn up by Tourism Australia.

They could even do a helicopter crawl where they visit various iconic Australian pubs in the Top End (Northern Territory), Ciobo told the Nine Network.

He also envisaged a perfect honeymoon for the couple in a luxury lodge near landmarks such as Uluru or the Great Barrier Reef.

Some Australians expressed concern over who would pay for such a trip, but others liked the idea. I dont believe we as taxpayers should be forking the bill for it, one person said on social media.

Another wrote: He can come to my place. Ill supply the Crownies (beer), he can roast the chook (chicken).

Prince Harry last travelled to Australia in June to promote the Invictus Games. He and Markle made their first public appearance as a couple in September.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will seek another term in next years election, Vice President Tareck El Aissami has said.

We already hold 18 (state) governorships. We already have, and will keep, most of the municipalities. We already control the National Constituent Assembly and, through God, through the people, we will have the re-election of our brother Nicolas Maduro as president, El Aissami told supporters of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) on Wednesday, Efe news reported.

Amid chants of Maduro, Maduro from the crowd at a rally in the central state of Aragua ahead of the December 10 municipal elections, the Vice President lashed out at the opposition.

They embody individualism, hatred, intolerance, sectarianism, treason, corruption, looting, and black-marketeering, he said, describing all opposition leaders as being cut from the same cloth and as puppets of (US President) Trump who take orders from the US Embassy.

Our duty as a people, our moral obligation as a historical force is to defeat them once, twice, three times and all the times necessary so that they never again govern this country, El Aissami said.

El Aissami, a former governor of Aragua, called on PSUV members to support the Bolivarian Revolution in the upcoming municipal elections and in the 2018 presidential ballot.

Bolivarian Revolution is the name given by late President Hugo Chavez  the PSUVs founder  to his programme for the oil-rich Andean nation.
Town manager William Keegan, Sen. Paul Feeney, NRG director of external affairs Dan Hendrick, Selectman Ginny Coppola and Selectman Jim DeVellis flip the ceremonial switch during the ribbon cutting of NRG Energy Companys newly-completed solar farm on Elm Street Monday.


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An estimated Rs 50,000 crore is suspected to have siphoned off by brokers involved in the co-location scandal of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), preliminary investigations estimate.

Fifteen top brokers associated with the NSE will be probed by investigation agencies, the first round of raids already yielding Rs 11 crore stashed away in furniture cushions and covers.

These brokers are in addition to 14 NSE officials show-caused by the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The names of these brokers are in a document submitted by the NSE to SEBI. A copy of the documentthe SEBI-Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Reportlists over 60 brokers who operated the co-location system and has been accessed by this correspondent.

Income tax officials have described the raid as a mere tip of the iceberg, the brokers and NSE officials were raided because they had given algo and software on profit-sharing basis.

The brokers and NSE officials colluded to siphon off cash to the tune of Rs 50-75 crores on a daily basis for a couple of years (2010-2015), the I-T officials further said.

The SEBI-TAC report is still not in the public domain despite being finalised last year. A copy of the report, which has been placed by the SEBI to the Standing Committee of Parliament, details meticulously how the entire modus operandi was conducted by the brokers in collusion with top officials of NSE.

NSE's reports on the matter and their answers to SEBI's queries are inconsistent and contain contradictory information, said the report. The report further said trading volumes of some brokerage firms recorded a major boost from January 2014 to mid-2015, showing huge trading in algorithm trading volumes at the brokerage firms from 12 to over 27 per cent. In the report, the NSE listed as many as 47 brokerage firms who used the system that was allegedly manipulated by some of the brokerage firms.

As many as 27 premises of people connected with the scandal was raided by I-T officials across India to assess ill-gotten assets and wealth arising out of preferential access on NSEs co-location platform.

The I-T department, it is reliably learnt, has come across banking transaction records involving some of the brokerage firms where cash was sent to accounts based outside India. All the 15 (brokers) are mentioned in the I-T investigation report. We suspect a large chunk of the crime money has already travelled out of India. The raids will continue, the officials said on conditions of anonymity.

The I-T department has now decided to include the Enforcement Directorate in the case so that some of the brokers can be tried under the countrys Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The Central Bureau of Investigation, claimed I-T officials, could also be roped in.

The can of worms at the NSE, projected for years as Indias blue chip exchange, opened after a whistle-blowers letter found its mention in the pages of a Mumbai-based news magazine.

The SEBI-TAC report says: There were certain software vendors who had developed software to provide their clients first-to-connect access. The set up enabled first-to-connect stock brokers to receive data ahead of others and thus, they were able to react to the information earlier than the rest of the stock brokers,

The taxmen also suspect some strong political backing in the entire co-location issue, having gathered several e-mails indicating "indirect" links supporting the claim.

The scam unfolded around the time when Ravi Narain was the MD of NSE and was supported by close friends like Ajay Shah, Susan Thomas and NSEs Suprabhat Lala. Strangely, both Lala and Ravi Varanasi continue to hold important important positions in the exchange despite being show-caused by SEBI.

In Delhi, I-T officials said their investigations showed how the order book was manipulated to the hilt by the brokers. The order book, for any stock exchange, is an electronic list of buying sell orders for a particular security or a financial instrument defined by its price. If offered special access, one can fine tune ones algorithms to maximize returns in the stock market.

Susan Thomas, wife of Ajay Shahrumoured to be a confidant of former finance minister P. Chidambaram and his son Kartiand her sister Sunitha, married to NSEs then trading head Lala, formed HFT firms like Infotech and Chanakya to exploit some inherent flaws in the NSE architecture. And eventually, they offered the technology to brokers like OPG Securities, whose owner Sanjay Gupta, was among those raided by the I-T officials last week.

A spokesperson from OPG Securities said: "We have cooperated with the agencies, have no comments to offer." When contacted, a person who spoke on behalf of Susan Thomas said she has no comments to offer on the current raids. Ajay Shah remain incommunicado despite several calls. A spokesperson for the NSE said the exchange has no comments to offer in the case. Calls, mails and text messages to Lala, Varanasi and Narain remained unanswered.

This is a serious regulatory issue. It all happened in the garb of research. Some people were privy to information ahead of the rest, (that) they were located at the NSE gave them a tremendous speed advantage, remarked Gopal Aggarwal, head of the BJP Economic Cell.

Brokers like OPG and Alpha Grep, I-T officials said, even managed data (the order book) three hours ahead of the market opening which gave them time to find the best algorithm for maximising profits. And eventually, these reconstructed order book landed up in tax havens like Cyprus, British Virgin Islands, Mauritius and a host of other countries where shell companies owned by rich and influential Indians had access. Among them was Advantage Strategic Consulting, a company owned by Karti Chidambaram.

Initial investigation showed the duo of Susan and Ajay seized very detailed, precious data from the NSE under the garb of research and used the same to test a program to allegedly hear investors en mass, through brokers like OPG.

During interrogations, NSE officials have confessed how the exchange allowed the algo programs be conceptualised and anchored by them to be used by a band select brokers.

Seasoned stock market analyst Ramdeo Aggarwal said the incident has definitely dented NSEs blue chip image and some corrective measures are in the order. It is becoming routine in exchanges in India that some policy decisions are taken, new instruments are introduced and some unscrupulous people take advantage of it. The NSE must set its house in order if it has to maintain its image in India, and the world.

I-T officials claim that it was abundantly clear that the NSE actually paid to these people to carry out research ( which eventually turned into a scandal). Since Susan and Shah were associated with Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR), NSE entered into an agreement with IGIDR. What is surprising is that even after the scandal broke out almost a crore was given to the IGIDR in the name of research aid. This deal was closed as recently as this year, said the official.

If someone gets special access to information beforehand, it is likely to be exploited. The onus lies on the market regulator to clean up the system. If some selected brokers are exploiting the system to make extra cash, that will send a wrong signal," says seasoned stock market analyst Dhirendra Kumar.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that Lala was allegedly the main link between NSE and the Shah-Susan duo. During the planning stage Lala was not only heading trading but also was in-charge of algo-related set up of NSE. Lalas wife Sunitha formed a company to advice brokers and roped in her sister Susan. With this loop it became quite foolproof. The company, namely Infotech Financials Private Limited, advised brokers, including OPG Securities. Shah-Susan wrote the algo which, claimed the whistle-blower, was given to OPG and Lala and his team in NSE approved and allowed to access the electronic trading system.

While the raids are on, both SEBI and I-T officials are closely analysing the forensic audits by EY India on NSEs cash and currency segments and another report by the Hyderabad-based International School of Business (ISB). ISB conducted a study to determine whether any abnormal profits were made as a result of the first log-in to NSE servers by members named in a report by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India Llp.

However, the ISBs study on whether brokers had made abnormal gains or whether some NSE officials were in collusion with the brokers was totally inconclusive, claimed a SEBI official. Worse, it was also brought to the notice of the investigators that NSE paid a huge amount to ISB to set up a trading innovation lab. We will do our own forensic audit, said the SEBI official.

The raids, meanwhile, continue across India.
A vehement supporter of paid parental leave and extended child tax credit, White House adviser Ivanka Trump expressed confidence that these two proposals will achieve high-quality childcare in the United States, which will in turn benefit entrepreneurial parents. The Trump administration has recently proposed to create a programme mandating a few weeks of paid leaves for new parents. Ivanka was widely credited for pushing her signature plans to help the working and middle class families after her father and US President, Donald Trump appointed her as the adviser.

Speaking as a panellist at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Hyderabad, she highlighted the importance of policies which can improve the condition of new mothers and fathers. I think it is incredibly important to have policies that support the modern working families, she said before proceeding to talk about the need for tax reforms. ...In tax reforms, the vast expansion of child tax credit recognising the massive investment the parents make into their families when wages have stagnated for so long. Working parents really need relief, she said.

She said that enormous medical costs were making it difficult for American parents, mainly those who reside in rural parts of the country, to provide quality child care. She said the government was working towards addressing these issues.

You will see some of the agenda coming to life through components of tax reforms and coming in to the new year, you will hopefully see it in the national paid family leave programme, that we are working hard to build coalitions of support for. The president included it for the first time ever in his budget this yearpaid family leave, paternity, maternity and adoption. I am very encouraged by that step and will be working with Congress to try and pass what is a long overdue policy.

Ivanka ended her two-day tour of India and left for the US on Wednesday night.
Chandigarh's BJP MP Kirron Kher has stirred a controversy by giving unsolicited advice to a young woman who was gang raped earlier this month here by an auto-rickshaw driver and his two accomplices.

Kher said on Wednesday that the victim should have been more cautious and not boarded the auto-rickshaw in which three men were already sitting.

#WATCH BJP MP Kirron Kher says 'she (Chandigarh rape victim) should not have boarded the auto rickshaw when she saw three men sitting in it' (29.11.17) pic.twitter.com/Daqe95rTIO  ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

The Bollywood actress and Lok Sabha member on Thursday sought to clarify her statement, saying it was "only in the context of certain precautions" that women should take and that it was "not intended to blame the victim or shaming her".

The Bharatiya Janata Party MP had earlier said that the 21-year-old gang rape victim should have avoided boarding the auto-rickshaw when she saw that three men were already sitting in it.

"I want to tell this girl and all other girls that if you see three men sitting in the auto, they should not board it. I am saying this to protect the girls," she had said.

"We all have to be alert about such things. I am saddened by what has happened with the woman," Kher told media on Wednesday.

Twitter, understandably, went into outrage mode.

Kirron Kher is right.

The victim should have bought a BMW and hired 5 armed guards.

Can't understand why more people don't do that.

Victims are such gareeb idiots.

They deserve 0 empathy. https://t.co/XdCodB7jU5  Sorabh Pant (@hankypanty) November 30, 2017 Victim shaming & blaming by woman MP @kirronkherBJP. Pathetic! Sorry but unlike some, survivor may not be able 2 afford luxury of a car! So many times, most of us hv been stuck without transport & end up sharing vehicles. How does it make one responsible 4 wrong act by others? https://t.co/HYJjxhg4vu  Swati Jai Hind (@SwatiJaiHind) November 30, 2017 Hey @KirronKherBJP you should not have taken birth in this world when there were billions of men already in it.



See how stupid that sounds? you sound exactly like that. https://t.co/rIfgxjH6Qb  Raj (@roflbaba) November 30, 2017

Others sided with Kher.

Though victim-shaming is pretty normal in India, Kirron Kher has been clearly misquoted. She only asked girls to remain cautious. Our mums tell us the same. My husband also advises me not to avail a shared cab in late hrs. It's this ultra-feminism that's diluting the real issues.  Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) November 30, 2017 Being a girl myself, I believe the statement by #KirronKher was right. I know people will bombard this tweet with slangs & statements like why didnt you board the rickshaw. I will tell you why I wouldnt - there were 3 men in that rick, i am NOT stupid.  Chaotic Human (@nlkothari) November 30, 2017

She later clarified her stand.

"I just said that the world is a bad place. We all, especially ladies, have to take precautions. As a mother, I am saying this that we need to take care," Kher said.

She said that if the victim had called up the police control room, the police would have taken her and dropped her safely to her home.

"If the Congress wants to make an issue out of it, I cannot help," she said.

The victim was allegedly gang raped by three men on November 17 evening after she hired the shared auto-rickshaw to go back to her paying guest accommodation in Mohali town, adjoining Chandigarh.

The police got the CCTV footage of the auto-rickshaw and its driver from a gas station in Sector 42 where the vehicle had stopped to get a CNG refuel.

The Union Territory police arrested the three men after over a week after the incident.

The victim, who hails from Dehradun in Uttarakhand, had boarded the shared auto-rickshaw after attending her stenography class in Sector 37 here.

The victim told the police that the driver took the vehicle to the gas station for refuelling and then turned towards Sector 52.

He stopped the auto near a wild growth along the road and said that it had broken down. When the woman got out of the vehicle to take another one, the three men pulled her into nearby bushes and took turns to rape her.

The accused arrested included auto-rickshaw driver Mohammed Irfan, Garib and Poppu.

Irfan had tried to commit suicide in police custody this week by stabbing himself with a glass that he broke in the prison cell.
The special CBI court in Mumbai which is conducting the trial in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Tulsiram Prajapati alleged fake encounter cases on Wednesday barred the media from reporting the court proceedings till further order, following a plea from the defence counsel.

Raising security issues, the defence lawyers referred to a media report on the death of a judge who had dealt with the case and said "misreporting has already caused prejudice to both sides". They said it was a "sensational" case and some untoward incident could happen if publication of reports was allowed.

Special judge Sunilkumar J. Sharma, who also allowed the journalists who were present in the court to put forth their stand, said, "It may happen that publication (of reports) may create security problem for the accused persons, prosecution witnesses, defence team and the prosecution as well. I, therefore, find justification in the request of the defence team of lawyers."

Considering the sensitivity of the matter, there was a likelihood of some untoward incident happening which may affect the trial, the judge said.

The trial was to start on Wednesday. However, one of the defence lawyers moved an application in the morning seeking a ban on the publication of reports of the court proceedings till the judgement is delivered.

Publication of (reports of) proceedings will prejudice the case of the prosecution or the defence and may create security problems for the accused, prosecution, witnesses and defence lawyers, the defence lawyers contended.

The case has a chequered history and "misreporting has already caused prejudice to both sides", they said.

The journalists vehemently objected to the defence lawyers' demand, saying they were reporting on proceedings in good faith so that the public at large knows about the progress of the case.

Media persons too have faced attacks in discharge of duty, they pointed out.

The defence lawyers maintained that the matter was "sensational" and some untoward incident could happen if publication of reports was allowed.

Referring to a report in an English magazine, defence lawyers said that "natural death" of an earlier judge who had dealt with the case was portrayed as a murder.

The judge said he appreciates mediapersons' hard work and their role in educating the public. However, the (prime) accused in this case are police officials, the judge noted.

In the past four years, ministers from Gujarat and Rajasthan and high-ranking police officials have been discharged, and the matter appears "sensational", he said, upholding the defence lawyers' request.

Charges have been framed against 22 accused, including police officials, and on Wednesday the trial was to commence but the prosecution could not produce witnesses, the judge noted.

The court, last month, framed charges against 22 accused for murder, abduction and destruction of evidence under the Indian Penal Code and for offences under the Arms Act.

BJP president Amit Shah, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria, former Gujarat police chief P C Pande, Additional Director General of Police Geeta Johri are among those who have been discharged in the case.

Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kausar Bi were allegedly abducted by the Gujarat police's Anti-Terrorism Squad on their way from Hyderabad to Sangli in Maharashtra in November 2005. Sheikh was allegedly killed in a fake encounter near Gandhinagar.

His wife disappeared. She too was believed to have been done to death.

Prajapati, an aide of Sheikh's and eyewitness to the encounter, was allegedly killed by police at Chapri village in Gujarat's Banaskantha district in December 2006.

The fake encounter case was transferred to Mumbai in September 2012 on the request of the CBI which said it was necessary to ensure a fair trial.
At a time when Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) patron and 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed and his terror machinery are getting a free run in Pakistan after his recent release from house arrest, Indian intelligence agencies are burning the midnight oil to get the international community to impose financial sanctions on Pakistan once again.

The security brass wants Pakistan to be blacklisted once again by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)the global watchdog for combating terror financing. ''The inability of Pakistan to curtail the activities of the proscribed outfits operating from its soil which are continuing to use banking channels and other facilities for terror financing raises huge concern about the financial assets linked to Pakistan, a senior Intelligence official said.

New Delhi feels Pakistan must be put under the blacklist again or at least the grey list. FATF has different grading for countries which come under its scanner and once they fall into any category, automatically the financial institutions world over take a step back as far as financial dealings with the marked country is concerned.

Pakistan has already been under scanner of FATF. It is a matter of time and if Pakistan continues to allow its terror financing networks to continue under the patronage of Hafiz Saeed and his terror outfits, we will demand action against them, the officials said .

The evidence brought to the notice of the FATF by law enforcement agencies includes several specific instances when banking institutions of Pakistan operating on foreign soil have failed to clamp down on suspicious transactions. The US agencies, for instance, had taken strict note of the fact that certain Pakistani banks like Habib Bank operating on its soil had allowed certain suspicious transactions to go through, prompting the FBI to include them in its cyber crime most wanted list. It was also for the first time a banking institution was being named at the FATF plenary in Argentina last month, said an observer.

The naming of State Bank of Pakistan for not regulating the flow of funds by alleged terror financing groups was a big setback for Pakistan, which now has to report to the international body by February next year. Islamabad will have to list out what steps it has taken towards each of the concerns raised by member countries, especially India and the US.

Given the fact that, LeT and JuD backed Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF)banned by UNhad bank accounts in Pakistani banks, much more demonstrative action will also need to be shown by Pakistan which has let Saeed walk free.

It was in 2008, after it was recognised by the international community that the 26/11 terror attacks were masterminded and funded by LeT under Saeeds patronage, that the FATF blacklisted Pakistan, and these sanctions continued till 2015. However, Islamabad has once again shown that it has no control over persons like Saeed and the terror machinery being run from its soil. Both the US and India are once again demanding that Pakistan must reign in Saeed.
Emphasising the importance of the Mizo Accord of 1986, President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday said in Aizawl that the signing, implementation and adherence to the agreement were still held up as a 'shining' example all over the world.

He said credit for the atmosphere of peace and development in Mizoram went to political stakeholders, civil society groups and the Church and bodies affiliated to it.

"The accord was truly a miracle in the way in which it ended an insurgency situation and a conflict that had divided our country and Mizo society itself," the President said while addressing a special session of the Mizoram Assembly.

Kovind said, "The accord and its legacy represent one of the greatest successes in India's long history.

One must recall the enlightened and far-sighted leadership of Laldenga, as well as the efforts and generosity of spirit of Lal Thanhawla, who is now the incumbent chief minister."

After the 1959 famine, which resulted in the death of at least 100 people, besides heavy loss to human property and crops, the Mizo National Front (MNF), led by Laldenga waged a 20-year-long guerilla war (from 1966 to 1986), against the Indian government for independence before signing the peace accord with the Centre in 1986.

The MNF is now a regional political party that headed the state government in the Christian majority state, led by former guerrilla leaders Laldenga (1986-1988) and Zoramthanga (1998-2008).

Mizoram became the 23rd state of the Union of India on February 20, 1987.

The President said that Mizoram was in focus for the Centre's 'Act East Policy.' "This policy aims at enhancing connectivity and trade linkages between Mizoram and the other Northeastern states and the rest of the countryas well as neighbouring countries of Southeast Asia."

Kovind said, "For a short time in our history, there was a misconception about Northeast India being a 'frontier.' Far from that, it is at the heart of an ancient trade corridor.

"For centuries, South Asia and Southeast Asia have been perceived as a composite trading region, with cultural similarities as well."

Congratulating the Mizoram Assembly, the President said, "In its decades-old history, it has established a reputation for smooth conduct of business. This assembly is a role model for our democracy and for how a legislative house should function."

The President, after a two-day visit to Mizoram, left for Nagaland, where he will inaugurate the famous traditional Hornbill Festival and State Formation Day celebrations on Friday.
After a three-day delay, the ruling AIADMK announced its presidium chairman E. Madhusudhanan as the candidate for RK Nagar byelection. However, victory prospects of the senior leader are slim as it will be a three-corner contest.

Madhusudhanan's candidature was announced three days after filing of nominations began. All the three candidatesfrom AIADMK, DMK and T.T.V. Dhinakaranwho contested the byelection in April will be in fray. Besides, there will also be a BJP candidate. The constituency has just over two lakh voters.

Interestingly, the constituency in the north of Chennai, which was a VVIP constituency till December last year, has seen three elections since 2016. In 2016, former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa won from here with a margin of 39,500 votes. After her demise, a byelection was held in April, but the Election Commission countermanded it after allegations of cash distribution to voters.

Then came the high profile I-T raids at Health Minister C. Vijayabaskars house. Vijayabaskar, along with Chief Minsiter Edappadi K. Palaniswami and other ministers had reportedly managed the election for their then candidate Dhinakaran. O. Panneerselvam, who was then leading a breakaway faction of the AIADMK, had fielded Madhusudhanan, a party veteran hailing from the same constituency.

Now, with the Election Commission announcing byelection to the RK Nagar constituency, Madhusudhanan and four others, including former MP N. Balaganga and former minister Gokula Indira sought tickets. According to sources, Madhusudhanan was chosen despite much politics and rumblings within the party. Yes, he belongs to the Panneerselvam camp. But equations will change over the days. The infighting within the party will come to light even during the campaign, said a party insider.

More than the fight between AIADMK-DMK and Dhinakaran, this byelection will be testing waters for many leaders in the making in Tamil Nadu. For the chief minister and his cabinet colleague Panneerselvam, it will be a fight to finish to retain the reigns of the party, for Dhinakaran it will be fight to assert his political career and for DMKs M.K. Stalin this will be first election without his father in the lead.

More than an election that which can bring out the peoples outlook against the government, the victory will determine the organisational capacity of the parties in the fray. According to Raveendran Thuraisamy, political analyst, the organising capacity in AIADMK has gone beyond a point, even beyond a point wherein Alagiri could get the DMK win Thirumangalam bypolls win. In fact, DMK too is not in a position to challenge these poll malpractices.

For instance, the 40,000 votes that DMK got removed from the voters' list for duplication is not likely to bring victory to DMK. Sources say, a few thousands of these names have come in to the voters list again. And again the AIADMK managed to win in the earlier bypolls to Thanjavur, Aravkurichi and Thiruparankunram, even when it was unclear if Jayalalitha would come back to life from hospital. AIADMK won 55 per cent votes in these three constituencies. Given the unwritten rule that the ruling party will win any byelection, the AIADMK under EPS and OPS now will not give up. But for Tamil Nadus opposition leader, its a prestigious issue as it will be testing waters for his leadership in the party, says Thuraisamy.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday described Russia as 'one of the most credible friends of India'.

Addressing the Indian diaspora in Moscow, the home minister praised their work in Russia and called them as the "Cultural Ambassadors" of India.

"Russia is one of the most credible friends of India," he said.

"While physical distance between you people and India could be large, there can never be an emotional distance," he told the Indians settled in Russia.

Expressing satisfaction Singh said his visit has led to concrete outcomes strengthening cooperation between India and Russia in various field includingsecurity, counter-terrorism, counter-radicalisation, anti-drug trafficking, counterfeit currency and information sharing.

He further informed the gathering about the initiative taken by the government to eradicate terrorism and neutralising the infiltration of terrorists.

"The Indian Armed Forces in responding well to various provocations," he said.

"Identified terrorism and radicalism as the two greatest threats faced by the world today," he added.

He also apprised the gathering about the initiatives taken by the Government of India to take the country on a fast-track of economic progress.

Rajnath said India is on its way to becoming one of the leading economic powers of the world.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees recent outburst against the Congress begs the question if the CM is willing to come close to the Centre even if not to the BJP as a political party.

The way Mamata gave a grand reception to President Ram Nath Kovind raised several eyebrows. When Kovind's candidature was announced, she had dubbed him 'unknown' to Indian politics. However, the red carpet welcome he received was something even the son of soil, former president Pranab Mukherjee, was not accorded when he landed in Kolkata after becoming president in 2012.

The civic reception to the president that she organised was attended by people from different walks of lives. They showered gifts and rained praises on President Kovind who almost looked embarrassed.

I had a mistake in understanding him. He used to work silently in Rajya Sabha. I was in Lok Sabha for around 27 years. Now I remember him, the CM said at the reception.

I am overwhelmed by the warm reception in Kolkata. I have never thought of it, said the president.

A few hours later, she dropped another bombshell in the assembly. She said the Congress should not take her for granted.

The West Bengal Congress, along with the Left parties, have been disrupting the assembly when an angry Mamata said, The Congress should remember how I am supporting them in the parliament. If they create disturbance in assembly, they cannot expect me to support them in parliament.

Abdul Mannan, leader of the opposition, said just because the chief minister is supporting the Congress in Delhi does not mean that the party would remain silent in the state. People of Bengal are in distress and we would have to fight their cause, he added.

However, the sudden change of atmosphere raises the question if Mamata is ready for some sort of an understanding with the BJP,.

With no change in the political mood in India, Mamata stands to lose if she continues to oppose the Centre and the BJP. She wants a discussion with prime minister and finance minister over the new 15th finance commission. Besides, she wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi's active participation in the upcoming global business summit in the state in order to attract investment.

The chief minister had recently traveled to Singapore, Netherlands, Italy and England and found that without the help of Central government, it is difficult to get international business groups to fund projects in the state. She also wants a slew of development projects in the sectors like ports, highways and railways, which are in shambles in the state.

Noting that the state stands to gain nothing by siding with the Congress, a TMC MP said although the party may have reservations with the BJP, opposition to the saffron party has nothing to do with state reaching out to the Centre.

The sudden change of political weather has come only a few months after Mamata took the lead to organise an anti-BJP forum in New Delhi, attended by RJD, JD(U) and the left parties. However, no such meeting was convened thereafter.

If these are any indications, the opposition front in the country may have a tough time ahead.

The BJP, however, ruled out any rapprochement.

She understands that her days are numbered as chief minister. We will not deprive Bengal because she is opposing us. But politically, the BJP will never be with Trinamool Congress again, said Biswapriya Roychowdhury, general secretary of BJP in Bengal.
North Korea carried out a test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on November 29 and crashed into the exclusive club of fivethe UN P 5, the permanent members of the UN Security Council.

This club comprises the US, Russia, China, France and UK, all of which have such a proven ICBM capabilitythe ability to launch missiles across ranges greater than 5,500km. This capability will alter the strategic profile of North Korea and the geopolitics of East Asia in a significant manner.

The North Korean missile, the Hwasong-15, was launched at night from a mobile launcher and traversed a range of 950km after attaining an altitude of 4,500m or 4.5km. When fired at optimum range (and not the current elevation), it is estimated that the missile will have a range of more than 13,000km.

North Korea had carried out a series of missile tests in the course of the year, as also a nuclear explosion to establish its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) profile and resist what it describes as US imperialism. The November 29 test points to a high degree of missile technology accomplishment, in that the missile was fired from a mobile launcher and at nightthereby escaping detection. This feature will enhance the survival index of the Hwasong-15, though it does not yet prove that North Korea is able to actually miniaturise the nuclear warhead and fit the same on the missile.

An ICBM acquires strategic salience only when it is fitted with a nuclear warhead and the missile in turn is able to exit the earths atmosphere, carry out its parabolic path in outer space and then re-enter the earths atmosphere with its warhead intact, and then be guided to the designated target. North Korea is yet to establish this degree of technical competence but the probability that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un will acquire this level of technology remains high. The question is one of whennot whether.

It is pertinent to note that North Korea has acquired a nascent missile capability that places it in an exclusive 'P 5 plus 1' category and this will have its own impact on both the regional strategic framework, as also the global grid. South Korea and Japan, which are US military allies, would feel even more vulnerable and hence increase dependency on the US WMD umbrella. The possibility of a greater investment in missile defences by the US allies, which in turn will cause discomfort in Beijing, remains high.

In essence, with the Wednesday ICBM test, Pyongyang has upped the ante, as it were, and reduced the odds of an impulsive US-led move towards regime changethe deeper anxiety of Kim Jong-un. US President Donald Trump has accused North Korea of supporting terrorism and is exhorting the UNSC members, particularly China and Russia, to support even more severe sanctions and penalties against the hermit kingdom.

Having survived decades of isolation, it is unlikely that Pyongyang will comply with the US-led demands and roll back its WMD program. Both Japan and South Korea have in the past asserted that a nuclear North Korea is unacceptable to them. How the US and the other major powers respond to the Hwasong-15 will shape the stability contours of East Asia over the next few months.

Uday C. Bhaskar

India is an interested party in this equation to the extent that the North Korean WMD program benefited from Pakistan and the A.Q. Khan network. The Chinese umbrella that sheltered both these nations has been well documented. The fact that both these proteges of Beijing are accused of supporting terror-related activities and ideologies and the inability of the global leadership to deal with them effectively points to the complex turbulence and discord that lies ahead.

A grand bargain with Pyongyang and a formal end to the Korean War may be called for.

Bhaskar is director, Society for Policy Studies, New Delhi



Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the publication
The Muslim population in some European countries could triple by 2050 while it will barely change in others, according to new projections.



The projections were in a report titled "Europe's Growing Muslim Population" released on Wednesday night by the Washington-based Pew Research Centre, reports the media.



The report shows a stark west-east divide.



The Muslim share of Germany's population could grow from 6.1 per cent in 2016 to 19.7 per cent in 2050 if high migration continues, whereas over the border Poland's share would change from 0.1 per cent to 0.2 per cent in the same scenario.



Even if all current 28 European Union (EU) members, plus Norway and Switzerland, closed their borders to migrants, the Muslim population share in the west would continue to grow owing to a younger age profile and higher fertility rates, but remain very low in the east.



According to Pew's data, Muslims made up 4.9 per cent of Europe's population in 2016, with an estimated 25.8 million people across 30 countries, up from 19.5 million people in 2010.



The number of Muslim migrants arriving in Europe surged after 2014 to almost half a million annually, largely due to people fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.



Researchers considered three scenarios for the increase: zero migration between 2016 and 2050; medium migration, in which the flow of refugees stops but people continue to migrate for other reasons; and high migration, in which the record flow of migrants between 2014 and 2016 continues indefinitely with the same religious composition.



Apart from migration, the number of Muslims in Europe is set to grow considerably through natural increases, the report said.



Europe's Muslims have more children than members of other religious groups, or people of no religion, the study showed. The European average fertility rate is 2.6 for Muslims compared to 1.6 for non-Muslims.



The Muslim population is also much younger than non-Muslims. The proportion of Muslims under the age of 15 is 27 per cent, nearly double the proportion of under-15 non-Muslims at 15 per cent.
The United States warned North Korea's leadership it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were tobreak out, after Pyongyang test fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, putting the US mainland within range.



The Trump administration has repeatedly said all options were on the table in dealing with North Korea's ballistic and nuclear weapons program, including military ones, but that it still prefers a diplomatic option. Still, speaking at an emergency UN Security Council meeting, us ambassador Nikki Haley warned: "We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday ... And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."



Haley said the United States has asked China to cut off oil supply to North Korea, a drastic step that Beijing  the North's neighbour and sole major trading partner  has so far refrained from doing. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talked on the phone earlier on November 29." Just spoke to President Xi Jinping of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea.



Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!" Trump wrote on Twitter. Previous US administrations have failed to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and a sophisticated missile program.



Trump has also struggled to contain Pyongyang since he came to office in January. Urging China to use its leverage on Pyongyang and promising more sanctions against North Korea are two strategies that have borne little fruit so far. In a speech in Missouri about taxes, Trump, who has traded insults with the North in the past, referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with a derisive nickname. "Little Rocket Man. He is a sick puppy," Trump said.



Far into Space

North Korea, which conducted its sixth and largest nuclear bomb test in September, has tested dozens of ballistic missiles under Kim's leadership in defiance of international sanctions. Pyongyang has said its weapons programmes are a necessary defence against us plans to invade.



The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, denies any such intention. Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called on North Korea on November 29 to stop its weapons tests and for the United States and South Korea not to hold military drills in December as it would "inflame an already explosive situation.



"North Korea said the new missile soared to an altitude of about 4,475 km (2,780 miles)  more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station  and flew 950 km (590 miles) during its 53-minute flight. It flew higher and longer than any North Korean missile before, landing in the sea near Japan.



Photos released by North Korean state media appeared to show a missile being positioned on the launch site by a mobile vehicle, designed to allow the missile to be fired from a wider number of areas to prevent it being intercepted before launch.Kim is shown laughing and smiling with officials both next to the missile as it is readied, and in a control booth.



The launch itself shows the missile lifting off amid smoke and fire, with Kim watching from a field in the distance. US intelligence analysts have concluded from satellite and other data that the test missile was fired from a fixed position, not a mobile launcher, three US officials said.



One official said the test appears to demonstrate a more powerful North Korean solid-fuel propulsion system, especially in its second stage rocket. The photos also revealed a larger diameter missile, which could allow it to carry a larger warhead and use a more powerful engine, said David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists, a US-based nonprofit science advocacy group.



More sanctions likely

Pyongyang claimed it had finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force". Three US intelligence analysts said they were trying to assess whether the remarks meant Kim might now be open to a longer halt in testing in order to reopen negotiations that might help prevent, or at least defer, the imposition of additional sanctions.



The officials also noted, however, that North Korea has not proved it has an accurate guidance system for an intercontinental ballistic missile or a re-entry vehicle capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and surviving a return from space through Earths atmosphere, meaning further tests would be needed.



An international meeting in Canada in January is designed to produce "better ideas" to ease tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests, Canadian officials said on November 29, although North Korea itself will not be invited.us Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on November 29 the United States has "a long list of additional potential sanctions, some of which involve potential financial institutions, and the Treasury Department will be announcing those when theyre ready to roll those out.



"The new Hwasong-15, named after the planet Mars, was a more advanced version of an ICBM tested twice in July, North Korea said. It was designed to carry a "super-large heavy warhead". In just three months, South Korea hosts the Winter Olympics at a resort just 80 km (50 miles) from the heavily fortified border with North Korea.
On November 19, the 100th birthday of prime minister Indira Gandhi, her younger grandson tweeted thus: Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you cant practise any other virtue consistently. To a lady that was a mother to this nation. Miss you Dadi... I know you always watch over us. There was an accompanying photograph of a smiling Indira with her pallu drawn over her bushy hair, and, in her arms, Varun Gandhi, looking just as he does today.

The elder grandsons tweet was to the point: I remember you Dadi with so much love and happiness. You are my mentor and guide. You give me strength. #Indira100. The accompanying photograph was also telling. Indira, Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul around a birthday cake, on an aircraft. In the background, under one of the windows, sits a telephone.

The tweets and photos revealed quite a bit about the young men. Varun wears his heart on his sleeve, and, despite all differences, holds his grandmother in an intimate embrace. Rahul states his bond in clear, simple terms. The photo reveals his intimate circle, and gives us a glimpse of the official intrusion that has run through his life.

Maybe that is who Rahul Gandhi is. And, should we fault him for not being chatty or weepy or mushy? Maybe he is all that in private. Maybe not. By his own admission, he rates Prime Minister Narendra Modi an excellent communicator who can appeal simultaneously to different groups within the same crowd. A national leader must have connect, of course. But, let us not insist that all politicians must be demagogues and wear khaddar. In fact, I wait for the day when an Indian politician can turn up as Clark Kent for a lark, a la Justin Trudeau!

Speaking of creative appeal, I must announce the addition of a Contributing Editorwriter and advertiser Anuja Chauhan. The brain behind Yeh dil mange more and Nothing official about it, Anuja gave up a zooming career in advertising to take up writing. She has written six popular books, and has been our columnist for a few years now. She speaks her mind in exquisite prose, and I want her to do more of that in our pages.

Coming back to the cover, Rahul Gandhis expected elevation as president of the Indian National Congress comes at a crucial time for the party. I have been asked if I am pro-Congress. An editor cannot make any such choice. He can vote, based on his conscience. From where I sit, I can remember the brilliance and blunders of every party. So, blind trust in a party is not possible.

But, yes, I do not believe in a Congress-mukt Bharat, just as I do not believe in a BJP-mukt Bharat. A party exists because it has space in the minds of the voters. And, the shape of that space changes over time. The Congress has space left in India. Yes, it has shrunk considerably from what it used to be.

If Rahul Gandhi wishes to reclaim that space, he must believe, and he must fight. He must fight in the panchayats, he must fight in the booths, he must fight in Parliament, and in the high command. He must fight himself, and that sweet voice that says give up.
Data chief Mark Makepeace is frontrunner for departing LSE boss Xavier Rolet's job

The entertaining row over at the London Stock Exchange, which will result in the exit of both chief executive Xavier Rolet, 58 (avec 29million stuffed inside his pantalons) and chairman Donald Brydon, 72, prompts speculation as to who will succeed them.

The LSE's auspiciously named data chief Mark Makepeace, 56, a long-serving trundler, is a frontrunner for Rolet's job.

As for Brydon's position, I'm told recently departed HSBC chairman Douglas Flint, who's desperate for another high-profile sinecure, is well worth a flutter.

Re the LSE debacle, how did Monsieur Rolet spend yesterday morning as news broke of his humiliating defenestration?

Tweeting effusively to anyone who'd listen about the lifetime achievement gong he picked up at the Risk Awards on Tuesday night.

Can the Financial Conduct Authority's chairman, John Griffith-Jones, 63, expect to be ennobled when he steps down in March?

Predecessors Lord Turner and Sir Callum McCarthy were both recognised gong-wise.

But Griffith-Jones's previous chairmanship of accountants KPMG, which failed to spot HBOS's impending collapse, represents a sticking point. 'Don't hold your breath,' is my honours expert's advice.

Morgan Stanley authoritatively states that there will be another general election next year, which it puts down to Government disharmony over Brexit.

Who feeds the banks this claptrap? Usually it is ex-ministers who have been awarded cushy directorships  Morgan Stanley has former chancellor Alistair Darling, 64, on its books  and who are long since out of the political swim.

It's just tedious crystal ball-gazing dressed up as intel, in other words.

The UK European Consumer Centre, which is part-funded by the European Commission, has released a short cartoon featuring Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, which it says is designed to make consumers think carefully before they sign up for free trial offers.

No doubt it is well-intentioned  albeit a tad patronising  but is it any wonder that so many regard the European Union as somewhat wasteful?
The London Stock Exchange's chief executive and chairman have sensationally quit following a vicious public spat that erupted after a disastrous attempt to merge with a German rival.

Following one of the most toxic rows in recent City history, chief executive Xavier Rolet has stepped down with immediate effect and chairman Donald Brydon plans to go in 2019  although last night rumours swirled he could be forced out sooner.

The pair are the latest victims of a cursed 21billion effort to sell the LSE to Frankfurt rival Deutsche Boerse, which fell apart earlier this year.

Deutsche's chief executive Carsten Kengeter has already been destroyed by the deal, quitting in disgrace after he was charged with insider trading. He denies the charges.

All change: London Stock Exchange chief exec Xavier Rolet, left, has stepped down with immediate effect and chairman Donald Brydon, right, plans to go in 2019

The debacle led to a feud with a hedge fund boss who has questioned why Rolet had decided to step down after the deal collapsed.

David Buik of stockbroker Panmure Gordon said: 'The merger has been a complete nightmare for everyone involved.

I would think it's extremely unlikely that Brydon stays until 2019 because there will be a push to wipe the slate clean.'

The LSE last month announced 58-year-old Rolet was stepping down but refused to give details.

BUT ROLET WILL WALK AWAY WITH 30M The boss of the London Stock Exchange will walk away with almost 30million in cash and shares. While Xavier Rolet has quit with immediate effect, he will be paid his 800,000 base salary for the next 12 months. He could also get an annual bonus worth 1.8million and will be handed shares worth 10.1million at current market prices over the next three years under long-term bonus schemes. The LSE will cough up 25,000 for Rolets legal fees, taking his total pay-off to a maximum of 12.7million. He owns another 16.3million of stock outright, meaning he stands to leave with around 29million. Rolet  who owns a vineyard and chateau in Provence, south eastern France  has already earned 38.4million during his nine years in charge at LSE.

He had planned to go if the Deutsche merger was successful. However, billionaire hedge fund boss Sir Chris Hohn  who owns 5 per cent of LSE  was enraged by the plan and claimed Brydon had forced Rolet out.

In a series of furious letters, he accused the board of gagging the chief executive from speaking out and that they had tried to launch a 'character assassination' of Rolet.

Hohn used his clout as a shareholder to force an investor vote on whether Rolet  who was in the post for nine years  should be reinstated and Brydon sacked instead.

But the campaign to keep the French chief executive in his job suffered a grievous blow on Tuesday when Bank of England governor Mark Carney made an astonishing intervention and said he could not imagine how the boss would be able to stay on.

Insiders said it effectively signed Rolet's 'death warrant'  and yesterday he quit.

In a statement, Rolet slammed the 'unwelcome publicity' around his departure and said he is going for good. He said: 'At the request of the board, I have agreed to step down as chief executive with immediate effect.

'I will not be returning to the office of chief executive or director under any circumstances.' Finance boss David Warren will step up as interim chief executive until a successor is found.

Brydon, meanwhile, is staying on as chairman to lead that search but will be replaced at the board's annual meeting in spring 2019. He said: 'The board is confident LSE will continue to prosper with David Warren as interim chief executive and the existing strong management team.'

Hohn must now decide whether to call off the shareholder vote, because he could still ask investors to sack Brydon.

If the hedge fund boss forges ahead, the LSE will today be forced to publish detailed reasons for Rolet's departure  giving the world a behind-the-scenes insight into the row.

The board at the LSE has written to Hohn urging him to back off, and accusing him of running a 'public, concerted and highly personalised campaign'.

It added that the move upset careful succession plans and had 'also been more broadly damaging to the company, including negatively impacting Xavier Rolet's relationships with the board'.
Shares in pub group Greene King dipped by more than 3 per cent after it blamed rising costs and pub goers tightening their belts for a slide in profits.

Rising business rates and higher staff costs have been weighing on British pub groups recently.

But while Greene King said it had a challenging first half of the year, rival Marstons shrugged off the industrys gloom with a near-quarter jump in profits and sales rising to over 1billion.

Sliding profits: Greene King said it had a challenging first half of the year

Greene King, the pub group behind Hungry Horse and Chef and Brewer brands, posted an 8 per cent fall in pre-tax profits to 127.9million for the six months to October 1.

It also announced it was planning on disposing of between 50 and 60 pubs as like-for-like sales in its managed estate fell 1.4 per cent.

Greene King chief executive Rooney Anand said managed pub trading had improved after a 10million action plan to cut prices, increase promotions and have extra staff where needed - helping drive an improvement in food and drink sales over the past six weeks.

But he warned of tough times ahead due to higher staff costs and increased competition.

While we have already initiated a number of activities to improve our competitiveness, particularly in the eating out market, we believe that market conditions are likely to toughen over the next two to three years, he added.

The update sent shares in Greene King 3.3 per cent, or 18p lower at 522p.

Conversely, Martsons, which owns Pitcher & Piano bar & restaurants and makes Mansfield and Marstons ales, saw statutory pre-tax profits grow by 24 per cent to 100.3million and sales rising 8 per cent to over 1billion in the year to the end of September.

Shares in the company rose 9.2 per cent or 9.7p to 114.5.

During the year Marston's acquired nine pubs and bars, opened 19 as well as eight lodges and snapped up Charles Wells Beer Business.

Upbeat: Martsons, which owns Pitcher & Piano, has seen sales rise to over 1bn in a year

Mike van Dulken, head of research at Accendo Markets, said that Marstons underlying growth  with revenues up 10 per cent and profits 3 per cent higher - suggested margins got squeezed in the year and yet still growing.

The same cant be said for Greene King, he added. Decent growth in Brewing and Brands was no match for cost pressures on the key Pub division and investors clearly see risk in challenging first half trading conditions continuing, the consumer still cautious and cost pressures hanging round. And management confidence is clearly lacking with no increase in the first half dividend something it hasnt failed to offer since 2010/11.

Helal Miah, investment research analyst at The Share Centre, said Marstons good sales performance came about despite the subdued trading environment experienced across the sector since the summer months.

Investors should note that for the 2018 financial year, management have not changed their guidance and suggest that in the first few weeks, both beer volumes and sales have seen like for like sales growth,' he said.

'While the share price has been disappointing in recent years, primarily due to the macro-economic environment and profit warnings from peers and rivals, these results show us that Marstons own performance remains sound.
Aviva said it will return some of its 3billion excess cash to investors and use it to make acquisitions as it upgraded its growth forecasts for next year.

The insurance giant said it was targeting earnings growth of more than 5 per cent annually from 2019 onwards as it was in a new financial and strategic position thanks to years of restructuring, which has seen it offload franchises in countries like Italy and Taiwan.

It said it had significant surplus capital and cash, meaning it will have 3billion of excess cash to deploy in the next couple of year, of which 2billion in the next year.

The insurance giant said it was targeting earnings growth of more than 5% from 2019 onwards

It expects to use this excess cash to return money to investors, pay down 900million of debt, and fund bolt-on acquisitions. It aims to bump up its dividend payout ratio target to between 55 per cent and 60 per cent by 2020.

The capital surplus has tripled; the group has been streamlined and Aviva is now focused on markets where it has high-quality franchises and is gaining market share, the insurance giant said in a statement.

As a result Aviva is upgrading the financial objectives it set out previously.

The upgrade sent shares in Aviva 11p, or 2 per cent higher to 520p in morning trading.

It comes as other insurers like Allianz and Swiss Re have also been returning cash to shareholders recently, as strong competition cuts opportunities for expansion.

In August, Aviva reported a steep rise in first-half profits after it was boosted by its general insurance division.

The insurer said operating profit grew 11 per cent to 1.46billion in the first six months of the year.

Aviva's general insurance and health profits increased 25 per cent to 417million, aided by the acquisition of RBC Insurance in Canada last year, as well as foreign exchange benefits.
The growing national debt is a major threat to the British economy, a Bank of England official warned last night.

Richard Sharp, a member of the central banks Financial Policy Committee, said the country would struggle to recover from another crisis because of the parlous state of the nations books.

Threat: Richard Sharp said the country would struggle to recover from another crisis because of the parlous state of the nations books

In a speech at University College London, he pointed out that successive governments have borrowed more than 1trillion since the financial crisis.

That has pushed the national debt towards 1.8trillion, or 87.2pc of national income, leaving the country with little room for manoeuvre when the next disaster strikes.

Sharp, who spent 23 years working for Goldman Sachs before joining the Bank, said: A highly indebted government has less capacity to react to crises. We cannot assume that further shocks do not materialise.

He warned that debt interest payments could spiral from around 40bn a year to as much as 100bn if borrowing costs return to pre-crisis levels  far more than the Government spends on roads, schools, houses and hospitals.
Storm brewing: Even from the home counties David Kynaston's anxiety about the lack of accountability in British banking looks highly relevant

Sitting at his kitchen table, sipping from a mug of instant coffee, author David Kynaston has something on his mind.

Why is it, some ten years after the leak in the financial system sprung at Northern Rock, that the taxpayer never had a proper account of what went wrong?

Its not too late for a judge-led tribunal of inquiry, Kynaston says.

Weve got the Bloody Sunday inquiry as a precedent. The financial crisis was something so major and a continues to have such consequences. Rather like South Africa after apartheid, there is a case for knowing who the guilty men are and getting some kind of closure and learning some lessons.

Its a strong view from a man who comes across as mild-mannered. But he knows, almost better than anyone else, how crucial getting answers should be.

When former governor Lord King wanted to commission a popular history of the Bank of England, he turned to Kynaston. The 66-year-old historian has written several painstaking volumes on the Citys history, as well as books on the London Stock Exchange and HSBC, and he has also won enormous plaudits for his unsurpassed three-volume (so far) social history of modern Britain.

Unlike many great historians, Kynaston has not buried himself in an ivory tower at one of the top universities but beavers away from his modest suburban home in Surrey.

But even from the home counties his anxiety about the lack of accountability in British banking looks highly relevant, as a group of shareholders battles in the High Court with Lloyds Bank over compensation for the shotgun marriage with HBOS at the height of the crisis. The Government has been making it as hard as possible for the Court to access official witnesses and documents on the grounds that it might compromise the civil service.

Meanwhile, businesses which were damaged by Royal Bank of Scotland in the aftermath of the crisis, and by Lloyds as a result of fraud at HBOSs Reading branch, are also fighting for redress.

Kynaston had hoped that after the crisis there would be some kind of audit of the financial system. That would have allowed policymakers to understand better which parts added economic value and which didnt.

It would have been helpful, because its my impression that its still a somewhat unreformed system, he says.

During the course of writing his mammoth 879-page history of the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street, covering a period from its foundation in 1694 until 2013, Kynaston was granted full access to its sometimes patchy and unhelpful archives. But when it came to the financial crisis, many of the documents remained sealed because of a 20-year secrecy rule, although he did have access to many of the main players, including Lord King.

As we already know, Lord Kings version of the crisis and that of then prime minister Gordon Brown, delivered at a recent conference to commemorate two decades of the Banks independence, are sharply different.

Kynastons cynical view of the failure to dig into the origins of the crisis is that it is about politics, and the Tories have been reluctant to take on its own supporters in the financial community who, incidentally, are big contributors to the nations tax base.

But as a historian he believes longer-term forces are in play.

The 1970s saw the Bretton Woods system of fixed exchange rates break down, and for Britain this culminated in Black Wednesday a quarter of a century ago when the UK was ejected from the Exchange Rate Mechanism.

The Bank of England also has changed dramatically with the times. Kynaston says: The intellectual calibre of the Bank is way ahead of what it was 30 or 40 years ago. It went up to another level under Mervyn King. Its become a place where very bright young people are happy to spend time.

The heart of the narrative of the modern Bank uncovered by Kynaston deals with the lead up to independence in 1997.

The pressure for cutting the Old Lady free from the Government began with Lord Lawsons resignation speech in 1989, he says.

Documents seen by Kynaston suggest Eddie George, the then governor, had long been wanting monetary policy independence and it was a great prize. But once he knew supervision was going, he wasnt sure he was happy with the bargain.

The most influential governor before the Bank won independence was Montague Norman, whose portrait still hangs in the governors office today. He was governor for 24 years which is twice as long as anyone else. He had a strong sense of public duty. In Kynastons view, Normans greatest moment  and also his undoing  was the financial reconstruction after the First World War.

He wanted the City and Britain to restore the hegemony it had enjoyed up to 1914.

This led him to embrace the gold standard and he persuaded then-chancellor Winston Churchill that it was the right thing to do.

It proved disastrous for the British economy  a prelude to union strife, economic stagnation and job losses which fed into the narrative of the Great Depression.

When Norman was finally torn away from the job in 1944, the favourite to take charge was the governor of Canadian Central Bank Graham Towers  but his candidacy fell by the wayside because of establishment objections.

Britain would have to wait until 2013 to finally hand control of that British institution to a Canadian  Mark Carney, a former Goldman Sachs banker armed with an Oxford PhD, who was seen as the right candidate to repair Britains contaminated financial system.
MBABANE  Belt tightening and efficient budget utilisation best describes how E18.3 million was saved by government when undertaking the Swaziland Population and Housing Census.

The total amount of money that had been released for rollout of the census was E51 752 000. However, the actual amount of money that was eventually spent during the exercise was E33 356 000. This effectively means the actual amount of money that was saved upon completion of the project was E18 396 000. This was disclosed in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development second quarter performance report for the year 2017/2018. It should be mentioned that it was believed that most of the budget went to the training of some of the staff that was hired for the project. According to the preliminary report of the project, for the census field work the country was divided into about 2324 enumeration areas, each consisting of approximately 100 households where each was covered by one enumerator.

The report states that about 3 000 enumerators and supervisors combined together were recruited. In addition to the enumerators and supervisors, 46 IT assistants were also recruited. Comprehensive training to all the census functionaries particularly enumerators and supervisors is a must for the successful conduct of the census and good quality data, the report states. It highlighted that three tier cascade training was devised and that at the top of the pyramid were 60 national trainers who went through two weeks of residential grooming. It is also believed that some funds were spent on the training material which included printed copies of questionnaires and instruction manuals that needed to be completed. In addition, the training also included field visits, canvassing of questionnaire on the tablets and transmission of data from field to the central server. A standard power point presentation was prepared and used in training at all levels where each trainee was provided with a tablet for practice during the training and subsequent collection of information during the field exercise.

Other funds, according to the preliminary report, went to the wide publicity campaign which was undertaken through television, radio, bill boards, posters and print media aimed at informing people about the importance of the project for the country. The preliminary report of the census was presented on the second week of the current month where it was revealed that the country now consisted of a population of 1 093 238 people. The findings made up of 531 111 males and 562 127 females being registered in the 10-year period between 2007 and 2017. The 74 789 persons registered consisted of 49 683 males while 25 106 were females and this represented a 0.7 per cent increase in the 10 years compared with a 0.9 per cent increase in the period of 1997-2007. It was noted in the report that the increase in the size of the countrys population was primarily due to three demographic factors, namely fertility, mortality and migration rate
MBABANE  A wheelbarrow retails for E500 but a businessman of Kwaluseni is demanding over E53 000 from his neighbour after she allegedly unlawfully took it.

Malangeni Sibandze has since taken Bongiwe Ndzimandze of Logoba to the High Court where he is demanding payment of E53 550 and the wheelbarrow. This, after Ndzimandze allegedly took his wheelbarrow without his consent.

Sibandze mentioned that on or about September 5, 2017, one of his boys came to tell him that a neighbour next to his business site had taken the business wheelbarrow because it was trespassing on her land. This surprised me as the property which Ndzimandze claimed was being trespassed was not fenced and secondly the path that was used by my assistants is one that is used by everyone and every day, alleged the applicant. He averred that it came as a surprise that he was singled out as a trespasser and got his business tool taken from him without just cause. These are allegations contained in particulars of claim whose veracity is still to be tested in court and the defendant is yet to file her papers in the event she is opposing the suit.

Sibandze went on to mention that he waited for three days, with the hope and view that the defendant (Ndzimandze) would engage him on the issue or return the wheelbarrow but this allegedly did not happen. He highlighted that since he did not known Ndzimandzes cellphone number he then decided to approach the police at Sigodvweni to report that Ndzimandze had taken his wheelbarrow and had the nerve not to engage him on that respect. He alleged that on or about September 28, 2017, the police, as part of their investigation, went to the defendants place and collected the wheelbarrow. It must be put on record that, in all the opportune time, the defendant had not made any effort to engage the plaintiff on anything, that is, give the plaintiff reasons for depriving him of his property, nor return the wheelbarrow, let alone lodge a complaint with the police, submitted Sibandze. He stated that the police then enquired from the defendant as to why she had taken and kept the wheelbarrow and further did not engage him on what was going on.

Ndzimandze is alleged to have told the police that she took possession of the wheelbarrow because it traversed on her property. On further inquiry, Ndzimandze was allegedly asked why she did not report to the police after taking possession of the wheelbarrow. According to Sibandze, the defendant allegedly made an assertion that the matter was reported to the police and she had allegedly requested the law enforcers to join them so that they could deal with the matter amicably. Defendant was then asked if she brought with her the wheelbarrow when she went to report the matter with the police, to which she responded to the contrary. She was then told equivocally that she had unlawfully been in possession of the wheelbarrow, submitted the plaintiff.
MBABANE  The government will bear the costs of burying 22 corpses who remain unclaimed at the Mbabane Government Hospital mortuary.

Ten of these corpses are foetuses, some of which were brought into the mortuary by police officers. The women who carried these foetuses were charged with abortion. The hospital is aware of names of only a few of the adult corpses while some are unknown. The paupers funeral will be conducted next Wednesday. According to our sources, some of them died while undergoing treatment at the hospital. The relatives of these people remain unknown as they arrived at the hospital to seek medical treatment on their own. Other bodies were brought in by the police, who left to continue with their investigation on their identities. The source said some of the bodies were brought in by neighbours who lived with the deceased on the same block of rented flats. The first adult corpse to arrive at the hospital is of a white adult male, who was brought in by the Mbabane police on April 11, 2014. His identity remains unknown. The first foetus was brought in on June 17, 2015 and it allegedly belongs to a woman of Mantabeni.

Relatives have been given until next week Wednesday to claim the bodies as the paupers funeral will be conducted by government on the day. A letter was written to the police service on June 29 this year by the hospital management, to enquire about the bodies but they never replied. Hospital Administrator Cebile Dlamini, who was in the company of a senior morgue attendant, Paul Dlamini confirmed that the hospital had tried by all means to find the families of the deceased. Cebile explained that the bodies were kept in the cold but they were decomposing as they had been kept at the morgue for years. She said they made an announcement on radio, calling upon relatives to come and claim the corpses in June, but there was no response. The corpses are a health hazard to our employees and other people, who have come to collect their relatives bodies from the mortuary, she said. She said they had a challenge of getting burial plots for the corpses as they had to pay E260 to the city council. She said they had also bought coffins which they would use to bury the people who will be given the paupers funeral.

Cebile said they would put two foetuses in each coffin. Paul said they also had to pay people to dig the graves of the deceased. Superintendent Khulani Mamba, the Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, acknowledged the letter from the hospital. There are particular procedures which are followed in the police organisation that we are still going through. We will get in touch with the hospital concerning the corpses, Mamba said.
MANZINI  Hunting and the killing of rabbits for fun will soon be a thing of the past as rabbit meat will now be served in one of the lounges locally.

Even though rabbit meat is sold in some supermarkets, it is not very popular among many Swazis. Many locals enjoy hunting the rabbits, either for fun or to feed their pets. Havana Lounge confirmed that it will soon serve various dishes of rabbit meat. The news was relayed by the lounges restaurant Manager, Tracy Mabuza during rabbit meat tasting session held at the hangout spot at Moneni yesterday. Havana Lounge had roped in a South African rabbit breeding company headed by two young entrepreneurs, to teach the restaurants chefs the different styles of cooking the meat. Mabuza said Havana Lounges decision to avail rabbit meat came about after they discovered that it was highly on demand, and proof to that was the fact that it was rarely found in the few shops that sell it around the country. When we heard that there is a potential supplier, we felt it would not hurt to try new things and see how our customers react, she said.

According to Dumisani Sikhosana, the Director of Sphanda Ngezinkukhu, the rabbit breeding company, even though rabbit meat may be likened to chicken meat, the difference was that the former had lower levels of cholesterol. It is said to be very high in protein and is ideal for people who are weight conscious. Also, Sikhosana said there was more that could be made out of rabbit meat, for instance; burger patties, sausages and bangers. In addition, Mphumelelo Lukhele, the Chief Finance Officer of the company, who was hands-on in preparing the meat yesterday, said maximum cooking time for rabbit meat was between eight to 10 minutes, depending on the method used. He explained that they never cut off the head of the rabbit when packaging it because some of the countries they export to also eat cat meat, so the rabbit head was meant to differentiate between the two. He said even though the company was established last year, where it first specialised in chicken breeding, hence the name, it had established a large market base in countries outside South Africa. These countries include Ivory Coast, Kenya and Germany.

We have been exporting our products to some neighbouring countries but Swaziland, so we are positive that our partnership with Havana Lounge would break ground and open more opportunities for us to supply other shops or even have a breeding place locally, said Lukhele, who originally hails from Siteki. The cost of a packed rabbit meat is E65 per kilogramme. While in Swaziland, we have approached various large retailers about supplying them and hopefully our meat might be largely available in the country, Lukhele said. On another note, the entrepreneurs said they were cognisant of the different religious beliefs of people, hence they also had a halaal certificate for their Islamic customers in South Africa. However, they said they were aware that some refrained from eating rabbit meat because they deemed it unholy as they claimed it was among the prohibited animals in the Bible. In this regard, Sikhosana said other meat such as pork was also among the unclean meats mentioned in the Bible but most people ate it.




Dozens of mortar bombs landed on the last major rebel stronghold near the Syrian capital Damascus on Wednesday, a war monitor and a witness said on Wednesday, despite a 48 hour truce proposed by Russia to coincide with the start of peace talks in Geneva.

After a relatively calm morning, shelling picked up later in the day, accompanied by ground attempts to storm the besieged enclave, a witness in the Eastern Ghouta area told Reuters.

The Syrian army stepped up bombardment two weeks ago in an effort to recapture Eastern Ghouta, a rebel-held pocket of densely populated agricultural land on the outskirts of the capital under siege since 2012.

Scores of people have been killed in air strikes during the offensive, and residents say they are on the verge of starvation after the siege was tightened.

Russia had proposed a ceasefire on Monday in the besieged area for Nov. 28-29. U.N. Syria envoy Staffan De Mistura later said Russia had told him that the Syrian government had accepted the idea, but "we have to see if it happens".

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least one person was killed when dozens of mortars crashed into Eastern Ghouta on Wednesday.

Eastern Ghouta is one of several "de-escalation" zones across western Syria where Russia has brokered ceasefire deals between rebels and President Bashar al-Assad\s government. But fighting has continued there.

On Tuesday, shelling killed three people and injured 15, but was less intense than in previous days, the observatory said. It had reported intense bombardment that killed 41 people over two days from Sunday to Monday.

A two-day truce is not nearly enough for civilians facing grave violations of international law  including bombardment and besiegement  but it is a window of opportunity to save the lives of the most desperately in need of treatment," said Thomas Garofalo, International Rescue Committees Middle East Public Affairs Director, in a statement on Wednesday.

The Syrian delegation arrived in Geneva to participate in the eighth round of United Nation-sponsored peace talks. It delayed its departure for one day after the opposition repeated its demand that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad step down.

Nasr Hariri, head of the opposition delegation, told a Geneva news conference on Monday night that he is aiming for Assad\s removal as a result of negotiations.

The government delegation will be headed by Syria\s U.N. ambassador and chief negotiator Bashar al-Ja\afari, state-run news agency SANA said.

A breakthrough in the talks is seen as unlikely as Assad and his allies push for total military victory in Syria\s civil war, now in its seventh year, and his opponents stick by their demand he leaves power.

SOURCE: REUTERS
A convicted war criminal from Croatia swallowed what he said was poison and died Wednesday after a United Nations court in the Netherlands upheld his 20-year sentence for committing crimes against humanity during the Bosnian war of the 1990s.

In a stunning end to the final case at the U.N.\s International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, former Croatian general Slobodan Praljak yelled, "I am not a war criminal!" in a courtroom and appeared to drink from a small bottle.

Medical staff at the tribunal in The Hague rushed to Praljak\s side before he was taken to a local hospital, where he died, tribunal spokesman Nenad Golcevski told reporters at the court.

The courtroom where the dramatic scene unfolded was sealed off. Presiding Judge Carmel Agius said it was now a "crime scene" and that Dutch police could investigate. Police in The Hague declined to comment on the case.

Dutch police, an ambulance and a firetruck quickly arrived outside the court\s headquarters and emergency service workers, some of them wearing helmets and with oxygen tanks on their backs, went into the court shortly after the incident.

Praljak and five other former Bosnian Croat officials were convicted as part of a criminal plan to carve out a Bosnian Croat mini-state inside Bosnia in the early 1990s. All had their guilty verdicts sustained by the U.N.\s war crimes court Wednesday.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic offered condolences to Praljak\s family. Praljak\s actions reflected the "deep moral injustice" done to the six Bosnian Croats, the prime minister said.

Croatian state TV reported that President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic cut short an official visit to Iceland and the government held an emergency session.

Praljak, 72, had been in the tribunal\s custody before the hearing. Poison has not yet been identified as the cause of his death, and it was not clear how he would have gotten access to a lethal substance or managed to smuggle it into the courtroom.

A lawyer who has frequently defended suspects at the war crimes court told The Associated Press it would be easy to bring poison into the court.

Prominent Serbian lawyer Toma Fila said security for lawyers and other court staff "is just like at an airport." Security officers inspect metal objects and confiscate cellphones, but "pills and small quantities of liquids" would not be registered, Fila said.

Praljak was a Bosnian Croat writer and film and theater director turned wartime general. His indictment said he also worked as a professor of philosophy and sociology.

He was found guilty of crimes that included murder, persecution and inhumane treatment as part of the plan to drive Muslims out of a would-be Bosnian Croat territory in Bosnia.

Presiding Judge Carmel Agius overturned some of Praljak\s convictions, but upheld others and left his sentence unchanged.

After Praljak heard his 20-year sentence, he swallowed what he told the court was poison. Agius immediately shut down the hearing and cleared the courtroom.

The hearing later resumed and ultimately, all six Croats charged in the case had their sentences, ranging from 25 to 10 years, confirmed.

The other suspects showed no emotion as Agius reconfirmed their sentences for their involvement.

In the past, two Serbs have taken their lives while in the tribunal\s custody.

In July 1998, Slavko Dokmanovic, a Croatian Serb charged with in the deaths of over 200 Croat prisoners of war, was found dead in his prison cell in The Hague. Milan Babic, a wartime Serbian leader who was closely cooperating with prosecutors, took his life in a prison tribunal cell in March 2006.

Wednesday\s hearing was the final case at the groundbreaking tribunal before it closes its doors next month. The tribunal, which last week convicted former Bosnian Serb military chief Gen. Ratko Mladic of genocide and other crimes, was set up in 1993, while fighting still raged in the former Yugoslavia. It indicted 161 suspects and convicted 90 of them.

The appeals judges upheld a key finding that Croatia\s late President Franjo Tudjman was a member of the plot to create a Croat mini-state in Bosnia. The finding angered Croatian leaders, but was largely overshadowed by Praljak.

The original trial began in April 2006 and provided a reminder of the complex web of ethnic tensions that fueled fighting in Bosnia and underlies frictions in the country even today.

Croatian Prime Minister Plenkovic said that his country\s leadership during the Bosnian war could "in no way be connected with the facts and interpretations" in the appeals judgment.

SOURCE: AP

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When Albany's pitch to convince Amazon to build HQ2 in the city was submitted last month, the bid quickly became a laughingstock.

People took to social media to mock the proposal, and staff at The Onion, a satirical website, devoted a post to poking fun at Albany's meager offerings.

"Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos reportedly felt his heart break a little while perusing Albany's pitch to host the company's new national headquarters, sources confirmed Tuesday," the item read.

Why are the odds of the Capital Region landing the retail giant's next headquarters seemingly so slim? Panelists discussed the topic, among other subjects, with Times Union Editor Rex Smith at a Hearst Media Center event on Wednesday. The event, which focused on New York State's tech economy and workforce challenges, is part of the Times Union Leadership Luncheon series, a monthly discussion with community leaders and business executives about issues affecting the Capital Region.

"In one word: culture," said Janet Carmosky, co-founder and executive director of Albany CanCode and one of the panelists. "We need to be changing the mindset across the Capital Region."

More for you What is downtown Albany lacking? These students have a few ideas

While the area has colleges and universities, as well as a wealth of technology jobs, there's still the sense that technological advances are happening in Silicon Valley and other parts of the world, Carmosky said. Parents don't have the proper vocabulary and an understanding of technology to communicate opportunities to their children, she said.

Panelist Antony Haynes said a K-12 pipeline and school curricula that include technology are "critical." Haynes is associate dean for strategic initiatives and information systems, director of cybersecurity and privacy law and assistant professor of law at the Albany Law School and a former computer science professor.

"You don't have to be a technical person to get involved in" information technology, he said.

The panelists also discussed how the growing "gig economy" affects the economy, what regulations are needed to deal with it, how to address communities left behind as tech advances continue, and the addictive nature of technology.

State Sen. Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat on the finance committee, said that companies should consider the consequences of technology. She pointed to Airbnb, saying that the home-rental service puts hotel workers out of jobs and cripples affordable housing, and how self-driving vehicles could leave Uber and Lyft employees without work.

"If you're changing the economy, there are winners and losers," Krueger said. "You need to think about the ramifications."

In preparing communities for the changes tech advances have and will continue to render, there's a need for more skills training and stackable credentials, said panelist Heather Briccetti, president and CEO of the Business Council of New York State.

"It's not four years or nothing," she said.

Other panelists agreed, arguing that industries in need of employees with tech skills need to invest in workforce training and reach out to underserved communities.

"Winners own the the means of production," Carmosky said. "Code is the means of production ... The entire fabric of the economy and society is code."

miszler@timesunion.com  518-454-5018  @madisoniszler
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Watervliet

The Arsenal Business & Technology Partnership, a nonprofit economic development group at Watervliet Arsenal that had been asked by the U.S. Army to leave, is now being told it can stay  at least until June.

On Nov. 14, the Army told the partnership's president, Peter Gannon, that the Army was not interested in renewing a longstanding real estate management agreement it had with the organization. Gannon was told he and his five employees had to vacate the arsenal by Dec. 19.

But after an appeal by New York's congressional delegation, including U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, it appears that the Army has had a change in plans, although an Army spokesman has yet to confirm any details.

Those with knowledge of the situation said Schumer personally called the new Secretary of the Army, Mark Esper, to ask him to reconsider the future of the Arsenal Business & Technology Partnership at the arsenal. Esper was just sworn in to his new post on Nov. 20.

Esper ultimately agreed to give the Arsenal Business & Technology Partnership another six months to remain at the arsenal, through at least June. A study will also be done to closely review the best path moving forward.

"After my call with the Army Secretary, I am grateful that the arsenal partnership has been given a six-month extension and that the Army will study this issue during that time," Schumer said in a statement to the Times Union.

"The Arsenal Partnership provides a valuable service to the Army and local businesses alike," U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, told the Times Union. "We asked Army leaders to take a closer look at the factors involved in this decision and that is exactly what they are doing. I am grateful for their additional consideration and look forward to working with them in the months ahead to find the best possible course of action for all involved."

On Thursday, Gannon told the Times Union that he had heard the good news, but that he had yet to be directly informed by the Army.

Gannon said the decision gives some peace of mind to his employees and their families, as well as the commercial tenants that are overseen by the partnership.

"It's good for us too, especially with the holidays," Gannon said.

In a letter to the Army sent earlier this month, Schumer, Tonko and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand asked the Army to reconsider their plan to kick the Arsenal Business & Technology Partnership out. The letter appeared to allude to the idea that the Army was asking the partnership to leave because it needed the space due to a massive influx of weapons orders. The Watervliet Arsenal is the Army's main cannon factory and it also makes other weapons parts and equipment.

The partnership was created in the late 1990s when the arsenal was going through a series of layoffs and a loss of work from the Army. The organization was designed to lease out unused space at the 143-acre site to make it more vibrant in the face of a potential closure. As a result, the arsenal survived the 2005 BRAC  Base Realignment And Closure  military downsizings initiative.

Lately however, the Army has announced a series of new weapons contracts and a $40 million expansion at the arsenal that will add 200 workers and require additional space.

The Arsenal Business & Technology Partnership has an annual budget of about $2.8 million and oversees 15 tenants in unused space at the arsenal with about 150 employees in total. Companies include Solid Sealing Technology and Extreme Molding.

Gannon said earlier this week they were initially told that the partnership tenants could remain, although many are on short-term leases, and he feared the Army might tell them they had to leave when their leases expired.

The Watervliet Arsenal has referred all questions about its contract with the Arsenal Business & Technology Partnership to the Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, or TACOM.

As of Thursday afternoon, a spokesman for TACOM, which is based at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Mich., was working on getting an official response from the Army about the status of the partnership and its tenants.

"I can't confirm or deny anything at this point," TACOM spokesman R. Slade Walters told the Times Union.

On Thursday, Gannon said even with a six-month extension, the tenants have questions about their future. One company told him that it would take them 18 months to move and relocate their equipment and possibly have to build a new facility.

"It's disrupting to continuity and planning," Gannon said.

Gannon says he looks forward to participating in any study that the arsenal and the Army undertake.

"We're willing to have a discussion with anybody," Gannon said.
EAST LOS HIGH: FINALE EVENT

Hulu

Series finale! This event bids farewell to the highly acclaimed original series. Season 4 left fans on the edge with shocking cliffhangers. Now, eight months later, the crew prepares to leave high school  and maybe even East LA  behind as they begin a journey of self-discovery.

DARK

Netflix

New series! This drama with a supernatural twist is set in a present-day German town where the disappearance of two young children exposes the double lives and fractured relationships among four families, with a mystery that ties back to the same town in 1986.

VOYEUR

Netflix

Original documentary! This documentary follows Gay Talese, the 85-year-old giant of modern journalism, as he reports one of the most controversial stories of his career: a portrait of a Colorado motel owner, Gerald Foos. For decades, Foos secretly watched his guests and kept detailed journals of their most intimate and private moments. "Voyeur" also debuts in select theaters Friday.

THE LOUD HOUSE: "SNOW WAY OUT/SNOW WAY DOWN"

Nickelodeon, 7 p.m.

In the night's first holiday-themed episode, despite the heavy snowfall, Lana convinces the kids to go to the Burpin' Burger to meet her racecar-driving hero. Then, Lincoln goes on vacation with Clyde and realizes just how overprotective Clyde's dads are.

WE BARE BEARS: "THE PERFECT TREE"

Cartoon Network, 7:30 p.m.

In this holiday episode, Chloe and Ice Bear drive up north to find the perfect Christmas tree while Grizz and Panda are in charge of decorating Chloe's house.

MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.: "ORIENTATION"

ABC, 8 p.m.

Season premiere! "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." returns for Season 5 with a special two-hour premiere. At the end of last season, Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) was onboard a ship in deep space, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were being held by a mysterious group. Now they must discover where they are and how to get home as the clock ticks down for humanity.

MACGYVER: "CD-ROM + HOAGIE FOIL"

CBS, 8 p.m.

Mac (Lucas Till) and the team follow a group of Indonesian mercenaries who are transporting a lethal amount of stolen nerve gas. Guest star William Baldwin returns as Riley's (Tristin Mays) father in the new episode.

GRANDMA GOT RUN OVER BY A REINDEER

The CW, 8 p.m.

Based on the zany song that became a holiday hit, this goofy Christmas Eve adventure features young Jake Spankenheimer trying to track down his missing grandma to prove that Santa Claus is real.

HELL'S KITCHEN: "WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE"

Fox, 8 p.m.

This week's challenge takes place in the Hell's Kitchen "jungle," where contestants cook using an exotic meat  like elk, boar and venison  and must "hunt" for side-dish ingredients using a spear.

BLINDSPOT: "THIS PROFOUND LEGACY"

NBC, 8 p.m.

An international crisis looms ... again ... and the team shifts into high gear as they race to prevent the worst. Meanwhile, tattooed heroine Jane (Jaimie Alexander) struggles to cope with a secret from her past.

MASTERS OF ILLUSION: CHRISTMAS MAGIC

The CW, 9 p.m.

This holiday special features some of today's hottest magicians performing festive feats of magic. Some of the big names scheduled to perform include Jarret and Raja, Jonathan Pendragon, Ed Alonzo, Jibrizy, Les Arnold, Murray SawChuck, Farrell Dillon, Tommy Wind, Titou, Naathan Phan and Greg Gleason.

SAVAGE KINGDOM: UPRISING: "FIRST BLOOD"

Nat Geo Wild, 9 p.m.

The docuseries about African animal clans delivers on its title when leopard Neo and his father, Dark Eyes, compete for control.

Z NATION: "FRENEMIES"

Syfy, 9 p.m.

Some evil foes infiltrate the barbershop where Doc (Russell Hodgkinson) and the rest of the gang have been hiding out. We sure hope that they don't all get clipped!

BLUE BLOODS: "PAIN KILLERS"

CBS, 10 p.m.

Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) and Baez (Marisa Ramirez) join a narcotics task force to track down a drug supplier in the new episode,

ALL DEF COMEDY

HBO, 10 p.m.

New series! Created by Russell Simmons and hosted by Tony Rock, this comedy series, taped before a live audience at Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles, spotlights up-and-coming comics as well as Def Comedy veterans.

 TV Guide 2017
Blake Cortright vividly recalls the moment he decided to make a film about the Adirondacks.

It was 2012, the summer before his sophomore year in college, and he had just summited Mount Marcy  at 5,344 feet, the highest point in New York State -- with his dad and brother.

On a clear day brimming with hikers, he found one little patch of summit to himself. He sat. Rested. Gazed toward the Southeast, facing Haystack.

And I could just see mountains and rivers and lakes and blue skies, as far as the eye could see  and I was just, like, wow. And I felt transported to a different place and time. I didnt feel caught up with everything going on in the world, and my own worries and anxieties. I was just there. And that, he said, was something I wanted to capture on film.

The result of that mountaintop epiphany: The 46ers, Cortrights hour-long documentary on the Adirondacks, the 46 High Peaks and the club of devoted hikers who tell stories from the mountains and help preserve their splendor.

Picked up by WCNY in Syracuse, the film has been pegged for broadcast by 26 PBS stations  as of Thursday afternoon -- around the state and the country. WMHT-17 is scheduled to air it locally at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4; 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6; and 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10.

Im excited for it to be seen by this big audience  because I think it is a very educational program, but its also inspiring, said Cortright, a 2011 graduate of Shaker High School and 2015 graduate of Regent University in Virginia Beach. And Im excited for that marriage.

The result is both instructive and moving, packed with intimate anecdotes and sweeping views of the ancient, craggy geography, a 160-mile-wide expanse carved out by glaciers  not a single range, like other mountains, but a dome.

Shot in 2013 and 2014, the documentary (estimated budget: $214,000 plus change) features interviews with a dozen people, among them Ron Konowitz, the first person to ski all 46 peaks; Peter Fish, whos hiked Marcy more than 700 times; and the late Helen Menz, the 42nd 46er and a long and active member of the club. The film is dedicated to her memory.

I just loved to be up there. If I had any excuse, I went, says Menz near the end, boiling down the film to its essence.

The 46ers also offers a cautionary tale in the story of Rory Doohan, the Tasmanian man who died from hypothermia in 1991 -- after hiking in cotton on an April day that plunged from unseasonable heat to the pitiless cold and wet of an Adirondack spring. Doohans wife, Sharon Moore, appears in voiceover, narrating the ordeal in heartrending detail.

Cortright was grateful for her part in the film. First, because cotton kills  a message always worth sending. Second, because he wanted his movie to have an arc to it, a dramatic emotional punch. Even though its a documentary, I never treated it like a documentary, he said. I always thought of it in a more narrative sense, structurally. And something that was important to me was to have that weight at the end.

He fell in love with the Adirondacks as a kid, visiting the YMCAs resort in Silver Bay on church trips with his family. In 2008, he did his first High Peak  defined as higher than 4,000 feet, although the traditional 46 include four that technically arent  on a Boy Scout trek up Giant. It was a very beautiful fall day, he said, and I remember just being kind of blown away.

Recently, the director spent two years as a videographer for the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism in Lake Placid. He finds respite in the Adirondack wilderness, appreciating its majesty and traditions.

Its a special place, said Cortright, who made his first film -- a 26-minute 2010 documentary on the Scouts first camp at Silver Bay, which also aired on WMHT and other New York stations  while still in high school.

No, he said, hes not yet a 46er. Im at 18. Nineteen, if you count the time he walked up the Whiteface toll road, though of course he knows you cant. Hed hoped to hit 46 by the time filming wrapped, but an old knee injury kept flaring up and preventing it. Now I know its a bit longer, more patient journey  which Im okay with, he said, because its kind of the story in the film. The journeys almost more important than the destination, in a way.

When it came to directing The 46ers, the journey involved a lot of road trips. Juggling full-time college studies and two part-time jobs, Cortright also made room for a little 600-mile drive to the Adirondacks as production demanded. In fall of 2014, he flew up to shoot the movies aerial photography.

Hed hired the helicopter for two runs: one at dawn, one at dusk. It was near the end of that long day. And it was the last shot of our flight, because we had to go back to Fort Ann, because we were flying by sight. We didnt have instruments. And they said we were out of light, we gotta go." He asked for one more pass around the mountain.

So we come up to do it, and as were leaving, its the last shot of the movie. And when we saw it, as soon as it happened, I knew my movie had an ending. That sublime kicker is an exquisite, reddish sunset shot of Marcy and Haystack, framed with light and wrapped in clouds. It was a very surreal and magical moment, Cortright said.

Its just fitting, too, for me -- because the journey started, he said, with an idea on Marcy.
When Harvey Noordsy and his wife, Betty, retired nearly a decade ago, they moved into a retirement community in Queensbury.

The facility had continuing education classes, manicured lawns, social activities, transportation services and other amenities. But though they stayed for several years, the couple quickly realized they preferred the comfort, convenience and lower cost of aging in a house of their own. Most of the other tenants were also at significantly older than them, Noordsy said.

"We were too young," he said. "We wanted the freedom of being back in our own home."

They moved out, eventually relocating to a house across from the retirement community, and soon after founded Aging in Place-Glens Falls. The nonprofit organization provides transportation to medical appointments, assistance with grocery shopping and other nonmedical services to seniors in Glens Falls, Hudson Falls and Lake George. The group is made up solely of volunteer members, who pay an annual fee of $20 and operate under a "neighbors helping neighbors" philosophy of assisting each other with activities and tasks as best they can.

"Our goal is to help people stay in their own homes safely and with dignity," Noordsy said. "We try to provide some of the support services they would be getting if they were moving into a retirement home or an assisted-living community."

The organization is a local adaptation of the ''village'' movement, which aims to helps the elderly age in the comfort of their own homes, rather than at a hospital or nursing home. Villages typically function as membership-driven nonprofits run by volunteers and sometimes paid staff who help provide services and programs. Members usually pay annual dues.

The independence afforded through villages appeals to seniors, who remain in their own homes while helping each other with daily tasks, such as getting to appointments. Ninety percent of people age 65 and over would rather stay in their own homes as they age, according to a study by AARP. Cost is another compelling factor: assisted-living facilities in the U.S. cost an average of $3,750 per month, and a private room at a nursing home costs $8,121 per month on average, according to a survey conducted by Carescout. The prices are expected to rise to $5,040 and $10,914, respectively, by 2027.

Although similar ventures have existed for decades, a group of Boston residents are credited with launching the village model in 2002. Susan McWhinney-Morse and her neighbors in Beacon Hill wanted to age in their homes rather than in facilities, and they formed a nonprofit organization where members volunteer to help each another with shopping, housekeeping, pet care, home maintenance, transportation and other services. Since its founding, the group has grown to include nearly 400 members.

The organization also started the Village-to-Village Network, an online resource that provides a directory of villages and information about starting and operating one. There are more than 300 villages already established or currently in the works in the U.S., including 30 in New York. The Capital Region Villages Collaborative, a group of individuals, agencies and groups interested in developing local villages, formed earlier this year in response to local interest. The Albany Guardian Society is spearheading the project.

"I think we're just on the cusp of this really growing in the Capital Region," said Ken Harris, the society's executive director. "It's a new way of aging in place."

Community Caregivers is part of the collaborative. The nonprofit organization provides help with transportation, home repairs, grocery shopping, paperwork and other needs to people in Albany, Guilderland, Bethlehem, Altamont, Berne and New Scotland, and volunteers also read to and spend time with seniors.

Linda Miller, outreach and education coordinator at Community Caregivers, expects interest in villages to grow. As America's population ages and more baby boomers transition to retirement, seniors and their families are looking for options, she said. More than 15 percent of Albany residents are 65 and older, according to census data.

With family members living farther away from each other than in the past, the elderly have to find other ways to develop social connections, Miller said. In a village system, people get to know each other, another compelling aspect for seniors and their families.

"With this growing cohort, there's a need for solutions other than facilities for people who want to stay in their homes," Miller said. "This approach to aging involves having people help one another. It benefits everyone."

miszler@timesunion.com  518-454-5018  @madisoniszler
A reader of Kristi Gustafson Barlette's blog asks:

"Christmas lists on Amazon for a one year old? Like a registry. Yes or no? Gone are the days, when asked, the parents just said one thing. Not, "go on Amazon to see our list." Agree??"
The title of "The Square," the Swedish writer-director Ruben ostlund's savagely entertaining new movie, refers to a 4-by-4-meter illuminated box etched in the cobblestones outside the X-Royal, a venerable if entirely fictional museum of contemporary art in Stockholm. The purpose of this exhibit is to promote a vague, universal notion of human empathy, as summed up by a placard bearing the remarkably straight-faced declaration "The Square is a sanctuary of trust and caring."

The movie "The Square" may be many things  a high-wire ensemble comedy, a vivid character study, a tirelessly sustained volley of ideas  but it is no one's idea of sanctuary. When the film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in May, it was both a widely applauded choice and a deliciously ironic one, given how mercilessly the movie skewers the smug, self-congratulatory groupthink that often flourishes in artistic enclaves, the world's major film festivals very much included.

Now opening theatrically in a new cut that runs a leisurely 151 minutes (four minutes shorter than the version that played at Cannes), "The Square," which will represent Sweden in the upcoming Oscar race for foreign-language film, may be addressing a broader, less industry-entangled crowd. But it has lost none of its scalding wit, its disarming playfulness or its ability to blur the lines between viewer discomfort and pleasure.

ostlund's method, as always, is to stage the human comedy in miniature: Nearly every scene is presented as an impeccably framed tableau, a tactic that effectively transforms characters, extras and audiences alike into participants in a grand sociological study. Flitting from one sly comic digression to the next, the director conducts a broadly satirical investigation of both the modern art world and the troubled conscience of 21st-century Europe, indicting the hollowness lurking beneath its ostensibly progressive, humanist values.

More Information **1/2 Review "The Square" Rated: R. Contains coarse language, some strong sexuality and brief violence. Running time: 145 minutes See More Collapse

As he demonstrated in his 2014 drama, "Force Majeure," ostlund is a brilliant anatomist of upper-class male fragility and all-around human selfishness. But he is also a generous and unapologetic entertainer, a provocateur whose cool, clinical touch comes wrapped in seductive compositions (the cinematographer is Fredrik Wenzel) and sharply contoured performances.

The richest of these performances is given by a tall, dark and handsomely stubbled Danish actor named Claes Bang. He plays Christian, the X-Royal's chief curator, a prominent member of his city's cultural elite, and a classic ostlundian specimen of privileged heterosexual manhood.

Impeccably styled from his thick-rimmed glasses to his trendy scarves, Christian is the kind of poseur for whom the appearance of spontaneity is invariably the product of careful rehearsal. He's a local celebrity who likes to guard his privacy, as we learn when some crucial character information is strategically disclosed around the halfway mark.

One aim of "The Square" is to lure him out of his white-walled intellectual cocoon. That journey begins when Christian is mugged in broad daylight, losing his cellphone and his wallet to a band of thieves who operate, fittingly enough, like performance artists. With the help of a junior colleague (Christopher Laesso), he tracks the phone to an apartment building in a rough neighborhood, where, in a burst of desperation and callous glee, he executes an ill-advised plot to scare the thieves into giving up their contraband.

But his actions have cruel and unintended consequences, and his attempts to control the fallout only force him to further confront the raw human suffering in his midst. The most vivid face of that suffering turns out to be an angry young boy (a terrific Elijandro Edouard) from the projects, one of a few kids in the movie  a burbling baby, a wailing homeless child  who take turns playing the voice of society's conscience.

In other words, "The Square" suggests, empathy, charity and concern are qualities that the most enlightened and liberal-minded among us sometimes extol more than they practice. Christian relishes his position as gatekeeper and the magnetism that it naturally confers, which gets him into some trouble when he begins flirting with an American journalist named Anne (a prickly, vivacious Elisabeth Moss). Their dalliance occasions one of the film's funniest and ickiest scenes, putting a vigorous carnal riff on the film's inquiry into the dynamics and inequities of power.

Christian and Anne's fling is just one sideshow in a movie that takes us on a roving, plot-free tour of the museum's day-to-day operations. There are easy but priceless sight gags, like an installation that consists entirely of identical piles of granite, some of which are accidentally vacuumed up by the cleaning crew. The camera lingers on meetings where young outside contractors introduce outlandish new marketing strategies, resurrecting the age-old debate of art versus commerce in the clickbait age.

Some of the sharpest set pieces involve large groups of museum spectators, which allow ostlund to enact his version of Stanley Milgram's experiments in norm violation and bystander apathy. One especially unnerving scene places us at a swanky gala dinner that is interrupted by a performance artist  played, brilliantly, by the actor and stunt coordinator Terry Notary, whose motion-capture work in the recent "Planet of the Apes" films serves him ferociously well here. There's a pleasing meta-conceptual joke in the notion that what proves diverting in the context of a simian-themed Hollywood blockbuster might become actively terrifying in real life.

But in taking aim at the human capacity for cowardly groupthink  in suggesting that our species is, in the end, weaker, crueler and less evolved than we think  not every jab in this thoughtful, expansive movie finds its target. In laying a meticulous trap for the viewer, "The Square" at times veers into its own aesthetic and intellectual minefield.

The guilt we are expected to feel when beggars and drifters hobble into the frame might well be answered by skepticism about ostlund's own dubious calculation, his reluctance to implicate himself or interrogate his own techniques. At times he seems to stretch the boundaries of typical human behavior to make a point about it, inviting you to wonder what you would do in his characters' place.

To even consider that question, of course, is on some level to concede the effectiveness of his manipulations.

"The Square" means to send you out of the theater arguing, and its success on that front should not eclipse its more lasting, unsettling achievement. It affirms that art, this movie very much included, can tell us things about ourselves that we'd prefer not to know.
ALBANY - A bookkeeper who stole $800,000 from the marketing firm where she worked was sentenced to 2 to 6 years in state prison on Thursday, the Albany County District Attorney's office said.

Judge Will Carter imposed the sentence on 54-year-old Michelle Quentin after her September guilty plea to charges of grand larceny, tax fraud and forgery.
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ALBANY  Albany County prosecutors cannot use a "novel" legal approach to bring a new murder case against a Brooklyn man convicted of the attempted murder of a victim who later died, an appeals court ruled Thursday.

In 2008, an Albany County jury convicted Duane "Big Homie" Morrison of attempted murder for shooting Deontint Davis in the head as the victim was on a porch at 84 Third Ave. in the South End on June 10, 2007. It also convicted Morrison  who after his arrest walked out of Albany police headquarters, fully shackled, apparently unnoticed before he was shortly caught  of escape.

Morrison is serving up to 29 years in maximum-security Clinton Correctional Facility.

Davis, 29, died in 2010. Albany County prosecutors decided to reopen the case and seek a murder indictment, which could expose Morrison to a possible life sentence. In doing so, prosecutors presented no evidence about the circumstances that led to the shooting or identification of Morrison as Davis' shooter.

A prosecutor simply told the grand jury that "as a matter of law" it was previously determined Morrison shot the victim with intent, that it was "not an issue for you to decide" and that grand jurors "must accept that the (prosecutors) have established this element."

Prosecutors were using an arcane legal term known as "collateral estoppel" to support their decision not to offer new evidence. The doctrine, which halts parties from re-litigating matters at future court appearances, is typically used by defendants. District Attorney David Soares' office used it to argue that the circumstances of Morrison's case had already been legally established by the earlier conviction.

The prosecution's strategy worked to secure a second-degree murder indictment against Morrison. But in 2014, it did not survive a challenge by Morrison's defense attorney, who asked now-retired Albany County Judge Stephen Herrick to dismiss the indictment. He did.

On Thursday, the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court, Third Department, unanimously upheld Herrick's ruling in a 5-0 decision.

"While the question presented by this appeal is a novel one, we note that, even if it were constitutional for the (prosecutors) to offensively use collateral estoppel in a criminal prosecution and all of the elements of that doctrine were deemed satisfied in this matter, it would not be appropriate under these circumstances," stated Appellate Justice Robert Mulvey.

The Appellate Division noted that more than 20 years ago a California appellate court looked at the same issue and "similarly concluded that this strategic use of collateral estoppel was inconsistent with due process."

Presiding Justice Karen Peters and Justices Elizabeth Garry, Sharon Aarons and Stanley Pritzker concurred.

Morrison's appeal was argued by defense attorney Carolyn George. Assistant District Attorney Steven Sharp handled the appeal for Soares.

It was not clear what action the DA's office would take next.
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CLIFTON PARK  The town's ethics advisory board ruled Tuesday night that Saratoga County Supervisor Jonathan Schopf is violating Clifton Park's ethics code by representing certain legal clients who appear in town court.

The board voted 4-0 that Schopf, a Republican and an attorney who is an elected at-large representative for Clifton Park on the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, is considered a town official under Clifton Park's ethics code and as such should not appear in town court representing clients cited for town code violations, or those who have received vehicle or traffic tickets. One member recused herself from voting because she knows someone who works in Saratoga County court.

The board's complete written advisory opinion, which was not released until late Wednesday, said Schopf could represent clients in civil matters.

Tuesday's action capped off seven months of pointed back-and-forth communications between Schopf and Clifton Park Justices Democrat Robert Rybak and Republican James Hughes, who told Schopf that he couldn't appear in their court because he appeared to be violating the town's ethics code. They also cited previous decisions made by the New York state Bar Association.

The justices' contention was that even if cases are resolved fairly, there could be the appearance of impropriety because of Schopf's position as an elected town official. Schopf, who has a private law practice in Clifton Park, countered that while he represents Clifton Park residents on the Board of Supervisors, he is not a town employee and has no control over the town's budget or employees. Schopf also is the attorney for the Town of Hoosick in Rensselaer County.

He was appointed to the County Board of Supervisors in May 2016 after Anita Daly got a job with the county and successfully ran to fulfill the remainder of Daly's term during the 2016 election.

Schopf asked the ethics board to provide a decision on the matter a month ago in light of the justices' refusal to hear cases represented by Schopf, or to recuse themselves  which would have sent the cases to another town court.

While Hughes' name was on two letters rebuking Schopf, Rybak went another step and appeared before the ethics board to argue that the board should rule against the county supervisor.

Ethics Advisory Board Chairman Brian Glick sent Rybak a letter last week before the decision noting Rybak's "level of advocacy" on the matter, and questioned if Rybak was reacting to Schopf's race against him for town justice in 2015.

Rybak said his effort to remove Schopf from town court proceedings was not personal or political. "It affects the court system and I have the right to ensure the court's integrity is kept safe," Rybak said.

Schopf said he will honor the board's advisory opinion that he should not represent clients ticketed for town code violations; much of his practice deals with those given loose dog, or dangerous dog citations. But he said he's going to seek an advisory opinion from the state Bar Association concerning the board's rebuke of his vehicle and traffic ticket representation.

Schopf is not facing any penalties for ethics code violations because he proactively asked the board for its opinion on the matter.

"I'm legally disappointed in the decision," Schopf said. "It is what it is. We'll see what the Bar Association says about the traffic tickets."

It's the first time in about four years that the Clifton Park ethics advisory board has investigated an opinion or complaint. The town's ethics board was included in a Times Union story earlier this month that showed some boards, like in Clifton Park, rarely meet or provide documentation of their work.

Glick, who is the body's first new chairman in more than 25 years, said he is going to work to improve transparency. Tuesday night's meeting and vote were open to the public, and he said Clifton Park will post all ethics decisions and meeting minutes in the future on the town's website.
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SCHENECTADY  The family of Andrew Kearse, a 36-year-old Bronx man who died in May after being detained by city police, has filed a notice of claim, according to his Brooklyn-based lawyer.

Attorney Sanford Rubenstein said Thursday that the claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, seeks $25 million. The wrongful death claim, filed earlier in November, names the city and police department as respondents.

It also states that Kearse's civil rights were violated and that police failed to get him medical help when he was in distress after a May 11 foot chase with police.

"Despite Mr. Kearse's repeated and numerous complaints of difficulty breathing and dizziness, the members of the Schenectady city Police Department recklessly, negligently and carelessly deprived him of any medical attention," the claim alleges. "Despite Mr. Kearse's pressing medical concerns and needs, the members of the Schenectady city Police Department failed to obtain appropriate and immediate medical attention for the decedent Andrew Kearse and failed to notify the appropriate emergency medical services unit to respond to the situation."

On Thursday, Kearse's wife, Angelique Negroni-Kearse, said she still has many questions.

"I'm looking for justice," Angelique Negroni-Kearse, said. "They treated my husband like an animal, and when they denied him the medical attention that he asked, they thought he was joking."

Negroni-Kearse has said her husband of 10 years was an active and healthy 6-foot-2 man who weighed 270 pounds.

Kearse had recently been released from prison after serving two years. His wife said he had nine children, three stepchildren, and five grandchildren.

City attorney Carl Falotico denied comment.

Kearse was in Schenectady visiting a female friend. He was unarmed when he ran from police, who said they tried to stop him for driving erratically.

The circumstances of Kearse's death remain the focus of a state investigation.

A State Police probe and Attorney General's Special Investigations and Prosecution Unit review of the case for possible criminal wrongdoing are ongoing. The review, which could take several months, might culminate in the AG's office either bringing criminal charges against police or releasing a detailed report about Kearse's death.

Schenectady Police Chief Eric Clifford, who asked State Police to take over the probe, has previously said that the preliminary determination from his own department's internal probe are in. He has declined to say more, citing the ongoing state investigations.

Police said Kearse became dizzy and fell unconscious after they took him into custody.

On Thursday, Rubenstein said Kearse's representatives have met with the AG's office and are awaiting their findings.

"The criminal matter will take priority if there is a determination by the attorney general's office to proceed with a grand jury," Rubenstein said.

He said the $25 million is a "worst-case scenario number" and a "jury will decide civilly what this family is entitled to in damages for this wrongful death."

Kearse's encounter with police began at 4:34 p.m. May 11 when an officer saw him driving erratically on State Street and tried to pull him over.

Kearse pulled into a Ward Avenue driveway and ran into a backyard, city police said. Officers chased him.

The pursuit ended behind a Donald Avenue home and Kearse was arrested, city police said. At the time, police said he was not shot or shocked with a Taser but they would not comment on whether police used other types of force.

He was put in the back seat of a police car and, on his way to the police department, Kearse told Schenectady officers that he was having trouble breathing and felt dizzy, city police said.

By the time the police car arrived at the station, he was unresponsive, police said.

Paramedics treated Kearse at the scene. He was taken to Ellis Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

A city police spokesman previously said Kearse did not display any signs of distress before mentioning his symptoms.

Negroni-Kearse said there is a Black Lives Matter rally Saturday against police brutality in New York City and that she is seeking support from downstate politicians for Andrew's Law, legislation named for her husband that would require police to get a person in custody medical help right away if that individual complains about health issues.
Now Playing: Major Joseph H. Schneider, DEC director of the Division of Law Enforcement speaks during a press conference to address hunter safety on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, at DEC headquarters in Albany, N.Y. (Will Waldron/Times Union) Video: Times Union

ALBANY  State Department of Environmental Conservation staff reminded the public about hunter safety on Thursday and welcomed back a DEC officer who was shot on the job last year.

Commissioner Basil Seggos introduced DEC Officer James Davey, who recently returned to work after being accidentally shot by a hunter last year in Columbia County.
Lori Van Buren

An Amish man was killed Wednesday afternoon when his horse-drawn buggy was hit by an SUV in Ogdensburg, State Police said.

Jacob U. Hershberger, 26, of Ogdensburg, died of a skull fracture when a Mitsubishi hit his buggy at 4:45 p.m., troopers said. A St. Lawrence County coroner declared Hershberger dead at the scene.
ALBANY - Although absentee ballots didnt come close to swinging the Common Council race for Albanys Pine Hills neighborhood, some 10th Ward residents fear voters may have been misled on valid reasons for absentee ballot voting.

Six residents sent a letter to Albany County District Attorney David Soares in November calling on his office to look at the possible misuse of absentee ballots in the 10th Ward after hearing issues alleging voter fraud in the 11th Ward, according to the letter recently obtained by the Times Union.

The letter was sent to Soares around the time state and local leaders called for county and state agencies to look into possible abuse of absentee ballots in Albany County races, including Colonie and Albanys 5th and 11th wards.

We have read about the allegations of voter fraud in the 11th Ward, the letter states. One of the individuals named in the affidavits is Owusu Anane  the affidavits raise genuine concern regarding Mr. Ananes ability to serve the 10th Ward.

"We understand that there were a high number of absentee ballots for the primary, and we are concerned that similar tactics may have been used in the 10th Ward, it continued.

Valid reasons to vote absentee include not being in the county on Election Day, being temporarily or permanently sick or disabled, caring for sick or disabled relatives or being incarcerated for a crime that isn't a felony.

Anane defeated 10th Ward incumbent Leah Golby in the Democratic primary, and snagged the Working Families Party line from Golby in an opportunity to ballot, ensuring Golby wouldnt be on the general election ballot in November.

Anane dismissed the allegations, pointing out that his victory in the primary was assured before absentee ballots were collected. Electronic ballots were 321-242 in his favor, Albany County Board of Elections unofficial results had shown.

I campaigned aggressively and voter participation in the Democratic primary in the 10th Ward increased by 54 percent compared to 2013, he said in an emailed statement. Absentee ballots increased proportionally. The only real significant differences between 2013 and 2017 were how many people voted in the primary.

Voter participation in the Democratic primary for the 10th Ward increased this year about 32 percent from 2013, according to county election figures.

In the 10th Ward, absentee ballot applications increased from 34 in 2008 to 124 this year. There were 23 absentee ballot applications in 2013, county elections records show.

Western Avenue resident Stan Zavoyskiy, a doctorate student at the University at Albany who hadn't voted in a local primary, said during the campaign Anane wasn't upfront with his intention to have Zavoyskiy fill out an absentee ballot application. The student said he wasn't sure he'd be in town the day of the primary.

Days before the Democratic contest, he said Anane called him about the absentee ballot  leaving Zavoyskiy with the impression that Anane wanted to help him fill out the ballot.

He was very pressuring, persistent and wouldnt let me off the phone, he said. It was off-putting; very uncomfortable.

Zavoyskiy, 29, said he ended up blocking Ananes calls and didnt vote in the primary. He did vote in the general  writing in Golby's name, he said.

Anane didnt respond to requests for additional comment.

Allegations of voter fraud have centered around Albanys 11th Ward race, which pitted incumbent Councilman Judd Krasher against Democrat Alfredo Balarin, as well as the Colonie Town Clerk race.

While Krasher lost the Democratic primary to Balarin, he ran on the Independence Party line in the general and focused efforts on getting people to vote absentee. Krasher later conceded the general election, rendering pending lawsuits over absentee ballots moot.

That doesnt mean Soares or the state Board of Elections couldnt investigate the complaints further, and concerned residents are hoping someone will.

State officials wont comment, and the District Attorneys office says theyre aware of the allegations, but wont comment further.

If its not investigated and nipped in the bud, its something in the future that could skew the entire election process because people are essentially being duped, said Virginia Hammer, a member of the 10th Ward Democratic Committee.
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ALBANY  Anthony "Tony" Schmitz, a lifelong city resident, died Saturday at age 93. The World War II Army veteran was the grand marshal of Albany's Veterans Day parade in 2012.

"I'm very, very humbled by all this," Schmitz told the Times Union at the time. "I'm lucky to still be here."

Earlier: 'Fortunate man' to lead Veterans Day parade

Schmitz called the war the defining experience of his life.

He was drafted out of Christian Brothers Academy at 18 years of age in 1942 and entered Europe through Sicily in late 1943 with an Army infantry unit. After surviving some of the war's heaviest fighting at the Battle of Anzio, he was part of a division that invaded southern France at the beaches of Sainte-Maxime on Aug. 15, 1944.

The troops advanced hundreds of miles, across the Rhone Valley and into the northeast Alsace region, and scaled the towering Vosges Mountains. They traveled by foot while under the constant threat of enemy fire, which they feared would grow worse as they approached the German border.

"We just kept going, we didn't stop," Schmitz recalled.

He was finally stopped in October of 1944 when he collapsed and was hospitalized for fatigue. He recovered and rejoined his unit a few weeks later.

Schmitz was awarded a Combat Infantry Badge and a Presidential Unit Citation for fighting with the Army's 2nd Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment at Anzio. In 2012, France's ambassador to the United States thanked Schmitz for his bravery in helping liberate France from Nazi occupation and awarded him that country's most prestigious decoration, the Legion of Honor.

"I'm so grateful for all this," Schmitz said. "But I just want to be a representative of everyone that was involved."

Schmitz graduated from Siena College in 1955 and worked for the U.S. Postal Service and Albany County Department of Social Services.

According to his obituary, Schmitz is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mary Sheehan as well as five children and five grandchildren.

Read the obituary here.

Calling hours are 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Lasak & Gigliotti Funeral Home, 208 N. Allen St., Albany. Funeral services are at 11 a.m. at St. Pius X Church, Loudonville. He will be buried in the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, Schuylerville.

The family requests memorial contributions in Schmitz' memory to Siena College Saints Alive 515 Loudon Road, Loudonville, NY, 12211-1462.
The Trump administration's approach to governance is that of a bratty toddler confronting a neat stack of blocks: Knock it down and scatter the pieces. It may take years to rebuild what Trump and his minions are destroying.

This is not the systematic move toward small government conservatives have long sought. It's a lurch toward bad government, inadequate government, incompetent government. In some cases, it's driven by spite; in others, by sheer cluelessness. Ultimately, we will all pay a price for Trump's nihilism.

The most recent example is the chaos at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, established in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis as a watchdog against abuses. Perhaps the bureau's best-known action to date was levying a $100 million fine against Wells Fargo Bank for opening hundreds of thousands of deposit and credit card accounts without the customers' consent. All told, the bureau has saved nearly $12 billion for consumers.

This record, according to Trump, is a "total disaster."

Trump claimed in a weekend tweet that financial institutions "have been devastated" by the CFPB. That is nonsense. The much more likely reason for his criticism of the bureau is that it was established while Barack Obama was president. Trump has been unable to establish a proper legacy of his own, so he is intent on erasing his predecessor's.

CFPB director Richard Cordray resigned Friday and, as specified by law, appointed an acting director  Leandra English, who had been Cordray's chief of staff. But Trump, relying on a different federal statute, appointed his own acting director, Mick Mulvaney.

You'd think Mulvaney already had enough to do, since he serves as White House budget director. But perhaps he relishes the extra work, since he was harshly critical of the agency when he was in Congress. In any event, he dutifully showed up Monday morning at CFPB headquarters with doughnuts for "his" staff. English filed suit in federal court claiming it's really "her" staff. (A court later ruled Mulvaney is rightly in charge.)

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, by contrast, has no master. In its 41-year history  it was founded during the Gerald Ford administration  the office established to advise presidents on scientific matters has never gone so long without a leader. From 135 staffers under Obama, it has been slashed to 45.

Perhaps this sort of thing was to be expected from Trump, who has described climate change as a Chinese hoax. The thing is, however, refusing to believe in science doesn't make you immune from its effects. Anyone with doubts about the law of gravity should think twice before jumping out of a second-story window.

Meanwhile, China is racing ahead and has already become the world's leader in clean energy. A functioning science office, staffed with qualified scientists, would tell the president he is wrong to focus on coal, the fuel of the Victorian era, while ignoring the renewable energy sources that will power the rest of the 21st Century.

But Trump hates being told he's wrong. He chose an Environmental Protection Agency director, Scott Pruitt, who perhaps has even less regard for what science tells us about greenhouse gases and atmospheric warming. The result has been to make the world's most powerful nation mute and irrelevant in the global conversation about climate change.

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Even more alarming is the way our diplomatic corps is being decimated by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. This is a bipartisan issue: Sen John McCain, R-Ariz., added his name to a letter complaining that U.S. diplomatic power "is being weakened internally as complex, global crises are growing externally."

Tillerson, who once reportedly referred to Trump as a "moron," is both sane and intelligent, unlike so many other Trump appointees. But he has approached the State Department as if he were an ambitious mid-level corporate executive tasked with downsizing an overstaffed branch office. He has forced out a host of senior diplomats, hired consulting firms to advise him on a reorganization, agreed to slash the department's budget by 31 percent and refused to fill jobs that his predecessors considered vital.

But Tillerson's main job isn't management, it's diplomacy. With every career ambassador or senior officer who is elbowed out the door, a lifetime's worth of contacts and expertise depart as well. The administration will sorely miss that wisdom in a crisis.

Future presidents will have to restore what Trump and his team are casually destroying. Ignorance and petulance, rather than reason, now reign.

eugenerobinson@washpost.com
Albany

A state panel charged with determining the maximum legal amount of PFOA and other contaminants in drinking water heard from experts Wednesday on issues like laboratory methods and water treatment costs, intended to help its 12 members make recommendations.

The meeting was the second one held by the state Drinking Water Quality Council, created in this years state budget and mandated to make its first set of recommendations on contaminant limits for drinking water next October.

It focused on perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), chemicals that have been found in water supplies in Rensselaer County and Newburgh. The councils first meeting, on Long Island last month, focused on the chemical dioxane. While the federal government and other states have established advisory levels for PFOA and PFOS in water supplies, there is no law in place establishing enforceable limits for these chemicals, according to state Health Department Deputy Commissioner Brad Hutton. Were going to be setting a legal enforceable level that all municipal water supplies have to adhere to, he said.

The highly technical and information-packed meeting closed with an emotional punch from members of Petersburgh and Hoosick Falls, communities whose water supplies were tainted with PFOA by manufacturers. A man-made chemical, PFOA has been used since the 1940s to make industrial and household products such as non-stick coatings and heat-resistant wiring. It has been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, as well as thyroid diseases and other serious health problems.

Residents of these communities, as well as the mayor of Hoosick Falls, urged the council to set the maximum contamination levels below the current federal guidance of 70 parts per trillion. A presentation to the committee by Health Department Research Scientist Kenneth Bogdan showed that three other states had set lower guidance levels, all based on different assumptions  Minnesota at 35 parts per trillion, Vermont at 20 parts per trillion and New Jersey at 14 parts per trillion.

Anything higher than 20 parts per trillion will be a misstep, said Hoosick Falls Mayor Robert Allen.

Residents also called for the council to consider other emerging contaminants before they become a health problem. Hutton said that was what the council is charged to do, once it tackles the first three chemicals.

I think were 40 years too late, said Emily Marpe, who choked up when she told the council that the well at her home in Petersburgh, a half mile from the Taconic Plastics where PFOA contamination was found, tested as having PFOA levels of 2,100 parts per trillion. Her own blood level tested at 332 parts per billion; her daughters at 207 parts per billion. The national average of PFOA  shorthand for perfluorooctanoic acid  for most people is 2.03.

Council members also learned about the cost of effectively treating water contaminated with PFOA and PFOS with granular activated carbon (GAC) systems, which ranged from $2,500 for equipment and installation for an individual system to nearly $15 million (about $500 per person) for a large municipal system, according to Health Department Research Scientist Dan Lang.
Fianna Fail TD for Tipperary, Jackie Cahill has said that he is shocked to learn of extensive funding cutbacks for roads maintenance Tipperary in 2018.

Deputy Cahill was commenting after Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) took the extraordinary step of writing to all local authorities, including Tipperary County Council to warn them that the Ordinary Maintenance Allocation for roads will plummet by 30 per cent in 2018.

The overall national road current expenditure budget for 2018 is set to fall by 15 per cent when compared to 2017.

This revelation is truly shocking. A cut of this nature will only exacerbate the already poor roads network in the county, said Deputy Cahill

The Fianna Fail TD said that the Minister for Transport and the Government can trumpet the national increase in funding for the Department, but it was clear from the letter that local authorities will see their allocations drop next year.

Tipperarys roads are already in a severe state of disrepair. I have consistently raised the need for the re-establishment of the Laneway Improvement Scheme (LIS) to ensure that laneways are safe to use, he said.

Its beyond belief that when this was raised with the Taoiseach and the Minister for Transport, they were oblivious to it, and its implications, said Deputy Cahill.

He said that there was no doubt this cutback will have a damaging impact on Tipperarys roads.

Road users can expect to see more potholes and increased damage to their cars and higher repair costs in 2018, said Deputy Cahill.

He pointed out that road maintenance budgets had already suffered from significant cutbacks in recent years and this had had a detrimental impact on transport infrastructure.

Minister Ross should be dramatically increasing the funding allocated for roads maintenance, but instead he is overseeing the implementation of damaging cutbacks, he said.

Deputy Cahill said that Minister Ross needed to review this issue as a matter of urgency.

Where exactly is the additional money he secured in Budget 2018 actually going towards? Its perfectly clear from the TII that it is not going towards roads maintenance budgets, said Deputy Cahill.
A former ballet dancer from Tipperary has been named the 2017 Student of the Year by Hibernia College at an awards ceremony last week.

Roscrea native, Diarmaid O'Meara received the Student of the Year Award along with a Research Prize from Hibernia College after graduating with a Professional Master of Education in Primary Education alongside more than 800 students on Friday 24th November at the Convention Centre Dublin.

Mr O'Meara had been working as a professional ballet dancer in London before undertaking his Master of Education but having always been interested in education, he wanted to return to Ireland to become a teacher. The blended learning style with a mix of online and face-to-face tuition that Hibernia College offers, worked for Diarmaid allowing him to remain at home and to continue working as a ballet teacher in Ireland.

Attending the event was cyberpsychologist Dr Mary Aiken who spoke to the graduates, family members and guests on the risks concerning the use of social media by children and young teenagers.

Dr Aiken highlighted the significant role that teachers can play in preparing children to interact with social media and technology in general.

President of Hibernia College, Dr Sean Rowland commended the students for their achievements: I would like to thank the students, families, friends and Dr Mary Aiken for attending the graduation ceremony to mark this special occasion. The hard work required in completing studies, should not be overlooked and I would like to congratulate Diarmaid and all of the students for this significant achievement. The demand for teachers in Ireland is greater than ever with unqualified people filling teaching roles to meet this demand. Those graduating have a bright future with immense career opportunities ahead of them and I have no doubt that 2017 newly qualified teachers will go on to teach and inspire future generations.
Mary Kate Cronin, 1st year has successfully competed in the semi-final of the ninth annual Poetry Aloud competition, organised by the National Library of Ireland (NLI) and Poetry Ireland.

Mary Kate, who is from Cloneen and her classmate Claire OBrien from Killenaule represented the school in the semi-finals which were held in the National library on the 16th and 17th of November. While both girls were fantastic Mary Kate will now proceed to the national final, which will take place in the National Library of Ireland in Dublin on 1st December. The event will see 31 students from across the country compete in the junior, intermediate and senior categories for the Seamus Heaney Poetry Aloud Award.

According to the girls English Teacher Mrs Teresa Regan we had a fantastic open night at the school last Wednesday with a massive turn out. Both girls performed and were amazing. People were just in awe of their delivery and confidence.

Poetry Aloud is an annual poetry speaking competition for post-primary school students across the island of Ireland and was launched in 2006 as Yeats Aloud, becoming Poetry Aloud in 2007. Since then, it has grown enormously from just a few hundred entries to 1,800 entries in 2017.

Each category winner will receive 300 as well as book tokens to the value of 300 for the winners school library. An overall winner will be chosen from the three category winners and will receive a further 200, the Seamus Heaney perpetual trophy and a book.

The late Seamus Heaney was a significant supporter of Poetry Aloud. In 2009, he was presented by the British Library with the David Cohen Prize for Literature.

In addition to the main award, the winner each year nominates the recipient of a subsidiary prize. In nominating Poetry Aloud for the award, Seamus Heaney cited the extraordinary way in which the competition seeks to celebrate the joy of speaking and listening to poetry as well as the fact that there is a strong North-South dimension to the competition.
[November 30, 2017] CheapOair Announces Top Destinations for the Holiday Season

NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CheapOair, the leading flight-focused hybrid travel agency, today announced its top ten domestic and international destinations for the 2017 holiday season. This year, Denver, CO, Las Vegas, NV, and Los Angeles, CA round out the top three U.S. domestic cities booked, accompanied by three Mexican destinations  Mexico City, Cancun, and Guadalajara  as the top three international cities booked. For this holiday season, CheapOair's data reveals that average U.S. domestic airfare prices have decreased by 5% since last year, and they are down nearly 30% since 2013. This year, many U.S. travelers are planning vacations to warm weather destinations across Mexico and the Caribbean. Within these regions, data shows a tremendous increase in bookings to destinations including Monterrey and Los Cabos in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas. Bookings to U.S cities including Denver are up 60% year over year, and Austin, TX are up 158% year over year. CheapOair predicts that the booking window for a cheap airfare is closing quickly as we move into December. The online travel agency expects prices to jump significantly in the second week of the month and encourages consumers to book soon to score the best deals for holiday travel. "Warm weather travel is always at its peak during the holiday season, however many travelers are still making plans to visit the cooler regions such as New York, Colorado and Canada," said Tom Spagnola, Senior Vice President of Supplier Relations at CheapOair. "This year, we're seeing a few new cities pop up, both internationally and domestically, and overall, prices are lower than they've been in past years prompting more consumer than ever to travel for the holidays." CheapOair's Top Destinations for Holiday 2017







U.S. Domestic International Denver, CO Mexico City, Mexico Las Vegas, NV Cancun, Mexico Los Angeles, CA Guadalajara, Mexico Dallas, TX Monterrey, Mexico San Francisco, CA Marsh Harbor, Bahamas Orlando, FL Nassau, Bahamas Phoenix, AZ Montreal, Canada Austin, TX Vancouver, Canada Seattle, WA Los Cabos, Mexico Newark, NJ (NYC) Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Outside of the U.S., Mexico has taken the lead with five of its cities being top destinations traveled to this holiday season, followed by the Bahamas, Canada and Dominican Republic. Bookings to Mexico overall are up approximately 60% over the past five years. By consistently monitoring travel trends, CheapOair's mission is to educate and aid consumers and travel professionals in both planning their travel accommodations and staying current on the most popular destinations. With a portfolio of products, including rate and schedule information from 450 global airlines, CheapOair is a great way to book the travel that's right for you. For more information, please visit www.CheapOair.com, www.cheapoair.com/mobile, or our social media pages, www.Facebook.com/CheapOair and www.twitter.com/cheapoair. *The data referenced compared YOY passenger numbers for travel from December 22nd through December 26th on flights from all U.S. origins from 2013  2017. Top destinations were determined based on passengers numbers for travel from 12/22/17  12/26/17 booked as of 11/4/2017. About CheapOair

CheapOair is a flight-focused, hybrid travel agency that enables consumers to book online, on mobile apps for iOS and Android, by phone or live chat. CheapOair (https://www.cheapoair.com, 1-800-566-2345) bridges the gap between an online and traditional travel agency with certified travel agents available 24/7 to help find deals and offers to destinations worldwide on over 450 airlines, 1 million hotels, and 100s of car rental companies. Partner airlines benefit from access to CheapOair's broad customer base that books high yield international travel and add-on ancillaries at above the industry average. Follow CheapOair on Facebook and Twitter to learn how to travel the world for less. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cheapoair-announces-top-destinations-for-the-holiday-season-300564524.html SOURCE CheapOair

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[November 29, 2017] Ashford University Launches New Master's Degree in Information Systems Management

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Forbes School of Business & Technology at Ashford University has launched a new master of information systems management (MISM) degree program. The online program is designed to prepare students for careers that require a holistic understanding of how technology impacts businesses and individuals. The degree program is currently accepting students. The MISM program focuses on efficient management and business integration of information technology and prepares students for employment in fields that leverage data analysis and information technology. Students may select from three specializations in the program, including business intelligence, project management, or IT organizational management and leadership. Graduates will be equipped to help organizations manage their information flow and technology to facilitate operational excellence. The degree is also designed to incorporate core technical knowledge appropriate to managing wider technology functions and processes within organizations. "The master of information systems management degree prepares students for leadership positions in world-class information technology organizations," said Bob Daugherty, executive dean of the Forbe School of Business & Technology at Ashford University. "The program enables students to learn skills to align IT to business strategies, ensuring graduates will be able to lead important technology initiatives that benefit startups, growing businesses, and public organizations."



Throughout the program, students will collect their coursework into a portfolio that they can present to current or potential employers. The portfolio content will include Virtual Lab projects such as written programs, databases, and project plans. The Virtual Lab component of the MISM curriculum will provide students with the opportunity to work with a variety of different software including Java SDK (software development kit), MS SQL, SNORT, and Visual Studio Online (VSO) for Agile project management. For more information about the new master of information systems management degree, please visit https://www.ashford.edu/online-degrees/information-technology/master-of-information-systems-management.

About Ashford University Where heritage meets innovation  that's Ashford University. At Ashford, students discover relevant degree programs, innovative technology, and cherished tradition. Ashford offers associates, bachelor's, and master's degree programs online, allowing students to balance life by providing the flexibility to do school work anywhere, anytime. For more information, please visit www.ashford.edu, www.facebook.com/ashforduniversity, www.twitter.com/AshfordU, or call Lauren Coartney at 858.513.9240 x11636. Contact: Lauren Coartney

858.513.9240 x11636  [email protected] View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ashford-university-launches-new-masters-degree-in-information-systems-management-300563094.html SOURCE Ashford University

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[November 29, 2017] McGraw-Hill Education Announces Tender Offer for 8.500% / 9.250% Senior PIK Toggle Notes due 2019 and Related Consent Solicitation

NEW YORK, Nov. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- McGraw-Hill Education, Inc. ("McGraw-Hill") announced today that two of its wholly owned subsidiaries, MHGE Parent, LLC ("MHGE Parent") and MHGE Parent Finance, Inc. (together with MHGE Parent, the "Issuers"), have launched a cash tender offer to purchase any and all of their outstanding $443,621,000 aggregate principal amount of 8.500% / 9.250% Senior PIK Toggle Notes due 2019 (the "Notes"). In connection with the tender offer, the Issuers are also soliciting consents from holders of the Notes to certain amendments to the indenture governing the Notes (the "Indenture") to, among other things, eliminate substantially all of the restrictive covenants contained therein. The Notes and other information relative to the Issuers' tender offer and consent solicitation are set forth in the table below.







Notes CUSIP

Number(s) Aggregate

Principal Amount

Outstanding Tender Offer

Consideration(1) Consent

Payment(1) Total

Consideration(1)(2)

8.500% / 9.250%

Senior PIK Toggle

Notes due 2019 55303M AA7

U59295 AA0

U59295 AB8 $443,621,000 $972.75 $30.00 $1,002.75

__________________ (1) Per $1,000 principal amount of Notes excluding accrued and unpaid interest thereon, which interest will be paid in addition to the tender offer consideration or the total consideration, as applicable. (2) Includes the tender offer consideration and the consent payment. Each holder who validly tenders its Notes and delivers its consent to the proposed amendments prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on December 12, 2017, unless such time is extended by the Issuers (the "Early Tender Time"), will receive, if such Notes are accepted for purchase pursuant to the tender offer, the total consideration of $1,002.75 per $1,000 principal amount of the Notes tendered, which includes $972.75 as the tender offer consideration and $30.00 as a consent payment. In addition, accrued interest up to, but not including, the applicable payment date of the Notes will be paid in cash on all validly tendered and accepted Notes. The tender offer is scheduled to expire at midnight, New York City time, at the end of December 27, 2017, unless extended or earlier terminated (the "Expiration Date"). Holders who validly tender their Notes after the Early Tender Time but on or prior to the Expiration Date will receive the tender offer consideration of $972.75 per $1,000 principal amount of the Notes, plus any accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes up to, but not including, the payment date, but will not receive the consent payment. In connection with the tender offer, the Issuers are soliciting consents to amend the Indenture to, among other things, eliminate substantially all of the restrictive covenants, certain events of default and certain other provisions contained in therein. Tendered Notes may be withdrawn at any time prior to 5:00 pm, New York City time, on December 12, 2017, but not thereafter, except to the extent that the Issuers are required by law to provide additional withdrawal rights (such time, as the same may be extended, the "Withdrawal Deadline"). Subject to the terms and conditions described below, payment of the total consideration or tender offer consideration, as applicable, is expected to occur promptly after the Early Tender Time but prior to the Expiration Date or promptly after the Expiration Date, as applicable. The Issuers expect that such payment of the total consideration will be made on or about December 13, 2017, unless extended by the Issuers in their sole discretion. The Issuers expect that the payment of the tender offer consideration with respect to Notes tendered after the Early Tender Time will be made on or about December 28, 2017, unless extended by the Issuers in their sole discretion. In addition, at any time after the Early Tender Time but prior to the Expiration Date, and subject to the terms and conditions described below, the Issuers may accept for purchase Notes validly tendered on or prior to such time and purchase such Notes for the tender offer consideration or total consideration, as applicable, promptly thereafter. The tender offer and consent solicitation are conditioned upon, among other things, MHGE Parent and/or one or more of its affiliates having completed one or more debt financings on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Issuers yielding sufficient net cash proceeds, when taken together with cash on hand, to pay the total consideration to purchase all of the Notes (the "Financing Condition"). For more information regarding the transactions described above, please refer to the Offer Documents (as defined below). If any of the conditions are not satisfied, the Issuers may terminate the tender offer and consent solicitation and return tendered Notes. The Issuers have the right to waive any of the foregoing conditions with respect to the Notes and to consummate the tender offer and consent solicitation. In addition, the Issuers have the right, in their sole discretion, to terminate the tender offer and consent solicitation at any time, subject to applicable law. On November 29, 2017, the Issuers' delivered a conditional notice of redemption with a redemption date of December 29, 2017 for any and all notes outstanding as of the redemption date. The redemption is conditioned upon the consummation of the Financing Condition described above. It is the Issuers' current intention to redeem any Notes that are not tendered pursuant to the tender offer assuming the Financing Condition is satisfied. This announcement shall not constitute an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities. The complete terms and conditions of the tender offer for the Notes are set forth in an Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation Statement dated November 29, 2017 and the related Consent and Letter of Transmittal (together, the "Offer Documents") that are being sent to holders of the Notes. The Issuers' tender offer and consent solicitation are being made only through, and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in, the Offer Documents and related materials. Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC will act as Dealer Manager and Solicitation Agent for the tender offer and consent solicitation for the Notes. Questions regarding the Issuers' tender offer and consent solicitation may be directed to Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC at (212) 538-2147 or toll free at (800) 820-1653. D.F. King & Co., Inc. will act as the Information Agent for the Issuers' tender offer and consent solicitation. Requests for the Offer Documents may be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc. at (212) 269-5552 (for brokers and banks) or (866) 745-0270 (for all others). None of McGraw-Hill or the Issuers or any other person makes any recommendation as to whether holders of Notes should tender their Notes, and no one has been authorized to make such a recommendation. Holders of Notes must make their own decisions as to whether to tender their Notes, and if they decide to do so, the principal amount of the Notes to tender. Holders of the Notes should read carefully the Offer Documents and related materials before any decision is made. About McGraw-Hill Education McGraw-Hill Education is a learning science company that delivers personalized learning experiences that help students, parents, educators, and professionals drive results. McGraw-Hill Education has offices across North America, India, China, Europe, the Middle East and South America, and makes its learning solutions available in more than 60 languages. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements Information in this release may involve outlook, expectations, beliefs, plans, intentions, strategies or other statements regarding the future, which are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based upon information available to us as of the date of the release, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. The statements in this release are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results could differ materially from current expectations. Numerous factors could cause or contribute to such differences. Please refer to "Risk Factors" and "Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in McGraw-Hill's annual report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 for a further discussion of the factors and risks associated with the business. Contacts Investors:

David Kraut

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Treasurer

McGraw-Hill Education

(646) 766-2060

[email protected] Media:

Catherine Mathis

Senior Vice President, Communications

McGraw-Hill Education

(646) 766-2468

[email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mcgraw-hill-education-announces-tender-offer-for-8500--9250-senior-pik-toggle-notes-due-2019-and-related-consent-solicitation-300563949.html SOURCE McGraw-Hill Education

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[November 29, 2017] A Free Cookie for Bakery's Fans

Insomnia Cookies is celebrating National Cookie Day on December 4th by giving away a traditional cookie to guests with any purchase in-store. Every day is a little bit sweeter with a warm, delicious cookie and it is even better when it's free. "We celebrate cookies every day but on National Cookie Day we want everyone to join in the celebration so we are treating fans to a little extra," Megan Bruton, Chief Marketing Officer, explains. That's why on December 4th, guests making purchases in any of Insomnia Cookies' 123 retail stores will have their choice of one of nine traditional cookie varieties. Flavors include: Chocolate Chunk, Double Chocolate Chunk, Peanut Butter, Classic with M&M's, Snickerdoodle, Sugar, Oatmeal Raisin, Double Chocolate Mint, and White Chocolate Macadamia Nut. For guests who just can't get their fill of Insomnia Cookies, the company has officially launched a full line of branded apparel. The products include t-shirts, hoodies, leggings, tank tops and more. The line even includes a collection of onesies for the smallest of their cookie fans. Insomnia Cookies gearis only available online at www.insomniacookies.com/gear.



Guests are encouraged to share their experience with the company on social media: Facebook (News - Alert) (Insomnia Cookies), Instagram (@insomniacookies), Snapchat (@cookiesvip), and Twitter (@insomniacookies). Customers can find a list of locations and information, as well as place an order for pick-up on the Insomnia Cookies website (www.insomniacookies.com) or by calling 877-632-6654.

Insomnia Cookies is a rapidly expanding late-night bakery concept with offices in both New York and Philadelphia. Founded in a college dorm room, Insomnia Cookies has been feeding the insatiable hunger of its fans ever since. The company specializes in delivering warm, delicious cookies right to the doors of individuals and companies alike. Whether you're feeding a craving or a crowd, Insomnia Cookies' offerings of cookies, brownies, cookie cakes, ice-cream and even cold milk, has you covered. For more information, visit www.insomniacookies.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171129006312/en/

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[November 29, 2017] Enterprise Retaliates Against Crime Victim, SubscriberWise Founder Acknowledges

SubscriberWise, the nation's largest issuing CRA for the communications industry and the leading advocate for children victimized by identity fraud, announced today the continued mistreatment by Enterprise Holdings against company founder and America's child identity guardian David Howe. The corporate abuse flows from Howe's extensive fraud expertise which was immediately leveraged at the crime scene and subsequently exposed the 'ding and dent' scam to local media and law enforcement in Fort Myers, FL. Related: National Car Rental Crime Victim David Howe Meets with FL Attorney General Pam Bondi's Consumer Protection Investigators Including Director Butler A similar financial scheme to hold unsuspecting customers liable for undercarriage damage was exposed by Wink News exactly 9 months earlier. The predatory pursuit involved a Sanibel couple who nearly became victims at the same airport location ( https://www.winknews.com/2016/0229/sanibel-couple-charged-for-under-car-damages-to-rental/ )



"I can really empathize with crime victims everywhere," said David Howe, SubscriberWise (www.subscriberwise.com) founder and 2016 National Car Rental crime victim at the Fort Myers International Airport. "It's remarkable and sad that the same company that engaged in an attempted financial fraud one year ago would today continue its corporate malfeasance by black listing the victim from future rentals. "But that's exactly what happened to me and I'm speechless to say the least," Howe remarked.

"Today I had a one-way rental reserved with the Alamo agency at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport," continued Howe. "As it turns out - and so profoundly unfortunate it is from my perspective - Enterprise Holdings now owns the Alamo brand. And for more than a decade, I've been an Alamo customer in excellent standing. Throughout the years, I've never had a single issue, concern, or problem with the agency since I've been renting with my 'Alamo Insider' account. "Unfortunately, that reality changed today when I attempted to obtain the Alamo rental. To my dismay, I was informed by both an Alamo agent and a manager on duty that the 'Damage Recovery Unit' blocked my ability to obtain rentals. Specifically, I was told that my driver license was flagged and that I wouldn't be able to obtain rentals at Alamo, National, and Enterprise. "Neither the agent or the manager could justify the company's decision to deny the rental. Each was sympathetic after they reviewed some of the published news from the 2016 fraud attempt," added Howe. "In fact, the agent seemed outraged by the facts of the incident after we invested a few minutes to review the published reports - including a discussion of the evidence I presented to FL AG Pam Bondi's office as well as U.S. Senator Marco Rubio's Legislative staff (http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170318005007/en/Enterprise-Holdings-Fraud-Victim-Travels-Capitol-Hill) "Frankly, I don't care to rent from National or Enterprise after the criminal victimization last year. I didn't intend to today for that matter. As I mentioned, the event left me reeling and it has remained a stressful trigger simply reflecting on the criminal encounter. This experience today only added 'salt to the wound'. "Yes, the entire event was traumatic and profoundly frustrating," reiterated Howe. "But what an outrage that the same company which was exposed for its bad acts would continue harming its victim rather than acting responsibly while also acknowledging their wrongdoing. "Tomorrow I plan to share this latest injustice with FLAG Bondi's senior investigators as well as my legislative contacts at Senator Rubio's office," Howe concluded. Related: Car Rental Checklist - Protocol for Protection About SubscriberWise SubscriberWise launched as the first U.S. issuing consumer reporting agency exclusively for the cable industry in 2006. In 2009, SubscriberWise and TransUnion announced a joint marketing agreement for the benefit of America's independent cable operators. Today SubscriberWise is a risk management preferred-solutions provider for the National Cable Television Cooperative. SubscriberWise contributions to the communications industry are quantified in the billions of dollars annually. SubscriberWise is a U.S.A. federally registered trademark of the SubscriberWise Limited Liability Co. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171129006330/en/

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[November 29, 2017] Salt Lake Tribune Names ZYTO a Top Workplace for 4th Year in a Row

LINDON, Utah, Nov. 29, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZYTO (OTC PINK:ZYTO), a company that develops biocommunication technology to help people make better wellness decisions, has been awarded a Top Workplaces honor by The Salt Lake Tribune for the 4th year in row. Were delighted to be recognized for the fourth straight year as one of the top workplaces in Utah, said ZYTO Founder and CEO Dr. Vaughn R Cook. This is an important achievement for us, as it is determined by our employees and how they feel about ZYTO.

ZYTO Corp. employees pose for photo outside Lindon, Utah, office.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4e0cac8f-1b64-45d4-b564-5a5f0c1eb5b1



The Top Workplaces lists are based solely on the results of an employee feedback survey administered by Energage, LLC (formerly WorkplaceDynamics), a leading research firm that specializes in organizational health and workplace improvement. Several aspects of workplace culture were measured, including Alignment, Execution, and Connection, just to name a few. Who better to ask about work life than the people who live the culture every daythe employees, says Doug Claffey, CEO of Energage. Time and time again, our research has proven that whats most important to them is a strong belief in where the organization is headed, how its going to get there, and the feeling that everyone is in it together. Without this sense of connection, an organization doesnt have a shot at being named a Top Workplace.

Employees pointed to a number of factors that they say make ZYTO a great place to work. Among them are an encouraging atmosphere, opportunities for growth, and that people are open to new ways of doing things. I feel appreciated at ZYTO because they are very good at pointing out the positives, said one ZYTO employee. They are also willing to listen and try implementing your ideas. Another employee stated that, ZYTO makes employees feel valued and important. ZYTO promotes employee health in a number of ways, including offering their technology to all employees and encouraging them to get a monthly ZYTO scan. Encouraging employees to use the companys technology helps them understand their customers experiences and become more accountable for their own health. About ZYTO

ZYTO is a technology company founded in 2004 by Dr. Vaughn R Cook. The company provides biocommunication hardware and software with wellness and lifestyle applications that include obtaining and analyzing galvanic skin response data from the human body to assist in making better wellness decisions. Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements relating to marketing and sales activities by ZYTOs marketing partners, ZYTO product development launches, future growth and research, and enhanced value for ZYTOs stockholders are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, continued acceptance of the Companys products, increased levels of competition, new products and technological changes, dependence upon third-party suppliers, intellectual property rights, and other risks detailed from time to time. ZYTO disclaims any obligation or intention to update any forward-looking statement contained in this release. About Energage, LLC

Headquartered in Exton, PA, Energage specializes in employee feedback surveys and workplace improvement. This year alone, more than two million employees in over 6,000 organizations will participate in the Top Workplaces campaigna program it conducts in partnership with more than 40 prestigious media partners across the United States. Energage also provides consulting services to improve employee engagement and organizational health. Energage is a founding B Corporation member, a coalition of organizations that are leading a global movement to redefine success in business by offering a positive vision of a better way to do business. Contact Information Any questions regarding this release can be directed to: Adam Ford ZYTO Corporation General Counsel [email protected] www.ZYTO.com

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[November 29, 2017] Dealer Teamwork Names Joe Skar Chief Financial Officer

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., Nov. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As the year comes to an end, Dealer Teamwork continues to grow and define new roles within the company. Among executive team promotions, announced last month, Dealer Teamwork also named Joe Skar Chief Financial Officer. COO, Gary Cootes remarked, "We are very fortunate to have a person of Joe's character, vast experience and passion to continue leading Dealer Teamwork down the path of rapid financial growth in the SaaS space." Prior to joining Dealer Teamwork, Mr. Skar was the Chief Financial Officer at Lake Street Capital Markets, an investment bank located in Minneapolis, MN. Before that, he served as Director of Fund Accounting at Whitebox Advisors, a multi-billion-dollar asset manager. He began his career in public accounting at KPMG after graduating summa cum laude from Minnesota State University, Mankatowith a BS is Accountancy.



"Like our executive promotions last month, we know that putting Joe in this position is going to help our leadership team align more closely to our new financial strategies going forward," said Sean Stapleton, CEO and Co-Founder. "His strong hand leading our financial operations is crucial to the strength and success of this company. Joe has a proven track record as a leader and the experience we need to support our rapid growth and expansion." About Dealer Teamwork:

Dealer Teamwork is a SaaS Company creating first-class solutions for the retail automotive industry. Dealer Teamwork created the automotive industry's first MPOP, a patented Merchandising, Personalization, and Optimization Platform. The Platform creates a significant competitive advantage for Dealers by distributing their transactional data to more in-market shoppers effectively and efficiently. For more information, please visit DealerTeamwork.com or visit the Dealer Teamwork About Us Page. Dealer Teamwork's headquarters is in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and services an international customer base from offices in California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York and Texas. Photo(s):

https://www.prlog.org/12679351 Press release distributed by PRLog View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dealer-teamwork-names-joe-skar-chief-financial-officer-300564098.html SOURCE Dealer Teamwork

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[November 30, 2017] Korea Smart Factory Foundation holds preliminary brief on "Smart Factory Expo 2018"

SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Smart Factory Expo 2018 preliminary brief was held at the COEX Restaurant Lu in Samseong-dong, together with the Korea Smart Manufacturing Industry Association (Chairman Kim Tae-hwan) and COEX. This presentation announced the 2018 exhibition/conference steering committees. After the brief, there was networking time between the participating companies. Center Head Song Byeong-hun of the Korea Smart Factory Foundation said, "This year, Smart Factory Expo and Automation World were held together, and I think it was timely. What is most important for any expo is that it has to be helpful for businesses. To vitalize the expo, people should feel the need to participate in it, and to make them feel it, the outcome must be perfect." He also stated, "The steering committee will consider content and a killer app, which would make the expo effective and successful. By listening to the opinion of the industrial field and reflecting on it, we will make a fruitful expo." Record 1,193 booths of 397 companies this year, the highest in history According to Deputy Head Ahn Jeong-ho of Coex, the number of visitors at the 2017 Automation World + Smart Factory Expo was 27,226, a 24% increase compared to the previous year. Also, the participating list recorded 1,193 booths of 397 companies. Specifically, the number of participating companies increased 33.7% compared to last year with 297 companies, and the number of booths increased 35.9% compared to last year with 878booths.



The most important purpose of visiting was to collect information on new product/technology with 48.8%, followed by the intent to grasp the trend of the field (17.8%) and to investigate purchases and secure new transactions earlier (15.7%). Deputy Ahn said, "To attract public attention, releasing new products suitable for the trend and special sales events for sales promotion are needed." 7,000 visitors in the semiconductor/electronic field, 3,300 in the automobile part/robot field and 3,000 in the automobile field visited, and 1,200 visitors in chemistry/plant/iron manufacture and 350 visitors in food and beverage field visited the expo. The secretariat for the 2018 expo is planning to use new and innovative methods to encourage more visitors to attend.

As a result of investigating the satisfaction rate of participating companies, in the case of new customer search satisfaction, 34.4% of companies were satisfied, and 49.55% of companies were satisfied in terms of new product promotion achievement. For the satisfaction on business promotion and image improvement, 50.5% of participating companies were satisfied. Deputy Ahn said, "To reinforce a new customer search, displays that reflect the main purposes of the visitors who are collecting information on new product/technology and grasping the trend of the field is needed." Steering Committee, to form a differentiated expo through voices of the industrial field

2018 Automation World + Smart Factory Expo will be held from March 28 to 30, 2018 at Coex A, B, C and D1 Halls. With various events and differentiated composition, it aims for 1,300 booths of 500 companies and 30,000 visitors. The expo is supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. More than 10 specialized conferences are planned, and a future factory theme by the manufacturing industry will be formed with Oil & Gas, Automotive and Cosmetic as its core. According to Deputy Ahn, to differentiate from other expos, it formed an Expo & Conference Organizing Committee. It is going to create an organizing committee connecting Industries-Universities-Institutes and develop it as an expo and conference that will follow industry trends. Also, by forming special rooms for process automation, it is planning to induce additional visitors through a Smart Factory model expo and conference. By organizing a foreign expo (SPS IPC Drives) inspection group, it is going to reinforce a business network and foreign cooperation. Moreover, a visitor inducing program through DB marketing, Radio ads, outdoor ads and banners and search ads will be conducted. Rockwell Automation Korea, Dassault System Korea, Weidmuller, Balluff Korea, Samsung SDS, Sonics Korea, Cimon, IFM Electronic, NVIDIA, Wago Korea, Yudo, Intel Korea, Siemens, Turck Korea, Phoenix Contact, Mitsubishi Electric Korea-Factory Automation, Omron Korea, Yokogawa Korea and Fuji Electric attended the briefing. More detailed information about the show shall be found at http://automationworldkorea.com/. Automation World

+82-2-6000-8155

[email protected]

www.automationworldkorea.com/ SOURCE Automation World

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[November 30, 2017] Deloitte and Sqrrl Announce Threat Hunting Alliance

Cambridge, Massachusetts , Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Deloitte CyberSOC EMEA Center, SL. closed a strategic agreement with Sqrrl, the industry-leading provider of threat hunting software. Deloitte will provide Managed Threat Hunting Services to clients in the EMEA region using Sqrrls state-of-the-art threat hunting platform. Threat hunting is the proactive search for cyber adversaries that have slipped past other defenses. With the developing sophistication of low and slow and the growing impact of data breaches, the need for threat hunting is dramatically increasing. Armed with Sqrrls threat hunting technology, Deloitte will perform a careful inspection of their clients IT environment to identify the presence of compromises and threat actors via Deloittes new Threat Hunting-As-A-Service offering. Sqrrls Platform is purpose-built for threat hunting, and enables our threat analysts to conduct hunts more effectively, said Cesar Martin Lara, Deloitte Spain Cyber Risk Services partner. We chose Sqrrl because of its ability to enable easy pivoting across datasets via link analysis and Sqrrls Security Behaviour Graph, machine learning analytics, and ability to unite diverse network, endpoint, identity, and security datasets into a powerful hunt-focused data model. We are honored to be working with Deloitte, who we consider the premier cybersecurity consultancy in the world, said Sqrrl CEO Mark Terenzoni. The flexibility of our platform enables Deloitte to easily create new analytics and data models and embed their world-class cyber intelligence into our Threat Hunting Platform. In addition to Managed Threat Hunting, Deloitte will resell Sqrrl's Threat Hunting Platform to clients who wish to deploy the platform in their own on-premises or cloud environments. <>To learn more about Deloitte Cyber Risk Services in EMEA:



Visit Deloittes EMEA region Cyber Risk website To learn more about Sqrrl and Threat Hunting: Watch Sqrrls overview  Introduction to Sqrrl  Who We Are in a Nutshell 

 Review Sqrrls practical threat hunting guidebook that has 7,500+ downloads

that has 7,500+ downloads Register for Sqrrls  How to Hunt for  webinar series with 10,000+ signups

 webinar series with 10,000+ signups Tune into Sqrrls podcast to hear advice from experienced threat hunters About Deloitte

All references to Deloitte in this press release relate to Deloitte CyberSOC EMEA Center, SL. Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (DTTL), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as Deloitte Global) does not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a more detailed description of DTTL and its member firms. Deloitte provides audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk management, tax, and related services to public and private clients spanning multiple industries. With a globally connected network of member firms in more than 150 countries and territories, Deloitte brings world-class capabilities and high-quality service to clients, delivering the insights they need to address their most complex business challenges. Deloittes more than 225,000 professionals are committed to making an impact that matters. About Deloittes Cyber Risk Services Deloitte Risk Advisorys Cyber Risk Services help organizations pursue their strategic growth, innovation and performance objectives more confidently, through proactive management of associated cyber risks. With extensive experience across many industries, Deloitte professionals provide highly differentiated end-to-end cyber solutions combining advisory, implementation, and managed security services. They serve clients via a global network of Cyber Intelligence and Delivery Centres. About Sqrrl Sqrrl is the threat hunting company that enables security analysts to discover advanced threats faster and reduces the time and resources required to investigate them. Sqrrls industry-leading Threat Hunting Platform unites link analysis, advanced machine learning analytics, and multi-petabyte scalability capabilities into an integrated solution. Learn more at http://www.sqrrl.com . Matt Zanderigo Sqrrl 125 CambridgePark Drive, Suite 401 Cambridge, MA 02140 [email protected] P: (617) 902-0784

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[November 30, 2017] Biggest Entrepreneurial Conference Promoting Trans East ASEAN Collaboration Successfully Held in Kuching

KUCHING, Malaysia, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sarawak has just hosted one of the largest entrepreneurial BIMP-EAGA conferences. The Inspiration-Idea-Implementation (i3) Conference, organized by MAD Incubator and ran by MC Projects & Events PLT in association with TedX Kenyalang from November 25-26, aims to connect entrepreneurs from across the region into a business network that mimics a complex entrepreneurial ecosystem with the intention to accelerate regional business development. Kicked off on November 25, 2017 at the Borneo Convention Centre, the two day conference began with a TedX Kenyalang event on day one. The i3 + LiveX conference was scheduled for the second day which was officiated by YB Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais the Assistant Minister of e-commerce, Assistant Minister of Entrepreneur & small, medium enterprise (SME) development. The core economic clusters were evaluated for prospective business projects in the BIMP-EAGA region. The Conference for both days combined had attracted a total of more than 500 local and international participants from India, China, Philippines, Brunei and Indonesia. Mr Ashran Dato' Ghazi CEO of Malaysian Global Innovative & Creativity Center (MaGIC), one of the main partner of the event, delivered the opening speech, highlighting: "Ideas that are coming out from the startups & entrepreneurial community, combined with experienced & networks with some of you guys! Who's been in the business for 10-15 years would be super awesome! That power that is combined together will come out with a very viable startup - entrepreneurial venture out there, that's gong to be competitive, that's going to create new market, that's going to be sustainable as we move forward."



The program also has keynote addresses on sourcing alternative funding for start-up opportunities, workshops and sharing sessions of case studies with varying rates of success. The i3 event has assessed the current landscape of the digital economy, and provide foresight into future trends and projections. Broaching the difficulties of implementation, the program highlighted the funding opportunities available, including venture capital and realistic methods sourcing alternative funding.

The entrepreneurial sharing sessions gotten many to be connected up close and personal with successful start-up heads in Asia. The Livelihood Exchange (LiveX) session has notable speakers from BIMP-EAGA that delivered personal accounts of the transformational impact of digital marketing on the local business communities. Interactivity is a highlight of the conference. There were workshops that teach evergreen digital marketing mastery conducted by iPRIMA Media, masterclasses in business strategy and many more. The conference was in line with the vision of the Development of the Youth and Urbanisation for Demak Laut, where a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on behalf of the collaboration for the product development downstream of a Net-hoist Winch invention proposed for the Community Social Responsibility (CSR) benefits of the fishermen community in Bako, Demak Laut. The exchange was engaged by the owner of the product, Haaziq Ibrahim of Ai Brique Engineering Solutions & the CSR Development Manager by Abdul Qaiyum Alidin of Resonics Consultancy during the i3 Business-to-business matchmaking session of the conference. The MOU took place on the same day as i3 + LiveX, after Haaziq Ibrahim and Abdul Qaiyum decided to honour their recent agreement and engagement between Resonics Consultancy, Ai Brique Engineering and Umadx Crowdfunding MOU exchange in the recent World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF), witnessed by Malaysia's Prime Minister Dato' Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Tun Dato' Musa Hitam and Dato' Amar Awang Tengah in Kuching, Sarawak. The event sparked a chain reaction which resulted another two MOU on the collaboration and engagement, led by Haaziq Ibrahim (Ai Brique Engineering) which includes Abdul Qaiyum Alidin (Resonics Consultancy) and also the Philippines delegates, Mr. Samuel R. Matunog (Segworks Technologies Corporation Philippines) and Mr. Michael Tiu Lim (Zamboanga ICT Council) to collaborate in building the existing opportunities, complementing the potential business climate within Malaysia and the Philippines. These engagement aims to assist the distribution of the product development, proof of concept and technological transfer between both parties to develop and deliver the distribution of business developments within these two countries. Plans for the next i3 + Live X event is being made and more B2B sessions are being planned to encourage more business transactions among countries in the BIMP-EAGA region. Please stay tuned on the conference's facebook page www.facebook.com/thei3conference or email the organizer at [email protected] to receive the latest updates for upcoming events. About iPRIMA Media iPRIMA Media is a digital marketing agency founded in the year of 2012, focusing on empowering small businesses to grow digitally. We have worked with over 400 local and foreign SMEs to build their online presence and increase their return of investment in the shortest time possible. We are located in Johor Bahru, Singapore, East Malaysia (and upcoming in Kuala Lumpur) to serve the digital needs of small businesses and start-ups. For further information, please visit: iPRIMA Media: https://www.iprimamedia.com

MAD Incubator: https://www.incubator.com.my

Conference details: https://www.thei3conference.com Contact: Maggie Chung

Phone: +60-12-684-2009

Email: [email protected] Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20171130/2003030-1 SOURCE MAD Incubator

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[November 30, 2017] Malindo Air Enhances Customers Experience With Aspect Software's Omni-Channel Contact Center Solution

MUMBAI, November 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Malaysian-based carrier selects Aspect to provide contact center solution for their customer care line.

Aspect Unified IP platform to align Malindo Air's customer care infrastructure and customer service processes to create single, integrated solution for 'best-in-class customer experience'

Aspect Software recently received Frost & Sullivan Market Share Leadership Award 6th year in a row. The award recognizes Aspect Software's leadership position in APAC as market leader in Outbound Solutions Malindo Air, recipient of Asia-Pacific Regional Airline of the Year, has successfully implemented an Omni-Channel Contact Center Solution from Aspect Software, a leading provider of fully-integrated customer Interaction Management, Workforce Optimization, Self-Service and 6 time recipient of the Frost & Sullivan Asia-Pacific Outbound Systems Market Share Leadership Award. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140922/706625-a )

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/613173/Malindo_Air_Logo.jpg )

The Interaction Management platform known as Aspect Unified IP helps to align Malindo Air's customer care infrastructure and customer service processes create a single, integrated solution for better customer experience. Chandran Rama Muthy, CEO of Malindo Air said, "As part of our continuous effort to improve customers' experience, we have deployed this technology to handle voice and email interactions at our customer care center based in Malaysia. We are pleased to have observed great improvement as we managed to handle all incoming calls and emails within the expected timeline. This is essential as our business grows rapidly and we care about our passengers." "Moving forward, the plan is to also deploythe technology from this platform to other operational users other than the customer care center locally as well as in our regional offices, which will improve cost-effectiveness and enhanced customer service," he added.



"Competitive pressures, evolving business models and ever changing market dynamics are constantly putting pressure on the 100 plus year old airline industry. Cost efficiency & customer centricity are the key strategies for sustenance and growth. Aspect is proud to be associated with Malindo Airlines, one of ASEAN region's leading airline, as we help them deliver quality customer experience to their passengers through our Customer experience solution", says Jagannath Narendran, SVP, Asia & Middle East, Aspect. He further added, "We are confident that the Aspect solution will deliver more enhanced engagement and impactful results to Malindo's business and its passengers in the near future." For updates on Malindo Air's latest activities and promotions, please connect with us via Twitter (https://twitter.com/malindoair ), Facebook (facebook.com/MalindoAirMalaysia) or Instagram (instagram.com/malindoair ).

About Aspect Aspect helps enterprises break down the walls between people, processes, systems and data sources, allowing organizations to unite around the customer journey. By developing fully native interaction management, workforce optimization and self-service capabilities within a single customer engagement center, we enable dynamic, conversational interactions and create a truly frictionless omni-channel customer experience. Leveraging the agility of our worldwide cloud infrastructure and over 40 years of industry ingenuity, Aspect conveniently and easily connects questions to answers while helping enterprises keep service levels high and operational costs contained. For more information, visit Aspect. About Malindo Air Malindo Air is a Malaysian airline with main hubs at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and the convenient KL downtown city airport Subang Skypark in Selangor, Malaysia. The airline took to the skies in March 2013 with domestic flights and has since grown to operate routes to all major airports in Malaysia and across the continents of Asia and Australia. The fleet itself has grown exponentially to 16 ATR72-600 and 29 Boeing 737NG as of October 2017. Today, the airline operates over 800 flights weekly across a continuously growing network of about 46 routes in the region. More recently, the airline obtained it's IATA Airline membership and won CAPA's 2016 Asia-Pacific Regional Airline of the Year, New Comer of the Year, Australia 2016/17 by Expedia.com, TOP Recognition - Malaysia SME Preferred Airline Partner, Airline of the Year (Passenger) at the KLIA Awards 2014 and Top Performing Airline 2015 by Travelport. Media Contact:

Aspect

Shailendra Tanwar

Head Marketing-India and Middle East

+91-9930134118

[email protected] Malindo Air

Suresh Vanan

PR & Communications Manager

T: +603-2035-6699 ext. 1435

E: [email protected] Andrea Liong

Head of PR & Communications

T: +603-2035-6699 ext. 1312

E: [email protected]





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The Klein Law Firm Reminds Investors of an Investigation Concerning Possible Violations of Federal Securities Laws by Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. (OHI)

The Klein Law Firm announces the commencement of an investigation of Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. (NYSE:OHI) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws.

On October 31, 2017, the Company held a conference call to discuss its third quarter results. On the call, Daniel J. Booth, the Company's COO, stated that Omega Healthcare was experiencing "operator performance issues," including issues with Signature Healthcare, one of the Company's top ten operators. On the same call, Robert Stephenson, the Company's CFO, stated that operating revenue for the quarter was approximately $220 million, compared to $225 million for the third quarter of 2016, nd that "[t]he decrease was primarily a result of placing Orianna on a cash basis" which caused the Company to record no Orianna revenue for the quarter.







If you suffered a loss in Omega Healthcare and wish to obtain additional information, please contact Joseph Klein, Esq. by telephone at 212-616-4899 or visit http://www.kkclasslaw.com/OHI-Info-Request-Form-224.

Joseph Klein, Esq. represents investors and participates in securities litigations involving financial fraud throughout the nation. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130005207/en/
[November 30, 2017] KBR Awarded Ammonia Plant Revamp in India

HOUSTON, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- KBR, Inc. (NYSE: KBR) announced today it has been awarded an ammonia plant revamp contract by Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Ltd (RCF). Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide a technology license and basic engineering design for the RCF ammonia plant at Trombay, Maharashtra, India. During this project, the existing Ammonia 5 plant will be revamped for energy savings to meet the new energy requirements in India. KBR will utilize its proprietary PurifierTM technology which delivers the lowest proven energy consumption in the industry, reduces capital costs and improves overall plant operations. "Partnering with a government fertilizer company such as RCF to help them meet their new energy requirements is an important milestone project for KBR in India," said John Derbyshire, President KBR Technology & Consulting. "This shows the immense amount of confidence and faith that clients have in KBR ammonia technology solutions." KBR is a leader across the world in ammonia technology and has been involved in the licensing, design, engineering, and/or construction of more than 230 grass roots ammonia plants and over 100 revamp ammonia projects globally. Revenue associated with this project has been booked into backlog for KBR's Technology and Consulting Business Segment in 2017. About KBR, Inc. KBR is a global provider of differentiated professional services and technologies across the asset and program life cycle within the Government Services and Hydrocarbons sectors. KBR employs over 34,000 people worldwide (including our joint ventures), with customers in more than 80 countries, and operations in 40 countries, across three synergistic global businesses: Government Services, serving government customers globally, including capabilities that cover the full life-cyle of defense, space, aviation and other government programs and missions from research and development, through systems engineering, test and evaluation, program management, to operations, maintenance, and field logistics

Technology & Consulting, including proprietary technology focused on the monetization of hydrocarbons (especially natural gas and natural gas liquids) in ethylene and petrochemicals; ammonia, nitric acid and fertilizers; oil refining; gasification; oil and gas consulting; integrity management; naval architecture and proprietary hulls; and downstream consulting

Engineering & Construction, including onshore oil and gas; LNG (liquefaction and regasification)/GTL; oil refining; petrochemicals; chemicals; fertilizers; differentiated EPC; maintenance services (Brown & Root Industrial Services); offshore oil and gas (shallow-water, deep-water, subsea); floating solutions (FPU, FPSO, FLNG & FSRU) and program management



At KBR, We Deliver. Visit www.kbr.com

Forward Looking Statement The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding future financial performance, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the outcome of and the publicity surrounding audits and investigations by domestic and foreign government agencies and legislative bodies; potential adverse proceedings by such agencies and potential adverse results and consequences from such proceedings; the scope and enforceability of the company's indemnities from its former parent; changes in capital spending by the company's customers; the company's ability to obtain contracts from existing and new customers and perform under those contracts; structural changes in the industries in which the company operates; escalating costs associated with and the performance of fixed-fee projects and the company's ability to control its cost under its contracts; claims negotiations and contract disputes with the company's customers; changes in the demand for or price of oil and/or natural gas; protection of intellectual property rights; compliance with environmental laws; changes in government regulations and regulatory requirements; compliance with laws related to income taxes; unsettled political conditions, war and the effects of terrorism; foreign operations and foreign exchange rates and controls; the development and installation of financial systems; increased competition for employees; the ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions; and operations of joint ventures, including joint ventures that are not controlled by the company. KBR's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Form 10-Qs and 8-Ks, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss some of the important risk factors that KBR has identified that may affect the business, results of operations and financial condition. Except as required by law, KBR undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kbr-awarded-ammonia-plant-revamp-in-india-300564053.html SOURCE KBR, Inc.

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[November 30, 2017] The Bureau de la securite privee launches its new website

MONTREAL, Nov. 30, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - The BUREAU DE LA SECURITE PRIVEE (BSP) is pleased to announce the launch of its new website (www.bspquebec.ca/en). This Web platform is an essential reference portal for the private security industry. Website redesigned: enhancement of visual presentation and overall experience

The design of the Bureau de la securite privee website has been modernized thanks to a clean and efficient visual presentation and a contemporary look with intuitive ergonomics. Abreast of the lates digital trends, the BSP has completely updated its website. The information architecture has been simplified and now offers an enhanced experience to the site's users, visitors and people from the general public interested in learning more about the private security industry.



Private security everyone's concern!

The Bureau de la securite privee wants its new website to be a key carrier of information for agents and agencies that hold a licence from the BSP, those who want to start a career in the private security industry or seek information about the Private Security Act, consult the REGISTER of licence holders or job offers within the industry. The BSP specifically invites the general public to browse the PUBLIC tab of the bspquebec.ca website to learn more about private security and the various categories of job possibilities in a growing industry. About the Bureau de la securite privee

The Bureau de la securite privee that has for mission to protect the public fulfils its role with integrity, rigour and openness. The BSP was created in 2010 when the Private Security Act came to force and is the self-regulatory body that governs the private security industry. Along with stakeholders of this booming industry, it plays a crucial role in ensuring the maintenance of professional practice, which is for the general public a guarantee of peace of mind and trust.



See the video!

Discover the site! SOURCE Bureau de la securite privee

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[November 30, 2017] Cision And Crowdfundx To Host Reg A+ IPO Virtual Investor Conference On December 13

Conference Will Highlight Investment Considerations for Retail Investors, Featuring Reg A+ Industry Leaders and Issuer Presentations CHICAGO, Nov. 30, 2017 /CNW/ -- An online conference on Reg A+ IPO investment strategies for individual investors will be held Wednesday, December 13, 2017 at 9:15 a.m. ET. Cision (NYSE: CISN), a leading global public relations and earned media software company, and CrowdfundX, a FinTech marketing firm, will be hosting the event. As part of Cision's program to better connect publicly-traded companies with individual investors, the live conference will feature several industry experts, as well as, issuers who recently completed a Reg A+ IPO or are planning one. Register here to join: https://tinyurl.com/1213RegAPre "Since launching the Virtual Investor Conference series in 2010, we have introduced over 700 companies to our growing community of 45,000 investors. We are excited to partner with CrowdfundX for our second investor conference focused on educating investors about Reg A+ opportunities and providing a platform for investors to engage with the founders of these high growth companies seeking equity capital," said John Viglotti, VP, Investor Relations Products and Services at Cision. "Self-directed retail investors have demonstrated a strong demand for learning about and investing in Reg A+ deals," said Darren Marble, CEO, CrowdfundX. "It is our responsibility to educate investors on the risks and opportunities associated with investing in mini-IPOs, or buying their stock in the aftermarket. Retail investor participation represents the single most importantgrowth factor in the industry, and we could not be more excited to partner with Cision on this timely conference."



Diverse Lineup of Speakers The conference will be broken up into two segments, opening with industry leaders who will discuss Reg A+ as an investment vehicle, followed by Reg A+ issuer presentations. Educational speakers include:

Cass Sanford, Associate General Counsel with OTC Markets Group Inc.

Mark Elenowitz , CEO of TriPoint Global Equities/BANQ

, CEO of TriPoint Global Equities/BANQ Dara Albright , Founder of Dara Albright Media

, Founder of Dara Albright Media Adam Sharp , Founder of Early Investing "Reg A+ democratizes the investment process by allowing individual investors to invest alongside institutional and high-net-worth investors," said Sanford. "With Reg A+, companies now have the ability to directly engage with their community and create long-term shareholder relationships and value. OTC Markets Group is committed to making the Reg A+ process as efficient and transparent as possible by providing dealer-driven liquidity, streamlining the regulatory process for companies and distributing information to investors." "This event will help create a clear understanding of the mindset of Wall Street and how to integrate the crowd into a methodology to create a successful offering," stated Mark Elenowitz, CEO of TriPoint Global Equities/BANQ. Issuer Presentations Reg A+ issuers confirmed to present include: iPic Entertainment, America's premier luxury restaurant-and-theater company

stREITwise, a commission-free Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)

Hylete, a creator of premium performance apparel

Muscle Maker, a leading healthy fast-casual restaurant brand Companies utilizing Regulation A+ to raise equity growth capital or conduct an IPO are encouraged to contact John Viglotti [email protected] 201-360-6767 to reserve a presentation time. About Cision Cision Ltd. (NYSE: CISN) is a leading global provider of earned media software and services to public relations and marketing communications professionals. Cision's software allows users to identify key influencers, craft and distribute strategic content, and measure meaningful impact. Cision has over 3,000 employees with offices in 15 countries throughout the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. For more information about its award-winning products and services, including the Cision Communications Cloud, visit www.cision.com and follow Cision on Twitter @Cision. About CrowdfundX CrowdfundX is a FinTech marketing firm that leverages a combination of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital marketing to help issuers acquire retail investors and shareholders at scale. CrowdfundX is the creator of Dara, the world's first AI Investor Marketing Engine. To learn more, visit www.crowdfundx.io. About VirtualInvestorConferences.com

VirtualnvestorConferences.com, created by BetterInvesting (NAIC) and Cision, has been the only monthly virtual investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for presenting companies to meet directly with investors using a graphically-enhanced online platform. Designed to replicate the look and feel of location-based investor conferences, Virtual Investor Conferences combines Cision's leading-edge online conferencing and investor communications capabilities with BetterInvesting's extensive retail investor audience network. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cision-and-crowdfundx-to-host-reg-a-ipo-virtual-investor-conference-on-december-13-300564196.html SOURCE VirtualInvestorConferences.com

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[November 30, 2017] Disk Encryption for Managed Service Providers Simplified by Jetico

Jetico, developer of world-class data protection software, has released version 3 of BestCrypt Volume Encryption - Enterprise Edition. The updated central management component of Jetico's disk encryption software has been designed with Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in mind to deliver simplified administration of multiple customers - just one database and a single browser-based console to rule them all. "MSPs wishing to stay competitive must complete their offering - data encryption is a must have that can no longer be excluded. Jetico recognizes the importance of this solution for our partners and customers," Jetico CEO, Michael Waksman explains. "Beyond that, MSPs tend to serve the SMB market quite well. Like large corporations, SMBs are also more vulnerable to threats and compliance requirements - just look at the upcoming EU Data Protection Regulation." The update to Jetico Central Manager (JCM) allows admins to remotely manage and support multiple companies' encryption activities from one database and a single console. Full control over facilities located outside their local-area network (LAN) is now enabled from anywhere - using any device with a web-browser, including smartphones and tablets.



Version 3 of BestCrypt Volume Encryption - Enterprise Edition features: Support for multiple accounts and role-based access control

MSPs can now share responsibilities with customer personnel and assign access to Jetico Central Manager Console based on role (Administrator, Operator, Auditor). Enhanced reporting for customers

Run and retrieve encryption reports to get an overview of all current customer configurations over a selected time period.

Run and retrieve encryption reports to get an overview of all current customer configurations over a selected time period. Audit logs

Review and report all configuration changes made by an individual account or all accounts with complete and precise activity reporting.

Review and report all configuration changes made by an individual account or all accounts with complete and precise activity reporting. Updated aesthetics and added convenience

Overall improvements, including a new user-friendly interface and pre-set encryption policies for GDPR and HIPAA compliance, can be found here. Mr. Waksman continues, "This release comes with multiple benefits for MSPs. But there's more. Behind the user-friendly interface, a sophisticated yet flexible design enables easy integration with other solutions and platforms. Jetico software is better positioned to serve the OEM market and a vast possibility for technical partnerships."

Proving the solution's potential for OEM collaborations, Jetico has just published a joint press release with Quick Heal. The full news can be found here. About Jetico Jetico provides pure and simple data protection software for National Security, Compliance and Personal Privacy. Trusted for over 10 years by the U.S. Department of Defense, Jetico's BCWipe can wipe selected files beyond forensic recovery such as in response to classified data spills, while BCWipe Total WipeOut can erase hard drive data entirely such as for disposal or decommission. To protect stored data, Jetico's BestCrypt delivers compliant data encryption software for whole disks, virtual drives and selected files or folders. Jetico Enterprise Editions include central management for client software control. Jetico products are trusted by government and military agencies, all of the top 10 U.S. defense contractors, many national laboratories, as well as various other enterprises and a wide global base of home and small business users in over 100 countries. Founded in 1995, Jetico is privately held and headquartered in the Otaniemi Science Park in Helsinki, Finland. For more information, please visit jetico.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130005454/en/

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[November 30, 2017] Community Health Systems to Participate in Citi 2017 Global Healthcare Conference

Community Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE: CYH) today announced that management will participate in the Citi 2017 Global Healthcare Conference to be held December 6-7, 2017, at The Lotte New York Palace Hotel in New York. The investor presentation will begin at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time, 10:00 a.m. Central time, on Thursday, December 7, 2017, and will be available to investors via a live audio webcast. A link to the broadcast can be found at the investor relations section of the Company's website, www.chs.net, and a replay will be available for 30 days using that same link.



Community Health Systems, Inc. is one of the largest publicly traded hospital companies in the United States and a leading operator of general acute care hospitals in communities across the country. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owns, leases or operates 127 affiliated hospitals in 20 states with an aggregate of approximately 21,000 licensed beds. The Company's headquarters are located in Franklin, Tennessee, a suburb south of Nashville. Shares in Community Health Systems, Inc. are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "CYH." More information about the Company can be found on its website at www.chs.net.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130005892/en/

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[November 30, 2017] 12 Patient and Consumer Groups: CBO Confirms That Alexander-Murray Bill is Not a Fix for Repealing the Individual Mandate

Yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) sent a letter to Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) indicating that the Alexander-Murray Bipartisan Health Care Stabilization Act would not mitigate the premium increases and coverage losses that would result from repealing the individual mandate. In response, 12 non-partisan patient and provider groups released the following statement: "Yesterday, the CBO confirmed that repealing the individual mandate will raise premiums in the health insurance market by an average of 10 percent, even if Congress also passes the Bipartisan Health Care Stabilization Act. It would also result in 13 million fewer Americans having health insurance coverage. Some lawmakers contend that passage of the short-term stabilization package would offset the negative effects of reealing the individual mandate, but this is definitively not the case.



"The 12 undersigned organizations, representing patients and consumers, call on Senators to preserve the individual mandate and remove this harmful provision from the tax bill. If the current version of Senate tax bill becomes law, it would result in more expensive coverage for our communities who rely on affordable care to maintain their health and well-being. "While we support the efforts of Senators Alexander and Murray to bring stability to the health insurance markets, their bill does not compensate for the damaging effects of repealing the individual mandate in the Senate tax bill. We urge Senators to reject any provision that would make care more expensive for the people who need it most."

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

American Diabetes Association

American Heart Association

American Lung Association

Arthritis Foundation

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Epilepsy Foundation

Lutheran Services in America

March of Dimes

National Health Council

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

National Organization for Rare Disorders View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130006035/en/

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INVESTOR ALERT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Notifies Investors of an Investigation Involving Possible Securities Fraud Violations Relating to Centra Tech, Inc.'s ICO

Levi & Korsinsky announces it has commenced an investigation into Central Tech, Inc. concerning possible violations of the federal securities laws in relation to the Company's Initial Coin Offering (ICO).

On September 25, 2017, Centra Tech completed it's ICO, successfully selling 68% of the available Centra (CTR) digital tokens. The investigation concerns whether Centra Tech offered and sold unregistered securities in violation of the federal securities laws. To obtain additional information, go to:

http://www.zlk.com/pslra-sbm-cc/centra-tech-inc-2







or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 363-7500, toll-free: (877) 363-5972.

Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, California, Connecticut and Washington D.C. The firm's attorneys have extensive expertise in prosecuting securities litigation involving financial fraud, representing investors throughout the nation in securities and shareholder lawsuits. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130006091/en/
[November 30, 2017] Advantus Capital Management's Jennifer Wolf Among "Top Women in Finance"

Jennifer Wolf, vice president and chief legal officer of Advantus Capital Management, has been honored as one of the Finance & Commerce newspaper's 2017 "Top Women in Finance." Now in its 17th year, the "Top Women in Finance" program recognizes women who are making an impact not only in their professions but also in their communities. An outside panel of experts reviews the nominations and selects the honorees. Wolf and other honorees were celebrated at an event on November 16 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Minneapolis. Wolf joined Advantus in 2005 and leads its legal team of four attorneys and four paralegals. She received her juris doctor degree from Loyola University-Chicago. Outside of work, Wolf is a fellow of the American College of Investment Counsel and the American College of Mortgage Attorneys. In addition, for nine years, she has served on the board of directors of Como Friends, the nonprofit fundraising organization for the Como Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul. "Jennifer is a talented attorney and strategist. Her contributions to our commercial lending program, product development and leading the legal team are important for the success of the firm," said Dave Kuplic Advantus' president. "On behalf of everyone at Advantus, we congratulate Jennifer on this well-deserved honor."



Read Finance & Commerce's profile of Wolf. About Advantus Capital Management

Advantus Capital Management is an institutional asset manager that specializes in public and private fixed income, managed volatility, real estate securities and other income-oriented equity strategies. Its investment approach is founded on thorough fundamental research insights derived from collaboration among investment specialists across diverse strategies, with risk management embedded throughout the process. Advantus is a subsidiary of Securian Financial Group, Inc.

About Securian Financial Group

Since 1880, Securian Financial Group and its affiliates have provided financial security for individuals and businesses in the form of insurance, investments and retirement plans. Now one of the nation's largest financial services providers, Securian is the holding company parent of a group of companies that offer a broad range of financial services. DOFU 11-2017

311104 View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171130006175/en/

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2 Coloradans arrested in Kansas, allegedly with 32 pounds of marijuana DENVER - Two Coloradans were arrested late on Tuesday night near Salina, Kansas after deputies allegedly found them with more than 32 pounds of marijuana in their car. The Saline County Sheriff's Office pulled over a car on I-70 near mile marker 246 just after 11 p.m.

Here's a note on a bust thatwhile the Sunflower State squanders resources to challenge the availability of a drug that's more commonplace and has less social stigma than candy. Read more:
"The length of stay of each offender is a major contributor to todays rising jail populations in Missouri. The CSGs research says Missourians in jail for felonies spend an average of 191 days behind bars before theyre sentenced."

Quick fact check on life in the lock-up without the insight or fun quips of. . .This not-so-fun-fact should offer some perspective on enduring Jackson County problems.Money line:Part of the problem: "The Missouri Public Defender System has been woefully underfunded and has lacked attorneys for years. Public defenders lack the time to adequately manage their cases, often leading to their clients spending additional time in jail."Solutions includefor lower offenses and possibly a tacit admission that the drug war is a lost cause.Developing . . .
"The 1-138th Regiment of the Missouri national guard, headquartered at 7600 Ozark Rd, in Raytown, Mo, returned from deployment to Fort Bliss, TX to demobilize on 21 Nov, before returning home to Missouri. The demobilization process, which usually takes a week involves administrative processing. However, the unit is being kept in TX, apart from their families an extra week doing nothing, because a homecoming ceremony could not be scheduled until 7 Dec due to the fact that it was the only date that fit into Mayor Sly James and other local politicos schedules . The local figures want to get their photo ops with a homecoming unit. After a year of being apart from their families, the soldiers will have to be kept waiting stuck in TX so the local politicos can look good. The Missouri Guard is is pandering to the Mayor Sly when it should be the other way around."

Sent our way from some of ourwho are frustrated with "optics" over real world support for soldiers . . . Here's a perspective on local politics and exceptionally bad planning . . .You decide . . .
Political stability in Greece is critical for the recovery of the crisis stricken economy as well as the strengthening of the tourist industr

Greece's Supreme Court prosecutor Xeni Dimitriou ordered a preliminary investigation into the leak of potentially classified documents relating to the sale of surplus missiles and bombs to Saudi Arabia.

Dimitriou asked the Military Court of Athens to determine whether the documents published were indeed classified and if there was an illegal leak. The court will investigate if any servicemen were involved in the case and if other suspects are involved, the probe will widen and continue by the Supreme Court prosecutor.

On November 17, he ordered a separate probe by the corruption prosecutor into the sale itself and the conditions under which it was agreed on. The procedure is underway.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: areiospagos.gr

Source: ANA-MPA
Extreme weather phenomena are a relatively rare winter occurrence in Greece, which is famous in the whole world for its great climate all year round

Residents of western Attica whose house was destroyed by the recent deadly floods were invited by the Greek Ministry of Infrastructure on Tuesday to submit their application for a 5,000-euro aid as of Wednesday.

Those affected will have to bring their application at the town hall of Mandra or the Citizens' Service Centres (KEP) in Nea Peramos and submit it along with a photocopy of a police ID or passport, pictures of the destroyed building (inside and outside) along with a recent utility bill.

The application must be addressed to the Directorate of Natural Disasters Reclamation of Central Greece in Athens. After the procedure for private citizens has been finished, a new procedure will be announced for businesses.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Spyros Gouvas License: CC-BY-SA

Source: ANA-MPA
Tensions between the two countries , Greece and Turkey, have been going on for years but their cooperation has also been extensive enabling tourism to benefit significantly and reach very high levels lately

The nine Turkish nationals, eight men and one woman, arrested by Greek authorities in Athens were brought before a public prosecutor on Wednesday and charged with a series of terrorism-related crimes.

Taken into custody following a major police operation in the Athens districts of Neos Kosmos and Kallithea on Tuesday, the suspects are alleged to be members of the militant Turkish party Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP-C), which is classed as a terrorist group in the EU, US and Turkey. According to the charges against them, they were planning an attack against Turkish President Recep Tayyip during his visit to Greece on December 6-7.

The nine were charged with forming and joining a terrorist group, acquisition and possession of explosive materials and bombs as an act of terrorism, illegal possession of hand-guns, ammunition and explosives as an act of terrorism, forgery and use of fake public documents, resisting arrest, illegal weapons possession (for knives that were confiscated) and illegal possession of fire crackers and smoke canisters.

They have now been referred to a regular examining magistrate and are expected to request extra time to prepare their statements. Meanwhile, the public prosecutor is due to issue an order allowing details of their identity to be made public.

According to their lawyers Aleka Zorbala and Yianna Kourtovik, their clients are all refugees that have either sought or been given asylum and they refuse any connection to terrorism. The two lawyers also suggested that their arrest was "a gift or sign of goodwill" by Greece's government ahead of Erdogan's visit. Some 15 leftist activists were waiting outside the public prosecutor's office as they were brought in, holding a banner and shouting slogans in their support.

The lawyers disputed the evidence discovered by police in the apartments occupied by the nine, noting that much of it were ordinary household items that could be found in any home, while their clients deny any knowledge of the hand-guns confiscated by police. The suspects also made accusations claiming police brutality during their time in custody.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Lfdder License: CC-BY-SA

Source: ANA-MPA
No breach of the commitments has so far been reported either by the German or the Greek side

No breach of the commitments made by German authorities last week regarding controls at German airports on flights emanating from Greece have been reported, the European Commission spokesperson for Migration Issues Tove Ernst said on Tuesday in Brussels.

Asked to comment on whether passengers on flights from Greece continue to be transferred to non-Schengen areas at German airports for controls, Ernst noted that no breach of the commitments has so far been reported either by the German or the Greek side.

A meeting of experts from Greece, Germany and the European Commission was held on the initiative of the Commission last week, in which the German side specified that any controls conducted in German airports on flights arriving from Greece will take place at the gate within the Schengen area of the airport and the passengers will not be transferred to non-Schengen areas. Moreover, Germany pledged that controls will be limited to the identity and the validity of travel documents. Ernst noted, however, that the controls by German authorities on flights from Greece sought to reduce the chances of illegal immigration.

"The Commission will continue to work closely with Greece and Germany. Overall cooperation between them is very good so far and the Commission will continue to help and encourage further progress," the European Commission spokesperson stressed.

Asked to comment on the difficult situation on the Greek islands, with thousands of trapped migrants stacked in overcrowded hotspots, Ernst replied that the Commission is aware of the situation, which she described as "worrying". She also noted that the Commission continues to support the Greek authorities responsible for ensuring 'decent living conditions' for migrants. "Since the start of the migration crisis, we continue to support the Greek authorities with financial and technical means on the ground, experts who help improve reception conditions for migrants and asylum seekers," she added.

She also said that last week, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos expressed the Commission's concern at the plenary session of the European Parliament, as well as the commitment to continue to assist the Greek authorities.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: License: CC-BY-SA

Source: ANA-MPA
Installux Gulf, a Bahraini-French aluminium solutions provider, recently marked 20 years of successful operations with major contributions to the skylines of many cities in the Gulf and Middle East.



Striving to constantly meet and exceed its partners expectations with products that offer the latest energy-efficient and performance rating is the hallmark for Installux Aluminium. Since establishing its office in 1997 in Bahrain serving the markets of the Middle East, the joint venture company has done many landmark projects and introduced competition that help fuel innovation in the region.



Energy-efficient, high-performance products, integrity, focused service and practical solutions have transformed a Bahraini-French company into a sustainable and viable regional business entity.



The company has created its own niche market by offering a wide range of products for both commercial and residential projects across the region, thanks to the founders mission to become a leading architectural aluminium system supplier in the region.



We constantly introduce new innovative and practical solutions to drive the market towards better value, Basim Al Saie, managing director of Installux Gulf, said.



Started as a one-man operation, Installux Gulf has emerged as one of the success stories in a short span of time due to its commitment to the professionalism, dedication and culture of self-accountability.



For our team, just doing the job is not enough. We need to go above and beyond expectations of our clientele, Al Saie added, who has been at the helm of the companys affairs since the very beginning.



In a highly competitive business climate, Al Saie added, only efficient companies will withstand stiff competition and global challenges. We need to be competitive and efficient on a global scale, and not only at the local level.



The companys integrity and transparency in doing business has had few but important benchmarks for Al Saie.



We dont compromise on our values, they are inherent in everything we do. We dont believe in short term gains rather doing the right thing for the first time and every time. We do what we do, not because it is good business sense, but because we believe in it, he said.



Every region has its own unique needs and requirements; no standard solution will fit all. From the early days, we offered customised solutions to meet our market demands and local needs. Installux is constantly updating its range of products  we now have introduced a 4-m-high sliding door with a slim profile and high energy efficiency.



Looking back over the last 20 years, we faced adversity in many ways, but we are proud that in spite of all these challenges we stuck to our values and today our clients and market recognise this in how we do our business. We are forever grateful to our team and those that believed in us when we first started and gave as an opportunity, he added.



I am happy to see that we have overcome adversity and learnt a great deal. For us, a major turning point came when we won an Emaar project in 2002, The Greens in Dubai. We won it after being pushed out of another project in a painful way, but we responded to that by winning a bigger one  14 buildings became 41 buildings. There are always difficulties but setbacks are a great opportunity for learning. I always want to push and to strive to do better, Al Saie said.



Installux Gulf, today employs around 17 and is involved in projects across the Gulf. The company has carried out many landmark projects in the major cities across the Gulf.



The list of major projects includes Emaar Dubai, Burj Residences, The Greens, Dubai Police headquarters in Dubai, Ansam Development in In Abu Dhabi, most of recent Bin Faqeeh projects in Bahrain, and many more in Kuwait, Saudi, and Qatar.  TradeArabia News Service
Eaton Vance Eyes Raising Hexavest Stake

Investment manager Eaton Vance has the next few weeks to decided whether to take a majority interest in Montreal-headquartered equity manager Hexavest.

We are in the middle of negotiations and would prefer not to say too much," said Thomas Faust, CEO of Eaton Vance during the firm's fourth-quarter earnings call. We like the way they run their business."

Eaton Vance originally acquired 49% interest in the Canadian firm in 2012, which gave it control of Hexavest's development outside of Canada as well as an option to take a larger stake in the firm at a later date.

Since the investment, Hexavest has increased its global footprint and currently has offices in London, Sydney, Singapore, and Tokyo.

"In London, we now have a staff of nearly 50 people, up from just a handful two years ago," noted Faust. "I am pleased to report that our increased focus on growing our international business is beginning to pay off."

Eaton Vance has reported that asset managed for non-US clients contributed more than $5 billion to the company's consolidated net inflows, which equates to 30% internal growth for managed assets.

"Leading contributors to this years international growth include bank loans and exposure management," said Faust. "Still representing less than 6% of managed assets, we see lots of room to run for additional growth outside the US".

If Eaton Vance decides to exercise its option, it will represent a $90 million commitment by the firm. "It not an insignificant amount," he said.

In November 2016 the investment manager acquired the assets of Calvert Investments, which manages a family of actively and passively managed responsibly invested equity and fixed income mutual funds, for an undisclosed sum.

Since the acquisition, assets managed by Calvert research and management subsidiary, including account sub-advised by other Eaton Vance affiliates increased by $900 million, up 26% from 12 months earlier, according to Faust.

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6) Pontevedra

7) Ferrol

Galicia in northwest Spain is famous for its lush green countryside. Standing in stark contrast to the dry, high plains of central Spain, Galicias wooded hills guard a landscape that reminds many visitors of Ireland or the Pacific Northwest, and its thousands of small towns preserve distinct accents, delicious dishes, and centuries-old festivals.Yet today, most Galicians live in cities scattered along the Atlantic coast, a region that the train company Renfe refers to as theThis Atlantic Axis stretches from Vigo at the southern edge, through Pontevedra and Santiago de Compostela, and ends on the northern coast at A Coruna and Ferrol. Keep reading to learn what makes these big cities and others tick. Vigo boasts 292,817 residents, making it Galicias most populous city. Strategically situated along the, an estuary on Galicias southwest Atlantic coast, Vigo hasBecause of this, the fish canning industry is huge hereand the fresh oysters are second to none. Apart from good seafood, theres not much to draw you to Vigos old town, and the newer parts of the city were built so quickly and haphazardly over the last century that they are, in a word, uninspiring. Fortunately, ferries depart multiple times a day for the citys Cies Islands , three pristine islands that float out at the mouth of the estuary and offer white-sands beaches and forest hikes. A Coruna is home to 243,978 people, but even though its #2 on this list,Ive been told that they had expected the city to be chosen as the regional capital when the Autonomous Community of Galicia was established in the 70sbut were angered when Santiago de Compostela was chosen instead. Coruna is nevertheless the provincial capital of the northwest quadrant of the region today. The city has a reputation in the rest of Galicia for being  or poshand not without reason. Major corporations are based here, including Abanca (a bank primarily serving Galicia) and Inditex (which owns the brand Zara). Locals have nicknamed Coruna the City of Glass for the wall-to-wallor glassed-in balconies that line major streets and promenades. Come to Coruna for its Atlantic beaches, its museums, and the Tower of Hercules, a lighthouse that has been operating since Roman times.People have been abandoning the ruralor counties in the interior of Galicia for decades in favor of provincial capitals like Ourense (pop. 105,893) where they can find jobs and opportunities. This city sprawls across both banks of the Mino River, which is spanned by several stunning bridges both medieval and contemporary.calledbubble along the riverbanks, and these hot springs draw visitors year-round for relaxation and for health benefits. Ourenses old town has a cathedral with some really impressive polychrome medieval sculpture.Coming in at just under 100,000 people (98,268 to be precise), Lugo is like Ourense in that its drawn residents from the quickly-emptying countryside. Its main claim to fame is a World Heritage-listed set of Roman city walls; Lugo is the only city in the world whose old town is still completely encircled by its original Roman walls! I only know Lugo as a city of partying, having visited town during its two main festivals:held in June, is a Roman-reenactment festival where locals dress up in togas or Celtic villager garb, andin October celebrates the towns patron saint with copious amounts of Galician-style boiled octopusprobably the best in the region. Santiago may be Galicias fifth-largest city (at 95,966 people) but lots of folks who live here describe it as a  or small town; youre constantly running into people you know. This city built on a bluff between the Sar and the Sarela rivers functions as the administrative capital of Galicia but alsosince its the ending point of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. The sprawling cathedral, a hodge-podge of architectural styles, is purported to be the final resting place of the Apostle St. James the Greater (a.k.a.) and is the third-holiest place in Roman Catholicism after Rome and Jerusalem. Come for the Camino and pilgrim theme, stay for the atmospheric old town, tasty tapas bars, and a plethora of hiking options right outside of town. Pontevedra (pop. 82,549) often gets overlooked among the cities that line the built-up western Atlantic coast from Vigo to Ferrol, but Pontevedras a provincial capital and a  or a fine place to call home. Its old town reminds me a lot of Santiagos, between charming granite-paved streets and old churches, but tons of lively plazas make it stand out. Ferrol , at 68,308 residents, straddles the boundary between mid-sized town and something larger, but also blurs the distinction between Galicia and the rest of Spain. Infamous dictator Francisco Franco was born here, its historically been a major base for the Spanish Navy, its old town was laid out on an Enlightenment-style grid rather than the messy medieval web of other Galician towns, most people speak Spanish here instead of Galician, and solemn Holy Week processions that arent often seen in Galicia are done over-the-top here in Ferrol.
New Delhi, November 30

Even as India moved into the top 100 for the first time in the World Banks Ease of Doing Business global rankings, theres a lot more that needs to be done to keep up with the rest of the world, said Diljit Rana, one of the UKs top businessmen and a member of the House of Lords.

Rana, originally from Punjab who built a 60 million empire from scratch in Northern Ireland, said there was an urgent need to bring Indias archaic regulations into the 21st century environment.

Planning to build a world-class university in Punjab, Rana told IANS in an interview that he faced serious bureaucratic hurdles.

Planning laws are a bit outdated here. For university approval, there is a mandatory condition which requires to have so much land. Like in Punjab, to get approval as a private university, the minimum land requirement is 35 acres, Rana told IANS during a visit here.

But there are many universities across the world which have much less land. And they are world famous universities. So to put a condition for having so much land for university approvalespecially in the age where we are going all electronicit does not feel right, he said.

He added that land in Punjab is anyway scarce and very expensive and instead of such requirements, the focus should be on the quality of education.

What we should be concerned about is the quality of teaching, the faculty and the collaboration with foreign universities to lift our standards. Because the world is changing so much and so fast that half of what we teach these days, nobody would need those subjects in 20 years time. We need to concern ourselves with that, he added.

Rana currently runs an education project  Lord Rana Edu-City  in Sanghol, his birthplace in Punjab, where too he had faced problems with the bureaucracy as the grant for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students amounting to around Rs 2 crore had been pending with the government for around two-and-a-half years now, he said.

First, the Akali Dal government kept delaying and now the new government said they had no funds, said Rana, who met the Finance Minister and the Chief Minister of Punjab regarding the issue.

They promised. But the promise has not been fulfilled yet. So we are funding the education of these students, and it becomes a cash flow problem, he added.

There are other similar things in bureaucracy. For example, it took me nearly two years to get our own money back from the AICTE (All India Council of Technical Education). Its not the government money. We had an endowment fund which is part of the conditions when you start business management course or something. They ask you to put an endowment fund. It matured and even after maturity, it took me two years to get it released, he said.

Rana, who built a multi-million dollar hotel empire despite over two dozen bombings at some of his establishments during the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland in the 1980s, had to shelve his plan to invest in budget hotels in India.

They have outdated planning conditions. First there are requirements like leaving certain portion of land unconstructed, which doesnt make sense for budget hotels in todays time in big cities. We have built hotels in major cities where we constructed on the 100 per cent of the area.

Then there is demand for over-the-table and under-the-table money. I am not prepared to do that. So I had to shelve that plan for the time being, he said.

Rana, now a wealthy entrepreneur with a property portfolio and hotels including the Crowne Plaza, went to Northern Ireland in the mid-1960s. Surviving the dreadful train journey from Pakistan after the Partition, the violence did not leave him alone even in Northern Ireland as he endured a series of terror attacks during the ethno-nationalistic violence in the region.

Starting with a restaurant in the new country, he overcame 26 bomb attacks on his establishments, and showed amazing resilience in rebuilding them, often having to start from scratch.

He visits India six-seven times a year to promote trade relations and to link UK universities with Indian universities and research institutes.  IANS
Satya Narayana Sahu

Satya Narayana Sahu

Former Press Secretary to President KR Narayanan

Rahul Gandhi's visit to the Somnath temple on Wednesday and the alleged entry of his name in the register meant for non-Hindus has predictably caused a row. It came to imply that he is not a Hindu. Photographs of him wearing a sacred thread were flashed to prove his credibility as a Hindu. Efforts were made to demonstrate that his religion is Hinduism and the entry of his name in the register meant for non-Hindus is a political mischief. It is strange that the immediate identity of somebody gets highlighted just to score a political point and appeal to voters.

Let us take two examples from history where our leaders refused to be defined by their religious identity alone:

1. In 1965, just before the invasion of Pakistan on India, the BBC in a radio broadcast stated that the Prime Minister of India Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri being a Hindu would attack Pakistan which is a Islamic Republic. Immediately, Prime Minister Shastri issued a statement in which he dismissed the BBC portrayal of his identity as PM of India in terms of Hindu religion as mischievous and asserted that he became the Prime Minister of India not because of Hinduism but because people of all faiths chose him for the post. He then referred to the secular character of India and the office of the Prime Minister. He argued that India did not stand for only one religion and he being the Prime Minister, and not a Hindu, would defend India the idea of which could not be reduced to one religion. It is a remarkable lesson which teaches us to stand above religion.

2. Another shining example of going beyond religious identity was shown by none other than Mahatma Gandhi when he declined to meet Jinnah who insisted that he should come to see him as a representative of the Hindus. Gandhiji wrote a piece on the issue and he defined his identity beyond Hinduism. He said that he hailed from Gujarat and, therefore, he had a Gujarati identity which was coextensive with his Indian identity. Then he further expanded his Gujarati and Indian identity by saying that these Gujarati and Indian identities coexisted with his planetary identity. Stretching further and broadening all those identities, Mahatma Gandhi said that he was of the cosmos and so his Gujarati, Indian and planetary identities coexisted with his cosmic identity.

These refreshing examples of leadership teach us to go beyond immediate identity by including manifold identities which define every individual.

Professor Amartya Sen, in his book Identity and Violence, and in one of his speeches "Indian Identity" had cautioned that if one identity of an individual is privileged over other identities, it would lead to distortion and imbalance of multiple identities which an individual has and which define his overall identity. Such a process of privileging one identity over other identities would necessarily lead to narrowness of mind which, in turn, would spread violence and venom, cashing festering sores across the whole body polity.

Glorious legacy

Politics, which is a necessary attribute of parliamentary democracy, has to be used to nourish and enrich the unity of our country. By remaining wedded to the multiple identities which we have and by remaining tuned to the Constitution and not to any shrine or place of worship, we can defend the Idea of India.

Rahuls visit to Somnath temple or the visit of anybody to any shrine should be seen from the perspective of the Mahatma who juxtaposed his Hindu identity with his planetary and cosmic identities. Such a harmonious approach is indispensable to harmonise our identities to use politics to foster harmony and understanding in society and stand up for the Idea of India.

The Mahatma said he did not want India to be wholly Hindu, wholly Islamic or wholly Christian but wholly tolerant with all its religions coexisting side by side and flourishing. He also said that to define nationalism as Hindu nationalism or Islamic nationalism is a libel on nationalism.

Exactly the same composite dimension of nationalism was given by Swami Vivekananda when he said that he wanted India to have a Vedantic brain and Islamic body. Dr BR Ambedkar described attempts to establish the Hindu Rashtra as "arrant non-sense". In no phase of India's history was the identity of India defined by the religious identity of the rulers. When Sardar Patel wanted to use government funds to reconstruct the Somnath temple, Mahatma Gandhi advised to create a trust and appeal the people to contribute money for that purpose. Sardar Patel paid heed to this voice of sanity and desisted from using the funds of the Government for conducting religious work. In doing so, Sardar Patel was setting a splendid example of keeping the State apparatus away from religion and temple construction activities. It is gratifying to note that that narrative of Gandhi's advice to Sardar Patel and the later's acceptance of it is part of the light and sound show event being conducted every evening in the sacred premises of the temple for the pilgrims who visit the shrine.

Such a glorious legacy to go beyond religious identity in public life and politics and not to use the State for religious purposes is the defining feature of our Republic. It is every Indians duty to uphold this legacy which is the basic structure of the Constitution. The leadership must remain tuned to this legacy to uphold the Idea of India or in the words of the former President of India, the late KR Narayanan, the ideals of Indiatva in contrast to Hindutva.

Mahatma Gandhis example

In the pre-independent India, once when Mahatma Gandhi was requested to dedicate the Lakshmi Narayan temple in Delhi, which is popularly known as the Birla temple, he initially refused to do so. However, he was persuaded to come and do the honours as Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya who was supposed to do it could not come to Delhi because of his other engagements. Gandhiji, while doing so, delivered a speech and said that by visiting a temple, a devotee should pray to get strength to respect faiths of others and fight against the practice of untouchability which plagued Hinduism.

(Views are personal)
London, November 30

Indians are the largest migrant group from outside the European Union (EU) to settle in the UK but the overall migration in the country has fallen over the last one year, according to latest data released on Thursday.

The UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that 3,05,000 people born in India are estimated to have moved to the UK between July 2016 and June 2017, making India the most common migrant nationality in the country after EU countries of Poland, Romania and the Republic of Ireland.

Overall, the ONS data found that net migration to the UK had fallen by 1,06,000 to hit 2,30,000 during the one-year period, reflecting the first major decline since the EU referendum in favour of Brexit in June 2016.

"The decline follows historically high levels of immigration and it is too early to say whether this represents a long-term trend," said Nicola White, head of migration statistics at the ONS.

"These changes suggest that Brexit is likely to be a factor in people's decision to move to or from the UK  but decisions to migrate are complex and other factors are also going to be influencing the figures," she added.

The number of non-EU citizens leaving the UK has remained stable over the past year but the number of EU citizens leaving the UK has increased by almost a third, a trend that has been classified as "Brexodus" by a section of the UK media.

The figures show that the number of EU citizens leaving the UK rose by 29 per cent to 1,23,000, with 43,000 saying they were returning home.

This is the highest level of EU emigration from Britain since the 2008 recession.

Net migration is the difference between people coming to the UK for more than a year, and the number of people leaving the UK for a year or more.

In the 12-month period of July 2016 and June 2017, 5,72,000 people arrived in the UK, and 3,42,000 emigrated.

Immigration specifically fell by 80,000 people over the year  and three-quarters of that drop was down to fewer EU citizens coming to live in the UK.

The ONS figures also show that the number of people coming to the UK for a definite job has remained stable but those coming to "look for work", especially EU citizens, was down by 43 per cent.

The ONS said the latest fall on the previous year's net migration figure was the largest annual decrease recorded, substantially down on its high of June 2016 and now at similar levels to 2014.

The numbers coming to Britain to study as overseas students also fell by 23,000 to 1,41,000  the majority from outside the EU.

The UK's Conservative party government has pledged to reduce net annual migration to the "tens of thousands" and the latest figures were welcomed by ministers.

UK Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis said that while net migration had fallen by 1,06,000, the increasing proportion of those coming to confirmed jobs highlighted that the system is "delivering for business needs in the UK".

Opposition Labour party said the figures showed it was time for the Tories to drop their "meaningless" target of reducing net migration below 1,00,000.  PTI
WORLD opinion and economic necessity do matter. And that is why the Modi government finds itself constrained to explore a rolling back of the ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets. The notification was a natural progression of the Modi governments strategy to use the cow as a tool for consolidating the Hindu vote bank. It appeared to look the other way when Hindutva vigilantes resorted to extortion and lynching; the state governments too failed to prosecute them; the lumpens demanded a comprehensive anti-cattle slaughter law. Largely from urban areas, these Hindutva cheerleaders were uninformed about the role of cattle slaughter (not cows alone) in our daily lives and its integrality of rural livelihoods.

But it is unpardonable for the Modi government now to pretend to be surprised at the consequences. That is what policy making is all about. Didnt it know the ban will hit more than the meat industry? Or that the cattle let loose were extracting environmental costs and destroying the livelihoods of Hindus, Jains and Muslims alike? The fact is only 30 per cent of the carcass is used for meat. The rest goes into the making of at least 50 items of daily use. As far as cows go, the Modi government neednt have burnt the midnight oil to frame laws or its leaders to go around stumping for the cause and leave unbridgeable social tensions in their wake. All that the government had to do, if the cow cause was actually close to its heart, was to implement in spirit a Supreme Court order upholding anti-cow slaughter laws in about 20 states.

However, utopian visions come crashing down in the actual world. And that is what happened with the ban. New Delhis obsession had begun to disrupt rural lives. Prices of many downstream products from shoes to buttons were bound to shoot up. A study showed it would cost over Rs 5,000 crore annually to feed all the bulls in Maharashtra alone. For outsiders, India began to look like Pakistan Lite without the bomb blasts. The political reward from the ban began diminishing when benchmarked against the costs of rural distress and foreign opprobrium. Irresponsible politics invariably produces bad politics.
Khattar announces free sanitary napkins for adolescent girls

Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, November 30

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today announced free sanitary napkins for adolescent girls in support of Miss World Manushi Chillars social initiative of promoting personal hygiene among women.

Khattar welcomed Manushi on the concluding day of the International Gita Mahotsav here. He said around Rs 18 crore would be spent to provide sanitary pads to schoolgirls.

The Chief Minister also announced Manushi's appointment as the brand ambassador of the Haryana governments project to eradicate anaemia among women.

Khattar said the government would support Manushis project 'Shakti' that is aimed at women empowerment. Nearly 61 per cent of Haryanavi women are iron deficient and the issue requires extra attention. We duly honour Manushis commitment to working for women's welfare and the state government will extend full support in this regard, he said.

Haryana-born beauty sensation showed her gratitude to the Chief Minister on both announcements.

Being Miss World is not just about beauty but beauty with a purpose. I attribute my international success to the acceptance of my idea of working for the personal hygiene of women, she told mediapersons here on her maiden visit to her home state after winning the beauty crown.

Manushi said she is proud to be a student of Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College for Women in Sonepat that symbolised promotion of girl education in the state. My college is located at Khanpur that has the best sex ratio among all villages of Haryana. Consistent government efforts have improved the gender ratio in Haryana and I also want to contribute to women's welfare, she said.

Manushi, Dressed in a white dress, said she was not a typical pageant girl but an ordinary Haryanvi girl who wants to fulfil her dreams.

My parents have a great role in inculcating values in me. Bhagavd Gita is a major source of inspiration for me and the spiritual text has a special role in my life, she added.

The promoter of Miss World Organisation, Julia Morley, lauded Manushis efforts and said the healthcare of a woman was an indicator of the health of the entire family.
Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 30

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Haryana Police constituted to locate people, who had gone missing from Dera Sacha Sauda, Sirsa, during the past about a decade, have been able to gather information about six of them. However, the dera or the circumstances prevailing there have not relation to the disappearance of any of them.

DGP BS Sandhu had constituted the SIT headed by Jind SP Dr Arun Singh and comprising Jind DSP Kaptan Singh and Fatehabad DSP Ravinder Tomar to locate 22 persons who had gone missing from the dera after the conviction of dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the cases of rape of two sadhvis.

Though the FIRs or DDRs in these cases are registered in various police stations of the state, there was hardly any progress in the investigation till Ram Rahim was at the helm in the dera.

We have been able to gather information about six of the 22 missing persons. Though concerned relatives had informed the police that they went missing from the dera, six of them had been located from different places and under different circumstances having no direct relation to the Sirsa dera, says Tomar.

Madan Lal (62), a resident of Mandi Adampur in Hisar, for instance, had purchased and stocked Gwar seeds in the hope of reaping good profits but its rates nosedived and he suffered heavy losses. He went to the dera and disappeared from there on April 3, 2017. He owed nearlyRs 25 lakh to traders. However, he returned home a year later, says theFatehbad DSP.

Dev Raj (38), who went missing from the dera on January 31, 2007, returned home 10 days later. However, he died of heart attack on May 27, 2015. We started our investigation and visited Dev Rajs family. They informed us that he had returned home 10 days after his disappearance. But he died of heart attack in 2015, Tomar says.

Darshan Kumar (38) left his home at Sikar (Rajasthan) on August 3, 2007, and was found by his family in a mental asylum in Goa later.

He says Lali Devi (29), a native of Alwar in Rajasthan, had boarded a wrong train from Sirsa and was later found in another train in Delhi. Arjun (21), a resident of Kaithal who went missing from the dera in July, 2014, returned home after a few days. Similar is the case of Rajesh (21), a resident of Kurukshetra.

Sixteen persons arestill missing and the SIT is trying to locate them, says Tomar.
Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 30

Being considered as a major step towards switch over to eco-friendly electric transport, 50-seater electric vans are likely to start plying in almost all the major urban centres of the state by next month.

The Screening Committee headed by the Chief Secretary today gave its approval for plying of the vans and sent its recommendation to the Election Commission of India for final approval. The state government has to seek the permission of the ECI before approving or launching any project while the election code of conduct is on till December 20. It is being expected that the moment the ECI gives its go ahead, the electric van service will be launched in December.

The 50 vans, each costing about Rs 11 lakh, have already been dispatched to the respective Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) depots, where the electric van service is to be launched. The HRTC has already been issued 61 permits to launch the service in the urban centres and suburbs. Transport officials revealed that the vans would ply in Shimla, Kullu-Manali, Mandi, Dharamsala, Hamirpur, Chamba, Mandi, Sundernagar, Nalagarh, Solan, Dehra, Bilaspur, Una, Palampur, Baijnath and Nagrota.

The main objective is to evoke confidence among the public that electric transport is pollution-free and a viable transport option which we must exercise as it is very cheap and convenient, said officials.

The vans would run along routes between 10 and 40 km around the main towns. The Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India, has provided 90 per cent assistance for the purchase of the vans provided by Mahindra. The Himachal Government had to bear just the matching funds of mere 10 per cent. These vans can be charged on a routine 15 ampere points at the bus stands or workshops. Hence, there is no problem of re-charging the battery.Himachal is the first state in the country which has already launched its electric bus service on the 51-km route between Manali and Rohtang. It was following the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directives that the Himachal Government procured 25 electric buses with Central assistance so that the ecologically fragile area till Rohtang can be saved from the ill-effects of pollution.

Officials pointed out that the entire 25 electric buses were yet to be received. Once the route between Manali and Rohtang closes down due to snow, we will run these buses on other routes in the state till the snow melts, he said.

50 vans sent to HRTC depots

Fifty vans, each costing about Rs 11 lakh, have already been dispatched to the respective Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) depots, where the electric van service is to be launched. The HRTC has already been issued 61 permits to launch the service in the urban centres and suburbs.

Charging points at bus stands
New Delhi, November 30

HP Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was today granted exemption from personal appearance by a special court till the conclusion of the arguments on charge in the Rs 10-crore disproportionate assets case against him.

Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann also granted relief to Singhs wife Pratibha Singh, a co-accused in the case. However, the couple, who were today present before the court, will have to appear whenever directed by the court, the judge said.

In their applications, moved through senior advocates Rebecca John and Ramesh Gupta, 83-year-old Virbhadra Singh and 62-year-old Pratibha Singh had sought permanent exemption from personal appearance citing their advanced age and ailments and had submitted they were not permanent residents of Delhi.

His identity is not disputed. He is the chief minister of a state and he has various duties to perform. Meanwhile, he will be represented by his advocate on every date, the application moved for the politician said.

Public prosecutor Manoj Shukla, appearing for the probe agency, opposed their applications.

On the one hand, you (Virbhadra) say you are ailing and on the other you are running an entire state, addressing several public meetings in a day, he said.

Shukla said that being a chief minister was not a ground for the permanent exemption, while citing example of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who was reportedly denied similar relief.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on January 18.

The couple, who have not been arrested so far, and other accused persons are facing trial in the case. The others are Universal Apple Associate owner Chunni Lal Chauhan, stamp paper vendor Joginder Singh Ghalta, Managing Director of Tarani Infrastructure Vakamulla Chandrasekhar, and co-accused Lawan Kumar Roach, Prem Raj and Ram Prakash Bhatia.

The chargesheet also names as accused LIC agent Anand Chauhan, who was arrested in a separate money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to the present matter and is currently in judicial custody.

The court had on May 8 summoned them after taking cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the CBI.

The matter was transferred by the Supreme Court to the Delhi High Court, which on April 6, 2016, had asked the CBI not to arrest Singh and directed him to join the probe.

On November 5 last year, the apex court had transferred Singhs plea from the Himachal High Court to the Delhi High Court, saying it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, but simply transferring the petition in the interest of justice and to save the institution (judiciary) from any embarrassment. PTI
New Delhi, November 30

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was on Thursday granted exemption from personal appearance by a special court till the conclusion of the arguments in a Rs 10 crore disproportionate assets case against him.

Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann also granted the relief to Singh's wife Pratibha Singh, a co-accused in the case.

However, the couple, who were today present before the court, will have to appear whenever directed by the court, the judge said.

In their applications, moved through senior advocates Rebecca John and Ramesh Gupta, 83-year-old Virbhadra Singh and 62-year-old Pratibha Singh had sought permanent exemption from personal appearance citing their advanced age and ailments and had submitted they were not permanent residents of Delhi.

"His identity is not disputed. He is the chief minister of a state and he has various duties to perform. Meanwhile, he will be represented by his advocate on every date," the application moved for the politician said.

Public prosecutor Manoj Shukla, appearing for the probe agency, opposed their applications.

On the one hand, you (Virbhadra) say you are ailing and on the other you are running an entire state, addressing several public meetings in a day," he said.

Shukla said being a chief minister was not a ground for the permanent exemption, while citing example of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal who was reportedly denied similar relief.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on January 18.

The couple, who have not been arrested so far, and other accused persons are facing trial in the case. The others are Universal Apple Associate owner Chunni Lal Chauhan, stamp paper vendor Joginder Singh Ghalta, Managing Director of Tarani Infrastructure Vakamulla Chandrasekhar, and co-accused Lawan Kumar Roach, Prem Raj and Ram Prakash Bhatia.

The charge sheet also names as accused LIC agent Anand Chauhan, who was arrested in a separate money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to the present matter and is currently in judicial custody.

Chauhan was arrested by the ED on July 9 last year in a separate money laundering case related to the disproportionate assets case.

The court had on May 8 summoned them after taking cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the CBI.

The CBI charge sheet, running into over 500 pages having statements of around 225 witnesses and containing 442 documents, has claimed that Singh had amassed assets worth around Rs 10 crore which were disproportionate to his total income during his tenure as a Union minister.

The matter was transferred by the Supreme Court to the Delhi High Court, which on April 6, 2016, had asked the CBI not to arrest Singh and directed him to join the probe.

On November 5 last year, the apex court had transferred Singh's plea from the Himachal Pradesh High Court to the Delhi High Court, saying it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, but "simply" transferring the petition "in the interest of justice and to save the institution (judiciary) from any embarrassment".  PTI
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 30

Five militants were killed on Thursday in two encounters with security forces in Kashmirs Budgam and Baramulla districts, officials said here.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Futlipora in Pakherpora area, 45 km from here, following information about the presence of militants in the area, an Army official said.

He said the militants opened fire on security forces, who retaliated, triggering a fierce gun battle.

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Four militants were killed in the gun battle, the official said, adding that the operation was still in progress.

Police sources said a security force personnel suffered injuries during the operation while two civilian youths were hurt in security forces action against protesters who were trying to disrupt the anti-militancy operation.

In another encounter at Bomai in Sopore area of Baramulla district, security forces shot dead a militant, a police official said.

He said the operation was still under way when the reports last came in. With PTI
Jammu, November 30

Accusing the state government of weakening the democratic institutions, All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) leaders said before initiating any election process, the government should restore the J&K Panchayati Raj Act-1989 in its original form and implement the 73rd amendment of the Indian Constitution.

Addressing mediapersons, Shafiq Mir, AJKPC chairman, asked the BJP to clear its stand on the 73rd amendment of the Indian Constitution regarding the Panchayati Raj and let the people know where this so-called nationalist party stands.

Mir accused the BJP-PDP coalition of disturbing the peace of the state by exploiting the regional, religious and political sentiments of the people. He said in the 2011 panchayat elections, 90 per cent people had voted for this democratic institution, which indicates that people had a lot of expectations from such local governing institutions, however, when this institution was not empowered, the people lost their faith in it.

However, he said they would continue their fight for the restoration of this institution, saying that this was not political but a community institution that was established by their elders centuries ago.

Anil Sharma, AJKPC president, demanded special relief for the families of those panchayat leaders who were killed by militants in the past five years.  TNS
Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 30

Variation in the prices of medicines at private medical shops and government-approved shops on the premises of the Government Medical College and Hospital has left the patients in a fix.

The health sector of the state, which is already facing controversy for not providing due healthcare to the needy in all hospitals, is now looting patients.

Mohinder Datta, a patient who purchased Enclex 60, manufactured by Cipla, from government-run Sanyog Pharmacy, a unit of Sanyog Enterprises Private Limited, at the Super Speciality Hospital had to pay a bill of Rs 313 under cash memo No. S/76034.

The same medicine under the same brand was again purchased by Mohinder from Sanyog Pharmacy on November 28 under cash memo No. S/76318 and priced at Rs 320.

We are advised to sell medicines as per the rate list provided to us. There can be a difference of the GST paid on different consignments of the same medicine, a boy on the counter of the shop said.

On scrutiny, it was found that the batch numbers of both the consignments were having different MRPs. However, the surprising fact was revealed later by Sanyog Pharmacy when the same medicine under the same brand was purchased from a medical shop outside the hospital premises that was priced at Rs 200 only. It also carried the same MRP as the one carried by Sahyog Enterprises, the copies of which are with The Tribune.

When contacted, Sahyog Pharmacy in charge Savita Manhas admitted about the sale of medicine, but couldnt give any specific answer on the huge price difference.

I will check it with our manager and revert to you, she said on phone.

Principal and dean, Government Medical College, Jammu, Sunanda Raina could not be contacted despite repeated calls.

Pertinently, Sanyog Enterprises Private Limited through the medium of the J&K Government tender is duty-bound to provide best quality medicines at discounted rates to public through 55 pharmacies.

A source in the GMCH said since crores of rupees had been paid by the contractors to get the tender of Sahyog Pharmacies in the associated hospitals, they were selling drugs at subsidised rates, but with enormous profits. The money goes to the entire hierarchy in the department. Even some influential leaders are partners in the crime, the source added.
Ludhiana, November 30

Having played their first game on November 25 at home against last years runners-up and giants Mohun Bagan of Kolkata, Minerva Punjab FC, who are placed second in the bunch of 10 teams, will look forward to earn the top-three spots when they play against debutants and I-League second division runners-up, Manipur-based North Eastern Re-Organising Cultural Association (Neroca FC) at the Guru Nanak Stadium here tomorrow.

Minerva Punjab had held Mohun Bagan to a 1-1 draw in their opening game after trailing most of the time.

The visitors and the home side have previously met on two occasions with the latter remaining unbeaten. The I-League 2nd division game played in May last year in Chandigarh, Minerva Punjab beat NEROCA 3-2, in which Simranpreet scored a brace for the home team with Kareem Omolaja scoring the winner, while Chingkham Singh and Prince reduced the margin for the losers.

Then, in the away game played in Khuman Lampak ended in a goal-less draw as Minerva eventually went on to emerge as the runners-up of the league losing to five-time champions Dempo SC on the final day.

The visitors boast the likes of Liberian and Australian centre backs Varney Kallon and Aryan Williams, respectively, Nigerian stiker Felix Chidi Odili, Haiti international mid-fielder Fabien Vorbe and attackers Akhlidinsrailov from Kyrgyzstan and Richard Royfrom Trinidad and Tobago besides former Mumbai City FC striker Singam Subhash Singh and forward from Kolkata, Sushil Kumar Singh in their ranks.

The home team, riding high over their fine performance in the last game, less than a week ago, is likely to continue with a successful 4-3-3 strategy they adopted against the Kolkata giants, the other day.The match kicks-off at 5.30 pm.  OC
Suresh Dharur

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, November 30

An ambulance stuck in traffic is the worst nightmare for any patient in need of emergency medical care. It is here that AmbuPod, a mobile clinic, ambulance and diagnostic centre rolled into one, has a distinct advantage.

Being compact in its design, the three-wheeler AmbuPod can be attached to a two-wheeler and can quickly navigate through the traffic to reach a nearby hospital.

Designed by the father-daughter duo from Pune, Dr Lavanian Dorairaj and Yamini Lavanian, the prototype micro-ambulance displayed at the ongoing Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES 2017) has been attracting the attention of the delegates.

We are looking for funding support to scale up. We are now trying to popularise the concept, Yamini, an engineering graduate from Punes Ferguson College, told The Tribune on the sidelines of the GES 2017.

The Ambupod is a single patient, all-weather micro ambulance. It has a seat for medical attendant to provide resuscitation while the vehicle is in motion. It can move with ease through narrow urban streets and rough village roads in the fastest way possible.

We are also looking for manufacturers who can take up production on a large scale. The AmbuPod will also provide livelihood to rural youth as the company will pick them to provide the service and also operate the ambulance, which will be on a 24/7 basis, she said.

The trailer, which can be used with a two-wheeler, car, sledge or any other option, is priced around Rs 4 lakh. We are also working on a rental model, the young innovator said.

One trailer can cover four to five village, she said, adding it is fully equipped with basic and advanced life support and also a mobile clinic.

When not in use, AmbuPod can be converted into a makeshift clinic. It has a bed and other equipment useful for daily consultations.

It works as a telemedicine centre. The medical attendant manning the AmbuPod will send the results of diagnostic tests to the doctor through a mobile App. It is accessed immediately by the doctor sitting in the city who prescribes relevant medicines to the patients, Yamini said.

In case of a medical emergency, the patient is moved to a stretcher inside the pod which is then attached to a two-wheeler and taken to a nearby hospital. And, the medical attendant sitting in the pod can give medical resuscitation while on the way.

Like any ambulance oxygen, nebuliser and suction equipment is available inside the Pod. It can even move on a footpath and can navigate through narrow streets and reach a nearby hospital much faster than any conventional four wheeler ambulance.

One unit costs Rs 4 lakh. We are now looking for funding of Rs 2 crore to scale up production. We are planning to take it to 50 villages, the co-founder said.
Kanpur, November 30

A young journalist working for a Hindi daily was shot dead on Thursday by unidentified assailants near the Nagar Palika market in Billhaur, 60 km from here, police said.

Navin Gupta was sprayed with bullets when he came out of a public toilet, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Jai Prakash said.

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As the news of the killing spread, senior police officials rushed to the spot while forensic experts were called to gather evidences.

Police officials were trying to figure the motive behind the crime. It is suspected that old enmity could be a reason behind the killing, said officials.

They said an FIR would be registered once the aggrieved family submitted a written complaint.

A massive search was launched to nab the assailants, but no arrest was made till late evening.  PTI
Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 30

The Ministry of Defence has capped educational expenses it pays to children of martyrs or those disabled in action at Rs 10,000 per month, impacting some 3,200 students in schools, colleges and professional institutions.This will result in a meagre saving of less than Rs 4 crore per annum, say sources.

The orders came into force on July 1 this year. Since then, the ministry has received several requests for continuing with the old system, which had no such ceiling. The MoD had on November 2 clarified to an Agra-based petitioner, wife of a Lt Colonel, that a letter to cap fee had been drafted as per the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC).

The scheme to bear the cost of education of children of martyrs was announced in the Lok Sabha on December 18,1971, two days after the Pakistani forces surrendered to the Indian forces at Dacca (now know as Dhaka). The scheme, introduced in the 1972 session, allowed complete exemption of tuition and other fee school onwards.

In 1990, the MoD extended the scheme to children of officers and jawans killed or disabled in Operation Meghdoot (Siachen) and Operation Pawan (Sri Lanka). Another amendment in 2003 included children of those killed or disabled in counter-insurgency operations. The dilution began in 1983 when a ceiling was imposed on expenses for uniform. In 2010, the clause other fee was removed. The forces protested but to no avail. The ceiling introduced this year will hit students in the midst of their degree courses.
Islamabad, November 30

Pakistan on Thursday said there will be no meeting with India on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Russia.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is currently in the Russian city of Sochi for the SCO Head of Governments meeting and Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Mohammad Faisal was asked at regular briefing about any meeting between the leaders of the two countries.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will represent India at the two-day summit.

There is no planned meeting on the sidelines of the Summit, Faisal said.

To a question about the decision on Indias request to let the mother of convicted Indian death row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav in Pakistan meet him, Faisal said it was still being considered.

He also said that Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua yesterday went to the Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) hearing of 2008 Mumbai attack case and informed the court that the decision of the court to convey the names of the Indian witnesses required for testifying in this case was being considered by the Interior Ministry.

He said Pakistan continues to stress the need for a meaningful dialogue for confidence building, avoidance of arms race and promotion of strategic stability in South Asia and Pakistans proposal for a Strategic Restraint Regime for South Asia remains on the table.

He expressed concern over the latest launch of the cruise missile by India and said it was part of the ongoing build-up and induction of sophisticated weaponry and delivery systems by India.

India recently test fired the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile for the first time from the Indian Air Forces frontline Sukhoi-30 MKI combat jet, significantly bolstering the countrys aerial prowess.  PTI
Jaipur, November 30

VHP leader Praveen Togadia on Thursday said that only a Ram temple will be constructed in Ayodhya and no mosque will be allowed to be built there.

Addressing VHP and Bajrang Dal activists here, he said that a tough stand needs to be taken on the issues of Hindus and social media is becoming an important tool to reach out to people across the Hindu society.

He also said that Rohingya Muslims are a major cause of concern for the country and the government should deport them.

The international working president of the VHP also stressed on the need for a two-child policy in the country to check population.  PTI
Smita Sharma



Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 30

With the North Korean nuclear crisis flaring up with its latest missile launch that could have technically reached the US mainland, what are its implications for the world and India? What role can China and India play in the region? The Tribune spoke to General Daniel P Leaf (retd), former Deputy Commander of the US Pacific Command and former Director of the Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies (APCSS). General Leaf has been a close watcher of North Korea. He recently won the Oslo Peace Writers Forum Award for his paper An Urgently Practical Approach to the Korean Peninsula. General Leaf spoke to The Tribune from Hawaii.

How do you look at the capability of the latest ICBM launch by North Korea?

It is a very significant progression in capability. Maybe not a development as they dont necessarily test to the extremes. But they have said that this is a new type of missile. Given the altitude it reached and the duration of the flight, in theory that gives them the potential to put the entire US at risk.

You are not just looking at Guam or Hawaii now with claims of missiles of reaching the US mainland. How much of an increased threat alert is it for the US?

We dont know if they actually have re-entry vehicles and militarised weapons that will work.

But it brings it all in the realm of possibility and is something that needs to be taken seriously not only in terms of defensive measures but also in terms of diplomatic measures. North Korea is not just an American problem, it is everybodys problem. They have the potential to derail the world if they were to execute a strike against the US or South Korea or a nuclear strike against South Korea or Japan.

Read: US warns North Korean leadership will be utterly destroyed in case of war

Imagery shows latest N Korean missile larger, more powerful: Analysts

N Korea claims N-statehood with all US in missile range

It will have an effect on prosperity of nations and also the global economy. So North Korea is everybodys problem. All nations who believe in the rule of law should put their efforts in doing whatever they can to lessen the possibility of conflict.

How much rides on what China does given its relationship with North Korea? Will a lot depend on which way Beijing swings?

China certainly is a key player and it starts with being one of the six parties in the talks, being their neighbour and principal supporter. But I dont think the US or the world should think that China can solve it by themselves. Their actions, sanctions are important; their law and UN deliberations on the many problems of North Korea, including human rights, proliferation, nuclearisation is important. But they are not alone in it.

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Speaking to Chinese officials and academics, the common refrain is We have less leverage over North Koreans than Americans believe. I dont know how much I agree with that but I know that North Korea does what North Korea thinks is in its interest. It takes a concerted effort that addresses policy, deterrence, military preparation and many other elements.

With Indias increased role in the Indo-Pacific, how worried should India be about the crisis?

There is a two-part answer that might look contradictory but is not.

Militarily, the Indian sub-continent, people and the state of India need not be very worried. North Korea does not have a bomb deployed for India. They are not likely to attack India. It will take a really off-target missile. Militarily that isnt the issue.

But the fact that North Korean behaviour impacts global stability and peace in the region, thats where India should be concerned. In case there is some sort of conflict, nuclear or not, at the Korean Peninsula or between North Korea and the US, that will have a devastating impact on the global economy. Thats hard to argue.

The other thing it is going to do is to char the fabric of the relative stability of the Asia-Pacific, especially with regard to the US-China relation. India has its own relation with China, does that make the world and Indo-Asia Pacific region more stable or less stable? Significantly less stable, it complicates everything. Could derail everything that India is doing in terms of its internal growth in addressing all the challenges that the country has and external relationships. Specifically they could have an effect on India-China relationship.

How strong is the US missile defence systems which are very expensive, but not tested in real situations?

We have an evolving missile defence system. But you dont know unless it is tried. I do know it is tactically sophisticated, relatively robust and most important element of it is deterrence, not defence. To deter an actor like North Korea you have an inference and the belief that they can succeed. It is good enough to be deterrent, something that the US needs to continue to pursue and modernise strategically because even if the North Korea problem is solved, proliferation of ballistic and cruise missiles is going to be a challenge for many nations in the foreseeable future.

The way Trump has been handling and tweeting on the issue, is he taking to smart diplomacy? Is that the need of the day?

I dont talk to the President. I do know several people who are involved in policy-making.

Presidents interaction is just one part of it. We have an outstanding special representative on North Korea matters, Ambassador Joseph Yun. I dont think we should get too fixated on what the President says or tweets. But I will say lets consider who his audience is. I dont think President Trump is making statements on North Korea to the American public or the world community. I think he is communicating directly in his own way with Kim Jong Un.

History shows us that blunt straight talk is effective with the North Koreans. I am not taking a political side here. I do think these statements about what North Korea is putting at risk by their actions are important. We may argue the art or lack of it. What really matters is what Kim Jong Un thinks of the statements.

Are further sanctions the best way possible? What options does the US have on the table?

Sanctions are part of multifaceted approach but I dont think they are going to win the day.

North Korea has dealt with sanctions for years. They are very good at finding ways around the impact of sanctions. But the world community has to hold them accountable for the way in which North Korea left the Non-Proliferation Treaty illegitimately, through sanctions, and for everything else they have done that goes against the Security Council resolutions.

There are necessary parts there, no one thing is a solution. There are other options. There is a lot that must be done.

It takes concerted action on every front and not expecting to find a single solution but finding areas where progress can be made. Some of them have a hard edge like sanctions, military preparations, aggressing the maritime boundaries is just applying the rule of law.

The notion of humanitarian aid, responsibility to protect other beings has a hard and soft edge to it. But the problem is too serious for the world not to look for new ways to make progress. India has a role. It is a key player in the United Nations and the world community. Not in a political manner but in a responsible way pressing for progress, wherever it might be found.

If push comes to shove, is a military strike an option for the US?

That is the case that any reasonable human being would like to avoid. Potential consequences will be very negative, especially for the US ally, South Korea. In case if we slide to war, North Korea cannot live a conventional or a nuclear war. Cannot live. They shouldnt allude themselves to that.

Also if forced, the US and its ally South Korea could deliver a significant blow to North Korea to make it lose in a very large way. This is the least desirable case but North Korea should know they will suffer consequences. The world will suffer, people will suffer.

The biggest loss will be to North Koreans. It comes to the notion of regime survival and should the US and world community pursue regime change in North Korea, I personally dont believe in that, whether government is legitimate or not, the Kim family has governed for decades, everything wont be fine. What we should pursue is a changed paradigm with regard to North Korea done through a conservative way to change things in a meaningful way that puts the entire world at less risk.
Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 30

There is no doubt that in Gujarat both the BJP and Congress are guilty of pushing the polarisation agenda and playing the religion card. But the political developments in the poll-bound state on Wednesday seem to have put the onus more on the BJP. At least the political developments revolving around the Somnath temple seem to reflect this.

Political observers feel there was no reason for the BJP to create such a din around Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhis non-Hindu entry in the temple register.

There was also no reason why Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have travelled 70 years back in time to tell the people about the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehrus stance on the temple.

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The elections are being conducted on various issues today. However, while Rahul was visiting the temple, Modi was telling his audience how his great grandfather Nehru was unhappy when Sardar Patel took up the temples reconstruction in the 1950s.

For political observers, the Somnath developments are more of a reflection of the BJPs unease than anything else.

The damning audio clip, allegedly of Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, recounting the situation in his constituency besides the ground reports suggests the BJP not having such a smooth sail in the state it has ruled for two decades.

For them, the way the saffron managers blew out of proportion the small matter of a signature for political gains, it seemed more of a case of frayed nerves than anything else.

In fact, they even see it as the maut ka saudagar moment, but in favour of the Congress this time. Remember, it was Congress president Sonia Gandhis maut ka saudagar statement that had tilted the scales in favour of the BJP. The over-the-top reaction to her sons Temple-run has the potential of achieving the same for her party this time is the general feeling.
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 30

City Police on Thursday claimed to have arrested two men in connection with the killing of Hindu Sangharsh Sena leader Vipin Sharma, who was shot dead in the Bharat Nagar area here on October 30.

They have been identified as Vishal Sharma alias Brahman and Kunwarbir Singh alias Kammy.

Police Commissioner SS Srivastav said Vishal had accompanied the prime suspects and gangsters Saraj Singh Sandhu alias Mintoo and Shubham Singh, while Kunwarbir had helped them escape.

He said both the accused were reportedly out of the state.
Ferozepur, November 30

A court in Fazilka district on Thursday issued fresh summons against the Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, in a trans-border drug smuggling case after the Aam Aadmi Party MLA did not appear.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had on November 17 turned down Khaira's plea challenging the issuance of summons by the trial court to him for appearance on November 30.

It had, however, quashed the non-bailable warrants issued against him by the court and directed it to decide the matter on merit.

Additional District and Sessions judge, Fazilka, Sandeep Singh Jossan today issued summons to Khaira and four other accused asking them to appear on December 21 to record their statements in the case under the NDPS Act.

Others who were issued summons were Khaira's personal security officer (PSO) Joga Singh, personal assistant Manish, Charanjit Kaur, a resident of Bath village (Jalandhar); and Major Singh Bajwa of Bajwa Kalan village (Jalandhar).

Khaira was not present in the court today.

The Fazilka court had on October 31 sentenced nine persons to imprisonment in the trans-border heroin smuggling racket which surfaced in 2015.

It had issued summons to Khaira for November 30 under Section 319 of the CrPC (power to proceed against other persons appearing to be guilty of offence) following an application from the prosecution.

Khaira had then moved the High Court on November 3 against the Fazilka court's order. Khaira and AAP had alleged that the case was an instance of political vendetta.

Those convicted were arrested by the police on March 9, 2015, along with 2-kg heroin, 24 gold biscuits, one country-made pistol, two Pakistani SIM cards and a SUV.  PTI
Jotirmay Thapliyal

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 30

The Mahakali Lok Sangathan, an organisation working for the development of Mahakali valley in Kumaon division of Uttarakhand, has opposed the Pancheshwar multipurpose project, an ambitious joint hydro power venture of India and Nepal.

Members said the project would displace people and cause destruction to the environment.

They added that the project would result in losses and those displaced would not be rehabilitated. To date, the rehabilitation of the people displaced from Tehri has not been completed. Climate change and its dangerous consequences are staring us in the face and no one seems to be worried about it, said Vimal Bhai, who has been opposing the Pancheshwar project tooth and nail and has also been at the forefront of anti-Tehri Dam agitation in the past.

Kumaons densest forests and prime agriculture land all are faced with the direct or indirect submergence or other related impacts. Markets of Jhoolaghat-Jauljibi, symbols of Indo-Nepal socio cultural ties are facing submergence. There are many such issues, which have been ignored by the Environment Assessment Committee in its present assessment. Social Impact Assessment, which has been done in a haste, is completely farcical and has been blindly accepted by the committee without any verification, stated Anil Karki, member of the Mahakali Lok Sangathan.

The government is only pushing for displacement and environment destruction. We will expose their wrongdoing and bring out the truth, Anil Karki said.

The sangathan has been opposing the mammoth project and has sought re-conduct of the public hearing alleging that such hearing should only be done after the local villagers are given adequate information about Environment Impact Assessment, Environment Management Plan and Social Impact Assessment reports in local languages.

The Pancheshwar 5,040 MW project is a joint venture of India and Nepal and is proposed on the Mahakali river that forms the international boundary between the two countries. Uttarakhands Pithoragarh, Champawat and Almora are the three districts to be affected on Indian side.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 30

The Opposition Congress will demand explanation from the BJP government about the irregular manner in which the expansion of local bodies is underway during the upcoming session of the Uttarakhand Legislative assembly at Gairsain.

As a responsible opposition we will demand answers from the government on behalf of the people, Leader of the Opposition in the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly Indira Hridayesh said while speaking to media persons today.

Politics is at work for including and excluding villages and not merit in the expansion exercise that the government has launched for urban local bodies, she said.

Rather than including semi-urban areas in the urban local bodies, villages have been brought in which has angered the villagers, she said. Hridayesh said that if need be the party will resort to legal measures for excluding the villages.

The Congress, Hridayesh said, will also demand explanation from the government as to why primary teachers have been issued diktat to take an eligibility test exam or face dismissal. These teachers have already put in 10 to 15 years of service and are now being asked to take exams or face dismissal, instead of a offering them the option of doing a bridge course, while remaining in service,  she said.

On the issue of the Direct Benefit Transfer scheme announced by the government for PDS, Hridayesh said that it has forced the PDS shop owners to shut shop. We oppose DBT instead of ration. The ration from the PDS shops ensured the poor and the lower income did not go hungry. The price of rice and sugar in the open market is quite high and beyond their reach, she asserted.
Dhaka, November 30

A Bangladeshi court on Thursday ordered the arrest of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia for skipping a scheduled appearance as the main accused in a graft case, the third such warrant issued against the country's main opposition BNP chief in less than two months.

Court officials said 72-year-old Zia was supposed to resume delivering her unfinished statement defending herself before the Dhaka's Fifth Special Court in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.

However, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) instead announced a country-wide demonstration where it called the court order "politically motivated" and a part of a plan by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League-led government.

"The judge (of Dhaka's Fifth Special Court) issued the arrest warrant as she failed to appear as scheduled in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case once again," a court official said.

This was the third such warrant against the ex-premier since October 10 when two courts in Dhaka separately ordered her arrest after she failed to appear before them as she was in London on a private visit.

She subsequently obtained bail, surrendering before the courts on her return home, he said.

Zia earlier claimed that cases filed against her to be "false, motivated and imaginary made up" and aimed at harassing her.

She is accused in several graft cases, including one under which she allegedly misappropriated funds of an orphanage trust named after her husband and slain President Ziaur Rahman.

Zia is also being tried in another case for inducting in her cabinet during the 2001-2006 tenure people who were opposed to the country's 1971 independence and subsequently convicted and hanged for committing war crimes.  PTI
Ankara, November 30

Turkeys state-run news agency said police are conducting simultaneous raids to detain 66 people, including a number of fighter pilots, wanted for suspected links to a network led by US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen.

Anadolu Agency says today the raids at some 40 locations in Turkeys central Eskisehir province targeted soldiers and so-called secret imams who allegedly directed Gulens followers within the armed forces.

Turkey accuses Gulen of orchestrating last years coup attempt that led to more than 250 deaths. Gulen has denied involvement.

Turkey launched a massive crackdown after the coup, resulting in some 50,000 arrests and the dismissal of more than 1,10,000 people from state jobs, including the military.

Yesterday, prosecutors in Istanbul issued warrants for the detention of 360 within the armed forces.  AP
Photo: Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martins Autonomous Mobility Applique System has logged more than 55,000 miles in testing during the U.S. Armys Extended Warfighter Experiment at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and Fort Bliss, Texas.

The AMAS kit consists of sensors, actuators, and controls that can be installed on nearly any military tactical wheeled vehicle. The system provides driver warning, assistance, and semi-autonomous leader/follower capability, designed to improve safety for convoys in a military setting.

The system can reduce manpower needed for convoy operations, freeing up soldiers for other tasks and removing them from exposure to improvised explosive devices and other enemy activity while on resupply missions, says the company.

The testing was conducted by soldiers and Lockheed Martin personnel over several months at two major military installations in a variety of mission scenarios, explained Kathryn Hasse, Combat Manuever Systems director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "Soldiers operating the AMAS vehicles provided us very positive feedback about how the system freed them up to do the job of a soldier instead of the job of a truck driver."

Testing included using palletized loading system, and vehicle convoys in which the lead vehicle was driven by a soldier and the following vehicles (three to four) followed robotically.

EWE was sponsored by the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and was managed by the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center.
A segment of American Airlines maintenance that is currently outsourced to South America will be coming to the Tulsa Maintenance Base beginning in October.

The Tulsa Maintenance Base, also known as Tech Ops- Tulsa, will take over work on the CFM56-5B engine, which powers a significant portion of the companys Airbus narrow-body aircraft, David Seymour, senior vice president of integrated operations for American, said in a statement.

That maintenance is currently being done by GE Engine partners in Brazil, American Airlines spokeswoman Linda Brock said.

Tech Ops-Tulsa is here for the long term, Seymour said. Much like the recent addition of another incremental B737 heavy check line, bringing the -5B to Tulsa builds on the goal of Tulsa performing high-volume, long-running work. When we can identify this type of work and move it to Tulsa, we will.

Over the next several months, American will work with the TWU-IAM Association to evaluate how the work will be supported. Up to 80 positions will be needed in the existing engine shop to take on the additional work, although whether any of those positions will be new is unclear, Brock said.

This announcement is great news for the American Airlines Tulsa Maintenance Base, which is the worlds largest commercial airline maintenance facility, and for the Tulsa community, Gov. Mary Fallin said in a statement.

This exemplifies the quality of industry-leading heavy maintenance work performed by the employees at the Tulsa maintenance base. It means a significant increase in the amount of money American Airlines will spend with Oklahoma vendors.

Tech Ops-Tulsa employs 5,200 people and handles aircraft overhaul and component and avionics repair. The 3.3-million-square-foot facility was founded in 1946.

This announcement confirms the commitment of American Airlines to the maintenance base and Tulsa area, thanks to the long-standing performance of the Tulsa technical operations team, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said in a statement. American Airlines serves as a major contributor to our local economy, and we look forward to the continued partnerships with the aerospace industry in Tulsa.

Seymour said Tulsa has established first-rate processes for the CFM56-7B program, bringing the turnaround time of a heavy-shop engine visit to a world-class average of 53 days.

Because of that expertise and with the 20-year contract with GE set to expire, he said the clear answer was to put the in-source option up against external vendors.

The base has a world-class reputation for its industry-leading heavy maintenance engine processes and turnaround times, making Tulsa the logical choice for this additive engine work, Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Regional Chamber, said in a statement.

We are very pleased with this announcement and the opportunities it brings to the Tulsa region. We look forward to strengthening our long-term partnership with American Airlines.
If you told Manuel Gomez 15 years ago how much of an impact Tulsas immigrant population would have on its economy now, he probably wouldnt have believed you.

Gomez, co-owner of local grocery chain Supermercados Morelos, is one of thousands of Tulsa immigrants contributing to the economic boost outlined in a study released Wednesday.

Even now, he felt surprised while reading through the studys documentation of the financial influence of immigrants in the Tulsa metropolitan area.

Among the highlights found in the report is that immigrants paid $252.1 million in federal taxes and $135.2 million in state and local taxes in 2015, leaving them with $1.2 billion in spending power.

I never thought these numbers would be so high, said Gomez, who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico when he was a kid. At some point, though, it does make sense in the way that Ive seen the city and its Hispanic community grow so much.

A lot has changed since the days when he struggled to find a steady income after moving to Tulsa from Chicago in his 20s. It was harder for newer immigrants, who faced the added challenges of not understanding the language or possessing the skills needed to work, like knowing how to drive. Many felt excluded by an often-untrusting community that seemed to think they were up to no good.

Gomezs uncommon path to success came after years of working at a Hispanic grocery store, when he and other family members decided to open their own market. A combination of luck and determination led to the expansion of stores across Oklahoma. The newest location opened in Tulsa at Pine Street and Harvard Avenue about four weeks ago.

Over the years, Gomez said he has seen a gradual improvement in public perception and the ability of Hispanics to find good jobs and create thriving businesses.

The numbers in this report prove that were not a bad influence, he said. People want to work. They just want a stable job, and thats why theyre here. And theyll keep coming, Im pretty sure.

The new study, which was published by New American Economy in partnership with the city of Tulsa and the Tulsa Regional Chamber, documents the economic impact of immigrants in the Tulsa metropolitan area.

Representing 6.7 percent of the population, immigrants accounted for 27.9 percent of overall population growth in the Tulsa area between 2010 and 2015 and raised the total housing value by $600 million during that same time period, according to the study.

The immigrant population reportedly contributed $3.8 billion to the regions economic output in 2015, while immigrant households earned $1.6 billion in that year. Further, 4,047 immigrant entrepreneurs in the Tulsa area generated $55 million in business income in 2015.

The study also found that immigrants are 37.4 percent more likely to be of working age (16-64) than those born in the United States. Immigrants play an outsize role in Tulsas key industries, accounting for nearly 21 percent of construction workers, 14.4 percent of workers in tourism and hospitality and 14.2 percent of manufacturing workers.

According to the research, immigrants living in the Tulsa area helped create or preserve 3,029 local manufacturing jobs that would have otherwise vanished or moved elsewhere.

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said one of his biggest objectives since being elected has been to recognize the impact immigrants have on the city.

That impact first grabbed his interest while studying census data and learning that a substantial amount of the citys population growth in the past 10 years came from the immigrant community. If it werent for the newcomers, he said Tulsas population would have decreased.

Bynum said he began looking into opportunities to better engage with the immigrant community and make them feel more safe and welcome.

In September, he announced the beginning of the New Tulsans Initiative, an effort to study Tulsas immigrant population and develop a policy plan to support them. The business coalition New American Economy awarded Tulsa a grant from its Gateways for Growth Cities program as part of the initiative, paving the way for the study.

Were very much interested right now in using data and analytics to drive decision making, Bynum said. I thought it was very important that we understand the impact that the immigrant community is making on Tulsa  not just from a population standpoint, but from an economic one.

The work that the New American Economy team did to provide us with that information and understanding it is, I think, going to be very helpful for us moving forward.

Rich Andre, associate director of state and local initiatives at New American Economy, said the purpose behind the survey was to call attention to the notable contributions from immigrants that benefit society.

A larger immigration population, Andre said, means more entrepreneurs and gaps in the workforce being filled, especially in critical industries. It also brings much-needed taxes for the city and state.

As cities want to grow and compete with peers, having a healthy, integrated, fully contributing immigrant population is part of that recipe, he said.

Francisco Trevino, president of the Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, lauded the rise in immigrant-owned businesses and the resulting financial boon examined in the survey.

Trevino acknowledges that immigration is a contentious issue and that many people disagree with encouraging outside groups to settle down locally. However, he said Tulsas financial future is dependent on the benefits delivered by immigrants.

Sometimes change is hard to accept, especially here in Oklahoma, he said. Change is a positive thing. Its good for Oklahoma. We cannot stay the same as in the late 40s or 50s. We have a new community now, and we need to learn how to accept that community. By learning about each other, I think it will make it easier for the immigrant community and the nonimmigrant community as well.
Rep. Don Bacon has been selected as a new member of the House Homeland Security Committee and the retired Air Force brigadier general will take a seat on its cybersecurity and infrastructure protection subcommittee.

Dons nearly 30 years in the Air Force and his experience in cybersecurity and airborne reconnaissance will prove beneficial to the committee, Chairman Michael McCaul of Texas said Wednesday.

Bacon, metropolitan Omahas first-term congressman, said his new role will echo the work already being done in Nebraskas 2nd District, including research conducted by the University of Nebraska.

University President Hank Bounds said research in national security and defense is one of the universitys highest priorities.

Congressman Bacon has been a great partner and we look forward to working closely with him to advance our shared goal of strengthening national security to keep our nation and warfighters safe, Bounds said.

Bacon left the Small Business Committee to accept the new assignment and will continue to serve on the Agriculture Committee and the Armed Services Committee.

The Homeland Security Committee crafts legislation that seeks to protect the nation from attacks, both foreign and domestic, secures U.S. borders and prevents cyber-attacks, Bacon said. Hell also be a member of its border and maritime security subcommittee.

Bacon said he was asked by House leadership and McCaul to join the committee because of his military experience in intelligence and electronic warfare.

Bacon is a Republican candidate for re-election to a second term in 2018; former Rep. Brad Ashford, whom Bacon unseated in 2016, is seeking the Democratic nomination for the House seat next year.
Guide for Returning to Campus

In the current environment, the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff remain our top priority. To that end, we have taken several important steps that are consistent with the requests of government leaders and health officials.
| By Laura Lee

Two days a week, four University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law students traveled from Baltimore to Bethesda to attend a unique externship opportunity at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at the National Institutes of Health.

Under the expert guidance of Karen Rothenberg, JD, MPA, Marjorie Cook Professor of Law, the students spent 13 intense weeks exploring the ethical, legal, social, and policy issues raised by genomics research.

Rothenberg, a leading national expert on legal issues in health care and genomics, created the externship in collaboration with colleagues at NIH, where she served as senior advisor to the director on Genomics and Society from 2012 to 2015. After her time at NIH, Rothenberg knew she wanted to expose students to the real-world convergence of health and law. While Carey Law provides many excellent externship opportunities, Rothenberg says the NIH program is a rare chance for law students to see the inner workings of NHGRI.

In addition to the expected reading assignments and required class participation, the workshop requires weekly attendance at the Undiagnosed Diseases Program (UDP) rounds, attendance at NHGRI Institutional Review Board meetings, and an extensive research project completed in collaboration with an NHGRI mentor.

After a rigorous application process, Rothenberg accepted four students for the fall semester. Its very intensive; its not your typical law school class. Theyre supporting each other and theyre collaborative. I want them to be immersed in NIH culture and come away with a good understanding of how lawyers and scientists can be problem solvers together, she says.

Nana Tufuoh

Third-year law student Nana Tufuoh wants to be one of those problem solvers. Born and raised in Ghana, she decided to focus her research on sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. The painful and often life-shortening disease is common in sub-Saharan Africa, but remains a low priority for many health ministries.

Tufuoh paired up with Vence Bonham, JD, senior advisor to the NHGRI director on genomics and health disparities, whose research focuses on the social influences of genomic knowledge and sickle cell disease.

Her project examines some of the challenges of implementing universal newborn sickle cell screening in Ghana and offers suggestions on how to overcome the hurdle. One of the big obstacles that I noticed was the health insurance scheme wasnt doing too well, she says. Im looking at ways of strengthening that system, whether it be monitoring fraud and abuse, increasing premiums, which are pretty low, and looking at areas of the health insurance scheme that could tighten up and more effectively pay for screening programs that are supposed to be guaranteed by law.

Tufuoh says Bonham has been an amazing mentor who helped her connect with experts in the field to conduct research for her long-term project. A really integral part of my research was interviewing experts, she says. Sometimes that research can be hard to find online, so it was nice to hear straight from people working on the ground. That all came though his [Bonham's] network, she says.

Her goal is to publish a paper that includes policy recommendations for screening newborns in Ghana for sickle cell disease. I hope it reaches people that are working on this issue, she says. I hope someone in these countries in sub-Saharan Africa reads it and says, Hmm, thats something we could use to tackle this sickle cell problem.' 

Uma Ramamurthi

Workplace health and wellness programs are becoming a common employee benefit in the United States. A 2012 Workplace Wellness Programs study by the Rand Corp. found that about half of employers with at least 50 employees, and more than 90 percent of those with more than 50,000 employees, offered wellness programs. Thats why third-year law student Uma Ramamurthi, along with mentor Lawrence Brody, PhD, director of the Division of Genomics and Society, decided to research wellness programs and how genetic information gathered could be used by employers for possible discrimination. Ramamurthi says that although this issue affects thousands, if not millions, of people, there is very little written information outside of legal and academic journals available to the public.

Ramamurthi says she is fascinated by the legal implications of genomic research and felt privileged to see them at play firsthand while accompanying the clinical director of the Undiagnosed Diseases Program, William Gahl, MD, PhD, on rounds. Gahl says the rounds help put a human face on the health care aspects of the legal system, including the equal access to treatments, Food and Drug Administration policies, and the ethics of overpricing drugs. As a law student, Ramamurthi tried to determine what legal issues the UDP patients were confronting. How is the legal system impacting this patient? It could be immigration, family law, torts issues, she says. You can see very clearly what your role is as a lawyer."

(l-r) Professor Karen Rothenberg, third-year Carey Law students Eleanor Chung and Uma Ramamurthi, and Eggerton Campbell of the National Human Genome Research Institute discuss intellectual property and technology transfer. (Photo: Ernesto Del Aguila, NIH)

Eleanor Chung

Third-year law student Eleanor Chung worked with bioethicist Benjamin Berkman, JD, MPH, deputy director, NHGRI Bioethics Core, investigating patients' rights to direct their medical samples. While no advocacy group has sued specifically over the right to direct their samples, the issue is something she and her mentor think is a looming problem.

Berkman, an attorney, says he wants the students who work with him to think about nontraditional legal career paths. My hope in working with University of Maryland law students at NIH is to show them that there is a broad universe of intellectually stimulating things that they can do with their degree outside of traditional legal settings, he says. In particular, I want the students that work with me to see that it can be extremely productive to bring a legal perspective to academic and applied bioethics.

In addition to her in-depth research, Chung was particularly impressed by the legal and ethical issues brought up by the lightning-fast pace of cutting-edge technologies and protocols. She recalled a lunch meeting with an NIH researcher who was using supercomputers and artificial intelligence to figure out how gene modifiers affect the physical presentation of a disease, something that was only talked about as a possibility just a few years ago. Chung says that while what is ethical seems straightforward, in the world of science its not always a clear-cut path. What is ethical changes tremendously in a short period of time, she noted. Especially because there are so many interests at stake that arent always aligned: the interests of the institution, the patient, the advocacy group, the researcher.

NHGRI Director Eric Green, MD, PhD, says Chung and her colleagues are absolutely on the right track when contemplating the ethical concerns of scientific research. The participating students have demonstrated a keen interest in NIHs mission and the desire to help build a healthier world, he says. In some realms, such as genomics, the science is moving at a breathtaking pace, which can present major challenges for society. The students in this program are getting strong exposure to relevant legal issues that are arising from genomic advances.

Bach Nguyen

Bach Nguyen rekindled his love for science during his time at NHGRI working in the Technology Transfer Office, handling everything from research development to pushing that research on to broader markets. He credits his experience in the tech transfer office with helping him to recently be selected to participate in the UM Ventures Presidents Entrepreneurial Fellowship, a competitive technology transfer program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

Nguyen earned undergraduate degrees in biology and philosophy, and his externship experience helped him solidify the direction his career will take when he finishes law school. I always thought Id go into health policy, and thats still something that interests me, he says. But I can make more use of that science background in a patent or tech transfer career path.

He is working on a research paper analyzing creative solutions to acquiring expensive hepatitis C medication, especially recent proposals using 28 U.S.C. 1498, which allows for government use of a patented technology without prior authorization from the patent holder. Nguyen says he was inspired by recent headlines about a spike in hepatitis C in Louisiana spurred by the opioid epidemic and needle sharing. Theres a large and growing need for these types of medications in Louisiana, and theyre very potent. Most of them have above a 90 percent cure rate, he says. The problem is that the Louisiana state budget cant afford the medication for everyone who needs it at current market prices.

Nguyen argues that voluntary agreements between the patent holder and the government preserve incentives for research and development in the pharmaceutical industry. He also says a lure for pharmaceutical companies to enter into voluntary licensing agreements is partially one of public perception. It presents an opportunity for some drug companies to distinguish themselves from unscrupulous, price-gouging drug companies, he says.

For Nguyen and the three other students involved in the program, Professor Rothenberg has been a guide and sounding board for ideas. Shes always looking out for us and pointing us in the right direction. Its amazing how dedicated she is, Nguyen says.

Rothenbergs dedication to her students is evident in the amount of time and passion she puts into the NHGRI externship workshop. At the end of the day, she hopes the experience opens up a world of life-changing opportunities for the future attorneys. You can take your law degree and do so many things, she says. Its not just a question of going to a law firm or going into a courtroom or representing a plaintiff or a defendant. You can really change the world in so many ways by working with a diversity of talent.
Five months have passed since Sandrine Nyaribagiza first arrived at Nyarugusu refugee camp in north-western Tanzania. She thought she was safe after fleeing the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Now, in an overcrowded mass shelter only designed to accommodate new arrivals for a week, she fears for her family every night.

Anyone can walk in, says 21-year-old Sandrine, pointing to the loose canvas flap that gives access to the tiny section where she, her husband and their newborn baby sleep. Im still scared from before, and here I dont feel any better. It doesnt feel safe.

Emergency shelters like these provide little comfort, privacy or security. Inside the huge tented structure, divided into about 30 dwellings, mosquitoes keep the inhabitants awake at night and intense heat builds up during the day. When it rains, water runs across the bare earth floor.

"There are so many diseases, we need better conditions.

My husband has gone to hospital, says Sandrine. Hes got stomach cramps and the flu. We dont live properly. There are so many diseases, we need better conditions.

One-month-old Promences hoarse cries confirm that she, too, has flu.

Nyarugusu camp opened more than 20 years ago and now accommodates nearly 150,000 refugees from the DRC and Burundi. Tanzania hosts a total of 359,494 people of concern, including refugees and asylum-seekers.

Further funding is urgently needed so that people like Sandrine and her baby can be moved quickly into safer, more solid structures. A growing shortfall means that, in the countrys refugee camps, hundreds of thousands of people are suffering. Better protected transitional shelters, costing US$500 each to build, are in short supply.

Sandrine in the emergency shelter with baby Promence and friend Aline.  UNHCR / Georgina Goodwin

"There are so many diseases," says Sandrine. "We need better conditions."  UNHCR/Georgina Goodwin

Burundi refugees Mariana (left) and Venansiya (right) with their children outside their emergency shelter in Nduta refugee camp.  UNHCR/Georgina Goodwin

Venansiya and her sister have been living in a dilapidated tent for 10 months.  UNHCR/Georgina Goodwin

Chansa Kapaya, the Tanzania representative of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, says that, by the end of the year, the agency and its partners hope to have built some 18,000 sun-dried mud brick transitional shelters with metal roofs. This is still only 38 per cent of what is needed. An additional 30,550 transitional shelters are required, at a total cost of about US$15,275,000.

Refugees who fled their homes in Burundi and DRC and sought asylum in Tanzania lost everything and came with literally nothing, she says. Shelter is one of the many basic needs we try to provide every family. Adequate shelter is a basic human right and basic necessity that every human being requires. Providing adequate shelter for each refugee family is a big challenge due to funding constraints.

In Nduta camp, which houses 125,000 refugees, three-quarters of the population are women and children. Only 34 per cent of households live in transitional shelters.

There, Venansiya Bigirimana, 28, and her sister Mariana Kamanzi, 30, have been living in a torn, dilapidated tent for 10 months since they arrived from Burundi. Nine people  the two sisters and their seven boys  share the cramped space. There are no beds, just the ground to sleep on, and both of Venensiyas twins, born just five months ago, have chest infections. Her husband died in Burundi.

"Shelter is one of the many basic needs we try to provide every family."

Its hard because you can see the situation, how we live, how we sleep, says Mariana, whose husband is still in Burundi. It leaks when it rains and its cold in the night. We were supposed to go to register for plastic sheeting to cover the leaks yesterday, but the children got sick so we couldnt go.

In a desperate effort to feed their children and buy enough firewood to keep them warm, the pair have sold their solar lamp and mosquito net.

The sisters will be registered by UNHCR for a transitional shelter when funding becomes available in January 2018. In the meantime, they will struggle through the rain, without shoes, lighting, enough food or even a mattress.

In Nduta camp, UNHCR is working hard to move people out of emergency shelters by providing some refugees with the tools and materials to build their own homes through a community-based approach. Under this upgradable shelter project, emergency shelters can be encased by mud-bricks and upgraded into semi-permanent structures with a corrugated iron roof.

Im waiting for somewhere safe to go."

The main problem is the lack of transitional shelters in Nduta camp, says Patrick Mutai, UNHCRs shelter officer in the camp. We have refugees living in tents and emergency shelters for over a year and they deteriorate in time. The benefits of this project are that it is cheaper than doing the full construction, refugees can do it by themselves and they learn the skills.

Enabling refugees to use and develop skills to support themselves is key to the New York Declaration for Refugee and Migrants adopted last year by the UN General Assembly, which calls for a more comprehensive and predicable response to the global refugee crisis. Tanzania is one of 13 countries applying the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework, an essential part of the New York Declaration, where governments, humanitarian agencies and development organizations work together to help refugees not only survive, but thrive.

In Tanzania, each shelter built under the community-based approach costs 50 per cent less than full construction of a transitional shelter, which means funds can be used to meet other important needs such as health care, education and livelihoods. And, in Nduta camp at least, it is working. Since April 2017, the number of households living in transitional shelters there has increased by 13 per cent.

In Nyarugusu camp, only 6,159 households have access to transitional shelters. Though less expensive, they require funding that the operation does not have. Until more funds are found, Sandrine and thousands of others face a long and frightening wait in the emergency shelter. For her, it is the nights and the darkness that are the worst.

We have the one torch but the batteries have finished and we cant buy more, she says, gently rocking baby Promence. Im waiting for somewhere safe to go.
UNHCR is deeply disturbed by the forcible removal of refugees and asylum-seekers from the former Regional Processing Centre on Manus Island today. The beating of refugees and asylum-seekers by uniformed officers with metal poles, shown by footage released today, is both shocking and inexcusable.

UNHCR staff remain on the ground on Manus Island, where limited access is continuing to hamper our monitoring role. Our staff have received reports that several men remain inside the Regional Processing Centre, having been seriously injured, and are seeking additional information from the Governments of Australia and Papua New Guinea at this time. Medical treatment for all refugees and asylum seekers who require it is of paramount importance.

UNHCR unequivocally advised the Governments of Australia and Papua New Guinea prior to closure of the Regional Processing Centre that comprehensive, intensive support for refugees and asylum-seekers is critical. Despite this, medical care remains inadequate, and caseworkers, interpreters, and torture and trauma counselling are completely unavailable. Similar concerns have been voiced by the authorities of Papua New Guinea, who lack the means and infrastructure to provide such services without further resources.

The situation still unfolding on Manus Island presents a grave risk of further deterioration, and of further damage to extremely vulnerable human beings, said Thomas Albrecht, UNHCRs Regional Representative in Canberra. UNHCR renews its call for all Australian Parliamentarians and leaders to take immediate action to provide protection and safety for all refugees and asylum-seekers transferred to Papua New Guinea.

UNHCR remains particularly concerned that even recognized refugees are still being offered enticements to voluntarily return to their home countries. This includes countries where human rights conditions have significantly deteriorated in the past 12 months. Severely inadequate services and conditions may now further coerce refugees with a well-founded fear of persecution to nevertheless return to their countries of origin. UNHCR is aware, for example, of a refugee who recently returned to his home country, despite the precarious situation there, given fears for his safety and health in Papua New Guinea. Having been attacked by machete, and unable to get required medical treatment for a serious existing medical condition that had then been exacerbated, he felt he had no choice but to go back.

UNHCR urges the Government of Australia to take immediate action to provide protection and solutions, and to avert further harm and tragedy.
Musk hints at new chief for Twitter 17 Nov 2022 | 12:10 PM San Francisco, Nov 17 (UNI) Elon Musk has said he will reduce his time at Twitter eventually giving way to a new leader to run the social media company as added he hoped to complete an organisational restructuring this week. see more..

US Senate advances same-sex marriage bill 17 Nov 2022 | 10:50 AM Washington, Nov 17 (UNI) The US Senate voted on Wednesday to proceed to debate on legislation that would codify same-sex marriage protections in the country. see more..

Chile announces first monkeypox death 17 Nov 2022 | 10:46 AM Santiago, Nov 17 (UNI) Chile recorded its first monkeypox death of an elderly man with underlying pathologies, who was diagnosed on September 29, the Ministry of Health announced. see more..

Tycoon launches $25bn fund for Ukraine reboot 17 Nov 2022 | 10:42 AM Canberra, Nov 17 (UNI) Australian mining billionaire Andrew Forrest has launched a fund that is expected to raise $25 billion initially to help rebuild war-torn Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the move. see more..
November 30 2017

Keppie Design have taken the decision to close their Edinburgh office, focusing resources on their Glasgow headquarters, in a continuing programme of retrenchment.The decision to close Bells Brae follows a major restructuring in 2016 during which the practice shed office space in Aberdeen, Perth and Manchester in order to rein in financial losses.This followed a decision to form a strategic collaboration with Stride Treglown and Todd Architects; known as 431 Architecture , with the intention of furnishing the practice with the scale necessary to compete for work UK-wide.While confirming the closure the practice has yet to make a formal statement. Its Inverness office will continue to operate as normal.
Editor's Note: The following letter was sent by UTSA President Taylor Eighmy to the United UTSA Coalition and NAACP at UTSA, in response to its letter of concern dated November 27.

November 29, 2017

United UTSA Coalition, utsaunited@gmail.com

NAACP at UTSA, utsanaacp1@gmail.com

Greetings,

My sincere thanks for your letter of November 27. I was grateful for the opportunity to follow up on my invitation to meet with the Executive Board of NAACP at UTSA, and I felt our meeting yesterday morning to talk through the letters contents in detail and to discuss UTSAs ongoing response to the Patriot Front banner was very productive.

I share your total rejection of the deeply racist, misguided practices of Patriot Front and other white supremacist groups. The fact that they have targeted UTSA is very distressing. Though many colleges and universities have dealt with similar incidents over the last few months (including Northwest Vista College and St. Philips College right here in San Antonio), it doesnt make the situation any easier, nor does it mean we should take it any less seriously. We need to work together to take steps toward unity and prevention of future incidents.

I promised to get back to you quickly regarding the requests you outlined in your letter. Many of them are in alignment with steps we are already taking or plan to pursue in the very near future.

A formal statement denouncing the presence of hate groups on campus You may have seen my statement on UTSA Today from November 21 which states unequivocally that groups championing intolerance, bigotry and hatred are not welcome on this campus. Although we know that drawing attention to their presence is one of Patriot Fronts goals, I feel that taking a strong public stance on this issue is vitally important. As San Antonios largest university, we need to take the lead. As such, Im currently coordinating with the Mayors office and the Higher Education Council of San Antonio (HECSA) to produce a joint statement from San Antonios college and university presidents and the Mayors office that takes a strong stand against hate groups on our campuses. Though the conversations are early, I look forward to other presidents joining us in releasing the statement sometime in the next week.

Commitment to refuse permission for any group attempting to share fascist and white supremacist messaging on campus UT Austin has experienced many similar incidents on their campus. To ensure the well-being of their students, UT Austin recently strengthened their policies regarding non-university-affiliated groups staging protests, hosting gatherings or disseminating information, as well as what tactics university-affiliated groups may utilize. We are working now to implement similar policies here at UTSA, strengthening those we already have in place to increase the protection and safety of our students.

Visible effort to determine the perpetrators and share camera footage The UTSA Police Department is working diligently to investigate those responsible for the Patriot Front banner. Unfortunately, the cameras we have in the Paseo did not point to the bridge, and a review of footage from other cameras in the area is ongoing, but so far inconclusive. Police Chief Gerald Lewis has offered to attend your next meeting to discuss their work to identify the persons responsible. He is also in constant dialogue with San Antonios NAACP chapter president Oliver Hill. I hope you will take Chief Lewis up on his offer to meet by contacting him at gerald.lewis@utsa.edu. As proactive steps, we are in the process of purchasing and deploying additional cameras for strategic areas on campus, as well as increasing our officer patrol presence on campus between 9 p.m.  6 a.m.

Commitment to implementing a mandatory diversity and sensitivity training program for all incoming freshmen/transfers Long before this incident, I began conversations with the Provosts Diversity and Inclusiveness Advisory Council on administering a climate survey campus-wide. As previously planned, the faculty/staff version of the survey launched on Monday, and we are working with the Student Government Association to develop and administer a student version of the survey in the very near future. The results of these surveys will help us to identify UTSAs most pressing issues in regards to diversity, giving us insights into the highest impact initiatives that will lead to a more inclusive campus environment. A diversity training program could very well be in this mix, as could a number of other important initiatives. Moreover, as long planned, I have asked the Provosts Diversity and Inclusiveness Advisory Council to begin developing a university statement on diversity and inclusion for consideration by our community as a statement of principle akin to our mission and vision statements. In our meeting yesterday we discussed forming something like an expansive Campus Climate Council, driven by our Student Government Association and with broad student, faculty and staff representation. I see this Council as the body that could (1) help host campus conversations with me generally around our campus climate, (2) help further refine the work of the Provosts Diversity and Inclusiveness Council, and (3) help assess the survey data and come up with recommendations to move us forward. I feel its important to give the surveys and Councils the opportunity to lead us collectively in the right direction regarding our next steps, but I am fully committed to putting resources toward this important work and resulting initiatives.

Increase in faculty/staff diversity The relatively low number of faculty, staff and leadership of color at UTSA is an issue I identified during my interview process. It is something we need to address head-on, which is why I include it in my strategic vision as a high priority (see the last sentence under Cultivating the Excellence of our People). My plan is to launch a strategic initiative this spring to directly address this need.

Finally, I wanted to mention that this recent event has illuminated the need for processes and procedures to anticipate, identify and communicate bias incidents on our campus. Last week I operationalized a Bias Response Team, led by Dean of Students Kevin Price and composed of campus administrators in key positions, to spearhead this effort.

In the days to come I will be meeting with more student groups around the banner incident to share information and ideas, and I will continue to update the community about developments.

Please feel free to reach out to me at any time with concerns, requests or thoughts. There is nothing more important to me than creating a safe environment for all UTSA students, and I will do everything in my power to do so.

With appreciation,

Taylor Eighmy
Nguyen Duc Quynh outlines his plan to maintain Danang's prestige as a holiday destination

In an interview in Singapore, Nguyen Duc Quynh, deputy chairman of the Steering Committee of the Danang Hotel Association cum deputy general director of Furama Resort Danang, said: The biggest issue we have in Danang is the large supply of one- and two-star hotels. There are 25,570 hotel rooms in Danang, 40 per cent of which are in one- and two-star hotels. These hotels tend to attract lower-end tourists who may bring with them certain social issues that will ultimately influence Danangs reputation as a holiday destination. Danang needs to be a destination for quality tourists.

As a solution, deputy chairman Quynh recommends that one- and two-star hotels convert into long-stay properties that are suitable for business travellers and domestic family groups on holidays.

He explained: Following the APEC meetings in Danang on November 4-11, trade and foreign investment will pick up in Danang, which will result in more foreigners coming in for business projects. They will need a place to stay and one- and two-star hotels could provide that by scaling up their facilities and changing their business structure.

Going after the long-stay market will also help alleviate these hotels poor business during the winter season, he said.

The association will provide guidance on business transformation and training on critical knowledge such as revenue management.

When asked where the association will get its funding for these activities, Quynh said: They will come from membership fees and sponsorship from businesses that have an interest in our members, for example hotel booking technology companies that hope to introduce their solutions to these one- and two-star hotels.
OPEC ministers attend the informal meeting of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on the eve of the 173rd OPEC Conference in Vienna. (JOE KLAMAR/AFP)

"The (oil) market has not yet achieved complete stability and more action is needed beyond Apr 1. Everyone (in the committee) recommended an extension," Alexander Novak said in the Austrian capital.

"All the details will be discussed tomorrow (Thursday) ... But I am sure that the recommendations of the committee will be followed and that the result will be positive," Novak told reporters.

The deal among 24 oil producing nations reducing output by 1.8 million barrels per day, aimed at reducing a global glut and lifting the price of oil, was struck a year ago and expires on Mar 31.

It was unclear however whether the committee, which includes big hitters Russia and Saudi Arabia, recommended an extension of six months, until Sep 30, 2018, or by nine months until the end of 2018.

The agreement was originally stuck a year ago after oil prices plummeted to a 13-year low of under US$30 a barrel in early 2016, blowing a hole in producer nations' finances.

Helped by improving economic conditions boosting demand, the accord has borne fruit, boosting oil prices to near two-year highs and reducing oil inventories to more normal levels.

Brent Crude has crept up to towards US$65 per barrel, while fellow benchmark West Texas Intermediate has been heading for US$60.

The danger however is that the higher the price, the more this will help shale oil producers in the United States, which are outside the agreement, ramp up production and take market share.

In addition, Russia is pressing for clarity on how and when to end the curbs, Bloomberg News reported, since its economic policy is more complex than that of OPEC members.
Helping hand: Students have meals provided from funds given from sponsors.  VNS Photo Hoai Van

And the communes Nguyen Binh Khiem Junior Secondary School in Duy Xuyen District is still a water-logged shambles. The winds that stripped all the leaves from the trees have also left the grounds full of mud.

Teachers shudder at the cleaning up they have had to do and what work remains before the school can get back in action.

Nobody thought that the floodwaters would be so deep. They submerged the desks, chairs and other furniture things that had been stacked high to avoid damage.

I ran to the school right as soon as the water receded," said Nguyen Tan Sinh, a literature teacher. "I could not believe my eyes. The mud and sludge was high up the walls. Dozens of library books were submerged in water.

Teachers are working tirelessly to clean up, but much of the schools contents are still soaked. In the school grounds, hundreds of books have been laid to dry in the sun.

Le au, school principal, said teachers were opening every page hoping that many will still be readable.

I asked my students if their families lost anything in the floods. I was saddeneed when they replied that their families were so poor they did not have anything to lose, au said.

Duy Vinh Commune is surrounded by rivers and paddy fields. Every time a typhoon hits, the whole area is submerged in a sea of water.

And the Ha Tan Bridge crossing the Duy Vinh River to the school is like "rotten firewood" after so many floods and is at high risk of c ollapsing.

In the past week, dozens of teachers have risked their lives crossing the bridge.

Clean-up: A teacher dries books in the sun after they were submerged in flood water.  VNS Photo Hoai Van

Tran Thi Loc, a teacher, said using the old bridge gave him goose bumps, but thought about the students waiting for her. Teachers and students are now considering using life jackets to cross the river.

To keep students at school after lunch time, teachers called for donations to provide the children with cheap lunches. Sinh, a teacher of literature, went online to plead for help. So far, he has raised a total of VN5 million (US$220) to provide meals that cost VN15,000 each.

The students say the meals are delicious, said Sinh.

Le Hieu, a ninth grader, said that knowing the teachers loved students so much, parents told their children to do their best at study, he said.

Another teacher, Loc, said in poverty, people knew how to love and help each other. The love was deep in the students hearts, said Loc.

A dam involved in the flooding is now being repaired so students do not have to stay for lunch and can walk safely to their homes.

But many students come from families that are desperately poor. A student whose mother suffers from cancer must work after school to earn money. Another student whose mother died must help his father raise three children.

Teacher Sinh said, The most important work is to maintain studentsstudies. We cannot let them quit school due to poverty.

And we are still calling for sponsors to continue helping the students, he said.
Textile garment firms are striving to take advantage of Vietnam's FTAs to enlarge their export market

At the recent textile and garment sector business dialogue in Hanoi, chairman of Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas) Vu Duc Giang forecast that the sector could achieve $31 billion in total export value this year, surpassing the target by $1 billion.

According to Vitas figures, the textile and garment sector reaped $25.7 billion in export value in the year to the end of October, an 11 per cent jump on-year.

The figure is expected to touch $28.5 billion by the end of November.

According to Le Tien Truong, general director of state textile and garment group Vinatex, the US withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) has not affected Vietnam's apparel exports to the US.

Last year, Vietnam raked in $11.45 billion from textile and garment exports to the US, up 4.5 per cent over the previous year. This year, the export value continues on this upward trend and is expected to reach $12.5 billion, he said.

As for footwear exports, according to the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (Lefaso) in the year to the end of October Vietnam counted nearly $13 billion from footwear exports, up 13 per cent on-year.

The full-year export value for the footwear sector is forecast to touch $15 billion, while it was $13 billion in 2016.

Major export markets for Vietnamese footwear products remain the US, Europe, China, and Japan. The US accounted for 35.3 per cent of the countrys total footwear export value with nearly $4.17 billion, up 13.7 per cent on-year, while exports to the EU brought in $3.68 billion, making up 31.2 per cent and increasing by 10.5 per cent on-year.

China took the second position behind the US with $930 million, a 30.3 per cent jump on-year, making up 8 per cent of the sectors total export value.

With export value averaging at $100 million per month, Lefaso expects the sectors total export value to China to reach $1.2 billion this year, paving the way for more robust export growth in the forthcoming years.

Among the ASEAN markets, Vietnamese footwear exports to Indonesia jumped 53 per cent on-year, to nearly $37 million.

Export value to other markets also rose sharply. For instance, exports to Singapore increased by 45 per cent, to Poland 33 per cent, to India 33.7 per cent, and to Hungary 34 per cent.

According to foreign experts, the world economy fared better this year than last year, and Chinas reduced investment incentives to its textile, garment, and footwear sectors to focus on the development of higher technology industries have partially shifted processing orders from China to Vietnam to take advantage of the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement slated to come into force from 2018.
KTO awarded a local tour agency at the Korea Night and Awards Ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City

As of November 19, Korea welcomed more than 300,000 Vietnamese tourists, signifying an annual rise of 29.9 per cent even without December. The number of Vietnamese tourist arrivals is expected to reach 330,000 in 2017, according to the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) in Vietnam.

MICE tourism (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) also achieved healthy performance. As of November 30, there were over 55,000 MICE tourist arrivals travelling from Vietnam to Korea, up 61.7 per cent against the same period last year.

More tourism products by local agencies have been launched to cater to Vietnamese tourists visiting Korea. Tour agencies like Fiditour, Vietravel, Transviet Travel, TST Tourist, and Saigontourist have rolled out new Korean winter tours to serve the rising demand. KTO works in collaboration with these agencies to develop 15 Korean winter tour products in the price range of VND14-16 million ($617-705).

2017 is a successful year for Vietnam and Korean tourism. With rapid growth and the 8th ranking, Vietnam presents huge opportunities for the Korean tourism sector, Jung Chang Wook, director of KTO in Vietnam, said.

He noted that KTO will continue its efforts to develop new and unique products for the Vietnamese market like Hallyu tourism and Korean beauty tourism. The organisation has hosted over 20 seminars to promote Korean tourism in Vietnam, including MICE and medical tours.

In the upcoming time, Korea will issue attractive programmes to lure in Vietnamese tourists during the 2018 Winter Olympics, which is scheduled to take place from February 9 to 25, 2018 in Pyeongchang county. In particular, Vietnamese visitors have been granted visa-free entry through Yangyang International Airport until April 2018.
DES MOINES | While Iowa is among the nations safest places to live, the states prison system chief expressed concern Wednesday over a federal report indicating Iowa is one of only two states where homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults rose over a decade.

Jerry Bartruff, director of the Iowa Department of Corrections, said the numbers may be somewhat skewed given that Iowa is a small state with a low crime rate, so percentage increases appear to amplify the data.

Nonetheless, he said he found the higher arrests over the past 10 years in all four major categories of violent crime covered by the latest FBI crime report to be almost shocking.

Because were fairly safe in Iowa, any increase in the percentages looks huge, Bartruff said in presenting his agencys fiscal 2019 budget proposal to Gov. Kim Reynolds. But he said he was concerned there was a sizable spike in violent crimes being committed in rural areas as well as an uptick in Des Moines.

Iowas other metro areas, though, generally showed declines.

Another statistic that troubled the director was a slow but steady rise in the number of paroled prisoners who commit another violent crime. With that number also creeping up, Bartruff worried that Iowas prison population currently at 8,286 inmates could rise, as well as the cost of incarcerating people in Iowas nine prisons.

Currently, he said Iowas incarceration rate of 281 inmates per 100,000 is considerably lower than Missouri (530), South Dakota (413), Indiana (412), Illinois (360) and Kansas (328) and sought a status quo funding level of $378.7 million. The only new request he made was a $1 million increase to cover pharmaceutical costs.

The union that represents correctional officers and other workers in state prisons and community-based corrections repeatedly has asked for staffing increases beyond the current 3,742 full-time positions. But Bartruff told reporters, we think that we have adequate staffing to take care of incidents as they occur.

Last month, Danny Homan, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 61, cited incidents at prisons in Fort Madison, Coralville and Clarinda in which correctional workers were injured in inmate attacks or had to quell multiple race-fueled fights.

Wednesday, Homan characterized Bartruffs assertion that staffing levels are adequate as dangerously false.

The drastic increase in staff being viciously assaulted over the past months prove the ignorance of this claim. Every single one of these incidents, including an officer being stabbed five times with two 10-inch shanks, is tied to woefully inadequate staffing levels, he said in a statement.  ... Director Bartruff ought to be more concerned with the safety of those in his department and less about kissing the governors ring.
CLEAR LAKE | A Clear Lake man has been arrested for burglary and assault after he allegedly violated a no-contact order twice in one week.

Joshua Allen Diekhuis, 36, is charged with domestic abuse assault  third or subsequent offense  and second degree burglary in addition to probation violations.

At about 3:30 p.m. Nov. 21, Diekhuis is accused of assaulting a known woman at a residence on the 9700 block of Wheelerwood Drive.

According to court documents, Diekhuis grabbed the woman by the back of the neck and pushed her to the floor causing her to hit her nose on a nearby tube, injuring her left shoulder and bicep area as well.

At 12:37 p.m. Nov. 24, Diekhuis allegedly entered the same residence through the basement door by pulling a vehicle away from the door to gain access to the house. Court documents said the he did not have a right to be at or inside the residence due to a no contact order.

A preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 5 in Cerro Gordo County District Court. He is held in Cerro Gordo County Jail on a $15,000 bond.

Probation revocation proceedings have begun for Diekhuis as a result of the charges.

A probation revocation hearing is scheduled for Dec. 26 in Cerro Gordo County District Court. He is on probation for an incident in August where he pleaded guilty.

Cerro Gordo County deputies were called to the same residence for a domestic disturbance shortly after midnight Aug. 4.

Diekhius punched a known woman, causing a laceration on her lip, and bruising and swelling on her cheek, the criminal complaint states. He then pushed the woman to the ground and placed his hands around her neck.

When deputies arrived, Diekhuis was found operating a farm tractor on his driveway. According to court documents, deputies say Diekhuis smelled strongly of alcohol and had bloodshot, watery eyes.

Diekhuis admitted to law enforcement he consumed a "half of a fifth of whiskey" and was operating the tractor, the complaint said. His blood alcohol content was .153.
Photo: Andrew Toth/Getty Images for Vulture Festiva

Together, Bryan Fuller and Michael Green created, executive-produced, and served as showrunners on the highly ambitious Starz series American Gods, an adaptation of the book by Neil Gaiman. But now Variety reports that both men will leave the showrunner position, allegedly over disputes with the production company, Freemantle Media.

According to Variety, Green and Fuller wanted to increase the budget for season two, which Starz committed to in May, despite word from sources that the cost of upcoming episodes was already close to $10 million each. Fuller was a serious power-tweeter about the show as the first season aired earlier this year, and he left showrunning duties for Star Trek: Discovery  a beloved property for Fuller  in part to focus on Gods. No replacements have been named yet by Starz, but surely every Fannibal across the world is putting on their flower crowns right now and sending up a prayer that Fuller just wants to devote all his energies to reviving Hannibal. In the meantime, he is developing Amazing Stories for Apple, and Green is working on the Netflix drama Raising Dion.
WATERLOO  A Waterloo man who was shot twice and stabbed after allegedly attacking family members with a board on Thanksgiving has been arrested.



Waterloo police arrested 58-year-old Darrell Anthony Reasby, of 1910 Plain View St., on Sunday after he was released from the hospital. He was arrested for domestic assault with intent to inflict injury and domestic assault with a weapon. His bond was set at $5,000.



Witnesses told police that Reasby attacked his sister, Marina Caradine, and niece, Jaleesa Caradine, with a piece of lumber that had screws jutting out from the wood, records state. Reasbys sister shot him in self defense, a struggle ensued where he attempted to disarm her, and the niece stabbed him in the back while he was fighting with the sister, according to court records.



Police and medics were called to the home at about 10:50 p.m., and Reasby, who had two gunshot wounds to a leg and a stab wound, was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Matt Lauer. Photo: Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. Today: Donald Trump and the Matt Lauer scandal, James OKeefes shoddy brand of journalism, and the prospect of a federal government shutdown next month.

In the wake of Matt Lauers sudden firing from NBC after a colleagues complaint of inappropriate sexual behavior, President Trump took to Twitter to accuse the network of fake news and lobbed nasty (or already disproven) allegations against morning MSNBC host Joe Scarborough and NBC News chairman Andy Lack. What could he hope to gain with that kind of response?

More than a dozen women have accused Trump of sexual harassment or assault with, as yet, no legal consequences  even though he was caught admitting guilt (gleefully) to Billy Bush on the Access Hollywood tape. As our mad presidents delusional thinking has it, accusing others of his own crimes is always the best defense; its the same impulse that has led him to repeatedly claim that it was Hillary Clinton who colluded with Russia in the 2016 election. That said, we should not let Trumps tweets distract us  either from his own history as a sexual predator or NBC News own dubious history in dealing with alleged sexual predators, including both Trump and Lauer. NBC and NBC News should not be allowed to play the victim here just because Trump smeared Scarborough and Lack. This network and its news division have a lot to answer for.

5 Times Matt Lauer Was Inappropriate

As the Lauer story broke yesterday, some (including talking heads on MSNBC) applauded the network for being proactive and firing Lauer on its own volition rather than waiting to respond until journalists elsewhere reported his transgressions (as Fox News waited with Bill OReilly, and CBS, PBS, and Bloomberg did with Charlie Rose). That praise is unwarranted. When NBC News fired Lauer, it knew that both Variety and the New York Times were preparing to publish investigative accounts about his serial abuse of women. Indeed, the imminent unmasking of Lauers offenses was widely known among journalists; I first heard that Lauer stories were in the offing more than three weeks ago. So all the shock and tearful emotional consternation that made for such great drama on the Today show yesterday (as well as at Morning Joe on MSNBC) involved a certain amount of playacting. There was no way the Today family could have been surprised by the revelations of Lauers sexual abuses; the only surprise was that NBC had so suddenly fired him.

Prior to this, its impossible to forget, NBC News had dropped the ball on two major stories of sexual assault. It had passed on airing the Access Hollywood video of Trump, even though NBC owned the show, ceding that scoop to the Washington Post. And it had retreated from airing the reports of its own correspondent, Ronan Farrow, on Harvey Weinstein, ceding that investigation to The New Yorker. NBC News has never credibly explained either of these punts.

I suspect we are soon to learn much more about who at NBC knew about Lauers behavior and enabled it or chose to look the other way  just as we will surely learn more about what those managing House of Cards knew about Kevin Spaceys sexual predation when the show was in production in Baltimore. We will also learn more about those who either enabled Weinstein at Miramax or (like the disgraced lawyer David Boies) sicced attack dogs on his victims. If NBC wants to start making amends, it could finally make public any Apprentice archival video that sheds further light on its stars behavior. As the Associated Press reported last year, more than 20 former crew members, editors, and contestants affirmed that Trump repeatedly demeaned women on the show. Bill Pruitt, a former Apprentice producer, said there are far worse tapes than the Access Hollywood video that surfaced. NBC must stop sitting on any additional evidence of potentially criminal Trump behavior.

NBC News might also bring back Lauers former co-star Billy Bush for on-camera testimony. Ann Curry could conduct the interview.

The failed attempt to plant a fake story in the Washington Post by James OKeefe of Project Veritas seems like the biggest of his long list of backfires, but previous botches dont seem to have hurt his esteem in the eyes of his conservative donors. Will the conservative money move on?

Lets take a moment to acknowledge the moral atrocity of what OKeefe did: He created a fake sexual-assault crime by Roy Moore in a failed attempt to discredit the real Moore predation that the Post uncovered. What could be more depraved than that?

But even though this stunt blew up, possibly blowing up the punk OKeefe with it, this incident is only a tiny cog in a much larger right-wing effort, led by Trump, to discredit the news media and to destroy the whole idea of fact-based news as we know it. As the Times has reported, Trump is now revving up to peddle a fiction that the incriminating Access Hollywood video is a hoax  and perhaps to revive his birther calumnies against Obama. Last week he went on yet another tirade attacking CNN, and particularly the brave war-zone journalists of CNN International, for perpetrating fake news. Yesterday, he posted on Twitter bogus videos earlier tweeted by the fringe ultra-right group Britain First purporting to depict Muslims engaging in vicious violence. (The videos are about as true-to-life as a Monty Pythonsketch if you watch them.) Not for nothing had the Trump Foundation (surely Foundation should be in quotes) given at least $20,000  its rarecharitable contribution  to OKeefes Project Veritas.

Whatever the fate of Project Veritas, Breitbart and its like arent going anywhere. Trump and right-wing money will continue to support the blitzkrieg to undermine actual news and install fake news in its place. Count me among the skeptics who do not believe that the Koch Brothers invested in the Meredith Corporations purchase of the Time Inc. magazine empire to make money. You dont invest in print to make money. You invest to make Betsy DeVos Person of the Year.

An attempt at bipartisan budget negotiations this week regressed into Trump airing complaints to television cameras while sitting between two empty chairs. Is the country headed for a government shutdown?

Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi were right to pull out of a supposedly bipartisan White House summit after Trump (again on Twitter) accused them of deluging America with floods of illegal immigrants and condoning crime. How could they have done otherwise?

Meanwhile, Im all for the Democrats having the spine to shut the government down. Dick Armey, the Texas congressman in Newt Gingrichs leadership who argued against Newts shutdown gambit in the Clinton years, had it right when he said that Republicans would always get blamed for shutdowns. It is counterintuitive to the average American that Democrats want to shut down the government, he said, because theyre the advocates of the government. Meanwhile it is perfectly logical to them that Republicans would shut it down because were seen as antithetical to government. Go for it!

Another wild card that could shut the government down, at least figuratively, has nothing to do with the Democrats debatable spine. If Roy Moore, now ahead in three recent Alabama polls, wins on December 12, the Senate will be thrown into turmoil as it weighs the question of whether to admit him to its ranks. Or will it? Now that even John McCain has surrendered to an outrageous tax bill that violates his own stated principles about fiscal probity and congressional process, perhaps he and his colleagues, for all their bluster, will surrender to Trumps inevitable demand that they let a sexual predator join the Senate too.
Stephen Colbert. Photo: CBS

Yesterday morning, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb broke the news that Matt Lauer had been fired for inappropriate sexual behavior. Later that day, various late-night hosts took the time to sound off on Lauers firing, and the larger trend of powerful men committing sexual harassment. Seth Meyers, who had to tape his show in advance of the Rockefeller Center tree lighting, noted on Twitter that he wouldnt be able to comment on any of the days news. James Corden focused on a separate issue, Donald Trumps decision to retweet racist videos from a British far-right group. As for the rest:

Jimmy Fallon

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was lit tonight, Fallon began, before swerving into a Lauer joke: Also getting lit tonight over at the Today show. If you were wondering where in the world is Matt Lauer, he is probably at a bar with Charlie Rose, Fallon said. He pointed out that Lauer was one of the latest men to get fired for inappropriate behavior, or as one guy put it, and at this point Fallon adopted a Trump voice, is it hot in here?

Jimmy Kimmel

My wife looked at her phone and went, Oh my God, Matt Lauer, which of course I assumed he was dead, Kimmel said. I guess this is better, I dont know. Kimmel continued on with jokes about Garrison Keillor, who was let go from Minnesota Public Radio after harassment claims, and also wondered what the future of the Today show might hold. As far as Matt Lauer goes, what happens now? Kimmel said. Does he have to do an emotional sit-down interview with himself?

Stephen Colbert

I am one of the few men still allowed on television, because today Matt Lauer was let go from NBCs morning show the Today show, this morning today, Colbert said. Lauer was fired due to inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace, not to be confused with appropriate sexual behavior in the workplace, because that does not exist. Colbert pointed out that we should have seen that Lauer had a strange obsession with women, just judging by any of his actual Halloween costumes. Donald Trump weighed in on the Lauer story, Tweeting wow, Colbert said. Thats like if the first draft of the Gettysburg Address was Holy guacamole, this war sucks.

Trevor Noah

Tonight at 11/10c, Trevor reacts to Matt Lauers sudden firing over sexual misconduct allegations. pic.twitter.com/6HLh0w6QsI  The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) November 30, 2017

Its so shit for women, because no matter how or where it happens, youre losing, Noah said. Either its happening to you, or its your co-worker whos accused and now its your show thats affected. Noah pointed out how its especially hard for women like Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie, who had to deliver the news of Lauers firing immediately after learning about it, with no time to process. So, how many newspeople is this now? Noah wondered. There was Bill OReilly, Charlie Rose, Mark Halperin  Soon theyll have enough guys to start their own perv news network.
Mr. Robot eps3.7dont-delete-me.ko Season 3 Episode 8 Editors Rating 4 stars * * * *  Previous Next  Previous Episode Next Episode  Photo: Peter Kramer/USA Network

At last, Elliot has had enough. Mr. Robot has been chasing him since he was a kid, and he cant seem to lose him. Drugs, therapy, jail  none of it worked. He thought focusing his energies on Robin Hoodesque cyberterrorism would cure his malaise and make him a hero, but he only ended up playing into the hands of the worlds most insidious international terrorist cell. Three weeks after 71 E Corp buildings exploded, Elliot makes a crucial decision, one that hes been thinking about for a long time.

eps3.7_dont-delete-me.ko follows Elliots suicide attempt and his slow return from the brink. Written and directed by Sam Esmail, its an unusually sentimental episode of Mr. Robot, one that passionately argues life is worth living even when youre going through personal hell. Given the seriess appropriately fatalist attitude for the past few episodes, this marks a noticeable shift in tone. Mr. Robot has ostensibly earned that shift, and the end result is satisfying, but its not without its fair share of bumps in the road.

Following the murders of Mobley and Trenton, Elliot decides that Mr. Robots actions have all but precluded the possibility of a sustainable life. He sees that Mr. Robot created a world in his own image, one thats rife with chaos, and its technically Elliots fault (or at least he believes that to be the case). He reassures Darlene that he just needs some alone time, and that tomorrow they can get high and watch Careful Massacre together. He pawns off Flipper onto a neighbor. He gives away his Mr. Robot jacket to the street-trash burners. He buys a shitload of morphine pills and heads straight to the Coney Island beach so he can be washed away.

But before he decides to end his life, he checks in with the families of Mobley and Trenton to pay his respects. Mobleys brother (Dileep Rao) rejects Elliots condolences; he resents his brother for jeopardizing his own reputation and career, and vows not to pay for a terrorist funeral. Meanwhile, Trentons family plans to move away, presumably out of the country, for fear of Islamophobic retribution. Elliot assures Trentons father that her daughter is innocent and a good person. Meanwhile, Trentons younger brother Muhammad (Elisha Henig) overhears the conversation, convincing him to pursue Elliot further.

When Elliot lands at the Coney Island beach, hes stunned to find that Muhammad has followed him the entire way. Elliot tries to get him to leave to no avail, so he agrees to take him back to his house. Upon arrival, they discover that Muhammads parents have traveled to Connecticut and they wont be back until much later. Elliot, frustrated and wracked with impatient loathing, doesnt know how to get rid of this kid, who has all but ruined his plans. Muhammad eventually convinces Elliot to take him to the movies, something that his parents refuse to do due to exorbitant costs. Elliot agrees and he takes him to see Back to the Future Part II, his favorite film, even though Muhammad wanted to see The Martian instead.

Esmails intentions are clear: Elliot acts as a temporary, reluctant surrogate father to Muhammad, whose presence unintentionally prevents him from killing himself. Elliot and Muhammads adventure to the movies also recalls the episodes opening flashback where Edward Alderson, whos slowly succumbing to his disease, takes a young Elliot to see Shallow Grave. In the flashback, Edward begs Elliot to forgive him for pushing Elliot out the window before its too late. Elliot refuses and indifferently watches as his father collapses in the theater lobby. He grabs his dads Mr. Robot jacket and takes it with him to a theater where he proceeds to whisper to an empty chair, a nascent vision of his future alternate personality.

Elliots fractured relationship with his father, coupled with his early death, has certainly contributed to his social alienation and his pessimistic outlook. He knows that the same fate could befall young Muhammad following Trentons murder. Though initially resentful toward him, Elliot eventually adopts a gentler, more paternal approach after Muhammad abruptly bails on the movie and heads to a mosque out of despair. Elliot convinces the child that hes not responsible for his sisters death and then makes sure he gets home safe. In essence, he tries to open up avenues of forgiveness with his surrogate son, something he couldnt do with his real father. In turn, this also allows Elliot to start forgiving himself.

Theres a lot at play here, and truthfully, not all of it really works. For one thing, the parallels between the father-son relationships dont really click beyond the bare implicit connection. Conversely, Esmails script falls into overwrought, obvious territory when it actually deals with Elliots suicide. There are a handful of cringeworthy moments that made me wish for just a little more restraint: the strained opening voiceover about deletion; Hard Andys forced death-wish ramblings; Elliot screaming, SO DO I! after Muhammad openly wishes he was dead.

While eps3.7_dont-delete-me.ko might be too structurally neat to convey every one of the episodes varied emotions  not to mention the borderline trite premise itself, i.e. cute kid gives depressed adult a reason to live  the overall effect still has potency. Malek gives another stellar performance this week, and Esmail allows him to communicate a range of behavior: despair, rage, frustration, resolve, and even a glimmer of optimism. Though occasionally cloying, the scenes between Henig and Malek are still moving, as Henig expertly reveals Muhammads struggle to deal with adult concepts like grief and betrayal.

Malek deserves praise for conveying Elliots fluctuating emotional state, and Esmail ultimately deserves enormous credit for crafting an episode that hinges on a main characters impossible death. Without Elliot, there is no Mr. Robot, so eps3.7_dont-delete-me.ko depends upon the audiences belief that Elliot could actually kill himself. Esmail successfully placed me in Elliots despondent mindset for the episodes first half, only to convincingly pull out of the characters tunnel vision to see a world thats worth salvaging. Moreover, he also captures the freewheeling, quasi-dangerous feeling of an unexpected adventure in the episodes back half. Cribbing from Martin Scorseses After Hours, Esmail fills the frame with eerie visions, mostly in the form of strangers in the background: the specter of Back to the Future cosplayers, an unlikely ally in the form of a Hasidic ice-cream-truck driver, shots of masked strangers and army patrol members, etc. I give Esmail flack in these recaps because, in spite of his talent, he has certain writerly and visual tendencies that drive me up the wall. But here, his heart, mind, and vision are in the right place.

In the last minutes of the episode, Elliot visits Angela, whos still in the midst of a nervous breakdown. He talks to her through her front door and reminds her of a wishing game they used to play as a kid, and how they derived joy from the wishing itself rather than the outcome. The message rings true: Striving for a brighter future is better than just walking through life, not wishing for anything at all. By the end of the day, Elliot serendipitously receives his Mr. Robot jacket. He gets Flipper back. He replaces his broken mirror. He sets up yet another computer. At that exact moment, he receives Trentons email that contains instructions to possibly undo the Five/Nine hack. Theres more work to be done.

Orphan Code

 The episodes finest moment might be Elliot blackmailing Mobleys brother into arranging a proper funeral. Its a great conclusion that exposes the brothers hypocrisy and gives Mobley a proper sendoff.

 The characterization of the drug dealer Hard Andy skirted around antiquated stereotypes, and its a blessing that the scene wasnt too prolonged.

 Music Corner: These Old Memories by Honey & the Bees opens the episode; Four Aces Mr. Sandman, the version thats featured in Back to the Future, plays when Elliot and Muhammad go to the theater; Robbi Ryans In Time, which is prominently featured in Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure, scores the episodes final moments.

 The rest of us might have shitty taste, but gimme a damn break, Elliot. Your favorite movie is an inferior sequel to a stellar original! You dont get to throw stones at The Martian.
Photo: Mark Makela/Getty Images

Gloria Allred is ready for her close-up. The womens rights attorney will be the subject of Seeing Allred, a documentary to arrive on Netflix early next year. Directed by Sophie Sartain and Roberta Grossman, the doc will take a deep dive into Allreds life and work. It will premiere as part of the U.S. Documentary Competition slate at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. The filmmakers did notify us that they were going to continue shooting to add to the documentary as all of the allegations were breaking, Sundances director of programming Trevor Groth told The Hollywood Reporter. So, there is a real sort of timely quality to that film.
Israel Horovitz. Photo: Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for Variety

In one of the first major stories of sexual misconduct in the theater world since Londons Old Vic received 20 allegations against Kevin Spacey, nine women have spoken to the New York Times with claims of sexual misconduct, including assault and rape, against playwright Israel Horovitz. Horovitz, now 78, is the Obie-winning author of more than 70 plays including Line, Park Your Car in the Harvard Yard, and The Indian Wants the Bronx. He was the founding artistic director of the Gloucester Stage and served in the role for 28 years. He acted as a mentor for many young women, and allegedly used his power to prey on them. One woman, Maddie Corman, told the Times that Horovitz pressed her against a wall and forcefully kissed her as she was preparing for an Off Broadway play she was performing in at 16. Another, Jocelyn Meinhardt, who was dating his son, describes Horovitz offering to drive her home, locking the car door, kissing and fondling her, and then leading her to his bedroom, where she claims he raped her.

In 1993, ten women accused Horovitz of sexual harassment and assault in the Boston Phoenix. Gloucester Stage president Barry Weiner dismissed the allegations and described some of the women as tightly wound. The theater cut ties with Horovitz last week after learning of the experiences described by Maia Ermansons with Horovitz that she had published in a Facebook post last year.

In response to the Times reporting, Horovitz said he has a different memory of some of these events, I apologize with all my heart to any woman who has ever felt compromised by my actions, and to my family and friends who have put their trust in me. To hear that I have caused pain is profoundly upsetting, as is the idea that I might have crossed a line with anyone who considered me a mentor.

Horovitzs son, Adam, best known as Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys, also issued a statement: I believe the allegations against my father are true, and I stand behind the women that made them.
The Clay Pot

416 Franklin Ave.

254-756-2721

Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays

Price: $-$$

Takeout: Yes.

Alcohol: BYOB, but beer and wine permit applied for.

On the menu: Vietnamese cuisine, including pho and bun nuoc (Vietnamese soups), clay pot dishes, noodle dishes, spring rolls. Beverages include bubble tea and Vietnamese coffee

Good to know: The Clay Pots new location has a spring roll bar and an outdoor patio complete with fountain.

Restaurant origin: Owners Thanh Le and Phong Le relocated their restaurant from its longtime Interstate 35 location near Baylor University to downtown, opening in October with a grand opening on Nov. 6.

Brown House Cafe

9110 Jordan Lane, Woodway

254-235-1251

On Facebook

Hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays and Saturdays, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays. Breakfast menu served 8-11 a.m., full menu after 11 a.m.

Price: $-$$

Takeout: Yes.

Alcohol: No. BYOB.

On the menu: Steaks, seafood, soups, sandwiches, salads. Desserts made fresh daily.

Good to know: Family home recipes used for many menu items, including chicken-fried steak, a customer favorite, and pies. Grilled salmon and catfish popular items on Fridays as is handmade chicken salad.

Restaurant origin: Owners Danny and Laurie Brown, who started with a cafe in McGregor in 2015, opened their Woodway location in July 2017.

Hecho En Waco

300 S. Sixth St., Suite B

254-732-0147

On Facebook

Hours: 7 a.m.- 10 p.m. daily.

Price: $$ (see below)

Takeout: Yes

Alcohol: Yes. Full bar available.

On the menu: Regional Mexican cuisine including enchiladas, carnitas, fajitas, quesadillas and moles.

Good to know: Dishes prepared with an eye to healthy eating with more vegetables, less fat. Specialty margaritas featuring cucumber, jalapenos, pineapple or avocado.

Restaurant origin: Owners Lupita and Pedro Leon opened their restaurant on Sept. 9.

Butter My Biscuit

1427 S. Valley Mills Drive (inside Kings Landing Games)

254-752-2333

On Facebook and Instagram

Hours: Full menu available 4-9 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-9 p.m. Saturdays; partial menu served during Kings Landing hours, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and noon-6 p.m. Sundays.

Price: $ (see below)

Takeout: Yes. Curbside pick- up, catering also available.

Alcohol: Craft beer on tap with domestics, wine.

On the menu: Scratch-made biscuits with meal toppings or sandwich fillings, baked potatoes, soups, salads. 18 different add-ons for biscuits and potatoes.

Good to know: Buttermilk and Texas jalapeno biscuits served daily with other flavors including garlic parmesan, Guinness Irish tenor and sweet biscuits. Bacon pimento tomato sandwich on biscuit or sourdough bread is a customer favorite as are Saturday morning breakfast specials.

Restaurant origin: Owner and head chef Lee Bankston opened Butter My Biscuit in December 2016.
MASON CITY | A Mason City man has been arrested on drug charges, possession of a firearm as a felon and theft after getting pulled over in a stolen property investigation.

Jose Santos Najera, 36, was pulled over about 10:25 p.m. Nov. 24 on the 200 block of Fourth Street Northeast by Cerro Gordo County deputies in relation to a stolen property investigation, court documents said.

Najera was allegedly operating a motor vehicle with a stolen license plate attached to the rear of the car. Court documents said Najera admitted to placing the stolen license plate on the rear of the vehicle.

He was arrested and the vehicle was towed

During vehicle inventory and probable cause search of his vehicle, a deputy located a loaded handgun in the console. Najera is a convicted felon and domestic abuser, court documents said.

Inside the vehicle, deputies found marijuana and a digital scale that was located in a draw string bag Najera was wearing when first stopped. Najera's ID was also in the bag. Alprazolam was in the console next to a loaded firearm.

He was charged with:

Dominion/control of a firearm by a felon

Possession of a controlled substance, marijuana - third or subsequent offense

Possession of a controlled substance, alprazolam - third or subsequent offense

Fifth degree theft

Possession of drug paraphernalia

Najera posted bond Monday, according to court documents. A preliminary hearing hearing is set for Friday.

Najera was taken back into custody Wednesday on pending probation and parole violations and revocations in four prior cases. He is held for $8,000 total bond.
The Waco Civic Theatre is more Doyle than Dickens this month, but the tone is still light and entertaining as the theater turns to comedy with Ken Ludwigs Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.

Ludwig, best known for his loving spoofs of opera (Lend Me A Tenor) and theater (Moon Over Buffalo) turns to Arthur Conan Doyles familiar Sherlock Holmes stories in Baskerville, which uses Doyles The Hound of the Baskervilles as a starting point for comic farce and silliness.

Thats what the WCT had in mind when planning its 2017-18 season and looking for something light and with cross-generational appeal, said director Eric Shephard. We were considering this (play) and Somethings Afoot. This one was more fun, he said.

In Baskerville, sleuth Holmes (Jeremy Stallings) and his companion Dr. Watson (Ethan Trueman) try to figure out whats behind a dog thats marauding the moors and apparently targeting members of the Baskerville family, all before the current Baskerville heir becomes its latest victim.

Holmes and Watson are pretty much the Holmes and Watson of the book, but the supporting characters are outlandish. (Holmes and Watson) play it straight, but the others are stereotypical. Theres a Texan, a bitchy butler, a doctor, a Swede, a German and more, Shephard said.

Audiences not only can pay attention to clues dropped to solve the mystery, but try and figure out which actors are playing which supporting characters: an eight-person WCT ensemble (Joey Tamayo, Bryan Harman, Melanie Wheat, Bill Selby, Piers Bateman, Kayla Arnold, Malachi Key and Margaret Rast) tackles nearly 40 characters in the course of the comedy, each with different mannerisms and bad accents.

Weve had fun with accents and dialects, the director admitted.

Baskerville also is the first WCT production featuring joint casting for productions in Waco and Killeens Vive Les Arts Theatre. Budget problems caused the Killeen community theater to close this summer, but it reopened this year under a plan that sees the Waco theater sharing its main stage productions. Baskerville is the first production intentionally cast with actors from both communities; after debuting in Waco, the comedy will have a second run in Killeen in January.

Baskerville opens its two-weekend Waco run on Friday night with performances at 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Dec. 7, and 2:30 p.m. Sundays.
The decade-old Lake Brazos low-water dam is in urgent need of some $4.5 million in embankment repair, the engineer who designed the dam told the Waco City Council at a retreat Wednesday.

If you lose it you dont have a town lake, said Victor Vasquez of Freese and Nichols. Of all the things you can do for the dam, this is the most urgent.

But that work on the eroded embankment just east of the dam is only the beginning of work the firm recommended for the dam. For $7 million, the city could build a boom and gate system that could control the logjams that form after heavy rain and cause higher upstream water levels, Vasquez said.

Together, the work would cost $11.5 million for improvements to a dam that originally cost $19 million.

Council and staff members said they would continue to weigh the brush control options, but they agreed to move forward with the embankment repair next year, along with bypass valves adjacent to the embankment.

We obviously need to fix the embankment and the three bypass valves, Deputy City Manager Wiley Stem III said. I think the boom and gate need to be evaluated compared to what were paying now for maintenance.

Vasquez said the dam itself, completed in fall 2007, is in sound condition. The dams labyrinth weir design allows water to flow rapidly over a zigzag edge. It replaced 1970-era gate dam that repeatedly failed when brush and logs jammed the gate and hydraulic system.

But that woody debris has posed a different kind of problem for the new dam. After heavy rains, it lodges in the teeth of the labyrinth weir and backs up hundreds of feet. The city has had to hire companies to clean it out periodically, including a major cleanup project this summer that cost $750,000 and removed and estimated 3,000 cubic yards of debris.

Vasquez said the Brazos River probably has the most floating woody debris of any major river in Texas, and it would be a challenge for any dam.

What you saw in the last three years is a lot more (brush) than normal because of the extreme drought you had, he said.

Freese and Nichols staff proposed spending about $1.5 million on a floating boom that could allow city workers to skim and divert floating debris.

They also proposed a $5.5 million bascule gate just upstream of a section of the dam that could both regulate the rivers flow and intercept debris. Vasquez said the gate would be much more robust than the failure-prone gate dam of past decades.

Vasquez and city officials said they would seek funding assistance for the project from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The brush issue is largely unrelated to the embankment problem.

The embankment is on the east side of the river, where contractor F.M. Young built a bypass system in an effort to capture hydroelectric power. At the outfall of the bypass is a metal wall that is now compromised, with the soil behind it eroded from flooding.

Vasquez said Freese and Nichols original design in 2004 called for reconfiguring the bypass area with a stilling basin that would minimize the impact of flooding. But the cost came in too high, and the city rebid the work without those features. State inspectors noted erosion damage after a flood swamped the area during construction in 2007 and recommended that the city continue to monitor the embankment.

At the meeting Wednesday, Mayor Kyle Deaver asked how much it would cost to replace the embankment if it failed during a flood. Vasquez and city staff said it could cost millions more than repairing it now, and it would require the lake to be lowered for more than a year.

In an interview afterward, Deaver said the bank stabilization project is not optional.

The possibility of Lake Brazos going down for more than a year would have tremendous economic impact, he said.
A former Waco Police Department records department supervisor was convicted Wednesday of sexually abusing a family member over a three-year period.

Jurors in Wacos 54th State District Court deliberated about seven hours before convicting Jose Isreal Ramos of continuous sexual abuse of a child and four counts of indecency with a child by contact. The jury acquitted Ramos on two additional counts of indecency with a child by contact.

The punishment phase of the trial begins Thursday morning. Ramos, 42, faces a minimum of 25 years in prison and up to life with no parole on the first charge and up to 20 years in prison on the remaining counts.

Ramos, who works at a diaper-manufacturing plant, worked as records supervisor for the Waco Police Department from January 2010 to June 2012 and is a former nursing student.

The jury convicted him of abusing a family member starting when she was 10 in 2010, until she reported the abuse in 2013.

Ramos, the defenses sole witness Wednesday, denied the allegations, calling the girl, who is now 17, disturbed and in need of psychological care.

Jurors sent a note to Judge Matt Johnson at about 5 p.m., after about four-and-a-half hours of deliberations, saying, We do not have 100 percent agreement and so much anger, we would like to adjourn and resume in the morning.

Once a jury begins deliberating, it cannot separate without the approval of both parties. Defense attorneys Melanie Walker and Jessi Freud declined to allow the jury to separate, so the judge instructed them to keep deliberating.

Freud had encouraged the jury to look closely at counts six and seven, arguing the girls testimony did not support guilty findings on those two counts.

Ramos said the girl likely concocted the allegations against him to deflect from serious trouble she was in at school. He said she and another girl were caught passing around a note in which she said she was going to run away from home with a friend who the note said was considering suicide.

Ramos and the girls mother took the girl to her grandmother, so the elder woman could talk to her about her problems. It was while she was at her grandmothers house that the girl reported that Ramos had been sexually assaulting her for three years.

My first thought was not to overreact because I was angry, Ramos said, describing how he felt when told of the allegations. I was upset, my heart was racing. There was a lot going through my mind. It was just total nonbelief. She does things to get what she wants, but I never believed she would do this to me.

The girl testified reluctantly Tuesday, telling the jury that what she told her grandmother and the medical director for the Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children about the long-term abuse was true.

The girl reported that Ramos told her that she was helping to prevent him from getting cancer down there by performing oral sex on him. She also reported he forced her to have oral sex in the parking lot at the Baylor University track and field facility and to mimic scenes from pornographic movies he made her watch with him.

She also reported Ramos sexually assaulted her more than 30 times.

In closing statements Wednesday, Ramos attorneys reminded jurors of testimony that showed the girl lied to a Child Protective Services worker about her mother striking her on the face and that she and friends at school conspired to falsely accuse a teacher they didnt like of sexual misconduct.

Prosecutors Gabrielle Massey and Christi Hunting Horse told the jury there would not be as much detail in the girls reports if she simply made up the allegations to get out of trouble. They asked what she had gained by reporting the abuse and by having to come into a courtroom full of strangers to talk about it.
McLennan Community College trustees are deciding whether to demolish or renovate the beleaguered historical building that housed the Art Center of Waco for more than four decades. Renovation would cost almost $4 million.

A critical beam pulled away from an exterior wall last month and forced the building to be evacuated.

The approximately century-old structure is the former summer home of William Waldo Cameron, son of William Cameron, a Scottish immigrant who made Waco the headquarters of his business empire.

After the elder Camerons death in 1899, W.W. Cameron and his mother and sisters, donated William Cameron Park to the city. The Art Center had used the building since 1976.

No one has used the building since the Art Center cleared out in early October, and the Art Center is temporarily operating out of the downtown gallery Cultivate 7twelve while officials search for a permanent space.

A structural engineer told the MCC board during its meeting Tuesday that an analysis showed failures in the rear wall of the Cameron House facing Lake Shore Drive. Wood siding on the outside of the building was all that held it in place.

Even before the structural problem forced it out, the Art Center was planning to move to a new location after its lease with MCC ends next year.

Demolishing the house at that point would cost the college $154,350, and renovating the building would cost more than $3.8 million. Asbestos abatement will be required no matter what, officials said.

Trustees will decide how to proceed in the coming months.

The Art Centers courtyard, a popular wedding site and moneymaker for the nonprofit, is also no longer being used. Weddings already scheduled there will be moved.

Board Chairman K. Paul Holt said MCC and the Art Center have enjoyed a great partnership for a long time.

This has been far less than favorable for any of us, Holt said. Its been very disruptive for them, for which were incredibly sorry.

MCC President Johnette McKown said the college has been evaluating the best use for the house for a while.

We had thought that if it were preserved, it would be an opportunity for some donors to possibly come on and work with us, McKown said. It doesnt have a strong educational mission, but it does have a good community presence.
State Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, called upon U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, to step aside after a nude photo of Barton was posted on Twitter last week.

Later Thursday morning, Barton told The Dallas Morning News he will not seek re-election next year.

I am compelled to speak with regard to recent events, Birdwell said in a statement. The conduct of Congressman Joe Barton that has been confirmed  along with new revelations coming to light  is simply unbecoming of representing these counties, citizens and families in the U.S. Congress. I urge him to place the interests of the district first and step aside. Should Congressman Barton seek re-election, I recommend that his constituents dutifully seek other candidates to support as their representative.

Birdwell shares constituents in Navarro, Ellis and Tarrant Counties with Barton, who is a Waco High School graduate.

Barton has apologized for the photo and said he had sexual relationships with multiple women while he was separated from his second wife, the Texas Tribune first reported.

The photo appeared on an anonymous Twitter account. Some have speculated Barton could be a victim of revenge porn, which is illegal under Texas law.

In 2012 and 2013, while Barton was married to his second wife, he sent explicit Facebook messages to another woman, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported on Wednesday.

The Washington Post has also reported Barton threatened to call Capitol Police on a woman if she exposed his sex life.

Birdwell has no plans to run for Congress, he said in the statement. State Sen. Konni Burton, R-Colleyville, called for Bartons resignation on Wednesday.

Barton, the longest-serving member of the Texas congressional delegation, said in a statement that his 33 years of service hopefully (made) life a little better for the people in the 6th District.

I am very proud of my public record and the many accomplishments of my office, the statement said, in part. It has been a tremendous honor to represent the 6th District of Texas for over three decades, but now it is time to step aside and let there be a new voice.
A local attorney has resigned his position on a board appointed to oversee development of the vacant Veterans Affairs medical complex in Marlin, saying he is discouraged by what he views as a lack of progress by the Houston-based company that bought the property this summer.

After years of trying, the state closed a $1.6 million deal in June that transferred title for the former Thomas Connally Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center to Sterling VA Marlin LLC, part of an investment group under Sterling Real Estate Development.

The purpose will be to provide a place of housing, meals, counseling, job skill training and job placement for members of our nations military as they transfer from military to civilian life, Mayor John Keefer said at the time.

The development group said it initially would open 30 rooms out of the former 220-bed hospital to house veterans, both men and women.

But Im disappointed, said Denny Lessman, a Waco attorney and former Marlin resident appointed to a nine-member board asked to identify programs the 175,000-square-foot complex could accommodate.

The board oversees a nonprofit called Operation Re Launch, which would become involved in the Houston groups plan to transform the long-vacant complex into the National Campus for Veterans Transition.

Lessman said former Marlin Mayor Elizabeth Nelson has been dedicated to the project and the city of Marlin, and was able to appoint an active, energetic board to shepherd the development.

Still, nothing has happened since Sterling made public its intentions, and I think that is unfortunate, he said. In fact, Ive heard complaints about the high grass and other problems. The situation has become frustrating. This group has not been a good neighbor, in my opinion.

Lessman said he was not speaking for the board, since he has resigned, but added he was willing to share his opinion.

He said he left the board to prevent any appearance of a conflict of interest since he serves as Marlins municipal judge and could have to consider formal complaints about the propertys deteriorating condition.

If the state and federal government cant succeed in re-purposing this facility, I do not know who can, Lessman said. It will involve a lot of work and a lot of luck, making the right connections and lining up investors. It will not happen overnight. But it appears to have sputtered.

No one with Sterling could be reached for comment.

Nelson, a longtime advocate for finding a new use for the Veterans Affairs facility, described Sterling as nice people with good intentions, whom she has worked with more than a year.

But, like Lessman, she is disappointed by the lack of progress. She was led to believe that something would be opened there by August, and obviously that was not the case, Nelson said.

She said she has not lost faith in the mission.

The board I have appointed is filled with movers and shakers who have expertise in education and who know the needs of veterans, she said. This project is not dead because we will not let it die. The board is dedicated to making sure whatever happens is very positive for Marlin.

Nelson said ultimately the use of the building may go beyond veterans and may feature some new players.

The city of Marlin and the state, with the help of Nelson, state Sen. Brian Birdwell, state Rep. Kyle Kacal and others, have been searching for a suitable tenant since the facility was given to the state in 2006 and plans to convert it into a prison hospital fell through in 2011, Nelson said at the time the property changed hands during the summer.

Sterling Real Estate Development showed interest in buying both the vacant medical center and the historical, 110-room Falls Hotel about a year ago, but Nelson said the group has made no offer on the hotel.

The company reportedly had considered reopening the mineral baths that once brought between 50,000 and 80,000 people a year to the city.

Keefer, the current mayor, said the development group may have encountered more difficulty in recruiting investors than it anticipated.

He said reaching representatives of Sterling Real Estate Development has proved challenging at times.

Nelson said Sterling has indicated it expects to spend $15 million to $20 million on renovations. Keefer said he has heard employment estimates that range from 200 to 500, but that figure truly depends on what they do with the building, and people could just be tossing out numbers.

The former hospital has been a source of aggravation for the small city of about 6,000. In 2007, the building was expected to become a prison hospital for women. But by the time funding fell through in 2011, state taxpayers had paid $1.2 million to maintain the structure, according to the Austin American-Statesman newspaper.

The six-story structure opened in 1949 and was dedicated in 1950 to Thomas Connally, who was a U.S. senator at the time and had represented Marlin the state House of Representatives. Connally helped make Marlin a once well-known political mega-center, Nelson said.
Open letter to those in Congress with the last vestiges of respect:

I write, prior to a call, to simply ask each of you as one of the leading GOP senators to use your vote on the current tax bill coming to the Senate floor to vote no on both process and content.

First, the process by which these bills are being hurried/rammed through the House and Senate simply makes a mockery of the U.S. Constitution and our democratic process of deliberation and compromise, especially for legislation that impacts so many. Second, I also understand, but despair of, the primary motivation for your action which seems to be to accomplish something before the end of the year or for a president who is rapidly becoming the millstone around your neck. The TV drama Madam Secretary had a wonderful line on Sunday night: The motivation to just do something in the face of a crisis means that no one really knows what to do.

And third, the compulsion to include all kinds of major issues, such as repealing the individual mandate for health insurance, means this is no longer a bill about tax reform. It has been made into another health-care bill, with profound implications for those who receive Medicaid and, now, Medicare, if and most likely when the budget deficit gets too large. (And by congressional Republicans own admission, this tax bill will increase the national debt by some $1.5 trillion, if not more.)

I am quite sympathetic about the need for tax reform, both for corporations and individuals. This could have been a bill about corporate tax reform, lowering the official rate that no one pays anyway but trying to make American companies more competitive (as well as bringing some of their major profits home their competitive edge does not seem too hampered at the moment). But thats not all it has become. It has also become a bill where the major long-term tax cuts are for people like me, those more well to do, and not for those making under $100,000 a year.

As New York Times economics columnist Paul Krugman said the other morning, you cant even say the lower and middle-class cuts will be made permanent by a future Congress while counting on their very expiration to make sure the deficit doesnt increase past the imposed limits. The bill should have been written so that the lower and middle-class tax cuts are permanent  not the cuts of those who can afford to pay both for their taxes and their health care.

I am quite conservative when it comes to fiscal affairs. The Bush tax cuts should have never happened, for we were on our way to cutting the debt. They should have definitely been rescinded when we went to war, but both Democrats and Republicans refuse to ask our nation to sacrifice for the sake of our commitments except for the men and women in uniform. We should be raising taxes to match what we spend, and then some. And that means people like me should be paying more, and progressively more so the higher up the ladder you go. Given the needs of the country, and the need for a sense of shared sacrifice, it is immoral and irresponsible to do otherwise.

But if the current GOP bills go through without major alterations, Congress will be making our illusions laws, e.g. the illusions that the poor do not work hard, that our success does not depend on multiple others, that the rich are somehow entitled to more, that giving more to the well-to-do will lead to more investment and trickle-down economy-boosting, that elected officials represent all of the people and that the major cuts to come in the form of lost health care, Medicaid and Medicare will not have much of an impact.

And, finally, it will confirm our worst fears that money not only talks, it buys votes, and takes away the last appearances of rational, responsible and courageous action by those who are supposed to be the leaders of a country where freedom of opportunity and justice for all reigns. All men, and women, will no longer be created equal, if they ever have been. E pluribus, everyone for themselves.
WAVERLY  Those itching to get into the holiday spirit have options this weekend.

Waverly will continue its holiday tradition with the annual tree lighting at the Waverly community building.

The eighth annual event will feature much of the same fun as previous years, said Lisa French, organizer of the event.

Its the same as its always been, she said, adding that nothing needed changed. What isnt broke, I guess.

Attendees can expect all the fun as usual, including meals, the tree lighting, raffles, and a visit from the big man himself, Santa.

He will be there the whole time, French said. He usually waits a few minutes for people to show up, and then he makes a grand entrance.

French said close to 225 kids visit with Santa each year at the event, and at least 500 people attend.

Every child who sits with Santa will get a raffle ticket, French said. The big prize this year is a brand new bike, one for a girl and one for a boy.

There are plenty of other prizes as well.

As long as they get something or win something, theyre usually happy, French said.

Admission is free with the donation of a non-perishable food item. Donations will find their way to the Waverly Food Pantry.

Its important to have events like this to support some of the local organizations like the food pantry, French said.

The event begins at 5 p.m. Dec. 3, with the tree lighting scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Pulled pork or a hot dog and chips will be available for $2 a meal, and there will be free refreshments and cookies.

Greenwood will also be joining in on the fun Dec. 3, holding a tree lighting of their own near the village office.

The event, Chili and Sweets by the Lights, marks the first tree lighting in Greenwood in some time.

They used to do a tree lighting in the park, but the tree they were using has died, said Village Clerk Marcia Fiala.

So the village is bringing in a tree, about 15.5 feet tall, to restart the tradition. This tree will stand in the lot next to the community building. The lighting is planned for 6 p.m.

The tree was donated by George Von Rentzell.

As the name implies, chili and sweet treats will available to attendees at no charge.

Everyone can just come and enjoy it, Fiala said.

Treats include hot chocolate, cinnamon rolls and cookies.

The event is aimed at getting the Greenwood community involved and working together, Fiala said.

Weve been really wanting to get the community involved, she said. Thats why were doing it. If you dont stick together, we wont be a growing community.

That event goes from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The recently opened Waverly Tractor Supply is inviting customers to bring their pets to the store for Pet Photos with Santa from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 2.

A local photographer will be on site during the event taking holiday-themed photos of Santa's Little Helpers and their owners, according to a press release. The first 25 customers who get a photo taken will also receive a free magnetic picture frame.

Participating event partners will include R.U.F.F Rescue.

"Pets are as much our customers as their owners are," said Jeana Bulling, manager of the Waverly Tractor Supply store in the release. "This is one of many pet-themed events we offer throughout the year, and we enjoy having the entire family at the store."

Customers will also have the opportunity to enjoy pet adoptions, a cookout and coloring contest.

Deer Springs Winery will kick off its annual Toys for Tots toy drive this Sunday, Dec. 3.

Members of the United States Marine Corps will be at the winery from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. to assist with collection.

The winery will have complimentary hot spiced wine and cookies for those who bring a new, unwrapped toy for the donation box. Cash donations are also accepted.

The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.

Other communities have events on the horizon, including Santas visit to Eagle Dec. 9 at the elementary school. That event is set for 10 a.m. to noon.

Immanuel Lutheran Church in Eagle will hold a Christmas Cookie sale Dec. 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Cookies will be $4 per dozen with complimentary drinks.

Round the Bend Steakhouse is once again holding a toy drive. Diners who bring in a new, unopened toy will receive a free appetizer. The toys donated will be given to children of disadvantaged veterans through the Marine Corps League and the Marine Corps League Auxiliary. The toy drive is ongoing now through Dec. 9.
LINCOLN  The Nebraska Department of Education recognized 139 outstanding students from across the state at a Nov. 13 special recognition event for individual and team awards received at national events throughout the year.

The Commissioners Recognition is a collaborative effort between the Governors office and the Nebraska Department of Education, including the Center for Student Leadership and Expanded Learning that provides support for all high school students engaged in Nebraska Career and Technical Education.

More than 250 students, parents, teachers, administrators, State Board of Education members, and senators attended the event. Deputy Commissioner of Education Deb Frison and Lt. Governor Mike Foley recognized the Nebraska Career Education students who received first, second, or third place or finalist awards during their national leadership and skills competitions held by their respective Career and Technical Student Organizations.

The students recognized during the Commissioners Recognition are members of DECA, Educators Rising, FBLA, FCCLA, FFA, HOSA: Future Health Professionals, PBL, and SkillsUSA. They represent schools from every corner of the state.

Colton Kraft of Waverly was recognized as a FCCLA award winner. FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) is a national student organization that helps young men and women become leaders and addresses important personal, family, work and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences.

Miranda Hornung of Raymond Central was recognized as a SkillsUSA award winner. SkillsUSA is a national organization serving high school and college students who are enrolled in training programs in technical, skilled and service occupations, including health occupations and tech prep.
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WRIGHT COUNTY | A New Hampshire man was shot in the back Tuesday by a dog in a hunting accident.

DNR conservation officers and Wright County deputies responded to a personal injury hunting incident at 1:20 p.m. in southwestern Wright County.

William Rancourt, 36, of Lebanon, New Hampshire, was pheasant hunting on the Boone River Greenbelt Conservation Board Public Hunting Area with three other hunters when he was hit in the back by bird shot pellets from another hunters 12-gauge shotgun.

The shotgun was lying on the ground when a hunting dog stepped on the trigger guard causing it to discharge hitting Rancourt in the back nearly 22 yards away, the DNR said in a press release.

The Wright County Sheriff's Office told the Globe Gazette that there would be no charges and the incident was cleared as an accidental shooting.

Rancourt was transported to Trinity Hospital in Fort Dodge with non-life threatening injuries. He was treated and released from the Emergency Room Wednesday, a Trinity Hospital spokesperson told the Globe Gazette.

DNR officials remind hunters to unload firearms and be sure the safety mechanism is in place before setting them down.
Rents in Waterford City have risen by 11.3% in the last year and the average rent is now 1191. In the rest of Waterford,...
The team at Waterford Walls has hardly been able to contain its excitement this week as it brings another exciting artwork to the city....
I remember the night I sat on the edge of my bed at college, hands numbly furling and unfurling a print-out photo of myself and my friend in our fresher jerseys. At the start of the year, she had taken the time to cut out pictures of me, of us, of our friends, and stuckthem to my dorm-room door. But over the past few weeks, I had come home every few nights to find one of them gone, the Blu Tack wiped off clean. I had taken the final photo down myself. Clothes of mine  a favourite orange blouse, my aunt's hand-me-down top, a tan knit  had also gone missing from the laundry. I picked at a salad leaf on the dinner plate perched atop my desk; I had gotten good at smuggling meals out of the dining hall.

Up until then, I could confidently say I had had a positive experience at college.

That changed after I penned a piece for the student paper Honi Soit in 2016 revealing instances of sexual assault and discrimination at the University of Sydney's sandstone residences. One girl endured three years of hazing and discrimination. Another heard broadcast over the St Andrew's College PA system that she had spent the night with someone. Such broadcasts were a "college ritual". It turns out she was sexually assaulted. A third was heckled and slut-shamed throughout first year by boys from St Paul's over an unwanted sexual experience. Every former resident who talked to me for the article recounted college rituals based around exposing and shaming sexual activity.

I expected a backlash from residents at the neighbouring colleges criticised in the piece. What I didn't expect was for some people at my college  those I had come to think of as friends, family  to cut me out as well.
The Coalition wagon is puttering precariously towards the end of the year. The fuel light has been on for the last 20 kilometres and it's not clear where the next servo is.

So you'd think this would be a time of collective breath-holding within the Liberal and National parties. Of absolute heads-down discipline. And yet Nationals MPs are blasting the airconditioner, doing wheelies and taking as many detours as possible.

The Turnbull government is clinging to its majority in the House of Representatives, with just 74 members (or 73, if you discount Speaker Tony Smith). And is nervously awaiting the citizenship declarations from lower house MPs, due to land by 8pm next Tuesday. It's almost a given that by the end of next week, there will be more High Court referrals.

Labor MPs are also in the frame on citizenship, but obviously, it is the Coalition with the most to lose here. If enough MPs have to resign due to dual citizenship, it's not outside the realms of possibility the country will be forced to an an early election next year. Amid all this, the leadership chatter around Malcolm Turnbull continues. This is not just bored journalists filling time. Some ministers have gone so far as to sound out backbenchers over their preferred alternative.
It's time for me to call is a day. What happened?

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has called on Labor senator Sam Dastyari to quit politics;

Mr Turnbull says Senator Dastyari is "not on Australia's side;

Senator Dastyari has resigned from his parliamentary positions but is staying in the Labor Party and the Senate;

Mr Turnbull also announced a banking royal commission ;

the commission will run for a year and report back in February 2019.

My thanks to Alex Ellinghausen for his excellent work today and to you for reading and commenting.

You can follow me on Facebook.

Alex and I will be back on Monday for what promises to be a blockbuster end to the parliamentary year. Until then, go well.
Committee for Perth chief executive Marion Fulker says there is more to the West Australian economy than just "boom and bust" cycles.

Speaking to 6PR's Gareth Parker, Ms Fulker said agriculture and mining provided a solid base for WA's economy, but the WA Government and economy needed to embrace new industries.

New report challenges WA's "boom or bust" economy Credit:Bloomberg

"One of the bright lights is the creative industry," she said.

"These people are growing in their capacity to participate in the economy. They are employing people and we are seeing industry working closely with them and that is a very beneficial arrangement."
Embattled MP Barry Urban has failed to address claims he lied about having two university degrees and investigated Bosnian war crimes during his first speech to Parliament in nearly two weeks.

His silence has led to Premier Mark McGowan to refer the MP to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee because his "explanation was not comprehensive enough."

Barry Urban was elected to parliament in March 2017. Credit:Facebook / Barry Urban

After nearly two weeks of silence, Mr Urban fronted Parliament on Thursday morning to address claims he lied about obtaining two degrees at two separate British universities and had fabricated claims he served in Bosnia during a peace-keeping mission.

The accusations were made following revelations he had worn a fake war medal he bought online to an ANZAC Day service in April.
The Hague: A wartime commander of Bosnian Croat forces died on Wednesday when he drank poison seconds after United Nations appeals judges upheld his 20-year sentence for war crimes against Bosnian Muslims.

Slobodan Praljak, 72, tilted back his head and took a swing from a glass bottle as a judge read out a verdict in his case for crimes committed in the city of Mostar during the Bosnian war in 1992-95.

"Slobodan Praljak is not a war criminal, I am rejecting the court ruling," he said as he put the flask to his lips.

"Stop please, sit down please," the judge said.
THORNTON | A co-owner of Country Partners, a corporation that helps run a livestock facility in Thornton, is suing his business partner for about $4.5 million in damages because of alleged mismanagement that caused the corporation to accumulate about that much debt.

Dennis Hill, of Stanhope, filed a petition earlier this month through Des Moines-based attorney Jason Lawrence in Cerro Gordo County District Court against Brent Luscombe, of Thornton. Hill and Luscombe are equal co-owners of Country Partners.

Luscombe filed a response through Waterloo-based attorney Erich Priebe on Wednesday, which acknowledged Country Partners was in debt but denied that Luscombe mismanaged the corporation.

Priebe also filed a counterclaim against Hill, stating his failure "to properly monitor and manage the hedging account for County Partners" resulted in losses of about $130,000. His response also claims Hill's failure to raise the hogs in his nursery facility "resulted in disproportionate death losses" and cost both himself and Luscombe a substantial amount of money.

Both Lawrence and Priebe declined comment on the case when contacted by phone earlier this week.

Country Partners was established back in March 2000 to help run Luscombe Enterprises, owned by Brent and his wife, Michelle, at 7442 Balsam Ave. in Thornton, according to court documents.

The latter is the corporation that directly runs the livestock producer in Thornton, while Country Partners would borrow money to finance piglets and their food, the original petition states.

In that petition, Lawrence states that Country Partners' $4.5 million in debt was almost fully owed to Green Belt Bank and Trust, the main bank Country Partners did business with. It also claims Brent Luscombe admitted to Hill that he falsified the corporation's loan applications, tax returns and other corporate documents.

Priebe denied the latter allegations in his response, but admitted "Country Partners owes certain debts to Green Belt Bank and Trust for business loans." He denied other allegations related to the total amount of debt "for lack of information."

Throughout the original petition, Lawrence states that Luscombe admitted to Hill that Country Partners was in legal trouble. In one exchange on Sept. 12, Luscombe allegedly urged Hill to not dig into any of the corporation's records.

"I hope your attorneys don't dig too deep into the records because I don't want to spend the next few years in prison," Luscombe allegedly told Hill.

Priebe denied this happened in his response.

Luscombe faces counts related to not allowing Hill to see Country Partners' corporate records, along with two counts of breach of fiduciary duty, according to the original petition. Priebe resisted all those counts in his response.

A trial date has not yet been set.
TORONTO, Nov. 29, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lingo Media Corporation (TSX-V:LM) (OTC:LMDCF) (FSE:LIMA) ("Lingo Media" or the Company), a global provider of digital and print-based English language learning solutions, announces its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2017. All figures are reported in Canadian Dollars and are in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards unless otherwise noted.



"Lingo Media continues to focus on delivering software and content development to address market needs within the international government, academic and corporate training sectors. We are encouraged by the growing demand for English language learning programs and are confident that we are positioned with an ever-expanding sales pipeline to secure new sales contracts and increase revenues in the coming quarters, said Michael Kraft, President & CEO of Lingo Media.

Q3 2017 Operational and Corporate Highlights

advanced the marketing and selling of English For Success, a series of lessons and activities derived from ELL Library as a premium solution for governments and educational institutions

completed the Spanish localization of English for Success program

terminated the merger transaction with Kickwheel Company (formerly Schoold/Vested Finance Inc.)

Financial Highlights for the Third Quarter Ended September 30, 2017

Third Quarter Ended September 30th 2017 2016 Revenue $ 354,914 $ 152,657 Operating expenses 333,087 460,099 Income before amortization, share-based payments, depreciation, finance charges and taxes 21,827 (307,442 ) Amortization, share-based payments, and depreciation 407,748 272,865 Finance charges, taxes, foreign exchange 88,892 1,403 Total expenses 829,727 734,367 Net income (loss) (474,813 ) (581,710 ) Total comprehensive income (loss) (475,632 ) (563,241 ) Earnings (loss) per share $ (0.013 ) $ (0.016 )

Revenue for Q3 2017 was $354,914 as compared to $152,657 in 2016

Operating expense for Q3 2017 totalled $333,087 as compared to $460,099 in 2016, reflecting a continuing effort to reduce direct costs

Income before amortization, share-based payments, depreciation, finance charges and taxes for Q3 2017 was $21,827 as compared to ($307,442) in Q3 2016

Net Loss for Q3 2017 was $474,813 as compared to $581,710 in Q3 2016

Financial Highlights for the Nine-Month Period Ended September 30, 2017

Nine Month Period Ended September 30 2017 2016 Revenue $ 2,021,806 $ 2,458,912 Operating expenses 1,034,861 1,218,303 Income before amortization, share-based payments, depreciation, finance charges and taxes 1,263,602 1,240,609 Amortization, share-based payments and depreciation 1,042,952 748,330 Finance charges, taxes and foreign exchange 371,739 391,976 Total expenses 2,449,552 2,358,609 Net profit (loss) (472,746 ) 100,303 Total comprehensive income (loss) $ (429,513 ) $ 172,866 Earnings (loss) per share $ (0.012 ) $ 0.003

Revenue for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2017 was $2,021,806 as compared to $2,458,912, for the same period in 2016

Operating expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 totalled $1,034,861 as compared to $1,218,303, for the same period in 2016

Income before amortization, share-based payments, depreciation, finance charges and taxes were $1,263,602 as compared to $1,240,609, for the same period in 2016

Net loss for nine months was $472,746 as compared to net income of $100,303, for the same period in 2016

Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2017

Working capital as of September 30, 2017 totalled $1,760,701

Current ratio for the period ended September 30, 2017 was 3.97:1

Total liabilities as of September 30, 2017 totalled $592,992 as compared to $462,771 for the same period in 2016

Book value of $6,081,080 as of September 30, 2017

The unaudited condensed interim financial statements for the quarter ended September 30, 2017 and Management Discussion & Analysis are available at www.sedar.com.

About Lingo Media

Lingo Media is a global provider of best-in-class digital and print-based English language learning solutions that are Changing the way the world learns English.

Developed for learners of English at every level, Lingo Medias ELL Technologies products combine a vast content library with proprietary technology. ELL Technologies intuitive dashboards enable students to track and manage their progress, and allow teachers to organize and interact with students, providing ongoing support. Lingo Medias Lingo Learning division is a print-based publisher of English language learning programs in China.

Lingo Medias product and program are marketed through established sales channels to key education, government and business organizations in Latin America and China and continues to extend its global reach and expand its product offerings.

Follow Lingo Media On:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LingoMedia

Twitter: @LingoMediaCorp

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/lingomedialm

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lingo-media-corporation

RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/LingoMedia

For further information, contact:

Lingo Media

Michael Kraft, President & CEO

Tel: (+1) 416-927-7000 Ext. 23

Toll Free: 1-866-927-7011

Email: mkraft@lingomedia.com

To learn more, visit us at www.lingomedia.com

Portions of this press release may include "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of securities laws. These statements are made in reliance upon Sections 21E and 27A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties or other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results, performance, or expectations implied by these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current expectations and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Actual results may vary materially from management's expectations and projections and thus readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Lingo Media has tried to identify these forward-looking statements by using words such as "may," "should," "expect," "hope," "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "plan," "estimate" and similar expressions. Lingo Medias expectations, among other things, are dependent upon general economic conditions, the continued and growth in demand for its products, retention of its key management and operating personnel, its need for and availability of additional capital as well as other uncontrollable or unknown factors. No assurance can be given that the actual results will be consistent with the forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by US Federal securities laws, Lingo Media undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or any other reason. Certain factors that can affect the Company's ability to achieve projected results are described in the Company's filings with the Canadian and United States securities regulators available on www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

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
VANCOUVER, B.C., Nov. 29, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Corazon Gold Corp. (TSX-V:CGW) (the Company) and NanoSphere Health Sciences, LLC (NanoSphere) are pleased to announce the closing of the Companys private placement (the Offering) for gross proceeds of $5,905,685, and the completion of the Companys acquisition (the Acquisition) of NanoSphere. Based upon the CSEs conditional listing approval, the Company will make its final submission for CSE listing in short order, and concurrently with its listing on the CSE will change its name to NanoSphere Health Sciences Inc. and effect a de-listing from the TSX Venture Exchange.

The completion of this financing and merger represents a significant step in unlocking the opportunity to become a true market leader, said David Sutton, President and COO of the Company. For over two decades, NanoSpheres scientists have researched and developed the revolutionary NanoSphere Delivery System to meet the needs of consumers, healthcare providers and suppliers. The NanoSphere Delivery System employs nanotechnology in the delivery of biological compounds for improved bioavailability, efficacy and onset of effect. Under the brand Evolve, Nanosphere has already launched its acclaimed NanoSerum product for the recreational and medical cannabis markets in Colorado. NanoSerum is the first clinically-tested transdermal cannabis product to relieve pain in minutes, and we intend to build on that success by opening new markets for Evolve and developing new applications for NanoSerum.

About NanoSphere

NanoSphere, a wholly owned operating subsidiary of the Company, is a biotechnology firm specializing in the creation of the NanoSphere Delivery System, a revolutionary platform using nanotechnology in the biodelivery of supplements, nutraceuticals and over-the-counter medications for the cannabis, pharmaceutical and animal health industries, and beyond. The patent-pending NanoSphere Delivery System represents one of the most important developments for advancing the non-invasive and user-friendly delivery of biological agents in over 25 years. For more information on NanoSphere, please visit http://www.nanospherehealth.com.

About the Offering and Acquisition

Pursuant to the Offering, the Company issued 11,811,370 subscription receipts at a price of $0.50 per subscription receipt for gross proceeds of $5,905,685. The gross proceeds of the Offering have been placed in escrow, and will be released to the Company upon, among other things, the Companys listing on the CSE (the Escrow Release Conditions). Upon satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions, each subscription receipt will, for no additional consideration, automatically convert into a unit comprised of one common share and one-half of a warrant. Each full warrant (a Warrant) entitles the holder to purchase one common share at a price of $0.75 for a period of two years following the satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions, subject to accelerated expiry if the common shares trade, at any time after four months and a day following issuance of the respective subscription receipts, at a price of $1.00 or more 15 consecutive trading days. In the event that the Escrow Release Conditions are not satisfied within eight months of the issuance of the respective subscription receipts, those subscription receipts will be cancelled and the subscription funds returned to the respective subscribers. 10,004,370 subscription receipts and their underlying securities are subject to a hold period expiring March 17, 2018; 1,370,000 subscription receipts and their underlying securities are subject to a hold period expiring March 18, 2018; and 437,000 subscription receipts and their underlying securities are subject to a hold period expiring March 25, 2018. Aggregate finder fees of $146,025 will be paid upon satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions, and 284,550 subscription receipt finder warrants were issued, each converting upon the satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions into a warrant having the same terms as the Warrants.

Pursuant to the Acquisition, an aggregate of 59,000,000 common shares were issued to NanoSpheres members, and 1,000,000 common shares were issued as a finder fee for the Acquisition. All of the foregoing shares are subject to a pooling agreement with the following release dates: 10% on January 1, 2018; 10% on November 17, 2019; and the final 80% on November 17, 2020.

The Company currently has 84,259,176 common shares issued and outstanding, of which 38,953,401 common shares are subject to escrow as provided for under National Policy 46-201. 1,021,286 of the escrowed shares are previously issued securities, and the balance of 37,932,115 escrowed shares were issued pursuant to the Acquisition and will, as released from escrow, be subject to the aforementioned pooling agreement.

The Board of Directors has been reconstituted and is comprised of Robert Sutton (Chairman & CEO), David Sutton (President), Richard Kaufman, Stephanie Hopper, Michael Iverson and Toby Lim. Victor Goncalves resigned as a director but will continue in the office of Executive Vice President. The Company would like to thank Messrs. Bradley Scharfe, Fred Tejada, Jason Scharfe and Jorge Orellana for their dedication and service to the Company, and wishes them well in their future endeavors.

PR Contact:

Kate Wells

Chief Marketing Officer

NanoSphere Health Sciences, LLC

Direct: 720-528-4437

Mobile: 303-324-7358

E-mail: kwells@nanospherehealth.com

Investor Relations Contact:

Victor Goncalves

Executive Vice President

Mobile: 204-997-5517

E-mail: vgoncalves@corazonau.com

Forward Looking Statement Caution

This news release includes forward looking statements that are subject to assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Statements in this news release which are not purely historical are forward looking statements, including without limitation any statements concerning the Company's intentions, plans, estimates, expectations or beliefs regarding the future. Although the Company believes that any forward looking statements in this news release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such forward looking statements will prove to be accurate. The Company cautions readers that all forward looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the Company's future operations and business prospects, are based on assumptions none of which can be assured, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward looking statements. Readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Any forward looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in the forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

TSXV Disclaimer

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.




Following a request from the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) for support in a range of Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) specific areas, a diagnostic mission was undertaken between 20 to 24 November 2017 by two officials from the WCO Secretariat in Brussels and a WCO Member Expert from the South African Revenue Authority (SARS).

The mission was made possible thanks to support from the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs TFA Fund.

The objectives of the mission was not only to provide an analysis of the current position in these areas, but also to identify, in general terms, areas where further Customs capacity building and/or technical assistance may be needed. It was also required to ensure that all TFA-related activities was fully aligned with that of other government stakeholders involved in the implementation of TFA-related reforms.

The mission was conducted under the framework of the tailor-made track of the WCO Mercator Programme specifically designed to support developing countries to implement the TFA using the WCOs extensive range of instruments and tools.

Through enthusiastic discussion and a process walk-through with RRA senior management in charge of Field Operations, Appeals, Operations Policy, Compliance & Enforcement, Trade Management, Post Clearance, Risk Management and Tax Payer Service a detailed report was compiled for the RRA.

The WCO team made thirteen (13) recommendations to the RRA for consideration. These recommendations are stipulated in a detailed diagnostic report to be shared with the RRA. A summary of these findings and recommendations were presented to the senior team of the RRA on Friday the 24th November 2017.
Under the auspices of the WCO-EAC CREATe Project financed by Sweden, a workshop was successfully held from 23 to 26 October 2017 in Bujumbura to develop a national framework for risk management in Burundi Customs (OBR). The development of the national risk management framework follows the recommendation of a diagnostic study conducted by the WCO on the preparedness of the East African Community (EAC) countries to implement a Regional AEO programme.

The implementation of the AEO programme requires a robust risk management (RM) function. As the EAC completed the development of its regional (RM) framework, Burundi needed to develop their own national risk management framework and align to the regional one. This was necessary in order for Burundi to enhance its capacity to manage the AEO programme.

The mission supported OBR with the development of a Risk Management Policy, Risk Management Strategy, a Risk Register and a Risk Management Action Plan.

The workshop, which was attended by 8 participants, including 3 female delegates, was supported by a regional risk management expert from Uganda, thus providing an opportunity to strengthen regional and south-south cooperation.

With the policy, strategy and the register in place, the next step of the support will involve risk profiling and refining of the selectivity criteria in ASYCUDA.

Since Burundi is one of the countries that have submitted Category A notification on the implementation of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA), this mission also supported Burundis efforts towards the implementation of article 7.7 of the TFA.

For more information about this activity or the project, please contact the WCO-Sweden Programme Director, Mr. Richard Chopra (richard.chopra@wcoomd.org)
Sellbyville, Delaware, Nov. 29, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



Global Microgrid Market is set to surpass USD 19 billion by 2024, as reported in the latest study by Global Market Insights, Inc. Favourable government norms pertaining to integration of renewable energy technology coupled with ongoing measures to electrify rural and urban areas will foster the microgrid market share. Power reliability, economic competitiveness, relatively low power cost and reduced T&D losses are some of the key parameters which will boost the product adoption. In addition, growing off-grid networks across the developing nations will further complement the business outlook.

The U.S. microgrid market size is set to reach over 2 GW by 2024. Growing deployment of sustainable energy sources to reduce the dependence on existing electric networks will positively encourage the industry dynamics. Increasing investments across clean energy sources in the country will further propel the business landscape. According to IEA in 2016, the U.S. invested over USD 250 billion toward development of various energy sources across the nation.

Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/1187

Deployment of captive power generation as a key alternative to the regulated electricity supply in industrial sector will positively impact the business growth. Regulatory inclination to maintain central grid stability coupled with growing measures toward security of power supply will fuel the microgrid market. Rapid technological advancements in line with the development of efficient energy storage systems and control distribution units will further complement the industry outlook.

Natural gas as a fuel is set to witness strong growth on account of increasing exploration of unconventional sources across the U.S., China and Russia. Ongoing adoption of fuel as a low emission substitute to conventional source will foster the microgrid market. In August 2016, Capstone Turbine signed a deal with the government of China to supply microturbine for 10 MW microgrid network.

Utility microgrid market is set to grow owing to the rapid industrialization and urbanization across the emerging economies. Escalating high-end electricity consumption backed by the presence of new HVAC and heavy load machinery systems in the industrial sector will foster the business growth.

Browse key industry insights spread across 300 pages with 798 market data tables & 12 figures & charts from this 2017 report Microgrid Market in detail along with the table of contents at:

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/microgrid-market

Flow battery in 2016, accounted for over 5% of the global microgrid market share. High-end investments toward integration of clean energy technologies along with technological advancement catered to the development of cost-effective energy storage solutions will augment the industry size. Longer life cycles along with higher efficiencies as compared to its competitive counterparts will further complement the product outlook.

Rising concerns toward energy security coupled with increasing adoption of sustainable energy sources will stimulate the Japan microgrid market. Government backed extensive research and development projects along with implementation of virtual private networks (VPPs) to mitigate emergency crisis will further embellish the business outlook. In 2017, Panasonic in collaboration with Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry planned to build Solar PV powered microgrid to provide electricity to 117 homes in western Japan.

Eminent players across the microgrid market include ABB, Schneider Electric, Siemens, Advanced Microgrid Solutions, Emersion, GE Alstom, Honeywell, EnSync Inc, Caterpillar, Viridity Energy Inc, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Exelon Corporation and Power Analytics Corporation.

Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/1187





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About Global Market Insights

Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.

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TORONTO, Nov. 29, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Questrade Wealth Management Inc. announced today that each holder of units of the Merging Funds, defined in the table below, will automatically receive a number of units of the applicable Continuing Fund, also defined in the table below, based on an exchange ratio of the units of the applicable Merging Fund and the applicable Continuing Fund, calculated based on the relative net asset value of such units.



The exchange ratio means that for every unit of a Merging Fund held by a unitholder, such unitholder will receive the number of units of the corresponding Continuing Fund set out in the table below as Exchange Number.

Merging Funds

(managed by Questrade Wealth Management Inc.) Continuing Funds

(managed by WisdomTree Asset Management Canada, Inc.) Exchange Number Questrade Russell US Midcap Value Index ETF Hedged to CAD WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend Index ETF 0.86522074 Questrade Russell US Midcap Growth Index ETF Hedged to CAD WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend Index ETF 0.90279995 Questrade Russell 1000 Equal Weight US Technology Index ETF Hedged to CAD WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Index ETF 1.19790051 Questrade Russell 1000 Equal Weight US Consumer Discretionary Index ETF Hedged to CAD WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Index ETF 0.82651201 Questrade Russell 1000 Equal Weight US Health Care Index ETF Hedged to CAD WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Index ETF 0.90200132 Questrade Fixed Income Core Plus ETF WisdomTree Yield Enhanced Canada Aggregate Bond Index ETF 0.41870146

All units of the Merging Funds will be delisted at the close of trading on November 30, 2017. Unitholders of the Merging Funds are not required to take any action in order to become unitholders of the Continuing Funds.

Details of the Mergers are outlined in a management information circular dated October 10, 2017 that is available on www.sedar.com and www.questrade.com/ETFs.

About Questrade Financial Group Inc.:

Questrade Financial Group Inc. ("QFG") and its affiliated companies provide financial products and services to Canadians including securities, foreign currency, and wealth management. In 2014, Questrade's CEO was named as EY Entrepreneur of the Year (Ontario) in the services category, and since 2011, Questrade has been ranked one of Canada's Best Managed Companies. Questrade Financial Group is headquartered in Toronto.

About Questrade Wealth Management, Inc.:

Questrade Wealth Management Inc. ("QWM") manages and administers the Questrade ETFs and provides professional investment management services through Portfolio IQ. QWM is an investment fund manager and portfolio manager. QWM is a wholly owned subsidiary of QFG.

For more information

Stella Ladizhinsky

Communications

Tel: 416.218.7175
Cambridge, Massachusetts , Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Deloitte CyberSOC EMEA Center, SL. closed a strategic agreement with Sqrrl, the industry-leading provider of threat hunting software. Deloitte will provide Managed Threat Hunting Services to clients in the EMEA region using Sqrrls state-of-the-art threat hunting platform.

Threat hunting is the proactive search for cyber adversaries that have slipped past other defenses. With the developing sophistication of low and slow and the growing impact of data breaches, the need for threat hunting is dramatically increasing. Armed with Sqrrls threat hunting technology, Deloitte will perform a careful inspection of their clients IT environment to identify the presence of compromises and threat actors via Deloittes new Threat Hunting-As-A-Service offering.

Sqrrls Platform is purpose-built for threat hunting, and enables our threat analysts to conduct hunts more effectively, said Cesar Martin Lara, Deloitte Spain Cyber Risk Services partner. We chose Sqrrl because of its ability to enable easy pivoting across datasets via link analysis and Sqrrls Security Behaviour Graph, machine learning analytics, and ability to unite diverse network, endpoint, identity, and security datasets into a powerful hunt-focused data model.

We are honored to be working with Deloitte, who we consider the premier cybersecurity consultancy in the world, said Sqrrl CEO Mark Terenzoni. The flexibility of our platform enables Deloitte to easily create new analytics and data models and embed their world-class cyber intelligence into our Threat Hunting Platform.

In addition to Managed Threat Hunting, Deloitte will resell Sqrrl's Threat Hunting Platform to clients who wish to deploy the platform in their own on-premises or cloud environments.

To learn more about Deloitte Cyber Risk Services in EMEA:

Visit Deloittes EMEA region Cyber Risk website

To learn more about Sqrrl and Threat Hunting:

About Deloitte

All references to Deloitte in this press release relate to Deloitte CyberSOC EMEA Center, SL.

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (DTTL), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as Deloitte Global) does not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a more detailed description of DTTL and its member firms.

Deloitte provides audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk management, tax, and related services to public and private clients spanning multiple industries. With a globally connected network of member firms in more than 150 countries and territories, Deloitte brings world-class capabilities and high-quality service to clients, delivering the insights they need to address their most complex business challenges. Deloittes more than 225,000 professionals are committed to making an impact that matters.

About Deloittes Cyber Risk Services

Deloitte Risk Advisorys Cyber Risk Services help organizations pursue their strategic growth, innovation and performance objectives more confidently, through proactive management of associated cyber risks. With extensive experience across many industries, Deloitte professionals provide highly differentiated end-to-end cyber solutions combining advisory, implementation, and managed security services. They serve clients via a global network of Cyber Intelligence and Delivery Centres.

About Sqrrl
Christmas comes to the Homeplace 1850s Saturday after Thanksgiving
By West Kentucky Star Staff Nov. 30, 2017 | 11:24 AM | MCCRACKEN COUNTY, KY

A Paducah man was arrested Wednesday on numerous outstanding warrants and on drug offenses.

Detectives with the McCracken County Sheriffs Department Drug Division received information that 30-year-old Matthew Eggleston, who had an outstanding warrant for absconding his felony probation and two other bench warrants, was residing at an apartment on South 4th Street in Paducah.

According to police, Eggleston was arrested in July of this year and charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia, but was released on bond. Detectives, along with Deputy US Marshals and officers with the Kentucky Department of Probation and Parole, found Eggleston at the apartment and arrested him on the outstanding warrants.

Detectives executed a search warrant at Egglestons home, where they seized methamphetamine and numerous items of drug paraphernalia.



Eggleston was lodged in the McCracken County Regional Jail on the outstanding warrants. He was also charged with possession of meth and possession of drug paraphernalia.
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English Finnish

Terveystalo Plc Stock exchange release 30 November 2017 at 8:00 a.m.

The Board of Directors of Terveystalo Plc resolved on key employee incentive plan

The Board of Directors of Terveystalo Plc has resolved to establish a new share-based incentive plan directed to the Group key employees. The aim of the plan is to align the objectives of the shareholders and the key employees in order to increase the value of the Company in the long-term, to retain the key employees at the Company, and to offer them a competitive reward plan that is based on earning and accumulating the Company's shares.

The Performance Share Plan includes three performance periods, calendar years 2018, 2019 and 2020. The Board of Directors will resolve on the performance criteria and on the required performance levels for each criterion at the beginning of each performance period.

During the performance period 2018, the plan offers the key employees a possibility to earn rewards based on the Company achieving the required operational targets and Total Shareholder Return (TSR) levels.

The potential rewards from the performance share plan will be paid partly in Terveystalo Plc shares and partly in cash approximately two years after the performance periods. The cash proportion is intended to cover taxes and tax-related costs arising from the rewards to the plan participants. As a rule, no reward will be paid if a plan participant terminates his or her employment or service before the reward payment.

The rewards to be paid on the basis of the performance period 2018 correspond to an approximate maximum total of 943,000 Terveystalo Plc shares, including currently allocated and unallocated shares as well as the proportion to be paid in cash. The plan is directed to approximately 80 key employees, including the members of the Management Group during the performance period 2018.

TERVEYSTALO PLC

The Board of Directors

For more information, please contact:

Kati Kaksonen, Director, Investor Relations and Financial Communications

Tel. +358 10 345 2034

Kati.kaksonen@terveystalo.com

Terveystalo in brief

Terveystalo is a leading private healthcare service provider in Finland offering primary and outpatient secondary healthcare services to corporate, private and public sector customers. The Company's healthcare service offering includes general practice and specialist medical care, diagnostic services, outpatient surgery, dental services and other adjacent services, which comprise its integrated healthcare care chain. The Company also offers a suite of digital healthcare services. Terveystalo is able to provide nationwide reach through its approximately 180 clinics, covering all 20 of Finland's largest cities, together with its digital platforms.

Terveystalo's operations are driven by its scale and supported by centralized functions and standardized operating practices. At the core of Terveystalo's strategy is a focus on providing medical quality and positive customer experiences, maintaining a competent and satisfied base of healthcare professionals and developing a variety of customized digital tools.

In 2016, the Company had approximately 1.0 million individual customers as well as approximately 2.7 million doctor visits, accounting for 12 percent of the total doctor visits in Finland. The Company's customers are divided into three groups: corporate customers, who the Company partners with to provide, for example, occupational healthcare services to their employees, private customers and public customers, who the Company partners with to provide public healthcare services and occupational healthcare services to municipal employees. Terveystalo had approximately 4,445 employees (including part-time employees) and approximately 4,400 private practitioners as at June 30, 2017.
By The Associated Press

By The Associated Press Nov. 30, 2017 | 09:10 AM | LOUISVILLE, KY

Agricultural economists say farm income in Kentucky has rebounded from 2016 levels, but remains well below record figures earlier in the decade.

The University of Kentucky ag economists on Thursday predicted 2017 farm cash receipts to reach $5.6 billion, which would be a 3.5 percent increase from last year. They're also forecasting a modest increase in net farm income, which is the amount left after expenses.

UK ag economist Will Snell says this year's improvements were fueled by higher crop yields, better livestock prices and fairly stable input costs.

The economists are forecasting slightly higher agricultural cash receipts for Kentucky in 2018, assuming a normal growing season.

They say poultry remains Kentucky's top agricultural commodity.

The UK forecasts are a fixture at the Kentucky Farm Bureau's annual meeting in Louisville.
By The Associated Press Nov. 30, 2017 | 05:37 AM | FRANKFORT, KY

Kentucky Justice Secretary John Tilley is traveling to Washington to talk about the nation's opioid epidemic.

Tilley is scheduled to speak to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions at 10 a.m. Thursday. The hearing can be viewed online at the committee's website.

Tilley also spoke to the House Energy and Commerce Committee about opioids in July.

More than 1,400 people died in Kentucky last year because of a drug overdose, a 7.4 percent increase from 2015. Republican Gov. Matt Bevin's administration has responded with a "Don't Let Them Die" marketing campaign to raise awareness. Earlier this month, Bevin's administration launched a help line for people to call to get access to the state's drug treatment services.
Press release 30.11.17





Altran Group acquires Aricent

and creates the undisputed global leader

in Engineering and R&D services





New entity to offer outstanding value proposition to its clients and outpace competition with: Unmatched scale: close to 3 billion in revenues , 44,000 employees operating in ~ 30 countries, including 15,000 near and offshore engineers across 5 Global Delivery Centers No. 1 worldwide, no. 1 in Europe, no. 1 in the US Leadership positions in key industries: Aerospace, Automotive, Design & Innovative Product Development, Life sciences, Semiconductors, Software & Internet, Telecoms Superior expertise in key technology domains, design, product & system engineering, digital & software

Acquisition price of 1.7 3 billion ($2.0 billion), all cash

Enhanced financial profile; Altran 2020. Ignition plan's strategic objectives achieved in 2018

EPS accretive from year 1 and double digit accretion supported by EBITDA run-rate synergies in excess of 50 million

Acquisition expected to close in Q1 2018, subject to customary conditions

Altran, a global leader in Engineering and R&D services (ER&D), has entered today, through its subsidiary Altran US, into a definitive agreement to acquire Aricent, a global digital leader in design and engineering services, from a group of investors led by KKR, for a total enterprise value of 1.7 billion or $2.0 billion in an all-cash transaction. Based on LTM June 2017 data, this corresponds to 10.6x EBITDA pre-synergies, and 8.0x4 post run-rate-synergies (14.4x EBIT4 pre-synergies and 9.9x EBIT4 post-synergies). The transaction has been unanimously approved by Altran's Board of Directors and is expected to close in Q1 2018, subject to receipt of antitrust approvals and satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Following the transaction, the combined entity will become the undisputed global leader in ER&D services, a market expected to be worth 220 billion by 2020.

Aricent is a global digital leader in integrated design and engineering services, primarily serving clients of the Communications and Technology, Semiconductor and Software industries. Headquartered in Santa Clara (California), Aricent brings design and engineering capabilities to help its clients get to market faster, transform legacy products to digital, and create new revenue opportunities. Among the company's assets is the iconic brand frog, which has with world-class design and client experience capabilities, outstanding knowledge and intellectual property for the Telecom, Software and Semiconductors industries. Aricent also has solid experience in shaping large engineering outsourcing deals and key capabilities in key emerging technologies including Artifical Intelligence, Cognitive Systems, Internet of Things and software frameworks. Over the LTM June 2017, Aricent generated revenues of $687m with ca.10,500 employees and operated through 24 engineering centers and design studios, serving ca.360 clients globally.

Commenting on the acquisition, Dominique Cerutti, Chairman & CEO of the Altran Group, said: "Through this acquisition, Altran will be uniquely positioned to offer an unmatched value proposition to its clients and outpace

competition. Altran will now have superior scale and scope, and now masters all four critical criteria necessary to lead the industry: a global presence and reach, leadership across most industries, strong expertise in key technology domains and a superior global delivery supply chain. This transaction acts as a catalyst allowing us to achieve Altran 2020. Ignition strategic goals as early as 2018. Current and future shareholders will benefit from this value-enhancing acquisition, delivering EPS accretion immediately while preserving our robust financial profile."

"For 26 years, Aricent has positioned itself as a leading global design and engineering company, helping our clients solve their most complex challenges in today's ever-changing, connected world," said Frank Kern, CEO, Aricent. "In doing so, we are well-positioned to merge our engineering and design capabilities with those of Altran to create a global leader in R&D engineering services with enormous scale, unparalleled capability, and unique and differentiated innovation. We are excited to join forces with Altran, an organization that seamlessly aligns with our values and core mission. This acquisition is a testament to Aricent's long-standing and deep relationships with our clients and it recognizes the special talents and strength of our more than 10,500 dedicated Aricent employees. We look forward to working closely with Dominique Cerutti and his leadership team to bring even greater value to our clients."

Value-enhancing transaction

The acquisition of Aricent is expected to enhance Altran's financial profile, improve profitability and cash generation.

Based on LTM June 2017, the combined entity has:

pro-forma revenues of ca. 2.9 billion ,

an EBITDA margin of 14.9% (EBIT margin of 12.7%) and

operating cash generation of 10.0% of revenues.

With this acquisition, Altran is expected to complete the operational and financial objectives of Altran 2020. Ignition plan as early as 2018 and will be in a position to accelerate and capture emerging demand and new opportunities.

This acquisition is expected to generate 150 million of additional revenues translating into 25 million EBITDA run-rate synergies and 25 million of delivery and cost synergies. These synergies are expected to be delivered progressively within 3 years, with implementation costs representing close to 1 year of cost synergies, to be spread over 2018-2019. The deal is expected to be EPS accretive from year 1, and double digit accretive when taking into account run-rate synergies.

Altran has obtained a full financing package for the transaction, which is intended to be refinanced in part through a 750 million rights issue, subject to shareholders' approval and market conditions. Altran shareholders Apax Partners and the founders, who respectively hold 8.4% and 2.8% of the share capital, together representing 16.6% of the voting rights, have confirmed their full support of the transaction, their commitment to vote in favour of the rights issue at the EGM and their intention to participate pro-rata in the rights issue.

Relevant staff representative bodies within Altran and some of its subsidiaries will be informed and/or consulted with respect to the debt financing and/or the rights issue contemplated in the context of the acquisition of Aricent.

Thanks to the strong cash flow generation of the newly created entity, rapid deleveraging is expected while maintaining shareholder remuneration consistent with past practices. Pro-forma for the transaction, Altran will maintain a strong liquidity profile and targets a rapid deleveraging below 2.5x two years after closing.

Strategic Rationale

Altran and Aricent share a common vision of the drivers fueling accelerated growth in the ER&D market, and through their respective transformations have developed capabilities to match the four strategic criteria that top global clients expect from their ER&D partners. Together, Altran and Aricent will have:

Global scale and scope : close to 3 billion in revenues, 44,000 employees operating in ~ 30 countries,and outstanding client reach. The combined company will be No. 1 worldwide, no. 1 in Europe, no. 1 in the US



Leadership positions in key industries : Aerospace, Automotive , Design & Innovative Product Development, Life sciences, Semiconductors, Software & Internet, Telecoms



Premier global delivery model: the significant build-up of the Indian footprint (ca.8,500 additional engineers) contributed by Aricent will provide Altran with a best-in-class industrialized supply chain, with a unique scale and balanced split through near/offshore locations (with 15,000 FTEs or 35% of total workforce), enabling the combined company to offer seamless end-to-end delivery to clients cost effectively



Superior expertise in key technology domains, design, product & system engineering, digital & software

The combination of these strengths will result in an enhanced client footprint: together with Aricent, Altran will consolidate its preferred access and long-term partnerships with top R&D spenders across all industries and leverage first class access to blue-chip US clients.

Brittany Bagley, member of the Board of Directors of Aricent and a Director on KKR's Technology investment team, said: "Since first acquiring Aricent over a decade ago, we have supported the company throughout its evolution and growth. As Aricent now enters its next phase, we believe the combination with Altran creates a broader platform for continued success. We are enthusiastic about the opportunities that lie ahead for the company."

Next Steps

The transaction is expected to close during Q1 2018, subject to receipt of necessary antitrust approvals and satisfaction of other customary conditions.

The launch of the Altran rights issue is subject to an Extraordinary General Meeting's approval of the relevant authorisations and to market conditions.

Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Goldman Sachs International and Morgan Stanley & Co are acting as financial advisors and have provided a committed financing for the full acquisition amount. Altran has obtained a standby commitment from the banks to underwrite the 750 million rights issue, subject to usual conditions. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is acting as legal advisor to Altran.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC acted as financial advisor to Aricent, a KKR & Co. portfolio company, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP acted as legal advisor to Aricent and KKR & Co.

Altran will announce its 2017 Full Year results on February 28, 2018 and unveil a new strategic plan during an Investor Day in mid 2018.

Investor Calls Details

Investor meeting & conference call on November 30, 2017 at 8:30 am Paris time (CET) in Altran HQ ,



located 96, Avenue Charles de Gaulle, 92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine



Telephone numbers: +33 172727403 or +44 2071943759 or +1 8442860643



Confirmation Code: 57921601#







A conference call dedicated to US investors will be held at 3:30 pm Paris time (CET)



Telephone numbers: +33172727403 or +44 2071943759 or +1 8442860643



Confirmation Code: 93710226#







An investor presentation and the full press release are available on Altran's website: https://www.altran.com/us/en/news_press_release/altran-acquires-aricent-and-creates-the-undisputed-global-leader-in-engineering-and-rd-services

https://www.altran.com/as-content/uploads/sites/7/2017/11/aricent_acquisition.pdf

Contacts

Altran Group

Investor Relations

Stephanie Bia

Group Vice-President Investor Relations

Tel: + 33 (0)1 46 41 72 01

stephanie.bia@Altran.com

Media Relations

Marine Boulot

Group Vice-President Communications

Tel: + 33 (0)1 46 41 72 10

marine.boulot@Altran.com

Follow us on Twitter:

@Altran #Altran2020

About Altran

As a global leader in Engineering and R&D services (ER&D), Altran offers its clients a new way to innovate by developing the products and services of tomorrow. Altran works alongside its clients on every link in the value chain of their project, from conception to industrialization. For over thirty years, the Group has provided its expertise to key players in the Aerospace, Automotive, Defence, Energy, Finance, Life Sciences, Railway, and Telecom sectors, among others. In 2016, the Altran group generated revenues of 2.120 billion. With a headcount of more than 30,000 employees, Altran is present in more than 20 countries.

www.altran.com

About Aricent

Aricent is a California based global provider of ER&D services, offering integrated design and engineering services mainly to clients of the Communications and Technology, Semiconductor and Software industries. Aricent brings design and engineering capabilities to help its clients get to market faster, transform legacy products to digital, and create new revenue opportunities. In 2017, the company generated revenues of $687 million. Aricent, which currently has ca.10,500 employees, of which ca.8,500 are located in India, operates through 24 engineering centers and design studios, serving ca.360 clients globally.

www.aricent.com

Appendix - LTM Financials as of 30-June-2017

Table A: Revenue, EBITDA, and EBIT

In m, LTM as of 30-Jun-17 Altran Aricent Combined Revenue reported 2,191.6 582.6 2,774.2 Pro-forma full-year impact of software deals - 47.9 47.9 Pro-forma full-year impact of acquisitions 46.4 - 46.4 Revenue pro-forma 2,238.0 630.6 2,868.6 EBITDA 246.4 140.7 387.1 EBITDA margin 11.2 % 24.1 % 14.0 % Pro-forma full-year impact of software deals - 35.3 35.3 Pro-forma full-year impact of acquisitions 4.9 - 4.9 EBITDA pro-forma 251.3 176.0 427.2 EBITDA pro-forma margin 11.2 % 27.9 % 14.9 % EBITDA 246.4 140.7 387.1 D&A (14.8) (44.3) (59.1) D&A (related to business combinations) - 12.0 12.0 Net retirement obligation accruals 0.2 - 0.2 EBIT 231.8 108.3 340.1 EBIT margin 10.6 % 18.6 % 12.3 % Pro-forma full-year impact of software deals - 21.5 21.5 Pro-forma full-year impact of acquisitions 3.7 - 3.7 EBIT pro-forma 235.5 129.8 365.3 EBIT pro-forma margin 10.5 % 20.6 % 12.7 %

Table B: Altran Operating Cash Flow Before Tax

In m, LTM as of 30-Jun-17 Altran Operating income (IFRS5) 202.1 Goodwill depreciation & intangible rights amortization 7.0 Net operating depreciation and provisions 21.1 Other non-cash items (10.1) Cash operating income 220.1 Change in Net Working Capital (31.0) Capital expenditure (46.4) Proceeds from tangible & intangible asset disposals (0.7) Operating cash flow before tax 142.0 Operating cash generation as % of revenue 6.5 % Pro-forma full-year impact of acquisitions 4.9 Operating cash flow pro-forma before tax 146.9 Operating cash generation pro-forma as % of revenue pro-forma 6.6 %

Table C: Aricent Operating Cash Flow Before Tax

In m, LTM as of 30-Jun-17 Aricent EBITDA 140.7 Non cash items 2.7 Non-recurring items (11.6) Change in Net Working Capital (12.4) Capital expenditure (15.8) Operating cash flow before tax 103.7 Operating cash generation as % of revenue 17.8 % Pro-forma full-year impact of software deals 35.3 Operating cash flow pro-forma before tax 139.0 Operating cash generation pro-forma as % of revenue pro-forma 22.0 %

Table D: Combined Operating Cash Flow Before Tax

In m, LTM as of 30-Jun-17 Altran1 Aricent Combined Operating cash flow before tax 142.0 103.7 245.7 Operating cash generation as % of revenue 6.5 % 17.8 % 8.9 % Pro-forma full-year impact of software deals - 35.3 35.3 Pro-forma full-year impact of acquisitions 4.9 - 4.9 Operating cash flow pro-forma before tax 146.9 139.02 285.9 Operating cash generation pro-forma as % of revenue pro-forma 6.6 % 22.0 % 10.0 %





Table E: Aricent Key Financials in $m

In $m, LTM as of 30-Jun-17 Aricent Revenue pro-forma 687.4 EBITDA pro-forma 191.8 EBITDA pro-forma margin 27.9 % EBIT pro-forma 141.5 EBIT pro-forma margin 20.6 % Operating cash flow pro-forma before tax 151.5 Operating cash generation pro-forma as % of revenue pro-forma 22.0 %





DISCLAIMER

This press release includes certain projections and forward-looking statements with respect to the anticipated future performance of Altran, Aricent and/or the combined group of Altran and Aricent following completion of Altran's acquisition of Aricent, if completed (the "Transaction").

Such information is sometimes identified by the use of the future tense, the conditional mood and forward-looking terms such as "think," "aim," "expect," "intend," "should," "has the ambition of," "consider," "believe," "wish," "could" and so forth. This information is based on data, assumptions and estimates that Altran considers reasonable. Actual results could differ materially from those projected or forecast in the forward-looking statements, in particular due to the inability of Altran to achieve expected synergies or to successfully integrate Aricent, to uncertainties inherent to any business activity and to the economic, financial, competitive and regulatory environment. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this disclaimer. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as at the date of this press release. Altran makes no undertaking to update or revise any information or the objectives, outlook and forward-looking statements contained in this press release or that Altran otherwise may make, except pursuant to any statutory or regulatory obligations applicable to Altran.

No statement in this press release is intended as a profit forecast or estimate for any period. Persons receiving this document should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Past performance is not an indicator of future results and the results of Altran or Aricent in this document may not be indicative of, and are not an estimate or forecast of, the future results of Altran, Aricent and/or the combined group of Altran and Aricent following completion of the Transaction.

This press release includes market and competition data relating to Altran, Aricent or the potential combined group of Altran and Aricent. Some of this data was obtained from external market research. Such publicly available data is not endorsed by Altran as being accurate and has not been independently verified and Altran cannot guarantee that a third-party using different fact-gathering, analytical or calculation methods to compute market data would obtain the same results. Unless otherwise stated, data included in this press release relating to market size and competitive positions in Altran's and/or the potential group of Altran and Aricent's core markets is based on Altran's management's estimates. All such data is included herein for information purposes only and is subject to the provisions of this notice.

Information relating to Aricent set out in this press release have been prepared based on information provided to Altran by Aricent within the context of the acquisition process. These financial figures have not been audited or reviewed by Altran's auditors.

Combined financial data provided in this press release regarding the potential combined group of Altran and Aricent has been neither audited nor reviewed by Altran's auditors.

Moreover, readers should consult the registration document of Altran, registered with the Autorite des marches financiers (the "AMF") under no. D. 17-0223 on 24 March 2017 (the "Registration Document"), which is available free of charge from the AMF's website at www.amf-france.org and from Altran's website at www.altran.com/us/en/finance/regulated-information. The Registration Document includes a detailed description of Altran, its business, strategy, financial condition, results of operations and risk factors. Readers' attention is drawn to Chapter 4 "Risks" of the Registration Document. The materialization of all or any of these risks may have an adverse effect on Altran's operations, financial conditions, results or objectives, or the market price of Altran shares.

This press release does not constitute an offer to acquire, purchase, subscribe for, sell or exchange (or the solicitation of an offer to acquire, purchase, subscribe for, sell or exchange), any securities in any jurisdiction.

Any offer of Altran securities may only be made in France pursuant to a prospectus having received the visa of the AMF or, outside of France, pursuant to an offering document prepared for such purpose in accordance with applicable laws. Any investment decision shall only be made on the basis of such prospectus and/or offering document.

This press release does not constitute an offer or a solicitation to sell or subscribe requiring a prospectus within the meaning of Directive 2003/71/EC of the European Parliament and Council dated 4 November 2003, as amended, in particular by Directive 2010/73/EU in the case where such directive was implemented into law in the member States of the European Economic Area (together, the "Prospectus Directive"). This press release is not a prospectus within the meaning of the Prospectus Directive or otherwise.

This press release includes only summary information and does not purport to be comprehensive. No representation, warranty or undertaking, express or implied, is made by Altran as to, and no reliance should be placed on the completeness of the information and/or opinions contained herein or in any connected written or oral communications.
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Latvian English

Riga, 2017-11-30 09:15 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Earlier today, November 30, AS HansaMatrix organized its Investor Conference Online Webinar. During the webinar the Chairman of the Management Board of AS HansaMatrix Ilmars Osmanis and CFO Maris Macijevskis analyzed the financial results of 2017 Q3 and 9 months period and informed about other recent activities within the company.

The webinar presentation is available in the attachment.

The recorded HansaMatrix webinar is available at http://ej.uz/HMX_Q32017.

Investor and media contact:

Maris Macijevskis

CFO

Phone: (+371) 6780 0002

e-mail: invest@hansamatrix.com

http://www.hansamatrix.com

About AS HansaMatrix

HansaMatrix is a fast-growing, high-technology company offering product design, industrialization and integrated manufacturing services in data networking, Internet of Things, industrial segments and other services to high added value business segments. In addition to integrated manufacturing services of OEM products, the company develops product development competences and offers an ODM business model to both start-up and established companies that seek product development partnerships.
Latvian English

Type of operations

The Company was established in 1900 as the Riga`s first state alcohol warehouse and operates under the current name since 1970. Due to SPI Group internal reorganization the major shareholder of Latvijas balzams AS from October 2014 is Amber Beverage Group SIA, which owns 89.99% of the Companys equity capital.

Nowadays Latvijas balzams operates two alcohol production facilities in Riga  production plant for strong alcohol beverages and a production plant for sparkling wines and light alcohol beverages. We use ingredients from around the world and have retained our traditional beverage production technologies. The recipes for some of our signature products date back hundreds of years, for example the recipe o Riga Black Balsam is rotated back in 1752, but our renown Moskovskaya Vodka dates back to the end of the 19th century.

The company keeps the leading presence in all key spirits segments, as well as in sparkling wines, ciders, and RTDs, in the Baltic region. The newest generation of spirits, including Riga Black Vodka and Amber Gold Vodka, are produced using innovative filtration technologies that results in particular character profiles for beverage connoisseurs.

We are proud for our ability to produce high quality liquids consistently, and develop new products driven by consumer insights. On the same time we are able to maintain high-quality international standards required by SPI Group, so that sales of Stolichnaya are possible around the world, including sales to Japan.

Latvijas balzams AS is the largest producer of alcoholic beverages in the Baltic States with a range of more than 100 different brands. Our products are exported to more than 170 export markets as mediated by SPI Group, and to 42 markets via the Company`s direct export route.

The Company`s Activity in the first nine months of 2017

The unaudited turnover of the Company in the first nine months of 2017 reached 55.5 million euro, which is 1.7% more than in the first nine months of Year 2016. Increase in turnover was mainly achieved by increase of orders from our biggest Private Label customer SPI Cyprus, although the overall profitability level is lower than selling Latvijas Balzams brands. Additional positive effect on turnover come from increased level of warehouse and logistics services provided to both 3rd part and Group companies.

From beginning of 2016, the Company is providing a number of warehouse and logistics services, mostly to beverage companies  like transit assurance services, bonded warehouse services, 3-rd party logistic services, value added services, picking, etc. Actions taken, has allowed to utilize the available resources and assets in more efficient way. Latvijas balzams AS has been performing as European hub for group distributed brands in Europe, including Scandinavia and Russia (KAH, Bayou, Arinzano, Achaval Ferrer). From third quarter Latvijas balzams Customer service center has also overtaken customer service and inventory management service for those brands.

The unaudited profit for the reporting period is 4.59 million euro that represents 8% decrease versus the first nine months of 2016. Profit decrease is mainly due to the fact that 2016 numbers include income from oneoff transactions like compensation received from insurance company for fire case in 2014 in amount of 280 thousand EUR and profit from sale of real estate in amount of 594 thousand EUR.

Latvijas balzams AS is one of the largest local taxpayers. During the reporting period, the Company paid 43.5 million euro to the state budget, including excise tax, amounting to 34.8 million euro.

Future prospects

In the last quarter of 2017 the Company will keep focusing on investment opportunities in existing and new export markets with strong growth potential and accelerating sales. Well keep the strong focus on our core brands - Riga Black Balsam and Cosmopolitan Diva - investing into international recognition, brand equity and increasing market share.

The Company will also continue to improve the efficiency of production with focus on purchasing, planning and infrastructure improvements to support our goal - to deliver quality products with a competitive cost advantage.

Company has developed large-scale plant modernization and reconstruction project with aim to merge both production plants into one territory. Project will allow to improve company`s competitive positions among the region producers by decreasing labour, logistics and production costs. Total costs of project estimated at amount of 23 million euro. Latvian government supported project by granting CIT discount after fulfillment of the project. At this moment Company finalizing technical project works and is going to present project to shareholders to obtain their final approval on investment during regular shareholder meeting.

Latvijas balsams AS is an active member of Latvian Alcohol Industry Association and cooperates with core non-governmental organizations, representing the interests of industry in any dialogue with legislators and law enforcement institutions. The Company supports development of well - considered industry policy in Latvia and promotes responsible consumption and public education on these issues, as well as continues to combat the illegal production and distribution of non-commercial alcohol.
English Lithuanian

Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB (hereinafter  the Company), identification code 304151376, registered office placed at Aguonu str. 24, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania. The total number of registered ordinary shares issued by company is 894 630 333; ISIN code LT0000130023.

The National Commission for Energy Control and Prices (hereinafter referred to as the NCECP) on November 30 announced the prices approved by the Board of the Company on 24 November. The decision has approved new electricity transmission service and public electricity prices, which will be in force in 2018.

ESO proposed lower public electricity prices for private and corporate customers as of 1st January 2018. For corporate customers, who receive electricity from medium voltage networks, Company proposed 8,5 % lower network service price (including public service obligation), for those supplied electricity from the low voltage networks  1,1 %. The cost of the electricity and its transportation service may vary for specific customers.

It should be noted that the Commission may further decide on the budget of public service obligations (PSO) and public electricity price cap adjustment. Prices of services may be adjusted, if these solutions are adopted.

After the publication of the final prices by the Commission, the Company will inform by a separate notice.
English Danish

Release no. 23/2017

Today, Columbus A/S has submitted a conditional offer to buy 100% of the shares in iStone AB.

iStone is a Nordic IT services company with global representation and a leading provider of business applications and e-commerce solutions in Sweden and Norway. iStone consists of five separate business areas covering various technologies and solutions.

Market leader in the Nordic region

With the acquisition of iStone Columbus enters the Swedish market and holds a market leading position within business applications, e-commerce and IT services for selected industries in the Nordic region.

iStone adds more than 600 highly skilled employees from across 13 countries, and Columbus hereby expands its global footprint.

As a supplement to Columbus expertise within business applications and IT services, iStone contributes with deep expertise within e-commerce and a broader ERP business.

Strengthened industry focus

With a common industry focus on manufacturing, food, retail and distribution companies, Columbus offers a complete solution portfolio to customers globally.

Besides the common industry focus, iStone comes with a market leading position within ERP solutions for the Swedish manufacturing industry. Combined with Columbus complete industry solution portfolio for manufacturing companies it opens new opportunities for creating further value for iStones existing and new customers.

Broader technology competencies

iStones deep competencies within Microsoft, Infor M3, SAP and Commerce combined with Columbus market leading Microsoft competencies and solution portfolio expand the Groups global market potential to offer a broader solution portfolio to a larger market.

We look forward to welcoming iStones skilled employees. Together we are market leading in the Nordic region and an important global player, and I am excited about how we jointly will create value for our customers and help them in the digital transformation of their business, says CEO & President in Columbus, Thomas Honore.

We look forward to being part of a global player like Columbus. iStone and Columbus are a very good match both businesswise and culturally, and I look forward to realizing the opportunities we can create for our employees, customers and partners, says CEO in iStone, Markus Jakobson.

In 2016, iStone had a revenue of SEK 790m and an EBITDA of SEK 10.1m. In 2017 iStone expects to realize a revenue in the level of SEK 800m and an EBITDA in the level of SEK 41m.

Transaction overview

The acquisition is structured as an initial acquisition of 51% of the shares and subsequently successive acquisition of the remaining 49% in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

The agreed acquisition price for the first 51% of the shares is SEK 230m Enterprise Value. The final acquisition price is dependent on the final result for 2017.

The price for the remaining 49% is settled at an average EBITDA multiple of 11 and thus affects the Columbus Group as a performance related earn-out. Based on the preliminary business plan, the price for the remaining 49% is expected to be in the level of SEK 200m to 340m. Among other things, the price is dependent on how quickly the synergies are obtained. As the price is dependent on future development, adjustments may occur.

No dividend will be paid in iStone until Columbus owns more than 90% of the shares.

iStone has more than 230 shareholders, and today shareholders representing 73.5% of the share capital have initially accepted the offer from Columbus. iStones Board recommends all their shareholders to accept Columbus offer. In the period until closing the aim is to obtain accept from the remaining shareholders. The offer is therefore conditional on more than 90% of the shareholders accepting the offer. Besides, the offer is conditional on confirmation of a few partnership conditions before closing (date of takeover and control), which is planned for 2 January 2018.

The initial acquisition price is expected to be financed with a bank loan. The subsequent acquisitions are expected to be financed with cash flow from operations. In 2018, the acquisition is expected to contribute with a revenue in the level of SEK 800m and an EBITDA in the level of SEK 50m.

Columbus expects to be able to implement similar initiatives in iStone as done in Columbus during the previous years which resulted in increased earnings capacity in Columbus. The EBITDA margin in iStone is therefore expected to increase over the coming years.

Following the closing of the transaction, further details about the acquisition will be communicated, including synergies and related costs.

The acquisition will not affect the annonced expectations for 2017.

The acquisition of iStone is a game changer for Columbus, which in one stroke has increased revenue by 50% and is completely in line with Columbus vision of becoming a global strategic partner leading customers in the digital transformation of their business.

Conference call today

Columbus will conduct a presentation about the acquisition of iStone via a conference call today, Thursday 30 November at 13:00 CET. For details, please see Columbus investor site: http://ir.columbusglobal.com/events.cfm

Ib Kune

Chairman

Columbus A/S

Thomas Honore

CEO & President

Columbus A/S Conference call today at 13:00 CET. Please see Columbus investor site for details:

http://ir.columbusglobal.com/events.cfm



Contact for further information Thomas Honore, T: +45 70 20 50 00.
The question of how much intelligence white-tailed deer possess is one that hunters ask themselves often, as do deer researchers. Or maybe intelligence is the wrong word. Perhaps whatever smarts a deer has  and most seem to have plenty  should more accurately be described as instincts.

Case in point: Last weekend during the opening of Wisconsins deer season, our bunch of 16 hunters saw far more deer on Saturday, the first day of hunting, than on Sunday, the second day.

OK, you might say, whats unexpected about that? When hundreds of thousands of hunters enter a states woods and fields, and shooting commences, wouldnt an animals reasonable response be to flee, hide or travel only at nighttime?

Clint McCoy is among hunters who have long been intrigued by these and other white-tailed deer behaviors. A deer biologist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, McCoy in 2014 undertook a deer research project when he was a graduate student at Auburn University, the results of which suggest a whitetails survival instincts and, yes, perhaps, intelligence, cant be overestimated.

McCoys study area was a 6,000-acre parcel in South Carolinas low country managed for timber and hunting. On it are more than 100 deer stands.

The project began with the capture of 37 white-tailed bucks. Some were caught in trap nets, others with dart guns. The bucks represented four age groups about equally: yearlings, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds and bucks older than 4 years.

The bucks were fitted with GPS collars that transmitted location beacons every 30 minutes between Aug. 24 and Nov. 24, a period that included the rut, the peak of which, in that region of South Carolina, occurs between Sept. 20 and Oct. 30.

Primary among McCoys multiple goals in conducting the research was to determine whether a relationship existed between the amount of time a stand was occupied by a hunter and the bucks movements.

To begin, using GPS coordinates, McCoy established danger zones that extended as far as 150 yards from each stand. Bucks entering these areas during daylight while a stand was occupied were believed to be likely harvest targets.

McCoy also knew the amount of time each stand was occupied. So he overlaid buck movements transmitted by the collars with the stand occupation information to calculate whether, and if so, to what degree, the two were correlated.

Put another way, did the repetitive presence of a hunter in a stand cause deer to shy away from the stand?

Initially, our interest was to determine movement of bucks during breeding season, McCoy said last week by telephone from Ohio. As you might expect, their movements did increase and expand as the rut continued. But this was not because they were roaming looking for does in estrus. Rather, they appeared to expand their range only after most available does in their area had been bred. Then they started ranging wider.

Conversely, McCoy found, hunting pressure didnt appear to cause bucks to leave their usual ranges. Instead, the bucks reacted to a hunters presence in a stand by confining their movements to nighttime, while staying in the same general area.

We found the odds of a collared buck entering one of the danger zones around a stand were reduced by half after only 12 hours of hunting, McCoy said.

McCoy chose 12 hours as a time frame for this calculation because it equated, generally, with a weekends worth of hunting  three hours each in morning and evening in a stand on Saturday, with similar time spent in the stand on Sunday.

As is typical in Southern states, the stands were positioned near food plots. Before hunting began, McCoy found, one in three visits to the plots was made in daylight. By seasons end, the proportion was one in 20.

We also looked at how long it takes for an area around a particular stand to recover for deer once the stand has had a hunter in it, McCoy said. What we found was that once a stand had been hunted, the bucks responded almost immediately by avoiding the stand or visiting it only at nighttime. And that avoidance usually lasted three days.

Because McCoy collared bucks of varying ages, he could assess whether the older bucks were cagier in their avoidance techniques than the younger bucks. Such, after all, is the reputation of old bucks among hunters.

We wanted to tackle the age-old question of whether old bucks are better at outsmarting hunters than younger bucks and therefore the older bucks are inherently more difficult to kill, McCoy said, adding:

We couldnt find any difference between the movements of the older bucks and the younger bucks. Since then, Ive I thought about this frequently. Maybe the older bucks just appear smarter and more difficult to kill because you dont see them as often. After all, there are far fewer of them in a deer population than there are younger bucks.
Fight  Tuesday at 10:09 a.m., someone near the intersection of Ryan Cantafios Way and South Center Street told police that people were fighting outside. Police talked to those involved in the incident.

Accident Tuesday at 10:36 a.m., someone reported that a truck with a camper hit a parked car in the 700 block of North Spring Street.

Theft  Tuesday at 1:22 p.m., a man was cited with retail theft at Kohls, 1734 N. Spring St.

Animal  Tuesday at 6:20 p.m., a man in the 100 block of Roller Avenue was bit by his cat.

Fight  Tuesday at 8:42 p.m., an employee at Walmart Supercenter, 120 Frances Lane, told police that a two people were fighting in the parking lot. Police said both people had conflicting stories.

Disorderly conduct  Tuesday at 9:58 p.m., a woman reported that a man was smashing things in a shared basement in the 300 block of West Maple Avenue. A man was upset with his neighbors and went into the basement to smash mason jars to take out his frustration.
Sometimes you have to wonder how sincere people are when they gnash their teeth and pull out their hair over President Trump blocking or reversing an Obama-era regulation.

The latest cries of distress about anarchy and market apocalypse can be heard about an announcement by the Federal Communications Commission that it will roll back net neutrality.

Net neutralitys dubious value is made obvious by the misleading way Democrats and many news outlets reported the decision. F.C.C. plans net neutrality repeal in a victory for telecoms, wrote the New York Times. Missing from the headline or lede was that the decision was a loss for Netflix, Amazon, Google and other corporate giants that provide content.

This is the Democratic line. By portraying deregulation as a bonbon for big business, and concealing the hit taken by some of the biggest businesses (see above), these partial accounts avoid debating the issue on its merits and dwindle into demagoguery, where they are comfortable. This is an established pattern with net neutrality. When the FCC voted in 2015 to impose net neutrality rules, the text of the relevant order wasnt published until after the vote.

So, lets look at the merits. Net neutrality is, generally, good in principle, for it lays down the law that the networks over which we get information should not discriminate between one type of information and another. For example, it would be wrong if AT&T prevented its internet customers from searching for prices charged by other cellphone providers. You wouldnt want Comcast blocking access to articles complaining about its customer service.

But a general principle of that sort often is best not codified in a written regulation.

One reason is that the market will take care of wrongdoers. Comcast would lose internet customers if, for example, it only allowed those customers to see MSNBC (Comcasts sister company) for news.

Net neutrality regulation also effectively outlaws competing business models, which are good for customers and the economy as a whole. Competing business models allow experimentation, and this leads to providers serving customers better by meeting their needs more precisely.

Consider the possibility of internet fast lanes. As telemedicine becomes an increasingly important part of health care, wouldnt you want your surgeon to be able to buy access to an express lane in which a network was allowed to grant privilege to certain data over others? That is, AT&T should be allowed to provide a service in which data bytes flowing between an operating room and a surgeon take precedence over bytes of 100 dudes Googling to find out whether Jennifer Lawrence is married.

Why is it better for the federal government rather than customers to decide how networks should handle data? Its perplexing that the option of government controlling data flow should be welcomed, especially at a time when so many people are freaking out of the admittedly silly fear that Trump is an anti-free-speech authoritarian.

The FCCs move will leave internet business models to compete in the marketplace rather than competing in smoke-filled rooms for the favor of regulators. This deserves applause from everyone, except for those who love regulation as a good in itself.
The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train will make its annual stop in Columbus Sunday.

The trains arrival is part of Classic Christmas in Columbus, the citys month-long celebration of the holiday season.

It really plays off the small-town charm of Columbus, said JT Cestkowski, the citys business liaison. It is one of the big times of the year the whole city comes out together.

Columbus Senior Center will host a Holiday Train warm-up event Sunday from 5-8 p.m. The event features crafts, games and a movie for families. Santa will stop in for a visit from 7:30-8:30 p.m. before he heads to the Holiday Train stop. The event serves as a major fundraiser for the Columbus-Fall River Food Pantry. Attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable items for the food bank, along with monetary donations.

The train is scheduled to arrive at about 9:05 p.m. at the Amtrak Station, 359 N. Ludington St., and depart around 9:45 p.m. The event will feature a 30-minute concert from Country artists Terri Clark, Dallas Smith and Kelly Prescott.

It comes through at about 9 p.m. for us so its very dark and you get to see all the lights along the train, Cestkowski said. People are usually at the train depot about two, three hours before the train arrives. We crowd both sides of the train tracks and the police department closes down the street. Its a whole big atmosphere.

The Columbus Police Department will close down parts of Ludington Street around 8 p.m. for safety precautions.

Its a good excuse for the whole town to get together and celebrate Christmas, Cestkowski said.

Classic Christmas in Columbus kicked off with the holiday parade and Christmas tree lighting at the Columbus Public Library Nov. 24. The following day, as part of Small Business Saturday, the city hosted a wine walk, selling 135 tickets.

The Columbus Chamber of Commerce is hosting Breakfast with Santa at Firemans Park Pavilion on Saturday, Dec. 2 from 8-11 a.m. Visitors to downtown Columbus can also enjoy a story walk, which runs through Jan. 2.

You can walk between all of the businesses downtown and each one will have a piece of a story, Cestkowski said. This year were doing The Story of Snow. You can read the entire story as you walk downtown. Its designed to generate a little more business downtown. It worked well last year so theyre doing it again this year.

Dec. 5, the senior center is hosting Night With Santa, from 6-8 p.m. The event will feature light refreshments and attendees are encouraged to bring their cameras for photos with Santa.

The Holiday Train should be a fun, free event and everyone is encouraged to support the local food pantry while theyre there, Cestkowski said.

For more information on all of Columbus holiday events, go to cityofcolumbus.wi.com.
A new Mauston fire station may cost more than initially anticipated. The Mauston City Council gave an update on progress to the new fire station at its meeting Nov. 28.

Originally, the cost of the fire station was anticipated to be about $2.3 million. But Mauston City Administrator Nathan Thiel believes the likely cost will actually range between $2.5-2.8 million. The new figures are 8 to 21 percent higher than the original estimate.

The city has made consistent efforts to keep costs down and is trying to make it an efficient and effective space were not building a Taj Mahal here, Thiel said.

Finance Committee Chairman Dennis Emery voiced his agreement with Thiel.

I believe theyve done a real good job with that, Emery said.

The city is hoping to get bids on the construction of the fire station in March.

We feel thats the optimal time of the year to get things out to bid, Emery said. You would be looking at a May or June construction start.

Mauston Mayor Brian McGuire said the city is considering changing street signs for the fire stations location on the corner of Milwaukee St. and Hickory St. so that firefighters would have a straight route to State Street in the event of a call.

Finance and Purchasing Committee report

Finance Committee Director Dennis Emery made a motion for the council to adopt the 2018 municipal budget, approve vouchers in the amount of $163,064.97, approve an ordinance eliminating the treasurers tax collection bond as authorized by state statute, and write off delinquent utility charges in the amount of $852.37. All motions were passed unanimously.

Thiel said the only change to the collection bond was the ambulance fee, which was recently increased. We need to go with the fee that they set for now, McGuire said Our only recourse is to say, no were not going to pay it and then we dont have (ambulances) Thats where we are right now.

Point demerit system for bars enacted

Alderman Francis McCoy made a motion for the council to approve an ordinance establishing a point demerit system for liquor license holders in Mauston. The motion was approved unanimously.

Other business

Public Works Director Rob Nelson reported that snowplows were being prepared for the winter.
A Necedah man faces theft and bail jumping charges after allegedly stealing from the money till at the AmericInn Hotel in New Lisbon.

Jared Wilkey, 35, is charged with four counts of felony bail jumping, possession of burglarious tools, entry into a locked coin box, misdemeanor theft, and criminal damage to property. He faces up to six years imprisonment for the first charge.

According to the criminal complaint:

On Oct. 13, a Juneau County sheriffs deputy was dispatched to the AmericInn hotel in New Lisbon after a reported theft. At the hotel, the deputy met with the front desk employee who informed her that the locked money till had been broken into and about $300 had been taken from it.

The employee showed the deputy video footage of a male subject, later identified as Wilkey. In the video, Wilkey walked into the AmericInn, grabbed a paperclip from the vacant front desk and picked his teeth with it before climbing over the countertop. Wilkey then proceeded to open the cash till with a screwdriver and possibly a wrench. Wilkey then put the cash in his sweatshirt pocket, took a magazine, and left the building.

The deputy took the paperclip, screwdriver and wrench as evidence.

That same day, a sheriffs deputy met with an employee at a nearby Travel Mart. She stated that she had been mopping when she saw Wilkey behind the fuel desk and yelled at him. Wilkey then left, but returned again at 2:00 am to play the Cherry Masters gambling machine.

On Oct. 16, an AmericInn employee told the deputy that she had been at Wonderleys bar one Oct. 12 when Wilkey came in and sat beside her. He then attempted to sell her an iPhone 8 for $200, which she declined.

When her AmericInn manager showed her the video footage of the theft that had taken place, she identified the man in the video as Wilkey.

Wilkeys actions violated the terms of his bond for previous crimes, resulting in four charges of felony bail jumping.

Wilkey is not currently in the Juneau County jail. He is scheduled for a telephone appearance with the Columbia County courthouse on Feb. 2.
A committee of residents has filed a pair of John Doe lawsuits accusing the Columbia County Sheriffs Office of murder in the Aug. 21 death of Thomas Selje in Pardeeville.

The first of the two cases was filed Nov. 2 by the Columbia County Citizens Against Corruption, while the second was filed by the same group Nov. 28, specifically by John Gruber of Portage.

The recent case cites public investigation files released by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, which investigated the death of Selje immediately following the incident.

At issue, according to the suit, is that interviews with the deputy who initially responded to the call, regarding an armed domestic situation, were not documented with audio recording. The suit highlights the discrepancy of how many shots were fired by Selje. The suit claims that contrary to officer testimony in which four shots were fired, including in the direction of the deputy who returned fire, killing Selje, evidence points to two shots being fired in the air and Selje only threatening his wife, when he pointed the revolver at her.

The suit filed Nov. 2 included an array of other accusations including that of Portage School Board member and now-Portage Police Department Detective Lt. Daniel Garrigan, formerly a detective with the Sheriffs Office, being involved in racketeering. The evidence cited includes news clippings showing Garrigans involvement in the Columbia County Deputy Sheriffs Association Scholarship Award Program.

The $1,000 scholarships were awarded to county residents enrolling in a Wisconsin school to pursue study in law or criminal justice, with relatives of law enforcement members encouraged to apply.

Exhibit C of the suit featured a picture published in local news, showing District Attorney Jane Kohlwey during a debate with attorney Douglas Kammer in the Columbia County Courthouse prior to Aprils election for district attorney.

In the background of the photo, standing next to the door of the courtroom where the debate was held, could be seen a Columbia County sheriffs deputy, who heads security in the court. The suit names the deputy, calling him Jane Kohlweys guard dog, describing the photo as evidence of Kohlwey using governmental police power for a political campaign.

A July 2016 John Doe lawsuit accusing the Portage Police Department and Columbia County Sheriffs Office of malfeasance and murder in earlier fatal incidents has been assigned to Chippewa County District Attorney Wade Newell for review. A conclusion has not yet been announced by Newells office.

Columbia County Citizens Against Corruption also filed a John Doe suit in March 2015, with similar accusations to that of the 2016 suit. In August 2015, the committee filed a civil suit against officials with the county and Portage Area School Board.

In the leadup to the construction of the Columbia County Administration Building in Portage, the group opposed the eminent domain dispute involving Gruber Automotive. The county eventually took possession of the property and John Gruber was evicted. Court filings during that time included accusations against the Columbia County Board of Supervisors and the Portage Police Department, including a claim that Portage police had conspired to create a situation in which they would have pretense to enter the property and kill Gruber.

On Jan. 7, following a potluck dinner hosted by Gruber and his supporters, Sheriff Dennis Richards arrived with other officers to speak with Gruber, after which the building was peacefully cleared, locked and condemned.

Petitioners in the 2015 and 2016 Citizens lawsuits have varied, though four petitioners present across the three cases are Zach Homman, of Rio, Chad Holdener, of Poynette, Bryant Herbert, of Pardeeville, and Michael OGrady of Portage.

A press release was issued Wednesday presumably from a representative of Columbia County Citizens Against Public Corruption including copies of the most recent documents filed with the court.

The email was directed to the Portage Daily Register as well as Portage attorney Douglas Kammer. OGrady repeatedly appeared at Kammer events during Kammers run for district attorney in April, though at that time Kammer denied any official affiliation with OGrady or the Columbia County Citizens Against Public Corruption.

As of publication, no response to a request for comment has been received from the releases email account of origin.
Its time, once again, for Columbia Countys farmers to stand up and be counted.

The same goes for farmers in all 72 Wisconsin counties, and anyone, anywhere in the United States, who earns or expects to earn at least $1,000 this year from products cultivated for food, fuel or fiber.

Every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducts its Census of Agriculture.

Sheila Harsdorf, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection, is urging farmers to watch their mailboxes in December, because thats when the agriculture census forms will start to arrive.

They need to be completed and returned by Feb. 5. The forms may be completed on paper and mailed in, or online at a secure website. (Each survey will include a 17-digit code, unique to the respondent, to access the survey form online.)

The statistics garnered from the Census of Agriculture will be released in February 2019. The census yields detailed statistics for every county in the nation as to the number of farms, the types of operations, the size of farms, the percentage of farmers who depend on an enterprise other than farming as their main source of income, the median age of farmers and how many farming operations are headed by women and minorities.

In a news release, Harsdorf emphasized how vital those statistics are.

As a legislator, I saw how valuable census data was when making policy decisions, she said in the news release. I know as secretary we here at DATCP will use the census information often when working with government officials, agribusinesses and industry partners.

Officials of the USDAs National Agricultural Statistics Service have added some new questions to the 2017 survey, including questions about producers status as military veterans and more details about commodity marketing practices and farm decision-making processes.

The last Census of Agriculture was conducted in 2012, with findings released in early 2014.

Here is some of what that census showed about agriculture in Dodge County:

In 2012, there were 2,012 farms in Dodge County, down slightly from the 1,979 farms counted in the 2007 census. That represented a 3 percent drop. But during the same period, there was a 4 percent drop in the average farm size, from 209 acres to 200.

Dodge County ranked very high -- sixth out of 72 Wisconsin counties -- in the value of its farm commodities. That value, more that $373.4 million, was higher by 27 percent than in 2007. Moreover, the average market value of commodities per farm, $185,612, went up by 25 percent between 2007 and 2012.

With 134,893 acres planted in corn for grain, corn accounted, by far, for the largest single share of the county's crops, followed by 66,223 acres for soybeans. Dodge County ranked fourth in Wisconsin for corn production and third for soybean production.

There were, in 2012, 104,756 head of cattle and calves in Dodge County, 18,803 and 14,672 pheasants.

Well more than half of the county's farmers depend on something other than farming as their principal income source -- 1,057 out of 2,012 producers.

As in the rest of Wisconsin, Dodge County's farmers are aging. The average age, as recorded in the 2012 census, was 57.6.

There are 162 women who are the principal operators of farms in Dodge County.

Federal law requires recipients of Census of Agriculture forms to complete them, even if they did not operate a farm or ranch in 2017.

A farmer need not be a participant in federal farm programs to complete the census form. The criteria for participation in the census are based on whether the farmer sold or expected to sell at least $1,000 worth of agriculture commodities in 2017.

Sensitive information about a particular farms operation is confidential, and will be used for statistical purposes only. The information collected in the census is not used for taxation, investigation or regulation of any kind.

More information is available at agcensus.usda.gov or 800-727-9540.
Sydney, Australia, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heron Resources Limited (ASX:HRR; TSX:HER, Heron or the Company) announces that at its annual general meeting (the Meeting) of shareholders held on 29 November, 2017, shareholders approved a share consolidation of every ten (10) previously held ordinary shares into one (1) new ordinary share of the Company (the Share Consolidation). The completion of the Share Consolidation is subject to receipt of all regulatory approvals.

No fractional ordinary shares will be issued as a result of the Share Consolidation. Where the Share Consolidation results in an entitlement to a fraction of an ordinary share, that fraction will be rounded up to the next whole number of new ordinary shares. The Share Consolidation would result in the number of ordinary shares issued and outstanding of Heron being approximately 241,666,164.

The proposed Share Consolidation will take effect on 5 December, 2017. The following is an indicative timetable (subject to change) of the key events in Australia:

Event Date Trading in the consolidated securities on a deferred settlement basis commences 1 December 2017 Last day to register transfers on a pre-Consolidation basis 4 December 2017 Registration of securities on a post-Consolidation basis 5 December 2017 Despatch of new holding statements 5 December 2017 Deferred settlement trading ends 11 December 2017 Normal trading starts 12 December 2017

The effective date of the Share Consolidation for purposes of trading will be different between the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and the Australian Securities Exchange. The effective date for trading on the TSX will be on or about 2-3 business days after receipt of all required documentation contained within the TSXs conditional approval letter.

About Heron Resources Limited

Heron is engaged in the exploration and development of base and precious metal deposits in Australia. Herons primary development project is the high-grade Woodlawn Zinc-Copper Project located 250km southwest of Sydney, New South Wales.





CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This report contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the date of this report. This forward-looking information includes, or may be based upon, without limitation, estimates, forecasts and statements as to managements expectations with respect to, among other things, the timing and amount of funding required to execute the Companys exploration, development and business plans, capital and exploration expenditures, the effect on the Company of any changes to existing legislation or policy, government regulation of mining operations, the length of time required to obtain permits, certifications and approvals, the success of exploration, development and mining activities, the geology of the Companys properties, environmental risks, the availability of labour, the focus of the Company in the future, demand and market outlook for precious metals and the prices thereof, progress in development of mineral properties, the Companys ability to raise funding privately or on a public market in the future, the Companys future growth, results of operations, performance, and business prospects and opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as anticipate, believe, expect, intend, may and similar expressions have been used to identify such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is given, and on information available to management at such time. Forward-looking information involves significant risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking information. These factors, including, but not limited to, the receipt of shareholder and regulatory approvals to complete the Share Consolidation, fluctuations in currency markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, the ability of the Company to access sufficient capital on favourable terms or at all, changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations, political or economic developments in Canada, Australia or other countries in which the Company does business or may carry on business in the future, operational or technical difficulties in connection with exploration or development activities, employee relations, the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, obtaining necessary licenses and permits, diminishing quantities and grades of mineral reserves, contests over title to properties, especially title to undeveloped properties, the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties, the uncertainties involved in interpreting drill results and other geological data, environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding, limitations of insurance coverage and the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, and should be considered carefully. Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can affect the Companys actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, the Company. Prospective investors should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Although the forward-looking information contained in this report is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure prospective purchasers that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither the Company nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law. No stock exchange, regulation services provider, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this report.
English Danish

Release no. 24/2017

With reference to release no. 23/2017 today about Columbus A/S offer to buy 100% of the shares in iStone AB, a live webcast and conference call for shareholders, analysts, investors and representatives of the media about the offer will be held today.

Topic: Columbus makes offer to buy 100% of the shares in iStone AB

Date: Thursday 30 November 2017

Time: 13.00 CET

The webcast is hosted by CEO Thomas Honore and CFO Hans Henrik Thrane.

Please login to the webcast via Columbus Investor Site http://ir.columbusglobal.com/events.cfm.

Questions can be sent in advance by email to Communication Manager Tine Rasmussen at tra@columbusglobal.com. or can be raised at the question session during the webcast.

A recorded version of the presentation will be available on the website after the webcast has concluded.

Conference call dial-in details:

Denmark: +45 32 71 16 63

International: +44(0) 20 3427 1924

US: +1 646 254 3372

Konference-ID: 3965533

Please dial in a few minutes before to allow time for registration of name and company.
Pravin Gordhan joins Wits School of Governance

The former Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan has been appointed as a Visiting Professor in the Wits School of Governance as from 1 December 2017.

It gives us great pleasure to welcome Pravin Gordhan to Wits. He has played an integral role in South Africas history and we believe that his strong experience, sound public financial management and principled stand on good governance and transformation of the economy will add substantial value to the academic programme, says Professor David Everatt, Head of the Wits School of Governance. Gordhans strong views on corruption and financial mismanagement are well known  these are the values that we want to impress upon our students, many of whom serve in the public sector.

Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Professor Imraan Valodia concurs: This is a substantial appointment that will bode well for the Faculty. Mr Gordhan will join the likes of Nhlanhla Nene (Interim Director of the Wits Business School), Max Sisulu and Tito Mboweni, all whom have held leadership positions in government. This is another step forward in strengthening the Facultys cohort of stalwarts whose knowledge, energy and experience will no doubt inspire the next generation of leaders.

Through his long and distinguished career, Gordhan has obtained first hand practical knowledge of sound corporate governance and public sector management.

Professor Adam Habib, Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal says: Pravin Gordhan has a very successful track record in management of the public service. The skill sets that he has acquired through his years of managerial experience will be the basis of rich learning for the University and its students.

Gordhan embodies the values of Wits University and the School, Faculty and administration look forward to engaging with him in the near future.

About Pravin Gordhan

Mr Pravin Gordhan has been instrumental in building and leading key institutions in South African and is highly respected by man in the public and private sectors.

He has served South Africa in many capacities over a long and distinguished career starting in his youth. He was actively involved in student politics whilst studying for his degree in pharmacy at the University of Durban-Westville. He was appointed as an executive member of the Natal Indian Congress in 1974 and was subsequently involved in building civic organisations and promoting non-racialism through campaigns on civic and political issues. He is a stalwart of the anti-apartheid struggle through the ANC and SACP underground and the UDF through the 1970s and 1980s.

When negotiations for a democratic South Africa commenced, Mr Gordhan was appointed to the Steering Committee charged with steering CODESA. He also serves as the Co-Chair of the Negotiating Process for the Interim Constitution and as Co-Chair of the Transitional Executive Council set up in late 1993 to prepare the country for democratic elections in April 1994.

He was elected a Member of Parliament for the ANC in 1994 and chaired committees of the Constituent Assembly and the National Assembly, where he played a critical role in setting up the foundations for legislation and policy, including drafting the White Paper on local government.

Mr Gordhan was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the South African Revenue Services (SARS) in 1998 and then Commissioner in 1999. Internationally, he served as Chairperson of the World Customs Organization (WCO) and was also the Chairperson of the Forum on Tax Administration (FTA) within the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) from 2008.

On 10 May 2009, President Jacob Zuma appointed Mr Gordhan as Minister of Finance. He was replaced as Finance Minister in 2014, becoming Minister for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs. He was reappointed to the Finance Ministry in December 2015 and was again controversially replaced in March 2017.

He remains a member of parliament and has become a vocal critic of all entities who have fallen short of the high standards of performance, governance and integrity expected of them.

About the Wits School of Governance

The Wits School of Governance (WSG) is a leading School in governance on the continent and attracts top scholars and experienced leaders from the public sector. The School is firmly located in the hub of national political discourse and partners with a number of key institutions, including the OR Tambo and Thabo Mbeki Foundations through several social leadership programmes.
Inaugural Lecture: Professor Patrick Bond

Patrick Bond, Distinguished Professor of Political Economy delivered his Inaugural Lecture.

South Africas economic commentators warn on a nearly daily basis of calamitous times ahead, as the fundamentals of the local capitalist system appear to be threatened by fiscal over-reach and a shrinking tax base, by the debts of State-Owned Enterprises in part thanks to malgovernance and procurement fraud, by rising foreign financial liabilities and the spectre of International Monetary Fund intervention, by extremely militant workers whose productivity is allegedly plummeting, and by deteriorating government relations with local business. Demands for "reform" are made by the three all-mighty brothers from Manhattan (Standard&Poors, Fitch and Moodys) who join the three Saxonwold brothers (the Guptas) engaged in state capture  the first set having influenced the Treasury and Reserve Bank on fiscal and monetary policies against the interests of the vast majority; and the second set having seemingly infiltrated nearly everywhere else in the state.

But such surface-level observations mainly lead to banal policy recommendations: namely, ending the neo-patrimonial control of the state by a tiny conspiracy of corrupt (black) elites, while simultaneously raising the already extreme level of top-down class war by capital and the state against the 60% or more of the society characterised as poor (Budlender et al 2015). The latter is a reflection of crisis-level desperation in the worlds most unequal country (with a Gini Coefficient of 0.77 prior to state spending) (World Bank 2014), combining the angriest working class (World Economic Forum 2016) and most corrupt capitalist class (PricewaterhouseCoopers 2016). To exit this cul de sac requires theorization that transcends, as Thandike Mkandawire (2015: 567) points out, a labeling of South African "neo-patrimonialism [that] can be interpreted as building on methodological communalism where the community serves as the foundational unit of analysis and from whence macro-level phenomena are derived" (i.e. Jacob Zumas personal network).

In contrast (though Mkandawire 2015 would not approve), classical 19th century analyses of capitals laws of motion can be fruitfully applied to the 21st century, and a half-dozen major thinkers have provided conceptual tools to move this project forward, especially in a South Africa that is perhaps the most complex of societies for integrating class, race, gender and environmental power relations in social science. The core explanations of economic crises originally offered by Karl Marx are particularly relevant, holding up well over time in general and also in South Africa. The third volume of Marxs Capital offers exceptional insights into capitalist contradictions and full-blown economic crises, and deserves much more attention today, exactly 150 years after the first volume of his critique of bourgeois political economy was initially published. Economic crises are now commonplace, and since the 1970s they have been amplifying in the intensity of their fluctuations, in their geographical reach, in the tempo of their contagion, and in the metabolic urgency through which exploitative market-state-society-nature relations unfold.

Analyses of crisis tendencies by Marx (1818-83), Rosa Luxemburg (1871-1919) and David Harvey (b.1935) form an arc linking core processes of accumulation, class struggle, the articulation between capitalism and non-capitalist spheres, and other spatio-temporal processes that entail crisis management: displacement rather than resolution. Capital Volume Three, published posthumously in 1894, provided both unparalleled insights into crisis formation, but also glaring gaps. South Africa is a setting in which not only are crisis conditions playing out, but in which Marxs analysis can be augmented through work by Luxemburg and Harvey, accompanied by local analysts.

To illustrate, just over a century ago, some gaps in Capital Volume 3 were filled by Luxemburgs (1913) Accumulation of Capital, in no small part because capitalist/non-capitalist relations were explored as a core process in one of her main case study sites, South Africa (Bond, Chitonge and Hopfmann 2007, Bond 2017). A half-century, in the tumult of South African political economic debate that emerged from the 1960s, research by Harold Wolpe (1980) on "the articulations of modes of production" followed directly in Luxemburgs spirit. Taken to the global scale, Samir Amins (1974) theory of value transfers in North-South trade relations added to our understandings of how capital "cheats in exchange," especially from those sites on the African continent characterised by export of raw materials. Dani Nabuderes (1990) masterwork in rewriting the laws of motion of capital emphasised its turn to money, financialized sources of profits and extreme vulnerability. And in the late 1990s, Guy Mhone (2000)  former Wits School of Governance director  had firmly theorized why an "enclave" economy was the most appropriate way to describe the Southern African region based on his analysis of worsening uneven development. These are some of the major contributions to classical political economic theory from Africa, too often ignored, although South Africas tendencies to "financialisation" and "uneven and combined development" are being fruitfully explored by the best-known Marxist economist active in South Africa, Ben Fine, along with colleagues Samantha Ashman and Susan Newman (Ashman et al 2011).

The 1980s-2000s witnessed other innovations from outside Africa that should now be applied where appropriate. Since 1982, Harvey has revisited Capital and in the process  especially in Limits to Capital and The Enigma of Capital  provided new conceptual framings about space, time and "accumulation by dispossession," amidst his explanation of the capitalist systems "seventeen contradictions". South Africa, the worlds most unequal and class-antagonistic society, with a corporate class most prone to accumulation by dispossession  or what is termed by PricewaterhouseCoopers (2016), "economic crime"  assists us in providing a concrete case for Capital Volume 3s contributions to crisis theory.

Capitalist crisis tendencies should, in the spirit of Capital, be more explicitly considered in critical political economic research. After all, over the past half-century, systemic "over-accumulation" tendencies became increasingly evident in the core capitalist countries, alongside a brief heightening of class, gender, race and South-North anti-imperial struggles, and a downturn in the rate of corporate profitability (in value-producing sectors). To address these tendencies, managers of global capitalism have turned to several techniques to displace but not resolve periodic crises. In addition to the standard responses to falling profitability that Marx identified  the intensification of production though a higher capital-labour ratio (the rising organic composition of capital that follows relative surplus value extraction) together with worker speed-up and casualisation (absolute surplus value extraction)  these have entailed three techniques especially evident in South Africa:

the shifting of capital to sites more amenable, and

the stalling of problems by throwing money at them, especially in the form of credit,

capitals tendency towards stealing resources in lieu of generating profits that in ordinary times would emanate from the standard circulation of capital.

These techniques of crisis displacement help us understand capitalist contradictions that feature in Capital Volume Three. This is especially true in the South African context, in what is probably the worlds most acute case of uneven and combined capitalist development.

Read the full lecture.
NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC), the global professional association representing excellence in executive search and leadership advisory solutions, announces today the approval of Hightech Partners into its global membership. Their acceptance follows extensive vetting, including reference checks, site visits, votes by AESC regional councils, and commitment to the AESC Code of Professional Practice.



Hightech Partners is based in Brussels, Belgium and was established in 1985. Hightech Partners is a pan-European executive search and management consulting firm focusing on digital talent. As such, Hightech Partners has played a unique role in helping to shape the European Technology industry and is well positioned to support other industries in digital transformation by connecting companies to transformational, tech savvy leaders. Hightech Partners is a co-founder and shareholder of the ITP Worldwide network, which was established in the United States in 1993 and is active in Asia, Europe and North America.

Raffaele Jacovelli and Bert Vermeiren, Managing Directors comment: We are very proud to join AESC, which represents the global leaders in talent management. We see this as a recognition of decades of close partnerships with our European clients and our efforts to deliver value-added talent advice and executive search services that help them seize business opportunities in the fast-moving digital world. At this occasion we also want to thank our Founding Partner Etienne Reeners for the continued support and our team of assistants, consultants and partners that make it happen every day.

About the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants

AESC is the voice of excellence for the executive search and leadership consulting profession worldwide. Its rigorous Code of Professional Practice guides our members in nearly 1,300 offices in 74 countries and beyond to serve as strategic advisors on behalf of their clients. In turn, AESC members are best positioned to provide companies with a competitive advantagethe ability to find, attract and develop the best talent in the world and ensure that executives are successfully integrated.



Contact:

Joe Chappell, AESC

jchappell@aesc.org

+1 646 757 5492
All amounts in C$

TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trisura Group Ltd. (Trisura) (TSX:TSU) today announced that it has agreed to acquire the remaining 40% management interest in its Canadian subsidiary that holds Trisura Guarantee Insurance Company (Trisura Guarantee). Trisura currently holds a 60% interest in the Canadian subsidiary. Trisura agreed to acquire the 40% interest from a group of current employees and directors of Trisura Guarantee (the TG Management Group) in exchange for common and preferred shares of Trisura. Trisura Guarantee is a leading Canadian specialty insurance provider, which operates in the surety, risk solutions and corporate insurance segments of the market.

Exchanging Trisura Guarantee managements ownership for shares of Trisura is an important development for us as we integrate our operations and develop our broader platform, stated Greg Morrison, President and CEO of Trisura. This transaction better aligns management interests across Trisura with our shareholders, allows all members of our team to participate in Trisuras growth and simplifies our corporate structure.

The management and employee shareholders of Trisura Guarantee are pleased to have reached an agreement to exchange our current shareholding for a significant stake in Trisura, the global public entity, said Mike George, President and CEO of Trisura Guarantee. The share exchange will enable us to participate in the future growth of Trisura, as well as helping us achieve our strategic initiatives in Canada and abroad. We look forward to working closely together with Trisura in building an even more successful and significant company in the future.

A Special Committee composed of Trisura independent directors Paul Gallagher, Bart Hedges and David Nowak was formed to review the proposed acquisition and make a recommendation to the Trisura board of directors. Following its review, the Committee unanimously recommended that the Trisura board proceed with the proposal on the basis that it was in Trisuras best interests, and the Trisura board unanimously approved the transaction.

Transaction Terms

Trisura has agreed to purchase TG Management Groups interest in Trisura Guarantee in exchange for Trisura common shares, and in the case of certain members of the TG Management Group, preferred shares of Trisura.

The preferred shares will be issued at a price of $25 per share. Holders of the preferred shares are entitled to receive a cumulative quarterly fixed dividend yielding 6.00% annually for an initial five-year period ending December 31, 2022. Thereafter, the dividend rate will be reset every five years at a rate equal to the 5-year Government of Canada bond yield plus 7.50%.

The number of common shares to be issued as part of the transaction represents 16.6% of the total number of common shares currently outstanding. The transaction has been conditionally approved by the Toronto Stock Exchange

Consideration Number of Shares Value Common Shares 963,143 $ 27,343,629 Preferred Shares 64,000 $ 1,600,000

Senior members of the TG Management Group have agreed to enter into a lock-up agreement for 50% of the common shares they will receive, which will expire on December 23, 2018. As a result of the transaction, the shareholders agreement between TG Management Group and Trisura will be terminated.

Financial Impact

Management expects the transaction to be accretive to earnings and book value per share in 2018. Following the transaction, it is expected that Trisuras debt to capital ratio will decline below our target maximum of 20%.

About Trisura Group Ltd.

Trisura Group Ltd. is an international specialty insurance provider operating in the surety, risk solutions, corporate insurance and reinsurance segments of the market. Trisura has three principal regulated subsidiaries: Trisura Guarantee Insurance Company in Canada, Trisura Specialty Insurance Company in the USA and Trisura International Insurance Ltd. In Barbados. Trisura Group is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "TSU".

Further information is available at http://www.trisura.com/group. Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information. Details regarding the operations of Trisura Group are also set forth in regulatory filings. A copy of the filings may be obtained on Trisura Groups SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

For more information, please contact:

Name: David Clare, Chief Investment Officer

Tel: 647-503-6516

Email: dclare@pvii.ca

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Information

Note: This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities regulations. The words will, intends and derivations thereof and other expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events, trends or prospects and which do not relate to historical matters identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements with respect to the acquisition of the 40% interest not already held by Trisura in the Canadian subsidiary that owns Trisura Guarantee Insurance Company, including its expected financial impact. Although Trisura believes that such forward-looking statements and information are based upon reasonable assumptions and expectations, the reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information as such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Trisura to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the impact or unanticipated impact of general economic, political and market factors in the countries in which we do business; the behavior of financial markets, including fluctuations in interest and foreign exchange rates; global equity and capital markets and the availability of equity and debt financing and refinancing within these markets; strategic actions including dispositions; the ability to complete and effectively integrate acquisitions into existing operations and the ability to attain expected benefits; changes in accounting policies and methods used to report financial condition (including uncertainties associated with critical accounting assumptions and estimates); the ability to appropriately manage human capital; the effect of applying future accounting changes; business competition; operational and reputational risks; technological change; changes in government regulation and legislation within the countries in which we operate; governmental investigations; litigation; changes in tax laws; ability to collect amounts owed; catastrophic events, such as earthquakes and hurricanes; the possible impact of international conflicts and other developments including terrorist acts and cyber terrorism; and other risks and factors detailed from time to time in our documents filed with the securities regulators in Canada.

We caution that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Except as required by law, Trisura undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether written or oral, that may be as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.




TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. (TSXV:PTU) (the Company) announced its intention to raise the ceiling for the previously announced non-brokered private placement (the Private Placement) from $850,000 to $1,200,000. Up to 12,000,000 flow-through units (the Flow-Through Units) at a price of $0.10 per unit are issuable pursuant to the Private Placement. Each Flow-Through Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company to be issued on a flow through basis pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada) and one common share purchase warrant. Each warrant entitles its holder to purchase one common share in the capital of the Company at an exercise price of $0.15 per share for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance.



We are very encouraged by the strong response to this financing and we are scheduled to close the remainder of the private placement in the coming week, said Chris Frostad, President & CEO of Purepoint. With the restart of the 2017 drilling program at Hook Lake and the budget secured for the 2018 exploration program, we look forward to advancing more high-priority targets along the Patterson Uranium District.

The Company also announced the second tranche closing of the Private Placement for gross proceeds of $20,000. In connection with the second tranche closing, the Company issued 200,000 Flow-Through Units at a price of $0.10 per unit and paid a finders fee consisting of $1,200 in cash and issued 12,000 non-transferrable compensation warrants. Each compensation warrant entitles its holder to purchase one common share in the capital of the Company at an exercise price of $0.15 per share for a period of 24 months after the date of issuance. The closing is subject to final acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange of the Private Placement.

The net proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to advance the Companys Hook Lake exploration program in Saskatchewan. All securities issued in connection with the second tranche closing of the Private Placement are subject to a four-month hold period pursuant to the applicable securities laws.

About Purepoint Uranium Group Inc.

Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. is focused on the precision exploration of its seven projects in the Canadian Athabasca Basin. Purepoint proudly maintains project ventures in the Basin with two of the largest uranium producers in the world, Cameco Corporation and AREVA Resources Canada Inc. Established in the Athabasca Basin well before the initial resurgence in uranium earlier last decade, Purepoint is actively advancing a large portfolio of multiple drill targets in the world's richest uranium region.

Disclosure regarding forward-looking statements

This press release contains projections and forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results and the Companys plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice.

For more information, please contact:

Chris Frostad, President & CEO

Phone: (416) 603-8368

Email: cfrostad@purepoint.ca

Neither the Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this Press release.
Construction under way at Rooppur 1

30 November 2017

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Construction of Bangladesh's first nuclear power reactor, Rooppur 1, has officially begun with the pouring of the first concrete for the VVER-1200 reactor's basemat. Work on the Russian-designed and supplied plant was ceremonially started by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Concrete pouring at Rooppur 1 (Image: Rosatom)

First concrete is seen as the start of the main construction phase of a nuclear reactor. Two 1200 MWe units are to be built at Rooppur, which is on the eastern bank of the river Ganges at Rooppur, 160 km from Dhaka.

The VVER-1200 reactor design has already been implemented at Novovoronezh II in Russia, where the first unit of that design - an evolutionary development from the VVER-1000 - entered commercial operation in February. JSC AtomStroyExport (ASE), a subsidiary of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, is the general construction contractor.

Rosatom in February 2011 signed an agreement for two 1000 MWe-class reactors to be built at Rooppur for the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC). The initial contract for the project, worth $12.65 billion, was signed in December 2015. The Bangladesh Atomic Regulatory Authority issued the first site licence for the Rooppur plant in June 2016, allowing preliminary site works, including geological surveys, to begin. The regulator issued a design and construction licence to the BAEC last month, enabling the plant to move to the construction phase.

At the ceremony, Hasina expressed gratitude to the Russian government and people for their continuous support. Rosatom director general, Alexey Likhachov, said the facility's potential lifetime of over 100 years meant that the two countries were laying down "bases of friendship and cooperation" for present and future generations. "We will be constructing the plant in Bangladesh with the same care and attention as in Russia," he said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has provided assistance to Bangladesh in developing its nuclear infrastructure, including the review of nuclear laws, preparation for adhering to international legal instruments, the development and review of regulations and the assessment of potential sites. Dohee Hahn, director of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Power, who attended the ceremony on behalf of the agency, said review missions, workshops, training and scientific visits had supported Bangladesh in building its national capacity and the nuclear knowledge required for the complex and long term project.

"The IAEA and other bodies, including those from experienced countries, can and do provide support, but the responsibility for safety will lie with the government," Hahn said. "The agency stands ready to continue supporting Bangladesh in developing a safe, secure, peaceful and sustainable nuclear power programme."



Hasina said she hoped the Rooppur power plant would play an important role in transforming Bangladesh into a middle-income country and, by 2041, a developed country.

"Our government has given top priority to the issue of nuclear safety and radiological protection, while implementing the Rooppur project. We are strictly following IAEA safety standards and other relevant guidance as well as international good practices," she said.

Rosatom expects that 12,000 Russian specialists including designers, engineers, equipment makres, builders and power engineers, will be involved in the construction of the two Rooppur units. Rosatom's portfolio of overseas orders currently includes 34 reactors in 12 countries, the corporation said.

Rooppur 1 is scheduled to begin operation in 2023, with Rooppur 2 following in 2024.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
South African procurement will be lawful: ministry

30 November 2017

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The South African Department of Energy has reiterated it will comply with all legal requirements relating to its nuclear procurement programme. It said an urgent court application launched this week, seeking to stop the minister or utility Eskom from pursuing the procurement, had been based on speculative media reports.

The court hearing, which was to have taken place yesterday, was postponed at the request of the two organisations that brought the action - Earthlife Africa and the Southern African Faith Communities Environment Institute (SAFCEI) - after Energy Minister David Mahlobo, Eskom, and the acting director general of the Department of Energy provided affidavits saying they will take no steps to procure new nuclear energy without a lawful determination under the country's Electricity Regulation Act that the new nuclear energy to be procured is in fact required.

In a media statement issued yesterday, the department said Earthlife Africa and SAFCEI had no legal basis for launching their urgent application, which it said had been "at best" speculative.

"The narrative seems to purport that the department intended to proceed with the nuclear expansion unlawfully," it said,

"When [the] department lodged the explanatory affidavit, the applicants realised that their case which was based on media reports had no basis. The matter was set down for a hearing today and was postponed sine die at the behest of the applicants," it said.

The department said the South African energy minister "has never contravened" any of the aspects of a judgement delivered by the Western Cape High Court on 26 April. That ruling set aside two ministerial determinations underpinning the country's nuclear procurement plans, ruling them unlawful and unconstitutional. It also set aside South Africa's intergovernmental nuclear cooperation agreements with Russia, South Korea and the USA.

The department said media reports seeming to suggest that it would have proceeded with the nuclear expansion programme "in an unlawful manner" were malicious and aimed at impugning the integrity of government.

"They are aimed at creating panic, misinformation, and misrepresentation of facts and are intended to derail government from reinvigorating the economy," it said. "The government and minister in particular reiterate the position of the constitution and the rule of law."

Earthlife Africa and SAFCEI described the assurances given by Mahlobo to the court as an "11th hour capitulation". SAFCEI Executive Director Francesca de Gasparis said the two organisations had brought the urgent application after Mahlobo and Eskom failed to respond to a request for assurances that they would abide by the court judgment.

"Despite being given a week to respond, they failed to answer and thus left us with no choice but to bring an urgent application to protect the judgement," de Gasparis said.

Mahlobo's predecessor as energy minister, Mmamaloko Kubayi, said in May the ministry would abide by the court's decision.

South Africa's current Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), drawn up in 2010, called for construction of 9600 MWe of new nuclear capacity over the period to 2030. The country's Department of Energy is in the process of updating the IRP, a draft issued in November 2016 calls for 1359 MWe of new nuclear capacity to be built by 2037. Since his appointment as energy minister in a cabinet reshuffle in October, Mahlobo has publicly spoken of South Africa's policy decision to pursue nuclear energy as part of the energy mix.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
Despite being rich in natural resources, Africa is the world's poorest continent. A large section of the African population suffers from poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy, inadequate access to health facilities, communicable diseases, and a lack of access to clean water. Therefore, it is not surprising that many African countries have low life expectancies. All 10 countries with the lowest life expectancies in the world are located in the continent. Africas Sierra Leone has a life expectancy of only 50.1 years, which is the lowest in the world. Only a few African countries have managed to make remarkably better progress than others in terms of providing healthcare facilities to their citizens. The governments of these countries deserve credit for the positive steps taken towards ensuring healthier lives for their people. The African countries with the highest life expectancies are listed below.

Five Countries With the Longest Life Expectancy in Africa

1. Algeria

Algeria has the highest life expectancy among African countries. The government maintains intensive immunization drives across the country as a measure to limit the spread of diseases. Launched in 1975, Algeria's state-funded healthcare system is also freely accessible to all citizens. The number of healthcare professionals working in the country has also greatly increased since Algeria's independence in 1962. Despite the positive measures adopted by the government to upgrade the nation's health system, some challenges remain. Smoking-related diseases kill nearly 45 Algerians daily. Tobacco use is widespread and covers people of all ages and income. Growing cases of diabetes is also an area of concern.

2. Tunisia

With an average life expectancy of 75.3 years, Tunisias population enjoys the second highest longevity on the continent. The public health system is government funded and provides services to the majority of the population. In 2014, the total expenditure on health was 7% of the national GDP. The government has taken several measures to improve the health of the Tunisian population. Nearly four-fifths of households have modern sewer systems that help reduce the spread of communicable diseases. Some infectious diseases, like tetanus and polio, have been nearly eradicated due to mass vaccination programs initiated by the government. The country also has an adequate supply of medical professionals, but a large proportion have been trained in old methods and have little knowledge of modern advancements in medical science.

3. Mauritius

Mauritius has a life expectancy of 74.6 years, ranking third in terms of life expectancy in Africa. The island nation of Mauritius is located in the Indian Ocean. In 2015, the nation's total population was 1,273,000. 4.8% of the country's total GDP was spent on healthcare in 2014. Smoking is widespread in Mauritius, with 39% of men smoking, and smoking-related deaths are common. Obesity is also highly prevalent in Mauritius, as 23% of women and 12.9% of men are categorized as obese.

4. Morocco

Since the independence of Morocco in 1956, the government has taken several measures to improve the country's healthcare system and some success has been achieved. By 1992, nearly 70% of Moroccans had access to healthcare facilities. Today, Morocco has a tiered healthcare system aimed at providing maximum benefits to the population. Special schemes exist to benefit poor segments of the population. Despite the progress, there is need for improvement. The country has only 0.5 physicians and 1 hospital bed per 1,000 people, and hospitals and other health centers in the country are in need of maintenance and modernization. This figures indicates the inadequacies in both health services and infrastructure. Cardiovascular disease, perinatal disease, and cancer are the top causes of death in Morocco.

5. Cape Verde

Although Cape Verde has the fifth highest life expectancy in Africa, there is still a need for improvement in the nation's healthcare system. Most hospitals and healthcare centers have inadequate infrastructure and limited supplies. The prevalence of HIV in Cape Verde is relatively low. Although malaria affects a significant proportions of the population, the malaria crisis is less pronounced in Cape Verde than in other parts of mainland Africa.
China is growing at a very notable pace and with this growth comes the construction of tall buildings which measure over 200 meters tall. In the last two decades (from 1990) alone, China has given the world magnificent skylines. Apart from well-known boom towns like Shanghai and Hong Kong, there are other cities in China with horizons that are worth discussing.

10. Shanghai

Shanghai is the most populated city in the world with a population of 24 million people. Over a span of the 20 past years, the city has seen the construction of more than 7,000 buildings that are taller than 11 stories high. The city is home to the tallest skyscrapers in the world, including the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial center which stands at 492 meters (1,614 ft). Also present is the Shanghai Tower at 632 meters (2,073 ft), making it the tallest building in China and second tallest in the world.

9. Chongqing

Chongqing is located in southwest China at the convergence of two rivers, the Yangtze and the Jialing. Chongqing is home to 18 million people in its urban region. The city has been categorized among the thirteen emerging megacities in China. Chongqing possesses more than 26 buildings that are 200 meters or taller. With such structures, the skyline is rising rapidly. The tallest building is the Chongqing World Financial Centre, which stands at 339 m (1112 feet).

8. Guangzhou

Historically known as Canton, Guangzhou is one of Chinas biggest centres of trade. As such, most of this citys skyscrapers are for commercial purposes. The Guangzhou International Centre is the tallest building measuring 530 m (1,740 ft). This structure is the 3rd tallest in China and seventh tallest building in the world. The Canton Tower, used as an observation tower and a TV booster, is the tallest structure in the city. The booster that stands at 2,000ft, is lit by thousands of LED lights.

7. Beijing

Beijing is an urbanite's paradise. The tallest building in the city is the China World Trade Center III which stands at 330 meters (1,083 ft). Coming in at second tallest building is the Fortune Plaza Office Building 1 which is 260 meters (853 ft) tall. The third tallest is the Park Hyatt Tower, standing at 250 m (820 ft). Despite the many tall buildings, critics feel that the skyline is not iconic due to the lack of a water body that separates the city and other parts. The presence of a water body also offers a better-unobstructed view.

6. Wuhan

Wuhan is found in Hubei Province. It is the most populous City in Central China. The city is located where the Yangtze and Han Rivers intersect. Wuhan offers remarkable views for lovers of skyscrapers, thanks nonetheless to the tall buildings and their reflection on the water. Currently, the tallest building dominating Wuhans skyline is the Wuhan Centre at 438 m (1,437 ft). The Wuhan Skyline is bound to become taller later this year with the completion of the Wuhan Greenland Centre which is set to be 636 m (2,087 ft). At completion this will be the tallest building in China.

5. Chengdu

The second largest city in Western China, Chengdu has a urban population of over 11 million people. The tallest building in this town is the Tianfu Times Tower which stands at 180 m (590 feet) tall. Despite lacking the extreme volume of skyscrapers like its neighboring Chongqing, Chengdu itself has more than 28 skyscrapers completed and decorating its skyline. At night, the Chengdu skyline looks magnificent with the millions of lights contrasting against the dark sky.

4. Hangzhou

Home to two world heritage features, The West Lake and the Grand Canal, Hangzhou is well-known as one of China's most picturesque urban areas. Although smaller than some other entires on this list, Hangzhou's skyline deserves an honorable mention. The city is home to the Bodi Centre Tower 1 which stands at 310 meters (1017ft). The illuminated skyline of several buildings offers an impressive sight.

3. Tianjin

This city, located along the west coast of the Bohai Gulf, has numerous skyscrapers - even more than its nearby neighbor of Beijing. There are three extremely tall skyscrapers in the city with the tallest measuring 597 meters tall. Punctuating the skyline is a telecom tower and ten other skyscrapers which are upcoming.

2. Shenzhen

Shenzhen is an economic hub found in the province of Guangdong. The city boasts of 1108 high-rises with the tallest being the Ping An Finance Centre which is 599 m (1,965 ft) tall. Shenzhens skyline is growing rapidly, and is considered to be among the best in the world. At the moment Shenzhen is home to 59 buildings over 200 meters tall.

1. Harbin

Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang province. The citys skyline started developing in the 19th century when Russian engineers visited the town to build the Trans-Siberian Rail. Many buildings in Harbin are Russian-inspired in design. The tallest buildings include the Agricultural Science and Technology International Centre standing at 226 meters, the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Tower which is 201 meters tall and the Office Building standing at 190 meters.
Police in Tennessee were called to a home after a father and son armed themselves with guns during an argument.

Nashville Metro Police Department officials responded to a shooting in the 600 block of Malta Drive.

According to the police, a father, identified as 42-year-old Mario Ford, Sr., and his son, 20-year-old Mario Ford, Jr., got into an argument at 9:30 a.m., on Sunday.

Authorities said that both men armed themselves with guns before the father shot his son. The father claimed that he acted in self-defense when he shot his son in the neck.

Ford, Jr. was rushed to the hospital, where he died while his father was arrested.

Neighbors said that police were called to the familys home several times during the past year.

Reports indicated that the argument was over Ford, Jr.s living arrangements.

Ford, Sr. told his son that he had to move out of their home, but he refused.

So far, Ford, Sr. who has prior felony convictions for aggravated assault, was arrested and charged with unlawful gun possession by a convicted felon.

Police are still investigating the incident to determine if murder charges should be filed.
A couple in the United Kingdom is desperately trying to get assault and theft charges against their daughter dropped.

21-year-old Asa Hutchinson from Essex, who works for a transportation company in the United Arab Emirates, was arrested while spending time with friends who came for a vacation in Dubai.

Hutchinson said that the group went to a restaurant in the International Financial Centre district when they spotted a man sleeping on a sofa.

The group stopped to take selfies with the sleeping man. When the man, a Swedish tech executive, heard the commotion around him, he woke up.

Seeing the group taking selfies with him, the tourist allegedly punched some of the men in Hutchinsons group. The businessman, in his 50s, called police as the group left the area.

Officers got the groups information from the restaurants reservation list and they were called into a police station.

Police allege that at some point during the altercation, Hutchinson stole the mans eyeglasses and placed them in a bin.

The group had their passports confiscated. According to Hutchinson, her friends were later freed after paying a fine and they flew home.

However, the charges against her were not dropped and she faces prison time.

Hutchinson claimed that she was not with her friends when she took the selfie. She added that when she saw the altercation taking place, she came towards the group and that is when she spotted the mans glasses on the floor.

Lucie Harrison said that her daughter only picked up the glasses from the floor so that no one steps on it. She also believes that her daughter took the fall for her friends because she lives in the country while they were tourists.

Hutchinson said that she told police that she was not involved in the incident and she did not have bad intentions when placing the glasses in the bin but they dont want to hear it.

Hutchinson was charged with assault and theft. Her family is working to clear her name, saying she was only trying to help.
A husband flew into a jealous fit of rage every time his wifes selfies received likes on Facebook, according to police in Paraguay.

Nemby police said that they have arrested 32-year-old Pedro Heriberto Galeano after being accused of locking up his wife in their home and beating her over a period of several months.

Galeano was charged with attempted femicide, deprivation of liberty, and coercion.

If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison.

According to the police investigation, Galeano got married to 21-year-old Adolfina Camelli Ortigoza.

Soon after their marriage, Galeano began monitoring his wifes Facebook account.

Galeano became jealous after seeing that his wifes selfies were getting a lot of Facebook likes.

He accused her of cheating.

When Ortigoza decided to stop using Facebook, Galeano took over her account and uploaded photos of his wife.

Each time her photo received a Facebook like, Ortigoza flew into a jealous rage.

He stuffed a cloth into her mouth and punched and kicked her face.

Her face became severely disfigured.

Ortigoza was also banned from leaving her husbands home.

Police came to rescue Ortigoza after Galeanos father reported the abuse.

The suspects father said that he decided to call the police because he feared for his daughter-in-laws life.
HAMILTON, Bermuda, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Teekay Offshore Partners L.P. (NYSE:TOO) (Teekay Offshore or the Partnership) announced today that its jointly owned floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit, the FPSO Pioneiro de Libra (Libra), has successfully achieved first oil and commenced its 12-year charter contract with a group of international oil companies, including Petrobras, Total, Shell, CNPC and CNOOC Limited, on the Libra oil field where it will perform early well tests. The Libra FPSO unit is the first unit to produce oil on the giant Libra block, which covers more than 1,500 square kilometers in the Santos Basin.

The Libra FPSO is owned and operated by Teekay Offshore and Odebrecht Oil and Gas (OOG) through a 50/50 joint venture. The FPSO unit, which was converted from one of the Partnerships shuttle tankers at Sembcorp Marines Jurong shipyard in Singapore, is designed to operate at water depths of up to 2,400 meters, with a production capacity of 50,000 barrels of oil per day and daily compression capacity of four million cubic meters of gas.

Today marks another significant milestone for Teekay Offshore and its growing presence in the Brazilian market, commented Ingvild Sther, President and CEO of Teekay Offshore Group Ltd. This successful Libra FPSO conversion project demonstrates that we can confidently deliver highly complex FPSO solutions for Brazils massive pre-salt play and is expected to provide significant future cash flow growth to the Partnership.

A photo and video accompanying this announcement are available at:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e067cf7e-ec1a-4d05-a159-3b41e0486f54

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0eeef828-276f-4bed-8d80-5d2a536c475a

About Teekay Offshore

Teekay Offshore Partners L.P. is an international provider of marine transportation, oil production, storage, long-distance towing and offshore installation and maintenance and safety services to the oil industry, primarily focusing on oil production-related activities of its customers and operating in offshore oil regions of the North Sea, Brazil and the East Coast of Canada. Teekay Offshore is structured as a publicly-traded master limited partnership (MLP) with consolidated assets of approximately $5.6 billion, comprised of 63 offshore assets, including floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) units, shuttle tankers, floating storage and offtake (FSO) units, a unit for maintenance and safety (UMS), long-distance towing and offshore installation vessels and conventional tankers. The majority of Teekay Offshore's fleet is employed on medium-term, stable contracts.

Teekay Offshore's common units and Series A and B preferred units trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols "TOO", "TOO PR A" and "TOO PR B", respectively.

For Investor Relations

enquiries contact:

Ryan Hamilton

Tel: +1 (604) 609-2963

Website: www.teekay.com

For Media enquiries contact:

Axel Wiedenmann

Tel: +47 9516 3022

Website: www.teekay.com

Forward Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements (as defined in Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) which reflect management's current views with respect to certain future events and performance, including statements regarding: the size of the Libra field; and the impact of the Libra FPSO on the Partnerships future cash flows. The following factors are among those that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, and that should be considered in evaluating any such statement: the operational performance of the Libra FPSO unit; variations in operating expenses; different-than-expected levels of oil production on the Libra field; potential early termination of the charter contract; and other factors discussed in Teekay Offshores filings from time to time with the SEC, including its Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016. The Partnership expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Partnerships expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Law firm confirm plans to close Wrexham office as part of wider restructure

This article is old - Published: Thursday, Nov 30th, 2017

Slater & Gordon have said they are looking to close their Wrexham and Chester offices within a year.

The Law Gazette has reported that the plans to close four offices in the UK are due to a business restructure.

The firm are proposing to shut offices in Wrexham, Chester, Milton Keynes and Preston. The Wrexham office on King Street and the Chester office have around 30 staff between them.

Staff were reportedly told on Monday about the plans and efforts are being made to relocate employees to larger city centres.

The Chester and Wrexham offices were inherited by the acquisition of Walker Smith Way and have around 30 staff between them  as we reported, the old Walker Smith Way office which came with the acquisition is due to be converted into flats.

The firm currently lists 30 locations on their website, with around 3,000 staff. Over the last few years staff numbers have been cut by around 1,000 and 10 locations have been closed.

In February 2012, Slater & Gordon acquired Russell Jones and Walker. Fentons, Pannone, Goodmans Law, Marrons, John Pickering and Partners, Flint Bishops claimant personal injury practice  and as in Wrexham, Walker Smith Way Legal.

Earlier this year the lenders of Slater & Gordon took control of the company in a recapitalisation move following a 570m loss revealed in August 2016.

Slater & Gordon also announced this week they had also progressed plans to break off its UK operations to focus on its Australian business.

Slater & Gordon currently has UK offices in Birmingham, Cambridge, Cardiff, Chester, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Preston, Sheffield, Watford and of course Wrexham.
VANCOUVER, B.C., Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Announced today, Vancouver-based connected car cloud platform company, Mojio, has secured $30 million CAD in Series B funding to accelerate the global growth of its carrier-grade connected car solutions. Despite multiple offers from global investors, Mojio has deepened its Canadian roots by selecting Toronto-based Kensington Capital as lead investor. The companys Series B round attracted new investment from Trend Forward Capital and innogy Ventures. All current investors participated again, including the Amazon Alexa Fund, BDC IT Venture Fund, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners and Relay Ventures.

The connected car movement is accelerating as consumers demand more from their cars. While some new vehicles roll off the assembly line with built-in connected car technology, a huge gap remains for the drivers of the over one billion unconnected cars, who are eager for a user-friendly and affordable upgrade.

People dont want to wait for their next vehicle to access valuable safety and security features, let alone another 10 to 15 years for the promise of self-driving cars, explains Mojio CEO Kenny Hawk. But they are willing to spend $10 to $15 per month to access actionable, real-world data that empowers smarter decision making around family safety, driving behavior, vehicle maintenance, and that offers a hassle free Wi-Fi hotspot that doesnt drain your smartphone.

Currently operating in five countries with seven wireless carrier customers, including the big three in Canada (Bell, Rogers and TELUS), Mojios business model leverages the brand and distribution of major wireless network operators to deliver greater access to affordable connected car services through the combination of a plug and play device and a handy mobile app. The Series B funding will accelerate Mojios roll-outs with network operators across the globe. The funding will also fuel product innovation and patent development, including the advancement of machine learning initiatives, ensuring that Mojios growing team of engineers, designers, and developers continue to preempt the needs of drivers worldwide.

Mojio had the luxury of selecting its funding partners based on strategic merit, not just access to capital. The company chose Canadian firm Kensington Capital to lead the round based on close alignment with Mojios core values and growth strategy.

We are excited to be leading the Series B financing for Mojio, which is exactly the kind of company that we want to partner with," said Rick Nathan, Managing Director of Kensington Capital, From its Vancouver headquarters, Mojio is building a world class team with an innovative technology platform gaining rapid customer traction, scaling a global business at the intersection of the IoT and automotive industries.

Mojio has already connected over 500,000 vehicles around the world, ranging from an almost ancient 1996 Audi A4 to a brand new 2018 Volvo V60. Drivers, families and small businesses use Mojios apps to keep their vehicles safe, stay coordinated, and cut down on costly, time-consuming issues associated with car ownership. Common use cases include:

Getting notified about engine issues to make informed decisions on service and repairs

Monitoring car location and status to help with ride coordination and cut down on distractions

Receiving critical recall notices to ensure remedial action is taken to improve safety

Locating a stolen vehicle to inform the authorities and have it recovered

Logging business trips to maximize mileage expensing and tax returns

Using on-demand roadside assistance to get help fast

In addition to delivering valuable experiences for drivers, Mojio has already collected over 5 billion miles of driving data. Mojio uses machine learning to generate insights that will shape the future of mobility, making the driving experience smarter, safer and less expensive.

About Mojio

Open, scalable and hardware agnostic, Mojio is the cloud platform of choice for the deployment of secure connected car apps and services. Mojios platform delivers a smarter, safer and more convenient driving and vehicle ownership experience to subscribers of major network operators, including Bell Canada, Deutsche Telekom, Rogers Communications, T-Mobile and TELUS.

With real-world data gathered from more than 5 billion miles of driving, Mojio provides a big data analytics framework that uses machine learning to generate actionable insights and unlock new revenue streams for companies throughout the automotive value chain.

Founded in 2012, Mojio is on a mission to give every vehicle a voice. With growing teams in Vancouver, Palo Alto and Sofia, and some of the worlds biggest brands as customers, partners and investors, Mojio is a career-accelerator for driven tech professionals looking to shape the future of mobility. To learn more about Mojio or to join our team please visit Mojios careers page.

About Kensington Capital Partners

Kensington Capital Partners is a leading Canadian investment firm in alternative assets, with over $1.1 billion invested to date in venture capital, private equity, hedge funds, and infrastructure. Founded in 1996, the firm is employee owned and fiercely independent. Based in Toronto, with additional offices in Vancouver and Calgary, Kensingtons active management approach and relationship based business has generated top quartile returns for investors, consisting of institutional investors such as pension and endowment funds, foundations, corporations, wealth managers and individuals. For more information, visit www.kcpl.ca

Media Contact:

Natalie Burgwin

Nat@talkshopmedia.com

604.738.2220
1. Two years ago this month, the Canadian Labour Congress, the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CNTU) and other Quebec-based unions, the Greens, myriad NGOs and pseudo-left groups, and the New Democratic Party (its own electoral debacle notwithstanding) celebrated the swearing in of the Justin Trudeau-led Liberal government. With one voice they claimed the return to power of Canadian big business traditional party of government--a party which when it last held office carried out the greatest social spending cuts in Canadian history and deployed Canadian troops in a series of US-led wars and regime-change operations--constituted progressive change.

The Socialist Equality Party challenged the fraudulent liberal-left consensus. In an Election Day statement we warned: A union-backed progressive government whatever its exact composition--whether formed exclusively by the Liberals or NDP, or involving a formal coalition or informal alliance between them--would be an instrument of big business for attacking the working class.

2. This analysis has been more than vindicated. The real change delivered by the gender-balanced, ethnically diverse, ostensibly pro-environment, pro-refugee and pro-native reconciliation Liberal government has proven to be a sham. Like Stephen Harpers decade-long Conservative government, the Liberals are pursuing an aggressive, militarist foreign policy and a domestic agenda aimed at making Canadian capitalism more globally competitive on the backs of working people.

The Trudeau government has further enshrined the reactionary fiscal regime of austerity social spending and ultra-low taxes for big business and the rich established by successive Liberal and Conservative governments. Under the guidance of BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, the McKinsey Group and other leading arms of global finance capital, the Liberals have launched a Canada Infrastructure Bank that is a mechanism for privatizing transportation, energy and social infrastructure. With just a few tweaks, they have imposed Harpers federal-provincial health care funding plan, which slashes funding for Medicare by tens of billions of dollars over the next decade, and they have approved new environmentally and socially destructive pipeline projects, while privately reassuring the oil companies that they are ready to use the army to suppress popular opposition.

3. The true character of the Trudeau government as a government of imperialist reaction is exemplified by its foreign-defence policy and drive to deepen Canadas economic and military-strategic partnership with Washington under the Trump administration, the most right-wing in modern American history.

Following on from the previous Conservative government and almost entirely behind the backs of the population, the Liberal government has expanded Canadas role in the major military-strategic offensives of US imperialism--in the oil-rich Middle East and against Russia and China. These offensives have razed whole societies in the broader Middle East, from Afghanistan and Iraq to Libya, and now threaten to ignite wars with Russia and China, respectively the worlds second and fourth largest nuclear powers.

The Trudeau government, as Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan recently revealed, is preparing to join a catastrophic US war on North Korea, citing as a pretext Canadas role in the US-led war coalition that waged the 1950-53 Korean War. Politically, Canada is already providing Washington with unflinching support. Trudeau and his ministers have repeatedly joined the US in condemning North Korea as a singular threat to world peace, even as Trump and US Defense Secretary James Mattis threaten the impoverished country of 25 million with annihilation, and the US and its regional allies stage military exercises aimed at goading Pyongyang into war.

4. Harper routinely boasted of Canada being a warrior nation. Trudeau and his ministers try to cloak the predatory ambitions and interests of the Canadian ruling class in progressive rhetoric referencing international law and human rights. But their policy is, if anything, more belligerent.

In a keynote address last June, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland declared war to be no less vital for securing Canadas national interests in the 21st century than in the 20th. The next day, the Liberals gave flesh and blood to their vow to use hard power, unveiling a new defence policy. It commits the government to hiking military spending by more than 70 percent by 2026, acquiring new fleets of warships and warplanes, new drone and cyber war capabilities, and working with the Trump administration to modernize NORAD.

5. Four decades ago, the Just Society rhetoric of Prime Minister Pierre-Elliott Trudeau proved to be a cruel hoax. As the post-Second World War economic boom unraveled, the government of Trudeau pere came into headlong conflict with the working class. It imposed wage-cutting wage controls and, three years before Ronald Reagan fired the PATCO air traffic controllers, threatened to fire postal workers en masse when they defied a strikebreaking law.

Today, the crisis of global capitalism is vastly deeper. In the name of austerity, governments the world over are seeking to destroy what remains of the social rights workers won through the mass and revolutionary struggles of the last century. As in the Great Depression of the 1930s, the drive to make the working class pay for the failure of capitalism goes hand in hand with the striving of each nationally-based capitalist clique to improve its position at the expense of its rivals through protectionism and trade war and by securing access to markets, natural resources and cheap labour through great power politics and war.

6. This agenda of class war and militarism is incompatible with the maintenance of democratic norms. Increasingly, the bourgeoisie is turning to authoritarian forms of rule and patronizing ultra-right forces that specialize in scapegoating immigrants such as the Front National in France and the AfD in Germany. In the name of the struggle against fake news, Western governments are moving to censor the Internet and social media, especially socialist and anti-war content. The World Socialist Web Site is one of the primary targets of this campaign.

In Canada, social opposition is increasingly being criminalized and the scaffolding of a police state erected. The right to strike--as demonstrated most recently by the outlawing of strikes by 175,000 Quebec construction workers and 12,000 Ontario college teachers--has been effectively abolished, at least whenever workers are in a position of strength. The Trudeau Liberals have retained all the key anti-democratic provisions of Harpers police state law Bill C-51, including empowering the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) to break virtually any law in disrupting purported threats to public security and giving the national security apparatus unfettered access to all government information on individual Canadians.

By refusing to abrogate or even suspend the reactionary Canada-US Third Party Agreement on refugees and rushing to put in place measures to dissuade refugee claimants from fleeing the US for Canada, the Trudeau government is helping enforce Trumps anti-immigrant witch-hunt. No less politically revealing is Trudeaus full-throated support for the Spanish governments violent suppression of the Catalan independence referendum and imposition of de facto military rule on Catalonia.

7. The working class and the Trudeau government are on a collision course.

There is no popular constituency for Canadas involvement in the military-strategic offensives of US imperialism. That is why Canadas integration into these offensives is being carried out behind the backs of the Canadian people. None of the imbalances and contradictions that drove the world economy to the brink in 2008 have been resolved. The IMF and the Bank of International Settlements, among others, have repeatedly warned that Canada is especially vulnerable to a new financial crisis because ordinary Canadians, seeking to make ends meet under conditions of stagnant or declining incomes and skyrocketing housing prices, have run up unprecedented consumer and mortgage debt.

In Canada, as internationally, social opposition and anti-capitalist sentiment are growing. Recent months have seen strikes involving diverse sections of the working class including Quebec construction workers, General Motors CAMI autoworkers, Toronto airport baggage handlers employed by the transnational Swissport, and Ontario college teachers.

8. The same class logic that is impelling the working class into battle against the Trudeau government will bring it into headlong conflict with the trade unions and the social-democratic NDP. For decades, they have connived with big business in imposing concessions and dismantling public services and social protections.

The unions intimate collaboration with the Trudeau Liberal government marks a new stage in their tripartite labour-government-business alliance against the working class. The leaders of the CLC, Unifor, CUPE, the Steelworkers and CUPW quickly transitioned from stumping for Trudeau in the 2015 election as part of their Anybody but Conservative strategic-voting drive to formally pledging to work with the new government at a November 2015 meeting with the freshly minted prime minister.

The unions are working hand-in-glove with the Canadian government in the NAFTA re-negotiation and share its objective of fashioning a deal that reconciles the needs of Canadian big business with Trumps aim of forging a more explicitly protectionist North American trade bloc that will better serve American capital in fighting China, Germany and Japan for global markets.

The NDP, due to its function as an electoral rival of the Liberals and political safety valve for the bourgeoisie, is nominally in opposition to the government. But the social-democratic politicians are no less beholden to big business or vehemently opposed to any working class challenge to the Liberals than their traditional union allies. The Alberta NDP government is a close partner of the federal Liberals in working with, and for, Big Oil. With their deafening silence on the Liberals defence policy review, the social democrats are lending vital support to the Canadian ruling class plans for rearmament and war.

9. In the US, Europe and everywhere around the world, the working class confronts the same fundamental problem. The political parties and organizations, above all the trade unions, traditionally identified as left have systematically suppressed the class struggle and emerged as open advocates for imperialist war. This applies no less to Britains Labour Party, the Socialist Party in France and Germanys Social Democratic Party than it does to Canadas New Democrats.

If the working class is to mount a successful counter-offensive against the Trudeau government and the Canadian ruling class assault on its living standards and democratic rights, and the ruling class reckless drive to war, a new political perspective and new organizations of struggle are necessary.

This statement addresses key questions of working class strategy, including: how to oppose war, develop a counter-offensive against the big business assault on social and democratic rights, and mobilize the working class as an independent political force capable of imposing its own solution to the capitalist crisis. The axis of this strategy is socialist internationalism. Canadian workers must link their struggles with their class brothers and sisters in the United States, Mexico and internationally in the fight to put an end to capitalism and make fulfilling social needs, not further enriching a tiny clique of capitalists, the animating principle of socio-economic lifein other words, to replace capitalism with socialism.

The growth of Canadian militarism and the danger of world war

10. As 2017 draws to a close, humanity has not faced a greater threat of a global conflagration since the end of World War II. The unthinkable--a nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula or with Russia or China--is now openly being discussed in the media and frantically prepared for.

Trump, employing language not heard from a major world leader since the rants of the Nazi Fuhrer Adolf Hitler, threatens North Korea with total destruction, while the US Pacific Command, which would spearhead any war with North Korea or China, boasts that it is ready to fight tonight.

11. American imperialism responded to the Stalinist bureaucracys dissolution of the USSR in 1991 by embarking on a drive for world hegemony. It sought to offset its already pronounced relative economic decline by employing its military might, launching a series of ruinous wars and rapidly expanding NATO across Eastern Europe.

These wars, which have targeted the Balkans, the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa, have manifestly failed to reverse the erosion of US global power. In response, the Obama administration launched military-strategic offensives directly targeting Russia and China.

12. The Canadian bourgeoisie has been completely complicit in this criminal enterprise. This is because it views the maintenance of US global dominance and its own privileged partnership with the US, through NAFTA, NATO and NORAD, as vital to the assertion of its own imperialist interests and ambitions.

Indeed, under conditions where Canadas relative importance to the US as an economic partner has declined due to the growth of US commercial ties with China and Mexico and its new reserves of shale oil and gas, Canadian big business has seen the expansion of the Canada-US military-security partnership as a pivotal means of retaining influence in Washington and securing a share in the spoils of imperialist war.

The Canadian Council of Chief Executives (now the Business Council of Canada) issued a series of policy documents in the centurys first decade demanding that Ottawa develop the means to deploy credible force anywhere in the world. Such global reach, it argued, will preserve our ability to have influence on the world stage. The CCCE, the countrys most powerful business lobby group, also worked with the Chretien-Martin Liberal and Harper Conservative governments to elaborate plans, since largely but not completely realized, to create a North American economic and security perimeter.

13. Canada has been at war almost continuously since 1999. The Chretien governments deployment of Canadian warplanes to join the NATO bombardment of Yugoslavia was followed by the Canadian Armed Forces ten-year-long role in invading and waging a counter-insurgency war in Afghanistan. In 2004, Canadas military participated in the toppling of Haitis democratically elected government. A Canadian general led the 2011 NATO regime-change war in Libya, which, in the name of human rights and the responsibility to protect, killed tens of thousands and left the country in turmoil. The CAF returned to war in the Middle East in 2014 in an operation embracing Iraq and Syria that continues to this day.

14. The battle orders have been issued by successive Liberal and Conservative governments. But the entire political establishment has embraced militarism and the phony war on terror, which has been used to justify imperialist aggression abroad and sweeping attacks on democratic rights at home. The NDP has endorsed every Canadian imperialist intervention since the war on Yugoslavia, supports increased military spending, and upholds the Canada-US military-security partnership that is the cornerstone of Canadian imperialist strategy.

The Bloc Quebecois and Parti Quebecois, the sister Quebec sovereignist parties, have been even more bellicose. The BQ has repeatedly criticized the NDP for not being sufficiently full-throated in its support for Canadas wars and, in tandem with the Conservatives, the PQ and BQ have been in the forefront of promoting the anti-Muslim sentiment that is serving as ballast for the revival of militarism.

15. During the 2015 election campaign, Trudeau talked out of both sides of his mouth, promising to expand Canadas strategic partnership with the US while criticizing the Harper governments combat mission in the Middle East. Predictably, the latter proved to be an election ruse, with the Liberals announcing multiple extensions of the Mideast deployment, tripling the number of Special Forces in Iraq, and expanding Canadas contribution to the US-led war coalitions strategic command and intelligence operations.

Similarly, the Trudeau government has expanded Canadas role in both of the other major US military-strategic offensives. The Canadian Armed Forces has assumed responsibility for leading one of the four forward deployed battalions NATO has menacingly stationed on Russias borders in the Baltic States and Poland, and it is training Ukrainian Army and National Guard forces to, in the words of Trudeau, liberate eastern Ukraine.

Building on a secret 2013 agreement the Harper government signed with Washington on military cooperation in the Pacific, Canada under Trudeaus Liberals has stepped up its involvement in Washingtons war planning and provocations in East Asia. The Canadian navy recently conducted exercises in the South China Sea and Malacca Strait to test its readiness to participate in a US-led economic blockade of China in the event of a war crisis, and with the South Korean Navy further north. In explaining why the Canadian Navy is training for operations in the strait that links the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Chief of Defence Staff Jon Vance declared, If one wants to have any respect or gravitas you have to be in that region."

16. Both Washington and Ottawa view China as the real obstacle to continued US dominance over the worlds most rapidly growing economic region and the Trump-incited North Korean crisis as a means of placing pressure on China, long Pyongyangs principal ally.

Canadas ruling elite, led by the military top brass, is also using the Korean crisis to try to stampede the public behind participation in the US Ballistic Missile Shield. Its name notwithstanding, the BMD is aimed at developing the means for the US to wage a winnable nuclear war and thus goes hand-in-hand with the Pentagons plans to spend $1 trillion on modernizing its nuclear arsenal.

17. To broad applause from the political and national security establishment, including Conrad Black and the neo-conservatives of the National Post editorial board, Freeland in her June foreign policy address outlined an aggressive hard power strategy for Canadian imperialism under conditions where the US-led international order is unraveling. She called for building up Canadas independent military capacities so as to help shore up a US partner that can no longer bear the cost of world leadership alone, but also to ensure the ability of the Canadian bourgeoisie to assert its own national interests globally and as the junior member of the bilateral partnership of North Americas imperialist powers. For its part, the Globe and Mail has declared that Canada must be behind Trumps walls.

Canadian imperialism and capitalist breakdown

18. The coming to power of the billionaire, fascist-minded Trump epitomizes the turn of the international bourgeoisie to reaction. With his America First agenda and calls to make America great again, Trump advances only in a more brazen and crude manner the response of all the rival national capitalist cliques to capitalist breakdown. In a struggle of each against all, each is ruthlessly striving to assert its interests both against avowed strategic rivals and ostensible allies.

These conflicts are rooted in the very foundations of the profit system . As the International Committee of the Fourth International wrote in its 2016 statement calling for the building of an international working class-led movement against war and imperialism, The essential cause of militarism and war lies in the deep-seated contradictions of the world capitalist system: 1) between a globally integrated and interdependent economy and its division into antagonistic national states; and 2) between the socialized character of global production and its subordination, through the private ownership of the means of production, to the accumulation of private profit by the ruling capitalist class. Powerful consortia of capitalist banks and corporations utilize their state to wage a commercial and ultimately military struggle for control of the raw materials, oil and gas pipelines, trade routes and access to cheap labor and markets that are critical to the accumulation of profit.

19. All the imperialist powers are aggressively asserting their global interests and rearming.

Germany, with French support, is pressing for the development of a European military so it can assert its interests independently of and, if need be, against the US.

Japan is eagerly supporting the US war drive against North Korea, using the flaring up of war tensions as the pretext to get rid of the last constitutional impediments to its pursuing an aggressive, militarist foreign policy.

Australia--a second rank imperialist power whose development and strategic orientation have many parallels with Canadas--is playing a major role in Washingtons preparations for war with China. Both major parties of the Australian elite forthrightly declare that Canberra will join Washington in any war it launches on the Korean Peninsula.

20. The revival of such openly militarist policies, which twice in the last century resulted in a global conflagration, arises out of an historic breakdown of world capitalism. The 2008 global economic crisis was not a mere cyclical downturn, but rather the eruption of a systemic crisis. The inability of the imperialist powers to restore pre-2008 growth and profit rates is imbuing the struggle for markets and profits with an ever more fractious and venomous character, fueling economic and geopolitical rivalries the world over.

21. The Boeing-Bombardier trade conflict sheds light on the real state of commercial and inter-state relations, specifically on how, under conditions of increasingly frenzied competition, the transnational corporations are working with their respective governments to defend and expand market share.

In the run-up to Washingtons imposition of a 300 percent tariff on Bombardiers C-Series jet, the Liberal government brokered negotiations between Boeing and Bombardier, hoping to get the giant US manufacturer to withdraw its trade complaint in exchange for a stake in the C-Series or a joint agreement to refashion North American trade rules at the expense of their competitors.

But Boeing suddenly withdrew from the talks, no doubt after learning that the Trump administration was going to give it tariffs far in excess of what Boeing had sought so as to send a bellicose America First message to the world. Bombardier then struck a deal with Boeings arch-rival Airbus, with the Trudeau government again playing a central role, both to prevent the collapse of a Canadian manufacturing jewel and stop it from allying with a Chinese state-owned company.

22. In his seminal work Imperialism the Highest Stage of Capitalism, Lenin speaks of a small number of financially powerful states that stand out among all the rest and are at the centre of imperialist intrigue and aggression. Canada is such a state.

Canada was a major belligerent in the two world wars of the last century. While the wars constituted an unprecedented catastrophe for the world working class, the Canadian bourgeoisie profited from the slaughter. The wars proved to be the periods of Canadian capitalisms most rapid industrial expansion and resulted in a significant strengthening of the Canadian bourgeoisies world position.

23. Over the course of the past quarter-century, Canada has become a major exporter of capital, stretching the tentacles of Canadian imperialism across the globe. Whereas in 1971 Canadian Foreign Direct Investment totaled $6.8 billion, by 2002 it had swelled to $435 billion and by 2016 to more than one trillion ($1,050 billion), the equivalent of just over 50 percent of Canadas total GDP.

Canadas banks and other financial institutions and its energy, mining and infrastructure companies are especially active on the world stage. In Latin America and the Caribbean, where Canadian capital has had a significant presence for more than a century, Ottawa has played a major role in pressing for privatization, foreign investor guarantees and other neo-liberal policies. The Canadian ruling class is also determined to be an economic power and military-strategic player in the Asia-Pacific region, and its heavy involvement in the worlds mining and energy sectors is propelling it to play an increasingly active role in Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

The Canadian bourgeoisie also covets the natural resource wealth of the Arctic, which, due to the perverse effects of climate change, is becoming more readily accessible. This ambition increasingly figures in its geo-political and military strategy and is a factor in the aggressive stance Ottawa has adopted against Russia.

24. The Canadian bourgeoisie has historically been privileged, serving successively as a close partner (in some respects the closest partner) of the worlds two most powerful capitalist nation-states--Great Britain in the 19th century and the US in the 20th.

Today, however, the US is at the very centre of the global capitalist crisis and Trumps America First policies are roiling the Canadian bourgeoisie.

25. Even as they extend their hands to Trump and strive to deepen Canadas military-strategic collaboration with the US, the Liberal government and Canadian bourgeoisie are seeking to work with the many elements within both the Democratic and Republican parties and US big business who fear Trump is undermining Washingtons long-term imperialist interests around the globe with his efforts to radically restructure, if not outright repudiate, traditional US-led alliances, from NATO to NAFTA.

These differences may lead in the coming weeks and months to major political shocks and convulsions in Washington. But whatever the disagreements over the specifics of Trumps policies, there is no disagreement within the American ruling class over the drive for US world hegemony. It is an open secret that a Hillary Clinton administration would have ratcheted up the US military intervention in Syria as part of a more aggressive policy in the Middle East and against Russia. In anticipation of her election, the Canadian military prepared options for the Trudeau government to intervene in Syria. A not insignificant factor in Trudeaus subsequent naming of Freeland, an anti-Russia hawk, as foreign minister was a desire to underscore Canadas dissent from any attempt by Trump to effect a rapprochement with Moscow.

26. Important elements of the Canadian ruling class strategy are now in jeopardy. For the past quarter-century, NAFTA has underpinned its drive to create global players by providing corporate Canada with access to a large internal market and a platform from which to vie for markets in Latin America, Europe and elsewhere. While Trump has acted as an accelerant, the growing rift between Europe and the US and the fraying of NATO and more generally the trans-Atlantic alliance long predated his presidency. Ultimately, it can be traced back to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, which, by removing a common threat, opened the door to the resurgence of inter-imperialist antagonisms. For the Canadian bourgeoisie, membership in the worlds most important military alliance and close ties to the European imperialist powers have not only provided additional heft and influence on the world stage, they have served as an important means of offsetting the radical asymmetry in Canadas relations with Washington and Wall Street.

27. The Canadian bourgeoisies response to increased US pressure will be to lash out more violently on the world stage--as with its threat to throw Mexico under the bus and seek a separate deal with Washington should NAFTA fail--and to lash out more violently against the working class at home. Already the Business Council of Canada, led by former Liberal Deputy Prime Minister John Manley, and a host of other big business voices are insisting that Canada match Trumps lavish tax cuts for big business and the rich. This would necessitate a further massive assault on public and social services.

At the same time, the ruling elite, with the support of the union bureaucrats, the NDP and Quebec Solidaire , will use the frictions with its US rivals to promote Canadian and Quebec nationalism, the better to bind the working class to its rule and its aggressive policies.

28. The working class must oppose all of the rival bourgeois factions in the struggle for markets, profits and geo-strategic advantage, whether it takes the form of national protectionism, the strengthening of inter-state trade blocs like NAFTA and the European Union, or rearmament and war. In answer to the capitalists, who pit workers against each other in commercial and military struggle, the working class must adopt the battle cry Workers of the World Unite.

Canadian workers must take their place in the building of a global movement against war. Such a movement, as the ICFI has explained, must be based on the working class, the great revolutionary force in society, uniting behind it all progressive elements in the population. And it must be resolutely anti-capitalist. The only means of preventing crisis-ridden capitalism from plunging humanity into a global conflagration as it did twice in the last century is by disarming the bourgeoisie through socialist revolution.

Consequently, the new anti-war movement can be constructed only in irreconcilable struggle against all factions of the ruling elite and their capitalist parties. It must be linked to the defence of democratic rights and the mounting opposition to deepening economic insecurity and social inequality and serve as the cutting edge of the fight for the working class to become an independent political force.

Workers need their own independent political party, guided by the understanding that to stop war and all of the disastrous consequences it entails, a struggle against its source, the global capitalist order, is necessary. This can be accomplished only in a fight for a socialist program to place power in the hands of the working class.

To be continued.
Washington, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

New Frontier Data, the global cannabis industry authority in business intelligence and data analysis reporting, in partnership with The Green Hub, one of the first medical cannabis research and information platforms in Brazil, has just published its first in-depth look at the Brazilian nascent cannabis market, Medical Cannabis in Brazil: 2017 Overview, detailing the potential impact of medical cannabis legalization to the Brazilian market.

Brazils continued interest in the potential legalization of medical cannabis is part of a global phenomena; dozens of countries around the world have in fact begun considering cannabis as a viable medicinal treatment for a variety of illnesses and conditions. Given Brazils vast land-mass, diverse eco-system, and strategically central geo-placement, it is quite logical that it would be looking into this promising plant, not only for domestic medical applications, but also to possibly expand its well-established export-base to countries unable to cultivate locally across Europe and Latin America, said New Frontier Data Founder & CEO Giadha Aguirre de Carcer.

There is currently great interest in the many different facets of cannabis in Brazil, whether for medical or adult-use, there is a growing appetite to understand the potential impact of cannabis legalization and regulation in Brazil. Working together, The Green Hub and New Frontier Data are best equipped to provide not only private firms but policy-makers and regulators, the data, assessment, and insights from legalization efforts around the world best to assess the potential legal, economic, and social impact cannabis could have on the country. These resources will be invaluable as Brazilian government officials examine and potentially design safe and legal medical cannabis legislation and programs, said The Green Hub CEO, Marcel Grecco.

If Brazil were to pass a medical cannabis law, the number of medical cannabis patients in the first 36 months of legal cannabis sales could reach 959,000 with a restrictive qualifying conditions list (i.e., one that does not include chronic pain), and roughly 3.4 million with a more expansive list of conditions that included chronic pain.

A program that accepts chronic pain as a qualifying condition and reaches patient counts of 3.4 million patients could generate in excess of BRL $4.7 billion (USD $1.4 billion) in annual revenue.

The partnership between New Frontier Data and The Green Hub was forged to provide local, regional and country level regulators and legislators who are working on  or interested in  the development of the cannabis industry, the data they require to make informed and educated decisions. The Medical Cannabis in Brazil report is the initial step towards providing vetted and statistically meaningful socio-economic data, and accurate information on cannabis scientific methods, SOPs, test data and technologies for the Brazilian medical cannabis market.

We could not be happier to have had the opportunity to partner with such an insightful and pioneering company as The Green Hub at such a pivotal time not only in Brazil, but also regionally as key trading players in this industry begin to arise, said Aguirre de Carcer.

For more information, or to purchase the report visit https://newfrontierdata.com/product/2017-medical-cannabis-brazil-industry-outlook/ or www.thegreenhub.com.br. A Portuguese version of the report will be available mid-December.

About New Frontier Data:

New Frontier Data provides objective, rigorous and comprehensive analysis and reporting for the nascent and underserved cannabis industry worldwide. New Frontier Datas analytics and reports have been cited in over 65 countries around the world to inform industry leaders. New Frontier Data, the premiere and only Big Data shop in the sector looks beyond the plant cultivation and distribution, to raise the industry bar and improve visibility into what will inevitably soon be a mature and more complex global market. Founded in 2014, New Frontier Data is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and has additional offices in Denver.

New Frontier Data does not take a position on the merits of cannabis legalization. Rather, its mission and mandate are to inform cannabis-related policy and business decisions through rigorous, issue-neutral and comprehensive analysis of the legal cannabis industry. For more information about New Frontier Data please visit: www.newfrontierdata.com.

About The Green Hub:

THE GREEN HUB is based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and specializes in projects related to medicinal cannabis. With a unique and innovative acceleration program, The Green Hub raises the level of discovery growth of a new medical specialty in Brazil and worldwide. Founded in 2016, the companys goal is to bring innovation to the health sector, improving the quality of life for people and their families.

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Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f004b160-e2c4-450a-8e08-fb3419165602
Ten weeks after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico new estimates by social scientists put the death toll from the storm at nearly 1,10020 times higher than the official figure of 55 reported by government authorities on the island and in Washington.

In a soon to be released report, Alexis Santos, a Puerto Rican demographer at Penn State University, and Jeffrey Howard, an independent health scientist and epidemiologist, compared the historical averages for September-October of the past seven years to the total number of September and October 2017 deaths recently reported by the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety.

According to the news web site Vox, they found that in September 2017the month Maria hitthere were 518 more deaths than the recent historical average for September and 567 more deaths in October 2017, for a total of 1,085 deaths likely linked to the hurricane. Given that the widespread power outages have continued into November, Vox noted, the number of indirect deaths from the hurricane is probably higher still.

By comparison, at least 1,800 people died in connection to Hurricane Katrina in 2005the deadliest hurricane to hit US soil in the past 50 years.

The new figures confirm reports by other news agencies such as CNN, Buzzfeed and Vox that found hundreds of more fatalities based on interviews with funeral home directors, doctors, and local officials. It also exposes the cover-up by Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello and the Trump administration of the real extent of the death and destruction, which has been exacerbated by the criminally indifferent response by government authorities.

Either Donald Trump and his administration are unable to fulfill their responsibilities to American citizens or they simply do not care about Puerto Ricans who continue to suffer, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said in a statement this week. Half of the population is still without power and at least 10 percent do not have access to clean water.

We are lucky to have had clean water for four weeks but there are many people who dont, Anthony, a recent University of Puerto Rico graduate told the World Socialist Web Site. The city of Caguas nearby has electricity, but here in the rural areas there is no power. We have to recharge our cell phones from our car batteries, wash our clothes with a washboard and eat food that is not perishable.

The young mans family is using an old generator for power, he said. Neighbors are sharing generators with each other, just to keep their refrigerators going. The US military left here two weeks ago, and local authorities have handed out food only one or two times since the hurricane.

Our house is made of concrete, but there are a lot of wooden homes in the mountains and rural areas that were completely destroyed. The center of the island is very poor and they received very little help, maybe a $500 loan from FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Administration].

There is a mass emigration from the island to Florida, New York, California and other states, Anthony said referring to the current exodus, including 183,000 Puerto Ricans who have reportedly resettled in Florida alone. It seems everyone who can is leaving.

With the full backing of the Trump administration and his education secretary Betsy DeVos, authorities on the island are using the disaster to press ahead with their plans to close hundreds of schools, lay off thousands of public school teachers and expand for-profit charter schools.

The government had plans to close hundreds of schools before the hurricane, Anthony said. Teachers and parents believe that the government is using the hurricane as an excuse not to reopen schools. Some teachers have been arrested for protests.

My sisters high school recently reopened, but only after pressure came from teachers, parents and students. It is only open from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., not a full day, and it does not have electricity. My cousins elementary school is only open two or three hours a day. The authorities wouldnt reopen it, even though teachers, workers and volunteers had cleared out debris and cleaned it up. Its a small community school that has been at the center of the community for years, and the authorities didnt want to reopen it even though it was ready to go. They finally opened it after protests.

The death toll is far higher than they want to admit. Suddenly there are very few updates on the number of refugees who are homeless. The storm was very strong and people lost everything, and theyre forced to live with relatives or with only a tarp for a roof. One man like Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is worth $100 billion, but the US government says theres no money to help Puerto Rico. Some of Bezos fortune would go a long way to help, Anthony concluded.

Puerto Rico is already impoverished by three decades of deindustrialization and a decade of economic contraction and financial looting by Wall Street. The storm has raised the official poverty rate to 52 percent, up from 44.3 percent before the hurricane struck, according to a study by the Center of Census Information of the University of Puerto Rico (CIC).

In real terms the impact is even greater. Household incomes in many cases have sunk, due to workers laboring fewer hours per week or no hours at all due to the lack of electricity in businesses and residential areas. At the same time, prices and expenses have risen.

CIC economist Jose Caraballo told the Prensa Latina news service that the growth of poverty is expected to continue as more workers lose their jobs, especially those with incomes 25 to 50 percent above the poverty line. This could soon drive the poverty rate to 59.8 percent of the population. Some towns in central highlands Puerto Rico are suffering from childhood poverty rates that approach 80 percent.

Far from implementing measures to relieve poverty, abolish inequality and restore services, the Rossello administration and the Democrats and Republicans in Washington are promoting free market policies that will further delay the restoration of basic services and impoverish the population while creating profit opportunities for vulture capitalists.

On November 2-3, politicians, business leaders and NGOs held a conference at a posh San Juan hotel titled Rebuild Puerto Rico: The Economic Summit. The purpose of the meeting, organized by the Minority Chamber of Commerce (MCC), was to set up so-called public-private partnerships to rebuild the island.

According to Centro de Periodismo Informativo press agency, the tone of the meeting was set by the MCCs public relations chief Bill Kress, who boasted of the profit opportunities the devastating hurricane opened for investors. When one door closes, another opens, declared Kress. It would be more appropriate to say that in Puerto Ricos case, the doors and the roofs have been torn off, he added cynically. This is the moment to invest, to take advantage of all this, Kress salivated.

Manuel Laboy, Rossellos Secretary for Economic Development, spoke of interesting opportunities for investors on the basis of free-market reforms he proposed be sold with the advertising phrase Paradise Performs. Puerto Rico is a tropical paradise and one can accomplish great investments in Puerto Rico, Laboy declared. Paradise Performs is a slogan that we are going to promote with all our resources.

According to Laboy, the month of December marks the end of the process of relief and the beginning of reconnecting and rebuilding, while 2018 will be the Relaunch phase, the rebranding of Puerto Rico, as a product that returns to the world market.

Many of the speakers at the summit called for deregulation and the granting of fast track construction permits, with little or no government oversight. A key reform of the Rossello administration is anti-labor legislation that will further degrade job and pension rights.

Not to be left out, FEMA representative Doug Moraga declared, Right now, Puerto Rico is the Big Fish, we need to take advantage of that opportunity.
US President Donald Trump retweeted three videos Wednesday morning that were posted by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First, a fascist outfit that has specialized in such activities as mosque invasions and Christian patrols in urban areas with large Muslim populations.

Trumps latest tweeting is an escalation of a political strategy aimed at inciting and encouraging far-right forces. At the time of the fascist rampage in Charlottesville, Virginia in August that left one anti-fascist protester dead, Trump claimed that there were good people among the white supremacist demonstrators. Now he has openly associated himself with a fascist group.

The videos, entitled Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof, Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary, and Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches, are crude attempts to whip up hatred of Muslims. The Dutch video, from earlier this year, shows a fight in which no Muslims were involved, and the other two are four-year-old depictions of violence in Egypt and Syria, respectivelyno more representative of all Muslims than the murderous rampages in California and Texas exemplified all Americans.

Trump had said nothing further about the tweets, but White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended them without reservation. Whether its a real video, the threat is real, she told reporters. The threat is real, the threat needs to be addressed and the threat has to be talked about and thats what the president is doing in bringing that up.

Britain First was founded in 2011 by former members of the fascist British National Party. One of its founders was known for anti-abortion fanaticism, and the group has also been linked to extreme-right British Loyalists in Northern Ireland.

Jayda Fransen, now 31 years old, was found guilty in 2016 of religiously aggravated harassment for abusing a Muslim mother in front of her four young children in the city of Luton, about 30 miles northwest of London. Franzen screamed at the woman, who was wearing a hijab, that Muslim men force women to cover up to avoid being raped because they cannot control their sexual urges, and added, thats why they are coming into my country raping women across the continent.

Thomas Mair, the fascist who killed British Labour MP Jo Cox during the Brexit campaign last year, shouted Britain First! as he shot and stabbed the MP, from the Batley and Spen constituency, near Leeds. Britain First, which parades in paramilitary uniforms, has no more than 1,000 supporters, according to the Guardian, but about 500,000 Facebook likes. Fransen received 56 votes when she stood for parliament in 2014.

Trumps open endorsement of the fascists was greeted with enthusiasm by Fransen herself, who tweeted her thanks to the White House in capital letters on Wednesday:

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DONALD TRUMP, HAS RETWEETED THREE OF DEPUTY LEADER JAYDA FRANSENS TWITTER VIDEOS! DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF HAS RETWEETED THESE VIDEOS AND HAS AROUND 44 MILLION FOLLOWERS! GOD BLESS YOU TRUMP! GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Within the US, fascist elements were similarly pleased. David Duke, former leader of the Ku Klux Klan, wrote on Twitter, Thank God for Trump! Thats why we love him!

Trumps solidarization with fascists in Britain, like his praise for the Nazi demonstrators in Virginia, is not an aberration. That the president is openly solidarizing with such forces is an expression of the putrefaction of American democracy, under the impact of unprecedented social inequality and the drive to world war.

The current tweeting controversy comes only one day after the North Korean regimes latest test of a long-range missile, amid worries over Trumps continuous sabre-rattling that could lead to war, with massive casualties on the Korean peninsula and beyond.

Trump, undoubtedly working in concert or general agreement with his former chief adviser Stephen Bannon of Breitbart News, continues to lay the groundwork for a fascist movement in the US. The scapegoating of immigrants and Muslims is being stepped up, blaming ethnic or religious minorities for poverty and unemployment, and whipping up fear in the name of the war on terror.

Trumps critics within the Democratic and Republican partieswho are themselves engaged in a ferocious neo-McCarthyite campaign alleging that Russia is sowing divisions within the USare motivated primarily by concerns about the consequences for US imperialist interests abroad and domestic stability at home.

Senator Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, whom the mainstream press was calling a profile in courage recently in connection with his book critical of Trump and his decision not to run for reelection, could not seem to summon up much anger in this case. The Senator called Mr. Trumps retweets highly inappropriate, adding, I hope he takes them down and doesnt do it again.

The British political establishment felt obliged to issue its own disclaimers. A few Labour parliamentarians struck an angry pose. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Trumps actions were abhorrent, dangerous and a threat to our country. Prime Minister Theresa Mays reaction was notably bland, with May declaring, It is wrong for the president to have done this. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, added his meek plea for Trump to make a statement to make clear his opposition to racism and hatred in all forms.

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper spoke more directly to the interests of American imperialism, summing up the reaction in these circles as he has in the past. Clapper, who served under both Bush and Obama, said he worried that Trumps actions could encourage anti-Muslim violence, and it causes our friends and allies around the world to wonder about the judgment of the president of the United States.
TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WeedMD Inc. (TSX-V:WMD) (WeedMD or the Company), a federally-licensed producer and distributor of medical cannabis, announces its financial results for the period ended September 30, 2017.



With the recent announcement of our transformational large-scale greenhouse expansion plan and the execution of our industry-first cannabis supply agreements with long-term care providers, WeedMD is executing on our strategic plan, said Bruce Dawson-Scully, CEO of WeedMD. Our scalable expansion will ensure that we have adequate supply of cannabis to meet future medical and adult-use demand.

Keith Merker, WeedMD CFO, added, With a strong balance sheet and fully funded 217,800 sq. ft. first phase greenhouse expansion, we are now entering into a significant stage of growth for the Company as we continue to drive shareholder value.

Operational & Corporate Highlights:

Announced a large-scale greenhouse expansion on November 22 nd (see press release here and video here) : A transformational transaction for WeedMD and among the most capital efficient expansions in the industry, WeedMD will increase its annual production from 1,500 kg to more than 21,000 kg by leasing 217,800 sq. ft. of state-of-the-art greenhouse space. The retrofit is fully funded with the Companys current treasury and once fully retrofitted, the entire 14-acre facility will increase WeedMDs annual production capacity to more than 50,000 kg. WeedMD has already received approval from Health Canada for a second-site expansion at the Strathroy site.





(see press release here and video here) A transformational transaction for WeedMD and among the most capital efficient expansions in the industry, WeedMD will increase its annual production from 1,500 kg to more than 21,000 kg by leasing 217,800 sq. ft. of state-of-the-art greenhouse space. The retrofit is fully funded with the Companys current treasury and once fully retrofitted, the entire 14-acre facility will increase WeedMDs annual production capacity to more than 50,000 kg. WeedMD has already received approval from Health Canada for a second-site expansion at the Strathroy site. Finalized partnership with Van der Pop to bring leading female-focused brand to Canada through branded cannabis strains on November 16 th (see here) : This partnership brings WeedMD further along its strategic path of targeting unique and underserved demographics of the Canadian cannabis market. As the first partnership of its kind in Canada, Van der Pop-branded strains will be available through WeedMDs website in the coming weeks.





(see here) This partnership brings WeedMD further along its strategic path of targeting unique and underserved demographics of the Canadian cannabis market. As the first partnership of its kind in Canada, Van der Pop-branded strains will be available through WeedMDs website in the coming weeks. Completed a $15 million bought deal financing, fully funding the Companys 217,800 sq. ft. greenhouse expansion, on November 2 nd (see here) : WeedMD raised $15 million in convertible debentures to support the Companys recently announced expansion plan.





(see here) WeedMD raised $15 million in convertible debentures to support the Companys recently announced expansion plan. Signed supply agreements with three long-term care and retirement home providers on September 26 th (see here) : WeedMD is the first licensed producer to enter into multiple supply contracts for seniors. The three LTC and retirement home providers total nine homes with more than 1,000 beds across Canada. Additional supply agreements are in advanced stages and are expected to be secured in the near future.





(see here) WeedMD is the first licensed producer to enter into multiple supply contracts for seniors. The three LTC and retirement home providers total nine homes with more than 1,000 beds across Canada. Additional supply agreements are in advanced stages and are expected to be secured in the near future. Acceleration of production, strain development, sales, and patient registration: During the quarter, WeedMD successfully continued its operational ramp up, resulting in steadily increased production with decreased associated costs per gram. In addition, the Company increased patient registrations and sales. WeedMD also further developed its extensive genetic bank and live cannabis plant offering, with several new strains available for sale this quarter.

Financial Highlights:

For the quarter ended Sept 30, 2017 June 30, 2017 ($) ($) Revenue 356,479 235,659 Adjusted operating loss (926,422 ) (1,280,046 ) Loss per share (basic and fully diluted) (0.01 ) (0.08 ) As At Sept 30, 2017 Dec 31, 2016 Total Assets 8,605,112 10,052,971 Total Liabilities 690,883 6,970,144 Working Capital 5,879,612 1,330,566

WeedMD generated $356,479 of revenue in the quarter. Revenues were derived primarily from the sale of dried medical cannabis and live cannabis plants. The Company continues to build its patient base in addition to selectively providing product and live genetics to other licensed producers.





Revenues were derived primarily from the sale of dried medical cannabis and live cannabis plants. The Company continues to build its patient base in addition to selectively providing product and live genetics to other licensed producers. Adjusted operating loss in the quarter was ($926,422), as compared to ($1,280,046) in the prior quarter. The decrease in adjusted operating loss can be attributed to the Companys ongoing efforts to find efficiencies in the organization. Adjusted operating loss is a non-IFRS measure which has been implemented to remove non-cash and non-recurring expenditures to provide a better indication of ongoing performance.





The decrease in adjusted operating loss can be attributed to the Companys ongoing efforts to find efficiencies in the organization. Adjusted operating loss is a non-IFRS measure which has been implemented to remove non-cash and non-recurring expenditures to provide a better indication of ongoing performance. Cash of $2,746,106 at the end of the period, and current cash of $22 million. The Company now has more than $22 million cash as a result of the recent financing and ongoing exercise of warrants subsequent to the quarter end.

WeedMD continues to build on its momentum and execute on its vision of becoming a leader in the rapidly expanding Canadian cannabis market, said Bruce Dawson-Scully. We look forward to providing further updates as we achieve a number of near-term milestones.

For more information on WeedMD, access our investor presentation on our website here.

About WeedMD Inc.

WeedMD Inc. is the publicly-traded parent company of WeedMD Rx Inc., a federally-licensed producer and distributor of medical cannabis under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR). The Company operates a 26,000 sq. ft. indoor facility in Aylmer, Ontario, and is awaiting its second-site cultivation license for its greenhouse facility located in Strathroy, Ontario, representing 610,000 sq. ft. or 14 acres under glass. WeedMD has entered into supply agreements in addition to strategic relationships with established cannabis brands. The Company is focused on providing medical cannabis to the long-term care, assisted living and seniors markets in Canada through its specialized, comprehensive platform. It is dedicated to educating healthcare practitioners and furthering public understanding of the role that medical cannabis plays - including as it pertains to regulatory requirements, indications and potential side effects.

Follow WeedMD On:



Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weedmd/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/5020743/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WeedMD

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weedmd/

For further information, please contact:

WeedMD Inc.

Keith Merker, Chief Financial Officer

Tel: 519-765-2440 Ext. 222

Email: investor@weedmd.com

For Media Inquiries:

Marianella delaBarrera

Margin Communications & Public Relations

Tel: 416-897-6644

Email: marianella@marginpr.com

To learn more, visit us at www.weedmd.com

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information based on current expectations. Statements about the date of trading of the Company's common shares on the Exchange and final regulatory approvals, among others, are forward-looking information. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. The Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by law

________________________________________

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE
FORM 8.3

PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY

A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE

Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the "Code")

1. KEY INFORMATION

(a) Full name of discloser: Majedie Asset Management Limited (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):



The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named. (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:



Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree



TESCO PLC (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken:



For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure 29 November 2017 (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?



If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state "N/A" No





2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

(a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

Class of relevant security:



ORD 5P



Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 308,288,187 3.76 (2) Cash-settled derivatives:



(3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:



TOTAL:



308,288,187



3.76

All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

(b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors' and other employee options)

Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists: Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:

3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

(a) Purchases and sales

Class of relevant security Purchase/sale



Number of securities Price per unit ORD 5P Purchase 109,379 197.3121 ORD 5P Purchase 168,422 198.1538

(b) Cash-settled derivative transactions

Class of relevant security Product description



e.g. CFD Nature of dealing



e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit





(c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

(i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type



e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit

(ii) Exercise

Class of relevant security Product description



e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit





(d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

Class of relevant security Nature of dealing



e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable)





4. OTHER INFORMATION

(a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:



Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"



None





(b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:



(i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or



(ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:



If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"



None





(c) Attachments

Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO

Date of disclosure: 30 November 2017 Contact name: Matthew Hambly Telephone number: 0207 618 3900

Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code's disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.




TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Local community and business leaders, along with entrepreneurs, are gathering to look at what has shaped the Tallahassee-Leon County entrepreneurial culture over the past 5 years, and discuss strategies for the future.

Conversations are taking place around all aspects of businesses formation and retention in the community. Business and community leaders want to build on the momentum started 5 years ago this month at the Leon County stakeholder forum.

Wednesday, the group is looking back at the progress that has been made since 2012, and exchanging ideas on how the entrepreneurial community can continue to grow.

Domi Station is one of the direct results that came out of the stakeholders forum in 2012.

"There are really critical ways we can support our local businesses and help them grow and reach outside our community," said Kristen Dozier, the county commissioner for district 5. "We're doing that better and better every year. I'm excited about that I think the turnout today is an indication in how far we've come but also in what we still need to do to make Tallahassee known for its entrepreneurial businesses."

The group is discussing essential collaborations between government, business and educational institutions in the effort to attract startups and make Tallahassee a destination for early stage businesses.

In order to foster strong economic growth, the county needs a vibrant business community.

Wednesday's event is one way to support local businesses and make plans for the entrepreneurial future.
LEON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - Leon County has become one of 20 Florida counties to launch an Animal Abuser Registry.

The registry was launched earlier this month to increase public awareness of animal crimes and to serve as a resource for those choosing to sell or adopt animal.

Officials say the online registry will display adults who reside within the city and county limits who have been convicted of certain animal abuse crimes. The registry will include the convicted abusers full name, address, date of birth, the offense(s), date of conviction, date the listing will expire and photograph.

Leon County has become one of 20 counties in Florida to implement an animal abuser registry.

Citizens are still encouraged to report suspicious activity and people to Leon County Animal Control at (850) 606-5400.

You can access the registry here.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - Governor Rick Scott has appointed an interim sheriff for Jefferson County following the passing of Sheriff David Hobbs.

Alfred 'Mac' McNeill, 46, was appointed interim sheriff of Jefferson County on Thursday. His will serve until November 13, 2018.

Sheriff David Hobbs dedicated his life to serving our country in the military and the families of Jefferson County as Sheriff. We are grateful for his service and our thoughts and prayers continue to be with his loved ones during this difficult time," said Scott. "Today, I am proud to appoint Mac McNeill, a military veteran with 20 years of law enforcement experience, to serve as Jefferson County Sheriff. I am confident that Mac will serve and protect the families of Jefferson County exceptionally and with the utmost integrity.

McNeill will replace Sheriff David Hobbs, who passed away Monday morning.

Hobbs had been battling cancer for awhile and passed due to complications with his lung cancer medication. He had served as Sheriff of Jefferson County since 2004.

Attorney General Pam Bondi released a statement about McNeill's appointment:

Attorney General Pam Bondi today issued the following statement on Governor Rick Scotts appointment of Mac McNeill to Interim Sheriff of Jefferson County:

There is not a better person in this state to fill the very large void left by Sheriff Hobbs. I have known Mac McNeill for many years, and not only does he exemplify the highest ethicsbut also will be a tremendous leader for the citizens of Jefferson County.

McNeill, 46, served with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as supervisor of protection detail for Governor Scott, Governor Crist, and Governor Bush.

Prior to this role, McNeill served in the Alachua County Sheriffs Office from 1997 to 2004 in various roles, including on the offices SWAT team.

McNeill received his bachelors degree in criminal justice from Saint Leo University and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - For more than a decade, Tallahassee Police have shared valuable information with the public about crime and other types of law enforcement responses through an online app called TOPS.

Since August 2007, TPD has provided Tallahassee online police statistics, or TOPS, as a resource for residents.

"We've upgraded it. We've tweaked it," said Officer Rachelle Denmark with the Tallahassee Police Department. "We've made it better as the years have gone along. We've made it more specific to what the community is looking for."

Active incidents are mapped out in the Capital City with different icons for the types of responses, from harassment and stalking to a traffic crash or transportation incident. TOPS is also used to document data over time.

"You can collect a 24-hour idea of what's happened -- historical data, and you can also look at the year in review," said Denmark.

Earlier this month, Tallahassee Police and the Leon County Sheriff's Office signed an agreement, allowing both agencies to access what's called computer aided dispatch data. TPD says it's all in an effort to improve information sharing with its partners and the community.

"It's a very quick way to get a snapshot of the crime statistics in the community," said Denmark.

TOPS now includes calls from the Leon County Sheriff's Office, giving deputies a clearer picture of where help is needed most.

"It helps the agencies understand what's going on with each other's agencies, with each other's cases -- what cases they're working, what cases we're working, where our guys' hotspots are -- so we can better allocate our resources," said Lt. Grady Jordan with the Leon County Sheriff's Office.

Incident data from the Leon County Sheriff's Office is available through TOPS, starting from this month.
State regulators offer three options for home grown recreational pot, and none of them will make smokers happy
DENVER, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RLH Corporation (NYSE:RLH) hosted an Investor Day in Denver with presentations given by Greg Mount, President & CEO, and members of the executive and senior leadership teams on Wednesday, November 29, 2017. The agenda included presentations on:



RLH Corporation Technology & RevPak

RLH Corporation Planning

Office & Model Room Tour

RLH Corporation Strategy

Hotel RL Brand

Signature Inn Brand

Upscale Development Outlook

As RLH Corporation continues to focus on the companys long-term approach to achieve most of its EBITDA from its franchise business, we found it instrumental to host an Investor Day, said Mount. The day was extremely engaging and we received invaluable input from key industry analysts and investors.

All presentations from the Investor Day are available on the RLH Corporation investor relations website. To learn more about RLH Corporation or to view the presentations from Investor Day, visit rlhco.com.

About RLH Corporation

Red Lion Hotels Corporation is an innovative hotel company doing business as RLH Corporation and focused on the franchising, management and ownership of upscale, midscale and economy hotels. We focus on maximizing return on invested capital for hotel owners across North America through relevant brands, industry-leading technology and forward-thinking services. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.rlhco.com.

Social Media:

www.Facebook.com/rlhcorp

www.Twitter.com/rlhco

www.Instagram.com/rlhco

www.Linkedin.com/company/rlhco

Investor Relations Contact:

Amy Koch

O: 509-777-6417

C: 917-579-5012

Investor.Relations@rlhco.com

Media Contact:

Dan Schacter

Director, Social Engagement and Public Relations

847-877-9420

dan.schacter@rlhco.com
YORK  The attempt to pass a fake $100 bill at a local store has resulted in a felony conviction and a hefty fine for a 62-year-old York man.

Noe Martinez Pineda appeared in York County District Court this week with his attorney, York County Public Defender Nancy Waldron.

As explained by York County Attorney Christopher Johnson, during earlier court proceedings, it was April 2 when a local business reported to the York Police Department that a man had attempted to pass a counterfeit $100 bill while purchasing beer.

Johnson explained during those earlier factual basis proceedings that when store workers told Pineda the $100 bill did not look like real currency, he then presented them with a real $20 bill from his pocket. The manager of the store kept the fake $100 bill and showed it to police.

Johnson said the bill had Chinese lettering on it and it was of the style used in other countries as a training bill to teach workers what real American currency looks like and doesnt look like.

Johnson said when Pineda was interviewed by police he was unable to say where he received the fake money. Upon explaining to him that this was a crime, to try to pass fake currency, he nodded yes and indicated that he knew it was a crime.

Johnson said that because Pineda presented real money to pay for the beer, no restitution was being sought.

Pineda was initially charged with first degree forgery and that was amended as part of a plea agreement to attempted first degree forgery.

Pineda, via a translator, pleaded no contest to the amended charge, which is a Class 4 felony.

He was facing a possible maximum sentence of two years in prison, a $10,000 fine and 9-12 months of post-release supervision.

Probation finds that he is suitable for probation, Johnson told the court this week. The victim was made whole on the date of the offense. Probation also is recommending a fine.

Waldron said her client has no serious law violations on his prior record and that hes been living and working in York since 2007.

He said he would comply with all terms of probation, Waldron told the court.

To your credit, you have employment and no prior record, Judge James Stecker said to Pineda. The pre-sentence report says that you are a low risk to reoffend. Based on the information that was provided, I find that you do have the ability to pay a fine.

Pineda was fined $2,500 and was ordered to pay all court costs associated with this matter.
NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Monaghan Medical Corporation understands that for those with asthma, particularly children, choosing the device that best delivers their medication is an important consideration. Research has shown that even when using the same metered-dose inhaler (MDI), not all valved holding chambers perform equally well.1

An infographic accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2340b9d7-3098-45d7-b393-3bc6e0579295

A landmark real-world study involving more than 18,000 asthma patients has demonstrated superior asthma control with the AEROCHAMBER PLUS FLOW-VU antistatic Valved Holding Chamber (VHC) compared with other chamber devices.2 According to the study, published in Pulmonary Therapy, use of the AEROCHAMBER PLUS FLOW-VU antistatic chamber resulted in delayed time to first exacerbation, fewer asthma-related emergency department visits, and lower exacerbation-related costs than control chambers.

Asthma is a common respiratory condition that affects an estimated 24.6 million people in the United States. Almost half of them, including nearly 3 million children, experience one or more asthma attack in a year.3

As opposed to systemic medications, inhalation is the recommended way to administer asthma medications because it directly targets the drug to the lungs while reducing potential side effects. Inhaled corticosteroids and bronchodilators administered by MDIs are the mainstay of long-term asthma treatment, the goals of which are to improve symptoms and prevent the occurrence of exacerbations.4

Poor inhaler operation by users is common, resulting in less of the delivered drug reaching the lungs. Instead, much of it is deposited on the back of the throat (oropharyngeal deposition) and then swallowed.5 Research shows that between 28% and 68% of patients do not use inhalers well enough to benefit from prescribed medication.6 In addition, 25% of costs associated with inhalers is wasted due to poor inhaler technique.6

Chambers are designed to reduce oropharyngeal deposition by changing the particle size distribution of the inhaled aerosol, and by holding the aerosol in the chamber until the patient is ready to inhale, which reduces the need for good coordination between inhalation and inhaler actuation.7 Effectiveness of these devices can be adversely affected by the design, including the chamber electrostatic charge, a commonly reported cause of inconsistent medication delivery.8

Global respiratory guidelines recommend the use of chambers to improve MDI drug delivery.4 American Thoracic Society and American Association for Respiratory Care Clinical Practice Guidelines state that the addition of a chamber is recommended and helpful.9,10 Research also indicates that patients who use a chamber with an MDI have better asthma control than those using an MDI alone.11

In this new study, Dr. Chakkarin Burudpakdee (QuintilesIMS, Fairfax, VA, USA) and colleagues compared the effects of the antistatic AEROCHAMBER PLUS FLOW-VU aVHC and control chambers on treatment outcomes, resource use, and healthcare costs in a real-world asthma population.2 More than 18,000 patients were included from an adjudicated claims database containing medical and pharmacy claims for more than 150 million U.S. health plan members.2

The analysis showed that among patients with at least 30 days of follow-up, those using the AEROCHAMBER PLUS FLOW-VU antistatic VHC experienced a delay in the time to first exacerbation and had fewer asthma-related emergency room visits. In addition, exacerbation-related costs were lower when compared to those using the control (non-antistatic) chambers.2 A trend toward lower exacerbation rates per patient for the AEROCHAMBER PLUS FLOW-VU aVHC was sustained throughout the 12 months of the study.2

This landmark study using a large volume of real-world evidence generated from thousands of patients shows the value of optimizing drug delivery in asthma management and further supports that chambers are not interchangeable, said co-author Dominic Coppolo, MBA, RRT, FAARC, Vice President Clinical Strategy and Development. The reduction in exacerbation incidents among users of the AEROCHAMBER PLUS FLOW-VU chamber is particularly notable because experiencing an exacerbation is a risk factor for future exacerbation eventsand minimizing exacerbation risk is a key goal of treatment.

The European Medicines Agency recommended in 2009 that development of a MDI should include the testing of at least one specific, named chamber, and that any substitution must be supported by appropriate in vitro or clinical data demonstrating equivalence, he said. We presented laboratory data at the recent Respiratory Drug Delivery Europe meeting2 that confirmed that not all chambers perform equally well with the same MDI, which underlines the importance of recognizing the impact and potential risks of substituting one device for another.

About Monaghan Medical Corporation

Monaghan Medical Corporation (MMC) offers leading aerosol drug delivery devices and respiratory management products including AeroEclipse II BAN, AeroChamber Plus aVHC and the Aerobika device exclusively in the United States. MMCs strength lies in product development around core capabilities in mechanical design complimented by collaboration with a state-of-the-art aerosol research laboratory. MMC focuses on developing cost-efficient, outcome-based solutions for its customers. https://www.monaghanmed.com

About AEROCHAMBER brand valved holding chambers, including the AEROCHAMBER PLUS FLOW-VU anti-static chamber

Developed in 1983 to address the needs of asthma and COPD patients having difficulty in taking their MDI medications correctly, the AEROCHAMBER brand of chamber has innovated continuously to improve patient ease of use and quality of life as well as clinical outcomes and healthcare system savings.

The AEROCHAMBER PLUS  valved holding chamber is the leading global chamber brand, with safety and efficacy validated in numerous third-party clinical evaluations among various patient populations. It is the chamber most recommended by leading MDI pharmaceutical companies.

valved holding chamber is the leading global chamber brand, with safety and efficacy validated in numerous third-party clinical evaluations among various patient populations. It is the chamber most recommended by leading MDI pharmaceutical companies. AEROCHAMBER PLUS FLOW-VU chamber is an antistatic chamber designed to deliver the intended prescribed dose via the MDI, similar to using an MDI with perfect technique. An additional feature is the incorporation of the FLOW-VU inhalation indicator for the caregiver to observe effective inhalation. A recent study showed that caregiver quality of life improved almost four-fold when using the AEROCHAMBER PLUS chamber with FLOW-VU indicator versus the same chamber without the indicator.12 The FLOW-VU indicator provides real-time feedback confirming an effective inhalation and that there are no leakages of ambient air into the space between facemask and face, which could prevent medication delivery altogether.

https://www.monaghanmed.com/AeroChamber-Plus-Flow-Vu-aVHC2

About the study

Data for more than 18,000 patients with an asthma diagnosis were analysed from the QuintilesIMS Real-World Data Adjudicated Claims Database (PharMetrics Plus) between 1/2010 and 8/20159,325 using the AEROCHAMBER PLUS FLOW-VU antistatic VHC and a propensity-matched comparison cohort of 9,325 non-antistatic VHCs. Exacerbation incident rates (IR), time to first exacerbation using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, occurrence of exacerbations, and healthcare resource use and costs were compared.

Exacerbation IR/100 person-days (95% CI) was significantly higher in the control device cohort than the antistatic chamber cohort (0.161 [0.150-0.172] vs.0.137 [0.128-0.147]); more patients in the antistatic chamber cohort remained exacerbation free.

4,293 patients in each cohort were followed up for 12 months, during which there was a trend for patients in the antistatic VHC group to be less likely (10-12%) to experience an exacerbation. Fewer patients using the antistatic VHC had an ED visit compared with those in the control group (10.8% vs. 12.4%).

Exacerbation-related costs for the antistatic VHC cohort were 23%, 25%, 20%, and 12% lower than the control device cohort at 1, 6, 9, and 12 months, respectively.

For clinical inquiries, please contact:

Dominic P. Coppolo, MBA, RRT, FAARC

Vice President Clinical Strategy and Development

Monaghan Medical Corporation

1-800-343-9071

Words or phrases accompanied by  are trademarks and registered trademarks of Monaghan Medical Corporation or an affiliate of Monaghan Medical Corporation.  2017 Monaghan Medical Corporation.

References

1 Nagel MW, Suggett JA. Equivalence evaluation of valved holding chambers (VHCs) with albuterol pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI). Respiratory Drug Delivery Europe; April 25-28, 2017, 2017; Nice, France.

2 Burudpakdee C, Kushnarev V, Coppolo D, Suggett J. A retrospective study of the effectiveness of the AeroChamber Plus Flow-Vu Antistatic Valved Holding Chamber for asthma control. Pulmonary Therapy. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41030-017-0047-1. Accessed July 14.

3 Asthma Facts. United States Environmental Protection Agency. EPA-402-F-04-019. May 2017.

4 Global Initiative for Asthma: Global strategy for asthma management and prevention, 2017. Available from: http://ginasthma.org/2017-gina-report-global-strategy-for-asthma-management-and-prevention/ Accessed November 2017.

5 Price D, Bosnic-Anticevich S, Briggs A, et al. Inhaler competence in asthma: common errors, barriers to use and recommended solutions. Respiratory Medicine. 2013;107(1):37-46.

6 Fink JB, Rubin BK. Problems with Inhaler Use: A Call for Improved Clinician and Patient Education. Respir Care 2005;50(10):136074.

7 Lavorini F, Fontana GA. Targeting drugs to the airways: The role of spacer devices. Expert opinion on drug delivery. 2009;6(1):91-102.

8 Mitchell JP, Coppolo DP, Nagel MW. Electrostatics and inhaled medications: influence on delivery via pressurized metered-dose inhalers and add-on devices. Respiratory care. 2007;52(3):283-300.

9 Chung KF, et al. International ERS/ATS guidelines on definition, evaluation and treatment of severe asthma. European Respiratory Journal 2014 ;43:343-373.

10 Ari A, et al. Aerosol Delivery Device Selection for Spontaneously Breathing Patients:2012. Respir Care 2012;57(4):613 626.

11 Levy ML, et al. Asthma patients inability to use a pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) correctly correlates with poor asthma control as defined by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) strategy: a retrospective analysis. Prim Care Respir J. 2013; Dec;22(4):406-11.

12 Ammari WG, et al. Evaluation of asthma control, parents quality of life and preference between AeroChamber Plus and AeroChamber Plus Flow-Vu spacers in young children with asthma. J Asthma 2015; 52(3):301-7.
This has been a long time in the making, but in our continuing pursuit to bring only the best of firearms, 2nd Amendment and defence related news to our readers, we are very excited to announce the next step in our evolution as a company.

As of 2020, Minuteman Review is now the proud owner and operator of Your Defence News, a website with a long history of breaking huge news stories and investigative journalism.

We hope you are equally as excited as us.

This means that now the teams of Minuteman can combine with the firepower of Your Defence News to stay at the absolute forefront for our readers.

Keep an eye. Big things are coming soon. We couldn't be more excited.

In the meanwhile, here are some of our most popular posts and categories to keep you busy.

Happy shootin' my friends!

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BONITA SPRINGS, Fla., Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovative Food Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB:IVFH) today announced that Nathaniel Klein has been appointed, as an independent Director, to its Board of Directors.

We are very excited to add Nathaniel Klein to the Board, said Sam Klepfish, Chief Executive Officer of Innovative Food Holdings. We believe that Nathaniels extensive private equity background and his data driven approach towards growing companies to the next level with a focus on unlocking shareholder value, are valuable resources for the Board of Directors of Innovative Food Holdings. We expect he will provide significant opportunities to build additional value for all Innovative Food Holdings shareholders.

Mr. Klein is a Vice President and a member of the founding team at North American Lithium (NAL). NAL owns and operates the Quebec Lithium project located in La Corne, Quebec, Canada, in which over $400 million has been invested and is in the process of become a leading lithium producer. From November 2008 until joining NAL in September 2016, Mr. Klein was a Vice President at Hale Capital Partners (HCP), a private equity and venture capital firm that focuses on providing value added growth equity and turnaround capital to public and private, lower middle market companies. At HCP, Mr. Klein was responsible for leading all aspects of the investment process. In addition, Mr. Klein worked closely with the management of HCP portfolio companies including, serving on behalf of HCP, as a board member or as a board observer for several portfolio companies. Prior to joining HCP, Mr. Klein was an Associate for Highbridge Capital Management, a multi-billion-dollar, multi-strategy fund owned by JPMorgan Chase, where he focused on structured finance transactions and Special Situations.

Innovative Food Holdings is well positionedfinancially and strategicallyto take advantage of the considerable growth opportunities in the specialty food sector, commented Mr. Klein. It is an exciting time to be joining the Board of IVFH, which contains the critical attributes to create significant shareholder value. I have tremendous respect for the management team and Board, and I look forward to working with them.

About Innovative Food Holdings

Innovative Food Holdings (OTCQB:IVFH) industry-leading specialty food platforms in the foodservice and consumer markets provide chefs and consumers direct access to the highest quality specialty food products across the United States.

In the direct-to-chef foodservice market, Innovative Food Holdings automated direct-to-chef platform offers efficient, cost effective, and transparent direct sourcing and distribution of over 7,000 specialty food products delivered daily to thousands of chefs nationwide.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains certain forward-looking statements and information relating to Innovative Food Holdings, Inc. (the Company) that are based on the current beliefs of the Companys management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company. Such statements reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to certain assumptions, including those described in this release. Should one or more of these underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as should, could, anticipate, believe, intend, plan, might, potentially or expect. The Company does not intend to update these forward-looking statements. Information about third parties was supplied to the Company by third parties and we accept no responsibility for its accuracy.

Management Contact

Ronit Wallerstein

Investor Relations Analyst

(718) 645-1755

rwallerstein@ivfh.com
Latest News

Washington, DC - Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Francisco L. Palmieri will travel to the Dominican Republic November 29-30. He will lead the U.S. delegation for the Caribbean-United States Security Cooperation Dialogue, marking the seventh year of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI).

CBSI is a partnership that fulfills the commitment to deepen regional security cooperation underscored in the Caribbean 2020 strategy. Through CBSI, the United States and the Caribbean region are working together to reduce illicit trafficking, increase public safety and security, and promote social justice.

During his visit, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary will also meet with government officials and civil society representatives.
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - Yesterday, the Yuma Fire Department recognized the graduation of ten new recruit Firefighters from our six week orientation academy. The orientation academy included daily intensive physical training, instruction and demonstrating proficiency in a variety of YFD policies and procedures, and hands on training in areas including fire rescue, vehicle extrication and patient care. All ten already had their firefighting and emergency medical certifications at the time of their hiring.

The graduation ceremony was held at 10:00 am in the City of Yuma Council Chambers at City Hall and was attended by family members and various city officials. Mayor Douglas Nicholls and City Administrator Greg Wilkinson assisted Fire Chief Steve Irr in recognizing the achievements of the graduates and welcoming them to city service.

The graduates will be reporting to their new assignments over the next few days, continuing their orientation and training as they progress through their probationary year. These Firefighters were hired to fill existing vacancies and are not part of the nine (9) Firefighters authorized for hiring by the $1.4 million award received from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant. The selection process is on-going for those individuals with hopes for the next academy class to begin in February.

Congratulations and welcome to the City of Yuma Fire Department.
Buenos Aires: Former Argentine navy captain Alfredo Astiz, known as the "Angel of Death," has received life in prison for crimes committed at a notorious torture centre during the country's 1976-1983 military junta.

He, along with ex-navy officer Jorge Acosta, were two of 54 accused in the massive trial probing nearly 800 human rights abuses carried out at ESMA, a former Argentine naval school that was one of the regime's most notorious torture centers.

Both men had already been sentenced to life imprisonment in prior trials.

In total, 29 people were handed life in prison yesterday, while another 19 got sentences ranging from eight to 25 years in prison. Six people were acquitted.

Some 30,000 people were kidnapped, tortured and killed in what became known as Argentina's "Dirty War," according to rights groups. Victims included Montonero guerrillas, labor union leaders, students, leftist sympathisers and in some instance, their relatives and friends.

The trial is part of an effort to probe torture and crimes against humanity committed at the ESMA Naval Mechanics School. Only a fraction of the estimated 5,000 regime opponents survived being sent there.

This is the third trial for human rights violations committed at ESMA, and some 800 witnesses have given court testimony.

Since the process began in November 2012, 11 of the accused have died, and three were deemed too ill to face trial.
VANCOUVER: Prof Naela Quadri Baloch, head of the World Baloch Women Forum (WBWF), has urged the United States to start compiling information for satisfactorily fulfilling statutory criteria for designation of former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf as Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGTs).

This has come in the wake of Musharraf coming out in support of the terror groups, the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), saying they were the biggest force against the Indian Army in Kashmir.

Prof Quadri Baloch, in a statement, said, "We strongly urge the US to immediately start compiling information for satisfactorily fulfilling statutory criteria for designation of Pervez Musharraf as Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGTs) under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, for associating with US designated terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and take appropriate steps to freeze all his assets and interests in the United States."

"Now that he has openly admitted , it is time for US to investigate the extent of control he exercised over LeT during and after his tenure as president of Pakistan. Investigation should include his role in assisting LeT in providing material and financial assistance, in recruiting terrorist operatives, gathering intelligence, covert terrorist operations," she added.

Prof Quadri Baloch further stated that Musharraf, who had callously butchered the Baloch using US-provided weapons, was still baying for Baloch blood.

"He needs to be brought to book for crimes against humanity. 'Those who stay in Pakistan, burn Pakistan`s flag and raise anti-national slogans deserve to be butchered,` these are the words of Musharraf. It is high time for the US to rethink its policy towards Pakistan and impose condition of `no use of US weapons in Balochistan` and halt further sales of weapons to prevent slow motion genocide of the Baloch," she added.

The statement further said that the WBWF urged all Governments around the world to actively expose and isolate such individuals in the Pakistani Millitary and impose sanctions for global peace and security.

"Baloch activists will relentlessly expose Musharraf in all International bodies and educate global citizens about his role in butchery of Baloch," it concluded.

Earlier yesterday, speaking on Pakistan`s ARY News, Musharraf said, "I am the biggest supporter of the LeT and I know they like me and the JuD also likes me.

"He further said he liked the global terrorist, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, and had met him.

The former Pakistan president added he was always in favour of terrorist action in Kashmir, and the LeT and the JuD were the biggest forces to take on the Indian Army in the state.

He also accused India of declaring the LeT and the JuD as terror groups with the help of the United States.

Earlier this week, the US strongly condemned the release of LeT leader Hafiz Saeed from house arrest and called for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution.

The White House in a statement, said, "The United States strongly condemns the release of LeT leader Hafiz Saeed from house arrest in Pakistan and calls for his immediate re-arrest and prosecution."

"A clear international consensus exists regarding Saeed's culpability-he was designated by the United Nations under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008. The Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the United States, since 2012, has offered a $10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice," it read.

Saeed, accused of masterminding the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people, was released on November 24 after a Pakistan judicial body ordered his release from house arrest, rejecting a request from the government of Punjab to extend his detention by three months.

The decision to put Saeed under house arrest in January was seen as a response to actions by US President Donald Trump's White House against nations deemed linked to terrorism.
Patna: Members of the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) protested for the fourth consecutive day inside the Bihar assembly and raised slogans against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The RJD members, holding placards, stood in the portico of the assembly building to register their protest.

Shouting slogans like "Nitish Kumar Balu Chor", they sought to highlight a series of scams from Srijan to toilets. They also raised their voices against the rising number of crimes in the state.

The five-day winter session of the Bihar Assembly began here on Monday.

Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav said his party would continue to highlight the "failures" of the government and issues related to public interest.

The winter session will end on December 1.
New Delhi: Amid row over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus 'Padmavati', the director along with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Prasoon Joshi are most likely to appear before a parliamentary panel in order to discuss the controversy surrounding the period drama.

Fringe groups are against the release of this film, demanding a nation-wide ban over allegations on the filmmaker of 'distorting historical facts'. Ironically, none of the members protesting against the venture has watched the film.

Veteran Bollywood actor Nana Patekar slammed the death threats posed to lead actress Deepika Padukone and Bhansali. He told ANI, Issuing death threats to Deepika Padukone & Sanjay Leela Bhansali is wrong.

Also, he added, Why does controversy happen in his films? I don't know how the characters are portrayed as of now, I can tell this to Sanjay (Bhansali) only after watching the film.

Meanwhile, the 30-member parliamentary panel on IT has also asked the producers of the movie and officials of the information and broadcasting ministry to attend the meeting and brief it on the furore related to the film, reports PTI.

"The panel has asked Mr Bhansali and Mr Joshi to appear before it and present their views on the movie. They can present their case before the panel. The members have also decided to call the producers of the movie," chairman of the panel Anurag Thakur told PTI on November 28.

'Padmavati' stars Deepika, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor in the lead. Earlier, the film was scheduled to hit the screens on December 1, 2017 but got deferred as CBFC is yet to issue clearance certificate to the film.
Johnstown, PA, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

The Federal Emergency Management Agencys (FEMA) Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Cyber Security Division, Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) team has awarded Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) a one-year contract worth nearly $1.8 million to support a technology that CTC developed on previous FEMA contracts. The Accountability Tracking System (ATS) is a mobile, electronic validation system used to identify personnel during emergency response situations.

ATS (officially called the Federal [and Mutual Aid] Emergency Response Official Accountability Tracking System or F/ERO ATS) has become a baseline of the FEMA enterprise system. ATS was first used on a large scale during the 2017 Presidential Inauguration, where it provided a validation capability to DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency personnel, enabling unescorted facility access. ATS was also recently used for the FEMA response to hurricanes in Texas, Florida, and Alabama, as well as in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, where it tracked FEMA employees going on and off commercial and Navy ships deployed for disaster relief.

CTC is the prime contractor on this effort and will provide production, sustainment, and integration support for ATS, as well as support for FEMA disaster deployment and credential issuing and logistics.

We are proud of CTCs work on this system; it exemplifies a core principal of creating breakthrough technologies that are successfully transitioned to meet real-world requirements or challenges, said Edward J. Sheehan, Jr., CTC President and CEO. We look forward to continuing to support ATS, which plays an important role in disaster and other emergency responses.



CTC began providing expertise on this technology in 2010. This contract runs through September 14, 2018.

Were very happy to continue to support and optimize the system that we developed, said Michael Glace, CTC Advisor, Information Technology. While the original software tracked personnel based on their credentials, were now able to track personnel as well as equipment assigned to them and help direct them where they need to be. This technology can be used anywhere that accountability tracking is needed.

Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) is an independent, nonprofit, applied scientific research and development professional services organization. Together with our affiliates, Enterprise Ventures Corporation and CTC Foundation, we leverage research, development, test and evaluation work to provide transformative, full lifecycle solutions. To best serve our clients needs, we offer the complete ability to fully design, develop, test, prototype and build. We support our clients core mission objectives with customized solutions and strive to exceed expectations. For more information about CTC, visit www.ctc.com.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/811fe540-5a0d-4114-908c-22aa63d6ed82

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/24c87c28-7823-42e9-b3c8-ec7f63fae94e
CHENNAI: The ruling AIADMK on Thursday nominated E Madhusudhanan as its official nominee to contest the RK Nagar polls scheduled for December 21.

His name was finalised from a list of aspirants, who had applied expressing their willingness to contest the by-poll, a party release here said adding that he was the unanimous choice of the party.

Madhusudhanan is the presidium chairman of AIADMK and a Panneerselvam loyalist. According to a report, as many as 19 other AIADMK members had also submitted an application seeking nomination to contest the RK Nagar Assembly constituency.

His candidature came on the day after the rebel faction of the AIADMK named TTV Dinakaran as its candidate for the RK Nagar bypoll.

DMK's M Maruthu Ganesh and sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran are also in the fray.

Madhusudhanan was then the candidate of the Panneerselvam-led rival AIADMK faction, while Dhinakaran was contesting on the then AIADMK (Amma) camp.

The factions led by Panneerselvam and Palaniswami later merged in August even as the Election Commission awarded the 'Two Leaves' symbol to the unified AIADMK.

In 2015, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was elected from the RK Nagar constituency. After her death in December last year, the constituency was left void.

Although the by-poll was scheduled for April 12, it was countermanded following reports of attempted voter bribing by a candidate.

The Madras High Court had directed to hold the by-poll before December 31.

The DMK has said it will be renominating its candidate Marudhu Ganesh and immediately got support from the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruttai Katchi (VCK) and All India Forward Bloc.
New Delhi: A cleric was beaten by three unknown bike-borne youths in a road rage incident here, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place around 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday in west Delhi`s Bawana area, when Irshad Rehmani, who is in his 40s, and works in a Madarsa, was walking to his home in Bawana J.J colony.

"Three youths were riding the bike in a reckless manner. When the bike touched Rehmani, who was walking near the madarsa, he protested and asked them to drive slow in the crowded street," Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Gupta told IANS.

"The accused then slapped him multiple times and fled when Rehmani informed the police control room. It was a minor injury and there is no communal angle to it."

However, Rehmani alleged that the accused hurled religious slurs at him.

Gupta said that a case has been registered against the accused for voluntarily causing hurt and a probe is on to ascertain their identities.
New Delhi: Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin's son, who is lodged in Tihar jail in connection with terror-funding cases, was among the 18 prisoners injured in a scuffle with security guards, officials said today.

All the 18 prisoners, including Syed Shahid Yusuf,?were injured when the personnel of the Tamil Nadu special force intervened after one of their physically handicapped officers was assaulted by three inmates at Tihar central jail number 1 on the intervening night of November 21-22 during checking.

These facts were conveyed by Tihar jail authorities to the Union Home Ministry in a report submitted yesterday, a ministry official said.

The injured prisoners are being examined by a three- member team of doctors from the AIIMS here.

A fact-finding team, headed by a district judge rank officer, has been constituted to investigate the entire incident.

The commandant of the Tamil Nadu special force battalion deployed in Tihar jail has also been asked to conduct a separate detailed probe into the incident and take appropriate action against anyone found negligent, the official said.

Giving details of the incident, the official quoting the Tihar jail report said,?three prisoners, including a Kashmiri, were found to be having unauthorised materials and when Tamil Nadu special force sub inspector Muthu Pandee tried to remove them, the inmates resisted and assaulted him.

As the officer, who is physically handicapped, was alleged beaten up by the three inmates, other policemen intervened in which the 18 prisoners, including Yusuf were injured.

After the incident, the team of Tamil Nadu special force was removed from the active jail duties.

The jail authorities have deposited the relevant evidence, including CCTV footage, to the probe teams, the official said.

All employees of the Tihar have been sensitised and asked to ensure that inherent dignity of the prisoners, while carrying out searches, are protected, the official said.

On Tuesday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had telephoned Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba to enquire about the Tihar incident.

Mehbooba spoke to Gauba about social media reports on the alleged assault of Kashmiri prisoners in Tihar jail and urged him to ensure their safety.

"A prison is considered to be the safest place but the alleged incidents that have come to light put a question mark on it," she said in a statement.
NEW DELHI: Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said several naval ships and maritime aircraft were deployed for a rescue work as Tamil Nadu and Kerala braced for a powerful cyclonic storm.

At 22:00hrs, the ICGS Samarth sailed from Kochi for rescue, the minister said.

Seven naval units have been directed to conduct the rescue work along the Kerala coast. Ship C-427 has also sailed for Vilinjam on a rescue mission.

In addition, the Eastern Naval Command will launch the P8i Maritime Patrol aircraft for the rescue and relief mission, Sitharaman added.

The MeT department had earlier sounded a cyclone alert in the two southern Indian states after strong winds and heavy rain battered the region.

At least four people were reportedly killed in Tamil Nadu storm-related incidents. However, there were no reports of deaths from Kerala.

A deep depression over Comorin area has intensified into a cyclonic storm 'Ockhi', Indian Meteorological Department said.

The cyclone Ockhi is fast moving towards Lakshadweep and its intensity is not weakened yet. Due to this heavy rains are expected in southern districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the IMD said in a statement.
The Hague: In shocking live scenes, a Bosnian Croat war criminal took his own life Wednesday in front of UN war crimes judges, apparently drinking poison just after they upheld his 20-year jail term for atrocities committed during the 1990s Balkans conflict.

Slobodan Praljak, 72, died in hospital, after drinking from a small brown glass bottle in full glare of the cameras at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), officials said.

The unprecedented drama came as judges handed down their very last verdict at the court in the appeal case of six Bosnian Croat political and military leaders.

Praljak, a former military commander of a breakaway Bosnian Croat statelet, shouted out angrily:



"Praljak is not a criminal. I reject your verdict."

Standing tall, with a shock of white hair and beard, he then raised a small brown bottle to his lips and tipped it into his mouth. The hearing was quickly suspended as Praljak`s lawyer interjected:



"My client says he has taken poison."

The stunning events caused a shockwave in Croatia and cast a cloud over what should have been a successful end to the ICTY, which closes next month more than two decades after being set up at the height of the 1992-1995 Bosnian conflict.

Immediately after sentence was passed Praljak "drank a liquid while in court and quickly fell ill," ICTY spokesman Nenad Golcevski told reporters. He could not confirm what was in the bottle.

As emergency crews rushed to the tribunal efforts were made to give him medical treatment and he was "transported to the hospital where he passed," Golcevski added.

The courtroom has now been secured as a crime scene by Dutch investigators, who will be leading the probe into Praljak`s death.

Among the questions to be answered will be how he managed to evade tight security to smuggle the bottle into the tribunal.

And if the liquid was indeed poison or noxious, how did he acquire it in the UN detention center in The Hague where he was being held, Croatia`s Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic slammed the "injustice" of the UN tribunal and expressed his condolences.

"His act, which we all unfortunately witnessed today, speaks mostly about the deep moral injustice towards six Croats from Bosnia and the Croatian people," he told reporters.

Praljak`s act demonstrated "what sacrifice he was ready to make" to show he was "not a war criminal," said Dragan Covic, the Croat member of Bosnia`s tripartite presidency.

"It is a humiliation of this institution which has existed since 1993."

Late Wednesday candles were lit in Mostar by Bosnian Croats and other residents in tribute to the late general.

It is not the first time that defendants have taken their own lives at the ICTY. Former Croatian Serb leader Milan Babic killed himself in his cell at the UN detention center in 2006, after another Croatian Serb, Slavko Dokmanovic, in 1998.

And former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic was found dead in his cell in 2006 from natural causes before his trial could be completed.In the complex ruling, the judges upheld the jail terms against all six defendants, including a 25-year sentence imposed on Jadranko Prlic, the former prime minister of the breakaway Bosnian Croat statelet, known as Herzog-Bosna.

Praljak had been specifically charged with ordering the destruction of Mostar`s 16th-century bridge in November 1993.

But in their ruling, the judges allowed part of Praljak`s appeal, saying the bridge had been "a military target at the time of the attack." But they refused to reduce his overall sentence.

The bloody 1992-1995 war in Bosnia, in which 100,000 people died and 2.2 million were displaced, mainly pitted Bosnian Muslims against Bosnian Serbs, but also saw some brutal fighting between Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats after an initial alliance fell apart.

The appeal judges said all six men, who had been found guilty of seeking to remove Bosnian Muslims from the territory, "remained convicted of numerous and very serious crimes."

In statements sure to anger Zagreb, the judges upheld the original trial finding that the men had been part of a joint criminal enterprise whose "ultimate purpose was shared" by late Croatian president Franjo Tudjman, and other leaders.

The aim of the scheme was to set up "a Croatian entity that ... facilitated the reunification of the Croatian people."

Following the verdict, Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kotarovic interrupted an official visit to Iceland to rush home.

Terms ranging from 20 to 10 years were also upheld against the four other defendants. Wednesday`s verdict comes a week after the judges imposed a life sentence on former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic.

His judgement had also descended into confusion when he accused the judges of lying and had to be dragged away into a nearby room.

The ICTY closes its doors on December 31, having indicted and dealt with 161 people.
London: A Sikh taxi driver has been hailed as a hero for saving a 13-year-old school girl in the UK from a planned abduction by a paedophile armed with knives, tape and sleeping pills, a media report said.

Satbir Arora picked up the girl on February 20, dressed in her school uniform, after she booked his taxi to go from her home in Oxfordshire to Gloucester train station, the Metro.Co.Uk reported.

But waiting for the underage girl was 24-year-old Sam Hewings, who planned to abduct her after she was dropped off. He had already discussed kidnapping, sedating and raping a victim on online forums, the report said.

When no one arrived to meet the girl, the taxi driver asked her for more information but when pressed she declined to say more, it said.

Arora tried to ascertain whether the girl's parents knew where she was, while phoning the man she said she was meeting making recordings of all of the calls.

Arora called his wife with whom he runs the taxi service and discussed his concerns with her, before passing the phone to the girl. The girl eventually confided in Arora that her parents did not know where she was, it said.

He then called the police, while also alerted a nearby police officer.

Arora has now been given an award for his work protecting the girl on February 20 this year, saving her from an 'unthinkable ordeal', the report added.

"Satbir Arora was presented with a certificate for outstanding achievement in safeguarding, by Councillor Kieron Mallon, the lead member for public protection," a spokesman for Cherwell District Council said.

"I can't praise Arora enough for his caring attitude and for recognising that his passenger was in grave danger," Mallon said.

He saved his passenger from an "unthinkable ordeal", and had the presence of mind to record his calls with the would-be kidnapper, providing crucial evidence to the prosecution service, Mallon added.
FARIDABAD: The Faridabad-Noida-Ghaziabad (FNG) expressway project, which has seen no progress over the past two years even after spending Rs. 129 crore, could be scrapped, a media report said on Thursday.

The project has been in the making for the past three decades but it still remained incomplete. However, about 70% of the Noida stretch has been built.

According to the Times of India, the Centre has told the Noida authorities that since it's already building the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), which is parallel to the FNG, there's no need for the FNG anymore.

The FNG was planned in 1989 but the actual work on the project only started in 1993.

In November 2015, the UP government had given a no-objection to the Centre to grant it a national highway (NH) status.
NEW DELHI: Continuing his campaign for the assembly polls in his home state Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday attacked Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for calling GST 'Gabbar Singh Tax' and said those who looted the country could only think of dacoits.

"It is natural for those who have looted all their lives to remember dacoits. Under their Grand Stupid Thoughts they want basic necessities of the poor to be taxed at 18%. At the same time, they want cigarettes and alcohol to be cheaper. What logic is this," Modi said in an address to a rally in Morbi, that goes to polls in the first phase on December 9.

Gandhi was propagating a "grand stupid thought" in the name of GST, telling people that Congress will scrap all tax rates and bring a uniform 18% rate, the PM said.

This meant 18% tax on salt and the same 18% tax on luxury cars costing Rs 5 crore, Modi stated.

"What kind of smartness is this... How has such an economist emerged here? You want to make the goods used by the poor like clothes, footwear and food costlier, and you want to make cigarettes and liquor cheaper," he said, ripping into the "anti-poor" Congress over its criticism of the tax reform.

The prime minister went on to say that making cigarettes cheaper means bringing cancer to every home and asked which rich businessmen the opposition leader sought to extend the benefit to by making liquor cheaper.

The Prime Minister also accused the Congress of blocking the bill giving OBC Commission a constitutional status.

Campaigning in his home state where the BJP is in power for close to two decades, Modi listed various development works by the state government for water conservation, agriculture and development of the Saurashtra region.

PM Modi also accused the Congress of taking credit for minor schemes like providing hand-pumps, while the BJP government got executed major works like the Narmada project.

Modi appealed to the voters of Gujarat to not let go of an opportunity where they could benefit from the rule of their man in Delhi.

"It is the first time that you have got an opportunity of having your man sitting in Delhi. Do not let this opportunity slip away," he said.

He also brought up a visit by Rahul Gandhi's grandmother, the late Indira Gandhi, in 1979.

Recalling the Macchu dam flood tragedy of 1979 in Morbi, the prime minister said he had spent one month working in the town after the disaster as an RSS and Jan Sangh worker.

"I remember Indira Gandhi had come here and Chitralekha (a local magazine) had printed her photo with a handkerchief over her nose, trying to avoid the stench, while another photo on the same front page had RSS workers carrying bodies," Modi said.

"Those who have helped us in times of difficulties should be remembered," he added.
Ahmedabad: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will continue to tour Gujarat despite a major controversy over his Hindu credentials which saw the ruling BJP questioning his faith and Prime Minister Narendra Modi giving a history lesson to the Gandhi scion.

A bitter war of words broke out between Congress and BJP after Rahul Gandhi's name was entered in a register for "non-Hindus" during a visit to Somnath temple. Rahul Gandhi had visited the temple to seek Lord Shiva's blessing, but the visit flared into a major row as he was put down as a "non-Hindu" along with Congress president Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel.

Non-Hindus are allowed into the Somnath temple but have to sign a register before doing so. BJP demanded Rahul specify his religious identity while Congress claimed it was a forgery.

Congress also accused the BJP of playing dirty politics and maintained he was a "devout Hindu".

The controversy arose after Rahul Gandhi's media coordinator Manoj Tyagi signed the register meant for non-Hindus, which the Congress claimed was manipulated later by adding the names of Rahul Gandhi and Ahmed Patel.

Moments after his visit, the social media was abuzz with pictures of a register showing the signature of Manoj Tyagi, with names of Gandhi and Patel on the left side.

The BJP went to town with the story that Rahul Gandhi has declared himself to be a non-Hindu.

"The Congress has always tried to project Rahul Gandhi as a Hindu. But the fact is that he is not. Rahul has visited over 20 temples of multiple Hindu deities since October. The Congress has been lying. The entry shows that he is not a Hindu," said Raju Dhruv, BJP spokesperson in Saurashtra region.

Manoj Tyagi issued a statement that he had just signed the register in order to take media personnel inside the temple and not entered Rahul Gandhi or Ahmed Patel's names. "These would have been added later," he said in the statement.

Somnath temple, located on the shores of the Arabian sea on the southernmost part of Gujarat, is revered by Hindus and enshrines the first of 12 'jyotirlings' of Lord Shiva. Through a notice in June 2015 the Shree Somnath Trust (SST) - the institution managing the temple - had made it mandatory for non-Hindus to seek permission of the Trust before entering the main temple.

Former Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel is incumbent chairman of the Trust, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP National president Amit Shah and retired Chief Secretary of Gujarat, P.K. Laheri are its trustees.

The Congress called a press conference at short notice. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the BJP was scared of the outcome of the Gujarat Assembly elections and was thus resorting to cheap politics.

"There is only one visitor's book at Somnath Temple that was signed by Congress VP Rahul Gandhi. Any other image being circulated is fabricated," said Surjewala, adding "Desperate times call for desperate measures" - referring to the BJP.

"When the visitor's book was given to him by the temple committee, Rahul Gandhi wrote a message on it with his name (Rahul Gandhi) and address (12, Tughlak Lane, New Delhi). "A very inspiring place" was the message he wrote in the book," he added.

The other register contained a signature by AICC media coordinator Manoj Tyagi, who was asked by some temple officials to sign so that the media-persons accompanying Rahul Gandhi could enter the temple.

Surjewala said, "After Rahul left the temple, by misusing some of our media friends, another fabricated entry was made public. Has the BJP become so cowardly that they are scared of coming out and speaking up."

He alleged that the names of Rahul Gandhi and Ahmed Patel were entered surreptitiously on the left side of the register meant for non-Hindus by someone - suggesting manipulation. "This was a fabricated register. Those names were added later," he said.

Showing the pictures of Gandhi wearing a sacred thread, Surjewala said that Rahul is a "Janayudhari" (devout) Hindu. "Whether it was during the time of his naming or at the time of his sister's wedding..or at the time of his father's cremation, he was seen with the sacred thread."

He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah not to stoop so low for political gains that "130 crore Indians start hating you".

"Truth will not change because of your conspiratorial tactics," he added.

BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said in a tweet: "Rahul Gandhi is a non-Hindu and a 'Shiv Bhakht'? Very impressive. No wonder he said earlier people go to temples and tease women."

Quoting an article written in 1998 in New York Times, which said by a certainty that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka were raised as Roman Catholics, Rao said, "This was never denied. Did Rahul Gandhi convert to Hinduism thereafter? @OfficeOfRG please clarify. It's not a personal issue any longer."

"Rahulji, Why is there so much secrecy and deceit about your and family's religion, foreign travels, educational qualifications, passports/citizenship? Questions are never answered. Even the British monarchy is more transparent. Is RTI only for govts & not for politicians? @OfficeOfRG," he said in another tweet.

Here is Rahul Gandhi's schedule: -



-11:00 hrs: Corner Meeting at Lathi, District Amreli

-12:15 hrs: Corner Meeting, Near Dhasa Railway Jn, District Botad

-13:30 hrs : Darshan at Gopinathji Mandir, Gadhada, District Botad

-14:15 hrs : Corner Meeting at Open Ground Near Lakshmi Narayan Society, Botad, District Botad

-15:45 hrs : Swagat at Barwala, District Botad

-16:45 hrs : Swagat at Vallabhipur, District Bhavnagar

-18:00 hrs : Public Meeting at Nari Chokdi, Bhavnagar, District Bhavnagar
New Delhi: In order to corner the ruling BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will ask the latter one question every day in the run-up to the assembly elections in Gujarat.

This was announced yesterday by Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala who said that Rahul would ask a question to the Prime Minister every day.

"Rahul Gandhi is asking a question every day, why did misgovernance of 22 years create such a situation," he had tweeted on Wednesday.

Rahul Gandhi today asked the PM why should the people of Gujarat pay for the alleged misrule and financial mismanagement by the ruling BJP, citing a debt of Rs 37,000 crores one every Gujarati.

22   ,#__



       :



1995    -9,183 

2017    -2,41,000 

    37,000 



           ?  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 30, 2017

Gandhi took to Twitter on Wednesday and tweeted "22 salon ka hisaab, Gujarat mange jawaab. (Gujarat demands answers for 22 years of BJP)".

22   ,

  



       :



2012     50    

5    4.72  



         45   ?  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 29, 2017

He said he would demand answers for 22 years of Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) rule in the state and the promises made to the people.

"First question to the Prime Minister on the state of affairs in Gujarat -- In 2012, promises were made to provide 50 lakh new houses but built 4.72 lakh in five years. Will the Prime Minister tell, whether it will take another 45 years to fulfill the promise?" Gandhi posted on Twitter.

Congress spokesperson Deepender Singh Hooda said he hoped Modi and the BJP would answer Gandhi's queries on "22 years of misgovernance" in Gujarat.

"We expect that the Prime Minister and the BJP to find some time and answer the questions asked to them by Rahul Gandhi," he said.

"The BJP is working for the super rich and middlemen. The party's (BJP) economic policy was at the cost of the poor," he added.

The Congress party has hit back at the ruling BJP after Rahul Gandhi's name was mired in a controversy over an alleged wrong entry in the register meant for non-Hindus at the famous of Somnath Temple in Gujarat.

A bitter war of words broke out between Congress and BJP after Rahul Gandhi's name was entered in a register for "non-Hindus" during a visit to Somnath temple. Rahul Gandhi had visited the temple to seek Lord Shiva's blessing, but the visit flared into a major row as he was put down as a "non-Hindu" along with Congress president Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel.

Non-Hindus are allowed into the Somnath temple but have to sign a register before doing so. BJP demanded Rahul specify his religious identity while Congress claimed it was a forgery.

Congress also accused the BJP of playing dirty politics and maintained he was a "devout Hindu".

The controversy arose after Rahul Gandhi's media coordinator Manoj Tyagi signed the register meant for non-Hindus, which the Congress claimed was manipulated later by adding the names of Rahul Gandhi and Ahmed Patel.

Moments after his visit, the social media was abuzz with pictures of a register showing the signature of Manoj Tyagi, with names of Gandhi and Patel on the left side.

The BJP went to town with the story that Rahul Gandhi has declared himself to be a non-Hindu.

"The Congress has always tried to project Rahul Gandhi as a Hindu. But the fact is that he is not. Rahul has visited over 20 temples of multiple Hindu deities since October. The Congress has been lying. The entry shows that he is not a Hindu," said Raju Dhruv, BJP spokesperson in Saurashtra region.

Manoj Tyagi issued a statement that he had just signed the register in order to take media personnel inside the temple and not entered Rahul Gandhi or Ahmed Patel's names. "These would have been added later," he said in the statement.

Somnath temple, located on the shores of the Arabian sea on the southernmost part of Gujarat, is revered by Hindus and enshrines the first of 12 'jyotirlings' of Lord Shiva. Through a notice in June 2015 the Shree Somnath Trust (SST) - the institution managing the temple - had made it mandatory for non-Hindus to seek permission of the Trust before entering the main temple.

(With Agency inputs)
English Dutch



November 30, 2017



New CFO and three Supervisory Board members gain shareholder approval



Akzo Nobel N.V. (AKZA.AS; AKZOY)



At today's Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), shareholders of Akzo Nobel N.V. (AkzoNobel) approved the separation of its Specialty Chemicals business as part of its strategy to create two focused, high performing businesses; Paints and Coatings and Specialty Chemicals.



The appointment of new Chief Financial Officer Maarten de Vries as a member of the Board of Management, effective January 1 was also approved, in addition to the appointment of three new members to the AkzoNobel Supervisory Board: Sue Clark, Patrick Thomas, and Michiel Jaski.



Shareholder approval enables AkzoNobel to separate its Specialty Chemicals business through a private sale or legal demerger. The dual-track process ensures the appropriate flexibility necessary to obtain an optimal result for shareholders and other stakeholders as well as certainty of execution.



As previously announced, AkzoNobel intends to return the vast majority of the net proceeds from the separation of Specialty Chemicals to its shareholders - starting with advance proceeds of 1 billion through a special cash dividend. The special dividend will be paid on December 7, 2017.



Thierry Vanlancker, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "We welcome Maarten de Vries to AkzoNobel. With his extensive international business experience he will further strengthen the leadership of our company. Today marks a significant milestone in the transformation of AkzoNobel into two focused high performing businesses, which remains on track for April 2018."



Antony Burgmans, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, commented: "Today's approval ensures we maintain momentum in the process to separate our Specialty Chemicals business. Our new appointments bring a wealth of new insight and experience to our Boards, supporting AkzoNobel to deliver sustainable growth and value creation.

This is a public announcement by AkzoNobel N.V. pursuant to section 17 paragraph 1 of the European Market Abuse Regulation (596/2014).

---

About AkzoNobel

AkzoNobel creates everyday essentials to make people's lives more liveable and inspiring. As a leading global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals, we supply essential ingredients, essential protection and essential color to industries and consumers worldwide. Backed by a pioneering heritage, our innovative products and sustainable technologies are designed to meet the growing demands of our fast-changing planet, while making life easier. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we have approximately 46,000 people in around 80 countries, while our portfolio includes well-known brands such as Dulux, Sikkens, International, Interpon and Eka. Consistently ranked as a leader in sustainability, we are dedicated to energizing cities and communities while creating a protected, colorful world where life is improved by what we do.

Not for publication - for more information

Corporate Media Relations Corporate Investor Relations T +31 (0)88 - 969 7833 T +31 (0)88 - 969 7590 Contact: Diana Abrahams Contact: Lloyd Midwinter

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements which address key issues such as AkzoNobel's growth strategy, future financial results, market positions, product development, products in the pipeline and product approvals. Such statements should be carefully considered, and it should be understood that many factors could cause forecasted and actual results to differ from these statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, price fluctuations, currency fluctuations, developments in raw material and personnel costs, pensions, physical and environmental risks, legal issues, and legislative, fiscal, and other regulatory measures. Stated competitive positions are based on management estimates supported by information provided by specialized external agencies. For a more comprehensive discussion of the risk factors affecting our business please see our latest annual report, a copy of which can be found on our website:www.akzonobel.com.
GURUGRAM: A jailbreak attempt has been foiled at Gurugram's Bhondsi jail, a media report said on Thursday.

Gangster Ajit Guliya and his aides Ankit, Rishi and Pradeep had hatched a plot to kill fellow prisoners from the rival Manjit Mahal gang and make their escape on Monday night, the Times of India reported, citing jail officials.

The prison staff has seized blunt objects like iron rods, cables, steel plates and mobile phones during a search at the premises, the report said.

The gangster and his accomplices also allegedly threatened to kill the officials.

Deputy superintendent of Bhondsi jail Sajid Khan in his complaint filed at the Bhondsi police station said the prison authorities swung into action after they had received information about the jailbreak plan.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been lodged against the inmates for their role in the alleged jailbreak attempt.
NEW DELHI: A day after the Somnath Temple controversy involving Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, a senior party leader on Thursday claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not a 'real' Hindu.

Senior party leader and former union minister Kapil Sibal claimed "Hinduism has nothing to do with Hindutva", and Modi has embraced the latter.

How often does PM go to a temple? he asked, adding, He isn't a real Hindu.

Sibal said, The one who considers every Indian his brother, sister or mother is a real Hindu.

The Somnath controversy erupted on Wednesday after Rahuls media coordinator Manoj Tyagi reportedly made an entry in the temple register on his behalf.

According to some media reports, the register entry at Somnath is only required for people from other faiths visiting the famed temple.

Soon after the incident, the social media was abuzz with talks over Rahul's religious status. Some even sought to know if he was a Hindu or Christian.

Congress, however, said Rahul is a Hindu, and to prove his credentials, it released three images showing him in puja, wedding and in last rite rituals.

Both PM Modi and the Congress leader were in Gujarat on Wednesday for the election campaign.

Gujarat will go to polls on December 14.

The ruling BJP and the opposition Congress have expressed confidence to win the polls.

In 2012 elections, BJP had won 115 seats while the Congress bagged 68 seats in the 182-member assembly.
New Delhi: BJP MP Kirron Kher on Thursday said that the survior in the recently reported Chandigarh gangrape case should not have entered an autorickshaw which already had three men inside.

The incident occurred on November 17 when the 22-year-old survivor was reportedly raped by three men inside an autorickshaw in the city's Sector 53 area. She had boarded the auto after attending a stenography class at Sector 37. While the accused were sent to police custody earlier on Thursday, it is Kher's statement that has shocked many. "I want to say that when already there were three men sitting inside the auto, you (rape survivor) should not have boarded it. I am saying this to protect the girls," said the actress-turned-politician. ""Whenever we took a taxi in Mumbai, we used to let someone know the taxi number. I feel that in these times, we also have to be more careful about these things."

#WATCH BJP MP Kirron Kher says 'she (Chandigarh rape victim) should not have boarded the auto rickshaw when she saw three men sitting in it' (29.11.17) pic.twitter.com/Daqe95rTIO  ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

Many immediately shot back at Kher saying that 'blaming' the victim for boarding the autorickshaw is shocking. Even as outrage against the comments grew on social media platforms, Kher attempted to later explain what she meant. "I said that times are bad and that girls should exercise caution. Shame on people who are doing politics over my statement. They too have girls at their homes and should talk constructive like me and not speak destructively."
Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operative Abdul Naeem Sheikh, who was arrested recently, had an important role in stone pelting incidents in Jammu and Kashmir. According to sources, some LeT terrorists located in internal parts of Kashmir were in touch with him.

Sources said that Naeem and one of his associates used to meet the terrorists in Bangladesh. He reportedly used a route via Nepal to reach Bangladesh from Pakistan.

With his contacts in law enforcement agencies, Naeem also helped the terrorists cross the India-Bangladesh border. He then facilitated logistical support to the terrorists in Punjab as well as Jammu and Kashmir.

Some ISI agents and other terrorists arrested by the agencies previously revealed in their interrogation that Naeem had an important role in Stone Pelting incidents in Kashmir.

Before his infiltration attempts, he used to conduct reccee in Kashmir, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh at important government installations and was providing images and videographs to his handlers in Pakistan who used to prepare there further plan accordingly.

Naeem used to make them aware of all movements and happenings in India and was hence given nicknames Kaala Kabootar and Courier Boy.

Naeem knows Hindi, Marathi, English, Urdu, Punjabi and Arabic languages, and used this skill to pose as tourist on several occasions.

A resident of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, Naeem was arrested in Varanasi after being tailed by security agencies for a few months.

The security agencies claimed that he had been roped in on the same lines as David Headley, a Pakistan- American, who is at present serving a prison sentence of 35 years in a US jail for his involvement in terror activities and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008.
New Delhi: In view of strong protests against yet-to-be-released film Padmavati, which is mired in a bitter controversy over alleged distortion of historical facts, a Parliamentary Panel has summoned director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Prasoon Joshi.

According to reports, the two are expected to meet members of the Parliamentary Panel today.

Also Read: Of Padmavati, Politics, Daughters in Law and Floccinaucinihilipilification

Led by BJP MP Anurag Thakur, Parliament's 30-member Standing Committee on Information Technology had decided to intervene into the controversy over the release of Rs 150-crore film Padmavati and sought clarifications from its makers and the CBFC officials.

"The panel has asked Bhansali and Joshi to appear before it and present their views on the movie. They can present their case before the panel. The members have also decided to call the producers of the movie," chairman of the panel Anurag Thakur was quoted as saying by PTI.

Importantly, actors Paresh Rawal and Raj Babbar, who are members of Parliament, are also part of the panel which will examine the issues relating to the movie.

The decision to summon the makers of the film and the CBFC officials was taken keeping in mind the vociferous protests by the right-wing Rajput groups and several politicians who have accused Bhansali of showing the 14th century Rajput Queen Padmavati in a bad light.

Led by Sri Rajput Karni Sena, the protesters allege that the makers of Padmavati had distorted history by filming a romantic dream sequence between the Rajput queen Padmini and Alauddin Khilji  a charge repeatedly rejected by Bhansali.

Meanwhile, the makers of Padmavati have also submitted a fresh application for a 3D version of the controversial film, which has been awaiting clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), PTI reported.

Both Bhansali and Viacom 18  the producer of the film  said that they had submitted a new application yesterday to the CBFC. The period drama was shot in 2D, but the filmmakers decided to convert it to 3D after positive feedback on the 3D trailer, it was reported.

The Supreme Court recently took a strong exception to statements made by persons holding high offices against the film, saying the remarks were tantamount to pre-judging the movie yet to be certified by the censor board.

The film, starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, is based on the life of Rajput queen Padmini.

As allegations of distorting history in the film triggered protests in various states, the makers of the movie have deferred its release date. The film was scheduled to release on December 1, this year.

The Karni Sena, a fringe group, as well as the BJP have been critical of the film and a number of BJP ruled states have already banned it.
NEW DELHI: Amid the raging controversy over director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus 'Padmavati', the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members on Thursday sought a ban on the film. However, on the other hand, the Members of Parliament (MPs) from Trinamool Congress and Congress opposed any ban on the film, said reports.

Earlier in the day, Bhansali along with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Prasoon Joshi appeared before a parliamentary panel in order to discuss the controversy surrounding the period drama.

Led by BJP MP Anurag Thakur, Parliament's 30-member Standing Committee on Information Technology had decided to intervene into the controversy over the release of Rs 150-crore film Padmavati and sought clarifications from its makers and the CBFC officials.

Bhansali faced a barrage of questions from the parliamentary panel which asked him if the "selective" media screening of his film was aimed at influencing the CBFC, PTI quoted sources as saying.

PTI said the members of the panel asked him, "How could you assume that the movie could be released on December 1 when you applied to the CBFC on November 11. As per the cinematography act, the CBFC may take 68 days before certifying a movie?"

"Is selective media screening of the movie fair and ethical? Was it an act to influence the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)," they asked.

They asked if the creating a controversy was a new trend to sell the movie, sources said.

The panel said media was giving free space due to the ongoing controversy and even social media had given the movie immense space.

They said it seemed that his movies tend to target communities which produced tension between them.

Censor board chief Prasoon Joshi was also scheduled to appear before the panel today, sources said.

The censor board chief had told another parliamentary panel earlier in the day that a decision on the film would be taken after showing it to experts, the sources said.

(With PTI inputs)
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday criticised the Indian media for focussing on negative news alone asking to shed its "negativity" and participate in the "irreversible changes" for the betterment of the country.

"Leaders from foreign countries ask me why does the Indian media focus so much on the negative news?" questioned PM Modi.

"Why are we doubting our own potential and achievements? We have such a vibrant history but we deny ourselves the pride. I am quoting President APJ Abdul Kalam, who said that 'if you scholars find it right, then you should discuss it in your seminars'," Modi said.

The Prime Minister's comment came at a leadership summit organised by a media house in the national capital on Thursday.

PM Modi asked the media organisation to extend their help to the government to change the course of the nation for amelioration.

"I request the media organisations to take an oath, where the way they turned Swachh Bharat into a national mission, they will help us (the government) change the course of the nation for the better," PM Modi said.

"No matter what people show on TV, people know that the scheme has brought about an irreversible change in the country", PM Modi said.

"Through Swachh Bharat, the government has not only created toilets but also relieved the pain of millions of daughters. The masses know how far reaching the changes are. I do not know how many people will relate to it but all of you who pay parking fees should know that a poor person, nowadays, gets life insurance for much less," he said.

Modi asserted that had any other achieved much less, it would have hailed itself and run a blitzkrieg of advertisements as the 'messiah of the poor'.

The prime minister also spoke about India's rapid growth in the digital space. He recounted Jan Dhan Yojna, Aadhar-based services, electrifying of villages among many other things.

On Digitisation:

"Connecting the power of mobile and Jan Dhan with the base has built up an arrangement that could not be figured out until a few years ago. Over the past 3 years, millions of bogus names have been removed from the base. Now even against the anonymous property, it's going to become a bigger weapon." says Modi.

On Aadhar:

"By linking Aadhaar to Mobile and Jan Dhan, we have created such a system that could not have been imagined few years back. In last three years, with the help of Aadhaar, crores of fake names have been removed from the system. Now it is going to be a big weapon against benami properties," Modi said.

   Irreversible Change                          , ,   , ,       ,         : PM  PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 30, 2017

On Black money

"Post-demonetisation, there has been a shift in the attitude of people which has helped in converting to a clean and healthy economy. Those with black money have a fear of being caught. That which was a part of the parallel economy is now a part of the formal economy," he said.

"On one side, the poor struggled to open one bank account and on the other side, there were companies which opened thousands of bank accounts," he added.

On Insurance claims

"More than 15 crore poor government insurance schemes have been added to the country. Under these schemes, the poor have been given a claim amount of about Rs 1800 crore," Modi said.

  15                    1800    claim                      .           

:PM  PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 30, 2017

The Prime Minister also said that he is ready to pay the political price for the steps taken by him for a better India and asserted he would not be deterred.

"I know through all these steps I've taken, the path I've started walking on, there is a political price I will have to pay, but I'm ready to pay it," he said.
New Delhi: In a major embarrassment for the Congress party, one of its senior leaders from Maharashtra, Shehzad Poonawalla, has questioned the process to elect party president, calling it "rigged".

Speaking to ANI, Poonawalla said, "The upcoming Congress president election is a selection and not an election. Its a sham election process.''

The upcoming Congress president election is a selection and not an election. Its a sham election process: Shehzad Poonawalla,Maharashtra Congress Secretary pic.twitter.com/TdQSXs98Wq  ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

I think there should be only one ticket in one family, be it Shehzad Poonawalla or Rahul Gandhi, the Maharashtra Congress leader said.

Poonawalla stated that he was fully aware of the consequences of his actions but maintained that it takes a lot of courage to speak out against what is wrong.

I have got info that the delegates who are going to vote for the party president elections are fixed, its rigged. They have been appointed for their loyalty. Yes It takes courage to speak out, there will be all kinds of attacks against me,but I have facts: Shehzad Poonawalla pic.twitter.com/On13hqIteP  ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

Poonawalla, the Maharashtra Congress Secretary, had on Wednesday asked Rahul Gandhi to first resign from his post.

Poonawalla had said he would also contest the election if it was conducted in a "genuine" manner.

He had also reportedly written a letter to Rahul Gandhi in this regard.

"I cannot contest a rigged election. If the system is genuine, then I will contest. It is a rigged election...it is a selection. Delegates who are going to vote for this election have not been elected as per the constitutional requirements. They have been handpicked," he was quoted as saying by IANS.

"I will contest if Rahul Gandhi ji agrees to first have genuinely-elected delegates and not hand-picked delegates. Second, he must give up his post because he has an unfair advantage by being the vice president. He has been selected and not elected as VP. He will leave his post, I will leave my post... Then we can contest,'' he added.

"Third, will he be ready for a televised debate where we both as contestants can have a debate on what is our vision for the Congress party? We can be judged on merit, not on the surname," he said.

"And finally, I want him to accept that our party must have a rule of one family-one ticket. I will be happy to contest a genuine election, not in a rigged election," the party leader added.

In his letter to Gandhi, Poonawalla asked several questions.

"Firstly, a common party worker like me joined the party in 2008-09. I spent time, energy and money working voluntarily for the party at all levels and finally got elevated after eight years to the position of a Secretary in a state unit in 2016.

"But how and why (other than your surname) did you in the same time span start off with an MP seat in 2004 itself, get general secretaryship in 2007 and then graduate to vice-presidentship of the national unit while your mother was the President?" he wrote.

"Did you win us more elections, were you genuinely elected to these posts, did you give better speeches than other leaders? You must, therefore, resign from the VP post and contest as an ordinary member for the election of the president. How can it be a fair contest if a common worker has to contest against the VP (who was selected and not elected as the VP or the number two in the party)?" he said.

"Since the delegate system is completely rigged and manipulated, for a fair fight for the presidentship, will you allow real delegates to get appointed and vote rather than a bunch of handpicked 'yes' men?

"If not, will you at least face your rival in a televised debate to see who articulates a better vision for the Congress party and India? Will you allow yourself to be judged on merit rather than your surname? If yes, let's have that contest. I am ready."

"You failed to deliver on the promise that IYC, NSUI won't end up electing children of 'netas'. Will you at least now curb the innumerable dynasts who are given tickets and posts in the party by implementing the rule - one ticket/post to only one member of any family, Poonawalla asked.

"So if I have a party ticket or post - my brother, sister, mother, brother-in-law, etc cannot be eligible for a ticket or post. We are not into some family business, are we?" his letter read.

With IANS inputs
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj will represent India at the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit being held in Russia's Sochi starting Thursday.

Swaraj had arrived in Russia's Sochi late on Wednesday. EAM Swaraj will have bilateral meetings with several leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

Swaraj will attend the restricted meeting of the heads of delegations on December 1, which will be followed by the preliminary sessions.

She will also attend the reception hosted by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on the same evening.

Shedding more light on Swaraj's visit, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, ''We attach special significance to the SCO in promoting political, economic and people-to-people contacts."



Asked whether she will have bilateral meetings with the Pakistan Foreign Minister or call on Chinese premier Li Keqiang, Kumar said her schedule is still being finalised.

On whether India will raise at the summit the issue of release of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed from house arrest and the larger challenge of terrorism, Kumar said India has been working with like-minded countries to deal with the menace.

In June, India along with Pakistan had become a full-fledged member of the SCO.

India's membership was strongly pushed by Russia, while Pakistan's entry into the grouping was backed by China.

As an SCO member, India is expected to have a bigger say in pressing for concerted action in dealing with terrorism as well as on issues relating to security and defence in the region.

India had been an observer at the SCO since 2005. It has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.

Swaraj will return back to India on December 2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attended the SCO summit in June in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan.

With ANI inputs
New Delhi: Any hedging between good and bad terrorists and undermining consequences of state-sponsored violence and proxy wars can be catastrophic to the region, Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah said today, in a clear reference to Pakistan.

Abdullah said Afghanistan was thankful to India for building infrastructure, opening trade routes and providing quality education in his country, adding New Delhi's "soft power generosity" was making it a rising world power.

In an address at the Hindustan Times Leadership summit, he said Afghanistan was striving hard to deal with terrorists and attempts of "dark forces" which have threatened its national fabric and identity.

"We are particularly thankful to India's soft power, generosity which ranges from infrastructure building to opening trade routes and providing quality education to our youth. This is why India is a rising world power and not just an emerging regional economy," he said.

India has invested USD 2 billion in aid and reconstruction activities in Afghanistan. Two months back, India had announced 116 new development projects for the war- ravaged country.

Identifying terrorism as a major challenge facing the region, he said Afghanistan was committed to fighting the menace and protecting its people against "Talibanism".

"Any type of hedging that differentiates between good and bad terrorists or fails to look at the linkages that exist between terrorists and extremists outfits or ignores state- sponsored violence and proxy warfares can have catastropic consequences," he said.
ROANOKE, Va., Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MacAulay-Brown, Inc. (MacB), a leading National Security company delivering advanced engineering services, cybersecurity and product solutions, announced today that Program Manager John Hallman, a technical expert with the companys Secure Computing and Communications (SCC) team, will present his abstract entitled, Overcoming Challenges of Functional Recovery for Obsolete Programmable Microelectronic Components on Wednesday, December 6 at the Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS 2017) conference. Mr. Hallman will discuss Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) bitstream extraction techniques and successful design recovery for the Advanced Microcircuit Emulation (AME) program. The conference is scheduled from December 4-7 at the Tampa Convention Center in Florida.



Key themes at DMSMS 2017 will include obsolescence management best practices and lessons-learned, new and innovative management strategies, collaboration as a key to success, and training for DMSMS practitioners and managers. The conference this year will feature 130 unique exhibitors, and 600 organizations will be represented. More than 1,300 sponsors, attendees and exhibitors are expected from the Department of Defense, as well as leading organizations from both DMSMS and the Defense Manufacturing Conference (DMC) communities.

MacBs demonstration of extracting the bitstream from the physical device and translating the design into a hardware description language on the AME program represents a significant advancement in obsolescence solutions for programmable logic devices, said Barry Polakowski, Senior Director of MacBs SCC team based in Roanoke, Virginia. As a DMEA accredited Trusted Microelectronic Supplier of Design, MacB provides this assured capability as a service for component obsolescence to our government customers.

ABOUT MACAULAY-BROWN, INC. (MacB)

Over the past 38 years, MacAulay-Brown, Inc. (MacB) has been solving many of our Nations most complex National Security challenges. We are committed to delivering critical capabilities in the areas of Intelligence and Analysis, Cybersecurity, Secure Cloud Engineering, Research and Development, Integrated Laboratories and Information Technology to Defense, Intelligence Community, Special Operations Forces, Homeland Security, and Federal agencies to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world. With Corporate Headquarters in Dayton, Ohio and National Capital Headquarters in Vienna, Virginia, our 1,500 employees worldwide are dedicated to developing mission-focused and results-oriented solutions that make a difference where and when it matters most. Learn more about MacB at www.macb.com.

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Washington DC: The United States administration of President Donald Trump on Thursday hailed Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) which is being held in India's Hyderabad and said that its tremendous success is indicative of the strong bilateral relationship between the two great nations.

Calling the GES Summit a "tremendous success", the Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, Heather Nauert, said, "I am so proud that the US and India held the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad... I think it's a tremendous success when we bring in 1500 entrepreneurs from around the world."

Hailing the Indo-US ties, Nauert said, ''We have a wonderful relationship with PM Modi and India. A part of our constant conversations is to do more to help with North Korea. It is a global problem and a threat. Hope that India will do more and well continue to have those conversations with government.''

We have a wonderful relationship with PM Modi and India. A part of our constant conversations is do more to help with North Korea.It is a global problem&threat. Hope India will do more&well continue to have those conversations with government: Heather Nauert,US State Dept pic.twitter.com/sMyWRD38hg  ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

When asked about Ivanka Trump leading the US delegation in the summit, she said, "We are also proud that Ivanka Trump, President Donald Trump's daughter and one of his most trusted and closest adviser, led the US delegation over there. I, personally, think of no better representative of a woman entrepreneur in the US than her to go over there."

Ivanka Trump was personally invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June earlier this year to spearhead the delegation.

Ivanka's visit to India has been clouded by US media reports questioning Trump's clothing line and its supply chain as well as what some view as a snub by Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State, who had reportedly refused to send senior staff with Trump to India. But Nauert clearly rubbished these reports.

"The State Department was very much involved in helping to facilitate all of these. We have a bunch of people on the ground there," the US spokesperson added.

On the 1500 entrepreneurs from across the world attending the summit, Nauert said, "Our embassies helped in nominating, if I understand that correctly, many of the entrepreneurs from around the world. Picking entrepreneurs saying that we would like to help you get to India to be able to talk about the great work you are doing, the jobs that you are growing."

"Part of the theory behind that is women's empowerment and getting more women into the workforce by helping them succeed in growing companies by finding investors for those companies. So, we are pleased with that, that we brought in 1500 and more than half of those are women," she added.

The three-day summit, which is being hosted for the first time in South East Asia, began in Hyderabad on Monday.

"Technology is a great driver of entrepreneurship because a lot of women are leaving and saying this doesn't work for me. It is emboldening them to go out on their own. It is reducing barriers to starting new businesses, and creating flexibility around the schedule," Ivanka Trump had said earlier in the summit.

Ivanka Trump and the US delegates accompanying her were given a red carpet welcome in India and treated to a variety of Hyderabadi delicacies includingh biryani.

US President Donald Trump's daughter and other delegates of the GES Summit also attended a gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the iconic Taj Falaknuma Palace on Tuesday.

Modi, Telangana Governor ESL Narasimhan, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and some top politicians and industrialists dined with Ivanka on the 101-seater dining table at the palace hotel.

Ivanka and the US officials accompanying her were given a 'taste of India' at the extravagant dinner and were treated to famous Hyderabadi specialities like dahi ke kebab, gosht shikampuri kebab, kubani ke malai kofta, murg pista ka salan and sitaphal kulfi.

The five-course meal centred around the cuisine of Hyderabad and was reportedly designed by the Taj Falaknumas Executive Chef Sajesh Nair.

Ivanka was given a royal treatment and was ferried from the main gate to the palace atop the hill in a horse-drawn carriage of the Nizam era. She and other guests were greeted with a rose petal shower on entering the palace.

The White House advisor also went around the palace, which was once the residence of the Nizam, the ruler of erstwhile princely State of Hyderabad.

(With ANI inputs)
Srinagar: A teenager was injured in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday in clashes with the army in Badgam district where a gunfight is raging between security forces and militants.

Police said an army convoy carrying reinforcements to Futlipora village, where the gun battle was on, was attacked with stones by a mob in Pakherpora Chowk.

"Fifteen-year-old Sinar Ahmad was injured when the army resorted to aerial firing after the mob attack on the convoy.

"Ahmad was shifted to hospital in Srinagar," a police officer said.

Following specific information about the presence of militants, the security forces on Thursday morning surrounded the Futlipora village.

"As they closed in on the hiding militants, the security forces were fired upon triggering the encounter, which is still on," the police officer said.

Authorities have suspended Internet services in the district to prevent spread of rumours, he said.
KANPUR: A journalist was on Thursday shot dead by unidentified bike-borne assailants in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur district.

The incident took place in Kanpur's Bilhaur.

Identified as Naveen Srivastava, the journalist succumbed to his injuries while he was being rushed to the hospital.

The additional director general (Law and Order) said that Srivastava was shot at by 3-4 assailants while he was sitting in his hosiery shop.

"We hope to nab the criminals as soon as possible. DM and SSP of Kanpur Nagar are already on the spot. A couple of local police teams formed to crack the case," added he.

#UttarPradesh: A journalist shot dead by unidentified bike-borne persons in Kanpur's Bilhaur. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/ZkI7oRMD8n  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 30, 2017

Last month, a journalist was shot dead by three gunmen in northern India, police said, the latest attack on media in one of Asia's deadliest countries for reporters.

Rajesh Mishra, a 40-year-old reporter at the Hindi-language daily Dainik Jagran - one of India`s largest newspapers - was shot in the head by the gunmen on a motorcycle in Uttar Pradesh state, additional director general of police Anand Kumar said.

On September 5, eminent journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants at her home in Karnataka's Bengaluru.
NEW DELHI: The Dean of the Sivaraj Homeopathic Medical College on Wednesday said that Kerala woman Hadiya was very happy and relieved after talking to her husband.

After being freed from her father's custody by the Supreme Court, Hadiya, earlier in the day, said, that she is still not free and that she would like the 'basic right' to meet her better half.

"I asked for freedom from court. I wanted to meet my husband but the fact is that Im not free till now and thats the truth," said the 25-year-old. "I am demanding basic rights that every Indian citizen has. It has nothing to do with politics or caste. All I want is to talk to people I like."

Born into a Hindu family and named Akhila Ashokan, Hadiya, who is at the center of Kerala love-jihad case, converted to Islam after marrying Shafin Jahan, a Muslim. Her parents had not recognised the marriage and had accused Jahan of being a terrorist who wanted to take their daughter to Syria. On Monday, the Supreme Court ordered that she should continue her studies. Hadiya's father though welcomed the order because he said the top court did not stay the Kerala High Court order annulling his daughters marriage to Jahan.

A day earlier, Hadiya She brought to the Sivaraj Homeopathy Medical College amid tight security by Kerala police from Coimbatore. College Principal G Kannan said she would continue her course under her Hindu name Akhila Ashokan. She will undergo a 11-month internship at the institution as directed by the apex court.
NEW DELHI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will not attend the 'Padayorukkam' rally in Kerala on December 1 due to a storm forecast in the state, his office said on Thursday.

The ruling United Democratic Front's (UDF) event in Thiruvananthapuram has now been rescheduled to the second week of December, it said.

The rally has been organised to mark the culmination of a month-long Padayorukkam road-show in the state.

The party had set a target of mobilising 100,000 workers for the show on the Shanghumukham beach.

Padayorukkam in Malayalam language means 'preparation for the big battle', referred to the general elections, which is 18 months away.

The party is planning a series of "agitational" programmes in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Congress has 46 Lok Sabha MPs from the state.
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath late on Thursday directed the state DGP to follow up the case in which a journalist was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants in Kanpur.

Journalist Naveen Srivastava was shot dead when he was inside his shop, a hosiery venture he had started to sustain his family.

Naveen succumbed to his injuries while he was being taken to a hospital.

A senior police officer said the victim was shot at by 3-4 assailants.

"We hope to nab the criminals as soon as possible. DM and SSP of Kanpur Nagar are already on the spot. A couple of local police teams formed to crack the case," he added.

Last month, another journalist was shot dead by three gunmen in Ur=ttar Pradesh. Rajesh Mishra, a 40-year-old reporter of Hindi daily Dainik Jagran was shot in the head by motorcycle-borne gunmen.

On September 5, eminent journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead at a close range by unknown assailants at her home in Karnataka's Bengaluru.
Lucknow: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday accused Uttar Pradesh State Election Commissioner S.K. Agarwal of impropriety by treating badly the party leaders who went to meet him in his office here.

The AAP delegation had gone to apprise the SEC of the alleged lacunae in the just concluded civic body polls in Uttar Pradesh and to demand close monitoring of the counting of votes on Friday, AAP State Spokesman Vaibhav Maheshwari said.

He said that rather than accepting a memorandum and discussing the raised issues, Agarwal, a former Indian Administrative Service officer, asked the AAP leaders to leave and did not even extend the normal courtesies.

"He also lost his cool over several posers and asked us to leave his chamber immediately, instead of answering them," the AAP leader said.

"We are a party in power in Delhi and the main opposition in Punjab assembly. How can a poll official mistreat us like this?" he said.

AAP leaders claimed large-scale bungling in voters lists in the civic polls and faulty voting machines, following which it was natural for the AAP to seek a fair vote count, Maheshwari said.

"By not even listening to our demands or giving us a patient hearing, the officer has committed impropriety," the AAP leader said.
Bhopal: A senior police officer was arrested on Thursday for allegedly molesting a 28-year old woman police personnel.

Jehangirabad Police Station-incharge Preetam Singh Thakur informed that additional superintendent of police (ASP) Rajendra Verma (58), posted at the police headquarters, was arrested from his residence today morning following a complaint filed by the woman police personnel.

The ASP was booked under section 354 (Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty)of the Indian Penal Code, he added.

He said that the police is carrying out a detailed investigation and will produce the accused officer before the court shortly.

Recently, this woman police personnel had created a ruckus outside the police headquarters when chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was chairing a meeting of officials, police said.
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Thursday told the Bombay High Court that it has revised its police protection policy wherein only those private citizens would be provided security who have a real threat to their life and they would have to foot the bill for it.

Appearing for the state government, Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni told a bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice MS Sonak that citizens could not make a claim to receive police protection as a matter of "right".

"They must also not think that police protection is a service provided by the state that they can avail simply by paying the service charge," he said.

As per the new policy submitted by Kumbhakoni today, all private citizens, including celebrities, would henceforth receive police protection only if a real threat to their lives was perceived.

"And all those private persons, whose applications for such protection is approved by the state authorities, will have to pay fees for the same in advance, or deposit a bank guarantee in lieu of the same," the top legal officer said.

He said the revised fees for such protection would be computed on a new formula that would take into account several considerations, including the salaries of the police personnel deployed as bodyguards.

"Such fees, however, will not exceed 15 per cent of the total monthly income of the person receiving police protection," he told the high court.

Also, people, with monthly income less than Rs 50,000, need not pay any fees if their applications for police protection were approved.

"Politicians who get bodyguards to accompany them while on official duty, and government and semi-government staff, who get police protection to help discharge public duties, however, will not have to pay any fees for such protection," the advocate general said.

The revisions in the policy were made in compliance with a previous order of the high court directing the state government to streamline its process of providing police protection to politicians as well as private persons.

Earlier this week, the bench headed by the chief justice had directed the government to recover dues from all such private persons who enjoyed police protection for years but failed to pay for it.

The bench had also directed the state to ensure a periodic review of the status of each applicant to ensure that one was not given police protection indefinitely irrespective of any threat perception to his life.

The bench was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a lawyer seeking directions to the state police to recover dues from VIPs, including politicians and film actors, who were provided security cover, but did not pay the charges for the same.

Stressing that the government would ensure that all pending dues for police protection were recovered, Kumbhakoni said a state-level committee headed by the director general of police would henceforth review the status of all such persons every six months.

He said the state had also amended its decision to not grant any protection to people with a criminal record.

"Such applications will be scrutinized on a case to case basis and the deserving applicants will be given protection," he said.
There seems to be no end to controversy over Ryan school. The latest to get in trouble is Panvels St Joseph School, which is a branch of Ryan. Some students of the school have alleged discriminatory behaviour by school administration over the issue of fee hike.

They have alleged that the students, whose parents complained over sudden fee hike, were facing discriminatory behaviour by teachers. The students further alleged that some students were beaten up mercilessly and one of the girls also suffered a fracture in her hand.

On November 11, the girl, Vishakha, went to the Khandeshwar police station with her father and lodged a complaint against the school. According to the complaint, she was hit so hard for not bringing a notebook that she suffered a fracture.

The cops initially refused to file a complaint, but then the parents of the child brought medical report and they registered an FIR against the school administration.

Students from class 5 to class 10, whose parents were part of the protest against fee hike, have even been put in a separate section. Besides, they were not even issued ID cards for days, and neither were their copies checked properly.

The students were not even allowed to participate in sporting activities while their parents were never called for parent-teacher meeting.

According to the students, the schools holds two prayer sessions in morning  one for those paying the fees without issues, and another for those protesting against the fee hike.

Zee News accessed a copy of the prayer that the second group of students recite in the morning assembly. It talks about god giving wisdom to parents of the students.

In another shocking action, one of the teachers locked a student named Rushi Kadam in a classroom for at least half-an-hour.

When contacted, Khandeshwar police station DCP Dilip Mane refused to divulge any information related to the case on camera. The school administration also refused to comment on the issue.

The issue of fee hike is pending before the Education Department, and the school has been directed to continue teaching the students till a final decision is taken. However, the parents have now sought the help of the Child Rights Protection Society.
Indianapolis, Indiana, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IndyTeach, an innovative teacher certification program created by Christel House Schools has received a $500,000 grant from the Walton Family Foundation it was announced by Carey Dahncke, Christel House Head of Schools. We are very grateful and appreciative of the Walton Family Foundation for its recognition and financial support of IndyTeach, says Dahncke. The Walton Family Foundation understands that urban schools, particularly schools working with an underserved population can face special challenges in recruiting and retaining excellent teachers. IndyTeach is a pathway into teaching for college graduates who have specific content knowledge but did not go to school to become a teacher. Now they can become licensed while earning a paycheck and without having to return to university.

IndyTeach apprentice teachers work in classrooms with experienced teaching professionals. This hands-on approach and guidance appealed to Clark Wehmeier. After earning degrees in Philosophy and Religious Studies, he considered a law degree. But Wehmeier decided on a different direction. I always wanted to be involved with teaching. This allows me to enter the workforce and at the same time earn a teaching license after one academic year.

Four IndyTeach apprentices are part of the first years pilot program. More apprentice teachers will be added next year. Our certification program is unique in that apprentice teachers earn a salary while gaining valuable classroom experience, says Dahncke. The Walton Family Foundations support gives a critical boost as we pilot this initiative. We hope this model can make a great contribution to the overall teaching profession.

About Christel House Schools

Established as a public charter school in 2002, Christel House Schools today operates four schools in IndianapolisChristel House Academy South, serving at-risk students in grades K-12; Christel House Academy West currently serving grades K-5, and two adult high schools, Christel House DORS South and Christel House DORS West. Christel House Schools provides a holistic human development approach that focuses on building strong character to complement each childs rigorous academic foundation. Through its College & Careers program, Christel House continues to support its graduates through post-secondary education and job placement so they become self-sufficient, contributing members of society. Christel House Academy South was Indianas first charter school to receive the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reforms School to Watch designation. Additional recognition includes the Indiana Achievement and Breakthrough Schools Awards. It has also been named a 2017 State School of Character by Character.org. For more information, please visit www.chschools.org.

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Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/13b4db9b-5f82-430b-b230-427d18f75862

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a6ac4236-66be-4633-8c4b-a52f6c700df0
Agartala: A BJP party member was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in Tripura`s Gomati district on Wednesday night, hours after Chief Election Commissioner A.K. Joti ended his two-day visit to the Left-ruled state to review poll preparedness and directed improvement in the law and order situation in order to hold state elections.

"Some unidentified miscreants shot dead Gourhari Molsom, 42, at Killa on Wednesday night. Police are investigating the incident," a police official said.

A police team on Thursday recovered the body and sent it to Gomati district hospital for post-mortem.

Inspector General (Law and Order) K.V. Sreejesh said a forensic team visited the spot and a dog squad has been pressed into service to trace the criminals.

He said no one has been arrested so far in connection with the killing.

State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice president Rampada Jamatia who visited the spot and met the family members of the slain person, has demanded severe punishment for those behind the killing.

BJP spokesman Mrinal Kanti Debnath alleged that "goons" of the Communist Party of India-Marxist were involved in the killing while the Left party has strongly rejected the accusation.

The Election Commission headed by CEC Joti during its two-day visit on Tuesday-Wednesday to Tripura asked state officials to ensure conducive law and order situation for holding of assembly elections, due in February.
PATNA: Patna Deputy Inspector General (DIG) on Thursday ordered to stop salaries of 70 station house officers and ten deputy superintendent of police for lower number of arrests in their respective areas, a media report said.

DIG Rajesh Kumar had asked his officers to arrest at least one accused on a daily basis. He said it was necessary to boost pace of probe in criminal cases.

What kind of policing is this? I found not a single arrest was made in the last one week. I have warned them. I can ease the order if substantial numbers of arrests are made in the next one week, the news18.com reported.

A DSP controls a large area and they should be proactive in making arrests themselves. At least one per week, Kumar said.
Hyderabad: Newly-crowned Miss World Manushi Chhillar believes that change, and not success, is everything. "I think change is everything, something common in all entrepreneurs.

"We not only love what we do but we want change that is why we do it," she said at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) here on Wednesday.



She feels that everyone can make a difference to the world. "We don't have to be Miss World to do that. Even if you give a smile, it will bring change."



Manushi was in a chat with Ronnie Screwvala, Founder, UpGrad, on the second day of the summit at Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC).



She said as Miss World and a future doctor her purpose is the same as she wants to do something good for the society. "If I hadn't won, I'd still be doing what I do."



She plans to give back to the society both as a doctor and as an ambassador of India in different parts of the world.



On communication, she said coming from a doctor's family it came naturally to her. She believed communication is key to the profession as a doctor has to communicate with his or her patients.



"It's also become easy to communicate when you say what you believe," the girl from Haryana added.



"Believe strongly in yourself and have purpose. Others will also believe you," was her advice to women entrepreneurs who feel like giving up in the face of odds.



Health and hygiene are the causes she wants to support as Miss World. She said she has been working for menstrual hygiene across India.



Stressing on the need for equal opportunities for women in society, she said they should get this because they are equally capable.



"I shouldn't be treated differently because I am a woman, then only it will be an equal world," she added.



Manushi received a warm welcome at the HICC. Several delegates were seen vying to click pictures with her.



Earlier, she received a grand welcome at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. She was accompanied by Julia Evelyn Morley, the Chairwoman of the Miss World Organisation, which runs the annual Miss World and bi-annual Mister World competitions.



On her arrival, senior GMR officials greeted her with a bouquet and escorted her to the GMR lounge, where she interacted with officials and airport staff.


New Delhi: The release and screening of films should not be curbed in a democratic country, says veteran actor Rishi Kapoor.

An actor who minces no words when it comes to expressing himself on socio-political issues on social media or otherwise, Rishi spoke to IANS on it when asked about the silence of some sections of the film fraternity on the political intervention in cinema.



He said: "I don't want to comment on this, it's sad whatever has happened."



Rishi didn't take any names, but amid the ongoing uproar over the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavati", it was clear what he was pointing towards.



"I feel that (the release of) films in this democracy should not be curbed. My only relevant point which I totally agree with the filmmakers is that, please see his film and then pass a comment. Without seeing the film, how can you agitate," he said.



Rishi said that it's "absolutely wrong" to protest against a film without watching it.



"First watch the film. If you find something wrong in it, then you protest against it or do whatever you want to. Without watching the film you started disrupting, agitating and started violence. That's absolutely wrong," Rishi said.



But doesn't he think industry people refrain from commenting on others' issues as their own film is not facing the music?



"I have no answer to that. Each one to its own," said the actor, who is shooting for his new film "Rajma Chawal" in old Delhi.



"Padmavati" was scheduled for release on December 1, but it has been deferred since it has not got clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and has been banned for release in various Indian states like Madya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bihar and Punjab.



Meanwhile, "S Durga", a Malayalam movie, was initially dropped from a jury-suggested shortlist of the Indian Panorama section of the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) along with another film "Nude".
CHENNAI: Four people were on Thursday died in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district as heavy rainfall hit the state, following a depression in the Bay of Bengal that turned into a cyclonic storm.

All four deaths were due to uprooting of trees, according to the police. The victims include one woman.

Schools were reportedly shut down in several districts of the state.

According to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), a deep depression over Comorin area has moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 38kmph and has intensified into a cyclonic storm 'OCKHI'.

"The cyclone Ockhi is fasting moving towards Lakshadweep and its intensity is not weakened yet. Due to this heavy rains are expected in southern districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala," the IMD said in a statement.

The name Ockhi, given by Bangladesh, is expected to move further north-westward towards Lakshwadeep, according to IMD.

People in the southern districts of the two states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been asked to remain indoors as much as is possible while fishermen too are being advised against venturing into the sea.

Indian Navy dispatched three ships and two aircraft to locate six fishing boats and a Maritime Engineering vessel that went missing near Vizhinjam due to the prevailing cyclonic conditions. The Navy is also on standby for relief and rescue operations as southern districts in Kerala and Tamil Nadu brace for Cyclone Ockhi.

Responding to a request for assistance made by District Collector of Trivandrum, the Indian Navy dispatched its ships and aircrafts in a search and rescue operation. It is also gearing up for Humanitarian Assistance that may be required due to the storm.
CHENNAI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday allowed the urgent listing of TTV Dhinakaran's petition challenging the recent verdict of Election Commision on 'two leaves symbol' case.

The court is expected to hear Dhinakaran's petition against EC's ruling on 2 leaves poll symbol case on Friday.

On the other hand, AIADMK nominated E Madhusudhanan as its official nominee to contest the RK Nagar polls scheduled for December 21.

Madhusudhanan is the praesidium chairman of AIADMK and a Panneerselvam loyalist. According to a report, as many as 19 other AIADMK members had also submitted an application seeking nomination to contest the RK Nagar Assembly constituency.

His candidature came on the day after the rebel faction of the AIADMK named TTV Dinakaran as its candidate for the RK Nagar bypoll.

In 2015, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was elected from the RK Nagar constituency. After her death in December last year, the constituency fell vacant.

Although the by-poll was scheduled for April 12 this year, it was countermanded following reports of attempted voter bribing by a candidate.

The Madras High Court had directed to hold the by-poll before December 31.

The DMK has said it will be renominating its candidate Marudhu Ganesh and immediately got support from the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruttai Katchi (VCK) and All India Forward Bloc.

On November 23, in a big blow to the AIADMK faction led by Dhinakaran, the Election Commission recognized the united AIADMK under CM Palaniswami and Panneerselvam as the 'real' party and allowed it to use the two-leaves election symbol.

The EC's ruling saw an automatic depletion in team Dhinakaran as three of his supporters rushed to the other camp declaring their allegiance to the Chief Minister.

"It is wrong. We had facts on our side. Majority of MLAs, MPs and party workers were with us. All this was taken into consideration," Dhinakaran was quoted as saying.

Dhinakaran, who said he would appeal to the Supreme Court against the poll panel's decision, claims to have the support of 18 legislators and many others in the party.

However, only six parliamentarians gave affidavits to the Election Commission, declaring their support to Dhinakaran's aunt VK Sasikala, who is currently serving her jail term in a corruption case.
BAGHDAD: At least 800 civilians have been killed in strikes in Iraq and Syria by the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State since the campaign began in 2014, according to a report released by the coalition on Thursday.

The estimate in the monthly report, which said coalition strikes had unintentionally killed at least 801 civilians between August 2014 and October 2017, was far lower than figures provided by monitoring groups.

The monitoring group Airways says a total of at least 5,961 civilians have been killed by coalition air strikes.

"We continue to hold ourselves accountable for actions that may have caused unintentional injury or death to civilians," the coalition said in its report.

Since the start of the campaign against Islamic State militants, the coalition has carried out more than 28,000 strikes and has received 1,790 reports of potential civilian casualties, the report said.

It was still assessing 695 reports of civilian casualties from strikes it carried out in Iraq and in Syria.

The coalition, battling to defeat Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, says it goes to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties.
Riyadh: British Prime Minister Theresa May met Saudi leaders before leaving for Jordan on Thursday on a Middle East tour overshadowed by a high-profile row with US President Donald Trump over Islam.

Trump has infuriated British authorities with his tweets on terrorism in Britain, including highly publicised run-ins with London's Muslim mayor Sadiq Khan.

On Tuesday, he drew fierce condemnation at home and abroad for retweeting three incendiary anti-Muslim videos posted by the deputy head of a British far-right group who has been convicted of a hate crime.

When challenged over the tweet, he then plunged deeper into controversy by suggesting May focus on defending Britain rather than criticising him.

May's meetings in Saudi Arabia were all behind closed doors and there was no immediate comment from her to the latest outburst from Trump.

She met both King Salman and powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The official Saudi Press Agency said they "reviewed bilateral relations... In addition to discussing developments in the region".

May had promised to raise concerns over a worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen where a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia has only partially lifted a crippling aid blockade.

UN officials have warned of the risks of the "world's worst famine in many decades".

May had insisted that she would send a clear message to the Saudi leadership about the need to fully reopen the main rebel-held port of Hodeida.

"I'm very concerned about the humanitarian crisis that has developed in Yemen, particularly most recently," May told the BBC on Wednesday.

"That's why the strong message I will be giving to Saudi Arabia tonight is that we want to see Hodeida port opened for humanitarian and commercial access."

Saudi Arabia is Britain's largest trading partner in the Middle East, and London has signed off on more than ?3.3 billion (USD 4.4 billion/3.7 billion euros) worth of arms sales to Riyadh since March 2015.

That was the month that Riyadh launched its intervention in Yemen. The war has since killed some 8,600 people, while a further 2,000 have died of cholera.

In Jordan, May is due to hold talks with King Abdullah II and Prime Minister Hani Mulki. Jordan is a close British ally and a partner in the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.
Washington: White House senior advisor Jared Kushner met Special Counsel Robert Mueller`s team where he was specifically asked about former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn as part of an ongoing probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, a media report said.

The conversation that took place earlier this month lasted less than 90 minutes, according to the CNN report.

However, the nature of this conversation was principally to make sure that Kushner, who is also President Donald Trump`s son-in-law, did not have information that exonerates Flynn.

"Kushner has voluntarily cooperated with all relevant inquiries and will continue to do so," Abbe Lowell, Kushner`s lawyer, told CNN on Wednesday.

The meeting took place around the same time the Special Counsel asked witnesses about Kushner`s role in the firing of former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey and his relationship with Flynn, the report said.

Mueller`s investigators have expressed interest in Kushner as part of its probe into Russian meddling, including potential obstruction of justice in Comey`s firing, CNN reported.

Even before Mueller took over the Russia investigation, the FBI had been looking at Kushner`s multiple roles on both the Trump campaign and the Trump transition team.

A 2016 meeting, in addition to meetings with Russia`s ambassador and a Russian government banker, were left off Kushner`s security clearance forms, which had to be revised multiple times.
ABIDJAN: Libya agreed Wednesday with key EU and African leaders to allow migrants facing abuse in detention camps to be evacuated within days or weeks, mostly to their home countries, French President Emmanuel Macron said.

The decision was taken after Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara called for "all urgent measures" to end slave trading and other migrant abuses in Libya at an EU-Africa summit in Abidjan.

The leaders of Libya, France, Germany, Chad, Niger and four other countries "decided on an extreme emergency operation to evacuate from Libya those who want to be," Macron told reporters after their emergency talks on the summit sidelines.

The summit comes just two weeks after US network CNN aired footage of black Africans sold as slaves in Libya, sparking outrage from political leaders and street protests in African and European capitals.

"Libya restated its agreement to identify the camps where barbaric scenes have been identified," Macron said, adding Libya`s UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez "Sarraj gave his agreement that access be assured".

African Union, European Union and United Nations officials at the meeting offered increased support for the International Organisation of Migration "to help with the return of the Africans who want it to their home countries," said the French leader who called the emergency meeting.

"This work will be carried out in the next few days, in line with the countries of origin," he said, adding in some cases they could be given asylum in Europe.EU sources earlier said UN humanitarian agencies like the IOM had arranged for some 13,000 migrants to return voluntarily to their home countries mainly in sub-Saharan Africa in the last year after a deal with Libya.

The furore over slavery as well as torture and rape of black African migrants in Libya prompted the select group of countries -- which also included Spain, Italy, Morocco and the Congo -- to undertake other measures.

The group also decided to work with a task force, involving the sharing of police and intelligence services, to "dismantle the networks and their financing and detain traffickers," Macron said.

The AU, EU and UN officials also pledged to freeze the assets of identified traffickers while the AU will set up an investigative panel and the UN could take cases before the International Court of Justice, he added.

Opening a European Union-Africa summit that was meant to focus on the continent`s long-term economic development, Ouattara immediately lashed out at slavery as a "wretched drama which recalls the worst hours of human history."

Other African, EU and United Nations leaders also condemned the slavery revelations when they met at the summit in Ivory Coast`s economic capital Abidjan.

"I would like to appeal to our sense of responsibility to take all urgent measures to put an end to that practice, which belongs to another age," he said, opening the gathering of 55 African Union and 28 EU leaders.

African Union and other critics have accused the EU of creating conditions for the slave trade as well as rape and torture of migrants by encouraging Libya`s UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) to detain migrants and stop them from coming to Europe.

The EU has been desperate to ease the worst migration crisis since World War II, with more than 1.5 million migrants entering the bloc since 2015.

In his speech to the summit, European Council President Donald Tusk acknowledged the "horrifying" treatment of young Africans.

But he also warned against starting "a blame game" and called for cooperation to fight criminals.

An EU source told reporters on condition of anonymity that it was European pressure that forced Libya to open up and make it easier for journalists to film slave auctions that migrants had in fact reported were going on well before EU-Libyan cooperation began.

EU officials said the migrant influx, which has deepened political divisions across the EU, as well as frequent Islamist attacks in Europe have been a wake-up call to tackle the root causes of why people leave their homes.

The EU has already set up multi-billion-euro funds to promote Africa`s economic development while deepening counter-terrorism cooperation with African countries where Islamist militant groups are spreading.

The summit, due to wind up on Thursday, is intended to focus on providing stability and long-term economic growth for a continent likely to have 2.4 billion people by 2050, more than double what it is now.

Without fast-tracked development, millions could flee to Europe or turn to radical Islamist groups, EU and African leaders say.
Chicago, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Guaranteed Rate, one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the nation, today announced its no-cost Red Arrow Approval Express program which can speed up the mortgage process and help homebuyers obtain their dream home more efficiently. This program delivers a full underwrite of credit, income and assets, providing an edge over competing buyers.

For qualified buyers and conditions, the program allows buyers to:

Secure credit approval before theyve settled on a property

Get full underwriting approval in as little as four hours

Make an offer backed by an approval

Compete with cash buyers and enjoy greater negotiating power

Red Arrow Approval Express gives Guaranteed Rate customers a huge competitive advantage and can make the difference in being able to secure that first-choice dream home, says Guaranteed Rate Chief Operating Officer Nikolaos Athanasiou. Especially in seller markets this program minimizes the chance of losing a potential home to another qualified buyer, including all-cash offers.

Buyers will be prompted to submit several important borrower documents, including W-2 forms, paystubs, tax returns and bank statements. After completing Red Arrow Approval Express, buyers are equipped with a real credit approval from Guaranteed Rate and will be about ready to close upon finding a property and signing a contract.

Consumers can call 773-290-0505 with questions and to be directed to a loan officer to further explain the program.

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 as 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/11f24630-f276-49ac-a6f6-07de635b1072
Brussels: The Muslim population in some European countries could triple by 2050 while it will barely change in others, according to new projections.

The projections were in a report titled "Europe`s Growing Muslim Population" released on Wednesday night by the Washington-based Pew Research Centre, reports the Guardian.

The report shows a stark west-east divide.

The Muslim share of Germany`s population could grow from 6.1 percent in 2016 to 19.7 percent in 2050 if high migration continues, whereas over the border Poland`s share would change from 0.1 percent to 0.2 percent in the same scenario.

Even if all current 28 European Union (EU) members, plus Norway and Switzerland, closed their borders to migrants, the Muslim population share in the west would continue to grow owing to a younger age profile and higher fertility rates, but remain very low in the east.

According to Pew`s data, Muslims made up 4.9 percent of Europe`s population in 2016, with an estimated 25.8 million people across 30 countries, up from 19.5 million people in 2010.

The number of Muslim migrants arriving in Europe surged after 2014 to almost half a million annually, largely due to people fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Researchers considered three scenarios for the increase: zero migration between 2016 and 2050; medium migration, in which the flow of refugees stops but people continue to migrate for other reasons; and high migration, in which the record flow of migrants between 2014 and 2016 continues indefinitely with the same religious composition.

Apart from migration, the number of Muslims in Europe is set to grow considerably through natural increases, the Guardian quoted the report as saying.

Europe`s Muslims have more children than members of other religious groups, or people of no religion, the study showed. The European average fertility rate is 2.6 for Muslims compared to 1.6 for non-Muslims.

The Muslim population is also much younger than non-Muslims. The proportion of Muslims under the age of 15 is 27 percent, nearly double the proportion of under-15 non-Muslims at 15 percent.
SEOUL/UNITED NATIONS: The United States warned North Korea`s leadership it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out after Pyongyang test-fired its most advanced missile, putting the U.S. mainland within range, in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

The Trump administration has repeatedly said all options are on the table in dealing with North Korea`s ballistic and nuclear weapons programmes, including military ones, but that it still prefers a diplomatic option.

Speaking at an emergency UN Security Council meeting, US ambassador Nikki Haley said the United States had never sought war with North Korea.

"If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday," she said. "...and if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."

Haley said the United States has asked China to cut off oil supply to North Korea, a drastic step that Beijing - the North`s neighbour and sole major trading partner - has so far refrained from doing.

Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talked on the phone earlier on Wednesday.

"Just spoke to President Xi Jinping of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

Previous U.S. administrations have failed to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and a sophisticated missile programme. Trump, who has previously said the United States would "totally destroy" North Korea if necessary to protect itself and its allies from the nuclear threat, has also struggled to contain Pyongyang since he came to office in January.

Urging China to use its leverage and promising more sanctions against North Korea are two strategies that have borne little fruit so far.

In a speech in Missouri about taxes, Trump, who has traded insults with the North in the past, referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with a derisive nickname.

"Little Rocket Man. He is a sick puppy," Trump said.

"CLOCK TICKING"

North Korea, which conducted its sixth and largest nuclear bomb test in September, has tested dozens of ballistic missiles under Kim`s leadership.

Pyongyang has said its weapons programmes are a necessary defence against U.S. plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, denies any such intention.

North Korean state media said on Wednesday the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was launched from a newly developed vehicle in a "breakthrough" and that the warhead could withstand the pressure of re-entering the atmosphere.

Kim personally guided the missile test and said the new launcher was "impeccable". Pyongyang claimed it had finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force".

Russia`s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called on North Korea to stop its weapons tests and for the United States and South Korea not to hold military drills in December as it would "inflame an already explosive situation".

The official China Daily newspaper said in an editorial that the latest launch may have been prompted by the Trump administration`s decision to label North Korea a sponsor of state terrorism.



Beijing wants the two "belligerents" to calm down and is vexed that a golden opportunity to encourage Pyongyang into talks was "casually wasted" by the Trump administration, the paper said.



"The clock is ticking down to one of two choices: learning to live with the DPRK having nuclear weapons or triggering a tripwire to the worst-case scenario," it added.

North Korea said the new missile soared to an altitude of about 4,475 km (2,780 miles) - more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station - and flew 950 km (590 miles) during its 53-minute flight.

It flew higher and longer than any North Korean missile before, landing in the sea near Japan.

Photos released by North Korean state media appeared to show a missile being positioned on the launch site by a mobile vehicle, designed to allow the missile to be fired from a wider number of areas to prevent it being intercepted before launch.

Kim is shown laughing and smiling with officials both next to the missile as it is readied, and in a control booth. The launch itself shows the missile lifting off amid smoke and fire, with Kim watching from a field in the distance.

U.S. intelligence analysts have concluded from satellite and other data that the test missile was fired from a fixed position, not a mobile launcher, three U.S. officials said.

One official said the test appears to demonstrate a more powerful North Korean solid-fuel propulsion system, especially in its second stage rocket.

The photos also revealed a larger diameter missile, which could allow it to carry a larger warhead and use a more powerful engine, said David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists, a U.S.-based nonprofit science advocacy group.

Three U.S. intelligence analysts said they were trying to assess whether North Korea`s comments meant Kim might now be open to a longer halt in testing in order to reopen negotiations that might help prevent, or at least defer, the imposition of additional sanctions.

The officials also noted, however, that North Korea has not proved it has an accurate guidance system for an ICBM or a re-entry vehicle capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and surviving a return from space through Earths atmosphere, meaning further tests would be needed.

An international meeting in Canada in January is designed to produce "better ideas" to ease tensions over Pyongyang`s nuclear and ballistic missile tests, Canadian officials said on Wednesday, although North Korea itself will not be invited.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States has "a long list of additional potential sanctions, some of which involve potential financial institutions, and the Treasury Department will be announcing those when theyre ready to roll those out".

In just three months, South Korea hosts the Winter Olympics at a resort just 80 km (50 miles) from the heavily fortified border with North Korea.
Pyongyang: North Korea on Thursday published photographs of its new model of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that was launched a day earlier under the supervision of its leader Kim Jong-un.

A large gallery of 42 photos published by the state newspaper Rodong Sinmun, unveiled the ICBM Hwasong-15 that has a rounded tip sitting on a transporter erector launcher (TEL) that has nine wheels on each side.

Kim has described the vehicle as "impeccable," according to the North Korean newspaper.

On Wednesday North Korea announced that its latest missile was capable of carrying a large nuclear warhead and reaching the entire US mainland, Efe news reported.

It also said that with this latest test it has managed to complete its "nuclear force", the Efe news reported.

The images released on Thursday showed the preparation for the launch and the missile during its ascent, in addition to a smiling face of Kim, who observed the preparations and the flight of the missile both outdoors and from a control room.

Very "excited" and "satisfied" with the successful development of the new Hwasong-15 ("Mars-15" in English), the North Korean leader "warmly congratulated" the scientists, technicians and other workers involved in the process, Rodong Sinmun detailed.

After two and a half months without any weapons test, Pyongyang on Wednesday returned to launch the missile, the 20th so far in 2017, amid escalating tensions with Washington.

Fired on Wednesday at 2.48 a.m., the missile reached a height of 4,475 km before falling into the Sea of Japan some 950 km from where it was launched, according to data released by Pyongyang and corroborated by Seoul, Washington and Tokyo.

Given that the missile was fired at a steep angle, some experts believe that it could have travelled over 13,000 km in a normal flight, sufficient to reach any part of the continental US.

North Korea has also claimed that the missile held a warhead capable of re-entering the Earth`s atmosphere. The claim was not proven and experts have cast doubt on the country`s ability to master such technology.

The international community has been condemned the test.
Islamabad Police on Wednesday told Pakistan's Supreme Court that last week's clashes against protesters just outside the capital city were primarily caused because 'they had hurt the religious sentiments of security forces with their inflammatory speeches.'

A security person was killed and close to 250 injured when forces clashed with hundreds of protesters blocking main highways leading to the capital Islamabad last week. They were demanding the resignation of Pakistan law minister Zahid Hamid for changes made about Khatm-i-Nabuwwat or finality of prophethood oath in the Elections Act 2017 passed in September.

A nine-page report submitted by the Islamabad police force to the country's apex court sais that the protesters were religiously motivated and that their speeches were targeted at hurting religious sentiments of security forces keeping vigil. It also said that the close to 2000 protesters were mostly armed with stones, pistols, axes and rods.

The force though did admit that fatigue may have played a part in the situation getting out of hand as most security personnel had been deployed in the area for 20 days straight. "Mixed deployment of different forces, including the police, Frontier Constabulary (FC) and Pakistan Rangers, also had negative effects on productivity," Pakistani media quoted from the report.

Earlier this week, Hamid quit from his post as Law Minister as part of an agreement reached between the government and the protesters over the weekend.
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A suspected US drone strike on Thursday targeted a hideout of the Haqqani militant network along Pakistan`s mountainous border with Afghanistan, killing four people, officials said.

If confirmed, it would be the fourth such U.S. strike inside Pakistan since President Donald Trump took office in January.

Two Pakistani intelligence officials and a local government officer said an unmanned aerial vehicle dropped two missiles on a compound housing militants under the command of a senior network commander, Abdur Rasheed Haqqani.

Villagers initially reported a blast in the Upper Kurram area to authorities, said one of the officials, adding, "We got it from our informant later that it was a U.S. drone strike that targeted Haqqanis."

It was not clear if the commander was among those killed, added the officials, who sought anonymity as the issue is a sensitive one.

Trump`s new strategy for the Afghanistan war calls for a tougher stance with Pakistan against militants such as the Haqqani network who have bases inside Pakistan.

Since the Afghan policy review, the U.S. has been pushing Islamabad for decisive action against the Haqqani network militants, who are notorious for using Pakistani soil to launch attacks against American-led NATO troops in Afghanistan.

Islamabad denies the allegations, and, instead, blames Kabul for not taking out militants who use Afghan territory as a base for attacks on targets in Pakistan.

Pakistan has been facing a deadly Islamist militancy for more than a decade. Gunmen attacked a minority Shi`ite Muslim mosque in Islamabad, the capital, on Wednesday, killing two people.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi al-Alami, a Sunni sectarian group linked with militant group Islamic State, claimed responsibility for the mosque attack.
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Thursday China appears to have had little impact on North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, expressing wonder that his people and military "put up" with conditions there.

Trump`s comments, in an early morning tweet, followed a stern US warning Wednesday that Kim had brought the world closer to war by testing a missile thought to be capable of hitting Washington.

"The Chinese Envoy, who just returned from North Korea, seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man," Trump said.

"Hard to believe his people, and the military, put up with living in such horrible conditions. Russia and China condemned the launch."

In a phone call after the missile test, Trump urged China`s President Xi Jinping to cut off oil supplies to Pyongyang, US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said Wednesday.

"If war comes, make no mistake: The North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed," Haley said.
WASHINGTON: The United States warned the North Korean leadership that it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out, after Pyongyang test-fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, putting the US mainland within range.

The Trump administration has repeatedly said all options were on the table in dealing with North Korea`s ballistic and nuclear weapons programme, including military ones, but that it still prefers a diplomatic option.

Still, speaking at an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting, U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley warned:

"We have never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it. If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday ... And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."

Haley said the United States has asked China to cut off oil supply to North Korea, a drastic step that Beijing - the North`s neighbour and sole major trading partner - has so far refrained from doing.

Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talked on the phone earlier on Wednesday.

"Just spoke to President Xi Jinping of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

Previous U.S. administrations have failed to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and a sophisticated missile programme. Trump has also struggled to contain Pyongyang since he came to office in January.

Urging China to use its leverage on Pyongyang and promising more sanctions against North Korea are two strategies that have borne little fruit so far.

In a speech in Missouri about taxes, Trump, who has traded insults with the North in the past, referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with a derisive nickname. "Little Rocket Man. He is a sick puppy," Trump said.

The latest missile was fired a week after Trump put North Korea back on a U.S. list of countries it says support terrorism, allowing it to impose more sanctions.

United Nations political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman met with North Korea`s Ambassador Ja Song Nam on Wednesday to tell him Pyongyang must "desist from taking any further destabilizing steps" after the country launched another ballistic missile.

North Korea, which conducted its sixth and largest nuclear bomb test in September, has tested dozens of ballistic missiles under Kim`s leadership in defiance of international sanctions.

Pyongyang has said its weapons programmes are a necessary defence against U.S. plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, denies any such intention.

Russia`s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called on North Korea on Wednesday to stop its missile and nuclear tests and for the United States and South Korea not to hold military drills in December as it would "inflame an already explosive situation."

North Korea said the new missile soared to an altitude of about 4,475 km (2,780 miles) - more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station - and flew 950 km (590 miles) during its 53-minute flight.

It flew higher and longer than any North Korean missile before, landing in the sea near Japan. Missile experts said the new "Hwasong-15" missile theoretically gave North Korea the ability to hit the

United States, including the East Coast, although it was not clear whether it could carry a nuclear weapon.

Photos released by North Korean state media appeared to show a missile being positioned on the launch site by a mobile vehicle, designed to allow the missile to be fired from a wider number of areas to prevent it being intercepted before launch.

Kim is shown laughing and smiling with officials both next to the missile as it is readied, and in a control booth. The launch itself shows the missile lifting off amid smoke and fire, with Kim watching from a field in the distance.

U.S. intelligence analysts have concluded from satellite and other data that the test missile was fired from a fixed position, not a mobile launcher, three U.S. officials said on Wednesday.

Two of the officials, who both follow developments in North Korea closely, said that while the test appears to demonstrate a more powerful North Korean solid-fuel propulsion system, especially in its second stage rocket, it is far from clear that North Korea has developed a weapon that could reliably deliver a nuclear weapon to the U.S. mainland.

The two officials also said the North has not proved it has an accurate guidance system for an intercontinental ballistic missile or a re-entry vehicle capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and surviving a return from space through Earths atmosphere.

The photos revealed some developments in missile technology, including a larger diameter, which could allow the missile to carry a larger warhead and use a more powerful engine, said David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists, a U.S.-based nonprofit science advocacy group.

`THREATEN EVERYWHERE`

U.S., Japanese and South Korean officials all agreed the missile, which landed within Japan`s exclusive economic zone, was likely an ICBM.

"It went higher, frankly, than any previous shot they`ve taken, a research and development effort on their part to continue building ballistic missiles that can threaten everywhere in the world, basically," U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters at the White House.

An international meeting in Canada in January is designed to produce "better ideas" to ease tensions over Pyongyang`s nuclear and ballistic missile tests, Canadian officials said on Wednesday, although North Korea itself will not be invited.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States has "a long list of additional potential sanctions, some of which involve potential financial institutions, and the Treasury

Department will be announcing those when theyre ready to roll those out."

The new Hwasong-15, named after the planet Mars, was a more advanced version of an ICBM tested twice in July, North Korea said. It was designed to carry a "super-large heavy warhead".

Based on its trajectory and distance, the missile would have a range of more than 13,000 km (8,100 miles) - more than enough to reach Washington D.C. and the rest of the United States, the Union of Concerned Scientists said.

However, it was unclear how heavy a payload the missile was carrying, and it was uncertain if it could carry a large nuclear warhead that far, the group said.

In just three months, South Korea hosts the Winter Olympics at a resort just 80 km (50 miles) from the heavily fortified border with North Korea.
Despite Pakistan's hue and cry over recent 'Free Balochistan' advertisements in London, the United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has shot down suggestions of any action against the campaign.

Pakistan has repeatedly protested several ad campaigns seen across public buses and taxis in London demanding independence for Balochistan - a region allegedly suppressed and ignored for development. ASA though has acknowledged that the advertisement campaigns may be politically sensitive but do not breach UK's code for non-broadcasting advertisements. "I have informed the complainant that we will not pursue the matter because, based on the facts available to us, there doesn't seem to be a breach of the UK Code of Non-Broadcasting Advertising (CAP Code)," read a letter from ASA's Complaint Executive.

Every passerby shall know that the people of #Baluchistan demand justice . #FreeBalochistan live from London https://t.co/oO2NIuJJ6t  WBO (@WorldBalochOrg) November 28, 2017

The ASA council clarified that "the advertiser had a right to express their views, as long as they were in line with the rules in the Advertising Code."The Council considered that the tagline '#Balochistan"' (and) 'FreeBalochistan' was an invitation to find out more about a particular political cause; and the ad itself did not make any specific claim that threatened the territorial integrity or sovereignty of Pakistan," the letter further read.

The advertisement blitzkrieg in the UK has been started by World Baloch Organisation which accuses Pakistan government of ignoring the needs and aspirations of Balochistan and its people. In recent weeks, public taxis and buses have been sighted with the advertisements in a bid to draw world's attention to the plight of Baloch people. Pakistan - almost each time - has summoned British High Commissioner in Islamabad, Thomas Drew, to register protest but has been unable to halt the campaign. Drew has expressed his inability to interfere in the matter but has said that the UK considers Balochistan as an integral part of Pakistan.

The World Baloch Organisation though is not limiting their campaign to just the UK and had previously also splashed the ad across a public bus in Geneva. Reports suggest that it may extend the campaign to other European countries as well.

(With ANI inputs)
Hanoi: A Vietnamese court on Thursday rejected the appeal of a prominent blogger known as "Mother Mushroom", in jail for anti-state propaganda, days after one of her lawyers was disbarred in a case that has drawn global ire.

Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh was sentenced to 10 years in jail in June, a heavy term decried by rights groups that accuse the communist government of waging a harsh crackdown against critics this year.

Her appeal was thrown out by a court in the southern city of Nha Trang, her lawyer Ha Huy Son said, at a heavily-guarded trial closed to foreign media.

"The sentence is very unfair and biased. They argued that Quynh confessed her wrongdoings, but I think it`s groundless and not in accordance with the law," Son told AFP.

Quynh, 38, whose pen name "Me Nam" derives from her daughter`s nickname "mushroom", was jailed in October 2016 as she was visiting a fellow activist in prison.

She was convicted earlier this year for anti-state propaganda, which carries a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison.

Mother Mushroom wrote posts critical of the government on the environment, politics and deaths in police custody -- a sensitive topic in the one-party state where independent media is banned.

In court Thursday, Quynh defended her legal right to free expression and said she did not break the law, Son said.

A few days before her appeal, Vo An Don, one of her lawyers, was disbarred in a move he said was politically motivated.

"The main reason was that I had participated in defending the rights of several poor people and prisoners of conscience. The authorities might have hated me for that," Don told AFP.

The bar association in nearby Phu Yen province accused Don of providing false information to foreign media, abusing his right to free speech by spreading propaganda and distorting the truth, according to the state-run Thanh Nien newspaper.

The US State Department gave Quynh the International Woman of Courage Award in March, presented to her in absentia by First Lady Melania Trump.

Last month, Quynh`s daughter wrote an emotional appeal to Trump, asking her to push for the blogger`s release.

There has been no public reply from the first lady.

Her conviction has drawn criticism from the United States and the European Union, which have both called for her release.

The rejection of her appeal comes ahead of an EU human rights dialogue in Hanoi on Friday, which follows at least 15 activist arrests and several heavy jail sentences since January.

Observers say the sweep is being carried out by the conservative communist leadership that has been in power since last year.
WASHINGTON: The White House has developed a plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with Mike Pompeo, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, within weeks, a senior Trump administration official said on Thursday.

Under the plan, Republican Senator Tom Cotton would be tapped to replace Pompeo at the CIA, the New York Times reported, citing senior officials.

The Times, the first to report the plan, said it was not immediately clear whether President Donald Trump had given final approval to the shakeup.

Tillerson`s departure would end a troubled tenure for the former Exxon Mobile chief executive who has found himself increasingly at odds with Trump over policy challenges such as North Korea and under fire for his planned cuts at the State Department.

John Kelly, the White House chief of staff, developed the transition plan and has discussed it with other officials, the Times reported. Under his plan, the staff reshuffle would happen around the end of the year or shortly afterward.

Tillerson`s departure has been widely rumored for months, with attention focused on Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, as his likely replacement.

But Pompeo, a former three-term member of Congress, has increasingly moved to the forefront as he has gained Trump`s trust on national security matters.
Washington, D.C., Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor today released the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) release of the final renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for 2018. The total renewable fuel volume is 19.29 billion gallons, which includes 15 billion gallons for conventional biofuel. Advanced biofuel is set for 4.29 billion gallons, including 288 million gallons of cellulosic biofuel. The 2019 biodiesel amount is set for 2.1 billion gallons.



We applaud the administration for standing up against efforts to destabilize the Renewable Fuel Standard, Skor said. The EPAs on-time announcement upholds the statutory targets for conventional biofuels, which will provide much-needed certainty for hard-pressed rural communities. We would like to have seen a boost to the target blending levels for cellulosic biofuels, and we will continue to work with the administration to advance the RFS goal of further stimulating growth and showing U.S. leadership in 21st century fuels.



The RFS remains Americas single most successful energy policy and continually works to save consumers money, protect the environment, drive rural growth, and secure U.S. energy independence. To keep this momentum strong, the EPA must take bold steps toward growth, as outlined by President Trump. We urge the agency to act quickly on the administrators promise of a long-overdue fix to Reid Vapor Pressure rules that needlessly limit sales of E15 during summer months.



Leading up to the release of the final 2018 RVOs, Growth Energy filed substantive comments including several studies that provided insight into the potential for cellulosic biofuels production, the role of renewable fuel in achieving the U.S.s energy policy goals, and the risk of an increase to national greenhouse gas emissions if the EPA were to reduce the conventional fuel volume. Growth Energy Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley also testified during the EPAs hearing in August on the RVOs.





# # #

ABOUT GROWTH ENERGY

Growth Energy represents producers and supporters of ethanol working to bring consumers better choices at the fuel pump, grow America's economy and improve the environment for future generations. Our organization's national campaign  online at GetBiofuel.com  serves as the leading source of information for consumers seeking cleaner, more affordable fueling options. For more information on our organization, visit us at GrowthEnergy.org, follow us on Twitter @GrowthEnergy, or connect with us on Facebook.

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SANAA: Clashes in Yemen's capital between Shiite Huthi rebels and loyalists of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh left 14 people dead on Thursday, medics and officials said.

The fighting erupted around Sanaa's central Saleh mosque, Yemen's largest, as Huthis tried to seize it ahead of tomorrow's celebration of the Prophet Mohammed's birthday, they said.

"The Huthis attempted to take control of the mosque in anticipation of a rally on Thursday" in the adjacent square, said an official from Saleh's General People's Congress, asking not to be named.

The mosque's guards, who were Saleh supporters, resisted, triggering a gunfight between the two camps, the GPC official said.

The shootout then spread to nearby districts controlled by Saleh loyalists.

The official said four Saleh supporters were killed on the spot and a fifth died of his wounds later in hospital.

Nine Huthi fighters also died in the fighting, according to officials at two hospitals in the capital.

Rebel chief Abdulmalik al-Huthi had on Wednesday urged supporters across the country to head to Sanaa for the rally.

For decades sworn enemies, nationalist forces loyal to Saleh and the Iran-backed Shiite Huthis joined ranks in 2014 to drive the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi out of Sanaa.

That prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene the following year to prop up Hadi's government.

The war has since killed some 8,600 people, while a further 2,000 have died of cholera.

Despite a crippling coalition blockade, the Huthis and Saleh's forces continue to jointly control Sanaa, but tensions between them have escalated since a public dispute in August.

The Huthis accused Saleh of treason after the former president publicly dismissed the Iran-backed rebels as "militias".

Saleh's GPC party last month accused the Huthis of waging an "orchestrated campaign" against the former strongman and lacking "the will to maintain partnership".

The Huthis responded that the GPC had broken its pact by accepting funds from Hadi's government.
BOCA RATON, Fla., Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ADT, a leading provider of security and automation solutions for homes and businesses, celebrated one of its LifeSaver events today in Waterford, CT where Grace Rogers was reunited with rescuers who helped save her and the familys pet guinea pig from a potentially deadly house fire.



It happened late evening on October 6 when Rogers was home alone and dozing on the couch. The 74-year-old was startled as lights and sirens from the homes security system suddenly filled the home, causing her to panic.

I blanked out and didnt even think to call 911. And since I was visiting from out-of-town, I didnt know the name of the fire department, Rogers said. While its hard for me to walk, I did make it to the basement stairs and could smell smoke.

Thankfully, ADT had already received the smoke detector signal at its Texas monitoring center and called the local fire department. When firefighters arrived, Rogers was already safely outside. She had also given instructions on where to find the guinea pig so it could be rescued.

The quick response saved two lives and prevented the house and its irreplaceable contents from being destroyed.

To celebrate the successful outcome, Amelia Pulliam, ADTs Chief Human Resources Officer presented LifeSaver Awards to four ADT employees whose jobs contributed to the save. Included were ADT Dispatchers Sandra Johnson and Tonya Wilson who flew 1,700 miles from ADTs Customer Care Center in Irving, TX to meet Rogers for the first time.

It was a team effort to ensure no lives nor property were lost, said Johnson who has worked at ADT for three years. Meeting Ms. Rogers today was the highlight of my career so far.

Pulliam also awarded $5,000 to Goshen Fire Department which urged people to be extra diligent about fire safety during the holiday season.

Home fires peak this time of year from space heaters, fireplaces, lit candles and food left cooking on the stove, said Fire Chief Todd Patton. Lets be fire safe this year.

The National Fire Protection Association reports someone dies from a residential fire every 169 minutes. Monitored smoke detectors can help prevent these tragedies.

About ADT

ADT is a leading provider of security and automation solutions for homes and businesses in the United States and Canada. ADT's broad and pioneering set of products and services, including ADT Pulse interactive home and business solutions, and health services, meet a range of customer needs for todays active and increasingly mobile lifestyles. Headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida.

Media Relations

Bob Tucker

tel: +1 561.988.3619

btucker@adt.com
August 24, 2017

TEHRAN, Iran  Iran's Principlists kept themselves at the top of the pyramid of power through former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his circle of associates. Now, however, this same circle is harshly attacking its former allies and even some pillars of the political establishment, so much so that some Principlist factions have asked for probes into some of its actions.

Ahmadinejad is a staple of Iranian politics. Whether in office or sitting at home, he is always hungry for publicity.

The former president was planning to run for a third term in the May 19 elections, but was disqualified by the Guardian Council. Considering that many of his administrations officials were involved in the campaign of conservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi, there was a general sense in Iran that Raisis platform was aligned with Ahmadinejad's. Ahmadinejad released a video message on May 15, just a few days before the elections, officially announcing that he did not support any of the six candidates despite the presence of some of his former aides in a certain candidates campaign.

Hamid Baghaei, Ahmadinejads onetime vice president for executive affairs, and Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, his adviser and closest confidant, have both stayed loyal to the former president. Baghaei, who was also disqualified from running in the May election, wrote Ahmadinejads name on the ballot in front of cameras on election day. Having been arrested in June 2015, Baghaei was once again detained on July 9 this year. On July 16, judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei disclosed some of the charges against him, including embezzlement and collusion over government contracts. Ejei added, The defendant was given 2 million euros at his disposal, which [was allocated for something] else, but there is no record of that money anywhere.

Ahmadinejad was vocal in his criticism of Baghaeis arrest. On the same day as the charges were announced, the former president declared that he holds the judiciary responsible for his former deputys life and well-being. In a statement released three days later, July 19, he claimed that all the charges against Baghaei were baseless and asked that the records for the 2 million euros noted by Ejei be made public. Baghaei was released July 26 on bail, which Ahmadinejads associates claimed had come from public donations.

After his release, Baghaei harshly criticized the judiciary, as others from the Ahmadinejad camp have done previously. On July 30, Mashaei gave a speech in which he also harshly criticized the judiciary and warned that it is playing with fire by criticizing Ahmadinejad and arresting his allies.

Another case concerning the former president and his associates is that of the sudden deposit of 16 billion tomans (about $4.8 million) on Aug. 3, 2013  right before he formally left office  into an account of the University of Iranians, which is owned by Ahmadinejad and Baghaei. The money came from a government account.

Principlist political analyst Naser Imani, commenting on the increasing isolation of Ahmadinejad and his associates and their apparent radicalization, noted in an interview with Iranian reporters, It is not unusual, for signs of irrationality were evident during Ahmadinejads final years in office."

In this vein, political analyst Sadegh Zibakalam told Al-Monitor, It was predictable from the very beginning that this faction will gradually become radicalized. They are hoping to attract a wider range of people, and they believe that they will achieve this goal if they verbally attack different government institutions. This is while the number of Ahmadinejad supporters has, in general, shrunk and his remaining supporters come from the lower classes of society  villages or small cities  and thus do not follow the news closely and do not know what Ahmadinejad is doing.

After Ahmadinejad tried and failed to run for a third term against the public advice of the supreme leader, many thought that his political life had come to an end. However, on Aug. 14, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reappointed Ahmadinejad for a five-year term on the Expediency Council, which is mainly tasked with mediating disputes between the parliament and the Guardian Council.

While the reappointment has been interpreted in a variety of ways, Principlists for the most part believe that Ahmadinejads presence on the Expediency Council is his last chance to play a role on the Iranian political stage. It should be noted, however, that all the incumbent members of the council were reappointed to new terms by the supreme leader. Zibakalam told Al-Monitor, I doubt there will be a major change, although it is possible that for a short while, there will be less controversies and chaos concerning Ahmadinejad and his associates.

Ahmadinejad has always proven to be a radical. There was a time when this radicalism was welcomed by the Principlists, but there were also times when they expressed disapproval. Whatever his political future holds, he is likely to remain associated with populism and radicalism.
August 14, 2017

TEHRAN, Iran  Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his inner circle have been at the center of a storm on the Iranian political stage in recent weeks, with senior aide Hamid Baghaei hurling brazen accusations of rights abuses at the judiciary.

Baghaei, a former vice president for executive affairs, made the accusations on July 26 after being released from 18 days in detention, his second imprisonment without any charge. Law enforcement officers first arrested him in June 2015, only freeing him after seven months.

Soon after Baghaeis latest detention, Ahmadinejad slammed the move as a grave injustice and called for his immediate release. In an open letter on July 9, the former president openly accused political rivals of deliberately targeting him and his aides, writing, They attack us when they quarrel with each other or make peace with each other  even if they cant settle their scores, again they come to settle their scores with us. In a second letter, Ahmadinejad wrote that Baghaei had gone on a hunger strike and warned that he would hold the judiciary responsible for any harm to his health.

Reacting on July 16, judiciary spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, without naming Baghaei, threatened that Ahmadinejad could be charged for his letters. He also vaguely spoke of another defendant in a separate case who had confessed to giving 2 million euros [$2.3 million] to that person [Baghaei]. Without further elaboration, Ejei added, [Baghaei] is held in proper conditions. He signed a paper, admitting that he prefers to remain alone rather than going to the communal ward.

When Baghaei was hospitalized on July 25, Dolat-e Bahar, Ahmadinejads unofficial website, released footage of the ex-president and his inner circle standing behind the hospital gates, being denied a visit. In one video, Ahmadinejad complained, Who are the people who give these orders? In another video, he said, We couldnt see him and couldnt make a phone call to him. Nonetheless, we can stay in the hospitals yard until morning.

Baghaei was released on a bail of 200 billion rials ($6.1 million), which is said to have been raised by Ahmadinejad supporters. Immediately after his release, in a public gathering, he bluntly condemned the judiciary, accusing it of unlawful imprisonments.

Please go and see what is going on inside our prisons, Baghaei charged, saying, There was a guy in our cell who had been there for 13 months without any charge or trial, and he hadnt contacted even his family; he had a kid.  Lets assume that he is a criminal. Then you have to take him to court and punish him. Hed gone crazy, losing his mind.  Why? What for? When you then tell [the responsible official] that what he is doing is against the law, he says: Its my decision.  Did we have a revolution for this? Did our youth make sacrifices in the shahs jails and during the revolution to see a bunch of corrupt people come to power?

Baghaei also cited his interrogator, named Ghassemzadeh, as having told him, President [Hassan] Rouhani's brother Hossein Fereydoun had accepted a 600 billion rial [$18.3 million] bribe to find a position for an individual on Bank Mellats board of directors, and we will summon him soon. Of note, Fereydoun was arrested July 16 on financial crime charges and released a day later after posting 350 billion rials ($10.7 million) for bail amid hospitalization for high blood pressure.

Baghaei further rejected any financial misconduct among Ahmadinejad aides and directly denounced Ejei for stating that he didnt want to enter Evin prisons communal ward. He said, When did I say that? Why are you lying? He is a liar! Mr. Ejei is lying now, just as he used to lie when he was at the Intelligence Ministry.  Tell him to bring that paper [he claims I signed]. Ejei notably served as intelligence minister under Ahmadinejads first term (2005-2009) before being dismissed.

Within a day of Baghaeis remarks, Tehrans prosecutor general, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, announced the filing of another complaint against him. Interrogator Bijan Ghassemzadeh also denied Baghaeis claims regarding Fereydoun.

Al-Monitor spoke with conservative political strategist Amir Mohebbian about what may be behind the public clash between Baghaei and the judiciary. He said, Although they [Ahmadinejads circle] act based on very complicated cult-like mechanisms and have their own view about political events, the current circumstances, particularly after their [Ahmadinejad and Baghaei's] failed presidential bid and the way they are treated [on the Iranian political stage], have forced them to react in this manner.

He added, Therefore, the judiciarys quick reaction raises eyebrows about the politicization of Baghaei's case. And it is what Ahmadinejad wants. When asked about the possible ramifications of Baghaeis accusations, Mohebbian told Al-Monitor, Baghaeis comments add pressures, as all political factions are unanimous when it comes to complaining about the judiciary.

Given Ahmadinejads strident anti-establishment rhetoric, Al-Monitor asked Mohebbian whether he thinks the former president is capable of capitalizing on dissenting voices to gradually become a new opposition leader. In Mohebbians view, that is an unlikely prospect. He said, Neither the Reformists nor the conservatives trust him, so he has very slim chances to become a new opposition pole.

Prominent Reformist politician Mohammad Ali Abtahi agrees, telling Al-Monitor, Mr. Ahmadinejad cannot stand as an opposition leader because he has lost all his social and human capital. I dont see any future for him. Abtahi, who served as vice president under Reformist Mohammad Khatami, elaborated, Mr. Ahmadinejad really wants to be seen as the leader of an alternative movement, but he has been unable to draw supporters. And by the way, I dont think our people and the entire leadership have forgotten his presidency and [will] allow his return [on the political stage].

Remaining silent for two weeks, Ejei on July 30 dismissed Baghaeis criticisms, saying, Those remarks are not true.  They see themselves as important people, but we shouldnt pay attention to them. I personally dont want to file a complaint against them. Yet he ominously added, Anyone from Ahmadinejads clan who acts against the law will be prosecuted.

In the view of Abtahi, who was imprisoned in connection with the unrest in the aftermath of Ahmadinejads disputed re-election in 2009, the judiciary has been tolerant toward the former president. He told Al-Monitor, The judiciary would have acted differently had Reformists behaved similarly. Mohebbian takes Ejeis warning more seriously, concluding, The Islamic Republic has proved time and again that it doesnt hesitate to confront political figures who go way beyond its security red lines.
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You are here: Home / The Best All Inclusive Resorts in Mexico  Hotel XCaret

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Out of all the all inclusive resorts in Mexico Ive had the privilege of experiencing, Hotel XCaret is unlike anything Ive ever seen. Its hard to grasp, even when standing in the middle of it. Its breathtakingly beautifullike youve set foot into a fantasy realm.

The sounds of macaws nearby have you believing youre on set for the next Jurassic Park film. The impossibly blue water is naturaland yes, you can swim in it. This Eden is overflowing with detail, luxury, and activities. Guests even receive access to ALL the XCaret parks! This sneak peek is brought to you by Xcaret Parks. I attended an all-expenses-paid press junket. All thoughts are my own.

All Inclusive Resorts in Mexico

When you think all inclusive, food and drinks come to mind, right? Well, Hotel XCaret is next level. In addition to whats probably going to be the best meals and cocktails youll ever consume, your admission to ALL the XCaret Parks is also included.

If youre not familiar, this means you have full access to XCaret, XPlor, Xenses, Xel-Ha, Xenotes, Xichen, and Xoximilco! Ill be going into more detail about each of these magical places in other posts, but please just take note, this value is unheard of!

Take a peak at the property for yourself by watching my video:

The Food

We visited the property while it was still under construction, so we werent able to sample any food. But we did see the kitchen and dining setup. Its called The Market (pictured above) and offers farm-to-table meals with family-style dining where you can meet new friends or snag a private table on the other side of the room.

Across the way, through a magically ornate door is a stunning Asian restaurant. The sculptures on the ceiling are meant to be viewed in the reflection on the marble floorits a boat approaching an island! So cool! Watch my Snap story to see a clip:

I apologize for the lack of quality in this video. Its choppy and vertical. Ugh. But hopefully, you get the idea. 

The Water

I think I asked three different times if that blue was real. I couldnt fathom how a color so vibrant wasnt from the use of dye or something. But its real. The minerals in that area mix with the brackish water and thats the exquisite result. This cove will be for swimming and kayaking. Do you see those little caves across the way? Youll be able to relax in a hammock or have a private dinner in those!

For Kids

Hotel XCaret truly offers something for every age group and lifestyle. For those of us with kids, theyve got a Kids Club, Teens Club and babysitting services available for an additional fee. The kids pools has lifeguards on duty, and if you chose a swim-up room, you can watch from the comfort of your own room. Watch my Snap story above to see more.

The Teens Club has a snack truck, mini movie theater, giant net hammock, rock pillows, and tons of fun stuff for the older kids. I cant wait to go back and see it completed.

The Rooms

Every room @hotelxcaret is full of locally sourced art. Each of these pillows takes 3 MONTHS to make! Hand painted tile #HotelXcaretMexico pic.twitter.com/kqiPZ4R00L  Jennifer & Shelley (@MagicalSiblings) November 2, 2017

Again, check out the video above for a full walk-through, but I cannot express how amazing every detail is in each room. All decor is sourced from local artisans, and the lamps are even made by inmates at the Cancun prison. This place is stimulating the economy, helping rehab the community, and paying close attention to its natural surroundings. They even build AROUND the trees whenever possible.

And if you want an ocean view, have you ever seen anything so perfect? Ive done my fair share of traveling to tropical places, and this is a view I am having a hard time topping.

I mean, I could just stay in that hammock for a week. Paradise is everywhere; you dont even have to leave your room.

If youre looking for the best all inclusive family resorts in Mexico, look no further. Hotel XCaret cannot be beaten.

Book your rooms now!

Out of all the hotels near XCaret Park, none offer access to all the parks included in the price. This is seriously HUGE.

Dont forget to check this list for 14 things to bring on your vacation to Mexico.

What occasion would you love to spend at Hotel XCaret? Honeymoon? Relaxing vacation? Adventure tour? Family travel? All of the above?
NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prognos, an innovator in applying artificial intelligence (AI) to clinical lab diagnostics, has completed a $20.5 million Series C round of financing, bringing the companys total funding to $42 million. The investors include Cigna, GIS Strategic Ventures (the venture capital arm of the Guardian Life Insurance Company), Hermed, Hikma Ventures, Maywic, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund (GHI), and Safeguard Scientifics. The support validates Prognos leadership position in the market as the only healthcare AI company capable of delivering forward-looking and real-time insights based on laboratory and diagnostics records.



Building on Prognos seven-year foundation, the Series C financing will help the company meet highly targeted growth goals in the Life Sciences and Payer markets. Prognos solutions enable earlier identification of patients who can benefit from enhanced treatment decision-making, risk management, and quality improvement. The company is currently helping 25 Life Sciences brands to find and convert appropriate patients while building a footprint in the payer market.

For Prognos, Series C is a focused and disciplined effort to build on our success to scale the business as we pursue our mission of predicting disease earlier to drive better outcomes for patients, said Sundeep Bhan, Cofounder and CEO of Prognos. We view this round as a vote of confidence from the healthcare industry experts and global investment firms that understand the space well and believe that Prognos can continue to lead in providing early insights to deliver better patient care and lower costs.

The new funds will go toward expanding Prognos AI capabilities, new markets, and sales and marketing efforts. To date, Prognos has built the largest lab connectivity network in the U.S., processed and analyzed over 13 billion lab records for more than 180 million patients, and developed 1,000+ proprietary machine learning-enabled algorithms across 50 conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, and non-small cell lung cancer, for the lab data management and analysis. Within the last year, Prognos has also bolstered its leadership team with the additions of Chief Operating Officer Lisa Kerber, Chief Commercial Officer Stephen Silvestro and Chief Data Scientist Fernando Schwartz, Ph.D.

Healthcare AI and the right kind of big data, such as lab and diagnostics data driving clinical decision-making, has the potential to enable us to identify patients more likely to benefit from a particular therapy, said Joe Volpe, Managing Director, Merck GHI Fund. This round continues our investment into Prognos, the healthcare AI company that has demonstrated its capability to transform how the Life Sciences industry does business, now and in the future.

Global health service company Cigna has been working with Prognos to use lab data and analytics to improve health engagement among its Individual and Family Plan customers.

AI is a game changer in healthcare risk management, said Craig Cimini, VP Strategy and Business Development at Cigna. We have seen Prognos capabilities first-hand and believe health plans will greatly benefit from integrating real-time lab and diagnostics data intelligence to refine their approaches to risk adjustment, clinical quality, and care management.

About Prognos

Prognos is a healthcare AI company focused on predicting disease to drive decisions earlier in healthcare in collaboration with payers, Life Sciences and diagnostics companies. The Prognos Registry is the largest source of clinical diagnostics information in 50 disease areas, with over 13B medical records for 180M patients. Prognos has 1000 extensive proprietary and learning clinical algorithms to enable earlier patient identification for enhanced treatment decision-making, risk management and quality improvement. The company is supported by a $42M investment from Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. (NYSE:SFE), Merck Global Health Innovation Fund (GHIF), Cigna (CI), GIS Strategic Ventures, Hikma Ventures, Hermed Capital, and Maywic Select Investments. For more information, visit www.prognos.ai.
COLOGNE, GermanySwedish-German manufacturer The Dodilmakers of a moldable dildohas announced a re-vamped brand mission as the company sets its sights on the American retail and distribution market.

Armed with a re-branded mission, new sloganDesign your dildoand point-of-sale materials, the company is ready to tackle North and South America. Several U.S. retailers and distributors are already clamoring to stock their shelves after the Dodil received rave reviews from sex toy bloggers and consumers.

The company's plan for international growth follows their successful pleasure industry launch at the 2017 eroFame trade show, where the Dodil caught the attention of European pleasure businesses.

We are pinning up new flags on our world map week by week, said Dodils Head of Communication Peter Gustavsson. The contact with new partners is very much an educational journey, from where we learn to sharpen our tools to help them to best present something as ingenious as a design-your-dildo dodil.

The Dodil is the world's first shape shifting dildo. After submerging this silicone-coated pleasure device in boiling water, its' initial rigid state turns completely soft and moldable. Users can create myriad textures and shapes to fit their unique anatomy, and then freeze their designs with cold water. The creation process can be repeated again and again due to Dodil's thermoplastic interior, giving consumers an affordable, eco-friendly alternative in insertable pleasure products.

We aim at being client-smart in all aspects, said Gustavsson. Along with our new media and point-of-sale, it will be really easy to assist our business partners in tapping into the minds of consumers with our revised message, as it both explains the product and also drives curiosity.

Gustavsson and Chief of Operations Richard Almgren look forward to broadening the reach of their revolutionary pleasure product across the globe. We aim to keep meeting potential clients as plausible new friends who also want to reform masturbation, concludes Gustavsson. By listening and learning and showing, we hope to prove that there is an obvious win-win in dealing with the Dodils.

For sales and marketing inquiries, visit TheDodil.com or contact Peter Gustavsson at [email protected] or Richard Almgren at [email protected]
Toronto, Canada, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cority, the most trusted environmental, health, safety, and quality (EHSQ) software for assuring client success, announced it has been recognized as the market leader for occupational health and industrial hygiene software by independent research firm Verdantix in its latest report, EHS Software Benchmark: Health, Hygiene & Ergonomics. The report evaluates the global EHS software provider market and assesses 20 companies on 15 criteria across ergonomics, industrial hygiene, and occupational health product capabilities.



To help EHS decision-makers identify software with the most comprehensive and robust capabilities, Verdantix benchmarked the features and functionality of the 20 most prominent providers of EHS software in the market. According to the report, Cority has the broadest and deepest software for industrial hygiene, occupational health and ergonomics and received the highest score for occupational health and industrial hygiene, and tied with one other provider for the highest score in ergonomics.



Our software benchmark analysis finds that Cority stands out in the market for industrial hygiene, medical monitoring, and occupational health, said Trevor Bronson, Industry Analyst, Verdantix. The companys multi-decade focus on these industries explains its high scoring for this group of functionality.



The report also noted Coritys strengths in the areas of total worker health, application security and web hosting security for employee medical record keeping.



Were pleased to be recognized by Verdantix for our over 30-year commitment to occupational health, industrial hygiene, and ergonomics, said Mark Wallace, President and CEO, Cority. We continue to innovate and expand our solutions to provide our clients with the best features and functionality possible, so they can proactively mitigate risks and ensure total worker health for their employees.



To read the full report, click here. For more information on Coritys occupational health, industrial hygiene and ergonomics solutions, visit www.cority.com



About Verdantix



Verdantix is an independent research and consulting firm with expertise in environment, health, safety and quality as well as energy, real estate, facilities, and maintenance.



About Cority



Cority (formerly Medgate) is the most trusted environmental, health, safety, and quality (EHSQ) software for assuring client success. Cority enables organizations to utilize EHSQ software to advance their journey to sustainability and operational excellence by combining the deepest domain expertise with the most comprehensive and secure SaaS platform. With 30+ years of innovation and experience, Coritys team of 250 experts serve more than 800 clients in 70 countries, supporting millions of end users. The company enjoys the industrys highest levels of client satisfaction and has received many awards for its strong employee culture and outstanding business performance.

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LAS VEGASFor years, creators of pleasure products have been paying more attention to their designs. Pieces are more ergonomic, they have cleaner lines, andin some caseslook more like objets dart as opposed to sex toys.

Now, a new company called Happy Orange Designs has taken some of the more iconic shapes of pleasure products from recent years and transformed them into T-shirts, tote bags and more that any educator or fan of sex toys would love.

Helmed by Ryan Olbrysh, a former full-time editorial designer and art director, Happy Orange Designs features vibrator-themed T-shirt and other merchandise. Based in Las Vegas, Olbrysh debuted his initial items and designs at CatalystCon in Los Angeles.

The vibrator-themed T-shirts and tote bags had everything to do with the publication of Lynn Comellas new book, Vibrator Nation, Olbrysh told AVN. When the book went off to press, Lynn, who happens to be my wife, said, Wouldnt it be cool to have some vibrator-themed merchandise to go along with the book? I decided that the designs would focus on the imagery of some of the most iconic and classic vibrators: the Oster, the Magic Wand, and the Slimline. I wanted the designs to be clean and simple, but also visually appealing.

I think the colors I used add some punch to the designs. And turning the Magic Wand upside down makes it look like a neck tie, or an exclamation point, which people really seem to like, he added.

Olbrysh said he knew sex toys were an entire world unto themselves, thanks to Lynns work, but notes he was a bit surprised to find out just how many types of pleasure products exist. When he started creating his designs, he found it difficult at times to narrow down the products he featured.

While the designs feature sex toys, in some cases the inspiration for the art isnt always apparent. One design, called Vibrator Hieroglyphics, is a collection of line drawings of 25 different dildos and vibrators.

I really like that from a distance its not entirely clear what the objects are, but once you get a bit closer you see that theyre actually sex toys, Olbrysh said. A restaurant server in Utah, and store clerks in college towns where weve traveled, have come up to Lynn to say, I really like your bag! with a knowing wink. Hearing the positive feedback on the designs has been really gratifying.

The initial product lineup for Happy Orange Designs was inspired by Olbryshs being a fan of quality T-shirts with minimalistic yet eye-catching artwork. Currently offering T-shirt, tank tops and tote bags, Happy Orange Designs is looking to add its designs to other products.

And while the appeal to those who work in the pleasure products industry is clearSome of the folks whove been most excited about the T-shirts, in particular, are sex educator sales associates at various sex shops across the country, Olbrysh said. For them, a vibrator T-shirt is a cool uniform they can wear to work. As one person recently told Lynn, We need more sex geek apparel!there are already fans outside the industry as well.

We definitely think theres potential for cross-over, Olbrysh said. In fact, weve sold a number T-shirts and totes to people who dont work in the industry, but simply love the idea of wearing a T-shirt with their favorite vibrator on the front, or going to the grocery store with a tote bag covered in sex toys.

The shirts and totes are fun and whimsical, not to mention great conversation starters, he continued. People are surprisingly comfortable wearing these shirts and carrying the tote bags, which we think is a testament to the growing popularity and normalization of pleasure products more generally. Weve shipped our products internationally to Canada, Australia and New Zealand, in addition to cities across the United States, so were hoping for global domination!

For more on Vibrator Nation, the book that inpired the shirts and totes, visit DukePress.com.

In the meantime, find the complete lineup of Happy Orange Designs products online at HappyOrangeDesigns.com.
The Democrat leadership has made constant, profound and incredible pronouncements that one's supportive vote for Republicans is tantamount to surrendering Democracy forever. Understanding their sincere thinking in their extreme position: How will you still vote on this election day?

Democrat; because the continuance of this Democracy from the existential threat of extreme Republicans is paramount.

Republican; the process of having a choice is the democratic method within what so called "Democracy" does exists.
N.C. Ports Authority bought land in 2006 and after megaport project collapsed still has no plans to use it



Caswell Beach resident Toby Bronstein was part of a group opposing the megaport. She wonders why the state continues to hang onto the site. (CJ photo by Don Carrington)

The 600-acre waterfront property in Southport set aside for a state-run "megaport" remains vacant and the N.C. State Ports Authority has no plans to develop or sell it. The property's most recent tax appraisal also shows the land is worth half its original purchase price.The Star-News of Wilmington reported in mid-November that the property, bought in 2006 by the Ports Authority for $30 million, was appraised at $15 million in 2013. The state also spent $10.2 million to develop the site before abandoning the megaport project.In 2012, Carolina Journal noted the proposed megaport had three major problems: It is located adjacent to Progress Energy's Brunswick Nuclear Plant; there is significant organized local opposition to the project; and a new port had little support in the General Assembly.Caswell Beach resident Toby Bronstein, a former spokeswoman for Save the Cape, a group opposed to the megaport, still wonders why the authority is hanging on to the land.she told CJ this week.The CJ story noted that in the early 1980s, Progress Energy Carolinas opposed a potential coal handling facility on the same site that had been proposed by Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Williams Companies.For the site to work, Williams needed an agreement with Progress Energy, then known as Carolina Power & Light, to share the company's rail line that wrapped around the nuclear plant. After a brief study, Progress officials decided not to cooperate, citing a significant safety concern: During an emergency at the plant, a long train on the rail line could block access to the site, delaying evacuation or containment efforts. Williams then abandoned interest in the site.As the CJ story pointed out, freight trains servicing the proposed megaport typically would be a mile long, posing a similar safety concern for Progress.The land along the river adjacent to the nuclear plant was vacant until the early 1970s, when the pharmaceutical company Pfizer bought part of it to manufacture citric acid. The facility was built in 1973, but did not occupy all the land Pfizer purchased.By the early 1980s, Pfizer offered to sell some of the land, including the site the Ports Authority eventually acquired. In 1990, Pfizer sold its citric acid plant to agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland while retaining ownership of several undeveloped adjacent properties.In early 2005, after learning the 600-acre tract was for sale, Ports Authority CEO Tom Eagar took measures to acquire it even though he had no feasibility study for the site justifying the development of a new port.The sale closed the following year, but the project went nowhere.Eagar told CJ during a break at a Ports Authority board meeting in May 2010. He said the state-owned ports at Morehead City and Wilmington were not adequate to meet the economic development mission of the authority.With no imminent plans to use the site, the state continues to hang onto vacant, untaxed waterfront property that has declined in value.
North Carolina has collected less state revenue so far than projected for the 2017-18 fiscal year , to the tune of about $134 million. Alarm about this would be premature - we've learned in recent years not to panic based on only a few months of data - but the trend does illustrate the need for prudent budgeting.North Carolina continues to outperform the national and Southeastern averages on most measures of economic growth. Economic vitality, in turn, drives fiscal trends. Virtually all state budget deficits occur during recessions, when layoffs and flat incomes crimp government revenues at the same time that demand surges for services such as public assistance and community college enrollment.Could our state's slower-than-projected growth in revenue be an ominous sign of things to come? It's possible, yes, although other explanations are also possible. Here are several compelling reasons not to jump to conclusions just yet.First, while $134 million is a sizable sum, it amounts to about 1.9 percent of total General Fund revenue for the first four months of the fiscal year. Revenue forecasting is inherently fuzzy. Being above or below the baseline a percentage point or two is not uncommon. Total General Fund revenue is still up slightly from last year, by $20 million.Second, what occurs during the first third of a fiscal year is not necessarily predictive of conditions present by the end of the fiscal year. A disproportionate share of income tax revenue, for example, arrives in the spring. The Christmas season accounts for a disproportionate share of sales tax revenue. It's just too early to draw firm conclusions.Finally, while North Carolina's General Fund revenues to date of $7.16 billion are a bit below projection, they are still higher than the General Fund spending to date of $6.81 billion. In other words, the state budget has a net cash surplus so far this fiscal year of $350 million. It's not running a cash deficit.Of course, my third observation is subject to my second observation. That is, expenditures also aren't evenly distributed across the year. We can't yet conclude that North Carolina won't end up with a deficit by next spring.That's where the state's recent fiscal prudence enters the picture. Rather than heeding the counsel of Gov. Roy Cooper, most Democratic lawmakers, and the interest groups allied with them to spend more and save less, the GOP-majority General Assembly has built significant cushions into the state budget to guard against unforeseen shortfalls.North Carolina's rainy-day fund now stands at $1.8 billion - by far the largest savings reserve in state history. Add in nearly $500 million in Medicaid reserves and an unreserved General Fund balance of $400 million, and it becomes clear that the state's current cash surplus of $350 million can disappear or even go somewhat negative by the end of the 2017-18 without becoming a harbinger of doom.That's why prudent governments - like prudent organizations of any kind - maintain savings reserves in the first place.Some conservatives object to this line of thinking, arguing that when government runs a surplus, it ought not to save the money but should instead refund it to taxpayers as an overpayment. I agree with this sentiment if the surpluses are large and sequential. But that doesn't mean governments ought not to save some for a rainy day.Savings reserves have proven to be indispensable as a tool of fiscal conservatism, given that politicians often respond to unforeseen budget deficits or other fiscal emergencies with tax hikes, including "temporary" ones that end up lasting a long time or becoming permanent.North Carolina's governments, unlike the monstrosity based in Washington, are required to balance their operating budgets. They can't borrow to pay employee salaries or vendors (although they can borrow to build long-term assets such as roads and office buildings).So if revenues continue not to meet projections and fall below expenditures by next spring, Gov. Cooper and state lawmakers will have to take action. They should plan accordingly, but not panic.
Tom Campbell

CNBC, the cable business news channel, predicts that North Carolina will be selected as the site for Amazon's second headquarters. We are also told that it is between our state and Alabama in securing a Toyota-Mazda auto-manufacturing plant. Would we be starry-eyed optimists to dream we could land both of them?Our chances appear to have gotten better as just this week Forbes magazine named North Carolina as the best state in the country for business.A visit to the Spartanburg-Greenville area, Alabama, or any of the localities selected for major new facilities confirms the axiom that a rising tide lifts all boats. The economic impact from either or both of these prospects in North Carolina would create a tremendous ripple throughout our state. Thousands of new jobs would be created as a result of either of these prospects picking us for a new location. In addition to those hired in the plants there would certainly be a resultant spillover effect created as suppliers, transporters and other support businesses start up or relocate to be near them.But before we get carried away in our enthusiasm we must look at some practical considerations. What would taxpayers have to provide in the form of economic incentives necessary to close the deals? In September, Wisconsin gave Foxconn approximately $3 billion in state and local tax breaks to lure the 3,000 jobs and $10 billion in construction investment the flat screen manufacturer is projected to provide. Economists predict it will be 25 years before Wisconsin taxpayers see a return on their investment.Is North Carolina prepared to offer similar competitive economic incentive packages and if so, what impacts will these tax breaks have on revenues to the state and local governments? Do we have enough capacity to land both Amazon and Toyota-Mazda? Not only would there be the reduction in tax revenues, but we would also have increased demands on public infrastructure like roads, water and sewer utilities and public schools.Do we have a workforce prepared to fill these new jobs? Ingersoll Rand recently revealed they had 1,000 job openings in their Davidson County facility they can't fill because of a lack of needed skillsets from applicants. Some of these unfilled jobs pay as much as $100,000. This is a growing concern among employers. If our state is going to compete for these or other new big industries, we need to ramp up our labor pool for today's jobs.But instead of focusing on problems let's look at the opportunities, and they could be tremendous. The overall impact of either Amazon or Toyota-Mazda would ignite our state economy in ways we have not seen in years, lowering our unemployment rate, raising family incomes and trickling down to increased sales for retailers, car dealers, realtors, construction companies and our hospitality industry. More new jobs would surely follow.The greatest benefit would be the confidence gained from knowing we were winners, an attitude that has been lacking since the late 1990s. Let's tell Santa we want both of these great prospects, but even if only one of them chose our state it would be welcomed news.
The continual presence of this monument on campus is a threat to the safety and well-being of students and that it is dangerous to public health...multiple research studies have shown that exposure to racism...causes physiological harm on the body. Blood pressure rises [and] stays elevated throughout the day. This isn't a matter of hurt feelings; this is very literally as serious as a heart attack.

Today's protest-ridden climate on college campuses might lead one to suspect that they are hotbeds of political disruption controlled by social justice warriors. All over the country, speakers are shouted down, professors are harassed and even assaulted , students are intimidated-while administrators grovel , patronize, pander , and quake.Fortunately, the situation isn't quite so dim on most campuses, or, at least, it doesn't need to be. Administrators may be learning that order and free speech rights must be preserved and that appeasement only emboldens troublemakers. Furthermore, ideologically driven protesters usually constitute a small minority of the actual student body.A look at a three-day period at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reveals many different facets of the Trump-era campus protest phenomenon.On November 13th, roughly 55 protesters gathered outside a speech by former deputy assistant to President Trump Sebastian Gorka . The protesters ranged in age from undergraduates to senior citizens. At some point, however, many undergraduate students (mainly female) left; the 30 or so who remained were older, more male, and more "hardcore." Some belonged to the Democratic Socialists of America and were at times raucous, even menacing.The following day, about 150 protesters held a rally to demand the removal of a controversial confederate statue known as Silent Sam. As it was erected in honor of fallen Confederate soldiers, many claim that the statue's mere presence on campus reaffirms racism and white supremacy.Finally, on Wednesday, November 15th the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees hosted a public forum to allow individuals to "express their thoughts" regarding the monument. The majority of the nearly 30 speakers demanded that the statue be taken down (again deriding the opposition as racists and white supremacists).Those events raise two major issues. The first is how the university handled the protests: did they maintain order and preserve free speech? The second concerns the character and intentions of the protesters: are they willing, or even capable, of listening to reason? Are they unrealistic or unhinged? Or are they merely looking to cause a commotion?And, although protesting different issues, it appeared that demonstrators at both the Gorka and Silent Sam events shared a great deal of overlapping arguments and rhetoric. Perhaps there is an underlying political agenda for which Sebastian Gorka and Silent Sam are mere props? And are the protesters representative of the student population as a whole?As to the first question of how the university handled the protests, it appears that it did extremely well. All three events were almost entirely problem free.Despite the protesters' oft-excessive passion, they did not interrupt Gorka's speech, the Silent Sam protest, or the public forum. Indeed, it seems that the university's newly implemented free speech policy has so far proven to be effective: Participants at both the public forum and within the auditorium where Gorka spoke were warned that anyone who substantially interrupted the event would be subject to university disciplinary action and possible arrest, and would be escorted out of the building.Other precautions also may have contributed to the civilized atmosphere. Attendance at the Gorka event was limited to enrolled students, registered guests, and faculty. The protesters freely vocalized their objections in a separate space-as it should be. Ample police were on hand to deal with the 30 protesters, no matter how intent on causing mayhem they were. It was a far cry from seven years ago, when former US congressman Tom Tancredo was chased off the UNC campus by rampaging radicals, partly because of inadequate policing.Police have also closely monitored the Silent Sam protests. Because of protesters' heightened emotions and occasionally heated confrontations with counter-protesters, the school employed an undercover police officer. Although the decision to use undercover surveillance was met with accusations of having "spied" on students, it may be that UNC-Chapel Hill is taking necessary strides toward preventing future violence.There are certainly signs indicating that the protesters are unreasonable. Despite their insistence that the university take the statue down, the school is powerless to take such action due to a 2015 law that prohibits the removal of historical monuments from public grounds unless they pose a structural danger to physical safety or if given express permission from the North Carolina Historical Commission.Furthermore, the protesters ascribed nefarious motives to chancellor Carol Folt and other administrators, implying that they are either racist for allowing the statue to stay, or that they care more about appeasing the university's "rich donors" who presumably are in favor of keeping the statue. Yet university officials have repeatedly stressed their desire to remove the statue for "public safety" reasons.At times, protesters even appeared to be unmoored from reality. Speakers at the Silent Sam public forum contended that the statue threatens students' mental and physical health. One teary student from the school of medicine claimed that just walking past the statue could raise a student's blood pressure to dangerous levels. She asserted:The protesters also have a dark edge. For example, one of the Gorka protest leaders, who declined to give either his name or affiliation, said that the chantwas meant literally.he explained.The real problem is with his definition of who is considered permissible to punch for being a Nazi. When asked whether it was okay to punch Gorka, who resolutely denies having Nazi beliefs, the protester said that he believed there was a large body of evidence that he was, making him acceptable to assault.When pressed further about where the line is drawn for somebody whom he suspects of being a Nazi but for whom there is not much evidence supporting his suspicion, he asked for a specific example. Of President Trump-for whom there is no evidence of any Nazi affiliation and considerable evidence that such a supposition is unlikely (such as his warm acceptance of his daughter's conversion to Judaism)-he sardonically suggested and affirmed:And at the Silent Sam protests, large groups encircled the statue and repeatedly shouted a quotation from Assata Shakur, who is on the FBI's most wanted list for the first-degree murder of a police officer.What, then, are we to make of protesters who suggest that mere suspicion of somebody's political beliefs is enough to justify assaulting him or her? Or who identify with violent, cop-killing revolutionaries?Is it politics or principles that are really driving the protests? At the Gorka protest, a UNC-Chapel Hill law student affiliated with Democratic Socialists of America revealed that politics was indeed her basis for permitting speakers on campus. Angela Davis-a communist revolutionary-was to her an acceptable speaker, unlike Gorka:When reminded that Davis was involved with the Black Panthers at a time they were committing numerous murders, she merely stated:As for whether an overwhelming majority of students want to "silence Sam," further prodding suggests that most students are not particularly opinionated on the issue. On the contrary, when the Martin Center informally surveyed 26 UNC-Chapel Hill students regarding their thoughts on Silent Sam, the majority expressed neutrality or mild concern-not exactly matching the protesters' zealous plea to "tear it down!"Nevertheless, as seen elsewhere, it only takes a small-but loud and aggressive-group to attract disproportionate attention and place administrators in deferential straitjackets. Today's protesters are extreme, unhinged, and threatening; it is little wonder that police officers must be prepared in case of an outbreak of violence-especially given the words of warning the protesters directed toward university officials:orUNC-Chapel Hill should be applauded for taking precautions to prevent violence-while, at the same time, protecting students' right to free speech and giving them a forum to air grievances. Still, the school must remain vigilant and administrators must firmly hold their ground and avoid the temptation to capitulate to the protesters' excessive demands.If the latest national trends in student protester movements indicate anything, it is that small pockets of angry students are growing increasingly influential in their ability to shape university policy. And remember that the protesters are a tiny minority that includes hardened radicals with a political agenda that extends far beyond the campus.
Should Charlie Rose's name be removed from the N.C. Journalism Hall of Fame? Should Duke University rescind his honorary degree? The answer to these questions results in yet another: Where do we separate character from talent? Jim Geraghty of National Review hit the nail on the head when he wrote about Matt Lauer's fall this morning, writing,Over the past couple of months Americans have stopped raising their eyebrows when yet another man falls because of sexual misconduct allegations. However, for some, the revelation that Charlie Rose grossly abused his power at the expense of numerous women was especially difficult to process.Rose, an icon in American journalism, was admired by many, and North Carolinians were no exception. Many took pride in the fact that he hailed from the Old North State. So much so, that he received the honor of being inducted into the N.C. Journalism Hall of Fame and was awarded an honorary degree from Duke University (he had also earned two degrees from the school in 1964 and '68).So, how do we reconcile the belief that individual achievements are worthy of recognition with the near assurance that by doing so we will eventually make the mistake of praising someone with poor character or a yet-to-be unearthed history of predatory behavior? There's no easy answer. One option is to stop giving awards to people, which is unrealistic. Another choice is to revoke honors on a case by case basis. That is certainly more rational and would allow individual organizations to make that judgment call for themselves.Let's say we go with the second option and we find ourselves on the N.C. Halls of Fame Committee . Their website says that they seek to honorNo mention of moral behavior. Why? Probably because they took for granted that employers would hold their journalists accountable to a code of conduct, thereby keeping the pool of nominees limited to men and women with reasonably decent character, even if they couldn't pass the sainthood test.Unfortunately, in many places the bottom line or political power has replaced character when it comes to how executives and politicians make decisions. Profitability and power have been of more import than respectability.If those in leadership, both in the public and private sectors, would act on the belief that individuals-both men and women-have inherent dignity and should be treated as such, I doubt we would be seeing the cultural devastation that is currently taking place in Hollywood, D.C., and elsewhere.So, should Rose's name be removed from the N.C. Journalism Hall of Fame? Should his honorary degree be rescinded? Well, that depends on whether or not you believe there should be a distinguishing line between character and talent. Regardless of where you land on this question it is undeniable that, irrespective of skills, we are each responsible for our character, and that will oftentimes be the hallmark feature of how we are remembered once we're gone.
CLEARWATER, Fla., Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On November 28th, Mark Ruff and Trish Williams from Clearwater flew to Puerto Rico to help rebuild the island, paying forward the help they received more than a year ago by the Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/393f4967-a67f-463e-8553-75f7e2a2a4a8

In 2016, Mark Ruff and Trish Williams relocated from Maine to Clearwater to get a brand new start. They said that despite submitting job application after job application  they could not find jobs and things were getting tighter and tighter. Their funds had been eaten away staying at motels night after night for months and eventually they ended up on the streets.

We visited the Scientology Information Center. Amber, the manager of the Center directed us on how to get our life back on track. The positive support and encouragement that we received from Amber and the Scientology Volunteer Ministers headed us in the right direction and we both got jobs and stable housing again. Trish became a server at a local restaurant and Mark got his Commercial Drivers License for the state of Florida and began driving trucks again.

In September 2017, they witnessed the disaster relief efforts by the Scientology Volunteer Ministers (VMs) in downtown Clearwater where Hurricane Irma hit.



Then, when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, Mark and Trish decided to join the Scientology Volunteers and help restore the island to normalcy. Mark is also a trained Emergency Management Technician, and is licensed to operate heavy machinery, skills which are very much needed in Puerto Rico.

You know, were thankful that were able to go and help, Mark said. All I kept thinking was  We gotta help these people. There are roads that are been closed due to fallen trees and there are supplies that need to be delivered  but they lack drivers. This is something Ive got to do. I want to thank the Church of Scientology for their help in getting us back on our feet, and now we can pay it forward and do the same to others in need.

To learn more about the Scientology Information Center and the Scientology Volunteer Ministers please contact Amber Skjelset at (727) 467-6966 or email amber@cos.flag.org.

About the Church of Scientology:

The Scientology religious philosophy was founded by L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in the United States in 1954 and has expanded to more than 11,000 churches, missions and affiliated groups, in 167 nations. Scientologists are optimistic about life and believe there is hope for a saner world and better civilization, and actively do all they can to help achieve this.

For more information please visit www.scientology-fso.org.

For More Information

Contact: Amber Skjelset

727-467-6966
President Donald J. Trump is Giving Small Businesses a Boost

There are nearly 30 million small businesses in the United States, employing 57.9 million American workers, according to the U.S. Small Businesses Administration.

48 percent of all American workers are employed by small businesses, defined as firms employing fewer than 500 employees.



Historically small businesses are responsible for two out of every three net new jobs created in America.



Over half a million new small businesses are launched each year in the United States, creating more than 2.5 million new jobs per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Nearly half of the United States gross domestic product (GDP) is driven by small businesses, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Over 97 percent of United States exporters are small businesses, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.



Under the House tax reform bill, businesses organized as sole proprietors, S corporations, or partnerships would have their top marginal tax rate capped at 25 percent for qualified business income.

This would be the lowest top marginal tax rate in more than 80 years.



Over 99 percent of American businesses are incorporated as one of these "pass-through" firms and currently face a top Federal marginal tax rate of 39.6 percent.



Under the House bill, small businesses that file a joint return would have their first $75,000 of income taxed at a low rate of 9 percent.

Under the Senate bill, businesses organized as sole proprietors, S corporations, and partnerships would be able to deduct 17.4 percent of their qualified business income with some restrictions on high-income households.

For the next five years, American businesses will be able to immediately write off the full cost of their heavy equipment and other capital investments.

This will help American businesses afford the heavy industrial machinery and other capital investments they need to grow.



Cutting the top Federal corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent and allowing businesses to write off the full cost of non-structure capital investments immediately would mean faster economic growth and higher wages, according to President Trump's Council of Economic Advisers (CEA).

GDP could increase by between 3 and 5 percent in the long term.



American annual household income could increase by an average of $4,000.



A 3 to 5 percent increase in GDP over ten years could represent an additional $700 billion to $1.2 trillion in economic output, based on CEA's calculations and the Congressional Budget Office's baseline.

Just cutting the corporate tax rate to 20 percent is estimated to increase long-run GDP by 3.1 percent, according to the Tax Foundation.



Developed countries that have lowered their effective corporate tax rates have experienced wage growth across skill levels.

Wages for American workers of all skill levels would increase after corporate taxes are cut.



Developed countries with the low corporate tax rates have seen significantly higher wage growth compared with developed countries with higher rates.



Cutting corporate tax rates will encourage firms to invest back in the United States, creating well-paying jobs for hardworking Americans.

After President Bush's 2003 tax cuts, the economy created 7.8 million jobs over five years, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.



After President Reagan's 1981 tax cuts, the economy created 14.8 million jobs over five years based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.



After President Kennedy's tax cuts, the economy created 12.0 million new jobs over five years based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.



Small business owners have the highest levels of optimism in over a decade according to Wells Fargo.

Federal regulations cost the American economy $1.9 trillion and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees face regulatory costs nearly 20 percent higher than the average for all firms, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers.

Small businesses are punished disproportionately by excessive government regulation and face $11,724 in regulatory burdens per employee versus $9,083 for firms with more than 100 employees, according to a study by the National Association of Manufacturers.



President Trump signed an Executive Order, which mandates that for every one new regulation, two old regulations must be eliminated in order to control regulatory costs.

President Trump signed into law 15 Congressional Review Act resolutions - blocking harmful Obama-era regulations from being implemented.

In President Trump's first six months, the Administration has approved the fewest regulations with an economic impact of more than $100 million in more than twenty years, according to the American Action Forum.

Statement from the Press Secretary on the Visit of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj of Libya

Readout of President Donald J. Trump's Call with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China

Readout of President Donald J. Trump's Call with President Moon Jae-In of the Republic of Korea

The following are statements from the White House for November 28-29, 2017.Small businesses are a primary driver of the American economy and when they succeed so does the country.The tax reform plans in the House and Senate would cuts taxes for small businesses.The tax reform bills in the House and Senate will increase investment in the American economy, leading to higher growth, increased wages, and more jobs for hardworking Americans.President Trump has already taken action to remove the regulatory burdens all businesses face, particularly small businesses.President Donald J. Trump will welcome Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj of Libya to the White House on December 1, 2017. President Trump looks forward to discussing the bilateral ties between the United States and Libya and reaffirming the United States' support for the Government of National Accord, and commitment to helping the Libyan people realize a more stable, unified, and prosperous future. The President and the Prime Minister will also discuss the importance of the political reconciliation effort being facilitated by the United Nations within the framework of the Libyan Political Agreement, as well as counterterrorism cooperation and ways to expand bilateral engagement in several areas.President Donald J. Trump spoke today with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China to discuss North Korea's latest missile launch. President Trump underscored the determination of the United States to defend ourselves and our allies from the growing threat posed by the North Korean regime. President Trump emphasized the need for China to use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization.President Donald J. Trump spoke today with President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea to discuss the alliance's response to North Korea's test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Both leaders underscored the grave threat that North Korea's latest provocation poses not only to the United States and the Republic of Korea, but to the entire world. President Trump and President Moon reaffirmed their strong condemnation of North Korea's reckless campaign to advance its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, noting that these weapons only serve to undermine North Korea's security and deepen its diplomatic and economic isolation.White House 
Mia, a beautiful golden retriever who will soon be in the United States, jumped up and gave our team members what has since become her signature dog hug, when she was first allowed out of her cage. Pictured above, Mia with HSI Senior Director of Companion Animals and Engagement Kelly O'Meara. Photo by Jean Chung/For HSI

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Were back at it in South Korea, saving dogs from the worst imaginable circumstances on meat farms and starting them on a journey that will turn their lives in the most dramatic ways. Its the 10th dog meat farm weve cleaned out since we started our End Dog Meat campaign.

It is estimated that each year more than two million dogs are bred on thousands of dog meat farms in South Korea for human consumption. This week, we are rescuing 170 of those animals from an unthinkable fate. Soon, well fly them to the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom where they will be placed with our Emergency Placement Partner shelters and rescues and will receive the care and love they so deserve.

The dog meat farm in Namyangju, South Korea, is typical of these sordid enterprises. The golden retrievers, spaniels, beagles, greyhounds, Korean jindos, mastiffs, and other breeds we found had never received any veterinary care, and many suffer from eye infections, skin diseases, and painful leg and paw sores from days of standing and sitting on the metal wires and bars that make up the flooring of their cages. Conditions only get worse in winter when the metal is freezing to the touch, hurting the dogs sensitive paws even more.

Kelly OMeara, HSI senior director of companion animals and engagement, is on the ground in Korea now, and in an email she described the farm as a mish-mash of cages spread throughout the property, many hidden behind stacks of wooden and metal debris. The dogs lived in cages piled high with feces, and there were absolutely no barriers from the cold wind that blows through the farm during Koreas harsh winters.

Despite their debilitating circumstances, many of the dogs showed incredible resilience and a loving attitude toward humans. Mia, a beautiful golden retriever who will soon be in the United States, jumped up and gave our team members what has since become her signature dog hug, when she was first allowed out of her cage. Leila, a jindo mix, melts into a pool of mush in the laps of our caregivers each time they visit her, showing them her belly for petting. Angel, a mastiff mix, leans into her visitors and snuggles as close as she can while being petted.

Limited by the space available on airlines willing to transport them, the dogs are now patiently awaiting their turn to get off the farm and head to their new lives overseas. Our team members visit with each of them daily and have offered as much comfort as possible during the process of closure. We have provided straw bedding in each cage to give them some insulation from the cold, and its amazing to behold. Something as simple as straw in their cages has them playing and romping around, digging their noses into the first element of enrichment and comfort they have ever received in their metal prisons. As one rescue team member said, There is little reward as wonderful as watching a dog snuggle into a bed of straw and feel the first warmth and comfort in their life.

The HSI rescue is happening just 10 weeks shy of the 2018 Winter Olympics, which will be hosted by South Korea. As the worlds attention focuses on this event, we also hope to turn the spotlight on the suffering of companion animals in South Koreas dog meat farms. This is a grim, shocking, and largely hidden side of South Korea that stands in stark contrast to the colorful pomp and ceremony we will no doubt witness at the Olympic festivities, and one that a growing number of South Koreans believe has no place in their modern, progressive society.

HSI has been working for nearly three years now in South Korea to close dog meat farms, and for some very elderly dog farmers, HSI intervention has meant that they can finally retire without having to sell their dogs for slaughter. Other farmers have worked with HSI to devise a business plan to transition to alternative, humane livelihoods such as water delivery or crop farming.

The owner of this dog meat farm in Namyangju will now grow vegetables on his land, instead of breeding dogs.

As gratifying as it is to rescue each animal from their misery, we are also aware that given the large number of dog meat farms in Korea, we cannot tackle this problem entirely on our own. What we hope to do is provide the government of South Korea with a blueprint to help dog meat farmers transition out of this gruesome trade and into more humane livelihoods. We also are working on legislation that seeks to phase out and end this terrible business once and for all.

Increasingly we find that young Koreans are rejecting eating dogs. Most South Koreans dont regularly eat dog meat and oppose the practice. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has adopted a dog named Tory who was said to be rescued from a dog meat farm. Besides closing dog meat farms, HSI is raising awareness among South Koreans and earlier this year we took our campaign against dog meat to the streets of Seoul, with posters on subways and a virtual reality experience showing life on a dog meat farm.

Eating dog is already a declining habit in South Korea, but if people could see the sorrow of these dogs and the disgusting unhygienic conditions in which theyre raised, Nara Kim, HSIs South Korea Campaign Manager, told me, I think even more people would stop eating them.
Presidio Terrace is a private, gated street in San Francisco that has housed the likes of Nancy Pelosi and the UK Consul General; their neighborhood association failed to notify the city of San Francisco that they'd changed contact addresses for tax bills related to their private street and sidewalks, so after years of delinquency, their street, sidewalks, trees, and assorted miscellanea were put up for auction and purchased by out-of-town property speculators for the sum of $90,100.



Now, in a 7-4 ruling the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has held that the Presidio Terrace residents get what no one else in the city gets  the chance to void a tax-auction and get a do-over. The Presidio Terraceites say that they simply made an administrative error and shouldn't have their private streets and sidewalks handed over to speculators.





What they don't say is that they've done this before, having defaulted in 1985, and then having apparently done nothing to stop it happening again.

Until 1948, Presidio Terrace had "whites only" signs, and used restrictive covenants to prevent the sale of houses to people of color. The speculators who snapped up the street are people of color.



Supervisor Hillary Ronen voted against reversing the sale, saying homeowners had defaulted before and should have been on notice. She agreed that most people did not expect to pay taxes on sidewalk in front of their house but pointed out that most people don't have a private street in front of their house. "Did the treasurer act unreasonably? I don't think so, and should we give a second bite of the apple to these homeowners when most people don't get that?" she said. "I don't think so."

Rich San Francisco homeowners get sold-off street back

[Janie Har/Washington Post]



(via Super Punch)
Randi Zuckerberg, Facebook's former spokesperson and sister of founder Mark Zuckerberg, was told by Alaska Airlines flight crew to put up it when a fellow traveler sexually harassed her. She described herself as "disgusted & degraded" in an open letter to the airline's brass.

Feeling disgusted & degraded after an @AlaskaAir flight where the passenger next to me made repeated lewd sexual remarks. The flight attendants told me he was a frequent flier, brushed off his behavior & kept giving him drinks. I guess his $ means more than our safety? My letter: pic.twitter.com/xOkDpb0dYU  Randi Zuckerberg (@randizuckerberg) November 30, 2017

CNN:

Zuckerberg said the flight attendants offered to move her to a middle seat in the back of the plane, but she said she refused because she didn't feel she should have to give up her seat when she was the one being harassed. Zuckerberg said she also learned that the comments were not unusual and that the flight attendants had previous conversations with the male passenger about his behavior. She said they told her "don't take it personally, this guy just doesn't have a filter." According to Zuckerberg, the man continued to make sexual comments throughout the flight.

The airline apologized and banned the harassing passenger. Moral of the story: if you're a woman and don't want to be shushed by a flight crew indifferent to the leering alcohol-soaked asshole in the next seat over, be powerful and famous enough to ruin their bosses' day.

Photo: Monika Flueckiger / World Economic Forum (CC)
Bank of Nova Scotia (TSX:BNS)(NYSE:BNS) just announced plans to bulk up its presence in Chile.

Let?s take a look at Canada?s most international bank to see if this is a good time to buy the stock.

Pacific Alliance growth

Bank of Nova?s Scotia?s international expansion is primarily focused on Chile, Mexico, Colombia, and Peru. The company has spent billions in recent years to build a strong presence in the four countries, and that trend looks set to continue.

The bank just announced a $2.9 billion bid to acquire a majority position in BBVA Chile in a move that would make Bank of Nova Scotia the third-largest non-state-owned bank in the South American country. BBVA Chile has 4,000 employees working at more than 120 branches.

Bank of Nova Scotia hopes to settle the purchase in the coming months and close the deal in mid-2018.

Chile, Mexico, Peru, and Colombia form the core of the Pacific Alliance, which is a trade bloc set up to enable the free movement of goods and capital among the member markets.

Earnings

Bank of Nova Scotia reported fiscal Q4 2017 net income of $2.07 billion, or $1.64 per share on a diluted basis, compared to $2.01 billion, or $1.57 per share in the same period last year.

The Canadian banking operations saw net income jump 12%, but 7% of that came from gains on the sale of HollisWealth. Business loans rose 13% in the quarter compared to fiscal Q4 2016, and deposits increased 3%.

Net income in the international operations rose 11%, supported by 15% loan growth in Latin America. Deposits rose 7% in the division, and expenses dropped 1% compared to the same period last year.

The global banking and markets division, which includes the investment banking and trading operations, had a weak quarter compared to the previous year. Net income slipped 15%.

For full-year fiscal 2017, Bank of Nova Scotia generated net income of $8.243 billion, representing an 8% increase over 2016.

Risks

Some investors are concerned that a pullback in the Canadian housing market could hit the banks. It?s true that a total meltdown would be negative, but most analysts predict a gradual decline in prices.

Story continues

Bank of Nova Scotia finished fiscal 2017 with $206 billion in Canadian residential mortgages. Insured mortgages represent 49% of the portfolio, and the loan-to-value ratio on the uninsured loans is 51%. This means house prices would have to fall significantly before Bank of Nova Scotia had a material impact.

The bank?s capital position is very strong, with a CET1 ratio of 11.5% as of Oct. 31, 2017.

Dividends

Bank of Nova Scotia raised its dividend by 6% this year. The company has a strong track record of dividend growth, and that trend should continue.

The current payout provides a yield of 3.9%

Should you buy?

The Pacific Alliance market is home to more than 200 million consumers. As the middle class grows, demand for loans and investment products should increase, and Bank of Nova Scotia is well positioned to benefit.

If you are looking for a top-quality Canadian dividend stock that gives good emerging market exposure, Bank of Nova Scotia deserves to be on your radar. The shares are not as cheap as they were early last year, but the bank still trades at a discount to its larger Canadian peers.

More reading

Fool contributor Andrew Walker has no position in any stock mentioned.
'I feel so let down by Canada': Radiohead and drum tech's parents demand answers in his Toronto death

The mangled debris in the north Toronto park looked more like a tornado had touched down than the remains of a stage.

Metal alloy pipes meant to withstand thousands of kilograms of pressure buckled and lay tangled around keyboards like spaghetti. Trapped crew members cried out for help from among the smashed lighting grids, motors and expensive audio equipment

In the mess of bent and broken scaffolding, destroyed lights and instruments, a pair of legs stuck out from beneath a 2,270-kilogram video monitor that had been suspended from the ceiling.

The coroner concluded that Scott Johnson, a drum technician for the British rock band Radiohead, was killed instantly.

Five years later, there are no answers as to how the collapse happened and no one has taken responsibility for the June 16, 2012, incident at Downsview Park. Charges in the case were stayed in Ontario Court of Justice in September.

But CBC News has learned the chief coroner of Ontario will hold an inquest into Johnson's death, a long-awaited move to be formally announced Thursday.

Radiohead had been in contact with Ontario officials seeking an inquest, wanting to use its influence to pressure authorities to get answers and some small measure of closure for the drum technician's parents, Ken and Sue Johnson.

"I would like to know who made mistakes, what the mistakes were and mostly to make sure that it doesn't happen to someone else because it cost my Scotty's life," said Sue Johnson.

Behind the scenes, Radiohead's management and the Johnsons have been meeting with British MPs who have, in turn, written letters to the Canadian High Commission demanding something be done.

Burden of responsibility

Radiohead drummer Philip Selway feels a burden of responsibility to Johnson's parents.

"When the collapse happened, it happened at four in the afternoon. Our soundcheck was due to start at four and I actually should have been where Scott was." Selway said.

Story continues

"That is an incredible weight, and personally I can't let this lie. I want to see a proper conclusion, something that is respectful to Scott."

Things were running a little behind schedule that day. The band, which had played in Montreal the night before, was sequestered a short distance from the scaffold stage when it happened.

"We heard what sounded at the time like an enormous cabinet of glasses falling over," Selway said. "You could see it from behind that the top of the structure had buckled."

Time dragged as the band anxiously waited for news about the crew until at last they were told the tragic news.

"Something that was meant to bring a lot of joy that evening had just resulted in the death of Scott," Selway said.

It took a year for Ontario's Ministry of Labour to conclude its investigation.

Legal case collapsed

Live Nation, Optex Staging & Services and the engineer hired to design the stage were charged with 13 offences under Ontario health and safety laws. Proceedings began in Ontario Court of Justice in 2013. All three defendants pleaded not guilty.

But like the stage, the case would also collapse.

With only three days left in the trial, the original judge, Shaun Nakatsuru, was appointed a judge in Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Because of the appointment, he said he no longer had jurisdiction to preside over the rest of the proceedings and was forced to declare a mistrial.

The newly appointed judge, Ann Nelson, ruled in favour of the defendants' application to have the case dropped under the Jordan ruling. That landmark 2016 Supreme Court of Canada decision set strict timelines to ensure that an accused person's charter right to a trial without unreasonable delays is upheld.

The previous judge, Nakatsuru, had denied a similar motion.

Because the new trial would not have concluded until May 2018, Nelson ruled in September 2017 that the defendants' charter right to be tried within a reasonable time would have been violated. All charges were stayed, effectively killing the case.

Watching it unfold from across the pond, Selway said the decision disgusted and nauseated him.

"We're just appalled that this has been allowed to conclude in this manner. I feel angry about it."

Heavy loss

Loss hangs heavy in Ken and Sue Johnson's South Yorkshire cottage. Scott Johnson was their only child.

"We were like partners in crime," his mother said. "Sometimes I'd like just to be able to hold him and smell him.

"We both absolutely loved snow. And when it snows, it kills me now."

Their son's death was hard enough for the couple but the lack of answers has also angered and frustrated them.

"The word 'stayed'  it's so offensive to me," Ken Johnson said. "It seemed a fundamental basic to us that the truth would come out. It was not something that we worried about."

Sue Johnson is critical of the decision to apply the Jordan ruling in her son's case.

"To sort of think that it's bad for the people that are being accused, I would like them to sit in our shoes because it's five years, and five years that's been the most horrendous five years of my life. I feel so let down by Canada.

"They seem to have forgotten Scott in all this," she said. "They seem to forget that Scott lost his life because somebody made a mistake."

Ken Johnson is pleased there will be an inquest, but says what he'd really like to see is the court case reopened.

'It just wasn't strong enough'

It is a cruel irony that he is, by trade, a scaffolder who writes the annual safety report for the United Kingdom's National Access and Scaffolding Confederation.

"Some of the errors are fairly obvious because of the nature of my role. It just wasn't strong enough. There's no getting away from it. If it was strong enough, it would have stayed up."

That was one of the main underpinnings of the Crown's case.

According to court transcripts, prosecutor Dave McCaskill, buttressed by several bankers boxes of evidence from the Ontario Ministry of Labour's year-long investigation into the collapse, set out to prove that the engineer "miscalculated the total gross weight of the stage roof and its attachments" by approximately 7,260 kilograms.

The Crown also intended to show that Optex did not follow the engineer's drawings, noting that "discrepancies between the design and drawings and what was actually constructed on site profoundly contributed to the structural failure."

Final arguments were never heard, but during the case, Live Nation argued it did not construct the stage and that it believed it had hired competent people. Optex Staging and Services did not have legal representation. For his part, the engineer blamed Optex for not putting the stage up properly.

In interviews with CBC, Optex owner Dale Martin and the engineer, Domenic Cugliari, expressed regret about Johnson's death. Both had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Cugliari declined further comment because he is under investigation by the Professional Engineers of Ontario in connection with his role in the matter.

No national standards

Live Nation, which according to the Crown was responsible for organizing the Downsview concert, "including providing construction equipment and the labour required to construct the stage," left a voice mail for CBC saying it would not comment on the matter.

There are no national standards governing temporary structures in Canada, and the Ontario Ministry of Labour has not made any of the findings of its investigation public.

Questions to the Labour Ministry regarding the Radiohead case were referred to Ministry of the Attorney General, which has not granted CBC's request for an interview.

Doug Perovic, a professor and forensic engineer at the University of Toronto, worries that a lack of accountability and a lack of public findings and information about the case make it possible another such collapse could happen.

"Scientists, engineers are hardwired to want to get the answers. We want to solve the problem, find the answers and ultimately prevent such things from happening again, potentially improve safety codes and standards." Perovic said. "It's very frustrating that this sort of got hung up and just stopped."

Perovic has reviewed numerous workplace fatalities over the years, including the Downsview collapse.

"Canada's response to  failures of this type, collapses, workplace accidents, I think needs to be improved."

'A failing in the legal system'

Sitting in her living room, Sue Johnson can't help but think the courts didn't take her son's death seriously.

"I wouldn't have wished it on any of the lads but if it would have been [a member] of Radiohead, would the outcome have been different?" Johnson wondered.

It's a thought that has crossed Selway's mind. He and the band are determined to use their name recognition to help the Johnsons get answers.

"To actually have the ability and kind of a platform when we have been let down by the legal system to actually throw a spotlight on this process, that is incredibly important," Selway said.

"There's been a failing in the legal system."

In letters to the Canadian High Commission, the British Culture Minister Ed Vaizey and Ed Miliband, the Labour MP for Johnson's home riding of Doncaster, pushed for the Ontario government to do more to seek answers and accountability for the collapse.

"I am writing to you to urge you to bring all possible pressure to bear in seeking on my constituent's behalf answers for the tragedy of his son's life," Miliband wrote.

Although the inquest's conclusions won't be binding, its recommendations, if implemented, could be used to help prevent further incidents.

- WATCH| Radiohead demands answers in stage collapse death
Athens, Greece, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Variety Cruises announced two special promotions for its Costa Rica/Panama programs on seven winter 2017/18 departures. The award-winning boutique cruise-line is promoting an opportunity for travelers to explore Costa Rica and Panama with a private yacht experience at specially reduced rates.

Highlights of the first offer are a 40% reduction on official rates in double occupancy or no single supplement for single travelers. Additionally, Variety Club members will get 50% off and their referral rewards are doubled for these cruises. This offer is available for a limited number of cabins on departures for December 30, January 6, 13, 20, 27, and February 3, 17. Departures on December 30 and February 17 start and end in Colon, not in Panama City, and will include the special experience of the Panama Canal transit.

Variety is also offering special rates for Group Travel, valid for a minimum of six paying cabins, the group will get one free cabin, a 40% reduction on official rates in double occupancy cabins or no single supplement for single travelers, and wine and fruit in each stateroom on embarkation.

Sail on the M/S Panorama, a three-masted motorsailer which can accommodate up to 49 passengers in 24 cabins, where guests are well looked after by the staff, well known for its one-to-two, crew-to-passenger ratio. The small-ship setting fosters socializing with an on-board community of like-minded people, whether its at the deck bar or through the open-seated dining set up. Experience a harmonious balance between conventional cruising and private yachting, along with an exciting voyage of discovery.

The Variety Cruise's mega yacht experience takes you through the beautiful Pacific Ocean coastline of Costa Rica and Panama, where youll visit the historical San Lorenzo Spanish Forts, snorkel in the little paradise island of Restingue, and explore Darien National Park where youll be welcomed by Embera Indians, one of the seven indigenous groups living in Panama.

Variety Cruises, based in Athens, Greece, is a leader in defining the small ship cruise experience, operating a fleet of 11 fully owned vessels with a maximum of 72 passengers. Guests on board get to explore secluded coves, renowned ports and legendary landmarks not accessible by larger ships. Scheduling leisure time and overnights in port highlight Varietys commitment to providing a memorable and private yacht experience.

For more information on conditions and restrictions and booking please contact your local travel agent or Variety Cruises at: 1-800-319-7776

To see the Costa Rica and Panama itineraries visit: www.varietycruises.com

Follow Variety Cruises on Social Media:

@VarietyCruises

-ENDS-

THE VARIETY CRUISE DIFFERENCE:

Private Yacht Cruise Experience, with no more than 72 fellow passengers

Boutique-size yachts that dock right in ports not accessible by large ships

Carefully crafted itineraries focused on the destination

Ample leisure time in each port including overnights

Mediterranean fusion cuisine with a strong local influence depending on the destination

Personalized service on board provided by experienced and finely trained crew

Small group shore excursions  Immersion in the destination

Swimming platforms allowing guests to swim, snorkel, kayak and more

Yacht Deck Barbecues & Private Events on shore

ABOUT VARIETY CRUISES:

A leader in small ship cruising, Variety Cruises won USA Today Readers Choice Worlds Best Boutique Cruise Line 2016, Cruise Critic Editors Choice Best for Yacht Cruises and Scenic Nature Cruises, Tourism Awards 2015 & 2016 Best for Small Ship Cruising in Greece and Conde Nast Traveler Best Small Ship Cruise Line in Greece; Variety Cruises is the largest Mega Yachts operator in the Mediterranean and one of the top 3 worldwide in the Small Ship market.

Variety Cruises US Editorial Contact:

The Bradford Group

Karen Hoffman/ Bianca Pappas

Tel: (212) 447-0027

Fax: (212) 725 8253

E-mail: info@bradfordglobalmarketing.com

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/57818cd2-7981-4edc-b37f-100ac0efafc5

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2b8e9acd-dd65-496f-9788-5ea0b79314fb

Attachments:

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THURSDAY, Nov. 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- All prescribers of opioid pain medications -- not just high-volume prescribers -- play a role in the U.S. epidemic of opioid abuse and overdoses, a new study says.

Deaths from drug overdoses in the United States rose from about 52,000 in 2015 to more than 64,000 in 2016. Most of those deaths involved opioids, including prescription pain medications such as fentanyl and oxycodone (Oxycontin) as well as the illegal drug heroin, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

For the study, the researchers analyzed more than 24 million opioid prescriptions given in 2015 to more than 4 million people in California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland and Washington state.

The investigators found that opioids were often prescribed to high-risk patients by health care providers who typically do not prescribe large volumes of opioids, including primary care physicians, surgeons and providers who are not physicians.

However, these low-volume prescribers accounted for 18 to 56 percent of all opioid prescriptions to high-risk patients, the study found.

This indicates that high-volume prescribers, including so-called "pill mill" doctors, should not be the only focus of public health efforts to combat the opioid abuse epidemic, according to the researchers.

"This crisis has been misconstrued as one involving just a small subset of doctors and patients," senior author Dr. G. Caleb Alexander said in a Hopkins news release.

"Our results underscore the need for targeted interventions aimed at all opioid prescribers, not just high-volume prescribers alone," Alexander added.

He is founding co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness.

The study also found that "opioid shoppers" -- people who obtain prescriptions from multiple doctors and pharmacies -- accounted for just 0.1 percent of opioid users in the study. The researchers said this may be why prevention efforts focusing on "opioid shoppers" have not led to larger reductions in opioid overdoses.

"The point here is that ordinary low-volume prescribers are routinely coming into contact with high-risk patients -- which should be a wake-up call for these prescribers," Alexander said.

"We need to build systems to help prescribers better identify these patients, screen them for opioid use disorders and improve the quality of their pain management," he suggested.

The study was published Nov. 30 in the journal Addiction.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more on opioid addiction.
THURSDAY, Nov. 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Bacterial resistance to the antibiotic ampicillin may have begun years before doctors started prescribing it in the early 1960s, a new study suggests.

Ampicillin, a broad-spectrum penicillin, is widely used to treat many bacterial infections, including bladder and ear infections, pneumonia and gonorrhea.

Resistance was likely triggered by overuse of penicillin in livestock in North America and Europe in the 1950s, according to researchers at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. Ampicillin was released on the market for humans in 1961.

"Our findings suggest that antibiotic residues in farming environments such as soil, wastewater and manure may have a much greater impact on the spread of resistance than previously thought," said study leader Dr. Francois-Xavier Weill, a researcher at the institute.

Many bacteria that cause serious infections in people have developed resistance to antibiotics such as ampicillin. And annual worldwide deaths from antibiotic resistance are expected to top 10 million by 2050, the researchers said in background notes.

Because of these concerns, the World Health Organization recently called for an end to routine antibiotic use in healthy livestock.

The new findings were published Nov. 29 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

While the study can't identify a direct cause-and-effect relationship, Weill said it suggests that the nonclinical use of penicillin in livestock may have encouraged the evolution of resistance genes in the late 1950s.

"There is an urgent need to re-evaluate the use of antibiotics in animals ... recognizing that bacteria know no borders," Weill said in a journal news release. "This must include close international monitoring and surveillance of resistance in both human and animal health."

Antibiotic use as growth promoters has been gradually banned in Europe, without adverse effects on animal production, said the authors of a commentary accompanying the study.

"Extensive use of antibiotics, however, continues in low-income and middle-income countries and in booming economies, particularly in intense farming such as that of fish and shellfish," wrote Sandra Van Puyvelde and colleagues from the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp in Belgium.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on antibiotic resistance.
THURSDAY, Nov. 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Teens fixated on their smartphones experience changes to their brain chemistry that mirror those prompted by addiction, a new study suggests.

Kids who compulsively used the internet or fiddled with their phones tended to have increased neurotransmitter activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, a region tied to the brain's systems of behavior reward, control of inhibition and mood regulation, a team of South Korean researchers found.

"This particular region is well-known to be involved in addiction based upon the modulation of those kinds of behaviors," said Dr. Christopher Whitlow, an associate professor of radiology with the Wake Forest Substance Addiction and Abuse Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. "The authors are showing an effect in part of the circuitry of the brain that's involved in addiction."

The research team, led by Dr. Hyung Suk Seo at Korea University in Seoul, used a scanning technique called magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to evaluate the brains of 19 teenagers diagnosed with internet or smartphone addiction.

Researchers used standardized addiction tests to diagnose the teens and judge the severity of their addiction. Questions focused on the extent to which internet or smartphone use affected their daily routine, social life, productivity, sleeping patterns and emotions.

MRS scans are used to track concentrations of biochemicals in the brain, and are often used to study changes wrought by brain tumors, strokes, mood disorders and Alzheimer's disease.

Compared against normal teens, teenagers with an internet or smartphone addiction experienced increased levels in their anterior cingulate cortex of a neurotransmitter called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), which inhibits or slows down brain signals, the researchers said.

Their smartphone use "alters the function of this key brain area and was correlated with clinical measures of addiction, depression and anxiety," said Whitlow, who was not part of the study team.

Further, the researchers found that GABA levels either decreased or returned to normal after teenagers received nine weeks of cognitive-behavioral therapy aimed at treating their addiction.

The study "adds some scientific evidence that excessive use of these smartphones is having an impact in the brain which might be similar to other addictive disorders," said Dr. Edwin Salsitz, an addiction medicine specialist with Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York City.

Salsitz said he was surprised that the study didn't focus on dopamine, a brain chemical more typically linked to addiction, but added that GABA is a very important neurotransmitter that works in the same parts of the brain affected by dopamine.

Internet or smartphone addiction can be compared to other forms of behavioral addiction, such as addiction to gambling or pornography, said Dr. Sanjeev Kothare, chief of the division of child neurology at Cohen's Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y.

"It's just an extension of the same idea," Kothare said.

Parents who are concerned that their teens might be hooked on technology should restrict their smartphone or computer use, Kothare added.

He admits that might be a tough sell, but noted that parents can link reduced smartphone use to rewards such as a sought-after toy or game or more internet access on the weekends.

This study should be followed up in a larger group of participants with scans tracking more brain chemicals, the experts said.

Future researchers might also want to consider using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, which can track the flow of blood and biochemicals within the brain, Kothare added.

"If you move your right hand, your left motor cortex gets more blood supply, and that is taken as a signal on the MRI," Kothare said, providing an example of how fMRI could help doctors better understand the possible addictive effect.

The South Korean researchers were scheduled to present their findings Thursday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, in Chicago. Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

For more on addiction and the brain, visit Harvard Medical School.
THURSDAY, Nov. 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A program that includes male circumcision and antiviral drug treatment led to a sharp drop in HIV infection rates in a high-risk region of Uganda, researchers report.

Their study of a U.S.-funded HIV prevention program in the rural Rakai District on the shore of Lake Victoria followed 34,000 people. The program provides a number of free services, including anti-HIV drugs for people who are infected, voluntary male circumcision, condoms and promotion of safe sex.

While it's known that such measures reduce HIV risk at an individual level, their long-term population-wide impact has been less clear.

The study, by Johns Hopkins researchers, found a 42 percent drop in new HIV infections in the Rakai District between the start of the program in the early 2000s and 2016.

The decrease was greater among men (50 percent) than among women (30 percent).

"This difference may have been due to the direct risk-lowering effect of circumcision for men, plus the fact that infected women were more likely than men to use antiretroviral therapy and thus were less likely to transmit the virus to male partners," said study author Mary Kate Grabowski. She is an assistant professor in the pathology department at Hopkins.

"Increasing antiretroviral therapy use among men may help close this gap," she said in a Hopkins news release.

The findings were published Nov. 30 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"When I started doing research at Rakai in the late 1980s, about a third of people in the trading centers were HIV-positive and there was little we could do to prevent a further spread of the virus," said senior study author Dr. Maria Wawer. She is a professor in the departments of epidemiology and population, family and reproductive health at Hopkins' School of Public Health.

"But now there's so much more that we can do, and with this study we're finally seeing the beneficial results of these combined interventions," Wawer added.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on HIV prevention.
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Bangkok, November 30, 2017The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned a Vietnamese appeals courts decision today to uphold a 10-year prison sentence against blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, widely known as Me Nam or Mother Mushroom.

During a one-day trial in June, a Vietnamese court convicted Quynh of propagandizing against the state, an anti-state provision under article 88 of the penal code that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, CPJ documented at the time. The charges stemmed from 18 articles posted on Quynhs Facebook page, including her reporting on an industrial toxic spill that devastated large swathes of the countrys central coast, reports said.

Quynh, who writes her own blog and for platforms run by Vietnamese abroad, reports widely on human rights issues, with an emphasis on the countrys high number of deaths in police custody, CPJ research shows.

After todays hearing, the bloggers lawyer, Nguyen Ha Luan, said that Quynh maintained her innocence and her reporting did not constitute a crime, The Associated Press reported.

We strongly condemn todays ruling to uphold the 10-year prison sentence given to blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh for doing her job as a reporter, said CPJ Senior Southeast Asia Representative Shawn Crispin. Critical reporting on poor governance, official abuses, and environmental disasters should not be considered a crime in Vietnam. Quynh should be released without delay.

Vietnamese authorities first detained Quynh in October 2016 and then held her in pre-trial detention.

Quynhs mother, Nguyen Tuyet Lan, told Reuters that she was outside the court protesting the verdict when police approached her and beat her repeatedly. According to the Reuters report, police also detained three activists who were protesting alongside Lan.

In the lead-up to todays hearing, Vietnams Bar Federation disbarred one of Quynhs defense lawyers, Vo An Don, for providing false information to foreign media, abusing his right to free speech by spreading propaganda, and distorting the truth, according to international media reports that cited the state-run Thanh Nien newspaper.
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Journalists prosecuted

An Istanbul court on November 25 charged freelance photojournalist Cagdas Erdogan with being member of and making propaganda for a terrorist organization, the daily Evrensel reported.

Police detained Erdogan on September 2 in Istanbul while he was photographing a National Intelligence Agency building, CPJ documented at the time. Prosecutors alleged that Erdogans attempt to photograph the building constituted evidence of his membership in the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which Turkey classifies as a terrorist organization, Evrensel reported.

The prosecution claimed that the photojournalists posts on social media were propaganda for the PKK.



A court in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir on November 23 charged Hayri Demir, a reporter for the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya Agency, with making propaganda for a [terrorist] organization, the online newspaper Gazete Karnca reported.

The charges against Demir relate to a tweet he published showing an old newspaper clipping about Kurdish journalists who were killed in Turkey during the 1990s, according to Gazete Karnca.

A Diyarbakir court is scheduled to hear the case on March 15, 2018.

Journalists detained

Police on November 29 detained Ismail Turk, a former columnist for the conservative, religious daily Yeni Asya, at the Esenboga Airport in Ankara, according to the daily Hurriyet.

Hurriyet reported that Turks arrest was related to an investigation into the Fethullah Gulen movement, which Turkey blames for the failed coup attempt in June 2016.

FBI to investigate Barakat murders

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the double murder of Syrian-American journalist Halla Barakat and her mother, Oruba, ABC News reported on November 28.

Turkish police found the mother and daughter dead in their Istanbul apartment in September, CPJ documented.

According to ABC, Turkish authorities have declined U.S. offers to assist in the investigation.

Halla Barakat was born in the United States, and the FBI has legal jurisdiction to investigate the homicide of any American killed abroad, ABC reported.

Journalism workshop focusing on LGBT issues shut down

The organizers of a series of journalism workshops meant to foster dialogue on gender issues and reporting on the LGBT community canceled the events on November 16 following threats against them and workshop participants, according to Nadire Mater, the executive board chair for the foundation that was sponsoring the series.

The threats came after the news site Mardin Life on November 9 published an article that quoted the Turkish news agency ILKHA referring to the workshops as the homosexuality program.

According to Maters account that the independent news site Bianet published, the organizers notified the governor of the southeastern Mardin region where the next workshop was scheduled to take place after they began receiving threats. The governor did not respond to their request for help, prompting authorities to call off all future workshops for security reasons.

Previous workshops in the series were held across Turkey including in Istanbul, Mersin, Bursa, Izmir, Eskisehir, Trabzon, Diyarbakr, Mugla, Edirne, and Dersim, according to Bianet. The workshops were part of the Gender Based Journalism Guidebook and Library Project that is supported in part by the European Union European Tool for Democracy and Human Rights Fund.
 



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Company Focused on Near Term Production from Surface Mining of High Grade Silver Deposit, Gold, Silver and Multi Metallic Tailings



Santa Fe Gold completed and filed 2016 Annual Report as Annual and Quarterly Reports for 2017 are expected to be filed soon

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Santa Fe Gold Corporation (OTC:SFEG) is pleased to announce that preparations are under way to commence mining production as soon as possible upon completion of the acquisitions and final permitting. The company is in the closing stage of acquisition of 100% of Bullards Peak Corporation and Black Hawk Consolidated Mines Company, as mentioned in its last press release dated 10/20/2017.



The acquisitions include the formerly optioned AG1 Silver Mine and all lands surrounding the project including potential Porphyry Silver Discovery, Cobalt, Lithium, Manganese and Nickel and all rights to same.

SFEG is a U.S. based mining and exploration enterprise with emphasis on Gold, Silver, Copper, Precious, Industrial and Base metals and owner of multiple claims. These include the Malone Mines complex incorporating 20 associated mine sites, the Playas Lake Bed area of Hidalgo County, New Mexico and a Silver mining opportunity with a potential major Porphyry Silver discovery and is currently in the process of acquiring multiple additional acquisitions, all of which are considered high grade deposits.

The company expects to file the remainder of its 2017-year financial statements in the very near future.

To access recently filed 2016 Annual report:

https://www.otcmarkets.com/edgar/GetFilingHtml?FilingID=12383649 10-K

Santa Fe Gold to Make Important Announcements in the Near Future Re: Additional Acquisitions of High Grade Mines, Tailings and Lithium with Near Term Production Part of Strategic Plan to Rebuild Value

According to a recent Gold Industry Report, since 2007, grades have fallen from an average of 2.5 grams a ton to about 1 gram. This is potentially very positive for the industry longer term as overall output declines. Santa Fe Gold wants to particularly emphasize its sole interest is in acquiring only the highest grade commercially viable deposits while prices are still affordable.

With Global Gold and Silver production expected to decline substantially into the end of the decade and beyond, global demand is expected to rise and if the US Dollar which has already fallen 10% in 2017 continues to decline further, it could auger well for Gold, especially with rising Central Bank demand and continued buying by China and Russia, all of which are positive for metals. Valuations in time should soar and demand should increase, especially for the highest-grade assets held in favorable jurisdictions with relative ease of near term output.

Add to that Santa Fe Gold's $103 Million tax loss, which when combined with recent highly favorable U.S. tax cut proposals, should enable the company to benefit from multiple years of tax free income that could also command a significant premium over other mining companies and potentially render the company an increasingly attractive takeover target.

Further Evidence of Presence of Cobalt, Lithium, Manganese, Nickel and Titanium

As ongoing work and preparations for production to begin have progressed at Santa Fe's properties and already additional benefits have resulted from these acquisitions which are of particular note: In addition to the highly valued and coveted Silver mines along with the potential Porphyry Silver discovery, below and adjacent at depth, which is the main focus of work, the properties include other high quality minerals and rare metals including Lithium, Zinc and especially Cobalt that have seen further significant prices with Cobalt recently rising a very sharp 13% just in the past month to $68,000 per ton, the highest price in over a decade.

This sought after rare metal is in increasingly high demand. Cobalts growing use in a wide variety of technological applications and more recently in Electric Vehicles and Batteries.

Lithium is also currently in extremely high demand, so much so that prices are projected to quadruple in the next few years as more manufacturers turn towards Electric Cars with Volvo set to go All Electric by 2019 and Volkswagen to spend $40 Billion by 2022. In addition, these rare and uncommonly valuable ore deposits are supplemented by additional high demand metals of Manganese and rising Nickel values and are expected to boost Santa Fes revenues once mining and processing of this material begins.

President and CEO Tom Laws Comments:

With filing of the 2016 Annual Financial Statement and final filings to follow, we are looking forward to becoming fully compliant in the very near future and achieving eligibility to apply for listing on a higher exchange.

The addition of several potentially commercially viable deposits of Cobalt, Lithium, Manganese and Nickel adds a dynamic new benefit towards developing additional revenues for Santa Fe and proprietary processing methods for these ores are currently being evaluated by Santa Fe.

The company is continuing to execute on its strategic plan to acquire only the highest-grade deposits we have thus far been fortunate to avail of. Inevitably we see higher prices and rising demand for such prized assets by the major miners, some of whom have already staked high grade properties around us. These are all exceptional acquisitions for Santa Fe Gold that will now own and control these highly prospective increasing land areas in what is proving up to be the exceptionally highly mineralized zones we initially anticipated and expected to find. To be endorsed by outside geologists recent surveys and appraisals confirms our original views and high expectations regarding the exceptional potential of these surrounding properties.

With particularly high concentrations of Silver, including presences of near pure Silver nuggets in the upper zones nearer to the surface, visiting geologists concurred on the uncommonly high prospects of this unique Silver mine and Porphyry Silver Discovery.

Given the broadening dimensions and extent of the structures: "The main Silver mine and potential Porphyry Silver deposit beneath represent tremendous near-term upside potential and value for Santa Fe Gold, which is estimated to contain a world class deposit of Silver and depending upon the extent of the Porphyry deposit discovery, could add ore bodies of additional breadth and value.

"Proprietary surveillance methods recently revealed extraordinarily high concentrations of Silver and Gold in deposits, consistent with other high-grade veins throughout the region and management expects to make a major announcement in the near future of a significant new discovery."

We are committed to building up the companys assets in line with our strategic agenda and our mission is to get as many of these new properties into production as soon as possible:

Our growing portfolio of highly sought-after properties, with more to come, demonstrates the strong commitment, dedication and confidence in the future of Santa Fe Gold as management is intent on building the company to new heights and continues to progress towards a restart of production per our previously announced plans around asset acquisitions and production ramp up at a particularly opportunistic time for gold, silver and precious metals."

Area is Rich in High Grade Deposits

For the benefit of new investors and shareholders: As commented previously, the area in general and its surroundings, has an uncommon history of exceptionally high grades, as borne out by previous very high-grade discoveries reported by Santa Fe Gold in 2012, where assays showed bonanza type high grades of 7.73 ounces of gold per ton and 269.75 ounces per ton of Silver. While such exceptionally high grades are rare and could be considered as an anomaly, they do prove that such grades exist and reason for Santa Fes emphasis.

Recent assessment by outside geologists suggest the presence of a major Gold target in the Malone Mines Complex and a significant Silver rich target in the Black Hawk and Bullards Peak Silver Mines environs. Historically, Malone Mines uncovered exceptionally high-grade showings as borne out with grades reportedly as high as 16 oz per ton at one time encountered in the highest yielding area of this complex of mines, where some 80% of all the gold discovered in New Mexico has reportedly been found.

Release of Completed Financials:

June 30, 2016 Annual Report recently filed and updated through November 14, 2017 available at: https://www.otcmarkets.com/edgar/GetFilingHtml?FilingID=12383649

About Santa Fe Gold

Santa Fe Gold is a U.S.-based mining and exploration enterprise and owns the following mining assets: The Knights Peak region of Grant County, New Mexico comprising the Malone Mines, Patanka, Hillcrest Barranca and Principal Mines, altogether incorporating some twenty mine sites and all located at Knights Peak, together with an expanded area surrounding the Malone Mines in the southern region of Burro Mountains, New Mexico. The company also owns very significant holdings in the Playas Lake Bed Area of Hidalgo County that includes the presences of Titanium ore and other rare earth minerals and deposits.

Santa Fe Gold is in the process of adding additional properties and two mining companies to its portfolio, with very substantial Silver holdings along with Cobalt, Lithium, Manganese, Nickel and other rare earths currently being investigated. The companys Development Team continues to be extremely active in acquiring additional properties over recent months as it finalizes analysis of a number of attractive, economically viable opportunities and executes on the company's acquisition program that is totally focused on positioning the company to resume mining and production operations expected in the near term.

For more information and to register for updates:

Please visit www.santafegoldcorp.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Please refer to the Forward-Looking Statements link at the bottom left of Santa Fe Gold's website for all relevant disclosures.

Contact:



Santa Fe Gold Corporation

Frank Mueller, CFO

(505) 255-4852

info@santafegoldcorp.com
Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh is arrested at her home in Nha Trang in October 2016. Photo by VnExpress

Mother Mushroom was arrested in October 2016 and stood trial in June for publishing what authorities called anti-state reports on Facebook.

A court in Vietnam on Thursday upheld a 10-year jail sentence handed down to a blogger convicted of publishing anti-state propaganda, her lawyer said.

Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, 37, known as "Me Nam" (Mother Mushroom), was found guilty in June for distributing what police called anti-state reports on Facebook.

She was arrested in October 2016 and sentenced to 10 years behind bars, and a court in the central coastal town of Nha Trang upheld her sentence.

Under Vietnams Penal Code, anti-government propaganda is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in jail.

On Monday, 22-year-old Nguyen Van Hoa was sentenced to seven years in jail for sharing notes and images against the government on social media. Videos that he shared following the toxic spill caused by Formosa ignited local protests and were deemed to have complicated public security by police.

Last month, the country sentenced 24-year-old Phan Kim Khanh to six years in jail for posting fabricated information on social media, according to the court verdict. In July, blogger Tran Thi Nga, 40, was sentenced to nine years in prison for posting anti-state propaganda videos on the internet.
"What is Human Dignity?" This question was explored by MEPs of the cross-party Working Group on Human Dignity in the European Parliament during a hearing organized on the 29th of November on the topic "The Political, Legal and Scientific Aspects of Human Dignity". Several ECPM MEPs are active in the working group.

The meeting was moderated and hosted by MEP Alojz Peterle (EPP, Slovenia). ECPM President and MEP Branislav Skripek (ECR, Slovakia), one of the members of the working group: "Human dignity is the basis for human rights. It is based on the fact that we are created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore life should be protected from conception to natural death. It is sad that there are attempts to create new rights as for example the right of abortion and the right to death which go against the key principles of human dignity. Human dignity should be the basis and the protection for human rights, not the other way around."



"No matter which political sector - Europe has to put the human being and human dignity into the center," ECPM MEP Arne Gericke (ECR, Germany) said. "Our European Union has been founded as a Union of values. We risk the Union if we loose this base. Europe is much more than just a market - all we do happens from a huge social responsibility. And it is up to us to continue. Human dignity also means respect regarding others. One fact I miss especially in the dialogue between Western and Eastern European member states, is that our common story is not 'black and white'. Unity in diversity needs a strong power to stay together. Respecting human dignity is central."

David Fieldsend, former Director of CARE for Europe and current President of Sallux, examined the development of human dignity through a historical perspective from antiquity up to the Second World War, when the concept of an inherent human dignity was denied. This lead to millions being considered as inferior and without rights or protection on various racial, medical or social grounds, allowing them to be harmed or killed at will. The Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (Oviedo Convention) called for prohibition of the deliberate creation of human embryos for research purposes, interventions in the human germ line which might be heritable, and sex selection other than for therapeutic purposes. This Convention has been ratified by almost all the EU Member States. However, there is an ongoing development in research and the reproductive and therapeutic cloning of embryos, three parent embryos and support for surrogacy. Commercial experimenting on creation and nature will have consequences on societys outlook on the human being and our dignity.

Fieldsend discussed the trend of using human dignity as a justification for death, as is happening in the push for the recognition of death with dignity and assisted suicide. Even though the Council of Europe clearly denounced this in 2002, recognising that a terminally ill or dying persons wish to die cannot of itself constitute a legal justification to carry out actions intended to bring about death, such initiatives continue. Human dignity is an inherent value necessary to protect life and it serves as a basis for human rights. Lastly, Fieldsend commented that developments in this debate are quick, making it difficult for politicians to find appropriate answers on these issues and making it easy to forget the ideological basis of challenging scientific developments.

Dr. Adina Portaru, Legal Counselor of ADF International, focused on the fact that human dignity has been central to human rights: prominent references to it can be found in major human rights treaties and instruments, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the EU Charter and the Social Charter. These legal instruments, together with the relevant jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights and the European Court of Justice, convey the important message that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Human rights themselves derive from the inherent dignity of the human person.

"It is written in the European DNA to respect the inviolable dignity of every single human person and as such, we are called to defend it at this and every moment in our history," MEP Marijana Petir (EPP, Croatia) said. "Human dignity is not just a general notion but rather a making essence of every single human being."
Restoration work on one of Murillos paintings in the Seville Fine Arts Museum. PACO PUENTES (EL PAIS)

Within the paintings of Bartolome Esteban Murillo (1617-1682), one can find the essence of the Baroque metaphor: light and shade, artifice and simplicity, devotion and mundanity. Celebrations for the 400th anniversary of the Spanish painters birth kick off this week with a concert led by early music master Jordi Savall at the Maestranza theater, where the viola da gamba expert will recreate the sonic landscape of the city in which the painter was born. Seville has pulled out all the stops for the anniversary in order to reclaim an artist who has been trapped in cliches for a very long time.

The ultimate goal is to spread the arguments that researchers have been insisting on for years in specialized publications and at international symposiums: Murillo is not just the artist who evoked the religious world and who managed to give an amiable air to the spirit of the Counter-Reformation. He is also the painter who opted for profane scenes, paintings of everyday people doing everyday things, at a time when this was not well considered in Spain. The expert treatises of the era, such as those written by Pacheco or Carducho, scorned the representation of popular figures, in contrast to what was happening in the north of Europe, where the kind of painting that lauded the everyday was finding great success, and would become one of the great revolutions in the history of art.

Murillo is not just the painter who gave an amiable air to the spirit of the Counter-Reformation

While in Spain Murillo has been reduced almost exclusively to a painter of religious themes, he also dared to create paintings of mischievous children and of miserable people in the streets. It was an apparently trivial world that nevertheless fascinated the Flemish and Dutch traders who lived in Seville, which then held a monopoly on trade with Spanish colonies in the Americas. These traders would commission such non-religious works from Murillo, who was friends with many of them, such as Nicolas Omazur and Josua van Belle, and painted wonderful portraits of them.

This Murillo, who became almost a chronicler of his times, is less well known in Spain, perhaps because these paintings were soon taken out of Seville. Shortly after the master died in 1682 after falling off a scaffolding, these canvases were taken away in the luggage of the northern merchants, who were leaving a Seville now entering into decadence and losing its commercial monopoly with the Americas. These canvases now hang in the Spanish painting rooms of foreign museums.

Professor Benito Navarrete, who will be inaugurating the Murillo exhibition on December 9 at Centro Santa Clara in Seville, has produced a surprising essay about Murillo and the metaphors of his images, in which he reveals formerly unknown aspects of the artist, such as his ability to rub shoulders with the powerful and as an able manipulator of sensations. Murillo is an artist still to be discovered in terms of the visuality of his images, the specialist explains His art is decidedly illusory, because he knew how to use the resources that the theater provided to create an eloquent representation. He was a rebel because he broke with the former tradition, seeking his own language.

Murillo exhibition at the Fine Arts Museum in Seville. Paco Puentes

Another circumstance that marked his destiny is the large quantity of plundered art that was taken out Spain, to a large extent due to the looting that Seville suffered during the War of Independence. There are foreign colleagues of mine who have actually told me that this was a fortunate event, because it allowed Murillos work to be known outside of Spain, says Professor Enrique Valdivieso, author of a book on the painter, with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

This scattered art is the focus of the exhibition that is currently on display at the Fine Arts Museum in Seville. The paintings were originally housed in the Capuchinos church in the city, only to end up in museums in far-flung corners of the world.

Most of these canvases were taken away in the luggage of northern merchants

The complete Murillo that will be on display for these 400th anniversary celebrations will also bring together the top specialists on the painter, in a bid to bring his figure up to date. From this laboratory of thought a great Baroque artist will emerge, one who goes further than the cliched and misrepresented image of a pious painter.

English version by Simon Hunter.
Podemos deputies Pablo Iglesias and Irene Montero in Congress. Uly Martin

Unidos Podemos, the coalition that brings together the anti-austerity Podemos with several left-wing parties, is going through a crisis at its core. It was born around a charismatic leader, Pablo Iglesias, whose name once attracted many voters. But a significant body of evidence suggests eroding support for both Iglesias and Podemos.

Unidos Podemos has been dropping in the polls for months. It has lost an average five points, sliding from 21% of votes in 2016 to around 16%. And once-enthusiastic supporters are now exhibiting disloyalty: only 63% would vote for Unidos Podemos again.

In future, voters may be hearing more from IU chief Alberto Garzon

In fact, it is the group with the largest amount of undecided voters at 21%, and the one with the highest number of defectors: 5% of its voters would now opt for the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) while a further 4% would vote for center-right group Ciudadanos.

These figures were compiled by the Center for Sociology Research (CIS) in October, and they could easily be worse now.

But not every part of Unidos Podemos is feeling the effects of voter disaffection equally. Podemos and its leader Iglesias have lost the most support, while their regional partners in Catalonia, Galicia and the Valencia region have barely felt the dent. And the United Left (IU), headed by Alberto Garzon, has actually gained followers: a year ago, there were 2.5 Podemos supporters for every IU voter within the Unidos Podemos coalition; today, that ratio is 1.5 to 1.

The CIS figures were compiled in October and could easily be worse now

In further bad news, Pablo Iglesias gets the worst ratings of any candidate by his own voters, with an average score of 5.75. That is lower than Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez (6), Popular Party Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy (6.5) and Ciudadanos chief Albert Rivera (6.7).

Surveys conducted by the pollster Metroscopia paint a similar picture: only 50% of Iglesias voters approve of the way he has been handling things. That is much worse than Sanchez (71%), Rajoy (85%) or Rivera (90%). And within his own Unidos Podemos, IU leader Alberto Garzon had an approval rating of 6.5.

These figures indicate that the core of Unidos Podemos is losing weight, and that the coalitions balance will change. The regional partners will act with greater autonomy: whenever there is a clash between their own and Podemos interests, they will be less afraid to raise their voice and impose their own criteria. This attitude was on display last week inside Congress, when the Valencian party Compromis voted against the review of the Basque Countrys financial contributions to the central government.

In future, voters may also be hearing more from Alberto Garzon, who takes a harder line against Catalan separatism than Podemos. The partys stand on the issue of separatism has evidently hurt both Podemos and Iglesias at the national level, and it is no coincidence that Iglesias gets his best ratings in the northeastern region.

English version by Susana Urra.
The victims lawyer, Carlos Bacaicoa (c) speaks to the press. Julian Rojas

The La Manada case, as the trial of five alleged rapists has come to be known, has a large cast of secondary characters. The victim is a woman who was 18 years old at the time of the alleged assault, during the 2016 Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. La Manada  or The Pack, so called after the name of their WhatsApp chat group  are five men from Seville, aged between 25 and 27 at the time of the events, and who include one Civil Guard and one member of the Spanish military, both of whom have since been suspended.

Even though the trial has taken place behind closed doors, the action in the courtroom has been discussed daily in the media. The hearings concluded on Tuesday, and a verdict is due by the three judges in charge of the case.

The media circus has been relentless, with experts and non-experts alike offering their views on the case

The media circus has been relentless, with experts and non-experts alike offering their views on the case in front of the cameras. Here is a run-down of some of the individuals involved in the case.

The investigating judge. Edilberto Esteban was the first judge to take testimony from the victim, on July 8, just one day after the alleged assault. The entire case revolves around his investigation, and it was he who placed the five suspects in pre-trial custody after they refused to testify, and who classed the facts as a gang rape. In his written decision he underlined that the victim was very clear in terms of the mechanics used by La Manada, and insisted that they forced her to enter [the doorway of a residential building] and to perform oral sex before she was penetrated. The defense has criticized the judge for not releasing the video that were recorded by the defendants, thus making the job of the experts more difficult.

The reporting judge. Drafting the verdict will be up to Jose Francisco Cobo Saenz, an experienced judge who tried a key case of gender violence in 2003: the murder of Alicia Aristegui, a woman who was killed by her abusive partner in the street. He convicted the man to 22 years in prison, and underscored the coldness of the defendant.

Who better than my clients to [] clean up the sexist image of a national fiesta such as Sanfermines?

Agustin Martinez Becerra, defense lawyer

A woman in the courtroom. Raquel Fernandino is the only woman on the courts three-judge panel. She arrived at the Navarre High Court in 2015, after a decade serving in Madrid, where she handled several high-profile cases such as Googles irregular collection of private data via its Street View cars, and two lawsuits against former Podemos politician Juan Carlos Monedero for alleged tax fraud.

The third card. Ricardo Javier Gonzalez completes the panel. He was a judge in Bilbao before being transferred to Pamplona in 2001, where he has served as reporting judge in a number of sexual violence cases.

The public prosecutor. The voice of Elena Sarasate, 53, resonated beyond the courtroom this week. She used her closing arguments to reinforce the narrative she has constructed during the trial, stating that the victim was raped in a climate of violence and intimidation. She was a prosecutor in cases involving minors up to 2015, and has handled a number of cases involving sexual violence, such as assaults on prostitutes.

The media-hungry lawyer. Agustin Martinez Becerra decided on a defense strategy for his three clients that would involve plenty of TV appearances. I dont know what Im going to do now, when I arrive in court and no one is looking at me anymore, he admitted on Wednesday, on his way back to Seville. He has called his clients imbeciles, pigs and dimwits on several occasions, but insisted that they are not rapists. He in turn has been roundly criticized for the way he has described the attitude of the victim, alluding to the way she sat in court while giving testimony, her way of relating to other people, her tastes All with the aim of questioning her credibility. He has also described the trial as political. Who better than my clients to [] clean up the sexist image of a national fiesta such as Sanfermines? he has asked.

The cautious counsel. Jesus Perez is the lawyer for the Civil Guard member accused in the case. He admits never having handled a sexual assault case before. He argued that his client only recorded the incident on his cellphone, and handed over the device as evidence. He has opted for a low profile, aware that the show trial has already taken place. He has now threatened to have the case declared a mistrial over a violation of the presumption of innocence. All of the reports are based on a false premise: that there was a sexual assault. As such, they are flawed.

The discreet lawyer. Also from Seville and without experience in this kind of case, Juan Canales is defending the army member. Canales made headlines when he submitted a report by private detectives who tracked the victim after the attack. After the report triggered widespread controversy, he withdrew it from evidence after it had already been accepted by the court.

The victims lawyer. Carlos Bacaicoa is the court-appointed lawyer representing the victim in the case. In a grim twist of fate, he happens to live in the same apartment block where the alleged assault took place, at 5, Paulino Caballero Street. He has not spoken to the media much, apart from stating that he believes that the case has already been won. He only sought out the cameras to say that the 96 seconds of video recorded by the men of the sex acts was disgusting.

English version by Simon Hunter.
Educational exposure of ideas, assumptions or hypotheses, based on proven facts" (which need not be strictly current affairs) Value in judgments are excluded, and the text comes close to an opinion article, without judging or making forecasts , just formulating hypotheses, giving motivated explanations and bringing together a variety of data

Ciudadanos leaders Ines Arrimadas and Albert Rivera. Quique Garcia (EFE)

Albert Rivera and his Ciudadanos party are the true Falange  the sole legal party during Francos dictatorship. That, at least, is according to the president of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), Andoni Ortuzar, whose aggressive attitude toward Ciudadanos reflects the fact that the latter recently questioned the Cupo vasco  a deal by which the Basque government gets to collect its own taxes and return a sum to Madrid, rather than the other way around as is the case elsewhere.

Ortuzars position also serves to push the limits of an anti-Ciudadanos campaign that other parties are now joining. This is not because they have all agreed to do so, but because voter intention polls show outcomes for Ciudadanos  the second-most-voted force in Catalonia and a bronze medalist in the national parliament  that pose a real threat to other political forces.

Weve made everyone nervous because weve brought up taboo subjects that nobody talks about

Ciudadanos communications secretary Fernando de Paramo

Fernando de Paramo, the communications secretary for Ciudadanos, has no doubts as to why they are under attack.

Weve made everyone nervous because weve brought up taboo subjects that nobody talks about. The Cupo vasco is unfair and does not observe the principle of solidarity. And indoctrination in Catalonia is a problem that requires solutions. We know that a very significant part of the Spanish public shares our concerns, he told EL PAIS.

The swipes are coming from all quarters. Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias insists on caricaturing Rivera as the Ibex candidate (in reference to Spains benchmark stock market index), and he has managed to add other actors to the conspiracy. The Socialist Partys Pedro Sanchez stated a few days ago that Ciudadanos is the PPs significant other. And even Alfonso Alonso, the PP leader in the Basque Country, claimed that Ciudadanos campaign against the regions special financial deal is a manifestation of Spanish nationalism and a movement against the Basques.

This would explain Ciudadanos precarious electoral position in the Basque Country, Navarre and even in Galicia. But its opposition to regional nationalisms and the fact that it championed the formula that has partly deactivated the Catalan crisis  invoking Article 155 as a transitional step before a snap election  makes Ciudadanos the hegemonic force of the so-called pro-Constitution bloc in the run-up to the Catalan elections. Ciudadanos is in the right place with the right rhetoric. And on election day, December 21, its best resources will come into play: the party itself got started in Catalonia (as the non-separatist Ciutadans), it has an up-and-coming regional leader in Catalonia, Ines Arrimadas, and it is showing signs that party leader Albert Rivera  himself a native of Barcelona  may not be as indispensable as he used to be.

Former conservative Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar has turned Rivera into something of a prodigal son

Polling experts say that this is one of the signs of maturity in a party that made the jump to national politics at the 2015 elections, where it became the fourth force in Congress. Another sign is that it is no longer so heavily exposed to voter volatility. We are seeing loyalty levels of 90%, note analysts at the polling firm Metroscopia. And the key is not so much that Ciudadanos is occupying a political space, but the fact that it has understood the timings. There is an unmet demand for reforms. Indignation is no longer the main trend. Oxygenation is the key. Ciudadanos is not the PPs generic brand, it is the PPs clean brand.

Former conservative Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar has taken it upon himself to underscore this nuance. He has turned Rivera into something of a prodigal son, although such an endorsement adds symbolic arguments to allegations that Ciudadanos is moving toward more conservative views. Is this really the case? Its a curious thing, explains political analyst Victor Lapuente. Ciudadanos leaders make efforts to portray themselves as a centrist option, as the heirs of Macron in Spain, yet surveys show a shift to the right by their voters. It remains to be seen whether this is a temporary occurrence  the territorial issue is weighing more heavily these days, and on this issue the partys position fits best with right-wing voters  or whether it is truly structural. We still dont know whether they will be the children of Macron (as they themselves wish) or the children of Aznar (as others apparently desire).

De Paramo, the communications director, dislikes all the labeling. And he rejects the notion that Ciudadanos is trying to re-centralize Spain: The territorial model needs to be balanced. Regional nationalisms cannot be a pretext to consolidate special privileges. If our platform is gaining supporters, thats because we are following a clear, winning-oriented line. In Catalonia, we have very high expectations.

There is a shared interest by diverse parties in attacking a party that is leading the debate on several issues

Political analyst Victor Lapuente

The latest Metroscopia survey puts Ciudadanos in second place (25.3%) at the election, close on the heels of the separatist Catalan Republican Left (ERC) (26.5%). But it would not be the first time that polls suggest outcomes that dont quite pan out. According to these, Ciudadanos is at a critical juncture in terms of political maturity, particularly if the Catalan elections become a springboard for greater national aspirations. Ciudadanos is being viewed as a direct competitor.

I dont think theres a campaign underway to bring down Ciudadanos, just like there was not a campaign to put them on the podium, explains Lapuente, the politics expert. Instead, there is a shared interest by diverse parties in attacking a party that is leading the debate on several issues. Parties have been thrown off balance by this double new approach: a different way of framing old issues, and a bold stand on topics that seemed untouchable, like the Basque tax deal.

English version by Susana Urra.
ATLANTA, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UPS (NYSE: UPS) today announced the launch of an eBike that will deliver packages along Las Olas Boulevard and in surrounding neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The electrically-assisted tricycle supports Fort Lauderdales Green Your Routine program, geared toward achieving the citys sustainability goals, and, Vision Zero Fort Lauderdale , a citywide initiative to create safer streets for everyone. UPSs Cycle Solutions will help reduce carbon emissions and noise, as well as improve traffic congestion and air quality in the citys downtown corridor.

This is another example of how private and public sectors can work together to find sustainable solutions to meet the needs of todays cities, said Scott Phillippi, UPSs senior director of maintenance and engineering, international operations. We have many vehicle options when it comes to reducing our impact on the environment including our Cycle Solutions that provide greater mobility and zero emissions.

The Fort Lauderdale bike will be unveiled at a ribbon cutting ceremony with UPS and Fort Lauderdale officials on Saturday, December 2, 2017, at 9 a.m. at Laura Ward Riverwalk Plaza, located at 420 S.E. 6th Avenue.

Fort Lauderdale is proud to collaborate with UPS to launch the first eBike in Florida, said Mayor John P. Jack Seiler. We are designing our infrastructure projects to focus on moving people instead of cars in the safest, most convenient way possible, and that requires balancing the needs of our residents, visitors, and businesses. The new bike is a great addition to the street safety enhancements we are making along Las Olas Boulevard to create a friendlier, safer, healthier, and more sustainable experience for everyone, regardless of travel mode.



The success of the eBike was first demonstrated in 2012 in Hamburg, Germany, where UPS focused on developing a new and sustainable method of delivering goods to urban areas. UPS placed four containers at central locations in the city for interim storage of packages for UPS drivers. From these points, deliveries were made on foot or with specialized electrically-assisted cargo tricycles that ease traffic congestion and reduce emissions each working day. Due to the success of this pilot, the Hamburg program was extended. That model serves as a prototype for the companys new eBike in Florida as well as another eBike that deployed in Pittsburgh, Pa., last month.

The eBike is equipped with battery-powered electric motors that makes it possible to cover longer distances than traditional bikes, carry substantial loads and navigate hills and other terrain. Maximum energy efficiency is achieved when combining battery power and human power simultaneously. The eBike can be operated solely on battery power or pedal power. UPS will evaluate the reliability, design, integration into Fort Lauderdales infrastructure and acceptance of the vehicle. The intent is to operate the eBike in Fort Lauderdale, as weather permits, on a regular route year-round.

UPS has numerous cycle solutions deployed around the world. The company currently operates inner-city delivery projects with delivery on foot and by bike in Frankfurt, Offenbach, Hamburg, Munich, Oldenburg and Herne, Germany, as well as in Leuven and Mechelen, Belgium; Rome and Verona, Italy; Toulouse, France; and Dublin, Ireland in addition to the two eBikes now in the United States.

Using its Rolling Laboratory approach , UPS deploys more than 8,500 low-emission vehicles to determine what works best in each situation. From old-fashioned pedal power and electrically-assisted bicycles in dense urban areas like London and Hamburg to electric and hybrid electric vehicles in the U.S., and natural gas, renewable natural gas and propane globally, UPS puts sustainability innovation into action, all over the world.

About UPS
Zaharieva said the aircraft had to return to Turkey after what she called an "inexplicable last-moment refusal" by Iran. She said the plane had to get permission to fly through Iraqi airspace, to the west of Iran, before it could reach its final destination, Riyadh.

"The government aircraft had secured all the necessary diplomatic permissions to fly over Iranian airspace," Zaharieva said. Zaharieva was part of a delegation on board the plane that also included former Bulgarian King Simeon Saxe-Coburg and four other cabinet ministers. She said Tehran told Sofia the air access refusal was due to a slight deviation of the plane from its planned route.

But Bulgarian authorities disagreed and summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires in Bulgaria for an explanation. The Iranian envoy, Hassan Dotagi, said afterwards he deeply regretted the incident and described it as a "technical misconception."

"The Bulgarian embassy provided the coordinates of the flight and we gave authorization, but the coordinates transmitted by the pilot to the control tower did not correspond with those which had been provided, so they refused the overflight," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told AFP. "There was no political intention. We have even given permission for the return flight," he said.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
Deeply engaged in a war of words and a face-off with the judiciary, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has now tried to involve Irans supreme leader, as well.

In an open letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ahmadinejad bitterly criticizes the inefficiency of the three branches of government, particularly the judiciary.

Ahmadinejad accuses the judiciary of illegally and unjustifiably serving the personal and political interests of its own leaders.

The judiciary, according to Ahmadinejad, by illegally using its power in favor of its own personal, political, and family interests, has eliminated any hope of Irans justice system being reformed.

Popular discontent about the conditions in the country and the judicial organs [has reached] an unprecedented level Ahmadinejad says.

Today, unfortunately a mere minorityconsiders itself the absolute owner of the country, the revolution and feudal lords of the people, with the unquestionable right to rule, Ahmadinejad writes.

He adds that this minority representing a few families rejects all other opinions and clamps down on freedom of speech.

This degree of harsh criticism by an Iranian politician residing in the country and directly addressing the Supreme Leader is unprecedented.

The reformists, who are the loyal opposition, in a narrow sense, do criticize but they usually use a more cautious tone and do not directly address Khamenei.

In fact, Ahmadinejads letter can be seen as a judgement on the Supreme Leaders record.

Khamenei has remained largely silent on the ongoing conflict between Ahmadinejad and Iran's judiciary. While Ahmadinejad still feels he can be vocal and challenge powerful officials, it is not clear when the Supreme Leader might run out of patience.

Either by choice or censorship, the local media so far have stayed out of the ongoing feud.

The only outlet reflecting Ahmadinejad and his close allies comments is the Dolatebahar (the Government of Spring) website, which openly promotes the former presidents political views.

Ahmadinejad recently intensified his attacks on the judiciary, lamenting, We were not supposed to have a dictatorship run by the judiciary.

Describing the countrys judiciary as more powerful than the supreme leader, Ahmadinejad insists Irans Justice Department has lost its credibility.

By openly saying the countrys judicial branch is more powerful than the supreme leader and is not supervised by any higher authority, Irans former president unleashed harsh criticism against the regime.

Ahmadinejad attacked the judiciary and its leader, Sadegh Larijani, in a video interview published on November 23, for prosecuting his allies. He said that due to the poor performance of the judiciary and its neglect of justice, the whole country is in danger. Several allies of the former president have either been convicted or face pending trials.

Larijani is reported to have transferred millions of dollars of his institutions income to his private accounts. Unconfirmed reports also allege that his daughter has been charged with espionage for the British Embassy in Tehran. However, the government and judiciary have denied both allegations.
French President Emmanuel Macron intends to ask Saudi Arabia to deliver on its promise of cutting funding for extremist groups.

Macron said on Wednesday that he will submit a list of organizations to Saudi Arabia, after crown price Mohammed bin Salman pledged during Macrons visit to Riyadh to cut funding to groups France considers extremist.

For the past three decades, Western countries and experts have often voiced concern that Saudi financing of Fundamentalist Wahhabi groups contributes to extremism and violence.

"He never did it publicly, but when I went to Riyadh (in November), he made a commitment, such that we could give him a list and he would cut the financing," Macron said during an interview with France 24 television.

"I believe him, but I will follow up. Trust is built on results," Macron added.

Macron, who was in Abidjan, said he had also sought commitments to cut financing of extremist groups from Qatar, Iran and Turkey.

Macron will also invite Saudi Arabia to participate in a multinational anti-terrorism force in the Sahel, French officials said on Thursday.

The French-backed G5 Sahel force is an anti-jihadist military initiative staffed by pooled resources from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

A French source told AFP that Macron believes "the terrorists have scored a number of significant military victories, notably in Niger. It is urgent to reverse this trend, while the Sahel force is not moving fast enough.

Since the G5 force countries are among the poorest nations in the world, Saudi participation can enhance their capabilities.

Macron intends to ask the U.N., European Union and the African Union to deepen their involvement.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 29

By Nigar Guliyeva - Trend:

This Eastern Partnership Summit held in Brussels Nov.24 was the best summit for Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Belgium, Fuad Isgandarov, told Euractiv Nov.29.



It was very constructive, future oriented and based on real politic. This summit united the people, united the countries and made them closer to each other, he said.



Touching about the future agenda of the EU-Azerbaijan relations, Isgandarov said that the negotiation on the new partnership deal will be continued.



It started immediately after the summit. The summit ended on Friday, and on Monday we have started a new round of negotiations. We discussed the political and security questions within the news agreement between Azerbaijan and the EU, he noted.



Isgandarov further voiced hope that the negotiation process will be synchronized with the realization of all important projects.



The European Council adopted a mandate for the European Commission and the high representative for foreign affairs and security policy to negotiate, on behalf of the EU and its member states, a comprehensive agreement with Azerbaijan in November 2016.

The new agreement should replace the 1996 partnership and cooperation agreement and should better take account of the shared objectives and challenges the EU and Azerbaijan face today.

The agreement will follow the principles endorsed in the 2015 review of the European Neighborhood Policy and offer a renewed basis for political dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov will meet with the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in Vienna on Dec. 6.

"Moreover, a meeting will be held at the level of the foreign ministers of the Caspian-littoral countries in Moscow on December 4-5, Mammadyarov said.

He made the remarks at a joint press conference in Baku Nov. 30 following the trilateral meeting with the foreign ministers of Turkey and Pakistan.

"Substantive negotiations must be held, he said. I was very pleased with the results of the meeting with the co-chairs in Moscow as we held the detailed discussions. We hope for the continuation of such talks with the co-chairs."

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

Trend:

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) and Shobak Wind Energy PSC (the Project Company) have signed the facility agreements for a $26 million Shariah-compliant senior financing to part fund the construction of a 45 MW wind farm (the Project) in Jordan near the Shobak town municipality,160 km south of Amman.

The balance of the senior financing is being provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Europe Arab Bank (EAB).

The Project Company is majority owned by Alcazar Energy Partners, a UAE-based independent developer active in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey. Alcazar Energy is developing the project in partnership with Hecate Energy LLC, a US-based developer.

The Project, which will deploy 13 wind turbines supplied by Vestas Wind Systems, will be constructed over a 2-year period and have a total cost of approximately $104 million. Once the Project is operational, the generated power will be sold to the Jordanian National Electricity Power Company (NEPCO) under a long-term power purchase agreement.

The Project will support Jordan in increasing its electricity generation capacity from clean, indigenous and renewable sources and reducing reliance on costly hydrocarbon imports. It will help the country abate more than 100,000 tons of CO2-equivalent per annum, supporting Jordans emission reduction targets under the Paris Climate Agreement, as well as promoting sustainable energy development and private sector participation in the countrys energy landscape.

Mr. Khaled Al-Aboodi, the Chief Executive Officer of ICD, commented: We are delighted to be part of this success story, and happy to have been able to support Alcazar Energy in this important investment. I would also like to thank the Government of Jordan for their continued support and commitment to this critical sector, and we are looking forward to expanding and deepening our involvement in the country through similar interventions in the very near future. We are also very pleased to continue our fruitful cooperation with EBRD, as this transaction follows the recent closing of several comparable co-financings in the Arab Republic of Egypt just last month.

Daniel Calderon, Co-Founder and CEO of Alcazar Energy, said: The Shobak project is another significant milestone for our company to build a sustainable portfolio of assets. By early next year when Shobak construction starts, our portfolio will comprise seven projects in construction or operation in the region. We appreciate the continued support of the government of Jordan, our lenders and investors. Shobak is the first of our projects to be partly funded by a Sharia compliant financing and we are delighted to welcome ICD as a new financing partner.

Alcazar Energy, which was formed in 2014, is an independent developer and power producer focused on renewable energy generation across the Middle East, Africa and Turkey. Alcazar focuses on Solar PV and Onshore Wind technologies and targets emerging economies with attractive underlying market fundamentals and developed regulatory frameworks. Alcazar is owned, amongst others, by IFC, AMC, Mubadala Infrastructure Partners, Blu Stone Management and Dash Ventures. www.alcazarenergy.com

Hecate Energy LLC is a leading developer, owner and operator of power plants in North America and internationally. Hecate Energy brings together business acumen, technical understanding and significant experience in the industry to develop world-class power projects. The company specializes in solar and wind power, natural gas plants and energy storage, unearthing creative approaches to structuring PPAs and financing power projects both in the United States and abroad. Hecate Energy believes in collaborative, long-term partnerships with the communities, organizations and countries it serves. www.hecateenergy.com

ICD is a multilateral organization and a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group. The mandate of ICD is to support economic development and promote the development of the private sector in its member countries through providing financing facilities and/or investments which are in accordance with the principles of Shariah. ICD also provides advice to governments and private organizations to encourage the establishment, expansion and modernization of private enterprises. ICD is rated AA/F1+ by Fitch and Aa3/P1 by Moodys. For more information visit www.icd-ps.org

Media Inquiries

Mr. Nabil El Alami

Email: [email protected]

Fax: +966 12 6444427

Tel: +966 12 6468192
Headline changed, details added (first version posted on 12:39)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Turkey can cooperate on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Pakistans Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif.

He made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani and Turkish counterparts, Elmar Mammadyarov and Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Baku on Nov. 30.

Speaking about the results of the trilateral meeting, the Pakistani minister noted that the parties have held very fruitful discussions today.

Issues of mutual interest were discussed, including the issues of cooperation in the defense industry and prospects for increasing the trade turnover, said the minister.

We also agreed to expand inter-parliamentary ties. There is great potential for achieving greater effectiveness of our cooperation, added the Pakistani official.

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.
Details added (first version posted on 13:14)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov will meet with the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in Vienna on Dec. 6.

"Moreover, a meeting will be held at the level of the foreign ministers of the Caspian-littoral countries in Moscow on December 4-5, Mammadyarov said.

He made the remarks at a joint press conference in Baku Nov. 30 following the trilateral meeting with the foreign ministers of Turkey and Pakistan.

"Substantive negotiations must be held, he said. I was very pleased with the results of the meeting with the co-chairs in Moscow as we held the detailed discussions. We hope for the continuation of such talks with the co-chairs."

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

A Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) of the countries participating in the Heart of Asia  Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) has kicked off in Baku.

Following the meeting, the 7th Ministerial Conference entitled "Security and Economic Connectivity towards a Strengthened Heart of Asia Region" will be held within the framework of the Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process.

HoA IP Participating and Supporting countries and Organizations will take part at the 7th Ministerial Conference.

The Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process 7th Ministerial Conference will be held until Dec. 1.

The Heart of Asia  Istanbul Process is an important regional platform for political dialogue and close regional cooperation aimed at promoting stability, peace and prosperity in the Heart of Asia region, and for enhancing Afghanistan's connectivity with the entire region.

The participating states are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

Trend:

Consul General of Azerbaijan Nasimi Aghayev has assumed his duties as the Dean of the Los Angeles Consular Corps (LACC) on November 29, 2017, Azerbaijan's Consulate General told Trend Nov. 30.



Consisting of 66 Consuls General and 39 Honorary Consuls of 105 countries accredited in Los Angeles, LACC is the second largest Consular Corps in the world after New York.



Consul General Nasimi Aghayev addressed a letter to the Consuls General and Honorary Consuls accredited in Los Angeles on November 29, expressing his hope for the support and close cooperation of all members of the Consular Corps to further enhance the relevance of the LACC in Los Angeles and strengthen the existing cooperation with City, County, State and Federal agencies and institutions.

Nasimi Aghayev was appointed the Consul General of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Los Angeles by President Ilham Aliyev in 2012. Established in 2005, the Consulate General covers California, as well as 12 other Western States of the U.S.
LENEXA, Kan., Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Answering the marketplace demand for expanded travel options, Executive Flight Services announces today its certification and capability to manage and fly FAR Part 135 aircraft with 10 seats or more, as well as the ability to operate flights to Europe, across the Pacific and throughout the world.



Executive Flight Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Executive AirShare, has recently completed its comprehensive certification process by the Federal Aviation Administration to operate jets with 10 seats or more over ocean routes. The thorough vetting by the FAA included a validation flight made by Executive Flight Services pilots in June on a Hawker 4000 aircraft from Bangor, Maine to Shannon, Ireland. The 10 or More certification allows longer flights on larger EFS-flown aircraft, such as a 2016 Embraer Legacy 500, for charter or managed-aircraft customers.

This process represents the fulfillment of our most-requested service, says Harry Mitchel, chief operating officer of Executive Flight Services and Executive AirShare. Many departments came together with preparation, focus, execution and teamwork to ensure that customers have the greatest range of travel options and services.

While Executive Flight Services formal application process started in March, its operational procedures to meet FAA requirements began much longer ago as part of already implemented best practices. Quality-control checks, such as International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) Stage 2 certification, and maintenance accreditation as an Embraer Service Center, offer customers advantages over other aircraft management providers.

To achieve the 10 or More designation for Part 135, which covers charter and commercial operators, Executive Flight Services pilots received training in international flight courses. They worked in conjunction with both the FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency, its counterpart across the Atlantic. The certification also opens up routes for customers to popular Pacific locations, such as the Hawaiian Islands.

The 10 or More approval follows a recent expansion of Executive Flight Services managed fleet which now includes the technologically advanced Legacy 500 and two spacious Hawker 4000s. Upgraded and expanded hangar facilities at Executive Flight Services Fort Worth Meacham Airport location provide greater value to managed aircraft clients.

ABOUT EXECUTIVE FLIGHT SERVICES

Executive Flight Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Executive AirShare, manages and charters professionally piloted aircraft for personal and business use in the Americas. EFS provides professional pilots, precise and detailed flight scheduling and dispatch, exclusive aircraft maintenance, comprehensive financial services, concierge, fuel, hangar space, substantial buying power and other services through its bases to customers in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas; Kansas City and Wichita, Kansas. For more information about its services, please visit www.execflightservices.net.





CONTACT

Deanna Harms, Executive Vice President

Greteman Group

316.263.1004, ext. 111

316.214.3467 cell

dharms@gretemangroup.com

Jill Plumb, Vice President of Marketing & Corporate Communications and Customer Experience

Executive AirShare

816.410.8084

913.827.3327 cell

jplumb@execairshare.com

Images can be downloaded from: https://www.gretemangroup.com/press/executive-flight-services-receives-approval-10-seats/




Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

Trend:

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Baku within the framework of the first trilateral meeting of foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the press service of Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry told Trend.

The ministers expressed satisfaction with the high level of development of cooperation between the two brotherly countries in all fields and in various formats, as well as the strategic nature of political relations.

Furthermore, the ministers stressed the importance of high level visits by the heads of state, particularly the participation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev as special guest at the 9th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (D-8) in Istanbul on October 20, 2017 which was followed by the visit of President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Azerbaijan to attend the opening ceremony of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway.

At the meeting, the results of the sixth meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High Level Strategic Cooperation Council, which was recently held in Baku with the participation of the presidents of both countries, were commended and views were exchanged on the issues on the agenda.

The ministers stressed the importance of the West-East transport corridor and expressed confidence that the launch of the BTK railway will make significant contribution to the development of the region and cooperation among the countries. It was noted that the project will provide ample opportunities for the growth of trade turnover and people to people contacts.

The ministers emphasized the importance of the Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process and the 7th Ministerial Conference within the framework of the Process hosted by Azerbaijan.

Referring to Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Mammadyarov said that contrary to the demands of the UN Security Council resolutions, presence of troops of Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan continues to pose a serious threat to the whole region.

Mammadyarov also informed his counterpart on the current status of negotiation process on the settlement of the conflict.

The ministers also noted that Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey, Azerbaijan-Iran-Turkey and Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan-Turkey trilateral formats are developing successfully and expressed hope that Azerbaijan-Turkey-Pakistan format will also promote the development of cooperation among the countries and will become an important platform.

The ministers exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest.
Details added (first version posted on 12:02)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The first trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Pakistan, Elmar Mammadyarov, Mevlut Cavusoglu and Khawaja Muhammad Asif, has kicked off in Baku.

This was announced on the official twitter page of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

We held very intensive consultations, said Mammadyarov at a joint press conference with the foreign ministers of Turkey and Pakistan.

This first trilateral meeting is another milestone in our relations. We agreed to increase the trade turnover. We support each other in international organizations and also intend to intensify cooperation in the defense sphere, noted the Azerbaijani minister.

Cavusoglu, for his part, noted that the next meeting of the three countries ministers will be held in Pakistan in 2018.

Mevlut Cavusoglu also confirmed the need for deepening cooperation in the defense sphere.

We intend to bring the trilateral relations of Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Turkey to a higher level, said the Turkish foreign minister.

Pakistans Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, for his part, noted that Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Turkey have great potential for increasing the trade turnover.

The next meeting of the three countries foreign minister will be held in Pakistan in 2018.
Details added (first version posted on 11:01)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

Trend:

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has met with Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Khawaja Muhammad Asif, who is on a visit to Baku for the Azerbaijan-Pakistan-Turkey trilateral meeting, the press service of Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry told Trend Nov. 30.

The ministers underlined that the year 2017 is remarkable for the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Pakistan and expressed satisfaction with the level of friendly relations and partnership between the countries.

They emphasized the importance of mutual high-level visits and the mechanism of political consultations between the foreign ministries in deepening of bilateral relations.

Mammadyarov briefed his counterpart about the latest status of the negotiations on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Furthermore, he reminded that UN Security Council Resolution 822 on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, dated April 30, 1993, was adopted during the presidency of Pakistan as a non-permanent member of UNSC and extended appreciation to the government of Pakistan for a fair position on resolution of the conflict and unequivocal support for Azerbaijans just position within international organizations.

The ministers underlined the importance of continued cooperation and mutual support within international organizations.

Given the potential for development of economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan, it was emphasized that the two countries should increase joint efforts to increase trade turnover and promote investments.

The activity of the Joint Working Group on Trade Cooperation and Joint Commission between Azerbaijan and Pakistan was highly appreciated in further development of bilateral economic relations.

It was also stressed that the International North-South Transport Corridor promises new and interesting opportunities.

The sides reviewed possibilities of holding a meeting of transportation experts. The ministers also touched upon the importance of resuming flights between Azerbaijan and Pakistan.

Mammadyarov briefed his counterpart on the candidacy of Baku to host the EXPO 2025.

The ministers expressed their conviction that the first Azerbaijan-Pakistan-Turkey trilateral meeting will be an important platform for discussion of issues of common interest and the development of mutually beneficial projects.

At the end, the importance of the Heart of Asia  Istanbul Process and 7th Ministerial Conference under this format were also highlighted.
Details added (first version posted on 12:45)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Samir Ali  Trend:

Major-General Elchin Guliyev, former head of Azerbaijans Anti-Terrorism Center of the liquidated Ministry of National Security, has been sentenced to 10.5 years in prison.

Meanwhile, Colonel Azer Mehdiyev, has been sentenced for 8 years of imprisonment. Mehdiyev has been deprived of the military rank of colonel in accordance with the courts decision.

In addition, the court has submitted a proposal to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to deprive Elchin Guliyev of the military rank of general.

Elchin Guliyev and a number of other persons were detained Dec. 25, 2015. Guliyev was charged under several articles of the Criminal Code within the criminal case initiated by the Grave Crimes Investigation Department at the Prosecutor General's Office.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

Trend:

The Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has met with the Commander of the Air Force of the Turkish Republic, Army General Hasan Kucukakyuz, who is on an official visit to Azerbaijan, said the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry in a message Nov. 30.

Firstly, the delegation led by General Kucukakyuz visited the Alley of Honors to pay tribute and lay a wreath at the tomb of national leader Heydar Aliyev.

The delegation also paid tribute and laid flowers at the grave of the prominent ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva.

Having visited Alley of Martyrs, the delegation paid tribute and commemorate Azerbaijani heroes, who gave their lives for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, laid wreaths at the Eternal Flame monument. Then, in the Alley of martyrs, the delegation also laid a wreath at the monument erected in honor of the Turkish soldiers killed in 1918.

During the meeting held in an expanded format in the Ministry of Defense, the sides discussed the development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey in the military, military-technical sphere and in the field of security and military education, as well as the current state and prospects of relations between the Air Forces of the two countries.

The meeting noted the importance of expanding the Azerbaijani-Turkish military cooperation, which is supported by the heads and peoples of the fraternal states. A wide exchange of views was held on the increase in the number of mutual visits of the group of experts consisting of military specialists, as well as joint exercises conducted with the participation of Land and Air forces and other issues of mutual interest.
Headline changed, details added (first version posted on 10:32)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today received a delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu.

The head of state recalled his recent joint participation with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in the opening ceremony of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.

Pointing to the contribution that Azerbaijan and Turkey made to regional cooperation, President Aliyev hailed the importance of the two countries involvement in all trilateral cooperation formats.

He described this as an initiative that contributes to expansion of bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

The head of state also praised the Azerbaijani, Turkish and Pakistani foreign ministers first trilateral meeting to be held in Baku today.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu extended President Recep Tayyip Erdogans greetings to President Aliyev.

Mevlut Cavusoglu recalled their participation in the ceremonies held on the occasion of the launch of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway a month ago, saying Turkey was proud with the event.

He underlined the importance of Azerbaijan's major projects to be implemented jointly with Turkey in the years to come, including the TANAP project.

FM Mevlut Cavusoglu said bilateral relations steadily develop in all spheres thanks to the leadership of the two countries presidents.

He said that the cooperation in trilateral format with the involvement of Azerbaijan and Turkey is aimed at strengthening regional and international security, as well as ensuring stability and economic development in the region.

They praised Azerbaijan's hosting the conference The Heart of Asia  Istanbul Process, and emphasized its importance in terms of strengthening international cooperation.

They also exchanged views on the issues relating to the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

President Aliyev thanked for the greetings of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and asked the foreign minister to extend his greetings to the Turkish President.
Details added (first version posted on 12:02)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The first trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Pakistan, Elmar Mammadyarov, Mevlut Cavusoglu and Khawaja Muhammad Asif, has kicked off in Baku.

This was announced on the official twitter page of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

We held very intensive consultations, said Mammadyarov at a joint press conference with the foreign ministers of Turkey and Pakistan.

This first trilateral meeting is another milestone in our relations. We agreed to increase the trade turnover. We support each other in international organizations and also intend to intensify cooperation in the defense sphere, noted the Azerbaijani minister.

Mammadyarov added that the Baku Statement has been adopted following the trilateral consultations.

This statement defines a roadmap for future cooperation between the three countries, said the foreign minister.

We held discussions on cooperation in various fields. We also discussed the conflicts in the region and agreed that conflicts undermine stability and security. We touched upon the issues of cooperation in the fight against terrorism: all the three countries condemn any form of terrorism, said Mammadyarov.

The Azerbaijani minister noted that during the meeting, the sides discussed prospects for cooperation in the energy sector.

Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR operates in Turkey. SOCAR Trading has already signed several agreements with representatives of Pakistan. In general, there are big opportunities for cooperation in the energy sphere, he added.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, for his part, confirmed the need for deepening the cooperation in the defense sphere.

We intend to bring the trilateral relations of Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Turkey to a higher level, said the Turkish foreign minister.

Pakistans Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, for his part, noted that Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Turkey have great potential for increasing the trade turnover.

The next meeting of the three countries foreign ministers will be held in Pakistan in 2018.
Details added (first version posted on 12:51)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Turkey can establish a joint military-industrial complex, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said.

Pakistan's foreign minister made the remarks at a joint press conference with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Baku Nov. 30.

In his turn, Mammadyarov said that Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Turkey closely cooperate in the defense industry in a bilateral format and stressed the need for a tripartite format of cooperation in that sphere.

"We can establish joint ventures for the production of defense products and develop cooperation in this sphere in a trilateral format," Mammadyarov added.

Meanwhile, Cavusoglu stressed that the sides have the potential to strengthen cooperation in defense industry.

"We do not compete with each other in this sphere, but complement each other," Cavusoglu said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkish citizens illegal visit to the occupied Azerbaijani territories is being investigated, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Baku Nov. 30.

The minister said the Turkish citizens who illegally visited the occupied Azerbaijani territories gave testimony in a court.

Cavusoglu expressed regret over the visit of Turkish citizens to the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

"An illegal visit to the occupied Azerbaijani territories is a crime," the minister said. Let everyone know that no one has the right to visit Nagorno-Karabakh region without Azerbaijans permission."

On Sept. 22, Turkish citizens Ufuk Uras, Ali Bayramoglu, Said Cekinoglu and Erol Katircioglu illegally visited Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region, occupied by Armenian armed forces.

Grave Crimes Investigation Department of the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office filed a criminal case under the Criminal Codes Article 318.2 (illegally crossing Azerbaijans state borders). All four individuals are accused under the abovementioned article. A measure of restraint in the form of arrest was chosen against them. They were declared internationally wanted.

An appeal was sent to the Turkish law enforcement to detain the four individuals.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

The Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process Ministerial Conference is an important regional platform for political dialogue and close regional cooperation to promote stability, peace and prosperity in the Heart of Asia region and expansion of ties with all regions of Afghanistan, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, told Trend Nov. 30.

The 7th Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process Ministerial Conference will be held in Baku Dec. 1, he said. A working meeting has been held at the level of high-ranking representatives today.

Representatives of the Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process countries and organizations, namely, president and foreign minister of Afghanistan, foreign ministers of Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, minister of state for external affairs of India, deputy foreign ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, special representatives of Russia and China on Afghanistan, delegations of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as well as special representative of the UN secretary general for Afghanistan and Central Asia are expected to participate in the conference, Hajiyev added.

"Representatives of the countries supporting the Istanbul process, namely, special representative of UK prime minister for Afghanistan, representative of the US Department of State for South and Central Asia, special representatives of Japan, Spain and Norway for Afghanistan, high-level delegations of the foreign ministries of Italy, Canada, Denmark, France, Finland, Poland, Egypt, Sweden and other countries will also participate in the conference," he said.

Estonian foreign minister on behalf of the EU, NATO senior representative for Afghanistan, secretary general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation, secretary general of the Turkic Council, president of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, deputy secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, deputy executive director of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, deputy secretary general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and representatives of other international institutions are also expected to attend the event.

In total, more than 250 delegates will attend the event.

Hajiyev added that more than 100 representatives of local and foreign media outlets were accredited to cover the event.
Silver Spring, MD, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Military parents have unique challenges. Along with the usual responsibilities of any parent or caregiver, military parents also have to deal with frequent relocations, shifting support networks and complicated family emotions around deployment and homecoming.

New content on the Sesame Street for Military Families website (http://www.sesamestreetformilitaryfamilies.org/), which features the beloved Sesame Street Muppets, is designed to help military families with preschool children stay healthy together and create fun and meaningful birthday traditions.

The website is a joint project with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit media and educational organization behind Sesame Street, and the Defense Departments Defense Health Agency (DHA).

By prioritizing physical and emotional wellness, families can help military kids flourish, said Kelly Blasko, a counseling psychologist leading the mobile web program within DHAs Connected Health Branch. She is also the program lead for the Sesame Street for Military Families initiative.

Even in little moments like preparing a meal or celebrating a birthday, families can foster communication and closeness, model healthy choices and help little ones adjust to new routines, preparing a solid foundation for challenges big and small  and the new resources weve created with Sesame Workshop can help, said Blasko.

New content on the website includes videos and activities, and focuses on:

Family Health & Wellness. Bolstering overall health and wellness helps military families navigate an often-challenging set of circumstances. This section has resources for both parents and children on how to stay physically and emotionally healthy as a family, including:

Kid-facing videos on staying healthy starring the Sesame Street Muppets

Printable coloring pages for kids about health and wellness

Comfy Cozy Nest, an interactive activity with Big Bird that helps children imagine a calm, safe place of their very own

Articles for parents and caregivers about positivity and mindfulness, healthy eating and staying active as a family

Birthdays. While birthdays can be wonderful fun for military families, they can also be tough  especially if a parent or family member is away from home on the child's special day. Resources in this section, which help families start new traditions and create memorable birthday moments even when everyone cant be together, include:

Kid-facing videos on celebrating birthdays starring the Sesame Street Muppets, customised with messages for military families

Printable coloring pages and birthday party games

Digital activities that let kids decorate virtual cakes, and make and send gifts and ecards.

Tips for parents and caregivers on creating new birthday traditions, celebrating when a parent is away and using birthday celebrations to help children adjust to a new place

Birthdays are a big deal for every child, and it can be a challenge when a parent is absent, said Blasko. We really wanted to provide suggestions for military parents and caregivers on how they can make that day special for kids.

All Sesame Street for Military Families content is guided by Sesame Workshops research with military families and their health care providers, in addition to their expertise about how children learn best. Materials are reviewed by a team of psychologists who make sure they meet the needs of a military audience with young children.

Accessible from computers, smartphones and tablets, the website also offers resources for parents and other caregivers. A free Sesame Street for Military Families app, through which families can access all the new content and more, is available from the iTunes App Store, Google Play Store and the Amazon Appstore.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c6853a11-8712-4ff1-a17c-52b4c511a1d0
Crown Prince of the Malaysian state of Perlis and Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail paid a visit to Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS).

He was accompanied by a delegation including UniMap teachers and students.

BHOS Rector Elmar Gasimov greeted the honorable guests at the Higher School new campus. Then an official meeting was held. His Royal Highness Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra introduced members of the Malaysian delegation and told about UniMap and the university work. Having informed that more than one thousand foreign students currently study at the university, the Crown Prince said that he would be glad to see among them BHOS undergraduates.

BHOS Rector Elmar Gasimov provided detailed information about the Higher School history, main activities, developments and achievements. He also spoke about prospects of cooperation development between two higher educational institutions in various fields including student exchange program and UniMap Mobility program.

Then an extended meeting with participation of representatives of BHOS and UniMap was held. The participants exchanged views on development of ties between Azerbaijan and Malaysia in the field of education. After demonstration of a documentary about UniMap, which helped BHOS teachers and students learn more about the university, they asked the Crown Prince Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra numerous questions. During the event, the students of two higher educational institutions had an opportunity to talk and spend some time together in informal atmosphere.

At the end of the meeting, the Rector Elmar Gasimov expressed his gratitude to His Royal Highness Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra for the visit and presented him with BHOS Honorary Guest Diploma.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Elchin Mehdiyev, Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

The elimination of illegal employment is one of the main tasks facing the Azerbaijani government, Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Commission for Regulation and Coordination of Labor Relations Ali Ahmadov said at a press conference in Baku Nov. 30.

The facts of illegal employment are often observed in trade, catering and service sector in Azerbaijan, he said. Illegal employment is the reason for tax evasion.

"It is impossible to protect the social and labor rights of the population due to unofficial employment, he said. This also hinders the process of carrying out the employment statistics in the country.

Ahmadov called on entrepreneurs to give up illegal employment.

"The Azerbaijani government has created favorable conditions for businessmen, therefore we urge employers to stop illegal employment, he said. "I also want to urge employees to formalize labor relations.

Much work is being done in the country to prevent illegal employment, Ahmadov added.

"Priority directions are specified in the Plan of measures to prevent illegal employment in Azerbaijan", he said. One of the main directions is the creation of a more flexible legal framework. Today, there are a number of gaps in the legislation. While using these gaps, entrepreneurs refuse to conclude employment contracts.

Another direction is the improvement of administration and control mechanism.

"Penalties for illegal employment in Azerbaijan are not tough as in European countries, so we are going to review the system of sanctions and fines, Ahmadov said. We will pay attention to the strengthening of the control mechanism. We need to resort to such a mechanism to reveal illegal employment without resorting to the inspections."
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

The representatives of business communities of Belarus and Kazakhstan signed 6 commercial agreements worth $108 million on delivery of combines and trucks, dump trucks and communal vehicles to Kazakhstan, as well as on creation of a Business Council.

The mentioned agreements were signed during Belarusian-Kazakh business forum, held in Minsk amid official visit of the Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev to Belarus, the ministry of investment and development of Kazakhstan said in a statement.

More than 350 entrepreneurs from the both countries participated in the business forum.

The participants of the forum discussed cooperation in such fields as light industry, agriculture and food industry, mining, metallurgy, production of communication equipment and manufacturing industry.

The trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Belarus amounted to $441.4 million in 9 months of 2019, increasing by 60 percent.

Exports from Kazakhstan to Belarus increased by 2.4 times and amounted to $68 million during the mentioned period and imports increased by 51.1 percent to $373.4 million.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by the Mission Chief Mohammed El Qorchi has arrived in Baku, the IMF Baku office told Trend.

The mission arrived for consultations with the Azerbaijani government on Article IV of the IMF Articles of Agreement, according to the message.

In particular, Azerbaijans draft state budget, economic reforms and macroeconomic forecasts will be discussed.

The mission will stay in Baku until December 14, 2017.

The IMF office was opened in Baku in 1992. In 1995-2005, the Fund allocated loans worth $577.3 million to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan fully repaid the loans.

There has been no need for Azerbaijan to apply to the IMF for financial resources since 2005. Therefore, since 2006, the IMF and Azerbaijan have cooperated within the framework of consultations and technical assistance missions in main areas of macroeconomic policy.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend

Uzbekistan intends to complete all work on joining the enhanced General Data Dissemination System (E-GDDS) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by the end of next year, Uzbek media reported.

"In January-February of the next year, the IMF mission arrives for technical assistance, and by the end of 2018 we intend to complete all work on joining the General Data Dissemination System," said Bokhodir Mirusmanov, the first deputy chairman of the State Statistics Committee.

This will allow Uzbekistan to provide foreign investors, leading foreign companies and international financial institutions with full access to various economic data in the format in which they are accustomed, and will provide an opportunity to stimulate an increase in the volume of attracted foreign investment, as many foreign investors today do not trust official Uzbek statistics .

Today, the IMF Statistics Department is one of the key players in the international statistical cooperation.

The International Monetary Fund annually publishes a wide range of data on loans, exchange rates, as well as economic and financial statistics and on Uzbekistan's entry into the E-GDDS.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.30

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

Turkic-speaking countries plan to create a joint infrastructure fund.

Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci announced about this at the 7th meeting of the Ministers of Economy of the member countries of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking countries in Istanbul, Turkish media reports.

The minister added that the corresponding agreement was reached within the framework of the meeting. The organizational work on the creation of the fund will be entrusted to the Turkish Eximbank.

Speaking about cooperation with Turkic-speaking countries, the minister also noted that Turkey, in particular, expects to finish all works within the framework of the preferential trade agreement with Azerbaijan before the end of the year. As Zeybekci noted, Turkey also hopes to achieve similar agreements with Uzbekistan.

The minister stressed that the Turkic-speaking countries have great opportunities for cooperation in the fields of transport and logistics.

Istanbul hosted the seventh meeting of the Ministers of Economy of the member states of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking countries on Nov.30. The organization includes Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Azerbaijan at the event is represented by the Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 28

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

The volume of rail transportation along the China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran (CKTI) railway will increase, Kazakhstan Railways (KR) said in a message.

Representatives of the railways of Kazakhstan, China, Iran and Turkmenistan held a quadrilateral meeting in KRs head office. In particular, the parties discussed issues of establishing competitive tariffs for cargo transportation along the China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran route during the talks.

Noting the potential of the CKTI international transit corridor, the participants of the meeting spoke in favor of the organization of a regular container service on this corridor, according to the message.

Vice President for Logistics of Kazakhstan Railways Sanzhar Elyubayev noted the need to create conditions for the development of container service, the formation of stable container traffic, the development of the client and cargo base and the application of approved tariff rates for the transport of goods in containers along the route.

The sides identified operators responsible for the organization of container trains for the CKTI route and signed relevant protocol during the meeting.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Leman Zeynalova -Trend:

The current OPEC ceiling is the best option for Iran now and in 2018, Francis Perrin, Senior Fellow at the OCP Policy Center (Rabat) and Senior Research Fellow at the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS, Paris), told Trend.

He believes that this is because the present OPEC ceiling does not prevent the country from producing at a high level - about 3.8 million barrels per day of crude oil - and is supporting prices.

The expert recalled that at the end of November 2016 Iran expressed its satisfaction after the OPEC decisions and did not have to reduce its production as OPEC took into account the devastating impact of Western economic sanctions on Iran's oil output and exports between 2012 and the end of 2015.

"Iran is allowed to produce 3.8 million barrels per day of crude, which is its present capacity. Let us also remind that the OPEC production ceiling and national quotas cover crude only and not natural gas liquids, of which Iran is an important producer. It is in the national interest of Iran that OPEC production reductions are maintained and extended," added Perrin.

He pointed out that in a mid-term perspective Iran will of course increase in a very significant way its oil (and gas) production and exports but, for now, the country does support the extension of the OPEC/non-OPEC deal.

As for the the upcoming OPEC meeting to be held Nov.30, the expert said he expects the extension beyond the end of March 2018.

Talking about the progress in the implementation of the OPEC deal, the expert noted that this shouldnt be taken for granted.

"One year ago, at the end of November 2016, OPEC member countries decided to react to the fall in oil prices for the first time since the summer of 2014. They began reducing their oil production in cooperation with 10 non-OPEC countries (including Azerbaijan) from 1 January 2017. These reductions did contribute to the rebalancing of the world oil market and to the rise in oil prices. The price of North Sea Brent was $63.32 per barrel (January 2018 contract) in London on 22 November at the end of the day as against less than $30/b at some point in January 2016. This is a real achievement. The cooperation within OPEC and between OPEC and several non-OPEC countries was successful," he recalled.

Perrin went on to add that after a fall in 2016 non-OPEC production is up again. Moreover, US production is increasing thanks to unconventional oil (shale oil and tight oil) and this trend is a serious threat for OPEC, the expert believes.

"I think that the organization is well aware of the market situation, of the benefits of cooperation and of the risks ahead. My feeling is that OPEC will extend its production reductions beyond the end of March 2018 and it would be a very good decision in the present market configuration," he said.

He noted that basically there are two options for this extension: until the summer of 2018 or until the end of 2018.

"Frankly, the second option would be the best one in order to send a strong message to the markets. But it is clearly not a done deal. Russia seems very cautious on this point and some Russian oil companies prefer the first option. There is some real suspense on this count for the next few days before the meeting of the OPEC Ministerial Conference in Vienna," Perrin believes.

Another interesting issue, according to the expert, is the implementation of OPEC decisions.

"The average conformity level is very high but several member countries do not respect their quotas. This situation can and must be improved," he added.

As for the possibility of considering oil export quotas along with production, the expert said it would make sense but OPEC has a long record discussing production quotas and not export quotas.

"I do not see any change on this point in the near-term, and probably also mid-term, future. The rationale is that if a country decides to reduce its production it will normally also reduce its exports because the priority is first to meet its national demand," he concluded.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
The Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) recommended to extend the OPEC+ oil production limiting deal after March 2018, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters on Wednesday, TASS reported.

"Everyone recommended that the agreement can be extended. Specific details can be discussed directly at the meeting of all ministers and only after that we will be able to inform you about specific results," Novak said.

The OPEC+ will make a decision on November 30 in line with recommendations of the monitoring committee, the Russian minister said. "I am confident everything will be within the framework of JMMC recommendation and the result will be good," Novak added.

Ministers of 24 countries participating in the agreement will review recommendations concerning the deal extension on November 30, the minister said. The extension timeframe will also be presented on the same day, he added.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 29

By Nigar Guliyeva - Trend:

Russian entrepreneur and infrastructure investor Andrey Filatov has joined a consortium of investors for the development of the natural gas field 25 Years of Independence under a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) in Uzbekistan.

The project involves additional exploration and development of the gas field, as well as construction of a gas chemical complex in the Surkhandarya region in the south of Uzbekistan. In accordance with the agreement, development of the deposit will be financed with direct investments and loans from international financial institutions.

The consortium of investors includes Gas Project Development Central Asia AG, Altmax Holding Ltd and Uzneftegazdobycha (a member of Uzbekneftegaz). The Surhan Gas Chemical Operating Company, established by members of the investment consortium to operate oil and gas PSA projects, manages the field development. Leading gas field service companies, such as Halliburton, Baker Hughes, Schlumberger and National Oilwell Varco have been contacted for execution.

Filatov will participate in the consortium through Brighttree Holding Ltd, a special-purpose vehicle that has taken a 50 percent stake in Altmax Holding Ltd. Therefore, the share of the new investor in the gas field development project will be 37.5 percent.

CEO of the Surhan Gas Chemical Operating Company Andrey Ignatov said that the development of the gas field 25 Years of Independence is of great importance for Uzbekistan, both from a social and economic point of view.

"We are pleased that the circle of investors in one of the most promising deposits of the country is expanding, said Mr. Ignatov. I am confident that participation of Andrey Filatov with his understanding of the specifics of implementation of large infrastructure projects and his colossal experience in attracting investments will be extremely useful for the development of our project, he said.

The development of the gas field, one of the biggest in Uzbekistan, is stipulated in the production sharing agreement for the investment block Independence of Uzbekistan (Ozbekiston Mustaqillik), signed on April 5, 2017, during the state visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Russia.

The PSA project to develop the 25 Years of Independence gas field is planned to be implemented in two stages. The initial stage to be implemented in 2017-2018, envisions the drilling of a confirmation well, confirming the reserves, developing a feasibility study and signing commercial terms and conditions. The second stage will include the field development, geological exploration, the construction of a gas conversion facility and a gas chemical complex to produce high added-value products.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Titan Mining Corporation (Titan or the Company) (TSX:TI) announces it has signed a commitment letter for a senior secured credit facility (the Credit Facility) with Scotiabank for up to US$15 million.



We are very pleased to have obtained a credit facility commitment from Scotiabank which we believe underscores our low risk re-start plan for Empire State Mines and our rapid transition to free cash flow in the second half of 2018, said Richard Warke, President and CEO. After the completion of our initial public offering in October, Titan is fully financed to production, however this facility will provide the Company with additional flexibility to manage working capital over time.

The Credit Facility will be available to the Company on a revolving basis up to maximum amounts and on terms including the following:

US$5 million will be available on closing and availability will step up to US$15 million on meeting certain production milestones;

Drawdowns of these amounts will be subject to successful execution of a credit agreement, registration of security and satisfaction of standard conditions precedent, and the execution and delivery of the definitive Loan Documents;

If drawn, the Credit Facility would be priced in a range of LIBOR plus 4.00%-4.50%;

The Maturity Date is expected to be two years from the Closing Date.

Project Update

The total workforce on site has grown to 79 people from 23 in October, with 85% of those hired from among the local community. Refurbishment work required to re-start production at Empire State Mines in New York State is proceeding on schedule. The critical path to the re-start of production is the refurbishment of the underground shaft and crusher, which is on track. The steel structure has been repaired and the electrical equipment is being installed.

Scaling and rehabilitation of the underground drives is advancing well. The mill equipment refurbishment has begun with general repairs to some structures, and re-lining of the rod mill is scheduled to occur in the beginning of December.

The team has reacted quickly following the financing to re-start the operation, and we are on track to be skipping and milling ore in January. The community and government are excited about the increased activity and job creation at the mine, and have been extremely supportive, said Keith Boyle, Chief Operating Officer.

The Company has received substantial interest in its concentrate and is working on an offtake agreement.

About Titan Mining Corporation

Titan is a Canadian-based exploration and development company with its principal asset being the Empire State Mine in the State of New York. For more information on the Company, please visit our website at www.titanminingcorp.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including statements with regard to the Offering, the use of proceeds from the Offering and the listing of the Offered Shares. Words such as expects, anticipates and intends or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of this press release, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, use of proceeds or timing of events to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to the factors described in greater detail in the Risk Factors section and other sections of the final prospectus available at www.sedar.com. No securities regulatory authority has expressed an opinion about the securities described herein and it is an offence to claim otherwise. Titan undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Contact

For further information, please contact:

Jerrold Annett  Senior Vice President, Corporate Development

Telephone: 416-366-5678 Ext. 207 | Email: jannett@titanminingcorp.com

Susan Muir  Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications

Telephone: 416-366-5678 Ext. 202 | Email: smuir@titanminingcorp.com
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR increased the depth of oil refining at the Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Refinery to 92 percent, Rasim Ibrahimov, chief engineer at the refinery, told reporters in Baku Nov. 30.

He said that last year, this figure was 89.5 percent.

Since we abandoned fuel oil production, the depth of refining has grown and now stands at 92 percent, said the chief engineer.

Ibrahimov also noted that SOCAR plans to keep this level in 2018 as well.

Currently, the Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Refinery is being modernized, after which its production capacity will increase from 6 million to 7.5 million tons per year.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan are planning to sign an agreement on the construction of a power transmission line in early December.

The document is expected to be signed during the visit of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to Uzbekistan scheduled for Dec.4.

According to Tolonews, the power line will be built from Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan to Baghlan province via Puli-Khumri.

The Surkhan-Pul-e-Khumri power transmission project between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan was agreed upon by representatives of the two countries on the sidelines of the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) in Turkmenistan last week.

Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) reported that this power line will transmit up to 1,000 megawatts of electricity from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan and both countries will start the construction phase soon.

Previously, President Ashraf Ghani said that he will sign 14 agreements with Uzbekistan during an upcoming visit to that country. The Surkhan-Pul-e-Khumri power transmission project will be one of the agreements signed.

Afghanistan consumes about 1,300 megawatts of electricity yearly, most of which comes from Uzbekistan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan.

Last year Uzbekistan produced about 59 billion kW/h of electric power, which is 4 percent more than in the previous year. Uzbek power stations released 7.5 million Gcal of thermal energy. To date, the length of electric networks of JSC "Uzbekenergo" exceeds 250,000 kilometers.
OPEC and Russia are ready to extend their oil production cuts until the end of next year to ensure global stockpiles keep falling and prices maintain recent gains, Bloomberg reported.

All OPEC members and Russia, the biggest producer outside the group to join the deal, agree the cuts should last until the end of 2018, according to delegates in Vienna to attend Nov. 30 meeting.

On Nov. 29, a committee charged with overseeing the agreement on behalf of the whole group also recommended extending until the end of next year, two delegates said.

Even though an extension through the whole of 2018 is all but certain, the cartel plans to hold a regular ministerial meeting next June, giving it the flexibility to alter the policy mid-game.

OPEC and other major oil producers such as Russia and Azerbaijan reached an agreement in December 2016 to remove 1.8 million barrels a day from the market.



OPEC and its partners decided to extend its production cuts till March 2018 in Vienna on May 25, as the oil cartel and its allies step up their attempt to end a three-year supply glut that has savaged crude prices and the global energy industry.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 28

Trend:

Azerbaijan joined the extension of the deal of oil production cuts until the end of next year to ensure global stockpiles keep falling and prices maintain recent gains, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Energy told Trend on Nov. 28

Azerbaijan supported the extension of the deal on oil production cuts until

the end of next year, which was agreed at OPEC meeting in Vienna, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Energy told Trend on Nov. 30.

Energy Minister of Azerbaijan, Parviz Shahbazov said that the meeting participants examined the situation that has been observed in the world oil market over the year since the signing of the Vienna agreement.

"There were made presentations on the pace of global economic development, expectations, demand for oil and oil products. OPEC officials assessed the level of fulfillment of the commitments by the countries that signed the agreement. The stabilization of oil prices and their growth to the level of $60-63, the reduction in supply on the market and oil reserves, as well as the relative stabilization on the market were recognized as the results of cooperation in the framework of OPEC + deal.

Thus, given that the problems that required the signing of the Vienna Agreement have not been completely eliminated, the OPEC Monitoring Committee put forward a proposal to extend the agreement after the first quarter of 2018, which was unanimously supported.The countries' commitments to reduce production were maintained at the same level, "Shahbazov said.

The minister noted that in the short term there is no forecast of an increase in demand, which is an important factor for price stability on the market.

The prices should be strongly supported so that they maintained in the current range, Shahbazov said.

He stressed that the participation of new countries in this process is an important step for the promotion of the process , further noting that Azerbaijan supports the initiatives since the first days and fully fulfills its obligations to reduce oil production by 35,000 barrels per day.

"Our position, as the Azerbaijani state, is that the extension of the agreement on the oil production reduction by the end of next year is appropriate, and this decision can strengthen the results achieved in the oil market by making them more long-term," Shahbazov said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

Uzbekistan Airways, the flag carrier of Uzbekistan, has announced about additional flights to Dubai.

The airliner will introduce additional flights on Dec 25, 26, 30 2017 and on 05, 08, 12 January 2018, according to the following schedule.

The flights will be operated on modern and comfortable Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" aircrafts.

Previously, the flag carrier of Uzbekistan has announced about additional flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

Uzbekistan Airways is based at Tashkent International Airport (TAS). Uzbekistan Airways flies to 53 destinations in 23 countries across Europe, Asia and the US.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

President of Kazakhstan is expected to visit the US in January 2018, said the representative of the US Department of State for South and Central Asia Alice Wells during the meeting of the Strategic Partnership Dialogue between the United States and Kazakhstan.

Wells added that the participants of the dialogue discussed a wide range of topics during the meeting, including how to best resolve conflicts in Afghanistan and Korea.

The US sees Kazakhstan as a leader not only in Central Asia, but also on the global arena. We look forward to work with Kazakh colleagues in Astana and Washington, as well as to continue to search the ways of making the world safer, on the eve of the beginning of Kazakhstan's chairmanship of the UN Security Council in January. We also look forward to President Nazarbaev's visit to the United States in January, said Wells.

She added that Kazakhstan has a well-deserved reputation of the country, "which confidently looks to the future, having organized a great Expo for the world community.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan held a meeting of Joint Commission on International Road Transport in Baku.

The two countries exchanged data on volume of road transport in 2017 as well as information on the use of special transport permits, and discussed a number of other significant issues, the Ministry of Investment and Development of Kazakhstan said in a message Nov. 30.

The parties stressed parity in use of transport permits by Kazakh and Azerbaijani carriers - Azerbaijani carriers prevail in transportation, while Kazakh carriers prevail in transits.

At the same time, the countries do not carry out passenger transportation.

However, the delegations noted that the issue of establishing a car passenger communication between the two countries will be considered.

The sides agreed to establish a preliminary exchange of 1,000 bilateral transportation and transit permits for 2018.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Iran's exports of food and agricultural products to Azerbaijan witnessed a fall by 18 percent in terms of value during the first half of the current fiscal year (March 20-Sept. 22).

The Islamic Republic exported $17 million worth of agricultural and food products to the neighboring country, which makes 1 percent of Irans overall exports in the sector.

A report released by the Federation of Iranian Food Industries Association reveals that Azerbaijan was 18th destination of the Iranian agricultural and food products in the six-month period.

Iraq was main importer of agricultural and food products from the Islamic Republic. Tehran sold $1,028.2 million worth of food and agricultural products to the country, which was equal to 45 percent of the Islamic Republics overall food and agricultural exports. However, Irans agricultural and food exports to Iraq registered a decline by 6 percent in terms of value year-on-year.

After Iraq, Afghanistan ($285.5 million), the UAE ($115.7 million), Pakistan ($106.8 million), Germany ($79.5 million), Turkey ($89.8 million), Russia ($52.4 million) and Hong Kong ($50.5 million) were among other top destinations for Irans food and agricultural exports.

Irans food exports to Qatar registered a huge rise by 288 percent to $33.5 million in the period.

The Islamic Republic's exports to Turkey also registered a significant rise by 69 percent. The highest negative growth belongs to Vietnam, where Tehran exported $19.6 million worth of agricultural and food products, 71 percent less year-on-year.

Iran exported $2,274.1 million worth of agricultural and food products in the first half of the current fiscal year, 3 percent less year-on-year.
Tehran, Iran, November 28

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

British Petroleum is going to sell its share of Rhum gas field on the edge of the British North Sea to North Sea producer Serica Energy, raising concerns in Iran over the fate of the operation of the field to which a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) is party.

The sensitivity of the issue is due to the fact that BP used to hold a certificate for operation in the field from the United States Treasurys sanctions enforcement arm - the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), allowing U.S. nationals and companies to take part in the fields operations. The future of Sericas operation now is subject to question.

John Roberts, the director of strategy and chief analyst at Natural Gas Europe, told Trend that the juxtaposition of Serica and NIOC could be the main subject of inquiries after BP hands the field over.

"I would assume that BP is selling its share in Rhum as part of a larger process of disengaging from limited North Sea opportunities in order to concentrate on bigger projects. Rhum may thus be a further example of an opportunity for a smaller company, Serica, to come in and try to operate the field on a much leaner basis."

"I would presume that NIOC, as partner, would have significant rights in determining whether or not Serica's plans make practical and commercial sense. Apart from that, I dont think there is either much role for NIOC to play, or much impact on NIOC. The real question is what are Sericas thoughts about having NIOC as a partner in light of the fact that it will have to take NIOC interests into account."

Reuters has called the future of Rhum potential litmus test for U.S. policy towards Iran. The deal hinges on the British company receiving a license from U.S. sanctions enforcement authorities at a time when President Donald Trump is flexing his muscles against Tehran.

For BP and its American Chief Executive Bob Dudley, selling Rhum, which BP discovered in the 1970s, removes a potential source of friction as it mends its ties with the U.S. government following the deadly 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Rhum was shut down for most of the first half of the decade due to western sanctions on Tehran before resuming normal operations in 2016 following a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and the worlds top powers.

Because of the Iranian involvement, BP needs a license from OFAC. The license was renewed in September, a month before Trump sought to reverse the U.S. position on the nuclear deal with Iran. Serica will apply for its own license in the coming months, Tony Craven Walker, Sericas executive chairman has said.

BP, founded more than a century ago as the Anglo-Persian oil company, will lobby the British government to lend its support in requesting the U.S. administration to grant the license to Serica, according to a source at BP.

Though not a prerequisite to operate the field, the license is needed as a back-up in case of an emergency that requires U.S. equipment and companies, Walker said.

Serica board member Jeffrey Harris, a U.S. citizen, has stepped down in order to guarantee it does not violate U.S. sanctions still in place that ban Americans from dealing with Iran.

Serica and its partner, Iranian Oil Company, plan to renew drilling of a third well at the Rhum field next year.

After being forced to shut down in 2010 when Western nations imposed sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program, Rhum resumed production in 2013 when Britain agreed to set up a temporary management scheme whereby all revenue due to Tehran would be held until sanctions were lifted.

Following the removal of European Union and United Nations sanctions on Iran in January 2016, the temporary management scheme ceased but BP still obtained an OFAC license.
Tehran, Iran, Nov. 29

By Mehdi Sepahvand  Trend:

Hybrid Toyota cars are passing with flying colors in the Iranian market, according to Irtoya, the Japanese companys Iran representation.

"As for legal conditions, things are very good. Also, the public has warmly welcomed our hybrid cars," Irtoya told Trend. "With this amount of air pollution that we already have, it comes very natural for us to have so many clients."

The company said beside energy efficiency, the success of hybrid Toyota models in Iran is owing to vast customer services distribution.

"We are number one in terms of customer service in all of Iran among imported brands. Also, among the total car brands in the country, including imported and locally made, we are the second largest," Irtoya said.

Toyota's Iran representation also said that orders for two new hybrid models, the Auris and the RAV4, have been placed with authorities and the company expects to have them in the Iranian market in the near future.

Irtoya in August announced it imported 1,489 units of the gasoline-powered RAV4 SUV model directly from Japan, making the model the fourth most imported vehicle in Iran.
MIAMI, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ML Capital Group, Inc. (OTC PINK:MLCG), recent efforts by MLCG's Platinum Highlife Tours division have yielded an unprecedented opportunity in Nevada with its recent legalization of cannabis both for medicinal and recreational use. With this recent development, it has exposed numerous new tourism opportunities for Platinum Highlife Tours to exploit within Las Vegas and throughout the State.

"Despite legalization, visitors without access to a private residence are currently finding it difficult, if not impossible to locate a legal place to enjoy their cannabis purchases," says CEO Kevin Bobryk. "Platinum Highlife Tours is well into the process of building a high-value solution to this challenge."

MLCG is also currently forming a private real estate lending and acquisition division, targeting buildings and land in greater Las Vegas and beyond that are appropriately zoned to meet the needs of the explosively growing cannabis industry.

"The initial thrust is to acquire land and buildings that can be economically upgraded to service the cannabis industry," says Bobryk. "A focus on tourism will remain our top priority, though we will also be seeking high value properties that are sought after by the wider cannabis industry."

For further information:

Platinum Tours Maui and ML Capital Group politely and formally request that all inquiries, whether stock-related or travel be submitted to investor relations at info@mlcginc.com.

About ML Capital Group Inc.:

ML Capital Group Inc. (OTC:MLCG) is a global holdings company focusing on acquisitions in luxury travel, leisure and lifestyle industries. MLCG's business model looks to identify under-valued "brick and mortar" luxury tour operators to be acquired, re-branded and integrated within the Company's luxury tourism portfolio.

Safe Harbor: This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 27E of the Securities Act of 1934. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Actual performance and results may differ materially from that projected or suggested herein due to certain risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, ability to obtain financing and regulatory and shareholder approval for anticipated actions.

ML Capital Group

SOURCE: ML Capital Group Inc.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Another important event of regional importance will take place in Azerbaijan today.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Pakistan, Elmar Mammadyarov, Mevlut Cavusoglu and Khawaja Muhammad Asif, will hold the first trilateral meeting.

This is also the first meeting of the foreign ministers of the countries, each of which is an important state in its region.

Turkey is one of the important political and economic players today in the Middle East and is a fraternal country for Azerbaijan. Turkey and Azerbaijan cooperate in almost all spheres.

As for Pakistan, which is a nuclear power of the Islamic world, Islamabad has close economic, political and military ties with Turkey. Islamabad provided political support to Azerbaijan since the first days of countrys independence. Pakistan is one of the two countries that do not recognize Armenia as a state, the reason for which is the occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia.

Thus, Azerbaijans support for Turkey and Pakistan can be considered as an example of Islamic solidarity against the Armenian aggression.

There are a number of trilateral cooperation formats in the region, such as Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey, Azerbaijan-Turkey-Iran and Turkey-Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan and Turkey are the key states in all those formats.

Azerbaijans foreign policy is aimed at close economic and political cooperation with all countries. Azerbaijan and Turkey are connected by not only the cultural community, but also important joint energy projects.

Baku and Ankara were able to use their potential both for their own development and for close cooperation in the interests of the region.

Today, thanks to the cooperation of Azerbaijan and Turkey, both these two fraternal countries and the entire region are developing, except for Armenia, which is a hostage to its occupation policy.

Azerbaijan, thanks to its successful domestic and foreign policy, has turned into an active political player, which also occupies an appropriate place in the Islamic world.

The first trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Pakistan will lay the foundation for a new trilateral cooperation format among the countries.

---

Rufiz Hafizoglu is the head of Trend Agency's Arabic news service, follow him on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

Trend:

The Armenian delegation left the session hall in Kiev, where the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) was due to open, in protest against the "violation of traditions and essence" of the organization, the Ukrainian agency LIGA reported.

The delegation noted that the head of the National Assembly of Armenia was not invited to the discussion held with the participation of the heads of all delegations.

"While the real reason for the withdrawal of Armenians from the PABSEC session was an amendment to the declaration - on the need to "help restore the territorial integrity of the states of the Black Sea economic cooperation", made upon the proposal of the Ukrainian delegation," the report reads.

"We are deeply concerned about the ongoing conflicts in the BSEC region that undermine peace, security and cooperation at the regional and global levels, negatively affect social stability and impede the economic development of the member states. We believe that these conflicts must be resolved on the basis of full respect to territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of the BSEC member states and declare that it is necessary to contribute to the restoration of the territorial integrity of the BSEC states, recognized by the international organizations such as the UN, the OSCE, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament, as the illegally annexed," the amendment treads.

The 50th session of the PABSEC takes place in Kiev on Nov.28-30.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel hopes to relaunch a new drive to build a coalition between her conservative political bloc and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), despite tensions between the two parties, europe online magazine reports.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called Merkel, of the Christian Democrats (CDU), SPD chief Martin Schulz and Horst Seehofer, who heads up the CDUs Bavarian-based Christian Social Union (CSU) allies, to a meeting in Berlin on Thursday.

The talks on possibly building a new CDU-led government are aimed at ending the countrys political crisis, following the collapse of talks to forge a new three-way coalition.

The failure of last weeks talks forced Schulz to back-pedal on his original refusal to join Merkel in a rerun of the current coalition. He had previously said the SDP planned to return to the opposition after suffering its worst result since 1949 in the September election.

SPD officials believe that coalition talks could take until March next year to complete.

The SPD has attempted to lay the blame for the break-up of the three-way coalition talks on Merkel.

However, this weeks decision by German Agricultural Minister Christian Schmidt to go against the government line in a vote in Brussels on EU licensing for the controversial weedkiller glyphosate has inflamed tensions between the two political camps.
Countries around the world must cut off their commercial, diplomatic, military and any other ties with North Korea after its recent missile launch in violation of a UN Security Council resolution, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said, Sputnik reported.

"Today, we call on all nations to cut off all ties with North Korea. In addition to fully implementing all UN sanctions all countries should severe diplomatic relations with North Korea and limit military, scientific, technical or commercial cooperation," Haley told the UN Security Council on Wednesday.

Moreover, Haley said the countries of the world "must also cut off trade with the regime by stopping all imports and exports and expel all North Korean workers," adding that the United States has already asked China to cut off all oil supplies to North Korea.

The statement comes after Pyongyang test-fired its new intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-15, which, as the country's government claims, is capable of reaching any target throughout the United States.

North Korea has come under fierce criticism from the international community after the test which was conducted in violation of the UNSC resolutions. Early on Thursday, an emergency UNSC meeting over the recent launch is set to take place at the initiative of Japan, South Korea and the United States.
The United States seeks to constructively contribute to the UN-backed intra-Syrian talks in Geneva which are currently underway, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a press briefing on Wednesday, Sputnik reported.

"The United States hopes to facilitate Geneva talks, we remain committed to that," Nauert told reporters.

Nauert reiterated US commitment to a political resolution, with Syrian people ultimately deciding the fate of their country independently. She added, "We are a long way off" from that.

The eighth round of Geneva talks on Syrian settlement started on Tuesday. The delegation of the Syrian government arrived at the UN office in Geneva for the first official meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura earlier on Wednesday.

The Special Envoy urged the sides to the intra-Syrian talks need to refrain from unhelpful accusative rhetoric and setting preconditions to direct negotiations.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday he was counting on U.N. Security Council members China and Russia to step up sanctions on North Korea after its latest missile test, Reuters reported.

I once again condemn with the greatest force the missile launch yesterday and now we must increase sanctions, Macron told France 24 television.

I am counting a lot in particular on China and Russia in order to take the most difficult and effective sanctions, he added, speaking during an interview from Abidjan in Ivory Coast.
At least six people were killed and 23 injured when strong winds and heavy rains lashed Sri Lanka since Wednesday night, prompting authorities to issue a severe weather alert, Xinxua reported.

The Disaster Management Center said the fatalities had been reported from Galle, Gampaha and Badulla Districts while severe destruction had been caused in several areas across the country.

The center said since water levels in some of the major rivers, including Nilwala, Gin and Kalu rivers, were rising due to heavy rains, people had been urged to move to higher grounds.

The police and relief teams had been advised to be on alert and help those who had been stranded or affected by the adverse weather.

The Meteorology Department said in its latest weather forecast that more heavy rains and gusty strong winds could be expected over the island, and heavy rains, strong winds and rough seas could also be expected further in the deep and shallow sea areas around the island too.

The department warned fishermen against going to sea.

"The depression in the south-west of Sri Lanka has developed into a deep depression and it is located 200 km away from Colombo. It is expected to develop further and move to the Arabian Sea area," the weather forecast said.

The Disaster Management Center also dismissed rumors of a tsunami threat to the island, which had spread panic among those living in the coastal areas.

Heavy rain falls about 100 to 150 mm could be expected at some places in the Southern, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Western and Uva provinces.

President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday ordered Sri Lankan forces to provide immediate assistance to those affected by the disaster.

The president's office said that Sirisena, who is on a visit to South Korea, had been briefed on the situation by the Disaster Management Center.

The government has also announced that an immediate sum of 10,000 rupees (65.2 U.S. dollars) would be given to each family affected by the adverse weather.

Meanwhile, rail services were delayed in many areas due to fallen trees across railway tracks and landslide warnings. People had been urged to stay indoors.

Several houses were damaged and trees had been uprooted in several areas, making roads inaccessible. Authorities had begun clean up operations amid heavy rains.

Schools were closed in the Western, Southern, Uva and Central Provinces on Wednesday owing to the adverse weather conditions.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

As part of operations against the supporters of Fethullah Gulen, 66 people were detained in Turkeys Eskisehir province, including military pilots, the Turkish media reported Nov. 30.

Reportedly, the detainees are accused of having links with FETO.

Their names have not been disclosed.

Earlier, 360 people were detained in Turkeys Istanbul, including 343 servicemen as part of operations against the supporters of Fethullah Gulen.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 30

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkey did not promise the United States to join the sanctions against Iran, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

He made the remarks commenting on the arrest of Turkish businessman of Iranian origin, Reza Zarrab, on charges of violating sanctions against Iran, Turkish media reported on Nov. 30.

Erdogan noted that the world does not consist of only the US, and Iran is an important economic partner.

In March 2016, Zarrab was arrested in the US for trying to circumvent sanctions against Iran. Zarrab resided in Turkey and had Turkish and Iranian citizenship.

As previously reported by the Turkish media, the government could not get any information about the arrested businessman, and the Turkish Foreign Ministry sent a note of protest to the US. The US recently responded to the note of protest and reported the exact location of Zarrab.

Zarrab admitted his guilt at a trial in New York on Nov. 29.
KYODO NEWS - Nov 30, 2017 - 10:32 | All, World

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Wednesday called on all countries to cut off all ties with North Korea, while warning Pyongyang that its regime will be "utterly destroyed" if a war breaks out.

Haley also told the U.N. Security Council that the United States asked China to cut off oil supply to North Korea when U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping earlier in the day.

"Today, we call on all nations to cut off all ties with North Korea," she said in an emergency meeting of the 15-member council that followed Pyongyang's latest long-range ballistic missile launch on Wednesday morning Asia time.

Referring to the launch, Haley said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made a choice "that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it."

"We have never sought war with North Korea and still today we do not seek it," she said. "And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."

(Korea Media)

North Korea claimed Wednesday it successfully test-fired its "most powerful" intercontinental ballistic missile, one it said is capable of hitting anywhere in the United States with a nuclear warhead.

A government statement, carried by official media, said the Hwasong-15 missile fired in the early morning reached an altitude of 4,475 kilometers and covered a distance of 950 km, after flying for 53 minutes.

North Korea's first launch of a ballistic missile since mid-September came after the United States last week placed Pyongyang back on its list of state sponsors of terrorism.

In the Security Council meeting, Haley called on all countries to "sever diplomatic relations with North Korea" and "cut off trade with the regime by stopping all imports and exports and expel all North Korean workers."

Japanese Ambassador Koro Bessho slammed Pyongyang's latest missile launch as "totally unacceptable" and demanded the country cease all ballistic missile launches, nuclear development and provocations.

"Japan will never tolerate a nuclear-armed North Korea," he said. "There is no other choice for us but to work together to put maximum pressure on North Korea so that it alters its course of action and works towards denuclearization."

(Korea Media)

Chinese Deputy Ambassador Wu Haitao reasserted a call for a freeze-for-freeze solution whereby North Korea is asked to stop its missile and nuclear tests in exchange for the United States and South Korea putting an end to their military drills.

In a similar vein, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow strongly calls on all parties concerned "to stop this spiral of tension," adding, "It is essential to take a step back and carefully weigh the consequences of each move."

Tensions have been running high since North Korea tested two ICBMs in July and conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September as part of an effort to develop a nuclear-tipped ICBM capable of hitting the mainland United States.

The Security Council imposed stricter sanctions on North Korea on Sept. 11, taking aim at its supply of oil and gas for the first time, following the nuclear test.

China has been under pressure from the United States and its allies to use more of its leverage as North Korea's main economic lifeline to push its neighbor into abandoning its nuclear and missile programs.

"We now turn to President Xi to also take that stand. We believe he has an opportunity to do the right thing for the benefit of all countries," Haley said.

"China must show leadership and follow through. China can do this on its own, or we can take the oil situation into our own hands," she said.

But Wu took a dim view on possible tighter sanctions on Pyongyang. "It is China's consistent view that the Security Council sanctions against (North Korea) should not negatively impact relevant humanitarian assistance activities," he said.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Golden Predator Mining Corp. (TSX.V:GPY) (OTCQX:NTGSF) (the Company or Golden Predator) is pleased to announce that it has entered into property purchase agreements with each of Alexco Exploration Canada Corp. (Alexco) and Newmont Canada Corporation (Newmont) to acquire a 100% interest in the Sprogge claims located in the southeast Yukon, adjacent to the 3 Aces Project claims. The agreements supersede a prior option agreement entered into between the parties in 2011.



Golden Predator thanks Alexco and Newmont for their cooperation in a lengthy negotiation that has resulted in more beneficial terms to advance the property under full ownership by Golden Predator, said Janet Lee-Sheriff, Chief Executive Officer. With the Agreement concluded for 100% ownership we will expand our 2018 work plan to include work on the Sprogge project. We are currently developing the work plan for 2018 and reviewing the historical information on the Sprogge project which shows great promise under our orogenic model.

The 3 Aces Project Map and Sprogge claims can be found on the Companys website at: http://www.goldenpredator.com/_resources/news/Sprogge_20171127d.pdf

The Sprogge Property

The Sprogge property was discovered in 1996 by Hemlo Gold Mines in while conducting regional exploration in southeastern Yukon targeting intrusion related gold systems. The property is contiguous with the 3 Aces property located immediately to the north. The property was explored with soil sampling, prospecting and mapping, and a four-hole 776 m drill program by various operators including Viceroy Exploration, NovaGold Resources and Newmont Canada from 1997 to 2000. The property did not see any further work until 2011 and 2012 when Northern Tiger Resources acquired the property and conducted additional soil sampling, mapping and prospecting programs. Significant mineralization consisting of gold bearing quartz veins within large areas of anomalous gold in soils occur on the property.

Recent exploration by Golden Predator has significantly increased the understanding of the lithological and structural controls on mineralization on the 3 Aces Project. This understanding can be directly applied to the Sprogge property and considerably Sprogges potential.

The property is underlain by the same prospective sedimentary strata of the Hyland Group which hosts the known mineral occurrences on 3 Aces property. Recognition of this region to host orogenic gold targets was first suggested by Hart el al in 2005 after the majority of exploration work conducted by the previous operators. Historical work in 2011 and 2012 by Northern Tiger confirmed the potential of the property to host significant orogenic style mineralization highlighted by trench results from the Meadows Zone returning a result of 8.5 g/t gold over 6.8 m including 40.5 g/t gold over 1.0 m in a northeast striking fault zone. Along strike to the southeast the Matilda vein has returned values to 23.8 g/t gold. The Ridge East and Ridge West zones also contain significant gold bearing quartz mineralization in shear zones which returned values of 7.6 g/t gold over 2.5 m in trenching and 7.1 g/t gold in a grab sample respectively.

Pursuant to the property purchase agreements, Golden Predator will pay a total of $114,500 CAD in cash, issue 300,000 units, and grant net smelter returns royalties of 2.33% in the aggregate to acquire the Sprogge project, with buy-back provisions for up to 50% of the royalty. The units will be comprised of a share and a warrant, with each warrant being exercisable to acquire a further share at a price of $1.00 for 37 months.

The acquisition is subject to exchange approval. The securities issuable pursuant to the acquisition will be subject to a four month hold period.

3 Aces Project, Yukon

The 3 Aces Project is a high grade orogenic gold project consisting of 1,734 claims covering 357 km (35,700 hectares) in southeast Yukon. At the 3 Aces Project, the exploration has been focused on the 13.5 km2 Central Core Area, a broad gold-in-soil anomaly, where numerous orogenic gold-bearing quartz veins have been discovered through geological mapping and sampling, trenching, roadwork and drilling. These orogenic-type veins are found across many well-mineralized zones and over 762 m (2,500 feet) of elevation change within the Central Core area which represents ~3% of the property.

Exploration work by Golden Predator, beginning in 2015, has included mapping, sampling, trenching, metallurgical studies, rotary air blast (RAB) drilling, RC drilling, diamond drilling and bulk sampling, all focused on establishing reproducible gold grades and continuity of the numerous gold in quartz veins discovered on the property. Extensive drilling in the Spades and Hearts Zones has returned high grade vein intercepts such as 13.1 m of 16.75 g/t gold1 and 13.75 m of 65.31 g/t gold; 16.2 m of 20.5 g/t gold and 8 m of 50.4 g/t gold2. Additional new discoveries have been announced in the Clubs and Diamonds Zones and the Companys drill program focused on the Central Core Area.

The Project is located along the all-season Nahanni Range Road that was recently announced as being a part of the $360 million Federally and Yukon funded, Yukon Resource Gateway Project. Golden Predator operates under an Exploration Agreement with the Kaska Nation, as represented by the Ross River Dena Council and the Liard First Nation, and a Class 4 Mining Land Use Permit issued by the Yukon Government.

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mark Shutty, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and an employee of the Company.

Golden Predator Mining Corp.

Golden Predator Mining Corp. is a well-financed gold exploration company focused on its high-grade orogenic gold-in-quartz 3 Aces Project in Canadas Yukon. The 357km2 land package includes numerous mineralized areas, all located within and along favorable stratigraphic and structural zones that extend over 35 km along trend. The 2017 drill program focused on the year-round road and bridge accessible 13.5 km2 Central Core Area, host to numerous high-grade gold in quartz veins.

The Company also holds 100% of the advanced Brewery Creek Project in Yukon, Canada. With proven management and an experienced technical team, the Company is well positioned for growth.

For additional information:

Janet Lee- Sheriff

Chief Executive Officer

(604)260-0289

info@goldenpredator.com

www.goldenpredator.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. This press release contains forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations that the private placement will complete as described herein, that the Project will advance through permitting and feasibility. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change.





_____________________________

1 Golden Predator Press Release dated March 16, 2017

2 Golden Predator Press Release dated August 9, 2017
KYODO NEWS - Nov 30, 2017 - 11:34 | All, Feature

Santa Claus on Wednesday arrived from Finland at Narita airport, east of Tokyo, to meet local children and boost festive atmosphere ahead of Christmas.

Santa, recognized by the Finnish government-backed Santa Claus Foundation, will take part in Christmas events in Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Fukuoka during his stay through Dec. 14. He will also visit a nursery school in Tokyo to give gifts to children.

His trip to Japan is part of an annual promotional campaign by Finnair. This year, Santa came to the country aboard a special Finnair plane decorated with a drawing of a reindeer.

Outside Christmas time, he keeps himself busy writing replies to letters from children around the world and taking care of his reindeer, according to the airline.
By David Hueston, KYODO NEWS - Nov 30, 2017 - 16:59 | Feature, All

The death of a loved one is traumatic at the best of times, but when it occurs abroad it can be that much more difficult for family and friends who may be at a loss about how to bring the deceased home.

Located in Haneda airport's restricted zone, a short walk from the international arrival and departure gates, is a company that operates in obscurity, dutifully performing its solemn task when a person, Japanese or not, dies far from home.

Airhearse International Inc., under the leadership of President and Representative Director Rie Kimura, is exclusively in the business of repatriating mortal remains from Japan and abroad.

But handling a death that occurs overseas is a complex process involving several administrative procedures, including obtaining the requisite documentation and ensuring the cremation or embalming of the body, not to mention the often hefty costs for transporting human remains. Airhearse prides itself on running a mortuary service that stands above the run-of-the-mill funeral parlor.

According to the Foreign Ministry survey in 2015, 533 Japanese people died overseas that same year.

"In most cases Japanese have travel insurance, and when something happens, we get a call from the insurance company and the case begins," Kimura, 56, said in a recent interview with Kyodo News at the company's office.

"Recently many people who are used to traveling just use their credit card (coverage) and think to themselves, 'It's okay, nothing ever happens.' It's these people that something happens to," she said, pointing out the often limited coverage of credit cards in cases of death overseas.

Since its establishment in 2003, Airhearse has been involved in the transport of bodies or remains of many Japanese, even those who have died in high-profile incidents, including in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and the 2016 Dhaka terrorist attack, in which seven Japanese hostages were killed.

The six-person operation, which occupies office space in the Tokyo International Air Cargo Terminal whose customers are commercial airlines, has also dealt with its share of foreign expats or vacationers who have died in Japan.

"For foreign nationals, we carry out (to the letter) the compliance laws of Japan. In this respect, we are completely different from your typical Japanese funeral parlor" that might skirt certain procedures, Kimura said.

"Of course, we get emails from foreign families, saying for example (the body of) my dad is at this police station, what should I do? Or direct calls from the family by phone. But there's not just one situation, we have various cases."

According to the health ministry, 6,915 registered foreign nationals died in Japan in 2016. Many of them were presumably repatriated or may have had their remains interred in Japan, albeit at a high price in a country that faces a scarcity of plots.

There are also foreign tourists or lone travelers with little connection to Japan who might be involved in accidents or other incidents, making handling their deaths all the more delicate.

In an average year, Airhearse handles about 80 to 120 deaths in all -- probably close to about 70 percent Japanese and 30 percent foreigners.

Kimura talked about extreme cases such as particularly violent suicides where the body required a lot of repairs before the appropriate embalming techniques could be carried out and the body transferred to the bereaved family.

She recalled a case of a solo traveler in Japan.

"The person jumped from a hotel window and was impaled by a park fence," she said. Here again, Kimura says, is where Airhearse will make every effort to restore the body to its best possible state.

In all cases dealing with foreigners, Airhearse does its utmost to repatriate remains according to religions and customs of the deceased, Kimura says. For example, whereas Hindus in India allow for embalming, Muslims, as a rule, do not. "We have to figure out what to do but we always confirm their religions," she said.

In one particularly tricky case, Airhearse stepped in to assist the return of an elderly woman from Japan to Afghanistan's war-torn capital Kabul during the Taliban insurgency after a funeral parlor failed to carry out the family's wishes.

Part of the family had fled to Japan while the woman, who was sick, escaped to Pakistan.

"They fled to Japan and obtained (Japanese) nationality but didn't speak any Japanese. The son of the elderly woman who lived in Japan got her to come over for treatment but she soon died."

Kimura described how the son, whose family was of Islamic faith, wished to have his mother's body repatriated for burial in Afghanistan despite the country being at war but eventually acquiesced to having her placed in one of only a few Muslim cemeteries in Japan at that time.

The granddaughter called Kimura, saying that a local funeral parlor in Kitakyushu had transported the body by hearse to Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo, but after arriving they discovered that not only was there no religious representative to perform the rites but a power shovel was there being used to dig the grave.

"The father got really angry, and so the granddaughter called me and asked if we could do anything to send her grandmother back to the Afghan capital Kabul."

Kimura told the granddaughter that because there were no commercial flights available, even from Dubai to Kabul, it could only be done by a special charter flight.

"I told her you will need a lot of money because no one is going to take that job. It would be totally different from repatriating the body to Pakistan."

Although initially upset about the high cost, with no choice available the granddaughter convinced her father to hire Airhearse.

"This was the first time something like this was done from Japan. We sought out a special route and were able to have them do the proper burial in Kabul. It was an extremely difficult case," she said.

Respecting religions and customs is just one aspect, says Kimura. Strictly carrying out administrative procedures, including ensuring that death certificates are obtained and bodies are properly embalmed for transport to clear quarantines and airport customs is at the heart of Airhearse's business.

Embalming done improperly, which Kimura talks about in the second installment of this series, can lead to some fairly devastating results in the preparation of a body for international repatriation.

(This is Part I of a 3-part series on Airhearse international's body repatriation business)
Washington, D.C., Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ambassador John Bolton announced today that he will endorse Representative John Faso (NY-19) for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives and the John Bolton PAC will make a $10,000 contribution to Fasos campaign. With this announcement, Ambassador Bolton has endorsed 20 candidates for U.S. Congress and his PAC has contributed a collective $195,000, which is the most contributed by a leadership PAC in 2017.

Since his election to Congress in 2016, John has worked hard to deliver excellent results for the people of his district and America, said Ambassador Bolton. He has advocated to enhance our counter-terrorism capabilities and has proven to be an ally for the nation of Israel. John deserves to remain in Congress and I am once again proud to support his campaign.

John Faso on the endorsement:

I am honored to have the support of Ambassador Bolton. Throughout his career, he has fought to strengthen our nation's security and protect our diplomatic interests. Supporting a strong military and ensuring our nation's standing in the global economy will always be top priorities of mine.

For the 2016 elections, the John Bolton PAC contributed a total of $680,000 and endorsed 94 candidates, making it the most active leadership PAC in the country, and earning the PAC numerous industry awards. Ambassador Bolton plans to significantly increase the total contributions made by his PAC and SuperPAC in the 2018 election cycle.

About John Bolton PAC (www.boltonpac.com): The John Bolton PAC was founded by former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John R. Bolton to raise the importance of American national security in federal elections. The PAC will support and contribute to candidates who are committed to restoring strong American economic and national security policies that secure America's interests in a challenging world.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/50ea713a-5606-4bb6-a49f-49642d4cf481
OTTAWA, Ontario, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Renewable Industries Canada (RICanada) applauds the publication of draft amendments to Ontarios Ethanol in Gasoline Regulation by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC).



The ambitious changes would increase the mandated volume of ethanol in regular gasoline from 5% to 10% by 2020. Additionally, the ethanol used must emit at least 35% fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on a lifecycle basis than petroleum gasoline. Lifecycle modelling is to be calculated using GHGenius version 4.03. Canadian ethanol reduces GHGs by 62% compared to gasoline, leading to even greater GHG reductions.

Jim Grey, Chair of RICanada and CEO of IGPC Ethanol Inc., commended the Ontario Governments approach: In moving to a 10% ethanol requirement, Ontario is showing leadership in the fight against climate change. This policy will generate a substantial reduction in GHG emissions, while creating jobs and economic growth. This is what clean growth is all about.

Ethanol is the cleanest, cheapest way to reduce carbon in gasoline available today, said Howard Field, President and CEO of Greenfield Global. Coupled with its cap and trade program, the proposed increase of Ontarios ethanol mandate to 10% starting in 2020 will help the province achieve its GHG emission targets while ensuring continued local investment, innovation, and job creation.

An October 2017 study by Doyletech Corporation found that the economic impact of increasing the provincial ethanol mandate to 10% ethanol will contribute an additional $638 million per year to Ontarios economy.

About RICanada:

Founded in 1984, Renewable Industries Canada (RICanada) is a non-profit organization with a mission to promote the use of value-added products made from renewable resources through consumer awareness and government liaison activities.

For more information please contact:

Alison Matthews

Executive Director, Renewable Industries Canada

a.matthews@ricanada.org

T: 416.471.5332

Twitter: @renewcan

www.ricanada.org
ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump is expected to announce that he will shrink two national monuments in Utah on Monday, his final decision as a result of a federal review of monuments that began earlier this year.



Trump has been considering whether to reduce the size of several national monuments as part of a review started earlier this year. He is expected to announce his decision to change the boundaries of two monuments in Utah, Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.



Trump is expected to announce that Bears Ears will be reduced to around 180,000 acres from 1.35 million and that Grand Escalante, which is about 1.9 million acres, could be trimmed by half, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.



The decision about Bears Ears is especially controversial because it was designated specifically because of its sacred meaning to Native American tribes in the area, including the Navajo and Hopi Nations.



The monument is also unique because a commission of representatives from five tribes advocated for its creation and are charged with advising the government on how to manage the land. Officials in Utah have said President Obama abused his power by designating so much land as part of a national monument against their wishes and even said the monument hurts the local Uranium mining industry in a comment posted on the review by a Utah legislature commission.



Zinke said he did believe some areas of Bears Ears should be protected and defended the decision to shrink the monument's borders on a call with reporters shortly after he sent his recommendations to the president.



"If you look at the Bear Ears as a whole," he said on the call."There is a lot more drop-dead gorgeous land than there is historic landmarks, historic structures and other objects"



Zinke also said on that call that the specifics of how the borders will be changed will be decided in a process with local leaders to make sure all archaeological sites were protected while opening up as much land as possible but the administration has not confirmed any details.



But local leaders say the monument should not be changed at all and that, even though Zinke met with Native American groups during a visit to Utah, they were not given as much consideration as elected officials who want to shrink the monument. A nonprofit that works to protect culturally significant public lands called Utah Dine Bikeyah held protests during Zinke's visit.



"Bears Ears holds our prayers, medicine, and sacred grounds. Bears Ears National Monument honors Native Americans and provides a path for healing. President Trump should leave it alone and respect our people, UDB Board Member Jonah Yellowman said in a statement after Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch announced the upcoming changes to the monument.



The decision to shrink the monument will be the second time in recent weeks that Native American groups have been unhappy with the president. In an event honoring Navajo code talkers the president used his nickname for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, "Pocahontas," which many groups said is offensive to Native Americans.



The president called for the review of 27 monuments designated under the Antiquities Act in an executive order signed in April. Zinke visited several of the monuments, including Bears Ears and Grand Staircase, before sending his recommendations to Trump in May.



The review included more than 2.8 million public comments.



When the order was signed, Trump criticized monuments designated under the Obama administration as an overreach of executive power, calling them a "federal land grab."



Monday's announcement is expected to face almost immediate legal challenges from environmental groups and groups that advocate for protecting public lands who say that the Antiquities Act does not give the president the authority to eliminate national monuments once they've been created.



The Antiquities Act was enacted in 1906 and grants presidents the power to declare land a federal monument but does not specifically say that a president can eliminate a national monument.



The Congressional Research Service wrote a report on this issue in 2016 that found that while the Antiquities Act doesn't specifically grant the president the power to shrink or eliminate monuments it does say that monument size "shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected," which could be used to justify making the monument smaller.



A draft of Zinke's recommendations published by The Washington Post includes suggestions to change eight additional monuments but it's unclear if Trump will make announcement about those on Monday. The draft also shows that Zinke recommended the president create four new national monuments, including an area sacred to the Blackfeet Nation in his home state of Montana, the Medgar Evers home in Jackson, Mississippi, and a Union Army supply depot site in Kentucky.



President Trump will travel to Utah on Monday. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that he is not expected to visit either of the monuments, but is expected to meet with leaders from the Mormon Church.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On November 29, 2017, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) submitted a position paper, Early Childhood Education and Nova Scotias Pre-primary Program, to the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. The union is offering recommendations to the provincial government for the implementation of a truly universal program, so that it is successful for all children, families, and educators.



To make early learning and care a real success in Nova Scotia more needs to happen  immediately, says Mary Jessome, CUPE School Board Council of Unions Chair. We hope the Minister will give our submission careful consideration.

While others have tried to politicize the care of young children, CUPE says you should consider this: right now our pre-primary ratios, specialized training, and classroom staffing structure in our schools, is a model that is doing well according to the most current research in Canada, in terms of design, if not implementation, says Nan McFadgen, president of CUPE Nova Scotia.

Early childhood educators are the most educated in the play-based learning techniques, which we all agree is the best teaching method for our pre-primary program, says Grant Dart, CUPE national representative. They are trained, skilled professionals and understand the value of play-based learning better than anyone.

CUPE is, on the whole, in agreement with the rollout of the pre-primary program, but has raised some concerns and made some suggestions we hope the Minister and this government will take into account as they look at extending this program further, says Dart.

The position paper Early Childhood Education and Nova Scotias Pre-primary Program is available for download via the CUPE Nova Scotia website.

For more information, please contact:

Nan McFadgen

CUPE Nova Scotia President

(902) 759-3231 (cell)

Mary Jessome

CUPE Local 5050 President

(902) 574-1380 (cell)

Grant Dart

CUPE School Board Coordinator

(902) 921-1304 (cell)
AUBURN HILLS, Mich.  The Jeep Wrangler has a spirit, and Mark Allen is one of its keepers. That's why the 2018 edition still has a fold-down windshield, despite the reality that even the most die-hard Wrangler owners seldom use it anymore. The folding screen dates to the origins of the Wrangler, when Willys were sent to Europe during World War II. The reasons: "The windshields folded down for shipping  and the guy in the back with the howitzer," says Allen, the longtime Jeep design boss.



Delivered in 2017 in the FCA Design Dome, the line comes across as a quip, but it's historically dead on. It's through this lens that Allen and the rest of the Jeep designers and engineers devised the modern successor to a primitive military vehicle.



The windshield folds down in minutes with the turn of four bolts on this new generation, the JL. It takes about 90 minutes and 28 bolts to do the same on the outgoing JK. Needed or not, the windshield is better and more functional for 2018, even if it looks about the same. This aptly sums up the new model.



Get closer and get inside. Look under the hood. There's much more going on than is evident at first glance. Allen says the broad strokes of the current design didn't change because he wanted to remain true to the Wrangler's identity, which lights the path for the entire brand. Crazier ideas were considered, but ultimately, this evolutionary approach was deemed the best. "The Wrangler is instantly recognizable around the world," says Jeep boss Mike Manley. "It has been and remains the absolute icon of the brand."





But it is different, and by using any objective metrics, better. The JL is lighter than the JK. It offers a new engine with a mild hybrid function  more on that later. Fuel economy is improved. The interior is nicer, yet still rugged. The on-road ride quality is upgraded, but you can still scale mountains and conquer the jungle.



Still, it looks about the same. Let's start there. The round headlights are all-LED, with a horizontal projector sandwiched between the high beams. The taillights are square and have available LEDs. The grille has been massaged to a "keystone" design that recalls the CJ, Allen says. The front wheels are pulled slightly forward, and the beltline is lowered. The vehicle also is longer (how much depends on the version), which creates a better stance. Half doors will be offered on the Rubicon model in 2019 and then will be available across the Wrangler lineup. They're exactly what they sound like  half doors to create a more open experience.



The JL debuts this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show and arrives in showrooms in January. Initially, it will be sold concurrently with the JK as that model is phased out in '18.



The Wrangler rides on a new body-on-frame platform, which is about 100 pounds lighter than its predecessor. Aluminum is used for the hood, windshield frame, doors and front fenders. Steel or high-strength steel is used for the B-pillars, rear quarter panels and sport bar, while the swing gate is magnesium. The new materials help shave another 100 pounds from the Wrangler, and it all rolls on next-generation Dana axles.



Under the hood, the Wrangler gets FCA's turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which will make 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It features technology that FCA calls eTorque and is billing as a type of hybrid system. It includes electric power assist, stop/start functionality and regenerative braking and can totally turn off the engine and fuel flow during stops or when coasting. FCA says eTorque helps with launches and fuel economy. It teams with an eight-speed automatic transmission.



The Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 continues and is rated at 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. The turbo four puts out more torque, but Jeep says some buyers will like the naturally aspirated V6's low-range capability for the trail. The engine comes standard with a new six-speed manual transmission, and an eight-speed automatic replaces the old five-speed auto. Stop/start is also standard on the V6.



A diesel  yes, a diesel  is also coming in 2019 on four-door versions, so you'll have to wait a bit if this is your engine of choice. This is the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel already available in the Grand Cherokee and the Ram, and it puts out 260 hp and an impressive 442 lb-ft in the Wrangler. The diesel also uses start/stop and pairs with an eight-speed automatic.



Naturally, the Wrangler will continue to be incredibly capable off-road, offering two four-wheel-drive systems: Command-Trac (which has a two-speed transfer case) and Rock-Trac. The Wrangler can ford water up to 30 inches deep, has an approach angle of 44 degrees, a departure angle of 37 degrees and a breakover angle of 27.8 degrees. The Rubicon has monster 33-inch tires standard, which will offer unyielding prowess in the mud and muck, and also look pretty sick. Skid plates, trail hooks and plenty of ground clearance are all part of the Trail-Rated items, too. If you want to put your own stamp on the JL, more than 200 Mopar parts will be available to order when the new Jeep launches, with everything from trail lights to an auxiliary bank for switches.



As with the exterior, the new Wrangler's cabin has an evolutionary approach to change. It definitely still feels like a Wrangler, but the JL has the latest versions of FCA's Uconnect infotainment, with an 8.4-inch touch screen as an option. There are new and nicer materials offered with more soft-touch surfaces and accents, and the center console is redone. There's also an available Sky One-Touch power top that retracts the canvass roof, just like a conventional sunroof.



"It all comes together in a way that builds on Jeep's heritage but in a completely new aesthetic," says Ryan Patrick Joyce, design manager for Jeep interiors. He also characterizes the back-seat comfort as "insanely improved" while pointing to the Willys silhouette on the shifter and the steering wheel, which has a vague Y-shape as on the old military Jeeps, as purists will like. There are also lift assist handles under the armrests to make it easier to pick up and take off the doors. (Funny story: The first time Joyce did the Rubicon Trail with Allen, the veteran Jeep designer, Joyce dropped one of the doors, and a moment of embarrassment led to innovation.) And for the first time ever, there's an original equipment camera on a Wrangler, mandated as part of federal requirements for back-up vision. You'll hardly notice the camera (it's in the back on the spare tire carrier), but it has a purpose. It makes the Wrangler a safer, more modern vehicle, and it doesn't compromise the Jeep's heritage.



At the end of the day, Allen, Manley, Joyce and lots of other enthusiasts running the Jeep brand wouldn't compromise on the Wrangler. The JL lives up to the tradition of its predecessors, but is enhanced with features that don't detract from its mission as the definitive off-roader. Yes, it has more aluminum, some new powertrain choices and the interior is nicer. It changed to stay relevant. But just as in 1941, you can still fold down the windshield for that open-air experience  minus the howitzer.





2018 Jeep Wrangler: The iconic off-roader, with new innovations originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Nov 2017 00:01:00 EST.
The tax trigger being discussed in the Senate is fairly simple conceptually: If federal tax revenues come in lower than expected in the years following the passage of the GOP bill, automatic rate hikes will kick in to limit the size of the resulting deficits. Bob Corker (R-TN) said he has an agreement in principle with Senate leaders to include such a rule in the tax bill, potentially raising $350 billion over 10 years starting in 2022.

The trigger mechanism is meant to assuage a handful of deficit hawks, including Corker, James Lankford (R-OK) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ), who are concerned about the potential for the tax plan to add hundreds of billions if not trillions of dollars to the national debt. On Wednesday afternoon, Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) said the tax bill will likely contain some kind of trigger, despite worries about how it will work: We are probably going to have one but I prefer not having it. It depends on how the bill is written. Theres a way I would support it.

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Hatch is not alone in his concerns about the trigger. As simple as the idea may be in theory, it gets complicated in a hurry in practice. Here are some problems senators are wrestling with:

1. A trigger would be procyclical, making an economic downturn more severe. Many of the proposals critics have pointed out that a recession would likely set off the trigger, raising taxes at exactly the wrong time. According to a Wall Street Journal editorial Thursday, The trigger is a bad idea on the policy merits. No one knows when there might be another recession, during which tax receipts invariably fall. A trigger could then be a tax hike on Americans at a tough economic time. Some senators have echoed those concerns, including John Kennedy (R-LA), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

2. It could undercut the goals of the GOPs corporate tax cuts, upsetting some powerful conservative groups. The tax bill is supposed to provide a stable framework that corporations can rely on to make new investments, but the trigger brings that stability into question. Americans for Prosperity, backed by the Koch brothers, said, Including a trigger mechanism in tax reform is antithetical to the principles of the unified tax framework. Such a provision would add unnecessary complexity and uncertainty into the tax code, stifle the economy and generate less revenue. The Wall Street Journal warns that Corporations wont relocate to America at a 20% tax rate with a threat of a much higher rate in a couple years.

3. It could violate Senate rules. Republicans want to pass their tax plan through reconciliation, which allows for a simple majority vote in the Senate, but to qualify, the legislation cannot contain provisions that lack direct fiscal effects. The Senate parliamentarian would have to decide whether a rule that may or may not take effect satisfies that requirement.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vilacto Bio, Inc. the Company (OTCQB:VIBI), today announced that it has been made aware of certain promotional activity concerning VIBI common stock. On November 28, 2017, the Company first became aware of certain promotional activities concerning Vilacto Bio, and its common stock, after receiving notification from OTC Markets that an online promotional report encouraging the purchase of VIBI shares may have had an impact on trading activity in the Companys securities. Until informed by OTC Markets, the Company was unaware of the promotional activity and remains unaware of the full nature and content of this activity, the extent of the dissemination or the parties involved. The Company is not affiliated in any way with the authors of the promotional activity identified by OTC Markets.



Certain statements contained in the promotional materials as supplied to the Company by OTC Markets may be materially false and/or misleading. The Company encourages those interested in the Company to rely solely on information included in its press releases combined with its filings and disclosures made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

In its investigation into this matter, the Company has made inquiries of its executive officers, directors and controlling shareholders. The Company, its officers, directors and controlling shareholders, have not sold or purchased the Company's securities within the past 90 days. Vilacto states definitively that the Company, its officers, directors and, to the Company's knowledge, its controlling shareholders have not, directly or indirectly, authorized or been involved in any way with the creation or distribution of promotional materials of any kind.

Further, the Company has not, other than disclosed in its periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, issued any shares or convertible instruments allowing conversion to equity securities at prices constituting a discount to the current market rate at the time of the issuance.

About Vilacto Bio, Inc .

Vilacto Bio Inc. (OTCQB:VIBI) is a cosmeceutical and biotech company that has developed the fully patented Lactoactive molecule, which in numerous studies has demonstrated above average effect in treating conditions such as inflammatory diseases, diabetes, psoriasis, skin aging, and skin issues in different levels. The Company also developed and markets a consumer skincare line under the Vilact trademark. The Company aims to further develop its Lactoactive molecule for the purpose of increasing the quality of its retail and medical skin cream products as well as licensing its Lactoactive molecule to the pharmaceutical industry. More information about Vilacto can be found on its company website at: www.vilactobio.com.

Vilacto Bio Inc.

Fabriksvej 48

4700 Naestved

Denmark



Gert Andersen

Phone: +1 646-893-7895

info@vilactobio.com

www.vilactobio.com

Forward-Looking Statements & Disclaimers:

The information in this Press Release includes certain "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor provisions of Federal Securities Laws, as that term is defined in section 27a of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and section 21e of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this document, which are not purely historical, are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Investors are cautioned that such statements are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including the future financial performance of the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations or any of its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date of this release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events, or circumstances after the date of this release except as required by law.
The logo of the web service Amazon is pictured in this June 8, 2017 illustration photo. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso/Illustration

By Salvador Rodriguez

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday announced its adoption of Kubernetes, a popular open-source technology, in a sign of increased competition in the cloud computing business, which Amazon Web Services has long dominated.

Kubernetes has emerged as a standard among companies as they build more applications on public clouds, the big computer data centers that are displacing traditional customer-owned computer systems.

Earlier this year companies including Microsoft Corp, Oracle Corp and IBM Corp announced their support for Kubernetes, which was originally developed by a team at Google.

One of Kubernetes key advantages is its ability to run an application on any public cloud, including Microsoft's Azure and Alphabet Incs Google Cloud Platform, making it easier to migrate from one cloud vendor to another.

Amazon had previously offered a service of its own that was similar to Kubernetes, but the Google technology has established itself as the standard for such so-called "container" technologies and AWS ultimately had little choice but to support it, analysts said.

"This is an example of AWS looking outside of their own world in response to customer need," said Joe Beda, one of the creators of Kubernetes and the chief technology officer of Heptio, a Seattle startup that builds software around Kubernetes technology.

(Reporting by Salvador Rodriguez; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
The whole world is waiting with baited breath to see if and when bitcoin surpasses its next milestone: $10,000it was trading $9,950 as of Tuesday. It almost seems inevitable at this point, after the digital currency smashed through a stream of other milestones this year, each one falling faster than the last. [Update: Another one bites the dust: Bitcoin was trading as high as $11,500 as of Wednesday morning.]

Only a week ago, bitcoin crossed $8,000 for the first time; a month ago, it crossed $6,000 for the first time; a little over three months ago, it crossed $4,000 for the first time; and six months ago, it crossed $2,000 for the first time.

Bitcoin Price

Now with a market cap of $163 billion, bitcoin has risen tenfold so far this year, and perhaps more impressively, has introduced itself to tens of millions of people across the world, many of who never knew such a thing existed until recently.

People from all backgrounds are scrambling to get a piece of the action. The digital assets broker Coinbase now has an estimated 13.3 million accounts, up 300,000 in just a week, and more than 11.7 million active accounts on traditional brokerage Charles Schwab, according to CNBC.

Bubble, Or The Real Deal?

The dizzying speed with which bitcoin has ascended has many throwing around the "b" wordbubble. A columnist at BloombergGadfly commented that the bitcoin bubble "makes dot-com look rational." Bitcoin is now four times as expensive as dot-com stocks were at their height, Stephen Gandel wrote.

Hedge fund manager Ken Griffin of Citadel shares that view. He said earlier this week that bitcoin "has many of the elements of the tulip bulb mania we saw hundreds of years ago in Holland."

Yet at the same time that some call bitcoin a bubble, other investors and analysts are saying it's the real deal. Fundstrat's Tom Lee likens the cryptocurrency to gold, and forecasts that prices could hit $25,000 in the next five years.

Story continues

Spencer Bogart, head of research at Blockchain Capital, says the bitcoin run is still in "the first inning," and that it will go much higher.

"Things like Square Cash adding bitcoin support are big. The biggest barrier to bitcoin adoption is that most people dont want to go through the process of setting up an account on Coinbase. If people have the ability to purchase bitcoin from platforms theyre already on, its massively bullish for bitcoin," he said.



"I think well see more mainstream financial services companies and fintech companies add bitcoin support over the next six months. Doing so can meaningfully contribute to top and bottom line," Bogart added.

Futures Coming Soon

Another mainstream platform that bitcoin could soon find itself on are futures exchanges, such as those operated by Cboe Global Markets, parent company of ETF.com, and the competing Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Bitcoin futures could launch as early as this year, which would open the floodgates for billions of dollars of institutional money to buy into the digital currency. It could also open the door to the first U.S.-listed bitcoin exchange-traded fund.

Analysts say the probability that the Securities and Exchange Commission will approve a bitcoin ETF would skyrocket if futures begin trading. Eric Balchunas, senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg, said that a bitcoin ETF could launch as soon as six months after futures are listed, and that it could attract $10 billion in assets within a couple of months.

Ride The Wave

With potentially billions of dollars of new money headed into bitcoin in the near future, it's easy to imagine prices for the cryptocurrency rising even further from here, regardless of whether or not one considers it a bubble.

If that's the case, why not just keep riding the wave? That's what Michael Novogratz, a former hedge fund manager at Fortress Investment Group, is doing. Novogratz thinks cryptocurrencies will be "the largest bubble of our lifetimes," and said this week that bitcoin could "easily" be at $40,000 by the end of 2018.



Remember, bubbles happen around things that fundamentally change the way we live, he told Bloomberg TV. The railroad bubble. Railroads really fundamentally changed the way we lived. The internet bubble changed the way we live. When I look forward five, 10 years, the possibilities really get your animal spirits going.

Watch Out For Corrections

After the eye-popping gains bitcoin has already seen, a price target of $40,000 doesn't seem unimaginable. But even if it gets there, don't expect it to happen in a straight line. Bitcoin has seen numerous large corrections, including five pullbacks of between 29% and 40% just this year.

Prices saw an even larger 86% plunge between late 2013 and early 2015, when they dropped from $1,137 to $160.

"Its been an incredible run on this rally, and Im expecting a significant pullback at some point, Blockchain's Bogart said. Of course the important question is how deep the pullback will be and from what level."

That's the $10,000 question.

Contact Sumit Roy at sroy@etf.com

Permalink |  Copyright 2017 ETF.com. All rights reserved
Hello, readers! This is Sy.

The contours of the GOP tax plan currently making its way through Congress are in flux. But the sprawling bill from the U.S. Senate would, in addition to reshaping individuals and corporations tax rates, also have broad effects on American health careincluding millions in insurance coverage losses and premium hikes, even if Congress also passes certain fixes to shore up Obamacare markets, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said in a new report released Wednesday.

Health care became intimately mired in the tax reform debate as Senate Republicans heeded President Trumps call to tack on a repeal of Obamacares individual mandate, one of the health laws most unpopular measures, into their plan. The mandate requires all Americans to carry insurance (subsidized for the vast majority of people buying individual health insurance plans) or pay a tax penalty.

Trump and the Congressional GOP have long aimed to nix that requirement. But theyve been unsuccessful to date in part because the CBO has projected that repealing the mandate would lead to millions of fewer insured Americans relative to current law while also hiking rates. And while experts may quibble over the precise magnitude of those effects, the CBO hasnt equivocated about the overall trend.

Theres a lot of uncertainty around how effective the mandate has been, Larry Levitt, senior vice president at the independent health care think tank Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), told Fortune in an interview. But CBO has said the direction of the effect is clear. Repealing the mandate would increase premiums, would increase the number of people who are uninsured.

Just how big of an effect would a mandate repeal have? According to CBO, 13 million fewer people would be insured in 2027 compared with current law while premiums would spike 10%. Thats because, without the policy stick of a mandate, healthier and wealthier people would likely drop out of Obamacares marketplaces, in turn making individual insurance risk pools more costly by disproportionately leaving them with sicker Americans.

Story continues

That projection been a big road block for more moderate Republican Senators like Maines Susan Collins. But Collins reportedly has come around on the issue after Trump assured her he would support a pair of bipartisan fixes to Obamacareone that would guarantee insurer payments that help lower out-of-pocket medical costs for poorer Americans and another (co-sponsored by Collins) that would establish reinsurance funding to give insurance companies more market certainty.

Whether such bills would pass a Congress with general antipathy toward Obamacare is an open question. But, even if they did, CBO now says they would do little to make up for the damage wrought by axing the individual mandate.

If legislation were enacted that incorporated both the provisions of the Bipartisan Health Care Stabilization Act and a repeal of the individual mandate, the agencies expect that the interactions among the provisions would be small; the effects on premiums and the number of people with health insurance coverage would be similar to those referenced above, wrote CBO in its new analysis.

A sizable number of consumers would be shielded from the rate hikes since more than 70% of Obamacare plan holders receive federal subsidies to help pay their monthly premiums. Those subsidies would rise in tandem with insurers rates. But Americans making too much money to qualify for the subsidies would be out of luckwhich could be financially devastating for people with costly medical needs. It would have the biggest effect on the middle class, as Levitt explained.

Then theres the matter of whether or not more insurance companies would exit Obamacare markets since a repeal of the individual mandate would introduce even more uncertainty to the health law. Repeal of the individual mandate could be the final straw for some insurers, said Levitt.

Read on for the days news.

DIGITAL HEALTH

Duke researchers create heart patch with stem cells. Biomedical engineers at Duke University have made an artificial human heart muscle large enough to patch over damage typically seen in patients who have suffered a heart attack, the university announced in a press release. In a study, the researchers used pluripotent stem cells to create a patch of new heart tissue that could then be placed over damaged, scarred tissue from a heart attack. Regenerating dead heart tissue is particularly hard since it viable heart muscle has to be able to both contract and emit electrical signals; the patch method instead serves as a band aid for the scarred heart tissue. (FierceBiotech)

INDICATIONS

Trumps health secretary pick says high drug prices are a problem. Former Eli Lilly executive and George W. Bush administration official Alex Azar has come under some scrutiny for his close ties to an industry he would regulate as Secretary of Health and Human Services. That issue came up from both Democrats and Republicans during a Senate confirmation hearing for Azar on Wednesday. His response? The current system of pricing insulins and other medicines may meet the needs of many stakeholders, but that system is not working for the patients who have to pay out of pocket, and we have to recognize that impact, he said. Azar said that tackling high drug prices would be a top priority of his if confirmed to the HHS post. But that doesnt mean drug makers should necessarily be shaking in their boots quite yetmost of the proposals discussed by the Trump administration and Azar are largely industry-friendly, such as fighting patent trolls and helping get drugs (especially generic drugs) to market faster.

THE BIG PICTURE

The war on HIV is workingbut theres plenty more to do. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is out with an encouraging report on the battle against HIV: Were getting better at it, particularly when it comes to getting treatment early on. [T]he estimated median time from HIV infection to diagnosis was three years in 2015. CDC previously estimated that, in 2011, the median time from HIV infection to diagnosis was three years and seven months, wrote the health agency. The seven-month improvement is a considerable decrease over a four-year period and reinforces other recent signs that the nations approach to HIV prevention is paying off. Still, about 15% of Americans living with HIV dont know theyre infected, and the progress hasnt been uniform among all demographics and U.S. states.

REQUIRED READING

Bitcoin Breaks the $11,000 Mark After Climbing by $3,000 in a Week, by Lucinda Shen

Apple Apologizes, Patching Security Hole That Lets Anyone Log on to Any Mac, by John Patrick Pullen

Intel Partners With Warner Bros to Develop VR for Self-Driving Cars, by Kirsten Korosec

Latest NSA Leak Reveals Secret Army Intelligence Project, by Don Reisinger

Produced by Sy Mukherjee @the_sy_guy sayak.mukherjee@fortune.com

Find past coverage. Sign up for other Fortune newsletters.
Strategas Research said the "trigger" proposed by Sen. Bob Corker to limit deficits from the tax bill could essentially reduce the tax cut by half.The Tennessee Republican voted to advance the bill to the Senate floor Monday after reaching a tentative agreement to include a fiscal "trigger" that would effectively raise taxes if U.S. growth doesn't generate as much revenue as expected. Some GOP senators raised doubts about the plan Wednesday. Dan Clifton, head of policy research at Strategas, said the Corker plan would basically be imposing an automatic tax increase if revenues do not reach a set goal by 2022 or 2023. Clifton also said he believes tax legislation has a better chance of getting approved, and he now sees odds of 75 percent in favor of a bill passing."Our read of the overall goal is that the 'trigger' will essentially cut the tax cut in half by imposing tax increases five years into the tax cut," wrote Clifton.The proposal is not likely to be popular with businesses, which are looking forward to a 20 percent corporate tax rate, from the current 35 percent."I don't think the market would like a trigger like that. I don't think business would like a trigger like that," said Michael Materasso, senior vice president and co-chair of Franklin Templeton's fixed income policy committee. "If it's permanent [businesses] act very differently than if it is temporary. If we start putting in triggers, there's uncertainty.""All these things that create uncertainty have less of a mulitplier effect than if it was straightforward," he said. "All of these qualifiers and triggers, I think it waters down the effectiveness of the billion."Clifton said it had seemed Corker was trying to reduce the package to $1 trillion from $1.5 trillion. "He has essentially achieved this by setting up a five-year tax revenue test," Clifton wrote.The strategist said he studied other triggers and believes the trigger would kick in if the tax revenues do not meet the Congressional Budget Office 2022 or 2023 forecast for tax revenues. A tax increase would then be set to meet the gap between tax revenues collected and the CBO forecast. Under current law, a trigger could kick in with up to $350 billion in automatic tax increases.Clifton said he believes the "triggered" tax increase would be targeted at corporations, not individual taxpayers."This deal is likely sufficient to win the support of Corker, [Nebraska Sen. Ben] Sasse, and [Oklahoma Sen. James] Lankford. Flake may want the provision to be more aggressive. The key will be how conservative Senators respond, in particular, Senator Toomey and members of the Finance Committee. The House is not likely to be pleased with these details. Conservatives who have avoided criticizing the legislation throughout the entire process are absolutely livid this morning," wrote Clifton.Sasse's office said the senator was not leading negotiation on it but had no further immediate comment. Some senators have already objected. Sens. David Perdue , R-Ga., Dean Heller , R-Nev., and Thom Tillis , R-N.C., said Wednesday they did not support the trigger mechanism. None of the senators signaled that including it in the bill would make them vote against it. Tillis "believes it is unnecessary and could hamper economic growth, however it is not a deal breaker for him," a spokesman for Tillis said in a statement. Strategas Research said the "trigger" proposed by Sen. Bob Corker to limit deficits from the tax bill could essentially reduce the tax cut by half. The Tennessee Republican voted to advance the bill to the Senate floor Monday after reaching a tentative agreement to include a fiscal "trigger" that would effectively raise taxes if U.S. growth doesn't generate as much revenue as expected. Some GOP senators raised doubts about the plan Wednesday. Dan Clifton, head of policy research at Strategas, said the Corker plan would basically be imposing an automatic tax increase if revenues do not reach a set goal by 2022 or 2023. Clifton also said he believes tax legislation has a better chance of getting approved, and he now sees odds of 75 percent in favor of a bill passing. "Our read of the overall goal is that the 'trigger' will essentially cut the tax cut in half by imposing tax increases five years into the tax cut," wrote Clifton. The proposal is not likely to be popular with businesses, which are looking forward to a 20 percent corporate tax rate, from the current 35 percent. "I don't think the market would like a trigger like that. I don't think business would like a trigger like that," said Michael Materasso, senior vice president and co-chair of Franklin Templeton's fixed income policy committee. "If it's permanent [businesses] act very differently than if it is temporary. If we start putting in triggers, there's uncertainty." "All these things that create uncertainty have less of a mulitplier effect than if it was straightforward," he said. "All of these qualifiers and triggers, I think it waters down the effectiveness of the billion." Clifton said it had seemed Corker was trying to reduce the package to $1 trillion from $1.5 trillion. "He has essentially achieved this by setting up a five-year tax revenue test," Clifton wrote. The strategist said he studied other triggers and believes the trigger would kick in if the tax revenues do not meet the Congressional Budget Office 2022 or 2023 forecast for tax revenues. A tax increase would then be set to meet the gap between tax revenues collected and the CBO forecast. Under current law, a trigger could kick in with up to $350 billion in automatic tax increases. Clifton said he believes the "triggered" tax increase would be targeted at corporations, not individual taxpayers. "This deal is likely sufficient to win the support of Corker, [Nebraska Sen. Ben] Sasse, and [Oklahoma Sen. James] Lankford. Flake may want the provision to be more aggressive. The key will be how conservative Senators respond, in particular, Senator Toomey and members of the Finance Committee. The House is not likely to be pleased with these details. Conservatives who have avoided criticizing the legislation throughout the entire process are absolutely livid this morning," wrote Clifton. Sasse's office said the senator was not leading negotiation on it but had no further immediate comment. Some senators have already objected. Sens. David Perdue , R-Ga., Dean Heller , R-Nev., and Thom Tillis , R-N.C., said Wednesday they did not support the trigger mechanism. None of the senators signaled that including it in the bill would make them vote against it. Tillis "believes it is unnecessary and could hamper economic growth, however it is not a deal breaker for him," a spokesman for Tillis said in a statement.



More From CNBC


WASHINGTON  Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Tuesday rallied progressive activists against President Donald Trumps appointment for interim head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Warren, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and leaders of major liberal groups, including the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, MoveON and Demos, rallied outside the consumer agencys headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C., as CFPB employees congregated at their office windows to watch.

For six years, this agency has fought to give consumers a chance. For six years, this agency has fought for working people, Warren declared as demonstrators cheered behind her. And now its time for us to fight for the agency.

Trump on Friday appointed White House budget director Mick Mulvaney to serve as interim CFPB director, and Mulvaney showed up at the agency on Monday. But last week, outgoing CFPB director Richard Cordray named deputy director Leandra English as the interim agency head. English has sued to lead the watchdog.

Warren is credited with conceiving the CFPB. She and other boosters of the agency argue that the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law that created the CFPB insulates it from a presidential appointment of an interim head like Mulvaney. They maintain that English can hold the post until Trump nominates a permanent leader who is confirmed by the Senate.

This is about Wall Street banks versus families, and right now Donald Trump has put himself firmly on the side of Wall Street banks, Warren told reporters after delivering her prepared remarks. Its like a double kiss to Wall Street this week  trying to push forward tax reform that gives a trillion and a half dollars in tax cuts to giant corporations and at the same time, trying to hollow out the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

I say we start by following the law, she added. If Donald Trump wants to name a nominee, name him and bring him over to the Senate for the hearing.

Story continues

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) speaks to reporters after a rally in support of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's independence. (Photo: Yuri Gripas / Reuters)

Conflict over the CFPBs leadership created scenes of chaos on Monday: English tried to assume her role at the helm, and Mulvaney, who brought employees doughnuts on his first day, instructed employees to disregard her.

It is unclear how English will fare in federal court. She sued the White House on her own with representation from Deepak Gupta, a progressive D.C.-based attorney.

The CFPBs general counsel, however, drafted a legal memo in support of Mulvaney. (The attorney who wrote the internal White House memo justifying Mulvaneys appointment represented a payday lender in front of the CFPB last year.)

Experts on the CFPB say that the legal dispute over the agencys leadership is a matter of legitimate disagreement. Former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), whose name is on the law creating the watchdog group, conceded Monday that there was some legal complexity to the issue.

I think my side is right, Frank said during an appearance on CNBC. But it is also clear that peoples view of the law here on the whole is influenced by what they want to see.

As speakers were keen to note on Tuesday, Congress indeed created the CFPB with a leadership and funding structure specifically designed to safeguard its independence. Unlike many federal agencies run by panels of officials from both major political parties, the CFPB is run by one individual who serves a five-year term and can only be dismissed for very narrow reasons. Its funding also comes from the Federal Reserve, a feature that insulates it from yearly appropriations battles.

Financial institutions and conservative jurists have long argued that the structure of the agency is unconstitutional, because it is not subject to real oversight from either the president or Congress. In October 2016, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the agencys structure is unconstitutional; the full bench of the federal appeals court has yet to issue its ruling.

For Warren, one of Wall Streets most loathed foes, and many of her progressive supporters, the fight over Mulvaneys appointment is just as much about the matter at hand as it is about a long-simmering battle over the future of financial regulation.

David and Allyne Pittle, retirees from Alexandria, Virginia, showed up to show their support for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's mission on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017. (Photo: Daniel Marans/HuffPost)

Prior to winning a Senate seat in 2012, Warren was a Harvard law professor and Congress chief overseer of the Wall Street bailout programs. She envisioned the CFPB as a regulator of potentially dangerous financial products such as predatory loans, similar to how the Consumer Product Safety Commission regulates more conventional consumer products.

Consumer financial protection had not been the primary focus of any Federal agency, and no agency had effective tools to set the rules for and oversee the whole market, Warren testified before Congress in May 2011, when she was helping the Treasury Department set up the agency.

The result was a system without effective rules or consistent enforcement, she said. We have seen the results, both in the 2008 financial crisis and in its aftermath.

Conservative Republicans and banks didnt hide their opposition to the CFPBs creation at the time. Their resistance to Warrens nomination to lead it in 2012 forced then-President Barack Obama to name Cordray instead.

Mulvaney himself called the CFPB a sick, sad joke as recently as 2014.

The agency has earned a reputation as an effective check on the abusive practices of financial institutions such as banks, payday lenders, credit card companies and student loan agencies. The CFPB has distributed nearly $12 billion in compensation and other forms of financial relief to 29 million consumers since 2011, according to agency figures.

One of its most notable achievements occurred in September 2016, when the agency discovered that Wells Fargo had been opening fee-generating accounts for consumers without their knowledge. The enforcement action resulted in the payment of $190 million in penalties and reimbursements. Following Warrens tough questioning at a Senate hearing, the incident even prompted the resignation of Wells Fargo CEO John Stump and the clawback of his bonus.

Many Democrats and consumer advocacy groups now fear that, one way or another, Trump will defang the agency and make it more amenable to the financial industry.

David and Allyne Pittle, septuagenarian retirees from Alexandria, Virginia, said they showed up at Tuesdays rally after reading about in The Washington Post.

Im here to bear witness to the importance of this agency. This agency protects consumers from the unfair practices of banks and the abuse of Wall Street, said David Pittle, 79. Its taken us 200 years to get an agency like that and this administration is trying to do damage to it already.

Several speakers at the rally said Trumps attempts to reshape the CFPB run counter to his promise to fix a political and economic system stacked against ordinary people.

Donald Trumps elevation, in part, came from people who thought the system is rigged, Ben Wikler, Washington director of MoveOn, told the crowd. So this is a betrayal of Donald Trumps core supporters.

When a reporter asked Warren whether Trumps alleged attempts to diminish the CFPB would be a winning issue for Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections, she responded, Boy, it sure ought to be.

This isnt about politics, she said. This is about, Whose side are you on?

This article has been updated with additional details about the creation and operation of the CFPB.

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Also on HuffPost

Taking Security Seriously

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) talks with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) before the start of a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing concerning the roles and responsibilities for defending the nation against cyberattacks, on Oct. 19, 2017.

With Liberty And Justice...

Members of Code Pink for Peace protest before the start of a hearing where U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on Oct. 18, 2017. Committee members questioned Sessions about conversations he had with President Donald Trump about the firing of former FBI Director James Comey, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, the ongoing investigation about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and other subjects.

Whispers

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), right, speaks with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) before a confirmation hearing for Christopher Sharpley, nominee for inspector general of the CIA, on Oct. 17, 2017.

Not Throwing Away His Shot

Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the musical "Hamilton," makes his way to a meeting of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies in the Rayburn Office Building during a round of meetings to urge federal funding for the arts and humanities on Sept. 13, 2017.

Medicare For All

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), center, speaks on health care as Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), left, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), right, listen during an event to introduce the Medicare for All Act on Sept. 13, 2017.

Bernie Bros

Supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pack his office on Sept. 8, 2017. Members of the "Draft Bernie for a People's Party" campaign delivered a petition with more than 50,000 signatures to urge the senator to start and lead a new political party.

McCain Appearance

Sen. John McCain, second from left, leaves the Capitol after his first appearance since being diagnosed with cancer. He arrived to cast a vote to help Republican senators narrowly pass the motion to proceed for the replacement of the Affordable Care Act on July 25, 2017.

A Narrow Win

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, center, speaks alongside Sens. John Barrasso, left, John Cornyn, right, and John Thune, rear, after the Senate narrowly passed the motion to proceed for the replacement of the Affordable Care Act on July 25, 2017.

Kushner Questioning

Jared Kushner, White House senior adviser and son-in-law to President Donald Trump, arrives at the Capitol on July 25, 2017. Kushner was interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee in a closed-door meeting about contacts he had with Russia.

Hot Dogs On The Hill

Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) prepares a hot dog during the American Meat Institute's annual Hot Dog Lunch in the Rayburn Office Building courtyard on July 19, 2017.

And Their Veggie Counterparts

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) visits the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals veggie dog giveaway on July 19, 2017, countering a National Hot Dog Day event being held elsewhere on Capitol Hill.

Poised For Questions

Callista Gingrich, wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, waits for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on her nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican on July 18, 2017.

Speaking Up

Health care activists protest to stop the Republican health care bill at Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 17, 2017.

In The Fray

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) speaks to members of the media after announcing the revised version of the Senate Republican health care bill on Capitol Hill on July 13, 2017.

Anticipation

Christopher Wray is seated with his daughter Caroline, left, as he prepares to testify at a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to be the next FBI director on July 12, 2017.

Up In Arms

Health care activists protest to stop the Republican health care bill at Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 10, 2017.

Across A Table

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Capitol Hill on June 29, 2017.

Somber Day

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks about the recent attack on the Republican congressional baseball team during her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill on June 15, 2017.

Family Matters

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), right, and his sons, Jack, 10, and Brad, arrive in the basement of the Capitol after a shooting at the Republican baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 14, 2017.

A Bipartisan Pause

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), right, coach of the Republican congressional baseball team, tells the story of the shooting that occurred during a baseball practice while he stands alongside Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), left, a coach of the Democratic congressional baseball team on June 14, 2017.

Hats On

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) reacts about the shooting he was present for at a Republican congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, as he speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 14, 2017.

Public Testimony

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is sworn in to testify before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on June 13, 2017.

Comey's Big Day

Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election on Capitol Hill on June 8, 2017.

Conveying His Point

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats testifies at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on his interactions with the Trump White House and on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on June 7, 2017.

Selfie Time

Vice President Mike Pence takes a selfie with a tourist wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat inside the U.S. Capitol rotunda on June 6, 2017. The vice president walked through the rotunda after attending the Senate Republican policy luncheon.

Budget Queries

Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney testifies before the House Budget Committee about President Donald Trump's fiscal 2018 budget proposal on Capitol Hill on May 24, 2017.

Flagged Down By Reporters

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, leaves a closed committee meeting on Capitol Hill on May 24, 2017. The committee is investigating possible Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.

Shock And Awe

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) hold a news conference on the release of the president's fiscal 2018 budget proposal on Capitol Hill on May 23, 2017.

Seeing Double

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) arrives in the Capitol for the Senate Democrats' policy lunch on May 16, 2017.

Honoring Officers

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Peace Officers Memorial Service on the West Lawn of the Capitol on May 15, 2017.

Whispers

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.), right, and ranking member Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) talk during a hearing with the heads of the U.S. intelligence agencies in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 11, 2017.

Skeptical

Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates arrives to testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election on Capitol Hill on May 8, 2017.

Differing Opinions

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) gives a thumbs-up to protesters on the East Front of the Capitol after the House passed the Republicans' bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on May 4, 2017. The protesters support the ACA.

Real Talk

United States Naval Academy Midshipman 2nd Class Shiela Craine (left), a sexual assault survivor, testifies before the House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Military Personnel with (2nd from left to right) Ariana Bullard, Stephanie Gross and Annie Kendzior in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 2, 2017. Kendzior, a former midshipman, and Gross, a former cadet, were both raped twice during their time at the military academies. The academy superintendents were called to testify following the release of a survey last month by the Pentagon that said 12.2 percent of academy women and 1.7 percent of academy men reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact during the 2015-16 academic year.

In Support Of Immigrants

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.), center, is joined by dozens of Democratic members of the House of Representatives to mark "Immigrant Rights Day" in the Capitol Visitor Center on May 1, 2017 in Washington, D.C. The Democratic legislators called on Republicans and President Donald Trump to join their push for comprehensive immigration reform.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Source: Facebook

Facebook (FB) wants to make it a little easier to help people with new features that allow people to become a mentor for children, sign up to become a blood donor and help organizations like the Red Cross reach disaster victims faster.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the new features at Facebooks second annual Social Good Forum in New York on Wednesday.

Of course, while the Social Good Forum is meant to allow Facebook users to give and receive help, it also allows the company to provide a bit of good news during a time that has seen it repeatedly questioned for its role in allowing Russian agents to spread fake news in the run-up to the 2016 election.

Zuckerberg didnt mention the matter, keeping the discussion to the days events, but its certainly not an issue that will go away anytime soon.

No transaction fees

The CEO did, however, kick off his keynote by explaining that Facebook will no longer charge transaction fees for donations made to nonprofits through Facebooks charitable giving program.

So now, 100% of the money that people donate on Facebook is going to go to the causes they care about, Zuckerberg explained. And I know this is something that a lot of you have talked to us about for a while, so thank you for the feedback.

Thats a big deal, as it ensures your donation, at least when you send it through Facebook, will go directly to the people you want to help. GoFundMe, which is frequently used to raise funds for nonprofit campaigns, charges a 2.9% transaction fee. Of course, Facebook is an absolutely massive operation, so its not like those fees will hurt its bottom line.

Beyond cancelling transaction fees, Zuckerberg said the company will make a $50 million annual donation to charitable causes on Facebook.

Community Assistance

The CEO also announced that Facebook is expanding its Community Help tool to organizations like the Red Cross. Community Help, which was announced in February, allows individuals to ask for help when theyre in need, and others to offer help when they can. Zuckerberg explained how two friends from Texas A&M used the feature in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey to save 20 people from the storms floodwaters.

Story continues

By expanding the Community Assistance to disaster response organizations, Facebook says groups will be able to see when and where people need help and get to them quickly.

Blood donors and suicide prevention

Facebook said it will also expand its new blood donation feature. The current program, which was started in September in India, has already seen 4 million people register as donors. Thats an enormous new supply of blood for an area that Facebook said sees thousands of posts from people asking for blood donations each week.

In 2018, the feature will be rolled out to Bangladesh where there is a similar blood shortage. Theres no word on if the feature will come to the U.S., though.

Zuckerberg also gave the audience an update on Facebooks suicide prevention initiative. The program, which has saved more 100 people so far, flags posts from individuals who express suicidal thoughts and then uses human moderators to reach out to first responders to help the person in need.

So, now were starting to roll out these tools in most other countries around the world and thats something that Im really proud of the work that were doing there, Zuckerberg said.

Mentoring

Finally, Facebook said it is launching a new mentoring and support program. Launching as a pilot with the help of iMentor and The International Rescue Committee, Mentoring and Support will allow people to volunteer as and search for mentors based on their specific needs.

Facebook says that matching mentors and their mentees will be handled by the specific nonprofits, which takes the task out of Facebooks hands.

The program will also only be open to people 18 and older, which leaves out young people who might need help during their formative years.

Theres no doubt that we live in a challenging time right now, Zuckerberg said. But one of the things that strikes me so much is the deep sense of optimism you all have.

More from Dan:

Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.
TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Platinex Inc. (CSE:PTX) (the "Company") has completed the second and final closing of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement"), issuing an additional 3,450,000 units ("Units") on November 30, 2017 for aggregate gross proceeds of $172,500. A total of 8,655,000 Units were issued on November 15, 2017 for aggregate gross proceeds of $427,500 (the "Initial Closing"), resulting in a total of 12,000,000 Units issued and aggregate gross proceeds of $600,000 under the Private Placement.



Each Unit consists of one common share ("Common Share") of the Company and one warrant ("Warrant") of the Company, bearing the terms described in the initial press release announcing the Private Placement dated November 9, 2017 ("Initial Press Release").

The Company has updated the use of proceeds of the Private Placement from the Initial Press Release to address the option and acquisition agreements previously announced in the Company's November 16, 2017 press release.

All securities issued in connection with this Private Placement will be subject to a four month hold period from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities laws. The closing of the Private Placement is subject to receipt of approvals of the TSX-V and other applicable securities regulatory authorities.

Insiders of the Company subscribed for 5,325,000 Units in connection with the Private Placement and such subscriptions are considered related party transactions within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on an exemption from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in Sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 in respect of any insider participation in the Private Placement; at the time the transaction was agreed to, neither the fair market value of the subject matter of, nor the fair market value consideration for the transaction, as it related to insiders, exceeded 25% of the Company's market capitalization.

In connection with the Initial Closing, the Company paid $5,200 of finder's fees and issued 104,000 Broker Warrants which are exercisable into shares within 12 months of the Initial Closing.

Insiders of the Company subscribed for 5,125,000 Units in connection with the Interim Closing and such subscriptions are considered related party transaction within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on an exemption from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in Sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 in respect of any Insider Participation; at the time the transaction was agreed to, neither the fair market value of the subject matter of, nor the fair market value consideration for the transaction, as it related to insiders, exceeded 25% of the Company's market capitalization.

Lori Paradis, Corporate Secretary

Tel: (416) 268-2682

Email: lparadis@platinex.com

Web: www.platinex.com

About Platinex Inc.

Platinex is currently focusing efforts on developing various strategies to capitalize on the lucrative growth of the cannabis sector in North America. At the same time Platinex has been focusing its mining business efforts in assembling a very large property in the Shining Tree gold camp, which has received little modern exploration compared to other gold camps in the Abitibi greenstone Belt. Shares of Platinex are listed for trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol "PTX".

To receive Company press releases, please email lparadis@platinex.com and

mention Platinex press release on the subject line.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information based on current expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Such statements include submission of the relevant documentation within the required timeframe and to the satisfaction of the relevant regulators, completing the acquisition of the applicable assets and raising sufficient financing to complete the Company's business strategy. There is no certainty that any of these events will occur. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be correct. We assume no responsibility to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.

Investing into early stage companies inherently carries a high degree of risk and investment into securities of the Company shall be considered highly speculative. Furthermore, the Company seeks to enter the cannabis market in the United States, where some states have legalized cannabis for medical or adult recreational use, while cannabis remain illegal under United States Federal law. As such, the Company may become subject to additional government regulation and legal uncertainties that could restrict the demand for its services or increase its cost of doing business, thereby adversely affecting its financial results.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any province in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities issued, or to be issued, under the Private Placement have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not passed upon the merits of the Private Placement and has not approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.
WASHINGTON - Some key U.S. senators still had concerns about the Republican tax bill in the Senate, as a procedural motion to formally open debate on the measure was approved on Wednesday. Here is a list of Republicans pivotal to the bill's fate. SUSAN COLLINS The moderate senator from Maine has qualms about Republicans plan to include in the tax bill a repeal of a federal fee imposed on people who do not comply with Obamacare's "individual mandate." The fee is meant to encourage young, healthy people to get health insurance so that premiums are affordable for old, sick people. Collins and others fear repealing the fine would drive up insurance premium costs, canceling out tax-cut gains that many of their constituents might get from the tax bill. Collins said Republican leaders had promised her to take up two healthcare provisions before the end of the year to help mitigate the impact of repealing the fee. Those provisions would help insurers cover expensive patients and continue Obamacare subsidy payments for low-income people for two years. Collins has also prepared an amendment to the tax bill to make state and local property tax deductible up to $10,000, a provision that is part of the House of Representatives' tax bill. Both the Senate and House bills end deductibility of state and local tax income and sales tax. Unlike the House bill, the Senate bill ends property tax deductibility too. Collins sidestepped a question on whether she would vote for the tax bill. She said: "We're doing this one step at a time." LISA MURKOWSKI The senator from Alaska will vote for the tax bill, she wrote on Twitter on Wednesday evening. Murkowski said a number of the bill's features were "very attractive," noting that it would lower tax rates, double the child tax credit and double the standard deduction. She said it also included a provision she had written, to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or ANWR, to oil and gas drilling. Murkowski said it was important to enact reforms separately to help stabilize the individual market in health insurance. STEVE DAINES The Montana Republican has concerns about the bill's treatment of "Main Street" businesses. He said on Wednesday he had secured an agreement to increase a 17.4 percent deduction for owners of pass-through businesses to 20 percent. RON JOHNSON The senator from Wisconsin also has demanded more favorable treatment for "pass-through" businesses, which include sole proprietorships and partnerships, as a condition of his support. BOB CORKER Corker, a deficit hawk from Tennessee, said on Tuesday he had the outlines of a deal adding a tax snap-back provision to the bill that would raise taxes automatically if economic growth targets are not hit in the future to offset a higher deficit. Corker said that arrangement would satisfy his concerns that the tax cuts could add too much to the national debt. As of Wednesday evening, the details had not been announced. The snap-back proposal also became a target of growing criticism among conservative Republicans and lobbyists. The tax bill was expected to add $1.4 trillion to the $20 trillion national debt over 10 years. JEFF FLAKE The Arizona conservative said on Wednesday he was more comfortable with the tax bill because of indications there would be provisions in it to protect against ballooning the deficit. Flake told National Public Radio he was concerned about "gimmicks," but liked other parts of the bill, especially the corporate tax cut. JOHN MCCAIN The Arizona maverick and former presidential nominee sidestepped questions on Monday about how he would vote on the tax bill, telling reporters in the hallway to "stay tuned." JAMES LANKFORD Like Corker and Flake, Oklahoma's Lankford questions whether tax revenues from economic growth will compensate for the expected increase in the national debt under the tax plan. He has been working with them to "trigger" more revenues if needed. JERRY MORAN The Kansas lawmaker is also wary of the impact on the national debt, pointing to his own state's recent experience of fiscal problems following tax cuts. (Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Peter Cooney; susan.cornwell@thomsonreuters.com )
Like many others at NBC, former Today show anchor Natalie Morales is shocked at the news of Matt Lauers firing.

Morales, who worked alongside Lauer on Today before taking over for Billy Bush on Access Hollywood, addressed her former co-workers termination Wednesday morning for alleged inappropriate sexual behavior. The news anchor also made sure to focus the attention on the alleged victim instead of on past rumors about the nature of her relationship with Lauer.

I woke up to the news like everyone this morning  just in shock. The Today show, of course, has been my family for 16 years now and it is difficult, Morales said on Access Hollywood Live. I think everyone is saying how difficult it is to process the news.

She continued, I have personally dealt with rumors in the past for years that were hurtful to me, my family  they diminished my hard work. Ive addressed those rumors head-on in the past. That is not the story today. The story today is the courage of a colleague who did come forward, and when and if she wants to tell her story publicly, Im sure she will. But it did take a lot of courage for her to come forward. It was no doubt a very painful decision.

Lauer and Morales on the Today show

Rumors swirled in summer 2016 that Moraless departure from Today to the West Coast stemmed from an affair between her and Lauer. The two quickly denied all rumors, with Lauer telling Page Six that every aspect of this story is untrue, and its frankly sad that someone would tell lies to harm everyone involved.

Morales  who first joined Today as a national correspondent in 2006 and moved up to co-anchor in 2008  also spoke out, calling the story completely absurd, as well as damaging, hurtful and extremely sexist.

Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb broke the news of Lauers firing Wednesday morning, opening the show with a statement from NBC News chairman Andrew Lack. Lack said that officials received a detailed complaint from a colleague accusing Lauer of inappropriate sexual behavior.

Lauer got his start at NBC in 1992 when he filled in as a newsreader on Today, becoming a co-anchor of the morning show in January 1997.

Access Hollywood airs daily (check local listings) on NBC.
FILE PHOTO: Lachlan Murdoch, son of Rupert Murdoch, 21st Century Fox CEO, arrives at the annual Allen and Co. conference at the Sun Valley, Idaho Resort July 11, 2013. REUTERS/Rick Wilking/File Photo

By Jessica Toonkel

(Reuters) - Twenty-First Century Fox would never be interested in buying CNN, Fox Executive Chair Lachlan Murdoch said on Wednesday at a conference organized by the news website Business Insider in New York.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit to block AT&T's planned $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner Inc (TWX.N), the parent of CNN, because of antitrust concerns about the merged company owning too much content and distribution.

Before the suit, Justice Department staff had recommended AT&T sell either its DirecTV unit or Time Warners Turner Broadcasting unit, which includes CNN, to win antitrust approval, sources have told Reuters.

Earlier this month, Reuters first reported that Rupert Murdoch, who shares the title of executive chair of Fox, telephoned AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson twice to discuss CNN during the past six months.

"We wouldnt be allowed to buy CNN and we would never be interested in buying CNN, Lachlan Murdoch, Rupert's oldest son, said at the Business Insider conference.

Fox owns Fox News and while there is no law against a company owning two cable networks, a deal could raise antitrust concerns.

Stephenson has said he has no intention of selling CNN to gain approval of the acquisition of Time Warner.

Lachlan Murdoch declined to comment on reports that Fox has been approached by a number of suitors, including Walt Disney Co, for a sizeable piece of its business, adding that he feels strongly about the companys standing as a standalone company.

He did acknowledge the challenges facing media companies today, noting as the pace of cable subscribers declines in the United States increased, international revenue and having a direct to consumer offering is increasingly important.

(Reporting By Jessica Toonkel; Editing by Bill Trott)
Graduate students at more than 40 universities across the U.S. staged rallies and walk-outs against the Republican tax plan on Wednesday, urging lawmakers not to include in the final bill a provision that would turn their tuition waivers into taxable income.

Graduate students have warned that such a provision  which was written into the bill that passed the House this month  would significantly impact their finances and possibly hinder their ability to complete their degrees and pursue careers in academia.

[The students] do so much of the work at public and private research universities, said Noah Charles, a Ph.D. candidate in physics at Ohio State University, who helped organize Wednesdays national protest. By not, for a few minutes, doing the work that we normally do, we can show what an essential part of the system we are.

(From left to right) Graduate students Misha Grifka, Natalia Colon Alvarez, Alison [f500link]Cummins[/f500link], Mariah Marsden, Liz Miller, Paige Busby, Yanar Hashlamon and Noah Bukowski protest the GOP tax bill at Ohio State University on Nov. 29, 2017.

The Senate tax bill, which is expected to be put to a full vote this week, does not include the provision on graduate tuition waivers. If it passes, Republicans will need to reconcile the two versions of the tax plan. Some GOP lawmakers, referencing concerns from their constituents, have said they want to reach a positive solution on tuition waivers.

Experts at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center said in a recent post that graduate students and workers attending school part-time could see the largest tax increases under the House plan. The American Council for Education has also projected that the House bills various provisions related to higher education would increase the cost to students by more than $65 billion by 2027.

At Ohio State on Wednesday, graduate students held a teach-in at the student union where they explained how the bill would affect teaching and research assistants. Many of the students brought research and grading to do in public to demonstrate their daily role at the university, Charles said.

Students participate in a walk-out at the University of [f500link]Southern[/f500link] California on Nov. 29, 2017.

Elsewhere, students walked out of academic buildings and rallied on quads. Hell hath no fury like hungry grad students, read the sign of one protester in New York City. Let us just study, read another.

Story continues

At the University of Minnesota, hundreds of graduate students marched on campus, warning that the plan would create a crisis in graduate education, local TV station Fox 9 reported. Students at Auburn University in Alabama gathered under the chant, No grad tax, the Auburn Plainsman reported.

At the University of Kansas, the chants were similar, according to the University Daily Kansan. Tax the rich  not the students, protesters chanted. This taxation means no graduation.
Hyatt Hotels Corporations H strong developmental pipeline, consistent expansion plans, extensive international exposure and attempt toward expanding beyond traditional hotel are major growth drivers.

However, lingering political uncertainties in international markets pose a threat to profits.

Recently, this leading global hospitality company announced third-quarter 2017 results. Adjusted earnings per share of 26 cents beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 17 cents by 52.9%. However, earnings were down 44.7% year over year from 47 cents due to natural disasters and the Jewish Holiday timing.

Net revenues of $1.12 billion rose 2.8% year over year on the back of higher management and franchise fees, increased other revenues as well as a rise in other revenues from managed properties, partially offset by lower contribution from owned and leased hotels. The top line also surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.09 billion by more than 2%.

Key Growth Drivers

Hyatts strong differentiated brand portfolio and exceptional personalized service have helped the company gain traction globally through both its managed and franchised hotels.As of Sep 30, 2017, the company's portfolio included 739 properties in 57 countries under 13 premier brands.

In addition to domestic lands, Hyatt is consistently trying to expand its presence in the Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Latin America regions.

Interestingly, the company has experienced net rooms' growth between 6% and 7% for ten consecutive quarters. With plans of opening at least 60 hotels, 2017 is set be another year of record openings.

Also, the company continues to rapidly expand the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands globally, reflecting its robust momentum in the fast-growing select service category.

Meanwhile, the acquisition of Miraval in January has helped Hyatt expand beyond traditional hotel stays into the swiftly growing space of wellness, which goes well with high-end travelers. Though Miravals operations are likely to contribute meaningfully to Hyatt's overall earnings starting 2019, the initial response has been positive as well.

Story continues

In fact, post the Miraval acquisition, the companys shares have rallied 28.9% to date compared with the industrys growth of 19.6%.







Moreover, Hyatt is continuously devising new plans to enhance guest experience and drive occupancy in order to survive in a tough economic environment. In first-quarter 2017, Hyatt launched a loyalty program World of Hyatt  a platform for guest engagement. The company is witnessing higher level of guest satisfaction owing to the enhancement of its loyalty program which is helping the company gain market share and add customers.

Concerns

Macroeconomic concerns in several international markets might spell trouble for the company. In the Middle East, political unrest, lower government spending, new hotels and a tough oil market continue to hurt tourism.

Moreover, given a substantial exposure in the international markets, the company is vulnerable to fluctuations in exchange rates like other hotel companies including Marriott International, Inc. MAR, Hilton Worldwide Holdings HLT and Wyndham Worldwide Corporation WYN. Notably, Hyatt has been witnessing a decline in international inbound travel owing to a stronger dollar.

Hyatt currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Investor Alert: Breakthroughs Pending

A medical advance is now at the flashpoint between theory and realization. Billions of dollars in research have poured into it. Companies are already generating substantial revenue, and even more wondrous products are in the pipeline.

Cures for a variety of deadly diseases are in sight, and so are big potential profits for early investors. Zacks names 5 stocks to buy now.

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Zacks Investment Research
A federal judge has decided to leave White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney in place as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

A federal judge decided on Tuesday to leave White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney in place as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Leandra English, the CFPBs deputy director, had requested an emergency restraining order to stop Mulvaney from taking over as acting director of the agency. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly declined that request.

Denying the presidents authority to appoint Mr. Mulvaney raises significant constitutional questions, Kelly said.

English was appointed deputy director of the CFPB after its former director, Obama administration holdover Richard Cordray, announced he was leaving office. English, formerly Cordrays chief of staff, said in her suit that her role as deputy director legally grants her authority to serve as acting director of the agency until Congress can confirm a permanent replacement for Cordray.

The White House, however, argued it had the authority to select an acting director for the consumer watchdog agency.

We think the clear legal authority is that the president does have this authority, an administration official told reporters in a call on Saturday, one day before English filed her suit. Well find out based on how Ms. English decides to act at the appropriate time.

The bureau, which was created under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law, oversees financial services such as banks, mortgage lenders and student loans. Critics see Mulvaneys appointment as a step toward dismantling the agency  a move the budget director previously supported.

Mulvaney arrived for work on Monday despite Englishs legal challenge, and instructed agency workers to disregard any instructions from the deputy director.

Please disregard any instructions you receive from Ms. English in her presumed capacity as Acting Director, Mulvaney wrote in a memo, according to Reuters. If you receive additional communications from her today ... please inform the General Counsel.

Story continues

Democrats have sought to frame the leadership battle as one over the future of Wall Street regulation. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)  one of Congress most prominent Wall Street critics  on Tuesday rallied supporters outside CFPB headquarters in Washington, D.C.

This is about Wall Street banks versus families, and right now Donald Trump has put himself firmly on the side of Wall Street banks, she told reporters.

I say we start by following the law, Warren said. If Donald Trump wants to name a nominee, name him and bring him over to the Senate for the hearing.

This is a developing story and has been updated.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
SAN FRANCISCO  A federal magistrate judge has ordered Coinbase to comply with a summons from the Internal Revenue Service that seeks personal information on more than 14,000 account holders on the cryptocurrency exchange. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Corley of the Northern District of California in an order dated Tuesday ruled that the IRS had successfully shown that the information it is seeking is relevant to its investigation of whether U.S. taxpayers are significantly underreporting gains from trading bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. "That only 800 to 900 taxpayers reported gains related to bitcoin in each of the relevant years and that more than 14,000 Coinbase users have either bought, sold, sent or received at least $20,000 worth of bitcoin in a given year suggests that many Coinbase users may not be reporting their bitcoin gains," Corley wrote. According to her judgment, which was entered Wednesday afternoon, Coinbase must turn over the taxpayer ID number, name, birthdate, address, account records and invoices for any account "with at least the equivalent of $20,000 in any one transaction type (buy, sell, send, or receive)" during an annual period between 2013 and 2015. Coinbase has said in the litigation that those parameters would capture some 14,355 account holders. Corley noted in her order it would not include those who simply bought and held bitcoin during that period of time. A representative for Coinbase said the company was not yet prepared to comment on the ruling. The lead lawyer for the exchange in the case, Steven Ellis of Goodwin Procter, deferred a request for comment to the company. Although the result is a win for the IRS, Corley denied the agency's demands for a broader swath of recordsincluding copies of passports or drivers licenses, wallet addresses, and public keys for cryptocurrency wallets. She wrote that the IRS would only need such information if there is potentially a taxable gain, and if there is some doubt as to the taxpayers identity. "If there is not, these additional records will not shed any light on a legitimate investigation," the judge wrote. "Courts must ensure that the government is not collecting thousands and thousands of personal records unnecessarily," she added. The IRS did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday afternoon. It had originally sought an even broader swath of information on account holders at Coinbase, which claims to have over 5 million users. The case has been seen as one of the first tests of tax authorities' ability to unmask the identities of holders of cryptocurrency.
FORESIGHT 4 VCT PLC

Summary

 Diversified portfolio of 28 actively managed companies

 Foresight 4 VCT plc successfully merged with Foresight 3 VCT plc on 22 June 2017

 Total net assets increased to 67.2 million, from 42.2 million as at 31 March 2017

Net increase driven by the issue of 48,337,332 Ordinary Shares to the shareholders in Foresight 3 VCT plc, with a value of 35.2 million, as well as a net increase of 0.9 million from the investment performance of the portfolio



Increases offset by the payment of dividends totalling 4.2 million, management fees and other expenses of 1.2 million and share buybacks totalling 5.7 million



Net Asset Value per Ordinary Share decreased by 4.1p to 69.4p as at 30 September 2017 (31 March 2017: 73.5p) after the payment of the 4.0p per share dividend on 12 July 2017.

One follow-on investment of 0.7 million was made during the period

8.7 million was realised during the period from sales and loan redemptions from six portfolio companies, and a further 6k of deferred consideration

In July 2017, Blackstar Amplifications was exited at c.2x cost and The Bunker Secure Holdings was sold for 2.44x cost

On 12 July 2017, a special dividend of 4.0p per Ordinary Share was paid based on an ex-dividend date of 29 June 2017 and a record date 30 June 2017

Chairman's Statement

Successful Merger with Foresight 3 VCT plc

The merger of Foresight 4 VCT plc and Foresight 3 VCT plc became effective on 22 June 2017 following approval from the Shareholders of both companies.

The merger has created a larger, more diversified portfolio facilitating risk management, cost savings and administrative efficiencies. The annual management fee has reduced from 2.25% to 2.0% of net assets and the annual expenses cap has reduced from 3.5% to 2.95% of net assets.

The increased scale of the Company also gives it the critical mass to better generate sufficient income and realisations to meet the Board's expectations of achieving its dividend target of 5% per annum, as well as maintaining a regular programme of share buybacks aimed at maintaining an initial discount to NAV in the region of 10%.

Special Dividend

On 12 July 2017 a 4.0p per share dividend, which was conditional on the merger becoming effective, was paid to all Shareholders of the enlarged entity as at 30 June 2017.

Having completed the merger and paid the special dividend, the Company now has net assets over 67 million.

Top-up Share Issues and Share Buy-backs

On 21 July 2017, a Tender Offer of up to 5 million was launched, providing investors with an opportunity to sell their shares back to the company at a discount to NAV of 7.5%. This took place on 22 September for 7,813,537 shares at 63.99p. A share buyback took place on 17 August 2017 with 500,000 shares bought back at 62.0p per share. Further buybacks took place on 28 September 2017 (187,600 shares at 62.25p) and 29 September 2017 (365,564 shares at 62.25p).

The Board expects to be able to implement a series of further share buybacks to enable the enlarged VCT to achieve its target discount to NAV. It remains the Board's intention subject to cash availability and underlying performance to provide a potential exit event via an additional Tender Offer in summer 2018 on similar terms as in 2017, namely a target discount of 7.5% for up to 5m of shares.

Fundraising

The Company is currently seeking to raise up to 50 million through the issue of new shares, through an offer for subscription, which will close on 30 April 2018. This will provide existing Shareholders and new investors with the opportunity to invest in the Company and benefit from the tax reliefs available to qualifying investors. As at 30 November 2017, 7.0 million had been raised.

Funds raised under the offer will allow the Company to take advantage of further attractive investment opportunities and increase portfolio diversification in line with the ongoing strategy of the Company.

Full details of the offer can be found in the Prospectus issued by the Company on 19 May 2017, which is also available on Foresight's website.

Board Composition

With effect from 22 June 2017, I was appointed Chairman of Foresight 4 VCT plc. My appointment was made following the approval of the merger and at the same time Peter Dicks retired from the board.

Performance

During the period, the net asset value total return per Ordinary Share decreased by 0.1% to 73.4p from 73.5p, but this is an increase from 72.9p at the merger.

At the year end the Company held 28 investments with carrying values in UK based businesses across a wide range of sectors. The performance of the portfolio has been steady during the period, with a small increase of 0.9 million in value. Positive progress made by companies including Ixaris, Thermotech Solutions and TFC Europe has been offset by lower valuations for CoGen and Datapath, as detailed in the Investment Manager's Review and Top Ten Investment sections of this report.

The Company had limited liquidity available during much of the period and no new investments were completed. One follow-on investment of 674,168 was made in molecular diagnostics business Biofortuna. The Investment Manager, Foresight Group, continues to see a strong pipeline of potential investments sourced through its regional networks and well-developed relationships with advisors and the SME community. Assuming the fund raising launched in May 2017 is successful, the Company expects to be in a position to fully exploit these attractive investment opportunities.

In the period to 30 September 2017, six realisations took place, generating total proceeds of 8.7 million. Notably, Blackstar Amplification and The Bunker Secure Hosting were sold, both for more than twice the money originally invested, realising a combined total of 6.0 million. During the period the Manager has supported and worked with the management teams of the investee companies to maximise value for shareholders. The Board believes that the re-focused portfolio now provides a solid platform to deliver growth, underpin potential future dividends and enhance Shareholder returns.

Further information on the investment portfolio is included within the Investment Manager's Report.

Shareholder Communication

As part of its commitment to high quality investor communication, the Fund Manager, Foresight Group, will be holding a minimum of two Investor Forum events in 2018. They are a great opportunity to meet some of the people that manage the VCT and to hear from investee companies. Invites will be sent to shareholders early in the new tax year and you are encouraged to reply promptly, as these events are popular. Investors can view the presentation slides from the last Investor Forum, held on 24 October 2017, at www.foresightgroup.eu/retail-investors/vct/vct-investor-forums.

The Manager was also pleased to welcome shareholders to the Company's Annual General Meeting on 28 September 2017, at which both Michael Gray and I were re-elected to the Board

Outlook

Over the last year, the Board believes that the Company has demonstrated the benefits of the Manager's portfolio management actions, with improving performance driving value. We believe the Company is now well positioned to build on this momentum.

Headway has been made in reducing the discount to NAV during the period under review, with the discount dropping to 10%. However, further progress is required.

Facilitated by the merger with Foresight 3 VCT plc and the liquidity expected to be provided by the issue of new shares, the Company should be able to capitalise on the strong pipeline of investment opportunities that the Manager continues to see in smaller, growth businesses across the UK.

Raymond Abbott

Chairman

30 November 2017

Investment Manager's Report

Portfolio Summary

As at 30 September 2017 the Company's portfolio comprised 28 actively managed investments with a total cost of 45.7 million and a valuation of 64.6 million. The portfolio is diversified by sector, transaction type, and maturity profile.

Portfolio review

1. New investments

Excluding the purchase of Foresight 3 VCT's holdings, no investments in new companies were made during the six months to 30 September 2017.

2. Follow-on funding

One follow-on was made during the period. In July 2017, a further investment of 674,168 was invested in molecular diagnostics business Biofortuna, bringing the Company's total investment to 2,729,216. This additional capital was provided to support the development of blood typing products.

Company  Biofortuna Limited 674,168 Total 674,168

3. Pipeline

Through the offer of subscription launched on 19 May 2017, which has raised 7.0 million to date, the Company is now well positioned to pursue the potential investment opportunities in the manager's pipeline.

Foresight continues to work hard generating high quality SME deal flow across the UK. Foresight's strategy is focused on building relationships with advisors and professional service firms, attending and organising networking events as well as approaching businesses directly. This has been bolstered through the recent recruitment of Matthew Evans-Young, previously at Synova Capital and KPMG, as an Origination Manager. Matthew will lead on the establishment of a dedicated direct origination practice within Foresight's private equity team. The aim of this initiative is to deliver proprietary, off-market deals, through a proactive and structured approach, which will complement the existing intermediary network of the wider team.

At 30 September 2017, the Company had cash in hand of 2.8 million, which together with proceeds received from recent realisations and the offer for subscription, will be used to fund new and follow-on investments, buybacks and running expenses.

4. Exits and realisations

Total proceeds of 8,689,222 were generated during the period from the disposal of six investments, notably Blackstar and The Bunker which returned 5,998,271 between them.

Blackstar Amplification

In July 2017, the Company successfully exited its investment in Northampton-based designer and manufacturer of innovative guitar amplifiers Blackstar Amplification generating a return of c.2x cost. Under the Company's ownership Blackstar expanded internationally, more than doubled turnover, established itself as the number two amplifier brand in the UK and USA and broadened its product catalogue.

The Bunker Secure Hosting

In July 2017, The Bunker Secure Hosting, provider of IT infrastructure platforms, was sold to Palatine Private Equity for a return of 2.44x cost. Having first invested in May 2006, the growth capital provided by the Company was used to scale The Bunker's data storage facilities. Under the Company's ownership, the business grew annual revenues to in excess of 9 million compared to 1.8 million at investment, having built an expert reputation in the specialist FinTech space.

Autologic

In addition, in September 2017, the sale of Autologic's operating subsidiaries was agreed with Opus Group AB, a Swedish company which provides vehicle environmental and safety testing services globally. Although the value of this realisation was in line with the reduced valuation, the sale takes total overall returns on this investment to 4.6x initial cost, including the partial sale of the investment to a mid-market private equity firm in 2012.

Zoo Digital

The full disposal of AIM-listed Zoo Digital, which supplies software and services for authored content (e.g. DVD, Blu-ray, iTunes media), was completed on 5 April 2017 for 139,322.

Mpl Systems

In August 2017, the Company also exited its investment in leading provider of customer and field service technology mplsystems (previously The Message Pad), generating proceeds of 1,921,835.

Foresight continues to engage with a range of potential acquirers of several portfolio companies, with demand for these high growth businesses demonstrated by both private equity and trade buyers.

Disposals in the period ended 30 September 2017

Company Detail Original Cost/ Take-On Value '000 * Proceeds on exit '000 * Gain/(loss) '000 * Valuation at 31 March 2017

'000 * The Bunker Secure Hosting Limited Full disposal 2,567 4,431 1,864 4,484 Mplsystems Limited Full disposal 1,889 1,922 33 1,743 Blackstar Amplification Holdings Limited Full disposal 1,000 1,567 567 1,536 Autologic Diagnostics

Group Limited Partial disposal 626 626 - 626 Zoo Digital Group plc Full disposal 451 139 (312) 143 Quantel

Holdings

(2010) Limited Full disposal 236 4 (232) 4 Abacus Wood Limited Dissolved 656 - (656) - Global Immersion Limited Dissolved 532 - (532) - Total 7,957 8,689 732 8,536

* Based on Foresight 3 VCT plc and Foresight 4 VCT plc merged figures.

There are no post period end disposals to report.

5. Key Portfolio Developments

Excluding the impact of the merger, the valuation of the portfolio has shown a small upwards movement of c.0.9 million over the last six months. Material changes in valuation, defined as increasing or decreasing by 0.5 million or more since 31 March 2017, are detailed below. Updates on these companies are included in the Top Ten Investments section on the next page, except for Thermotech Solutions, Aerospace Tooling and Sindicatum Carbon Capital.

Thermotech Solutions' fair value has increased reflecting positive performance and a confident outlook. Its pipeline for providing facilities management including air conditioning and fire sprinkler systems, for a mixture of retailers, restaurants, office developments and public-sector clients.

Aerospace Tooling's higher valuation has been driven by the continuing growth of its turbine component repair services with key industrial customers, as well as a major new domestic aerospace customer secured in 2017.

The valuation of Sindicatum Carbon Capital, which develops clean energy investment projects principally in Asia, has been reduced in line with a recent company transaction.

Company Basis of Valuation Valuation Change () Ixaris Systems Limited Discounted revenue multiple 3,095,581



Thermotech Solutions Limited Discounted earnings multiple 820,763



TFC Europe Limited Discounted earnings multiple 769,375



Aerospace Tooling Corporation Limited Discounted earnings multiple 622,991



Sindicatum Carbon Capital Limited Price of recent funding round less impairment (553,725)



Procam Television Holdings Limited Discounted earnings multiple (785,888)



CoGen UK Limited Discounted cashflow (1,077,941)



Datapath Group Limited Discounted earnings multiple (2,465,045)





6. Outlook

Whilst there remains a significant amount of uncertainty as to how the UK will be affected by its exit from the European Union, Foresight Group continues to see a strong pipeline of interesting investment opportunities and inbound interest from potential acquirers for portfolio companies.

In the Autumn Budget 2017 the Government announced an action plan to unlock over 20 billion of patient capital investment in innovative companies with the opportunity for growth. The Government's response to the Patient Capital Review recognises the positive role that VCTs play in providing long-term patient capital. The proposed adjustments to the VCT scheme rules fall within the Fund's existing investment strategy.

Foresight will continue to monitor and adapt to market and regulatory changes to ensure the Company and its portfolio is well-placed to deliver returns to its investors.

Russell Healey

Partner and Head of Private Equity

Foresight Group

30 November 2017

Unaudited Half-Yearly Results and Responsibility Statements

Principal Risks and uncertainties

The principal risks faced by the Company can be divided into various areas as follows:

Performance;



Regulatory;



Operational; and



Financial.

The Board reported on the principal risks and uncertainties faced by the Company in the Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2017. A detailed explanation can be found on page 30 of the Annual Report and Accounts which is available on Foresight's website www.foresightgroup.eu or by writing to Foresight Group at The Shard, 32 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9SG.

In the view of the Board, there have been no changes to the fundamental nature of these risks since the previous report and these principal risks and uncertainties are equally applicable to the remaining six months of the financial year as they were to the six months under review.

Directors' responsibility statement

The Disclosure and Transparency Rules ('DTR') of the UK Listing Authority require the Directors to confirm their responsibilities in relation to the preparation and publication of the Interim Report and financial statements.

The Directors confirm to the best of their knowledge that:

the summarised set of financial statements has been prepared in accordance with FRS 104; the interim management report includes a fair review of the information required by DTR 4.2.7R (indication of important events during the first six months and description of principal risks and uncertainties for the remaining six months of the year); the summarised set of financial statements gives a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Company as required by DTR 4.2.4R; and the interim management report includes a fair review of the information required by DTR 4.2.8R (disclosure of related parties' transactions and changes therein).

Going concern

The Company's business activities, together with the factors likely to affect its future development, performance and position, are set out in the Strategic Report of the Annual Report. The financial position of the Company, its cash flows, liquidity position and borrowing facilities are described in the Chairman's Statement, Strategic Report and Notes to the Accounts of the 31 March

2017 Annual Report. In addition, the Annual Report includes the Company's objectives, policies and processes for managing its capital; its financial risk management objectives; details of its financial instruments; and its exposures to credit risk and liquidity risk.

The Company has considerable financial resources together with investments and income generated therefrom across a variety of industries and sectors. As a consequence, the Directors believe that the Company is well placed to manage its business risks successfully.

The Directors have reasonable expectation that the Company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus they continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the annual financial statements.

The Half-Yearly Financial Report has not been audited nor reviewed by the auditors.

On behalf of the Board

Raymond Abbott

Chairman

30 November 2017

Unaudited Income Statement

for the six months ended 30 September 2017

Six months ended Six months ended Year ended 30 September 2017 30 September 2016 31 March 2017 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total Revenue Capital Total '000 '000 '000 '000 '000 '000 '000 '000 '000 Investment holding gains - 190 190 - (3,901) (3,901) - 8,728 (8,728) Realised gains/(losses) on investments - 738 738 - 5,555 5,555 - (5,941) (5,941) Income 78 - 78 316 - 316 383 - 383 Investment management fees (160) (481) (641) (112) (338) (450) (229) (686) (915) Other expenses (585) - (585) (183) - (183) (424) - (424) (Loss)/return on ordinary activities before taxation (667) 447 (220) 21 1,316 1,337 (270) 2,101 1,831 Taxation - - - (4) 4 - - - - (Loss)/return on ordinary activities after taxation (667) 447 (220) 17 1,320 1,337 (270) 2,101 1,831 (Loss)/return per share: Ordinary Share (0.8)p 0.5p (0.3)p 0.0p 2.3p 2.3p (0.6)p 3.7p 3.1p

The total column of this statement is the profit and loss account of the Company and the revenue and capital columns represent supplementary information.

All revenue and capital items in the above Income Statement are derived from continuing operations. No operations were acquired or discontinued in the period.

The Company has no recognised gains or losses other than those shown above, therefore no separate statement of total recognised gains and losses has been presented

Unaudited Balance Sheet

at 30 September 2017

Registered Number: 03506579 As at As at As at 30 September 2017 30 September 2016 31 March

2017 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) '000 '000 '000 Fixed assets Investments held at fair value through profit or loss 64,593 39,410 40,463 Current assets Debtors 450 888 151 Money market securities and other deposits 2,089 1,236 838 Cash 695 193 790 3,234 2,317 1,779 Creditors Amounts falling due within one year (602) (49) (83) Net current assets 2,632 2,268 1,696 Net assets 67,225 41,678 42,159 Capital and reserves Called-up share capital 968 574 574 Share premium 39,854 5,125 5,112 Capital redemption reserve 354 265 265 Profit and loss account 26,049 35,714 36,208 Equity shareholders' funds 67,225 41,678 42,159 Net asset value per share: Ordinary Share 69.4p 72.6p 73.5p

The figures as at 30 September 2017 are post the merger with Foresight 3 VCT plc.

Unaudited Reconciliation of Movements in Shareholders' Funds

for the six months ended 30 September 2017

Called-up share capital Share premium account Capital redemption reserve Profit and loss account Total '000 '000 '000 '000 '000 As at 1 April 2017 574 5,112 265 36,208 42,159 Share issues in the period 483 34,759 - - 35,242 Expenses in relation to previous years share issues* - (17) - - (17) Repurchase of shares (89) - 89 (5,654) (5,654) Expenses in relation to tender offer - - - (56) (56) Dividends - - - (4,229) (4,229) Loss for the period - - - (220) (220) As at 30 September 2017 968 39,854 354 26,049 67,225

* Trail commission payable to financial advisors

Unaudited Cash Flow Statement

for the six months ended 30 September 2017

Six months ended Six months ended Year ended 30 September 2017 30 September 2016 31 March 2017 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) '000 '000 '000 Cash flow from operating activities Investment income received 192 300 553 Dividends received from investments 8 8 10 Deposit and similar interest received 1 - 4 Investment management fees paid (633) (453) (915) Secretarial fees paid (81) (78) (157) Other cash payments (640) (162) (284) Net cash (outflow)/inflow from operating activities and returns on investment (1,153) (385) (789) Returns on investment and servicing of finance Purchase of unquoted investments (674) (989) (189) Net proceeds on sale of investments 8,689 1,047 357 Net proceeds on deferred consideration 6 1 509 Net capital inflow/(outflow) from investing activities 8,021 59 677 Equity dividends paid (4,229) - - Management of liquid resources Movement in money market funds (1,251) 537 935 (1,251) 537 935 Financing Proceeds of fund raising - - - Expenses of fund raising (17) (22) (35) Repurchase of own shares (5,310) (58) (60) Proceeds of Foresight 3 VCT plc pre merger allotments 3,372 - - Cash acquired on merger with Foresight 3 VCT plc 472 - - Net cash (outflow)/inflow from financing activities (6,963) 457 840 (Decrease)/increase in cash (95) 131 728

Reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in net cash (Decrease)/Increase in cash for the period (95) 131 728 Net cash at start of the period 790 62 62 Net cash at end of period 695 193 790

Notes to the Half-Yearly Financial Report

for the six months ended 30 September 2017

The Unaudited Half-Yearly results have been prepared on the basis of accounting policies set out in the statutory accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2017. Unquoted investments have been valued in accordance with IPEV Valuation guidelines. Quoted investments are stated at bid prices in accordance with IPEV Valuation guidelines and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

These are not statutory accounts in accordance with S436 of the Companies Act 2006 and the financial information for the six months ended 30 September 2017 and 30 September 2016 has been neither audited nor formally reviewed. Statutory accounts in respect of the year ended 31 March 2017 have been audited and reported on by the Company's auditors and delivered to the Registrar of Companies and included in the report of the auditors which was unqualified and did not contain a statement under S498(2) or S498(3) of the Companies Act 2006. No statutory accounts in respect of any period after 31 March 2017 have been reported on by the Company's auditors or delivered to the Registrar of Companies.

Copies of the Unaudited Half-Yearly Financial Report have been sent to shareholders and are available for inspection at the Registered Office of the Company at The Shard, 32 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9SG.

Net asset value per share

The net asset value per share is based on net assets at the end of the period and on the number of shares in issue at the date.

Net Assets Number of

shares '000 in issue 30 September 2017 67,225 96,846,130 30 September 2016 41,678 57,375,499 31 March 2017 42,159 57,375,499

Return per share

Six months ended 30 September 2017 Six months ended 30 September 2016 Year ended March 2017 '000 '000 '000 Total (loss)/return after taxation (220) 1,337 1,831 Basic (loss)/return per Ordinary Share (note a) (0.3)p 2.3p 3.1p Revenue (loss)/return from ordinary activities after taxation (667) 17 (270) Revenue (loss)/return per Ordinary Share (note b) (0.8)p 0.0p (0.6)p Capital return from ordinary activities after taxation 447 1,320 2,101 Capital return per Ordinary Share (note c) 0.5p 2.3p 3.7p Weighted average number of Ordinary Shares in issue in the

period 83,536,454 57,375,499 57,375,499 Notes: a) Total return/(loss) per Ordinary Share is total return after taxation divided by the weighted average number of shares in issue during the period. b) Revenue return/(loss) per Ordinary Share is revenue return after taxation divided by the weighted average number of shares in issue during the period. c) Capital return/(loss) per Ordinary Share is capital return after taxation divided by the weighted average number of shares in issue during the period.

Income

Six months ended Six months ended Year ended 30 September 2017 30 September 2016 31 March 2017 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) '000 '000 '000 Loan stock interest 39 305 368 Dividends 37 8 11 Overseas based Open Ended Investment Companies ("OEIC's") 2 3 4 78 316 383

Investments held at fair value through profit or loss

Company

Quoted Unquoted Total '000 '000 '000 Book cost at 1 April 2017 451 21,320 21,771 Investment holding (losses)/gains (308) 19,000 18,692 Valuation at 1 April 2017 143 40,320 40,463 Movements in the period: Acquired on Foresight 3 VCT plc merger - 31,223 31,223 Purchases at cost - 674 674 Disposal proceeds (139) (8,550) (8,689) Realised (losses)/gains (312) 1,044 732 Investment holding gains/(losses)* 308 (118) (190) Valuation at 30 September 2017 - 64,593 64,593 Book cost at 30 September 2017 - 45,711 45,711 Investment holding gains - 18,882 18,882 Valuation at 30 September 2017 - 64,593 64,593

* Realised gains in the income statement includes deferred consideration of 6,000.

Transactions with the manager

Foresight Group, which acts as investment manager to the Company in respect of its venture capital investments earned fees of 641,000 during the period (30 September 2016: 450,000; 31 March 2017: 915,000). Fees excluding VAT of 81,000 (30 September 2016: 78,000; 31 March 2017: 157,000) were received during the period for company secretarial, administrative and custodian services to the Company. The 641,000 in the period to 30 September is post the merger with Foresight 3 VCT plc of 22 June 2017, which increased net assets from 42,110,637 to 77,355,705.

At the balance sheet date there was 11,000 due to Foresight Group (30 September 2016: 4,000 due from Foresight Group; 31 March 2017: 3,000 due to Foresight Group) and nil due to Foresight Fund Managers Limited (30 September 2016: nil; 31 March 2017: nil). No amounts have been written off in the period in respect of debts due to or from related parties.

Post balance sheet events

Post the period end there was an allotment of 3,580,633 ordinary shares on 20 November with a further 217,643 ordinary shares being allotted on 21 November.

.

END
[caption id="attachment_1301" align="alignnone" width="616"]

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau building in Washington, D.C. June 4, 2013. Photo by Diego M. Radzinschi/THE NATIONAL LAW JOURNAL [/caption] Updated 6:02 p.m. A federal judge on Tuesday refused to undo the Trump administration's designation of Mick Mulvaney as the interim leader of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, rejecting an argument that the White House unlawfully sidestepped the appointment of another lawyer from within the Obama-era agency. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly in Washington, ruling from the bench, declined to grant a restraining order the agency's deputy director, Leandra English, requested Sunday night in a lawsuit in Washington federal district court. Before resigning as CFPB director last week, Richard Cordray promoted English, then his chief of staff, to the deputy role in an attempt to put her in control of the agency as the Trump administration moved to nominate a permanent, Senate-confirmed leader.English, represented by Deepak Gupta of Washington's Gupta Wessler, argued the appointment of Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, ran afoul of the succession plan laid out in the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. The deputy director, according to the Dodd-Frank law, becomes the acting director in the absence or unavailability of a director. Mulvaneys appointment, English argued, also undermined the CFPBs status as an independent agency.U.S. Justice Department lawyers convinced Kelly that the Federal Vacancies Reform Act should control the outcome of the leadership dispute. That law gives the president wide authority to install Senate-confirmed acting heads at executive agencies. Kelly said the text of the vacancies law applies in English's case."On its face, the [Federal] Vacancies Reform Act does appear to apply to this situation," Kelly said in court Tuesday. He said the text of the law "does not say that VRA would not be available in this situation.Gupta had argued the legislative history of the Dodd-Frank Act showed that Congress intended to have the CFPBs deputy director step in as acting director until a new Senate-confirmed director took office. But Kelly dismissed that argument, saying he was dubious of the value of legislative history and that the legislative history around the succession language in Dodd-Frank is ambiguous at best.Gupta said after the hearing he would speak with English and explore possible appeal options, including any appeal. A White House spokesperson said in a statement:

"The administration applauds the courts decision, which provides further support for the presidents rightful authority to designate Director Mulvaney as acting director of the CFPB. Its time for the Democrats to stop enabling this brazen political stunt by a rogue employee and allow Acting Director Mulvaney to continue the Bureaus smooth transition into an agency that truly serves to help consumers."

The dueling claims of control had left a cloud of uncertainty over the CFPB. Mulvaney, on his first day at the job, directed agency officials to disregard any instructions you receive from Ms. English in her presumed capacity as acting director. If you receive additional communications from her today in any form, related in any way to the function of her actual or presumed official duties (i.e. not personal), please inform the general counsel, Mulvaney wrote to CFPB staff. Mulvaney on Tuesday started tweeting from a new account @CFPBdirector. [falcon-embed src="embed_1"] Mulvaney has imposed a temporary freeze on hiring and new regulations. A longtime critic of the CFPB who once described it as a sad, sick joke, Mulvaney described his first day at the bureau as extraordinarily smooth and professional. He said he plans to spend three days a week at the CFPB and another three in his role as the White Houses budget chief. English, in her own email to agency employees, thanked CFPB staff members for their service, signing off as acting director. In a new statement on Tuesday, she outlined the steps she is taking to ensure a smooth transition. Yesterday, I spent time at the CFPB, I reviewed transition materials, and I met with members of Congress to lay out my plans for ensuring that the consumer bureau continues to fight for working families, English said in her statement. Today, I plan on spending the day at CFPB headquarters taking calls and meetings with external stakeholders and bureau staff. Dueling friend-of-the-court briefs took sides in the dispute over the agency's interim leadership. Democratic U.S. lawmakers supported English as the acting leader. Republican-led states, meanwhile, sided with Trump. "Any federal official who wields that level of power should be appointed by the Presidentnot by an unaccountable federal bureaucrat," Scott Keller, the Texas solicitor general, wrote in a brief on Tuesday. Cordray, meanwhile, hasn't said much about the dispute publicly. Appearing Monday night on The Rachel Maddow Show, Cordray said the "the law is clear here" that English is next in line for acting director. Read more: Justice Department, in Court, Argues Mick Mulvaney Is 'Proper' Interim CFPB Leader CFPB's Deputy Director Sues Trump to Shut Out Pick for Interim Leader Who's Leading the CFPB? Trump Tees Up Clash Over Acting Director Goodwin Procter Grabs Anthony Alexis, Formerly CFPB's Enforcement Chief The CFPB Is Losing a Trial Court Ally in the U.S. Justice Department Consumer Bureau Just Withdrew Investigative Subpoena. That Doesn't Happen Often.
Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT has won a modification contract for the C-130J center wing box replacement program. This contract has been awarded by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, GA.



Contract Details



Per the $21.3 million modification, Lockheed Martin will support the purchase of an additional quantity of five each C-130J center wing boxes, five each component kits and a project management review.



With this modification, the total cumulative face value of the contract reaches $72.7 million.



Work related to the deal will be carried out in Marietta and Atlanta, GA. The contract will use fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement funds to complete the deal by Sep 4, 2021.



A Brief Note on C-130J



C-130J Super Hercules is the latest model in Lockheed Martins Hercules family. It is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J's crew includes only two pilots and one loadmaster because no navigator or flight engineer is required on the aircraft. Among its missions, the C-130J counts capabilities as diverse as special ops, aerial refueling, close air support, search and rescue, and personal recovery.



The J-model is almost similar to the classic Hercules in terms of general appearance. However, it uses updated technology like the new Rolls-Royce AE 2100 D3 turboprops from Rolls-Royce Holdings plc that comes with the Dowty R391 composite scimitar propellers, digital avionics and reduced crew requirements. These improvements have boosted its performance over C-130E/H predecessors. In particular, this latest model comes with 40% greater range, 21% higher speed and 41% reduced take-off distance.



Our View



Lockheed Martin is the largest U.S. defense contractor with a platform-centric focus that guarantees a steady inflow of follow-on orders from a leveraged presence in the Army, Air Force, Navy and IT programs. Its Aeronautics business division is engaged in the production and upgradation of advanced military aircraft including combat and air mobility aircraft, unmanned air vehicles and related technologies. Notably, C-130J is one of the major Aeronautics programs of the company as well as of the U.S. Air Force.



In 2016, Lockheed Martin delivered 24 C-130J aircraft, five of which were offered to international customers. As of Dec 31, 2016, the company had 88 of these aircraft in its backlog, which is anticipated to increase in the coming days courtesy of the latest won deal.



Moreover, given the recently growing demands from overseas market for this tactical aircraft, (particularly from France and Israel) we can expect the company to secure similar contracts related to C-130J jets in the days ahead.



Interestingly, in its latest quarterly results, the companys Aeronautics division witnessed revenue growth of 14%, with sales volume from C-130J program being one of the driving factors. Going ahead, given the strong demand for C-130J, more similar deals can be expected in coming days, which in turn will make the C-130J program as one of the primary growth drivers for the company.



Furthermore, the fiscal 2018 defense policy has authorized the United States to spend $700 billion on defense. This has enhanced the prospect of increased order flow from Pentagon for major defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Company RTN, Northrop Grumman Corporation NOC, The Boeing Company BA and others.



Price Movement



Lockheed Martins stock was up about 20% in a year compared with the broader industrys gain of 36.7%. This underperformance could have been caused by the intense competition that the company faces for its broad portfolio of products and services domestically as well as internationally.

Story continues





Zacks Rank



Lockheed Martin carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



Investor Alert: Breakthroughs Pending



A medical advance is now at the flashpoint between theory and realization. Billions of dollars in research have poured into it. Companies are already generating substantial revenue, and even more wondrous products are in the pipeline.



Cures for a variety of deadly diseases are in sight, and so are big potential profits for early investors. Zacks names 5 stocks to buy now.



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Zacks Investment Research
Andrew Lack touched down at NBC News for a second tour of duty in the Spring of 2015, just as NBC was grappling with a crisis borne out of a false claim Brian Williams made on the companys flagship NBC Nightly News. Now Lack finds himself in another precarious moment.

As the overseer of both NBC News and MSNBC, Lack must quickly hit upon a new direction for NBCs venerable Today show, arguably the linchpin of the news division, now that veteran anchor Matt Lauer has been fired for what NBC called inappropriate sexual behavior. And he must do so amid recent scrutiny that has been paid to NBC News in the wake of a decision to allow Ronan Farrow, a recent contributor to Today, to take a bombshell report about sexual harassment by movie mogul Harvey Weinstein to the New Yorker after starting it under the aegis of NBC News.

Lack has guided NBC News through tumult in the past. When he was named president of NBC News in 1993, the unit had suffered a black eye in the form of a Dateline broadcast in which producers admitted to rigging a pickup truck to catch fire as part of a report on General Motors trucks. GM in turn sued NBC for defamation.

But the Lauer case is a different matter entirely. While its not about journalism per se, it has the potential to impugn the news units standing. More allegations are likely to surface, and viewers who watch Today  caught unaware Wednesday when anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb announced his termination in the opening moments of the program  are certain to wonder what happened to the news personality who has greeted them for more than two decades each morning on NBC.

NBC News has avoided airing blockbuster stories about famous men harassing women. In the fall of last year, Donald Trump, then a presidential candidate, was caught on a 2005 outtake from NBCs Access Hollywood bragging to correspondent Billy Bush about sexually assaulting and harassing women. As NBC News started to vet the information, it lost control of it.

Story continues

Someone  the identity of whom has yet to be revealed  sent a copy to the Washington Post, which made it available to the public within hours. NBC News ceded ownership of a major news story, though it was the first to air it on TV. My gut would have been to put that story on the air as soon as possible, said Jeff Zucker, president of CNN Worldwide (and the former CEO of NBCU), speaking about the incident a few days after it happened.

And Lack faces the bizarre as well. President Trump in a tweet issued Wednesday morning suggested executives at Comcast and NBC News should be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Trump also urged people to Check out Andy Lacks past! Trump hurled invective at MSNBC president Phil Griffin and the cable-news outlets morning host Joe Scarborough.

NBC News declined to make executives available for comment.

Lack strikes a colorful figure in the news business  often enthusiastic, always willing to try a new idea that bears no small degree of risk. Brian Williams career has rebounded since Lack put him in place in a well-regarded 11 p.m. news hour on MSNBC. Its Lack who lured former Fox News Channel anchor Megyn Kelly to NBC for a salary reported to be worth $17 million a year and quickly outfitted her with a 9 a.m. morning show that is very different from the third hour of Today to which many viewers were accustomed.

Its also under Lack that MSNBC, often known for its progressively themed primetime programming, has tested out anchors who dont hew to the networks template. Greta van Susteren, the former Fox News Channel host, didnt get satisfactory ratings during less than seven months in MSNBCs 6 p.m. slot. But Nicolle Wallace, a former communications official in the George W. Bush White House, has thrived since taking over MSNBCs 4 p.m. hour in April of this year.

Under Lacks direction, MSNBCs daytime schedule has dropped the liberal lens on the news and instead become a showcase for NBC News reporting. Hallie Jackson, Katy Tur, Craig Melvin, and others have expanded their profile and the networks primetime ratings have soared in a post-Trump landscape.

But Today is not a cable-news channel that can be tweaked hour by hour. Its an institution. And Lack, NBC News President Noah Oppenheim and other executives will have to move quickly and decisively to keep that ship moving. When an anchor leaves one of the big broadcast morning programs, it upsets a viewers morning routine. Some member of the audience may get a wandering eye, and prove willing to check out Chris Cuomo and Allisyn Camerota on CNNs New Day or Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos and Michael Strahan at ABCs Good Morning America.

Lack has long proven eager to hit homes runs. But with the viewership for Today at stake and questions lingering over why NBC News has seemed reluctant to pursue allegations of sexual harassment , the news executive cant afford to miss during his next time at bat.

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With Matt Lauers firing, two of the three highest-paid TV anchors are now women

Longtime Today Show host Matt Lauer was ousted from his coveted role Wednesday following allegations of sexual misconduct.

Amid a growing movement that holds powerful men accountable for instances of sexual harassment and assault, Lauers dismissal means two women now rank within the top three highest-paid television anchor positions.

Matt Lauer Joins Long List of Media Figures Recently Hit by Harassment Scandals https://t.co/qkYdK3BMor  Variety (@Variety) November 29, 2017

Related article: New York Times reporter Glenn Thrush has been suspended amid harassment allegations

Robin Roberts and Megyn Kelly, who work for ABC and NBC, respectively, join Fox Newss Sean Hannity as the top three highest-earning television news anchors. Hannity is the highest-earning TV news anchor by a mile, making twice as much as Roberts and Kelly, who are the second- and third-highest earning anchors.

That ranking has shifted significantly in recent years, with Lauers ouster and that of former Fox News anchor Bill OReilly, who still earned $37 million in 2017 despite his dismissal, according to Forbes. Lauer had earned $20 million for his Today show position, though Forbes and Variety have estimated it to be closer to $25 million.

While Kelly and Roberts both paving the way for high-earning women in media, a number of male news anchors follow close behind them, including ABCs George Stephanopoulos, who earns $15 million, and CNNs Anderson Cooper, who earns $12 million, according to Variety.

But with Lauers ouster, heres how Hannity, Roberts and Kelly stack up.

1. Sean Hannity: $36 million

Related article: Meredith buying Time Inc. for about $1.8 billion

Despite consistently slamming fellow TV anchors as overpaid elites, Hannity is the televisions highest earning news anchor. The Fox News host earned a stunning $36 million between June 1, 2016 and June 1, 2017, according to Forbes. Thats up several million from recent years, when Hannity earned closer to $29 million.

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Hannity hosts his 9 p.m. Fox News Show Hannity, as well as his talk radio show The Sean Hannity Show, which is the second-most listened to commercial radio show in the country.

Hannity has the top-rated cable news show in the country, and this year rose to more prominence within the Fox News world with the significant departures of Kelly and OReilly. In recent weeks, the anchor spoke with Roy Moore, the embattled Republican Alabama U.S. senate candidate accused of sexual misconduct with underage girls, in a controversial interview.

2. Robin Roberts: $18 million

Roberts, who has co-anchored ABCs Good Morning America since 2005, earns $18 million, according to Forbes. In her time at ABC, Roberts led her team to win four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Morning Program, as well as the 2017 Peoples Choice Award for Favorite Daytime TV Hosting Team.

Roberts herself holds a number of titles, including her induction to the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, as well as her Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.

In 2007, Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer and was later diagnosed with Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). In 2012, she underwent a bone marrow transplant, in which her sister was the donor. Roberts has since worked significantly to promote cancer research, recently with a five-part web series she created with WebMD.

3. Megyn Kelly: $15 million to $20 million

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Once a Fox News anchor herself, Kelly moved to NBC this year in a move that shocked viewers. With Lauers ouster, Kelly is now also the highest-earning NBC host.

While her exact earnings from NBC have been disputed, her salary likely ranges from $15 million to $20 million, according to several media outlets. Though Fox News had offered her $20 million to stay with the network, NBC offered Kelly somewhere between $15 million and $20 million. According to Variety, Kelly ties with Roberts with an $18 million salary.

Kelly has received mixed reviews since her switch to NBC, where she hosted a Sunday night newsmagazine show called Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly over the summer and now hosts in the mornings with Megyn Kelly Today.
For more than 20 years, people have invited Matt Lauer into their homes while they sipped their coffee in pajamas and got ready for work. Hes been a stoic figure during tough times in the world, but he has also shown a lighter side, dressing up as Dolly Parton on Halloween, goofing off with Al Roker, and cuddling puppies. So, despite the current post-Harvey Weinstein climate, the news on Wednesday of his firing over allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior sent shockwaves.

Matt Lauer with his wife, Annette Roque Lauer, at the 2015 Hamptons Classic Grand Prix. (Photo: Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images)

While Lauers co-host Savannah Guthrie got emotional delivering the news, the people affected the most by this  in addition to the person accusing him of sexual misconduct  are his family members. Lauer has been married to Annette Roque Lauer, a former model from the Netherlands, since 1998, and they have three children: Jack, Romy, and Thijs. Its his second marriage  the first, to Emmy-winning TV producer Nancy Alspaugh, ended in 1988.

Roque, who has modeled for Victorias Secret and J.Crew, was photographed on the red carpet with Lauer as recently as August, when they attended Apollo in the Hamptons, where they own a $36.5 million estate that they purchased from Richard Gere in 2016. At the benefit, they posed with another high-profile Hamptons couple: Howard and Beth Stern.

Matt Lauer and Annette Roque Lauer with Howard Stern and Beth Ostrosky Stern at Apollo in the Hamptons 2017 in East Hampton, N.Y., on Aug. 12, 2017. (Photo: Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Their public appearances together, however, are infrequent  maybe once a year. For as much as Lauer reports to us about other people, hes kept his personal life fairly private. Maybe (or maybe not) thats because his marriage made major headlines in 2006 when Roque, while pregnant with their third child, filed for divorce from Lauer, citing cruel and inhumane treatment. The court documents, obtained by the tabloid National Enquirer, stated that Lauer demonstrated hostility and anger toward her.

Obviously, they worked things out (rather quickly), but that tarnished his squeaky-clean facade. It also led to many more rumors about Lauers personal life  mostly that he was unfaithful. A few years later, in 2010, the Lauers found themselves denying a report that they split and Lauer had moved out of their home, which included gossip about his gallivanting with women at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. In an interview with People, he acknowledged past difficulties in the marriage, but he called reports that he cheated on his wife ridiculous and offensive.

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Have we had a completely perfect, easy marriage? No, he told the magazine. But the stories youve read over the years are not true.  I dont think were any different than any married couple thats been together for 12 years. The accusations [of infidelity] are ridiculous, and Im not going to [dignify] them with an answer. Its not true.

Annette Roque Lauer, who was interviewed separately by the mag, said that while they had had past marital difficulties, we have worked through it.

In 2015, Matt Lauer said during a Facebook chat, There are very few things I like more than standing at the top of a [ski] slope with Annette and the kids. However, he also said that his work-home life was a difficult balance. Its a challenge for me just as its challenging for everyone else, he shared. There are times when the schedule of this job interferes with things I want to be a part of at home. He also talked about how his kids visited him on the Today set, especially when an act they liked was performing during the summer concert series, but said that his fame bothers them. Im not famous at home, he said. Im just Papa.

Matt Lauer married Annette Roque at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church on Long Island in 1998. (Photo: John Roca/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

While the rumors of his infidelity never really stopped after the almost divorce, they really kicked up again in 2016 when Natalie Morales left the Today show to take a job in Los Angeles. There was chatter that the two had had an inappropriate relationship and that she was shipped off after it ended. Both Morales and Lauer strongly denied the gossip, and she called it absurd, hurtful, and extremely sexist.

On Wednesday morning, CNN broke the news that Lauer had been let go. NBC News chairman Andrew Lack told staffers in a memo that the media organization had received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace. (Unconfirmed reports say it took place during the 2014 Olympics.)

Matt Lauers then-girlfriend Annette Roque accompanied him to the Taj Mahal in India on April 4, 1998, for the Today shows Where in the World Is Matt Lauer? (Photo: NBC/NBC NewsWire)

It represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our companys standards, Lack wrote. As a result, weve decided to terminate his employment. While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over 20 years hes been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident.

The memo continued: Our highest priority is to create a workplace environment where everyone feels safe and protected and to ensure that any actions that run counter to our core values are met with consequences, no matter who the offender. We are deeply saddened by this turn of events. But we will face it together as a news organization  and do it in as transparent a manner as we can.

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When this happens, what we dont see is the pain on the faces of those who found the courage to come forward. . . . We dont see the career opportunities women lose because of sexual harassmentor the intense stress it causes a woman dealing with it when she comes to work each day.

Photo: Courtesy.

On Wednesday morning, Megyn Kelly joined her Today colleagues in addressing Matt Lauers abrupt dismissal from the morning-news showfollowing an allegation of sexual misconduct that, per NBC News chair Andy Lack, suggested Lauers alleged action was part of a pattern of behavior. The news rocked NBC staffers Wednesday morning, and Kelly, who joined the Peacock this year following a highly publicized break from Fox News, has dealt with this all before: after all, she herself recently recalled complaining about Bill OReillys alleged behavior during her Fox days. During Wednesdays broadcast, Kelly said that Lauers dismissal does hit close to home.

After reading Lacks statement and reviewing Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotbs comments, Kelly said, I, too, have known Matt for a long time, and he has been a friend, and kind, and supportive to me in my transition to NBC News. And I see the anguish on my colleagues faces. But when this happens, what we dont see is the pain on the faces of those who found the courage to come forward. And it is a terrifying thing to do. We dont see the career opportunities women lose because of sexual harassmentor the intense stress it causes a woman dealing with it when she comes to work each day. I am thinking of those women this morning, and hoping they are O.K. The days to come will not be easy.

Lauers ouster is the latest in a wave of allegations and firings that seem to have overtaken every industry and institution. Hes not even the first NBC News personality to face public disgrace; Mark Halperin, a contributor, was suspended last month following allegations from five women that he had sexually harassed them during a previous position at ABC News. I now understand from these accounts that my behavior was inappropriate and caused others pain, Halperin said in a statement to CNN at the time. For that, I am deeply sorry and I apologize. Under the circumstances, Im going to take a step back from my day-to-day work while I properly deal with this situation. And just last week, Charlie Rose was fired from CBS following allegations of his own from eight women. (Rose apologized at the time, writing in a statement, I deeply apologize for my inappropriate behavior. I am greatly embarrassed. I have behaved insensitively at times, and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate. I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings, even though I now realize I was mistaken.)

We are in the middle of a sea change in this country, Kelly said Wednesday. An empowerment revolution, in which women who for years have felt they had no choice but to simply deal with being harassed at work are now starting to picture another realityto feel that change is within their grasp. As painful as this moment is for so many here at NBC today, at CBS earlier this month, at Fox News over the last year, in Hollywood this fall, it is a sign of progress. Of women finding their voices, their courage. And of the erosion of a shameful power imbalance that has been in place for far too long.

Kelly closed by acknowledging that shes seen this all beforebut that her experience has given her one reason to be optimistic: A news organization is bigger than any one person. They all face challenges; they all stumble. But the good ones stay standing and forge forward, fulfilling their core mission: journalism. Well continue to stay on this story and bring you more as we know it. Until then, on with the news.

This story originally appeared on Vanity Fair.

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On Nov 27, we issued an updated research report on Noble Energy, Inc. NBL. The company is currently benefiting from ongoing strategic acquisitions and non-core divestitures. Further, its well-placed global assets base is also aiding performance. However, stringent drilling regulations and lack of infrastructure facilities near the companys drilling zones continues to hinder growth.

Noble Energy has been divesting non-core assets at regular intervals. Notably, the company has been making a series of divestments to sell off its non-core assets.

These divestments are aiding the company to shift focus on core assets and develop them. Notably, gains from developing the high-return assets are expected drive the performance over next few years and also improve its financial position.

Toward this, it entered into two major divestiture agreements with buyers in the month of November. In the beginning of the same month, it sold 30,200 net acres of companys non-core DJ Basin portion to SRC Energy Inc, for a sum of $608 million. Recently, it divested a minerals and royalty package to Houston-based Black Stone Minerals LP BSM for $340 million. (Read more: Noble Energy Continues to Divest, Sells Assets for $340M)

Moreover, the company continues to gain from the onshore U.S. performance, more specifically, robust production from Delaware Basin. Thanks to the strength in production from the high-quality assets, it was able to raise fourth-quarter production guidance. Notably, Noble Energy anticipates fourth-quarter onshore U.S. oil sales to be up 15% sequentially, in the range of 102-108 thousand barrels per day.

However, it is to be noted that the companys current debt to capital ratio is 42.96% higher than the industry average of 34.61%. As of Sep 30, 2017, the company's long-term debt was pegged at $7,487 million.We expect the ongoing divestitures to aid the company in lowering debt levels.

Price Movement

Shares of Noble Energy have underperformed the industry in the last 12 months. The companys shares lost 24.9%, wider than the industrys loss of 18.6%.

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Zacks Rank & Key Picks

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In 1977, NASA made two vinyl records filled with sounds of humans, nature, rock songs, and classical music. Etched between each of the grooves of the record was the message To the makers of musicall worlds, all times. Instead of being made for a record player, both records were sent into space, one aboard the Voyager 1 and the other aboard the Voyager 2, with the dream that another civilization would find and listen to them. That dream of a music-loving alien never came to fruition, at least that we know of.

The Washington Post reports that copies of the vinyl records will now be available to the people of Earth thanks to a Kickstarter campaign that raised a million dollars for the records production last year. Kickstarter backers will get a boxed set of the contents of the vinyls made by Ozma Records. The set will also be available to the general public in January of next year (its available via CD now).

Highlights of the vinyls include recordings of Morse code clicks, kisses, Chuck Berrys Johnny B. Goode, and a special recorded message from former President Jimmy Carter that says, We hope someday, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations.

As for the originals, those are still in space. The records were made from copper and gold so they could withstand heat damage and dust. One is still orbiting in our solar system, while the other left our system in 2012 and is currently thought to be 13 billion miles from Earth. Neither one is traveling with a record player, so presuming they are found by another galactic civilization, it will be up to the aliens to figure out how to play it.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES



TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MPX Bioceutical Corporation (CSE:MPX) (OTC:MPXEF) (the Company or MPX) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. (Echelon), as co-lead agent on behalf of a syndicate of agents including co-lead agent Canaccord Genuity Corp. (together with Echelon, the Agents), in connection with a commercially reasonable efforts private placement offering (the "Offering") of up to 53,191,500 units (the "Units") of the Company, at a price of C$0.47 per Unit (the Issue Price), for gross proceeds to the Company of up to approximately C$25,000,000. Chrystal Capital Partner LLP will act as special selling agent in relation to the Offering.

Each Unit will consist of one common share (Common Share) in the capital of the Company and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole Common Share purchase warrant, a Warrant). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to acquire one common share of the Company at a price of C$0.64 for a period of 24 months from the closing of the Offering. If, at any time after 12 months following the Closing Date, the volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) over any 15 consecutive trading day period is at least C$2.00, the Company will have the right to accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants to a date that is 30 calendar days after the date on which the Company issues a press release announcing the accelerated expiry date.

The Company has agreed to grant the Agents an over-allotment option to offer, at the Issue Price, up to that number of additional Units as is equal to 15% of the number of Units in the Offering, on the same terms and conditions as the Offering, increasing the size of the Offering to a maximum of 61,170,225 Units. The over-allotment option may be exercised in whole or in part at any time up to the closing of the Offering. If this option is exercised in full, an additional C$3,750,000 will be raised pursuant to the Offering and the aggregate gross proceeds of the Offering will be approximately C$28,750,000.

The net proceeds received by the Company from the Offering will be used to close on certain acquisitions and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

The closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about December 21, 2017, and is subject to the receipt of any necessary regulatory approvals, including, to the extent necessary, the approval of the CSE. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a statutory four-month hold period.

About MPX Bioceutical Corporation

MPX, an Ontario corporation, through its wholly owned subsidiaries in the U.S., provides substantial management, staffing, procurement, advisory, financial, real estate rental, logistics and administrative services to two medicinal cannabis enterprises in Arizona operating under the Health for Life (dispensaries) and the award-winning Melting Point Extracts (high-margin concentrates wholesale) brands. The successful Health for Life brand operates in the rapidly growing Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The Company also owns assets in Massachusetts, supporting cultivation, production and up to three dispensaries in Massachusetts, as well as is supporting development of a third licensed dispensary in Arizona.

MPX continues to expand its U.S. footprint, being in the process of acquiring a cultivation and production wholesale business in Las Vegas, Nevada, and management companies that provide operational and other services to three dispensaries and a production license in Maryland. The Company also leases a property in Owen Sound, Ontario, for which an application to Health Canada has been made for a cannabis production and sales license. In addition, the Company will continue its efforts to develop its legacy nutraceuticals business.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information set forth in this news release contains "forward-looking statements", and "forward- looking information" under applicable securities laws. Except for statements of historical fact, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements, which include the Company's expectations about the completion of the Offering, and are based on the Company's current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs, which may prove to be incorrect. Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "projects", "plans", and similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and undue reliance should not be placed on them. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which, may cause the Company's actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projects of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipate in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

For further information please contact:

MPX Bioceutical Corporation (formerly The Canadian Bioceutical Corporation)

W. Scott Boyes, Chairman, President and CEO

T: 416-840-4703

info@mpxbioceutical.com

www.mpxbioceutical.com

Justin Canivet

NATIONAL Equicom

T: +1-416-586-1942

jcanivet@national.ca
By Drazen Jorgic

ISLAMABAD, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Pakistan is in liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply talks with France, Italy and Spain, a senior Pakistani source said, which could lead to contracts for Engie, Eni and Gas Natural Fenosa.

Intergovernment agreements (IGAs) could help Pakistan speed up its ambitious plans to bolster LNG imports as it aims to end the country's chronic energy shortages.

Pakistan opened its second LNG import terminal in Karachi last week and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said up to five more terminals are in the works.

Islamabad aims to source about 3 million tonnes of LNG per year for the new terminal through intergovernment deals, or about four cargoes per month, a senior Pakistani energy official told Reuters.

Abbasi said he expects Pakistan's demand to grow to 30 million tonnes in three years, which would make it a major LNG buyer.

It is already one of the fastest-growing LNG markets, attracting interest from producers such as Shell and ExxonMobil and from traders such as Trafigura and Gunvor.

Pakistan last year agreed a deal with Qatar to supply 3.75 million tonnes per year for its first LNG terminal and this year in an open tender it awarded Eni a 15-year supply contract.

But progress on further European contracts has been slower than expected as governments look to ensure deals do not violate European Union (EU) regulations, some officials said.

"The Europeans were first to begin discussions but they were delayed because of their regulations," the Pakistani official said.

He said that once intergovernment deals are signed with France, Italy and Spain, Engie, Eni and Gas Natural Fenosa could begin commercial negotiations with state-owned Pakistan LNG.

A second senior government official confirmed Pakistan was in discussions with Italy.

Eni is also in discussion with at least one consortium looking to build an LNG terminal in Pakistan, two other sources familiar with the discussions said.

The three European governments and companies all declined to comment.

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COMPETITION AND PRICE

Russia, Malaysia, Turkey and Azerbaijan have all signed IGAs with Pakistan and their companies have begun commercial negotiations. Pakistan expects to sign deals with Indonesia and Oman soon.

The Pakistani official said Islamabad wants to act fast and is in advanced negotiations with Malaysia's Petronas, Russia's Gazprom, Turkey's Botas and Oman Trading International.

"Price will be the deciding factor, coupled with reliability and certainty of delivery," he said.

Eni's 15-year supply contract was priced below 12 percent of a barrel of Brent crude oil, while Gunvor won a 5-year contract at 11.62 percent.

Eni had initially offered a price of 12.29 percent but agreed to lower this to 11.62 percent for the first two years, 11.95 percent for the next two years and 12.14 percent for the remainder of the term, sources with knowledge of the matter said.

Islamabad wants to secure more 15-year contracts with terms renegotiable after 10 years, akin to the Eni deal, the Pakistani official said. (Additional reporting by Oleg Vukmanovic in London, Stephen Jewkes in Milan, Steve Scherer in Rome, Foo Yun Chee in Brussels, Bate Felix in Paris and Jose Elias Rodriguez in Madrid Editing by Jason Neely, Greg Mahlich)
(Adds Eni CEO comment on LNG deals)

By Drazen Jorgic

ISLAMABAD, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Pakistan is in talks to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from France, Italy and Spain, a senior Pakistani source said, raising the prospect of new contracts for Engie, Eni and Gas Natural Fenosa.

Pakistan has been seeking intergovernment agreements (IGAs) across the world to bolster its LNG imports and tackle its chronic energy shortages.

It opened its second LNG import terminal in Karachi last week and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said up to five more terminals were in the works.

Islamabad aims to source about 3 million tonnes of LNG per year for the new terminal through IGAs, or about four cargoes per month, a senior Pakistani energy official told Reuters.

Abbasi said he expected Pakistan's demand to grow to 30 million tonnes in three years from 4.5 million tonnes currently, an expansion that would make it a major LNG buyer.

It is already one of the fastest-growing LNG markets, attracting interest from producers such as Shell and ExxonMobil and from traders such as Trafigura and Gunvor.

Pakistan last year agreed a deal for Qatar to supply 3.75 million tonnes per year for its first LNG terminal and this year in an open tender it awarded Eni a 15-year supply contract.

But progress on further European contracts has been slower than expected as governments look to ensure deals do not violate European Union regulations, some officials said.

"The Europeans were first to begin discussions but they were delayed because of their regulations," the Pakistani official said.

He said that once intergovernment deals are signed with France, Italy and Spain, Engie, Eni and Gas Natural Fenosa could begin commercial negotiations with state-owned Pakistan LNG.

A second senior government official confirmed Pakistan was in discussions with Italy.

Eni Chief Executive Claudio Descalzi said on Thursday it was too early to comment on whether a second LNG supply deal with Pakistan would happen.

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"Pakistan is asking for gas. We move around and sell our LNG, especially what we produce in Indonesia... If another agreement arrives I will be absolutely delighted to sign it," Descalzi told Reuters.

Eni is also in discussion with at least one consortium looking to build an LNG terminal in Pakistan, two other sources familiar with the discussions said.

The three European governments declined to comment, as did Engie and Gas Natural Fenosa.

COMPETITION AND PRICE

Russia, Malaysia, Turkey and Azerbaijan have all signed IGAs with Pakistan and their companies have begun commercial negotiations. Pakistan expects to sign deals with Indonesia and Oman soon.

The Pakistani official said Islamabad wants to act fast and is in advanced negotiations with Malaysia's Petronas, Russia's Gazprom, Turkey's Botas and Oman Trading International.

"Price will be the deciding factor, coupled with reliability and certainty of delivery," he said.

Eni's 15-year supply contract was priced below 12 percent of a barrel of Brent crude oil, while Gunvor won a 5-year contract at 11.62 percent.

Eni had initially offered a price of 12.29 percent but agreed to lower this to 11.62 percent for the first two years, 11.95 percent for the next two years and 12.14 percent for the remainder of the term, sources with knowledge of the matter said.

Islamabad wants to secure more 15-year contracts with terms renegotiable after 10 years, akin to the Eni deal, the Pakistani official said. (Additional reporting by Oleg Vukmanovic in London, Stephen Jewkes in Milan, Steve Scherer in Rome, Foo Yun Chee in Brussels, Bate Felix in Paris and Jose Elias Rodriguez in MadridEditing by Jason Neely, Greg Mahlich)
President Trump again claimed, wrongly, that he will not benefit from the Republican tax plan being considered in Congress, which contains multiple provisions that would help him and his family.

Speaking in Missouri in an effort to promote the bill as it heads for a vote in the Senate, Trump said that the bill would hurt higher-income Americans like himself, a statement contradicted by several independent analyses of the legislation.

We are going to eliminate tax breaks and complex loopholes, taken advantage of by the wealthy, he said, flanked by two Christmas trees onstage in St. Charles. I think my accountants are going crazy right now.

Hey, look, Im president, I dont care anymore, Trump continued. Some of my wealthy friends care. Me, this is a higher calling, do we agree?

An analysis published Sunday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the Senate bill would hurt lower-income Americans while giving significant tax cuts to those making more than $100,000 a year. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center found that higher income households receive larger average tax cuts as a percentage of after-tax income, with the largest cuts as a share of income going to taxpayers in the 95th to 99th percentiles of the income distribution. And an NBC analysis found that Trump and his family could save more than $1 billion under the bill the House passed, based on his 2005 tax returns.

Trump is the first president in decades to not release his tax returns, so its impossible to be sure exactly how tax reform would affect him. But the House bill includes several provisions that would help higher-income Americans. It would double the amount of money that is exempt from the estate tax  currently $5.6 million for an individual and over $11 million for married couples 2018  and eliminate the tax altogether in six years. And it would repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax, which the Tax Policy Center says primarily impacts households with incomes above $200,000.

The Washington Post reports Trump could also personally benefit from a last-minute change in the Senates version of the bill having to do with pass-through entities.

Trump vowed in Missouri that if Congress sends him a finished tax bill, he will sign it. I promise you I will sign it, he told the crowd. I will not veto that bill. There will be no veto.
Republican waverers come on board as bill heads to Senate floor for vote

Legislation touted by Trump will largely benefit Americas highest earners

Donald Trump with Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell and Wyoming senator John Barrasso on Capitol Hill. Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

Republicans made a significant step towards passing their sweeping package of tax cuts after two conservatives with lingering concerns about the measures came on board.

The two holding out joined every Republican member on the Senate budget panel to send the bill to the Senate floor for a vote as early as this week.

The Senate budget committee voted along party lines, 12 to 11, to approve the legislation that will largely benefit Americas highest earners. As they voted, protesters outside chanted kill the bill.

The vote followed a visit by Donald Trump to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, where he joined Senate Republicans for what he later described as a love-fest to rally them behind a massive tax plan.

Trump then told reporters: I think its going to pass and its going to be very popular.

He added: Its going to have lots of adjustments before it ends. But the end result will be a massive  the largest in the history of our country  tax cut.

Senate Republicans emerged from meeting the president equally optimistic that they were close to an agreement to pass their tax plan.

During the lunch, Trump appeared to endorse several concessions that might persuade reluctant members. Among them he promised Senator Susan Collins of Maine that if the tax legislation repealed a key piece of the health insurance law, he would support a fresh bipartisan healthcare legislation to help low-income Americans continue to afford health insurance.

Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine who helped stop a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, said she was satisfied to learn that a lot of my concerns, it appears, are going to be addressed.

Collins said she is still unhappy that the tax legislation includes a provision to repeal the healthcare laws so-called individual mandate, which requires all Americans to purchase health insurance or face a fine. But she said Trump appears to understand that Congress would have to pass something to offset the premium increases that would result from the repeal of the individual mandate.

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My first preference would be to have it gone from the bill  I dont think it should have been put in the bill in the first place, she said. But if its going to be in there we absolutely have to mitigate its impact.



Before the vote, Republican senators Bob Corker of Tennessee and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin were undecided about whether they would vote for the bill.

But Corker, concerned about spiralling US debt, told reporters he had reached an agreement with Senate leadership about how the measure affects the deficit. Johnson said he still has concerns about the legislations treatment of businesses known as pass-through entities but preferred to keep the legislative process moving.

At least six Republican senators have expressed concerns about various aspects of the bill  including how small businesses are taxed and whether the cost of health insurance will rise. But the vote on Tuesday signaled that leadership was making progress in the frantic, behind-the-scenes negotiations with members.

Think of sitting there with a Rubiks cube trying to get to 50, Senate leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday. We do have a few members who have concerns and were trying to address them, and we know that we are not going to be able to move forward until we get 50 people satisfied. And thats what were working on.

Republicans are using a special budget process known as reconciliation that requires only a simple majority to pass, which is crucial to bypassing a Democratic filibuster.

Democrats, who have largely been excluded from the crafting of the tax plan, say the overhaul helps only the wealthiest Americans. A report released by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the Republican tax plan would hurt Americans earning less than $30,000 while benefiting the highest earners. A report by the joint committee on taxation also found that the rich would be the biggest beneficiaries under the plan.

The House passed its own version of the tax overhaul earlier this month, without a single hearing on more than 400 pages of legislation that would cut the corporate tax rates from 35% to 20% and condense the number of tax brackets from seven to four.

But there are significant differences in the two bills. If the Senate passes its tax plan, House Republicans will come under pressure to approve the Senate blueprint. Alternatively, there would be a conference to reconcile the different plans.

Republican leaders in both chambers are determined to pass tax reform by the end of the year, after repeated failures to repeal the healthcare law have left them with no legislative achievements since Trump became president.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ivanka Trump plugged her fathers tax plan on a two-day trip to India.

Trump told a crowd of business leaders and entrepreneurs that her fathers administration was laser-focused on passing long-overdue tax cuts, which she said would deliver much-needed relief to working families and American businesses of all sizes.

Additional reporting by Michael Safi
DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince called the Supreme Leader of Iran "the new Hitler of the Middle East" in an interview with the New York Times published on Thursday, sharply escalating the war of words between the arch-rivals. The Sunni Muslim kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran back rival sides in wars and political crises throughout the region. Mohammed bin Salman, who is also Saudi defense minister in the U.S.-allied kingdom, suggested the Islamic Republic's alleged expansion under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei needed to be confronted. "But we learned from Europe that appeasement doesn't work. We don't want the new Hitler in Iran to repeat what happened in Europe in the Middle East," the paper quoted him as saying. Iran reacted harshly by saying that Salman was discredited internationally by his "immature" behavior, state television reported. "No one in the world and in the international arena gives credit to him because of his immature and weak-minded behavior and remarks," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying. "Now that he has decided to follow the path of famous regional dictators ... he should think about their fate as well." Tensions soared this month when Lebanon's Saudi-allied Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned in a television broadcast from Riyadh, citing the influence of Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and risks to his life. Hezbollah called the move an act of war engineered by Saudi authorities, an accusation they denied. Hariri has since suspended his resignation. Saudi Arabia has launched thousands of air strikes in a 2-1/2-year-old war in neighboring Yemen to defeat the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement that seized broad swaths of the country. Salman told the Times that the war was going in its favor and that its allies controlled 85 percent of Yemen's territory. The Houthis, however, still retain the main population centers despite the war effort by a Saudi-led military coalition which receives intelligence and refueling for its warplanes by the United States. Some 10,000 people have died in the conflict. The group launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh's main airport on Nov. 4, which Saudi Arabis decried as an act of war by Tehran. Bin Salman said in May that the kingdom would make sure any future struggle between the two countries "is waged in Iran". For his part, Khamenei has referred to the House of Saud as an "accursed tree", and Iranian officials have accused the kingdom of spreading terrorism, an accusation it denies. (Reporting By Noah Browning in Dubai and Parisa Hafezi in Ankara; Editing by Michael Perry, Ralph Boulton and William Maclean)
An image of John Adams. Source: Wikimedia Commons

The Supreme Courts newest justice, Donald Trump appointee Neil Gorsuch, invoked the framers of the U.S. Constitution on Wednesday while questioning a government lawyer about a high-profile digital privacy dispute.

Gorsuch questioned whether the framers might have been concerned about the government using third parties to access your cellphone location data without a warrant, in a case that turns on a decades-old legal concept known as third-party doctrine.

That doctrine says that if you voluntarily hand over information to third parties  like a cellphone network provider such as AT&T (T) or Yahoo parent Verizon (VZ)  then you lose the expectation that it will remain private.

Isnt that argument exactly what the framers were concerned about?

In citing the Constitutions framers, Gorsuch seemed to question the legitimacy of this doctrine, which the government says allows it to search cellphone records that track suspects movements without a warrant.

You know, John Adams said one of the reasons for the war was the use by the government of third parties to obtain information forced them to help as their snitches and snoops. Why  why isnt this argument exactly what the framers were concerned about? Gorsuch asked Michael Dreeben, deputy solicitor general at the Department of Justice, according to the court transcript.

Dreeben countered: Well, I think that those  those were writs that allowed people acting under governmental power to enter any place they wanted to search for anything that they wanted.

That answer prompted this response from Gorsuch: Isnt that exactly your argument here, that so long as a third partys involved, we can get anything we want?

Gorsuch was not the only justice to raise privacy concerns during Wednesdays hearing, with liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor noting that Americans want to avoid Big Brother. She added, They want to avoid the concept that government will be able to see and locate you anywhere you are at any point in time.

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Still, Justice Anthony Kennedy, the swing voter on the court, pointed out that a persons location is less private than private bank records. Your whereabouts are publicly known. People can see you. Surveillance officers can follow you, he noted.

Does the Fourth Amendment protect cellphone location data?

The case argued Wednesday, Carpenter v. U.S., will look at whether the Fourth Amendment  which guarantees your right against unreasonable searches and seizures  protects you against warrantless searches of cellphone records that track your movements.

The dispute fittingly stems from a string of robberies of T-Mobile (TMUS) and Radio Shack locations involving the theft of smartphones. Police used cellphone location records to help convict a man named Timothy Carpenter in the case, which he argues violated his Fourth Amendment rights.

If the court does find the Fourth Amendment protects against warrantless access to cellphone location data, the justices could usher in a new wave of privacy rights in the U.S.

I think Carpenter could significantly increase protection for the electronic data, Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of Berkeley Law and a Supreme Court expert, previously told Yahoo Finance in an email message.

He added: The court may well overrule its earlier decisions that there is no privacy interest if third parties have the information.

Erin Fuchs is deputy managing editor of Yahoo Finance.
DALLAS, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biamp Systems today announced that effective immediately, longtime AV industry executive Rashid Skaf is assuming the role of president, CEO, and co-chairman for the Beaverton, Oregon company. Matt Czyzewski, previous president and CEO of Biamp, will remain as executive vice president of technology. This appointment is concurrent with the completion of the acquisition of Biamp Systems by Highlander Partners from previous owner Lomar Corporation. Lomar will retain a minority investment in Biamp.



Skaf is a well-recognized and respected figure within the professional AV industry. He is best known for his 15 years at the helm of AMX, a pioneer in professional AV and control systems that he grew to become one of the industrys largest participants and most respected brands. He sold AMX to Harman Industries in 2014 and, after a brief transition period, left to serve as an advisor to various investment groups. He eventually joined one of these firms, Highlander Partners, where he serves as a senior advisor. Highlander Partners is a Dallas-based private equity company with over $1.4 billion under management. Skaf joined Highlander to identify candidate technology companies and Biamp is the first investment borne from that initiative.

Skaf commented, Im extremely excited to have the opportunity to join another truly iconic brand in the AV industry. Even while CEO of AMX, I was intimately familiar with Biamp and developed deep respect for its products, brand, and organization. So much so that I sought to acquire the company several times over the past 10 years. Im delighted to have the opportunity to join and lead the Biamp team. I have no doubt that together we will usher Biamp into an exciting new period of growth and industry leadership that will benefit the company and its employees and channel partners.

Mike Nicolais, vice chairman and CEO of Highlander Partners stated, "Highlanders investment philosophy is to buy and build. It seeks to build value in enterprises by finding well run, profitable businesses in healthy industries that have the potential for significant future growth through both organic expansion of the existing business and strategic additions of complementary acquisitions. Biamp is an excellent platform company to implement that same strategy in its industry."

Skaf added, Biamp is one of the most successful professional audio management companies in the world. Despite its undeniable leadership position, I see clear opportunities to grow market share of its current products and expand into new markets through an aggressive program of internal development and company acquisition. I will soon reach out to the many excellent suppliers and industry partners Biamp works with today, and those others I worked with in the past, to build a passionate community committed to meeting mutual growth objectives. I consider the excellence of our extended community of partners to be a critical factor in the future success of Biamp.

More information on Biamps full product portfolio is available at www.biamp.com.

About Biamp Systems

Biamp Systems is a leading provider of innovative, networked media systems that power the worlds most sophisticated audio/video installations. The company is recognized worldwide for delivering high-quality products and backing each one with a commitment to exceptional customer service.

Biamp is dedicated to creating products that drive the evolution of communication through sight and sound. The award-winning Biamp product suite includes: Tesira media system for digital audio and video networking, Devio collaboration tool for modern workplaces, Audia digital audio platform, Nexia digital signal processors, and Vocia networked public address and voice evacuation system. Each has its own specific feature set that can be customized and integrated in a wide range of applications, including corporate boardrooms, conference centers, huddle rooms, performing arts venues, courtrooms, hospitals, transportation hubs, campuses, and multi-building facilities.

Founded in 1976, Biamp is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, USA, with additional engineering operations in Brisbane, Australia, and Rochester, New York. For more information on Biamp, please visit www.biamp.com.

About Highlander Partners

Highlander Partners, L.P. is a Dallas-based private investment firm with over $1.4 billion of assets under management. The firm focuses on making investments in businesses in targeted industries in which the principals of the firm have significant operating and investing experience, including basic manufacturing, food, chemicals, building materials, consumer products, and others. Highlander Partners uses a buy and build investment approach, creating value by helping companies grow organically and through acquisitions. For more information, visit www.highlander-partners.com.

PR Link: www.ingearpr.com/Biamp/171130Biamp.docx

Photo Link: www.ingearpr.com/Biamp/Biamp-Rashid_Skaf.jpg

Photo Caption: Rashid Skaf, President, CEO, and Co-chairman at Biamp Systems

Media Contacts:
AT&T and the U.S. Department of Justice will meet in court for the first time on Dec. 7 at a pre-trial hearing in the DOJs lawsuit against the company over its pending Time Warner merger, a federal judge said this afternoon.

Judge Richard Leon is overseeing the case. He revealed the hearing date as part of an order.

The two sides have clashed this week over when the case should be heard. Given it has an $85 billion bun in the oven, AT&T is clamoring for the earliest date possible. The government, on the other hand, argues that a more rational process unhurried by the pressure of Wall Street is appropriate.

In a motion, AT&T argued the trial should begin Feb. 20, which would allow it to end on or about March 5. The DOJ countered that May 7 seemed best. Whatever date they land on, a large cross-section of Hollywood, Wall Street and Washington will be tuning in, especially given the many other M&A maneuvers pegged to the outcome.

AT&T shares, which have slumped in recent weeks as the companys year-long quest to plug a massive content engine into its formidable distribution infrastructure, jumped 3% today to close at $36.48. Time Warner tacked on $1.30 to finish at $90.92, well south of the level it was at a year ago when the deal was first announced.

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Donald Trump

REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

Income tax brackets could change in 2018 if tax legislation is passed under President Donald Trump.

The Senate's tax plan proposes keeping seven tax brackets but changes the income ranges.

The bill proposes eliminating the personal exemption and increasing the standard deduction.

The Senate passed its version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) just after 2 a.m. ET on Saturday.

The TCJA passed on a vote of 51 to 49. Sen. Bob Corker was the only Republican to vote against the bill. Its passage brings Republicans a step closer to their first major legislative achievement in the Trump presidency.

President Donald Trump has said he wants tax reform on his desk by Christmas. Negotiators now need to iron out significant differences between the House and the Senate versions of the tax bill, and to pass that updated bill in both chambers.

In the meantime, Business Insider put together two charts showing how the Senate's tax plan could change federal income-tax brackets in 2018 compared with those in 2017.

First, for single filers:

single filers senate tax plan brackets

Andy Kiersz/Business Insider

And second, for joint filers:

married filers senate tax plan brackets

Andy Kiersz/Business Insider

Under the Senate's plan, there would still be seven federal income brackets but at slightly lower rates and adjusted income ranges. The brackets proposed are 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 38.5%.

About 70% of Americans claim the standard deduction when filing their taxes, and their paychecks will almost certainly increase  albeit slightly  if the tax plan passes.

In 2017, the standard deduction for a single taxpayer is $6,350, plus one personal exemption of $4,050.

The Senate proposal would combine those into one larger standard deduction for 2018: $12,000 for single filers and $24,000 for joint filers.

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SEE ALSO: Senate Republicans are getting closer to passing their enormous tax bill

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Shanghai, China

Investors in Asia-Pacific ex-Japan equities have been well rewarded during 2017 with a gain of just over 32% for the index. The region has outperformed compares favourably to global equity markets, with the MSCI AC World Index showing growth of 19.7%.

Looking more deeply into the Asia Pacific excluding Japan Index returns shows a significant part of the growth  more than a third  being derived from just one sector, information technology. Taking this a stage further to the stock level again shows significant concentration of returns.

Four stocks are responsible for 9.2 percentage points of the 13.3% performance shown by the sector: those being Tencent, Alibaba, Samsung Electronics and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. All of these names have performed strongly, and all were within the top five largest index constituents at the start of 2017. With the largest index holdings performing so well, it should come as no surprise that the average active manager underperformed the benchmark in 2017.

Looking forward, the region remains attractive from a relative growth perspective, with GDP estimates running ahead of developed markets, and the consensus view with regard to the key market of China appearing to be more widely held and showing only a small reduction in the rate of growth.

In the short to medium term there is likely to be some differentiation between countries in terms of monetary policy as the easing cycle unwinds and there are also elections due in a number of countries. All of this should provide opportunities for talented active managers.

Top Performing Funds

The top performers over the past three years include funds with a variety of different investment styles.

The Invesco Perpetual Asian fund has a strong track record versus peers and the benchmark, but it has seen a change of lead manager. William Lam took over in May 2017 having been co-manager since 2015, working alongside the team head and long-term manager of the fund Stuart Parks. Despite the manager change the overall approach of the fund remains intact, with Lam still conducting the stock research and drawing on other members of the team.

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This includes Parks who is still able to provide top down views which may guide the stock research effort. Company research focuses on quality growth stocks, but there is a greater awareness of valuations compared to some peers and this can be evident at the total portfolio level where a slight value bias can sometimes be seen. The fund holds a Morningstar Analyst Rating of Bronze.

Veritas Asian has a Morningstar Analyst Rating of Silver and is managed by the highly experienced Ezra Sun. He joined the group in 2004 having previously worked with its founders at Newton. He is supported by a team of three analysts based in Hong Kong and all have worked together for a number of years. Sun looks to identify long-term themes and the companies that reflect these form the core of the fund. Shorter-term ideas make up the rest of the portfolio and reflect cyclical opportunities or more stock-specific special situations. Although the long-term focus can result in shorter-term periods of relative weakness, investors have been well-rewarded over the longer term.

Largest Funds

The largest funds in the sector include a number with strong performance track records.

Stewart Investors Asia Pacific Leaders has seen its share of change over recent years, but the investment philosophy remains unaltered and the broad portfolio biases and relative performance patterns are expected to continue. Since July 2016 the fund has been managed by David Gait who is an experienced investor in the region and has produced a long and successful track record on his all-cap Asia mandate.

This fund has a larger-cap bias and therefore includes some names Gait wouldnt have held in the past, however his focus on sustainable growth stocks with strong management remains in place and the portfolio has clear biases to areas such as consumer staples. More recently markets have not favoured the approach, but long-term returns from the strategy are strong and the fund holds a Morningstar Analyst Rating of Silver.

A Morningstar Analyst Rating of Gold is held by the Schroder ISF Asian Total Return fund. It is managed with a benchmark-unconstrained approach that looks to invest in high return on capital stocks for their upside potential, but also shorts less attractive names. Index shorts may also be taken to protect the fund in weak market conditions. The fund is managed by the highly experienced team of King Fuei Lee and Robin Parbrook. They have worked together for over 15 years and are supported by a very well-resourced team of over 30 individuals. Returns relative to the index have been strong over time.
FILE - In this Sept. 13, 2017 file photo, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney departs after a television interview at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

As the battle wages on over who is the rightful acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), deputy director Leandra English or Office of Management and Budget director Mick Mulvaney, one thing is certain: President Donald Trumps CFPB will differ from President Barack Obamas.

Anyone who thinks that a Trump administration CFPB would be the same as an Obama administration CFPB is simply being naive. Elections have consequences at every agency, including the CFPB, Mulvaney said on Monday.

Trumps administration, including Mulvaney, join a host of Republicans who have been highly critical of the CFPB in both its structural organization and implementation of rules. During a press conference on Monday, Mulvaney said if he had the option to eliminate the CFPB and assign its duties to other agencies, he would.

Even U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has publicly criticized the watchdog agency, telling FOX Business in June that over time, the White House might consider whether the CFPB should be merged with another agency. Republicans believe the bureau, created by Democrats in the wake of the financial crisis, imposes undue regulatory burdens and costs on consumers and businesses.

Here are some of the major changes that could be in store under a new director, who will be nominated by President Trump.

Funding

A main source of Republican criticism of the CFPB involves funding. Unlike most federal agencies, which are funded by Congress, the CFPB is funded by the Federal Reserve. Through that provision, the CFPB is allowed a certain annual budget below a set cap, which cannot be affected by lawmakers. Mnuchin told FOX Business in June that this setup was improper and that the bureau should be funded by Congress like other congressional appropriations.

Leadership

Republicans have also been highly critical of the CFPB directors power. Mulvaney said during his press conference on Monday that the powers he had as acting director of the agency would frighten most of you. They would probably worry you to think about how little oversight Congress has over me now, as I'm the director, how little oversight the committees have over how CFPB functions.

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The CFPB director cannot be fired at will by the president, like the heads of other bureaucratic agencies, but instead can only be fired for cause. Some argue this set up is unconstitutional because the director is not responsive to the president or Congress.

Oversight

Under Dodd-Frank, the CFPB is specifically designed to be an independent agency, but detractors believe that it may have become too independent. Critics have supported adjusting the organizational hierarchy to a commission structure, like that of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in order to add an additional layer of checks and balances.

Rules

Mulvaney acknowledged that he is unable to stop rules that have already been set in motion by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, but issued a 30-day freeze on the issuance new rules on Monday.

Some hope the new director will curtail the number of new rules issued.

The CFPB should focus on enforcing existing consumer protection laws rather than finding creative ways to impose new ones in defiance of Congress, Iain Murray, vice president for strategy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told FOX Business.

The CFPB has yet to issue a final ruling on arbitration clauses, the subject of much controversy this year following the Equifax (NYSE:EFX) debacle. And it also engaged in a court battle with mortgage lenders, which Iain hopes the new director will drop.

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Yahoo News photo illustration; photos: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images, NYT, Mark Wilson/Getty Images

President Trump lashed out at the New York Times on Thursday after the newspapers editorial board published the office numbers of Republican senators on Twitter, urging readers to call to oppose the GOP tax reform bill.

The Failing @nytimes, the pipe organ for the Democrat Party, has become a virtual lobbyist for them with regard to our massive Tax Cut Bill, Trump tweeted. They are wrong so often that now I know we have a winner!

The Failing @nytimes has totally gone against the Social Media Guidelines that they installed to preserve some credibility after many of their biased reporters went Rogue! the president added, tagging his favorite morning television program, Fox & Friends.

The Failing @nytimes, the pipe organ for the Democrat Party, has become a virtual lobbyist for them with regard to our massive Tax Cut Bill. They are wrong so often that now I know we have a winner!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2017

The Failing @nytimes has totally gone against the Social Media Guidelines that they installed to preserve some credibility after many of their biased reporters went Rogue! @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 30, 2017

Last month, the Times unveiled a new set of social media guidelines for its newsroom. Among other things, the paper asked all its reporters  not just those covering politics  to refrain from partisan messages on social media. But Clifford Levy, the papers deputy managing editor who co-authored the guidelines, tweeted that they apply to the Times newsroom and not its opinion section.

On Wednesday, the editorial board took control of the Twitter feed for the Times opinion section, tweeting out the office phone numbers for key GOP lawmakers  including Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Jeff Flake  in a deliberate effort to oppose the version of the tax bill currently up for debate in the U.S. Senate.

This morning, The New York Times Editorial Board is tweeting here to urge the Senate to reject a tax bill that hurts the middle class & the nation's fiscal health. #thetaxbillhurts  NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) November 29, 2017

Now is the time to contact senators, if you havent done so already, about this tax cut plan. Find yours here: https://t.co/AkqImNKzhT #thetaxbillhurts pic.twitter.com/cNYsE6Rjrl  NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) November 29, 2017

Don't let Trump's tweets of Islamophobic conspiracy theories distract you. Call your senator and tell him or her that #thetaxbillhurts. Find contact information here: https://t.co/j05FMu1Nlb pic.twitter.com/MU00e3mdLK  NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) November 29, 2017

Contact @SenatorCollins, (202) 224-2523, particularly if you live in Maine, and ask her to oppose the Senate tax bill because it would repeal Obamacare's individual mandate, driving up the cost of health insurance. #thetaxbillhurts pic.twitter.com/id69OJ4CPC  NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) November 29, 2017

Call Kansas Senator @JerryMoran at (202) 224-6521 and remind him that the Senate tax bill would add more than $1.4 trillion to the deficit over 10 years without helping the middle class. #thetaxbillhurts pic.twitter.com/2UNbX9LUQE  NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) November 29, 2017

The editorial board has been writing for weeks about concerns over the tax legislation pending in Congress, a New York Times spokeswoman told Politico on Wednesday. This was an experiment in using a different platform to get that message out. We emphasized to our audience that this was the position of the editorial board in particular, not of Times Opinion generally.

On Thursday, the paper published a scathing editorial that accused the Republican-controlled Senate of rushing to pass its tax bill because it stinks.

As more senators show signs of sacrificing their principles and embracing the Republican tax bill for minor and nebulous concessions, it bears looking more closely at the process that produced this terrible legislation and some of its lesser-known provisions, the board said. The Senate tax bill, a 515-page mammoth, was introduced just last week, and the chamber could vote on it as soon as Thursday. This is not how lawmakers are supposed to pass enormous pieces of legislation.

It took several years to put together the last serious tax bill, passed in 1986, the board continued. Congress and the Reagan administration worked across party lines, produced numerous drafts, held many hearings and struck countless compromises. This time its not about true reform but about speed and bowling over the opposition in hopes of claiming a partisan victory.

In a speech in St. Charles, Mo., on Wednesday, Trump said that he hopes lawmakers will bring the bill to a vote by the end of the week.

I would say do it now, the president said. Were ready.

Read more from Yahoo News:
WASHINGTON  Just minutes after news broke that NBC had fired Matt Lauer over an allegation of sexual misconduct against a colleague, President Donald Trump was tweeting about it.

Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace. But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lacks past! Trump tweeted.

Wow, Matt Lauer was just fired from NBC for inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace. But when will the top executives at NBC & Comcast be fired for putting out so much Fake News. Check out Andy Lacks past!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017

Trump has frequently attacked NBC News for its coverage of his administration. In October, he suggested that the the networks broadcast licenses should he challenged. But his reference to Lack  the chairman of NBC News and MSNBC  seemed to tease that he has heard about more allegations.

Later, Trump tweeted about other NBC News figures, including Phil Griffin, the president of MSNBC, and Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough.

Trump wrote, So now that Matt Lauer is gone when will the Fake News practitioners at NBC be terminating the contract of Phil Griffin? And will they terminate low ratings Joe Scarborough based on the unsolved mystery that took place in Florida years ago? Investigate!

So now that Matt Lauer is gone when will the Fake News practitioners at NBC be terminating the contract of Phil Griffin? And will they terminate low ratings Joe Scarborough based on the unsolved mystery that took place in Florida years ago? Investigate!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017

NBCUniversal and NBC News spokespeople did not immediately return a request for comment.

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Trump faces his own allegations of sexual harassment. During the presidential campaign, more than a dozen women came forward to claim inappropriate conduct. He has denied the accusations.

The release of the Access Hollywood tape, in which Trump bragged about grabbing women by their sexual organs, proved to be a crisis during the campaign, but a number of news outlets, including the New York Times and Washington Post, have reported that the president has since questioned the authenticity of the recording. At the time of its release, he dismissed his discussion with Billy Bush as locker room talk, but also apologized for the 2005 conversation. This week, Access Hollywood issued a statement in which it said the tape is very real.

NBC airs Access Hollywood.

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(Adds official saying Tillerson slow approach to filling openings is a factor)

By John Walcott and Steve Holland

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump is considering a plan to oust Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, whose relationship has been strained by the top U.S. diplomat's softer line on North Korea and other differences, senior administration officials said on Thursday.

Tillerson would be replaced within weeks by CIA Director Mike Pompeo, a Trump loyalist and foreign policy hard-liner, under a White House plan to carry out the most significant staff shake-up so far of the Trump administration.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton, one of Trump's staunchest defenders in Congress, would be tapped to replace Pompeo at the Central Intelligence Agency, the officials told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

It was not immediately clear whether Trump had given final approval to the reshuffle, but one of the officials said the president asked for the plan to be put together.

Tillerson's long-rumored departure would end a troubled tenure for the former Exxon Mobil Corp chief executive, who has been increasingly at odds with Trump over issues such as North Korea and under fire for planned cuts at the State Department.

Tillerson was reported in October to have privately called Trump a "moron," something the secretary of state sought to dismiss.

That followed a tweet by Trump that Tillerson should not waste his time by seeking negotiations with North Korea over its nuclear and missile program, widely seen as a sign of the secretary of state being marginalized.

Trump has soured on Tillerson mostly because of the "moron" report, his less confrontational approach on North Korea and differences over the Qatar crisis, one senior U.S. official said.

His slow approach to filling diplomatic openings at the State Department is also a factor, another official said.

Trump asked John Kelly, the White House chief of staff, to develop the transition strategy, and it has been discussed with other officials, one administration source said.

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Under the plan, which has been in the works for weeks and was first reported by the New York Times, the reshuffle would happen around the end of the year or shortly afterward, the official said.

Asked whether he wanted Tillerson to remain in his job, Trump sidestepped the question, telling reporters at the White House: "He's here. Rex is here."

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Kelly told Tillerson's chief of staff on Thursday the reports on Tillerson being replaced were not true. Nauert added that Tillerson "serves at the pleasure of the president."

Asked about Tillerson, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the secretary of state remained in his post. "When the president loses confidence in someone, they will no longer serve here," she said.

Pompeo, a former congressman, has moved to the forefront as he has gained Trump's trust on national security matters.

Tillerson, 65, has spent much of his tenure trying to smooth the rough edges of Trump's unilateralist "America First" foreign policy, with limited success. On several occasions, the president publicly undercut his diplomatic initiatives.

A source familiar with Tillersons thinking said the secretary of state's original plan when he took the job was to leave in February.

If carried out, the staff changes would be the latest in a string of firings or resignations in the Trump administration including the departures of the chief of staff, national security adviser and FBI director.

FOREIGN POLICY HARDLINER

Pompeo, 53, has taken tough foreign policy stands, especially on Iran, and talked about how his agency is becoming more aggressive and how he has been focusing on deploying more CIA officers overseas.

He has offered effusive praise for Trump despite the president's criticism of U.S. intelligence agencies, some of which concluded that Russia conducted an influence campaign to boost Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

Tillerson has at times put distance between himself and Trump's positions.

At a private dinner of foreign policy veterans last month, a senior White House official criticized Tillerson for failing to support the president's agenda, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Tillerson joined Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in pressing Trump not to pull the United States out of an agreement with Iran and world powers over Tehran's nuclear capabilities.

Tillerson has taken a more hawkish view than Trump on Russia and tried to mediate a dispute after four Arab nations launched a boycott of Qatar.

In September in Beijing, Tillerson said Washington was probing North Korea to see whether it was interested in dialogue, and had multiple direct channels of communication with Pyongyang.

The next day, Trump appeared to dismiss those efforts in a tweet, telling Tillerson he was "wasting his time."

Tensions have also run high between Tillerson and veteran diplomats who oppose his proposed staff and budget cuts.

(Reporting by John Walcott and Steve Holland Additional reporting by Jonathan Landay, David Brunnstrom, Patricia Zengerle and Yara Bayoumy; Writing by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Alistair Bell and Jonathan Oatis)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Core Gold Inc. ("Core Gold" or the "Company") (TSX:CGLD) (OTCQX:CGLDF) is pleased to announce highgrade gold results from trenching activities at the Companys newly identified Linderos gold target within its emerging Dynasty District in Ecuador.



The first twenty-nine trenches at the Linderos epithermal gold prospect within the Dynasty District have yielded encouraging initial results including:

 21.00m at 18.51 g/t Au

 19.95m at 14.31 g/t Au

 18.20m at 14.74 g/t Au

 2.00m at 326.8 g/t Au





Rock geochemistry and geological detail mapping indicate that the mineralized zone extends for 1,000 meters to the southeast adjacent to the area of trenching. Further trenching is ongoing with additional results due in early 2018.





The Company has applied for bulk sampling and drilling permits and is aiming to drill and bulk sample Linderos in Q1 2018.

These results are from the first 29 trenches of a planned 60 trench program.

The twenty-nine trenches were sampled over an area of 100m x 150m located within a larger 120m x 1,000m long brecciated shear zone defined by pervasive rock gold geochemical anomalies that have been confirmed by this initial trenching sampling program.

The trenches, which were dug no more than 2.5m deep, were extracted according to industry protocols, sampling the basement rock in a continuous and systematic method. Trenches were designed perpendicular to the shear zone. Sampling (810 samples) was executed across the oxidized quartz veins/structures as well as in the porphyry wall rock.

The Linderos target is a new discovery identified by Core Gold during its 2017 exploration efforts and has not undergone any previous trenching or historical drill testing. The Companys four contiguous Linderos Project concessions total 14,317 hectares and are located approximately 45 kilometers southwest of Core Golds Dynasty Goldfield project. Further assays from subsequent trenches are now pending and Core Gold plans to start drill testing at Linderos as soon as all the necessary permits are in place.

Keith Piggott, Chief Executive Officer of Core Gold commented: The initial trenching high-grade gold results at the Linderos target and the overall size of the anomalous shear zone suggest that we are just beginning to test and understand the potential of a major discovery at Linderos. It is precisely this type of potential that attracted us to this large and undeveloped district to begin with and these initial results reinforce our thesis.

The full results from the initial Linderos trenching program are provided in the table below and a map with trench locations, intersections and grade can be found on the company website via this link:

https://www.coregoldinc.com/assets/img/linderos-trenching-map-and-results.pdf

Complete Trench Gold & Silver Assay Results  Linderos Target

Trench Number Interval (m) Gold Grade g/t Au Silver Grade g/t Ag Comments Linderos 1 4.00 1.61 16.14 Linderos 2 1.80 1.70 15.38 Linderos 3 4.00 0.69 3.87 Linderos 4 8.00 3.93 9.83 open Linderos 5 4.00 0.92 4.01 Linderos 6 6.00 2.26 5.97 open Linderos 7 6.00 0.74 4.38 Linderos 8 7.00 1.26 3.12 Linderos 9 20.90 2.64 5.83 Linderos 10 8.60 15.27 20.23 Linderos 11 26.00 3.42 4.72 Linderos 12 18.00 10.10 13.45 open Linderos 13 21.00 18.51 12.70 open Linderos 14 18.20 14.74 19.12 Linderos 15 4.00 36.65 36.05 open Linderos 16 19.95 14.31 12.79 Linderos 17 17.00 13.70 21.12 open Linderos 18 15.40 5.08 5.73 Linderos 19 3.00 10.78 8.20 Linderos 20 14.80 5.37 5.92 Linderos 21 2.00 2.09 1.31 Linderos 22 12.00 5.55 9.38 Linderos 23 10.00 6.80 6.49 Linderos 24 4.80 17.77 11.11 Linderos 25 2.00 326.80 141.63 Linderos 26 1.20 106.62 22.05 Linderos 27 2.00 15.81 353.44 Linderos 28 3.60 14.45 19.86 Linderos 29 2.00 6.30 2.87

Discussion of Trenching Results

Surface trench gold results and mineralized structures suggest that mineralization continues at depth.

The shear zone related gold bearing mineralized structures/veins correspond to epithermal type mineralization and are connected laterally and at depth to the porphyry body, suggesting the existence of a porphyry system that will be explored in detail in 2018.

The Company is currently planning a drill program along the known structure aiming to target high-grade Au mineralization in order to further complete the geological model.

For more information on the Linderos project please refer to the Operations Overview section of our website at www.coregoldinc.com .

Qualified Person

Mr. John E. Bolanos, who is a qualified person under NI 43-101 guidelines, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release and will continue consulting the Company for future press releases. Mr. Bolanos is a M.Sc. Mining Geologist from Camborne School of Mines (U.K.) and a Professional Geologist Eng. from The Central University of Ecuador (honours degree). He is a registered member (ID 4172671) of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) of the United States; Director of the Ecuadorian College of Engineers in Geology, Mines, Oil and Environment; and a member of the Mining Chamber of Ecuador. He has 27 years of experience in the exploration and mining industry throughout the Americas.

Sampling and Assaying:

Rock samples were collected by Core Gold personnel, placed in plastic bags, labeled and sealed, and stored in a secure place until delivery by Core Gold employees to the Golden Valley S.A lab in Portovelo, El Oro Province, Ecuador.

Rock samples were prepared crushing 70% passing (10 mesh), splitting 250 g and pulverizing to 85% passing 200 mesh (75 microns). Prepared 30 g pulp samples were assayed for gold (fire assay/atomic absorption) and over-limits for gold (> 10 g/t Au) were treated by gravimetry.

10% of the pulp samples were sent to the certified Bureau Veritas - Inspectorate Lab [Certification Holding SAS France: ISOTS 16949 (IATF), MDL (UNFCCC), SA8000 (SAAS), IRIS (UNIFE), FSC (ASI) and Bureau Veritas Certification Holding SAS  U.K.: ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO22001, FSCC, BRC, ISO 27001, EMAS, EN9100 / 9110/9120, EUETS (UKAS)] in Lima, Peru for re-assaying and control purposes. Comparative results were coherent and matching, with a general average difference of about 7%, showing a good correlation among assays.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC)

The Analytical Laboratory Inspectorate-Bureau Veritas Lab (ISO 9001) is a qualified assayer that performs and makes available internal assaying controls. Duplicates, certified blanks and standard material are systematically used (1 control sample every 20-25 samples) as part of the QA/QC program. Rejects and 100 g pulps supports are stored for future checking and control purposes.

About Core Gold Inc.

The Company is a Canadian based mining company involved in the mining, exploration and development of mineral properties in Ecuador. The Company is currently focused on gold production at its wholly-owned Dynasty Goldfield project and continued development at its Zaruma mine. Mineral is treated at the Companys wholly-owned Portovelo treatment plant close to the Zaruma mine operations. The Company also owns other significant gold exploration projects including the Copper Duke area and the Linderos area in southern Ecuador all of which are on the main Peruvian Andean gold-copper belt extending into Ecuador, and the Jerusalem Project (located 30 kilometers south of the Fruta del Norte project).

For further information please contact:

Keith Piggott, CEO

Suite 1201  1166 Alberni Street

Vancouver, B.C. V6E 3Z3

Phone: +1 (604) 345-4822

Email: info@coregoldinc.com

Cautionary Notice:

This news release contains statements which are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking information which are prospective in nature. Such information in this news release includes statements regarding the Company's interpretation of the Linderos trenching results and the potential geological merits of the Linderos target. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause Core Golds actual results, revenues, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Important risks that could cause Core Golds actual results, revenues, performance or achievements to differ materially from Core Golds expectations include, among other things, risks relating to the actual results of additional exploration activities; fluctuating prices in metals and other commodities; possibility of accidents, equipment breakdowns, labor disputes or other unanticipated difficulties with or interruptions in operations; exploration cost overruns; the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; currency fluctuations; availability of capital and financing to maintain the Company's operations and plans; general economic, market or business conditions; regulatory changes; timeliness of government or regulatory approvals; and other risks detailed herein and in Core Golds Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2016, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Other than in accordance with regulatory obligations, Core Gold is not under any obligation and Core Gold expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
By Patrick Rucker and Michelle Price WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. District Court judge on Tuesday sided with President Donald Trump in a legal battle over who should be in charge of the U.S. consumer finance watchdog, allowing White House budget director Mick Mulvaney to serve as acting head. Judge Timothy Kelly ruled against Leandra English, deputy director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) who claimed to be its rightful interim director. He denied her request for a temporary restraining order to block Mulvaney's appointment. She had argued in a lawsuit suit filed on Sunday that the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law that created the CFPB stipulates that the agencys deputy director is to take over in the short term. In its defense filed on Monday night, the Trump administration said the 1998 Federal Vacancies Act gives the White House the ultimate power to say who is in charge and granting the restraining order would be an extraordinary intrusion into the executive branch. Kelly sided with the White House's interpretation of the law following a hearing on Tuesday afternoon. "Undeniably, the CFPB was intended to be independent, but it is part of the executive branch," Kelly, a Trump appointee, said. The decision was a blow for Democrats and consumer advocacy groups who had rallied to English's cause, fearing the agency will be weakened by Mulvaney, one of its fiercest critics. CFPB Director Richard Cordray, a Democrat appointed by the Obama administration, resigned on Friday and named English to lead the agency until a new director was confirmed by the U.S. Senate, a process that could take months. Hours later, Trump said Mulvaney would lead the agency on an interim basis, sparking an unprecedented showdown. The CFPB was created to crack down on predatory financial practices after the 2007-2009 financial crisis, but it is reviled by Republicans who say it is too powerful. Speaking to reporters outside the court in Washington, English's lawyer, Deepak Gupta, said he would ultimately seek to take the case to a higher court. "I think whatever happens here there is going to be an appeal," he said. The White House applauded the ruling. "Its time for the Democrats to stop enabling this brazen political stunt by a rogue employee and allow Acting Director Mulvaney to continue the bureau's smooth transition into an agency that truly serves to help consumers, Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah said. In a message on social network Twitter later on Tuesday, Trump hailed the decision as a "big win for the consumer!" Trump has long sought to weaken or abolish the 1,600-employee agency, saying too many regulations are suffocating lending. Mulvaney sought to dismantle the CFPB when he served as a Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives. Democrats say the agency needs to oversee consumer financial products such as mortgages and have power over large non-bank financial companies to protect borrowers. To fight the ruling, English's next step would be to seek a preliminary injunction against the administration. If that is dismissed, English can appeal the ruling in Circuit Court, legal experts said. "The ball is now back in English's court," said Alan Kaplinsky, head of the consumer financial services group for law firm Ballard Spahr. (Reporting by Michelle Price, Pete Schroeder, Patrick Rucker and Makini Brice; Writing by Doina Chiacu and Michelle Price; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Cynthia Osterman)
HANOI (Reuters) - U.S. ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc on Wednesday signed a strategic deal with Vietnamese financial technology firm MoMo to let passengers pay for rides using MoMo's e-wallet, the pair said in a statement on Wednesday.

The deal is Uber's first e-wallet partnership in Southeast Asia, home to 600 million people, and could help the firm catch up with main regional rival Grab which has its own e-wallet service.

"Vietnam is one of Uber's fastest-growing Asian markets... MoMo's five million app users already pay for utility bills, airline tickets and other services with the wallet," Uber and MoMo said in a joint statement.

Last year, Goldman Sachs Group Inc and a private-equity arm of Standard Chartered PLC invested a combined $28 million in "fintech" firm MoMo, offering a means of tapping into Vietnam's young, tech-savvy population.

"The partnership with Uber will open a seamless and cashless transport experience for the many Vietnamese without credit cards," MoMo Chief Operating Officer Nguyen Manh Tuong said in the statement.

(Reporting by Mai NguyenEditing by Christopher Cushing)
The share of women who are so-called 401(k) millionaires is on the rise.

As of the end of September, about 20 percent of people with at least $1 million in their 401(k) accounts were women, The New York Times reports. Thats up from about 10 percent at the end of September 2005.

These figures are based on an analysis of 15 million 401(k) accounts under Fidelity Investments management.

Women who are 401(k) millionaires have a lot in common with men who have achieved the elite status, but one difference stands out.

401(k) millionaires: men vs. women

According to The New York Times, male and female 401(k) millionaires who earn less than $150,000 tend to share some similarities. Both men and women:

Invest heavily in the stock market : The women put about 77 percent of their savings in stocks, compared with 76 percent for men.

Become 401(k) millionaires in their late 50s : The women achieve the milestone at age 58.5, on average, compared with age 59.3 for men.

Earn handsome salaries : The women make $117,000, on average, compared with $118,800 for men.

Additionally, men and women who are 401(k) millionaires and earn less than $150,000 have been saving for about the same amount of time  roughly three decades  and earn similar rates of return on their savings.

So, how has the percentage of female 401(k) millionaires doubled over the past 12 years? Jeanne Thompson, a senior vice president at Fidelity Investments, tells the Times:

The biggest difference is that women are saving more.

The average woman who has become a 401(k) millionaire while earning less than $150,000 is contributing 18.1 percent of her own salary to her 401(k) and earning a 6.8 percent employer contribution. Thats a total of 24.9 percent  compared with the average mans total of 22.8 percent.

Watch the video of A Universal Retirement Lesson From Female 401(k) Millionaires on MoneyTalksNews.com.

What everyone should learn from female 401(k) millionaires

The takeaway here  and hopefully, you already guessed it  is that you should contribute as much as possible to your retirement accounts.

Story continues

You may have heard this advice before, but its critical enough to bear repeating. And it applies to everyone regardless of gender, age or income.

Maxing out a 401(k) retirement account  meaning contributing the maximum allowable amount per year  does require a decent salary or spartan spending habits.

For the 2017 tax year, you can stash up to $18,000 in a 401(k) if you are 49 or younger, or $24,000 if you are 50 or older. For 2018, these figures will rise by $500.

If you cant set aside that much of your income, at least save enough money in your 401(k) to earn your employers full match if one is offered.

As Money Talks News founder Stacy Johnson explains in Ask Stacy: How Much Should I Contribute to My 401(k)?:

Thats because employer contributions are free money  the greatest source of no-strings-attached dough most of us will ever see. You dont have to be an expert in personal finance to realize when youre offered free money, you should always take it.

In that article, Stacy also breaks down how to figure out how much you must save in your 401(k) each year to earn the full amount offered by your employer.

To learn more about tax-advantaged retirement accounts like the 401(k), check out Confused by Retirement Accounts? Roth, Regular IRAs and 401(k)s Made Simple.

So, how is your journey toward 401(k) millionaire status going? Tell us what has helped you most by commenting below or on Facebook.

This article was originally published on MoneyTalksNews.com as 'A Universal Retirement Lesson From Female 401(k) Millionaires'.

More from Money Talks News
A scheduling glitch that allowed American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL) pilots to take vacation at the same time has left thousands of flights during the busy holiday travel period next month without pilots assigned to them. American Airlines, the largest U.S. airline, is now offering pilots 150 percent of hourly pay to work those dates, an airline spokesman said.The scheduling problem has left flights from some of American Airlines' biggest hubs, including New York, Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago's O'Hare and New York's LaGuardia Airport, without pilots, according to a memo from the airline to pilots, which was seen by CNBC.Pilots loaded up their schedules with flights in early December but many opted to take days off around the holidays, after the system allowed it."The airline is a 24/7 op," said Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines captain. "The system went from responsibly scheduling everybody to becoming Santa Claus to everyone."The computer said, 'Hey ya'll. You want the days off? You got it.'"American Airlines spokesman Matt Miller said the airline's employees are "working diligently to address the issue and expect to avoid cancellations this holiday season."We have reserve pilots to help cover flying in December, and we are paying pilots who pick up certain open trips 150 percent of their hourly rate  as much as we are allowed to pay them per the contract," he said. "We will work with the APA to take care of our pilots and ensure we get our customers to where they need to go over the holidays."The Allied Pilots Association, which represents some 15,000 American Airlines pilots, said the airline notified the union about a problem with the pilots' schedule bidding system last Friday.Budget airline Ryanair (Irish Stock Exchange: RY4C-IE)inSeptember cancelled some 2,000 flights, stranding thousands of travelers, due to pilot scheduling problems.WATCH: Airlines need to build higher fuel prices into planning A scheduling glitch that allowed American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL) pilots to take vacation at the same time has left thousands of flights during the busy holiday travel period next month without pilots assigned to them. American Airlines, the largest U.S. airline, is now offering pilots 150 percent of hourly pay to work those dates, an airline spokesman said. The scheduling problem has left flights from some of American Airlines' biggest hubs, including New York, Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago's O'Hare and New York's LaGuardia Airport, without pilots, according to a memo from the airline to pilots, which was seen by CNBC. Pilots loaded up their schedules with flights in early December but many opted to take days off around the holidays, after the system allowed it. "The airline is a 24/7 op," said Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines captain. "The system went from responsibly scheduling everybody to becoming Santa Claus to everyone. "The computer said, 'Hey ya'll. You want the days off? You got it.'" American Airlines spokesman Matt Miller said the airline's employees are "working diligently to address the issue and expect to avoid cancellations this holiday season. "We have reserve pilots to help cover flying in December, and we are paying pilots who pick up certain open trips 150 percent of their hourly rate  as much as we are allowed to pay them per the contract," he said. "We will work with the APA to take care of our pilots and ensure we get our customers to where they need to go over the holidays." The Allied Pilots Association, which represents some 15,000 American Airlines pilots, said the airline notified the union about a problem with the pilots' schedule bidding system last Friday. Budget airline Ryanair (Irish Stock Exchange: RY4C-IE) in September cancelled some 2,000 flights , stranding thousands of travelers, due to pilot scheduling problems. WATCH: Airlines need to build higher fuel prices into planning



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The Foreign Press Centers (FPC) issue its own press credential that is recognized by various organizations in the area and allows access to FPC facilities and services in Washington, DC and New York, NY. The FPC credential is typically valid for three years and renewable at the end of that period for members of the media on continuing assignment in the United States.

Credentialing
For more than two years, a resilient Islamic State (IS) militant cell in northern Afghanistan has grown amid tough fighting against its Taliban enemies and crumbling government authority.

Since its emergence in Jawzjan, a rural province bordering Turkmenistan and in close proximity to Uzbekistan, the IS presence has grown from hideouts in remote villages. With estimated hundreds of fighters, the group now controls two of Jawzjans 11 districts.

It has attracted former members of the Afghan Taliban to join hands with the Central Asian remnants of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Alarmingly, its apparent success now appears to be attracting global jihadists -- many fleeing the end of IS control over large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria.

This turns the IS enclave in Jawzjan into a security threat for Washington and its Western allies while undermining the security of Afghanistan and its Central Asian neighbors.

To discuss the issue, Barmak Pazhwak, a senior Afghanistan analyst at the United States Institute of Peace, joined our moderator and RFE/RL Media Manager Muhammad Tahir in Washington. Caitlin Forrest, an operations manager at the Institute for the Study of War think tank, joined the discussion from the same city. I joined the discussion from Prague.

Listen to or download the Gandhara Podcast:

The views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL.
TASHKENT -- An Afghan Kam Air passenger jet landed at Tashkent International Airport on November 29 after making the first-ever direct commercial flight from Kabul to Uzbekistan's capital.

The Uzbek government said earlier that talks on starting direct flights between the two capitals were under way and that a Kabul-Tashkent flight would begin operating twice a week as of December 8.

Without a direct flight, passengers from Afghanistan have to spend roughly 17 to 32 hours to reach Tashkent via Istanbul and Dubai.

The new flight from Kabul to Tashkent takes 90 minutes.

It is expected that Kam Air will use Tashkent airport as a hub for connections to European countries.

Media reports cited Uzbekistan Airways officials as saying that it will start operating flights from Tashkent to Kabul in the near future.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev, who came to power following the death of longtime autocrat Islam Karimov last year, has said that improving ties with Uzbekistan's neighbors is a major foreign policy priority.
A U.S. government witness has testified that he paid over $50 million in bribes to Turkey's economy minister in 2012 as part of a $1 billion scheme to help Iran evade U.S. sanctions.

Turkish-Iranian businessman Reza Zarrab described his arrangement with former Turkish Economy Minister Mehmet Zafer Caglayan on November 29 at the beginning of several days of testimony at the New York trial of Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla, who is charged as Zarrab's accomplice in a conspiracy to evade Iran sanctions and bribe public officials.

Zarrab, 34, who has pled guilty to fraud charges in the case and is cooperating as the government's star witness, described discussing the scheme to evade sanctions with Caglayan, including using suitcases full of gold to launder Iran's money.

"I can help with this, provided there is a profit share of 50-50," Zarrab quoted Caglayan as saying.

Caglayan has been indicted in the case, but he remains at large. He has denied the charges.

Caglayan was economy minister when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was prime minister. He resigned at the end of 2013 when Turkish authorities started investigating whether he and other ministers took bribes from Zarrab to help Iran evade UN sanctions. Zarrab was arrested in Turkey at the time, but Turkish authorities eventually released him and dropped all charges.

U.S. authorities have acknowledged their case picked up from the Turkish investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sidhardha Kamaraju told the court Zarrab orchestrated a high-level conspiracy to help Iran evade U.S. sanctions and enable $1 billion in Iranian revenues from oil and gas sales to move through U.S. and global banking markets.

Zarrab testified that he ran into resistance when he approached an executive from the the Turkish government-owned bank Halkbank in late 2011 or early 2012 to try to gain access to Iranian money.

The executive, he said, feared that Zarrab's celebrity as the husband of Turkish pop star Ebru Gundes would draw scrutiny to the trades.

"I was a person who was in the public eye all of the time," said Zarrab, who was born in Iran but has Turkish citizenship.

Zarrab said he then met with Caglayan, who told him he would smooth the way for his transactions, but only if he got half the profits. Zarrab testified that Caglayan's share ended up totaling more than $50 million.

At one point, Zarrab drew diagrams for the jury to illustrate the elaborate web of transactions used to beat U.S. sanctions, which prohibit Iran from using U.S. dollars or the U.S. financial system. Zarrab said he made a fortune as a middleman in the scheme.

Zarrab said he used the proceeds from Iranian gas and oil sales to Turkey to buy gold, and had couriers carry the gold in suitcases to Dubai, where the gold was converted back into cash that was deposited into an account owned by a front company.

The money was further laundered through multiple bank transfers, including some through U.S. financial institutions in violation of the sanctions, he said.

Zarrab testified that the sanction-evasion scheme was done in consultation with Atilla, 47, who at the time was a top executive atHalkbank. He said Attila helped to doctor the trades so that the Iranian origin of the funds would not be detected by U.S. banks.

Atilla has pleaded not guilty to the charges. A lawyer for Atilla has attacked Zarrab's credibility, portraying him as "liar" and sophisticated con man.

The U.S. indictment describes Caglayan's role in the gold-transfer scheme and in another scheme in which he and other Turkish government officials allegedly helped disguise the movement of Iranian oil proceeds by claiming the money was connected with the sale of food and medicine to Iran and thus exempt from sanctions.

Erdogan has called on U.S. authorities to "review" the decision to indict Caglayan, saying the former minister did not engage in any wrongdoing because Turkey never imposed sanctions on Iran. Ankara views Tehran as an important trading partner.

Before Zarrab turned into the government's top witness, Erdogan repeatedly demanded that the United States release him. His ministers have asserted that the case was "fabricated" and Zarrab is being held "hostage" to force him to testify.

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters


Senate Considers Making a Terrible Tax Bill Even Worse



By THE EDITORIAL BOARD







Credit Selman Design







This is how Senate Republicans compromise these days: They could make their enormously unpopular tax bill, which lavishes benefits on corporations and wealthy families, more generous to real estate tycoons and hedge fund billionaires to win over a couple of lawmakers who say the legislation doesnt do enough for small businesses.



Even by the collapsing standards of Congress this is astounding. The change demanded by the two unhappy senators  Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Steve Daines of Montana  would further lower the tax bills of people like President Trump who earn most of their income through limited liability companies, partnerships and other pass through businesses that do not withhold taxes on the money passed along to their owners. About 70 percent of all pass-through income goes to people in the top 1 percent of Americans who receive any income whatsoever.



Under the Senate bill, business owners could claim a 17.4 percent deduction on their pass-through income before paying taxes. Mr. Johnson and Mr. Daines want a higher deduction, meaning that moguls would pay taxes on less of their earnings. It is conceivable that this could benefit some mom-and-pop businesses, but only modestly so. This is really about stuffing the pockets of people like Mr. Trump, who controls his real estate, licensing and hospitality empire through more than 500 pass-through businesses, according to his lawyers.



Forgotten in this deal-making are the millions of poor and middle-class families whose tax and health insurance premiums would rise under the Senate bill. Republican lawmakers keep talking about how middle-class families would see tax cuts of about $1,000, or about $19 dollars a week, but those cuts would last only a few years before expiring after 2025. By 2027, families making under $75,000 a year would on average pay more in taxes, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. All told, half of all taxpayers would pay more by that year and two-thirds of people in the middle 20 percent of the income distribution would pay more, according to the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. People earning $40,000 to $50,000 would collectively lose $5.3 billion by paying more in taxes and receiving less in government spending in 2027 while millionaires would gain $5.8 billion, according to the Joint Committee and the Congressional Budget Office.



The bill would also repeal the Affordable Care Acts mandate that most Americans have health insurance or pay a penalty. As a result, up to 13 million could lose coverage, and premiums would rise 10 percent a year for the next 10 years, the C.B.O. says. Senator Susan Collins of Maine has correctly noted that any temporary tax cuts for the middle class would be more than offset by the higher cost of health insurance  a good reason for her to vote against the bill.



Because it would cut corporate taxes so deeply  to 20 percent, from 35 percent  this bill would blow a huge hole in the federal budget. Over the next 10 years, it would add more than $1.4 trillion to the federal deficit. That hole would have to be filled somehow, someday. That would probably mean even higher taxes on the middle class in the future and cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and other important government programs. Several Republican senators  Bob Corker of Tennessee, Jeff Flake of Arizona, James Lankford of Oklahoma and Jerry Moran of Kansas  have expressed concerns about the deficit. If they are genuinely troubled, they will uphold their demand that Congress not pass the buck for tax cuts to future generations and will vote no on this bill.



The majority leader, Mitch McConnell, is trying to rush the bill to a vote by the end of the week. This self-imposed deadline is intended to give lawmakers and the public as little time as possible to analyze and understand the bill. The Senate has held no hearings on this legislation, which has been cooked up behind closed doors by Republicans without Democratic input.



Senator John McCain of Arizona gave a stirring speech in July about the need for the Senate to be deliberative and bipartisan during the debate about repealing the A.C.A. The mad dash to get a tax bill passed before Christmas has been a prime example of what Mr. McCain was railing against. If he stands for the principles he spoke about so eloquently, he will vote no on this bill, just as he did on the deeply flawed health care legislation.



Republican senators have a choice. They can follow the will of their donors and vote to take money from the middle class and give it to the wealthiest people in the world. Or they can vote no, to protect the public and the financial health of the government. Theres no compromise on that.
November 30, 2017

The Company has signed a Deferred Prosecution Agreement ("DPA") with the U.S. Department of Justice ("DoJ") resolving the reopened investigation into the Company's legacy issues and the investigation into the Company's relationship with Unaoil

As part of the overall resolution, SBM Offshore USA, Inc. a U.S. subsidiary of SBM Offshore, pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to commit a violation of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

The Company and SBM Offshore USA, Inc. agree to pay monetary penalties in the total amount of US$238 million

The terms of the resolution reflect the Company's cooperation and confidence in the quality of the Company's compliance program and efforts by current management

The agreements relate to a conspiracy to violate the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The resolution references Brazil, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Iraq and Kazakhstan from 1996 until 2012. The Company admits, accepts, and acknowledges that it is responsible under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for the acts of its officers, directors, employees, and agents as set out in the filed documents. Under the terms of the DPA, the DoJ agrees to defer prosecution of the Company during the term of the DPA (three years). After completion of the term of the DPA and fulfillment of the conditions, the charges against the Company will be dismissed.

The Company agrees to pay total monetary penalties in the amount of US$238 million, of which the Company will pay on behalf of its U.S. subsidiary, SBM Offshore USA, Inc. US$500,000 as a criminal fine and a forfeiture of US$13.2 million as part of the subsidiary's guilty plea. The penalties and forfeiture of the Company's resolution with the Dutch authorities in 2014 and the amounts provisioned by the Company for resolution of its legacy issues in Brazil have been taken into account.

The Company has provisioned for the US$238 million penalty amount. Payment will be due within ten business days.

The Company's cooperation in the DoJ's investigation, including conducting a thorough internal investigation, making regular factual presentations to the DoJ, voluntarily making employees available for interviews, producing documents to the DoJ, collecting, analyzing, and organizing voluminous evidence and information, has been recognized by the DoJ.

The DoJ recognized that the Company engaged in remedial measures since 2012-including terminating employees who were involved in the criminal conduct and terminating numerous agency relationships with third parties-and the Company's commitment to its compliance program and internal controls. Based on the Company's remediation and the state of its compliance program, the DoJ determined that an independent compliance monitor was unnecessary.

The agreements do not provide any protection for individuals against prosecution, regardless of their affiliation with the Company. As part of the deferred prosecution agreement and guilty plea, SBM Offshore will continue to cooperate with the DOJ.

Corporate Profile

SBM Offshore N.V. is a listed holding company that is headquartered in Amsterdam. It holds direct and indirect interests in other companies that collectively with SBM Offshore N.V. form the SBM Offshore group ("the Company").

SBM Offshore provides floating production solutions to the offshore energy industry, over the full product life-cycle. The Company is market leading in leased floating production systems with multiple units currently in operation and has unrivalled operational experience in this field. The Company's main activities are the design, supply, installation, operation and the life extension of Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels. These are either owned and operated by SBM Offshore and leased to its clients or supplied on a turnkey sale basis.

As of December 31, 2016, Group companies employ approximately 4,750 people worldwide. Full time company employees totaling c. 4,250 are spread over five regional centers, ten operational shore bases and the offshore fleet of vessels. A further 500 are working for the joint ventures with several construction yards. For further information, please visit our website at www.sbmoffshore.com.

The companies in which SBM Offshore N.V. directly and indirectly owns investments are separate entities. In this communication "SBM Offshore" is sometimes used for convenience where references are made to SBM Offshore N.V. and its subsidiaries in general, or where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies.

The Management Board

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, November 30, 2017

Financial Calendar Date Year Full-Year 2017 Earnings - Press Release February 8 2018 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders April 11 2018 Trading Update 1Q 2018 - Press Release May 9 2018 Half-Year 2018 Earnings - Press Release August 9 2018 Trading Update 3Q 2018 - Press Release November 15 2018

Note: date in bold was changed - as reported in the press release of November 8, 2017 - from May 10, 2018 before market opening to May 9, 2018 after market close to accommodate Ascension Day.

For further information, please contact:

Investor Relations

Bert-Jaap Dijkstra

Investor Relations Director

Mobile NL:

Mobile MC: +31 (0) 6 2114 1017

+33 (0) 6 4391 9302 Telephone: +31 20 236 3222 E-mail: bertjaap.dijkstra@sbmoffshore.com Website: www.sbmoffshore.com

Media Relations

Vincent Kempkes

Group Communications Director

Telephone: +31 (0) 20 2363 170 Mobile: +31 (0) 6 25 68 71 67 E-mail: vincent.kempkes@sbmoffshore.com Website: www.sbmoffshore.com

Disclaimer

This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. Some of the statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements based on management's current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those in such statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results and performance of the Company's business to differ materially and adversely from the forward-looking statements. Certain such forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes", "may", "will", "should", "would be", "expects" or "anticipates" or similar expressions, or the negative thereof, or other variations thereof, or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, or intentions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this release as anticipated, believed, or expected. SBM Offshore NV does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update any industry information or forward-looking statements set forth in this release to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. Nothing in this press release shall be deemed an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mission Ready Services Inc. (Mission Ready or the Company) (TSX-V:MRS) is pleased to provide an update on recent operational advancements within the Company, and announce the fulfillment of an initial order from the Republic of Tunisia Armed Forces (Tunisian Armed Forces) in North Africa.



In an entirely unrelated development from the Foreign Military Distribution Agreement announced September 6, 2017, the Company has received a small leading order for 140 of its Plate Carriers and Soft Armor (collectively, a Unit) from the Tunisian Armed Forces. This initial pilot order follows an October 2017 visit from senior Tunisian Military and Government officials who toured the Companys manufacturing facility in Jacksboro, TN as part of a due diligence undertaking for the selection of tactical solutions provider.

Foreign Military Distribution Agreement

Further to the September 6, 2017 news release announcing a Foreign Military Distribution Agreement, the Company is pleased with the progress being made in advancing the project including the construction of the required logistical framework among other administrative preparations. Senior executives representing both Mission Ready and the Distributor are working diligently to advance the project as efficiently as possible, with the goal to begin receiving the initial purchase order(s) within the current quarter.

Mission ready is highly committed to maintaining its notable track record of regulatory compliance and timely disclosure of material events and, as such, will continue to ensure the prompt and comprehensive public disclosure of newsworthy developments going forward.

Marketing & Sales

Mission Ready welcomes Marcus Treiber as the new VP of Sales for Protect The Force (PTF). Treiber will lead the Companys growing sales team to rapidly expand PTFs footprint within the industry and bolster its product sales in the United States of America, and internationally, to foreign militaries.

Mr. Treiber, a former US Marine and Project Officer for the United States Marine Corps, is an industry veteran with over 15 years of experience in the US armor and protection markets. As a founder of Renegade Armor, Mr. Treiber served as their Chief Operating Officer and, in 6 years, grew the company from a startup to over USD $17MM in annual sales before accepting a buy-out offer from Propper International. Prior to Renegade, Mr. Treiber worked at Protective Products International from February 2005-January 2009. While at Protective Products, Mr. Treiber was responsible for 500% growth of the company and the award of the largest USMC body armor contract in the history of the Marine Corps. After serving as an Infantryman in the Fleet Marine Force, Mr. Treiber was selected to be an instructor at The Basic School (TBS) in Quantico, Virginia. In this capacity, Mr. Treiber rewrote the Military Operations Urban Terrain (MOUT) package taught to every Marine officer.

Additionally, Mission Ready has retained the services of Nick Hoffman and his team at Tactical Development Group (TDG) which provides disruptive business solutions for shooting, hunting, outdoor and tactical (SHOT) brands. With nearly 20-years experience in the SHOT market, Tactical Development Groups focus provides extensive knowledge of products and customer behavior. Experienced in developing businesses and brands for Military, Federal, State and Local Agency consumption, Tactical Development Group understands the target customer and their needs, as well as market dynamics and landscape, providing the strategy and catalyst for successful business and brand growth. Tactical Development Groups team includes a broad skillset in marketing, media, sales management, operational management, product development, relationship management, leadership, and high-level strategy for the SHOT market.

Technology & Product Development Update

Further to the Companys April 4, 2017 news release announcing a winning submission to develop an Electricians Impact Safety Vest (EISV) for the US Navy, under contract with the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center (NSRDEC), Protect The Force has finalized delivery of the user evaluation prototypes pursuant to the terms of the 6-month Government-funded development project. Protect The Force will work with the US Government to identify commercialization opportunities for this first-of-a-kind product within the Navy, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, industrial safety industry, among others markets.

On August 11, 2017, Protect The Force was awarded a prototyping contract (the Project) from the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) for a base vest with modular components for tailoring protection levels to defeat multiple ballistic and fragmentation threats while performing security and Anti-Terrorism/Force-Protection duties. The Project was successfully completed as of September 12, 2017. Francisco Martinez, Mission Readys Chief Technology Officer, states, Our continued success in winning these development awards further validates our distinction in the industry, and demonstrates our ability to respond quickly to government requests.

Further to the Companys October 2017 update on the Advanced Multi-Purpose Base Ensemble for Emergency Responders (AMBER) project, all uniforms have been delivered and user evaluations have begun in the US and internationally by foreign partners in the United Kingdom and Sweden. Protect The Force has developed a go-to market strategy for the AMBER project and is expectantly awaiting the finalization of the user evaluations. Additionally, the Company is actively working towards securing the intellectual property rights for the AMBER technology.

Q3 2017 Interim Results

Mission Ready reports that its quarterly unaudited financial statements, related Managements Discussion & Analysis (MD&A) and National Instrument (NI) 52-109FV2 reports for the period ended September 30, 2017 were filed on SEDAR on November 29, 2017 and can be viewed at http://www.sedar.com/.

We continue to implement our aggressive strategic growth strategy to increase sales and grow the bottom line, states Jeffery Schwartz, President & CEO of Mission Ready. As a launching point for what we believe will be a very busy year for the Company, we are going into 2018 with open orders, at present, totaling in excess of CAD$1.35MM for the first quarter.

Investor Conference Call

The Company will hold an investor conference call (the Investor Call) on Thursday, December 7, 2017 at 4:00PM EST. The duration of the Investor Call is expected to be approximately 30-45 minutes.

In addition to providing a corporate update, the Mission Ready management team will be hosting a brief Question & Answer (Q&A) period whereby they will respond to investor enquiries as time permits. To submit an enquiry or discussion point to be addressed during the Q&A period, send an email to InvestorCall@MissionReadyServices.com no later than 5:00PM EDT on Tuesday, December 5, 2017. The Company will endeavor to respond to as many enquiries as possible within the allotted timeframe.

Jeffery Schwartz further states, We recognize the tremendous support we continue to receive from our shareholders and believe that investors  current and prospective  deserve proactive, transparent communication. This mandate will continue to be a priority as we develop additional opportunities in 2018 and beyond.

Dial-In Instructions

Call Mission Ready toll-free at 1.877.479.7778 Once the recording begins, enter 1000 on your keypad When prompted for your access code, enter 785061#

About Mission Ready Services Inc.

Mission Ready is dedicated to saving lives and enhancing the performance of military personnel, first-responders, and those who protect us by working to ensure they are equipped with the best possible personal protective equipment.

Headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Mission Ready has three distinct, synergistic operating divisions:

Innovations and Development of Personal Protective Equipment

Manufacturing of Leading Military & Law Enforcement Personal Protective Equipment

Cleaning, Decontamination & Repair of Personal Protective Equipment

Mission Readys management team offers over 100 years of combined industry experience and is composed of industry experts in developing products, contracting, and selling to the federal government, first responders and tactical markets through open market procurements, teaming arrangements, and a variety of federal contract tools.

For further information, visit MissionReady.ca or ProtectTheForce.com.

Terry Nixon - Director, Corporate Communications

Telephone: 1.877.479.7778

Mission Ready Services Inc.

(signed Jeffery L. Schwartz)

Jeffery L. Schwartz,

President & CEO

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "forecast", "project", "budget", "schedule", "may", "will", "could", "might", "should" or variations of such words or similar words or expressions. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by Mission Ready Services Inc. as at the date of such information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Mission Ready Services Inc. to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.

Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable. Although Mission Ready Services Inc. has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Mission Ready Services Inc. does not undertake to update any forward-looking information that is included herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
CALGARY, Alberta , Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Uptick Newswire invites Archie Nesbitt, CEO of Marksmen Energy Inc. (TSX-V:MAH) (OTCQB:MKSEF) (Marksmen or the Company), for an update on what the Company has been accomplishing and what the Company plans to accomplish moving forward. In the first half of the interview, Mr. Nesbitt discusses the Companys new modern technology and how the Company drills with this technology to produce the most from its oil wells. He discusses the reason why Marksmen is in Ohio putting together a horizontal drilling team, in the Clinton Sandstone, using the new, up-to-date technology to open up the wells, further discussing that the Company will start drilling in less than 2 weeks. He elaborates on the private placement to participate in the first horizontal well, the percentage negotiations to take control of the overall project, the thought on the overall revenue income for the life of the well with hard costs and the gives great details on the partners coming in on the project. Furthermore, Mr. Nesbitt discusses the pros and cons of investing in oil companies and junior oil companies and how Marksmen is different from other companies within the industry.



In closing CEO Mr. Nesbitt states, We are going to be striving to be better known in the US and we will do a lot of work to become better known to the investors in the US. Doing this we think will benefit our shareholders and that will give people a lot more opportunity to participate in our oil and gas resources.

To listen to the full interview please click here or the following link: https://upticknewswire.com/featured-interview-ceo-archie-nesbitt-of-marksmen-energy-inc-otcqb-mksef/

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This news release may contain certain forward-looking information and statements including drilling and other opportunities available to Marksmen. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and such information involves various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. A description of assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information and a description of risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in Marksmens disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Marksmen does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Source: Uptick Newswire
Latvian English

Riga, 2017-11-30 15:00 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In the 9-month period of 2017, Latvenergo Group has generated 4,088 GWh of electricity at its power plants, which is 34% more compared to the respective period of 2016. The increase in electricity output was affected mainly by a significantly higher hydropower generation output at the Daugava hydropower plants (Daugava HPPs). The electricity output generated at the Daugava HPPs has increased by 65% compared to the respective period a year ago and amounts to 2,970 GWh. The amount of electricity generated by Latvenergo corresponds to 79% of the total amount of electricity sold to retail customers. By optimally combining generation at the Riga CHPPs and the Daugava HPPs with the import opportunities from other Nord Pool bidding areas, consumers in the Baltics benefit from both price convergence to the Nordic price level and price stability in the long term. In April 2017, the opening of the natural gas market took place. As a result, natural gas for the Groups generation needs is now supplied also from alternative sources, including Klaipeda natural gas terminal.

Latvenergo Group is the largest thermal energy producer in Latvia, providing 1,791 GWh of heat to consumers during the 9-month period of 2017, which is 4% more than in the previous year.

During the reporting period, the total amount of electricity supplied to customers in the Baltics is 5,189 GWh: in Latvia  3,428 GWh, in Lithuania  1,050 GWh and in Estonia  712 GWh. In the 9-month period of 2017, Latvenergo Group has maintained its position as the leading electricity supplier in the Baltics, despite the increased competition in the business customer segment. In addition to selling electricity, in Q3 of 2017, Elektrum Eesti OU, the subsidiary of Latvenergo Group in Estonia, commenced natural gas trade to business customers in Estonia.

The revenue of Latvenergo Group in the 9-month period of 2017 amounts to 679.2 million euros and has not changed significantly compared to the respective period a year ago. During the reporting period, Latvenergo Groups EBITDA has increased by 4%, reaching EUR 299.0 million. Also the EBITDA margin has improved, reaching 43% which is 4 per cent points above the result in the previous year. The profit of Latvenergo Group is 125.0 million euros. The results were positively affected mainly by the higher electricity output at the Daugava HPPs.

In the 9-month period of 2017, the total amount of investment has increased by EUR 30 million or 22% compared to the respective period last year and amounts to EUR 166.6 million. The increase is due to greater investment in the generation segment and the transmission segment. Approximately 2/3 of investment were made in the network assets. Major investment projects of Latvenergo Group are: 1) reconstruction of hydropower units at the Daugava HPPs, which will ensure their functionality for the next 40 years; 2) the Kurzeme Ring, which will significantly increase power supply safety in the Kurzeme region and in Latvia as a whole, allowing further integration of the Baltics into the Nordic electricity market; 3) Third Estonia-Latvia power transmission network interconnection, which is of major significance for the future electricity transmission infrastructure of the whole Baltic region.

In September this year, the Cabinet of Ministers accepted the order that provides for a new mechanism for reduction of the mandatory procurement public service obligation (PSO) fee for electricity consumers. A mechanism has been created under which the state would reduce its future commitments to cogeneration plants with installed electrical capacity above 100 MW. Such producers are given the opportunity to apply for a one-off payment, agreeing to reduce support intensity in future. After the end of the reporting period, on 19 October 2017, Latvenergo AS applied for the one-off compensation from the state, at the same time opting out of the receipt of 75% of the annual electrical capacity payments for cogeneration power plants Riga CHPP-1 and Riga CHPP-2. The compensation will be financed by applying the rights of the state as the Shareholder to carry out a capital release of Latvenergo AS in the amount of EUR 454 million. The application of Latvenergo AS for the one-off compensation will contribute to reduction of the average PSO fee as of 1 January 2018.

On 7 September 2017, Moodys has not revised the credit rating of Latvenergo AS at the Baa2 level with a stable future outlook. In the assessment of the credit rating of Latvenergo AS, Moody's has taken into account the one-off compensation, further changes in the support intensity for Riga CHPPs, as well as the planned capital release of Latvenergo AS.

The consolidated unaudited condensed financial statements of Latvenergo Group will be published on 28 February 2018.

* EBITDA  earnings before interest, corporate income tax, share of profit or loss of associated companies, depreciation and amortisation and impairment of intangible and fixed assets

Latvenergo Group Key Performance Indicators

Operational Figures

9M 2017 9M 2016 Total electricity supply, incl. GWh 7,646 7,272 Retail* GWh 5,189 5,702 Wholesale** GWh 2,457 1,570 Electricity generation GWh 4,088 3,052 Thermal energy generation GWh 1,791 1,725 Number of employees 4,053 4,184 Moody's credit rating Baa2 (stable) Baa2 (stable)

* Including operating consumption

**Including sale of energy purchased within the mandatory procurement on the Nord Pool

Financial Figures

9M 2017 9M 2016 Revenue MEUR 679.2 678.2 EBITDA 1) MEUR 299.0 288.1 Profit MEUR 125.0 94.3 Assets MEUR 3,886.0 3,564.6 Equity MEUR 2,455.1 2,110.5 Net debt 2) MEUR 620.6 623.0 Investments MEUR 166.6 136.5

1) EBITDA  earnings before interest, corporate income tax, share of profit or loss of associates, depreciation and amortization, and impairment of intangible and fixed assets

2) Net debt  borrowings at the end of the period  cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period

3) Net debt / EBITDA  average value of net debt / EBITDA (12-month rolling)

4) EBITDA margin  EBITDA (12-month rolling) / revenue (12-month rolling)

5) Return on equity  profit (12-month rolling) / average value of equity

6) Return on assets  profit (12-month rolling) / average value of assets

7) Return on capital employed  operating profit (12-month rolling) / average value of equity + average value of borrowings

8) Net debt / equity  net debt / equity

Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss***

for the 9-month period ending 30 September 2017

01/0130/09/2017 01/0130/09/2016 EUR000 EUR000 Revenue 679,179 678,203 Other income 5,002 4,818 Raw materials and consumables used (256,600) (274,874) Personnel expenses (75,993) (72,754) Depreciation, amortisation and impairment of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment (143,676) (171,370) Other operating expenses (52,597) (47,252) Operating profit 155,315 116,771 Finance income 941 1,788 Finance costs (8,646) (10,935) Received dividends from subsidiaries   Profit before tax 147,610 107,624 Income tax (22,574) (13,227) Profit for the period 125,036 94,397 Profit attributable to:  Equity holder of the Parent Company 124,125 93,685  Noncontrolling interests 911 712

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position***

30/09/2017 31/12/2016 EUR'000 EUR'000 ASSETS Noncurrent assets Intangible assets and property, plant and equipment 3,389,896 3,370,331 Investment property 657 563 Noncurrent financial investments 41 41 Noncurrent loans to subsidiaries   Investments in heldtomaturity financial assets 16,997 17,034 Other noncurrent receivables 986 986 TOTAL noncurrent assets 3,408,577 3,388,955 Current assets Inventories 89,814 41,458 Prepayment for inventories 210  Trade receivables and other receivables 259,041 273,957 Deferred expenses 1,140 3,227 Current loans to subsidiaries   Derivative financial instruments 4,522 6,134 Investments in heldtomaturity financial assets  3,520 Cash and cash equivalents 122,710 183,980 TOTAL current assets 477,437 512,276 TOTAL ASSETS 3,886,014 3,901,231 EQUITY Share capital 1,288,715 1,288,715 Reserves 938,650 937,074 Retained earnings 221,156 185,840 Equity attributable to equity holder of the Parent Company 2,448,521 2,411,629 Noncontrolling interests 6,602 7,084 TOTAL equity 2,455,123 2,418,713 LIABILITIES Noncurrent liabilities Borrowings 610,299 635,620 Deferred income tax liabilities 316,102 315,759 Provisions 19,416 18,643 Derivative financial instruments 5,454 7,946 Other liabilities and deferred income 200,901 195,407 Total noncurrent liabilities 1,152,172 1,173,375 Current liabilities Borrowings 133,030 155,946 Trade and other payables 119,884 117,817 Income tax payable 8,135 17,718 Deferred income 14,385 14,022 Derivative financial instruments 3,285 3,640 TOTAL current liabilities 278,719 309,143 TOTAL liabilities 1,430,891 1,482,518 TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 3,886,014 3,901,231

*** - Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements. Prepared in accordance with the IFRS as adopted by the European Union.

Additional information:

Janis Irbe

Group Treasurer

Phone: +371 67 728 239

E-mail: investor.relations@latvenergo.lv

www.latvenergo.lv

About Latvenergo

Latvenergo Group is the largest pan-Baltic power supply utility operating in electricity and thermal energy generation and trade, natural gas trade, electricity distribution services and lease of transmission system assets. Latvenergo AS has been acknowledged as the most valuable company in Latvia for several times. International credit rating agency Moodys has assigned Latvenergo AS an investment-grade credit rating of Baa2/stable.

Latvenergo Group is comprised of the parent company Latvenergo AS (generation and trade of electricity and thermal energy, trade of natural gas) and seven subsidiaries - Latvijas elektriskie tikli AS (lease of transmission system assets), Sadales tikls AS (electricity distribution), Elektrum Eesti OU (trade of electricity and natural gas in Estonia), Elektrum Lietuva UAB (trade of electricity and natural gas in Lithuania), Energijas publiskais tirgotajs AS (administration of mandatory electricity procurement process) and Liepajas energija SIA (generation and trade of thermal energy in Liepaja, electricity generation). All shares of Latvenergo AS are owned by the state and held by the Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia.
English Latvian

Salacgriva, Latvia, 2017-11-30 15:31 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

MANAGEMENT REPORT

November 30, 2017

The types of activities performed by the JSC Brivais vilnis are processing and canning of fish and fish products, wholesale of food products and other commercial activities classified nowhere else. On May 14, 2002 the company was registered in the Common commercial register of the Republic of Latvia.

Year 2017 is the 26th year of operation since the Company was transformed into a Joint Stock Company. In 9 months of 2017 the Company produced a total of 8.5 million cans of various types (153) of fish products, including 3.6 million cans of sprat. In 9 months of 2017 there were sold 8.8 million cans for EUR 4.7 million. The financial result of 9 months of 2017 is a loss of EUR 679 693. These losses are from economic activities of the Company.

Net turnover for 9 months of 2017 is EUR 4 675 thousand.

Result for 9 months of 2017:

Gross profit (EUR) 34 thousand

Gross profit (%) 0.7

Operating results of the JSC Brivais vilnis compared to the previous year are less successful, the impact of the Russian embargo is still felt. Sales volumes have increased, losses have not decreased. The Company has not stopped the operation, it is working according to orders received, mainly by using the fresh local raw materials. Due to the existing market situation, we believe that the most important is to keep existing customers and work on adoption of new markets. We are visiting and participating in food fairs in Western Europe and other world. The Company has enforced its sales department.

The Company is working on development of new types of products and new lines of products, and development of new types of packaging, as well as on improvement of quality of the current assortment. We are the leader in development of innovative packaging types. The main thing that ensures our products to be special on the market of food products is that it does not contain genetically modified additives, chemical flavour enhancers and colouring agents. Canned fish products are handmade and therefore have a good quality. The world`s increasing demand is for natural food, produced without artificial additives.

The Company has the IFS certificate  an international food safety standard. We have gained the Kosher certificate of the Orthodox Union.

Arnolds Babris

Chairman of the Board
English Lithuanian

Alytus, Lithuania, 2017-11-30 16:01 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The consolidated unaudited sales revenue of Snaige AB exceeded 30 million EUR within the first three quarters of this year, which is slightly less if compared to the same period last year.The companys EBITDA was 1.6 million EUR (according to consolidated unaudited data) i.e. 56% less than in the same period last year.

According Gediminas Ceika, the Director General of Snaige AB, this year was comprised of many challenges. Prices of most raw materials increased, however the price of the products remained at the same level in almost all markets of the company. That influenced our results inevitably, stated Mr. G. Ceika. Many manufacturers of refrigerators, including Chinese manufacturers, have announced on the increase of products price by the end of a year. Thus we anticipate more balanced results of or sale income and EBITDA.

Snaige exported its products to more than 30 European and Asian countries within 3 quarters of this year. The companys largest markets in terms of income were Germany, France, Ukraine, Lithuania and the Czech Republic. While the largest increase of income, if compared to the previous year, was in Norway, Portugal, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine.

The company implemented two lines of refrigerators of new design. New refrigerators shall arrive to the shops and fascinate the customers in 2018 already.
NOT FOR DISSEMINATION TO U.S. WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

CALGARY, Alberta, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hemostemix Inc. (Hemostemix or the Company) (TSX VENTURE:HEM) is pleased to announce that it has established a new head office in The Edison building in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, as well as new senior management appointments and certain stock option grants.



The move to The Edison (150-9th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta) allows Hemostemix to be a tenant within the first of its kind building in Calgary that has become a hub for collaborators, innovators and visionaries. Ongoing efforts to improve efficiency and logistics by the Company has also resulted in Hemostemix transitioning its stem cell manufacturing operations to a third party supplier in North America. This has resulted in the closure of the Israel laboratory. It is anticipated that this transition will save Hemostemix in excess of CAD$500,000 per year and improve logistical support for the Companys current North American focused clinical trial activities for patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI).

The majority of the corporate reorganization of the Company originally announced on December 22, 2016 has now been resolved and Hemostemix has now put in place a solid, experienced and talented management team to progressively move forward.

In particular, Dr. Ravi Jain, Ph.D., who has already provided support as a consultant to the Company, has now joined the Company as its new Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and Christy Pifer has joined the Company as Clinical Trial Manager (CTM). In addition, Kyle Makofka, after having been focused on putting in place a new specialist leadership team, as well as leading the financing and restructuring efforts generally as Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO), has agreed to transition from the CRO role to become the new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Company with a view to ensuring the new strategic plan of the company is executed. Further, David Berman has determined to transition out of his role as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), with Kristin Gulka transitioning into that role over the coming months. As Hemostemix consolidates its head office functions in Calgary, Mr. Berman has decided to remain in Toronto. Mr. Berman has committed to continue on in an advisory capacity until the conclusion of the transition of the CFO role.

Further information regarding the new senior managers is as follows:

-- Dr. Ravi Jain, Ph.D.

Mr. Jain began his education at the University of California, Davis receiving his BSc. in Genetics and was awarded Regents Scholarship and Presidents Undergraduate Research Fellowship. Mr. Jain received his Ph.D. in Molecular Evolution from University of California, Los Angeles in 2002 and was awarded NIH fellowships in Genetic Mechanisms and Bioinformatics.

Mr. Jain has a background in microbial bioinformatics and is the co-founder and President of cBio Inc., a bioinformatics/software development consulting firm. Under his leadership, cBio was ranked as one of the Top-50 Fastest Growing Private Company in 2010, 2011 and 2012 by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal. Mr. Jain was most recently the Managing Director at UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, where during his leadership, Institute funding grew from $22M to $36M. In 2006, as Field Applications Scientist at Cognia, he managed technical marketing for the biological knowledge management software start-up. From 2004-2006, as Senior Scientist at Biosite (now Alere), Mr. Jain developed predictive studies for point-of-care diagnostics development. Mr. Jain propelled multi-marker panels for cardiovascular diseases and sepsis into internal clinical testing by presenting statistically sound evidence of the usability of marker combinations.

-- Christy Pifer, B.S., C.C.R.P.

Christy has over 18 years of clinical research experience in phase I, II and III drug trials. She has played a key role in the operational oversight, development and overall management of multiple clinical trials for cardiovascular diseases. Spending 11 years working in the Vascular Center at UC Davis in Sacramento, California, Christy has managed all peripheral vascular trials there, including CLI and cell therapy trials. Christy brings expert level knowledge of the clinical trial process and regulatory requirements for IND (Investigational New Drug) and IDE (Investigational Device Exemption) trials to ensure project compliance.

Christy graduated from CSU Sacramento in 1999 with a bachelor of science degree in exercise physiology. She is currently qualified as a certified clinical research professional (CCRP) by the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA).

-- Kristin Gulka, CPA, CA

Kristin has more than 10 years of financial, accounting and leadership experience. She has worked in a variety of industries as well as public and private companies, including 3 years at a public biotech company (SemBioSys Genetics Inc.) conducting phase I and II clinical trials. Kristin was named to the National Honour Roll (Vic Dzurko Honour Roll) when she completed her Uniform Final Exam, the UFE, (now known as the Common Final Examination or CFE) in 2006 and went on to achieve her Chartered Accountant designation in 2007. She also holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) degree from the University of Calgary. Over the last 7 years, Kristin has progressed through increased roles in the finance department of Ferus, a Calgary-based company specialized in the production, storage and supply of liquid nitrogen (N2), liquid carbon dioxide (C02), liquid natural gas (LNG), and compressed natural gas (CNG) for the energy industry in both Canada and the United States.

Angus Jenkins, Chair of the Board commented on the reorganization, We are very pleased that the restructuring of Hemostemix is substantially complete and with the successful conclusion of the financing this summer and fall. We have added significant depth to the team and the next important step is to now focus on getting to the interim data point for our Critical Limb Ischemia trials.

The Company also announced that Dr. Ina Sarel has stepped down as Vice President Research & Development. Dr. Sarel has served as the Vice President Research & Development with the business since 2011, beginning with TheraVitae Inc., one of the predecessor entities that was part of the qualifying transaction with Technical Ventures RX Corp. resulting in the formation of Hemostemix in 2014. The board of directors wishes to express its sincere thanks to Dr. Sarel for her service to the Company and its business and wishes her success in her future endeavors. The board of directors together with Chief Restructuring Officer, Mr. Kyle Makofka have determined that Dr. Sarels former duties will now fall under the scope of responsibilities of the new Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Ravi Jain.

The Board of Directors of the Company also announced it has approved the granting of 1,600,000 options pursuant to the Companys existing incentive stock option plan to certain directors and officers of the Company. The options have an exercise price of $0.10 per common share and expire five years from the date of grant and generally have one-third vesting on each of the first, second and third anniversaries from the date of grant.

ABOUT HEMOSTEMIX INC.

Hemostemix is a public clinical-stage biotechnology company that develops and commercializes innovative blood-derived cell therapies for medical conditions not adequately addressed by current treatments. It is the first clinical-stage biotech company to test a stem-cell therapy in an international, multicenter, phase 2 clinical trial for patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI), a severe form of peripheral artery disease (PAD) caused by reduced blood flow to the legs. The phase 2 trial targets a participants diseased tissue with proprietary cells grown from his or her blood that can support the formation of new blood vessels.

Hemostemix Inc. is traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol HEM . To find out more visit hemostemix.com or email office@hemostemix.com .

Contact:

Kyle Makofka,

Chief Executive Officer

Suite 1000, 150  9th Avenue S.W.

Calgary, Alberta T2P 3H9

Phone: (403) 340-9207

E-Mail: kmakofka@drivecapital.ca

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words expects, plans, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates, projects, potential, and similar expressions, or that events or conditions will, would, may, could, or should occur. Although Hemostemix believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates, and opinions of Hemostemix management on the date such statements were made. By their nature forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the Companys stage of development, long-term capital requirements and future ability to fund operations, future developments in the Companys markets and the markets in which it expects to compete, risks associated with its strategic alliances and the impact of entering new markets on the Companys operations. Each factor should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Hemostemix expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
alphaAbhishek123 wrote:

GMAT - 740

Undergrad GPA - 8.87/10 from BITS Pilani, one of the best universities in India

Work experience - 2 years (by matriculation) in PayPal.

Have worked across the organization for more than 5 teams on global projects.

Had the opportunity of working offsite in San Jose.

Mentored a total of 3 interns.

Lead a team to demo a product to external stakeholders

Extra Curriculars -

Vice President Public Relations at a Toastmasters Club.

Jamboree Division Ambassador - managed the marketing of a conference for over 20 Toastmasters' clubs.

Volunteer at a local School, teach English to underprivileged kids.



What are the colleges that I need to be looking at?



mbaMission Senior Admissions Consultant

Chicago Booth Alum, over 70 5-star reviews on GMAT Club

Sign up for a free 30-minute consultation at https://www.mbamission.com/consult/mba-admissions/

Read our Insider's Guides to the top b-schools: http://www.mbamission.com/guides.php?category=insiders



Kate RichardsonmbaMission Senior Admissions ConsultantChicago Booth Alum, over 70 5-star reviews on GMAT ClubSign up for a free 30-minute consultation at https://www.mbamission.com/consult/mba-admissions/Read our Insider's Guides to the top b-schools: http://www.mbamission.com/guides.php?category=insiders Signature Read More

Hi there!You've got a great academic profile with GMAT / GPA -- nicely done! Your work experience (time wise) is on the low end, so be sure to highlight any leadership experience and impact you've had at work, sounds like you've had some good exposure in a short time. As my colleague Krista pointed out back in the spring ( https://gmatclub.com/forum/profile-eval ... l#p1845336 ) you should have a range of schools (stretch, target, and safety). I think generally programs in the 10-25 range will be your sweet spot. But I'll turn the question around to you -- what are your priorities / criteria in selecting a program? What are your career goals? Anything else important to you in a program? You could also read up on our primer on selecting target schools here: https://shop.mbamission.com/products/se ... ba-program Or feel free to sign up for a free 30 minute phone consult with us to discuss your school choices here: https://www.mbamission.com/consult/ Good luck!Kate_________________
We know that some jobs were lost in the city under Delmont's leadership. The ad does not dispute this fact, and the mayor's critics complain about this fact.

The ad responds to this criticism by noting that more jobs were created than were eliminated. So there was actually a net INCREASE in the number of jobs while Delmont was mayor.

of jobs while Delmont was mayor. Furthermore, the average pay for those new jobs was HIGHER than the average pay for jobs citywide each year while Delmont was mayor.

Quote:

(A) The average pay for jobs created in the city during the past three years was higher than the average pay for jobs created in the city earlier in Mayor Delmont's tenure.

Quote:

(B) Average pay in the city was at a ten-year low when Mayor Delmont took office.

Quote:

(C) Some of the jobs created in the city during Mayor Delmont's tenure have in the meantime been eliminated again.

Quote:

(D) The average pay for jobs eliminated in the city during Mayor Delmont's tenure has been roughly equal every year to the average pay for jobs citywide.

Quote:

(E) The average pay for jobs in the city is currently higher than it is for jobs in the suburbs surrounding the city.

in this city

The conclusion of this political ad is that "there can be no question that throughout {Mayor Delmont's} tenure the average paycheck in this city has been getting steadily bigger." Before we look for an answer choice that strengthens the argument, let's make sure we clearly understand the ad's reasoning:Notice that the ad is comparing the average pay of the NEW jobs to the average pay of jobs citywide. The ad is NOT comparing the average pay of the new jobs to the average pay of the jobs that were eliminated. But if we don't know how much we are LOSING (i.e. the average pay of the jobs that were eliminated), how can we be sure that we have a net increase in average pay overall? Sure, the NUMBER of jobs is increasing, but if the new jobs pay less, on average, than the lost jobs, the result would be a net DECREASE in average citywide pay.The ad concludes that the average paycheck in this city has been getting steadily bigger throughout the mayor's tenure. We need an answer choice that strengthens this argument:We know that the average pay for the new jobs was higher than the average pay for jobs citywide each year since Delmont took office. Choice (A) simply tells us that the average pay for the new jobs created during the past three years was higher than the average pay for the new jobs created earlier in the mayor's tenure. So the average pay for the new jobs went up, but what about the average paycheck citywide? Has that been increasing as well? What if the average pay of the LOST jobs exceeded the average pay of the NEW jobs each year? We still can't determine whether the OVERALL average increased or decreased, so (A) doesn't strengthen (or weaken) the argument.The average pay was at a ten-year low when Delmont took office, but what happened AFTER he took office? For example, say that Delmont's term began in 2007. Average pay may have steadily DECLINED from 1997 to 2007, so in 2007 average pay would have been at a ten-year low. Did the average pay then increase or did it continue to decrease? Choice (B) doesn't tell us either way, so it doesn't strengthen or weaken the argument. Eliminate (B).We already know that there has been a net increase in the NUMBER of jobs since the mayor has taken office. This is true regardless of whether choice (C) is true. Either way, we still don't know whether the average paycheck in the city has increased or decreased because we don't know anything about the average pay of the lost jobs. (C) doesn't impact the argument and can be eliminated.The ad compares the average pay of the NEW jobs to the average pay of jobs citywide. But how does the average pay of the new jobs compare to the average pay of the jobs that were lost? What if the average pay of the jobs lost was HIGHER than the average pay of the new jobs? In that case, there would have been a net DECREASE in average pay citywide, contradicting the conclusion of the ad.Choice (D) assures us that this is NOT the case. The average pay of the lost jobs was roughly equal to the average pay for jobs citywide. We already know that the average pay of the new jobs was greater than the average pay for jobs citywide. Given statement (D), we now know that the average pay of the new jobs must also have been greater than the average pay of the lost jobs. Choice (D) definitely strengthens the argument.We only care about what happened to the average paycheck. How the average pay for jobs in the city compares to the average pay for jobs in the surrounding suburbs does not tell us whether the average paycheck in the city has decreased or increased. Choice (E) is not relevant to the argument in this ad and can be eliminated.Choice (D) is the best answer._________________
In 1936, the same year he rose to the crown, King Edward VIII became the only British royal to voluntarily abdicate the throne  and he did it to marry Wallis Simpson, a Baltimore socialite and divorcee. Although he'd spent most of the 1920s reportedly having affairs with several married women, when he met Wallis Simpson  an American businessman's wife who then became divorced  he was smitten for good. So much so that when the Church of England would not agree to their marriage, he gave up the throne. The couple was married the following year, 1937, and became the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

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In recent years, we have watched food companies shift their principles, their ingredient sources, and their marketing strategies to address the concerns of consumers. From animals raised without antibiotics to GMO-free ingredients, restaurant chains and food processors have taken steps in what they believe is a more customer and environmentally friendly direction.

Ben & Jerrys ice cream company has taken this movement one step further. According to an article in The New York Times, the Vermont-based company signed an agreement earlier this month with a farmworkers group that established labor standards for its supplying farms.

The program is called Milk with Dignity. It was shaped after the Fair Food Program, an agreement that began in 2011 to address concerning working conditions in Floridas tomato industry. Subway, Walmart, Whole Foods, and other companies agreed to pay an extra 1 to 4 cents per pound of tomatoes and buy only from suppliers participating in the program. The growers committed to paying the legal minimum wage and to ensure workers safety and rights.

As part of Milk with Dignity, workers at Vermont dairy farms that supply Ben & Jerrys with milk will have the right to one day off per week and will earn at least the states minimum wage of $10 an hour. Workers must also be guaranteed at least eight consecutive hours of rest between shifts and housing that includes a bed and access to electricity and clean water.

In exchange, Ben & Jerrys is required to purchase its milk from farms that follow the standards and pay an undisclosed premium for the milk it buys based on volume. Compliance will be monitored and audits conducted by the Southern Poverty Law Centers Immigrant Justice Project.

Ben & Jerrys buys milk from approximately 90 farms in the state of Vermont. Realizing that some of the required changes wont be easy to implement, the program will be adopted in stages. Farms need to go through an orientation and workers have to complete educational sessions before Ben & Jerrys will pay the premiums.

To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2017

October 16, 2017
Over the past few months, we have been contemplating the direction in which our family and farm need to be heading. We decided to bring in an outside advisor to review four years of financials and correlate them with our DHIA records over the same period.

We reviewed each family member and staff members roles, the history of our farm, and discussed what was most important to each family member working on the farm. This process produced a report card for our farm.

There were no huge surprises from the report; we generally knew our strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps more than anything, it helped us identify some low hanging fruit that would be the easiest tasks to work on first. It also helped us to format some financial reports that will help us decide if we can afford some of the changes to our operation we are considering.

Our consultant asked each of us what was most important. Every member of our family talked about quality of life as being the most important aspect of our lives. We all agreed that adequate time off, along with flexibility of working hours, for family and staff was as important as the financial aspect of the business.

Our land base is limited, and very few acres of tillable land are likely to become available nearby to purchase. For this reason, we talked about how best to manage the acreage we own to achieve maximum productivity.

I believe doing this review by an outside facilitator of our business, as well as our business and personal goals, has been a worthwhile endeavor for our family. It affirmed our direction and gave us a snapshot of what our financials look like compared to our peers. I would suggest to every family farm that you sit down annually and discuss each family members goals in business and their goals personally. Bring in an independent consultant if needed.
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Kaohsiung, Nov 22 (IBNS): Kaohsiung, a port city in southern Taiwan, is a home to many skyscrapers such as the 248m-tall Tuntex Sky Tower.

The city is known for its diversity of parks.

Its focal point is the Love River, with walking paths, restaurants and cafes along its banks and cruise boats navigating its waters.

Shopping options range from high-end malls to the Liuhe and Ruifeng night markets that are fantastic for bargain buys.

Kaohsiung has been rated as one of the top 10 cities to visit in 2018 by renowned publication 'Lonely Planet'.

The article said: "A massive arts centre and 100,000 sqm cultural and music complex, complete with wave-lapped walkways and a night market, is emerging on Kaohsiung's balmy harbourfront  Taiwan's showcase for experimental architecture from around the world."

"Adding to this will be a spectacular cruise terminal, for those favouring an Odyssean approach to the port city. A sleek light-rail system links these monuments to the rest of Kaohsiung. Further north, in Xiaogang Shan Recreation Area, hikers can view the Taiwan Strait from the new 88m 'Eye of the Mountain' skywalk, a reminder that water is ever-present. Kaohsiung is surging with possibilities: visit before the world gets wind of it," the article reads.

Taiwan is located in the western Pacific Ocean 160 km (100 miles) off the southeastern coast of the Chinese mainland and is a convenient gateway to Asia for the Indian traveler.
New York, Nov 30(Just Earth News): As temperatures plummet across eastern Ukraine, many  including the elderly  who fled their homes following hostilities are forced to return to their original place of residence due to lack of jobs and money to pay rent in the places they were sheltering, the United Nations migration agency has reported.

According to a survey conducted by the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), about 70 per cent of the returnees said that they were going back to their homes because they do not have to pay rent there as have to elsewhere.

Over half of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning are over the age of 60, and most are pensioners, said IOM in a news release Tuesday, announcing the findings.

This heightens their vulnerability as the pension is linked to their [displaced] status and residence in the government-controlled area.

Almost two-thirds of those surveyed also reported that their income only covers their food needs. The average monthly income per IDP-household member (about $87) in the non-government-controlled areas is well below the subsistence level (about $113) calculated by the Ministry of Social Policy.

Overall, 16 per cent of respondents surveyed in the latest round, in September, stated they returned to their original place of residence, a three per cent increase on the previous round.

Further complicating the matters is the difficulty for relief actors to reach many parts of the affected region.

Access to deliver humanitarian aid [] remains of paramount importance to ensure that support is provided to the most vulnerable individuals throughout eastern Ukraine, said Thomas Lothar Weiss, the head of IOM operations in Ukraine, on a visit the eastern region last week.

We intend to keep up [the assistance] during the difficult winter months, especially to vulnerable populations near the contact line between the Government and non-government-controlled areas, he added.

Since the outbreak of conflict in 2015, IOM has provided assistance to nearly 200,000 internally displaced persons and conflict-affected people.

The UN agency has also been conducting surveys on the situation of IDPs in Ukraine on a regular basis since March 2016. In the latest round, some 1,025 IDPs were interviewed in person and more than four thousand were interviewed by phone across the country.

Photo: WFP/Abeer Etefa

Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Nov 30(Just Earth News): With actors from the Global South increasingly among the frontline responders in fragile and protracted crises, fully leveraging the comparative advantage of South-South cooperation has the potential to have great humanitarian and development impact, a senior United National relief official said on Wednesday.

This message was delivered by Ursula Mueller, the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, to the final Leadership Roundtable of the Global South-South Development Expo 2017, which is under way in Antalya, Turkey.

Southern actors respond as donors, hosts, operational and technical partners. They lend a crucial perspective for oftentimes they have faced similar challenges and know all too well that saving lives is just the first of many steps, said Mueller as she co-chaired the discussion, under the theme South-South Cooperation for Peace, Prosperity and Partnership: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need  Advancing the 2030 Agenda in Crisis Contexts.

Mueller is participating in the 2017 Global Expo along with other senior UN officials, government ministers, national development agency directors, and civil society representatives, who have gathered to share innovative local solutions and push for scaling up concrete initiatives from the Global South to achieve the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

South-South Cooperation is about saving livelihoods and sustainable solutions. It is about offering a helping hand to nations as equal partners. And it is about sharing experiences and lessons learned, knowledge and technical expertise, noted Mueller, who is also the UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator.

This year, the UN global humanitarian appeal reached $24 billion to help 145 million people. Even though donors contributed $11 billion so far this year, the funding gap remains wide, warned Mueller.

Nine UN agencies, with support from the World Bank, adopted the New Way of Working at the Istanbul World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016.

The New Way of Working aims to transcend the divide between short-term humanitarian action and long-term development by fostering closer collaboration between humanitarian and development actors in fragile contexts  where conditions allow  so that we not only save lives, but also reduce need and build resilience, emphasized Mueller.

Following her visit to Antalya, Mueller will go to Gaziantep, the largest and most populous city in southern Turkey, which has hosted hundreds of thousands of refugees who have fled from Syria.

In Gaziantep, I will have opportunity to see close to the Syrian border how the humanitarian operation is working, Mueller told UN News.

There are still 13 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance inside Syria. We as humanitarians have to keep every possibility open for access to Syrians inside Syria. And we are grateful for the support by the Turkish Government to enable cross-border operations, she said.

In 2016, Turkey was the worlds second largest humanitarian donor and most generous country in terms of ratio to its national income, spending $6 billion on humanitarian assistance. Turkey now hosts 3.2 million refugees from Syria.

Mueller met Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Antalya on the first day of the Global Expo and said the meeting provided an opportunity to thank the Turkish Government and Turkish people [] I commend them for the services, the protection they provide for the Syrian refuges, she stated.

With the Foreign Minister, I also raised the extension of Security Council resolution 2165 (2014) that provides modality to deliver humanitarian assistance into Syria from Turkey. This is a very important way and entry point of humanitarian assistance into Syria. And it depends on the extension of the resolution. And I was requesting the Foreign Minister to use his influence and good efforts that he will do everything that is possible to support the extension of this resolution, she explained.

On Tuesday, Mueller also visited Ankara, the capital city of Turkey, to meet with senior officials and Presidents of Turkish Red Crescent and AFAD, both of which have been playing an active role in providing humanitarian assistance in several the worlds humanitarian crises, including in Syria.

Photo: UN News/Maoqi Li

Source: www.justearthnews.com
PM Hariri has announced that he will suspend his decision to resign until after his return to Lebanon, and his talks with President Michel Aoun, calming tensions in Lebanon.

In a country rife with political and religious divisions, Hariris controversial move united Sunnis, Shias and Christians, who all called for their prime ministers return.

President Aoun, Hariris Future Movement, and speaker of the house Nabih Berry, called for his immediate return, as well.

The Hariri crisis has shown that Lebanon is not willing to enter a new phase of open confrontation with Hezbollah, which had marked the 2008 period when clashes between Sunnis and Shias followed Hezbollahs takeover of Beirut, writes Mona Alami a non-resident fellow with the Atlantic council covering Middle East politics in her article for The New Arab.

The terms of Hariris return remain unclear. President Aoun, however, kicked off a series of bilateral consultations this week, with the countrys political parties, that will tackle the security situation, the dissociation policy, and ties with Arab states. Hariri himself emphasized the importance of disassociation from regional power struggles and giving priority to Lebanon.

Chief commander Mohammad Ali Jafari from Irans Revolutionary Guards stated recently, Hezbollah must be armed to fight against the enemy of the Lebanese nation which is Israel. Naturally they should have the best weapons to protect Lebanons security. This issue is non-negotiable. It appears that disarming Lebanons Hizballah is out of the question.

Simultaneous to Jafaris statement, Saudi Crown Prince Mohamad bin Salman called Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the new Hitler of the Middle East.

Recent events should be taken as a serious warning to the Lebanese political class. In an article published by the Hizballah affliliated publication, the daily, Al Akhbar, analyst Wafiq Qansouh, an expert on Israeli affairs brushed off the latest crisis, adding that any talk of Hizballahs weapons was mere cosmetics.

Hezbollah should nonetheless think twice, writes Alami.

Although for now in Lebanon there has been a pause in regional escalation, it is foreseeable that the country might once again be drawn in.
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Almost one million primary school children took the 2017 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam, known as the KCPE.

Goldalyn Kakuya, a student from Saint Anne's Junior School in Lubao, Kakamega, in West Kenya, received top honors. She received a total of 455 marks out of a possible 500.

"I was really happy about it. I am excited a lot because it has passed a message to so many people. So, what thrills me most is that it has opened the eyes of many people.

Goldalyn's success surprised many Kenyans because she has albinism, a genetic condition that causes a pink coloring in the eyes and a lack of color in the skin or hair. People with albinism often face discrimination in Africa, and children struggle to find educational opportunities.

Isaac Mwaura is a Kenyan lawmaker and chairman of the Albinism Society of Kenya.

"People have talent, and given the opportunity, they can do so. So, I would want to really say that young children with albinism across Africa and, indeed, the world, because there is a lot of persecution and discrimination that is geared toward people with albinism, that they feel encouraged, that they too can reach the top.

He added that families and society should accept and support people with albinism.

Matilda Cherono Tanga is the girls mother. She agrees that discrimination against people with albinism is common.

"People will not even imagine that these children have a perfect brain. They think they cannot learn, they cannot compete. But the performance and the achievement of Goldalyn has proved to the society that albinism is just a condition of the skin.

Goldalyn told VOA she worked hard for her success. She examined her school work, asked teachers questions, rarely missed her classes, and studied hard. She offers this advice to other students.

"Pray hard, do your best, believe in your yourself, because if you are praying, and you are working toward your goal, what can deter you from that? So, it is just a matter of being confident, she said.

All students who received 400 marks or more will be admitted to Kenyas national secondary schools. This year, about 10,000 boys and girls reached that level.

Im Susan Shand.

Jill Craig reported this story for VOANews.com. Susan Shand adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

primary  adj. first in order of time or development

opportunity  n. a good or likely chance for progress

albino  n. person or animal born with a medical condition that results in very pale skin, white hair, and pink eyes

persecution  n. treatment of someone in a bad or harmful way

gear  v. to make ready for operation

deter - v. to cause (someone) to decide not to do something

confident  adj. having a belief in ones own abilities; being sure that something is true
Facebook says it has successfully tested a computer program that can help keep users from taking their own lives.

The social media network now says it will expand the use of the pattern recognition software to other countries.

Facebook began testing the software in the United States in March.

The software is considered an example of artificial intelligence. In February, Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a statement that artificial intelligence could be used to help keep people safe.

The software scans messages on Facebook for comments that could be signs that a person intends to harm themselves. Facebook has not released any of the technical details about the program. But, the company did say that it looks for phrases such as Are you ok? and Can I help?

If the software finds the signs it is looking for, it alerts a team of Facebook workers who specialize in dealing with such reports.

The system suggests resources to the user or to friends of the person such as a telephone help line. Facebook workers sometimes call local officials to take action.

Facebook said it tries to have specialists available at any hour to call officials in local languages.

Guy Rosen is Facebooks vice president for product management. He posted a description of the program on the Facebook website on Monday. He said the company was expanding use of the software because the tests were successful.

He said first responders checked on people more than 100 times after Facebooks software raised alarms. Reuters reported that Rosen said, Speed really matters. We have to get help in real time.

An answer to live video incidents

Facebook started to use the new software after the launch of live video broadcasting in 2016. A number of incidents took place in which people were live broadcasting violent acts including suicides and murders.

In May, the company said it would hire 3,000 people to monitor video and other content.

Rosen did not say where Facebook would use the software outside the U.S. He said, in time, it would be used around the world except in the European Union where privacy laws would likely place limits on its use.

Google is another technology company that tries to prevent suicides by monitoring users. The Google search engine will show a hot line telephone number if certain searches are made.

Facebook uses information from its users to target advertising. The company has not announced in the past that it scans messages for harmful behavior.

However, the company says it does look for suspicious comments between children and adult sex criminals. Facebook says sometimes it contacts officials when it finds targeted discussions.

Ryan Calo is a law professor at the University of Washington. He says scanning peoples discussions is harder to justify in other situations.

Calo said, Once you open the door, you might wonder what other kinds of things we would be looking for.

Rosen declined to comment about whether Facebook is considering pattern recognition software to fight non-sex related crimes.

The company announced that it was using technology and other resources to help save lives on September 7, World Suicide Prevention day.

Im Mario Ritter.

Mario Ritter wrote this story for VOA Learning English with information from Reuters and Facebook. Hai Do was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

pattern n. something that takes place in a repeated and identifiable way

software n. a computer program, digital instructions that tell a computer or machine to do something

artificial intelligence n. the ability of computers to copy human behavior such as making recommendations or decisions

scan v. processing digital information such as messages or pictures to look for something

check on v. to make sure nothing is wrong with something or someone

monitor v. watch for signs of some activity

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What, if anything, should the United States be doing in the fight against violent extremism in a part of Africa where few people live?

Experts on Africa are asking that question after the deaths of four U.S. Special Forces soldiers in Niger last month.

At least four Nigerien soldiers also died in the attack.

Before the violence, some members of Congress knew about U.S. operations in Niger. But other lawmakers say they did not know American troops were on the ground in the African nation. They include Senator Lindsey Graham, of the Republican Party, and Chuck Schumer, the leader of Democrats in the Senate.

The U.S. Department of Defense says more than 800 American troops are in Niger. It also confirms the existence of two bases for drone aircraft there.

Niger and Burkina Faso want the United States to do more to support African governments in their fight against extremism. They want financial support for a new task force made up of troops from five African countries. It is estimated that about $500 million will be needed for the first year of operations of the force. The United States is considering giving $60 million.

Ten years of involvement

The United States military began increasing its presence in the Sahel area in 2007 by creating the U.S. Africa Command, known as AFRICOM. It is based in Stuttgart, Germany.

AFRICOM works with African countries to strengthen security on the continent.

Since at least 2013, U.S. forces have carried out operations to train, advise, and assist Nigers military. The two sides work with local officials to fight armed extremists.

Niger has been an important partner. During the presidency of Barack Obama, the U.S. military built drone bases in the capital, Niamey, and in the northern city of Agadez.

Lisa Mueller is an assistant professor of political science at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. She says because Niger has been a strong ally to the counterterrorism efforts, it has been natural for the United States to station its counterterrorism forces in that country.

But the death of the American troops has caused an examination of U.S. partnerships in the Sahel. It is not clear if, or how, President Donald Trump or his administration will change its policy in the area.

Some activists and U.S. lawmakers do not like the fact that some of the African partners have authoritarian governments.

Brandon Kendhammer is an associate professor and director of the International Development Studies Program at Ohio University. He says even the government of Niger is, in his words, problematically democratic. But he says the U.S. involvement is helpful.

Its pretty clear that these investments do make a real difference in the ability of the region to provide its own security, he said.

Kendhammer says an important part of that success has come from asking partners for their opinion about what should be done and how. He notes that some observers believe the U.S. African command makes its own decisions without asking the opinions of African leaders. But he says AFRICOM has a history of working with local officials and asking for their advice.

Soldiers deaths

U.S. military officials expect to complete their investigation into the Niger attack in January. Kendhammer says it appears that the American soldiers were involved in the kind of work that troops based in the Sahel must do: training local forces in everything from basic operations to advanced tactics, including reacting quickly to terrorist attacks.

Kendhammer says the U.S. military wants to have a long-term effect on the area, so it follows the train the trainer model: American soldiers train local forces, who then share their knowledge and skills with other troops.

No one has claimed responsibility for the October attack, but the U.S. military suspects militants linked to the Islamic State group were involved. The group is one of several extremist organizations operating in the Sahel.

The extremists are usually local militants who promise to support an international organization like Islamic State or al-Qaida. This affiliation might be nothing more than being mentioned in an IS publication or could involve repeated contacts with the larger organization.

Whether the involvement is limited or ongoing, partnering with an established terrorist organization can be more practical than ideological, says Kendhammer. He notes the group that may have carried out the attack in Niger was at one time allied with al-Qaeda, but changed in 2015 or 2016 to find a better partner.

Local militants use methods designed to weaken American efforts for fighting terrorists.

As VOA reported earlier, it is likely that villagers in Tongo Tongo, where the October attack took place, helped trap the American and Nigerien forces. The villagers apparent willingness to help militants may be the result of their efforts to build trust with local populations while denouncing America.



Philip Obaji, Junior reported on the Daily Beast website earlier this month. His report said that people living in Tongo Tongo blamed the United States for a grenade attack in 2016 that killed six children. No evidence has linked the U.S. to the incident. But Obaji wrote that local militant groups have blamed it on America as a way to gain the support of the local population.

I'm Jonathan Evans.

VOA News Writer Salem Solomon reported on this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

___________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

drone  n. an unmanned aircraft or ship guided by a computer or someone at a distance

counterterrorism  n. measures designed to fight or prevent terrorism

authoritarian  adj. expecting or requiring people to obey rules

tactic  n. a method or device

affiliation  n. a close connection to someone or something

mention  n. the act of calling attention to someone or something

practical  adj. relating to what is real; likely to be successful
1 In this photo provided by the ICTY, former Bosnian Croat military commander Slobodan Praljak (C) appeared to drink poison seconds during a Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, after judges upheld his 20-year prison sentence for involvement in a campaign to drive Muslims out of a would-be Bosnian Croat ministate in Bosnia in the early 1990s.


Thursday night, United States President Donald Trump and his wife Melania will light Americas national Christmas tree in a park near the White House. A crowd will gather around the tree for the lighting ceremony.

Many Americans also are planning to visit the White House in the coming weeks to see its decorations for the holiday season.

The decorations are up! Melania Trump tweeted Monday morning. @WhiteHouse is ready to celebrate! Wishing you a Merry Christmas & joyous holiday season!

The theme for the White House decorations this year is Time-Honored Traditions.

Traditional Christmas wreaths are hanging outside every window of the White House, the official home of presidents, in Washington, D.C. On top of each wreath is a bright red bow.

Inside the building, visitors find a hallway lined with long, snow-white tree branches and shining lights. That hall leads to a tree with the Trump familys official Christmas ornament. The gold-colored metal decoration shows the presidential coat of arms surrounded by a wreath of holly.

On Monday, first lady Melania Trump welcomed students from a military base in Maryland to see the White House. They also got to make a few holiday decorations with her.

Are you the first lady? asked one little boy, who then moved in for a hug. Classmates quickly followed for hugs of their own.

Ballet dancers performed at the White House as part of the official start of the holiday season. The first lady wore a white dress and gold-toned shoes for the event.

The dancers looked similar to those at the first themed Christmas at the White House in 1961. At that time, first lady Jacqueline Kennedy had dancers performing to Peter Ilich Tchaikovskys famous Nutcracker Suite.

Surprise, Melania Trump said on Tuesday, as she later entered the Red Room, where children were working on Christmas decorations.

So you want to show me how to do it? she asked after sitting at a table with four students. A boy showed her how to make them.

Nearby was the Trump family Christmas card, along with cards from past presidents.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, says the Trumps' card, signed by the president, the first lady and Barron Trump, their 11-year-old son.

That greeting is a change from the years when Barack Obama and his family were living in the White House. During his presidency, the cards offered more inclusive messages, such as Seasons Greetings or wishes for happy holidays.

Donald Trump has promised to put Christmas back at the center of the winter holidays. During his presidential campaign, he argued that saying Happy Holidays was a way of chipping away at Christianity.

Among the Christmas decorations this year is a 5.5-by-1.8-meter Balsam fir from Wisconsin. The tree occupies the center of the White Houses Blue Room. Decorations representing every state and U.S. territory hang from its branches.

A separate tree near the East Wing entrance honors military families who have lost loved ones.

In the State Dining Room, a 160-kilogram gingerbread house offers a view of the White House from its South Lawn. Candy-covered wreaths hang from every window and a U.S. flag flies from its sugary housetop.

Jennifer Pickens, an expert on White House traditions, predicted that this year's window wreaths will become a tradition for future first ladies.

More than 150 volunteers from 29 states spent 1,600 hours over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend getting the White House ready for the holidays. The White House said Melania Trump chose every detail of the design.

The holiday celebrations began Monday with a party for the volunteers. Parties and other events  sometimes two a day  will continue for the next several weeks.

More than 25,000 people are expected to visit the White House over the next few weeks. Plenty of food is ready and waiting for them. Workers have baked 31,000 cookies, including 15,000 sugar cookies. Many of those are expected to go home with visitors.

I'm Pete Musto.

The Associated Press reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

decoration - n.something that is added to something else to make it more attractive

wreath - n. an arrangement of leaves or flowers in the shape of a circle that is worn or placed as a sign of honor or victory

ornament - n. a small, fancy object that is put on something else to make it more attractive

bow - n. a knot that is made by tying a ribbon or string into two or more loops and that is used for tying shoelaces or for decoration

hug - n. the act of putting your arms around someone or something as a way of showing love or friendship

chipping away - expression to slowly make something weaker, smaller, or less effective.

gingerbread - n. a cake or cookie made with molasses and ginger  often used before another noun
The following companies are subsidiares of Ingersoll Rand: 13125882 Canada Inc., 211 E. Russell Road LLC, 4458664 Canada Inc., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES ASIA PTE. LTD., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES BORROWER S.C.A., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES LLC, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES MIDDLE EAST FZE, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES SERVICES LIMITED, ASTRUM IT GmbH, Accudyne Industries Acquisition S.A r.l, Accudyne Industries Canada Inc., Accudyne Industries S.A r.l., Air Dimensions, Air Dimensions Inc., Albin Pump SAS, BOC Edwards Global Low pressure Air business, CISA S.p.A., Cameron-Centrifugal Compression, Comercial Ingersoll-Rand (Chile) Limitada, Comingersoll-Comercio E Industria De Equipamentos S.A., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. Ltd., CompAir Acquisition (No. 2) Ltd., CompAir Acquisition Ltd., CompAir BroomWade Ltd., CompAir Finance Ltd., CompAir GmbH, CompAir Holdings Limited, CompAir International Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CompAir Korea Ltd, CompAir South Africa (SA) (Pty) Ltd., Consolidated Distribution Holdings Ltd., DV Systems Inc., Dosatron International SAS, Emco Wheaton Gmbh, Emco Wheaton USA Inc, Enza Air Proprietary Limited, FlexEnergy Holdings LLC, Frigoblock Grosskopf Gmbh, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Investments Limited, GD First (UK) Ltd, GD German Holdings GmbH, GD German Holdings I Gmbh, GD German Holdings II GmbH, GD German Investments GmbH, GD Global Holdings II Inc., GD Global Holdings Inc., GD Global Holdings UK II Ltd., GD Global Ventures I B.V., GD Global Ventures II B.V., GD Global Ventures III B.V., GD Industrial Products Malaysia SDN. BHD., GD Investment KY, GD UK Finance Ltd., GPS Industries, Gardner Denver (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp (Canada), Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Limited, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica SL, Gardner Denver Inc., Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver International Inc., Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Investments Inc., Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan Ltd., Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte. Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia s.r.o., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH (f/k/a ILMVAC GmbH), Gardner Denver Thomas Inc., Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Garo Dott. Ing. Roberto Gabbioneta S.r.l., Ghh-Rand Schraubenkompressoren Gmbh, HASKEL EUROPE LTD., HASKEL HOLDINGS UK LIMITED, HASKEL INTERNATIONAL LLC, Hamworthy Belliss & Morcom, Haskel France SAS, Haskel Sistemas de Fluidos Espana S.R.L., Hibon Inc., Highspeed Newco LLC, Hingerose Limited, ILMVAC (UK) Ltd., ILS Innovative Labor Systeme, ILS Inovative Laborsysteme GmbH, INGERSOLL RAND ITS JAPAN LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHANG ZHOU) TOOLS CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHINA) INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND CHINA LLC, INGERSOLL-RAND COMERCIO E SERVICOS DE MAQUINAS E EQUIPAMENTOS INDUSTRIAIS LTDA., INGERSOLL-RAND DE PUERTO RICO INC., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL COMPANY B.V., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL SP. Z O.O., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL U.S. INC., INGERSOLL-RAND PHILIPPINES INC., INGERSOLL-RAND SPAIN S.A., INGERSOLL-RAND U.S. HOLDCO INC., IR HPS Holdco. Inc., ITO Emniyet, Ingersoll Rand Cyprus Investments Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Finance LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Investments LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Ventures LLC, Ingersoll Rand Hong Kong Investments Limited, Ingersoll Rand Inc., Ingersoll Rand Investments (SG) Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Investments B.V., Ingersoll Rand Schweiz Investments Gmbh, Ingersoll Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (Australia) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (China) Investment Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Guilin) Tools Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Hong Kong) Holding Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (India) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Ab, Ingersoll-Rand Air Solutions Hibon Sarl, Ingersoll-Rand Beteiligungs Und Grundstucksverwaltungs Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Colombia S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited (Uk), Ingersoll-Rand Company South Africa (Pty) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Cz S.R.O., Ingersoll-Rand De Mexico S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Equipements De Production S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Industrial Ireland Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International (India) Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Italia S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Italiana Manufacturing S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Korea Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Korea Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments II S.A R.I., Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Luxembourg Industrial Company S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Machinery (Shanghai) Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Malaysia Co. Sdn. Bhd., Ingersoll-Rand S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Services And Trading Limited Liability Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Singapore Enterprises Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand South East Asia (Pte.) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Superay Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technical And Services S.A.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Technologies And Services Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Tool Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Trading Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Vietnam Company Limited, Instrum Rand JSC, Interflex Datensysteme, Ir Canada Holdings Ulc, Ir Canada Sales & Service Ulc, Ir France Sas, Kryptonite corp, Lawrence Factor Inc., LeROI, LeRoi International Inc, MILTON ROY (HONG KONG) LIMITED, MILTON ROY (UK) LIMITED, MILTON ROY EUROPA B.V., MILTON ROY EUROPE SAS, MILTON ROY INDUSTRIAL (SHANGHAI) CO. LTD., MILTON ROY LLC, MILTON ROY US PURCHASER INC., MP Pumps Inc., Maximum AG Technologies Inc., Maximus Solutions, Mb Air Systems Limited, Nash Elmo, Officina Meccaniche Industriali Srl, Oina VV, Oina VV Aktiebolag, Plurifilter D.O.O., Pt Ingersoll-Rand Indonesia, Robuschi, Runtech Systems, Runtech Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, SEEPEX, Seepex (M) SDN, Seepex Australia Pty Ltd, Seepex Beteiligungs-Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung, Seepex France S.a.r.l., Seepex GmbH, Seepex Inc., Seepex India Private Ltd., Seepex Italia SRL, Seepex Japan Co. Ltd., Seepex Nordic A/S, Seepex OOO, Seepex Pumps (Shanghia) Co. Ltd., Seepex UK Ltd., Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Shanghai Ingersoll-Rand Compressor Limited, Shenzhen Bocom System Engineering Co., Superay, Syltone, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, Tamrotor Marine Comp AS Norway, Tecno Matic Europe s.r.o., Thomas Industries Inc., Trane Technologies, Tri-Continent Scientific Inc., Vacuum and Blower Systems division, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zaxe Technologies Inc., Zeks Compressed Air Solutions Llc, Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, Zinsser NA Inc., and crayon interface.

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Banco Santander-Chile, together with its subsidiaries, provides commercial and retail banking products and services in Chile. It operates through Retail Banking, Middle-Market, Corporate Investment Banking, and Corporate Activities segments. The company offers debit and credit cards, checking accounts, and savings products; consumer, automobile, commercial, mortgage, and government-guaranteed loans; and Chilean peso and foreign currency denominated loans to finance various commercial transactions, trade, foreign currency forward contracts, and credit lines, as well as mortgage financing services. It also provides mutual funds, insurance and securities brokerage, foreign exchange, financial leasing, factoring, financial consulting and advisory, investment management, foreign trade, treasury, and transactional services, as well as specialized services to finance projects for the real estate industry. In addition, the company offers short-term financing and fund raising, and brokerage services, as well as derivatives, securitization, and other tailor-made products. It serves individuals, small to middle-sized entities, companies, and large corporations, as well as universities, government entities, and local and regional governments. As of December 31, 2021, the company operated 326 branches, which include 220 under the Santander brand name, 14 under the Select brand name, 7 specialized branches for the middle market, and 22 as auxiliary and payment centers, as well as 1,338 ATMs, including depository ATMs. Banco Santander-Chile was incorporated in 1977 and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile.
The following companies are subsidiares of UnitedHealth Group: 1070715 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, 1st Avenue Pharmacy Inc., 310 Canyon Medical LLC, 4C MSO LLC, 4C Medical Group PLC, 5995 Minnetonka LLC, ABCO International Holdings LLC, ACN Group IPA of New York Inc., ACN Group of California Inc., AHN Accountable Care Organization LLC, AHN Central Services LLC, AHN Target Holdings LLC, AMIL International S.a.r.l., APS  Assistencia Personalizada a Saude Ltda., ASC Holdings of New Jersey LLC, ASC Network LLC, ASC Operators-East Bay LLC, ASC Operators-San Francisco LLC, ASC Operators-San Luis Obispo LLC, ASC Operators-Santa Rosa LLC, ASC Operators-South Bay LLC, ASV-HOPCo-SCA Cornerstone LLC, ASV-HOPCo-SCA Florida LLC, AbleTo Behavioral Health Services P.C., AbleTo Inc., Accurate Rx Pharmacy Consulting LLC, Administradora Clinica La Colina S.A.S., Administradora Country S.A.S., Administradora Medica Centromed S.A., Advanced Surgery Center of Clifton LLC, Advanced Surgical Center LLC, Advanced Surgical Hospital LLC, Advocate Condell Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Advocate Southwest Ambulatory Surgery Center L.L.C., Advocate-SCA Partners LLC, Aliansalud Entidad Promotora de Salud S.A., All Savers Insurance Company, All Savers Life Insurance Company of California, Alliance Surgical Center LLC, Allina Health Heart and Vascular Surgery Center LLC, Allina Health Surgery Center-Brooklyn Park LLC, Aloha Surgical Center LLC, Ambient Healthcare Inc., Ambient Holdings Inc., AmeriChoice, AmeriChoice Corporation, AmeriChoice of New Jersey Inc., American Health Network of Indiana Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Indiana II LLC, American Health Network of Indiana LLC, American Health Network of Kentucky LLC, American Health Network of Ohio Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Ohio II LLC, American Health Network of Ohio LLC, American Physicians Inc., Amico Saude Ltda., Amil, Amil Assistencia Medica Internacional S.A., Angiografia e Hemodinamica Madre Theodora Ltda., Anne Arundel-SCA Holdings LLC, Anne Arundel-SCA Surgicenter LLC, Antelope Valley Surgery Center L.P., Analisis Clinicos ML S.A.C., Apothecary Holdings Inc., AppleCare Medical Management LLC, Aquitania Chilean Holding SpA, Arcadia JV Holdings LLC, Arcadia Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., ArchWell Health LLC, ArchWell Health MSO LLC, ArchWell Health Professional Services Holding Co., ArchWell Health Professional Services of Alabama LLC, ArchWell Health Professional Services of North Carolina P.C., ArchWell Health Professional Services of Oklahoma LLC, Archwell Health Professional Services of Arizona LLC, Archwell Health Professional Services of Nebraska LLC, Arise Physician Group, Arizona Physicians IPA Inc., Arlington Surgery Center LLC, Aspectus Inc., Associacao Lusiadas Knowledge Center  Health Education and Research, Audax Health Solutions LLC, Aurora Hospitalist P.C., Austin Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., Avella Specialty Pharmacy, Aventura Medical Tower Surgery Center LLC, Avery Parent Holdings Inc., Aveta Inc., AxelaCare Intermediate Holdings LLC, AxelaCare LLC, B.R.A.S.S. Partnership in Commendam, BOSC Holdings LLC, BSC Holdings LLC, Ball Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Banmedica Colombia S.A.S., Banmedica Internacional SpA, Banmedica S.A., Barranca Surgery Center LLC, Beach Surgical Holdings II LLC, Beach Surgical Holdings III LLC, Beach Surgical Holdings LLC, Beaver Medical Group P.C., Bedford Physicians Risk Retention Group Inc., Behavioral Healthcare Options Inc., Beltway Surgery Centers L.L.C., Benefit Administration for the Self Employed L.L.C., Benefitter Insurance Solutions Inc., Bergan Mercy Surgery Center LLC, Bergen-Passaic Cataract Laser and Surgery Center LLC, Bessler MD PLLC, Bind Benefits Inc., Bind LH Holdings Inc., Bind Re Inc., Birmingham Outpatient Surgery Center Ltd., Birmingham Outpatient Surgical Center LLC, Bloomfield ASC LLC, Blue Ridge Day Surgery Center L.P., Blue Ridge GP LLC, Blue Ridge Properties LLC, Boca Raton Outpatient Surgery & Laser Center LTD., Bordeaux Barbados Holdings I SRL, Bordeaux Barbados Holdings II SRL, Bordeaux Barbados Holdings III S.r.l., Bordeaux Holding SpA, Bordeaux International Holdings Inc., Bordeaux UK Holdings I Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings II Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings III Limited, Bosque Medical Center Ltda., Brandon Ambulatory Surgery Center LC, BriovaRx Infusion Services 102 LLC, BriovaRx of Florida Inc., BriovaRx of Maine Inc., BriovaRx of Massachusetts LLC, CCEC Anesthesia Management LLC, CDC Holdings Colombia S.A.S., CLISA  Clinica de Santo Antonio S.A., CMO  Centro Medico de Oftalmologia S/S Ltda., CMS  Central de Manipulacao e Servicos Farmaceuticos Ltda., COI  Clinicas Oncologicas Integradas S.A., Cabin Enterprises LLC, Cabin Holdings LLC, California Medical Group Insurance Company Risk Retention Group, Camp Hill Ambulatory Centers, Camp Hill-SCA Centers LLC, Capital City Medical Group L.L.C., Cardinal Holding Company LLC, Care Improvement Plus Group Management LLC, Care Improvement Plus South Central Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus Wisconsin Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus of Texas Insurance Company, Care Logistics LLC, CareMount Dental Member LLC, CareMount Health Solutions ACO LLC, CareMount Health Solutions Employer LLC, CareMount Health Solutions LLC, CareMount Holding LLC, CareMount Medical Foundation Inc., CareMount Value Partners IPA LLC, Carr PLLC, Casa de Saude Santa Therezinha Ltda., Castle Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Castle Rock SurgiCenter LLC, Catalyst360 LLC, Catamaran 2 Unlimited Company, Catamaran Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, Catamaran S.a.r.l., Cedar Park JV Partners LLC, Cedar Park Surgery Center LLC, Cemed Care  Empresa de Atendimento Clinico Geral Ltda., Center for Quality Improvement LLC, Center for Restorative Surgery at Maple Grove LLC, Center for Surgery of North Coast L.P., Central Indiana Care Organization LLC, Central Ohio Care Organization LLC, CentriHealth Corporation, CentrifyHealth LLC, Centro Medico Hospitalar Pitangueiras Ltda., Centro Odontologico Americano S.A.C., Centro de Entrenamiento Capacitacion en Reanimacion y Prevencion Limitada, Centro de Servicios Compartidos Banmedica SpA, Centromed Quilpue S.A., Centros Medicos y Dentales Multimed Ltda., Centura-SCA Holdings LLC, Centurion Casualty Company, Channel Islands Surgicenter L.P., Channel Islands Surgicenter Properties LLC, Charleston Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Charleston Surgery Properties LLC, Charlotte Surgery Center LLC, Charlotte Surgery Properties LTD., Charlotte-SC LLC, Chatham Orthopaedic ASC LLC, Childrens Surgery Center LLC, Citrus Regional Surgery Center L.P., Claims Management Systems Inc., Cleburne Surgical Center LLC, Clinical Partners of Colorado Springs LLC, Clinton Partners LLC, Clinica Alameda SpA, Clinica Bio Bio SpA, Clinica Ciudad del Mar S.A., Clinica Davila y Servicios Medicos S.p.A., Clinica Iquique S.A., Clinica Medico Cirurgica de Santa Tecla S.A., Clinica Portoazul S.A., Clinica San Felipe S.A., Clinica Santa Maria S.p.A., Clinica Sanchez Ferrer S.A., Clinica Vespucio S.A., Clinica del Country S.A.S., Coachella Valley Physicians of PrimeCare Inc., Coalition for Advanced Pharmacy Services Inc., Cobranzas Banmedica SpA, Cogent Healthcare IPA of New York Inc., Cogent Healthcare Inc., Cogent Healthcare Management of New York Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Arizona P.C., Cogent Healthcare of California Prof. Corp., Cogent Healthcare of Georgia P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Illinois LLC, Cogent Healthcare of Iowa P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Jackson MS LLC, Cogent Healthcare of Jacksonville LLC, Cogent Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Missouri Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Montana P.C., Cogent Healthcare of New Jersey P.C., Cogent Healthcare of North Carolina P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Oregon P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Pensacola L.L.C., Cogent Healthcare of Tennessee P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Washington P.C., Cogent Medical Care P.C., Cogent Patient Safety Organization Inc., Cogent/Endion Medical Care of New York P.C., Collaborative Care Holdings LLC, Collaborative Care Services Inc., Collaborative Realty LLC, Colmedica Medicina Prepagada S.A., Colonial Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Colorado Innovative Physician Solutions Inc., Colorado Springs Surgery Center Ltd., Comfort Care Transportation LLC, Comprehensive Hospital Physicians of Florida Inc., ConnectYourCare Inc., ConnectYourCare LLC, Connecticut Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Connecticut Surgery Properties LLC, Connecticut Surgical Center LLC, Consorcio Regenero S.A., Constructora Inmobiliaria Magapoq S.A., Consumer Wellness Solutions Inc., Continuum Physicians Group Inc., Continuum Physicians Group of Washington PLLC, Cornell Surgicenter LLC, Cornerstone Surgery Center LLC, Cornerstone Surgicare LLC, Corpus Christi Endoscopy Center L.L.P., Country Scan Ltda., Critical Care Physician of New York P.C., Critical Care Physicians of Illinois LLC, Critical Care Physicians of New Jersey PC, Critical Care Physicians of Pennsylvania P.C., Cross Timbers Surgery Center LLC, Cypress Care Inc., DBP Services of New York IPA Inc., DSP Flint Real Estate LLC, DSP-Building C LLC, DTC Surgery Center LLC, DWIC of Tampa Bay Inc., Dallas Inpatient Specialist PLLC, Danbury Surgical Center L.P., Day-Op Surgery Consulting Company LLC, Definity Health, Dental Benefit Providers Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of California Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of Illinois Inc., Denton Endoscopy Surgery Center LLC, Denton Surgery Center LLC, Derry Surgical Center LLC, Diagnostico Ecotomografico Centromed Ltda., Diasnostico por Imagenes Centromed Ltda., Digestive Disease Center L.P., Dilab Medicina Nuclear Ltda., Diplomat Blocker LLC, Diplomat Corporate Properties LLC, Diplomat Pharmacy, Diplomat Pharmacy Inc., Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy Great Lakes Distribution Center LLC, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Chicago LLC, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Ft. Lauderdale LLC, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Los Angeles County LLC, Distance Learning Network Inc., Divisadero Holdings LLC, DocASAP Inc., DocASAP India Technologies Private Limited, DocASAP US LLC, Doctor + S.A.C., Dry Creek Surgery Center LLC, Dublin Surgery Center LLC, Duluth Surgical Suites LLC, Durable Medical Equipment Inc., E Street Endoscopy LLC, EM Orange Tree LLC, EP Campus I LLC, EPIC Health Plan, EPIC Management Services LLC, East Bay Endoscopy Center L.P., East Brunswick Surgery Center LLC, Echo Locum Tenens Inc., Electronic Network Systems Inc., Elual Participacoes S.A., Emerald Coast Surgery Center L.P., Emisar Pharma Services LLC, Emmaus Holdings LLC, Emmaus Surgical Center LLC, Empire Physician Management Company LLC, Empremedica S. A., Endion Hospitalist North P.C., Endion Hospitalist of Western New York P.C., Endion Medical Healthcare P.C., Endion Medical Services P.C., Endoscopy Center Affiliates Inc., Enterprise Life Insurance Company, Equian, Equian LLC, Equian Parent Corp., Esho  Empresa de Servicos Hospitalares S.A., Everett MSO Inc., Excelsior Insurance Brokerage Inc., Executive Health Resources Inc., Executive Surgery Center L.L.C., Eye Clinic Oftalmologia Clinico Cirurgica e Diagnostico Ltda., Eye Specialists Surgery Centers LLC, FMG Holdings LLC, Family Health Care Services, Family Home Hospice Inc., Ferrell Physician Services P.C., Fideicomiso Clinica Barranquilla Portoazul FA-517, First Coast Orthopedic Center LLC, First Family Insurance LLC, Florence Surgery Center L.P., For Health Inc., For Health of Arizona Inc., Fort Sutter Medical Building a California Limited Partnership, Fort Worth Endoscopy Centers LLC, Fortified Provider Network Inc., Foundation Surgery Affiliate General of Huntingdon Valley LLC, Foundation Surgery Affiliate of Huntingdon Valley L.P., Franklin Surgical Center LLC, Freedom Life Insurance Company of America, Freeway Surgicenter of Houston LLC, Frontier Medex Tanzania Limited, FrontierMEDEX Inc., FrontierMEDEX Kenya Limited, FrontierMEDEX US Inc., Fundacion Banmedica, GLBESC LLC, GRANTS PASS SURGERY CENTER LLC, Gadsden Surgery Center LLC, Gainesville Surgery Center L.P., Gainesville Surgery Properties LLC, Genoa, Genoa Healthcare Inc., Genoa QoL Wholesale LLC, Genoa Technology Canada Inc., Genoa Technology Inc., Genoa Telepsychiatry Inc., Genoa of Arkansas LLC, Gladiolus Surgery Center L.L.C., Glenwood Surgical Center L.P., Glenwood-SC Inc., Global One Ventures LLC, Golden Gate Endoscopy Center LLC, Golden Outlook Inc., Golden Rule Financial Corporation, Golden Rule Insurance Company, Golden Triangle Surgicenter L.P., Grandview Surgery Center LTD., Greater New Haven ASC LLC, Greensboro Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Greenville Surgery Center LLC, Greenway Surgical Suites LLC, Grossmont Surgery Center L.P., Grove Place Surgery Center L.L.C., H&W Indemnity SPC Ltd., H.I. Investments Holding Company LLC, HCP ACO California LLC, HCentive Technology India Private Limited, HFHS-SCA Holdings LLC, HMG Holding Corporation, HMG Holdings LLC, HMP of Baltimore  USH P.C., Harken Health Insurance Company, Harrison Endo Surgical Center LLC, Hawthorn Place Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Hays JV Partners LLC, Hays Surgery Center LLC, Health Care-ONE Insurance Agency Inc., Health Inventures Employment Solutions LLC, Health Inventures LLC, Health Plan of Nevada Inc., HealthCare Partners ASC-LB LLC, HealthCare Partners Affiliates Medical Group, HealthCare Partners Management Services California LLC, HealthCare Partners RE LLC, HealthEast Surgery Center-Maplewood LLC, HealthFirst IPA Inc., HealthMarkets Group Inc., HealthMarkets Inc., HealthMarkets Insurance Agency Inc., HealthMarkets LLC, HealthMarkets Services Inc., HealthSCOPE Holdings Inc., HealthScope Benefits Inc., Healthcare Solutions Inc., Healthplex America LLC, Healthplex Dental Services Inc., Healthplex I.P.A. Inc., Healthplex Inc., Healthplex Insurance Company, Healthplex of CT Inc., Healthplex of DC Inc., Healthplex of MD Inc., Healthplex of ME Inc., Healthplex of NC Inc., Healthplex of NJ Inc., Healthplex of TX Inc., Heartland Heart and Vascular LLC, Help Seguros de Vida S.A., Help Service S.A., Help SpA, Hemonefro  Hemodialise e Nefrologia Ltda, Highlands Ranch Healthcare LLC, Home Medical S.A., Honodav SpA, Hospice Inspiris Holdings Inc., Hospitais Associados de Pernambuco Ltda., Hospital Alvorada Taguatinga Ltda., Hospital Ana Costa S.A., Hospital Santa Helena S.A., Hospital de Clinicas de Jacarepagua Ltda., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of Broome County PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Binghamton P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Buffalo P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Newburgh P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Nyack P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Patchogue P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alabama  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alabama  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alaska  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alaska  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Goodyear Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Nogales Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Phoenix II Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Phoenix Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Sierra Vista Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Tucson II Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Tucson Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arkansas  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arkansas  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Buncombe County PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Apple Valley PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Bakersfield PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Camarillo PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Crescent City PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Fairfield PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Fremont PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Grass Valley PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Jackson PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Oceanside PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Oxnard PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Salinas PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Bernardino II PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Bernardino PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Leandro PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Sonoma PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Stockton II PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Stockton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Thousand Oaks PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Vacaville PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado - Brighton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado - Denver PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Manchester LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Rockville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Wallingford LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Delaware  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Delaware  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Ft. Lauderdale LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Jacksonville II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Jacksonville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Palm Coast LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Fredericksburg LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Atlanta PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - East Point PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Lavonia PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Savannah PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii - Kealakekua Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho - Nampa PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Downers Grove LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Elmhurst LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Rockford LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Winfield LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Clinton LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Mishawaka LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Terre Haute LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa - Cedar Rapids PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa - Mason City PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas - Topeka LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas - Wichita II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas - Wichita LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Alexandria Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Bossier City Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Lake Charles Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Shreveport Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine - Bangor PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine - Lewiston PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Cheverly PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Cumberland PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Frederick PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Laurel PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - 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Dowagiac PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Escanaba PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Grand Blanc PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Grayling PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Kalamazoo PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Plainwell PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Port Huron PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Saginaw PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Tawas City PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Minnesota  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Minnesota  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri - Bridgeton Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri - Richmond Heights Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Billings PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Butte PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Miles City PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Missoula PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Multiple Practice Sites LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nebraska  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nebraska  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Henderson Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Henderson II Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Las Vegas Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Las Vegas II Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada  TCG Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada  TCS Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Hampshire  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Hampshire  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Jersey - 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Akron Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Batavia Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Canton Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Cincinnati II Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Cincinnati III Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Cincinnati Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Circleville Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Columbus II Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Columbus Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Dover Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - East Liverpool Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Fairfield Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Martins Ferry Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - 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Aiken LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Carolina - Rock Hill LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Carolina  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Carolina  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Dakota  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Dakota  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Tennessee  Columbia PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Tennessee  Franklin PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Tennessee  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Tennessee  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Amarillo PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Atlanta PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Austin II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Austin PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Bryan PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Burnet PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Corpus Christi II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Corpus Christi PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - 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Alexandria LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Front Royal II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Front Royal LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Mechanicsville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Midlothian LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Richmond II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Richmond LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Winchester LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Arlington PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Auburn PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Bellingham PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Bremerton PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Burien PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Coupeville PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Enumclaw PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Federal Way PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Gig Harbor PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Lakewood PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Mount Vernon PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Puyallup PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Tacoma II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Tacoma III PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Tacoma PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Vancouver PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington County LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia  Martinsburg PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia  South Charleston PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia  Wheeling PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wisconsin Ltd., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming - Casper LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming  TCS LLC, Hospitalists Management Group LLC, Humedica, Humedica Inc., Hygeia Corporation, Hygeia Corporation Ontario, IEC Holdings LLC, IHD Holdings LLC, INOV8 Surgical at Memorial City LLC, INSPIRIS of Texas Physician Group, Illinois Independent Care Network LLC, Imagen Technologies Inc., Impel Consulting Experts L.L.C., Impel Management Services L.L.C., InTouch Pharmacy LLC, Indiana Care Organization LLC, Indiana Endoscopy Centers LLC, Inland Surgery Center L.P., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3001 S.A., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3600 Ltda., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo S.A., Inmobiliaria Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Inmobiliaria Vinamed Ltda., Inmobiliaria e Inversiones Alameda S.A., Inpatient Services P.C., Inpatient Specialists of California P.C., Inspiris, Inspiris Inc., Instituto Radium de Cammpinas Ltda, Inter-Hospital Physicians Association Inc., International Healthcare Services Inc., Inversiones Clinicas Santa Maria SpA, Ironman Holdco Inc., Ironman Intermediate Holdco LLC, Isapre Banmedica S.A., JPM Healthcare LLC, Johnston Surgicare L.P., Joliet Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Jordan Ridge Family Medicine LLC, Joyable Inc., Kansal Inc. A Professional Corporation, Knox Diagnostic Imaging Center LLC, Kokomo Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, LDI Holding Company LLC, LDI Management Services LLC, LGH-A/Golf ASTC L.L.C., LHC Group, La Esperanza del Peru S.A., Laboratorio ROE S.A., Laboratorios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Landmark Group Holdings LLC, Landmark Health Holdings LLC, Landmark Health LLC, Landmark Health NY IPA LLC, Landmark Health NY PO LLC, Landmark Health Technologies Private Limited, Landmark Health of California LLC, Landmark Health of Massachusetts LLC, Landmark Health of North Carolina LLC, Landmark Health of Oregon LLC, Landmark Health of Pennsylvania LLC, Landmark Health of Washington LLC, Landmark India LLC, Landmark Intermediate Holdings LLC, Landmark MSO LLC, Landmark Medical of Idaho PC, Landmark Medical of Massachusetts PLLC, Landmark Medical of Tennessee PC, Landmark Primary Care LLC, Laser Acquisition Holdings III LLC, Leehar Distributors LLC, Lemhi Ventures Fund I LP, Lemhi Ventures Fund II LP, Level2 Medical Services P.C. Alaska, Lexington Surgery Center Ltd., Liberty Anesthesia Services LLC, LifePrint Health Inc., LifeWell. Ltd. Co., Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization LLC, Limestone Medical Center LLC, Litomedica S.A., Logan Surgical Suites LLC, Lotten-Eyes Oftalmologia Clinica e Cirurgica Ltda., Louisville S.C. Ltd., Louisville-SC Properties Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook L.P., Lusiadas - Parcerias Cascais S.A., Lusiadas A.C.E., Lusiadas Algarve S.A., Lusiadas S.A., Lusiadas SGPS S.A., Lutheran Campus ASC LLC, MAMSI Life and Health Insurance Company, MCNA Health Care Holdings LLC, MCNA Insurance Company, MCNA Systems Corp., MD Ops Inc., MD-Individual Practice Association Inc., ME AHS UC LLC, MGH/SCA LLC, MHC Real Estate Holdings LLC, MIAMI SURGERY CENTER LLC, MSLA Management LLC, Main Line Spine Surgery Center LLC, Managed Care of North America Inc., Managed Physical Network Inc., Mansfield Endoscopy Center LLC, March Holdings Inc., March Vision Care IPA Inc., March Vision Care Inc., March Vision Care of Texas Inc., Marin Health Ventures LLC, Marin Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Marin Surgery Holdings Inc., Marlin Holding Company LLC, Maryland Ambulatory Centers LLC, Maryland-SCA Centers LLC, Massachusetts Assurance Company Ltd. PIC, Massachusetts Avenue Surgery Center LLC, McKenzie Surgery Center L.P., MedExpress Primary Care West Virginia Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care Alabama LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Inc. - Ohio, MedExpress Urgent Care Maine Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care New Hampshire Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach LLC, MedSynergies, MedSynergies LLC, Medical Clinic of North Texas PLLC, Medical Hilfe S.A., Medical Support Los Angeles Inc., Medical Surgical Centers of America Inc., Medical Transportation Services LLC, Melbourne Surgery Center LLC, Memorial City Holdings LLC, Memorial City Partners LLC, Memorial Houston Surgery Center LLC, MemorialCare Surgical Center at Orange Coast LLC, MemorialCare Surgical Center at Saddleback LLC, Mesquite Liberty LLC, Metro I Stone Management Ltd., Mid Atlantic Medical Services, Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of Tennessee, Midlands Orthopaedics Surgery Center LLC, Midwest Center for Day Surgery LLC, Mile High SurgiCenter LLC, Mississippi Medical Plaza L.C., Mobile Medical Services of New Jersey PC, Mobile-SC LTD., Modality Accountable Care Organisation Limited, Moen M.D. P.C., Mohawk Surgery Center LLC, Monarch Management Services Inc., Montgomery Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Monument Health LLC, Moore Orthopaedic Clinic Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Morris County Surgical Center LLC, Mt. Pleasant Surgery Center L.P., Multiangio Ltda., Murrells Inlet ASC LLC, Muskogee Surgical Investors LLC, Mustang Razorback Holdings Inc., My Wellness Solutions LLC, NAMM Holdings Inc., NPN IPA Washington PLLC, NSC Channel Islands LLC, NSC Greensboro LLC, NSC Greensboro West LLC, NSC Lancaster LLC, NSC Seattle Inc., NSC Upland LLC, Naperville Surgical Centre LLC, National Foundation Life Insurance Company, National Pacific Dental Inc., National Surgery Centers LLC, Navigator Health Inc., Nebraska Spine Hospital LLC, Neighborhood Health Partnership Inc., Netwerkes LLC, Nevada Pacific Dental, New Orleans Regional Physician Hospital Organization L.L.C., New West Physicians Inc., New York Proton Management LLC, Newton Holdings LLC, Niagara Hospitalist P.C., Nomad Buyer Inc., North American Medical Management California Inc., North Coast Surgery Center Ltd. a California Limited Partnership, North Dallas Surgical Center LLC, North Kitsap Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, North Puget Sound Oncology Equipment Leasing Company LLC, Northern Nevada Health Network Inc., Northern Rockies Surgery Center L.P., Northern Rockies Surgicenter Inc., Northern Utah Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Hills JV Partners LLC, Northwest Medical Group Alliance LLC, Northwest Spine and Laser Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Surgicare LLC, Northwest Surgicare Ltd. an Illinois Limited Partnership, OC Cardiology Practice Partners LLC, OCC MSO LLC, OSB  Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Lda., Omesa SpA, OmniClaim LLC, Oncocare S.A.C., One World Surgery, Ophthalmology Surgery Center of Dallas LLC, Optimum Choice Inc., Optum Bank Inc., Optum Biometrics Inc., Optum Care Inc., Optum Care Networks Inc., Optum Care Services Company, Optum Care of New York Management Inc., Optum Clinics Holdings Inc., Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings Inc., Optum Compounding Services LLC, Optum Digital Health Holdings LLC, Optum Direct To Consumer Inc., Optum Financial Inc., Optum Frontier Therapies Holdings LLC, Optum Frontier Therapies II LLC, Optum Frontier Therapies LLC, Optum Genomics Inc., Optum Global Solutions Colombia S.A.S., Optum Global Solutions India Private Limited, Optum Global Solutions International B.V., Optum Global Solutions Philippines Inc., Optum Government Solutions Inc., Optum Growth Partners Holdings Inc., Optum Growth Partners LLC, Optum Health & Technology Holdings US Inc., Optum Health & Technology Hong Kong Limited, Optum Health & Technology India Private Limited, Optum Health & Technology Servicos do Brasil Ltda., Optum Health & Technology Singapore Pte. Ltd., Optum Health & Technology US LLC, Optum Health Plan of California, Optum Health Services Canada Ltd., Optum Health Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Optum Health Solutions UK Limited, Optum Health and Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services LLC, Optum Inc., Optum Infusion Services 100 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 101 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 103 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 200 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 201 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 202 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 203 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 204 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 205 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 206 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 207 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 208 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 209 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 301 LP, Optum Infusion Services 302 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 305 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 308 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 401 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 402 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 403 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 404 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 500 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 501 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 550 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 551 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 553 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 554 Inc., Optum Insurance of Ohio Inc., Optum Labs Inc., Optum Labs LLC, Optum Life Sciences Canada Inc., Optum Management Consulting Shanghai Co. Ltd., Optum Networks of New Jersey Inc., Optum Operations Ireland Unlimited Company, Optum Oregon MSO LLC, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas Inc., Optum Perks LLC, Optum Pharma Services Holdings Inc., Optum Pharmacy 601 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 700 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 701 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 702 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 704 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 705 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 706 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 707 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 800 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 803 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 805 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 806 Inc., Optum Public Sector Solutions Inc., Optum Rocket LLC, Optum SCA CS JV Holdings LLC, Optum Senior Services LLC, Optum Services Inc., Optum Services Ireland Limited, Optum Services Puerto Rico LLC, Optum Solutions UK Holdings Limited, Optum Technology LLC, Optum UK Solutions Group Limited, Optum Venture Global Partners II LP, Optum Venture Global Partners LP, Optum Venture Partners II LP, Optum Venture Partners III LP, Optum Venture Partners LP, Optum Washington Network LLC, Optum Women's and Children's Health LLC, Optum of New York Inc., Optum360 LLC, Optum360 Services Inc., Optum360 Solutions LLC, OptumCare ACO New Mexico LLC, OptumCare ACO West LLC, OptumCare Clinical Trials LLC, OptumCare Colorado ASC LLC, OptumCare Colorado LLC, OptumCare Colorado Springs LLC, OptumCare Endoscopy Center New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Florida CI LLC, OptumCare Florida LLC, OptumCare Holdings Colorado LLC, OptumCare Holdings LLC, OptumCare Management LLC, OptumCare New Mexico LLC, OptumCare New York IPA Inc., OptumCare Portland LLC, OptumCare South Florida LLC, OptumCare Specialty Practices LLC, OptumHealth Care Solutions LLC, OptumHealth Holdings LLC, OptumHealth International B.V., OptumInsight Holdings LLC, OptumInsight Inc., OptumInsight India Private Limited, OptumInsight Life Sciences Inc., OptumRx Administrative Services LLC, OptumRx Discount Card Services LLC, OptumRx Group Holdings Inc., OptumRx Health Solutions LLC, OptumRx Holdings I LLC, OptumRx Holdings LLC, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio LLC, OptumRx IPA III Inc., OptumRx Inc., OptumRx NY IPA Inc., OptumRx PBM of Illinois Inc., OptumRx PBM of Maryland LLC, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin LLC, OptumRx PD of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx Pharmacy Inc., OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada Inc., OptumRx of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumServe Technology Services Inc., Oregon Healthcare Resources LLC, Oregon Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., OrthoNet Holdings Inc., OrthoNet LLC, OrthoNet New York IPA Inc., OrthoNet West Inc., OrthoNet of the South Inc., OrthoWest MSO LLC, Orthology Inc., Orthopedic Center of Palm Beach County LLC, Orthopedic Surgery Center of Palm Beach County LLC, Orthopro Management LLC, Ovations Inc., Owensboro Ambulatory Surgical Facility Ltd., Oxford Benefit Management Inc., Oxford Health Insurance Inc., Oxford Health Plans CT Inc., Oxford Health Plans LLC, Oxford Health Plans NJ Inc., Oxford Health Plans NY Inc., P2P Link LLC, PCCCV Inc., PHC Subsidiary Holdings LLC, PHYSICIANS DAY SURGERY CENTER LLC, PMI Acquisition LLC, PMSI Holdings LLC, PMSI Settlement Solutions LLC, POMCO Inc., POMCO Network Inc., PPH Holdings LLC, PPH Management Company L.L.C., PPH-Columbia Inc., PPH-Gardendale Inc., PS Center LLC, PacifiCare Health Systems, PacifiCare Life Assurance Company, PacifiCare Life and Health Insurance Company, PacifiCare of Arizona Inc., PacifiCare of Colorado Inc., Pacific Cardiovascular Associates Medical Group Inc., Pacific Casualty Company Inc., Pacifico S.A. Entidad Prestadora de Salud, Panama City Surgery Center LLC, Park Hill Surgery Center LLC, Parkway Surgery Center LLC, Patient Care Associates L.L.C., PatientsLikeMe, Patrimonio Autonomo Nueva Clinica, Payment Resolution Services LLC, Peninsula Eye Surgery Center LLC, Penzo Enterprises LLC, Peoples Health, Peoples Health Inc., Perham Physical Therapy LTD, Perimeter Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., Pharmaceutical Technologies LLC, Physician Alliance of the Rockies LLC, Physicians Health Choice of Texas LLC, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland Inc., Physicians' Surgery Center of Downey LLC, Pinnacle III LLC, Plano de Saude Ana Costa Ltda., Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico Inc., Plus One Holdings Inc., Pocono Ambulatory Surgery Center Limited, Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes Multiestrategia, Polo Holdco LLC, Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Post-Acute Care Center for Research LLC, Practice Partners in Healthcare LLC, Preferred Care Network Inc., Preferred Care Network of Florida Inc., Preferred Care Partners Holding Corp., Preferred Care Partners Inc., Preferred Care Partners Medical Group Inc., PreferredOne, PreferredOne Administrative Services Inc., PreferredOne Insurance Company, Premier Choice ACO Inc., Premier Surgery Center of Louisville L.P., Premiere Medical Resources LLC, Presidio Surgery Center LLC, Prime Health Inc., PrimeCare Medical Network Inc., PrimeCare of Citrus Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Corona Inc., PrimeCare of Hemet Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Inland Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Moreno Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Redlands Inc., PrimeCare of Riverside Inc., PrimeCare of San Bernardino Inc., PrimeCare of Sun City Inc., PrimeCare of Temecula Inc., PrimeDoc St. Francis P.C., PrimeDoc of Richmond P.C., ProHEALTH Care Associates L.L.P., ProHEALTH Care Associates of New Jersey LLP, ProHEALTH Medical Management LLC, ProHealth Physicians ACO LLC, ProHealth Physicians Inc., ProHealth Proton Center Management LLC, ProHealth/CareMount Dental Management LLC, Procura Management Inc., Professional Coverage Services PLLC, Progressive Enterprises Holdings Inc., Progressive Medical LLC, Promotora Country S.A., Pronounced Health Solutions Inc., Prosemedic S.A.C., Prospero Benefits Management LLC, Prospero Care Management LLC, Prospero Management Services LLC, Providence & SCA Development LLC, Providence & SCA Off-Campus Holdings LLC, Providence & SCA On-Campus Holdings LLC, Providence & SCA Outreach Markets Holdings LLC, Pulse Platform LLC, QoL Acquisition Holdings Corp., R Cubed Inc., RABessler M.D. P.C., ROC Surgery LLC, ROCS Holdings LLC, RX Ricardo Campos Ltda., Rally Health Inc., ReMedics LLC, Real Appeal Inc., Redding Surgery Center LLC, Redlands Ambulatory Surgery Center, Redlands-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., Reliant MSO LLC, Reliant Medical Group Inc., Reliant Medical Group The Endoscopy Center LLC, Research Surgical Center LLC, Resonancia Magnetica de Colombia Ltda., Resonancia Magnetica del Country S.A., RightCare Solutions Inc., River Valley ASC LLC, Riverside Corporate Wellness LLC, Riverside Electronic Healthcare Resources Inc., Riverside Medical Management LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Meadowlands LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Newark LLC, Robert A. Bessler MD PLLC, Rockville Eye Surgery Center LLC, Rocky Mountain Health Maintenance Organization Incorporated, Rush Oak Brook Surgery Center LLC, SC Affiliates LLC, SCA AHN JV Holdings LLC, SCA Alaska Surgery Center inc., SCA Athens LLC, SCA Austin Holdings LLC, SCA Austin Medical Center Holdings LLC, SCA Aventura Holdings LLC, SCA BOSC Holdings LLC, SCA Bloomfield Holdings LLC, SCA Cedar Park Holdings LLC, SCA Clifton LLC, SCA Colorado Springs Holdings LLC, SCA Community Service Foundation, SCA Cottonwood Holdings LLC, SCA Danbury Surgical Center LLC, SCA Denver Holdings LLC, SCA Development LLC, SCA Duluth Holdings LLC, SCA Duncanville Holdings LLC, SCA Duncanville MSO LLC, SCA ESSC Holdings LLC, SCA Englewood Holdings LLC, SCA Global One Holdings LLC, SCA Greenway Holdings LLC, SCA Grove Creek Holdings LLC, SCA Guilford Holdings LLC, SCA Hays Holdings LLC, SCA Health Value Enterprise LLC, SCA Heartland Holdings LLC, SCA High Point Holdings LLC, SCA HoldCo Inc., SCA Holding Company Inc., SCA Holdings Inc., SCA IEC Holdings LLC, SCA Indiana Holdings LLC, SCA Lutheran Holdings LLC, SCA Maple Grove Holdings LLC, SCA Mohawk Holdings LLC, SCA Murrells Inlet LLC, SCA Northern Utah Holdings LLC, SCA Northwest Holdings LLC, SCA Outside New Jersey LLC, SCA Pacific Holdings Inc., SCA Pacific Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Palisades Holdings LLC, SCA Pennsylvania Holdings LLC, SCA Pinnacle Holdings LLC, SCA Premier Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, SCA Providence Holdings LLC, SCA ROCS Holdings LLC, SCA Rockledge JV LLC, SCA Rush Oak Brook Holdings LLC, SCA SSSC Holdings LLC, SCA Sage Medical LLC, SCA Sage Medical MSO LLC, SCA San Diego Holdings LLC, SCA Skyway Holdings LLC, SCA South Ogden Holdings LLC, SCA Southwestern PA LLC, SCA Specialists of Florida LLC, SCA Specialty Holdings of Connecticut LLC, SCA Stonegate Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Surgicare of Laguna Hills LLC, SCA Teammate Support Network, SCA West Health Holdings LLC, SCA Westgreen Holdings LLC, SCA Woodbury Holdings LLC, SCA eCode Solutions Private Limited, SCA of Clarksville Inc., SCA-Albuquerque Surgery Properties Inc., SCA-Alliance LLC, SCA-Anne Arundel LLC, SCA-Applecare Partners LLC, SCA-Bethesda LLC, SCA-Blue Ridge LLC, SCA-Bonita Springs LLC, SCA-Brandon LLC, SCA-Castle Rock LLC, SCA-Central Florida LLC, SCA-Charleston LLC, SCA-Chatham LLC, SCA-Chevy Chase LLC, SCA-Citrus Inc., SCA-Colonial Partners LLC, SCA-Colorado Springs LLC, SCA-Connecticut Partners LLC, SCA-DRY CREEK LLC, SCA-Davenport LLC, SCA-Denver LLC, SCA-Denver Physicians Holdings LLC, SCA-Derry LLC, SCA-Doral LLC, SCA-Downey LLC, SCA-Dublin LLC, SCA-Encinitas Inc., SCA-Eugene Inc., SCA-First Coast LLC, SCA-Florence LLC, SCA-Fort Collins Inc., SCA-Fort Walton Inc., SCA-Franklin LLC, SCA-Frederick LLC, SCA-Freeway Holdings LLC, SCA-Ft. Myers LLC, SCA-GRANTS PASS LLC, SCA-Gainesville LLC, SCA-Gladiolus LLC, SCA-Glenwood Holdings LLC, SCA-Grove Place LLC, SCA-Hagerstown LLC, SCA-Hamden LLC, SCA-Hilton Head LLC, SCA-Honolulu LLC, SCA-Houston Executive LLC, SCA-IT Holdings LLC, SCA-Illinois LLC, SCA-JPM Holdings LLC, SCA-Kissing Camels Holdings LLC, SCA-MC VBP Inc., SCA-Main Street LLC, SCA-Marina del Rey LLC, SCA-Mecklenburg Development Corp., SCA-Memorial City LLC, SCA-Memorial LLC, SCA-Merritt LLC, SCA-Midlands LLC, SCA-Midway Management LLC, SCA-Mobile LLC, SCA-Mokena LLC, SCA-Morris Avenue LLC, SCA-Morris County LLC, SCA-Mt. Pleasant LLC, SCA-Naperville LLC, SCA-Naples LLC, SCA-New Jersey LLC, SCA-Newport Beach LLC, SCA-Northeast Georgia Health LLC, SCA-PORTLAND LLC, SCA-Palm Beach LLC, SCA-Palm Beach MSO Holdings LLC, SCA-Panama City Holdings LLC, SCA-Paoli LLC, SCA-Phoenix LLC, SCA-Pocono LLC, SCA-Practice Partners Holdings LLC, SCA-River Valley LLC, SCA-Riverside LLC, SCA-Riverside Partners LLC, SCA-Rockville LLC, SCA-Sacred Heart Holdings LLC, SCA-San Diego Inc., SCA-San Luis Obispo LLC, SCA-Sand Lake LLC, SCA-Santa Rosa Inc., SCA-Somerset LLC, SCA-South Jersey LLC, SCA-Sparta LLC, SCA-Spartanburg Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis LLC, SCA-St. Lucie LLC, SCA-SurgiCare LLC, SCA-Swiftpath LLC, SCA-VERTA LLC, SCA-VLR Holdings Company LLC, SCA-Wake Forest LLC, SCA-Western Connecticut LLC, SCA-Westover Hills LLC, SCA-Winchester LLC, SCA-Winter Park Inc., SCA-Woodlands Holdings LLC, SCAI Holdings LLC, SCLHS-SCA Holdings LLC, SCP Specialty Infusion LLC, SHC Atlanta LLC, SHC Austin Inc., SHC Hawthorn Inc., SHC Melbourne Inc., SJ East Campus ASC LLC, SRPS LLC, SSSC Holdings LLC, SVHS-SCA Florida JV LLC, Sacred Heart ASC LLC, Saden S.A., Sage Medical Prof. LLC, Salem JV Holdings LLC, Salem Surgery Center LLC, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy Inc., San Diego Endoscopy Center, San Diego Sports and Minimally Invasive Surgery Center LLC, San Francisco Endoscopy Center LLC, San Luis Obispo Surgery Center a California Limited Partnership, Sand Lake SurgiCenter LLC, Santa Barbara Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Cruz Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Helena Assistencia Medica S.A., Santa Rosa Surgery Center L.P., Santos Administracao e Participacoes S.A., Sanvello Health Holdings LLC, Sanvello Health Inc., Sanvello Health Limited, Scanner Centromed S.A., Seashore Surgical Institute L.L.C., Seisa Servicos Integrados de Saude Ltda., Senate Street Surgery Center LLC, Senior Benefits L.L.C., Serquinox Holdings LLC, Servicios Integrados de Salud Ltda., Servicios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Servicios Medicos Bio Bio Ltda., Servicios Medicos Ciudad del Mar Ltda., Servicios Medicos Santa Maria Ltda., Servicios Medicos Vespucio Ltda., Servicios de Entrenamiento en Competencias Clinicas Ltda., Serviclinica Inmobiliaria S.A., Serviclinica S.A. Ex Los Leones La Calera, Servisalud Inmobiliaria S.A., Servisalud S.A. Ex Los Carrera Quilpue, Shark Holdings P.C., Sierra Dental Plan Inc., Sierra Health Services Inc, Sierra Health Services Inc., Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company Inc., Sierra Health-Care Options Inc., Sierra Home Medical Products Inc., Sierra Nevada Administrators Inc., Sistema de Administracion Hospitalaria S.A.C., Small Business Insurance Advisors Inc., Sobam  Centro Medico Hospitalar S.A., Sociedad de Inversiones Santa Maria SpA, Solstice Administration Services Inc., Solstice Administrators Inc., Solstice Administrators of Alabama Inc., Solstice Administrators of Arizona Inc., Solstice Administrators of Missouri Inc., Solstice Administrators of North Carolina Inc., Solstice Administrators of Texas Inc., Solstice Benefit Services Inc., Solstice Benefits Inc., Solstice Health Insurance Company, Solstice Healthplans Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Arizona Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Colorado Inc., Solstice Healthplans of New Jersey Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Ohio Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Tennessee Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Texas Inc., Solstice of Illinois Inc., Solstice of Minnesota Inc., Solstice of New York Inc., Solutran LLC, Somerset Outpatient Surgery L.L.C., Sound Inpatient Physicians Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians Medical Group Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians of Ohio LLC, Sound Inpatient Physicians of Texas I Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians  Michigan PLLC, Sound Intensivists of Nevada RBessler M.D. PLLC, Sound Kenwood Hospitalists of Cincinnati Inc., Sound Kenwood Hospitalists of Cincinnati LLC, Sound Physicians Advisory Services Inc., Sound Physicians Alaska Hospitalist Group LLC, Sound Physicians Anesthesiology of Texas PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Arizona Inc., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Georgia P.C., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Kansas LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Kentucky PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Louisiana Inc., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Michigan PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Nevada Bessler PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Southern California P.C., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Texas PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Washington PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of West Virginia PLLC, Sound Physicians Holdings LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Arizona Inc., Sound Physicians Intensivists of Georgia PC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Virginia LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Washington PLLC, Sound Physicians Palliative Care of Maryland P.C., Sound Physicians Telemedicine Inc., Sound Physicians of Florida IV LLC, Sound Physicians of Georgia III P.C., Sound Physicians of Hawaii Inc., Sound Physicians of Idaho PLLC, Sound Physicians of Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians of Indiana LLC, Sound Physicians of Iowa PLLC, Sound Physicians of Kankakee Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians of Massachusetts II P.C., Sound Physicians of Massachusetts Inc., Sound Physicians of New Jersey LLC, Sound Physicians of New York PLLC, Sound Physicians of North Carolina PLLC, Sound Physicians of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians of Wyoming LLC, South Arlington Surgical Providers LLC, South County Surgical Center LLC, South Sound Inpatient Physicians PLLC, Southern California Medical Practice Concepts LLC, Southland Hospitalists P.C., Southwest Medical Associates Inc., Southwest Michigan Health Network Inc., Southwest Surgery Center LLC, Southwest Surgical Center LLC, Space Coast Surgical Center Ltd., Spartanburg Surgery Center LLC, Specialists in Urology Surgery Center LLC, Specialized Pharmaceuticals Inc., Specialty Benefits LLC, Specialty Billing Solutions LLC, Specialty Surgical Center LLC, Spectera Inc., Spectera of New York IPA Inc., Sports and Spinal Physical Therapy Inc., St. Cloud Outpatient Surgery Ltd. a Minnesota Limited Partnership, St. Cloud Surgical Center LLC, St. Louis Cardiovascular Institute LLC, St. Louis Specialty Surgical Center LLC, Stonegate JV Partners LLC, Stonegate Surgery Center L.P., Summer Street ASC LLC, SunSurgery LLC, Surgery Center Holding LLC, Surgery Center at Cherry Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Cottonwood LLC, Surgery Center at Grove Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Kissing Camels LLC, Surgery Center at South Ogden LLC, Surgery Center at St. Vincent LLC, Surgery Center of Boca Raton Inc., Surgery Center of Colorado Springs LLC, Surgery Center of Des Moines LLC, Surgery Center of Easton LLC, Surgery Center of Ellicott City Inc., Surgery Center of Fairfield County LLC, Surgery Center of Fort Collins LLC, Surgery Center of Lexington LLC, Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, Surgery Center of Maui LLC, Surgery Center of Mt. Scott LLC, Surgery Center of Muskogee LLC, Surgery Center of Rockville L.L.C., Surgery Center of Southern Pines LLC, Surgery Center of The Woodlands LLC, Surgery Centers of Des Moines Ltd. an Iowa Limited Partnership, Surgery Centers-West Holdings LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates, Surgical Care Affiliates LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates Political Action Committee, Surgical Care Partners of Melbourne LLC, Surgical Caregivers of Fort Worth LLC, Surgical Center of Greensboro LLC, Surgical Center of San Diego LLC, Surgical Center of South Jersey Limited Partnership, Surgical Center of Tuscaloosa Holdings LLC, Surgical Eye Experts LLC, Surgical Health LLC, Surgical Health of Orlando LLC, Surgical Hospital Holdings of Oklahoma LLC, Surgical Management Solutions LLC, Surgicare LLC, Surgicare of Central Jersey LLC, Surgicare of Jackson LLC, Surgicare of Jackson Ltd. a Mississippi Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Joliet Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Ltd. a California Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Minneapolis LLC, Surgicare of Minneapolis Ltd. a Minnesota Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Mobile LLC, Surgicare of Mobile Ltd., Surgicare of Oceanside Inc., Surgicare of Owensboro LLC, Surgicare of Salem LLC, Surgicenters of Southern California Inc., Symphonix Health Holdings LLC, T.M. Carr M.D. P.C., THE SURGICAL CENTER OF THE TREASURE COAST L.L.C., THR-SCA Holdings LLC, TeamMD Holdings Inc., TeamMD Iowa Inc., TeamMD Physicians of Texas Inc., TeamUP Insurance Services Inc., Tecnologia de Informacion en Salud S.A., Texas Health Craig Ranch Surgery Center LLC, Texas Health Flower Mound Orthopedic Surgery Center LLC, Texas Health Orthopedic Surgery Center Alliance LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Alliance LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Bedford LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Chisholm Trail LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Irving LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Las Colinas LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Preston Plaza LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Rockwall LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Southwest Fort Worth LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Waxahachie LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Willow Park LLC, The Advisory Board Company, The Alaska Hospitalist Group LLC, The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company, The Eye Surgery Center of the Carolinas L.P., The Intensivist Group of Langhorne LLC, The Lewin Group Inc., The Outpatient Surgery Center of Hilton Head LLC, The Polyclinic MSO LLC, The Surgery Center of Easton L.P., The Surgical Center of Connecticut LLC, Thomas Johnson Surgery Center LLC, Three Rivers Holdings Inc., Three Rivers Surgical Care L.P., Tmesys LLC, Topimagem Diagnostico por Imagem Ltda., Touchpoint Health Plan, Trails Edge Surgery Center LLC, Trauma Surgery Affiliates LLC, Travel Express Incorporated, Treasure Valley Emerald Properties LLC, Treasure Valley Hospital Limited Partnership, Tri-City Medical Center ASC Operators LLC, Tri-County Surgery Center LLC, Trinity Cardiovascular Care PLLC, Tufts Health Freedom Insurance Company, Tufts Health Freedom Plans Inc., Tuscaloosa Surgical Center L.P., U.S. Behavioral Health Plan California, UCSD Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, UCSD Center for Surgery of Encinitas L.P., UCSD Surgical Center of San Diego LLC, UCSD-SCA Holdings I LLC, UCSD-SCA Holdings II LLC, UHC Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, UHC International Services Inc., UHC of California, UHCG Holdings Ireland Limited, UHCG Services Ireland Limited, UHCG  FZE, UHG Brasil Participacoes S.A., UHG Holdings UK IV Limited, UHG Holdings UK V Limited, UHG Holdings UK VI Limited, UHIC Holdings Inc., UMR Inc., UPHT-SCA Holdings LLC, USHEALTH Academy Inc., USHEALTH Administrators LLC, USHEALTH Advisors LLC, USHEALTH Career Agency Inc., USHEALTH Funding Inc., USHEALTH Group Inc., USMD ASC IV1 LLC, USMD ASC IV2 LLC, USMD Administrative Services L.L.C., USMD Affiliated Services, USMD Holdings Inc., USMD Hospital at Arlington L.P., USMD Hospital at Fort Worth L.P., USMD Inc., USMD PPM LLC, Unidad Medica Diagnostico S.A., Unimerica Insurance Company, Unimerica Life Insurance Company of New York, Unison Health Plan of Delaware Inc., United Behavioral Health, United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A. Inc., United Group Reinsurance Inc., United Health Foundation, United HealthCare Services Inc., United Medical Park ASC LLC, United Resource Networks IPA of New York Inc., United in Advancing Health Equity Foundation, UnitedHealth Advisors LLC, UnitedHealth Group Employee Assistance Fund, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, UnitedHealth Group International Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, UnitedHealth International Inc., UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services LLC, UnitedHealthcare Benefits Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas L.L.C., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service Beijing Co. Ltd., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Global Medical UK Limited, UnitedHealthcare Inc., UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of America, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Designated Activity Company, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services Inc., UnitedHealthcare International Asia LLC, UnitedHealthcare International I B.V., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III B.V., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VIII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International X S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Parekh Insurance TPA Private Limited, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley Inc., UnitedHealthcare Service LLC, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits LLC, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arizona Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Colorado Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Florida Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Illinois Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky Ltd., UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New England Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New York Inc., UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oregon Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Utah Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Washington Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Rockies Inc., Unity Health Network LLC, Upland Holdings LLC, Upland Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Urgent Care Holdings Inc., Urgent Care MSO LLC, Urology Associates of North Texas P.L.L.C., VERTA MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLC, VPay Benefits Corporation, VPay Inc., VPay Intermediate Holdings LLC, Valley Hospital L.L.C., Valley Physicians Network Inc., Vascular Labs of the Rockies ASC LLC, Vascular Labs of the Rockies PLLC, Via Vitae MSO LLC, Vida Integra S.p.A., Vida Tres S.A., Virtua-SCA Holdings II LLC, Virtua-SCA Holdings LLC, Vivify Health Canada Inc., Vivify Health Inc., WESTMED Practice Partners LLC, Wake Forest Ambulatory Ventures LLC, Walnut Creek Endoscopy Center LLC, Walnut Hill Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Surgery Center LLC, Wayland Square Surgicare Acquisition L.P., Wayland Square Surgicare GP Inc., Waypoint Minnesota PC, WellMed Medical Management Inc., WellMed Medical Management of Florida Inc., West Coast Endoscopy Holdings LLC, WestHealth JV Holdings LLC, WestHealth Surgery Center LLC, Western Connecticut Orthopedic Surgical Center LLC, Westgreen Surgical Center LLC, Wilson Creek Surgical Center LLC, Winchester Endoscopy LLC, Winter Park LLC, Winter Park Surgery Center L.P., Woodbury Surgery Center LLC, XAS Infusion Suites Inc., XLHealth Corporation, XLHealth Corporation India Private Limited, divvyDOSE, divvyMED LLC, eCode Solutions LLC, gethealthinsurance.com Agency Inc., hCentive Inc., inPharmative Inc., naviHealth Care at Home LLC, naviHealth Coordinated Care LLC, naviHealth Coordinated Care SC P.C., naviHealth Holdings LLC, naviHealth Inc., naviHealth Michigan HBPC P.C., and naviHealth SM Holdings Inc..

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The reconstruction of the railway line between Serbia and Hungary, a project financed mostly by China and its new Silk Road initiative to expand commercial ties with Europe, Asia and Africa, was inaugurated yesterday [Macau time] by Chinese and Serbian officials.

The symbolic launch of the project on the outskirts of the Serbian capital of Belgrade took place on the same day Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was meeting in Budapest with the prime ministers of both countries, Serbias Ana Brnabic and Hungarys Viktor Orban.

Construction machines removed parts of an old Serbian railway and the initial stretch of the project in Serbia is expected to be completed in three years, carried out by Chinese companies in line with European Union standards. The segment in Serbia is expected to cost USD2 billion, while the latest estimates for the Hungarian section stand at $1.8 billion.

Brnabic said she was hopeful that the railway project would help Serbia establish itself as a central hub of this part of Europe.

Orban has called the upgraded railway, which has been criticized by Hungarian opposition parties as too expensive and more important for China than Hungary, the flagship project of Chinas efforts to increase its presence in the region.

Speaking at a press event with Li after the two countries signed numerous investment and trade agreements, Orban said the region needed Chinese capital to grow.

We would need to carry out numerous investments for which there is not enough capital in the Hungarian economy or in the European Union, Orban said. That is why we are financing the Budapest-Belgrade railway line with Chinese assistance.

Li reiterated his view that the deals between China and the 16 Eastern European countries which took part in the 16+1 summit in Budapest would shore up the weak links in globalization.

I want to emphasize that cooperation between China and central and eastern European countries is good for the healthy development of globalization, Li said. We should not be afraid of the negative effects of economic globalization. We are still committed to multilateralism and support of free trade.Pablo Gorondi, Budapest, AP
Wynn has once again contributed to Tung Sin Tongs annual fundraising campaign, donating MOP500,000 to assist its poverty alleviation efforts and the provision of social welfare services.

A cheque presentation ceremony to mark the contribution was held yesterday at Wynn Palace. Ian Michael Coughlan, President and Executive Director of Wynn Macau, Limited, Linda Chen, President and Executive Director of Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A. and Katharine Liu, Senior Vice President of Communications of Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace presented the cheque to a delegation from Tung Sin Tong including President Chui Sai Cheong, and Directors Charles Choy and Deborah Vong.

Wynn has partnered with Tung Sin Tong since 2006, part of its support and contribution to local charitable services.

According to a statement issued by the gaming operator, Wynn actively participates in a range of charitable activities as part of its ongoing commitment to serving the community, providing support to people in need.

Uber facing federal probe on allegations of espionage

Federal prosecutors are investigating allegations that Uber deployed an espionage team to plunder trade secrets from its rivals. The revelation triggered a delay in a high- profile trial over whether the beleaguered ride-hailing service stole self-driving car technology from a Google spinoff.

The probe under way at the U.S. Justice Department centers on a 37-page letter that described allegations made by Richard Jacobs, Ubers former manager of global intelligence. Jacobs had the letter sent in May to an Uber lawyer. The letter contended that Jacobs had been wrongfully demoted and then fired for trying to stop the companys alleged misconduct.

The investigation hadnt been publicly known until Tuesday, when it surfaced in a court hearing that was supposed to set the stage for a trial pitting Uber against Waymo, a self-driving car pioneer that started within Google eight years ago.
China yesterday defended a five-year prison sentence handed down to a Taiwanese pro-democracy activist who held online political lectures and helped the families of jailed Chinese dissidents, saying the punishment was arrived at partly due to the degree of harm to society.

The trial of Lee Ming-che was seen as a demonstration of how Beijings harshest crackdown on human rights in decades has extended beyond the Chinese mainland, and sent a chill through Taiwanese society.

Lee and a mainland Chinese colleague pleaded guilty and were convicted on the vaguely defined charge of subversion of state power. The Chinese man, Peng Yuhua, was given a seven-year sentence. Both said they would not appeal  a possible sign they had reached a deal with the court in exchange for a degree of leniency.

Spokesman for the Cabinets Taiwan Affairs Office Ma Xiaoguang told reporters that Lees sentence was based on the facts, the nature and circumstances of the crime and the degree of harm to the society.

Ma offered no specific details on the degree of harm, but said, Whether Lee Ming-ches actions endanger the security and security of the mainland should be judged by mainland laws, rather than by outsiders.

Taiwans government and human rights groups have condemned the trial and sentencing as unacceptable and a legal farce.

It was also criticized by Lees wife, Lee Ching-yu, who was in China for the sentencing and issued a statement on her return to Taiwan yesterday afternoon.

Lee Ming-che has already taken up his identity as a political prisoner. I am earnestly urging all the people to keep on supporting him, so that he will not be forgotten in his corner of the world, Lee told a group of supporters and journalists.

The case has drawn widespread attention on the island, possibly hardening attitudes among supporters of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party who have resisted making political concessions to China.

Ma appeared to dismiss such sentiments, without addressing them directly.

Attempts by anyone to use this case to carry out political speculation and provoke confrontational sentiment between compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits will be in vain, Ma said. AP
Thomas Lim, a Singaporean-Chinese filmmaker, who currently lives in Los Angeles, holds a special affinity for Macau. After producing two Macau-based films, Lim has found some popularity in Japan.

His expectations are high for his latest film, Sea of Mirrors, the story of a fictional, former Japanese actress who travels to Macau on the invitation of a mysterious and malevolent investor. Lim told the Times he is currently striving toward a 2018 Macau premiere for the film.

The filmmaker is also working as a consultant for U.S. and Chinese film companies, advising on whether script proposals are suitable for each respective market. Lim sat down with the Times to talk about the growing trends in U.S-China film exchange.

Macau Daily Times (MDT)  Hollywoods placation of Chinese audiences has seemingly become the new normal in its China charm offensive. In 2017 several films produced in the US and released in China flopped  in your opinion, is it working or backfiring?

Thomas Lim (TL)  Hollywood has been chasing China and its enormous market for over ten years now, and Id say they have been rather successful on the business side of things, but not so much when it comes to content.

Content-wise, many Chinese audiences have watched blockbuster American films for decades, [ but] reports say Chinese audiences are getting tired of these movies. Too many of them are made with subpar story lines  and worse  some throw in a small cameo role starring a major Chinese superstar actor or actress with only three scenes and two lines. Chinese audiences are not pleased about the condescension inherent in the repetition of this formula.

MDT  Why is it so difficult to make films that Chinese and American audiences both want to watch?

TL  The hard part is creating content that resonates with both sides of the Pacific. Many have tried, but so far, no one has actually been successful.

Language is one of the prominent obstacles when it comes to merging content for US-China co-productions. American audiences will not watch anything subtitled. They did it for a film like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon- but that film is the exception across the past 20 years, it is not representative. So, when the dialogue of a film isnt 80 percent English, it loses all of the American market. It also doesnt help that the Chinese and American cultures are vastly different and the parts that do overlap are far from mainstream topics. This is the biggest reason why no one has actually succeeded in creating content that speaks to both American and Chinese audiences.

MDT  Is this new directive affecting the content of new film productions?

TL  Yes, Hollywood has never compromised so much of its content to a foreign market as it is doing for China now. The Monkey King is Chinas most popular superhero and very few Americans are familiar with the character. He is therefore used in countless screenplays and sometimes helps me expose a writer who is trying too hard to be Chinese savvy in the first couple of minutes of reading their screenplay. It is also fair to say we might never see another Chinese villain in a Hollywood movie ever again! One good example is in the 2012 movie Red Dawn. The producers censored the film before sending it off to China, knowing the film would not make it past [government] censors for its army of antagonistic Chinese soldiers. So, during post-production, they digitally altered every Chinese soldier to make them [look] North Korean to stay on the good side of China.

MDT  Do you then expect foreign film censorship and import quotas to be relaxed in the future?

TL  I expect the number of foreign films will be allowed to increase, but my personal opinion is that the censorship laws arent going to loosen. But its not just censorship; many genres are also banned in cinemas in the mainland. For example, supernatural horror, zombie, vampire, gangster, and the chief police officer masterminding evil deeds  all banned. Yet these were the genres that propelled Hong Kong into becoming the Hollywood of the East in the 80s and 90s.
President Hassan Rouhani Tuesday accused Saudi Arabia of using his country as a scapegoat to cover up its defeats in the region.

Saudi Arabia was unsuccessful in Qatar, was unsuccessful in Iraq, in Syria and recently in Lebanon. In all of these areas they were unsuccessful, he said in the live interview broadcast on state television.

So they want to cover up their defeats.

The Iranian leader was responding to questions reviewing his first 100 days in power in his second term.

Iran and its regional rival have stopped short to take military actions against each other this month limiting just to war of words.

Tension has flared up between the two following a series regional events.

Teheran and Riyadh became involved in the botched resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri who, on November 4, announced his resignation in a broadcast from Riyadh. Two weeks later, upon returning to Lebanon, he suspended his move at the demand of President Michel Aoun.

Riyadh, also early this month, openly criticized Tehran for giving support to Yemen Houthi rebels who launched a ballistic missile into Saudi Arabia that was intercepted near Riyadh international airport. Riyadh said Tehran supplied the missile.

Saudi Arabia has been leading a Pan-Arab coalition in Yemen since 2015 with the aim of restoring the rule of President Mansour Hadi, chased out of capital Sanaa by the Iran-backed rebels. The rebels have held firmly the capital and now occupy vast swathes of the country.

Qatar has resisted Saudi Arabias and its allies demands for reduction of diplomatic ties with Iran, shutdown of Al Jazeera news network among other demands as conditions to re-establish ties with the tiny Gulf country accused of funding terrorism.

Iran, Iraq, Syria and Russia form a line of resistance in the region, which has worked towards stability and achieved big accomplishments, Rouhani said.
Alison Bauer, PhD, and colleagues show that while single chemicals in combustion may not cause cancer, combinations can be dangerous. Credit: University of Colorado Cancer Center

It's no surprise that chemicals in smoke cause cancer, but a new study published in the Archives of Toxicology shows that some chemicals in cigarette smoke and industrial processes may be more dangerous than previously thought. Though most "low molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons" (LMW PAHs) have not been shown to cause cancer alone, the study shows that in common combinations, these chemicals can help to spark the disease.

"What we show is that testing each chemical in isolation may not give a complete picture of its danger," says Alison Bauer, PhD, investigator at the CU Cancer Center and assistant professor in Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Colorado School of Public Health. Bauer collaborated with colleagues at the Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine, Institute of the Ruhr-University Bochum (IPA) in Bochum, Germany.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer places possible carcinogens into four groups, depending on their degree of risk. Group 1, labeled "carcinogenic to humans", includes 120 known carcinogens such as benzene, radon and asbestos. It also includes the high molecular weight PAH benzo[a]pyrene or B[a]P, which has become known as one of the standard carcinogenic components associated with combustion. However, most LMW PAHs that are known components of combustion are not listed in Group 1. For example, the LMW PAHs fluoranthene and anthracene are currently listed in Group 3, titled "not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans". Other LMW PAHs found in combustion such as 1-methylanthracene are not even listed.

In this study, Bauer and colleagues added fluoranthene and 1-methylanthracene to B[a]P and introduced the mixture to mouse cells. Of course, B[a]P alone was enough to cause cellular changes associated with the development of cancer. However, the researchers observed that these cellular changes were dramatically magnified when B[a]P was combined with fluoranthene and 1-methylanthracene, clearly indicating that these previously imprecisely categorized chemicals were acting as co-carcinogens with B[a]P.

"The effect was impressive," Bauer says.

The tested combination of PAHs (and many more like it) is not a hypothetical construct of the lab. Mixes of B[a]P with LMW PAHs are seen in many industrial processes such as coal gasification, paving and roofing work, vehicle emissions and cigarette smoke, among others.

"The goal is to prevent cancers associated with exposure to mixtures of these chemicals, through increased awareness leading to protective behaviors or to additional regulation of these chemicals," Bauer says.

The group's next step is to explore carcinogenicity of this and other combinations of LMW PAHs in human cells.

More information: Alison K. Bauer et al, Environmentally prevalent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can elicit co-carcinogenic properties in an in vitro murine lung epithelial cell model, Archives of Toxicology (2017). Alison K. Bauer et al, Environmentally prevalent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can elicit co-carcinogenic properties in an in vitro murine lung epithelial cell model,(2017). DOI: 10.1007/s00204-017-2124-5
(HealthDay)There is no significant difference between standard and high-pulse coverage with picosecond laser treatment for wrinkles and acne scarring, according to a study published online Nov. 15 in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.

Christine Dierickx, M.D., from the Skinperium Laser Clinic in Boom, Belgium examined the clinical benefit for a higher than standard protocol for number of pulses delivered to a tissue area compared with the standard protocol guidelines from the same 755-nm picosecond laser for seven subjects with acne scarring and wrinkles.

Dierickx found that the average improvement from baseline to final follow-up did not differ significantly between the two sides (P > 0.05) for the three subjects with acne scarring. The average grading of the standard and high-pulse side improved from baseline to final follow-up among the four wrinkle subjects, with no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). Comparison of baseline to final follow-up images showed much or very much improvement for both sides, with no significant difference between the standard and high-pulse sides (P > 0.05).

"The use of higher than standard suggested protocol number of pulses with the diffractive lens array and the 755-nm picosecond laser does not appear to offer any additional benefit over that that can already be achieved with the standard number of pulses, but also does not increase risk of detrimental post-treatment effects either," Dierickx writes.

The author disclosed financial ties to Cynosure.

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
A common, hands-on method for teaching genetics in grade school encourages students to compare their earlobes with those of their parents: Are they attached and smoothly mesh with the jawline? Or are they detached and dangly? The answer is meant to teach students about dominant and recessive genes. Credit: UPMC

A common, hands-on method for teaching genetics in grade school encourages students to compare their earlobes with those of their parents: Are they attached and smoothly mesh with the jawline? Or are they detached and dangly? The answer is meant to teach students about dominant and recessive genes.

Simple, right? Not so fast.

New research led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and School of Dental Medicine, and published online today in the American Journal of Human Genetics, reveals that the lesson is much more complicated, with an interplay of at least 49 genes contributing to earlobe attachment.

"Sometimes the genetics of a fairly simple trait are actually quite complex," said lead author John R. Shaffer, Ph.D., assistant professor in Pitt Public Health's Department of Human Genetics and the Department of Oral Biology in Pitt's School of Dental Medicine. "By understanding that complexity, we can work toward treatments for genetic conditions, several of which have distinct facial features that involve the earlobe, including Mowat-Wilson Syndrome, which can cause cupped ears with protruding lobes."

The study was an international collaboration involving investigators in the United Kingdom and China, and included data from the U.S.-based personal genetics company 23andMe Inc.

University of Pittsburgh scientists found that at least 49 genes underlie earlobe attachment. Credit: UPMC

"The great thing about these collaborations is that we not only had a large sample size, but we also had participants from different ethnicities, giving us a greater depth of genetic information," said senior author Seth M. Weinberg, Ph.D., associate professor in Pitt's departments of Oral Biology and Human Genetics.

The study - which is part of a broader investigation of the genetic basis of human facial features - also gives insight into a debate that has been raging in the genetics community: Which is better? Large-scale population studies that cast a wide net but, due to their size, cannot hone in on specifics, or more-focused studies that can obtain extensive participant information? For their earlobe study, the Pitt team did both.

First, the team investigated a sample of just under 10,000 participants who, in addition to providing genetic data, were examined to determine if their lobes were attached, detached or partially attached. The participants provided some medical history and were screened for a family history of congenital malformations.

Then, the team partnered with 23andMe to include nearly 65,000 of its customers who consented to participate in research - dramatically increasing the study's statistical power. Unlike the more detailed assessment in the initial sample, the 23andMe participants provided self-reports about their own earlobe status as simply attached or detached.

"This is the unique power of 23andMe's research platform - to quickly and easily make genetic discoveries across a broad variety of traits, uncovering biology that might never otherwise see the light of day because it doesn't obviously meet the priorities for research funding," said Joyce Tung, Ph.D., 23andMe's vice president for research. "And yet, important insights can still be drawn even from seemingly insignificant traits."

University of Pittsburgh scientists found that at least 49 genes underlie earlobe attachment. Credit: UPMC

Using just the information from the smaller group of 10,000 participants, the researchers were able to identify six genes that played roles in earlobe attachment. When the analysis was broadened to include the 23andMe participants, those six genes were again strongly implicated in earlobe attachment, but another 43 genes were added.

"So do we put our resources toward careful and rigorous study of a smaller set of individuals or is it better to get less detail, but recruit a lot more study participants?" said Shaffer. "In our study, we unite both of these approaches, and we see that using the bigger group gave us all the results of the smaller study, plus a whole lot more."

The results don't mean that grade school science teachers should stop using traits like earlobes to teach genetics. But the lesson needs to be updated to show that even a seemingly simple inherited trait, such as earlobe attachment, involves a complex and fascinating interplay of genes that geneticists are only beginning to understand, said co-author Eleanor Feingold, Ph.D., professor of human genetics and biostatistics at Pitt Public Health.

"We've got these 49 genes that we know affect earlobe attachment, but we don't know how they work together or interact with one another," said Feingold, also senior associate dean at Pitt Public Health. "Figuring that out is the next step."
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

There is currently insufficient evidence to guide recommendations on the use of vitamin D supplements in pregnancy, conclude researchers in The BMJ today.

A team led by Dr Daniel Roth at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, say some of the most critical questions about the effectiveness of taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy "will probably remain unanswered in the foreseeable future."

Vitamin D helps maintain calcium levels in the body to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. Numerous studies suggest that taking vitamin D supplements may also help protect against heart disease, cancer, respiratory infections and asthma - as well as conditions related to pregnancy, such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.

But results are conflicting and recommendations vary widely among medical and professional organisations. For example, the World Health Organization does not advise healthy women to take vitamin D supplements during pregnancy.

So Dr Roth and his team set out to assess the current and future state of the evidence on vitamin D supplements during pregnancy.

They analysed results from 43 randomised controlled trials involving 8,406 women, to estimate the effects of taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy on 11 maternal and 27 child outcomes. Although differences in study design and quality were taken into account to minimise bias, they found substantial variation among trials.

The results show that taking supplements during pregnancy increased vitamin D levels in both the mother's bloodstream and umbilical cord blood, but the researchers did not consistently find that higher doses of vitamin D led to healthier women and babies.

Overall, vitamin D increased average birth weight by 58g and reduced the risk of having a small baby, but more detailed analyses weakened the authors' confidence in these findings .

There was a lack of evidence of benefits of vitamin D supplements for maternal health conditions related to pregnancy, no effect on other birth outcomes of public health importance, such as premature birth, and scant evidence on safety outcomes.

There was strong evidence that vitamin D reduced the risk of wheeze in offspring by 3 years of age. However, this finding was mainly based on just two of the 43 trials reviewed, and the authors say further work is needed before prenatal vitamin D can be recommended as a routine preventive measure against childhood asthma.

They point out that most trials were small (average sample size of 133 pregnant women) and many were conducted in ways that made them prone to bias. As such, they concluded that "there is currently insufficient evidence to guide prenatal vitamin supplementation recommendations."

They also identified a further 35 trials registered as completed (but unpublished), ongoing or planned that the authors say may contribute 12,530 additional participants to future reviews.

"Cautious projections for the next decade suggest that we will eventually know more about vitamin D in pregnancy than we do now, but in the absence of a coordinated effort and funding to conduct large new trials, some of the most critical questions about the effectiveness of prenatal vitamin D supplementation will probably remain unanswered in the foreseeable future," they conclude.

More information: Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy: state of the evidence from a systematic review of randomised trials, The BMJ, www.bmj.com/content/359/bmj.j5237 Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy: state of the evidence from a systematic review of randomised trials,
Consumer access to effective and affordable medicines is an imperative for public health, social equity, and economic development, but this need is not being served adequately by the biopharmaceutical sector, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The report offers eight recommendations with 27 actions for their implementation (a sample of actions in each area appears below) to improve the affordability of prescription drugs without discouraging the development of new and more effective drugs for the future.

"Over the past several decades, the biopharmaceutical sector in the United States has been successful in developing and delivering effective drugs for improving health and fighting disease, and many medical conditions that were long deemed untreatable can now be cured or managed effectively," said Norman Augustine, former chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corp., former chairman of the National Academy of Engineering, and chair of the committee that conducted the study and wrote the report. "However, high and increasing costs of prescription drugs coupled with the broader trends in overall medical expenditures, which now equals 18 percent of the nation's gross domestic product, are unsustainable to society as a whole. Our report seeks to address the market failures that currently permeate the biopharmaceutical sector, such as lack of competition due to distortions in the application of the patent protection process, the imbalance between the negotiating power of suppliers and purchasers, and the convoluted structure of the supply chain. Although changes within the current system will be demanding, they are likely to better serve the nation."

As defined in the report, the "biopharmaceutical sector" encompasses a wide range of participants including researchers, physicians and other care providers who can prescribe medications, public and private payers, intermediaries such as pharmacy benefit managers, health care organizations, and patient advocacy organizations.

Drug pricing and formulary design

Consolidate and apply governmental purchasing power, strengthen formulary design, and improve drug valuation methods.

Congress should modify existing legislation to allow the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to directly negotiate prices with producers and suppliers of medicines, including acting on behalf of any relevant state agency that elects to participate in the process. Because prices tend to be lower when the purchaser has bargaining power that is at least comparable to that of the seller, the U.S. could achieve lower prices for prescription drugs by consolidating its bargaining power and providing greater flexibility in formulary design. A formulary describes which drugs a health care payer will cover for which disease indications, and at what cost. Formulary control in the U.S. relies heavily on tiering, which has mixed consequences because placement of a drug in a higher tier can reduce adherence to a treatment plan, with potential harm to patient health, but the tiered price mechanism can also be used by insurers to negotiate lower prices for branded drugs. Congress should authorize HHS, related federal agencies, and associated private payers to expand flexibility in formulary design, including very selective exclusion of drugs, such as when less costly drugs provide similar clinical benefit.

Generics and biosimilars

Accelerate the market entry and use of safe and effective generics as well as biosimilars and foster competition to ensure the continued affordability and availability of these products.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) should vigorously deter manufacturers from paying other producers for the delayed entry into the marketknown as "pay-for-delay agreements"of generics and biosimilars (products that are demonstrated to be interchangeable with branded, FDA-approved products). DOJ and FTC also should expand the enforcement of policies that preclude mergers and acquisitions of firms among companies possessing significant competing generics and biosimilars and possessing a significant share of the market, as these strategies reduce access to reasonably priced drugs. State legislatures should develop policies to restrict the use of the "dispense as written" practice by prescribers that may unnecessarily impede the use of generics and biosimilars, the report says. In addition, Congress should authorize the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to seek reciprocal drug approval arrangements for generics and biosimilars between the regulatory agencies of the U.S. and countries such as the U.K., Germany, Canada, Australia, and Japan because in the absence of evidence of harm, importation of these drugs could provide cost savings.

Financial transparency in the biopharmaceutical supply chain

Assure greater transparency of financial flows and profit margins in the biopharmaceutical supply chain.

Various participants in the biopharmaceutical supply chain point to other participants as the main contributors to high and rising drug costs, the report says, so to help understand the root causes of price increases and when they are appropriate, Congress should require disclosure of information from insurance plans about the average net prices paid for prescription drugs, including patients' cost-sharing among plans, and from biopharmaceutical companies about average net volume of and prices paid for drugs across each active sales channel. HHS should curate, analyze, and publicly report the data, collected at the level of National Drug Codes, on a quarterly basis to the public and congressional committees, and the FTC should examine the data to identify and act upon any anti-competitive practices.

Marketing

Promote the adoption of industry codes of conduct, and discourage direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs as well as direct financial incentives for patients.

Large biopharmaceutical companies spend substantially more on marketing and administration than on research and development that could lead to new drugs, the report says, and direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs can adversely influence consumer choices. Therefore, Congress should disallow direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs as a tax-deductible business expense. In addition, manufacturers and suppliers should adopt industry codes of conduct that reduce or eliminate direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs and should increasingly support efforts to enhance public awareness of disease prevention and management. Clinicians, medical practices, and hospitals also should substantially tighten restrictions on pharmaceutical companies' direct visits to clinicians, the acceptance and use of free drug samples, special payments, and other inducements paid by biopharmaceutical companies.

Insurance benefits

Modify insurance benefit designs to mitigate prescription drug cost burdens for patients.

Current insurance benefit designs for prescription drugs often expose consumers to considerable financial risk and can unfavorably affect patients' medication adherence, the report says. Congress should establish limits on the total annual out-of-pocket costs paid by enrollees in Medicare Part D plans that cover prescription drugs by removing the cost-sharing requirement for patients who reach the catastrophic coverage limit. Congress also should direct the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to modify the designs of plans offered through Medicare Part D and government health insurance exchanges to limit patients' out-of-pocket payments for drugs when there is clear evidence that treatment adherence for a particular indication can reduce the total cost of care, as determined by HHS.

Federal discount programs

Eliminate misapplication of funds and inefficiencies in federal discount programs that are intended to aid vulnerable populations.

Congress should expand the authority of the HHS to provide increased oversight and regulation of the 340B program to ensure that participation by covered entities, contract pharmacies, and drug manufacturers is consistent with the original intent of the programto improve the access of low-income populations to medicines at discounted rates.

Rare diseases

Ensure that financial incentives to develop drugs for the prevention and treatment of rare diseases are not extended to widely sold drugs.

Congress should revise the Orphan Drug Actdesigned to foster the development of innovative drugs for rare conditionsto ensure that financial incentives for the prevention and treatment of rare diseases are not diverted to widely sold drugs, by promoting agreements between biopharmaceutical companies and HHS that enable HHS to obtain favorable concessions on launch prices, annual price increases, and other practices important to public health. In addition, FDA should be directed to limit the market exclusivity awarded to orphan drugs to one seven-year extension.

Reimbursement

Increase available information and implement reimbursement incentives to more closely align clinicians' prescribing practices with treatment value.

Current insurer reimbursement policies for clinician-administered drugs in the outpatient setting minimize incentives for medical providers to select treatments and settings for patient care that are the most cost-effective. These policies may serve to inflate the prices of these drugs charged by manufacturers and other members of the supply chain who profit from the current system, and put patients at clinical and financial risk. Therefore, payers should establish payment policies for drugs administered by clinicians in medical practices and hospitals that do not differentiate for the site of care, the report says. Hospitals, vendors of electronic health records, insurers, and professional societies should ensure that clinicians have readily accessible and routinely updated information regarding drug cost and efficacy, including relative clinical benefits of alternative treatment regimens and the relative financial costs of treatment settings to both patients and payers, to support sound prescribing decisions at the point of care.

The report also contains a dissenting viewpoint, which says the report's set of recommendations as a whole would reduce prices too much and diminish future investments in innovation, and a minority perspective, which says that even stronger actions are needed to make prescription drugs more affordable.

Provided by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Institutes of Health and partners have launched a large clinical trial to assess whether an experimental HIV vaccine regimen is safe and able to prevent HIV infection. The new Phase 2b proof-of-concept study, called Imbokodo, aims to enroll 2,600 HIV-negative women in sub-Saharan Africa. Of 1.8 million new HIV infections worldwide in 2016, 43 percent occurred in eastern and southern Africa, with women and girls disproportionately affected.

"Imbokodo," the Zulu word for rock, is part of a well-known proverb in South Africa that refers to the strength of women and their importance in the community. The study is sponsored by Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, B.V., part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, with co-funding from two primary partners, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

The vaccine regimen being tested in Imbokodo is based on "mosaic" immunogensvaccine components designed to induce immune responses against a wide variety of global HIV strains. This regimen differs from the one being tested in the Phase 2b/3 HVTN 702 study, an ongoing HIV vaccine efficacy trial sponsored by NIAID that launched late last year in South Africa with major co-funding from NIAID and BMGF. HVTN 702 is evaluating a newer version of the vaccine regimen tested in the RV144 Thai trialthe only candidate HIV vaccine regimen ever shown to provide some protection against the virus.

"Together with the implementation of existing HIV prevention and treatment strategies, the development and delivery of a preventive HIV vaccine that is safe and at least moderately effective would help bring about a durable end to the HIV/AIDS pandemic," said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. "We are committed to pursuing multiple vaccine development strategies to achieve this goal."

The first Imbokodo participants have received vaccinations at clinical research sites in South Africa. Regulatory approvals are being sought to conduct the study at additional sites in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. With the start of Imbokodo, two HIV vaccine efficacy trials now are taking place in sub-Saharan Africa. Results from HVTN 702, which is enrolling HIV-negative men and women in South Africa, are expected in late 2020. Results from Imbokodo are expected in 2021.

"Both Imbokodo and HVTN 702 have resulted from years of scientific testing and clinical development, and they represent science's current best efforts to develop a vaccine to prevent HIV infection," said Kathy Mngadi, M.B.Ch.B., M.Phil., senior scientist at the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) and Imbokodo co-chair. "We are grateful to the people of southern Africa who volunteer for these trials, and the communities in which the trials are conducted to help develop what could be a true game-changer for the HIV/AIDS pandemic."

The NIAID-funded HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), headquartered at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, is implementing Imbokodo. The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) is helping implement the study in South Africa. Additional partners providing support include the U.S. Military HIV Research Program at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity, and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard.

NIAID provided funding for preclinical and early phase clinical development of the mosaic-based vaccine, which was initially developed by the laboratory of Dan H. Barouch, M.D., Ph.D., at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, together with Janssen and other partners. The mosaic immunogens incorporated in the vaccine were designed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

In preclinical studies, regimens with mosaic-based vaccines protected monkeys against infection with an HIV-like virus. Findings from two early-stage human clinical trials suggest that these vaccines are well-tolerated and can generate anti-HIV immune responses in healthy adult volunteers. Based on results from an early-stage clinical trial called APPROACH, reported in July 2017, as well as findings from a second early-stage trial called TRAVERSE, researchers selected a lead candidate regimen for further evaluation.

Data from TRAVERSE confirmed the decision to move forward with the larger trial to evaluate whether the experimental regimen can prevent HIV infection. The ongoing TRAVERSE study is comparing two regimens containing vaccines that use a strain of common-cold virus engineered so that it does not cause illness (adenovirus serotype 26, or Ad26) to deliver either three (trivalent) or four (quadrivalent) mosaic antigens among 198 healthy, HIV-negative adult volunteers in the United States and Rwanda. Interim data indicate that both are well-tolerated and can elicit anti-HIV immune responses. Imbokodo is evaluating the quadrivalent vaccine.

All Imbokodo participants will receive vaccinations at four timepoints over one year. They will be randomly assigned to receive either the experimental vaccine regimen or placebo. The experimental regimen includes four doses of the quadrivalent mosaic vaccine. The final two doses will be given together with doses of an HIV protein, clade C gp140, and an aluminum phosphate adjuvant to boost immune responses. Participants will be followed for at least two years.
Carroll College announced Thursday it will offer a masters degree in accounting starting in summer 2018.

The master of accountancy program will take a year to complete, with 90 percent of classes online and several in-person courses. Its the first graduate program to be offered at Carroll.

The market and need for strong certified public accountants cannot be understated. As an internationally recognized and respected credential, high-quality CPAs are in heavy demand in the workforce in both the state of Montana and throughout the nation, said Dr. Ashley Hope, assistant professor of accounting.

According to data from the Montana Department of Labor, 3,140 accountants were employed in 2016 at an average wage of $65,000 a year.

The degree program is open to both part-time and full-time students and is flexible to students in various locations. The curriculum will prepare students to specialize in not-for-profit accounting to assist future Certified Public Accountants in the increasingly complex and dynamic not-for-profit world. Students will also complete a certification in ethical leadership from the National Association of the State Boards of Accountancy.

The program was started with support from Anderson ZurMuehlen and Wipfli LLP.

The Carroll College accounting department has been strong historically in preparing students for the accounting profession and we are excited to see Carroll taking the next step of investing in these students through the Masters of Accountancy program. This program will provide further knowledge and training that will benefit the Carroll accounting graduates throughout their careers, said Nate McCarthy, CPA and partner with Wipfli LLP.

People interested in learning more or applying for the program can go to the Carroll College website: www.carroll.edu.
South African individuals in a household that exemplify the substantial skin pigmentation variability in the Khomani and Nama populations. Picture taken with consent for publication. Credit: Brenna Henn

Many studies have suggested that the genetics of skin pigmentation are simple. A small number of known genes, it is thought, account for nearly 50 percent of pigment variation. However, these studies rely on datasets consisting almost entirely of information from northern Eurasian populationsthose that reside mostly in higher latitude regions.

Reporting in the November 30 issue of Cell, researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Stanford University, and Stony Brook University report that while skin pigmentation is nearly 100 percent heritable, it is hardly a straightforward, Mendelian trait. By working closely with the KhoeSan, a group of populations indigenous to southern Africa, the researchers have found that the genetics of skin pigmentation become progressively complex as populations reside closer to the equator, with an increasing number of genesknown and unknowninvolved, each making a smaller overall contribution.

"Africa has the greatest amount of phenotypic variability in skin color, and yet it's been underrepresented in large scale endeavors," said Alicia Martin, a postdoctoral scientist in the lab of Broad Institute member Mark Daly. "There are some genes that are known to contribute to skin pigmentation, but by and large there are many more new genes that have not been discovered."

"We need to spend more time focusing on these understudied populations in order to gain deeper genetic insights," said Brenna Henn, assistant professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University who, along with Martin, is a co-corresponding author.

The paper is a culmination of seven years of research that spanned several institutions, starting with a collaboration between Stellenbosch University in South Africa and Stanford University in Carlos Bustamante's lab, where Martin and Henn trained. Martin, Henn, and their colleagues spent a great deal of time with the KhoeSan, interviewing individuals, and taking anthropometric measurements (height, age, gender), and using a reflectometer to quantitatively measure skin color. In total, they accumulated data for approximately 400 individuals.

The researchers genotyped each samplelooking at hundreds of thousands of sites across the genome to identify genetic markers linked with pigmentation measuresand sequenced particular areas of interest. They took this information and compared it to a dataset that comprised nearly 5,000 individuals representing globally diverse populations throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe.

What they found offers a counter-narrative to the common view on pigmentation.

The prevailing theory is that "directional selection" pushes pigmentation in a single direction, from dark to light in high latitudes and from light to dark in lower latitudes. But Martin and Henn's data showed that the trajectory is more complex. Directional selection, as a guiding principle, seems to hold in far northern latitudes. But as populations move closer to the equator, a dynamic called "stabilizing selection" takes effect. Here, an increasing number of genes begins to influence variability. Only about 10 percent of this variation can be attributed to genes known to affect pigmentation.

In addition, the researchers found some unexpected insights into particular genes associated with pigmentation. A derived mutation in one gene, SLC24A5, is thought to have arisen in Europe roughly 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. However, in the KhoeSan populations it appears in a much higher frequency than recent European admixture alone would suggest, indicating that it has either been positively selected in this population, actually arose in this population, or entered the population through gene flow thousands of years ago. "We're still teasing this apart," said Martin.

They also found that a gene called SMARCA2/VLDLR, which has not previously been associated with pigmentation in humans, seems to play a role among the KhoeSan. Several different variants are all uniquely associated with pigmentation near these genes, and variants in these genes have been associated with pigmentation in animals.

"Southern African KhoeSan ancestry appears to neither lighten or darken skin," said Martin. "Rather, it just increases variation. In fact, the KhoeSan are approximately fifty percent lighter than equatorial Africans. Ultimately, in northern latitudes pigmentation is more homogenous, while in lower latitudes, it's more diverseboth genetically and phenotypically."

"The full picture of the genetic architecture of skin pigmentation will not be complete unless we can represent diverse populations worldwide," said Henn.

More information: Alicia R. Martin et al. An Unexpectedly Complex Architecture for Skin Pigmentation in Africans, Cell (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.11.015 , Journal information: Cell Alicia R. Martin et al. An Unexpectedly Complex Architecture for Skin Pigmentation in Africans,(2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.11.015 , www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(17)31324-7

Provided by Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

New, long-acting drugs may hold hope for millions of people who often suffer migraines. Studies of two of these medicines, given as shots every month or so, found they cut the frequency of the notoriously painful and disabling headaches.

The drugs are the first preventive medicines developed specifically for migraines. They work by interfering with a substance involved in modifying nerve signaling and progression of pain and symptoms.

"It's a whole new direction" for treatment and an important advance for people who don't want to take or aren't helped by the daily pills sometimes used now to prevent recurrences, said Dr. Andrew Hershey, neurology chief at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

He had no role in the research but has tested other migraine drugs and wrote a commentary published with the studies Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine.

Migraines plague more than a billion people worldwide, more than 38 million in the U.S. alone. They're more severe than an ordinary headache - throbbing, squeezing pain and pressure, often accompanied by vision problems, sensitivity to light, noise or smells, and nausea. They can leave people unable to work or do simple things like cooking or even hold a conversation.

WHAT THE STUDIES SHOW

One study tested erenumab (er-EN-yoo-mab), from Amgen and Novartis, in about 900 people who averaged eight migraines a month. Nearly half had already tried other preventive medicines.

For six months, they were given monthly shots into the abdomen of a high dose of the drug, a low dose or a dummy medicine. The number of days they suffered migraines each month dropped by three to four in the drug groups and nearly two in the placebo group. Half of the patients on the higher dose saw their migraine days cut at least in half.

"I very definitely benefited," said Anne Vickers, who got the lower dose through one of the study leaders at Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Missouri.

"I can have anywhere from 15 to 18 headaches per month, and probably five of those days are migraines," but that dropped 40 percent on the drug, she said. "I have three kids, so for me it meant having more days when I was able to live my everyday life, cook a meal at home, go to events at school."

The second study tested fremanezumab (frem-uh-NEZZ-yoo-mab), from Teva Pharmaceutical, for chronic migraine, defined as headaches on 15 or more days per month, at least eight of them migraines.

About 1,000 patients were given monthly shots for three months: One third got the drug each time, another third got the drug the first time and then dummy shots the next two times, and the rest got dummy shots each time.

Monthly headache days dropped by four to five in the groups given the drug and by two to three for those given dummy treatments.

THE CAVEATS

Average reductions of one or two days a month are modest, but "there are some patients who have had a complete response - they become headache-free," Hershey said.

No worrisome side effects emerged, but the studies were very short, so long-term safety and effectiveness are unknown.

The new drugs were not tested against existing ones, only placebo treatments.

Many study leaders work for or have other financial ties to the drugmakers, and the companies helped analyze results.

Biotech drugs like these tend to be very expensive and if they're approved, insurers may set big copays or require patients to try older medicines first, Hershey said. When the drugs did work, the benefit was seen right away, so there's less financial risk in trying one or two doses.

"The patient will know quickly if this is a drug for them and if not, move on to something else," Hershey said.

Both drugs have been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval. Eli Lilly and Co. and Alder Biopharmaceuticals also are testing similar drugs.

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
For BC midwife Jennica Rawstron the moments that stand out most from her recent placement with Cuso International as a volunteer midwife supervisor in Ethiopia include working alongside local midwives, who were helping women through difficult deliveries  often in situations that most Canadian women would never face.

Maternal and Baby Health Projects in Africa

80% of Ethiopian women give birth without a skilled health worker

A woman in Ethiopia is 55x more likely to die during childbirth than a woman in Canada

As a Canadian midwife, Jennica was tasked with training her Ethiopian counterparts at a hospital. While most of the baby-catching was done by the local midwives, Jennica did attend several deliveries. In one of those first deliveries, the baby was breech.

This baby was unresponsive at birth. It was a difficult delivery. We tried to resuscitate, but it was obvious the baby would die, Jennica said. It really had an impact on me because Ive never had a stillbirth in Canada. Vaginal breech deliveries are not common in Canada because most women in that situation would have a scheduled C-section.

A week later, it happened again that Jennica was at the hospital for the delivery of another breech baby. This time, when the baby was born, she resuscitated him, and the baby survived. Ethiopian mothers do not have the opportunity for the same kind of health care that women in Canada have, so there are more of these high-risk births happening.

In Canada, most mothers and babies have access to the care they need in hospitals, or at home through the services of midwives. But in Ethiopia there are fewer qualified health workers. As a result, Ethiopian mothers and babies are far more likely to lose their lives from causes that are easily preventable with the basic health care and resources.

To support mothers and children in Ethiopia, Cuso International is currently raising funds in order to send more skilled healthcare workers, like Jennica, to the east African country. The volunteers are tasked with working alongside Ethiopian midwives and other healthcare providers to help them improve their skills  and save more lives.

During her six-month placement, Jennica could see that the Ethiopian midwives needed more training on emergency situations. Newborn resuscitation is a skill that midwives in Canada are required to learn and update their training on annually, but in Ethiopia, despite the frequency of these high-risk situations, Jennica could see the midwives were not confident in their skills.

Working is a low resource setting is more difficult. Even when things are normal, you always have to prepared to resuscitate a newborn, Jennica said. I tried to discuss it and practice it with the students, and shared with them that even in Canada, we do this kind of training. I tried to teach them to practice more so that if it happens, they will be calm and able to do it.

Jennica also taught the students and care providers about the importance of compassionate and respectful care for the mothers. In many situations after a baby was born, the mother received very little to no follow up care. She taught them the importance of skin-to-skin contact when a newborn is born, which most Ethiopian midwives are trained to do, but were not putting into practice when the baby was born.

I realized that working alongside the midwives was more beneficial than I had imagined. Through trust and relationship building with the local staff, I got the sense that new suggestions were better received. Role modeling also played a big part in any impact I could have because simply being a Canadian trained midwife meant a certain standard of care that was different from what I witnessed. I am extremely grateful to return to work in Canada and be a part of this health care system. Not only as a care provider, but as a patient. We are very lucky.

Cuso CAN Fund

Support the Cuso CAN Fund and help save the lives of moms and babies around the world. Your monthly gifts will be multiplied by 10, providing even more women and children with life-saving health care.

The maternity ward at Pawe Hospital in Ethiopia is nothing like wards in Canada. Space, cleanliness and comfort are luxuries that the hospital cannot afford. Health workers do the best they can with what they have, but its not always enough to ensure every mother has a safe birth.

At Pawe Hospital, doctors and midwives can offer basic care, but they dont always have the training to prevent or treat complications like hemorrhaging and infection. That means moms and babies are far more likely to lose their lives, or suffer from serious injury or illness. But with more training and better hospital protocols, health workers in Pawe can recognize danger signs earlier, treat them faster, and help more moms deliver their babies safely.

Your monthly support will send Canadian volunteers with medical expertise to improve the skills of health workers in developing countries like Ethiopia.

The Cuso CAN Fund was established to give you the chance to support Cuso Internationals high priority maternal and child health projects in Ethiopia, Benin, Nigeria, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

When you support the health of moms and babies, your gifts will have a ripple effect within families and communities. Healthy mothers can take better care of their children, and they can work to lift their families out of poverty. Healthy children can go to school, realize their potential, and build the future of their communities and countries.

Your monthly gifts will ignite a chain reaction of positive change that starts with healthy moms and babies, and ends with thriving families and communities. Join the Cuso CAN Fund today!
Northern Spain in the grip of winter



ARCHIVED ARTICLE

Orange alert for heavy snow in much of Spain as temperatures plummet

The delayed arrival of autumn weather in the Iberian Peninsula this year has meant that the transition from summer to winter has been a very quick one indeed in many parts of Spain, and whereas in mid-November beach weather still persisted on the Costas there are now Aemet weather warnings in place for snow and low temperatures in much of the north.

On Thursday the snow line in most of northern Spain (apart from Galicia) is expected to drop to around 700 metres above sea level, reaching cities such as Burgos and Vitoria, while snow is also expected on higher ground in the Balearic Islands and in Castilla-La Mancha and Andalucia. In most of central Spain the night temperature will plummet to around 5 degrees below zero (-10C in the mountains), and even daytime maximums are forecast to remain well below 10.

Orange alert status for heavy snowfalls have been issued on Thursday for parts of the regions of Cantabria, Navarra, the Basque Country and Asturias, and the current cold snap is forecast by Aemet to last at least until Sunday.

Image: the scene in Reinosa in the region of Cantabria on Wednesday (EFE, fully copyrighted)

Follow Murcia Today on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest news, events and information in the Murcia region: https://www.facebook.com/MurciaToday/

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MultiChoice has released a statement regarding the controversy surrounding its meeting with the SABC board in 2013.

The minutes of an SABC board meeting published by the DA implied that MultiChoice wanted the SABC to agree to keep its channels unencrypted.

The DA alleged that MultiChoice paid kickbacks to the SABC to the tune of R100 million per year for its support on encryption standards.

MultiChoice South Africa executive chairman Nolo Letele said the meeting was a normal commercial negotiation and there was nothing untoward about the communication.

I attended that meeting  it was certainly not secret and there is nothing illegal or improper in those minutes, said Letele.

MultiChoice said the meeting was not clandestine and was recorded and conducted similar to other SABC board meetings.

The company said the implication that MultiChoice made corrupt payments to the SABC for its support on non-encryption of set-top boxes is false and stems from conversation surrounding a normal negotiation discussion taken out of context.

From the minutes its clear that the decision on encryption was not one the SABC could make, said MultiChoice.

During the meeting, MultiChoice said it was acknowledged that the decision on encryption was a government decision and that the SABC had no power over it.

MultiChoice has a long-standing relationship with the SABC dating back to the early 1980s, said the company.

The parties have bought and sold content from and to each other for many years, and will continue to do so.
The base will be important for the deployment of Russian nuclear ballistic missile submarines as the aircraft deployed there will monitor US submarines in the area. Thus, it will provide additional protection for the submarine base in Vilyuchinsk. Antisubmarine helicopters will control the passage to the Sea of Okhotsk and will minimize the capability of NATO submarines to sail into it.



Former Northern fleet Commander Admiral Vyacheslav Popov agreed that Russia needs a naval base on Kurile Islands. The ridge closes the Sea of Japan and the warships from the mainland base have to sail through straits between Russian islands and Hokkaido. "A base there means direct access to the Pacific Ocean. It is one thing when warships can enter the ocean through a bottleneck of straits. It means they are locked in the base. And it is another thing when there is direct access to the ocean. It considerably increases defense capability," he said.



Unfortunately, the major infrastructure created on Matua Island by the Japanese in the last century, including the underground facility, a big airfield and a network of roads and a railway branch is no longer fit for use and cannot be restored. Up to 2001 there was a border post on the island but it became uninhabited after that.

At present the 18th machine-gun-artillery division, a unique formation in the Russian army, is deployed on the Kuriles with reinforcement units on Iturup and Kunashir. Coastal complexes Bal (Kunashir) and Bastion (Iturup) have been recently deployed on the islands. But they are insufficient to ensure anti-landing defense of all the islands. Naval and air components are necessary. But it is a sophisticated combat complex which includes early warning radars and all targeting means.


Greece promises to continue military support to Ukraine

Fire hits Baghdad airport

North Korea fires ballistic missile towards Sea of Japan

Istanbul agrees to extend 'grain initiative' for another 120 days

'Hayastan' Fund to build 6 residential houses in Nerkin Khndzoresk village

Vocal as Russophobic propaganda: Azerbaijani singer sings about 'disgusting peacekeepers'

Biden congratulates Republicans on winning majority in House of Representatives

14 freight cars derailed in Kazakhstan, train traffic suspended

Newspaper: Ruben Vardanyan does not hurry to make changes in composition of Karabakh government

Russia attacks Ukraine with missiles in morning: Explosions heard in Dnieper, air defense works in Kyiv region

U.S. National Security Council: It is clear that the party ultimately responsible for this tragic incident is Russia

Gold prices decline

Russian Trade Representative to Armenia: Situation at Upper Lars checkpoint is not related to geopolitical issues

Trade Representative of Russia: Trade turnover with Armenia sets new record

Copper falls in price

Gas explodes in Fatih district of Istanbul, 10 people injured

Oil prices go down

Meteorite that fell in Britain contains key information about how oceans and life formed on Earth

Gamer drinks 12 energy drinks in ten minutes and ends up in hospital

Sweden to provide Ukraine with new military aid worth $287 million

Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania meet conditions for joining Schengen zone

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
The CSTO Collective Security Council will adopt a statement on Karabakh, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said speaking at a joint meeting of the Foreign Ministers, defense ministers and secretaries of the Security Council in Minsk.

The ministers touched upon the implementation of the decision made during the meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Treaty Organization in Yerevan in 2016.

The meeting participants approved drafts of more than two dozen documents, which were included in the agenda of the Council in the afternoon.

The meeting discussed issues of coordinating the foreign policy of the CSTO countries, developing military and technical cooperation, information security, fighting terrorism. The latest developments in Syria and the Middle East were on the agenda. CSTO Secretary General Yury Khachaturov briefed the participants on the current activities of the organization.

Speaking on behalf of the Armenian delegation, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian touched on the quarter-century path of cooperation the organization, stressing that the further actions were envisaged in the Concept of the CSTO Development till 2025 that was adopted last year in Yerevan.

Minister Nalbandian introduced to his colleagues the draft statement of the Council on the Karabakh issue that was initiated by Armenia. As a result of the meeting, a number of documents related to the development of cooperation within the framework of the CSTO were signed.
YEREVAN.- Belgium is glad for Armenia-EU agreement signing, Belgian Ambassador to Armenia Jean-Arthur Regibeau told reporters on Thursday in Yerevan.

"We are very glad that an agreement was signed between Armenia and the EU last week. This agreement will improve Armenia's relations with Belgium and other EU members. On the one hand, Armenia is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), on the other hand, the state signed an agreement with the EU. Armenia can become a bridge between the EAEU and the EU. We welcome this role," the ambassador said.

At the same time, he noted that the issue of the visa regime liberalization isn't resolved as the signed agreement doesn't extend to the visa regime. According to the ambassador, the issue can be resolved in two stages. During the first stage, the visa regime can be facilitated. At the second stage it can be canceled.

"However, we realize that this is impossible for technical and political reasons. Nevertheless, it is a political goal which we have declared. One of the technical reasons is the mutual recognition of passports. Our goal is to achieve cancellation of the visa regime step by step," the ambassador noted.

Asked whether there is a fear that if the visa regime is abolished, a large stream of Armenians will rush to Europe, the ambassador said delicately: "You are just talking about the political reason I spoke about. For this reason, many European countries do not want to abolish the visa regime for all countries. We want to be sure that if the visa regime is canceled, there will not be a large flow of visitors. Therefore, it is necessary to be patient, "the ambassador said.
Ameriabank CJSC and the Dutch development bank (FMO) have signed a loan agreement in the sum of USD 30 million. The loan facility is aimed at financing SMEs led by young entrepreneurs and younger retail clientele.

We highly appreciate the relationship with our long standing partner, which started back in 2009. Today we are pleased to announce about a new loan facility agreement, continuing our successful cooperation.

SME and retail business development is one of Ameriabanks strategic priorities, and we see huge potential in youth SME and retail businesses, so expect this new loan facility to be successfully utilized. commented Artak Hanesyan, CEO of Ameriabank on 30 Nov 2017 after signing the Agreement.

FMO's Chief Investment Officer Linda Broekhuizen commented: "FMO is proud to continue its strong and succesful relationship with Ameriabank, supporting the further economic development of Armenia. This new loan facility will enable Ameriabank to continue its growth and helps support job creation in the country."

This loan facility will help to increase SME lending volume in Ameriabank and will trigger development of SMEs in Armenia and enhancement of their competitiveness in local and international markets.

Ameriabank is a dynamically developing bank and one of the major and most stable financial institutions in Armenia. The first investment bank in Armenia, Ameriabank has been providing a large package of innovative banking services since 2007. Now Ameriabank CJSC is a universal bank offering corporate, investment and retail banking services in a comprehensive package of banking solutions.

FMO is the Dutch development bank. As a leading impact investor, FMO supports sustainable private sector growth in developing countries and emerging markets by investing in ambitious projects and entrepreneurs. FMO believes that a strong private sector leads to economic and social development, and has a more than.

45-year proven track-record of empowering people to employ their skills and improve their quality of life.FMO focuses on three sectors that have high development impact: financial institutions, energy, and agribusiness, food & water. With a committed portfolio of EUR 9.0 billion spanning over 92 countries, FMO is one of the larger bilateral private sector developments banks globally.
I am stunned. I am ashamed. I am mortified that the person who represents our nation went to Vladimir Putin and patted him on the back and told him that he trusts his word over our countrymen working 24/7 to protect our country. He licked his boots while stabbing our intelligence agencies in the back.

He smiled and chuckled with the murderer of the Philippines as well. Hey, come over anytime as we welcome you at the White House! Great job, Rodrigo Duterte. Oh, and telling China that he was glad they took advantage of the U.S. trade deal because we deserved it?

How long will it take for Donald Trump to backtrack from his statements and treat us like we didn't hear him correctly? His words are on film. Hard to deny when the proof is there for all to see. Secret meeting with Putin? I can only imagine the outrage if President Obama would have said or done anything close to the actions of this traitor.

Shame, shame, shame. My friends did not die in Vietnam to allow this coward to shame this nation. Impeach the traitor now!

Cheryl Sage

Florence
CHICAGO  Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has subpoenaed Massage Envy spas following a report that more than 180 people across the nation have filed sexual assault lawsuits and other sexual misconduct complaints against the company.

In a news release, Madigan said her office issued subpoenas for the Scottsdale, Arizona-based company and four of its franchises in Illinois seeking information about employee training and how the company handles complaints related to sexual assault and sexually inappropriate behavior.

The website BuzzFeed News reported this week that that dozens of women had complained that Massage Envy therapists had groped their genitals and breasts as well as incidents of digital and oral penetration.

A Massage Envy official has said the company has tried to create "stringent, rigorous policies" for hiring, screening, and training therapists.
Kenyatta sworn in after months of tension in Kenya

Nairobi (AFP) - Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn in as president of Kenya on Tuesday following two disputed polls and waves of deadly protests.

Here are the key developments in the divisive election drama:

- Tensions on voting day -

Voters turn out in large numbers on August 8 after a tight race between Kenyatta and Raila Odinga, his longtime rival.

Many fear a repeat of the violence that after the 2007 election left more than 1,100 people dead.

Early results give Kenyatta a comfortable lead but are immediately rejected by Odinga, who claims hackers broke into the electoral commission database and manipulated the results.

The official results, published on August 11, give Kenyatta 54.27 percent to Odinga's 44.74 percent.

Violent protests erupt in Odinga strongholds. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights says 37 people are killed, most of them by police.

- Historic annulment -

Odinga files a complaint to the Supreme Court. In a shock announcement on September 1, judges declare the results of the poll "invalid, null and void" and order a re-run within 60 days.

The annulment is a first for Africa.

The date for a new election is later set as October 17.

- New vote postponed -

After the Supreme Court releases a detailed judgement lambasting the handling of the vote, the election commission on September 21 pushes back the re-run to October 26.

Kenya's chief prosecutor on September 23 orders an investigation into the commission.

Late September the ruling Jubilee Party introduces a bill seeking to resolve "ambiguity" in the electoral law.

The opposition condemns the move as an effort to render legal some of the "irregularities and illegalities" cited in the Supreme Court's cancellation of the vote.

- Odinga pulls out -

Protests erupt in early October as Odinga calls on his supporters to pressure the government to overhaul the election commission.

At least three people are killed in the violence that follows.

Story continues

On October 10 Odinga withdraws from the re-run, saying the election panel has failed to make needed reforms.

He also says this does not mean his battle is over.

- Commissioner quits -

One of Kenya's seven election commissioners, Roselyn Akombe, announces on October 18 that she has quit and fled the country.

The commission chief Wafula Chebukati also casts doubt on his organisation's ability to hold a credible vote, accusing both major parties of interference.

Odinga tells a rally of thousands of supporters the same day that there will be "no election" and calls for nationwide demonstrations on polling day.

- Kenyatta wins again -

A fresh election is held on October 26, with Kenyatta winning 98 percent of the vote as Odinga's call for a boycott is held.

Kenyatta hails his crushing win as vindication of his August victory. Odinga meanwhile says Kenya is moving towards "outright dictatorship".

On November 20, the Supreme Court dismisses two petitions to overturn the October election, upholding the result.

On Tuesday, crowds pour into a Nairobi stadium for Kenyatta's swearing-in ceremony.

Opposition supporters attempt to hold a rally for the more than 50 killed in four months of upheaval, but are met by volleys of tear gas and running battles with police.

burs/ser/ri
On November 29, in Yerevan, Armenian Minister of Economic Development and Investment Suren Karayan discussed the prospects of economic cooperation with France with that countrys ambassador to Armenia Jonathan Lacote, according to an Armenian government press release.

Karayan said that serious work was needed to raise the level of talk regarding commercial and business cooperation between the two countries to that of real political dialogue.

Lacote noted that the recently signed cooperation agreement signed between the European Union and Armenia would facilitate furthering relations, including economic cooperation, between France and Armenia.

The French ambassador also pointed to Armenias assuming the presidency of La Francophonie Council of Ministers, and the upcoming visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Armenia, as positive factors for such cooperation.

Lacote said he has met with several French-owned businesses in Armenia who say they want to expand operations in the country. The ambassador didnt mention their names.

We are ready to stand alongside French businesses in Armenia, to support them, and to target all our efforts to creating a business environment that is necessary for French entrepreneurs to operate in Armenia, Karayan said.
lol

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Lol

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Lmao

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lmao

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HAHAHAA

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LMAO

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lmfaoooooooo that would explain it

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lmaooo



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omg lol

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lmaoooo

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lol exactly

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crying

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This is gonna be an interesting post.

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Reminds me of a friend I had who was convinced everyone to the left of Blair was a Trotskyite

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Only shittysoup is allowed to make Gallagher brothers posts, delete this

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LOL Battle of the Britpop flashbacks

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OMG where is this from





blur ftw btw

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lmao this show was so good. also i like oasis but lbr pulp >>>> blur >>>> oasis

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cackling omg

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lmao bless.

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You know what, I should know better than to take fka's bait. Idk why I never learn.



Edited at 2017-11-30 08:49 pm (UTC)

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Fuck Noel Gallagher. If it wasn't for his brother, he'd be an irrelevant footnote.

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Switch that round, love

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they're both trash. their music is derivative beatles-copying crap & they're only still relevant bc people somehow find their deliberately provocative comments & wanker shenanigans funny for some reason. oh the joys of being a mediocre white man.

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No, I don't, fuck his anti semitc commie brexit supporting ass. And all first world tumblr communists can fucking choke.



Edited at 2017-11-30 08:54 pm (UTC)

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Corbyn supported Brexit? tf?

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JK Rowling is on ONTD?

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lol @ your rhetorical dodge so you pretend only privileged people are communists

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there was an attempt

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y do u hate palestine

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anti semitic

being against a neocolonial, genocidal & ethnically segregating state =/= anti-semitism, hun.

since you're clearly in dire need of some education on the subject, lemme direct you to a pretty entry level explanation written by a jew.

Looking back, its astounding how Israeli and Zionist propaganda was so deeply ingrained in every aspect of my life. Family, temple, Jewish camp and schools (K-12). Palestinian suffering was relegated to the margins. It was barely a footnote.  Andrew (@menajew) November 8, 2017





brexit supporting

being less than enthusiastic abt modern day EU & its neoimperialism =/= supporting brexit. source: an EU citizen from one of the 2nd class member countries. unfortunately i don't have a twitter thread handy abt that rn & can't be bothered to start explaining it to someone who clearly lacks nuanced thinking at 22:30 on a thursday, so you'll just have to google it or something.



being against a neocolonial, genocidal & ethnically segregating state =/= anti-semitism, hun.since you're clearly in dire need of some education on the subject, lemme direct you to a pretty entry level explanation written by a jew.being less than enthusiastic abt modern day EU & its neoimperialism =/= supporting brexit. source: an EU citizen from one of the 2nd class member countries. unfortunately i don't have a twitter thread handy abt that rn & can't be bothered to start explaining it to someone who clearly lacks nuanced thinking at 22:30 on a thursday, so you'll just have to google it or something.

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anti semitic ?? lmao nice try

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i mean, it's noel gallagher.



anyway, british politics are nuts. the drumpf twitter thing, the failboat that is brexit, theresa may desperately clinging to power, lamebrain boris inexplicably still not drowned in the thames...

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Every time I see Boris I want to die a little inside

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completely understandable.

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HOW does Boris still have a job? It's a mystery

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Do you support Communism?



I support a lot of socialist ideals, including the redistribution of wealth. Fuck the tax bill, and fuck Tillis. He was promoting the tax bill and bragging about how they passed similar tax cuts in North Carolina and were doing great, but the tax cuts have immensely hurt our public schools. Positions were slashed, including bus drivers and teacher aides. Teacher pay has stagnated, leading teachers to leave North Carolina for neighboring states where the pay is 10s of thousands of dollars higher. Hes such a fucking idiot.

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He's been cracking me up extra lately. His insta posts about the kid writing him were golden.

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Did you love the short-lived McConaughey Mondays?

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british politics is so...uhms...peculiar atm that noel gallagher commenting on it isnt even the craziest/weird thing of the week let alone the day.

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"Do you support Communism?"



Of course, people think my icons are because The Americans but are actually because I'm a dirty commie.



Being serious I support a lot of socialist ideas and I would love to see a change in my country that has always being a very right wing capitalistic hell but considering that 2 of the biggest terrorist groups of my country were "communist" then something like that would never happen lol, communism/socialism has a very bad press because las FARC, el ELN and of course Venezuela.





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estamos en las mismas. mitad de mi familia detesta comunismo por la guerra civil y sus experiencias, como tambien el desarrollo del partido FMLN. de todas formas soy muy partidaria al socialismo y pienso que FMLN es mas socdem en practica hoy en dia.

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mte. One of the reasons why I hate 70% of the current/recent Latin American left-wing (call the Kirchners, Evo, Correa, Chavez, etc.) is because they've fucked up so much that they're creating a right-wing/capitalism shift among my generation. If I hear one more Venezuelan person here in Spain talking about not supporting Catalunya because they're "communists" (istg) or some other completely ridiculous political generalization, I'm going to burst a vein.

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wtf, puigdemont & the catalan dem party are center right?!

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This



Hay suficientes razones y de mucho mas peso para odias a las FARC pero para completar la situacion solo basta con que alguien diga que X persona o idea es comunista (aunque no lo sea) para que ya sea tachado de apoyar a las FARC y de que nos vamos a volver como Venezuela (eso es como el coco aqui lmao) etc, etc, en serio que la gente cree que Santos es comunista o como le dicen aqui Castrochavista lolol, da tristeza.



Y una politica de aca dijo que la masacre de las bananeras es un mito, como dicen aca vamos de culo pal estanco, si la cosa no cambia me va a tocar irme y sinceramente no quiero (y ni se a donde pueda irme)

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because they've fucked up so much that they're creating a right-wing/capitalism shift among my generation

I don't think that's the case in most Latin America tbh. Only in specific social classes, which have always been anti-left either way. Our generation grew up in the 1990s and leftism/social issues were never big in Latin America during this era so I don't think a shift is happening because there are more young Latinos in tune with left-wing causes now than 10 years ago imo.



Of course Venezuela is a specific case but the young Argentineans I know, for example, are pretty divided (not the rich ones of course). I feel like Hugo Chavez is a pretty extreme example but the Kirchiners are just typical Argentine messy politicians. People who hate them with passion, ignore 100% of what they did regarding social causes and vote for the right have probably always been more inclined to vote for conservative politicians and support conservative causes.



Edited at 2017-11-30 11:24 pm (UTC)

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dirty commies unite! 

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communism will win.

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What makes you think so, jw?

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capitalism is a scourge, and it has survived well beyond its shelf life.



you can only oppress the working class for so long. 

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hell yeah comrade

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" " Runoff elections typically are triggered when no one candidate secures more than 50 percent of the vote in the general election. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald/Getty Images

Sometimes, the winner of an election in the United States is clear by a landslide, and sometimes it's just too close to call. (Who can forget hearing that phrase repeated the night of the 2000 presidential election?) In the case of the City of Atlanta's 2017 election, it was also too close to call in four critical city offices: mayor, city council president and two city council seats. To settle the indecision, voters head back to the polls Dec. 5, 2017 to participate in a runoff election. And while the concept seems straightforward enough, as with all things political, the details aren't as simple as you might expect.

Runoff elections come into play when no one candidate secures more than 50 percent of the vote in the general election, but only 10 states actually mandate a rematch: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Vermont. And within those 10 states, there's an awful lot of variability: Vermont requires a runoff only in the event of a tie, and South Dakota holds a runoff only for specific offices (U.S. senator, representative and governor).

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There are some other per-state particulars, as well  a few examples:

In Alabama, runoff elections are held on a Tuesday nine weeks after the primary, and the top two candidates face off. The state uses "instant runoff voting" also known as ranked choice voting for its uniform and overseas absentee voters. This means voters rank all the candidates in order of preference and votes are tallied based on every voter's first choice.

North Carolina holds runoffs only when no candidate secures more than 40 percent of the vote plus one (called a "substantial plurality"). A runoff is also not required unless the candidate with the second highest number of votes calls one.

While Kentucky isn't included in the group above, the state held runoffs for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor beginning in 1992 any time candidates failed to secure at least 40 percent in the primary race; this was repealed in 2008.

While Atlanta voters (and several other city voters) go back to the polls Dec. 5, other cities have already held their 2017 runoffs. On Nov. 21, Charleston area voters in South Carolina elected William Dudley Gregorie as City Councilman (he narrowly defeated competitor Amy Brennan with 52 percent of the vote), and Jackson, Mississippi voters elected Gerald Mumford as the Hinds County attorney by about 300 votes.

Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mary Norwood are the top two candidates in the race for Atlanta mayor, and based on the fiery remarks by supporters on both sides, it's sure to be a big event.

Now That's Interesting Ever wonder why U.S. elections are held on Tuesdays? The explanation goes all the way back to 1845 when, according to historian Don Ritchie, lawmakers decided Mondays were too tough because voters would have to travel to the polls (via horse and buggy) on Sundays, the Sabbath. And because society was largely dependent on the farm industry, Wednesdays (market days) were out too.
The United States is battling to maintain international solidarity in the face of North Korea's nuclear threat after Russia warned that sanctions have failed and China side-stepped talk of an oil embargo. The stakes could scarcely be higher in the stand-off, after the US warned that Kim Jong-Un's regime would be "utterly destroyed" if its pursuit of a long-range nuclear missile arsenal provokes a military response. But US-led efforts to isolate Kim, cripple his economy and force him to negotiate his own disarmament failed to prevent this week's test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching US cities. Washington urged tough action at an emergency meeting of the Security Council Thursday and President Donald Trump complained that North Korea's neighbor China has failed to convince Kim to back down. "The Chinese Envoy, who just returned from North Korea, seems to have had no impact on Little Rocket Man," Trump said, in a tweet, using his favorite term of abuse for the North Korean dictator. "Hard to believe his people, and the military, put up with living in such horrible conditions." Trump's spokeswoman Sarah Sanders later clarified that the United States is not seeking regime change in North Korea, but is focused on the "denuclearization" of the Korean peninsula. And Pentagon chief Jim Mattis said Washington would pursue "unrelenting" efforts on the diplomatic front, including before the UN Security Council, to bring Pyongyang to heel. "Our diplomats will speak from a position of strength because we do have military options," he said. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who met Thursday with Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, was more cautious in his response to China -- but did press for tougher action to cut of the North's fuel supplies. "I think the Chinese are doing a lot. We do think they could do more with the oil and we're really asking them to please restrain more of the oil, not cut it off completely," he said -- a move that would nevertheless deal a crippling blow to Pyongyang's economy. - Sanctions 'exhausted'? - Tillerson's call came after the US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, issued a stark warning to the UN Security Council. "The dictator of North Korea made a choice yesterday that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it," she said. "If war comes, make no mistake: The North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed." But her call for nations to "cut off all ties with North Korea" was rejected by Moscow, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying Russia saw the proposal "negatively." "We have repeatedly stated that the pressure of sanctions has been exhausted," he told reporters in Minsk. Tuesday's launch ended a two-month lull in missile tests that had raised hopes for the opening of diplomatic talks. Kim said the test of the Hwasong-15 weapons system had helped his country achieve the goal of becoming a full nuclear power, sparking global condemnation. The North said the weapon could land anywhere in the continental United States, and France said Europe was also in striking distance. However South Korea's unification ministry cast doubt Friday on the North's claim it had mastered the technology to ensure a missile survives re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. "The government does not think that North Korea's latest test demonstrated full capability for an ICBM, including the re-entry technology and a precision guidance system," spokeswoman Lee Eugene told journalists. - 'Situation will be handled' - The Security Council met Wednesday at the request of the United States, Japan and South Korea to consider next steps after three rounds of sanctions adopted in the past year failed to change North Korea's course. Trump -- who has traded barbs with Kim for months -- asked Xi to use "all available levers" to press the hermit state. But China's foreign ministry sidestepped questions about the US call for an oil embargo, with spokesman Geng Shuang telling reporters that Beijing upholds UN resolutions and backs the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. The state-run Global Times newspaper said in an editorial Friday that China "will not impose any additional unilateral punishments on North Korea", adding that an oil embargo "might even trigger a humanitarian crisis". Beijing has backed a slew of sanctions that include bans on imports of North Korean coal, iron ore and seafood. The UN also barred the hiring of North Korean guest workers and capped exports of refined petroleum products. But Beijing fears that taking tougher actions could cause the regime to collapse, triggering a refugee crisis across its border with the North and eliminating a strategic buffer separating China from the US military in South Korea. China has proposed that the North stop missile and nuclear tests in exchange for a freeze of US military exercises -- a suggestion Washington has repeatedly rejected. There are also concerns in Seoul -- which is within range of Pyongyang's artillery -- that Trump might be considering military action against the North that could trigger a full-scale war. burs-dc/aph/sls
Smoke it, eat it, weave it, heal with it: a museum devoted to spreading the good word about pot opened on Friday in marijuana-friendly Uruguay.

The South American country is a global pioneer when it comes to cannabis: under a 2013 law, the government supervises its production as part of a plan to undermine drug traffickers.

Now, a museum in central Montevideo will help people learn more about one of the world's oldest crops, according to its director, Eduardo Blasina.

"Cannabis has historically had so many different benefits," he said. "It has been used as food, as a textile, to make fishing nets and paper, and today it is providing us with novel types of medicine," he said.

Amsterdam, which also has a hash and marijuana museum, is contributing items for display, Blasina said.

One of the curiosities on show is a medical prescription for cannabiswritten in California in 1915.

Montevideo's first hemp plantation, according to the museum records, dates back to 1782, before Uruguay's independence from colonial rule.

Under Uruguayan law, the government allows users of marijuana to grow it if they register as members of state-regulated smoking clubs.

Pot-smokers are also supposed to register if they want to purchase it from a pharmacy.

The government will oversee the pharmacy sales. This was already supposed to have happened under the law but the policy has seen its implementation delayed. It is now scheduled for next year.

The law lets users buy up to 40 grams (1.4 ounces) a month. Authorized buyers will be identified by their fingerprints.

 2016 AFP
Caenorhabditis elegans worm with fluorescent yolk and embryos inside. Credit: Lola Davey, Marcos Francisco Perez, CRG

Does the age of a mother influence the traits and characteristics of her progeny, and how? A team of scientists at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona have addressed these questions by studying tiny, genetically identical C. elegans worms. Their results have been published today in Nature.

"Our lab has long been interested in understanding why genetically identical individuals sharing the same environment still often differ substantially in their characteristics," explains Ben Lehner, ICREA Professor and Coordinator of the Systems Biology Program at CRG. "Through a rather circuitous route, we have now identified a major cause of these differences in one of the main model organisms that we study."

"We observed that the age of a mother has a major impact on the physiology of her offspring," says Marcos Francisco Perez, PhD student and co-author of this work. "Surprisingly, we found that it is the youngest mothers that produce offspring that are impaired for many characteristics such as their size, growth rate, and starvation resistance The offspring of young mothers also have fewer offspring themselves when they become adults," he adds.

Caenorhabditis elegans embryos containing fluorescent yolk from younger (left) to older mothers (right). Credit: Marcos Francisco Perez, CRG

"These differences are caused in part because young mothers provide less of a specific protein complex to their embryos," says Marcos Francisco Perez. Why would a worm produce low-quality progeny early in life? "Producing progeny early in life, even if they are lower quality, has a major benefit because it dramatically shortens the generation time of the species," explains Marcos Francisco Perez.

"What's particularly interesting is that the age of an individual's mother determines their characteristics throughout their lives," adds Ben Lehner. "This is a really interesting example of how the physiology of a previous generation can alter not only the development of an animal but also its characteristics as a mature adult."

Of worms and humans

Caenorhabditis elegans embryo showing yolk and intestinal fluorescence. Credit: Lola Davey, Marcos Francisco Perez, CRG

Ben Lehner and his team are interested in understanding what makes individuals different and how these differences originate in the interactions between genetic, environmental, ancestral and stochastic sources of variation. Worms are a great species to use in this type of study, because scientists can raise large populations of genetically identical individuals in the same laboratory environment. Worms and humans are evolutionarily distant but still share a large fraction of their genes, as well as most of the major genetic pathways which regulate development, metabolism and nutrition. Still, their results concerning the effect of maternal age do not translate to humans but illustrate the kind of ways in which differences between genetically identical individuals might arise.

"Our results are also important for the thousands of people doing research in this species. People don't consider maternal age when designing experiments but now we have shown that it is an important factor," conclude the scientists.

More information: Marcos Francisco Perez et al. Maternal age generates phenotypic variation in Caenorhabditis elegans, Nature (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nature25012 Journal information: Nature

Provided by Centre for Genomic Regulation
The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to activists fighting for the abolition of nuclear weapons

Breaking with tradition, nearly all ambassadors of the world's nuclear powers will not attend this year's Nobel Peace Prize ceremony which honours efforts to ban atomic weapons, the Nobel Institute said Thursday.

Russia and Israel will be the only exceptions, with their ambassadors due to attend.

"They clearly received instructions to express their reservations towards ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons) and the global treaty" to ban weapons of mass destruction, the head of the Nobel Institute, Olav Njolstad, told AFP.

The Peace Prize was awarded on October 6 to ICAN, a coalition of non-governmental organisations lobbying for a historic treaty banning atomic weapons, which was signed in July by 122 countries.

The treaty remains nonetheless largely symbolic, as none of the nuclear powers have agreed to sign it.

ICAN will formally receive its prize at a lavish ceremony in Oslo on December 10.

During a meeting in the Norwegian capital last week, the United States, France and Britain all informed the Institute of their decision to be represented by their embassy's second-in-charge.

"Generally, the big powers, at least the Western ones, send their ambassadors," Njolstad said.

"In principle, we like all embassies in Oslo to send their highest representative but we have to accept that, sometimes, for political reasons, various countries abstain from participating or choose to do so at a lower level."

Noting that the treaty comes "at a time of increased danger of nuclear proliferation", the US embassy confirmed its lower level of participation.

"This treaty will not make the world more peaceful, will not result in the elimination of a single nuclear weapon, and will not enhance any state's security," it said in a statement to AFP.

Without mentioning North Korea by name, it stressed that "this treaty ignores the current security challenges that make nuclear deterrence necessary", and reiterated Washington's support of the 1968 global non-proliferation treaty.

The Nobel Institute said the ambassadors of India and Pakistan will be travelling at the time of the ceremony, while China has not attended the prize-giving since 2010, when a Chinese dissident was awarded the honour.

North Korea does not have an embassy in Oslo.

 2017 AFP
Children observe the eruption of Mount Agung on Bali, November 29, 2017. Credit: Muhammad Fauzy Chaniago/AAP

Mount Agung, known locally as Gunung Agung, is a 3,142 metre high volcano located at the eastern end of the island of Bali, Indonesia.

It's erupting ash and steam right now, and has been since Saturday November 25, 2017.

To work out what might happen next at Agung, scientists rely on current observations, paired with forensic techniques that tease apart the geology of this volcano.

Signs that might indicate onset of a more dangerous eruption at Agung are:

intensifying emissions of ash that reach the stratosphere (the second layer of the Earth's atmosphere)

lava flows starting to descend the mountain's flanks

sustained shaking of the volcano by earthquakes.

On everyone's mind is Agung's most recent large eruption in 1963-64. At this time, more than 1,000 people were killed by dense flows of hot volcanic rocks and dust (called pyroclast density flows), and mudflows of volcanic debris called lahars.

Recent activity at Mount Agung

Through September and October this year, a large number of earthquakes were detected below Mount Agung.

A 10 km evacuation zone was established, and about 100,000 persons moved to safer accommodation. The seismicity declined, and a steady plume of steam emerged from the summit crater. This indicated that groundwater was being heated by magma (a hot mixture of molten and semi-molten rock).

Agungs 1963-64 eruption killed more than 1000 people.

A "phreatomagmatic eruption"  resulting from interaction between magma and groundwater  occurred a few days ago. This was followed by an intensifying eruption of a column of ash, reaching some 8 km into the atmosphere. This style of eruption is called "plinian" after the climactic eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD, as described by Pliny the Younger.

The ash is fragmented magma, blown apart by separation and expansion of minerals and gases (water, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide) previously dissolved in the magma.

Now earthquake activity has picked up again. "Harmonic tremors" are occurring, where the volcano shakes due to magma moving rapidly through underground channels and fractures that are connected to the summit crater.

Evacuations are active again, given concern that the eruption might escalate further. Dangerous pyroclast density flows  a style known as "peleean" after the 1902 eruption of Mt Pelee in the Lesser Antilles  are possible.

Volcano forensics at Agung

Studies of previous eruptions of volcanoes are critical in attempting any kind of prediction for future behaviour.

In the case of Mount Agung, mapping of the ashes, mudflows, pyroclast density flows, and lavas for eruptions that dated back about 5,000 years were reported in a 2015 study.

Balis Mt Agung had significant eruptions in 1843 and 1963. PDC = pyroclastic density current, a flow of hot volcanic matter; lahar = a slurry of volcanic debris. Credit: Marcella Cheng for The Conversation, adapted from Figure 5 Fontijn et al 2015, CC BY-NC-ND

Measurements to determine the frequency of eruptions, plus the area and thicknesses of the various types of flow and ash deposits were made. The map shows some of these features for the eruptions in 1963 and 1843.

The authors concluded that the eruption of Agung in 1843 was more energetic than that of 1963-64, and eruptive activity in the past few hundred years has been more intense on average than its behaviour for the past few thousand years.

Volcanic Explosivity Index

Accompanying the basic field mapping, a variety of other forensic methods are used by geologists to map out past volcanic activity.

A "Volcanic Explosivity Index" is a measure calculated based on direct observations of eruptions, plus experimental replication and modelling. It reflects the intensity and explosivity of a given eruption, factoring in how high, how much, how widespread, how hot, and how dangerous (in terms of gas output) the emitted materials were.

Follow up analyses take place in the lab. Scientists work on volcanic rocks and other materials to determine what materials they are made of, their chemical compositions and the makeup of any trapped gases.

One important goal is to work out the viscosity (the "runniness") of the magma that was present at the site. Magmas that contain high levels of silica  an example is rhyolite  tend to be more viscous, and therefore more likely to be explosive than less silica-rich types, such as basalt and andesite.

A thin section of a rock known as andesite, from the Soufriere Volcano, Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles. The section reveals complex compositional zoning of the crystals forming part of the rock. Credit: Clare Connolly, Author provided

Rocks that are recovered from a volcanic site carry a physical and chemical record of the underground conditions they had been exposed to in the past. The record is seen in the layers, or zones, of crystalline minerals that make up volcanic rocks.

For Mount Agung, this type of forensic work has been very useful. It shows that recharging of a magma chamber in the Earth's crust  that is, arrival of a new batch of magma from deeper levels in the crust into the shallowest magma chamber that feeds the summit eruption  had preceded and probably triggered the 1963-64 eruption.

Some volcanic rocks are incredibly beautiful. Fragments of magma that have cooled within the Earth's crust result in coarsely crystalline rocks, as shown in the photograph below.

Watching and waiting

There remain many uncertainties in terms of predicting where, when, and how energetic the next eruption will be for many of the many volcanoes on Earth.

In the case of Mount Agung, current measurements plus past "form" are currently being applied to monitor the situation.

For many volcanoes however, we have not established patterns because the gaps between eruptions are so long. Other factors can be hard to predict, like the structural collapse that occurred at Mt St Helens in 1980.

Coarsely crystalline rocks tell scientists what events have taken place deep beneath a volcano. This example is from La Soufriere Volcano, St Vincent, in the Lesser Antilles. Credit: Richard J. Arculus, Author provided

The volcanoes with the longest known breaks between eruptions have erupted the largest volumes of material. These are the so-called "super volcanoes", such as those at lakes Taupo (New Zealand) and Toba (Sumatra, Indonesia).

There are no observations recorded by humans for these enormous events, and volcano forensics are currently our only guides as to their possible behaviour.

In Bali, experts are watching closely for more ash, and evidence of lava flows that might herald high danger for locals.
Sea urchin spines. Credit: University of Konstanz

Sea urchin spines are made mostly of calcite, but the spines are much more durable than this raw material alone. The reason for their strength is the way that nature optimises materials using a brick wall-style architecture. A research team headed by Professor Helmut Colfen successfully synthesised cement at the nano-level according to this "brick and mortar" principle. During this process, macro-molecules were identified that take on the function of mortar, affixing the crystalline blocks to each other on the nano-scale, with the blocks assembling themselves in an ordered manner. The aim is to make cement more durable. The study's results are published in the 1 December 2017 issue of Science Advances.

"Our cement, which is significantly more fracture-resistant than anything that has been developed thus far, provides us with completely new construction possibilities," Colfen says. A pillar made of this cement could be built 8,000 metres high, or ten times as high as the current tallest building in the world, before the material at its base would be destroyed by its weight. Normal steel, which has a value of 250 megapascals, could only reach 3,000 metres in height.

In nanoscience, brick wall-style architecture can be compared to the work of a mason: Each layer of brick that is laid is held in place by mortar. The guiding principle is to layer hard, then soft, hard, then soft materials. This is exactly the principle nature uses to make sea urchin spines so resilient. When force is applied to the brittle calcite, its crystalline block does crack, however, the energy is then transferred to a soft disordered layer. Since this material has no cleavage planes to tear, it prevents further cracking. A thin section of sea urchin spine reveals this structural principle: Crystalline blocks in an orderly structure are surrounded by a softer amorphous area. In the sea urchin's case, this material is calcium carbonate.

Bending experiment on elastic cement in a scanning electron microscope, enlarged 2,000 times Bar-shaped micro-structure precision-cut from nano-structured cement using an ion beam, bends under the pressure of a micro-manipulator without breaking (micro-manipulator left in the picture). Credit: Dr Zhaklina Burkhard

Mussel shells or bones are constructed in much the same way. "Our goal is to learn from nature," says Helmut Colfen. The researcher has been honoured numerous times for his trailblazing results in the field of crystallisation, with, for example, the 2013 Academy Prize from the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. Bionics or biomimetics is the term used for employing natural phenomena to inspire technical developments.

Cement itself has a disordered structureeach component sticks to all the others. This means that in order for cement to truly profit from the increased stability provided by brick and mortar construction, its structure will have to be reorganised at the nano-level. Helmut Colfen describes the process as "encoding fracture-resistance at the nano-level." In this case, it means identifying a material that bonds only with cement nanoparticles and nothing else in the cement. About ten negatively charged peptide combinations were identified that both adhere to and bond materials well.

In collaboration with the University of Stuttgart, the team was able to use an ion beam under an electron microscope to cut a bar-shaped micro-structure out of the nanostructured cement that was three micrometers in size. This micro-structure was then bent using a micro-manipulator. As soon as it was released, the micro-structure returned to its original position. Mechanical values could be calculated based on the elastic deformation of the micro-structure. Based on these calculations, the optimised cement achieved a value of 200 megapascals. By comparison: Mussel shells, which are the gold standard in fracture-resistance, reach a value of 210 megapascals, which is only slightly higher. The concrete commonly used today has a value of two to five megapascals.

Micro-manipulator bending a cement microbar. Credit: University of Konstanz

See urchin spines and mussel shells are made of calcite, because large quantities of calcium are available in water. Helmut Colfen explains: "People have much better construction materials than calcite. If we succeed in designing the structures of materials and reproduce nature's blueprints, we will also be able to produce much more fracture-resistant materialshigh-performance materials inspired by nature."

More information: Andreas Picker et al, Mesocrystalline calcium silicate hydrate: A bioinspired route toward elastic concrete materials, Science Advances (2017). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1701216 Journal information: Science Advances
While many people consider themselves generally moral and honest, even the most upstanding citizens will likely become willing to lie, cheat and steal under certain circumstances, according to evidence from a new study in the Journal of Consumer Psychology.

If consumers believe that a company is harmful in some wayto the environment or to peoplethen they feel justified participating in illegal activities, such as shoplifting, piracy or hacking, according to findings in the study.

"People are much more willing to do something that risks their own integrity if they believe a company is unethical," says Jeffrey Rotman, a professor in the business school at Deakin University in Australia. "And this desire to punish a harmful brand occurs even when the consumer has not personally had a bad experience with the company."

Rotman's team discovered this effect in one study in which participants were introduced to a fictitious pharmaceutical company that produced drugs to treat Parkinson's disease and a bacterial infection called Brucellosis. Some of the participants learned that the company planned to increase the price of the drug by 300 percent to generate considerably more profit, even if it meant that certain customers could no longer afford the medication. Other participants learned that the company would not raise prices despite the profit benefits.

The researchers discovered that the participants who were told that the company was raising prices were significantly more willing to punish the company via unethical means, such as lying, cheating or stealing. To better understand why consumers violate their personal code of ethics in these situations, the researchers conducted another experiment in which participants read a report stating that on average, Internet speeds in the United States are consistently below advertised speeds. The federal report explained that this occurs because many ISPs intentionally cap speeds at 20 percent lower than advertised speeds. One group of participants was told that their Internet speeds had in fact underperformed, and they were asked to sign a letter to the ISP asking for a 10 percent discount on monthly fees. The other group was told that their Internet speeds were as advertised, but they should still sign the letter based on the findings in the federal report. Even though their Internet speeds were good, they were encouraged to lie to justify the discount and capture the company's attention.

Typically, people feel emotional consequences when they engage in unethical behavior, but the researchers found that negative feelings, such as guilt, were absent because people felt that the company was cheating customers. "People felt morally justified lying to the ISP because the report claimed that the company was not delivering promised speeds," Rotman says.

The researchers discovered that this desire to punish companies perceived as harmful is also reflected in the real world. Participants rated how harmful they perceived a variety of different industries, such as pharmacies, supermarkets and home improvement stores. On average, the more harmful the ratings, the greater the rates of theft were in these industries.

"There is growing distrust among the public of certain aspects of business and government, and these findings suggest that if people perceive these entities as harmful, they might feel justified in being unethical," Rotman says. "My hope is that organizations will make it a priority to build a reputation that allows consumers and businesses to be on the same side."

This study will appear in the Journal of Consumer Psychology in July, 2018.

Provided by Society for Consumer Psychology
Apple fans are known to hold onto the company's products long after they've been eclipsed by new models.

But it's unlikely these two very early Apple touchstones are sitting in anyone's collection: Steve Wozniak's fabled "Blue Box," and the very first Apple 1 computer produced by Woz and his younger buddy Steve Jobs. Both Apple artifacts are up for sale Dec. 6 at Bonhams' New York auction.

The "Blue Box," which is expected to fetch between $30,000 and $50,000, was built around 1972 when Woz was a sophomore at the University of California at Berkeley and Jobs was still in high school.

The simple box with a keypad tethered to a crude ear piece was essentially a hacking device designed to fool the phone company's switching systems by reproducing its specific tones. The result: free phone calls in an era when making a long-distance call could be a pricey affair.

The so-called Phone Phreak phenomenon of the era even prompted an Esquire piece titled: "Secrets of the Little Blue Box: A Story So Incredible It May Even Make You Feel Sorry for the Phone Company."

Wozniak's particular contribution to the box that fooled the phone company was to dismiss the often glitchy analog boxes in favor of designing a then-novel digital variation. Jobs' immediate entrepreneurial thought? Market it to Berkeley students eager to make no-cost calls.

Fast forward a few short years and the two Steves were in business together after founding a company they chose to call Apple. Woz handled design of the circuit boards while Jobs hustled to both source parts cheaply as well as land customers for their garage-based effort.

The first Apple I computers, copyrighted in 1976, sold through a network of Silicon Valley stores called the Byte Shop. Its founder, Paul Terrell, had told Jobs that he couldn't sell solitary circuit boards and instead encouraged the young tech entrepreneur to provide his stores with complete computers, featuring both a keyboard and monitor.

Just such an example is what Bonhams has up for sale. Sourced from the collection of an early Apple aficionado named Steve Fish, this Apple I (expected to sell for between $400,000 and $600,000) apparently still works. But with only 4KB of memory, try and load Mac OS High Sierra and watch this baby explode.

The two iconic items are part of Bonhams' "History of Science and Technology" auction, which will also include items such as a rare copy of Alan Turing's doctoral dissertation ($20,000 to $30,000), a hastily filled out 1973 employment application by Steve Jobs that suggested he had bigger things to do ($20,000 to $30,000) and a 1687 copy of Sir Isaac Newton's seminal scientific treatise Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica ($300,000 to $500,000).

2017 USA Today

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Devices like these could become an even bigger part of shopping in the near future. Credit: University of South Carolina

Imagine going shopping and having your phone or fitness tracker make product recommendations for you based on your breath or the current physical state of your body.

It is not science fiction. It's the future of retailing and health care digitization, according to researchers at University of South Carolina's College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management. In a new study published in the Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, a team of researchers forecasts that consumers will increasingly be offered hyper-personalized products formulated upon a person's biomarkersindicators of a person's biological state that can be gathered through things like saliva, breath and blood samples.

"Technologies are now in place that will transform the consumer goods industries in the next five to ten years; most notably in health, wellness and beauty products," says professor Mark Rosenbaum, lead author of the study and chair of the retailing department. "We envision consumers increasingly purchasing products, such as vitamins, meals and cosmetics, that are formulated based upon a consumer's unique DNA sequence."

According to the team's research, companies are already working to create product lines such as home-delivered meals and skin care that are customized based on analysis of a customer's DNA sample submitted through an at-home blood test. Additionally, nutrition companies are partnering with wearable technologies, such as fitness trackers and skin-serve sensory patches, to notify wearers of bodily needs that can be satisfied through consumption of specific products.

And while it might be nice to have the perfect shade of lipstick or reminders on what supplements you need to stay healthy, are consumers willing to trade privacy for convenience? A 2017 study that examined consumer attitudes toward new technology found that while consumers are wary about volunteering the data necessary for personalization, they still desire a tailored retail experience.

The Oracle Retail 2025 Report polled 709 consumers and found that shoppers have a conservative appetite for retail technologies that require hyper-personal data to make decisions on their behalf and are more likely to accept intrusive technologies from a brand they trust. Slightly more than half of the respondents favor the idea of linking their wearable activity tracker to their pharmacy so they can suggest products to meet specific health and wellness needs.

Whether or not consumers are ready to use hyper-personalized purchasing on a day-to-day basis, these technologies have lifesaving possibilities.

"Wireless communication technologies such as RFID-NFC and quantum ID tags have the potential to prevent consumers from knowingly purchasing counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs or infant formula," says Rosenbaum. "This technology is being refined by luxury manufacturers who want to prevent counterfeiters from destroying brand equity. Yet, the impact could be profound in preventing deaths and injury from the consumption of fake and potentially poisonous medicine and supplements."

Rosenbaum teamed up with the retailing department colleagues Karen Edwards, Jiyeon Kim, Jeff Campbell and Marianne Bickle for the recently published research, along with coauthor German Contreras Ramirez from the Universidad Externado de Colombia in Bogota. As far as the group is aware, they are the first to forecast the digitization of health retailing in a concise understanding.

"Combining our different perspectives helped us put forth a clearer understanding of the emerging trends in hyper-customized products," Rosenbaum says. "We hope this research will guide further studies in hyper-personalization and help retailers and manufacturers realize that the future trend in retailing will be customization at the personal level."

The new developments do not come without concerns, though.

"A major issue that consumer goods and retailers will confront is protecting consumers from hackers stealing their biomarker data," Rosenbaum says. "In addition, there is not yet a legal precedent for products that incorrectly read a consumer's biomarkers."

Despite these legal issues, consumers, the health industry and retailers are poised to enter the next phase of digitization: a phase of hyper-personalization.

More information: Mark Scott Rosenbaum et al. The digitization of health care retailing, Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing (2017). DOI: 10.1108/JRIM-07-2017-0058
Future 5G cellular systems, including backhaul links and device-to-device connections, could be affected by solar ray emissions, Embry-Riddle research suggests. Credit: Ahmed Sulyman/Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Hot, sunny weather could degrade future fifth-generation or "5G" cellular transmissions by more than 15%which could mean more dropped calls in places like Florida and the Middle Eastbut an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University engineer says research will guide solutions.

Forthcoming 5G cellular systems could support applications requiring ultra-fast processing speeds by tapping into super-high frequency radio waves, which would offer 10 to 100 times more computing space than today's 4G cellular systems.

But, how would bright sunshine affect such high-speed transmissions?

To answer this question, Ahmed Sulyman, an associate professor in Embry-Riddle's Prescott, Ariz.-based Department of Computer, Electrical, & Software Engineering, teamed up with colleagues in Saudi Arabia to publish the first comprehensive analysis of solar radio emissions on land-based wireless communications systems at 60 Gigahertz (GHz) bands.

Sulyman's study appears in a special edition of the peer-reviewed journal IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation (Volume: 65, Issue 12, Dec. 2017, pp. 6624-6635).

The conclusion? Future 5G cellular systems using 60 GHz bands might work better at night because solar radio emissions seem to degrade such transmissions. "This suggests there could be more dropped calls and lost data transmission, and the data rate could be lower during the day compared to nighttime," said Sulyman.

He added, however, that effective communication links at 60 GHz are possible at distances up to 134 meters indoors, and up to 110 meters outdoors, even in hilly, dense urban areasparticularly if antennas are pointed toward each other.

"Engineers can always work around problems if they understand them properly," said Sulyman, a Senior Member of IEEE, the world's largest technical professional organization. "Once we understand the exact nature of solar radio interference on 5G networks, we can plan for it by optimizing links for day-time and night-time operations."

He noted that satellite televisions work well during the day and at night because planners offset any transmission degradation so seamlessly that consumers never know the difference. Similarly, he said, continuing studies of how bright sunshine affects 5G networks will help developers make better decisions to support those systems, too, he said: "These results will help 5G cellular network planners to prepare appropriate link budgets when deploying 60 GHz radio outdoors in extremely hot and sunny weather."

First-generation cellular systems were introduced in 1982, and each subsequent generation of the technology has tended to require about 10 years of development. Rollout of 5G wireless digital systems could happen in the 2020s or sooner, Sulyman said. New 5G standards should be developed in 2019, during the World Radiocommunication Conference.

If 5G systems could make use of extremely high-frequency radio wavescharacterized by millimeter-length bands (30- to 300 GHz)users would benefit from much faster data-access speeds and "nomadic" service that functions much like Wi-Fi, untethered from transmission towers.

As a cost-saving measure, telecommunications developers have been looking at transmissions in the unlicensed 5 GHz and 60 GHz bands. Transmissions in this range would provide cellular operators with an appealing business option in areas not profitable enough to justify more expensive licensed bands.

Currently, most 4G LTE networks make it possible to download a full-length high-definition movie in about five to ten minutes. Future 5G technology would offer much higher speeds. But there could be drawbacks to using higher-frequency radio waves, which have shorter transmission ranges shorter transmission ranges that can be blocked by buildings and weakened by atmospheric conditions.

For his study, Sulyman and colleagues looked at how solar radio emissions would affect 60 GHz communication, in various system configurations such as line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight setups. First they configured an indoor experiment in order to determine the "path loss exponent" or PLE - a measure of transmission degradation - resulting from solar radio emissions. Then, they compared those results with measurements gathered at two sunny outdoor locations in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia - a hilly region with high-rise buildings and vegetation, and similar terrain with very little vegetation. In hot and sunny weather, PLE values increased by 9.0 to 15.6%, compared to measurements captured at night in cool, clear weather. In other words, the integrity of transmissions were negatively affected by strong sunshine.

Sulyman's journal article in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, "Effectives of Solar Radio Emissions on Outdoor Propagation Path Loss Models at 60 GHz bands for Access/backhaul links and D2D communications," was co-authored by Hussein Seleem, Abdulmalik Alwarafy, Khaled Humadi and Abdulhameed Alsanie of King Saud University.

In June 2017, Sulyman published another paper in IEEE Wireless Communications, describing a novel architectural approach to bridging Internet-based "Internet of Things" networks with cellular based systems. Sulyman, who is a senior member of IEEE, joined Embry-Riddle's Prescott Campus in February 2017, having previously taught in Saudi Arabia.

More information: Ahmed Iyanda Sulyman et al, Effects of Solar Radio Emissions on Outdoor Propagation Path Loss Models at 60 GHz bands for Access/backhaul links and D2D communications, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation (2017). DOI: 10.1109/TAP.2017.2759959 Journal information: IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation

Provided by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Credit: Leuphana Universitat Luneburg

The team led by Professor Dr. Klaus Kummerer has now succeeded in developing antibiotics of this class of substances that become innocuous in the environment by natural degradation.

Ciprofloxacin is a widely used broad-spectrum antibiotic. In Germany alone, 33 tons of them are prescribed in human and veterinary medicine. Both improper disposal and incomplete metabolization after administration means it is released after use virtually unmodified into the environment  a fate it shares with many other active pharmaceutical ingredients. Even small concentrations of this antibiotic stimulate the growth of resistant bacteria. Now, researchers at Leuphana University of Luneburg, led by Professor Klaus Kummerer, an expert in sustainable chemistry and resources, have developed and are seeking to patent antibiotics, which become inactive by natural degradation once they have been excreted. "This marks the first time that a new active ingredient has been specifically developed to be both effective and environmentally friendly. We now have a new active ingredient that works in the test tube, but is not yet a perfected drug," Kummerer said. This starting point now provides the opportunity for drug manufacturers to create a 'greener' pharmacy.

Since ciprofloxacin, like many other antibiotics and active pharmaceutical ingredients, does not biodegrade in the environment, it accumulates as an active ingredient in sewage sludge, water or sediments. Its use in animal husbandry allows it to access the soil in liquid manure, where food crops absorb it. Thus, it likely contributes to spreading antimicrobial resistance. "Benign by design" is the response of the team from Leuphana's Institute for Sustainable Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry to this massive contamination threatening the environment. The Benign by Design approach means that new active ingredients are planned from the start so as to make them more environmentally friendly.

The Leuphana researchers have been working for five years on the development of an antibiotic that degrades after its medical use. In other words, as it is no longer active, it follows that it does not contribute to the development of resistances in the environment. Since 2014, the German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt) has been subsidising the project with around 460,000. Ciprofloxacin was selected as the starting molecule because of its frequent use and its long-term exposure to the environment. The challenge the chemists face: The active ingredient is meant to disintegrate after its medical application, yet it must remain sufficiently stable in the blood stream for example. This was achieved by specifically modifying ciprofloxacin's chemical structure to meet both requirements.

The demand for biodegradable active pharmaceutical ingredients is considerable, because the active substances currently in use are causing serious environmental pollution. Dr. Christoph Leder of Kummerer's Team explains that "If one wanted to dilute the amounts used in Germany alone in one year down to a safe concentration, one would need the volume of seven times Lake Constance."

As early as 2015, the scientists from Luneburg succeeded in improving the biodegradability of propranolol, a widely used active ingredient against high blood pressure from the beta-blockers group. Professor Kummerer hopes that, thanks to the research's success, the biodegradability of antibiotics and other active pharmaceutical ingredients in the environment will now become a new approval criterion for drugs, as feasibility has been successfully demonstrated.

Provided by Leuphana Universitat Luneburg
A depiction of the double helical structure of DNA. Its four coding units (A, T, C, G) are color-coded in pink, orange, purple and yellow. Credit: NHGRI

Using a molecule designed to overcome a roadblock formed by a common type of genetic flaw, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have made progress towards novel molecular treatments for Friedreich's ataxiaa rare but fatal disorderin the laboratory dish and in animals.

Friedreich's, like at least 40 other genetic diseases, is caused by stretches of repetitive DNA that prevent protein from forming correctly.

The repeats can contain hundreds of identical, short sequences of DNA (such as GAAGAAGAAGAA ...). In some diseases, including Friedreich's, the repeats become roadblocks to cellular machines that decode the gene and start making the protein that the cell needs. In other diseases, such as the neurological condition Huntington's, the repeats can result in excess protein, which itself can become toxic.

In research reported this week in the journal Science, Aseem Ansari, a professor of biochemistry and genomics at UW-Madison, and colleagues showed that their "molecular prosthesis" can help cellular machinery overcome the blockade posed by the repeats in Friedreich's ataxia.

One component of the prosthesis locates the repeats, then the second helps the cellular machinery soldier past the repeats to properly decode the gene.

Friedreich's appears in only one American in 50,000, but it's fatal and untreatable, says Ansari. "These kids accumulate repeats in a gene for a protein called frataxin that mitochondria, the cell's powerhouse, need to process energy. Without frataxin, tissues that use the most energy get hurt first: the brain, heart and pancreas."

As early as age 5, movement is impaired "because the brain does not have the energy it needs and it also accumulates DNA damage," says Ansari, who has a joint appointment with the Genome Center of Wisconsin at UW-Madison. "Most young people with Friedreich's develop severe heart problems and are wheelchair-bound, but the disease is so rare that few drug companies invest in it."

In the Ansari group, Graham Erwin, Matthew Grieshop and Asfa Ali formed a team that designed and created the prototype molecule, and also orchestrated collaboration with colleagues at UW-Madison, the pharmaceutical firm Novartis, and a leading medical center in India.

The Science publication rested on two kinds of experiments:

In studies of cell lines from more than 20 Friedreich's patients, the molecular prosthesis restored expression of the frataxin protein.

In mice containing transplanted human cells carrying about 310 GAA repeats, the prosthesis restored expression of a signaling protein to nearly normal.

The molecule being tested is designed to assist the enzyme that reads, or "transcribes," DNA at the confusing repeats. Once it reaches the other side, the enzyme, called RNA polymerase, reads the gene and makes RNA that in turn codes for frataxin, the protein that is lacking in Friedreich's ataxia.

One part of the new molecule is "a direction finder that we engineered to locate the problem in the patient's genome," Ansari says. Once it finds the troublesome repeats, "the second component brings in the machinery that helps RNA polymerase slog through the repeats and make the correct transcript and subsequently the functional protein."

Understanding the role of frataxin and how repeats block its synthesis started with studies in yeast cells and then fruit flies, Ansari says. "In those simple organisms, scientists teased out exactly what the repeat region was doing, and the same principles were at work in human cells. Without that understanding, we would not have been able to devise our molecules, which highlights the need to study biology at all levels."

Although the biochemistry is complex, the concept of ignoring repeats is not, Ansari says. "If we compare the enzyme that reads DNA to an engine moving down the 'track' of DNA, the repeat may stop it cold, cause it to skip too far ahead, or jam it in the 'on' position so it makes a toxic amount of the protein."

The new results published this week in Science suggest that "we have figured out how to turn on the part of the gene that is being ignored without doing anything anywhere else," Ansari says.

Even as patients and families yearn for a cure, it's likely to take several years before drug testing begins, Ansari warns.

Ansari, who has been trying to unravel repeats for about 15 years at UW-Madison, achieved initial success in 2004 when his group designed "two-headed" molecules with a "DNA reading head" that would deliver the molecule to a specific location in an individual's genome, and a "docking head" that would dock a cellular machine to force the gene to be read correctly at that site.

Then, Ansari says, researchers found that the molecule got "distracted" while floating in a sea of DNA and failed to distinguish hundreds of "look-alike" sites from its actual target.

By 2013, funding had dried up, and only a grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation enabled Ansari to continue searching to outfox the repeats.

While many efforts to treat Friedreich's are screening millions of drugs, "we are working from a deeper understanding of the problem," Ansari says. "Once we understood why the enzyme was getting blocked, we rationally designed seven molecules to help the enzyme pass the obstruction."

The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation has applied for two patents on the discovery, which Ansari thinks could be applied more broadly. "With recent advances in human genome sequencing, more than 40 diseases have been recognized as resulting from microsatellite repeats," says Ansari, including fragile X, which causes developmental difficulties, and some types of muscular dystrophy.

"Now that we are starting to understand how to defuse these repeats," he says, "we see this as a general solution, a molecular engineering principle. We would sequence the genome and figure out the problem, and make a molecule tailored for that individual. It's a new precision-tailored path to personalized medicine."

More information: G.S. Erwin el al., "Synthetic transcription elongation factors license transcription across repressive chromatin," Science (2017). science.sciencemag.org/lookup/  1126/science.aan6414 Journal information: Science
A piece of the Coptic translation of the First Apocalypse of James from the Nag Hammadi Codex V. Credit: Nag Hammadi Library, Oxford University.

The first-known original Greek copy of a heretical Christian writing describing Jesus' secret teachings to his brother James has been discovered at Oxford University by biblical scholars at The University of Texas at Austin.

To date, only a small number of texts from the Nag Hammadi librarya collection of 13 Coptic Gnostic books discovered in 1945 in Upper Egypthave been found in Greek, their original language of composition. But earlier this year, UT Austin religious studies scholars Geoffrey Smith and Brent Landau added to the list with their discovery of several fifth- or sixth-century Greek fragments of the First Apocalypse of James, which was thought to have been preserved only in its Coptic translations until now.

"To say that we were excited once we realized what we'd found is an understatement," said Smith, an assistant professor of religious studies. "We never suspected that Greek fragments of the First Apocalypse of James survived from antiquity. But there they were, right in front of us."

The ancient narrative describes the secret teachings of Jesus to his brother James, in which Jesus reveals information about the heavenly realm and future events, including James' inevitable death.

"The text supplements the biblical account of Jesus' life and ministry by allowing us access to conversations that purportedly took place between Jesus and his brother, Jamessecret teachings that allowed James to be a good teacher after Jesus' death," Smith said.

Geoffrey Smith (left) and Brent Landau take a closer look at the Greek fragment identified as the First Apocalypse of James. The fragments--and rights to published images of them--are owned by the Egypt Exploration Society. Credit: Geoffrey Smith, UT Austin.

Such apocryphal writings, Smith said, would have fallen outside the canonical boundaries set by Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, in his "Easter letter of 367" that defined the 27-book New Testament: "No one may add to them, and nothing may be taken away from them."

With its neat, uniform handwriting and words separated into syllables, the original manuscript was probably a teacher's model used to help students learn to read and write, Smith and Landau said.

"The scribe has divided most of the text into syllables by using mid-dots. Such divisions are very uncommon in ancient manuscripts, but they do show up frequently in manuscripts that were used in educational contexts," said Landau, a lecturer in the UT Austin Department of Religious Studies.

The teacher who produced this manuscript must have "had a particular affinity for the text," Landau said. It does not appear to be a brief excerpt from the text, as was common in school exercises, but rather a complete copy of this forbidden ancient writing.

Smith and Landau announced the discovery at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting in Boston in November and are working to publish their preliminary findings in the Greco Roman Memoirs series of the Oxyrhynchus Papyri.
Cells forming an epithelium. The nuclei are marked in blue and ZO-1 in green. Credit: UNIGE

The epithelium, a tissue made up of closely juxtaposed cells, forms the glands and covers the outer surface of the human body as well as its internal cavities, such as the lungs or intestines. There are different types of epithelia, depending on the surfaces they cover and the functions they carry out. These tissues are subjected to multiple types of mechanical stretch, such as those caused by passing food or filling a bladder. The mechanical input strongly influences the proliferation and differentiation of epithelial cells, whether healthy or cancerous, but the underlying processes remain poorly understood. Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have discovered that the proteins Zonula Occludens-1 and -2 (ZO-1 and ZO-2), which contribute to the tightness of the epithelium, perceive these physical signals and activate different cellular responses accordingly.

Published in the journal Current Biology, these results reveal a novel process by which mechanical forces can regulate the structure of epithelia, their dynamic equilibrium and the establishment of tissue barriers. Targeted inhibition of ZO-1 in tumors could therefore be a pathway to explore, given its likely role in the proliferation of cancer cells.

Epithelial cells, which are connected to each other through intercellular junctions, a network of more or less densely assembled proteins, make up the glands and coat the cavities and the surface of the body. These cells can for example absorb water and solutes in the kidneys, secrete milk in mammary glands or resist mechanical stress during the filling and emptying of the bladder. Understanding how epithelial cells function is a major challenge, both in healthy and cancerous conditions, as the majority of tumors develop from epithelial cells.

A flexible cell skeleton

"The mechanical forces exerted on these cells influence their behavior, by inducing them for example to proliferate in order to repair an injury, or to form a three-dimensional structure such as a gland", explains Sandra Citi, professor at the Department of Cell Biology of the UNIGE Faculty of Science.

The proteins ZO-1 and ZO-2, which are part of the intercellular junctions, are also in contact with the cytoskeleton, the network of contractile filaments that give shape to the cell. The biologists from UNIGE, in collaboration with researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and the National University of Singapore, wondered whether these proteins played a role in the transmission of mechanical signals, leading for example to a change in cell proliferation.

Sequester a key factor on demand

Domenica Spadaro, researcher at UNIGE and first author of the study, details the results: "ZO-1 assumes different conformations depending on the tension exerted by the cytoskeleton, like a flexible spring. When the cytoskeleton is taut, this traction stretches ZO-1, which will sequester a factor essential for cell multiplication. Conversely, following an injury for example, ZO-1 loosens and releases this factor so that the cells proliferate again to repair the lesion."

Depending on the organization of the cytoskeleton and the tension it exerts, ZO-1 and ZO-2 work together to stabilize factors that regulate gene expression, cell proliferation and epithelial tightness, as well as the epithelium's ability to organize itself into three-dimensional structures. ZO-1 and ZO-2 are also likely to play a role in the proliferation of cancer cells, which are sensitive to mechanical forces in their environment. The development of molecules capable of inhibiting them within tumors could therefore be an asset in combating malignancies.
Hollow-luminal iPL colony. Credit: Lily Guo

A modified version of iPS methodology, called interrupted reprogramming, allows for a highly controlled, potentially safer, and more cost-effective strategy for generating progenitor-like cells from adult cells. As demonstrated November 30 in the journal Stem Cell Reports, researchers in Canada converted adult mouse respiratory tract cells called Club cells into large, pure populations of induced progenitor-like (iPL) cells, which retained a residual memory of their parental cell lineage and therefore specifically generated mature Club cells. Moreover, these cells showed potential as a cell replacement therapy in mice with cystic fibrosis.

"A major block in the critical path of regenerative medicine is the lack of suitable cells to restore function or repair damage," says co-senior author Tom Waddell, a thoracic surgeon at the University of Toronto. "Our approach starts with purifying the cell type we want and then manipulating it to give those cell types characteristics of progenitor cells, which can grow rapidly but produce only a few cell types. As such, it is much more direct, more rapid, and the batches of cells are more purified."

In recent years, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have generated a great deal of interest as a potentially unlimited source of various cell types for transplantation. This method involves genetically reprogramming skin cells taken from adult donors to an embryonic stem-cell-like state, growing these immature cells to large numbers, and then converting them into specialized cell types found in different parts of the body. A major advantage of this approach is the ability to generate patient-specific iPS cells for transplantation, thereby minimizing the risk of harmful immune reactions.

Photograph of mouse respiratory tract (Club) cells derived from cells treated for 4 weeks with Dox. Credit: Lily Guo

Despite significant progress, these protocols remain limited by low yield and purity of the desired mature cell types, as well as the potential of immature cells to form tumors. Moreover, there is no standardized approach applicable to all cell types, and the development of personalized therapies based on patient-derived pluripotent cells remains very expensive and time consuming. "We have pursued cell therapy for lung diseases for many years," Waddell says. "One key issue is how to get the right type of cells and lots of them. To avoid rejection, we need to use cells from the actual patient."

To address these issues, Waddell and co-senior study author Andras Nagy of Mount Sinai Hospital developed an interrupted reprogramming strategy, which is a modified version of the iPS methodology. The researchers started to genetically reprogram adult Club cells isolated from mice, transiently expressing the four iPS reprogramming factors, but interrupted the process early, prior to reaching the pluripotent state, to generate progenitor-like cells, which are more committed to a specific lineage and show more controlled proliferation than pluripotent cells.

"The reprogramming process had previously been considered as an all-or-none process," Waddell says. "We were surprised to the extent that it can be fine-tuned by the timing and dosing of the drug used to activate the reprogramming factors. That is interesting as it gives lots of opportunities for control, but it does mean we have lots of work to do to get it right."

A ciliated epithelium derived from iPL cells. Credit: Lily Guo

The researchers showed that the resulting Club-iPL cells could give rise to not only Club cells, but also to other respiratory tract cells such as mucus-secreting goblet cells and ciliated epithelial cells that produce the CFTR protein, which is mutated in patients with cystic fibrosis. When the Club-iPL cells were administered to CFTR-deficient mice, the cells incorporated into tissue lining the respiratory tract and partially restored levels of CFTR in the lungs without inducing tumor formation. This technology can theoretically be applied to almost any cell type that can be isolated and purified, and isolation of highly purified populations of adult cells from most organs is already possible with existing techniques.

"To create specialized cell types for use in cell therapy requires only that we insert the genes (or use non-transgenic approaches) and then test the drug dose and timing required for each cell type and each patient, so it should be relatively scalable at low cost compared to other approaches using each patient's own cells," Waddell says. "It should be very easy for other labs to use a similar approach."

According to the authors, the approach could be used for a variety of regenerative medicine practices, including cell replacement therapy, disease modelling, and drug screening for human diseases. But there is still a long way to go before clinical translation. For their own part, the researchers plan to test this approach with other cell types, including human cells. They will also try to determine if there are safe ways to engraft these cells in human lungs. "The study is a proof of principle, the way this concept may ultimately be used in humans could be different, and it will be many years before this will be attempted in humans," Waddell says.
This research challenges earlier evidence that Ctenophore is the earliest branching animal lineage first and puts sponges in that position. Credit: Monterrey Bay Aquarium

New research led by the University of Bristol has resolved evolutionary biology's most-heated debate, revealing it is the morphologically simple sponges, rather than the anatomically complex comb jellies, which represent the oldest lineage of living animals.

Recent genomic analyses have "flip-flopped" between whether sponges or comb jellies are our deepest ancestors, leading experts to suggest available data might not have the power to resolve this specific problem.

However, new research led by the University of Bristol has identified the cause of this "flip-flop" effect, and in doing so, has revealed sponges are the most ancient lineage.

Professor Davide Pisani of Bristol's Schools of Biological and Earth Sciences led the study, published today in Current Biology, with colleagues from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech - USA), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat (LMU), Munich (Germany), and other institutes around the world, which analysed all key genomic datasets released between 2015 and 2017.

Commenting on the breakthrough research, Professor Pisani said: "The fact is, hypotheses about whether sponges or comb jellies came first suggest entirely different evolutionary histories for key animal organ systems like the nervous and the digestive systems. Therefore, knowing the correct branching order at the root of the animal tree is fundamental to understanding our own evolution, and the origin of key features of the animal anatomy."

In the new study, Professor Pisani and colleagues used cutting edge statistical techniques (Posterior Predictive Analyses) to test whether the evolutionary models routinely used in phylogenetics can adequately describe the genomic datasets used to study early animal evolution. They found that, for the same dataset, models that can better describe the data favour sponges at the root of the animal tree, while models that drastically fail to describe the data favour the comb jellies.

Dr Feuda from Caltech continued: "Our results offer a simple explanation to the 'flip-flop effect' cogently discussed by Professor David Hillis in a recent interview in Nature."

Dr Dohrmann from LMU added: "Our results rationalise this effect and illustrate how you can draw robust conclusions from flip-flopping datasets."

Professor Gert Worheide of LMU said: "Indeed, a flip-flopping dataset is a dataset that supports different evolutionary histories or phylogenetic trees, when analysed using different evolutionary models.

Discriminating between alternative hypotheses in the face of a flip-flopping dataset requires clarifying how good the models are that support alternative phylogenetic trees. Posterior Predictive Analyses allow us to do exactly that. We found that models which describe the data poorly invariably identify the comb jellies at the root of the tree. Models that better describe the data invariably find the sponges in that position."

Professor Pisani concluded: "Phylogenomics, the use of genomic data in phylogenetics, is a relatively new science. Evidence for comb jellies as the earliest branching animal lineage first emerged in 2008, a decade ago, in the first, large-scale, phylogenomic analysis of the animal phyla. We have now better analytical tools and data and this study seriously challenges the accepted status quo."

More information: Improved Modeling of Compositional Heterogeneity Supports Sponges as Sister to All Other Animals. Roberto Feuda, Martin Dohrmann, Walker Pett, Herve Philippe, Omar Rota-Stabelli, Nicolas Lartillot, Gert Worheide, and Davide Pisani. Current Biology. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.11.008 Journal information: Current Biology
To demonstrate the portability of the technology, researchers packed the MinION and all cell-preparation materials needed into a handbag. Credit: Sophie Zaaijer

In the science-fiction movie Gattaca, visitors only clear security if a blood test and readout of their genetic profile matches the sample on file. Now, cheap DNA sequencers and custom software could make real-time DNA-authentication a reality.

Researchers at Columbia University and the New York Genome Center have developed a method to quickly and accurately identify people and cell lines from their DNA. The technology could have multiple applications, from identifying victims in a mass disaster to analyzing crime scenes. But its most immediate use could be to flag mislabeled or contaminated cell lines in cancer experiments, a major reason that studies are later invalidated. The discovery is described in the latest issue of eLife.

"Our method opens up new ways to use off-the-shelf technology to benefit society," said the study's senior author Yaniv Erlich, a computer science professor at Columbia Engineering, an adjunct core member at NYGC, and a member of Columbia's Data Science Institute. "We're especially excited about the potential to improve cell-authentication in cancer research and potentially speed up the discovery of new treatments."

The software is designed to run on the MinION, an instrument the size of a credit card that pulls in strands of DNA through its microscopic pores and reads out sequences of nucleotides, or the DNA letters A, T, C, G. The device has made it possible for researchers to study bacteria and viruses in the field, but its high error-rate and large sequencing gaps have, until now, limited its use on human cells with their billions of nucleotides.

In an innovative two-step process, the researchers outline a new way to use the $1,000 MinION and the abundance of human genetic data now online to validate the identity of people and cells by their DNA with near-perfect accuracy. First, they use the MinION to sequence random strings of DNA, from which they select individual variants, which are nucleotides that vary from person to person and make them unique. Then, they use a Bayesian algorithm to randomly compare this mix of variants with corresponding variants in other genetic profiles on file. With each cross-check, the algorithm updates the likelihood of finding a match, rapidly narrowing the search.

Tests show the method can validate an individual's identity after cross-checking between 60 and 300 variants, the researchers report. Within minutes, it verified the identity of the study's lead author, Sophie Zaaijer, a former member of NYGC and now a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell Tech.

To do this, the MinION matched the readout of Zaaijer's genome, gleaned from a sample of cheek cells, with a reference profile stored among 31,000 other genomes on the public database, DNA.land. Erlich's identity was verified the same way, with initial sequencing done by Columbia students in the Ubiquitous Genomics class he and Zaaijer taught in 2015.

They call their re-identification technique 'MinION sketching' which Zaaijer compares to the brain's ability to make out a bird from a few telling features in an abstract Picasso line-drawing. The MinION's genetic 'sketch' of a cell-sample is compared to a growing database of sketches similarly incomplete genetic profiles produced by at-home DNA-test kits like 23andMe and donated to science by consumers.

"Using our method, one needs only a few DNA reads to infer a match to an individual in the database," says Zaaijer.

The most promising use for 'MinION sketching' may be as a cheap cell-authentication tool in experimental research, say scientists familiar with its capabilities. In the study, researchers quickly matched a strain of leukemic cells sequenced by the MinION against a reference file in the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia database, they report. When they tried contaminating the cells with other cultures, it correctly rejected a match if contamination levels climbed above 25 percent.

Researcher Sophie Zaaijer uses the MinION, a portable DNA sequencer, to get a quick genetic readout of a sample of cells. Credit: New York Genome Center

The use of misidentified or contaminated cell lines in medical research is blamed for as much as a third of the estimated $28 billion spent each year on studies that can't be replicated, according to one recent study. In a 2014 essay in Science, the director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Jon Lorsch, called for new policies and technologies to address the problem.

Lacking the expensive machinery needed to validate cell lines on their own, most researchers either skip validation or ship their cultures to specialized labs which can delay important findings and treatments. If an easier alternative were available, most researchers would use it, says Neville Sanjana, a core faculty member at NYGC and assistant professor at NYU's Department of Biology who works on skin and lung cancer cell lines and was not involved in the study.

"No one wants to waste time and reagents working on the wrong cells," he says. "At the right price, every lab will adopt this."

More information: Sophie Zaaijer et al, Rapid re-identification of human samples using portable DNA sequencing, eLife (2017). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.27798 Journal information: eLife
Image of starlight on exoplanet, courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Is there life beyond Earth in the cosmos? Astronomers looking for signs have found that our Milky Way galaxy teems with exoplanets, some with conditions that could be right for extraterrestrial life. Such worlds orbit stars in so-called "habitable zones," regions where planets could hold liquid water that is necessary for life as we know it.

However, the question of habitability is highly complex. Researchers led by space physicist Chuanfei Dong of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) and Princeton University have recently raised doubts about water onand thus potential habitability offrequently cited exoplanets that orbit red dwarfs, the most common stars in the Milky Way.

Impact of stellar wind

In two papers in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the scientists develop models showing that the stellar windthe constant outpouring of charged particles that sweep out into spacecould severely deplete the atmosphere of such planets over hundreds of millions of years, rendering them unable to host surface-based life as we know it.

"Traditional definition and climate models of the habitable zone consider only the surface temperature," Dong said. "But the stellar wind can significantly contribute to the long-term erosion and atmospheric loss of many exoplanets, so the climate models tell only part of the story."

To broaden the picture, the first paper looks at the timescale of atmospheric retention on Proxima Centauri b (PCb), which orbits the nearest star to our solar system, some 4 light years away. The second paper questions how long oceans could survive on "water worlds"planets thought to have seas that could be hundreds of miles deep.

Two-fold effect

The research simulates the photo-chemical impact of starlight and the electromagnetic erosion of stellar wind on the atmosphere of the exoplanets. These effects are two-fold: The photons in starlight ionize the atoms and molecules in the atmosphere into charged particles, allowing pressure and electromagnetic forces from the stellar wind to sweep them into space. This process could cause severe atmospheric losses that would prevent the water that evaporates from exoplanets from raining back onto them, leaving the surface of the planet to dry up.

On Proxima Centauri b, the model indicates that high stellar wind pressure would cause the atmosphere to escape and prevent atmosphere from lasting long enough to give rise to surface-based life as we know it. "The evolution of life takes billions of years," Dong noted. "Our results indicate that PCb and similar exoplanets are generally not capable of supporting an atmosphere over sufficiently long timescales when the stellar wind pressure is high."

"It is only if the pressure is sufficiently low," he said, "and if the exoplanet has a reasonably strong magnetic shield like that of the Earth's magnetosphere, that the exoplanet can retain an atmosphere and has the potential for habitability."

Evolution of habitable zone

Complicating matters is the fact that the habitable zone circling red stars could evolve over time. So high stellar wind pressure early on could increase the rate of atmospheric escape. Thus, the atmosphere could have eroded too soon, even if the exoplanet was protected by a strong magnetic field like the magnetosphere surrounding Earth, Dong said. "In addition, such close-in planets could also be tidally locked like our moon, with one side always exposed to the star. The resultant weak global magnetic field and the constant bombardment of stellar wind would serve to intensify losses of atmosphere on the star-facing side."

Turning to water worlds, the researchers explored three different conditions for the stellar wind. These ranged from:

Winds that strike the Earth's magnetosphere today.

Ancient stellar winds flowing from young, Sun-like stars that were just a toddler-like 0.6 billion years old compared with the 4.6 billion year age of the Sun.

The impact on exoplanets of a massive stellar storm like the Carrington event, which knocked out telegraph service and produced auroras around the world in 1859.

The simulations illustrated that ancient stellar wind could cause the rate of atmospheric escape to be far greater than losses produced by the current solar wind that reaches the magnetosphere of Earth. Moreover, the rate of loss for Carrington-type events, which are thought to occur frequently in young Sun-like stars, was found to be greater still.

"Our analysis suggests that such space weather events may prove to be a key driver of atmospheric losses for exoplanets orbiting an active young Sun-like star," the authors write.

High probability of dried-up oceans

Given the increased activity of red stars and the close-in location of planets in habitable zones, these results indicate the high probability of dried-up surfaces on planets that orbit red stars that might once have held oceans that could give birth to life. The findings could also modify the famed Drake equation, which estimates the number of civilizations in the Milky Way, by lowering the estimate for the average number of planets per star that can support life.

Authors of the PCb paper note that predicting the habitability of planets located light years from Earth is of course filled with uncertainties. Future missions like the James Webb Space Telescope, which NASA will launch in 2019 to peer into the early history of the universe, will therefore "be essential for getting more information on stellar winds and exoplanet atmospheres," the authors say, "thereby paving the way for more accurate estimations of stellar-wind induced atmospheric losses."

Scientists spot potentially habitable worlds with regularity. Recently, a newly discovered Earth-sized planet orbiting Ross 128, a red dwarf star that is smaller and cooler than the sun located some 11 light years from Earth, was cited as a water candidate. Scientists noted that the star appears to be quiescent and well-behaved, not throwing off flares and eruptions that could undo conditions favorable to life.

Collaborating with Dong on the PCb paper were physicists from Harvard University, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Massachusetts.
The Red Queen walking randomly. Credit: Ika Osterblad

In a new publication in the journal Nature, Indre Zliobaite and Mikael Fortelius from the University of Helsinki and Nils Christian Stenseth from the University of Oslo present a new interpretation of one of the classic hypotheses of evolutionary theory, the Red Queen's Hypothesis, proposed by Leigh Van Valen in 1973.

A search for 'Red Queen' on Google Scholar gives over a million hits, reflecting the enormous influence this idea has in a wide sector of science. Its name refers to Lewis Carroll's book Alice Through the Looking Glass, in which the Red Queen explains how her country differs from Alice's: "Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!"

Leigh Van Valen originally thought that species should age. The longer a species has been around, the more likely its extinction. He tried to test this hypothesis on fossil data and found, to his surprise, that they don't seem to do soold and young species with similar lifestyles and inhabiting the same adaptive zone have about the same probability to go extinct at any point in time. This is roughly similar to the decay of radioactive nuclei and means that adaptive zonesor the biological groupings that reflect them, such as families and ordershave characteristic half-lives, just as radioactive elements do.

Just over a decade ago, another pattern was discovered in the fossil record of land mammals by Finnish scientists Jukka Jernvall and Mikael Fortelius. This pattern has become known as the Hat Pattern, a name drawn from its shapespecies and genera typically begin as rare, expand to become more common and widespread, and then contract and go extinct. In most cases, there is only a single peak; more than three peaks is quite rare. The Hat Pattern seems to suggest that species and genera past their peak become more likely to go extinct as they age and decline towards extinction, in apparent contradiction to the Law of Constant Extinction.

In the new paper, Indre Zliobaite, Mikael Fortelius and Nils Chr. Stenseth propose a new interpretation of the Law of Constant Extinction that focuses on the expansion and peaking of species rather than on their extinction. Supporting their argument by data analysis and simulations, they show that the apparent contradiction is only an illusion and that the Hat Pattern is not only compatible with the Law of Constant Extinction, or perhaps better Law of Constant Peaking, but actually predicted by the Red Queen's Hypothesis.

Stenseth says, "The Red Queen's Hypothesis has fascinated me from the very beginning since it, as an evolutionary hypothesis, explicitly brings in ecological interactions to explain large scale evolutionary patterns, such as rate of extinctions."

Stenseth and Fortelius were among the first to write about the Hat Pattern, and Stenseth has worked on the Red Queen since the 1970s. Although Fortelius hasn't published on the Red Queen, he does have a history of hidden research on a closely related topic, the Law of Constant Extinction. He also participated in a round table meeting on this topic in 2008, convened by Stenseth and featuring Leigh Van Valen himself as a participant. And in the last few years, when Fortelius was a visiting professor at Stenseth's centre of excellence in Oslothey, they joined forces for a new attempt at this problem.

Fortelius says, "My job as Kristine Bonnevie Professor during the last three years in Oslo was very much related to the Red Queen. I've been telling people I'm actually there at Her Majesty's secret service."

However, it took the fresh perspective of an outsider to realise that the two theories were connected and actually parts of the same puzzle. Zliobaite, with a background in computer science and credit analysis, knew that a cessation of growth may signal the impending failure of businesses.

Zliobaite read with a fresh eye the now almost forgotten theoretical papers in which Van Valen further developed his theory, emphasising the expansion of species as the most useful measure of their success. In this perspective, the final extinction emerges as the inevitable outcome of the species' failure to expand. Bringing this perspective into the discussion was the key to developing the new, integrated theory.

Zliobaite says, "I had no idea that the Red Queen's hypothesis is such a big deal. I thought it is just another research question. Perhaps this allowed me to think about it anew without being burdened by its legacy."

More information: Indre Zliobaite et al, Reconciling taxon senescence with the Red Queen's hypothesis, Nature (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nature24656 Journal information: Nature
Bad news on the doorstep. How to stay safe? Credit: Shutterstock

Cybersecurity incidents are increasingly gaining public attention. They are frequently mentioned in the media and discussed by specialists, such as Guillame Poupard, Director General of the French Information Security Agency. This attests to the fact that these digital incidents have an increasingly significant impact on our daily lives. Questions therefore arise about how we are protecting our digital activities, and if this protection is adequate. The publicity surrounding security incidents may, at first glance, lead us to believe that we are not doing enough.

A look at the current situation

Let us first take a look at the progression of software vulnerabilities since 2001, as illustrated by the National Vulnerability Database (NVD), the reference site of the American National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Upon an analysis of the distribution of vulnerabilities to computer-related attacks, as published by the American National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in visualizations on the National Vulnerability Database, we observe that since 2005, there has not been a significant increase in the number of vulnerabilities published each year. The distribution of risk levels (high, medium, low) has also remained relatively steady. Nevertheless, it is possible that the situation may be different in 2017, since, just halfway through the year, we have already reached publication levels similar to those of 2012.

It should be noted, however, that the growing number of vulnerabilities published in comparison to before 2005 is also partially due to a greater exposure of systems and software to attempts to compromise and external audits. For example, Google has implemented Google Project Zero, which specifically searches for vulnerabilities in programs and makes them public. It is therefore natural that more discoveries are made.

There is also an increasing number of objects, the much-discussed Internet of things, which use embedded software, and therefore present vulnerabilities. The recent example of the "Mirai" network demonstrates the vulnerability of these environments which account for a growing portion of our digital activities. Therefore, the rise in the number of vulnerabilities published simply represents the increase in our digital activities.

What about the attacks?

The publicity surrounding attacks is not directly connected to the number of vulnerabilities, even if it is involved. The notion of vulnerability does not directly express the impact that this vulnerability may have on our lives. Indeed, the effect of the malicious code, WannaCry, which affected the British health system by disabling certain hospitals and emergency services, can be viewed as a significant step in the harmfulness of malicious codes. This attack led to either deaths or delayed care on an unprecedented scale.

Distribution of vulnerabilities to attacks, rated by severity of vulnerability over a period of time. https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln-metrics/visualizations/cvss-severity-distribution-over-time, CC BY

It is always easy to say, in hindsight, that an event was foreseeable. And yet, it must be acknowledged that the use of "old" tools (Windows XP, SMBv1) in these vital systems is problematic. In the digital world, fifteen years represents three or even four generations of operating systems, unlike in the physical world, where we can have equipment dating from 20 or 30 years ago, if not even longer. Who could imagine a car being obsolete (to the point of no longer being usable) after five years? This major difference in evaluating time, which is deeply engrained in our current way of life, is largely responsible for the success and impact of the attacks we are experiencing today.

It should also be noted that in terms of both scale and impact, digital attacks are not new. In the past, worms such as CodeRed in 2001 and Slammer in 2003, also infected a number of important machines, making the Internet unusable for some time. The only difference was that at the time of these attacks, critical infrastructures were less dependent on a permanent Internet connection, therefore limiting the impact to the digital world alone.

The most critical attacks, however, are not those in which the attackers benefit the most. In the Canadian Bitcoin Highjack in 2014, for example, attackers hijacked this virtual currency for a direct financial gain without disturbing the bitcoin network, while other similar attacks on routing in 2008 made the network largely unavailable without any financial gain.

So where does all this leave us in terms of the adequacy of our digital protection?

There is no question that outstanding progress has been made in protecting information systems over the past several years. The detection of an increasing number of vulnerabilities, combined with progressively shorter periods between updates, is continually strengthening the reliability of digital services. The automation of the update process for individuals, which concerns operating systems as well as browsers, applications, telephones and tablets, has helped limit exposure to vulnerabilities.

At the same time, in the business world we have witnessed a shift towards a real understanding of the risks involved in digital uses. This, along with the introduction of technical tools and resources for training and certification, could help increase all users' general awareness of both the risks and opportunities presented by digital technology.

How can we continue to reduce the risks?

After working in this field for 25 years, and though we must remain humble in response to the risks we face and will continue to face, I remain optimistic about the possibilities of strengthening our confidence in the digital world. Nevertheless, it appears necessary to support users in their digital activities in order to help them understand how these services work and the associated risks. ANSSI's publication of measures for a healthy network for personal and business use is an important example of this need for information and training which will help all individuals make conscious, appropriate choices when it comes to digital use.

Another aspect, which is more oriented towards developers and service providers, is increasing the modularity of our systems. This will allow us to control access to our digital systems, make them simple to configure, and easier to update. In this way, we will continue to reduce our exposure to the risk of a computer-related attack while using our digital tools to an ever-greater extent.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
FingerSound uses wearable ring technology to detect numbers and letters drawn on fingers. Credit: Georgia Institute of Technology

With the whirl of a thumb, Georgia Tech researchers have created technology that allows people to trace letters and numbers on their fingers and see the figures appear on a nearby computer screen. The system is triggered by a thumb ring outfitted with a gyroscope and tiny microphone. As wearers strum their thumb across the fingers, the hardware detects the movement.

In a video demonstration, the "written" figures appear on an adjacent screen. In the future, the researchers say the technology could be used to send phone calls to voicemail or answer text messagesall without the wearer reaching for their phone or even looking at it.

"When a person grabs their phone during a meeting, even if trying to silence it, the gesture can infringe on the conversation or be distracting," said Thad Starner, the Georgia Tech School of Interactive Computing professor leading the project. "But if they can simply send the call to voicemail, perhaps by writing an 'x' on their hand below the table, there isn't an interruption."

Starner also says the technology could be used in virtual reality, replacing the need to take off a head-mounted device in order to input commands via a mouse or keyboard.

The research team wanted to build a system that would always be available and easy to use.

"A ring augments the fingers in a way that is fairly non-obstructive during daily activities. A ring is also socially acceptable, unlike other wearable input devices," said Cheng Zhang, the Georgia Tech graduate student who created the technology.

FingerSound: Recognizing unistroke thumb gestures using a ring. Credit: Georgia Institute of Technology

The system is called Fingersound. While other gesture-based systems require the user to perform gestures in the air, Fingersound uses the fingers as a canvas. This allows the system to clearly recognize the beginning and end of an intended gesture by using the microphone and gyroscope to detect the signal. In addition to helping recognize the start and end of a gesture, it also provides tactile feedback while performing the gestures. This feedback is crucial for user experience and is missing on other in-air gestures

"Our system uses sound and movement to identify intended gestures, which improves the accuracy compared to a system just looking for movements," said Zhang. "For instance, to a gyroscope, random finger movements during walking may look very similar to the thumb gestures. But based on our investigation, the sounds caused by these daily activities are quite different from each other."

FingOrbits: Interaction with Wearables Using Synchronized Thumb Movements. Credit: Georgia Institute of Technology

Fingersound sends the sound captured by the contact microphone and motion data captured by the gyroscope sensor through multiple filtering mechanisms. The system then analyzes it to determine whether a gesture was performed or whether it was simply noise from other finger-related activity.

The research was presented earlier this year at Ubicomp and the ACM International Symposium on Wearable Computing along with two other papers that feature ring-based gesture technology. FingOrbits allows the wearer to control apps on a smartwatch or head-mounted display by rubbing their thumb on their hand. With SoundTrak, people can write words or 3-D doodles in the air by localizing the absolute position of the finger in 3-D space, then see the results simultaneously on a computer screen.

The new technologies were developed by the same team that created a technique that allowed smartwatch wearers to control their device by tapping its sides.

With SoundTrak, people can write words or 3-D doodles in the air by localizing the absolute position of the finger in 3-D space, then see the results simultaneously on a computer screen. Credit: Georgia Institute of Technology
Milwaukee County plans to settle a lawsuit from an augmented-reality game developer that challenged an ordinance requiring companies to get local permits for apps like Pokemon Go to be played in parks.

Under the settlement agreement announced Thursday, the county won't enforce its rule and will pay $83,000 in attorneys' fees for California-based developer Candy Lab Inc.

Milwaukee County passed the first-of-its-kind requirement in February because large crowds of Pokemon Go players left trash all around a park the previous summer. County officials argued that developers should get a permit like anyone else wanting to host an event to help pay for clean-up costs.

But a federal judge in July agreed with Candy Lab's argument that the ordinance violated its free speech rights because it was developing a poker game that would be affected. The judge blocked Milwaukee County from enforcing its requirement and the settlement makes that order permanent.

County Attorney Margaret Daun, whose office is recommending the settlement be approved, still believes something should be done to address the problem.

"It is essential that profit-making businesses cannot simply hijack our parks," she said, before a county panel unanimously approved the settlement Thursday. A final vote is scheduled for Dec. 14.

County Supervisor Eddie Cullen, who opposed the ordinance when it passed and is a Pokemon Go enthusiast, playfully ribbed supporters of the ordinance before voting to approve the settlement.

"I would argue that this actually is kind of a 'Ha-ha, I-told-you-so' moment," he said.

Cullen said the county would be better off paying $83,000 to clean its parks than paying for lawsuits.

Daun's office notes the settlement is covered by the county's insurance.

In the July court ruling, U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller criticized the ordinance "for its strangeness and lack of sophistication" because it treats game developers "as though they are trying to hold an 'event' in a Milwaukee County park."

The judge said the video games would "not be played at a discrete time or location within a park," and suggested it made more sense to punish gamers who violated park rules.

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Retailers Urge Senate Passage of Once-in-a-Generation Tax Reform Bill

WASHINGTON, November 29, 2017  The National Retail Federation today called on the Senate to pass comprehensive tax reform legislation set for a vote this week, saying the measure would create jobs and boost the economy by bringing back investment that has gone overseas while also helping small businesses and consumers.

NRF believes that tax reform will boost the economy, helping small and large retailers alike along with their customers, NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French said.

This legislation represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address major flaws in U.S. tax law that are driving investment out of the country, French said. Reducing the corporate rate will help attract investment to the United States, which will create jobs, boost wages and increase consumer spending.

Frenchs comments came in a letter sent today to members of the Senate, which is expected to vote as soon as Thursday on its version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The House passed its bill last week. French said NRF will count Senate action on tax reform as a key vote in its annual ranking of lawmakers on issues important to the retail industry.

French said the U.S. corporate tax rate of 35 percent is the highest in the industrialized world and has caused some U.S. companies to move investment out of the country while discouraging foreign companies from investing here. Both the Senate and House versions of tax reform legislation would lower the rate to 20 percent while also providing tax relief for small businesses and middle-class taxpayers.

NRF believes lowering taxes for employers  including small businesses as well as larger companies  would free up resources businesses could use to create more jobs. President and CEO Matthew Shay praised the Senate bills small business provisions at a news conference with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Tuesday, noting that 95 percent of retailers operate just one location while 98 percent have 50 or fewer employees.

The House bill would set a 25 percent tax rate for small business pass throughs while the Senate bill would give pass throughs a 17.4 percent deduction.

NRF has led the retail industrys fight for tax reform for years, calling on Congress to eliminate tax breaks that benefit only some industries and to use the revenue saved to lower rates for all companies, including small businesses.

NRF is the worlds largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nations largest private-sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs  42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nations economy.

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MONTELLO  Jodi Williams has just returned from the Marquette County jail, where she met an unemployed 27-year-old man who had been busted after jumping bail on charges of battery, property damage and disorderly conduct.

He and his girlfriend used heroin until two years ago when their child was born. Instead of cleaning up, he switched to alcohol, which angered his girlfriend, who left with their child. Now, hes dangerously depressed, locked up and dealing with his first sustained sobriety since he was 13.

MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL Marquette County, in rural central Wisconsin, harbors many of the same social symptoms as distressed communities in aging urban centers like Milwaukee: high rates of childhood poverty, single-parent homes, FoodShare entitlements, an uncompetitive economy and an extreme drug epidemic.

MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL Marquette County, in rural central Wisconsin, harbors many of the same social symptoms as distressed communities in aging urban centers like Milwaukee: high rates of childhood poverty, single-parent homes, FoodShare entitlements, an uncompetitive economy and an extreme drug epidemic.

These people are in constant survival mode, Williams says of the distressed couple and so many others like them in the vast impoverished regions of the nations rural heartland. Williams is one of Marquette Countys few mental health and substance abuse case workers.

Crisis calls take her up and down lonely country roads, often past the countys single stoplight.

Marquette County  boyhood home of John Muir, founding father of Americas national parks  is known for its bounty of sparkling lakes, forests, rustic vacation homes and big walleye.

Many who live here wish to escape the city, said Luke Haas, owner of Elite Marble Co., based in Montello.

But in Marquette County and across rural Wisconsin, small communities increasingly resemble the distressed neighborhoods within post-industrial cities like Milwaukee. Both are marked by the same downward dynamic of uncompetitive economies, broken families, rampant drug and alcohol abuse and other social toxins.

Marquette County lost industry in the last century, but never had much in the first place. Its main employers now consist of family dairy farms, tree farmers, a federal prison, a few Amish furniture shops and a big meat-processing plant. Its poor, rural and nearly all white.

Of Wisconsins 72 counties, Marquette ranks in the worst of five tiers for opioid overdose deaths and hospitalizations, measured as a share of the population, as well as the frequency in which paramedics administer Narcan, a medication that can revive a person that has overdosed on heroin or opioids, according to the state Department of Health Services.

MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL Marquette County Human Services social worker Jodi Williams is one of the few mental health and substance abuse case workers in Marquette County. She sits in a room used by clients to a talk with a psychiatrist via a video link. "This is our way of getting around not having a psychiatrist on site due to the lack of psychiatrists in the area." she said.

Households in the county receiving FoodShare entitlements rose 258% in the last 20 years. The childhood poverty rate rose 148% in the last 15 years. There are so few grocery stores  three by generous definition  that the entire county is a fresh food desert, leaving residents with the same junk and processed food choices as poor neighborhoods in Milwaukee.

Eight of Williams' 11 current family clients are single parents in a county where more than one in three children are raised by single parents, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

Of her current clients, one was born with methamphetamines in her bloodstream, another with heroin, meaning their first experience in life, after breathing, was addiction withdrawal. In three-year data samples, Marquette County is ranked among the worst in the state for neonatal abstinence syndrome  drug dependency before birth.

They say you cant die going through withdrawal, but I dont think youd believe that when you go through it, said Frank Buress, former opioid addict in Marquette County turned anti-drug activist. He now sits on multiple committees in the county, which try to fill the vacuum of drug treatment services in the region.

MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL They say you cant die going through withdrawal but I dont think youd believe that when you go through it, said Frank Buress, a former opioid addict in Marquette County turned anti-drug activist, who now sits on multiple committees in the county. Buress became addicted to prescription painkillers while being treated for shingles.

Marquette County also has another epidemic that gives its rural underclass a kindred bond to its urban peers, one that researchers say sticks families in a cycle of dysfunction from one generation to the next.

Its called childhood trauma  growing up in an environment of violence, neglect and abuse that can leave neurological scars that saddle children with the lifelong burden of physical and mental illness. Such data didnt exist in a standardized way until the last decade, meaning widespread childhood trauma has been statistically invisible, cloaked in taboos and shame and silence.

The ACE test

Rob Anda, an Atlanta public health physician, helped create the worlds most widely used metric of civilian trauma. Data from the adverse childhood experience study, known as the ACE test, has been collected and validated around the globe.

The test consists of yes-or-no questions: When you were growing up, did a parent or adult in the house beat you? Beat each other? Did any of them verbally or sexually abuse you? Emotionally ignore you? Were any of them alcoholics? Drug users? Incarcerated? Mentally ill?

Compared to someone with zero yes answers, a person with four or more is six times more likely to struggle with depression; seven times more likely to become alcoholic; and 12 times more likely to attempt suicide. Theyre twice as likely to have heart disease, twice as likely to be diagnosed with cancer.

Those with scores four or higher are 10 times more likely to inject street drugs. Those odds increase exponentially as the ACE score rises.

People with high scores are less likely to maintain relationships, collaborate at work and hold a job. Theyre more likely to end up in foster care, homeless or in jail. Theyre more likely to suffer post-traumatic stress disorders similar to those experienced by soldiers who have fought in battle.

One other dynamic proves just as universal wherever ACEs are tested: trauma scores always spike higher amid economic shock or chronic economic uncertainty. That can mean a layoff in the household of an alcoholic investment banker, or an unexpected medical bill in the household of a low-income retail worker. Even in affluent suburbs, the share of high-risk four-plus scores typically represents more than one in 10.

Its not about race, Anda said.

U.S. census tracts in which 20% or more live below the federal poverty line  labeled concentrated poverty  are a defining feature of aging urban economies like Milwaukee. Social scientists consider it the combustion point for social toxins like crime, teen pregnancies and dropping out of school.

The Brookings Institution found that more of such 20%-plus census tracts now exist in the nations suburban and rural regions (5,496 and 4,125 tracts, respectively) than in the 100 largest cities (7,626). A Milwaukee census tract averages about 3,000 people. Poverty and concentrated disadvantage have spread rapidly beyond the urban core in recent years, says Brookings researcher Elizabeth Kneebone.

If you only look for hardship in minorities, you are going to miss a lot of whats going on, said Stephanie Hoopes, an economist who created a new metric of the working poor called ALICE: Asset-Limited  Income-Constrained  Employed.

Most counties with large ALICE populations are in central and northern Wisconsin. These households often live paycheck to paycheck, struggle to make ends meet and are bankrupted easily by a single medical bill. By Hoopes' count, 42% of the states households meet the ALICE criteria  triple the number previously thought.

More than 88% of the states ALICE households are white.

We try not to use the word poverty  there are so many moral connotations with that, said Hoopes, who began her work at Rutgers University and now conducts ALICE research at the national headquarters for the United Way charity.

All the counties in Wisconsins worst tier of neonatal abstinence syndrome  as a share of the population  are also in central or northern Wisconsin. In the three years from 2013-15, state authorities counted 1,509 white fatalities linked to opioids or heroin  compared to 186 for African-Americans. The proportions mirror the states demographics.

If you look at straight counts, it is a predominately white phenomenon because Wisconsin is predominantly white," said Jennifer Broad, a senior research analyst in Madison at the state Department of Health Services. "However, when you look at rates, you see that its unfortunately killing all races and ethnicities.

Cities like Milwaukee  the nation's fourth poorest among large cities as of 2016 have dense neighborhoods mired in post-traumatic stress disorder and concentrated poverty, violence and stress, with little space for safe zones, green parks and streets without sirens. A Time to Heal, a five-part multimedia series published in March by the Journal Sentinel, examined such neighborhoods, where four-plus ACE scores are the norm, creating a widening cycle of struggling adults and incapacitated economies.

ACE research reveals a near-identical dynamic at work in some non-urban areas. One big difference: Rural communities like Marquette County have isolated homes in sparsely populated spaces. We just hide it better, said Williams, who grew up in rural Wisconsin and did a stint in public health work in Dallas before moving back. We have these issues, too, even if sometimes we dont like to talk about them.

The biggest need is not in Milwaukee, said Heather Perkins, a social activist in Milwaukees urban center. And I dont like to admit that because Im always lobbying to try to get funding into the city.

Distress in the Heartland

Wisconsins public health agencies have conducted more statewide ACE surveys than any of the other 50 states, starting in 2009. In the process, Wisconsins researchers have created the most thorough statewide ACE database in the nation.

At the request of the Journal Sentinel, the state Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board aggregated five years of statewide data, from 2011 through 2015, creating a polling sample of 25,518 randomly selected people. The survey data was sorted to rank the share of each county's population that has zero ACE indicators and the share that is at high-risk of four-plus.

What's your ACE score? Start the quiz

What's your ACE score? Start the quiz

None of the 10 highest ACE counties landed in southeastern Wisconsin, where Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha cluster at numbers 11, 12 and 13 respectively. The states ACE researchers caution that ACE surveys dont ask if a person was living in the county before age 18.

At the request of the Journal Sentinel, the researchers broke out scores for the City of Milwaukee, minus its immediate suburbs within the county. The city score: 20% with four-plus (versus a statewide average of 14%) and 30% with none (versus 43%).

Of the states 72 counties, the one with the highest ACE scores is Rock County, which hosts the largest share of its population with four-plus (24%) and the smallest percent with zero (31%). While much of Rock County consists of rolling farmland, the factory towns of Beloit and Janesville have hemorrhaged manufacturing jobs, seen incomes plunge and child poverty rates rise. The county is home to a raging heroin and opioid epidemic.

None of the next nine counties on the list have such urban pockets. Lincoln County, at No. 2, has a languid economy in a region that has endured multiple paper mill closures. Jackson County in western Wisconsin, at No. 3, has a large population of working poor who live paycheck to paycheck  and the states fastest growing rate of child poverty from 2000-15. And then theres Marquette, at No. 4.

Measured from 2000-2015, the counties of Marquette, Jackson and Lincoln also are among the top counties for suicide rates, state data show.
When contacted by email, Tesla's media operation declined to answer a list of questions or make any on-the-record statements. But the company did confirm some information about the battery project.

While everyone is calling it a big battery, the 100 MW Tesla storage system  which can provide 129 megawatt-hours of electricity, enough electricity to temporarily power 30,000 homes  actually isn't a single unit.

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Instead, it's composed of hundreds of connected, modular Tesla Powerpacks, built at Tesla's factory in Sparks, Nevada, which stand 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall and weigh 3,575 pounds (1,622 kilograms) each. The Powerpacks contain smaller battery pods, based upon the same technology used in Tesla's Model S electric car, as well as a thermal control system and hundreds of sensors that monitor performance, according to Tesla's website. There's also an integrated inverter, to convert the direct current stored in the batteries to the alternating current that goes into the utility system. Each Powerpack can supply 210 kilowatt hours of electricity.

Tesla's Powerpack system is designed to be flexible and scalable, so that the same units can be used to provide power for a few small businesses or, in larger configurations, serve as a backup system for a public utility, according to the website.

As for the newly installed Tesla system in South Australia, the most important innovation is the sheer scale of the project, according to Tony Wood, a former Clinton Administration energy official who now is director of the energy program at the Grattan Institute, an Australian public policy think-tank.

"We will learn a lot over the coming Australian summer as to what role battery technology can play in the accelerating transition from thermal power plants to wind and solar," Wood writes in an email.

The long-term practical potential for battery storage  whether it can help drive a transition to renewable energy, or whether it mostly will be useful for blackout prevention  still remains to be explored. "I don't think anyone really knows as yet," Wood says who notes that battery storage currently remains more expensive than pumped hydro, which uses reservoirs of water as a storage medium. "Economics of scale and other cost-reducing elements are still unclear. That is one reason why this project and others like it are so important and exciting."

Jason Burwen, policy and advocacy director of the Energy Storage Association, says:

"Tesla's project demonstrates three key things. First, battery storage can be deployed on the grid at large scales in very short timeframes that no other resource can match  and this 'just-in-time' capacity provides enormous flexibility in grid planning. While Tesla did this in record time in Australia, it comes on the heels of similar battery projects in California that took only four to six months from contract approval to in service  so this isn't just a one-off. Second, battery storage is here and ready for grid service today. This is not some 'technology of the future,' but rather a current grid solution whose costs are declining rapidly and whose performance is increasing steadily. Third, battery storage is something that everyone gets excited by, regardless of political affiliation. There are few things that unite folks in energy, but it seems clear to me that storage does."

Now That's Interesting Tesla may not hold the battery record for too long. Australia's Lyon Group is developing a massive solar-energy storage facility in South Australia, which will have a capacity of 100 MW/400 MWh, according to the company's website.
British Prime Minister Theresa May landed in Riyadh Wednesday for talks with the Saudi king and crown prince, with Yemen's brewing humanitarian crisis and the kingdom's sweeping reforms topping her agenda. May flew in to the Saudi capital on the second leg of her Middle East tour, following a surprise visit to Baghdad where she met her Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi and hailed recent military gains against the Islamic State group. The official Saudi Press Agency confirmed her arrival in Riyadh, where the British leader promised to raise concerns over the Yemen crisis during meetings with King Salman and the powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi Arabia is Britain's largest trading partner in the Middle East, and London has signed off on more than 3.3 billion ($4.4 billion/3.7 billion euros) worth of arms sales to Riyadh since March 2015. During that time a Saudi-led coalition has embarked on a bombing campaign in Yemen that has been condemned for contributing to a humanitarian disaster. The war has killed some 8,600 people, while a further 2,000 have died of cholera. May insisted that she would send a clear message to the Saudi leadership. "I'm very concerned about the humanitarian crisis that has developed in Yemen, particularly most recently," May said in comments from Iraq to the BBC. "That's why the strong message I will be giving to Saudi Arabia tonight is that we want to see Hodeida port opened for humanitarian and commercial access. "That's important. I think the international community is concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen." - Yemen blockade - Earlier this month, the coalition battling Shiite Huthi rebels a blockade on Yemen's ports and airports in response to a missile fired by the Iran-backed rebels that was intercepted near Riyadh airport. It eased the blockade allowing a UN plane carrying vaccines to land Saturday in rebel-held Sanaa and on Sunday a vessel carrying wheat docked at Saleef Red Sea port, also in the Huthis' hands. But little aid has entered through the Red Sea port of Hodeida, the main conduit for UN-supervised deliveries of food and medicine. Separately, during talks in Riyadh, May is expected to express Britain's support for Prince Mohammed's ambitious reform drive, which include a historic decision allowing women to drive from next June. May left London late Tuesday for a three-day visit to the Middle East in a bid to bolster regional ties. May's visit to Iraq came as government forces backed by an international coalition have ousted IS from swathes of the country it controlled since 2014 -- and focus in the West now centres on preventing returning jihadists carrying out attacks. Britain, which took part in the US-led Iraq invasion of 2003 which toppled the regime of dictator Saddam Hussein, has played a key role in the coalition battling IS. The British leader will be in Jordan on Thursday on the final leg of her tour for meetings with King Abdullah II and Prime Minister Hani Mulki. burs-ac/dv
AFP News

Kenya's former president Uhuru Kenyatta arrived Tuesday in eastern DR Congo's main city of Goma, as fresh clashes with M23 rebels occurred just to the north, sending thousands fleeing. Troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were battling M23 fighters in Kibumba, 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Goma, security officials and local residents said. The M23 has recently seized swathes of territory in North Kivu province, displacing tens of thousands of people in their advance. Kibumba is considered one of the last obstacles to the rebels before Goma, a commercial hub of one million people on the Rwandan border. On Tuesday afternoon, rumours that the M23 was approaching sent a fresh wave of people fleeing to the Kanyaruchinya displacement camp, south of Kibumba. About 40,000 people are currently in the camp, according to its head. A security official who asked for anonymity said that people began to flee after seeing soldiers themselves retreating towards Goma after clashes with M23 rebels. North Kivu's military governor, General Constant Ndima, urged people to remain calm late Tuesday. "I want to reassure you... Loyalist forces are containing the enemy on the heights of Kibumba," he told reporters. The crisis has cratered relations between the DRC and its smaller central African neighbour Rwanda, which Kinshasa accuses of backing the militia. Uhuru Kenyatta, a mediator for the seven-nation East African Community (EAC), arrived in Goma on Tuesday and visited Kanyaruchinya. He told reporters late Tuesday that the stories he had heard were "heart-breaking". "I cannot ignore what I have seen," Kenyatta said. "I must say to all parties: You cannot negotiate in the face of human catastrophe". - 'De-escalation' - Kenyatta's visit to the DRC is the latest in a round of diplomatic bids to defuse the crisis in the impoverished country's volatile east. The former president landed in the Congolese capital Kinshasa on Sunday for talks, following on the heels of a visit from Angolan President Joao Lourenco. The EAC has also called for a "peace dialogue" in Kenya's capital Nairobi on November 21. In addition, the bloc has agreed to send a peacekeeping mission to eastern DRC. Kenyan troops arrived in Goma over the weekend, as part of that operation. On Monday, Kenyatta urged armed groups to put down their arms and return to the negotiating table. "There is nothing that can be gained through the barrel of a gun," he had told reporters. On Tuesday, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had discussed the situation with Rwanda's Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta, on the margins of the G20 meeting in Indonesia. "I underscored the United States deep concern about the continuing violence in eastern DRC, and called on Rwanda to take active steps to facilitate de-escalation," he said in a tweet. - Rebel return - Biruta, for his part, tweeted that Rwanda is committed to regional diplomatic mechanisms to bring peace to eastern DRC, as well as to finding a political solution to the crisis. Over 120 armed groups roam the region, many of which are a legacy of regional wars which flared at the turn of the century. The M23 -- a mostly Congolese Tutsi group -- first leapt to prominence in 2012 when it briefly captured Goma before being driven out. But the rebel group returned in late 2021 after years of dormancy, claiming the DRC had failed to honour a promise to integrate its fighters into the army, among other grievances. It captured the strategic town of Bunagana on the Ugandan border in June. In recent weeks, the rebels have also won a string of victories against the Congolese army, edging closer towards Goma. The DRC expelled Rwanda's ambassador in late October amid the renewed M23 offensive. Despite official denials from Kigali, an unpublished report for the UN seen by AFP in August pointed to Rwandan involvement with the M23. Rwanda accuses the Congolese government of colluding with Hutu militants who fled across the border after the 1994 Rwandan genocide. hbm-at/eml/kjm
Iceland on Thursday formed a "highly unusual" left-right coalition a month after a general election, in a bid to stabilise politics in the nation which has seen rising distrust of a scandal-ridden elite. Leader of the Left-Green Movement Katrin Jakobsdottir, 41, became Iceland's second woman prime minister as her party reached an agreement with the conservative Independence Party and the centre-right Progressive Party. "It's a very interesting moment actually in Icelandic political history because these three parties are very different," Jakobsdottir told AFP, adding it is "highly unusual" for them to cooperate. After a competitive election campaign, Jakobsdottir will now partner with former prime minister and Independence Party leader Bjarni Benediktsson, 47, who was her main rival in the October 28 snap vote. Mentioned in the Panama Papers, which exposed offshore tax havens, and accused of selling almost all his assets before the 2008 economic collapse, Benediktsson has faced heavy criticism by the opposition and in the media. In September Benediktsson was forced to call the election when a coalition partner quit the previous government after nine months over a legal scandal involving his father. Growing public distrust of the elite in recent years has spawned several anti-establishment parties, splintering the political landscape and making it increasingly difficult to form a stable government. Since the 2008 financial crisis devastated its economy, Iceland has made a spectacular recovery with robust growth of 7.2 percent in 2016 and unemployment at an enviable 2.5 percent. "What is strange about the Icelandic situation today is that, economically speaking, we are doing tremendously," Benediktsson told AFP. "Politically speaking, not so well," he added. Jakobsdottir has promised to make sure Iceland's economic prosperity, triggered by booming tourism, leads to a boost in public spending on health and education. Under the Icelandic system, the president, who holds a largely ceremonial role, usually tasks the leader of the biggest party with putting a government together. But Gudni Johannesson gave Jakobsdottir, whose image as a humble and honest politician has earned her popularity, the mandate to form a government earlier this month even though her party came second after the Independence Party.
The Wisco at 852 Williamson St. may soon have a sibling. Tiny's Tap House, tentatively set to open in June 2018, would be located past the volleyball courts at 308 S. Paterson St.
The plight of Rohingya refugees is the backdrop to Pope Francis' landmark visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh this week. But in the vast refugee camps on the border, there is puzzlement, with many asking: "Who is he?" The head of the Catholic church has repeatedly spoken out in support of the Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority who have fled to Bangladesh in their hundreds of thousands, bringing with them allegations of murders, rapes and arson committed by the Myanmar military. This week he met Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi and army chief Min Aung Hlaing, who is accused of overseeing brutal campaign to drive out the group that the UN and US have labelled "ethnic cleansing". With his message of hope and tolerance, supporters hope the pope's presence can tamp down the religious and ethnic hatreds that have roiled the region. Yet in the teeming Bangladeshi camps near the border with Myanmar, mention of the pontiff drew blank faces and raised eyebrows. Shown a photo, refugees shrugged and guessed him to be anyone from a wealthy king or a celebrity from the US to a Bangladeshi politician. Some mistook his zucchetto for an Islamic skullcap and said he could be a Muslim leader. "I think I've seen him in the news but what does he do? Is he important?" asked 42-year-old Nurul Qadar. Pope Francis, who arrives in Bangladesh on Thursday from mainly Buddhist Myanmar, is the first pontiff in 31 years to visit Bangladesh and has called the Rohingya his "brothers and sisters". He is not due to visit the camps but will meet a small group of Rohingya refugees during an interfaith meeting in Dhaka on Friday. More than 620,000 Rohingya have poured into the poor, overpopulated country since the start of a violent crackdown by the army in August. They are denied almost all basic human rights in Myanmar including the right to practise their religion, travel and marry freely. - 'A very wise man' - On learning of the pope's role in the world, refugees AFP spoke to said they hoped Francis would be able to broker a deal with Myanmar that would pave the way for a safe return to their homeland. Maybe the government in Myanmar "might actually listen to him." mused 40-year-old Mujibur Rahman. Hassan Arraf, a Rohingya imam at Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, and the only one out of dozens who knew of the pope, said the Argentinian pontiff with his man-of-the-people reputation had the power to change their lives. "The way they tortured us, no religion allows it. He is a big leader of another religion but I believe he's a very wise man," he told AFP. "I think he will be able to understand what we went through. And he can ask the Myanmar government to resolve this matter and make the place peaceful." Caritas, the Catholic Church's humanitarian arm which is helping to feed 40,000 families in the camps, said it hoped the pope's visit would at least help lift the spirits of the community. "He is coming... as a symbol of reconciliation. We are hoping his visit will bear a very positive impact and create a very good solution between the two countries," James Gomes, regional director of Caritas, told AFP. When given information about this unfamiliar robed figure, many refugees said the pope should go to the squalid, overcrowded camps in southern Bangladesh to witness their suffering. "If his visit is about us, then he should come here to meet us and talk to us. He should see how we are living, how we barely survived," said Hami Tusang as he queued for food. Another man behind him, Azim Ullah, said he wanted to "complain to the pope of the relentless torture we face in Rakhine". "Being such a big leader, he must be seeing what we have been through. Every bad thing you can think of has happened to us," he said, making a cutting motion across his throat. "He needs to be our bridge. He needs to demand our rights, our citizenship. Otherwise there is no point of such visits."
Pope Francis on Thursday arrived in Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya refugees have sought sanctuary after fleeing a crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar, in the second stage of a tour dominated by the plight of the persecuted minority. Francis -- the first pope to visit Bangladesh in 31 years -- will spend three days in the mainly-Muslim country, which is grappling with a rise in Islamist extremism that has seen Catholics attacked for their faith. He flew to Dhaka from Myanmar, where he walked a diplomatic tightrope, staying away from allegations that the army is waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims, despite pressure to publicly confront the incendiary issue. He also refrained from using the word "Rohingya" during his four-day trip in which he held two masses and private meetings with civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and powerful army chief Min Aung Hlaing. In Dhaka he will meet some of the refugees from the Rohingya community, whom he has described as his "brothers and sisters", and lead a mass for Bangladesh's tiny Catholic minority. Nearly one million refugees from the Muslim minority now languish in camps on the border and the Daily Star, a Bangladeshi newspaper, said in an editorial Thursday it hoped he could change their fate. "Thanks to the large body of evidence documenting severe rights abuses of the Rohingya minority of Myanmar, the extent of the atrocities carried out by Myanmar's security forces is known to all," it said. "We remain hopeful that given Pope Francis' legacy of standing up for the oppressed, he will speak out against the ongoing persecution of the Rohingya during this very important visit." - 'Moral authority' - Myanmar's government denies the Rohingya are an ethnic group, insisting they are "Bengali" migrants who are not entitled to full citizenship. The Vatican has rejected suggestions that the pope's reticence to tackle the Rohingya crisis head-on represented a failure of moral leadership. A spokesman said the pope's presence alone drew attention to Myanmar's myriad troubles and his "moral authority" remained undimmed. "He's not afraid of minefields," Vatican spokesman Greg Burke told a press conference, hinting the pope's private discussions may have been more strident. Francis had been urged not to use the Rohingyas' name in Myanmar to avoid provoking hardline Buddhists and making the country's Catholic community a target. "He seemed to comprehend the dilemma he faced," David Mathieson, a Yangon-based analyst, told AFP, applauding his diplomatic dexterity in a country where the army retains great power. "He is the Pope, not a pugilist... he was here to help the country work through this horrific humanitarian crisis and listen to both the civilian and military leadership." The pontiff was warmly embraced by Myanmar's Catholics, who make up just over one percent of the population. On Friday he will lead a mass in central Dhaka that is expected to be attended by around 100,000 people. Bangladesh's Catholic community accounts for less than 0.5 percent of the population of 160 million and have for centuries lived in relative harmony with their Muslim neighbours. But there has been a rise in Islamist attacks in recent years targeting religious minorities, foreigners and secular figures. The papal visit comes days after the disappearance of a Catholic priest in the same village where suspected Islamist extremists hacked a Catholic grocer to death last year. Walter William Rosario, 40, had been making arrangements for some 300 Catholics to travel to Dhaka for the pope's mass. Since 2015 at least three Christians, including two converts from Islam, have been hacked to death in attacks blamed on the militant Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Tens of thousands of Catholics have travelled to the capital hoping to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis, who is to travel to the park for Friday's mass on a traditional cycle rickshaw. The 80-year-old Argentine pontiff has established a reputation for his down-to-earth manner, vowing to stamp out extravagance among the clergy and bring the Catholic Church closer to the poor. He was greeted at Dhaka airport by two Bangladeshi children who presented him with a large bouquet of flowers and by the Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid.
A plume of smoke above Mount Agung volcano is illuminated at sunset as seen from Amed, Karangasem Regency, Bali, Indonesia, November 30, 2017. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside (Reuters)

By Alister Doyle Environment Correspondent

OSLO (Reuters) - Climate scientists are tracking an erupting volcano on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali for clues about a possible short-cut to curb global warming by injecting sun-dimming chemicals high above the Earth.

Volcanoes are emerging as natural laboratories to mimic "geo-engineering", the idea that governments could deliberately add a veil of sulphur dioxide high above the planet as an artificial sunshade to curb man-made global warming.

Ash and smoke ejected so far by the Agung volcano, which has been erupting in recent days, has not been big enough or high enough in the atmosphere to cool world temperatures. But scientists say they are studying what would happen if the volcano has a repeat of a far bigger eruption in 1963.

"I've been doing some Bali simulations with the U.K. Met office climate model as 'what ifs', and also some geo-engineering simulations," said Jim Haywood, professor of atmospheric science at the University of Exeter.

He estimated that Agung spewed eight million tonnes of sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere in 1963, about 10-15 kms above the Earth's surface, enough to trim world temperatures for months. That eruption killed more than 1,000 people in Bali.

"Many scientists are keeping an eye on the Agung eruption in Bali," said Alan Robock, a professor of climate science at Rutgers University. "Volcanic eruptions serve as an analogue for the idea of humans creating such a cloud."

Satellite measurements of eruptions have only recently become precise enough to exploit volcanoes as models for geo-engineering.

That was impossible, for instance, when Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted in 1991 and blew about 20 million tonnes of sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere, the second biggest eruption of the 20th century after one in Alaska in 1912.

Mount Pinatubo had a cooling effect on the Earth because the sun-dimming sulphur spread worldwide.

Story continues

"Since Pinatubo we've got a lot better" at measuring the effects of big eruptions, said Matthew Watson of the University of Bristol. "We're waiting for something to happen on a scale where we can start thinking about what it means for geo-engineering."

He estimated that the Agung volcano has probably ejected only about 10,000 tonnes of sulphur dioxide in the latest eruption, and not as high as the stratosphere.

Governments agree they should focus most on cutting greenhouse gas emissions under the 2015 Paris agreement rather than on science-fiction-like short-cuts to limit temperatures blamed for causing more heatwaves, floods and rising sea levels.

But current policies put the world on track to overshoot the Paris goal of limiting rising temperatures to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who doubts man-made emissions are the prime cause of warming, also plans to pull out of the Paris deal and promote the U.S. fossil fuel industry. That risks further weakening the Paris plan.

(Reporting by Alister Doyle; Editing by Peter Graff)
The 2017 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. (Photo: AP)

Singapore-born filmmaker Sandi Tan will be heading to Utah, USA, in January 2018 for the world premiere of her long overdue documentary Shirkers at the Sundance Film Festival.

The documentary is an indie road movie produced by and starring the then 18-year-old Tan in Singapore in 1992. However, sometime after the filming was complete, the footage vanished along with American cinematographer Georges Cardona, who was in town to teach a film class, according to a 2002 interview with the now-defunct magazine BigO.

Tan, who is currently living in California, had described the film as one about teen angst and murder, featuring locations such as Sembawang and Bukit Timah. It was shot over 60 days, the interview said, adding that Tan had left Singapore in 2001 with husband John Powers from the newspaper LA Weekly.

Shirkers will compete with 11 other entries in the World Cinema Documentary Competition as part of the festival. Other entries include Of Fathers and Sons, which is about Osama bin Laden and his brother Ayman, and The Oslo Diaries, which centres around an illegal meeting between Palestinians and Israelis in 1992.

Previously, Tan also produced a short film entitled Gourmet Baby in 2001, which featured local actor Lim Kay Tong and actress Carla Dunareanu. As an author, she published the novel The Black Isle in 2012.

Heres a look back at Gourmet Baby:

Related stories:

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A day after North Koreas latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, President Trump condemned its leader as a sick puppy, and his administration demanded all countries, including China, sever economic and diplomatic ties with the secretive regime in Pyongyang.

Little Rocket Man  he is a sick puppy, Trump said on Wednesday in the middle of a speech focused on the Republican tax-cut plan in Congress. The president had just described the GOP proposal as energizing the U.S. economy with rocket fuel, which apparently made him think of his Elton John-inspired moniker for Kim.

At an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting called in response to Tuesdays missile test, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley warned that North Koreas actions had brought the world closer to war.

And if war comes, make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed, said Haley, who pressed all nations to cut off all ties with North Korea in addition to implementing existing sanctions on the regime.

All countries should sever diplomatic relations with North Korea and limit military, scientific, technical or commercial cooperation, Haley told the council. They must also cut off trade with the regime by stopping all imports and exports, and expel all North Korean workers.

She also said that Trump had pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping during a telephone call earlier in the day to cut off oil supplies to North Korea.

China can do this on its own, or we can take the oil situation into our own hands, she said, without elaborating.

The Trump administration has notched several recent successes in its campaign to further isolate North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, notably a pair of 15-0 U.N. Security Council votes to tighten sanctions. Countries like Singapore and Sudan have promised to cut some economic ties. Even China, North Koreas de facto patron and its largest export market, has reportedly curbed trade with the secretive Stalinist regime.

Story continues

President Trump speaks in St. Louis. (Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Washington has been studying what new sanctions it could impose, either unilaterally or cooperatively through a forum like the United Nations. At the same time, senior U.S. officials have refused to rule out using force.

Its unclear what value, if any, Trumps repeated insults have to his administrations efforts to roll back North Koreas ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs. Kims regime in Pyongyang has repeatedly insulted him as well. A senior official on Wednesday called Trump an old lunatic and declared that the United States should bear in mind that no force on Earth can check the advance of the DPRK, as that country is known, according to the state-run news agency KCNA.

The schoolyard taunts came a day after North Korea defied escalating international pressure and tested an ICBM that, according to independent experts, could conceivably have reached Washington D.C. In response, Trump promised that the United States will handle Pyongyang and vowed to continue his efforts to isolate North Korea diplomatically and increase economic pressure on Kims regime.

Defense Secretary James Mattis, sitting near the president, said that the ICBM fired Tuesday went higher, frankly, than any previous shot theyve taken and told reporters that the launch showed that North Korea was determined to build missiles that could threaten everywhere in the world, basically.

It was unclear what prompted North Koreas launch, which came a week after Trump announced that his administration was putting the regime in Pyongyang back on its list of state sponsors of terrorism. At the time, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had noted the 60-day span since Kim had carried out a provocative act, adding: Were hopeful that he continues this quiet period. Thats our objective, is that he continue to be quiet.

A news broadcast screened at Pyongyang Station shows Kim Jong Uns signed order to test-fire the newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile. (Photo: Jon Chol Jin/AP)

Top Trump aides have been saying since he took office in January that time is running out to find a diplomatic solution, suggesting that the White House believes that North Korea  unlike the Soviet Union or China  cannot be deterred and must instead be disarmed.

In July, North Korea fired two ICBMs potentially capable of reaching U.S. soil. In early August, news outlets reported that American intelligence confirmed a finding by Japans defense ministry that North Korea had likely developed warheads small enough to fit on its missiles.

But there are still many questions about Pyongyangs capabilities  how reliable are its guidance systems? Has it devised reentry systems to ensure that its warheads would not burn up in the atmosphere?

Read more from Yahoo News:
Beatrice Fihn, Executive Director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) attends a news conference after ICAN won the Nobel Peace Prize 2017, in Geneva, Switzerland October 6, 2017. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse (Reuters)

By Alister Doyle

OSLO (Reuters) - The anti-nuclear group which won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize accused the United States, Britain and France on Wednesday of snubbing its disarmament work by planning to send only second-rank diplomats to the award ceremony next month.

"It's some kind of protest against the Nobel Peace Prize," Beatrice Fihn, director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), told Reuters of a plan by the three nations to send only deputy chiefs of mission.

"They like their nuclear weapons very much and don't like it when we try to ban them," she said, accusing the three of wrongly opposing ICAN's work "when North Korea and the United States are exchanging threats to use nuclear weapons".

The annual December 10 Nobel prize ceremony in Oslo, attended by King Harald and Queen Sonja, is the highlight of the diplomatic calendar in Norway. The prize comprises a diploma, a gold medal and a cheque for $1.1 million.

Olav Njoelstad, director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, confirmed the three nations would send only deputies. He said the awards committee always preferred to see chiefs of mission.

"That being said, we are neither surprised nor offended by the fact that sometime foreign governments prefer to stay away from the ceremony in protest or, as in this case, because they prefer to be represented by their deputy chiefs of mission," he told Reuters.

"The Nobel Peace Prize is, after all, a political prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee takes notice of the joint decision of the British, French and U.S. embassies," he said.

The British embassy confirmed it was sending a deputy ambassador and said in a statement "the UK is committed to the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons.

"We share this goal with our partners across the international community including U.S. and France."

The U.S. and French embassies were not immediately available for comment. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump nominated Kenneth Braithwaite to the post of ambassador in Oslo, currently held by an acting ambassador.

Story continues

ICAN, a coalition of grassroots non-government organisations in more than 100 nations, campaigned successfully for a U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was adopted by 122 nations in July this year.

But the agreement is not signed by - and would not apply to - any of the states that already have nuclear arms, which include the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France, as well as India, Pakistan and North Korea.

Israel neither confirms nor denies the widespread assumption that it controls the Middle Easts only nuclear arsenal.

It was not clear whether other nuclear powers would send Oslo ambassadors to the Nobel ceremony.

The absence of ambassadors from the United States, Britain and France "is disappointing but at the same time we are focused on getting a majority of states in the world to join this treaty," Fihn said.

She said the three nuclear states were exerting pressure on other nations "not to engage in this treaty".

($1 = 8.3644 Swedish crowns)

(Reporting By Alister Doyle; editng by Ralph Boulton)
Clashes erupted on Thursday for a second successive night between Huthi rebels and loyalists of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in the capital Sanaa, witnesses and security sources said. Security sources close to Saleh said armed supporters of the Huthis had surrounded the residences of local officials in the rebel government who are linked to the former president. Saleh loyalists were also seen taking up positions in the streets of the rebel-controlled city, witnesses and a security source there said. Saleh and the Huthis forged an unlikely alliance in 2014, ending decades of animosity to join ranks in fighting against Yemen's internationally recognised government. The infighting now threatens to unravel the fragile alliance, which has been battling the Saudi-backed government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in Yemen's devastating war. Thursday's violence comes 24 hours after clashes at the Saleh mosque in Sanaa late Wednesday killed nine Huthi rebels and five Saleh supporters, according to multiple medical sources at hospitals in the capital. One source at the Jumhuriya hospital on Thursday said the death toll had risen to as many as 18 rebels and six Saleh loyalists. The numbers could not be confirmed by other hospitals in the area. The latest clashes erupted hours after tens of thousands of Yemenis packed Sanaa's Sabaeen Square to mark the Prophet Mohammed's birthday, heeding a call from rebel chief Abdul Malik al-Huthi. But the rally was brief and people quickly returned home amid fears of new violence, as armed supporters of both sides deployed in the streets. A source in Saleh's forces said Huthi fighters were positioned around the residences of two of the ex-president's nephews. - Missile attack on Saudi Arabia - Also on Thursday, the Huthis, who are backed by Iran, said they fired a ballistic missile at Saudi Arabia and hit a military target, in the second such attack this month, after threatening to retaliate over a crippling blockade "We confirm the success of our ballistic missile trial, which hit its military target inside Saudi Arabia," the Huthi-run Al-Masira television channel said. A spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "Should the blockade continue, we know what (targets) would cause great pain and how to reach them," the rebel leader said earlier in a televised speech. Saleh and the Iran-backed Huthis, also known as Ansarullah, have accused each other of inciting Wednesday's unrest. "The General People's Congress and its allies hold Ansarullah fully responsible for every drop of blood shed among the Yemenis... and warn against all acts that, rather than serve national unity, threaten our internal unity and cohesion," said the GPC. The rebels' interior ministry blamed Saleh's forces for Wednesday's clashes. It said its security forces had been banned from entering the Saleh mosque by armed guards "not affiliated with the ministry", referring to Saleh's forces. "We were surprised when these armed forces inside the mosque opened fire on police without warning, which forced police to fire back," it said. The rift between Saleh and the Huthis goes back months, with the former president slamming the Huthis as "militias" and the rebels threatening Saleh loyalists after armed violence left two dead in Sanaa in August. The Huthis have also accused the former president of accepting funds from the Hadi government. Yemen's conflict has claimed more than 8,600 lives since 2015, when Saudi Arabia and its military allies joined Hadi's government in the fight against the rebels. The United Nations has warned Yemen faces mass famine unless the Saudi-led coalition allows more food aid to enter the impoverished country. Saleh ruled Yemen from its unification in 1990 until he resigned under pressure in 2012, ceding power to his then vice-president Hadi. He fought six wars against the Huthis when he was president, but joined forces with them to take over the capital in 2014. strs-ny/hkb/dv
A wooden boat carrying men identified as North Koreans by coast guards drifts off Matsumae town, on Japanese northern island of Hokkaido, in this photo taken by Kyodo November 29, 2017. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's coast guard on Thursday boarded a North Korean fishing boat near a Japanese island where the crew said they had taken shelter from rough seas, the latest in a series of North Korean vessels in distress drifting into Japanese waters.

The wooden boat was towed nearer the northern island of Hokkaido for inspection, a coast guard spokesman said. Authorities had yet to decide what to do with the vessel and the ten fishermen on board.

"At this point, it is still too early to say what we will do," he said.

Experts say food shortages may be driving fishermen to risk taking their small boats to more dangerous waters closer to Japan. The encounters have attracted greater attention amid tension in the region over North Korea's weapons programmes and its latest missile test on Wednesday.

There has been no suggestion that the fishermen may be defectors from the impoverished, tightly controlled country which has fired two missiles over Japan in recent tests and regularly threatens to destroy the United States.

On Monday, eight bodies believed to be of North Koreans, which had been partly reduced to skeletons, were found in a small wooden ship washed up on a beach on Japan's northwest coast. Two other bodies were found at the weekend on the western shore of the Sea of Japan island of Sado, with life jackets displaying Korean lettering.

Last week, police in northern Japan found eight North Korean men who said they landed after claiming their vessel had lost power and run into trouble.

On Thursday, the coast guard issued an advisory to shipping about a half-sunken wooden boat floating in waters close to Sado.

(Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Nick Macfie)
There once was a polar bear  science vs the blogosphere

Posted on 30 November 2017 by Bart Verheggen

This is a re-post from My View on Climate Change

Blogs on which man-made climate change and its impacts are downplayed are far removed from the scientific literature. That is the conclusion of a new article in Bioscience in which a variety of blogs was compared with the scientific literature regarding the shrinking Arctic sea ice and the impact on polar bears.

Although there is strong agreement within the scientific community about anthropogenic causation of recent climate change, a large segment of the general public has doubts about these conclusions. This is sometimes referred to as the consensus gap. Blogs and other social media play an important role in spreading misinformation, which fuels the distrust in science.

Jeff Harvey, a Canadian ecologist working at the Netherlands Institute for Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) and the Free University of Amsterdam (VU), set out to investigate how the information on blogs relates to the scientific literature. The focus was on conclusions about Arctic sea ice and polar bears. The results have been published in the article Internet Blogs, Polar Bears, and Climate-Change Denial by Proxy in the journal Bioscience. Disclaimer: Im a co-author of said article.

So what did we find? There is a clear separation amongst blogs, where approximately half of the 90 blogs investigated agree with the majority of the scientific literature, whereas other blogs took a position that is diametrically opposed to the scientific conclusions. Most of the blogs in the latter group based their opinions on one and the same source: Susan Crockford.

Arctic Sea ice

Arctic sea ice has shrunk dramatically in the past few decades, both in surface area and in thickness. This trend is expected to continue with ongoing global warming as a result of greenhouse gas emissions. Of course the decrease in sea ice doesnt happen monotonically, but rather with ups and downs as a result of natural variability. When it happens to fit their perspective, such short term fluctuations are framed as a recovery on certain blogs, or the decrease in Arctic sea ice is downplayed in other ways.

Polar bears

Polar bears depend on sea ice for catching their main prey, seals. So their habitat literally melts away as temperatures rise. Over time, polar bears have become iconic symbols of the negative effects of global warming. The population has been relatively stable so far, but you cant just extrapolate that to the future. Biological impacts are often non-linear, and their dependence on sea ice means that in the future polar bears will likely face difficulties from continuing warming trend. Indeed, they have been classified as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act.

But what about the previous interglacial?

The polar bear species has survived the previous interglacial ~125,000 years ago. Some deduce from that that the polar bear will be fine. However, if CO2 emissions arent drastically reduced temperatures will get a lot warmer over the coming centuries and even millennia than during the previous interglacial. Moreover, during the previous interglacial summers were probably not completely ice-free, as is expected to happen later this century as a consequence of continuing warming (which of course depends on how global emissions evolve). The current warming trend is many times faster than back then, making potential adaptation to new conditions more difficult. Besides shrinking sea ice there are currently also other factors that negatively affect polar bears, such as human settlements, industrial activities, hunting, bio-accumulation of toxins, and smaller seal populations.

Blogs

A future with business as usual emissions doesnt look bright for the polar bear. Blogs appear to fall into two camps in how they write about this topic. On pseudo-skeptical blogs scientific uncertainty is twisted into ignorance, or the current situation is extrapolated into the future without taking into account the available knowledge of polar bear ecology. They usually dont base themselves on the scientific literature, but rather on the statements of one person. These rather unfounded opinions are consequently recycled via the blogosphere, which in this respect acts as an echo-chamber. Susan Crockford writes a lot about polar bears, but does so mostly on her own website and for anti-mitigation thinktanks such as the Heartland Institute and the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF); not in the scientific literature.

The gap between scientific conclusions and pseudo-skeptical blogs will not be a great surprise to those who closely follow both the scientific and the public debate about climate change. After all, this tendency is more generally visible than only on the topic of Arctic sea ice and polar bears. This is however the first time that this has been demonstrated on the basis of a systematic comparison between the scientific literature and blogs. To close the consensus gap the authors call on their fellow scientists to actively participate in the public debate.
The Slovak Spectator brings you the set of the most frequently asked questions with regard to health care treatment.

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This set of most frequently asked questions regarding Health care is regularly updated. Last update: September 29, 2017

Do you have more questions about residence in Slovakia? Please let us know at spectator@spectator.sk.

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HEALTH INSURANCE:

Q: I am working and living in Slovakia. Do I have to pay health insurance here or in my home country?

Q: I am an international student. How is my health care covered?

Q: What should I do when I want to change my health insurer?

GOING TO THE DOCTOR:

Q: Do I have to be registered with one concrete general practitioner?

Q: How do I find an English-speaking general practitioner or dentist?

Q: What should I do when I want to change my doctor?

Q: Is health care for free? Are there any fees when I go to the doctor?

Q: What medical check-ups am I entitled to from my health insurance?

Q: What happens if I fail to get my annual check-up with the dentist?

Q: I want to visit a specialist. What do I need to do?

Q: Where can I report mistreatment or law violations?

CARE FOR CHILDREN:

Q: How do I choose a paediatrician?

Q: How often does a child undergo preventive medical check-ups?

Q: Do I have to vaccinate my child?

Q: When should I take my child to the dentist?

EMERGENCY SITUATIONS:

Q: What is the difference between the phone numbers 112 (emergency calls) and 155 (special number for ambulances)?

Q: Do the phone operators speak English?

Q: When should I call the ambulance?

Q: How long does it take until the ambulance comes?

Q: How much do I pay for the ambulance?

Q: Can I be punished for calling the ambulance even if it is not necessary?

HOSPITAL STAYS:

Q: What should I do when I have a health-related emergency?

Q: Do I need to wait for surgery?

Q: Do I pay for staying in the hospital?

HEALTH INSURANCE

Q: I am working and living in Slovakia. Do I have to pay health insurance here or in my home country?

A: Citizens of countries which are members of the European Union can be insured only in one country. This is either the country where they work, receive a pension or have permanent residency, according to the respective laws.

The law stipulates that nationals of non-EU countries fall only under the Slovak legislation, which means that they need to be insured by one of the three Slovak health insurers: state-run Vseobecna Zdravotna Poistovna (VsZP) or private insurers Dovera or Union zdravotna poistovna. There are, however, some exceptions, for example if foreigners have permanent residency in Slovakia, but work abroad or live abroad for more than six months. Also foreigners who do not have permanent residency in Slovakia can be insured, but only if they:

-have the status of refugee and were granted asylum;

-are international students;

-are minors who are in Slovakia without their legal representatives;

-are foreigners detained in Slovakia;

-are in prison in Slovakia;

-are dependents.

Foreigners are obliged to bring their application to the health insurer within eight days after their arrival. If they are granted Slovak insurance, the insurance in their home country is cancelled. Non-EU citizens need to bring with them also the permission to stay in Slovakia issued by the Foreigners' Police.

Union publishes more information about health insurance in Slovakia in English at its website, where people can find also more information about health care providers or can download the insurance claim form. Also VsZP publishes more detailed information about insurance in English.

Q: I am an international student. How is my health care covered?

A: Students coming from EU member states do not need to change their insurer, if they are not economically active in Slovakia. They do, however, need to have a European Health Insurance Card issued by the insurer in their home country, according to VsZP.

All international students who come to Slovakia need to submit an application to the health insurer to be granted public health insurance within eight days after their arrival if they want to be insured by Dovera. They need to bring a confirmation about receiving the scholarship and copy of permission to stay in Slovakia. In case of foreign Slovaks who study at Slovak schools, the applicants for Dovera need to bring the confirmation of attending the school and a copy of the card confirming their status as foreign Slovaks. In Union, the applicants need to bring the confirmation of attending the school and a document confirming that they study here based on an international agreement signed between Slovakia and their home country.

Q: What should I do when I want to change my health insurer?

A: If a foreigner wants to change their health insurer as of January 1, they need to submit an application to the new insurer until September 30 at the latest.

GOING TO THE DOCTOR

Q: Do I have to be registered with one concrete general practitioner?

A: The law does not order patients to be registered with general practitioners. The problem, however, is that without the general practitioner the patients are entitled only to emergency medical treatment. Foreigners also have to prepare for long waiting lines. It is usually a problem to arrange an appointment at short notice, especially in state hospitals.

Q: How do I find an English-speaking general practitioner or dentist?

A: The VsZP can recommend some doctors, but they do not know much about their language knowledge. The insurer recommends checking the websites of doctors to see whether they do publish the languages they can speak. Dovera has a list of their contractual doctors published on their website (Slovak only), but the insurer also does not have information about their language skills. Also Union publishes the list of its contractual doctors (Slovak only). As for their language skills, it recommends contacting their helpline (+421 (0)850 003 333).

When choosing a doctor, it is necessary to realise that in Slovak hospitals most doctors speak only Slovak, so be prepared for taking someone who speaks Slovak. Another option is to find a doctor at a private medical facility. This is the case of both adult doctors and paediatricians.

Some doctors recommended by foreigners:

Tibor Hrbaty  general practitioner. He is not taking new patients, but one-time visits are possible.

Eva Pichnova Tomasova  general practitioner

Marian Kostelny  general practitioner

Erika Kozakova  general practitioner

Elena Prokopova  paediatrician

Milan Profant  otorhinolaryngologist

Pulmonologists  www.pneumoalergo.sk

Dentists  www.smileclinic.sk, www.alfadent.sk

Some doctors speaking German and English can be found at: www.pressburg.diplo.de

Q: What should I do when I want to change my doctor?

A: For changing the general practitioner and paediatrician, it is necessary to have an agreement with the new doctor. The patients also have to notify the previous doctors in writing that they wish to terminate the agreement (they can deliver the letters in person or by mail). The previous doctor should then send the patients medical records to the new doctor within seven days.

In case of dentists, the patients need confirmation from their previous doctors that they were removed from the register and also information about their last check-up. The previous dentist then sends the records to the new address.

Q: Is health care for free? Are there any fees when I go to the doctor?

A: Most of the medical treatment is covered by public health insurance. The doctors usually publish the list of fees they can claim during the patients visit in the waiting rooms. The patients should not pay for scheduling a medical examination for a specific time as these payments were abolished by the law in 2015.

Q: What medical check-ups am I entitled to from my health insurance?

A: Everybody older than 18 years of age should visit a general practitioner once every two years, while blood donors should undergo a preventive check-up once a year. Both men and women should go for a preventive check-up at the dentist once a year, while pregnant women are entitled to two check-ups a year. Women should also undergo a medical check-up at their gynaecologist once a year.

All three health insurers also offer a service within which they can send their clients a text message or email reminding them of an upcoming medical check-up.

Q: What happens if I fail to get my annual check-up with the dentist?

A: In case of failing to get a preventive check at the dentist, patients are required to pay the full price of treatment the following year.

Q: I want to visit a specialist. What do I need to do?

A: People who want to visit a specialist need to have so-called vymenny listok, a note from their general practitioner. These notes should help the specialists learn more about the current health condition of the patients, as well as what medical treatments they have undergone and what medicaments they take. The general practitioners also provide information about supposed diagnoses and the aim of the specialists examination.

Patients do not need vymenny listok if:

-they go to an examination at a psychiatrist, a dermatologist venereologist, dentist, gynaecologist, and ophthalmologist;

-they undergo further examinations at specialists;

-the patients have a certain disease which requires regular supervision;

-they undergo outpatient treatment.

Q: Where can I report mistreatment or law violations?

A: Patients who are dissatisfied with the medical treatment can turn to the Health Care Surveillance Authority. They need to submit a written application, where they state their name and address, the name of health facility or doctor and their residency, the period in which they received the treatment and also a description of the problem. The applications need to be signed. Some forms can be found directly at the authoritys website.

Patients complaining about fees for health treatment or the office hours should turn to the regional authority or the Health Ministry. Those dissatisfied with the behaviour of the health employees should report to the management of the medical facility, the respective chambers, the regional authorities or the Health Ministry.

CARE FOR CHILDREN

Q: How do I choose a paediatrician?

A: It is recommended to look for a doctor for your children even before they are born. It usually works in a way that children go to the doctor based on the street they live in. Parents can also choose the doctor on their own but they cannot be sure this doctor will accept the child. The childrens doctors then notify the parents about check-ups.

Q: How often does a child undergo preventive medical check-ups?

A: Doctors start caring for babies 48 hours after they leave the maternity hospitals. During the first year they undergo nine check-ups and the 10th after they are 1.5 years old. Children should then visit the paediatrician once every two years until they are 18.

Q: Do I have to vaccinate my child?

A: Vaccination in Slovakia is mandatory. Currently, children have to be vaccinated against 10 diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (or whooping cough), polio, hepatitis B, invasive Haemophilus influenzae infections, invasive pneumococcal diseases, measles, mumps and rubella. Parents who refuse the vaccination of their children can be fined up to 331.

Q: When should I take my child to the dentist?

A: Babies should visit the dentist for the first time after they are 1 year old. Then they should visit the dentists twice a year until they are 18.

EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

Q: What is the difference between the phone numbers 112 (emergency calls) and 155 (special number for ambulances)?

A: The phone number 112 is used to call the rescuers within the integrated rescue system. The call is free of charge and it is possible to call it 24/7, and even from a phone without a SIM card. Its advantage is that it is possible to localise the caller.

Q: Do the phone operators speak English?

A: Every operator should speak at least one foreign language, the Interior Ministry claims.

Q: When should I call the ambulance?

A: As in other countries, the ambulance is called only if the health condition of patients suddenly changes or their lives are in danger.

Q: How long does it take until the ambulance comes?

A: The average time is 11 minutes.

Q: How much do I pay for the ambulance?

A: EU citizens with valid insurance cards do not pay for calling the ambulance. Citizens of countries outside the EU without Slovak health insurance card need to pay 120 for treatment and transport. Moreover, patients who do not have to be urgently taken to the hospital pay 0.07 per kilometre for transport in an ambulance.

Q: Can I be punished for calling the ambulance even if it is not necessary?

A: The phone operators should decide whether it is necessary to send the ambulance to the patient. Some cases end only with consultation or the phone operator recommending the patients to visit the general practitioner. In case the callers deliberately block the phone number, the fine may be as high as 1,659.

HOSPITAL STAYS

Q: What should I do when I have a health-related emergency?

A: Usually, there are emergency rooms in hospitals. The fee for treatment is 1.99. Only the patients who are hospitalised immediately after visiting the emergency room do not have to pay it.

Q: Do I need to wait for surgery?

A: Currently, several medical facilities, including state hospitals, have departments for one-day surgeries (where people are hospitalised for less than 24 hours) for simpler interventions, like orthopaedic, aesthetic and plastic, and urological surgeries. However, people need to wait for some surgeries, especially the planned ones. The longest waiting lists are for replacement of knee and hip joints, cataract surgeries, and various cardiovascular-linked, according to an analysis of the Health Policy Institute. The waiting lists can be found at the websites of the health insurers:

-Vseobecna Zdravotna Poistovna (Slovak only)

-Union zdravotna poistovna (Slovak only)

-Dovera (Slovak only)

Q: Do I pay for staying in the hospital?

A: Hospitalised patients should not pay for their stay in the hospital. If parents (or other legal representatives) want to stay in the hospital with a patient, the fee is 3.32 per day.

This section is sponsored by Union zdravotna poistovna (health insurance company), which offers health insurance for foreigners.

Source: VsZP, Dovera, Union zdravotna poistovna, the Interior Ministry, the rescue service
Researching under the transport infrastructure for future Jaguar Land Rover reveals new archaeological secrets.

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Archaeologists found an interesting discovery when researching the area of the transport infrastructure for Jaguar Land Rover and accompanying industrial park in Nitra. They found a human skeleton from the Bronze Age that was probably a shaman. He was not buried in a standard grave but placed in hole serving a food storage.

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When the hole was not used anymore, people backfilled it with soil and this person was placed or thrown inside later. We dont know whether he was thrown in or placed in, because the human was lying on his stomach, said Klaudia Danova, a scientific secretary from the Archaeological Institute in Nitra, as cited by the SITA newswire.

Bronze decorations were placed near his ears. They were connected by little ear bones, added Danova for SITA. Archaeologists suggest that those are poultry bone but an analysis will be done to make sure.

The decorations are unusual, we dont have anything analogous to them yet, stressed Danova as quoted by SITA, adding that the placement of the body on his stomach is also unusual.

Scientists hypothesize that the body came from the older Bronze Age, however, a specific time frame will be given after radiocarbon analysis of the bones. Anthropological analysis will also determine gender, reveal diseases and maybe the cause of death.

A necklace made of bones was the sign of a shaman, said the head of the Archaeological Institute in Nitra Matej Ruttkay, as quoted by SITA. He added that shamans used to be very important persons in past times.

They solved problems when the weather was dry, when someone was ill. The question is, if they were really solving problems or the society just believed it, said Ruttkay, as cited by SITA.

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Archaeologists researched more than 20 kilometres of future roads. They focused on four places where they found evidences of settlement from prehistoric times to middle ages. Six graves of children and one adult from the late Stone Age was also interesting. Archaeologists found also the foundations of houses from this era.

Archaeologists discovered at each of the researched areas findings from the early Middle Ages, mainly from the Great Moravia era. They found typical Slavic houses  dugout shelters with a stone oven in the corner.

These are proofs of the large area of Nitras agglomeration in the early Middle Ages, according to Ruttkay. The dense net of settlements was bigger than todays town, which puts Nitra as the most significant Central-European centre of that age.

The research should be done during November. The findings, however, have not affected construction plans.
The British air force, Australian government as well as US air force all use Slovak meteorological software. Bratislava-based design developers claim, nevertheless, that meteorology is in crisis.

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When clouds start gathering over Trencin, twenty thousand visitors of the summer music festival Pohoda speed up their walking. Never mind the early warnings from an approaching storm on several mobile phones. The show must go on. Maybe it will not come here, they hope. It is crucial to have fun.

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Sometimes it is not so funny, though. Especially if an accurate weather forecast can save much more than a few soaked T-shirts. But this does not always succeed.

Hello, is this meteorology?" "Yes, how can we help you? "Listen, Ive been bringing your 'partly cloudy' out of my cellar in buckets for three days already! head of the Slovak company IBL, Michal Weis, jokes when recalling one phone call that symbolically poured cold water over him. He usually receive a much different reaction.

They save lives and property

Their meteorological software is used all over the world: by the Royal Air Force and Navy, the Australian government, as well as the US Air Force. Moreover, the British meteorology office chose the Slovak company as one of its two strategic partners. One of them is Amazon, the other IBL. Apart from this, commercial airline pilots study the software. Before their flights, forecasts are issued by this Slovak software.

 There is no computer that would even survive this amount of data. There is entire atmospheric volume, plus space weather.  Michal Weis, IBL

In the 20 years of their existence, they have managed to reach every continent, including Antarctica, to Dubai airport, icebreakers and submarines, and they are the main meteorological system for the NATO high command in Europe. But Michal Weis is rejoicing due to a much more ordinary reason.

"Thanks to our software, meteorologists can forecast serious threats caused by extreme weather, and warn relevant authorities  which can save peoples lives and property, he says.

Farmers are interested, for example, in what the weather will be like in the next days, because if they spray the harvest and it rains in the afternoon, not only would their work be futile but they would also drown several thousand euros for spraying.

Hypermarkets same as the weather

Weather is even more important when it comes to producing electric power from renewable resources. Since it cannot be stored, and its surplus could damage the devices, they have either to sell the surplus, or produce less. For example, the brokers at the energy exchange buy gas when they know that there will be a cooling down, or they use more solar panels or wind turbines, when they know a strong sunshine or good wind is expected in the next days.

Big customers for meteorological information include retail chains like Walmart and Tesco  they want to know what to offer. If they announced the start of the new barbecue season but it is still snowing outside, nobody would buy their products for sure. On the contrary, if the weather suddenly cools in autumn, retailers are wise to offer blankets.

"If humanitarian aid is needed in regions struck by floods or a tornado, Walmart is able to react faster than state or non-governmental organisations, says Juraj Puchlo, chief editor of the Instore retail magazine.

Thus, meteorology has become a royal discipline. Suddenly, they are clueless as to where to go next. The amount of information generated is so vast that they are not able to process anymore. The system from IBL could solve this. What makes it exceptional, and what can it do better than others?
Observers say diplomatic performance has had a great impact on the results.

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Though the early November reports of The Financial Times daily suggested that Slovakia may have been one of the frontrunners to host the prestigious European Unions medicines agency, which will leave London following Brexit, the country failed to succeed.

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It did not receive enough votes to even progress to the second round of a secret ballot carried out at a General Affairs Council session in Brussels on November 20, and lost fight over the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to Amsterdam.

Slovakias representatives were disappointed by the results and complained that the fact Slovakia still does not have any EU agency in its territory has not been taken into consideration.

On the contrary, Milan Nic, analyst for the German Council on Foreign Relations, does not see Slovakias result as bad. The country was fighting for an elite agency and usually there are rough diplomatic battles for votes from other countries, he explained.

Small countries rarely have as many triumphs and as much support as stronger ones, Nic told The Slovak Spectator, adding there were many factors against Slovakias bid.

In his opinion, it is not a shame to lose to the Netherlands.

Politicians respond

During the November 20 voting, Milan won the first round with 25 votes, followed by Amsterdam and Copenhagen, which received 20 votes each from EU member states. Bratislava ended fourth with 15 votes. EU ministers eventually decided in the final voting round that the new home of the EMA would be Amsterdam.

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The Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry did not conceal its disappointment over Slovakia not winning as the location for the EMAs headquarters. Slovakias bid, which it submitted along with the Health Ministry, was excellent, according to the ministry.

We are convinced EU citizens from newer member states expect an important sign that even new member states would be given the opportunity to demonstrate their readiness to host such an important agency as the EMA, said Peter Susko, spokesperson of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

Health Minister Tomas Drucker (Smer nominee) was also disappointed by the vote.

I would like to sincerely thank the V4 countries and other member states that supported us, Drucker said, as quoted by the Sme daily. Im disappointed that the best bids did not make it to the second round along with any of the new EU countries.

Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer) particularly criticised how the big EU countries voted.
The iconic Slovak painter Milos Alexander Bazovsky, whose many works revive the rural idylls or stylised portraits of Slovaks and Slovakia, also made numerous photographs on his travels around the country. What was once an appendix to his work has now become the core of current exhibition.

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Milos Alexander Bazovsky was a famous artist whose work has been shown in numerous exhibitions and published in many books and brochures. His photography works are now separately presented to the public for the first time, at an exhibition in the Slovak National Gallery in Bratislava (SNG). This Sunday, there will be a guided tour in English.

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At Bazovskys exhibition at the National Gallery in 1997, curators discovered several photos and presented them; but rather low-key, as if they were a side-line, an appendix, curator of the new exhibition, Aurel Hrabusicky, explained. I have had the idea of turning it all upside down, and presenting the photos not just as an appendix or small selection. When we examined the negatives we found that there were enough to make a whole  and interesting  exhibition.

Hrabusicky explained how the photos were procured for SNG  from the heirs of Bazovsky after he and his wife had died. They got into the National Gallery depository back in 1972 when the then-head of the archives of visual art Zora Andrejcakova, who was authorised to arrange Bazovskys inheritance, procured them. The negatives, presented in a closed small box in the initial room of the exhibition, have so far probably never been used in public, according to Hrabusicky. They remained unnoticed for further decades, save for the archives book on Bazovsky.

The exhibitions form

Hrabusicky another curator of the exhibition, SNG head Alexandra Kusa, opted for a final form in which groups of photos are paired with a painting or a drawing. This presentation style not only shows visitors what kind of artist M.A. Bazovsky was but they also suggest that he did not copy the photos but was rather inspired by them for his artworks.

Moreover, not a single printed photo excepting a few from a holiday  was found of the negatives. Thus, it is hard to prove to what extent Bazovsky made them at all and whether he worked just with the negatives.

The printed photos are not historical ones, and so they are displayed without glass and the usual framing, making them closer to the public and more comfortable to look at. In the first room, there are also period photos of some artists who were Bazovskys contemporaries and who also focused on the genre of photography. For a few of them, photography was the primary occupation, however, most of the artists did photography as a side hobby.

Bazovskys subjects reveal his fascinations

The pictures exhibited reveal the artists fascination with certain motifs; apart from traditions, folklore, nature and bucolic scenes, he also seems to be interested in symbols of modern civilisation like rails, tracks, and telegraph posts, Kusa suggested. Also, the artist was fascinated with the modern lifestyle and its phenomena like sports, travelling, and tourism.

The last room is filled with personal photographs that resemble an ordinary family album but including some staged photos, i.e. scenes from some kind of period art happenings, the co-curator added.

On December 3, there will be a guided tour of the Bazovsky exhibition in English, from the Sunday Rest cycle of events. This is the first  but not last  such tour of the exhibition which is placed on the 3rd floor of the Esterhazy Palace of the SNG and which lasts until April 15, 2018.

This exhibition has two goals, Hrabusicky noted: not just to present Milos Alexander Bazovsky as a photographer  which makes him one of the few artists of his times who systematically used the camera  but also to explore the unique form in which his photos were transformed into well-known artworks.
Robert Fico wants to connect the vote on freezing salaries with a no-confidence vote in the government, but some MPs do not think the cabinet will fall.

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While in the past years there were no problems when MPs agreed on freezing their salaries, this time not even Smer deputies supported the proposal submitted by their party chair, Prime Minister Robert Fico. He now threatens the fall of the ruling government, the Sme daily reported.

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Only 32 MPs supported the proposal to discuss the freezing of salaries in a fast-track procedure (Smer has 49 MPs sitting in the parliament). If they do not change their minds by the end of the year, Fico is ready to connect the vote on salaries with the vote on his cabinets confidence.

The government can also propose the fast-track procedure during the ongoing session in order to prevent MPs salaries from increasing by some 1,000 as of January. Currently, they earn 1,961 a month (with all bonuses 3,346 for those living in Bratislava and 3,576 for those living outside Bratislava). Some deputies say there is no economic crisis anymore, so their salaries can rise, Sme reported.

Speaker of Parliament Andrej Danko (the Slovak National Party) meanwhile said that he wants to initiate a meeting with Fico and President Andrej Kiska to discuss the salaries of constitutional representatives, the TASR newswire reported.

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Smer deputies dont see any crisis

Smer MPs do not see the current situation as tragic.

It is a storm in a tea cup, we will be laughing about it later, Dusan Jarjabek told Sme, adding that it is necessary to talk about it with the prime minister in person, which has not happened yet.

He also pointed out that salaries were frozen due to the economic crisis, but now the economy is rising again.

Not even Smer MP Miroslav Ciz thinks the government will fall, adding that they will meet with the prime minister as soon as he returns from his visit to Africa.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer) disagrees with the rise in MPs salaries. He wants to discuss new conditions for remuneration.

Culture Minister Marek Madaric (Smer) opined that something probably failed in the communication with the Smer MPs, as reported by Sme.

Most-Hid wants new rules too

The prime minister chose a bad path in his communication about freezing salaries and raises needless tensions in the coalition, responded Bela Bugar, chair of the coalition party Most-Hid.

Twenty-six Smer MPs did not agree with his proposal, he said, as quoted by Sme. The parliament cannot act as the servant of the government.

His party colleague and Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska meanwhile said that the MPs salaries should be the subject of new legislation that will set rules also for the future.

The amendment adopted last year to freeze the salaries is currently in the Supreme Court, to which it was submitted by General Prosecutor Jaromir Ciznar, Sme reported.
Unique Slovak musical instrument draws attention abroad, also thanks to Czechoslovak expatriate Bob Rychlik.

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The Slovak Spectator (TSS): What does a fujara lesson look like?

Bob Rychlik (BR): Its a one-week long course once a year, every lesson lasting an hour and fifteen minutes. In the first lesson, I explain how to hold a fujara,

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What is a fujara? The fujara is an iconic musical instrument from Slovakia, with a unique sound. It is up to a 6-feet high fipple overtone flute with 3 lateral openings and a parallel smaller tube, which supplies air to the top of the flute. Cherished in the seclusion of the Slovakian mountains by shepherds, the fujara has been preserved over the centuries.

depending on the student being right or left-handed. It is important to learn to control over breathing. The stronger you blow, the the higher tone you get. At the end of the course we have a concert where the students can perform. I teach my students some melodies, usually Slovak folk songs. Then some simple American folk songs.

TSS: How many people attend your courses?

BR: About five or six students per year. I have been teaching for seven years now. The group mostly comprises Americans who are charmed by the instrument. They are mostly people who have never played a musical instrument before. However, some of them even have a fujara at home but usually I bring mine to the lesson. Most people who have a fujara use it as decoration. Not every fujara is suitable for playing, mainly when it is made by an enthusiastic wood carver, but not a musician.

TSS: Do Slovaks living in the USA attend your classes or Americans with Slovak ancestors?

BR: Not really. In those seven years, I met about only four students of Slovak origin. Slovaks are usually prejudiced because they know the musical instrument. For example, they use to say that only men play a fujara  which was true in the past. Americans are more enthusiastic. Students sometimes come to the lesson from a great distance. One 72-year-old man drove with his wife for two days from Wisconsin to Maryland just to attend my classes. He had some ancestors from Slovakia and he was really excited to learn how to play the fujara.

TSS: How long does it take to learn how to play the fujara?

BR: When you learn to control your breathing and blow into the fujara with a different intensity. Most of the time, people learn the technique the very first day. Then you can play the fujara. It differs from usual musical instruments like the piano or guitar. Every keyboard or string there means one tone and if a person cannot play it, it doesnt sound good to the human ear. With the fujara, it is different. The tones that come from the fujara sound so natural and usually likeable. Everyone starts to play his or her own music on the fujara.

TSS: What is your motivation for teaching these classes?
The first series of videos are available on the internet as of Thursday.

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The Foreign and European Affairs Ministry is launching a new initiative aimed at raising public awareness on the importance of Slovakias membership of NATO and the EU. The information campaigns focus on highlighting the benefits of the countrys membership in the two institutions, said Foreign and European Affairs Ministry State Secretary, Ivan Korcok.

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Our goal is not to get all people in Slovakia to love NATO but we want to highlight that there is no better alternative for ensuring defence and security than that stemming from our membership in NATO, said Korcok, as cited by the TASR newswire, adding that the campaign is set to stress Slovakias pro-European and pro-NATO orientation and fight against fake and misleading news concerning these institutions.

video //www.youtube.com/embed/Wwz7hr8gOMQ

The initiative is in response to ongoing disinformation campaigns focused against the West or spreading conspiracy theories and hoaxes, the Dennik N daily wrote.

The ministrys initiative forms part of the global We Are NATO information campaign, which, via short videos, explains the advantages of NATO membership and the importance of the alliance for global peace.

Slovakia is among the five pilot countries in which the campaign is being launched, said Miroslav Wlachovsky, head of the ministrys strategic communications department, adding that the Slovak campaign shows the public the opinions and faces of real people from Slovakia working and cooperating with NATO.

The first series of the videos will be available on the internet as of Thursday.
At the same time, the ruling parties are ready prepare new law concerning future hikes.

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MPs will not see their salaries increase this year. After Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer) threatened that there would be a no-confidence vote in the government, the deputies of the three coalition parties decided to agree with the proposal to freeze them again, the Sme daily reported.

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MPs salaries have not changed since 2011. They currently amount to 3,346 (for those living in Bratislava) or to 3,576 (for those living outside Bratislava).

Initially, MPs failed to support the governmental proposal to freeze salaries in a fast-track proceeding. It was backed by only 32 deputies.

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The solution lies within the law on income tax authored by the Finance Ministry within which we propose to freeze the salaries of constitutional officials, said Martin Glvac, chair of Smers caucus, as quoted by Sme.

The opposition Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OLaNO) movement meanwhile said that it will submit its own proposal to freeze salaries on December 1, as part of the amendment to the law on health care, explaining that they do not want the change to be postponed to next week, the SITA newswire reported.

The coalition parties meanwhile said they will not support the proposal.

New law to be prepared

Smer MPs also said that they will accept the requirement made by the Slovak National Party (SNS) that the problems with the salaries of constitutional officials be solved by adopting a new law. The new legislation may result in a slight hike. It, however, will certainly not be 1,000, as would happen if salaries were unfrozen.

The ruling parties will present the new proposal soon, Glvac said, as reported by Sme.

Deputy chair of the SNS Anton Hrnko, meanwhile, disagreed with the proposal. It is possible he will be in the minority in his party has the chair, Andrej Danko, has already said he is ready to support and freeze salaries via other law that is currently in parliament, if the conditions for a systemic solution to the problem are met.

My ambition is to stop this madness in society, Danko said, as quoted by Sme, responding to the possibility of hiking salaries by 1,000.

The freeze does not concern only MPs but also the Prime Minister, other ministers, the President and some representatives of the Supreme Audit Office.
Locating an EU agency in the east would have been a positive signal to the eastern member states.

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Bratislava is not London. This rather obvious fact is enough to explain the failure of Slovakias bid to become the post-Brexit location of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Slovakia was one of the 19 countries which originally aspired to host the prestigious agency, which is currently based in the UK capital. Despite strong statements by Slovakias foreign and health ministries about the high quality of the bid they had jointly drafted, experts from neither the fields of medicine nor politics and EU affairs believed Slovakia stood much of a chance.

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The atmosphere changed following a Financial Times report, shortly before the November 20 vote, suggested that Bratislava was a hot candidate for the post, along with Milan. But in the end neither succeeded in the secret ballot, and the EMA will make only a relatively short hop to Amsterdam.

Slovakia was by no means the ideal candidate to host the EMA, and certainly boasts few of the perks that Amsterdam can offer  from a busy international airport, to the wide choice of international cuisine that expats, used to metropolitan life, have come to expect. This is not to mention some of the more important problems, in particular the absence of laws here that would recognise the family ties of many of the agencys employees.
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Royal Bank of Canada operates as a diversified financial service company worldwide. The company's Personal & Commercial Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts, home equity financing, personal lending, private banking, indirect lending, including auto financing, mutual funds and self-directed brokerage accounts, guaranteed investment certificates, credit cards, and payment products and solutions; and lending, leasing, deposit, investment, foreign exchange, cash management, auto dealer financing, trade products, and services to small and medium-sized commercial businesses. This segment offers financial products and services through branches, automated teller machines, and mobile sales network. Its Wealth Management segment provides a suite of advice-based solutions and strategies to high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, and institutional clients. The company's Insurance segment offers life, health, home, auto, travel, wealth, annuities, and reinsurance advice and solutions; and business insurance services to individual, business, and group clients through its advice centers, RBC insurance stores, and mobile advisors; digital, mobile, and social platforms; independent brokers; and travel partners. Its Investor & Treasury Services segment provides asset servicing, custody, payments, and treasury services to financial and other investors; and fund and investment administration, shareholder, private capital, performance measurement and compliance monitoring, distribution, transaction banking, cash and liquidity management, foreign exchange, and global securities finance services. The company's Capital Markets segment offers corporate and investment banking, as well as equity and debt origination, distribution, advisory services, sale, and trading services for corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, private equity firms, and governments. The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
The Ministry of Finance has released a detailed report on Grab Vietnams consistent annual losses since it began operating in the country, despite the ride-hailing apps mushrooming popularity among local commuters.

During the fourth session of the lawmaking National Assembly which wrapped up last week, a delegate demanded that the finance ministry explain why Grab Vietnam, with a total registered capital of only VND20 billion (US$881,057), has accumulated VND938 billion ($41.32 million) in losses after three years of operating in the country.

The ministry has responded to the question with the release of a document on Wednesday detailing the companys financial situation.

Grab made its Vietnam debut in 2014, launching in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Since then, the Malaysia-based company has adjusted its registered capital five times, totaling VND20 billion as of March 2017, according to the finance ministry.

In 2014, Grab Vietnam logged losses of VND51.6 billion ($2.27 million). The company managed to take that number to VND441.8 billion ($19.46 million) and VND444.7 billion ($19.59 million) in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

The finance ministry attributed the steep losses to massive marketing expenses and service prices set deliberately low to undercut conventional taxi operators.

Grab Vietnam, financed by its parent company in Malaysia, has borrowed $50 million from Grab Malaysia with zero interest, the finance ministry said, citing Grab Vietnams financial statement.

The Vietnamese ministry underlined that Grab Vietnam is considered a business with high operational risk, thus categorized as needing special tax oversight.

The finance ministry said it will cooperate with the State Bank of Vietnam and relevant agencies to review the companys borrowing and crack down on tax evasion or trade fraud, if any.

Grab Vietnams Ho Chi Minh City headquarters are in District 10. According to the districts tax division, the company paid more than VND142 billion ($6.26 million) in taxes between January 1 and November 24, 2017.

Last week, the General Department of Taxation requested that local tax departments countrywide focus their 2018 tax inspections on special businesses, such as Grab, Uber, online shopping platforms, and multilevel marketing companies.
A midair guard in Vietnam boldly gunned down four grenade-wielding hijackers, unraveling their entire plan in just two minutes four decades ago.

>> Skyjacking in Vietnam: P3  Tracking down perpetrators of 1978 DC4 hijack

>> Skyjacking in Vietnam: P2  52-minute life-and-death ordeal

>> Skyjacking in Vietnam: P1  First hijackers

On the morning of February 7, 1979, Air Vietnam An24 plane 226 captained by Nguyen Van Ton took off from Gia Lam Airport in Hanoi.

Active from 1951 to 1975 with headquarters in Saigon, Air Vietnam was South Vietnam's first commercial air carrier.

Established under the reign of Emperor Bao Dai, the countrys last monarch, the airline flew over one million passengers before national reunification on April 30, 1975.

The An24 plane was bound for Da Nang Airport in the central namesake city where it would let off and pick up passengers, as well as refuel, before making its way to Ho Chi Minh Citys Tan Son Nhat Airport.

Sergeant Nguyen Dac Thoai, then 22, a midair guard from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, under the Ministry of National Defense, was tasked with ensuring security for the flight and safety for all passengers and crew members.

Four decades on, Thoai still has a vivid recollection of the ordeal.

Twenty minutes after the small, 50-passenger plane took off from Da Nang Airport, the hijackers took action.

Midair guard Thoai was sitting next to the aisle in the fourth row toward the end of the passenger chamber where he could see most of the plane.

Thoai was in a military uniform and hiding a pistol in his trousers waistband.

An air hostess named Vui was preparing a light meal for the passengers when two men seated in the front row sprang to their feet without warning.

One of the men was later identified as Thuc, a UH1 helicopter navigator with the air force under the Saigon regime.

Thoai saw a good-looking woman sneak a milk can to Thuc, who briskly pulled out and revealed an impact grenade hidden inside before growling: Everyone, sit still! If anyone moves, Ill remove the pin and well all die.

His accomplices also sprang from the last row and blocked the aisle.

They overpowered Vui and an officer in an air force uniform on his way back to his unit after work leave, believing they had subdued the midair guard aboard the plane.

The hero

As the hijackers attempted to take control of the plane, passengers aboard the flight began to panic.

Thoai, the only midair guard on the flight, scanned the plane to check whether any additional hijackers were hiding amongst the passengers. He then decided on his plan of action.

I pretended to raise my hands as the attackers commanded but kept my seatbelt unlocked. I noticed the safety pin on the grenade had not been removed, Thoai recalled.

When the two hijackers in front of him looked away, he seized the chance and drew out his gun.

Nguyen Dac Thoai gunned down four hijackers on February 7, 1979. Photo: Transport Newspaper

Noticing Thoais sudden move, Thuc dashed toward him with the grenade.

Still seated, Thoai shot him when he was a few steps away.

Thuc dropped dead, his body landing on Thoais leg.

The grenade, with the safety pin still in, rolled beneath the seats.

One of Thucs accomplices pounced on Thoai, attempting to yank the gun.

It did not take long for Thoai to use martial arts to subdue the hijacker.

Two more hijackers attempted to close in on Thoai, ready to hit him with bottles of wine.

Vui, the stewardess, was about to take the blow for me, but one of the guys pushed her aside. I tried to shoot him but my gun was out of bullets, Thoai recounted.

As the attacker smashed the wine bottle over Thoais head, glass cut through his scalp and face. Wine pouring over his head and burning his eyes failed to distract Thoai from his mission of saving the plane.

He suddenly remembered he had hidden a handgun in the luggage rack near his seat.

Several of the passengers on the flight who were police and army officers had earlier handed over their weapons to Thoai.

I put most of the weapons into a locked container, but somehow kept a gun within my reach, Thoai added.

He immediately pulled out the gun and fired at the attacker, whose body fell atop Thucs.

The remaining hijacker was also shot multiple times in the ribs while attempting to attack Thoai.

Thoai promptly moved to his strategic spot at the end of the plane, requesting that all passengers stay put.

As a man in the front row began to stand, Thoai told him to stay put, otherwise he would be shot.

Everything happened within two minutes, he added.

Vui, the air hostess, regained her composure and informed the crew members of the hijacking.

Captain Ton decided to land in Pleiku Airport, located in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai.

As the airport security boarded the plane, Thoai asked that they keep a close eye on the man and woman in the front row.

I was hospitalized for 20 days before being transported to a clinic in Gia Lam District, Hanoi, for recuperation.

Thoai was promoted to second lieutenant and named the deputy of midair teams at the age of 22.

The man in the front row was Son, an officer under the former Saigon regime, while the woman who smuggled the milk can with the grenade was later identified as Thucs wife. The groups goal was to flee the country. At the court hearing later, they admitted that the quick-minded guard had taken them completely by surprise. Son and Thucs wife each received jail terms of 15 years.

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TOKYO, Nov 30 -- Emperor Akihito's younger son, Prince Akishino, has said he expects his father to hand over all his public duties to the royal heir, Crown Prince Naruhito, after his planned abdication - the first by a Japanese monarch in nearly two centuries.

Japan's constitution defines the emperor as a symbol of the state and the people, without political power. His duties include Shinto religious ceremonies and constitutionally-defined tasks, such as the opening of parliament.

The octogenarian Akihito's 29-year reign has also been marked by travels to domestic disaster sites to cheer survivors, and overseas to soothe the wounds of a war fought in the name of his father, Emperor Hirohito, who was considered divine until Japan's defeat in World War Two.

Some experts had feared that the existence of a retired emperor could undercut the symbolic status of his successor.

"The emperor all along has intended to pass all his public duties including state acts to the next emperor," Akishino said in remarks published to mark his 52nd birthday on Thursday.

"Even if there are concerns about 'dual authority', if that expression is appropriate, I can clearly say that it is impossible," he added.

A law enacted in June allows Akihito, who turns 84 on Dec. 23, to step down, but details are yet to be worked out. A special panel will discuss possible dates on Friday, with the cabinet to make a final decision.

The abdication is expected to take place in 2019.

Akihito, who has had heart surgery and treatment for prostate cancer, said in rare remarks last year that he feared age might make it hard to fulfill his duties.

Akishino, who is next in line to the throne after the 57-year-old Naruhito, also said he wanted his father to have a good rest after retiring.

"I hope the emperor will spend relaxing time as much as possible after the abdication," he said.

Akishino said he was willing to take on the crown prince's duties as much as possible after Naruhito ascends the throne but would need to consult his older brother. "This is unprecedented, so there are many things I can not imagine," he said.

Akishino's 11-year-old son, Prince Hisahito, is the emperor's only grandson and will be second in line to the throne after the abdication. Naruhito's daughter, Princess Aiko, who turns 16 on Friday, cannot inherit the males-only throne.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday attended a ceremony to repatriate five Vietnamese fishermen who had been arrested by Philippine authorities in September for fishing in the countrys waters.

The ceremonial send-off was held at the port of Sual in Pangasinan Province and joined by representatives of the Philippine government and provincial administration, according to the Embassy of Vietnam in the Philippines, which co-organized the event.

The fishermen were arrested in September after Philippine authorities spotted their boat operating in the sea area off Pangasinan from 8:30 pm on September 22 to 1:00 am the following day.

Their boat, the PY 96173 TS, was pursued by Filipino coast guards, who eventually opened fire after the Vietnamese vessel rammed the coast guards boat.

Two Vietnamese fishermen were killed in the scuffle and had their bodies repatriated on October 7.

The ceremonial send-off of five Vietnamese fishermen arrested by Philippine authorities in September, November 29, 2017. Clip: Government of the Philippines

Speaking at Wednesdays ceremony, President Duterte cited the humanitarian spirit and friendly bilateral relations between Vietnam and the Philippines as the reason for Manila's willingness to repatriate the fishermen at the request of Vietnamese leaders.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines Ly Quoc Tuan thanked President Duterte, the government of the Philippines, and other relevant agencies for providing the support necessary to repatriate the Vietnamese nationals.

At 5:30 pm on Wednesday, the fishermen boarded their ship and were tugged to international waters by the Philippine coast guard to commence their journey home.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines Ly Quoc Tuan (R, 3rd) and Colonel Nguyen Van Hung (R, 4th), defense attache to the Philippines, take a group photo with five Vietnamese fishermen during a repatriation ceremony in Pangasinan Province, November 29, 2017. Photo: Vietnam Embassy in the Philippines

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Vietnam and Poland have consented to a tighter relationship and closer cooperation between the two countries parliamentarians on the occasion of a state visit to Vietnam by Polish President Andrzej Duda.

A meeting between the Vietnam-Poland and Poland-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Groups was convened in Hanoi on Wednesday, as part of President Dudas trip to the Southeast Asian country from November 27 to 30.

During the gathering, Vice-Chairman of the law-making National Assembly Phung Quoc Hien praised the results of talks and meetings between the Polish head of state and Vietnams high-ranking leaders.

Hien believed that the visit marks a milestone and gives an impetus to the friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

He called on the two countries parliamentarians to increase their exchange of delegations and legislative experience, and support each other at multilateral forums.

The NA official suggested that Hanoi and Warsaw continue building and completing a legal framework for facilitating economic cooperation, and resume the operation of the Vietnam-Poland Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation.

President of the Vietnam-Poland Parliamentarians Group Le Thi Nga stated that the two groups should actively promote bilateral collaboration as well as ties between the two nations legislative bodies.

President of the Poland-Vietnam Parliamentarians Group Pan Grzegorz Napieraski hoped that the two sides would further exchange policies on agricultural development, business communities, science and technology application, and environmental protection.

Speaking at the gathering, President Duda praised the role of the two parliamentarians groups in fostering bilateral relations, expressing his belief that the existing friendship between the two countries will bring cooperation to a new height.

On the evening of the same day, the Polish leader arrived in Ho Chi Minh City to prepare for his speech at the Vietnam-Poland Business Forum on Thursday.

He is also scheduled to attend the inauguration of the representative office of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, and meet Chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong.

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Good morning from Tuoi Tre News!

Politics

-- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday attended a ceremony at the port of Sual in Pangasinan Province to repatriate five Vietnamese fishermen who had been arrested by Philippine authorities in September for conducting fishing activities in the countrys waters.

Society

-- The Dong Nai River in southern Vietnam is being threatened by three million cubic meters of wastewater being discharged daily from household, agricultural and industrial activities in eleven provinces along its basin.

-- Minor erosion that has occurred recently under the Thuan Phuoc Bridge in central Da Nang City is not a cause for concern as the incident does not pose a threat to the safety of the structure, a local official claimed.

-- A trio in northern Bac Giang Province have been arrested for using a bitcoin scam to appropriate dozens of VND billions of dong (VND1 billion = US$44,000) from local residents who were led to believe they were making high-profit investments.

-- Police are searching for a male suspect in a failed bank heist at a branch of the Agribank in the Central Highlands city of Buon Ma Thuot on Wednesday, as the man had fled after firing a bullet at the security guard from a homemade gun.

Business

-- The Vietnamese government is expected to earn nearly $5 billion from selling 53.59 percent of brewer Sabeco, the countrys second-biggest listed firm by market value, at the share sales scheduled for December 18 at the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HoSE).

-- Vietnamese dragon fruits exported to China by road are being made to queue up near the border in northern Lang Son Province for days as Chinese merchants refuse to take in the orders.

-- Vietnams Minister of Finance has put GrabTaxi Co. Ltd. under sentinel surveillance as the company has been reporting growing losses after three years of operation in Vietnam, with an accumulated debt of VND938 billion ($41.32 million) as of November.

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The man fled after firing a homemade gun at a security guard, lodging the bullet in a mirror attached to a concrete column.

The robbery occurred at noon on Wednesday. A man broke into the bank, fired his gun and fled. We have pinpointed his location to a local coffee farm and are working to have him arrested, said Major General Tran Ky Roi, police chief of Dak Lak Province.

According to Nguyen Van Du, director of the Agribank branch where the attempted robbery occurred, the man had arrived at the bank at around 10:55 am on a motorbike, dressed in all black, wearing a mask over his face, and talking on a mobile phone.

The banks executives were holding a meeting on the second floor of the building at the time.

When a security guard approached the man and asked him to remove his mask before entering bank, the man claimed he was sick and continued his phone conversation, Du said.

At around 11:30 am when only two customers remained in the bank, the man suddenly drew his gun and threw a bag at a security guard, demanding to have it filled with money.

Ill die sooner or later, the man said.

When the security guard withdrew behind a concrete column covered with mirror panes, the robber fired a bullet, missing the guard but hitting the mirror.

The clerks ran for their lives and sounded the alarm at the sound of the gunshot, Du said. The executives heard the alarm and came downstairs as the robber was fleeing through the front door.

Police arrived shortly after to investigate the scene and gather witnesses accounts.

Everything happened so fast. He only had enough time to throw his bag at the security guard and left before taking any money, Du said.

Police are examining the suspects motorbike left at the scene.

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About three million cubic meters of wastewater is dumped into the Dong Nai River and its tributaries on a daily basis, posing high risk of environmental pollution along Vietnams longest river.

The volume of liquid waste, discharged by household, farming, and industrial activities in 11 provinces along the Dong Nai River basin, has exceeded three million cubic meters, a large portion of which is not properly treated.

The figure may top 4.5 million cubic meters per day by the year 2020.

The Dong Nai River is the longest inland waterway in Vietnam, while its basin is the second largest in the countrys southern region, following the Mekong River.

Stretching some 586 kilometers, the river snakes through 11 localities including Ho Chi Minh City, southern Dong Nai and Binh Duong Provinces, and Lam Dong and Dak Nong Provinces in the Central Highlands.

The latest statistics showed that wastewater in Ho Chi Minh City alone reaches 1.75 million cubic meters a day, of which 50,000 cubic meters is released from 21 industrial parks.

Only 21 percent of the waste is thoroughly treated before being discharged into the waterway.

In Dong Nai Province, the daily amount of wastewater from 31 industrial zones is nearly 102,000 cubic meters, 71 percent of which is treated.

A map detailing the basin of the Dong Nai River in southern Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Meanwhile, about 80 percent of liquid waste from local households is directly dumped into the river without any treatment.

A similar situation also occurs in Binh Duong, Long An, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and other provinces.

According to a project on environmental protection along the Dong Nai River, which was approved by the prime minister in late 2007, at least 60 percent of residential areas and 100 percent of industrial parks, processing zones, and hi-tech parks along the river basin would be equipped with sufficient waste treatment systems by 2015.

However, many areas still lack these facilities.

Deferred projects

Despite the approval of the central government and local administrations, many constructions related to environmental protection have been postponed or carried out at a sluggish pace.

In Bao Loc City, Lam Dong Province, the building of a wastewater treatment plant was passed in February 2012 with the investment of VND263 billion (US$11.5 million).

At present, a detailed plan is still being formulated to seek financial assistance from the central government.

A pump station of the Bien Hoa Water Company, located in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province, along the Dong Nai River. Photo: Tuoi Tre

As a result, Loc Son and Phu Hoi, two major industrial parks in Lam Dong, have operated their own treatment plants, which do not really meet standards.

In September 2013, the Peoples Committee in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province approved a drainage and waste treatment system project in the Phu My New Urban Area.

The plan, including the establishment of a treatment plant with a capacity of 29,700 cubic meters a day, is still on paper as site clearance for the project makes little progress.

In the south-central province of Binh Thuan, a VND610 billion ($26.8 million) waste treatment project is expected to be implemented in 2017-18, despite its approval in 2014.

In Long An Province, a waste treatment project in Vinh Hung District with a capacity of 1,300 cubic meters per day is thought to be operated in the near future.

Other urban areas in the province still need a decent waste treatment facility.

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Guests tonight on Cram are Chris Brown, Angus OLoughlin, Josh Thomas and Alex Lee.

Watch as TV Week Gold Logie nominee, childrens book author and star of The Project, Pete Helliar, guides two teams of comedians and celebrities as they test their memories across various topics including teeth, telephones, school, vampires and Hollywood.

Hitting the buzzers tonight are The Living Rooms Chris Brown, alongside radio presenter Angus OLoughlin and comedians Josh Thomas and Alex Lee. The two teams are led by CRAM team captains Dilruk Jayashina and Virginia Gay.

Divided into two teams of three, six of Australias most-loved entertainers will go head-to-head to recollect all the facts in a variety of quick videos. The team that recalls the most facts is the winner.

Which team will reign triumphant tonight?

Tonight at 7.30pm on TEN.
Sugar content in Kelloggs cereals such as Rice Krispies is to be slashed (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Kelloggs is to stop making Ricicles, a childhood favourite breakfast cereal for millions.

The US food giant made the move as part of its drive to cut sugar levels. But its not gone down well with scores of older foodies.

Many headed to Twitter to bemoan the end of the brand, which featured often as part of a variety pack of cereals during their childhood.

One Twitter user Andrew posted a picture of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury singing: I want to keep my Ricicles.

Richard Osman, star of Pointless, said he was gutted, while British indy car race driver Max Chilton said it was a sad day.

Gutted that Kelloggs have announced theyre axing Ricicles. How will we know what the worst cereal in a Variety Pack is now?  Richard Osman (@richardosman) November 30, 2017

30th November 2017 will go down in books as a sad day.@KelloggsUK is stopping the production of their Ricicles brand!#childhoodmemories

pic.twitter.com/OAdLBsxqpg  M A X Chilton (@maxchilton) November 30, 2017

Kelloggs will no longer sell Ricicles, one of its sweetest cereals, containing 34g of sugar per 100g. Its also slashing the sugar content in a number of its best-selling breakfast cereals  but not Frosties as theyre eaten mainly by adult men who should know better.

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Sugar will be cut by between 20% and 40% in Rice Krispies, Coco Pops and Rice Krispies Multi-Grain Shapes, its top selling childrens cereals.

MORE: NHS could ban sugary drinks from hospital shops

Managing director Oli Morton, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Lives Wake Up to Money, said Kelloggs was to stop marketing Frosties at children.

Were going to stop promoting that brand towards kids, he said. There is a generation of people who have grown up with Frosties.

We havent had that on air or targeted in that way since 2010 and what it has meant for us is that majority of people who consume Frosties are actually adult males, thats who love the brand so were repositioning that as an adult brand.

Frosties are more of an adult breakfast cereal nowadays

Frosties, and its Tony the Tiger figurehead with his Theyre G-r-r-r-eat catchphrase, was a huge brand during the 1970s and 80s, featuring regularly in TV advertising and marketing promotions.

Kelloggs said it planned to reduce the amount of sugar in Coco Pops from 30g per 100g to 17g, a 40% reduction.

Finally, the last vestige of childhood has gone. When you fought your three brothers and sister for the #Ricicles. I might have to eat some for nostalgia. I tried this before with Farleys Rusks x 4 in a tower in warm milk but it wasnt the same alas https://t.co/28zT8EAAVt  Heather Lyons (@HezTalk) November 30, 2017

This is following a reduction of 14% earlier this year, meaning that from 2017 to 2018, it will have halved the sugar in Coco Pops, Kellogg also said in a statement.

Nah. Not having this. Theyre axing Ricicles? Sugar is bad, I know, but the milk after a bowl? Wowsers. Was always the one to fight over in a Variety Pack. pic.twitter.com/hbIsDZwfv1  Mike McGrail (@mike_mcgrail) November 30, 2017

MORE: Terrys Chocolate Orange has doubled in price this Christmas

Sugar in Rice Krispies will be cut by 20% and in Rice Krispies Multi-Grain Shapes it will be reduced by 30% per serving.

The move to cut sugar content comes as health professionals continue to press food companies to do more to help families cut down on sugar intake among children.

Coco Pops will be another best-seller to see sugar content cut

Many studies have reported growing obesity levels among young people. More than one in four adults in the UK is obese and 37% are overweight, according to official statistics.

Nearly one in ten children starting school are obese, says the NHS, and by the time they are readying to move up to secondary school, that proportion has risen to one in five.

MORE: Coca-Colas love affair with UK consumers fizzles out as profits drop

The government recommends that children aged between seven and 10 should eat no more than 24g of sugar, or the equivalent of six sugar cubes, per day.

In March, Public Health England called on food firms to cut sugar by 20% by 2020, and by 5% this year.

A sugar tax is due to hit the soft drinks industry in April next year.
* Six OPEC, non-OPEC ministers meet on Wednesday

* Delegates recommend extending output cuts until end of 2018

* Review of production policy possible at June meeting (Updates with UAE energy minister)

By Ernest Scheyder and Ahmad Ghaddar

VIENNA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - OPEC and Russia look set to prolong oil supply cuts until the end of 2018 this week while signalling that they may review the deal when they meet again in June if the market overheats.

With oil prices rallying above $60 per barrel, Russia has questioned the wisdom of extending existing cuts of 1.8 million barrels per day until the end of next year as such a move could prompt a spike in U.S. production.

Russia needs much lower oil prices to balance its budget than OPEC's leader Saudi Arabia, which is preparing a stock market listing for national energy champion Aramco next year and would hence benefit from pricier crude.

Six ministers from OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers including Saudi Arabia and Russia will gather in Vienna on Wednesday - one day ahead of a full OPEC meeting - to review recommendations by their delegates.

On Tuesday, a joint OPEC/non-OPEC committee recommended extending cuts until the end of 2018 with an option of reviewing the arrangement at the next OPEC meeting in June, three sources from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said.

"OPEC's nine-month option is really a six-month (or three-month) option as it will be re-evaluated at the next meeting," said Jamie Webster, director at the Boston Consulting Group's Centre for Energy Impact. The existing cuts expire in March.

Benchmark Brent and U.S. crude prices declined on Wednesday for a third consecutive day although Brent remained above $63.

United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Suhail bin Mohammed al-Mazroui said on Tuesday that cutting output through all of 2018 was still the main, but not only, scenario.

"There is a meeting today in the afternoon. And depending on all of those parameters, we will come up with what is the best for the market and for the organisation," he said on Wednesday.

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The production cuts have been in place since the start of 2017 and helped halve an excess of global oil stocks although those remain at 140 million barrels above the five-year average, according to OPEC.

Russia has signalled it wants to understand better how producers will exit from the cuts as it needs to provide guidance to its private and state energy companies.

Some producers including Rosneft, run by an ally of President Vladimir Putin, Igor Sechin, have questioned the rationale of prolonging the cuts, saying it will lead to a loss of market share to U.S. firms, which are not reducing output.

OPEC, which comprises 14 countries, has traditionally been much less worried about exit strategies as its members have been known for reducing compliance and cheating on their quotas towards the expiry of such deals.

"OPEC and Russia will both realise they are losing market share and they will be better off going back to a more competitive environment," the head of commodity research at Citi, Ed Morse, told Reuters.

Citi's rival Goldman Sachs said in a note on Tuesday: "We continue to expect a gradual ramp up in OPEC and Russian production from April onward."

(Additional reporting by Rania El Gamal, Shadia Nasralla, Alex Lawler and Vladimir Soldatkin; Writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov; Editing by Dale Hudson)

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* Bali airport reopens on Wednesday afternoon

* Had been closed since Monday due to volcanic ash

* Qantas and Jetstar plan "rescue" flights on Thursday (Adds flight details, paragraphs 2-5; details of situation)

By Slamet Kurniawan

DENPASAR, Indonesia, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Bali airport reopened on Wednesday, Indonesian authorities said, two days after a volcanic eruption spread ash across the holiday island and forced its airport to close, stranding tourists and spurring evacuation efforts.

"Bali's international airport started operating normally," air traffic control provider AirNav said in a statement, adding that operations resumed at 2:28 p.m. (0628 GMT).

The reopening followed a downgrade in the authorities' aviation warning to "orange", one level below the most serious.

The decision to resume operations followed an emergency meeting at the airport, weighed up weather conditions, tests and data from AirNav and other groups, AirNav added.

Singapore Airlines Ltd said it would resume flights between Singapore and Bali on Wednesday. Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd said it and budget arm Jetstar would run 16 flights to Australia on Thursday to ferry home 3,800 stranded customers.

A large plume of white and grey ash and smoke hovered above Agung on Wednesday, after night-time rain partially obscured a fiery glow at its peak over the last few days.

President Joko Widodo implored residents living in a zone around Agung deemed at risk to seek refuge in emergency centres, as winds sending an ash cloud southwest across the island once again halted flights.

Earlier, the transport ministry had said Bali's airport, the country's second biggest, would stay shut until at least 7 a.m. on Thursday (2300 GMT on Wednesday).

A spokesman for Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport said as many as 430 domestic and international flights had been disrupted on Wednesday by the closure of the airport, about 60 km (37 miles) away from Mount Agung.

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Agung towers over eastern Bali to a height of just over 3,000 meters (9,800 feet). Its last major eruption in 1963 killed more than 1,000 people and razed several villages.

Layers of ash coated cars, roofs and roads in an area southeast of the crater. Children wore masks to walk to school.

Authorities want residents in a radius of about 8 km to 10 km (5 miles to 6 miles) around the volcano to head for emergency centres, warning a larger eruption could be "imminent". But some are reluctant to leave homes and livestock unattended.

"Those in the 8- to 10-kilometer radius must truly take refuge for safety," President Widodo told reporters.

He also asked emergency services, military and officials to assist evacuees and help stranded tourists get home.

"There must not be any victims hit by the eruption," Widodo said.

(Reporting by Slamet Kurniawan in DENPASAR and Agustinus Beo Da Costa in JAKARTA; additional reporting by Jamie Freed in SINGAPORE; Writing by Fergus Jensen; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

See Also:
LA PAZ (Reuters) - Bolivian President Evo Morales said on Thursday that opposition from the United States convinced him to run for a fourth term in 2019, two days after the Constitution Court cleared the way by striking down the South American country's term limits.

His government earlier brushed off criticism from Washington, which said it was "deeply concerned" over Tuesday's court decision. Morales then took it a step further, saying the U.S. reaction actually convinced him to run.

"I was not so determined; now I am determined," he said at a public event in the central Bolivian region of Cochabamba. "I will be a candidate, sisters and brothers, in 2019."

The court ruling is final and cannot be appealed.

Groups opposed to Morales' reelection planned a second day of demonstrations on Thursday. Protesters had broken windows and set office furniture on fire at an elections office in the city of Santa Cruz around midnight on Wednesday before police took them away, television images showed.

Morales, a former coca farmer in power since 2006, had previously accepted the results of a referendum in 2016, when 51 percent of voters rejected his proposal to end term limits. He later reversed course, saying that while he was willing to leave office, his supporters were pushing for him to stay.

The U.S. State Department disputed that position.

"Twice in the last decade, the Bolivian people have expressed their opposition to the concept of indefinite reelection for elected officials; first in 2009, through their overwhelming vote in favor of the current constitution, and again in a 2016 referendum, when they rejected an initiative to overturn the constitutional provision that imposes the two-term limit on the president," the department's statement said.

Morales' administration dismissed the criticism. "It looks like they are trying to tell us who our candidates should be," Minister of the Presidency Rene Martinez said.

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He said right-wing political forces in Bolivia had joined with the United States and the Organization of American States to stop Morales from running again.

Historically unstable Bolivia has enjoyed relative calm and prosperity under Morales, the country's first indigenous president. Approval ratings for Morales, a fierce critic of capitalism and ally of embattled Venezuelan socialist leader Nicolas Maduro, hover at around 50 percent.

In September, his Movement to Socialism party asked the courts to rescind legal limits barring elected authorities from seeking reelection indefinitely.

Morales says his first election took place under Bolivia's previous constitution and therefore did not count under the now-defunct two-term rule.

(Reporting by Daniel Ramos and Monica Machicao; Writing by Hugh Bronstein; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Dan Grebler)
A war criminal has died after swallowing a glass of poison upon hearing that his sentence for crimes against humanity had been upheld upon appeal.

Slobodan Praljak was one of six former Bosnian Croat leaders up before the Hague to appeal his 2013 sentence for war crimes in East Mostar.

The 72-year-old drank from a bottle after judges confirmed his 20-year sentence for involvement in a campaign to drive Muslims out of a would-be Bosnian Croat ministate in Bosnia in the early 1990s.

Croatias prime minister has confirmed the death and offered condolences to his family.

As he heard the verdict he downed the liquid and told the judge I have taken poison.

A wartime commander of Bosnian Croat forces, Slobodan Praljak, is seen during a hearing at the U.N. war crimes tribunal in the Hague, Netherlands, November 29, 2017. ICTV via REUTERS TV

Judge Carmel Agius was responsible for immediately suspending the hearing before an ambulance was called.

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Praljak was the former commander of the main staff of the Bosnian Croat defence forces (HVO) before he was jailed for crimes against humanity.

Slobodan Praljak, 72, drank the poison in court

After being informed that Muslims were being rounded up in Prozor in 1993, Praljak made no serious efforts to stop their deaths.

He also failed to act after receiving intelligence that their murders were being planned, along with widespread attacks on mosques in East Mostar.
On Nov. 28 at 12:59 pm, the Juneau County Sheriff's Office was notified of an incident in which multiple people were reported to be shot. The incident was on 24th Avenue in the town of Armenia.

According to a press release sent out by the Sheriff's Office, four individuals went to a residence on 24th Avenue to sell some items. Two subjects at the residence reportedly took the items but refused to pay. They then came out of the residence and "fired a firearm several times."

Alex Frick, 19, and Jacob Meyer, 18, have been arrested and tentatively charged with recklessly endangering safety. Both individuals are from Nekoosa.

The incident is currently under investigation.
Asa Hutchinson witnessed the fight in a Dubai hotel lobby (Picture: REX)

A British expat reportedly faces jail in Dubai after witnessing a fight between her friends and a stranger in a hotel lobby.

Asa Hutchinson was with a group of men when they attempted to take selfies with a drunk Swedish man who was asleep on a sofa, campaign group Detained in Dubai reports.

The man, who is believed to be in his 50s, woke from the sleep and attacked the group as they tried to flee.

Police were immediately called and the 21-year-old was charged with assault and theft despite having no active in role in the 2016 incident.

Ms Hutchinson, who is originally from Chelmsford, Essex, now lives in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and works as an account manager for a global transportation company.

Asa Hutchinson faces jail time in Dubai

It is so unfair, I was not involved, Ms Hutchinson told Detained in Dubai.

I just happened to be there, but the police are not interested in anything I have to say. Once the man made his complaint it was taken as fact. I cant go to jail, I couldnt cope.

Ms Hutchinson was leaving brunch with a group of friends when the altercation occurred.

The man woke up and began punching the boys, she said.

I heard the commotion and came back to see what was going on.

After the group was arrested, the men managed to get their passports back and returned to the UK, but the Swedish man discovered that Miss Hutchinson was a UAE resident and transferred charges to her.



Asa Hutchinson claims that she was not involved in the incident (Picture: SWNS)

Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, said: In Dubai, if two parties are in dispute or arguing, the first person to speak to the police is usually the one who is believed. Often it is a race to get to the police first. By making this complaint, the man may have been safeguarding himself from being charged himself.

Also, it is clear in this case that Asa was a bystander, not involved with the fight and is only being victimised because the alleged culprits have left the country.

Her plight comes only a month after the release of a Briton sentenced to three months in a Dubai jail for touching a mans hip in a crowded bar.

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Jamie Harron from Stirling, Scotland, was arrested in July over the incident in which he said he put his hand on a mans hip to avoid spilling a drink in a crowded bar.

Describing Ms Hutchinsons case, a spokeswoman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: Our staff in Dubai assisted a British woman following an incident in 2016, and are ready to provide further help if requested.
ACCRA (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron fears Islamist militants have scored military and symbolic victories in West Africa while a regional military force has struggled to get off the ground, a French presidential source said on Thursday.

To help get the new G5 Sahel force operating effectively, he said, France has invited the United States to a summit with the five participating countries as well as the African Union and European Union in Paris next month.

Thousands of U.N. peacekeepers, French troops and U.S. military trainers and drone operators have failed so far to stem a growing wave of jihadist violence, leading world powers to pin their hopes on the new G5 Sahel force.

The G5 Sahel initiative - grouping Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger - faces an immense security challenge in a largely desert and weakly governed region and already faces questions over its financing and provision of equipment.

"Emmanuel Macron believes that it's not going quickly enough and that the terrorists have registered military and symbolic victories, especially in Niger, and (that) it's urgent to reverse this trend," the French official said in Ghana where Macron was winding up a three-day Africa trip.

"The (objective) will be to accelerate the calendar for the support of the force, and the operational calendar."

The jihadist threat hit home again last month with an attack in Niger in which eight U.S. and Nigerien troops were killed, prompting American officials to forecast that U.S. involvement in the Sahel region would deepen.

As well as the leaders of the G5 nations - all former French colonies - and the EU and African Union, the French presidential official said the United States had also been invited to the Dec. 13 summit.

The G5 force is to eventually comprise 5,000 men from seven battalions and police the region in collaboration with 4,000 French troops deployed there since Paris intervened in 2013 to beat back an insurgency in northern Mali.

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It will also have to coordinate with MINUSMA, Mali's U.N. peacekeeping mission. MINUSMA has been frequently attacked in the north where Islamists have regained ground since 2013.

A donor conference will be held in Brussels on Dec. 14 to raise funds for the Sahel force. Paris has also asked Saudi Arabia to help finance the force and representatives of the kingdom could also be in Paris on Dec. 13, the official said.

(Reporting by Marine Pennetier; writing by John Irish; editing by Mark Heinrich)
An enormous iceberg has broken off a glacier in a lagoon at a national park in southern Chile.

The Chilean government's National Forestry Corporation tweeted a picture of the rupture on Tuesday.

Officials at the Torres del Paine National Park have said the cause of the rupture of the so-called Grey Glacier is unclear, although many will point to the Earth's ever-increasing temperature .

Such breaks in the ice at the park are rare and have not occurred since the early 1990s, they added.

Michael Arcos, the park's superintendent, added: "The retreat of the Grey Glacier is a process that has been constant and accelerated in recent times and is very likely to have to do with climate change."

The block of blue-white ice now floating freely in the glacial lagoon measures 350m (1,148ft) long by 380m (1,247ft) wide - more than three times the size of Chile's national stadium in the capital city of Santiago.

Famous for its mountain views, Torres del Paine is one of the largest and most popular national parks in the country, with more than 250,000 visitors last year.

It has also been named as the fifth most beautiful place in the world by National Geographic and the 8th Wonder of the World by TripAdvisor after a four-month contest in which people voted on 330 locations.
Building industry bosses have warned the Government they will need a generous immigration regime after Brexit to avoid a "cliff edge" if EU workers are restricted.

One in eight construction workers in the UK are from abroad - of which 60% are from European Union countries - but in some areas, they form the vast majority of staff on sites.

Today, the industry's seven major trade bodies have published a "Brexit manifesto" intended to pile pressure on ministers to set out their plans for a transition period, a new migration system and how to fill the "critical" skills gap.

It comes two weeks ahead of a crunch summit in Brussels at which Theresa May must give assurances about the status of EU citizens who are already living in the UK, if Britain is to move on to negotiating a trade deal with the EU.

With (Other OTC: WWTH - news) three million people employed in construction, they say their concerns must be acknowledged, but Mrs May faces increasingly vocal concerns from other sectors reliant on migrant labour, including hospitality and agriculture.

Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders, the largest trade association, said without an indication of what immigration system will replace free movement, EU workers would soon start leaving for other countries.

"I think the Government is finding it very tricky to be clear cut, while it is negotiating with the European Union. But we're facing a cliff edge.

"We don't know, post-2019, what the Government's regime is going to be, and that will have a detrimental effect on the provision of more housing and infrastructure which we desperately need in the post-Brexit era."

Steve Radley, head of policy at the Construction Industry Training Board, set up in the 1960s to boost apprenticeships, said: "We have a key period coming up at Christmas, there's obviously a risk that some (EU staff) will go home for Christmas and not come back.

"I think industry is really looking at maybe a transition period of about five years or so, to really put the plans in place to ramp up apprenticeship numbers, to get recruitment going and attract people from other sectors."

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Ministers have announced this month that 300,000 homes a year must be built to meet a national shortage. The Government has also published an industrial strategy aimed at building infrastructure "fit for the future" .

In the capital, the pressure to build homes is particularly acute. At a site in west London where Cuttle Construction is developing a row of basement flats, about 80% of staff hail from abroad.

Mark Flynn, project manager at the site, where English and Irish staff are outnumbered by those from eastern Europe, told Sky News: "As it stands, we have a good workforce. But if fresh people are limited from coming in, it would soon thin out.

"I think you'd have to offer the English and Irish guys more money to do the things the guys from eastern Europe are happier to do. They are into different things now, they find computers and other industries more appealing than hard work.

"You always hear of people here wanting to be electricians and plumbers. You don't hear of so many people wanting to be labourers. It's earlier starts, you're quite often outside exposed to the elements it's not the easiest game to be in."

Site foreman Brian O'Donnell said strict restrictions on EU workers would certainly increase costs.

"There will be trouble, there will be serious problems if you can't get the workforce, you can't get the work done."

Mihai, from Romania, who moved to Britain 11 years ago and works on the site, said he was confident of being able to stay after Brexit but said the future was uncertain for newer arrivals, and countries like Germany might have more appeal.

"For people coming now, it's very difficult, a lot of people have children born here, at school, they have houses. They are scared about what's going to happen after 2019," he said.

At Nescot further education college in Epsom, Surrey, hundreds of students are training to be carpenters, bricklayers and electricians.

Industry bodies say there has been increased interest in more vocational courses in the last two years but it will take time to meet the skills shortage.

Dave Lewin, director of the college's construction courses, said: "Certainly to meet the Government's building agenda - 300,000 homes a year - we are going to have to work very closely with industry to make sure our young people are capable of fulfilling that need."

But he added: "Apprentices make good money from day one. Yes it's hard labour, it's hard graft involved but there's huge opportunities and young people can see that."

A Home Office spokesperson said in response to the construction industry's manifesto: "We are carefully considering the options for the future immigration system and will set out our plans shortly.

"We have already been clear there will be an implementation period after we leave the EU to avoid a cliff edge for businesses and that EU citizens already working in the UK will be able to apply for settled status so they can stay."
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP)  German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the European Union wants to work more closely with Africa to address illegal migration.

Merkel has told a Europe-Africa summit that "it's very important that we simply support Africans to put a stop to illegal migration, so people don't have to either suffer in horrible camps in Libya or are even being traded."

Merkel is attending the summit in Ivory Coast along with French President Emmanuel Macron and dozens of other European and African leaders.

Migration is a top issue after recent footage of migrants at a slave auction in Libya drew international condemnation. Another issue high on the agenda is security.

Merkel says that to improve living conditions for Africans "the question of education of children and teenagers, especially of girls," is key.

See Also:
ONALASKA  Onalaska School District voters who went to the polls Tuesday clearly wanted an end to Jake Speeds disruptive school board term.

Former board member Deanna Verdon outpolled Speed by a margin of almost 15-to-1 in a recall election midway through the incumbents first term. Verdon received 1,408 votes to Speeds 95.

Verdon said she was thrilled to see voters come out in such numbers to show their support and put her back on the school board; the vote clearly showed the community cares about the future of the school district.

I am really looking forward to getting back together with all the school board members and to be able to look at the issues ahead of us, she said.

Verdon, a special education teacher at Viking Elementary School in Holmen, left the board after her first three-year term earlier this year but was convinced by recall proponents to run against her former colleague.

In March, Speed told a radio station the school district illegally spent $3,500 on attorneys fees. A month earlier, Speed told the same radio station that he filed a complaint with the FBI and La Crosse County district attorney over malfeasance in the district.

On April 10, the board unanimously censured Speed for his confrontational relationship with district staff and fellow board members.

Speed regularly declined to talk to the Tribune, calling it fake news, and declined to answer any questions in its pre-election questionnaire.

Speed won election to the board April 5, 2016, after challenging the validity of the nomination papers circulated by incumbents Ann Garrity and Tim Smaby. Wisconsins Government Accountability Board granted Speeds challenge, removing Garrity and Smabys names from the ballot, leaving the La Crosse Tea Party founders name alone on the ballot. Garrity edged fellow incumbent Tim Smaby for the second seat on the board in that election, both running as write-ins.

The effort to recall Speed, led by Onalaska chiropractor Mark Cassellius, gathered 2,285 qualified signatures, 32 percent more than than the 1,743 required by state law to force a recall election.

Hopefully the school board and the district can move on, put this behind them and have a full focus on the business that is the most important, he said.

School Board President Ann Garrity said it was a pleasant surprise to see how many people took an interest in the makeup of the board.

Cassellius has said the recall effort was motivated by concern about the activities, actions and behavior of Speed  activities and behaviors Garrity characterized as disappointing to put it mildly.

She described Speed as at times unprofessional, threatening, demeaning and condescending to fellow board members and faculty.
The Prime Minister has become the first major foreign leader to visit Iraq since the fall of the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul.

Visiting British troops in the country, Theresa May spoke about the UK's commitment to containing the threat of IS (also known as Daesh) amid fears remnants of the terror group will target Europe.

However, in an interview with Sky News, the Prime Minister twice refused to rule out reducing the overall size of the British Army following a Ministry of Defence spending review in January.

She said: "We will maintain our NATO commitment of 2% of GDP being spent on defence.

"What we are doing is ensuring that we are increasing the defence budget.

"We need to look at how we most effectively spend that increased and rising defence budget.

"It is about looking at the threats that we face and ensuring we have the capabilities to meet those threats."

Defence minister Tobias Ellwood has reportedly threatened to resign if troop numbers drop below 70,000.

A number of Conservative backbenchers are also demanding guarantees from the Prime Minister that the British Army will not be hollowed out by January's review.

Speaking at Taji military base, north of Iraqi capital Baghdad, Mrs May also explained the purpose of UK efforts to train local security forces.

"It is about ensuring that Iraqi forces are able to conduct the operations they need to conduct themselves," she said.

"Iraqi forces have been active, they have been seeing military success against Daesh.

"We have seen that in the fall of Mosul."

Military success against IS means the extremists are increasingly losing control of their territory and resources.

But, in response, the jihadists have become less structured and adopted more fluid tactics.

To counter this threat, the UK will invest 10m over the next three years to build Iraq's counter-terrorism capability.

Britain will also help to develop border infrastructure, watch lists and biometric capabilities in order to counter the dispersal of foreign fighters across Iraq.

The Prime Minister also announced on Wednesday the UK will continue to support Iraqi defence and security forces.
By Philip Pullella and Krishna N. Das

DHAKA (Reuters) - Pope Francis called on Thursday for decisive measures to resolve the political reasons that caused mostly Muslim refugees in Myanmar to flee to Bangladesh and urged countries to help the Dhaka government deal with the crisis.

However, just as on the first leg of his trip, in Myanmar, he did not use the word Rohingya to describe the refugees, which is contested by the Yangon government and military.

In a speech before Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid and diplomats hours after arriving under heavy security in Dhaka, the chaotic and dusty capital of 14 million people, Francis instead spoke of "refugees from Rakhine State".

In his speech, Francis, who used the term Rohingya twice this year in appeals from the Vatican, praised impoverished Bangladesh's "spirit of generosity and solidarity" in helping "a massive influx of refugees from Rakhine State".

The exodus of some 625,000 Muslim Rohingya people from Rakhine state to the southern tip of Bangladesh was sparked by a military crackdown in response to Rohingya militant attacks on an army base and police posts on Aug. 25.

Scores of Rohingya villages were burnt to the ground, and refugees arriving in Bangladesh told of killings and rapes.

The United States has said the campaign by mainly Buddhist Myanmar's military included "horrendous atrocities" aimed at "ethnic cleansing". The military denies the accusations.

"None of us can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation, the immense toll of human suffering involved, and the precarious living conditions of so many of our brothers and sisters, a majority of whom are women and children, crowded in the refugee camps," Francis said at the presidential palace.

"It is imperative that the international community take decisive measures to address this grave crisis, not only by working to resolve the political issues that have led to the mass displacement of people, but also by offering immediate material assistance to Bangladesh in its effort to respond effectively to urgent human needs."

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Even though his calls for justice, human rights and respect in Myanmar were widely seen as applicable to the Rohingya, who are not recognised as Myanmar citizens or as members of a distinct ethnicity, rights groups such as Amnesty International said they were disappointed he did not defend them by name.

In studiously avoiding the highly charged term, the pope has so far followed the advice of church officials in Myanmar, who feared it could set off a diplomatic incident and turn Myanmar's military and government against minority Christians.

Francis is due to meet a group of Rohingya refugees in Dhaka on Friday.

In his address to the pope, the president of Bangladesh, which is predominantly Muslim, used the term Rohingya several times and accused the Myanmar army of committing "ruthless atrocities". He called for a "safe, sustainable and dignified return" of the refugees to their homes.

Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an accord last week on terms for the return of Rohingya, though rights groups are sceptical Myanmar will follow through on the deal and have called for independent observers for any repatriation.

There are concerns about protection for Rohingya from further violence if and when they go home, and about a path to resolving their legal status - most are stateless - and whether they would be allowed to return to their old homes.

The pope's visit to the South Asian country unfolded under heavy security. While Francis stuck to his custom of using a simple car, he was escorted by many armoured military and police vehicles.

The country was shocked on July 1, 2016, when gunmen stormed a cafe in Dhaka's upscale Gulshan neighbourhood, killing 22 people, most of them foreigners, in an overnight siege. Islamic State militants claimed responsibility.

(Writing by Philip Pullella; editing by Mark Heinrich)
Theresa May has launched her first direct condemnation of Donald Trump, saying she is "very clear that re-tweeting from Britain First was the wrong thing to do".

Speaking on a trip to Jordan, the Prime Minister replied to President Trump's public challenge made overnight on Twitter, in which he said Mrs May should "focus on the destructive radical Islamic terrorism taking place within the United Kingdom" and not on him.

She told reporters: "The fact that we work together, does not mean that we're afraid to say when we think the United States have got it wrong.

"I am very clear that retweeting Britain First was the wrong thing to do."

It came as Sir Kim Darroch, the British ambassador to the US, revealed he had made a formal complaint to the White House.

Mrs May said at a press conference in Amman, Jordan: "I'm not a prolific tweeter myself, and that means I don't spend much of my time reading other people's tweets.

"But when I feel there should be a response, I give it - and I've given it."

Her comments are the first direct challenge made to President Trump since a Downing Street statement on Wednesday.

It called the sharing of anti-Muslim videos from far-right party Britain First "wrong".

But the move angered the US leader, who tweeted: "@Theresa_May, don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!"

On Thursday, Mrs May reiterated the criticism made by Home Secretary Amber Rudd that the original posts were "wrong".

:: Sad! Pathetic! A history of Donald Trump's Twitter insults

:: 'A Trump state visit may now be unthinkable'

Asked by Sky News to respond to President Trump's comments about her failure to tackle terrorism at home, Mrs May said: "We take the need to deal with the terrorist threat very seriously.

"That's about what we do domestically in the United Kingdom, it's about what we do elsewhere in the world."

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But she dodged a question on whether the US leader was "a fit person to meet the Queen" on a planned state visit.

And she avoided answering on whether she would sack a Cabinet minister if they retweeted Britain First material, saying only that she was sure they would not.

:: The far-right - what is Britain First?

Sky's Jason Farrell said: "The Prime Minister's comments went down well with Jordanian officials in the room who chuckled at the questions about Donald Trump and applauded Theresa May's rebuke that he 'got it wrong.'"

Sir Kim also said on Thursday: "British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right, which seek to divide communities and erode decency, tolerance and respect.

"British Muslims are peaceful and law abiding citizens. And I raised these concerns with the White House yesterday."

Following Mr Trump's sharing of videos posted by the Twitter account of Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen on Wednesday, Ms Fransen issued a video statement in which she declared herself "delighted" with the President's actions.

She also appealed to Mr Trump for his "help" and "intervention" as she faces a charge of using threatening or abusive language following an appearance at a rally in Belfast this summer.

Ms Fransen is due in court next month.

Commenting on the developing row on Thursday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "I would hope the President will think about this and people who advise the President will advise him.

"Listen, we are a society that wants to be cohesive and inclusive of people and the remarks he makes are just not helpful and not appropriate.

"I think he should stop retweeting what Britain First or any other far-right organisation say."

Mr Corbyn also expressed his belief it is "unlikely" Mr Trump's planned state visit to the UK will now go ahead.

But he added: "In the event that he does come to Britain, I hope he will look at the diversity of our society, the sense of inclusivity we have in our society and my local mosque would be very happy to receive him."
Donald Trump has hit out at Theresa May after Downing Street criticised him for retweeting videos by the far-right group Britain First.

In a tweet, the US President told the Prime Minister: "Don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!"

Mr Trump ended up sending the message twice because he got Mrs May's Twitter account confused with someone else's.

He made the sleight against Mrs May following her criticism of his decision to share three anti-Muslim videos posted online by the deputy leader of Britain First.

He retweeted Jayda Fransen's posts to his 43.6 million followers, including unverified footage purporting to show Muslims committing crimes.

:: Sad, pathetic! A history of Trump's Twitter insults

Mrs May is currently on a tour of the Middle East, and Downing Street has not yet responded to Mr Trump's tweet to her.

Earlier, in reaction to Mr Trump sharing the controversial videos, Mrs May's official spokesman had said: "It is wrong for the President to have done this.

"Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddles lies and stokes tensions.

"They cause anxiety to law-abiding people.

"The British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudice of Britain First that is the antithesis of the values that this country represents - decency, tolerance and respect."

One of the videos was entitled "Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!" while another two were purporting to show attacks carried out by other Muslims.

Fransen, who faces trial next year accused of religiously aggravated harassment, appeared to celebrate the President's actions, tweeting moments later: "God bless you Trump! God bless America!"

MPs last year called for Britain First to be a proscribed terrorist organisation after the murder of MP Jo Cox, who was killed by a right-wing extremist shouting "Britain First" .

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Brendan Cox, her widower, said Mr Trump "should be ashamed of himself" for retweeting the group's videos.

"Trump has legitimised the far-right in his own country, now he's trying to do it in ours," Mr Cox wrote on Twitter.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson supported Mrs May's condemnation of Britain First.

He tweeted: "Britain First is a divisive, hateful group whose views are not in line with our values. UK has a proud history as an open, tolerant society & hate speech has no place here."

:: Sky Views - A Trump state visit may now be unthinkable

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid hit out at the President for supporting the far-right group.

He tweeted: "So POTUS has endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me.

"He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing."

Another minister told Sky News the planned state visit would not be cancelled. "The status of the office of the President overrides the bad behaviour on this part," they said.
HANOI, Nov 29 (Reuters) - U.S. ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc on Wednesday signed a strategic deal with Vietnamese financial technology firm MoMo to let passengers pay for rides using MoMo's e-wallet, the pair said in a statement on Wednesday.

The deal is Uber's first e-wallet partnership in Southeast Asia, home to 600 million people, and could help the firm catch up with main regional rival Grab which has its own e-wallet service.

"Vietnam is one of Uber's fastest-growing Asian markets... MoMo's five million app users already pay for utility bills, airline tickets and other services with the wallet," Uber and MoMo said in a joint statement.

Last year, Goldman Sachs Group Inc and a private-equity arm of Standard Chartered PLC invested a combined $28 million in "fintech" firm MoMo, offering a means of tapping into Vietnam's young, tech-savvy population.

"The partnership with Uber will open a seamless and cashless transport experience for the many Vietnamese without credit cards," MoMo Chief Operating Officer Nguyen Manh Tuong said in the statement. (Reporting by Mai Nguyen Editing by Christopher Cushing)

See Also:
A Marie Stopes nurse explains to mother-of-three Kadidja Toudjani how a contraceptive implant works in Niger's village of Libore, about 20km southeast of the capital Niamey, Niger November 2, 2017. REUTERS/Tim Cocks

By Tim Cocks

DAKAR/LIBORE, Niger (Reuters) - Mabingue Ngom, the head of the U.N. Population Fund in West Africa, knows that if he wants to cut birth rates he can't ignore religion.

Population experts like Ngom are worried that if West Africa's population continues to grow at its current pace - the region has the highest birth rate in the world - it will drive fiercer competition for scarce water and farmland, and fuel malnutrition, conflict and ever more economic refugees.

West African governments, U.N. agencies and charities also want to cut maternal mortality rates, which are higher in West Africa than anywhere else in the world, according to U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) figures.

(Family planning in West Africa - http://tmsnrt.rs/2zWftuY)

But imams who follow the puritanical Wahhabist form of Islam and some traditional religious leaders across the region regularly preach against the use of contraception, saying Western nations are pushing birth control because they fear being outnumbered by Africans.

Some imams cite a passage in the Koran imploring Muslims to "go forth and multiply", and family planning is seen by many in the region as a Western plot to curb the spread of Islam.

"The West's policy is about reducing our numbers," said Hassane Seck, an imam in Dakar influenced by the Wahhabist tradition. "Because of their perverse promotion of contraception, women in Europe are no longer fertile, but ours are. There are going to be many more of us, and they're afraid.".

To counter that message, population experts are trying to co-opt moderate clerics.

Which is why, at a meeting in September with half a dozen senior Senegalese clerics, Ngom avoided the issue of overpopulation and focussed on values espoused in the Koran: the need for better maternal health and the need to ensure parents have resources to feed and educate their children.

"You can come with your Powerpoint and make nice speeches and achieve nothing. People will be even more hostile," he told Reuters. "If you want to change things, you have to engage them."

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After listening to Ngom speak, Bou Mouhamed Kounta, deputy head of Senegal's Islamic Supreme Council, warned that family planning in Senegal was taboo. But, he added: "We are ready to work with you, because I can see that UNFPA respects religion."

NIGER GROWTH

For planners worried about growth rates, the starkest case remains Niger, a poor country stretching into the Sahara desert. According to U.N. projections, its population will triple by 2050 to 72 million, yet because of frequent droughts it already struggles to feed its people.

The fertility rate in Niger has been the highest in the world for the past decade and has been above 7 children per mother for a quarter of a century, according to U.N. figures.

More than one in five women are married by the time they are 19 and for every 100,000 births in Niger, 553 mothers die. In neighbouring Chad, the maternal mortality level is 856 per 100,000 births. It is only 12 in the developed world.

Attempts by Niger to lower its birth rate have been fiercely resisted by traditional leaders - known as marabouts - and some imams. Measuring the extent of Wahhabist influence in West Africa is hard, but they control many of the region's most strategic mosques, such as the main university houses of worship in Senegal and Niger.

On Niger's religious TV stations, preachers promise hellfire for anyone practising family planning. At a large mosque in the southern city of Maradi, an imam denounces contraception as a "plot by the whites to reduce us", two reproductive health workers based there, who declined to be named, said.

When UNFPA and Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou tried to introduce sex education in schools in 2015, angry mobs burnt the text books outside U.N. offices. Three years earlier a bill banning girls being taken out of school for marriage provoked such a backlash it had to be axed.

Back then, Ngom wondered whether decades of telling Africans they were having too many babies was counterproductive. He decided the family planning message needed to be nuanced and has held dozens of meetings with moderate imams, always wearing a bubu, the traditional Muslim robe of his native Senegal.

"In a world of suspicion, of mistrust, how you put things is more important than the issues themselves," he told Reuters in Dakar. "You need to know your audience."

'LIMIT, REDUCE'

Atamo Hassane, head of Niger's family planning unit, agrees.

"To 'limit' or 'reduce' population, those are two words you just can't use," Hassane told Reuters in Niger's capital Niamey. "If you do, every marabout ... is going to be against you."

He said using family planning to space out births won't be enough to tackle population growth but hopes that once people start to use contraception they will see the benefits, use it more, and birth rates will then start to fall.

Other moderate clerics include Sheikh Ali Ben Salah, Niger's former minister of religious affairs.

"Islam is clear: you can't just have children without considering how you're going to feed, clothe and educate them," Salah told Reuters at a conference on child marriage in Dakar.

"So family planning is part of Islam. The problem only comes if you want to stop at a certain number."

UNFPA had a breakthrough in July when Chad's highest Islamic authority hosted a symposium with the U.N. agency and 1,200 regional religious leaders - unprecedented for the subject of family planning.

"I told them family planning will reduce maternal mortality by a third. Who doesn't want to do that?" Ngom said.

Cheikh Abdeldahim Abdoulaye, secretary general of Chad's Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, told Reuters he had backed the U.N. programme because the Koran permitted the spacing out births, primarily for the sake of better maternal health.

'CHILDREN GOD WANTS'

Aminatou Bakah, a Nigerien aid worker for charity Marie Stopes International, which provides contraception and family planning advice in 37 countries, said they had long struggled to shake off the idea they were a tool of Western interference.

"They called us 'Marie Stop', because we want to stop people having children," she said. "We had to explain that, no, we want to help you plan, not just get pregnant by pure chance."

At a pop-up clinic run by the charity in Libore, 20 km (13 miles) outside Niamey, mothers with young children wait for advice on contraceptive methods.

In the village of jagged acacia trees, clay houses and a mosque, all nine of the mothers interviewed by Reuters said they didn't want to have fewer children and were using contraception only as a temporary reprieve from child birth.

"I would have 15 children if that's what God wants," said Rahinatou Kadri, 24, a mother of four.

Her husband, who is an imam, has two other wives, the oldest of whom has 16 children, she said. Keen not to be outdone, when her husband said he wanted another child, Kadri dutifully came back to have her contraceptive implant removed.

"Our religion doesn't permit us to stop having children," said Mariane Hamadoun, 34, a mother of five.

Thanks partly to such views, the birth rate in some African countries has defied predictions that it would fall as the continent gets more prosperous, as has happened in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

But attitudes may be changing. Lamodi Soulye, 39, a devout Muslim and worker in a Chinese restaurant in Niamey, was one of 28 siblings from one father and three different mothers.

He remembers occasionally going hungry, and dropping out of school with only basic primary education.

"My father lacked the resources to keep us," he said. "I decided not to do the same thing to my children."

He plans to stop at three.

(Editing by David Clarke)
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>
Cleaning and decontamination service provider React Group warned it expects to make a loss for the year as it closes its bio-recovery and environmental management subsidiary EPUK after seven months of ownership.

The AIM-listed company is to close EPUK, which it bought in April for 10,000, as it failed to deliver the level of profitable business, or cross-selling to other group customers despite efforts made to integrate the business.

The company believes that the subsidiary has limited prospects of generating an acceptable return, given the significant diversion of management time and the likely costs involved to address the situation.

It now expects to make a loss between 250,000 and 300,000 for the year ended 30 September, of which about 180,000 relates to EPUK for liabilities and trading losses since the acquisition.

No further consideration is expected to be paid under the original agreement of the acquisition.

The remaining losses are related to the costs associated with integration of other new subsidiaries.

Chief executive Grahame Rummery said: "EPUK has been a very disappointing situation for the company. By closing the business the management team is now able to concentrate its attention and efforts on the rest of the React Group to raise sales and to improve margins for the group."
Vectura announced that Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis has signed a licensing agreement with Sunovion Pharmaceuticals for the US commercialisation rights to three treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for which it receives royalty revenues.

Novartis, whose products use Vecturas inhaler technology, signed the agreement for Utibron Neohaler, Seebri Neohaler (glycopyrrolate) and Arcapta Neohaler (indacaterol) inhalation powder.

The license is specific to the US and has no implications outside this market, Vectura said.

Chief executive officer James Ward-Lilley said: We are pleased that Novartis has signed this licensing agreement with Sunovion to bring Seebri and Utibron to the US market. We are confident that with its established US respiratory focus and commercialisation expertise Sunovion will be a strong partner.

The launch of these products in 2017 will give doctors new treatment options for their COPD patients. We look forward to the successful US commercialisation of these products and the further contribution they will make to the substantial existing recurring and growing royalty stream we receive from Novartis as reported in our recent interim results."

At 1450 GMT, Vectura shares were down 2.6% to 133p.
A vote to oust Donald Brydon, chairman of the London Stock Exchange Group, hung in the balance last night after the rebel hedge fund chief calling for his head declined to back down in the face of an ultimatum from the company. In a day of high drama for the embattled operator of the stock exchange, Xavier Rolet, the chief executive, said he was quitting immediately and would not return under any circumstance. Mr Brydon agreed to leave, too, but only by April 2019. - The Times

BREXIT CORNER

EU leaders are preparing to offer a two-year Brexit transition deal as early as January after negotiators said that they were close to a breakthrough over the Northern Ireland border. British officials tabled proposals this week to avoid a hard border in Ireland that could unblock the last remaining major obstacle to a deal. - The Times

UK and EU negotiators are increasingly optimistic that sufficient agreement on the future of the Irish border can be reached in the coming days to progress Brexit talks to the next stage. Sources indicate the ground has now been laid for political agreement on the question of the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland after Brexit, which would allow both sides to start discussing the UKs future trading relationship with the bloc. - Guardian

Theresa May has been put on notice by hardline Conservative Eurosceptics that they could be prepared to vote against her final Brexit deal if the UK continues to pay the 50bn divorce bill for years to come or does not get good trade terms. A group of Tory MPs are unhappy about the scale of the proposed sum and believe leaving on World Trade Organisation terms would be better, meaning the prime minister might have to rely on Labour support to get parliaments approval for a final deal before March 2019. - Guardian

The European court of justice is to be asked if the UK can stop the Brexit process unilaterally in a legal challenge being launched in Scotland by pro-European politicians. A group of four politicians from Labour, the Scottish National party and Scottish Greens wants the European court to rule on whether article 50 can be revoked by the UK on its own if voters or the Commons decide the final Brexit deal is unacceptable. - Guardian

Britain can free its banking system from the burden of excessive EU red tape after Brexit  and can instead focus on the important rules which keep the financial system safe, Mark Carney, the Bank of Englands Governor, indicated yesterday. That could include the bonus cap which the Bank of England has long opposed, as well as rules which force small banks to face the same rules as global institutions. - Telegraph

NATIONWIDE BUILDS, BARCLAYS APPOINTS

Nationwide Building Society is to directly build about 200 fair price homes for sale and rent for the first time with a scheme in Swindon. But the mutual said it was only tiptoeing into property development and had no plans to become a volume housebuilder. - Guardian

Millions of iPhone users could be in line for compensation after the launch of a mass legal claim against Google for illegally harvesting personal data from Apple handsets. The claim group, led by Richard Lloyd, former executive director of the consumer watchdog Which?, aims to secure a settlement of 1 billion or more for the estimated 5.4 million people who are believed to have had information unlawfully collected by the technology giant. - The Times

Britains car manufacturing heartlands have been selected as the site for a new research centre into batteries which it is hoped will revolutionise the automotive sector and make the UK a world leader in the technology. Business Secretary Greg Clark confirmed on Wednesday that Coventry and Warwickshire would be the site of an 80m project to develop batteries for use in the automotive industry. - Telegraph

Union bosses have announced a series of strikes over the Christmas period. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said that six one-day stoppages would be staged on the west coast main line over a pay dispute. - The Times

Barclays has recruited a clutch of top bosses from across technology, retail and financial services to join the board of its soon to be launched ring-fenced UK bank. The high street lender is thought to be ahead of the pack in setting up a stand-alone retail bank, under new rules designed to protect British consumers and small businesses from riskier investment banking operations. - Telegraph

Low-cost airline Wizz Air has secured all the take-off and landing slots at Luton airport which belonged to defunct rival Monarch. The Hungary-based carrier strengthened its position at Luton last month when it formally launched a base there, adding four aircraft to its sole plane at the airport and announcing 30 additional flights each week. - Telegraph

The bad bank, established by the Government to manage the assets of collapsed lenders Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley, will on Thursday lay out plans to offload 5.5bn of housing loans through an auction. UK Asset Resolution (UKAR) is expected to release details of the upcoming mortgage sales when it publishes results on Thursday morning. - Telegraph

Just Eat, the online takeaway company, was on Wednesday night officially promoted into the FTSE 100 list of Britains blue chip companies, with a valuation of 5.5bn  making it worth half a billion pounds more than the UKs second biggest supermarket chain. The UKs love affair with having pizzas, curries and kebabs delivered to their door has spawned a mobile food business with no products and no outlets that is more highly valued than Sainsburys, which sells 90,000 products through 1,400 stores  and also owns the Argos chain. - Guardian

Workers who left school or graduated in a recession can expect their pay and job prospects to be damaged for as much as a decade, as a poor start to their working lives has a long, lingering impact even as the economy recovers. New workers in a recession are around 10pc more likely to be unemployed. After 10 years they are still 1pc more likely to be out of work than those who left education in a year of economic growth, the Institute for Fiscal Studies found. - Telegraph

Uber lost $1.5bn (1.1bn) in the third quarter of the year, reversing recent progress that had seen the $70bn tech firm stem the red ink in recent months. The latest financials, disclosed to investors as Uber attempts to secure a major funding round from the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, will raise doubts about its ability to turn its millions of customers and global presence into profits. - Telegraph
Sir Philip Green may have to pay 1bn to resolve the problems facing the BHS pension scheme under proposals tabled by MPs. The work and pensions committee, which is chaired by Labour MP Frank Field, has called for the government to introduce a nuclear deterrent to stop companies or individuals trying to avoid their responsibilities to pension schemes.  Guardian

Britains Brexit deal must meet the needs of all sectors of the economy if the UK is to be successful outside the European Union, the CBI has warned. The business lobby group urged the government to take a whole economy approach to negotiations with the EU, so that no sector is left behind.  Guardian

House prices will rise by 3 per cent next year  more than previously forecast  according to the the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The RICS, whose monthly reports are closely monitored by the Bank of England and the government, said that the shortage of homes available meant prices would continue to rise.  The Times

Hundreds of mergers and acquisitions could be derailed by a proposal to force regulators to scrutinise deals that may threaten pension promises. MPs on the work and pensions select committee lamented the sharp decline in the number of deals being vetted by the pensions regulator, saying the hands-off approach could be exploited by unscrupulous scheme sponsors.  The Times

Volvo has gone further down the road to a stock market listing after a major fundraising with Swedish institutional investors. The car company - which is owned by Chinas Zhejiang Geely Holding Group - raised SEK 5bn (483m) by issuing preference shares to pension funds AMF and AP1 and insurance group Folksam. - Telegraph
Miners were doing best among the main market groups, with some market commentary referencing the boost to commodity prices from heightened expectations for further monetary stimulus from several of the worlds main central banks, while the Federal Reserve could be expected to stay on the sidelines for longer.

As of 12:30 BST three-month copper futures were 2.7% higer at $4,927.50 per metric tonne on the LME.

Nonetheless, it was Fresnillo that was topping the leaderboard as the Silver Index jumped 5.8% to $20.36/oz..

A 1.6% gain overnight in Dubai gold futures to $1,344.70/oz. also gave the likes of Randgold Resources a leg up.

Several of the main defensive sectors were also among Mondays best performers.

On a related note, in a research report dated 4 July JP Morgan strategist Mislav Matejka cautioned clients he did not believe the currency had legs and told them to focus on those sectors who would be the main beneficiaries of falling sovereign bond prices.

"Our key strategy for 2016 remains to 'overweight' defensives. We would use any short term bounces in cyclicals to reduce," he said in a research report sent to clients on 4 July.

"Regionally, we believe FTSE 100 will remain a surprise outperformer, currency hedged," Matejka said.

From a sector standpoint, Matejka said his top picks for the year remained: utilities, real estate excluding the UK, telecoms, healthcare and energy.

Real estate investment trusts were the worst performer as Liberum downgraded its ratings on British Land, Land Securities, Intu Properties and Hammerson as it pointed to greater occupier uncertainty in London City offices and retail following the UKs decision to leave the European Union.

Acting as a backdrop, the Markit/CIPS UK construction purchasing managers index fell to 46.0 from 51.2 in May, marking its lowest level in seven years and below the 50.0 threshold that separates contraction from expansion for the first time since April 2013.

Economists had been expecting a reading of 50.5.

The deterioration was led by a steep decline in residential building and a reduction in commercial work for the first time since May 2013.

Data for May on investor flows from the Investment Association revealed that property funds saw a net retail outflow of 360m.

Top performing sectors so far today

Mining 11,129.80 +2.80%

Industrial Metals & Mining 1,431.02 +2.25%

Electricity 9,325.28 +1.23%

Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology 13,751.30 +0.19%

Tobacco 57,234.23 +0.19%

Bottom performing sectors so far today

Real Estate Investment Trusts 2,681.39 -4.13%

Industrial Transportation 2,849.66 -3.63%

Automobiles & Parts 6,273.03 -2.72%

General Retailers 2,380.26 -2.38%
When U.S. Army veteran Luke Foresman started looking at colleges 3  years ago, he researched universities deemed best for veterans.

To his surprise and relief, the University of North Georgia (UNG), which is located near his Gainesville, Georgia home, was on that list.

"It was a big motivation," said Foresman, who was a sergeant first class in military intelligence before being medically discharged. "I wanted to feel comfortable around other veterans. And I knew here, I could be able to be myself."

UNG captured three separate designations for supporting veterans and military-bound students. The university is a top college in the Military Times Best: Colleges 2018 rankings; a top school in the Military Advanced Education & Transition's (MAE&T) 2018 Guide to Colleges and Universities rankings; and a gold-level award for being Military Friendly for 2018 by Victory Media.

In the Military Times Best, UNG was ranked 129 out of 218 schools. More than 600 applied for the distinction.

"It's a big honor," said Christy Orr, assistant director of student life for the Veteran and Adult Learner Program (VALP) at UNG.

Formerly known as Best for Vets, Best Colleges 2018 is an editorially independent news project that evaluates the many factors that help make colleges and universities a good fit for service members, military veterans and their families.

"Of the hundreds of schools that applied, fewer than half received the Military Times Best: Colleges designation this year. Only the best made the cut," said George Altman, the Military Times editor in charge of the rankings.

Orr explained UNG has implemented a number of programs on the Dahlonega, Gainesville and Oconee campuses to accommodate students who are military veterans.

Each of the three campuses has an organization committed to providing a network of support to military veterans, their families and civilian supporters. They are Student Veterans of America in Dahlonega and the Student Veterans of North Georgia in Gainesville.

The organizations educate the university community about the experiences of military veterans and work with the university administration to meet the needs of student veterans and prospective student veterans; cultivate student veterans' concerns through scheduled meetings, advocacy, social and recreational activities; and foster esprit de corps among student veterans and promote an understanding of student veterans issues.

On the Dahlonega and Gainesville campuses, student veterans have a space specifically designated for them. On the Dahlonega Campus, the Veterans Resource Center has a lounge space, computer stations, free printing, a private restroom, and a kitchenette with a microwave and coffee maker. It also houses some study materials for CLEP examinations, office supplies, and Scantrons. On the Gainesville Campus, the Military Resource Center has a study space, computer stations, free printing, and access to a kitchenette.

On all campuses, UNG designates certain areas as "Green Zones" with university officials trained to help student veterans identify and connect with the appropriate resources.

"If a veteran sees a sticker with Green Zone, then he or she knows it is a safe zone," Orr said.

Foresman said the Green Zone training has helped in the classroom.

"A professor can make accommodations for a veteran who is going to sit in the back of the room to watch the class," he said. "Or they can allow us to record a lecture."

Orr said these accommodations help student veterans succeed.

"It's a good university that allows you to develop at your own pace," Foresman said. "With the smaller classes, you learn more and you can retain more."
Sauk County officials hope a survey of Spring Green residents and businesses will bolster a public utilitys request for grant money to extend high-speed internet service to that area.

Jenny Erickson, who heads the countys University of Wisconsin-Extension office, said the survey should arrive in mailboxes soon, if it hasnt already.

She briefed the Sauk County Boards Economic Development Committee on Monday about the countys plan to assist the Reedsburg Utility Commission in its effort to offer broadband internet to the village and town of Spring Green.

Last year, the Reedsburg utility applied for  but was denied  a broadband expansion grant from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to extend coverage to Spring Green. However, the denial was in part based on maps that some say are not an accurate reflection of internet access in that area.

The survey  which must be returned by Dec. 15  asks residents about the speed of services offered to their homes and businesses, and whether they desire a faster connection. It also asks respondents for permission to use their addresses to develop a more complete coverage map.

Erickson said if the survey shows rural Spring Green truly is underserved, that should help the Reedsburg utilitys bid for grant funding. A new round of grants will be distributed next year, and applications are due Jan. 25.

Were going to be able to say, yeah, theres a real need here, Erickson said.

Erickson said the plan is for Sauk County  along with other public and private agencies  to partner with the Reedsburg utility in its grant application with the PSC. However, she said she was not sure about other entities that might be involved.

Reedsburg Utility Commission General Manager Brett Schuppner could not be reached for comment.

Board Chair Marty Krueger of Reedsburg, who chairs the Economic Development Committee, said the cost to the county of participating in the joint effort has not yet been determined.

The county may assist by allowing the utility to access the internet through its fiber-optic network of communication towers. The grant also would allow the county to bring its highway shop in that area onto the fiber-optic loop.

Supervisor Dennis Polivka of Spring Green said he was concerned that the main coverage area proposed for the expansion already has plenty of service options available. He said it does not focus on truly rural areas that have limited access.

Why would I go for this when its just going to be for a small area that already has access to the internet? he said.

Polivka  who lives in the town of Spring Green  said his home is served by Bug Tussel Wireless, and gets service fast enough to stream online movies while several computers surf the web.

The grant would allow for wired service to the area, whereas the company that serves Polivka uses towers that are hooked into the countys fiber-optic network to provide wireless access.

The Survey Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls is implementing the survey on behalf of the county.

The Reedsburg Utility Commission is a former recipient of a broadband access grant. It requested $110,000 from the PSC to extend fiber-optic cable to homes at Buckhorn Lake in 2016.

The PSC awarded $69,300 for that project, and the Reedsburg utility anticipated it would recoup the additional $40,000 that it spent out-of-pocket within the first year.

Also during Mondays meeting, the committee discussed the potential to coordinate with other entities to expand rural broadband throughout the county.

I feel like were maybe missing a comprehensive, overarching plan for how Sauk County wants to address lack of broadband access in rural areas, Erickson said.
Inequity is everywhere and its rapid escalation perhaps is humanitys greatest challenge.

Academic scholars can lead the way in helping to solve this problem, said Sylvester Johnson, Virginia Tech's assistant vice provost for the humanities, during a lunch at the Inn at Virginia Tech on Tuesday to kick off the universitys first Advancing the Human Condition Symposium.

It will only happen with a new model of collaboration and placing equity in the center, said Johnson, who also will direct the university's Center for Humanities, which has not yet been established.

This was the purpose of the annual three-day symposium, hosted by the Office for Inclusion and Diversity. It brought together scholars from throughout Virginia Techs academic community, along with several other colleges and universities.

The event consisted of more than 18 sessions that explored the question of how interdisciplinary research and scholarship advance equity and eliminate social disparities. The session topics included everything from robots and autonomous systems and the nations opioid epidemic to disabilities on campus.

Graduate students also presented their research related to advancing the human condition during a poster session.

The symposium highlighted one of Virginia Techs four strategic growth areas - Equity and Social Disparity in the Human Condition. This area is focused on identifying and addressing social disparity issues as they relate to diversity and the ways that people interact in various cultures and settings.

The symposiums approximately 319 participants spanned numerous colleges and disciplines at Virginia Tech, which is key to generating interdisciplinary discussions, said Michele Deramo, assistant provost for diversity education and organizer of the symposium.

Theres no one lens to look at to address a problem, she said. We want this to be something where we generate new questions.
Nucor Corporation manufactures and sells steel and steel products. The company's Steel Mills segment produces hot-rolled, cold-rolled, and galvanized sheet steel products; plate steel products; wide-flange beams, beam blanks, and H-piling and sheet piling products; and bar steel products, such as blooms, billets, concrete reinforcing and merchant bars, and special bar quality products. It also engages in the steel trading and rebar distribution businesses. This segment sells its products to steel service centers, fabricators, and manufacturers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Its Steel Products segment offers hollow structural section steel tubing products, electrical conduits, steel racking, steel joists and joist girders, steel decks, fabricated concrete reinforcing steel products, cold finished steel products, steel fasteners, metal building systems, insulated metal panels, steel grating and expanded metal products, and wire and wire mesh products primarily for use in nonresidential construction applications. This segment also engages in the piling distribution business. The company's Raw Materials segment produces direct reduced iron (DRI); brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron, hot briquetted iron, and DRI; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap metal, as well as engages in the natural gas drilling operations. This segment sells its ferrous scrap to electric arc furnace steel mills and foundries for manufacturing process; and nonferrous scrap metal to aluminum can producers, secondary aluminum smelters, steel mills and other processors, and consumers of various nonferrous metals. It serves agriculture, automotive, construction, energy and transmission, oil and gas, heavy equipment, infrastructure, and transportation industries through its in-house sales force; and internal distribution and trading companies. Nucor Corporation was incorporated in 1958 and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
You never know what youre going to find tucked away in someones closet.

Author and historian Rick Durbin recently experienced this truism via his friendship with fellow historian Bud Gussel, and the result is the preservation of a unique historical record of the earliest attempts to build a city near where Wisconsin Dells stands today.

The closet in this case was the attic of an old farm building near the Dells, according to Durbin. While there, Gussels brother-in-law Clark Wynn stumbled across a journal more than 150 years old, containing an early record of efforts to build a dam on the Wisconsin River and establish Dells predecessor city Kilbourn City nearby.

The aging journals original leather-bound cover was crumbling by the time Wynn discovered it and turned it over to Gussel, a long-time supporter of historic preservation efforts in the city he calls home.

But the journals hand-written contents remained almost perfectly preserved and revealed the little-known story of Byron Kilbourns mid-19th-Century efforts to harness the river and establish the city bearing his name.

Durbin, the author of the 1997 book The Wisconsin River: An Odyssey Through Time and Space, discovered the journals existence while researching his current project, a book about the history of the dam. Gussel lent him the aging volume, and Durbin instantly knew hed encountered an important historical artifact.

The journal contains the hydraulic companys minutes, recorded by various hands of people who witnessed the proceedings by which the hydraulic company worked with the La Crosse and Milwaukee Rail Road, the latter for whom Byron Kilbourn served as president, between 1855 and 1862 in the new city and dam building effort.

I have never run across anything else which described what really happened both within the company and what that companys relationship was with the people in Newport, Durbin said by telephone recently. The majority of book is the record of the meetings held when the city that became Wisconsin Dells was being formed.

Famed local Civil War hero Joseph Bailey served as the dams construction superintendent, according to Durbins and Gussels readings of the journal, but Baileys dam-building skills were no match for a fall flood in 1858 that caused major damage and a rebuilding effort.

Although the companys attempts to build the dam ultimately failed, Kilbourn City remained and eventually saw the rivers successful harnessing with a dam of the same name.

In the process of studying the journal, Durbin also realized its binding and covers would soon disintegrate.

It had begun to degrade  time and continual use were beginning to take their toll, he said. The spine was nearly broken and the steer-hide cover was slowly turning to dust. But the paper and ink were still in excellent condition.

Recognizing its importance to Wisconsin Dells creation story, Durbin and Gussel decided a proper restoration was in order. Ultimately they turned the journal over to La Crosse-based book restorer James Tomey for a full restoration to the binding, covers and all, Durbin said.

Tomey and his wife also constructed a preservation box for safe keeping and a digitized the books written contents.

A copy of those digitized contents now resides in the possession of Kilbourn Public Library Director Cathy Borck. The original document, meanwhile, sits safely within the confines of Bank of Wisconsin Dells, where the banks senior vice president, Kevin Bernander, hopes it someday soon will be displayed for everyone to behold.

Bud wants the bank to hold it in safe storage for the purpose of making sure it finds the right home, Bernander said recently from behind his desk at the bank as Gussel sat and nodded nearby with the restored journal in hand. Were probably going to look at a place in the bank to have it for people to view.

Durbin, who continues to publicize the historic finding by distributing digital copies of the journals contents to libraries and universities across the state and to the Wisconsin Historical Society, believes the Dells-base bank is the perfect place for the valuable original.

On display at the bank in a very nice presentation, thats a nice thing to do, he said.
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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Events this week include an opera at NSU, Winterfest and Miss Aberdeen

Looking for something to do this week, check out an opera at NSU, Winterfest or the Miss Aberdeen coronation.
SANTA FE  A teen accused of planning a mass shooting at Santa Fe High School will be released from custody but is required to be under constant adult supervision, per an agreement between prosecutors and his defense attorney.

Aaron Encinias, 14 or 15 years-old, was arrested by Santa Fe Police earlier this month after other students found plans he allegedly wrote for a shooting at the school that included kill list with names of students and teachers as well as a campus map. Encinias originally told police it was a prank, but a police spokesman later said Encinias admitted that he wanted to carry out the plan but didnt have a gun to do so.

District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer ruled Nov. 14 that Encinias should be remain in custody until trial because he was a danger to others. But a constitutionally-guaranteed detention hearing to review conditions of release was held Wednesday.

Marlowe Sommer this time approved release conditions that put Encinias on electronic monitoring with 24-hour adult supervision as he stays with his father or grandmother. Encinias can leave the house to attend personal and family therapy sessions and will be allowed to have personal leave to get some sort of social connection, prosecutor Jason Lidyard said in court.

This personal time, where Encinias would be allowed to hang out with friends, also must be under adult supervision. He also must enroll in online classes.

Before approving the agreement, Marlowe Sommer expressed concerned about Encinias having access to weapons. The allegations are very serious, and we dont know where he is in his mind, the judge said. Tom Clark, who is now representing Encinias, then showed the judge the results of a mental health evaluation, which she read at the bench without speaking.

Marlowe Sommer then had some stern words for Encinias father before concluding the hearing.

You really need to step up, Marlowe Sommer said. He needs some positive guidance. Youre certainly on notice that hes in an alarming state.

Two other students, Santiago Trujillo and Julian Carter, were arrested for allegedly conspiring in the plan, but their charges were dropped days later. They told police they had only seen Encinias plan and thought it was just a joke.
Martin Jim and Isaac Padilla grew up in Gallup together, attended the same high school and hung out in the same group of friends, according to Jims mother-in-law.

Pamela Ortiz said her daughter was also close to Padilla, and the couples 4-year-old son called him uncle after they all ended up moving to Albuquerque a couple of years ago.

Padilla, 23, and Jim, 25, were killed on Nov. 17 when a Bernalillo County Sheriffs deputy shot seven times into a stolen pickup truck. Padilla was the driver, Jim was sitting in the backseat on the passenger side. Both died at the scene.

The sad thing was (Jim) wasnt involved in anything, Ortiz said. The detective said himself that he was not a suspect in any criminal activity involving that truck.

Two other passengers, a 31-year-old man and a 20-year-old man, were not injured. They are not facing any charges.

The incident started around 3:45 a.m. when Albuquerque police officers spotted the stolen truck near Louisiana and Lomas NE. They said it had been stolen in late October and connected to a burglary a couple of days later.

It drove erratically through the city until it entered the North Valley where deputies took up the chase, according to Sheriff Manuel Gonzales. They followed the truck back into the city and eventually stopped it using a Pursuit Intervention Technique.

Gonzales said a sergeant heard the truck revving its engine and deputy Joshua Mora approached it, ordering the driver and passengers to give themselves up.

Then, he said, Mora fired seven times because he felt an immediate threat to the sergeants and to his safety and feared for his safety. No guns were found in the scene.

Ortiz said theyll never know for sure why Padilla fled from officers or why the group was in the stolen truck or where they got it from.

She said she is angry that the Sheriffs Office waited 11 days after the shooting before providing details about what happened and questions why deputy Mora had to fire seven times.

They are people who are supposed to protect and think twice before they use any kind of fatal force, she said.

Ortiz said both families held funerals in Gallup over the past week, and each mans mother attended the other ones service.

Padillas family could not be reached Wednesday.

Vigil: Ortiz said the family plans to hold a vigil on Coors and Glenrio NW at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
A Hobbs woman is behind bars after police say she embezzled over $50,000 from the nonprofit where she worked.

New Mexico State Police Officer Ray Wilson said Homeland Security arrested 35-year-old Linda Norris in Midland, TX on Wednesday.

She is charged with one count of embezzlement over $20,000 and three counts of fraudulent use of a credit card.

The arrest comes as a result of an intensive three-month State Police investigation into Norris activities as bookkeeper for the Lea County Community Drug Coalition, Wilson said.

He said the investigation, which began in August, found that Norris wrote 25 fraudulent checks to herself, totaling over $22,000 and deposited them into her personal bank account.

State Police also discovered that Norris used the CDC credit card, around 936 times over the course of a year, racking up over $33,000 in charges, Wilson said.

This brought the total of money taken from the CDC by Ms. Norris to $55,342, he said.
DHAKA, Bangladesh  Pope Francis demanded Thursday that the international community take decisive measures to resolve the causes of the mass exodus of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, breaking his recent silence over what the United Nations has declared to be a textbook case of ethnic cleansing.

Arriving in Bangladesh from Myanmar, Francis said it also was imperative for world governments to immediately provide assistance to help the Bangladeshi government cope with Asias worst refugee crisis in decades.

In a speech before Bangladesh President President Abdul Hamid, government officials and ambassadors from around the world, Francis praised Bangladeshs sacrifice and generosity in welcoming in so many refugees before the eyes of the whole world. He didnt identify the Rohingya by name, ethnicity or faith, referring only to refugees from Rakhine state.

But his words were sharp.

None of us can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation, the immense toll of human suffering involved, and the precarious living conditions of so many of our brothers and sisters, a majority of whom are women and children, crowded in the refugee camps, he said.

It is imperative that the international community take decisive measures to address this grave crisis, not only by working to resolve the political issues that have led to the mass displacement of people, but also by offering immediate material assistance to Bangladesh in its effort to respond effectively to urgent human needs.

Francis, a tireless and fearless advocate for refugees, outcasts and societys most marginal, had drawn criticism from human rights organizations and Rohingya themselves for having failed to speak out publicly about the Rohingyas plight while he was in Myanmar.

Francis had remained silent out of diplomatic deference to his hosts, who consider the Rohingya as having illegally migrated from Bangladesh and dont recognize them as one of Myanmars ethnic groups. More than 620,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar and poured into Bangladesh refugee camps over the last few months amid a scorched earth campaign by Myanmars military.

The Vatican defended Francis silence in Myanmar, saying he wanted to build bridges with the predominantly Buddhist nation, which only recently established diplomatic relations with the Holy See. Spokesman Greg Burke said Francis took seriously the advice given to him by the local Catholic Church, which urged him to toe a cautious line and not even refer to the Rohingya by name. And he denied the pope would lose his moral authority as a refugee advocate for his silence, saying his public diplomacy didnt negate what he had said previously or what he was saying to Myanmar officials in private.

Rohingya have faced persecution and discrimination in Myanmar for decades and are denied citizenship, even though many families have lived there for generations. Their plight worsened dramatically in August, when the army began what it called clearance operations in Rakhine state following attacks on security positions by a group of Rohingya militants.

Rohingya who are living in camps in Bangladesh have described indiscriminate attacks by Myanmar security forces and Buddhist mobs, including killings, rapes and the torching of entire villages.

Hamid, the Bangladesh president, accused Myanmars military of having committed ruthless atrocities against the Rohingya, whom he referred to by name, and, in his speech to Francis, demanded international help to return them safely to Myanmar.

Our people welcomed them with open arms, sharing food, shelter and other basic needs, he said. Now, it is our shared responsibility to ensure for them a safe, sustainable and dignified return to their own home and integration with the social, economic and political life of Myanmar.

The Rohingya crisis loomed large over Francis arrival in Dhaka, where huge banners with pictures of the pope and Hamid dotted billboards around town.

Security was tight and was of a particular concern after a Christian priest went missing in northern Bangladesh on Tuesday, and his family reported they received calls demanding money. Police said they were looking for the man but would not confirm if they believed he had been kidnapped.

The countrys leading English-language newspaper, The Daily Star, said in an editorial it felt slightly let down that the pope didnt mention the Rohingya crisis specifically while in Myanmar.

We remain hopeful that given Pope Francis legacy of standing up for the oppressed, he will speak out against the ongoing persecution of the Rohingya during this very important visit, the paper added.

Francis wont visit the refugee camps while in Bangladesh but will host an interfaith peace meeting on Friday in the garden of the Dhaka archbishops residence at which a small group of Rohingya is expected.

Francis first events Thursday in Muslim-majority Bangladesh were pure protocol: He visited the national martyrs memorial and signed a visitors book at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, located at the site where Bangladeshs independence leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and 31 members of his family were killed in a 1975 military coup.

Francis then called on Hamid at the presidential palace, where he was led into the conference hall full of officials by toddlers and was given a miniature golden rickshaw as a gift.

On Friday, Francis ordains 16 new Bangladeshi priests in a Dhaka park, an unusual feature of a papal trip and evidence of what Francis upon arrival described as the freedom that the Catholic Church enjoys in Bangladesh to run its many schools and hospitals  a freedom that has brought three popes here, starting with Pope Paul VI in 1970, when it was East Bangladesh, and St. John Paul II in 1986.

The highlight of the day comes Friday afternoon with the interfaith peace prayer. Francis leaves on Saturday, after meeting with his priests, stopping in at the home where Mother Teresa used to stay when she visited Bangladesh, and hosting about 7,000 young people at a youth rally.

___

Associated Press writers Julhas Alam in Dhaka and Nick Perry in New Delhi contributed to this report.
TAMPA, Fla.  The last time Michael Estevez saw Trai Donaldson, it was sometime in October and the two lifelong friends sat watching ESPN in Estevezs Tampa home, discussing the best basketball player of all time.

Estevez said LeBron. Donaldson said Jordan.

It was a friendly debate, recalled Estevez.

On Tuesday, Estevez got a call from another friend. Tampa Police were questioning Donaldson in a string of deadly shootings that had terrorized a Florida neighborhood since Oct. 9.

Estevez was floored.

You couldnt write me a check or give me ten million in cash to say he possibly did that, he said Thursday, the same day the man he calls his godbrother made his initial court appearance, charged with four counts of first-degree murder. I cant just call him my friend, because that doesnt do justice. God could not have made us closer unless we were blood brothers.

Howell Emanuel Donaldson, 24, was arrested Tuesday after he asked a co-worker at a McDonalds restaurant to hold a bag carrying a gun. The co-worker looked inside, spotted the weapon and alerted a Tampa police officer seated in the restaurant doing paperwork. When Donaldson returned, police were waiting.

The arrest brought immense relief to Seminole Heights, a working-class neighborhood plunged into fears of a serial killer on the loose after three late-night killings in October and a fourth in November. But it also left people puzzled as to why a young man from a comfortable middle-class family could suddenly become the suspect with apparently little sign of something amiss  although at least one co-worker had picked up on the resemblance between Donaldson and a surveillance video released by police.

Co-workers at McDonalds told the Tampa Bay Times theyd previously teased Donaldson, a restaurant crew chief, about his resemblance to the suspect after police released video of a shadowy figure walking near where one of the victims was killed.

I called him the killer to his face, Gail Rogers said. He didnt like that.

Donaldson didnt live in Seminole Heights and told investigators he was unfamiliar with the neighborhood, giving no indication why it was singled out, police said. Though cooperative with officers, he also shed no light on a motive or why individual victims were targeted, according to officials. Arrest records didnt list an attorney for Donaldson, who appeared shackled and wearing a blue padded anti-suicide vest in a jail video linkup for Thursdays court appearance.

Estevez, 25, lives with his parents around the corner from where Donaldson lived with his family. Friends since elementary school, both grew up in an upper-middle class neighborhood of ranch homes.

Hes really the first friend I ever made in my life, Estevez said Thursday in a phone interview.

Attending elementary and middle school together, Estevez said, they built a friendship on a mutual love of sports. Donaldson loved basketball and Estevez, baseball. Both nurtured dreams of playing professionally. During school breaks, theyd shoot hoops for hours in their driveways. By high school, Donaldson attended a succession of schools, trying to play for better teams, his friend said.

And they remained close. Part of it was Donaldsons charisma; he was funny and charming.

All growing up he was the most confident person, well taken care of, always clean, always had a haircut every single week, nice clothes, nice shoes, said Estevez. He was the type of guy that when we were in a room, everyone in that room, was like, I gotta know this guy.'

They drifted apart somewhat in college. Estevez went to school in Alabama to play sports, while Donaldson enrolled at St. Johns University in New York. He was a walk-on for the mens basketball team, never playing a game there, and Estevez didnt understand why his talented friend didnt go to a lesser-known school as a sports standout.

After graduating, Estevez was signed to a minor league team of the Toronto Blue Jays but gave up baseball a few years later due to injury and moved back to Tampa. It took Donaldson six years to finish college, and he moved back after graduating.

Donaldson worked a few jobs, one at a customer support gig where he was fired for absenteeism. Then he was hired at a McDonalds near Tampas nightclub district. None of that surprised Estevez, who chalked it up to a tough economy for millennials. He said he saw Donaldson in his restaurant uniform and shrugged.

No shame from me, he said. I knew hed just got out of college; thats a hard transition time for anybody.

The pair had discussed someday moving out of their parents homes and getting an apartment together. And Donaldson didnt seem all that bothered by not reaching his goal to be a professional athlete  he was too mentally strong for that.

Estevez said Donaldson seemed like the same guy he always knew, and gave no indication of having bought a gun. After all, hed never seen him even fight with another kid.

Never. Never. Never. Estevez paused. I would have never believed he had a reason to need a gun.

Police said ballistics tests linked the killings to the gun in Donaldsons bag and his cellphone held location data corresponding with the first three shootings.

Estevez said hes gotten two hours of sleep since Tuesday and is in shock. When he read others accounts of how Donaldson seemed to have rage in his eyes during a recent pickup basketball game, he said that wasnt possible. His friend hadnt changed since childhood, he insisted.

In the back of my mind, Im going to always think he didnt do it.

Follow Tamara Lush on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tamaralush
LAS CRUCES- Trista Schlaefli, the passenger of a high-speed chase that killed one man Monday, admitted to New Mexico State Police that she and the driver had smoked meth and heroin during the time of the pursuit, according to a police affidavit.

Schlaefli, 32, told police that she and the driver, identified by police as Daniel Lowell, 34, were en route to California when they were stopped at a Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 10 west of Las Cruces about 2. p.m., the affidavit said.

After being asked for identification, Lowell did not present an ID and the one Schlaefli presented was later found to not be her own, stolen from a woman in Colorado, the affidavit said.

The agent asked the two suspects to pull over to a secondary lane, when they fled the scene and led the Border Patrol, the New Mexico State Police and Las Cruces Police on a three-hour hunt, the document said.

During the three hours, the suspects narrowly avoided crashing with a tractor-trailer but did hit a motorcycle, killing the rider  retired Las Cruces police officer J.R. Stewart. The suspects also carjacked one family and attempted to carjack another before they were caught on foot by officers, according to the affidavit.

The first car used by the suspects  a tan 2007 GMC pickup  was found to be stolen out of Colorado on Nov. 9 and should have displayed Oklahoma licences plates. The Colorado license plates on the vehicle at the time of the pursuit were reported stolen in the state on Nov. 25, the affidavit said.

Lowell has 18 charges against him and Schlaefli has 10 charges against her for the incident. Lowell and Schlaefli, both of Colorado, are being held at Dona Ana County Detention Center without bail while they await detention hearings to be held later this week.

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WASHINGTON  After months of clashes on policy and personality, President Donald Trump is considering ousting Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replacing him with hard-nosed CIA Director Mike Pompeo following less than a year on the job, senior U.S. officials said Thursday as turmoil within Trumps national security team burst into the open.

The White House plan, which Trump has not yet signed off on, would force a major realignment early in his term, also creating a vacancy atop the CIA that officials said could be filled by Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas. The overhaul could produce a significant shift in both the tone and direction of the presidents foreign policy, removing it from the understated former oil man whose style has never fit well with Trumps.

It is exceedingly rare for a secretary of state, Americas face on the global stage, to be fired or to serve for a year or less. Nor is it common for presidents to have such a significant Cabinet revamp so soon after taking office. Too much churn could fuel the perception of chaos in the Trump White House  perhaps one reason he has yet to pull the trigger.

Tillersons likely ouster, which was first reported by the New York Times, loomed awkwardly over an Oval Office meeting Thursday between Trump and the visiting Bahraini crown prince. Asked by a reporter whether he wanted Tillerson to stay on the job, Trump was coy, merely pointing out that Tillerson was in fact in the building.

Hes here. Rex is here, the president said.

Timing for any move was uncertain.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Tillersons closest ally in the administration, simply brushed off the report. Theres nothing to it, he said when asked.

But White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders didnt deny it. She did suggest that no move was imminent, saying the president and Tillerson planned to work together to close out what weve seen to be an incredible year.

Does the president still have confidence in Tillerson? When the president loses confidence in someone, they will no longer serve in the capacity that theyre in, she said.

Friction between the president and the nations top diplomat has grown increasingly public through the year.

After a report last month that Tillerson had called the president a moron, Tillerson was forced to appear before cameras at the State Department to pledge fealty his boss. Soon after, Trump publicly challenged his secretary to an IQ match.

For Tillerson, who left his job as Exxon Mobils CEO, a premature departure from the Cabinet has seemed increasingly inevitable.

Theres been a Tillerson death watch since the spring, said Derek Chollet, a former State Department, Pentagon and National Security Council official in the Obama administration.

When Tillerson was tapped for the job late last year, many Trump critics expressed quiet relief that hed picked a sober adult who could form a counterweight to the presidents brasher, impulsive approach, especially on critical matters of war and peace.

Yet divisions on key foreign policy issues emerged quickly, and Trump has repeatedly undermined Tillerson by voicing positions at odds with those the State Department was pushing.

When Tillerson in June called on Arab nations to ease their blockade on Qatar, Trump emerged in the Rose Garden hours later to lambaste Qatar for funding terrorism. Trump also deemed diplomacy with North Korea a waste of time, when Tillerson was pursuing just that. Tillersons advice to Trump to stay in the Paris climate deal and certify Irans compliance with the nuclear deal was similarly overruled.

Pompeo, in contrast, has formed a tight relationship with Trump thats led to a role much broader than many past CIA chiefs. A former businessman and conservative Republican congressman from Kansas, Pompeo is at the White House nearly every day to deliver the daily intelligence briefing, a task often delegated to less senior officials. He sometimes stays longer to accompany Trump to other meetings. He shares the presidents hardline stance against Iran.

Cotton, a top contender to take over at CIA, has been one of Trumps staunchest defenders on foreign policy in Congress. Yet moving him would create a Senate vacancy just as Republicans need every vote possible. Under Arkansas law, if Cotton steps down before next July, the states Republican governor would appoint a replacement who would serve until the November 2018 election. If Cotton stays in the Senate, his current term doesnt end until 2020.

Cottons office wouldnt comment other than to say: Senator Cottons focus is on serving Arkansans in the Senate.

Several administration officials said that Pompeo has said previously hes open to the job.

Tillersons top priority as secretary has been his sweeping overhaul of the State Department, a redesign that has been lambasted by lawmakers from both parties and that the State Department concedes has hurt morale among diplomats. Still, Tillerson aides say he expects to remain in his role to see the overhaul through.

At the White House, meanwhile, frustration with Tillerson has mounted over what officials have described as Tillersons aloofness and his slowness in filling key roles to carry out the presidents agenda.

By September, the White House was telling some people that Tillerson would be replaced and some issues needing sign-off from the secretary of state were being put off until after he was gone, said a senior administration official, who like others wasnt authorized to comment publicly and demanded anonymity.

Tillersons future came up in the Oval Office earlier this month at a meeting in which White House officials closest to the president agreed the Texan should go  and soon  said one individual who consults regularly with the administration. But Trump never signed off, and officials have struggled to focus his attention on the matter, the individual said.

No matter how long Tillerson is allowed to stay on, his stature and ability to speak on Trumps behalf has been impaired, it is widely agreed.

___

AP writers Zeke Miller, Catherine Lucey, Deb Riechmann, Stephen Braun, Bradley Klapper, Richard Lardner, Robert Burns and Darlene Superville contributed.
New Mexico reaped $455 million from energy and mineral production on federal and Indian lands in fiscal year 2017, up $86.5 million from the previous years total, according to the U.S. Department of Interior.

The jump marked the largest increase of any state in the nation.

Under President Trumps American Energy Dominance agenda, weve increased energy funds by a billion dollars nationally, and by $86.5 million in New Mexico in our first year alone, said Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in a statement today.  That money goes right back to communities for things like public works projects, educational improvements, conservation and parks, and infrastructure upgrades.

The increase in revenues is being driven in large part by higher oil prices, which have jumped from $45 per barrel in September 2016 and were $53 per barrel in September of this year. Higher prices spur more production.

The Interior Department said the increase in federal revenues paid to states nationwide  which also includes revenues from offshore drilling on federal leases  is primarily attributed to a larger number of lease sales totaling higher acreage, efforts to streamline permitting and reduce regulatory burdens, and higher oil and gas prices experienced during the year as the economy and exports have continued to expand.

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Family of Jaydon Chavez-Silver leave the Bernalillo County Courthouse after Esias Madrid was sentenced Thursday morning to life in prison in the death of Manzano High School student Jaydon Chavez-Silver. (Marla Brose/JOURNAL) Esias Madrid waits for his sentencing hearing to begin. Madrid was sentenced Thursday morning to life in prison in the death of Manzano High School student Jaydon Chavez-Silver. (Marla Brose/JOURNAL) Nicole Chavez-Lucero, the mother of Jaydon Chavez-Silver, straightens a poster that she brought to the sentencing hearing for Esias Madrid, who was sentenced Thursday morning to life in prison in the death of Manzano High School student Jaydon Chavez-Silver. (Marla Brose/JOURNAL) Esias Madrid listens to statements from the family of Jaydon Chavez-Silver during his sentencing hearing. Madrid was sentenced Thursday morning to life in prison in the death of Manzano High School student Jaydon Chavez-Silver. (Marla Brose/JOURNAL) Ronald Silver, the father of Jaydon Chavez-Silver, hugs prosecutor Penny Gilbert after Esias Madrid was sentenced Thursday morning to life in prison in the death of Manzano High School student Jaydon Chavez-Silver. (Marla Brose/JOURNAL) Family and friends of Jaydon Chavez-Silver leave the courtroom after Esias Madrid was sentenced Thursday morning to life in prison in the death of Manzano High School student Jaydon Chavez-Silver. (Marla Brose/JOURNAL) Prev 1 of 6 Next

Nearly two months after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, Esias Madrid was sentenced Thursday to life in prison in the June 2015 death of Manzano High School student Jaydon Chavez-Silver.

The 19-year-old Madrid is already serving a 16-year sentence in an unrelated fatal shooting, and Judge Jacqueline Flores ruled that the two sentences must be served consecutively.

In a brief statement to the court, Madrid maintained that he was not the person to blame for Chavez-Silvers death.

I apologize for the tragedy that happened, and that I wouldnt wish this upon nobody, he said. But all in honesty, Im not responsible for what happened in this case.

Defense attorney Daniel Salazar, urging the judge to hand down a lower sentence, suggested that jurors convicted an innocent man. He pointed out that Madrid, who was 17 at the time of the drive-by, took responsibility for the December shooting, but always maintained his innocence in this case.

Justice for Jaydon doesnt mean maxing out the wrong person, Salazar said.

Madrid was one of three people convicted in the drive-by shooting, but the only one convicted of murder. Prosecutors said that Madrid and Nicholas Gonzales fired into the kitchen window of a home on Nakomis NE, intending to hit a man who had beaten up Dominic Conyers weeks before. Instead, the bullets hit Chavez-Silver  a popular athlete who was at the home that night.

Gonzales agreed to testify as a states witness in exchange for a juvenile sentence. Conyers, who prosecutors said was present during the shooting, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and shooting at a dwelling.

Confusion over jury instructions led Flores to declare a mistrial on three lesser counts that Madrid faced, but prosecutor Penny Gilbert said the state is not planning to retry Madrid, pointing out that the leftover charges would carry a juvenile sentence.

That decision means that Thursdays hearing all but brings the tumultuous case to a close.

From the beginning, the case was packed full of complications: a 911 dispatcher hung up on a teen seeking help as Chavez-Silver lay dying, two people spent months in jail on murder charges only to see their cases dismissed, witness statements were recanted, detectives were accused of coercion, civil lawsuits were filed and a state legislator resigned.

Its been such a long, hard, winding road, and it felt like we were never going to get here, Chavez-Silvers mother, Nicole Chavez-Lucero, said after the sentencing.

Family and friends came to the hearing armed with posters covered with snapshots of Chavez-Silver. They begged Flores for the maximum sentence.

Esias has shown no remorse or empathy for his actions, said Joe Lucero, Chavez-Silvers stepfather. In fact, in the time after Jaydons murder (and before) his arrest, he took another young mans life. It is unfortunate that the wheels of justice were not swift enough to save Esias second victim.
CLEVELAND, Texas  A Texas fugitive whod been on the run for more than 10 years has been arrested and identified with the help of his missing toe.

William Greer was on the U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted list after being accused of killing his girlfriend Tammy Equivel in December 2006. Police say he confessed at the time to the killing but authorities had no evidence.

U.S. Marshals obtained information on Nov. 24 that led them to believe Greer was in Nacajua, a small town in Mexico. Mexican authorities went to the location and spotted a man matching Greers description on Tuesday.

Authorities detained him and were able to quickly confirm his identify after seeing that he was missing a toe, a unique physical trait of Greers that had been publicized when he disappeared.

The Harris County Sheriffs Department currently has custody of Greer.
GREAT FALLS, Mont.  A federal judge has sentenced a Colorado man to almost 13 years in prison after authorities said he crossed into Canada from Montana with hundreds of child pornography videos and images.

U.S. District Judge Brian Morris sentenced 57-year-old Ronald Ray Horner, formerly of Walsenburg, Colorado, during a Thursday hearing in Great Falls.

Defense attorney Jason Holden says Horner plans to appeal his conviction and sentence.

Horner was accused of bringing child pornography into Alberta on his laptop computer in March 2014. Prosecutors say the material included images of children as young as 2 or 3 years old.

While awaiting trial in September 2016, authorities say Horner cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet, left a suicide note and fled to Uruguay. He returned to the U.S. in February and was found guilty of transportation of child pornography following a jury trial.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas  More than a dozen South Texas residents accused of being in a violent white supremacist gang have been indicted on racketeering or drug-related counts.

Federal prosecutors on Thursday announced 14 Corpus Christi residents face up to life in prison if convicted of crimes blamed on the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas.

An indictment returned Wednesday includes charges of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity involving the activities of the gang, violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Investigators say the gang operated in the Corpus Christi area and the case involves alleged racketeering activity since 1995.

Officials say 13 suspects were in custody Thursday, while a 14th remains at large and is believed to be in the Houston area.
Members of the grass-roots organization Juntos: Our Air, Our Water held a rally Thursday to demand that New Mexicos $18 million portion from the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Fund be used exclusively to buy electric school buses and to retrofit existing buses to meet zero emissions standards.

The money came from a $15 billion settlement the vehicle manufacturer had to pay consumers and to states after it was learned that nearly half a million Volkswagens and Audis with diesel engines were programmed to cheat on emissions tests.

About 25 people from Juntos, a program of Conservation Voters New Mexico Education Fund, gathered at Tingley Field Park east of the ABQ BioPark Zoo to protest the lack of a formal public comment process for determining the use of the settlement money.

They also called on Gov. Susana Martinez, the New Mexico Environment Department, the Public Education Department and the Department of Transportation to come up with a state mitigation plan for the $18 million that focuses on zero-emission school buses.

Their request was put into a petition that was signed by 2,000 people. After the rally, members of Juntos drove to Santa Fe to deliver the petition to the governor and to the offices of the state Environment Department.

Juntos spokeswoman Liliana Castillo said about 166,000 children ride school buses daily in New Mexico.

It is estimated that 1 in 11 of these children suffer from asthma and other respiratory problems, she said, and the pollutants emitted from diesel-powered buses aggravate their health conditions.

When New Mexico received the money from the Volkswagen settlement, Castillo said, the only requirement was to mitigate diesel pollution, so the states executive-level departments have a lot of flexibility on how they shape a mitigation plan.

Among the speakers Thursday was state Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero, D-Albuquerque, who said she plans to introduce legislation that would direct state officials to use the settlement money to begin replacing diesel school buses with electric buses and to retrofit existing buses  and to not co-mingle the $18 million settlement with other state funds.

We dont want a replication of what occurred in the past, and how we had to battle for the use of tobacco settlement funds in order to address the health issues related to the use of tobacco, she said.
WASHINGTON  House Republican leaders are looking to pass a short-term spending bill to avoid a government shutdown next week and keep the governments doors open through Dec. 22.

With the additional time, the GOP hopes talks with Democrats over spending and immigration could produce the framework for a longer-term budget pact agreement and resolve a basket of Washingtons other unfinished business. Both sides want a bipartisan agreement on spending increases for the Pentagon and domestic agencies, whose budgets otherwise would be frozen.

The governments spending runs out a week from Friday, with little time for negotiations.

Battles over immigration and President Donald Trumps U.S.-Mexico border wall could still threaten to spark a government shutdown, either just before Christmas or in January.

But the emerging scenario represents progress of sorts after a tit-for-tat battle on Tuesday between Trump and top Capitol Hill Democrats scotched a White House meeting slated to discuss the crush of year-end business. Both sides want to give negotiations another chance to produce an agreement with wins for Republicans and Democrats alike. If an agreement is reached by Dec. 22, another temporary spending bill, probably into January, would be required to iron out details of a separate follow-up measure totaling more than $1 trillion that would fund every federal agency for 2018.

Were going to give it space and time. Were going to see if they can resolve something, said North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry, a key GOP leadership strategist. And that will determine what Dec. 22 looks like.

If talks fall apart, however, a shutdown threat could quake the capital just before Christmas.

A key unresolved issue involves legislation to protect immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children and whose protected status is set to lapse in March. Trump backs the idea despite issuing an executive order reversing the Obama administration protections, officially called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, starting next spring.

Democrats want the issue resolved this year, but GOP leaders  facing many rank and file lawmakers opposed to the idea  arent in any hurry.

Conservatives oppose drawing in the immigration issue to legislation to keep the government running. The Trump White House is pressing to address other issues such as the wall and new funding for immigration enforcement.

Do we have to have a DACA solution? Yes we do. The deadlines March, said House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. But if they want to get to a solution they ought to come to the table and start talking.

House Democrats  whose votes will be needed to pass any omnibus spending bill next year  say they wont supply votes to keep the government open in the near term unless the immigration issue is resolved.

The Republicans have the majority in the House and the Senate and the White House. The responsibility to keep government open is theirs in the majority, and its up to them to keep government open, Pelosi told reporters.

But Senate Democrats, who have the power to block any stopgap spending measure, arent taking as hard a line. For starters, their ranks are filled with incumbents facing re-election next year in states carried by Trump, and most of the senators in that group arent eager to cast a vote that could make it look like theyre shutting the government down over DACA.

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has been given several opportunities to draw a line in the sand over DACA but hasnt, at least not yet.

There is good bipartisan support and we believe DREAM will get done by the end of the year, Schumer said, referring to the so-call DREAM Act, legislation sponsored by Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., that would allow the younger immigrants, many of whom have only known America as their home, to become U.S. citizens.

Ryan also said the House Appropriations Committee and members from the Texas and Florida delegations, whose states were hard-hit by hurricanes Harvey and Irma, are working together to redraw the White Houses recent $44 billion disaster aid request. The powerful delegations want to add money for housing, agricultural aid, and water and flood control projects, while Democrats are determined to add billions of dollars for Puerto Rico.

Lets just say there was a level of dissatisfaction with these delegations with the (White House) submission, Ryan told reporters. And so, we have asked the appropriators to get together with these delegations to discuss the disaster supplemental and work with them.

Pelosi and Schumer pulled out of Tuesdays meeting with Trump after he criticized them on Twitter.
HOUSTON, Nov. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The CITGO Board of Directors has appointed Asdrubal Chavez as the new Acting President and CEO of CITGO Petroleum Corporation effective Nov. 28.

Mr. Chavez comes to CITGO with more than 30 years of industry experience. A chemical engineer graduating from the Universidad de los Andes in 1979, Chavez began his career at the El Palito Refinery in the state of Carabobo, Venezuela, working in the areas of industrial services, distillation and specialties, conversion and treatment, crude and products movement, programming and economics and process engineering. After a one-year assignment with Union Pacific Oil in the United States, Chavez returned to the El Palito Refinery where he managed several expansion and organization projects throughout the 1990s.

In 2001, he was named Manager of Human Resources of Bitumenes Orinoco, S.A. (Bitor) and was appointed to the Board of Directors the following year. In 2003, he was appointed Executive Director of Human Resources followed by Executive Director of Commerce and Supply of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) before being appointed Vice President of Refining, Trade and Supply. Since 2009, he has held additional important functions, including Vice Minister of Petrochemicals, President of PDV Marina, and Director of CITGO Petroleum Corporation. In September 2014, Chavez was appointed Minister of the Popular Power of Petroleum and Mining the entity responsible for all oil activity in Venezuela.

Chavez's in-depth industry experience and knowledge of CITGO makes him well-suited for his recent appointment as Acting President and CEO of CITGO Petroleum Corporation.

About CITGO

CITGO, based in Houston, is a refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The company is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. For more information, visit www.CITGO.com.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/asdrubal-chavez-appointed-acting-president-and-ceo-of-citgo-petroleum-corporation-300564063.html

SOURCE CITGO Petroleum Corporation
Aiken city officials are reacting to Tuesday's armed standoff in Hahn Village.

On Wednesday, Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon said Hahn Village is "absolutely" an area of focus for both the City and the Aiken Department of Public Safety.

"No neighborhood should live in fear," the mayor said.

Osbon said the standoff  which began when law enforcement went to serve several felony-level warrants to Graniteville man Anthony Glover Dixon, 27  highlights the public safety work that needs to be done in "multiple areas" of the city.

The mayor said the standoff's peaceful resolution  despite Dixon shooting three times before surrendering, according to police  was "terrific" and did not warrant any sort of review.

"The brave men and women who represent us, I'm alway proud of them," Osbon said, adding the department deserves its due credit.

Suspect surrenders after police respond to standoff at Hahn Village Aiken Department of Public Safety Officers were trying to serve felony level warrants to Anthony Glover Dixon, 27, on Tuesday afternoon at an 

Tuesday's standoff, which lasted approximately one hour, is the second high-profile violent event to take place at Hahn Village recently. Earlier this month, two Aiken men  Logan Michael Novak, 28, and Harry Butler, 26  were shot dead in a parked car along Bradby Lane.

On Wednesday, Aiken Public Safety Chief Charles Barranco said the department is still currently investigating the shooting. At this point in time, there are still no suspects.

Osbon said Hahn Village is comparable to Pace's Run Apartments, the housing complex the City has recently cracked down on.

Lt. Jake Mahoney with Aiken Public Safety, however, said he would not compare Hahn Village with Pace's Run.

"The two homicides in Hahn Village last month were extremely heinous, but that incident does not define that neighborhood," Mahoney said.

Owner's of Pace's Run working with city to stop crime City of Aiken Spokesman Tim O'Briant said the owners of Pace's Run have been working with the Aiken Department of Public Safety to formulate a

Pace's Run has been the location of two murders in two years, as was reported earlier in the Aiken Standard. After a Sept. 30 shooting, City Manager John Klimm sent a letter to the complex's owners demanding an anti-crime "plan of action" within 30 days.

Since sending that letter, the City has begun a working relationship with the Pace's Run owners, according to City spokesman Tim O'Briant.

Osbon said he was "encouraged" by the newly established relationship and that something similar to that at Hahn Village is contingent on the outcome of Pace's Run.

Tripp Girardeau, crime reporter for the Aiken Standard, contributed to this report.
April 18, 2017

TEHRAN  Irans presidential elections are perhaps among the most unpredictable worldwide. Except for the 2001 landslide re-election of Reformist President Mohammad Khatami, predicting the winner of the past five presidential polls has truly been a challenge. The May 19 vote is shaping up to be the most unpredictable yet.

In a new development this election cycle, the Principlist movement formed the Popular Front of Islamic Revolution Forces, popularly known by its Persian acronym, JAMNA, and adopted a candidate selection mechanism akin to the primaries held by Western political parties. The coalition, which includes top conservative figures, hopes to forge agreement on a consensus candidate to run against incumbent President Hassan Rouhani.

In balloting on April 6, JAMNA selected five men as prospective presidential nominees. A unity candidate will later be selected from among the five. All other potential Principlist contenders withdrew their candidacies after the primary.

Among those who stepped aside were Ezzatollah Zarghami, former head of Irans state broadcaster. He came in eighth place in the JAMNA primary but had announced his intention to run for the presidency March 15. Also stepping aside were former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohsen Rezaei, who came in 10th place, and former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, who had from the beginning rejected the very idea of JAMNA. Jalili announced his withdrawal through a statement shortly after the April 15 deadline for candidate registration had passed, and chose not to declare his support for any Principlist candidate.

The five JAMNA finalists include Ebrahim Raisi, who as leader of the Asran-e Quds Razavi charity is the custodian of the holy shrine of the eighth Shiite imam. The conservative cleric, who is viewed as Rouhanis main competitor, issued a statement April 9 announcing that he would be entering the fray independent of political groupings. Although this prompted skepticism about his adherence to JAMNA principles, the coalition issued a statement April 10 to the effect that Raisis comments were in full accordance with its founding statute. Raisi subsequently registered as a candidate at the Interior Ministry on April 14.

JAMNA finalist Alireza Zakani, a former lawmaker, also registered as a presidential candidate April 14. Of note, he had sought to run in the 2013 elections, but was disqualified by the Guardian Council, the body tasked with vetting candidates. The former parliamentarian tried his luck again in the February 2016 parliamentary elections, but came in 38th in the Tehran district, which had 30 seats to fill. Hamid Reza Haji Babaei, who served as education minister under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is also a JAMNA finalist and registered to run April 15.

Long-time Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who unsuccessfully ran for the presidency in 2005 and 2013, made JAMNA's list of five and registered as a candidate April 16. Former parliamentarian Mehrdad Bazrpash rounded out the five JAMNA finalists. Only 36 years old, Bazrpash had quickly climbed the ranks under Ahmadinejad, and although criticized for being unqualified, was appointed CEO of two of Irans largest automakers, Pars Khodro and SAIPA, in March 2007 and January 2008, respectively.

Bazrpash's presence on the list of JAMNA finalists surprised many political observers, especially given his lack of experience. Even more surprising were the events surrounding his registration to run. Arriving at the Interior Ministry minutes after the deadline had passed, Bazrpash was met by closed doors. After insisting and persisting, he managed to get inside. Once there, Bazrpash announced that he would not be running for the presidency.

Ahmadinejad, a Principlist, and his former deputy Hamid Baghaei, both of whom registered for the presidential race as independents on April 12, further added to the drama. The former president and JAMNA had earlier announced their independence of one another, but they are nonetheless vying for the same voters.

It is not clear which conservative candidates will ultimately be approved by the Guardian Council, with the Interior Ministry not due to announce the final list until April 26 or 27. What is clear, however, is that there is a good chance that Ahmadinejad and Baghaei will be barred from running given the lawsuits filed against them alleging administrative violations while in office.

On April 16, judiciary spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei said, The file against Ahmadinejad is still pending, and no final verdict has been issued for him yet. The case against Hamid Baghaei has not been closed either, and his innocence or guilt has not been definitively established. Although the Guardian Council acts independently of the judiciary, Mohseni-Ejeis comments  which included the caveat that an ongoing legal case does not preclude ones candidacy  could influence the councils decision.

Even without the Guardian Council's finalized list of approved candidates, the electoral scene already looks set to be intriguing. The Reformists have tried to paint Raisi as their major opponent and the consensus candidate of the Principlists, although the conservatives have not yet anointed him. Of interest, conservative media  in particular the key dailies Kayhan, Vatan Emrooz and Javan  gave little coverage to the news of Raisi having registered to run.

On April 9, JAMNA member Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, who served as culture and Islamic guidance minister under Ahmadinejad, told the conservative Tasnim news agency, All [of JAMNAs final five] candidates have announced their willingness to drop out in favor of JAMNAs consensus candidate. One of the paragraphs of [the founding statute of] this coalition is that when a final [consensus] candidate is chosen, the rest must withdraw.

Whether this will actually happen remains to be seen, especially considering that Principlists have in the past refused to do so. For instance, in the 2013 presidential race, the conservatives failed to agree on a consensus candidate. Only former parliament Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel stood aside, with Ghalibaf, Rezaei and Ali Akbar Velayati, foreign adviser to the supreme leader, continuing with their campaigns.

Given the serious conflicts within the Principlist movement and the lack of consensus over even Raisi, it appears unlikely that the camps leading candidates, especially Ghalibaf, will drop out in favor of a fellow Principlist, most likely Raisi.
November 28, 2017

BASRA, Iraq  The Iraqi Ministry of Education issued a permit Nov. 4 for the establishment of a private, mixed Christian school, which will teach Christians, Muslims and students from other communities. After spending a year and a half working on the official procedures, the school will officially open next year as the first interfaith school in Iraq since the 1970s.

Archbishop Habib Jajou, the Chaldean archbishop of Basra and southern Iraq, told Al-Monitor about the project. We have successfully experimented with Christian nurseries and kindergartens," he said, "and now we want to open a primary school as an expansion to offer successful education to both Muslim and Christian citizens, especially after we saw how many Muslim families want to register their children in Christian educational institutions. Over the past 20 years, thousands of Muslim children have been admitted into Christian kindergartens.

Middle-class families want to send their children to schools that offer a better education and a high level of security control, which makes parents feel more comfortable in light of the increased rate of kidnappings in the city.

The reputation of Christian instructors who teach foreign languages is another factor that has made Christian schools popular. Basra residents still remember quite well the great role Christian schools played in the citys history, such as the American Rajaa School for Higher Education, which John Van Aiss opened in 1912. This school was attended by the children of powerful families at the time, and the majority of Basras elites graduated from it, namely Yusuf Salman Yusuf (known also by his nom de guerre Fahd), the founder of the Iraqi Communist Party.

The quest to open the Christian school in Basra is not only about meeting the demands of Muslims and Christians alike, but it is also about the harassment Christian students suffer in government-run schools.

On Nov. 15, Jajou wrote on the Basra and the South Chaldean Catholic Archdiocese Facebook page a post titled Muslims and Christianity, in which he tackled the importance of Basras Muslims getting to know Christian beliefs better in order to put an end to violations stemming from ignorance of the Christian religion. The post was published after a Christian girl was severely scratched during a fight with Muslim students, for being the only Christian in a Muslim-dominated school, in which students know nothing about the Christian religion.

Jajou said, This experiment is a test to strengthen national identity, the spirit of citizenship and coexistence, by mixing students from diverse religious backgrounds, such as Muslims, Christians and Mandaeans, in addition to providing an educational body that reflects the diversity of the social fabric of Basra.

The school hired a Mandaean teacher, a Muslim teacher and an Armenian teacher, in addition to Chaldean teachers, because we believe we are one family and successful coexistence stems from learning from diversity, he added.

In terms of language teaching, the new school will focus on the Assyrian language, which was spoken by Christ over 2,000 years ago and will be compulsory for Christians and optional for Muslims. This could provide a unique opportunity to revive a strong cultural heritage, especially after the school received requests from university professors in Basra to learn this language from Assyrian-language teachers.

Salah Aziz Yusuf, an expert in the Assyrian language, told Al-Monitor, Teaching the Assyrian language is important for all Iraqis as it is part of Iraq's cultural heritage, but unfortunately we do not have qualified instructors to teach it.

This is why Yusuf might have to teach the language himself, although he only had administrative responsibilities as the coordinator of the Assyrian-language department at the Directorate of Education of Basra governorate.

Christian schools in Baghdad also aim to achieve a similar experience in terms of providing better education and achieving coexistence, while overcoming the negative aspect of receiving education in government schools.

In this context, Father Younan Alfred, the director of Al-Farah primary school for the Orthodox in Baghdad, told Al-Monitor about his joint teaching staff of Christian and Muslim teachers who teach 346 students, 33% of whom are Christian, while the majority, 65%, is Muslim, in addition to some Yazidi students.

He explained the methodology of his schools approach that focuses on teaching Arabic, English and French, as well as Assyrian, which is usually restricted to Christians. The teachers devote time every morning to stress the values of citizenship and encourage coexistence and tolerance to the students, he said.

In the past, Muslim families had the option to learn about the Christian religion, but this idea was later rejected for fear of being accused of carrying out missionary activities.

Alfred said, Although Christian-Muslim coexistence inside the school was a success, to achieve full harmony and more effective coexistence, people need to learn about other religions. While Christian and Muslim students share the same classes and activities, they are separated in the religion courses.

Alfred added, We try to keep them together but religion ends up separating them. So eliminating religion courses from schools could be the solution to stop separating students and finally be able to achieve full harmony among them.

Alfred, who shares Jajous viewpoint, concluded, The Iraqi Ministry of Education should develop a curriculum to teach the history of Iraq and strengthen the sense of national identity and lose sectarian and religious affiliations.
November 29, 2017

CAIRO  Egypt is facing a fait accompli after its minister of water resources and irrigation, Mohamed Abdel Ati, announced Nov. 12 the failure of negotiations with Ethiopia and Sudan to agree on the most appropriate mechanism for filling and operating the Renaissance Dam without harming Egypt.

Egypt is concerned about the dam's potential negative effects on its water share of the Nile River  55.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) annually, as stipulated in the 1929 and 1959 agreements. The Nile provides Egypt with about 97% of its total water needs, while the remaining 3% is supplied by low rainfall on the northern coast and in the Sinai Peninsula, and by non-renewable groundwater.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is furthering Egypts water concerns. In a phone interview on ONTV's show "Kol Youm" ("Every Day") on Nov. 13, the chief of staff of the Armed Forces' Engineering Authority, Kamel al-Wazir, said the biggest desalination plant in the world is under construction in Ain Sukhna with a production capacity of 164,000 cubic meters of water per day. He also referred to three other giant water plants each with a capacity of 150,000 cubic meters per day  located in al-Galala, east of Port Said governorate and the New El Alamein city.

Wazir noted that the stations on the northwest coast and in South Sinai purify 1 million cubic meters (mcm) of seawater per day, expecting a future increase of the production capacity of desalinated water. He added that a sewage and agricultural wastewater treatment plant is also under construction with a production capacity of 5 mcm per day in the eastern Suez Canal.

Nader Noureddine, a professor of water resources and irrigation in Cairo University's agriculture faculty, told Al-Monitor that filling the dams lake is expected to deprive the downstream countries  Egypt and Sudan  of 30 bcm of water per year if Ethiopia insists on filling the dam in three years.

He explained that the dam has a storage capacity of 74 bcm, while 5 bcm are expected to be lost as a result of evaporation from the reservoir in addition to a loss of 10 bcm as a result of side and deep leakage. This means that Ethiopia would be consuming around 90 bcm per year.

However, Noureddine said that if Ethiopia agrees to Egypt's request to expand the first filling period of the dam lake to six years, the water lost by the two downstream countries will be reduced to about 15 bcm annually. This means that Sudan will be losing 5% of its annual 18.5 bcm water share compared to a loss of 10% for Egypt, he said.

He summarized what he believes to be the sustainable impacts on Egypt if the dispute over the first filling period is resolved by the loss of at least 12 bcm of water per year annually.

Egypt will lose 200,000 acres of agricultural land with every billion cubic meters of water it loses from its share, former adviser to the minister of water resources and irrigation, Dia Eddin al-Qawsi, told Al-Monitor. One acre needs 5,000 cubic meters of water per year. Egypt uses about 85% of its share of the Nile River for agricultural purposes, while the remaining 15% is consumed for domestic and industrial purposes.

Abbas Sharaky, the head of the Department of Natural Resources at Cairo University's Institute of African Research and Studies, told Al-Monitor, Ethiopia has 85% of the water flowing into Egypt, and this is only from one of the 11 Nile Basin countries.

He said that apart from the future effects of the dam, Egypt is currently under the water poverty line with an annual per capita water share of 560 cubic meters compared to an international share of 1,000 cubic meters.

Sharaky explained that Egypt's annual renewable water resources amount to 56 bcm, but with a total population of more than 100 million the country needs about 400 cubic meters of additional water per capita per year to meet its needs.

The individual reuse of sewage and agricultural water would compensate for 200 cubic meters, he said. The other 200 cubic meters are imported by the state in the form of food commodities to cover the remaining water shortage.

Praising the state's strategic option of desalinating seawater, Qawsi said that whenever the Nile water has to be transported for a distance exceeding 100 kilometers (62 miles), purifying seawater would be a more economically viable solution.

However, Sharaky does not believe seawater desalination will solve the current or expected water crisis after the construction of the Renaissance Dam, as desalinated water would be used only for industrial and tourism purposes.

Egypt is not short on potable water, but rather on water allocated for agricultural use. The state must implement a plan to reduce the proportion of Nile water used in agriculture to 70%, he said.

Ali Ismail, the director of the Soil, Water and Environment Research Institute, called on the government to adopt modern irrigation systems to save 25% of the water wasted annually as a result of traditional irrigation systems. He told Al-Monitor that the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation and the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation have to rearrange the crop map to prevent the cultivation of water-intensive crops such as bananas and sugar cane while reducing rice cultivation areas from 1 million acres to 700,000.

Meanwhile, Sharaky is not concerned by the water shortage in Egypt, pointing to countries optimizing the use of their scarce water resources. He said, The Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, has an annual per capita water quota of 23,000 cubic meters but is one of the 10 poorest countries in the world, while Kuwait with its 10 cubic meters of annual per capita water quota has one of the best standards of living in the world.

Noureddine proposed cooperation with South Sudan to save about 20 bcm of water a year by reviving projects to prevent water losses in South Sudan, such as the Jonglei Canal and the Bahr el Ghazal project.

He also called on studying again the feasibility of the projects to reclaim the desert lands in Egypt, such as the 1.5 million acre reclamation project that mainly depends on non-renewable groundwater. Egypt ought to exploit its groundwater to fill the potential water deficit and not the high-cost, low-profit projects, he said.
A strip mall in Baraboo is getting new life.

U-Haul Moving & Storage is converting the 16.1-acre property WestDayl Plaza shopping center into its own facility after the property, once home to a JC Penney store and Sears, had been vacant for years.

U-Haul began offering truck and trailer sharing, moving supplies, hitch installation and moving and storage containers on Nov. 6 out of a temporary showroom in what had been a Maurice's clothing store, according to the Baraboo News Republic. Renovation plans for the 175,078-square-foot space call for the creation of indoor climate-controlled self-storage units with high-tech security features. The renovated facility is scheduled to open in early 2018, according to the company with propane sales expected later in the year.

The business will ultimately employ 10 people and include U-Haul's Truck Share 24-7 program, said Adam Sonnleitner, president of the U-Haul Company of Southwestern Wisconsin and Rockford. Truck Share allows for the self-pick-up and self-return of U-Haul trucks to be done by smartphone at any hour of the day or night.

Sonnleitner said U-Haul was drawn to the location because it offered expansive, available retail space and ready access to the new, four-lane U.S. Highway 12 route and was at the corner of highway 136 and 12.

Covering 16 acres, the shopping center was once a retail hub, featuring a grocery store, Walgreens pharmacy, Cost Cutters hair salon and JC Penney store, in addition to Sears and Maurices. Walgreens, Maurices and Cost Cutters moved in recent years, and JCPenney closed. That left the grocery as the shopping centers only operating business. Festival Foods will remain, renting its space from U-Haul.

Baraboo Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bobbie Boettcher told the Baraboo News Republic that she hopes the new owner will reinvigorate the shopping center.

U-Haul is a respected brand. Were lucky to have them, she said. Its great to see fresh activity at WestDayl.

U-Haul, founded in 1945, has more than 21,000 locations in North America and more than 581,000 storage rooms and more than 51 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities. The company is also the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry and is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S.

Ben Bromley of the Baraboo News Republic contributed to this story
November 30, 2017

TEHRAN, Iran  The world has seen great advances in medicine in recent centuries, leading to the discovery and manufacture of numerous types of drugs to cure diseases. Yet many around the world still prefer to use plants and natural products to improve their health, mainly to avoid side effects caused by chemical drugs. As a result, the production of medicinal plants has emerged as a new industry, with their exports rising over the past several decades. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global sales of such herbal medicine products were estimated at $60 billion in 2002. The figure jumped to $150 billion in 2013 and this trajectory is set to continue in coming decades.

In Iran, however, things are different. Exports of medicinal plants have declined in the past two decades, even though the country is home to 8,000 plant species, of which more than 2,300 have medicinal properties. A whopping 1,728 of them are endemic to Iran.

The country was the worlds top exporter of medicinal plants in 1998. But this declined in the ensuing years, and was ranked fifth in 2003 and 32nd in 2014. Currently, Iran ranks 60th among exporters of medicinal herbs, which gives the country only a 3% share of global markets. Saffron and damask rose have the lions share ($500 million) of Irans annual medicinal plants exports ($600 million). Germany and the United Arab Emirates are currently the main export destinations of Iranian medicinal herbs, followed by Japan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China.

Iranian exporters blame sanctions for the declining exports. Before sanctions, the US and Europe were the biggest customers of Irans medicinal plants. But currently, Iranian producers cannot sell their products due to sanctions and issues related to money transactions,Jalil Maghazeie, head of the Iranian Herb and Spice Association, told local media Nov. 21. This is while other officials believe that the relatively low production and export of medicinal plants is related to domestic factors such as the lack of required product processing standards.

Lack of [adherence to] standards has made it difficult for [medicinal] plants such as tea and tisanes to enter and compete in global markets. Thats why products such as tea are still imported, Mohammad-Baqer Rezaie, who heads the Iranian Medicinal Plants Society, was quoted as saying Sept. 2.

Other internal factors have also posed challenges to the production and exports of botanical plants. These obstacles include the absence of modern technology and good marketing. In the meantime, the lack of integrated management, among other things, has resulted in parallel activities by different organizations while creating a gap in rules and regulations.

At the same time, medicinal plants are threatened by Irans severe shortage of water, unrestrained harvesting that could bring about the extinction of rare species, and pollution caused by agricultural pesticides.

To address these challenges and others, Iran has taken a range of systematic measures and set objectives for the years to come. As listed by the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, the measures include updating regulations and standards and focusing on the countrys education and research system. Also on the agenda are plans to improve production, distribution, marketing and exports.

To better carry out the measures, the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology set up the Headquarters of Scientific and Technological Development of Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine in 2008. The headquarters main task is coordinating activities of various private and government companies, promoting the culture of using medicinal herbs and disseminating information about achievements. The headquarters has a number of specialized working groups, each tasked with long lists of activities and pursuing set goals.

Under the policy to develop medicinal plants, Iran will soon start the implementation of a national plan to increase annual exports to more than $3.2 billion within six years.

On Oct. 19, Peiman Yusefi-Azar, an official at the Agriculture Ministry and the top executive of the plan, said: Fortunately, after extensive efforts backed by the government and parliament, the national medicinal herbs plan is at the final stages of getting approval. The plan already has the green light from the Resistance Economy Command Center.

Yusefi-Azar was also reported by local media as saying that the plan has been approved as a leading job-creation project at the countrys Supreme Council of Employment. He said credit facilities estimated at $800 million have been allocated to the plan for the next six years, which is predicted to create jobs for 160,000 people.

Other measures to develop the medicinal herbs industry include those on the ground. Iran plans to increase areas under cultivation of medicinal plants to 500,000 hectares (1,930 square miles) by 2025, up from the current 150,000 hectares. The country is also setting up five export terminals for medicinal herbs, with the first one under construction in southern Fars province.

Simultaneously, Iran pursues cooperation with other countries. It has signed memorandums of understanding with several countries to export its medicinal plants, and has been in talks with Germany to import botanical drug production technology.

The medicinal plants industry has proven to be quite a profit-making one in the world, with bright prospects ahead. It currently has a $122 billion cash flow, which is predicted to quickly rise as demand for medicinal herbs is rapidly expanding across the globe.

For a country such as Iran, which seeks to decrease its dependence on oil revenues as part of efforts to fast-track economic development, the medicinal plants industry is regarded as a good field to invest in. Apart from financial benefits, the industry is also helpful in terms of other matters such as bringing new sources of income for rural people to help contain a wave of migration by villagers to big cities in search of higher income. In addition to all these issues, it also is undeniable that medicinal herbs can have significant positive impacts on people's health and well-being.
November 30, 2017

A video making the rounds on social networks is causing an uproar in Israel's Arab sector, intensifying passions on both sides of a major dispute dividing the community. On one side are young people who feel that Israel is their country. On the other side are young people who feel like outsiders in Israel and oppose any move that they feel might normalize their relationship with the state.

On Nov. 21, Israel dedicated new police stations in Jisr az-Zarqa and Kafr Kanna, two Arab villages in the north. Four days later, a short video on Facebook showed Sabrin Saadi, a young policewoman from the Bedouin village of Basmat Tabun, making her way to the Kafr Kanna station in her uniform wearing a hijab, while a group of demonstrators curse and spit in her direction. Saadi entered the police station without responding to the provocation.

The video quickly went viral. It was shared by religious nationalist Arab groups in Israel and the West Bank as a warning to young Arab men and women who might consider joining the Israel Police or any other branch of the Israeli security establishment.

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Saadi's father, Ali Saadi, said that his daughter was very upset when she returned home at the end of the day, but that he encouraged her to continue to pursue the path she had chosen for herself, to serve her community. He then described her restrained response, which he said dignified the uniform she wore.

"I was pleased that she did not respond," the elder Saadi said. "She has thick skin, just like an elephant, and that's important in our society. Silence is the best response."

He went on to say, "We are part of this society, so we should serve it. The people attacking her are a gang of wild kids with nothing better to do with their lives. They should go find themselves and think about what, if anything, they have actually done on behalf of their community."

Saadi said that his daughter left an administrative position at Delta, a textile plant where she had worked for several years, to join the police force. "She believed that this is what is most necessary at this time," he remarked.

The decision to establish police stations in Arab localities is in response to soaring levels of violence in the Arab sector, the extensive stockpiling of arms in the community and calls by local authorities to show greater resolve in policing and enforcing the law in these settlements.

The most comprehensive study on the scope of violence and crime in the Arab sector was conducted by the Injaz Center for Professional Arab Local Governance in Israel and was published in 2015. According to the center's statistics, there has been a dramatic rise in crime in the Arab sector since 2007, paralleled by a rise in the number of Arabs incarcerated. In 2010, Arabs constituted 42% of all Israeli prisoners. By 2014, the figure had risen sharply, to 49%, including an overrepresentation of Arabs aged 12-18. Arabs constitute only 20% of Israel's total population .

About a year and a half ago, in April 2016, Jamal Hakrush of Kafr Kanna became the first Muslim deputy commissioner in the history of the Israel Police. As part of his duties, Hakrush heads a commission to improve police services in the Arab sector. At the ceremony marking Hakrush's appointment, Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh called on young Arabs whom he described as "high quality" to join the police force "in order to instigate change." Alsheikh likely did not anticipate the fierce opposition from Arabs who deem anyone who joins the police a traitor or a collaborator.

Sabrin Saadi's friends have come together to support and defend her. One of them is Mohammad Kabiya, from the Bedouin village of Kaabiyye, in the north, who enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces, serving in the air force. He speaks with Saadi almost every day, promising her that he and his friends will do everything they can to reassure her that she has done the right thing. He also promises that he will not allow groups that he claims are led by the Islamic Movement to hurt her or other young people who follow her example.

Kabiya has also used his Facebook page to address Arab public figures who advocate extremism. "Your time is up," Kabiya wrote. "The new generation that has grown up sees the truth and feels a sense of belonging and identification. It understands the mood in the community much better than you and realizes that many of the problems facing Arab society are the result of those slogans, lies, and conspiracy theories that you have been peddling to us to benefit yourselves."

Kabiya told Al-Monitor that activists from the Arab Balad party have joined the Islamist demonstrators in their opposition, also considering the opening of new police stations to be an Israeli attempt to assert control over the Arab villages. Jamal Zahalka, Balad chairman and Knesset member, participated in one demonstration.

Addressing a crowd with signs condemning Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan, Zahalka said, "This is no friendly hello. The Israel Police are spreading lies. We have seen that there has been no drop in crime rates in those settlements in which a police station has already been established." Zahalka claims that police stations are being put in Arab villages to track young Arabs for security purposes rather than for reasons of community safety.

Meanwhile, violence in the Arab sector continues unabated. Haaretz reported Nov. 29 that gun battles take place every night in the village of Salem, in the north. Children in the village are put to sleep in bathrooms to be spared the incessant gunfire outside.

Ali Saadi does not believe the verbal assaults against his daughter will evolve into physical violence. He says that many people from his village and Kafr Kanna have called to offer her support and encouragement. Meanwhile, she is considering bringing charges against her attackers for defamation. Her friends tell Al-Monitor that several lawyers from the Arab sector have already offered to represent her pro bono, out of a desire to help her and other young people who want to be a part of the country and serve their community.
November 30, 2017

While formal relations between the US administration and the Israeli government are at their best, disturbing voices sound on both sides of the ocean concerning the all-important relationship between Israel and American Jewry.

Al-Monitor spoke with officials of the two main Washington lobbies on Israel  the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and J Street  on the actual state of these relations. A senior AIPAC member told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that many in their Jewish constituencies  especially in more liberal communities such as New York and California  are expressing misgivings with the Israeli attitude to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel. The criticism expressed by Israeli Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Hotovely against American Jews, arguing that they do not understand Israel and its policies as they do not serve in the army, is only a symptom of what has become a deep schism between Israel and American Jewry.

According to the AIPAC lobbyist, there are profound reasons beyond the misunderstandings between the Netanyahu government and the US Jewish community.

First, he said that the majority of the Jewish community is liberal and pro-democratic, and does not see the Trump-Netanyahu "love affair" in a positive light.

Second, the abolishment by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the Western Wall mixed-gender prayer space was seen by many in the conservative and reform Jewish movements as a slap in the face to the principle of equality in American Jewish life. Such a space would have allowed a new area of worship at the wall for men and women to pray together.

Another issue deepening the rift is the ongoing interferences by the Israeli government and Israel's Chief Rabbinate in defining to US Jewry what constitutes being a Jew, for the purpose of the Law of Return to Israel  by which Jews have the right to Israeli citizenship. According to the official, a conservative Jew himself, many American Jews view the Israeli stance of controlling who is authorized to convert in the United States as an interference in American Jews' right to determine themselves who is Jewish. It is an affront to the two largest segments of the US Jewish communities, the conservative and the reform movements. And this, the official said, is the crux of the problem. Israel favors the Orthodox community as more belonging to the Jewish state, over the conservative and reform ones.

In parallel, Israel Director of J Street Yael Patir told Al-Monitor, "The Israeli government has given up on the traditional bi-partisan approach [working equally with Democrats and with Republicans], and this is of great concern to the majority of American Jews who tend to vote for the Democrats." She added, "American Jews active in their communities are asking Israel for a dialogue between equals," explaining that young Jews in particular want to feel free to express simultaneously their affection for Israel and their views on its policies.

A senior Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs official in charge of Israel-Jewish diaspora relations told Al-Monitor that there is a serious strain between many within the American Jewish community and Israel. He expressed cautious criticism over Hotovelys remarks that American Jews allegedly are non-patriotic. Still, the Israeli diplomat believes that the current crisis is mostly related to the abolishment of the plan for the Western Wall mixed-gender praying space, which the conservative and reform movements both perceive as an insult, delegitimizing Jews who are not Orthodox or have not gone through an Orthodox conversion. That being said, he believes that these are passing clouds within a very powerful relationship.

But the Israeli diplomat may very well be wrong. Patir believes that this crisis is also generational. There is a new American Jewish generation that did not know Israel's founding figures  Prime Ministers David Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir. These young people are well-integrated within the American society, and in general more liberal and vote more democratic. They believe that American Jews deserve to determine their own Jewishness, through their institutions, and that they have the right to express freely their views on Israel.

And so, we might be witnessing a lasting crisis, affecting also the effectiveness of Israeli lobbies in Washington.
November 29, 2017

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Members of the national consensus government arrived in the Gaza Strip Oct. 2 as part of the reconciliation agreement reached in Cairo, making it the first such visit of a national consensus government delegation to Gaza since 2013. The reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah has left many with hopes that Gaza's tourism sector will be revived. The reconciliation will hopefully replenish the economy, which suffered estimated losses of $160 million during the years of the rift due to weak tourism.

Ali Abu Srour, the deputy minister of tourism and antiquities in the consensus government, told Al-Watan Voice Oct. 31 that his ministry will promote domestic tourism in both Gaza and the West Bank. We held several meetings in Gaza and met with the Palestinian Society of [Tourist and] Travel Agents and the Palestinian Committee for Restaurants, Hotels and Touristic Services in Gaza," he said. "We will work based on a common strategy in all Palestinian territories.

Meanwhile, Gaza-based businessman Naim Zakout opened a new hotel in the Gaza Strip, which he named the International Cairo Hotel as a gesture of appreciation for Egypts efforts in facilitating the reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah.

The national consensus government delegation included 480 people. They stayed at Gaza's Roots and Al-Mashtal hotels.

Salah Abu Hasira, the head of the Palestinian Committee for Restaurants, Hotels and Touristic Services in Gaza, told Al-Monitor that the committee has registered 108 touristic facilities in Gaza, including 24 hotels, 71 restaurants, three zoos, four amusement parks and six resorts. "Around 6,000 people currently work in [Gaza's] tourism sector," he said, "and if all facilities are operated, they can reach 12,000-15,000 employees. A sum of $150 million has been invested in touristic projects in Gaza.

Ahmad al-Jadba, a representative of the Ministry of Economy in Gaza, told Al-Aqsa Voice on Feb. 28 that tourism accounts for 4% of Gazas gross domestic product. Jadba said that Israel's three wars on Gaza, in 2008, 2012 and 2014, led to "huge economic losses in touristic facilities because the war destroyed a large part of them. For instance, the 2014 war caused direct damage worth $6 million and indirect damage worth $4 million. The owners of facilities did not receive any compensation. The Israeli blockade and the closing of the Rafah and Erez crossings hampered the influx of tourists and foreign delegations that normally push tourism forward by renting hotels and touristic resorts. The Palestinian Authority (PA) sanctions against the Gaza Strip, including forcing PA employees who work in the public sector to retire early, undermined the purchasing power of citizens and indirectly dealt a blow to the role of internal tourism due to other priorities to ensure a living.

Despite all the obstacles facing the tourism sector, several international and high-caliber touristic facilities have opened in the Gaza Strip in the past few years, including the Blue Beach Resort, which boasts European-like design.

Rola Maayah, the minister of tourism and antiquities in the national consensus government, told Al-Monitor, Tourism in Gaza is a top priority, and the national consensus government is interested in reviving it quickly. During our last visit to Gaza Oct. 3, we met with delegates of touristic committees to discuss ways to develop and bolster the sector. We talked about the problems and impediments during the years of division, and we vowed to solve the problems soon through a series of plans and programs that the ministry will implement in Gaza in the coming phase.

The ministry plans to address the problems of the tourism sector in Gaza and settle the issue of compensation for touristic facilities that were affected by the Israeli wars. She said the ministry is also preparing a media campaign to "introduce the world to Gazas touristic sites." She also plans to encourage domestic tourism by proposing tours of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

These plans are currently being reviewed and will be implemented when the consensus government is allowed to resume its work," she said. "The government is awaiting President [Mahmoud] Abbas decision to allow the consensus government ministries to start working.

Rizk al-Helou, the director of the Department of Tourism in Gaza's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, told Al-Monitor, The climate and geography of the Gaza Strip have made it suitable for investments in the economic sector. Gaza overlooks the Mediterranean Sea, and [its coast] extends along 36 kilometers [22 miles]. It has warm and moderate weather all year long. These factors encouraged investors and businessmen to invest in tourism. With the Israeli blockade on Gaza and the closing of the border crossings, which prevented tourists from entering, internal tourism prospered to make up for foreign tourism. Appetite for investments in local restaurants and chalets increased also.

Mazen Salah, the manager of Palmyra restaurant in Gaza City, told Al-Monitor, The owners of touristic facilities in Gaza are closely following up on the reconciliation developments to solve the problems of the sector, which have accumulated during the years of division. For example, the government dropped the tourism debts and exempted touristic facilities from paying taxes and licensing fees imposed on Dec. 27, 2015, and reaching $1,000. The customs tariffs were also reduced to decrease the operational expenses to a minimum.

A key manager in the Palestinian Committee for Restaurants, Hotels and Touristic Services in Gaza told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, The committee has not held any meetings yet with the minister of tourism in the consensus government. However, the committee met with Abu Srour. Maayah, for her part, toured some of the touristic facilities in Gaza where she was told about the needs of the sector. She promised to solve their problems as soon as possible after the pending issues are settled.

Perhaps the coming days will reveal whether the reconciliation will help revive Gaza's tourism sector, which has paid the price of division and the Israeli blockade.
November 29, 2017

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  In cooperation with the Palestinian Youth Advocacy Network (PYAN), the House of Wisdom Institute (HOW) organized a conference titled Palestinian Youth: Between the Challenges of Reality and the Aspirations for Change Nov. 20 in the Gaza Strip. The conference discussed a number of working papers offered by youth activists and specialists targeting three topics: the integration between society and youth, the new media, and youth and the political landscape.

PYAN, a component of HOW, is an elite body of youth activists with the common objectives of introducing the Palestinian cause to youth and bringing to them a deepened awareness of the Palestinian reality. It seeks to build a cadre of politically empowered youth capable of contributing to the Palestinian political establishment and to establish the culture of law and political partnership as political tools to achieve development.

People from the various official bodies, academic and community institutions, and youth groups attended the conference, during which they discussed the working papers.

Amani al-Falit, a student of political science and communication who attended the conference, told Al-Monitor that this conference is a continuation of the conflict management and resolution course that was part of a political empowerment training program held by HOW in August and September.

This conference is a positive step toward educating the youth," she said. "The problem, however, is that most of the conferences and initiatives by youth institutions end up with the adoption of recommendations, which, although important, remain dead letters and unfulfilled. This is due to the lack of a favorable political and community environment that would ensure the application of said recommendations.

HOW has given the youth who graduated from the political empowerment program the chance to offer research papers focusing on topics related to the political and media reality of Gazas youth.

Maram Madhoun, a diplomatic and international relations researcher, stated that she is not there just to attend, but rather to use the conference as a resource. She told Al-Monitor, The sessions consist of a source of opinions and analyses that would allow me to focus on the youth to understand the complexities that the community, in general, and the youth, in particular, face at the current stage.

She added, I will continue to strive to be a seed of change that would offer the community ideas to become a civilized community and to lead other youth via ideas.

Youth activist Iman Batniji took part in the preparations of a working paper on youth and new media. She said the conference discusses realistic and concrete issues that require the youth to make their voices heard in order to resolve them.

She told Al-Monitor, The challenge that we, as Palestinian youth, face is to assume our role in the community, particularly since local and international institutions carrying different agendas may not examine the genuine needs of the youth, depending on their plan and parties supporting them. She added, What we need is a party that works to serve our causes, using our potential, and to refrain from relying to a large extent on the funders.

Social media consultant Khaled Safi told Al-Monitor that he attended the conference to have a better knowledge of the political situation experienced by the youth at this stage, to learn what needs to be done to lead to national unity, especially on social media, and how to engage the youth in the political landscape.

Bdour Gharabli, who attended the conference, noted that the conference talks about issues related to the youth and Palestinian needs. She hopes that the youth can bring about change and strive to solve their problems. She explained that her motivation derived from her need to add something to the discussions centered on the requirements of the youth, since she is one of them.

Isra Yassine, who took part in the preparations of a working paper titled The Youth's Political Participation, told Al-Monitor, We are going through an important transitional period in the history of Palestine. We are fortunate to have survived three wars and an uprising in this short life while we're still young. Hopefully, this historic stage will lead to national reconciliation. She added that the conference comes at a time when the youth are in dire need for mobilization and political culture through talks with intellectuals and researchers.

In a related vein, Farah Baker, a young social media activist, stated during the discussions that she attended the conference to learn community participation skills and to know her rights. She told Al-Monitor that the discussions and working papers at the conference express her wishes and are in line with her demands that a better future be ensured for Palestinian youth.

Baker was one of the world's 100 most influential "global thinkers" in 2014, according to Foreign Policy. She is a business student and aspires to become a TV reporter and to travel to learn about new cultures.

Numerous views were expressed by the young participants and attendees, mostly focusing on their aspiration for a new and brilliant future and for a Palestinian reconciliation following the yearslong split.
November 29, 2017

Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, attracted public attention when on Nov. 23 he said Moscow plans to withdraw some of its troops from Syria by the end of the year, with armed clashes becoming less frequent and negotiations proceeding toward resolution of the civil war. To avoid potential security losses or retreats, however, Russia will outsource the work to private military companies (PMCs) with tactical warfare capabilities equivalent to modern militaries.

It is more accurate to say, however, that Russia will be outsourcing additional work to PMCs, as it has employed them in Syria since 2013. There has been no shortage of reports in the international media since 2016 about Russia's private contractors being killed in clashes.

The first PMC deployed was the Slavonic Corps, fielded by the Hong Kong-based Moran Security Group, a company established by former members of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB). It is well known that Slavonic Corps has sent hundreds of private contractors to Syria.

Slavonic Corps' literature says that it provides preventive defensive options to protect critical economic assets. Specifically, it claims to deploy members to protect oil refineries, ports, factories and critical government premises, provide logistics convoy security, and conduct patrols. But numerous reports have stated that the group's contractors were actively involved in combat in 2013 in Deir ez-Zor, Hama and Aleppo.

In late 2013, about 250 Slavonic Corps and Moran Security contractors were trained in the Syrian city of Latakia and then dispatched to guard strategically important oil fields in Deir ez-Zor. After the group suffered heavy losses in clashes with the Islamic State, Slavonic Corps reduced its operations in Syria.

Company Wagner, another PMC, was established by Dmitry Utkin, former commander of a GRU Spetsnaz, special forces units attached to military intelligence. Wagner contractors took part in the 2014 annexation of Crimea and have fought in the ongoing Donbass conflict, in eastern Ukraine. In fall 2015, when Moscow launched its military intervention in Syria, Wagner deployed more than 2,000 men there. Sources told Al-Monitor that Wagner currently has about 3,000 personnel, including Muslim Chechens, in Syria.

On Oct. 10, the Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets published an interview with a former mercenary who said Russian mercenaries are paid approximately $2,600 a month, while senior personnel are paid more than $4,000 per month. The Turan Group is the most interesting and mysterious Russian-affiliated PMC operating in Syria. "Turan" means "lands of Turks" and generally refers to Central Asia.

The Turan Group first came to the media's attention in April with reports and photos of its members participating alongside the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in operations in Hama and Deir ez-Zor. Last month, photos of the PMC actively engaged in combat west of Aleppo and Deir ez-Zor began appearing on social media. A Nov. 28 interview with an Estonian-born Russian national using the pseudonym Ivan shed some light on the group.

Ivan said he was offered a job by Russian-speaking Arabs wearing Hezbollah patches. He was to be paid $15,000 to fight for eight months. He accepted the offer and traveled to Syria via Beirut.

Although the group is mysterious, Turan unit members, most of whom are from Central Asia, are identifiable by the group's blue, red and black patches and flag. The Turan insignia is a hand holding a rifle and three circles. Above the rifle is the inscription Honesty is a virtue, attributed to Timur (Tamerlane), founder of the vast Turko-Shiite Timurid Empire (1370-1507), which is symbolized in the insignia by three circles.

The use of Turkic military contractors with Shiite backgrounds gives Moscow a strategic edge in Syria, because these contractors can more easily blend in with Syrian government forces. Their Shiite identity also provides a unifying factor in the fight against Salafi jihadism. Of note, Juma Namangani, a former Soviet paratrooper of Sunni Uzbek origin, had served in Afghanistan, and while there adopted Salafi jihadism. In 1998, Namangani founded the radical Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and declared jihad against the Uzbek government to establish Sharia there. His transformation has surely not been lost on the Russians.

In short, parallel to Moscow's withdrawal of some of its troops from Syria, it is highly likely to look for opportunities to deploy more PMCs. The weakness of Syrian security forces, combined with Russia's need to downsize its overtasked military in Syria, has left security gaps in the fragile country. Filling these gaps with PMCs is a plausibly deniable, economically feasible, politically viable, sustainable and flexible option for Moscow. In addition, unlike relying on local warlords, armed groups or criminal networks, as in Ukraine and Libya, in Syria using PMCs run by Russian ex-special operations personnel offers Moscow greater command control and combat effectiveness.

With US-based or -affiliated PMCs currently dominating the world market, it may be high time to examine the political effects of pro-Russian PMCs, profit-focused corporations that operate largely outside national and international law and without much concern for the sovereignty and legitimacy of fragile states like Syria.
The Icelandic ocean carrier will up the frequency of its Green Line service by adding a third vessel between Reykjavik, Halifax and Portland, Maine.



Icelandic ocean carrier Eimskip will increase the frequency of its container service between Iceland and the ports of Halifax and Portland, Maine on Nov. 30 by deploying a third vessel on its Green Line loop, the company said in a statement.

The new Green Line service, previously sailing on a 12-day frequency, will become a weekly loop with three vessels of an average capacity of 711 TEUs. Eimskip said the loop will offer excellent network connections with Southern Europe, Russia and the Baltics, FCL and LCL service, project cargo, break bulk and storage services.

This new weekly offering will better serve our existing customer base and will create an avenue for future growth, said Jeff Simms, managing director of Eimskip Canada. We are seeing increased volumes through operations at Portland, Maine, as well as Halifax and Newfoundland. The combined increase is making the change to weekly calls a reality.

Kim Holtermand, CEO and managing director of Halifaxs Halterm International Container Terminal, which will be called by the Green Line loop, said, We are delighted to be working with Eimskip, a long-term customer, on the development of its intra-regional and trans-Atlantic services. Earlier this year Halterm welcomed the first 10,000-TEU capacity container vessels to arrive in Halifax and the terminal is capable to handle the largest 14,000-TEU ships now regularly calling North Americas east coast  these vessels need a strong feeder and intermodal network and Halterm is proud to partner Eimskip in making one such opportunity available to and from the New England states.

The complete port rotation for the new Green Line service is Reykjavik, Argentia Newfoundland, Halifax, Portland, Argentia Newfoundland and back to Reykjavik.

We value all of the ocean carriers calling on Halifax. Eimskip has carved out a strong business in the refrigerated cargo sector, specifically focusing on the frozen seafood market between North Europe, Atlantic Canada, and the New England states, said Karen Oldfield, president and CEO of Halifax Port Authority. The addition of a third vessel to Eimskips Green Line will certainly be welcome news for Eimskips existing customers and will create new global supply chain opportunities.
Googles Chromebooks have had built-in screenshot functionality from the beginning, but somewhat recent hints that a change to that function that allows Chromebooks in tablet mode to ape Android devices have manifested in the form of an Android-like screenshot functionality in the Chrome OS dev channel. The function allows Chromebook owners to take a screenshot on their device by simply pressing the power button and volume down at the same time, but it will only work while the device is in tablet mode. Screenshots taken in laptop mode will have to be done the usual way, via the software. There has been no word thus far on when this feature is going to be hitting the stable channel.

The new feature is, naturally, only available on convertible Chromebooks for now, and can only be used while in tablet mode. The code for the feature explicitly specifies this requirement, though its entirely possible that a similar button combination could come to laptop mode. This feature will most likely be the main way of taking screenshots on detachable Chromebooks and Chrome OS tablets, once such devices begin appearing. There have already been countless hints that both categories are coming in the near future.

Google has been quite busy lately making Chrome OS work better in tablet mode, putting more and more emphasis on that aspect of the experience leading up to the release of the premium Pixelbook, which uses a convertible form factor and represents the best experience in the Chrome OS world for the time being, according to Google. The company has also scored a patent for a laptop with two screens, not unlike the Lenovo Yoga Book. There was wide speculation that Lenovo would release a Chrome OS version of that device, and the fact that Google seems to be planning a similar device of its own may well be the reason that such a device never came to be. This change will affect a number of the best-reviewed and most popular Chromebooks currently out, such as Samsungs Chromebook Plus and Pro, and Acers durable and well-specced new Spin 11 convertible.
Google has taken to its official Twitter page to let fans of Audiobooks know that those can now be found via a Google search. An accompanying image shows what looks to be a typical search for a book performed in the dedicated Google app. There, the new feature is found easily enough via the apps contextually derived search result cards. On the card that returns from a search for a book, it resides behind a quick tap on the get book tab. That will list a number of services and apps that can be used to obtain the book. A second tap on the Audiobooks suggestion eliminates results that dont include an audiobook version of the searched literary item, leaving only those that do support or offer the desired audiobook.

Unfortunately, with consideration for reports from early November, this new feature doesnt immediately seem to be linked to any kind of update to the Google Play Store which would include Audiobook formatted content for that market. That doesnt mean this feature hasnt been incorporated in preparation for that eventuality since the Play Store is listed in the responses in the image Google included with its tweet. However, current searches where the Audiobooks option is selected remove the Play Store from the resulting markets or services through which they can be bought. So, for now, it doesnt look like Google is ready to add audiobooks to its own content store. However, this does all add up to a convenient way for users to find their favorite stories in audio format with a more inclusive search.

In fact, more than anything else, this moderate tweak to Googles search functionality should make it easier to locate a given book without having to scroll through an inordinate number of pages. It also saves users, for the most part, from what can be a very stressful experience  namely, from having to navigate through any number of various applications or websites associated with audiobooks in search of their next title. Thats good news for anybody who wants to save some time when preparing for a road trip, as Googles tweet suggests, or just in general.
A man who was charged with firing a gun during a shooting incident outside an East Washington gas station in February pleaded guilty Wednesday to a gun possession charge and was sentenced to a year in prison.

Assistant District Attorney Valerian Powell said prosecutors dismissed a charge of first-degree reckless endangerment against Christopher Somersett, 22, of Madison, because they could not prove that he fired a gun during a Feb. 19 incident at a BP gas station at 4222 E. Washington Ave.

Four people were injured during the incident in which large groups of people who had been at a bar in Beaver Dam before a fight broke out wound up at the same gas station in Madison, where the shots were fired.

Somersett was also sentenced to two years in prison following revocation of his probation for an earlier gun possession conviction. The prison sentences will be followed by six years of extended supervision.

Somersett's lawyer, Murali Jasti, said the gun possession charge to which Somersett pleaded guilty related to a gun found among Somersett's possessions at his parents' home, a weapon given to Somersett by friends after the shooting incident.

Jasti also noted that Somersett was instrumental in identifying Brandon Crockett as the man who shot Somersett's friend, Marsellas Coleman, to death in Madison on Oct. 10, 2016. He said that Somersett picked up a gun and fired shots at Crockett after he shot Coleman. Crockett, 28, who has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide, is awaiting a trial for Coleman's death.

But Somersett's involvement in incidents that involve guns prompted warnings from Circuit Judge Stephen Ehlke, who urged Somersett to change the course he's on, which can only "end up in a lot of broken hearts and broken families."

Somersett said that he accepts responsibility for the gun possession and apologized to his family "for putting myself in this situation. I'm very sorry."

Another man, Claude Knight, 29, of Hanover Park, Illinois, pleaded guilty in July to second-degree reckless endangerment for firing a gun during the incident at the BP and is scheduled to be sentenced next week.
Google may absorb Nest Labs into its hardware division as part of a move to intensify its hardware ambitions, Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. The Mountain View, California-based tech giant still didnt make any concrete decisions and remains in the process of considering a reunion with Nest which it spun off in 2015 following its restructuring that saw it adopt a holding company structure and incorporate itself under Alphabets umbrella. While the close proximity of two moves may be interpreted as a lack of long-term corporate strategy on Alphabets part, insiders claim the decision was prompted by Amazons recent push into the home security market with the launch of the Cloud Cam and related services such as Amazon Key.

Some former Nest officials quoted by WSJ believe a reunion of Google and the home automation firm not only makes perfect sense even without competition from Amazon but suggest the two never should have split in the first place. In regards to both sales and marketings, Google and Nest are said to rely on the same retailers, whereas their hardware efforts are also significantly overlapping. Furthermore, as Nest is seeking to become more competitive in the growing home automation market, one of its most logical moves is tighter integration with Googles ubiquitous services like Android and the Google Assistant, and consolidating the two would allow them to achieve that goal more easily, some insiders say. A merger would also remove Nest from Alphabets Other Bets, a classification the conglomerate uses to label its high-risk business endeavors that are yet to become profitable and are usually just a hole in its accounting books.

Nest remains Googles second largest acquisition to date, with the Internet juggernaut paying $3.2 billion for the Palo Alto-based startup in 2014. The home automation company remained largely autonomous following the deal and while some speculation about Google selling it off surfaced after a few years, no such plans were ever confirmed as being in the works. The two are already said to have started collaborating more closely over the course of this year after their supply units were merged and some employees moved back and forth between Nest and Google, possibly paving the way for a formal merger. Absorbing Nest would also solidify Googles hardware ambitions that have been intensifying in the last several years and recently culminated with a $1.1 billion purchase of some of HTCs engineering talent. Its currently unclear whether Google attached a deadline to its decision on whether to officially join forces with Nest.
Google launched a new Android app in the form of Datally on Wednesday, although the service appears to be a rebranded version of the Triangle app which the company debuted in late June. Apart from the name change and some slight tweaks, the app appears to be largely identical to the previously introduced mobile tool, having been designed as a straightforward method of managing data usage across all of ones Android apps. Google also released a new video promo for Datally that can be seen below, indicating that the apps Triangle phase was just a beta test, whereas the rebranding is meant to imply an official launch. The fact that the app is now finally available on a global level appears to confirm that theory.

Datallys main interface remains relatively unchanged from the previous version, with the focus still being on identifying the most wasteful mobile data users on your device in an effort to limit their activities and save some of your limited data. The Android service will analyze data usage across all apps and even notify you of activity spikes, in addition to suggesting nearby Wi-Fi networks to which you can connect if you arent keen on permanently limiting your top mobile data wasters. In essence, Datally is a more intuitive method of navigating Androids native system functions related to background data usage management and doesnt introduce many novelties as much as it makes the operating systems previously implemented features easier to discover and use. As such, the app may prove to be a popular choice among consumers looking to save data, especially those that are seeking a quick method for preventing all background data usage. Datally is compatible with Android 5.0 Lollipop and later iterations of the omnipresent mobile OS and can be downloaded free of charge by referring to the Google Play Store banner below.

Google debuted a number of new Android apps over the course of this year as the company continues its efforts to compete in the Android ecosystem in addition to managing it. Most recently, the tech giant launched Files Go, its first mobile file manager which is presently in beta and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store in all parts of the world. While the firms Android apps cover a broad range of categories, all of its latest offerings have been designed in a minimalist manner that puts function over form and strives to be as intuitive as possible, with Datally being no exception to that trend.
Huaweis Daydream VR headset appears to be getting closer to becoming a real product, at least according to a recent FCC application revealing a so-called virtual reality handle or, more specifically, what appears to be a motion controller for the Daydream VR platform. The FCC documents include live photos with the controller as well as an instruction manual, suggesting that the Chinese OEM may be serious about releasing this product in the relatively near future.

The Google Daydream VR platform was first introduced in mid-2016 and it allows smartphone manufacturers with an interest in VR to follow Googles guidelines and specifications in order to create Daydream-ready handsets. Huawei was among the first hardware partner to join Daydream, with the Huawei Mate 9 Pro flagship becoming its first device to support the platform. However, earlier reports indicated that the Chinese OEM will not only adopt Daydream for some of its devices but is also working on its own Daydream VR headset similar to Googles Daydream View. This mysterious device didnt see much exposure over the past several months, but it now appears that Huawei may be ready to bring its Daydream View-like VR headset to the market soon. The Huawei virtual reality handle certified by the FCC is a Daydream peripheral that looks fairly similar to Googles VR controller, and appears to make use of a circular touchpad as well as three physical buttons. The FCC application doesnt contain any information regarding the VR headset designed to sync with this controller, but its safe to assume that the Chinese OEM is working on a complete Daydream VR package for smartphone users.

Its not clear whether Huaweis VR solution will be compatible only with the OEMs smartphones or if other Daydream-ready handsets could take advantage of it. Nevertheless, as of this writing, there are only two Huawei smartphones supporting the Daydream VR platform, namely the Mate 9 Pro and Porsche Design Mate 9, but some reports indicate that the newer Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro could also receive the Daydream-ready certificate at a later date. It remains to be seen when the Chinese tech giant plans on introducing its Daydream VR headset to the public, and with the FCC approval in tow, chances are that the product may be showcased during CES in January or at MWC in February 2017.
Microsoft may soon roll out a new application that will let users quickly transfer their photos and videos from their iOS or Android device to their Windows 10 PC, recent reports indicate. Italian blog site Aggiornamenti Lumia first spotted the app, which is supposed to serve as a companion tool for the Microsoft Photos app, though it remains unclear when Microsoft plans to release it. According to the report, the upcoming app is set to be released to Windows 10 Insiders on the Fast ring, which is a group of users who signed up for Microsofts open software testing program intended to experiment with the pre-release builds of Windows 10 before they are rolled out to the stable channel.

It is worth pointing out that the quick transfer of photos and videos from a mobile device to PC is supposed to occur over the same Wi-Fi network only, though it remains unclear how it is different from Microsofts OneDrive app, which already allows users to migrate photos from their phones to the Windows 10 Photos app in the background. While the OneDrive app is designed as a backup tool that will save a copy of your files in the cloud in case these pieces of data are accidentally deleted for any reason, the upcoming Photos companion app is supposedly intended to help people create backup copies of their photos and videos in their PC. If ever it ends up hitting end users, the Photos companion app will be among the tools rolled out by the software giant in recent times meant to help improve the user experience in iOS and Android devices. Most recently, Microsoft added new features to the preview version of its Edge browser, including a dark theme and support for password syncing, a month after releasing the app to Google Play Store.

In addition to the quick media file transfer support, Microsoft is also reportedly testing a number of features that it allegedly plans to introduce to the Photos app in Windows 10 over the next few months. These upcoming features include new themes, special effects, stickers, and soundtracks to accompany the media files. As usual, Windows Insiders are expected to be the first group of users who will be able to get their hands on these new features, according to the report.
Nokia Corporation said Thursday it isnt in the process of taking any steps to acquire American networking equipment manufacturer Juniper Networks, nor is it planning to do so going forward. The Espoo, Finland-based communications giant acknowledged its usual company policy of not commenting on market rumors but decided to make an exception due to the specificity of press reports on the matter that emerged Wednesday. The original report of a merger between the two being in the making was authored by CNBC who cited several sources with supposed knowledge of the matter. Juniper itself declined to comment on the story when approached by several media outlets yesterday, citing a corporate policy of refraining from entertaining market speculation similar to the one usually employed by Nokia.

The Sunnyvale, California-based firm also had little motivation to outright deny the rumor since CNBCs report was picked up on a global level and prompted its stock to spike by 18 percent before ending the day two percentage points up in after-hours trading, being valued at $29.61. The companys stock is likely to additionally decline once trading in New York starts at 9:30 AM PST and is expected to return to hovering around the $17 mark. With CNBCs original sources remaining unnamed, its unclear whether they have a proven track record of reliability, though the chances of Nokia bluffing about not being interested in an acquisition remain extremely slim as theyd be without true precedent in the history of the 152-year-old company.

Nokias last major acquisition came in the form of a $16.6 billion purchase of Alcatel-Lucent, with the firm now placing a stronger focus on the fifth generation of mobile networks and industries set to be boosted by 5G, especially the Internet of Things segment. While a takeover of Juniper would fall in line with such a strategy, some analysts remain skeptical whether Nokia would be able to conclude such a transaction without making a significant long-term gamble; with its last several financial reports being met with mixed responses at best, funding an acquisition of a company with a market cap north of $11 billion so soon after the Alcatel-Lucent purchase would possibly be a significant challenge for the firm. Nokias business is expected to return to growth once wider 5G deployment encompassing many parts of the world starts in 2020.
Qualcomms Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip will still be manufactured using the 10nm process node technology like its direct predecessor, according to latest rumors from China. The high-end silicon is expected to be of the octa-core variety, with its CPU being divided into a quad-core Cortex-A75 cluster and an energy-efficient Cortex-A53 one, insiders claim. Whereas the processor found on the chip isnt believed to be a massive upgrade on the one embedded into the Snapdragon 835, Qualcomm is expected to make a significant jump in terms of graphical performance with its next offering. According to recent reports and rumors that have been circulating the industry for the better part of this year, the Snapdragon 845 will feature the Adreno 630 GPU as opposed to the Adreno 540 chip found on the previous piece of silicon.

No operating frequencies have yet been attached to either the CPU or GPU of the Snapdragon 845, with insiders only hinting that the upcoming chip will not be a major upgrade in this regard. Its still expected to be somewhat more energy-efficient, allowing manufacturers to deliver handsets that boast performance identical or slightly better to that of every 2017 flagship but with longer battery life. Qualcomms X20 modem supporting 1.2Gbps peak download speeds is also said to be embedded into the chip, as per information provided by Chinese IT Home earlier today, with this particular module being rumored as part of the Snapdragon 845 since the first half of the year. The San Diego, California-based semiconductor company will reportedly announce its next flagship silicon early next month and have it ready for commercialization by winter, with the chip being expected to feature in the vast majority of Android-powered flagships set to be released throughout 2018.

The Snapdragon 845 is said to ship with simultaneous support two dual-camera setups featuring four 25-megapixel sensors in total, suggesting Qualcomm expects more OEMs to start offering both front and rear-facing two-sensor imaging systems on their mobile products in the near future. Samsungs Galaxy S9 lineup is widely rumored to be the first to commercialize the Snapdragon 845 in late winter or early spring, whereas most other manufacturers will likely have to wait until at least May before theyre able to secure enough stock to start mass-producing devices with Qualcomms next premium silicon.
Another case of a victim losing tens of thousands of dollars to a scammer claiming to be a relative has been reported to Madison police.

This time, a 68-year-old woman sent almost $60,000 to a scammer who claimed to be her brother, so he could pay medical expenses for her nephew.

"The scammer told her his son had been diagnosed with cancer, and they were in need of financial help," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain.

Over the course of several weeks, the woman withdrew money from her credit union account and sent cash to a Chicago address.

"An alert employee at the credit union became concerned and called police," DeSpain said.

Three weeks ago, an elderly Madison couple was bilked out of $80,000 by a scammer claiming to be a grandson in trouble.
Before a courtroom packed with his friends and family members, a man who struck and killed a UW-Madison student from China pleaded no contest Thursday to homicide by intoxicated driving and two other felonies.

Kong Vang, 33, of Madison, now faces up to 53 years of prison and extended supervision when he is sentenced in February by Dane County Circuit Judge John Hyland.

Vang pleaded no contest to homicide by drunken driving for the April 15 death of Wenxin "Wendy" Huai, 24, who was struck by Vang's SUV after it jumped onto the sidewalk on South Park Street near West Washington Avenue. Vang also pleaded no contest to second-degree reckless endangerment, for also striking Haonan Ge on the leg as he tried to push Huai out of the SUV's path.

In addition, Vang pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine.

Vang will remain free on bail until his Feb. 22 sentencing hearing. No sentencing recommendations were mentioned by Assistant District Attorney Bryce Pierson as he recited the terms of a plea agreement. Under the agreement, seven other charges against Vang were dismissed, but can be considered by Hyland as he formulates a sentence for Vang.

According to a criminal complaint, Ge told police that he and Huai were walking north on South Park Street when Vang's Nissan Armada barreled toward them from West Washington Avenue. When it jumped the sidewalk, Ge said that he pushed Huai with his left hand and jumped to his right, but she was struck by the SUV.

Witnesses walking behind Ge and Huai told police that they saw the SUV turn left from West Washington Avenue onto South Park Street, move to avoid a stopped vehicle and then hit the curb and strike two people. The SUV then struck a utility pole.

When police searched Vang's clothing later at UW Hospital, where he failed a standard impairment test, they found a small baggie containing methamphetamine.

Huai, who was also taken to UW Hospital, died from blunt force trauma to the head, torso and lower extremities. Huai was from Beijing and graduated from Peking University before coming to UW-Madison in 2015. She was to have received her master's degree in economics in May, and also worked on campus as a research assistant in UW's Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory.

At Vang's initial court appearance in April, a prosecutor said that police had found pictures on Vang's cellphone of Vang and others earlier the day of the crash drinking in Vang's SUV while they were driving.
One in four lawyers say that if they could change one thing about their job it would be their levels of stress.That easily outranks working fewer hours or having more personal time (22%); greater professional autonomy (7%); and accelerated career growth (6%).The poll by legal profession recruiters Robert Half in the US also reveals that 58% say exercise is the best way to relieve stress. Taking a break, talking to friends or family, and playing music are also rated as stress relievers."Unrelenting job stress and long hours can lead to staff attrition and productivity declines," said Jamy Sullivan, executive director of Robert Half Legal. "To address these issues and retain key talent, legal employers are offering flexible schedules, telecommuting and remote work options, as well as additional vacation days."Pinsent Masons is being sued by a Spanish law firm which was in talks with the international firm about a possible tie-up.Ramon & Cajal has filed papers in London naming the firm, its senior partner Richard Foley, and two other partners, relating to the failed merger talks of a year ago.According to Legalweek the suit alleges that Pinsents breached no-hiring agreements between the two firms by agreeing to hire five former Ramon partners and 9 other lawyers in the first five months of 2017.Those hires joined Pinsents for a new Madrid office in May and Ramon says that they would still be working for them and generating profits if Pinsents had not done so.Pinsents is being represented by Ashurst while Ramon has instructed Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. Eversheds Sutherland has appointed Ian Gray as the chair of its European region.He will lead the regional team alongside his existing role as executive partner (client strategy) of Eversheds Sutherland (International). He succeeds Alan Murphy who becomes deputy chair alongside his role as managing partner in Ireland.I am delighted to take on this role which comes at a pivotal moment in the development of our global platform. Building on the momentum of our recent expansion in Germany, Luxembourg and Russia, I look forward to leading our European team in the delivery of our strategy, said Murphy.
Slater and Gordon shareholders have to choose the lesser of two evils.As the firm confirmed a timeline for the separation of its UK business in an update to the ASX, it also warned of possible further trouble the firm and its shareholders could get into should a recapitalisation plan not pass a shareholder vote.The firm said that the timeframe that is reasonably practical for the UK operations to be separated is up to 18 months following the implementation date of its recapitalisation plan. The company is in the midst of finalising the plan, which shareholders will vote on in the annual general meeting in Melbourne on 6 December.If they vote yes to the plan, shareholders take a massive cut to their remaining shareholding. If they vote no, however, the company could be further hurt because of parent guarantees for material contracts in the UK.If the recapitalisation plan is implemented, the firms UK operations and subsidiaries will be separated from its Australian parent. The parent will also seek to be released from guarantees it is under. The firm said its main exposure under the guarantees are leases for the offices used by the UK business, primarily the Manchester premises.If, during the transition period, the UK operations default on the UK leases and/or other material contracts the subject of the parent guarantees, and those parent guarantees have not yet been released, the company may be liable for any unpaid amounts under those contracts at the time of default, the firm said. Any contingent liability has the potential to be material in the event that the UK operations were in default and the parent guarantees were called upon and the company was unable to take steps that are typically commercially available to mitigate its loss, such as sub-leasing.While the parent guarantees will not be released effective from the implementation date of the recapitalisation, the Australian business and its subsidiaries will be released from their obligation to pay, guarantee, or secure payment of any secured debt related to the UK operations from that date.The Australian business and subsidiaries will also be released from their obligations to pay or guarantee all amounts drawn by the UK business from debt facilities, reducing the Australian business secured debt by $636.6mn. The firm calculates its total secured debt to be currently $761.6mn.Slater and Gordon has also confirmed it plans to close four offices in the UK in the next 12 months.The firm plans to shutter its outposts in Chester, Wrexham, and Milton Keynes. One of its offices in Preston will also close, the Law Society Gazette said.We have assessed our geographic footprint with a view to bringing it in line with our vision of delivering our services from strategic centres of excellence. Following this review, we are considering a plan to consolidate a number of our smaller offices into our larger regional hubs, where colleagues can share their outstanding knowledge and expertise across a range of legal fields, the firm said.
What do you think of this Huracan Performante in Blu Glauco? #LamboPalmBeach #HuracanPerformante A post shared by Lamborghini Palm Beach (@lambopalmbeach) on Nov 29, 2017 at 10:13am PST

We're talking about the Blu Glauco Performante in the images we have here. The 640 hp beast has just landed at Lamborghini Palm Beach, with the dealer happily taking to Instagram to share the eye candy with us.Lamborghinis come with an overly extrovert design by definition and the ALA (Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva) active aero has dictated the even spicier design of the Performante.However, certain gear heads argue that the meaty aero bits on the supercar have determined the design to become a bit cluttered, with these aficionados preferring the cleaner design of the supercar's predecessor, namely the Gallardo Superleggera.As for the eye-catching hue of this Sant'Agata Bolognese machine, most supercar fans will pack a special place in the garages that are their hearts for the velocity tool. Nevertheless, there will always be certain supercar lovers who believe that restrained hues are more suitable for such extreme styling cues, with Grigio Telesto being the perfect example of such a color.Returning to this Blu Glauco Lamborghini Huracan Performante, which could the first to show up in this shade, the other striking visual elements on the mid-engined delight also deserve our attention. Carbon bits aside, we're talking about the yellow brake calipers and the Italian flags adorning the doors.P.S.: Our Porschephile side can't help but point out that the closest rival to this Raging Bull (the focus also sits on the color here) is the Miami Blue 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS we showed you earlier this season.While we're at it, we also have to mention the Tiffany Blue Ferrari 458 Speciale that was spotted two years ago.
What Hyundai did best about the Kona is styling, with the subcompact-sized crossover looking so unconventional that you cant hate it. It is the type of vehicle that grabs your attention at first sight, leading you to analyze every body line and exterior detail. And for a utility vehicle, thats something to be amazed considering how dull-looking most other SUVs are.The Kona isnt without its shortcomings, and space isnt the issue here. What Hyundai couldve done better is the design of the interior, which doesnt get ones pulse racing not even slightly. The body-colored trim pieces around the air vents and transmission lever spruce things up a bit, but its not enough to make the cabin look as funky as the Konas outside.Scheduled to arrive at U.S. dealers in the first quarter of 2018, the Kona will take on the likes of the Mazda CX-3 . If driving is of utmost interest to you, then get the all-wheel-drive option for it upgrades the rear axle to an independent, dual-arm multi-link suspension.The standard engine is an Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter four-cylinder connected to a six-speed automatic transmission, rated at 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. The Limited and Ultimate trim levels ship with the 1.6-liter Gamma, which develops 175 horsepower and 195 pound-feet thanks to direct injection and turbocharging. The superior engine of the two also boasts a superior transmission in the form of a seven-speed DCT Named after the west-coast region of the Big Island of Hawaii, the Kona is described as a lifestyle-focused CUV that is tailored to the needs of customers who pursue active lifestyles of all kinds. Later on, the Kona N will combine crossover practicality and hot hatchback performance. But before it, the Kona Electric will cater to the needs of eco-friendly motorists.
When the press release on Cessnas new twin turboprop came pixeling into my inbox Tuesday morning, my first reaction was: a new skydiving airplane! Woo-hoo! This further proves that self-interest easily overpowers rational thought, but in a more sober moment, I realized that in aviation as in everything else, history repeats.

Even without a piece of ruled graph papercan you even buy that stuff anymore?you can figure out the economics here. In case youve forgotten, Cessna and FedEx joined hands and checkbooks in 1982 to create the 208 Caravan. Thirty-five years and 2500 airframes later, theyre renewing their vows with the 408 SkyCourier, a clean-sheet twin turbine that is, as far as I can see, a rethinking of the venerable de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter. And then some.

Draw the lines of the graph and you find that in 1982, U.S. GDP was $3.3 trillion and FedExthen still Federal Expresshad about $800 million of it. In 2016, FedEx was a $50 billion operation in an $18.5 trillion economy. In 1982, the China import trade was barely visible. Today, China accounts for $462 billion in imports and FedEx flies a lot of that stuff not just from China but right into the hands of customers. FedEx was the launch customer for the Caravan because it needed an airplane to fly freight from the big airplanes to the little towns.

There arent any more little towns now than in 1982, but there are more people and theres a whole lot more stuff. E-commerce is a growth industry and FedEx clearly needs more lift capacity at greater efficiency. And it may have Amazon to contend with as a competitor. Weve reported that Amazon has been trying to build its own airline for package delivery and FedEx likely has an interest in blunting that. Logically, at least to me, this points to a twin turboprop to displace the Caravan on certain routes. The fact that Cessna has designed the 408 to accept rapidly loadable industry-standard LD-3 containers will usher in some ramp efficiency. FedExs initial buy will be 50 airplanes, with an option for 50 more. Not huge volume, but then the Caravan wasnt either, nor was FedEx the only customer.

So far, Cessna has only whiteboarded the specs on the new twin, claiming a maximum payload of 6000 pounds against an unpublished gross weight. Thats nearly twice the 3305-pound useful load of the 208B Caravan and 1600 pounds more than the typical Twin Otter. (Textron didnt give proposed useful load for the 408, so these numbers are a little fuzzy. But theyre directionally valid.) Fully loaded, the SkyCourier will have a range of about 400 NM, well within the 200 NM or less typical stage length the Caravans fly. Thats further proof that FedEx needs nothing more than a bigger pipe. (FedEx has also contracted to buy a fleet of new ATR 72-600F turboprop twins.)

All of this is perfectly logical and reasonable. I found two things interesting in the announcement. One is the utterly workmanlike feel of the proposal. Textron tends not to talk about such things, but theres no whiff that it thought about the airplane being electric or hybrid or to have the hooks for that current darling of the forward-looking industry, autonomous operation. By aviation standards, they plan to have the thing flying by next week (2020, actually) and thats too aggressive a timeline to fool around with technology that doesnt exist, despite all the stories the aviation press flogs on the topic.

Second, its to be expected that Cessna would propose a passenger version of the SkyCourier; that simply expands the market envelope. But the 19-seat market, which was hot around the time the original Caravan appearedremember the Beech 1900 and the Embraer 110 Bandeirante?is moribund now. In the U.S., with the Essential Air Services program on life support, its hard to imagine that it will come back. But then Im sure Textron isnt banking on such sales. This is a utility airplane thats all about cargo.

One other surprise, maybe. The press release didnt mention the engines, but the specs page does. I was expecting the GE ATP, the cutting-edge engine Cessna will use in the big Denali turboprop single. But nope. Theyre planning the Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65SC. At 1100 SHP, its an iteration of the -65 series thats been around for a while and will have the addition of Pratts FAST maintenance tracking and prognostication feature. Not exactly old school, maybe, but not cutting edge either. When the Caravan was launched, FedEx crowed about Pratt as a provider of reliable turbine power. Could be they drove that opinion again. I wont be surprised to see a second engine option for the 408 if GEs ATP proves more efficient and less costly to operate than the PT6. If you fly an airplane 1000 hours a year, a 15 percent efficiency gain in operating cost is not to be ignored.

Ten years from now, the 408, like the Caravan, will still be soldiering along. Twenty years? Same. Somewhere during that run, FedEx will cast off a few and, sure enough, one will become a skydiving airplane. Like I said, woo-hoo!
A glitch in American Airlines' system that gives pilots time off based on their seniority has resulted in over 15,000 unmanned cockpits for flights scheduled from Dec. 1731, per Reuters.

Why it matters: That's one of the busiest times for air travel. American Airlines spokesperson Matt Miller told Reuters, "We are working through this to make sure we take care of our pilots and get our customers where they need to go over the holiday."
Eugene Kaspersky, Russian antivirus programs developer and chief executive of Russia's Kaspersky Lab, works on computers at his company's headquarters. Photo: Pavel Golovkin / AP

All federal agencies have finished scanning their networks for Kaspersky anti-virus software, a Department of Homeland Security official told Axios.

Why it matters: DHS mandated earlier this fall all agencies make plans to scan for the software and remove it within 90 days over concerns Russian intelligence was using Kaspersky as a channel to hack or monitor communications from the U.S. government. The anti-virus software was found in 15% of the agencies, per the official.

After 6 agencies missed an October deadline as part of the removal due to a lack of resources, DHS helped them out, according to Assistant Secretary Jeanette Manfra, per Nextgov.

What's next: On Dec. 19 the agencies are required to start removing Kaspersky.
For decades, the internet has been seen by most Americans as a democratizing force that makes life easier and more enjoyable. But the increase of instances of abuse on the open web is challenging our conventional notion of the benefits of the internet.

Why it matters: Advances in technology always create unforeseen consequences, which is why laws are usually written to address broad use cases. But recent incidents show that the country is reaching a tipping point, and regulators seem eager to revisit outdated policies to protect Americans from an internet turned ugly. How to go about that, however, is still unclear.

A year of reckoning: Very public abuses of the Internet by bad actors became national headlines this year.

There have been more breaches of personal information than ever before, exposing consumers' financial information, emails, purchase history, etc.  things we always thought would be safe locked behind passwords and security keys. The recent Equifax breach showed Americans just how vulnerable our identities are online. Identity theft hit an all-time high last year, with 41 million Americans reporting having their data stolen.

than ever before, exposing consumers' financial information, emails, purchase history, etc.  things we always thought would be safe locked behind passwords and security keys. The recent Equifax breach showed Americans just how vulnerable our identities are online. Identity theft hit an all-time high last year, with 41 million Americans reporting having their data stolen. Foreign actors are using bots, fake accounts and social media to meddle in our elections and sow discord in the country. Russian-backed groups spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on illegal ads on Facebook, Twitter, Google and other tech platforms. More than 126 million Americans were exposed to Russian propaganda on Facebook.

to meddle in our elections and sow discord in the country. Russian-backed groups spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on illegal ads on Facebook, Twitter, Google and other tech platforms. More than 126 million Americans were exposed to Russian propaganda on Facebook. Terrorism and threats to national security are unfolding on social media platforms, with bad actors spreading messages of hate and destruction with the aim of radicalizing people on our own soil. YouTube experienced a major advertiser boycott earlier this year in response to ads running against extremist content.

are unfolding on social media platforms, with bad actors spreading messages of hate and destruction with the aim of radicalizing people on our own soil. YouTube experienced a major advertiser boycott earlier this year in response to ads running against extremist content. White nationalists, bigots and Neo-Nazis have found homes on the internet, organizing and collecting in private chat rooms and on social media, challenging the values and core principles of our society. A subculture that remained hidden online for years finally surfaced during the Charlottesville attack.

have found homes on the internet, organizing and collecting in private chat rooms and on social media, challenging the values and core principles of our society. A subculture that remained hidden online for years finally surfaced during the Charlottesville attack. Studies show that teens suffer from increasing depression and anxiety due to social media and that smartphones are making teens feel isolated, immature, and suicidal.

due to social media and that smartphones are making teens feel isolated, immature, and suicidal. More and more gruesome acts of violence and suicide are occurring on social media platforms that are struggling to take the content offline quickly enough. Facebook recently unveiled artificial intelligence technology to combat online suicide.

are occurring on social media platforms that are struggling to take the content offline quickly enough. Facebook recently unveiled artificial intelligence technology to combat online suicide. Child pornography and content not suitable for children is flourishing online, making the web a more dangerous place than ever for kids. YouTube published a blog post last week outlining their strategy to better protect families and kids on their platform from inappropriate and misleading videos.

What they're saying: Policymakers on the left and the right expressed concern this week about the downward spiral of some corners of the internet.

Rep. Anna Eshoo, who represents part of Silicon Valley, said at a hearing on algorithms yesterday that, while she cares about protecting free speech on social media platforms, "we also know there are bad actors that have used the best of what we have invested to divide us, and something needs to be done about that."

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a speech to the Media Institute that web platforms are responsible for polarizing Americans politically and alienating them personally. Social media, he said, "has to some extent enabled the worst of human impulses," and he asked: "Is social media a net benefit to our society?"

said in a speech to the Media Institute that web platforms are responsible for polarizing Americans politically and alienating them personally. Social media, he said, "has to some extent enabled the worst of human impulses," and he asked: "Is social media a net benefit to our society?" Margrethe Vestager, Europe's chief competition regulator, told Recode that she's concerned about the lack of transparency and accountability around the algorithms used by tech giants. "This is the biggest wake up call we've ever had," she said. "If we don't relearn to trust technology, then we'll never make any good of the potential."

Internet users feel more vulnerable than ever, even though internet use and social media use continues to climb, per the Pew Research Center.
British Home Secretary Amber Rudd told MPs that President Trump was "wrong" to retweet videos from far-right group Britain First. And, in response to a suggestion from MP Peter Bone that Trump should delete his Twitter account, she responded, "I'm sure many of us might share his view."

Another voice: London Mayor Sadiq Khan issued a statement this morning calling on Prime Minister Theresa May to cancel Trump's planned state visit, calling Trump's retweets "a betrayal of the special relationship between our two countries."

Video of a portion Rudd's speech:

The full text of Khan's statement:

President Trump yesterday used Twitter to promote a vile, extremist group that exists solely to sow division and hatred in our country.

Many Brits who love America and Americans will see this as a betrayal of the special relationship between our two countries. It beggars belief that the President of our closest ally doesn't see that his support of this extremist group actively undermines the values of tolerance and diversity that makes Britain so great.

As the Mayor of this great diverse city, I have previously called on Theresa May to cancel her ill-judged offer of a state visit to President Trump. After this latest incident, it is increasingly clear that any official visit at all from President Trump to Britain would not be welcomed.

The Prime Minister of our country should be using any influence she and her government claim to have with the President and his administration to ask him to delete these tweets and to apologise to the British people.
Energy secretary Rick Perry leaves Thursday for a three-country trip to the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates, according to a department official.

Why it matters: This is Perry's first trip to the region as secretary, where he will meet his energy counterparts. The visit could highlight the geopolitical tension present with the U.S. shale oil surge competing with Saudi Arabia and other OPEC producers for market share. The Middle East is ground zero for a lot of issues in the energy space  especially oil and natural gas but also less high-profile areas like advanced nuclear power and technologies that capture carbon emissions from fossil fuels.

What we're watching: To what degree Perry talks about the initial public offering planned by Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company of Saudi Arabia. President Trump tweeted in early November he wants the company to post the IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. Separately, Perry is expected to speak at a conference on carbon technology in the United Arab Emirates.
The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday largely maintained quotas for a federal ethanol mandate, resisting efforts by oil companies to make bigger changes.

Why it matters, per Axios' Amy Harder: These final quotas show the ethanol lobby and a group of corn-state lawmakers led by Sen. Chuck Grassley remain as powerful as ever even under the unconventional administration of President Trump. EPA did cut the quotas compared to statutory levels, but it discarded more aggressive changes. That mixed bag ultimately led to a range of muted reactions from ethanol backers, including a cautious statement of approval from Grassley, and criticism from oil and refinery interests.

Gritty details: The mandate's overall quota was revised slightly upward, from a proposed 19.24 billion gallons to a final 19.29 billion gallons. The difference comes largely from a slightly increased quota for cellulosic biofuels made from non-corn material compared to the proposal.

Go deeper: Understanding America's ethanol policy; The ethanol empire strikes back
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said in a letter today to Congressional Black Caucus chairman Cedric Richmond that it is disabling a tool that allows advertisers to exclude multicultural affinity" segments from their audiences. She also declared that Facebook is "determined to do better" on multicultural marketing.

Why it matters: Rep. Robin Kelly said in a press release earlier this month that Facebook's "Ethnic Affinity" advertising option makes Facebook "complicit in promoting restrictive housing practices." Sandberg said in her letter that Facebook would strengthen policies to prohibit discriminatory advertising, and that until Facebook can "better ensure that our tools will not be used inappropriately," the tool is being disabled.
The National Governors Association would like Congress to get it together and reauthorize federal funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program  a wish the NGA's health care leaders reiterated last night in a letter to congressional leaders.

Flashback: Federal funding for the program, which covers roughly 9 million children, expired at the end of September, and several states have begun to run out of reserve funds to keep their programs afloat.
This year's annual White House Christmas party for members of the media is breaking tradition in several areas, including the time of day and who was invited, according to a Politico report. And unlike past presidents, Trump will not be posing with guests, and "may or may not mingle with the crowd."

The backdrop: The event is "an opportunity for the media and their guests to enjoy a reception at the White House," according to First Lady Melania Trump's director of communications, Stephanie Grisham. This year, it will have a far less festive air. CNN has said it will boycott the event due to President Trump's attacks  and in response Sarah Sanders tweeted, "finally, good news from CNN."

How Trump's party differs from previous years:
Sen. John McCain released a statement Thursday saying he will support the GOP tax cuts bill: "I believe this legislation, though far from perfect, would enhance American competitiveness, boost the economy, and provide long overdue tax relief for middle class families."

Why it matters: This bill sure seems likely to pass the Senate, where it then goes to conference.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team has postponed grand jury testimony related to the dealings of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn's lobbying firm, Flynn Intel Group, CNN reports.

Why this matters: This move comes after it was reported that Flynn's lawyers cut ties with President Trump's lawyers and met with Mueller's team. And it's the latest indication that Flynn's lawyers could be brokering a deal with the Special Counsel.
Over the course of a two-month investigation, Variety talked to three women with stories of sexual harassment perpetrated by Matt Lauer at NBC. One woman said Lauer exposed himself to her and reprimanded her for refusing to engage in a sexual act. Another said he gifted her a sex toy with a lewd note.

The big picture: Several women told Variety that NBC has not adequately addressed past complaints about Lauer's behavior. NBC declined to comment, and Lauer could not be reached for comment.

Background: In an email to NBC staff Wednesday morning, NBC News chairman Andy Lack said the network is terminating Lauer's contract after an employee came forward with an allegation of sexual misconduct. Lack's email said that while this was the only complaint against Lauer in his 20-year career at NBC, the network has "reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident."

From Variety's report:
OPEC and Russia have officially agreed to extend production cuts by nine months, through the end of 2018, per Bloomberg. Nigeria and Libya, which were previously exempt from the cuts, have also agreed to enter the deal for the first time. Their addition is a victory for OPEC, as their rising production output has been a challenge to the group's efforts to tighten the market.

Why it matters: The very existence of this Saudi-Russia cooperation signals the extent of the shadow the U.S. shale industry has cast over the oil market in recent years.
Barring last-second hiccups, reports from the OPEC meeting in Vienna signal that OPEC and Russia will agree to extend the production-limiting agreement by nine months through the end of 2018.

Why it matters: The cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Russia curbing the global supply glut is in part a signal of how the U.S. supply surge has forced a new era in oil geopolitics.

Details:Earlier this morning, Bloomberg reported: "Even though an extension through the whole of 2018 is all but certain, the cartel plans to hold a regular ministerial meeting next June, giving it the flexibility to alter the policy mid-game. For some oil investors, that potential review is a cause for concern. For others, it's just the natural course of the cycle of twice-yearly OPEC meetings." Read their updated piece here.As the AP points out, it's basically a decision to "continue pumping less oil for more dollars."
Congressman Joe Barton of Texas said Thursday that he will not run for re-election after a nude photo he shared with a romantic partner was made public on social media last week, the Dallas Morning News reports.

Barton said, "I've always listened to people in Texas and worked for them in Washington, and I've been listening to a lot of people the last week in Texas ... There are enough people who lost faith in me that it's time to step aside and let there be a new voice for the 6th district in Washington, so I am not going to run for re-election."

The backdrop: Barton announced his intention to run for re-election earlier in November, but said he would reconsider that decision after the photos surfaced. His relationship with the woman who shared the photo was consensual, and he has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Barton also suggested in 2015 that he would go to the police if a woman shared the explicit photos and messages he sent her.

Go deeper: House Republicans keep announcing 2018 departures
Senator Orrin Hatch tweeted a message of support for British Prime Minister Theresa May minutes after President Trump tweeted that she should "focus on" stopping terrorism in the U.K., rather than his tweets. May had said it was "wrong" that Trump shared anti-Muslim hate videos from a far-right fringe group in the U.K.
Republican Congressional leadership is planning to propose two short-term funding bills which would keep the government running on current funding levels through Dec. 22 and then through sometime in January, Politico reports.

Why it matters: This would be a temporary solution until agreement on a bigger funding bill could be reached. And this is a change from the plan discussed in the meeting with Trump, which involved only one bill to fund the government into January.

Who wants what: Democrats have said they won't agree to any funding bill that didn't include provisions for DREAMers. Meanwhile, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry wouldn't sign onto the first temporary plan without any a funding boost for the Pentagon, according to Politico.
The Senate voted 52-48 on party lines to begin debate on the Republican tax bill, putting the Senate within striking distance of passing it. Several Republicans who have not committed to voting for the final bill, including Sens. Collins, McCain, Corker and Flake, voted in favor of moving ahead.

What's next: Republican leadership wants to pass the bill by the end of the week. There will be up to 20 hours of debate and votes on a series of amendments prior to the final vote. The House has already passed a different tax bill and, should the Senate pass its bill, they will have to agree on a compromise package.

What they're saying:

Asked how he would vote on the final bill, Sen. Ron Johnson told reporters, "I'm going to see what the other votes are."

Asked about potential changes, including a possible trigger to limit the deficit impact of the bill, Sen. John Kennedy said, "We're still talking. And we may be talking up until its time to vote on the bill." Kennedy said he'd prefer a trigger for spending cuts rather than tax increases.

The concerns of multiple senators have not fully been resolved: There's no agreement on the trigger for the budget hawks, no pay-for to partially keep the state and local tax deductions Sen. Collins wants, and no settled language on the changes for small businesses sought by Sens. Johnson and Daines.
House Speaker Paul Ryan addressed the series of sexual harassment allegations that have been plaguing Congress, and announced that the House will hold a hearing on the (taxpayer-funded) harassment settlements next week. Congress is introducing legislation this week to mandate sexual harassment training.

Key quote: "Sexual harassment has no place in any workforce, let alone in Congress," said Ryan. "We cannot and we will not tolerate that kind of behavior."

More from House GOP leadership press conference:
President Trump crossed new lines this morning:

Incited violence against Muslims without reason or regret by retweeting unverified anti-Muslim videos.Insinuated Joe Scarborough was involved in the death of a former intern.Insinuated TV heads and critics should be investigated for unknown reasons.

The most incendiary of Trump's tweets were his retweeting of anti-Muslim videos of questionable origin. A senior White House official expressed shock and dismay at the tweets  which purport to show videos of a "Muslim migrant" beating up a Dutch boy on crutches and a Muslim destroying a statue of Virgin Mary. They are perhaps his most indefensible tweets as president; and have the obvious potential to incite violence against Muslims living in America.

You know you've crossed a line when you give the Infowars editor pause.

And Piers Morgan:

Some open questions:

How does Trump's national security team feel about this, given their Middle East strategy rests on the cooperation of Muslim-majority countries like Saudi Arabia? Chief of Staff John Kelly likes to say he ignores Trump's tweets, but when you have the British Prime Minister releasing a highly unusual statement condemning Trump, it's impossible to ignore them. They are now directly affecting foreign policy and can't be dismissed as fluff.What reaction can we expect from the moderate / liberal wing of the administration  White House officials like Gary Cohn, who condemned Trump's response to Charlottesville?Be smart: Many Arab and Muslim countries will continue to work with the U.S. because it's in their interests. But these tweets make it harder, not easier.
President Trump tweeted Wednesday evening a response to British Prime Minister Theresa May's comment that it was "wrong" for him to re-tweet anti-Muslim hate videos posted by a member of a far-right group in the U.K.

Why it matters: It was an extraordinarily rare move for a British prime minister to publicly condemn the actions of a U.S. president. True to form, Trump isn't backing down, and is prolonging that dispute.

Worth noting: Trump tagged the wrong Theresa May on Twitter in his initial tweet. He then sent a second, this time to his intended recipient.
A group of U.K. consumers sued Google over allegations that it misused personal data from millions of iPhone users, Bloomberg reports. The group, representing 5.4 million customers, claims Google used an algorithm to trick iPhones into releasing personal data from the Safari browser in 2011 and 2012. Google disputes the claims, telling Bloomberg they "don't believe it has any merit and we will contest it."

Across the pond: European regulators have been much more aggressive in cracking down on tech companies over privacy concerns. Richard Lloyd, the consumer advocate leading the case, said the point is to "send a strong message to Google and other tech giants in Silicon Valley that we're not afraid to fight back if our laws are broken."
In a second court hearing this week, Uber employees testified that a disgruntled former colleague, Richard Jacobs, attempted to extort money from the company when he sensed he was on the verge of getting fired. Jacobs made explosive allegations of misconduct by Uber in a letter he sent the company in May, which the Justice Department sent to the judge presiding over its dispute with Waymo last week.

The big question: As the presiding judge still wants to know, if Uber didn't find merit in the former employee's allegations that it was crossing legal and ethical lines and even believes he sought to extort a payout, then why did Uber agree to hire him as a consultant and pay him a hefty $4.5 million after the fact?

What's next: The trial has been delayed until early February.

More from today's hearing:
The Trump White House stands at the doorstep of the 2018 midterm elections with no serious political operation. It's been a slow-moving train wreck, from the botched health care effort to the handling of Roy Moore's candidacy. And the man in charge of the political office, Bill Stepien, is seen by administration officials and conservative leaders as a non-entity  a situation senior Republicans blamed on Jared Kushner, who put him there.

Why it matters: White House officials say there shouldn't be too much focus on Stepien, and that this White House shouldn't be judged by the standards of more conventional ones. But the 2018 midterms will have a huge, definitional impact on the future of Donald Trump's presidency. If Republicans lose the House or their grip on the Senate, Trump will not only run into a legislative logjam  he could face an impeachment drive led by Democrats.

The back story: In a White House with a strong political operation, there'd be a big shot acting as the main strategist  marshalling party leaders across the country, controlling the Republican National Committee and ensuring the biggest donors in the conservative movement are ready for the epic fights ahead. That's more like the role Karl Rove or Ken Mehlman played for George W. Bush.

Instead, Trump has Stepien  a former aide to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and an experienced operative, but one of the quietest men in Washington. He's virtually unknown to conservative groups and has little sway inside the White House, and none whatsoever on Capitol Hill.

When I texted a senior figure at a powerful conservative outside group to ask him about Stepien, he called back and admitted he needed to Google his name before responding.

"Nobody knows what the f--- he's done or is doing to advance the president's agenda politically," a senior administration source told me. "There's no follow through on initiatives."

Stepien seems to have little sway over the RNC chairwoman, Ronna Romney McDaniel. She often deals directly with the president and White House chief of staff John Kelly.

"Stepien's not the guy you pick up the phone and call," said a leader of a conservative outside group. "It just seems like the office is a non-entity. At most they monitor things. It's a completely passive operation."

As a result, party leaders across the country, outside groups, and the biggest donors in GOP politics have little idea what this White House wants them to do to advance its agenda.

It's not that insiders have any personal animosity towards Stepien. They just don't think he has a lot of juice, and is working within a structure that needs an overhaul. I spoke to more than a dozen senior administration officials and conservative leaders for this story, and the best defense anybody offered of Stepien was that he's a competent, smart, man and that he was never given the tools he needed to succeed.

A senior administration source described Stepien as a smart and competent organizer, but not the force of nature he needs to be in that job. Nor is he empowered. By virtue of his title  he's a deputy assistant to the president rather than an assistant to the president  Stepien is often not even in the room for important meetings.

The other side: It's a sensitive topic at the White House. After contacting the White House I received a flurry of on-the-record responses from McDaniel, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, and Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff Nick Ayers.

From McDaniel: "We have a great working relationship with Bill and the White House. Our combined efforts are crucial as we work together to support the President's agenda to cut taxes and create jobs."

From Conway: "Bill has a very sharp eye for data and the overall political landscape. In addition to special and other off-year elections he keeps us attuned to state party races, down ballot initiatives and other individuals and issues of interest."

From Ayers: "Bill doesn't get enough credit for the very good work he did on the campaign. He is a friend of many around here and trusted by all."

White House officials say they're going to kick the political operation into higher gear for 2018, but they also insist that Trump runs his own show and the focus on the staff operation is misplaced.

"This president is unique. He's his own political strategist," said one White House official. "He was told every single moment, every single turn he's ever had, 'what you're doing is wrong.' Yet he's still the guy in the chair in the Oval Office."

The impact: But it's hard to ignore two of the biggest signs of political sloppiness since Trump won the White House:

The Alabama Senate race. In no normal White House would the following things happen: the RNC pulls all support and funding from Moore, only to watch the president come out and effectively endorse him. McDaniel spoke to Trump about it, by telephone, before she pulled the support; but a functional political operation would have never allowed that to happen.

In no normal White House would the following things happen: the RNC pulls all support and funding from Moore, only to watch the president come out and effectively endorse him. McDaniel spoke to Trump about it, by telephone, before she pulled the support; but a functional political operation would have never allowed that to happen. The health care fizzle. At a meeting earlier this year, Stepien claimed he'd use the grassroots to pressure senators who were reluctant to repeal and replace Obamacare, according to one administration source. He told colleagues he'd put on "repeal-and-replace rallies" in Maine and Nevada to pressure senators Susan Collins and Dean Heller. They never happened.

A White House official insisted that the White House, including the Office of Political Affairs, was on board" with the RNC strategy of cutting off Moore because it was in line with where the administration was at that time." But two sources with direct knowledge of the conversations say McDaniel spoke to Trump about the decision, and the political office wasn't looped in.

How it happened: Kushner advocated for Stepien to be installed as political director. The two are close, and Kushner had already brought Stepien into Trump's orbit by installing him on the presidential campaign.

Several senior players, both inside and outside the administration, blamed Kushner for the situation with Stepien. "Jared put somebody in there he could keep his eye on," said a senior administration official. The source added that Kushner took other "ridiculous" political actions early in the administration, including inviting Michael Berland, a former adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton, into the Oval Office to brief the president on multiple occasions.

A White House official pushed back on the idea that Kushner wanted somebody he could control, saying Kushner has little involvement in the political operation and promoted Stepien because he's loyal to the president and did a good job on the campaign. The official added that the broader team supported the decision to appoint Stepien.

A senior administration source also pointed out that the president genuinely likes Stepien and often name drops him at political events as the guy who presciently saw a path to election victory in Florida.

Notable: Steve Bannon actually had the opportunity to play the political heavy hitter/Karl Rove role in the Trump White House. But he wanted to be on the National Security Council, and spent much of his time thinking about economic warfare with China.

Bannon told me that "the policy is the politics," and insisted his plan of ticking off campaign promises from his office whiteboard would have put the White House and the party in the best possible position for 2018.
The presidents of six ex-Soviet states making up the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) again voiced support on Thursday for international efforts to end the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict spearheaded by the United States, Russia and France.

A joint statement to that effect was one of two dozen documents adopted by them at a summit held in Belaruss capital Minsk. It reaffirms CSTO support for the joint peace efforts of the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group.

According to President Serzh Sarkisians press office, the statement specifically endorses the mediating powers pursuit of a Karabakh settlement based on the principles of territorial integrity of states, self-determination of people and non-use of force.

Defense Minister Vigen Sargsian, who attended a separate meeting of top CSTO security officials in Minsk, called the document drafted by Armenia as very important. He said it upholds the Minsk Group co-chairs exceptional status in the Karabakh peace process.

The CSTO leaders already adopted a similar statement at an October 2016 summit in Yerevan.

The Armenian leadership had repeatedly criticized the CSTOs Central Asian member states for signing multilateral declarations by Islamic or Turkic nations that mentioned only Azerbaijans territorial integrity in reference to the Karabakh conflict.

Earlier on Thursday, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov announced that he will meet with his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian on December 6 for fresh peace talks on Karabakh. The mediators hope that Mammadyarov and Nalbandian will build on progress reportedly made by the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents at their last meeting held in Geneva in October.
30 November 2017 17:55 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Today, thousands of children in Armenia are deprived of a normal childhood as they have to work despite their young age. The main reason for this is, of course, the poverty of their families. Alas, the country's government does not pay due attention to the issue, and therefore, child labor remains among significant social problems of present-day Armenia.

Poverty, illiteracy, adult unemployment  all this leads to the exploitation of child labor. Experts in Armenia sound the alarm that child labor threatens the future of the country. Armenian media report that as many as 1,100 officially working children are registered in the country to date.

However, many more children are forced to work, not always of their own free will, and almost no one is aware of this, Aida Muradyan, head of the World Vision Armenia childrens protection program told news.am.

She noted that most of the children in Armenia are involved in the worst forms of child labor, and therefore they are not registered. Many of them have to work, for example, in agriculture to support their families.

Very often such a hard work is harmful to them and prevents them from studying, Muradyan says.

Thus, Armenian children, instead of studying, have to work every day to provide food for their poor families. Statistics say that about 30 percent of working children in Armenia are under 14.

The shadow economy existing in Armenia is, of course, one of the main factors of using child labor. This kind of economy is characterized by the absence of labor contracts and social protection. Therefore, the employers attract child labor for their businesses. Children do not require working guarantees, they are easy to exploit, and their labor is much cheaper  this is the most important for these dishonest employers.

However, the Armenian government still turns a blind eye on child labor in the country, thus depriving Armenian children of a bright future that the authorities constantly promise to the countrys population.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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30 November 2017 10:08 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 127 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said November 30.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
30 November 2017 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

Beekeeping, perhaps, one of the most environmentally friendly types of agriculture, is vibrant and flourishing in Azerbaijan and the industry almost doubled over the last eight years.

Recent researches show that the products of the beekeeping industry have a significant demand both inside of the country and abroad.

Public organizations play a significant role in increasing honey production. In particular, the Association of Beekeepers of Azerbaijan under Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) was created, which aims to assist beekeepers in the production process, coordinate the activities of entrepreneurs and ensure operational interaction with government agencies.

Chairman of the Association Badraddin Hasratov told Azernews that there are more than 6,000 beekeepers in the country, which produced 3,000 tons of honey this year, while last year the indicator was equaled to 2,700 tons.

The Azerbaijani honey is considered to be premium, which is used for medicinal purposes, said the chairman.

He went on to say that local honey is made of more than 600 species of wild plants and is valued in the world market.

This year, the country has sold 6,000 tons of honey to Japan and sent 450 kg to Qatar with the aim to check if Azerbaijani honey will be in demand there, he said.

Hasratov mentioned that the demand for honey in Azerbaijan is 4,500-5,000 tons, and about 3,000 tons are produced. This suggests that beekeeping in the country needs to be developed in order to eliminate imports, he concluded.

To support the development of beekeeping, about 400 entrepreneurs received over 4.7 million manats ($2.76 million) of soft loans in 2016.

The rich climate of subtropics, the riotous diversity of flora and the valuable qualities of local bees - these are the favorable natural conditions of Azerbaijan, which contributed to the maintenance of the centuries-old tradition of beekeeping in Transcaucasia.

During the excavation in The Azokh Cave, where one of the most ancient settlements of the primitive man was discovered, a bowl with the bee depicted on it was found, which once again proves that beekeeping has deep roots in Azerbaijan.

An apiary organized in Mughan at the Caucasian silkworm station in 1889 became the center of rational beekeeping for the entire Transcaucasia.

From 1990 to 1999, beekeeping in the country decreased by 45 percent. There were many reasons for that. Most apiaries were destroyed in the area of military operations.

Currently, the Azerbaijani government does all its best to contribute to the rehabilitation and further development of beekeeping with creating favorable conditions for beekeepers.

Tarzan Nazirov, whose family has been engaged in beekeeping for more than 20 years can be set as a good example. Currently, he has 32 bee families, known as the southern type and receives 500 kilograms of high-quality honey a year.

The biggest problem, according to the farmer is the sale of this product: In many cases, buyers had doubts about the quality of honey. But thanks to the support of ABAD, we are convinced that our honey, sold under the name Shanli, will take a worthy place in the market.

Another problem was related to the packaging of honey, which was also solved with the help of ABAD.

In September 2016, Simplified support to family business (ABAD) under the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations operating under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ASAN) was created in order to support the active participation of citizens in the social and economic development of Azerbaijan, the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), increase of employment of the population.

The main task nowadays is to increase the production of honey and export it through participation of beekeepers in international markets under the Made in Azerbaijan brand.

Earlier, Economy Ministry said that the development strategy of the industry is aimed primarily at a complete substitution of imports by domestic production, as well as a number of measures to increase the export of Azerbaijani honey.

Today, national beekeepers participated in the export mission of Azerbaijan to Dubai (the UAE) last November. As a result, negotiations on the received application of Azerbaijani honey supplies to the UAE market are underway.

---

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30 November 2017 10:28 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Elmikhan Nabiyev, board chairman at the closed Atrabank, has been arrested, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office told Trend on November 29.

Nabiyev is charged under Article 308.2 (abuse of official powers entailing grave consequences).

As part of consistent measures for combating corruption offenses, the Anti-Corruption General Directorate under the Prosecutor Generals Office reviewed the files sent by the Azerbaijan Deposit Insurance Fund in connection with the illegal actions of former employees of Atrabank OJSC, which is being liquidated.

At present, the necessary investigative measures are underway.

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30 November 2017 12:34 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The position of the European Union and European Neighborhood countries was and is absolutely clear regarding the conflict resolution, the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Belgium, Fuad Isgandarov, told Euractiv on November 29.

Isgandarov, commenting on the recent Eastern Partnership Summit, said that its final declaration has many positive elements for Azerbaijan.

The most obvious one is the position of the EU countries on supporting all Eastern Partnership countries sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. And regarding the conflict resolution, there was not any diving approach, he said.

The position of the EU and European Neighborhood countries was and is absolutely clear regarding the conflict resolution, he added.

They have a general approach based on laws and principles of the international law, based on sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. It is crucially important for four countries of the six Eastern Partnership countries. These four countries, unfortunately, have been involved in the conflicts, Isgandarov said.



The European Union remains committed in its support to the territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of all its partners, reads the declaration.

"Full commitment, respect for and adherence to the purposes and principles enshrined in the UN Charter, the 1975 Helsinki Final Act and the 1990 OSCE Charter of Paris are fundamental to our shared vision for a peaceful and undivided Europe," the declaration adds.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

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29 November 2017 15:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today received a delegation led by Vice-President for global innovations at CISCO company Guy Diedrich.

Guy Diedrich hailed CISCO's successful cooperation with Azerbaijan, as well as the fruitful collaboration with the country's Ministry of Transport, Communication and High Technologies. Guy Diedrich recalled his previous meetings with President Ilham Aliyev, saying these meetings yielded very good results. Saying the company is working on a number of projects relating to Azerbaijan, Vice-President Diedrich emphasized that CISCO attaches great importance to cooperation with the country. He pointed to the comprehensive opportunities for the efficient implementation of work in Azerbaijan in a short period of time.

President Ilham Aliyev hailed Azerbaijan's successful cooperation with CISCO company. The head of state recalled his meetings with the company's executives, and noted that good foundations have been laid for developing bilateral relations since these meetings. President Ilham Aliyev expressed his hope that this collaboration will continue expanding.

Describing the IT field as one of the key priorities for Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev underlined the importance of large-scale work on this front in terms of rapid development of the Azerbaijani economy.

---

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30 November 2017 10:25 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree approving the "Agreement on Cooperation in Copyright and Related Rights between the Azerbaijani Government and the Turkmen Government" on November 29.

Azerbaijans Copyright Agency has been instructed to ensure the implementation of the provisions of the agreement after it enters into force.

President Aliyev also signed a decree approving the "Agreement on Cooperation in Culture between the Azerbaijani Government and the Turkmen Government".

Ministry of Culture and Tourism has been instructed to ensure the implementation of the provisions of the agreement.

The mentioned agreements were signed in Baku on August 8, 2017.

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30 November 2017 10:54 (UTC+04:00)

By Aygul Salmanova

One more diplomatic representation of foreign state has opened in Azerbaijan. Now, the Embassy of Costa Rica is operating in Baku, while the number of diplomatic offices in the country reached 64.

The official opening of the Embassy took place in Baku, which was attended by the Foreign Minister of Costa Rica Manuel Gonzalez Sanz, as well as Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Nadir Huseynov.

The event was also attended by a number of heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Azerbaijan.

Opening an embassy in Baku is a sign of good relations between Azerbaijan and Costa Rica, Sans told reporters. The minister also noted that this is his third visit to Azerbaijan.

Today is a very important day for my country, because we are opening our embassy in Azerbaijan, which is a clear indication of the friendly relations established within a short period of time. Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been built for many years, but we have substantially developed our cooperation in recent years, he added.

Sanz said that Costa Rica is interested in turning Azerbaijan into an important strategic partner among the other countries in the region, emphasizing the importance of strengthening ties between the two nations.

The relations between the two countries are at a high level, and the peoples of the two countries should take this political platform, he said, expressing hope that Azerbaijan also will open an embassy in San Jose.

The development of trade relations between the two countries has great potential, as well as the prospects for development of mutual investment, Sanz noted.

The FM said that the embassy will be headed by the temporary ambassador to Baku and that Costa Rica's ambassador to Azerbaijan will be appointed the next year.

As part his visit to the capital, Sanz met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov to exchange views on issues of mutual interest.

Noting that this year marks the 20th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Costa Rica, the ministers expressed their satisfaction with the positive development of political dialogue and mutual understanding over two decades.

Mammadyarov noted that the decision of Costa Rica to establish an embassy in Baku is highly appreciated. The ministers recognized that exchange of diplomatic missions in both countries brings an additional boost to mutual cooperation.

The minister gladly recalled his visit to Costa Rica in June and expressed hope that productive meetings and political consultations held there would further advance the relations in various spheres.

Sanz shared his positive impressions on his visit to Azerbaijan and highly appreciated the development of political dialogue and friendly ties between two countries.

The ministers reiterated their mutual respect and support to each others territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of internationally recognized borders. They also emphasized inadmissibility of attempts to change the internationally recognized borders of states by use of force.

The two ministers emphasized the wide range of opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation in the economic, trade, tourism, energy, logistics, ports and maritime, investment and humanitarian spheres and noted the importance of promotion of direct contacts among the business communities.

Over 20 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Costa Rica and Azerbaijan, the two countries have systematically developed relations and a political dialogue, which facilitated the intensification of mutual visits, playing a huge role in strengthening the friendly relations and cooperation between Costa Rica and Azerbaijan.

The most important point for strengthening the relations between the two countries is establishment of Costa Ricas embassy in Baku, which must give an additional impetus to the strengthening of mutual cooperation and contribute to an increase in the tourist flow from Azerbaijan to the Latin America.

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30 November 2017 12:07 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received a delegation led by Minister of State for External Affairs of the Republic of India Mobashar Jawed Akbar.

On behalf of the Prime Minister, leadership and people of India, I congratulate you on the stability and development that your country achieved under the Azerbaijani national leader Heydar Aliyevs and your leadership, Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Mobashar Jawed Akbar told President Aliyev.

President Aliyev expressed his gratitude to the Indian minister of state for the warm words.

The head of state hailed Azerbaijans tremendous achievements in the years of independence, saying it has become a stable and rapidly developing country.

The head of state said that the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Mobashar Jawed Akbars visit to Azerbaijan creates good opportunity to discuss the prospects for developing bilateral relations between the two countries.

They underlined the importance of the Ministerial Conference on the sidelines of the Heart of Asia  Istanbul Process to be held in Baku in terms of the strengthening of regional cooperation and increasing international support for Afghanistan.

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30 November 2017 17:40 (UTC+04:00)

By Aygul Salmanova

UNHCR`s Assistant High Commissioner for Operations George William Okoth-Obbo made an official visit to Azerbaijan.

The aim of the two-day visit was to inspect the activity of the UNHCR office in Azerbaijan and the government`s work to address social problems of the refugees, IDPs and asylum seekers.

During the visit, Okoth-Obbo met with Ali Hasanov, Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs on November 29.

Hasanov, referring to the meeting of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), noted that this structure has always been of great assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons in the country.

Reminiscent of the visit to Geneva, the meeting with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, Hasanov underlined the fruitful cooperation between the Government of Azerbaijan and UNHCR.

At the meeting, the chairman of the committee informed the guests in detail about the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He said that for 25 years 20 percent of the Azerbaijani lands have been occupied by the Armenian armed forces, as a result of the conflict more than a million Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced persons.

This conflict has always been the number one problem for Azerbaijan, and it still remains our main problem. 26 years ago Azerbaijan restored its independence. We can say that in the years of independence all other problems in the country have found a solution, Hasanov said.

Noting that the OSCE Minsk Group dealing with the settlement of the conflict did not achieve any progress, the Deputy Prime Minister stated that the four resolutions of the UN Security Council, as well as the documents adopted by the OSCE, PACE and other influential organizations, remain on paper.

Hasanov noted that the activities of the Azerbaijani government aimed at improving the living conditions of refugees and IDPs are also good examples for the countries of the world.

He also noted that over the past 25 years, Azerbaijan spent 6.6 billion manats ($3.8 million) to solve the problems of refugees and IDPs. At the expense of funds allocated from the Oil Fund, some 97 settlements were built, housing and living conditions of 50,000 families of refugees and internally displaced persons were improved.

These villages are provided with all necessary infrastructure. The 97th settlement was opened in Terter region of the country on November 28. Some 34 high-rise buildings were erected there, a school for 1,200 places, a kindergarten for 280 places, a music school, cultural facilities, public health services, a post office have been built, he said.

Noting that he is visiting Azerbaijan for the first time, Okoth-Obbo conveyed the greetings of the High Commissioner Filippo Grandi.

Filippo Grandi instructed me to tell you that the UNHCR supports Azerbaijan, he said.

Okoth-Obbo stressed that he highly appreciates the work carried out in Azerbaijan to improve the living conditions of refugees and internally displaced persons. He noted that the Azerbaijani government took the lead in eliminating the problem of refugees and IDPs in the country. A clear testimony to this is the opening of the 97th settlement in Terter. He said that the purpose of his visit is to support Azerbaijan in this humanitarian issue.

After the meeting, the delegation accompanied by Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Refugees and Forced Migrants Fuad Huseynov and Head of the Executive Power of Zangilan region Ramiz Hasanov met with IDPs located in Masazir village of Absheron region, got acquainted with the conditions of their life.

Over one million Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) as a result of Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories in early 1990s. As a result of the Armenian occupation, one in every eight persons in Azerbaijan has been compelled to live as a refugee and internally displaced person.

The refugees are temporarily settled in 62 cities and regions of Azerbaijan in more than 1,600 settlements.

Those Azerbaijanis who were displaced from their homes as a result of the brutal war had to live in refugee camps, tents and wagons, in very difficult conditions.

Significant resources has devoted to IDPs problems over the past two decades. The government made the refugee and IDP problem its high priority and prepared numerous projects and programs in order to improve the living conditions of the refugees. The people who held refugee status were granted compensations and benefits.

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30 November 2017 13:06 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

Iran is interested in the participation of Azerbaijans State energy company SOCAR in the projects being implemented in the Islamic Republic.

Iran's deputy oil minister for international affairs, Amir Hossein Zamaninia said at a meeting with SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev that the company has great experience in implementation of international projects.

Both countries have great potential for intensifying ties in economy, including the energy sector, he said. Cooperation in the oil and gas industry can make an even greater contribution to development of the two neighbor countries.

Abdullayev, in turn, touched upon intensification of the dialogue between the two countries' oil and gas companies and expansion of relations between Azerbaijan and Iran in various sectors of economy.

At the meeting, the sides discussed the expansion of cooperation in the oil and gas sector, as well as in the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea.

South neighbor Iran sees SOCAR as a serious player, opening opportunities for the company to invest in the Islamic republic.

In September, SOCAR's top officials, including Abdullayev and a delegation from Khazar Exploration and Production Company (KEPCO), headed by managing director Mohsen Delaviz, the National Iranian Oil Company's (NIOC) discussed the joint exploration and development of the Caspian Sea oil and gas fields.

The Caspian Sea region has immense scope for oil and gas exploration and production due to the presence of substantial undiscovered resources. In 2003, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimated the Caspian basin area to hold 48 billion barrels (bn bls) of oil and 292 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas in proved and probable reserves.

Earlier this June, NIOC has announced the list of companies that can participate in the tender for the development of Iranian deposits. The list consists of 34 companies, including SOCAR, Russian Gazprom Neft, Rosneft, Tatneft and Zarubezhneft.

SOCARs possible participation in oil and gas projects of Iran was discussed during a meeting of a delegation headed by SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev with Irans Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh in early April.

The sides considered such issues as cooperation in the gas trade sphere, implementation of joint projects with third countries, and held wide exchange of views.

This spring the company was added to the list of partners of Iranian E&P Companies, and this means that now SOCAR can participate in projects in Iran and invest in the country in parallel with such large companies as Shell and Total.

SOCAR is a wholly state-owned national oil company headquartered in Baku, which produces oil and natural gas from onshore and offshore fields in the Azerbaijani section of the Caspian Sea.

The countrys energy giant, which includes production associations Azerneft, made up of companies involved in the production of onshore and offshore oil and gas, Azerkimya, chemical industry enterprises, and Azeriqaz gas distribution, is involved in exploring oil and gas fields; producing, processing, and transporting oil, gas, and gas condensate; marketing petroleum and petrochemical products in the domestic and international markets; and supplying natural gas to the industries and public in Azerbaijan.

SOCAR owns petrol stations in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Romania and Switzerland.

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30 November 2017 16:50 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR increased the depth of oil refining at the Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Refinery to 92 percent, Rasim Ibrahimov, chief engineer at the refinery, told reporters in Baku on November 30.

He said that last year, this figure was 89.5 percent.

Since we abandoned fuel oil production, the depth of refining has grown and now stands at 92 percent, said the chief engineer.

Ibrahimov also noted that SOCAR plans to keep this level in 2018 as well.

Currently, the Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Refinery is being modernized, after which its production capacity will increase from 6 million to 7.5 million tons per year.

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Research has been a big deal at UW-Madison for decades, and the university continues to rank among the top schools in funding for research and development.

The National Science Foundation released its annual Higher Education Research and Development report, and UW-Madison came in at No. 6 for 2016, the same ranking the university had the year before.

UW-Madison had been in the top five in research spending every year since 1972, when the survey started, before dropping to No. 6 in the 2015 report.

Almost $1.16 billion was spent on research in all fields at UW-Madison in 2016, with about half of the money coming from federal coffers.

Federal money went up 6.3 percent from the previous fiscal year, or $34 million in new funding.

"The increase in expenditures and maintaining our ranking is good news for UW-Madison, showing the needle is moving in the right direction after a four-year decline in research expenditures," said Marsha Mailick, UW-Madison vice chancellor for research and graduate education.

Besides federal money, UW-Madison gets research grants from state and local governments, industry, non-profits, and foundations, especially the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) and the UW Foundation.

Research from UW-Madison has been responsible for creating over 360 startup companies in Wisconsin, the university said.

"Our faculty are the reason why UW-Madison is a top-tier university," Mailick said. "They are pioneers - researchers and scholars who change the world with their accomplishments.

"Peer universities continue to re-invest in their faculty, and we need the state to do the same, if we are to continue to be a top research institution," she said.

Johns Hopkins University led all schools in R&D spending at $2.4 billion. Michigan was No. 2 at $1.4 billion.
30 November 2017 18:05 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

The meeting of OPEC+ was held on November 30 in Vienna. Participants of the agreement agreed to extend the deal to limit oil production for nine months - until the end of 2018.

The results of the agreement will be analyzed in the middle of next year.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said that all countries, including those that are not OPEC members, support the extension of the agreement. Previously, there were fears that Russia still doubted the feasibility of such a measure.

With oil prices rising above $60, Russia has expressed concerns that such an extension could prompt a spike in crude production in the United States, which is not participating in the deal.

Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih noted that preliminary results of the deal will be considered in June 2018. At the same time he expressed hope that commitment to the agreement next year will remain at the same high level as in this.

During the meeting, the participants agreed that the price of a barrel of oil at $62- $65 is appropriate.

Kuwaiti Oil Minister Essam al-Marzouq said OPEC would debate capping Nigerian and Libyan output at 1.8 million bpd and 1 million bpd respectively, having exempted the two countries so far due to unrest and lower-than-normal production.

The production cuts have been in place since the start of 2017 and helped halve an excess of global oil stocks although those remain at 140 million barrels above the five-year average, according to OPEC.

OPEC and non-OPEC producers reached an agreement in December 2016 to curtail oil output jointly and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices. OPEC agreed to slash the output by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 1.

Non-OPEC oil producers such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan, and South Sudan agreed to reduce output by 558,000 barrels per day starting from January 1, 2017.

OPEC and its partners decided to extend its production cuts till March 2018 in Vienna on May 25, as the oil cartel and its allies step up their attempt to end a three-year supply glut that has savaged crude prices and the global energy industry.

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30 November 2017 12:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov and Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze stressed the dynamic development of cooperation between the countries during the meeting in Ashgabat, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in a message on November 29.

According to the message, the sides expressed commitment to the further development of cooperation between the two countries and exchanged the views on the cooperation issues.

"Stressing the prospects for the expansion of international transport cooperation, Meredov and Janelidze outlined the further plans to develop modern mechanisms that meet the real goals and requirements of the partnership," the message said.

Speaking about Turkmenistans energy policy, the sides expressed interest in the consolidation of efforts in the development of international energy cooperation.

The interlocutors also stressed the need to intensify the existing mechanism of cooperation between the foreign ministries of the two countries.

Meanwhile, Ashgabat and Tbilisi are reviewing the projects on the creation of the transport and transit infrastructure between the regions of the Caspian Sea and Black Sea.

Moreover, Georgia is an important link in the South Caucasus Transportation and Energy Corridor and it is ready to ensure reliable and safe transit of energy resources from the Caspian basin and Central Asia through its territory.

Turkmenistan ranks fourth in the world in terms of natural gas reserves.

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30 November 2017 12:22 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov and Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Manabu Horii stressed the dynamic cooperation between the two countries in a wide range of spheres during a meeting in Ashgabat, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in a message on November 29.

According to the message, Meredov and Horii stressed the role of high-level visits during the meeting held on the sidelines of the 28th meeting of the Energy Charter Conference.

The sides discussed the possibilities for further consolidation of joint actions in energy sector.

They also discussed the possibility of intensifying trade and economic relations, stressing the significant potential in those spheres.

Japanese companies are involved in various projects on diversification of the Turkmen economy.

During Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes visit to Turkmenistan in October 2015, memorandums were signed, as well as agreements on a number of projects, worth a total of $18 billion, were concluded.

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30 November 2017 11:38 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Energy Charter Conference, which assembled in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, has adopted the Ashgabat Declaration.

High-level representatives from 52 countries and 10 international organizations took part in the 28th meeting of the Energy Charter Conference.

The document welcomes that the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Republic of Kenya, Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali, the United Arab Emirates, Panama, and the Republic of Gambia signed the International Energy Charter in 2017 and thus became observers to the conference.

The Declaration acknowledges the important role of the Energy Charter Treaty for the promotion of energy security through energy trade, transit, investment promotion and protection, and energy efficiency.

The document emphasizes that the modernization of the Energy Charter Process is a key to ensuring its potential to strengthen long-term cooperation in the energy field and contribute to enhancing energy security.

The document also emphasizes the importance of fostering innovation in developing energy resources, technologies, technological applications and business models that enable accelerated delivery of global Sustainable Development Goals.

The Declaration stresses that energy sector investments are best served by a stable, predictable and non-discriminatory regulatory framework.

We acknowledge that promoting quality infrastructure investments is essential for bridging the existing energy infrastructure gap in the world, the Declaration said.

The Ashgabat Energy Charter Declaration was adopted as a strategic mid-term document towards the next review to be undertaken in 2019.

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30 November 2017 14:22 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Expenditures of the state budget for the social sphere in Kazakhstan are expected to reach 47.4 percent by 2020.

This was stated by Kazakh Vice Prime Minister Erbolat Dosayev during the opening of international forum Investments in Health Care of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazinform reported.

Addressing the event, he invited businessmen to participate in the privatization of health facilities.

In order to reduce the state's participation in the economy of the country to the level of the OECD countries, the Head of State set the task for the Government to accelerate and complete privatization in the whole of the country by the end of 2018. This also applies to the health care system. Forms of privatization are different: from the sale of those assets that are available in the state to new owners to the introduction of various forms of cooperation, such as public-private partnerships, trust management and so on. I would like to take this opportunity to invite representatives of the private sector to take an active part in this process, he said.

The official noted that new legislation on public-private partnership and investments was adopted in Kazakhstan, which gives new opportunities both for Kazakh and foreign investors. There are developed institutions to support investment and innovation, he noted.

Today, health care should be considered not only as a social sector, but also as an important part of the economy, according to Dosayev.

For example, by 2020, the state budget expenditures on the social sphere will reach 47.4 percent, a considerable part of them falls on health care. Starting from January 1, 2018, the Social Health Insurance Fund will start operating as a single operator in the work with a guaranteed amount of free medical care, the official noted.

From 2020, taking into account the accumulated funds in the fund, there will be significant changes in the structure of health financing and approaches.

At present, the Health Ministry has already received a lot of applications from private medical organizations to participate in the provision of services under the guaranteed amount of free medical care.

Accordingly, the government will create conditions for those who intend to invest in the healthcare system of the republic.

Dosayev also stressed that the process of modernizing the health care system is important not only within the provision of quality services, but also the modernization of the healthcare infrastructure and the digital transformation of public health in our country.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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30 November 2017 14:31 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

An international conference entitled Prospects of the development of arbitration institutions in Central Asia, organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic, was held in Bishkek on November 30.

The event was timed to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the International Court of Arbitration in affiliation with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kyrgyzstan, Kabar reported.

The conference was attended by representatives of state bodies of the country, business and international organizations.

Addressing the event, Kyrgyz Vice Prime Minister Daiyr Kenekeev noted that the government will continue to take all necessary measures aimed at supporting and stimulating domestic business.

Recently, the fourth meeting of the National Council for Sustainable Development that considered the draft of the Country Development Strategy until 2040, the main priority of which is to create the most favorable conditions for doing business in Kyrgyzstan, he said.

The minister noted that the government is currently implementing the mid-term program Jany Doordo - Kyrk Kadam, in which the two main areas are related to the support and development of business in the country.

The first direction is the national program Taza Coom, which provides for reducing bureaucratic barriers in the provision of public services by digitizing relations between the state and business. This measure will also reduce corruption risks. The second direction is called Together with business, which will be focused on creating favorable conditions for both beginners and active entrepreneurs, he said.

The official also stressed the role of arbitration institutions, such as the International Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kyrgyzstan, in creating favorable conditions for business by resolving disputes in civil legal relations.

Since its foundation, the International Arbitration Court has considered over 800 economic disputes, the total amount of claims of which amounted to over $77 million, Kenekeev said.

A permanent International Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic is the leading arbitration institution in the country, which ensures the prompt and qualitative resolution of economic disputes by independent professional arbitrators.

The conference is expected to end with signing of memorandum on cooperation with arbitration institutions.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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30 November 2017 17:20 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

The total volume of gas delivered to China via the Central Asia-China gas pipeline reached 200 billion cubic meters as of November 29, 2017, according to the Chinese National Oil and Gas Corporation.

The gas pipeline connecting the countries of Central Asia with China is a strategic project, extremely important for ensuring the country's energy security and promoting energy transformation, the corporation noted.

According to calculations, 200 billion cubic meters of natural gas are equivalent to 266 million tons of coal.

The gas pipeline provides gas supply to more than 300 million residents of 27 Chinese provinces, cities of central subordination and districts, as well as the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong.

In addition, the implementation of the project allowed to create about 10,000 jobs in the countries through which the pipeline passes.

Currently, there are three lines of the Central Asia-China gas pipeline - A, B and C. The combined capacity of these pipelines is 55 billion cubic meters per year. China and Turkmenistan agreed on a framework to provide China with a long-term supply of gas in 2006, after several rounds of negotiations and feasibility studies.

The first of these pipelines was completed in 2009 the second followed a year later. The third pipeline became operational in 2014, after taking two years to build.

This gas pipeline runs through the territory of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and crosses the Kazakh-Chinese border through Khorgos (Xinjiang-Uygur Autonomous Region, North-West China).

Construction of a fourth pipeline, Line D, is currently underway. It will connect Beyneu on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea to the central facility of Shymkent. From Shymkent the gas will be directed to Turpan in Xinjiang, China. Line D will provide China with an additional 15 billion cubic metres on top of the 55 billion it already imports from Turkmenistan.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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Privacy incidents at government departments, hospitals and other healthcare organizations captured public attention last month.

While media outlets reported on the following breaches in November, healthcare organizations experienced breaches as early as 2013.

Here are 12 incidents covered by Becker's Hospital Review.

Note: The incidents are presented in order of number of patients or organizations affected.

1. Researchers at Risk Based Security warned healthcare providers using OpenEMR, which hosts 90 million records globally, to a vulnerability in its configuration that may expose the system to a complete compromise.

2. Cottage Health System, a Santa Barbara-based healthcare organization, agreed to pay the state $2 million to settle allegations it failed to establish reasonable safeguards to protect patient medical information, which led to the exposure of nearly 50,000 medical records.

3. Milwaukee-based Medical College of Wisconsin notified 9,500 patients to a potential breach of their sensitive information after some faculty and staff members fell victim to a spear phishing attack targeting their email system.

4. Staunton, Va.-based Valley Family Medicine notified 8,500 patients of a security incident after two employees printed and misused a mailing list.

5. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services mailed letters to nearly 6,000 people who underwent routine drug screening for employment, internship and volunteer opportunities at its agency, notifying them of a recent incident in which a spreadsheet containing their personal information was sent in error to a vendor via an unencrypted email.

6. A data breach led to the inappropriate access of at least 1,200 Williamsport, Pa.-based UPMC Susquehanna patients' information.

7. East Brunswick, N.J.-based Otolaryngology Associates of Central Jersey mailed letters to roughly 1,000 patients affected by a September theft of 13 boxes of medical records taken from an off-site storage facility.

8. Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Rocky Mountain Health Care Services notified 909 patients to a security incident in which an employee's laptop was stolen, potentially compromising patients' protected health information  the second incident involving a laptop theft since June.

9. HHS is investigating the unauthorized access and disclosure of at least 700 Chicago-based Cook County Health and Hospitals System patients' information after a third-party company experienced "an isolated processing error" earlier this year, affecting approximately 727 patients.

10. Muncie-based Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital notified some of its patients after a bag containing billing paperwork with patient information was found at an intersection in Muncie.

11. Officials at Beaufort (S.C.) Memorial Hospital warned community members of a phone scam targeting Beaufort County residents in which callers pretend to be from the hospital to obtain their Social Security numbers or credit card information.

12. The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team issued two alerts Nov. 14, warning organizations to monitor their network systems from attacks known collectively as Hidden Cobra, which are deployed by the North Korean government.

More articles on cybersecurity:

Washington AG sues Uber in wake of data breach

Federal government considers digital currency

Microsoft plans to rebuild its Redmond headquarters, aims for mini-city feel
Cleveland Clinic ended the third quarter of 2017 with operating income of $39.7 million, down 32 percent from the same period of the year prior, according to recently released bondholder documents.

The system recorded revenues of $2.05 billion in the third quarter of this year, up from revenues of $2.01 billion in the same period of the year prior. The revenue growth was partially attributable to higher patient volumes. Compared to the third quarter of 2016, acute admissions were up 4 percent in the third quarter of this year.

Cleveland Clinic's operating expenses climbed 3.3 percent year over year, with notable increases in salaries, wages and benefits, pharmaceutical costs, and supplies.

After factoring in a year-over-year drop in nonoperating gains, Cleveland Clinic ended the third quarter of this year with net income of $227.6 million, compared to $287.6 million in the same period of the year prior.

More articles on healthcare finance:

Healthcare bankruptcies more than triple in 2017

Colorado hospital charged $1,877 to pierce a child's ears

California hospital aims to reopen after ousting management company
The following healthcare layoffs were reported by Becker's Hospital Review in November. They are listed below, beginning with the most recent.

1. UnitedHealth to lay off 138 in Delaware after losing Medicaid contract

UnitedHealth Group will lay off 138 employees after losing a bid to manage Delaware's Medicaid program, The News Journal reports.

2. Harrington HealthCare System lays off 23 employees

Southbridge, Mass.-based Harrington HealthCare System cut its workforce by 1.5 percent, resulting in the layoff of 23 employees, according to the Telegram & Gazette.

3. Federal IT contractor CGI Federal plans to lay off 169 Texas employees

CGI Federal, a subsidiary of CGI Group, plans to lay off nearly 169 workers in San Antonio location, according to documents filed with the Texas workforce Commission and reported by the San Antonio Business Journal.

4. 34 layoffs at Cook County Health & Hospitals System after budget cuts

The Cook County Board approved a $5.2 billion budget that will lay off 321 county employees, including 34 workers at Cook County Health and Hospitals System, according to the Chicago Tribune.

5. OhioHealth to cut 19 jobs as part of pediatric therapy program transition

Columbus-based OhioHealth is cutting 19 jobs at its pediatric therapy location in Ontario, Ohio, according to the Mansfield News Journal.

6. Mylan lays off up to 300 employees

Mylan Pharmaceuticals laid off between 200 and 300 employees in West Virginia, according to West Virginia Metro News.

7. Indiana hospital laying off 25 employees

Dearborn County Hospital in Lawrenceburg, Ind., began a workforce reduction involving the layoff of 25 employees and the elimination of an additional 36 vacant positions.

8. Saint Peter's University Hospital cuts 108 positions

New Brunswick, N.J.-based Saint Peter's University Hospital eliminated 108 positions, including 66 full-time jobs, to "remain competitive," according to NJ.com.

9. Humana projects workforce reduction to affect 2,700, up from previous estimate

Humana raised the number of employees affected by layoffs or voluntary buyouts to 2,700, up from initial projections of 2,450, Louisville Business First reports.

10. SSM Health lays off 350 employees

St. Louis-based SSM Health laid off 350 employees, or about 1 percent of its 35,000-person workforce, on Wednesday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

11. Georgia hospital lays off 27 employees

Washington County Regional Medical Center, a rural 56-bed hospital in Sandersville, Ga., laid off 27 employees Tuesday to cut costs, according to WMAZ.

12. AnMed Health lays off 94 employees

Anderson, S.C.-based AnMed Health cut 159 positions, the health system confirmed to the Independent Mail.

13. AmeriHealth Caritas to lay off 400, cease Iowa Medicaid management

Managed care health plan AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa will leave the state's Medicaid program, resulting in the layoff of 400 employees, according to a Quad-City Times report.

14. Amgen to lay off 200 research & development workers

Amgen, a Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based biopharmaceutical company, will lay off 200 research and development workers by the end of the year, according to STAT.

15. Genentech to lay off 13% of workforce at California plant

Genentech, a biologics drugmaker owned by Roche, will cut about 13 percent of its workforce at its plant in Vacaville, Calif., as the company faces increased biosimilar competition, according to STAT.

16. California hospital lays off employees in cost-cutting measure

Orchard Hospital, a 45-bed facility in Gridley, Calif., laid off employees Oct. 27, according to the Taft Midway Driller.

17. UnitedHealthcare to lay off 381 in Phoenix

UnitedHealthcare in Phoenix, part of the insurance branch of UnitedHealth Group, will lay off 381 employees, a company spokesperson told ABC 15.
Lost in the debate over tax reform and its impact on the middle class are the needs of the poor.

Consider that one in 10 Wisconsinites live in poverty, with the rate for children exceeding 15 percent, and the rate for African-American children at 44 percent. During the 2015-16 school year in Wisconsin, a staggering 18,592 children and teenagers were identified through the school district as homeless.

And while Congress debates the mortgage interest deduction, rent as a percentage of income is at a historic high. In fact, nationally, more than 8.3 million very low-income renters who do not receive any government housing assistance pay more than half of their income on rent.

These realities are felt across Wisconsin. Any rural-urban divide tends to collapse when viewed through the lens of poverty.

The evidence shows the poor continue to be forgotten, or dismissed outright. As we approach 2018, the challenges are as great as ever  including congressional plans to cut $1 trillion over 10 years from Medicaid, food stamps, energy assistance, affordable housing and other important anti-poverty programs.

But cruel data, slim budgets and the outrage they receive are all too familiar. We have barely moved beyond a now 30-year discussion over the role of government. Whether we put our trust in private-sector charitable giving, an activist government or both, we must at least be honest about just how many of our neighbors struggle and how any meaningful response must include all sectors of society.

The recent Foxconn wrangle is revealing. The debate centered on the need for decent paying jobs and the role of the state in promoting economic development. What our leaders failed to address was the interests of low-income Wisconsinites. In the end, the state offered $3 billion in incentives to locate a manufacturing facility in the Racine County village of Mount Pleasant. Backers point to an estimated 13,000 jobs that could follow. While high-tech jobs are promising, critics complained the states investment equaled $230,000 per job.

By comparison, the states successful Job and Business Development Program has seen its anemic funding decline from $250,000 annually in 1989 to just $200,600 in the most recently passed budget. The program is a unique economic development initiative that provides technical assistance to low-income entrepreneurs to start businesses.

The Job and Business Development Program is transformational. It has already started over 2,200 small businesses and created over 6,000 Wisconsin jobs  and it has helped low-income people become taxpaying business owners who utilize fewer public resources.

Yet funding for this program is not only less than in 1989. Incredibly, it is even lower than the states investment in a single Foxconn job. We cannot possibly be serious about the rising tide of economic development when there are such great disparities in public investments and priorities.

It is time our hearts and priorities change. The day-to-day challenges of living in poverty are truly profound. The poor struggle with low-paying jobs, unemployment, high rents, homelessness, food insecurity, skipping doctor visits or needed medicines, and the lack of sick leave and retirement plans. Poverty inflicts a near-constant stress that silently assaults ones dignity, health and emotional well-being. The people of our state who struggle in these circumstances deserve our respect  and our boldest, most innovative efforts to find solutions.

As we prepare for the holidays, a time when our collective focus on those less fortunate is heightened, we must reclaim our proud Badger tradition of mutual aid and social responsibility. Even with the hyperpartisan divide that regrettably characterizes our state and national politics, we must find a way to align public priorities with our noblest values and character.

To do otherwise amounts to nothing less than cruel indifference  and fails to reflect the deeply caring and compassionate nature of the people of Wisconsin.
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Broward Health has selected six candidates as finalists for its long-vacated permanent CEO position, according to a Sun-Sentinel report. The troubled health system's last permanent CEO was Nabil El Sanadi, MD, who was found dead in his home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in January 2016.

The candidates are:

 Steve Altmiller, former CEO of Good Shepherd Health System in Longview, Texas

 Joseph Gilene, former president of KentuckyOne Health's Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Ky.

 Barbara Martin, former CEO of Vista Health System in Waukegan, Ill.

 Robert Minkin, former CEO of O'Connor Hospital in San Jose, Calif., and St. Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, Calif.

 Jessie L. Tucker III, senior vice president and COO of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J.

 Michael Young, former CEO of Pinnacle Health System in Harrisburg, Pa.

The health system's board plans to interview the finalists Jan. 22 and Jan. 23.

A series of interim CEOs have led the health system since January 2016. Broward was interviewing candidates to serve as permanent CEO in October 2016, however, it suspended its search indefinitely later in the same month after a report, prepared by the law firm Baker Donelson, revealed numerous issues at Broward Health.

Beverly Capasso, RN, a former board member, is currently serving at the helm. The health system is still embroiled in financial and legal troubles, and it experienced a spate of executive resignations earlier this year. However, the system appears to be focused on adding to its leadership team, having named a CFO, COO, two vice presidents and several leaders for its individual hospitals in the last few months.
At the Becker's Hospital Review 6th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable Nov. 13 to 15, Ramsey Hasan, MD, CEO of United Family Intermed Hospital in Mongolia and William Owad, Cardinal Health's senior vice president of operational excellence, provided valuable insight on lean process management. Becker's Healthcare Managing Editor Emily Rappleye moderated the discussion.

Lean management is an approach to value creation through improving operational efficiency and cutting waste. Pioneered by Toyota Production System, the philosophy behind lean champions developing a core staff of problem solvers and empowers front-line workers to innovate for continuous improvement. Hospitals, health systems and healthcare companies are turning to lean philosophies to develop stronger, more sustainable organizations.

"Lean is the same regardless of the industry it's applied to  it's the fact that it's driving to value," said Mr. Owad. "If you want to interpret outcome as clinical quality or clinical outcome, it's still value in the eyes of the primary customer, that primary customer being the patient in the provider's sense. But frankly, whether I'm in the automotive, supply chain manufacturing or service industry, it all starts with the value equation."

He cautioned organizations not to focus on applying tools to create a lean enterprise but instead to invest in change at the management level. A truly lean organization has leadership aligned with employees who have the ability to immediately solve problems. As Cardinal Health has transformed into a lean enterprise over the past several years, the company changed it deployed strategy and measured progress to create value.

Both panelists agreed lean enterprises are continually evolving; while projects and initiatives may have an endpoint, the lean concept remains a constant.

"This is not a destination, it's a journey," said Dr. Hasan. "It doesn't end. What is changing here is culture. We are trying to change the culture and what we are saying to you as a group when we are trying to launch something is that leadership will be accountable. At the end of the day when things don't go well, I'll take the blame. But what I want you to do on the front line is to say, 'You are the problem solvers; this is your world, you know it best and I want you to give us feedback.' Most importantly, I tell them, 'You aren't going to work your way out of the job. I'm not going to fire you.' Some people have that in the back of their minds as well."

Any time Dr. Hasan oversees a lean process initiative, he breaks down each step of the process and traces the methodology to truly understand the entire process from beginning to end. Leadership must be present, invested and accountable in lean initiatives to drive improvement, he said. Additionally, bringing in others such as engineers and IT personnel can inject the project with a different perspective.

Dr. Hasan also discussed the importance of sharing the benefit of lean organizations with staff members.

"Whatever changes you make, you have to make sure the staff also see the benefit to themselves," he said. "You're probably working at facilities where some of the nurses are stressed, some of the physicians are stressed and there is a lot of burnout. Make sure any lean initiative you are doing, you take into account whether it makes things better for them as well. Make sure they can see it and feel it."
Sen. Rand Paul, MD, R-Ky., gave his first interview Wednesday following an incident with his neighbor earlier this month in which he suffered six broken ribs and a pleural effusion, Fox News reports.

Rene Boucher, DO, allegedly assaulted Dr. Paul Nov. 3 and was charged with a fourth-degree misdemeanor. Dr. Boucher pleaded not guilty to the fourth-degree assault charge Nov. 9.

A lawyer on behalf of Dr. Boucher previously said the "trivial" incident was not politically motivated.

Dr. Paul spoke with Fox News correspondent Marc Siegel, MD, who is also a professor in the department of medicine at New York City-based NYU Langone Health.

Here are five takeaways from the interview.

1. On how the incident occurred: "I was working in my yard with my earmuffs on. ... I got off the mower facing downhill and [Dr. Boucher] came running full blown. I never saw him, never had a conversation. In fact, the weird thing is I haven't talked to him in 10 years," Dr. Paul said. "We probably went through the air 10 to 12 feet, and then hit the ground again and so [the injuries] happened with the initial impact, but it was from the force of his head and shoulders sort of spearing me in the back."

2. On the extent of his injuries: "The kind of attack I got was kind of like what you would get from a motor vehicle accident. I mean I had six ribs broken, and you rarely see that even in an assault.  I've gone through weeks and weeks of struggling to get my breath," said Dr. Paul.

"I knew I couldn't lift my hands over my head to take my shirt off, and so I knew something had happened. I didn't know how bad it was until the X-rays came back. It was also one of those things where the initial pain, the initial shortness of breath, wasn't the full extent of the injury," he added. "I'm still in pain; every time I breathe I can feel pain, but it is not like a knife sticking in me like it was in the first three weeks."

3. On how the attack affected him: I think people see someone on TV and they think you are not real, that you dont deserve any sort of compassion and that maybe you dont hurt like a normal person," Dr. Paul said. "I think my wife said it best when she said I sort of got assaulted twice ... once in my yard somebody attacked me from behind and then the media, who thought it was sort of funny or gleeful, or that maybe I deserved it somehow."

4. On why he believes Dr. Boucher allegedly attacked him: "I didn't [know Dr. Boucher's reasoning] before the attack because we had no conversation. After my ribs were broken  he said things to me to try to indicate why he was unhappy," he said, adding that a person can never really understand what another individual is thinking.

"[Dr. Boucher's motives] may have some relevance, but for the most part the real question should be: Are you allowed to attack someone from behind in their yard when they are out mowing their grass? Even if you dislike something about their yard? So I guess in my mind, I dont really care what his motives are, other than it's cowardly and its criminal to attack someone from behind in their yard," Dr. Paul said.

5. On what others should take away from the incident: "If you want a good message out of this ... every one of my Democratic colleagues came up to me and wished me well," Dr. Paul said. "To tell you the truth, I think it is one of the unwritten stories in Washington. They think that 'oh, incivility rules Washington.' Nothing could be further from truth. As far as Republicans and Democrats talking, I've never had a cross word with a Democrat, I promise you, never."

To read Dr. Paul's full interview, click here.
Michigan lawmakers reviewed three House bills this week that would prohibit mandatory overtime requirements for nurses, reports the Lansing State Journal.

The bills would also require hospitals to place a limit on nurse-to-patient ratios and publicize staffing ratios.

The legislation comes two weeks after state auditors issued a report saying nurses employed in at least one state-run hospital worked too many hours.

While many nurse advocacy groups believe the policies would limit nurse fatigue and improve patient safety, some hospital leaders worry mandated staff ratios would pose a challenge for healthcare organizations already struggling to fill positions during a nursing shortage.

The House's health policy committee has not voted on the bills yet.
Psychiatry researcher Alexander Neumeister is accused of using research funding from the National Institutes of Health and New York University to pay for travel expenses for a professional ballet dancer, according to a STAT report.

Mr. Neumeister reportedly used tens of thousands of those funds to repeatedly visit the individual in Salt Lake City and to fly her to visit him in New York City multiple times.

The allegations are laid out in a complaint filed in federal court. The report states the complaint alleges Mr. Neumeister "used a payment card that drew either directly from NYU funds or from funding allocated by the National Institute on Mental Health."

STAT reports Mr. Neumeister also allegedly used NIH grant money to fund other travel and bar tabs.

Mr. Neumeister previously worked as a psychiatric researcher at NYU. However, he was placed on leave after allegations surfaced that he "had falsified records and failed to provide adequate oversight for research impacting participants with severe mental health issues," according to the report. A federal investigation into those allegations is ongoing. Mr. Neumeister now reportedly works at the Catholic University of Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

NYU confirmed to STAT Mr. Neumeister no longer works there but did not provide additional comment as far as his previous actions while an investigation is ongoing. The publication was unable to reach Mr. Neumeister or the Catholic University of Bukavu for comment.
CMS launched the Part D Enhanced Medication Therapy Management model Jan. 1 in five Part D regions nationwide to test the use of innovative medication therapy management programs to improve care quality and decrease costs.

Through the five-year model, CMS will assess whether offering Part D sponsors additional payment incentives and regulatory flexibilities can facilitate improvements in the MTM model to achieve better patient outcomes and reduce Medicare expenditures.

"The model is about rapidly testing and learning [what is effective]," according to Jessica Frank, PharmD, vice president of quality for OutcomesMTM, a Cardinal Health company based in West Des Moines, Iowa. Dr. Frank is well versed in the development of MTM-focused quality measures designed to optimize medication use and has served on various industry boards and panels on MTM, including the CMS MTM Technical Expert Panel, the National MTM Advisory Board and the Pharmacy Quality Alliance Quality Metrics Expert Panel.

Dr. Frank spoke with Becker's Hospital Review about the Enhanced MTM Model and its implications for the future of healthcare.

Note: Responses have been lightly edited for style and clarity.

Question: What does CMS hope to accomplish with the Enhanced MTM Model test?

Dr. Jessica Frank: The primary goal of the Enhanced MTM Model test is to innovate around various strategies for MTM service delivery  including targeting strategies, risk-stratification methods and healthcare interoperability initiatives  to drive potential medical savings. The ultimate objective for plan sponsors participating in the model is to achieve at least a 2 percent savings on medical spend.

Q: What kinds of services are included in EMTM programs?

JF: Services will vary by plan sponsor. So far, we've discovered services designed to manage and reduce medical utilization, such as emphasizing medication reconciliation following a hospital discharge, align the best. Proper adherence to medications is one of the primary reasons for hospital readmissions, so helping to ensure a patient's medication list is accurate following a hospital discharge is a very important component of the program. It's also important to place more focus on patients who are taking medications that, like insulin or warfarin, are commonly linked to adverse events or emergency room visits related to inappropriate medication management.

Identification and resolution of medication therapy problems has been a central component of MTM programs for years. This model test is allowing plan sponsors to focus more on targeted interventions that will help optimize medication use and ultimately drive medical savings.

Q: How are participating plans engaging MTM providers?

JF: Some plans are engaging community pharmacists to deliver MTM services in the model, an approach encouraged by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health to fully realize the model's impact on patient health. Community pharmacists are often best positioned to conduct medication reconciliation and comprehensive medication reviews, which are covered services in some of the programs implemented so far, although it is not a required component of the model.

In addition, health plans are looking at how they can better engage physicians to coordinate care and identify patients who may benefit from MTM services. One possible engagement strategy is establishing a referral process for MTM services, so physicians can coordinate a patient's medication needs in these models. While this effort is still in the early stages, plans have been able to engage providers by working with community pharmacists to consult with physicians around specific medication related problems.

Q: How could learnings from this model impact other areas of healthcare?

JF: The model allows for flexibility in offering patient incentives such as beneficiary incentives for specific services, cost-share reduction or waived copays. Testing patient behaviors with various incentives, as well as communication mechanisms, within the model could help identify best practices in patient engagement that may be applied more broadly in the core MTM programs for Medicare Part D and in markets beyond Part D. Some of what we learn from this model could certainly expand to other areas of healthcare in terms of how we engage and empower patients to take an active role in their health.

The other area that will definitely impact and improve healthcare is related to the required reporting for this model. This is the first time the pharmacy industry has implemented SNOMED CT codes as a method for capturing clinical interventions  a common language already used by many EHR systems. So this model is building the foundation to create interoperability and allow for bidirectional communication between pharmacies, physicians and health plans.
Howard Watson, CEO of BT technology, service and operations, Alastair Hamilton, CEO of Invest NI, and Ulster University vice-c hancellor Professor Paddy Nixon at the launch of the BT Innovation Centre in Belfast

Telecoms giant BT is to carry out a 30m research and development project in Belfast, which will see the appointment of around 75 new staff.

And economic development agency Invest NI has offered funding of 9m towards the R&D at the new BT Ireland Innovation Centre.

BT is one of Northern Irelands biggest private sector employers with nearly 3,500 staff.

Staff at its new centre will be researching the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and data analytics for customer experience, cyber-security and 5G Communications.

BT will work with Ulster University on more than 7m worth of joint research, which BT said would drive the creation of 25 research jobs  in addition to 50 new jobs for graduates at BTs global development centre.

Howard Watson, chief executive for technology, service and operations at BT, said: This is an exciting and significant investment for BT and for Northern Ireland. Our new innovation centre will operate alongside our existing Belfast global development centre, the BT Labs in Suffolk, and our global network of technology scouts to further strengthen our research and innovation capability, bringing together industrial engineers and university researchers.

And he said that he hoped the opening would help attract and retain IT talent.

Invest NI chief executive Alastair Hamilton said: This new innovation centre in Belfast is a tremendous endorsement of BTs continued commitment to Northern Ireland and a reflection of the availability of highly skilled people we have here.

The centre will become an internationally recognised centre of excellence for innovation and will complement BTs international research centres.

He said spending on R&D was critical to future growth.

As a result of this project, 25 new posts in Ulster University, as well as 50 new roles within BT, will be created, which will generate an additional 1.4m of annual salaries into the Northern Ireland economy, he added.

Ulster University vice-chancellor Prof Paddy Nixon said the link-up with BT was a unique collaboration opportunity.

Computing and engineering at Ulster University is at the forefront of diverse research excellence in data science and networks, equipping us to play an integral role in transformative telecommunications, he said.

Creating 25 research posts  including 12 at PhD level  the new centre offers unrivalled higher education opportunities alongside industry leaders. Through our research and skilled graduate talent we are proud to support indigenous industry and the regions ability to attract foreign direct investment.

The announcement comes after Invest NI pledged 472,000 in R&D support to Qualcomm Technologies for its research into means of improving the quality of sound in consumer devices.
Kieran Donnelly said that just two out of 10 recommendations outlined in a previous report have been "fully implemented"

One in five government office desks are lying empty across Northern Ireland - costing the public purse more than 17.3m each year, it has emerged.

A fresh report into the government's estate shows that around 18% of desks - 6,382 - are sitting vacant and unused.

The situation has been blasted as "not delivering value for money" for the taxpayer.

The report from the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) also said there is "little evidence" that departments are setting challenging targets, making measuring their performance hard to measure.

The auditor notes that "it is difficult to assess whether the office estate is being effectively managed".

Kieran Donnelly, comptroller and auditor general, said: "The current configuration and management of the office buildings used by government departments is not delivering value for money.

"The existing office estate consists to a significant extent, of highly inefficient cellular and ageing accommodation."

Mr Donnelly said that just two out of 10 recommendations outlined in a previous report have been "fully implemented".

He welcomed the 17.7m of savings made since 2011, but said that "many opportunities still exist to release further savings".

There are 276 offices across the estate, with half owned outright and the rest rented.

The cost of running the office space amounts to around 96m each year.

The entire office estate provides more than 35,000 workstations.

But the report says the Department of Health incurred "irregular expenditure of 441,000" by failing to secure approval from the Department of Finance to extend office leases.

"Departments and public bodies need to attach a higher priority to gathering and maintaining data to understand the capacity, suitability, and functionality of individual buildings across the government estate and to measure performance regarding its economic and efficient management."

It also says that holding on to buildings which are not longer of use incurs both maintenance costs, and "also delays the receipt of income which the sale of those buildings would bring the public purse".

It recommends the setting up of a "central surplus asset register".

The report says that "the current configuration of the office estate is not delivering value for money".

"The actions taken to improve management of the office estate are encouraging and we note that financial savings have been reported. In our view, however, progress has been too slow," it says.

It added that following a report in 2012 into the estate, some progress was made but it "also highlights that much remains to be done".

"Over five years since publication, many of our recommendations have not been fully implemented," it says.

These include the absence of a central property register, a lack of challenging targets, limited means to measure performance and limited evidence that buildings surplus to requirements were being sold off.

Mr Donnelly continued: "I welcome the generation of 17.7m in savings across the office estate since the 2012 report, but many opportunities still exist to release further, significant savings.

A Department of Finance (DoF) spokesperson said: "This report encompasses offices managed by DoF and other departments.

"DoF's Reform of Property Management programme plans to centralise the management of the office estate.

"The report says that this will help address many of the issues raised.

"The department has received the NIAO report and will consider it in full.

The spokesperson added: "Given that NIAO reports may be subject to a PAC hearing, it would be inappropriate for the department to comment in detail at this stage."
Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor Nuala McAllister and Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Councillor Maoliosa McHugh at the launch of the European Capital of Culture 2023 bid

Belfast and Londonderry councils are urging Westminster to try and resolve a Brexit-botched joint city bid to be named European Capital of Culture.

The cities launched a high-profile bid to secure the title for 2023, which was unveiled back in July by the Lord Mayor of Belfast Nuala McAllister and Derry City and Strabane District Council Mayor Maoliosa McHugh.

But according to a letter from the European Commission, cities within the UK will not be allowed to host the event, following the vote for Brexit.

Now, a joint letter with four other UK cities also bidding for the title, says they are pushing the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) to take further advice on the legal status of the announcement as a matter of urgency.

On Tuesday we met with representatives of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport including John Glen MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Arts, Heritage and Tourism.

We met to discuss the letter sent last week to the UK Government by the European Commission stating that the participation of the UK in the European Capital of Culture in 2023 will not be possible.

... the meeting with DCMS was positive and we were encouraged by their commitment to try and resolve this issue with the European Commission and agree a clear way forward for the cities involved.

We urged the Department to continue its negotiations with the European Commission on the legitimacy of its latest decision. In particular we wish to highlight that the announcement by the European Commission counters a very recent decision of the European Parliament in June 2017 and of the Council in September 2017 which includes a calendar confirming the UK as the host country in 2023.

In addition we are seeking clarity given that the United Kingdom has not yet left the EU and the terms of that departure are not yet agreed.

We have collectively therefore requested that DCMS takes further advice on the legal status of the announcement as a matter of urgency.
From left, British Irish Chamber of Commerce president Eoin ONeill with Eversheds Sutherland partner Peter Curran with and David Sterling, head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service

The need to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic following Brexit was among the topics for debate at a seminar hosted by the British Irish Chamber of Commerce.

The seminar attracted leaders from across the island including David Sterling, head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Manufacturing Northern Ireland chief Stephen Kelly, Andrew Henderson, partner at law firm Eversheds Sutherland, and Enterprise Ireland chief executive Julie Sinnamon.

British Irish Chamber of Commerce president Eoin O'Neill discussed ideas developed by the Chamber in a document entitled 'Big Principles'. Ideas include the prospect of the UK and EU forming a customs arrangement which could eliminate the need for a border on the island of Ireland.

"The frontier between Northern Ireland and the Republic runs for 310 miles. Trade over the border amounts to approximately 5bn a year and around 35,000 people commute across the border every day," he said.

"The reintroduction of border controls would have serious implications for communities along the border and would significantly reduce cross-border trade, which would ultimately lead to job losses on both sides of the border.

"Both parties in the negotiations have spoken of their desire to find a deal that protects the open border on the island of Ireland and the Chamber's Big Principles paper offers a possible solution to this challenge."
MILWAUKEE  State law makes nearly all governmental records open to inspection and copying, and requires custodians to release records as soon as possible and without delay.

So how are they doing?

Recently, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty conducted an experiment to see how well school districts are complying with the states open records law.

We asked the states 20 largest school districts for records from the last two years relating to their compliance procedures and how quickly they fulfilled requests. The results were tabulated in a recent report. Here are some highlights:

The good: Of the 12 school districts that fulfilled our request without charging a fee, six of them (Appleton, Green Bay, Janesville, Racine, Waukesha and West Allis-West Milwaukee) reported response times, on average, of 10 business days or fewer.

Gov. Scott Walker, in a 2016 executive order, required state agencies to respond to small and straightforward requests within 10 business days of receipt. The order doesnt bind school districts, but we are happy to see many school districts meeting that deadline anyway. Three other school districts (Fond du Lac, Stevens Point and Sun Prairie) were not far behind, fulfilling requests, on average, within 15 business days.

The bad: Not all districts were so prompt. Middleton-Cross Plains, for example, even though it received only 13 requests over the two-year period, took 16.8 business days, on average, to comply. Oshkosh received only 25 requests, but took almost 20 business days.

Worst of all was Milwaukee Public Schools, with an average response time of 30 business days. While MPS is far larger and receives far more requests than any other school district, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, despite receiving almost 8,000 requests, is able to respond in about 10 business days. The state Department of Public Instruction, which has as large of a budget as MPS, responds in about 13 business days.

MPS spends over a billion taxpayer dollars every year. It needs to devote more resources to complying with the open records law.

The ugly: Of the 20 largest school districts, seven (Eau Claire, Elmbrook, Kenosha, Madison, Sheboygan, Wausau and Wauwatosa) would not fulfill our requests without payment. The fees ranged from $15 to, in Madisons case, more than $1,000.

According to the Madison School Districts attorney, the district does not have a system for tracking open records requests, hence its extremely high fee in this case. While records custodians are allowed to charge for locating records, school districts that need so much time to locate records are apparently not doing a good job of tracking requests. It should not be so hard to find out how well any government entity complies with the law.

The takeaway: Walkers executive order led to measurable improvements in the response time of state agencies. School districts and other local governments can use the same processes, including better training and tracking systems, to achieve similar improvements.
The company is to close 49 branches and axe almost 100 jobs in a move that unions have branded as "unnecessary"

Northern Ireland Halifax branches look to avoid the chop amid closures across the Lloyds Banking Group.

The company is to close 49 branches and axe almost 100 jobs in a move that unions have branded as "unnecessary".

Branches under the Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Lloyds brands will be affected, resulting in 99 job losses. The lender said the group was embarking on the closure programme partly in response to changing customer behaviour and the declining number of transactions being made in branches.

A Lloyds spokesman said: "Customers are increasingly choosing to use digital and mobile channels for their everyday banking needs.

"As a consequence, the number of customers visiting some of our branches has declined in recent years. In response to this, we have confirmed the locations of some branches which will close next year across Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland."

Lloyds insisted that branches remain a "key part of the service" it offers.
Britains water utilities regulator has called out four firms including Thames Water for shortcomings in the way they handle data, saying customers may not be able to trust company information.

Ofwat named and shamed Bristol Water, Dee Valley Water, Southern Water and Thames Water for lagging behind their peers in its annual Company Monitoring Framework report, which is meant to hold companies to account and challenge them to improve transparency.

While it reported overall industry improvement, Ofwat said that shortcomings in the data handling at those four firms means the regulator and customers cannot be sure the information presented is complete and accurate.

Aileen Armstrong, Ofwats senior director for finance and governance, said: As customers, we want to be able to trust what we get from our water company  be that the water out of the tap or what they tell us.

Unfortunately, on the second of those, our checks suggest we might not be able to take everything at face value.

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Ofwat said there were serious concerns over Thames Water when it came to two categories, including following the regulators financial monitoring framework as well as a broad assessment of outcomes  meant to measure whether stakeholders can understand what companies are doing to meet customer expectations.

It said: We concluded that the significance of our concerns in two assessments meant that the company did not instil sufficient confidence about its ability to deliver, monitor and report performance.

In response to Ofwats findings, Thames Water said it was disappointed by the regulators decision to classify the company in its lowest assessment category.

We will be working hard to rebuild trust and achieve self-assured status as quickly as possible.

Ofwat said Thames Water may choose to revisit a risks, strengths and weaknesses exercise as part of a first step towards developing wider and more detailed assurance plans, with Ofwat saying it expects the company to publish the results ahead of a consultation by the end of January 2018.

After identifying areas needing improvement, Thames Water will then need to seek independent, external assurance for those cases and release its action plans online by March 31 2018, ahead of its annual performance report.

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Ms Armstrong said: These businesses provide essential public services and they need to assure customers they are doing the right things in the right way.

If they are to gain and keep the trust of customers, they need to have high-quality checks on their information and present it fairly, clearly and completely.

The report comes just a day after Thames Water said it was unlikely to meet its target for leaks once again this financial year, and promised to return a pot of 40 million built up from fines since 2015 to households.

It has been a tough 2017 for Thames Water, having been fined a record 20 million in March for allowing 1.4 billion litres of raw sewage into the River Thames between 2012 to 2014.

The utilities firm was then hit with an 8.6 million regulatory penalty for missed leak targets in 2016-17, while it was also under pressure over excessive pay for top bosses.

The group last week announced that Ian Marchant  the former chief executive of energy giant SSE  is being brought in as chairman to clean up its corporate governance failings. He will replace long-serving chairman Sir Peter Mason in January.
Northern Ireland could remain in the customs union after Brexit  even if the rest of the UK leaves  as part of a deal to break the deadlock over the Irish border, it has been reported.

However, the plan  tabled by London  would depend on the restoration of the Stormont Executive, according to The Times.

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The newspaper reported that sources in Dublin had said there had been movement on the key issue of the border, which has stalled negotiations, with expectations of a breakthrough before a mid-December summit.

The EU is preparing to offer a two-year deal as early as January in response, it was reported.

Its understood that the UK Governments proposal will commit it to avoiding regulatory divergence in Ireland after Brexit.

It implies that Northern Ireland would remain part of the customs union and single market while the rest of the UK leaves.

But the plan would involve devolving further powers to Stormont to enable convergence with the Republic in sectors such as energy and agriculture, it was reported.

If the proposals are accurate, they are at odds with the DUPs position  that Northern Ireland will leave the customs union and single market with the rest of the UK.

Last night, former first minister Lord Trimble, said an internal border running down the Irish Sea would be dangerous for unionists.

The former UUP leader told the Spectator magazine: The Belfast Agreement recognises British sovereignty in Northern Ireland, and recognises Northern Ireland as part of the UK.

To have provisions treating us as if we are not part of the UK is clearly contrary to that agreement and is something no unionist is going to support.

Once it begins to dawn on the unionist electorate that the Irish government is trying to break up the UK then we are into very dangerous territory indeed.

The Government needs to quash this idea very quickly, and make it clear that we will not have any damage done to our constitution.

The Tory peer accused Taoiseach Leo Varadkar of trying to appeal to Sinn Fein voters, even though the premiers Fine Gael party has vast differences with Gerry Adams party on a range of issues.

Speaking in Iraq yesterday, Prime Minister Theresa May reiterated her opposition to a hard border in Ireland.

The Irish Government does not want that, parties in Northern Ireland dont want that. This is not just about trade across the border, but peoples day-to-day lives, she said.

We are maintaining the common travel area that has been in place since 1923, so long before either Ireland or the UK were members of the EU. That is part of what we have agreed with the EU.

We also want to ensure that trade between Northern Ireland and the Republic can continue, but also that trade between the Republic of Ireland and the rest of the UK can continue. I want to get on to those trade talks and I am very clear  no hard border.

The practical solution is about trade, about the arrangements as goods cross borders, that is why it is so important that we move on to the next phase, with the EU to look at our trade relationship for the future, and building that deep and special partnership that will be important to Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, and the Republic of Ireland, but also important to the other members of the EU as well.

Meanwhile, Neale Richmond, EU affairs spokesman for Mr Varadkars Fine Gael party, told BBC Radio 4s World at One: We have nearly 275 border crossings along a frontier of just 300 miles, as opposed to 20-25 crossings at the height of the Troubles.

We believe a new customs arrangement between the UK and EU would allow this to be resolved.
Former Northern Ireland police chief Sir Hugh Orde has warned that Brexit border controls will "play into the hands" of dissident republicans.

Sir Hugh, who was the chief constable between 2002 and 2009, hit out at government ministers who led the Leave campaign for their "unforgivable and inept" handling of the Irish border issue.

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Writing in The Times, Sir Hugh, who is also the former head of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: "During the referendum debate the Leave campaign dismissed border control as a sideshow.

"Hence there appears to have been absolutely no planning for the foreseeable and inevitable complexity of this critical issue.

"This is unforgivable and inept.

"After Brexit we will be 'outside the club' and therefore not entitled to the benefits of EU membership.

"This will inevitably lead to some form of border control.

"The political consequences of this will play into the hands of those who are still determined to destroy the relative peace that we have enjoyed through close co-operation and effective policing since 1998 and the Good Friday Agreement."

He went on to back comments made by Fine Gael senator Neale Richmond who said that border controls would be a target for "dissident republicans".

"They provide an ideal, static and predictable target that prevents free movement," Sir Hugh added.
DUP MP Sammy Wilson has said his party's confidence-and-supply agreement with the Conservative government could hang in the balance over Brexit negotiations.

Mr Wilson made the comments in response to a newspaper report Northern Ireland could be set to remain in the Customs Union after Brexit, even if the rest of the United Kingdom leaves.

The Times reports this plan - tabled by London - would require the restoration of the Stormont Executive.

Speaking to the BBC, he said his party's agreement with the government could be jeopardised by efforts to "placate Dublin and the EU".

He said if there was "any hint" this would happen, the Conservatives "can't rely on our vote".

In a statement released on Thursday afternoon, DUP leader Arlene Foster said her party "will not countenance any arrangement that could lead to a new border being created in the Irish Sea".

Mrs Foster added her party will "continue to work wit the government on the details of negotiations as they progress".

She did not make any mention of potentially withdrawing support for the Conservative government.

On Thursday afternoon Ian Paisley Jr MP retweeted a post from former Ulster Unionist deputy leader Lord John Kilclooney in which he wrote the current state of negotiations will prove testing for the DUP if they are to continue to support the government.

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Sky News is reporting the DUP met with the British government on Thursday morning and made it clear any effort to keep Northern Ireland in the Single Market or Customs Union would be "deeply destabilising" to the confidence-and-supply agreement.
The RHI scheme was designed to encourage green energy use by giving businesses a financial incentive to switch. It is subject to an inquiry into how the botched scheme was established.

A consultant has told an inquiry into the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme that his company did not mention the need for a cap on costs in the project's plans because he assumed it would be "common sense" that one would be needed.

Mark Cockburn, director of consultancy firm Cambridge Economic Policy Associates which was involved in the setting up of the scheme, appeared as a witness before the inquiry into the botched energy project.

The inquiry began hearing evidence from witnesses this week, beginning with civil servants involved in the project.

Mr Cockburn was asked why documentation submitted from his company to the Department for Enterprise Trade and Investment (DETI) in 2011 did not contain any references to a need for a cap on costs in the RHI scheme.

He replied: "I thought it would have just been common sense that you've got a finite amount of money available and you commit it up to the point where there's no more available.

"I think we were taking the assumption that we had from DETI about the amount of money that they had available. I can't point to an email but our understanding was that that money was finite and so some way of ensuring that there could be no overspending was inherent within it."

In response, inquiry chairman Sir Patrick Coghlin said: "I find it strange to hear that in a novel, demand-lead scheme, the experts who were advising had to make assumptions, why not ask what was the situation if they go over budget? Why make the assumption?"

Mr Cockburn told the panel the documentation had not been intended to be an exhaustive or detailed study.

He also revealed that the consultancy organisation was paid a total of 60,000 for its involvement in the project in 2011 and 2012. Mr Cockburn defended the costs as reasonable for the amount of work the group produced.

The inquiry was told the group produced two reports; an initial document in 2011 followed by an assessment of responses to the first document once it had been sent out for consultation.

This second and final report recommended subsidy tariffs which were higher than the cost of biomass fuel. This mismatch in costs appeared to ultimately be the flaw in the scheme as it gave people a financial incentive to burn fuel.

The RHI scheme is estimated to have cost over 500 million due to errors in its design.

In January, Sinn Fein pulled out of powersharing with the DUP in protest at how the scheme had been implemented while DUP leader Arlene Foster was DETI minister. Ms Foster has denied any wrongdoing in the scheme's errors.

An inquiry was subsequently launched in a bid to understand why the error occurred. The inquiry began earlier this month and is due to continue hearing evidence into the new year.
US president Donald Trump caused outrage after retweeting the videos to his 43.6 million followers

The far-right group Britain First has boasted of gaining hundreds of new membership applications after Donald Trump shared anti-Muslim videos it had posted online, sparking a transatlantic row with Theresa May.

Britain First leader Paul Golding also said the group's Facebook posts were reaching hundreds of thousands more users.

The Prime Minister has said Mr Trump was "wrong" to retweet videos posted by Britain First's deputy leader Jayda Fransen, which she condemned as a "hateful organisation" dedicated to spreading division and mistrust.

The extraordinary flare-up between the two key allies came after Mr Trump responded directly to her assertion - originally made through her official spokesman - that his re-postings had been wrong.

In a trademark tweet, he wrote: "@Theresa_May, don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!"

Mrs May has since rejected calls to cancel his controversial state visit, despite an outcry from MPs, insisting she remained committed to the "special relationship" between the UK and US.

Pressed on whether the president's state visit should still go ahead, Mrs May said they had "yet to set a date".

Golding, who is facing charges of religiously aggravated harassment alongside Ms Fransen, said the row had boosted Britain First's popularity.

The 35 year-old told the Times: "We have had hundreds of new membership applications and our organic Facebook reach (number of unique users) has increased by hundreds of thousands."

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday rejected suggestions Mr Trump's comments had "elevated" a far-right group little known outside the UK.

"I think what he's done is elevate the conversation to talk about a real issue and a real threat and that's extreme violence and extreme terrorism, something that we know to be very real and something the president feels strongly about talking about and bringing up and making sure is an issue every single day," she told a White House press briefing.

In pointed remarks apparently aimed at Mr Trump on Thursday, Mrs May said it was essential to deal with terrorism and extremism "from whatever source they come".

Asked whether she regarded the president as a "supporter and enabler" of far-right groups, Mrs May said: "We must all take seriously the threat that far-right groups pose both in terms of the terrorist threat that is posed by those groups and the necessity of dealing with extremist material which is far-right as well.

"I've commented in the past on issues in the United States on this matter. In the United Kingdom we take the far-right very seriously and that's why we ensure we deal with these threats and this extremism wherever it comes and whatever its source."

In a further sign of the seriousness of the row, Britain's ambassador to Washington, Sir Kim Darroch, said he had raised the Government's concerns with the White House.

Brendan Cox, whose MP wife Jo was murdered by a man shouting "Britain first", praised politicians and media figures for criticising Mr Trump, tweeting: "Can't remember the last time everyone from @jeremycorbyn to @theresa_may, @DanielJHannan to @HackneyAbbott, @OwenJones84 to @piersmorgan, has been on the same side.

"Thanks @realDonaldTrump for reminding us that we have #moreincommon and no time for hatred."

Fransen, 31, from Penge, south-east London, is on bail facing trial over four charges of causing religiously aggravated harassment as part of a Kent Police investigation into the distribution of leaflets and the posting of online videos during a trial held at Canterbury Crown Court in May.

She will go on trial at Folkestone Magistrates' Court on January 29, alongside Golding, who faces three similar charges.

Fransen will also appear in court in Northern Ireland in December charged with using threatening and abusive language in connection with a speech she made at an anti-terrorism demonstration in Belfast on August 6.

Meanwhile, Theresa Scrivener, the Bognor woman to whom Mr Trump initially misdirected his tweet to Mrs May, told the Press Association she was now awaiting an apology for the White House. "I'm just glad he was not contacting me to say he was going to war with North Korea," she added.
One of the DUP's newest councillors says she "regrets" a tweet in which she described the royal family as a "very expensive burden" on taxpayers and called for them to "go and find a real job in a real jobmarket".

After initially denying that she had written the comment, former Alliance Party member Vasundhara Kamble - whose defection to the DUP was unveiled at last Saturday's party conference - told the Belfast Telegraph that she wanted to withdraw the remark.

The tweets were still publicly available to view on her Twitter feed after Ms Kamble joined the DUP.

The tweet stated: "Best article. The Royal family is a very expensive burden upon us taxpayers. Let them go and find a real job in a real jobmarket like us."

Pictures of Ms Kamble from Saturday's DUP conference at La Mon Hotel show her standing between party leader Arlene Foster and her deputy Nigel Dodds MP.

The Lisburn and Castlereagh representative told this newspaper that she had been on a "personal journey" after 2011, when the royal family tweet was posted, which had caused her to change her views.

"I understand that the DUP is very staunchly royalist, and after 2011 my personal journey was very different and I don't have any regrets regarding joining the DUP," she said.

"It's nothing to do with ideological conflict."

However, Ms Kamble said she was standing by a tweet promoting a petition seeking the repeal of last week's government decision to exclude animal sentience from the EU Withdrawal Bill.

Her new DUP colleagues had voted in favour of this, alongside the Conservatives.

The tweet was posted last Friday, the day before her membership of the DUP was made public.

Defending her stance, she stated: "The legacy Castlereagh council had an anti-animal cruelty motion that the whole council supported over the appalling way breeders were treating animals.

"It was up to individual people to support.

"The DUP on the mainland UK are supporting the Tory government, but my personal experience is of the issue in the Castlereagh legacy council."

Ms Kamble also said she was standing by a pair of 2013 tweets calling for former Tory leader and former Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) Secretary Iain Duncan Smith to "live on fifty three quids a week".

At the time, Mr Duncan Smith had claimed that he could live on 53 a week in benefits.

Ms Kamble tweeted a link to a petition to the Department of Work and Pensions challenging Iain Duncan Smith to live on the sum along with the caption: "Hey there @dwppressoffice how much has IDS spent today?"

Another tweet the following month states: "Victory! IDS's use of stats: he should face a good grilling and he should be made to live on fifty three quids a week for several years."

Yesterday, Ms Kamble told this newspaper that her opinion remained the same. She stated: "That was my opinion at that time and I stand by that - I haven't changed my opinion.

"The DUP are working for the under-privileged in Northern Ireland."

Ms Kamble added that she was "not a great politician to answer these questions".

Since news of her appointment was released at the weekend, Ms Kamble has been the subject of racist remarks which have since been reported to the PSNI.

Yesterday, she said that she was "happy" to have joined the party and had received a "very warm welcome."

No response had been received from the DUP at the time of going to press.

Ms Kamble, who came to Northern Ireland from India in 1995, quit Alliance in January amid allegations of ageism and racism - claims the party strongly denies.

Despite serving as an elected representative for six years, she said at the time that she had "never felt welcome in the party".

In a post on the Alliance Party Activists and Volunteers' group, party leader Naomi Long subsequently referred to Ms Kamble and former Alliance councillor Geraldine Rice, who resigned at the same time, as "complete balloons".
. 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.
Irish border issues appear to be the biggest remaining obstacle to a green light for talks on post-Brexit trade at an EU summit next month

The Conservative Government will not be able to rely on the votes of the DUP in Parliament for any Brexit deal that treats Northern Ireland differently from the rest of the UK, one of the party's MPs has warned.

Sammy Wilson's warning came amid pressure from Dublin for the UK to agree a special arrangement under which Northern Ireland would continue to observe the rules of the EU's customs union to avoid a hard border with the Republic.

Border issues appear to be the biggest remaining obstacle to a green light for talks on post-Brexit trade at an EU summit next month, after reports that the UK has agreed the broad terms of a financial settlement which would see it pay up to 50 billion over a number of years.

London and Dublin have voiced their determination to avoid a return to checkpoints and border posts between Northern Ireland and the Republic, but Irish agriculture minister Michael Creed said no solutions had been offered by the UK Government.

The Department for Exiting the EU (DExEU) refused to comment on a report in The Times that British negotiators had put forward a proposal to devolve powers to Northern Ireland to enable "customs convergence" with the Republic in areas such as agriculture and energy in an attempt to break the deadlock.

The paper quoted sources in Dublin as saying there had been "movement" on the issue and confidence was growing that agreement could be reached in time for next month's summit in Brussels.

Responding to the report, Mr Wilson said his party will be " making clear to the Government we have a confidence and supply arrangement with them", under which the minority Conservative administration relies on the support of the 10 DUP MPs to ensure its survival.

The East Antrim MP told the BBC: "If there is any hint that in order to placate Dublin and the EU, they're prepared to have Northern Ireland treated differently than the rest of the UK, then they can't rely on our vote.

"They have to recognise that if this is about treating Northern Ireland differently, or leaving us half in the EU, dragging along behind regulations which change in Dublin, it's not on."

Theresa May is desperately hoping EU leaders will give the go-ahead for the second phase of the negotiations - including talks on a free trade deal - to begin at the European Council summit on December 14-15.

She is due to travel to Brussels on Monday for talks with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in the hope of securing a declaration that "sufficient progress" has been made on divorce issues like the financial settlement and the Irish border.

The leaders of the remaining 27 EU states, including Irish premier Leo Varadkar, have a veto on triggering the second phase of talks, meaning Mrs May must be sure of support from Dublin for progress to be made.

However, appearing on BBC2's Newsnight on Wednesday, Mr Creed said they had yet to see a workable solution from the UK.

He said that having ruled out an Irish proposal for Northern Ireland to remain part of the single market and the customs union, it was up to the British to say how they could get round the need for border checks.

"If the UK has clearly said no to a single market and customs union, it is clearly incumbent on the British Government to articulate a way forward that enables us to have an invisible, seamless border which they have said they want," he said.

"We need political solutions now and we are not getting them from the UK Government."

DUP MP Ian Paisley urged the Republic of Ireland to take a more "mature" approach to Brexit.

"If the Republic of Ireland is going to keep shouting at our border and telling us that it is all doom and gloom and we are not going to get a proper relationship, that interferes in the negotiation process," he told RTE.

"All of us, every constituent part, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, are leaving the EU.

"Don't undermine our position and our sovereign integrity."
A trade dispute has caused uncertainty for thousands of workers at the company's Belfast plant

The absence of a functioning government in Northern Ireland is an added challenge for those trying to protect jobs at Bombardier's Belfast factory, MPs have heard.

A trade dispute between the aircraft manufacturer and rivals Boeing has caused uncertainty for thousands of workers at the plant.

In evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Eugene Rooney, from the Department of the Economy, said: "It's a challenging situation for officers to be working in the absence of ministers, absolutely."

Mr Rooney was among three senior civil servants quizzed about the impact of the political impasse during a lengthy session at Stormont's Parliament Buildings.

He added: "Clearly local ministers would be much more involved because they are closer to the day-to-day issues that arise at the company.

"But we are trying to make sure our relations are good with the UK departments."

Earlier this month representatives from the Unite union expressed disappointment that senior political figures had not travelled to Washington to plead the case for Belfast.

Mr Rooney said: "The lobbying at a UK level is being led by the relevant UK departments and the Prime Minister has been involved.

"We will be making sure that we are keeping in good contact with the company locally and will be providing any information to help with what they are doing."

In September, the US Department of Commence (DoC) announced its intention to impose trade tariffs of 220% on Canadian-based Bombardier's C Series jets, after Boeing claimed the firm had received excessive government support which gave an unfair business advantage in breach of trading regulations.

A further 80% tariff was proposed in October, raising concerns that job cuts could follow at the Belfast site.

A final ruling is expected in the new year.

The committee also heard how DoC lawyers visited the offices of Invest Northern Ireland in October to trawl through records of financial assistance provided to Bombardier over the past decade.

"They looked at absolutely every penny we provided to Bombardier," said Jeremy Fitch, a senior director with Invest NI, adding that the complaint could be interpreted as a compliment for Bombardier and the C Series.

"They have handed the greatest back-handed compliment because they see the C Series as a threat," he said.

Northern Ireland has been without an executive at Stormont since January, when powersharing between the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Fein collapsed.

Since then, there have been numerous rounds of negotiations with a view to returning to government but no deal has been reached. The parties remain at odds over a number of issues related to language and cultural issues.

DUP MP Ian Paisley, who described the trade dispute as a "commercial war", said it was also regrettable there was no first or deputy first minister in place at Stormont.

He said: "If there was a normal functioning Executive then they would be on the first plane out of Aldergrove to New York and down to Washington to fly the flag for Northern Ireland.

"That has been noticed by its absence."

After the meeting MPs were taken on a tour of the nearby Bombardier plant.
The PSNI has said the man has been taken to hospital for treatment to injuries that are not thought to be life-threatening at this time

Police are investigating a west Belfast shooting after a man was discovered last night with injuries to both legs.

It's believed the punishment-style attack happened around 8.30pm, with police alerted around 8.40pm that a man had been discovered in an alleyway with gunshot wounds.

The PSNI has said the man has been taken to hospital for treatment to injuries that are not thought to be life-threatening at this time.

Inspector David McBride has appealed to anyone with any information to contact police at Woodbourne on 101 quoting reference 1378 or to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, the PSNI said earlier this month the amount of victims of paramilitary shootings had doubled to 28 in the past 12 months.
The card he gave to his customers

Milkman Robert Ross on one of his last rounds

A milkman who has served his community for half-a-century is retiring.

Robert Ross said he will not miss the early morning starts and is looking forward to a lie-in from now on.

Robert, from Portglenone in Co Antrim, said his customer base had halved to 250, blaming the introduction of the plastic two-litre milk bottle and supermarket sales for the decline.

The downturn, he said, was coupled with the loss of personal service in the community.

Over the years Robert has built up a close relationship with his customers, including placing deliveries straight into a fridge for some who are disabled.

He said that he will miss the job and his customers, particularly the older generation, which has "stood by him" over the years.

His round covers a 40-mile route across north Antrim, taking in places such as Portglenone, Rasharkin and Cullybackey.

"It is a right wee run," Robert told the Belfast Telegraph.

However, he believes that with his 60th birthday fast approaching, the time is right to retire.

"I will miss the customers. There is always a bit of craic. I have got to know them over the years," Robert said.

Robert regularly found time for a chat and a "quick cup of tea". And he said some customers were tearful when he saw them yesterday.

"Some of them do not see many people but the milkman coming. They are glad to see somebody," he added.

"It was great early in the morning to be outside and to see the wildlife. It was lovely. I didn't like the winter weather, especially the black ice. I don't mind the rain or snow, but the black ice was hard going as a lot of the back roads round Portglenone can be hilly."

He used to work seven days a week. But that has been reduced to four days a week.

"I do not really get a holiday, so I am looking forward to that," he added.

He is planning to take a break with wife Elizabeth. The couple have six children, and have fostered 18 others.

Although he has never had any workmates on the milk run, he has been helped with deliveries by his children over the decades.

He will not be resting on his laurels, however.

He owns a 30-acre farm, and that will keep him busy.

"There is always something to do," Robert added.

When he calls it a day at the weekend, Robert believes that that will leave just one traditional milkman in Ballymena.
New figures show almost 40,000 units - around one pint each - of donated blood were wasted in Northern Ireland in the past five years

New figures show almost 40,000 units - around one pint each - of donated blood were wasted in Northern Ireland in the past five years.

Investigative website The Detail reports around 250,000 units of donated blood has been delivered to hospitals across Northern Ireland since 2012, but in the same period around 15% of blood was recorded as wasted.

Blood is considered wasted when it cannot be transfused to a patient for technical reasons which include faults in storage or expiration.

Around 64,000 blood donations are made in Northern Ireland each year, and it is estimated three lives are saved for every pint of blood donated.

In a statement to The Detail, a spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service (NIBTS) said it kept a "buffer stock" of blood as the workload it has to deal with "results in some wastage".

The South Eastern Health Trust is not included in the figures (as they were only able to provide figures for financial years, and not annually) so the overall loss would be higher.

By comparison, blood wastage in Scotland for the period between 2012 and 2017 was almost 11%.

The new figures also show components of blood donations made in Northern Ireland have been sold for commercial use, bringing in almost 500,000.

Blood is made up of different elements including red blood cells, platelets, plasma and red and white blood cells - referred to collectively as blood components.

The liquid portion of the blood known as plasma is removed, and in Northern Ireland a surplus of this accumulates.

The findings show since 2008 this has been sold by the NIBTS to the pharmaceutical industry, with the profits reinvested back into the Department of Health.

Between 2012 and 2016 over 38,000 litres of plasma were sold to Biotech Company Nova Biologics, a US pharmaceutical company, for 442,805.

In Northern Ireland there is an ongoing need for new donors.

Last year NIBTS said it requires 8,000 new donors annually to meet demand, with an estimated three people getting blood transfusions every hour.
A legal challenge to two of the CCNI's recent decisions has now raised serious doubts on the validity of some previous rulings

A charity watchdog has been told that hundreds of its adjudications could be invalid following a court order.

The Charity Commission (CCNI) is a public body tasked with ensuring charities in Northern Ireland behave lawfully.

A legal challenge to two of the CCNI's recent decisions has now raised serious doubts on the validity of some previous rulings.

One expert warned it could lead to massive financial implications affecting leading charities.

In one case related to Newry and Mourne carers the Tribunal found that the Commission's powers were limited by statute.

But in the second case relating to the Disabled Police Officers Association of Northern Ireland, the Tribunal ruled that the Commission's decisions were made lawfully.

Potentially this means hundreds of other decisions taken by CCNI staff instead of board members are in doubt.

CCNI is appealing the Charity Tribunal's decision, saying board members had at times authorised staff to act on their behalf and they stood by their decisions.

The Department for Communities is backing the appeal.

The Commission had made 141 orders, five relate to the appointment of interim managers. No orders related to how a closing charity should dispose of its assets

Typical orders include replacing a charity trustee with an interim manager, and approving how a charity that is closing down should dispose of its assets.

Gregory Burke helps to run the legal advocacy group ProbityaacNI for charities in Northern Ireland.

He said the financial implications would be massive for CCNI if it loses its appeal.

"This could have very wide-ranging implications," he told the Belfast Telegraph.

"CCNI has been telling charities to get their house in order, but some decisions they have made are now potentially unlawful."

Mr Burke added he was surprised that the Department for Communities had decided to back CCNI.

"I can sympathise to a certain degree with the permanent secretary, as this is something an elected minister should be taking responsibility for," he said.

"If they lose this in a spectacular fashion I can't even start to imagine what the final costs will be.

"One case involved Sean Caughey from Newry and Mourne Carers. His stakeholders were told by CCNI he was under investigation and their income dried up.

"They appointed a PWC manager to take over, which would have cost a great deal. There's also the vast amounts of money spent on legal fees, it's a massive thing."

CCNI said yesterday: "We are aware of a number of Charity Tribunal decisions and ongoing cases, which are based on a point of law regarding the validity of the commission's decisions.

"The commission stands over all our decision making processes, which are based on robust legal advice.

"The commission has sought permission to appeal the Caughey Tribunal decision to the High Court."

The Department for Communities said: "The department fully supports the commission's interpretation of its powers under the Charities Act (NI) 2008 and has sought to become a Notice Party in view of the possible repercussions across Government should the court take a contrary interpretation."
More than 1,000 people are now living with HIV in Northern Ireland, a charity has said.

It also revealed that 94 new cases were diagnosed here last year.

The statistics show that in 2016, 72 males and 22 females in Northern Ireland were told they had HIV.

The figures emerged ahead of World Aids Day tomorrow.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that damages the cells in the immune system and weakens the person's ability to fight everyday infections and disease.

Aids (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is the name used to describe a number of potentially life-threatening infections and illnesses that happen when the immune system has been severely damaged by the HIV virus.

While Aids can't be transmitted from one person to another, the HIV virus can.

There is no cure for HIV, but there are drug treatments that enable most people with the virus to live a long and healthy life.

Figures published today show the number of people living with HIV here has now passed 1,000 for the first time.

Of the 94 diagnosed in 2016, 29 people were aged between 25 and 34, and 35 were aged from 35 to 49. A small number were aged 65 or over at the time of their diagnosis.

Jacquie Richardson from Positive Life, Northern Ireland's only dedicated HIV charity, expressed concern at the figures, saying our rates were higher than other parts of the UK.

"For such a small population we are out of kilter with the rest of the UK and it is time more is done to address this," she said.

As many as one in five people with HIV in Northern Ireland are unaware that they have the infection, Ms Richardson said.

"There should be no embarrassment or shame in getting a HIV test if a person feels that they are at risk," she said.

"Our strong advice is to come to us at Positive Life at 20 Derryvolgie Avenue in south Belfast to get tested, or to one of the many locations available across Northern Ireland."
As many as one in five people with HIV in Northern Ireland is unaware that they have the infection.

The number of people living with HIV in Northern Ireland has exceeded 1,000 for the first time, a charity said.

A total of 94 new cases were diagnosed last year, with the stigma partly to blame for the high figures, Positive Life added.

Most were men and nearly all aged under 50.

Chief executive Jacquie Richardson said: "For such a small population, we are out of kilter with the rest of the UK and it is time that more is done to address this.

"Poor sexual health is a significant burden on the well-being of people living in Northern Ireland.

"We need to get this number down significantly."

As many as one in five people with HIV in Northern Ireland is unaware that they have the infection, she added.

A total of 1,090 have the condition, statistics from Public Health England showed.

Ms Richardson added: "There should be no embarrassment or shame in getting a HIV test if a person feels that they are at risk.

"The stigma that is associated with HIV is so negative that is it a contributing factor as to why the numbers are so high.

"We need to address and overcome this 'Northern Ireland effect' so that many more can take control of their own sexual health."
Northern Ireland's former First Minister Peter Robinson has told the Republic of Ireland to "wind its neck in" over Brexit.

It comes following reports that Northern Ireland could remain in the customs union after Brexit  even if the rest of the UK leaves  as part of a deal to break the deadlock over the Irish border.

However, the plan  tabled by London  would depend on the restoration of the Stormont Executive, according to The Times.

The newspaper reported that sources in Dublin had said there had been movement on the key issue of the border, which has stalled negotiations, with expectations of a breakthrough before a mid-December summit.

The EU is preparing to offer a two-year deal as early as January in response, it was reported.

Its understood that the UK Governments proposal will commit it to avoiding regulatory divergence in Ireland after Brexit.

It implies that Northern Ireland would remain part of the customs union and single market while the rest of the UK leaves.

DUP MP Sammy Wilson has said his party's confidence-and-supply agreement with the Conservative government could hang in the balance over Brexit negotiations.

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Speaking to the BBC, he said his party's agreement with the government could be jeopardised by efforts to "placate Dublin and the EU".

He said if there was "any hint" this would happen, the Conservatives "can't rely on our vote".

In a statement released on Thursday afternoon, DUP leader Arlene Foster said her party "will not countenance any arrangement that could lead to a new border being created in the Irish Sea".

Mrs Foster added her party will "continue to work with the government on the details of negotiations as they progress".

Sky News is reporting the DUP met with the British government on Thursday morning and made it clear any effort to keep Northern Ireland in the Single Market or Customs Union would be "deeply destabilising" to the confidence-and-supply agreement.

Former DUP leader Mr Robinson weighed in in a post on his Facebook page telling the south to "wind its neck in" and that "sensible heads in the Republic need to assert themselves and bring some decorum to the handling of this vital issue".

Mr Robinson said politicians in Dublin are doing "significant harm to North/South relations".

He said: "When I left office, relationships between unionists and the Irish Republic had reached a new high. With Enda Kenny at the wheel a real effort had been made to understand and work with Northern Irelands unionist community. That relationship was good for the political process and all the people on this island.

"Sadly, over recent weeks Ministers in the Republic seem to be clambering over each other to instil fear in unionist minds and express gratuitously offensive anti-British rhetoric. There appears to be a studied strategy to use the Brexit challenges  not as a means to display co-operation and good neighbourliness but to drive for constitutional change.

"Dublin politicians have thrown caution (and common sense) to the wind and taken to lecturing the UK, upon whom they rely for so much of their trade and to whom they came for help when, in hard times, the EU was battering down their door.

"They are doing significant harm to North/South relations. A more positive and accommodating approach is needed from the Republic or in laymans terms - 'the South needs to wind its neck in'.

He added: "The idea that Brexit exigencies can be used to drive a wedge between Northern Ireland and Great Britain is an act of bad faith and provocation. Borders in the Irish Sea and providing all-Ireland solutions that separate us from the rest of the UK by establishing an economically united Ireland would be seen in unionist circles as harmonisation leading to unification and would be completely unacceptable.

"Sensible heads in the Republic need to assert themselves and bring some decorum to the handling of this vital issue. Sensible solutions can be found and positive outcomes are more likely to be reached if a spirit of friendship and mutual understanding exists."
An official watchdog has issued an unprecedented warning to the Department of Health over the severe shortage of nurses in Northern Ireland

The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) has told the department it is failing in almost every area it had reviewed.

SDLP health spokesman Mark H Durkan said it was a significant development.

"This confirms what many people working in health and social care have known for a long time - that we are in the middle of a very serious nursing shortage that is having an impact on care," he said.

"Frontline health service staff are working themselves to the point of exhaustion to maintain the current level of care they provide. Nurses, doctors and other staff are fully stretched and that isn't a sustainable position in the long-term."

Last month it was revealed that cash-strapped hospitals and clinics are paying up to 120 an hour for private agency nurses just to keep facilities operational.

The department also said that it recognised that the position was unsustainable in the long-term.

The RQIA said its concerns had arisen from five inspections of hospitals and nursing homes. Its report on the issue says that the cumulative effect of the nursing shortage was, in some cases, leading to less effective care provision for patients.

Janice Smyth, director of the Royal College of Nursing, said the fact that the inspectorate had recognised there was a problem "was reassuring to the profession".

"The college has been raising concerns around safety and effective nurse staffing for some time and to nurses it would appear that people aren't as concerned about that as they should be," she said.

The department said it was taking a range of measures to address the situation, including a workforce review.

It added: "Workforce pressures are one of the deep-seated challenges facing health and social care - challenges that can only be fully addressed through transformation of the system."
Conor McGregor is said to have been clocked driving at more than 100kph at Rathcoole, Co Dublin, on March 31

UFC fighter Conor McGregor has been fined 400 euro (350) for being clocked driving at 158kph (98mph) on a road near Dublin.

The multimillionaire sportsman, who claimed he earned 140 million euro (123 million) for one fight, has been given two months to pay the bill.

McGregor was ordered before a brief hearing at Blanchardstown District Court in the outskirts of the Irish capital, or to face the threat of arrest after his solicitor attempted to explain issues in the case.

After pleading guilty, apologising and offering no mitigation for the high speed in a 100kph (62mph) zone, Judge Miriam Walsh told the fighter he could pay the fine by instalments if he wished.

"I would warn, however, despite your fortune in life, that you take cognisance of other people on the roads," the judge said.

McGregor was recorded by gardai driving at 158kph on the N7 Naas Road at Rathcoole, Co Dublin, on March 31.

He did not make any comment on the offence or other recent reports about a pub brawl as he was chaperoned from court and sped away in a black BMW i8.

McGregor, 29, originally from Crumlin, Dublin initially told the court that he had attempted to pay the original 80 euro (70) fine issued by the Garda traffic branch for speeding.

He could not explain to the court why the payment did not go through.

Judge Walsh said she was happy to deal with the case by accepting a guilty plea and without hearing any further evidence over the payment issue.

McGregor, who turned up in court with an associate and wearing a green Adidas tracksuit, had been clocked at a Garda speed trap on March 31 at 9.06pm.

Judge Walsh said to the fighter: "I have to ask you the question, how much do you earn?

"It may sound stupid but I have to ask - please don't tell me that you earned 110 million in one day."

The judge's line of questioning caused laughter in the court before McGregor smiled and confidently said: "140."

Judge Walsh had earlier forced McGregor to go to the courthouse in person after his solicitor Graham Kenny attempted to explain aspects of the case to the court.

She had threatened that he could be arrested if he did not turn up.

Judge Walsh had said that it was the third time the case was mentioned in the court and warned that he was showing "absolute disrespect".

One issue raised by the lawyer was that McGregor had returned a fixed charge penalty notice for the driving offence without including his middle name Anthony.

After being fined the lightweight champion told the court: "I apologise for that.

"I wanted to show my respect by turning up here today. "

McGregor is a global mixed martial arts champion and current UFC lightweight belt holder.

He was beaten in a boxing match by undefeated champion Floyd "Money" Mayweather earlier this year in a fight that earned both men tens of millions.
DUP MP Ian Paisley called for the UK government to get tough with Dublin.

The UK should make life hard for the Republic of Ireland over a post-Brexit fisheries deal as a response to its "disgraceful" behaviour in the current negotiations, Ian Paisley has suggested.

The Democratic Unionist MP made the suggestion to a committee of MPs in Westminster who are examining the future of the Irish border after the UK leaves the EU.

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee was hearing evidence from Brexit Minister Robin Walker and Northern Ireland Office minister Chloe Smith.

Referencing the stance the UK should take with the Dublin government, Mr Paisley told the witnesses the "pussyfooting needs to stop".

"I think our neighbour has acted disgracefully," he said.

Mr Paisley was referring to Ireland's position that, in order to avoid a hard border post-Brexit, Northern Ireland should continue to comply with European regulatory frameworks - even if the rest of the UK leaves the customs union and single market.

He said the UK had loaned Ireland "billions" of pounds to bail it out of "economic ruin and bankruptcy".

Mr Paisley said fisheries waters used by Irish boats would become UK waters after Brexit.

"As early as September in 2019 they will need to make a fisheries deal, not with the rest of the EU, but with us, and, frankly, if they continue to exacerbate our will as citizens of the United Kingdom, I think we should make that fisheries deal extremely long, tenuous and hard for them," he said.

The North Antrim MP added: "I think that message needs to be spelt out, that they need to start acting in a mature way and dealing with us as good neighbours and as friends instead of trying to frustrate the will of the people of the United Kingdom, by saying they want a united Ireland, they want this part of the sovereign territory of her Majesty's kingdom to remain out with the rest of the agreements."

He said if the UK government was not prepared to say that publicly to the Dublin administration, he said it should start to "shake their cage internally and privately".

Mr Paisley also told the committee that the collapse of powersharing at Stormont could have a positive impact on Brexit, in the absence of MLAs there to object to EU withdrawal plans.

He said: "There might actually be a fortuitous moment arising that it's actually this parliament who will scrutinise Brexit through its members of parliament who actually come here.

"Frankly if this goes back to the parliament (Stormont) in its current make up, all we will get is carping, blocking and attempts to undermine Brexit as opposed to a proper scrutiny of the Brexit negotiations. Is that not the case, that at this point the Assembly could actually damage Brexit?"

Ms Smith told the committee that discussions remain ongoing with the political parties in Northern Ireland in an attempt to reach an agreement to return to powersharing.

She said: "We are continuing work at every level to be able to get that to a successful conclusion. Meetings have taken place."

Asked whether that was a contradiction of comments made by Sinn Fein's Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill earlier this week when she said there was no basis for talks to continue, Ms Smith said: "Meetings are continuing."

She added: "Whether I agree with Michelle O'Neill or not that there is no basis, there is a clear basis for an agreement to be found, the number of issues which remain to be resolved is limited in number and possible to overcome."

However, Ms Smith did not elaborate on the nature of discussions or if they amounted to official negotiations.

A summit meeting will be held on December 14 in Brussels with the heads of government of the EU states.

Progress on Brexit negotiations will be considered at this stage, with the border on the island of Ireland expected to be among the core issues focused on.

SDLP Assembly member Claire Hanna heavily criticised Mr Paisley's remarks.

"As a hard Brexiteer, Ian Paisley seems perfectly happy to cut his nose off to spite his face," she said.

"The Irish Government has a responsibility to protect the interests of people on this island and to protect the Good Friday Agreement. They are living up to those obligations.

"Any suggestion that UK fisheries policy should be formulated on the basis of punishing Irish people and Irish businesses is absolute madness.

"But more than that, it will hurt businesses in the north who rely on co-operation across this island, particularly in the agri-food sector.

"Given the stranglehold that the DUP now has on the Tory Government, Michael Gove (Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) should now make his position on this matter clear."
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president had been seeking to "promote strong borders and strong national security" (Matt Cardy/PA)

Theresa May has said countering the far-right is just as important as dealing with the Islamist threat amid a deepening transatlantic row with Donald Trump over extremism.

The Prime Minister reiterated Mr Trump had been wrong to share inflammatory anti-Muslim videos posted online by the deputy leader of the far-right Britain First group.

However, she rejected the growing clamour to call off the presidents controversial state visit insisting she remained committed to the special relationship between the UK and US.

The extraordinary flare-up between the two key allies came after Mr Trump responded directly to her assertion  originally made through her official spokesman  that his re-postings had been wrong.

In a trademark late-night tweet, he wrote: @Theresa_May, dont focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!

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His comments provoked an outcry in Parliament with MPs demanding the cancellation of the state visit and calls for the president to apologise to the British people.

Mrs May, in Jordan on the final day of an official visit to the Middle East, condemned Britain First as a hateful organisation dedicated to spreading division and mistrust.

In pointed remarks apparently aimed at Mr Trump  who has been criticised in the past for his reluctance to condemn the far-right in the US  she said it was essential to deal with terrorism and extremism from whatever source they come.

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Asked whether she regarded the president as a supporter and enabler of far-right groups, Mrs May said: We must all take seriously the threat that far-right groups pose both in terms of the terrorist threat that is posed by those groups and the necessity of dealing with extremist material which is far-right as well.

Ive commented in the past on issues in the United States on this matter. In the United Kingdom we take the far-right very seriously and thats why we ensure we deal with these threats and this extremism wherever it comes and whatever its source.

In a further sign of the seriousness of the row, Britains ambassador to Washington, Sir Kim Darroch, said he had raised the Governments concerns with the White House on Wednesday after Mr Trump re-tweeted three videos posted by Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen.

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Pressed on whether the presidents state visit should still go ahead, Mrs May said they had yet to set a date.

While she stressed that she was not afraid to criticise the US when it was wrong, she also made clear her commitment to preserving the transatlantic partnership.

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This is a long-term special relationship that we have. It is an enduring relationship that is there because it is in both our national interests for that relationship to be there, she said.

In the Commons, a string of MPs demanded the cancellation of Mr Trumps visit, with shadow home secretary Diane Abbott saying his behaviour was offensive to all decent British people.

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Home Secretary Amber Rudd appeared to indicate her agreement to a call from Tory MP Peter Bone for the president to delete his Twitter account, telling MPs: Im sure many of us might share his view.

But Ms Rudd also urged MPs to bear in mind the importance of the special relationship with the US, including the unparalleled sharing of intelligence.

It has undoubtedly saved British lives. That is the big picture here, she said.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Mrs May should withdraw the invitation to the president, while Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said he was an evil racist who should not be given the honour of a state visit.

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Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said Mr Trumps tweets were designed to humiliate and belittle the Prime Minister and had put the Queen in a very difficult and invidious position as his host for the visit.

Meanwhile Theresa Scrivener, the Bognor woman to whom Mr Trump initially misdirected his tweet to Mrs May, told the Press Association she was now awaiting an apology for the White House.

Im just glad he was not contacting me to say he was going to war with North Korea, she added.
Further work on the Queensferry Crossing will done in a way that minimises inconvenience to the public, the First Minister has said.

The 1.35 billion bridge will be partially closed for surfacing work from Thursday to Wednesday.

Transport officials said more lane restrictions could be expected on the crossing over the next 10 months due to snagging issues.

Nicola Sturgeon said the work beginning on Thursday was the only identified work requiring peak-time lane closures.

She sought to give reassurances during First Ministers Questions at Holyrood as opposition leaders accused the Scottish Government of pushing through the bridges opening in September and failing to be upfront with the public.

She said: Yes there will be further snagging works required over the coming months, again entirely normal on an infrastructure project.

The work that will start tonight is the only identified snagging work that will require peak-time lane closures. Any future lane closures that cant be avoided will be at night, not during the day, and not during peak hours.

Under the contract all snagging works are carried out at no additional cost to the Scottish Government.

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Work is scheduled to begin at 10pm on Thursday and finish by 6am on Wednesday December 6.

During that time, southbound traffic heading towards Edinburgh will use the Forth Road Bridge, while northbound traffic will use the Queensferry Crossing.

Transport Scotland told a Holyrood committee that issues with road surfacing were known about in August  before the crossings opening  but a solution was not found until a couple of weeks ago.

Ms Sturgeon said: When the solution to this particular piece of work was agreed ministers were told  that happened on Tuesday of last week.

As soon as there was then confirmation from the Met Office about the weather window  that happened on Monday this week  Parliament and the wider public were informed.

In other words, there was no delay, things happened completely timeously.

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Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson accused the government of dripping out information on the bridge works.

She said: Transport Scotland knew that the road over the bridge was faulty when the bridge was opened back in August, because thats what they said in Parliament yesterday, yet the Transport Minister said this morning that he knew nothing about the partial closure until last week.

What jars here is the way that they pushed through the opening of this bridge in the summer and claimed it as a symbol of SNP competence, but now theres a problem its dont look at us were just the Scottish Government.

In September it was jobs done and pats on the back all round, but on Monday we were told there would be another five days of work needed and yesterday those five days became another 10 months of possible disruption.

Its the dripping out of this information rather than simply levelling with people thats damaging the publics trust.

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Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: Who spends over a billion pounds on a bridge then closes it weeks later?

He added: With work predicted to last until September next year the completion of this crossing will be two years late. People deserve openness at last from this government.

This governments priority has been to not disrupt the ceremony with troublesome facts.
Michael Creed said the British Government need to put forward a "political solution" to ensure there was no return to the "hard border" of the past (Brian Lawless/PA)

The Conservative Government will not be able to rely on the votes of the DUP in Parliament for any Brexit deal that treats Northern Ireland differently from the rest of the UK, one of the partys MPs has warned.

Sammy Wilsons warning came amid pressure from Dublin for the UK to agree a special arrangement under which Northern Ireland would continue to observe the rules of the EUs customs union to avoid a hard border with the Republic.

Border issues appear to be the biggest remaining obstacle to a green light for talks on post-Brexit trade at an EU summit next month, after reports that the UK has agreed the broad terms of a financial settlement which would see it pay up to 50 billion over a number of years.

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London and Dublin have voiced their determination to avoid a return to checkpoints and border posts between Northern Ireland and the Republic, but Irish agriculture minister Michael Creed said no solutions had been offered by the UK Government.

The Department for Exiting the EU (DExEU) refused to comment on a report in The Times that British negotiators had put forward a proposal to devolve powers to Northern Ireland to enable customs convergence with the Republic in areas such as agriculture and energy in an attempt to break the deadlock.

The paper quoted sources in Dublin as saying there had been movement on the issue and confidence was growing that agreement could be reached in time for next months summit in Brussels.

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Responding to the report, Mr Wilson said his party will be making clear to the Government we have a confidence and supply arrangement with them, under which the minority Conservative administration relies on the support of the 10 DUP MPs to ensure its survival.

The East Antrim MP told the BBC: If there is any hint that in order to placate Dublin and the EU, theyre prepared to have Northern Ireland treated differently than the rest of the UK, then they cant rely on our vote.

They have to recognise that if this is about treating Northern Ireland differently, or leaving us half in the EU, dragging along behind regulations which change in Dublin, its not on.

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Theresa May is desperately hoping EU leaders will give the go-ahead for the second phase of the negotiations  including talks on a free trade deal  to begin at the European Council summit on December 14-15.

She is due to travel to Brussels on Monday for talks with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in the hope of securing a declaration that sufficient progress has been made on divorce issues like the financial settlement and the Irish border.

The leaders of the remaining 27 EU states, including Irish premier Leo Varadkar, have a veto on triggering the second phase of talks, meaning Mrs May must be sure of support from Dublin for progress to be made.

However, appearing on BBC2s Newsnight on Wednesday, Mr Creed said they had yet to see a workable solution from the UK.

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He said that having ruled out an Irish proposal for Northern Ireland to remain part of the single market and the customs union, it was up to the British to say how they could get round the need for border checks.

If the UK has clearly said no to a single market and customs union, it is clearly incumbent on the British Government to articulate a way forward that enables us to have an invisible, seamless border which they have said they want, he said.

We need political solutions now and we are not getting them from the UK Government.

DUP MP Ian Paisley urged the Republic of Ireland to take a more mature approach to Brexit.

If the Republic of Ireland is going to keep shouting at our border and telling us that it is all doom and gloom and we are not going to get a proper relationship, that interferes in the negotiation process, he told RTE.

All of us, every constituent part, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, are leaving the EU. Dont undermine our position and our sovereign integrity.
Young people who arrive in the UK should be classed as a potentially vulnerable group, the researchers say (Jonathan Brady/PA)

More support should be provided for young migrants who arrive in the UK to prevent them from committing crimes and facing deportation, researchers say.

A study examined how and why young migrants, refugees and asylum seekers end up detained in immigration removal centres.

Some have spent a significant part of their formative years in the UK, feel British and see the places they will be deported to as foreign, it states.

Researcher Dan Godshaw, of the University of Bristol, spent six months interviewing people at Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick.

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His work aimed to establish the backgrounds of people there and what could have been done differently to prevent them from being detained.

Young arrivers to the UK come from a wide variety of backgrounds and situations, Mr Godshaw said.

Many are fleeing persecution or conflict; many have suffered the breakdown of their families through a range of circumstances.

Many, by the time they are adults, have known no other home and are, to all intents and purposes, British. All are people asking for our help.

They should find protection, fairness and clarity in our immigration system and in statutory support systems. Instead, far too many people are failed by the systems at many different points.

Mr Godshaw found people in the detention centres were likely to have experienced trauma as children and to have been in the care system.

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He said early convictions were often the result of a lack of guidance, as well as police intervention being used to deal with disruptive behaviour.

Crimes that led to deportation orders were often relatively minor and tied to growing up as marginalised young people in Britain, he claimed.

The report found those who arrived in the UK at a young age felt connected to the UK and suffered intense shock after being detained.

Detention caused those who had felt British to feel foreign and excluded from society, with their rights and identity dramatically challenged, it said.

Young people who arrive in the UK should be classed as a potentially vulnerable group, the researchers say.

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Settled immigration status should be swiftly granted to young people who arrive in the UK as children, before they are automatically put on a path to citizenship.

Young arrivers lament their differential treatment to British peers, which some feel is linked to institutional racism, Mr Godshaw added.

Most of my respondents had British accents because theyd been educated in the UK  they had family and friend networks that were British.

Their identity was British but they were being deported to a country they knew nothing about.

Mr Godshaws research was carried out in partnership with the Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group.

His report calls for indefinite immigration detention to be replaced with a 28-day limit and community-based alternatives.
Police helicopters take so long to get to crime scenes that thousands are called off mid-air because the incident has already finished, a watchdog has found.

More than 40% of call-outs last year were cancelled because the incident was over before air support had arrived, according to an independent probe.

In many areas it took more than half-an-hour for a helicopter to reach the scene.

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Officers also suggested that an increase in police chases was due in part to criminals believing they did not have ready access to air support.

A report by Her Majestys Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services discovered a number of flaws in the National Police Air Service (NPAS) and is calling for urgent reforms.

HM Inspector of Constabulary Matt Parr, who led the inspection, said: Savings have primarily been made by cutting the service provided to forces rather than increasing efficiency.

An inconsistent service means that many incidents requiring air support are over before a helicopter can arrive.

He also said there were high levels of skill, dedication and commitment among staff but fundamental problems with how the service was structured.

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Long response times have contributed to a decline in forces using air support, especially in police chases, the report found.

One unnamed city force reported that the number of pursuits had more than tripled, from 100 in 2014 to 336 in 2016, due in part to a criminal perception that the police no longer had ready access to helicopter support.

The report said: Officers in some forces told us that most pursuits ended before an aircraft could arrive.

There were 57,562 calls in England and Wales last year, of which 24,873 were cancelled after the helicopter had been dispatched.

The report also found that:

:: The number of hours flown has dropped by 45% since 2009.

:: More than half of forces had to wait on average more than half-an-hour for a helicopter to arrive.

:: London had the quickest response time, with an average time of 10-and-a-half minutes for the Metropolitan Police, while for Cumbria Constabulary it was just over an hour.

:: The number of helicopters in the fleet has been reduced from 33 to 19 since 2009 and the number of bases has more than halved from 31 to 15.

:: Forces are charged according to the number of calls carried out each year, with an average cost of 1,314 per call-out.

:: Londons Metropolitan Police have the highest bill for 2017/18 with 7.2 million for 5,456 calls, while City of London had the lowest with 2,628 for two calls.

:: The cost per flying hour has increased from 1,335 in 2009 to 2,820 in 2016/17.

Forces in England and Wales were responsible for their own air support until a national collaboration was created in 2009.

The report has called for a major overhaul of NPAS or for it to be replaced.

It said the service in its current form is financially unsustainable, and added: It would be difficult to conclude that NPAS has a sustainable future in its current form.

Chief Constable Dee Collins, air operations certificate holder for NPAS, said: The journey to having a national police air service has been challenging for NPAS and we have learnt a lot along the way.

To deliver stretching national efficiencies, we have sought to change the expectations of police forces about the role of air support in policing and to do so has been a difficult process.

Mark Burns-Williamson, chairman of NPAS and West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, said: Many of the areas identified in the report are already recognised and there is ongoing work to address them but I think it is important to state that NPAS has successfully delivered phase one of the first national collaboration of this kind which is now a totally borderless 24-hour police aviation service and now delivers on previous and current government commitments to create a NPAS.

Chief Constable Alec Wood, chairman of the NPCC Operations Co-ordination Committee, said the findings would be used to shape a new strategy for police air support that will resolve the issues with our current provision and take advantage of new technology.

We have already started to progress some of the recommendations and have recently surveyed all forces to help inform our plans, he added.
The Office for National Statistics said over three-quarters of the decrease was accounted for by EU citizens (Steve Parsons/PA)

Net migration to the UK registered the steepest fall on record in the year after the Brexit vote, official figures reveal.

The measure  the difference between the numbers arriving and leaving the country for at least a year  was estimated at 230,000 in the 12 months to the end of June 2017.

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This was a drop of 106,000, or around a third, compared with 336,000 in July 2015 to June 2016.

It is the largest decrease in net long-term migration in any 12-month period since records began in 1964, although the level remains well above the Governments target of less than 100,000.

More than three-quarters of the year-on-year reduction was accounted for by EU citizens.

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EU net migration fell by 82,000 to 107,000, which was described as a statistically significant drop, and was driven by a fall in the numbers arriving and a rise in emigration.

Statisticians said the figures indicate net migration has returned to levels seen in 2014.

Nicola White, head of migration statistics at the Office for National Statistics, said: Overall more people are still coming to live in the UK than are leaving and therefore net migration is adding to the UK population.

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She noted that the decline in the latest period follows historically high levels of immigration, saying it is too early to say whether this represents a long-term trend.

Ms White added: The number of people immigrating for a definite job has remained stable but there has been a 43% decrease in the number of people immigrating to look for work over the last year, especially for EU citizens.

These changes suggest that Brexit is likely to be a factor in peoples decision to move to or from the UK  but decisions to migrate are complex and other factors are also going to be influencing the figures.

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Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, said: The data dont tell us this for certain, but the referendum has certainly created a set of circumstances  such as a fall in the value of the pound, and increased uncertainty about future status  that could make the UK less attractive.

Professor Jonathan Portes, senior fellow at The UK in a Changing Europe, said the statistics show the country has become a less attractive place for European migrants.

He said: Whatever your views on the impact of immigration, it cannot be good news that the UK is a less attractive place to live and work, and that we will be poorer as a result.

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Lord Green of Deddington, chairman of Migration Watch UK, said: This is a significant and very welcome reduction in net migration  especially by EU citizens who do not have a job to come to.

Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis said: With more Europeans continuing to arrive than leave, these figures show that claims of a Brexodus are misguided.

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At the same time, there is no consent for uncontrolled immigration. We welcome the ongoing decrease in net migration levels and remain committed to bringing them down to sustainable levels, the tens of thousands.

The ONS report revealed a large fall, of 54,000 to 230,000, in immigration of EU citizens.

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At the same time, the number of EU migrants departing the country went up by more than a quarter to 123,000  the highest level of emigration since 2008.

Meanwhile, separate figures show rising numbers of EU nationals are applying to become British citizens.
A teacher faces being struck off after they allegedly had a Bobby Sands coffee cup in the classroom.

The teacher in Scotland is also accused of having a "Free Derry" postcard and Christmas card within the classroom among other charges.

The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) said the alleged incidents took place during the 2013/2014 academic year.

The name of the school and teacher has been withheld.

A hearing of the Fitness To Teach Panel will take place next week in Edinburgh where the teacher faces struck off the teaching register or disciplined.

The GTCS alleges the teacher used "prior knowledge of the content of the 2014 Modern Studies exam to advise pupils on the areas to study in advance of the exam".

And of having "inappropriate contact with pupils personally by email."

It also alleges the teacher had "inappropriate items in the classroom" including a Free Derry Christmas Card, a Free Derry postcard and a Bobby Sands mug".

The teacher is also accused of using "inappropriate language" within their notes at a development day in August 2014 where they allegedly wrote "h** town".

Another allegation is the teacher shared "music with a colleague who was a probationer, which was inappropriate and in doing so, you did breach your employers Information Technology Policy".

The GTCS said: "And in light of the above, it is alleged that your fitness to teach is impaired and you are unfit to teach."

On May 5, 1981 IRA prisoner Bobby Sands became the first of 10 republicans to die on hunger strike at the Maze Prison. The hunger strike followed the dirty protest in a long running campaign for political status within the jail.

Sands had been voted in as the MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone at a by election just a month before his death.
An airline has launched an investigation after a letter from Silicon Valley entrepreneur Randi Zuckerberg saying she had been sexually harassed on one of their planes went viral.

The founder of Zuckerberg Media said she was subjected to repeated lewd sexual remarks by a passenger seated next to her on an Alaska Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Mexico, but that flight attendants brushed off his behaviour.

She tweeted: Feeling disgusted & degraded after an @AlaskaAir flight where the passenger next to me made repeated lewd sexual remarks. The flight attendants told me he was a frequent flier, brushed off his behaviour & kept giving him drinks. I guess his $ means more than our safety?

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Zuckerberg, who is the sister of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, claimed that as soon as she boarded the plane the man began making an array of inappropriate comments including talking about touching himself during the three-hour flight.

But when she complained to the onboard staff about the mans behaviour, she said they didnt take her seriously. She said: Their response was that this guy was a frequent Alaska Airlines traveller on this exact route, and that they have had to talk to him about his behaviour in the past.

Zuckerberg said that eventually the cabin crew offered her a seat at the back of the plane, but did not take it as she felt she should not have to move because of the mans behaviour.

She ended the letter by saying she was furious with Alaska Airlines for knowingly and willingly providing this man with a platform to harass women, and for being more concerned with taking his money than for the safety and security of the other passengers around him.

She received praise on social media for speaking out on the matter.

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Alaska Airlines said it had launched an investigation into the incident and revoked this passengers travel privileges in the meantime.

The airline said in a statement: What Randi Zuckerberg shared with us is very disturbing. The safety and well-being of our guests on Alaska Airlines is our number one priority.

It added that the company has a zero tolerance for any type of sexual misconduct that creates an unsafe environment for our guests and crew members.

The airline also tweeted Zuckerberg to discuss the matter further.

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After tweeting her complaint, she followed up with an update saying she had just got off the phone with two executives from Alaska Airline.
Pope Francis meets the bishops of Burma in Rangoon before leaving for Bangladesh (AP/Andrew Medichini)

Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid has accused Burma's military of committing "ruthless atrocities" against Rohingya Muslims and demanded international help to return them safely to their homes and integrate them into Burmese society.

Mr Hamid made the remarks as he welcomed Pope Francis to the presidential palace on Thursday at the start of a three-day visit to the Muslim-majority country.

The president said thousands of Rohingya men, women and children had been killed, their homes burned to ashes, and thousands of women raped.

He said Bangladesh has welcomed the refugees with open arms, but now there is a "shared responsibility" to safely return them to Burma and help them integrate into "social, economic and political life".

Security was tight at the airport in Dhaka as Francis arrived for the second leg of his six-day trip to Asia after visiting Burma.

Huge banners with pictures of the Pope and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had been put up around the city and St Mary's Cathedral was decorated with lights.

He had refrained from speaking out about the Rohingya Muslim crisis while in Rangoon out of diplomatic deference to his hosts, who consider the Rohingya as having illegally migrated from Bangladesh.

A Christian priest went missing in northern Bangladesh on Tuesday, and his family reported that they had received calls demanding money.

Police said they were looking for the man but would not confirm if it was a kidnapping.

AP
Al Franken is now the subject of an ethics committee investigation (AP/Alex Brandon)

A Senate ethics panel has opened a preliminary inquiry into Al Franken as allegations of sexual misconduct against powerful politicians roil Congress.

Five women in the last two weeks have accused the Democrat Minnesota Senator of misconduct in years past.

On Thursday, a woman told CNN that Mr Franken cupped her right breast when she stood next to him for a photo in December 2003.

Senators on the bipartisan ethics panel said they are aware of the allegations and are opening an inquiry into Mr Franken's alleged misconduct.

He has apologised and said he welcomes an ethics investigation.

Before the ethics committee announcement, his spokesman released a statement saying Mr Franken "has never intentionally engaged in this kind of conduct".
Germany's president is to hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel and the leader of the centre-left Social Democrats, Martin Schulz, with the aim of breaking the impasse over the formation of a new government.

Mr Schulz, Mrs Merkel and her Bavarian ally Horst Seehofer will meet at the presidential palace on Thursday to explore the possibility of forming a coalition like the one that makes up the outgoing government.

Talks between Mrs Merkel's conservative bloc and two smaller parties to form a previously untried coalition collapsed earlier this month.

Mr Schulz initially refused to consider another so-called "grand coalition" after a disastrous showing of the Social Democrats in the election on September 24.

Following an appeal from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, he changed course and said his party was now open to holding talks.

AP
While the event happens deep in rural parts of Berkeley County, it is no less important. It started over two decades ago by a woman once paralyzed from a tumor on her spine. She later beat back the disability enough to walk and get back to work and life. Read moreAnnual Kids Day is back on in Berkeley County
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The Man God Started With: Abraham - The Greatest Patriarch

Apart from Jesus Christ, Abraham is probably the most important person in the Bible. Abraham is a giant in Scripture - his stature is far greater than that of Moses, David, or Paul. These latter three were great men, and God used them in great ways, even giving portions of the Scriptures to us through them. But each of them would have agreed without qualification that Abraham was his father in faith.

In the early chapters of Genesis, we read of God's promise to Abraham that he would be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4). This was fulfilled physically and spiritually. On the physical side, Abraham became the father of the Jewish people, through whom the Messiah was born; he became the father of the many Arab tribes through his son Ishmael. On the spiritual side, Abraham has become the father of a great host of believers whose numbers are now swelled by Christians of countless tongues and nations.

No one can understand the Old Testament without understanding Abraham, for in many ways the story of redemption begins with God's call to this patriarch. Abraham was the first man chosen by God for a role in the plan of redemption. The story of Abraham contains the first mention in the Bible of God's righteousness imputed to man as the sole means of salvation (Genesis 15:6). Matthew includes the genealogy of Jesus in his Gospel in order to trace the beginnings of salvation back to Abraham (Matthew 1:1). Luke declares that the birth of Jesus occurred in response to God's promise to Abraham (Luke 1:68-73).

Great sections of the New Testament explain the spiritual significance of Abraham. An entire chapter in Romans refers to God's dealings with Abraham to support the doctrine of justification by grace through faith (Romans 4). Two chapters in Galatians refer to the life of Abraham to prove that salvation is apart from works (Romans 3 and Romans 4). One of the longest paragraphs on faith in the Book of Hebrews is devoted to the life of faith lived by this Hebrew patriarch (Hebrews 11:8-19). Faith stands preeminent in the life of Abraham.

No Good in Abraham

It is impossible to understand Abraham's faith without realizing that there was nothing in Abraham that commended him to God. God does not look down from heaven to find a person who has a bit of divine righteousness or a bit of faith and then say, "Oh, isn't it wonderful! I've found somebody with a bit of faith. I think I'll save him." When God looks down from heaven He sees that all men are without faith, and He passes a universal judgment: "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one" (Romans 3:12). That included Abraham.

This truth is reinforced by another. Abraham came from a family of idol worshipers, and was undoubtedly an idol worshiper himself. This truth is clearly stated in at least three places in the Bible.

In the last chapter of the Book of Joshua, the aging leader delivers a final spiritual charge to the people of Israel. Joshua begins by reminding them of their pagan past.

Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the river [the River Euphrates] of old, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor; and they served other gods. And I took your father, Abraham, from the other side of the river, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac...Now, therefore, fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river, and in Egypt (Joshua 24:2-14).

The passage is a black-and-white statement of the fact that Abraham was chosen by God from the midst of a pagan ancestry and that he and Terah had once worshiped false gods.

The same thing is said by Isaiah: "Hearken to Me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord; look unto the rock from which ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit from which ye are digged. Look unto Abraham, your father, and unto Sarah, who bore you" (Isaiah 5:1-2). The whole thrust of these verses is that there was nothing in the ancestry of the Jewish people that could commend them to God.

The third passage that reveals the truth about Abraham's ancestry is a story from the life of Abraham's grandson, Jacob. Jacob was a schemer - even his name means "supplanter" - and his underhandedness made his brother angry enough to want to kill him. Jacob was forced to flee for his life. Where was he to go? Jacob did what many people do when they are cast adrift by life - he went back to his roots. For Jacob, that was in Mesopotamia, the place from which his grandfather Abraham had come. There Jacob associated himself with his uncle Laban. In time, he married both of Laban's daughters, Leah and Rachel, and came to own a large share of the family's sheep and cattle.

As time passed, bad feelings arose between Jacob and Laban, Jacob decided to return to the land of Canaan, choosing a moment when Laban was away on business. When Laban returned, his nephew, his daughters, and much of the property were gone.

The household gods also were missing. Laban set out in pursuit. When he overtook the band that Jacob was leading, he chided Jacob for this action and accused him of having stolen the idols. A search was made but the idols were not found. Jacob's wife, Rachel, who had stolen them, had hidden them in her camel's saddle. This story in Genesis 31 shows that Abraham's relatives still owned and cherished idols at least three generations after God had called Abraham out of Mesopotamia.

God's Choice

It was Abraham whom God chose to be the father of many nations. But why did God save Abraham? The answer is simply that this was God's will. In Deuteronomy 7, Moses tells why God chose Israel to be the nation through which He gave the law and would one day send the Saviour. We read, "The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people. But because the Lord loved you..." (Deuteronomy 7:7-8).

Why did God love them? Because He loved them. Why did He choose them? Because He chose them. This is not human logic; it is divine logic. It is the logic of grace.

This is the way God loved Abraham, and the way God loves us. We are like Abraham. There is nothing in us to commend us to God. And yet God loves us. Just as He sought Abraham, He seeks to draw us into fellowship with Himself.

In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, the apostle tells how Jesus had come to His own people, the Jews, but they had not received Him. And yet some did - both Jews and Gentiles - and John writes that Christ gave to all who believed authority to become the children of God.

As John wrote these words, however, he seemed to know that some would say, "But, you see, God gave them authority to become children of God because they had faith within; it was because they believed." Lest someone retain a false impression, John adds quickly that these "were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13). John knew that no Christian ever made the first move toward God; he knew that salvation originates in heaven.

This is unpopular teaching, and men and women have always hated it. They hated it when Isaiah reminded them that nothing in their ancestry commended them to God (see Isaiah 51:1-2). They hated it in Christ's day. We are told that from the time Jesus began to teach that "no man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of My Father...many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him" (John 6:65-66). People hate it when this Gospel is preached in our own 20th century. And yet, in spite of the hatred of men, it is true. No man ever seeks God.

God's Call

Abraham's faith was preceded by God's call. God called him when he was without faith and promised to bless him. As a result of this encounter, Abraham believed God and set out on the journey to Canaan. Actually, the call to Abraham came twice, once when he was in Ur of the Chaldees (Acts 7:2-4), and once, years later, when he was in Haran.

The Bible says: Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee; and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him (Genesis 12:1-4).

Abraham's departure from Ur was the first evidence of his faith in God and in God's promises.

What is faith? Faith is simply belief, and all men have the capacity for it. They demonstrate it every day of their lives. Saving, faith is believing God and acting upon that belief. Abraham had saving faith because he believed God when God revealed Himself, and he acted upon his belief by setting out for Canaan immediately.

There are many mistaken views of faith. One links faith to credulity. This is the view that faith is belief without evidence. But God provides evidence, and He does so overwhelmingly. In Abraham's case the evidence was an appearance of God so striking that it got the patriarch and all his family and possessions moving out of their homeland into a land which they had never seen. In our case, the evidence is the biblical account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In the way that God called Abraham, God calls all who become His children. God comes to us when we are hopelessly lost in sin and without knowledge of Him (Ephesians 2:1-7). This is a universal fact in the spiritual biography of Christians. God's call comes first. And our response is nothing more than belief in God and in His promises.

Perhaps someone says, "Well, that may be right theoretically, but I just can't believe."

I disagree. You believe men, don't you? Every time you keep an appointment, sign a contract, ride a bus, read the newspaper, or do anything that involves other people, you show faith in some person, sometimes one whom you have not even met.

In the same way, you can believe God. He is more trustworthy. The Bible says, "If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater" (1 John 5:9). What does God ask us to believe? He asks us to believe that we are lost without Him and that He has done everything through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ to save us both for this life and for the life to come.

When Faith Is Weak

Someone may say, "Oh, I am able to believe in the sense that you have been explaining, but my faith is weak. I could become a Christian, but I am afraid that if I do - if I start out with God as Abraham did - I'll falter." Of course you will falter. But salvation depends not on the strength of your faith but on God's overwhelming faithfulness to you.

Abraham faltered. When he was in Ur of the Chaldees, God called Abraham to go to Canaan. Ur was in the Mesopotamian river valley, east of the great Arabian desert. Canaan was west of the desert and bordered the Mediterranean Sea. To obey God's call, Abraham had to leave Ur, travel north along the great Euphrates River, cross the northern end of the Arabian desert, and pass down along the Lebanese highlands, entering Canaan from the north. Abraham began the 1,000-mile journey in the best of faith. And yet, at the end of Genesis 11, we find that Abraham stopped at Haran, a little town in Syria hundreds of miles from Ur but still several hundred miles from Canaan.

Abraham stayed at Haran until his father died. When Abraham started once again for Canaan, he was 75 years old. Was Abraham strong in faith? Not at this point in his life. But God's promises were not withdrawn.

From God's point of view, the years in Haran were wasted. Abraham learned no new lessons there. And that happens to us. Times come when we stop and sit down spiritually. We must not sit too long. We must confess the emptiness of such moments, yield to God's repeated calls, and let Him lead us into all the blessings He originally intended.

The Second Call

God had called Abraham once and he obeyed. Then Abraham disobeyed and stopped at Haran. Years later God came again, calling, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee; and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing" (Genesis 12:1-2). God called Abraham a second time, and He calls us a second time also. God always persists in His calling.

This truth is found many places in Scripture. It is found in the story of David. God called David to be the political and moral leader of Israel, but David fell into sin. He stayed in Jerusalem instead of participating in a battle. While in Jerusalem he saw Bathsheba, enticed her, and made love to her. When he learned that she had become pregnant, he attempted to cover his sin by having her husband killed. And yet, God did not cast off King David.

Instead He came to him through Nathan to expose his sin and lead him to repentance (2 Samuel 12). God came a second time to David.

When God first called Jonah, He said, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before Me" (Jonah 1:2). Jonah lived in Galilee near Cana, and the way to Nineveh was east. Did Jonah go east? No, Jonah went west! The Bible tells us that Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish, for which he sailed from the Jewish port of Joppa (Jonah 1:3).

At this point in the action, God sent a storm. Jonah ordered himself to be thrown overboard by the sailors. He was swallowed by a great fish and was later vomited out on dry land. He was on the shore, right back where he started from, when God came to him to repeat His original commission, "And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time" (Jonah 3:1). These are the most beautiful words in the entire story: ". . . the Lord came unto Jonah the second time."

So it will be with us. The word of the Lord comes to us once, twice, and, if need be, a hundred or a thousand times. He calls us to follow Him. We are so prone to stop. We have many Harans, Bathshebas, or ships to Tarshish. And yet, God calls again and again.

God's Faithfulness

Where do you stand? It may be that you have never responded to God's call the first time. If God is prodding you to believe, if you feel unhappy as you are, if you are looking for something better in life, if you are questioning the truths of Christianity, this is God's working. You must yield to Him. You must trust Him.

Perhaps you have stopped at some place in your walk with God. Perhaps God has given you a command to do something and you have put it off, a step to take and you have refused. You prefer to be where you are. The fullness of blessing is never going to come to you until you obey God and do what He has set before you. You will never improve on His instructions.

Perhaps you are one to whom the Lord is now coming a second time. Take great joy in that. Respond to Him. And rejoice that you serve a God who will not abandon the work that He has once set out to accomplish (see Philippians 1:6).

[To finish reading "Why in the World Would God Use Me" please click here to receive the complete booklet.]

 Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals Inc, 1716 Spruce St. Philadelphia, PA 19103 USA

The Alliance calls the twenty-first century church to a modern reformation through broadcasting, events, and publishing. This article and additional resources can be found at ReformedResources.org or by calling 800-956-2644.

This article may be duplicated in its entirety and without edit, including this full disclaimer for personal, small group, non-commercial use. No more than 200 copies may be made. No electronic use beyond email is permitted. Any use other then those listed herein are forbidden without prior written permission. All rights reserved.

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First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain.





Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that.





And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details.





If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb.

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Is AMR Modern-day FRANKENSTEINS MONSTER?

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) continues to pose a significant public health problem in terms of mortality and economic loss. The rising AMR is a matter of huge concern that needs to be tactfully handled and health authorities of several countries, including India, have formulated action plans for its containment. Significant efforts by the government, an active involvement of startups and diagnostic players is a good start. The question remains, whether this will be enough.

For Feedback, please email us at: communications@mmactiv.com
Concept Life Sciences invests in East Kilbride Analytical Services Facility Concept also plans to increase headcount at the site by 8 FTEs in order to support the increase in capacity and workload.

Concept Life Sciences (Concept), the integrated drug discovery, development and analytical services company, today announced it has invested 250k in new equipment at its East Kilbride analytical services site. This follows over 250k of new instrumentation which was added to the facility in 2016.

The investment has doubled capacity across many capabilities, including GC/MS (Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry),GC/MS headspace (for analysis of volatile compounds), GCxGC (comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography), and metal and anion analysis, and forms part of a wider program to upgrade and add to systems, to better support customers testing requirements and provide faster turnaround times. Concept also plans to increase headcount at the site by 8 FTEs in order to support the increase in capacity and workload, in addition to the 7 FTEs that joined the team in 2017.

Darryl Chapman VP Sales and Marketing, Concept Life Sciences, said: The recent investments in the East Kilbride site demonstrate Concepts continued commitment to enhancing the customer experience, and to growing the business in Scotland. This latest investment brings Concepts total investment into the Scottish economy in the last three years to in excess of 20 million, following the acquisition of businesses in Dundee and Edinburgh.
J P Nadda stated that both the countries share a strong and rich traditional relationship which has been enhanced by high level visits

India and Italy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for enhanced cooperation in the health sector.

J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Beatrice Lorenzin, Health Minister of Italy signed the MoU in the presence of senior officers from the Health Ministry and a high level delegation from Italy.

J P Nadda stated that both the countries share a strong and rich traditional relationship which has been enhanced by high level visits. Also, there is a mutual interest in the promotion of stronger ties in the health sector. The MoU recognizes the potential for exchanges in the health sector between the two countries and the need to tap the capabilities and opportunities in a focused and comprehensive manner.

The objective of this MoU is to establish comprehensive inter-ministerial and inter-institutional cooperation between the two countries in the field of health by pooling technical, scientific, financial and human resources with the ultimate goal of upgrading the quality and reach of human, material and infrastructural resources involved in health care, medical education & training, and research in both countries.

The main areas of cooperation will include Exchange & training of medical doctors, officials, other health professionals and experts; assistance in development of human resources and setting up of health care facilities; short term training of human resources in health; regulation of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and cosmetics and exchange of information thereon; promotion of business development opportunities in pharmaceuticals; procurement of generic and essential drugs and assistance in sourcing of drug supplies; procurement of health equipment and pharmaceutical products; collaboration in the prevention of NCDs of mutual interest, such as neurocardiovascular diseases, cancer, COPDs, mental health and dementia, with an emphasis on SDG3 and related factors; collaboration in the field of climate change impact on communicable diseases and vector borne diseases; nutritional aspects of food intake, including malnutrition (over-nutrition and under-nutrition) in the light of the SDG2 and organization of nutritional service; safety of production, transformation, distribution and food delivery; research and training of food industry operators.
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By PTI: Shimla, Nov 29 (PTI) Four students of a private university here, including three Bhutanese, were arrested today for allegedly beating a junior on Sunday night, the police said.

Munna Niji, a third-year architecture student of the varsity, was beaten up and hit on the head by them when he was returning after having dinner on November 26 night, Superintendent of Police (SP), Shimla, Soumya Sambasivan said.

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Fourth-year engineering students, Lucky Dorje (22), Kin Jog Tinley (25) and Chopel (21) from Bhutan, and Tashi alias Sonu (26) from Himachal Pradeshs Chamba have been arrested, the police said.

Niji, a resident of Arunachal Pradesh, was admitted to the IGMC hospital here after the incident and later referred to the PGI in Chandigarh, they said.

The arrests were made after the investigating officer went to Chandigarh and recorded the victims statement, the SP said.

They have been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rioting and causing grievous hurt, the police said. PTI PCL ANB

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Billionaire mining magnate Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest has unveiled a "new dawn" at Fortescue Metals Group, announcing that two women would lead the miner, with Elizabeth Gaines to be the next chief executive and Julie Shuttleworth to be deputy CEO in a series of leadership changes at the company.

It is a history-making announcement, given it is touted as the first time women have been appointed CEO and deputy CEO of a major Australian ASX-listed mining company.

Fortescue's new CEO, Elizabeth Gaines, chairman Andrew Forrest and deputy CEO Julie Shuttleworth. Credit:Photography Project

The two female appointments represented half of four leadership appointments announced by Mr Forrest on Thursday, the major shareholder and chairman of the company. All four, which included a new chief operating officer (Greg Lilleyman) and a new chief financial officer (Ian Wells), were internal appointments.

Mr Forrest praised the appointees, describing Ms Gaines and Ms Shuttleworth as "a really phenomenal team" who got their positions on ability.
Bitcoin surpassed $US11,000 in a matter of hours after hitting the $US10,000 milestone, taking this year's price surge to almost 12-fold as buyers shrugged off increased warnings that the largest digital currency is an asset bubble.

The euphoria is bringing to the mainstream what was once considered the provenance of computer developers, futurists and libertarians seeking to create an alternative to central bank-controlled monetary systems. While the actual volume of transactions conducted in cryptocurrencies is relatively small, the optimism surrounding the technology continues to drive it to new highs.

Some on Wall Street are embracing the run, with more than 100 hedge funds now dedicated to digital currencies. Others are issuing dire warnings, with Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz saying it ought to be outlawed as it "doesn't serve any socially useful function."

Bitcoin has risen by about 75 per cent since October alone, after developers agreed to cancel a technology update that threatened to split the digital currency. Even as analysts disagree on whether the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation is truly an asset, its $US178 billion ($235 billion) value already exceeds that of about 95 per cent of the S&P 500 Index members and is driving the debate about where financial technology is headed.
Taking a bad spill on the runway may be a model's worst nightmare - and it's only amplified when it might be broadcast to millions on TV.

Chinese model Ming Xi found herself in that scenario last week when she slipped and fell during the 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which taped in Shanghai. On Tuesday night in America, CBS aired the telecast, and some thought the network might edit out Xi's spill.

Ming Xi loses her balance on the catwalk for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Credit:AP Photos/ Aurore Marechal

"Don't expect to see this moment in the final cut of the fashion show when it airs on CBS," People magazine cautioned last week. "Victoria's Secret traditionally tapes two run-throughs of the show for this very reason, so the tumble will likely be removed from the final show."

As it turns out - not so much! Why would they? For producers, a model falling down is TV gold. Although the annual lingerie show has edited out embarrassing moments before (such as Ariana Grande getting hit in the face by angel wings), CBS doubled down on the incident.
The banks have consistently argued that further inquiries into the sector, including a royal commission, were "unwarranted" as they were costly and unnecessary distractions at a time when the sector faced significant challenges. The CEOs of the Commonwealth, Westpac, National Australia and ANZ banks made the request in an email sent on Thursday to Treasurer Scott Morrison. Credit:Paul Jeffers But in the email to Mr Morrison, they said in light of recent speculation, it was now "imperative" for the government to act decisively to deliver certainty to the sector, bank customers and the community. "It is now in the national interest for the political uncertainty to end," the email says. "It is hurting confidence in our financial services system, including in offshore markets, and has diminished trust and respect for our sector and people. It also risks undermining the critical perception that our banks are unquestionably strong.

"We now ask you and your government to act to ensure a properly constituted inquiry into the financial services sector is established to put an end to the uncertainty and restore trust, respect and confidence." Bank shares dive It is now in the national interest for the political uncertainty to end. Big four banks Shares in the major banks dived when the sharemarket opened, with CBA shares down 2.6 per cent, Westpac 2.06 per cent, ANZ 1.6 per cent and NAB 1.7 per cent mid-morning. Mr Morrison said the decision to launch a royal commission was "regrettable but necessary action to take control" and overcome the "damage" to the financial sector that had been done by repeated calls for an inquiry.

"We must continue to get on with it and I call on the parliament to get on with it and support these measures," Mr Morrison said. Mr Turnbull had repeatedly denied any need for a royal commission but Nationals senator Barry O'Sullivan believed he had the numbers to go ahead without cabinet approval in a move that could have destabilised the government. The Greens threw their weight behind a commission of inquiry on Wednesday after securing last-minute amendments from Senator O'Sullivan. 'On the side of the banks' "A government's policy remains the same until it is changed," Mr Turnbull said when asked if this was a backflip for the government.

"The political environment has created a sense of inevitability about an inquiry ... We have to act in the national interest, protecting Australia's economic future." Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Mr Turnbull had spent 601 days fighting Labor's call for a royal commission into the banking and financial sector. "It says everything about Turnbull's values and priorities that he only agreed to Labor's royal commission when the banks told him he had to," he said in a statement. "He ignored the pleas of families and small businesses, he rejected the words of whistle-blowers. But when the big banks wrote him a letter, he folded the same day." "Turnbull has always been - and always will be - on the side of the banks."

The commission will cost $75 million - about $25 million less than the same-sex marriage postal survey, but $20 million more than the commission proposed by Labor. The terms of reference are much broader and less specific than those proposed by the O'Sullivan bill and backed by the Greens. The royal commission will now examine all cases of "misconduct", including breaches of professional standards and not just "illegal and unethical" practices, across the insurance, banking and superannuation industries. It will focus on "any conduct, practices, behaviour or business activity that falls below community standards" and "the use of superannuation that is otherwise not in the best interest of members".

The government's terms of reference do not specify an investigation into the pay packets of banking executives or protections for whistleblowers of financial misconduct, but they are sufficiently broad to include these if they wish. Union bosses could also be forced to take the stand, with industry super funds run by union executives under the spotlight over how they spend their members superannuation funds. The commission does not have the power to provide victims of misconduct an avenue for compensation, putting at least a year-long delay on reparations for affected businesses or consumers. "I want to make this very clear, a royal commission will not be able to recommend comprehension for individual cases, but it will be able to make recommendations the government consider in the interests of making our financial system the most competitive, transparent and accountable in the world," Mr Turnbull said. 'It will not put capitalism on trial'

The terms of reference limit the inquiry to a year and give it the power to ignore anything that it wants to that would otherwise be within its scope. The government urged the commission to give priority to matters that have a greater potential for harm "if not addressed expeditiously". "This will not be an open-ended commission, it will not put capitalism on trial, as some people in the parliament prefer, and we'll give it a reporting date of 12 months," Mr Turnbull said. But the Prime Minister immediately backtracked from that timetable on Thursday morning. "It will be set up on the basis it reports within a year, but as you know, and again, being realistic about this, royal commissions take longer than originally planned," he said.
One door might have closed but others are still opening for the Canberra creators of the FreakShake.

A video of the Canberra FreakShake posted on Facebook this week for Tourism Australia has been viewed more than 6 million times, shared almost 13,000 times and attracted 4500 comments.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is not the only one to drool over a FreakShake from Manuka. Credit:Andrew Meares

The video shows the Patissez cafe in Manuka and explains how the wondrous desserts are made.

The post has piqued the interest of sweet-lovers from Brazil to the United States to Hungary, with many tagging in friends and even putting Patissez in Canberra on their travel plans.
The Greens have called for an ACT fact checking unit to improve public debate during local elections, citing Donald Trump and Brexit as perils of the "fake news phenomenon".

Greens crossbencher Caroline Le Couteur broke rank with an ACT parliamentary inquiry looking into the last territory election to call for a unit to be established with a Canberra university on Thursday.

Greens Party member Caroline Le Couteur. Credit:Jay Cronan

Ms Le Couteur did not single out any instances of "fake news" from the last election, but said "alternative facts" were eroding trust in democracy.

"Our democratic system is based on the idea that citizens and their elected representatives make informed decisions. It is difficult to see how this can happen in an environment where 'fake news rules'," Ms Le Couteur said.
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 30 (PTI) Two people were arrested for allegedly selling liquor at the high-security CGO complex at Lodhi Road and 400 bottles of liquor were seized from their possession, officials.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officials, who guard the high-security complex which houses the headquarters of many CAPFs, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and ministries, conducted a raid last evening, acting on inputs that liquor was being sold illegally on the campus by certain people.

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The raid at a generator room led to the recovery of 400 rum and whisky bottles, cleverly stashed in the furniture and other items, a senior CISF officer said.

S K Singh and Amit Kumar, who worked as operators at the generator room, were apprehended for allegedly selling liquor to the people working inside the campus.

Singh, a resident of Bihars Buxar and Aligarh resident Kumar, were handed over to the police, along with the liquor bottles, the officer said.

The two were placed under arrest by the police, he added. PTI NES RC

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Emergency services combed sections of a river south of Brisbane for a woman feared dead after her car plunged into the water on Thursday afternoon.

Emergency services were called to the Logan River in Waterford West about 4.15pm, after reports that a car had accelerated down a boat ramp into the water.

Emergency crews search the Logan River for a woman missing at Waterford West. Credit:Nine News.

The vehicle had sunk before they arrived, with conflicting reports to police about whether anyone else was in the car.

Police were acting on the belief only the woman was inside and investigating what caused the car to plough into the water.
Hours after a blood-soaked and shaken nurse was helped out of his crashed car, several of his armed abductors were still at large on Friday.

The 25-year-old male nurse's ordeal began about 3.30am, when he was on his break at Pindara Private Hospital in Benowa, a Gold Coast suburb.

He says he was confronted by men in balaclavas and armed with knives and a gun, who forced him into the boot of his own car.

Police said the men drove him to an ATM and forced him to withdraw cash, before the alleged kidnappers crashed the car through a fence at a Kurrambee Avenue home in Ashmore about 4.20am.
Police are searching for two men after an attempted abduction of a five-year-old girl at Toowoomba on Wednesday.

A group of children was playing in parkland at Drayton when they were approached by a man who offered the young girl lollies, police said.

The girl was on a tricycle when she was approached by the two men. Credit:7 News Brisbane - Twitter

The girl refused and the man walked away but returned to the corner of Luck and Parker streets with another man.

One of the men then reportedly grabbed the girl and the other grabbed the tricycle she was riding.
Malcolm Turnbull's interpretation of the Queensland state election outcome is both right and wrong. Right in that it was fought primarily on state issues, but wrong that there are no federal implications.

The return of a state Labor government is always bad news for a Coalition federal government. If the federal government is travelling well, it can shrug off the result. But the Turnbull government needs some good news and the Queensland result was far from it.

The outcome also exacerbated tensions within the Coalition between conservatives and moderates, as well as about the consequences of a party model that includes Nationals and Liberals: the Liberal National Party. The tensions extend to what voter support for the One Nation Party means for the conservative side of politics.

The Queensland result also again shows how fractured Australian society now is and how difficult this makes governing for any government. Queensland has unique characteristics as the most rural and regional of the states, but the lessons are nevertheless clear.
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It was nerds night out!

Brooklyn Tech honchos and alumni celebrated the Fort Greene high schools near century of teaching math-and-science-minded youngsters at a swanky bash on Tuesday that honored three former students, one of whom praised the local learning house for the opportunities it offered.

Brooklyn Tech clearly changed my life. And like many others who graduated from it, I like to say that I owe much of my future to what happened there, said Leonard Riggio, who matriculated from the school in 1958 and went on to found bookseller Barnes & Noble. The environment itself was just so fertile in terms of encouraging learning and personal development.
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Administrators at the Brooklyn Hospital Center in Fort Greene must cut checks to sexual-assault victims who were illegally billed for rape kits over the past several years, New York States Attorney General said on Nov. 28 while announcing a settlement he reached with hospital officials.

The states top prosecutor cut the deal with the medical centers honchos after an investigation uncovered that Brooklyn Hospital broke the law when it charged sexual-assault survivors for their tests  a horrible and illegal mistake that only added to the victims burdens, he said.

Its hard to imagine the heartache and anxiety a survivor must feel having to fight a collection agency over an unlawful bill for a rape kit, Eric Schneiderman said in a statement. Its unacceptable, and we will not

allow it to continue.

The attorney general started sniffing around at the DeKalb Avenue hospital after a patient complained that she received seven bills for a forensic-rape exam she underwent in its emergency room. Sexual-assault survivors are entitled to free emergency care under New York State law, according to Schneiderman.

His hard look revealed that between January 2015 and February 2017, medical-center administrators incorrectly billed 85 out of 86 rape-exam recipients, either by directly sending invoices to patients or submitting them to their insurers without discussing payment options as required by the law, according to the investigation report.

Hospital officials claimed the charges were merely a clerical error, but agreed to overhaul their protocols to ensure similar mistakes never happen again as part of the settlement, according to the facilitys head honcho.

There was an inadvertent breakdown in our billing processes related to sexual assault victims, which we deeply regret, Gary Terrinoni said in a statement, in which he also pledged to follow laws in place to protect

sexual-assault victims.

If you would like to issue a complaint regarding the hospitals billing or other healthcare issues, contact the Attorney Generals Health Care Helpline at (800) 4289071.
By PTI: (Eds: Adds details)

Chennai, Nov 30 (PTI) The ruling AIADMK today fielded party veteran E Madhusudhanan for the December 21 bypoll to the Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency here, setting the stage for a political fight among rivals who faced off earlier.

Madhusudhanan will take on DMKs M Maruthu Ganesh and sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran.

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All three were in the fray for the April 12 bypoll to the city constituency, which was rescinded by the Election Commission following complaints of money distribution.

Dhinakaran was the candidate of the ruling dispensation backed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami then, while this time, he will be a virtual outsider after being sidelined by the Palaniswami-led camp.

Madhusudhanan was fielded by the then rebel camp headed by present Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.

He is not a new face at RK Nagar as he represented the constituency during the 1991-96 period, the first tenure of late J Jayalalithaa as chief minister. He was also a member of the state cabinet then.

Last week, Dhinakaran lost the battle for the partys Two Leaves symbol, with the Election Commission awarding it to the unified AIADMK.

It was seen as a setback for him and his aunt and deposed party leader, V K Sasikala, who is currently serving a four- year sentence in a Bengaluru jail in a disproportionate assets case.

An AIADMK release today signed jointly by party coordinator Panneerselvam and co-coordinator Palaniswami, announced the candidature of Madhusudhanan for the hustings.

Various applications were received from aspirants willing to face the bypoll, the release said, adding the party unanimously chose Madhusudhanans candidature.

Earlier, a section of the media had reported that the party could not zoom in on its choice of candidate following differences between supporters of Panneerslevam and Palaniswami.

The bypoll, necessitated following the death of its MLA and then chief minister Jayalalithaa in December last, is being seen as a litmus test for the ruling AIADMK, which witnessed rare rebellion and factionalism this year, by Panneerselvam and Dhinakaran, respectively.

The bypoll is also being seen as a possible report card of the 18-month-old AIADMK government which saw two chief ministers head the state during this period.

While Panneerselvam was made chief minister after Jayalalithaas death, Palaniswami took over from him after the former rebelled against then party chief Sasikala, alleging he was forced to make way for her elevation to the states top post in February this year. PTI SA BN SRY

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Typetec has today announced a 3m contract with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) to provide students with Apple MacBook Air notebooks. Typetec will deploy hardware, technical support, professional development and continued ICT planning services as part of the agreement.



The three-year deal follows a 25-year partnership between Typetec and RCSI which was the first college in Ireland to pioneer a one-to-one laptop programme in 1993. Working in partnership with Typetec, RCSI has now rolled out the enhanced service to the whole student body based in RCSI's new flagship building at No. 26 York Street.



Speaking this week, Chief Technology Officer of RCSI, Justin Ralph said, "Using best-in-class technology is part of the student experience at RCSI. Through their learning journey, our students are encouraged to develop innovation and leadership skills, and technology plays an important role in that. With Typetec we know we have a partner that continually delivers on quality of service, and has the skills and experience to deliver technology that supports and enhances our students learning."



Typetec CEO, Paul Dooley added, "We greatly admire the progressive culture and innovation that RCSI has developed over the last 25 years. Working with an institution that has such a vision for technology in education is truly inspiring. We are delighted as always to once again partner with them on this initiative and look forward to supporting them in developing the provision of educational training and lifelong learning through powerful ICT strategies."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
China Huarong Energy Co. Ltd. had completed fracturing operations, testing and the drilling of 36 oil wells in its Kyrgyzstan oil fields by mid-2015, but has not announced any progress since. Photo: Visual China

China Huarong Energy Co. Ltd. has secured a $600 million loan to fund its Kyrgyzstan oil project, according to an announcement filed Wednesday with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The loan, which will be received through a China Huarong Energy subsidiary, Crown Winner Investments Ltd., is expected give a much-needed boost to the project, which consists of four oil fields in the central Asian countrys Fergana Valley.

China Huarong Energy acquired a 60% stake in the Kyrgyzstan project in 2014, when the company was still named China Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group.

But the project has been hindered by the lack of means to fund additional investments for drilling wells and exploration, the privately owned company said.

China Huarong Energy had completed fracturing operations, testing and the drilling of 36 oil wells by mid-2015, but has not announced any progress since.

The company did not disclose who lent it the $600 million, but said it was an independent third party whose principal business is investment holding.

Kyrgyzstan is one of the dozens of countries participating in Chinas Belt and Road initiative, which was introduced by President Xi Jinping in 2013 to bolster Chinas international trade and investment links. As of March, Kyrgyzstan has signed $1.81 billion worth of investment agreements with China, according to figures from Kazakhstans Eurasian Research Institute.

But the announcement comes at a time when private oil firms face difficulty receiving funding for overseas downstream assets.

China Huarong Energys investment in the Kyrgyzstan project was part of a wave of private Chinese investment in overseas oil assets which began in 2014 and has lately begun to subside, due to a combination of unexpected setbacks and tightening regulation.

These privately owned companies were locked out of upstream oil production by state-owned giants at home, and new to the challenges of managing oil fields. Some were new to the energy sector itself  China Huarong Energy was previously a major shipbuilding business.

Contact reporter Teng Jing Xuan (jingxuanteng@caixin.com )
The China Securities Regulatory Commission has slowed approvals since June of new mutual funds planning to invest in the Hong Kong market. Photo: IC

Chinas securities regulator has tightened approval of mutual funds focusing on the Hong Kong equity market amid rapid growth of southbound capital flows that have pushed up the Hang Seng Index to a decade high.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission has slowed approvals since June of new mutual funds planning to invest in the Hong Kong market, several sources told Caixin. The commission also stiffened requirements on fund marketing and management and ordered existing funds to comply with the new rules within six months. Funds failing to do so will be suspended, the sources said.

The regulators move reflects rising risk concerns after Hong Kongs stock market surged in recent months, partly fueled by increasing capital flows from mainland investors via programs linking the Hong Kong market with bourses in Shanghai and Shenzhen. Last week, the benchmark Hang Seng index climbed above the 30,000-point mark for the first time in 10 years.

According to disclosures at the CSRCs official website, the commission hasnt approved any new Hong Kong stock investment fund since July 14.

Under the new rules, a mutual fund can name and market itself as a Hong Kong stock investment fund only when 80% of its portfolio is invested in Hong Kong-listed shares. Other mutual funds can invest no more than 50% of their stock market portfolio in the Hong Kong market.

Hong Kong stock investment funds must be run by at least two professionals with more than two years of asset management experience in the Hong Kong market. Mutual funds are also ordered to better disclose their underlying assets in the Hong Kong market and potential investment risks.

A mutual fund manager said the new requirements are strict and make it difficult for funds to hire qualified managers. Fund managers who meet the requirements usually ask for over 4 million yuan for annual pay, the manager said.

Mainland investors are drawn to Hong Kong equities by better returns and the convenience offered by the stock-connect programs. Thresholds for retail investors to buy into mutual funds focusing on Hong Kong stocks usually stand at only 1,000 yuan ($151).

Trading through the two stock-connection programs has contributed about 15% to total daily transactions in Hong Kong, according to Andrew Swan, BlackRock's head of Asian and global emerging market equities.

But Morgan Stanley predicted a limited impact on the Hong Kong market from the tightened rules because mutual funds account for less than 5.7% of total southbound investments in the Hong Kong market.

Laura Luo, Head of Hong Kong China Equities at Baring Asset Management, said despite the tightened measures, southbound capital flows into the Hong Kong market will continue growing next year as mainland companies such as insurers still have strong demand to allocate their portfolios overseas.

As of Nov. 30, capital invested in Hong Kong equities through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect program, launched in April 2014, totaled HK$584 billion, while investments via the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect program launched late last year reached HK$695.8 billion. Meanwhile, capital flowing from Hong Kong to mainland bourses via the two channels totaled HK$226.8 billion to Shanghai and HK$400 billion to Shenzhen.

Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)
Modified On Dec 01, 2017 06:08 PM By CarDekho

The affected cars, numbering 663 units, were produced between 2009 and 2010

Skoda has issued a service action alert to recall 663 Laura sedans manufactured between 2009 and 2010. This recall is being done to update the ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) software on the cars. The Czech manufacturer has clarified that the owners of these affected vehicles will be contacted by authorised dealerships and the update will be done free of cost.

Now, if you own a Laura, you must be curious to know whether it is one of the 663 units. You can check the same at Skoda Indias official website. Visit the website, feed in your VIN (vehicle identification number) and you will know whether your car is among the affected ones or not. To know your VIN, you can check your cars registration certificate or find it at the bottom right corner of the front windscreen.

This recall comes shortly after Jeep announced a recall for the Compass, in this case for replacing a faulty front passenger airbag. The number of affected Compass SUVs are said to be 1,200, which is less than 1 per cent of the total number sold in India till now.

We think voluntary recalls like these are really good from the customer's point of view as they provide them with peace of mind by reducing the risk of mishap. Such recalls also build customer trust in the manufacturer since they know that the quality of the vehicle they are driving is a matter of concern for the manufacturer as well.

Also Read: Skoda Announces Price Hike From New Year Onwards
The All Sagalee Students Union (ASSU) has submitted a complaint with police to take action against three women teachers for allegedly forcing 88 students to undress.

By Manogya Loiwal : The All Sagalee Students Union (ASSU) has submitted a complaint with Sagalee Police Station to take necessary action against three women teachers of the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Tani Happa (New Sagalee) for allegedly forcing 88 school children to undress in front of other students.

The three teachers Thinley Wangmu Thongdok, Sangeeta Khalkho and Nabam Janu allegedly ordered 88 students of sixth and seventh standards to undress before other students on 23rd November as punishment after some students wrote some inappropriate writings in a small piece of paper.

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AASU lodged the complaint on November 27.

According to the information provided by the students, out of the 88 students, 14 were forced to get naked, while the rest were partly unclothed, with warnings not to disclose the matter to anyone.

Saying that the students are not safe under the custody of such teachers, the ASSU in its complaint demanded appropriate action against the erring teachers and to book them under appropriate sections of law at the earliest.

Apart from AASU, the All Papum Pare District Students' Union (APPDSU) also demanded for immediate termination of service of Thondok, Khalkho and Nabam for the crime.

The Union was of the opinion that the teachers and school authority should have handled the matter in a mature way while dealing with young students.

It also questioned on why the parents were not intimidated about the students' misconduct before handing out such a condemnable punishment.

The students also made several other complaints to the visiting ASSU team and claimed that some friends of the teachers disturb the atmosphere of the school with their loud music and alcohol consumption during night hours.

But, when students submit their complaints in the complain box addressed to the chairman of the school, the teachers allegedly check the letters beforehand and the issues go unnoticed, said the students.

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The University of Calcutta has announced the results for the Bachelors of Commerce (BCom) Part II Honors and General Exam 2017 on the official website. The candidates who appeared for the exam can now check the results from the official web portal.

The varsity had published the Bachelors of Arts (BA) and Bachelors of Science (Bsc) Part II Honors exam results and Major Exam exam 2017 results in the month of September.

The Gour Banga University Part I and Part II Results of General and Honors degree were also released on the official website of the university on November 29, 2017, viz. Yesterday.

The Calcutta University had released the results for BCom Part II (Honours) exam 2017 on September 20, 2017, and the BA, BSc, BCom Part III (General) exam results were published on August 31, 2017.

About University of Calcutta

University of Calcutta was founded on January 24, 1857.University adopted in the first instance, the pattern of the University of London and gradually introduced changes in its constitution. As per to 2009 assessment of the Top Asian Universities, University of Calcutta ranks third within the Indian universities

How to Check the Calcutta University BCom Part II Results?

Visit the official website - wbresults.nic.in

Click on the link 'B.Com Part II (Honors and General) Exam 2017'

Enter your Roll Number in the space provided

Submit the details

Check the results

Download a copy and take a print out for future use.

Also Read: WBBSE Madhyamik Exam 2018 Time Table Released: Check Now!
AAP leader Sukhpal Khaira brings Singh's rumoured girlfriend back in the picture. Here is all you need to know about Aroosa Alam, the Pakistani woman in question.

By India Today Web Desk: AAP leader, Sukhpal Khaira lashed out at Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh after the Punjab assembly passed a resolution against Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) MLAs, Balwinder Bains and Simarjeet Bains.

The two MLAs faced the resolution as they had released an audio clip of an alleged attempt to bribe a judge in a drug case against Khaira. Khaira, along with AAP and LIP members, walked out after Punjab assembly requested CM to take action in the drug case.

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Sukhpal Khaira accused the Punjab government of framing him in the drug case and said that he feels the government is trying to get rid of him "politically and physically", a report in the Hindustan Times said.

After the assembly, Khaira broke down during a press conference and came down heavily on CM Singh in front of media. He swore and made derogatory statements connecting CM Captain Amarinder Singh and his journalist friend from Pakistan, Aroosa Alam.

He said, "Congress is trying to frame me" and used unparliamentary language to express his anger towards Punjab CM Amarinder Singh.

He also requested Chief Justice of India to look into the matter and asked for a CBI probe in the alleged drug case.

Sukhpal Khaira also attacked Amarinder Singh raising questions about Aroosa's stay at CM's official residence.

Aroosa Alam, a former journalist, has been linked to the Punjab CM many times in the past as well. Alam had visited India on February 21 to attend the launch of Captain's biography 'The People's Maharaja'. WHO IS AROOSA ALAM?

Aroosa met Captain Amarinder Singh in 2004 when he visited Pakistan. A former journalist, Aroosa is the daughter of Akleen Akhtar (Rani General), a socialite who influenced Pakistan's polity in 1970s. Aroosa is married and has two kids.

Alam is known for her reports on the Agosta-90B submarine deals that reportedly led to the arrest of then Pakistan naval chief Mansurul Haq in 1997. She, it's said, was keen to know India and always accepted she wanted to visit.

When Alam was linked to Captain Amarinder Singh for the first time in 2007. Both were seen together a number of times but Alam clarified that both were 'just friends'.

THE STORY OF AROOSA, AMARINDER'S FRIENDSHIP

Captain's biography 'The People's Maharaja' has a chapter on his relationship with Aroosa, who had openly said that her friendship with Amarinder Singh was beautiful, will last long, and that she was proud of the relationship.

"My relationship is a sensitive issue even back home, I am a Muslim woman and you know how people back home think," Aroosa had said when she last visited Chandigarh in February.

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The degree part 1 results have been published by the Vidyasagar University, West Bengal. Candidates can now check out their results online. The results are that of the Vidyasagar University Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) part 1 honours and general.

West Bengal based Gour Banga University also had declared the part 1 and Part 2 results of general and honours degree courses on the official website of the university yesterday.

How to check the Vidyasagar University Result 2017?

In order to check the Vidyasagar University Result 2017, follow the steps given here:

Log on to the Vidyasagar University website

Click on "click here" link given on the homepage near to "Results of B.A./B.Sc./B.Com. : Honours / General/Major of Part-I Examination - 2017"

Click on any of the third party website from next page

Click on the results you are searching for

Enter your details on the page

The results will be displayed on the screen

Save it to your computer and take a print out of it for future reference

List of results

B.A./B.Sc. III Year Degree Major Part I Exam Result 2017

B.A./B.Com./B.Sc. III Year Degree Honours Part I Exam Result 2017

B.A./B.Com./B.Sc. III Year Degree General Part I Exam Result 2017

How to get SMS for Vidyasagar University Result 2017?

Send SMS as VUUG space roll no to 54242 or VUUG space collcoderollno to 54242 (Example: VUUG 123456 & send it to 54242)

Or

Send SMS as VIDU space rollno to 5676750 (Example: VIDU 00ABC123 & send it to 5676750)

Changes Made in Board Exam Pass Percentage For Many Boards: Check Now!
Recently, the annual publications of univerity rankings for the year 2018 were released by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The system of ranking adopted by the QS is global overall and subject rankings. It is considered one of the most popular ranking system and is also one of the most widely read.

In this article, we are providing you the list of Top 25 Universities in the world. According to this ranking system, the MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads the charts, sixth year running over 950 of the best universities in the world. The USA remains at the top, hosting the top 4 universities with Stanford, Harvard and California Institute of Technology.

However, the universities in the UK continue to go down the ladder with University of Cambridge grabbing the fifth position.

The QS system of ranking has it own methodological framework of 6 metrics which it uses to evaluate and rank the universities which are as follows:

1. Academic reputation

2. Employer reputation

3. Faculty/Student ratio

4. Citations per faculty

5. International faculty ratio

6. International student ratio

QS World University Rankings 2017

The list of the Top 25 QS World University Rankings 2018 is as follows:
Theresa Mays efforts to find a compromise on the Irish border that will unblock Brexit talks struggled on, with both sides digging in on Thursday as the clock ticks down to a deadline next week.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney rejected creative ambiguity on the intractable issue and called for Britain to come up with credible language to guarantee that Brexit wont create a hard border on the island of Ireland. Northern Irelands Democratic Unionists, who have more clout than ever as they prop up Mays government in London, reiterated their red lines in a firmly worded statement.

May wants to find a solution by Monday, when shes due to have lunch with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. That meeting is meant to pave the way for an agreement from European leaders on Dec. 14 that Brexit talks can move on from the divorce to the crucial trading arrangements for after the split. Businesses are clamoring for a December deal and the pound has rallied on hopes there will be one.

Hopefully we will make progress that will allow us to move onto phase two in the middle of December, Coveney told lawmakers in Dublin on Thursday. If it is not possible to do that, so be it.

Double Bind

May needs to find a way of wording a commitment to the EU that Brexit wont mean a hard barrier goes up between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland when the 300-mile line dividing them becomes the U.K.s new frontier with the EU. The issue is the main obstacle in talks after an outline deal on the financial settlement was reached.

Reiterating commitments to the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Ireland after decades of violence could be part of the solution, according to four European officials. But Ireland is insisting on a written commitment that goes further, and makes sure regulations on each side of the border wont diverge significantly after Brexit, one of the officials said.

Ireland wants no border at all  for historic, political and economic reasons  and the EU has adopted the same stance. But no border means keeping Northern Ireland aligned with the regulations that apply in the Republic, and that could mean erecting barriers between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain  a red line for the DUP.

Her Majestys Government have a clear understanding that the DUP will not countenance any arrangement that could lead to a new border being created in the Irish Sea, DUP leader Arlene Foster, said in a statement.

DUP lawmaker Sammy Wilson told the BBC that attempts to placate Dublin and the EU could jeopardise the partys support for Mays government. Speaking in private, one European official said the chances of an agreement on the Irish issue by next week were 60-40. Another European official saw a 50-50 chance.

The Times of London reported that the solution could hinge on giving Northern Ireland more powers locally over customs, energy and agriculture as a way to keep rules the same on each side of the border after Brexit. The U.K. proposal commits it to working to avoid regulatory divergence on the island of Ireland, the paper said.

That probably wouldnt go far enough, according to a European official, familiar with Irish thinking. DUP lawmaker Ian Paisley, said on Thursday that Brexit will mean Northern Ireland gets different rules to the Republic on matters such as agriculture.

Theres areas where frankly divergence will come about because we in Northern Ireland, being part of the United Kingdom, believe were going in a different direction, for example on agriculture, DUP lawmaker Ian Paisley said in an RTE interview on Thursday. Why would we hold to certain policies that would hold us back.

That could be a major obstacle. For now, farm animals roam freely across the border, which is all but invisible thanks to the EU, its single market, and its common agricultural policy. Brexit will mean a border probably has to go up somewhere as the U.K. plans to leave Europes single market and customs union. The U.K. also wants to strike trade deals with other countries: if U.S. food imports start coming freely into Northern Ireland then a border will be need to block them crossing the Irish border into the EU.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: In Atlanta, Rennie Sloan, rennie.sloan@cartercenter.org

In Monrovia, Liberia, Janice Cooper, janice.cooper@cartercenter.org

Law to Improve Health and Protect Citizens Living

with Mental Health Disorders

ATLANTAThe Liberian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released the countrys first Mental Health Act and distributed the official handbill in Liberia this week. Distribution of the handbill by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Office of the Deputy Minister for Legal Affairs, signals the official enactment of Liberias first law to improve health care for people with mental illnesses and prevent discrimination against them.

The bill, passed by the Liberia House of Representatives on May 24, protects people living with mental health disorders from discrimination and will give access to quality mental health care in all 15 counties. The bill, signed by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, establishes, for the first time, oversight of mental health care through the Ministry of Health and creates a national advisory body on mental health issues. The Mental Health Act also protects the property of people with mental health conditions.

"Access to mental health services is a basic human right. The enactment of this Mental Health Act was needed to markedly improve the health and lives of all Liberians, said Dr. Eve Byrd, Carter Center Mental Health Program Director. We are grateful for the Ministry of Healths perseverance since 2010 in getting this legislation passed, and are honored to work as partners to strengthen Liberias capacity to address the mental health and therefore overall health needs of its citizens.

Previously, this nation of 4.3 million had one psychiatrist and a handful of mental health nurses to meet the needs of at least 300,000 Liberians suffering from mental illnesses. Now it has four psychiatrists and more than 230 mental health clinicians working in health and mental health settings and in communities throughout the country. Since 2012, when a group of stakeholders met to draft the bill, advocates have urged its passage. When the bill came before the Senate, the country's chief medical officer, Dr. Francis Kateh, health care leaders, professionals, advocates, and mental health service users testified about the potential impact of the bill. President Sirleaf repeatedly called on the Legislature to send her a mental health bill, which she signed in June 2017.

Since 2010, The Carter Centers Mental Health Program has worked with partners to train mental health clinicians to establish new services in communities. Clinicians have opened 14 clinical practices in prison systems, trained nurse midwives to screen for maternal depression, treated refugees from the Ivory Coast conflict, supported the nation's first mental health consumer organization, worked in Ebola Treatment Units (ETUs), and provided psychosocial support to individuals and families affected by the Ebola virus. Three classes of graduates have specialized child and mental health for Liberian youth. With funding from the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF), administered by the World Bank, and the UBS Optimus Foundation, six schools now offer comprehensive school-based clinics staffed by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Clinicians. Forty percent of these 64 child and adolescent specialists provide regular school-linked services across the country.

###

"Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope."

A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in more than 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.
Photo: Contributed

Lake Country firefighters responded to a house fire overnight on the 4600 block of Allison Road in Lake Country.

The fire broke out about midnight.

The stubborn blaze originated in the basement, according to witness reports.

All four occupants of the house, including a dog and cat, made it to safety. One cat is still missing.

The occupants were helped out with temporary accommodations.

Fire crew stayed on scene overnight due to the extensive heat and smoke damage.

A damage estimate will be released Later Thursday.
The Rohingya persecution in Myanmar (Burma) is a complex religious liberty issue that challenges the way we often think.

Myanmar has a Buddhist majority. The Rohingya are a minority Muslim population in Rakhine, a western state in Myanmar bordering Bangladesh. For generations the Rohingya have been treated as a foreign element within Myanmar; even to mention their name and acknowledge their existence is considered provocative. In recent months, Myanmar's military has been driving the Rohingya out, with more than 600,000 refugees now in Bangladesh. It is almost the definition of wretched affliction to seek refuge in Bangladesh, itself a country of massive destitution.

Worldwide condemnation has rained down on Myanmar for this brutal religious persecution and ethnic expulsion. That is straightforward. The rest is complicated.

Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi was added to the ranks of those liberation leaders honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize, alongside Lech Walesa of Poland, Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Carlos Belo of East Timor. Now she is decried for not stopping the persecution of the Rohingya. Her judgment evidently is that if she attempted to stop it, the military (which is still largely in control of the country) would simply push her out, with widespread public support. It is not an inspiring judgment.

Pope Francis is visiting Myanmar and Bangladesh this week, in a visit that was planned before the current crisis. In the late summer, he called for solidarity with the Rohingya, condemning "the persecution of our Rohingya brothers," who were being "tortured and killed, simply because they uphold their Muslim faith."

It is certain that the Myanmar government made it clear that it would not welcome any such talk during the papal visit.

The reality of Muslims facing persecution is also an occasion for Christians  who face lethal persecution at the hands of Muslims in many parts of the world  to defend the principle of religious pluralism and the primacy of religious liberty.

Further complicating matters, the leadership of the local Catholic population, also a small minority, has publicly pleaded with Pope Francis not to use the term "Rohingya" while in Myanmar. Their fear is that if the Pope allies the Catholic Church with the Rohingya minority, the military's guns  and the Buddhist majority's ire  will be soon visited upon Catholics.

So on Tuesday Pope Francis spoke generically about respect for the rights of all peoples, all religions, all minorities and for democratic rights. He did not mention the Rohingya by name.

Of course it is not necessary to speak explicitly to make one's meaning clear. You can search the voluminous addresses that Pope John Paul II delivered in his history-changing visit to Poland in June 1979 and not find the word "communism" uttered once. But everyone  the communists above all  knew exactly who he was denouncing on every page. Likewise, Pope Francis has made clear that the Rohingya persecution is just that, and everyone knew what he was speaking about in the country on Tuesday.

Further, it is expected that when the Holy Father visits Bangladesh later this week he will visit the Rohingya refugees himself. Is a visit worth a thousand words?

Still, from our comfortable distance, a thorough-going denunciation would have been welcome. It is imperative that those who can be heard speak on behalf of those who cannot, and that we speak of religious liberty for others, not just ourselves.

Part of the difficulty is that the international community is somewhat flummoxed by the very idea of Buddhist aggression. For many people, whose image of Buddhism is filtered through the lens of the Dalai Lama being feted by Hollywood celebrities, Buddhist aggression seems an oxymoron. So many find it hard to even imagine Buddhist persecution of Muslims  and Christians. Yet it does happen.

Most often it is the mix of religious and national identity, which can lead to religious minorities being regarded as an alien element in the nation. The situation is all the more combustible in Rakhine, which borders Bangladesh, which was explicitly founded  East Pakistan  to be a Muslim state.

Therefore, the Rohingya are important beyond their own desperate plight. The alliance of the state with a particular religion need not lead to persecution  as it no longer does in Britain  but it can be deadly, as it is currently in Russia and Ukraine.

The reality of Muslims facing persecution is also an occasion for Christians  who face lethal persecution at the hands of Muslims in many parts of the world  to defend the principle of religious pluralism and the primacy of religious liberty. Pluralism and liberty are for all.
If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,...
By PTI: Mumbai, Nov 30 (PTI) The Assam government invited investors to tap investment opportunities in the state and targets investment of Rs 20,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore in next two years by promoting the north-eastern state as an Indian gateway to ASEAN countries.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was in the city today to attract investments to the state, taking advantage of its liberalised investment policies, ready-made infrastructure and improved business environment.

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Sonowal was speaking at a media meet for the Advantage Assam: Global Investors Summit 2018 scheduled for the February 3-4 next year in Guwahati.

To woo foreign investors, international roadshows have been organised at Toronto in Canada, New York and San Francisco in United States and London in United Kingdom, Sonowal said adding that a high level delegation from the state is currently organising roadshows in Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

"Our endeavour is to strengthen trade and industry relations with ASEAN nations. Assam has a geo-strategic advantage...to serve as the manufacturing and services hub for the ASEAN region, one of the worlds fastest growing region with an economy of over USD 3 trillion," he said.

The CM said, the investment of over Rs 6,500 crore by major companies like ITC, Dabur, Hindustan Uniliver and others is an example of the states improving business environment.

It has now set investment target of Rs 20,000- Rs 30,000 crore in the next two years period, he added.

While drawing the attention of the prospective investors, chief minister Sonowal said that the summit will primarily focus on agriculture and food processing, handloom, textile and handicraft, tourism, hospitality and wellness, plastics and petrochemicals, power, pharmaceutical and medical devices, heavy industries, IT & ITeS, civil aviation, petroleum and natural gas as well as inland water transport, port township and river front development.

The government also sought investments in the power sector where said projects of 1901.5 MW are in the pipeline.

Addressing the gathering, Sonowal said, "We have recently formulated seven critical policies seeking investments." PTI AP DSK DSK BAS

--- ENDS ---
PPC plans Western Cape mega plant

ICR Newsroom By 30 November 2017

PPC is planning to build a new large-capacity plant in the Western Cape, South Africa. The company is expected to make a formal announcement about the new works next year, according to Business Report.



Johan Claassen, interim CEO of PPC, said the company had decided to carry out a feasibility study on a larger-than-previously planned facility at its Riebeeck works.



The environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the previous project had been approved, but the revised scope of the new plant requires a new EIA to be submitted. "What has changed is that we thought at the time we would run De Hoek and Riebeeck. But the better way of doing it will be to build a bigger plant at Riebeeck and mothball De Hoek in the meantime. When you require De Hoek, you start it up again.



"That required a different size of plant and that is why we are in the EIA phase right now," he said.

The new plant would use about 25 per cent of the equipment in the Riebeeck unit. "It's not a traditional US$230 (ZAR3190) per installed tonne equipment plant but something less, probably south of US$200, which is good from a capex point of view," he added.

Mr Claassen said banks that PPC had already spoken to had indicated that they would "gladly" finance the project. However, he said there was "actually a chance that we would not borrow that much" if PPC realised the envisaged debt maturity profile it was currently working on and continued generating the cash in its South African operations.



However, the South African market is currently seeing demand down and combined with excess capacity, prices are depressed. However, it is expected that by 2020 some 3Mta of capacity would need to be decommissioned as it would no longer meet emissions regulations.

Published under
Americans are sick of government corruption. It seems like every week, we get a story of an elected official involved in a bribery or embezzlement scheme. Usually, the perpetrator walks off with a slap on the wrist or a light jail sentence. If youre a sheriff who ignores state and federal laws, you might even get a pardon from the president.

Only in rare cases do we see a politician hauled off to jail in handcuffs, as Philadelphians did with the citys district attorney in June 2017. In that case, D.A. Seth Williams flipped to a guilty plea and resigned in the middle of his corruption trial. He began serving a five-year sentence immediately.

All things considered, we have it pretty good in America. If you look at the rampant corruption of countries around the world, youll see everything is relative. Still, many U.S. states look bad when you examine how they handle political campaigns, set budgets, and manage ethics violations.

In investigations by The Center for Public Integrity (CPI) for U.S. News & World Report, we can see whos doing the worst in areas that define ethical governments. Here are the 15 most corrupt states in America.

15. Texas

When you get a D in school, youre one tick away from failure. Thats where the government of Texas landed on integrity issues in the study. The Lone Star State received poor marks in lobbying disclosures, election oversight, and accountability from the governor and legislature. But Texas failed worst of all in giving the public access to records. If you dont know what elected officials have done, you cant hold them accountable.

Next: Enforcing ethics violations sank this states ranking for 2017.

14. Vermont

In some respects, Vermont serves as a model for ethical government. Bribery investigations are virtually nonexistent, and politicians dont begin working as lobbyists the day their term ends. However, this tradition left a hole in ethics investigations. Vermont basically works on an honor system  since it never happened, they havent created an ethics unit. That system doesnt work, especially in the Citizens United era.

Next: Traditions die hard in this state  and corruption is one of them.

13. South Carolina

The previous time The Center for Public Integrity released its data, South Carolina received an F. This time around, The Palmetto State notched a tick higher to a D. Big improvement, right? Not really. Since gerrymandering stopped being part of the scoring, South Carolina got by on a technicality. Our favorite story from here involved Governor Mark Sanford disappearing while in the midst of an extramarital affair with a woman from Argentina.

Next: Politicians here can use campaign funds on anything they like.

12. North Dakota

You dont have to get deep in the weeds to see how North Dakota (D) is among the most corrupt states in America. Just look at the laws allowing candidates to spend campaign money on anything they like. This system breeds corruption, and when a new member the state legislature tried to change it, the state House killed his bill in a 65-26 vote. North Dakota politicians like things just the way they are: corrupt as the day is long.

Next: This state assumes the best of politicians, which is the worst policy.

11. Oregon

As was the case in Vermont, elected officials in Oregon assumed the best in their colleagues. This situation left a hole in ethics investigations when the state really needed them in recent years. That factor, along with terrible political finance laws (49th in the U.S.), landed Oregon an F in government integrity. The publics access to state records should also be greater.

Next: A famously combative governor presides over one of the most corrupt states in the Union.

10. Maine

When most people think of Maine politicians, combative Governor Paul LePage comes to mind. LePage makes his way into the news for saying offensive things on occasion, but that habit is nothing compared to how his state runs. Maine ranks 44th in regulating government contracts, 46th in ethics enforcement, and 47th in election oversight. Its a corrupt politicians dream, and adds up to an F from The Center of Public Integrity.

Next: This state is synonymous with swamp for a number of reasons.

9. Louisiana

Some Louisiana residents might consider it a victory to appear out of the worst three states on this list. For years, The Bayou State as known as one of Americas most corrupt. However, ethics reforms in the past decade led to an upgrade. As of 2017, Louisiana sank back into its own swamps with a grade of F. Access to information (46th) and judicial accountability (49th) remains its worst areas.

Next: Money buys you sealed divorce records in this state.

8. Oklahoma

A few years back, when Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert wanted a nice, quiet divorce, the judge granted them their wish. Unfortunately for all involved, an investigation exposed that decision as a violation of Oklahoma law. That story highlighted the Center for Public Integritys F grade for the state. Indeed, judicial accountability (45th) and access to information (44th) could hardly be worse.

Next: Lawmakers in this state dont want you to know anything about their process.

7. Kansas

In many ways, Kansas (an obvious F) provides an examples on how not to run a government. Governor Sam Brownback has presided over one of the most corrupt administrations in memory, with lobbyists spilling out of his office and ex-employees landing fat jobs once their time in government ended. Kansas is worst (50th) in internal audits. Meanwhile, its policy on making and passing laws  as well as hiding information  stands as a disgrace to democracy.

Next: Call this state the home of gerrymandering, bribery, and other corruption.

6. Pennsylvania

If Phillys D.A. going to jail isnt enough to get you started, check out Pennsylvanias record on judicial accountability (48th) and electoral oversight (47th). Most of all, The Keystone State suffers from a tradition of corruption, especially in the capital. Governor Tom Wolf, who took the helm in 2015, has tried to clean up this mess, only to be handcuffed by the legislature. Who knows if Pennsylvania (another easy F) can avoid another statewide scandal.

Next: Lobbyists left this states record tarnished beyond repair.

5. Nevada

In Nevada, they dont do enough to define lobbyists, enforce registration, or get spending reports on their activities. That situation made the state worst in the country on the lobbyist front. Otherwise, internal auditing (48th) and handling bids on state projects (47th) left Nevada stewing in its own corruption. The Center for Public Integrity found the state sorely lacking in oversight into legislators activities between sessions. Needless to say, Nevada got an F.

Next: Small state, big corruption

4. Delaware

In Delawares case, you can fault an honor system for the huge hole in curbing ethics violations. Indeed, legislative accountability (48th in America) could hardly be worse. Another sore spot involves management of the state pension fund. Decision-makers at the funds could easily have conflicts of interest. The problem is no one would know it. As is the case with other states, Delaware would get less than F is such a grade were possible.

Next: The other Dakota did even worse.

3. South Dakota

Lobbyists booze, schmooze, and have their way with South Dakota lawmakers. When it comes time to see what happened, disclosure forms make it difficult to tell. Thats how the state ranked 49th in that department. Meanwhile, its handle on civil service employees much to be desired. In short, you can go to jail for corruption and get a job later in the state government. If there were a grade lower than F, South Dakota would get it.

Next: This heavyweight champion of corruption ranked worst in four separate categories.

2. Michigan

Most people dont need a list to tell them how corrupt the state of Michigan is. After all, when officials stand by as the water supply is poisoned, its hard to sink any lower. Beyond the disturbing news out of Flint over the last several years, Michigan ranked worst (50th) in accountability for all three branches of government. Its a genuine cesspool, brought to you proudly by Governor Rick Snyder.

Next: The cowboy way doesnt work in government.

1. Wyoming

No state managed to be more corrupt than Wyoming in the 2017 rankings. Public access to information is worst in America, and the same goes for rules dictating government contracts. Meanwhile, ethics oversight follows the pattern of other rural states. People expect good yet dont have protection against the bad. That formula doesnt work with all the money we have in politics. Until Wyoming lawmakers acknowledge that fact, corruption will flourish.

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If you were sick of hearing about battleground states and elections, 2018 will bring no respite. Next year, well see midterm elections which will put the political horse race once again in the spotlight. Youll hear about Senate and House races near and far, and hopefully, vote for your local representative. Theres a lot at stake, and you can also expect President Trump to be very vocal as the Republicans try to retain control of the government.

Republicans, however, arent very popular at the moment. And even though some states are undeniably red on the electoral map, the Democrats have the potential to make some big gains and take back Congress.

Battleground states in the 2018 midterm elections

The 2018 midterm elections may be the most consequential in recent memory. Given how the Trump presidency has gone  with scandal after scandal, and legislative failure after failure  theres a lot at stake. For example, if Democrats can gain ground by winning in some battleground states, theres a good chance theyll start pushing hard for impeachment. And if they can win a majority in the Senate, it will hamstring the Trump administrations ability to pass its agenda  something they were having trouble with even with majorities in both houses.

Seeing how much is at stake, youll want to pay attention. But keep focused on these battleground states which will become the focal point of next years midterms.

California

In California, Congressional seats are up for grabs  like Rep. Darrell Issas.

As one of the Democratic Partys strongholds, California has always been dangerous territory for Republicans. But 2018 could even more perilous than in previous election cycles. One particular Congressman, Darrell Issa, is in serious trouble. Issa barely won the 49th District last time around, and in 2016, Clinton won the same area by eight points. Issa is the wealthiest person in Congress, interestingly enough, but it may not be enough to buy him out of trouble.

Next: New York

New York

Like California, New York is a deep-blue state that may get even bluer after the 2018 midterm elections.

New York is a similar story to California. Democrats tend to rule the roost, but Republicans can and do win in rural areas. But given the Republicans struggles and the presidents unpopularity, Dems are targeting some New York districts for House seat pickups. One that stands out is the 19th District, which is currently held by Republican John Faso. Last time around, he won by eight points. Trump won by seven. But people are unhappy with Faso and the Republicans for trying to repeal Obamacare, which wouldve hurt a lot of people in the area.

Next: To the swamp

Florida

If there was ever a swamp that needed to be drained, Florida is it.

Florida is an interesting case because of its swing-state status. Its one of the states that swung the election to Trump, though Democrats tend to do well there, too. One thing to keep an eye on during 2018 is the Senate seat currently held by Democrat Bill Nelson. Hes up for reelection, and while Dems arent panicking about Nelsons chances, Florida is an incredibly finicky place. A Dem loss could seriously hurt their chances to retake the Senate.

And lets not discount the fact that thousands of Puerto Ricans have moved to Florida following this years hurricane, which may prove to be an electoral factor.

Next: North Dakota

North Dakota

In North Dakota, the focus is on whether Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp can keep her seat.

From here on out, were focused on the Senate. Democrats need to keep their Senate seats in red states, like Heidi Heitkamps in the state of North Dakota. While the political climate favors Dems in 2018, North Dakota overwhelmingly voted for Trump in 2016. It will be a tightrope walk for Heitkamp who will need to remain true to the Democratic Party but also appeal to her red state constituents. This is a race to keep an eye on.

Next: Could Ted Cruz lose his Texas Senate seat?

Texas

Could Ted Cruz lose his seat? Probably not  but it could happen.

One race that has explosive potential is the one involving Ted Cruzs reelection in Texas. Cruz, like Trump, is a wildly unpopular figure among large swaths of the population. Hes even hated in the Senate (just ask Al Franken). But hes also as hardcore of a conservative Christian as youll find, and that really resonates in Texas. Hes up against Beto ORourke in 2018, whos a big underdog. But with Republican sinking, Ted Cruz could end up going down with the ship.

Next: Dirty Dean Hellers Senate seat is up next year in this state.

Nevada

Dean Hellers Senate seat will be hotly contested.

The Senate seat currently held by Republican Dean Heller is one of two that Democrats really hope to flip in 2018. Nevada is a swing state, but it went for Clinton in 2016. And the Democrats have been gaining popularity there in recent years, meaning that Hellers odds of getting re-elected have slimmed. Heller won the election by one point the last time around, and the state has only gotten bluer since then. This will be one of the most closely-watched races in 2018.

Next: A state with a Senate seat up for grabs

Arizona

Senator Jeff Flake isnt running for re-election. Could it go to a Democrat?

The second Senate seat thats at the top of the Democrats list is the one held by Arizona Republican Jeff Flake. Flake, of course, has made waves by publicly slamming Trump and many of his fellow Republicans. Hes not very popular, which is one of the reasons he started swinging back at Trump, and why hes not running for re-election. Arizona is a red state, but again, a damaged Republican brand has opened the door for a Democrat to take the seat.

Next: Trump country

West Virginia

West Virginia swung harder for Trump than any other state. Does that spell doom for Senator Joe Manchin?

Trump won West Virginia by 40 points. And yet. the state has a fairly popular Democratic Senator in Joe Manchin. But Manchin is also a target because hes a Democrat in a state that has become as red as any in the country. Republicans are going to try and take the seat next year, and theyll have a decent chance. Because of how red West Virginia is, Manchin has already had to walk a very thin line when voting on legislation, especially on things like health care repeal.

Finally: A Midwestern state with a big Senate race slated for 2018.

Missouri

Senator Claire McCaskill is in a vulnerable Senate seat in a state Trump won by 20 points.

Well finish up with Missouri, where Senator Claire McCaskill is in a similar position to Heidi Heitkamp and Joe Manchin  that is, shes a Democratic Senator facing re-election in a red state. Trump won Missouri by a big margin, but as we know, hes more of a liability now than an asset to the Republicans. That doesnt mean McCaskill has an easy road ahead of her. Shes up against a Republican on the rise in the states attorney general, Josh Hawley.

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After a year of dating, much media attention, and speculation of an impending proposal, Prince Harry of Wales and American actress Meghan Markle revealed they are engaged to be married. The wedding will take place at Windsor Castle in the spring of 2018, in what will surely prove to be a wedding fit for a prince and his princess.

As for the cost of the royal affair, even conservative estimates for a modern royal wedding are well into six figures. I cant imagine Harry and Meghan would be able to achieve the wedding they would be looking at on anything less than $670,000, London-based wedding planner Aimee Dunne told CNN Money.

The royal family will foot the bill for the wedding, Kensington Palace announced. This includes the church service at St. Georges Chapel, the music, the flowers, and the reception. Heres how much the whole affair might cost, from the one-of-a-kind engagement ring to the cost to the British economy.

The engagement ring

Estimated value: Up to $350,000

It all starts out with the ring. And Meghan Markles new sparkler doesnt disappoint. The prince traveled to Botswana last summer to procure the center diamond, which experts estimate is a five-carat stone worth up to $200,000. What makes the ring even more special is the center stone is flanked by two surrounding diamonds that came from the late Princess Dianas personal jewelry collection. While its said this makes the ring priceless, at face value, with the three diamonds, it could be worth as much as $350,000.

The couple talked about the proposal and the ring in an interview:

Next: Which dress will Markle say yes to?

The wedding dress

Estimated price tag: $40,000

I personally prefer wedding dresses that are whimsical or subtly romantic, Markle told Glamour magazine in 2016. The Suits actress was trying on wedding gowns back then for scenes from the show, in which her character Rachel Zane was engaged to the character Mike.

Markle told Glamour her favorite celebrity wedding dress was the one worn by Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy when she wed John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1996. The dress was a $40,000 Narciso Rodriguez slip dress.

Just based on that, were estimating Markles dress may cost the same amount  which may be quite the conservative figure, considering that was more than 20 years ago. Also, its worth noting that Daily Mail reported Kate Middletons wedding dress, custom-made by an Alexander McQueen head designer, cost $400,000 when she married Prince William in 2011. So, the sky may be the limit when it comes to the wedding dress budget.

Next: The venue may be free, but the food? Six figures.

The reception

Estimated price tag: $200,000

A reception venue has not been announced, but the family can save money and keep with tradition by going with a property owned by the queen and her family. Prince William and Kate Middleton had two wedding receptions in Buckingham Palace: a traditional lunch for 600 guests and a more intimate evening party for around 300 friends and family.

While the venue may be free, there is the cost of catering, which will run well into the six figures. A conservative estimate for the receptions cost, based on a guest list of 500, would be $200,000 or more, reported CNN Money.

Next: This costly confection could feed an army.

The cake

Estimated price tag: $80,000

If Prince Harry and Markle go with the same bakers as Prince William and Kate Middleton, the confection(s) would run at least $80,000. Huffington Post reported Prince Charles paid that amount for William and Kates two wedding cakes back in 2011: a fruitcake and a chocolate biscuit cake.

The fruitcake featured eight tiers, and it mirrored Buckingham Palaces architecture. It sported 900 sugar flowers and white icing. (A slice auctioned in 2014 for $7,000.) Royal watchers will surely be eager to see whether the new royal couple chooses a similar confection or maybe something more modern.

Next: Peonies are the brides favorite blooms.

Flowers

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNIAr5fgNF-/

Estimated price tag: $500,000

Peonies may be Markles flower of choice, as they should be in full bloom in the month of May. Meghan loves flowers, so they will play a HUGE role in the big day, Blooms By the Box posted. The wedding bouquet is likely to have myrtle in it, which is a tradition for royal brides. The bride may also go with some forget-me-nots, a favorite flower of Princess Diana.

As for estimating the flowers price tag, the reported cost of William and Kates flowers for their 2011 royal wedding was $800,000. Markle and her prince may spend that much, or they could possibly bring down the cost somewhat if they so choose. We went with a more conservative estimate of $500,000.

Next: This hefty expense eclipses all others.

Security

Estimated price tag: $32 million

Weve taken a look at some of the extravagances associated with a royal wedding. However, there is one additional crazy-expensive cost tied in inevitably with Prince Harrys wedding: security. The cost of protecting the royals and onlookers from a potential terrorist attack could cost around $32 million, according to reports.

When Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot in 2011, the security operation cost $26 million, and the cost of security for a royal wedding seven years later could dwarf that. Since we have begun to see these sporadic, low-tech vehicle and knife attacks, the threats have increased, David Videcette, a former Scotland Yard counterterror detective, told Newsweek.

Next: Where will the romantic honeymoon destination be?

The honeymoon

Estimated price tag: Five to six figures

The newlyweds may decide on a romantic honeymoon in Botswana to celebrate their nuptials, having been there once together when they were newly dating. The two have also already traveled together to Norway, Jamaica, and Toronto. Basically, they can choose to honeymoon anywhere in the world, and money will likely be no object. One African budget travel site lists a Botswana tour at $5,406 per person, but no matter what, the royal couples options are endless.

Some speculate the newlyweds will head to the United States, but that wouldnt likely provide them with much privacy. They may take a page out of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges book and head to a secret hideaway. Prince William and Kate Middleton honeymooned on an undisclosed island in the Seychelles.

Next: Will there be a cost to the economy?

Cost to the economy

Estimated price tag: $0

With past royal weddings, the day was declared a special holiday, and Brits were given the day off work. However, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Theresa May has confirmed there are no plans to make the upcoming royal wedding into a work-free holiday. Had it been declared a holiday, this would have come at a cost of $3 billion in lost production nationwide, as estimated by the Centre for Economics and Business Research. (Although, it could be argued that any such cost could be offset by money brought in by foreign tourists coming in for the wedding.)

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The BJP feels that it needs to send a strong signal to the Patel community that after the election the reins of control in Gujarat will be in the hands of a Patel.

Narendra Modi and BJP may choose a Patel as the CM candidate in Gujarat.

By Sujit Thakur: Like Himachal Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may announce its chief ministerial candidate in Gujarat, and given the caste calculations, sources say it could be a Patel.

Gujarat deputy chief minister Nitin Patel is being considered an ideal CM candidate for the BJP which seems to be working out ways to woo the Patel voters.

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In the first phase, Gujarat goes to polls on November 9 and the campaigning ends on November 7. In the election campaign season so far, the BJP's rallies in Patel strongholds have received a lukewarm response.

The rallies addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have witnessed crowds but the BJP can sense that the enthusiasm among the people is missing this time. During Modi's rallies in the run-up to the Assembly elections in 2007 and 2012, the excitement in the crowd was palpable.

On the other hand, the Congress has been campaigning aggressively in Patel-dominated areas in Gujarat. It has also accused political rivals of harassing Patidar leader Hardik Patel.

The BJP is also being accused of ignoring Patel voters and leaders from the community. Be it Keshubhai Patel, Anandiben Patel or Nitin Patel, the BJP has been accused of relegating Patel leaders to second-rung positions in the party.

Many talk about how Anandiben Patel had to quit from the chief minister's post while Nitin Patel, who was in the running for the chief minister's post, was made the deputy CM at the last minute. Such allegations may pose difficulties for the BJP in Gujarat.

According to sources, the BJP, after weighing the situation, feels that it needs to send a strong signal to the Patel community that after the election the reins of control in Gujarat will be in the hands of a Patel.

Such a move, the BJP feels, will enthuse the party's Patel supporters and also help it win over the Patels who were gradually moving away from the party.

NITIN PATEL LEADING THE RACE

It is therefore important that the BJP announces a Patel as its CM candidate ahead of the first phase of voting in Gujarat. Nitin Patel is believed to be the frontrunner in the race for the BJP's chief ministerial pick.

The BJP named Prem Kumar Dhumal as its chief ministerial candidate in Himachal Pradesh before the election with an eye on gaining the support of the Rajput voters.

Before the Assembly election in Goa, BJP did not name Manohar Parrikar as its CM face but nearly projected him as its pick during press briefings and public addresses.

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Subsequently, the BJP in its analysis of the Goa election results found that had it named Parrikar as its chief ministerial candidate, it could have won a majority in the Assembly.

Keeping past experiences in mind, the BJP has started thinking about naming a Patel as its chief ministerial candidate in its bid to win Gujarat with a huge mandate.

ALSO WATCH: Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani heard in video: The situation is bad

--- ENDS ---
When the 50-year-old church elder and leader of Kano states Samaila village heard gunshots shortly before midnight, he rushed out of his house to try to find security agents.



It was a natural reaction for Maiangwa Samaila, given recent Islamist attacks in northern Nigeria. What the elder for the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) did not know was that the armed Islamic extremists, having killed two Christians in front of their Catholic church building, were coming for him next.



Not finding him at home that night (Aug. 15), they instead kidnapped his wife, Safiya Samaila, 45. They then kidnapped two other women, 20-year-old Yaha Gabriel and Hauwa Bebi, 18, both members of the St. Michaels Catholic Church in Samaila, in Tudun Wada Local Government Area (LGA).



Such kidnappings, along with threats of massacres by Islamic extremists, are continuing with the approval of some state officials in a concerted effort to eliminate Christianity, church leaders said.



Maiangwa Samaila told Morning Star News how the killing of Yohanna Audu, 45, and Audus son, 18-year-old Micah Yohanna Audu, and the kidnappings were carried out. The gunmen first went to St. Michaels Catholic Church, where Yohanna Audu, a church member whose house is beside the Catholic building, went outside.



He went to find out who were the men on the premises of the church at that time of the night when they shot him, and he died instantly, Samaila said. His son, who heard the sound of the gunshot, ran out to find out what had happened since his dad had just gone to the church; he too was shot and killed.



The armed Muslim extremists then went through the village to kidnap the three women, starting with his wife.

As the shooting and capturing of the women was going on, some residents in our village rushed to the Catholic church and rang the churchs bell, alerting others on the attack on the village, he said. This forced the armed Muslim men to beat a retreat. This saved so many lives that would have perished during the attack.

As the gunmen retreated, they shot at those who had run to the church building, Samaila said.



The three women kidnapped were taken away, he said. I frantically called on heads of security agencies in our area, the police and army, but I was told that they were unable to come to our aid because their vehicles had no fuel or were in bad working condition.



The gunmen contacted him and others the following day, demanding 10 million naira (US$27,510) for the release of the women, he said.



We pleaded with them to release the women, but they refused, he said. They threatened to kill the women unless we paid the ransom. We had no other option than to tax ourselves and pay the money.



The gunmen accepted 3 million naira (US$8,253) and released the women a week later, on Aug. 22, Samaila said. He and others recovered them in the Falgore Forest.



We believe that Christian communities here are being persecuted because of our faith, he said. The government is aware about such invasions of Christian communities but has not done anything to put an end to the menace. The sad thing is that it is only Christians that are being killed or kidnapped in our area, as there was never any Muslim community attacked or a Muslim kidnapped.



Death Threats

Morning Star News found that kidnappings of Christians in the Tudun Wada area have forced many Christians to flee, while many others continue to receive text messages and letters threatening massacres in their villages if no payments are made to kidnappers.



Haruna Samaila, a Christian who has received persistent phone threats from Islamic extremists, played recorded phone conversations he had with them.



They threatened that unless I pay them 3 million naira [US$8,253], I will be killed, he told Morning Star News. I reported the threats to our church leaders, and they asked me to report the matter to police. When I did so, I was instead arrested by the police and detained. It took the intervention of our church leaders to get me released.



Church leaders threatened to sue police for illegally detaining him, Samaila said.



I will never allow them to kidnap me alive, they just have to kill me, Samaila he said. The government is insensitive to our plight. This is a conspiracy against us Christians in Kano. Those in authority and government know those armed Muslims carrying out these attacks against us, and that is the reason they are not concerned about our plight. It is a battle against Christianity and Christians in Kano state.



A Christian whose adult son was killed by Islamic extremists in 2016 said he received a threatening letter from the gunmen on Nov. 21.



ECWA member Aminu Sallau, 60, told Morning Star News that a gang of nine Muslim extremists rode into Katsinawa village in the Tudun Wada LGA on motorbikes on Feb. 6, 2016 and shot his son, Usman Aminu, to death.



Even yesterday [Nov. 21], the gunmen again sent a letter to me saying they were not yet done with me, he said. They stated in the letter that I should keep aside 3 million naira [US$8,253] for them, as theyll be coming for the money at any time, and that failure on my part to give them the money would mean death for me.



Sallau said he had no money to give them.



I am prepared to die if that is the only price I have to pay for being a Christian, he said.



Sallau said he narrowly escaped death in the attack that killed his son.



I was listening to news on the radio when nine armed Muslim men stormed my house, he said. They came on three motorbikes and started shooting into the air. Three of them pointed their guns at my head and demanded I give them money.



He had 80,000 naira (US$220) in the house and gave it to them.



The gunmen were not happy that I had only a little money on me, so they tied my hands and legs and were about to take me away when one of them, who was standing guard in front of my house, rushed in to tell his colleagues that he had shot and killed my son, Usman, he said. On hearing this, I began to cry and shout, and in the midst of the confusion, the gunmen abandoned me and fled.



Usman Aminus widow, 25-year-old ECWA member Hauwa Usman Aminu, said that her husband had returned from a business trip and had decided to check on his mother in their family home.



He decided to visit his mom in their family home about 200 meters from our house, she said. It was there that the gunmen killed him. I heard sounds of gunshots shortly after my husband had gone out and knew that something was wrong.



State Conspiracy

The Rev. Ayuba Hassan of the ECWA Church, Tudun Wada Dankadai, and chairman of the Tudun Wada Local Area Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), said that armed Muslims are carrying out attacks and kidnappings on Christians in order to force them to embrace Islam.



Christians here are being persecuted for refusing to embrace Islam, he said. We are constantly under attack. We are not allowed to freely worship as Christians. These kidnappings are aimed at forcing us to recant or make us run away from here so that they can take over our lands and expand Islams frontiers.



The Rev. Murtala Marti Dangora, vice chairman of the CAN Kano State Chapter, told Morning Star News that Muslim officials in the state government are behind attacks on Christians in the state.



These attacks are being instigated and supported by the agents of the Muslim-controlled Kano state government to force indigenous Hausa Christians, who we are, to embrace Islam, he said. Our refusal to do their biddings is what has made them adopt this strategy of kidnappings and attacks in order to force our people to tow their line. This is a jihad against the church of Jesus Christ.



Kano state officials declined to speak with Morning Star News about attacks on Christians in the Tudun Wada LGA. The state police headquarters in Kano, a spokesman confirmed the attacks but declined to speak further, saying only that the cases are being investigated.



Hassan said Christian communities and villages attacked include Samaila (Tuku), Katsinawa, Beguwa, Jarkaya, Gidan Kuzuntu and Jitta Dutse.



In Beguwa village, on 14 July, 2016, three Christians were kidnapped, he said. Those kidnapped are Shamaki Ali, Bature Hassan, and Magaji Salisu. A Christian woman was also raped there. The four victims are members of the ECWA Church in Beguwa village.



On the same day in Jarkaya village, another Christian community, three members of the Catholic church were kidnapped, identified only as Abdu, Jamilu and his son, he said.



In Gidan Kuzuntu village, also a predominantly Christian community, Baba Yaji was kidnapped at about 1:30 a.m. on July 12, 2016, and the Rev. Julius Gospel, a Roman Catholic priest, was kidnapped on June 30, 2016, in predominantly Christian Jitta Dutse, the ECWA pastor said.



Nigeria ranks 12th on Open Doors 2017 World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most persecution. Christians make up 51.3 percent of Nigerias population, while Muslims living primarily in the north and middle belt account for 45 percent.





If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.o rg/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved.



If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at http://morningstarnews.org/don ate/ ?
Congress Could Be Forced to Clean Up Its Own Act Congress might be forced to clean up its own act, like it or not.

Last week, I asked my Twitter followers, "Do you believe that Congress will clean up its own act when it comes to dealing with members guilty of sexual harassment?" A staggering 91 percent responded with "No way!" while only one percent voted for "Absolutely!" (The other 8 percent chose "I think so.")

If the lawmakers are the lawbreakers, this cynicism makes perfect sense. Yet Congress might be forced to clean up its own act, like it or not.

One way this could happen is that a guilty congressman could decide to bring others down with him. As a headline on the Gateway Pundit announces, "Democrat Conyers Threatens to Take the Whole Damn Swamp Down With Him!" Yes, "The lawyer for Rep. John Conyers hinted the Michigan Democrat may take down 'many others' with him if he is pushed too hard!"

This is the reverse of "I'll cover you if you cover me," the opposite of the "good old boy" club. Instead, it becomes, "You uncover me and I'll uncover you. You hurt me and I'll unleash hell against you."

This is what happens when you have dirt on each other and agree to keep it quiet and hide it under the rug. This is what happens when you write laws and establish precedents whereby taxpayer money can be used to pay off accusers without a word being released to the general public. This is what happens when a lot of people have skeletons in their closets. You expose my skeletons and I'll expose yours!

If this scenario unfolds and a falling congressman decides to drag others down with him, Congress will have no choice but to address the scandals. The media and the society will leave them no choice.

A second way Congress could be forced to clean up its own act is if more and more of the abused and harassed speak out. In a shockingly candid admission on ABC's "This Week," Roberts said (of certain unspecified members of Congress): "Don't get in the elevator with him, you know, and the whole every female in the press corps knew that, right, don't get in elevator with him. Now people are saying it out loud. And I think that does make a difference."

If this is so, why was it covered up so long?

As explained by John Nolte, "As we all know, Cokie Roberts is a lefty, as is 99 percent of the female press corps. Does anyone doubt, then, that the primary elevator gropers are/were Democrats, are/were Ted Kennedy/Franken/Conyers-types who voted the way in which the females press corps wanted them to vote, so a little snatch of media-bootie in an elevator was considered a small price to pay for abortion-on-demand?

"And this is why, in my opinion, congress has gotten away with covering up these taxpayer-funded sexual harassment settlements for two decades. The media has known about this. Of course they have. Nothing was reported, though, because the names on that list are primarily Democrat 'icons' like Conyers."

At some point soon, though, critical mass could be reached and people (like Roberts) will have to start naming names. And if enough accusers come forward, emboldened by today's "#MeToo" climate, the dominoes will start to fall. It will be inevitable.

A third way Congress could be forced to clean up its own act is the court of public opinion. So, even if congressional leaders are unwilling to remove a Franken or Conyers (should they, indeed, be worthy of being removed) voters might make their reelection impossible.

Not every politician is scandal-proof. Not every politician can continue to raise money and garner support when plagued with ugly accusations, especially if proven true. And if a candidate is no longer viable, will his party stand with him? If an Al Franken is not removed by his peers in Congress, might his own party peers end up removing him by backing another candidate?

In this way too, like it or not, Congress could take action against itself and affect a major purge, which could radically upend expectations in 2018 and 2020. Who knows where the Republican and Democrat numbers could end up when the shaking is over?

Ideally, Senators and Representatives could choose to do the right thing without external pressure, fixing corrupt laws and reversing corrupt customs. And there are certainly enough congressional leaders who are people of integrity and courage.

The question remains: How deep is the pit and how widespread is the corruption? And do the people of conscience have the ability to take down the corrupt backroom dealmakers?

Soon enough, we shall see. Things could get really ugly really soon. Like it or not.
3 obvious characteristics of a false disciple of Christ

Some people call themselves "Christian" but don't really follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Sadly, these people, loved as they are by God, fail to represent the very Lord they profess to follow. Because of this, many unbelievers and believers alike would rather stay away from the church.

We find such people in the Bible. They speak and dress religiously, but their hearts are away from God. The Lord Jesus Himself spoke strongly against them and what they do:

"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in." (Matthew 23:13)

These leaders are known as workers in the temple. They teach the law of Moses, but they themselves do not allow anybody to know God the way they should. Why? It's because they don't know God themselves.

False followers

So how do we know a false follower of Christ? How can we distinguish a true disciple from a false disciple of Christ?

"You will know them by their fruits." (see Matthew 7:16)

Here are a few characteristics we all need to watch out for.

1) They prioritize human ideas instead of God's word

False followers have an appearance and sound of religiosity complete with the "Christianese" language that uses spiritual jargon, but they actually disobey and disregard God's word!

When a Christian minister, leader, or church member starts to give more weight to his ideas or to human traditions, be very careful. Jesus spoke strongly against this:

"Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?" (see Matthew 15:3)

2) Compromising lifestyle

This is probably the easiest to spot. Christians who say they follow Christ but live a life of sin and compromise aren't really following Him. Why? Jesus said it Himself:

"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 16:24-25)

Any Christian who truly follows Christ will have to let go of all the things that Christ hates or dislikes. The process may take a long time, but the real disciple will surely bear fruit in keeping with repentance (see Matthew 3:8; Luke 3:8).

3) Selfishness and self-exaltation

When a Christian leader or minister starts talking grandiosely about himself and his "calling" in the Lord, be careful. Christ Jesus made Himself of no reputation, so why should His followers exalt themselves?

False disciples of Christ long to be honored for "being such a good servant." They desire to be recognized for their service and ministry. In fact, they may not say it outwardly, but in their hearts they want to be famous and exalted by others.

Jesus described such people this way: "They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.'" (see Matthew 23:6-7).

True disciples of Christ will always deny their selfish desires and desire to see Christ exalted instead (see Matthew 16:24; John 3:30)
3 testimony-wrecking mindsets Christians need to let go of

Human as we are, we Christians tend to develop wrong mindsets that we will need to let go of and replace with better ones. These mindsets may or may not be sinful, but one thing that's sure about them is that they hinder us from living the life that God wants us to live.

These mindsets, when embraced, are self-defeating and prevent us from doing what God wants us to do, not to mention having a good testimony before others.

Here are some common mindsets that many Christians need to let go of.

1) Competition between churches

Many Christians have an exclusive relationship with their home churches. If we talk about commitment to meeting with a family of believers for fellowship, doctrine, prayer and worship as recorded in Acts 2:42, that's fine. If we talk about comparing one church to another, however, that's wrong.

There are some Christians today who tend to compare their home church with others. They compare the worship style, how the pastor preaches, the design and feel of the church building or structure, and pretty much every minute detail including how the worship service is conducted. While this is sad, what makes it sadder at times is that the members aren't the ones doing this, but the pastors and church leaders themselves.

We shouldn't be doing this! Jesus Himself said to his disciples, "he who is not against us is on our side" (see Luke 9:49-50). We have an enemy, and that is not one another.

2) The church bubble

Christians spending a lot of time in the church but rarely outside of it are also in danger of encasing themselves in a "church bubble." They have their own world inside the church, relatively distanced and separated from the world in a wrong way. Let me explain.

Jesus did say that we are in this world but we are not of the world (see John 17:16), but that doesn't mean we shouldn't care about others. Many Christians today are so busy with church activities and relationships inside the church that they are totally out of touch with reality.

Some of them aren't updated with current events. Some of them don't even know what's happening to their own families. Some of them think they're happy in the church, and so they don't care about what's outside of it anymore.

This is wrong, friends. Christ literally left heaven and took the form of a man in order to save all of humanity and creation. What makes us think we can just ignore the people whom He loved after we are saved?

3) Holier-than-thou thinking

Pretty much the most dangerous of the three mindsets I present to you today, having a "holier-than-thou" mindset is pride and hypocrisy to the max. It exalts one's personal holiness and emphasizes another's sinfulness, forgetting the fact that we're all sinners undeserving of love and grace from God yet we were made recipients of it.

Many Christians develop this critical, self-righteous and condemning mindset after being saved. They think they're better than others, particularly those who are yet to receive the Lord Jesus Christ. With an "us-versus-them" mindset, they emphasize that others are "sinners" while they are the "saved" and the "chosen," forgetting that we are all saved by grace.

Friends, this wrong mindset produces behaviors and a vocabulary that drives away the unsaved from the Saviour. They talk Christ, but walk the opposite.
A new dawn? 21 Egyptian churches given long-delayed approval to rebuild

Twenty-one churches in Egypt's southern rural Minya governorate can rebuild and even expand their churches after receiving approval from the Minya governor, according to World Watch Monitor (WWM).

Governor Essam al-Bedeiwi approved the 21 applications over the last six months, it has emerged, and WWM said that some of the churches had been waiting for more than 20 years for permits.

Churches that have been granted permission to renovate include an evangelical church in Tama in the Sohag governorate, which received approval on November 17.

WWM noted that speculation that the permits came ahead of several high-profile visits to Cairo. Last week, leaders from evangelical churches around the world met Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in the capital, which followed a visit in early November by a delegation of Christian evangelicals from the US to meet evangelical leaders in Egypt.

Mike Pence, the US Vice President, is also scheduled to visit Cairo in late December.

A source in Egypt told WWM that el-Sisi is keen to 'show the US that Egypt is standing with the Christians and that there is no persecution in Minya governorate'.

However, the Coptic community in Minya has seen many of its churches forcibly closed or set on fire.

In one weekend alone in October, four Coptic churches were closed by local authorities in upper Egypt after tensions between Muslim and Christian villagers. As a result, the Bishop of Minya, Anba Macarius, said: 'It is as though worship is a crime that Copts have to be penalised for.'

As WWM reported last year, it is practically impossible for Christians to obtain a license to build a church in Egypt.

But last year, Egypt's parliament approved a law relating to the building and renovating of churches, and in October a cabinet committee reportedly began work on the legalisation of unlicensed churches.

Nonetheless, Coptic Christians, who make up 10 per cent of Egypt's population of nearly 95 million, say they have been persecuted for years. Many feel the state does not take their plight seriously enough.

Though Islamic State has long waged a low-level war against soldiers and police in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, it has stepped up its assault on Christian civilians in the mainland.

In an attack claimed by the group in May, gunmen ambushed a group of Coptic Christians traveling to a monastery in Minya, killing 29 and wounding 24.
'Captain Marvel' cast rumors: Ben Mendelsohn's role revealed to be Kree villain Yon-Rogg

Ben Mendelsohn has been tipped to play the main antagonist of "Captain Marvel" since last month. Although Marvel has not yet confirmed his casting, fans were quick to assume he will be playing a Skrull. However, a new report claims he will actually be portraying a Kree military officer.

According to The Hashtag Show, a source close to the production said Mendelsohn's involvement is pretty much a done deal. The actor has reportedly agreed to board Marvel's first female-led superhero film likely as Colonel Yon-Rogg. THS notes the screenplay still has a lot of "moving parts" at this point, but the character's inclusion is said to be already set in stone.

Created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan, Yon-Rogg debuted in "Marvel Super Heroes #12" as one of Mar-Vell's fellow Kree military officers. Just like the latter, Yon-Rogg was originally tasked with observing Earth for the Supreme Intelligence and detecting any human activities that may be a threat to the Kree Empire. However, his deep hatred toward Mar-Vell due to his romantic relationship with the Kree Medic Una turned him into the original Captain Mar-Vell's formidable nemesis.

Yon-Rogg is not exactly an unexpected choice to be the film's big bad given how strong his character's connections are with Carol Danvers' origin. In attempt to kill Mar-Vell, who was living in human disguise and working at a scientific facility as Dr. Walter Lawson, the Colonel held Danvers as hostage. Danvers was caught in an explosion, which fused her and Mar-Vell's DNA. This gave her superhuman abilities, paving the way for her to become the next Captain Marvel.

Screen Rant notes that "Captain Marvel" is expected to deviate from the source material to some degree, but it should retain some important elements from the character's backstory. Regardless of Mendelsohn's involvement, Yon-Rogg could very well be one of those that will be included in the live-action adaptation. After all, Mar-Vell is also appearing in the film with Jude Law portraying the role, so the villain's appearance is all the more likely.

Then again, this is just pure speculation for now, so it is best to be taken with a grain of salt. If Mendelsohn does land the role, "Captain Marvel" will mark a reunion for him and directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden whom he worked with in "Mississippi Grind."

Starring Brie Larson in the lead role, "Captain Marvel" is slated to debut in theaters on March 8, 2019.
Christians in Sudan face ethnic cleansing, and the US and UK are rewarding it

The US government is reported to be on the verge of dropping Sudan from its State Sponsors of Terror list, despite the regime's systematic bombardment of its own Christian civilians. The controversial move follows the lifting of sanctions against Khartoum in September.

Washington has improved its relations with Sudan under pressure from Saudi Arabia. There are currently thousands of Sudanese soldiers fighting Saudi's war in Yemen, of whom 400 have been killed. In the same year Sudanese forces were deployed in Yemen, Saudi and Qatar gave the deeply indebted Khartoum regime $2.2 billion.

Yet, despite US overtures to Sudan, its president, Field Marshall Bashir, asked for President Putin's protection against, 'the aggressive acts of the US' last week on a trip to Russia. Bashir remains under indictment for genocide by the International Criminal Court.

Since 2011, the Sudanese air force has conducted a campaign of aerial bombardment in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, where the majority of the Sudanese population is Christian or animist, and black African. Mother of Mercy Hospital has been targeted several times, as have Christian-supported schools and clinics. The regime has sealed off much of the area to prevent humanitarian aid or international observers entering. The government's strategy of repeatedly bombing fields and markets has deterred farmers from planting or harvesting crops, leading to widespread food shortages. Human rights groups suggest the regime intends to eliminate its non-Muslim population using starvation.

In the capital, Khartoum, Sudanese security services regularly detain, harass, arrest and persecute Christian leaders. Moreover, the regime has designated 25 churches for demolition, decreeing that there will be no further church-building permitted. The government claims that when the mainly Christian south seceded in 2011, forming the new Republic of South Sudan, Sudan's Christian population went with it. However, millions of Christians remain north of the border, in Khartoum, South Kordofan and Blue Nile, where they have lived for centuries.

In 2011, before the south's independence referendum, President Bashir declared: 'If South Sudan secedes, we will change the constitution and at that time there will be no time to speak of diversity of culture and ethnicity... the sharia (Islamic law) will be the main source for legislation, Islam the official religion, and Arabic the official language.' His statement contravenes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 18, which guarantees freedom of belief (and freedom not to believe), to which Sudan is a signatory. The impartial international watchdog Freedom House gives Sudan its lowest rating, as does the anti-corruption NGO, Transparency International.

Regardless of Sudan's ongoing human rights abuses, both the USA and the European Union are seeking to repair relations with Khartoum. Washington is motived by its need to be seen to include as many Muslim nations as possible in its coalition against radical Islam, sources told me. However, Sudan provided sanctuary for jihadists (including Osama bin Laden for five years), and it only recently severed its links with both Iran and Hezbollah, under pressure from Saudi Arabia. In 2013 Al Qaeda announced it had opened a branch at the University of Khartoum. It is noteworthy that the regime is not reported to have closed it down, whereas opposition newspapers are confiscated regularly and churches demolished.

According to Sudan specialist Gill Lusk: 'The Khartoum regime devotes considerable energy and skill to telling the West what it wants to hear on security and intelligence matters, but it hasn't fooled those millions of Sudanese who seek the restoration of democracy and human rights, who know that it persists in being not only brutal and corrupt, but also Islamist.'

The human rights campaigner, Lord Alton, visited Darfur in 2004. 'For decades, Sudan has persecuted, ethnically cleansed and killed its Christian minority and its black African citizens. Yet the West is cynically averting its eyes from Khartoum's brutality for the sake of a few crumbs of intelligence of questionable value. We are not only betraying our fellow Christians, but we delude ourselves if we believe that through the current tone of our engagement we can influence the Khartoum regime.'

In Europe, stopping African migrants crossing Sudan to reach the people traffickers on the Libyan coast is a priority. Under the Khartoum Process, the EU has earmarked 2 billion Euros to the Emergency Trust Fund for Africa which will 'address migrant issues'. Of 2 billion, 173 million euros will go to Sudan. In addition, another 215 million euros will help Sudan discourage migrants.

Sudan watchers are concerned that with such vague objectives and so little oversight, Khartoum will use these funds to bolster its security services, including the Janjaweed militias who ethnically cleansed Darfur, now rebranded as the notoriously violent Rapid Support Forces. Moreover, there are fears Khartoum will increase the harassment of its minorities and political opponents, inadvertently creating more migrants, not fewer, as Sudanese flee persecution in their homeland.

Maddy Crowther from the human rights NGO, Article 1, said: 'We work every day with citizens forced to flee Sudan's brutality. Yet, Europe is now treating Khartoum as a legitimate partner in the fight to reduce the number of Africans reaching our shores. There simply aren't the improvements on the ground that would warrant this thawing of relations. Until there are, Europe should be wary of granting too much, too fast, and especially debt relief, which will be next on Khartoum's wish list after their State Sponsors of Terrorism designation is removed. It seems Europe is following the advice of the Sudanese proverb, "If you cannot twist someone's arm, kiss their hand." But we should not be so quick to forget that Sudan has blood on its hands.'

Campaigners believe Sudan should be held to a series of benchmarks before more concessions are granted. The unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, the release of political prisoners, the verifiable ending of aerial bombing, and free and fair elections should be the conditions on which the international community engages with Khartoum, they suggest. Meanwhile, as Lord Alton says, Christians in Sudan continue to pay the price for their faith.

Rebecca Tinsley's novel about Sudan, 'When the Stars Fall to Earth', is available at Amazon.
Donald Trump and Britain First: 4 reasons he should apologise for those retweets

Trump tweets. It's what he does, and surely no one in their right minds would pay any attention. The man lacks any kind of filter. That mental watchdog that keeps most of us from giving voice to the random thoughts that drift over the surface of our minds spends most of its time, in his case, asleep. It's unfortunate that modern communication technology has allowed him to broadcast his thoughts instantaneously to a waiting world, but still  does it really matter?

In general, no. Who cares about his attacks on journalists or other individuals who've irritated his extra-thin skin? But sometimes, yes.

When he retweeted Britain First videos purporting to show Muslim outrages against Christians, he crossed a line  and everyone who isn't paid to support him knows it. Here's why.

1. The source is contaminated

Perhaps Trump was drawn to Britain First because it echoes his own 'America First' slogan. Whatever you think about the latter, the former is a xenophobic, hate-filled organisation that co-opts Christian symbols and language for a devilish purpose. Its 'Britain' is not one decent British people recognise. It's no coincidence that the murderer of Labour MP Jo Cox shouted its name when he killed her; anyone trying to bring communities together, as she did, rather than set them at each other's throats, is anathema to these people. When Trump retweeted their videos, he was tacitly approving of their rhetoric, their values and their aims  and they are all poisonous.

2. The message is wicked

Let's be clear: the videos are unverified. No one knows where they're from or whether they portray what Britain First says they do  Muslim attacks on Christians and Christian symbols. But just suppose, to strain at the limits of generous tolerance, they are what they say they are. The message of these videos is that this is what Muslims do, because they are Muslims. Never mind that Muslims are first and foremost people, with a fair mixture of good and bad like every other people group: these videos are designed to make people hate. They're meant to make us believe Muslims are evil. They aren't.

3. The ground is fertile

All over the world, nationalist and racist movements are stirring and growing stronger. Hindu fundamentalism is on the rise in India. We know what Buddhists in Myanmar are doing to the Rohingyas. Muslims are killing Muslims in Egypt, as well as Christians. In Europe the far right is on the march: Alternative fur Deutschland in Germany, Jobbik in Hungary, Golden Dawn in Greece and Austria's Freedom Party. Dig deep enough and the same instincts are in play: fear of a wider world, a desperate need to scapegoat someone else and a willingness to label the 'other' as the enemy. British First is a textbook case. Trump has played into its hands.

4. There are consequences

For the President of the United States  even when it's Trump  to be complicit in telling people it's OK to hate Muslims is serious. It affects real people's lives. It gives people permission to be violent, to discriminate, to exclude. And in the wider world, it skews diplomacy and makes for hostility and suspicion rather than trust and openness.

Trump has done a bad thing. Would he have retweeted a video from the Ku Klux Klan? Perhaps, in that case, the drowsy watchdog might have stirred. But in effect, that's what he's done. Just once, he should admit he's got it wrong. But what are the odds of that?

Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods
'NCIS' season 15 episode 10 spoilers: Jack and Nick go to Afghanistan on a mission

In the next episode of "NCIS," Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) and Jack Sloane (Maria Bello) run protection detail for U.S. Senator John Phillips (James Morrison) in Afghanistan for the holidays.

The synopsis and promotional photos for the upcoming installment titled "Double Down" was just released recently. Torres and Sloane are assigned to handle security and logistics for Senator Phillips' visit to Afghanistan. The two agents are shown with their rifles along with other military personnel. They appear to be travelling across a valley when they suspect that some local militias are in the vicinity. With their rifles at the ready, they carefully tread across the terrain. Sloane takes cover behind the military trucks as she aims her weapon at the hillside. The contingent manages to reach a safe area and regroup. However, Torres and Sloane receive word that they have to head back to the U.S. to investigate an altercation involving the senator's son.

Back in the U.S., Torres and Sloane reunite with Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and the rest of the team to look into an incident that left the son of Senator Phillips in the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Gibbs wants to figure out if there is any connection between Phillips' visit to Afghanistan and his son's unfortunate altercation. Apparently, it may be a conspiracy to undermine the politician's efforts in the foreign country.

In the last episode, Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) and his wife Delilah (Margo Harshman) became proud parents of a new baby. However, this was not without drama as a hostage incident took place in the hospital's waiting room during that time. In the end, Gibbs, McGee, and the team were able to neutralize the hostage-taker and bring him to justice.

"NCIS" season 15 episode 10 will hit the airwaves on Tuesday, Dec. 12 at 9 p.m. EST on CBS.
Pope arrives in Bangladesh as Catholic priest and others join the country's 'disappeared'

As Pope Francis landed in Bangladesh today, he could be forgiven for thinking that the controversial part of his latest foreign trip is behind him. He leaves behind Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where, amid diplomatic tensions, he notably avoided making explicit reference to the plight of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh in their hundreds of thousands in what the US and the UN regard as ethnic cleansing.

On the surface, the Pope's visit to the largely Muslim Bangladesh is likely to be less sensitive, though on Friday, he is expected to meet a group of Rohingya refugees from among the roughly 625,000 who have fled to Bangladesh from neighbouring Myanmar since the end of August.

But the arrival of Francis comes as it was reported that the police yesterday revealed that a Catholic priest who was organising for a group of hundreds of Catholics to meet the Pope in Dhaka has disappeared in the country where Islamist attacks against religious minorities are on the rise.

Walter William Rosario, a 40-year-old priest and the headmaster of a Catholic school, reportedly went missing on Monday in a village in northern Bangladesh where suspected Islamist extremists last year hacked a Catholic grocer to death.

Gerves Rosario, the bishop of the nearby city of Rajshahi, said he believed the priest had been kidnapped. 'He was organising for around 300 Catholics to travel to Dhaka to see the Pope and attend his holy mass. But his disappearance has marred their joy. They don't want to go to Dhaka any more,' the bishop said.

News of the disappearance comes as security is tightened in the capital, Dhaka, ahead of what is the first papal to visit Bangladesh in more than three decades.

Meanwhile, the plight of increasing numbers of 'disappeared' in Bangladesh was highlighted in Britain this week, when a Channel 4 News TV producer tried to ask the Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, Tulip Siddiq, about the case of Ahmad bin Quasem, a British-trained barrister in prison in Bangladesh, while she was at a rally in support of the jailed British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

For Siddiq's aunt is Sheikh Hasina Wazed, Bangladesh's prime minister, and Channel 4 News said it had previously tried to contact the Labour MP about the case of Bin Quasem, who, according to human rights organisations, was abducted by state security forces.

Both cases show that under the surface Bangladesh, like many countries, has its dark side, though it is one that Pope Francis will doubtless avoid during his stay, which began with the Bangladeshi president Abdul Hamid welcominghim at Dhaka airport today.

Back in Bangladesh, several Rohingya told Reuters they hoped the Pope would use his influence to help them go back to Myanmar and to gain rights.

Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an accord last week on terms for the return of Rohingya, though rights groups have expressed doubts about Myanmar following through on the agreement and have called for independent observers for any repatriation.

There are concerns about protection for Rohingya from further violence if and when they go home, and about a path to resolving their legal status  most are stateless  and whether they would be allowed to return to their old homes.

Bangladesh hopes the Pope's intervention can help, an adviser to the prime minister said. HT Imam, Hasina's political adviser, told Reuters today: 'The general perception is that he is a man of peace and he has world influence. The Pope internationally has his own image and that is something that could perhaps influence events.'

At the same time Greg Burke, the Vatican spokesman, said that while the avoidance by Francis of the word 'Rohingya' did not take away from the fact that he has highlighted their plight in the past, Holy See diplomacy was 'not infallible'.

With internal controversy in Myanmar and Bangladesh over the treatment of the countries' treatment of their own citizens, Burke was, as usual, spot on.

Bangladesh is ranked 26th on Open Doors World Watch List of countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.

The group points out that four Christians were murdered in 2016 amidst a string of killings of religious minorities, secularists and political activists by Islamist militants, some of whom have links to so-called Islamic State. Converts from Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism come under pressure from their families and communities to convert back to Islam, and some experience unemployment, divorce, threats and even violence  including rape.
By PTI: Hyderabad, Nov 30 (PTI) Central and state governments are working together to remove regulatory hurdles with a view to encouraging budding entrepreneurs in the country, DIPP Secretary Ramesh Abhishek said today.

At a session of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017 here, Abhishek underscored the need for a differential treatment of sectors such as startups, smart technology and disruptive businesses.

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"Governments need to be far more sensitive in responding to regulations for disruptive business models and this is something which we are working on... state and central governments and even regulators are trying to work together and many laws we have been able to change in the last one and a half years," he said.

To enhance funding facilities to budding entrepreneurs, the government is in the process of setting up a Rs 2,000- crore credit guarantee fund. This fund will be used to lend to startups without any collaterals.

As many as 5,000 startups have registered so far with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

"We are hoping that Rs 1,600 crore more will be committed by March," he said, adding that the disbursement depends on the stage of the startup.

The secretary further said the government has relaxed norms to increase startups in public procurement processes. PTI RR CS ARD

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Russian priest blamed after rocket he blessed crashes into the ocean

Some say a bad workman blames his tools, but is there a limit to what God can do via a priest's blessing?

The Russian Orthodox Church came crashing down to earth this week after one of its priests was criticised for blessing a rocket that failed to reach its designated orbit and instead landed in the Atlantic ocean, sparking an extraordinary row.

As a popular theologian in the country said the church should be held accountable for such 'services' that it offers, a fellow priest defended the blessing by saying, perhaps to the disappointment of some, that the Church can hardly be expected to perform miracles.

The rocket carrying the Meteor-M satellite and 18 smaller satellites plunged into the ocean shortly after lift-off from a 'cosmodrome' in Russia's far east on Tuesday, according to the Moscow Times.

On the same day, the theologian Andrei Kurayev said that the archbishop who blessed the satellite before its launch should be held accountable for its fate.

'It is very strange that the church seemingly offers services but is never held liable for the quality of these services,' he said in an interview with the Govorit Moskva radio station.

But archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin dismissed the theologian's claims as 'quasi-Christian paganism,' the Nation News website reported on Tuesday.

And another regional priest said: 'Let's put it this way: if you bless a car that has an empty gas tank, it won't start,' he told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency.

'We address our prayers to God, but that doesn't rule out the possibility of human error or breakages.'

Meanwhile, a space agency official maintained that the satellite was still in space despite not reaching its designated orbit, the NVK Sakha broadcasting company reported on Wednesday.
Six Indian Christians, jailed after praying for sick Hindu woman, bring fellow inmates to Jesus Christ

Six Christian Indians in the Jharkhand region of India, who were imprisoned for one month in September simply praying for a sick Hindu woman, have now testified that they were able to share the Gospel with some of their fellow inmates, and bring them to Christ.

As revealed by Morning Star News, local authorities arrested the six Christians in the Ghosra village just after local Hindu radicals attacked them. They were going to the home of a local Hindu man to pray to God to heal his sick wife.

However, instead of arresting the radicals that attacked the praying Christians, local sources reported that they went after the Christians instead, arresting them on charges of insulting religion and promoting hostility between the classes. Both these charges are punishable by serving a sentence of three years in prison.

Apart from arresting the Christians, police officers also assaulted two of the individuals, 25-year-old Sajan Majhi and 20-year-old Kalender Majhi. 35-year-old Dasrath Karketta, who was also one of the Christians who were arrested, revealed the police officers repeatedly assaulted the two men.

Karketta then explained that they spent one month behind bars before they were each released on bail. He even described their prison stint as "joyous" due to being able to read the Bible with four of his fellow Christians that were arrested. The group also worshipped, prayed, sang hymns, and spread the gospel to their fellow inmates.

"There also, people came to Christ. We strongly felt the Lord was using us for His work and we were happy about it," said Karketta.

Karketta recalled that he and his fellow Christians that were arrested and assaulted were asked by Bikhru Majhi to come to his house and pray for his wife. This was because Majhi heard Karketta's testimony about how he won his battle with cancer and was then led to Christ. Even though Majhi is Hindu, he often invited Christians to pray for his wife as he believed that prayers could heal her.

Balmuni Kumari, the only Christian woman who was arrested, revealed that she was sent to a woman's prison. Kumari then said that she received threats against her family by the Hindu extremists while she served time. The extremists demanded that she and her family leave the village.

According to Kumari's brother Singhray Kullu, their family suffered discrimination because of their faith. Some locals even plotted to expel them from the village and Balmuni's mother went into depression. Fortunately, things went back to normal when Balmuni was released.
'The Walking Dead' season 8 spoilers, plot update: Eugene, Rick will be in great danger

Two episodes before its midseason finale, things will be pretty intense for Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and his group. In "The Walking Dead" season 8 episode 7, titled "Time After Time," Rick and Eugene (Josh McDermitt) will be in great danger as the AMC series gears up to feature a major cliffhanger.

In the penultimate episode's official synopsis, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is going to need the help of his lieutenants to solve the problem The Sanctuary is currently facing. Rick and his group, on the other hand, will continue to do what they have planned.

In episode 7's trailer, it looks like Eugene will have most of the screen time as he might be Negan's next victim. He, too, will find out that Dwight (Austin Amelio) is the one who betrayed The Saviors.

"This place is gonna fall," Dwight warns Eugene. Dwight also gives Eugene advice to refrain from doing anything in order to remain in the winning side. With that, it looks like Eugene will be up to something as the teaser reveals he is being held with a gun at the back of his head.

Also, in "Time After Time," Rick will be seen stripped down to his underwear while being brought to Jadis' Junkyard battleground pit once again. From the looks of it, he will come up against the dangerous and ravenous walker named Winslow. However, there are assumptions that The Whisperers have something to do with Rick's abduction.

Additionally, Morgan (Lennie James) will be seen holding a gun and eyeing a target in "The Walking Dead" season 8 episode 7. And with the announcement of his inclusion in "Fear the Walking Dead" crossover, this might be the last time that fans would see Morgan in "The Walking Dead." The trailer also gives a glimpse of Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Daryl (Norman Reedus) together.

"The Walking Dead" season 8 episode 7, titled "Time After Time," airs on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 9 p.m. EST on AMC.
Immigrants have made important gains in Canadas workforce over the last 10 years and more than 50 per cent have a bachelors degree or higher, new statistics from Canadas 2016 census show.

Released Nov. 29, the figures show that immigrants accounted for 23.8 per cent of Canadian workers in 2016, up from 21.2 per cent in 2006. During that same period, Canada introduced major changes to its immigration system to address skilled labour shortages, namely the introduction of the Express Entry system in 2015.

Statistics Canada defines an immigrant as a person who is, or who has ever been, a landed immigrant or permanent resident.

The workforce gains are even more impressive when looked at regionally: In 2016, immigrants represented half of all workers in the Toronto, Ontario, metropolitan region. Vancouver, British Columbia, had the second-highest proportion of immigrants in its labour force at 43.2 per cent, followed by Calgary, Alberta, at 32.5 per cent.

A key goal of Canadas Express Entry system is to help offset what is expected to be a decrease in the pool of available labour due to Canadas aging population. The system classes economic immigrants under three categories: the Federal Skilled Workers Class, the Federal Skilled Trades Class and the Canadian Experience Class. A number of Canadian provinces also have Express Entry-aligned Provincial Nominee Programs designed to address their labour needs.

Since January 2015, 145,368 invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence have been issued through programs under the Express Entry system. As part of its plan to welcome nearly one million new permanent residents between 2018 and 2020, Canada has established targets to admit 250,000 of these newcomers through the Express Entry system.

In order to enter the Express Entry pool, interested candidates must first establish if they qualify for one of the Express Entry programs. Candidates are assessed based on their skills, work experience, language ability, education, and other personal information.

To find out if you are eligible to immigrate to Canada permanently, fill out a free online assessment form.

Job trends

Among employment sectors, Canadas health care and social assistance industry employed the most Canadians in 2016, followed by the retail sector. More than two million Canadians, or 12.1 per cent of all Canadian workers, were employed in the health and social assistance sector.

Statistics Canada also noted strong growth in the high-skilled computer and information systems professionals group, which now represents 2.1 per cent of total employment in Canada.

In terms of regional distribution, employment in this sector was strongest in Canadas various tech hubs and most notably the Ottawa-Gatineau region, where jobs in the computer and information systems accounted for 4.9 per cent of all employment. Toronto ranked second, with jobs in the computer and information systems constituting 3.7 per cent of total employment.

Higher education

The new census data also revealed that more than 50 per cent of recent immigrants to Canada have a bachelors degree or higher. Education is a key qualification under the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and international post-secondary students studying in Canada are beginning to benefit from new programs that make it easier for them to integrate into the Canadian labour market after their studies and eventually gain permanent residence.

According to 2016 census, four in 10 immigrants aged 25 to 64 had a bachelors degree or higher, compared to 25 per cent of people in same age range who were born in Canada. The number was even higher for recent immigrants who had arrived in the five years prior to the 2016 census, with more than half attaining a bachelors degree or higher. Among that group, women were more likely than men to have a bachelors degree or higher.

Immigrants are also more than two-times as likely to hold a masters degree or PhD than the Canadian-born population. Among immigrants aged 25 to 64, 11.3 per cent had a masters or doctorate degree compared to just five per cent of those born in Canada. The number is even higher among immigrants who arrived in Canada over the last five years, with 16.7 per cent holding a masters or doctorate degree.

In terms of studies, 81.4 per cent of Canadians aged 24 to 64 had a degree in fields such as education, communications, justice, health and others. Just over 18 per cent graduated with degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Among all young bachelors degree holders aged 25 to 34 from STEM fields, those from engineering and computer and information sciences were the most likely to work in a labour-market sector closely related to their training, with 7 in 10 working in science and technology occupations.

These findings suggest that Canadas immigration system, and now its Express Entry system, are paying off in terms of the number of skilled and highly educated immigrants that are being invited to build a new life in Canada, said Attorney David Cohen.

This is all the more reason for anyone considering Express Entry to get themselves in the pool.

The CRS Calculator

The CRS Calculator allows you to find out what your score would be under the CRS.

To find out if you are eligible to immigrate to Canada permanently, fill out a free online assessment form.

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As a Republican bill that would eliminate most of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction advances through Congress, it is prompting newfound concern from politicians and the media in high-tax states about the burdens their wealthy residents face. California governor Jerry Brown, who helped engineer a massive tax hike on his states richest residents in 2012, called the federal proposal to end the exemption for local taxes a gross manipulation of the tax code and an attack on his statewhere 98 percent of households earning more than $1 million use the deduction (on average, claiming $462,000 in state and local taxes on their federal tax form). New York governor Andrew Cuomo labeled the reform a scam, though Democrats and Republicans have supported it over the years.

The New York Times, under a headline that urges readers to take claims about the state and local deduction with a grain of salt, rejected the principal Republican argument for eliminating the deduction: that it serves as a subsidy for high-tax states because it lets them keep their taxes high while giving their residents a break on federal taxes. Instead, the Times argued, states like New York send more money to Washington in taxes than they get back in federal spending, so residents deserve the federal deduction. Saying Indiana subsidizes New York through the deduction ignores net revenue and spending, the Times contends. Echoing that argument, Cuomo calls New York a donor state to the federal government.

Politicians from high-tax states like New York, California, and New Jersey have made this case for decades, dating back to when former New York senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan first began tracking taxes paid by residents of each state to Washington and comparing them with the amount of federal money flowing into each state. Others have continued Moynihans exercise, tracking these flows, but often in the most superficial ways, designed to create the illusion that some states are dependent on Washington because they get more than they send, while others are donors to the rest of the country.

Much of the money that these analysts count as flowing to the states doesnt come in the form of discretionary federal aid, however, but as payments that individuals have earned, or for contracts that Washington competitively awards. Thats not exactly dependency. As for the revenue side of the ledger, richer states do pay more in net taxes to Washington than less wealthy states, thanks to our progressive tax codewhich politicians from donor states overwhelmingly support.

An important category of so-called federal spending in the states is retirement benefits, three-quarters of which consists of Social Security payments. Also included are payments to veterans, retirement benefits to federal workers, and disability payments. These are the largest classifications of funds flowing to the statesand theyre a big reason why Blue states fare poorly in the total accounting of federal dollars. On a per-capita basis, California receives the second-lowest annual payments of federal retirement benefits. Illinois ranks fifth-lowest, New York is ninth, and Massachusetts is eleventh. All are so-called donor states. No single cause explains why these states rank so low, but its certainly not because the federal government is favoring other statesWashington doesnt distribute Social Security as discretionary aid. One possible explanation: some of these states often appear on lists of worst places to retire, and census data show a net outflow of older Americans from places like New York, Illinois, and New Jersey. Not surprisingly, warmer Southern states like Alabama, South Carolina, and Florida rank high in their reception of federal retirement dollars.

Another large category of federal spending is contracts, especially defense spending. States like New York and California were once mainstays of defense contracting, but theyve lost much of their industry over the years and now rank low in per capita defense spending, while Virginia, Maryland, and New Mexico have become ascendant. Though the federal government supposedly awards this spending on merit, over the years it has tried to spread the money around. Its efforts havent always been appreciated: in the early 1980s, Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, noting the dearth of defense dollars going to New York City, proposed opening a naval base on Staten Island. Much of the citys congressional delegation blocked the move, and the New York City Council passed a resolution opposing it.

Donor-state politicians regularly lobby for more discretionary federal social spendingthats often their goal in seeking more money to redress the outflow of dollars from their states. The problem, though, is that these states already get generous amounts of federal social aid. This category, known as grants, includes Medicaid (which accounts for half of the spending) and federal subsidies for housing and local education. New York receives the third-highest per capita funding of any state in this category; other Blue state donors including Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, and New Jersey all rank well above the national average in this spending.

Its hard to feel sorry for high-tax states when their representatives in Washington willingly raise taxes on their own richest residents. When, for instance, President Clinton proposed cutting the capital-gains tax rate in 1997, members of the New York delegation denounced the move as a gift to the rich, though it disproportionately benefitted New York residents. When President Obama let the tax rate on wealthy individuals rise from 35 percent to 39.6 percent, Democratic senators in California and New York, the two states most heavily affected by the increase, all voted in favor of it, sending more money from those states economies to Washington. In New York, the effect of the federal tax hikeon top of state taxesdrove the top rate for wealthy individuals to nearly 50 percent.

All of this helps make the state and local tax deduction such a tempting target. Its appealing for Republicans to argue that Congress can help fund tax cuts for most Americans by requiring rich New Yorkers and Californians to pay taxes on the $500,000 or so of income that, up until now, they have been able to claim through the SALT exemption. By closing this loophole, Republicans are essentially finding a new way to tax the rich. Its no secret who they learned that from.

Photos by Justin Sullivan, Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Siang river, considered the lifeline of the state, is turning black and muddy at various places and locals suspect China's role behind this phenomenon.

By Manogya Loiwal : Arunachal Pradesh, the land of rising sun, is seemingly at the receiving end from across the border.

Siang river, considered the lifeline of the state, is turning black and muddy at various places and locals suspect China's role behind this phenomenon.

The river, which is clean and clear during winters, is full of mud and dead fish this season.

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Siang originates in China and then enters India through Arunachal Pradesh, it is then joined by two other rivers--Dibang and Lohit--as it enters Assam where it is called the Brahmaputra.

IS SIANG BEING DIVERTED?

People in Arunchal Pradesh, especially those in Pasighat in East Siang district, have complained about rise in mud level in the river.

Ninong Ering, Congress MP from Arunachal Pradesh, inspected the Siang and suspects the flow of mud into the river could be a result of a possible river diversion by China.

The Congress MP said, "I will be writing to the Prime Minister over the possible diversion of Siang river by China. There is a reason for the change in colour. (It) could be because dams are being constructed and the mud from land excavation is flowing into the river. This is very serious."

Those living along the Indo-China border said the water, once considered crystal clear, is no longer fit for drinking.

East Siang disrict authorities have raised an alarm over Siang turning muddy. The Central Water Commission has collected samples of the river water.

CHINA ON DENIAL MODE

The Siang is an important river of the Brahmaputra and flows for 1,600 km through southern Tibet as the Yarlung Tsangpo or Yarlung Zangbo before it enters India.

Siang is also known as Dihang in India, which joins the Lohit after flowing for 230 km. The Dibang joins at about 35 km downstream of Pasighat in East Siang district to form the Brahmaputra.

China has been planning to dig the world's longest tunnel to change the course of Yarlung Tsangpo from Tibet towards Taklimakan desert in Xinjiang but has been denying the same at public platforms.

(With inputs from Yuvraj Mehta in Arunachal Pradesh)

--- ENDS ---
The PayPal Charitable Fund has teamed up with Channel 4 and eight UK charities, including Save the Children, the RNLI and the Royal British Legion for a new Christmas-themed fundraising campaign.

PayPal announced the launch of its Turkey Dash fundraising campaign on Tuesday, as part of #givingtuesday and named the eight charities that were to be taking part. The charities are the Blue Cross, CLIC Sargent, LGBT Foundation, Mental Health Foundation, the Royal British Legion, RNLI, Save the Children and Sue Ryder.

As part of the campaign, PayPal have commissioned Aardman Animations, the studio behind Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run, to create eight CGI turkeys  one representing each charity. Television personality Scarlett Moffatt has also taken part in the campaign and been created into an Aardman character.

The Turkey Dash campaign will come to a head on 15 December, when the eight animated charity turkeys will race against one another live on Channel 4. The race will be commented by presenter Steve Jones and broadcast Friday Night Feast.

All donations made to the eight charities taking part will go towards training their representative birds to run faster come the night of the race. Each charity turkey also has its own unique page on the PayPal website where supporters can track its training progress and read its story.

Donations will be processed by PayPal Giving Fund UK ensuring charities receive every single penny, including Gift Aid.

Alison Sagar, chief marketing officer and head of consumer at PayPal UK, said: With Turkey Dash, we wanted to show the power of online payments to do good. Last Christmas, more than a million people in the UK made a donation to their favourite cause with PayPal. This year, we want to encourage even more donations

Were always looking for new and innovative ways to inspire our customers, and show them all the ways they can use PayPal. We think weve got something really special this year thanks to the combined efforts of eight incredible charities, Aardman, and Channel 4.

Darren Dubicki, Aardman director, said: Who doesnt love the idea of animated turkeys? With Turkey Dash, were playing to the great British sense of humour we all share, while encouraging people to dig deep for a good cause. Well be working on the animation right up until race day, which will be a little nerve wracking.
Richard Hawkes, chief executive of the British Asian Trust, has said that the sector has stood by and tolerated bad practice, and that it can only really blame itself for the way it has been portrayed in the media in recent years.

Hawkes was writing in an article titled How can we improve our media image? that formed part of Acevos 30th birthday celebrations, where it is putting out 30 pieces of content to mark the occasion.

He said that there are tremendous examples of organisations doing amazing work, but as a sector we arent doing as well as we should be.

Hawkes said charities can only really blame ourselves for the way the sector has been portrayed in the media in recent years. Weve tolerated bad practice, by individual organisations and across the sector. Weve stood by while public trust has been eroded rather than being bold and proactive. Weve become almost afraid of saying anything controversial in case it causes a backlash or the introduction of yet another form of regulation.

Meek sector

He said that the result is a rather meek sector that talks a lot to itself, has too many squabbling sector bodies, rarely influences government policy and secured the grand total of zero mentions in the main party manifestos at the recent election.

But, the former chief executive of Scope said it doesnt have to be this way, and that it wouldnt be difficult to make the public think much more positively about us.

Cant con the public

Hawkes said that to do this, the sector cant con the public, and has to get our own house in order first.

He called on charities to be bolder in calling out bad practice, and much bolder and more confident about speaking truth to power.

He said: We need to communicate relentlessly how brilliant we are, directly and through the media.

Hawkes said that this can only be done if, as a sector, we are far more effectively led and coordinated, especially from a communications and media perspective.

A collective media strategy that can both rebut quickly and ensure regular positive media peaks would help us to be more proactive and more coordinated. I dont know a sector chief executive who would not sign up for that, he said.

He concluded: We must sort ourselves out, stop bad practice and improve sector coordination. We must be bold, be exciting and engage. This will lead to more trust, more support and more funding. We can have brilliant organisations, a powerful and loved sector. We can change the world together.
The risk management landscape is becoming more and more difficult for charities operating internationally to navigate. As such, it is becoming increasingly important that international NGOs identify, manage and monitor risks effectively, says Amanda Ogilvie from BWB.

Increasing challenges for INGOs

Humanitarian need across the globe is growing and INGOs increasingly need to operate in situations of instability, conflict and emergency. As the need for aid in high risk areas increases, the regulatory environment for INGOs is becoming ever more challenging as regulators impose more stringent requirements. HMRC and the Charity Commission for England and Wales have increased scrutiny in relation to charities operating overseas and donor accountability is on the rise as the giving culture shifts from one of grant-making to contract negotiation.

These circumstances give rise to particular risk factors for INGOs which need to be identified, managed and monitored effectively. For example, INGOs operating in high risk areas need to consider factors such as sanctions, corruption and bribery (particularly in countries where facilitation payments may be commonplace), safeguarding, operating in areas controlled by proscribed organisations, protection of staff and volunteers, lack of banking facilities and poor infrastructure, to name a few. Although operating in these environments presents unique and difficult challenges, INGOs are often working on the cutting edge of international crises and it is imperative that they can continue to operate and to deliver aid in areas where the need is often greatest.

'Can too easily become a bureaucratic process'

Given the risk factors that are inevitably present when operating in certain areas, many INGOs have to accept a high level of risk in order to carry out their work. Risk management can often be erroneously perceived as a hindrance in these circumstances  as it can be viewed as a process that discourages charities from taking risks. As a result, it can too easily become a bureaucratic process that involves little more than a tick-box exercise. Rather than preventing charities from taking risks, an effective risk management process should allow charities to make informed decisions to better achieve their objectives and, ultimately, to enable and empower charities to take informed risks  in other words, risk management should be seen as a means of enabling charities to be risk aware not risk averse.

So what do charities registered in England and Wales need to do in order to comply with their legal obligations in respect of risk management?

At a minimum, charities that are required to have their accounts audited must make a risk management statement in their annual report confirming that:

the charity trustees have given consideration to the major risks to which the charity is exposed and satisfied themselves that systems or procedures are established in order to manage those risks.

Broadly speaking, although the Charity Commission provides guidance on risk management, there is no set form that the risk management statement must take nor is there a prescribed set of systems or procedures that charities must adopt in order to fulfil these requirements. This allows charities the flexibility to implement a risk management process that is appropriate for the risk profile of their particular organisation. However, the Charity Commissions expectations of charities in respect of risk management have increased over the last few years. The Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (FRS 102) (SORP), which came into effect in January 2015, provides that charities that are required to have their accounts audited should also include in their annual report:

a description of the principal risks and uncertainties facing the charity and its subsidiary undertakings, as identified by the trustees, together with a summary of their plans and strategies for managing those risks.[2]

This means that, rather than simply acknowledging that the trustees have considered the risks that the charity is facing in the risk management statement, the annual report for these charities should describe some of the charitys major risks along with a summary of any mitigation measures that have been put in place to manage these. For INGOs operating in high risk areas, this is likely to include risks related to their operations overseas.

So, given the high level of risk that many INGOs need to take to carry out their work, how can they make the risk management statement with confidence?

No one-size fits all approach

Guidance published by the Charity Commission provides that charities will need to consider risk and its management in a structured way if a positive risk management statement is going to be made. There are various different risk management frameworks that charities can adopt and there is not one correct model or one-size fits all. However, whichever risk management framework a charity adopts, it is important that it follows a structured format which clearly identifies, analyses, evaluates, treats and monitors risk in a formulaic way.

This will often involve adopting tools and processes such as a risk management policy and a risk register. A risk management policy can provide a useful statement setting out the charitys approach to risk management, its attitude towards risk and its risk tolerance or risk appetite (i.e. the level of risk that the charity is prepared to accept in order to achieve its objectives). This can provide an important foundation for an effective risk management framework, particularly in larger organisations.

A risk register will typically set out a list of the charitys key risks along with an assessment of these risks and any mitigation plans. A sophisticated risk register might include other features such as: a description of the causes and consequences of the key risks; an assessment of the impact and likelihood of a risk occurring at gross, net and target levels; a description of the existing controls that are in place to mitigate the risk and an assessment of their current level of effectiveness; confirmation as to whether any further action will need to be taken in order to further mitigate the risk and an action plan for doing this; and clear role allocation in terms of risk, control and who is responsible for taking action.

Adopting these tools can play a vital role in developing an effective risk management framework and can be invaluable in helping to identify and mitigate risk when operating in challenging environments. However, it is important to recognise that these tools simply provide a foundation for charities to manage risks effectively. This is only a first step and the real challenge can arise when trying to move past this stage to a place where the risk management process is embedded in the culture of the organisation.

Key tips for embedding an effective risk management framework

Embedding an effective risk management framework can be easier said than done, particularly for larger INGOs operating across numerous countries and in high risk environments. Again, there is not one way of doing this or one-size fits all solution as each organisations needs and requirements will be different and may change on a regular basis. We have set out some key tips below which may provide a useful starting point:

Regular review

INGOs operating in high risk areas may need to keep in mind that the situation for charities operating in these places is likely to be continually changing and adapting  therefore risk assessments need to be carried out regularly to identify and respond to changes in the risk environment. This means that the risk register will need to be reviewed on a regular basis (and not simply taken out of a dusty cupboard once a year) so that the information set out in it reflects an accurate, dynamic and changing picture.

Wide involvement & consultation

If charities operating internationally are going to identify and respond to changes in the risk environment quickly and effectively, any changes or new risk factors must be reported efficiently and in good time. This requires open and honest communication channels across the organisation between staff, volunteers, teams and offices. To be effective, staff and volunteers across the organisation need to be engaged in the risk management process and collaborate and communicate openly. This requires a culture of trust and transparency. Staff training and regular consultation across offices can help to embed these values.

Applying lessons learned

Finally, most charities will face situations where some risks (large or small) have materialised and it can be important to acknowledge these incidents rather than brush them under the carpet. Reviewing these situations can give charities the opportunity to share information between offices, report the incident and take any further action needed and, significantly, make sure that lessons are learned for the future.

These are just a few key tips. However, putting these measures in place and embedding an effective risk management framework can help INGOs operating in high risk environments to make informed decisions and to take informed risks. This can help the charity to make the risk management statement with confidence and give the trustees an opportunity to demonstrate to their staff, donors, beneficiaries and the general public that they have identified, assessed and evaluated the key risks and have put appropriate measures in place to manage and mitigate these effectively.

Amanda Ogilvie is a charity and social enterprise solicitor at Bates Wells Braithwaite. Having worked in-house for an INGO for more than two years, Amanda has experience advising international not-for-profit organisations, particularly in relation to risk management and legal compliance.

Civil Society Media would like to thank BWB for their support with this article.
PRINT JOURNALISTS NEVER seem entirely comfortable writing about sex. Nor do they seem comfortable writing about teenagers, at least without adopting the point of view of their parents.

This year, the Fresno Bee waded into the confluence of these two fraught streams with a months-long, seven-part series on teen pregnancy and sex education. The series, Too Young?, illustrates the best of what can happen when local newspapers tackle tough topics. It also serves as a reminder of the risks, as critics blasted the Bee and its education reporter, Mackenzie Mays, on Twitter and talk radio for what they saw as a prurient interest in the sex lives of teenagers.

ICYMI: A striking detail about NBCs decision to fire Matt Lauer

The decline in teen pregnancy is one of the great success stories of modern America, even more dramatic and sustained than the past quarter centurys drop in crime rates. Teenage girls are less likely to get pregnant or have children than at any time since the 1940s, when the federal government began keeping consistent data. Between 2007 and 2014, the birth rate among those aged 15 to 19 dropped nearly by half.

But the decline has been uneven, and teen pregnancy remains common in many regions. One of those is Californias inland San Joaquin Valley, the center of the states agricultural industry. Of Californias 25 largest counties, Kern and Fresno, both in the Valley, had the highest teen birth rates in 2015, according to the California Department of Public Health.

California is one of 24 states that require public schools to offer some sort of sex education, and one of 20 that require sex education to be medically accurate. But the Bees series reveals that, in Fresno at least, many students arent receiving the education the state requires, and some school officials are reluctant to provide it.

The Fresno Bee published its Too Young? series between July 7 and November 17. Written entirely by Mays, it was underwritten in part by the Center for Health Journalism at the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, which also provided training, editing, and community engagement support.

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Mayss series addressed the public policy ramifications of teen pregnancy as well as the human impacts. She wrote a feature on teen fathers, a group often ignored in discussions of teen pregnancy; a story about a girl shamed and pressured to leave school after she became pregnant at 14; and an analysis of the disproportionately high teen birth rates for Latinas. She also conducted and reported on a survey of 159 high school students on what theyd been taught about sex in school, in light of a recent California law mandating comprehensive sex education in public schools.

California is one of 24 states that require public schools to offer some sort of sex education, and one of 20 that require sex education to be medically accurate, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. But these mandates are often unenforced, and the Bees series reveals that, in Fresno at least, many students arent receiving the education the state requires, and some school officials are reluctant to provide it.

Brooke Ashjian, president of the Fresno Unified School District board, opts his own children out of sex education, the Bee reported, and has been critical of the new state law. Other school board members interviewed by Mays said theyd prefer abstinence-only sex education, which is now banned in California public schools, though they all said theyd follow the new law.

Ashjian, a vocal critic of the Bees series, has targeted Mays personally, referring to her on Twitter as Mackenzie fakenews Mays [sic] and the ministress of Propaganda [sic].

Ashjian did not reply to requests for an interview. Mays says his discontent stems from an August 4 article in her series, in which Ashjian criticized the new state mandate for sex education, particularly its requirement that schools teach about same-sex relationships:

My biggest fear in teaching this  which were going to do it because its the law  but you have kids who are extremely moldable at this stage, and if you start telling them that LGBT is OK and that its a way of life, well maybe you just swayed the kid to go that way, Ashjian said. Its so important for parents to teach these Judeo-Christian philosophies.

He said some controversial things in that interview, but if you know him or you follow him on Twitter, that wasnt really a shock, Mays says. Hes very vocal about his politics and religion. The story ran, and there was a big public response to his words. There was a lot of outrage, and thats when he started calling me a liar, calling me fake news and all that.

ON OCTOBER 31, the Pacific Justice Institute, a legal nonprofit that focuses on religious liberty and parental rights cases, issued a press release calling for investigation, apologies to parents and other remedial steps at Fresno Unified, because while the district authorized the Bees sex education survey, it did not obtain permission from parents whose children participated.

In a letter to the school district, the Pacific Justice Institute said it had been contacted by Fresno Unified parents. The letter asks the district to demand a retraction from the Bee, and to ban the Bees reporters from its campuses.

Reached by phone for comment, Pacific Justice Institute president Brad Dacus asked if CJR was affiliated with Columbia University. When told yes, Dacus replied, You guys are so frickin liberal. Im not going to waste my time with this interview. Its just going to be distorted and Im not going to waste my time. Then he hung up.

The Pacific Justice Institute contends that Fresno Unified broke state and federal laws by allowing Mays to speak with students at Fresno high schools and to circulate word among them of the Bees anonymous, web-based survey.

My frustration is that were not talking about the problem. Were talking about the reporting on the problem.

There is a provision in the California Education Code that says tests, questionnaires and surveys containing age-appropriate questions about the pupils attitudes concerning or practices relating to sex may be given to any student in grades seven through 12. Parents must be notified in writing, allowed to review the survey and able to opt out on behalf of their children.

However, there are reasons to doubt whether this statute applies to the Bees survey. Nikki Moore, a lawyer with the California Newspaper Publishers Association who has advised the Bee on the matter, says the statute would be unconstitutional if applied to a news organization.

There was no intent to impact newsgathering with that statute, Moore says. Newsgathering is First Amendment-protected activity.

There could also be legal problems if Fresno Unified were to do as the Pacific Justice Institute requests and keep Fresno Bee reporters off its campuses. California law states that no outsiders can enter a public school campus without signing in and showing proof of identity. However, journalists are specifically exempted from the definition of outsiders, so they have a special right to visit campuses and speak with students.

On top of that, Moore says, the students have First Amendment rights, which might be violated if the district were to limit their interactions with reporters based on the subject being discussed.

MAYS SAYS SHE MADE SURE the school district and the parents of her profile subjects bought into what she was doing.

There is a law about access, but thats not the world I live in, Mays says. Fresno Unified has a really big communications department. If I come into any front office at any school and identify myself, theyre not going to let me in without calling the district. If I call a math teacher about some cool new program, they will refer to me to the communications team. They allow me great access, but I have to go to them to get that access.

Fresno Unified administrators vetted the Bees survey and allowed Mays to talk to students on campus; when she did, district employees were always in the room. Student government groups oversaw the meetings.

Mays also consulted researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, on the surveys design and contents. The survey asked students if they had learned in school about specific topics required to be taught by state law, including abstinence, abortion, and same-sex relationships. Students were also asked if they felt comfortable talking to their teachers or parents about sex, where they got contraceptives if they needed them, whether theyd had sex and whether theyd had unprotected sex.

By the end of this he started to say he doesnt consider the Fresno Bee to be a legitimate news source, and I think thats the worst part.  This is an attempt to delegitimize the people whose job it is to hold officials accountable and to divert attention away from the truth, and thats dangerous.

The students could take the anonymous survey without their parents permission, but Mays says the teenagers who talked to her on the record did so with their parents knowledge and permission.

I met with their families, Mays says. I spent a lot of time with them.

ICYMI: This story is about to get even uglier, if thats imaginable

Mays has been the Bees education reporter for two-and-a-half years. At 27, shes on her second newspaper job out of college, after two and a half years at the Charleston Gazette-Mail, in West Virginia.

The Too Young? series was entirely her idea, as was her fellowship at the USC Center for Health Journalism, says Jim Boren, the Bees executive editor. I thought it was a great idea, and I had no idea that it would be controversial in the way that it became controversial, Boren says.

Teen pregnancy is a problem thats plagued Fresno County for decades. When Boren was a reporter at the Bee in the 1970s, the paper won an award for a series on the topic. The problem then was the same as the problem now, Boren says: No one wants to talk about teens and sex. Instead, theyre talking about the Bee and its reporting techniques.

No one Ive heard thats critical of this has come up with a solution to the teen pregnancy rate, Boren says. My frustration is that were not talking about the problem. Were talking about the reporting on the problem.

For Mays, the project has been an education in modern media. As much as shed like the focus to be on her stories, for the past four months it has too often been on her.

Brooke Ashjian said a lot of things about me personally. He called me a liar and likened me to a child predator on the radio because I did this sex ed survey, Mays says. By the end of this he started to say he doesnt consider the Fresno Bee to be a legitimate news source, and I think thats the worst part.  This is an attempt to delegitimize the people whose job it is to hold officials accountable and to divert attention away from the truth, and thats dangerous.

CJRs health care reporting is sponsored in part by a grant from the Commonwealth Fund.

RELATED: The story behind one of the best reported pieces of the year

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Tony Biasotti is a freelance writer in Ventura, California. Find him on Twitter @tonybiasotti.
The value of Maine State Police drones came into sharp focus in the aftermath of a silo explosion that injured three people last month.

State police operators used one of the newly acquired unmanned aerial vehicles to check for victims after an explosion and sulfur leak made it unsafe for emergency personnel to go inside the 86-foot structure, State Police Sgt. Darren Foster told reporters Tuesday.

This is something we never wouldve anticipated when we started the program. But because of the technology, it was a no brainer for us, he said.

State police purchased three drones for $6,000 apiece this fall, two years after lawmakers crafted rules and regulations governing their use.

Their greatest use so far has been at crash and crime scenes as opposed to search and rescue operations like the one in October in Detroit, Maine.

Drones are used regularly to analyze and document crash scenes, reducing the amount of time roads are closed and the amount of work for investigators.

In a matter of minutes, drones can take 100 to 200 photos from which precise measurements can be gleaned by crash investigators who previously spent an hour or more taking several hundred measurements with surveying equipment, said State Police Maj. Chris Grotton.

Traffic doesnt have to be stopped for the drones to take photos, meaning traffic delays are minimized, Grotton said. Besides benefiting motorists, state police are finding that 15 to 20 hours of work is being saved for each crash scene analysis, he said.

State police officials who demonstrated how the drones work on Tuesday brushed aside concerns about privacy and surveillance of crowds.

Groton said the rules governing the presence of drones are the same for officers. If they need a warrant, then theyll obtain one, Grotton said. If they dont, for example at a crash site on a public road, then drones can be used, he said.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Michigan State Police officers are conducting roadside saliva tests on suspected drug-impaired motorists as part of a program spurring questions about the tests accuracy.

State Police Special First Lt. Jim Flegel told the South Bend Tribune that the program uses a portable saliva-testing device that can tell officers if there are certain drugs in a drivers system, such as marijuana or opiates. The program will test the accuracy and reliability of the Alere DDS2 device, which is meant to assess the presence of drugs in about five minutes.

Law enforcement and academic experts say settling on such a test is complicated because drugs affect everyone differently and there is wide variation in the potency of pot and other drugs and the way they are consumed. As a result, there is no consensus on what level amounts to impairment.

Michigan Medical Marijuana Association president Michael Komorn said hes concerned about the tests accuracy and the programs experimental nature. Komorn said the saliva tests may have a high error rate.

Nobody should be compelled to take this test until weve got some confirmation that it is an accurate test, Komorn said. Thats basic fundamental liberty and freedom, that government shouldnt be able to subject individuals to tests.

The $150,000 program is called the Preliminary Oral Fluid Analysis. It aims to combat an increase in fatal crashes caused by drug-impaired drivers, Flegel said. Officers must have a reason to suspect impairment before testing a driver, he said. Officers have undergone a two-week training course and must follow a 12-step analysis to assess potential drug impairment.

The state saw a more than 30 percent increase in fatal crashes from 2015 to 2016. There were almost 240 fatal crashes in 2016, compared to almost 180 crashes the previous year.

The program is currently being used in five Michigan counties: Berrien, Delta, Kent, St. Clair and Washtenaw.

Police will report to the Legislature in a year about the programs accuracy and the number of arrests. The program could be rolled out to more areas if its found to be effective, Flegel said.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
After Hurricane Maria damaged tens of thousands of homes in Puerto Rico, a newly created Florida company with an unproven record won more than $30 million in contracts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide emergency tarps and plastic sheeting for repairs.

Bronze Star LLC never delivered those urgently needed supplies, which even months later remain in demand by hurricane victims on the island.

FEMA eventually terminated the contracts, without paying any money, and re-started the process this month to supply more tarps for the island. The earlier effort took nearly four weeks from the day FEMA awarded the contracts to Bronze Star and the day it canceled them.

Thousands of Puerto Ricans remain homeless, and many complain that the federal government is taking too long to install tarps. The U.S. territory has been hit by severe rainstorms in recent weeks that have caused widespread flooding.

Loiza, PR, September 21, 2017  The community of Mini Mini flooded after the Carraizo Dam released water, due to the overflow brought by Hurricane Maria. The category 4 hurricane tore through Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017. Yuisa Rios/FEMA

It is not clear how thoroughly FEMA investigated Bronze Star or its ability to fulfill the contracts. Formed by two brothers in August, Bronze Star had never before won a government contract or delivered tarps or plastic sheeting. The address listed for the business is a single-family home in a residential subdivision in St. Cloud, Florida.

One of the brothers, Kayon Jones, said manufacturers he contacted before bidding on the contracts assured him they could provide the tarps but later said they could not meet the governments requirements. Jones said supplying the materials was problematic because most of the raw materials came out of Houston, which was hit hard by Hurricane Harvey. He said he sought a waiver from FEMA to allow him to order tarps from a Chinese manufacturer and for more time, but FEMA denied the request.

FEMA canceled the contracts Nov. 6, Jones said. The government notified his brother and him a few days later that it would seek $9.3 million in damages unless they signed a waiver releasing the U.S. from any liability. The brothers agreed.

We were trying to help; it wasnt about making money or anything like that, Jones said.

FEMA awarded the company two contracts Oct. 10 to provide 500,000 tarps and 60,000 rolls of plastic sheeting. More than a half dozen others also bid, but FEMA said it could not provide details about their bids.

The award of a government contract to a company with absolutely no experience in producing the materials sought obviously raises very bright red flags, said Dan Feldman, professor of public management at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at City University of New York. I would hope and assume that the inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security would begin immediately to take a very hard look at this process.

A FEMA spokesman, Ron Roth, said the agencys review process was somewhat expedited after Hurricane Maria to respond as quickly as possible to the emergency. But he said the agency did perform its due diligence.

Submissions from potential contractors are objectively evaluated, and a contract is awarded based on the highest-rated submission, Roth said.

Such best value competitive solicitations take into account past performance and a contractors ability to deliver as well as price, said Alan Miller, an attorney who spent 22-years advising federal contracting officials until retiring last year.

In every circumstance, regardless of the award, whether its $400 to the local stationery company for envelopes, or its $400 million for a construction contract, the contracting officer is required to make a responsibility determination, Miller said. Does this company have the infrastructure; do they have the inventory processes, the production processes, the financial capability, for performing the work?

Nine bids were received on the first contract for plastic sheeting and eight bids on the second contract for tarps. Roth said Star was determined to be the most qualified.

FEMAs initial technical evaluation determined Bronze Star could do the jobs based on their proposals, which confirmed that they could meet the product specifications and delivery dates, he said.

Kayon Jones, the co-owner of Bronze Star, served in the U.S. Navy from 1997 to 2000, finishing his duty as a seaman storekeeper on the USS Gettysburg, a guided missile cruiser. The contract solicitation gave preference to veteran-owned companies. According to Navy records, Jones was never awarded a Bronze Star, a medal earned by service members who serve heroically in combat.

In an interview, Jones told The Associated Press he picked the name because he has another company with the word star in it. He said his brother, who is also listed on state incorporation documents for the business, served in the Army and is disabled. Army records show Jones brother also didnt receive a Bronze Star, and it provided no evidence of a service-related injury. Richard Jones did not respond to multiple calls and requests through his brother for comment.

My brother and I, we are both veterans, so we just came up with a name to do business, Kayon Jones said. Were not saying we have a Bronze Star or anything.

The day after FEMA canceled the Bronze Star contract, it awarded a contract to OSC Solutions Inc. for plastic sheeting for Hurricane Maria victims. The West Palm Beach, Florida-based company has roughly two decades of federal contracting experience and has produced such supplies multiple times.

The FEMA spokesman, Roth, acknowledged the contract problems delayed delivery of tarps to Puerto Rico but said anyone who needs a tarp should now be able to get one.

More than 93,000 tarps have been sent to distribution centers on the island and now are available to cover homes, Roth said. The Army Corps of Engineers Blue Roof program has provided 11,000 more reinforced tarps installed on homes by contractors.

To date, roughly $88 million in federal money has been awarded to four contractors, including Bronze Star, for tents and tarps, records show. The rescinded contracts with Bronze Star account for 35 percent of the total.

Michael Byrne, Puerto Ricos FEMA coordination officer, estimated that at least 60,000 blue roofs are needed across the island. About 350 are installed each day, though he said that is expected to increase.

One of the limiting factors is the availability of the material, Byrne said.

(AP writer Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contributed to this report.)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The state of Florida has paid more than $11 million over a 30-year period to settle hundreds of cases that alleged that state workers were sexually harassed by supervisors and co-workers, or were forced to work in a hostile work environment.

The Associated Press requested the information from the state agency that tracks payments made to settle lawsuits filed against state agencies and state universities.

The information released Monday showed that more than 300 cases have resulted in payments since 1987. Amounts ranged from a $5,500 payment to a Florida State University student who alleged harassment from a supervisor to a $1.3 million payment to settle a class action lawsuit filed by nurses who worked at state prisons. Nearly 60 percent of the cases involved employees who worked in the Department of Corrections.

One woman received a nearly $129,000 payment just last year to settle a two-year-old lawsuit that alleged her supervisor at the Florida Department of Health had discussed sexual activities he had witnessed. He also would comment about womens breasts and buttocks, according to the lawsuit.

Marie Mattox, the attorney who represented the woman, said she doesnt think that sexual harassment is more pervasive in state government. But she contended its tolerated more in select agencies and that it takes longer to resolve lawsuits than those filed against private employers.

Rick Johnson, a Tallahassee attorney who handles discrimination cases, said hes disappointed there are so many cases, but said the state winds up paying more to settle the cases because of how stridently it contests the allegations.

The state is going to side against the victim, against the women, Johnson said.

John Tupps, a spokesman for Gov. Rick Scott, said that only two percent of the payments had occurred during Scotts time in office. He also noted that Scott this year signed a bill that keeps confidential the names of state workers who allege sexual harassment.

The governor wants every state employee to be able to work in an environment where they feel safe, Tupps said in a statement. The overwhelming majority of these expenditures predate the governors time in office and are approved by the chief financial officer.

The AP requested settlement payment information from the office of Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis amid allegations of sexual misconduct at the highest reaches of state government.

State Sen. Jack Latvala, a powerful Republican and candidate for governor, is being investigated by the Florida Senate after a report came out that said he had harassed and groped women during his time in office. Latvala has denied the allegations.

Jeff Clemens, who was poised to become the next Senate Democratic leader, resigned in early November following reports he had an extramarital affair with a lobbyist.

The information compiled by the state Division of Risk Management detailed only one payment made to settle an allegation made by a legislative employee. The employee was paid $165,000 in 1997.

But the report does not include a $47,000 secret payment made to a legislative analyst in 1988 to keep her from filing a sexual harassment lawsuit against a powerful state legislator. That case never went to court, but became public after a grand jury released details, which ultimately resulted in a reprimand against the lawmaker.

Florida routinely pays out millions each year to settle numerous lawsuits involving everything from claims from injured workers to residents whose cars or property are damaged by state workers. Since 1987 the state has paid more than $74 million to settle nearly 2,100 employment related claims including the more than 300 sexual harassment claims.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Small cracks that have appeared in the brand new concrete spillway at Oroville Dam were expected and do not pose a threat, California state officials said in previously undisclosed letters.

In an October letter, federal regulators asked Department of Water Resources official to explain the hairline cracks on the dams new massive concrete flood-control chute, KQED radio of San Francisco reported Tuesday.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission also asked water officials what, if any, steps might be required to address the issue.

California water officials responded in November that steps taken to build a more durable spillway caused the cracks and was anticipated.

The hairline cracks are a result of some of the design elements included to restrain the slabs and produce a robust and durable structure, the letter read, adding that the cracking was anticipated and is not expected to affect the integrity of the slabs.

The evidence for and reasoning behind DWRs statements about the cause of the cracking is not available for independent assessment, the radio station reported.

University of California civil engineering professor Robert Bea, who is a veteran analyst of structure failures, said cracking in high-strength reinforced concrete structures is never expected.

The cracking develops paths for water to reach the steel elements embedded in the concrete and accelerate corrosion, Bea wrote in an email. Such corrosion was responsible for the degradation and ultimate failure of the steel reinforcing in parts of the original gated spillway.

In February, authorities ordered nearly 200,000 people downstream of the dam to evacuate when both spillways suddenly began crumbling. The feared uncontrolled releases of water over the dam did not occur, and authorities allowed residents to return to their homes within days.

State officials say emergency and subsequent repairs of the 770-foot (235-meter) dam have so far cost at least $640 million but not all costs have been identified yet.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
By PTI: By K J M Varma

Beijing, Nov 30 (PTI) Chinas dark matter particle explorer satellite has detected unexpected and mysterious signals in its measurement of high-energy cosmic rays raising questions whether they are dark matter for which scientists have spent decades searching.

The satellite, also called Wukong, or Monkey King, has measured more than 3.5 billion cosmic ray particles with the highest energy up to 100 tera-electron-volts (TeV), including 20 million electrons and positrons, with unprecedentedly high energy resolution, state-run Xinhua news agency reported today.

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This might bring scientists a step closer to shedding light on invisible dark matter.

More than 100 Chinese scientists and engineers, together with those from Switzerland and Italy, took part in the development of Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) and the analysis of its data.

"The DAMPE has opened a new window for observing the high-energy universe, unveiling new physical phenomena beyond our current understanding," Chang Jin, chief scientist of DAMPE and vice director of the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said.

The initial detection results on the precise measurement of the electron and positron spectrum in an energy range between 25 giga-electron-volts (GeV) and 4.6 TeV were published in the latest issue of the academic journal, Nature.

"This is the first time a space experiment has reported the detailed and precise electron and positron spectrum up to about 5 TeV. In this energy range, we found some unexpected and interesting features. We have detected a spectral break at 0.9 TeV and a possible spike at 1.4 TeV," Chang said.

Dark matter, which cannot be seen or touched, passes right through us as if we do not exist. The ghost-like material is one of the great mysteries of science.

Scientists calculate that normal matter, such as galaxies, stars, trees, rocks and atoms, accounts for only about 5 percent of the universe. However, about 26.8 percent of the universe is dark matter and 68.3 percent dark energy.

Exploration of dark matter will be revolutionary for physics and space science. Any discovery in this area could be as significant as heliocentric theory, the law of gravity, the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics.

Chinas DAMPE was sent into an orbit of about 500 kms above the earth on December 17, 2015. Based on DAMPEs data, scientists drew the cosmic ray electron and positron spectrum, from which they try to decipher the hidden secrets of the universe. On the spectrum, scientists found a break at around 0.9 TeV and a strange spike at around 1.4 TeV. "We never expected such signals," Chang said.

DAMPEs design life is three years, but as it is performing so well, it is expected to work much longer. "DAMPE will continue to collect data to help us better understand the anomaly, and might bring dark matter out of the shadows," Chang said. PTI KJV AMS AKJ AMS

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Upset with his brother for calling the Congress presidential election rigged, in which Rahul Gandhi is widely expected to become party chief, Tehseen Poonawala said he is ending all ties with Shehzad.

Rahul Gandhi is tipped to take over as Congress president in the next few weeks (PTI)

By India Today Web Desk: "I officially end all relationship with @Shehzad_Ind [Shehzad Poonawalla]. I have never been this hurt," Tehseen Poonawalla, a known Congress sympathiser and the brother-in-law of Priyanka Gandhi's husband Robert Vadra, proclaimed on Twitter last night.

There was more. "This is unacceptable. Im very very hurt today. Been stabbed in the back." And, more. "I love Shehzad to death. I got him up like my son. He backstabbed me." And, even more. "Just heartbroken."

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The issue at hand was Rahul Gandhi's elevation from Congress vice-president to party president, and party office-bearer Shehzad Poonawalla's comments that the Grand Old Party's election process for that elevation was 'rigged'.

While the controversy erupted late last night, Shehzad doubled down on his allegations today morning. Speaking to news agency ANI, Shehzad, a secretary in Maharashtra Congress, said, "I have got info that the delegates who are going to vote for the party president elections are fixed, its rigged. They have been appointed for their loyalty."

Tehseen, who recognises himself as the party's "most passionate supporter", is yet to comment on his brother's statements from today, but last night, he was out on Twitter, defending the Congress and Rahul Gandhi.

"Anyone in the @INCIndia [Indian National Congress]can contest against @OfficeOfRG [Rahul Gandhi]. If @Shehzad_Ind [Shehzad] wants he should contest," Tehseen said in a post.

I officially end all relationship with @Shehzad_Ind . I have never been this hurt. We needed to defeat the BJP. This is unacceptable . Im very very hurt today . Been stabbed in the back ..And how- Tehseen Poonawalla (@tehseenp) November 29, 2017

Meanwhile, Shehzad continued furthering his argument. "We have many good leaders - we need more merit & talent in politics & less dynasty (sic)," he said in one Twitter post.

"I am an active Maharashtra Congress Secretary & nobody had any problems till today but new stories to target me will come :) prepared for it- I want Non Dynasts & Merit over Dynasty !! Am I wrong?" another of his posts read.

The two brothers never directly addressed or replied to each other, but Shehzad in one of his posts said, "Thank u - @tehseenp [Tehseen] is not insane - he loves his family - i love my country more :)"

The controversy erupted late last night and doesn't seem to be dying down soon. Shehzad reiterated his claims today morning. Speaking to news agency ANI, Shehzad called the Congress presidential poll a "selection and not an election" and a "sham".

"The upcoming Congress president election is a selection and not an election. It's a sham election process," Shehzad said. "I think there should be only one ticket in one family, be it Shehzad Poonawalla or Rahul Gandhi."

"I have got info that the delegates who are going to vote for the party president elections are fixed, its rigged. They have been appointed for their loyalty. Yes It takes courage to speak out, there will be all kinds of attacks against me,but I have facts," Shehzad went on to say.

The upcoming Congress president election is a selection and not an election. Its a sham election process: Shehzad Poonawalla,Maharashtra Congress Secretary pic.twitter.com/TdQSXs98Wq- ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2017

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Rahul Gandhi is widely expected to take over as Congress president before the end of this year. The Grand Old Party has already announced the schedule of its presidential poll.

The last date of filing nominations is December 4; if nobody apart from Rahul files nominations, the Gandhi scion would effectively become party chief pending a formal announcement.

If somebody other than Rahul Gandhi does file a nomination, then voting will be held on December 16 and counting on December 19, just a day after results for the crucial assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh will be announced.

WATCH | Rahul Gandhi 2.0: BJP-Congress dogfight over his image makeover

--- ENDS ---
While the BJP asked the Congress vice-president to declare his faith before people, the Congress called the register "fake" and accused the BJP of deviating from real issues.

By India Today Web Desk: With the controversy over Rahul Gandhi's visit to Somnath temple and the BJP questioning his faith refusing to die, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal hit back, attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "quitting" Hinduism and "imbibing" Hindutva.

"How often does PM go to a temple? He has quit Hinduism and imbibed Hindutva, which has nothing to do with Hinduism. He is not a real Hindu," Sibal, a former Union Law Minister, said today. "The one who considers every Indian his brother, sister or mother is a real Hindu."

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On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi's visit to the famous Somnath temple in poll-bound Gujarat got mired in controversy after his name was allegedly found to be written on the entry register meant for non-Hindus. While the BJP asked the Congress vice-president to declare his faith before people, the Congress called the register "fake" and accused the BJP of deviating from real issues.

Later in the day, the Somnath temple authorities also clarified that Rahul Gandhi did not sign the register maintained for non-Hindus. "'This is an inspiring place' - is what Rahul Gandhi wrote and he did so in the presence of our general manager Vijaysinh Chawda," Somnath temple trust's secretary PK Laheri told reporters.

"This is the only place where he signed," he added.

A furious Congress accused the BJP of hatching a conspiracy against Rahul and said that he has already declared himself a 'Shiv Bhakt' (Lord Shiva devotee) and is a 'janeu-dhari' (sacred thread-wearing) Hindu.

In the last two months, Rahul Gandhi has visited more than 15 temples during his multiple visits to poll-bound Gujarat, which will vote on December 9 and 14 for its next government.

WATCH | Congress forms governments by elections, BJP forms them by defection: Ajay Maken at India Today conclave

--- ENDS ---
Retiring near the beach may sound ideal, but there's more to consider than just sun and sand.

In fact, in a recent ranking of the best cities to retire, Pittsburgh claimed the top spot.

Although Pittsburgh scored poorly for weather, the metro area's low crime rate and cost of living helped pull it to the top. The former steel city turned tech powerhouse also boasts top-notch health care at the University of Pittsburgh.

To find the best places to retire, Bankrate.com assessed 50 U.S. metro areas, comparing factors including weather, health-care quality and affordability, cost of living, crime rate, taxes, senior well-being, friend factor (percentage of population ages 65-plus), cultural vitality and public transportation.

After working for decades, you may be tempted to find the most tropical, relaxing destination on the map. But it's important to look beyond climate to lifestyle and financial factors like health-care costs, which can be one of the biggest expenses for retirees, said Bankrate.com analyst Taylor Tepper.

"It's like that saying, 'don't go into a grocery store hungry,'" Tepper said.
What Australians pay in taxes

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which analyzes the tax burdens of 35 countries, Australians paid on average $17,146 USD per capita in 2014 in "total tax revenue," while Americans paid $14,115 USD per capita. So, on average Australians pay about $3,000 more than Americans a year.

OECD (2017), Tax revenue (indicator). doi: 10.1787/d98b8cf5-en (Accessed on 26 October 2017) Both countries veer close to the OECD average, which was $12,911 USD. Residence of high-tax, high-benefits countries like Norway, in contrast, pay rates of over $30,000 USD.

What Australians get for their taxes

A recent United Nations study ranked Australia to have the second best quality of life in the world, after accounting for "three basic dimensions of human development": life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling and standard of living, which was measured by income. In the same study, the U.S. came in at No. 8. There are a number of reasons for that contrast. One is Australia's effective, accessible health care system, which even President Trump has praised. It is single-payer, which means "a public agency handles health care financing while the delivery of care remains largely in private hands." Under this set up, the Australian government can pay significantly less than what U.S. residents pay, while still offering effective treatments. According to the OECD, in 2016, Australia paid 9.6 percent of the nation's GDP on health care, while the U.S. paid over 17 percent. The per capita health spending in the U.S. is over $9,000. In Australia, it's under $5,000.

What Americans get for their taxes

The U.S. also spends a significant amount on health care and benefits for some of its citizens. In the fiscal year 2016, the Pew Research Center reports, "The federal government spent just under $4 trillion, and about $2.7 trillion  more than two-thirds of the total  went for various kinds of social insurance (Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, unemployment compensation, veterans benefits and the like)." Many of the programs covered by discretionary spending are intended to help the most vulnerable. These include "the early childhood education program Head Start (included in Housing & Community), Title I grants to disadvantaged schools and Pell grants for low-income college students (Education), food assistance for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), training and placement for unemployed people provided by Workforce Investment Boards (in Social Security, Unemployment and Labor)," reports the National Priorities Project. In fact, when it comes to cash benefits  meaning old-age and disability pensions, family payments and allowances, government-funded paid parental leave and unemployment benefits  the U.S. spends more, proportionally, than Australia. "Australia was the 6th lowest spender on cash benefits in the OECD, spending 8.4 per cent of GDP, with the only countries spending less mainly being lower income like Mexico, Chile and Korea," says Coates. "In contrast, the United States spends 9.1 per cent of GDP on cash benefits." The countries, however, distribute those benefits differently. Australia does a better job at directing resources to the citizens who need them.

How Australia uses revenue differently

"Australia has the most tightly targeted tax transfer system in the world," says Coates. "Over 40 percent of income of cash benefits are paid to the bottom 20 percent of income earners in Australia, compared to around 3 percent paid to the top 20 percent of income earners." "In contrast, in the U.S., just 20 percent of cash benefits are paid to the bottom 20 percent," says Coates, "whereas the top 20 percent receive around 15 percent of all cash benefits."

OECD (2014), Percentage of public social benefits in cash paid to the lowest and highest quintiles, total population, OECD countries, 2011 To ensure that benefits are being apportioned fairly, Australia uses "means-testing"  a fancy way of saying the richer you are, the less you qualify for support, whether it be in the form of old age pensions or family allowances. "In Australia, close to 80 percent of government cash benefits are means-tested, compared to 27 percent in the U.S.," says Coates. This tax transfer system has an equalizing effect on the Australian economy. In the U.S., both the rich and the poor receive considerable portions of the government's redistributed revenue. In Australia, the rich see only a little and the poor receive a lot. Despite the fact that so much federal spending in the U.S. goes to cash benefits, more Americans are poor and inequality is worse. According to the OECD, Australia's relative income poverty rates, or "the share of the population with an income of less than 50 percent of the respective national median income," was 12 percent in 2015. The U.S. rate was 17 percent. Consider another measure: Gini Coefficients, a globally accepted indicator of wealth distribution. With a score of 0, a country would have perfect equality, and with a score of 1, perfect inequality. In 2014, Australia's was 0.33. The U.S.'s was 0.39. "That [difference is] actually quite a lot," says Coates.

The big picture
China reported on Thursday that factory activity expanded at a quicker pace in November, with the official manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index coming in at 51.8  topping expectations.

Economists in a Reuters poll had expected official PMI in the world's second-largest economy to come in at 51.4 this month, which would have been slower than the 51.6 posted for October.

China's services sector also saw activity pick up, with its PMI reading accelerating to 54.8 in November from the previous month's 54.3, official data showed.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below that signals contraction.

"The latest official PMI readings suggest that growth momentum held up well this month," Julian Evans-Pritchard, China economist at Capital Economics, said in a note following the data release.

The Chinese economy has largely performed better-than-expected this year, boosted by government infrastructure spending, a resilient property market and strength in exports, Reuters reported. That helped the country's gross domestic product to grow close to 7 percent in the first nine months of 2017.

But authorities have stepped up efforts to steer the economy towards a more sustainable growth trajectory and away from its reliance on debt. In recent weeks, Beijing tightened rules to clamp down on risky behavior in the financial sector, which spooked investors and sparked a sell off in mainland markets.

The latest PMI readings may indicate that the situation in China is not as bad as many have expected, but economists said a slowdown in growth is still in the cards.

Louis Kuijs, head of Asia economics at Oxford Economics, said China's growth will moderate starting next year. That's necessary for the country, he said, but it's "not a big deal."

"I think China will continue to grow decently over the coming 10 years, I also think that they will slow down next year. Growth in China next year is going to be weaker than growth this year, but that's not a big deal," he told CNBC, adding that GDP will likely slow to the lower end of 6 percent.

For some, the release of a private PMI survey will paint a better picture of the economic situation in China. The Caixin/Markit manufacturing PMI is expected to be published on Friday, with the services PMI reading coming next Tuesday.

The private surveys tend to focus on small and mid-sized firms.

"We are wary of putting too much faith in the official PMIs given that they have provided false signals in the past," wrote Evans-Pritchard.

"What's more, we doubt the current momentum in manufacturing will be sustained given that the sector faces increasing headwinds in the months ahead from the anti-pollution crackdown, slower credit growth, reduced fiscal support and a cooling property market," he added.
When Jed Grant's security clearance and biometric information was stolen from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the agency offered him and 22 million other affected people a free credit monitoring service. The service "was worth what I paid: nothing," said Grant, CEO of IT security firm Peer Mountain. "So far in the five-plus years that I have had it, it has notified me twice that my Yahoo account was hacked, which we all know anyway," Grant said. He also received notifications of sex offenders near his former addresses, which he found irrelevant. With many high-profile data breaches lately, including one at credit reporting company Equifax that affected more than 143 million people, financial and security experts have mixed opinions about whether credit monitoring services that cost a few bucks to about $30 per month are worth the money.

Dado Ruvic | Reuters

Lance Cottrell, chief scientist at Ntrepid, a security and information management company, said credit monitoring agencies do little to prevent you from having to clean up the mess. "At best, they provide early warning that you have already become a victim of ID fraud so you have the opportunity to take action early in the process," said Cottrell. Increasing awareness of identity-theft risks and breaches when they happen is a good start. About 20 percent of consumers surveyed by J.D. Power said they were not aware of the Equifax data breach, while 51 percent said they were either very or somewhat aware. "Consumers are more vulnerable to identity theft than ever before, which is why it's so important to take proactive identity theft protection measures," said John Danaher, president of consumer interactive at TransUnion. The company launched TrueIdentity, a free credit protection tool that allows customers to lock and unlock their credit reports in the event of a breach, among other options, for this reason, he said. TransUnion also offers a premium tool that offers enhanced measures for a monthly fee, which Danaher says helps cover the company's security costs. Experian and Equifax, which each have their own paid credit monitoring services, did not return requests for comment. "The reality is that most [credit monitoring services] are the same services repackaged by different companies," said James Barnash, a certified financial planner with SGL Financial in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. The biggest thing to distinguish between them, he says, is how well they support you in the event of a breach. LifeLock, for example, offers up to $1 million in stolen funds reimbursement, $1 million in legal and expert fee reimbursement, and $1 million in personal expense reimbursement, credit and Social Security number alerts, annual credit reports and 401(k) plan and investment activity alerts for about $30 per month.

The service was worth what I paid: nothing. Jed Grant hacking victim

Identity Guard charged David Edwards, president of Heron Wealth in New York, about $24.99 per month for credit score monitoring, banking alerts, scanning the "dark web" and providing $1 million insurance for the reimbursement of stolen funds, after one of his firm's vendors was hacked, exposing his credentials, passwords, American Express charge card number, expiration and PIN. "I simply changed all our passwords and got a new Amex card. Nothing came up after a year, so I did not renew the subscription," Edwards said. The value lies in whether you want help to clean up an identity theft incident, and if you can afford it, said Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the nonprofit Identify Theft Resource Center. A cyberbullying benefit doesn't make sense if you don't have children, for instance. "It's a personal choice for people," she said. "It's a time and tedium factor." At least for now, there are several free ways to keep tabs on your credit. The Identify Theft Resource Center provides a free remediation plan with actionable steps and templates. And whether or not you were affected by the Equifax breach, that company is offering consumers a free year of credit monitoring service on its TrustedID Premier service if they sign up by Jan. 31 It includes monitoring reports generated by the three largest credit-reporting firms, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion , the ability to freeze credit, buy identify theft insurance and monitor potential misuse of your Social Security number.

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Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk at the 67th International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Sept. 27, 2016.

Earlier on Wednesday, Chicago's Mayor Rahm Emanuel asked respondents to present proposals to develop, design, equip, finance, operate and maintain an O'Hare Express operating system through a public-private agreement with Chicago.

Musk, the chief executive of electric car maker Tesla and rocket company SpaceX, recently started the Boring Company to build transport tunnels for the system, which he says would be far faster than current high-speed trains and use electromagnetic propulsion.

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk said on Tuesday The Boring Company will compete to fund, build and operate a high-speed Loop connecting O'Hare Airport to downtown Chicago.

"Although cost estimates for the project are not yet known, the RFQ (Request for Qualifications) stipulates that the O'Hare Express Service will be funded solely by project-specific revenues (like fares or advertising) and financed entirely by the concessionaire," Mayor Emanuel's office said in a statement.

"There will be no taxpayer funding for the project."

Musk is seeking to revolutionize transportation by sending passengers and cargo packed into pods through an intercity system of giant vacuum tubes known as the "hyperloop."

Musk: A Loop is like a Hyperloop, but without drawing a vacuum inside the tube. Don't need to get rid of air friction for short routes.

When asked on Twitter to elaborate on his "high-speed loop" proposal that would link O'Hare Airport to downtown Chicago, Musk tweeted, "A Loop is like a Hyperloop, but without drawing a vacuum inside the tube."

"Don't need to get rid of air friction for short routes," Musk added.

Passengers will travel in "electric pods for sure. Rails maybe, maybe not," Musk said in another reply.
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 30 (PTI) Superstar Salman Khan is no stranger to controversies and the actor believes rows such as around "Padmavati" affect the movie business adversely.

The 52-year-old star today said a film suffers a lot in an unfriendly environment as people avoid theatres, fearing violence.

"I am not sure if there is any benefit (out of this) but it definitely leads to loss. There is loss, a lot of loss, I have seen it for myself. People are scared to go to the theatres. Business goes down 100 per cent.

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"Even if the film is in news, no one goes to theatres out of fear. Theatre owners are also scared because they dont want violence and stone-pelting outside their theatres. People do panic," Salman said when asked about protest around the film.

The actor was in conversation with senior journalist Shekhar Gupta at the HT Leadership Summit here.

Sanjay Leela Bhansalis period drama is embroiled in a controversy with various Rajput groups and political leaders accusing the director of distorting history.

The Deepika Padukone-Shahid Kapoor-Ranveer Singh starrers release date has been deferred from December 1 till further notice by the makers.

Salman has worked with Bhansali in three films - "Khamoshi: The Musical", "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam" and "Saawariya".

When Gupta asked Salman if the director had a track record of hurting sentiments, the actor, never the one to give a straight answer to a question, quipped that Bhansali had offended him.

"I dont know about others but he definitely offended me. I gave him two hits -- "Khamoshi" and "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam" and he took Shah Rukh in the next one (Devdas)," he joked.

On a more serious note, the actor said although one must respect peoples sentiments, calling for a ban on a film without even watching it was unfair.

He said the only decision that would matter will come from either the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) or the Supreme Court.

"I dont think it is fair to hurt anyones sentiments. It is also not fair to comment on a film without seeing it. The censor board will give its certificate and we will go by it.

"It (the film) has been talked about so much that it is no longer clear what is right or what is wrong. The censor board or the Supreme Court will take a decision and everyone should respect that."

Incidentally, Bhansali and CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi met a parliamentary panel on IT today to discuss the problems and issues surrounding the film. PTI RDS BK BK

--- ENDS ---
"We do not believe that foreign-invested companies generally should be required to promote the development of any political party within company structures," the statement said. "Should these attempts to influence foreign-invested companies continue, it cannot be ruled out that German companies might retreat from the Chinese market or reconsider investment strategies."

The body said it had received reports about attempts by the party to strengthen its influence on wholly foreign-owned German companies operating in China. There is no legal basis for such companies to promote the party.

In a statement released last week, the Delegations of German Industry and Commerce in China  which represents the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce in China  said foreign businesses faced increasing challenges in the country as the party's influence on their operations grew.

A trade group has warned that members of the German business community in China are concerned about a request from the ruling Communist Party to set up cells in their companies  and some may even pull out of the market if the pressure continues.

The party has been trying to make inroads into foreign-funded companies since President Xi Jinping came to power and began pushing to increase its role in all aspects of life in China.

"As far as I know, some foreign-funded companies have been required to offer full pay for at least one party branch member who would deal with the company's party branch issues," said Liu Kaiming, head of the Institute of Contemporary Observation, a think tank based in Shenzhen.

"Operators of foreign firms usually see a Communist Party branch in their company as something set up by staff to help promote goodwill and communication with the party. But now they feel these branches are trying to extend the party's influence within company operations," Liu said.

"Members of these branches often meet and hold activities  it's not a positive influence on staff. So far, the effects have been limited, but many companies are worried about whether this situation will escalate."

More from the South China Morning Post:

China's Communist Party makes big inroads into foreign-funded firms

Why a Chinese Communist Party branch at the University of California, Davis, was disbanded

Let a thousand trees bloom: Chinese officials start drive to give Xi Jinping's dream city a greener look

About 106,000 foreign-invested companies had set up party units by the end of last year, Qi Yu, deputy head of the Central Organisation Department, said in a media briefing last month. That figure has more than doubled since 2011, when it was 47,000.

Meanwhile, 70 per cent of foreign-funded firms in China  or 750,000  have set up party branches, Qi said. That is similar to the proportion of the country's 2.73 million private businesses that have set up branches  it was 67.9 per cent at the end of last year.

"Some senior executives at foreign-invested companies say party organisations can help them understand China's policies in a timely manner, resolve labour disputes and provide positive energy for their companies' development. The majority of them welcome and support party organisations carrying out activities in their companies," Qi said at the briefing.

Last week, a group of visiting Chinese academics raised eyebrows after they were reported to have founded a party branch at the University of California, Davis.

The branch, which planned to meet every two weeks, had tasked its members with promoting the organisation to their colleagues or neighbours who were coming to the United States, it said, and to absorb party members into the organisation. The branch was shut down after the academics realised they had founded it illegally.

The US Foreign Agents Registration Act requires all individuals and groups acting under the direction or control of a foreign government or political party to register with the Department of Justice in advance and regularly report their activities.
President Donald Trump talks with House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) as he promotes a newly unveiled Republican tax plan with House Republican leaders in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, November 2, 2017.

Congress is barreling toward a Dec. 8 deadline to avoid a government shutdown, but there's one tug-of-war they don't expect to start until the new year: Raising the debt ceiling.

A House Republican working group gathered Tuesday evening to discuss a list of debt ceiling priorities to consider when the urgency of keeping government open is a non-issue, according to multiple meeting attendees and a copy of the list obtained by CNBC.

The proposals mostly concern traditional Republican efforts to enforce the budget and instill spending discipline: By requiring a signature from the president; subjecting all spending, even mandatory spending, to the appropriations process; instituting "difficult to bypass" spending guardrails; making the process for short-term deals more onerous; or reforming Social Security and Medicare.

One particular proposal  tying spending caps and the debt ceiling to economic growth  led to a heated discussion in which attendees questioned whether such pegs would be arbitrary or even feasible.

"Most people admitted that going from 'big idea' to 'legislative text' would be immensely challenging," said one attendee who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the group's deliberations are private. "Strangely, there was no word at all about the looming debt ceiling deadline," this attendee said, noting the group's conversations categorized the ideas as "for next year."

A senior White House official told CNBC that deliberations will likely come to a head in January after one or two continuing resolutions, since Congress remains in the thick of tax reform. Treasury will know by Dec. 15 how much longer it can creatively finance debt payments based on the tax receipts it tabulates, this official said. Congressional aides said members have been told the debt limit could be reached in February or March.

Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., whom House Speaker Paul Ryan tapped to lead the debt ceiling group, said in an interview that the group would prefer to make lasting changes than small tweaks in this cycle.

"I would not tie current events to a working group that is looking for long-term solutions," Collins told CNBC. "The benefit, up or down, of this group is not what happens in the next three weeks."

Even so, members of the group that spoke to CNBC anonymously had hoped to provide a list of concrete proposals to Ryan by Dec. 1, or a week before the Dec. 8 funding deadline and described the Tuesday meeting as a "Come to Jesus" moment and "crunch time."

Collins said he speaks regularly with Ryan about the group's discussions, including Wednesday following the meeting. An email circulated Wednesday evening to the group said a meeting with members and Ryan is in the works to chart "a path forward."

Ryan assembled the working group in early October after President Donald Trump sided with Democratic leaders to suspend the debt limit for three months. More than half of the group's members voted against the September deal. The group represents widely varying ideologies within the party  from fiscal hawks demanding caps on spending to moderates who wouldn't mind a "clean" debt limit increase if it spares the full faith and credit of the United States.

Bipartisan support would be needed to raise the debt ceiling, and Democrats had sought to secure passage of legislation to protect "Dreamers" in exchange. In September, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Treasury's ability to prioritize certain payments, an exercise termed "extraordinary measures," meant Republicans could decouple the two issues by dealing with government spending first and the debt ceiling later.

"I can confidently predict there will not be a connection with the debt ceiling and spending decisions in December," McConnell said in September. "It doesn't mean we won't have to address the debt ceiling at some point, but it will not be in December."

Immediately following Trump's debt deal with "Chuck and Nancy," discussions followed on how to "de-politicize" the debt ceiling so it doesn't require horse trading so often. The White House then pivoted to tax reform, and it's unclear how President Trump's views have evolved since then.

This week, the president tweeted "I don't see a deal!" with Democrats on government funding, leading Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, the top-ranking Democrat in the House, to skip a White House meeting on that topic.

A senior administration official told CNBC that the president would in theory support a move to re-link the debt ceiling with the annual budgeting process  a move that would automatically raise the debt ceiling when Congress approved a budget resolution and scrap the need for a separate vote.

Collins said, based on what he knows about his members' positions, the White House would be met with resistance.

"Fiscal conservatives like myself would say, 'We're just hiding an issue here,'" Collins told CNBC. "We need to make some long-term restraints."

By CNBC's Kayla Tausche. Follow her on Twitter:
While President Donald Trump on Wednesday vowed tougher sanctions against nuclear-armed North Korea, some believe there's a risk that Kim Jong Un's totalitarian regime may feel threatened enough to strike with dangerous action that could have far-reaching consequences.

In a tweet Wednesday, Trump wrote that he spoke to China's President, Xi Jinping, about the North's actions and said, "Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today." Trump is hoping China  North Korea's longtime ally and largest trading partner  will apply enough pressure on Pyongyang to get them to abandon the country's missile and nuclear weapons development.

Trump's pledge to impose the additional sanctions followed Tuesday's intercontinental ballistic missile test-firing by Pyongyang that arms control expert David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists said showed the North Koreans are capable of striking all of the United States. North Korea's state media outlet KCNA said Wednesday its latest ballistic missile test was a Hwasong-15 ICBM capable of carrying a "super-large heavy warhead," and the secretive regime added that it had completed development of its "state nuclear force."

"We have to be careful on these sanctions," said retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, who served as an advisor to South Korea's military while on active duty and is now a defense expert at Defense Priorities, a Washington think tank. "We don't want to push them too far to where it's like we did with Japan in World War II with the embargo we placed on them."

The retired colonel said the events leading up to then Imperial Japan attacking Pearl Harbor in 1941 included the U.S. imposing an economic embargo on Japan, including a ban on oil and gasoline exports. He said the Japanese government at the time "viewed it as an existential threat, since they can't live without oil" so they attacked in an attempt to forestall it.

"So we don't want to push the North Koreans too far," Davis said. "We want to keep pressure on them but not lethal pressure because that will just cause them to strike. Let's not just give in to it but continue to work with consistent diplomatic pressure over many years if necessary. Maybe someday we can get to a denuclearized peninsula."

Experts say another strategy that might work is to convince the North Koreans that Trump is serious about taking military action. Some suggest this would be akin to the "madman" with the bomb signaling that Richard Nixon used during the Vietnam War.

"There's an in-between measure that would be a high degree of military pressure," said Denny Roy, an Asia Pacific security expert and senior fellow at the East-West Center, a think tank in Honolulu. "That is putting it in the minds of the North Korean government that the United States is seriously contemplating a military attack, even if we don't actually intend to do so."

In other words, Roy asserts that such military pressure from Washington would force North Korea to make the decision of whether it wants to have the nuclear capability or to survive. Others don't see the North's leader giving up nuclear weapons anytime soon, since the regime is well aware of what happened with Libya's Moammar Gaddafi when he gave up his nuclear weapons programs after facing Western pressure.

Still, Roy concedes that a pre-emptive U.S. military strike is probably not realistic due to "collateral damage to South Korea."

Even so, South Korean military leaders have expressed concern that Trump might launch a strike on the North without first consulting Seoul's government.
President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walk from the Oval Office to the Residence of the White House in Washington, U.S. February 13, 2017.

Just days ahead of a Beijing visit, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has yet to decide on whether to launch talks on a free trade deal that China has long pressed for and could face a cool reception over his government's decision to snub Chinese interest in Bombardier.

China wants a free trade pact similar to the ones it has with Australia and New Zealand but Trudeau, aware of domestic unease at the idea, is moving slowly.

"No decisions have been taken at this end as a government," a Canadian source familiar with the matter said about the possibility of talks being announced during Trudeau's Dec 3-7 visit.

Trudeau's office declined to comment.

Trudeau is caught in a tough position. Although polls consistently show Canadians are split over the merits of a trade deal, Canada needs to diversify exports to offset the possible damage done if the United States pulls out of NAFTA. Any China trade deal would take a decade to complete, insiders say.

The prime minister also faces pressure stemming from distinct signs of impatience from China. Beijing laments what it sees as Canada's "vague thinking" about a deal, said one person briefed on the Chinese position who asked to remain anonymous given the sensitivity of the situation.

The Canadian source said the government was aware of Chinese impatience but, while diversification is important, Ottawa was setting "a high bar in terms of what trade means for Canadians."

"While they may be impatient to move forward, I think they understand that," the source said.

Foreign executives operating in China complain about difficult working conditions, arbitrary decisions by local courts and lack of protection for intellectual property rights.

The visit comes as plane maker Bombardier is eager to win a breakthrough order from Chinese carriers for its CSeries jet, whose fuselage is made in China.

But the chance of nabbing such deals has become more cloudy after Canada encouraged Bombardier to sell a controlling stake in the CSeries program to Airbus rather than a Chinese firm.

Some Chinese commentators called Bombardier "mad" for spurning a China tie-up, while others expressed dismay saying that it was a missed opportunity to gain access to the firm's valuable technology.

Trudeau, who will meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, agreed last year to hold annual talks with senior Chinese figures. An official Chinese statement on Trudeau's visit did not mention trade once.
Arizona State University dszc | Getty Images

Arizona State University

Arizona State University (ASU) has two tuition-free programs. The first is the ASU College Attainment Grant Program, which provides full tuition to Arizona residents who qualify to receive Pell Grants from the government. In order to see if you are Pell Grant eligible, students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA.) The second program, the Obama Scholars Program, is geared toward "highly motivated Arizona residents who demonstrate leadership qualities." In order to be eligible for this program, students must demonstrate that their families earn $42,400 or less annually.

Community College of Philadelphia

Thanks to the 50th Anniversary PROMISE Scholarship, Philadelphia High School graduates are able to attend the Community College of Philadelphia completely free of charge if they are Pell Grant eligible. In order to maintain this scholarship, recipients must attend school full time and earn a 2.5 cumulative grade point average at the end of each academic year.

The University of New Hampshire Danita Delimont | Getty Images

University of New Hampshire

In 2017, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) announced that it would charge New Hampshire residents receiving Pell Grants absolutely nothing in tuition. UNH estimates that 285 first-year students will benefit from this new program in 2017. "UNH's Granite Guarantee allows us to remove more of the financial barriers to higher education that many New Hampshire families face," said UNH President Mark Huddleston. "This new program demonstrates our strong commitment to ensuring a UNH education is affordable and accessible to New Hampshire's best and brightest."

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The IMD said heavy-to-very-heavy rainfall at isolated places were "very likely" over south Tamil Nadu and south Kerala during the next 24 hours.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor struggles with his umbrella in his constiuency, Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram (Photo: Shashi Tharoor/Twitter)

By India Today Web Desk: Cyclone Ockhi, lashing parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala with torrential rains and gusty winds, was approaching the Lakshadweep archipelago, a top official at the Ministry of Earth Sciences said Thursday.

Four people have died in Tamil Nadu. A 24-year-old man, Vishnu, was killed in Kerala's Kollam after a tree fell on his autorickshaw.

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Madhavan Rajeevan, secretary in the ministry, said Lakshadweep would begin experiencing heavy rainfall and strong winds from tomorrow.

"It will hit the islands on December 2," Rajeevan said. The cyclonic storm was "very likely" to move west-northwestwards towards Lakshadweep Islands and intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours, the Cyclone Warning Division of India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned.

Mahesh Palawat, vice-president (meteorology and climate change) of Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency, said there was a possibility of flooding in the islands due to heavy rainfall.

Squally windspeed reaching 55-65 kmph and gusting to 75 kmph was very likely along and around Lakshadweep Islands during the next 12 hours, and may increase thereafter with wind speed becoming 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph from tonight.

Sea conditions would be "very rough to high" over and around Lakshadweep Islands during the next 12 hours and "high to very high" during subsequent 48 hours, the IMD said.

TAMIL NADU AND KERALA

The IMD said heavy-to-very-heavy rainfall at isolated places were "very likely" over south Tamil Nadu and south Kerala during the next 24 hours. The private forecaster Skymet Weather, too, said southern regions of the two states can expect "heavy to very heavy rains" tomorrow as a result of cyclone Ockhi.

Social media users are reporting winds, rainfall, and damage to property. One of them was senior Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor.

Photo: @ShashiTharoor/Twitter

Photo: @sophilal/Twitter

Photo: @sophilal/Twitter

Photo: @sophilal/Twitter

Photo: @sophilal/Twitter

The MeT department said Kanyakumari, Tuticorin and Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu would receive "heavy rainfall" in the next 24 hours, and asked fishermen in these regions not to venture out to sea, predicting windspeeds of 65-70 kmph. The state's disaster management authority (SDMA) later asked residents of these southern regions to stay indoors.

Pl retweet and share with ur friends in #southTN In wake of #Ockhi Cyclone alert for #kanyakumari #tuticorin and #coastal #Tirunelveli #staysafe indoors and take precautions but DON'T PANIC. Watch TV, listen to radio n follow @tnsdma for fastest and authentic updates! pic.twitter.com/fZ1Pc5EZjh- TN SDMA (@tnsdma) November 30, 2017

The SDMA said over 500 trees and almost 990 electric poles had fallen.

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami said teams were deployed to ensure no one is affected and that supplies are regularly provided to citizens. Ministers and IAS officials in the region have been asked to work to avoid untoward incidents.

Actor Kamal Haasan said Kanyakumari was "floating" in the rains, and expressed condolences for the people who were affected.

??????? ?????????? ?????????? ????????. ?????????????????? ????????? ?????????? ??? ?????? ???????????.- Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) November 30, 2017

Kerala's state disaster management authority said heavy rains were possible in southern regions between today and Friday, and also advised against fishing. Windspeeds could be as high as 55-65 kmph in the next 48 hours, it said.

Puducherry will receive moderate rainfall in the next 24 hours, and Chennai can expect a "few spells of rain," MeT department director Balachandran said.

Here are some more visuals from the affected regions.

4pm. Its pitch dark here. Rain has picked up a bit now. Wind hasnt eased a bit. Still at times its ferocious and scary. First time experience of a cyclone in this part. pic.twitter.com/zxcgR5taXN- VIJAYA KUMAR (@pevekay) November 30, 2017

Stay safe all!Heavy to very heavy rain forecast for south Tamilnadu and south Kerala.Cyclone Ockhi formed 60 KM south of Kanyakumari.Cyclone likely to intensify into a severe cyclone, move West towards Lakshadweep. Video courtsey Ren Abraham who got stuck enroute to Nagarcoil. pic.twitter.com/iDeALAatfk- Sneha Koshy (@SnehaMKoshy) November 30, 2017

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(With inputs from PTI)

--- ENDS ---
For some professionals, reporting to an office every day not be an ideal routine. In fact, last year 43 percent of working Americans said they spent at least some time working remotely. Companies like Amazon, Hilton and Dell adding more remote work positions, but some employers still fear that flexible work schedules will decrease productivity and collaboration. To convince your boss that a remote work policy can be good for business, FlexJobs career specialist Brie Reynolds suggests following these five steps:

Thinkstock | Getty Images

1. Evaluate the demands of your position

Before scheduling a meeting with their boss to discuss an adjustment to their schedule, Reynolds says an employee should first evaluate the responsibilities of their job. "For example, if you work in sales and meet with a lot of clients in the office then working from home may not be best for you," she tells CNBC Make It. "Maybe think about adjusting your schedule to only take clients during a certain time and get a flexible schedule that way." If you have any friends who have negotiated a flexible work schedule, Reynolds also suggests asking them how they went about convincing their boss.

2. Check in with your HR department

Check with your company's HR department to get insight into whether the company has a remote work policy that isn't being employed in your division, or if they have ever had one in the past. If there was once a remote work policy in place, ask why it was eliminated. If there is one that is currently in place that other departments are using, ask workers from that department how the flexibility is impacting them. Then, present any positive feedback you receive to your boss.

3. Draft a proposal

After getting information on your company's relationship with remote work, draft a proposal that makes the case for why a flexible schedule will be good for your work, your team and your boss. In explaining its benefit, Reynolds advises employees to steer clear of focusing on personal motivations. "Some people have a more personal relationship with their boss, but if you don't, then keep it on a professional level," she says. "It will show that you thought about not only yourself, but the impact it will have on the company as a whole." For example, Reynolds says you can make the business case for how a remote work policy can eliminate your commute and help you start your day less stressed.

4. Plan for a trial period

In addition to drafting a proposal, Reynolds says employees should also create a plan that allows their boss to agree to a trial period. In this plan, you should outline how long the trial period will be, what you will be doing during that period and how you and your boss can measure your success. Mapping out a trial period, Reynolds says, can be great if you know your boss will be hesitant about committing to a full-time work-from-home plan.

5. Present your idea
Amazon has held preliminary talks with makers of generic drugs about its potential entry into the pharmacy space, according to people familiar with the discussions.

The conversations, including with generics giants Mylan and Sandoz, a unit of Novartis , have been high-level, and the nature of Amazon's plans isn't yet clear, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions aren't public.

Shares of Mylan were up nearly 2.5 percent in after-hours trading.

Health care investment bank Leerink confirmed in a note to investors on Thursday that Sandoz' Peter Goldschmidt at a recent biopharma event "met and discussed with Amazon its plans for getting into the U.S. healthcare market." But it was not made clear whether Amazon will enter as a drug wholesaler, meaning business-to-business, or sell generic medications as a retailer.

Sandoz also said it does not expect Amazon to have a "major impact" on its business.
An American Airlines plane takes off at the Miami International Airport.

American Airlines pilots appear to be giving up their holidays so travelers' vacations won't be ruined.

The airline said Thursday that "only a few hundred" flights out of 200,000 it has scheduled for next month don't have pilots assigned to them. A scheduling platform glitch allowed too many pilots to take vacation during the busy holiday travel period in late December.

"That number of open flights continues to decrease thanks to our pilots who are stepping up to the plate and picking up trips to ensure customers are taken care of," said American Airlines' spokesman Matt Miller.

The airline offered pilots 150 percent of their hourly pay to sign up to work on the understaffed flights.

A representative of the union representing some 15,000 American Airlines' pilots told CNBC that he is trying to confirm the figures from the airline on the scheduling platform.

The airline said it doesn't expect to cancel any flights because of the problem.

If the situation remains unsolved, the pilot shortage could be costly for the airline.

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents about 26,000 American Airlines cabin crew members, said it would demand pay for the employees who signed up to work the schedules that lack pilots if their flights were canceled. Flight attendants only get paid when the flight begins.

Thousands of travelers were stranded in September after budget airline canceled some 2,000 flights because of a problem scheduling pilot vacations.
An initiative of China, AIIB is an inter-governmental regional development institution in Asia based in Beijing.

The China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is eyeing a Europe listing for its debut global bond.

Issued in U.S. dollars, the inaugural bond listing will "more likely be in Europe," AIIB Vice President Thierry de Longuemar told Reuters on Wednesday. "It will done under English law."

The AIIB, which has 80 member countries, was set up by China as its answer to the World Bank to help meet the estimated $26 trillion need for infrastructure spending in Asia through 2030.

The development bank is expecting to issue its first international bond sometime in 2018 and aims to make it a benchmark for the market.

The size of the offering has yet to be specified.

"It will not be early 2018," said de Longuemar. "The only thing I can say is that for regulatory reasons we need to have the 2017 financial statements audited and agreed by our board before being able to issue."

But he cautioned that the issuance would be dependent on "market conditions permitting."

The AIIB obtained the highest credit ratings earlier in 2017 from agencies Moody's, S&P Global, and Fitch. It also received a 0 percent risk weighting by the Basel Committee in October.

While the AIIB has an initial total capital of $100 billion, it sees a global bond as important "to brand ourselves within international capital markets and become known in investor communities," said de Longuemar.

"I'm talking here about a global US denominated bond, but we may also issue other bonds of lower amounts targeted to other markets in the future," he added.
Chipotle Mexican Grill's search for a new chief executive adds uncertainty to the restaurant's earnings trends, according to Blair, which downgraded the shares Thursday.

Even if Chipotle finds a new CEO quickly, the addition of a new leader often results in a costly few transition years, wrote William Blair analyst Sharon Zackfia.

"While ultimately the move may prove a positive over the long term and accelerate the company's turnaround, it also likely signals that trends remain under pressure and creates more near-term uncertainty until a successor is announced," she wrote Wednesday. "As a result, we are downgrading the stock to Market Perform."

Chipotle announced Wednesday that it has begun to search for a new CEO, with current chief and founder Steve Ells becoming executive chairman. Ells and two others are leading the search, the company said.

Chipotle shares rallied on the news of the leadership change and closed more than 5 percent higher Wednesday. Shares closed Thursday down 0.1 percent.

Foodborne illness outbreaks have plagued Chipotle. Most recently, a norovirus outbreak in July at a Sterling, Virginia, restaurant only pushed customers farther away. The company faced similar outbreaks during the past few years.

The company did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on the analyst's downgrade.
Following is the transcript of a CNBC interview with Willem Marx and Micheal Martin, Leader of the Opposition in Ireland.

W: We booked this trip a few weeks ago, and it ended up being quite a newsy sort of period for us to be here. And I wonder now that the Tanaiste has resigned a couple days ago. Whether you think, as the leader of your party that, that's that done and dusted?

MM: Well certainly in terms of the confidence and supply agreement, which is an agreement we as the opposition party have with the government, whereby we facilitate the government in terms of budgets and in terms of key issues, by abstaining on budgets and so on, or voting for mergers. That will now continue. We had a very shaky week, there's no question about that. And damage was done to trust and the relationship. But we are determined to rebuild that trust and that engagement in the interests of the country and I think that will happen. And, there is no immediate sense of any general election or anything like that now. And, so the government is free to pursue the core issues that bedeviled the country - housing and health issues, domestic issues that are there in a lot of countries, and of course the Brexit negotiations that are ongoing. And that represents such a threat to Ireland into the future and to the island of Ireland as a whole.

W: You had several days with direct talks with Mr Varadkar, and I wonder at the end of those, do you now have personal trust in the man?

MM: Well I think actually in the midst of the crisis, through our discussions, I think we reached better understandings. But, there is no doubt that, you know, emotions in both parties and that are bruised. But, that said, I think we are clear in terms of the immediate challenge ahead in both domestic issues and in terms of Brexit. And I think we both learned a lot from this particular episode, and that is the key.

W: Do you support his proposal and his government's proposal that Northern Ireland should remain part of the Customs Union and the single market?

MM: Yes, in short. Although I put forward a proposal, which is similar, in terms of a special economic zone - that Northern Ireland would be a special economic zone - that would have regulatory convergence with the European Union's Customs Union and single market. We should have devolved administration restored to Northern Ireland because of the failure there between the two main parties, Sinn Fein and the DUP - we don't have such an assembly.

But if it was restored, it would have the capacity in terms of a devolved power from the UK parliament, to actually ensure the maintenance of regulatory convergence, so that we could have essentially, Northern Ireland included in the European framework. Now it may also mean, that it would also be included in the UK framework, depending on the ultimate settlement between the UK and the European Union. So it is a bit complex, and it does need far more fleshing out. But fundamentally our position is aligned with the government in terms of the national objectives. And there's more or less a unity in the Irish parliament around that core question, because any suggestion of a restoration of a border is very problematic for Ireland - both in terms of trade, commerce, business, the natural flow of people north and south. But, most critically of all, it has the potential to endanger the Northern Ireland peace process, which, is really, has evolved in the context of the European Union and the absence of any border, any economic border or fiscal board, any barriers to the free movement of people, goods, and services. So it's a very very sensitive a complex issue and we are worried about it as an island. Now equally, to be honest with you, the whole peace process was the British-Irish relationship, the north-south relationship, and the relationship between two communities in the North. I'm concerned also with the east-west relationship. I think, British-Irish relations are strained as a result of Brexit. I would prefer less stridency in the public articulation of the issues. There is a need to ensure post European Union membership in the context of the British government and British people, that we devise new alternative ways of having a structured relationship with the United Kingdom, that maintains our very close ties in kinship, family, business, trade, and the free travel area as it has become known which involves the seamless interactivity in a whole range of activities of life between citizens of both countries.

W: You talk about the strain in relationship there between Dublin and London, how much of the blame for that do you lay at the door of Mr Varadkar?

MM: I believe it's a consequence of Brexit and the opposing positions. I think, in the first instance it's very difficult for the Irish government to be honest, to come to terms with different perspectives emanating from the United Kingdom, particularly even within the British government. Essentially, there are different factions and different camps within the government in Britain. That said, I think there is a need for less stridency in the articulation of the issues. I think there's a need to be conscious of the diplomatic dimension to this, and the need for the long term relationship with Britain to be good. Not easy, so I'm not in a blame game her, I'm rather more in an advisory role to the sense that I think, in the conduct of our Brexit negotiations, it's extremely important that we keep an eye on the British-Irish relationship into the future. We are members of the EU. We're negotiating as members of the EU and we're for that of course. But, we all have to live in harmony after Britain leaves the European Union. And not only just in harmony, but in a relationship that can ensure the optimization and realizing the full potential that that relationship can yield in terms of commerce and economy. So ultimately, the U.K. deal with the EU is as critically important to Ireland as anything else. In other words, anything short of an approximation to the Customs Union will be damaging to the Irish economy, to our agri-food industry, and particularly to our economy in rural Ireland, and across the regions, and the border counties where you visited yesterday.

W: You talk about political unity with Fine Gael, and yet I wonder we've not heard any very specific details from the Taoiseach, or anyone else in senior levels of his government about what they want in terms of a written commitment from the UK on the border. What does your party want to hear from Westminster about the solution they've kept promising about the border?

MM: Well, so far we have generalities, you are correct. I think the Irish government is looking for more concrete language around how they would in practice put into operation the import of the comments that they've been making up to now. In other words, if everybody says we must have a frictionless border, if the British government are saying there cannot be a border between North and south. OK, tell us how that's going to happen, if at the same time you want to be outside the customs union and you want to be outside the single market. So that is our, that is the difficulty. Now, there is a vagueness around what's been asked for. I think there's negotiations ongoing between Europe and Britain in relation to this, and the Irish side and our diplomats and officials at the European level are obviously making a contribution to those deliberations. But, it has to be a greater concretisation of the principles, if you like, into some workable formula that would give us some indication that Britain is going in a direction that actually means one we'll take.

W: So again, you say you're in an advisory role here when it comes to Brexit.

MM: I mean, I'm talking to you, I'm saying, "my advice would be"

W: Yeh, sure. so what would your advice be to the British government? What specifically could they offer as a solution?

MM: Well I've made suggestions for example, in terms of a special economic zone. That would give Northern Ireland the best of both worlds. And it needs that actually because the economic model in Northern Ireland hasn't worked. And what we're proposing is something that would preserve the existing constitution and framework of Northern Ireland within the Good Friday agreement as part of the United Kingdom until a majority decides otherwise into the future. So we, we're not, anything we say, does not impair the constitutional position of Northern Ireland. However on the economic side, Northern Ireland could do with a fillip - some of the worst statistics across Europe. So, in other words, continuing to be part of the European trading area, whilst at the same time having access to the UK - the new situation that will emerge within the UK - could actually work out quite well for Northern Ireland. I think it's accepted across the United Kingdom that a united Ireland is in, economically, probably the worst position. And therefore, if we could move the politics, the constitution politics to one side, and concentrate on that sort of pragmatic idea then I think we could achieve a lot. Pascal Lamy, formerly of the WTO, has put forward something similar as a potential solution to this very serious problem. He's instanced Hong Kong and Macau as potential models. We have many many economic zones across the world, it's not a new concept.

W: But it's quite new for Europe, so I wonder whether you think that hybrid model can be accepted in countries like Spain and Portugal and France?

MM: Well given the peace process, given the centrality of peace, of the necessity to maintain the peace process, I think there is, there would be a good reception in Europe to this because it's interesting.

I'm a member of the ALDE group, and Guy Verhofstadt is the parliamentary repertoire for that. When Brexit happened, and I went to an ALDE meeting with Prime Minister's - Mark Rutte and others - their immediate concern was the peace process. How would this affect Northern Ireland? How would this affect the peace? And that has been a very significant factor in Michel Barnier's approach to this and the European Union's approach to this. Because, the European Union was a factor in the peace process.

I actually would say that the British-Irish relationship flourished under the EU. Why? Because we met ministers very regularly at European meetings. When I was a Minister for Education, Health, Enterprise, Foreign Affairs - I was on first name terms with my British colleagues. Civil servants were on first name terms with British civil servants. The relationship really blossomed under the European Union. Then Europe, through peace money, put a lot of investment into Northern Ireland and to deprived areas and so on like that, and to the cross-border relationship. So Europe has a stake. It's probably one of the more successful peace initiatives that Europe has ever been involved in. So, there is no desire across Europe for that to be frittered away or needlessly undermined. And so I think, if we push hard enough I think it will be difficult to take your point in terms of different regions across Europe. But given the uniqueness of Northern Ireland in the context of what has happened over the last 30 years, I think there's a case to be made for it.

W: As the leader of a major political party in the Republic of Ireland though, are you disappointed that this is not until now been such a priority for the British government?

MM: Well I am, and I'm being charitable in some respects. But, when the when the vote happened, I think a lot of people woke up in Britain the day after and said - What have we done? What does this mean? What's the blueprint? There was no blueprint for Brexit. And, nobody had a roadmap. I think that's probably the greatest failing of the entire initiative. And I keep saying to people here - not that there's any likelihood because we're probably the most pro-European Union population in Europe judging by opinion polls and so on - but if anybody ever suggested in Ireland that we should leave the European Union, my first question will be, give me the blueprint.

W: You think that was the failing on the British Brexit campaign side then?

MM: Absolutely. It was shocking in my view. It's my personal view - you know, you can't go to the people and... This decision was so, fundamental. It alters the relationship between Europe and the UK, that's one thing. It has huge impacts for the UK economy and society. Huge impacts for Ireland. Huge impacts for all of Europe. Before we make a decision of that seismic scale, you should really do far more due diligence and work out what actually will mean. We're all grappling with it. What does it mean in aviation? You know the Open Skies policy. What does it mean in terms of the Euratom Treaty in terms of nuclear power? What does it mean in terms of economy and trade? For a number of European countries it would be a severe impact if we don't get some harmonization and regulatory convergence between the UK and Britain into the future. Sorts us, the UK and EU, into the future. So I was taken back by that dimension to the campaign and it's very clear that even within the government -still the British government took a long wave to find a way. Now there is a sense now of a pattern, or some work pathways being developed and so on like that. But it's taken the guts of a year and a half to get to where we are today. And yet, lots of files remain unopened. When I say files - a whole range of issues. It's an enormous enormous project. Our revenue did report - I criticize our own government for not publishing it - it's horrendous in terms of what they're suggesting for small businesses, in terms of red tape, bureaucracy, compliance costs.

Britain was part of the largest free trade zone in the world. And it opted to leave it in the interest of pursuing trade elsewhere. To me personally it doesn't make sense. And the result will be; I met the representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, some of them located in Britain, recently. What they had to tell me in terms of the impact on their productivity potentially, how they will get authorization for medicines post membership of the EU. It's all very poorly determined. They don't have an idea. Companies in different sectors are working flat out to try and work out the implications for their businesses, for their competitiveness. All of this will mean costs on British industry. It will mean costs, because we're at the border, on our industries as well, and on our SME's. So, we're very very worried about it, to be honest. And there is a degree of national self-interest, I make no apologies in saying that. This has negative impacts for Ireland. From day one I have said, Brexit it is about limiting the damage it can do.

W: So what can your government do to limit that damage?

MM: I think working with the EU, or partners in the EU. Try and persuade Britain to have a deal that's as close as possible to the existing Customs Union and single market, essentially a regulatory convergence in terms of standards and so on, that means we can trade on a continuing basis.

W: So one final topical question then: The European Union has made very clear that they want specific answers to some of these questions about the Irish border in the next few days. Do you think, based on the fact that you've said all you've heard so far are generalities, do you think Theresa May's government can deliver those specifics in the next few days?

MM: I think they can deliver some, I do. And they're going to have to work for them. I mean we met with Boris Johnson some weeks ago, and the British government position up to then was 'trust us'. Now that's not a base I accept, and I agree with the Irish government on this, and Leo Varadkar that we cannot just go in blind to the next phase without some clear indication as to the pathway in relation to the border of north and south on the island of Ireland. That's very very important.

W: Fine, thank you so much for your time today.

MM: Thank you indeed.

W: Are you optimistic about next week, in terms of those proposals?

MM: I think something will come through. I mean, my sense is that there will be progress made. Whether it will constitute a breakthrough or not, I'm not sure yet. I know that their papers have been exchanged, I know the mood music is a bit better than it was two or three weeks ago.

W: It sounds like you would support Mr. Varadkar in remaining quite hardline on this. Do you think you will?

MM: Oh we will of course. I mean the Irish Parliament is at one on this absolutely at one on this. This is an important moment for us. And I think to be fair, we have been fair with the European Union in the sense that there was a view that at the beginning of these talks that Ireland might try and negotiate behind the scenes with Britain, and not just as members, of course which isn't possible. But I think Europe has been impressed with the degree to which we have been part of the EU 27, and we accept  I think Michel Barnier has given us a very straight, up-front negotiating push, and he has been - he came to the parliament here, he is experienced, has a good understanding of the Irish situation, and I think that  that gives us some confidence that we can get a reasonable important outcome to this summit. Now this summit obviously is a staging post to the next more

W: But it's a very symbolic one for the British Government isn't it?

MM: It is symbolic  I can see where the British government are coming from, I understand where the British government are coming from because if you obviously, indications in terms of the border do presage maybe the ultimate nature of a deal between Great Britain and the European Union. So I get the complexities of it from both sides, but nonetheless I think it's time to move on from the generalities around the Irish border and to get to some concretes.

W: When you hear from people like Dr Fox and David Davis that, you know, they want to wait until the future trade has more clear outlines, the relationship on trade has got a clear outline before they can commit to anything on the shape of the Irish border question, do you think that's just a question of buyers' remorse, given that they agreed on the sequencing back when they did?

MM: Yes I mean we all know the sequencing, I think what's going on here is to a certain extent as well, buying for time maybe, because of the internal splits within the Conservative Party on this. That is a problem, there is no doubt. Because we've witnessed this over the last 12 months, when some moderate Tory Ministers put forward some ,what we would say is reasonable ideaswhen I say moderate I mean, people who're remainers maybe, or people who are not as enthused about what we would call the extreme level of Brexit that some want to advocate for you know. Some of them are called treasonous; some of them are called treacherous, which is kind of completely over the top. So, it's taken quite some time for the British government to try and get a workable position that has all the different factions on board.

And I think there is a sense maybe that if Theresa May shows her hand too early, in terms of real pragmatism in resolving this, that that pragmatism gets undermined by various camps within the Tory party that are pushing for hard Brexit, and in the midst of that you have all the leadership issues.

W: Doesn't sound like you'd like her job

MM: No, at this political point in time. [But there comes a time when you've got to make the move, you've got to make the decision. That's the key point. Someone has to grab this in the UK, in my view, and put shape on it. And it is emerging, even though they've managed to forge that consensus to a certain extent in Britain, they now have to realize that even with that consensus, you now have to go through the European Union  just because you've forged a consensus within Britain doesn't necessarily mean you're there, because obviously you have to negotiate then.

ENDS

For more information contact Jonathan Millman, EMEA Communications Executive:

Jonathan.Millman@CNBC.com

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Kroger 's quarterly earnings were "impressive," and show that pressure from Amazon wasn't going to deter major grocery chains immediately, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Thursday.

Shares of Kroger were more than 9 percent higher Thursday, trading around $26.70, after the company reported higher-than-expected fiscal third-quarter earnings and upbeat same-store sales. The company said aggressive discounting lured more customers to its stores.

"It's incredible. You'd think they must be getting taken over," Cramer said on "Squawk on the Street" about Kroger's stock rise.

Earlier Thursday, Kroger's chief financial officer, Michael Schlotman, told CNBC that the company's results are a reflection of its work to "redefine the grocery shopping experience."

The Cincinnati-based supermarket chain, which also owns Ralphs and Harris Teeter, has been lowering prices at its stores and has sought ways to work more with local brands. That comes as it faces competition from Wal-Mart and a merged Amazon and Whole Foods.

"There were a lot of people short Kroger," said Cramer, the host of CNBC's "Mad Money." "They didn't understand that Amazon tomorrow is not going to wreck Kroger's margins."

"'Death Star' is going to hurt things," Cramer said, referring to Amazon. "But you have to see the whites of their eyes. I mean they didn't destroy Kroger the moment they bought 400 stores of Whole Foods."

Cramer said if he were Kroger, he'd be more concerned about Wal-Mart. "Because, Wal-Mart is the biggest grocer," he said. In October, Wal-Mart announced changes to its grocery business, including plans to add 1,000 online grocery pickup locations at its U.S. stores in fiscal 2019.

 Reuters contributed to this report.
The chief executive of Credit Suisse has sharply altered his view on global central banks, telling CNBC that policymakers have been handling the current environment "very well."

"You have heard me previously taking about QE (quantitative easing) in a negative way. I was worried about the exit strategy a few years back. I have got to say ... that they (central banks) have handled this very well," Tidjane Thiam told CNBC.

Central banks have embarked on a low interest rate policy in the wake of the financial crisis, which has lowered banks' profitability. However, with the recent pick-up in the global economy, central bankers in the U.S., Europe and the U.K. have started slowing down their asset purchase programs or even lifting benchmark rates. This change in strategy if abruptly done or ill-communicated could spark a sell-off in markets as investors quickly change their perspectives. But, as yet, that hasn't been the case.
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In the light of the rising popularity of cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin and ethereum , central banks around the world are busy experimenting with their own versions of cryptocurrency, or digital currency. China's central bank announced in January that it has completed a successful trial run of transacting digital currencies among banks. Then in September, Japan, Sweden and Estonia all announced similar digital currency projects: J-coin for Japan, E-krona for Sweden and Estcoin for Estonia. The roster doesn't stop there  the UK, Uruguay and Kazakhstan have all expressed similar ambitions. On Wednesday, William Dudley, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, said the Fed is exploring the idea of offering its own digital currency, according to published reports on comments the Fed president made at a conference. However, Dudley said it would be "very premature" to estimate when the Fed would come up with its own version of bitcoin. How soon will we see a government-backed digital currency up and running? This past summer Peter Smith, CEO of Blockchain (the leading digital wallet), predicted that "we are 24 months from a major government issuing a sovereign digital currency." This global phenomenon is so new that no one has yet to solidify a term to address it. Some call it central bankissued cryptocurrency or government-backed cryptocurrency. Some refuse to call it cryptocurrency, naming it digital fiat or sovereign digital currency. "To me the idea of cryptocurrency is free of control from any person and institution. There's nothing cryptocurrency about these [government-backed projects]," said Jacob Eliosoff, investment manager of Trevi Digital Assets Fund. He added: "You have one institution that controls it, and they can change the rules when they want; they can prevent certain transactions from happening if they don't trust the party involved. It's not that that's bad, but that's not a cryptocurrency. That's just a currency that happens to run on a computer. "

Getty Images

Driving this global trend is a confluence of factors. Governments are now responding to the rise of cryptocurrencies. It is a global market composed of a number of virtual currencies  i.e. bitcoin, ethereum, Zcash, dash T that has reached $335 billion in size, according to CoinMarketCap. And it is expected to reach $2 trillion in 2018, predicts Mike Novogratz, a billionaire trader and long-time cryptocurrency bull who forecast a bitcoin price increase by the end of next year to as high as $40,000. This year alone, Bitcoin's value has soared about 900 percent hitting more than $11,0O0 Wednesday. At the same time, ethereum's value rose a whopping 5,900 percent to $519.85 on Wednesday. Investors in cryptocurrencies have been riding a tremendous bull run, outpacing stock market returns by a huge margin so far this year. The S&P 500 is on track for a 20 percent annual return, but meager when compared to such cryptocurrencies as bitcoin.

Many countries concerned about the future of finance are tracking the digital currency movement, and they are developing strategic plans for adoption. "I think China, in particular, as opposed to some other countries over the last four years, felt the threat of the rise of bitcoin and other cryptocurrency," said Paul Triolo, practice head of geotechnology at Eurasia Group. "The [Chinese government thinks] that [cryptocurrencies] could potentially threaten the central government control over the financial system."

We are 24 months from a major government issuing a sovereign digital currency. Peter Smith CEO of Blockchain

Governments also see blockchain  the underlying technology of cryptocurrencies  as a way to move forward or perhaps even to get ahead of the trend. In countries like Sweden and China, cash is giving away to more convenient mobile payment systems. Last year only 15 percent of retail payments in Sweden were made in cash, a steep drop from 2010, when cash payments accounted for 40 percent. More from Global Investing Hotspots:

World capital of blockchain is now rising in the Middle East

World markets boom even as the globe gets more chaotic and dangerous "There's this really interesting prospect of creating a platform for innovation," said Xen Baynham-Herd, head of strategy and lead economist at Blockchain. "If a government was able to issue a second currency in digital form, it would be a building block of the money for the internet. You can imagine micro transactions and cross-border payments happening as easy as sending an email to someone."

The value proposition
CVS Health could announce an acquisition of insurer Aetna for more than $66 billion as early as Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

The talks are advanced and would likely see Aetna valued at between $200 and $205 a share and be comprised mainly of cash, the Journal reported.

The talks, like all deal discussions, could be delayed or ultimately fail, the Journal cautioned.

Aetna had a market capitalization of $59.27 billion after the report came out Thursday morning. Shares rose about 1 percent. CVS had a market capitalization of $77.2 billion as of Thursday morning, and its shares rose more than 2 percent on the report.

CVS and Aetna both declined to comment.

Woonsocket, Rhode Island-based CVS has been transforming itself into a health-care business for years, propelled by its acquisition of the Caremark pharmacy benefit manager platform in 2007. (A PBM typically is a third party that negotiates prescription drug benefits for a commercial health plan.)

This past quarter, CVS generated roughly 70 percent of its sales from its PBM business  up 8.1 percent from the quarter before.

An acquisition of an insurer like Aetna could give CVS more scale to bargain better prices for the prescription drugs it sells on its counters. It could fortify Aetna's insurance business by creating the ability to offer its insured cheaper copayments, presumably only in CVS stores. Its vast retail footprint could serve as a cost-effective distribution center, or locations for in-store clinics.

It comes as Amazon has been threatening to enter the drug industry in some fashion. With Amazon as a competitor, customers would have even less reason to go into CVS stores than they do now. Shoppers can now find cosmetic and household staples at other retailers and online, sometimes for a lower price.

Amazon recently told regulators it will use pharmacy licenses it obtained from Tennessee and Indiana to sell medical devices and supplies, not to sell prescriptions.

For Aetna, the deal would mark a change in strategy after its attempted tie-up with Humana was blocked by a federal court on antitrust grounds. A CVS deal would be a so-called vertical integration  an acquisition down a company's supply chain rather than "horizontal"  an acquisition of a direct competitor. Such deals are thought to be less threatening to antitrust authorities. Still, AT&T , which is making the largest recent attempt at vertical integration with its proposed $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner , has been sued by the Department of Justice to stop the deal.
Elon Musk took the time to respond when a passenger couldn't find the mirror on the sun visor in her parents' Tesla this week. And the move, though simple, was a brilliant lesson in leadership.

Monday, Nikki Sylianteng asked Musk via Twitter whether what she thought was the omission of a mirror on the passenger side sun visor was "intentional or an oversight." She was trying to do her makeup in the passenger seat and couldn't find it.

Nikki Sylianteng tweet

Musk, the CEO of both Tesla and SpaceX, tweeted back, assuring her it was there and directing her how to locate it.

Musk tweet in response

Sylianteng was elated to hear from the billionaire tech executive  and to find the mirror. "Woo thanks!" she replied.

Musk's communicatin elicited other impressed responses. "Amazing customer support!" tweeted Nitin Alabur. "Wow, Best CEO. You need to sleep. Goodnight," says Evelyn Janeidy. "You know the product is great when the CEO himself solves customer problems. Not your average CEO. Mad respect!" says Salman Pasha.

Nitin Alabur tweet

Evelyn Janeidy tweet

Salman Pasha tweet

It's not the first time Musk has tweeted support to Tesla customers.

In September, Musk responded to a potential Tesla customer who was unhappy with a sales representative he had encountered in the Stanford, Calif., store.

Pleased customer tweet

According to Musk, he's frequently in the trenches at Tesla in many different ways. On a conference call about the company's most recent quarterly financial report, Musk said he doesn't even have a desk, he goes to where the problem is.

"I always move my desk to wherever  well, I don't really have a desk, actually. I move myself to wherever the biggest problem is in Tesla," said Musk. He has also talked about being on at the Gigafactory, helping diagnose calibration issues until 2 a.m.

"I really believe that one should lead from the front lines and that's why I'm here," he said.

A boss's willingness to respond to individual customers can go a long way. Employees are much happier at work if they know their manager has the skill set to do what they are asking their employee to do. That's according to research that focused on 35,000 randomly selected employees and workplaces in the U.S. and Britain, highlighted by the Harvard Business Review in 2016.

"Even we were surprised by the size of the measured effect," the authors remark in a piece penned for the Harvard Business Review. "For instance, among American workers, having a technically competent boss is considerably more important for employee job satisfaction than their salary (even when pay is really high)."

The strategy seems to be working for Musk. Space X and Tesla both top the charts of tech companies top talent wants to work for, according to a recent survey conducted by job website, Hired.

World Economic Forum tweet with survey data

See also:

Here's what it will be like to travel to Mars in Elon Musk's spaceship

Elon Musk: Up all night, at times depressed, taking the blame for Tesla production delays

Billionaire Elon Musk responds to unhappy Tesla customer on a Friday night, teaching a brilliant lesson in customer service
The 19 finance ministers of the eurozone are due to vote on their new chief at a meeting Monday  a key moment to understand what direction the monetary union might take in the near future.

There are four candidates for the position: Mario Centeno, finance minister of Portugal; Peter Kazimir, finance minister of Slovakia; Pierre Gramegna, Luxembourg's finance minister; and Dana Reizniece-Ozola, head of Latvia's finance ministry.

The vote is important, not only because the new president of the Eurogroup will be faced with key decisions, such as debt restructuring for Greece, but also because it will clear the path to understand who might head the European Central Bank after Mario Draghi.

This is because there are a few positions up for grabs in the eurozone, including the leadership of the European Central Bank (ECB), and European lawmakers tend to distribute them in a way that strikes a balance between political affiliations and national backgrounds.

Who's the favorite?

At the moment, Portugal's Finance Minister Mario Centeno is seen as the most likely person to replace Jeroen Dijsselbloem as head of the Eurogroup.

Dijsselbloem is leaving the post in January after losing his position as finance minister in the Netherlands following elections earlier this year. The new head of the Eurogroup needs to be a sitting finance minister from the euro area and needs to follow the attempt to balance out nationalities and political groups.

Centeno seems to fit such criteria. He is from the Socialist Party in Portugal, and because currently the majority of the big European positions are in the hands of the center-right, his political membership becomes a plus; the Portuguese economy has been growing at a strong pace since he began leading the Finance Ministry in 2015; and he is perceived as a good professional among his European colleagues.

According to the Financial Times, the leaders of Italy, Portugal, France and Germany met at the sidelines of an EU Summit in the Ivory Coast Wednesday and the consensus was Centeno was best placed to take on the leadership of the Eurogroup.
European equities closed lower Thursday, as market sentiment in the region failed to be lifted by the positive trade seen in the U.S. and in oil. The pan-European Stoxx 600 fell 0.33 percent provisionally by the close, with most sectors closing in negative territory. Looking to bourses, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 tumbled 0.9 percent as sterling posted strong gains against the U.S. dollar. France's CAC 40 and Germany's DAX , meanwhile, closed down 0.47 and 0.29 percent respectively.

European markets



While Europe closed on a relatively negative note, Wall Street showed a different picture. The Dow broke above 24,000 for the first time Thursday, with it rising over 180 points by Europe's close. Switching back to Europe, telecoms outperformed fellow industries, with the majority of its stocks closing in the black. Meanwhile, construction & material and basic resources were the worst performers of the day. Mining stocks, in particular, came under pressure, as nickel prices tumbled some 2.5 percent. In individual stock news, Swiss bank Credit Suisse rose 2 percent, after it announced plans to boost shareholder returns. Meanwhile, in a CNBC interview, CEO Tidjane Thiam said that policymakers have been handling the current environment "very well." Mediclinic led the STOXX 600 by the close, finishing up 4.7 percent, after Jefferies upgraded its rating on the stock from "underperform" to "buy". Euronext followed, soaring 4.2 percent after it announced it would acquire 100 percent of the Irish Stock Exchange's shares, for 137 million euros ($162 million).

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On the opposite end of Europe's main benchmark, the Daily Mail and General Trust tanked 23.86 percent after reporting a pre-tax loss for the financial year ending in September. Citing impairment charges and challenging market conditions, the owner of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers slumped to near 5-year lows. Dialog Semiconductor, tumbled almost 18 percent after the Nikkei business daily reported that Apple was designing its own main power management chips, to use in its iPhones, from as early as 2018. According to Reuters, the German firm says the report doesn't change any business ties it has. Norsk Hydro slipped 4.5 percent after a strategy update, which showed that while it expects earnings to improve, it foresees an increase in capital expenditure over the coming years, Reuters reported.

All eyes on OPEC
The Republican Senate tax plan includes a 1.4 percent excise tax on universities with endowments larger than $250,000 per full-time student. According to data from the Chronicle of Higher Education, 61 colleges and universities fit into this category. Roughly 41 percent are located in red states. At first glance, taxing wealthy colleges may be perceived as an attempt to dethrone the Ivy League universities seen as bastions of coastal liberal elitism. But many conservatives are arguing that this provision in the Republican tax plan would not be in the best interest of their constituents. According to the most recent data available from the National Center for Education Statistics, 50 percent of the colleges with the 20 largest endowments are located in states that went for Trump in the 2016 election.

Hesburgh Library at Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Michael Hickey | Getty Images
"Applying this 20 percent tax to products made in Puerto Rico would put tens of thousands of U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico out of work and demolish our tax base right as we are trying to rebound from historic storms"

Today, the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico ranks fifth in world pharmaceutical production with over 70 plants. We rank third in biotechnology with over 2 million square feet of plant space. All told, the manufacturing of pharmaceutical products and medical devices represents roughly a third of the entire Puerto Rican economy, according the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

More broadly, manufacturing is central to Puerto Rico's economy, comprising half of our gross domestic product, a third of our tax base and three-quarters of our exports ($14.5 billion in 2016). Manufacturing employs 75,000 Puerto Ricans in good-paying jobs and another 160,000 people whose jobs depend on the manufacturing sector. This could represent about 25 percent of our workforce. Real people, real jobs. All at risk, unless Congress fixes this poorly constructed new levy.

The House and Senate bills were written to prevent companies from relocating to lower-tax countries or gaming the existing tax code by shifting profits to overseas tax havens. This change runs the risk of hobbling some companies with multi-national supply chains. Aside from an economic catastrophe, applying it to Puerto Rico really makes no sense: Companies that operate in Puerto Rico have chosen to do business in the United States and have created thousands of needed jobs for U.S. citizens residing in Puerto Rico.

Operating costs are higher in Puerto Rico because businesses comply with U.S. laws and regulations, including the minimum wage and environmental and labor rules. By applying base erosion rules to companies in Puerto Rico, Congress would severely undermine Puerto Rico's competitiveness with low-cost foreign jurisdictions.

Congress enacted PROMESA last year to enable Puerto Rico to restore economic health in an orderly process. As congressional leaders said, "PROMESA is not a bailout for Puerto Rico. PROMESA will prevent a bailout by federal taxpayers." By enacting this new levy, tax reform would only make it harder for Puerto Rico to regain its financial and fiscal stability and would only make a bailout more likely.

When our administration took office this year, we implemented a range of difficult measures and adopted a demanding, but achievable, ten-year fiscal plan to achieve economic recovery within about six years. That plan was dependent on preservation of Puerto Rico's manufacturing sector, as well as our tax base.

In the aftermath of those destructive hurricanes, we cannot afford to take a hit from Congress. Congress should not apply the same-base erosion provisions to Puerto Rico they have created to stop companies from shifting profits to overseas tax havens. It would cripple our economy at the moment we are most vulnerable.

Commentary by Ricardo Rossello, governor of Puerto Rico. Follow him on Twitter @ ricardorossello.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
Matt Lauer looks on during the NBC News Commander-in-Chief Forum with democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on September 7, 2016 in New York City.

Sexual harassment in offices, newsrooms, movie studios, and the halls of Congress has exploded in the media consciousness in 2017, but it's most certainly not new  or rare. In the last decade, researchers have examined how often sexual harassment happens (frequently) and how effective tools are aimed at preventing it (not very). But relatively little research exists on how sexual harassment in the workplace affects salaries. But one study suggests that there is a connection between the two.

Joni Hersch, an economist and professor of law and economics at Vanderbilt University, published a study on women's pay and sexual harassment in 2011. She found that women employed in workplaces where sexual harassment is common earn a bit more than they would in jobs with a lower risk.

Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, assessed Hersch's findings and disagrees with the conclusion that women earn "danger pay." However, she makes a complementary argument: Women not willing to put up with harassment are being pushed out into lower-paying jobs.

More from Vox:

#MeToo is powerful but will fail unless we do more: Feminist Stephanie Coontz on backlash

Revisiting Matt Lauer's sexist 2012 interview with Anne Hathaway

How NPR became a public case study of workplace sexual harassment



Even though the economists disagree on the existence of danger pay, they both conclude that the risk of or experience of harassment leads some women to take jobs that pay them less than what they might otherwise make. The counterintuitive idea that women make more for being harassed suggests that walking away comes with a price.

As more and more women have stepped forward to call out abuse by powerful men, the big question is no longer "does this really happen?" After hundreds of stories and dozens of investigations, the answer is clear: "absolutely." Now, it's time to tackle another question: What is sexual harassment doing to us, and what does it mean? It's time to talk about the complex question of harassment and pay.

Hersch examined EEOC data to calculate the risks of sexual harassment for different industries and wrote a paper entitled "Compensating Differentials for Sexual Harassment" for the American Economic Review in 2011. She found that across all industries, people in jobs with a higher risk of sexual harassment earn a premium  in other words, slightly higher wages, roughly 25 cents per hour for women and 50 cents for men  relative to people in jobs with a lower risk of sexual harassment. This pay disparity is larger than the current wage gap, measured by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) at 20 cents.

Her argument is based on the economic concept of "compensating wage differentials." In short, jobs with more risks or more unpleasant working conditions pay more than jobs with fewer risks and better working conditions.

In an interview, Hersch told me, "Certain industries  mining for instance  have more fatalities than, say, working in a bank. And, part of the pay that workers in mining earn is in recognition that they're at risk of fatality or injury on the job."

"Even though they're not specifically getting injured," she continued, "the fact that there's ongoing risk means that the only way to attract workers to these industries is if you pay more than comparable work [adjusted for skills and education] that would not expose you to that risk of injury or fatality."

Take mining for example: In West Virginia in 2010, the average starting salary for a miner was roughly $60,000. Compare that to the average salary of a cashier working in West Virginia: just under $12,000.

To Hersch, the pay premium for women in industries with high rates of sexual harassment should be thought of as "danger pay." "Workers hate being exposed to the risk of sexual harassment," she said, "in the same way that they hate being exposed to the risk of workplace fatality or serious physical injury, and require 'hazard pay' to work in jobs with such heinous working conditions."

She said that in many industries, the expense of paying women a premium isn't enough for businesses to monitor and stop harassment in the first place. For one, sexual harassment is largely underreported  though up to 75 percent of women surveyed in one study had experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, just 29 percent reported it. No wonder, when complaints of sexual harassment at work often lead to retaliation, not justice. Until sexual harassment claims are reported accurately, Hersch says, the pay premium won't be high enough for businesses to decide that it would be more economical to stop harassment.

I asked Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, to take a look at Hersch's findings. Gould studies wages and economic activity, and authored a report in 2016, "'Women's work' and the gender pay gap," focused on how discrimination and societal gender norms affected women's employment decisions.

While some conservatives have argued that the wage gap  the average difference between men's and women's wages  is driven by women deciding to focus on child-rearing or take a job in a satisfying (if less well paid) field, Gould argued that some women weren't choosing to leave higher-paid fields, they were getting pushed out  by job pressures, societal expectations, and hostile work environments.

Gould said her main concern with Hersch's findings is the inability to differentiate between compensating wage differentials  people get paid more to work jobs with bad conditions  and other explanations, such as that higher-paid jobs have better means by which women can fight back against sexual harassment.

In short, because the vast majority of cases of sexual harassment are never reported in the first place, it's difficult to discern what impact sexual harassment claims made to the EEOC have on wages, and in Gould's view, harder still to ascertain if wages in fields with high rates of sexual harassment are examples of compensating wage differentials.

"What could be going on is that in industries where wages are higher," she said in an interview, was that "employees are generally treated better and face less retaliation for filing a complaint. So when there is sexual harassment in an industry, it is more likely to be reported (and in the study's data) in a higher-paid industry rather than in a lower-paid industry."

But Hersch disagrees, telling me that women in higher-paying jobs might work for companies with formal sexual harassment policies, where claims are dealt with in-house  and not by the EEOC. In contrast, women working in low-paying fields  like the hospitality or service industry, for example  might take their complaint straight to an external authority. "So we may actually see more charges filed by women in lower paying jobs," she said, adding that "they also have less to lose if their employer retaliates."

Gould and Hersch may disagree on compensating wage differentials, but Gould does agree that women who leave jobs or get pushed out of positions by sexual harassment likely make less money. On that, there's little debate.

The research on sexual harassment in the workplace is largely new  and much of the analysis of harassment's impact on pay is still being done. We don't know, for example, how many women enter into a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) field but end up in a lower-paying job outside of that field  not by choice, but because of sexual harassment. We also don't know how many cases of sexual harassment are going unreported by companies that have policies to keep such reports under wraps.

But if the perspectives of Hersch and Gould tell us that the toll sexual harassment takes on women in the workplace is a complicated one, there's a lot more research to be done on how harassment affects our economy, our career paths, and ourselves.
Tezos co-founder and CTO Arthur Breitman and his wife and co-founder Kathleen Breitman respond to questions during the Money 20/20 conference in Las Vegas, October 24, 2017. Steve Marcus | Reuters

Cryptocurrency project Tezos raised over $200 million in July by selling digital tokens so it could build out a secure network for smart contracts. A month earlier, Bancor reeled in $154 million on the promise of creating a transparent way to value digital coins. They're two of the biggest so-called initial coin offerings (ICOs) to date, and both hit huge stumbling blocks right out of the gate. Tezos was struck by internal financial shenanigans and an embarrassing public spat. Bancor was beset by trading glitches  its coin is worth less today than it was at the time of launch. And just like that, one of the hottest summer trends in tech has faded before year-end. While investors pile into bitcoin, which surged past $10,000 for the first time this week, and continue to bet on the newer currency ethereum, they've lost their appetite for niche tokens that hit the market through a rush of ICOs. According to TokenData, an industry analytics firm, November will wind up as the slowest month for ICOs since August, with 34 offerings as of Wednesday. More importantly, just 23 percent of the deals reached their maximum goal, the fifth straight month in which fewer than one-third of ICOs hit their target. That's a stark contrast to the April-to-June period, when between 41 and 57 percent of deals met their mark. October was the biggest month for ICOs at 90, but also the month with the weakest success rate at 17 percent, according to TokenData.

ICOs -- Hard Cap (Max Goal) Reached Month Yes No Total Success % 17-Jan 1 3 4 25% 17-Feb 1 7 8 13% 17-Mar 1 1 2 50% 17-Apr 8 7 15 53% 17-May 7 10 17 41% 17-Jun 17 13 30 57% 17-Jul 9 20 29 31% 17-Aug 11 29 40 28% 17-Sep 11 50 61 18% 17-Oct 15 75 90 17% 17-Nov 8 26 34 23% Total 89 241 330 27%

Source: TokenData

"The downward trend in number of projects that reach the hard cap is a signal that the ICO hype has cooled off a bit," said Ricky Tan, founder of TokenData, in an email. He said many of the token sales falling short of their goals are "mediocre to low-quality projects." High-profile eruptions aren't the only problem. Regulators are also making their presence felt. The Securities and Exchange Commission issued its first public warning in July, indicating that digital coins may be subject to securities laws, and the agency followed up in September by charging two companies with ICO fraud. That month, China banned initial coin offerings. Celebrities have been put on notice after stars including boxer Floyd Mayweather, actor Jamie Foxx and Paris Hilton endorsed specific ICOs. The SEC said on Nov. 1, without naming names, that "these endorsements may be unlawful if they do not disclose the nature, source, and amount of any compensation paid, directly or indirectly, by the company in exchange for the endorsement." William Mougayar, organizer of the Token Summit conferences in New York and San Francisco, said the regulatory hurdles have slowed the market. "What's changed recently is they are spending more time on the legal aspect, so they are not developing these ICOs as quickly as they were before," said Mougayar. ICOs, almost unheard of until 2017, have raised more than $3.6 billion this year, according to financial research firm Autonomous Next. The fundraisers are for projects based on blockchain technology and for teams focused on gaming, cloud storage and smart contracts. To contribute, backers buy a project's token with the hope that it will give them access to a technology platform, or appreciate in value like an investment.

'Message to the world'

Crypto entrepreneurs have turned to ICOs as an alternative to venture capital, both as an easier and faster way to raise hefty amounts of money and because founders don't have to give up equity. Emmie Chang, the founder of crypto investment platform Superbloom, said at the ICO Forward NYC Summit earlier this month that ICOs have changed the whole fundraising process. Rather than pitching individual investment groups, crypto teams try to drum up enthusiasm through places like messaging app Telegram. "You have to now put out your message to the world," Chang said, adding that projects need to reach about 100,000 people in order to get the necessary 5,000 or 10,000 token buyers. Earlier this year, the most high-profile ICOs were hastily reaching their target. Storj and Civic raised tens of millions of dollars in no time. EOS said on July 1 that it raised $185 million in five days. Tezos and Bancor similarly reached their fundraising goals with speed. But then the problems began. Arthur and Kathleen Breitman, the founders of Tezos, wrote in an open letter on Oct. 18 that the project had fallen behind in building up its development team and in "articulating our vision." More ominously, the Breitmans said they discovered that Johann Gevers, head of the Tezos Foundation, had been hiding how much he was attempting to pay himself.

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The leader of prominent Irish political party Fianna Fail is optimistic that upcoming Brexit talks will produce some sort of proposal for Ireland regarding its northern border. This marks a starkly different attitude from many other European Union member states and certainly many other Irish politicians. "I think something will come through. I mean, my sense is that there will be progress made. Whether it will constitute a breakthrough or not, I'm not sure yet," Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin told CNBC on Wednesday. "But I know the mood is a bit better than it was two or three weeks ago." Fianna Fail is one of Ireland's top two political parties, and its support has been key to the survival of the minority government of Fine Gael, the party currently heading Ireland's government and to which Prime Minister Leo Varadkar belongs. Both parties are center-right and have their roots in the Irish Civil War.

Leader of Fianna Fail, Micheal Martin, speaks to the media during the Partys Ard Fheis at the RDS, Dublin. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday October 14, 2017

Ireland's government and the EU have made it clear they want specific answers on the Irish border question in the coming days. The border issue separating Ireland from the U.K.'s Northern Irish province has emerged as one of the most intractable flashpoints of the Brexit debate: after 20 years of open borders and trade following the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended the sectarian conflict between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, the U.K. wants to take Northern Ireland out of the EU customs union. Many fear this will mandate the reimposition of a hard border.

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On whether U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May's embattled government in London can provide solutions to these concerns, Martin told CNBC, "I think they can deliver some, I do. And they're going to have to work for them. "We met with (U.K. Foreign Secretary) Boris Johnson some weeks ago, and the British government position up to then was 'trust us'," Martin continued. "Now that's not a base I accept, and I agree with the Irish government on this, and with Leo Varadkar that we cannot just go in blind to the next phase without some clear indication as to the pathway in relation to the border of north and south on the island of Ireland. That's very, very important."

Divided inside, united outside

After a tense week of political gridlock over the future leadership of deputy prime minister Frances Fitzgerald, a Fine Gael official whose past in politics recently came under intense scrutiny, partisan relations in the Irish government are at a low. Fitzgerald resigned on Tuesday under pressure from both the opposition and her own party, and Varadkar came out of several days of negotiations (which were aimed at protecting Fitzgerald's position) appearing politically weaker.

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Asked if he had trust in Varadkar after their days of talks, Martin replied: "I think actually in the midst of the crisis, through our discussions, we reached better understandings. But there is no doubt that emotions in both parties are bruised. "But, that said, I think we are clear in terms of the immediate challenge ahead in both domestic issues and in terms of Brexit. And I think we both learned a lot from this particular episode, and that is the key." On whether he stood with the prime minister's perceived hardline approach to Brexit talks and the border question, he said emphatically: "Oh we will of course. The Irish Parliament is at one on this absolutely at one on this. This is an important moment for us." While fractured internally, Ireland's political parties appear united in wanting Northern Ireland to remain in the EU customs union. Martin cited economic concerns when it came to the threat to the customs union, which has for decades allowed tariff-free and seamless trade between the U.K. and Ireland. "It will mean costs, because we're at the border, on our industries as well, and on our small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). So, we're very very worried about it, to be honest."

'There was no blueprint'

"There was no blueprint for Brexit. And nobody had a roadmap. I think that's probably the greatest failing of the entire initiative," Martin stressed. "Before we make a decision of that seismic scale, you should really do far more due diligence and work out what actually will mean. We're all grappling with it." Martin told CNBC he has put forward a proposal similar to the customs union, which would make Northern Ireland a "special economic zone that would have regulatory convergence with the European Union's customs union and single market."

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Results of the DDA housing schemes 2017 are being announced right now.

By India Today Web Desk: The results of the DDA housing schemes 2017 were announced today with the entire draw of lots live streamed at: http://webcast.gov.in/dda

The draw of lot for the 46,182 registrants was held at the Vikas Sadans Auction Hall in New Delhi. A total of 12,617 flats across four income categories were up for grabs. The flats are located in Rohini, Dwarka, Narela, Vasant Kunj, Jasola, Pitampura, Paschim Vihar and Siraspur.

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According to the DDA, the scheme is linked with the Prime Minister's Residential Scheme. And so, if the selected applicants meet the prime minister's housing scheme standards, they will get subsidy of about Rs 1.5 to 2 lakhs on interest from the financing bank.

Allotment letters to those whose names came up in today's draw of lots will be sent out within a month. Once the letters are sent, the winners will get three months to make the payment for the flats. If no payment is made in three months, an additional time of three months will be given but only at a 12 per cent interest rate.

If the payment is not made after six months, the allotment will be cancelled.

Of the total number of flats that were up for grabs today, around 10,000 unoccupied ones were from the 2014 housing scheme, while 2,000 had been lying vacant.

The 2017 housing scheme, which offered 12,000 flats, ranging from Rs 7 lakh to over Rs 1.26 crore, was launched on June 30.

After the closure of the extended deadline for submission of forms, about 90,000 forms were sold.

The 2014 scheme offered 25,040 flats across categories, with prices ranging between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 1.2 crore. The online response was so massive that the DDA's official website crashed soon after the launch.

The one-bedroom flats were offered in Dwarka, Rohini, Narela and Siraspur areas.

With inputs from PTI and Roshni Thakur

--- ENDS ---
Simon Coveney, the new Irish deputy prime minister, arrives at the Mansion House in Dublin.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Thursday named Foreign Minister Simon Coveney as deputy prime minister, replacing Frances Fitzgerald, whose resignation over a policing scandal on Tuesday allowed the government to avoid a snap election.

Varadkar also appointed Heather Humphreys as Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation and Josepha Madigan as Minister for Culture.
White House senior advisor Jared Kushner (C) looks on as U.S. President Donald Trump (R) delivers remarks at the White House in Washington, September 26, 2017.

President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has been questioned by special counsel Robert Mueller's team of investigators about former national security adviser Michael Flynn, a person familiar with the investigation confirmed Wednesday to The Associated Press.

The person said the questioning of Kushner earlier this month took about 90 minutes or less and was aimed in part at establishing whether Kushner had any information on Flynn that might be exculpatory. The person said multiple White House witnesses have been asked about their knowledge of Flynn, who was forced to resign from the White House in February after officials concluded he had misled them about his contacts with the Russian ambassador.

The confirmation of Kushner's interview came as prosecutors working for Mueller postponed grand jury testimony related to Flynn's private business dealings.

The reason for the postponement was not immediately clear, but it comes one week after attorneys for Flynn alerted Trump's legal team that they could no longer share information about the case. That discussion between lawyers was widely seen as a possible indication that Flynn was moving to cooperate with Mueller's investigation or attempting to negotiate a deal for himself.

An attorney for Flynn, Robert Kelner, did not immediately respond to email and phone messages Wednesday afternoon. Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, declined comment.

In a statement, Kushner's attorney, Abbe Lowell, said, "Mr. Kushner has voluntarily cooperated with all relevant inquiries and will continue to do so."

The details of Kushner's questioning and the postponement of the grand jury testimony were confirmed by people familiar with Mueller's investigation. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation.

The grand testimony that had been scheduled for the coming days related to Flynn's firm, Flynn Intel Group, its work with a public relations firm and interactions with congressional staff, one of the people said.

Mueller and the FBI have been interested in hearing from employees at the public relations firm, SGR, because of the firm's work with Flynn Intel Group. SGR, which does business as Sphere Consulting, did public relations work on a film Flynn Intel Group was working on about Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen. The film was never completed.

Mueller was appointed by the Justice Department in May to oversee an investigation into potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. The investigation, which produced its first criminal charges last month against three former Trump campaign officials, incorporated an earlier FBI inquiry into Flynn's lobbying and investigative research work on behalf of a Turkish businessman. Flynn's firm was paid $530,000 for the work.

Sphere employees have cooperated for months with Mueller's investigation, including by turning over documents requested by investigators and sitting for voluntary interviews.

An October 2016 meeting that was expected to be the subject of the grand jury testimony has been described as a bait-and-switch carried out on behalf of Flynn's firm.

As the AP reported in March , Flynn's business partner, Bijan Kian, invited a representative of the House Homeland Security committee to Flynn Intel's offices in Alexandria, Virginia, to discuss secure communications products. But after discussing the products, the session quickly turned into a lobbying pitch that mirrored Turkish government talking points.

Kian and others involved were particularly interested in pushing for congressional hearings to investigate Gulen, whom the Turkish government has blamed for a botched coup and who has been living in exile in Pennsylvania. Gulen has denied any involvement.

Flynn Intel Group's requests for congressional hearings went nowhere.

Flynn disclosed some of the details of the meeting in a filing with the Justice Department earlier this year. According to that filing, an employee of Sphere consulting was present during the meeting.

CNN first reported the postponement.
The mayor of London has called on U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May to cancel any plans for an official visit by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The U.S. leader caused outrage in Britain on Wednesday after he used his Twitter account to share anti-Islam videos from a U.K. far-right group.

A spokesman for the U.K. prime minister said the president's actions were wrong but in a sharp response Trump said that May should instead focus on terrorism within Britain.

Tweet 1

London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, said in a statement Thursday that Trump's original tweets had betrayed the "special relationship" between the two countries.

"President Trump yesterday use Twitter to promote a vile, extremist group that exists solely to sow division and hatred in our country," said Khan.

The mayor then called on May to cancel any plans to receive Trump on an official visit.

"As the mayor of this great diverse city, I have previously called on Theresa May to cancel her ill-judged offer of a state visit to President Trump.

"After this latest incident, it is increasingly clear that any official visit at all from President Trump to Britain would not be welcomed," he said.

Khan added that the British government should be asking Trump to delete the tweets and apologize to the British people.

It is not the first time that Trump and Khan have clashed.

In June, Trump referred to the number of dead and wounded in a terror attack on London Bridge, and appeared to chide Khan for telling Londoners not to be alarmed.

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Sen. John McCain will back the Senate GOP's tax bill, increasing the plan's chances of clearing the Senate by Friday.

McCain was one of the last GOP senators who had not committed to supporting the proposal.

"After careful thought and consideration, I have decided to support the Senate tax reform bill," McCain said in a statement Thursday. "I believe this legislation, though far from perfect, would enhance American competitiveness, boost the economy, and provide long overdue tax relief for middle class families."

McCain's stance, as well as an expected "yes" vote from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, leaves few GOP senators undecided. Republican leaders are tweaking the bill to ease concerns by other skeptical senators, including Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn.; James Lankford, R-Okla.; Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.; Susan Collins, R-Maine; Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Steve Daines, R-Mont.

All Republican senators voted Wednesday to start debate on the bill.

Republicans can lose two votes and still pass the tax plan under special budget rules if all Democrats and independents oppose it. Vice President Mike Pence can cast a tie-breaking vote for a simple majority.
Moon Express, a company planning to mine material on the moon, is "definitely" going to launch its first mission next year, and could have human colonies there within five years, Chairman Naveen Jain told CNBC on Thursday.

In January, the company said that it was targeting a date in late 2017 to send its lander to the moon. But that has been pushed back until 2018.

"It's definitely going to be next year, we are in the final stretches of it. And as you can imagine it's rocket science," Jain told CNBC in a TV interview from the Slush technology conference in Helsinki, Finland.

"We are really looking good and we are still hoping to launch the lander next year. And when we launch and land on the moon, not only (do) we become the first company to do so, we actually symbolically become the fourth superpower. And imagine the entrepreneurs doing things that only the three superpowers have done before."

Superpowers such as the U.S. and Russia have previously landed on the moon.

Moon Express is the first private company to get U.S. government approval to go to the moon. Landing there would be a historic feat.

The company is competing for the Google Lunar XPRIZE which has a $20 million reward for the first private firm to put a spacecraft on the moon, travel 500 meters, and transmit high definition video and images back to earth. The deadline for doing this is March 2018.

Jain did not give an exact date for the launch and said that getting the prize isn't necessarily the main priority.
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When asked whether OPEC's second-largest producer was supportive of a mid-stream review in either the first or second quarter of 2018, Al-Luaibi replied: "No, no. The existing declaration (will) finish at the end of March. So we extend this another nine months, so that means it will end by the end of 2018."

'All producers are aligned'

The somewhat rocky road to reaching an agreement by Thursday's OPEC meeting has also exposed some cracks in the new world order of oil  where Saudi Arabia and Russia use their combined heft to influence prices and global supply. The cause of those "cracks" in the new 'R-OPEC' appears to be U.S. shale oil which has become a competitor to OPEC, Russia and other oil producers. But Nigeria's Energy Minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu said Wednesday that OPEC and Russia were not in danger of an alliance breakdown on Thursday. Asked explicitly whether OPEC members are in agreement, but Russia is not aligned with OPEC, he said, "No, we're all aligned."

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Unlike OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia, Russia is less reliant on higher oil prices and has typically been keen not to concede too much market share to its rivals. But with several new oil fields poised to come online next year, a number of Russian firms have voiced their concern over a possible extension of the deal.



Johannes Benigni, chairman of JBC Energy Group, told CNBC Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin would ignore calls for a change of strategy and instead focus on the "bigger picture."



Russia's presidential election is due to take place in March 2018. And, while he is yet to officially declare his candidacy, Putin appears all but certain to seek re-election next spring.



"He (Putin) does not want oil prices now to be a subject of discussion in the presidential run so that is why I think he will stay and support the current deal," Benigni said.

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Venture capitalist Peter Thiel of the Founders Fund and other technology executives and leaders attend the inaugural meeting of the American Technology Council in the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next door to the White House June 19, 2017 in Washington, DC.

Peter Thiel has connections across Silicon Valley thanks to ties he forged as co-founder and CEO of payments company PayPal more than 15 years ago.

Dubbed the "PayPal Mafia," the group includes some of the region's most successful entrepreneurs, such as Tesla founder Elon Musk, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, Yammer founder David Sacks, Affirm founder and CEO Max Levchin and many more.

But a new report from a Stanford University student news site points to a bigger and more powerful Thiel network -- one that dates back to his days as a college student in 1987.

As an undergraduate at Stanford, Thiel co-founded a libertarian newspaper called the Stanford Review. According to a story in the latest issue of Stanford Politics, a rival publication, some 23 former editors or staffers from Thiel's paper are connected to data analytics start-up Palantir, either as a current or former employee or board member.

The secretive software company in , California, near the Stanford campus, is valued at $20 billion.

Palantir has done work with more than a dozen U.S. federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, the NSA and the CIA, whose venture arm was among the company's earliest investors. Palantir's technology gathers information from public and private databases and examines it to find patterns and anomalies that can prove useful to its clients.
Consider the most dangerous course of action: this latest test, reportedly fired from a mobile launcher, indicates North Korea has the ability to launch nuclear-tipped missiles. If the United States tries to take out launch points, or even a massive and sustained bombing campaign in an attempt to destroy their ability to retaliate, we will inflict extraordinary damagebut it is unlikely our attacks would successfully penetrate all their mountain bunkers.



That leaves the possibility that Kim Jong-un would order a mobile launcher to emerge from its protective bunker, and in retaliation, send a nuclear missile crashing into Guam, Hawaii, or Seattle.



Such an act would not be a fringe possibility were the U.S. to launch any type of "preventive" armed attack; it would be a likely outcome.



The window of opportunity to strike North Korea without risk of nuclear retaliation closed many years ago. For more than a decade, it has been impossible to take out North Korea's ability to launch conventional and nuclear retaliatory strikes against our alliesthe only recent development is that our homeland may now also be at risk of a counterstrike.

This further increases the cost of preventive war, making it an even worse policy option rather than a serious policy recommendation.



It is the most sacred duty of the Commander-in-Chief to safeguard the security of the American people. That duty can best be accomplished by a firm and authoritative deterrent. Two of the 20th Century's most ruthless tyrantsChina's dictator Mao Tse-Tung and the USSR's tyrant Joseph Stalinwere effectively deterred.

Instead of launching any preventive strikes, the Administration should take the following steps:

First, establish an official line of communication between the White House and Pyongyang's command center. Doing so concedes nothing to them, but does provide real-time links to prevent military misunderstandings and provides an avenue to the potential for diplomacy.

Second, keep economic pressure on North Korea, yet not enough to pose an existential threat. Trying to coerce China into doing so may cause Pyongyang to make the same calculation Japan did when the U.S. cut off their supply of oil prior to World War IIsome Japanese leaders realized that without oil, their empire would die and thus advocated for the risk of the surprise Pearl Harbor attack.

Third, communicate that if the Kim regime uses weapons of mass destruction on the U.S. or its allies, it will face a devastating and overwhelming response, likely leading to its downfall. If, however, they do not attack, then they have no fear of a preventive U.S. attack. This is the essence of deterrence.

At the moment, Kim is terrified of a U.S. invasion or regime-change attack. He believes that to negotiate away his nuclear deterrent is tantamount to suicide, as they believe happened to Saddam Hussein and Muhammar Kaddafi. It is crucial that our diplomatic efforts convince him there is a future that doesn't include an American attack.

Many in Washington ridicule "talks" and believe that talking has done nothing but enable Kim's nuclear rise  but these talks have prevented war.

What is desperately needed now is a diplomatic track that first seeks to lower the tensions so that both sides back off the hair-trigger. Then, even if it's a many year process, we need to continue regional diplomacybacked up by a powerful military deterrentseeking the eventual denuclearization of the peninsula.

There's no real evidence that Kim Jong-un wants to offensively attack the United States. What he desperately desires is to live. He is not suicidal, and thus will almost certainly not use his weapons unless he's backed into a corner. He can, therefore, be deterred. Millions of lives are in the balance, and this crisis requires a sober, rational response.



Deterrence will hold against Kim Jong-un's far weaker regime and will safeguard American lives. A preventive attack will unnecessarily sacrifice them.



Commentary by Daniel L. Davis, a senior fellow for Defense Priorities and a former Lt. Col. in the U.S. Army who retired in 2015 after 21 years, including four combat deployments. Follow him on Twitter @DanielLDavis1.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
Alaska Airlines has launched an investigation into Randi Zuckerberg's report of a passenger in her row making "repeated lewd sexual remarks" as the flight attendants "brushed off his behavior" and "kept giving him drinks."

The founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media, who previously worked at her brother Mark's company Facebook , said the person talked to her about touching himself, repeatedly asked her if she fantasized about her female colleague she was traveling with, commented about other passengers' bodies and made "many more equally horrifying and offensive comments."

When she alerted the flight attendants, they allegedly said the man was a frequent traveler on the route and they have had to talk to him about his behavior in the past. She said they told her not to take it personally since he doesn't have a filter.

"They came by my seat a few times and sweetly asked the passenger, 'Are you behaving today?'

with a smile and giggle," Zuckerberg wrote in a letter addressed to airline executives, including the CEO Brad Tilden, that she posted to Twitter on Wednesday night.

She tweeted: "Feeling disgusted & degraded after an @AlaskaAir flight where the passenger next to me made repeated lewd sexual remarks. The flight attendants told me he was a frequent flier, brushed off his behavior & kept giving him drinks. I guess his $ means more than our safety? My letter:"

The flight attendants then apparently offered to move Zuckerberg from her first-class seat to a middle seat "at the very back of the plane." She said she almost accepted the offer until she decided against it, thinking she should not have to move since she was the one being harassed.

"All of this happened before the plane took off ... why is it the woman that needs to switch seats in this situation? Shouldn't he have been thrown off the plane?!" Zuckerberg wrote.

She said flight attendants continued to serve the passenger drinks for the duration of the three-hour flight from Los Angeles to Mazatlan, Mexico. She said he "continued to make inappropriate and offensive comments" to her.

Within two hours of the initial post, Zuckerberg tweeted again saying she talked on the phone with two executives from Alaska Airlines who told her they're conducting an investigation and have temporarily suspended the person's travel privileges.

She tweeted: "UPDATE: I just got off the phone with two executives from @AlaskaAir who informed me that they are conducting an investigation and have temporarily suspended this passenger's travel privileges. Thank you for taking this seriously."

Andrea "Andy" Schneider, Alaska Airlines vice president of people, called Zuckerberg's report "very disturbing" in a blog post published Thursday. She said the airline has launched a "thorough investigation," though she did not say whether the person had been temporarily barred from flights as Zuckerberg said on Wednesday.

Alaska Airlines did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

"The safety and well-being of our guests and employees is our number one priority," Schneider said in the post. "We want our guests to feel safe. As a company, we have zero tolerance for any type of misconduct that creates an unsafe environment for our guests and our employees."

She said the airline will work to review and strengthen its approach to preventing, identifying and addressing these issues in the coming weeks.
Rep. John Conyers has been hospitalized for an undisclosed stress-related illness amid an investigation of sexual misconduct allegations, a family spokesman said Thursday.

The latest pressure on Conyers came Thursday from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who said he should resign.

Conyers, 88, was hospitalized at an undisclosed Detroit-area hospital, NBC affiliate WDIV reported.

"Monica Conyers, Mrs. Conyers, is by his side and we just ask, really the nation, to pray for this congressman that has done so much for the nation," spokesman Sam Riddle told Detroit radio station WWJ on Thursday.

It's not clear when he was hospitalized.

Conyers' attorney, Arnold E. Reed, confirmed in a tweet that the congressman was in a hospital and requested that the media to respect the family's privacy.

Congressman John Conyers has taken ill and is currently hospitalized his family is requesting that the media respect their privacy at this time. I will release more details this afternoon regarding his condition again the family is asking that the media respect their privacy

The Michigan Democrat, who has served in the House for 52 years, is facing a House Ethics Committee investigation of allegations from three women.

The first complaint came to light Nov. 20, when Buzzfeed reported that Conyers settled a complaint from a former employee in 2015 for more than $27,000. She said she was fired because she would not "succumb" to his sexual advances.

Marion Brown, Conyers' former deputy chief of staff, said on NBC's "TODAY" on Thursday that she was the woman who reached the 2015 settlement with Conyers and that now she "felt compelled to stand up and speak out."

She also added details to what was previously known about her allegations.

Brown said that in 2005 the lawmaker invited her to his hotel room after he had undressed "down to his underwear."

"He pointed to areas, genital areas of his body, and asked me to touch it," Brown said.

Brown added that she reported the behavior to Conyers' chief of staff, but that she did not see any changes made following her report.

After Buzzfeed reported Brown's complaint, another former staffer, Deanna Maher, said the congressman had touched her inappropriately three times while she worked in the lawmaker's office.

A third woman, Melanie Sloan, an attorney who worked for Conyers on the House Judiciary Committee, said in an interview with ABC News that she once "walked into his office having been called up to brief him on something and he was walking around in his underwear." Sloan told The Washington Post she was not sexually harassed but believed his behavior was inappropriate and abusive.

Conyers' has repeatedly and vehemently denied the accusations. Conyers did not admit guilt as part of the monetary settlement with the former staffer. He has said he will cooperate with the congressional investigation.

Conyers is the longest-serving member of the House and is a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. After the allegations emerged, he stepped down as the top Democrat on the powerful the House Judiciary Committee.

In recent days the congressman has been facing pressure from fellow Democrats to resign from Congress. Asked about whether the lawmaker would resign, Conyers' attorney told Reuters: "No."

The revelations came amid discussions in Congress about reforming the internal system for reporting and handling accusations of misconduct by lawmakers.

Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, introduced legislation Nov. 15 that would reform the complaint review process.
Savitur Prasad, additional controller general of defence accounts, was suspended by the department on November 21.

By Sandeep Unnithan : A senior defence ministry official has been suspended for liaising with an imposter pretending to be a PMO official to lobby with country's apex anti-corruption officer.

Savitur Prasad, additional controller general of defence accounts, was suspended by the CGDA on November 21. He is the third highest ranking officer in the department which handles salaries, accounts and audits of the Indian armed forces.

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The bizarre case unfolded on October 23, when Delhi Police arrested a conman posing as a PMO official based on a complaint filed by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). The conman, Kanhaiya Kumar, had introduced himself as Dr Krishna Kumar, a director in the PMO, when he met the Central Vigilance Commissioner KV Chowdary in September. Kumar was allegedly accompanied by Savitur Prasad, additional Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), its head of human resources development.

MoD officials say Prasad used the connman to lobby with the CVC KV Chowdhury. He handed the anti-corruption officer his official visiting card with the Prime Minister's room number on it. Kumar had requested the CVC to ensure Prasad got more responsibilities within his organisation.

The CVC did a background check and discovered no such official existed in the PMO. His office immediately alerted the Delhi Police who tracked Kumar down and arrested him.

Prasad has since distanced himself from Kanhaiya Kumar, but MoD officials say they have evidence that the duo traveled by train to Lucknow in August this year and met some politicians there. They stayed in the accommodation arranged for by the Army's Lucknow-based Central Command. The CGDA is setting up a formal inquiry to frame charges against Prasad. A questionnaire to the MoD spokesperson went unanswered. Prasad did not return calls for comment.

This is not the CGDA's first brush with controversy.

On November 13, MAIL TODAY reported that fake bills worth Rs 6.7 crore were raised by defence accounts officials in the Mumbai-based Western Naval Command. Five officials of the Principal Controller Defence Accounts in Mumbai have been suspended for raising fake bills.

Government officials warn the root could be deeper. Investigations currently underway point at the involvement of serving defence officers.

--- ENDS ---
Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton, under fire for lewd behavior, announced Thursday he will not seek re-election next year.

Barton, 68, who exchanged nude photos with one woman and sent sexually suggestive messages to another, has represented the suburban Fort Worth district for more than 30 years.

As he noted in a statement, he has taken more than 20,000 votes on the House floor.

"I am very proud of my public record and the many accomplishments of my office," Barton's statement said. "It has been a tremendous honor to represent the 6th District of Texas for over three decades, but now it is time to step aside and let there be a new voice. I am announcing today that I will not seek reelection in 2018."
Russia's foreign minister has accused the U.S. of not being straightforward about its intentions towards North Korea.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that the U.S. , according to Russian state news agency TASS.

"Washington's recent steps seem to be deliberately aimed at provoking Pyongyang to take some tough actions," he noted. The U.S. should openly say if its provocative actions are aimed at destroying North Korea," he said, according to the news agency.

, which it claimed could have reached the U.S. mainland. The test prompted a furious response from the U.S. with the country's ambassador to the United Nations

North Korea is subject to many United Nations, U.S. and European sanctions due to its continued development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests. The state is seen as a serious threat to international peace and security and its actions are seen as undermining a global agreement on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

But Lavrov said that Washington was provoking North Korea too.

He pointed out that Washington "announced that large-scale unscheduled drills would held in December." "It seems, they have done everything on purpose, to make (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un lose control ," he said.

"The Americans need to explain to us all what they are actually up to. If they seek a pretext to destroy North Korea, they should openly say so and the U.S. leadership should confirm it. Then we would decide how to respond," Russia's top diplomat added.

Lavrov said that Russia (which is itself under U.S. sanctions for its annexation of Crimea in 2014) is against U.S. proposals for an economic blockade of North Korea and believed the sanctions pressure has exhausted itself.



"Our attitude (towards U.S. proposals for more sanctions) is negative. We have said more than once that the sanctions pressure has in fact exhausted itself," he said.
The actions of President Donald Trump's team are similar to the policies of his predecessor Barack Obama, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview, state-run RIA news agency reported on Thursday.

"Unfortunately, many actions of Donald Trump's team are inertial and, in fact, are little different from the line of Barack Obama," RIA quoted Lavrov as saying in the interview with Italian newspaper Libero.
Schwan's Co., maker of frozen foods like Tony's pizza and Mrs. Smith's pies, has hired an investment bank to weigh options that include a potential sale, sources familiar with the situation said this week.

The move comes as the the 70-year old company faces pressures in the slow-growing food industry that have driven consolidation and hiked up valuations. A potential deal could value Schwan's at more than $2.5 billion.

Marshall, Minnesota-based Schwan's is working with investment bank Piper Jaffray, the sources said, cautioning Schwan's could decide to sell the company in pieces or not at all.

Schwan's has roughly $260 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, the sources said. It is ranked by Forbes as one of the country's largest private companies.

Logical buyers for the company include CP Foods, the Thai company that last year acquired U.S.-based frozen food company Bellisio Foods.

The sources requested anonymity because the process is confidential. Schwan's and Piper did not respond to requests for comment.

Food companies once were able to rely on frozen food to draw in a certain cost- or time-conscious consumer. Trends have changed, though, and people now prefer fresh and healthy.

Some companies have sought to revive these products by investing in marketing and innovation to reposition them. Acquisition vehicle Nomad Foods , for example, was created with the intent of buying up such neglected brands. Nomad bought Iglo Foods Holdings, seller of Birds Eye frozen vegetables in Europe, for 2.6 billion euros ($3.1 billion) in 2015. Meanwhile, snack food company B&G Foods acquired General Mills ' Green Giant frozen and canned vegetable business.

Earlier this year, Conagra Brands approached Pinnacle Foods about a deal that would bring together Healthy Choice and Mrs. Paul's fish sticks. The two were unable to agree on a price.

Schwan's traces its roots to a company started in 1948 by Paul and Alma Schwan and their son Marvin, Schwan's Dairy. Marvin helped grow that company beyond ice cream delivery to include juice, fish and drumsticks. The company delivers its products in Schwan's famous creamy yellow trucks, which are trademarked Inca Gold.

Its brands, which have expanded through multiple acquisitions, now include Tony's pizza, Freschetta pizza and Edwards desserts. It sells in retailers and directly to consumers' homes. It also has a large food service business.

Marvin Schwan, known as the "emperor of ice cream" and ranked by Forbes as one of the richest men in the world, died in 1993. When Schwan died, a portion of that wealth went to the charitable foundation that he created the year before his death. The foundation lost roughly $600 million in investments in offshore real estate, according to court proceedings.

Marvin Schwan's other brothers, who were also involved in the business, have since died as well. Dimitrios Smyrnios is currently CEO of Schwan's Co.
When Jamie Siminoff went on ABC's "Shark Tank" to pitch his company Doorbot in 2013, he believed the then-financially struggling operation's future hinged on getting an investment.

After Siminoff pitched his idea  a WiFi-enabled doorbell that allows you to see video of and talk to people as they arrive at your front door  the judges weren't convinced. All but Kevin O'Leary passed, and he made what Siminoff considered an unacceptable offer. Doorbot didn't make a deal.

"I remember after that 'Shark Tank' episode literally being in tears," he tells CNBC Make It. "I needed the money, we were out of money at the time."

He'd sunk $10,000 into building props for the pitch, and the company's staff of eight had spent a month preparing for the show, according to his blog. After leaving without an investor, it seemed the efforts all may have been a waste they couldn't afford.

But Siminoff wasn't just upset about the money. The critiques from investors like Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner about the product's ability to sell were fresh objections mirroring others' doubts about his idea.

"I can't count the number of people who didn't invest in this, who said 'no,' the number of people who said it was going to fail," Siminoff says. "I don't think [Microsoft] Excel could hold the number of records for it."

Those people may wish they had paid more attention. The business, now re-branded as Ring and offering a suite of connective home security products, has seen immense growth since Siminoff appeared on Season 5 of "Shark Tank."

"It has now been four years since 'Shark Tank,' and the business is now valued at $1 billion," Siminoff, 41, says on an update for the show that aired Nov. 12, 2017. "Today we're over 1,300 people, 10 core products, [sold in] 16,000 stores." Ring even counts Virgin Group billionaire Richard Branson, who became interested after seeing one of its products, among its investors.

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Before his doorbell idea, Siminoff built and sold a handful of other companies, one for a price tag as high as $17 million in 2009, according to the Los Angeles Times. (The profits were split between Siminoff and his partners, and Siminoff invested his share in new businesses.)

He's a constant inventor who has been tinkering since he was 7 years old. Siminoff remembers projects like a blanket through which he could pump icy water from an aquarium to cool down on hot summer days as a kid. And despite early success with other businesses, like SimulScribe, offering voicemail transcription services, or Unsubscribe, which promised to declutter email inboxes, he wasn't fulfilled. None of his ventures had captured his whole imagination.

So in late 2010, Siminoff set up shop in his garage and put all his focus into dreaming up new products. There was just one problem: He couldn't hear the doorbell ring from his work space. He looked for a product that could buzz his phone with a notification when someone rang and couldn't find one.

"I literally built myself a WiFi doorbell," he says, not seeing it as a future business but a solution to an annoying problem. He remembers thinking, "I need this damn thing so I can be in my garage inventing."

Then his wife remarked how much safer she felt with a device that could tell you who was knocking before you let them inside. When he began to envision a bigger mission around home security, he realized he'd found his idea.
Business mogul and hip-hop artist Jay-Z may have a net worth valued at $810 million today, but he refuses to let his success obscure the story of his humble beginnings for his children.

Though Jay-Z's kids will grow up in an environment different from that of his own childhood, Jay-Z says showing compassion for others supersedes all the lessons he wants to teach them.

"The most important thing I think out of all this is to teach compassion and to identify with everyone's struggle and to know these people made these sacrifices for us to be where we are and to push that forward  for us," Jay-Z said in an article published ahead of his cover story in New York Times Style.

In an interview with New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet, the two discussed racial and political issues as well as Jay-Z's professional and personal life.

The rapper, 47, and his wife Beyonce are generally private about their children, 5-year-old Blue Ivy and 5-month-old twins Rumi and Sir Carter.

Much of Jay-Z's interview with Baquet ties into topics in "4:44," his 13th studio album released in the weeks after the twins were born. In "4:44," Jay-Z discusses hardships while growing up as well as his growth a husband, father and entrepreneur.
The fact that the stock market wants to climb even higher is "stunning" but true, widely followed investor Dennis Gartman told CNBC on Thursday.

The Dow Jones industrial average soared more than 350 points on Thursday, breaking above 24,000 for the first time, on optimism over tax reform.

"You're at this point in the stock market where it can do anything. It's gone parabolic," the editor and publisher of The Gartman Letter said in an interview with "Power Lunch."

"It is stunning to me, surprising to me, but it still wants to go up."

The odds of success increased for the Republican Senate tax bill on Thursday after Sen. John McCain said he would support the legislation. The upper chamber is expected to vote later in the day.

If it passes, the House and the Senate will have to work together to reconcile the two bills and then send the final legislation to President Donald Trump to sign.

Gartman said the bull market "will stop eventually." He thinks that may occur when the Federal Reserve begins to tighten monetary policy aggressively.

Gartman has been calling the stock market "egregiously overpriced" and recently predicted when the bull market does end, it "will end badly."

Earlier Thursday, billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn told CNBC he thinks the market has "gotten into a euphoric state."

However, he also acknowledged a lot of underlying strength in the market.

"It's run away and there might be a big correction but I can't say it's insane," Icahn said.

 CNBC's Liz Moyer and Brenda Hentschel contributed to this report.
An Egyptian vulture was rescued by Wildlife SOS from the premises of a temple in east Delhi's Patparganj.

By PTI, India Today Web Desk: Vultures (the real ones) are not often spotted in Delhi.

Spotting a 'globally endangered species' -- the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) -- in Delhi is again, not something that happens often.

An injured Egyptian vulture sought shelter in the premises of a temple in east Delhi's Patparganj, and was rescued, Wildlife SOS, a wildlife NGO, said.

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"The bird is currently under treatment and observation, and upon complete recovery, it will be released back into its natural habitat," Wildlife SOS said.

THE RESCUE

The injured bird was spotted by a priest. It was him who alerted the NGO. "The bird had sustained an injury on its right wing. We received a distress call about an injured vulture that had sought a shelter in a temple in Patparganj. The rather unusual looking bird appeared to be in pain and was struggling to fly when a priest of the temple spotted it," Wildlife SOS said.

"This species is rarely spotted in Delhi but in recent years there have been reported sightings near the Yamuna Biodiversity Park and Okhla Bird Sanctuary," Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, said.

"Their population is threatened due to factors such as loss of prey base and habitat, poisoning from veterinary drugs and electrocution. This is the second Egyptian Vulture that we have rescued this year," he said.EGYPTIAN VULTURE

Also called the white scavenger vulture or pharaohs chicken, Egyptian vulture is the smallest among all the vultures, the NGO said in a statement.

Egyptian vulture is a globally endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Vulture is a useful scavenger and plays an important role in the ecosystem as by feeding on carrion, and they dispose off the carcasses of dead animals that would otherwise become a breeding ground for infectious diseases, he said.

(With inputs from PTI)

--- ENDS ---
Meet the Todai Robot. The machine cannot read. The machine cannot perform mathematics above the basic arithmetic level. And the machine cannot write. In fact, the machine simply cannot understand anything, according to a TED Talk from earlier this year.

Yet the robot managed to perform in the top 20 percent of students on an entrance exam at the University of Tokyo, which is considered the Harvard of Japan.

This display of "intelligence" raises alarms for the future of work. Namely, if a machine can outscore thousands of students without truly understanding anything, it could spell the end of thousands of jobs.

The Todai Robot, for example, was able to write a 600-word essay on maritime trade in the 17th century better than most students. Noriko Arai, AI expert and member of the team that built the robot, explains in her TED Talk "Can a Robot Pass a University Entrance Exam?" that this wasn't because it possesses intelligence, but rather because it can recognize key words.

"Our robot took the sentences from the textbooks and Wikipedia, combined them together, and optimized it to produce an essay without understanding a thing," Arai says.

"We humans can understand the meaning," she says. "That is something which is very, very lacking in AI."

Over the last year, there has been increasing concern over how smart robots are becoming and the eventual eradication of certain industries. However, most of the focus has been on the loss of blue collar jobs. But according to David Lee, vice president of innovation at UPS, it's not just jobs like factory worker and truck driver at risk.

In his TED Talk titled, "Why Jobs of the Future Won't Feel Like Work," Lee says that even the smartest, highest-paid people will be affected by the "tremendous gains in the quality of analysis and decision-making because of machine learning."

We already know that automation and robotics are drastically changing the workplace. It's been happening for years and the auto industry is a prime example.

When the automobile first came out it put people out of jobs, such as those in the horseshoe business. However, jobs were created in other areas, building highways, creating suburbs and the like.

But what differentiates AI's current effect in the workplace from job evolutions of the past is how quickly robots are advancing. A recent study from the research firm Forrester predicts that over the next ten year, 25 million jobs will be lost. "To put that in perspective, that's three times as many jobs lost in the aftermath of the financial crisis," says Lee.
President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the St. Charles Convention Center on November 29, 2017 in St. Charles, Missouri.

President Donald Trump donated his third-quarter salary to the Department of Health and Human Services, to help the agency combat the opioid epidemic, the White House and HHS announced Thursday.

"His decision to donate his salary is a tribute to this compassion, to his patriotism and his sense of duty to the American people," said HHS acting secretary Eric Hargan, who attended the White House daily press briefing.

The opioid epidemic, Hargan said, is killing 175 Americans every day, and "we're losing seven fellow Americans during this press briefing alone."

Trump declared the opioid epidemic a national public health emergency in October, a move that freed states to allocate more federal health-care dollars to fighting and treating the epidemic.

Hargan also noted that both he and the president have been personally affected by addiction: Trump's older brother Fred Trump suffered from alcoholism for much of his life; Hargan told reporters he has a family member who was addicted to opioids.

Like both Barack Obama and George W. Bush before him, Trump makes an annual salary of $400,000, meaning that his donation to HHS was around $100,000.

During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump pledged to donate his entire presidential salary to charity.
The CNBC Global CFO Council recently was asked for its view on bitcoin  U.S.-based members were the most skeptical.

Alexander Demianchuk | TASS | Getty Images

Bitcoin could very well be the investing story of 2017, with its meteoric rise in price (up more than 1,100 percent year-over-year, according to Coinbase). Comments from billionaires and business barons who have called it a bubble  including Jamie Dimon, Jack Bogle, Warren Buffett and Mark Cuban  haven't deterred believers. And you can add to the doubters' list another group of big-name market skeptics. More than one quarter of respondents (27 percent) taking the recent CNBC Global CFO Council survey see bitcoin as a fraud, while another 27 percent said it is a "real" asset, but in a bubble. Only 14 percent say it is "real and still going higher" in value.

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More than half of all respondents have a pessimistic view of bitcoin. A third of respondents admitted they do not know enough about bitcoin to have an opinion. The CNBC Global CFO Council represents some of the largest public and private companies in the world, collectively managing more than $4 trillion in market capitalization across a wide variety of sectors.

On Wednesday the cyrptocurrency hit an all-time high of more than $11,000, before plunging 20 percent. On Thursday the trade stabilized and bitcoin was trading at $9,487.82. U.S.-based members of the CNBC Global CFO Council are most bearish on bitcoin, with just under 35 percent having a favorable view, while EMEA-based CFO Council members are the most bullish, with 57 percent of respondents maintaining a favorable view. "It is something we are curious about, we're very very open to, but we haven't found a way to really integrate it into our business," Karim Hajjar, CFO for the Belgian chemical company Solvay, told CNBC in November.

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The Iranian oil minister claimed that energy-related firms from the U.S. are the main losers from the sanctions placed against his country.

Iran's oil-dominated economy has been hampered by sanctions put in place by the U.S. since the Iranian Revolution of 1979. In 2016, many restrictions were removed, but Washington has continued to bar American citizens and companies from most forms of investment or trade with the country.

Speaking at the OPEC meeting in Vienna Thursday, Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh, said the policy was both confusing and self-defeating.

"I don't understand why U.S. companies cannot enter the Iranian market. They cannot get involved in the biggest oil projects in the world, taking place here in Iran," he said.

Zangeneh said Iran had "no difficulty" with U.S. expertise or capital and that his country needed billions of dollars of investment to complete several major projects designed to ramp up Iranian oil output.

The OPEC veteran said the U.S. restrictions hadn't prevented companies from other nations signing up to invest.

"So far everything is going well. We hope we can sign some contracts before the end of this Iranian calendar year," he said.

Zangeneh said contracts for oil infrastructure development were typically around three years long and would not be greatly affected by any OPEC agreement made at the current meeting.

Oil traders expect a group of OPEC and non-OPEC countries to announce Thursday that an agreed cap to supply levels will be extended by nine months, taking it until the end of 2018.
U.S. stock futures were higher this morning on the final trading day of November. It's likely to end with another Dow record high, an eighth straight month of gains for both the Dow and S&P 500, and another struggle for the tech sector. (CNBC)



* Cramer breaks down the market rotation and explains why investors should wait to buy (CNBC)

Juniper Networks (JNPR) shares were 7 percent lower premarket after Nokia (NOK) denied reports that it was in talks to buy the U.S.-based maker of networking equipment. Earlier reports said the two were in buyout talks valuing Juniper at about $16 billion. (CNBC)

Sears (SHLD) shares were about 28 percent higher in premarket after the company reported a narrower net loss for the fiscal third quarter than it did a year ago. The department store chain's total same-store sales tumbled a whopping 15.3 percent during the latest period. (CNBC)

After soaring through the $11,000 milestone, bitcoin plunged more than 18 percent in extremely volatile trading on Wednesday, according to CoinDesk. Bitcoin, which had risen more than 1,000 percent since the start of the year, traded slightly lower this morning. (CNBC)

The Labor Department is out with its weekly look at initial jobless claims at 8:30 a.m. ET. At the same time, the government is out with October personal income and spending figures. At 9:45 a.m. ET, the Chicago Purchasing Managers Index will release. (CNBC)
Arun Jaitley today hailed the GDP rebound, while Chidambaram and Mamata Banerjee slammed the government over the slight improvement.

By PTI, India Today Web Desk: The rise in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the September quarter has given impetus to the NDA-led government, which is leaving no stone unturned in its run up to the upcoming Gujarat Assembly election 2017.

Further reiterating its stand on Demonetisation and GST, Union Minister Arun Jaitley today said that the impact of note ban and GST is passe.

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"Demonetisation and GST's impact is behind us and hopefully in coming quarters, we can look for an upwards trajectory," said Jaitley while addressing media persons in Delhi .

The union minister added that the last five quarters had witnessed a downward trend, but the GDP at 6.3 per cent marked the reversal of the trend.

Jaitley said that the most significant aspect is the fact that this quarter's positive result was significantly impacted by the growth in the manufacturing industry.

OPPOSITION UNIMPRESSED

While the BJP has been harping about the increase, the Opposition seems to be unimpressed by the latest figures.

Congress leader P Chidambaram today welcomed the rise in India's GDP growth rate but on a cautious note, saying it is a pause in the declining trend and one should wait for the next three-four quarters before drawing a definite conclusion.

"Happy that the July-Sep quarter has registered a growth rate of 6.3%. This a PAUSE in the declining trend of the last five quarters," tweeted Chidambaram.

"But we cannot say now whether this will mark an upward trend in the growth rate. We should wait for the growth rates over the next 3-4 quarters before we can reach a definite conclusion," he said in a series of tweets.

Chidambaram also said that "6.3 per cent is far below the promise of the Modi government and far below the potential of a well-managed Indian economy."

The former finance minister said this after India reported a 6.3 per cent GDP growth rate in the July-September quarter of the current fiscal.

Reversing the five quarters of slowing GDP growth, Indian economy expanded by 6.3 per cent in July-September on the back of a pick-up in manufacturing.

TMC SLAMS GOVERNMENT

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is a vehement critic of the Modi government's economic policies, took to twitter to express her displeasure over the GDP figure.

In a tweet, the chief minister drew paralells with the GDP figure in the same quarter last year. Pointing out at the dip in the figures, Mamata said that the Modi government was only good at offering speeches.

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With inputs from PTI

--- ENDS ---
If there were a legal challenge, the decision would come down to whether the two systems could operate without interfering with one another.
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Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the September quarter jumped to 6.3 per cent from 5.7 per cent in the earlier quarter.

By India Today Web Desk: In what could bring a big cheer for the government after five quarters of slump and also indicate that the Indian economy is recovering from the effects of demonetisation and GST rollout, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the September quarter jumped to 6.3 per cent from 5.7 per cent in the earlier quarter.

According to Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, the economic activities that registered growth of over 6 per cent in the second quarter are manufacturing, electricity, gas, water supply, other utility services and trade, hotels, transport and communication, and services related to broadcasting.

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The agriculture, forestry and fishing sector is estimated to have grown by 1.7 per cent.

"GDP growth recovers to 6.3% in Q2 from a 3-year low of 5.7% in Q1. After almost 5 quarters of decline, GDP marks a reversal which is very encouraging," Chief Statistician of India TCA Anant said in a press conference in New Delhi.

"Manufacturing reported growth of 7 per cent, electricity, gas and water supply at 7.6 per cent, and trade, hotels, transport and communication grew at 9.9 per cent," he said.

The GDP growth had hit a three-year low of 5.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2017-18. It was 7.5 per cent in the September quarter of 2016-17. The previous low of 4.6 per cent was recorded in January-March 2014.

Industry body Ficci had said on Monday that the July-September GDP is expected to improve to 6.2 per cent and rise further to 6.7 per cent in the third quarter of current fiscal.

Even the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Asian Development Bank and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) had also predicted growth in the Indian economy this quarter.

REACTIONS ON GDP SURGE

While the NDA government is all praises over the rise in GDP, the opposition seems to be unimpressed by the figures. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is a vehement critic of the Modi government's economic policies, took to twitter to express her displeasure.

In a tweet, the chief minister drew parallels with the GDP figure in the same quarter last year. Pointing out at the dip in the figures, Mamata said that the Modi government was only good at offering speeches.

Last year Q2 GDP growth was 7.5% and this year it is 6.3%. This Govt only bhashan, no action- Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 30, 2017

--- ENDS ---
Garvan Walshe is a former National and International Policy Adivser for the Conservative Party. He runs Brexit Analytics.

The local newspaper in the West Cork town of Skibbereen was once called the Eagle. Mesmerised by the Tsarist threat, it bore on its masthead the slogan Keeping our eye on Russia. That is no more but its role appears to have been taken up by the Mail on Sunday, determined as it is to find reds under the bed at a townhouse at Number 11, Charles Street, Mayfair.

The Remainer circles from which this column sometimes serves as emissary are buzzing with excitement. Could it be that Brexit is not in fact the culmination of 40 years of campaigning by Brits hostile to membership of the EU, but instead a dastardly Russian plot? The most committed McCarthy revivalists even point to the fact that the investment fund run by the Chandlers, the family behind the Legatum Institute, and Dominic Cummings, appear to have been in Russia at the same time. They will be disappointed when they find out that Russia is  how shall I put this?  a big place.

Moscow benefits not only from its size (17 million square kilometres, according to Siri), but also from an outsized reputation for intelligence wizardry, sedulously cultivated by Graham Greene and Ian Fleming, and blessed with a leader who was once a colonel in the KGB.

Theres no doubt that Putins Russia has malevolent intent. With an economy the only slightly larger than Spains ($1.3 trillion, to Spains $1.2 trillion, at current prices) Moscow styles itself a world power: sending troops to Syria, wielding its veto on the UN Security Council, maintaining a huge nuclear arsenal and invading its neighbours. But a revived Soviet Union it is not: it is more like a puffer fish, poisonous if you swallow it, but much smaller than it looks.

Its stroke of luck was to discover the potency of emotional and divisive political communication on social media, which it used to great effect in Eastern Europe before the EU referendum or Trump election campaign were ever thought of.

It is certainly possible that Russian efforts (paid for in Roubles, with startling naivite) just got Trump over the line, so close was his technical win in Wisconsin (27,000 votes) and Michigan (11,000 votes). And Moscow hit the short term jackpot: a US president on whom it seems increasingly likely they have compromising material, who appointed as National Security Adviser a man on a pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarchs payroll, and whose campaign team, instead of reporting Russian attempts to meddle with the American election to the FBI, took steps to benefit from them. And the intervention in elections succeeded beyond all expectations in that it has robbed the United States of its soft power, undermined its credibility in the Middle East, and enabled the appointment to the State Department of a man determined to encourage the most capable and experienced of American diplomats into retirement.

If Russia might well have got Trump over the line, helped by a much larger quantity of indigenous American fake news, the idea that the Kremlin managed to do the same with the Leave campaign does not stand up to scrutiny. Compared to the weight of the British- (or Australian-) owned pro-Brexit press, and the nonsense put out by the Leave campaign (350 million savings which ignored the rebate; claims that Turkey would join the EU and that an EU army would be created, both of which the UK could have vetoed had it stayed in) and a well-developed and entirely sincere, decades old, pro-Brexit campaign, any Kremlin effect is a rounding error.

Of all the claims made, perhaps the most plausible is the allegation levelled in some quarters that the undisclosed donation to the DUP by the Constitutional Research Council might actually have been from Russia  though that is still unproven. Even if it turns out to have been, the reality is that neither side was short of money. And insofar as there may have been alleged Russian influence on Leave.EU, that campaigns function was different: to normalise a more extreme position. Here, Leave had a lucky escape: had Leave.EU been designated the main Leave campaign, the pro-Brexit side would never have attracted senior Cabinet ministers or the credibility needed to win.

Even if Moscow did manage to nudge the dial a little, it could get more than it bargained for. By helping to remove the main obstacle to European military integration, any Russian campaign for British withdrawal may have effects that far exceed the $7 billion reduction in the British defence budget attributable to the weaker pound.
Tories and Plaid furious as Jones whips AMs against AM-led inquiry

ITV Wales reports that Carwyn Jones has fended off a Conservative bid to have allegations of bullying in his administration investigated by Assembly Members.

Both UKIP and Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalists, supported the motion but it was defeated by a whipped vote of every AM on the government benches. In addition to Labour this includes Lord Elis-Thomas, an ex-Plaid independent, and Kirsty Williams, the lone Liberal Democrat. Each holds positions in Jones ministry.

Andrew RT Davies, the leader of the Tories in the Welsh Assembly, argues that the alternative proposal for a probe by an independent advisor is insufficiently transparent and hasnt been allocated sufficient time to investigate properly, according to Wales Online.

The First Minister is up for investigation over claims that a toxic bullying culture prevailed in his administration and that he misled the Assembly about whether or not he had received allegations thereof.

Pressure has been mounting since the apparent suicide of Carl Sargeant, a former minister who was suspended over sexual misconduct allegation. Jones has announced that he wont be attending the funeral. A recent poll found 27 per cent of voters thik he ought to resign, with 31 per cent disagreeing and the rest unsure.

However, there is as yet no sign that the Conservatives are managing to capitalise on Jones problems to rebound from their disappointing setback at the June general election. According to Professor Roger Scullys latest Welsh Political Barometer poll, not a single seat in Wales would change hands if another election were held tomorrow.

DUP set out UK role as they gear up for direct rule

Writing in the i, the News Letters Sam McBride sets out how the Democratic Unionist Party took advantage of its conference last weekend to set out how it hopes to shape Government policy across the United Kingdom.

Devolution shows no signs yet of being re-established, and with every month that passes power is shifting towards Westminster and the partys ten MPs  and their leader, Nigel Dodds, who has described direct rule as the lesser of two evils.

In a possible attempt to assert her authority Arlene Foster, the party leader and former First Minister, this week seemed to set herself against proposals from those MPs to grant an amnesty to soldiers who fought in the Troubles.

This comes at a crucial moment as the Northern Irish party  the only one in the House of Commons  negotiates with the Government over what compromises to make with Dublin over the border. Current proposals centre on devolving responsibility for agriculture and energy policy so Ulster can remain harmonised with the Republic.

Of course, such a deal being dependent on Stormont means that James Brokenshire is even less likely to do anything decisive about direct rule than he was previously. Northern Ireland had probably best get used to limbo.

Illustrating how tricky compromise is, the Belfast Telegraph speculates that the plan is for Northern Ireland to remain in the Single Market and Customs Union  which may be why Ian Paisley Jr has taken a tough line against the Irish Government in this mornings press.

Lord Trimble, the former First Minister and Ulster Unionist leader who now sits as a Conservative peer, has also criticised Leo Varadkars administration for pandering to Sinn Fein with its hard-line stance. The Irish premier has his own problems, having only just fended off a snap election caused by a scandal involving his deputy.

Elsewhere I set out in the News Letter how Northern Irelands isolated party system leaves it stuck in de facto special status most of the time; Andrew Gimson profiled Foster; and Owen Polley of the Northern Irish Conservatives attacked the Alliance Party for pursuing unionist votes for an anti-unionist agenda.

MSPs deal further blow to SNPs Named Persons scheme

One of the Scottish Governments most fiercely controversial proposals has been dealt a serious setback this week, the Scotsman reports, after a Holyrood committee announced that it cannot approve the legislation as it currently stands.

The Education Committee has apparently demanded that ministers provide an authoritative draft of the code of practice which will accompany the bill for the measure before it will recommend it to the Scottish Parliament. This is in response to a ruling by the Supreme Court that the original bill violated the right to privacy and family life laid down in the ECHR.

Named Persons is a policy which will assign every child in Scotland a specific public-sector worker who will monitor their welfare and serve as a point of contact. It has been attacked by the Conservatives as undermining family life, and sparked an energetic campaign against it.

Before the last Holyrood election the Nationalist majority in Holyrood, combined with their phalanx-like internal culture, severely undermined the Scottish Parliaments committee system, but it looks as if its finally growing some teeth.
Estragon: And if we dropped him? (Pause.) If we dropped him? Vladimir: Hed punish us.

Trump is more like the bombastic Pozzo than the absent character of the title. But the Waiting for Godot solution is the least worst one for the Government as it ponders how best to handle the Presidents proposed state visit.

It is hard to see how the visit going ahead can do anything but harm to Theresa May with British voters, even though any political damage would probably be fleeting, since most of them have more pressing matters to worry about.

And it is hard to see how the visit being cancelled could do anything but harm to Theresa May with the Trump administration, even though security co-operation would doubtless continue, and those in Congress who back a trade deal would probably continue to do so.

Which leaves giving it more of the Samuel Beckett treatment. It has already received some of it. Readers will remember reports from last summer that the visit had been postponed.

There is a point at which it would be impossible not to cancel it formally. Tweeting a British neo-nazi leader, albeit at second hand, comes closer to it. And tweeting back at May, after she responded, as she was bound to do, perhaps closer still.

But the logic that this site has set out previously still applies: namely, that we need the United States to help with national security, Brexit, trade, and for its wider role as a bearer of light, at least compared to Russia or China. Besides, it is a cousin country.

Talking of which, Xi Jinping has made a state visit to Britain  addressing Parliamentarians in the Royal Gallery, to boot. If he can make such a trip, why cant Trump? The question has force.

That America is currently led by its present President is a temporary phenomenon which will pass (we hope). And that the business of American Government seems to carry on much as usual, regardless of his tweets, is reassuring and significant (we hope too).

In the play, the two tramps want Godot to come, which he doesnt. In real life, May and her government clearly dont want Trump to come, but felt they had to invite him. None the less, the best outcome is the same 
Edward Molyneux is the Head of Research at the Big Deal  a collective energy switching site with 400,000 members. He authored the Big Deal report: Ending the Energy Postcode Lottery.

Britains energy suppliers have come in for a kicking this year, first with another round of price hikes in the spring, followed by the spectre of the price cap that has followed them since the election. British Gas, Britains biggest energy provider, announced only last week that it lost 800,000 customers in just three months.

However, Im not here to kick the Big Six energy suppliers when theyre down. Instead, I want to talk about another less well known type of energy company  the energy networks.

The networks are the companies that get the gas and electricity to your home  think National Grid and others. In total there are ten of these companies, all privatised in the 1980s, and last year they made 7.5 billion in operating profit. Im sure ConHome readers might say theres nothing wrong with that.

But unfortunately there is. These companies have zero competition. They are natural monopolies. And theyre taking advantage of their privileged position.

They need proper scrutiny. The money that these companies make comes from your energy bill and make up roughly a quarter. Thats 290 of the average households bill. They should keep costs down and ensure all customers are getting a fair deal. This isnt happening.

These companies make profit margins of up to 39 per cent, whereas in Europe the equivalent companies have around an eight per cent margin. Furthermore, consumers see vast variations in their bills depending on which one of these monopoly companies delivers the energy to the home i.e. where they live.

This can lead to differences of 139 for two people on the same energy deal, with the same supplier, using the same amount of gas and electricity, but living in different parts of the country. We even found one case where someone would pay 120 a year for the same energy as his neighbours on the same street. Its confusing and unfair.

The Big Six have rightly had a lot of scrutiny. But at least they act in a market. You can choose another supplier if youre unhappy, and there are a lot of them these days. You cant choose another grid operator.

That means the regulator and government must keep a close eye on them, as the market cant. Sadly scrutiny has been lacking and is long overdue.

First the regulator needs to look at profits. We have no objection to a company making profit, and these companies do a lot of work maintaining and investing in our energy networks to make them fit for the future. But 7.5 billion is simply too much when it comes from my bill and yours  and thats gone up by 1 billion since 2013.

If they instead made a more reasonable profit of say five per cent (the kind of level that supermarkets and the Big Six energy companies enjoy) energy bills could drop by as much as 60. Given the low risk nature of these companies a profit margin of 20-39 per cent is simply way too big.

But more importantly, the postcode lottery these companies preside over needs correcting too. They would argue that they need to charge different prices for different areas of the country: it simply costs more to get energy to your home if you live in South West England compared to the major cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Again, were happy for people to pay more for goods and services if they choose too, but in this case they dont and people wont up sticks and move home to cut their energy bill by 100. Furthermore, the arbitrary boundaries lead to ridiculous situations where near neighbours pay vastly different amounts.

We propose ending the postcode lottery and reducing everybodys bills down to the level in the lowest region (thats Yorkshire). This would see bill cuts for the vast majority of consumers, with no one having to pay more. Regional pricing would end, making the energy market fairer and much less confusing for consumers.

But this isnt a cost neutral proposal. We estimate to reduce everybodys bills down to Yorkshires level would cost 643 million. Theres no way taxpayers should bear that burden.

Its just one tenth of the mega profits the network companies make every year. They can afford this to bring about a system where everyone pays one price no matter where they live at no cost to the taxpayer.

Ofgem have already announced they plan tighter regulation for the network monopiles in the near future. Good news. But theyve no plans to end the energy postcode lottery and say that any changes would have to be brought in by government.

We feel this is wrong. The price cap is hugely controversial, particularly amongst Conservative MPs, and yet Theresa May has made it a key part of her programme. Our proposals to end the energy postcode lottery are far less radical.

Were asking government to cut energy bills for millions of consumers by looking at how monopoly businesses operate and changing it for the better. An easy fix with none of the dangers of disrupting a competitive market. A fix that Conservatives should support.
CORNWALL, Ontario  embers of the Cornwall Street Crime Unit along with the Cornwall Emergency Response Team (CERT) executed a drug warrant on November 29, 2017 at Victoria Avenue residence. It was the hard work of our members along with the assistance of RCMP and CBSA K9 that made the execution of these warrants a success stated D/Sgt. Bissonnette. As result of the warrants several items were located, including the following:

A loaded 9 mm hand gun

A quantity of Cocaine

A quantity of Marijuana

Canadian currency

American currency

Mogloire Moise Munkonda, 25, Anthony Anson, 26 and Marc Bruyere, 42 were arrested and charged with the following:

Possession of cocaine

Possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine

Property obtained by Crime X 1

Possession for the purpose of trafficking marijuana

Unauthorised possession of a restricted firearm

Weapons dangerous

Unsafe storage

Possession of a restricted firearm with ammunition

Knowledge of possession of an unauthorized firearm

Munkonda was also charged with breach of a prohibition order. All three men were held for a bail hearing. Photo available on our Facebook & Twitter accounts

ASSAULT, THREATS, ASSAULT WITH A WEAPON, POSSESSION OF WEAPON FOR A DANGEROUS PURPOSE

Cornwall, ON  Andre Mallette, 59 of Cornwall was arrested on November 29th, 2017 and charged with assault, threats, assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. It is alleged during a disagreement on November 29th, 2017 the man assaulted another man and threatened him with a knife. Police were contacted and an investigation ensued. During the investigation the man was taken into custody, charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing.

WARRANT

Cornwall, ON  A 35-year-old Cornwall man was arrested on November 30th, 2017 on the strength of a warrant. As a result of an investigation into a domestic incident by the Cornwall Community Police Service on November 18th, 2017, a warrant was obtained for the arrest of the man for assault, mischief, assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and breach. On November 30th, 2017 the man was located by police, taken into custody on the strength of the warrant and held for a bail hearing. His name was not released as it would identify the victim in the matter.

There were 43 calls for service in the City of Cornwall in the last 24 hours (8am the previous day to 8am the day of the release). To see whats happening in your neighbourhood visit our Crime Plot Map @ http://www.cornwallpolice.ca/ . CCPS reserves the right not to post all calls for service in order to protect the identity of the victims.
Windstar Cruises has unveiled more details of its new Signature Expeditions program, set to debut with the Star Legend in Alaska next summer.

Windstars Signature Expeditions will offer extremely high touch experiences both onboard ship and in the marine and wildlife environments, the company said.

We are offering travelers the chance to slow down and truly enjoy scenic immersion cruising amongst the glaciers and wildlife, and we have the perfect size ships for Alaska, period. With the addition of our brand-new Signature Expeditions, our comprehensive land tours, and exciting roster of shore excursions, each guest will get to experience the best of adventure, breathtaking nature, and completely personalized service in an incredibly immersive yet completely uncrowded cruise, stated Windstar Cruises President John Delaney. Our experienced team has created the most intensive Alaska experience available in small ship cruising today and we cant wait to proudly welcome guests to Windstars Alaska. Its all about our unique style of casual yet luxurious adventure.

All guests can partake in complimentary enrichment classes, one-to-one discussions and topical presentations with outdoor experts, there will be an expedition team of five on every Alaskan cruise, the company said.

Passengers can pair their learnings with optional off the ship, personalized small group excursions on the ships fleet of kayaks and zodiacs or on small group hikes.

All Signature Expeditions will be launched and led by those same expert biologists, glaciologists and more providing. This two-fold concept lets Windstar guests put their new knowledge of the region into immediate action with up-close explorations of Alaskas magical realms like the Misty Fjords where few (mass-market) cruisers ever visit, let alone kayak the verdant and rugged natural coastline, the company said.

The Star Legend will drydock in December for the addition of a number of expedition features, including six zodiacs.

Windstar has ehired a team of expedition specialists to assist with the creation of Windstars new Signature Expeditions in Alaska, as well as operate the program onboard.

Heading up the program is Captain James Griffith, the company's new corporate expedition captain.

Among the others are aboard will be geologists, glaciologists, marine biologists, and other experts who will give commentary and interact with guests, and be available to answer guest questions throughout the cruise. The specialists will also lead outings aboard zodiacs and expedition kayaks, as well as take guests on hikes.

Expeditions will be led in Kenai Fjord, Misty Fjords, Tracy Arm/Endicott Arm, and the Inian Islands, dependent upon weather. Like shore excursions, the Windstar Signature Expeditions tours are optional for guests and available at a per guest price of for $40 for hikes, $170 for kayak tours, and $150 for zodiac tours, all led by the onboard Expedition Team experts.

In addition, Windstar has added pre- and post-Alaska tours for guests opting to stay a few more days, and there is a completely new shore excursion program to match the company's debut season in the market.
Princess Cruises announced that its fourth Royal-class ship will be named Sky Princess and is scheduled to debut in October 2019 on a series of Mediterranean voyages.

The 143,700 ton, 3,660-passenger vessel will feature an evolution of the successful design platform used for previous Royal-class ships, the company said.

Sky Princess continues a Princess Cruises legacy and honors one of our previous ships, said Jan Swartz, group president of Princess Cruises and Carnival Australia. When Princess merged with Sitmar Cruises in 1988, Sky Princess joined our fleet and sailed with us for 12 years. Now more than 30 years later, a new Sky Princess will join the fleet featuring our modern design platform and contemporary innovations offered to exceed our guests expectations.

The inaugural Mediterranean deployment of Sky Princess features 10 cruise departures on eight itinerary options.

First up, is a seven-day "Mediterranean & Adriatic" cruise from Athens (Piraeus) to Barcelona departing on October 20, 2019. This voyage is combinable with a seven-day Mediterranean Barcelona to Rome (Civitavecchia) voyage for a 14-day Inaugural "Western Mediterranean & Adriatic Medley" from Athens to Rome.

In addition, Sky Princess will sail on a new seven-day Mediterranean roundtrip Rome voyage, combinable with a seven-day Mediterranean Barcelona to Rome for a 14-day "Western Mediterranean Medley" voyage calling in some of the most iconic ports in the Mediterranean Sea.

The ship then sails from Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale ahead of a expect winter season in the Caribbean.
Just days after cruise industry executives were in Cuba for meetings, Royal Caribbean International announced it will "double its opportunities for a Cuba adventure next summer," with two ships sailing Cuba, including the Majesty of the Seas and Empress of the Seas. The company is also adding two new ports: Santiago de Cuba and Cienfuegos.

Sailings will range from four to eight nights.

The Empress offer cruises year-round from Miami, including a seven-night program calling in Cienfuegos, Havana and Nassau, Bahamas; and five-night sailings visiting Key West, Florida and spending the night in Havana; and also an eight-night journey to Cienfuegos, Santiago de Cuba, Grand Cayman, and Labadee.

Majesty of the Seas will continue the four- and five-night offerings to Havana that include day and overnight stays, departing from Tampa from April to October 2018, and Ft. Lauderdale from November 2018 to March 2019.

"Cuba is such an important part of Caribbean culture, and we can't wait to call on Santiago de Cuba and Cienfuegos next year, showcasing even more of the country's scenic beauty, rich history and distinctive architecture," said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. "Cruising remains the easiest way to visit Cuba, and with both Empress and Majesty sailing there in 2018 and 2019, we hope to make it that much easier for adventure seekers to experience the legendary island."
Insider threat is the recurring theme in government and industry, and for good reason: The threat becomes reality far too often.

Case in point: Chemours (a Dupont spin-off) has been victimized, yet again. This time the Chemours off-boarding and digital forensic capabilities may have been instrumental in determining that a long-time trusted employee was not to be trusted.

A review of the grand jury indictment detailing the crime says that the employee, Jerry Jindong Xu, a naturalized Canadian citizen originally from China, had over the course of several years, stolen the intellectual property and trade secrets of his employer, Chemours. Xu had worked for Dupont China from 2004-2011 and transferred to the U.S. in 2011.

[ How much does a data breach cost? Here's where the money goes. | Get the latest from CSO by signing up for our newsletters. ]

Xu worked for DupontChemours in the U.S. from 2011 through June 2016, when he was terminated by Chemours. Shortly after his departure from Chemours, Xu was contacted by Chemours and asked to return the intellectual property he is believed to have downloaded or emailed to himself in the week immediately before his final day of work. He claimed to have no such information, and proffered to Chemours two external hard drives for their inspection. He was lying.

Xu was arrested in August 2017 and has been held without bail. The grand jury indictment of Xu for the theft of Chemours trade secrets was unsealed Sept. 5, 2017. On Nov. 20, 2017, Xu and his family pleaded with the court to allow him to be released from detention, pending trial. The U.S. district judge will hold a hearing on Dec. 1, 2017.

What did Xu steal from Chemours, and how did he do it?

The indictment says Xu targeted Chemours methodology to process sodium cyanide. Sodium cyanide is a chemical used in the mining of gold, silver and other precious metals. Xu allegedly stole the plans for a new Chemours sodium cyanide plant, valued at approximately $150 million. He also allegedly stole boat loads of collateral material used in pricing and marketing sodium cyanide.

Xu and his unidentified co-conspirator, also a former Dupont employee (terminated service in 2014), allegedly conspired to steal trade secrets and monetize these secrets with Chinese investors. The specifics, provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, include the following activities, all of which were conducted while Xu was employed by Chemours.

Misled colleagues and fabricated assignments in order to accumulate vast amounts of pricing and other information, including obtaining passwords for spreadsheets.

Contacted potential Chinese investors to solicit funding for building a sodium cyanide plant. They would communicate in English and Chinese, sometimes over an encrypted Chinese messaging service.

Explained to one Chinese investor that he wanted to do this project for himself and not to slave away at this only to benefit someone else

During a 2016 trip to China, accessed Chemours documents and told his co-conspirator he had out-of-the-big (sic) ideas cooking that he was anxious to discuss. He also asked how much their plant project would be worth. Would you say in the millions?

Created a company, made his wife the director, and executed a non-disclosure agreement with his co-conspirator.

Asked for and received a tour of Chemours sodium cyanide plant, during which he secretly took pictures of plant system diagrams and sent them to himself.

In the week after he was notified of his termination, he copied and/or sent himself many Chemours confidential documents and then falsely certified that he had returned all Chemours files.

Chemours' exemplary off-boarding process

Far too often companies invest only in the on-boarding of employees and pay short shrift to the off-boarding of employees. In Chemours' case, their inclusion of an attestation from Xu that he had returned all intellectual property of Chemours was exemplary.

The indictment shows us that Xu signed an attestation that said he had returned all drawings, blueprints, manuals, letters, notes, notebooks, reports, and all other material of a secret or confidential nature relating to Chemours business which were in his possession or under his control.

Three days after his departure, Chemours sent Xu a demand letter in which he was asked to return all business confidential and trade secret information, including the electronic files that he transferred to himself during the time period 13-20 June 2016.

Chemours' digital forensics tell the tale

The reason for the termination of Chemours may have been related to the theft of intellectual property, which may have come to their attention earlier in 2016, given the multi-year effort Xu engaged in stealing his employers trade secrets.

Chemours told Xu he was being terminated on June 13, 2017. They also asked that he transfer his workload to another employee during the following week.

During that time, the Chemours InfoSec team appears to have monitored Xus activity on the corporate network, as he was detected sending Chemours confidential documents to his personal email account on June 13, 2017. On this date, he also copied trade secrets onto several removable drives. On June 17, 2017, he again sent proprietary and confidential documents related to cyanide pricing to his personal email account. This was followed on June 19, 2017, when he again emailed multiple Chemours confidential documents to his personal email, including one document titled: New Supply Chain Design RFP.

Whether the above was captured by design or during a post-employment forensic review of Xus laptop is not revealed in the court documents. Whichever methodology Chemours used provided sufficient information to bring in law enforcement, especially after he had declined the opportunity on June 29, 2017, to return the purloined information, denying he had stolen anything.

Invest in off-boarding

Companies of all sizes should onboard the teaching point: invest in your off-boarding process. Have the employee attest to the return of all trade secrets and proprietary information. And remind them of the terms of the non-disclosure agreement, if one exists.
Employee turnover is the worst. This is especially true when the employees that are leaving are your top-notch performers. If you want to slow the departure of your best employees, it helps to know why theyre hitting the road. Here are four reasons your best employees decide to leave.

Theyre not going anywhere: Over time, employees get tired of doing the exact same thing day after day. If youre not moving forward, then you must not be going anywhere. Employees want to feel valued and important, and when youre not advancing, its hard to feel appreciated. Sometimes, no matter how hard you work, theres no chance to climb the ladder. When that happens, your employees will look elsewhere for growth opportunities.

Theyre overworked: Good employees are usually capable of doing more work than they are initially asked, but this can become a problem when the workload eventually grows to a level that even the best employee cant handle. When this happens, they get burned out quickly and feel like theyre being taken advantage of. Use raises and title bumps to make sure your hardest working employees feel like theyre getting something in return for all of their hard work.

Theyre not recognized: Anytime an employee does a great job, you should let them know. Being recognized lets your employees know that theyre doing a great job and its also a great motivator. Maybe you cant afford to hand out bonuses left and right, but you can always speak a few words of appreciation.

They dont feel cared for: Culture plays a huge part in keeping employees happy. Money is important, but when its valued more than the people who make profits possible, youll have a big problem. Its not easy to work hard for someone who cares more about your production than your well-being. The more detached you are from your employees personally, the more employees youll have to eventually replace.
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Credit Union House has long provided a home away from home for credit unions in the nations capital, but a recent partnership with a local food bank has deepened its connection with its community, while helping to provide hundreds of meals for those in need. Credit Union House serves as a venue for credit unions and other Washington, D.C. organizations, including Congress, to hold briefings, meetings, receptions and other functions, hosting 100 events on average per year.

Credit Union House connected with Food Rescue, a nonprofit that connects food donors to food banks and other receiving agencies, earlier this year, resulting in hundreds of donated meals.

The credit union motto is people helping people, and at Credit Union House, its only natural we would look for ways to help people in our community, said Sue McCue, Credit Union House director. We work with green-certified caterers that recycle, compost, and use locally-sourced, sustainable ingredients. Our work with Food Rescue ensures all surplus food from events at Credit Union House gets to those who need it the most.
MVC Holdings, LLC, a 70-year old automobile seating and trim manufacturer, based in Roseville, Mich., needed to purchase new equipment to expand its manufacturing business. A certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE) company, MVC provides chrome molding to Tesla and Cadillac, and holds 29 patents, giving it a unique advantage in a technically diverse industry.

You wouldnt normally think of MVC when considering USDA government guaranteed lending programs, but the company did utilize both the USDA and SBA lending programs to help grow their global auto supply business.

Most credit unions arent aware of the opportunities available to them by participating in USDA and SBA government guarantee lending programs, which have many types of loans available for a variety of borrowers. The USDA Business and Industry program isnt just for farmers; it is designed to assist businesses in rural communities across the United States, which can include towns located near major metropolitan areas where theres enough room to build manufacturing plants.

The SBA has an export loan program designed to help domestic manufactures develop their export business, which in turn helps the United States compete in foreign markets. MVC was able to participate in the SBA export program because they are an international leader in chrome molding, as well as other car components.

This isnt just a theoretical story about loans credit unions could potentially tap. The $825 million Greater Nevada Credit Union of Carson City, Nev., was the lead lender on these government guaranteed loans. And the credit union angle doesnt stop there. CU Capital Market Solutions, the CUSO at which I work, assisted Greater Nevada by bringing in other credit unions as participation partners.

The larger of the two loans was a USDA loan totaling $15.5 million. Because of the size of this loan, GNCU, the top USDA lender in the country, was looking for a couple of financial institutions, preferably credit unions, as participation partners. The $563 million Jefferson Financial FCU, based in Metairie, La., funded a substantial portion of this loan. Jefferson Financial s VP of Lending Carie Lopez said the loan was attractive because MVC had been successful in the past and was a leader in their industry. She added that unique structure of the export loan, available from the SBA, was another key factor. And, Jefferson Financial has participated in a variety of business loans over the past three years with Greater Nevada.

Mike Doherty, executive vice president of sales at CU Capital Market Solutions, assisted in bringing in a new participation partner, the $503 million Arbor Financial Credit Union of Kalamazoo, Mich. Because of its Michigan location, Arbor Financial was familiar with the industry and liked the company. After completing due diligence with both MVC and Greater Nevada, Arbor Financial decided to fund a significant portion of this loan as well. Kenny Leonard, Arbor Financial s VP of commercial & private banking, who was also honored as the 2016 Michigan Commercial Lender of the Year, said, we are very pleased to take part in a large business loan for a company in Michigan, especially one that manufactures components for such an important industry for our state.

Jeremy Gilpin, head of commercial lending at Greater Nevada, and the recipient of the 2016 and 2017 USDA Lender of the Year award, said he was excited that more credit unions are realizing the benefit of participating in the USDA Business and Industry program and the SBA Export program.

Over the past year, more than 1,500 jobs were saved or developed because of these valuable programs, he said, adding that MVC employs 700 employees in three states.

Not only have credit unions have benefitted from the ability to share member business loans through participations, helping to keep them below their MBL cap levels, but businesses benefit, American workers benefit and the economy benefits. All because of the credit union cooperative spirit.

If you would like to learn more about the USDA and SBA Government Guaranteed Lending Program, and how participating in these loans can help your credit union grow, please contact Bill Mullally at CU Capital Market Solutions. I can be reached at bmullally@cucmsllc.com or at my direct line, 678-960-2905.
Here's where to find deer on public hunting grounds in Pennsylvania

Whenever guys tell me theres no deer, I just say yep, youre right, said one hunter, with a laugh.
Pakistan, between November 5 and 26, witnessed one of the biggest lockdowns in its troubled and tumultuous history. A few thousand protesters of the religious organisation Tehreek-e-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah, adherent to the Sunni Barelvi school of thought  a sect considered to be non-violent and apolitical  staged a protest in Faizabad, Islamabad. As the dharna gained momentum, protests headed by Barelvis were seen in many major cities of Pakistan, bringing daily lives of ordinary Pakistanis to a standstill.

The 21-day long dharna, one of the biggest protests after the 2014 Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf sit-in, ended with the signing of an agreement between the leadership of Labaik, the foul-mouthed Khadim Hussain Rizvi, and government of Pakistan, endorsed by the interior minister Ahsan Iqbal  a devout Muslim who is a veteran politician and is highly-educated  and underwritten and supervised by a military official.

There is a great deal that is wrong with this picture, and for a number of reasons.

From the creation of Pakistan in 1947 to the induction of the Objectives Resolution in 1949 to the 1953 anti-Ahmadi riots  which led to the imposition of the first martial law in Pakistan  to Bhuttos 1974 inclusion of the Second Amendment in the Constitution declaring Ahmadis to be non-Muslim, to General Zia-ul-Haqs enforced Islamisation from 1977-1988, Pakistans historys significant markers had the stamp of religion.

As a Muslim who is deeply distraught by the treatment meted out to Ahmadi Muslims, all I can say is: what difference does it make if a constitution or people do not consider you Muslim? Photo: Reuters

Religious organisations that had opposed the creation of Pakistan  a state to safeguard the interests of people belonging to one majority faith  made their way into the mainstream politics chanting a slogan few Pakistanis, including non-Muslim ones, could have the heart or courage to repudiate: "Pakistan ka matalab kya, La Illaha illallah".

What Pakistans founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah said in reference to the slogan remains unheard, unheeded; this was in response to a Muslim Leaguers slogan at the last session of the All India Muslim League: Neither the Muslim League Working Committee nor I ever passed a resolution [called] Pakistan ka matlab kya  you may have used it to catch a few votes.

In From Memory, his 1966 memoir, the former prime minister of Pakistan, Firoz Khan Noon, wrote: This situation [anti-Ahmadi riots] was brought about by people who wanted to get into power in the Centre. They thought that by creating unrest, the men at the helm of affairs in the Centre would have to go. The old tried method of attacking a religious minority sect called Ahmadis was used to inflame the minds of otherwise peaceful people.

The same tactic, along with the card of blasphemy, is used to date: to change the system, to redraw paradigms of power.

Any protest based on the premise of safeguarding the sanctity of Khatm-e-Nubavat (finality of prophethood) is a guarantee of evocation of a deep sense of reverence and loyalty in any Muslim in Pakistan, while triggering a plethora of emotions that find little or no relevance in rationality.

What ensues is the appearance of one groups hegemony, turning the very paradigm of constitutional power on its head. The protest of Labaik, a group that was said to be in possession of guns and grenades while holding Islamabad to a virtual siege, initiated with the inclusion of a now discarded amendment to Pakistans electoral law.

The mere alteration of words I solemnly swear to I solemnly affirm opened a Pandoras box of outrage, unleashing a protest that had nothing to do with the teachings of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh): restraint, decorum, a civilised way of interaction to resolve issues, respect for one another and those in disagreement with, and above all, forgiveness.

Watching the federal law minister Zahid Hamids video message evoked a feeling of sadness within me, and millions of other rational Pakistanis. To watch an elected representative of the people, a federal minister, in a personal message, insisting on his devotion to Islam and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was not a service to Islam: it was submission to a group of fanatics who use religion to make themselves relevant on the chessboard of power in Pakistan. Take Allahs name, and no one will question you. Use the prophets name, and people will rally with your cause. Chant slogans to uphold the sanctity of the finality of prophethood, and whatever chaos you unleash will be pardoned.

Faith is personal. Faith is the human connection to the divine. Faith, or lack thereof, is to be judged only by God.

What is forgotten here is that in an almost 97 percent Muslim Pakistan, everything starts and ends with Allahs name. For us, no name is more sacred than that of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

The basis of our faith is the acceptance of the finality of his prophethood. There is no disagreement here but chaos is unleashed using pretexts that shouldnt even be a topic of debate in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

It is the capitulation of the state and the government to the hooliganism done in the name of religion that is a matter of great distress and concern for all Pakistanis who bow to Allah and yet wish to live in harmony with their compatriots, notwithstanding their faith and ideology. It is the capitulation of an elected government that lacks the will and power to stand up to fanatics that have no real popular support that comes in the form of vote.

It is the capitulation of a civilian government to a military narrative that derives its grassroots power through the subjugation of a population in the name of religion. It is the capitulation of religious enlightenment to blind following of faith that seeks avenues of power through manipulation of faith with binaries of right and wrong that leave no room for discussion, debate or dissent.

While there is no denying the mullah-military nexus in Pakistan that saw unprecedented growth in the time of Zia with the aid of the emergence of Saudi-funded madrassas all over Pakistan, and military nurturing of jihadist organisations, failure of civilian governments to control that narrative cannot be ignored either. Whether it was Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto whose appeasement of religious elements could not protect him from their wrath in 1977, or Benazir Bhutto (two-time prime minister) and Nawaz Sharif (three-time prime minister), all governments of Pakistan have done their share of appeasement of religious organisations.

A truly social welfare state working to give a good life to people, a state that would have been Islamic in its moorings and treatment of Pakistan  equality, justice, equal opportunities for all  remains a bitter dream: the majority of Pakistanis live with the hope of a better tomorrow, and what they get is a promise of a better life in the hereafter.

Bhuttos social roti, kapra aur makaan was bulldozed by Zias religious narrative, and tainted with flawed policies of their civilian and military successors, the aftermath is a Pakistan where distortions of faith-propelled future prizes replace food, clothing and shelter.

Religious organisations work on a singular premise: control the bad now with the promise of a good hereafter. They prevail because of their linear commitment to their cause. All those who bemoan the ascendancy of the bigots do not have the stomach to stand up to them. They have nothing substantial to offer as a substitute. The civilian leaders, the elected ones. And those who vote for them, the aam aadmi, the majority. The so-called non-fundamentalists have failed to uplift the masses, change their lives for better, and in turn, wean them from the influence of those who promise them a shortcut to jannat.

Words are cheap, and so are promises wrapped in chants of religion, covered in skull caps and burqas, of smug men in white beards smoothed out with stern hands, accusatory fingers wrapped in rosaries, on a mosque pulpit, in a rally, at a protest in Faizabad. Abuse, incite hatred, incite violence, vow to wreak havoc on the country, break laws and bones, harm policemen, destroy peace and property, and do it in the name of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who taught the exact opposite of that.

And forgotten amidst the chaos, there are the Ahmadis of Pakistan, who cannot call themselves Muslim, behave like Muslims, and be treated like Muslims while living life as per the true teachings of Allah and his prophet. Once more the stark outcome of Labaiks victory is an even more blatant ostracisation of Ahmadis in Pakistan: Muslims who are not allowed to be addressed as Muslims.

Along with desecration of their mosques and graveyards, personal harassment, destruction of business and killings, now the ostracisation is absolute. Ahmadis are not human beings; they are the tool with which battles for hegemony of who controls Pakistan are staged and won. Ahmadis are disposable, like non-Muslims and Shias of Pakistan.

The number of Ahmadis in Pakistan is said to be more than two million. A number of Ahmadis contribute to Pakistans economy and structure-building: as industrialists, intellectuals and military officials. Their money and service are not haram, their existence is. A 2011 Pew survey revealed: two-thirds of Pakistanis, in a country of more than 200 million people, consider Ahmadis non-Muslim.

What is noteworthy is that under Indian law, the Ahmadi community is officially recognised as Muslim, the result of a landmark judgment by the Kerala High Court in 1970.

Today, I ask the leadership of Pakistan: What are the Ahmadis to do in Pakistan? If they believe they are Muslim  and it is up to Allah to judge them  are they supposed to hide or renounce their faith because the man-made Constitution says so? Im unable to think of any constitution in the world in which an entire set of people is ostracised from the religion it swears allegiance to. Which constitution other than Pakistan's decrees who is a Muslim and who is not?
Hard-line religious groups forced the resignation this week of Pakistan's law minister Zahid Hamid. They had laid siege to cities across Pakistan, enraged by the amendment (later rescinded) to an electoral law they believe diluted the "crime" of blasphemy.

Pakistan has long cultivated religious extremism and terrorism. Both are now slipping out of its control. The backlash is fierce. The Pakistani army has made a fortune out of its decades-old terror factory. That factory is now spewing hard-line fanatics challenging the government's writ across Pakistan.

Since President Donald Trump took office, Pakistani army's top brass has been on tenterhooks. Would the unpredictable Trump actually carry out the threat he made two months ago to bomb terror safe havens on Pakistani soil? Apart from drone attacks in Pakistan's tribal areas, the US has been content to attack terrorist targets along the Af-Pak border. Trump seemed to have upended that policy: if you don't get rid of terror safe havens, we'll do it, Trump said last month. Having watched Trump carefully during the first 10 months of his presidency, Pakistan's blustery generals have come to the conclusion: it's going to be business as usual.

Terrorism

By removing the LeT last week from the list of proscribed terror groups that disqualify US military aid to Pakistan, Trump has proved the generals right: he's no different from former President Barack Obama whom the Pakistanis gamed successfully for eight years. The Trump administration, like the Obama government, has fallen for the line that Pakistan is essential to stability in Afghanistan. Islamabad provides the key supply route for US-Nato forces in landlocked Afghanistan. Besides, Pakistan controls the lever on terror: it can switch on and off terror attacks by the Taliban and uses that to blackmail the US into accepting Pakistan as a partner in the war on terror rather than its principal instigator.

For India, neither Obama's visit to Delhi this week nor Ivanka Trump's trip to Hyderabad for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) will count for much.

Obama is more concerned these days with the Obama Foundation than geopolitical strategy. Ivanka Trump is no longer quite the influential adviser to her father that some imagine. She has recently taken positions contrary to his on several issues. She condemned Roy Moore, the Republican candidate for a Senate seat from Alabama, following allegations of Moore's sexual harassment of minor girls. Trump earlier this week endorsed Moore. Ivanka was unimpressed, saying those who "prey on children have a special place in hell".

For India, the Trump presidency has so far been a mixed bag. Washington continues to appease China despite Beijing not able or willing to restrain North Korea's nuclear missile programme. It has relieved pressure on Pakistan-sponsored terror. The US has "asked" Pakistan to re-arrest Hafiz Saeed and charge him. But for years, Washington did nothing about Saeed despite putting a $10 million (Rs 64 crore) bounty on his head even as the LeT terror head roamed free.

For Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Obama-Ivanka visits come at a time that is a tipping point in his foreign policy formulation.

The victory over Britain in the United Nations to elect an Indian judge at the International Court of Justice shows that a new world order is taking shape. The post-World War II domination of the West is ebbing. What could replace it? Clearly, one pole will be led by China and another by the US. India's growing geostrategic and economic importance has compelled the US to change its Asia-Pacific strategy to an overarching Indo-Pacific doctrine.

China factor

Islamabad is also waking up to the perils of relying on China to solve all its economic problems. Pakistan recently turned down Chinese assistance for the $12-billion (Rs 77,000 crore) Diamer-Bhasha hydel power project in PoK under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) due to tough Chinese financial terms. The row has caused the first rupture between Beijing and Islamabad over the CPEC.

Interestingly, at around the same time last week, the Chinese ambassador to India, Luo Zhaohui, proposed renaming the CPEC to satisfy Indian concerns. He also controversially suggested that the CPEC need not, as originally planned, pass through PoK but could be routed through the parts of J&K not occupied by Pakistan. Beijing reacted swiftly. It refuted its own ambassador's statement and said cryptically that Pakistan remained China's "all-weather ally".

Frustration

Nonetheless for India, there are signs of growing frustration between Pakistan and China over financial and security concerns involving the CPEC. The realisation too is dawning in Islamabad and Beijing, especially after India's diplomatic victory over Britain in the UN that New Delhi is finally beginning to punch at its true geopolitical weight. By making China back off over Doklam, India demonstrated steely resolve. At the UN, it demonstrated that it has the confidence and ability to defeat the diplomatic machinations of a major if declining world power, Britain.

There is talk now of India pressing forward for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). That is tactically unwise. The UNSC seat will come, if it does, only without a veto which makes it meaningless. India comes across too often as a supplicant, pleading for recognition from world powers, including its keenness for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) when it already has a one-time NSG-waiver, obtained in 2008.

A rising economic and military power does not seek "great power" status. It commands it.
(The author was among more than 1,00,000 people stranded worldwide when the Bali airport shut down without warning - around 59,000 travellers were stranded in Bali alone, following alerts about the likely eruption of Mount Agung.)

At 8am on November 27, I was sitting outside Gate C 13 of Kuala Lumpur International Airport counting the minutes to my flight to Bali. Ive never understood why Bali cant have decent air connectivity with India  most of the flights either cost a bomb or take more than 12 hours. I was on a work trip and, despite mild protests, was handed a ticket on Malindo Air. No one I know had ever heard of this airline, and I have worked in the travel industry for more than 10 years.

Nevertheless, I reached KL in one piece and just wanted to get to my hotel and crash after a cramped and tiring journey in the small aircraft. The gate was to open at 8.15 for my 9.15 flight and I had been waiting since 6am, so I was glad it was almost time to board.

This is when a lost and harassed-looking gent approached me, asking if the flight to Bali was cancelled. Of course not, I replied, here I was at the gate and no one had announced any cancellation. I turned around to point at the gate. What Malindo Air had done instead was quietly take off their flight status update from the digital display of the gate.

After November 21 the volcano started spitting and fuming again, and the risk level was raised to highest possible. Photo: Reuters

What were they hoping to achieve by keeping the passengers in the dark? We went to the main information display but it wouldnt list any flights after 9am so we had to just wait around. By now, several other people had got calls about the Bali airport being unceremoniously shut down on the morning of November 27, and a lot of people started agitating and murmuring. I went off in search of the Malindo Air counter  not one person was at the gate to tell passengers what to expect.

Eventually, Malindo Air did nothing for the passengers except to lie and fob them off with a meal coupon which I declined to take. They refused accommodation or refunds, they said most of their other flights were full, and they rerouted me back to Delhi after I screamed and shouted (but they did not send my bag for two days) as if they were doing me a favour by advancing the date on a return ticket my associate had already purchased on full price.

Malindo Air is so hilariously incompetent that when I tried to pay and upgrade myself to business class (I was unwell and tired, and feeling sorry for myself), they did not know they had seats on their own flight. Eventually, their business class seats went empty when all the time they had a customer willing to pay for an upgrade.

However, in the end, Malindo Air just added to the pain of travellers. The real culprit in my opinion is the Bali airport authority. Unless there was a terrorist attack or another incident which you cant predict, who shuts down a major touristy international airport in peak tourist season without warning?

The fact that Mt Agung was going to act up was absolutely no surprise to anyone. It had been rumbling since September, and, when on November 21 it had its first eruption, it was clear that we hadnt heard the last from it. When the airport authority did not shut the airport on the basis of the clear possibility that Mt Agung might erupt again, they knew they were taking a risky chance. But it is holiday season, you know? They have to make money.

There were couples on honeymoon, people travelling for the first time out of India who were scared, clueless and did not know their rights. Photo: Reuters

This is a volcano known for its violent, explosive, massive and sudden eruptions. It has killed more than 1,000 people in the past because of similar lack of imagination and preparation by the Bali authorities, but that was 45 years ago and one would think theyd have learnt something.

When, after November 21, the volcano started spitting and fuming again and the risk level was raised to the highest possible at 4, why did the Bali airport authority not give fair warning to travellers around the world by saying it is going to shut the airport in 48 hours, so make your plans, people?

Instead, it remained open, swallowing more and more travellers into Bali, till November 26 when another eruption occurred and forced the airport to shut down. On November 25, the volcanic activity had begun, raising fears of the eruption on November 26, but neither the airport nor the hotels give any warning to travellers  no one asked them not to set out from their homes. All of us trusted them and left for Bali, only to be stranded at an unknown, unfamiliar place without bags or visas.

There were couples on honeymoon, people travelling for the first time out of India who were scared, clueless and did not know their rights.

They did not even know if they were owed a return ticket by the airline or even offered a glass of water. Why did the airline not have an emergency plan in place and assist everyone systematically?

In trying to keep the airport open and earn as much business as they could, the Bali authorities have ended up hurting their image and losing all the New Year Eve business  reports say that nearly all the travellers have cancelled their fully-booked Bali holidays. If hotels, the airport authority and airlines just gave fair warning to the travellers and compensated them fully or offered a change of travel dates, they would earn goodwill and more travellers in the future.

At a time when the airline industry and the tourism sector are already suffering, being so insensitive to the traveller is going to hurt both Bali and Malindo Air badly  they have put off hundreds of first-time travellers from travelling to Bali forever.
There is a growing debate as to why the Gujarat Archbishop was targeted when several religious sects have also been urging followers to pray or vote for a certain party/candidate.

By Jumana Shah: The Archdiocese of Gandhinagar, Archbishop Thomas Macwan, came under fire a week ago when a letter written by him to other churches in Gujarat and across the country seeking prayers to elect a 'humane leader' and against 'nationalist forces' went viral.

The Election Commission of India slapped him with a notice seeking clarification why his statements should not be seen as violation of the Model Code of Conduct. In a letter dated November 21, Archbishop Macwan had said, "Nationalist forces are on the verge of taking over the country. There is a growing sense of insecurity among minorities, OBCs, BCs, poor, etc. The election results of Gujarat state assembly can make a difference."

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The Bishop replied to the EC on Tuesday that he had no malafide intentions in writing the letter. Besides, the letter had not mentioned a particular party or candidate. However, there is a growing debate as to why the Archbishop was targeted when several religious sects have been doing the same. For instance, earlier this month, Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani had visited the Vadtal Swaminarayan Temple near Nadiad town in central Gujarat. Following his visit, the chief administrator of the temple, Maharaj Ghanshyam Prasad Das, had urged followers to pray for the victory of Narendra Modi and Vijay Rupani. Das said he prayed similarly as well. Additionally, PM Modi had visited Akshardham temple recently in a grand ceremony, where he was escorted by the seniormost priest of the sect, Mahant Swami. Though he did not make a statement seeking votes for BJP, greeting Modi warmly was perceived as tacit endorsement. The Patidar community is believed to be a big follower of the sect. Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said, "No religious or spiritual leader has the right to influence the decision of a voter."

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Will angry Patels help the Congress spring a surprise in Saurashtra region in next month's Gujarat Assembly election?

By Prabhash K Dutta: The BJP has set an ambitious target of winning 150 seats in Gujaraj Assembly election in 182 constituencies next month. The BJP backs itself looking at the Lok Sabha poll results.

The Congress, on the other hand, is fancying its chances of returning to power after 22 years in the state. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has led the charge against the BJP hoping that the panchayat and local body elections of 2015 have paved way for a change of power in Gujarat.

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Gujarat is politically divided in five regions - Saurashtra, Kutch, north Gujarat, central Gujarat and south Gujarat.

Different regional demarcations have been used by various authors. The regional distribution of Gujarat Assembly seats can be arranged as:

Saurashtra and Kutch: 54

South Gujarat: 35

Northern Gujarat: 32

Central Gujarat: 61

Saurashtra and south Gujarat will vote for 89 seats on December 9 in the first phase while polling will be held in 93 constituencies of central and northern regions on December 14.

In 2012, the BJP dominated Saurashtra, Kutch and south Gujarat. The Congress fared relatively well in the north and central Gujarat. Of 48 seats in Saurashtra, the BJP won 33 constituencies while the Congress could win in 13. Three seats of Saurashtra went to others including Gujarat Parivartan Party of Keshubhai Patel.

The BJP has five MLAs from six seats of Kutch district. In south Gujarat, the BJP won 22 of 28 seats including all 12 seats in business hub of Surat. The Congress had to contend with one seat in Kutch and only six in south Gujarat.

In north and central Gujarat, Congress won 41 of its 61 seats in the Assembly. The BJP has won the rest to take its tally to 116 in Gujarat Assembly.

URBAN VERSUS RURAL VOTERS

The BJP is the clear leader when it comes to attracting urban voters in Gujarat while the Congress has an upper hand in terms of both the share of votes polled and number of seats won in villages and remote areas.

In 2012, the BJP polled 59.5 per cent of urban votes while the Congress got only 32.8 per cent. The BPJ almost completely dominated in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat. In rural areas, the BJP got 42.1 per cent vote while the Congress won 42.9 per cent votes.

The Congress is hoping that it will return to power after 22 years in Gujarat.

In terms of seats, the BJP won in 44 constituencies compared to the Congress's 49. The BJP's overall vote share in 2012 was about 48 per cent - 60 per cent of which came from the urban areas - while that of the Congress was around 40.5 per cent.

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There are 69 constituencies in Gujarat with more than 50 per cent urban population. According to 2011 Census, Gujarat is among the top five urbanised states of India with over 43 per cent of its population residing in towns and cities.

KEY IS SAURASHTRA

Saurashtra and south Gujarat are being seen as the key regions for Gujarat Assembly election. These areas may decide which party will come to power on December 18, when votes will be counted.

One of the regions for Saurashtra and south Gujarat emerging as key to power in this year's assembly election is Patidar agitation. The Patels are said to be in influential numbers in 60 constituencies of the region.

Patels are broadly categorised under two sub-castes, Kadvas and Leuvas, and two smaller sub-castes, Chaudharys and Anjanas. The four castes and sub-castes of Patels are, though spread all over Gujarat, they have greater concentration of Saurashtra.

This explains why PM Narendra Modi launched his campaign blitzkrieg from Bhuj this week, why Rahul Gandhi is visiting Saurashtra time and again, and why Hardik Patel is virtually camping in the region and exhorting the Patidars to stay united against the BJP.

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The following companies are subsidiares of General Dynamics: 42SIX LLC, ARMA Global Corporation, Advanced Technical Products, Aeromil (Australia) Pty Ltd, Aeromil Aircraft Engineering Pty Ltd, Aeromil Aviation Services Pty Ltd, Aeromil IT Services Pty Ltd, Aeromil Marine Pty Ltd, Aeromil Pacific Pty Ltd, American Overseas Marine Company LLC, Anteon International Corporation, Applied Physical Sciences, Applied Physical Sciences Corp., Ascend Intelligence, Australian Avionics Pty Ltd, Autonomic Resources LLC, Avion Logistics Limited, Avjet Corporation, AxleTech International, Axsys, BATH IRON WORKS CORPORATION, BP-HP Pte Limited, Bath Iron Works, Bath Iron Works Australia Corporation, Bath Iron Works Canada LLC, Bluefin Robotics Corporation, Blueprint Technologies Inc., Braintree I Maritime Corp., Braintree II Maritime Corp., Braintree III Maritime Corp., Braintree IV Maritime Corp., Braintree V Maritime Corp., Buccaneer Computer Systems & Service Inc., CSC Computer Sciences Venezuela S.A., CSRA, CSRA (Costa Rica) S.A., CSRA (Guyana) Inc., CSRA (Middle East) LLC, CSRA Argentina S.R.L., CSRA BH d.o.o., CSRA Bahamas Limited, CSRA Bahrain S.P.C., CSRA Belgium SPRL, CSRA Bolivia S.R.L., CSRA Brazil Servicos de Tecnologia Ltda., CSRA Canada Inc., CSRA Caribbean Inc., CSRA Chile SpA, CSRA Colombia SAS, CSRA Commerce 2010 LLC, CSRA Consular Services Holding Company LLC, CSRA Consular Services Inc., CSRA France SARL, CSRA Guatemala Solutions Sociedad Anonima, CSRA Honduras Sociedad Anonima, CSRA Inc., CSRA Information Systems LLC, CSRA Information Technology Spain SL, CSRA Ireland Limited, CSRA Italy S.R.L, CSRA Kosovo L.L.C., CSRA LATAM LLC, CSRA LLC, CSRA Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., CSRA Netherlands B.V., CSRA Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CSRA Panama Inc., CSRA Peru S.R.L., CSRA Senegal SARL, CSRA South Africa (Pty) Ltd, CSRA State and Local Solutions LLC, CSRA Systems & Solutions LLC, CSRA Trinidad & Tobago Limited, CSRA Turkey Bilisim Teknolojileri Limited Sirketi, CSRA Uruguay S.R.L, CSRA Visa Services Israel Ltd., CSRAIT - Information Services Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Centauri Solutions LLC, Command System, Computing Devices International, Concord I Maritime Corporation, Concord II Maritime Corporation, Concord III Maritime Corporation, Concord IV Maritime Corporation, Concord V Maritime Corporation, Convair Aircraft Corporation, Convair Corporation, Creative Technology, Customer Services Ecuador CSRA S.A., Devcor, Diamond Fortress Technologies, DynPort Vaccine Company LLC, EB Groton Engineering Inc., EBV Explosives Environmental, ELCS-CZ s.r.o., Eagle Enterprise Inc., Earl Industries - Ship Repair and Coatings Division, Ebv Explosives Environmental Company, Electric Boat - Australia LLC, Electric Boat - UK LLC, Electric Boat Canada LLC, Electric Boat Corporation, Electric Boat France LLC, Electrocom Inc., Engineering Technology, Expro Finance Inc., FBD Fahrzeug und Bremsendienst GmbH, FC Business Systems, Fidelis Cybersecurity, Force Protection, Force Protection Europe Limited, Force Protection Inc., ForeSight Technology Services LLC, Freeman United Coal Mining Company LLC, GD Brazil Holdings LLC, GD European Land Systems - Steyr GmbH, GD European Land Systems Holding GmbH, GDOTS Services Corporation, GM GDLS Defense Group L.L.C., GPS Source Inc., GTE Government Systems, GWA-Datatrac FAST LLC, Galaxy Aerospace Company, Gayston Corporation - Defense Operations, General Dynamics - OTS (Global) Inc., General Dynamics AIS Australia Pty Ltd, General Dynamics Canadian Finance Inc., General Dynamics Canadian Holdings Inc., General Dynamics Commercial Cyber Services LLC, General Dynamics European Finance Limited, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Austria GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Bridge Systems GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Czech s.r.o., General Dynamics European Land Systems - Denmark ApS, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Deutschland GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems - FWW GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Mowag GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems Romania S.R.L., General Dynamics European Land Systems S.L., General Dynamics Global Force LLC, General Dynamics Global Holdings Limited, General Dynamics Global Imaging Technologies Inc., General Dynamics Government Satellite Services LLC, General Dynamics Government Systems Corporation, General Dynamics Government Systems Overseas Corporation, General Dynamics Information Technology Canada Limited, General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., General Dynamics Information Technology Limited, General Dynamics Installation Services LLC, General Dynamics International Corporation, General Dynamics Itronix LLC, General Dynamics Land Systems - Australia Pty. Ltd., General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada Corporation, General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada Services Inc., General Dynamics Land Systems - Canadian Services Limited, General Dynamics Land Systems - Force Protection Inc., General Dynamics Land Systems Customer Service & Support Company, General Dynamics Land Systems Inc., General Dynamics Limited, General Dynamics Marine Systems Inc., General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., General Dynamics Mission Systems International Limited, General Dynamics Mission Systems Overseas Company LLC, General Dynamics Motion Control LLC, General Dynamics OTS (Aerospace) Inc., General Dynamics OTS (California) Inc., General Dynamics OTS (DRI) Inc., General Dynamics OTS (Niceville) Inc., General Dynamics OTS (Pennsylvania) Inc., General Dynamics One Source LLC, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems - Canada Inc., General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems - Canada Valleyfield Inc., General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems - Simunition Operations Inc., General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems Inc., General Dynamics Overseas Systems and Services Corporation, General Dynamics Properties Inc., General Dynamics Robotic Systems Inc., General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies Inc., General Dynamics Satcom Technologies Asia Private Limited, General Dynamics Satellite Communication Services LLC, General Dynamics Saudi Holdings S.L., General Dynamics Shared Resources LLC, General Dynamics Support Services Company, General Dynamics Swiss Financial Management Limited, General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited, General Dynamics Worldwide Holdings Inc., General Dynamics-OTS Inc., General Motors Defense, Gulfstream 100 Holdings LLC, Gulfstream Aerospace, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (CA), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (DE), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (GA), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (OK), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation of Texas, Gulfstream Aerospace Hong Kong Limited, Gulfstream Aerospace LLC, Gulfstream Aerospace LP, Gulfstream Aerospace Ltd., Gulfstream Aerospace Services Corporation, Gulfstream Aerospace Sociedad de Responssabilidad Limitada de CapitalVariable (S. de R.L. de C.V.), Gulfstream Do Brasil Servicos De Suporte E Manutencao A Aeronaves Ltda., Gulfstream International Corporation, Gulfstream Leasing LLC, Gulfstream Product Support Corporation, Gulfstream Services Corporation, Gulfstream Tennessee Corporation, Gulfstream-California Inc., Hawker Pacific (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Hawker Pacific Aircraft Management Pte Ltd, Hawker Pacific Airservices Limited, Hawker Pacific Airservices Pvt Ltd, Hawker Pacific Asia Holdings Pte Ltd, Hawker Pacific Asia Pte Ltd, Hawker Pacific Australia Pty Ltd, Hawker Pacific Aviation Services Pty Ltd, Hawker Pacific NZ Limited, Hawker Pacific Pty Ltd, IPWireless, IPWireless PTE. Limited, Information Services Consulting Limited, Interiores Aereos S.A. de C.V., International Manufacturing Technologies Inc., Itronix, Janteq Australia PTY Limited, Janteq Corp., Jet Aviation, Jet Aviation (Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd., Jet Aviation (Bermuda) Ltd., Jet Aviation (Hong Kong) Ltd., Jet Aviation (Malaysia) SDN BHD, Jet Aviation 125 Services LLC, Jet Aviation AG, Jet Aviation Brazil Holdings Inc., Jet Aviation Business Jets (Hong Kong) Limited, Jet Aviation Business Jets AG, Jet Aviation Business Jets FZCO, Jet Aviation California LLC, Jet Aviation Dulles LLC, Jet Aviation Flight Services Inc., Jet Aviation France SAS, Jet Aviation Holding GmbH, Jet Aviation Holdings USA Inc., Jet Aviation Houston Inc., Jet Aviation International Inc., Jet Aviation Malaga SA, Jet Aviation Management AG, Jet Aviation Netherlands B.V., Jet Aviation Savannah Holding LLC, Jet Aviation Services GmbH, Jet Aviation St. Louis Inc., Jet Aviation Teterboro LP, Jet Aviation Texas Inc., Jet Aviation of America Inc., Jet Aviation/Palm Beach Inc., Jet Professionals LLC, Kylmar, Longreach Energy LLC, MAYA Viz, Maricom Systems Incorporated, Material Service Resources Company LLC, Matthews Land Company, Mediaware International, Mediaware International Pty Ltd, Metro Machine, Metro Machine co, Midwest Properties Sales LLC, NASSCO, NASSCO Holdings Incorporated, NES Associates LLC, National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, Network Connectivity Solutions Corp., Newberry Holdings LLC, OOO Jet Aviation Vnukovo, Open Kernel Labs, Page Europa Srl, Patriot I Shipping Corp., Patriot II Shipping Corp., Patriot IV Shipping Corp., Plane 79 LLC, Praxis Engineering Technologies LLC, PrimeX Technologies, Prodelin India Private Limited, Proyectos Prohumane Mexico S.A. de C.V., Quincy Maritime Corporation III, Raven Acquisitions LLC, SENTECH INC., SRA International Inc., Saco Defense, Santa Barbara Sistemas S.A., Savannah Air Center LLC, Signal Solutions LLC, Southern Illinois Recovery Inc., Spectrum Astro, St. Marks Powder Inc., Stabilo Pty Ltd, Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug AG & Co KG, Sydney Jet Charter Pty Ltd, Tadpole Computer, Tecnologias Internacionales de Manufactura S.A. de C.V., Tenacity Solutions Incorporated, The Depth of Ideas for General Trading LLC, TriPoint Global Communications, Vangent, Vangent Servicios de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Veridian, Vertex Antennentechnik GmbH, ViPS, Vulnerability Research Labs LLC, and Weco LLC.

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Carter's, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, sources, and markets branded childrenswear under the Carter's, OshKosh, Skip Hop, Child of Mine, Just One You, Simple Joys, Carter's My First Love, little planet, and other brands in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: U.S. Retail, U.S. Wholesale, and International. Its Carter's products include babies and young children products, such as bodysuits, pants, dresses, knit sets, blankets, layette essentials, bibs, booties, sleep and play products, rompers, and jumpers; and OshKosh brand products comprise playclothes, such as denim apparel products with multiple wash treatments and coordinating garments, overalls, woven bottoms, knit tops, and bodysuits. The company also provides products for playtime, travel, mealtime, bathtime, and homegear, as well as kid's bags and diaper bags under the Skip Hop brand. In addition, it offers bedding, cribs, diaper bags, footwear, gift sets, hair accessories, jewelry, outerwear, paper goods, socks, shoes, swimwear, and toys. The company operates 18,800 wholesale locations, including department stores, national chain stores, and specialty stores. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 980 retail stores. The company also sells its products through its eCommerce websites, such as carters.com, oshkoshbgosh.com, oshkosh.com, and skiphop.com, as well as other international wholesale accounts and licensees. Carter's, Inc. was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
The following companies are subsidiares of MetLife: 10700 WILSHIRE LLC, 1201 TAB MANAGER LLC, 1350 EYE STREET MANAGER LLC, 1350 EYE STREET OWNER LLC, 150 NORTH RIVERSIDE PE MEMBER LLC, 1925 WJC OWNER LLC, 23RD STREET INVESTMENTS INC., 500 GRANT STREET ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, 500 GRANT STREET GP LLC, 6104 HOLLYWOOD LLC, AFP GENESIS ADMINISTRADORA DE FONDOS Y FIDECOMISOS S.A., AGENVITA S.R.L., ALICO HELLAS SINGLE MEMBER LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, ALICO OPERATIONS LLC, American Life Insurance Company, BEST MARKET S.A., BLOCK VISION HOLDINGS CORPORATION, BLOCK VISION OF TEXAS INC., BORDERLAND INVESTMENTS LIMITED, BOULEVARD RESIDENTIAL LLC, BUFORD LOGISTICS CENTER LLC, CC HOLDCO MANAGER LLC, CHESTNUT FLATS WIND LLC, CLOSED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY MASTER-D, COMPANIA INVERSORA METLIFE S.A., CORPORATE REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS LLC, COVA LIFE MANAGEMENT COMPANY, DAVIS VISION INC., DAVISVISION IPA INC., DELAWARE AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, EURO CL INVESTMENTS LLC, EXCELENCIA OPERATIVA Y TECNOLOGICA S.A de C.V., FORTISSIMO CO. LTD, FUNDACION METLIFE MEXICO A.C., GLOBAL PROPERTIES INC., General American Life Insurance Company, Grand Bank N.A., HASKELL EAST VILLAGE LLC, HOUSING FUND MANAGER LLC, INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL AND ADVISORY SERVICES LIMITED, INVERSIONES METLIFE HOLDCO DOS LIMITADA, INVERSIONES METLIFE HOLDCO TRES LIMITADA, LHC HOLDINGS LLC, LHCW HOLDINGS LLC, LHCW HOTEL HOLDING 2002 LLC, LHCW HOTEL HOLDING LLC, LHCW HOTEL OPERATING COMPANY 2002 LLC, LUMENLAB MALAYSIA SDN. BHD., Logan Circle Partners, MARKETPLACE RESIDENCES LLC, MC PORTFOLIO JV MEMBER LLC, MCJV LLC, MCPP OWNERS LLC, MCRE BLOCK 40 LP, MEC HEALTH CARE INC., MET 1065 HOTEL LLC, MET CANADA SOLAR ULC, METLIFE 1007 STEWART LLC, METLIFE 1201 TAB MEMBER LLC, METLIFE 425 MKT MANAGER LLC, METLIFE 425 MKT MEMBER LLC, METLIFE 555 12TH MEMBER LLC, METLIFE 8280 MEMBER LLC, METLIFE ACOMA OWNER LLC, METLIFE ADMINISTRADORA DE FUNDOS MULTIPATROCINADOS LTDA., METLIFE ALTERNATIVES GP LLC, METLIFE ASHTON AUSTIN OWNER LLC, METLIFE ASIA HOLDING COMPANY PTE. LTD., METLIFE ASIA LIMITED, METLIFE ASIA SERVICES SDN. BHD, METLIFE ASSET MANAGEMENT CORP., METLIFE ASSIGNMENT COMPANY INC., METLIFE BORO STATION MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CAMINO RAMON MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CAMPUS AT SGV MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CAPITAL CREDIT L.P., METLIFE CAPITAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, METLIFE CAPITAL TRUST IV, METLIFE CB W/A LLC, METLIFE CC MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CHILE ADMINISTRADORA DE MUTUOS HIPOTECARIOS S.A., METLIFE CHILE INVERSIONES LIMITADA, METLIFE CHILE SEGUROS DE VIDA S.A., METLIFE CHILE SEGUROS GENERALES S.A., METLIFE CHINO MEMBER LLC, METLIFE COLOMBIA SEGUROS de VIDA S.A., METLIFE COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE INCOME FUND GP LLC, METLIFE CONSQUARE MEMBER LLC, METLIFE CONSUMER SERVICES INC., METLIFE CORE PROPERTY FUND GP LLC, METLIFE CREDIT CORP., METLIFE DIGITAL VENTURES INC., METLIFE ENHANCED CORE PROPERTY FUND GP LLC, METLIFE EU HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED, METLIFE EUROPE INSURANCE d.a.c., METLIFE EUROPE SERVICES LIMITED, METLIFE EUROPE d.a.c., METLIFE EUROPEAN HOLDINGS LLC., METLIFE FINANCIAL SERVICES CO. LTD, METLIFE FM HOTEL MEMBER LLC, METLIFE FUNDING INC., METLIFE GENERAL INSURANCE LIMITED, METLIFE GLOBAL BENEFITS LTD., METLIFE GLOBAL HOLDING COMPANY I GMBH, METLIFE GLOBAL HOLDING COMPANY II GMBH, METLIFE GLOBAL HOLDINGS CORPORATION S.A. De C.V., METLIFE GLOBAL INC., METLIFE GLOBAL OPERATIONS SUPPORT CENTER PRIVATE LIMITED, METLIFE GROUP INC., METLIFE HCMJV 1 GP LLC, METLIFE HCMJV 1 LP LLC, METLIFE HEALTH PLANS INC., METLIFE HOLDINGS INC., METLIFE HOME LOANS LLC, METLIFE INNOVATION CENTRE LIMITED, METLIFE INNOVATION CENTRE PTE. LTD., METLIFE INSURANCE AND INVESTMENT TRUST, METLIFE INSURANCE BROKERAGE INC., METLIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF KOREA LTD., METLIFE INSURANCE K.K., METLIFE INSURANCE LIMITED, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL HF PARTNERS LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED LLC, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND I LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND II LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND III LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND IV LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND V LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND VI LP, METLIFE INTERNATIONAL PE FUND VII LP, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT EUROPE LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT HOLDINGS LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LLC, METLIFE INVESTMENTS ASIA LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENTS LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENTS PTY LIMITED, METLIFE INVESTMENTS SECURITIES LLC, METLIFE INVESTORS DISTRIBUTION COMPANY, METLIFE INVESTORS GROUP LLC, METLIFE IRELAND TREASURY D.A.C., METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY FUND GP LLC, METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY FUND LP, METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY OWNERS BLOCKER LLC, METLIFE JAPAN US EQUITY OWNERS LLC, METLIFE LATIN AMERICA ASESORIAS E INVERSIONES LIMITADA, METLIFE LEGAL PLANS INC., METLIFE LEGAL PLANS OF FLORIDA INC., METLIFE LHH MEMBER LLC, METLIFE LIFE INSURANCE S.A., METLIFE LOAN ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC, METLIFE LONG SHORT CREDIT FUND LP, METLIFE LONG SHORT CREDIT MASTER FUND LP, METLIFE LONG SHORT CREDIT PARALLEL FUND LP, METLIFE MAS S.A. DE C.V., METLIFE MEXICO HOLDINGS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., METLIFE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., METLIFE MEXICO SERVICIOS S.A. DE C.V., METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT FUND II LP, METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT GP II LLC, METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT GP LLC, METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT II RATED FUND LP, METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT PARALLEL FUND LP, METLIFE MIDDLE MARKET PRIVATE DEBT PARALLEL GP LLC, METLIFE MMPD II SPECIAL LLC, METLIFE MULTI-FAMILY PARTNERS III LLC, METLIFE OBS MEMBER LLC, METLIFE OFC MEMBER LLC, METLIFE ONTARIO STREET MEMBR LLC, METLIFE PARK TOWER MEMBER LLC, METLIFE PENSION TRUSTEES LIMITED, METLIFE PENSIONES MEXICO S.A., METLIFE PET INSURANCE SOLUTIONS LLC, METLIFE PLANOS ODONTOLOGICOS LTDA., METLIFE POWSZECHNE TOWARTZYSTWO EMERYTALNE S.A., METLIFE PRIVATE EQUITY HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE PROPERTIES VENTURES LLC, METLIFE RC SF MEMBER LLC, METLIFE REAL ESTATE LENDING LLC, METLIFE REINSURANCE COMPANY OF BERMUDA LTD., METLIFE REINSURANCE COMPANY OF CHARLESTON, METLIFE REINSURANCE COMPANY OF VERMONT, METLIFE RETIREMENT SERVICES LLC, METLIFE SECURITIZATION DEPOSITOR LLC, METLIFE SEGUROS S.A., METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING FINCO LLC, METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING FUND LP, METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING GP LLC, METLIFE SENIOR DIRECT LENDING HOLDINGS LP, METLIFE SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS LLC, METLIFE SERVICES CYPRUS LTD., METLIFE SERVICES EAST PRIVATE LIMITED, METLIFE SERVICES EEIG, METLIFE SERVICES EOOD, METLIFE SERVICES SOCIEDAD LIMITADA, METLIFE SERVICES SP Z.O.O, METLIFE SERVICIOS S.A., METLIFE SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL FUND GP LLC, METLIFE SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL FUND LP, METLIFE SOLUTIONS PTE. LTD., METLIFE SOLUTIONS S.A.S., METLIFE SP HOLDINGS LLC, METLIFE STRATEGIC HOTEL DEBT FUND GP LLC, METLIFE SYNDICATED BANK LOAN LUX GP S.A.R.L., METLIFE THR INVESTOR LLC, METLIFE TOWARZYSTWO FUNDUSZY INWESTYCYJNYCH S.A., METLIFE TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEN NA ZYCIE I REASEKURACJI S.A., METLIFE TOWER RESOURCES GROUP INC., METLIFE TREAT TOWERS MEMBER LLC, METLIFE WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS LLC, METROPOLITAN GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC, METROPOLITAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN LIFE SEGUROS E PREVIDENCIA PRIVADA S.A., METROPOLITAN LIFE SOCIETATE de ADMINISTRARE a UNUI FOND de PENSII ADMINISTRAT PRIVAT S.A., METROPOLITAN TOWER LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, METROPOLITAN TOWER REALTY COMPANY INC., MEX DF PROPERTIES LLC, MFA FINANCING VEHICLE CTR1 LLC, MIDTOWN HEIGHTS LLC, MIM CAMPUS AT SGV MANAGER LLC, MIM CLAL GENERAL PARTNER LLC, MIM CM SYNDICATOR LLC, MIM EMD GP LLC, MIM I LLC, MIM LS GP LLC, MIM METWEST INTERNATIONAL MANAGER LLC, MIM ML-AI VENTURE 5 MANAGER LLC, MIM OMD MANAGER LLC, MIM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC, MIM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT OF GEORGIA 1 LLC, MIM SPOKANE INDUSTRIAL MANAGER LLC, MIM THIRD ARMY INDUSTRIAL MANAGER LLC, MISSOURI REINSURANCE INC., ML 300 THIRD MEMBER LLC, ML ARMATURE MEMBER LLC, ML BELLEVUE MANAGER LLC, ML BELLEVUE MEMBER LLC, ML CAPACITACION COMERCIAL S.A. DE C.V., ML CERRITOS TC MEMBER LLC, ML CLAL MEMBER LLC, ML CORNER 63 MEMBER LLC, ML DOLPHIN GP LLC, ML DOLPHIN MEZZ LLC, ML HUDSON MEMBER LLC, ML MATSON MILLS MEMBER LLC, ML MILILANI MEMBER LLC, ML OMD MEMBER LLC, ML ONE BEDMINSTER LLC, ML PORT CHESTER SC MEMBER LLC, ML SENTINEL SQUARE MEMBER LLC, ML SLOANS LAKE MEMEBR LLC, ML SOUTHLANDS MEMBER LLC, ML SOUTHMORE LLC, ML SPOKANE INDUSTRIAL MEMBER LLC, ML SWAN GP LLC, ML SWAN MEZZ LLC, ML TERRACES LLC, ML THIRD ARMY INDUSTRIAL MEMBER LLC, ML VENTURE 1 MANAGER S. DE R. L. DE C.V., ML VENTURE 1 SERVICER LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 1 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 2 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 3 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 4 LLC, ML-AI METLIFE MEMBER 5 LLC, ML-URS PORT CHESTER SC MANAGER LLC, MLIA MANAGER I LLC, MLIA PARK TOWER MANAGER LLC, MLIA SBAF COLONY MANAGER LLC, MLIA SBAF MANAGER LLC, MLIC ASSET HOLDINGS II LLC, MLIC ASSET HOLDINGS LLC, MLIC CB HOLDINGS LLC, MLJ US FEEDER LLC, MM GLOBAL OPERATIONS SUPPORT CENTER S.A. DE C.V., MMP CEDAR STREET OWNER LLC, MMP CEDAR STREET REIT LLC, MMP HOLDINGS III LLC, MMP OLIVIAN OWNER LLC, MMP OLIVIAN REIT LLC, MMP OWNERS III LLC, MMP OWNERS LLC, MMP SOUTH PARK OWNER LLC, MMP SOUTH PARK REIT LLC, MNQM TRUST 2020, MREF 425 MKT LLC, MSHDF HOLDCO I LLC, MSV IRVINE PROPERTY LLC, MTL LEASING LLC, MTU HOTEL OWNER LLC, NATILOPORTEM HOLDINGS LLC, NEWBURY INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, OCONEE GOLF COMPANY LLC, OCONEE HOTEL COMPANY LLC, OCONEE LAND COMPANY LLC, OCONEE LAND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LLC, OCONEE MARINA COMPANY LLC, OMI MLIC INVESTMENTS LIMITED, PACIFIC LOGISTICS INDUSTRIAL NORTH LLC, PACIFIC LOGISTICS INDUSTRIAL SOUTH LLC, PARK TOWER JV MEMBER LLC, PARK TOWER REIT INC., PJSC METLIFE, PLAZA DRIVE PROPERTIES LLC, PREFCO FOURTEEN LLC, PREFCO XIV HOLDINGS LLC, PROVIDA INTERNACIONAL S.A., SAFEGUARD HEALTH ENTERPRISES INC., SAFEGUARD HEALTH PLANS INC., SAFEHEALTH LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, SOUTHCREEK INDUSTRIAL HOLDINGS LLC, ST. JAMES FLEET INVESTMENTS TWO LIMITED, SUPERIOR PROCUREMENT INC., SUPERIOR VISION BENEFIT MANAGEMENT INC., SUPERIOR VISION HOLDINGS INC., SUPERIOR VISION INSURANCE INC., SUPERIOR VISION INSURANCE PLAN OF WISCONSIN INC., SUPERIOR VISION OF NEW JERSEY INC., SUPERIOR VISION SERVICES INC., Safeguard Health Enterprises, Security First Group Inc., THE BUILDING AT 575 FIFTH AVENUE MEZZANINE LLC, THE BUILDING AT 575 FIFTH RETAIL HOLDING LLC, THE BUILDING AT 575 FIFTH RETAIL OWNER, THE DIRECT CALL CENTRE PTY LIMITED, TRANSMOUNTAIN LAND & LIVESTOCK COMPANY, UVC INDEPENDENT PRACTICE ASSOCIATION INC., VERSANT HEALTH CONSOLIDATIONS CORP., VERSANT HEALTH HOLDCO INC., VERSANT HEALTH INC., VERSANT HEALTH LAB LLC, VIRIDIAN MIRACLE MILE LLC, VISION 21 MANAGED EYE CARE OF TAMPA BAY INC., VISION 21 PHYSICIAN PRACTICE MANAGEMENT COMPANY, VISION TWENTY-ONE MANAGED EYE CARE IPA INC., Versant Health, WDV ACQUISITION CORP., WFP 1000 HOLDING COMPANY GP LLC, WHITE OAK ROYALTY COMPANY, WHITE TRACT II LLC, and Willing.

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Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. engages in the exploration, development, and recovery of minerals and precious metals located primarily in Africa. It explores for platinum, palladium, nickel, copper, gold, rhodium, zinc, silver, germanium, and lead deposits. The company's projects include the Platreef project located in the Northern Limb of South Africa's Bushveld Complex; the Kipushi project located in Haut-Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of Congo; and the Kamoa-Kakula project located within the Central African Copperbelt. It also holds a 100% interest in the Western Foreland exploration project covering an area of approximately 2,407 square kilometers located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The company has a strategic partnership agreement with China Nonferrous Metal Mining (Group) Co., Ltd. to examine exploration, development, and acquisition of mineral projects, as well as production, smelting, and logistics opportunities in Africa. Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. was formerly known as Ivanplats Limited and changed its name to Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. in August 2013. The company was incorporated in 1993 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.
Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets building products primarily for use in new home construction, repair and remodeling, and outdoor structure markets. It operates through four segments: Siding; Oriented Strand Board (OSB); Engineered Wood Products (EWP); and South America. The Siding segment offers LP SmartSide trim and siding products, LP SmartSide ExpertFinish trim and siding products, LP BuilderSeries lap siding products, and LP Outdoor Building Solutions; and engineered wood siding, trim, soffit, and fascia products. The OSB segment manufactures and distributes OSB structural panel products comprising LP TechShield radiant barriers, LP WeatherLogic air and water barriers, LP Legacy premium sub-flooring products, LP FlameBlock fire-rated sheathing products, and LP TopNotch sub-flooring products. The EWP segment provides laminated veneer lumber and other related products; and LP SolidStart I-joists, which are primarily used in residential and commercial floorings, roofing systems, and other structural applications. The South America segment manufactures and distributes OSB structural panel and siding products. This segment also distributes and sells related products for the region's transition to wood frame construction. It also offers timber and timberlands and other products and services. The company sells its products primarily to retailers, wholesalers, and homebuilding and industrial businesses in North America and South America, Asia, Australia, and Europe. Louisiana-Pacific Corporation was incorporated in 1972 and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
Former JDU MLA in Gujarat Assembly Chhotubhai Vasava has alleged that BJP president Amit Shah might get him killed.

By Gopi Maniar Ghanghar : Former Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] MLA in Gujarat Assembly Chhotubhai Vasava has alleged that BJP president Amit Shah might get him killed.

Vasava, who split from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led JD(U), is a tribal leader in the poll-bound state.

In an explosive allegation, Vasava has said that Shah may get him eliminated with the help of his selective police officers in an encounter.

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Vasava, who is contesting the Gujarat Assembly election on a Congress ticket, is now aligned with the JD(U)'s breakaway faction led by Rajya Sabha MP Sharad Yadav.

In a video which he has shared on Facebook, Vasava has named Shah while expressing fear for his life.

He has alleged that Gujarat's Vijay Rupani government and Shah want to get him killed.

He has accused the Gujarat government of having tortured and killed several agitationists in the state.

Vasava said, "Shah had my house raided. I'm afraid he may even get me killed."

He said since he had voted for Congress president Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel in the August Rajya Sabha election, Shah wants to take revenge on him.

Patel had won the election which was seen as a humiliating and personal defeat of Shah.

Vasava has uploaded the video and sought the help of the Election Commission.

After breaking away with the JD(U), Vasava launched his Bharatiya Tribal Party. His party is being supported by the Congress.

The Congress has not fielded its candidates on three seats on which Vasava and two of his candidates are contesting the forthcoming Gujarat election.

ALSO WATCH | India Today Conclave 2017: Full video of BJP President Amit Shah's keynote address

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National Bank of Canada provides various financial products and services to retail, commercial, corporate, and institutional clients in Canada and internationally. It operates through four segments: Personal and Commercial, Wealth Management, Financial Markets, and U.S. Specialty Finance and International. The Personal and Commercial segment offers personal banking services, including transaction solutions, mortgage loans and home equity lines of credit, consumer loans, payment solutions, and savings and investment solutions; various insurance products; and commercial banking services comprise credit, and deposit and investment solutions, as well as international trade, foreign exchange transactions, payroll, cash management, insurance, electronic transactions, and complimentary services. The Wealth Management segment comprises investment solutions, trust services, banking services, lending services, and other wealth management solutions. The Financial Markets segment offers corporate banking, advisory, and capital markets services; and project financing, debt, and equity underwriting; advisory services in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, and financing. The U.S. Specialty Finance and International segment provides specialty finance products; financial products and services to individuals and businesses in Cambodia; and investment solutions, guaranteed investment certificates, mutual funds, notes, structured products, and monetization. It provides its services through a network of 384 branches and 927 banking machines. National Bank of Canada was founded in 1859 and is based in Montreal, Canada.
Xylem Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and servicing of engineered products and solutions for the water and wastewater applications in the United States, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Water Infrastructure, Applied Water, and Measurement & Control Solutions. The Water Infrastructure segment offers various products, including water, storm water, and wastewater pumps; controls and systems; filtration, disinfection, and biological treatment equipment; and mobile dewatering equipment under the Flygt, Godwin, Wedeco, Sanitaire, Leopold, Wedeco, and Xylem Vue brand names for the transportation and treatment of water. The Applied Water segment provides pumps, valves, heat exchangers, controls, and dispensing equipment systems under the Goulds Water Technology, Bell & Gossett, A-C Fire Pump, Standard Xchange, Lowara, Jabsco, Xylem Vue and Flojet brand names for residential and commercial building services, and industrial water applications. The Measurement & Control Solutions segment provides smart meters, networked communication devices, and measurement and control technologies, as well as critical infrastructure technologies. It also offers software and services, including cloud-based analytics, remote monitoring and data management, leak detection, condition assessment, asset management, and pressure monitoring solutions, as well as testing equipment and managed services. This segment sells its products under the Pure, Sensus, Smith Blair, WTW, Xylem Vue, and YSI brand names. The company markets and sells its products through a network of direct sales force, resellers, distributors, and value-added solution providers. Xylem Inc. was formerly known as ITT WCO, Inc. and changed its name to Xylem Inc. in May 2011. The company. was incorporated in 2011 and is headquartered in Rye Brook, New York.
After coming back from his US trip, the Nehru-Gandhi scion launched the Gujarat campaign on September 25 and single-handedly brought the demoralised Congress back in the reckoning.

By Kumar Shakti Shekhar: It goes to the credit of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi that his party looks in a better shape now than it was till a couple of months ago. He has revived the party ahead of the Gujarat Assembly election.

After coming back from his US trip, the Nehru-Gandhi scion launched the Gujarat campaign on September 25 and single-handedly brought the demoralised Congress back in the reckoning.

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Rahul has given Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the well-oiled giant BJP machinery in Gujarat a run for their money.

However, Rahul's herculean efforts seem to have been undone by his party men. Rahul's attempts to change the Congress' fortunes in the BJP-RSS' political laboratory may not yield the desired results - not because of his decisions but because of the faux pas committed by his partymen.

With Congress president Sonia Gandhi missing in action reportedly due to her illness, Rahul is fighting a lonely battle in Gujarat.

Congress' most senior leader in Gujarat, Shankersinh Vaghela, quit the party during the August Rajya Sabha election which saw Sonia's political secretary Ahmed Patel register a dramatic victory.

In the absence of tall leaders in the Congress who could match PM Modi or 'election winning machine' BJP president Amit Shah, Rahul had a tall order to challenge the rivals.

Despite these constraints, Rahul chalked out a strategy to put the BJP, which has been ruling Gujarat for 22 years, on the defensive.

RAHUL MANTRAS

One of the first initiatives of Rahul was to refurbish the Congress' social media outreach . His Twitter account @OfficeOfRG and that of the party adopted an aggressive approach. The party tasted its first success in the runaway success of 'Vikas gando thayo chhe (development has gone crazy)' campaign which became viral on social media.

It took the BJP, which had been seen setting agenda till then on the social media, by surprise. The ruling party tried several retorts but without much success.

Finally, it was left to Modi to chanta the mantra 'Hoon chhon vikas, hoon chhon Gujarat (I am development, I am Gujarat' to counter 'Vikas gando thayo chhe'. But the Congress had already scored over the BJP till then on the social media.

With social media revamped, Rahul turned to stitching alliances. OBC leader Alpesh Thakor joined the Congress.

The Congress entered into a deal with Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener Hardik Patel. It has assured reservation to the Patidars for government jobs and educational educations and supported PAAS candidates in some seats. In return, the Congress hopes to get the votes of the Patidars.

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Similarly, the party has not fielded any candidate against Dalit activist Jignesh Mevani who is contesting as an independent candidate from Vadgam reserved constituency.

In the same manner, the Congress has not fielded candidates on three seats on which tribal leader Chhotubhai Vasava and two of his associates are contesting. Vasava broke away from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led faction of the Janata Dal (United).

In the midst of the campaigning for Gujarat election, the Modi government made some changes in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) including bringing several items from the 28 per cent slab to the 18 per cent one.

It would go to Rahul's credit to force the Centre to amend GST. He had launched an offensive against GST calling it "Gabbar Singh Tax".The Congress vice-president has been a crowd puller. This has sent jitters in the BJP camp.

Rahul had been safely playing the 'soft-Hindutva' card so far. He had launched his Gujarat campaign on September 25 by visiting Dwarkadhish temple in Dwarka. Since then, he visited more than a dozen temples in a bid to win over Hindus and make inroads into the BJP's votebank.

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JOLTS

While Rahul cautiously moving ahead in Gujarat, he received the first jolt when the Youth Congress posted a meme calling Modi a tea-seller. The prime minister and the BJP were waiting for such faux pas from the opposition to turn the tables on them.

Screenshot of the Yuva Desh tweet mocking PM Modi that was later taken down.

In public rallies, Modi attacked the Congress and said he sold tea but not nation. He also brought in the "son of the soil" element.

The BJP got a boost, and the Congress red face, when Ivanka Trump, the eldest daughter of United States President Donald Trump, said at the 8th Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017 in Hyderabad on Tuesday that what Modi and India are achieving was truly extraordinary. "From your childhood selling tea to your election as India's Prime Minister, you've proven that transformational change is possible," she said.

The Congress it seems did not learn from the idiom 'once bitten twice shy'. Senior party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had raked up Modi's 'chaiwala' background ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and the party paid for it.

The BJP retorted by launching "chai pe charcha" which became an instant hit among the masses.

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Even as the storm in the tea cup was yet to settle down came the Somnath temple fiasco on November 29. By mentioning Rahul's name in the register for non-Hindus, the party workers put paid to his efforts so far.

The narrative has taken a weird turn. While the BJP raked raised Rahul's religion, the Congress took their bait and fell into the trap.

Instead of underplaying the issue, the Congress leaders added fuel to fire by screaming on top of their voice that Rahul was not a Hindu but a Brahmin and a "janeu-dhari" at that.

Among Hindus, the upper castes such as Brahmins and Rajputs wear the sacred thread (janeu).

The Congress' claim of Rahul being a "janeu-dhari" may end up nullifying his hard work of winning the support of the leaders of the Patidars, OBCs and Dalits. Together, these leaders were seen to be hurting the BJP's image of being an upper caste-supported party.

The Congress was at the receiving end of the BJP when Sonia had called Modi "Maut ka saudagar" in the run up to the 2007 Gujarat Assembly election.

Be it Aiyar's 'chaiwala' jibe or Sonia's 'maut ka saudagar' comment, Modi and the BJP have turned them to their advantage.

History seems to be repeating itself. The same chaiwala jibe and religious card are at play once again.

With the Congress men having bowled full tosses, Modi will not miss the opportunity to hit them for sixes.

And Rahul, the captain, would be the least amused.

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Inc., NME Psychiatric Hospitals Inc., NME Rehabilitation Properties Inc., NS Medical Billing Center L.L.C., NSCH GP Holdings LLC, NSCH/USP Desert Surgery Centers L.L.C., NSMC Holdings Inc., NSN Revenue Resources LLC, NUCH of Georgia L.L.C., NUCH of Massachusetts LLC, NUCH of Michigan Inc., Nacogdoches ASC-LP Inc., National ASC Inc., National Ancillary Inc., National Diagnostic Imaging Centers Inc., National HHC Inc., National Home Health Holdings Inc., National ICN Inc., National Imaging Center Holdings Inc., National Medical Services II Inc., National Outpatient Services Holdings Inc., National Surgery Center Holdings Inc., National Urgent Care Inc., Network Management Associates Inc., New Dimensions LLC, New England Physician Performance Network LLC, New H Acute Inc., New Horizons Surgery Center LLC, New Medical Horizons II Ltd., Newhope Imaging Center Inc., North Anaheim Surgery Center LLC, North Atlantic Surgical Suites LLC, North Campus Surgery Center LLC, North Carolina Community Family Medicine L.L.C., North Denver Musculoskeletal Surgical Partners LLC, North Fulton Cardiovascular Medicine L.L.C., North Fulton Hospitalist Group L.L.C., North Fulton Medical Center Inc., North Fulton Primary Care - Willeo Rd. 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El Paso Inc., RE Plano Med Inc., RHC Parkway Inc., RLC LLC, Reading Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Reading Endoscopy Center LLC, Reagan Street Surgery Center LLC, Red Cedar Surgery Center LLC, Redmond Surgery Center LLC, Republic Health Corporation of Rockwall County, Resolute Health Physicians Network Inc., Resolute Hospital Company LLC, Resurgens Surgery Center LLC, Rheumatology Associates of Atlanta Medical Center L.L.C., Rio Grande Valley Indigent Health Care Corporation, Riva Road Surgery Center LLC, River North Same Day Surgery L.L.C., Riverside Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Rock Bridge Surgical Institute L.L.C., Rock Hill Surgery Center LLC, Rockville Surgical Suites LLC, Rocky Mountain Endoscopy Centers LLC, Roswell Surgery Center L.L.C., SCNRE LLC, SFMP Inc., SFMPE - Crittenden L.L.C., SL-HLC Inc., SLH Physicians L.L.C., SLH Vista Inc., SLPA ACO LLC, SLUH Anesthesia Physicians L.L.C., SMSJ Imaging Company LLC, SMSJ Tucson Holdings LLC, SRRMC Management Inc., SSI Holdings Inc., Safety Harbor ASC Company LLC, Saint Francis Cardiology Associates L.L.C., Saint Francis Cardiovascular Surgery L.L.C., Saint Francis Center for Surgical Weight Loss L.L.C., Saint Francis Hospital Billing Center L.L.C., Saint Francis Hospital Medicare ACO LLC, Saint Francis Hospital Pro Fee Billing L.L.C., Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett Inc., Saint Francis Medical Partners East L.L.C., Saint Francis Medical Partners General Surgery L.L.C., Saint Francis Physician Network LLC, Saint Francis Quality Alliance LLC, Saint Francis Surgery Center L.L.C., Saint Francis Surgical Associates L.L.C., Saint Francis-Arkansas Physician Network LLC, Saint Francis-Bartlett Physician Network LLC, Saint Thomas Campus Surgicare L.P., Saint Thomas Surgery Center New Salem LLC, Saint Thomas/USP Surgery Centers II L.L.C., Saint Thomas/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Saint Thomas/USP  Baptist Plaza L.L.C., Saint Vincent Physician Services Inc., Salmon Surgery Center LLC, Same Day Management L.L.C., Same Day Surgery L.L.C., San Antonio Endoscopy L.P., San Fernando Valley Surgery Center L.P., San Gabriel Valley Surgical Center L.P., San Ramon ASC L. P., San Ramon Ambulatory Care LLC, San Ramon Network Joint Venture LLC, San Ramon Regional Medical Center LLC, Santa Barbara Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Santa Clarita Surgery Center L.P., Savannah Endoscopy Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Schertz Surgery Center LLC, Scottsdale Endoscopy ASC LLC, Scripps/USP Surgery Centers 2 LLC, Seaside Surgery Center LLC, Shelby Baptist Affinity LLC, Shelby Baptist Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Shore Outpatient Surgicenter L.L.C., Shoreline Real Estate Partnership LLP, Shoreline Surgery Center LLP, Sierra Providence Health Network Inc., Sierra Providence Healthcare Enterprises, Sierra Vista Hospital Inc., Sierra Vista Surgery Center LLC, Silver Cross Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Silver Cross/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Sinai-Grace Premier Clinical Management Services LLC, Solantic Development LLC, Solantic Holdings Corporation, South Carolina East Cooper Surgical Specialists L.L.C., South Carolina Health Services LLC, South Carolina SeWee Family Medicine L.L.C., South County Outpatient Endoscopy Services L.P., South Denver Musculoskeletal Surgical Partners LLC, South Florida Ambulatory Surgical Center LLC, South Fulton Health Care Centers Inc., South Plains Endoscopy Associates LLC, SouthCare Physicians Group Neurology L.L.C., SouthCare Physicians Group Obstetrics & Gynecology L.L.C., Southeast Ohio Surgical Suites LLC, Southern Orthopedics and Sports Medicine L.L.C., Southern States Physician Operations Inc., Southwest Childrens Hospital LLC, Southwest Endoscopy LLC, Southwestern Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Spalding Regional Medical Center Inc., Spalding Regional OB/GYN L.L.C., Spalding Regional Physician Services L.L.C., Specialty Surgicenters Inc., Springfield Service Holding Corporation, St. Augustine Endoscopy Center LLC, St. Christophers Pediatric Urgent Care Center - Allentown L.L.C, St. Josephs Hospital Surgical Co-Management LLC, St. Josephs Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, St. Louis Physician Alliance LLC, St. Louis Surgical Center LC, St. Louis Urology Center LLC, St. Lukes/USP Surgery Centers LLC, St. Marys Hospital Cardiovascular Co-Management LLC, St. Marys Hospital Surgical Co-Management LLC, St. Marys Levee Company LLC, St. Marys Medical Center Inc., St. Vincent Health/USP LLC, St. Vincent/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Suburban Endoscopy Center LLC, Summit View Surgery Center LLC, Sun View Imaging L.L.C., SurgCenter Camelback LLC, SurgCenter Clearwater LLC, SurgCenter Development, SurgCenter Northeast LLC, SurgCenter Pinellas LLC, SurgCenter Tucson LLC, SurgCenter at Paradise Valley LLC, SurgCenter of Deer Valley LLC, SurgCenter of Glen Burnie LLC, SurgCenter of Greater Dallas LLC, SurgCenter of Greater Jacksonville LLC, SurgCenter of Northern Baltimore LLC, SurgCenter of Palm Beach Gardens LLC, SurgCenter of Pine Ridge LLC, SurgCenter of Silver Spring LLC, SurgCenter of Southern Maryland LLC, SurgCenter of St. Lucie LLC, SurgCenter of White Marsh LLC, SurgCenter of the Potomac LLC, Surgery Affiliate of El Paso LLC, Surgery Center at Mount Pleasant LLC, Surgery Center at University Park LLC, Surgery Center of Columbia L.P., Surgery Center of Coral Gables LLC, Surgery Center of Okeechobee LLC, Surgery Center of Pembroke Pines L.L.C., Surgery Center of Peoria L.L.C., Surgery Center of Santa Barbara LLC, Surgery Center of Scottsdale LLC, Surgery Centers of America II L.L.C., Surgery Centre of SW Florida LLC, Surgical & Bariatric Associates of Atlanta Medical Center L.L.C., Surgical Center Development #3 LLC, Surgical Center Development #4 LLC, Surgical Clinical Excellence at Desert Regional LLC, Surgical Elite of Avondale L.L.C., Surgical Health Partners LLC, Surgical Institute Management LLC, Surgical Institute of Reading LLC, Surgicare of Miramar L.L.C., Surginet Inc., Surgis Inc., Surgis Management Services Inc., Surgis of Chico Inc., Surgis of Phoenix Inc., Surgis of Redding Inc., Surgis of Victoria Inc., Sutton Road Pediatrics L.L.C., Sylvan Grove Hospital Inc., T1 Security LLC, TENN SM LLC, TFPS IV L.L.C., TH Healthcare Ltd., TH International Services Florida LLC, TLC ASC LLC, TOPS Specialty Hospital Ltd., TOSCA ASC Holdings LLC, TPR Practice Management LLC, TPS VI of PA L.L.C., TSPE LLC, Tamarac Surgery Center LLC, Tampa Bay Joint and Spine LLC, Tempe New Day Surgery Center LP, Templeton Imaging Inc., Tenet Business Services Corporation, Tenet California Inc., Tenet Central Carolina Physicians Inc., Tenet EKG Inc., Tenet El Paso Ltd., Tenet Employment Inc., Tenet Finance Corp., Tenet Florida Inc., Tenet Florida Physician Services II L.L.C., Tenet Florida Physician Services III L.L.C., Tenet Florida Physician Services L.L.C., Tenet Fort Mill Inc., Tenet Global Business Center Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Bucks County L.L.C., Tenet HealthSystem Graduate L.L.C., Tenet HealthSystem Hahnemann L.L.C., Tenet HealthSystem Medical Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Nacogdoches ASC GP Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Philadelphia Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Roxborough LLC, Tenet HealthSystem St. Christophers Hospital for Children L.L.C., Tenet Hilton Head Heart L.L.C., Tenet Hospitals Limited, Tenet Network Management Inc., Tenet Patient Safety Organization LLC, Tenet Physician Resources LLC, Tenet Physician Services - Hilton Head Inc., Tenet Rehab Piedmont Inc., Tenet Relocation Services L.L.C., Tenet SC East Cooper Hospitalists L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Gastrointestinal Surgical Specialists L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Island Medical L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Lowcountry OB/GYN L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Mt. Pleasant OB/GYN L.L.C., Tenet Unifour Urgent Care Center L.L.C., Tenet Ventures Inc., TenetCare Frisco Inc., Terre Haute Surgical Center LLC, Teton Outpatient Services LLC, Texan Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Texas Orthopedics Surgery Center LLC, Texas Regional Medical in Sunnyvale, The 6300 West Roosevelt Partnership, The Healthcare Insurance Corporation, The Healthcare Underwriting Company a Risk Retention Group, The Huron Corporation, The Old Bridge Surgery Center LLC, The Outpatient Center LLC, The Southeastern Spine Institute Ambulatory Surgery Center L.L.C., The Surgery Center at Jensen Beach LLC, The Tresanti Surgical Center LLC, Theda Oaks Gastroenterology & Endoscopy Center LLC, Three Springs ASC LLC, Timonium Surgery Center LLC, Titan Health Corporation, Titan Health of Chattanooga Inc., Titan Health of Hershey Inc., Titan Health of Mount Laurel LLC, Titan Health of North Haven Inc., Titan Health of Pittsburgh Inc., Titan Health of Pleasant Hills Inc., Titan Health of Princeton Inc., Titan Health of Sacramento Inc., Titan Health of Saginaw Inc., Titan Health of Titusville Inc., Titan Health of West Penn Inc., Titan Health of Westminster Inc., Titan Management Corporation, Titusville Center for Surgical Excellence LLC, Treasure Coast ASC LLC, Trinity Health of New England/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., True Medical Weight Loss L.P., True Medical Wellness LP, True Results Georgia Inc., True Results HoldCo LLC, True Results Missouri LLC, Tucson Digestive Institute LLC, Tucson Hospital Holdings Inc., Tucson Physician Group Holdings LLC, Turlock Imaging Services LLC, Turlock Land Company LLC, Twin Cities Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Twin Cities Community Hospital Inc., UAP Lebanon Endo LLC, UAP Nashville Endoscopy LLC, UAP Scopes LLC, UAP of Arizona Inc., UAP of California Inc., UAP of Missouri Inc., UAP of New Jersey Inc., UAP of Oklahoma Inc., UAP of Tennessee Inc., UAP of Texas Inc., UCC Tucson Holdings LLC, UMC Surgery Center Lubbock LLC, UMC-USP Surgery Centers LLC, USC/Norris Cancer Hospital, USP 12th Ave Real Estate Inc., USP Acquisition Corporation, USP Alexandria Inc., USP Assurance Company, USP Athens Inc., USP Atlanta Inc., USP Austin Inc., USP Bariatric LLC, USP Beaumont Inc., USP Bergen Inc., USP Bloomington Inc., USP Bridgeton Inc., USP Cedar Park Inc., USP Chesterfield Inc., USP Chicago Inc., USP Cincinnati Inc., USP Coast Inc., USP Columbia Inc., USP Connecticut Inc., USP Corpus Christi Inc., USP Creve Coeur Inc., USP Denver Inc., USP Des Peres Inc., USP Destin Inc., USP Domestic Holdings Inc., USP Effingham Inc., USP Encinitas Endoscopy Inc., USP Fenton Inc., USP Festus Inc., USP Florissant Inc., USP Fort Lauderdale Inc., USP Fort Worth Hospital Real Estate Inc., USP Fredericksburg Inc., USP Fresno Inc., USP Frontenac Inc., USP Gateway Inc., USP HMH Surgery Center at Shore LLC, USP Harbour View Inc., USP Houston Inc., USP Indiana Inc., USP International Holdings Inc., USP Jacksonville Inc., USP Jersey City Inc., USP Kansas City Inc., USP Knoxville Inc., USP Little Rock Inc., USP Long Island Inc., USP Louisiana Inc., USP Lubbock Inc., USP Maryland Inc., USP Mason Ridge Inc., USP Mattis Inc., USP Michigan Inc., USP Midland Inc., USP Midland Real Estate Inc., USP Midwest Inc., USP Mission Hills Inc., USP Montana Inc., USP Morris Inc., USP Mt. Vernon Inc., USP Nevada Holdings LLC, USP Nevada Inc., USP New Hampshire Inc., USP New Jersey Inc., USP Newport News Inc., USP North Carolina Inc., USP North Kansas City Inc., USP North Texas Inc., USP Northwest Arkansas Inc., USP OKC Inc., USP OKC Manager Inc., USP Office Parkway Inc., USP Ohio RE Inc., USP Oklahoma Inc., USP Olive Inc., USP Orlando Inc., USP Philadelphia Inc., USP Phoenix Inc., USP Portland Inc., USP Reading Inc., USP Richmond II Inc., USP Richmond Inc., USP Sacramento Inc., USP San Antonio Inc., USP Santa Barbara Surgery Centers Inc., USP Securities Corporation , USP Silver Cross Inc., USP Siouxland Inc., USP Somerset Inc., USP South Carolina Inc., USP Southlake RE Inc., USP St. Louis Inc., USP St. Louis Urology Inc., USP St. Peters Inc., USP Sunset Hills Inc., USP TJ STL Inc., USP Tennessee Inc., USP Texas Air L.L.C., USP Texas L.P., USP Torrance Inc., USP Tucson Inc., USP Turnersville Inc., USP Virginia Beach Inc., USP Washington Inc., USP Waxahachie Management L.L.C., USP Webster Groves Inc., USP West Covina Inc., USP Westwood Inc., USP Winter Park Inc., USP Wisconsin Inc., USP-HMH Surgery Center at Central Jersey LLC, USP/Carondelet Tucson Surgery Centers LLC, USP/SOS Joint Venture LLC, USPI Group Holdings Inc., USPI Holding Company Inc.1, USPI Holdings Inc., USPI Physician Strategy Group LLC, USPI San Diego Inc., USPI Stockton Inc., USPI Surgical Services Inc., Underwood Surgery Center LLC, United Anesthesia Partners Inc., United Real Estate Development Inc., United Real Estate Holdings Inc., United Surgical Partners Holdings Inc., United Surgical Partners International, United Surgical Partners International Inc., Universal Medical Care Center L.L.C., University Surgery Center Ltd., Upper Bay Surgery Center LLC, Utica/USP Tulsa L.L.C., VB Brownsville LTACH LLC, VBOA ASC GP LLC, VBOA ASC Partners L.L.C., VHM Services Inc., VHS Acquisition Corporation, VHS Acquisition Partnership Number 1 L.P, VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 1 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 11 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 12 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 3 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 4 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 5 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 6 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 7 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 8 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 9 Inc., VHS Arizona Heart Institute Inc., VHS Brownsville Hospital Company LLC, VHS Chicago Market Procurement LLC, VHS Childrens Hospital of Michigan Inc., VHS Detroit Businesses Inc., VHS Detroit Receiving Hospital Inc., VHS Detroit Ventures Inc., VHS Harlingen Hospital Company LLC, VHS Harper-Hutzel Hospital Inc., VHS Holding Company Inc., VHS Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital Inc., VHS Imaging Centers Inc., VHS New England Holding Company I Inc., VHS Outpatient Clinics Inc., VHS Phoenix Health Plan Inc., VHS Physicians of Michigan, VHS Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan Inc., VHS San Antonio Imaging Partners L.P., VHS San Antonio Partners LLC, VHS Sinai-Grace Hospital Inc., VHS University Laboratories Inc., VHS Valley Health System LLC, VHS Valley Holdings LLC, VHS Valley Management Company Inc., VHS West Suburban Medical Center Inc., VHS Westlake Hospital Inc., VHS of Anaheim Inc., VHS of Arrowhead Inc., VHS of Huntington Beach Inc., VHS of Illinois Inc., VHS of Michigan Inc., VHS of Michigan Staffing Inc., VHS of Orange County Inc., VHS of Phoenix Inc., VHS of South Phoenix Inc., Valley Baptist Lab Services LLC, Valley Baptist Physician Performance Network, Valley Baptist Realty Company LLC, Valley Baptist Surgery Center LLC, Valley Baptist Surgery Center Real Estate LLC, Valley Baptist Wellness Center LLC, Valley Health Care Network, Vanguard Health Financial Company LLC, Vanguard Health Holding Company I LLC, Vanguard Health Holding Company II LLC, Vanguard Health Management Inc., Vanguard Health Systems, Vanguard Health Systems Inc., Vanguard Holding Company I Inc., Vanguard Holding Company II Inc., Vanguard Medical Specialists LLC, Vanguard Physician Services LLC, Ventana Surgical Center LLC, Veroscan Inc., Victoria Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., WHASA L.C., Walker Baptist Affinity LLC, Walker Street Imaging Care Inc., Warner Park Surgery Center LLC, Watermark Physician Services Inc., Webster Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Wellington Endo LLC, Wellstar/USP Joint Venture I LLC, Wellstar/USP Joint Venture II LLC, West Boca Health Services L.L.C., West Boca Medical Center Inc., West Bozeman Surgery Center LLC, West Palm Healthcare Real Estate Inc., West Suburban Radiation Therapy Center LLC, Westgate Surgery Center LLC, Westlake Hospital LLC, Westlawn Surgery Center LLC, Westminster Surgery Center LLC, Westminster Surgery Centers LLC, White Fence Surgical Suites LLC, Wilmington Endoscopy Center LLC, Wilshire Rental Corp., Windsor Mill Surgery Center LLC, Winter Haven Ambulatory Surgical Center L.L.C., Wisconsin Specialty Surgery Center LLC, and Wymark Surgery Center LLC.

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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.
Humana Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a health and well-being company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Retail, Group and Specialty, and Healthcare Services. The company offers medical and supplemental benefit plans to individuals. It also has a contract with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to administer the Limited Income Newly Eligible Transition prescription drug plan program; and contracts with various states to provide Medicaid, dual eligible, and long-term support services benefits. In addition, the company provides commercial fully insured medical and specialty health insurance benefits comprising dental, vision, and other supplemental health benefits; and administrative services only products to individuals and employer groups, as well as military services, such as TRICARE T2017 East Region contract. Further, it offers pharmacy solutions, provider services, and home solutions services, such as home health and other services to its health plan members, as well as to third parties. As of December 31, 2021, the company had approximately 17 million members in medical benefit plans, as well as approximately 5 million members in specialty products. Humana Inc. was founded in 1961 and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.
Yelp Inc. operates a platform that connects consumers with local businesses in the United States and internationally. The company's platform covers various local business categories, including restaurants, shopping, beauty and fitness, health, and other categories, as well as home, local, auto, professional, pets, events, real estate, and financial services. It provides free and paid advertising products to businesses, which include cost-per-click search advertising and multi-location Ad products, as well as enables businesses to deliver targeted search advertising to local audiences; and business listing page products. The company also offers other services comprising Yelp Reservations that provide online reservations for restaurants, nightlife, and other venues directly from their Yelp business pages; Yelp Waitlist, a subscription-based waitlist management solution that allows consumers to check wait times and join waitlists remotely, as well as businesses to manage seating and server rotation; Yelp Knowledge program that offers business owners local analytics and insights through access to its historical data and other proprietary content; and Yelp Fusion, which offers free and paid access to content and data for consumer-facing enterprise use through publicly available APIs. In addition, it provides content licensing, as well as allows third-party data providers to update and manage business listing information on behalf of businesses. Further, the company offers its products directly through its sales force; indirectly through partners; and online through its website, as well as non-advertising partner arrangements. It has strategic partnership with Grubhub for providing consumers with a service to place food orders for pickup and delivery. Yelp Inc. was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
By India Today Web Desk: Miss World Manushi Chhillar's pet project, back when she was crowned the Miss India in June 2017, was that of menstrual hygiene for women, especially in rural setups.

Now, with the international crown positioned beautifully on her head, Manushi Chhillar is taking the one project that's closest to her heart a step further, only, with Haryana's Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar on her side this time.

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During a press interaction in Kurukshetra, Haryana, on November 30, CM Khattar, with Miss World Manushi Chhillar and Miss World Organisation Chairwoman Julia Morley, announced that he would be making sanitary napkins for all girls in government schools available for free.

Also read: This is what Manushi Chhillar wore to meet PM Narendra Modi and Haryana CM ML Khattar

"Even before Manushi Chhillar became the Miss World, she had been associated with a very special project in Haryana, Project Shakti, which had to do with women's menstruation. She came to me after winning the Miss India title, asking what she could do for Haryana. I told her, it was not the time to do things for Haryana yet, and asked her to concentrate on winning the Miss World pageant instead. Now that she is back with the Miss World crown, it's time we take her project forward. Thus, I want to announce today that I will be making sanitary napkins available for free for all girls in the government schools of Haryana," said ML Khattar, during the conference. The initiative is set to cost the Haryana government Rs 18 crore, added Khattar.

Manushi Chillar taking forward her project on menstrual hygiene, back when she had been crowned the Miss India. Picture courtesy: Instagram/manushi_chhillar

But sanitary napkins weren't the only thing on Khattar's mind today; the Chief Minister of Haryana also seemed concerned about women's health in general. He said, "Another project that we would be working on with Manushi will be that of anaemia in women. About 61 per cent of girls in India suffer from anaemia because of iron deficiency; girls' health is a top concern for us. So, Manushi Chhillar will now be the brand ambassador for our fight against anaemia."

Also read: Manushi Chhillar: As a doctor and Miss World, my purpose is the same

How and when CM Khattar actually puts these announcements to practice remains to be seen.

--- ENDS ---
Black Hills Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates as an electric and natural gas utility company in the United States. It operates in two segments, Electric Utilities and Gas Utilities. The Electric Utilities segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 218,000 electric utility customers in Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming; and owns and operates 1,481.5 megawatts of generation capacity and 8,892 miles of electric transmission and distribution lines. The Gas Utilities segment distributes natural gas to approximately 1,094,000 natural gas utility customers in Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming; owns and operates 4,732 miles of intrastate gas transmission pipelines; 41,644 miles of gas distribution mains and service lines; six natural gas storage sites; and approximately 50,000 horsepower of compression and 515 miles of gathering lines. The company also constructs and maintains gas infrastructure facilities for gas transportation customers; and provides appliance repair services to residential utility customers, as well as electrical system construction services to large industrial customers. In addition, it produces electric power through wind, natural gas, and coal-fired generating plants; and coal at its coal mine located near Gillette, Wyoming. The company was incorporated in 1941 and is headquartered in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Boston Scientific Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in various interventional medical specialties worldwide. It operates through three segments: MedSurg, Rhythm and Neuro, and Cardiovascular. The company offers devices to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal and pulmonary conditions; devices to treat various urological and pelvic conditions; implantable cardioverter and implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators; pacemakers and implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers; and remote patient management systems. It also provides medical technologies to diagnose and treat rate and rhythm disorders of the heart comprising 3-D cardiac mapping and navigation solutions, ablation catheters, diagnostic catheters, mapping catheters, intracardiac ultrasound catheters, delivery sheaths, and other accessories; spinal cord stimulator systems for the management of chronic pain; indirect decompression systems; and deep brain stimulation systems. In addition, the company offers interventional cardiology products, including drug-eluting coronary stent systems used in the treatment of coronary artery disease; percutaneous coronary interventions products to treat atherosclerosis; intravascular catheter-directed ultrasound imaging catheters, fractional flow reserve devices, and systems for use in coronary arteries and heart chambers, as well as various peripheral vessels; and structural heart therapies. Further, it provides stents, balloon catheters, wires, and atherectomy systems to treat arterial diseases; thrombectomy and acoustic pulse thrombolysis systems, wires, and stents to treat venous diseases; and peripheral embolization devices, radioactive microspheres, ablation systems, cryotherapy ablation systems, and micro and drainage catheters to treat cancer. The company was incorporated in 1979 and is headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts.
By Mail Today Bureau: HONEYMOON is one of the most beautiful times in life for a married couple. Planning for a honeymoon is quite exciting as there are a plethora of options to choose from. However, to find the perfect place that takes the love birds away from the maddening crowd can be little tricky. Most cliche honeymoon destinations in India and nearby are overcrowded and lack the peace and solitude newlyweds look for. If you are looking for an offbeat destination to wind off the stress post wedding and spend moments of privacy and intimacy with your better half, here are six best and novel honeymoon destinations for you. These places listed by Kapil Goswamy, CMD, BigBreaks.com, provide an ideal setting, along with an opportunity to spend some quality time with each other.

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Also Read: Indians have chosen these 10 places as their favourite honeymoon destinations

LAKSHADWEEP

EXOTIC islands and coral archipelagoes of Lakshadweep are one of the most secluded beach destinations in India. Covered by a thick green carpet of coconut palms, threaded by an untainted line of silvery white sands, set in an ocean, whose colours change from palest aquamarine and turquoise to deepest sapphire and lapis lazuli, the islands of Lakshadweep are a perfect retreat for those newlyweds who wish to enjoy blissful beach surroundings with an idyllic sense of privacy. Moreover, if you two love water sports, you can enjoy various water sport activities like scuba-diving, fishing and snorkeling at this romantic getaway.

Tawang is an ideal honeymoon destination, providing the much needed tranquility to newly married couples. Photo: Mail Today

KHAJJIAR

IF mainstream hill stations like Shimla or Manali do not interest you anymore, head-off to Khajjiar, a little Himalayan gem near Dalhousie. Surrounded by green meadows, forests and snow-clad mountains, Khajjiar is Himachal Pradesh's best kept secret and is unspoiled and less crowded. Often touted as the mini-Switzerland of India, due to its resemblance to the country, Khajjiar is a perfect offbeat honeymoon destination in India. Adventure sport activities like Zorbing, trekking and paragliding also take place here which add to the element of thrill to this pleasantly charming hill station.

TAWANG

TAWANG is a sparsely populated town in Arunachal Pradesh, with mesmerising views of valleys and mountains. Perched at a height of 10,000 ft above sea level, Tawang is an ideal honeymoon destination providing the much needed tranquility to newly married couples. The town is immersed in the colours of Tibetan culture, with various attractive monasteries and Buddhist structures scattered all around. It is a perfect bet for couples who wish to explore a distinct culture in the realm of nature.

Tawang is an ideal honeymoon destination, providing the much needed tranquility to newly married couples. Photo: Mail Today

SHILLONG

CAPITAL of the wettest state of India, Meghalaya, Shilong is a picture perfect honeymoon destination in the northeastern region of India. Also, known as Scotland of the east, Shilong is home to cascading waterfalls, pretty lakes dense forests, mystical caves and fascinating ancient tree root bridges. The city has a very young vibe as it adorns a Westernised culture and has many musical events running throughout the year, making it a lively place always bustling with activity.

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Also Read: Head to these 8 destinations for the best parties in the world

VIETNAM

A PERFECT amalgamation of natural beauty and culture, Vietnam serves as an ideal honeymoon retreat nearby India. Its untouched landscape, exotic environment, lush green scenery, long coastlines and vibrant culture are sure to enamour every honeymoon couple. Revel in the ancient architecture of the country or relish the one of its kind floating villages. Experience the peace at Buddhist pagodas or relax at the many beach resorts and boutique hotels in the country. The scenic beauty of this country is boundless and inexpressible in plain words.

Stay in cave resorts and experience sensual Turkish baths in Turkey. Photo: Mail Today

TURKEY

IF YOU and your partner fancy history and culture, then honeymooning at the Mediterranean land of Turkey is the best option for you. With one foot in Europe and another in Asia, Turkey represents a truly remarkable culture and a distinct race of people. Experiences like staying in cave resorts, traditional Turkish spas, sensual Turkish baths and romantic Fayton rides add to your honeymoon memoirs. Captivating architecture, lively bazaars and pristine beaches along with a vibrant nightlife, are some other key reason to invest in a honeymoon trip to Turkey. It's all you have dreamt of!

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Our portfolio of high quality UK commercial property is focused on London Offices and Retail around the UK. We own or manage a portfolio valued at 13.7bn (British Land share: 10.3bn) as at 30 September 2020 making us one of Europe's largest listed real estate investment companies. Our strategy is to provide places which meet the needs of our customers and respond to changing lifestyles - Places People Prefer. We do this by creating great environments both inside and outside our buildings and use our scale and placemaking skills to enhance and enliven them. This expands their appeal to a broader range of occupiers, creating enduring demand and driving sustainable, long term performance. Our Offices portfolio comprises three office-led campuses in central London as well as high quality standalone buildings and accounts for 65% of our portfolio. Our Retail portfolio is focused on retail parks and shopping centres, and accounts for 31% of our portfolio. Increasingly our focus is on providing a mix of uses and this is most evident at Canada Water, our 53 acre redevelopment opportunity where we have plans to create a new neighbourhood for London. Sustainability is embedded throughout our business. Our places, which are designed to meet high sustainability standards, become part of local communities, provide opportunities for skills development and employment and promote wellbeing. In April 2016 British Land received the Queen's Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development, the UK's highest accolade for business success for economic, social and environmental achievements over a period of five years.
The following companies are subsidiares of Colfax: AS ESAB, Agridzaar Limited, Airgare Limited, Arc Machines GmbH, CAST Limited, CAST Resources Limited, CLFX Sweden CV, Canadian Cylinder Company Ltd., Cefar-Compex Medical AB, Central Mining Finance Limited, Charter Central Finance Limited, Charter Central Services Limited, Charter Consolidated Holdings Limited, Charter Consolidated Limited, Charter Finance S.a.r.l., Charter International Jersey Funding Limited, Charter International Limited, Charter Limited, Charter Overseas Holdings Limited, Charter Pension Trustee Limited, Chattanooga Europe B.V., Cigweld Pty Ltd., Colfax (Wuxi) Pump Company Limited, Colfax Fluid Handling Finance Limited, Colfax Group GmbH, Colfax Group Holdings GmbH, Colfax Jersey Finance Limited, Colfax UK Finance Limited, Colfax UK Holdings Limited, Comercializadora Thermadyne S. de R.L. de C.V., Conarco Alambres y Soldaduras SA, Condor Equipamentos Industriais Ltda, DJ Orthopedics Services SA de CV, DJ Orthopedics de Mexico S.A. de C.V., DJO Asia-Pacific Ltd., DJO BRASIL LTDA., DJO Benelux B.V., DJO Canada Inc., DJO Consumer LLC, DJO FINANCE LLC, DJO France S.A.S., DJO Global, DJO Global Inc., DJO Global India Healthcare Private Limited, DJO Global Pty. Ltd., DJO Global Switzerland SARL, DJO Iberica Productos Ortopedicos S.L., DJO Italia SRL, DJO LLC, DJO Medical Device Trading (Shanghai) Ltd., DJO Motion Ireland Limited, DJO Nordic Aktiebolag, DJO Orthopaedic South Africa (Pty) Ltd, DJO Tunisie SARL, DJO UK Ltd., EMSA Holdings Inc., ESAB AB, ESAB ApS, ESAB Argentina SA, ESAB Asia/Pacific Pte.Ltd., ESAB Bulgaria EAD, ESAB CZ s.r.o. clen koncernu, ESAB CentroAmerica SA, ESAB Comercio e Industria de Soldadura Lda, ESAB Corporation, ESAB Europe GmbH, ESAB France SAS, ESAB GCE Holdings AB, ESAB Gesellschaft m.b.H., ESAB Group (Ireland) Limited, ESAB Group (UK) Limited, ESAB Group Canada Inc., ESAB Group Russia Limited, ESAB Holdings Limited, ESAB Iberica S.A.U., ESAB Industria e Comercio Ltda, ESAB International Holdings LLC, ESAB Kazakhstan LLC, ESAB Kft., ESAB Limited (Thailand), ESAB Limited Liability Company, ESAB Mexico SA de CV, ESAB Mexico Services SA de CV, ESAB Middle East FZE, ESAB Nederland B.V., ESAB Pensions Limited, ESAB Polska Sp. z.o.o., ESAB Romania Trading SRL, ESAB Saldatura SpA, ESAB SeAH Corporation, ESAB SeAH Welding Products (Yantai) Co. Limited, ESAB Service GmbH, ESAB Slovakia sro, ESAB Sp. z.o.o., ESAB Sweden Holdings AB, ESAB Ukraine LLC, ESAB VAMBERK s.r.o. clen koncernu, ESAB Welding & Cutting GmbH, ESAB Welding & Cutting Products (Shanghai) Management Company Limited, ESAB Welding Products (Jiangsu) Co Limited, ESAB-Mor Welding Kft, EWAC Alloys Limited, Elastic Therapy LLC, Empi Inc., Encore Medical GP LLC, Encore Medical L.P., Encore Medical Partners LLC, Evrador Trading Limited, Exelvia (Bermuda) Limited, Exelvia Company, Exelvia Cyprus Limited, Exelvia Group India BV, Exelvia Holding Limitada, Exelvia Holdings BV, Exelvia International Holdings BV, Exelvia Investments Limited, Exelvia Netherlands BV, Exelvia Properties Limited, GCE Gas Control Equipment Co. Ltd., GCE Gas Control Equipment Inc., GCE Gas Control Equipment S.A. de C.V., GCE GmbH, GCE Group AB, GCE Hungaria Kft., GCE India Private Ltd., GCE Krass LLC, GCE Latin America Ltd., GCE Mujelli S.p.A., GCE Norden AB, GCE Portugal Unipessoal LDA, GCE Romania s.r.l., GCE S.A.S., GCE Sp. z.o.o., GCE Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., GCE s.r.o., Gas Control Equipment Iberica S.L., Gas Control Equipment Limited, Gas-Arc Group Limited, H UK Engineering Limited, HE Deutschland Holdings GmbH, HKS-Prozesstechnik GmbH, HTP Beteiligungs AG, Hobart Place Investments Limited, Howden North America Inc., Imo Holdings Inc., Imo Industries Inc., Jinan Red Hawk International Trading Co. Ltd., LT Optoelectronics Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Labindia Liteforce Private Limited, LiteCure LLC, Litecure Asia Limited, Litecure Optoelectronics Technology (Shanghai) Co. Limited, MEDSHAPE INC., MT Central Finance SARL, MT FOREIGN HOLDINGS INC., Margarita SA, Mathys (Schweiz) GmbH, Mathys AG Bettlach, Mathys Immobilien GmbH, Mathys KK, Mathys Ltd., Mathys Medical Device Trading Co. Ltd., Mathys Orthopadie GmbH, Mathys Orthopaedics BV, Mathys Orthopaedics Belux, Mathys Orthopaedics Ltd, Mathys Orthopaedics Pty. Ltd., Mathys Orthopedie SAS, Mathys Ortopedia Srl, Medireha GmbH Produkte fur die medizinische Rehabilitation, Motion Parent Inc., NANOSPECTRA BIOSCIENCES INC., NV E.S.A.B., OZAS-ESAB Sp. z o.o., Ormed GmbH, Ortho Pros Express Inc., Orthomed Medizintechnik GmbH, Oxiprof LLC, Oy ESAB, PT Karya Yasantara Cakti, PT Victor Teknologi Indonesia, Quantum Ops Inc., Rikco International LLC, SIAM ESAB Welding & Cutting Limited, Shawebone Holdings Inc., Soldaduras West Arco S.A.S., Soldex Holdings I LLC, Soldex S.A., Speetec Implantate AG, Speetec Implantate GmbH, Surgi-Care Inc., TBI Industries GmbH, TBI Industries s.r.o., TBI Shandong Industries Co. Ltd., The British South Africa Company, The Central Mining & Investment Corporation Limited, The ESAB Group Inc., Thermadyne Brazil Holdings Ltd., Thermadyne South America Holdings Ltd., Thermadyne Victor Ltda., Thermadyne de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Thermal Dynamics Europe Srl, Trilliant Surgical LLC, Victor Equipment Company, Victor Equipment de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Victor Technologies (UK) Limited, Victor Technologies Asia SDN BHD, Victor Technologies Australia Pty Ltd., Victor Technologies Canada Ltd., Victor Technologies Group Inc., Victor Technologies Holdings Inc., Victor Technologies International Inc., Victor Technologies Partnership LLP, Warren Pumps LLC, Welding & Cutting Products LLC, and Weldnote LDA.

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Nabors Industries Ltd. provides drilling and drilling-related services for land-based and offshore oil and natural gas wells. The company operates through five segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. It provides tubular running, wellbore placement, directional drilling, measurement-while-drilling (MWD), equipment manufacturing, and rig instrumentation services; and logging-while-drilling systems and services, as well as drilling optimization software. The company also offers REVit, an automated real time stick-slip mitigation system; ROCKit, a directional steering control system; SmartNAV, a collaborative guidance and advisory platform; SmartSLIDE, an advanced directional steering control system; and RigCLOUD, which provides the tools and infrastructure to integrate applications to deliver real-time insight into operations across the rig fleet. In addition, it manufactures and sells top drives, catwalks, wrenches, drawworks, and other drilling related equipment, such as robotic systems and downhole tools; and provides aftermarket sales and services for the installed base of its equipment. As of December 31, 2021, the company marketed approximately 301 rigs for land-based drilling operations in the United States, Canada, and in 20 other countries worldwide; and 29 rigs for offshore platform drilling operations in the United States and internationally. Nabors Industries Ltd. was founded in 1952 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 29 (PTI) India and Italy today inked an MoU for enhanced cooperation in the health sector by pooling in technical, scientific, financial and human resources to upgrade infrastructural resources, medical education and research in both countries.

Health Minister J P Nadda said both the countries share a rich relationship which has been enhanced by high-level visits.

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The MoU recognises the potential for exchange in the health sector between the two countries, and the need to tap the capabilities and opportunities in a focused and comprehensive manner, an official statement issued by the health ministry said.

Nadda and his Italian counterpart Beatrice Lorenzin signed the MoU in the presence of senior officers from the health ministry and a high-level delegation from Italy.

"The objective of the MoU is to establish cooperation between the two countries in the field of health by pooling technical, scientific, financial and human resources with the ultimate goal of upgrading the quality and infrastructural resources involved in health care, medical education and training and research in both countries," the statement said.

The main areas of cooperation include exchange and training of doctors and other health professionals, assistance in development of human resource and setting up of health care facilities and regulation of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and cosmetics, it said.

It also includes promotion of business development opportunities in pharmaceuticals, procurement of generic and essential drugs as well as health equipment, collaboration in prevention of non-communicable disease (NCD) and in the field of climate change impact on communicable diseases and vector borne diseases, among others, the statement added. PTI PLB SRY

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The following companies are subsidiares of General Motors: 2140879 Ontario Inc., ACAR Leasing Ltd., ACF Investment Corp., AFS SenSub Corp., APGO Trust, Adam Opel GmbH, AmeriCredit, AmeriCredit Financial Services Inc., Annunciata Corporation, Argonaut Holdings LLC, Astyx Inc., BOCO (Proprietary) Limited, Banco GM S.A., Boco Trust, BrightDrop LLC, BrightDrop Solutions LLC, BrightDrop Vehicle Distribution LLC, CHEVYPLAN S.A. Sociedad Administradora de Planes de Autofinanciamiento Comercial, Cadillac, Cadillac Europe GmbH, Carve-Out Ownership Cooperative LLC, Chevrolet Deutschland GmbH, Chevrolet Otomotiv Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Chevrolet Sales (Thailand) Limited, Chevrolet Sales India Private Ltd., Chevrolet Sociedad Anonima de Ahorro para Fines Determinados, Controladora General Motors S. de R.L. de C.V., Cruise, Cruise LLC, Cruise Munich GmbH, DCJ1 LLC, DMAX Ltd., Dealership Liquidations Inc., Delphi Energy and Engine Management Systems UK Overseas Corporation, EDS (Electronic Data Systems), GCAR Titling Ltd., GM (UK) Pension Trustees Limited, GM Administradora de Bens Ltda., GM Asia Pacific Regional Headquarters Ltd., GM Components Holdings LLC, GM Corretora de Seguros Ltda., GM Cruise Holdings LLC, GM Defense LLC, GM Eurometals Inc., GM Finance Co. Holdings LLC, GM Financial, GM Financial Bank, GM Financial Canada Leasing Ltd., GM Financial Colombia Holdings LLC, GM Financial Colombia S.A. Compania de Financiamiento, GM Financial Consumer Discount Company, GM Financial Holdings LLC, GM Financial Insurance Company, GM Financial Mexico Holdings LLC, GM Financial de Mexico S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.R., GM Financial del Peru S.A.C, GM Global Technology Operations LLC, GM Global Tooling Company LLC, GM Global Treasury Centre Limited, GM Holdings Australia Pty Ltd, GM Holdings U.K. No.1 Limited, GM Inversiones Santiago Limitada, GM Investment Trustees Limited, GM Korea Company, GM LAAM Holdings LLC, GM Mobility Europe GmbH, GM Personnel Services Inc., GM Philippines Inc., GM Protections LLC, GM Regional Holdings LLC, GM Retirees Pension Trustees Limited, GM Speciality Vehicles UK Limited, GM Subsystems Manufacturing LLC, GM Technical Center Korea Ltd., GM-DI Leasing LLC, GMAC Administradora de Consorcios Ltda., GMAC Prestadora de Servicios de Mao de Obra Ltda., GMCH&SP Private Equity II L.P., GMF Funding Corp., GMF Global Assignment LLC, GMF International LLC, GMF Leasing LLC, GMF Wholesale Receivables LLC, General Motors (China) Investment Company Limited, General Motors - Colmotores S.A., General Motors Advisory Services LLC, General Motors Africa and Middle East FZE, General Motors Asia LLC, General Motors Asia Pacific Holdings LLC, General Motors Asset Management Corporation, General Motors Australia Pty Ltd., General Motors Australia and New Zealand Pty Ltd., General Motors Auto LLC, General Motors Automobiles Philippines Inc., General Motors Automotive Holdings S.L., General Motors Belgique Automobile NV, General Motors Chile Industria Automotriz Limitada, General Motors China LLC, General Motors Daewoo Auto and Technology CIS LLC, General Motors Egypt S.A.E., General Motors Europe Limited, General Motors Financial Chile Limitada, General Motors Financial Chile S.A., General Motors Financial Company Inc., General Motors Financial of Canada Ltd., General Motors Global Service Operations Inc., General Motors Holden Australia NSC Pty Ltd., General Motors Holdings LLC, General Motors IT Services (Ireland) Limited, General Motors India Private Limited, General Motors International Holdings LLC, General Motors International Operations Pte. Ltd., General Motors International Services Company SAS, General Motors International Services LLC, General Motors Investment Limited, General Motors Investment Management Corporation, General Motors Investment Participacoes Ltda., General Motors Investments Pty. Ltd., General Motors Israel Ltd., General Motors Japan Limited, General Motors LLC, General Motors Limited, General Motors New Zealand Limited, General Motors New Zealand Pensions Limited, General Motors Overseas Commercial Vehicle Corporation, General Motors Overseas Corporation, General Motors Overseas Distribution LLC, General Motors Peru S.A., General Motors Research Corporation, General Motors South Africa (Pty) Limited, General Motors Taiwan Ltd., General Motors Technical Centre India Private Limited, General Motors Treasury Center LLC, General Motors Uruguay S.A., General Motors Ventures LLC, General Motors Warehousing and Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., General Motors de Argentina S.r.l., General Motors de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., General Motors del Ecuador S.A., General Motors do Brasil Ltda., General Motors of Canada Company, General Motors-Holden's Sales Pty. Limited, Global Services Detroit LLC, Grand Pointe Holdings Inc., Grand Pointe Park Condominium Association, IBC Pension Trustees Limited, Lease Ownership Cooperative LLC, Lidlington Engineering Company Ltd., Limited Liability Company "General Motors CIS", Maven Drive LLC, Millbrook Pension Management Limited, Monetization of Carve-Out LLC, Motors Holding LLC, Multi-Use Lease Entity Trust, North American New Cars LLC, Omnibus BB Transportes S. A., OnStar Connected Services Srl, OnStar Egypt Limited, OnStar Europe Ltd., OnStar Global Services Corporation, OnStar LLC, OnStar de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., P.T. G M AutoWorld Indonesia, P.T. General Motors Indonesia, PIMS Co., PT. General Motors Indonesia Manufacturing, Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center Company Ltd., Prestadora de Servicios GMF Colombia S.A.S., Rapid Motor Vehicle Company, Reliance Motor Car Company, Riverfront Holdings III Inc., Riverfront Holdings Inc., Riverfront Holdings Phase II Inc., SAIC GM (Shenyang) Norsom Motors Co. Ltd., SAIC GM Dong Yue Motors Company Limited, SAIC GM Dong Yue Powertrain Company Limited, SAIC GM Wuling Automobile Company Limited, SAIC General Motors Corporation Limited, SAIC General Motors Sales Company Limited, SAIC-GMAC Automotive Finance Company Limited, SAIC-GMF Leasing Co. Ltd., Servicios GMAC S.A. de C.V., Shanghai OnStar Telematics Co. Ltd., Sidecar Technologies, Ultium Cells LLC, Vehicle Asset Universal Leasing Trust, WRE Inc., and Zona Franca Industrial Colmotores SAS.

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Juniper Networks, Inc. designs, develops, and sells network products and services worldwide. The company offers routing products, such as ACX series universal access routers to deploy high-bandwidth services; MX series Ethernet routers that function as a universal edge platform; PTX series packet transport routers; wide-area network SDN controllers; and session smart routers. It also provides switching products, including EX series Ethernet switches to address the access, aggregation, and core layer switching requirements of micro branch, branch office, and campus environments; QFX series of core, spine, and top-of-rack data center switches; and juniper access points, which provide Wi-Fi access and performance. In addition, the company offers security products comprising SRX series services gateways for the data center; Branch SRX family provides an integrated and next-generation firewall; virtual firewall that delivers various features of physical firewalls; and advanced malware protection, a cloud-based service and Juniper ATP. Further, it offers Junos OS, a network operating system; Contrail networking, which provides an open-source and standards-based platform for SDN; Mist AI-driven Wired, Wireless, and WAN assurance solutions to set and measure key metrics; Mist AI-driven Marvis Virtual Network Assistant, which identifies the root cause of issues; Juniper Paragon Automation, a modular portfolio of cloud-native software applications; and Juniper Apstra to automate the network lifecycle in a single system. Additionally, the company provides software-as-a-service, technical support, maintenance, and professional services, as well as education and training programs. It sells its products through direct sales, distributors, value-added resellers, and original equipment manufacturers to end-users in the cloud, service provider, and enterprise markets. The company was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
Weatherford International plc, an oilfield service company, provides equipment and services for the drilling, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention of oil and natural gas wells worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere. It offers artificial lift systems, including reciprocating rod, progressing cavity pumping, gas, hydraulic, plunger, and hybrid lift systems, as well as related automation and control systems; pressure pumping and reservoir stimulation services, such as acidizing, fracturing and fluid systems, cementing, and coiled-tubing intervention; and drill stem test tools, and surface well testing and multiphase flow measurement services. The company also provides safety, downhole reservoir monitoring, flow control, and multistage fracturing systems, as well as sand-control technologies, and production and isolation packers; liner hangers to suspend a casing string in high-temperature and high-pressure wells; cementing products, including plugs, float and stage equipment, and torque-and-drag reduction technology for zonal isolation; and pre-job planning and installation services. In addition, it offers directional drilling services, and logging and measurement services while drilling; services related to rotary-steerable systems, high-temperature and high-pressure sensors, drilling reamers, and circulation subs; managed pressure drilling, conventional mud-logging, drilling instrumentation, gas analysis, wellsite consultancy, and open hole and cased-hole logging services; reservoir solutions and software products; and intervention and remediation services. Further, the company provides equipment and drilling tools; tubular handling, management, and connection services; equipment rental services; and onshore contract drilling and related services through a fleet of land drilling and workover rigs. Weatherford International plc was incorporated in 1972 and is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland.
The Indian Army today carried out five successful test firings of the Akash surface to air missiles which can strike down enemy aircraft and drones at range of 30-km in the air.

By Manjeet Negi: The Indian Army today carried out five successful test firings of the Akash surface to air missiles which can strike down enemy aircraft and drones within a range of 30-km. The missiles will be deployed along the China and Pakistan borders.

As part of the tests, five Akash missiles while simulating different situations destroyed five different targets successfully and met the parameters for which they were being tested. The missiles have been equipped with new seekers, sources said.

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The targets were deployed by the teams of the Air Force and the Army. Akash missile system consists of missile launchers with missiles.

It also has a super efficient target detection, target tracking, launching of missile, tracking of missile, guidance of missile and kill of the targets were perfectly executed with consistency.

All the sophisticated radars, control centres, launchers and missiles have been prepared and operated by Army teams with military precision.

Notable among the operations is the launching of missile by a young woman Air Defence officer for the first time in the country.

The flight trials are conducted at ITR Chandipur. Defence minister has expressed happiness for the synergy among Army, DRDO and PSUs in demonstrating excellent performance of inducted Akash system.

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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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Bar Harbor Bankshares operates as the holding company for Bar Harbor Bank & Trust that provides commercial, lending, retail, and wealth management banking services. It accepts various deposit products, including interest-bearing and non-interest-bearing demand accounts, savings accounts, time deposits, and money market deposit accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. The company also provides commercial real estate loans, such as multi-family, commercial construction and land development, and other commercial real estate classes; commercial and industrial loans, including loans to commercial and agricultural businesses, and tax exempt entities; residential real estate loans consists of mortgages for 1-4 family housing; and consumer loans comprises home equity loans, lines of credit, auto, and other installment lending. In addition, it provides life insurance, annuity, and retirement products, as well as financial planning services; and third-party investment and insurance services. Further, the company offers trust and estate administration, wealth advisory, and investment management services to individuals, businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and municipalities; and 401K plan, financial, estate and charitable planning, investment management, family office, municipal, and tax services. It operates 53 locations across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The company was founded in 1887 and is based in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Emergent BioSolutions Inc., a life sciences company, focuses on the provision of preparedness and response solutions that address accidental, deliberate, and naturally occurring public health threats (PHTs) in the United States. The company's products address PHTs, which include chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives; emerging infectious diseases; travel health; and emerging health crises and acute/emergency care. It offers BioThrax, an anthrax vaccine; ACAM2000, a smallpox vaccine; Botulism Antitoxin Heptavalent to treat botulinum disease; vaccinia immune globulin intravenous that addresses complications from smallpox vaccine; raxibacumab for the treatment and prophylaxis of inhalational anthrax; Anthrasil to for inhalational anthrax; reactive skin decontamination lotion kits; and Trobigard, a combination drug-device auto injector product candidate; and Trobigard, a combination drug-device auto injector product candidate. The company also provides NARCAN, a nasal spray for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose; Vivotif, an oral vaccine for typhoid fever; and Vaxchora, a single-dose oral vaccine to treat cholera. In addition, it is developing AP003, a Naloxone multidose nasal spray; AP007, a sustained release Nalmefene injection for treatment of opioid use disorder; AV7909, an anthrax vaccine; CGRD-001, a pralidoxime chloride/atropine auto-injector; CHIKV VLP, a chikungunya virus VLP vaccine; COVID-HIG for the treatment of SARS-CoV2; EGRD-001, a diazepam auto-injector; SIAN, an antidote for the initial treatment of acute poisoning of cyanide; and UniFlu, a universal influenza vaccine. Further, the company provides contract development and manufacturing services comprising drug substance and product manufacturing, and packaging, as well as technology transfer, process, and analytical development services. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Ford Motor Company is the second largest US auto manufacturer by market cap and market share and ranks 4th globally. The company was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford following a series of cars that led to the introduction of the Model T. The Model T revolutionized the automobile industry not only because it made vehicles affordable for the budding middle class but it changed the way manufacturing was done. The Ford factory features the worlds first moving assembly line, an introduction that not only improved the pace of production but lowered the cost of its vehicles.

Other prominent innovations made by Mr. Ford include the strict standardization of parts that allowed for easy construction and repair and the standardized workweek. Henry Fords switch to a $5 workday and 8-hour shifts allowed him to run 3 shifts per day and improve productivity while providing his employees with the power to buy their own products.

Today, Ford Motor Company makes and markets a large lineup of cars, trucks, SUVs, EVs, and Lincoln luxury vehicles globally. The companys iconic F-series of trucks is the worlds best-selling pickup truck for decades running and the new all-electric Lightning is on track to dominate the top spot in the EV market. Other iconic brands in the Ford lineup include the Thunderbird introduced in 1954, the Mustang in 1964, and the Transit work van in 1965. The Mustang, notably, was created for the Worlds Fair and expected to sell 100,000 in its first year but shocked the industry with 22,000 units sold on the first day.

The company operates through four segments including Ford Blue (ICE vehicles), Model e (EVs) Mobility, and Ford Credit. The Ford Blue and Model e segments sell Ford and Lincoln vehicles, parts, and accessories while the Mobility segment designs and builds advanced technologies including but not limited to self-driving autonomous car systems.

The Ford Credit segment primarily offers commercial and retail loans to auto dealers and car buyers. This segment not only provides financing for new purchases and dealer inventory but makes loans for new dealerships and expansions of old ones.

Ford has fully embraced the switch to EV and is planning for an all-EV future. To that end, the company pledged to spend up to $50 billion on EV infrastructure by 2026. The plans include the build-out of an entirely new campus dedicated to EV manufacture from batteries to motor platforms, manufacturing capacity, and new vehicles. In regard to total capacity, the company is targeting 2 million in total annual EV sales by that same year.
I-T department has initiated its 'inquiry' against four corporate entities in coal import scam worth thousands of crores.

By Virendrasingh Ghunawat: The income tax department has initiated its 'inquiry' against four corporate entities in coal import scam worth thousands of crores, on exceptional request from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

These entities are Reliance Infrastructure Ltd and Rosa Power Supply Co. Ltd of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG), Knowledge Infrastructure Systems Pvt Ltd and Coastal Energy Pvt Ltd.

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Few months back, the DRI had issued show cause notices (SCNs) to these four entities with an allegation of coal imports to the tune of around Rs 400 crore (ADAG), Rs 16 crore and Rs 589 crore, respectively.

During the process, the DRI submitted an additional copy of the SCN went to Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB), which is a nodal agency for economic intelligence mandated to ensure effective interaction and coordination among all the concerned agencies in the area of economic offences, such as: I-T department, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

"Ideally, the CEIB is supposed to direct I-T department, ED and CBI for the further investigation. But in this coal import case, a confidential communication took place between the DRI and I-T department, where the former agency requested the taxmen to takeover this case and begin its probe, at the earliest", the source told Indiatoday.in.

Without wasting anytime, officials of I-T department visited Mumbai DRI's office "to understand the case" and "to seek relevant data/documents" against these four entities.

Senior I-T official in the investigation wing, Mumbai confirmed Indiatoday.in, "It's correct. In coal import case, inquiry has begun from our end. Especially against those companies that has been noticed by DRI. But, further details could not be shared, at this point of time".

Since last three years, the DRI had been investigating at least 40 companies for alleged overvaluation of coal imports from Indonesia pegged at Rs 29,000 crore, between 2011 and 2015.

Till today, investigation against four companies has been completed and notices were issued for further proceedings.

Detailed queries sent to Knowledge Infrastructure and Coastal Energy remained unanswered.

When contacted, a Reliance Group spokesperson said: "We strongly deny the allegations. All our coal imports are fully compliant with the laid down rules and regulations. The coal was imported only for captive consumption from independent suppliers under long term contracts. The purchase price of imported coal was on the basis of then prevailing widely and globally accepted highly traded coal indices on a year to year basis. We are extending our full cooperation to the authorities in the ongoing investigation."

WHAT IS COAL IMPORT SCAM?

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It is a case of over-invoicing of imported coal prices. In December 2014, the DRI smelled a huge scam in coal imports from Indonesia and conducted searches across 80 locations in India.

The raids were carried out on coal importing companies, shippers, intermediaries and laboratories.

During the probe, it was noticed that even though the ships carrying coals directly from Indonesia to India, the bills were routed through fictitious and benami firms in Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai and British Virgin Islands.

The companies involved in coal import business with the layers of shell companies inflated the prices of coal and sold it to the power projects owned by the corporate giants.

"The objective of over-valuation was to siphon off the differential amount (in thousand of crores) outside the country and to avail higher power tariff compensation based on artificially inflated cost of the imported coal", an investigator told Indiatoday.in.

It was noticed that value of coal was inflated to more than 250 per cent by these entities. Currently, 40 companies from corporate India to Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) are under DRI's radar, where investigation is taking place at various levels.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Johnson & Johnson: 3Dintegrated ApS, ALZA Corporation, AMO (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AMO (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd Beijing Branch, AMO (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd Guangzhou Branch, AMO (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd., AMO ASIA LIMITED, AMO Asia Limited (Korea Branch), AMO Asia Limited Taiwan Branch (Hong Kong), AMO Australia Pty Limited, AMO Australia Pty Limited (New Zealand Branch), AMO Canada Company, AMO Denmark ApS, AMO Development LLC, AMO France, AMO Germany GmbH, AMO Groningen B.V., AMO International Holdings Unlimited Company, AMO Ireland, AMO Ireland Ireland Branch, AMO Italy SRL, AMO Japan K.K., AMO Manufacturing USA LLC, AMO Netherlands BV, AMO Nominee Holdings LLC, AMO Norway AS, AMO Puerto Rico Manufacturing Inc., AMO Sales and Service Inc., AMO Singapore Pte. Ltd., AMO Spain Holdings LLC, AMO Switzerland GmbH, AMO U.K. Holdings LLC, AMO United Kingdom Ltd., AMO Uppsala AB, AUB Holdings LLC, Abott Medical Optics, Acclarent Inc., Actelion Ltd, Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Actelion Pharmaceuticals US Inc., Actelion Treasury Unlimited Company, Akros Medical Inc., Albany Street LLC, Alios BioPharma, Alza Land Management Inc., Anakuria Therapeutics Inc., Animas Diabetes Care LLC, Animas LLC, Animas Technologies LLC, AorTx Inc., Apsis, Aragon Pharmaceuticals, Aragon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Asia Pacific Holdings LLC, Atrionix Inc., Auris Health, Auris Health Inc., Backsvalan 2 Aktiebolag, Backsvalan 6 Handelsbolag, Beijing Dabao Cosmetics Co. Ltd., BeneVir BioPharm Inc., Berna Rhein B.V., BioMedical Enterprises Inc., Biosense Webster (Israel) Ltd., Biosense Webster Inc., Branch of Johnson & Johnson LLC (RU) in Kazakhstan, C Consumer Products Denmark ApS, CSATS Inc., Calibra Medical LLC, Campus-Foyer Apotheke GmbH, Carlo Erba OTC S.r.l., Centocor Biologics LLC, Centocor Research & Development Inc., Cerenovus Inc., ChromaGenics B.V., Ci:Labo Customer Marketing Co. Ltd., Ci:Labo USA Inc., Ci:z Holdings, Ci:z. Labo Co. Ltd., Cilag AG, Cilag GmbH International, Cilag Holding AG, Cilag Holding Treasury Unlimited Company, Cilag-Biotech S.L., CoTherix Inc., Coherex Medical Inc., ColBar LifeScience Ltd., Company Store.com Inc., Conor MedSystems, Cordis International Corporation, Cordis de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Corimmun GmbH, DePuy Hellas SA, DePuy International Limited, DePuy Ireland Unlimited Company, DePuy Mexico S.A. de C.V., DePuy Mitek LLC, DePuy Orthopaedics Inc., DePuy Products Inc., DePuy Spine LLC, DePuy Synthes Gorgan Limited, DePuy Synthes Inc., DePuy Synthes Institute LLC, DePuy Synthes Leto SARL, DePuy Synthes Products Inc., DePuy Synthes Sales Inc., Debs-Vogue Corporation (Proprietary) Limited, Dutch Holding LLC, ECL7 LLC, EES Holdings de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., EES S.A. de C.V., EIT Emerging Implant Technologies GmbH, Ethicon Endo-Surgery (Europe) GmbH, Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc., Ethicon Endo-Surgery LLC, Ethicon Inc., Ethicon LLC, Ethicon PR Holdings Unlimited Company, Ethicon Sarl, Ethicon US LLC, Ethicon Women's Health & Urology Sarl, Ethnor (Proprietary) Limited, Ethnor Farmaceutica S.A., Ethnor del Istmo S.A., FMS Future Medical System SA, Finsbury (Development) Limited, Finsbury (Instruments) Limited, Finsbury Medical Limited, Finsbury Orthopaedics International Limited, Finsbury Orthopaedics Limited, GH Biotech Holdings Limited, GMED Healthcare BV, GMED Healthcare BV (Branch), Global Investment Participation B.V., Guangzhou Bioseal Biotech Co. Ltd., Hansen Medical Deutschland GmbH, Hansen Medical Inc., Hansen Medical International Inc., Hansen Medical UK Limited, Healthcare Services (Shanghai) Ltd., Hickory Merger Sub Inc., I.D. Acquisition Corp., Innomedic Gesellschaft fur innovative Medizintechnik und Informatik mbH, Innovative Surgical Solutions LLC, J & J Company West Africa Limited, J&J Pension Trustees Limited, J-C Health Care Ltd., J.C. General Services BV, JJ Surgical Vision Spain S.L., JJC Acquisition Company B.V., JJHC LLC, JJSV Belgium BV, JJSV Manufacturing Malaysia SDN. BHD., JJSV Norden AB, JJSV Produtos Oticos Ltda., JNJ Global Business Services s.r.o., JNJ Holding EMEA B.V., JNJ International Investment LLC, JOM Pharmaceutical Services Inc., Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy (Holding) Limited, Janssen BioPharma LLC, Janssen Biologics (Ireland) Limited, Janssen Biologics B.V., Janssen Biotech Inc., Janssen Cilag C.A., Janssen Cilag Farmaceutica S.A., Janssen Cilag S.p.A., Janssen Cilag SPA, Janssen Development Finance Unlimited Company, Janssen Diagnostics LLC, Janssen Egypt LLC, Janssen Farmaceutica Portugal Lda, Janssen Global Services LLC, Janssen Holding GmbH, Janssen Inc., Janssen Irish Finance Unlimited Company, Janssen Korea Ltd., Janssen Oncology Inc., Janssen Ortho LLC, Janssen Pharmaceutica (Proprietary) Limited, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Janssen Pharmaceutica S.A., Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K., Janssen Pharmaceutical Sciences Unlimited Company, Janssen Pharmaceutical Unlimited Company, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. Japan Branch, Janssen Products LP, Janssen R&D Ireland Unlimited Company, Janssen Research & Development LLC, Janssen Sciences Ireland Unlimited Company, Janssen Scientific Affairs LLC, Janssen Supply Group LLC, Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., Janssen Vaccines Branch of Cilag GmbH International, Janssen Vaccines Corp., Janssen-Cilag, Janssen-Cilag (New Zealand) Limited, Janssen-Cilag A/S, Janssen-Cilag AG, Janssen-Cilag AS, Janssen-Cilag Aktiebolag, Janssen-Cilag B.V., Janssen-Cilag Farmaceutica Lda., Janssen-Cilag Farmaceutica Ltda., Janssen-Cilag GmbH, Janssen-Cilag International NV, Janssen-Cilag Kft., Janssen-Cilag Kft. Branch Office, Janssen-Cilag Limited, Janssen-Cilag Manufacturing LLC, Janssen-Cilag NV, Janssen-Cilag OY, Janssen-Cilag Pharma GmbH, Janssen-Cilag Pharmaceutical S.A.C.I., Janssen-Cilag Polska Sp. z o.o., Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd, Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd (Branch), Janssen-Cilag S.A., Janssen-Cilag S.A., Janssen-Cilag S.A. de C.V., Janssen-Cilag de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Janssen-Cilag s.r.o., Janssen-Pharma S.L., Jevco Holding Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Johnson & Johnson (Angola) Limitada, Johnson & Johnson (China) Investment Ltd., Johnson & Johnson (China) Investment Ltd. Beijing Branch, Johnson & Johnson (Egypt) S.A.E., Johnson & Johnson (Hong Kong) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Ireland) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Jamaica) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Kenya) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc., Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc. (DHCC Branch), Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc. (JAFZA Branch), Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc. Service Center (DAFZA Branch), Johnson & Johnson (Mozambique) Limitada, Johnson & Johnson (Namibia) (Proprietary) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (New Zealand) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Philippines) Inc., Johnson & Johnson (Private) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Thailand) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson (Trinidad) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Vietnam) Co. Ltd, Johnson & Johnson - Societa' Per Azioni, Johnson & Johnson AB, Johnson & Johnson AB Eesti filiaal (Branch), Johnson & Johnson AG, Johnson & Johnson AG (Zuchwil Branch), Johnson & Johnson Belgium Finance Company BV, Johnson & Johnson Bulgaria EOOD, Johnson & Johnson China Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Consumer (Hong Kong) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer (Thailand) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer B.V., Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health Care Switzerland Branch of Janssen-Cilag AG, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Holdings France, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. (Dominican Republic Branch), Johnson & Johnson Consumer NV, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Saudi Arabia Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Services EAME Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Del Paraguay S.A., Johnson & Johnson Dominicana S.A.S., Johnson & Johnson Enterprise Innovation Inc., Johnson & Johnson European Treasury Unlimited Company, Johnson & Johnson Finance Corporation, Johnson & Johnson Finance Limited, Johnson & Johnson Financial Services GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Financial Services GmbH (Branch Office), Johnson & Johnson Gateway LLC, Johnson & Johnson Gesellschaft m.b.H., Johnson & Johnson GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Guatemala S.A., Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems Inc., Johnson & Johnson Health and Wellness Solutions Inc., Johnson & Johnson Hellas Commercial and Industrial S.A., Johnson & Johnson Hellas Consumer Products Commercial Societe Anonyme, Johnson & Johnson Hemisferica S.A., Johnson & Johnson Holding GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Inc., Johnson & Johnson Industrial Ltda., Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC Inc., Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC, Johnson & Johnson Innovation Limited, Johnson & Johnson International, Johnson & Johnson International (Belgian Branch) (European Logistics Center), Johnson & Johnson International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Johnson & Johnson International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. (Branch), Johnson & Johnson International Financial Services Unlimited Company, Johnson & Johnson K.K., Johnson & Johnson Kft., Johnson & Johnson Korea Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Korea Selling & Distribution LLC, Johnson & Johnson LLC, Johnson & Johnson Lda, Johnson & Johnson Limited, Johnson & Johnson Limited (Sri Lanka Branch), Johnson & Johnson Luxembourg Finance Company Sarl, Johnson & Johnson Management Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical (China) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical (Proprietary) Ltd, Johnson & Johnson Medical (Shanghai) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical (Shanghai) Ltd. Beijing Branch, Johnson & Johnson Medical (Suzhou) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical B.V., Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices & Diagnostics Group - Latin America L.L.C., Johnson & Johnson Medical GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Medical Korea Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical Mexico S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson Medical NV, Johnson & Johnson Medical Products GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Medical Pty Ltd, Johnson & Johnson Medical S.A., Johnson & Johnson Medical S.C.S., Johnson & Johnson Medical S.p.A., Johnson & Johnson Medical SAS, Johnson & Johnson Medical Saudi Arabia Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical Taiwan Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medikal Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Johnson & Johnson Medikal Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi (Ankara Branch), Johnson & Johnson Medikal Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi (Izmir Branch), Johnson & Johnson Middle East - Scientific Office, Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ - LLC (Lebanese Branch), Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC, Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC (Ghana Branch), Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC (Kenya Branch), Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC Branch (TSO) (Saudi Arabia Branch), Johnson & Johnson Morocco Societe Anonyme, Johnson & Johnson NCB (Belgian Branch), Johnson & Johnson Nordic AB, Johnson & Johnson Pacific Pty Limited, Johnson & Johnson Pakistan (Private) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Panama S.A., Johnson & Johnson Personal Care (Chile) S.A., Johnson & Johnson Poland Sp. z o.o., Johnson & Johnson Poland sp. z o.o. oddzial w Warszawie "Consumer", Johnson & Johnson Private Limited, Johnson & Johnson Pte. Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Pte. Ltd. Korea Branch, Johnson & Johnson Pty. Limited, Johnson & Johnson Romania S.R.L., Johnson & Johnson S.A., Johnson & Johnson S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson S.E. Inc., Johnson & Johnson S.E. d.o.o., Johnson & Johnson SDN. BHD., Johnson & Johnson Sante Beaute France, Johnson & Johnson Services Inc., Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision Inc., Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision India Private Limited, Johnson & Johnson Taiwan Ltd., Johnson & Johnson UK Treasury Company Limited, Johnson & Johnson Ukraine LLC, Johnson & Johnson Urban Renewal Associates, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care (Shanghai) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc., Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Ireland Unlimited Company, Johnson & Johnson d.o.o., Johnson & Johnson de Argentina S.A.C. e. I., Johnson & Johnson de Chile Limitada, Johnson & Johnson de Chile S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Colombia S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson de Uruguay S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Venezuela S.A., Johnson & Johnson del Ecuador S.A., Johnson & Johnson del Peru S.A., Johnson & Johnson do Brasil Industria E Comercio de Produtos Para Saude Ltda., Johnson & Johnson for Export and Import LLC, Johnson & Johnson s.r.o., Johnson Y Johnson de Costa Rica S.A., Johnson and Johnson (Proprietary) Limited, Johnson and Johnson Sihhi Malzeme Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, LTL Management LLC, La Concha Land Investment Corporation, Latam International Investment Company Unlimited Company, Legal Entity Name, MDS Co. Ltd., McNEIL MMP LLC, McNeil AB, McNeil Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co., McNeil Denmark ApS, McNeil Healthcare (Ireland) Limited, McNeil Healthcare (UK) Limited, McNeil Healthcare LLC, McNeil Iberica S.L.U., McNeil LA LLC, McNeil Nutritionals LLC, McNeil Panama LLC, McNeil Products Limited, McNeil Sweden AB, Medical Device Business Services Inc., Medical Devices & Diagnostics Global Services LLC, Medical Devices International LLC, Medos International Sarl, Medos International Sarl succursale de Neuchatel (Branch), Medos Sarl, MegaDyne Medical Products Inc., Menlo Care De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Mentor B.V., Mentor Deutschland GmbH, Mentor Medical Systems B.V., Mentor Partnership Holding Company I LLC, Mentor Texas GP LLC, Mentor Texas L.P., Mentor Worldwide LLC, Micrus Endovascular LLC, Middlesex Assurance Company Limited, Momenta Ireland Limited, Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc., NeoStrata Company Inc., NeoStrata UG (haftungsbeschrankt), Netherlands Holding Company, NeuWave Medical Inc., Neuravi Limited, Novira Therapeutics, Novira Therapeutics LLC, NuVera Medical Inc., OBTECH Medical Sarl, OGX Beauty Limited, OMJ Holding GmbH, OMJ Ireland Unlimited Company, OMJ Pharmaceuticals Inc., Obtech Medical Mexico S.A. de C.V., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Inc., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Ltd., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals NV, Ortho Biologics LLC, Ortho Biotech Holding LLC, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical LLC, Orthospin Ltd., Orthotaxy, PT Integrated Healthcare Indonesia, PT. Johnson & Johnson Indonesia, Patriot Pharmaceuticals LLC, Peninsula Pharmaceuticals LLC, Pharmadirect Ltd., Pharmedica Laboratories (Proprietary) Limited, Princeton Laboratories Inc., Productos de Cuidado Personal y de La Salud de Bolivia S.R.L., Proleader S.A., Pulsar Vascular Inc., Regency Urban Renewal Associates, RespiVert Ltd., RoC International, Royalty A&M LLC, Rutan Realty LLC, SYNTHES Medical Immobilien GmbH, Scios LLC, Sedona Singapore International Pte. Ltd., Sedona Thai International Co. Ltd., Serhum S.A. de C.V., Shanghai Elsker For Mother & Baby Co. Ltd, Shanghai Elsker Mother & Baby Co. Ltd Minghang Branch, Shanghai Johnson & Johnson Ltd., Shanghai Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Sightbox LLC, Sodiac ESV, Spectrum Vision Limited Liability Company, Spectrum Vision Limited Liability Partnership, SterilMed, SterilMed Inc., Surgical Process Institute Deutschland GmbH, Synthes Costa Rica S.C.R. Limitada, Synthes GmbH, Synthes Holding AG, Synthes Holding Limited, Synthes Inc., Synthes Medical Surgical Equipment & Instruments Trading LLC, Synthes Produktions GmbH, Synthes Proprietary Limited, Synthes S.M.P. S. de R.L. de C.V., Synthes Tuttlingen GmbH, Synthes USA LLC, Synthes USA Products LLC, TARIS Biomedical, TARIS Biomedical LLC, TearScience Inc., The Anspach Effort LLC, The Vision Care Institute LLC, Tibotec LLC, Torax Medical Inc., UAB "Johnson & Johnson", UAB Johnson & Johnson Eesti Filiaal (Estonian Branch), Vania Expansion, Verb Surgical, Verb Surgical Inc., Vision Care Finance Unlimited Company, Vogue International, Vogue International LLC, Vogue International Trading Inc., WH4110 Development Company L.L.C., XO1, XO1 Limited, Xian Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd., Xian-Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd. Beijing Branch Office, Xian-Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd. Shanghai Branch Office, Zarbee's Inc., and Zarbee's Naturals.

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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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The following companies are subsidiares of Marsh & McLennan Companies: 8WORKS INC., 8WORKS LTD, A. Constantinidi & CIA. S.C., A.C.N. 000 951 146 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 001 572 961 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 076 935 683 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 102 322 574 Pty Limited, ACE Insurance Agents Limited, ACE Insurance Consultants Limited, ACE Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers Limited, AD Corretora de Seguros, AFCO Premium Acceptance Inc., AFCO Premium Credit LLC, Access Equity Enhanced Fund GP LLC, Admiral Holdings Limited, Agnew Higgins Pickering & Co. (Bermuda) Ltd, Aldgate Investments Limited, Aldgate Trustees Ltd, Alexander Forbes Group Holdings Limited, Alpha Consultants Limited, Alta SA, Altius Real Assets (GP) LLC, Amal Insurance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), Anda Insurance Agencies Pte Ltd, AssetVal Pty Ltd, Assur Conseils Marsh S.A., Assurance Capital Corporation, Assurance Services Corporation, Australian Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd, Australian World Underwriters Pty Ltd., BBPS Limited, Barney & Barney Orange County LLC, Beaumonts (Leeds) Limited (in liquidation), Beaumonts Insurance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), Beaumonts Insurance Services Limited, Beneficios Integrales Oportunos SA, Benefitfocus Inc., Blue Marble Micro Limited, Blue Marble Microinsurance Inc., Bluefin, Bluefin Insurance Group Limited, Bluefin Insurance Services Limited, Boulder Claims LLC, Bowring (Bermuda) Investments Ltd., Bowring Marine Limited, Bowring Marsh (Bermuda) Ltd., Bowring Marsh (Hong Kong) Limited, Bowring Marsh Asia Pte. Ltd., Bowring Marsh Corretora de Resseguros Ltda., Bowring Marsh Limited, Broderick Piller Pty Ltd, Broker 2 Broker Limited, BuildPay LLC, Burke Ford Trustees (Leicester) Limited, C.T. Bowring Limited, CMC-Belgibo NV, CPRM Limited, CPSG Partners LLC, Carpenter Marsh Fac Chile Corredores de Reaseguros Limitada, Carpenter Marsh Fac Colombia Corredores de Reaseguros S.A., Carpenter Marsh Fac Peru Corredores de Reaseguros S.A.C., Carpenter Marsh Fac Re LLC, Carpenter Turner Cyprus Ltd, Carpenter Turner S.A., Cascade International Holdings C.V., Cascade Regional Holdings Limited, Central Insurance Services Limited, Charter Risk Management Services LLC, Chartwell Healthcare Limited, Chronos Insurance Brokers Pty Limited, Claims and Recovery Management (Australia) Pty Limited, Clark Thomson Insurance Brokers Limited, Client Provide Limited, Colombian Insurance Broking Wholesale Limited, Consultores 2020 C.A., Cronin & Co Insurance Services Limited, DVA - Deutsche Verkehrs-Assekuranz-Vermittlungs GmbH, Dawson Insurance, DeLima Marsh S.A. - Los Corredores de Seguros S.A., Dovetail Insurance Corp., Dovetail Insurance Corp., Dovetail Managing General Agency Corporation, Dovetail Technology Service India Private Limited, Draw Connect Limited, Draw Create Limited, Draw Group London Limited, Eagle & Crown Limited, Echelon Australia Pty Limited, Echelon Claims Consultants Sdn Bhd, Echelon New Zealand Limited, EnBW Versicherungs Vermittlung GmbH, Encompass Insurance Agency Pty Ltd., English Pension Trustees Limited, Epsilon (US) Insurance Company, Epsilon Insurance Company Ltd., Eustis Insurance & Benefits, Evolution Management Ltd, Exchange Insurance Services Limited (in liquidation), Exmoor Management Company Limited, Faulkner & Flynn LLC, Freedom Trust Services Limited, GC Genesis LLC, GCube Insurance Services Inc, GCube Underwriting Limited, Gama Consultores Associados Ltda., Gem Insurance Company Limited, Global Premium Finance Company, GrECo International Holding AG, Gracechurch Trustees Limited, Gresham Pension Trustees Limited, Group Promoters Pty Limited, Guy Carpenter & Cia (Mexico) S.A. de C.V., Guy Carpenter & Cia. S.A., Guy Carpenter & Co. Labuan Ltd., Guy Carpenter & Company AB, Guy Carpenter & Company Corredores de Reaseguros Limitada, Guy Carpenter & Company Corretora de Resseguros Ltda., Guy Carpenter & Company GmbH, Guy Carpenter & Company LLC, Guy Carpenter & Company Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Ltd./Guy Carpenter & Compagnie Ltee, Guy Carpenter & Company Participacoes Ltda., Guy Carpenter & Company Peru Corredores de Reaseguros S.A., Guy Carpenter & Company Private Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Proprietary Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Pty. Ltd., Guy Carpenter & Company S.A., Guy Carpenter & Company S.A. (Uruguay), Guy Carpenter & Company S.A.S., Guy Carpenter & Company S.r.l., Guy Carpenter (Middle East) Limited, Guy Carpenter Bermuda Ltd., Guy Carpenter Broking Inc., Guy Carpenter Colombia Corredores de Reaseguros Ltda., Guy Carpenter Insurance Brokers (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Guy Carpenter Japan Inc., Guy Carpenter Mexico Intermediario de Reaseguro S.A. de C.V., Guy Carpenter Reasurans Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, HAPIP GP 2009 LLC, HAPIP GP LLC, HSBC Insurance Brokers International (Abu Dhabi) LLC (in liquidation), Hamilton Bond Limited, Hansen International Limited, Hayward Aviation Limited, INSIA Europe SE, INSIA SK s.r.o., INSIA a.s., INSURANCE BROKERS OF NIGERIA LIMITED, IRC Asia Insurance Brokers Limited, InSolutions Limited, Industrial Risks Protection Consultants, Ingeseg S. A., Ingeseg S.A., Insbrokers Ltda., InsurTech Alliance LLC, Insure Direct (Brokers) LLC, Insure Direct (Brokers) LLC [BAHRAIN BRANCH], Insure Direct - Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited, International Catastrophe Insurance Managers LLC, International Loss Control Services Limited, International Risk Consultants (Asia) Limited, Invercol Limited, Irish Pensions Trust Limited, Isosceles Insurance (Barbados) Limited, Isosceles Insurance Company Limited, Isosceles Insurance Ltd, Isosceles PCC Limited, J&H Marsh & McLennan Limited, J.W. Terrill Benefit Administrators Inc., JI Holdings Limited, JIB Group Holdings Limited, JIB Group Limited, JIB Holdings (Pacific) Limited, JIB Overseas Holdings Limited, JIB UK Holdings Limited, JL Marine Insurance-Brokers GmbH & Co. KG, JLM Verwaltungs GmbH, JLT (Insurance Brokers) Limited, JLT Actuaries and Consultants Limited, JLT Advisory Limited, JLT Affinity Colombia Solutions SAS, JLT Agencies Limited, JLT Asesorias Ltda, JLT Asia Holdings BV, JLT Asia Shared Services Sdn Bhd, JLT Belgibo, JLT Benefit Consultants Limited, JLT Benefit Solutions Limited, JLT Benefit Solutions SA (Pty) Ltd, JLT Bermuda Ltd, JLT Brasil Holdings Participacoes Ltd, JLT Chile Holdings SpA, JLT Colombia Retail Limited, JLT Colombia Wholesale Limited, JLT Consultants & Actuaries Limited, JLT EB Holdings Limited, JLT EB Services Limited, JLT Employee Benefits Holding Company (PTY) LTD, JLT Employee Benefits SA (Pty) Ltd, JLT Financial Planning Limited, JLT France Holdings, JLT Group Services Pty Limited, JLT Holdings (Barbados) Ltd, JLT Holdings (NZ) Limited, JLT Independent Insurance Brokers Private Limited, JLT Insurance Agencies Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited ( Shanghai Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited (Beijing Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited (Guangzhou Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Ireland Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers SA, JLT Insurance Group Holdings Ltd, JLT Insurance Management Malta Limited, JLT Intellectual Property Limited, JLT Intellectual Property [UK Branch], JLT Interactive Pte. Ltd., JLT Investment Management Limited, JLT LATAM (Southern Cone) Wholesale Limited, JLT Latin American Holdings Limited, JLT Life Assurance Brokers Limited, JLT Management Services Limited, JLT Marine (Pty) Ltd, JLT Mexico Holdings Limited, JLT Mexico Intermediario de Reaseguro S.A. de C.V., JLT Netherlands BV, JLT Norway AS, JLT PLA, JLT Pension Trustees Limited, JLT Pensions Administration Holdings Limited, JLT Pensions Administration Limited, JLT Peru Reinsurance Solutions Limited, JLT Peru Retail Limited, JLT Peru Wholesale Limited, JLT QFM Services Limited, JLT RE Brasil Administracao e Corretagem de Resseguros Ltda, JLT Re (French Branch), JLT Re (Northern Europe) AB, JLT Re Argentina Corredores de Reaseguros S.A.U., JLT Re Labuan Limited, JLT Re Limited, JLT Re Pty Ltd, JLT Reinsurance Brokers GmbH, JLT Reinsurance Brokers Limited, JLT Reinsurance Brokers Limited [French Branch], JLT Risk Management Limited, JLT Risk Solutions AB, JLT Risk Solutions AB Branch - Germany, JLT SA IB Holdings Company (Pty) Limited, JLT SCK Affinity Administracao e Corretora de Seguros Ltda., JLT SCK Corretora e Administradora de Seguros, JLT Secretaries Limited, JLT Sigorta ve Reasurans Brokerlii A.., JLT Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., JLT Specialty France, JLT Specialty Insurance Broker A/S, JLT Specialty Limited, JLT Specialty Limited [DUBAI BRANCH], JLT Specialty Pte. Ltd., JLT Towner Insurance Management (Anguilla) Limited, JLT Trust Services (Barbados) Ltd, JLT Trustees (Southern) Limited, JLT Trustees Limited, JLT UK Investment Holdings Limited, JLT Vantage Risk and Benefit Consulting Private Limited, JLT Wealth Management Limited, JLT do Brasil Corretagem de Seguros Ltda, JLTPCS Holdings Pte. Ltd., JMIB Holdings BV, JSL Securities Inc., Japan Affinity Marketing Inc., Jardine IBR Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson (Proprietary) Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Asia Pte Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Australia Pty Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Canada Inc, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc, Jardine Lloyd Thompson India Private Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson India Private Limited (UK Branch Office), Jardine Lloyd Thompson Insurance Consultants Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers Inc., Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ireland Holdings Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ireland Unlimited Company, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Korea Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited [Macao Branch], Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS (Dubai) Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS Pte Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS SA, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Private Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Pty Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Sdn Bhd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Valencia y Iragorri Corredores de Seguros SA, Jardine Pension Trustees Ireland Limited, Jardine Risk Consulting Co. Limited, Jardine ShunTak Insurance Brokers Limited, Jardine ShunTak Insurance Brokers Limited [Macao Branch], Jardines PF- Consultoria Em Gestao De Risco Limitada, Jelf, Jelf Commercial Finance Limited, Jelf Financial Planning Limited, Jelf Insurance Brokers Limited, Jelf Limited, Jelf Risk Management Limited, Jelf Wellbeing Limited, John Lampier & Son Ltd, Johnson & Higgins (Bermuda) Limited, Johnson & Higgins Limited, KESSLER & CO AG, Kepler Associates Limited, Kessler & Co Inc., Kessler Consulting Inc., Kessler Prevoyance Inc., Key Underwriting Pty Limited, Kroll, Lambert Brothers Holdings Limited, Lambert Brothers Insurance Brokers (Employee Benefits) Limited, Lambert Brothers Insurance Brokers (Hong Kong) Ltd, Laterlife.com Limited (in liquidation), Lavaretus Underwriting AB, Lavaretus Underwriting AB (BRANCH - Denmark), Libra Insurance Services Limited (in liquidation), Lloyd & Partners Limited, Local Government Insurance Brokers Pty Limited, Lomond Macdonald Limited, Lynch Insurance Brokers Limited, M&M Vehicle L.P., M.P. Bolshaw and Company Limited, MAG JLT SpA, MERCER ALTERNATIVES LIMITED, MM Risk Services Pty Ltd (for dissolution), MMA Mid-Atlantic Employee LLC, MMA Securities LLC, MMB Consultores S.A., MMC (Singapore) Holdings Pte. Ltd., MMC 28 State Street Holdings Inc., MMC Borrower LLC, MMC Brazilian Holdings B.V., MMC Capital Inc., MMC Cascade Regional Holdings LLC, MMC FINANCE (EUROPE) LIMITED, MMC FINANCE HOLDINGS LTD, MMC Finance (Australia) Limited, MMC Finance (Singapore) Limited, MMC France Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., MMC GP III Inc., MMC Group Services sp. z o.o., MMC Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, MMC Holdings (New Zealand) ULC, MMC Holdings (UK) Limited, MMC International Finance (Barbados) SRL, MMC International Holdings LLC, MMC International Limited, MMC International Treasury Centre Limited, MMC Middle East Holdings Limited, MMC Poland Holdings B.V., MMC Realty Inc., MMC Regional Asia Holdings B.V., MMC Regional Caribbean Holdings Ltd., MMC Regional Europe Holdings B.V., MMC Regional LATAM Holdings B.V., MMC Securities (Europe) Limited, MMC Securities LLC, MMC Treasury Holdings (UK) Limited, MMC UK Group Limited, MMC UK Pension Fund Trustee Limited, MMOW Limited, MMRC LLC, MOW Holding LLC, MPIP III GP LLC, MPIP IV GP LLC, MPIP V GP LLC, MPIP VI GP LLC, Mangrove Insurance Europe PCC Limited, Mangrove Insurance Solutions PCC, Mangrove Insurance Solutions PCC Limited, Manoel Management Services Ltd, Marchant McKechnie Insurance Brokers Limited, Marine Aviation & General (London) Limited, Marsh & McLennan (PNG) Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agencies AS, Marsh & McLennan Agencies Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agency A/S, Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, Marsh & McLennan Agency Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agency Pty Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Argentina SA Corredores de Reaseguros, Marsh & McLennan Colombia S.A., Marsh & McLennan Companies Acquisition Funding Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies Acquisition Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies Asia Pacific Treasury Center Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies BVBA/SPRL, Marsh & McLennan Companies Finance Center (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies France S.A.S., Marsh & McLennan Companies Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., Marsh & McLennan Companies Regional Holdings S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies Services B.V., Marsh & McLennan Companies UK Limited, Marsh & McLennan Europe S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan GP I Inc., Marsh & McLennan Global Broking (Bermuda) Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Holding GmbH, Marsh & McLennan Holdings (Canada) ULC, Marsh & McLennan Holdings Inc., Marsh & McLennan Incorporated (for dissolution), Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Holdings II, Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Holdings S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Limited, Marsh & McLennan Insurance Services Limited, Marsh & McLennan Ireland Limited, Marsh & McLennan Management Services (Bermuda) Limited, Marsh & McLennan Risk Capital Holdings Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Servicios S.A. De C.V., Marsh & McLennan Shared Services Canada Limited, Marsh & McLennan Shared Services Corporation, Marsh (Bahrain) Company SPC, Marsh (Beijing) Risk Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Marsh (China) Insurance Brokers Co. Ltd., Marsh (Hong Kong) Limited, Marsh (Insurance Brokers) LLP, Marsh (Insurance Services) Limited, Marsh (Malawi) Limited, Marsh (Middle East) Limited, Marsh (Namibia) (Proprietary) Limited, Marsh (Pty) Ltd, Marsh (Risk Consulting) LLP, Marsh (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Marsh A/S, Marsh AB, Marsh AG, Marsh AS, Marsh Advantage Insurance Holdings Pty Ltd, Marsh Advantage Insurance Pty Ltd., Marsh Africa (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Argentina S.R.L., Marsh Associates (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Austria G.m.b.H., Marsh Aviation Insurance Broking Pty Ltd (for dissolution), Marsh B.V., Marsh Botswana (Proprietary) Limited, Marsh Brockman y Schuh Agente de Seguros y de Fianzas S.A. de C.V., Marsh Broker Japan Inc., Marsh Broker de Asigurare-Reasigurare S.R.L., Marsh Brokers (Hong Kong) Limited, Marsh Brokers Limited, Marsh Canada Limited/Marsh Canada Limitee, Marsh Company Management Services Cayman Ltd., Marsh Compensation Technologies Administration (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Corporate Services (Barbados) Limited, Marsh Corporate Services Isle of Man Ltd, Marsh Corporate Services Limited, Marsh Corporate Services Malta Limited, Marsh Corretora de Seguros Ltda., Marsh EOOD, Marsh Egypt LLC, Marsh Emirates Consultancy LLC, Marsh Emirates Insurance Brokerage LLC, Marsh Employee Benefits Limited, Marsh Employee Benefits Zimbabwe (Private) Ltd, Marsh Eurofinance B.V., Marsh Europe S.A., Marsh FJC International Insurance Brokers Limited, Marsh For Insurance Services S.A.E., Marsh Franco Acra S.A., Marsh GSC Servicos e Administracao de Seguros Ltda., Marsh GmbH, Marsh Holding AB, Marsh Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Marsh India Insurance Brokers Private Limited, Marsh Insurance & Investments LLC, Marsh Insurance Brokers, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Macao) Limited, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Private) Limited, Marsh Insurance Brokers AO, Marsh Insurance Brokers Limited, Marsh Insurance Consulting Saudi Arabia (in liquidation), Marsh Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers LLC, Marsh Intermediaries Inc., Marsh International Broking Holdings Limited, Marsh International Holdings II Inc., Marsh International Holdings Inc., Marsh Investment B.V., Marsh Ireland Brokers Limited, Marsh Ireland Brokers Limited (UK Branch), Marsh Ireland Holdings Limited, Marsh Israel (1999) Ltd., Marsh Israel (Holdings) Ltd., Marsh Israel Consultants Ltd., Marsh Israel Insurance Agency Ltd., Marsh Israel International Brokers Ltd. (in liquidation), Marsh JCS Inc., Marsh Japan Inc., Marsh Kft., Marsh Kindlustusmaakler AS, Marsh Korea Inc., Marsh LLC, Marsh LLC Insurance Brokers, Marsh LLC [Ukraine], Marsh Lda., Marsh Limited, Marsh Limited [Fiji], Marsh Limited [New Zealand], Marsh Limited [PNG], Marsh Ltd. [Wisconsin], Marsh Management Services (Bahamas) Ltd., Marsh Management Services (Barbados) Limited, Marsh Management Services (Bermuda) Ltd., Marsh Management Services (Dublin) Limited, Marsh Management Services (Labuan) Limited, Marsh Management Services (MENA) Limited, Marsh Management Services (USVI) Ltd., Marsh Management Services Cayman Ltd., Marsh Management Services Guernsey Limited, Marsh Management Services Inc., Marsh Management Services Isle of Man Limited, Marsh Management Services Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Marsh Management Services Malta Limited, Marsh Management Services Singapore Pte. Ltd., Marsh Management Services Sweden AB, Marsh Marine & Energy AB, Marsh Marine Nederland B.V., Marsh Medical Consulting GmbH, Marsh Mercer Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, Marsh Nest Inc., Marsh Oman LLC, Marsh Oy, Marsh PB Co. Ltd., Marsh Philippines Inc., Marsh Privat A.I.E., Marsh Private Client Life Insurance Services, Marsh Pty. Ltd., Marsh Qatar LLC, Marsh RE S.A.C. Corredores de Reaseguros, Marsh Rehder Consultoria S.A. (MRC), Marsh Rehder S.A. Corredores de Seguros, Marsh Resolutions Pty Limited, Marsh Risk Consulting B.V., Marsh Risk Consulting Limitada, Marsh Risk Consulting Ltda., Marsh Risk Consulting S.L., Marsh Risk Consulting Services S.r.L., Marsh Risk and Consulting Services (Pty) Ltd, Marsh S.A. Corredores De Seguros, Marsh S.A. Mediadores de Seguros, Marsh S.A.S., Marsh S.p.A., Marsh SA [Argentina], Marsh SA [Belgium], Marsh SA [Luxembourg], Marsh SA [Uruguay], Marsh SIA, Marsh Saldana Inc., Marsh Saudi Arabia Insurance & Reinsurance Brokers, Marsh Secretarial Services Limited, Marsh Semusa S.A., Marsh Services Limited, Marsh Services Spolka z.o.o., Marsh Sigorta ve Reasurans Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, Marsh Spolka z.o.o., Marsh Szolgaltato Kft., Marsh Takaful Brokers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Marsh Treasury Services (Dublin) Limited (in liquidation), Marsh Treasury Services Limited, Marsh Tunisia S.a.r.l., Marsh UK Limited, Marsh USA (India) Inc., Marsh USA Borrower LLC, Marsh USA Inc., Marsh Uganda Limited, Marsh Venezuela C.A. Sociedad de Corretaje de Seguros, Marsh Vietnam Insurance Broking Company Ltd, Marsh Zambia Limited, Marsh Zimbabwe Holdings (Private) Limited, Marsh d.o.o. Beograd, Marsh d.o.o. za posredovanje u osiguranju, Marsh for Insurance Services - Jordan, Marsh i-Connect (Pty) Ltd, Marsh s.r.o., Matthiessen Assurans AB, Mercer (Argentina) S.A., Mercer (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer (Austria) GmbH, Mercer (Belgium) SA-NV, Mercer (Canada) Limited/Mercer (Canada) Limitee, Mercer (China) Limited, Mercer (Colombia) Ltda., Mercer (Danmark) A/S, Mercer (Finland) OY, Mercer (France) SAS, Mercer (Hong Kong) Limited, Mercer (Ireland) Limited, Mercer (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Mercer (N.Z.) Limited, Mercer (Nederland) B.V., Mercer (Norge) AS, Mercer (Polska) Sp.z o.o., Mercer (Portugal) Lda, Mercer (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer (Sweden) AB, Mercer (Taiwan) Ltd., Mercer (Thailand) Ltd., Mercer (US) Inc., Mercer Administration Services (Australia) Pty Limited, Mercer Africa Limited, Mercer Agente de Seguros S.A. de C.V., Mercer Asesores de Seguros S.A., Mercer Asesores es Inversion Independientes S.A. de C.V., Mercer Broking Ltd., Mercer Career Unipessoal Lda, Mercer Consultation (Quebec) Ltee., Mercer Consulting (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Consulting (Chile) Limitada, Mercer Consulting (France) SAS, Mercer Consulting (India) Private Limited, Mercer Consulting B.V., Mercer Consulting Group Inc., Mercer Consulting Holdings Sdn. Bhd., Mercer Consulting Limited, Mercer Consulting Middle East Limited, Mercer Consulting S.L.U., Mercer Consulting Venezuela C.A., Mercer Corredores de Seguros Limitada, Mercer Corretora de Seguros Ltda, Mercer Danismanlik Anonim Sirketi, Mercer Deutschland GmbH, Mercer Employee Benefits - Medicacao de Seguros Unipessoal Lda., Mercer Employee Benefits Limited, Mercer Financial Advice (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Financial Services Limited, Mercer Financial Services Limited liability company, Mercer Financial Services Middle East Limited, Mercer Global Investments Europe Limited, Mercer Global Investments Management Limited, Mercer HR Consulting Borrower LLC, Mercer HR Services LLC, Mercer Health & Benefits (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer Health & Benefits Administration LLC, Mercer Health & Benefits LLC, Mercer Holdings Inc., Mercer Holdings Inc. [Philippines], Mercer Human Resource Consulting Ltda, Mercer Human Resource Consulting S.A. de C.V., Mercer ICC Limited, Mercer Investment Consulting Limited, Mercer Investment Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Mercer Investment Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer Investments (Australia) Limited, Mercer Investments (Hong Kong) Limited, Mercer Investments (Japan) Ltd, Mercer Investments (New Zealand) Limited, Mercer Investments LLC, Mercer Ireland Holdings Limited, Mercer Italia Srl Socio Unico, Mercer Japan Ltd., Mercer Korea Co. Ltd., Mercer LLC, Mercer Limited, Mercer MC Consulting Borrower LLC, Mercer Master Trustees Limited, Mercer Mauritius Ltd., Mercer Oliver Wyman Holding B.V., Mercer Outsourcing (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Outsourcing S.L.U., Mercer Pensionsfonds AG, Mercer Pensionsraadgivning A/S, Mercer Philippines Inc., Mercer Private Investment Partners IV General Partner S.a.r.l., Mercer Private Markets AG, Mercer Private Markets Advisers (US) AG, Mercer Services Poland Sp. z.o.o., Mercer Sigorta Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, Mercer South Africa (Pty) Limited, Mercer Superannuation (Australia) Limited, Mercer Switzerland Inc., Mercer System Services LLC, Mercer Technology Acquisitions Limited, Mercer Treuhand GmbH, Mercer Trust Company LLC, Mercer Trustees Limited, Mercer WorkforcePro LLC, Mercury Insurance Services Pty Ltd, Moola Systems Limited, Mountlodge Limited, Muir Beddal (Zimbabwe) Limited, NERA Australia Pty. Ltd., NERA Economic Consulting GmbH, NERA Economic Consulting Limited, NERA S.R.L., NERA SAS, NERA UK Limited, NERA do Brasil Ltda. (for dissolution), National Economic Research Associates Inc., NetComp Insurance Corp., Neuburger Noble Lowndes GmbH, Normandy Reinsurance Company Limited, Northern Alliance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), OWL Marine Insurance-Brokers GmbH & Co.KG, OWL Marine Verwaltungs GmbH, Oliver Wyman (Bermuda) Limited, Oliver Wyman (Hong Kong) Limited, Oliver Wyman AB, Oliver Wyman AG, Oliver Wyman Actuarial Consulting Inc., Oliver Wyman B.V., Oliver Wyman Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd, Oliver Wyman Consultoria em Estrategia de Negocios Ltda., Oliver Wyman Energy Consulting Limited, Oliver Wyman FZ-LLC, Oliver Wyman Group KK, Oliver Wyman Inc., Oliver Wyman LLC, Oliver Wyman Limited, Oliver Wyman Limited Liability Company, Oliver Wyman Limited/Oliver Wyman limitee, Oliver Wyman Ltd., Oliver Wyman Pte. Ltd., Oliver Wyman Pty. Ltd., Oliver Wyman S. de R.L. de C.V., Oliver Wyman S.A.S., Oliver Wyman S.L., Oliver Wyman S.r.l., Oliver Wyman SNC, Oliver Wyman SPRL/BVBA, Oliver Wyman Sdn. Bhd., Oliver Wyman Services Limited, Oliver Wyman Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Oliver Wyman sp. z o.o., Omega Indemnity (Bermuda) Limited, Organizacion Brockman y Schuh S.A. de C.V., Osbornes Insurances Oxford Limited (in liquidation), PFT Limited, PI Indemnity Company Designated Activity Company, PT JLT Reinsurance Brokers, PT Jardine Lloyd Thompson, PT Marsh Indonesia, PT Marsh Reinsurance Brokers Indonesia, PT Mercer Indonesia, PT Nexus Asia Pacific, PT Oliver Wyman Indonesia, PT Quantum Computing Services, PT Quantum Investments, PT Quantum Support Services, Pallas Marsh Servicos Ltda., Pavilion Alternatives Group (Singapore) PTE. Ltd, Pavilion Financial Corporation Holdings UK Limited, Pavilion U.S. Investments Holdco LLC, Pension Trustees Limited, Pensionsservice Benefit Network Sverige AB, Perils AG, Personal Pension Trustees Limited, Pet Animal Welfare Scheme Limited, Portsoken Trustees (No. 2) Limited, Portsoken Trustees Limited, Potomac Insurance Managers Inc., Premier Pension Trustees Limited, Premium Services Australia Pty Limited, Professional Claims Handling Limited (in liquidation), Profund Solutions Limited, Promerit AG, Promerit Hungary Kft, Promerit Schweiz AG, Pymetrics Inc., R G Ford Brokers Limited, R R B Beratungsgesellschaft fuer Altersversorgung mbh, R. Mees & Zoonen Holdings B.V., Renewable Energy Loss Adjusters LLC, Renewable Energy Loss Adjusters Limited, Resource Benefit Associates, Rightpath Reinsurance SPC Ltd., Risk Management Australia Pty Limited, Rivers Group Limited, Rockefeller Risk Advisors Inc., Rutherfoord International Inc., SAFCAR-Marsh, SBJ Holdings Limited, SCIB (Bermuda) Limited, SCM Global Real Estate Select GP LLC, SCM Infrastructure General Partner S.a r.l., SCM International Private Equity Select III GP LLC, SCM LT General Partner S.a.r.l., SCM PE General Partner S.a.r.l., SCM PE II GP Ltd., SCM PE II Scotland GP Ltd, SCM Strategic Capital Management (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., SICAR Marsh S.a.r.l., SME Insurance Services Limited, Sail Insurance Company Limited, Scalene Re Ltd, Seabury & Smith Borrower LLC, Seabury & Smith LLC, Secure Limited, Sedgwick (Holdings) Pty. Limited, Sedgwick Consulting Group Limited, Sedgwick Dineen Group Limited, Sedgwick Financial Services Limited, Sedgwick Forbes Middle East Limited, Sedgwick Group, Sedgwick Group (Australia) Pty. Limited, Sedgwick Group (Bermuda) Limited, Sedgwick Group (Zimbabwe) Limited, Sedgwick Group Limited, Sedgwick Internationaal B.V., Sedgwick Limited, Sedgwick Management Services (Barbados) Limited, Sedgwick Management Services (Singapore) Pte Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes (UK) Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes Group Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes Limited, Sedgwick Overseas Investments Limited, Sedgwick Private Limited, Sedgwick Re Asia Pacific (Consultants) Pte Ltd (for dissolution), Sedgwick Trustees Limited, Sedgwick UK Risk Services Limited, Sedgwick Ulster Pension Trustees Limited, Settlement Trustees Limited, Shanghai Mercer Insurance Brokers Company Ltd., Shorewest Insurance Associates LLC, Sirota Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Sirota Consulting UK Limited, Smith Long Term Disability Management Group Inc., Societe d'Assurances et de Participation Guian SA, Software Underwriting Systems Limited (in liquidation), Southern Marine & Aviation Inc., Southern Marine & Aviation Underwriters Inc., Sudzucker Versicherungs-Vermittlungs GmbH, Sumitomo Life Insurance Agency America Inc., Sylvite Financial Services, TBX Solutions Limited, Talent Tech Labs LLC, The Benefit Express Holdings Limited, The Benefit Express Limited, The Carpenter Management Corporation, The Insurance Partnership Holdings Limited, The Insurance Partnership Services Limited, The Positive Ageing Company Limited, The Purple Partnership Limited, The Recovre Group Pty Ltd, Thomsons Online Benefits (HK) Ltd., Thomsons Online Benefits Inc., Thomsons Online Benefits Limited, Thomsons Online Benefits Pte Ltd., Thomsons Online Benefits S.R.L, Torrent Government Contracting Services LLC, Torrent Insurance Services LLC, Torrent Technologies, Torrent Technologies Inc., Tower Hill Limited, Tower Place Developments (West) Limited, Tower Place Developments Limited, U.T.E. AMG, U.T.E. Marsh - Caja Castilla La Mancha Junta de Comunidades, U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Reus (in liquidation), U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Reus 2012, U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Vila-Seca 2010, UAD BB Marsh Lietuva, Vezina & Associes Inc., Vezina Assurances Inc., Victor Insurance Europe B.V., Victor Insurance Holdings Inc., Victor Insurance Italia S.r.l., Victor Insurance Managers Inc., Victor Insurance Managers Inc./Gestionnaires d'assurance Victor inc., Victor O. Schinnerer & Co. (Bermuda) Ltd., Victor O. Schinnerer & Company Limited, Victoria Hall Company Limited, Wellnz Limited, William M. Mercer (Canada) Limited/William M. Mercer (Canada) Limitee, William M. Mercer AB, William M. Mercer Comercio Consultoria e Servicos Ltda., Wortham Insurance & Risk Management, everBe SAS, and realright GmbH.

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By India Today Web Desk: Ivanka Trump's visit to Hyderabad for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit has been making news internationally for the past couple of days. While the advisor to the President of the United States was well-prepared for her time on the GES stage, we can't say the same for her clothing decisions while in Hyderabad.

Ivanka Trump started off well with a classy, black pant-suit with traditional Indian embellishments, but went on to give us a horrendous, green look on her first day at the summit.

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For her royal dinner with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Taj Falaknuma Palace, though, Ivanka showed up looking like a sight to behold . The same could not be said about her appearances on Day 2 of the summit--till she decided to bid the city adieu.

While the red, printed dress she wore first yesterday failed to make any impression whatsoever, the white-black floral dress she wore for her visit to the Golkonda Fort was an utter disappointment. And then, Ivanka decided to do this...

Picture courtesy: Twitter/@USAmbIndia

The daughter of the American President decided to wear an ethnic Indian kurta-dress in a pristine white colour, with contrasting yellow-green bold embroidery, as she decided to depart from the city of Hyderabad after spending two fruitful days there.

Picture courtesy: Twitter/@USAmbIndia

The A-line bodice of the kurta-dress suited Ivanka a little too well, and we loved the fact that she decided to leave her straight, blonde hair loose, which lent her demeanour a more relaxed air. The lady decided to wear the same comfortable-looking ballerina shoes that she did during her visit to the fort earlier in the day.

Picture courtesy: Twitter/@iamKavithaRao Picture courtesy: Twitter/@iamKavithaRao

Wish you'd have given us some more India-inspired looks, Ivanka. But well, all's well that ends well!

--- ENDS ---
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates regulated exchanges, clearing houses, and listings venues for commodity, financial, fixed income, and equity markets in the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Singapore, Israel, and Canada. It operates through three segments: Exchanges, Fixed Income and Data Services, and Mortgage Technology. The company operates marketplaces for listing, trading, and clearing an array of derivatives contracts and financial securities, such as commodities, interest rates, foreign exchange, and equities, as well as corporate and exchange-traded funds; trading venues, including 13 regulated exchanges and 6 clearing houses; and offers futures and options products for energy, agricultural and metals, financial, cash equities and equity, over-the-counter, and other markets, as well as listings and data and connectivity services. It also provides fixed income data and analytic, fixed income execution, CDS clearing, and other multi-asset class data and network services. In addition, the company offers proprietary and comprehensive mortgage origination platform, which serves residential mortgage loans; closing solutions that provides customers connectivity to the mortgage supply chain and facilitates the secure exchange of information; data and analytics services; and Data as a Service for lenders to access data and origination information. Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in banking, trust, securities, and other businesses related to financial services in Japan, the Americas, Europe, Asia/Oceania, and internationally. It operates through five segments: Retail & Business Banking Company, Corporate & Institutional Company, Global Corporate Company, Global Markets Company, and Asset Management Company. The company provides deposit products; syndicated, housing, and card loans; business matching services; and advisory services related to overseas expansions, and mergers and acquisitions-related services. It also offers consulting services, including asset management and asset succession; payroll services; and sells lottery tickets issued by prefectures and ordinance-designated cities. In addition, it offers financial solutions, such as bonds, mergers and acquisitions advisory, risk hedging products, etc. for corporate customers to meet their needs in fund-raising, investment management, and financial strategies; solutions based on their capital management, business strategy, and financial strategy; real estate agency services; advisory services and solutions, such as advice on proposals on various investment products to financial institutions; and financial services that include funding support and public bonds underwriting. Further, the company offers sales and trading services to meet needs for customers; investment products for individual customers; and consulting services for institutional investors. Additionally, the company provides products and services related to trust, securitization and structured finance, pension, and stock transfers; securities services; and research, private banking, and information technology-related services. Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
Penumbra, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices in the United States and internationally. The company offers aspiration based thrombectomy systems and accessory devices, including revascularization device for mechanical thrombectomy, such as Penumbra System under the Penumbra RED, JET, ACE, 3D Revascularization Device, and Penumbra ENGINE brands, as well as components and accessories; neurovascular embolization coiling systems to treat patients with various sizes of aneurysms and other neurovascular lesions under the Penumbra Coil 400, POD400, PAC400, and Penumbra SMART Coil brand names; and neurovascular access systems designed to provide intracranial access for use in a range of neurovascular therapies under the Neuron, Neuron MAX, Select, BENCHMARK, BMX96, DDC, and PX SLIM brands. It also provides neurosurgical aspiration tools for the removal of tissue and fluids under the Artemis Neuro Evacuation Device brand; aspiration-based thrombectomy systems for vascular applications under the Indigo System brand; and detachable embolic coil systems for peripheral embolization under the Ruby Coil and Ruby LP brand names. In addition, the company offers microcatheter for the delivery of detachable coils and occlusion devices under the LANTERN brand; and detachable, microcatheter-deliverable occlusion devices designed primarily to occlude peripheral vessels under the POD (Penumbra Occlusion Device) brand, as well as immersive computer-based technologies and immersive therapeutics to promote health, motor function, and cognition under the Real Immersive System brand; and a complementary device for use with Ruby Coil and POD for vessel occlusion under the Packing Coil and Packing Coil LP brands. The company sells its products through direct sales organizations and distributors. Penumbra, Inc. was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Alameda, California.
The following companies are subsidiares of Prudential Financial: 210-220 E. 22nd Street SSGA Owner LLC, AIG Edison, AIG Star, AREF Cayman Co Ltd., AREF GP II Pte. Ltd., AREF GP Ltd., ASPF II - Feeder Fund GmbH, ASPF II - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, ASPF II Management GmbH, ASPF III Scots L.P., ASSURANCE, AST Investment Services Inc., Adlerwerke CB Investment LLC, Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Habitat S.A., Administradora de Inversiones Previsionales SpA, Aoba Life Insurance Company, Aoba Life Insurance Company Ltd., Asia Property Fund III GP S.a.r.l., Assurance IQ LLC, Assurance Intelligence LLC, BSC CP LP, Braeloch Holdings Inc., Braeloch Successor Corporation, Brazilian Capital Fund GP Limited, Broad Street Global Advisors LLC, Broome Street Holdings LLC, CB German Retail LLC, CLIS Co. Ltd., COLICO INC., Capital Agricultural Property Services Inc., Chadwick Boulevard Investment Holdings Co. LLC, Cibecue LLC, Coconino LLC, Colico II Inc., Columbus Drive Partners L.P., Commerce Street Holdings LLC, Commerce Street Investments LLC, Coolidge LLC, Coral Reef GP, Coral Reef L.P., Coral Reef Unit Trust, Cottage Street Investments LLC, Cottage Street Orbit Acquisition LLC, DICKENS AVENUE HOLDINGS VI LLC, DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI Ireland L.P., DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI US L.P., Dale/P Minerals Limited Partnership, Don Cesar Investor LLC, Dryden Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Dryden Finance II LLC, EVP II GP S.a r.l., EVP II Horizon GP S.a r.l., EVP II Sprint GP S.a r.l., Edison Place Senior Note LLC, Essex LLC, EuroCore GP S.a r.l., European Value Partners GP S.a.r.l., Everbright PGIM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Flagstaff LLC, GA 1600 Commons LLC, GA 333 Hennepin Investor LLC, GA BV LLC, GA Bay Area GP LLC, GA Bay Area Investor LLC, GA Belden LLC, GA CLARENDON LLC, GA Cal Crossings LLC, GA Collins LLC, GA E. 22nd Street Apartments Holdings LLC, GA East 86 Street LLC, GA JHCII LLC, GA MENLO PARK INVESTOR LLC, GA Manor at Harbour Island LLC, GA Metro LLC, GA TRITON INVESTOR LLC, GA W Paces LLC, GA/MDI 333 Hennepin Associates LLC, GIBRALTAR BSN HOLDINGS SDN BHD, GIBRALTAR INDIA SOLUTIONS LLP, Gateway Holdings II LLC, Gateway Holdings LLC, German Retail Income CP LP, Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad, Gibraltar International Insurance Services Company Inc., Gibraltar International Service LLC, Gibraltar Reinsurance Company Ltd., Gibraltar Universal Life Reinsurance Company, Glenealy International Limited, Global Portfolio Strategies Inc., Gold GP Limited, Gold II L.P., Gold L.P., Graham Resources Inc., Graham Royalty Ltd., Green Harvest Asset Management LLC, Green Tree GP, Green Tree L.P., Greenlee LLC, Halsey Street Investments LLC, Hirakata LLC, IVP Fund GP LLC, Impact Investments Bridges UK S.a.r.l, Inter-Atlantic G Fund L.P., Inversiones Previsionales Chile SpA, Inversiones Previsionales Dos SpA, Ironbound Fund LLC, Jennison Associates LLC, Kyarra S.a r.l., Kyoei Annuity Home Co. Ltd. Kabushiki Kaisha Kyouei Nenkin Home, LINEUP LLC, Lake Street Partners IV L.P., Lotus Reinsurance Company Ltd., MC GA COLLINS HOLDINGS LLC, MC GA COLLINS REALTY LLC, MC Insurance Agency Services LLC, Manor at Harbour Island LLC, Marble Canyon LLC, Maricopa LLC, Market Street Holdings IV LLC, Montana Capital Partners, Morenci LLC, Mulberry Street Holdings LLC, Mulberry Street Investment L.P., Mulberry Street Partners LLC, Mullin TBG Insurance Agency Services LLC, MullinTBG Insurance Agency Services, National Family Assurance Group LLC, New Savanna, Northbound Emerging Manager Fund A LP, Northbound Emerging Manager Fund II - A LP, Orchard Street Acres Inc., PAI Bay Farm LLC, PAI Bayrock Groves LLC, PAI Belvidere Farms LLC, PAI Big Cypress Farm LLC, PAI Corcoran 640 Ranch LLC, PAI DeKalb Farm LLC, PAI Delano 1500 Ranches LLC, PAI Desert Falcon Farms Manager LLC, PAI Flicker Orchard LLC, PAI Good Hope Farm LLC, PAI Hawk Creek Ranch LLC, PAI Hills Valley Ranches LLC, PAI Holly Hill Groves LLC, PAI Hunt Farm LLC, PAI Jackson Bayou Farm LLC, PAI Lake Placid Groves LLC, PAI River Bend Ranches LLC, PAI Wallula Gap Vineyard LLC, PCP V Cayman AIV GP L.P., PEREF II Co-Invest 1 GP S.a r.l., PEREF II GP S.a r.l., PFI EM-Tech Fund I LLC, PG Business Service Co. Ltd, PG Collection Service Co. Ltd., PG Friendly Partners Co. Ltd., PGA Asian Retail Limited, PGA European Limited, PGI Co. Ltd, PGIM AC Co-Invest GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM AVP IV GP S.a r.l., PGIM Advisory Shanghai Co. Ltd., PGIM Agricultural Investments GP LLC, PGIM Australia Pty Ltd, PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Fund L.P., PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Partners LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Feeder VI LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Fund VI L.P., PGIM Custom Harvest LLC, PGIM DC Co-Invest GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM DC JV GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM DC Solutions LLC, PGIM European Financing Limited, PGIM European Services Limited, PGIM Financial Limited, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund II L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives GP LLC, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives II GP LLC, PGIM Foreign Investments Inc., PGIM Holding Company LLC, PGIM Holdings Limited, PGIM Hong Kong Ltd., PGIM INDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM INDIA TRUSTEES PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM IRELAND LIMITED, PGIM Inc., PGIM International Financing Inc., PGIM Investments Ireland Limited, PGIM Investments LLC, PGIM Japan Co. Ltd., PGIM Korea Inc., PGIM LTIF Berlin GP S.a r.l., PGIM LTIF Berlin MLP S.ar.l., PGIM LTIF GP S.a.r.l., PGIM Limited, PGIM Loan Originator Manager Limited, PGIM M Campus GP S.a r.l., PGIM Management Partner Limited, PGIM MetaProp Investor LP LLC, PGIM Netherlands B.V., PGIM Overseas Investment Fund Management Shanghai Company Ltd, PGIM Private Capital Ireland Limited, PGIM Private Capital Limited, PGIM Private Placement Investors Inc., PGIM Private Placement Investors L.P., PGIM QUANTITATIVE SOLUTIONS LLC, PGIM REF EUROPE SCSp, PGIM REF Europe GP S.a r.l., PGIM REF Europe Member LLC, PGIM REF Intermediary Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate CD S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Capital VII GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest L.P., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest SCSp, PGIM Real Estate Co-Invest Holdings LLC, PGIM Real Estate Debt GmbH, PGIM Real Estate Finance Holding Company, PGIM Real Estate Finance LLC, PGIM Real Estate France SAS, PGIM Real Estate Germany AG, PGIM Real Estate Global Debt GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Global Master Fund GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles II S de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles S. de R.L. de C.V, PGIM Real Estate Italy S.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Japan Ltd., PGIM Real Estate Loan Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate Luxembourg S.A., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Management Luxembourg S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Mexico S.C., PGIM Real Estate S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate U.S. CORE Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate U.S. Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate UK Limited, PGIM Scots Limited, PGIM Securities Investment Trust Enterprise, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management (Feeder) I LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management Fund I L.P., PGIM Shanghai Company Ltd., PGIM Singapore Pte. Ltd., PGIM Strategic Financing LLC, PGIM Strategic Investments Inc., PGIM Taronga Investor GP LLC, PGIM U.S. Agriculture Fund LP, PGIM USPF VI Manager LLC, PGIM Wadhwani LLP, PGIM Warehouse Inc., PGLH of Delaware Inc., PIFM Holdco LLC, PIIC Limited, PIISC Holdings UK Limited, PIM KF Blocker V Holdings LLC, PIM USPF V Manager LLC, PLA Administradora Industrial SRL, PLA Administradora LLC, PLA Administradora S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional II S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional S.de R.L. de C.V., PLA Co-Investor LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager I LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager II LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Blue LP, PLA Retail Fund I Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LP, PLA Retail Fund II Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II U.S. Carry/Co-Invest LP, PLA Services Manager Mexico LLC, PLAI Limited, PMCF Holdings LLC, PMCF Properties LLC, PPPF General Partner LLP, PR GA SCP Apartments LLC, PRAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP LLP, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP SCOTS FEEDER LLP, PRECO Account IV LLC, PRECO Account Partnership IV LP, PRECO III GP LLP, PREFG Hanwha Manager LLC, PREI Acquisition I Inc., PREI Acquisition II Inc., PREI Acquisition LLC, PREI HYDG LLC, PREI International Inc., PRIAC Property Acquisitions LLC, PRICOA Management Partner Limited, PRISA Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Pooled Manager LLC, PRISA III Fund GP LLC, PRISA III Fund PIM LLC, PRREF Debt Fund Manager LLC, PRREF II Fund Manager LLC, PRU 3XSquare LLC, PRUCO LLC, PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL ENERGY PARTNERS MANAGEMENT (FEEDER) LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP MEMBER LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP REIT LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE 2 LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE LLC, PT PFI Mega Life Insurance, Passaic Fund LLC, Pine Tree GP, Pine Tree L.P., Platinum GP Limited, Platinum II L.P., Platinum L.P., Pramerica Business Consulting Shanghai Company Limited, Pramerica EVP CP LP, Pramerica Financial Asia Headquarters Pte. Ltd., Pramerica Financial Asia Limited, Pramerica Fixed Income Funds Management Limited, Pramerica Fosun Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Pramerica Holdings Ltd, Pramerica Hong Kong Holdings Limited, Pramerica Insurance Agency China Company Ltd., Pramerica Luxembourg CP GP S.a.r.l., Pramerica PRECAP I GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP II GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP III GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP IV GP LLP, Pramerica Pan European Real Estate Scots LP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I GP Scots Feeder LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I Scotland Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital II Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital III Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Limited, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Scots Feeder LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V Netherlands GP LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital VI Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Scots CP GP LLP, Preco III Scotland Limited Partnership, Pru 101 Wood LLC, Pru Alpha Partners I LLC, Pru Fixed Income Emerging Markets Partners I LLC, PruVen Capital Partners Fund I L.P., Pruco Assignment Corporation, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, Pruco Securities LLC, Prudential 900 Aviation Boulevard LLC, Prudential Affordable Mortgage Company LLC, Prudential Agricultural Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Annuities Distributors Inc., Prudential Annuities Holding Company Inc., Prudential Annuities Inc., Prudential Annuities Information Services & Technology Corporation, Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Captive Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Universal Company, Prudential Bank & Trust FSB, Prudential Capital Energy Opportunity Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners Management Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Partners Management Fund IV L.P., Prudential Capital and Investment Services LLC, Prudential Chile II SpA, Prudential Chile SpA, Prudential Commercial Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Equity Group LLC, Prudential Financial Inc., Prudential Fixed Income Global Liquidity Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Fixed Income U.S. Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Funding LLC, Prudential General Services of Japan Y.K., Prudential Gibraltar Agency Co. Ltd. Prudential Gibraltar Agency Kabushiki Kaisha, Prudential Global Funding LLC, Prudential Holdings of Japan Inc., Prudential Huntoon Paige Associates LLC, Prudential IBH Holdco Inc., Prudential Impact Investments Mortgage Loans LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Debt LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Equity LLC, Prudential Insurance Agency LLC, Prudential International Insurance Holdings Ltd., Prudential International Insurance Service Company L.L.C., Prudential International Investments Advisers LLC, Prudential International Investments Company LLC, Prudential International Investments LLC, Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, Prudential Japan Holdings LLC, Prudential Legacy Insurance Company of New Jersey, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 1 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 2 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Capital Asset Holding Company LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Funding LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, Prudential Multifamily Mortgage LLC, Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, Prudential Newark Realty LLC, Prudential QOZ Investment Fund 1 LLC, Prudential Realty Securities Inc., Prudential Retirement Financial Services Holding LLC, Prudential Retirement Holdings LLC, Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company, Prudential Securities Secured Financing Corporation, Prudential Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., Prudential Seguros S.A., Prudential Select Strategies LLC, Prudential Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Prudential Structured Settlement Company, Prudential Systems Japan Limited, Prudential Tax Services LLC, Prudential Term Reinsurance Company, Prudential Trust Co. Ltd., Prudential Trust Company, Prudential Universal Reinsurance Company, Prudential Workplace Solutions Group Services LLC, Prudential do Brasil Seguros de Vida S.A., Prudential do Brasil Vida em Grupo S.A., Prudential/TMW Real Estate Group LLC, Pruservicos Participacoes Ltda., QMA JP EM All Cap Equity Partners LLC, Quartzsite LLC, Residential Services Corporation of America LLC, Rio CP LP, Rock European Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock Global Real Estate LLC, Rock Kensington Limited, Rock Marty GP S.a r.l., Rock Oxford S.a r.l., Rock UK Real Estate II S.a.r.l., Rockstone Co. Ltd., Rosado Grande LLC, Ross Avenue Energy Fund Holdings LLC, Ross Avenue Minerals 2012 LLC, SCP Apartments LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERS VI GP LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERSHIP FUND VI GP LLC, SHP IV Carried Interest LP, SHP V Carried Interest L.P., SMP Holdings Inc., SVIIT Holdings Inc., Sanei Collection Service Co. Ltd. Kabushiki Kaisha Sanei Shuuno Service, Senior Housing Partners V LLC, Senior Housing Partnership Fund V LLC, Sterling Private Placement Management LLP, Stetson Street Partners L.P., Strand Investments Limited, TBG Insurance Services Corporation, TENSATOR HOLDINGS LTD, TF Proveedora S.C., TMW ASPF I Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, TMW ASPF Management GmbH, TMW Management LLC, TMW Real Estate Group LLC, TMW Realty Advisors LLC, TMW USPF Verwaltungs GmbH, TRGOAG Company Inc., The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Keynes Dynamic Beta Strategy US Fund GP LLC, The Prudential Assigned Settlement Services Corp., The Prudential Brazilian Capital Fund LP, The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Prudential Home Mortgage Company Inc., The Prudential Insurance Company of America, The Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd., The Prudential Real Estate Financial Services of America Inc., The WMF Group, Thurloe Commercial Guernsey Limited, USPF V - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, USPF V Carry LLC, USPF V Co-Invest LLC, USPF V Investment LP, United States Property Fund VI GP S.a r.l., VIP Australia Holding Company LLC, VIP Australia Trustee Pty Ltd, Vailsburg Fund LLC, Vantage Casualty Insurance Company, Wabash Avenue Holdings V LLC, Wabash Avenue Partners V L.P., Wadhwani Capital Limited, Waveland Avenue Holdings I LLC, Waveland Avenue Partners I Ireland L.P., Waveland Avenue Partners I US L.P., Wellness Services Ecossistema De Bem Estar Ltda., Wellness Services SRL, Yamato Life, and Yavapai LLC.

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This is a current list of the top 250 companies by market capitalization on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Learn more .

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is one of the largest, and most recognizable, stock exchanges in the world. The NYSE is in New York City, New York at 11 Wall Street. The NYSE has been in existence since the earliest days of the United States becoming a nation, in 1792 and is primarily made up of blue-chip companies with large market capitalizations. In fact, many of the stocks that make up the Dow Jones Composite Index (i.e. The Dow) are listed on the NYSE.

This article gives a brief history of the New York Stock Exchange. In addition, it covers topics such as what kind of stocks trade on the exchange, what are the listing requirements, how trading is performed, and what the daily price movement of the NYSE tells investors about investor sentiment.

What Were the Origins of the NYSE?

Today, the New York Stock Exchange is known as the center of the financial universe. However, the exchanges origin is far more humble. On May 17, 1792, 24 stockbrokers signed the Buttonwood Agreement creating a centralized exchange to help provide order to the securities market in what was still a young nation. The "Buttonwood Agreement comes from the tree of the same name under which the founders signed the agreement.

An initial benefit of the exchange was how it removed the need for auctioneers when trading commodities like wheat and tobacco and to set a commission rate. The exchange initially focused on government bonds.

However, the exchange had no formal home. Business was usually conducted informally in the local coffeehouses. In 1817, the exchange changed its name to the New York Stock & Exchange Board which later became the New York Stock Exchange. At this time, the exchange adopted a constitution that set the rules for trading. A group of stockbrokers met twice a day at 40 Wall Street to trade 30 stocks and bonds.

Over time, the exchange moved became the financial hub of the country and moved to its current location in 1865.

What Kind of Stocks Trade on the NYSE?

As of June 2022, the NYSE includes approximately 2,400 companies with a market capitalization of over $28.2 trillion. Although the NYSE trades stocks of all market capitalizations, its best known for trading the stocks of large cap companies. These have the benefit of being mature companies in mature industries. And many of these companies reward shareholders with dividends.

However, that also means that many of these companies are better suited for value investors as opposed to growth investors. In bear markets this stability can be a benefit for investors as these stocks tend to perform less bad than more volatile stocks. But in a bull market, these stocks are not likely to provide investors with the growth that they look for.

An interesting fact about how the NYSE and NASDAQ operate is that the companies with the five largest market caps on the NYSE are also listed on the NASDAQ exchange.

What Are the Listing Requirements For the NYSE?

The NYSE has strict guidelines that govern the types of companies that can list on the exchange. Here are the major requirements that all companies must meet:

The company must have at least 2,200 shareholders

The company must trade over 100,000 shares per month

The company must have a market valuation of over $100 million

The company must generate more than $75 million in annual revenue

However, there is at least one advantage of having such stringent requirements. That is the companies that meet the requirements generally find it easier to get more investors funds when they hold their initial public offering (IPO).

Once a company begins trading on the NYSE, it must continue to meet these requirements. If it doesnt it can be delisted. In addition to these requirements, the stock must continue to trade above $1. If the price of a stock drops below $1 for more than 29 consecutive trading days, the stock receives an Initial Price Violation Notice.

At that point, the company has 10 days to provide the exchange with a plan for bringing their shares above $1.

How are Trades Executed on the NYSE?

For over a century, the floor of the NYSE was the place for investors to be. This meant trades were conducted by traders who ran buy and sell orders across the trading floor looking to broker a deal for their clients. But with the birth of the NASDAQ exchange in 1971, the New York Stock Exchange began conducting electronic trading.

However, the NYSE continues to conduct trades in an auction style. Brokers purchase stocks on behalf of their clients or firms. Every order features a broker who will enter the order electronically and a specialist who serves as the market maker for that stock. The specialist posts bid and ask prices and manages the actual execution of the trades. And there are still a handful of stockbrokers who still traffic buy and sell orders physically on the floor of the exchange.

How Does the NYSE Signal Investor Sentiment?

Like its counterpart, the NASDAQ, the NYSE measures the risk appetite of investors. When the NYSE is moving higher over a length of time, it signals that a risk on environment. Conversely when the NYSE moves lower over a significant period, it signals that investors are moving to a risk off position.

Some Final Thoughts on the NYSE

Financial news networks plan their programming schedule around the opening and closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange. Its still considered a distinguished honor when individuals or groups are invited to ring the opening bell. In fact, Warren Buffett is attributed with saying that in the short term, the stock market acts like a voting machine. A fact that many U.S. presidents will attest to.

The NYSE is the oldest and most recognizable of all the stock exchanges. It also has the most stringent requirements for inclusion. And those requirements must be maintained even after a stock begins publicly trading on the exchange.

Although the NYSE still has a small in-person Trading Floor, much of the trading is done electronically to provide traders with the speed to execute trades.
By PTI: Jammu, Nov 30 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today greeted the people of the state on the occasion of Eid-i-Milad, the birthday of Prophet Muhammad.

Vohra expressed hope that the auspicious occasion would be a harbinger of harmony, peace, progress and prosperity in the state.

In his message Vohra said Islam teaches values of brotherhood, simplicity, compassion and morality, all of which need to be vigorously inculcated in todays trouble torn world.

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"Its an occasion to seek forgiveness from Almighty Allah and blessings for the entire mankind", Mufti said.

She said in the present-day world, marred by conflicts and discord, there is a dire need to practice firmly and promote the teachings of the Prophet in which lies the solution to all problems of mankind. PTI AB APA ZMN NKS

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After much furore over beating of Kashmiri prisoners in Tihar Jail, the authorities have submitted a detailed report to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: After much furore over beating of Kashmiri prisoners in Tihar Jail, the authorities have submitted a detailed report to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). At least 18 prisoners were beaten by the jail staff on the intervening night of 21st-22nd November.

According to sources in NIA, three prisoners , accused in ISIS terror case, could have led the scuffle, which later would have gone out of hand. The trio were in the same prison cell as Kashmir inmates. A source said things turned ugly when one of the prisoners spat on police personnel, ensuing a scuffle.

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However, sources in MHA told India Today that "During a routine check of ward No 1, a high security prison, prisoners were asked to give up unauthorised items (in this case pillow). At this, one Tamil Nadu Police Sub Inspector Mutthupandi was misbehaved by the prisoners. He immediately called a Quick Reaction Team (QRT). A DSP arrived with QRT which reportedly "disengaged" with the prisoners."

Tihar Jail has informed the MHA that all Tamil Nadu personnel deployed on jail duty, including the QRT, have been removed from active duty. All evidence in the matter including medical report, CCTV have been preserved. Further, the force at Tihar Jail has been sensitised to ensure inherent rights of prisoners are not violated.

The report submitted to MHA does not mention use of excessive force, but senior officer in MHA said that an internal inquiry headed by a commandant rank officer has been initiated by Tamil Nadu Police to examine the action of its personnel deployed at Tihar.

Off the 25 prisoners in the jail, 18 were sent to AIIMS who will be examined by a team of 3 doctors from the hospital. Another fact finding committee to be headed by a district judge rank officer and a professor of National Law University, Dwarka has been advised to be legal advisor in the matter.

Earlier on 23rd November, HC set up committee of 3 members which inspected the prison and submitted a report to the court, based on which on the 27th November, it passed directions to Tihar authorities.

The Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had recently expressed concern over the safety of Kashmiri prisoners in Tihar Jail. She spoke to Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba earlier in the week. Post the conversation, the home ministry sprung into action seeking a report from Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal asking him to take necessary measures to review the security situation in the high-security prison.

While there are reports of Salahuddin's son being hurt, high-level sources said that Syed Shahid Yousuf accused by NIA in a terror financing case was not hurt in the scuffle. The report said he did not participate in the scuffle, but figured in the number of prisoners sent to AIIMS.

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KAR Auction Services, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides used vehicle auctions and related vehicle remarketing services for the automotive industry in the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. The company operates through two segments, ADESA Auctions and AFC. The ADESA Auctions segment offers whole car auctions and related services to the vehicle remarketing industry through online auctions and auction facilities. It also provides value-added services, such as auction related, transportation, reconditioning, inspection, title and repossession administration and remarketing, vehicle research, and analytical services, as well as data as a service. This segment sells its products and services through vehicle manufacturers, fleet companies, rental car companies, finance companies, and others. As of December 31, 2021, this segment had a network of approximately 70 vehicle logistics center locations in North America. The AFC segment offers floorplan financing, a short-term inventory-secured financing to independent used vehicle dealers; and sells vehicle service contracts. The company provides wheel repair and hail catastrophe response services. It serves vehicle manufacturers, vehicle rental companies, financial institutions, commercial fleets and fleet management companies, and dealer customers. The company was formerly known as KAR Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to KAR Auction Services, Inc. in November 2009. KAR Auction Services, Inc. was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Carmel, Indiana.
VMware, Inc. provides software solutions in the areas of modern applications, cloud management and infrastructure, networking, security, and digital workspaces in the United States and internationally. It offers VMware multi-cloud solutions, including VMware vSphere, a data center infrastructure that provides the fundamental compute layer; vSAN and VxRail, which offers holistic data storage and protection options to applications running on vSphere; and vRealize Cloud Management solutions that manages hybrid and multi-cloud environments running in virtual machines and containers, as well as VMware Cloud Foundation, a cloud platform that combines its vSphere, vSAN, and NSX with vRealize Cloud Management into an integrated stack and delivers enterprise-ready cloud infrastructure for private and public clouds. The company also provides networking solutions, such as VMware NSX, NSX Distributed and Gateway Firewalls, NSX Network Detection and Response Engine, NSX Advanced Load Balancer, Tanzu Service Mesh, and VMware SASE; security solutions consisting of VMware Carbon Black Endpoint, Workload, and Container; and digital workspace solutions comprising Workspace ONE Unified Endpoint Management, Access, Intelligent Hub, and Horizon. In addition, it offers application modernization solutions, such as Tanzu Application and Operations Platform, Tanzu Application Service Platform, Tanzu Observability, Tanzu Community Edition, and Tanzu Labs; and cloud management solutions, including vRealize Cloud Management, vCloud Suite, and CloudHealth by VMware Suite. The company sells its products through distributors, resellers, system vendors, and systems integrators. VMware, Inc. has a strategic alliance with Amazon Web Services to build and deliver an integrated hybrid solution. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.
Winnebago Industries, Inc. manufactures and sells recreation vehicles and marine products primarily for use in leisure travel and outdoor recreation activities. The company operates in six segments: Grand Design Towables, Winnebago Towables, Winnebago Motorhomes, Newmar motorhomes, Chris-Craft Marine, and Winnebago Specialty Vehicles. It provides towable products that are non-motorized vehicles to be towed by automobiles, pickup trucks, SUVs, or vans for use as temporary living quarters for recreational travel, such as conventional travel trailers, fifth wheels, folding camper trailers, and truck campers under the Winnebago and Grand Design brand names. The company also offers motorhomes, which are self-propelled mobile dwellings used primarily as temporary living quarters during vacation and camping trips, or to support active and mobile lifestyles under the Winnebago and Newmar brand names. In addition, it offers other specialty commercial vehicles for law enforcement command centers, mobile medical clinics, and mobile office spaces; commercial vehicles as bare shells to third-party up fitters; and boats in the recreational powerboat industry under the Chris-Craft and Barletta brand names. Further, the company is involved in the original equipment manufacturing of parts for other manufacturers and commercial vehicles. The company sells its products primarily through independent dealers in the United States, Canada, and internationally. Winnebago Industries, Inc. was incorporated in 1958 and is based in Forest City, Iowa.
By Divyesh Singh: Maharashtra government's Directorate of Health Services (DHS) which also deals with transplantation of human organs under the Human Organs Transplantation Act (HOTA) has written to the union of Ministry of Health and Welfare seeking multi agency investigation into the international kidney racket busted at Mumbai international airport in September. The communication has been done through proper channel by the Maharashtra state government.

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Sources from DHS said that in the racket busted by Sahar Police on September 2, it was alleged by one of the donors that they had been taken to the Indian Embassy in Cairo, Egypt for a no objection certificate (NOC) and it was reportedly granted to them after asking their names by the officials at the embassy. If the donor is to be believed then the officials responsible could be under scanner.

The donor identified as Yasir Pasha who has recorded his statement with the Sahar Police said that before performing the transplant, he was taken to the Indian embassy in Cairo by one of the absconding accused known as Madhu alias Madhukar Krishnan.

Madhu communicated with the embassy officials and the officials asked Pasha's name and then asked him to sign some documents. He was told by Madhu that the documents were NOC that was needed for the transplant and further he was taken to the health ministry office of Egypt in Cairo. DHS has communicated all the findings to MHW seeking investigation on all aspects so that the culprits involved could be brought to book and concerned counterparts in Egypt could be informed.

Meanwhile, Sahar Police said that is they had also communicated to the union home ministry about the case. Senior police inspector LATA Shirsat from the Sahar police said "We have communicated all the details to the home ministry through proper channel, in the initial communication we were told that the Indian Embassy officials had attested some documents of the donor and the recipient?. Further investigations in the case is going on".

The donors who were sent to Cairo from India, including Pasha were sent on tourist visa and despite that the transplant surgery was carried out without any inquiries from officials or doctors.

Also, DHS officials pointed out that the people running the racket were very organised and had been running the racket from several states of the country. Officials said that the racket could be running from Telangana as many donors whose details have come to light were from the state.

The racket came to light when on September 2, accused named Vrunchalata Nizamuddin was apprehended at the airport. Two people accompanying Nizamuddin were donors who were being taken to the Mile Badrawi hospital in Cairo for transplant of their kidneys for two recipients who were also Indians.

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Further investigation in the case revealed name of one Suresh Prajapati who was the alleged kingpin of the racket. Prajapati had been earlier arrested by Hyderabad police in January 2016 for running a international kidney racket. According to police, Prajapati had carried out around 60 such transplants in which donors were lured for money or in name of jobs and taken to Sri Lanka where the surgery was performed.

Pasha's statement provided details about the people involved in the racket and those operating from Cairo. It is suspected that officials from Egypt's health ministry and doctors from Mile badrawi hospital were also involved as no questions were asked by any of the concerned officials before performing the transplant surgery.

The surgery, despite being a very serious one and rehabilitation period of more than ?a month, the donors were discharged within two days. One discharged they were taken to the airport by the accused persons and asked to leave without a discharge summary certificate. Pasha's statement revealed that he was given three medicines after donating his surgery which were a antibiotic, a antacid and anti cough expectorant.

The investigation in the case is still on but many such victims whose names have come to light are from the other states which is why Maharashtra government has sought the central government to look into the matter.

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The issue has also been reported to center as many accused involved in the racket are still based in Cairo and communication with the Egyptian counterparts could help them be brought to book. Many such people who have fallen prey to the racket have not reported the matter, so a multi agency probe could help identify and further take action against the accused involved.

--- ENDS ---
Ranbir Kapoor might have to opt for an arranged marriage if his mother has her way even as link-up rumours with Pakistani actress Mahira Khan do not seem to die down.

By India Today Web Desk: Ranbir Kapoor and Mahira Khan's photos might be making the internet lose its mind, but seems like mommy Neetu Kapoor is not very impressed with her son's link-up rumours. Buzz has it that Neetu is apparently trying to get Ranbir hitched as soon as possible.

A report in Mumbai Mirror says that Neetu Kapoor has been trying hard to make Ranbir listen to her and settle down. The only thing she talks about these days, says the report, is Ranbir's marriage. So much so, that every wedding that she attends, she tries foraging for a match for her son. That's one quintessential Indian parent there, we say!

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However, Ranbir doesn't seem to be in the mood to follow his mother's ways and has supposedly told her that he will tie the knot when he wants to. But when have our parents ever listened to us, especially in matters concerning marriage...

Neetu Kapoor, say rumours, even made her son meet an NRI girl in London.

It was in May this year when reports about the mother-son duo going to London to look for a bride for Ranbir first surfaced. "The London visit could very well be for a meet and greet with a well known family in London for the actor's marriage. Though nothing is confirmed as of now, but time will tell..." a source had told a tabloid back then.

Ranbir's uncle Randhir, however, helped clarify things.

The veteran actor told a newspaper, "Ranbir is having a terrific time with all the success and the money he's got, and age being in his favour too. Why does he have to get married and spoil it all so soon? Shaadi ke liye bahut time hai abhi usko (He's got enough time in hand to get married). Let him have a nice time right now."

A few months ago, photos of Mahira and Ranbir enjoying a smoke in New York went viral on the internet.

Ranbir soon put across his views on the photos and his relationship with Mahira, "I've gotten to know Mahira in a personal capacity over the last few months. She is somebody who I admire and respect, for her achievements and even more for the person she is. It is very unfair the way she is being judged and spoken about. What is also sad is the inequality in judgment just because she is a woman. I request you to stop the negativity and move on with your beautiful god gifted lives. Peace and love."

Mahira, on the other hand, first said at the trailer launch of her Pakistani film Verna, "It is my personal life and it is very normal for a boy and girl to hang out."

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She then went on to apologise for the photos.

She said that she was "completely shattered and broken" by all the negative comments directed at her.

"I'd be lying if I said that I decided right off the bat that I wouldn't respond to this controversy. And I'm a very strong woman but when all of this happened, I was completely shattered and broken. I would think about posting a statement every day. Then I would stop myself because I just wouldn't know what to say," Mahira said.

She added, "To be honest, I understand where all the criticism came from and it didn't come from a place of hate. I'm not talking about the trolls but those who were genuinely disappointed to see those pictures. It's the same disappointment that my nani or my mamoo would have felt seeing that. So even now when I meet an older lady who says that she didn't like the pictures, I'm quick to apologise."

On the work front, Ranbir is currently busy with the biopic on Sanjay Dutt's life. The film is slated for a release in March 30, 2018.

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